Midland University officials announced Rex Barker as Director of Performing Arts Monday.

Barker, who arrived on the Midland campus in the fall of 2015 as Director of Instrumental Activities, will fill the vacancy created when Erin Bradley stepped down to devote more time to her family. In addition to overseeing the entire Performing Arts program, Barker will continue to lead Instrumental Activities.

Rex is an award-winning educator who has been helping students find and pursue their passions in the arts throughout his career. In his new role, he will lead a talented team committed to creating opportunities for students to fully experience the arts as part of a complete college experience, Midland University President Jody Horner said. Were proud of the accomplishments Rex has made in his first year here and anticipate great success in the future.

Barker received the Donald A. Lentz Outstanding Bandmaster Award, which recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution throughout his career, from the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association in March for his 27-year career at Millard South High School in Omaha where he was the Head of the Music Department. He also served as the head of Millard Public Schools Instrumental Music Department. During his career he also taught at Grand Island Northwest High School.

In 2014, Barker was named the Outstanding Music Educator in Nebraska and in 2001 School Band and Orchestra magazine selected him as one of its 50 Directors Who Make a Difference. Other honors include the Gary Thomas Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2009 and the Excellence in Secondary Teaching Award from the Millard Public Schools in 2013.

Midland offers more than 250 opportunities in the performing arts, and there are plans to increase that number over the next few years.

Barker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Kearney State College in 1981 and in 1992 a Master of Music Education from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He has continued additional studies at VanderCook College of Music, the University of Miami, and Illinois State University.
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Boulder, Colorado - A solar storm that jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War could have led to a disastrous military conflict if not for the U.S. Air Forces budding efforts to monitor the suns activity, a new CU Boulder study finds.

On May 23, 1967, the Air Force prepared aircraft for war, thinking the nations surveillance radars in polar regions were being jammed by the Soviet Union. Just in time, military space weather forecasters conveyed information about the solar storms potential to disrupt radar and radio communications. The planes remained on the ground and the U.S. avoided a potential nuclear weapon exchange with the Soviet Union, according to the new research.

Retired U.S. Air Force officers involved in forecasting and analyzing the storm collectively describe the event publicly for the first time in a new paper accepted for publication in Space Weather, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

The storms potential impact on society was largely unknown until these individuals came together to share their stories, said Delores Knipp, a space physicist at the University of Colorado in Boulder and lead author of the new study. Knipp will give a presentation about the event on August 10, 2016 at the High Altitude Observatory at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.

The storm is a classic example of how geoscience and space research are essential to U.S. national security, she said.

Had it not been for the fact that we had invested very early on in solar and geomagnetic storm observations and forecasting, the impact [of the storm] likely would have been much greater, said Knipp, a research professor in CU Boulder's Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences. This was a lesson learned in how important it is to be prepared.

Keeping an eye on the sun

The U.S. military began monitoring solar activity and space weather  disturbances in Earths magnetic field and upper atmosphere  in the late 1950s. In the 1960s, a new branch of the Air Forces Air Weather Service (AWS) monitored the sun routinely for solar flares  brief intense eruptions of radiation from the sun's atmosphere. Solar flares often lead to electromagnetic disturbances on Earth, known as geomagnetic storms, that can disrupt radio communications and power line transmissions.

The AWS employed a network of observers at various locations in the U.S. and abroad who provided regular input to solar forecasters at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a U.S. and Canadian organization that defends and controls airspace above North America. By 1967, several observatories were sending daily information directly to NORAD solar forecasters.

On May 18, 1967, an unusually large group of sunspots with intense magnetic fields appeared in one region of the sun. By May 23, observers and forecasters saw the sun was active and likely to produce a major flare. Observatories in New Mexico and Colorado saw a flare visible to the naked eye while a solar radio observatory in Massachusetts reported the sun was emitting unprecedented levels of radio waves.

A significant worldwide geomagnetic storm was forecast to occur within 36-48 hours, according to a bulletin from NORADs Solar Forecast Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado on May 23.

Radar jamming

As the solar flare event unfolded on May 23, radars at all three Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) sites in the far Northern Hemisphere were disrupted. These radars, designed to detect incoming Soviet missiles, appeared to be jammed. Any attack on these stations  including jamming their radar capabilities  was considered an act of war.

Retired Colonel Arnold L. Snyder, a solar forecaster at NORADs Solar Forecast Center, was on duty that day. The tropospheric weather forecaster told him the NORAD Command Post had asked about any solar activity that might be occurring.

I specifically recall responding with excitement, Yes, half the sun has blown away, and then related the event details in a calmer, more quantitative way, Snyder said.

Along with the information from the Solar Forecast Center, NORAD learned the three BMEWS sites were in sunlight and could receive radio emissions coming from the sun. These facts suggested the radars were being jammed by the sun, not the Soviet Union, Snyder said. As solar radio emissions waned, the jamming also waned, further suggesting the sun was to blame, he said.

During most of the 1960s, the Air Force flew continuous alert aircraft laden with nuclear-weapons. But commanders, thinking the BMEWS radars were being jammed by the Russians and unaware of the solar storm underway, put additional forces in a ready to launch status, according to the study.

This is a grave situation, Knipp said. But heres where the story turns: things were going horribly wrong, and then something goes commendably right.

The Air Force did not launch additional aircraft, and the study authors believe information from the Solar Forecasting Center made it to commanders in time to stop the military action, including a potential deployment of nuclear weapons. Knipp, quoting public documents, noted that information about the solar storm was most likely relayed to the highest levels of government  possibly even President Johnson.

The geomagnetic storm, which began about 40 hours after the solar flare and radio bursts, went on to disrupt U.S. radio communications in almost every conceivable way for almost a week, according to the new study. It was so strong that the Northern Lights, usually only seen in or near the Arctic Circle, were visible as far south as New Mexico.

Societal impact

According to Snyder and the study authors, it was the militarys correct diagnosis of the solar storm that prevented the event from becoming a disaster. Ultimately, the storm led the military to recognize space weather as an operational concern and build a stronger space weather forecasting system, he said.

The public is likely unaware that natural disasters could potentially trick contemporary military forces into thinking they are under attack, said Morris Cohen, an electrical engineer and radio scientist at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta who was not involved in the new study.

I thought it was fascinating from a historical perspective, he said of the new study.

The May 1967 storm brought about change as a near miss rather than a full-blown catastrophe, according to Cohen.

Oftentimes, the way things work is something catastrophic happens and then we say, We should do something so it doesnt happen again, he said. But in this case there was just enough preparation done just in time to avert a disastrous result.
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Stanford, California - A new 3-D printing technique being developed at Stanford could one day allow scientists to study rocks from afar, without needing to have actual samples in hand.

By combining two techniques - remote 3-D imaging and 3-D printing - scientists could create physical models of digitally scanned rocks that are either too delicate to handle or too difficult to obtain in person, such as rocks from the moon or Mars.

You could use 3-D printed digital rock models to help screen and select the most scientifically interesting samples to return to Earth for research, said Tiziana Vanorio, an assistant professor of geophysics at Stanfords School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences. Our study provides a first step in that direction.

For now, though, 3-D printing could help scientists better understand how changes to a rocks microscopic structure affects its large-scale, or bulk, properties, such as porosity and permeability. These characteristics can reveal intimate details about the rocks, such as the physical processes that formed them, or how fluids such as oil or water move through them, which could inform more efficient extraction techniques.

The advent of modern 3-D printing provides an unprecedented opportunity to link the micro- and macro-scales by combining the strengths of both digital and laboratory experiments, Vanorio said. Three-D printing allows us to digitally manipulate changes at the pore scale and then print the rock at the scale that is suitable for laboratory tests.

Scientists have used 3-D printing on rocks before, but mostly as a means of enlarging the tiny structural details in rock interiors to make them easier to visualize. No one else has done what we did, which is digitally modify parts of a natural rock microstructure and then physically measure in a laboratory how those changes affect fluid flow in the rock, said Dulcie Head, a Stanford doctoral candidate in Vanorios lab.

Vanorio said she got the idea to print rocks in three dimensions after purchasing a pair of customized ballerina shoes a few years ago.

The company used a digital scanner to determine the exact size and shape of your feet and then 3-D printed shoes that fit you like a glove, Vanorio said. Geophysicists already digitally scan rocks, so I thought to myself Why not print them, too?'

In a new study, to be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, Head and Vanorio tested whether current 3-D printers were up to the task of re-creating the microscopic channels and hollows in a small carbonate rock sample that had been digitally imaged using a CAT scanner.

The pair tested two different 3-D printers: a high-end commercial model costing a few thousand dollars and an industrial model that cost about ten times more. Both printers layered light-sensitive resin that is then hardened using ultraviolet light, but the industrial model had a higher printer resolution and used a wax-assisted technology to enhance the rendering of small pore spaces.

The Stanford scientists demonstrated that it was possible to manipulate the digital model of the rock sample and then print the altered version in 3-D. The research, which was selected as an Editors Choice by the journal Science, could for the first time allow scientists to directly link changes in a rocks microstructure to its bulk properties such as porosity and permeability.

A fundamental problem for geophysicists who want to understand rock properties is that our samples are not naturally comparable, Head said. You can take two rock cores from right next to each other that have very similar bulk properties, but when you look at them under a microscope, their pore structures might be completely different. By manipulating something that we couldnt manipulate before, 3-D printing allows us to understand the role of those tiny differences in the pore structure.

Vanorio and Head are optimistic that as 3-D printing technology improves, scientists will be able to recreate finer details of rock structures and even be able to mix different materials together to better replicate the diverse minerals that make up rocks.

There are currently printers that work with glass, metal and ceramics, Head said. All of those are emergent technologies, but we are hopeful that we will be able to experiment with other materials in the future.
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Yuma, Arizona - This morning, at approximately 8:00 a.m. The Yuma Police Departments Special Enforcement Unit was called out in reference to possible barricaded subjects in the 600 block of W. 20th Street. At 9:05 a.m. all subjects came out of the residence without incident.

The incident started at 1:30 a.m. at Reds Bird Cage, 231 S. Main Street where a disturbance was reported. The investigation lead to the residence in the 600 block of W. 20th Street. Announcements were made via PA system for several hours with no contact. The Special Enforcement Unit was in place and announcements were still being made when the suspect and victim exited the residence.

Leon Farr, 26 years old, was arrested for kidnapping, assault and disorderly conduct per domestic violence. Farr was booked into the Yuma County Detention center.

The Yuma Police Department encourages anyone with any information about this case to please call the Yuma Police Department at (928) 373-4700 or 78-Crime at (928) 782-7463 to remain anonymous.
Bollywood has faced a number of upheavals and transformations, but one remarkable change in the recent times is the experimentation with techniques and themes. <br><br> The early years had a lot of restrictions in terms of presentation, handling and theme of the movie from the directors point of view. They could not take up challenging horror or action sequences because it demanded special effects, the result was a gapingly scant collection of horror flicks, and in the name of action the viewers had to do with adoring Dharmendras power-packed fists that floored the villains in one thunderous punch and a the roar: "Kuttey! Mein tera khoon pee jaunga!!!(along with a legendary dishum in the background). <br><br> There were some potential substitutes like Dara Singh, who promised some drum-centric-music-enhanced (read overshadowed) action sequences, where an army of goons was hurled about in all directions by him. Then we had Amitabh Bachchan in the Angry Young Man avatar and after him the action mantle fell to Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan, Suniel Shetty, and Akshay Kumar. With time, action sequences became considerably better, with slow-motion punches adding to the overall action effect of the pow-wow. <br><br> In the same era, Hollywood churned out a hair-raising thriller-horror The Wind (1987). This movie became hugely popular due to the sheer simplicity with which the horror was built-up. It was chilling, scary, violent and gripping. It used no effects other than some high voltage fans to create the windstorm in a deserted village. And its background music was self-effacing, yet adding to the chill. <br><br> A novelist (Meg Foster) retires to a crumbling villa in a village to complete her book, and is hounded by the caretaker, who has a fancy of killing with a scythe  pretty dumb and cliched storyline. No extraordinary props, no high-tech, hard-to-get gadgets that were a dream for our Bollywood procurers. Nico Mastorakis created a timeless and ingenious example of making viewers start in dread. It was frightening for an adult then; it still is for his son now. <br><br> Recently, we have seen an explosion of new age technologies giving our cinema an unusually updated look. (They have even mastered The Matrix 3-D effect after copying it in n number of movies!). Drona, Krrish, A love Story-2050 are all effects-based flicks, using the latest technologies. Even animation has reached its adolescence and films like Roadside Romeo are at par with regular feature films. Sometimes the animated characters look plastic but new-age children are used to it so they dont mind much. After all, they practically live in a world overflowing with polymer. <br><br> Of course, there has never been a dearth of romance in Bollywood. (The audience gets a chance to let their imagination run amok, fuelling Bollywood gossip). They actually started with a good guy in white kurta-pyjama (not the night-dress, it was the over-loose dress of those times!) serenading his lady love, looking at the metaphoric Moon, without a glance at that well made-up, simpering, dupatta-biting lass standing beside him. That was love. Then they held hands (and a leaf or a branch) and danced, then they hid behind trees in gardens (with a close-up of two flowers!), then they let the lass dupatta slip, then it disappeared altogether. But now our directors have a wide variety of romantic options from bed-scenes to kisses landing smack on the mouths. <br><br> Almost all versions of romance seem to have been exploited in the present cinematic period, but we can always expect from creative directors, who always discover a new kind of romantic instance for youngsters to moon about. <br><br> Having exhausted the expected lot of genre, Indian cinema is also extending shoots towards parallel cinema. Out of league movies are rising in number, and doing good business despite targeting a niche-audience. The success-secret is the capitalistic metropolitan approach of distributors. They make a movie for one segment of audience; take the urban thinking ones. Then they release it only in PVRs, multiplexes that charge a ten to twenty percent more than the small-town halls. They earn as much on selling a hundred tickets as they would in a small place selling a thousand. The film is a success - the trend becomes popular. Bheja Fry, Slumdog Millioanaire and A Wednesday become a rage! <br><br> Talking of A Wednesday, the horrifying attacks in Mumbai, and before that the sporadic incidents across the country have sent shock waves through Bollywood. The upper class has been hit this time, so, the fight against terrorism has spread across all the sections of society. Only a few days have passed, and the inspiration has hit the scriptwriters and filmmakers hard. In a recent Bollywood news update, twenty titles based on the Mumbai attacks have been submitted for approval. Another burst of trend changers? Welcome to contemporary Bollywood!
District of Columbia: US President Barack Obama issued Sunday a disaster declaration for flood-devastated Louisiana, where emergency workers have rescued more than 7,000 residents stranded in homes and cars, said the White House.

The action makes emergency federal funding available to support rescue crews working nonstop as deadly flooding ravages the state, disastrous weather that has left at least three dead and one missing, said officials.

"This is a serious event," Governor John Bel Edwards said of the "historic" record floods.

"This is ongoing," he added. "This is not over," even with the rains lessening as they move west and the sun appearing in some flooded areas.

The flooding submerged large parts of the region on Sunday, three days after water-swelled streams and rivers began rising.

Local, state and national agencies have been working together to rescue residents.

Thousands were evacuated in Livingston Parish, near the capital Baton Rouge, the sheriff`s department told local media, with 100 people still waiting for help.

The Louisiana National Guard said it had rescued nearly 500 people and 61 pets, including 15 rescues by air.

The Coast Guard said its helicopters rescued more than 50 people from rooftops, vehicles and trailers on Saturday.

In one dramatic rescue in Baton Rouge captured on video, rescuers on a boat pulled a woman from a car that had just slipped under water.

The woman shouts, "Oh my God, I`m drowning!"

A rescuer jumps into the murky brown water and pulls her out by the arm. When she tries to dive under for her dog, he goes underwater and reappears holding the dog.

Most of the flooding has been around the capital Baton Rouge.

Edwards said he and his family were forced to leave the governor`s mansion after water filled the basement, shutting off electricity.

"I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding," he said.

"We are thankful for the federal government`s quick response to our request for an emergency declaration. This is an ongoing event, and we are confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear."

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings extending from the Texas coast to the Ohio River Valley.

"Showers and thunderstorms will develop along and near the front from the Northeast to the Ohio Valley to the Southern Plains/Lower Mississippi Valley through Tuesday," it said.

The heavy rains began Friday, with between six and 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) of rain falling on parts of southeast Louisiana, and several more inches on Saturday, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters predict the storm will turn north, saying parts of central and northern Louisiana and southern Texas may see heavy rain for several days.
Kathmandu: At least 24 persons were killed and 25 others injured on Monday when a bus carrying 60 passengers veered off a road and plunged down into a gorge in Nepal's Kavrepalanchok district.

All 24 bodies were recovered, the victims are yet to be identified, the Himalayan Times reported. Eleven passengers are yet to be accounted for.

Rescue efforts by locals and police are continuing, officials said.

The bus was heading toward Madankudari of Kavre district from Kathmandu when it skidded off the road and went plunging down about 150 metres in a gorge, according to officials.

The accident occurred around 1 p.m., the Himalayan Times quoted an official as saying.
Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar on Monday promised to implement the universal health scheme in the state soon and also assured that there will be no compromise in the state`s interest in the ongoing Mhadei interstate water dispute.

In his Independence Day speech,Parsekar said: "The issue of Mhadei is before the tribunal. We cannot and will not compromise on the issue. Goa has won the first victory in the Mhadei dispute with the tribunal`s decision to not allow Karnataka to divert seven thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) of water."

Goa and Karnataka are currently battling out a dispute over the latter`s controversial Kalsa-Bhandura dam project across the river Mhadei at a central tribunal.

Mhadei, also known as the Mandovi river, is a lifeline in the northern parts of the state. It originates in Karnataka and meets the Arabian Sea in Panaji in Goa. While the river traverses 28.8 km in Karnataka, it is 81.2 km in length in Goa.

Karnataka plans to construct seven dams on the river, aimed at diverting the waters into its water-starved Malaprabha basin in North Karnataka.

Parsekar also spoke on the delay involving the launch of the universal health insurance scheme. This flagship schemes proposed by the BJP-led coalition government, is deferred by 15 days due to delay in distribution of health cards.

"Implementation of the scheme has been deferred because out of 1.38 lakh families registered for the scheme, only 40,000 have received health cards. If it is implemented from today, then only 40,000 families will get the benefits while rest of families will be deprived," Parsekar said.

The Deen Dayal Swasthya Seva Yojana which promises health insurance to every Goan of up to Rs. 2,00,000 per year for over 400 medical procedures, was due to be formally launched on August 15.

Parsekar said that the delay in the launch of the scheme was caused because of a protracted monsoon session of the Goa legislative assembly, which concluded last week, and a thorough follow up was not conducted.

"During the last three weeks, we were busy with assembly (proceedings) and perhaps we could not have the desired follow up. What I have found is that the insurance company is in a position to create 5,000 cards daily so at least those families who have been enrolled need to have the cards. Of course over the next few days additional families will also be enrolled. Therefore, instead of starting from 40,000, if we start with one lakh families that would be a good number," Parsekar said.
Una (Gujarat): Thousands of Dalits on Monday vowed never to remove the dead cows again as they gathered in the town of Una in Gujarat to express their solidarity with the five victims who were recently targeted by alleged Gau Rakshaks in suspicion of their involvement in the illegal cattle trade.

To express their solidarity, student leader Kanhaiya Kumar and Radhika Vemula, mother of late Rohith, also joined them at a state-run school ground where she unfurled the national flag on the occasion of Independence Day.

Radhika's son Rohith had committed suicide in January in Hyderabad university after alleging caste harassment.

This small town in Gujarat had hit the headlines after four Dalit youths were tied to a car, stripped and flogged after being wrongly accused of killing a cow.

The Dalits in Una on Monday vowed to give up their occupation of removing dead carcases of animals which is a poorly-paid task and forced upon them, the NDTV reported.

Addressing the gathering, Kanhaiya Kumar said, "You have exposed the Gujarat model of development".

Some of those who attended the event had reportedly marched some 400 kilometres to Una from Ahmedabad.

Muslims had also attended the event to express their solidarity with Dalits, the NDTV report said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has strongly criticised the so called cow vigilantes or "gau rakshaks" saying most use religion as a cover for crimes that have nothing to do with protecting the cow.
Sarangpur (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid his last respect to Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sanstha (BAPS) head Pramukh Swami Maharaj here in Sarangpur. Pramukh Swami Maharaj passed away on Saturday evening.Prime Minister Modi turned emotional as he burst into tears while paying his final respects to the 95-year-old founder of the Akshardham temples.

In his speech at the temple, the Prime Minister recalled his memories with late Pramukh Swami in shaping his life as his mentor in social life. He remembered Pramukh Swami`s suggestions after his every public speech.

"With the demise of Pramukh Swami, people have lost a Guru but he has lost a father," he said.

"Pramukh Swami is no more, his thoughts and spirit will always remain with us," he added.

Pramukh Swami`s spiritual journey started in January 1940 when he was initiated as a saint by his Guru Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS. He was a spiritual guide or mentor over one million followers, who worship him as incarnation of Lord Swaminarayan.The last rites of the spiritual leader will take place at 3 p.m. on August 17.
New Delhi: India on Monday marked 70 years of its independence with peace and joy but the celebrations were marred by bombings in Manipur and a militant attack in Kashmir that killed a para-military officer.

As the nation immersed itself in patriotic fervour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and chief ministers across the state listed achievements of their governments in their Independence Day addresses watched by millions.

Many of the governments announced a string of measures for their people including a plan by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to hike minimum wages in Delhi by about 50 per cent.

The main function of the day was, as every year since Independence in 1947, held in Delhi where people in large numbers assembled in front of the historic Red Fort to listen to their Prime Minister on a windy morning.

Among other things in his more than 90-minute address to the nation, Modi urged Indians to fight social and religious divisions and make the country stronger.

"Every citizen should fight against the differences in the society on the basis of caste and class. We have to take everyone together, be it Dalits, tribals, oppressed and people from the financially weaker section," he said.

Modi's bete noire, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged the Prime Minister to implement his wage hike scheme throughout the country.

"Those who have less in life should have more in law. So we have decided to increase the minimum wages in Delhi by about 50 per cent," Kejriwal told a packed Chhatrasal Stadium in the national capital.

In Delhi, amid terror threats, the authorities had thrown thick security cover in and around the city, including the area around the Red Fort.

Snipers were deployed and anti-aircraft guns installed around the historic fort, and much of Delhi was turned into a garrison town.

Security was also heightened in the restive Kashmir Valley. But militants still attacked paramilitary forces in an old city area and killed a senior Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer, police said. Two militants were also gunned down in the gunfight.

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called for peace in the Kashmir Valley which has been on the boil since July 8 killing of a rebel commander. It triggered widespread unrest that has left 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Srinagar wore a deserted look following a shutdown called by separatist leaders in the valley which has remained under curfew for much of the past five weeks.

In the northeastern state of Manipur, three security personnel and two girls were injured as two bombs exploded on deserted streets of Imphal amid a shutdown called by militants, officials and residents said.

In the neighbouring Mizoram, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said the state "is the most peaceful in the country heading for a steady progress of development".

Chief Minister Manik Sarkar of Tripura, also in the northeast, lashed out at the central government for what he called its attempts to snatch all powers of the state governments and for trying to force the states to beg for aid.

In Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recalled the Indian Freedom Movement, services of the freedom fighters and sacrifices of the martyrs for India's freedom from the British rule.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh announced a six per cent hike in dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees and pensioners from January 1 this year.

In Haryana, Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki felt giddy at the Independence Day parade due to hot and humid conditions after he unfurled the national flag.

Down south, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asked the people to be watchful against fundamentalists and sought public support in the stand against subversive thoughts and activities.

In the Karnataka capital Bengaluru, patriotic fervour gripped the city as thousands of people, including women and children attired in colourful clothes, thronged celebrations for the Independence Day anniversary.

In Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said, "Freedom does not mean just the right to speak, write... True freedom rests in economic freedom."

The Independence Day was also celebrated in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Attari: The Border Security Force (BSF) will soon be deploying additional five battalions at the Attari-Wagha border.

Informing this to reporters after the high-voltage Beating Retreat function here, BSF Director General (DG) K.K. Sharma said, "In the past few days, BSF has shot dead eight smugglers, including six Pakistani and two Indians.

Besides, we have seized heroin in huge amount, which is record in itself. With an aim to intensify our effort, we have decided to induct five more battalions, who will be posted soon, along with that, we are also installing our technical equipment in big number and improving intelligence services as well."

"BSF is a modern border guarding force laced with modern equipment, but we upgrade our equipment on regular basis. In coming time, we will be using highly advance equipment. This is a constant process," said the BSF DG.

"It is the result of effort made by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that we got permission to deploy five more battalions and being provided new equipment," he added.

When asked that sweets were being exchanged at the time when the Pakistani soldiers had breached the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Sharma said, "We should not connect that incident with this drill. Today, you saw that we offered sweets amid very friendly environment and they accepted it. Kashmir incident is at its own place.

"Meanwhile, he lauded the performance given by schoolchildren from nearby areas, saying they braved heat, but their enthusiasm was infectious.

"The 70th Independence Day was celebrated here with enthusiasm and schoolchildren from nearby areas presented a glittering cultural programme. Their performance was full of national fervour. It was nice to see them performing."

On the occasion of Independence Day, the BSF gifted a box of traditional Indian sweets to the Pakistani Rangers at Attari-Wagah border.

At the time of handing over of sweets to Pakistani Rangers, both forces were looking relaxed; they hugged and shook hands with each other, besides sharing pleasantries for a few minutes.

On Sunday, the Pakistani Rangers had offered traditional Pakistani sweets to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day.
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on Monday pulled up Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not including issue of judges appointment in his third Independence Day speech and said he is 'disappointed' by PM's I-Day address to the nation.

"I heard Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad's speech and was hoping there would be something on appointment of judges. However, the PM's speech disappointed me. I request the government to pay attention to the issues plaguing the judiciary, especially the appointment of judges," CJI TS Thakur said.

Stressing that the Narendra Modi government must consider the rising burden of judges the country's judiciary is facing due to vacancy and pendency, Thakur said further, "The government are doing great work for its people, but they should also think about the judiciary system of this country."

"During British era, verdict in a case used to come out in 10 years, however, today's even 100 years are not enough to give a verdict in a case, thanks to the lacking number of judges in courtrooms today," he added further.

The CJI's anguish came on a day when PM Modi in his third Independence Day speech highlighted his governments achievements over the last two years.

On Saturday, a bench led by CJI Thakur came down heavily on the government while hearing a PIL on shortage of judges and delay in filling up vacancies, a week after the government declined to yield to the Collegiums objections in the MoP with respect to the executive having the final say in rejecting names.

We wont tolerate a logjam in judges appointment. It is stifling the judicial work. We will fasten accountability now. Why is there mistrust? If this logjam continues, we will be forced to interfere judicially. We will ask for every file that was sent to you by the Collegium, the CJI, who heads the Collegium in the Supreme Court, told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi.

The CJI had cautioned the government that if matters continued in the same vein, the court would be forced to intervene judicially and call for every file of every recommendation forwarded by the Collegium to the government for clearance.

Thakur had made an emotional appeal at a convocation last April in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the rising burden of judges due to vacancies and pendency.
New Delhi: Pakistan would certainly be worried with Baloch Republican Party (BRP) leader Ashraf Sherjan on Monday thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.

The BRP leader hoped that India and Balochistan will soon celebrate Independence Day together.

Sherjan also raised 'Jai Hind' slogan, giving clear indications that the restive region wants to get free from the clutches of Pakistan.

The Baloch leader's statements come after PM Modi in his Independence Day speech came out openly in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "Pakistan occupied Kashmir".

Notably, the PoK region recently has been witnessing huge protests. Locals in the region have been agitating on the streets to protest against the rigged July 21 election and Pakistan occupation in the region.

The protesting people have slammed the Pakistani establishment and shouted azadi slogans.

The protesters raised their voices against Paksitan-sponsored terrorism, goondaism. The oppressed people were also seen raised slogans against Pakistani media.

Last year reports had emerged that residents of PoK were openly advocating to be a part of India. They were said to be impressed with PM Narendra Modi's style of governance.

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 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.
Delhi: As we celebrate Independence Day once again and pay tributes to great leaders who gave us freedom from the British, the name of Mahatma Gandhi will eternally be on the top.

The man who changed the course of the future of India with his ideas of non-violence and religious peace who extraordinary in more ways than one.

Let us encapsulate the journey of the Mahatma for you.

Early life:

Gandhi was born on 2 October 1869 in a Baniya family in Porbandar (also known as Sudamapuri). He studied law and jurisprudence in London but as life would have it, Gandhi at the age of 24 arrived in South Africa in 1893 to work as a legal representative for the Muslim Indian Traders based in the city of Pretoria. He spent 21 years in South Africa.

Activism in South Africa:

In South Africa, Gandhi witnessed discrimination directed at all 'coloured' people. The famous episode where he was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg after refusing to move from the first-class was a life-turning event for him. It shaped his social activism and awakened him to social injustice.

Return to India:

Gandhi returned to India in 1915 and joined the Indian National Congress. Gandhi took leadership of the Congress in 1920 and his insistence led to the INC declaring independence on 26 January 1930. Obviously the British did not recognise the declaration but after negotiations, the Congress took up a role in provincial government in the late 1930s.

However, Gandhi and the Congress withdrew their support of the Raj when the Viceroy declared war on Germany in September 1939 without consultation. Tensions brewed till Gandhi demanded immediate independence in 1942 and the British responded by imprisoning him and thousands of Congress leaders.

Champaran agitation:

Gandhi's first big move was the Champaran and Kheda agitations of Bihar and Gujarat in 1918. The Champaran agitation pitted the local peasantry against British landlords. The farmers were forced to grow Indigo, a cash crop, and were forced to sell their crops to the planters at a fixed price. On the other hand, in 1918,when Kheda was hit by floods and famine, Gandhi moved his headquarters to Nadiad and initiated a signature campaign where peasants pledged non-payment of revenue even under the threat of confiscation of land. For five months, the administration refused but finally in end-May 1918, the government relaxed the conditions of payment of revenue tax until the famine ended.

Non-Cooperation movement:

Gandhi in his famous book Hind Swaraj (1909) Gandhi declared that British rule was established in India with the co-operation of Indians and pointed out that if Indians refused to co-operate, British rule would collapse. After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and subsequent violence, Gandhi began to focus on winning complete self-government and control of all Indian government institutions. In December 1921, under his leadership, the Congress was re-organised with a new constitution, with the goal of Swaraj. Gandhi expanded his nonviolence platform to include the swadeshi policy - the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially British goods.

Road to Independence:

Gandhi pushed through a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928 calling on the British government to grant India dominion status or face a new campaign of non-co-operation with complete independence for the country as its goal. On 31 December 1929, the flag of India was unfurled in Lahore. 26 January 1930 was celebrated as India's Independence Day by the Indian National Congress meeting in Lahore. Gandhi then launched a new Satyagraha against the tax on salt in March 1930 and undertook the famous Salt March to Dandi from 12 March to 6 April, where he marched 388 kilometresfrom Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat to make salt himself. This campaign was one of his most successful at upsetting British hold on India. Ultimately the sacrifices of Gandhi led to the independence of India and freedom from the oppressive British rule.

Gandhi assassinated:

Sadly Gandhi did not live long in a free India. He used to stay in Delhi at Birla House after independence and daily at 5.30 pm he used to go for the evening prayer. On 30th January 1948, while he was on his way to the prayer ground he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse.

(Pic Courtesy - wikipedia.org, www.miscw.com, www.youthconnect.in)
Srinagar: One youth was killed and another critically injured on Monday in fresh clashes between protestors and security forces in Kashmir, taking the death toll to 58, even as curfew remained in force in some parts of Kashmir while a CRPF officer was killed and nine other security personnel injured as militants attacked them here.

A youth injured in clashes between protestors and security forces at Batamaloo in the city was brought to SMHS hospital with "grievous injuries", a police official said.

The doctors declared him "brought dead", he said adding efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

In another incident in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district, one youth was critically injured after being hit by a tear smoke shell in the head, the official said.

Earlier, a youth injured during clashes last week succumbed at a hospital here this morning.

Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, who was injured during clashes between protestors and security forces in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district on August 12, succumbed at SKIMS hospital here, a police official said.

Bhat had sustained injury to his head.

"Curfew remained in force in five police station areas of old city and Hazratbal zone in Srinagar district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order," the police official said.

He said restrictions on the movement of the people were in force in rest of the valley.

Stringent security arrangements were put in place for the Independence Day celebrations but militants struck in Nowhatta area of the city, killing a CRPF officer and injuring nine other security personnel.

Two ultras were also shot dead in the encounter which began around 7.30 in the morning.

Internet and mobile services across the valley remained suspended as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

While broadband services were snapped on Saturday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late in the night on the same day.

While all mobile phone services used to be shut during the Independence day celebrations over the past 10 years, BSNL mobiles were working today.

"Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges," the official said.

Normal life remained paralysed for the 38th 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.
Srinagar: Five militants were killed as the army on Monday foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Kashmir.

"Alert troops noticed some suspicious movement along the Line of Control in Uri Sector in north Kashmir's Baramulla district this morning and challenged the intruders," an army official said.

He said the intruders opened firing towards the army positions which was retaliated by the soldiers.

"Two militants were killed in the initial exchange of firing while three others were killed late in the day," the official said.

He said search operations were continuing in the area till reports came in.

He said arms, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered from scene of the gunbattle.

This is the fourth infiltration bid foiled by the army along the LoC in Kashmir in the past three weeks, killing 12 militants.
Srinagar: A youth was killed when security forces opened fire at a protesting mob here on Monday evening, the state police said.

A police officer told IANS that a group of men threw stones at security forces in Batamaloo area of Srinagar.

"The security forces opened fire at protesters. One person, Irfan Ahmed, was killed and two others were injured," the police officer said.

With the latest death, the toll in the ongoing unrest in the Kashmir Valley over the past five weeks has now risen to 59.

Thousands have been injured in clashes with security forces since the July 8 killing of popular rebel commander Burhan Wani that sparked violent protests across the valley.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Pakistan for its stand on terrorism after he hoisted the national flag at the ramparts of Red Fort for the third time as India celebrates its 70th Independence Day today.

While highlighting his governments achievements over the last two years, PM Modi also used the opportunity to send a clear message to the neighbouring country.

"When Peshawar school massacre happened, India felt the pain and cried for students that were killed by terrorists. This is the example of our humanitarian approach. but there are some countries who glorify terrorists, Modi said, hitting out at Pakistan.

In his speech, Modi also urged youths who were getting inclined to Left wing extremism and terrorism to shun violence and return to their parents. "To the youth who have taken up the gun, I urge them to return to their mainland and shun violence," he said.

"The people of Balochistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir have thanked India for speaking up on their behalf. India has faulted Pakistan for instigating weeks of violence in the Kashmir Valley in which nearly 60 people have died and thousands have been left injured as protestors clash with security forces," Modi said.

The Prime Minister also thanked the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK. People of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them.
Quetta: Enthused and relieved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expression of gratitude and indirect criticism of Pakistan's brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Baloch leaders on Monday thanked the Indian leadership and media for raising the issue publicly, but called for more practical steps to be initiated by New Delhi.

Mehran Marri, representative of Balochistan at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and European Union (EU) said, "We would like to thank Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for raising the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day speech."

"PM Modi's pledge to raise issue of Balochistan on all international forums has given hope to people of Balochistan that we are not forgotten. We are suffering genocide in the hands of Pakistan military and Pakistan," he said.

Senge H. Sering, Director, Gilgit Baltistan National Congress, said, "For the first time such a big leader (PM Modi) has taken some initiative to highlight Balochistan issue. This might help us to expose Pakistan for human rights violations in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan."

Early today, Baloch Republican Party (BRP) leader Ashraf Sherjan also expressed his gratitude and thanked PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.

The BRP leader hoped that India and Balochistan will soon celebrate Independence Day together. Sherjan also raising the 'Jai Hind' slogan, thus giving clear indications that the restive region wants to get free from the clutches of Pakistan.

"Want to thank PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally. Inshallah, soon we will celebrate India's and Balochistan's independence day together. Jai Hind," Ashraf Sherjan said.

On Saturday, massive protests took place in Gilgit in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, with the people demanding the release of their leader Baba Jan and asking the Pakistan Army to vacate the area. The protesters were also agitated over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Modi had said at a meeting on Kashmir last week that it was time for Islamabad to explain to the world its 'atrocities on people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan'. While calling for exposing Pakistan on the issue of Balochistan, Modi had also reiterated that PoK is a part of Jammu and Kashmir.
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday disagreed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's point of view on Balochistan.

At a time when Balochistan leaders are praising India's efforts for advocating the restive area's concerns at the international platform, Khurshid, a former union minister, said, Balochistan is different from any part of Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir... India's right and entitlement is over PoK and if anyone occupies part of Jammu and Kashmir we have a right to complain and take it back from them.

To interfere in Pakistan's internal matters, no matter how appropriate it may be in terms of human rights, political aspirations of people, it is not our business. If we get involved in Pakistan's internal matters, it would give them a course to interfere in our internal matters and this would be the worst thing to do for our own country.

Justifying his point, Khurshid further stated, Do we allow the Americans to speak about the atrocities in India, we don't. Do we speak for any other country, we don't, There is a sense of restrain that we have to show, when we are dealing with an independent sovereign nation. But wherever our land, our people are concerned, we have the right to question.

Balochistan wants to be independent it is their concern, not India's. PoK is our concern, it is our land and our sovereignty, Khurshid asserted.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sambit patra termed Khurshid's statements as shocking. He tweeted: Shocking statement by former Foreign Minister Salman Khursid saying that Human Right Violations in Baloochistan are none of India's concern!

Notably, Balochistan leaders Brahumdagh Bugti and Ashraf Sherjan have expressed their gratitude towards India for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.

BRP leader Ashraf Sherjan today thanked PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally. Sherjan hoped that India and Balochistan will soon celebrate Independence Day together.

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.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, PM today hit out Pakistan for "glorifying" terrorists.

PM Modi in his I-Day speech came out openly in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "PoK."
Srinagar: A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar on Monday.

An unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid, triggering an encounter.

Ten security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said, adding, a CRPF commanding officer injured in the attack later succumbed to injuries.

Two militants were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides.

The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.
Bengaluru: An FIR was on Monday registered against Amnesty International India in connection with alleged raising of "independence" slogans by "pro-freedom" Kashmiris who entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.

A police official involved in the investigation said that a First Information Report has been registered and investigations will proceed.

The FIR has been registered under IPC sections-- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), he said.

A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of whom were youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.

The event was organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College here.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had yesterday said the intention and background of those involved will be investigated.

ABVP activists, who staged a protest yesterday against the event calling it "anti-national", had also filed a complaint with the police along with a CD containing video recording of the event.

Holding that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for "victims of human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International India in a statement had said towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azadi' (freedom).

Noting that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Amnesty had said it, however, considers that the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
Srinagar: Asserting that gun will not solve any problem, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today on Monday Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the state's problems which she attributed to the "mistakes" by successive central governments, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the "vested interests" who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Speaking against the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she questioned people who have been indulging in violence as she underlined that any remedy could be found through dialogue in a great democracy like India.

Emphasising that any propaganda like attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is false, she urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

"Gun will not solve the problm. Guns has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.

The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.

"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?

"The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?

"Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.

Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)".
Srinagar: In an untoward incident, militans opened fire on security forces in Nowhatta area of Srinagar on Monday.

In the sudden attack five security personnel were injured. The gunfight between the forces and militants is still going on.

The unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid.
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday asked the people of the state to be watchful against fundamentalists and sought public support to stand against subversive thoughts and activities.

"I am using this occasion to remind people to be careful of some who turn spirituality into false spirituality and use religion injected with communal overtures. This has to be carefully watched," the Chief Minister said during his first Independence Day address here since assuming office.

Vijayan, who was was sworn in May, took the salute at the Central Stadium here.

He also asked parents and elders to ensure that students who go to educational institutions and religious places do not take a wrong route by indulging in undesirable activities like religious fundamentalism.

"People should support the efforts of the state government which is doing everything possible to see that misguided elements, who in the name of religion corrupt the minds of people in our society, are taken to task. On this Independence Day, let us all take a pledge that we will all stand together to drive away religious fundamentalism," said Vijayan.

Vijayan also gave away awards and medals to police and civil officials.

The chief minister's cabinet colleagues took the salute and hoisted the tricolour at all the 13 district headquarters of the state.

Across the state, many state and central government offices also witnessed the ceremonial hoisting of the national flag.
Mumbai: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik runs the Islamic International School in the Mazagaon area of Mumbai. But a damning report about the institute by Mumbai Police is likely to trigger a fresh controversy.

The institute has been under the government scanner for sometime but the latest report of Mumbai Police has revealed some astonishing details.

The report accuses the school of 'brainwashing' students and urging parents to keep kids away from 'un-Islamic environment', the Mumbai Mirror reported.

The report has been forwarded to the chief minister's office and the home ministry.

It is alleged that the syllabus has enough material to indicate the school is "brainwashing" students to reject other faiths and convert themselves to Islam.

The state government had ordered a probe against Naik after Bangladesh government accused him of inspiring terrorists involved in Dhaka attack.

The latest police report could lead to serious trouble for Naik, the Mirror quoted Mumbai Police sources as saying.

According to the police probe, the school also has a branch in Chennai which is "conceived, planned, and developed by Dr Zakir Naik" and asks Muslims to stay away from non-Islamic schools.

The 71-page report said that the school's literature is aimed at making the students insular.

"Societal influences upon a child should be analysed critically. An un-Islamic environment can result in the corruption of a virtuous Muslim's Islamic understanding, upbringing and values. It is therefore recommended that Muslim parents educate their children in an Islamic school to prevent them from falling prey to the bad influences and immorality prevalent in society," the report quotes the school's literature as saying.

"Some of the school's literature, which is also available on its website, is highly controversial and objectionable, and could produce indoctrinated individuals," the Mirror quoted a senior police officer as saying.

A paragraph on the school's introduction on its website said the school looks after its students' needs even in 'afterlife'.

"The pragmatic insights gained from these meetings and latest research and learnings on effective education strategies help in the continuous improvement and development of IIS, to be contemporary and Islamic... to fulfill the students' educational needs for this duniya and the Aakhirah' (hereafter)," the paragraph reportedly reads.
Manipur: Three security personnel and two girls were injured as bombs exploded in Manipur on Indias Independence Day on Monday, officials said.

Most streets in Imphal wore a deserted look after militants called a shutdown, the officials and residents said.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi unfurled the national flag here. Similar events took place in all district headquarters.

The Chief Minister also attended a function held at the Congress office, where state party president T.N. Haokip hoisted the national flag.

An elderly couple were rushed to a hospital after they fell unconscious as a bomb exploded near their house at Tera near Imphal on Monday.

Another bomb went off at Singjamei in Imphal. There were no casualties.

Insurgents in Manipur and the anti-talk faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom had called a boycott of the Independence Day events and announced a general strike.

A total of three security personnel and two minor girls were injured in the explosions, the officials said.

Almost all streets were deserted in Imphal. Shops were shut too. People stayed indoors fearing violence, a police officer told IANS.
Kohima: Nagaland today joined the rest of the country in celebrating 70th Independence Day, showcasing the rich and diverse tradition and culture of the 16 Naga tribes.

Addressing the main celebration at Secretariat Plaza here, Chief Minister T R Zeliang said Naga people were marching on the path of development.

Unfurling the tricolour, the chief minister highlighted some of the key achievements of the state government in several sectors.

He said that even though the economy of the state was growing faster than the national average, it should not be forgotten that an overwhelming part of this growth was financed by the central government. "There is an urgent need to increase our own revenue," he said.

The celebration throughout the state was peaceful with no Naga underground groups calling for a protest.
Lucknow: With Samajwadi Party gearing up for big battle ahead in Uttar Pradesh, it seems like all is not well in the party.

Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday revealed that senior party leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Shivpal Yadav had earlier resigned from his post twice, but withdrew it on his insistence.

"I stopped Shivpal Yadav from resigning from his post. If Shivpal quits, the Samajwadi Party will be in deep trouble. There's some conspiracy taking place against Shivpal. While he is engaged in his work, there are some who persecutes him," Mulayam Singh said.

"The present government in Uttar Pradesh doesn't want to work. Akhilesh has ruined the entire Samajwadi Party. Ministers of Akhilesh government are burden for party. There are some in the Cabinet who are deep involved in corrupt practices," he said.

It is to be noted that this is not the first time when Samajwadi Party head publicly slammed his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. In the past, Mulayam, on several occassion, warned the UP government headed by Akhilesh, saying it would meet an electoral disaster if the 'present state of affairs' continued.

If things are not rectified, there will be a severe disaster. Officers are going berserk and ministers as well as party MLAs are inert. The party must read the writing on the wall, Mulayam had said.

On Sunday, Shivpal, who is younger brother of Mulayam and has been appointed as the state in charge of the party in the crucial election year, stunned a congregation after he threatened to resign from his post.

The senior UP minister blamed the party leaders and officers for not listening to his orders behind his decision. "If this situation continues, I will quit the ministry and work for the party," he said.

"The party has been established by Mulayam Singh Yadav through sheer hard work. Now, such a situation has come when we have formed our own government for the first time. But, there are some leaders of the party damaging it," he said.

"Even officers and engineers were not responding to my directives. If this situation continues, I will not stay as a minister and resign from the post and work for the organization," he said.

"Why should I remain a minister when the officers don't listen to me and and ignore my orders," he concluded by saying.
Mainpuri: The rift within the Samajwadi Party top leadership is wide open.

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Yadav on Sunday threatened to resign.

While addressing a gathering in Mainpuri, Shivpal, who has been appointed as the state in charge of the party for the the high-voltage scheduled next year, said some leaders and officers were not listening to him, and if the trend continues, he would be forced to resign.

Shivpal Yadav, who is the uncle of UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, is reportedly upset, as some of the decisions in the party were taken without consulting him.

Reports had earlier emerged that Akhilesh Yadav is upset over Mukhtar Ansari's party merging with the SP.

Later Shivpal, younger brother of Mulayam Sing Yadav had told the press that Mukhtar Ansari, the don-turned-politician has not been inducted into the party.

Earlier, the powerful UP Minister had said that some MLAs and leaders of SP from eastern parts of the state were involved in "dalali" (brokering), instead of concentrating on the welfare of the people.
Lagos: At least 16 Boko Haram insurgents have been killed by the Nigerian troops in the country`s restive Borno state, officials said.

Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman said on Monday that an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded during the encounter with the militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Army spokesperson said that the troops will continue to intensify vigilance and high level of alertness through patrols and reconnaissance.


Kathmandu: At least 36 persons were killed on Monday and scores injured in Nepal in two bus accidents, said the Ministry of Home Affairs here.

At least 33 persons lost their lives and many others were injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Birtadeurali in Kavre district of Nepal, said the ministry.

Twenty-eight injured passengers have been brought to Kathmandu for treatment.

The bus was heading from Kavre to Kathmandu when it plunged some 150 metres down the hilly road, said Superintendent of Police Rajeshnath Bastola of the Kavre district.

The security personnel were collecting the bodies that were scattered over the cliff and a helicopter was employed to airlift the injured to hospitals.

The other bus accident occurred in Bajang district in western Nepal. Three persons were killed and 19 others were injured. Some of the injured are said to be critical condition, said the police.

Nepal`s Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal `Prachanda` expressed anguish over the accidents and instructed officials to do everything they can to help the injured receive treatment.
Beijing: China's state-run Global Times has blamed the Indian media for deteriorating ties between the two countries.

In a scathing article against the media in India, the Global Times wrote that "they grab all the attention they want like always" and "also caused a deterioration in the Indian public`s views of China".

The Indian press "has not yet learned to see the considerable potential of the bilateral relationships with a constructive mind-set", it said.

The article was written against the backdrop of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi`s India visit that was focused on cooperation over the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits.

It said while the tour was widely reported but "quite a few Indian media started to cover the tour with the eye-catching headline `China blocked India`s NSG bid, but now wants help on South China Sea`."

"They tend to attach more attention to divergences while overstating contradictions between the two. Words like `invasion` or `transgression` are often used by them to describe Beijing without naming sources, and the `China threat theory` has been hyped up by them from time to time."

The tabloid wondered why the Indian media is doing it "again this time".

"Given the recent frictions between the two countries, including the NSG issue and New Delhi`s rejection of visa extension requests for Chinese reporters, there are indeed certain puzzles left unresolved in the bilateral relationship. But they can hardly represent the big picture of Sino-Indian ties."

The article, however, praised the efforts of the India and Chinese governments for "enhancing collaboration and promoting more communications and mechanisms over bilateral, regional issues".

It said that the Indian government was treating its relations with Beijing "rationally" but "the country`s media and public opinion are busy stirring up negative sentiments".

"Over the years, bilateral joint works are unfolding in a variety of fields such as international trade, environmental protection, infrastructure projects, and anti-terrorism, as well as energy security."

The newspaper said it was important for the Indian media "to remember that development and prosperity are needed by both sides and they need a stable environment for that".
An Arab coalition air raid hit a Yemeni hospital on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 19, just 48 hours after strikes that killed children, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.

In a statement issued in Paris, MSF said a blast "partially destroyed" the hospital at Abs, located in the rebel-held province of Hajja.

The explosion immediately killed nine people, including an MSF staff member, while two more patients died while being transferred to another clinic, it said.

MSF expressed outrage at what it described as the fourth attack on one of its facilities in less than a year.

"Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members, was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients," Teresa Sancristoval, for MSF`s Emergency Unit in Yemen, said in the statement .

The GPS coordinates of the hospital "were repeatedly shared with all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, and its location was well-known," MSF added.

The coalition has been battling Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in support of Yemen`s government, after the insurgents seized Sanaa before moving into other parts of the country.

Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of UN-condemned air strikes on civilian targets in Yemen.

On Monday, it promised to probe another attack that MSF said killed 10 children over the weekend at a school in the rebel-held northern province of Saada.

Sancristoval lamented that nothing "seems to be done to make parties involved in the conflict in Yemen respect medical staff and patients.

"Without action, these public gestures are meaningless for today`s victims. Either intentional or a result of a negligence, this is unacceptable".

Residents in Abs said coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for several days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.

Rebel sources said the coalition struck a first-aid building beside the facility.

Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdom`s side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.

A border guards corporal became the latest Saudi casualty Monday, the interior ministry said in Riyadh.

Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.Pro-government military sources, who are fighting alongside coalition forces in Harad, said military vehicles had taken rebel casualties to the Abs hospital before Monday`s air strikes.

London-based watchdog Amnesty International described the hospital`s bombardment as "a deplorable act that has cost civilian lives, including medical staff".

"Today`s air strike appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life," Amnesty`s deputy director Magdalena Mughrabi said, demanding an investigation.

The raid comes less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in Saturday`s strikes on a Koranic school in Saada.

The coalition denied targeting a school, saying instead that it bombed a camp at which rebels train underage soldiers.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and called for a swift investigation.

"The secretary general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen," a UN statement said.

Hours later, a 14-member investigative team made up of several coalition states and Yemen, promised to conduct an "independent" probe into the allegations.

The team has already investigated claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme (WFP) 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 as a hideout.The latest strikes come as the coalition said it would allow humanitarian flights into Sanaa`s international airport from Monday, after a closure of several days due to renewed hostilities around the rebel-held capital.

"Sanaa international airport will be reopened to United Nations flights and those of other agencies from Monday," a coalition statement said.

It had been closed since last Tuesday, when the coalition resumed air strikes around Sanaa following the breakdown of UN-brokered peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels.

The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March.
Sydney: Australia was Monday facing growing opposition demands for an inquiry into its treatment of asylum-seekers on remote Pacific islands after further allegations emerged of abuse against refugees.

Photographs published in Australian media on the weekend showed two bloodied Afghan men after they were allegedly attacked with an iron bar by locals on Papua New Guinea`s Manus Island.

The graphic images follow the leaking last week of some 2,000 incident reports filled in by workers on the second island to which Australia sends asylum-seekers arriving by boat, Nauru, detailing abuse suffered by asylum-seekers.

"We`re seeing more and more disturbing reports coming out from Nauru," opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said Monday.

"Just because people are in detention doesn`t mean that they have to be mistreated and it doesn`t mean that they should be kept in indefinite detention," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"That`s why Labor is leading the push to have a Senate inquiry."

Shorten said he still supported the offshore processing of asylum-seekers on Nauru and in PNG to dissuade others from making the dangerous journey to Australia, but that refugees should not be left to languish in Pacific camps indefinitely.

The leaked documents, which allege that asylum-seekers on Nauru, including children, suffer violence, sexual assault and degrading treatment, have prompted the United Nations to repeat calls for offshore processing to end.

"The allegations contained in the documents must be systematically and properly investigated and those responsible held accountable," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

New Zealand`s Labour opposition has also weighed into the debate, with David Shearer describing the policy as unsustainable.

"It`s almost like Australia has lost its moral compass in terms of where it`s going," he said.

The Nauru reports published by The Guardian allege incidents such as guards threatening a boy with death and only allowing a young woman a longer shower in return for sexual favours.

Mental stress caused by prolonged detention was deemed to be the cause of alleged cases of self-harm, including a woman trying to hang herself and a girl sewing her lips together.

Some 442 people remain on tiny Nauru today and almost double that number on Manus.

In the latest incident, two Afghan men were reportedly attacked last week as they walked to a beach. The assault stopped when a local man intervened but one of the Afghans, who was bleeding from the head, later collapsed.
District of Columbia: Corruption investigators in Ukraine say an illegal, off-the-books payment network earmarked $12.7 million in cash payments for Donald Trump`s presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort, the New York Times reported Monday.

It is not clear if Manafort actually received any of the money designated for him from 2007 to 2012 while working as a consultant for pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovych`s party, the Times said.

The report was confirmed in Kiev Monday by the head of Ukraine`s newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Artem Sytnyk, who said the money earmarked for payment to Manafort totalled more than $12 million.

"The presence of Manafort`s name on this list does not mean that he really received this money, since other signatures appeared under his name, and the purpose for which the money was issued was not stated. At the moment, the investigation continues," Sytnyk said.

Manafort issued a statement vehemently denying any wrongdoing, saying he had "never received a single `off-the books cash payment,`" or worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.

"The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, non-sensical and silly," the statement says, according to NBC News.Manafort`s name appears 22 times in 400 pages of handwritten Cyrillic taken from ledgers found at the headquarters of Yanukovych`s Regions Party, the Times said. The article includes a scan of one of the pages but that page does not include Manafort`s name. Those assigned payments totalled $12.7 million.

The ledgers were obtained by Ukraine`s National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators say the network was used to raid Ukrainian assets and influence elections while Yanukovych was in power.

Yanukovych was ousted in a 2014 pro-Western revolt, after which Russia seized the Crimean peninsula, fuelling a separatist uprising in the country`s east which has claimed some 9,500 lives.

The Times said investigators are also probing a group of offshore companies that helped people close to Yanukovych finance lavish lifestyles.

One was a cable TV deal involving a partnership assembled by Manafort and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the newspaper reported.

Manafort is not a focus of this separate probe.

But the Times said it was clear that shady things were happening in Ukraine at the time and Manafort must have known this.

"He understood what was happening in Ukraine," Vitaliy Kasko, a former senior official with the general prosecutor`s office in Kiev, told the Times.

"It would have to be clear to any reasonable person that the Yanukovych clan, when it came to power, was engaged in corruption."

In his statement Monday, Manafort attacked the Times.

"Once again, the New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report," he said.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton`s campaign, meanwhile, deplored the "troubling connections between Donald Trump`s team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine."

In a statement, it demanded that the Republican nominee disclose Manafort`s ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, given Trump`s "pro-Putin policy stances" and "the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records."
Beirut: Islamic State claimed a suicide bombing on a bus in Syria near the Atmeh border crossing with Turkey late on Sunday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said killed at least 32 people.

The bus was carrying fighters from foreign-backed rebel factions, local rebel sources said.

Islamic State militant claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement on Sunday, saying the blast killed 50 fighters from the Failaq al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement groups.

The statement said the rebels were from U.S.-backed groups who were travelling to fight Islamic State in northern Aleppo province.

Pictures circulating on social media showed the burnt-out remains of a bus and medics treating wounded people.

Turkey`s CNN Turk television reported that the explosion occurred at the entrance to the Atmeh refugee camp in Syria, near the frontier crossing, citing local sources.

The Observatory said it had received reports that two Turkish soldiers had been killed in the attack. Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment.

Syria`s Idlib province, where Atmeh is located, is a bastion of the Turkey-backed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad`s rule. A multi-sided civil war has raged in Syria for more than five years.
Tokyo: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a shrine for war dead on Monday, the anniversary of Japan`s World War Two defeat, but did not visit the shrine, which is seen in China and South Korea as a symbol of Tokyo`s wartime militarism.

Visits to Yasukuni Shrine by top Japanese politicians outrage China and South Korea because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, along with war dead.

Ties between China and Japan, Asia`s two largest economies, were strained in recent days after a growing number of Chinese coastguard and other government ships sailed near disputed islets in the East China Sea.

New Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, who has been accused by China of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two, was visiting troops in Djibouti and unable able to go to the shrine as she has in the past.

Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013, but has instead sent ritual offerings.

"He told me to come and my visit was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide in Abe`s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who gave the offering in Abe`s name as LDP president rather than premier.

EMPEROR`S "DEEP REMORSE"

Emperor Akihito, speaking at a ceremony honouring victims of the war, expressed "deep remorse" over the conflict fought in the name of his father, Hirohito. He first used the phrase at the memorial service last year on the 70th anniversary of the war`s end. Some saw it as a subtle rebuke to the conservative Abe, who favours a less apologetic tone.

"Reflecting on our past with a feeling of deep remorse, I earnestly hope the ravages of war will never be repeated," said Akihito, 82. The emperor hinted in a rare video address last week at wanting to abdicate in a few years.

Abe vowed at the same ceremony that Japan would keep working for world peace.

"Going forward, and sticking to this firm pledge while facing history with humility, we will make every effort to contribute to world peace and prosperity and the realization of a world where everyone can live without fear," he said.

Among the roughly 70 lawmakers who visited Yasukuni Shrine were Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa and Shinjiro Koizumi, the son of popular prime minister Junichiro Koizumi, himself often tipped as a future premier.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga declined to comment on the visits, saying it was a private matter for each individual.

Suga also said a morning visit by South Korean lawmakers to a disputed set of islands, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, was "extremely regrettable" and that Japan would protest strongly.

(Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Takaya Yamaguchi, Writing by Elaine Lies and Linda Sieg,; Editing by Paul Tait)


New York: New York City police said on Monday they were questioning a man about the fatal shooting of a Muslim cleric and his associate after prayers at a mosque in the borough of Queens, an attack that many in their Bangladeshi community insisted was a hate crime.

The man was detained on unrelated circumstances and has not been charged in the killings, a police spokesman said. Earlier, local media, including NBC News and the New York Daily News, said the man was a suspect, citing unnamed police sources.

Police have yet to establish a motive behind Saturday`s killings and have said there was no evidence the men were targeted because of their faith but nothing was being ruled out.

But residents and activists have demanded authorities treat the brazen daylight shooting as a crime linked to the men`s Islamic or ethnic identity.

"Muslim community members feel the double-homicide was a hate crime, even though the NYPD has not labeled it as such," said the International Action Center (IAC), which describes itself as an anti-war and social justice advocacy group.

The emailed IAC statement announced an outdoor funeral on Monday for the two men in the Ozone Park section of Queens, near the site of the slayings.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, appeared to have been targeted.

The men, who wore religious garb, were shot a couple of blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque, from where they had just left afternoon prayers. The gunman stalked them from behind and shot in the head at close range at about 1:50 p.m. (1750 GMT) on Saturday, police said.

Officers 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 City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement. "Rest assured that our NYPD will bring this killer to justice."

Ozone Park, a diverse, largely working-class neighborhood, is home to a growing number of Muslims of Bangladeshi descent.

Millat Uddin, 57, an Ozone Park resident not related to the one of the victims, 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.

Akonjee was carrying $1,000 in cash with him at the time of the attack but the money was not taken, the New York Times reported, suggesting robbery may not have been a motive.

"MAKES ALL MUSLIMS SCARED"

Police released a sketch of a male suspect with dark hair, a beard, glasses, and of medium complexion. He appeared to be in his 30s or 40s. NBC reported the man being questioned matched the description.

Witnesses 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 following the victims.

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.

CAIR has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Hooper said he could recall 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.
New York: Authorities said New York's John F. Kennedy Airport had been cleared after a reported shooting, with no shooter found and no injuries reported.

"Preliminary investigation does not indicate shorts were fired at JFK," the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement released on Twitter at around 11:20 p.m. ET Sunday. "There are no injuries. At this time, no gun shells or other evidence of shots fired has been found."

It said the investigation was continuing.

Chief Harry Wedin, the New York Police Department's chief of special operations, said via Twitter at around 12:20 a.m. ET Monday that all terminals had been searched and cleared, with no shots fired. He said operations at the terminals would resume shortly.

Terminal 8 had reopened by 12:34 a.m. ET, NBC News reported.

A senior law enforcement official said that the incident began when a woman coming off a plane thought she heard gunfire, while two other law enforcement officials said at least one "ear witness" reported hearing gunfire, NBC News reported.

One of those two officials said cheering, clapping and banging from people watching the Olympics may have led to an ear witness' concerns of a fight and shots fired, the report said.

A review of videos at both terminals 1 and 8 showed no evidence of any shooter, NBC News cited officials as saying.

A Port Authority spokesman said planes were not taking off as precautionary searching continued, but planes were landing, NBC News said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said JFK Airport had been placed on a "ground stop" for security, with all inbound flights being held at their origin until Sunday, 11:30 p.m. ET.

In an earlier statement, the Port Authority said police had received reports of shots fired near the departures area at terminal 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET and that the terminal was evacuated as a precaution.

The Port Authority added that about 10:15 p.m. ET, Terminal 1 was also closed after additional calls of shots fired and the Van Wyck Expressway was closed off in the vicinity, it said.

The Fire Department of New York, the Port Authority, the New York Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had all responded, as a precaution, NBC News reported.
Diyarbakir (Turkey): Five Turkish police officers and two civilians were killed today in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, the government said.

The blast hit a police traffic control building on a highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, killing the seven, a Turkish official said, confirming media reports and asking not to be named.

The local governor's office earlier said in a statement that 25 people were wounded including five police officers. One of those killed was a child.

A previous toll had said six people were killed.

An AFP photographer at the scene said the bombing had turned the three-storey police building into tangled rubble with rescue workers using diggers to search the debris for corpses.

Locals were also inspecting the massive trench left in the ground by the bomb.

The latest bombing came after at least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks blamed on PKK militants in Turkey's southeast.

It also came on the day seen as marking the 32nd anniversary of the launch of the PKK's armed rebellion by radical Kurdish nationalist Marxists led by their now-jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed by the PKK in attacks since the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in July last year.

The government has responded with deadly military operations against the group in southeast Turkey as well as air raids on its strongholds in northern Iraq.

The PKK has kept up attacks after the failed coup of July 15 that sought to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which authorities blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Despite the attempted putsch, the government has vowed there will be no let-up in the fight against the PKK.

The Turkish army's hierarchy has been badly hit by a post-coup purge, with top generals accused of complicity in the plot.

There has been no suggestion that the PKK was behind the coup and Gulen is believed to have vehemently opposed peace talks with the group in the past.

But some officials have alleged the PKK has helped Gulen supporters flee the post-coup crackdown into northern Iraq or Europe, sometimes in exchange for information about the Turkish intelligence services.

Meanwhile, three soldiers serving on Imrali prison is
Moscow: Russia and the United States are close to starting joint military action against militants in Syria's Aleppo, Russian news agencies on Monday cited Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

Fighting for control of Aleppo has intensified in recent weeks and there have been some gains for rebel groups battling Syrian government forces.

Shoigu`s statements come as a surprise because Russia and the United States back different sides in the conflict while participating in talks to try to find a political solution.

"We are now in a very active phase of negotiations with our American colleagues," the RIA news agency cited Shoigu as saying.

"We are moving step by step closer to a plan - and I`m only talking about Aleppo here - that would really allow us to start fighting together to bring peace so that people can return to their homes in this troubled land."

Shoigu said about 700,000 people were still living in Aleppo and that those living in the eastern part of the city were "hostages of armed groups".

Russia backs Assad in the five-year-old Syria conflict, while the United States wants to see Assad step down.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syrian militants had used a temporary ceasefire around Aleppo to regroup.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia should play a more active role in helping to resolve the Syria crisis.

"(They should) sit down at the table and negotiate," Bogdanov told the RIA news agency, saying he would meet representatives of the Syrian opposition in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Aug. 16.
Tokyo: South Korea expressed deep regret and China`s state-run news agency called on Tokyo to repent its wartime past on Monday after dozens of Japanese lawmakers visited a shrine for war dead, which Seoul and Beijing see as a symbol of Tokyo`s wartime militarism, on the anniversary of Japan`s World War Two defeat.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering but did not go to the Yasukuni Shrine. Visits to the shrine outrage Beijing and Seoul because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals, along with war dead.

Ties between China and Japan, Asia`s two largest economies, have been strained in recent days after a growing number of government ships sailed near disputed East China Sea islets.

Territory disputes and historical issues also periodically chill relations between Japan and South Korea.

"(We) express deep concern and regret that responsible political leaders ... are again paying tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies the history of the war of aggression," South Korea`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

China`s Xinhua news agency urged Japan to repent its wartime past or risk steering the country down a dangerous path.

"It`s in the interests of both Japan and its neighbouring countries for the former military power to truly reflect upon its past wrongs," Xinhua said in a commentary.

Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013, sending ritual offerings instead.

"He told me to come and my visit was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide in Abe`s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who gave the offering in Abe`s name as LDP president rather than premier.

New Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, who has been accused by China of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two, was visiting troops in Djibouti and unable able to go to the shrine as she has in the past.

Emperor Akihito, at a ceremony honouring victims of the war, expressed "deep remorse" over the conflict fought in the name of his father, Hirohito. He first used the phrase at the memorial service last year - the 70th anniversary of the war`s end - in what some saw it as a subtle rebuke to Abe, who favours a less apologetic tone.

"Reflecting on our past with a feeling of deep remorse, I earnestly hope the ravages of war will never be repeated," said Akihito, 82. The emperor hinted in a rare video address last week at wanting to abdicate in a few years.

Abe vowed at the same ceremony that Japan would work for world peace.

"Going forward, and sticking to this firm pledge while facing history with humility, we will make every effort to contribute to world peace and prosperity and the realization of a world where everyone can live without fear," he said.
Jersey City: Donald Trump will call for a new ideological test for admission to the United States, vetting applicants on their stance on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights.

The policy would represent a significant shift in how the US manages entry into the country.

In a speech in swing state Ohio today, Trump will also call for "foreign policy realism" and an end to nation-building if elected president.

And he'll argue that the United States needs to work with anyone who shares the mission of destroying the Islamic State group and other extremist organisations, regardless of other disagreements.

"Mr Trump's speech will explain that while we can't choose our friends, we must always recognise our enemies," Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said.

The Republican nominee's foreign policy address comes during a rocky stretch for his campaign. He's struggled to stay on message and has consistently overshadowed his policy rollouts, including an economic speech last week, with provocative statements, including falsely declaring that President Barack Obama was the "founder" of the Islamic State.

Democrat Hillary Clinton has spent the summer hammering Trump as unfit to serve as commander in chief. She's been bolstered by a steady stream of Republican national security experts who argue the billionaire businessman lacks the temperament and knowledge of world affairs to be president.

Clinton is focusing on domestic themes today as she campaigns in Pennsylvania with Vice President Joe Biden. Trump is expected to spend significant time in his speech going after Obama and Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for policies he argues allowed the Islamic State group to spread.

Trump is expected to say that any country that wants to work with the US to defeat "radical Islamic terrorism" will be a US ally, though aides did not specify which countries that position refers to.

He'll also call for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the US is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Obama, Clinton and top US officials have warned against using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

"Mr Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many," Miller said Sunday in an email, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

Under Trump's new immigration policy, the government would use questionnaires, social media, interviews with friends and family or other means to determine if applicants support American values like tolerance and pluralism.

The US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It is unclear how US officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting.

The campaign has yet to say whether additional screenings would apply to the millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars visiting the United States each year.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Trump's unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country, a religious test that was criticised across party lines as un-American.
Washington/Brussels: The US nuclear regulator is considering long-term shipments of weapons-grade uranium to a medical research reactor in security-challenged Belgium, something critics say would set back global anti-proliferation efforts.

With a final decision still months away, the Belgian Nuclear Research Center is seeking permission from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to receive 317 pounds (144 kilos) of highly enriched uranium, or HEU, fuel in a series of shipments over 10 years.

The United States has supplied the reactor, which produces radioisotopes for fighting cancer, with HEU for decades. But the long-term nature of the latest request is unprecedented; previous agreements have been for periods of one to three years.

The Belgian research center has told U.S. officials since at least 2005 that it is on the verge of converting to low-enriched uranium, or LEU, not suitable for bombs. But there is no definitive date set for that change.

"Now more than a decade has passed and they are asking for another 10 years - that seems to be a bit preposterous," said Armando Travelli, who until 2005 headed the U.S. Energy Department`s program to convert research reactors to safer uranium and bring bomb-grade uranium back to the United States.

If the Belgian reactor closes before the end of the 10 years, it could leave the center with an HEU supply over which the United States would have little control, he said.

Belgium has beefed up protections at nuclear plants after being rocked with security problems at the facilities for years. In 2014, an unknown perpetrator drained turbine lubricant at the country`s Doel 4 reactor, shutting the power plant and causing $200 million in damages.

This year police said bombers who blew themselves up in Brussels had secretly filmed movements of the head of Belgium`s nuclear research program. Police said the bombers, who were part of coordinated attacks on March 22 that killed 32 civilians, had planned to target Belgium`s nuclear research facilities before changing their minds. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the suicide bombings.

Alan Kuperman, coordinator of the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project at the University of Texas, said if the NRC approves the application it would undermine efforts to swiftly convert reactors and signal that the United States is not serious about retrieving HEU.

"In the wake of the recent terrorist threat to the Belgian site, we have a request for bomb-grade uranium that is unprecedented in both duration and amount," said Kuperman who has filed a brief with the NRC calling for a hearing into the matter.

Former US President Dwight Eisenhower`s Atoms For Peace program launched a wave of global research reactors using HEU in the 1950s, but experts soon urged tightening controls. Since 1978, the United States has spent tens of millions of dollars trying to do so. Nearly 100 global research reactors have been shut down or converted to run on non-weapons grade uranium, but more than 70 plants still use HEU or plan to.

The application at the NRC, published this month in the Federal Register, is open for public comment until early September.

The NRC said there are no temporal restrictions on HEU shipments and that it approves exports only to users with "adequate physical security measures." It will likely rule in coming months after the Department of Energy and State Department weigh in.

The Belgian center says the reactor supplies about 25 percent of the world`s radioisotopes used in detecting and treating cancers and more in peak demand periods.

In the past, some reactors have switched to safe fuels only after the NRC threatened to cut off supply of HEU. But one American working on converting the Belgian reactor said its special need for high-energy density fuel means no suitable substitute has yet been found.

The Belgians are asking for 10 years because "theres no other fuel they can use at the moment," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, adding that contracts for HEU exports shorter than 10 years "drive the costs way up."

The Belgian research center said in a statement it is committed to using only low-enriched uranium fuel in the reactor "as soon as a technical solution exists." It has the same security procedures as the country`s nuclear power plants, with permanent military protection, it added.


Los Angeles: A wildfire that spread into a small Northern California town over the weekend destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses, authorities said on Monday, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames.

The so-called Clayton fire, named for the creek near where it broke out, was driven by fierce winds into the foothill community of Lower Lake, some 80 miles (129 km) north of San Francisco, forcing hundreds of residents to flee. That fire broke out on Saturday evening.

A damage assessment team was working to determine how many structures were lost, said Daniel Berlant of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. He said many homes were damaged or lost.

There were no reports of casualties, Berlant said, but Lake County sheriffs deputies were investigating burned-out structures. The nearby community of Clear Lake was also evacuated.

As winds abated on Sunday evening crews made progress cutting containment lines around the flames and putting out hot spots, Berlant said. "As temperatures heat back up again today it`s likely fire conditions will increase."

"We`ve got over 1,600 firefighters ready to go to battle again when that happens."

The cause of the Clayton fire, which has blackened more than 3,000 acres, was under investigation. Fire managers said it was about 5 percent contained as of Monday morning.

The conflagration is one of 24 major wildfires burning across the drought-parched U.S. West which all together have charred nearly 300,000 acres.

The so-called Chimney fire, which erupted on Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County, had scorched more than 4,300 acres in less than 48 hours, destroying 20 structures and threatening some 150 others as hundreds of residents were told to evacuate.

That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning.

The Soberanes fire, one of the largest so far this season, has burnt through more than 72,000 acres near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes and 11 outbuildings since it broke out on July 22. It was 60 percent contained as of Monday.

A bulldozer operator died on July 26 when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, the sixth wildfire fatality in California this year.

Authorities have traced origins of the Soberanes fire to an illegal campfire left unattended in a state park about a mile from Highway 1. No arrests have been made so far.


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ABOUT THE FAULKNER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Nestled near the stunning Ozark Mountains on the beautiful University of Arkansas campus, the Jim & Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center is a 500+ seat state of the art venue dedicated to providing a community-centered approach to the performing arts. In addition to hosting acclaimed artists and performers, the Faulkner Center is also home to the University of Arkansas music department's large ensembles. With an impressive offering of renowned performers and culturally relevant events, the Faulkner Center excels in its mission of contributing to education and excellence, helping build a new generation of artists and patrons.

FAULKNER GOES GREEN!

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UPCOMING EVENTS
STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire regime around 50 times across the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact during the weekend. Azerbaijani forces fired more than 700 shots from various caliber small arms at Armenian positions.

The Defense Ministry told ARMENPRESS the Defense Army forces are in full control along the frontline and confidently continue their service.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. An explosion has rocked Kabul, which reports suggest occurred near the US embassy, RT reported.

An Afghan National Army (ANA) soldier was injured in the blast, local media report.

The blast went off in the Macrorayan area of Kabul when a magnetic Improvised explosive device (IED) was placed on a vehicle belonging to the Afghan National Army (ANA), TOLOnews said.

There are also reports suggesting the blast actually targeted a civilian car near Maiwand Bank.

Kabul was the site of a huge attack plotted by the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) that targeted a mass demonstration in July, when several blasts left at least 80 people dead and 231 injured.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest on a bus in Syria near the Atmeh border crossing into Turkey late on Sunday, killing at least 15 people and injuring 25 others, some critically, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, Reuters reported.

The bus was carrying fighters for Syria's civil war, the observatory reported.

Pictures circulating on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed the burnt out remains of a bus and medics treating injured people.

Turkey's CNN Turk television reported that the explosion took place at the entrance of Atmeh refugee camp in Syria, near the border crossing, citing local sources.

Syria's Idlib province, where Atmeh is located, is a major bastion of the Turkey-backed opposition to President Bashar al-Assad's rule.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Germany and Russia should maintain dialogue despite the persisting points of contention, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said on Monday, TASS reported.

"We have not overcome the crisis in our relationship," he said. "However, Germany and Russia should not turn away from each other but maintain dialogue."

Steinmeier added that he is looking forward to rapprochement between Russia and the EU in the coming years.

"Many are looking forward to the political rapprochement between Russia and Europe in the years to come," he said. "I am one of them."



Germany hopes for cooperation with Russia on Aleppo, according to Steinmeier, Russia bears special responsibility in Aleppo, especially in securing humanitarian access.

"Russia bears special responsibility in Aleppo, especially in ensuring humanitarian access," he said. Steinmeier also called on all countries "to work together on a political settlement in Syria."



According to the foreign minister, the opportunities of the NATO-Russia Council should be used, this is particularly necessary in the most difficult times.

"It is necessary to use the opportunities of the NATO-Russia Council during particularly difficult times," he said. "That was enshrined as a political responsibility during the NATO summit in Poland. The Council convened after that."






YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Russia has no intention of going into isolation, relations with the West will return to their previous level sooner or later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday addressing students of the Urals Federal University, TASS reported.

"Our dialogue with (German Foreign Minister) Frank-Walter (Steinmeier) has never been interrupted," he said. "I really appreciate the opportunity to communicate with my German counterpart candidly, frankly, without smoothing things over."

"We do not make a tragedy out of this (the situation in the Russian-German relations - TASS)," Lavrov went on to say. "We have said on numerous occasions that taking offence, going into isolation is no choice of ours."

"I am confident that our ties will return to a sustainable path sooner or later, the more so because their further degradation meets neither our countries nor Europes interests," he added.

Lavrov noted that "there is a growing awareness in Europe that there is no alternative to normalizing relations and relaunching cooperation mechanisms, adding that freezing cooperation between Russia and the EU, including in the energy sector, "was, of course, a mistake.".

According to Lavrov, the West decided to lay the blame for the failure of its policy in Ukraine on Russia.

"Our proposals to harmonize the Euro-Atlantic security principles have been rejected," the minister said.

"NATOs course towards eastward expansion at any price, without exaggeration, is deepening division lines on the continent," Lavrov said.

"When this course that is undermining the balance of interests and stability in Europe lost its footing in Ukraine there were attempts of shifting the fault on Russia," he said.

Europe made no efforts to "force the organizers of the armed coup [in Ukraine] to implement the agreement on peaceful settlement and create the government of national accord that they had signed with the mediation of Germany, France and Poland," Lavrov said.

"Moreover, its regrettable that our Western partners closed their eyes on the nationalist positions of those who seized power in Kiev and those who demanded eradicating all Russian in Ukraine," he said. "Unfortunately, we saw nothing similar to the demands that would indeed reflect a principal position of Europe in line with the OSCE documents that do not allow seizure of power by force."

"The settlement in Ukraine can be achieved only by consistently implementing the Minsk Package of Measures," he said.

Lavrov added that "Russia will be sure to travel its part of the path (to implement the Minsk agreements) and will encourage the Donetsk and Lugansk peoples republics (DPR, LPR) to act in a constructive way."





According to Lavrov, NATO does not want to discuss the restoration of relations with Russia.

"We did not discontinue the activities of the NATO-Russia Council (in 2008)," the minister said. "By the beginning of winter our Western colleagues admitted that it was a mistake, adopted solemn declarations saying that the NATO-Russia Council should work in any weather, especially in times of crisis."

However, according to Lavrov, this mistake was repeated again. "The NATO-Russia Council is frozen," he said. "The fact that a couple of ambassadorial meetings were held does not change anything."

"NATO does not want to discuss the restoration of relations," he said. "During the latest meeting last month we handed over specific proposals on restoring military cooperation, especially in terms of building confidence in this area."

"Germany is our key partner not only in European affairs, but also in addressing global issues, including resolution of conflicts and efforts to counter international terrorism and extremism," he said. "There can be no double standards here, because, for example, the humanitarian crisis in Syria occupies a central place in the political rhetoric of Western statesmen, while the humanitarian situation in Yemen is carefully overlooked."

According to Lavrov, the situation in Yemen is described as a humanitarian disaster. "There is food for thought here how to make sure that approaches to the Libyan, Yemeni and Iraqi crises are based on the solid ground of common standards centering around the absolute priority - the eradication of terrorism," he said.

He also voiced confidence that "the main emphasis should be placed on promoting the positive, unifying agenda rather than on disagreements.".

Lavrov went on to say that relations between Russia and Germany are going through the most difficult period since the unification of Germany.

"Today the Russian-German relations are going through a difficult period," the minister said. "I think this is the most difficult period since Germanys unification that occurred with our countrys active and decisive role."
DES MOINES  More farmers likely would adopt clean-water conservation practices if they had reliable data to show them the economic benefits of their investments, according to a Tama County farmer who joined Gov. Terry Branstad at the Iowa State Fair Monday to tout state cost-share practices.

John Weber, a Dysart farmer who previously served as president of the Iowa Pork Producers, said he has been impressed by the positive environmental and economic results he has seen from using buffer strips and cover crops to preserve soil and reduce nitrogen runoff from his Tama County land. He said he also has modified his nitrogen fertilizer applications to maximize effectiveness while preventing pollutants from reaching the Cedar River watershed.

I really became sold on the use of cover crops, said Weber, who planted cover crops on 800 acres of corn and soybean fields. He joined Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey at a water-quality exhibit in the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fair to draw attention to programs and practices for urban and rural parts of the state that are part of a science-based Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

In the big picture, agriculture is starving for data, Weber told reporters attending the governors weekly news conference. We need this kind of data desperately to defend what were doing and to learn how to change, to make improvements in Iowas water quality. We need to learn and we need to accumulate data. This is not going to happen overnight.

Northey said about $3.8 million in cost share funds have been obligated in 97 counties to help more than 1,900 farmers install nutrient-reduction practices that include cover crops, no-till or strip till, and using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer. The state funds will be matched by nearly $6 million from Iowa farmers who are investing in practices focused on limiting nutrient loss even in a challenging time economically in agriculture, he said.

Northey said there currently are 45 demonstration projects underway around the state to show how nitrogen and phosphorus runoff can be reduced by land-management practices, and Branstad added that Iowa State University and the University of Iowa have projects that evaluate structures and practices designed to keep farm chemicals out of the states rivers and lakesdata which will be critical to the long-term success of the programs.

We want that; farmers want that because thats how you see what works, the governor said. It needs to be data-driven. We need to get as much data as possible so farmers can make the best decisions.

To do that, government at the state and federal levels in conjunction with private resources need to ramp up the effort via a long-term commitment, Branstad said. We need a long-range, reliable source of funding because right now we have more farmers that want to install these practices than we have cost-share money to meet the needs.

Branstad said Monday that major policy decisions such as the long-term water quality plan sometimes require several legislative sessions to win approval  pointing to a major property tax relief package, education reforms and passage of a biochemical tax credit as examples. He said he remains optimistic a water-quality compromise can emerge during the 2017 legislative session.

At the start of the 2016 session, Branstad unveiled a plan to divert to water quality programs some future revenue from the local-option sales tax devoted to school infrastructure projects. According to his offices estimates, the plan would have generated $4.7 billion over 32 years for water quality programs.

But legislators of both political parties were cool to the proposal, since it dipped into a funding stream approved by voters for education.

The governor later threw his support behind a plan that won bipartisan support in the Iowa House last session that proposed to shift $478 million over 13 years to water quality projects from a water-metering tax and the gambling-funded state infrastructure account. However, majority Senate Democrats balked at that plan fearing it would shift money from other priorities like education.

Branstad has since modified his position, saying he would be open to repurposing the penny sales tax for school infrastructure set to expire 2029 by continuing the tax and splitting the ongoing proceeds with five-eighths going to education and three-eighths going into a constitutionally protected natural resources trust that Iowa voters approved in 2010.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. A Sadko truck of the Defense Ministry  which was transporting soldiers  has overturned on the Yerevan-Sevan highway. The soldiers have received injuries.

Artrsun Hovhannisyan  Defense Ministry spokesman told ARMENPRESS eight people have been hospitalized.

According to preliminary information the soldiers sustained non-life threatening injuries.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan received on August 15 US Congressman Steve Chabot, who is currently in Armenia on a regional visit. US Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Richard Mills was also present at the meeting.

The Defense Ministry told ARMENPRESS Minister Ohanyan greeted the guests and appreciated the level of cooperation with the American side in the defense sector and noted that the cooperation is mainly centered on concrete projects which support development of the interoperable capabilities of the Armenian Armed Forces.

The sides touched upon the main projects within the framework of Armenian-American defense cooperation  development of interoperable peacekeeping capabilities, the new commitments assumed by Armenia in this regard, the formation of a professional sergeant staff, the process of reviewing the Defense strategy and other issues of mutual interest.

Ambassador Richard Mills said the meeting of Congressman Chabot with the leadership of the Armenian Armed Forces was very important, taking into consideration the increasing role of Armenia in the peacekeeping operations of NATO and UN.

The Ambassador added that the Armenian-American strong military relations are evidenced by the recent visit of Kansas National Guard medical personnel to hospitals in Gavar and Hrazdan, as well as the visit of Armenian servicemen to Kansas, and there is mutual desire to strengthen these ties even more.

According to the Ambassador, it is precisely these kinds of relations  like the Armenian-American  which are the key for stable freedom and future prosperity.

Regional security and the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process were also discussed.

Defense Minister Ohanyan appreciated the role of OSCE Minsk Group and the co-chairing countries in the NKR conflict negotiations settlement process and noted that the Armenian side attaches great importance the realization of agreements reached in Vienna and St. Petersburg  increasing monitoring and introduction of investigation mechanisms, which will have a preventive role and will define a circle of accountability.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan took part in the groundbreaking ceremony of the Armenian Embassys building in Brasilia while on a working visit to Brazil.

The Presidential Administration told ARMENPRESS Brazils State Minister of External Relations Jose Serra, Ambassadors stationed in Brazil, top diplomats and representatives of the Armenian community also took part in the ceremony.

The designated area for the Armenian Embassy comprises 15.750 square meters. According to the May 10 memorandum of understanding signed between Ambassador of Armenia to Brazil Ashot Galoyan and Honorary Consul of Armenia in Sao Paulo, philanthropist Hilda Dirouhi Burmaian, the Embassys building is being constructed as a donation from the Burmaian family, in particular philanthropist Hilda Dirouhi Burmaian. The construction is scheduled to be completed in 12 months the most.

Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and Brazil delivered remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Our friendship began since 1992 and has strengthened even more recently, certainly, also with your presence here, Mr. President. The agreements which we have signed will even more strengthen our friendship and our bilateral relations. Be sure that these relations will be strengthened even more in economic investment and healthcare sectors. And this ceremony, which takes place in the Embassy, must be the foundation for a new and future prosperous and promising relations between our countries, minister Jose Serra said in his speech.

Looking back on the past path, we can state that diverse ties have formed and strengthened in various fields between Armenia and Brazil. President Sargsyans visit, will surely be a productive foundation for the replenishment of our common agenda with promising initiatives, and qualitatively elevating the Armenia-Brazilian relations to a new level.

We have all opportunities for Armenia and Brazil to even more strengthen the close ties between the two states and peoples based on friendship, respect and trust. This is the main message, which we will place in the new Embassys foundation in the presence of the President of Armenia, Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian said.

At the end of the ceremony a memorandum was signed and a capsule was placed in the foundation of the construction.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, while on a working visit to Brazil, met Sao Paulo Governor Geraldo Alckmin and representatives of the Armenian community of Brazil, press service of the Presidential administration informed Armenpress.

The Armenian President expressed gratitude to Governor Alckmin for the support Sao Paulo State consistently provides to the Armenian community. President Sargsyan highly appreciated the decentralized cooperation on the development of the Armenian-Brazilian inter-state relations, the strengthening of the friendship between the two states, and the mutual recognition of the cultural values presenting as an example the declaration of Gyumri and Osasco, as well as this year Franco da Rocha and the NKR capital Stepanakert as sister cities.

The Armenian President expressed hope the mutual visits and contacts at different levels, as well as the contacts between the local self-government bodies will give a new impetus to the relations of Armenia and Brazil expanding the agenda for cooperation development.

President Sargsyan expressed gratitude to Governor Geraldo Alckmin and the State leadership for officially recognizing the Armenian Genocide, as well as erecting a monument dedicated to the memory of the Genocide victims in Armenia square of Sao Paulo city.

The Armenian President and Sao Paulo Governor discussed the opportunities for cooperation development in various sectors, as well as for fully using the exiting potential. Issues related to the cooperation prospects over the research and scientific innovation projects in the agricultural field were discussed.

At the end of the meeting Serzh Sargsyan signed the Honorary Guest Book in Sao Paulo Governorate.

"I am glad for the opportunity to be hosted at Sao Paulo state  the locomotive of Brazil. Peoples, who represent different cultures and traditions, coexist here side by side. I am glad that my compatriots are among them; they have been able not only to survive but develop, bringing their unique participation in different areas of the countrys life. Armenian squares, bridges, and memorials in different towns of Sao Paulo make this state precious for us. I am hopeful that our cooperation from now on will become even closer for the benefit of the Armenian-Brazilian friendship, wrote the President of Armenia.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Sargsyan and the Governor of Sao Paulo met with the representatives of the Armenian community of Sao Paulo who organized a reception at the Governors Mansion in the honor of the President of Armenia.

In his address the President of Armenia noted with satisfaction that thousands of kilometers away, the Armenian community in the friendly Brazil has been able to preserve the Armenian spirit and to decently present the Armenian nation, living and creating beyond the borders of Fatherland with diligence and wisdom typical for the Armenians, acquiring high social status, becoming law abiding citizens of Brazil, professionals respected and in demand in many areas. Serzh Sargsyan hailed the role of the community in the development of the Armenian-Brazilian relations and underscored that because of them many in Brazil know about the Armenian people and our millennia long heritage.

I am proud that despite the challenges of the fate today we are here, together, we have independent homeland, athletes, who present that independent homeland worthily at these Olympic Games, and in your person compatriots who support them here.

Dear Attendees,

One hundred years after the Armenian Genocide, we are united more than ever; weve put together our forces and with our united spirit have been able to prove to the world that the Armenian resolve is unbreakable, our struggle for justice, for the condemnation of the Genocide is unyielding. Our struggle will go on as long as anywhere in the world people are being exterminated solely for what they are. As I have already said, genocide anywhere in the world must be perceived as a failure of the entire international community, while prevention of genocides is the responsibility of every one and all of us together. With this regard I express my profound thanks to the local governing bodies of Brazil in the person of the leadership of the state of Sao Paulo, as well as to the Federal Assembly of Brazil for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide in 2015 which thus made their input to the efforts of the international community in the prevention of genocides and other new crimes against humanity. With that resolution Brazil validated the contribution of the thousands of the descendents of the Armenian refugees residing in Brazil to the economic, social, and cultural life of Brazil. We watched closely events organized in Brazil and other countries of the world dedicated to the Genocide remembrance. I thank you, all organizations of the Armenian community in Brazil, structures and unions, individuals for their committed work, for your daily dedication to the Motherland, readiness to support Nagorno Karabakh. I am confident we will continue to cooperate in the same spirit and will call to life multiple programs.

Dear Compatriots,

Twenty-eight years ago the Armenian nation stood up to support Nagorno Karabakh, to liberate Nagorno Karabakh. Nagorno Karabakh's struggle for survival was yet another manifestation of our national revival and union, which gave a start to the restitution of our statehood. Months ago, Azerbaijan bluntly violated ceasefire agreement with its large-scale activities and once again unleashed war against Nagorno Karabakh but suffering great loses had to stop and wrap up its activities. The four-day war was a test of our unity which we passed with honor. In those days the entire Armenian nation stood up in Armenia and in Spyurk and became one fist. And we realized that there is no force in the world that can shake our unity. In line with the well-know maxim, we are striving for peace, but ready for war. Armenia is steadfast in the finding a peaceful resolution to the problem and resolute in fulfilling the just demand of the people of Nagorno Karabakh for their right of self-determination.

Dear Compatriots,

This year our entire nation will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of our two Armenian nations. Twenty-five years - a quarter of a century - one generation. Our greatest achievement of this period in my opinion is the generation which thinks freely, values freedom, which is proud and rebellious, which defies me often. A quarter of a century is plenty, so the time has come to re-evaluate the road we have travelled. There is no doubt that along with achievements, in these twenty-five years we have had losses, but also accomplishments and victories; we have become a full member of the international community. Today Armenia has entered a new phase of development. Through the changes to the Constitution we have opted for a longtime and sustainable development. It reflects our vision of the future, our notions and approaches aimed at building a democratic, strong, prosperous, and secure state. The new Constitution will become the fundament for our future achievements, for the Armenia of a new generation. Fortified by twenty-five years of independence, today we look into future with faith and move with steady steps, said the President of Armenia.

Serzh Sargsyan spoke about reforms carried out in our country in the last 25 years, about the improvement of the business and investment climate and noted that in Armenia we are ready to discuss investment programs of the representatives of the Armenian community, new ideas and creative proposals, create opportunities and conditions for their implementation. The President of Armenia said that 25 years later it is important and necessary to speak of mutually beneficial cooperation rather than aid.

Dear Armenians,

In conclusion, I would like to say that regardless of where in the world we live or what language we speak we have one common value  the Fatherland of all Armenians and the Armenian statehood, stressed the President of Armenia. Serzh Sargsyan also responded to the questions from the audience.

Governor Geraldo Alckmin also made a statement at the meeting with the representatives of the Armenian community.

Noting that Armenian statehood dates back to the 6th century BC and that in 301 Armenia became the first Christian nation, Governor Alckmin underscored that Armenia is called a Land of Stones because located at the crossroad between East and West, Armenia passed a rocky path. The Governor noted proudly that Sao Paulo is the first Brazilian state where April 24 was declared the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

We are honored that 70 percent of the Armenian community of Brazil reside in our state, so here youre home. We have the Armenian district, the Armenian metro station, the Armenian bridge. Even Portugal does not have so many things in our state. The Armenian community is cherished here: it brings great participation to the development of our state and certainly assists our state in every way. We have impressive economic relations with Armenia, and after the visit of President Serzh Sargsyan they will expand further. We are proud, Distinguished President Sargsyan, to host you in our state, in Sao Paulo, on the eve of the 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Armenia which will be celebrated on September 21. Let your visit be a productive one and please remember that here you are at home, said Governor Geraldo Alckmin in his statement.

At the conclusion of the meeting, President Serzh Sargsyan awarded Honorary Consul of Armenia in Sao Paulo, a prominent figure of the community and benefactor Mrs. Hilda Diruhi Burmayan with the First Degree Order for the services to the Fatherland. In addition to many already implemented programs, the Burmayan family will fund the construction of the Embassy of Armenia in the Federal Republic of Brazil.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. 28 years ago the Armenian people stood up to support Nagorno Karabakh, to liberate Nagorno Karabakh. The Nagorno Karabakh Liberation War was another manifestation of Armenian national renaissance and unity, which launched the restoration of our statehood, President Serzh Sargsyan said during a speech addressed to the Armenian community of Brazil.

Months ago Azerbaijan grossly violated the ceasefire agreement with large-scale operations, once again started war against Nagorno Karabakh, but by sustaining heavy losses, it was forced to stop and ceased the operations. This four day war was a unique challenge of our unity, which we overcame with honor. In this period the entire Armenian nation stood up, both in Armenia and in the Diaspora, it became one fist. And we believed, that not a single force in the world is strong enough to undermine our unity.

As the famous saying  being ready for war, we seek peace, the President said.

According to Serzh Sargsyan, Armenia is assertive in the issue of settling the conflict peacefully, with the determination to realize the just demand of the Nagorno Karabakh people to self-determination.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian peoples struggle will continue as long as people from everywhere of the world are being exterminated for their group affiliation, Armenpress reports, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said at the meeting with the Armenian community of Brazil.

100 years after the Armenian Genocide, we, more than ever, were united, combined our forces and together managed to prove the world it is difficult to break the will of the Armenian people, their steadfast struggle for the establishment of justice, the condemnation of the crime of genocide, he said.

The genocide committed anywhere in the world must be perceived as a consequence of failure of the entire international community, and the prevention of genocides must be perceived as a responsibility of not only each of us, but also of the entire mankind, President Sargsyan said.

The Armenian President also expressed gratitude to the local self-government bodies of Brazil, as well as the Federal Parliament of Brazil which recognized the Armenian Genocide in 2015.

By this resolution Brazil appreciated the contribution of thousand of descendants of the Armenian refugees, living in its territory, to the countrys economic, social and cultural life. We closely followed the commemoration ceremonies held in various countries of the world, as well as in Brazil. I am grateful to you, all the organizations, structures and unions of the Armenian community of Brazil, the individuals for their dedicated work to their people, the Motherland and for their support to independent Nagorno Karabakh, as well as for their everyday dedication towards the preservation of the Armenian identity. I am confident we will continue cooperation and will implement numerous projects with the same spirit, Serzh Sargsyan said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. On August 15, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nagorno Karabakh Karen Mirzoyan received Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, the foreign ministry told ARMENPRESS.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the situation in the line of contact between the armed forces of Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan, as well as the monitoring conducted by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office.

The sides emphasized the need for the maintenance of stability and the ceasefire regime on the line of contact.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. A new negotiation stage will be opened for the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement if Azerbaijan adheres to the ceasefire agreement, and Nagorno Karabakh joins the negotiations, Armenpress reports citing the Radio Liberty, NKR President Bako Sahakyan gave an interview to electronic newspaper of the French Parliament.

Azerbaijan must be able to give up its xenophobic policy towards the Armenians, its futile gamble and must respect the fundamental freedoms and rights of the other people, Bako Sahakyan said.

The NKR President said the April four-day war was an outcome of Azerbaijans anti-Armenian ideology and the leaderships dictatorship towards the Armenian people.

As for the mutual concessions, Bako Sahakyan said the complex conflicts like the Nagorno Karabakh conflict are possible to settle only through mutual concessions. He said reasonable, fair and adequate mutual concessions are necessary. We are ready to go to mutual concessions if they do not undermine the security of our country, if they do not give opportunities to our enemy for starting new attacks on us, he said.

Referring to the recognition of Nagorno Karabakh by the international community and the success achieved over this issue, Bako Sahakyan ensured the Nagorno Karabakh recognition will achieve greater success in the near future leaving its positive impact on the stability of the South Caucasus.

To the question whether the minoritys demand for self-determination is legitimate, the NKR President stated: All people have right to self-determination, it is one of the major principles of the international law. But this right becomes an imperative duty only when the state, to which it is connected, doesnt have another wish than to eliminate that people.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs always keep in touch with and frequently meet the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Armenpress reports, American Co-Chair James Warlick told the Azerbaijani APA news agency.

He said although there is nothing planned for August, the Co-Chairs continue the contacts and the cooperation with the Foreign Ministers of the two states. In Vienna and St. Petersburg the two Presidents expressed wish to meet again for reaching the peaceful settlement of the conflict. We are considering the possibility of a new meeting. We always keep in touch with the Presidents and the Ministers in order to discuss the existing proposals, Warlick said.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Hovik Abrahamyan paid a working visit to Lori province of Armenia, press service of the Government informed Armenpress.

The Prime Minister first visited a poultry farm in Spitak, where he was briefed on the ongoing activities and future investment plans.

Operational since June 2015, the farm has 8 henhouses, as well as feed preparation and slaughtering units. The construction of 4 henhouses is underway, due to be complete in October. Each henhouse has a capacity of 27-30 thousand heads of poultry.

It was noted that the product is sold in Armenia. The company produced 840 thousand kg of poultry last year, around 914 thousand kg - this year. The factory has 120 employees. In 2015, 5 billion AMD was invested for construction and production purposes. In 2016, 400 million AMD was invested for the construction of henhouses.



The Prime Minister then visited the technological center in Vanadzor, which was built with an investment of 1, 222 million AMD. The centers construction is fully completed. One-year study courses are being held for IT specialists. 160 IT specialists have already attended the courses. Some of them are employed at well-known companies, including their branches in Vanadzor.

Courses are organized for different target groups, particularly for schoolchildren (10-14 years old). The center also hosts computer engineering courses.

PM Abrahamyan attached importance to the establishment of the Vanadzor technological center, noting that the Government will continue to focus on the IT industry as it has great potential for development in our country.

The PM visited the site of Vanadzor cableway, where he was briefed on the activities aimed at re-commissioning the cableway. The cableway will be 1,300 meters long and will be furnished with a 2,500-meter-long ski run. The cost of the project is estimated at 2.5 million Euros.

The cableway is expected to promote tourism in Vanadzor, and the city will become a ski tourism center. As a result, new jobs will be created not only for the cable cars operation and maintenance, but also in hotels and other service industries.

The Head of Government was reported progress in the construction of Vanadzor hospital complex. Interior decoration was said underway at the three-story hospital at this point of time. The facility, which has 150 beds, will be operational in 2017. 3,700 million AMD has been allocated from the State budget to implement the program. The maternity ward was built with funds available from Tashir charitable foundation.

Hovik Abrahamyan stressed the importance of quality and timely implementation of construction work and gave relevant instructions.

The PMs visit was to Avtogen M machine-building factory in Vanadzor, where Hovik Abrahamyan observed the production processes and development programs. It was reported that the plant produces thermal metal cutting machines, oxygen hand-welding and cutting equipment. The output is exported to Russia and other CIS countries. 435 million AMD-worth output was sold in 2015, with nearly 290 million AMD -worth output realized during the first 7 months of 2016. 100 people worked in the factory last year, while the number of staff has reached 130 this year.

Prime Minister Abrahamyan was told that there is a new investment plan, which provides for increased production volume, range of products and jobs. The company is set to enter new markets and expand the range of consumer goods.

Welcoming the initiative, the Prime Minister said that the Government is ready to discuss options and opportunities for supporting the development plan.

Addressing reporters, Prime Minister Abrahamyan said numerous projects are scheduled for implementation in Lori province, including the refurbishment of kindergarten N11 and the reconstruction of Secondary School No. 7 in Vanadzor. Underway is the construction of the hospital complex, for which money has been earmarked from the State budget.

Hovik Abrahamyan advised that funds will be available from the Asian Development Bank to implement large-scale infrastructure development projects in Lori province. In Vanadzor alone, 20 million USD will be invested to carry out projects in many areas.

The PM expressed confidence that the projected investments will promote economic revival in Lori province. In this regard, Hovik Abrahamyan highlighted the activity of the technology center in Vanadzor.

Hovik Abrahamyan left Vanadzor for the 39.6-km-long road section of M-6 Agarak-Odzun highway in Stepanavan region. To implement the project, a total of 3.5 billion AMD has been invested, of which 700 million allocated from the State budget, with the balance contributed by the World Bank.

Noting that road construction is of paramount socio-economic importance, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the nearly 40 km-long road section will contribute to the economic development of surrounding communities. The Head of Government took the opportunity to meet with Yaghdan community inhabitants. Hovik Abrahamyan listened to their concerns and answered their questions.

The Prime Minister next visited the Stepanavan Polyclinic, where reconstruction is scheduled due to be complete in the first half of 2017. Armenias Regional Development Fund has allocated 182 million drams to this end. Note that the polyclinic serves about 28 thousand people.

At the end, PM Abrahamyan visited Gyulagarak community, where a new kindergarten is being built. About 200 million AMD has been invested to this end. The residents of Gyulagarak thanked the Head of Government for supporting the program.
MASON CITY  The City Council on Tuesday will consider setting a public hearing on conveyance of land  the next step in the lengthy process of getting a hotel built downtown.

Philip Chodur, head of G8 Development, San Diego, intends to build the Courtyard by Marriott hotel on the parking lot west of and adjacent to City Hall, with construction starting on or before Oct. 31 and to be completed by Dec. 31, 2017.

One of the steps in the process is for the city to convey the property to G8, and a public hearing must precede that.

So the council will be asked Tuesday night to set Sept. 6 as the date for the public hearing to convey the land. The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Mason City Room of the public library.

The parking lot is bounded by North Washington Avenue, Second Street Northwest, Enterprise Alley and First Street Northwest and was once the site of the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse. When the courthouse was demolished 50 years ago, the city took over the property.

In June 2013, the city entered into an exclusive negotiating agreement with G8 for potential development of a hotel and development of a mixed-use building on the vacant corner of North Federal Avenue and Second Street Northeast. In October 2013, the City Council approved options for G8 to purchase the properties.

Originally, Chodur agreed to start building the hotel in July. But earlier this year he sought and was granted a three-month extension on the start of construction.

As part of the development agreement, the city has the right to pull the plug on the deal and take back ownership of the property if construction has not begun by Oct. 31.

Chodur has submitted a concept plan to the citys Development Review Committee which is to review a major site plan for the project in the next few weeks, according to Steven Van Steenhuyse, the citys director of development services.

Last year, the hotel project took on added importance. In March of 2015, the city received preliminary approval for $7.2 million in Iowa Reinvestment Act funds as part of a $36 million downtown renovation project that includes the hotel, a parking ramp, a music pavilion, a mixed-use building and an ice arena/multipurpose center in the former J.C. Penney building in Southbridge Mall.

Since that time, more state funds have become available and the city has upped its request to $10 million. There are two key factors to gaining final approval for the state funds: the building of the hotel, which would fulfill the state requirement of $10 million in private investment, and the sale of Southbridge Mall.

The city reported earlier this year that there has been interest expressed in purchasing the mall but nothing definite has developed.
Among leading bourses, the gains were greatest in Paris and Frankfurt, with both climbing 2.3 percent

Europe's stock markets rose Monday on growing hopes that Japan would deliver more stimulus measures in response to flat economic growth, dealers said.

London, Frankfurt and Paris advanced in the absence of major European data or company earnings. Trading was subdued as it is a national holiday in France and parts of Germany.

Most Asian markets climbed but Tokyo dipped as official figures showed Japan's economy stalled in the second quarter.

"European shares are starting the new trading week on a positive note trading higher after a rather uneventful weekend in regard to major political or economic news," said trader Markus Huber at City of London Markets.

"Whilst the latest Japanese economic growth data have failed to meet expectations not everybody is viewing this necessarily as massively negative.

"Instead it appears rather likely that the government will take additional steps to boost growth rather sooner than later."

Data showed growth in the world's third largest economy was flat at zero percent quarter-on-quarter, missing predictions for a 0.2 percent expansion in the April-June period, on weak exports and lower business spending.

Japanese officials are under increasing pressure to deliver as economists are writing off Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's years-long bid to cement a lasting recovery, dubbed Abenomics.

Tokyo recently announced a whopping 28 trillion yen ($276 billion) package aimed at kickstarting growth.

"The recently announced fiscal and monetary stimulus measures were clearly insufficient to satiate the market?s appetite," said London Capital Group analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.

"The bulk of investors expect to hear more measures from the government and Bank of Japan (BoJ) to boost growth. The problem is that neither the BoJ, nor Shinzo Abe?s government have much left in their pockets to satisfy the unappeasable hunger for free liquidity."

- Shanghai jumps -

Elsewhere in Asia, Sydney, Wellington and Kuala Lumpur also saw gains, even after poor economic data from the eurozone and the United States on Friday left stocks under pressure.

Story continues

Chinese shares rallied on hopes the government would soon launch a scheme to link trading on the Shenzhen exchange with the Hong Kong bourse.

Hong Kong rose 0.7 percent, while Shanghai finished the day up 2.4 percent after the China Securities Regulatory Commission said on Friday that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme would be launched this year.

China launched a landmark "stock connect" between Shanghai and Hong Kong in late 2014, which allowed investors to trade selected stocks on Shanghai's tightly restricted exchange and let mainland investors buy shares in Hong Kong.

- Key figures around 1030 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 6,923 points

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.4 percent at 10,751

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 4,502.60

EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2 percent at 3,050.80

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 16,869.56 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 2.4 percent at 3,125.20 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.7 percent at 22,932.51 (close)

New York - DOW: DOWN 0.2 percent at 18,576.47 (close)

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1169 from $1.1165

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2916 from $1.2918

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 101.00 yen from 101.27 yen
A Florida-based internet services provider plans to bring more than 300 new jobs to Pictou County, N.S., over the next three years.

Web.com Canada Inc. announced Monday it will open a new business operations centre in New Glasgow. The company says the first 100 people will be employed by the end of this year.

New Glasgow Mayor Barrie MacMillan says the jobs are a major economic boost for the town and area, which have been hit with major job losses in the past few years.

"Jobs are certainly needed," he said. "We've had a couple of kicks in the past, but this area is responding very, very well."

Hiring former Convergys employees

Web.com will set up at the location of the former Convergys call centre in the Aberdeen Business Centre.

Convergys shut down last August, putting nearly 200 people out of work.

Web.com says it will be hiring some of the people that were employed by Convergys.

"A tremendous number of former Convergys employees have kind of come to us early on in the process," said Sandy Ross, Web.com Canada's senior vice-president. "We have been working with those folks to get our hands around the opportunity here in New Glasgow."

Nova Scotia Business Inc. will give the company $6.3 million in payroll rebates if it creates the 330 jobs in New Glasgow.

3-day job fair

"The investment that was put into this business by NSBI, it does help lower our costs and that is material to the business," said Ross. "I would like to think that that has been a very shrewd and good investment on the part of the province."

Web.com already employs 400 people at two other locations in Halifax and Yarmouth.

The company will hold a three-day job fair, starting Tuesday at the Pictou campus of the Nova Scotia Community College.

"We're going to try and interview as many people as we can. Our goal is we'd like to have 30 or 40 people signed and sealed by the end of the week," said Ross.
A baby seal was catching up on some beauty sleep beneath a car before police in New Zealand took the little fella into custody.

Named Steve by its rescuers, the baby seal was taken into the Wellington Police Maritime Unit at Queens Wharf after being spotted under the car, according to the police departments Facebook.

Steve the seal narrowly avoided being run over by the driver.

He could have been squashed, as the driver was unlikely to see him, Senior Sergeant Dave Houston told Stuff.co.nz.

Thankfully, a passerby spotted the baby seals face poking out from underneath the car and police immediately set to work with the help of a broom to try to coax the seal out.

When they finally managed to get Steve out from under the car, they decided to look after him until the Department of Conservation (DOC) arrived.

Safe and sound, Steve is now getting some TLC from DOC, reads the Facebook post.

The DOC plans to eventually release Steve back to his rightful home in the south coast.

It turns out, the seal is about the age at which mothers set their pups free to roam alone, according to Stuff.co.nz and they tend to get a bit tired, which may explain why Steve chose to hide out under a car.
CHARLES CITY  A Charles City man has been charged with multiple felonies for allegedly stealing from gaming machines.

The Floyd County Sheriffs Department says Daniel Leroy Connerley, 39, stole money from machines in Colwell, Floyd and Charles City.

The alleged thefts took place July 11, Aug. 11 and Aug. 13, according to a statement from the sheriffs office.

The sheriffs office and Charles City Police Department executed a search warrant July 14 in the 500 block of 16th Avenue in Charles City, where they say multiple items were seized.

Connerley has been charged with felony ongoing criminal conduct, felony second-degree theft, third-degree theft, possession of a controlled substance-second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.

His next court hearing is Aug. 24.

Other charges are pending upon further investigation, according to the sheriffs office.

 Ashley Miller
By Sonali Paul

MELBOURNE (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, 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)
amite louisiana flood rainfall

Over the weekend, parts of Louisiana and Mississippi saw more than a foot  2 feet, in some neighborhoods  of rain from a stalled storm. NBC News reported that more than 20,000 people had been rescued and seven people have been killed.

The worst of the rain is over, but that doesn't mean the flooding is too.

"I'm still asking people to be patient. Don't get out and sightsee," Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana told the Associated Press. "Even when the weather is better, it's not safe."

A handful of factors are coming together to keep the risks high over the next few days.

First, there are scattered pockets of rain in the forecast for the area this week. While 1 or 2 inches of rain usually wouldn't be a problem, with the ground already saturated there isn't anywhere for more rain to go.

A second factor is that floodwaters upstream are still making their way down toward the Gulf of Mexico. That's a huge amount of water, and there's a chance it won't all stay within the riverbanks as it makes its way south.

According to the Weather Channel, at least six rivers in the area have hit record-high levels  one river broke its record by as much as 6 feet. And parts of that same river, the Amite, weren't expected to hit their highest level until sometime on Monday.

Moreover, the National Weather Service believes these will be "long crest" events, potentially lasting days, rather than lighter crests that fade quickly.

"It's not over," Edwards warned, according to NBC News. "The water's going to rise in many areas. It's no time to let the guard down."

An aerial photo over Hammond, Louisiana, shows flooded homes.

Even after floodwaters begin to recede, they could rise again because of backwater flooding, which occurs upstream when something blocks the flow of water downstream. The National Weather Service warned that backwater flooding was a risk along the streams that flow into the Amite River.

Story continues

Taken together, these factors mean the National Weather Service is concerned about flooding continuing "during at least the first half of the workweek."

This flood is so unusual that experts aren't even sure precisely what will happen and where the water will go. "It's unprecedented and it's not anything anyone will know for sure," hydrologist Jeff Grashel told a local newspaper.

All of this is happening against the backdrop of climate change. According to one meteorologist's count, there have been at least eight 500-year rainstorms in the US within the past year  that means rainfalls so heavy they are predicted to occur only once every 500 years. This storm was so strong in part because it fed off unusually warm water in the Gulf of Mexico.

NOW WATCH: The center of Paris is completely under water





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SAN MARCOS, Texas, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Baron Energy Inc. (Pink Sheets:BROE) (Baron or the Company), an independent crude oil and natural gas company based in San Marcos, Texas, has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire a package of producing properties located in four South Texas counties.



Management Comments

Ronnie L. Steinocher, President and CEO, said, We have recently executed a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire a multi-well package of producing properties from a private seller. The properties are located in our Core Area of operations in South Texas. The properties will be owned by our non-op working interest partners within our South Texas Project consortium and Baron Energy Inc. will be the operator of the properties. Our offer is subject to customary due diligence, funding, completion of definitive agreements, and final partnership approvals.

Mr. Steinocher added, We have now managed the closings of five producing property acquisitions this year. This new package of producing properties will significantly augment our strategy to build a portfolio of producing properties over the next two years that has substantial value and then monetize the portfolio. Please refer to our website at www.baronenergy.com for additional information on Baron and our South Texas Project.

About Baron Energy Inc.

Baron Energy Inc. (Pink Sheets:BROE) is an independent crude oil and natural gas company based in San Marcos, Texas, operating producing properties in South Texas.

For more information, please visit www.baronenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, expect, future, may, will, would, should, plan, projected, potential, intend, and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Baron Energy, Inc. (the Company) to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Companys future operating results are dependent upon many factors, including risk factors discussed in the Companys periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
DAKOTA DUNES, S.D., Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sterling Computers Corporation, a leading provider of IT sales and services, announced today that it has been named to The Channel Companys 2016 Fast Growth 150 list. This annual list ranks North America-based technology integrators, solution providers, and IT consultants who have experienced significant economic growth over the past two years. The 2016 list is based on gains in gross revenue between 2013 and 2015.



Sterling ranked #41 on this years list, sporting an impressive 106% growth rate. The companys continued growth stems from expansions into the state and local government market, strategic federal government contract wins, growing its managed services capabilities, and its continual commitment to providing impactful and sustainable technology solutions to customers.

We are honored to be recognized by the Fast Growth 150 list as one of the countrys fastest growing technology integrators, states Brad Moore, President of Sterling. Our movement up the list, over 50 spots in one year, is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and knowledge of our employees and valued partners. We will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of capabilities and relationships that drive innovation and value for our customers.

The companies on our 2016 Fast Growth 150 list are growing at an incredible rate, establishing themselves as clear leaders in todays IT channel, said Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company. Their rapid expansion in a climate of economic uncertainty and unprecedented technological advancement is especially impressive. We congratulate each of the Fast Growth 150 honorees and look forward to their continued success.

Sterling has received recognition this year from other key rankings including CRNs Solution Provider 500 and Tech Elite 250 lists, Washington Technologys 100 Largest Government Contractors list, and the Inc. 5000. Sterling is the only South Dakota based company to make the Fast Growth 150 list this year.

About Sterling | (www.sterlingcomputers.com)

Sterling is an award-winning technology solutions provider with over 20 years of experience helping customers solve the most complex requirements of their IT environments. We provide customers with a simplified IT experience by being their single point of contact for all of their solutions architecture, proof of concept, product fulfillment, and technology adoption services needs. Additionally, we provide cyber security solutions for mission critical clouds and networks. Sterling is a certified Small, Woman-Owned Business (WOB, WOSB, EDWOSB).
SALT LAKE CITY, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thirty public safety agencies purchased software from Spillman Technologies for the first time during the second quarter of 2016, joining more than 1,700 public safety and private security agencies of all sizes across the country already using Spillman products. In addition to these new agencies, 117 existing customers expanded their Spillman Flex systems by purchasing additional modules.



Whitley County Sheriff's Department in Indiana has purchased the Spillman Flex Records Management (RMS), Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Jail Management (JMS), and mobile software, for a complete law enforcement solution. Using the fully integrated modules, personnel can reduce the likelihood of duplicate records, simplify data entry, and give users quick access to all critical data. This will create a faster and more convenient experience for agency personnel. Using Spillman's mobile capabilities, personnel will be able to search records and complete incident and arrest forms while out in the field, increasing efficiency and accuracy in reports. Whitley County Sheriff's Department will share the Spillman system with South Whitley and Churubusco Police Departments.



In California, Torrance Police Department expanded its existing Flex system to include Spillman Analytics, a map-based analytics tool that will assist the agency in its Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) initiatives. Spillman Analytics will allow Torrance personnel to visualize crime patterns through the use of geographic profiling to determine crime trends in their community over time. With this information, agency administrators can plan appropriate responses ahead of time, increasing officer safety and overall efficiency. In addition, the agency can take advantage of Spillman's industry-leading integration with LexisNexis. Personnel can search and view all crime and call data in Spillman's modules, without having to worry about multiple logins. Spillman's integration with LexisNexis will also allow Torrance PD to share important data with other law enforcement agencies.



Logan County Sheriff's Office in Nebraska purchased Spillman's cloud software solution, Spillman Nova. The fast implementation process and streamlined user experience made Nova the perfect fit for the sheriff's office, which was ready to upgrade from an outdated system. Logan County will use Nova as an all-in-one RMS platform to track, manage, and identify relationships between data. Because of its web-based nature, the sheriff's office will be able to create name, vehicle, property, incident, offense, and arrest records on the go using tablets. Using Nova, personnel can attach files to any record, including images, audio files, video files, PDFs, and Microsoft Word and Excel files. In addition, Nova will allow personnel to write and submit incident reports without having to be in the office. Logan County is the sixth Spillman customer in Nebraska.



Spillman Technologies serves sheriff's offices, police departments, communication centers, correctional facilities, fire departments, and security organizations nationwide. Spillman specializes in integrated on-premises and cloud-based software solutions, including Computer-Aided Dispatch, Records Management Systems, Mobile Data & Field Reporting, Mapping & GIS, Jail Management Systems, Fire, Data Sharing, Personnel & Resources, and Analytics & Intelligence-Led Policing. For more information about Spillman, visit www.spillman.com.



New sales:



 Altoona Police Department, Wis.

 Augusta Police Department, Wis.

 Churubusco Police Department, Ind.

 Colbert County 911 Center, Alaska

 East Hampton EMS, Conn.

 East Hampton Police Department, Conn.

 East Hampton Volunteer Fire Department, Conn.

 Eau Claire County Sheriff's Department, Wis.

 Eau Claire Emergency Center, Wis.

 Eau Claire Police Department, Wis.

 Fairchild Police Department, Wis.

 Fall Creek Police Department, Wis.

 Glastonbury EMS, Conn.

 Grand County EMS, Utah

 Green River Fire Department, Wyo.

 Green River Police Department, Wyo.

 Hightstown Police Department, N.J.

 Logan County Sheriff's Office, Neb. (Nova)

 Metro DPS Security, Calif. (Ally)

 Rock Springs Fire Department, Wyo.

 Rock Springs Police Department, Wyo.

 Shumway Fire Department, Ill.

 South Whitley Police Department, Ind.

 Streator Fire Department, Ill.

 Sweetwater Combined Communications, Wyo.

 Sweetwater County Fire District #1, Wyo.

 Sweetwater County Sheriff, Wyo.

 University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, Wis.

 Verde Valley Fire District, Ariz.

 Whitley County Sheriff's Department, Ind.



Add-on sales highlights:



 Allen County Sheriff's Office, Ind.

 Arizona Department of Transportation, Ariz.

 Gila County Sheriff's Office, Ariz.

 Glastonbury Police Department, Conn.

 Northbrook Police Department, Ill.

 Provo Police Department, Utah

 San Luis Obispo Police Department, Calif.

 Torrance Police Department, Calif.

 Waukesha County Government, Wis.

 Yavapai County Sheriff's Office, Ariz.
English Latvian

Olaine, 2016-08-15 17:11 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

July 2016, consolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to July 2015 Share in total sales Russia 3 564 46% 35% Latvia 1 943 17% 19% Ukraine 1 505 24% 15% The Netherlands 587 151% 6% Belarus 565 37% 6% Kazakhstan 316 12% 3% Uzbekistan 279 37% 3% Poland 230 97% 2% Tajikistan 151 -28% 2% Turkmenistan 124 39% 1% Other 788 39% 8% Total 10 052 35% 100%

Sales of pharmacy chain of SIA Latvijas aptieka in July 2016 were 1.38 million euros, which represents an increase by 6% compared to the same period one year ago. Fifty - eight pharmacies were operating during this period. Sales of green pharma company Silvanols during July 2016 were 0.32 million euros, which represents an increase by 100% compared to the same period of 2015. Products of SIA Silvanols during this period were sold to three European countries. Producer of elastic medical materials SIA Tonus Elast in July 2016 were 0.52 million euros, and its products were sold to 11 countries in three continents.

According to preliminary consolidated data, in seven months of 2016 sales of AS Olainfarm reached 63.58 million euros, which represents an increase by 9% compared to the same period of one year ago. The most rapid sales increase in seven months was achieved in Uzbekistan, where sales grew by 106%. Sales to Turkmenistan grew by 88%, sales to Ukraine grew by 45% and sales to Belarus grew by 39%. The major sales markets in seven months of 2016 were Russia, Latvia, Ukraine and Belarus.

7 months of 2016, consolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to 7 months of 2016 Share in total sales Russia 19 583 -1% 31% Latvia 14 647 13% 23% Ukraine 10 524 45% 17% Belarus 5 276 39% 8% UK 1 535 2% 2% Uzbekistan 1 450 106% 2% Kazakhstan 1 358 -7% 2% The Netherlands 1 090 -74% 2% Turkmenistan 1 067 88% 2% Poland 938 6% 1% Other 6 109 18% 10% Total 63 577 9% 100%

Sales of pharmacy chain of SIA Latvijas aptieka in seven months of 2016 were 10.8 million euros, which represents an increase by 14% compared to the same period one year ago. Sales of green pharma company Silvanols during July 2016 were 2.7 million euros, which represents an increase by 23% compared to the same period of 2015. Products of SIA Silvanols during this period were sold to eleven European countries and with mediation of AS Olainfarm, also to Albania, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia. Producer of elastic medical materials SIA Tonus Elast in two months of 2016 were 1.37 million euros.

According to preliminary unconsolidated figures, sales of AS Olainfarm in July 2016 were 8.54 million euros, which represents an increase by 28% compared to the same period of 2015. The biggest sales increase was achieved in The Netherlands, where the sales grew by 151%. Sales to Poland increased by 97%, but sales to Turkmenistan increased by 39%. The biggest sales markets were Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, The Netherlands and Belarus. In total, during July 2016, products of AS Olainfarm were sold to 26 countries in three continents.

July 2016, unconsolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to July 2015 Share in total sales Russia 3 359 37% 39% Ukraine 1 505 24% 18% Latvia 868 -7% 10% The Netherlands 587 151% 7% Belarus 565 37% 7% Uzbekistan 279 37% 3% Kazakhstan 256 -10% 3% Poland 230 97% 3% Tajikistan 151 -28% 2% Turkmenistan 124 39% 1% Other 614 19% 7% Total 8 538 28% 100%

According to unconsolidated preliminary figures, in seven months of 2016 sales of AS Olainfarm were 54.71 million euros, which represents an increase by 6% compared to the same period of 2015. The most rapid sales increase was achieved in Poland, where sales grew by 161%. Sales to Uzbekistan grew by 106% and sales to Turkmenistan grew by 88%. Major sales markets of AS Olainfarm in seven months of 2016 were Russia, Ukraine, Latvia and Belarus. In total in seven months of 2016 products of AS Olainfarm were sold to 38 countries in four continents.

7 months of 2016, unconsolidated sales Sales, thsnd. EUR Changes to 7 months of 2015 Share in total sales Russia 19 182 -3% 35% Ukraine 10 440 44% 19% Latvia 7 637 7% 14% Belarus 5 265 38% 10% UK 1 507 0% 3% Uzbekistan 1 450 106% 3% Kazakhstan 1 215 -17% 2% The Netherlands 1 090 -74% 2% Turkmenistan 1 067 88% 2% Poland 721 161% 1% Other 5 138 6% 9% Total 54 712 6% 100%

General meeting of shareholders of AS Olainfarm held on June 7, 2016 approved operating plan of the company, providing that unconsolidated sales of the company in 2016 will reach 86 million euros, while consolidated sales of the company will reach 100 million euros. According to these preliminary sales numbers, in seven months of 2016 the company has met 64% of annual target for unconsolidated sales and 64% of annual target for consolidated sales.

JSC Olainfarm is one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in Latvia with more than 40 years of experience in production of medication and chemical and pharmaceutical products. A basic principle of company's operations is to produce reliable and effective top quality products for Latvia and the rest of the world. Products made by the Group are being exported to more than 35 countries of the world, including the Baltics, Russia, other CIS, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia.
MASON CITY  A Mason City man accused of stabbing his girlfriend in the throat earlier this year will use a diminished responsibility defense.

Jason Clausen, 43, is charged with felony attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary.

Investigators claim Clausen used a knife to stab his girlfriend in the throat May 28 on Maple Drive, and then refused to let her get medical treatment for six hours, according to court documents.

Officers say the seriously injured woman was conscious when they arrived.

Clausen, who was supposed to go to trial next week, is now scheduled to appear before a jury on Oct. 25.

Clausens attorney, Steven Kloberdanz, filed a notice to the court that Clausen would use a defense of diminished responsibility at trial.

In a diminished responsibility defense, a person argues he did not have the mental capacity to form the intent to knowingly commit a crime at the time the crime allegedly occurred.

Iowa law requires a defendant to notify the court when they plan to use this defense.

Kloberdanz could not be reached for a comment Monday morning.
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CLARION  The Wright County Board of Supervisors are set to make their final decision on Prestage Farms of Iowa next week.

The supervisors Monday unanimously approved several items related to the proposed $240 million hog processing plant, including Prestages application for High Quality Jobs program benefits and tax-related measures.

The final vote is set for Aug. 22, the same meeting at which the supervisors will vote on a development agreement with Prestage, which wants to build a 650,000-square-foot plant 5 miles south of Eagle Grove. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the Wright County Courthouse.

In a smaller meeting Monday, only four citizens spoke during the open forum. All were against the project.

Rita Anderson, of Woolstock, said she was concerned about her water with the proposed plant. Convinced that the plant would bring many new hog confinements, Anderson said she does not want to live near confinements.

Wright County moves forward with Prestage plant incentives CLARION  Discussion at the Wright County Board of Supervisors meeting Monday quickly turned

The big picture is water, not the jobs we could bring to Wright County, Anderson said.

She was concerned about farm drainage, runoff and nitrates in the water.

If the farmers would have thought about that instead of thinking of getting rich off of corn, getting rich off of soybeans and thought about that water, Anderson said. Im not against agriculture. Im a farm girl, but my grandfather didnt do this.

Mary Lindstrom, of Eagle Grove, said she had several concerns involving the proposed plant, including schools, inspectors and domestic abuse.

Youre not seeing the whole picture, Lindstrom said. Youre not doing your job.

Supervisor Stan Watne challenged the speakers, saying the board has looked at this for seven weeks.
HAMPTON  Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday morning in the trial of an Osage man accused of committing sexual abuse and then planning to poison the alleged victim who was set to testify against him.

Mark Retterath, 52, is being tried in Franklin County on a change of venue from Mitchell County. He is accused of attempted murder, solicitation to commit murder and third-degree sexual abuse.

Jury selection began Monday morning. A jury was chosen and sworn in late Monday afternoon.

Osage man charged with planning to poison sexual abuse victim OSAGE | An Osage man already facing multiple sexual abuse charges has now been charged with 

Retterath is accused in court documents of sexually assaulting a male numerous times between Jan. 1, 2003, and Nov. 1, 2012, which includes times when the alleged victim was a child.

In June 2015 the Mitchell County Sheriffs Office filed additional charges against Retterath, who they claimed planned to give the alleged victim ricin, a toxin. The individual was set to testify against him on the sexual abuse charges.

An individual told authorities Retterath had spoken with him about an episode of the TV series Breaking Bad, where castor beans had been used to make ricin.

Retterath is accused of asking the individual to obtain heroin so it could be mixed with the ricin and taken to the alleged victims residence, where it would be used to kill him.

Retterath now faces attempted murder charges; new abuse charges file OSAGE | An Osage man already facing multiple sexual abuse charges is now being charged with 

During a search of Retteraths residence in June 2015, officers found castor beans inside a pants pocket as well as a note listing several items including duct tape, 50 to 60 large Hefty bags, saws with new blades, a power cord, two 5-gallon containers of gasoline, large tarps, a vacuum sealer and $220 in cash.

Many of the items were found in the residence during the search. Officers said they also found documentation on how to extract ricin from castor beans.
MASON CITY  The Mason City Police Department is asking the public for information regarding the death of a man Thursday morning.

Police responded to a medical call around 6:30 a.m. Thursday for an man found in the street in the 1600 block of South Carolina Avenue, according to a statement from the department.

Officers administered emergency first aid to the man, who has not been identified. He was transported to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa by Mason City Fire Department medics.

Police say the man was pronounced dead a short time later.

Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley said the man was unconscious upon arrival so officers were not able to talk with him. The man is not being identified as police are still notifying his family, Brinkley said.

An autopsy has been performed, but Brinkley wouldnt release the results. He would not say if foul play is suspected.

Were hoping maybe someone saw something, Brinkley said.

Anyone who has information about the incident should call the Police Department at 641-421-3636.

The Police Departments investigation is being assisted by the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Laboratory.
CLARION  The Wright County Board of Supervisors will hold a second reading Monday on the division of taxes levied on property in the Urban Renewal Area where Prestage Farms of Iowa is looking to locate.

The third reading and final vote is set for Aug. 22, the same meeting where the supervisors will vote on the development agreement with Prestage.

The board will also hold a vote on the application of Prestage to receive benefits under the High Quality Jobs Program and property tax exemptions.

The standard open forum where the public can speak about any item on the agenda will begin at 9:10 a.m.

Prestage looks to build a $240 million, 650,000-square-foot hog-processing plant near Highway 17 and 320th Street, 5 miles south of Eagle Grove.

More than 900 full-time workers would be employed in the first stage, with another 850 or more jobs expected to be added in a second phase.

Prestage Foods made a proposal to locate its new hog processing plant in the south part of Mason City earlier this year. It was turned down by the Mason City Council in May.
MASON CITY  The Mason City YMCA is hoping to use back-to-school time as a spark to encourage families to live healthier.

The organization will hold its first Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, Aug. 16, from 4 to 7 p.m.

We thought Back-to-School Night was the perfect chance to encourage kids to have a productive start back to school, said Director of Development Cait Hamilton.

The event is free to the public and will include food, bouncy houses, music and a school supply giveaway.

When we considered a way for us to engage with our community ... we were trying to think of a way to address these needs, she said. There is something undeniable about that back-to-school feeling to make this year as good as possible.

Hamilton said the organization wanted to encourage folks to come back through its doors during non-peak months between New Years resolutions in January and September.

For us, the back-to-school season is getting people to consider ways that they can get active, she said.

It will also feature outreach from Mason City and Clear Lake police officials, nonprofits and local churches.

When we looked around our community, we didnt see anything similar to this that we knew of, she said.

Hamilton said she hopes the event can become an annual tradition.

We will love to see 75 families, she said. Its really hard to anticipate.
Gene's next monthly chat is Tuesday Aug. 30 at noon. You may submit questions here.



On one Tuesday each month, Gene is online to take your questions and abuse. He will chat about anything. Although this chat is sometimes updated between live shows, it is not and never will be a "blog," even though many persons keep making that mistake. One reason for the confusion is the Underpants Paradox: Blogs, like underpants, contain "threads," whereas this chat contains no "threads" but, like underpants, does sometimes get funky and inexcusable.
CLEAR LAKE  The Lake Area Outdoor Classroom has a few temporary resident workers: Three goats  Godfrey, Zee and Willy.

The Department of Natural Resources Clear Lake office hired the goats to take care of the undesirable brush around the pond.

Its a jungle in there right now, Wildlife Researcher Vince Evelsizer said. Rather than cut it and treat it with chemicals, which Im not fond of, with the aid of goats we can get rid of it naturally.

The project has taken a year to come to fruition, goat owner Wendy Johnson of Charles City said. The DNR and Clear Creek Elementary are borrowing the goats from Johnson.

They can eat more than 10 pounds of food per goat per day, Johnson said.

Dave Hoffman, who researches and helps manage the trumpeter swans at the classroom, said the goats should help control the vegetation and improve the area.

With the permission of Clear Creek School administration, the DNR placed the goats in the enclosure. The fence around the area needed a few repairs before it could hold the goats.

This is kind of an experiment, Hoffman said. We havent done this before.

As resource managers, Hoffman and Evelsizer are looking for more sustainable ways to manage these types of areas.

They monitor the goats progress every day and will do a full evaluation on the situation by Aug. 25 to see if they need more time. The process could take from four to eight weeks.

Goats are really easy to raise and theyre so helpful for brush, weed and invasive species control, Johnson said.

Green ash, cotton wood, box elder, silver maple, vines and more run overgrown around the pond. Those plants happen to be some of the goats favorite foods.

Its a win-win for us and the goats, Evelsizer said. They get to eat and we get rid of the brush.

Since goats are light-hoofed animals, they will not damage or chew up the bank around the pond.

If we had cows in here, they wouldnt eat the stuff we want and theyd damage the bank, Evelsizer said.

Since the goats arrived on Aug. 1, they have made modest progress.

When we put these goats in, you couldnt see through the brush it was so thick, Evelsizer said.

The goats have eaten enough to create a thin clearing, and those looking through the fence can catch a small glimpse of the pond.

The oldest, Godfrey, is the leader. Willie and Zee follow him wherever he goes.

Goats can work as a team to break down the small trees. One will climb up to help bend the tree and hold it while the others eat the leaves.

The DNR may bring the goats back next year if needed and if the animals are successful.

Im glad they can help and its neat that the teachers and administration are interested in goats, Johnson said.
Shabaab Claims Attacks on Somali, AMISOM Forces between August 11 and 14
If you were thinking of becoming a Master of Business Administration, you might have also come across people mentioning the Chartered Financial Analyst Programme as an alternative. There has been a lot of discussion on which is a better programme to go for.

In this article, we will break it down to you in Singapores context, using the NUS MBA as a comparison.

Cost

The MBA: The NUS MBA programme will set you back by $62,000. There are also Mandatory Miscellaneous Fees that add up to $523.45 for full-time students and $569.50 for part-time students. However, there are many scholarships available  you might not have to pay for your tuition fees if you can get them.

Not included is the money spent on transportation when you have to attend classes.

The CFA: The enrolment fee is about $606, while the fee for all level I to III tests is $3757. This adds up to a total of $4363.

Entry Requirements

The MBA: According to their website, a good undergraduate degree, a minimum of two years work experience, a good GMAT/GRE score, and two referee reports are required. You will then have to pass an interview.

The CFA: One of the following is required: a bachelors (or equivalent) degree or be in the final year of your bachelors degree programme, or four years of professional work experience (does not have to be investment related), or a combination of professional work experience and education that totals at least four years.

It is more difficult to get into the MBA programme as there are many requirements. Furthermore, there are only about 100 students accepted into the NUS MBA programme each year. Meanwhile, the CFA programme is comparably easier to get into.

Duration of Programme

The MBA: The full-time programme will require 17 months while the part-time programme can be done in 24 or 30 months.

The CFA: Successful candidates take an average of four years to earn their CFA charter.

Commitment Level Required

The MBA: Studying full time will require you to leave your job and concentrate on your studies. Classes can take place in the morning, afternoon, or evening.

Story continues

Having to hit pause in the middle of your career might not be beneficial if you cannot obtain the MBA.

Meanwhile, if you are studying part-time, you have to go for evening classes after work. This might be taxing on you as you will need to focus despite a long day of work.

The CFA: You have to study during your own free time. While this provides you with more flexibility, if you are not disciplined, you will end up not doing well for your tests.

The CFA Institute recommends that you study for 300 hours before you take one of their tests. If you study for 6 hours every weekend, it will be almost a year before you are ready for an exam.

Read More: 5 Useful Finance-related Courses To Enrol Using SkillsFuture Credit

Difficulty Level of Programme

The MBA: Though rigorous and demanding, you are unlikely to fail unless you drop out due to personal reasons.

The CFA: The June 2016 exam pass rates for Levels I, II, and III, are 43%, 46%, and 54% respectively.

It is not easy to pass, so this means that you will have to be very committed to preparing for your tests.

Job Prospects

The MBA: NUS MBAs programme will cover Accounting, Decision Sciences, Finance, Management and Organisation, Marketing, Strategy and Policy.

As the content taught is broader, it also means that more job opportunities are opened up for you.

The CFA: The aim of the CFA programme is to develop your skills in investment analysis, portfolio strategy and asset allocation.

The subjects covered are more niche, so there are less job opportunities. However, a big plus is that you will probably enjoy a higher pay.

Based on PayScales data, the median pay of CFA charterholders in Singapore with 1-4 years of working experience is $70,659 and those with an MBA get $52,765. That is a difference of almost $20,000 a year.

So Which One Should I Do?

Below is a summary of some of the differences between the MBA and the CFA.

MBA CFA Cost $63,093 $4363 Entry Requirements more requirements less requirements Duration of Programme 17, 24, or 30 months 4 years Commitment Required full-time  stop working part-time  classes after work on your own time  more flexibility Difficulty Level of Programme unlikely to fail low exam pass rates Job Prospects diverse career options more niche

With expensive tuition fees, it is no surprise that the MBA can fall out of favour with many people. However, one thing to remember is that while the CFA is indeed more prestigious, doing an MBA gives you the chance to network and make valuable connections through classes.

The important question to ask yourself is what are your goals? Do you want to break into a different sector or do you want to become an analyst? Only when you know what you want to achieve out of these programmes will you be able to benefit from them.

Read More: 5 Important Steps Towards Planning For Your MBA

DollarsAndSense.sg is a website that aims to provide interesting, bite-sized financial articles which are relevant to the average Singaporean. Subscribe to our free e-newsletter to receive exclusive content not available on our website. Follow us as well on Instagram @DNSsingapore to get your daily dose of finance knowledge through photos.

Top Image Credit: DollarsAndSense.sg

The post Should You Get A CFA Or An MBA In Singapore? appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
(Bloomberg) -- Indonesia will cap Wednesdays Independence Day celebrations by scuttling as many as 71 impounded foreign vessels -- mostly Vietnamese but also a handful of Chinese -- to signal its determination to protect its sovereignty over lucrative fishing grounds in the South China Sea.

The destruction of the boats comes amid simmering regional tensions over territorial disputes in the water. Former Indonesian foreign minister Marty Natalegawa said the main challenge facing the country was to ensure the message wasnt misinterpreted.

Natalegawa said the signal has to be conveyed that Indonesia is determined to protect its national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "But some of the risk in our region nowadays is precisely the risk of misperception, miscalculation, minor incidents becoming bigger crises," he said in a telephone interview last week. "The region as a whole should not lose the habit of open dialogue and diplomatic communication."

Since the end of 2014, Indonesia has destroyed more than 170 foreign vessels from various nations as it has tried to fend off Chinese claims that waters surrounding the Natuna Islands are part of traditional Chinese fishing grounds.

In June, President Joko Widodo held a cabinet meeting on the KRI Imam Bonjol, a warship that patrols the waters, and last month Indonesias popular Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said she wanted to "celebrate Independence Day this year in Natuna, where I will witness the sinking of many foreign vessels," later declaring that only Indonesians "can catch fish in Indonesia.

Proxy Dispute

Chinas claims to more than 80 percent of the South China Sea were dealt a consequential blow last month by an international tribunal that ruled that China had no historic rights to the resources within the waters. Indonesia is not an official claimant, and Beijings official disputes are with other nations such as the Philippines and Vietnam.

Story continues

For an explainer on territorial disputes in the South China Sea, click here.

Richard Javad Heydarian, a political science professor at De La Salle University in the Philippines, believes the Natunas have already become a proxy for the broader dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea. "I think the message is clear: Indonesia will stand its ground and is willing to up the ante less China scales back its assertiveness in Indonesian waters, he said by e-mail.

In March, the Chinese Coast Guard collided with a Chinese fishing boat suspected of illegal fishing as it was being towed by Indonesian authorities. Two weeks later, Indonesia destroyed 23 foreign vessels, blowing a number of the boats up in a public display broadcast on the Internet.

Heydarian said that while Jakarta had not been as confrontational toward Beijing as Vietnam or the Philippines, it was also clear Indonesia would not be a pushover in maritime disputes. It has effectively become a claimant state in the greater South China Sea showdown, he said.

Fine Line

The government in Jakarta must also tread a fine line between insisting on Indonesias territorial integrity and acknowledging that it relies on money from China to fund infrastructure and boost growth. China overtook the U.S., Singapore and Japan in the past decade to become Indonesias largest trading partner with $49.2 billion in transactions last year, up from $16.3 billion in 2006.

Natalegawa, 53, who was foreign minister under former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said Chinas claim to the waters surrounding the Natunas are part of an attempt to test the status quo. Never traditional fishing grounds," he said. "That was how the constellation was, the equilibrium that we had with China on this issue.

Until recently, Natalegawa added, there had never been a maritime territorial dispute between China and Indonesia. It seems to me there has been some kind of qualitative development on the issue when China begins to speak of having differing interpretation of the maritime boundary or speaking of their traditional fishing grounds," he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Karlis Salna in Sydney at ksalna@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nasreen Seria at nseria@bloomberg.net, Jason Koutsoukis, Andy Sharp

2016 Bloomberg L.P.
The UK Independent Vert Series hits Manchester on the 21st of August, with Beast Rampz hosting the long running event for the vert skaters of these shored. Check details below and give the footage from Mount Hawke a watch while youre at it, this one should go off!

The UK Independent Vert Series is well under way, with May's Mount Hawke comp followed at the end of this month by round two at...

Round 4 of 2016s UK Independent Vert Series took place this Sunday (21st of August) at Beast Rampz indoor skatepark in Manchester. In attendance were vert...

Adrenaline Alley in Corby will host round five of the UK Independent Vert Series, presented by Pro Tec and Moonshine, on September the 4th

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The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
Strategic Planning

Washington SD Partners With Discovery Education to Prepare Students for College and Careers

The new partnership between Highline Public Schools and Discovery Education is part of the districts plan to improve digital literacy skills for students.

Washingtons Highline Public Schools (HPS) is collaborating with Discovery Education to support its plan to make all students tech-savvy and tech-literate by graduation. The collaboration provides access to Discovery Educations digital content and professional learning services.

HPS has partnered with the company to support its Strategic Plan for 2013-2017, which was developed with input from parents, students, community members and district staff. The plan outlines objectives to ensure that each student is prepared for college and careers, including an objective to make sure every student graduates tech-savvy and tech-literate.

Source: Discovery Education.

Key components of the district strategy include providing technology devices to every student; partnering with local technology organizations to provide resources and access to leading-edge technology and industry professionals; and providing current and continuous professional development for teachers, leaders and staff to ensure seamless integration of technology-driven approaches, according to a prepared statement.

Through the partnership, classrooms within HPS have access to the following:

Digital content on Discovery Education Streaming Plus, a comprehensive digital service that contains thousands of standards-aligned resources that supplement K12 curriculum. The digital resources include videos, images, primary source documents, podcasts, oral interview, audio books and more for students to use. Teacher resources include lesson plans, instructional strategies, skill builders and multimedia activities.

Professional learning opportunities through Discovery Educations Digital Leader Corps, which trains participants on how to propel the districts transition model to modern digital learning environments. In total, 35 teacher leaders and their principals from five elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school will participate in the Digital Learning Corps.

Access to the Discovery Education Community, a global network where educators can share ideas.

Highline Public Schools is committed to creating engaging personalized learning environments that ensure district graduates are college and career ready, said Susan Enfield, the districts superintendent, in a prepared statement. The addition of Discovery Educations dynamic digital resources and robust professional development will help our educators innovate and lead us in meeting this critical goal.

Further information about HPS districtwide plan is available on the HPS site. To learn more information about Streaming Plus, Digital Leader Corps and other services, visit the Discovery Education site.
- US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants in Southern Somalia near the Kenyan border

- The 30 militants included senior commanders of the terror group and were killed in two separate operations

- Among those killed is said to be Abu Ubeida the al-Shabaab leader in Southern Somalia

Somali commandos backed up US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants near the Kenyan border in the Southern Somalia region of Middle Juba.

Among those killed are senior al-Shabaab commanders including Abu Ubeida the al-Shabaab leader in Southern Somalia.

According to Xinhua, the militants were killed in two separate military operations in the last four days.

Somali commandos backed up US special forces have killed 30 al-Shabaab militants near the Kenyan border in the Southern Somalia region of Middle Juba.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab bombs AMISOM base, several soldiers feared dead

The Somali government confirmed that the operations took place on August 10 and 13 and mainly targeted the terror militants in Sakow town in Middle Jubba region.

The spokesperson for Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, Robow Abu Mansur (C), is escorted on December 14, 2008, by bodyguards to a press conference just outside Mogadishu.

READ ALSO: Police gun down al-Shabaab militant after injuring police officer

Terror group al-Shabaab was removed from its major strongholds of Mogadishu and Kismayu by African Union forces and the Kenyan military.

The terror group which now mostly operates and trains in lower Jubba has resorted to attacking civilian and military facilities in Kenya and Somalia.

The group has carried out several attacks in Kenya including the Garissa University College attack.

The Garrisa University attack which occurred in 2015 was one of Kenyas most bloodiest terror attacks.

The militant group raided the university at dawn killing 148 people dead of which 142 were students.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab explosions cut off communication between KDF camp and Kenya

Cover photo: Hiraan

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Roshanara Ebrahim, the former Miss Kenya has been told to take her case against Ashleys to court like she had threatened to, the week before

- The Miss World Kenya franchise says that it has enough evidence to back up their decision of taking away her title

A Miss World Kenya title holder earns around KSh 30,000 from the Ashleys Kenya franchise every month. This is according to Terry Mungai- the Ashleys CEO who spoke to the Standard Digital.

READ ALSO:8 photos of the hot lady replacing dethroned Miss World Kenya 2016

Ashleys has been on the limelight after the franchise was accused by Roshanara Ebrahim, a former Miss Kenya of stripping her of her title without following the correct procedure.

Roshanara lost her title after going against the franchise's code of ethics.

Ebrahim said that she learnt of the developments through the media and had not agreed to any settlement with the franchise- contrary to an earlier communique, that she had agreed to Ashleys decision.

In connection to that, Ebrahim had threatened to sue Ashleys with a letter demanding an apology from Mungai being sent to Ashley's by her lawyer.

READ ALSO: Sexy Kenyan singer shames politician who has been begging for her petunia

A week later, the Ashleys CEO has told the girl to go to court if she may, that the franchise had enough evidence to back their tragic decision of taking away her title.

Roshanara Ebrahim who was stripped off her title.

Ebrahim had been accused of gross misconduct which had put the franchise's reputation on the line occasioning her stripping.

Ashleys says that they did not release the damning evidence because they wanted to protect her dignity as well as save her from public shame and ridicule.

READ ALSO: Radio presenter talks about her near-death experience when giving birth

That, Ashleys, is in possession of damning evidence speculated to be racy photos of the former Miss Kenya engaging in 'gross misconduct'.

A communique that had appeared on Kenyan dailies had stated that the beauty queen was informed of the new developments and had agreed to them- claims that she later refuted.

Her title has been assumed by the first runners up and Miss World Kiambu county, Evelyne Njambi  a 23-year-old interior design student at Maseno University.

Ebrahim has previously been linked, rather sensationally to a local politician who she was alleged to have been romantically involved with.

In interviews and statements that she wrote in response to the allegations, Ebrahim denied any sort of connection with the lawmaker, terming the rumours malicious and unfounded

Source: TUKO.co.ke
judo

Chinas banking sector has been making unexpected progress towards dealing with its credit problem.

UBS conducted an analysis of 765 banks in China, and found that contrary to market perception, bank capitalisation and bailouts have begun. Put simply, China has started bailing out its banks.

UBS estimates that between 2013 and 2015, Chinas banking sector disposed of somewhere between 1.65 and 1.8 trillion yuan ($248 to $270 billion) of bad loans and raised 620 billion yuan in capital  what UBSs Jason Bedford refers to as underappreciated progress. But it still needs to dispose of a further 4.5 trillion yuan worth of bad loans, and raise another 2 trillion in capital.

So theres still a long way to go for Chinas banks. And moreover, theres a disparity in how well banks in different geographical regions are able to raise capital and write off bad loans, which could be concerning.

We also note that progress across the country was asymmetrical, Bedford wrote, with provinces with the weakest economic fundamentals recording the least progress in resolving issues. So, the economically weakest areas are the ones that could have the hardest time dealing with the problem.

The map below shows the disparity. Red regions are those making the slowest progress  places like Inner Mongolia, which has only recapitalized 7 out of 18 banks, and Heilongjiang, which has only recapped 2 of 10, are some of the worst:

graph 1

Bedford writes that credit cycles are unforgiving and the progress of cleaning up the fallout is not easy. But, he adds, its a process, and at least the process has started in China.

Another note from UBS released today references Bedfords research, and remarks on how positive it is that the credit problem in China is increasingly being recognized and dealt with. The bank bailouts also signal some hope for reform in the country, the note says  other countries in the region, like Indonesia and India, with its likely passage of the goods and services tax have been implementing reforms.

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However, the note says, this isnt enough to turn bullish on China just yet.

The problem is that credit is still growing aggressively versus the economy, and until that changes, its important to be wary.

Bedford also mentions this in his research, saying that the problem could be growing faster than the solution. If credit keeps growing at a two or three times multiple of GDP growth, then the positive steps being taken could be outpaced by the growth of non-performing loans (NPLs).

According to research from BMI that was released on August 10, China reports that its NPL ratio is approximately 1.8%. But BMI researchers estimate that the true ratio is closer to 20% and could even to as high as 30%. Given how dangerous that situation is, the report says, the likelihood of a government bailout of the banking sector is increasingly likely.

NOW WATCH: Couples improved their sex lives in a week with this one simple tip





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(Repeats to wider audience with no changes to text)

By Engen Tham and Carolyn Cohn

SHANGHAI, China, Aug 12 (Reuters) - As David Byrne ate breakfast at the Tongli Lakeview Hotel outside Shanghai one Sunday in April, an angry customer was waiting for him.

Byrne, 52, is a British businessman who sells investment products. The previous day, he had introduced himself to a roomful of potential customers in the hotel as the new London head of a foreign currency trading platform whose website offered very high returns.

But Tang Hongde, the man watching as Byrne lingered over his meal, wanted to talk about an earlier venture which the Briton had said he headed.

That operation, called EuroFX, had also promised fat returns on foreign exchange. Chinese law enforcement authorities now say it was a pyramid scheme, which used cash from new investors to pay older ones. One Chinese official with direct knowledge of the matter says it could also have been part of a global fraud.

So far, Chinese police records in nine provinces show, police have received at least 319 consumer complaints about EuroFX. In total, police have estimated losses of at least 455 million yuan ($70 million) and issued 23 arrest warrants for illegal fundraising by people in China. Police did not respond to requests for more information.

Some investors say those complaints are just the tip of the iceberg. A group in Shanghai has collected the details of at least 3,700 victims in China, and others in nine countries from the United States to the Philippines say they were also ensnared by EuroFX. Collectively, they claim to have lost more than $1 billion. Reuters spoke to 35 of them, and their stories reveal a trail of pain. "Many people invested the money they use to buy food," said one 50-year-old Chinese woman who herself was arrested for encouraging others to invest.

EuroFX was one of a rash of scams to emerge recently among China's millions of newly affluent. But it stands out because it played on Britishness. Of 10 suspected frauds in China that the Chinese official is handling, this is the first to involve a Western company and a Western figurehead.

Story continues

Byrne had presented himself as CEO of EuroFX. He was detained and questioned by police and freed on bail but is barred from leaving China. He told Reuters in May that he was not actually in charge. He said another Briton had "full authority" over him, which the Briton denied, saying he had no involvement in EuroFX but was helping some Asian customers for an Australian. Reuters was unable to locate the Australian for comment.

The tale shows how, in a world where money flows easily between jurisdictions, thieves can hide in the gaps between local regulations. EuroFX marketed itself from addresses in London. But as long as it advertised to investors abroad, British authorities considered it beyond their jurisdiction. In China, police responded only in provinces where many victims complained.

One alleged victim was Zhang Fusheng, who says he pumped millions of dollars into EuroFX. He has been sued by others for unpaid debts after investing on their behalf. He also drew in his sister, Zhang Guiling, a 59-year old grandmother in the village of Tangshan in the country's north, who borrowed to invest. EuroFX blocked her account in 2013 and the money disappeared. Lenders came after her.

"Her son blamed her, her daughter-in-law blamed her, her husband won't talk to her, her daughter hates her," he said in March.

Last August, she took her own life. Reuters could not independently confirm if EuroFX played a role in her death.

NIGHT-TIME VIGIL

In a 2013 meeting filmed by investors, Byrne described himself as acting as CEO of EuroFX, which claimed to have special techniques to trade foreign exchange. He says now he was only a "consultant CEO" of the UK-registered company Euro Forex Investment Ltd, and that he had used the "EuroFX" name for short.

The money trail is too blurred to see who profited. Bank statements seen by Reuters show that investors paid into companies and accounts at banks in Hong Kong in 2012 and 2013. The amounts they paid in would show up on their online EuroFX account, where the balance of funds would go up every day, supposedly reflecting profit from foreign exchange trading.

To withdraw profit, investors including Zhang said, they opened accounts at banks nominated by EuroFX. Early investors were able to make withdrawals from these.

But in July 2013, EuroFX told investors it was suspending foreign exchange trading. After that, investors could not access any money. The balance of funds on their EuroFX accounts "froze" so there appeared to be no trading.

Each investor started to lodge complaints against those who had recommended they invest. In Zhang's case, the claims were civil suits; other former investors are among the 23 people whom police want to arrest. Many have fled the country.

Two of the companies that investors paid into were dissolved in 2014; their Indian directors could not be reached. The banks declined to comment. Hong Kong police did not respond.

It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) was only when Byrne was spotted in China in April that the Shanghai investors asked police to question him.

A group of them spent all night coordinating. They called the police to try to get him arrested. Local (Stuttgart: 19549987.SG - news) police, who declined to comment, visited the hotel, then left again.

The following morning, Tang was in the lobby, keeping watch. Another investor staked out the airport.

"As David was putting his suitcase in the car, I reached out and held onto his suitcase," said Tang. "I said, 'David, you can't leave, you're suspected of fraud.'"

Byrne said nothing, Tang said. He seemed calm. Eventually, police brought him in for questioning. They are now preparing evidence to submit to the prosecution, the Chinese official said. A spokesman for the British consulate in Shanghai said it was assisting a British national.

COOK, ORCHARD AND BYRNE

Chinese investors say they first heard of EuroFX in June 2012. It printed full-colour Chinese brochures, seen by Reuters, which predicted fat returns.

For an investment of $10,000, investors could expect a return of 6 percent a month. For $100,000, that climbed to 12 percent. A few months later, a separate EuroFX product offered up to 16 percent to anyone who invested $250,000.

The brochures boasted that EuroFX had 13 years' experience in foreign exchange trading.

In fact, there was no company called "EuroFX." Its brochure said EuroFX was a brand name for Euro Forex Investment Ltd. This was a dissolved company that an Australian businessman, Bryan Cook, had bought only the month before, according to Eurofinanzza, the company formation agent which arranged the transaction.

Reuters was unable to locate Cook for comment.

Byrne, a financial analyst who had run his own foreign exchange advisory business in Britain, told Reuters in July he joined the project in 2012 when a British lawyer, David Orchard, hired him to run the London arm. "All (recruitment) negotiations and paperwork were handled by Mr Orchard," said Byrne.

Asked who was his boss at Euro Forex Investment Ltd, he said: "Orchard had full authority. Everything was through him as authority."

Orchard's lawyer denied this, and there is no evidence Orchard was knowingly part of a fraud.

Orchard told Reuters in June that he knew Byrne from previous business dealings, and had bumped into him in the City of London in summer 2012 when Byrne was out of work. "We put his name forward as someone who had forex expertise who could help" by managing a London office, Orchard said, but could not remember whom he recommended Byrne to.

Orchard, who said he also knew Cook, set up other companies with "Euro Forex" in their names to help Cook's Asian clients rent offices, he said. In the end, Orchard said, the companies were not used to pay rent on the buildings because Cook's Malaysian company could pay them itself. The landlords involved declined to comment.

The corporate trail leads to a clutch of other "Euro Forex" companies in Britain and New Zealand, held in the names of company formation agents, nominee directors, or offshore shareholders. Their directors and addresses changed frequently; some were dormant or rapidly closed, and others have since changed their names.

HERON TOWER

In August 2012 Euro Forex Investment Ltd moved into London's Heron Tower, the tallest building in the City. That September it changed its registered office to Bruton Street in the Mayfair district, home to hundreds of investment funds.

Then EuroFX started to fly Chinese investors to London. In mid-November, visiting investors took photos of Byrne and Orchard in front of the EuroFX logo at the 21st-storey Heron Tower (Other OTC: TWRLY - news) office. Orchard said he was only there to hand over the premises and did not realise the visitors were investors.

Zhang says he enjoyed one of these trips at EuroFX's expense that December. He recalls dining at fancy Chinese restaurants. "They took us to shop at department stores. They took us to a 700-year-old castle, to look at Cambridge University."

That month, Euro Forex Investment Ltd reported in company filings a 10 million pound ($13 million) capital injection.

After the London visits, Byrne spoke at dinners in Asia where local celebrities performed, videos and photos given to Reuters by the Shanghai investors show. "In Thailand, in Korea, Singapore, David (Byrne) and these other (unnamed) foreigners were always holding conferences that you could attend, free," said Zhang.

But while EuroFX was promising stellar returns, hedge funds in foreign currencies were booking annual losses of 1 percent to 2 percent on average, according to data tracker Hedge Fund Research.

"I TRUST EUROPEANS"

Tang, the clothing exporter who would later confront Byrne, was introduced to the scheme by a civil servant in Changzhou, a city in the eastern province of Jiangsu. He invested 800,000 yuan ($120,000), he said. He did not understand foreign exchange, but believed the scheme was regulated: "I trust Europeans not to lie to me."

Other Chinese investors who put money into EuroFX also told Reuters they did so because Euro Forex Investment Limited was a company registered in Britain. They assumed it was regulated by Britain's financial authorities.

It was not. The company had registered at Companies House as being active in "business support," not finance. In any case, it would only have been regulated by what is now called the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) if it sold to customers in Britain. The FCA does not regulate UK-registered firms that operate outside the European Union, a spokeswoman for the authority said.

The UK regulator did warn in early 2013 that Euro Forex Investment may have been "providing financial services or products in the UK without our authorisation." But that warning on its website was directed only at investors in the UK. The FCA declined to specify what prompted it. It said it would normally refer any such concerns to the police. A spokeswoman for the regulator declined to say whether it had referred EuroFX.

The UK police said they later received complaints about EuroFX from ActionFraud, Britain's national reporting centre for fraud. They decided these were outside their jurisdiction. A London Metropolitan police spokeswoman said: "The decision was taken for this investigation to be conducted by the Chinese authorities as the large majority of victims in this case are resident within China."

"YOUR MONEY IS SAFE"

On July 20, 2013, EuroFX said on its website it was suspending trade in existing accounts "to comply with increasingly stringent international anti-money laundering regulations." From that day, investors could not access their funds.

In Asia, the dinners and roadshows carried on.

"There are a lot of regulatory requirements that we need to meet," Byrne told a dinner in Bangkok the following month, according to a video of the presentation since posted on YouTube.

EuroFX, he said, had "over 40,000 clients from over 100 countries,", and he only slept "about four or five hours per night ... because I need to make sure that your money is safe."

He encouraged existing investors to "top up" what he called a hedging account to access their funds. To do that, investors needed to pay in more. "Regulators from various jurisdictions have given us a 'thumbs up,'" he said, asking everyone in the room to join the gesture.

Zhang, who had invested with his sister, was a guest at that dinner.

"At the time my heart did ask itself, are they tricksters?" he said.

Zhang borrowed over $1.5 million in cash to double his original investment of the same amount. He said he believed it was the only way he could get his original funds back. In total, he said, he invested over $3 million on his own account in EuroFX, and over $2 million for others who had asked him to put their money in.

"UNFAVOURABLE TRADING"

In October 2013, Byrne stood down. He told Reuters in July he resigned because he was not given information he asked for about the project's true nature and his management suggestions were ignored. Investors' accounts remained blocked.

EuroFX announced on its website that it had merged with another firm, FXCAP, with "regional temporary offices" in six cities from Mumbai to Johannesburg. No FXCAP representative could be reached.

The merged firm, FXCAP, promised debit cards for EuroFX investors to access their funds. A few weeks later, some investors received cards, but these were prepaid cards with balances of zero, the investors said.

FXCAP/EuroFX said it would issue new cards within months, according to its website. This never happened, the investors say.

In April 2014, seven Shanghai-based investors headed to London to investigate. They visited the offices of two companies EuroFX had claimed to work with, said the leader of that group, asking to remain anonymous. The firms said they had nothing to do with the venture.

The Shanghai investors emailed Byrne. He wrote back that he had been hired for 11 months only, for which he was paid 75,000 pounds ($98,000), and that he might also be a victim of fraud. His emails were seen by Reuters. Byrne declined to comment on the record about them.

In August 2015, the merged company posted a message on its website: "Due to unfavourable trading condition in the past few months, FXCAP is filing for bankruptcy," it said, according to a screenshot made available by the investor group. Client accounts were being "audited by external accounting firm."

OVERDOSE

In the village of Tangshan in August 2015, Zhang's sister, Zhang Guiling, was struggling to repay loans she had taken out to invest. She (Munich: SOQ.MU - news) went from door to door, borrowing money wherever she could, her brother said. As the interest bills piled up, her creditors started showing up at her home and where her husband and son worked, threatening them.

People who had known her for years started to avoid her.

She called her older sister and said she was tired of living, her sister said.

Alone in the house one day, she swallowed an overdose of medicines she had been prescribed for high blood pressure, her family said. Her husband found her body when he returned from work.

While the family didn't ask for an inquest to determine the cause of her death, Zhang feels sure EuroFX is responsible.

His problems continue. A judge dismissed one civil suit against him, ruling that Zhang was not responsible for the claimant's losses from the scheme. In another suit, he was ordered to repay 650,000 yuan ($98,000) that he borrowed on the strength of promised returns from EuroFX.

He says he does not know where he'll find the cash.

(Additional reporting by Jonathan Gould in Frankfurt, Charlotte Greenfield in Wellington, Byron Kaye in Sydney, Shrikesh Laxmidas in Lisbon, Praveen Menon in Kuala Lumpur, Sarah White in Madrid, Himanshu Ojha, Kirstin Ridley, Maiya Keidan and Simon Jessop in London, Adam Jourdan in Shanghai and Shanghai newsroom; Edited by Sara Ledwith)
Non-IBM personal computers were available as early as the mid-1970s, first as do-it-yourself kits and then as off-the-shelf products. They offered a few applications but none that justified widespread use.

Drawing on its pioneering SCAMP (Special Computer, APL Machine Portable) prototype of 1973, IBM's General Systems Division announced the IBM 5100 Portable Computer in September 1975. Weighing approximately 50 pounds, the 5100 desktop computer was comparable to the IBM 1130 in storage capacity and performance but almost as small and easy to use as an IBM Selectric Typewriter. It was followed by similar small computers such as the IBM 5110 and 5120.

IBM's own Personal Computer (IBM 5150) was introduced in August 1981, only a year after corporate executives gave the go-ahead to Bill Lowe, the lab director in the company's Boca Raton, Fla., facilities. He set up a task force that developed the proposal for the first IBM PC. Early studies had concluded that there were not enough applications to justify acceptance on a broad basis and the task force was fighting the idea that things couldn't be done quickly in IBM. One analyst was quoted as saying that "IBM bringing out a personal computer would be like teaching an elephant to tap dance." During a meeting with top executives in New York, Lowe claimed his group could develop a small, new computer within a year. The response: "You're on. Come back in two weeks with a proposal."

Lowe picked a group of 12 strategists who worked around the clock to hammer out a plan for hardware, software, manufacturing setup and sales strategy. It was so well-conceived that the basic strategy remained unaltered throughout the product cycle.

Don Estridge, acting lab director at the time, volunteered to head the project. Joe Bauman, plant manager for the Boca Raton site, offered manufacturing help. Mel Hallerman, who was working on the IBM Series/1, stepped forward with his software knowledge and was brought in as chief programmer. And so it went. As word spread about what was going on, talent and expertise were drawn in.

Estridge decided early that to be successful and to meet deadlines, the group had to stick to the plan: using tested vendor technology; a standardized, one-model product; open architecture; and outside sales channels for quick consumer market saturation.

About a dozen people made up the first development team, recalls Dave Bradley, who wrote the interface code for the new product. "For a month, we met every morning to hash out what it was this machine had to do and then in the afternoons worked on the morning's decisions. We started to build a prototype to take  by the end of the year  to a then little-known company called Microsoft." The team beat that deadline. The engineers were virtually finished with the machine by April 1981, when the manufacturing team took over.

The manufacturing strategy was to simplify everything, devise a sound plan and not deviate. There was not time to develop and test all components. So they shopped for completely functioning and pretested subassemblies, put them together and tested the final product. Zero defects was part of the plan.

In sum, the development team broke all the rules. They went outside the traditional boundaries of product development within IBM. They went to outside vendors for most of the parts, went to outside software developers for the operating system and application software, and acted as an independent business unit. Those tactics enabled them to develop and announce the IBM PC in 12 months -- at that time faster than any other hardware product in IBM's history.

On August 12, 1981, at a press conference at the Waldorf Astoria ballroom in New York City, Estridge announced the IBM Personal Computer with a price tag of $1,565. Two decades earlier, an IBM computer often cost as much as $9 million and required an air-conditioned quarter-acre of space and a staff of 60 people to keep it fully loaded with instructions. The new IBM PC could not only process information faster than those earlier machines but it could hook up to the home TV set, play games, process text and harbor more words than a fat cookbook.

The $1,565 price bought a system unit, a keyboard and a color/graphics capability. Options included a display, a printer, two diskette drives, extra memory, communications, game adapter and application packages  including one for text processing. The development team referred to their creation as a mini-compact, at a mini-price, with IBM engineering under the hood.

The system unit was powered by an Intel 8088 microprocessor operating at speeds measured in millionths of a second. It was the size of a portable typewriter and contained 40K of read-only memory and 16K of user memory, as well as a built-in speaker for generating music. Its five expansion slots could be used to connect such features as expanded memory, display and printing units and game "paddles." The unit also ran self-diagnostic checks.

Containing 83 keys, the keyboard was connected to the unit by a six-foot coiled cable, which meant users could rest it in their lap or on the desktop without moving the rest of the system. It also included such advanced functions for the times as a numeric keypad and 10 special keys that enabled users to write and edit text, figure accounts and store data.

Options included:

Needing new channels to distribute these new computers, IBM turned to ComputerLand; Sears, Roebuck and Co.; and IBM Product Centers to make the IBM PC available to the broadest set of customers.

The response to the announcement was overwhelming. One dealer had 22 customers come in and put down $1,000 deposits on the machines for which he could not promise a delivery date. By the end of 1982, qualified retail outfits were signing on to sell the new machine at the rate of one-a-day as sales actually hit a system-a-minute every business day. Newsweek magazine called it "IBM's roaring success," and the New York Times said, "The speed and extent to which IBM has been successful has surprised many people, including IBM itself."
Ares Management is reportedly seeking to raise more than $45bn for its latest batch of funds.
DGAP-News: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft / Key word(s): Half Year Results Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft: Strong revenue and profit growth in first half of 2016 15.08.2016 / 06:59 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- P R E S S R E L E A S E No.14/2016 Press release for the first half of the 2016 financial year Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft: Strong revenue and profit growth in first half of 2016 - Consolidated revenues up 8.6% to EUR 82.0 million - Consolidated EBIT jumps 60.8% to EUR 4.0 million - Spirits brands Berentzen and Puschkin growing faster than the market - Citrocasa, Mio Mio and Sinalco franchise operation with distinct double-digit growth rates - Sharp rise in total operating performance and consolidated EBIT still anticipated for 2016 Haselunne, August 15, 2016 - Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, which is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN: DE0005201602), recorded an increase in consolidated revenues to EUR 82.0 million (EUR 75.6 million) in the first half of the 2016 financial year. Consolidated operating profit (EBIT) rose sharply in the reporting period to reach EUR 4.0 million (EUR 2.5 million), while consolidated profit increased to EUR 1.5 million (EUR 1.2 million). Frank Schubel, Executive Board Spokesman of Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft, is satisfied with the performance of the corporate group in the first half of 2016: "Our strategic programmes are running pretty much to plan, which is helping to constantly improve our profitability indicators. Our realignment strategy, which primarily addresses healthy and fresh drinks segments, is now paying dividends for a third year in a row. And we're also enjoying stable growth rates with our Berentzen and Puschkin spirits brands thanks to a high level of innovation. Our half-year profit shows how the strategy we're pursuing is bearing the desired fruit." Developments in the segments: The 8.6% increase in revenues compared with the first half of last year essentially stems from positive developments in the three business segments: Spirits, Non-alcoholic Beverages and Fresh Juice Systems. Within this total, the activities involving fresh juice systems operated under the Citrocasa brand continued to expand rapidly, with revenues rising by 33.5% in the first six months of the current financial year. Frank Schubel comments: "We're extremely satisfied with the pace of growth to date. As market penetration for the Citrocasa business has been low to this point in most countries, we expect the volume of business to go on expanding here. Our goal for the medium term is to fill in any blank spaces on the map." The Non-alcoholic Beverages segment also performed well with revenue growth of 6.9%, which is much faster than the market. Between January and June 2016, sales of beverages marketed under the Mio Mio brand grew by nearly 60% compared with the first half of last year on the back of an expanded distribution network and greater consumer acceptance. Sales in the franchise business involving Sinalco branded drinks were up more than 20% on the first six months of 2015 thanks to strong new customer business. Revenues in the Spirits segment expanded by 4.9% during the reporting period in the face of a contracting domestic market overall. Sales volumes of the Berentzen and Puschkin umbrella brands rose by 4.7% and 10.3% respectively, a success built around innovative concepts together with consistent brand management and promotions policy. The Berentzen Group recorded an increase of 10.6% in sales of branded dealer and private-label products in line with gains from new volume contracts and a higher proportion of value-adding concepts. The international business with branded spirits contracted by 16.2% compared with the equivalent period last year, attributable mainly to the well-known situations in the crisis-hit countries of eastern Europe and Turkey. Wherever possible, suitable adjustments to the cost structures have been made in response to these market conditions. Outlook: Frank Schubel concludes with this explanation: "Our forecast is based on a total of three elements. First, you have our organic growth in those proprietary brands that generate above-average margins in the internal product ranking. Second, we can observe a positive profit trend in the still young Sinalco franchise operation. And third, the Citrocasa brand is seeing its profitability rise with its revenues. This gives us confidence that the financial performance will remain strong in the second half of the year coupled with sustainable growth - the kind of growth that underscores the continuity of the Berentzen Group's development." Consequently, Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft is retaining unchanged its expectation for the 2016 financial year of a sharp increase in both total operating performance and consolidated operating profit compared with last year. The 2016 Group Half-yearly Report can be downloaded from the corporate website of Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft - www.berentzen-gruppe.de - using the following link: http://www.berentzen-gruppe.de/en/investors/ announcements/financial-reports/ About the Berentzen Group: The Berentzen Group is one of the leading beverage groups in Germany and simultaneously one of the oldest producers of spirits with a history going back over 250 years. With its well-known brands like Berentzen and Puschkin and attractively priced private-label products, the Berentzen Group has a presence in more than 60 countries around the world. The corporate group also has strong operating activities in the non-alcoholic beverages and fresh juice systems segments. The Group company Vivaris Getranke GmbH & Co. KG is responsible for producing and marketing proprietary mineral waters, carbonated and non-carbonated soft drinks. In addition, the company boasts more than 50 years of experience in the franchise business for soft drinks, most recently acting as franchisee for the Sinalco brand since 2015. Moreover, the Berentzen Group markets innovative fresh juice systems under the Citrocasa brand, thus serving the fast-growing market for modern, healthy drinks. The Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft share (ISIN DE0005201602) is listed on the regulated market (General Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. For more information: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft Antje Schwindeler Press and PR (05961) 502 215 pr@berentzen.de / www.berentzen-gruppe.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15.08.2016 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Company: Berentzen-Gruppe Aktiengesellschaft Ritterstrae 7 49740 Haselunne Germany Phone: +49 (0)5961 502-0 Fax: +49 (0)5961 502-550 E-mail: ir@berentzen.de Internet: www.berentzen-gruppe.de ISIN: DE0005201602, DE000A1RE1V3, WKN: 520160, A1RE1V Listed: Regulated Market in Frankfurt (General Standard); Regulated Unofficial Market in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, Stuttgart, Tradegate Exchange End of News DGAP News Service --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 492593 15.08.2016
The latest Consumer Market Monitor (CMM) has been published today by The Marketing Institute of Ireland and UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.



Data from the second quarter of the CMM indicates that the consumer economy in Ireland is now showing strong evidence of a broad-based, sustainable recovery. The only area that is not thriving is property sales which are down by 7% this year, in direct contrast to every other area of consumer spending, with no evidence of a pick-up in the short term.



The report shows that spending on personal consumption in the second quarter is up by 5% on the first quarter 2016 and household debt (32,269 per capita) is now at its lowest level since 2006 and is reducing at a rate of about 2.4% per annum.



Furthermore, an increase of 7.8% was seen in the sale of services on the previous year.



The report indicates that the 26% growth in Irish GDP that sparked recent controversy highlights the point that a far more realistic measure of Ireland's economic wellbeing is the growth in personal consumption which makes up 55% of national economic activity.



The starting point is with the amount of disposable income circulating in the economy, because spending very closely matches income. In fact, there has been a remarkable increase in disposable income in recent times with very positive effects - gross disposable income increased by 5% in 2015, and by a similar amount in the first quarter of 2016.



According to the report, the improvement in the labour market has been the most important factor driving this income growth, with employment increasing by more than 2% each year since early 2012. There is now 1.98 million people at work, up 46,900 year-on-year, and up by 152,000 since the low point in 2012. Pay increases have also contributed 2.7% on average in 2015, as have increased earnings among the self-employed.



Consumer confidence showed signs of recovery in 2013 and this rose throughout 2014 and 2015. Confidence level reached a record high in June 2015 and remained strong through the rest of the year. At this point, consumer confidence in Ireland was well ahead of the last peak in 2007, and also well ahead of other European countries.



Professor of Marketing at UCD Smurfit School and one of the authors of the Monitor, Mary Lambkin said, "The imbalance of consumer spending and property sales needs to be addressed so as to bring the economy into better balance. Property sales ae struggling and there is sign of forthcoming growth in this area. As of May 2016, we have only seen 16,743 sales which is in stark contrast to 48,700 residential sales transactions in 2015."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

About us
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.

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.
Summer Eckley Scholars Develop Research Skills

Aug. 1, 2016

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. What new methods will be developed to help stroke patients in their rehabilitation? Can research on men as perpetrators of sexual violence help administrators understand how to reduce incidents on college campuses? How are students and teachers in two different countries resisting the privatization of public education?

These and other questions are being investigated this summer by five Illinois Wesleyan University students who were selected as Eckley Scholars. The Robert S. and Nell B. Eckley Scholars and Artists Program was established by President Emeritus Eckley and his wife, Nell. The endowment provides a stipend of $4,000 for each scholar to spend the summer on campus conducting research under the mentorship of a faculty member. Established shortly before President Eckley passed away in 2012, the program is designed to develop and deepen a students creative and research competencies.

The financial aid I get from the Eckley award is making a massive difference in my life, said recipient Paige Buschman 17. I put myself through school, and having a secure income this summer, while simultaneously gaining skills that will prepare me for work I plan to do in the future, has impacted my life in a way I cannot explain.

Following are brief descriptions of the scholars projects:

Shannon Maloney 18

Shannon Maloney 18

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stroke is a leading cause of serious long-term disability, and some 95 percent of stroke survivors have some upper-limb dysfunction in routine daily activities.

Stroke patients tend to rely heavily on compensatory strategies such as picking up a ball with their arm or with a couple of their fingers instead of implementing the whole hand, said Shannon Maloney 18, a psychology and business administration double major. Through a comparative study utilizing mice performing two different reaching tasks, Maloney hopes to discover a task that promotes behavior that closely parallels true recovery. She said true recovery signifies actions that mirror the behaviors patients exhibit pre-stroke.

Currently in this field of knowledge, there are limited reaching tasks used for stroke rehabilitation, said Maloney, who is guided by Assistant Professor of Psychology Abigail Kerr.

Maloney said that in her first year at Illinois Wesleyan, she took the course Brain Injury and Recovery with Kerr. In the course Maloney learned what happens to the brain when patients are subjected to the rabies virus or receive multiple head injuries. By the end of the semester, I was captivated by the field of knowledge called neuropsychology, Maloney recalled. I started working in Dr. Kerrs lab to acquire more hands-on experience in the field. She said the opportunity to conduct research, made possible by the Eckley award, has helped her define her career aspirations, which currently include graduate school.

Martha Aguirre 17

Martha Aguirre 17

While studying abroad in Chile, Martha Aguirre 17 witnessed students protesting inequalities in their education system. High school and university students united to fight for their educational rights, said Aguirre, who is majoring in secondary education and Hispanic Studies. I was inspired that students were so aware of the inequality of the education system.

During her time in Chile, Aguirre noticed that some of the same problems Chile experienced also plagued the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where Aguirre had received her education. The differences, she noticed, laid in who was doing the protesting. In Chicago, she noted, the resistance has largely come from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), while in Chile, it was students who were protesting privatization in mass numbers.

Guided by Irv Epstein, who is Ben and Susan Rhodes Endowed Professor in Peace and Social Justice in addition to Chair of Educational Studies, Aguirre is researching the ways teachers and students in two different countries are resisting privatization of public education, which generally means contracting out to the private, for-profit sector jobs and responsibilities of the public sector (school vouchers and charter schools, for example). In her research, Aguirre said she has most enjoyed interviewing teachers and students in both locations and bringing to light their voices and struggles. Students are capable of producing huge changes if they recognize their capabilities and their potential, she said. After graduating from Illinois Wesleyan, Aguirre hopes to become a CPS teacher. I want to give back to the schools like those I attended, she said. I hope to receive an endorsement in ESL/Bilingual education and teach newcomer immigrant students.

Boryana Borisova 17

Boryana Borisova 17

As a 6-year-old immigrant from Bulgaria, Boryana Borisova 17 was introduced to Western culture through childrens books. Now as a young adult and International Studies major at Illinois Wesleyan, Borisova is revisiting childrens literature for her Eckley research project. Through a comparative analysis between the original English text of A.A. Milnes Winnie-the-Pooh and its retelling by Russian childrens writer and poet Boris Zakhoder, Borisova questions the subversive nature of Zakhoders text.

Adult readers looked upon his retelling as a manual of resistance to ideological pressures from the socialist state, said Borisova. This anti-totalitarian message overshadowed the value of this text for childrens readership. While paying attention to the politics of Zakhoders text, my research will restore its merit for the younger audience by analyzing its place within the body of Soviet childrens literature. Borisova will also expand her analysis to the realm of visual culture, comparing the Walt Disney Productions film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) with the work of the Russian animator Fyodor Khitruk in the early 1970s.

She said she was inspired to apply for the Eckley award because of her academic advisor, Isaac Funk Professor of German and Russian Marina Balina. Her piercing insight and creativity introduced me to a new realm of Soviet childrens literature, Borisova said of Balina. She has challenged me to bring forth an independent study of merit.

Following graduation from Illinois Wesleyan, Borisova plans to apply to graduate school for programs in library and information science. My mission of promoting books by foreign authors and exposing American youth to the globalized world of cultures began this summer as an Eckley Scholar, she said.

Paige Buschman 17

Paige Buschman 17

Earlier this year, the sexual assault conviction and subsequent sentencing of ex-Stanford University student Brock Turner brought attention once again to the realities of reporting and punishing sexual assault. While experts and activists laud colleges who have advocated for affirmative consent standards and launched bystander intervention training, research by Paige Buschman 17 adds to a growing body of research suggesting studying perpetrators rather than victims helps administrators understand how to reduce incidents of sexual assault.

My study focuses on socialization processes, specifically of men, around issues of sexual assault and how those processes manifest themselves in institutions of higher education, said Buschman, a sociology major who is mentored by Associate Professor of Sociology Meghan Burke.

In researching the history of feminism and masculinity in the United States, we have really come so far, but we have much further to go, she said. We need to do a better job, as a society and as a campus, of teaching boys what sexual assault is and not to do it. There is not enough emphasis in mens upbringing on respecting women and their boundaries. Instead, we teach them to prove their masculinity in ways that are damaging to themselves and to their partners.

After graduation from Illinois Wesleyan, Buschman plans to attend graduate school to enter higher education administration. Ultimately, I would like to work in a womens center or another kind of diversity center on a college campus.

Zach Silver 18

Zach Silver 18

The sound of barking dogs is music to the ears of Zach Silver.

More specifically, Silver is investigating the degree to which domesticated dogs pay attention to changes in the size of the sound of a bark, and whether the dog attends more or less to various sounds. The psychology and music double major said his project combines many of the empirical methods hes learned from his advisors and mentors, Assistant Professor of Music Joseph Plazak and Assistant Professor of Psychology Ellen Furlong.

In music cognition, researchers have learned a great deal about the way that humans perceive the size of sounds, said Silver. In the field of comparative cognition, researchers have discovered a plethora of information about the way that non-human animals experience the world. By increasing our understanding of how non-human animals perceive and respond to sound, we can better understand our own hearing systems and our responses to sounds.

The Eckley project has had emotional benefits for him as well, Silver said. I always look forward to coming into the dog scientists lab, he said. Being around dogs always seems to have a positive impact on my day.

After graduation from Illinois Wesleyan, Silver hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology, continuing to investigate the way humans and non-human animals hear and perceive sound.

Conducting research as an undergraduate is one of Illinois Wesleyans unique experiential learning opportunities. Approximately two-thirds of Illinois Wesleyan students conduct research, working alongside faculty in research or collaborating with them on students own designs, artwork, musical compositions or other works of fine art.
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HERZLIYA, Israel, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

In Q2 2016:



Sales grew by 37.4% to a record US$ 300.2 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.2%

grew by to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from core activities grew by 43.2% to a record US$ 279.7 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.9%

grew by to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from Flavor activities grew 44.3% to a record US$ 224.4 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.7%

grew to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from Specialty Fine Ingredients activities grew 39.1% to a record US$ 57.6 million, reflecting constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 9.9%

grew to a US$ million, reflecting constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Record-level quarterly profits (adjusted for nonrecurring expenses 1 ): Gross profit grew by 36.9% to US$ 116.9 million; EBITDA grew by 33.2% to US$ 57.2 million; Net income grew by 22.7% to US$ 33.7 million; Earnings per share grew by 21.3% ; Cash flow from operating activity more than doubled, growing by 110.8% to US$ 36.7 million.

(adjusted for nonrecurring expenses ):



In First Half of 2016:

Sales grew by 35.2% to a record US$ 558 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 6.6%

grew by to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from core activities grew by 40.3% to a record US$ 520.6 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.2%

grew by to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from Flavor activities grew 40.8% to a record US$ 406.8 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 6.6%

grew to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Sales from Specialty Fine Ingredients activities grew 39.2% to a record US$ 117.9 million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 10.5%



[1] Net non-recurring expenses were recorded in the second quarter and first half of the year concerning optimization and combining of plants, costs tied to transacting the acquisitions, and non-recurring income from the sale of a plant in the United States, which in the second quarter reduced gross profit by US$ 2.6 million, operating profit by US$ 4.4 million and net income by US$ 3.4 million. In the first half year these net non-recurring expenses reduced gross profit by US$ 4.1 million, operating profit by US$ 11.4 million and net income by US$ 8.3 million.





grew to a US$ million. Constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of Net non-recurring expenses were recorded in the second quarter and first half of the year concerning optimization and combining of plants, costs tied to transacting the acquisitions, and non-recurring income from the sale of a plant in the United States, which in the second quarter reduced gross profit by US$ 2.6 million, operating profit by US$ 4.4 million and net income by US$ 3.4 million. In the first half year these net non-recurring expenses reduced gross profit by US$ 4.1 million, operating profit by US$ 11.4 million and net income by US$ 8.3 million. Record-level quarterly profits (adjusted for nonrecurring expenses 1 ): Gross profit grew by 35.5% to US$ 217.5 million; EBITDA grew by 30.6% to US$ 104.3 million; Net income grew by 22.4% to US$ 60.1 million; Earnings per share grew by 20.5% ; Cash flow from operating activity grew by 46.8% to US$ 54.8 million.

(adjusted for nonrecurring expenses ):

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2016 FRUTAROM COMPLETED 6 STRATEGIC ACQUISITIONS FOR THE SUM TOTAL OF US$ 222 MILLION

INTEGRATION OF R&D, SALES & MARKETING, OPERATIONS, PURCHASING AND PRODUCTION PLATFORMS AND COMPLETING PROJECTS TO COMBINE PRODUCTION FACILITES AND OPTIMIZE RESOURCES, EXPECTED TO BRING OPERATIONAL SAVINGS AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF US$ 20-22M, ARE ADVANCING SUCCESSFULLY.

ALSO CONTINUING IS THE BUILDING UP AND STRENGTHENING OF THE GLOBAL PURCHASING PLATFORM WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO FURTHER IMPROVEMENT IN PROFITS AND MARGINS

FRUTAROM ADVANCING TOWARDS ACHIEVING SALES TARGET OF AT LEAST

US$ 2B BY 2020 WITH EBITDA MARGIN FROM CORE ACTIVITY OF OVER 22%

Ori Yehudai, President and CEO of Frutarom:

Second quarter 2016 with sales of over US$ 300 million produced is another milestone in our journey of rapid and profitable growth. The successful implementation of the growth strategy, combining profitable internal growth at higher than average market growth rates together with strategic acquisitions that contribute to the ongoing improvement in our results, has brought us another record quarter for both sales and profits.

The accelerated 37.4% sales growth this quarter derives from a combination of rapid internal growth in core activities  the Flavors division and the Specialty Fine Ingredients division  which grew 7.9% (in pro-forma terms on a constant currency basis) and the contribution of the strategic acquisitions we made.

Further to the 11 acquisitions we carried out in 2015, since the beginning of 2016 we performed 6 more strategic acquisitions and moved ahead according to plan with the complete merging and operational integration of the acquisitions we have made. These acquisitions support the realization of our plans for rapid growth in our core activities while expanding the share of the Flavors activity which entails establishing market leadership in the field of savory taste solutions. They also support the expansion of Frutarom's natural solutions portfolio in the areas of flavors, health, colors and natural antioxidants, and the acceleration of our growth and market share expansion in North America and in emerging markets with high growth rates.

The projects for combining and consolidating activities and production sites and towards achieving utmost efficiency are proceeding successfully. These steps also include the combining of activities and substantial streamlining of savory operations in Europe following the Wiberg acquisition (expected to bring savings estimated at over US$ 12 million annually, most of which will materialize towards the end of 2016 and in the first quarter of 2017) and the streamlining of the natural extracts operations in the Specialty Fine Ingredients division (expected to bring savings estimated at over US$ 6 million annually which will materialize in the second half of 2017). These efficiency measures, which will also contribute in the coming years to strengthening our competitiveness and improving profits and margins, should lead to operational savings on an annual basis in the range of US$ 20-22 million in relation to Frutaroms cost structure in Q2/2016.

In addition, we are continuing to work on building up and strengthening the global purchasing platform, exploiting our purchasing power which has grown significantly in recent years and switching to buying raw materials in source countries, particularly natural raw materials. The global purchasing platform too will contribute to further improvement in Frutaroms profitability.

We are continuing to invest considerable resources into R&D and innovation which constitute the foundation for ensuring Frutaroms continuing unique rapid growth into the future, expanding this activity which now encompasses 580 R&D people at 71 labs spread out throughout the world. We are also expanding the many collaborations we have with universities, research institutes and scientists. These investments contribute to our ability to bring our customers high added value through innovative and unique products and natural solutions combining taste and health.

Frutarom continues maintaining a high level of liquidity and conservative leveraging based on strong cash flow from operating activity which this quarter more than doubled against the parallel quarter. Our solid capital structure and the strong cash flow we achieve allow us to continue initiating and exploiting acquisition opportunities relying on our strong, high quality acquisitions pipeline.

We are convinced that the rapid and profitable organic growth and the strategic acquisitions we have made, combined with continued improvement in our product mix, our focus on natural and healthy products in step with demand from billions of consumers throughout the world, the geographic expansion in North America and high growth emerging markets and the measures we are taking to optimize our resources while capitalizing on the abundant cross-selling opportunities and the operational savings that our acquisitions provide, the building of a global purchasing platform and the strong pipeline of further synergetic strategic acquisitions will support our continuing journey of profitable growth in the years to come as well, and achieving the strategic goals we recently set: At least US$ 2 billion in sales with an EBITDA of over 22% in our core activities by 2020.

Frutarom Industries Ltd. ("Frutarom"), one of the world's 10 largest companies in the field of flavors and specialty fine ingredients, reports record results for the second quarter and first half of the year in sales, operating profit, EBITDA, net income and cash flow.

The accelerated growth in sales in the second quarter and halfway through 2016 results from a combination of rapid internal growth in Frutaroms core activities  Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients  and the acquisitions carried out.

Sales

Sales in the second quarter of 2016 rose 37.4% to a record of US$ 300.2 million compared with US$ 218.5 million in the parallel period, reflecting year-over-year constant currency growth of 7.2% in pro-forma terms. Changes in the exchange rates of currencies in which the Company operates as against the US dollar had a 2.7% negative impact on sales growth in pro-forma terms vs. Q2 2015.

Sales from Frutaroms core activities (the Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients activities) in the second quarter of 2016 rose 43.2% to reach a record US$ 279.7 million compared with US$ 195.4 million in Q2 2015, reflecting year-over-year constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.9%. Currency effects negatively impacted results in pro-forma terms by 2.1%.

Sales from the Flavors activity in the second quarter of 2016 rose 44.3% to reach a record US$ 224.4 million as against US$ 155.5 million in Q2 2015, reflecting constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.7% against the parallel period. Currency effects negatively impacted results in pro-forma terms by 2.6%.

Sales from Specialty Fine Ingredients activity in the second quarter of 2016 rose 39.1% to US$ 57.6 million compared with US$ 41.4 million in Q2 2015 and reflect constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 9.9% against the parallel period. Currency effects were negligible.

Sales from Trade and Marketing (which does not constitute part of Frutaroms core activity) declined 1.4% on a constant currency basis. Without adjusting for currency effects, sales in Q2 2016 declined by 11.4% to US$ 20.5 million compared with US$ 23.1 million in Q2 2015. Currency effects negatively impacted sales by 10.0%.

Frutarom sales in the first half of 2016 rose 35.2% to reach a half-year record high of US$ 558.0 million, reflecting year-over-year constant currency growth of 6.6% in pro-forma terms. Changes to the exchange rates of currencies in which the Company operates as against the US dollar negatively impacted sales growth in pro-forma terms by 3.4% compared to the first half of 2015.

Sales from Frutaroms core activities (the Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients activities) in the first half of 2016 rose 40.3% to reach a record US$ 520.6 million compared with US$ 371 million in H1 2015, reflecting year-over-year constant currency growth in pro-forma terms of 7.2% compared to the parallel period.

Sales from Flavors activity in H1 2016 rose 40.8% and reached US$ 406.8 million as opposed to US$ 288.9 million the previous year, reflecting growth in pro-forma terms on a constant currency basis of 6.6% vs. prior year. Currency effects negatively impacted sales in pro-forma terms by 3.4%.

Sales from Specialty Fine Ingredients activity in H1 2016 rose 39.2% and reached US$ 117.9 million compared with US$ 84.7 million in H1 2015, reflecting growth in pro-forma terms on a constant currency basis of 10.5% vs. prior year. Currency effects had a 0.7% negative impact on results.

Sales from Trade and Marketing activity (not a core activity for Frutarom) in H1 2016 amounted to US$ 37.4 million compared with US$ 41.7 million the year before (a 0.3% decrease from H1 2015 in pro-forma terms on a constant currency basis). Currency effects had a negative 10.0% impact on sales.

Profits and margins

In Q2 2016 profits for the core businesses, comprising the Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients activities, reached record levels and, adjusted for non-recurring expenses, gross profit rose in Q2 2016 by 39.8% to reach US$ 113.4 million (gross margin of 40.6%), operating profit rose by 31.1% to reach US$ 45.6 million (operating margin of 16.3%), and EBITDA grew by 34.3% to reach US$ 57.0 million (EBITDA margin of 20.4%).

In the first half of 2016 profits from the core businesses reached record levels and, adjusted for non-recurring expenses, gross profit rose by 38.6% to reach US$ 210.3 million (gross margin of 40.4%), operating profit rose by 30.5% to reach US$ 82.3 million (operating margin of 15.8%), and EBITDA grew by 32.2% to reach US$ 103.2 million (EBITDA margin of 19.8%).

Non-recurring expenses were recorded this quarter concerning the actions being taken by Frutarom towards optimizing its resources, amalgamating plants, and towards attaining maximal operational efficiency, and these include non-recurring expenses incurred for the Companys reorganization of its savory activity in Germany, for operational optimization of the natural extracts activity in the Specialty Fine Ingredients division and in connection with acquisitions performed, and a non-recurring income was recorded on the sale of the Companys North Bergen site in New Jersey. These non-recurring effects reduced reported gross profit for the quarter by US$ 2.6 million, operating profit by US$ 4.4 million and net income by US$ 3.4 million. In the first half year these non-recurring effects reduced reported gross profit by US$ 4.1 million, operating profit by US$ 11.4 million and net income by US$ 8.3 million.

The acquisitions carried out have contributed to growth in sales and in profits, but the quarterly and half-year results do not yet reflect the profitability expected following the merger operations and streamlining measures being taken by Frutarom.

Following the acquisition of Wiberg, Frutarom continues working on combining and streamlining its R&D, marketing, sales, purchasing and production platforms in Germany and various countries in order to achieve maximum possible operational efficiency and savings which are estimated at over US$ 12 million (on an annual basis), most of which will materialize towards the end of 2016 and in the first quarter of 2017. As part of these measures, Frutaroms main plant for savory products at Stuttgart, Germany is expected to close by the end of the year, with its activity transferred to Wibergs efficient plant in Germany. The merger process is moving progressing according to plan and even ahead of the expected timetable.

In addition, there is an overall drive to expand activity and production capacity hand-in-hand with optimization and operational streamlining in the facilities for natural extracts from plants in the Specialty Fine Ingredients division which is progressing successfully and according to plan. A significant increase in production capacity in natural extracts following the acquisitions of Vitiva, Nutrafur and Ingrenat in 2015 made room for significant efficiency measures including closure and sale of Frutaroms plant at North Bergen in New Jersey and the transfer of its activity to the modern plants that were acquired. Meanwhile Frutarom is expanding its production capacity and production optimization in natural extracts by establishing excellence centers for the various extraction technologies while significantly improving operational efficiency. Recently joining this array of facilities is the newly acquired Extrakt Chemie in Germany which also has substantial excess capacity for GMP pharma products. These actions, which will contribute towards a significant improvement in cost structure and competitiveness in natural extracts from plants, the heart of Frutaroms growth strategy, are expected to generate savings estimated at over US$ 6 million (annually) that will start taking hold during the second half of 2017.

Overall, the efficiency measures and optimization we are spearheading following the acquisitions will bring significant operational savings in the annual range of US$ 20-22 million in relation to Frutarom cost structure in the second quarter of this year.

Also proceeding according to plan is the building up and strengthening of the global platform for purchasing raw materials serving Frutarom in the manufacture of its products such that it can exploit its purchasing power which has grown significantly in recent years while switching to direct purchasing from producers in source countries, particularly natural raw materials (which constitute over 70% of the raw materials used by Frutarom). The global purchasing platform will contribute as well the further improvement in purchasing costs and gross margin.

Net income

Net income in the second quarter of 2016 (adjusted for non-recurring expenses) grew by 22.7% and reached US$ 33.7 million. Reported net income rose 16.1% to reach a record US$ 30.3 million compared with US$ 26.1 million in the second quarter of 2015.

Net income in the first half of 2016 (adjusted for non-recurring expenses) grew by 22.4% and reached US$ 60.1 million. Reported net income rose 9.1% to reach a record US$ 51.8 million compared with US$ 47.5 million in the first half of 2015.

Earnings per share in the second quarter of 2016 (adjusted for non-recurring expenses) rose 21.3% to US$ 0.56 compared with US$ 0.46 in the parallel quarter. Reported earnings per share rose 14.4% to US$ 0.50 compared with US 0.44 in the parallel quarter.

Earnings per share in the first half of 2016 (adjusted for non-recurring expenses) rose 20.5% to US$ 1.00 compared with US$ 0.83 in the parallel quarter. Reported earnings per share rose 7.0% to US$ 0.86 compared with US 0.81 in the parallel period.

Cash flow from operating activity

In the second quarter of 2016 net cash flow from operating activity more than doubled to US$ 36.7 million from US$ 17.4 million in the parallel quarter, a 110.8% increase.

In the first half of 2016 net cash flow from operating activity grew by 46.8% to US$ 54.8 million compared with US$ 37.3 million the year before.

Tables summarizing profits and margins in Q2 2016 and the 1st half of 2016:

In millions of

US dollars Core Businesses Total Frutarom Group Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients Adjusted for non-recurring expenses % increase Adjusted for non-recurring expenses % increase Q2 2015 Q2 2016 Q2 2015 Q2 2016 Gross profit 81.1 113.4 39.8 % 85.4 116.9 36.9 % Margin 41.5 % 40.6 % 39.1 % 38.9 % Operating profit 34.7 45.6 31.1 % 35.1 45.7 29.9 % Margin 17.8 % 16.3 % 16.1 % 15.2 % EBITDA 42.4 57.0 34.3 % 42.9 57.2 33.2 % Margin 21.7 % 20.4 % 19.6 % 19.0 % Net income 27.5 33.7 22.7 % Margin 12.6 % 11.2 %





In millions of

US dollars Core Businesses Total Frutarom Group Flavors and Specialty Fine Ingredients Adjusted for non-recurring expenses % increase Adjusted for non-recurring expenses % increase H1 2015 H1 2016 H1 2015 H1 2016 Gross profit 151.7 210.3 38.6 % 160.5 217.5 35.5 % Margin 40.9 % 40.4 % 38.9 % 39.0 % Operating profit 63.1 82.3 30.5 % 64.6 83.0 28.5 % Margin 17.0 % 15.8 % 15.7 % 14.9 % EBITDA 78.0 103.2 32.2 % 79.8 104.3 30.6 % Margin 21.0 % 19.8 % 19.3 % 18.7 % Net income 49.1 60.1 22.4 % Margin 11.9 % 10.8 %





Investor Conference Call

On Monday, August 15, 2016 at 4:00pm in Israel (2:00pm BST; 3:00pm CET; 9:00am EDT) Frutarom will host a conference call in which management will review and discuss the results and will be available to answer investor questions.

To participate, please call one of the following teleconferencing numbers. Please begin placing your calls at least 5 minutes before the conference call commences. If you are unable to connect using one of the toll-free numbers, please try the international dial-in number.

USA Dial-in Number: 1-888-668-9141

UK Dial-in Number: 0-800-917-5108

SWITZERLAND Dial-in Number: 0-800-834-878

ISRAEL Local Dial-in Number: 03-918-0610

INTERNATIONAL Dial-in Number: +972-3-918-0610

A replay of the conference call can be found on the Company's investor relations webpage at www.frutarom.com starting on August 17, 2016 and will be available by telephone starting August 15, 2016 until August 17, 2016. To access the replay please dial: 1-888-326-9310 (USA), 0800-917-4256 (UK), 0-800-837-191 (Switzerland), or +972-3-9255921 (Israel).

About Frutarom

Frutarom (LSE:FRUT) (TASE:FRUT) is a multinational company operating in the global flavors and fine ingredients markets. Frutarom has significant production and development centers on all six continents and markets and sells over 52,000 products its products to about 29,000 customers in more than 150 countries. Frutaroms products are intended mainly for the food and beverages, flavor and fragrance extracts, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, health food, functional food, food additives and cosmetics industries.

Frutarom employs over 4,500 people worldwide and engages in two core activities:

The Flavors Activity, which develops, produces and markets flavor compounds and food systems.

The Specialty Fine Ingredients Activity, which develops, produces and markets natural flavor extracts, natural functional food ingredients, natural pharma/nutraceutical extracts, natural food colors, natural algae based biotechnical products, natural antioxidants used in natural preservation and food protection systems aroma compounds, essential oils, unique citrus products, natural gums and resins. The Specialty Fine Ingredients products are sold primarily to the food and beverages, flavor and fragrance, pharmaceutical/nutraceutical, cosmetics and personal care industries.

Frutaroms products are produced at its plants the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Slovenia, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Israel, South Africa, China, India, Guatemala, Peru, Chile, Brazil and New Zealand. The Companys global marketing organization encompasses branches in Israel, the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, South Africa, China, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and New Zealand. The Company also works through local agents and distributors throughout the world. For further information, visit our website: www.frutarom.com.
- Factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff has revealed what he wants from the PDP

- Sheriff said he wants a transparent convention involving every PDP member adding that he wont withdraw any of the court cases against the Makarfi led PDP

Ali Modu Sheriff

Factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ali Modu Sheriff has revealed what he wants from the PDP.

Speaking on Channels Television on Sunday, August 14, Sheriff said he wants a transparent convention involving every PDP member.

He said he will not be at the scheduled PDP convention adding that he wont withdraw any of the court cases against the Makarfi led PDP.

He blamed the Port Harcourt high court for creating chaos within the PDP but promised to resign if a transparent committee is promised.

READ ALSO: More crisis: Confusion as 4 PDP chairmen emerge, APC jubilates

He also alleged the Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose, and his Rivers counterpart, Nyesom Wike were plotting to hijack the party.

We will not let PDP to be hijacked by a few people like Governor Fayose and the governor of Rivers State. They have a script that they want someone to act, but I am a man of principle. This is not about Ali Sheriff; it is about democracy, and the rule of law.

I never asked to be chairman of the PDP. I was asked to come and assist the party. I never wanted to be chairman of the PDP. I was sitting down in my house when leaders of the party begged me to come and help the party. Initially, I said no, but I later accepted.

We wont allow things to go wrong, the party will not be hijacked. If they agree to carry everybody along and take the convention to Abuja, I am ready to step down today.

Also Sheriff while reacting to the recommendation made by the PDP Board of Trustees Reconciliation Committee, that all court cases instituted against the party by its members be withdrawn immediately said he would not do so.

Speaking to Punch newspaper through his media aide, Bernard Mikko said plans to he would do everything within his power and the constitution of the party to end what he called impunity in the PDP.

The courts are there to settle disputes in the society. We have done everything within the law to end the crisis.

READ ALSO: National convention: More cracks in PDP as governors move against Jonathans man

We agreed on many terms but not to circumvent the constitution of the party, but the Sen. Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee will not agree to end the crisis.

Theres is no difference between the so-called forthcoming national convention and the moribund one held in May.

The only thing is that some group of persons who were not carried along then have been given roles to play in the Wednesday illegal convention.

We will wait for its outcome. Dont forget that we are going to court on Monday (today) to know what is going to happen on Wednesday.

Recall that Ali Modu Sheriff had said the party lost Borno and Yobe states because former President Goodluck Jonathan failed to listen. Yobe and Borno are one and they will remain forever. I am following the trend of events in Yobe very well and I believe that PDP should never have lost Yobe at all,"he said.

Source: Legit.ng
There is great tension over the renewal of hostilities within the Niger Delta region and there are fears that the life of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan is in danger.

The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari has also been threatened by the insurgent group, Boko Haram, even as the quest for peace seem a far cry in Nigeria.

Below are 15 quotes which tell in details what Nigeria is passing through, even as the nation continues to battle terrorism and insurgency in various parts of the country.

1. We have no doubt in our mind that MEND, as a group contracted to go after Jonathan with the mind of assassinating him, has yet to abandon this criminal and ignominious craving."

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, ex-president of Nigeria raising an alarm that his life is under threat by militants.

In a statement made by his media aide, Ikechukwu Eze on Sunday August 7, Jonathan said the list of sponsors by the splinter group Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) was political, adding that it was part of an attempt to assassinate him.

2. "To you, President Buhari, very soon you will see us inside your home the presidential palace. You will hear from us right in there by the will of God."

More threats coming from Abubakar Shekau, the embattled leader of Boko Haram, who once again threatened to attack President Muhammadu Buhari, military chiefs and other senior officials in a new video recently released by the terrorist group.

3. We have no desire to fight our Muslim brethren.

Shekau, in a new 24-minute video, ridiculed suggestions that he was dead, and looked more composed and energetic than in previous appearances.

4. "I wish to advise the Nigerian government to look for better ways to resolve the Niger Delta problem, and not to continue to compound the issue by relaying on voodoo means to resolve the issue."

Ex-Niger Delta militants leader Tompolo denying allegations that he is one of the sponsors of the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

Tompolo, who described the allegations voodoo, made this denial on Monday, August 8, through a press statement issued by his spokesman, Paul Bebenimibo.

5. "Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do with the current Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Far from it! The problem is simply, the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues confronting the region when he was at the helm."

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has replying Goodluck Jonathan, insisting he is responsible for the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers.

6. "Well, I dont think there is anybody more corrupt in this country like the former President. I believe you are talking about the former President Olusegun Obasanjo."

Ex Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo being described as the most corrupt Nigerian.

This assertion was made by Ghali NaAbba, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives who stated during an interview on Saturday, August 6, that the former president lacks the integrity to call members of the National Assembly as corrupt people.

7. "Those in authority should appreciate the fact that they hold power in trust for the people. They should listen and be prepared to make policy changes that address the welfare of the common people."

Alhaji Saad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, asking the federal government to be considerate of the citizens and do away with anti-people policies.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Abuja on Monday, August 8, 2016, Sultan Abubakar advised the government that to work with the people adding that where a policy is seen to be anti-people, it must be immediately reviewed.

The Sun reports him as saying policies should be in the interest of the people, noting that if policies do not work, there was nothing wrong in reviewing them.

8. Suddenly, were a poor country, but commitment to transparency and accountability is not making people know that there is severe shortage.

President Muhammadu Buhari stating that the last year was really difficult for Nigeria and consequently the country became very poor.

The president revealed this while receiving the United Nations Population Funds Executive Director and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, at the presidential villa, Abuja on August 11, Thursday.

9. "It is a painful decision to tell people to vote Buhari, but the country needed a new beginning."

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock, causing some speculation on what could have given rise to such a visit.

While speaking on why he visited, Soyinka said that they discussed matters of national and international importance and that was all he was willing to divulge.

10. We are all running one project which is project Nigeria adding that if we are running project Nigeria, all hands must be a deck to move the country to the level we all expect and dream of and that is the essence of the whole thing.

Governor Emmanuel clarifying the purpose of his visit to the Aso Rock villa on August 9, Tuesday. He stated that his visit to was to brief President Buhari on the security situation in Akwa Ibom state.

The governor speaking with state house correspondents after the meeting underlined that Buhari is father to all regardless party connections.

11. "It is unfortunate that many Nigerians are hypocrites. When they hear witches or read about witches, what comes to their mind is evil or darkness."

Secretary of Witches and Wizards Association of Nigeria (WITCAN), Dr Okhue Iboi coming out to publicly urge Nigerians to stop persecuting them but to make their opinions count on issues affecting the country.

The secretary of WITCAN made his voice heard while speaking about the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Edo State, shortly after their meeting in Irrua, Edo state.

12. "The revelation by the splinter group of Niger Delta Avengers abojut the sponsors of Niger Delta Avengers has vindicated my earlier position."

Chief Ayiri Emami urging President Muhammadu Buhari to critically investigate Goodluck Jonathan and other persons named as sponsors of Niger Delta Avengers.

A splinter group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers had listed some top officials including the former president as sponsors of the Avengers and Emami has advised the president not to take the revelation lightly.

13. For the avoidance of doubt, I hereby state categorically that I do not have any relationship or association whatsoever either as a sympathizer or sponsor of any militant group, including the Avengers.

Chief Olisa Metuh, the former national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) addressing allegations that he is the sponsor of the Niger Delta Avengers.

The ex-PDP strongman whose health is not steady at the moment is also embroiled in the Dasukigate scandal, denied ever sponsoring the militants and asked those involving him in the allegations to leave him alone.

14. The advantage of this is that it will open door for more marketers to commence importation of kerosene just like petrol.

Announcement that Nigerians will now purchase kerosene from petrol stations at a newly-fixed rate according to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

This information was made available by Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the south Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

15. "Priority attention was given to assist the States and Local Govts pay the salaries of workers, which were several months in arrears."

Vice president Yomi Osinbajo revealing the economic agenda of the government in the bid to stabilize the tottering economy even as the harsh conditions bite harder.

Speaking at the 2016 presidential policy dialogue session which was organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in Lagos on Thursday, Osinbajo said the government will release N100 billion in the next few days to increase money in circulation.

Source: Legit.ng
Press release IVISYS AB 556998-4981 15 August 2016 IVISYS AB (IVISYS) has throughout August been welcoming several new staff members, including a new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The responsibilities of the newly appointed CFO  Vagn Svinding - were previously covered by CEO Jakob Kesje. Moreover, the engineering team has been strengthened by a new vision engineer and the in-house capacity for constructing advanced mechanical systems is boosted by the employment of an additional engineer. IVISYS new CFO Vagn Svinding will strengthen the company with regards to controlling, cash-management and reporting. Vagn Svinding brings many years of experience with financial management to the company. The employment of a CFO will allow CEO Jakob Kesje to focus even more on the commercial development of the company. The new vision engineer Dennis Lundtoft will join the software engineering team and engineer Anders Olsen will help reduce the companys dependence on external suppliers with regards to system construction. The new staff members will contribute to the overall further development of the company. CEO Jakob Kesjes comments The hiring of a dedicated CFO will allow me to focus even more on sales, where our activity level is very high. Generally speaking, we hire new staff according to our steadily growing demand. I am confident that each of these new employees will show to be very valuable to our company, comments CEO Jakob Kesje Certified Adviser Sedermera Fondkommission is IVISYS Certified Adviser. For further information, please contact Jakob Kesje, CEO IVISYS AB Phone: +45 20 22 60 10 E-mail: jk@ivisys.com About IVISYS IVISYS was formed on December 16th, 2014. IVISYS has developed a method for automatic quality control that is suitable for both mass production with long product series and smaller manufacturers with short product series. The company provides independent vision system solutions for quality control and offers a plug-and-play solution with easy installation in just a few hours. IVISYS delivers complete solutions with cameras, lighting, hardware and software. The product performs quality inspections at high speed and allows multiple control points in a single inspection. This makes for much faster quality control. IVISYS solutions are easily adapted to different products and product variations. They do not require specific product positioning, while settings can be easily adjusted by the customers staff. This information is information that IVISYS AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 11:30 CET on 15 August 2016.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ICS Corporation, a leader in innovative, creative marketing and distribution services for print/mail clients nationwide, has contracted for rigorous audits of its data security processes and systems in order to earn compliance under the demanding HITRUST CSF and Service Organization Controls 2 (SOC 2) standards.



The rigorous third-party examinations for which ICS has contracted are being administered by the professional IT assurance and compliance staff at 360 Advanced, a respected national Qualified Security Assessor, HITRUST CSF Assessor and Certified Public Accountant firm based in Tampa, FL.

Earning these designations will send a clear message to our clients and potential clients that ICS is dedicated to maintaining the strictest standards of data security and privacy in all of our operations, commented Dennis Fish, company spokesperson. He added that the initiatives to achieve HITRUST and SOC 2 Type 1 standards is in response to demand in the marketplace as more contract specifiers understand their value and are requesting these levels of IT assurance and compliance.

We also know that these designations will give us a clear competitive advantage when competing for business in the ever-expanding healthcare services arena and other industries in which we have identified significant opportunities for growth, said Fish.

The HITRUST CSF Assurance Program delivers compliance assessment and reporting for HIPAA, HITECH, state, and business associate requirements. Leveraging the HITRUST CSF, the program provides healthcare organizations and their business associates with a common approach to managing security assessments that creates efficiencies and contains costs associated with multiple and varied assurance requirements.

The objective of a SOC 2 Type 1 examination is the expression of an opinion about whether the control principles have been effectively designed to meet the requirements defined in the control principles.

Established in 1965, ICS is a full-service print, mail and fulfillment business based in Philadelphia, PA. For more information, please visit www.ics-corporation.com.

ABOUT 360 ADVANCED

Known for its responsiveness, experience and professionalism, 360 Advanced has clients in more than 35 states that are major service providers in various industries, including cloud and SaaS based organizations. 360 Advanced is one of only a few specialized firms in the U.S. that assist service providers as their independent IT assurance and compliance assessor in maintaining and communicating security and compliance to their clients.

360 Advanceds services are provided, but not limited to, the following industries: Title Services, Hosted and Managed IT, Data Center and Colocation, Software as a Service (SaaS), Healthcare, Financial Services, Insurance, HR | Payroll | PEO, Legal and Collections, Bulk Mail Printing and Distribution, Background Screening, Business Process Outsourcing and Marketing.

Services provided by 360 Advanced include HITRUST CSF, SOC 1 (SSAE 16), SOC 2, SOC 3, PCI DSS, HIPAA Security/HITECH, Microsoft Vendor Policy and other security and compliance services.




- MEND says Nnamdi Kanu agreed to renounce Biafra in secret

- The group says his agreement to renounce the Biafran course was in exchange for his freedom

- MEND stressed that Kanu's freedom is a key factor in its negotiation with the Federal Government

Nnamdi Kanu renounced Biafra in secret, says the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND).

MEND says Nnamdi Kanu renounced Biafra in secret.

MEND said on Monday, August 15 that the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) renounced Biafra in exchange for freedom, only to act hypocritically in public after sealing discussion with MEND on the matter.

Vanguard reports that spokesperson of MEND, Jomo Gbomo, in a vitriolic statement, said: The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu,.

READ ALSO: IPOB throws bombshell, says Buhari wants to kill Nnamdi Kanu

The group said the IPOB/Kanu statements purport to dissociate IPOB/Kanu from some of the concessions, which have so far been secured by MEND in the ongoing talks aimed at resolving the current Niger Delta crisis between the Federal Government and MEND.

In its words, the group said: MEND hereby uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the groups ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce Biafra in secret; in exchange for his freedom.

"MEND and the Federal Government have, however, flatly rejected the IPOB/Kanu hypocrisy to remain defiant in public; while accepting to secretly renounce secession."

It asserted: MEND, therefore, urges the already frustrated and desperate Mr. Kanu and IPOB to swallow their pride and make a public denunciation of Biafra.

The group argued that the public denunciation by Kanu was important so as not continue deceiving the gullible donors and followers sold to the illusion of a Biafra Republic that aims to annex the Niger Delta region as part of its territory.

It said there was need for them (donors and followers) to become fully aware that the so-called Biafra Republic is merely a business venture and scam whose sole beneficiaries are Kanu, directors of IPOB and their families and cronies.

Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have challenged the Nigerian military to a battle in the creeks.

The group dared the military to come after them in the creeks to show who is who rather than remaining in the comfort zone of the cities.

READ ALSO: Fast all in one -- UC Browser

A statement by NDAs spokesman, Muddoch Agbinibo, said no member of the group had been arrested by the Navy, as widely claimed in the media.

Agbinibo maintained that the household of the militant group remained intact, adding that it was unfortunate that the military was busy killing innocent souls in the region in the name of looking for Avengers and illegal bunkers.

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 (Brigadier General Moduch Agbinibo) were 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 in the comfort of my air-conditioned office, the statement read.

Agbinibo warned elders in the region to be careful of the antics of the Federal Government, adding that the government was not sincere about any negotiation to end hostilities and bring about the needed development of the region.

Source: Legit.ng
- Ahmad Salkida and Aisah Wakil, two of three Nigerians wanted by the Nigerian Army for links with Boko Haram have described the declaration as mischief

- Both Salkida and Aisah Wakil acknowledges their links with the terror group but added that their allegiance is to the Nigerian government

Ahmad Salkida

Ahmad Salkida and Aisah Wakil, two of three Nigerians wanted by the Nigerian Army for links with Boko Haram have described the declaration as mischief.

Speaking via separate press statements, both Salkida- a Nigerian journalist and Aisah Wakil acknowledges their links with the terror group but added that their allegiance is to the Nigerian government.

On his part, Salikda said he had in the past been to Nigeria three times on the invitation of the federal government to help in the recovery of the Chibok schoolgirls

My attention has been drawn to a public notice put out by the Nigerian Army and signed by Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, he said.

READ ALSO: Dear Nigerians, Is this the CHANGE you wanted when you voted for Buhari?

The statement declaring me wanted seeks culpable grounds to punish me on account of last two videos released by Boko Haram terrorists and other findings by the Army.

Clearly, my status as a Nigerian journalist who has reported extensively, painstakingly and consistently on the Boko Haram menace in the country since 2006 is an open book known to Nigerians and the international community. Equally, my total allegiance and sacrifice to the Federal Republic of Nigeria is self evident. I have stayed within the creed of professional journalism in my work.

As a testimony to the credible and professional values of my access, since May 2015, l have been to Nigeria three times on the invitation of Federal Government agencies. I made personal sacrifices for the release of our Chibok daughters.

Finally, the Army is aware that I am not in Nigeria presently. In the coming days I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the Army authorities. Indeed, my return will be hastened if the Military sends me a ticket.

On her part said it is interesting that the Federal Government now believes she has links with Boko Haram

I know the Boko Haram boys. I have been in front fighting for peace long before Chibok girls were kidnapped. Nigerian security knows me too well, I'm not shady. Why declaring me wanted? she probed.

I have had meetings with Chief of Army staff & his people. I told them the way forward, to allow me come with some commanders of Boko Haram and discuss with them, present the release of CBGs but they chose to do things their own ways only and never gave considerations to any of my suggestions.

READ ALSO: Boko Haram video: 5 facts about Ahmad Salkida who is wanted by Nigerian army

I want to inform the Nigerian people of my innocence and make them realise that I am in constant relation with the security personnel and they know where to find me but wonder why I had to be declared wanted on national news even mentioning my husband's name alongside.

She said by declaring her wanted, the Nigerian Army has put her immediate and extended family under a lot of pressure adding that she does not deserve this from the Nigerian government.

Though they may not appreciate all my efforts to profer peaceful solutions to the menace of bh, my name should not be mudslinged nor my character defamed."

Source: Legit.ng
NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 27, 2016, a lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against PetroQuest Energy, Inc. (NYSE:PQ) on behalf of holders of the Companys 10% Senior Notes due 2017 (CUSIP No. 716748 AA6). The lawsuit alleges violations of the federal securities laws and claims for breach of contract by the Company in connection with the private exchange offer and exit-consent solicitation for its 10% Senior Notes due 2017 announced on January 14, 2016.



On August 10, 2016, the case was transferred from New York to the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on consent of all the parties, and in the interests of justice. Plaintiffs expect the litigation to get underway once the receiving court completes process of the transfer.

If you own any of PetroQuest Energy, Inc.s 10% Senior Notes due 2017, and have any questions concerning the pending litigation please contact Eduard Korsinsky, Esq. via email at ek@zlk.com or by telephone at (877) 363-5972, or visit http://zlk.9nl.com/petroquest-energy.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, and Washington D.C. The firms attorneys have extensive expertise and experience representing investors in securities litigation, and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
- Politicians are the best at telling the electorates a good number of promises they will not fulfil

- Some morally-upright persons see politics as a dirty game

- All political dispensations have the challenges they tackle

It is a common saying that if good men keep quiet in a morally bankrupt society, then they themselves should be ready to go down the drain with those corrupting that society.

The calibre of men and women who are into partisan politics are well-known in the society. However, a great number of them have questionable character and tainted records. Majority of them are not not role models for the youth based on the behaviour they exhibit.

READ ALSO: International Youth Day: PMB committed to youth affairs

The poor masses in Nigeria cry everyday based on how the nation is going. Politicians do not draw sympathy from this. The political class go about gallivanting all over the world in exotic hotels and highly serene environment, while the citizens pass through hell.

It is not an overstatement to reason sometimes if politicians are compassionate. Moreso, it should not surprise anyone who understands politics that it is always the same story politicians tell the electorates when they campaign during elections.

When the current president of the United States Barack Obama wanted to vie for president in his first term; according to Obama in his book, 'Audacity of Hope,' one of the top politicians simply told him that he wanted to join the bad guys, meaning he wanted to go into the dirty game of politics.

The three issues listed below are what make several people believe that political system is meant only for the bad guys.

1. Lies and deceit

It is rather becoming so sad to see leaders who should be trusted by the citizens deceive the people.

During electioneering, the candidates slugging it out for political offices come out with mouth-watery programmes based on providing good governance for the unsuspecting electorates. However, immediately they are inaugurated, the story changes. They begin to come up with mountains of excuses that its either they never knew the damage on ground was much or some sections of the country was sabotaging the untiring efforts of Mr president.

President Muhammadu Buhari promised Nigerians so many things on Friday, May 29, 2015 when he was sworn in as president

The issue of learning the trade of telling unending lies makes a lot of honest Nigerians shy away from politics. There is hardly any politician who is not good at telling lies, as this is learned during political apprenticeship.

2. Political killings and assassination

When democracy returned to Nigeria on May 29, 1999, almost all Nigerians were happy that security of lives and properties will be ensured. People thought it will be a non-bumpy ride all through. It was in doubt if anybody would believe there will be anything like political assassination.

During the first term of former president Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003, some major political titans were murdered in cold blood and nothing happened to their assailants. Suffice to mention former governor of old Oyo state, Chief Bola Ige.

When he was killed in his residence at Ibadan in December 21, 2001, Bola Ige was the minister of justice and attorney general of the federation then. Up till now, nothing concrete has been found regarding the shrouded investigation case.

Others politicians murdered in cold include: Chief Harry Marshal, Funsho Williams, Ayo Daramola, among the rest. Indeed, the list is endless.

READ ALSO: Former PDP governor, Ohakim leaves party, quits for now

The period when political killings are known to occur mostly is during election period. Apart from party members who they sniff out their lives, sometimes, the innocent citizens are murdered.

The re-run election a few months back in Rivers state was one of the worst episodes in the history of contesting elections in states in Nigeria. It was almost on a daily basis that people were killed. It became a daily routine to murder someone despite heavy police and other security outfits being present. It was so terrible that a particular young party man was beheaded by hired political thugs. As if that was not enough, his pregnant wife was also killed.

This is not limited to Rivers, but almost all the states in Nigeria.

It should be recalled that a young businesswoman who came all the way from United Kingdom before the 2015 general elections to contest a seat in the House of Representatives from Oyo state was killed right in Oyo state.

3. Unholy practices

Some people hold the opinion that as a politicians rises in the pedestal of his political career, he gets more involved in human sacrifices directly or indirectly. Politicians are believed to be involved in rituals, some unholy acts and blood shed just to get what they want.

During the governorship tenure of Otunba Gbenga Daniel in Ogun state, one of the popular dailies published the photo of one of the State Assembly lawmakers in stark nakedness, holding an object which looked like calabash in his hand. The said politician was alleged to be swearing to oath.

In addition, it is still fresh in the minds of keen followers of Nigeria's political game that former governor of Cross River Liyel Imoke made it known that any politician who wanted to work with him must denounce cultism.

It is believed in some quarters that someone has to belong before becoming successful in politics.

An elderly man who resides in Lagos and was a member of the House of Representatives under the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) between 1979 to 1983, when asked to describe politicians, simply said in Yoruba language that 'Omore ko kin se politics,' meaning that 'a well-nurtured individual does not play or venture into politics.'

Source: Legit.ng
It would definitely be unfair for us to let this slide without bringing an act of benevolence of this forme president to your notice.

Most world leaders are more concerned about looting the country's funds and building empires for themselves. They do not care about the poor neither do they think about their subjects who voted them in. Most of these leaders only have their own interests and that of their families at heart. They enjoy being treated as first class citizens and do not joke with the luxuries their positions offer them.

READ ALSO: Amazing health benefits of dates

Jose Alberto 'Pepe' Mujica Cordano, Uruguayan former president is a highly respected man in Uruguay. He was the former world's poorest president as he served his country between 2010 and 2015 as the fortieth president of Uruguay.

What made Mujica different and unique when compared to the other presidents that have served was his act of benevolence. His austerity made people refer to him as the world's poorest president. He chose to live on a farm despite having access to the presidential mansion. He decided to live in a simple house located in a rural area outside Montevideo.

The lifestyle of Mujica is an interesting one as he prefers to live simply despite being paid an amount equivalent to twelve thousand US dollars per month. The intriguing part of this is that about ninety percent of his earning goes to the poor and small-scale entrepreneurs.

After giving out ninety percent of his salary, Mujica is left with an amount that is equivalent to an average Uruguay's earning per month. Despite his act of charity, he does not feel poor and enjoys his life on the farm.

It is quite possible for Mujica to embrace this life of solitude due to the time he spent in jail. His past revealed that he was the former leader of some guerilla group called Tupemaros.

This group was a violent one that used a Robin Hood-like strategy to fight for the poor. Fourteen years in confinement remolded him and changed his way of life.

His political views are unsettling considering the fact that he supports the same-sex marriage, abortion rights and the legalization of marijuana. While assessing his way of life and the things he does, people feel he does not act like a president but he is no doubt someone the poor relates with.

READ ALSO: Read what liquid from boiled lemon will do to you

His leadership style is living by example; his choices clearly reflect that. He does not see himself as someone who lacks the basic things of life as he embraces this lifestyle. In addition to living on a farm, his official car is a 1987 Volkswagen Beetle.

He has lived like that all his life and is happy with what he has. His perspective about his life is an interesting one.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party to pay a fine of N50,000 to the Ali Modu-Sheriff group

- Justice Okon Abang said that the counsel to the Makarfi group Ferdinand Obi wasted five hours of judicial time and must bear the consequence

Sheriff and Ahmed Makarfi had been at loggerheads over the leadership of the party

The chairman of the caretaker committee for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ahmed Makarfi has been directed by the court to pay the partys national chairman Ali Modu-Sheriff N50,000.

At the ruling on an application filed by Sheriff, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court said another application filed by Makarfis counsel for a stay on proceeding was a delay of court time.

Ferdinand Obi had in an application asked the court to stay proceeding a motion on notice filed by Sheriff to prevent the Makarfi-led faction from convening a national convention scheduled for August 17.

But in his ruling, Abang said Obi was wrong to approach a higher court seeking for nullification of its decision without waiting for the judgment from the lower court.

The judge said Obis action is a labour in vain. He said the appellant wasted the courts five hours in hearing his application.

READ ALSO: More crisis: Confusion as 4 PDP chairmen emerge, APC jubilates

Obi had in appeal asked the Court of Appeal to determine whether the Makarfi-led faction should be legally represented in the matter or not.

At the last hearing, there had been arguments on who would legally represent the PDP in the matter before the Federal High Court.

Two counsels from both faction had argued who had the right to represent the party.

But Abang held that the rightful legal representation of the Sheriff-led PDP is Olagoke Fakunle.

He ordered Obi to pay a fine of N50, 000 to Sheriff's faction for delaying the proceedings for five hours.

Also, an application by the Makarfi led faction and six others to be joined as parties in the matter was granted by the court.

Source: Legit.ng
CHANDLER, Ariz., Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Isola, a market leader in copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepreg materials used to fabricate advanced multilayer Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs), announced that it has appointed Ken Rizvi as Chief Financial Officer, effective immediately. Rizvi succeeds Interim CFO Donald Colvin, who will continue to serve on Isolas board of directors, a position he has held since 2010.



Jeff Waters, Isolas CEO said, We look forward to Ken joining Isola at this exciting time in the companys operational and financial transformation. His industry background and previous senior leadership roles in the technology industry make him distinctly qualified to serve as our Chief Financial Officer.

Rizvi joins Isola from Micron, where he served as vice president of finance and corporate treasurer. Prior to Micron, Rizvi was treasurer and vice president of finance at ON Semiconductor. He also served as an associate with Technology Crossover Ventures, a leading private equity and venture capital firm focused on growth technology companies, and as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley in New York City and Menlo Park, California.

Rizvi holds an MBA from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Yale University.

About Isola

Isola, headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, is focused on designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepregs used to fabricate advanced multilayer printed circuit boards. The companys high-performance materials are used in sophisticated electronic applications in the communications infrastructure, computing/networking, military, medical, aerospace and automotive industries. For more information, visit our website at http://www.isola-group.com/.

Follow Isola on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IsolaGroup

Like Isola on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsolaGroup

Follow Isola on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/isola-group

Subscribe to Isola on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/IsolaGroup

Isola and the Isola logo are registered trademarks of ISOLA USA Corp. in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are property of their respective companies. Copyright  2016 Isola Group. All rights reserved.
- FFK alleges that President Buhari bombed some of the Chibok girls

- The former minister praised ex-Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan over his efforts on securing the release of the Chibok girls

Nigeria's former Aviation minister, Chief Olufemi Fani-Kayode has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari over his handling of the issue surrounding the kidnap of the infamous Chibok secondary school girls.

The former strongman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took to the social media to express himself, stating that the former Nigerian president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, may not have rescued the girls, but he did not kill them like his successor has done.

According to him: "If it is true that the military has killed many of the Chibok girls and other civilians through airstrikes then there will be a reckoning."

The politician seemed to have deleted the tweet after the posts, but there are still screenshots of his comment obtained by Legit.ng.

Tweets by Fani-Kayode on Monday, August 15.

FFK, as the outspoken social commentator and spokesperson of the Goodluck Jonathan campaign organisation in 2015 is fondly referred to, also recently called his former boss a prophet.

The said prediction was made by Jonathan on Saturday, December 10, 2014, in Abuja, according to Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister, who is being tried for alleged fraud. Fani-Kayode, who is also a major critic of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Muhammadu Buhari administration, analysed the prediction on his Facebook wall.

He also recalled another prediction made by Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who is still in detention for championing an agitation for secession in the country.

Source: Legit.ng
- The Nigerian army has eliminated 16 Boko Haram insurgents at Kangarwa, Borno state

- Hand and bomb grenades, AK-47 rifles and magazines, mortar tubes, a gionee handset and a bandolier were recovered

- An officer and 11 soldiers were wounded during the shootout on Sunday

Colonel Sani Usman, the acting director on army public relations, has released an update on operation Lafiya Dole this Monday.

Ammunition recovered from Boko Haram terrorists

According to the statement, 16 Boko Haram fighters were killed during the gun battle at Kangarwa, Borno state, on Sunday.

READ ALSO: Female lawyer declared wanted appears at Army headquarters, read what she said

One officer and 11 soldiers were injured, they have been treated at the unit's medical facility and are in stable condition now.

He said: "Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole at harbour in Kangarwa yesterday successfully repelled suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists attack.

The attack was launched by the suspected terrorists at about 5:30pm on Sunday 14th August 2016. The alert troops rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents, by killing 16 of them and recovering arms and ammunition from them.

Some vehicles recovered

Unfortunately, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in action during the encounter. We are glad to state they have all been treated at the units medical facility and are all in stable condition."

READ ALSO: Wanted Over Boko Haram: Military out for mischief  Aisha Wakil, Salkida

The troops recovered "one rocket propelled grenade, seven tubes, a rocket propelled grenade bomb, 11 AK-47 rifle, a 60mm mortar tube, a dozen of 60mm mortar bombs, a 36 hand grenade, five AK-47 rifle magazines, a Gionee handset and a bandolier."

In a relateddevelopment the troops rescued five persons and recovered a vehicle from the insurgents during a fighting patrol at Dogon Chikun.

Source: Legit.ng
Even with an unprecedented amount of free advertising by complacent (if not outright complicit) TV media outlets, Donald Trump wont be able to win the presidential election without organizing on a state and community level. Its a bit of campaign wisdom that has stood the test of timeas telegenic as Obama was, he needed an historically comprehensive network of local organizations, all reporting to the top, to guarantee his wins against McCain and Romney. Not even Trump is immune to the need.

And hes failing, badly, if a recent Politico report is to be believed. Interviewing veteran Republican operatives, they got a few choice quotes about the quality of Trumps organization. One longtime New Hampshire operative said he had never even heard of Trumps state director, and a Nevada expert basically said Hillary is crushing him in that potential swing state. And in an important county in Ohiowhich might be the most important state at alltheres barely a campaign at at all. Heres the crux of the broader problem:

Trumps list of state directors is peppered with a mix of young people who have no presidential campaign experience, as well as Republican operatives who have been out of the spotlight for years. In contrast, Clinton is boosted by Democratic operatives who led marquee races and helped shepherd Barack Obamas victories in 2008 and 2012.

The funniest part of the story is how a previous state director from North Carolina is being sued because he allegedly pulled a gun on a staffer. Thats disorganized!

Even short of dramatic stories like that, the problem seems to be that many experienced GOP operatives wont work for Trump, and others took a long time to come on board. Further, his maverick status tends to attract outsiders in a field where experience is key. Finally, Politico says (in much nicer terms), Trump really doesnt give a shit. Thats the least surprising part of the whole thinghe likes being on TV, he likes being controversial, but theres no way this guy is going to devote a ton of mental energy to the nitty-gritty menial work that turns out votes on a microcosmic level. The bad news for him is that Hillary Clinton lives for this stuff, and her team has depth and experience, and includes some of the best tacticians who worked for President Obama.

In combination with his dwindling poll numbers, this is more bad news for the Republican nominee. And good news for sane people.
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"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." - Ghandi
Large areas of tropical lowland forests have been replaced by oil palm plantations, with major impact on environment and people. An interdisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Gottingen, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig and Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia has now performed a complete and multidisciplinary assessment of all ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations as compared to lowland forests. They found that in oil palm plantations, eleven out of 14 ecosystem functions showed a net decrease, some with an irreversible global impact. The results also reveal mitigation options that can reduce damage and benefit multiple ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study was published in Biological Reviews.

So far, research on the environmental impact of oil palm cultivation has been scattered and patchy. Synthesizing about 1000 scientific studies and reports, the scientists were now able to give a balanced report on the changes in all 14 ecosystem functions, including gas and climate regulation, water regulation and supply, moderation of extreme events, provision of food and raw materials, as well as medicinal resources. While the provision of food and raw materials increased due to the production of marketable goods -- mostly palm oil -, all other functions showed a net decrease in oil palm plantations as compared to lowland forests. For two functions, pollination and biological control, current knowledge was inconclusive.

"While the general result was anticipated, our review revealed a breadth of environmental and societal detrimental impact, from local to global scales," says Prof. Dr. Kerstin Wiegand from the Department of Ecosystem Modelling at Gottingen University. "The review provides a powerful tool for decision support and policy-making on the basis of a balanced and detailed view of all functions."

One outcome of the study is that the largest negative effects occur at the stage of forest clearing, indicating that oil palm plantations should only be established on already-converted landscapes. The loss of ecosystem functions can be mitigated to some degree, sometimes by simple means such as the use of cover crops, mulch and compost. Nevertheless, forest conversions should be avoided by all means when it comes to peatland, which is especially prevalent in oil palm-growing regions. When peatlands are drained to establish plantations, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released -- with dramatic, long-lasting and almost irreversible effects.

The study also reveals numerous research gaps, in particular with respect to socio-cultural information functions. In almost all societies, forest has an important cultural significance and fulfills certain medicinal, spiritual or ritual functions. "If and which of these functions are fulfilled by oil palms has not been researched enough yet," says Prof. Wiegand. "There is a need for empirical data from different regions and from plantations of different ages. And more research is needed on developing effective management practices that can off-set the losses of ecosystem functions."
Schizophrenia poses an evolutionary enigma. The disorder has existed throughout recorded human history and persists despite its severe effects on thought and behavior, and its reduced rates of producing offspring. A new study in Biological Psychiatry may help explain why-comparing genetic information of Neanderthals to modern humans, the researchers found evidence for an association between genetic risk for schizophrenia and markers of human evolution.

"This study suggests that schizophrenia is a modern development, one that emerged after humans diverged from Neanderthals," said John Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "It suggests that early hominids did not have this disorder."

The cause of schizophrenia remains unknown, but researchers know that genetics play a significant role in the development. According to senior author Ole Andreassen from the University of Oslo in Norway and University of California, San Diego, some think that schizophrenia could be a "side effect" of advantageous gene variants related to the acquisition of human traits, like language and complex cognitive skills, that might have increased our propensity to developing psychoses.

Along with Andreassen, first authors Saurabh Srinivasan and Francesco Bettella, both from the University of Oslo, and colleagues looked to the genome of Neanderthals, the closest relative of early humans, to pinpoint specific regions of the genome that could provide insight on the origin of schizophrenia in evolutionary history.

They analyzed genetic data from recent genome-wide association studies of people with schizophrenia for overlap with Neanderthal genomic information. The analysis tells researchers the likelihood that specific regions of the genome underwent positive selection sometime after the divergence of humans and Neanderthals.

Regions of the human genome associated with schizophrenia, known as risk loci, were more likely to be found in regions that diverge from the Neanderthal genome. An additional analysis to pinpoint loci associated with evolutionary markers suggests that several gene variants that have undergone positive selection are related to cognitive processes. Other such gene loci are known to be associated with schizophrenia and have previously been considered for a causal role in the disorder.

"Our findings suggest that schizophrenia vulnerability rose after the divergence of modern humans from Neanderthals," said Andreassen, "and thus support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a by-product of the complex evolution of the human brain."
<p><a href="https://www.facebook.com/tauntonpolice/photos/a.211842105511578.62850.120346411327815/1364720510223726/?type=3&theater" target="_blank">Facebook/Taunton Police Department</a></p>

Whenever a dog goes astray in Taunton, Massachusetts, police officers know exactly who to send to the scene. Evan Lavigne, an officer with the Taunton Police Department, has earned the nickname "dog whisper" after successfully finding a couple lost pups and returning them back home safe and sound. Whether it's due to his charming smile or way with words, there's just something about the officer that makes dogs happy to jump right into the back of his patrol car. The first rescue took place last Saturday.

Dodo Shows Cat Crazy Fluffy Cat Wants To Sit On His Dad At All Times

"Patrolman Lavigne was called to Mechanic's Bank on County Street for a loose dog," the police department shared on Facebook. "Patrolman Lavigne valiantly responded and quickly coaxed the dog into his cruiser." After securing the white pit bull in his vehicle, Lavigne was even able to get a selfie with the found pet. Animal control was notified of the pickup and the dog was reunited with his owner. More recently, Lavigne was called out to pick up yet another dog seen roaming the streets. Once again, the officer was able to persuade the animal to jump into his car and got another photo in.
Talks between Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are stalled on key issues including pay and pensions, with the unions strike mandate expiring next week.

Mike Palecek, national president of postal workers union, said theres been little movement even though the company removed the threat of a lockout of 50,000 members last month.

It hasnt been going well, he said. There has been very little movement at the table. They are asking for the ability to shut down 493 (corporate) post offices across the country. Obviously thats a non-starter for us.

The unions strike mandate expires on Aug. 25, but Palecek said the union couldnt just stay at the table indefinitely, without a strike vote in place.

It is looking at options right now, which could include asking the company to grant an extension or taking another vote.

They are trying to wait us out, without negotiating, he said. They are not bargaining in a way that demonstrates they want a deal.

For the union, organizing a strike vote for 50,000 is time consuming and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. Without the mandate, the company could unilaterally make changes to work hours or vacation, and the union would not have the ability respond  such as walking off the job to stop such action.

Our intent is not to shut things down or go out, Palecek said. But we have to have our bases covered to protect the membership.

Canada Post spokesman Jon Hamilton agrees there has been little progress in talks.

We continue to talk. We remain available to sit around the clock to hammer out a deal, said Hamilton.

The union has repeatedly assured Canadians that they do not want a strike. Therefore, letting the strike mandate expire on August 25th should not be an issue, he said.

When asked whether Canada Post would consider resurrecting a lockout notice, Hamilton said the company is focused on getting a deal.

Our goals havent changed. We are looking for deals that are fair to our employees but allow us to provide affordable services to our customers.

Hamilton said the union is still looking for $1 billion in demands and refusing to accept the companys proposal to move new hires to a defined contribution pension plan, from a defined benefit plan.

While the threat of an immediate shutdown of the post office has subsided, Hamilton said customers remain nervous, given the uncertainty.

Some customers are still choosing alternatives to Canada Post, and others are holding off on long-term decisions such as launching a direct mail campaign, said Hamilton.

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A judge has ruled that a University of Toronto professor was falsely imprisoned at a Canadian Tire, but rejected claims that staff had threatened him and caused him to injure himself after leaving the store.

Steve Mann, a pioneer in wearable computer technology, filed a suit against the Canadian Tire Corporation and a single Canadian Tire location over a series of events that took place at the store in downtown Toronto on July 16, 2014.

Mann claimed that, when security sensors went off as he exited the store, staff stopped him from leaving, threatened to harm or kill him and demanded that he delete a video he was taking on his phone, show them his ID and give them his phone number.

In a decision issued Aug. 3, Judge Suhail Akhtar said security camera footage and video of the events taken by Mann himself showed that he was never threatened by staff.

Calling Manns account vastly exaggerated, Akhtar said he found the Canadian Tire staff to have acted with courtesy and professionalism throughout their interaction with Mann.

If anything, said Akhtar, The greatest sense of intimidation and threat, as demonstrated by the store security video, emanated from the plaintiff and his conspicuous use of the camera phone, causing obvious concern to the staff.

The judge found, however, that an exchange captured by Manns phone in which an employee tells him he cant leave until a store manager deletes his video, constitutes false imprisonment.

Akhtar said it fell under shopkeepers privilege to stop a customer who has set off a security alarm, but that if store staff detain the customer even after its found nothing was stolen, they are liable for false imprisonment.

The judge added, though, that the 13-minute detention was not particularly onerous, and that it was unclear whether Mann even felt compelled to stay.

Mann was later able to recover his deleted footage.

Akhtar invited Mann and the Canadian Tire to make submissions within 30 days to help determine what damages should be awarded.

Mann, who told the court he has an inability to read social situations, claimed that an employee who approached him after the security alarm went off blocked his path and told him, Leave you die. Plain clothes guards at exit  accusations that Akhtar called a fabrication in his decision.

Mann also claimed a security guard had told him he had to delete his video if he wanted to leave the store alive, and that he was forced to show staff his ID, give them his phone number and wait while they verified the number was his.

Even after he complied with staff demands he was not allowed to leave, Mann claimed. An employee tried to block his path but cleared the way as he approached, Mann claimed.

Akhtar ruled that store security video showed Mann was able to leave the store unimpeded while staff phoned the police to ask whether filming in the store was illegal.

After leaving the store, Mann claimed that he heard a loud noise and turned to see people running from the direction of the Canadian Tire.

Thinking he was being chased, Mann said, he began to run and, while looking over his shoulder, collided with metal pipes on the side of a building, knocking himself unconscious.

Mann claimed that he still suffers from impaired concentration, headaches, insomnia, shoulder pain, back pain, indigestion and stomach pain because of the accident.

In addition to rejecting Manns claims that he was threatened, the judge said it was not foreseeable that a person of reasonable fortitude would flee believing Canadian Tire staff were coming to harm them, and ruled that any injuries Mann suffered while running away could not be blamed on the company.

This is not the first time Mann has come into confrontation with store employees over his wearable computer technology glasses. In 2012, he said he was assaulted at a Paris McDonalds while on vacation. The chain launched an investigation and said it shared the concern with Mann, but disputed he was assaulted.

Mann has worn his glasses, called Eyetap, since 1974, to help him see better, as well as recognize facial expressions, to help him with a learning disability. Theyll also brighten or darken things to make them clearer, and help him navigate by showing a map when he needs guidance.

My grandfather taught me to weld in my childhood, and this is one of the things I started (with). I said there must be a better way to see, Mann said.

He then realized there are many situations where can improve his sight, and has been adding to the glasses since. In the early days, people on the street would avoid him when they saw him wearing the glasses.

People used to walk across the street to avoid me, he said. That changed in the 1980s, and since then people have been more curious and fascinated by the device than turned off.

Mann said he doesnt think Akhtars ruling is ideal, and missed a few important points.

Im not going to say whether Im happy or not happy. Thats not really the issue here, Mann said. He thinks there are larger issues at play, on a persons right to film while they are being filmed and whether a person can be said to be trespassing when they are being detained.

I was hoping to at least see those points addressed, he said.

Manns lawsuit did not mention these issues.

With files from Oliver Sachgau

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In the vertical city, it's still the expansive house and yard that dominate the home ownership dreams of the important millennial demographic  and most other market segments.

But it's the government's Smart Growth land use policies, which encourage denser housing, that are driving up prices in the face of the continuing demand for traditional detached, single-family homes, says a study from Ryerson University released on Monday.

"If they have their way, in the future all but the very wealthy in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) will be living in stacked townhouses and other types of apartments in higher density, mixed use communities with accessible rapid transit," says the report called, Will GTA Homebuyers Really Give up Ground-Related Homes for Apartments?

It takes aim at the findings in several previous studies  most notably a 2014 report from the Pembina Institute  that suggest Toronto-area residents would trade off a single-detached home in favour of something smaller if the more modest option comes with transit and easy access to shops, schools and other amenities.

The Ryerson report shows that even as downtown condos spring up, single-family detached home sales significantly outpaced apartment sales in price, but accounted for only a quarter of sales overall, while apartments represented 55 per cent.

"You want to try to provide a range of housing types and by constraining the supply and requiring densification that's too rigorous  I'm not saying you shouldn't have a growth plan  you have to look at what the impacts are," said David Amborski, chair of Ryerson's Centre for Urban Research and Land Development.

Many people are willing to live in higher densities. But not everybody desires that and forcing the conditions making it the only option is problematic, he said.

"One of the goals of housing is to provide a range of choice at reasonable prices, said Amborski. We see that single family housing is going up dramatically. The higher density housing that is already built in Toronto is not suitable in most cases for millennials when they have families  the units are too small."

The Ryerson study, written by economist and senior research fellow Frank Clayton, takes particular issue with a 2014 report by the Pembina Institute and RBC. Pembina found that, if housing costs were not a factor, 81 per cent of GTA residents would like to live in close proximity to transit and amenities even if it meant exchanging the single-family, detached home for a more modest townhouse or apartment.

Ryerson says Pembina used "vague descriptions" for the housing types it described in its survey and it was "unrealistic" to ignore the role of cost in comparing locations.

Cherise Burda, who wrote the Pembina study, is now the executive director of Ryerson's City Building Institute.

She says that the new study isn't at odds with building more single-family homes. It agrees that most people prefer to live in single-family detached houses. They also want walking distance to shops and services and they want a commute of 30 minutes or less.

"The point is that more and more people want to live close to transit, closer to work and we need to build more of those home options to deal with things like congestion. There's a need for family-friendly homes that are close to transit that are close to the places people work," she said.

"As we're building billion-dollar transit lines we need to maximize the amount of density we put around these lines to ensure that there's more homes and businesses with access to them and there's a huge market for this," said Burda.

Because there's a limited supply of those large family homes near transit and downtown jobs, those kinds of houses are being built on the fringes.

"Dense, compact communities do not have to look like the core with giant highrises. We know the city of Toronto is going to meet half its population growth over the next decade or more with mid-rise buildings. They're close to parks, they're close to schools," she said.

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It couldnt have been a more appropriate afternoon for checking out some of New Orleans strange magic. The sky had been tipping its hat, indicating that the rain wed been promised for days was imminent. Walking into the French Quarter, it was unlike any other time Id been there; while the streets were quieter and the murky daytime sky gave a surreal tinge to the buildings around us, there was an even more unmistakable sense of this neighborhoods deep history. For a moment or two, it felt like one could tap into the old New Orleans and the interchange of cultures that shaped this citys origins, including, of course, the omnipresent belief in something existing beyond the here and nowspirits, energies, ghosts, magic.

At Erzulies Authentic Voodoo you can purchase a range of spells including one that might be most useful: for finding, fixing, or sending out love.

Crossing Jackson Square, I thought of one of an evocative passages about New Orleans and its famous belief system, Voodoo, from Blake Touchstones Voodoo in New Orleans: As the bewitching hour of midnight approaches, the warm swamp air is filled with the throbbing beat of drums, the chant of emotion-wrought voices, the smells of fire, gumbo, whisky, and boiling cauldrons, and the heightened sense of excitement and passion.

In New Orleans, traces of the supernatural are all around us, from the psychics who come with the promise of extrasensory perception to the Voodoo practitioners who commune with spirits as powerful and old as nature itself. Heres a guide to getting in touch with the supernatural in New Orleans.

Five New Orleans Spots for Channeling the Supernatural

Erzulies Authentic Voodoo

807 Royal St.

New Orleans Voodoo is connected to the primarily Haitian religion, Vodou, a syncretic belief system that originated amongst enslaved peoples of largely West African in the French slave colony of Saint-Domingue (what is today the republic of Haiti). In Vodou there are many spirits (lwa, or loa, in Haitian Kreyol), but one of the most popular and powerful is Erzulie, the spirit of love and prosperity. Therefore, at Erzulies Authentic Voodoo you can purchase a range of spells including one that might be most useful: for finding, fixing, or sending out love. These are powerful concoctions, so you are able to consult with one of the practitioners about how to use the wide array of spells available at the store. Erzulies Authentic Voodoo also offers psychic readings (which just might also inform you about what particular spells you need to use!).

The Voodoo Bone Lady Voodoo Shop and Tarot Reading

701 Royal St. for tours; 201 St. Charles Ave. for appointments

Over the past 30 years the Voodoo Bone Lady has been entrenched in the metaphysical; she is not only a Voodoo priestess but also a renowned psychic and medium. The Voodoo Bone Lady discovered at a young age that she had a special gift, and for decades she has completed readings for countless people. However, the Voodoo Bone Lady extends her skill set to designing a wide array of tours, including cemetery, ghost, and French Quarter tours. While the Voodoo Bone Lady is not on every tour, she regularly meets with groups either before or after the toura good opportunity to request an appointment with her psychic prowess.

Boutique du Vampyre

633 Toulouse St.

Although Voodoo and zombies have a prominent place in the visual culture of New Orleans, vampires and the people who are fascinated by them also have a strong connection to this place. New Orleans was both the inspiration and setting for author Anne Rice as she brought to life the vampires Louis, Lestat, and Claudia (amongst many others) in The Vampire Chronicles, and this city continues to draw fans of these beguiling nocturnal beings. There is no place in America that celebrates vampires more than the Boutique du Vampyre. They have one of the most comprehensive offerings of vampire books in the country, and, as co-owner Marita Crandle tells me, new releases are always highly anticipated.

As the only vampire shop in the country, Boutique du Vampyre provides props for various vampire-related shows, from HBOs True Blood (Erics crossbow hangs on the wall behind the counter at the Boutique du Vampyre) on through to The Vampire Diaries. But this doesnt mean that there are only vampire-focused goods at the boutique. Crandle claims that they have some of the most authentic Voodoo dolls in the city: We have them made by a Voodoo priestess who goes out to the swamps, collects Spanish moss, and cures it in order to create the boutiques dolls, she says. The eclectic collection at Boutique du Vampyre also includes replica shrunken heads, silver bullet necklaces if youre ever in need of stopping a pesky werewolf, and handcrafted sunglasses if youre feeling a little vampiric after some all-night activities in the Quarter.

Reverend Zombies Vooodoo

723 St. Peter St.

A friend of mine told me that one of his fondest childhood memories of visiting New Orleans was when his parents would decide to go to Pat Os because he could head across the street to check out Reverend Zombies Voodoo. If there is a comprehensive, one-stop shop for someone seeking the physical artifacts of New Orleans and its faith systems, this might be it: there are multiple Voodoo altars in the shop, and literature about various belief systems practiced in New Orleans and beyond is available for purchase. You can buy your very own representation of a religious figure, including the distinctive and powerful Baron Samedi (the master of death); candles to be lit during religious ceremonies; and tarot cards if you, too, believe that you have the gift.

Marie Laveaus House of Voodoo

739 Bourbon St.

Much like Reverend Zombies Voodoo, the Marie Laveaus House of Voodoonamed after the famed and omnipotent Voodoo priestess from the 19th centurythe walls are crammed with the various items (beads, candles, figurines, masks) associated with Louisiana Voodoo. Also, from 12:00 p.m. until close every day Marie Laveaus offers a selection of psychic readings, including tarot, for anyone seeking spiritual (and other) insight. Being surrounded by the artifacts at Marie Laveaus, which draw on faith traditions from around the Caribbean and beyond, gives a real sense of this citys knotty and complex spiritual heritage, and just how fantastic it is that this part of New Orleans culture is so visible and celebrated in its oldest neighborhood.
Developing a national innovation strategy has been a top priority of Navdeep Bains, Canadas Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development. Bains has created an expert panel, held meetings across the country, and launched a public consultation in the hope of identifying policies that might enhance Canadas lacklustre innovation record.

While some have used the consultation to call for expanded intellectual property rules, the reality is that Canada already meets or exceeds international standards. The more pressing innovation issue is to address the abuse of intellectual property rights that may inhibit companies from innovating or discourage Canadians from taking advantage of the digital market.

The benefits of an anti-IP abuse law could be used to touch on the three main branches on intellectual property: patents, trademarks, and copyright.

Leading technology companies have issued repeated warnings about patent trolling, which refers to instances when companies that had no involvement in the development of a patent seek payments from legitimate companies by relying on dubious patents. Patent trolls hurt economic growth and innovation thanks to millions spent on unnecessary litigation.

Groups have urged the Canadian government to enact reforms to limit the ability of non-practicing entities (a euphemism for patent trolls) of exploiting patents to make unreasonable demands of productive companies and prevent crippling damage awards.

There is no shortage of policy possibilities, including a prohibition against legal demands that are intentionally ambiguous or designed to induce a settlement without considering the merits of the claim. Other reforms could include requiring public disclosure of the demand letters and reforming the Competition Act to give the Competition Bureau the power to target anti-competitive activity by patent trolls.

Canadian trademark rules would also benefit from anti-abuse provisions. In 2014, the government quietly overhauled the law by removing longstanding use requirements for trademark protection. Legal decisions dating back decades emphasized the importance of use in order to properly register a trademark, since trademark law is primarily designed to protect consumers from marketplace confusion. Without use, there is unlikely to be confusion.

The 2014 reforms dropped the strict requirement for use in a trademark, however, creating concern within the legal community. Canada may see a spike in trademark trolls who could register unused trademarks with plans to pressure legitimate companies to pay up in order to release the trademarks for actual use. Anti-trademark troll rules would block efforts to register unused trademarks for the purposes of re-selling them to businesses seeking to innovate and use them.

Copyright law would also benefit from anti-troll safeguards. Canadas 2012 digital copyright reforms featured an innovative notice-and-notice system designed to balance the interests of copyright holders, the legal obligations of Internet service providers (ISPs) and the privacy rights of Internet users. The law allows copyright owners to send infringement notices to ISPs, who must forward the notifications to their subscribers.

Despite the promise of the notice-and-notice system, it has been misused since it took effect, with copyright owners exploiting a loophole in the law by sending settlement demands within the notices.

The fix is easy: implement anti-copyright troll regulations that ban the inclusion of settlement demands within the notices and create penalties for those companies that send notices with false or misleading information.

Intellectual property and innovation are often linked in policy discussions, but the abuse of IP rules has garnered less attention. As Bains considers potential policy reforms, a world-leading anti-IP abuse law would send a much-needed message that Canadian law will not support misuse of intellectual property rights.

Michael Geist holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He can be reached at mgeist@uottawa.ca or online at www.michaelgeist.ca .

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With evidence of Zika virus spreading to South Florida, fears of this disease are being stoked everywhere. It seems theres always something new and potentially deadly to worry about, from SARS to Ebola to new strains of swine flu. Whats going on  and how worried should we be?

As an infectious disease specialist, I get this question from friends, relatives and patients all the time. And people are always surprised to hear that nothing out of the ordinary is going on. Deadly viruses have always been part of human life. Throughout history, viral infections have popped up, sometimes wiping out whole populations or unfathomable numbers of people before burning themselves out.

These days, we just have a heightened awareness of them, from viruses that might become a crisis but dont (remember MERS?), to ones that appear in far-flung parts of the world, but never make it to our shores.

Im not trying to make light of peoples fears or the terrible consequences of a new virus ripping through a vulnerable population. I just think its valuable to understand that people have always lived with this threat. The Great Influenza Pandemic hit the world hard just after the First World War and killed tens of millions. In the Arctic, smallpox or measles used to wipe out whole communities, and we never even knew about it. Now, almost every possible threat is documented and its progress tracked in real time  showing up on our social media feeds and in newspapers.

Which brings me back to Zika. This virus has circulated in animals for some time, and probably got into the human population through mosquitoes that bit both animals and people. Its very similar to yellow or dengue fever, except in one tragic way: it can pass through the placenta of a pregnant woman and do terrible damage to the brain of her fetus.

For most people, the virus causes mild symptoms, but for the unborn  more than 1,000 so far in Latin America, from Mexico to the southern tip of South America  it can cause serious brain damage.

Theres something particularly horrifying about a virus that silently attacks an unborn child, while barely affecting the often unsuspecting mother. I think thats why I hear so much panic about Zika. And its why I advise pregnant women to avoid South America if possible right now.

If youre even thinking of getting pregnant and you must travel there, do everything you can to avoid being bitten by a mosquito  that means using effective mosquito repellent on your skin, wearing long-sleeved pants and shirts, and sleeping under mosquito nets if possible. Dousing your clothing with the insecticide Permethrin is highly effective, Your goal should be to avoid even a single mosquito bite. And avoid unprotected sex, because an infected person can give you the virus this way.

We dont yet know how long the Zika virus can live in the body, so upon returning home some experts advise using protection during sex for six months if youve had any symptoms. Even if you experienced no suspicious symptoms, avoid unprotected sex for two months, and if youre planning to get pregnant, see an infectious disease specialist for advice.

Right now, the average Canadian has a very small level of threat because the breed of mosquito that spreads Zika doesnt live this far north. So as long as were aware of the threat, and were scrupulous about avoiding transmission in affected areas, or having unprotected sex with people who have travelled to them, the virus will have a tough time taking hold here. Zika could spread through other types of mosquitoes, but so far it hasnt.

The truth is that all living things are evolving and new viruses are constantly evolving too. New viral outbreaks are the price we pay for evolution and the continuing development of life on Earth. Its also true that viruses these days are moving faster because of air travel, and that climate change is allowing mosquitoes and other carriers to push north. But at the same time, our ability to monitor and control viruses has become highly sophisticated.

I think the Zika tragedy will end with a vaccine. Scientists are rushing to develop one, and because this virus is similar to others that have been controlled with vaccines, theres every reason to believe it will happen in the near future. In the meantime, take virus scares in perspective, take reasonable precautions, and try not to panic.

Anna Banerji is a pediatric infectious and tropical disease specialist and an associate professor in the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicines Department of Paediatrics and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Doctors Notes is a weekly column by members of the University of Torontos Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca .

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OTTAWAThe governing Liberals are moving further to reassure Canadians that they have a grip on combating the threat of terrorism in the wake of last weeks death of a man suspected of plotting an attack.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale is to be in Montreal Monday where he was to talk about how the government is moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week.

Goodale is to visit a Montreal centre devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence. Goodale is expected to speak broadly about the program but details arent expected until a later date.

Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

Goodale will announce the federal government will replace immigration detention facilities in Laval, Que., and Vancouver. He is to visit the existing detention facility in Laval on Monday.

A Red Cross investigation in 2014 found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees including overcrowding and inadequate mental health care. Newcomers are often held in provincial jails or police facilities alongside suspected gang members and violent offenders.

It also appeared the Liberal government was mindful about questions asked last week about why it was the FBI who detected the alleged terrorist plot that led to the death of Aaron Driver.

Ralph Goodale issued a statement Sunday explaining how Canadian authorities are constantly working with international allies to identify possible terrorist threats.

Last week, the RCMP fielded media questions about why it was the FBI and not the Mounties who discovered a video that led them to Driver, who police said had threatened to detonate an explosive in an urban centre.

Driver died Wednesday night after a confrontation with police that saw a bomb detonated in a taxi cab. Its not known whether he died from the blast or from a police bullet.

In his statement, Goodale suggested that a free flow of information between Canadian and U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies is the norm.

Consistent with the robust security alliance that we have with the U.S., the Americans passed that material to the RCMP, said Goodales statement, which prominently mentioned the context of the FBI contribution.

Its important for Canadians to know that our agencies and their global partners are monitoring potential risks and threats all the time  24-7, 365 days a year.

Last weeks incident, as well as the attack on Parliament Hill in 2014, have led to an appetite among Canadians to examine current national security measures and look at how they can be improved to better protect Canadians while safeguarding civil liberties, Goodale said.

Some of that work has already started and will intensify in the fall, he said.

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version wrongly said Goodale was to announce details of the radicalization program. He is to discuss it but details will come at a later date

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OTTAWACanadas military is gearing up for a busy period of overseas deployments but the big task of ferrying troops and supplies to these dispersed missions could stretch defence resources thin, experts say.

With ongoing commitments in the Middle East and Ukraine, a newly announced force for Latvia and an expected mission in Africa, providing logistical support for these widely spread operations could be more than armed forces is able to handle, said retired general Lewis MacKenzie.

What will make it borderline impossible is the logistics support, MacKenzie said.

Forget about asking whether we have the combat arms capability. Its whether we have the logistics capability to support them properly, he said in an interview.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is currently on a five-country fact-finding mission in Africa as the Liberal government weighs options for a peace support mission in the region.

But defence analyst Dave Perry said the challenge for Canadas military wont be finding troops for that new mission but supporting them in the field.

Having significant operations ongoing in five sites across the globe  Latvia, Iraq, Kuwait, Ukraine and Africa  would test military logistics to keep provisions, gear and troop rotations flowing, he said.

Its fairly taxing on the forces support capacity, he said in an interview, noting that the Royal Canadian Air Force has just five CC-177 Globemaster III heavy-lift transport aircraft.

When you get into doing a lot of missions, a lot of times its the logistics and support people that get worn out the fastest, said Perry, a senior analyst with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau marked National Peacekeepers Day last Tuesday with a pledge that Canada would be doing more on that front.

Moving forward, we will increase Canadas support to United Nations peace operations, Trudeau said in a statement, renewing his pledge to boost personnel and training to UN peace support missions.

Part of the mandate that Trudeau gave Sajjan was to have the Canadian military do more to help the United Nations respond quicker to emerging conflicts.

As well, Sajjans mandate letter spelled out the desire to see Canada lead an international effort to improve and expand the training of military and civilian personnel deployed on peace operations.

Canada currently has just 31 military personnel attached to UN peace operations. Almost 10 months into their mandate, the Liberal government still has not increased that number. But academic Walter Dorn expects an announcement soon.

To be fair, theyve spent a long time thinking about this issue and now its time to act, said Dorn, a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada Canadian Forces College.

Sajjans Africa trip is meant to help inform Canadas re-engagement in peace operations, according to his office.

Sajjan, himself a veteran of Canadas Afghanistan mission, is accompanied by Romeo Dallaire, the retired lieutenant-colonel who led United Nations forces in 1993 in Rwanda, and Louise Arbour, former Supreme Court justice and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Sajjans officials have cautioned not to read too much into his schedule, which will take the group to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Dorn sees three countries as potential locales for the new mission: Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic. He said the Canadian forces has the capacity to have up to 3,000 people deployed worldwide without much difficulty, including 300 to 1,000 on a potential operation in Africa.

A sizable contingent could be deployed to Mali, where French and Dutch forces are already active. Smaller numbers could go to the other sites in perhaps a headquarters or support role.

Exactly where the deployment happens must be dictated by Canadas own interests, Perry said.

The government of Canada and the Canadian forces working on its behalf can go do good in the world in any number of its places, Perry said.

Beyond that, is there a particular mission set where theres a closer connection to a Canadian national interest, he said.

After engagements in Rwanda, Bosnia and Somalia, Dorn said that Canadians understand that such operations can be dangerous.

There will be times when our peacekeepers will need to shoot, but I think the public will understand that we are in these conflict zones and that its sometimes necessary to use force, Dorn said.

Perry prefers to use the term peace support rather than peacekeeping.

Most of these places . . . there is no peace to keep, Perry said. There is a very real probability that the Canadian people we send over there are going to be in harms way.

***

QUICK FACTS

Current and pending deployments for Canadian troops

Ukraine: Some 200 troops are deployed in Ukraine until at least March 2017 as part of Operation Unifier to teach local forces skills that include weapons training, marksmanship, and ethics training as well as explosive ordnance disposal, combat first aid and logistics.

Mediterranean Sea: 250 sailors onboard the frigate HMCS Charlottetown deployed on Operation Reassurance, part of a NATO effort to bolster its presence in eastern European countries in the wake of Russias annexation of Crimea.

Iraq/Kuwait: Just over 800 personnel are deployed on Operation Impact, Canadas contribution to the fight against Daesh extremists. Special forces soldiers are in northern Iraq training local peshmerga forces. Additional personnel are in Kuwait, where an air-to-air refueller and two reconnaissance aircraft are based.

Latvia: The Liberal government has pledged a new force of 450 troops that will form the core of a battle group in the eastern European country. The soldiers are expected to arrive in early 2017.

Africa: The government is in the midst of planning a new deployment for Canadian forces to support peace operations in Africa. Defence experts say this new force could number up to 600 personnel.

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OTTAWAThe federal government will soon announce a plan to bolster United Nations peace efforts in Africa, including trans-border operations, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan said Monday, as he wrapped up a five-country, fact-finding mission to the continent.

I do have a number that we will be announcing shortly that we can sustain for a long duration, Sajjan said during a teleconference from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

And while no final decisions have been made yet on numbers, timing or location, Canadas contribution to a UN mission on the continent will involve more than the military and go beyond what would be considered a traditional peacekeeping role, Sajjan said.

Whatever form the mission takes, it will also operate beyond the borders of individual countries, said the minister.

We need to look at the area by regions, Sajjan explained.

Because the groups were dealing with in conflict, war happens in a region, he said.

Its all interconnected. If we ended up looking at problems only within the confines of borders, then we are not going to have a true impact.

Establishing trans-border peace operations in Africa may prove difficult for the United Nations, which is already having difficulties manoeuvring through the politics of individual nations.

On Friday, the UN Security Council authorized an extra 4,000 troops to curb the latest violence plaguing South Sudan, a move that was almost immediately rejected by government officials there. That opposition was later softened by President Salva Kiir, who said he would consider the plan under certain conditions.

There has been fierce fighting in South Sudan in recent days, raising concerns that the country, which gained its independence in 2011, may slide back into civil war.

Canadian defence and foreign affairs officials have been assessing the possibility of Canada joining UN peacekeeping operations in Mali or the Central African Republic.

A mission in Mali would be fraught with risk. There are roughly 13,000 blue helmets in the country and more than 100 have been killed in ambushes and attacks since the mission was established in April to support a ceasefire between the government in the south and armed groups in the north.

As part of an effort to finalize Canadas commitment to boost the UNs numbers in Africa, Sajjan visited Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda before making his final stop in the Congo. He was accompanied by former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour, who is also a former UN high commissioner for human rights, and retired lieutenant-general Romeo Dallaire, who once commanded a UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda.

Defence analysts have questioned whether Canada is stretching itself too thin by contemplating multi-country commitments of military resources to Africa. Canadian Forces personnel are already involved in or preparing for training and other missions in Latvia, Iraq and Ukraine.

But Ottawa wont task the military with anything that commanders believe they cant handle, Sajjan said.

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Ontarios Liberal government is defending a publicly funded ad that promotes an agreement to enhance the Canada Pension Plan  a federal program.

Ontario has been working to help close the retirement savings gap, a voice says in the radio ad. Now the improved CPP would help close the gap and strengthen retirement security for working Canadians.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk said she would not have approved the ad under the previous rules, but the Liberals changed them last year. The new rules remove the auditors discretion to veto ads her office feels are partisan, she said.

We did find that the ads were self-congratulatory and aimed at ensuring the government gets credit for the pension initiative versus informing the public with some useful information, Lysyk said in an interview.

Its more federal jurisdiction, so that would have been the main thing ... and federal jurisdiction where a lot can still happen.

Ratification of the agreement-in-principle to enhance the CPP was delayed last month when British Columbia declined to sign off by the deadline, saying it needed more time to explain the deal to its residents and stakeholders, such as business owners, and give the public more time to provide feedback.

Without B.C.s full support, the proposed changes to the CPP would not be able to move forward, because it requires at least seven provinces representing at least two-thirds of Canadas population.

But the federal government insists the delay wont derail its plan to table new legislation this fall.

Progressive Conservative critic Julia Munro said the ad is an example of Liberal waste and mismanagement.

Only the Wynne Liberals could spend money promoting the work of a different level of government, she said in a statement.

A spokeswoman for Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa said that without Ontarios push the CPP agreement would not have happened.

As government, we have a responsibility to raise awareness and communicate information about programs and services that affect Ontarians, Kelsey Ingram said in a statement.

The end of the ad urges listeners to visit an Ontario.ca/retirement website, which has information about how CPP changes will affect Ontarians, she noted.

The Ontario Liberal government spent $70 million to create an Ontario Retirement Pension Plan that now wont be needed as long as the CPP agreement goes through.

This ad is the latest of several spots the auditor general has said she wouldnt have approved under the old government advertising rules. Lysyk has also said an ORPP ad and a climate change action plan ad would have been considered partisan under the old definition.

It does put us in a difficult position because the formality of this is we just approve compliance with legislation so thats all we can do, Lysyk said. Beyond that we cant really do anything. It kind of forces our hand.

NDP critic Catherine Fife questioned the timing of the ad, which is running in the midst of a byelection in Scarborough-Rouge River.

They are using public dollars to try and gain a partisan advantage for the Liberal party, she said.

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ST. JOHNSThe prime ministers visit to Atlantic Canada has already included one shirtless selfie  but this time, Justin Trudeau is the photobombee rather than photobomber.

Comedian and Newfoundland native Mark Critch pounced on the opportunity to turn the tables on Trudeau during a walkabout in Signal Hill on Monday.

Critch tweeted a photo of Trudeau grinning at the camera with Critch bare-chested in the background.

Sorry to accidentally photobomb your @CityofStJohns pic @JustinTrudeau, wrote Critch in the tweet, which had been retweeted 1,000 times by early Monday afternoon.

A clearly amused Seamus ORegan, the MP for St. Johns South-Mount Pearl, flanks the prime minister with one hand over his mouth, presumably stifling giggles.

Trudeau made international headlines recently with two shirtless photos, the latest while taking a break from surfing and simultaneously photobombing a couple getting married on a Tofino, B.C., beach.

Last month, Time and BBC reported on a Canadian family that encountered a bare-chested Trudeau while hiking in Quebecs Gatineau Park and took a selfie with the prime minister.

Reporting on the same Quebec encounter, American online news provider Mic called shirtless Trudeau one of Canadas most prized national treasures.

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Toronto musician and composer Andrew Timar has developed a passion for fountain pens. His focus? Made in Canada.

In the eighth grade I won a spelling contest. The cranky little nun gave me a mechanical pencil as a prize. I still have it, although it no longer works.

It remains a talisman of sorts.

A lifetime later, when I secured a column at the Montreal Gazette, I felt I needed a serious tool to do serious work. I found a perfect mechanical pencil  precise tip, knurled grip, solid in the hand and matte black with a discreet red ring at the top of the barrel.

I have used a Rotring 600 ever since.

When the company discontinued that model some years later, I panicked and found a dealer who scoured the planet and found the last four.

I bought them all. Just in case. Because I am a creature of habit, and I dont like to mess with my mojo. Wise, because I left that first Rotring in the back seat of a cab; a second disappeared into the ether a few years later; and I was so careful with the third one that I wore it out.

The company bowed to pressure from dweebs like me, the 600 has been returned to production, and so I have sufficient tools to take me to the end of September.

But I am no match for my friend Andrew Timar. He let slip one day that he had begun to collect fountain pens; like all serious collectors, he said he had adopted a specialty which gave his collection focus.

Canadian fountain pens.

Every collector has an origins story to accompany his obsession. Andrews first fountain pen is not Canadian at all, and thereby hangs a tale.

Its a Mont Blanc. I was 11 or 12 years old. I think it was a coming of age gift. I was past pencils.

Oh, no one is ever past pencils.

He clarified: The pen was a sign of adulthood; we used pencils until Grade 6 and then dip pens.

I remember those.

Who gave him such a handsome thing? The answer is elaborate: I was born in Szombathely, the oldest continuously inhabited city in Hungary. As you know, there was an uprising in 1956. My father was involved. He lingered over that word: involved.

We had to leave. When we came here, we found a place, and my mother provided meals to the loose men. The loose men, the bachelor refugees.

He said, She made meals because we needed the money. The man who gave me the pen was Hungarian. The barrel of that pen is long gone now, but he keeps the cap for sentimental reasons; it retains its trademark snowy peak.

My next pen? I started writing music in the mid-60s at York University. I was using technical pens and fountain pens.

Okay, we all have sentimental things; but how did he develop the urge to collect?

I am not of the generation that videos everything, but I saw some videos that opened my interest. I became aware of stores, of pen companies going out of business and new ones being born.

China, for example, is a big producer of pens and so is Japan; logical, considering the history of calligraphy, of inks and the character of those alphabets. He showed me a little Jinhao: A really good writer, not elegant but reliable.

And then he showed me a quick selection from his collection of 65 pens. I have learned a lot about the makers of writing instruments in Toronto. It was a big industry. All the American companies had branches here.

Toronto, gateway to the Commonwealth.

He said, like a fisherman with a secret spot, Not everyone is aware that the Canadian pens are more rare. He picked one up. It didnt look special to me, but I am not an aficionado.

The Eclipse; originally an American company which came up here. The Canadian branch bought the American company.

How delicious.

But I still didnt have the answer I wanted  whats the urge?  so I pushed him a bit. There had to be a reason for him to jump in with both feet, or rather, hands. He said, I began at a time when I needed to focus.

Its personal: a man reaches a certain age, one thing leads to another, and we did not dwell. Instead, he plucked a prize and laid it on a notebook.

It did not look like much.

First things rarely do.

This is the first mass-produced fountain pen. It was invented by a Canadian druggist, Duncan MacKinnon.

MacKinnon, of southern Ontario, came up with the invention in the late 1870s, but he made a business error when he showed it to a guy named Cross, who copied it with a small modification and went on to make a large fortune with Cross pens.

MacKinnon called that first fountain pen an ink pencil; puts my Rotring in perspective.

Joe Fiorito appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. jfiorito@thestar.ca

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For more than half a century, Steven Dugalin believed he didnt have legal status in Canada and could be deported at any moment.

Decade after decade, the now 77-year-old Mississauga man tried to stay under the radar, working in construction jobs, even living in a motel, fearing if he was picked up by immigration hed get the boot.

At least thats what he says immigration officials had told him.

Trouble is, it wasnt true.

Now, Dugalin is fighting to get his life back and collect almost a decades worth of Old Age Security pension payments he missed out on during the years he was trying to lay low.

If it wasnt for the governments mistake, saying I was here illegally, I wouldnt have had to endure the hardship, says Dugalin, who came to Canada as a government-sponsored refugee from Hungary in 1957. This has ruined my life.

Dugalin said hed been told by immigration officials that hed lost his permanent resident status after being convicted of breaking into houses in British Columbia in 1959. He says he was hungry and was only stealing food.

There was a group of us. We didnt speak English. Nobody had jobs. We were homeless, hungry and desperate, said Dugalin, who was among 37,000 Hungarians admitted to Canada after the 1956 Soviet invasion.

The truth about Dugalins actual immigration status wasnt uncovered until 2012, when Toronto lawyer Barbara Jackman picked up his case and found the government records that proved he had maintained his permanent resident status all along.

Dugalin subsequently applied for his permanent resident card and OHIP as well as the long-overdue Old Age Security benefits, which allowed him to retire from laborious work in construction and move out of a Kingston Rd. motel hed called home for 17 years.

However, Dugalin is still fighting with Employment and Social Development Canada for back payments of the OAS benefits hed missed out on over a nine-year period when he believed he wasnt eligible for the government benefits.

I had two bouts of pneumonia. I was injured after falling from a ladder at a job site. And I had no OHIP. I worked in construction until a year-and-a-half ago when no one would hire me anymore, said Dugalin.

According to his immigration file obtained through an access to information request, Dugalin had permanent resident status upon arrival in Canada in 1957. Two years later, he was ordered deported in the wake of the B.C. break-ins.

But unbeknownst to Dugalin, the then-Conservative immigration minister Ellen Fairclough deferred Dugalins removal for a year and his domicile and landing were reinstated in 1969, said Jackman, who was contacted by Dugalin in 2012, initially to regularize his status on humanitarian grounds.

Dugalin had moved to Toronto in 1964 and worked in cleaning and painting before landing a job as a hospital handyman. He later ran a renovation business, started a family and, with his wife, owned a home in Alliston.

But after a messy divorce he became estranged from his family and moved into a rooming house in Toronto. One day in 1994, he was arrested by immigration officials and scheduled for a removal hearing. He didnt show up; thats where his immigration records had ended.

In 2003, as he was approaching 65 and struggling to find work, Dugalin said a friend accompanied him to a Service Canada office to apply for OAS  a request he said was rejected on the spot when he told the officer he had a deportation order against him and was without status.

Somewhere along the way, immigration officials lost the historical thread of the case. No one, not even the immigration officials were aware that Mr. Dugalin was a permanent resident. Immigration officials consistently misled him, treating him as an illegal migrant under order of deportation and trying to deport him, said Jackman.

He was growing older and not eligible for old age benefits, not even the right to work. He could not travel. He wanted a resolution of his case. He was depressed and I believe still struggles with this because of how many years he lived in Canada believing that he could be deported at any time.

Immigration officials confirmed Dugalins status, including that he does not face removal from Canada.

Given the length of time that has passed, we have limited information but it appears that by deferring each deportation order, they were both quashed by virtue of law, immigration department spokesperson Nancy Caron told the Star.

It appears the interview, removal order and arrest in 1994 were based on one of the earlier deportation orders. In July 2013, he was issued a permanent resident card.

As soon as Jackman sorted out Dugalins status, he applied for Old Age Security, but Employment and Social Development Canada limited his retroactive pay-out to $7,000 (roughly 11 months worth) in a lump sum. Dugalin has since taken his case to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada. He believes he should be eligible for tens of thousands of dollars.

In a reply to the tribunal, lawyers representing Employment and Social Development Canada acknowledged the minister in charge of the department can take remedial action on retroactive benefits if erroneous advice had been given or an administrative error had been made.

It is important to note that this provision is specifically aimed at advice given and errors made in the administration of the OAS Act, the reply stated. The error that Citizenship and Immigration Canada has allegedly made cannot be considered under this section.

Josh Bueckert, an Employment and Social Development Canada spokesperson, said no documents have been provided to prove Dugalin applied for OAS earlier than September 2013.

Mr. Dugalins OAS pension application was submitted in September 2013 and thus he was given the maximum retroactive payments permitted by legislation, Bueckert said in an email response.

Although a decision on Dugalins appeal is still pending, the tribunal stated in a recent letter that it is considering dismissing his appeal because it is satisfied the maximum 11-month retroactive payment for the OAS benefit has been met in his case.

But Dugalin thinks thats just not fair.

If the Government of Canada didnt get my status wrong, I would have got the OAS benefits like everyone else. No one really cared and looked into my immigration file until Barbara did, said Dugalin, who is representing himself at the tribunal. Im just hoping to get back what I am owed, nothing more.

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Former Beatle John Lennon was living quietly in New York with his wife, Yoko Ono, seeking custody of Yokos daughter by her first husband. It was 1972, the era of Watergate, a paranoid time when president Richard Nixon believed everyone on the left was out to get him. Lennon had spoken out in support of radical causes and ergo was wiretapped, followed and, finally, threatened with deportation since he wasnt a U.S. citizen. In order to fight this, Lennon and Ono hired immigration lawyer Leon Wildes, who tells the tale of his legal efforts on behalf of the couple in John Lennon vs. the U.S.A: The Inside Story of the Most Bitterly Contested and Influential Deportation Case in United States History. Our conversation has been edited for length.

Jennifer: Its hard for me to believe that when you took on Lennons case youd never heard of him. The Beatles had been the most famous rock band in the world, influencing music, fashion, language and political attitudes.

Leon: I grew up in a little town in Pennsylvania and we werent very sophisticated. It was only when I came to New York that I expanded my view, but even then, I was never into that kind of music.

One day, after coming back from the Lennons apartment in Greenwich Village, I was in a taxicab and I asked the driver if he knew who John Lennon was. He looked at me as if I was really weird. John Lennon is the greatest musician in the world, he said. He asked me who I thought was the most famous musician in the world and I said Ludwig van Beethoven. The driver said many more millions would have heard John Lennon than Beethoven. It made me appreciative of Lennons very special character. He didnt act like he was one of the greatest musicians.

Jennifer: The list of people who were willing to come and testify on Johns behalf was amazing. It included Fred Astaire, Jack Lemmon and even Gloria Swanson, the silent film star whose fame continued into the 1950s with the movie Sunset Boulevard.

Leon: I asked John and Yoko to give me a list of friends. They met Gloria Swanson in a health-food store. As a result we actually got her to testify. I didnt have to ask any one of these famous people. They simply volunteered.

One of the people who was at the hearing and was disappointed that he didnt get to testify was Jack Nicholson. Everybody knew John Lennon and everyone wanted to protest.

Jennifer: Yoko Ono really felt Richard Nixon was out to get her and John. Was she right?

Leon: Yes, in my opinion, she was.

In one of the exhibits I reproduce in my book, it states John believed they were being followed by a car. There were two guys fixing a bike across the street from the Lennons Greenwich Village apartment. But when a car would pick up John and Yoko, the same two guys would be in a car following them. When John and Yoko came back home they saw the two guys return to fix the bike.

There was an FBI memo that said if John and Yoko went to the Republican convention they would be indicted for crossing the state line (the convention was in California) and conspiracy to incite a riot.

Jennifer: It is hard to believe the government would spend so much energy going after John and Yoko. All they were trying to do, really, was get custody of Yokos daughter from her ex-husband, Tony Cox. The only blip was Johns conviction for hashish possession, and even that wasnt very strong.

Leon: He had pled guilty in England to possessing cannabis resin; it had been planted on him but he pled guilty just to get rid of the case and to keep Yoko out of it. But in American immigration law, hashish is not even mentioned; there is a proscription against marijuana as an illegal drug, not hashish or cannabis resin. A deportation case against a person with marijuana is a strong case and there is hardly anything that can be done. That is what the government had up its sleeve against John, but he had special permission to visit the United States.

We consulted a lot of other lawyers. George Harrison sent him a letter that he, too, had been arrested by the same police officer in Britain who planted the drug on him. This helped to create the Lennon Doctrine, a notice from the State Department to American consuls around the world that U.S. immigration law does not apply to convictions under statues which extend to innocent drug possession. That law still stands.

Jennifer: This really was a political rather than a legal case, an abuse of immigration law. Did anything change in the law at that time to make it easier for those seeking residence in the United States? I know 9/11 threw another kink into the works, but prior to that, did the Lennon case help?

Leon: I think that it did. In my practice we were able to help people based on what was determined in the Lennon case.

President Obama worked to allow children who were brought into the U.S., illegally, under the age of 16 to get a drivers licence when they get older, admission to college and working papers, and so on. I have been writing this book for 40 years, but it was a result of the hopeful anticipation that the president would use his administrative power to help young immigrants that pushed me to finish.

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Credit Emiliano Ponzi



In recent decades, the prevalence of asthma and allergies has increased between two- and threefold in the United States. These days, one in 12 kids has asthma. More are allergic.

The uptick is often said to have started in the late 20th century. But the first hint of a population-wide affliction  the sneezing masses  came earlier, in the late 19th century, among the American and British upper classes. Hay fever so closely hewed to class lines, in fact, it was seen as a mark of civilization and refinement. Observers noted that farmers  the people who most often came in contact with pollens and animal dander  were the ones least likely to sneeze and wheeze.

This phenomenon was rediscovered in the 1990s in Switzerland. Children who grew up on small farms were between one-half and one-third less likely to have hay fever and asthma, compared with non-farming children living in the same rural areas. European scientists identified livestock, particularly dairy cows, fermented feed and raw milk consumption as protective in what they eventually called the farm effect. Many scientists argued that the abundant microbes of the cowshed stimulated childrens immune systems in a way that prevented allergic disease.

Then, a few years ago, researchers found an American example of the phenomenon: the Amish. Children from an Amish community in Indiana had an even lower prevalence of allergies than European farmers, making them among the least allergic subgroup ever measured in the developed world.

Now a study released on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine advances the research. The authors did something new and important: They found a suitable comparison group for the Amish in another farming community, the Hutterites. The two groups share genetic ancestry. Both descend from German-speaking stock. But unlike the Amish, the Hutterites, who live in the upper Midwest, are as allergic as your average American.

Why doesnt farming protect the Hutterites?

A likely reason is that while the Amish have small farms, with cowsheds located right next to their homes, the communal-living Hutterites house their livestock miles away. The Amish probably bring more microbes into their homes  and some may waft in directly  resulting in a microbial load nearly six times higher than that found in Hutterite houses, the scientists discovered.

In addition, primarily adult men work with the cows in Hutterite communities, while Amish children play in the cowsheds, and Amish women, including pregnant ones, presumably have frequent contact with the cowshed microbes. In Europe, women exposed to these microbes while pregnant have been found to have the least allergic kids of all. Microbial stimulation of the maternal immune system may preprogram the unborn child against allergy  an effect thats reproducible in rodents. So while both communities farm, the Hutterites seem to lack the right exposures at the right time.

About 5 percent of the Amish children in the study have asthma, while 21 percent of the Hutterites do. And the immune systems of these two genetically similar communities look remarkably different. Hutterite children have more white blood cells involved in allergy, called eosinophils, while another cell type, called neutrophils  which specializes in repelling microbes  predominates in Amish children. Perhaps more important, Amish white blood cells have a different profile of gene expression than Hutterite, one that signals restraint rather than aggression. This ability to not overreact to pollens and danders is, scientists think, important for avoiding asthma and allergies.

The scientists also sought to reproduce these immunological profiles in animals by treating mice with microbe-laden dust from both Amish and Hutterite homes. The two dusts had drastically different effects when the mice inhaled them through their noses every few days for over a month. Amish dust prevented symptoms of asthma; Hutterite dust encouraged them.

Broadly speaking, the immune system has two arms: the adaptive immune system, which learns and remembers; and the innate immune system, which operates like a sensory organ, recognizing ancient patterns in the microbial world. When the scientists genetically hobbled the animals innate immune systems, the Amish dust lost its protective effect, and the animals began to have trouble breathing. The implication is that stimulation of the innate immune system is critical to preventing asthma.

The study has some shortcomings. Its small  just 30 children from each community. The scientists didnt identify the specific microbes that might be important. Nor do they know if those microbes take up residence in the gut microbiome or elsewhere in the body. Martin Blaser, director of the Human Microbiome Program at New York University, also points out that the scientists didnt control for antibiotic use or C-section rate, both of which may, by disturbing the gut microbiota, alter asthma risk.

But the fact that they could so faithfully reproduce in mice what they saw in people using only dust suggests that theyve identified an important component of the farm effect. And the simplicity of the mechanism  microbes that stimulate the innate immune system  is heartening. That is precisely why were so excited, Donata Vercelli, a researcher at the University of Arizona in Tucson and a senior author on the study, told me. This seems to be a manageable situation, she said, one that could lead to a plausible intervention, like a preventive medication based on Amish microbes.

The findings also reiterate the theme that genes arent destiny. Disease emerges from the dance between genes and environment. The asthma epidemic may stem, at least in part, from the decline of what Graham Rook, an immunologist at University College London, years ago called our old friends  the organisms our immune systems expect to be present in the environment. The newly sneezing upper classes in the 19th century may have been the first to find themselves without these old friends. Now most of the developed world has lost them. The task at hand is to figure out how to get them back. One answer may come from the Amish cowshed.


BERLINMarkus Droge does his legwork, travelling to the frontiers of Europe and beyond to witness Germanys refugee tide at its source.

The Bishop of Berlin stood at Greeces border with Macedonia last year, watching despair, determination and hope in equal measure as people pressed northward. Earlier this summer, he came within a whisper of Syria itself, visiting refugees encamped in limbo, for now, on the Turkish side of the border.

Berlins Protestant spiritual leader gets around. But what his legs have never done before is take to the streets of his city in protest.

Until this year.

Until Berlin began whistling past historys graveyard for the first time since of the fall of the Third Reich, once again making space for populist fury in the public square targeting a single identifiable group of people  Muslim newcomers.

On May 7, alarmed by the growing boldness of the radical right, Droge transformed from observer to activist, helping to mobilize thousands of parishioners along with unionists, mainstream politicians, Jewish and Muslim leaders in a walk for Openness and Tolerance.

Together with a companion rally marching for a Nazi-Free Berlin, Droge and his like-minded citizens won the day. On their side, an estimated 8,000 marchers outnumbered the 1,000 gathered in the name of the anti-Islamic Pegida movement and related groups.

We did not call it a march. It was something gentler. We used the word spazierengehen, which is something like a stroll you would take with family on a Sunday afternoon, Droge says during an interview in his 19th-century church manse, from where he leads 1,351 separate parishes.

If the pace was benign, the message was firm: the clearest-possible demonstration that far-right extremists do not hold the majority in Germany, regardless of their claims. The majority is ready to welcome the world.

It was an important step for us, explains Droge. We had seen the right-wing radicals go into the streets, shouting the phrase We are the people every week in the streets of Saxony.

This is a deeply symbolic phrase, very emotional for the German people and it belongs to the peaceful revolution of 1989, when it was chanted by East Germans in the months before the wall came down.

Now suddenly these powerful words were being abused and hijacked by extremists trying to fish in the middle of the pond for new followers; by extremists who claimed to be defending Christianity in Europe against Muslims.

Droge knows about hatred; he sees evidence of it every day. Across the street from his manse stand two towering reminders of Germanys darkest period  man-made mountains, one 78 metres tall, filled with some two million cubic metres of rubble from bombed-out Berlin, circa 1945.

This moment is nothing like the 1930s, Droge adds. But those of us who know our history had to act. We became the majority reminding the minority what it means to be a Christian  to help those in need, in the spirit of love and not fear. We had to show that tolerance is stronger.

Walking the walk was a big thing. But it is taking a great deal more to get Germany through the sheer scale of what Chancellor Angela Merkel embraced in 2015, when the refugee crisis began testing the very limits of the countrys social structures.

The years tally of newcomers  1.1 million  requires perspective. It is nearly 50 times the number of carefully selected refugees Canada is currently absorbing from Syria; more than 100 times what the United States has managed to take in during Donald Trumps fear-based ascent to the Republican nomination.

As the numbers grew  as Germanys safety net strained to cope, as German nerves were rattled by major Daesh attacks in neighbouring France and Belgium  so too did the fear, which Pegida and other far-right groups exploited with relish, making international headlines. Like elsewhere in Europe, Germanys national mood appeared to swing sharply from the open embrace of asylum-seekers, and by extension, away from Merkels refugee policy mantra: We can do it.

A string of violent attacks in late July appeared to put Germanys mood  and Merkels political fortunes  in greater doubt. But as the dust settled on a mass shooting in Munich in which 10 people died, it was revealed to be the work of a German-born teen fixated on right-wing extremism. An American-style slaughter, not Islamist terror as so many first assumed.

Germanys security apparatus has its hands full. The question of refugee policy remains a matter of fierce debate. The country, like the rest of the West, may be but one major attack from writhing anew. But as the BBC correspondent Damien McGuinness assessed this week from Berlin, Germanys national consensus is holding.

Despite what the most lurid headlines indicate, unlike France, Germany hasnt yet been hit by a major Islamist terror attack, wrote McGuinness. In the two recent attacks by asylum seekers, which were claimed by the so-called Islamic State, no victims were killed.

New polling by Forsa suggests 69 per cent of Germans do not blame Merkels asylum policy for the rise in terrorist attacks in Germany, versus 28 per cent who do. The same survey showed the far-right Alternative for Germany party at 12 per cent support, nationally  a force to be reckoned with, but not one poised for a Brexit-style sweep of Merkels ruling coalition during elections one year from now.

The German centre is holding. But warily. And at a price.

For a more visceral sense of how the changed German mood translates to reality, try the perspective of Aziz Afzaly, an affable Afghan who found asylum in Berlin nine years ago.

In Kabul, I and many other Canadian journalists knew him as a bright young interpreter and guest house manager, helping foreign reporters make their way through of the fragile Afghan capital. Today he regards Berlin as the worlds greatest city, having put himself through film school and emerging as an in-demand videographer.

So much has changed, you feel it everywhere, says Afzaly. Ive been a runner all these years and until now nobody would give me a second look as I pass them in the streets. Now, you see nervous native Germans looking over their shoulders, looking at me with suspicion. Its a weird feeling. Its just that so many refugees came so quickly. I understand it. But its weird.

It was strange driving with Afzaly in Berlin after navigating crazy Kabul. He drove us to Hafis, a Persian restaurant in the Charlottenburg district, where we had the closest thing to an Afghan dinner Ive had in years. Sat on an outdoor patio, which served as a strong reminder that whatever apprehensions Berliners might feel, life is going on fine in the city.

Afzaly is by now an old hand at the culture shock  and vividly recalls what it felt like to be new to Germany. He tells the story of his first German girlfriend, a makeup artist for performers who invited him to his first-ever concert. He was led to a backstage dressing room and introduced to the artist.

My girlfriend said, Aziz, meet Madonna. Madonna  this is my boyfriend Aziz, he recently arrived from Afghanistan. As were talking, Im trying desperately to subtly Google who is Madonna? on my phone! I had no idea who she was.

With time, Afzaly adapted to  and fell in love with  life in Berlin. So much so that he appreciates the sense of deep disruption many Germans feel over the chaotic arrival of so many newcomers. Quite apart from xenophobia, the annoyance is legitimate.

In the beginning, there were times when I would find myself as little as one minute late for an interview or a job and I would be in trouble. I had to abandon my Afghan sense of time and adapt, he says.

But I learned and now I love it. And thats a big part of how the mood has changed  German sensibilities, upset by the loss of control of the refugee situation.

Pushing back against xenophobia is one thing  but there is no pushing back against the legitimate debate on how Germany took on more than its bureaucracy was able to manage.

We had a situation of too many refugees coming too fast, says Bishop Droge. And the simple fact is that Germans are not happy when things are not well organized and controlled. It just feels wrong to us.

His solution was to organize welcome meetings in every parish.

Once the host communities talk to the new arrivals and start to hear their stories, people naturally want to help. In areas where there are no refugees, the fear and anger is at its highest level. So face-to-face introductions are very important.

As a hub for that activity, Droge designated a property in Berlins Kreuzberg district as The Refugee Church. Since its launch last October, the sanctuary has rapidly evolved into a one-stop haven/resource/training centre for refugees and volunteers.

The choice of location was no accident. Kreuzberg was once a low-rent enclave of West Berlin, enwrapped by the infamous wall. But it became the de facto Turkish capital of Europe by dint of its many new emigres.

Today the wall is a distant memory and Kreuzberg churns anew with an equally disparate blend of faces from far and near. A core population of Turkish origin remains and is viewed by refugee advocates as an important bridge for the new arrivals following in their footsteps.

In case youre wondering, the new refugee church is not overtly looking for converts. As legal counsellor Boumedien Habibes explains during a walk through the church, My boss is a priest, but this is not confessional. You dont have to be religious to work here. You only need to want to help these people.

Habibes has his hands full the day we visit  a steady stream of Syrian Arabs and Kurdish men and women, looking for advice and help with paperwork, including crafting new resumes. In a room next to his, language teachers are instructing newcomers on the German constitution, spelling out an individuals rights and obligations. A space downstairs is set aside for mothers and children  a refuge where people from multiple countries relax while their kids watch films and play games.

Habibes spent a chaotic first six months in the job, travelling from asylum centre to asylum centre to get the word out about the help available at The Refugee Church. The advertising worked.

Since May, he has remained a fixture at the Kreuzberg facility, scrambling to accommodate the rush of refugees. The flow through out doors, he says, is constant.

Some point to the role of Germanys media as a bulwark against xenophobia, noting how the top-selling German daily Bild shed its sensationalist skin in 2015, leading a pro-refugee campaign.

Habibes counters that other German media outlets have busily fed populist fears, particularly in the wake of the attacks in Paris.

When every single TV station launches into a debate with questions like Do we have too many immigrants? and Is Islam compatible with our democracy? the impact on public opinion is real. I cant say the media imposed this fear, but they opened a pathway to it, he says.

And the as the opinions on television began to change, the peoples mood shifted with it. So I cant help but wonder if the questions were different  Do we have too many rich people? for example, or Are the rich too rich?  would the public mood be different today? As long as we remain obsessed with Islam, I guess well never know.

Another explanation is that communication in Germany breaks along two paths.

Social media provides a home for anti-immigrant rage, even as the mainstream offers space for upbeat stories, like the tale of the Syrian refugee who last week was crowned a regional wine queen in the city of Trier.

Habibes takes comfort in that the radical right, for all its noise and fury, remains fragmented, if not marginalized, mostly in the depressed former East Germany. But even there support can be weak.

A late-spring Pegida rally in Potsdam  a city of one million residents  drew just 30 people. Says Habibes: Such a small number is not even worth a headline.

When Aziz Afzaly was given asylum, family reunification rules enabled him to bring his mother to Germany. She now volunteers helping new arrivals. The massive influx of 2015, by contrast, is restricted to a lesser status  subsidiary protection  if the new arrivals are unable to extensively document a claim of asylum. The consequence: many are safe in Germany but unlikely to ever be joined by their spouse or children.

Habibes notices the difference regularly in his work with German authorities. The rules have become ambiguous for asylum seekers. You submit paperwork and theres no clear yes and no clear no, you wait in a holding pattern. Some people wait here maybe three or four years, not knowing their fate.

So you can say Germany is handling the situation. You can say Germany opened the doors for so many who had no other doors to enter. And you can say that we are doing our best to work our way through it, even as the mood has changed.

But it is also true that Germany has this new population and it is afraid of according these people full rights and multiplying the numbers by allowing for a wife and children. Canada has welcomed fewer but it is providing full rights. But Germany has chosen another path. And we cant be certain yet where it will lead.

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A new report that for the first time calculates the effect of poverty in Ontario child protection has found it plays a significant role in kids being taken from their families and placed into care.

Children whose families ran out of money for housing were twice as likely to be placed with foster parents or group homes, according to an analysis of Ontario children taken into care in 2013.

Similar rates were found for families who ran out of money for food or for utilities. Children with a parent suffering from addiction or mental health problems were also placed in care at about twice the overall rate.

These families struggle to put food on the table, they struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Some of them work two or three jobs, said the reports co-author, Deborah Goodman.

And the reason childrens aid is in their lives is because of those vulnerabilities. Theyre under a lot of stress and that affects their parenting, added Goodman, a professor at the University of Torontos faculty of social work and a senior official with the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto.

Nico Trocme, also a co-author, said families in each category highlighted in the report struggled with a host of difficulties, from financial stress and inability to access services to schools not meeting childrens needs.

Running out of money for food is an indicator for a whole host of things going on that we cant measure with a crude analysis, he said. Its a combination of factors that undermine the familys or the agencys ability to find alternatives to placement.

The poverty removal rates were extracted from the government-funded Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect, compiled in 2013. A team of researchers examined a representative sample of 4,961 child protection investigations conducted by 17 childrens aid societies. The cases involved children up to 14.

Co-author Kofi Antwi-Boasiako, a PhD student at the University of Torontos faculty of social work, will be expanding the report into a full-fledged study.

Goodman credited the report with revealing the elephant in the room. Childrens aid societies have long witnessed the grinding effect of poverty on families but have rarely spoken out about it or pressured policy makers.

Were able to tell a story of maltreatment, but we have not done a very good job in telling a story about poverty, Goodman said, referring to Ontarios 47 privately run childrens aid societies.

She suggests silence suited the provincial government, in particular the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, which regulates child protection and funds societies with $1.5 billion annually.

The ministry has been pretty clear with us that advocacy is not part of our mandate, Goodman said. Its not like theyre asking for the (poverty) data. Theyre not.

The effect of provincial policies on struggling families was especially apparent in the late 1990s, when the Conservative government slashed welfare payments and social service funding. At the same time, it introduced in child protection the notion of maltreatment by omission, including not having enough food in the home. The number of children taken into care spiked.

The new report also points to poverty as a key reason for the disproportionate number of black children in care. An ongoing investigation by the Star revealed that on a September day in 2013, 42 per cent of kids in the care of the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto had at least one black parent  more than five times the proportion of children and teens in the city who identify as black in census data.

Studies based on Canadian census data indicate that non-white Canadians are three times more likely to live in poverty, an inequality fuelled by systemic racism in the job market and barriers to accessing services.

At the same time, community advocates insist black and aboriginal families are under greater scrutiny from police and schools, services that report kids to childrens aid societies.

The fundamental bias is that black families in Toronto have higher unemployment rates, are much more likely to be living in poverty, to be living in substandard housing, and to be going to schools that are not meeting their needs appropriately, said Trocme, director of the school of social work at McGill University.

Its harder being a black parent in Toronto than being a white parent.

But the report indicates that once childrens aid societies investigate, racial bias is not a factor in children being taken into care within 30 days  the period selected for analysis. When the reports authors controlled for poverty, they found black kids were taken into care at the same rate as white kids.

Aboriginal children were the only visible minority group in which race was a factor in placement. When poverty was controlled for, they were placed in care at rates more than twice that of white children. Aboriginal leaders have widely denounced the lack of services to support families, particularly in northern Ontario communities.

Community advocate Anthony Morgan, until recently a lawyer at the African Canadian Legal Clinic, applauded the report for highlighting the racialization of poverty.

It is a conversation were not having as courageously and as honestly as we need to, he said. What is it going to take? Are we waiting for a catastrophic social crisis within the African Canadian community before we have targeted programs for African Canadian children and families?

But Morgan criticized the report for the way it seems to minimize the impact of anti-black racism or racism generally within childrens aid societies. Black parents have long complained of cultural bias when investigated. And the ministry is backing a province-wide project, struck by the Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies, to reform how societies deal with black families.

Trocme, who also co-authored a recent government review that sharply criticized the quality of care that children receive, stressed the report should not lead societies to assume they are free of racism. It is silent on a long list of areas were bias could be a factor. For example, a study by the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto found that black children stay longer in foster care or group homes than white children.

Caroline Newton, a spokeswoman for the Ontario Association of Childrens Aid Societies, says the report makes clear that keeping children out of care requires much more than the efforts of societies, whose primary mandate is protection.

Were the emergency room, she said, adding that no more than 4 per cent of children investigated get taken into care. She called for a government approach that integrates services in a way that supports and keeps families healthy, particularly those who are socially and economically marginalized.

On average, 15,625 Ontario children were in foster or group-home care in 2014-15. The latest figures indicate that only 2 per cent of children are removed from their home due to sexual abuse and 13 per cent for physical abuse. The rest are removed because of neglect, emotional maltreatment and exposure to violence between their parents or caregivers.

By the numbers

42% of children in the care of the Childrens Aid Society of Toronto in 2013 were black or had one black parent.

8% of people under 18 in Toronto are black.

23% of Ontario children in care are First Nations.

2.5% of people under 18 in Ontario are First Nations.

2.3% of Ontario children in care are Metis  3.4 times their share of the under-18 population.

0.47% of Ontario children in care are Inuit  11.3 times their share of the under-18 population.

54 per 1,000 children: the rate at which white children are investigated

75 per 1,000 children: the rate at which black children are investigated

126 per 1,000 children: the rate at which aboriginal children are investigated

Sources: Childrens Aid Society of Toronto, OnLAC annual survey, Barbara Fallon et al

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LOWER LAKE, CALIF.A wind-whipped wildfire roared through a Northern California town threatened by a devastating blaze a year ago, wiping out more than 100 homes and businesses and forcing thousands of people to flee, authorities said Monday.

The fire seemed calm Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighbourhoods in Lower Lake, a rural town about 145 kilometres north of San Francisco, officials said. No one was injured, but it reached Main Street and burned the post office, a winery, an antiques store, a historic firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office.

This fire roared through the city like a wave of water  it was a wave of fire that came through here, said Lt. Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriffs spokesman working on behalf of the forestry department.

The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires in the state, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the fire danger. In central California, a day-old wildfire burned 20 structures and threatened 150 homes.

Last September, one of Californias most destructive wildfires ravaged a series of small towns just a half-hour from Lower Lake, whose residents were forced to evacuate. It killed four people, left a fifth missing and destroyed more than 1,300 homes in nearby communities.

The new fire struck in the heart in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,300 that draws working-class families and retirees with housing prices lower than the San Francisco Bay Area. It broke out Saturday afternoon and exploded to nearly 13 square kilometres as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.

Besides the wind, 38 C heat hindered firefighters struggling to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze.

Residents who thought conditions were calm earlier Sunday went on errands in town and came back to towering flames and smoke. Some used hoses or water from their pools to try to protect their houses.

Mary and Bobby Henderson had only minutes to gather belongings before evacuating with their three young daughters and a son. She was sure to grab a prepacked tote bag of another sons favourite childhood books, his baby blanket and other important keepsakes. Seth, 18, took his own life last year.

We had less than 10 minutes from the time we saw flames coming toward us to the time we were pulling out of driveway, the 45-year-old mother said Monday through tears. I just grabbed the bag with some of his favourite things.

The family is now safe, as are their 16 goats and several chickens.

At least 175 structures were destroyed. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant said more than 100 homes burned but didnt have the exact breakdown of residences, businesses and other buildings lost. At least 1,500 more structures were threatened.

The Habitat for Humanity office that burned was raising money to help rebuild homes in nearby communities torched by last years wildfire.

Emotions are still incredibly raw from the Valley Fire, state Sen. Mike McGuire said of the older blaze. I dont think any of us thought wed be back where we are tonight.

In central California, similar conditions led the wildfire near Lake Nacimiento, about 290 kilometres northwest of Los Angeles, to explode from 5 to nearly 18 square kilometres Sunday, Cal Fire spokesman Bennet Milloy said. The blaze shifted north toward the lake, leading authorities to evacuate some residents by boat. It is partially contained.

In Southern California, forecasters warned of high fire danger due to a heat wave and gusty winds.

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PARISThe jihadi employment form asked the recruits, on a scale of 1 to 3, to rate their knowledge of Islam. And the Daesh (also known as ISIS and ISIL) applicants, herded into a hangar somewhere at the Syria-Turkey border, turned out to be overwhelmingly ignorant.

The extremist group could hardly have hoped for better.

At the height of Daeshs drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical recruits included the group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, the recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered The Koran for Dummies and Islam for Dummies from Amazon to prepare for jihad abroad. Their intake process complete Daesh imams came in to indoctrinate them, according to court testimony and interviews.

I realized that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like when you die, who should we call? said the 32-year-old European recruit, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said he thought he was joining a group to fight President Bashar Assad and help Syrians, not Daesh.

The European, whose boyish demeanour makes him appear far younger than his age, went to Syria in 2014. He said new recruits were shown Daesh propaganda videos on Islam, and the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom. Far from home, unschooled in religion, having severed family ties and turned over electronic devices, most were in little position to judge.

An analysis of thousands of leaked Daesh documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days came with only the most basic knowledge of Islam. A little more than 3,000 of these documents included the recruits knowledge of sharia, the system that interprets into law verses from the Quran and hadith  the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

According to the documents, which were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl, 70 per cent of recruits were listed as having just basic knowledge of sharia  the lowest possible choice. Around 24 per cent were categorized as having an intermediate knowledge, with just 5 per cent considered advanced students of Islam. Five recruits were listed as having memorized the Quran.

The findings address one of the most troubling questions about Daesh recruitment in the West: Are disaffected people who understand sharia more prone to radicalization? Or are those with little knowledge of Islam more susceptible to the groups radical ideas that promote violence?

The documents suggest the latter. The group preys on this religious ignorance, allowing extremists to impose a brand of Islam constructed to suit its goal of maximum territorial expansion and carnage as soon as recruits come under its sway.

Daeshs most notorious new supporters appear to have an equally tenuous link with religion. Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel, who killed 85 people by plowing a truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, was described by family and neighbours as indifferent to religion, volatile and prone to drinking sprees, with a bent for salsa dancing and a reported male lover.

Unlike Omar Mateen, the Orlando attacker, Bouhlel did not make a public declaration of allegiance to Daesh. Still, the group was quick to claim both as foot soldiers.

Islam was used to trap me

Among the around 4,030 Daesh entry forms analyzed by the Associated Press were documents for nine young French men from Strasbourg, all recruited by a man named Mourad Fares. One of them, Karim Mohammad-Aggad, described bar-hopping in Germany with Fares. He told investigators that Daesh recruiters used smooth talk to persuade him.

Hed travelled with his younger brother and friends to Syria in late 2013. Mohammad-Aggads brother, 23-year-old Foued, returned to Paris and was one of the three men who stormed the Bataclan in a night of attacks Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.

My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure, Karim Mohammad-Aggad told the court, before being sentenced to nine years in prison. Islam was used to trap me like a wolf, he said.

Daesh data shows Karim and his brother Foued were among eight in the Strasbourg group listed as having basic knowledge of sharia.

Expressing a common sentiment shared by many Europeans of North African descent, Mohammed-Aggad told the court he felt like an immigrant in Algeria and a dirty Arab in France. After just a few months in Syria, he said he left Daesh because he was treated by the extremists as an apostate  someone who had renounced his religion.

When pressed by the judge on his knowledge of sharia and how the Daesh group implements it, Mohammad-Aggad, a former gas station attendant, appeared dumbfounded, saying repeatedly: I dont have the knowledge to answer the question.

One of his co-defendants, Radouane Taher, was also pressed by the judge on whether beheadings carried out by Daesh conformed to Islamic law.

He couldnt say for sure, answering: I dont have the credentials.

Thats where Amazon comes in.

The trial of longtime friends Mohammed Ahmed and Yusuf Sarwar, from the British city of Birmingham, revealed the 22-year-olds had ordered The Koran for Dummies and Islam for Dummies books in preparation for their trip to join extremists in Syria. They were convicted in 2014 of terrorism offences.

Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer with extensive experience with Mideast extremist organizations, said most who join Daesh, including those from the West, are people reaching for a sense of belonging, a sense of notoriety, a sense of excitement.

Religion is an afterthought, said Skinner.

Who Daesh can get to die

The recruits sharia knowledge is important because Daesh not only needs soldiers and suicide bombers, but administrators and sharia officials to oversee its local courts and judges, who in turn promote Daesh ideology.

It also matters because those whove claimed advanced knowledge in sharia on the Daesh entry documents were less likely to want to become suicide bombers, according to a study by the U.S. militarys Combating Terrorism Center, an academic institution at the United States Military Academy.

Despite the religious justification that Daesh uses for suicide missions, those with the most religious knowledge within the organization itself are the least likely to volunteer to be suicide bombers, the report said.

The gay European recruit said he converted to Islam because he was interested in the culture and it was easy.

It only required one prayer and no prior understanding of Islam, he said. There was no hierarchy and it was all about living a good life.

As a convert with almost no knowledge in Islam, he says he was easy prey.

People like me were tricked into something that they didnt understand. I never meant to end up with IS (Daesh).

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YOUNGSTOWN, OHIODonald Trump called Monday for extreme ideological vetting of immigrants seeking admission to the United States, vowing to significantly overhaul the countrys screening process and block those who sympathize with extremist groups or dont embrace American values.

Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted for immigration into our country, Trump said in a foreign policy address in Youngstown, Ohio. Only those who we expect to flourish in our country  and to embrace a tolerant American society  should be issued visas.

Trumps proposals were the latest version of a policy that began with his unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American.

The Republican nominee has made stricter immigration measures a central part of his proposals for defeating Daesh, a battle he said Monday is akin to the Cold War struggle against communism. He called for parents, teachers and others to promote American culture and encouraged assimilation.

Trumps address comes during a trying stretch for his presidential campaign. Hes struggled to stay on message and build a consistent case against Democrat Hillary Clinton, repeatedly roiling the White House race with provocative comments that have deeply frustrated many in his own party.

Clinton has seized on Republican concerns about Trump, highlighting the steady stream of GOP national security experts who say their partys nominee is unfit to serve as commander in chief. She kept up that argument Monday as she campaigned alongside U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden in Scranton, Penn., a working class area where both have family ties.

Biden called Trumps views dangerous and un-American. He warned that Trumps false assertions last week about President Barack Obama founding Daesh  also known as ISIS or ISIL  could be used by extremists to target American service members in Iraq.

The threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks, Biden said.

Trump has since said he was being sarcastic in accusing Obama of founding Daesh. Still, he directly blamed the president and Clinton, who served as secretary of state, for backing policies that unleashed the group, including withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011.

He also challenged Clintons fitness to be president, declaring she lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on Daesh.

Trump was vague about what he would do differently to decimate Daesh in its strongholds in Iraq and Syria. He vowed to partner with any country that shares his goal of defeating the extremist group, regardless of other strategic disagreements, and named Russia as a nation he would like to improve relations with.

Russia and the U.S. have been discussing greater co-ordination in Syria, where Daesh is part of a volatile mix of groups fighting for power. But they have been unable to reach an agreement on which militant groups could be targeted.

Trump also vowed to end our current strategy of nation-building and regime change  a criticism that extends to policies of both parties. He panned the long, expensive Iraq War started under Republican President George W. Bush, as well as Obamas calls for new leadership in some Middle East countries during the pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings.

Obama has held up Bushs years-long commitment to setting up and securing a new government in Iraq after the initial invasion as a reason to avoid U.S. military intervention in countries like Syria.

Trumps most specific anti-Daesh proposals centred on keeping those seeking to carry out attacks in the West from entering the United States. He said attacks involving immigrants or the children of immigrants underscore the need to implement extreme vetting.

Trump aides said the government would use questionnaires, social media, interview with family and friends or other means to vet applicants stances on issues including religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. Trump did not clarify how U.S. officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting.

He did say that implementing the policy overhaul would require a temporary halt in immigration from the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism. He did not identify those regions, saying instead that he would ask the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to do so once he is elected.

We will stop processing visas from those areas until such time as it is deemed safe to resume based on new circumstances or new procedures, Trump said.

Trumps first announced his call for banning Muslims last year during the GOP primary. He introduced a new standard following the June massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, vowing to suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats.

That proposal raised numerous questions that the campaign never clarified, including whether it would apply to citizens of countries like France, Israel, or Ireland, which have suffered recent and past attacks.

Trump had promised to release his list of terror countries soon. His announcement Monday that government agencies would create the list appeared to indicate that would not happen before the November election.

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ANKARA, TURKEYTurkey has summoned officials from Austria and Sweden to protest against news reports and Twitter comments in the two countries relating to a Turkish constitutional Court ruling on child abuse.

Turkey protested to Austria over a news ticker at Viennas airport that claimed Turkey allows sex with children under age 15. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused his Swedish counterpart of spreading lies after she called on Ankara to protect childrens rights through her Twitter account.

Cavusoglu said the reports that appeared in Austria and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroms tweet were a reflection of the racism, anti-Islamic and anti-Turkish (trend) in Europe.

Turkeys constitutional Court last month scrapped an article in the penal code that defined all sexual acts against children as abuse, triggering concern among childrens rights advocates that the move will lead to an increase in child sexual abuse cases.

The court justices voted 7-6 to uphold a local court which argued that all cases should be reviewed individually and that someone who abuses a 4-year-old should not receive the same punishment as someone who has consensual sex with a 15-year-old. The previous law remains in force for six months, giving Parliament time to enact a new law, while childrens rights advocates will seek to have the judgment reversed at the European Court of Human Rights.

Wallstrom tweeted on Sunday: Turkish decision to allow sex with children under 15 must be reversed. Children need more protection, not less, against violence, sex abuse.

A Foreign Ministry official said the Austrian charge daffaires was called to the ministry on Saturday for an official complaint about the distorted headline which appeared on a screen at the airport the same day. The Swedish charge daffaires was summoned on Monday over the ministers tweet, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules. Cavusoglu said he would hold a telephone conversation with Wallstrom later on Monday to complain about the slander and lie.

A ministry statement said Turkey was attached to its international obligations regarding childrens rights and was conscious of its responsibilities. Cavusoglu said the Justice Ministry was working on new legislation that would address the issue of proportionality and insisted there was no legal void that would allow child abuse.

A senior official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said anyone abusing a child right now will receive between eight and 15 years in prison. A new law would make sure that children of all ages will continue to be protected against sexual predators.

The ministry official said the report was removed from the screen at the Vienna airport following the Turkish ambassadors intervention.

Turkey also demanded the removal of another news ticker at the same airport a few weeks ago that said visiting Turkey would amount to supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the ministry said.

Ties between Turkey and Austria have been tense for several weeks, with a top Austrian official saying Turkey was heading toward a dictatorship and other leaders calling for an end to Turkeys European Union membership talks. Turkey, in turn, has described Austria as the capital of radical racism.

European nations have voiced concern over Turkeys massive crackdown on alleged supporters of a religious movement led by U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara claims orchestrated last months violent coup attempt that killed at least 270 people. Turkey has accused European allies of not providing the elected government sufficient support in the face of the attempted coup or its bid to move against the coup plotters.

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Forgive me for this, but when Donald Trump links the rise of Daesh to American foreign policy, hes onto something.

The Republican presidential candidate is wrong, of course, to refer to U.S. President Barack Obama as the founder of the militant group, also known as ISIS.

In fact, Obamas real error regarding Daesh was his initial failure  quickly repaired  to see how effective this particular Islamic terror movement could be.

But American leaders do bear some responsibility for creating the conditions in Iraq that allowed Daesh to thrive.

I say some because the reasons behind Daeshs rise are complicated. They include political and theological disputes within Islam, the failure of strongman secularism in the Arab world and the legacy of European colonialism.

Daesh itself grew out of an organization known as Al Qaeda in Iraq that had been started in 2004 by a Jordanian who cut his teeth fighting in Afghanistan and who called himself Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi.

So perhaps Al-Zarqawi, now dead, should be considered the founder of Daesh.

Or perhaps that award should go to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He took over in 2010 and, after breaking with Al Qaeda, expanded the focus of the terror group to include Syria.

Yet although Al-Zarqawi and al-Baghdadi are the two individuals most responsible for the creation of Daesh, they certainly had some help along the way.

The old Soviet Union should get some credit for its 1979 incursion into Afghanistan to replace a radical Marxist government there with a more mainstream Communist one. That incursion sent the country spiralling into civil war.

A shout-out should also go to the governments of the U.S., Pakistan and Saudi Arabia which, in order to counter Soviet influence, backed radical Islamists in Afghanistan with arms, money and foreign fighters.

Those foreign fighters included a young Al-Zarqawi.

But it is probably former U.S. President George W. Bush who, to use Trumps terminology, should get the Most Valuable Player Award for enabling Daesh.

By invading Iraq in 2003, with little thought as to what he might do later, Bush set in motion the conditions that would allow fighters like Al-Zarqawi to feed off a new war.

The U.S. mistakes in that invasion are now well-known. Its so-called de-Baathifacation program to rid the army and bureaucracy of those who supported the deposed Saddam Hussein regime created an immediate opposition  an opposition soon drawn to militants like Al-Zarqawi.

But there is plenty of blame to go around. The failure of post-Saddam Iraqs Shiite-dominated government to treat the Sunni minority fairly acted as a recruiting poster for Daesh.

Wealthy donors in Qatar and Saudi Arabia reportedly funded Daesh. Turkey turned a blind eye to Daesh militants crossing its border to fight in Syria.

But America has probably made the most dramatic mistakes. Under Ronald Reagan, the U.S. supported fighters in Afghanistan who would eventually attack New Yorks World Trade Center. Under George W. Bush, they created the chaos in Iraq that allowed Daesh to metastasize, even into Canada.

Some Republicans would put Obamas name in this roster. They say that by pulling U.S. troops from Iraq prematurely, he gave Daesh an edge.

My own view is that Obamas reluctance to use American military power to solve complex political problems is well-founded. But his critics correctly point out that, after withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq, he is now gradually building them up again.

So if thats all that Trump meant when he called Obama the founder of Daesh, he had an arguable point.

But of course thats not what Trump meant. He meant to imply that Obama, whom Trump, using the presidents middle name, called Barack Hussein Obama, is a secret Muslim.

Trump, after all, is a key spokesman for the so-called birthers, those American who insist against all evidence that Obama was born in Africa.

The billionaire developers entire electoral strategy is based on being outrageous.

Last weeks imbroglio over Obamas role in Daesh was typically Trumpian. It dominated the news. It gave Trump the chance to make contradictory statements  first, that he was deadly serious; later that he was just funning.

And like his critique of free trade deals, it contained deep, deep down a tiny grain of truth.

Thomas Walkom's column appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Men make me sad. They dont listen to my brisk but heartfelt advice, which is Dont be like women. We women suffer in so many ways but there are particular instruments that men are now being pressured into applying from their scalp to their ankles.

Dont start wearing makeup. Men are doing this, writes the Financial Times of London, because digital photography is wincingly good and photos are everywhere at work now.

Theyre right. I no longer Google for written information, I Google for faces as well. And Google offers every photo of you ever taken, flattering or not, while employers plaster corporate faces everywhere they can. Whatever amorphous thing a company does, delivering integrative solutions or filling fluid management needs, theyre doing it with irrelevantly photogenic staff, i.e., cuter.

Im building up to something horrible. Tony Blair wears foundation. He often wore makeup, even when he wasnt on TV, says the former British PMs ex-friend, the journalist Robert Harris. Donald Trump wears bronzer. My girlfriend once gave Bill Clinton a facial. These guys are working it.

Admittedly, Harris came to detest Blair so much that he wrote a novel in which Cherie Blair had her husband assassinated, but still. Is there anything more damning about a man than that he wears makeup when hes not on TV?

According to the FT, men are wearing the same brands I use. Clinique sells Men Face Bronzer, Tom Ford sells Brow GelComb and Givenchy offers a primer called Mister Smooth. Like the undercoat on a painted wall, primer is what you put on before foundation and powder. Add brow gel and youve got yourself a Joan Crawford.

MAC, where I shop, will soon be selling a man-friendly lipstick. Next, men will be buying my Boldly Bare lip liner and Lipglass, a finishing gloss so sturdy I cant get it off the bathroom counter with acetone.

You think men wouldnt fall for this but they bought Axe Body Spray. Once they start, theyll be as unable to stop as a habitual user of opioids, oh devastated Rust Belt painted lads.

Blair had clearly been told that his skin looked patchy or tired, his complexion uneven. Oh Tony, you are pale, is there trouble at work (his work being to flatter violent foreign billionaires in their Kazakh fortresses). In other words, he has had a taste of what women are told daily about their appearance, that theyre a disgrace so put on the slap.

Slap accretes, just as insults do. Pretty soon Blair will need an hour alone before he leaves the house in the morning. And then hell put on a shirt with a bit of spandex, which fits closely, and then hell need to alter the body to suit the shirt.

Its a slippery slope. The Globe and Mail has written on the changing landscape of the mens dress shirting industry: slim fit, four-way stretch, stay-white non-iron fabric, etc. But what about men who arent slim, for whom four-way stretch is four ways unattractive? Technology doesnt make things more beautiful, it makes things cheaper and nastier.

Shirts used to know their place. Now men will have to live up to their constricting clingy shirtwear while getting lipstick on their own collars. And non-iron fabric is hideous, created by a formaldehyde resin bath that Slate says makes it reek of chemicals and stand as stiff as balsa wood.

Cosmetics and macerated disciplined fabric that fits like a straitjacket, welcome to my world. I will leave men with this.

1. You dont need bumpy abs, but you do need to know how to kill bugs. Girls like that.

2. Men are colouring their hair, which is fine but do leave bits undyed so you have wiggle room. Perfect a sort of windswept grey hairline. Otherwise you are locked into a decades-long relationship with a hairdresser that resembles an affair: expensive gifts, frequent scheduled visits, and you cant see other stylists. They can tell if youve been with someone else.

I dont approve of this male venture into female paint and pain. Next comes facelifts. Feminism is about making male and female lives more even, not making men sick with minutiae: lipstick on your teeth, nails soft, lashes sparse.

Womens lives are an ant farm of judged wrongness. We like you. We dont want that for you.

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Uber recently announced that it would be selling all of its businesses in China to ride-hailing rival Didi Chuxing. According to the Wall Street Journal, the companies will be swapping shares and Uber will receive a 20% stake in Didi in exchange for Didi completely taking over Uber China. While Uber China will continue to exist, it will be run by Didi.

Investors may be wary about the fact that Uber is pulling out of a country as economically important as China, but this is for the best. Uber was losing huge amounts of money trying to break into China, and those losses were a big reason for Uber's lack of profitability. While there are some reasons to be concerned about Uber's long-term prospects, the company will only benefit from pulling out of China and begin preparing for an IPO -- which looks it may happen much sooner than expected.

Problems Doing Business in China

As the Chinese economy grows, Western companies like Uber have tried to take advantage of such a huge market. But what those companies have discovered is that doing business in China as a foreign company is incredibly difficult, in part because the Chinese government makes it hard for foreign companies.

China demands that tech companies must submit to Chinese regulations on censorship, and this has led to controversies when companies like Alphabet's (GOOGL) Google assented. But even after submitting to regulations, Western tech companies find themselves to be the victim of harassment by the Chinese authorities. Companies like Google and Apple (AAPL) have had key licenses denied, court cases held up, and have seen a lack of willingness by the Chinese authorities to go after hackers attacking Western tech companies.

Alphabet and Apple are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. See how Cramer rates the stock here. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells GOOGL or AAPL? Learn more now.

And there are other problems beyond Chinese government interference. Business in China is conducted differently, with a greater emphasis on personal relations. There are also communication difficulties and the fact that China is a totally different business culture. While Uber did try its best to adapt to the culture, it probably should have tried to partner with Didi from the start instead of engaging in a massive battle which saw Uber spend as much as $1 billion per year to subsidize Uber China.

But despite those subsidies, Uber only ever managed to get about 15% of the Chinese ride-hailing market. And while it was never harassed as much as other Western tech companies, it is not unreasonable to believe that the Chinese government would have pressured Uber if it had started beating Didi. These factors all show that while some investors may be disappointed in Uber's decision to pull out, it is the right move.

Time for an IPO?

Uber is out of China, and the company will be better off for it now that it is not losing $1 billion a year. But what are the company's actual prospects going forward?

The big question which Uber has faced for some time is its lack of profitability. Leaked financial documents showed that Uber lost $987 million in just the first half of 2015, so it won't be turning to a profit just from pulling out of China. And while Uber has been able to maintain itself by constantly raising funds from investors, there are questions about how long that can last.

The entire ride-hailing market is still nascent, and there is still uncertainty how this will play out. For example, Tesla has mooted and idea to have a fleet of driverless cars offering ride-hailing services. If this plays out how Elon Musk hopes, it could mean real trouble for Uber.

This means it may be time for Uber to finally go public. Uber needs to go public while investors are still convinced that its revenue will continue to skyrocket as it did in 2015. And while pulling out of China will help Uber's bottom line, investors will naturally worry about how Uber will continue to increase its revenue now that it can no longer tap into the Chinese market.

TheWall Street Journal indicates that Uber plans to launch an IPO at some point within the next 18 months. And while Uber will want to wait until the last moment out of hopes that the company's valuation will continue to increase, it will be in trouble if slowing revenue growth starts to drive more cautious investors away. Too soon is better for Uber than too late.

Be wary of an IPO

An Uber IPO is far from a guaranteed buy. Uber has been able to attract investor funding thanks to high revenue growth, but that will be harder to maintain now that it is out of the Chinese market. And there are questions about its lack of profitability and -- continued government scrutiny.

Pulling out of China is the right move for Uber, but the company does face tough questions about what it wants to do next. But investors should be encouraged by the news and have some reasons to be optimistic about a potential IPO.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held TK positions in the stocks mentioned.
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NEW YORK (TheStreet) --Oil prices are trading higher on Monday morning as investors look to the informal OPEC meeting next month, where it is expected that the cartel will look to freeze production as the global supply glut continues.

Prices popped last week when Saudi Arabia's energy minister Khalid al-Falih hinted that the country would be open to measures that would stabilize the market, the Wall Street Journal reports. Saudi Arabia is the largest producer of OPEC's 14 members.

II Trader senior market strategist Bill Baruch joined Bloomberg TV's "Bloomberg Go" this morning to discuss the oil trade.

"We have a big week ahead, right now is the options expiration for the September contract comes Wednesday. The last day to trade the September futures is Friday, with expiration on Monday," Baruch said.

Baruch pointed out that this is important to note but in order to understand its impact you have to go back and look at what has happened over the last few weeks.

"The market sold off 15% since the middle end of July when the expiration of the August contract hit the tape. Now the market dropped 15%, record short bets were achieved below $40, the RSI got to the lowest level since January and we had a perfect storm of news over the past week," Baruch added.
Background:

Colima volcano is one of the most active in North America and one of the potentially most dangerous ones. It has had more than 30 periods of eruptions since 1585, including several significant eruptions in the late 1990s. Scientific monitoring of the volcano began 20 years ago.The Colima volcanic complex is the most prominent volcanic center of the western Mexican Volcanic Belt. It consists of two southward-younging volcanoes, Nevado de Colima (the 4320 m high point of the complex) on the north and the 3850-m-high historically active Volcan de Colima at the south.A group of cinder cones of probable late-Pleistocene age is located on the floor of the Colima graben west and east of the Colima complex. Volcan de Colima (also known as Volcan Fuego) is a youthful stratovolcano constructed within a 5-km-wide caldera, breached to the south, that has been the source of large debris avalanches. Major slope failures have occurred repeatedly from both the Nevado and Colima cones, and have produced a thick apron of debris-avalanche deposits on three sides of the complex. Frequent historical eruptions date back to the 16th century. Occasional major explosive eruptions (most recently in 1913) have destroyed the summit and left a deep, steep-sided crater that was slowly refilled and then overtopped by lava dome growth.---
A summer Friday in the life of Janine Werkman: Taking a work call in the morning (below) and hanging out poolside with her kids hours later (above). (Christian K. Lee/The Washington Post)

A few summers ago, Paul Mandell noticed that productivity at his events firm fell off a cliff on Friday afternoons.

People would start looking at the clock around 4 p.m. and putting a foot out the door long before 5:30, said Mandell, chief executive of the Consero Group in Bethesda. Instead of talking about work, discussions would shift to best hotels at the beach or where to rent a boat on short notice.

Rather than fight an uphill battle, Mandell decided to embrace what he calls the realities of summer.

As of Memorial Day weekend, the company has joined other area businesses, nonprofit groups and government agencies that allow employees to call it quits early on Fridays during the summer. Workers are free to head home  or to the beach, bar or pool  at 12:30 p.m., five hours earlier than usual.

Friday afternoons are me-time, said David Dorsey, 23, manager of program development at Consero, which organizes invitation-only events for executives. Dorsey spends his downtime getting his hair cut, buying groceries and calling his parents.

(Christian K. Lee/The Washington Post)

It helps jump-start my weekend, he said.

Nationally, about 18 percent of employers offer some variation of summer hours, whether an early close to the week or more flexible work arrangements, up from 15 percent five years ago, according to Edward Yost, a benefits expert at the Society of Human Resource Management in Alexandria.

In the Washington area  where white-collar jobs are more prevalent  as many as one-quarter of employers allow workers to skip out early in the summer, Yost said.

Friday afternoons, as a rule, tend to not be incredibly productive, he said. It makes it more palatable to give your employees a few hours off if you know youre not losing a great deal of productivity between, say, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.

At Consero, the goal of the policy is two-fold, Mandell says: to boost morale and give employees an incentive to stay focused the rest of the week.

The majority of the companys 30 employees work in sales, which means they have set quotas  a certain amount of revenue to bring in each month, for example, or a number of pitches they must make each week  that make it easy for the company to assess an employees output. At the end of summer, executives will be able to measure how much work an employee put in  and how that compares with previous years.

Mandell says its too early to tell how the move has affected productivity but says he thinks the results have been promising. Employees seem happier and more efficient, he said. If it turns out that the early-close helps boost productivity, Mandell says he will consider making it a year-round perk.

I do have to say, personally, I enjoy having the extra time off, he said, even though he often uses the time to catch up on work. Its nice to have a long weekend. Its amazing what it can do for your own personal morale.

At Leading Age, an advocacy group for aging-related services, employees have the option of taking a Monday or Friday off every two weeks, provided they make up those hours on other days. Roughly one-fifth of the companys 84 employees use the perk in a given week, according to Amanda Marr, vice president of communications.

Marr has taken three Fridays off this summer. She spent one traveling to a wedding in Boston and another day in Chicago. But her favorite Friday yet? A day when her 10-year-old daughter was at camp, her partner was at work and she had the house to herself. She spent five hours on the couch watching HGTV and got up just once  to walk the dog.

Theres something about a Friday off thats just so luxurious, said Marr, 43. Its like Haha, its Friday. Im not working, but you are. You dont have to take a huge vacation to feel like youve had some relaxing time off.

Jose Chieng, a landscape architect at HOK in Georgetown, spends summer Fridays holed up in a shed behind his house, restoring old cars. The firm gives him every other Friday off in exchange for 10-hour work days Monday through Thursday.

Every day, for 25 years, Ive had the same routine  go to work, come home  and it gets very repetitive, said Chieng, 65. This is a great break from that.

Oliver Vranesh, an architect at HOK, starts his Fridays by making breakfast and watching The Price is Right.

I really treat myself in the morning, the 29-year-old said. I take my time and make scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, maybe a nice omelet.

At Consero, some use their time off to run errands, while others stick around for rounds of bowling or happy hour with colleagues. When Mandell first announced the new summer policy in a morning meeting, employees clapped and cheered. Many said it was the best perk theyd received.

It was the biggest surprise, and it was so well-received, said Janine Werkman, 47, director of program development at the firm. Werkman spends Friday afternoons at the pool with her five children, ages 10 to 15. Friday is my day to unwind. But by Monday morning, Im ready to come back to work.
The entrance to the South Texas Residential Facility in Dilley, Tex., subject of a $1 billion deal to provide detention facilities for asylum seekers. (Ilana Panich-Linsman/For The Washington Post)

As Central Americans surged across the U.S. border two years ago, the Obama administration skipped the standard public bidding process and agreed to a deal that offered generous terms to Corrections Corporation of America, the nations largest prison company, to build a massive detention facility for women and children seeking asylum.

The four-year, $1 billion contract  details of which have not been previously disclosed  has been a boon for CCA, which, in an unusual arrangement, gets the money regardless of how many people are detained at the facility. Critics say the governments policy has been expensive but ineffective. Arrivals of Central American families at the border have continued unabated while court rulings have forced the administration to step back from its original approach to the border surge.

In hundreds of other detention contracts given out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, federal payouts rise and fall in step with the percentage of beds being occupied. But in this case, CCA is paid for 100 percent capacity even if the facility is, say, half full, as it has been in recent months. An ICE spokeswoman, Jennifer Elzea, said that the contracts for the 2,400-bed facility in Dilley and one for a 532-bed family detention center in Karnes City, Tex., given to another company, are unique in their payment structures because they provide a fixed monthly fee for use of the entire facility regardless of the number of residents.

The rewards for CCA have been enormous: In 2015, the first full year in which the South Texas Family Residential Center was operating, CCA  which operates 74 facilities  made 14 percent of its revenue from that one center while recording record profit. CCA declined to specify the costs of operating the center.

Federal authorities launched a nationwide operation to remove Central American illegal immigrants from the U.S. Here is what you need to know about why agents are targeting this group. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

For the most part, what I see is a very expensive incarceration scheme, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), the top Democrat on the Houses Immigration and Border Security subcommittee. Its costly to the taxpayers and achieves almost nothing, other than trauma to already traumatized individuals.

The Washington Post based this account on financial documents  including copies of the agreements spelling out the Dilley deal obtained from the National Immigrant Justice Center  and interviews with government lawyers and former immigration and homeland security officials.

CCAs chief executive, Damon Hininger, told investors in an earnings call this month that ICE recently has begun pushing for a more cost-effective solution. Those discussions, he said, are in the preliminary stage.

The facility in Dilley  built in the middle of sunbaked scrubland, in what used to be a camp for oil workers  now holds the majority of the countrys mother-and-child detainees. Such asylum seekers, until two years ago, had rarely been held in detention. They instead settled in whatever town they chose, told to eventually appear in court. The Obama administrations decision to transform that policy  pushed by lawmakers assailing the porous state of the nations border  shows how the frenzy of Americas immigration politics can also bolster a private sector that benefits from a get-tough stance.

Before Dilley, CCAs revenue and profit had been flat for five years. The United States population of undocumented immigrants had begun to fall, reversing a decades-long trend, and the White House was looking to show greater leniency toward illegal immigrants already in the country. But under pressure to demonstrate that it still took border issues seriously, the administration took a tougher stance toward newly arriving Central Americans.

This was about the best thing that could happen to private detention since sliced bread, said Laura Lichter, a Denver immigration and asylum attorney who spent months living out of an old hunting lodge in Dilley.

For the first years of the Obama administration, the United States maintained fewer than 100 beds for family detention. But by the end of 2014, the administration had plans for more than 3,000 beds, and immigration advocates said the ramp-up had broken with Americas tradition of welcoming those seeking a haven from violence. At the Dilley facility, detainees described in interviews an understaffed medical clinic and rampant sickness among children, among other problems.

CCA, a Nashville-based public company valued at $3.18 billion, declined interview requests for this story. The company declined to respond to 28 of 31 written questions. It said that ICE oversees medical care at the facility, and the agency said it was comfortable with the quality of care.

CCA is committed to treating all individuals in our care with the dignity and respect they deserve while they have due process before immigration courts, the company said in a five-paragraph statement. Responding to pressing challenges such [as] this  and doing so in a way that can flexibly meet the governments changing needs  is a role that CCA has played for federal immigration partners for more than 30 years.

The Central American asylum seekers were coming mostly from three countries in meltdown  El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras  where gang and drug-related violence have grown so rampant that their murder rates are now three of the worlds five highest, according to U.N. data. By claiming that they feared for their safety, the Central Americans were not subject, as are other unauthorized migrants, to ordinary deportation; they were entitled to press their asylum claims. But Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who oversees ICE, heard from border patrollers that the emergency was brewing momentum: People kept coming because word was out that the United States was granting permisos to new arrivals, allowing them to walk right into the country.

According to lawmakers and administration officials, Johnson determined that the United States could cut down the surge only by demonstrating that asylum seekers wouldnt receive leniency. Johnson won approval from the White House to explore ramping up family detention for asylum seekers on a scale never before seen in America, part of what he called an aggressive deterrence strategy. He ordered ICE to figure out a way to make it work.

This whole thing [was] building and reaching an unsustainable level, said Christian Marrone, then Johnsons chief of staff. We had to take measures to stem the tide.

Fast action

In a matter of days, ICE patched together a temporary solution. In June 2014, it placed the first batch of Central American mothers and children at a law-enforcement training site in Artesia, N.M. The agency pulled border agents off their usual jobs to help run the facility, and it was wary of hiring new employees and building a permanent facility for a problem it didnt know how long would last.

It makes sense that you put some of the risk on a private company, said Mark Krikorian, executive director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors stricter border control.

Thats how ICE made the call to CCA.

The company, founded three decades earlier, had risen from near-bankruptcy thanks to an immigrant detention boom that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Over the following 15 years, the share of revenue that CCA got from federal contracts more than doubled, according to the companys annual reports. CCA and its only major competitor, the GEO Group, operate nine of the 10 largest immigration detention centers.

Through it all, CCA had pitched Washington on the idea that it could be an antidote to big government spending. One of the companys co-founders, Thomas Beasley, told Inc. magazine in 1988 that selling prisons was no different from selling cars, or real estate, or hamburgers. But behind that pitch, CCA was a mega-sized business  one that pays its chief executive $3.4 million and has on its payroll a slew of former senior government officials.

Immigration activists say CCA had already proved itself incapable of running a family detention center. Between 2006 and 2009  the only other major U.S. attempt to house women and children seeking asylum  CCA ran a facility in Taylor, Tex. Children wore prison uniforms, received little education and were limited to one hour of play time per day, according to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed against ICE in 2007 that led months later to a settlement agreement and improved conditions. Months after taking office, Obama closed the facility.

At ICE, officials saw the reboot of family detention as a welcome, if belated, sign of strength on the border. CCA was one of the two companies with the means to pull it off, along with GEO, said Phil Miller, an ICE deputy executive associate director who helps to oversee family detention. It could build a new facility quickly and had a legion of staff members with the right security clearances. (GEO, which referred all questions to ICE, ended up refurbishing a smaller facility.)

In forging their deal, CCA and ICE faced one major hurdle: the requirement for a public bidding process  one that threatened to significantly delay construction. So CCA found a workaround. In September 2014, the company approached Eloy, Ariz., an interstate town of 17,000, and asked its officials if they would be willing to amend its existing contract with the town. The company had been operating a detention center for undocumented men in Eloy since 2006. If Eloy modified that contract  essentially, directing CCA to build a new facility in another state, 1,000 miles away  the federal government would be freed from the bidding process. And by reaching out to a town already involved with the industry, CCA could also avoid the political risks that often come when trying to convince a new locality to build a detention center.

The deal is formed by two separate agreements: One between ICE and Eloy, the other between Eloy and CCA. Both were signed on the same day and refer to the family detention center in Dilley. As spelled out in the contracts, ICE provides the money to Eloy; Eloy, in turn, receives a small administrative fee for being party to the deal.

According to one Eloy official, county records and an account from the time in a local newspaper, the Eloy Enterprise, a CCA executive pitched the opportunity at a city council meeting in September 2014, saying Eloy could profit from the deal by collecting the payout from Washington, receiving a small percentage  roughly $1.8 million over the four years  and then passing the rest to CCA.

At the time, there was some reluctance because of the optics to go along with it, said Harvey Krauss, the Eloy city manager. But I told everybody, were not taking a position; were just a fiscal agent. The federal government was in a hurry and this was an expedited way for them to get it done.

ICE senior leaders signed off on the deal, an official at the agency said.

Mark Fleming, an attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center, who has reviewed hundreds of federal ICE contracts, said the deal was singularly unique and was designed to avoid transparency. The center obtained copies of the financial agreements through Arizona open-records laws and gave them to The Post. Several other experts on federal procurement said that while the government can avoid bidding laws in urgent or national security cases, they had never before seen a facility in one state created with the help of a recycled contract from another.

This is the arrangement of a no-bid contract by twisting and distorting the procurement process past recognition, said Charles Tiefer, a University of Baltimore law school professor, former solicitor and deputy general counsel of the House of Representatives, who reviewed the deal at the request of The Washington Post.

The contract shows how CCA is assured of a predictable payment, collecting a fixed amount of around $20 million per month  even when the facilitys population drops.

A CCA spokesman, Jonathan Burns, said that the company is required by the contract to provide full staffing and other services no matter the population. But, from the governments perspective, the contract becomes less cost-effective when fewer people stay in Dilley. When 2,400 people are detained, the government spends what amounts to $285 per day, per person, according to a Post calculation. When the facility is half-full, as it has been in recent months, the government would spend $570. On some days when the facility is nearly empty, as it was for a period in January, the government would be paying multiples more.

At more than 200 non-family immigration detention sites, most per diems are between $60 and $85, according to an ICE document. The daily cost to detain children is higher, ICE officials said, because the government requires a litany of extra standards such as education courses and medicine for nursing mothers.

Critics say ICE could have chosen much more cost-effective alternatives. Ankle monitors, which could track asylum seekers as they await court dates, for example, cost several dollars per day.

Miller, the ICE official, said his agency didnt push as hard as usual for lower costs because of the immediacy of the need.

If you need an air conditioner today, youre going to pay what the AC guy tells you, Miller said. If its December and you want a new AC unit in place by June, you have more time to research.

The deterrence issue

For the opening of the South Texas Family Residential Center on Dec. 15, 2014, Johnson flew to Dilley and announced that the countrys borders are not open to illegal migration. A U.S. government ad blitz in Central America spread a similar message.

But immigration activists cast doubt on whether the United States is getting what it paid for: deterrence.

Border-crossing among asylum-seeking women and children has changed little from two years ago. Over the previous 12 months, according to government statistics, 66,000 family units  mostly women and children  have been apprehended at the border, compared with 61,000 in the same period two years earlier.

What is the root problem? I dont believe its a pull factor so much as a push, said John Sandweg, a former acting ICE director who left in early 2014, months before the immigration surge. I do not believe that family detention has been a deterrent.

Initially, the government had intended Dilley to hold families for months at a time. But that model has been changed by two court decisions in 2015  one determining that ICE couldnt detain asylum seekers simply to deter others, and one that the government had to abide by a two-decade-old settlement requiring that migrant children be held in the least restrictive environment possible. The judge in that case, Dolly Gee, ordered the government to release children without unnecessary delay, and Homeland Security has so far been unsuccessful in appealing.

As a result, stays at Dilley have shortened. Families are typically released in a matter of weeks, after women pass an initial interview establishing they have a credible reason to fear returning home. Even when Dilley has many empty beds, families sometimes arent detained at all, according to immigration lawyers.

Use of the Dilley facility has become so haphazard, said Ian Philabaum, an advocacy coordinator, that in January it was nearly empty, even as Central Americans were arriving at a steady pace along the Texas border.

Government officials no longer say that the Dilley detention center is for deterrence. But Johnson said at a recent roundtable with reporters that family detention, though it had been reformed considerably, had still been useful for women and children while the government determined whether they had health problems or posed flight risks.

I think we need to continue the practice so were not just engaging in catch-and-release, Johnson said.

In a statement, CCA said it doesnt play any role in the enforcement of detention policies. We house only the detainees that are assigned to us by our government partners, a spokesman said. The basis for and duration of these individuals detention is solely at the discretion of our government partners.

Hininger, CCAs chief executive, said in a release for investors that the company was pleased with its financial performance at the start of the year. Its increase in revenue, the company said, was primarily attributable to the South Texas Family Residential Center.

Priscila Mosqueda contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly said the Corrections Corporation of America declined to comment on the evolution of family detention. A comment, provided before publication, is now included.
The English Teacher is the story of a Mossad operative written by a former Israeli intelligence officer. Its not an autobiography but rather a thriller, based loosely on facts, or as its author, Yiftach Reicher Atir, writes in his introductory note, a true story, of real life operatives that are wholly made up, and actual missions that never happened.

Atir provides an astonishing look at Middle Eastern spycraft. He alerts readers that numerous changes and omissions were imposed by his governments censors. Because a lot of what got into the novel seems plenty revealing and is often hair-raising, one is left wondering what shockers were left out. Also, how much of what Atir (who participated in the 1976 hostage-rescue operation in Entebbe, Uganda) put into the book is actually disinformation meant to throw other Middle Eastern intelligence agencies off track about how the Mossad spy agency actually operates? These are legitimate, intriguing questions that only add to the novels overall mysteriousness and to the many pleasures it offers

The book begins with a startling moment: Operative Rachel Ravid  once Rachel Goldschmitt, sometimes Rachel Brooks  is preparing to vanish.

We see her closing up the apartment of her recently deceased father and basking in the freedom his death has finally provided her. Instead of returning to Tel Aviv and her job in biological weapons research, the 41-year-old is headed elsewhere in the Middle East, and shes not telling anybody where. Impulsively, it seems  though is the act really calculated?  Rachel phones her old case officer, Ehud, now retired from the Mossad, and tells him: My father died. He died for the second time, before abruptly hanging up.

[Best summer thrillers and mysteries of 2016]

Near-panic breaks out in the Israeli intelligence establishment. Falsely announcing the death of her father 15 years earlier was code for Rachels fleeing the unnamed Arab country where she had worked as an English teacher for six years while gathering information on that countrys biological weapons program. Most of the invaluable data she had stolen came from her lover, a sweet, hapless man named Rashid, whose family ran a chemical business. Now it appears that Rachel, overcome with guilt and yearning for the return of lost love, may be headed back to the man she abandoned without explanation years earlier when it looked as if she was about to be exposed. The problem for Israel is that shes carrying a trove of state secrets around inside her head.

The widowed Ehud, brought back to trace and then reason with his renegade former agent, is under terrific pressure. His former colleagues know that he was himself in love with Rachel and may not have been as objective in managing her as he should have been. Nor is it easy for him to accept that Rachel has become such a loose cannon that she may have to be framed or even killed by the Mossad. Atir is straightforward and sometimes graphic in his depictions of Mossad assassinations. Rachel herself was once a party to one, staging an encounter with a German scientist who liked to kiss attractive womens hands and dispatching him with a poisoned glove.

The author Yiftah Atir (Eric Sultan)

Among the many insights of Atirs compelling tale is why people are drawn to this patriotic dirty work. Its not only Zionism that impels men and women to live these highly risky undercover lives. Ehud admits that theres something intoxicating in our work; suddenly its permissible to lie, you can put on an act, and everything is sanctioned by the state. Atir seems to be saying that its wise to be apprehensive about the personalities who choose to live their lives as liars. The people who do it get very good at it, however, and they have to. Rachel is warned before she takes on her original assignment that in the country where shell work half the population are informers and the other half are intelligence targets who have to be watched. Any blunders will lead to her torture and death.

Although Atir never questions Israels overall policies with its neighbors  the countrys survival as a Jewish state is an operational given here  he does portray heartbreakingly the moral toll on the individuals who carry out what recent Israeli governments have deemed necessary for the countrys safety. As in the works of John le Carre and Charles McCarry, here we see that in the day-to-day spy business, its not so much countries that are in danger but individual human souls.

Richard Lipez writes the Don Strachey PI novels under the name Richard Stevenson.
A Greenland shark slowly swims away from a boat in northwestern Greenland. A new report says this species of shark is Earths oldest living animal with a backbone. (Julius Nielsen/Via AP)

In the cold waters of the Arctic, a creature of the deep lurked for centuries. Now scientists calculate that this female Greenland shark was the Earths oldest living animal with a backbone.

They estimated that the gray shark, part of the species named after Greenland, was born in the icy waters roughly 400 years ago and died only recently. That conclusion puts the entire species at the top of the longest-living-animal list.

Using an unusual dating technique, an international team of biologists and physicists estimated the age of 28 dead female Greenland sharks based on tissue in their eyes. Eight of the sharks were probably 200 years or older and two probably date back more than three centuries, according to a study published last week in the journal Science.

Until now, that record holder was a bowhead whale that hit 211 years old, according to study lead author Julius Nielsen.

The oldest of the Greenland sharks examined was nearly 16 feet long and estimated to be 392 years old when it was caught about four years ago. But that calculation comes with a huge margin of error  plus or minus 120 years  due to the newness of the dating technique, said Nielsen, a marine biologist at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

A Greenland shark swims near the surface after its release from a research vessel. Scientists have estimated that one of the sharks they examined was nearly 400 years old when it died. (Julius Nielsen/Via Reuters)

That means the shark was probably born sometime between 1500 and 1740 with the most likely birth year 1620.

Its an estimate. Its not a determination, Nielsen said. It is the best we can do.

Scientists are confident the shark would have been at least 272 years old when it died, so it still would be the longest-living animal with a backbone, Nielsen said. Other experts agreed.

Joao Pedro Magalhaes, a University of Liverpool aging researcher, said he wouldnt necessarily concentrate on exact numbers, especially when they are more than 400 years.

But the study is convincing enough for us to say that these animals live way longer than human beings and possibly longer than any other vertebrate, said Magalhaes, who runs AnAge, an animal longevity database. He wasnt part of Nielsens team.

Some animals without backbones live longer. A clam lived 507 years, and two types of sponges are said to survive for 15,000 and 1,500 years.

While not surprised that Greenland sharks live a long time, Im really shocked by the magnitude of that longevity, wrote Christopher Lowe, director of the shark lab at California State University at Long Beach. He wasnt part of the study, but said it was creative and compelling.

Greenland sharks love cold water  preferring temperatures near freezing  and are all over the Arctic. The cold water and the slow metabolism that comes with it might have something to do with their long lives, Nielsen said. Lowe, in an email, said the rule of thumb is deep and cold = old when it comes to fishes.

I dont know why they get as old, but I hope someone will find out, Nielsen said.


A historic stone barn at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park in Sandy Spring, Maryland, has been turned into a visitor center. (Photos by Marylou Tousignant)

The smell of newly cut yellow pine wafts through the three-story stone barn in Sandy Spring, Maryland. Its a pleasant aroma on a scorching summer day, but an odd one, too, because the barn is nearly 200 years old.

The wood replaced some beams and flooring and was used to make exhibits and benches for the historic barn. The building is the new visitor center at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park.

For a long time, visitors to the parks fancy brick manor would ask about the large stone building out front, which was closed to the public. That gave park officials an idea. Why not fix up the barn and tell the larger story of Woodlawn  about the Quakers who lived there in the 1800s, the black people who worked there, and the nearby Underground Railroad, which led many slaves to freedom?

This was the Cadillac of barns back in the day, said Mark Thorne, who oversees educational programs at Woodlawn and bubbles with excitement over its history. Indeed, the large bank barn, which means it was built into a hillside, is unique in Montgomery County. And in all of Pennsylvania, where the design comes from, only nine such barns remain.



Short films shown on the barns rough stone walls tell the story of the Quakers who lived there and the risks that slaves took to escape.

Woodlawns barn was built in 1832 for William Palmer. He belonged to a Christian group known as Quakers. Quakers were anti-slavery, but Palmer went against the groups teaching and kept 13 slaves at Woodlawn. They worked alongside free blacks, tending animals and crops and looking after the Palmers, who had 10 children.

From left, Jason Altneu, Diana Bernard and Leona Ripple listen to program manager Mark Thorne explain how the barn was built.

Animal stalls have been re-created on the barns first floor. The second level displays short videos on the rough stone walls in which costumed actors talk about Quakers, slavery and the risks associated with trying to escape on the Underground Railroad. The barns top level focuses on farming a large plantation and has displays of tools and crops.

Super cool was Leona Ripples reaction. Im a complete history geek, the Gaithersburg 13-year-old said. It would have been interesting to live back then because everything was still developing, and you could see our country come together.

Brendan Martin, 10, of nearby Derwood, thought life probably would have been very hard because your parents either owned slaves or youd be a slave.

Escaping slavery is the theme of Woodlawns two-mile Underground Railroad Experience Trail. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of people and places that led to freedom in the North. The railroad was quite active in Maryland, where slavery existed until 1864.

Trail hikers learn how escaping slaves used bramble patches, hollow trees and other natural features to guide them. It was very dangerous. By law, people were required to report any sighting of a slave, and slave catchers patrolled the fields and woods.

If you saw a runaway and didnt turn them in, you got put in jail, said Jason Altneu, 11, of Derwood. Even kids faced hard decisions about escaping slaves. Asked what she might have done, 12-year-old Diana Bernard of Rockville said, I would probably have tried to avoid seeing any.
Republican U.S. Presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks to the media before a campaign event at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, U.S., Aug. 1, 2016. REUTERS/Eric Thayer (Eric Thayer/Reuters)

Donald Trump says he wants the news media to stop being crooked, dishonest and  his favorite word  rigged.

What he really seems to want is for journalists to stop doing their jobs, which is to examine the backgrounds of candidates and hold them to the truth.

As many reporters have toughened their questioning in recent weeks, and as his campaign has struggled under one self-inflicted disaster after other, the Republican nominee has squealed ever louder.

Based on every complaint Trump has made, he doesnt understand what journalisms role in our democracy is supposed to be. It is not, of course, shilling for Donald Trump  or any other candidate.

The attacks have an unmistakable whiff of desperation, and they are surely meant as a distraction and as a hearty helping of red meat to his political base.

Many of his objections, naturally, have been expressed in tweets  @realDonaldTrumps favorite form of direct-to-the-people communication.

Here are just three examples from the past few days:

On the role of the press in a democracy: My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.

On the power of the press: 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%.

On the definition of a free press: 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.

But what would the founders and some of the nations great constitutional thinkers say? If they could rise from the graves in which theyve no doubt been rolling, fetch their smartphones, indulge in a little too much Madeira and hold forth on Twitter, theyd have a lot to say, with no trouble keeping to the character limit.

@TJeffersons tweet storm might begin: Choose a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government? I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

Then doubling down:

Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.

And, unstoppable: Freedom of the press is . . . first shut up by those who fear the investigation of their actions.

Supreme Court Justice @HugoBlack would have retweeted that and added his own sentiment: Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.

What about the notion that the press should be helpful, not mean, to Mr. Trump?

Debate on public issues should be uninhibited. . . . It may well include vehement, caustic, & sometimes unpleasantly sharp attacks, Supreme Court Justice @WilliamBrennan would have ruled.

@JamesMadison, who authored the First Amendment  a pithy piece of writing if there ever was one, although well over 140 characters  also wrote that free speech is the only effectual guardian of every other right.

From all I can tell, he never offered even a single character, no matter how much Madeira was poured, about puffing up a candidates poll numbers.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Crown Heights Riots, three days of sporadic violence, protest, and destruction that placed Crown Heights in the international spotlight and laid bare deep, bitter divisions between the neighborhood's black and Lubavitch Jewish communities.

Gothamist spoke to people who were thereactivists, journalists, police, and politiciansabout their recollections of the events of August 19-21, 1991, which were sparked when a black child was killed and his cousin seriously injured by a driver in the motorcade of Lubavitcher Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. We also spoke about what happened before the riots, and where the neighborhood is today.

Each day this week, we'll be running edited excerpts of our conversations. This mini oral history is not an attempt to offer an authoritative or comprehensive account of what happened during those three days. That would require a book, or several books. (The Girgenti Report, commissioned by then-Governor Mario Cuomo to analyze what happened, clocks in at 616 pagesif you're interested in the chronology of events, the Daily News did a solid write-up.) Rather, these are a series of snapshots.

The people with whom we spoke offered different, at times conflicting, narratives of what happened. When their recollections about the chronology or nature of specific events significantly diverged from published accounts we've judged to be reliable, we've noted these discrepancies and linked to relevant accounts.



Intersection of Utica Avenue and President Street, where the crash that killed seven-year-old Gavin Cato occurred. (Scott Heins / Gothamist)

Gothamist: When you think of the riots, what's the first thing that comes to mind?

Errol Louis

Errol Louis is the host of Inside City Hall on NY1. He has written for the New York Sun, the Daily News, and Our Time Press. In 1991, he was living in Crown Heights, working for a nonprofit and freelancing as a journalist.

On one level, the actual riots were just a variation on what was an overall very tricky time to be living in that neighborhood. There was a lot of crime. We later found out that not only was there the street crime that we were all contending with, but there were epic levels of police corruption that were going on in the same precinct, in the 77th Precinct.

I live on the north side of the parkway, which is Black Crown Heights, but in some ways it's more like southern Bed-Stuy. There were a lot of problems. People hung together and lived through it, and we've all got war stories now. But at that time, I remember thinking it was just the craziest part of a very crazy situation.

I remember when it started, and it was like a hush came over the neighborhood. Either you went and got involved, in which case it was completely insane, or you just toughed it out and hung back. I was definitely in the latter category. When I saw and heard what was going on, I decided to just stay away. I figured there was nothing productive or useful that I could do.

But it was very hard to look at the news and see what was being televised to the whole world, and realize that this was like four blocks from my house.

The iconic scene that I remember is that on the north side of the parkway, you have black folks. On the south side of the parkway, you had Jews. In the middle, were the cops in riot gear. The two sides were flinging projectiles over the heads of the cops at each other. That's just an image and a memory that I have of the height of the chaos.

Philip Gourevitch

Philip Gourevitch is an author and journalist. At the time of the riots, he was New York bureau chief of the Forward. He is a staff writer for the New Yorker.

I'm pretty sure that I heard about it in the night, that it had just gone off, and I went out there first thing in the morning. I had just started working as a reporter covering New York City at the Forward. What I remember most vividly as the first impression was simply getting on a subway in Little Italy on Spring Street in Manhattan on a hot summer morning with SoHo types going off to work around me and going the other way out to Brooklyn, out to Eastern Parkway, where you came out of the ground barely 20 minutes away into this urban riot scene.

There were burnt cars around, there were police lining Eastern Parkwayrioters on one side of them, Hasidic community on the other in a sort of siege mentality. It was a pretty agitated situation. Everybody tried to get their minds around what had just exploded and, of course by then Yankel Rosenbaum, the Jewish student who was set upon by a gang of black kids shortly after the car accident had died in the hospital. There was also the feeling that this was much more than a riot about neighborhood frictions.

I remember seeing this crowd coming up the street and at the front of the crowd there were some guys carrying a big banner saying "Hitler didn't finish his job." In my notebooks I've got a guy shouting at me, "It's the black Hitler who's coming this time."

News report on the first night of the riots.

Ife Charles

Ife Charles is the Center for Court Innovation's coordinator of anti-violence programs, including the Save Our Streets programs in Crown Heights and Bed-Stuy. At the time of the riots, she was working at a hospital and living in East New York.

I was young. I was 25. My mom lived on Union Street, a couple blocks away from where all this had taken place. The thing about communities is that something can happen on one block, and it will be unbeknownst to the other block for the other areas. When I came to my mom, everything was okay. It seemed as though there wasn't even a riot going on.

However, a few blocks away, there was definitely a change or a smell or a feel in the air that was not settling. It was anger, it was pain, it was disbelief, it was frustration. Some people were trying to make it calm, like Richard Green.

Mayor David Dinkins

David Dinkins served as mayor of New York City from 1990-1993. He is a professor in the practice of public policy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

People, sometimes when they discuss Crown Heights, they speak of it as though there was several days of rioting culminating in the death of Yankel Rosenbaum. That was not the way it happened.

When the car in the Rebbe's motorcade lost control and went up on the sidewalk and struck those two children, and word went out that the ambulances had come and taken away the whites and left the blacks to die. That was not true, not at all true, but that's the word that went out, resulting in a roving band of young blacks who attacked Yankel Rosenbaum, a divinity student from Australia. He was stabbed, and I visited him in the hospital. The doctors thought he was going to recover, but they had overlooked a second wound even though the ambulance attendants had noted it. Sadly, he died.

There followed rampant rioting, and the word was that I, David Dinkins, the mayor, had held back the police and permitted blacks to attack Jews in their homes. This was not so. It was just inaccurate. There is nothing worse than being falsely accused. Ed Koch called it a pogrom.

It was sad, but what people ought to think about when they think of Crown Heights is the death of those two people.

Rabbi Shea Hecht

Rabbi Shea Hecht is the chairman of the National Committee for Furtherance of Jewish Education. At the time of the riots, he was living in Crown Heights and working for the committee.

When I think of the riots, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that night after night, the city was out of control.

I had some frame of reference to remember the riots in the sixties, to now a riot taking place in the 90s. The real question that came about was, 'How and when is this going to end?'
Ruth Reed with her niece's daughter, Audrey, 20, who she raised as her own since Audrey was 3 years old. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Ruth Reed waited years for answers in the death of her niece, whose partially nude body was left in the stairwell of a D.C. apartment building in 1997.

Reed grieved for Deborah McKinney. She raised McKinneys daughter, who was barely 3 when McKinney was slain. And she had faith that police would find the killer.

In 2010, it seemed like the journey was nearly over after authorities announced that DNA evidence had linked a man who had lived in the city to the slaying. But the legal case dragged on for six more years.

The wait finally ended Monday, when the man who killed McKinney was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. John General, 52, was an acquaintance of McKinneys who worked maintenance jobs. He had lived with his mother in the District and racked up several assault charges over the years.

Im so happy it is over, Reed, a petite, effervescent 79-year-old, said after the hearing. I never gave up hope.

Deborah McKinney is seen in this undated photo. (Family PHoto)

She said the family always believed we would get justice.

Deborah McKinney, who was 38 when she was killed, had spent seven years in the Army and was stationed in Fort Jackson, S.C. She was honorably discharged in 1987. When she returned to Washington, she was different, her family said. She got involved in drugs and lived her life on D.C. streets.

At the sentencing, Judge Lynn Leibovitz said General preyed on McKinney because she was voiceless and vulnerable, someone who seemed invisible in society.

These deaths are extremely saddening, the judge said.

McKinneys brother Aaron, who was at the sentencing hearing, said his sister had struggled to find her way. McKinney left her young daughter with her aunt but visited often, relatives said.

Regardless of what choices she made, she did not deserve this, Aaron McKinney said.

Cold cases are among the most challenging for authorities to solve. D.C. police assigned two of their then-most-experienced cold-case detectives, Kenneth Todd Williams and Anthony Brigidini. The detectives also worked on another, higher-profile cold case, the killing of former federal intern Chandra Levy, who disappeared in 2001 and whose remains were discovered a year later in Rock Creek Park.

Audrey McKinney, 20, studies for the Prince George's Volunteer Fire Department recruitment test in Upper Marlboro, Md. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Unlike the Levy murder, McKinneys name was not in media reports as detectives searched for her killer. Levy had had a romantic relationship with her congressman from California.

A man who had admitted attacking other women in the park was eventually charged in Levys death, but charges against him recently were dropped after prosecutors said they did not have enough evidence for a conviction.

In McKinneys case, authorities had evidence they lacked in the Levy killing: DNA. They finally got a match and arrested General in 2010.

All cold cases are difficult, but when you get DNA evidence, it makes it a much stronger case. Thankfully we got a DNA hit, said Williams, 49, who is nearing retirement from the force after nearly 27 years. Williamss longtime partner, Brigidini, has retired and was not at the hearing.

In 2014, after a trial in D.C. Superior Court, a jury found General guilty of second-degree murder in McKinneys slaying. All that remained for McKinneys family was Generals sentencing, which was scheduled three months later.

But that sentencing was delayed for two years after Generals attorney put forward concerns about the DNA evidence.

The defense noted that the D.C. crime lab had had problems with the analysis of samples that included DNA from more than one person. Generals attorney argued that his client should get a new trial because he thought the evidence linking Generals DNA to McKinneys killing might have been compromised.

[DNA testing suspended at D.C. forensic lab after errors found results]

Over the course of several court hearings, prosecutors proved that they used a lab in Virginia to review the DNA results, not the Districts lab that was under scrutiny. Leibovitz ultimately determined that the DNA evidence was reliable and denied Generals request for a new trial.

In court, prosecutors have outlined some details of McKinneys final days. Prosecutors said McKinney had smoked crack cocaine with General and another man at an apartment building in the Districts Mount Vernon neighborhood in November 1997, a few days before she was killed.

They said she met up again with General in the building, at 930 M St. NW. Based on the injuries to McKinneys body, prosecutors said they think General raped her and then either smothered or choked her. McKinney had bruising on her face and neck. During the struggle, prosecutors said, McKinney fought back, and General bled on her shirt.

McKinneys body was found the morning of Nov. 26.

In their sentencing memo, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharon Donovan and Adrienne Dedjinou said General discarded McKinneys body like an unidentified piece of garbage, presuming that he had gotten away with murder.

During Mondays hearing, Reed wiped away tears as Donovan described how experts testified during the trial that it took General about two minutes to kill McKinney after cutting off her oxygen.

Before sentencing General, Leibovitz asked him whether he had anything to say. Standing in shackles next to his attorney, General said, Not really. Then he added, I will repeat: I am innocent.

Absent from the sentencing was Audrey McKinney, Deborah McKinneys only child. Reed said she didnt want the young woman, now 22, to hear the details of her mothers death.

During an earlier interview, Audrey McKinney said she doesnt remember anything about Deborah McKinney, her mama. But the young woman  who strongly resembles her mother  keeps a poem her mother wrote her a year before she was killed.

Happy Second Birthday to my Baby. I love you deeply special one. Look upon this picture as the years go by. No it is not you, you see. But it is I. You are mine. I am yours. Forever and ever. No doors closed.
THE DISTRICT

Maryland man killed in Southeast shooting

A man was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said.

Gary Thompson, 19, of Suitland, Md., was fatally wounded in the 1300 block of V Street SE about 12:30 p.m., police said Sunday.

No information was available about any motive or suspect.

 Martin Weil

Man injured in early Sunday stabbing in Southeast

A man was stabbed early Sunday in Southeast Washington, D.C. police said.

The stabbing occurred shortly before 1 a.m. in the 200 block of Oakwood Street SE, police said. The victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.

The incident is under investigation, and the name of the victim was not released.

 Mary Hui

Man fails to rob bank, rides off on a bicycle

A man tried to rob a D.C. bank Friday afternoon, during one of the hottest hours of the recent heat wave.

Police say the man passed a note at the Wells Fargo branch on M Street SE, just around the corner from South Capitol Street.

The note asked for money and threatened the lives of customers in the bank, police said.

However, they said, for some reason he left empty-handed and was last seen outside on M Street, riding off on a bicycle.

 Martin Weil

MARYLAND

Motorcyclist is illed in Route 50 crash

A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Route 50 in Bowie on Sunday morning, authorities said.

The crash occurred just before 8:30 a.m. in the area of the Church Road overpass, according to the Prince Georges County Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.

The crash is under investigation, and the victim, a man, has not been identified.

 Mary Hui

VIRGINIA

2 injured in McLean drive-by shooting

Two people were injured in a drive-by shooting in McLean early Sunday, Fairfax County police said.

The two victims sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were able to drive themselves to a hospital, police said. No other details about the victims were released.

Police said the shooting, which occurred shortly after 4 a.m., appeared to be an escalation of an altercation between several people at a party in Arlington County late Saturday or early Sunday.

According to police, one group had left the party in a vehicle, and when it reached the intersection of Dolley Madison Boulevard and Kirby Road, another vehicle pulled alongside it and fired multiple shots. Two occupants in the first vehicle were wounded, and the unidentified shooter in the second vehicle fled the scene.

Detectives, K9 teams and a police helicopter responded to the shooting.

Officials said detectives from the Major Crimes Division are vigorously investigating the shooting.

Anyone with information regarding the incident should call the Fairfax County Police Department at 703-691-2131 or the Fairfax County Crime Solvers at 866-411-8477.

 Mary Hui
BLOOD DONATIONS

BLOOD DRIVES Tuesday 3-7 p.m., Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Rd., Leesburg, 866-256-6372; Friday 1:30-6 p.m., St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg, 800-733-2767; Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Leesburg Public Safety Center, 65 Plaza St., Leesburg, 800-733-2767.

INOVA BLOOD DONOR CENTER Mondays noon-8 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Fridays 6 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays noon-4 p.m. Dulles Town Center, 45745 Nokes Blvd., Sterling. 866-256-6372 or inova.org/donateblood.

FIRST AID

FIRST AID/ADULT, INFANT AND CHILD CPR/AED Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Medical Office Building, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $85. Registration required.

HEARING

DISABILITY RESOURCE CENTER Technical assistance through the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and presentations to businesses, civic groups and schools. Third Tuesdays 2-5 p.m., Workplace, 205 Keith St., Warrenton. Call for an appointment, 800-648-6324; TDD, 540-373-5890. Free.

FREE HEARING TESTS Age 18 and older. Mondays-Thursdays 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. 703-858-7620. Registration required.

HEARING LOSS, TINNITUS AND MENIERES SYNDROME SUPPORT For all ages, including parents of children with hearing loss. First Fridays at 2 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2906.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING Age 18 and older, second Tuesdays 10 a.m., Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400.

HEARING LOSS OUTREACH Free referrals. Fourth Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Loudoun County Workforce Center, 102 Heritage Way, Leesburg; third Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Free appointments: 703-430-2906 or nvrcloudoun@aol.com .

MENTAL HEALTH

COUNSELING FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVIVORS Provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice. 703-771-9020.

CRISISLINK Suicide and crisis intervention. The organization provides community education, has a volunteer crisis response team and offers CareRing, a daily telephone outreach program for the elderly and disabled. 703-527-6016, volunteer@crisislink.org or crisislink.org.

PIEDMONT CHAPTER, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS Serves Fauquier, Orange, Madison and Rappahannock counties. Support group, education classes and events for people living with mental illness and their family members. First Wednesdays 7-9 p.m. Fauquier Hospital, 500 Hospital Dr., Sycamore Room A, Warrenton. 571-426-8213.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA CHAPTER, NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS A support group, classes and programs for people living with mental illness and their family members. naminorthernvirginia.org.

PREGNANCY, PARENTING

ADOPTIVE FAMILY PRESERVATION Adoptive families discuss common experiences; registration required. Third Tuesdays 12_2 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd. Call 703-941-9008, Ext. 23, or email jmellario@umfs.org.

BABY CARE ESSENTIALS Aug. 25, 6-8:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. Register. $25.

BIRTHRIGHT OF LOUDOUN COUNTY Free pregnancy tests, baby clothing, transportation and support throughout pregnancy, 823 S. King St., Leesburg. 703-777-7272.

BOND BETWEEN US A nonprofit organization that offers support to birth parents when children have been placed for adoption. Fourth Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. Call for location. 703-771-7844.

BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT Mondays 9:30-10:30 a.m., Fauquier Hospital Family Birthing Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588.

DAD SUPPORT New and expectant fathers share ideas. First Tuesdays 7 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg. 703-858-6360.

FOR THE CHILDRENS SAKE A group for separating or divorcing parents to share advice. Four-hour session weekly. Information : 703-391-8599 or fitsfoundation.org.

LA LECHE LEAGUE Mother-to-mother support and breastfeeding information. 10 a.m. second Wednesdays in Warrenton, 540-351-6103. Third Fridays 10:15-11:45 a.m., call for location, 703-444-7386. Second Fridays 10:15 a.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Rd., 703-431-3852; Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon, Panera Bread, 43670 Greenway Corp. Dr., Ashburn, email lllashburn@gmail.com. Third Fridays 10:15 a.m., Christ the Redeemer Church, 46833 Harry F. Byrd. Hwy., Sterling, 540-338-4637.

LOUDOUN FATHERHOOD PROGRAM Fathers discuss the joys and challenges of being a parent. Meets every other Saturday for two hours for four months; sponsored by Northern Virginia Family Service. 571-748-2796. Free.

LOUDOUN NURTURING PARENTING PROGRAM Positive parenting techniques; children attend with parents. Registration required. Call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27, or email nurturingprogram@lcsj.org . Free.

MOTHERNET/HEALTHY FAMILIES LOUDOUN Program links first-time parents with medical, social and educational resources to give children a socially and physically healthy start in life. Family support workers meet with participants in homes. English-Spanish translation provided. 703-444-4477, Ext. 217 , or inmed.org.

NEW MOTHERS SUPPORT Wednesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m. Inova Loudoun Medical Pavilion, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg, main entrance. Babies welcome. 703-858-6360.

YOUNG PARENT SERVICES Support for teenage parents. Loudoun County Department of Family Social Services, 52 Sycolin Rd., Leesburg. Call for times. 703-771-5375.

ONLINE CHILDBIRTH EDUCATION PROGRAM Inova Loudoun Hospitals Web-based program uses animation, videos and interactive activities to guide users through the basics of childbirth, breastfeeding and caring for newborns. 703-858-6360. thebirthinginn.org/classes.

PARENTING ALONE GROUP For parents of school-age children who have lost a spouse or partner to cancer. Second Tuesdays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-698-2536 or email jennifer.eckert@inova.org .

PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH SUPPORT Childbirth Solutions Resource Center, 8393 W. Main St., Marshall. 571-344-0438.

SENIORS

EXERCUSE EQUIPMENT: Weights, treadmills, bikes and a cardio-glide. Instruction provided. Age 55 and older. Weekdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

FITNESS FOR PEOPLE 55 AND OLDER Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 1-1:45 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 571-258-3400. $36, 12-visit card.

EYE CARE LensCrafters staff members will clean glasses and make minor repairs. Second Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 703-430-2397. Free.

INOVA LOUDOUN MOBILE VAN Blood pressure checks. Second and fourth Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling, 571-258-3280; first Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon, Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

LAUGHING YOGA FOR SENIORS I mprove flexibility and balance. Thursdays 9:30-10 :30 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

LOUDOUN ADULT DAY CENTERS For seniors with physical limitations or memory loss, a safe and social environment, therapeutic activities, individualized care and respite for caregivers. Limited transportation. Sliding-scale fees. Weekdays in Leesburg, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., 703-771-5334; Purcellville, 571-258-3402; and Ashburn-Sterling, 571-258-3232.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Senior Center at Cascades. First and third Wednesdays 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Sign up in the Leesburg Senior Center lobby. Second and fourth Thursdays 11 a.m.-noon and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

SENIOR OUTREACH SERVICES Free and confidential assistance from an Area Agency on Aging Elder case manager. Call for an appointment or sign up at the Carver Center. First and third Mondays, 12:30-5 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 703-737-8741. Free.

ZUMBA: For people 55 and older who are learning Zumba for the first time, or those who prefer a lower-impact version. The fitness program combines Latin and international music with dance.Thursdays 11 a.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. 571-258-3280. $12.

TAI CHI Stretching and strengthening movements. Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039. Free.

ZUMBA GOLD CLASS Age 55 and older. Wear rubber-soled shoes and comfortable clothing; bring water and a towel. Tuesdays 11 a.m., Tuesdays and Fridays at 1 p.m. Senior Center of Leesburg, 102 North St. NW, Leesburg. 703-737-8039. $24 per month.

SUPPORT GROUPS

AL-ANON SERVICE CENTER OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA A volunteer is available 24 hours with information for spouses, family members and friends of problem drinkers. 703-534-4357 or 877-339-8350. Mondays 8 p.m. Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 125 W. Washington St., Middleburg, 540-554-2747; Tuesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg, 877-339-8350; Fridays 8:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 6507 Main St., The Plains, 800-344-2666; Tuesdays 12:15 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, Route 29 N., 540-347-7448; Tuesdays 7 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 p.m. Warrenton Presbyterian Church, 91 Main St., 800-344-2666.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Various meeting times and locations in Loudoun County. 800-208-8649 or 703-876-6166. nvintergroup.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT For those who care for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Fourth Wednesdays 4-5:30 p.m. The Villa at Suffield Meadows, 6735 Suffield Lane, Warrenton. 540-316-3800.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVERS SUPPORT For those caring for people with Alzheimers disease and other forms of dementia. Second Mondays 7-8:30 p.m. Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-430-9229. galileeumc.org.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT Emotional, educational and social support for family members and friends of people with the disease. Third Saturdays 10 a.m. Loudoun County Area Agency on Aging, 20145 Ashbrook Pl., Ashburn. Call 703-771-5407 or email lesley.katz@loudoun.gov.

ALZHEIMERS CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP Fourth Thursdays 3-4 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. 540-903-6831 or alz.org.

ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT First Tuesdays 10-11 a.m. Spring Arbor Assisted Living, 237 Fairview St. NW, Leesburg. 540-338-6520.

ALZHEIMERS SUPPORT First Wednesdays 4 p.m. Leesburg Adult Day Center, 16501 Meadowview Ct., Leesburg. 703-771-5334.

TALK ABOUT CURING AUTISM A nonprofit organization educating and supporting families affected by autism. tacanow.org.

AUTOIMMUNE SUPPORT Last Thursdays 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jackson Building, 209 Gibson St., Leesburg. Email autoimmunesupport@hotmail.com .

BEREAVED PARENT SUPPORT One-on-one counseling is available. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT For those experiencing loss because of the death of a loved one. Age 18 and older. Third Mondays 1 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-957-1800.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT Fourth Tuesdays 7-8 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Tower, Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-0588.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT For those with new diagnoses or starting treatment. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT For those who have finished treatment, have had a recurrence or metastatic breast cancer. Register if attending for the first time. Fourth Mondays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8857. Free.

BREAST CANCER SUPPORT ASSISTANCE FUND Loudoun County residents who have received a diagnosis or have undergone treatment in the past 12 months are eligible to apply for financial assistance. Areas included are wigs, bras, puffs and prostheses, mammograms and medical bills, food and help with utilities, rent or mortgage, and transportation costs. The Pink Assistance Fund has been established by the Loudoun Breast Health Network. lbhn.org.

CANCER SUPPORT Oncology nurses, social workers and spiritual care providers offer education and support to patients, families and caregivers. Second Mondays 5:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2273.

CANCER SUPPORT Life with Cancer, for patients, family members and friends. Second Thursdays 7 p.m. Ashburn Presbyterian Church, Room 202, 20962 Ashburn Rd. 703-729-2012. ashburnpresbyterian.org.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT AND RESOURCE GROUP Wednesdays 10:30 a.m.-noon (no meeting first Wednesdays), Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. scsm.tv.

CARING FOR AGING PARENTS Support group. Confidential. Fourth Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Family Focus Counseling Service, 20-B John Marshall St., Warrenton. 540-349-4537.

CHADD PARENTS SUPPORT For parents of children with ADD/ADHD. Fourth Sundays 3 p.m. KinderCare, 44051 Ashburn Village Shopping Plaza. chadd.nova loudoun@gmail. com .

CHRONIC ILLNESS SUPPORT Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 a.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministries, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814 or scsm.tv.

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION: Support for those discouraged because of illness, bereavement, caregiving or a loved one in the military. Thursdays 10 a.m.-noon. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS For parents who have experienced the death of a child. First Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. St. James Episcopal Church, 14 Cornwall St. NW, Leesburg. 540-882-9707.

CREATING AND CONNECTING Two-hour art therapy and relaxation workshop for cancer patients. Every other month, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-858-8850.

DEPRESSION BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE OF WESTERN LOUDOUN Saturdays 3 p.m. Purcellville Library, 220 E. Main St., Carruthers Room. Call 703-431-7160 or email kathy@dbsanca.org.

DROP-IN GRIEF SUPPORT For those coping with a death. Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2 p.m. St. Davids Episcopal Church, 43600 Russell Branch Pkwy., Ashburn. Sponsored by Capital Caring. 703-597-1781.

FAMILIES OVERCOMING DRUG ADDICTION SUPPORT First and third Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Sycamore Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-9221 or email myfodafamily@gmail.com.

GRIEFSHARE Open to anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one. Tuesdays from 7-8:30 p.m. Purcellville Baptist Church, 601 Yaxley Dr., Purcellville. Call 540-338-0918 or email caring@purbap.org . Workbook, $15.

GAY, LESBIAN, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER YOUTH AND PARENT SUPPORT A group in partnership with Metro DC PFLAG. Fourth Sundays 4-6 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Church, 22135 Davis Dr., Sterling. 703-328-6518.

GRIEFSHARE Nondenominational seminar and support group. Tuesdays 7:30-9 p.m., and Wednesdays, 1-2:30 p.m. Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814. Free.

GRIEF SUPPORT Sponsored by Hospice Support of Fauquier County. Individual counseling available. First and third Thursdays 3:30-5 p.m. Hospice Support Office, 42 N. Fifth St., Warrenton. Registration required. Call 540-347-5922 or email hospicesupport@verizon.net.

GRIEF SUPPORT Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon, Spiritual Care Support Ministry Center, 76 W. Shirley Ave., Warrenton. 540-349-5814.

HOSPICE SUPPORT Free medical-equipment loan facility for Fauquier County residents. Especially needed are donations of wheelchairs, bedside commodes, rolling walkers, electric hospital beds, shower benches and chairs, adult diapers, lift chairs, Ensure and hospital bed mattresses. 540-347-5922.

LOOK GOOD, FEEL BETTER For women undergoing or emerging from cancer treatment. Every other month, 6:45 to 9 p.m. ,Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Call for dates. 703-776-2820. Free.

LOUDOUN CHADD SUPPORT Led by Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Leesburg Town Hall, lower-level conference room, 25 W. Market St. 703-669-2445.

LOUDOUN INTERGROUP OF OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS Fellowship and support. For locations and times, call 571-420-2012. oa.org.

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT Fourth Sundays 2-4 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Conference Room A and B, Leesburg. Go to natcaplyme.org or email loudounlymeadvocates@gmail.com.

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Warrenton Church of Christ, 6398 Lee Hwy. Access Road, Warrenton. 540-347-7265 or email lymeinfauquier@gmail.com.

LYME DISEASE SUPPORT First Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville. Email charphealy@yahoo.com.

MADD LOUDOUN VICTIM SUPPORT For those who have been affected by drunken driving. Third Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. 210 Wirt St., Leesburg. 540-338-6491.

MAN-TO-MAN CANCER SUPPORT Sponsored by Loudoun Cancer Care Center, for prostate cancer patients and their families. Second Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling. Call 703-858-8857 or email karen.archer@inova.org.

MENDED HEARTS Northern Virginia chapter, for heart surgery patients and families and friends of heart disease patients. Third Saturdays 11 a.m., Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (Patient Information Lounge) . 703-924-6244 or mendedhearts200.org.

MENOPAUSE SUPPORT Third Thursdays 6:30-9 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg (second floor, Patient Education Room). 703-858-8060.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT Saturdays 10:30 a.m. Fauquier Hospital Chestnut Room, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-349-2826.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SUPPORT Last Sundays 2-4 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Pl., Potomac Falls. 703-771-4256.

NAR-ANON FAMILY SUPPORT For those affected by loved ones with addiction. Meaningful Mondays, 7-8 p.m., Galilee United Methodist Church, 45425 Winding Rd., Sterling. 703-203-9792; Wisdom Wednesdays 7-8 p.m., St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, 37730 St. Francis Ct., Purcellville, 703-606-7125; Serenity Thursdays, 7-8 p.m. Leesburg Presbyterian Church, 207 W. Market St., Leesburg, 703-606-7125.

PARKINSON'S SUPPORT Open to anyone with Parkinson's disease, family members and caregivers. First Tuesdays 1:30-3 p.m. Call for Ashburn location. 571-442-8851.

POST-PARTUM SUPPORT Second and fourth Wednesdays 1-2:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Cornwall Campus, 224 Cornwall St., Leesburg. 703-909-9877. Email lamckeough@gmail.com. Registration required.

REACH TO RECOVERY Home visit program for mastectomy and lumpectomy patients. Temporary prostheses, exercise instruction and encouragement. 703-938-5550.

SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INCEST SURVIVORS GROUP COUNSELING Services provided by Loudoun Citizens for Social Justice and the Loudoun Abused Womens Shelter are free and confidential. 703-771-9020.

SEXUAL ASSAULT SURVIVORS EMPOWERMENT SUPPORT Sponsored by Sexual Assault Victims Volunteer Initiative. Child care available with 48-hours notice. Mondays; call for times and locations. 540-349-7720.

SPIRITUAL SUPPORT GROUP For cancer patients, family members and friends. Third Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. 703-858-8850.

STROKE SURVIVORS AND CAREGIVERS SUPPORT Second Wednesdays 11 a.m.-noon, Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second floor, Patient Education Room. 703-858-6667 or robynthomson@inova.org.

SUICIDE COUNSELING Third Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. Leesburg Town Office, Conference Room 2, lower level, 25 W. Market St., Leesburg. 703-587-1618 or survivorsofsuicidelossleesburg@gmail.com.

WOMENS SUPPORT Sponsored by Services to Abused Families. Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Confidential location. 540-825-8876.

WIDOW AND WIDOWER SUPPORT Third Mondays 11 a.m. Leesburg Senior Center, 102 North St. NW. 703-737-8039.

WOMENS CANCER SUPPORT Woman to Woman, first Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital Radiation Oncology Center, 44035 Riverside Pkwy., Suite 100, Leesburg. Registration required. 703-858-8850.

MISCELLANEOUS

BRAIN TRAUMA SURVIVORS BROWN BAG LUNCH For survivors and caregivers, first Tuesdays, noon-1:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riverside Pkwy., Leesburg, second-floor Patient Education Room. Call 703-737-3150 or email jberg@braininjurysvcs.org. Free.

CHILD DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENINGS For ages 2-5. Children may not be kindergarten-age-eligible. Sponsored by the Loudoun County public schools Child Find Center. 571-252 - 2180.

CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGS Weekdays 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Fauquier Health LIFE Center, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-2640. Registration required. $35.

EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLIES Loudoun residents who are in need can receive a free three-day supply of groceries. Supplies are distributed Mondays through Saturdays by Loudoun Interfaith Relief. 703-777-5911. interfaithrelief.org.

FAUQUIER FREE WALK-IN MEDICAL CLINIC Patients must call Thursdays from 12:30 to 1 p.m. to register for the clinic, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Patients are also seen by appointment Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Fauquier and Rappahannock residents only. Bring proof of address for the first visit. Patients cannot have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance. Information: 540-347-0394 Tuesdays or Thursdays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

FAUQUIER HOSPITAL BISTRO SENIOR SUPPER CLUB Nutritious meals and fellowship for people 55 and older. Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30-6:30 p.m. Fauquier Hospital Bistro on the Hill, 500 Hospital Dr., Warrenton. 540-316-3588. $5.49.

HEROES (Hometown Enabling Relationships, Opportunities and Empowerment through Support) is a program for military families. A trained volunteer provides support to military members and their families, from pre-deployment up to two years post-deployment. Assistance includes financial help, job placement, family care and mental health services. heroescare.org or email caring@purbap.org .

INOVA LOUDOUN HOSPITAL MOBILE HEALTH SERVICES BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENINGS Monday 9-11 a.m., William Watters House, 22365 Enterprise St., Sterling; Thursday 11 a.m.-noon, Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville; Aug. 23, 9 a.m.-noon, Senior Center at Cascades, 21060 Whitfield Pl., Sterling; Aug. 25, 10 a.m.-noon, Carver Center, 200 Willie Palmer Way, Purcellville; Aug. 31, 10 a.m.-noon, Lansdowne Woods, 19400 Leisure World Blvd., Leesburg. For information, call 703-858-8818 or go to inova.org/mobilehealth. Free.

LOUDOUN CARES INFORMATION AND REFERRAL HELP LINE Call for help in finding resources for county residents who are dealing with rent eviction, utility cut-offs, needed health care, employment and more. 703-669-4636.

MOTOR SKILL SCREENINGS Birth to 21 months. First Thursdays, Blue Ridge Speech and Hearing Center, 19465 Deerfield Ave., Suite 201, Lansdowne. Call for an appointment. 703-858-7620. Free.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA LONG-TERM CARE OMBUDSMAN Call for help in resolving complaints related to long-term-care facilities. 703-324-5861.

ROAD TO RECOVERY For cancer patients who need rides to appointments. 410-781-6909. Email jen.burdette@cancer.org. Free.

SAFE SITTER CLASSES For girls and boys ages 11-14. First Saturdays except for holiday weekends. 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Inova Loudoun Hospital, 44045 Riveerside Pkwy., Leesburg. To receive a Safe Sitter Certificate, students must pass practical and written tests on babysitting concepts and handling an emergency. Take a lunch from home or buy lunch in the cafeteria. $70, includes handbook and snacks during the day. Registration required. Call 703-858-8818 or email charlene.martin@inova.org.

SEVEN LOAVES FOOD PANTRY Individuals and families can receive a three-day supply of food, distributed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10 a.m.-noon. 540-687-3489 or sevenloavesmiddleburg.org.

TREE OF LIFE FOOD PANTRY Serving western Loudoun County. Food is delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays. 703-554-3595.

 Compiled by Sandy Mauck

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Loudoun County and Fauquier County health calendar
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Peak Harvest Health as a Minnesota Grower. The companys CEO also operates a marijuana business in Minnesota but Peak Harvest Health is based in Maryland. The article also contained incorrect information about the initial rankings of the two businesses which were moved out of the top 15 before preliminary licenses were granted. The initial rankings of those two companies has not been released by state marijuana licensing officials. This version of the article has been updated.

George F. Johnson IV, former Anne Arundel County Sheriff and Maryland Superintendent of the Department of Natural Resources, has changed his mind about the benefits of medical marijuana. He is now the director of security for Forward Gro Inc, which on Monday received state approval to grow marijuana. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post)

Thirty businesses have won approval to grow and process medical marijuana in Maryland, regulators announced Monday, putting life into the industry more than three years after lawmakers legalized the drug for medical use.

Several of the winning applicants have political ties  with major donors or high-ranking officials on their teams  including a company that hired the Maryland lawmaker who was the driving force behind the tightly regulated program.

State officials received an unexpectedly large number of applications from entrepreneurs who want to jump into the legal marijuana business. Maryland, which along with 24 states and the District has legalized the medical use of the drug, is considered a lucrative area of opportunity because it has few restrictions on who can buy the drug and limits how many businesses can participate. Patients probably will not be able to obtain medical marijuana until summer 2017 because dispensaries have not yet been approved.

Some of the cultivation and processing winners have high-ranking law enforcement officials on their teams, including two previous heads of the state Natural Resources Police, which is tasked with eradicating illegal marijuana cultivation in state forests. The head of the state police union also is involved with one of the approved applicants.

[Growing medical marijuana can be big business in Maryland. Heres who wants in.]

The Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission chose 15 growers from nearly 150 applicants, and it chose 15 of 124 processors who applied to turn the marijuana plants into pills, oils and other medical products. Seven organizations received approval to both grow and process the drug.

The businesses must pass another round of background checks and a facility inspection before they are formally licensed to operate. Regulators have not yet awarded licenses to dispensaries where patients could get marijuana, and state officials are considering more than 800 applications for as many as 94 licenses, limited at two per state Senate district.

The field of applicants to grow and process marijuana included companies that recruited former law enforcement officials to guard their operations, growers from other states, and some with political ties. The identities of individuals involved with the companies were redacted from application materials in an effort to avoid the appearance of favoritism.

Of the 15 companies cleared for cultivation, at least eight have ties to marijuana industries in other states, including Colorado, New York and Illinois.

One of the politically connected companies is Doctors Orders. The group hired Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D-Baltimore County), the legislatures top sponsor of medical marijuana legislation, to serve as clinical director of an affiliated dispensary.

Morhaim drew scrutiny from good-government advocates and rival medical marijuana companies for his involvement with an applicant, which he did not publicly disclose as he addressed regulators about the program and shepherded legislation to expand who can recommend marijuana for medical use.

Morhaim has said he followed the law throughout the process and cleared his dual roles with the General Assemblys ethics adviser.

Prominent developer and restaurant operator Jeff Black runs Doctors Orders, with involvement from Brian Vicente and Christian Sederberg, partners at a Colorado law firm that advises marijuana-related businesses. Glenn Weinberg, a former executive from the Cordish Companies and the prominent developer that owns Maryland Live Casino, also is part of the group.

Other companies that won approval to grow or process marijuana include:

Forward Gro LLC, which was approved to grow marijuana in Anne Arundel County, has the countys former sheriff George F. Johnson IV as its security director and includes Gary Mangum, chief executive of Bell Nursery and a prominent Republican donor close to Gov. Larry Hogan (R).

Holistic Industries, which includes a former top state health regulator and the current head of the state police union on its team, won approval to operate a growing and processing facility In Prince Georges County. The company is run by Josh Genderson, the fourth-generation owner of D.C. liquor store Schneiders of Capitol Hill, and former University of Maryland Medical School dean Donald Wilson. Also participating is Nelson Sabatini, the former head of the state Department of Health and Mental Hygiene who currently chairs a state regulatory commission.

Sunmed Growers, which was approved to operate in Cecil County, is led by Jacob J. Van Wingerden, president of a production company that sells wholesale potted plants to large retailers.

MaryMed LLC, which won approval to grow in Dorchester County, is run by Minnesota grower Kyle Kingsley. Kingsleys company, Vireo Health, is one of just two businesses licensed to grow in Minnesota, and also won a coveted license to grow in New Yorks competitive market. State regulators in New York and Minnesota have investigated the company based on allegations from a former employee that it transported marijuana across state lines.

Michael Bronfein, a health-care executive and major donor to Democratic candidates, leads companies that won approval to grow and process marijuana in Baltimore County.

The Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University managed the evaluation of applications, recruiting subject-matter experts to review and score materials. State-appointed members of the cannabis commission had the final say in approving businesses for involvement in marijuana production.

[Marijuana advocates frustrated by slow pace of medical pot program]

The commission initially agreed to award the planned 15 cultivation licenses to the applicants with the highest scores, regardless of their location in the state. But a last-minute motion from commissioner Harry Robshaw moved two applicants out of the top 15 and moved up two lower-scoring applications to ensure that the companies approved to grow marijuana were more evenly distributed across the state.

The commission has not said how the winning applicants were ranked. Companies that did not win approval are not permanently shut out of the market, and the commission can award more licenses if supply falls short of demand. Some winners may choose to merge with other companies with state approval, giving them the option to, in effect, sell their rights to grow. The commission must approve mergers and could veto them if a prospective team member is found to have a criminal background or history of financial troubles.

Some of the most notable losing applications include: GTI Maryland, which had former U.S. Capitol Police chief and Senate sergeant-at-arms Terrance W. Gainer as its security director and former Baltimore Ravens tackle Eugene Monroe as an investor, and CBH Ventures, a team of former state troopers turned activists against drug laws.

Some well-financed companies with out-of-state ties also faltered in their bids, including Peak Harvest Health, which is run by a Minnesota marijuana grower, and New York health-care company Alternative Medicine Maryland.
Quilting will be one of the skills taught at the Waterford Heritage Crafts School. (Tracy A. Woodward/The Washington Post)

A new school opening in Waterford asks people to step away from their screens for three days and focus on learning traditional crafts and skills.

The Waterford Heritage Crafts School will offer its first classes Friday through next Sunday, giving students a chance to receive a hands-on introduction to archaeology or to learn how to restore antique windows, make quilts or mix and apply lime mortar.

The school is an initiative of the Waterford Foundation, a 73-year-old organization that was created to help preserve the 18th-century village in western Loudoun County. Foundation officials hope that the school, based at the Waterford Old School on Fairfax Street, will attract students who are looking for alternatives to social media, online games and endless screen time.

The more and more virtual our world becomes, we really need to get back to experiencing life hands-on, rather than through a screen, the foundations director, Tom Kuehhas, said. People really want to get back to experiencing things firsthand.

Kuehhas said that learning has been part of the foundations annual Waterford Fair since it began in the 1940s, with local people teaching others about their crafts. Over time, the fair has drawn more vendors and artisans from other areas, but teaching has remained an important part of the foundations mission, he said.

To this day, vendors who are artisans are required to spend half their time teaching their trade or craft, he said.

Kuehhas hopes that the school will build on the success of the fair, which will be Oct. 7 to 9 this year.

The fair is wonderful, but is only one long weekend per year, he said.

The Waterford Heritage Crafts School will open with four classes for adults and mature teenagers, offering about 10 hours of instruction over the three-day span. Tuition is $300 for each class.

David Clark of the Loudoun Archaeological Foundation will teach a class on the craft of archaeology. Waterford contractor Tim McGinn will lead a course on antique window restoration, focusing on the villages historic Second Street School.

Stonemason Allen Cochran of Lincoln will teach an introductory course on lime mortar, focusing on how mortar is made, mixed and matched for use in restoring historic brick and stonework. Brenda Ashley and Ceil Karvellas of the Waterford Quilters Guild will lead a class on applique quilting.

The classes will follow the folk-school model, which emphasizes noncompetitive education with no tests or grades, Kuehhas said.

People are hungry for the style of education provided by folk schools, said Carol Voigts, a member of the Folk Education Association of America, a network of more than 40 folk schools across the country. The educational concept originated in Denmark in the 1800s and was embraced by influential American educators such as John Dewey, Voigts said.

Its not a folk school because it might teach you folk craft, folk art, folk dance or folk music, said Jan Davidson, director of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C., one of the oldest and largest folk schools in the country. Its a folk school because its saying, Hey folks, heres your school. So no matter who you are, or what your prerequisites are, this is a school that should have something for you.

The underlying principle is that its a school for folks, and to bring folks together, Davidson said. And its primary purpose . . . is to provide experiences in community and noncompetitive education.

This type of education is particularly appealing to the younger generations that have become increasingly dependent on cellphones, Davidson said.

Its becoming more obvious to more people that life has got to be made out of more than just moving your thumbs around, he said, adding that the concentration required in learning traditional crafts is the exact opposite of multitasking.

You absolutely tune out everything in the world except the enjoyable thing youre doing right now, Davidson said. Its the intense concentration that elevates your spirit, makes you feel really good and, I think, makes you momentarily sane.

The Waterford Heritage Crafts School is starting small, with just one weekend of classes this year. Kuehhas expects that the foundation will schedule classes over four weekends next year, with the hope that the school will grow from there. He said he thinks that the school is particularly well suited to Waterford, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.

Using this National Historic Landmark village as a backdrop is really unbeatable, he said. Its the perfect setting for it.
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Updated at 4:45 p.m. A 50-year-old Virginia man was killed early Monday when he lost control of a motorcycle he was operating as he headed into the District on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, according to District police. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight The victim has been identified as James Greene of Catlett, Va. Police said he suffered head injuries and was pronounced dead at George Washington University Hospital.

Police said the accident occurred about 4:45 a.m. when Greene, operating a 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle, skidded and collided with a bridge railing. Police said Greene flew off the motorcycle and struck his head on the pavement. No other vehicles were involved.

Investigators have not determined why Greenes motorcycle apparently skidded.

The accident forced authorities to close several lanes on the bridge during the morning rush hour, causing significant delays coming in from Arlington.

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Updated at 8:23 a.m.

All lanes on the inbound side of the Roosevelt Bridge have now reopened, authorities said. But drivers should expect delays and are warned to allow extra time.

All lanes now reopened but traffic is still impacted throughout County. Allow for extra travel time this AM. https://t.co/PB0STkXvGi  ArlingtonCountyPD (@ArlingtonVaPD) August 15, 2016

It was not clear what caused the crash and the persons identity has not been released at this time.

#UPDATE: ALL LANES OPEN on Roosevelt Bridge following deadly motorcycle accident https://t.co/eWw6MqGsD4 pic.twitter.com/tnuzYAhPU0  FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) August 15, 2016

Updated at 8:09 a.m.

One of the inbound lanes along the Roosevelt Bridge at the District and Virginia border has reopened after an earlier fatal motorcycle crash.

UPDATE: Inbound Roosevelt Bridge now has Lane 1 open . stay to the left.  DC Police Traffic (@DCPoliceTraffic) August 15, 2016

Updated at 7:12 a.m.

The fatal motorcycle crash at the Roosevelt Bridge at the District and Virginia border is causing a ripple of traffic delays throughout that part of the region.

Sb GW Pkwy is jammed from 123 towards Roosevelt Bridge bc of accident investigation #VAtraffic pic.twitter.com/bYoBntkPsh  IE IGT (@thejuliewright) August 15, 2016

The inner loop of the Capital Beltway is slower than normal, drivers reported, in the area just north of Tysons Corner.

Beltway inner loop very slow from north of Tysons to Clara Barton Pkwy. VDOT camera shows traffic nearing Legion Br. pic.twitter.com/v4KZ6ZFCFO  Dr. Gridlock (@drgridlock) August 15, 2016

Updated at 6:16 a.m.

Police said a motorcyclist died after an earlier crash on the Roosevelt Bridge that leads from Virginia to the District. The inbound lanes of the bridge are closed as authorities investigate the crash.

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Drivers are advised to find other ways through the area. It is not clear when the roadway will reopen.

ICYMI Eb Roosevelt Bridge blocked w crash No access from 66, 50 or GW Pkwy Traffic diverted @ 110 TFN #VAtraffic pic.twitter.com/XQD056xecJ  IE IGT (@thejuliewright) August 15, 2016

The motorcyclist was not identified, pending notification of family. The person was pronounced dead at a hospital.

UPDATE: Motorcyclist pronounced at hospital following accident on Roosevelt Bridge. Inbound lanes shut down 4 investigation. Seek alt routes  DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) August 15, 2016

Original post at 5:20 a.m.

The inbound side of the Roosevelt Bridge coming from Virginia into the District is closed Monday morning. It is not clear how long the bridge will be closed. There was an earlier crash involving a motorcycle.

It was also not known whether anyone was injured. The outbound lanes of the bridge are open.

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Jeffrey E. Thompson leaves the William B. Bryant Annex at the U.S. Courthouse on Monday following a sentencing hearing in Washington. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

Jeffrey E. Thompson, the political donor behind the illegal financing of Vincent C. Grays 2010 mayoral bid, was sentenced to three months behind bars after a federal judge on Monday rejected arguments from prosecutors who sought only home confinement for the former District government contractor.

Those prosecutors cited Thompsons extraordinary cooperation in the long-running investigation that uncovered $2.5 million in illegal spending on local and federal campaigns, and attorneys for Thompson, 61, had noted that the once-prominent city contractor never wavered in his candor and suffered professionally and personally because of the investigation.

But U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said six months of home confinement was not sufficient punishment for a 12-year stretch of campaign finance offenses punctuated by a last-ditch effort to obstruct federal investigators by shredding documents, creating false invoices and instructing a key accomplice to leave the country.

He was the leader, organizer, and mastermind of this conspiracy, she said, adding that she wanted potential offenders to think very carefully before engaging in similar offenses.

The judge also ordered that Thompson serve 36 months probation and pay a $10,000 fine. He was released Monday and will report to serve his sentence at a later date.

Jeffrey E. Thompson leaves the William B. Bryant Annex at the U.S. Courthouse on Monday following a sentencing hearing in Washington. (Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post)

In court, Thompson apologized to his family, friends and the community. My parents always taught me at an early age to tell the truth, no matter the consequences, he said. One can only accept responsibility with a clear conscience.

Thompson declined to comment after the sentence was imposed.

[Jeffrey Thompson: A timeline]

His sentencing Monday helps bring to a close a nearly five-year investigation that began with reports of financial misconduct within Grays successful 2010 mayoral campaign. A half-dozen people directly related to that campaign have since pleaded guilty to federal charges.

The probe also revealed illegal spending by Thompson on the 2006 D.C. mayoral race and a host of D.C. Council races, as well as several congressional campaigns and Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential bid.

In some cases, he funneled money from his companies through friends and relatives who acted as straw donors and gave donations directly to candidates. In other cases, he funded parallel shadow campaigns that undertook voter registration drives or get-out-the-vote efforts but did not report their spending to campaign finance authorities as required.

When Thompsons cooperation became public in March 2014, prosecutors expected him to help them prove that Gray knew about the 2010 shadow campaign. Thompson and his associate Jeanne Clarke Harris told investigators that Gray personally asked Thompson for the $653,000 in off-the-books funding, according to court records.

In December 2015, the Districts newly appointed U.S. attorney, Channing D. Phillips, shut down the investigation without charging Gray, saying there was likely insufficient evidence to bring criminal charges against anyone else.

Gray has vigorously denied any knowledge of the illegal spending. He has launched a successful political comeback: The former mayor is poised to rejoin the D.C. Council after winning the Democratic primary for the Ward 7 seat in June. He declined to comment Monday through a spokesman.

Grays allies and other D.C. political observers have cast doubt on the decision by Phillipss predecessor as U.S. attorney, Ronald C. Machen Jr., to cut a plea deal with Thompson  who admitted to engaging in corrupt political dealings dating back to 2000  in an apparent bid to prosecute a sitting mayor.

D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), a professor of criminal law at George Washington University, said Monday the investigation has been largely positive in revealing corruption. But she said prosecutors had made entirely too cozy a deal with Thompson while allowing relatively minor figures to suffer more serious consequences.

His corruption and criminality was so pervasive and so corrosive of politics here that the very fact that he was rooted out was of great benefit to the city, Cheh said of Thompson. But the prosecution should have been proportionate to the criminality that was discovered ... It certainly merited more given the extensiveness of his corruption.

Prosecutor Michael Atkinson argued in court Monday that Thompson did a significant public service by admitting his own schemes and exposing a broader culture of crooked elections in the District.

We decided we could not bring the shadow campaign into the light of day without Mr. Thompsons acceptance of responsibility and his complete cooperation, Atkinson said. Mr. Thompson has held up his end of the bargain.

Thompson did so in a no-nonsense manner, he added, meeting with prosecutors on 17 occasions in what were often day-long debriefing sessions.

Neither Atkinson nor Thompsons attorney dwelled on the reasons Thompson never did appear on a witness stand.

In a court filing last month, prosecutors said for the first time that they could not rely on Thompson as a witness in a potential case against Gray because of other evidence they uncovered about Thompson. The information, prosecutors said, could have been used to weaken Thompsons credibility on the witness stand.

The Washington Post revealed that the broader campaign finance probe was stalled for months as investigators questioned witnesses about the ages of Thompsons sexual partners to determine whether he had committed a crime.

[Case against ex-D. C. mayor stalled over claims witness had credibility issues]

The U.S. attorneys office said in its July filing that investigators were not able to corroborate the most serious allegations about Thompson and decided not to bring additional criminal charges against him.

Had Thompson not cooperated and gone to trial, he could have faced seven years in prison.

The favorable terms of the plea deal for the man behind the shadow campaign have been a source of controversy. Other defendants connected to the conspiracy have objected to what they called uneven punishment for lower-level participants.

Vernon Hawkins, a longtime political adviser to Gray who helped design the Thompson-funded off-the-books campaign, was sentenced to six months in prison in May. Thomas Gore, a top campaign aide to Gray, also was sentenced to six months for campaign finance violations and a felony obstruction of justice charge.

Kollar-Kotelly was the sentencing judge for Hawkins and Gore, and she is set to preside over the sentencing hearing for Harris later in September.

Both the prosecution and defense lawyers traced Thompsons rise from poverty in rural Jamaica to his work as a self-made businessman who would build one of the nations largest minority-owned accounting firms and a health-care company that won a $300 million-a-year contract to manage health care for poor D.C. residents.

Those businesses both rose or fell based on Thompsons relationships with government officials; Kollar-Kotelly concluded that his motive to engage in rampant political corruption was overwhelmingly one of self-interest.

Atkinson described Thompson as a kind of criminal entrepreneur who took an existing culture of corruption and made it bigger and more pervasive. He recounted how he explained his practice of donating to politicians he despised by quoting from The Godfather: Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

Thompsons reputation and his business portfolio are now in shambles. A pre-sentencing report cited in court found that Thompson is now heavily in debt, his $3 million in assets outweighed by some $4 million in liabilities. But the judge also said Thompson has income coming in and determined he would be able to pay a fine.

Atkinson argued the public spectacle of Thompsons downfall did more than any prison sentence would to deter future political wrongdoers.

If the Districts culture of crooked elections has finally come to a close, Mr. Thompson may have helped more people through his downfall than he did through his rise, Atkinson said.
A 5-year-old girl died in a four-vehicle crash on I-66 that authorities said was caused by a chain reaction Monday morning, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman said.

The girl, Nayla P.R. Mitchel, of D.C., was a backseat passenger in one of the cars involved, said Corrine Geller, a spokeswoman for Virginia State Police. Her parents were seriously injured in the 9:07 a.m. collision.

[Fatal crash closes part of I-66 westbound]

Geller said the fatal accident happened in the westbound lanes of I-66 near Haymarket.

Traffic was slowing along the highway when the driver of a 2012 Nissan Titan pickup failed to break and hit a 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt that was traveling in front of it, according to a State Police press release.

The Chevrolet Cobalt hit a vehicle in front of it, which then struck the vehicle in front of that vehicle, the release said.

The 5-year-old was secured in a booster seat in the backseat the Chevrolet Cobalt, said Geller. She said the girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

The girls parents  Simone E. Rhodes, 26, and Gerald S. Mitchel, 34, both of D.C.  were flown to an area hospital with serious injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the release. The release said Rhodes was driving the car, and both she and Mitchel were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.

Geller said the driver of the Nissan, whom authorities identified as Dustin D. Skidgel of Markham, was charged with reckless driving. He was taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The drivers of the last two vehicles involved in the collision were treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Geller added that the cause of the crash remains under investigation. All westbound lanes were shut down after the fatal chain reaction. Lanes reopened by 1 p.m. Monday.
THE DISTRICT

5 hurt as firetruck, car, collide in NW

Five people in a car were injured Monday night when the vehicle and a firetruck collided in Columbia Heights.

The truck was responding to the report of a fire when the crash occurred at Monroe Street and Holmead Place NW, fire officials said.

 Martin Weil

Va. man is killed

in motorcycle crash

A motorcyclist was killed early Monday when he lost control on the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge, D.C. police said.

Police said James Greene, 50, of Catlett, Va., skidded and struck a bridge railing.

 Peter Hermann

In video, ofcer lifts woman off her feet

A Twitter video depicting a black woman being lifted off her feet by a D.C. police officer is under investigation, police said Monday.

Weve been made aware of the video and contacted [the] commanding officer, said Rachel Schaerr, a department spokeswoman.

The video was first published Monday afternoon on Twitter and was retweeted more than 3,000 times in four hours.

The womans name and age, and the names of the officer who lifted her and of a second officer who was there, could not be learned.

In the 45-second video, the womans shoulders are held against a police cruiser by an officer while her sneakers dangle above the ground. She carries a bag and a green notebook as the officer holding her says: Yes, you did. I saw it. The officers race is not clear in the video.

 Victoria St. Martin

Teen is arrested in

McDonalds shooting

A youth was arrested in connection with the Friday shooting in a bathroom of a McDonalds at Verizon Center.

The youth, 15, was arrested Saturday, and charged with assault with intent to kill. He was being charged as a juvenile.

The shooting occurred in the restaurant in the 600 block of F Street NW. Police said the victim, 25, was hit in the face. He was in serious condition at a hospital. Police said they do not think the attack was random.

 Peter Hermann

VIRGINIA

Girl, 5, killed during four-car crash on I-66

A 5-year-old girl was killed Monday on Interstate 66 in a four-car crash, a Virginia State Police spokeswoman said.

Nayla P.R. Mitchel of Washington was in a booster seat in the back seat of one of the cars involved in the Haymarket-area crash, police said.

 Victoria St. Martin

Deputy reported in hospital shooting

Fairfax County police were investigating what they called a reported shooting Monday night involving a sheriffs deputy at Inova Fairfax Hospital.

The incident was reported about 10 p.m.
Police officers in Milwaukee move forward as protesters throw rocks at them on a second night of unrest over the police shooting of a black man. Police said one person was shot at a protest Sunday evening, and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim.

Aug. 14, 2016 Police officers in Milwaukee move forward as protesters throw rocks at them on a second night of unrest over the police shooting of a black man. Police said one person was shot at a protest Sunday evening, and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim. Jeffrey Phelps/AP

A north Milwaukee neighborhood is rocked by violence sparked by a police shooting of a man who was fleeing a traffic stop.

See the aftermath following a fatal shooting of a man by police in Milwaukee

See the aftermath following a fatal shooting of a man by police in Milwaukee

Police used an armored vehicle to retrieve an injured man who was shot late Sunday during a second night of tension following an officers fatal shooting of a black man a day earlier, according to the Associated Press. Police offered no details of how the shooting happened or whether the injured man was a demonstrator  only that he was taken to an area hospital.

An officer was also injured after rocks thrown at a police vehicle shattered the windshield, police said in a Twitter message. Some two dozen officers in riot gear had confronted people who were throwing rocks and other objects at police, the AP reported.

Although a vehicle was reportedly burned and some arrests were made, there was no widespread destruction of property, as had happened Saturday.

Earlier Sunday, police officials said that both the officer and the man he fatally shot here Saturday were black  giving the first details of a traffic stop that led to the death, followed by a night of protest and violence.

The dead man was identified as Sylville K. Smith, 23. Police said he and another man were pulled over about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The two men fled, prompting the officer to chase them, Police Chief Edward Flynn told reporters Sunday. The officer was identified as a black 24-year-old who has been with the department for six years, three of them as an officer.

Flynn said the stop was made for a vehicle that drew officers suspicion and turned out to be a rental car. He said about 25 seconds elapsed before Smith, who had run a few dozen feet, was shot.

Smith was hit in the chest and arm, Flynn said, after he ran to a fenced area and turned toward the officer, holding a gun. Smith died at the scene, and a second 23-year-old man was taken into custody. There was no evidence that Smith fired his weapon, which was loaded with 23 bullets, the chief said.

After the shooting, violence erupted on the citys predominantly black north side, an area with a history of violence and distrust between police and the community. Flynn said four officers were hurt, and a 16-year-old girl was hit by what was thought to be crossfire, suffering non-life-threatening injuries. He said 17 people were arrested, most for civil disobedience but four on burglary charges. Six businesses were burned, and seven squad cars were damaged.

City officials pleaded with parents to help prevent a repeat of the violence Sunday. Tell [kids] to stay away from this area, Mayor Tom Barrett said. Lets calm things down. He said there were no plans for a curfew but that one would be enforced if needed.

But late Sunday, violence erupted after hours of peaceful protests.

Earlier in the day, a woman identifying herself as Smiths mother told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that police have offered her little information about her sons killing.

My son is gone due to the police killing my son, Mildred Haynes told the paper Sunday. I am lost.

Police transport a man who was apparently shot during unrest in Milwaukee to a hospital, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (Jeffrey Phelps/AP)

Gov. Scott Walker (R) released a statement Sunday afternoon saying he had activated the Wisconsin National Guard to aid local law enforcement upon request.

Police officials, however, said they did not need the help. Flynn said an extra 150 officers were on duty Sunday.

In his statement, the governor commended volunteers who went to the neighborhood to clean up:

This act of selfless caring sets a powerful example for Milwaukees youth and the entire community. I join Milwaukees leaders and citizens in calling for continued peace and prayer.

It is also important for citizens to know that Wisconsin is the first state in the nation to have a law requiring an independent investigation anytime there is a shooting by a law enforcement officer that leads to a death, the statement added.

Within hours of the shooting, a crowd formed, skirmishing with police who had arrived in riot gear. Squad cars were smashed, and a vehicle was set on fire. Later, someone in the crowd reportedly fired shots in the air.

A reporter and a photographer from the Journal Sentinel were chased from the scene and assaulted by someone in the crowd, the paper reported.

A BP gas station was set on fire about 10 p.m., police said, but firefighters could not reach the site because of gunfire. Three people working inside the station got out safely aided by community members, police said. Fires were also started at businesses including a bank, a beauty supply company and an auto parts store, according to Milwaukee TV station WISN.

By 2 a.m., a supermarket and a liquor store also had been set on fire, the station reported.

Authorities said no law enforcement officers discharged weapons overnight, but there was widespread shooting in the area. Police said rioters damaged seven squad cars and that a military-style police vehicle was hit by eight rounds of gunfire. The four injured officers were treated and released, police said.

Alderman Khalif Rainey linked the violence to the ongoing tension between police and frustrated black city residents, the Journal Sentinel reported. He called the area where the shooting occurred a powder keg.

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. Now this is a warning cry. Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?

Do we continue  continue with the inequities, the injustice, the unemployment, the undereducation 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.

Capt. Mark Stanmeyer told WISN that Smith had a lengthy arrest record. Police said he was carrying a semiautomatic handgun traced to a burglary in March.

Late Sunday afternoon, a chaotic but peaceful scene surrounded the wreckage from the previous night, with street-corner preachers and police, satellite trucks and crowds of young men milling around the burned-out BP station on a cloudless and humid day.

This is something that ISIS would do, Marie Polk, 50, said, using an acronym for the Islamic State militant group, while gesturing toward the mess of tangled steel beams and charred white bricks. Two cars and a van were parked outside, burned-up husks of metal. Im not for this, but it shows very, very deep anger.

Theyre not putting up with stuff we put up with, she said. Our young people are just tired of limited job opportunities, poverty and widespread imprisonment.

After church on Sunday, she walked around the scene  a wide, grassy boulevard and expansive park across the street provided ample space to gather  and hugged strangers, telling them, I love you.

I just hope they dont commit violence tonight, she said, adding that she and others planned to return to the scene after dark to pray alongside the young people and diffuse tensions that might arise.

Johnny Martin, 19, lives near the BP station and called Smith, who was shot, a longtime friend. He said Smith was widely known and well liked, making the shooting personal and raw for the protesters. He, like most on scene, said he heard Smith was shot in the back.

Flynn and Barrett said initial footage from a body camera worn by the officer showed no evidence of that. He instead pointed to gunshot wounds to the chest and arm. The officer who fired the shots had not been interviewed about it as of Sunday afternoon as the state began its investigation.

Martin looked at the dozens of young men gathered around Redds Snapper, a seafood restaurant across the street from the BP station, and saw trouble.

Theres going to be something going on tonight, he said. You feel it. You know. Theyre already talking about it, messing stuff up and shooting at police. Theyre just waiting until it gets dark.

But he did not want to be involved. He is just a month out of prison, he said, and planned to steer clear of any trouble.

Holley reported from Washington
The trouble is: You think you have time.

That Buddhist-sounding quote from a fortune cookie rattled around the back of my head for decades, seemingly for no reason. Now that I find myself living with my 94-year-old mother in a Florida city where preacher Billy Graham got his start and being a never-wed 60-something has made me a tourist attraction of sorts, I finally understand why I thought the repercussions of growing old without a child or two would not apply to me: I was just plain delusional.

As a New Yorker flush with friends, freelance work, Broadway tickets and great Botox, I had apparently existed in some sort of fun, singles bubble. It was a lifestyle so rewarding that I never read even one article about the stresses of the sandwich generation. (Hey, the writers all seemed to be married women with children, so even on a boomer-to-boomer level, I could not relate.)

[A new way to turn 70: Dont kick back and relax]

If there is good news to be gleaned, its that Im most definitely not alone. Indeed, 25 million men and women  a whopping one-third of all 75 million baby boomers turning 52 to 70 this year  are doing so sans progeny. That doesnt count boomer parents who have lost a child or have one who is severely impaired.

The author at age 28, with her mother, who was then 58. (Courtesy of Sheila Sullivan Zubrod)

The Aging Solo pool also includes countless members of families plagued by addiction, disease, cults, rapacious children, even married progeny who much prefer their in-laws. While millions of Aging Soloists have siblings and other kin, many of us cant imagine (or abide) having them shepherd us to our final rest.

This is not a story of remorse that I forgot to have a baby. Rather, Im an Aging Solo pioneer, riding the front of the coming demographic tsunami. Contemplating our own age-related problems is not entirely within the boomer comfort zone, even when we are focused on taking care of our own elderly relatives.

We need a manifesto on how to age without children  but with our friends  from choosing the best place for us to grow old to making sure we know our best friends Plan B logistics before they all disappear on us. Ive read extensively about how apps will change our future. Actually, those amazing Japanese robots that give you your meds on time, lead you in a daily workout and open the curtains sound infinitely more useful than yet another app aimed at helping us hire a last-minute dog walker.

[Americas other drug problem: Giving the elderly too many prescriptions]

My parents wild-eyed mistakes were instructive. My father, for example, died two years after he and my mother chose their retirement destination on the advice of someone whose brother sold real estate in New Port Richey, Fla. They had never visited the Sunshine State until they drove down from Richmond in time to meet the movers, then told and retold that story as if it were a point of pride.

Only now do I see it as the first in a chain of disastrous choices. Location is HUGE to anyone aging solo. One by one, once she reached 82, my widowed mothers small circle of pals in New Port Richey had all died or moved closer to their children, leaving her surrounded by much younger couples with kids. She knew these families would never be her friends, no matter how hard she tried. Just neighbors, she sighed.

My parents had made plans for active retirement but not for old age. Having turned in her drivers license and unable to walk a half-mile to the supermarket, my mother never imagined she had any choice except to stay put and try her best not to complain. She ended up cursed by dementia. At 91 and unable to cope, her fallback strategy kicked in: me.

An advertising executive and lifetime problem-solver, I felt sure that I could save her. But like any misguided New Yorker whod spent little time in Florida, I was insanely off base thinking I could situate her in six months. Luckily, I thought, she was close to Tampa, so I got a job there, packed up her possessions, and together we sold her little house in New Port Richey.

[Hearing loss can creep up on you steathily, with disturbing repercussions]

But I was no brighter than my father. I assumed Id chosen a real city. Wrong! I had flourished in Washington, Los Angeles and Manhattan, but never realized all three were rich in museums, parks, mass transit, theater and all manner of unmarrieds. In Tampa, culture meant childrens museums. There were no foreign films or documentaries, no world-class museums, no opening nights for new plays. Peoples lives and leisure time revolved around their children. Single friends seemed like an afterthought.

Remember this: When youre past 50 and single, location is 75 percent of the enchilada. Subways matter. Proximity to friends matters. Suburban seniors communities felt to me like slow death. I found senior centers and assisted-living facilities profoundly lonely because, it seems, the art of making friends does not grow as we age, and not everyone likes endless bingo and dominoes on Tuesdays, followed by a prayer service.

So, how is a single woman like me supposed to age without a Good Daughter? I had no answers as I wondered how we 25 million childless boomers would fare in our own hour of the wolf.

After watching my outgoing, ever optimistic mother madly flounder in a posh Tampa assisted-living facility, I pulled her out to care for her in my small, two-bedroom apartment. Since 2014, Ive learned something vital: Its better to plan a more personal assisted-living future with your own friends while in your 50s or 60s. That will give you time to choose a location with diverse people and culture, with neighborhoods that have sidewalks and public transit.

[We doctors see death all around us, but we dont like to think about our own]

Sharing resources can spawn all sorts of possibilities. Maybe my posse grabs several apartments in rental, condo or co-op buildings, or we share a group house in D.C., Manhattan or L.A. Heck, maybe we can find a way to lease a floor in one of the many overbuilt office buildings around the country. Perhaps (if yours is an anti-urban posse) you can hire an architect to design space-age yurts in Arizona. Each madly hip structure would be self-contained, but the colony would have a common dining hall, gym and tech-support center, or whatever your future selves desire.

New to the finances of aging, I had no idea how much control I gained by holding my mothers durable power of attorney. Had I been less ethical, I could have taken her money and run. Therefore, Ill never give that power to any one person; it will be held by at least three younger and devoted friends because elder fraud is one of the most horrifying aspects of aging solo. Trust me: That charming new friend who offers to manage your money so you dont have to deal with all those bills is probably well known to the local police.

Years ago, I was a creative director for AgeWave, a think tank focused on the gray army that would require endless new products. Only now do I realize that it takes far more than products for those with gnarled fingers and clouded eyes to age with some sort of purpose.

[Aging in place gets easier]

Some people might do well as members of a senior village  hyperlocal groups of neighbors, volunteers and paid staff who enable dues-paying members to age at home. Its a great idea but still as spotty as mobile phone service. Of the 200 or so villages nationwide, more than 30 are in the District, Maryland and Virginia, yet there are only four in all of Florida, and none in Tampa. And certainly not in New Port Richey.

Studies show that seniors want to live and die in their own home. Why not focus instead on aging with a close group of friends committed to collective living and decision-making, along with paperwork management? If we dont become a highly visible Aging Solo movement, or at least sound a loud wake-up call, well be sucked into a slow glide to a socially (and perhaps financially) impoverished old age. Luckily, reinvention is in our DNA. We went from hippies to yuppies to dot-commers in several amazing decades.

What am I doing? Well, Ive started small, using Skype dialogues with my pals to research and download the legal papers  from wills to end-of-life instructions  that we will need, sooner or later. Now were aiming higher. Should we learn what to look for in a nurses resume so we can find the right person to help us in our collective dotage? Should we hire a visionary architect to create a high-tech trailer park or a cluster of tiny homes built around communal buildings? Our ideas are still all over the map.

We hope we have time to execute our most appealing visions. Mostly, however, we pledge to be our own Best Friends. United. Forever. And no one has mentioned moving to Florida.
Pharmacist Dominick Bailey reviews the medications being used by Harriet Diamond, 84, who was in the geriatric unit at the UCLA Medical Center for knee surgery. (Heidi de Marco/KHN)

Dominick Bailey sat at his computer, scrutinizing the medication lists of patients in the geriatric unit.

A doctor had prescribed blood pressure medication for a 99-year-old woman at a dose that could cause her to faint or fall. An 84-year-old woman hospitalized for knee surgery was taking several drugs that were not meant for older patients because of their severe potential side effects.

And then there was 74-year-old Lola Cal. She had a long history of health problems, including high blood pressure and respiratory disease. She was in the hospital with pneumonia and had difficulty breathing. Her medical records showed she was on 36 medications.

This is actually a little bit alarming, said Bailey, a pharmacist.

[We doctors see death all around us, but we dont like to think about our own]

He was concerned about the sheer number of drugs but even more worried that several of them  including ones to treat insomnia and pain  could suppress Cals breathing.

An increasing number of elderly patients nationwide are on multiple medications to treat chronic diseases, raising their chances of dangerous drug interactions and serious side effects. Often the drugs are prescribed by different specialists who dont communicate with each other. If those patients are hospitalized, doctors making the rounds add to the list  and some of the drugs they prescribe may be unnecessary or unsuitable.

This is Americas other drug problem  polypharmacy, said Maristela Garcia, director of the inpatient geriatric unit at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, Calif. And the problem is huge.

One of the goals of the inpatient geriatric unit is to ensure that elderly patients are not harmed by drugs meant to heal them. That work falls largely to Bailey, a clinical pharmacist specializing in geriatric care.

[Hearing loss can creep up on you steathily, with disturbing repercussions]

Some drugs can cause confusion, falling, excessive bleeding, low blood pressure and respiratory complications in older patients.

Older adults account for about 35 percent of all hospital stays but more than half of the visits that are marred by drug-related complications, according to a 2014 action plan by the Department of Health and Human Services. Such complications add about three days to the average stay, the agency said.

Data on financial losses linked to medication problems among elderly hospital patients is limited. But the Institute of Medicine determined in 2006 that at least 400,000 preventable adverse drug events occur each year in American hospitals. Such events, which can result from the wrong prescription or the wrong dosage, push health-care costs up annually by about $3.5 billion (in 2006 dollars).

Even if a drug doesnt cause an adverse reaction, that doesnt mean the patient needs it. A study of Veterans Affairs hospitals showed that 44 percent of frail elderly patients were given at least one unnecessary drug at discharge.

There are a lot of souvenirs from being in the hospital: medicines they may not need, said David Reuben, chief of the geriatrics division at UCLA School of Medicine.

[A new way to turn 70: Dont kick back and relax]

Some drugs prescribed in the hospital are intended to treat the acute illnesses for which the patients were admitted; others are to prevent problems such as nausea and blood clots. Still others are meant to control side effects of the original medications.

Ken Covinsky, a researcher and physician at the University of California at San Francisco, said many doctors who prescribe drugs in hospitals dont consider how long those medications might be needed. Theres a tendency in medicine every time we start a medicine to never stop it, Covinsky said.

When doctors in the hospital change or add to the list of medications, patients often return home uncertain about what to take. If patients have dementia or are unclear about their medications and they dont have a family member or a caregiver to help, the consequences can be disastrous.

A 2013 study found that nearly a fifth of patients discharged from the hospital had prescription-related medical complications during their first 45 days at home. About 35 percent of those complications were preventable, and 5 percent were life-threatening.

UCLA hired Bailey about three years ago. The idea was to bring a pharmacist into the geriatric unit to improve care and reduce readmissions.

Speaking from his hospital bed at UCLAs Santa Monica Hospital, 79-year-old Will Carter said that before he was admitted with intense leg pain, he had been taking about a dozen drugs for diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis.

[Aging Solo: Okay, I dont have a child to help me, but I do have a plan]

Doctors in the hospital lowered the doses of his blood pressure and diabetes medications and added a drug to help him urinate. Bailey carefully explained the changes to him. Still, Carter said he was worried he might take the drugs incorrectly at home and end up back in the hospital.

Im very confused about it, to tell you the truth, he said after talking to Bailey. Its complicated. And if the pills are not right, you are in trouble.

Having a pharmacist on a team caring for older patients can reduce drug complications and hospitalizations, according to a 2013 analysis published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Over a six-month stretch after Bailey started working in the geriatric unit, readmissions related to drug problems declined from 22 to three. At the time, patients on the unit were taking an average of about 14 medications each.

Bailey is energetic and constantly on the go. He started one morning recently with a short lecture to medical residents in which he reminded them that many drugs act differently in older patients than in younger ones.

As you know, our elderly are already at risk for an accumulation of drugs in their body, he told the group. If you put a drug that has a really long half-life, it is going to last even longer in our elderly.

Bailey gets paged throughout the day by doctors with questions about which medications are best for older patients or how different drugs interact. And he quickly moves from room to room, reviewing drug lists with patients.

Bailey said he tries to answer several questions to determine whats best for a patient. Is the drug needed? Is the dose right? Is it going to cause a problem?

One of his go-to references is known as the Beers list, a compilation of medications that are potentially harmful for older patients. The list, named for the doctor who created it and produced by the American Geriatrics Society, includes dozens of medications, including some antidepressants and antipsychotics.

When hes not talking to doctors at the hospital, Bailey is often on the line with other pharmacists, physicians and relatives to make sure his patients medication lists are accurate and up-to-date. He also monitors patients new drugs, counsels patients about their prescriptions before they are discharged and calls them afterward to make sure they are taking the medications properly.

Medications only work if you take them, Bailey said dryly. If they sit on the shelf, they dont work.

That was one of his main worries about Cal, the 74-year-old with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Standing at her bedside, Bailey pored over the list of 36 drugs. Cal told him she took only the medications that she thought seemed important.

Bailey explained that he and the doctors were going to make some changes. They would eliminate unnecessary and duplicate drugs, including some that could inhibit her breathing. Then she should take as prescribed all of the medications that remained on the list.

Bailey said hes constantly weighing the risks vs. the benefits of medications for elderly patients like Cal.

It is figuring out what they need, he said, versus what they can survive without.
Stopping an earthquake before it starts? It sounds like a feat possible for only a superhero.

But policymakers in Kansas and Oklahoma are showing that insofar as humans are causing earthquakes, they can stop them, too. After restricting oil and natural gas operations in certain hot spots, Oklahoma is feeling an average of about two earthquakes a day, down from about six last summer, and Kansas is feeling about a quarter of the tremors it once did.

Using a growing body of research, along with trial and error, scientists and state regulators are getting closer to pinpointing the cause of the startling increase in earthquakes in the central and eastern parts of the country, and preventing them.

The general cause, scientists have found, is not drilling, but what happens after, when operators dispose of wastewater that comes up naturally during the oil and gas extraction process. The operators inject the wastewater into disposal wells that go thousands of feet underground, which can increase fluid pressures and sometimes cause faults to move.

Since March 2015, Kansas and Oklahoma have placed new restrictions on how much wastewater each operator in certain areas can dispose of at a given time.

About 7 million people in central and eastern states are now at risk of man-made shaking powerful enough to crack walls and knock items off shelves, according to a one-year forecast released by U.S. Geological Survey in March. The report outlined the risk from man-made earthquakes for the first time, listing the states with the highest risk as Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico and Arkansas.

Political tensions

The tension below ground brought rise to political tension, too. Many of the epicenters are in rural towns in conservative states, which generally shy away from government regulations. The oil industry regulators in Oklahoma and Texas are elected officials, with campaigns often funded in part by contributions from the industry, said Cliff Frohlich, a seismologist with the University of Texas at Austin who has studied man-made quakes in Texas.

In Oklahoma, Gov. Mary Fallin (R) was at first hesitant to connect wastewater disposal with the quakes. Now, shes taking action. In January, she allotted $1.4 million in emergency funds to the states regulators and scientists to increase the monitoring and research.

Like many other Oklahoma residents, I have felt my walls shake from earthquakes that have struck our state with increasing frequency over the past few years, Fallin wrote that month.

States in the central part of the country really werent ready for earthquakes, because they didnt need to be. From 1973 to 2008, according to USGS, the region saw, on average, 24 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or larger each year. (These are quakes that can cause at least minor damage.)

The USGS tallied 1,010 earthquakes in the region last year, a number that had increased steadily from 318 in 2009. Parts of this region, including northern Oklahoma and southern Kansas, are now as seismically active as California.

Every scientist working in the midcontinent of the U.S. is pretty confident that the vast majority of these earthquakes are induced, said Tandis Bidgoli, an assistant scientist and geologist for the Kansas Geological Survey.

Earthquakes have shaken Oklahoma communities, damaged homes, alarmed residents and prompted lawmakers and regulators to investigate what's behind the temblors. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)

The spike corresponds with the drastic increase in oil and gas operators use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, a technique in which water, sand and chemicals are pumped at high pressures underground, fracturing rock and freeing trapped oil and gas. Fracking has allowed operators to drill in new places and get much more from each site. While fracking itself is rarely the cause of quakes, it is one reason there is so much more wastewater to dispose of, Bidgoli said.

Injection wells have been safely used for wastewater disposal for decades, with permission from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has directed operators to bury the water thousands of feet below ground to avoid surface contamination. But now the agency is looking for other options.

Meanwhile, scientists are trying to pin down answers: Is the wastewater being buried too deep, or is there too much being buried, or are large amounts being buried too quickly?

States responses to the quakes have varied. Scientists and regulators say thats mostly a good thing, because the geology of each area varies.

Since 2008, Arkansas, Colorado, Ohio and Texas have placed new restrictions on the disposal of wastewater in injection wells, although those havent affected operations as broadly as the new rules in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Kansas was studying the issue in 2014 when a magnitude-4.8 earthquake hit southwest of Wichita. That day, Gov. Sam Brownback (R) announced the expansion of the states seismic monitoring system. In March 2015, the Kansas Corporation Commission began limiting wastewater disposal in five zones and two counties.

Fewer tremors

Since then, the state has felt fewer tremors. In the last six months of 2015, there were 39 quakes of magnitude 2.8 or larger, compared with 48 quakes during the last six months of 2014. In the first six months of 2016, only 11 were recorded by USGS. This is probably a result of the new restrictions and the slowdown in oil and gas production, said Rex Buchanan, interim director of the Kansas Geological Survey. The number of oil and gas wells drilled in the state declined almost 64 percent, to 2,080, in 2015.

Oklahoma was slower to make sweeping changes, although it began regulating the wells in 2013. In spring 2015, the state took its first broad approach, asking all operators to prove they werent drilling too deep. But when quakes continued to increase, the state decided that volume cutbacks were needed. In March, the Oklahoma Corporation Commission began restricting how much wastewater operators dispose of in about 600 of its 3,800 disposal wells, in certain hot spots.

Since the regulations took effect, Oklahoma operators have drilled a million barrels fewer each day, a decrease driven by both the new rules and low oil and gas prices, said Jeremy Boak, a geologist and director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey.

Oklahoma felt 619 earthquakes of magnitude of 2.8 or greater from January through June, compared with 701 during the same time last year, according to USGS data.

Regulators in Kansas and Oklahoma say oil and gas companies resisted the new rules at first, but the companies are now cooperative, even helpful, in providing information about their land and operations.

This is mostly because the companies are a part of the communities they work in, said Steve Everley, a spokesman for Energy in Depth, an advocacy branch of the industry-backed Independent Petroleum Association of America.

At the end of the day, they just want the earthquakes to slow down and eventually stop, Everley said. If that means do this or do that, they are willing to do that.

Scientists are worried about what will happen when production picks up again. If the business becomes more profitable, more people in larger areas may be at risk of quakes, Bidgoli said.
Hours after 1,000 mourners attended the funeral for a Queens imam and his assistant, police announced Monday evening that they had charged a man with murder in the bold daylight killings of the two men.

Police said that they have arrested Oscar Morel, 35, and charged him with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He had been taken into custody on Sunday in connection with a hit-and-run that occurred about 10 minutes after the killings and three miles away in Brooklyn.

New York City Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said earlier Monday that police believed that the car was the same one identified in surveillance-camera footage as having fled the scene of the killings. We also identified a person running into that car and taking off directly after the homicide, he said.

When New York detectives tried to arrest the man Sunday night, he rammed the detectives car several times in an attempt to get away, Boyce said. A witness to the hit-and-run was later able to pick that man out of a lineup, he said.

Police said that the charges against Morel, of Brooklyn, were upgraded after they found a gun and clothes similar to ones shown on the camera footage.

Many in the Bangladeshi immigrant community in Queens see the killing as a hate crime, though police have not identified a motive. (Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images)

The development is likely to bring some solace to the tense Bangladeshi immigrant community in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, two days after the religious leaders were shot at point-blank range after leaving their mosque.

Among those attending the funeral services for Imam Maulama Akonjee and assistant Thara Uddin on Monday afternoon was New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D), who promised justice and protection for the citys Muslims.

I want to say very clearly, New York City is a better place and a stronger place because of our Muslim communities, said de Blasio, who began and ended his speech with As-salaam wa aleikum  Peace be upon you  and quoted from the Koran. We know there are voices all over this country spewing hate, he told the crowd. Were not going to listen to those voices that try to divide us.

De Blasio promised extra police protection around mosques in the coming days, an announcement that was met with applause.

[Trump proposes an ideological test for Muslim immigrants and visitors to U.S.]

Police blocked off several roads around the Brooklyn parking lot where the funeral was held, and scores of officers worked to secure the event, setting up barricades to keep spectators from swarming the black hearses and the speakers tent.

Community volunteers handed out water in the searing heat as a lineup of speakers addressed the vast crowd, many of them Bangladeshi immigrants who held signs reading Stop hate crimes and Muslim lives matter. Akonjee, 55, and Uddin, 64, both fathers of three, had emigrated from Bangladesh.

Thousands gather to pray at caskets of Imam Maulama Akonjee, draped in green top, and Thara Uddin on Aug. 15 in New York. Both were shot in the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

Community leaders who spoke called on the police to add more security cameras to the corners of city mosques and bring more patrols to the neighborhood. But where de Blasio, City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer (D) and other officials alluded to divisive rhetoric, local Bengali leaders were more direct.

This bigot acted upon his hatred, fueled and motivated by the constant rhetoric and xenophobic statements against minorities and Muslims made by the politicians and candidates seeking the highest office in the land, said Anwar H. Khan, who read a list of demands for city officials on behalf of the victims families and the communities.

As the service concluded, the attendees spilled out onto the streets in a protest march that ended beneath the highway overpass where Akonjee and Uddin were killed.

We want justice, we want justice, they chanted, many holding their phones aloft to capture the moment. Allahu akbar, they also said, reciting the first declaration of Islam: God is great.
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Billy Bethley throws a flood-damaged floor board on to a pile of debris in Prairieville, La.

Aug. 22, 2016 Billy Bethley throws a flood-damaged floor board on to a pile of debris in Prairieville, La. Jonathan Bachman/Reuters

More than 106,000 people have registered for federal disaster aid, so far.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says more than 1,000 people in south Louisiana have been rescued.

Rain and flooding cause state of emergency in Louisiana

Rain and flooding cause state of emergency in Louisiana

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 the area looked like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Farmland was covered, streets turned into impassable pools of water, shopping centers inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic. Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads. Abandoned cars were pushed to the sides of roads, and lawn furniture and childrens toys floated through the water.

And in many places, the water was still rising.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) said Sunday that at least 7,000 people had been rescued. He said the storm has subsided in its intensity but 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 said.

He said fatalities have not increased from the three reported Saturday. One person is unaccounted for in St. Helena Parish.

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.

Steele said the flooding that started Friday has damaged more than 1,000 homes in East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 1,000 in Livingston Parish and hundreds more in other areas, including St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes.

Edwards declared a state of emergency Saturday, 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.

As of Sunday morning, about 5,050 people were staying in parish and Red Cross shelters, Secretary of Children and Family Services Marketa Garner Walters said. The governor said even more people were staying in private shelters, such as churches.

Walters also said the Red Cross is looking for volunteers.

A hospital in Baton Rouge  Ochsner Medical Centers ONeal campus  said it evacuated about 20 critically ill patients Sunday. An additional 20 were to be transferred soon as a precautionary measure. The hospitals emergency room is closed because flooding made it impossible for people to reach it.

Forecasters expected a turn to the north Sunday by the storm system. They warned that portions of central and northern Louisiana could see heavy rain into next week.

Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant (R) declared a state of emergency for several counties in his state as it also battled the heavy rainfall.

People have come out of the flooding with harrowing stories of snake-infested muddy waters or fighting their way to safety through their roof.
SYRIA

Rebels retreat as push near Aleppo is repelled

Syrian troops repelled a rebel advance near Aleppo on Monday, forcing opposition forces to retreat from positions they had seized a day earlier as heavy fighting continued in the city.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, meanwhile, said Moscow and Washington, which back opposite sides in the Syrian civil war, are edging closer to an agreement to defuse the fighting in Aleppo.

Step by step, we are nearing an arrangement  Im talking exclusively about Aleppo  that would allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory, he said in remarks carried by Rossiya 24 television.

Russia has been launching airstrikes in support of President Bashar al-Assads forces for nearly a year, and Syrian and Russian warplanes have stepped up raids in recent days in Aleppo and the rebel-held province of Idlib nearby.

Russia and the United States have been discussing closer coordination in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on which militant groups should be targeted.

Fighting in Aleppo, once Syrias commercial capital, has intensified in recent weeks.

On Monday, the International Committee for the Red Cross called the battle for Aleppo one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times.

 Associated Press

IRAQ

Parliament approves partial cabinet reshuffle

Iraqs parliament approved a partial cabinet reshuffle Monday, part of a set of reforms proposed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi that have long been stymied by entrenched political blocs.

The lawmakers endorsed nominees to head five ministries: oil, water resources, higher education, transportation, and housing and construction, parliament spokesman Emad al-Khafaji said, adding that the new ministers have been sworn in. He said lawmakers rejected a sixth nominee, for the trade portfolio.

All the nominees are independent technocrats, specialists, and have experience in the fields they were chosen for, government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi said.

Shortly after taking office in 2014, Abadi proposed reforms to combat corruption, cut government spending and merge ministries. He had hoped to replace political appointees with independent technocrats.

In April, parliament endorsed nominees for six ministries during a raucous session. Iraqs Supreme Court invalidated that session, effectively nixing the appointments.

 Associated Press

ZAMBIA

President reelected amid vote complaints

Zambias president has been reelected in a closely contested vote, the countrys election panel said Monday. However, opposition allegations of polling irregularities raised the prospect of continued tension after a campaign marred by street clashes.

President Edgar Lungu of the ruling Patriotic Front party received 1,860,877 votes, giving him just over 50 percent of the vote and, therefore, enough to avoid a runoff, the election commission said. The main challenger, Hakainde Hichilema of the opposition United Party for National Development, received 1,760,347 votes.

Hichilemas party is looking at lodging a protest with Zambias constitutional court over alleged vote tampering in Thursdays election, said Jack Mwiimu, a senior party official.

Zambias record of peaceful transitions of power had been held up as a democratic model in Africa.

 Associated Press

33 killed as bus veers off highway in Nepal: A bus filled with people traveling to their villages in Nepal to receive the first government payments to victims of last years devastating earthquake slipped off a narrow mountain road, killing at least 33 people and injuring 28. The road  little more than a trail  was wide enough for only one vehicle to pass at a time and was slippery because of continuous rain. The accident occurred about 50 miles east of the capital, Kathmandu.

Peru quake kills at least 4, including American tourist: A shallow magnitude-5.4 earthquake centered in southern Perus picturesque Colca Valley killed at least four people, including a 65-year-old American tourist, and left about 30 injured as it toppled adobe homes, authorities said. The quake hit close to the town of Chivay near the city of Arequipa, with an epicenter just six miles deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Istanbul police detain 136 courthouse staffers: Police teams apprehended 136 personnel in operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup, which the government suspects was engineered by U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Gulen denies any involvement. The government has launched a massive crackdown on alleged Gulen supporters.

 From news services
IN ANOTHER election year with an opponent who is not so obviously unqualified, last weeks revelations about connections between Hillary Clintons State Department and the Clinton Foundation would have been bigger news. Though it is an exaggeration to claim that Ms. Clinton ran her agency as a pay-to-play operation, the latest unearthed emails from the Clinton State Department nevertheless reveal that the ethical wall she was supposed to have built between herself and her familys organization was not impermeable enough.

Two email conversations revealed by the conservative activist organization Judicial Watch show that staff on both sides of that wall were in contact. Both conversations involved Douglas J. Band, head of the Clinton Global Initiative in 2009, when the emails were written, and top Clinton aides. In the most concerning, Mr. Band pressed Clinton confidantes Huma Abedin and Cheryl D. Mills to connect Gilbert Chagoury, a major Clinton Foundation donor, with a senior State Department official. Mr. Chagoury says that no meeting took place and that he just wanted to pass information about the political situation in his native Lebanon to the relevant diplomatic official.

Still, Ms. Abedin responded encouragingly to Mr. Bands request. Ms. Clinton was not personally involved, but her top surrogates were. Offering access, even just for sharing information, is providing a favor. The Clinton Foundation, though a nonprofit organization, is a piece of the Clintons legacy that they care deeply about and that is essential to their high-flying lifestyle. It does not matter that Mr. Band may have been acting as a personal aide to former president Bill Clinton rather than as a Clinton Foundation official, as the campaign now claims. That the Clintons allowed such distinctions to become blurred is part of the problem. Ms. Abedin, in fact, worked for the Clinton Foundation while she was also working at the State Department.

The behavior depicted in the latest emails does not appear to have significantly harmed the conduct of U.S. diplomacy, distracted from Ms. Clintons performance or even, given the evidence available, been particularly frequent. It certainly is not enough to launch a criminal investigation. As political scandals go, this is middling, at best.

But it suggests that some donors to the Clinton Foundation may have seen their gifts as means to buy access  and it points to much bigger potential problems. Should Ms. Clinton win in November, she will bring to the Oval Office a web of connections and potential conflicts of interest, developed over decades in private, public and, in the case of her familys philanthropic work, quasi-public activities. As secretary, she pledged to keep her official world and her familys foundation separate, and she failed to keep them separate enough. Such sloppiness would not be acceptable in the White House.

Huma Abedin has worked her way up from White House intern to Hillary Clintons right-hand woman. Heres a look at her history with the Clintons, her marriage to Anthony Weiner and her current role on the Clinton campaign. (Taylor Turner,Melissa Macaya,Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
President Obama waves to people in Pragues Hradcany Square in April 2009 after his speech on the U.S. commitment to nuclear disarmament. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press)

President Obamas last-minute drive for a foreign-policy legacy is making U.S. allies nervous about their own security. Several allied governments have lobbied the administration not to change U.S. nuclear-weapons policy by promising never to be the first to use them in a conflict.

The governments of Japan, South Korea, France and Britain have all privately communicated their concerns about a potential declaration by President Obama of a no first use nuclear-weapons policy for the United States. U.S. allies have various reasons for objecting to what would be a landmark change in Americas nuclear posture, but they are all against it, according to U.S. officials, foreign diplomats and nuclear experts.

Japan, in particular, believes that if Obama declares a no first use policy, deterrence against countries such as North Korea will suffer and the risks of conflict will rise. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe personally conveyed that message recently to Adm. Harry Harris Jr., the head of U.S. Pacific Command, according to two government officials. (Update: After this column was published, a spokesman for Pacific Command said that Abe and Harris did not discuss U.S. nuclear policy in their July meeting.)

President Obama addressed a crowd in Prague's Hradcany Square on April 5, 2009, touching on issues from green energy to nuclear treaties. (The White House)

U.S. allies in Europe have a separate, additional concern. They dont want any daylight between their nuclear policies and those of the United States, especially since Britain, France and the United States all are permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. In the case of an emergency, those differences could cause real coordination problems.

Its my understanding that the defense ministries of many of our allied nations have lobbied the White House against changing this doctrine, and theres been particularly strong opposition from the U.K., France, Japan and South Korea, said Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund , an anti-proliferation advocacy group that supports the policy change. We have an interest in creating an international norm that no one should use nuclear weapons first. The allies lobbying against it are nervous nellies.

The White House is considering declaring a no first use nuclear-weapons policy as one of several ways Obama can advance his non-proliferation agenda in his final months in office. Several options are under debate, and no final decisions have been made on no first use.

The president wants to roll out announcements on nuclear policy in September to coincide with his final appearance at the U.N. General Assembly, officials said. One administration official told me that, in part because of allied concerns, the internal push on no first use was not gaining traction.

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price told me that the administration is always looking for additional ways to achieve progress on Obamas Prague agenda  named for the disarmament aspirations the president set out in his April 2009 speech in the Czech capital  while maintaining a credible deterrent for the United States, our allies and partners.

Foreign officials from multiple allied countries said that their governments were upset about a lack of consultation on the possible declaration of a no first use policy, which would affect all allies who live under the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Many said that allied governments first learned about the policy debates in The Post.

While the goal of a no first use policy is correct  to never be the first country to launch a cataclysmic nuclear strike  doing so unilaterally could run the risk of weakening our allies confidence in our security guarantees. This would not be in our interest, said Joel Rubin, a former Obama administration State Department official.

Diplomats from allied countries argued that if the United States takes a nuclear first strike off the table, the risk of a conventional conflict with countries such as North Korea, China and Russia could increase. Regimes that might refrain from a conventional attack in fear of nuclear retaliation would calculate the risks of such an attack differently.

Moreover, allied governments dont believe that a unilateral no first use declaration would necessarily help to establish an international norm, because theres no guarantee that other countries would follow suit. They also believe that nuclear weapons play a role in deterring chemical and biological attacks.

Republicans in Congress also strongly oppose the change and are already upset that the Obama administration plans to seek a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on all states to refrain from nuclear testing. They dont believe such moves are appropriate this close to the arrival of a new administration and without legislative advice and consent.

The Obama administration first expressed its desire to move the United States to no first use in a 2010 policy document that stated that conditions for such a move were not ripe but pledged that the America would work to establish conditions under which such a policy could be safely adopted. Since 2010, the world has only grown less stable. Nevertheless, proponents of the new policy say concerns about the change are unfounded.

North Korea understands that any conventional attack will be met with a devastating response, but it doesnt have to be a nuclear response, said Arms Control Association executive director Daryl Kimball. If we dont need to use nuclear weapons to retaliate against North Korea, why should we?

The same question could be asked the other way. If all U.S. allies believe a no first use policy weakens deterrence and increases the risk of armed conflict without producing any benefits, why should we do it? Advancing Obamas personal legacy isnt a good enough reason.

Josh Rogin is a columnist for the Global Opinions section of The Washington Post.
EVEN AS capital punishment becomes less frequent, killing remains punishable by death in 31 states. In Texas, so is not killing: If the state goes through with the execution of Jeffery Wood, slated for Aug. 24, a man will die for a murder he did not commit and is not accused of committing.

Twenty years ago, Mr. Wood made a plan with a friend to steal a safe from a store in Kerr County, Tex. While Daniel Reneau entered the store and shot the clerk, Mr. Wood sat outside in a truck. He was never armed. He may not even have known that Mr. Reneau, who was put to death in 2002, had a gun.

Texas is responsible for more than a third of U.S. executions since 1976. Though most of those executed were convicted murderers, a handful were not. A provision in the states penal code blurs the distinction between killer and accomplice, allowing for someone who did not pull the trigger  or order that the trigger be pulled  to get a murderers sentence. Seventeen states have similar laws, and five actively pursue the death penalty for people who did not kill and did not intend to kill.

Texass policy is as misguided as capital punishment itself is cruel and archaic. But even by Texass standards, Mr. Woods involvement appears to have been limited. He played no part in any underlying felonies, and he did not have any prior criminal charges. Mr. Woods lawyers say executing someone with his level of culpability would be unprecedented in the modern era.

Mr. Wood, who has an IQ of 80, was twice ruled incompetent in court: once to stand trial, and once  after a state hospital sent him back to court without assessing his ability to assist in his defense  to represent himself as he requested. In the end, the sentencing phase of his trial proceeded with no defense. If the court had inquired further into Mr. Woods mental state, perhaps the prosecution could not have called on psychiatrist James Grigson, nicknamed Dr. Death, without anyone to cross-examine him. Perhaps then, the cross-examiner would have uncovered that Mr. Grigson was expelled from the American Psychiatric Association for his bogus method of predicting a defendants dangerousness.

Jeffery Lee Wood is scheduled to be executed by the state of Texas on Aug. 24, even though he has never committed a murder. (Gillian Brockell/The Washington Post)

Mr. Woods lawyers have asked the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend that Gov. Greg Abbott (R) commute his sentence. The board has made that recommendation in two other non-triggerman cases in the past 10 years and is expected to come to its conclusion 48 hours before the scheduled execution. The board should move to let Mr. Wood live, and Mr. Abbott should defer to that judgment.

Ideally, states and the federal government would not be in the killing business in the first place. In this case, Mr. Wood wasnt in that business himself.
Speaking in Youngstown, Ohio, Aug. 15, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed to champion immigration reform that would "screen out any who have hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles." (The Washington Post)

Speaking in Youngstown, Ohio, Aug. 15, GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed to champion immigration reform that would "screen out any who have hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles." (The Washington Post)

Its a classic social science experiment: Imagine you are walking along the train tracks when you spot a runaway train hurtling toward five unsuspecting track workers. Fortunately, there is a signal lever in front of you. If you pull it, you can divert the train to another track and save five people. Seems like an easy decision. Except for one problem: There is one unsuspecting worker on the other track. If you divert the train, you will be responsible for killing someone who would otherwise not be in danger.

What do you do? Do you kill the one to save the five?

A horrible choice, but before you answer, consider another wrinkle: The person on the other track is an immediate relative  your mom or dad or sister or brother. Do you pull the lever and kill your loved one to save five strangers?

Pull the lever, dont pull the lever  there is no good outcome. For many conservatives trying to decide whether to pull the lever for Donald Trump, that pretty much sums up the choice in this election.

Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens recently made a compelling case against pulling the lever for Trump. Looking back on Trumps attack on Gold Star mother Ghazala Khan, his dismissal of Sen. John McCains record as a POW, his mocking of a New York Times reporters physical disability and his questioning of an Indiana-born judges fitness to preside over a lawsuit against Trump University based on his Hispanic heritage, Stephens wrote, His problem isnt a lack of normal propriety but the absence of basic human decency. He is morally unfit for any office, high or low.

Here's a look at what voters under 30 think about the 2016 presidential election, who they're leaning towards and how that compares to 2012. (Sarah Parnass,Osman Malik/The Washington Post)

The problem is that Hillary Clinton is also morally unfit for any office, high or low. She is, to quote the late, great William Safire, a congenital liar who misled the American people about Benghzai, made false statements about not sending or receiving classified information on her private email server and continues to falsely assert that FBI Director James Comey said she was truthful  a claim The Posts fact checker gave Four Pinocchios and PolitiFact gave a Pants on Fire rating.

Add to her dishonesty the cloud of corruption that hovers over her. Just look at the $26.4 million in speaking fees from foreign governments and corporations that Hillary and Bill Clinton failed to disclose  in violation of the ethics agreement the Clinton Foundation signed with the Obama administration before Hillary Clinton became secretary of state. Or the evidence that their speeches may have intersected with Hillary Clintons work at the State Department. Or the evidence that Hillary Clinton may have had off-the-books overseas meetings with Clinton Foundation donors at taxpayers expense. Or the recent email revelations that expose how Clinton Foundation donors got access at Hillary Clintons State Department. Or the allegation that the Clinton Foundation steered money improperly to for-profit companies owned by friends. The dossier of Clinton scandals is seemingly endless. Look at all this, and ask yourself whether you want someone like her in the Oval Office.

No wonder a recent poll found that 68 percent of Americans believe Clinton is dishonest  68 percent! And almost 6 in 10 Americans disagree with Comeys decision not to recommend charges against Clinton. Think about that: A majority of our fellow citizens believe that Clinton is a liar who could belong in the Big House, not the White House. That should be as disqualifying for the presidency as anything Trump has said.

In other words, there is no good landing spot: In the opinion of most Americans, neither candidate is fit for the Oval Office. Yet one of them will occupy it.

So how do you choose? Stephens, speaking for many, says Clinton will almost surely appoint liberals to the Supreme Court. But at least shes not a sociopath. Sorry, its not that simple. Clinton wont just appoint liberals to the Supreme Court; she will tilt the direction of the court for a generation. She wont just replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Stephen Breyer and extend a liberal seat for decades. Shell replace Antonin Scalia, giving us a liberal court for decades. Think what that means for the cause of human life, religious liberty, the Second Amendment and limited government. How will the Little Sisters of the Poor fare if their case makes its way back up to a Supreme Court with a Clinton-appointed liberal majority? Unlike the right, the left uses the courts as a tool to impose their agenda on the American people. And if Clinton is elected, they will have free rein to do so.

So back to our thought experiment: Instead of five unsuspecting track workers, imagine there are five unsuspecting nuns in the path of the hurtling train. Do you pull the lever, and kill a relative, in order to save the Little Sisters of the Poor?

Thats the awful choice we face on Nov. 8.

1 of 57 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail View Photos The Democratic presidential nominee hits the road after her partys national convention. Caption Hillary Clinton loses to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Nov. 9, 2016 Hillary Clinton speaks in New York while her husband, former president Bill Clinton, applauds. Melina Mara/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

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If he doesnt ultimately win the election and shred our Constitution, the most annoying thing about Donald Trump may end up being this: He forced us to devote so much of our lives to a man who is, fundamentally, a bore.

Dont get me wrong: Im as addicted to coverage of his train-wreck, oh-no-he-didnt campaign as everyone else. Even if we wanted to avert our eyes, as citizens we would have a duty not to, to learn as much about the man and his potential presidency as we can. As Trump pinballed last week from rigged election to Second Amendment people to founder of ISIS, I crashed from one bumper to the next along with the rest of America.

But one reason this feels like such an imposition is that Trump is, in the end, so uninteresting.

Trump has upended our politics. But he turns out to be the guy you would pray not to sit next to at dinner. Hes the one who never asks you a question, talks endlessly about himself  and has nothing to say. He doesnt read, has no original ideas and thinks he knows more than you do because he once heard something on the news. If you were at a bar and saw him walking in, youd look the other way, hoping not to catch his eye.

Does he really believe that President Obama founded the Islamic State? Who cares?

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said he was being sarcastic, but not that sarcastic about calling President Obama the founder of the Islamic State during a campaign rally in Erie, Pa. (The Washington Post)

Being dull doesnt mean that Trump isnt dangerous. Some villains in history have been complex characters  thoughtful, deeply read, strategic. Others have managed to do plenty of damage without ever having had an original thought.

Being dull doesnt mean his supporters are dull, or that their concerns are illegitimate. A lot of them voted for Trump in the primaries because they felt, often with reason, that traditional politicians had done nothing to improve their lives.

And Trump is not without talents. We know he has the bullys uncanny knack for identifying and homing in on an adversarys weak spot, a pitchmans flair for coining a catchy slogan and a televangelists instinct for moving on to the next provocation just before his audience begins to tire of the previous one.

But weve known about these talents for months now  way back to the days of his dismantling Jeb! Bush and insulting, without consequence, John McCain. Since then, theres really been nothing new to learn.

Make America Great Again is still nothing more than words on a hat. Trump hasnt bothered to learn anything more about the Constitution, or the government, or government policy than he knew a year ago. His campaign still consists of test-marketing insults one rally at a time. Occasionally he tries to impersonate a devoted churchgoer, or an antiabortion activist, or an NRA believer, but he usually botches the role because he hasnt prepared. And he hasnt prepared because hes not really interested in what anyone else believes  not Christians, not anti abortion activists, not gun enthusiasts. He has only one interest.

His extreme self-regard is one of the qualities that make him unfit to be president, as has been frequently pointed out. But it also explains why, even as we follow his campaign minute by minute, we feel almost demeaned. All this time, all this attention, and what will we have learned?

The true trademark of the insufferable bore is the conviction that he is doing you a great favor by spending time with you. Trump brings this to his campaign every day  his conviction that he is doing the entire country a great favor, that serving as president would represent an enormous sacrifice. I could be having a very nice life right now, he says.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

And if he loses, thats okay, too: Im going to have a very, very nice long vacation, he said last week.

Which is fine. Just dont tell us about it when you get back.

Read more from Fred Hiatts archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
THE LATEST round of bloodshed in South Sudan has, at long last, prompted the United Nations to step up its efforts to help bring peace to the troubled nation. On Friday, the United Nations Security Council voted to enhance and extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan and to increase the number of troops on the ground by 4,000. We arent convinced that more peacekeepers will be very effective  considering that the existing 12,000-strong U.N. force has failed to protect civilians thus far. But the mandate is certainly an improvement to the U.N. operation , notably in that the added troops will be deployed as a special protection unit with the power to engage any actor committing violence against civilians, including government forces.

After initially vowing to reject the force, South Sudan has said that it will consider accepting the expanded force, if it can negotiate on the size, mandate and contributing countries. This reversal comes after a fresh outbreak of violence on Saturday between forces supporting President Salva Kiir and his former deputy, Riek Machar. Should South Sudan refuse to allow troops, the U.N. is prepared to impose an arms embargo. While an incomplete solution, an arms embargo would at least help to reduce the amount of suffering inflicted on South Sudanese civilians. The White House has long been reluctant to impose an arms embargo, hoping the threat of one would be enough to coerce the warring leaders to pursue peace. Clearly that strategy has not worked. Should the government of South Sudan reject or impede the latest U.N. resolution, an arms embargo should be implemented without delay, and the United States should get on board.

Two years ago, Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar, leaders of the young nation, plunged it into an unneccesary civil war. They promised last year, under pressure from President Obama, to make peace, but have since undercut the deal. Mr. Kiirs allies have not only battled Mr. Machars forces in the streets, but also committed horrendous abuses during fighting, including rape and other crimes. In a politically reckless move, Mr. Kiir elected to remove Mr. Machar as vice president, and Mr. Machar disappeared after clashes in July. His party replaced him with the mining minister, Taban Deng Gai, as vice president. Mr. Kiir fired a number of allies loyal to Mr. Machar. The South Sudanese government says that while Mr. Machar was signatory to the peace agreement, he is not needed to implement the accord. However, as long as his whereabouts and intentions remain unknown, he is a wild card in a volatile situation.

The United Nations resolution is a welcome sign of renewed efforts on the part of the international community to halt Souths Sudans downward spiral. Mr. Kiir and Mr. Machar have spent years and millions in international funds jetting from African capital to capital, claiming to respect the peace agreement while they are abroad, yet engaging in war and human rights abuses at home. It is long past time for Mr. Kiir to get on with the business of building South Sudan for its hungry, displaced, sick and suffering population. Accepting the new U.N. force is a needed first step.
It is difficult to imagine that the National Security Agency and CIA did not have warning of the attempted overthrow of the Erdogan government in Turkey, our NATO ally. If the United States did know, then our government gave tacit approval to those in the coup, making us, at a minimum, complicit in the attempted overthrow of a democratically elected government. If the United States did not know, then the incompetence of the NSA and CIA is appalling.

For those interested in countering illiberal strongmen with the truth, as the Aug. 11 editorial Finding scapegoats suggested, Secretary of State John F. Kerrys first telling words concerning the Turkish militarys actions focused not on the destruction of Turkeys democracy but on continuity and stability.

Fred P. Crouch, Washington
According to a Ukrainian official, more than $12 million were earmarked for Paul Manafort in under-the-table payments from the political party of Ukraines ousted president. (The Washington Post)

According to a Ukrainian official, more than $12 million were earmarked for Paul Manafort in under-the-table payments from the political party of Ukraines ousted president. (The Washington Post)

More than $12 million in undisclosed payments were earmarked for Donald Trumps campaign manager by the pro-Russian political party of Ukraines then-president, Viktor Yanukovych, according to a Ukrainian official.

Paul Manaforts name was recorded in a so-called black ledger, a log of under-the-table payments from Yanukovychs political party to hundreds of people, including government officials, investigators said, according to Darya Manzhura, a spokeswoman for the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

From 2007 until 2012, the sum of the alleged disbursements next to Manaforts name total more than $12.7 million. The investigators did not specify the reason the money was earmarked. Manafort was a political consultant for Yanukovych at the time, although his salary has not been made public. The ledger does not say whether Manafort was paid, and he denies having received any money.

The earmarked payments were first reported by the New York Times.

Manafort, who did political consulting for Yanukovych, strongly denied that he ever received an off-the-books payment and said that any political payment directed toward him was for his campaign staff and services including election integrity and polling.

Here's a look at what voters under 30 think about the 2016 presidential election, who they're leaning towards and how that compares to 2012. (Sarah Parnass,Osman Malik/The Washington Post)

The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly and nonsensical, Manafort said in a statement released Monday morning. He denied ever doing work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia. Manafort said he stopped working in Ukraine after the October 2014 elections there; Yanukovych was ousted from office in February 2014.

The simplest answer is the truth: I am a campaign professional. It is well-known that I do work in the United States and have done work on overseas campaigns as well, Manafort said in the statement. He asserted that he has never received a single off-the-books cash payment.

Manafort said that every government official interviewed said I have done nothing wrong, and there is no evidence of cash payments made to me by any official in Ukraine.

The ledgers, discovered in the Party of Regions headquarters following the 2014 revolution that forced Yanukovych to flee to Russia, were given to investigators by Viktor Trepak, a former Ukrainian domestic intelligence official, Manzhura said. He received the documents from an undisclosed source.

The black ledger includes more than 20,000 line items, and investigators are sifting through the names, primarily seeking proof that government officials were receiving bribes. The anti-corruption bureau cannot make indictments but must pass on any evidence to prosecutors, who can decide whether to file charges. Manzhura said that processing the list will take a long time, as will matching signatures to individuals and proving that money actually changed hands.

For investigators, she said, Manafort is not the priority.

Hes not a Ukrainian government official, so taking into account the role and tasks of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Paul Manafort is not the number-one priority to investigate on this list, Manzhura said.

It did not appear that Manafort had signed the ledger himself, she added.

The signatures against his surname probably dont belong to him; they belong to other people, she said, adding they may have been intermediaries. So this information needs to be checked separately.

The Times reported that Ukrainian officials are also investigating numerous offshore companies that allegedly funded the high-rolling lifestyles of Yanukovych and those close to him. The deals made by these companies include a multimillion-dollar plan to sell Ukrainian cable television assets that involved Manafort and a Russian oligarch who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, though the Times reported that Manafort is not a target in the Ukrainian investigation of offshore companies.

Manafort is no stranger to controversy, controversial figures or global dealmaking. His friends have labeled him the Count of Monte Cristo, the hero of a 19th century novel.

[In business, as in politics, Trump adviser no stranger to controversial figures]

Manafort once tried to build a high-rise in Manhattan with money from a billionaire ally of Yanukovych; the project failed. In his lobbying work, Manafort took on clients few others would touch, including the corrupt dictators Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, both of whom stole billions of dollars from their countries.

The cable deal ended up in court in the Cayman Islands and Virginia. The Russian tycoon, Oleg Deripaska, accused Manafort of taking $19 million and of failing to account for the money, return it or respond to questions about where it went.

Attorneys for Deripaska at one point said they could not locate Manafort or his partner, Richard Gates, according to a petition filed in a Cayman Islands court.

It appears that Paul Manafort and Rick Gates have simply disappeared, the petition stated.

According to court records filed in August 2015, seven years after Deripaska asked for his money back, the businessman still had not received it.

The Times reported that Manaforts lawyer denied his client received management fees from the partnership making the investments in the Cayman Islands, but Gates, who is also now working for Trump, received a nominal sum.

Manaforts ties to Russia and Ukraine are now receiving more scrutiny after Trump called on Russia to meddle in the presidential election by finding and releasing thousands of emails from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. U.S. officials said there is strong evidence that Russia was involved in a hack of emails and voice mails at the Democratic National Committee.

[Trump invites Russia to meddle in U.S. presidential race with Clintons emails]

Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, Trump said during a news conference in July. He added later: They probably have them. Id like to have them released.

When asked if he was concerned about Russia spying on Clintons correspondence, Trump said: No, it gives me no pause. If they have them, they have them.

Trump has offered words of praise for Putin. In December, Putin said Trump was a colorful and talented person, praise Trump said was an honor.

Trump came under fire earlier this month when he appeared to be unfamiliar with Russias actions regarding Ukraine and its 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Hes not going into Ukraine, okay, Trump said on ABCs This Week, referring to Putin. Hes not gonna go into Ukraine, all right? You can mark it down. You can put it down.

Trump then appeared to contradict himself when George Stephanopoulos, the host of the program, responded that hes already there, isnt he?

Okay, well, hes there in a certain way, Mr. Trump replied.

Trump is slated to make a speech on foreign policy on Monday, specifically on terrorism and how he will combat the Islamic State.

Clintons campaign criticized Manafort and Trumps past statements about Putin and Russia ahead of the speech.

On the eve of what the Trump campaign has billed as a major foreign policy speech, we have learned of more troubling connections between Donald Trumps team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement emailed to reporters overnight.

Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manaforts and all other campaign employees and advisers ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trumps employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them.

Clinton also released a new video Monday featuring Republicans criticizing Trumps foreign policy stances.

Democrats see foreign policy as a major weak point for Trump. In particular, Clinton and her allies decry Trumps public admiration for Putin, the GOP nominees suspicion of U.S. alliances and his apparent unfamiliarity with tenets of post-war nuclear weapons safety.

Roth reported from Moscow. Anne Gearan in Scranton, Pa., contributed to this report.
Members of the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque hold a police sketch of a suspect believed to have fatally shot Imam Maulama Akonjee and associate, Thara Uddin, as they left afternoon prayers Aug. 13 in New York City. (Craig Ruttle/AP)

The men who gathered on the steps of the small, brown-painted Al-Furqan Jame mosque Sunday had a message for the authorities.

We want justice, Badrul Khan, the mosques founder, said as a dozen men crowded beside him repeated the chant before a line of TV cameras, reporters and police.

Tension is gripping this working-class corner of Queens, particularly its large Bengali immigrant community, a day after Al-Furqan James imam and his assistant were shot at point-blank range in the head on a sidewalk just a few blocks from the mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood.

Maulama Akonjee, the 55-year-old imam, and Thara Uddin, 64, both immigrants from Bangladesh and fathers of three, were walking home from midday prayer when they were killed. Their attacker, an unknown man who fled on foot, seemingly as quickly as he had appeared behind them, remains at large. The New York Police Department has produced a sketch of the suspect and says its investigation of the motive is underway.

But in an election year marred by anti-Muslim vitriol, from the Twittersphere to Donald Trumps campaign stage, there is a feeling of certainty for many in this Queens community that what happened was a hate crime  a double murder perpetrated because the men were Muslim  and they want to hear the city say it out loud.

As a community organizer, it is obvious, said Rokeya Akhter, 55, a Bangladeshi American activist who drove to the Ozone Park mosque with two friends from the nearby neighborhood of Jamaica on Sunday to show their support. They were targeted as Muslims.

Police said Monday morning that a man taken in for questioning on an unrelated incident was also being questioned about the double homicide, but that no suspect had been arrested or charged yet.

Asked whether it was possible the man being questioned could be named a suspect, a New York police spokesman Christopher Pisano said: Is it possible it could snow today in New York?

Akonjee and Uddin will be buried Monday afternoon, following funeral prayers that area Muslim leaders expect to draw hundreds of people.

[Chicago police sued for attacking Muslim woman, stripping her of headscarf]

According to mosque members and police, Akonjee and Uddin, clad in long traditional garb, walked out the gate of the chain-link fence that surrounds the mosque, marked by a faded sign, and into the sweltering heat after the Saturday midday prayer.

They walked up the concrete sidewalk of Glenmore Avenue, as they usually do, past more chain-link fences and small brick houses, one with sunflowers blooming in the yard. They passed the homes of black Americans and Latinos and Bangladeshi immigrants like themselves, in a neighborhood where many of the local businesses are marked by signs in two or three languages.

People gather for a demonstration Aug. 13 near the scene where the Imam and his associate were shot in New York City. (Craig Ruttle/AP)

When they turned the corner from 79th Street onto Liberty Avenue, they were just a few minutes from their own modest brick homes, set less than a block apart. The imams wife had cooked lunch, Khan said Sunday. It was on the plate.

But as the two men turned onto Liberty, under a highway overpass where the thundering noise of cars overhead can drown out conversation and other sounds for minutes at a time, a man rushed up behind them.

In the grainy black-and-white video that Uddins nephew, Tamim Uddin, 18, said came from the private security camera of a home across the street, two people  apparently Akonjee and Uddin  can be seen rounding the corner as a third person runs up and appears to shoot. The men crumple to the ground. The attacker retreats back down 79th Street.

Police said Saturday that they had no reason to think the killings constituted a hate crime, telling reporters that it might have been a botched robbery. Akonjee was carrying $1,000 in cash, they said. But the attacker stole none of it.

On Sunday, a New York Police Department spokeswoman, Sgt. Jessica McRorie, said the departments Hate Crimes Task Force is involved in the investigation, although the murders have not been labeled as one. The motive is under investigation, McRorie said.

The guy came from nowhere and started shooting at them, Tamim Uddin said, standing in his uncles driveway Sunday. It was a hate crime, he added. They dont like Muslims  thats it.

Uddin said the family had not experienced hostility before his uncles murder. But like other community members who spoke Sunday, he said he could feel the national rhetoric against Muslims creeping into his life.

When he posted the news of his uncles death on Facebook, someone quickly responded.

You were warned not to mess with the West and now you must suffer thy consequences! the stranger wrote in a diatribe against Islam that left Uddin bewildered. The message continued: Tick tock . . . TRUMP2016!! Death to all who challenge Western Civilization!!

A rotation of city officials, including the comptroller, a member of the City Council, a State Assembly member and the Queens borough president, visited the mosque Sunday to show solidarity  and call for unity.

Those individuals were assassinated in cold blood, City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer (D) said, joining mosque leaders on the front steps before the cameras. All of us, of all different faiths, must come together with the Muslim community and stand as one.

There are some who might feel suspicious toward the authorities right now, he added. We must work with our city.

If they do determine it is a hate crime, then were going to do everything in our power to ensure that its prosecuted as a hate crime, said Assemblyman David I. Weprin (D-Queens).

The mosque members around him seized on his last words. Yes, it is a hate crime! they said.

Saturdays murders were at least the fifth suspected hate crime against Muslims this year in Queens, which has more than 2 million residents, and at least the 10th in New York City overall, according to a Washington Post examination of local news and police reports. The assaults included one in April in which a man believed to be high on synthetic drugs burst into the predominantly Bangladeshi Jamaica Muslim Center and beat up several worshipers. There have been other beatings in which assailants have shouted slurs against Muslims and the Islamic State.

At least two cases have so far been charged as hate crimes. A New York police spokesperson was not immediately able to confirm those numbers.

But Sgt. Brendan Ryan, a New York police spokesman, said that as of Aug. 7, 16 complaints about crimes against Muslims had been registered with police this year, compared with nine at this time last year.

There has been an increase in hate crimes against the Muslim American community . . . and people are scared, said Ali Najmi, an attorney who is representing a Bangladeshi immigrant who was badly beaten on a sidewalk in May by a man yelling F--- Indians.

Najmi, who said hate-crime charges are difficult to secure because police must show a discriminatory intent, is struggling to get his clients case classified as a hate crime.

I think its directly related to the incitement leveled by Donald Trump, he said of the attacks, including Saturdays killings. I believe theres a correlation there and a causation. The community is really on edge between everything hes doing and what were seeing on the ground.

Trumps campaign said in a statement that it was highly irresponsible to blame a political candidate for the attacks, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

On Sunday, mosque leaders held up the police sketch of the attacker, depicted as a bearded man with dark hair and glasses. They held the sketch in front of the TV cameras. Then they taped it to the mosques door.

Now there are murmurs and debate, Uddin said, about what to do next. Should they protest? Should they wait? Should they trust the police to arrest the man who did this and charge him appropriately?

On Sunday evening, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) issued a statement.

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 cross-hairs of bigotry, the release said. It remains critical that we work to bridge the divides that threaten to undermine the greatness of our city and country. Rest assured that our NYPD will bring this killer to justice.
Taste the rainbow. #nycafricanfoodfestival A photo posted by Livana (@livana.koz) on Aug 13, 2016 at 11:18am PDT

People who paid between $20 and $150 to attend the NYC African Food Festival at the Brooklyn Navy Yard this weekend are demanding their money back, posting on Facebook and Instagram that the event only delivered a handful of the promised "25+" chefs and vendors and shouldn't have been staged inside the Duggal Greenhouse in the middle of a heatwave.

"It was a total and EPIC DISASTER," wrote Barbara Shirley Napoleon on Facebook this morning. She continued:

First of all, these SCAM ARTISTS charged people to attend an event in a greenhouse with no air conditioning in the middle of August in 90+ degree weather. A greenhouse is meant to trap heat and humidity! Like WTF? People were literally DRENCHED as soon as they walked in. They promised a meal and two drinks, depending on how much you paid for your tickets, and did not deliver. There were supposed to be over 25+ vendors and there were probably less than 10. There were NO rising star African chefs, NO cookbook publishers, and NO sample dishes. Folks were literally on line for an hour because there were practically NO vendors.

Another disgruntled attendee warned that the event was "hot as hell":

"They were charging between $3 and $5 for a bottle of water in a place with no air conditioning," said Chanice Husbands, 26, who came from Mill Basin to attend on Saturday. "There were two or three fans in a place that's meant to keep heat."

"Organizers should be charged with fraud," wrote attendee Timothy Naylor. "There is no way they did not know they were going to come up criminally short of what was promised several days before the event."

Others alleged that they arrived shortly after noon on Saturday, the scheduled start time, and were told that food would not be set up for at least an hour. Some who had purchased tickets said that they ended up paying for food out of pocket, on top of ticket cost.

"I got two early bird tickets, $22 apiece, which got us access to a giant sweltering room that somehow didn't have enough places to sit despite being ten times as large as it needed to be, with maybe six food vendors," wrote attendee Ethan Bassford.

Afropolitan Insights founder and festival organizer Ishmael Osekre told Gothamist on Monday that he made several missteps in organizing the event. He said he chose the greenhouse venue out of concern that it might rain. Then, he couldn't afford to rent it for an additional "loading day" to set up booths. "So the five hours to set up all the vendors definitely impacted the event because folks were arriving while vendors were setting up," he said.

Osekre also said that the food tickets were only intended to apply to individual chefs on the venue floor. He decided after the event had already begun to ask the more established restaurants to start accepting tickets. "Some restaurants took a while to get on board," he said.

"We had all these vendors, but a lot of them on the final stretch hadn't taken care of the insurance," he added.

Michelle Celestin, 27, was one of the vendors to back out. She's from Bayonne, New Jersey and says she paid $500 to participate in the festival, selling spices and coffee imported from Tanzania. She says she decided to back out last Friday, when she received an e-mail with information pertaining to parking, setup times, the size of her table, and other parameters of the festivaldetails she says came far too late. "Usually at events you know the size of your table so you can order banners and signs," she said.

Celestin says she received no response to her refund request, and on Sunday went to the venue herself to confront Osekre. The two got into a verbal argument and, Celestin says, security intervened and pulled her aside. "I was like, 'I'm here to ask for a refund,' and he was like, 'Oh you guys messed up my events by not coming, because you had the information,'" she recalled. She still hasn't received a refund, and is considering small claims court. Osekre said he would confer with his vendor coordinator about this particular situation, adding that "giving refunds is a part of doing work like this."





One Facebook user echoed Celestin's accusation that vendors were not notified about the location, parking, and setup times until the morning August 12th, one day before the event. Alongside screenshots of the e-mail sent to vendors they wrote: "One day before the event they send them their info!!! Refund the vendors and the attendees SCAMMERS. You screwed EVERYBODY. ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. LIARS!!"

Osekre countered that that e-mail was intended as a reminder, and that he did walk-through tours for vendors two weeks before the event.

As for refunds, Osekre said that beyond the VIP guestswho paid $150 dollars for food that never materialized and a private session with a chef who arrived latehe "didn't know" if refunds were possible and is trying to understand the extent of the demand.

"It was a first time event. We expected that it wasn't going to be perfect," he said, adding, "We made sure that we put clearly on the Eventbrite page and the website that unless the event is canceled or postponed all sales are final. That's not to say that we were preparing to really fuck up the event and run away with everyone's money. But we wanted to leave a little room for error."

Early Sunday morning, in anticipation of the second day of the festival, Afropolitan Insights posted an apology on Facebook. "Hey guys," it stated. "We experienced a lot of technical difficulties that got in the way of our ability to produce and deliver. We sincerely apologise for the inconvence [sic] that this caused and will rectify those problems for the second day of the festivities."

Many people weren't having it, accusing the event team of scrubbing their event page of complaints (Osekre did not immediately respond to a request for comment on this allegation).



(via Facebook)

Videos from day two suggest that the event was still hot, and sparsely attended. Eden Hagos, who blogs as Black Foodie, posted that she "really wish[ed] there was more food at the African food festival" and that "By the end I almost passed out from the heat but the watermelon juice brought me back to life."

On Monday Osekre took full responsibility for the event, urging attendees not to shame the vendors or event staff on social media. "I am the one you should hit, I am the one you should direct your frustration and anger towards, I take full responsibility for everything you saw that didn't go well," he wrote.

Some people were sympathetic. "Thank you for the response! You are obviously a good person and I believe that soon you will do the good deed of issuing refunds," wrote Georgie K Harris on Monday.

Meanwhile, 72 people have joined a Facebook group called "Brainstorming for a Real NYC African Food Festival."

"On August 13th, 2016, thousands of people were scammed at an event called The African Food Festival hosted by Afropolitan Insights and Ishmael Osekre," the group description states. "This group is to help attendees come together and brainstorm on how we all can host a real African Food Festival. All suggestions are welcomed!!!!!"

"We didn't set out to fail," Osekre told us. "And Sunday in my opinion was a better reflection of the kind of festival we were going for. The vendors were already there waiting." He added that he'd like to work out the kinks and do the event again next year.
Women displaced by the fighting in Yemen collect water at a camp fin the northern province of Amran, Yemen, 10 August 2016. (Yahya Arhab/EPA)

An airstrike by a U.S.-backed Saudi-led military coalition struck a Doctors Without Borders hospital in northwestern Yemen on Monday, the latest bombing of a civilian site since a peace deal between the nations warring factions collapsed last week.

Abs Hospital, located in the countrys Hajjah governorate and supported by the international medical charity, was hit at 3:45 p.m. local time, Doctors Without Borders said in a statement. The number of casualties was not yet known, though reports on social media suggested that as many as 20 people might have been killed or wounded.

MSF is currently assessing the situation to ensure the safety of patients and staff, the aid agency, using the acronym for its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres, said in its statement. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

More than 4,600 patients have been treated at the hospital since the charity began supporting it in July 2015.

[A cluster bomb made in America shattered lives in Yemens capital]

The bombing comes two days after a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a Koranic school in an enclave of the northern city of Saada, killing 10 children and wounding 28. All were between the ages of 6 and 15, according to Doctors Without Borders, whose staff treated the victims at their facility there.

Saudi Arabias military has said that Saturdays airstrike struck a militia training camp but offered no evidence for its claims. A 14-member team set up by the coalition to investigate allegations of wrongdoing said it had opened an inquiry into reports that the school was hit and would make its findings public.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia on Mondays airstrike, which was at least the fourth on a Doctors Without Borders-supported medical facility in Yemen since the war began in early 2015. Last year, one person was killed in an airstrike on a health center in Saada province, and a mobile clinic in the southern province of Taiz was also hit, according to the aid agency. In January, another hospital in Saada was targeted, killing six.

Several organizations working in Yemen condemned Mondays attack and called for an independent investigation.

This was a horrific attack killing sick and injured people and the medical staff desperately trying to help them, said Sajjad Mohammad Sajid, Oxfams country director in Yemen. The world cannot continue to turn a blind eye as the most vulnerable suffer in this terrible conflict.

Todays air strike appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life, Magdalena Mughrabi, Amnesty Internationals deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Program, said in a statement.

The bombardment of this hospital is a deplorable act that has cost civilian lives, including medical staff who are dedicated to helping sick and injured people under some of the most challenging conditions, Mughrabi said. Deliberately targeting medical facilities is a serious violation of international humanitarian law which would amount to a war crime. The circumstances of this attack must be thoroughly and independently investigated.

On one side of the conflict is Yemens President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, the United States and their allies. On the other side is an alliance between Shiite Houthi rebels and loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. They seized the capital, Sanaa, and drove Hadi southwards to the port city of Aden.

Sunni-led Saudi Arabia, concerned about the Houthis and their links to its main regional rival, Irans Shiite theocracy, entered the war to restore Hadi to power.

More than 6,500 people have died in the war, around half of them civilians. The Middle Easts poorest nation, in crisis long before the war began, is now in the throes of a humanitarian disaster.

[The story of a girl married at 11 tracks the horrors of Yemens war]

Human rights groups have accused the Saudi-led coalition of human rights violations, which Riyadh has denied. The Houthis have also been accused of abuses, including the recruitment of child soldiers and forced disappearances of their opponents.

Read more:

Saudi airstrike hits a school in northern Yemen, killing 10 children

Yemen is turning into Saudi Arabias Vietnam

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world


Courts in India are overburdened, with rampant judge shortages and 22 million pending cases  some taking 10 or more years to complete. In one case, a woman who was gang-raped in 2005, when she was a teenager, waited 11 years for a guilty verdict for the ringleader in the case, and it's not over yet. The young woman, pictured above, is now in her 20s. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

 She was still a teenager when a pack of young men pulled her into a car, tortured her and gang-raped her.

The young woman, now a poised student, endured more than three dozen court appearances, six separate trials and endless legal wrangling.

The last of the rapists, the son of a powerful family, was convicted this past spring  11 years after the crime. During her ordeal she was forced to leave school, was put in a home for runaway girls and even now lives with police protection out of fear that allies of the rapists could exact revenge.

Her supporters say her extraordinary perseverance helped her overcome forbidding legal odds.

I decided I had a single goal, said the young woman, the daughter of an illiterate junk dealer: Justice.

Violence against women and the number of rapes in India have risen for over a decade  more than two rapes occur every hour on average, one study says  yet activists, attorneys and officials say that female crime victims still face many barriers in the countrys courts. These include poorly trained doctors, callous police, shoddy forensic practices and the delays that permeate Indias judicial system  delays so disheartening that some victims lose their nerve or settle with attackers families.

In recent years, India has responded by toughening its rape law and creating fast-track courts to speed prosecution of rape cases and other crimes against women. But these new courts have their own delays  and in some states, strikingly low conviction rates.

In April, when the last of the gang rapists in the case was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the victim put on a pink sari and fed sweets to her joyous family and the activists who supported her during years of demanding action. But the journey is not over.

I have thought about this continuously, the young woman said recently. Why did they do this to me? Why did they ruin my life  just because they had money and Im poor?



At night in the city of Lucknow, a few women on the streets stick to the main lighted streets. (Jonas Gratzer/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Kidnapped from the street

The victim, about age 13, was walking home from her job as a housemaid with her younger brother one rainy night in 2005 when a car with tinted windows pulled up. Four young men  who ranged in age from about 17 to 19  were drunk and looking for a girl, one of them later told police. Two got out of the car, forced her in and drove away, ignoring the frightened cries of her brother.

For several hours, the victim said, the young men held her down and tortured her  sodomizing her with a gun and burning her repeatedly with a cigarette lighter. Others joined when they arrived at a remote plot of land, taking her to a dusty workshop ringed by eucalyptus trees, where she was raped on a wooden pallet. Police later recovered strands of her hair, her panties and her sandals at the scene, on land they said was owned by the powerful political family of the alleged ringleader, Gaurav Shukla.

Uttar Pradesh, the northern Indian state where the attack occurred, has a population of more than 200 million, about the same as Brazil. It is poor, deeply patriarchal and criticized for its thuggish political culture, the Goonda Raj. Instances of reported rape have increased faster in the state than in the rest of India in recent years, with the number of rapes more than doubling between 2014 and 2015. The leader of its governing political party, Mulayam Singh Yadav, caused a stir two years ago when he suggested that rapists should not be given the death penalty. These are boys, he said, they make mistakes.

Shukla was 18, cocky, the destroyed son of a rich man, as one of his neighbors put it. His attorney says that he was not involved but confirms that he faces separate charges of attempted murder and conspiracy  including a case still pending in what is known as Gangster Court.

Shuklas brother, a lawyer, declined to comment on behalf of the family.

After the assault, the young men dropped the teen on the side of the road, threw down a 20-rupee bill (worth about 30 cents) and drove away. She could barely walk, but eventually found some village women and asked for help. She was in such bad shape that the women first thought she was a ghost.

I said, Im not a ghost, Im human, please help me,  she recalled.

R.K.S. Rathore, the deputy inspector general of police in Lucknow, said he has not forgotten his first sight of the bleeding, limping teen when she was brought to the police station a few hours later.

It was quite evident she had been brutally handled, Rathore said.

The victim had support from the police early on as well as from her father, a white-bearded scrap dealer named Sabruddin, who was outraged at what his daughter had gone through.

In this, she was lucky: Many families dont report rapes for fear it will bring dishonor upon them. And police have long discouraged women from filing complaints out of indifference or a desire to keep crime statistics down, although that is changing with new laws.

The victim was taken to a nearby emergency room where a doctor noted cuts and abrasions and referred her to a female physician for a rape exam.

Although the victim was hospitalized a day later because of excessive vaginal bleeding and would continue to bleed for weeks afterward, the female physician wrote in her report that there was no bleeding and did not mention the burns on her body obvious to police and her family. She noted that the girls hymen was no longer intact but concluded that no definite opinion about rape could be given.

Many rape cases are hampered by poorly trained doctors, sloppy evidence gathering and a dearth of forensic labs, experts say. Sexual-assault examination guidelines for doctors were established only in 2014.

The doctor also performed what is known as the two-finger test, a once-routine practice in rape exams where two fingers are used to determine the pliability of the hymen. The exam has long been used by defense attorneys as evidence that a victim had an alleged prior sexual history, although courts have said that should have no bearing. This blame the victim mentality long outraged human rights groups.

Although new medical guidelines for doctors forbid its use and the Supreme Court outlawed the two-finger test in 2013, that is still being done, according to Lalitha Kumaramangalam, the chair of the National Commission for Women.



Many court files are not digitized, leading to huge stacks like this one in a law office in Lucknow. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

Stress on the family

One recent evening, the victim and her parents sat in the front room of their modest concrete house in a lower-class neighborhood of Lucknow, sipping gingery tea and nibbling hot jalebi sweets. An occasional train thundered past. As darkness fell, a single lightbulb gleamed above.

In the past 11 years there was not one single day we enjoyed life happily, said her mother, who still speaks the regional language of the eastern state of Assam, where they farmed before floods washed away their land and they moved to the city.

The mother still cant speak without crying about the days and nights following the attack on her daughter, how the family was threatened and urged to drop the case by Shuklas supporters, how her daughter was taken from her and put into protective custody, locked in a facility for runaway girls for nearly 18 months, permitted to see her parents just a few times a month.

Police eventually arrested Shukla and five accomplices that summer, tying them to the attack with the aid of a tipster and cellphone records, Rathore said. Two men were convicted in the case in 2007, and a third in 2013. Two juveniles spent time in detention facilities and later died in separate road accidents.

Meanwhile, Shukla and his attorneys waged a lengthy legal battle to prove that he was a juvenile rather than an adult at the time of the crime. As the years wore on, they were repeatedly admonished for not showing up to court, calling in sick and other excuses.

Defense attorneys often drag out trials to avoid jail time for their clients, according to Padm Kirti, a lawyer and legal writer in Lucknow. Bar associations cause delays by refusing to work on minor religious holidays or by going on strike. The system favors those who can afford pricey lawyers; meanwhile, the victims family had to sell its two buffaloes and solicit donations to pay its legal costs.

In her long wait for justice, the victim was not alone. The average lower-court trial in India takes more than six years, according to Daksh, a civil society organization in Bangalore that analyzes the Indian legal system, and can stretch even longer with High Court and Supreme Court appeals. In U.S. state courts, by contrast, various studies have found that the median time between arrest and adjudication for all felonies is about 110 days; for rape, about 250 days.

[India now has nearly 400 fast-track courts for rape cases. But fast is a relative term.]

The system in India is clogged with rape-charge cases filed by families simply trying to save face when their daughters elope, or who are angry that a man broke a marriage promise. These take time and resources from actual victims.





A life on hold

As the case wore on, India was changing. Millions of young women were taking new jobs in an expanding economy, buying mobile phones and joining social media  venting their frustration over the gender violence and patriarchal attitudes that seemed to be holding India back.

The victim said she felt that she remained frozen, her life on hold. When would she go back to a normal school, go to the market and eat street snacks, giggle with girlfriends? Meanwhile, Shukla had a lavish wedding, and a son.

Everybody knows about the case, people from my neighborhood, she said. At the same time Ive lost my dignity, Ive lost my childhood, hes living a happily married life.

Then came 2012 and the devastating fatal gang rape of a New Delhi college student on a bus, which prompted protests and outrage around the world and forced India to begin confronting, at last, the ubiquity of sexual assault. In its wake, the government tightened laws on rape, sexual harassment and human trafficking and set aside $289 million for rape crisis centers, help lines and special investigators. More than three-quarters of that has not been spent, according to a government report.

Protests continued, and a year later, hundreds of women were on the streets of Lucknow, agitating for womens justice  including fast-track courts and a trial in the Shukla case.

In January 2015, the court referred the case to one of the new fast-track courts, among nearly 400 set up across the country.

But even then things did not go smoothly. Shuklas attorneys continued to miss hearings. Two were rescheduled because the bar association had ordered a strike. In May last year, the entire court file mysteriously went missing, reappearing months later.

The process in the fast-track courts is still slow, said Bulbul Godiyal, the additional advocate general for Uttar Pradesh. They are more effective than regular courts, she said, but because of the overall problems in the system, prolonged delays still occur.

The states Legal Services Authority estimates that the conviction rate in these courts is low  a mere 5 to 10 percent, less than half the national rate for crimes against women.

The victim came face to face with her attacker in court in December, a few days after the trial finally began. She had not seen him for years. He had grown a mustache. His body had filled out. He had become a man.

When she testified a few weeks later, she became so emotional that she became sick and vomited. Court was adjourned.

Starting again

With the encouragement of the womens advocates who assisted in her case, the victim managed to resume her education at an alternative school and complete 11th grade.

She had tried to enroll in ninth grade in a regular school, but dropped out because she felt ashamed when people pointed, stared and referred to her as the rape girl. She wants to be free of it, this case that has consumed half her life.

Now in her mid-20s, she is entering 12th grade and dreams of becoming a judge or maybe marrying a young man from Assam.

He would have to know about what happened, accept me, then never mention it again, she said with a slight smile.

A local advocate who helped the victim said she rarely got discouraged during her long battle.

She is remarkable, said Madhu Garg, an activist with the All India Democratic Womens Association in Lucknow. The case dragged on for so long, but the strength of her character and her determination helped us win.

A daily computer class in a nearby storefront is the victims salvation. There, no one knows her history, and she makes it a point to keep it that way, giving her police guards the slip when she heads out.

When this incident happened I was scared of boys, she said. But the boys I have been studying with give me respect; they say hi, hello and help me if I dont understand something in English.

The young women gossip and giggle, and although she hasnt joined in yet maybe she will soon. I am feeling a lot lighter now, she said.



Gaurav Shukla after he was convicted in the gang-rape case in a fast-track court in Lucknow, India, on April 13. (Ajay Kumar/The Times Of India Group)

The verdict

The trial concluded in February, paving the way for Shuklas conviction April 13. A few days later, he was charged with forging a high school certificate that said he was a minor at the time of the rape.

The man had been a familiar sight at the courthouse, turning up in designer sunglasses and blazers for his court appointments, driven in a government car, his chamchas  Hindi slang for henchmen  by his side. But the day the judge pronounced him guilty, Shukla hid his face with a white towel, sweaty and shaken.

His attorney, Gopal Narain Mishra, said that he is appealing because the prosecution pinned its case on the testimony of the victim alone and presented no physical evidence tying his client to the crime.

This is a false conviction and an unsustainable case, he said. Gaurav Shukla is not involved.

For the victim, Shuklas conviction provided a measure of relief.

After all these years, the wait is finally over, she said.

Shukla could still be freed on bail while he awaits his appeal. The case could drag on for years.

Farheen Fatima, Alka Pande and Pragya Krisha contributed to this report.

Read more:

An Indian teen was raped by her father. Village elders had her whipped.

The brutal ways some clan councils in South Asia punish women

India gang rapes persist despite growing awareness of womens rights

Today's coverage from Post correspondents around the world
In one rape case in India, a 13-year-old girl who was gang-raped waited 11 years for a guilty verdict. Even though it came in a new fast-track court, the case is not over. The victim's lawyer, Jalaj Gupta, stands in front of the courthouse. (Annie Gowen/The Washington Post)

Fast-track courts set up in India to speed prosecution of rape cases have not had the dramatic impact that advocates hoped for, interviews show.

India toughened its rape and sexual violence law three years ago after a brutal gang rape led to widespread outcry and a national debate about violence against women. It also launched an effort to fast-track rape cases and other crimes against women mired in the countrys overburdened judicial system, with 399 courts around the country.

Interviews with lawyers, activists and prosecutors show the quality and success of the courts, which are administered by the states, vary widely. Some reported that trials referred to the fast-track system were concluding more quickly, while others said they did not see an improvement.

Others described proceedings bogged down from long waits for forensic evidence, police reports and repeated adjournments, with witnesses turning hostile and refusing to testify because they have settled the matter with the family of a suspect.

According to an amendment to Indian rape law, rape cases must be heard daily and be concluded within two months after charges are filed.

[She was raped at 13. Her case has been in Indias courts for 11 years  and counting.]

The fast-track courts are functional, but they dont exclusively try only womens cases, even the ones that were meant to try just those, because the caseload is so huge, said Vikas Saini, a probation officer in the state of Haryana. Saini said that disposal rates have increased, but it really depends on the investigation and the police.

The countrys capital of New Delhi, which has more rapes than any city, has a backlog of 3,487 cases in its fast-track courts, officials said, with some cases languishing for three years. There were 127 guilty verdicts in 2015, which made up 14 percent of judgments.

In the southern state of Kerala, Aleyamma Vijayan of the Sakhi Womens Resource Center said that many rape cases remained backlogged, including some that are 10 to 12 years old.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, however, that the courts are having a positive impact: The national conviction rate for rape cases rose a percentage point to 28 percent between 2013 to 2014, according to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau report.

A study of 10 fast-track rape courts in the southern state of Karnataka by the Center for Law and Policy Research in Bangalore told a different story. Courts there returned a 17 percent conviction rate, lower than the national average. The study found that 80 percent of acquittals happened because witnesses recanted their testimony, in part because there was little police protection for them. Nor was there additional training for judges and prosecutors or dedicated courtrooms.

What we found surprising was there was nothing that distinguished these courts in any way from regular courts, said Jayna Kothari, one of the studys authors. Theres no use setting these up these courts if theres no way to differentiate them from the rest of the criminal justice system.

This was not the first time India has turned to fast-track courts to address the woes of its court system, plagued by judge shortages, unruly lawyers and aging infrastructure. The country's first effort at fast-tracking cleared more than 3 million cases but lost steam because of funding cuts in 2011. Critics said that the courts provided a quick fix but there were better ways of addressing the systems failures, such as adding more judges.

India plans to spend $615 million in the next five years for 1,800 fast-track courts for women, children, the elderly and other vulnerable populations, officials said.

Read more:

Gang rape of a woman on a bus in New Delhi raises outrage in India

Indian legislators pass strict anti-rape law

An Indian teen was raped by her father. Village elders had her whipped.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Muslim worshippers attend a Friday prayer at the Yahya Mosque in Normandy, France, in the days following a terrorist attack on a church in the region. (Francois Mori/AP)

After three major terrorist attacks in the last year and a half, public outrage has forced the French government to respond. But one particular proposal has generated significant controversy: the shutdown of certain mosques and the foreign funding behind them.

Late last month  weeks after the Nice attack  Prime Minister Manuel Valls called for an outright ban on the foreign funding of mosques in France for a period to be determined. Days later, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve announced that, in fact, more concrete measures had already been taken: Since December 2015, he said, 20 Salafist mosques were shut down altogether.

There is no place in France for those who call for and incite hatred in prayer halls or in mosques, Cazeneuve said, speaking to reporters after a meeting with Muslim leaders. For many French Muslims, however, the issue is the implicit association in his words  namely, that mosques are where terrorists radicalize.

It gives the idea that mosques have something to do with terrorism, Marwan Muhammad, the director of the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, said in an interview. Its a way of problematizing Muslims once again.

There are about 2,500 Muslim houses of prayer in France, not all of which are officially classified as mosques. According to France 24, only about 120 of these are associated with radical Salafism, a strict variation of Sunni Islam.

[Terrorist attack on French church ignites fears of religious culture wars]

Despite the immense publicity the question of foreign-funded mosques has drawn throughout the summer, especially from supporters of the far-right National Front party, many question whether the practice is actually as common as is frequently presented  especially in a country that has had an established infrastructure to combat money laundering and terrorist financing since 1990.

According to a committee report released last month by the countrys Parliament, the lions share of the funding behind new French mosques comes from individual donations in France  not from foreign governments. The reports findings indicated that the bulk of the foreign funding that did arrive came from Morocco and Algeria, which have sent 6 million euros and 2 million euros, respectively, this year.

But the reports main finding highlighted what its authors considered the structural nature of the problem.

In staunchly secular France, mosques  like churches, synagogues and any other houses of worship  are not legally entitled to receive any state funding. As a result, the only way to fund new mosques is through private donations from individuals and charitable organizations, a framework that encourages foreign capital in the first place, the report said.

[Islamic State says militant soldiers carried out Normandy church attack]

On the one hand, there is the intent to organize Islam in France in order to have greater control, the report concluded. On the other hand, [Islam] cannot be touched because of the 1905 law. The equation is unsolvable.

The 1905 law, passed after a political crisis known as the Dreyfus Affair, officially guaranteed the separation of church and state in France.

Regardless, the report recommended that the government establish a dedicated foundation that could monitor the transmission of foreign funds to French mosques. As legislator Nathalie Goulet, one of the reports authors, told France 24, the idea is not to ban foreign financing but to make it transparent and conditional.

The government listened, announcing the Foundation for Islamic Works, which, in theory, will do precisely that, in addition to overseeing the training of foreign-born imams. But then it made another announcement: The foundation will be run by a non-Muslim, former interior minister Jean-Pierre Chevenement, 77.

This, for Muhammad, represents a double insult to French Muslims.

The first is that they chose someone who doesnt represent anything to the Muslim community  its like theyre confiscating Muslim opinion, he said.

Its also saying that of the 4 million Muslims in France, none of them is capable of holding this position. Among all this wealth of people, not one of them  man or woman  is capable.

Four million is a conservative estimate for the number of Muslims in France, which officially keeps no statistics on race, ethnicity or religion. Others put the figure closer to 5 million for what is one of Europes largest Muslim communities, if not its largest.

Read more

Black Lives Matter movement comes to France. But will it translate?

Amateur terrorist attacks may mark a new chapter in the ISIS war in Europe

Exhausted police in France stretched thin by constant security threats

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world


Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn speaks in Cleveland on the first day of the Republican National Convention. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In campaign appearances for Donald Trump, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn has cast the presidential race as a continuation of the career he spent battling dangerous enemies in distant wars.

The enemy camp in this case is Hillary Rodham Clinton, he said at a rally in Florida this month, pointing his thumbs down in disgust. This is a person who does not know the difference between a lie and the truth. . . . She is somebody who will leave Americans behind on the battlefield.

As chants of Lock her up! rose from the crowd, Flynn nodded with enthusiasm and said he was so proud, standing up here, to be an American.

[The GOPs new convention theme: Lock her up!]

It was a jarring moment in a race full of them  a retired three-star general comparing a presidential candidate to the al-Qaeda militants he faced in Afghanistan and Iraq, calling for a former senator and secretary of state to be imprisoned.

The appearance was only the latest eyebrow-raising episode involving Flynn, 56, who was one of the most respected military intelligence officers of his generation but who has spurned the decorum traditionally expected of retired U.S. flag officers and become the only national security figure of his rank and experience to publicly align himself with Trump, the Republican nominee.

Flynn vaulted to public attention with his convention speech. (Republican National Convention)

The unruly 2016 campaign has drawn dozens of former senior national security officials into the fray, including 50 who served Republican presidents and who this month signed a letter saying Trump lacks the character, values and experience to be president. Denunciations of Trump from retired Marine Gen. John Allen  who spoke at the Democratic National Convention  and former acting CIA director Michael J. Morell struck some as compromising their former institutions apolitical role in American democracy.

But Flynn, who vaulted to public attention with his speech at the Republican National Convention last month, has rattled even some of his most long-standing colleagues, engaging in harsh, partisan rhetoric that, to his critics, seems to clash with the principles and values he spent a career defending.

He has called President Obama a liar, declared the U.S. justice system corrupt and insisted that he was pushed out of his assignment as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency because of his views on radical Islam. The claim has left former superiors seething, including Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., according to current and former officials who said Flynn was removed because of management problems.

Like Trump, Flynn has advocated forging closer ties with Russia. In interviews with The Washington Post, Flynn acknowledged being paid to give a speech and attend a lavish anniversary party for the Kremlin-controlled RT television network in Moscow last year, where he was seated next to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

[Heres what we know about Donald Trump and his ties to Russia]

People went crazy, said retired Brig. Gen. Peter B. Zwack, a former U.S. military attache in Moscow. They thought it was so out of bounds, so unusual. Zwack emphasized that he considers Flynn a patriot who would never sell out his country.

Flynn, who was no longer in government but received a DIA briefing on Russia before the trip, said the invitation and payment came through his speakers bureau. He said he used the visit to press for collaboration on Syria, Iran and the Middle East, and dismissed the ensuing controversy as boring. Asked why he would want to be so closely associated with a Kremlin propaganda platform, Flynn said he sees no distinction between RT and other news outlets.

Whats CNN? Whats MSNBC? Come on! said Flynn, who also has appeared occasionally as an unpaid on-air analyst for RT and other foreign broadcasters.



Flynn, center left, sits next to Russian President Vladimir Putin at an event last year to mark the Kremlin-controlled RT television networks 10th anniversary. (Michael Klimentyev/Sputnik via Associated Press)

Dismayed by Flynns behavior since he left the military, former colleagues have contacted him to urge him to show more restraint. Among them are retired Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who relied heavily on Flynn in Iraq and Afghanistan, and retired Adm. Michael Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. McChrystal declined to comment for this article.

Mullen provided a written statement saying that for retired senior officers to take leading and vocal roles as clearly partisan figures is a violation of the ethos and professionalism of apolitical military service. Officers are sworn to execute orders without regard for political positions, an oath to the Constitution that is inviolable and presidents must never question it or doubt it, he said.

Flynn and Allen have violated this principle and confused that clarity, Mullen said. This is not about the right to speak out, it is about the disappointing lack of judgment in doing so for crass partisan purposes. This is made worse by using hyperbolic language all the while leveraging the respected title of general. 

Allen noted that retired U.S. military officers have frequently taken public positions in presidential campaigns, including a number of recent chairmen, and that he did so out of concern with Trumps calls for resuming the use of torture, killing families of terrorism suspects and mass-bombing cities in Syria.

Retired senior officers should not take lightly the impact of public commentary in a political environment, Allen said. I chose to do so because I believe that Trump was proposing policies and orders to the U.S. military as a potential Commander in Chief, which I believed would create a civil-military crisis. This is a matter of conscience for me, because in moments of crisis such as these, credible voices must speak out.

In interviews, Flynn said he respects his former superiors but rejected their entreaties as attempts to silence him and impinge on his free speech rights. When someone says, Youre a general, so you have to shut up,  he said, I say, Do I have to stop being an American? 

Flynn dismisses his critics as closet Clinton supporters or misguided colleagues who have put their pursuit of corporate board seats and lucrative consulting contracts ahead of their concern for the country. Most retired generals are afraid to speak out, he said, because they use their stars for themselves, for their businesses.

[Transcript: Trump adviser Michael T. Flynn on his dinner with Putin and why Russia Today is just like CNN]

Flynn said his foray into politics began last year when he volunteered to advise five Republican candidates. He said that he first met Trump 11 months ago and that he spoke with him by phone several times before being asked to speak at the Republican convention.

Trump is a very serious guy. Good listener. Asked really good questions, he said. Flynns role in the campaign has yet to be defined. He said he has never met with Trumps foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, and has not been promised any position if the real estate developer wins.

Flynns credentials and backing of Trump have fueled speculation that he could be in line for a high-level national security job if Trump is elected. He was briefly considered a potential Trump running mate before the candidate picked Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.

Rather than scaling back, Flynn, a registered Democrat, has become an avid campaigner for Trump whose views and impulses increasingly echo those of the Republican candidate.

He sees the nation as beset by darkness and corruption, with voters split between centrist nationalists and socialists.

The divide has weakened the nations ability to grasp what he considers an existential threat from a diseased component of Islam. Theres something going on in the Muslim world, he said. Why do we have heightened security at our airports? Its not because the Catholic Church is falling apart.

Flynns sudden political prominence represents a departure from a 33-year military career spent largely in the shadowy realm of military intelligence and Special Operations missions. Former colleagues said they could not recall Flynn ever discussing politics while in uniform or voicing the views he has embraced since his career came to an abrupt end.

The son of a World War II and Korean War veteran, Flynn was one of nine children in a close-knit Irish family in Rhode Island. His brother Charlie is a two-star general in the Army.

Flynns early years in uniform coincided with the end of the Cold War, but he made his mark after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as an intense officer with a string of important intelligence assignments.



Flynn, then director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, testifies on Capitol Hill in 2014. (Lauren Victoria Burke/Associated Press)

He has held senior positions in the 18th Airborne Corps, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and at U.S. Central Command, which runs U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Throughout his career, he was viewed as a charismatic and unconventional officer with a talent for mapping terrorist networks  qualities prized by superiors. But his hard-charging approach was at times considered disruptive or undisciplined.

He is best known for his integral role in the lethal machine that McChrystal assembled in Iraq to eviscerate the al-Qaeda affiliate there. Together, they perfected an approach known as find, fix, finish that relied on the elite Joint Special Operations Command to carry out raids and then used intelligence from captured militants and materials to identify new targets at a blistering tempo.

When McChrystal was put in charge of the war in Afghanistan, he tapped Flynn again to serve as his top intelligence officer. Flynn used that job to position himself as a gifted strategist, helping to co-write a 26-page article, Fixing Intel, that depicted the intelligence-gathering mission in Afghanistan as a failing endeavor that was too focused on finding targets rather than understanding cultural complexities. Some in the military praised the article as insightful, but critics considered it grandstanding at the expense of his predecessors.

Some of Flynns other moves angered superiors. Former U.S. officials said he was scolded after traveling to Pakistan in 2009 or early 2010 and revealing to Pakistani officials sensitive U.S. intelligence on the militant Haqqani network accused of staging attacks on American forces. U.S. officials said that the move was aimed at prodding Pakistan to crack down on the militant group, but that Flynn exposed U.S. intelligence capabilities that only helped Pakistan protect an organization it used as a proxy ally.

Flynn also came under investigation by the Pentagon because of an allegation that he had inappropriately shared highly classified intelligence with Australian and British forces. Im proud of that one, Flynn said in an interview. Accuse me of sharing intelligence in combat with our closest allies. Please!

The inquiry delayed but did not derail Flynns ascent through the ranks. Always pushing for a deeper understanding of terrorist networks, Flynn persuaded Clapper in 2011 to let him form a team to reexamine the materials recovered from bin Ladens compound in Pakistan, searching for clues overlooked by the CIA. In 2012, Obama tapped him for one of the highest positions a military intelligence officer can attain, running the Defense Intelligence Agency.

U.S. Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies during a House Appropriations hearing on "World Wide Threats" on Capitol Hill on Feb. 25. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)

Flynn arrived with a mandate for change. He began trying to reorganize the agency into regionally focused centers, station more analysts overseas and build a spying capability that could rival that of the CIA. In public remarks, he warned any employees who resisted his agenda that he would move them or fire them.

Almost from the outset there were concerns at the Pentagon that Flynn was struggling to execute his reform plans and that the agency was beset by turmoil. A career staff officer, Flynn had little experience running a large organization, let alone a plodding institution such as the DIA, with nearly 20,000 employees.

Former subordinates at the DIA said Flynn was so prone to dubious pronouncements that senior aides coined a term  Flynn facts  for assertions that seemed questionable or inaccurate.

The DIA job is ordinarily a three-year assignment. But early in Flynns second year, his bosses  Clapper and then-Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael G. Vickers  summoned him to a meeting at the Pentagon to tell him that he was being removed.

As the search for a replacement stalled, Flynn attempted an end-run around his superiors, appealing directly to the vice chief of staff of the Army to extend his tenure. The move infuriated Clapper, according to former officials who said the DNI warned Flynn that if he made any other attempt to circumvent the outcome he would be fired on the spot. Clapper declined to comment for this article, but several current and former officials confirmed the account.

Flynn disputed the account as well as the claim that he had shared sensitive intelligence with Pakistan, saying in an email that the claims are all false.

He characterizes his ouster as a political purge orchestrated by an administration unwilling to heed the warnings he was sounding about militant Islam. Asked for evidence, he said, I just know! adding that Clapper had once told him that the issue behind Flynns ouster was not your leadership, or I would have removed you right away.

The decision to remove Flynn was about turbulence and a destructive climate, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official. I dont think anybody in the administration was even aware of his views on radical Islam.

Flynns positions have become more strident since he left DIA and are increasingly aimed at Obama. He said he is sick and tired of the president taking credit for approving the 2011 mission that led to the death of bin Laden. This decision to kill bin Laden . . . so what?! he said. What did it really do?

Once firmly against waterboarding and other banned interrogation measures, Flynn now appears at least willing to consider supporting Trumps threat to reinstate those methods, saying he would be reluctant to take options off the table. Asked on Al Jazeera in May whether he would allow the military to carry out Trumps threat to kill any families of suspected terrorists, Flynn replied, I would have to see the circumstances of that situation.

In February, Flynn posted a video about a Pakistani terrorist group on his Twitter account with the comment: Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.

His views are difficult to reconcile with some of the prescriptions for fighting terrorism that he outlines in a recent book, The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies, that he co-wrote with neoconservative analyst Michael Ledeen.

In the book, Flynn argues that the United States needs new partnerships with Middle Eastern countries and a deeper understanding of radical ideology. He said Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia should shoulder more of the responsibility for ridding themselves of terrorists, accept more Syrian refugees and deploy troops in Syria.

Asked whether his comments about Islam or Trumps behavior  threatening to ban Muslims from entering the United States, vilifying the parents of a fallen Muslim American soldier  might alienate those potential Middle East partners, Flynn said, I dont see it that way. I see a lot of Muslims who actually want this conversation. They want this point to be made.

Greg Jaffe and Julie Tate contributed to this report.

Read more:

Transcript: Trump adviser Michael T. Flynn on his dinner with Putin and why Russia Today is just like CNN

Candidates poised for classified briefings despite spy agency worries over Trump

One of Trumps foreign policy advisers is a 2009 college grad who lists Model UN as a credential

Can Trump chairman Paul Manafort survive new Ukraine revelations?

Heres what was missing from Donald Trumps foreign policy speech
Lawyer Susan Kellman has a high-stress job, representing the likes of Somalian al-Shabaab fighters, Bloods gang leaders, and mobsters in federal court. So at her office in Park Slope and her apartment across Prospect Park, she keeps dogs around to help her unwind.

"I get great joy from them. Theyre just so loving," Kellman said in a recent interview with Gothamist. "And they get me out. Its easy, when you put in 20 hour days... its very easy on the weekends to not get up. But the minute I get out into the park I say, 'I cant believe I wasnt thinking about getting outdoors.' I just love being a dog owner."



Susan Kellman with her puppy Nash (Mia Kellman)

Kellman's latest canine companion is a boxer-Australian shepherd mix named Nash, whom she adopted in June from a kill shelter in Nashville, Tennessee, through a rescue organization called PupStarz. The pup was nine weeks old when he arrived in Manhattan in a van packed with dozens of other dogs headed for new homes.

At the time, Nash was named Benjamin, and when Kellman went to retrieve him with her daughter, Mia, he was huddled in a crate with another puppy they had considered adopting, Benjamin's sister Benita.

"I took particular note," Kellman remembered. "I said to my daughter, 'This is the last chance, do we want a male or a female?' We took Benjamin."

Over the next several weeks, Kellman incorporated Nash into her routine, taking him out to Prospect Park for a few hours early in the morning, and, schedule permitting, to her office where she has a dog space set up, then paying the park another visit in the evening. On days when she had to appear in court, she would leave the dog with Mia, and some days she would take care of Mia's dog Nola, a yellow lab rescue.

On July 31st, a Sunday, Kellman was out with the two dogs in the Long Meadow in the middle of the afternoon, the ground still wet from midday rain showers, when something caught Nash's eye. Here's Kellman recounting what happened next:

Im just walking through the park and he starts to pull and pullthats not unusual for a puppy. Usually I give a quick jerk back and its fine. But he kept pulling. I offered him a treat, and he pulled again. I wasnt holding on that tight, and he just pulled away from me and started running. Hes never run off the leash before.

He ran probably about 100 yards... and ended up on this blanket and just jumped on top of this puppy... I couldnt tell what the hell was happening. But when I got close, it was so clear that it was the other puppy. Aside from a few markings that you can see close up, you cant tell them apart.

Kellman turned to the dog's owner and said, "'Thats Benita, right?' She looked at me like was crazy." Kellman explained herself, and the two new owners talked as their puppies wrestled on and around the blanket for 20 minutes, gleefully unaware of anything outside themselves (to the chagrin of Nola, who is protective of Nash).

Benita, it turned out, had been adopted by the other woman in the park, a middle-school teacher who lives in Crown Heights and had renamed her Hazel Nut. The teacher walks Hazel Nut in the park regularly, too. Neither could believe what they were seeing.



Hazel Nut, left, and Nash, tired from their first reunion. (Susan Kellman)

"It was hard to pull them apart. They just looked like they could play for the rest of their lives," Kellman said.

"They came from the same litter, and of all the places in the city we live about a mile apart," the teacher wrote in a Facebook post recounting the reunion.

The two exchanged contact information and hope to plan more play dates for the happy dogs. Kellman's daughter and the teacher posted photos and videos of the encounter to Facebook. PupStarz got wind of the reunion, and offered to put the rest of the owners of puppies from the litter in touch via email. Some gushed that they too are in New York City, and one in Connecticut put out an open invitation to any litter-mates who may be passing through the area, Kellman said. Within days, someone had created a Facebook group for the owners to track the goings-on of the fast-growing separated siblings.

In the meantime, Kellman has continued her routine, visiting the condemned in prison, taking calls from distraught relatives and pitiless prosecutors, sifting through the facts of the most terrible moments in people's lives again and again with clinical detachment, then heading out and playing with the dogs. And these past few weeks, she's been telling everyone she knows about her fateful walk in the park.

"It was one of the sweetest things Ive ever seen in my life," she said.


Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, board a transport plane to depart from Iraq on Dec. 17, 2011, near Nasiriyah, Iraq. Around 500 other troops from the division ended their presence on Camp Adder, the last remaining U.S. base, and departed in the final American military convoy out of Iraq in 2011. (Mario Tama/AFP/Getty Images)

A week before the last U.S. soldiers left his country in December 2011, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki traveled to Washington to meet the team that would help shape Iraqs future once the troops and tanks were gone.

Over dinner at the Blair House, guest quarters for elite White House visitors since the 1940s, the dour Iraqi sipped tea while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke of how her departments civilian experts could help Iraqis avoid a return to terrorism and sectarian bloodshed.

Iraq would see a robust civilian presence, Clinton told reporters afterward, summing up the Obama administrations pledges to Maliki. We are working to achieve that, she said.

Less than three years later, the relatively calm Iraq that Maliki had led in 2011 was gone. The countrys government was in crisis, its U.S.-trained army humiliated, and a third of its territory overrun by fighters from the Islamic State. Meanwhile, State Department programs aimed at helping Iraqis prevent such an outcome had been slashed or curtailed, and some had never materialized at all.

Clintons political foes would later seek to blame her, together with President Obama, for the Islamic States stunning takeover of western Iraq, saying the State Department failed to preserve fragile security gains achieved at great cost by U.S. troops. In a speech Monday on how he would deal with terrorist threats, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said, The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton.

[Trumps ISIS comment exemplifies why his campaign is on the brink of doom]

But an intensive review of the record during Clintons tenure presents a broader picture of missteps and miscalculations by multiple actors  including her State Department as well as the Maliki government, the White House and Congress  that left Iraqi security forces weakened and vulnerable to the Islamic States 2014 surge.

Documents and interviews point to ambitious plans by State Department officials to take control of dozens of military-run programs in Iraq, from training assistance for Iraqi police to new intelligence-collection outposts in Mosul and other key Iraqi cities. But the State Department scrapped or truncated many of the plans, sometimes at the behest of a skeptical Congress and other times on orders from the White House, which balked at the high costs and potential risks of U.S. civilians being killed or kidnapped. Still other efforts were thwarted by a Maliki government that viewed many of the programs as an unwelcome intrusion in Iraqi affairs.

Senior State Department leaders were at fault as well, according to documents and interviews with officials who helped manage Iraqi aid programs after the withdrawal. By early 2012, pressed by the White House to reduce the U.S. civilian footprint in Iraq, the department had begun implementing sweeping, across-the-board cuts that extended to security and counterterrorism initiatives once considered crucial for Iraqs stability after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a joint investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post found.



U.S. Army soldiers carry their bags to shipping containers as they prepare to leave Camp Adder as the base is readied to be handed back to the Iraqi government on Dec. 6, 2011, near Nasiriyah, Iraq. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Clinton, a member of the administrations national security team at the time, argued at first in favor of many programs that the State Department eventually cut, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with internal White House deliberations. For the Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. policy misadventures in Iraq, from the initial invasion and occupation to the disasters after the U.S. troop withdrawal, have persistently undermined Clintons efforts to tout her extensive record in foreign policy. Candidate Clinton has frequently pushed for more assertive engagement with Iraqs military and tribal alliances to help repel the Islamic State, essentially arguing for an expansion of programs that were curtailed on her watch after the U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011.

[Confidantes letters reveal hidden side of Hillary Clinton]

A State Department team that administered the cuts under White House direction eventually ended up with a $1.6 billion surplus  money initially appropriated for Iraq that was freed for use in other conflict zones, including Libya, officials and documents say.

The downscaling was done over the objections of U.S. military leaders on the ground, who said the slashing of key assistance programs  in a few cases, by more than 90 percent  left the U.S. government increasingly in the dark about developments outside the Iraqi capital. Some former officers who managed Iraqi aid programs say the cuts were a factor in the slow deterioration of Iraqs security forces in the months before the Islamic States 2014 assault.

Our job was to prevent this from happening, said retired Rear Adm. Edward Winters, a former Navy SEAL and deputy director of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, a Pentagon organization overseen by the State Department that managed the bilateral security relationship.

We felt the capability to do that was being taken away.



Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton deliver a joint statement after their meeting on Oct. 19, 2009, at the State Department in Washington. (Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP)

A strategic vacuum

Current and former Obama administration officials, including some who sparred with the State Department over Iraq policy, defend Clinton as one of the most vocal advocates for a muscular U.S. presence in Iraq after the withdrawal deadline. Clinton argued publicly and privately for keeping a contingent of U.S. troops in Iraq after Dec. 31, 2011, and when that effort failed, she lobbied the White House and Congress for money to fund civilian-run security programs in Iraq, her former aides said. In written memos and in meetings as part of the presidents national security team, she questioned Malikis ability to keep the country united and warned that instability could lead to a resurgence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, or AQI, the terrorist group that later renamed itself the Islamic State, the officials said.

She was seized with this, recalled Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who was national security adviser to Vice President Biden and then deputy national security adviser to Obama during key discussions about Iraq policy. She recognized that AQI was down but not out, and pressed the Iraqis, and us, to keep taking the fight to them.

But, in scaling back civilian assistance to Iraq, Clintons aides cut aggressively and sometimes unwisely, internal auditors later concluded. The reductions met cost-cutting goals but did not fully consider U.S. foreign policy priorities in Iraq, an internal review by the State Departments inspector general said. Some of the cuts were not fully implemented until after Clintons departure in early 2013, though the plans were largely in place, former aides said. The report is silent on Clintons role in the reductions or views about them.

There was a period of time after the transition from the military-led mission to a civilian-led mission when strategic decisions were not made, with one official calling the period a strategic vacuum,  the inspector generals office said in its 2013 report, citing interviews with department officials in Washington and Iraq. It said the cuts were driven by Congressional and White House concerns that the Department quickly reduce costs and security vulnerabilities and address [the Iraqi governments] desire for a more normalized U.S. diplomatic presence.

Among the casualties was a U.S. Army-run Iraqi tribal reconciliation program with a record of successfully resolving disputes between Iraqs querulous Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions. Animosity between Sunni tribes and Malikis Shiite-led government would become a key factor in the Islamic States takeover of Iraqs Sunni heartland in 2014.

Asked to account for such cuts, a State Department spokesman said in an email that diplomats lacked the personnel or financial resources to continue many of the programs begun by the Pentagon during an era when tens of thousands of U.S. troops were serving in Iraq. In any event, the result was lost trust with the Sunni community and the abandoning of an important window into what was really happening inside Iraq, said retired Army Col. Rick Welch, who oversaw the program before the military withdrawal,

No one from the State Department ever contacted me, Welch said in an interview. Eventually the Baghdad-based reconciliation effort was scaled back to a trickle, he said, and then nothing else happened.



A State Department sign warns people away from what is now an abandoned part of Camp Adder as the Army continued to send its soldiers and equipment home in December 2011 near Nasiriyah, Iraq. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Maliki and President Obama hold a news conference on Dec. 12, 2011, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The presidents directive

In the first weeks of his presidency, Obama flew to Camp Lejeune, the sprawling Marine base in North Carolina, to repeat a promise made throughout his election campaign: a pledge to wind down Americas wars in the Middle East. He told the troops that the war in Iraq will end through a responsible drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011, the deadline set three years earlier by the George W. Bush administration.

In reality, few within Obamas own administration expected that the entire U.S. contingent would exit Iraq by that date, current and former aides say. In interviews, State Department and Pentagon officials said they were convinced that Iraq would ultimately negotiate an agreement to leave a modest contingent of U.S. soldiers  perhaps 10,000 or so  in the country to ensure stability and serve as a bulwark against a resurgence of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The presence of even a small American force would have provided a substantial benefit for U.S. diplomats in Iraq after 2011, assuring that the Pentagon would continue to take the lead in U.S.-Iraqi military liaison programs while also helping with mundane but necessary functions such as security, medical care, food service and transportation on the ground and in the air. But with a deadline looming and no firm decision from the White House, the State Department began to develop plans for hiring thousands of contractors to perform the same services at higher costs. The uncertainty lingered until October 2011, when the talks collapsed 10 weeks before the deadline for pulling all U.S. forces out of the country.

Throughout this period, Clinton continued to campaign for what several aides called a robust mission for American diplomats in Iraq, preferably backed by a significant U.S. troop garrison. Her advocacy was recalled by numerous military and intelligence officials who participated in classified discussions on Iraq. It was also expressed publicly in news conferences and congressional testimony at the time.

She was very focused on how to apply the full weight of the U.S. government to locking down that residual troop presence, said Jake Sullivan, the State Departments director of policy and planning who later became the top foreign policy adviser to the Clinton campaign. As prospects for U.S. troop garrisons began to dim, Clinton insisted on a robust contingency planning process, to leave nothing to chance on how we protected our civilian presence and how we made sure that we were supporting the outlying posts beyond Baghdad, Sullivan said.

State Department officials initially planned for taking control of more than a third of the 1,300 programs and missions run by the Pentagon in Iraq. That alone, as Clinton herself would acknowledge, constituted the largest transition from military to civilian leadership since the Marshall Plan, the extensive U.S. aid effort after World War II.

Contingency plans created in 2010 envisioned taking over key security missions, such as the tribal reconciliation program. Another initiative called for building new diplomatic and intelligence outposts around the country to give the United States a presence in cities that once hosted American military bases. These facilities, called Enduring Presence Posts, or EPPs, were initially planned for five Iraqi locales: Irbil, Diyala province, Kirkuk, Basra and Mosul.

State Department officials urged Congress to approve funding for the EPPs, saying the listening posts would help mitigate ethno-sectarian conflict while allowing the security officials to better forecast, prevent or contain instability outside of Baghdad.

Spotting emerging problems early is going to be critical, Clintons aides wrote in a 2010 staff report to lawmakers. The report raised concerns about the departments ability to carry out some of its new mandates without U.S. military support, but it urged congressional appropriators to put up the necessary financial backing.

In Washington, both the White House and Congress viewed the plans with deepening skepticism. At a March 2011 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) appeared to scoff at the idea of a civilian force of diplomats and contractors trying to do business in Iraq all over the place with no troops.

That is basically a private army replacing the American military, Graham said to Clinton. So Id like us to think long and hard as a nation  does that make sense?



Clinton testifies on assessing U.S. foreign policy priorities and needs on March 1, 2011, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The secretary of state warned Republicans to reverse plans to cut the U.S. foreign aid budget or undermine U.S. efforts to stabilize North Africa and the Middle East. (Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)

The cost of building, equipping and securing diplomatic enclaves in Iraqi cities such as Mosul  a hotbed of Sunni terrorism in 2011  struck senior Obama aides in the meetings as exorbitantly expensive and impractical, even more so because of Malikis growing antipathy toward U.S. interference in Iraqs domestic affairs, according to current and former aides who participated in the private discussions.

The loss of a U.S. troop presence meant the closing of all U.S. military installations, including dozens of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, the smaller regional units from which U.S. military and civilian workers administered aid to local towns and tribes. Unable to rely on Iraqi help, State Department officials would have to hire an army of contractors to replicate the functions and services previously provided by the Pentagon. For U.S. diplomats, a routine journey along the 40-mile highway from Baghdad to Baqubah would now be a complicated and dangerous affair in which assassination or kidnapping would be a constant threat.

The decision to scale back plans for the post-2011 civilian mission was made by Biden and a faction of White House officials that included staff members of Obamas National Security Council, who were given primary responsibility for managing relations with Iraq, according to accounts from current and former U.S. officials who participated. A team led by State Department Deputy Secretary Thomas R. Nides was put in charge of reviewing and implementing the reductions, with support from State Department officials in Washington and Baghdad. Clinton, having lost the argument for a larger force, was briefed about the developments but left it to her subordinates to decide how the cuts would be implemented, several former and current administration officials said.

Bidens office declined to comment on the reductions, although former aides said the cuts reflected the prevailing view at the White House and on Capitol Hill: that a large civilian force in Iraq would not be sustainable once U.S. troops were gone.

The president made the decisions on the military drawdown, and it was the presidents directive that we were all executing, Nides said. On the civilian side, the White Houses big worry was the security of our people. Once the decision was made that we werent going to have the authority to keep our military there  and even before it was made  we knew we not only couldnt afford to keep growing, but we had to reduce. At one point, we had the biggest civilian footprint in the world.

Administration officials insisted that a smaller, civilian-led force could continue to provide critical support for Iraqs transition, but the cuts were demoralizing to State Department and Pentagon officials who saw prized aid programs shrink or disappear. State Department officials tried to persuade other agencies, including the CIA, to split the costs of operating posts in Mosul and other provincial cities, but that idea withered as well.

The robust presence we envisioned did not survive, recalled a former State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private White House deliberations about Iraqi policy. Things kept getting whittled down. Wed come back from each meeting with bad news about the latest thing to get scrapped.



Iraqi rescue workers inspect damage to buildings after a bomb attack at the Shiite endowment headquarters in central Baghdad on June 4, 2012. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)

A slow-motion nightmare

Meanwhile, other programs intended to help Iraqis battle terrorism were facing a quiet death.

On Jan. 1, 2012, the first day after the U.S. troop era officially ended, 157 American military service personnel remained in Iraq as part of the State Department-run Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq. Pentagon and State Department officials sought and won authorization to expand the number by nearly twofold, from 157 to about 300, to be backed by a supporting cast of thousands of contract workers, according to documents and former officials.

Pentagon budget documents in early 2012 called the unit vital to counterterrorism efforts, facilitating the sharing of intelligence between military and civilian agencies in both the United States and Iraq. Among other missions, it provided support for Iraqs elite terrorism-fighting unit, known as the Counter Terrorism Service.

But the program began shrinking almost immediately after the troop withdrawal, former Pentagon officials remembered.

It started going away, remembered Winters, the former deputy director.

A 2013 report by the Pentagons inspector general said the cuts amounted to unilaterally slashing such programs to meet budget goals. The department implemented a primarily top-down directed initiative in which cuts were made based on percentages and targets across assigned agencies without sufficient consideration of their differing missions and resources requirements, the report said.

An early casualty was direct U.S. support for Iraqs Counter Terrorism Service. The number of embedded U.S. advisers to the elite terrorist-fighting unit dropped from more than 100 before the military withdrawal to just two, according to Winters and other former Pentagon officials who served in Iraq.

Another key Pentagon program that helped the U.S. government collect and analyze intelligence about terrorist activities was scrapped. Charles Bova, who ran the program, said the scuttling of the project resulted in the loss of an important window into Iraq that could have provided Americans and Iraqis with a better awareness of what al-Qaeda in Iraq was up to.

A training facility in Kirkuk was shuttered, not only because of budget cuts but also because of resistance from Malikis Shiite-led government, which had begun to push back against U.S. assistance programs in predominantly Sunni and Kurdish provinces. Immediately after the U.S. troop departure, Maliki began ordering the arrests of rival Sunni politicians while replacing U.S.-trained Iraqi generals with Shiite allies personally loyal to the prime minister. Some of the same Maliki appointees would later abandon their divisions as the Islamic State began its assault on Mosul.

Sunni protests against Maliki erupted in 2012 and, almost in tandem, the number of suicide bombings in Iraq started to rise. The terrorist predecessors of the Islamic State began gaining strength across Iraq, aided by the worsening sectarian tensions as well as the fighting next door in Syria, where the civil war gave jihadist leaders a cause and a safe haven in which to rebuild.

None of us thought the problem was gone  we thought we were leaving a void there, Winters said. We all expected that [al-Qaeda in Iraq] would come back and get worse. But we didnt think it would happen that fast.



Iraqi Sunni Muslims wave the old Iraqi national flag during an anti-government demonstration in Fallujah on Dec. 28, 2012. (Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters)

Worried that Iraqi security was unraveling, Clinton and other senior Obama advisers lobbied Iraqi leaders to accept new forms of assistance unfettered by State Department legal and budgetary constraints. Beginning in late 2011, Clinton joined then-CIA Director David H. Petraeus and other White House officials in seeking to persuade Maliki to host a joint U.S.-Iraqi fusion cell, consisting of intelligence experts and Special Operations forces from both countries, according to officials who participated in the talks. The White House also offered Maliki nonlethal surveillance drones to help track the movement of suspected terrorists, the officials said.

The Iraqis appeared open to both ideas but made no move to implement them. The possibility of U.S.-supplied drones in Iraq was nixed by Maliki after news of the offer leaked to the media. Both programs were eventually implemented, but only after waves of Islamic State suicide bombings began to threaten security in Baghdad.

It was like one of those slow-motion nightmares, said Blinken, the State Department official. We were moving our own system, trying to move Congress, trying to move the Iraqis. We saw this thing coming, we were acting on it, but the problem outran the solution we were putting into place.

The budget cuts did achieve one positive, and perhaps unexpected, result: a budget surplus. By May 2012, the State Department was sitting on $1.6 billion in funds that Congress had appropriated for Iraq, but which the department no longer intended to use there. Department officials had the option of redirecting those funds, and did so, shifting some of the money to other conflict zones, including Libya, according to public documents and former officials.

A large chunk of leftover cash was initially earmarked for the construction of a new diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, the restive Libyan city that Clinton had planned to visit in late 2012. That idea abruptly ended after the deadly Sept. 11, 2012, assaults on the Benghazi compounds that left four Americans dead.



An Islamic State fighter holds an ISIS flag and a weapon on a street in Mosul, Iraq, on June 23, 2014. (Reuters)

Prized targets

On June 4, 2014, the Islamic State, in a quick strike, captured Mosul. The black-flagged terrorists blew past Iraqi army defenders, aided in many cases by Sunni tribesmen who saw the jihadists as preferable to Malikis Shiite-led government.

Whether the additional security assistance could have helped prevent the collapse of Iraqs security services is impossible to say with certainty. Many current and former administration officials, including some who strongly favored a residual U.S. troop presence, argue that Malikis inept management of the military and repression of the countrys Sunni minority inalterably weakened the country and made it vulnerable to collapse. If a few hundred Americans had been stationed in Mosul in 2014, these officials say, they might have become prized targets for the terrorist army that overran the city that summer.

People have an illusion here, said Nides, the former State Department deputy secretary. From a practical perspective, what you actually get is 20 people with a big security footprint. Are they going to be getting in their cars and driving around talking to tribal leaders? I dont think so.

In any case, the Islamic States takeover prompted a rush by the Obama administration to restore military-led security assistance programs that had been curtailed after the military drawdown. Within weeks, 475 U.S. troops were sent to advise Iraqi security forces. Today, the level is more than 10 times that. The concern over tight budgets has faded as well: Congress has appropriated billions of dollars to deal with the jihadist threat.

Clinton, the presidential candidate, responded to the crisis as well, putting forward a detailed plan for defeating the Islamic State. She has primarily blamed Maliki, the former Iraqi leader and her former partner during the transition, for the resurgence of the Sunni terrorists. Some of her proposed solutions have called for improving tribal liaisons and intelligence collection programs that were cut or abandoned three years earlier.

Weve got to do a better job of getting back the Sunnis on the ground, she told ABC News in an interview in 2015.

Clinton has stressed her experience and track record in the national security arena as a key selling point on the campaign trail, echoing themes from her memoir, Hard Choices, which chronicled her experiences as secretary of state. The book came out a few weeks after Mosul fell to the Islamic State.

The book made news upon publication because of Clintons admission that it was a mistake to have voted in 2002 to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq the following year.

On the rest of what happened in Iraq during her tenure as Americas top diplomat, the 635-page book is silent.

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

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During a speech in Youngstown, Ohio, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump outlined some of his plans to defeat the Islamic State and protect the United States. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

During a speech in Youngstown, Ohio, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump outlined some of his plans to defeat the Islamic State and protect the United States. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Donald Trump called Monday for a Cold War-style mobilization against radical Islamic terror, repeating and repackaging calls for strict immigration controls  including a new ideological litmus test for Muslim visitors and migrants  and blaming the current level of worldwide terrorist attacks on President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

In a grab bag of promises to battle the Islamic State organization together with Russia and anyone else who wants to join the fight, the Republican nominee underlined the need to improve intelligence and shut down militant propaganda, recruiting and financing.

But he provided few specifics on how he would expand such efforts beyond those already underway.

[Nearly the entire national security world has rejected Trump  except for one man]

My administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, Trump said in a speech in Youngstown, Ohio, using an acronym for the Islamic State. International cooperation to cut off their funding, expanded intelligence sharing and cyberwarfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting . . . Its got to be stopped.

1 of 60 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  What Donald Trump is doing on the campaign trail View Photos The GOP presidential nominee is out on the trail ahead of the general election in November. Caption The GOP presidential nominee is pressing his case ahead of Election Day. Nov. 7, 2016 Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Wait 1 second to continue.

The speech was one in a series of prepared remarks the Republican presidential nominee has scheduled amid criticism of controversial off-the-cuff policy pronouncements that he has later dismissed as jokes or sarcasm. Reading directly from a teleprompter, a subdued Trump rarely departed from his script.

The principal new initiative was what Trump called extreme vetting for any hostile attitude towards our country or its principles, or who believed sharia law should supplant American law. . . . Those who did not believe in our Constitution or who support bigotry and hatred will not be admitted for immigration into our country.

In the Cold War, he said, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. . . . I call it extreme, extreme vetting.

Current U.S. naturalization law requires adherence to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and rejects advocates of a variety of ideological positions, and those with proclivities, in the judgment of immigration officials, to commit various crimes.

In a semantic softening of his previous position restricting immigrants or visitors from Muslim-majority countries, Trump said he would temporarily suspend immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism.

As he has in the past, Trump said he would keep open the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that Obama has unsuccessfully tried to close for more than seven years. Drone strikes will remain part of our strategy, but we will also seek to capture high-value targets to gain needed information to dismantle their organizations. Foreign combatants will be tried in military commissions, he said.

[Obama administration approves its largest single release of Guantanamo detainees ever]

Obama initially did away with the commissions, then reauthorized them during his administration, but they have been rarely used. In an interview last week with the Miami Herald, Trump said he would also use the commissions to try U.S. citizens, which is currently prohibited under law. He did not mention that possibility in his speech.

Listing two other early initiatives of a Trump presidency, he said he would establish a commission on radical Islam which will include reformist voices in the Muslim community who will hopefully work with us. We want to build bridges and erase divisions. The commissions goal, he said, will be to identify and explain to the American public the core convictions and beliefs of radical Islam and develop new protocols for law enforcement.

At the same time, Trump said he would call for an international conference to halt the spread of radical Islam, partnering with Israel, Jordan and Egypt, among others.

I also believe that we could find common ground with Russia in a fight against ISIS, Trump said. Wouldnt that be a good thing?

[How a State Department plan to stabilize Iraq broke apart]

The Obama administration has made a similar proposal to join forces with Russia. But it has made it contingent on Moscows restraining Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from bombing civilians and opposition groups that are party to a cease-fire in Syria that both Assad and Moscow signed.

Trump softened the tone of previous comments on a number of things, including his description of NATO as obsolete and filled with members who dont pay their fair share for U.S. protection. He said the United States would work closely with NATO on counterterrorism, and he congratulated the alliance for establishing a new division to handle the threat since my comments.

NATO first committed to increased counterterrorism activities at its summit in Wales in 2012.

Much of Trumps speech drew from previous campaign appearances and a lengthy foreign policy speech he delivered in April, including a pledge for the United States to get out of the nation-building business.

But in the absence of specific plans, he also left behind much of his bombast, including a promise made during the primary campaign to bomb the s--- out of the Islamic State. Id blow up every single inch, there would be nothing left, he said in November.

[Former GOP national security officials: Trump would be most reckless American president in history]

In April, he said he had a great plan to defeat the militants but was keeping it secret to avoid tipping them off. Were gonna beat ISIS very, very quickly, folks. Its gonna be fast. I have a great plan. Its going to be great. They ask What is it? Well, Id rather not say. Id rather be unpredictable.

Last month, he told CBSs 60 Minutes that he intended to declare war against ISIS but would have very few troops on the ground. Were going to have unbelievable intelligence.

As he has in the past, Trump blamed Obama and Clinton for creating a vacuum by withdrawing troops from Iraq, supporting the overthrow of Assad, and helping oust Libyas Moammar Gaddafi, that allowed the Islamic State to expand. Last week, he called them the founders of ISIS, a phrasing he did not repeat in Mondays speech.

Trump and others sought to make Clinton look soft on terrorism by repeatedly pointing out that she and the president refused to use the term radical Islamic terrorism to describe the groups ideology. Clinton replied, as did Obama, that such terminology demonized the Muslim faith and risked making enemies of potential Muslim supporters and informants.

Trump made a number of false or misleading claims in his speech, including his long-

discredited claim to have opposed the Bush administrations 2003 invasion of Iraq, which Clinton voted to support. A number of the terrorist attacks he listed, and the plan for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq, occurred under Bush.

Referring to the 2011 U.S. military action in Libya, Trump said Obama regards Libya as his worst mistake. Obama has said that failing to plan for the day after the intervention was probably his worst mistake.

Noting media reports that the Islamic State has made substantial profits selling oil in land that it occupies to fund terrorism, Trump said that we could have prevented the rise of ISIS in Iraq by claiming control of its oil.

I was saying this constantly and consistently to whomever would listen. I said, Keep the oil. Keep the oil. Keep the oil. Dont let somebody else get it. 

But all of the oil sold by the militants has come from fields they occupy in Syria. They have never controlled oil-rich territory in Iraq, where oil provides about 99 percent of government revenue, according to the United Nations.

Anne Gearan in Scranton, Pa., contributed to this report.

Read more:

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The remains of a destroyed car at the scene of a suicide attack in Mogadishu, Somalia, on July 31 that was claimed by al-Shabab. (Said Yusuf Warsame/EPA)

Somalia-based al-Shabab militants pose a rising threat to nations across East Africa, which are among the continents fastest-growing, according to a report released Monday by a regional bloc of eight countries.

The report by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development notes that al-Shabab, like the Islamic State militant group, has been able to recruit young men and women from countries beyond its power base.

The report also includes new details about terrorists who exploit weaknesses to operate across the regions borders.

Al-Shabab is clearly no longer an exclusively Somali problem, and requires a concerted international response, according to the report, titled Al-Shabab as a Transnational Security Threat.

The reports conclusions underscore a shift in assessments about al-Shabab, which has shown resilience in the face of setbacks in recent years. Until recently, the governments of East African nations had played down the regional threat posed by the al-Qaeda affiliate, rarely sharing intelligence or coordinating counterterrorism campaigns.

After emerging in Somalia in 2006, al-Shabab captured a large swath of the country through years of withering guerilla warfare. In recent years, though, many of those territorial gains were lost after a campaign by 22,000 African Union troops and U.S. drone strikes.

Al-Shabab, however, maintained its ability to carry out spectacular attacks inside and outside Somalia. In 2013, fighters attacked an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi, killing 67. In 2015, they attacked a university in northern Kenya, killing 148. Over the past 18 months, al-Shabab has been behind a slew of bombings in Mogadishu, Somalias capital, but it has not launched any major attacks elsewhere in the region. That led some to question whether al-Shababs regional ambitions or abilities have waned.

The new report suggests that neither is true. It said the group has a presence in five countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Tanzania and Uganda. It said the group maintains safe houses in Kenya within which they can securely meet, plan, and execute operations. Al-Shabab is also actively developing new external operations in Ethiopia, according to the report.

The report said that the group also has maintained its ability to recruit young women, who have previously played key roles in cross-border attacks.

Female couriers, the report says, routinely travel across East Africa on behalf of Al-Shabab, building and sustaining transnational networks.

The report recommends identifying gaps, challenges, and opportunities in strengthening cooperation to combat Al-Shabab.

But the countries that make up the Intergovernmental Authority on Development have been slow to adapt to the threats posed by the group, and it remains unclear how quickly cooperation on security matters will improve.

Read more

U.S.-funded Somali intelligence agency has been using kids as spies

How a breakaway region of Somalia hopes to build a new country

Pentagon: Drone strike targets senior al-Shabab leader in Somalia

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Australian Department of Immigration and Border Force (DIBP) personnel, mostly members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU), joined 24-hour stoppages from last Thursday. The union staggered the strikes over three days, affecting international airports, ports and other sites across the country.

The DIBP stoppages are part of a long-running enterprise agreement campaign involving over 100,000 federal public sector workers across a range of departments. The previous agreements expired in 2014, which means that, apart from cost-cutting enterprise deals signed in a few government departments, the vast majority of CPSU members have had no pay increase for three years.

During this time, the union has reduced its pay claim from a 4 percent increase per year over three years to between 2.5 percent and 3 percent.

Last weeks rolling stoppages came after the CPSU called off scheduled strikes by Border Force workers last April, following a Fair Work Commission (FWC) injunction banning all industrial action. The FWC acted on an application by the federal Liberal-National Coalition government, which claimed the strike posed a threat to national security.

The application was made under section 424 of Australias industrial laws, which were introduced by the previous Labor government with the full support of the unions. The FWC, or the federal industrial relations minister, can prohibit any industrial action deemed to threaten to endanger the life, the personal safety or health or the welfare of the population or part of it.

It was the second time national security had been invoked to shut down industrial action by DIBP workers. In March, the CPSU called off planned 24-hour stoppages following a request by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull after bombings that month in Brussels, Belgium. The unions agreement to end industrial action on so-called national security grounds established a new anti-democratic precedent that will be used against other workers in key industries.

The Liberal-National Coalition government has offered public sector workers nominal 2 precent annual pay increases, conditional on workers accepting the loss of hard-won conditions.

For DIBP staff, the governments offer involves eliminating multiple allowances, which could leave some workers $8,000 a year worse off, and scrapping various entitlements and arrangements, including access to flexible work hours.

In July 2015, when the government merged the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service and the Department of Immigration to create the DIBP, it abolished a raft of entitlements, severely reducing workers take home pay. After DIBP workers struck last year, the government agreed to maintain the former conditions but only until negotiations for new enterprise agreements were completed.

DIBP employeesalong with most federal public sector workers, including in Human Services, Employment, Environment, Education, Agriculture, Veteran Affairs, the Australian Tax Office, the Bureau of Meteorology and the Bureau of Statisticshave repeatedly voted down government offers and overwhelmingly endorsed campaigns of industrial action.

In line with previous strikes, the CPSU has done everything possible to limit action by DIBP workers and isolate them from other public sector workers. It is seeking to wear them down in order to impose new agreements to meet the governments budget-cutting requirements.

The government has insisted that any wages settlement will not be backdated. This means that the government, with the CPSUs assistance, has imposed a three-year pay freeze, setting another precedent that will be taken up by employers across the board.

The CPSU has ensured that industrial action by DIBP workers and other public sector workers causes minimal disruption. On August 3, the union directed DIBP staff in 50 areas not to strike. In a statement announcing the exemptions, the union restated its commitment to national security and safety.

The CPSUs principal concern throughout the disputethe longest enterprise agreement conflict in the unions historyhas been to convince the government that collaboration with the union can best achieve its cost-cutting agenda.

The CPSU called no industrial action during the campaign for the July 2 federal election, while urging its members to vote for Labor as a lesser evil to the conservative Coalition. In reality, Labor governments at both state and federal levels have destroyed thousands of public sector jobs over the past three decades.

In 1987, the Hawke Labor government introduced an efficiency dividend. This measure, imposing annual funding reductions across the public sector, has been used by successive federal administrations to cut jobs and working conditions.

In 2013, the Gillard Labor administration increased the efficiency dividend from 1.25 percent to 1.5 percent, just before the 2013 federal election, clearing the way for the destruction of an estimated 14,500 jobs by the incoming Coalition government.

The narrow re-election of the government has seen the CPSU resume its appeals to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to partner with the union to head off a confrontation. On the eve of last weeks strike, CPSU national secretary Nadine Flood said Turnbull could avert future strike action, including the prospect of broader industrial action across the Commonwealth public sector, by working with us to fix this mess.

The mess to which Flood referred was the refusal of the overwhelming majority of public sector workers to accept the governments austerity demands. The CPSU is desperately seeking closer collaboration with the government in order to deliver the deep spending cuts being demanded by the financial and corporate elite.

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A 4-year-old girl is recovering after a mountain lion tried to drag her away from the campsite where she was staying with her family, according to a local report.



The reported attack occurred on Friday near Green Canyon Hot Springs, a popular getaway in Newdale, Idaho, according to EastIdahoNews.com.



The girl's grandfather, Jim Sevy, told the outlet that the girl's mother thought she saw a large cat while the family was eating dinner.



"Nobody else thought much of it and, a short time later, her mom went to put the four-year-old in the tent for a nap," Sevy said.







Shortly after, the mother took a young sibling into the woods to go to the bathroom. While they were doing that, the family reportedly heard the girl scream.



"She got out of the tent because she couldn't find her shoe," Sevy said. "That's when the mountain lion grabbed her and started carrying her away."



The family began yelling at the cougar as the mother chased it, prompting the animal to drop the child and run away.



The family, whose name has not been released, reportedly took the child to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. She had a few scratches but otherwise was physically unharmed.



"She is getting rabies shots and injections in her puncture wounds," Sevy said. "She should be okay."



Idaho Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Andrew Sorensen reportedly euthanized a female mountain lion that was found a few hundred yards from the camp, Idaho Fish and Game spokesman Gregg Losinski told EastIdahoNews.com.



Losinski said cougar attacks and even sightings are rare, but small children are often the targets.



"This family showed how vigilance and quick thinking can help avert a tragedy," he said



Sevy said the family returned to the campsite to finish their trip, grateful that the vacation didn't end in tragedy.



"It could have gone the other way so easily," Sevy said. "She could have been gone and we would have never seen her. You really have to keep your eyes open when you're out camping."
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.

Story continues

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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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."
"What's poppin!" shouts Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd. It's early afternoon, and he and his brother Slim Jxmmi are somewhere in Los Angeles' hills, prepping for the release of the new SremmLife 2, their darker, weirder and more grown-up sequel to 2015's platinum-certified SremmLife. But soon afterward, there's a flurry of phone static and garbled voices. At some point, Swae disappears from the conference call, leaving his older brother Jxmmi to finish talking with Rolling Stone.

The missed connection seems to echo early reactions to the Mississippi duo. Rae Sremmurd's debut not only launched iconic trap-pop sing-alongs like "No Flex Zone" and "No Type" but also engendered a modest backlash from industry critics like Hot 97 radio programmer Ebro Darden, who unfairly compared the group to Kris Kross. On SremmLife 2, the duo prove their ability to hang with Dirty South vets like Juicy J and Gucci Mane, and trade bars effortlessly with young gunners like Kodak Black. Meanwhile, mentor Mike Will Made It's Ear Drummers squad provides haunting synthesized beats that resemble an eerie Xanax hallucination. "SremmLife is the introduction, and SremmLife 2 is the growth," says Swae Lee. "People aren't going to be able to say, 'These guys just do kiddie music.'"

Rae Sremmurd may not elaborate much on how they created their startling sophomore effort. "It's more us. I don't know how to explain it," says Jxmmi. But as our conversation unfolds, Jxmmi has a lot to say about making it out of Mississippi, the forthcoming presidential election, the group's infamous party-rap track "Up Like Trump" and Swae Lee's work on Beyonce's "Formation."

You've got your new album SremmLife 2 coming out.

Yeah, it's going to be a freakin' classic, man. We're trying to make history.

How was it working with Lil Jon on "Set the Roof"?

That song is a classic because his voice didn't change a bit. It's still that old school Lil Jon turn-up feel. So it's just crazy putting our turn-up energy with his, and feeling it.

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You have songs like "Take It or Leave It," where you talk about relationships. It's very different from a crunk party rap like "Set the Roof." What inspires your songs about relationships as opposed to the party songs you're known for?

At this point, I don't really know what we're known for. I mean, we've all had relationships, we've all had breakups, and we've all had make-ups. We just talk about our lives, whatever we're going through at that time.

Is that the reason why your music resonates?

Yeah. We have times where we wanna have fun and go to the club, and we have times where we wanna chill with our friends and just turn up with our friends, and we have times where we wanna get girls. That's normal, everyday stuff that everybody likes to do. We all dream of doing this and that. It's why our songs be about what people dream about, or even what we would dream about.

But obviously, most of your fans aren't touring around the world and performing in front of thousands. What's the transition been like from being regular dudes to being rap stars?

We haven't changed that much. We just still do the same type of stuff, and now we get to record and get paid for it. We used to record all the time for fun, just to make music. So the transition wasn't hard, because even before [the fame] we was doing shows, having a lot of energy, and being real responsive with the crowd. It's good to reap a blessing from it, to get paid, and for people to acknowledge what you do.

You've said that people often dismiss you as "kiddie rap." Do you feel like your work is underrated?

They don't know us, so it doesn't matter. If you met us in person, you would think we was young, because we're, like, short, and we like to have fun. But that's what people gon' think. But the more they get to know us, and the more they see us, everything will change. It just takes time. Time reveals all. And we go hard, so we not worried about that. Every album they gon' be like, "Oh, my gosh, man, these guys, they just turnt up! They're just so fun! They're great! They make great music!"

Getting respect is always important. But I don't know. ... We just handle our business. I feel like actions speak louder than words. I know people respect what we do 'cause everybody shows us love, and we show everybody love. So we don't really think about that. We just handle our business.

Last March, you debuted your SremmLife Crew with the Trail Mix mixtape.

We want to bring out Mississippi. We want to bring out people from our neighborhood and show [the world] that, like, we have talent, too. People have a bad connotation of our state. So we'd like to show them that we know what's going on and we have our own little scene, and I'd like to make that scene known. So we have Bobo Swae. He's going to be our first major artist from the SremmLife Crew. He's got a crazy project. He sings; he raps. We've got Impxct. He's a younger guy. People love him, man. He has a lot of energy and dancing around, like, all that. We've got Riff 3X. He'll be back soon. He's gone right now, but he'll be back soon. [Last May, Riff 3x was arrested for drug possession with intent to distribute.] Our whole crew is country. We just a bunch of country boys, and we make good music. People gonna love us, 'cause we fun to be around.

This started, like, way back. This is a dream we been workin' on for so many years. It's just good to have a chance to make it a reality. We still trying to make that something big, you know what I'm saying? We wanna be like Cash Money; we wanna be like Maybach Music. We wanna be where we can make all our people big. That's the goal, to put all your friends and your family on.



"We wanna be like Cash Money; we wanna be like Maybach Music. We wanna be where we can make all our people big."

I know you guys were based in Atlanta for a while.

We spend time in L.A. and the ATL. We love the A, man. It's like, everybody in the South wants to go to Miami or Atlanta or Memphis. They're, like, turn-up spots; they're so fun. There's a lot of things you can do there. We love that.

Did you used to listen to David Banner? He's from Mississippi.

Yeah, David Banner, Big K.R.I.T., Soulja Boy. Now you got Rae Sremmurd, and you gon' have Bobo Swae, Impxct, and you gon' have Riff 3X. And you gon' have more after that. You got SremmLife Crew.

Mississippi's like everywhere else: a lot of bad things happen; a lot of good things happen. It's like any other place in the country, so you gon' get what you're looking for. It's a laid-back place. It can be a good place, it can be a bad place, but it's really up to you. I like Mississippi. I miss Mississippi.

On SremmLife 2, you guys produced some of the tracks.

My brother, he's been producing ever since we were Dem Outta St8 Boyz. ... Swae Lee has been producing ever since then. I tell him all the time, "Man, you make great beats. You need to try to get 'em out there." And he's been doing that. So he's got one on Gucci Mane's album, "Pussy Print," with Kanye West on it. Shout out to Mike Will Made It. Shout out to Ear Drummers Records. The whole team, we winning.

"Pussy Print" is, like, the best song on Gucci's new Everybody Looking.

And [Swae] did "No Type," too. That's three times platinum.

Describe your relationship with Mike Will Made It. He's become one of the top producers in the music industry.

It's great working with Mike Will. You don't really notice he has accomplished so much. Me and my brother are new artists, and when you're dealing with a new artist, we have to make ourselves among many new artists. We new. So sometimes we might feel some type of way [about breaking into the music business]. When we started, he used to tell me, "Jxmmi, don't worry about it. You're good. You're great. You and your brother gon' do this. And they gon' love it." I know it's crazy, 'cause everybody would tell us, "How are you going to compete?" It's like, "Oh, someone from down the street is trying to be the biggest rapper in the world." That's, like, impossible, you know? So Mike Will, he believed in us, and he made us believe in ourselves.

I'm struck by how different SremmLife 2 sounds from your debut. Did you aim for a new musical direction?

Naw, what people don't understand is that we're not going into the studio, like, "We gotta make something different." We make music all of our life. So SremmLife, we didn't have nothin', so we was rapping, and we were just trying to go as hard as we could. And SremmLife 2 is all of our experiences after that, after making it, feeling success, feeling love from all the people and the women, buying things, getting money, spending and losing money. That's what SremmLife 2 is: our experiences. It sounds different because we've never been rich; we've never had this much money before. I got a chain, and it got big diamonds on it. I ain't never had a real diamond on anything. That's something I can talk about now, and I have it, so I can really tell you about it. That's what SremmLife 2 is. It's after having done things and experienced new things, and making new music.

Do you guys still do "Up Like Trump" in concert?

Everybody knows that Donald Trump is not a good person. When we do "Up Like Trump," it's really to inspire people to hate him. Trump just ruined his whole credibility in some of the things he said about whole groups, nationalities and cultures, you know what I'm saying? Trump is not a good person. So when we say, "Up Like Trump," it's "Get Trump the fuck outta here." [Laughs]

You supported Bernie Sanders in the past. Now that Sanders has left the presidential race, who do you plan to vote for?

We're going to vote for Hillary Clinton, man.

Are you happy about it? There are some former Sanders supporters that are very upset about him losing the Democratic primary.

I understand people's arguments that, like, he's an older person, and they don't really know him. And I understand when people talk about Hillary not being trustworthy, or this or that. But when you look at our choices that we have, truthfully, between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, I feel like Hillary Clinton would do a good job when I'm comparing her to Donald Trump. Especially when Donald Trump is best friends with Putin in Russia, and he really don't know what the hell is going on, and he [cites] videos that don't exist. Donald Trump is losing his damn mind. I don't think he even understands some of the things he says because he's been rich for so long. I don't know if he came from a real struggle like we did.

We actually made a song about it [on SremmLife 2], "Came a Long Way." It's really just scratching on it. We don't try to go into too many details about that, because we're not trying to build no type of energy like that. Now we're just having a good time and enjoying life, and making the most out of it like we always have. We came from Mississippi, man. There's not much else to say. If you want to know anything else, just go to Mississippi.

It sounds like Swae dropped off the callI wanted to ask him about his co-writing credit on Beyonce's "Formation."

Yeah, man ... Swae freestyled that. I was sitting in the studio  I told him that shit was amazing. Mike told him that shit was amazing. But he didn't freestyle like [the final version of "Formation"] you heard. It was a long freestyle, and he wrecked the whole freestyle. He didn't like it. He said it wasn't good, and everybody was telling him it was amazing. Then he left, and I think he forgot about it. Then Mike called us a couple of weeks later and said Beyonce wanted it. And Swae was, like, "What?! She wanted that?" It was an amazing record he didn't understand. But when she re-did it, and re-cut it, she brought us to the studio, so we heard it in the studio before it dropped, and she let us hear a lot of her songs. It's like, yeah, her shit is amazing. She made that song sound incredible. Then she named her tour Formation, so it was a blessing.

But yep, everything you heard is true. Swae freestyled that shit. Never picked up a pencil. I was there. He didn't even smoke a blunt. He just went in the booth and started talking.

Did you know that Mike Will Made It was going to play that for Beyonce?

Nah, he didn't, I promise you. [Swae] said, "Delete it." He told Mike to delete it. And then Mike cut on another beat, and we didn't know if he deleted it or not because he didn't say nothing. But it was an amazing song where Mike was just, like, "I'm not going to delete this. Fuck what Swae's talking about. This is incredible." [Laughs] And then he let Beyonce hear it, and she liked it. So, shout out to Beyonce. Shout out to Mike Will, man. He's got a great ear. Like, he's got records that nobody has heard, and he's not going to let nobody hear them because they're not ready. We're, like, from the future and shit.

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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.
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Here is what you need to know.

Russia and Saudi Arabia are talking about oil. The two countries are working toward creating "market stability" in oil. According to a quote from the Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsat, cited by Reuters, Russian oil minister Alexander Novak said, "We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination ... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time." West Texas Intermediate crude oil is up 0.4% at $44.68 a barrel.

Japan's economy went nowhere in the second quarter. The Japanese economy posted 0.0% growth for the second quarter. Additionally, the world's third-largest economy grew at just a 0.2% annualized rate, well below the 0.8% growth that was experienced in the first quarter. The Japanese yen is stronger by 0.3% at 100.99 per dollar.

Honeywell is closing in on a deal for JDA Software. The deal is worth about $3 billion, including debt, and is expected to be announced Monday, according to The Wall Street Journal. An acquisition of JDA would continue Honeywell's push into software, as about half of its 23,000 engineers have already made the transition into the industry.

Mid-America is merging with Post Properties. The merger brings together two big-time apartment owners that have benefited from the explosion of rental demand, according to The Wall Street Journal. The $4 billion deal is said to give Post investors 0.71 of a share of new MAA stock per share of Post.

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PwC is being sued for $5.5 billion. The accounting giant is being accused of negligence in its audits of Colonial Bank, which became the sixth-largest bank failure in history back in 2009. "Year after year, PriceWaterhouse didn't do their job, they didn't follow the rules, and they failed to detect the fraud," Steven Thomas, an attorney for the trustee of Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corporation, whose parent company was Colonial Bank.

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David Tepper has a new position. A regulatory filing released late Friday says the hedge fund manager amassed a position of 1.45 million shares of Western Digital during the second quarter. As Tepper's fund, Appaloosa Management, moved into Western Digital, it sold shares of Facebook and Delta Air Lines, Bloomberg says.

Stock markets around the world are higher. Germany's DAX (+0.4%) leads the gains in Europe after China's Shanghai Composite (+2.4%) paced the advance in Asia. S&P 500 futures are up 3.50 points at 2,183.75.

Earnings reporting is extremely light. Sysco will report ahead of the opening bell, and Red Rock Resorts will announce its quarterly results after markets close.

US economic data flows. Empire manufacturing will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET before the NAHB Housing Market Index and net long-term TIC flows cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down 1 basis point at 1.50%.





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Among folks in the travel industry, the period between early September and October is known as " shoulder season."

This travel period is sandwiched between summer vacation and the winter holidays, and travel is typically slow during these two months.

As tourism wanes, flight, cruise and hotel prices plummet. The combination of lower prices and lighter crowds makes shoulder season one of the best times to travel. If you're able to sneak away, you can score deals on flights and hotels to dream destinations. To help you plan your autumn getaway for less, we've included 10 of the more affordable shoulder season destinations below.

[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]

1. Hawaii. During the fall, Hawaiian hotel rates fall to their lowest prices of the year. After Labor Day, tourists pack up their beach gear, check out of their hotels and hop on flights home. Book a Hawaiian vacation in September or October, and you can score deep discounts on airfare and accommodations. Once you arrive, you'll enjoy quieter resorts and sunny 85-degree weather.

2. Southern Caribbean. Though Caribbean hurricane season runs from July through August, storms are rare in southern islands, such as Aruba, Barbados, Grenada and Tobago. Because travelers tend to shy away from the Caribbean during shoulder season, you can often book luxury resort rooms for half price. Catch a flight or cruise to the Caribbean during shoulder season, and you'll not only save on airfare -- you'll get stretches of calm Caribbean waters almost all to yourself.

3. Greece. The beginning of September marks the end of hot weather, huge crowds and overbooked hotels. Visit Greece during the fall when tourists take off and students return to college. During shoulder season, the sea is still warm, the light is softer and hotel rates are trimmed down.

[See: 8 Hacks to Ease Your Financial Life.]

4. Peru. Home to one of the most legendary heritage sites in the world, Peru sees a fair share of sightseers. Though popular year-round, Peru's Machu Picchu sees the least tourist traffic from September through November, and the Andes highlands seldom see rain. Sunny, clear blue skies and mild weather across most of Peru make the fall a perfect time to check out Cusco, plan a trek or visit the coast.

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5. Australia. In Australia, springtime begins in September. Though the continent sees a wide range of climates, average daytime temperatures range from 50 to 75 degrees. During Australia's shoulder season, you can get cheaper flights and hotel deals, and enjoy a more laidback atmosphere. Visit during September and October to catch festivals, such as the Sydney Fringe Festival and Night Noodle Markets.

6. Ireland. During the fall, Ireland's frequent rainfall is soon followed by sunny weather. The local temperature drops, but so do hotel prices. In cities like Dublin, you can find rooms for less and catch festivals, such as the Fringe Festival and Oktoberfest.

7. Eastern, Western, Southern and Central Africa. September is an ideal time to visit eastern, western, southern and central Africa. September falls right after Africa's dry season and before the continent's wet season. During the early fall, the weather is sunny and clear, and the mosquito population dies down. You'll find quieter parks and be able to see wildlife clearer due to sparser vegetation.

8. England. England quiets down during shoulder season, when kids return to school and weather grows drearier. However, you can score some of the best deals on London hotels, theater, operas, ballet and concerts during this period. You can land cheaper flights during October, when airlines often run sales.

[See: 12 Ways to Be a More Mindful Spender.]

9. France. When weather cools down in the fall in France, crowds begin to thin. It's during shoulder season when you can sometimes catch a rare deal on a Parisian hotel. During this time period, you can also often take advantage of flight promotions. Keep in mind that hotel rooms may be more difficult to find when Paris hosts fashion shows and trade fairs during September and October.

10. Florida. After the influx of summer tourists, Florida travel dies down during September and November. Theme parks and other attractions are less frequented when school is in session, and average temperatures and humidity levels drop. During shoulder season, you can discover some of the cheapest hotel rates of the year.

Maria Lalonde honed her deal-hunting skills while traveling through South America and Southeast Asia, combing colorful local markets for unique finds. Her love of blogging and thirst for deals brought her to Offers.com, where she blogs about savings tips.





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As the Panama Canal celebrates its 102nd birthday today, the bold act of one U.S. President still resonates as a stroke of policy genius or a grand expansion of executive power.

On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for business, during the administration of President Woodrow Wilson. But it was Wilsons archrival who was the driving force behind the canal.

canalnewyorkherlad

In 1911, former President Theodore Roosevelt told an audience in Berkeley, California, that he had decided as chief executive to ensure access to the isthmus of Panama, then part of the nation of Colombia, in order to get a canal built as the centerpiece of Americas growing global power.

The Panama Canal would not have been started if I had not taken hold of it, because if I had followed the traditional or conservative method I should have submitted an admirable state paper occupying a couple of hundred pages detailing all of the facts to Congress and asking Congress consideration of it, he said.

In that case there would have been a number of excellent speeches made on the subject in Congress; the debate would be proceeding at this moment with great spirit and the beginning of work on the canal would be 50 years in the future. Fortunately the crisis came at a period when I could act unhampered. Accordingly, I took the Isthmus, started the canal and then left Congress not to debate the canal, but to debate me.

Roosevelt firmly believed in the stewardship theory of the presidency, which held that executive power was limited only by specific restrictions and prohibitions appearing in the Constitution or imposed by the Congress under its constitutional powers.

In his first State of the Union address in 1902, President Roosevelt made it clear that the canal was a top priority for his administration.

No single great material work which remains to be undertaken on this continent is of such consequence to the American people as the building of a canal across the Isthmus connecting North and South America, he told Congress. It is emphatically a work which it is for the interest of the entire country to begin and complete as soon as possible; it is one of those great works which only a great nation can undertake with prospects of success, and which when done are not only permanent assets in the nations material interests, but standing monuments to its constructive ability.

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In 1903, the United States supported a bloodless revolution in the Colombian province of Panama after the Colombian government rejected a U.S. treaty to acquire land in Panama to build the canal. The United States Senate offered $10 million for the land; the Colombian government wanted $25 million.

As the Colombian government sent troops to put down the rebellion, a U.S. warship, the Nashville, appeared with a contingent of Marines off the Panamanian coast, along with other U.S. naval vessels. The next day, Panama declared independence and Roosevelt quickly recognized Panama as a Republic and offered it protection.

Philippe Bunau-Varilla, a French citizen, acted as Panamas agent and negotiated a new canal treaty with Secretary of State John Hay, which was ratified by the Senate in February 1904. The United States government gave the $10 million offered to Colombia to the Panamanians as part of a new treaty. It also supplied a constitution to Panama that gave the American government the right to intervene in any part of Panama, to reestablish public peace and constitutional order.

The Presidents actions didnt go unopposed back home, with some calling it an act of sordid conquest. But the United States started its Panama Canal project that year. The 10-year endeavor cost $375 million and 5,609 lives, and to many it became the new symbol of American imperial power.

Colombia didnt recognize Panama as a republic until 1921, when the U.S. Senate signed the Thomson-Urrutia Treaty. The pact had been signed in 1914 and ratified by the Colombian government, but the U.S. Senate refused to ratify the treaty at first, as Roosevelts supporters saw it as an insult to the former President.

The treaty ratified in 1921 deleted a paragraph from 1914 where Congress expressed severe regret to the Colombian government for Roosevelts actions. The final treaty terms gave Colombia free access to the canal to transport certain goods and services, and a payment of $25 million in gold to Colombia.

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Washington (AFP) - Fifteen Guantanamo Bay detainees have been transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the largest such release in years, the Pentagon announced.

The latest transfers bring the remaining population of the detention center down to 61. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks, about 780 inmates have been housed in the US military-run facility.

According to a State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, 12 of the men are from Yemen and three are Afghans.

The Pentagon has previously struggled to find a third country to take Yemeni detainees, given that they can't go home because of the civil war in their nation.

"The United States is grateful to the government of the United Arab Emirates for its humanitarian gesture and willingness to support ongoing US efforts to close" Guantanamo, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Once transferred, former inmates are usually freed subject to supervision and undergoing rehabilitation programs.

Amnesty International USA welcomed the announcement as a sign President Barack Obama is serious about closing the controversial facility before he leaves office.

"It's a significant repudiation of the idea that Guantanamo is going to be open for business for the indefinite future," Naureen Shah, Amnesty International USA's security and human rights program director, told AFP.

One of those transferred is an Afghan called Obaidullah, who allegedly had hidden land mines in 2001. He was detained for 14 years without trial.

Monday's announcement represents the largest transfer of prisoners under the Democratic Obama administration.

"The continued operation of the detention facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists," Ambassador Lee Wolosky, the special envoy for Guantanamo closure, said in a statement.

"The support of our friends and allies - like the UAE -- is critical to our achieving this shared goal."

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Obama urgently wants to close the facility before he leaves office at the start of next year but has been continually thwarted by Republican lawmakers.

- Closure a long shot -

Still, the United States has in recent months accelerated the rate at which detainees who have been approved for transfer are released from the facility.

When Obama took office, there were 242 detainees at Guantanamo.

Monday's announcement means 19 inmates will remain who have been cleared for transfer.

Obama wants to send the rest, deemed to be the most dangerous, for incarceration in the United States -- but that is an extreme long shot given Republican opposition.

In February, the president presented Congress with a new closure plan for Guantanamo, which he says serves only to stoke anti-US resentment and fuel jihadist recruitment.

Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte recently renewed calls to keep Guantanamo open and published an unclassified report on 107 current and former detainees that she said highlighted their terrorist pasts.

November's election will likely help determine the future of the notorious prison, as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has vowed to fill Guantanamo with "bad dudes" should he win the White House.

Trump has said he would "bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding."

To date, just 10 of the detainees face criminal trial, including the "9/11 Five" -- led by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- who are accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Shah said it was important for Obama to push ahead with plans to shutter Guantanamo, or the next administration could start filling its cells with suspected jihadists captured in the campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

"We are at an extremely dangerous and pivotal point where if President Obama fails to close Guantanamo then the next administration could bring more detainees there," Shah said.

Guantanamo is a US naval base carved out of a remote chunk of land on the tip of southeastern Cuba.

The administration of George W. Bush opened a prison there to hold terror suspects.
Beyond that the 2017 Honda Civic hatchback will be, quite clearly, a hatchback, its name is particularly fitting. Honda last offered a hatchback version of the compact Civic in the U.S. in 2003, when the sporty Civic Si variant was available only as a two-door wedgealbeit one that was imported from Europe and had little in common with contemporary U.S.-market Civic sedans and coupes. For the last non-Si Civic hatchback sold stateside, youll need to stretch your memory back to 2000, the final year for the sixth-generation Civic. Before then, every previous generation of the Civic had offered a hatchback body style. Now, the hatch will be back.

Of Transmissions and Turbos

Based on the 10th-generation Civicwhich has been out in four-door-sedan form since last fall, and as a two-door coupe since this springthe new Civic hatchback will land on U.S. soil with a four-door body and a sportier bent. (We mean land literally, too: The Civic hatch will be built in Swindon, U.K., and exported to the United States.) It wont quite be an Si, and neither will it be a flame-spitting Type R; both models are under development with more power, tauter handling, and other performance enhancements. But where other Civics come with a 158-hp naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the hatchback will have as standard those models optional 174-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged four. Better still, the hatchback appears to debut the enthusiast-friendly six-speed-manual/turbo-four powertrain combination that Honda promised would proliferate throughout the 2017 Civic lineup.

Honda says five trim levels will be offered, starting with the base LX and followed by the Sport, EX, EX-L, and Sport Touring. The Sport and Sport Touring iterations are unique to the hatchbackthe sedan and coupe have no equivalent versionsand come with a freer-flowing, center-exit (!) exhaust setup that bumps horsepower to 180. (The engines 162-lb-ft torque peak is unaffected.) The manual transmission will be standard on the LX, EX, and Sport, and a continuously variable automatic will be optional on those trims and standard on the EX-L and Sport Touring. Intersect the special exhaust with the manual-transmission option, and you get the Civic Sport hatchback, making it the one to buy if youre looking for the peppiest non-Si Civic.

On Looks and Hatches

The latest Civic sedans look has really grown on us in the year since it debuted; the design is expressive and angular, and the cars streamlined shape is particularly appealing. We think the two-door coupe is even better-looking, andif youre sensing a trend herethe hatch improves both cars styling. It may not be much of a surprise given how closely it resembles the Civic hatchback concept car, but the Civic hatch is quite attractive, with an overtly sporty design featuring gaping faux intakes and vents in both bumpers, a tight and fast roofline, and a neat spoiler integrated between the C-shaped taillights. At least on the Sport Touring model, theres also a subtle, black-painted body kit, smoke-gray wheels, and black window and grille trim in place of the chrome on the Civic sedan and coupe.

It may look all hot and bothered, but underneath is a practical car. Honda claims it will offer the largest cargo-carrying capacity in the competitive set. Final EPA fuel-economy ratings are forthcoming, but Honda estimates the CVT-equipped hatch will achieve 31 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway; no estimates were given for the manual transmission, but we anticipate theyll be slightly lower.

The Honda Sensing package of safety gear available on other Civics (lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and automated emergency braking) will be optional on most grades of the hatchback and standard on the Sport Touring. A touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also will be part of the mix, but frustratingly, only the EX models and up will get itmeaning buyers of the Sport trim cant cue up navigation via their smartphones or take advantage of the enhanced phone integration either software affords. Weve fiddled with the base infotainment setup in a 2.0-liter Civic coupe and found it works wellit has, for example, actual knobs for volume and tuning, rather than touch-sensitive sliders as on the touchscreenbut itd be nice if all versions could be had with the touchscreen and its attendant Apple and Google phone-integration features.

Final pricing will be announced closer to the Civic hatchbacks arrival this fall, but we expect it will cost about $1500 more than the 2016 Civic coupe, which starts at $19,885 with the 2.0-liter and is itself slightly pricier than the sedan. Honda says that there will be sportier versions of the hatch, namely the Si and the Type R, both of which arrive later in the 2017 model year, but dont write off the regular Civics. Theyre fun to drive, and the turbocharged versions are surprisingly quick. (A CVT-equipped Civic coupe hit 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds in our recent test.) This five-door should be equally spunky, and the hatch in back helps make the case for this one as the pick of the litter.
From Cosmopolitan

1. He asks about how your friend Becky is doing after her breakup. Him caring about your friends and asking about them later not only shows that he's a caring person, but he's invested in your life and the people in it.

2. After he met Becky for the first time, he was like, "Do you think that went well?" You don't want to end up with a guy who's like, "I don't care if your friends hate me, they suck anyway." That's just a logistical nightmare and is surely going to end in some severed ties with people you really care about.

3. When you bring up that your boss is being rude to you at work, he doesn't sigh and roll his eyes because you're "complaining again." If he can't sit through a five-minute tirade about a lame work situation, he won't be able to sit down with you when something seriously big goes wrong.

4. He's polite to waiters and cashiers, and doesn't do that awful thing where you yell, "CHECK, PLEASE," across the restaurant. It might have been cool to date the guy who was sweet to you but an asshole to everyone else when you were 13 and bullies were kind of sexy, but that sort of relationship doesn't hold up in adulthood. Don't date a man-bully who could very well turn around and bully you if you piss him off.

5. He doesn't desert you at his friends' parties. It's OK for him to encourage you to be friendly with his friends, but it's not OK for him to have an exclusive conversation with Chad while you sit alone awkwardly on the couch.

6. He always offers to share the last slice of pizza with you and then doesn't say anything when you "accidentally" eat way more than half of it. If the last slice is sacred enough for Drake to rap about it in a love song, ("You could have my heart or we could share it like the last slice") then it must be a real sign of a potentially great romance.

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7. He doesn't manspread across your entire schedule and take over your whole world. It might be flattering if the guy you just met wants to spend all his time with you, but if he's really invested in who you are as a person, he'll encourage you to be your own person and hang out with him when you both have time.

8. He's genuinely interested in (or at least good at faking it) your long, rambly stories about family vacations you took as a kid. Instead of getting frustrated and impatient when you talk for 10 minutes about that one weird trip you went on in 2007, he's excited to hear about what happened after that fight you had with your little brother in the backseat of the family van.

9. He doesn't get upset when you say you need some alone time. You would understand if he needed some, and he doesn't want to take over your life anyway.

10. He never says things like, "You're being crazy," or, "You're being ridiculous." Because he's compassionate and empathetic, and realizes saying things like that make you feel little and stupid, and a good boyfriend would never do those things.

11. He makes you feel like a hot babe all the time. You don't want to spend a significant amount of time with a guy who makes you feel insecure or question whether or not he's attracted to you.

12. He has female friends who aren't just a collection of women who've seen his penis before. If other girls (who aren't exes or former flings) like him enough to be his friend, he's probably a good guy that you'll also enjoy spending time with (and kissing a lot).

13. He gets really excited when you hit it off with his best friend Jason, just like he knew you would. He wants his friends to like you.

14. You don't find a million texts and missed calls on your phone from him after spending a night out with your girlfriends. This is a red flag of a potentially obsessive or manipulative guy. NOPE.

15. He doesn't try to act hard and pretend he doesn't have feelings when he's around you. Mature adults shouldn't be afraid to say things like, "I like you," or, "I think you're really cool."

16. He texts after work to see how that meeting with your boss went. It would be annoying AF for him to be texting you every 10 minutes when he knows you're busy all day, but checking in later shows he cares the right amount.

17. He doesn't rush you out the door when you're trying to make sure your lip liner is perfectly applied and not smudged. He might do a little bit of gentle ribbing about how slow you are, but he shouldn't shame you for taking your time and trying to look good. That's rude.

18. When he screws up, he's quick to apologize instead of letting you stew in your anger for a week and a half. Stubbornness is actually an incredibly unattractive quality, and it only makes little fights turn into enormous ones. And a good boyfriend typically tries to avoid enormous fights.

19. And when you screw up, he doesn't hold a grudge forever like a sullen teen named Todd. If he isn't perfect, he can't expect you to be perfect either. He forgives.

20. He has interests and hobbies aside from dating you. You want to date a person, not a prepackaged boyfriend. That gets so boring so fast.

21. When you're hanging out, he talks about things he wants to do with you in the future, even if it's just the near future.

22. He doesn't immediately start acting like your boyfriend after hanging out one time in a friend's backyard. Going from zero to 100 real quick is a good way to end up crashing and burning before the relationship ever gets started. This guy gets to know you. You know, like an adult person.

23. He sends a "Hey, I had a lot of fun" text after hanging out with you. He isn't trying to follow any bullshit dating rules about waiting three days before texting or calling. He just likes you is all.

24. He's clear about his intentions early on, instead of leaving you in "Is he a hookup or a boyfriend?" limbo for forever. If he doesn't know what he wants and doesn't figure it out in a reasonable amount of time, he probably never will.

25. He gets excited about showing you things he likes. Not because he wants you to be his weird female twin, but because this is the best part of having a good girlfriend.

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Catrina Frost wants her little girl to see as much of the world as she can before she cant see anything at all.

Six-year-old Cailee Frost has a rare, genetic disease that is stealing her sight little by little, leaving her with distorted vision and "the eyes of a 70-year-old man," as one doctor has put it.

Read: Terminally Il Dog Is Treated to Bucket List Afer His Owner Dies

The Arizona child has familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, or FEVR, which causes blood vessels in the eyes to grow alarmingly large, crowding the retinas and possibly leading to total blindness.

So since her daughters diagnosis at age 2, Catrina has been preparing for the worst. She took her girl to The Foundation for Blind Children, which helped her learn to use a cane and read braille.

And this summer, Catrina established a GoFundMe page to help Cailee stockpile a treasure chest of memories she can later unpack should she lose her eyesight.

The girly-girl who loves to dress up recently saw Disneyland, where she cavorted with Belle from Beauty and the Beast and wore a flowing yellow gown made by her grandmother.

Cailee has also been to the beach, frolicked in the Pacific Ocean and got dirty in the sand.

I believe in miracles, her mother told InsideEdition.com Monday. I believe it might not happen, she said, referring to blindness.

But in case it does, Catrina wants her daughter to be able to take care of herself, and to have a brain full of colorful images.

Thats why I started the bucket list, her mother said. I wish everyone could meet her. Shes the happiest little brightest thing ever. Nothing keeps this little girl down. Shes been a fighter all her life.

Beginning not long after she got here, six weeks early, landing her a new home in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Shortly after she was born, a nurse told Catrina her new daughter was "feisty," adding that the little girl "pulled her feeding tube out three times already."

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Read: Bruce Springsteen Helps Pregnant Fan Complete Bucket List by Dancing With Her Onstage

At 18 months, Cailee was taken for an eye test, where she was diagnosed as extremely far-sighted, her mother said.

Cailees older brother was also born premature and had experienced eye problems that resulted in him being fitted with special glasses.

For some reason, Catrina had a feeling that Cailees eyes were in far worse shape than her brothers.

The mom took Cailee for a second opinion. That doctor feared she had the rare FEVR, and recommended surgery to examine her eyes internally.

The procedure confirmed that the Cailee did indeed suffer from the debilitating disorder.

She has never expressed sadness, or anger, over her condition. She understands as much as she can at 6 years old, her mom said. She is included in every doctors visit. I dont send her out. I want her to be empowered. I want her to be her own advocate.

Shes not afraid of anything. I dont know how to describe her. She believes in the power of music. Shes the first person to give people hugs, her mother says.

Catrina had initially hoped to raise $10,000 for Cailees bucket-list adventures, but donations have exceeded that goal.

Cailee just started the first grade, but her upcoming adventures include a trip to the local firehouse, a journey to New Mexico where she might get to be part of a six-man crew on a hot air balloon and a camping trip in California where she can see majestic Redwood trees for the first time.

The sky is kind of the limit, her mother said.

Watch: Terminally Ill Dog Completes Cross-Country, Bucket-List Adventure

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You'll find some more interesting facts about the buildings in the Historic Districts Council's slideshow "How Historic Preservation Benefits New York City," below. The slides also describe how historic preservationas a driver of New York City's multi-billion-dollar tourism trade, a creator of good paying jobs, and an attractive option for affordable housingis a positive force for the financial well-being of the city.

The challenge involves entrants taking photographs of themselves in front of seven historically significant buildings and then tagging them #PreservationPays and mentioning the Historic Districts Council on social media @hdcnyc on Instagram and @hdc_nyc on Twitter (more details in the rules below):

Like you, we've always dreamed of exploring the top of one of NYC's first skyscrapers: the Woolworth Building. Now, the Historic Districts Council is giving five lucky people the chance to visit the top of the Woolworth Tower Residences as part of its new #PreservationPays Challenge to showcase the economic benefits of historic preservation.

"Preserving, improving, and celebrating historic buildings and neighborhoods is a proven method for invigorating local economies," said Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council. "The #PreservationPays Challenge will help New Yorkers see these benefits firsthand."

The five winners will be treated to a private tour of the top of the iconic building, at the Woolworth Tower Residences, led by Historic Districts Council Adviser and official Woolworth Building Historian Lisa Renz. This tour, which is supported by Sotheby's International Realty, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to visit one of New York City's finest landmarks.

THE RULES : The #PreservationPays Challenge is free and open to all. To be entered in the drawing, participants must snap a photo of themselves in front of all six buildings named in the Infographic, as well as the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan.



Each photo must be posted on either Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #PreservationPays and tagging the Historic Districts Council (@hdcnyc on Instagram and @hdc_nyc on Twitter) before 11:59 PM on Tuesday, September 6th.

Only individuals who have posted all seven photos using the hashtag will be entered into the drawing. The five winners will be selected randomly, and each will be entitled to bring along one guest on the tour.



For full details about the #PreservationPays Challenge, please visit www.hdc.org/challenge.
A Muslim advocacy group is offering a $10,000 reward for information on the shooter who killed a New York City mosque leader and his associate.

Imam Maulama Alauddin Akonjee, 55, and his associate Thara Uddin, 64, were shot and killed on Saturday as they left Al-Furqan Jame Masjid in Queens.

As the slain mens families plan for their funerals, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) planned to announce on Monday that it is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the shooters arrest and conviction, according to the Associated Press.

Police said on Monday they were questioning a man in relation to the killing, Reuters reported. The man has not been charged. Police have not yet established a motive behind the fatal shootings, although some in the Bangladeshi Muslim community in the area believe it was a hate crime.

CAIR also organized a funeral prayer for Akonjee and Uddin for Monday at 2:30 p.m.
Cape Town (AFP) - A South African court on Monday jailed a woman for 10 years for kidnapping a newborn baby and raising her as her own, before an astonishing coincidence reunited the girl with her biological family.

The baby girl, named Zephany Nurse by her birth family, was taken from her sleeping mother at a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town in 1997.

Her kidnapper, now 52, raised her for 17 years in a case that has attracted huge media interest in South Africa.

The girl's real identity only came to light in February 2015, when her younger biological sister began attending high school and pupils pointed out her remarkable likeness to a final-year student.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for the kidnapper, who cannot be named to protect her victim's identity.

"She gets 10 years' direct imprisonment. We are happy with that," said Ntabazalila.

"You cannot go out and steal a child and expect that the society will accept that, or the courts will accept that, or the general public will accept that," he added.

"It's wrong, it's a crime."

The Nurse family had been living within a couple of kilometres of their kidnapped daughter, while celebrating her birthday every year and never giving up hope of finding her.

Once their other daughter told her parents that another pupil at school looked just like her, they went to meet the older girl and immediately thought she could be their long-lost child.

DNA tests confirmed she was indeed Zephany, leading to the arrest of the woman who had claimed for nearly two decades to be her mother.

Handing down the 10-year sentence, a High Court judge in Cape Town said the woman's crime was premeditated and too serious not to warrant jail time, South Africa's News24 said.

- Dad wants time to bond -

Zephany, who is now pregnant, was raised under a different name and has shunned the media spotlight on the case.

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The teenager was sent to a place of safety after the kidnapper's arrest.

But she has opted to move back to the home where she lived before, and has not formed any bond with her biological family.

Her biological father, Morne Nurse, welcomed the sentence, saying he was looking forward to building a relationship with his daughter.

"It's actually made me tired, it's made me sick completely," he told AFP outside court.

"I couldn't sleep for nights. I couldn't even eat properly. So the way forward is to build my relationship with my daughter, and that's it."

During the trial Zephany's biological mother, Celeste Nurse, wept as she described how at the age of 18 she woke up in the maternity ward to find her three-day-old baby had vanished from her cot.

Members of both families have sometimes traded bitter insults outside court, at hearings that have attracted heavy media attention.

The kidnapper was on March 10 found guilty of kidnapping, fraud, and contravening the Children's Act.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained in her testimony that she had not been at Groote Schuur Hospital on the day the baby was kidnapped.

She testified that she had been given the baby by a woman who had been giving her fertility treatment after she had a miscarriage in 1997.

Zephany's grandmother Zephra Nurse said the outcome of the case would "tell people to stop abducting and kidnapping children", and confirmed that her granddaughter was pregnant.
Getty Images

Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

RIO DE JANEIRO  After Team USA star Ryan Lochte and three other American swimmers were robbed at gunpoint on early Sunday morning, theres been a renewed focus on whether Summer Olympic athletes safety is at risk if they venture out into Rio De Janeiro and away from their own facilities.

Australia, for example, has issued a curfew for its athletes, requiring them to travel in a vehicle between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. in Rio with no exceptions.

So should athletes stay hidden in Rio, or was this more of an isolated incident given the time (4 a.m.), the context (leaving a nightclub) and other factors?

The IOC was asked on Monday if it believes athletes should remain in their facilities for safety, rather than touring the city or hitting nightspots as the swimmers did. IOC spokesman Mark Adams encouraged athletes to continue venturing into Rio.

I wouldnt advise people to stay at their Olympic sites [to avoid security problems], he said.

That said, Adams indicated that measures taken like those by the Australians are solely the discretion of those national committees. I think national committee has to take the measures that are good for their athletes. Each one does different things, he said.

When asked if they would be enacting a curfew or encouraging athletes not to venture out into Rio, USOC spokesman Matt Jones said, We have reiterated our security protocols to all of our American athletes.

Lochte, Gunnar Bentz, Jack Conger and Jimmy Feigen were pulled over in a taxi they were riding in around 4 a.m. by men who had what appeared to be police badges.

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, Lochte told NBC News. 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.

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Rio 2016 spokesman Mario Andrada said the investigation into the incident is ongoing by police. The police reached some of the athletes yesterday. The police are looking for the cab driver who drove them back, who seems to have more information about this, he said.

One point of lingering controversy from the Lochte incident was the IOCs initial report that the story was false. At a Sunday IOC press conference, Adams initially said the reports of the robbery were absolutely false according to the USOC. Later, when asked again, he said, all I can tell you is that I messaged USOC, and they said they spoke to Lochte and he said it was not true.

Adams reiterated on Monday that he was just passing along what the USOC had told him during a press conference. I can explain it very, very simply. What I said was that people asked me to give them an update. I contacted the USOC. They told me the story was not correct. I reported it was not correct. If I was asked to get an update from USOC, I gave an update from USOC and then I provided an update, he said.



Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Listen to Yahoo Sports Greg Wyshynski podcast from Rio on GRANDSTANDING, featuring Olympians and NBC cultural correspondents Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski!

Live from Rio: Tara & Johnny Q & A, green fart water, and more:


American International Group AIG is close to reaching a deal to sell its mortgage-guaranty unit to Arch Capital Group ACGL for around $3.4 billion, as reported by WSJ. Arch is a financial services firm with significant exposure to insurance, and the company seeks to expand its mortgage-insurance business by acquiring AIGs mortgage business known as United Guaranty. People close to the matter suggest that a deal could be finalized as early as this week, although they do acknowledge that there is still a possibility of failing to reach an agreement.

United Guaranty was scheduled to spin off from AIG in its own IPO later this year. The business is bullish on the housing market in the long run, and it believes this in part because of a rise in millennials interested in buying homes. AIG hopes to get the business off of its books so that it can slim down its balance sheet.

AIG, and activist investor Carl Icahn in particular wanted to reduce the insurers balance sheet so that it could shake off its label as a systematically important financial institution (SIFI). Under this designation, companies must adhere to strict liquidity and capital requirements because of the notion that they are too big to fail. AIG got this label after being bailed out for $85 billion in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. AIG CEO Peter Hancock downplayed any strive towards shaking off the SIFI label, saying that getting rid of it was not even in the top 10 strategic issues that AIG currently faces.

The insurer now has the possibility of selling United Guaranty for $3.4 billion, and this will help the company get closer to reaching its goal of delivering $25 billion back to shareholders by the end of 2017. The insurer recently released its second quarter earnings report, where AIG disclosed that it had returned about $7.9 billion to shareholders (mostly in the form of buybacks) so far year-to-date.



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Sanaa (AFP) - An Arab coalition air raid hit a Yemeni hospital on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 19, just 48 hours after strikes that killed children, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.

MSF said a blast "partially destroyed" a hospital at Abs, located in the rebel-held province of Hajja, in the fourth attack on one of its facilities in less than a year.

The United States and Amnesty International separately condemned the attack.

Nine people were killed in the explosion, including one MSF staff member, while two more patients died while being transferred to another clinic.

"Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members, was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients," Teresa Sancristoval, of MSF's Emergency Unit in Yemen, said in a statement.

The GPS coordinates of the hospital "were repeatedly shared with all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, and its location was well-known," the statement added.

The coalition has been battling Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in support of Yemen's government, after the insurgents seized Sanaa before moving into other parts of the country.

Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of UN-condemned air strikes on civilian targets in Yemen.

On Monday, it promised to probe another attack that MSF said killed 10 children over the weekend at a school in the rebel-held northern province of Saada.

- 'Unacceptable' -

Sancristoval said that nothing "seems to be done to make parties involved in the conflict in Yemen respect medical staff and patients.

"Without action, these public gestures are meaningless for today's victims. Either intentional or a result of a negligence, this is unacceptable."

Residents in Abs said coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for several days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.

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Rebel sources said the coalition struck a first-aid building beside the facility.

One of the fatalities was an MSF electrician, while a doctor and a nurse who were both severely injured also worked for the charity, Sancristoval told AFP by phone from Barcelona, Spain.

"It's a rural hospital which was full when the raid occurred, although it is difficult to estimate how many," she said.

"The hospital was partially destroyed. We can't work in it without major repairs."

Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdom's side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.

A border guard corporal became the latest Saudi casualty Monday, the interior ministry said in Riyadh.

Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.

- 'Unlawful attacks' -

Pro-government military sources, who are fighting alongside coalition forces in Harad, said military vehicles had taken rebel casualties to the Abs hospital before Monday's air strikes.

In Washington, the State Department said it was "deeply concerned by a reported airstrike" and called on "all parties to cease hostilities immediately," but did not specifically point to the Saudi-led coalition.

London-based watchdog Amnesty International described the bombardment as "a deplorable act that... appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals, highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life."

The raid comes less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in Saturday's strikes on a Koranic school in Saada.

The coalition denied targeting a school, saying instead that it bombed a camp where rebels train underage soldiers.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned that attack and called for a swift investigation.

"The secretary general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen," a UN statement said.

Hours later, a 14-member investigative team made up of several coalition states and Yemen, promised to conduct an "independent" probe into the allegations.

The team has already investigated claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme (WFP) 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 as a hideout.

The coalition had announced earlier it would allow humanitarian flights into Sanaa's international airport from Monday, after a closure of several days as hostilities flared around the rebel-held capital.

It had been closed since last Tuesday, when the coalition resumed air strikes around Sanaa following the breakdown of UN-brokered peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March.
The majority of millennials do not like Donald Trump. Though young people have largely skewed left in presidential elections since 2008, the numbers do not look good for President Teeny Handsaccording to a new poll, only 20 percent of voters under the age of 35 plan to vote for Trump, even though 32 percent of young voters went for John McCain in 2008, and 36 percent voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. This is bad news for Trump, but it's really just one more thing causing trouble for a campaign that's getting hairier by the day.

Indeed, a new Gallup poll says 56 percent of millennials surveyed support Hillary Clintonalbeit begrudginglyover Trump, with half of all surveyed voters under 35 claiming they side with Democrats over the Republican Party. This is not specifically Trump's faulteven young Republicans want their party to move left on social issues like marriage equality and immigration.

Some more right-wing economic policies that might have appealed to younger voters have gotten drowned out by the GOP's adamant refusal to drop some of the faith-based ideology that's dominated the party's social issues platform over the years. As one young Republican told Time earlier this year, "Old Christian white people are dying out,"this fact will haunt the GOP long after November, assuming Trump loses and we still get to have elections.

So Trumpand the GOP at largehas a millennial problem, just like he has a problem when it comes to women and, very pressingly, black voters. He's also got a problem with his own campaign.

Both the Times and the Wall Street Journal recently reported that Trump's advisors have been struggling to keep the candidate on-message. They want him to focus more on attacking Clinton on the issues and less on attacking, say, Clinton's life, or the media, or wars members of his own party started, or families who lost their sons in said wars.

Trump's poll numbers do not look very good for him, not that we can start breathing easy just yet. As FiveThirtyEight points out, he has a better chance of winning the election than one has of losing a game of Russian roulette, and in this case the gun's pointed at all our heads. Still, Trump's people are panicking, and it looks like they're worried their candidate isn't taking this whole "running for President" thing as seriously as he should. "He doesnt seem to be as unnerved by these things that go wrong as the people around him," Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of 9/11 Town and current #1 Trump fan, told the Times. "I think it is true that maybe it took him a little while to realize that were moving from a primary campaign to a presidential campaign."

So, Trump can't be tamed, and it seems like he doesn't even care. "Ill just keep doing the same thing Im doing right now, he told CNBC in an interview last week. 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." A vacation! I hear Hades is lovely in autumn.
Photo: Getty Images

One small step for Alexander Wang, one giant leap for the war on counterfeits.

After suing 459 websites for infringing on his trademark, the New York-based designer was awarded $90 million in damages.

Sites like alexanderwangshoessale.com and cheapalexanderwangbags.com broke the law when they used the designers brand name without permission. Whats more, the sites hocked counterfeit goods and went so far as to mimic the design layout of Wangs e-commerce site in order to convince consumers they were legitimate.

The designers lawsuit named 50 offenders (though none appeared in court) for cybersquatting and trademark counterfeiting. Understandably, the judge came down on his side in a default judgment that awarded Wang the $90 million. But as the defendants were no-shows and probably used pseudonyms or other deceptive information to set up the sites, it will be hard for the designer to get a hold of his dough. While he might not see much monetary gain, the action does send a message.

The court system regularly awards very large amounts for the symbolic significance, as a means of deterring other individuals and parties, a spokesman for the company told WWD. But for chief principal officer Dennis Wang, it meant a lot more than that. The company takes its intellectual property rights very seriously, he said. Protecting our brand requires maintaining constant vigilance on a global scale as well as taking proactive measures such as sending cease-and-desist orders directly to domestic and foreign counterfeiters, as well as contacting website servers that host counterfeit sites. The creativity and originality of our designs are the foundation upon which the company is based.

Wang and his company started protecting his designs early in the businesss history. In 2012, the designer heavily invested time in obtaining patents as he began to introduce hardware onto his bags and shoes. As evidenced by this suit, he has no problems in going after those who have wronged him. But knockoffs arent just a problem for Wang. They are a global issue with no real end in sight.

Story continues

Design copying is not only a longstanding problem for the industry but also for all of big business. In 2013, it was pegged at being a market of more than $524 billion. Thats a lot of money, and designers want their fair share. Chanel went after the spunky upstart ShopJeen for selling cellphone cases that looked like perfume bottles; Gucci went after Beyond the Rack for counterfeit bags; and Birkenstock recently completely pulled its products from Amazon because of all the fake merchandise being sold. Those are just a few examples.

Wins like Wangs will give all these brands even more leverage in court because of precedence.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
HOUSTON (AP) -- Jozy Altidore scored his third goal in four games and Toronto FC played to a 1-1 tie with the 10-man Houston Dynamo on Sunday night in a game postponed Saturday because of rain.

Toronto (10-7-7) had its four-game winning streak snapped. Houston (4-10-9) is winless in six games.

Altidore tied it in the 24th minute. Sebastian Giovinco rolled a corner kick to the penalty spot and Altidore put it into the net with a one touch. Altidore's sliding left-footed shot in the 64th minute hit the post.

Cristian Maidana scored from a difficult angle in the eighth minute after Mauro Manotas chipped the defense. But the Dynamo played a man down for the entire second half. Abdoulie Mansally received a red card in first-half stoppage time for taking down Giovinco on a breakaway.

It was the fifth consecutive draw in the series. The last win for either team came in 2011.
From Popular Mechanics

Archaeologists have made a sinister discovery at the top of a Greek mountain which might corroborate one of the darkest legends of antiquity.

Excavations this summer on Mount Lykaion, once worshipped as the birthplace of the god Zeus, uncovered the 3,000-year-old skeleton of a teenager amid a mound of ashes built up over a millennium from sacrificed animals.

Greece's Culture Ministry said Wednesday that the skeleton, probably of an adolescent boy, was found in the heart of the 30-meter (100-foot) broad ash altar, next to a man-made stone platform.

Excavators say it's too early to speculate on the nature of the teenager's death but the discovery is remarkable because the remote Mount Lykaion was for centuries associated with the most nefarious of Greek cults: Ancient writers - including Plato - linked it with human sacrifice to Zeus, a practice which has very rarely been confirmed by archaeologists anywhere in the Greek world and never on mainland Greece.

According to legend, a boy was sacrificed with the animals and all the meat was cooked and eaten together. Whoever ate the human part would become a wolf for nine years.

"Several ancient literary sources mention rumors that human sacrifice took place at the altar, but up until a few weeks ago there has been no trace whatsoever of human bones discovered at the site," said excavator David Gilman Romano, professor of Greek archaeology at the University of Arizona.

"Whether it's a sacrifice or not, this is a sacrificial altar ... so it's not a place where you would bury an individual. It's not a cemetery," Romano told The Associated Press. A very unusual detail, he said, was that the upper part of the skull was missing, while the body was laid among two lines of stones on an east-west axis, with stone slabs covering the pelvis.

The mountaintop in the Peloponnese region is the earliest known site where Zeus was worshipped, and even without the possible human sacrifice element it was a place of massive slaughter. From at least the 16th century B.C. until just after the time of Alexander the Great, tens of thousands of animals were killed there in the god's honor.

Story continues

Human presence at the site goes back more than 5,000 years. There's no sign yet that the cult is as old as that, but it's unclear why people should otherwise choose to settle on the barren, exposed summit.

Zeus was a sky and weather god who later became the leader of the classical Greek pantheon.

Pottery found with the human remains dates them to the 11th century B.C., right at the end of the Mycenaean era, whose heroes were immortalized in Greek myth and Homer's epics, and several of whose palaces have been excavated.

So far, only about 7 percent of the altar has been excavated, between 2007-2010 and again this year.

"We have a number of years of future excavation to go," Romano said. "We don't know if we are going to find more human burials or not."

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These two dont want to be apart for even a minute! As Anna Camp and Skylar Astin prepare to say their I Dos, the adorable couple and Pitch Perfect co-stars enjoyed a joint bachelor and bachelorette party over the weekend.

The adorable pair documented the festivities on Instagram for their many fans.

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Anna Camp and Skylar Astin to Have a Pitch Perfect Reunion at Their Wedding

KILLIN IT. at the Bachelor, Astin, 28, captioned one funny shot of his future groomsmen floating like dead corpses in a pool.

The boys also took a fun group photo, which Astin captioned, The Grooms Men. Meet you girls soon @therealannacamp.

The groom-to-be couldnt wait to meet up with his future bride, writing, This is the face of a guy whos about to rendezvous with his wife to be!!

And when the two met up for  what else?  a round of karaoke, they also shared a sweet smooch.

Nailed it, Astin captioned the kissing pic.

Meanwhile, the bridesmaids had a blast with Camp, who posted several photos, including one selfie.

Bachelorette fun with the beautiful ladies #happycamper, she wrote.

The group went out dancing with the bride in a white dress and cowboy hat.

MORE: Anna Camp Says Shes 'Ready to Have a Baby, Reveals Shes Picked Her Wedding Dress!

The ladies killed it!!!! Line dancing is the best ever #happycamper, the 33-year-old actress captioned one pic.

Camps bridesmaid and Pitch Perfect co-star, Brittany Snow, also shared a few Instagrams, writing, My favorite little elf is getting married & Im really serious about her bridal shower. I love you so very much my @therealannacamp #happycampers #awkwardFace #littleknocks.

The couple got engaged in January in Hawaii after meeting in 2012 on the set of their hit film. They will definitely plan to have several co-stars in attendance for their big day and cant wait to celebrate.

There will be a couple people there, there might be some people there who are our loving friends who we know from Pitch Perfect so yeah, its going to be a fun, a big party event, Camp told ET in March. Theres going to be music, dancing, a band and hopefully all our friends will be dancing with us.

Story continues

For more on their wedding plans, watch the video below!

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This weekend, after a brawl broke out between Muslim beach-goers and a group of teenage boys at a swimming creek in Sisco, France, the villages mayor decided there was only one thing he could do to quell future violence: ban the burkini, a full-body swimsuit worn by pious Muslim women who prefer to swim with their bodies completely covered.

According to French news outlets, the fight was sparked by the teenage boys insistence on taking photos of women wearing burkinis without requesting permission. It escalated quickly, and five people  including a pregnant woman  were briefly hospitalized.

Mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni said his Sunday decision has nothing to do with racism; its about protecting peoples security.

Vivoni, a socialist, joins a growing list of French officials in cities and towns who are banning the burkini at public beaches and pools. In an interview with Frances BFM-TV, he said he wanted to rid his community of Islamic extremists.

These people have no business here, Vivoni said.

Last Friday, the local government in the popular tourist destination of Cannes announced a similar ban, also citing security concerns.

In France, traditional Muslim dress that covers the face  including both the burqa and the niqab  is illegal in public spaces. But the burkini covers only the hair, not the face, of whomever chooses to wear it and looks more like a surfing or diving wetsuit than anything else.

After criticism of the Sisco ban floated around on social media Monday, French Ambassador to the United States Gerard Araud took to Twitter in an apparent defense of burkini bans, calling their namesake  the burqa  an outfit that portrays the woman as [an] object of lust, a subject and not an agent of history.

A burqa is not a neutral attire. It conveys an conception of the woman as a object of lust, a subject and not an agent of history.  Gerard Araud (@GerardAraud) August 15, 2016

Between a so-called "freedom of expression" and "inequality between men and women", stark choice. https://t.co/rq0VNTjagv  Gerard Araud (@GerardAraud) August 15, 2016

Photo credit: AFP/stringer/Getty Images
Apple is now awaiting a European Union ruling on whether you owe billions in back taxes, and corporate tax reform is a big election-year issue. Does either a Trump or a Clinton campaign give you or the company any hope that there could be corporate tax reform anytime soon?

I think its in the best interest of the U.S. to have corporate tax reform, regardless of which political party is in charge of the White House. Because if you look at it, the U.S. rules today are that international companies like us and many others can keep their earnings that they earn overseas overseas, and then when they bring them back it triggers the tax liability.

What Ive always felt should happen is that every dollar should be taxed immediately with no deferral. But as a consequence of doing that, you should have free flow of capital. What would happen is if a system like that were put in place, it should have more investment going into the United States. Were the only major country in the world that has a system like this. Its not good for the U.S., its not good for the economy, its not good for jobs, its not good for investments.

I think theres wide agreement to that in both parties, by the way. Theres a difference of view with different people about how to fix it, but I think everybody agrees the current system isnt working. So Im optimistic that, in 2017, there will be some sort of corporate tax reform. The U.S. needs to invest more in infrastructure  so what would be great is, if they take the tax proceeds of a corporate tax reform and invest it in infrastructure and roads and bridges and airports.

What do you say in response to Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitzs comments on Bloomberg [television], where he called Apples profit reporting in Ireland a fraud?

I didnt hear it. But if anybody said that, they dont know what theyre talking about. Let me explain what goes on with our international taxes. The money thats in Ireland that hes probably referring to is money that is subject to U.S. taxes. The tax law right now says we can keep that in Ireland or we can bring it back. And when we bring it back, we will pay 35 percent federal tax and then a weighted average across the states that were in, which is about 5 percent, so think of it as 40 percent. Weve said at 40 percent, were not going to bring it back until theres a fair rate. Theres no debate about it. Is that legal to do or not legal to do? It is legal to do. It is the current tax law. Its not a matter of being patriotic or not patriotic. It doesnt go that the more you pay, the more patriotic you are.

And so what weve said  we think its fine for us to pay more, because right now were paying nothing on that and we leave it over there. But we  like many, many other companies do  wait for the money to come back.

In the meantime, its important to look at what we do pay. Our marginal rate, our effective rate in the U.S. is over 30 percent. We are the largest taxpayer in the United States. And so were not a tax dodger. We pay our share and then some. We dont have these big loopholes that other people talk about. The only kind of major tax credit that we get is the R&D tax credit, which is available to all companies in the United States. Thats important to know. The second thing I would point out is we have money internationally because we have two-thirds of our business there. So we earn money internationally. We didnt look for a tax haven or something to put it somewhere. We sell a lot of product everywhere. And we want to bring it back, and weve been very honest and straightforward about that.
On Aug 12, 2016, we issued an updated report on Arthur J Gallagher & Co. AJG.



Arthur J Gallagher reported strong second-quarter 2016 earnings that beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate and improved year over year on impressive performance by the brokerage segment. The company has displayed positive organic growth for 20 straight quarters. With respect to earnings surprise, the insurance broker delivered positive surprise in each of the last four quarters.



The inorganic growth of Arthur J Gallagher has been quite impressive. Given prudent acquisitions, the company evolved from a small retail presence in Australia, Canada and New Zealand to one of the top five brokers in the world. These initiatives have not only expanded the companys domestic and international footprint, but also added to its product and service portfolio.



A solid operational performance has helped Arthur J Gallagher to build a strong capital position, which enables it to engage in shareholders friendly moves. The companys current dividend yield of 3.07% is better than the industry average of 1.92%. It has 7.7 million shares remaining under its repurchase authorization. Factors like these make the stock an attractive pick for yield-seeking investors.



However, the company has been experiencing an increase in expenses due to higher compensation and operating costs. A higher debt level is also increasing its interest expenses which in turn, has been restricting margin expansion to some extent.



Also, multiple buyouts by Arthur J Gallagher involve integration costs, which the company estimates between 6 cents and 7 cents in the later half of 2016.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 moved up 10.8% to $2.77 per share year over year. For 2017, Zacks Consensus Estimate moved up 9.9% to $3.05 per share year over year.



Some notable insurers are Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. AGII, Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG AWH and Erie Indemnity Company ERIE.

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From Harper's BAZAAR

When Piece & Co. founder Kathleen Wright cold-called Mickey Drexler in the hope of getting some much needed advice, she never expected him to actually respond. But to her surprise, the J. Crew CEO answered her request for help; as did Paolo Riva, the CEO of Diane von Furstenberg, and Rebecca Minkoff.

"Cold-calling the fashion industry wasn't the most favorite time in my life," smiles the 33-year-old business graduate. "In the beginning, about once a quarter, Mickey would let me go into J. Crew and tell them the progress we had made, and he would give me his reactions." Wright, whose aim was to end global poverty by providing female artisans with employment worldwide, quickly realized that there were, in fact, dozens of designers and fashion industry executives who wanted to "make a difference"-they just needed an easy solution. Fabric, she decided, was the answer.

Wright first left her job in business development in 2008 to join a startup non-profit that provided micro loans to female artisans in Africa. But despite falling "in love" with the artisan sector and the developing world, giving loans, she learned, was not making the kind of impact she had hoped for. "Access to capital wasn't what was preventing the women from creating a better life, it was actually access to customers and access to a model that would really bring their product to the Western market. At the same time, I was seeing trends in the fashion industry where brands were looking for ways to differentiate their products. The stars were aligning for a business that could bring sustainable fabrics to large fashion brands and retailers."

Wright set out to focus on making artisan fabrics in Guatemala and India, where she felt she would know "every single woman in the supply chain." But it was clear that global access was what designers really wanted. "So we made a decision early on to go broader," says Wright. "It slowed us down a bit in the beginning because we had to set up operations in 16 countries, but having a much more global perspective with our fabric collections is much more interesting to designers."

Story continues

Photo credit: Courtesy of Piece & Co.

Since launching in 2011, Piece & Co. has supplied fabric to the likes of Nike, Diane von Furstenburg, Supreme, Opening Ceremony, Veronica Beard, Mara Hoffman and Shopbop. The company now employs more than 5,000 artisans at local co-ops in countries from Bolivia to Zambia, where, through a customized training program, the women learn to manage their own finances and establish independence.

"I learned in my non-profit days that there's nothing more impactful to these women than knowing they're going to have three-to-four months of work," she explains. "It's that mental shift when they know they're not going to be living hand-to-mouth for the next six months. Non-profits struggle to bring orders like that, so it would be a lot of hope and excitement created around giving them a loan, but when there's no tangible way to get their products to market, it just kind of fizzles." Right now, 75 percent of Piece & Co.'s supply chain is made up of women. "We don't exclude men," says Wright, "but it is important that women are in leadership roles within the co-operatives, which enables both the artisans and their production to flourish."

"There's nothing more impactful to these women than knowing they're going to have three-to-four months of work."

Wright jokes that learning to understand how the fashion industry works was more difficult than figuring out how to build a business in the developing world. "It took me two years to understand the fashion calendar completely and what sort of time frames we would need to be able to produce fabric in, and when we would need to be selling to people," she says. "When I was first out there talking to brands, no one was really that excited to talk to me and I couldn't really figure out why. I didn't understand that there was very specific times in the calendar that they would be looking for fabrics." But her persistence paid off. The demand for ethically sourced and produced products is soaring, and Piece & Co., acting as catalyst for positive change in the fashion industry, is able to deliver.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Piece & Co.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Piece & Co.

"We realized really quickly that we could scale faster and impact more women if we really focused on what the women were amazing at-which is creating beautiful fabrics-rather than having the burden of making finished goods," says Wright. "Our whole hypothesis in the beginning was that, if there's no designer that we can hire who is going to be more talented then Veronica Beard, then let's get these fabrics to Veronica Beard in a way that makes it really easy for her to use them, really easy for her to have an impact, really easy for her to build more sustainability into her supply chain."

Wright's ultimate long-term goal is to have every designer in the fashion industry using Piece & Co.'s handmade, sustainable fabric. "Those are our two big pillars: empowering women and making fashion more sustainable. It's about world domination of the good kind."
London (AFP) - European markets were little changed Monday while US stocks resumed their upward climb after last week's record highs, as rising oil prices boosted petroleum-linked equities.

London and Frankfurt saw small gains while Paris was flat in the absence of major European data or company earnings. Trading was subdued as it is a national holiday in France and parts of Germany.

On Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 percent in opening minutes, with the broad-bases S&P 500 and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index also posting similar gains.

US stocks had hit all-time highs last week.

Dow members Chevron and ExxonMobil were both up about 0.5 percent as oil prices rose on speculation that producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries would agree to limit output next month and ease the global supply glut.

In London BP shares were up over one percent in afternoon trading.

Most Asian markets climbed Monday but Tokyo dipped as official figures showed Japan's economy stalled in the second quarter.

Data showed growth in the world's third largest economy was flat at zero percent quarter-on-quarter, missing predictions for a 0.2 percent expansion in the April-June period, on weak exports and lower business spending.

Japanese officials are under increasing pressure to deliver as economists are writing off Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's years-long bid to cement a lasting recovery, dubbed Abenomics.

Tokyo recently announced a whopping 28 trillion yen ($276 billion) package aimed at kickstarting growth.

"The recently announced fiscal and monetary stimulus measures were clearly insufficient to satiate the markets appetite," said London Capital Group analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya.

"The bulk of investors expect to hear more measures from the government and Bank of Japan (BoJ) to boost growth. The problem is that neither the BoJ, nor Shinzo Abes government have much left in their pockets to satisfy the unappeasable hunger for free liquidity."

Story continues

- Shanghai jumps -

Elsewhere in Asia, Sydney, Wellington and Kuala Lumpur also saw gains, even after poor economic data from the eurozone and the United States on Friday left stocks under pressure.

Chinese shares rallied on hopes the government would soon launch a scheme to link trading on the Shenzhen exchange with the Hong Kong bourse.

Hong Kong rose 0.7 percent, while Shanghai finished the day up 2.4 percent after the China Securities Regulatory Commission said on Friday that the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme would be launched this year.

China launched a landmark "stock connect" between Shanghai and Hong Kong in late 2014, which allowed investors to trade selected stocks on Shanghai's tightly restricted exchange and let mainland investors buy shares in Hong Kong.

- Key figures around 1345 GMT -

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.4 percent at 6,944.22 points

Frankfurt - DAX 30: UP 0.2 percent at 10,731.12

Paris - CAC 40: FLAT at 4,500.02

EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.04 percent at 3,046.22

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 16,869.56 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: UP 2.4 percent at 3,125.20 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: UP 0.7 percent at 22,932.51 (close)

New York - DOW: UP 0.3 percent at 18,635.71

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1189 from $1.1165

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2884 from $1.2918

Dollar/yen: DOWN at 101.05 yen from 101.27 yen
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is firing back against critics, including former National Security Agency contractor-turned-whistleblower Edward Snowden, who say the organizations aversion to selectivity in the information it publishes is dangerous.

We dont contaminate the evidence, Assange told CNNs Jake Tapper on Monday, speaking in a video interview from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. He has been living there in exile for nearly four years.

Assange said WikiLeaks has a track record of publishing pristine archives that readers can check and can be used in subsequent litigation and prosecution.

After WikiLeaks published thousands of internal emails from the Democratic National Committee last month, Snowden wrote on Twitter that WikiLeaks should be more open to having independent review of leaked documents. Snowden funneled his own massive leak of NSA documents through journalists like former Guardian reporter Glenn Greenwald.

Democratizing information has never been more vital, and @Wikileaks has helped. But their hostility to even modest curation is a mistake.  Edward Snowden (@Snowden) July 28, 2016

The 45-year-old Australian said such criticism is an effort by the Hillary Clinton campaign to distract from revelations contained in the DNC emails that suggested members of the committee were plotting against Bernie Sanders in an effort to boost Clinton during their hard-fought primary.

The leak, which was timed to coincide with the start of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, resulted in the resignations of several top DNC officials, including Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Hillary Clintons boss and her team, naturally, have tried to distract from the very real revelations that led to these resignations at the DNC with anything they can, Assange said Monday. [Theyre] desperate to try and criticize, amazingly, their opponents as being Russian agents or the media or us as somehow being Russian agents. I think thats an extremely worrying trend in this election.

Story continues

Julian Assange to @jaketapper on Democratic Party hacks: We dont contaminate the evidence https://t.co/AWk2geAzkp  The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) August 15, 2016

Earlier this month, Assange himself floated the idea that Seth Rich, a DNC employee who was shot to death last month in Washington, was a WikiLeaks informant.

Whistleblowers often take very significant efforts to bring us material and often at very significant risks, Assange said in an interview with the Dutch television program Nieuwsuur that was first reported by Buzzfeed. Theres a 27-year-old who works for the DNC and who was shot in the back, murdered, just a few weeks ago, for unknown reasons as he was walking down the streets in Washington.

While the case remains unsolved, police believe Rich was killed in an attempted robbery.

Richs family condemned the conspiracy theorists, and urged the public to refrain from pushing unproven and harmful theories about Seths murder.

Last month, Assange would not say whether Russia had any involvement in WikiLeaks release of the DNC emails, which U.S. officials believe were obtained in a hack of the DNCs servers by Russian intelligence. As a candidate, Donald Trump has taken a relatively soft stance against Russia and has even echoed the Kremlins message about its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

We cant go around speculating on who our sources are. That would be irresponsible, Assange said in an interview with NBCs Meet the Press. I do think its an interesting question, of course, as to who our sources are. But as a source protection organization that many sources from across the world of many different types rely on to protect their identity, and their rights, to communicate the truth to the public. And thats what were talking about here, communicating the truth.

But Assange also hinted that more leaks about the Clinton campaign may be on the way.

We have more material related to the Hillary Clinton campaign, Assange told CNNs Anderson Cooper on July 30. That is correct to say that.

Assanges latest comments come on the eve of the fourth anniversary of his living in asylum inside the Ecuadorian Embassy. He told Tapper that on Tuesday, his lawyer plans to deliver a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking why the Justice Departments six-year probe of WikiLeaks has yet to be completed given the new standard applied in the FBIs probe of Clintons email server.
Australias racial discrimination act makes it clear that insulting someone because of the color of their skin is against Australian law. David Leyonhjelm, a libertarian senator, has recently campaigned to repeal that clause, claiming that such a law damages the Australian tradition of freedom of speech.



That is, until journalist Mark Kenny penned a newspaper article calling Leyonhjelms view on the law indicative of the senators angry-white-male certitude. The commentary, published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Aug. 8, prompted Leyonhjelm to use the very law hes trying to repeal in order to file a human rights complaint against Kenny.



In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Leyonhjelm said the comments are reasonably likely in all the circumstances to offend or insult some white males.



My color was one of the reasons the comments were made, he added.



Apparently, he believes that his complaint is completely absurd  and thats all the more reason for going through with it.



If Im going to succeed in having it repealed, I need to change minds, he said. If Im going to change minds, I have to show [the] absurdity of the law.



One of Leyonhjelms biggest complaints about the laws current language is that it applies to any comments that offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate on the basis of race. According to him, offense is always taken, not given, and therefore cannot be blamed on the person responsible for making potentially offensive comments.



Prime Minister Tony Abbott had previously made moves to repeal the law, but backed down when he faced opposition from lawmakers. He most recently suggested that perhaps just the words offend and insult should be repealed.

Photo credit: Stefan Postles/Getty Images
VIENNA (Reuters) - Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an attempt to set fire to a Turkish cultural center in the northern Austrian town of Wels, police said on Monday, at a time of heightened tension between Vienna and Ankara. The attack took place in early morning and the suspects, whom police declined to identify, were arrested immediately. Turks are one of Austria's biggest immigrant communities, with more than 100,000 Turkish nationals registered in the country of 8.7 million people. Wels, which has roughly 60,000 inhabitants, is also Austria's biggest town to have a mayor from the anti-immigration Freedom Party. "An incendiary device was thrown through a pane of glass into the center's premises. The incendiary device extinguished by itself and there was barely any property damage," a provincial police spokesman said, suggesting the device was a petrol bomb. Austria has been sharply critical of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's clampdown on supporters of a U.S.-based cleric whom he blames for last month's failed coup attempt. Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has accused Erdogan of failing to adhere to democratic standards and suggested that the European Union should end accession talks with Turkey. In a sign of the heightened tension, 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. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
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2. No Nivul Peh. Profanity will be deleted.
Https%3a%2f%2fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2fuploads%2fcard%2fimage%2f178152%2fsquirrel_in_tesco

LONDON  Compared to many other countries, the wildlife in Britain isn't all that dangerous.

Except for the squirrels, of course.

SEE ALSO: Badass cat is now the undisputed owner of this British supermarket

During a lunch-time trip to her local Tesco last Friday, Emma Wright discovered this firsthand.

"I felt him before I saw him," Emma Wright told Mashable. "I was taking my lunch to the self service check outs, which is by the wine section, when I felt a weight on my back.

"The store is right by my office so I thought it was a colleague grabbing my shoulder as a prank. I turned round and there was no one there.

"I could still feel the weight on my back so I brushed my back with my hand and felt something furry there. The squirrel had decided to get a piggy back!"

Wright went on to describe how the squirrel then jumped off of her and went over to investigate the red wine selection.

"Since then someone on Twitter has explained that when young squirrels are away from their mothers and scared they find things to cling to, so he was obviously a bit stressed and looking for a cuddle," she said.

Fortunately, Tesco seemed to have it covered.

Twitter clearly enjoyed Wright's squirrel encounter.

"I shared the photo and then it just started going crazy with retweets and likes," Wright explained.

"Nothing captures the British imagination like a squirrel browsing wine in Tesco!"

A Tesco spokesperson told Mashable: Our colleagues quickly adapted their fantastic customer service skills to help our furriest and smallest customer. After browsing our selection of wines, the squirrel was safely helped out of the store.
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 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. 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)
By Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladeshi authorities named a third prime suspect on Monday in their investigation into the July 1 attack at a Dhaka cafe in which 20 hostages were killed, most of them foreigners. Mohammed Saiful Islam from Dhaka's counter terrorism police said Nurul Islam Marjan, a commander from the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, had been identified on information from several different sources. "We got this details and now we are verifying these information," Saiful, a senior officer, told Reuters. Police have accused JMB of several attacks over the past 18 months that have ratcheted up fears about militancy. JMB says it is affiliated to Islamic State but the government insists Islamic State has no presence in Bangladesh. On Thursday, police arrested five members of an Islamist militant group who, they said, were planning suicide attacks in the capital and counter terrorism chief, Monirul Islam, said the third prime suspect had been identified. Police officers had swooped on a cell on Thursday in the outskirts of Dhaka and said the suspects, including four would-be bombers and a bomb-maker, had been sent to the capital to bolster the JMB's attack capability. They were all from the northern part of Bangladesh. Marjan had disappeared from his family's village in the northern Pabna district, 160 km (100 miles) from Dhaka, eight months ago and was studying Arabic at Chittagong University, police said. His father has been detained, they said. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack and, while the government has dismissed the claim, security experts say the scale and sophistication of the assault suggest links to trans-national networks. Police say Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen and the prime suspect, is still at large in Dhaka. Analysts say Islamic State identified him in April as its national commander. Police are also still hunting for a sacked army major-turned militant, Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque, as part of the investigation. (Additional reporting by Hasibur Rahman in Bogra; Editing by Louise Ireland)
On Aug 12, 2016, we issued an updated research report on Bank of the Ozarks, Inc. OZRK. Despite mounting expenses and margin compression, the company's inorganic growth strategy assures a steady growth ahead.



Bank of the Ozarks inorganic growth strategy should continue to further augment revenue improvement. In Jul 2016, the company closed the acquisitions of Community & Southern Holdings and C1 Financial, which are expected to be accretive to its earnings over the next few quarters. Further, the deals increased the companys branch network to 224 from 177 as of Jun 30.



We believe Bank of the Ozarks will continue expanding inorganically, given its strong balance sheet position. The company plans to focus on M&As across locations where it does not have offices at present.



However, like most banks, Bank of the Ozarks faces margin compression given the low rate environment. Management expects net interest margin (excluding the effect of any future acquisitions) to remain under pressure in 2016.



Also, persistently rising operating expenses remains a matter of concern for Bank of the Ozarks. Going forward, expenses are expected to further rise as the company continues with its expansion.



Notably, over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2016 and 2017 remained stable at $2.42 and $3.02, respectively.



Stocks That Warrant a Look



Some other banking stocks include Hancock Holding Company HBHC, Southern National Bancorp of Virginia Inc. SONA and State Bank Financial Corporation STBZ.



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Is Donald Trump dangerous, as 50 G.O.P. national security experts asserted in an open letterthe second this yearpublished last week? Would he be the most reckless president in American history, as they also warned?

Jeffrey Goldberg calls Trump a de facto agent of Vladimir Putin, in The Atlantic. Paul Krugman's column in The New York Times is headlined, Donald Trump, the Siberian Candidate. And Jackson Diehl in The Washington Post called Trump as pure an American expression of Putinism as we are likely to see.

Related: Would Trump Really Be the Most Reckless American President?

Have yesteryears policy experts and todays pundits lost their grip? Are we now treated to a festival of overstatement whenever the topic is Donald Trump?

There are 50 reasons not to support Trumps Republican candidacy for president. For the record, this columnist is on board for 49 of them.

But the epithets, shouting, and campaign-trail politicking obscure one stance that deserves very serious attention. Among the few things Trump has made clear about his foreign policy thinking is his willingness to negotiate with those Washington considers adversaries in recognition of what legitimate interests they may have.

Thats radically short of a full-dress policy platform, of course. But it puts Trump in curious companyperfectly respectable.

The thought that post1945 American primacy cant be sustained in the 21st century is fast achieving the status of a no-brainer. Those who argue otherwise start to resemble Dutch boys with their fingers in dikes, except that theyre not going to prevail against our turbulent seas.

Related: Reeling from a Week in Hell, Trump Forces Try to Push Back

The interesting question now is, Where do we go from here? There are lots of answers, but one is for an era of restraint in American foreign policy. And for all Trumps huffing and puffing, he appears to line up with it.

Barry Posen, an M.I.T. professor, made the case two years ago in Restraint: A New Foundation for American Grand Strategy. Its a conservative argumenta moral argument, tooagainst what Posen calls the liberal hegemony Washington has assiduously sought since the Cold War. If the phrase summons Hillary Clinton to your mind your mind is in working order.

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The libertariansRand Paul and a few other elected officials prominent among themtake similar positions to Posen. The Cato Institute held a conference this summer under the banner The Case for Restraint in U.S. Foreign Policy. Its invitation stated, Decades of rigorous military interventions and long-term military alliances have caused more problems than they solvedand a grand strategy of restraint aligns with the fundamental values at the core of our nations founding.

Funny, thats Trumps argument, too, but nobody called Cato reckless or dangerous.



Trump evidently enjoys setting fire to the conversation, because he makes his case in inflammatory terms. Putin is a gifted statesman, far superior to President Obama, Trump says. If a NATO partner doesnt pay its way, why should we come to its defense? If were committed to not using nuclear weapons, why do we build them?

Related: Planning the Purge: What Will the GOP Look Like After Trump?

There are legitimate arguments here but better ways to make them. Putin has indeed tied Obama in knots on several occasionstheres no denying this. But to say so while campaigning is impolitic, to say the least.

In effect, Trump gives his shrillest opponents openings to pounce while obscuring his baseline thinking. We shouldnt miss this amid all the hubbub: Diplomacy as the first option in dealing with other great powers, military deployment as the last is sound 21st-century policy.

Theres a role-reversal in the 2016 political season we also shouldnt miss. Clintons hawkishly interventionist foreign policy platform, which reads straight out of her record as secretary of state, is one traditionally identified with Republicans. Trumps preference for deal-making is more commonly the Democratic Partys.

Jeremy Shapiro and Richard Sokolsky, two fellows at The Brookings Institution, published a report Friday, Why Hillary Clinton Wouldnt Be a Foreign Policy Hawk as President. Clinton wants to be a domestic president, they argue. Shes a hawk on the record, but a prudent hawk.

Related: Take the Trump Challenge: What Would He Have to Say to Finally Get Fired?

This is political calculation by any other name. Given the unexpected prominence of foreign policy in the 2016 race, Clintons many incautious mistakes on the foreign side have been biting her for months. Enter the resident scholars. It doesnt help that Brookings, a nest of conflicting interests according to the Times series last week on its modus operandi, sponsored this piece.

Clinton has a few good things to say and a lot of bad. Trump deserves the same ear for the same reason.

Together they mark the parameters of this nations biggest challenge in foreign policy. Our choice isnt between military engagement and isolation: Its to remain responsibly active in global affairs while depending less on military superiority.

Thats another thing we ought not to miss.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
The people of New Orleans have seen the horrors of floodwater, and their actions this weekend showed that some of them had clearly not forgotten.

Rescuers helped more than 20,000 people evacuate their homes this weekend after torrential rainfall caused waterways to overflow and wreak havoc on Baton Rouge, La., and the surrounding area.

New Orleanians, who struggled through the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, were eager to help their neighbors in the states capital city, about an hour and a half drive northwest.

Chris Macaluso, who lives near Interstate 12 in Baton Rouge, set out in his boat to save stranded residents throughout his neighborhood on Saturday and Sunday. On both days, he told Yahoo News, he encountered dozens of men from New Orleans and the surrounding area on the same mission.

Those guys who came up from New Orleans and Thibodaux and places like that. You know, those guys didnt have to do that, Macaluso said in a Monday interview. They really risked a lot because these rescues were dangerous. The water was moving so fast in some places that it was dangerous to run a boat. So they risked a lot and we really appreciate them.

Macaluso, 40, said that water came within six inches of his house, which is elevated about five feet above street level, and that half the homes in his community were flooded. He estimated that about 70 to 80 percent of the homes around Episcopal High School, in nearby Woodland Ridge, had been flooded. He previously told parts of the story to the Times-Picayune.

There are houses that have seven feet of water or more in them, Macaluso told Yahoo News. I was able to launch my boat off my driveway yesterday morning and go throughout the neighborhood to get elderly people and children to safety. We got the last two folks out last night around 9 oclock. Then we went back through this morning.

Slideshow: Unprecedented flooding slams Gulf Coast

On Saturday, Macaluso joined forces with about 14 others boats. Several volunteers came from New Orleans and Houma to help rescue men, women and children in North Baton Rouge around North Sherwood Forest Boulevard and Greenwell Springs Road. They brought the stranded residents to higher ground.

Story continues

Personally, over the two days, I think I got to about 50 or so, Macaluso said. But I think combined, the guys who helped us from New Orleans, and some other people, they were pulling thousands of people out  volunteers were pulling thousands of people out.

When he went to bed Saturday night, there was no water on his street. When he woke up at 6 a.m. Sunday, it was about three feet deep. By Sunday night, it was nearly five feet deep.

We stayed up there as long as we could before the police made us leave, because the water was coming up so fast that if wed have stayed past dark, we wouldnt have been able to drive out. We would have been stranded ourselves, he said.

The water, he said, is subsiding quickly and moving south toward Ascension Parish, about 24 miles south.

His father, Joe Macaluso, 69, who had been on many rescue missions himself over the years, said some of the scenes reminded him of Katrina: a mile or two on dry roads and then suddenly a lake with houses in it.

There were literally hundreds of guys who showed up with their boats and they sort of found ways  because everyone knows the area  to get in and launch their boats off of roads that were sort of flooded, Joe Macaluso told Yahoo News.

Jonathan and Julia Pretus, of New Orleans, announced on Facebook and Twitter Sunday afternoon that they were going to fill a truck with supplies and drive it up to Baton Rouge later that day. Fellow New Orleanians donated food, water, toiletries, diapers and money, among other things. By 7 p.m., the truck was full.

At first it was friends and acquaintances, but then it was strangers, people we never met before. The post we had done had just been shared and reposted. People from all over the city, all different neighborhoods, all different backgrounds, Jonathan Pretus told Yahoo News.

They left their house around 8 p.m. and it took about two hours to reach Baton Rouge because they had to take back roads.

Pretus said he went to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and still has a lot of family members and friends who live there. He said he felt helpless looking at picture after picture on Facebook of flooded backyards where he had spent countless afternoons. They decided they needed to help somehow.

Baton Rouge was incredibly welcoming to so many New Orleanians after the storm. They took on such a large number of displaced residents in Baton Rouge. Its kind of the obvious reciprocal thing to do is to help the people who helped you.

He said everyone in New Orleans knows someone in Baton Rouge or has spent time there.

It wasnt just a good thing to do. It was the obvious thing to do, he said.

Pretus and his wife plan to collect more supplies for the people of Baton Rouge next Friday and Saturday. They are also accepting donations on PayPal at Julia.Pretus@gmail.com.

Related video:




Agrium Inc. (AGU) recently cut full year earnings guidance as crop prices stay in the cellar. This Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) is expected to see a double digit earnings decline in 2016.

Agrium produces all three major fertilizers, including nitrogen, phosphates and potash. It is also a retail supplier of agricultural products such as crop protection and seeds in North America, South America and Australia.

It's headquartered in Calgary.

A Second Quarter Beat But...

On Aug 3, Agrium reported its second quarter earnings and actually beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4 cents. Earnings were $4.09 compared to the Zacks Consensus of $4.05.

The good news was that the retail side of the business is doing well. The earnings were the second highest in history due to strong margins and lower costs.

Agrium acquired 33 retail locations with expected annual sales in excess of $230 million. It's also working on the 18-store deal with Cargill and another deal which would add 12 more locations. These deals represent another $300 million in expected sales.

What's the bad news?

Crop prices remain at multi-year lows which means farmers aren't buying as much product.

Fertilizer prices, including potash and nitrogen, also both remain weak. Additionally, rising natural gas prices will mean tighter margins on the nitrogen side.

Guidance Cut

Agrium cut its full year guidance to a range of $5.00 to $5.35 from its prior guidance of $5.25 to $6.25. It's original guidance for 2016 had a high range of $7.00, so you can see just how tough the fertilizer industry has gotten over the past year.

Potash prices are expected to bottom by the end of the year, however.

Given the guidance cut, analysts had to cut full year estimates to get in line. 2 estimates have been cut in the last week for 2016.

The 2016 Zacks Consensus Estimate fell to $5.26 from $5.86 just 90 days ago.

That's a 25% drop in earnings from 2015 when the company earned $6.99.

Are Shares Cheap?

Given the gloomy outlook for the fertilizer industry, in the near term, it's surprising that Agrium shares have held up fairly well over the last 2 years. They aren't trading anywhere near their 2-year lows.

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Agrium is considered to be more diverse than the other pure fertilizer companies, because of its retail business, so investors appear more willing to pay a premium for that diversity.

Shares are trading with a forward P/E of 17.5. That's not cheap.

Investors do get a dividend, currently yielding a healthy 3.8%. Is the dividend safe? The company says it has "sufficient current assets" to meet its liabilities.

There's really nowhere to hide out in the fertilizer space right now. All of the big fertilizer companies like Mosaic (MOS) and CF Industries (CF) have Zacks Ranks of #5 (Strong Sells) because their estimates have been slashed.

Remember, the Zacks Rank is a short term recommendation. With the fertilizers, investors will need a longer time horizon.

Is this an industry you might want to consider shorting?

Find out tips on shorting stocks in our podcast.

The fertilizers are one commodity, unlike oil and even iron ore, that haven't yet seen any recovery.

More Stocks to Sell. Now.

Beyond our Bear Stock of the Day, today's list of 220 Zacks Rank #5 Strong Sells demand even more urgent attention. If any are lurking in your portfolio or Watch List, they should be removed immediately. Many appear to be sound investments but, since 1988, such stocks have actually performed more than 11X worse than the S&P 500.

See today's Zacks ""Strong Sells"" absolutely free >>.

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Bella Thorne and Gregg Sulkin have split after more than a year of dating, both stars tell Us Weekly in a joint statement.

PHOTOS: Disney Stars Through the Years

After much thought and soul-searching, we have made the difficult decision to end our relationship, the pair tells Us. We will always love each other and have a deep respect for one another, as we have each grown to be better people because of our time together. Our schedules made seeing each other difficult, and we decided that for now this would be best.

The 18-year-old actress tweeted about the breakup on Monday, August 15. Things just didnt end up working the way we had hoped. But Ill always love the bub, she wrote.

Us Weekly confirmed the longtime pals were officially a couple in June 2015 after the 24-year-old actor supported Thorne at the L.A. premiere for her MTV series Scream. According to Thorne, they had been friends for six years before things turned romantic.



PHOTOS: Celebrity Couples and How They First Met: Love Story Beginnings

The duo frequently posted PDA-filled snaps on Instagram. As recently as last week, Sulkin posted a selfie of the actress giving him a kiss on the cheek, and captioned it with a heart emoji.

Last summer, The Duff star gushed to Us Weekly about all of Sulkins amazing qualities. Hes one of the most amazing people Ive ever met, she said. Hes so kind, so sweet. Hes very caring even when he doesnt need to be.  And I think maybe its because hes raised in such a great way with British manners.



PHOTOS: On-Again, Off-Again Celebrity Couples

Thorne was previously linked to Brandon Lee, the 20-year-old son of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.




Haifa is on the "front line" in any action in the north but this blog looks at life in the shadow of danger to all of Israel
By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) - Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc (BRKa.N) on Monday said it has increased its stake in Apple Inc (AAPL.O) by 55 percent, boosting its bet on the iPhone and iPod maker even as prominent investors like George Soros and Carl Icahn shed theirs.

Berkshire owned 15.23 million Apple shares worth $1.46 billion as of June 30, up from 9.81 million shares as of March 31, according to a regulatory filing from Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate.

The filing also said Berkshire cut its stake in Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N), the world's largest retailer, by 27 percent to about 40.23 million shares from 55.24 million. Wal-Mart has been in Berkshire's portfolio for more than a decade.

It was unclear whether Buffett or one of his portfolio managers, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, are investing in Apple.

Berkshire owned more than $133 billion of equities as of June 30. Buffett is typically responsible for larger investments such as Wal-Mart, while his deputies handle smaller investments.

"They have more of a trading orientation than Buffett, and may view Apple as attractive because the stock appears cheap or may have a catalyst later this year," Jim Shanahan, an equity analyst at Edward Jones, said in a phone interview. "If Warren Buffett is buying a stock, he's probably not going to sell it, or at least not sell for a very long time."

Berkshire also owns roughly 90 businesses including Geico car insurance, the BNSF railroad, Dairy Queen ice cream, Duracell batteries, and Fruit of the Loom underwear. It also paid $32.1 billion in January for aircraft and industrial parts maker Precision Castparts Corp, Buffett's largest purchase.

Share prices often rise when investors perceive that Berkshire has given them its imprimatur, including the 3.7 percent one-day boost that Apple got in May after Berkshire unexpectedly revealed it had taken a stake.

Berkshire revealed its higher Apple stake on the same day George Soros' firm Soros Fund Management and Leon Cooperman's Omega Advisors Inc said they dissolved their own Apple stakes.

Story continues

Icahn in April said he had sold his entire Apple stake, citing concerns about China's policies regarding the company. He later said he would reinvest in Apple if his concerns ebbed.

Monday's Berkshire filing also disclosed other portfolio changes, among them lower stakes in farm equipment maker Deere & Co (DE.N) and Canadian oil and gas company Suncor Energy Inc (SU.TO), and a higher stake in John Malone's telecommunications company Liberty Global Plc (LBTYA.O).

It also reflected Berkshire's more than 14 percent stake in oil refiner Phillips 66 (PSX.N).

Shanahan said he believes Berkshire has been shedding Wal-Mart shares at least in part to buy Phillips 66. He has a "buy" rating on Berkshire.

Berkshire's filing showed that food company Kraft Heinz Co (KHC.O) was the company's largest equity investment as of June 30, at $28.81 billion, followed by Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N).

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish, David Gregorio and Bernard Orr)
Vice President Joe Biden used his first rally with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton to slam Republican rival Donald Trumps controversial national security pronouncements.

No major party nominee in the history of the United States has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump, Biden said during the speech in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. And what absolutely amazes me is that he doesnt seem to want to learn it.

Referring to the GOP nominees comments encouraging Russia to hack Clintons emails, he said, This guys shame has no limits.

Even if he were joking  which he isnt, Biden continued, responding to Trumps pattern of making controversial statements then later responding they were sarcastic or taken out of context, what an outrageous thing to say.

Bidens takedown Monday came hours after a New York Times story giving the strongest evidence to date of Trump campaign manager Paul Manaforts ties to pro-Russian business and political interests in Ukraine. The story gave ready ammunition to Biden and other Clinton supporters just ahead of what Trump aides billed as a major foreign policy speech later Monday in Youngstown, Ohio.

Speaking ahead of Biden, Clinton focused her Scranton remarks on the economy, tailoring her message to blue-collar voters the Democrats worry will back Trump and his anti-free trade message. She also took a few swipes at Trump before handing off the podium to the vice president, whom she served with as President Barack Obamas first secretary of state.

So well wait and see what he says today but you know sometimes he says he wont tell anyone what hell do because he wants to keep his plan secret, she quipped. And then it turns out the secret is he has no plan.

This wont be the last time the Clinton campaign trots out the vice president to speak to blue-collar voters, especially crucial in swing states like Pennsylvania. The Democratic nominee has strong leads in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and other states whose economies were once dependent heavily on manufacturing. Some polls show her running even, or slightly ahead, in traditionally red states like Georgia and North Carolina.

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Clinton is benefiting from a series of self-inflicted wounds by her GOP rival. The Times story on Manafort has already inspired new scrutiny for Trumps stated friendliness toward Russia. Beyond the hacking remarks, the mogul has claimed Russia did not invade Ukraine and suggested Syria  where the U.S. has clashed with Russia in an attempt to find a political resolution for the conflict  should simply be left as a free zone for the Islamic State.

Biden noted he was headed immediately from the Scranton rally to a four-day swing to Turkey, Latvia and other Baltic states, in part to reassure them of Americas commitment in the wake of Trumps suggestions hed consider pulling the U.S. out of NATO and unravelling a broader system of international security alliances.

Every president since Harry Truman has looked toward a Europe whole, free and at peace, he said. And one of the most consequential people trying to undo that, he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a man Donald Trump has said he admires.

Taking on Trumps admiring comments of former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein, he quipped, This guy wouldve loved Stalin.

At one point in the speech, Biden, with his own characteristic unpredictability, pointed off-camera to presumably a secret service agent who he said was protecting the nuclear codes that travel with the vice president.

Trump suggests other countries develop nuclear weapons as if if nuclear war is some trivial affair, he said.

Biden said Trump could not be trusted to determine the fate of U.S. troops such as his recently deceased son Beau.

Had Donald Trump been president, he said. I wouldve thrown my body in front of him to keep him from going if the judgement was based on Trumps decision.

Biden finished by pointing to recent comments from the leader of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah, praising Trumps claims that Obama  and Clinton  founded ISIS.

This American candidate, who speaks in the name of the American Republican Party, has facts, to back up claims the president created the group, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Saturday, according to a transcript published by Al Manar TV.

Biden accused Trump of playing into the hands of Islamist militants in his calls for banning Muslim immigrants, promoting the idea of a clash between Islam and the West.

Trump is giving them exactly what they want, said Biden.

Theres only one choice in 2016, he argued.

Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy, he said, than Trump and his entire team will ever understand.

Photo credit: DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images
New York (AFP) - Vice President Joe Biden on Monday hit the 2016 campaign trail with Hillary Clinton for the first time, trashing Donald Trump as unqualified for the White House and accusing him of endangering the lives of US troops.

In the former coal mining town of Scranton, where Biden grew up in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, the vice president said Clinton was the only choice for Americans who know what it's like to struggle.

Biden's folksy demeanor and ability to connect with working-class voters is considered an asset for Clinton -- particularly among blue collar white male voters who lean towards Trump, her Republican rival.

"No major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump," said Biden, who served as a US senator for 36 years.

"This man is totally, thoroughly, unqualified to be president of the United States of America," he added.

The Republican nominee has made a big play for Pennsylvania, which has voted Democratic in the last six presidential elections.

But a series of unforced errors have handed Clinton a wide lead in the polls. In Pennsylvania, she is up an average of 9.2 percentage points at 49.2 percent to 40 percent for Trump, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Trump's accusation that Obama and Clinton created the so-called Islamic State extremist group had imperiled the lives of US troops, Biden said.

"If my son were still in Iraq and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple of clicks," he said.

- Country less safe -

"Ladies and gentlemen, does he have any idea of the adverse consequences these comments have on our allies, our friends and the physical safety of our troops? Trump is already making our country less safe," he said.

The people of Scranton and towns like it "deserve someone who's with them and they deserve someone who's made of the same stuff. That's Hillary Clinton," said the man who built his political career on his blue collar credentials.

Story continues

Clinton also has ties to the town. Her father was born and buried in Scranton, and Clinton was christened there as a child.

Repeating from his much-praised speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, Biden rubbished Trump's claim to understand the middle class.

"To repeat myself, it's a bunch of malarkey," he said. "This guy doesn't care about the middle class... He doesn't have a clue. He really doesn't."

Clinton and Biden have had a lengthy rivalry despite both having served in Obama's cabinet.

Last year, Biden seriously contemplated another presidential run, but he ultimately decided not to following the death of his son Beau.

In a scathing opinion piece, The Wall Street Journal called on Trump to get his act together or drop out in favor of his running mate.

"He needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be president -- or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," the conservative-leaning newspaper wrote.
joe biden hillary clinton

Vice President Joe Biden said on Monday he would have stopped his son from serving in the military if Donald Trump were president and controlled deployments.

Appearing at a campaign event alongside Hillary Clinton, Biden praised his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, for serving in Iraq but noted that he would have kept his son from serving if Trump dictated US foreign policy.

"If Donald Trump had been president, I would've thrown my body in front of him to keep him from going if the judgment was based on Donald Trump's decision," Biden said of his son, who died in May 2015 after a prolonged battle with cancer.

After reiterating his criticism of Trump's appeal to middle-class voters, the vice president questioned Trump's foreign-policy proposals and credentials. Biden criticized Trump's positive statements about Russian President Vladimir Putin and his advocacy for non-nuclear powers like Japan to acquire their own nuclear weapons.

"There's a guy who follows me back there who has the nuclear codes if, God forbid, something happens to the president," Biden said. "[Trump] is not qualified to know the code. He cannot be trusted."

He added: "Don't cheer; just listen. No candidate has known less or been less prepared than Donald Trump. What absolutely amazes me is he doesn't seem to want to learn it."

Biden heaped praise on Clinton, touting their shared working-class roots and invoking the significance Clinton's presidency would have for women and girls seeking higher office. The vice president also ruminated on his family's past financial struggles and the value of resilience in the face of economic hardship.

The speech came minutes before Trump delivered what his campaign has billed as a major address on his ideas for national security and foreign policy. Trump reiterated his plan to increase scrutiny of immigrants and end what the campaign characterized as US "nation-building" abroad.

Story continues

NOW WATCH: Watch this 11-year-old put Mike Pence on the spot with a tough question about his role as Trump's VP





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George Soros

George Soros family-office hedge fund, Soros Fund Management, increased its bearish bet on the stock market.

During the second quarter, Soros bought put options on just over 1.9 million shares on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), making it so he owns puts on just over 4 million shares of the exchange-traded fund. Its his funds biggest holding in the filing too.

Puts are used for a downside bet. Buying these S&P 500 puts, essentially gives Soros the right, but not the obligation, to sell them in the future. In other words, if the S&P 500 or the ETF that tracks falls, Soros should make a nice profit.

Soros, 86, is widely-known as the man who broke the Bank of England following his short bet against the British Pound in 1992 while running the Quantum Fund alongside Stanley Druckenmiller. Ahead of the June 23 Brexit vote, Soros had warned that it would be more disruptive than Black Wednesday.

On June 30, the last day of the second quarter, Soros gave a grim speech to the EU Parliament.

In the speech, he warned that the Brexit may be a greater calamity than the refugee crisis. He added that the UKs shocking decision has unleashed a crisis in the financial markets comparable in severity only to that of 2007/8.

He continued: This has been unfolding in slow motion, but Brexit has accelerated it. It is likely to reinforce the deflationary trends that were already prevalent.

While global markets sold off dramatically following the surprise decision by UK voters to leave the European Union, they have since rallied back. Stocks lately have been hitting all-time highs.

Hedge funds of a certain size are required to disclose their long stock holdings in filings known as 13-Fs. Of course, the filings only provide a partial picture since they do not show short positions or wagers on commodities and currencies. Whats more is these filings come out 45 days after the end of each quarter, so its possible they could have traded in and out of the position. Still, it does provide a glimpse into where some of the top money managers have been placing money in the stock market.

Story continues

Julia La Roche is a finance reporter at Yahoo Finance.

Read more:

Tiger Global ditches its billion-dollar Netflix stake, cuts Apple

Heres what hedge fund titans have been buying and selling

Hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb bought a bunch of Facebook

Warren Buffett ramps up his huge bet on Apple, cuts back Walmart
BJ Penn will return to the UFC's Octagon for the first time since July of 2014 in a headlining fight against Ricardo Lamas in Manila. UFC officials announced the bout early Monday morning.

Penn and Lamas will face off in a featured 145-pound bout at UFC Fight Night 97, which takes place on Oct. 15 in the Filipino capital's Mall of Asia Arena.

RELATED > UFC Fight Night 97 Event Page and Fight Card Rumors

Penn (16-10-2) returns to the UFC after two years away. He intended on returning earlier this year, but was suspended by USADA for using an IV, a practice banned by the anti-doping agency. Penn's return was also also slowed due to a legal investigation involving sexual assault allegations. The former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion hasn't won a fight since November 2010.

Lamas (16-5) is also looking to get back on the winning track with the UFC Philippines card. In his last outing, the former featherweight title contender battled Max Holloway in a memorable fight, but came up short in a decision loss. Lamas is 1-2 in his last three fights.

More bouts are expected to be announced for the card in the coming weeks.

Follow MMAWeekly.com on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Look, everyone's getting along! It seems that Kylie Jenner and Blac Chyna have precisely zero beef between them. In fact, over the weekend Chyna and her fiance, Rob Kardashian, sent Jenner a sweet birthday card.

The 19-year-old shared the card on Snapchat, writing, "Cuties."

MORE: Kendall Jenner Surprises Kylie Jenner With Birthday Fireworks on Turks and Caicos Vacation

The card reads: "Make every crazy amazing moment count," and also has a personalized message that looks like it was written by Chyna herself.

"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," the message reads.

The couple and Rob's younger sister have a tense history. Two years ago, Kylie started dating Chyna's ex and baby daddy, Tyga, sparking a feud between Kylie and Chyna and also between Khloe Kardashian and Chyna's bestie, Amber Rose, who also happens to be Kanye West's ex.

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Rob Kardashian Is 'Still Filming' Reality Series With Blac Chyna Amid Split Rumors, Social Media Absence

The complicated web resulted in several, very public Twitter battles, and some of the drama is currently playing out on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

After Rob kept his April engagement a secret from his family, they clan has been working to mend fences with Chyna. She attended Khloe's birthday bash at Dave & Busters in June and also traveled to San Diego solo to celebrate the birthday of Rob's grandmother, Mary Jo.

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Jamaican runner @usainbolt tells @NBCSports Bob Costas hes honored by comparison to late reggae legend, Bob Marley pic.twitter.com/cfZd1U0qSm  NBC Nightly News (@NBCNightlyNews) August 14, 2016

For the most part, NBCs coverage of the 2016 Rio Olympics has left people wanting in the quality department. Matt Laurers commentary over the opening ceremony was enough to make even the most patriotic of American cringe and Bob Costas as the voice of the Olympics hasnt outweighed old memes about his eyes. After Usain Bolt once again proved to the world that hes the fastest man alive, Costas made a call that has people scratching their heads and wondering if Bob Costas really only knows two Jamaicans.

The call was comparing Usain Bolts popularity to Bob Marleys, claiming that Bolt was more popular than the legendary artist and, as you can imagine, Twitter isnt about to just let that one go.

"With apologies to all you reggae fans, I think Bolt has even outdistanced Marley." Bob Costas, no.  Adi Joseph (@AdiJoseph) August 15, 2016

Bob Costas comparing Bolt's popularity to Bob Marley is what happens when you only know two Jamaicans  Astead Wesley (@AsteadWH) August 15, 2016

Bob Costas : Usain Bolt more popular than Bob Marley Everyone : pic.twitter.com/vr6MgEQZz9  SINGH (@S1NGH7) August 15, 2016

"With apologies to all you reggae fans"  Bob Costas  Michael Scott  Charlotte Wilder (@TheWilderThings) August 15, 2016

My Jamaican fiancee when Bob Costas said that Usain is more famous than Bob Marley pic.twitter.com/73H2I49Ukb  baeyard rustin (@dante2534) August 15, 2016

Bob Costas merely needs to wander through a few frat houses to rethink that Bolt is bigger than Marley comment.  Tim Cowlishaw (@TimCowlishaw) August 15, 2016

I guarantee Bob Costas likes Wyclefs version of No Woman No Cry more than Bob Marleys version  Clemzingis (@TheClemReport) August 15, 2016

Ain't no outrage like "Bob costas doesn't respect Bob Marley enough!" outrage! pic.twitter.com/tqtm5AuX87  KFC (@KFCBarstool) August 15, 2016

"The only other Jamaican person I've heard of is Bob Marley"  Bob Costas or his writers  Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) August 15, 2016

Bob Costas showing blatant disrespect for Sanka from Cool Runnings in his "most famous Jamaican" argument.  Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) August 15, 2016

There is not hashtag to commemorate the time that Bob Costas compared Usain Bolts popularity to Bob Marleys just yet, but if past Twitter hashtag controversies are any indication, there very well might be one unless something even more ridiculous pops up this evening. All of it stems from the interview above, where Bolt says that hes compared to Bob Marley, with Costas riffing on that after Bolt took home another gold.
Living amidst violence rapidly constricting hope for a safer, sustainable, more equitable, and happier community and nation, what is to be done?There's more to be done than I can envision or perhaps even imagine. People who suffer -- whether for being different, for trying to control their bodies, for randomly encountering some gun fetishist, from climate disruption, or simply for lacking cash -- need to be cared for. In some places and moments, some people have to raise a ruckus in the streets.But also, what experience with actual, existing U.S. political power has taught me: in the mid-term elections in the fall of 2022, there are some contests that are vital. Here is a useful list of articles to help you figure out which elections are most important.Or hit me up about volunteer and paid opportunities to join campaigns in Nevada, Arizona and Pennsylvania: jan.uhreno@gmail
Brendan Dasseys family is so happy his case is being overturned

Brendan Dasseys family is so happy his case is being overturned

If youre just as obsessed with the fate of Making a Murderers Brendan Dassey as we are, get ready to throw on your party shoes, because Dassey is officially going to be released from jail within 90 days (unless they retry him for something completely different than the murder of Teresa Halbach). A Milwaukee, Wisconsin judge overturned his case, which has us like, yes, because there were so many holes and missing pieces, and we are so not okay with just shutting someone away forever instead of doing the work it takes to really solve a crime.

Dasseys attorney Laura Nirider told ABC News

We are over the moon, Nirider said. We were notified by email and I read this decision on my phone  91 pages, unbelievable.

His family is also so happy, and so relieved. Nirider said that they are grateful, in shock, trying to process this.

A photo posted by Making a Murderer (@makingamurderernetflix) on Feb 27, 2016 at 8:17am PST

And we dont blame them. From a terrible case filled with horrible trauma to a ridiculously popular Netflix docuseries, this is so far outside of the realm of what we expect to deal with in our lives that we dont blame them for needing time alone to process their feelings.

Brad, Dasseys half brother, wrote out his own reaction on Facebook.

Just hope for the best. Well all talk as soon as hes for sure OUT. Thank you.

Were just curious about how the rest of this will unfold.

The post Brendan Dasseys family is so happy his case is being overturned appeared first on HelloGiggles.
What Brendan Dasseys first lawyer just said about his overturned conviction will upset you

What Brendan Dasseys first lawyer just said about his overturned conviction will upset you

You probably heard last week that Brendan Dassey, the 16-year-old cousin of Steven Avery from Netflixs Making a Murderer series, had his conviction overturned. Federal Judge William Duffin found that Dasseys constitutional rights had been violated during court proceedings and tossed the conviction.

Part of the reason Dasseys conviction was thrown out was because his confession to the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach was deemed involuntarya confession that his former lawyer, Len Kachinsky, helped prosecutors to obtain.

brendand

As the judge wrote,

Kachinskys conduct was inexcusable both tactically and ethically. It is one thing for an attorney to point out to a client how deep of a hole the client is in. But to assist the prosecution in digging that hole deeper is an affront to the principles of justice that underlie a defense attorneys vital role in the adversarial system.

Throwing your client under the bus like that is obviously a terrible thing to do, but Kachinsky, in an interview with a Milwaukee ABC affiliate about Judge Duffins decision, seemed pretty pleased with the way he conducted himself during Dasseys case.

In the sense that [the confession] was an instance that I preserved for appeal, before I was off the case, I was  gratified because the fact that that was the basis for magistrate judge Duffins decision, it shows that I did my job.

Say WHAT?!?!?! Judge Duffin clearly condemned Kachinksys behavior, and he also moved to end Dasseys sentence more than 30 years early in part because of Kachinskys bad decisions. Not exactly what wed call a cause for celebration.

L

In spite of Kachinskys absurd remarks, were happy to report that unless prosecutors decide to appeal or retry the case, Dassey could be released from prison within 90 days.

The post What Brendan Dasseys first lawyer just said about his overturned conviction will upset you appeared first on HelloGiggles.
By Costas Pitas

LONDON (Reuters) - Price cuts of nearly 20 percent and a drop in the value of the pound have created "Brexit discount" bargains on some of the most expensive homes in central London -- if you have millions of pounds to spare.

The UK property market was one of the first sectors hit by uncertainty after Britons voted to leave the European Union on June 23, at one point forcing more than 18 billion pounds worth of commercial property funds to be frozen.

Some wealthy foreign buyers saw an opportunity, however.

One Canadian buyer snapped up a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom home with a pool two weeks after the vote for 11.5 million pounds, a discount of around a third from its 14-million list price when combined with a drop in the pound of more than 10 percent.

The property, in sought-after Holland Park in west London, had been on the market for eight months, said Charles McDowell, a property consultant working for the buyer.

"They think they're getting a good house which is the most important thing and they also feel they are paying a discounted price, certainly discounted on what they'd be paying two years ago," he told Reuters.

Prices in prime central London had already started to fall in the run-up to the referendum, thanks partly to hikes in stamp duty tax on high-end property in December 2014 and on second home and buy-to-let properties in April, according to research from consultancy Knight Frank.

After the vote, in July, prices in prime central London -- from Holland Park and Knightsbridge in the west to the City of London in the east -- fell by 1.5 percent, the biggest fall in nearly seven years, it said.

"Since the vote, a number of buyers have requested discounts due to the climate of political and economic uncertainty," said Tom Bill, Knight Frank's head of London Residential Research.

UNCERTAINTY IS POISON

With little official data yet published covering the period since the vote, there are divergent views on how Brexit will impact the economy, ranging from recession to a boost for exporters, retailers and hotels due to the fall in the pound.

Story continues

London house prices rose nearly 14 percent in the year to May, according to the latest official data from the Office for National Statistics published in July.

However, asking prices fell by a monthly 1.2 percent nationwide between July 10 and Aug. 6, according to a survey by property website Rightmove published on Monday, with London recording the biggest drop with prices down 2.6 percent.

There was a 2 percent fall for the month of July versus the same month a year earlier in the number of "instructions", when estate agents are hired by sellers to list their properties, according to data from Countrywide research.

"Uncertainty is generally poison to markets so you're going to see people beginning to wait and see what comes out of it," Chief Economist Fionnuala Earley told Reuters.

Summer is generally a quiet period as many househunters are on holiday, but director of Residential Research at international estate agency Savills (SVS.L) told Reuters she expected there to be less demand heading into the autumn.

"We expect uncertainty to lead to lower sales volumes in the short-term. Transaction numbers are therefore likely to fall from recent UK highs of 1.3 million a year," Susan Emmett said.

SLOWING MARKET

April's increases in the stamp duty paid by buyers of second homes and buy-to-let properties -- adding a surcharge of 3 percent -- led many to purchases earlier in the year, producing a slump in the months coinciding with the run-up to the referendum.

Buyers were already paying more tax on properties worth more than 937,000 pounds after the changes made in December 2014.

Around 80,000 homes were listed on major property websites in London in the second half of 2015, with half under offer, according to data collated by Swiss bank UBS.

The number of homes on the market has since risen to almost 100,000 in mid-July, the latest available data shows, but only a third of those are under offer.

"We believe that this is indicative of a slowing market, which pre-dated the referendum," said UBS analyst Mark Fielding. "This trend is particularly pronounced in higher price brands."

London-focussed estate agents Foxtons (FOXT.L) blamed a 10 percent drop in both the number of homes it sold and let in the first half of the year firmly on Brexit.

The firm, which went public in 2013, saw first-half profits plunge 42 percent and said it does not expect a recovery until 2017.

McDowell said post-Brexit property jitters in prime areas in London have already started to wane but said some foreign owners are reluctant to sell to British buyers because of the unfavourable exchange rate.

"We've also had sellers who have said you know what, I'm not going to sell now because ... the pound is weak and we're foreign and we don't want pounds," he said.

(Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Sonya Hepinstall)
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Britain's vote to leave the European Union should have limited immediate economic impact on Germany, the country's central bank said on Monday, noting the mood among entrepreneurs remained positive.

The Bundesbank expects the German economy to have continued to expand over the summer, underpinned by exports, industrial production, construction and consumer spending.

"Against the background of an intense public debate about the economic effects of the announced exit of the United Kingdom from the EU, German companies' positive expectations have so far only been modestly dampened," the Bundesbank said in its monthly report.

"This supports the view that the economic consequences of the Brexit vote for Germany will be limited, at least in the short term."

Germany's gross domestic product grew by 0.4 percent in the three months to June, data showed last week.

While this was less than in the first quarter of the year, it still put Germany well ahead of its peers and of analyst expectations.

(Reporting By Francesco Canepa Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
This journal serves a community of small businesses worldwide. Here John Wiley Spiers addresses topics on business start-up and expansion and reports relevant daily headlines.John Wiley Spiers is a small business international trader, author of HOW SMALL BUSINESS TRADES WORLDWIDE , and lecturer at various colleges.



For those interested in becoming members of this community, contact John at john@johnspiers.com.
A wave of protests moved across Milwaukee over the weekend after police there shot and killed an armed black man.

One person was shot Sunday in the second night of protests after police gunned down 23-year-old Sylville Smith the day before.

Read: Accused Church Shooter Dylann Roof Attacked by Fellow Inmate in South Carolina Jail

It was a calmer night than Saturday, when multiple businesses burned to the ground and 17 were arrested.

In a press conference late Monday morning, the Milwaukee Chief of Police said there were "many shots fired" on Sunday and 14 were arrested.

Two dozen officers in riot gear confronted over 100 protesters who were throwing rocks and other objects at police near where Smith was killed.

The man shot Sunday was 18, police said. Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office officials said they continue to search for suspects.

At a press conference early Sunday, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said Smith turned toward an officer while holding a gun and began to raise the weapon despite orders to put it down.

While autopsy results are pending, Flynn said the officer "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds" based on body camera video.

Flynn also said the officer is black.

Mayor Tom Barrett spoke at the news conference and stressed the danger posed to the officer who opened fire. "I want our community to know that" Smith had a gun, the mayor said.

Gov. Scott Walker put Wisconsin's National Guard on standby Sunday with 125 Guard members at the ready for potential deployment.

Read: Boy, 6, Asks To Pray For Police Officer on Side of the Road in Wake of Violence Against Cops

"Following a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, and after discussions with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Adjutant General Donald Dunbar, I have activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request," the presidential also-ran said in a statement.

Story continues

While defending his decision to bring in the National Guard, the outspoken Sheriff Clarke appealed to the city to "fix the ghetto."

"We cannot have a repeat of what happened Saturday night. Stop trying to fix the police, fix the ghetto. We have a growth of the underclass here in Milwaukee. And we saw some of their behaviors on display..." he said. "Fortunately, the loss of life of innocent civilians and law enforcement personnel did not happen. I think only by the grace of God, with bullets flying all over the place."

Watch: Heartbreaking Image Shows 2 Children Praying for Their Police Officer Dad in Front Of Squad Car

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The economy may have largely recovered from the depths of the downturn, but theres a record number of grown children living with their folks. And with soaring housing prices, aging parents, and the changing ethnic makeup of the nation, the trend of multigenerational living looks like its just getting started.

About 19% of all Americans, roughly 60.6 million people, lived in multigenerational homes in 2014, in households typically made up of parents, their adult children, and often their grandkids, according to a recent Pew Research Center report that looked at U.S. Census data. Thats practically a throwback to the 1950s, when about 21% of Americans shared a roof with their grown children or parents. Deja vu, anyone?

As nuclear families became the norm, that percentage dropped to just 12% in 1980. But then the economy tanked in the mid-2000s. And as times became tough, the number of adult children living with their parents started rising againhitting 17% in 2009 and 18% in 2012, according to the report.

The report defined adult children as age 25 and up, so college students home on breaks arent counted, and looked at households with at least two generations.

We had a 50-year experiment with the nuclear family, says John Graham, co-author of Together Again: A Creative Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living. Now were getting back to the way human beings have always livedin extended families.

The uptick is partly due to the nations growing numbers of ethnic minorities, who are more likely to live in multigenerational homes. About 28% of Asians and about 25% of both Hispanics and blacks shacked up with their extended families in 2014, according to the report. Thats compared with just 15% of whites.

Another interesting finding is that women, at 20%, are slightly more likely than men, at 18%, to live in these arrangements.

As the face of America is changing, so are family structures, says Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United, a Washington, DCbased advocacy group for intergenerational programs and housing. It shouldnt be a taboo or looked down upon if grown children are living with their families or older adults are living with their grown children.

Story continues

The majority of families say there can be some difficulties, but overall it helps them economically, it helps them with caregiving, and it helps them develop stronger ties between family members, she adds.

Many of real estate agent Karen K.H. Parks predominantly Asian clients look for multigenerational homes in the Fort Lee, NJ, area where she works. Most are grown children with their own kids, who are seeking separate spaces in their new homes for their parentswhether anticipating long-term visits or permanent stays.

The husband and wife need someone to help raise their children, particularly if theyre both working, Park says. They help each other.

The shift can also be attributed to basic economics, says Carmen Multhauf, co-author of the book Generational Housing: Myth or Mastery for Real Estate. Rents and home prices have been skyrocketing in recent years, hitting new heights in some cities.

The younger generations have not been able to save, she says of the younger generation often struggling to get good-paying jobs. Having student debt is keeping them from having enough money to fund a down payment.

Builders are taking note.

About 25% to 30% of Partners in Buildings business is now multigenerational houses, says CEO Jim Lemming. Ten years ago, he estimates it made up just 15% of the Houston, TXbased custom builders clientele.

More and more of the companys buyers are hailing from parts of the world where multigenerational homes are the normand they carry that expectation to the U.S., Lemming says.

Most of the housing his company builds for these clients is a suite on the first floor, sometimes with a separate entrance and a kitchenette. Clients also often ask for a more detached suite with a separate walkway connecting it to the main house.

And while the bulk of his customers are requesting this housing for their aging parents, hes seeing more and more adult children return to the nest.

That certainly is a developing trend that needs to be watched, Lemming says.

The post Bye-Bye, Empty Nests: Multigenerational Living Is on the Rise appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.





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From Cosmopolitan

In early July, Betsy Davis emailed her closest friends and relatives to invite them to a two-day party, telling them: "These circumstances are unlike any party you have attended before, requiring emotional stamina, centeredness and openness."

And just one rule: No crying in front of her.

The 41-year-old artist with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, held the gathering to say good-bye before becoming one of the first Californians to take a lethal dose of drugs under the state's new doctor-assisted suicide law for the terminally ill.

"For me and everyone who was invited, it was very challenging to consider, but there was no question that we would be there for her," said Niels Alpert, a cinematographer from New York City.

"The idea to go and spend a beautiful weekend that culminates in their suicide - that is not a normal thing, not a normal, everyday occurrence. In the background of the lovely fun, smiles, and laughter that we had that weekend was the knowledge of what was coming."

Photo credit: Photo provided by Niels Alpert/AP

Davis worked out a detailed schedule for the gathering on the weekend of July 23 and 24, including the precise hour she planned to slip into a coma, and shared her plans with her guests in the invitation.

More than 30 people came to the party at a home with a wraparound porch in the picturesque Southern California mountain town of Ojai, flying in from New York, Chicago, and across California.

One woman brought a cello. A man played a harmonica. There were cocktails, pizza from her favorite local joint, and a screening in her room of one of her favorite movies, The Dance of Reality, based on the life of a Chilean film director.

Photo credit: Photo provided by Niels Alpert/AP

As the weekend drew to a close, her friends kissed her good-bye, gathered for a photo, and left, and Davis was wheeled out to a canopy bed on a hillside, where she took a combination of morphine, pentobarbital, and chloral hydrate prescribed by her doctor.

Kelly Davis said she loved her sister's idea for the gathering, which Betsy Davis referred to as a "rebirth."

Story continues

"Obviously it was hard for me. It's still hard for me," said Kelly Davis, who wrote about it for the digital news outlet Voice of San Diego. "The worst was needing to leave the room every now and then, because I would get choked up. But people got it. They understood how much she was suffering, and that she was fine with her decision. They respected that. They knew she wanted it to be a joyous occasion."

Betsy Davis ended her life a little over a month after a California law giving the option to the terminally ill went into effect. Four other states allow doctor-assisted suicide, with Oregon being the first in 1997.

Opponents of the law, who are lobbying against it before state legislators, argued hastening death was morally wrong, that it puts terminally ill patients at risk for coerced death by loved ones, and could become a way out for people who are uninsured or fearful of high medical bills.

Marilyn Golden, of the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, said her heart goes out to anyone dealing with a terminal illness, but "there are still millions of people in California threatened by the danger of this law."

Photo credit: Photo provided by Niels Alpert/AP

Davis spent months planning her exit, feeling empowered after spending the last three years losing control of her body bit by bit. The painter and performance artist could no longer stand, brush her teeth, or scratch an itch. Her caretakers had to translate her slurred speech for others.

"Dear rebirth participants, you're all very brave for sending me off on my journey," she wrote in her invitation. "There are no rules. Wear what you want, speak your mind, dance, hop, chant, sing, pray, but do not cry in front of me. OK, one rule."

During the party, old friends reconnected, and Davis rolled in and out of the rooms in her electric wheelchair and onto the porch, talking with her guests.

At one point, she invited friends to her room to try on the clothes she had picked out for them. They modeled the outfits to laughter. Guests were also invited to take a "Betsy souvenir" - a painting, beauty product, or other memento. Her sister had placed sticky notes on the items, explaining each one's significance.

Photo credit: Photo provided by Niels Alpert/AP

Wearing a Japanese kimono she bought on a bucket-list trip she took after being diagnosed in 2013, she looked out at her last sunset and took the drugs at 6:45 p.m. with her caretaker, her doctor, her massage therapist, and her sister by her side. Four hours later, she died.

Friends said it was the final performance for the artist, who once drew pictures on a stage with whipped cream.

"What Betsy did gave her the most beautiful death that any person could ever wish for," Alpert said. "By taking charge, she turned her departure into a work of art."

Her guests agreed to meet again on her birthday in June to scatter her ashes.
Montreal (AFP) - The Canadian government announced plans Monday for a specialized center to fight radicalization of its citizens following a police shooting death of a suspected jihadist last week and lone-wolf attacks.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said Ottawa would combine a patchwork of counter-radicalization efforts launched by cities and universities under a new federal office.

"We pride ourselves of being a generous and diverse society," Goodale said. "If we want to keep it that way, we have to be among the best in the world in dealing with radicalization and trying to head off these tragedies before they happen."

Last week's foiled terror plot, and two separate lone-wolf attacks in October 2014 that resulted in the deaths of two Canadian soldiers, have led to demands for a review of Canada's national security framework.

"The largest concern," Goodale said in a statement, "is about lone wolves who get sucked into perverse and extreme ideologies that promote violence."

A new national center for "community outreach and counter-radicalization" will be modeled on existing centers in Montreal and Calgary.

During a visit to the Montreal center, Goodale praised the staff's work and commented that Ottawa hoped to build on their efforts.

"We need to get really good at this -- to preserve our diversity and pluralism as unique national strengths," he said.

Last Wednesday, Canadian police shot dead an alleged sympathizer of the Islamic State group who set off an explosive device in the back seat of a taxi as police approached him.

Authorities foiled the plot after receiving a tip from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, which intercepted a video of the suspect pledging his allegiance to IS.

Police said they acted to thwart an imminent "potential terrorist threat."

More than 100 Canadian youths have traveled overseas to join IS in Iraq and Syria, according to government figures.

Story continues

The suspects in the October 2014 attacks -- a hit-and-run in rural Quebec that resulted in the death of a Canadian soldier and the shooting death of a ceremonial military guard in Ottawa days later -- were also linked to IS.

Montreal's counter-radicalization center was set up after seven local teens flew to the Mideast to fight for IS in January 2015, and the arrest weeks later of 10 others aged 15 to 18 years seeking to join them.

"We need to know how to identify those who could be vulnerable to insidious influences that draw certain people -- especially young people -- toward extremism leading to violence," Goodale said.

"We need to understand what positive messages can counteract that poison."
From Cosmopolitan

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 on nearby Nice and on a Catholic church in northwest France.

Cannes Mayor David Lisnard issued an ordinance in late July forbidding beachwear that doesn't respect "good morals and secularism." It notes that swimwear "manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order."

A City Hall official said the measure, in effect until the end of August, could apply to burkini-style swimsuits. Violators risk a 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 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.

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.

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.
Gunfighters, buffalo hunters, drifters, railroad builders, traders, and soldiers from Fort Dodge, just up the roadthat was Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s. Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, and Miss Kittythose are some of the characters who passed through or settled there. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway stopped in Dodge City to move buffalo and later the Longhorn cattle from Texas. It was a famously lawless town with saloons, gambling, brothels, and shootouts. In a brief 15 years, the stuff of legends abounded, with staying power enough to draw tourists to sample it even today.

Doc Holliday, the dentist, gambler, gunfighter, and friend of Wyatt Earp (Deborah Fallows)

Fast forward two decades: electricity, water wells, sewer lines, a fire department, graded streets, and telephones arrived. Then, in 1905, another milestone: A group of distinguished Dodge City residents, including a doctor and a judge (Edward Madison, later a U.S. Congressman from Kansas), was inspired by the womens club of Dodge City to write to Andrew Carnegie requesting support to build a library. Carnegie was already building five libraries in Kansas that year, and he granted Dodge City $7,500 for theirs. The city pledged a tenth of that sum each year to maintain the library, and they commissioned an unusual Free Eclectic Style design with a rounded front, placed diagonally, that commanded the southern corner view of commercial Second Avenue.

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The library couldnt keep up with the town, and in 1936, the town raised money, paired it with support from the WPA, and doubled the size of the library. Thirty years later, the library needed more space again, but this time, the town failed to raise the money. The library moved instead to the old Montgomery Ward building a few blocks away. In the 1970s, the building was home to two restaurants and three private clubs. In 1979, it earned a designation in the National Registry of Historic Places. The community and the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office preserved the building and today its home to the Carnegie Center for the Arts.

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Second Avenue Art Guild in Dodge City, Kansas (Deborah Fallows)

We were lucky enough to be in Dodge City on a Final Friday evening for the monthly visual, culinary, and performing arts walk around town, which kicked off at the Carnegie Center. That Friday in June featured Wanda Adamson, a quilter from nearby Jetmore, a town of 850 people just north of Dodge City. People milled about and then drifted down to the Second Avenue Art Guild for more wine and cheese.

John and Connie Chavez (Deborah Fallows)

There we met John and Connie Chavez. Hes a saxophone player with the Dodge City Cowboy Band, a community band since 1879, and still performing for the town weekly during the summer. We also met a young artist, Jake Hendrix, part of a family of artists showing their work that night, who still worked on the family farm and was also launching a startup, Hendrix Keg Company, to make CO 2 cartridge-powered mini-beerkegs with his brother Rob.

We ambled down to the final venue, the old Dodge City railway depot, a Richardsonian Romanesque building from the bustling rail days in 1896, and now an Amtrak stop for the Southwest Chief, which comes through town a few times a day. Mark Vierthaler, new marketing director of the startup Boot Hill Distillery, formerly of more established Servi-Tech, an agronomic services provider, was pouring his signature drink, The Playa, a concoction he makes from light rum, lavender syrup, and elderflower liquor.

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Meanwhile, back at the Dodge City Library: Today, the Dodge City Public Library has a new home, built in 1981. Cathy Reeves is the library director. We talked about how libraries today work to get themselves out and into the communities that they serve. Reeves told me that one of her ways of doing that is to challenge the staff to have their elevator speech at the tip of their tongues when people ask, Hi, hows it going? Their answer, she suggests to them, can highlight some news and activities of the library.

Exploration Center presenter at Dodge City public library (Deborah Fallows)

Toddler loving the Lego Center (Deborah Fallows)

The librarians have plenty to talk about. They have summer-reading programs, Lego Club for kids, lots of activities plus a Facebook site for the teens, information sessions about local issues, like the arrival of a new air service for the Dodge City airport, presentations by the Kansas Humanities Council, and first Tuesday Coffee, Donuts, and a Movie. The only requirement for that one is that you have to watch the movie to get the donut.

It serves the older folks, like one man I chatted with who was sitting comfortably reading the newspapers and keeping an eye on his stocks on the closed caption TV. Other adults went for the coloring books, which is a comeback fad of many generations beyond elementary schoolers today.

There are shelves of videos, CDs, and playaways, an audio player. A dedicated Spanish-language portal on the website is chock-a-block with information and resources for the Spanish speakers of Dodge City, now 60 percent of the population. Dodge City is a Family Place Library, offering all sorts of resources, workshops, and connections for parents and caregivers who are learning to raise young children.

Young peoples area at the library (Deborah Fallows)

There were scads of kids in the library each time I visited; they were searching for books, working on their summer reading programs, playing in the early childhood area, coloring and drawing. One day, I stopped in the big multi-use space in the lower level where at least 250 kids, with adults in tow, had come for a demo and program with a traveling group from the Wichita Exploration Center. A few middle schoolers were helping the kids run around obstacle courses, climb through tunnels, and try archery. I asked one of the young volunteers where she would be if not the library on that hot day. Probably at the pool, she said, which was indeed where I saw lots of kids, including the towns swim team, who showed up as early as 6:30 a.m. when I swam laps there.

Door of the new maker space (Deborah Fallows)

The newest feature of the library is the makerspace. It was the brainchild of Chris Dressler, a young Dodge City resident who grew up shouting distance from the library and used to frequent it in his youth, before he went off to study computer science. Reeves said that Dressler badgered her for more than a year to find room for a makerspace. It finally happened and is now off to a quaintly modest start, with a donated sewing machine, hobbyist things like jewelry and leather tools, and a glue gun. The piece de resistance is a small 3-D printer, which Dressler will help anyone learn to use. The librarians said it will take a while for people to find their way to the makerspace and begin using it more. For starters, their monthly Maker Club partners with the Second Avenue Art Guild.

I think Andrew Carnegie would enjoy seeing the synergy among arts and civic life that has grown out of the library he sponsored, and he would appreciate its legacy as well as inspiration for todays thriving Dodge City Public Library.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Sanaa (AFP) - Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Monday hit a hospital in a rebel-held province of northwestern Yemen and caused casualties, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.

MSF "confirms that Abs hospital (in Hajja province) was targeted by air strikes today at 15:45 Yemen time (1245 GMT)", the Paris-based relief agency tweeted. "Number of deaths and casualties still unknown."

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher confirmed the incident and told AFP the agency has had a team at the public hospital in the coastal town since 2015.

"Medical teams still attending wounded" after the air strikes, MSF tweeted.

Residents in Abs also said that coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.

But AFP could not immediately obtain a specific toll.

The strikes come less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in air strikes on a Koranic school in Saada, another rebel-held province in Yemen's north.

The coalition denied targeting a school, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, began its campaign of air strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies on March 26, 2015.

Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdom's side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.

Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.
Lourdes (France) (AFP) - Thousands of Catholic pilgrims offered up prayers for terror-scarred France during Assumption celebrations on Monday in Lourdes, held under tight security after last month's massacre in Nice and murder of a priest.

The gathering at the shrine in the foothills of the Pyrenees is the first major Catholic event in France since priest Jacques Hamel was killed in his church on July 26.

Undeterred by the threat, an estimated 22,000 pilgrims from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia descended on the Lourdes shrine for one of the biggest dates in the Christian calendar, marking the ascent into Heaven of the Virgin Mary.

"We've come to pray for peace in the world, which seems to be in chaos," said Piet Tarappa, a businessman who was among a group of 35 Indonesians from Jakarta.

Security was tight ahead for the annual four-day pilgrimage, which culminated with an open-air mass Monday at the spot where Mary is said to have appeared to a shepherd girl in 1858.

Soldiers in fatigues with automatic rifles slung over their shoulders watched over the ceremony as a helicopter flew overhead.

In total, 500 security force members were deployed to protect the worshippers, who had their bags searched on entry to the site.

The streets around the sanctuary were closed to traffic, reflecting authorities' nervousness after the July 14 carnage during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, where a Tunisian man crushed 85 people to death with a truck.

"I think it's important that the soldiers are here just in case anything happened, but at the same time it's really important to pray for peace because so much has been going on," said 21-year-old Leila Bousbaa from Britain.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin dedicated his homily to his country, which had been "rocked by so much suffering since January 2015 (when a satirical magazine and a Jewish grocery were attacked) and which was again cruelly hit last month."

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Barbarin said his message was addressed to "all the faithful", including Jews and Muslims.

- Prayers for peace -

July's assaults in Nice and Hamel's church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray shattered eight months of relative peace in France after the bloodshed at a Paris concert hall and other nightspots in November.

Local church leaders sought to rally the devout Monday, asking them to "pray for France" and light a candle for Hamel.

President Francois Hollande will meet Pope Francis on Wednesday at the Vatican, with presidential sources saying the two plan to discuss the fallout from the priest's death.

The cleric's killers -- French teens Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean -- claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group.

On the Sunday after the attack, Muslims joined Catholic worshippers at services in several churches to show their solidarity.

Many of the devout gathered in Lourdes also called for unity.

"We will pray that this country finds peace and that these lost children find peace and their place in France," Philomene Petavi from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe said, referring to French jihadists.

- Bucking tourism trend -

Despite the messages of peace, racial tensions have surfaced in some areas, with a mass brawl erupting at the weekend on the holiday island of Corsica -- reportedly over tourists snapping picture of local Muslim women wearing full-body swimsuits, or burqinis.

The attacks have also led to a slowdown in tourism.

Several major public events have been cancelled over security concerns.

But fears of mass cancellations by pilgrims bound for Lourdes failed to materialise.

Instead, organisers noted a late surge in bookings by people apparently seeking solace in faith.

"It's important to show that life goes on," said Matthieu Guignard, one of the pilgrimage coordinators.

"It's not because a few fanatics try to sow fear that we should abandon our faith, our beliefs, our way of living."

Lourdes attracts around six million people a year, making it one of the biggest sites of Catholic pilgrimage in the world.

The shrine is particularly popular with the sick and disabled, who come to bathe in a spring in the cave where Saint Bernadette said she saw Mary, believing the water to have healing properties.
* Hungary considers stimulus measures including social tax cut * Forint touches 4-month high, GDP figures still help * Budapest stocks retreat from rise towards 9-year high By Sandor Peto BUDAPEST, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The forint led a mild firming of Central European currencies on Monday, hitting a 4-month high against the euro after Economy Minister Mihaly Varga said Hungary was preparing a package of economic stimulus measures.

Varga said the government would consider lowering social taxes paid by employers in an effort to boost competitiveness and aid growth.

The forint crossed a key psychological level at 310 against the euro and touched a 4-month high at 309.55 against the euro.

It retreated to 309.59 by 0841 GMT, but was still firmer by 0.1 percent from its last close.

If the forint is able to stay firmer than 310, it could soon test 307, Equilor brokerage said in a note.

"It can firm slightly firmer, but I expect it to return to the weak side of 310 soon," one Budapest-based currency dealer said.

Dealers and analysts regard 310 as a threshold for the Hungarian central bank, and they have said the bank could intervene at least verbally if the forint stays firmer than that.

The Budapest Stock Exchange's main index rose by 0.3 percent. It approached 9-year highs, but stopped just shy of a psychological resistance level at 28,000 points.

Central European assets were already lifted on Friday by robust second-quarter economic growth figures from the region, fuelled by rising household incomes and consumption.

Hungary's 2.6 percent growth was the weakest among the figures reported in the region and Romania led the pack with 6 percent growth. The Czechs will report output data on Tuesday.

Even Hungary's pace is much faster than the euro zone's 1.6 percent average but a flight of labour into richer Western countries hinders growth in the region, and governments try to fight that trend by cutting taxes and boosting wages.

Hungarian government bonds slightly extended last week's gains in the middle and at the long end of the yield curve.

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The yield of 10-year bonds dropped 2 basis points to 2.77 percent, trading near record lows.

"If the government takes measures to tackle the labour shortage, that may be positive, but we do not see the details yet," one fixed income trader said.

Turnover in regional markets were low as markets in Croatia, Poland, Romania and Slovenia were closed due to national holidays.

The zloty firmed slightly in international trade to 4.269 against the euro.

Poland has obtained approval from the People's Bank of China for an offering of 3-year Panda bonds, the Reuters financial news service IFR said on Monday.

Belgrade's stock index continued to retreat from and 8-month high hit last week, and shed half a percent.

CEE MARKETS SNAPSHOT AT 1041 CET CURRENCIES Latest Previous Daily Change bid close change in 2016 Czech 27.0200 27.0245 +0.02 -0.08% crown % Hungary 309.5900 310.0200 +0.14 1.63% forint % Polish 4.2690 4.2712 +0.05 -0.26% zloty % Romanian 4.4600 4.4590 -0.02% 1.32% leu Croatian 7.4942 7.4925 -0.02% 1.93% kuna Serbian 123.0800 123.0900 +0.01 -1.31% dinar % Note: calculated previous close at 1800 daily from CET change STOCKS Latest Previous Daily Change close change in 2016 Prague 865.22 863.87 +0.16 -9.53% % Budapest 27893.27 27812.89 +0.29 +16.6 % 1% Belgrade 630.95 634.23 -0.52% -2.04% Sofia 463.56 459.04 +0.98 +0.58 % % BONDS Yield Yield Spread Daily (bid) change vs change Bund in Czech spread Republic 2-year -0.19 -0.016 +043b -2bps ps 5-year -0.091 -0.014 +045b -2bps ps 0.309 -0.03 +042b -3bps 10-year ps FORWARD RATE AGREEMENT 3x6 6x9 9x12 3M interb ank Czech Hungary Note: are for ask FRA prices quotes ********************************************************* ***** (Additional reporting by Robert Mueller in Prague)
Newspaper coverage of the Franklin Graham Aug. 9 rally in Helena suggests that science and religion have finally come together. But not in reconciliation.

First the science: After World War II, our government funded a massive project by social psychologists to try to understand why so many Germans had been receptive to Hitlers brand of fascism. The result was a two-volume tome titled The Authoritarian Personality.

The authors, T. W. Adorno and his associates, described the typical personality of one who would be receptive to strong, nondemocratic leadership based on nationalism, bigotry and exclusion. The authoritarian personality, they wrote, believes that we live in a threatening world, and one way to cope is to stick to the straight and narrow path of conventional morality. Additionally, he sees the world in black-and-white terms; is uncomfortable with ambiguity; seeks answers from strong authority figures; has a we-they orientation, being suspicious of the other; and is extremely nationalistic. Subsequent research in political science, psychology and sociology has replicated this description, and since authoritarianism is seen predominantly among political conservatives, some studies use the term conservative personality.

Recently, the New York Times quoted from a political science study that found the single factor that most accurately predicts a Donald Trump supporter is being relatively high on an authoritarian index. This is something that we see every day played out in the news.

I think it fair to say that in religion this personality type is usually a fundamentalist/evangelical, whether the religion be Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or something else. In my last book, If You Live by the Sword, I suggested that no matter what the religion, there are two basic approaches: (1) the liberal, love-and-forgive, social justice model, and (2) the conservative, judge-and-condemn, social control model. Authoritarians seem to flock to the second.

That religious conservatives in America seem to be Republicans first and Christians second, and that the evangelicals who attended the Graham rally are overwhelmingly for Donald Trump, in spite of his decidedly non-Christian beliefs and behavior, in contrast to Hillary Clintons lifetime of adhering to her Methodist faith and the beatitudes, should not surprise us. Disappointment, yes, but surprise, no.

Lawrence K. Pettit taught political science at Penn State and Montana State, was Montanas first commissioner of higher education, and subsequently headed universities in Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania. He is retired and lives in Helena.
SILVERDALE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / CGrowth Capital, Inc. (OTC Pink: CGRA) (the "Company") is pleased to announce today its record financial results for the Quarter ended June 30, 2016. For the 2nd Quarter ended June 30, 2016, the Company's consolidated net income topped $1,750,000 - marking the Company's largest ever quarterly gain to date - and pushes total assets to nearly $22,000,000.

Bill Wright, CEO of CGrowth Capital, Inc., simply stated, "This is a game changer!"

With the deployment of funds received through the Company's bond offering and the execution of numerous business initiatives, the Company is looking ahead and excited about closing out the year on high note. Highlights of the quarterly financial statements and initiatives in the works include:

Consolidated net income: $1,755,578 for the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

Total assets: $21,976,266 as of June 30, 2016

No additional stock issuance in over 9 months.

Bond offering doubled to 30,000,000 Great British Pounds ("GBP").

Rent revenues projected to substantially increase though the end of fiscal year.

Oil sales projected to increase and carry though winter months.

About CGrowth Capital, Inc.:

CGrowth Capital, Inc. The Company continues to serve as an alternative asset management company for businesses and assets focused on all aspects of mining, minerals, exploration, and commercial real estate. The processing of metal ore mining, mineral and specialty rock extraction, as well as oil and gas production, are multi-billion dollar market opportunities which is capitalized on through processing, sales, contracting and licensing of assets. CGrowth Capital's services and solutions are designed to assist land owners with monetizing undervalued assets by bringing commodities such as gold, silver, oil and gas, and dolomite to market. CGrowth Capital will focus on acquiring land assets, while also providing partners and affiliates with management services, capital, contract management and logistical services necessary for the successful execution of operations. Through wholly owned subsidiaries, the Company has begun to strategically leverage real estate assets for maximum value within newly developing industries currently underway in Washington State.

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For more information and updates about CGrowth Capital and its subsidiaries, visit their websites or Facebook pages:

http://www.CGrowthCapital.com

http://CGrowthCapitalBond.com

https://www.facebook.com/CGrowthCapital

Investor Inquiries:

CGrowth Capital, Inc.

360-536-4500

Safe Harbor

Statements about the Company's future expectations and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts, are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. The above information contains information relating to the Company that is based on the beliefs of the Company and/or its management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company or its management. When used in this document, the words "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plans," "projects," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current view of the Company regarding future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks and uncertainties noted. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended or projected. In each instance, forward-looking information should be considered in light of the accompanying meaningful cautionary statements herein. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, the impact of competitive services and pricing and general economic risks and uncertainties. The Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: CGrowth Capital, Inc.
By Madjiasra Nako N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad's president has appointed new ministers of defense, finance and oil, in a bid to address persistent insecurity and improve its faltering economy. Bichara Issa Djadallah was named defense minister, according to statement on the presidency's website. He returns to a post he held in 2008 when the country faced rebel attacks from its eastern border with Sudan. Mbogo Ngabo Seli, a former official with the Bank of Central African States, was named finance minister, and Bechir Madet, a lawyer with close ties to the president, became head of the oil ministry. President Idriss Deby made the appointments after he was inaugurated last week for his fifth term in office. Prime Minister Pahimi Padacke Alber and the rest of the government kept their posts. The International Monetary Fund expects Chad's economy to contract by 1.1 percent this year because of the weak oil market and regional insecurity. The country produces more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day and has been hit by low crude prices. The 64-year-old Deby, who won a lopsided first-round victory in an April election, has become an important ally of the West in the fight against Islamist militants in west Africa . A former French colony, Chad hosts the headquarters of France's regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane, and its 3,000 troops. Chad's army, one of the region's strongest, now plays a key role in efforts to combat neighboring Nigeria's Boko Haram, an Islamic State affiliate. It also confronts attacks by the group on its own soil. More than 100,000 people in Chad do not have enough to eat, because of being forced to flee and disruptions to commerce, according to aid agencies. (Reporting By Madjiasra Naki, writing by Aaron Ross, editing by Edward McAllister, Larry King)
By Madjiasra Nako N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad's president has appointed new ministers of defense, finance and oil, in a bid to address persistent insecurity and improve its faltering economy. Bichara Issa Djadallah was named defense minister, according to statement on the presidency's website. He returns to a post he held in 2008 when the country faced rebel attacks from its eastern border with Sudan. Mbogo Ngabo Seli, a former official with the Bank of Central African States, was named finance minister, and Bechir Madet, a lawyer with close ties to the president, became head of the oil ministry. President Idriss Deby made the appointments after he was inaugurated last week for his fifth term in office. Prime Minister Pahimi Padacke Alber and the rest of the government kept their posts. The International Monetary Fund expects Chad's economy to contract by 1.1 percent this year because of the weak oil market and regional insecurity. The country produces more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day and has been hit by low crude prices. The 64-year-old Deby, who won a lopsided first-round victory in an April election, has become an important ally of the West in the fight against Islamist militants in west Africa [nL5N17O8FK]. A former French colony, Chad hosts the headquarters of France's regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane, and its 3,000 troops. Chad's army, one of the region's strongest, now plays a key role in efforts to combat neighbouring Nigeria's Boko Haram, an Islamic State affiliate. It also confronts attacks by the group on its own soil. More than 100,000 people in Chad do not have enough to eat, because of being forced to flee and disruptions to commerce, according to aid agencies [nL5N17U3RX]. (Reporting By Madjiasra Naki, writing by Aaron Ross, editing by Edward McAllister, Larry King)
Peter Mayhew is remembering his late friend and Star Wars co-star Kenny Baker, who died Saturday.

"I know I'm a bit late with this, but my sadness is profound and no words seemed adequate to convey what we collectively and I personally have lost with the passing of my dear friend Kenny Baker," Mayhew wrote on his website??of Baker, who played the droid R2-D2 in the first six Star Wars films. "Kenny and I became fast friends the first time we met and formed a lifelong bond after realizing that we had so much in common."

The pair were known to have formed among the closest friendships of anyone on Star Wars. Mayhew, who stands 7 feet 2 inches tall, said people often noted the height difference between him and his friend, who was 3 feet 8 inches.

"Although people liked to contrast the difference in our heights, we found we shared many of the same struggles, from finding clothes, driving cars and fitting in airplane seats to health issues and the ever constant stares of strangers; we understood each other on a level that few others can," Mayhew wrote. "I am so very glad I got to spend time with him in London earlier this month. His talent and his wicked sense of humor never diminished even as his health did. Ever the showman, Kenny was always eager to meet his fans. In the decades we knew each other, I never met anyone who enjoyed the public more. For all the joy he brought this world on screen and off I give my thanks, and a final farewell to my little friend with the giant heart who's gone to soon. Rest in Peace Kenny.

Baker died at 81 after a long illness. Others in the Star Wars universe also have paid tribute to the actor.

"Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for," Mark Hamill tweeted Saturday.

Star Wars creator George Lucas called him "a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult circumstances."

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In a 2004 interview with The Hollywood Reporter awards analyst Scott Feinberg, the actor recalled auditioning for Star Wars - and why he initially said no.??

"I just jumped into the robot. And I didn't enjoy it at all, I didn't like it all. I didn't think it was gonna be very successful," said Baker. "So I turned it down about three times  I thought, 'Well, I'd 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."

Read more: Kenny Baker on R2-D2 Challenges and Almost Turning Down 'Star Wars': In His Own Words
Mainland Chinese markets and related China A-shares exchange traded funds rallied Monday on hopes of a formal announcement to a Shenzhen-Hong Kong trading link.

Leading the market surge on Monday, the VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF (PEK) rose 4.2%, VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC CSI 300 ETF (CNXT) gained 3.8% and db X-trackers Harvest CSI 300 China A-Shares Fund (ASHR) increased 4.0%. Both PEK and ASHR are trading back above their long-term, 200-day simple moving averages.

PEK tracks the CSI 300 Index, which includes the 300 largest and most liquid stocks in the China A-shares market. CNXT includes the 100 largest China A-shares stocks listed on the Small and Medium Enterprise Board and the ChiNext Board of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. ASHR also tracks A-shares taken from the CSI 300 Index.

The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index also rose to 3,125.2, breaking back above its 200-day trend line for the first time in a year.

SEE MORE: Are China ETFs Ready to Rally?

Chinese equities jumped Monday on renewed speculation for the launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect by the end of the year, reports Kenan Machado for the Wall Street Journal. The Hong Kong Economic Journal said a formal announcement could be revealed as soon as this week and that it would be officially launched in December.

The speculation is also backed by action from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, which said last Friday it has gathered a special work team with its Hong Kong counterparts to prepare for the link.

The Stock Connect link would allow Hong Kong investors to buy Shenzhen stocks, and Shenzhen investors to buy Hong Kong stocks.

According to the Hong Kong Economic Journal, the aggregate quota for the Hong Kong-Shanghai link will be removed, and only daily caps will be imposed on the Shenzhen program.

SEE MORE: A Rush to A-Shares ETFs

[Shenzhen-Hong Kong connect] has two positives: the first is it shows that this period of worry in Beijing about currency outflows has passed, Erwin Sanft, a regional strategist at Macquarie, told the WSJ. But in a more practical way, it opens up increased access to the China market.

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For more information on the Chinese markets, visit our China category.

VanEck Vectors ChinaAMC SME-ChiNext ETF
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A woman from Fujian, China, is being hailed as a wushu master after a video of her showing off her nunchuck skills went viral.

Identified only by her surname, Lei is so agile with a pair of nunchucks that she can put out candles, slice a cucumber and light a single match with them.

At one point, she even knocks an orange off her friend's head with nunchucks while blindfolded.

According to CCTV News, Lei teaches nunchuck lessons to the women in her village. These women make wielding weapons look so easy.

You won't want to mess with these Bruce Lee reincarnates.

Persistent dog just won't let its owner plank in peace

Irish rowers' candid TV interview deserves a medal all its own

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / CIBT Education Group Inc. (TSX: MBA, OTCQX International: MBAIF) ("CIBT" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the sale Acsenda School of Management, formerly a division of a subsidiary of CIBT, for approximately $5 million, which was announced on December 7th, 2015.

"We are very pleased with the return on investment we have provided to our loyal shareholders," commented Toby Chu, President and CEO, Chairman of CIBT Group. "CIBT acquired Acsenda School of Management at its start-up stage in December 2007 for approximately $1 million. After 9 years of steady growth enrolling approximately 160 students annually, we are pleased to transfer ownership to another leading education investment holding company with operations in many countries. We believe that under the new owner's leadership, Acsenda will continue to flourish with exciting prospects ahead."

Mr. Chu further commented, "The sale of this school reflects our commitment to deliver operational efficiencies whether by advancing start-up enterprises or turning around underperforming schools. We further add value by providing students of Vancouver an alternate and affordable place to live while they attend their post-secondary institution. We will continue to grow our pipeline of students by acquiring underperforming schools, making improvements, and providing affordable accommodation through the services of our rapidly growing student housing division, Global Education City Holdings Inc. Use of proceeds from this transaction will be directed toward the expansion of Global Education City Holdings Inc. and to identify acquisition opportunities in the international language school and career college sectors. Further acquisitions in these two sectors will complement our existing education assets such as Vancouver International College, an ESL school in Vancouver, and Sprott Shaw College, a 113 year old career and technical college with 17 locations in British Columbia. These two sectors have higher student volume and have served as the pipeline to feed international students to our student housing properties."

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About CIBT Education Group:

CIBT Education Group Inc. is an education and student-housing investment company focused on the global education market since 1994. Listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and OTCQX International, CIBT owns and operates a network of business, technical and language colleges in North America and Asia. CIBT offers cooperative joint programs in various countries with campuses, offices and training centers at 27 locations enrolling over 8,300 students annually. Its education business is operated through Sprott Shaw College (established in 1903), Vancouver International College and CIBT School of Business. Through these subsidiaries, CIBT offers recognized and approved business and management degrees, programs in college preparation, healthcare, hotel management, English language training, and over 150 career and vocational programs. CIBT also owns Irix Design Group, a leading design and advertising company based in Vancouver, Canada, Global Education Alliance ("GEA") and Global Education City Holdings Inc. ("Global Holdings"). GEA recruits international students for many elite kindergarten, primary, secondary schools and universities in North America. Global Holdings is an investment holding and management company with a special focus on education related real estate projects in Canada such as student hotels, serviced apartments and education super centers. Visit us online at www.cibt.net, www.studenthotel.ca and watch our corporate video at http://cibt.net/about/.

Toby Chu

Chairman, President and CEO

CIBT Education Group Inc.

Investor Relations Contact: 1-604-871-9909 extension 318 or | Email: info@cibt.net

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (the "forward-looking statements") about CIBT Education Group Inc. and its future plans. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. The forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause CIBT's actual results or achievements to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by forward-looking statements, including but not limited to obtaining all necessary regulatory approvals. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions and expectations of CIBT's management at the time they are made, and CIBT does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements if those beliefs, opinions or expectations, or other circumstances should change, except as may be required by law.

SOURCE: CIBT Education Group Inc.
In response to the story about the closing of the Weyerhauser mills in Columbia Falls, some folks will be quick to blame the federal government for the chronic log supply shortage. However, it could well be that the mill capacity exceeds the available supply of timber. If so, revising national forest management to increase the supply of timber will only prolong the agony.

For several decades, logging on forest lands in western Montana occurred at a rate that was not sustainable. Historically, a significant percentage of the timber that was processed at the mills in western Montana came from the industrial forest lands. Most of the standing crop of merchantable trees on those lands has already gone to the mill. A significant portion of those lands is no longer in timber production. Moreover, one of the industrial forest owners has converted from a forest products company to a real estate investment trust.
Photo: Getty

11 years later, Claire Danes still has the innocent face that we fell in love with in My So-Called Life. Shes since ditched her angsty auburn hair in favor of a peroxide hue. The 37-year-old actresss Marilyn inspired color lends to her all-American look as a CIA agent in Homeland.

Claire Danes and Jared Leto in My So-Called Life. (Photo: American Broadcasting Company)

Danes created a modern Marilyn Monroe look with loose finger waves per Marilyns signature Old Hollywood style. Danes updated the look, swapping out a contoured red lip for a soft pink gloss and youthful, dewy skin. Her color is dimensional and never brassy. Ive been coloring it since I was 13, Danes told Stylelist. I look at my brother and say, Oh, thats what I would look like. I identify my current blonde as my base color, so I return to it when I literally have to wash a character out of my hair.

Were getting serious Marilyn vibes from Claire Danes. (Photo: Pinterest)

To get goldy peroxide locks like Danes, take photos of Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly to your colorist. Daness hue is somewhere in between the two, and its doubly fresh and modern. Of course, a more updated and modern version of this was my intention, colorist Steve Amendola told Glamour of achieving Daness Grace Kelly inspired hue. Amendola achieves the look by incorporating lighter highlights for a multi-dimensional look. Claires natural color was gently lifted to produce a color that acts as back-lighting for her blond highlights. The highlights are strategically placed around her face and off of her part to create maximum reflection and also allow the base color to shine through. The finished product is a modern take on old-Hollywood glamour.
From Popular Mechanics

A fishing crew apparently pulled up unexploded ordnance while clamming, leading to a fisherman being hospitalized with second-degree burns and the destruction of more than 700 cases of chowder, officials said.

It's unclear what the ordnance was, but fishing vessels along the Atlantic Coast routinely dredge up munitions, including mustard agent, that were dumped at sea decades ago when environmental laws were far more lax.

The injured fisherman was treated at a hospital in Philadelphia for burns and blisters, said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Seth Johnson.

Such injuries are consistent with mustard agent exposure.

The crew of the fishing vessel the William Lee found what they believed was an old or discarded ordnance canister on Aug. 2 and threw it back into the ocean 30 miles east of Barnegat Inlet, Johnson said.

Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency wasn't told about it until Tuesday - a week later. The agency immediately reported it to the Coast Guard, he said. The boat was impounded in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and inspected Wednesday, but no hazardous materials were found, Johnson said. He said the Coast Guard is investigating why it wasn't immediately reported.

In the meantime, clams from the vessel had already been delivered to Sea Watch International, a seafood processor in Milford, Delaware. More than 500 cases of clam chowder were impounded at the plant, and a truck was sent to a New Hampshire warehouse to retrieve 192 more cases, according to Michael Globetti, a spokesman for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

A phone message left with the captain of the ship Friday morning to ask about the delay in reporting it and to determine the condition of the crew member wasn't immediately returned.

A representative of Sea Watch, which is based in Easton, Maryland, and operates plants in Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and Massachusetts, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Story continues

Lauren Sucher, a spokeswoman for the FDA, said it was unlikely that any of the clam chowder was contaminated, but "because it is not feasible to test all of the company's product in a timely manner, the company has agreed to voluntarily destroy the entire product lot."

The FDA doesn't think there is any public health risk because it believes none of the chowder reached consumers, Sucher said.

The Sea Watch plant has been evacuated at least twice after the discovery of military explosive containing mustard agent. In 2004, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined it $9,000 because of safety violations involving exposure to vintage military explosives.

In 2010, a clam boat out of Atlantic City dredged up ordnance containing mustard agent while fishing about 45 miles south of Fire Island, New York. Two crew members were taken to a hospital, and some 39,000 pounds of clams were isolated at a Sea Watch plant in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Mustard gas, a chemical-warfare agent used in combat by the U.S. during World War I, can cause skin blisters, lung damage, blindness and death.

Johnson said people who suspect they have come into contact with unexploded ordnance should get away from it and contact the Coast Guard.

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We issued an updated research report on The Coca-Cola Company KO on Aug 12, 2016.

On Jul 27, the beverage giant reported soft second-quarter 2016 results. Coca-Cola beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings while missing the same for sales. Excluding Fx, earnings of 60 cents per share rose 6% on the back of improved organic growth and higher operating margins. Organic revenues rose 3%, better than 2% in the previous quarter as pricing gains mitigated flat volumes in the quarter.

Strong performance in developed markets like the U.S., Mexico and Japan was offset by weakness in key emerging markets like China, Brazil and Argentina due to worse-than-expected macroeconomic headwinds in these markets. The Bottling Investments segment results were also soft in the quarter which hurt the overall volumes.

COCA COLA CO Price and Consensus

COCA COLA CO Price and Consensus | COCA COLA CO Quote

The weakening demand in the large emerging and developing markets compelled Coca-Cola to lower its 2016 sales outlook at the second quarter conference call. Additionally the company guided for an adjusted earnings decline in the year.

Moreover, weak sparkling beverage volumes due to declining demand along with currency and structural headwinds - mainly related to the bottler re-franchising initiatives - over the next couple of years remain the primary challenges. Increased health consciousness is hurting demand of carbonated soft drinks of all beverage giants  Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Inc. PEP and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. DPS.

Nonetheless, its increased marketing investments are aiding improved volume growth in developed markets like North America, Mexico and Japan.

Moreover, the accelerated re-franchising efforts should drive greater returns. Coca-Cola is refranchising the majority of its company-owned North American bottling territories to its existing as well as new bottlers to create a more efficient system. Over 65% of the U.S. territories have already been transferred or agreed to be refranchised so far. It plans to refranchise all of its company-owned North American bottling territories by the end of 2017.

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In many international markets, Coca-Cola has been divesting and merging many bottling operations since 2014 to revamp its bottling system and thereby improve margins and drive growth. Three of its European bottlers  Coca-Cola Enterprises, Coca-Cola Iberian Partners and Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetranke AG (German bottler)  merged to form a new Western European bottler named Coca-Cola European Partners, Inc. CCE in May this year.

Also, beer and beverage company, SABMiller, and Coca-Colas partner Gutsche Family Investments, merged their bottling operations in Southern and East Africa to form the largest Coca-Cola bottling entity in Africa - Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in July. Coca-Cola owns 18% stake in Coca-Cola European Partners and 12% stake in CCBA. In China, it has agreed to refranchise its company-owned bottling operations to its existing partners, COFCO and Swire.

Additionally Coca-Colas new revenue platforms should drive growth over the long term. Coca-Cola is pursuing investments in newer revenue platforms to boost long-term sales and profits. Coca-Cola acquired a stake and signed a deal with Monster Beverage Corporation in Jun 2015 to expand distribution of Monster products into additional territories. This will allow Coca-Cola to compete more effectively in the global energy drink category. Coca-Cola has also signed a distribution agreement with Suja, a high growth organic cold-pressed juice company to gain a foothold in this new growing market. In China, the company has invested in the plant-based protein drinks platform through the acquisition of the beverage business of China Green Culiangwang Beverages Holdings. In early 2016, Coca-Cola acquired 40% stake in Chi Limited, Nigeria's leading value-added dairy and juice company. These strategic investments will assist the company to expand in the non-alcoholic beverage industry.

We believe the company can successfully work through the comprehensive refranchising and near-term macro challenges on the back of its growth strategies.

Currently, Coca-Cola has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

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Coffins unearthed by deadly flooding in Louisiana were spotted floating down a street lined with houses over the weekend.

Read: Police Rescue 22 Dogs Found Living Inside Sweltering Hot Car

According to the Walker Police Department, the caskets had floated up from the St. Mark's Cemetery in Baton Rouge Friday afternoon as a result of the flooding.

Some residents spotted caskets drifting, while others saw entire burial vaults in the floodwaters.

After the police department shared the eerie image on their Facebook page, those with relatives buried in the cemetery spoke out to share their concern.

"I have family buried here," one person commented. "It is so sad."

Another wrote: "My daddy's wife is buried here. I feel so sorry for her children."

Parts of Louisiana have seen as much as 17 inches of rain over the past weekend, the Associated Press reported.

One man scrambled to rescue nearly a dozen dogs in his car before searching for shelter from the floods.

"It was two inches when I left this morning," the man could be heard saying in footage by WAFB, "it's now about three feet in my house."

After the historic flood left five people dead, and at least 10,000 people in shelters since the rainfall began Friday night, President Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana.

Watch: 'Human Chain' Hero Who Saved Woman From Car Speaks Out: I Was Part of Very Strong Team

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Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos greets supporters during a campaign rally in Bogota April 28, 2014. REUTERS/Jose Miguel Gomez

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced on Friday that a long-awaited tax reform will be sent to the country's congress in October and that it should pass before the end of the year.

The news is likely welcome to many of Colombia's business owners and investors, as there was concern that such reforms would not get passed before the end of the year.

"Tax reform will be approved during this legislature, so it can come into force next year. It will be presented in October, there's more than enough time," Santos told business leaders at conference in Cartagena, according to Reuters. "There will be until Dec. 16, 20 to approve it."

The promised reforms  which, Reuters reports, will include a 3-point increase in the value-added tax  are seen as important both to shoring up the country's credit rating and to making life easier for the country's businesses.

A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of Colombian business leaders and CEOs found that the country "needs to simplify its tax system and make it more competitive." Moreover, 93% "of Colombian CEOs saw taxes as a threat to business growth, compared to 69 percent worldwide."

Santos said one goal of the reform, which is still being analyzed, is to reduce the tax burden those businesses currently face.

According to Baker & Mackenzie, a law firm that focuses on taxes, Colombian taxes were higher than those in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. The firm found that adding traditional income tax and two additional taxes that are levied to fight inequality would amount to 40% of a business's taxable income.

Cartagena, Colombia

These reforms are also seen as important to protecting the country's credit rating. Bank of America said earlier this year that tax revenues would need to increase by 1% to 1.5% of GDP to stave off a credit downgrade.

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"If next year we come to lose the investment grade, we would see an immediate exit of foreign investment," Camilo Silva, a founding partner of Colombian financial-advisory firm Valora Inversiones, told Colombian newspaper El Espectador.

"Of course there would be speculators" who would take on the risk, Silva said, "but the sound and sensible investor would exit because of this insecurity."

And tax reforms will likely play a part in financing post-conflict investments and programs that will be implemented after Colombia signs a peace accord with the left-wing Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to end the latter group's 52-year war against the state  a deal toward which both sides are moving ever closer.

"Peace must also have an economic effort on the part of Colombians, as we will have to finance it" with new taxes, possibly brought about by tax reforms, Silva told Business Insider earlier this month.

"Its important to clear the way for tax reform, whether or not the peace agreement is approved," Silva added, saying it was an issue that credit-ratings agencies were paying attention to.

NOW WATCH: Colombia found a sunken ship with $17 billion in treasure





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An alleged Florida burglar took a novel approach to his getaway recently when cops say he simply called them directly instead of wasting time trying to flee.

Zachary Cheek was arrested by the Melbourne Police Department after he reportedly called 911 on himself for entering a home and holding the occupants at gunpoint.

Read: Screaming Naked Man High on Meth Found Perched in Tree Near Boys & Girls Club: Cops

Cheek had been under the influence of alcohol at the time, cops said.

After a period of time, Cheek allegedly left the home before calling 911 in order to turn himself in.

"Apparently he knew the victims. He just walked into the home and threatened one of the occupants," Lt. Steve Sadoff of the Melbourne Police Department told the Florida Times.

Watch: 50-Year-Old Mayor Busted For Dealing Meth In Exchange For Sex

Moments after the 911 call, police arrived to Cheek's location. Police recovered a 9mm handgun but made no mention of a motive.

Cheek was charged with armed occupied burglary, use and display of a firearm during a felony, use of a firearm under the influence of alcohol and aggravated assault with a firearm.

He was released on a total bond amount of $50,000 on Sunday.

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Istanbul (AFP) - The editor-in-chief of Turkey's top opposition daily Cumhuriyet announced on Monday he was stepping down, saying he no longer had faith in the judiciary after the failed coup.

An Istanbul court had in May sentenced Can Dundar to five years and 10 months in prison for allegedly revealing state secrets in a story that infuriated Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Dundar was allowed to go free pending appeal after the trial and is now believed to be in Germany. But he said he would not surrender to the judiciary as the state of emergency imposed after the coup meant he would not get a fair hearing.

He said all the signs indicated a period of "lawlessness" was under way, and that the state of emergency was being used by the government as a pretext to arbitrarily control the judiciary.

"To trust such a judiciary would be like putting one's head under the guillotine," he wrote in a Cumhuriyet column entitled "time to say farewell".

"From now on, what we face would not be the court but the government. No higher court would object to the lawlessness being carried out," he said.

"Therefore, I've decided not to surrender to this judiciary at least until the state of emergency is lifted."

- 'Bastion of free media'-

Cumhuriyet's report on a shipment of arms intercepted at the Syrian border in January 2014 sparked a furore when it was published in May 2015, with Erdogan warning Dundar himself he would "pay a heavy price."

Dundar, together with his Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul, spent three months in pre-trial detention, before being freed on February 26 under a constitutional court ruling.

Dundar, a hugely prominent figure in Turkey and author of several books and documentaries, was appointed Cumhuriyet editor in February 2015 and swiftly made it Turkey's sharpest opposition daily.

He said he would be passing on the post of editor-in-chief but would remain writing articles as a columnist.

Story continues

"At a time of heavy pressure when plenty of media outlets were forced to take the government line or volunteered to surrender, we worked all-out to rightly defend the 'last bastion of the independent press' and protect the honour of reporting and keep journalism alive," he said.

"I'll never forget this experience all my life."

Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders has labelled Turkey as "world leader" in imprisoned journalists after what it called a "witch hunt" launched in the wake of the July 15 coup attempt.

In the draconian state of emergency imposed after the abortive coup, the authorities have closed more than 100 media outlets critical of the government, placed 42 journalists in provisional detention and banned many others from travelling abroad, it said.

Those held include the veteran journalist Nazli Ilicak as well as the former correspondent for the pro-Gulen Zaman daily Hanim Busra Erdal.

"The 42 newly detained journalists combined with those who were already in prison before the abortive coup makes Turkey the world champion in imprisoned media personnel," said Johann Bihr, the head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders.
A town on the island of Corsica has become the third place in France to ban the burkini, following a riot between families of North African descent and local youths.

Mayor Pierre-Ange Vivoni of Sisco said the full-body swimsuit worn by some Muslim women would be banned in the area from Tuesday, reports the Telegraph. The decision was made during a special council session on Sunday in response to rising tensions after five were injured and several cars burned due to the beach brawl the day before.

Authorities have yet to determine what exactly sparked the beach brawl. The mayor told the Telegraph that the incident started when a tourist took a photo of women wearing burkinis. And the Maghrebins (North Africans) didnt want to have their photos taken. It was quite a trivial matter to begin with, Vivoni said.

This is the third ban introduced in French coastal towns this summer, with authorities in both Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet having banned the burkini earlier this month. Supporters of the bans says it aligns with Frances princples of secularism, while critics have called them sexist and Islamophobic.

[Telegraph]
(Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday rejected an effort by the comedian Bill Cosby to reseal court documents that helped support a ream of recent sexual assault cases against him. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that Cosby's appeal was moot after the contents, including "damaging" admissions he had made in a 2005 deposition regarding his sexual behavior, received wide publicity. "Resealing the documents would not provide Cosby with any meaningful relief, and thus this appeal is moot," the court said. "The contents of the documents are a matter of public knowledge, and we cannot pretend that we could change that fact by ordering them resealed." Cosby, 78, once one of the most beloved U.S. entertainers thanks to his family-friendly persona, has been accused by more than 50 women of sexually assaulted them, often after plying them with drugs and alcohol, in attacks dating back decades. He has denied having non-consensual sex with any of them. The documents include comments Cosby made in a deposition about his sexual behavior in connection with a complaint filed in U.S. District Court by Andrea Constand. Constand, a former basketball coach at Cosby's alma mater Temple University, accused the comic of offering her an unidentified pill that left her unable to speak or move, and then assaulting her on a couch at his Pennsylvania home in 2004. Cosby has admitted giving Constand the allergy medication Benadryl but maintained they engaged in consensual acts. The documents include admissions by Cosby that he had extramarital affairs, and that he had acquired the sedative known as Quaaludes and engaged in sexual relations with a woman after she took the drug, according to the appeal court's ruling. They were unsealed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in July 2015, and Cosby's lawyers later sought to have them resealed. But the appeals court said the issue was moot because news organizations had published articles about the documents within hours of them being released, "and the news media have repeated his damaging admissions countless times since then." Most of the allegations against Cosby are too old to be the subject of criminal prosecution, but the comedian faces a series of defamation lawsuits by women who claim he smeared their names when he accused them of lying. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel and Daniel Wallis in New York; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Bernadette Baum)
Chinas authoritarian government is using big data to develop credit scoring systems and a so-called social credit system, while urging data-sharing between companies and governments. How should Chinese netizens and global citizens concerned about privacy react? The Editors

Rogier Creemers, Editor of China Copyright and Media:

In many ways, the social credit system isnt very new. The Chinese Communist Party government has always sought to keep tabs on its citizens, for instance through the personal file (dangan) system of a few decades ago. Academics and policymakers were discussing the possibility of a social credit scheme far before the advent of widespread Internet and mobile technology. What has changed is that the leadership now seems convinced that technologies such as big data, cloud computing, and the mobile Internet will provide the boost needed to turn the system into reality.

For the moment, I remain somewhat skeptical about the feasibility of the project, at least, as the all-encompassing structure to monitor behavior presented in policy documents. First and foremost, governments everywhere in the world have a history of bungling ambitious information and communications technology (ICT) projects, and the simple scale and complexity of the envisaged Chinese system provides a particularly daunting technical challenge. One element of this is information gathering. The Shanghai municipal government, for instance, published a catalogue of information points to be entered into the credit system, which listed over 1,200 items. About 1,000 of these concern businesses, while the rest are information concerning individual citizens. Entering, maintaining, and updating these entries is a mammoth task, and every error reduces the efficacy of the system. Moreover, this list is to be supplemented by the vast amounts of data generated in private online business platforms, through different systems, with different modes of information collection, processing and storage, and so on. It will be a considerable feat merely to ensure interoperability. Even if all of this was to work, the next challenge would be to derive meaningful knowledge and insight from the resulting ocean of data. Again, this would be hugely costly in terms of resources, with possible gains uncertain and the potential for error considerable.

But perhaps the biggest challenge is political. At the most basic level, the purported idea of scoring individuals is to reward desirable behavior and punish undesirable behavior. That, in turn, may require some debate about how certain behaviors are to be classified and what weight should be given to each. This question is rather similar to the question how cadres should be evaluatedan infamously thorny problem that equally remains to be resolved.

Nevertheless, I think that the social credit system will generate a considerable number of partial successes. Even if it will not be possible to rate everyone all the time, it is likely that certain categories of professionals, such as doctors or teachers, will come under increasing scrutiny. Even if it is impossible to correlate all kinds of behavior, it is already the case that convicted debtors are barred from making luxury purchases. To me, the interesting question is which analytical framework is most apposite in understanding what happens: is this a classically authoritarian attempt at mind control, or a somewhat more banal Weberian expansion of the bureaucracy?

Peter Mattis, Fellow with The Jamestown Foundation and Samantha Hoffman, independent China analyst:

Judging the merits of Chinas efforts to employ big data to use credit-scoring systems as a form of internal surveillance can only be done within the broader context of Beijings effort to modernize the internal security apparatus. We are much more accustomed to hearing about informatization in the context of military modernization, but, ever since 10,000 Falungong practitioners surprised the leadership by demonstrating in front of Zhongnanhai in April 1999, the internal security services have been researching how to better employ intelligence and surveillance technology to police, shape, and control Chinese society. At the heart of this kind of surveillance is the desire to preempt problems before they begin.

As Rogier Creemers has pointed out, Chinas social credit system, is not new  even within the context of technology-enabled surveillance and policing. The social credit system has clear antecedents in the broader official Chinese discussion of public security informatization in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and the disgraced former security chief Zhou Yongkang arguably is the father. The ideas behind the social credit system were part of a series of articles (since scrubbed from the Internet) in which Zhou is credited as the author describing a social management system to monitor happiness, encourage compliance, and shape decisions that could affect social stability. In a social management sense, the concept of monitoring, compliance and shaping stretches back decades, but the technological advances to see these aspirations realized is more recent.

The grid management system that caught Western attention in the last two years is one of the best examples of the marriage between traditional C.C.P. governing strategies and modern surveillance technology. The current version of the grid(-ized) () policing concept first emerged, publicly, between 2001 and 2002, particularly in Shanghai, and was based on earlier concepts that designated administrators to monitor a grid based on a specified number of people. Pilot grid policing programs were implemented in multiple cities throughout the early 2000s. These focused on harnessing modern technology to engage in the prevention and control of social order problems  applying the concept of preempting threats to modern technology. This developed by 2005 into grid management (), a slightly broader social-management oriented concept, which was first openly implemented in Dongcheng (Beijing), and several other cities from 2005 onward.

Preempting is about more than simply identifying and eliminating threats; it is also about a process of shaping social demands so that the Party-states security apparatus has better control and faces smaller challenges. Social management is the process by which the party leadership attempts to manage its relationship with both the party cadres and society, to ensure that it remains the ultimate authority in power. Part of the social management innovation process is about not only using technology to censor thought but also to actively shape it. The political security the Party is trying to preserve is best served when people choose not to challenge Beijings authority.

The question is not whether the social credit system will increase Beijings capacity for control, but how it will affect the behavior of Chinese citizenry on top of the broader, more action-oriented surveillance policy and capabilities. The evolution of state surveillance since the turn of the millennium has followed a clear path:

deployment of more sophisticated surveillance systems and rebuilding of informant networks; database integration between local, provincial, and national authorities; automation of data sharing and task assignment; and now deploying a system-wide surveillance system that allows individual tracking with more scrutiny than currently allowed by true-name registration for telecommunications services, travel and logistics, as well as a variety of other services in daily life.

The effectiveness of the social credit system ultimately will be whether it succeeds in shaping peoples behavior in ways predictable to the authorities, because the system will undoubtedly strengthen surveillance and investigative capabilities of the Chinese state.

Pamela Kyle Crossley, Collis Professor of History, Dartmouth College:

Could be missing something about this question  is there some place in the world where big data is not increasing state control?

Data can mean very specific things to people in the tech world, but in society generally people assume that governments always will be able to collect information massively and instantly. People are as intimidated by inaccurate information collection as they are by accurate information collection. It is data as an absolute that makes them cautious and suspicious. While in the United States we associate government data collection with passive surveillance and regard the voluntary surrender of huge amounts of personal information to commercial entities as some other kind of thing, in China there generally is no illusion that such a distinction exists. As for social credit, it is already established in the United States. Your FICO score influences how quickly you will get on an airplane (or whether you will at all), and your social media ratings from Facebook or commercial reputation sites influence whether you get a job or a promotion. The snares will only increase from here on. The difference is, the Chinese public is already more prepared for the integration of commercial, military, and security information collection. As a consequence, Chinese are better controlled through intimidation and self-censorship than their counterparts in the U.S. will be for a couple of decades.

Though social control through big data has strong parallels in both China and the U.S., there are differences. One is the unwillingness of the Chinese government to outsource completely its surveillance and censoring technologies to the commercial sector  not least because American companies are still critical in Chinas big data effort. It is a structural difference with the U.S., where big data companies are full partners with government and occasionally can advance their own priorities at the expense of state control. In addition, China uses its commercial law (and particularly investment thresholds) to exclude tiny tech start-ups from competing with the larger, fully tamed corporations; in this way disruptive, rogue enterprises that are the normal breeding ground for Virtual Private Network (VPN) and proxy schemes that might circumvent the censoring structures are unviable by definition. The institutional strangling of a wide variety of innovation is obvious. More important, big data depends upon scope and speed  you need more and more of both. The Chinese strategy at present is to increase the speed (of intervention and accumulation, not of data exchange) by narrowing the scope, making China a digital island. It cant work, because the focus on controlling routers and logarithms and even physical signals ultimately will divert attention from understanding data content to controlling the perimeters of data transfer, inhibiting both speed and scope. We already see some of the effects of this in the exit from China of major international data corporations.

AFP/Getty Images
This couple may have taken the most epic engagement photos of all time.

Jet-setters Cici and Clement wanted an unforgettable photo shoot to capture their love, and they have delivered.

Read: Hart-Warming: Kevin Hart's Son, 8, Served as Best Man at Comedian's Weekend Wedding

Cici told Inside Edition: We want to be able to look back 20, 30, 40 years later and show our kids, our grandkids.



It's just something you don't see every day, Clement added.

The couple headed to picturesque Iceland with a video camera crew and photographers from Life Studios Inc., where they posed in ice caves, beaches, on top of volcanic rock and on an iceberg.

Wild Love - Iceland Engagement Film by Life Studios Inc. from Life Studios Inc Wedding Video on Vimeo.

The couple said they were freezing when they posed on the iceberg. Clement added: They had to have someone carry me up there on the iceberg and it was on the water, that one was one of my most memorable.

Read: Police Officer to Be Taken Off Life Support on His Wedding Day

Cici and Clement say it was actually about -20 degrees Fahrenheit with the wind chill.

She said: We could only film a few shots and then I had to put my jacket on and we had heat packs, ear muffs, gloves, scarves. I had to wear my snow pants underneath.

They may have gotten the shot, but trekking to that ice cave was no easy feat.

Cici added: "We actually had to hike about an hour in like hiking shoes with spikes on the ice with my dress on because we couldn't change there, so it was quite difficult."

The photos were posted to Facebook in May but have been gaining traction in recent days as they spread around social media.

Watch: 92-Year-Old Grandfather Serenades Wife During 50 Year Anniversary Party: 'Grandma Loved It'

Related Articles:
The BAU is poised to gain some hustle as well as muscle, as CBS Criminal Minds welcomes CSI: Miami vet Adam Rodriguez as a new series regular.

RELATEDCriminal Minds: Paget Brewster to Return as Prentiss for Season 12 Arc

As seen in the exclusive photo above, We meet Adams character, Luke Alvez, in the field doing what he does, which is be a team leader on the [FBI] Fugitive Task Force, showrunner Erica Messer tells TVLine. He ends up having this great action-y scene, where you really get to see him shine.

Having thus far helped round up eight of the 13 serial killers who escaped in the May finale, Alvez is invited by Rossi to join the BAU full-time  and hes like, Im more about the chase. I dont know if I can sit around and talk about it,' Messer previews. But by the end of the first episode hes like, All right, Im in!'

RELATEDCriminal Minds: Aisha Tyler Promoted to Series Regular

Rodriguezs arrival as Alvez is but one of several Season 12 changes for Criminal Minds. Paget Brewster is set to return for multiple episodes as Emily Prentiss and Aisha Tyler has been promoted to series regular as Dr. Tara Lewis, while Thomas Gibsons 11-season run as Aaron Hotchner is slated to end early in the fall.

Want scoop on any fall show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matts Inside Line.

Launch Gallery: Fall TV Cast Changes: New, Leaving Actors for Returning Shows

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Shemar Moore may be done with Criminal Minds, but the man who played Derek Morgan seems to still to have strong opinions about the behind-the-scenes drama on the CBS show.

Moore recently posted and removed an Instagram video in which he cryptically spoke about karma in the wake of Thomas Gibsons firing from the CBS series.

He didnt address Gibson or the ABC Studios-produced show by name, but readers can draw their own conclusions on the timing and message. The video was caught Friday evening by a Twitter user, who said Moore had just posted it.

Also Read: Thomas Gibson Responds to 'Criminal Minds' Firing

Lotta birdies chirping out there  the gossip is real. I hear it, I see it  Im sure a lot of you do too, Moore began. 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. People who believe in themselves. People who believe in others.

Good things will happen to you. Its not always easy, but you gotta grind it out and you gotta believe in you, he continued. Treat people how you expect them to treat you. Celebrate yourself, celebrate your blessings  as you should.

But just know that youre not better than anybody. We all have our own gifts, so unwrap those bad boys and show em off  but then appreciate other peoples gifts, Moore continued. Church is over.

Also Read: Thomas Gibson Fired From 'Criminal Minds' After Kicking Writer

In the interest of fairness, it is possible that Moore is referring to another newly settled issue from his Criminal Minds days. On Friday, the handsome actor was granted just north of $60,000 from two-time guest star Keith Tisdell, who allegedly embezzled the cash from Moores charity, Baby Girl LLC.

Or maybe its a totally unrelated third option Moore is preaching about  who knows.

Watch the video below and judge for yourself.

Also Read: 'Criminal Minds' Alum Shemar Moore to Receive More Than $60K From Castmate Who Ripped Him Off

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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

'Criminal Minds' Star Thomas Gibson and 9 More TV Stars Fired Amid Controversy (Photos)

tv stars fired sheen, sheridan, gibson

john amos good times

mackenzie phillips one day at a time

janet hubert fresh prince

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Two and a Half Men Charlie Sheen



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Gibson is the latest television actor to get the heave-ho after misbehaving, but hes certainly not the first

"Criminal Minds" star Thomas Gibson, who got the boot from the CBS show following reports that he kicked a writer on set, isn't the only small-screen star to say "sayonara" on the heels of controversy.

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Related stories from TheWrap:

'Criminal Minds' Alum Shemar Moore to Receive More Than $60K From Castmate Who Ripped Him Off

Thomas Gibson Responds to 'Criminal Minds' Firing

Thomas Gibson Fired From 'Criminal Minds' After Kicking Writer

CBS Suspends 'Criminal Minds' Star Thomas Gibson for Kicking Writer
More than 100 people in Ohio have been sickened with a diarrheal illness linked to swimming in local pools, causing health officials to declare an outbreak in several counties.

Yesterday (Aug. 11), officials at the public health department in Columbus said there has been a recent rise in cases of cryptosporidiosis, an illness caused by a hardy parasite that can survive in chlorinated pools.

Overall, 107 cases of cryptosporidiosis have been reported this year in Columbus, Franklin County and Delaware County, which is more cases than the area has seen in the last three years combined, Columbus officials said.

Although public health officials regularly see cases of cryptosporidiosis, commonly known as "Crypto," "there has been a recent rise over the normal threshold of cases," Columbus Public Health said in a statement.

Officials haven't tied the outbreak to any one swimming location. A number of the people who got sick went swimming multiple times at various recreational water facilities in the three counties, the statement said. [10 Bizarre Diseases You Can Get Outdoors]

The Crypto parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive in chlorinated water for long periods of time, of 10 days or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The main symptom of the illness is watery diarrhea, but the parasite can also cause stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, the CDC said. People become infected with the parasite in swimming pools after swallowing contaminated water.

Cases of Crypto have also been on the rise in the United States as a whole. In the mid-1990s, officials saw less than one case of Crypto per 100,000 people in the U.S., but by 2011, the rate rose to three cases per 100,000 people, according to a 2015 report from the CDC. From 2011 to 2012, there were more than 17,000 reported cases of Crypto in the United States, the report said.

Rates of Crypto are particularly high in the Midwest. In 2011, there were six cases of Crypto per 100,000 people in the Midwest, the CDC report said.

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To prevent the spread of Crypto and other illnesses linked with swimming, the CDC recommended that people not swim if they have diarrhea, and stay out of the pool for two weeks after their diarrhea stops if they were diagnosed with Crypto. People should also shower before swimming, take their children on frequent bathroom breaks when swimming, change diapers in the bathroom rather than by the pool and avoid swallowing pool water, the CDC said.

The agency also recommended that swimming water be treated with ultraviolet light or ozone to inactivate Crypto at pools where people may have contracted the disease.

Original article on Live Science.

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Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
After steadily building her locally made line, Detroit Is the New Black, for the past three years, Roslyn Karamoko opened a flagship store on Woodward Avenue this July. Its quickly become a go-to stop for locals and visitors alike.

Karamokoa Seattle nativespent six years as a retail buyer in New York and Singapore before moving to Detroit in 2013. The city soon felt like home, but she found the fashion scene lackluster. So that Christmas, Karamoko printed a batch of tees to give to friends, each emblazoned with Detroit Is the New Black. The accent, she explains, recalls Detroits French origins, while the New Black is a nod to both the racial history and the current renaissance of the city. The shirts were a hit. Karamoko opened an online shop, and later a factory store, where she hosted pop-up events with more-established designers like Tracy Reese. Karamoko now makes shirts and sweaters with the DITNB logo, and will soon add more of her own designs, including dresses and jackets. At her new shop, she carries other labels from Detroits nascent fashion scene, like Lazlo and Douglas & Co., whose minimalist-contemporary aesthetic complements her own.

As her company continues to grow, Karamoko hopes it can serve a dual purpose, helping Detroit move forward while ensuring that those who have been there all along still have a place at the table and the means to stay there. Providing a label that people in this city can work for, and design for, and be a part of growingthats the ultimate goal, Karamoko says. To be here now and have the opportunity to build something that has a direct impact on the economy and fabric of the city is so exciting.
MISSOULA -- Bull trout numbers in the Flathead River drainage crashed so fast in the 1990s, they wound up on the Endangered Species list.

Their populations havent recovered, but the amount we know about a fish considered the grizzly bear of the freshwater world has zoomed upward even faster. Thats good news for the consortium of communities charged with keeping bull trout around.

The Northwest Power and Conservation Councils meeting in Missoula last week got an update on the range of efforts to protect bull trout, from commercial netting of its chief rival in Flathead Lake to tinkering with the water temperature coming out of Hungry Horse Dam.

Bull trout are really our salmon of the Columbia Basin, said Les Everts, who manages fisheries programs for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. This is a good place to do conservation measures and invest in the future of these fish.

NPCC advises the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency overseeing hydropower production across much of the Pacific Northwest. In July, it was named in a federal lawsuit by environmental groups challenging the way dam managers consider the welfare of bull trout in their operations. Last weeks updates were to advise the council members on work BPA has done to help the fish.

The construction of Hungry Horse Dam in the 1950s eliminated about 40 percent of the Flathead drainages bull trout production, removing an estimated 200,000 fish a year from the system. A man-made ecological change in Flathead Lake in the early 1990s allowed non-native lake trout populations to explode, and those predators nearly wiped out the native bull and cutthroat trout, as well as the kokanee salmon stocks, in a few years.

By law, BPA has to try to repair those problems. Thats taken two forms: CSKTs focus on reducing lake trout numbers in Flathead Lake through fishing derbies and commercial netting, and habitat restoration projects that make it easier for future populations of bull trout to thrive.

We know this will go on indefinitely, CSKT fisheries biologist Barry Hansen told the commission regarding the tribes fishing efforts. Were trying to find ways to make lake trout pay for themselves.

The twice-a-year Mack Days fishing derbies pull about 50,000 lake trout annually, but that tool has reached its capacity, Hansen said. The Tribal Council last year authorized a commercial netting program to remove another 143,000 fish a year -- the estimated number needed to force lake trout back toward balance with the rest of the lakes ecosystem.

That in turn has spawned a marketing program to handle lake trout meat. The tribes have invested in a processing plant that can fillet the fish for market.

But the Flathead Lake work only covers part of the effort, because bull trout spend only part of their lives in lakes. And in the past five years, biologists have learned a lot they didnt know about that life cycle.

What everybody thought they knew proved to be not exactly right, Brian Marotz said of the complicated progression of bull trout. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks hydropower mitigation program manager explained that the basic story of the fish goes from birth in tiny mountain streams, to juvenile growth in rivers, to maturity in lakes, followed by migration back to those natal streams to lay a new generation of eggs.

Radio and satellite tracking of bull trout revealed a different picture. Some grow to adulthood in rivers, and skip the lake stage entirely. Some never leave those natal streams. Some mature fish take an all-of-the-above approach, living in a lake before one spawning and then spending years in a river before the next spawn.

Figuring that out matters because it helps fisheries managers know how to protect bull trout from lake trout looking for lunch. And thats where fiddling with water temperatures comes in.

Hungry Horse Dam used to flush extremely cold water out of its generators, drawn from the depths of its reservoir. Lake trout liked that cold water and would swim up from Flathead Lake in summers, where they would find juvenile bull trout in the South Fork of the Flathead River.

Marotz said by installing a selective withdrawal system in the dams penstocks, technicians can pull water from different depths and adjust the temperature. Releasing warmer water from the dam discourages lake trout from coming out of Flathead Lake, and provides optimum conditions for little bull trout to grow.

Fish do most of their growing in between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit, Marotz said. Before the dam, the river would only get in that temperature for maybe 30 days. Now we can keep the water in that sweet spot for three months. By winter theyve had a season to grow, and theyre more savvy around predators.

BPA has concentrated much of its fisheries recovery effort on the Flathead watershed, because its one of the Pacific Northwests largely intact ecosystems. About a third of it has special protection from national park or federal wilderness status. Since bull trout work started in the late 1990s, BPA has protected 51 kilometers in multiple streams and restored 11,296 acres of riparian wetlands.

If you need a hedge against climate change, looking to 2050 and beyond, theres going to be places in the Flathead Basin where bull trout have a really high chance of persisting, Marotz said. This is a great place to invest in this type of work.
By Jon Herskovitz DALLAS, August 15 (Reuters) - Antoinette Brown begged, in her final words, "somebody help me." Then she was mauled to death by a pack of wild dogs. The 52-year-old homeless woman perished in the impoverished Dallas neighborhood of Fair Park, not far from gleaming downtown skyscrapers and some of Americas wealthiest neighborhoods. The gruesome attack in May served as a grim reminder of stark inequities, even as the region's economy and population booms. The stray dog problem is just one of many facing the poorest neighborhoods of Dallas, which was labeled the "City of Hate" after the assassination of U.S. president John F. Kennedy here in 1963 and has since struggled through decades of urban blight. Today, the mayor and others tout a host of police reforms and social programs, but they acknowledge the overwhelming challenge in bridging a racial and economic chasm with roots in the city's segregated past. Economic inequality in Dallas, among the most severe in the U.S., has long underpinned friction between police and low-income residents here - tensions that have come into focus nationally in protests over excessive use of force. At once such protest last month, the shooting of a dozen police officers, five of them fatally, brought a softer national spotlight on Dallas. The officers were killed by a deranged U.S. Army Reserve veteran, 25-year-old Micah X. Johnson, who said he aimed to avenge the shootings of black men by police nationwide. The Dallas department won praise for its handling of the protest, before and after the bloodshed, as well as a training effort credited with a drastic reduction in officer-involved shootings  to one so far this year, down from 23 in 2012. The city's Democratic mayor, Mike Rawlings, drew attention to reforms including a plan, dubbed GrowSouth, to expand educational, employment and social opportunities in eight communities, mostly south of downtown, but including Fair Park to the east. The goals include building low-cost housing and pushing for hotels, shops and office buildings to move into lower-income areas. There have been successes and disappointments, Rawlings told Reuters in an interview. "I am not going to bring world peace," the mayor said. "I am trying to establish objectives that can be achieved in a relatively short amount of time." LOCKED AND LOADED The impact can be hard to see on some streets in Fair Park. Retired nurse Jametter Daniels, 65, lives about 100 yards from the abandoned house where Antoinette Brown died. Police often see the black and Latino residents of her neighborhood more as problems than people, she said, and tensions run high. "They are just as afraid of us as we are on them," she said from her home, with bars on the doors. "When the sun goes down, I am locked up and armed up." The weight of poverty, racial strife and mental illness too often lands on the weary shoulders of rank-and-file police officers, said Eugene ODonnell, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and a former police officer and prosecutor. "What police have been forced to do in this country is perform triage," he said. In Dallas, that includes corralling potentially dangerous dogs, among other duties that extend well beyond routine crime, Dallas Police Chief David Brown told reporters last month. "We have got a loose dog problem - let's have the cops chase loose dogs," he said. "Schools fail? Give it to the cops." Police Detective Chelsea Whitaker gets a close-up view of such failures daily. We can be glorified social workers, she said. She recalled interactions with two teenagers who constantly got into fights at school. One of them had not been eating. Whitaker took her to grocery store to buy food. I had to take another girl to get sanitary napkins because nobody ever taught her that, Whitaker said of the 13-year-old. She is angry and fighting all the time; of course, you would be angry." MEASURES OF POVERTY, PROGRESS In his office overlooking downtown, Rawlings - a former Pizza Hut CEO who produced record sales - takes a corporate approach to documenting and fixing societal problems. He has charts showing improvements in areas such as housing - where the property value of South Dallas has increased by about $1.5 billion since he took office in 2011 - and weaknesses in others, such as high unemployment rates in many neighborhoods. Of urban areas with more than 250,000 residents, Dallas has the widest economic gap between its richest and the poorest neighborhoods, followed by Philadelphia, Baltimore, Columbus, Ohio and Houston, according to a 2015 study by the Urban Institute, a Washington D.C.-based economic social policy research organization. South Dallas makes up about 60 percent of the city's area and 45 percent of Dallas County's population  yet accounts for just 15 percent of the citys property tax base, according to the mayor's office. Those numbers can be read in two ways. Rawlings prefers to see the upside. "Southern Dallas is an investment opportunity and not a charity case," he said. JOBS WITH REAL DIGNITY' Repairing the economy of South Dallas may be beyond the ability of one well-meaning mayor, said Brianna Brown, Dallas County director for the Texas Organizing Project, a nonprofit advocating for low-income communities. There has been effort made that is different from other administrations," she said. "Whether that materializes into something that is really tackling the problem - in a systemic way, with a policy solution - is a whole other question. Under Rawlings, the city has sought to equalize infrastructure spending - potholes, streetlights, public transportation - among rich and poor neighborhoods. The administration has also pleaded with private employers to move into poorer areas, and set up a private investment fund called Impact Dallas Capital that seeks to raise $100 million to spur investments. Some current city efforts in low-income neighborhoods - such as regulating payday lenders and luring stores offering fresh, affordable food - are well-intentioned but difficult to execute, Brianna Brown said. The depth of the problems, she said, demand bolder reforms to the city's education system and its economy. There should be jobs with real dignity," she said. In Fair Park, where Antoinette Brown died of dog bites, leafy parks sit next to garbage-strewn lots and unpaved roads. Keena Davis, 32, said going to an affluent neighborhood nearby, Highland Park, felt like a different world. He wants his 12-year-old son to make the jump. "There's a ceiling on how high he can go, and I want him to break it," she said. "He doesn't deserve this neighborhood." (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Additional reporting by Marice Richter in Dallas; Editing by Brian Thevenot)
Co-Chairman of Mercury Media To Be Honored For His Distinguished Career In Direct Response Marketing And Outstanding Commitment To The D2C Industry

WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / The Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) announced that Dan Danielson, Co-Chairman of Mercury Media, is the recipient of the 2016 ERA Lifetime Achievement Award. Danielson will receive the prestigious honor during the Moxie Awards Gala, the signature event of the Electronic Retailing Association's annual ERA D2C Convention.

Scheduled for September 13-15 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, the ERA D2C Convention is the major annual gathering for the global direct-to-consumer marketing industry, delivering three days of high-level networking, business-building sessions, and two exhibition floors featuring leading companies specializing in traditional direct response and digital marketing. The ERA Moxie Awards Gala will take place the evening of Thursday, September 15.

The ERA Lifetime Achievement Award is awarded to a deserving member whose career achievements have had a profound impact on the industry. Danielson joins a list of Lifetime Achievement Award honorees that includes industry luminaries AJ Khubani, Jeffrey Knowles, Kevin Harrington, Katie Williams, Billy Mays, Earl Greenburg, Rob Woodrooffe, Tim Hawthorne, Greg Renker, Joe Segal, Suzanne Somers, Mike Levey, and Ron Popeil.

"Dan Danielson is among the most respected executives in our industry, whose business acumen has played a critical role in the success of clients throughout the unparalleled 26-year history of Mercury Media, and his generosity has touched the lives of numerous individuals in need. He is a consummate marketer and has helped shape our industry, while building his company and the businesses of his high-profile clients. We are extremely proud to name Dan Danielson as the 2016 recipient of the ERA Lifetime Achievement Award," said Chris Reinmuth, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electronic Retailing Association.

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Co-chairman of Mercury Media in Los Angeles, Dan Danielson is a 30-year media-buying veteran. He got his start in the infomercial industry in 1986, while working at SyberVision Systems Inc. The company helped pioneer the use of long-form advertising to sell products. During his tenure at SyberVision, Danielson helped launch a string of successful direct response television campaigns and strategies. In 1990, Danielson partnered with John Cabrinha to form Direct Ventures Marketing, an infomercial-buying firm. The "media hot shop" caught the attention of Marilyn Carr, then owner of Mercury Media, a mid-sized media buying agency. The two companies merged in 1991 under the Mercury Media banner. Since that time, Danielson has served as co-CEO - and presently as co-chairman - along with Cabrinha.



Mercury Media billed $15 million in media in 1991 and has grown exponentially since that time. With offices in Los Angeles, Boston, New York City, Princeton, N.J., and Philadelphia, Mercury Media will bill more than $300 million in media in 2016.

Danielson has received many honors over his career, among them being named one of the 25 most influential people in the industry by Response magazine. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) as treasurer and chairman of the board. Danielson received his degree from Brigham Young University. Originally from Northern California, he has called Southern California home for more than 20 years, happily residing in Santa Monica. He has been married for 29 years and has four wonderful children.

For more information about the Moxie Awards Gala or to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.retailing.org/moxies/.

About the ERA Moxie Awards: The ERA Moxie Awards Gala is direct response marketing's premier celebration, honoring the best campaigns of the year. Moxie's famous posh blue carpet will welcome guests for a grand entrance. The Gala features live music, exceptional dinner and superb company. For more information, visit http://www.retailing.org/moxies/.

About the Electronic Retailing Association: The Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) serves as the exclusive trade association representing the $350 billion direct-to-consumer marketplace. ERA membership spans the globe to encompass all levels of direct marketers, from start-up companies to global leaders that employ the power of direct response to market across all platforms including television, digital media and radio to achieve a consumer-direct, measurable and accountable response. In addition to helping grow its members' business opportunities and profitability as a major resource for networking, business tools and information, ERA is also the voice of the direct-to-consumer industry in the nation's Capital, working daily to protect the regulatory and legislative climate in an ongoing effort to ensure direct response marketers' ability to bring quality products and services to the consumer. Through its acclaimed self-regulatory guidelines, ERA is also dedicated to building consumer trust in direct response-marketed products and services. ERA can be visited on the Internet at Retailing.org.

CONTACT:

SSA Public Relations

Steve Syatt

ssyatt@ssapr.com

(818) 907-0500

SOURCE: The Electronic Retailing Association
For those responsible for U.S. foreign policy, explaining and defending it is often one of the most challenging aspects of government. The ideal goal in selling the policy is always to be intellectually honest, respectful, and responsive while making sure not to wander away from approved talking points.

And thats not always an easy balance to maintain. In 1989, while working at the State Department under Secretary James Baker, I gave a talk to a large and primarily Jewish audience in Detroit. I was doing my best to persuade a clearly skeptical  and sometimes hostile  crowd that in fact President George H.W. Bush and Secretary Baker had been enacting policies that were staunchly pro-Israel. The last question came from an elderly man sitting in the back row. First, he politely thanked me for my remarks and then, with perfect comedic timing, asked: If things are so good, why do I feel so bad?

These days, defending U.S. Middle East policy is no easy matter. And theres not all that much to feel good about. With less than six months left on his presidential clock, Barack Obama faces the almost certain prospect of leaving the Middle East dramatically worse than it was when he entered office. Still, an honest person would admit that regardless of the Obama administrations transgressions, the Middle East isnt primarily a mess of this presidents making. Rather, it is largely the result of a broken, angry, and dysfunctional region in turmoil marked by failed or failing states and leaders and institutions unable to provide the kind of reforms needed to right itself: good, inclusive governance; accountability; transparency; respect for human rights; and gender equality.

But in the eyes of the administrations critics, that line of thinking hardly mitigates what they see as a lack of leadership, abdication of responsibility, and adversary-appeasing foreign policies. From the Iran deal to U.S. relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia to the challenge of the Islamic State (referred to by the administration as ISIL) to Obamas risk-averse response to Syria, much about what the administration has done (or failed to do) has made a great many people both in the United States and in the region very unhappy.

Last month, I sat down with Robert Malley, who is a special assistant to the president on the National Security Council (NSC), a senior advisor to the president for the counter-ISIL campaign, and the White House coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and Persian Gulf region. After working on the NSC under Bill Clintons administration  primarily on Arab-Israeli issues  in the late 1990s, Malley is back with a portfolio that covers the region as a whole, focusing especially on the Islamic State, Syria, and the Gulf.

And because of this government-Middle East connection, our paths have crossed many times over the past two decades. (Full disclosure: He is both a former colleague and a close friend.) During the late 1990s, we worked closely together in the waning years of the Clinton administration in a vain effort to promote negotiations and reach deals among Israel, Syria, and the Palestinians. Whatever our differences have been on Middle East policy  largely on Iran, where I worry more than he that Iran came out with a much better deal on the nuclear issue  these days, we both agree on two things: Back then, the Middle East was a good deal less complicated, and today the United States is stuck in a region it can neither fix nor leave.

Over the course of a series of exchanges that took place in person and on the phone, I asked Malley a number of questions about the administrations Middle East policies. I pushed him to address the presidents critics on key issues such as Syria and the Islamic State and pressed him to explain what we rarely see: the thinking and analysis of how the Obama administration looks at its options and processes those that become actual policy. With less than six months before the next president takes office, Malleys responses reflect a valuable window into the thinking of this one on a region that remains the biggest foreign-policy issue of his presidency. What follows is our conversation.

Editors note: The following dialogue is an edited compilation of several conversations and email exchanges that took place over a period of two weeks.

Aaron David Miller: Chances are the Middle East is going to look a lot worse when Barack Obama leaves office than when he arrived. How much of that is his fault?

Robert Malley: Observers like you and future historians will be better equipped to assess how the administration fared. Im confident that there are things the administration could have done differently, or better, just as Im confident that much of what weve done will be judged to have been both effective and prudent.

But Id make a few points. First, the presidents priority  any presidents priority  must be to defend Americas security [and] the safety and well-being of our citizens. When it comes to the Middle East, that means in particular preventing the acquisition or use of weapons of mass destruction [WMD] by state or nonstate actors, countering terrorist groups that threaten the United States, and avoiding actions that inadvertently expose us to greater threats. The administrations performance should be judged with those criteria in mind.

Nor should one forget that when Obama took office, the United States had roughly 150,000 troops in Iraq  an unsustainable allocation of human and material resources that was harming our global security posture. Iran also was steadily advancing its nuclear program, presenting the threat of a dangerous military confrontation. In these two important respects, the choices the president made have ensured that  from the perspective of U.S. interests  the region is more manageable than it was or could have been.

Second, and most importantly, though the United States clearly has a central role and responsibility in the region, we shouldnt exaggerate the extent to which it can shape the regions destiny. External powers have long sought to influence the Middle East, for better and (all too often) for worse. But, ultimately, local politics and regional dynamics have the final say.

So, yes, history teaches that when we set our minds to clear, concrete goals that serve our national interests and are sufficiently in tune with local realities  promoting peace between Israel and Egypt, ousting Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991, reaching a deal with Iran that will prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon  we can accomplish significant diplomatic and military achievements.

But it also teaches us important lessons about the limits of power, particularly when it comes to determining the trajectory or fate of Middle Eastern nations and societies. Youve written about this in terms of small tribes frustrating great powers because they know the terrain better, because they are not a transient presence but an enduring one, and because they often care more and are prepared to sacrifice more.

Lets not forget that one of the principal drivers of the Arab uprisings was the popular aspiration for self-governance, dignity, and authenticity. Its hard to see how foreign intervention, however well-intentioned, could be a welcome response to that. Any military or diplomatic endeavor must be rooted in the realities on the ground, or at best it will be fleeting; at worse it will provoke a backlash. There is enough precedent of ill-fated Western interventions in the Middle East over the past hundred years to fill volumes.

ADM: So I guess thats a pretty good transition to the next question. What can the United States do to effectively protect its interests?

RM: We need to begin with a broad picture of the region today.

For the past five years, the Middle East has been embroiled in manifold conflicts: a conflict that pits local populations  angered by rampant corruption and lack of representation, the unfair distribution of wealth and concentration of power in the hands of a few, a sense of robbed dignity  against their rulers; a conflict among various subnational groups, defined in ethnic, sectarian, geographic, or ideological terms; and a conflict mired in deep tension among regional powers, most prominently Saudi Arabia and Iran.

What has come with these conflicts is widespread chaos in several countries, the expansion of ungoverned territories, sectarian polarization, and regional proxy wars. These have fueled  and in turn have been fueled by  the rise of terrorist groups of which ISIL is the starkest example. And the regional qua sectarian qua ethnic conflicts lead many states to subordinate what ought to be a core priority  defeating terrorist groups  to the pursuit of other agendas.

That is the backdrop, the starting point. The corollary is that, amid such upheaval and uncertainty, the United States needs to be hardheaded and single-minded about identifying policy goals that serve our core interests without inadvertently drawing us into costly, open-ended conflicts that inevitably will have unforeseen consequences, distract us from our core objectives, and provoke a backlash among local actors making matters worse.

And so, as we [the United States] work to prevent WMD proliferation and use, counter terrorist groups that threaten us, and try to address conflicts, sectarian polarization, and poor governance in the region that, by destabilizing the region, heighten the threats to our security, we must constantly engage in a balancing act.

To prevent WMD proliferation and use, Obama focused on ensuring that Iran would not be in a position to develop a nuclear weapon and ridding Syria of its vast chemical weapons arsenal. Both of these things were achieved through tough multilateral diplomacy and with the realization that force might be necessary, yet neither involved the United States getting bogged down in military adventures that might have made matters worse.

ADM: Sure. But didnt the Iran deal also strain relations with our traditional allies like Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as give rise to the view that Washington wasnt challenging Tehran in the region out of concern of upsetting the Iranians on the nuclear issue?

RM: Its a fair point  by challenging conventional wisdom on how to deal with Iran, we inevitably provoked anxiety and questions among some of our partners. And we should not trivialize Israeli or Saudi fears. But we also should take into account the alternative scenario: an Iran that could have been on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon. Its difficult to see how Israel, the Gulf, or we would have been more secure under those circumstances.

Another challenge is finding a way to address the underlying sources that create the threats we face. This gets to the issue of tackling the environment in which terrorist organizations thrive: wars in Syria, Yemen, and Libya; ungoverned territories; militarization; sectarianism; the Saudi/Iranian proxy war; poor and unrepresentative governance; lack of accountability; and human rights violations. As I said earlier, there is only so much the United States can do in that respect. But it is why weve invested in peace processes in Syria, Yemen, and Libya; why we are trying to create the necessary conditions for a resumption of meaningful, credible Israeli-Palestinian negotiations; and why we are striving to de-escalate tensions between Iran and its Arab neighbors.

ADM: All of thats fine. But one of the main critiques against this administration is that its been too risk-averse, particularly with regard to military force. Some argue that the key to restoring Americas influence is a more willful application of force.

RM: Right. And it brings us back to your argument about small tribes thwarting great powers and my comment about the necessity of being modest about what we can and cannot do. The debate about the use of military force has been clouded by myth after myth, the first being that the Obama administration has been shy about resorting to it. This administration has not hesitated to take targeted strikes against terrorist groups, whenever and wherever the president believes that our core national security interests are at stake. But theres a whole slew of other myths: that U.S. power is measured by the frequency and intensity of its military action; that military victory invariably translates into lasting political success; [and] that once we have intervened, we can freely decide when and how we withdraw. One need not go too far back in history  Iraq comes to mind  to see what was wrong or misguided about these assumptions.

More broadly, theres this false belief among some that U.S. influence on local decision-making directly correlates with the scale of our military presence. Its a belief that somehow survives decades of contrary experience in country after country. Sometimes, the correlation works precisely in the opposite direction: U.S. military investment distorts the relationship and makes the intervening party more dependent on the party it purportedly is helping. Indeed, political failings on the part of the latter prompt deeper military intervention on the part of the former in order to salvage the investment it already has made.

And thats one reason why it was so important for the president to extricate the United States from its heavy combat presence in Iraq  a presence that was enormously costly in terms of human and material resources, that was not yielding the desired political results, that was inhibiting the pursuit of other regional and international priorities, and that was warping our relationships with Iraqi leaders in ways that hardly benefited vital U.S. interest.

By the way, if [its] not careful, thats a lesson Russia might soon be learning in Syria.

ADM: Syria is precisely where the criticism has been most pointed, where detractors charge that the United States should have intervened militarily. What do you say to them? And what would you say to those who charge you are blindly trusting the Russians now?

RM: Id posit from the outset, first, that nobody can be satisfied with the situation in Syria and, second, that nobody  and certainly not I  can say with any level of confidence what could or should have been done to prevent this tragedy.

The truth is we cant be sure whether doing more militarily in Syria would have led to a better or worse outcome and whether it would have helped or obstructed the fight against terrorism. What I can do is lay out the administrations thinking, what the goals are, and how we hope to achieve them.

Our primary objectives at this point are to bring down the levels of violence between the regime and the opposition and, in particular, against civilians; defeat ISIL and al-Nusra [al Qaedas affiliate in Syria]; and advance a real political transition away from [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad. They are closely intertwined: As long as the regime/opposition violence persists, as long as the regime continues its indiscriminate strikes against civilians, it will be extremely difficult to mobilize the necessary local capability or focus on the fight against terrorists. Likewise, without a credible political process that moves toward a more inclusive, representative government, it will be extremely difficult to sustain any reduction in violence or weaken the appeal of jihadist groups. Our diplomatic efforts with Russia have been aimed at achieving these objectives.

ADM: So youre banking on the Russians?

RM: No, not banking on them. Testing them and testing through tough, hard-nosed diplomacy whether we can advance toward a settlement of the conflict that meets some basic requirements: ending the violence against the Syrian people, achieving a transition that preserves state institutions and avoids chaos, [and] defeating terrorist groups.

As you know, [the administration] reached an understanding with Russia in February on a cessation of hostilities. And, for a while, that agreement substantially brought down levels of violence in many parts of the country and led to a significant increase in the delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in need. But it has since frayed to the point that, though parts of the country are far calmer than prior to the cessation, and there is greater humanitarian access than before, in many areas  Aleppo, Latakia, the Damascus countryside  the situation essentially has reverted to what it was. There are two main reasons for that: First, the regime continues its efforts to acquire more territory and shore up its position by violating the cessation  using its air force and dropping barrel bombs, often with Russian support. Second, al-Nusra also continues to undermine the cessation through its own actions, at times in conjunction with opposition groups.

And thats the essence of the understanding weve been discussing with the Russians: re-establishing the cessation, but on a firmer and more credible basis, with clear restrictions on the use of air power; intensifying efforts against both ISIL and al-Nusra; and putting together a political process based on ideas that we anticipate hearing from the U.N. envoy, Staffan de Mistura.

The Russians have said they dont oppose a political transition [in Syria] but want to avoid a situation in which state institutions collapse, the country breaks apart, or jihadists take over. They also assert they want the cessation to be respected but dont want Nusra to take advantage of it. We agree on both points. So if they mean what they say, there is a chance that we might find a better way forward by simultaneously promoting all of our objectives. Put differently, what we are trying to achieve with Russia is straightforward and entirely in our interest: to put an end to Syrian airstrikes against civilians and the opposition, to intensify the fight against ISIL and al-Nusra, and to advance toward a managed political transition. If working with Russia can do that, why not?

Of course, there is more than ample reason to be skeptical. Russia was either unwilling or unable to get the regime to fully comply with the cessation, which is reason for skepticism number one. But lets be clear: If Russia does not mean what [it says], or if [it] cannot get the regime to do what it must, we will not have sacrificed anything. Support for the opposition will go on, and the regime will not prevail. That is far from an ideal outcome for us or for the Syrian people, because the war will persist. But it is not an ideal outcome for Russia either, which could be sucked into an expanding war, with no shortage of weapons or support for the opposition, and virtually no prospect of it ending soon. The longer the war lasts, the more Russia will be invested and the harder it will be for it to get out. Again, thats a lesson we ourselves learned the hard way.

We also should measure this option, imperfect as it is, against any of the available alternatives. And, in this respect, we should at least question the notion that we would better advance our core objectives or alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people through direct military intervention, thereby entering into an escalatory dynamic with a regime backed by Russia and Iran and getting more directly involved in a regional proxy war. As for the notion of providing the opposition with far greater quantitative and qualitative support, history also offers sobering warning. Of course, Syria and the world would be infinitely better off without Assad. But it does not follow that it would be infinitely better off with some of the more radical jihadist groups extending their reach and control. It takes only a cursory knowledge of the regions history, of the ability of more extreme, violent groups  not necessarily more popular but more ruthless  to gain the upper hand the longer civil wars go on, to appreciate the risks that are involved.

ADM: The question of Syria also raises the question of the administrations rhetoric. Is it fair to argue that the administration too often allowed its words (Assad must go, Syrian red line, comprehensive settlement freeze) to outstrip its capacity to achieve those goals?

RM: It is a fair question and far from me to claim that we have always achieved the correct balance between words and deeds. I am a firm believer in the virtues of silence, judiciously deployed. But is the suggestion seriously that if we harbor aspirations we cannot achieve in the foreseeable future, we should not voice them and that if we voice them, we should always act upon them? That because we cant stop human rights abuses, we shouldnt speak out against them? Because we are not willing to go to war to topple a dictator, we shouldnt support popular calls for his ouster?

A word about the red line. Step aside for a moment from the political back and forth about whether or not it should have been drawn and focus on the outcome: The Syrian regime declared and removed its chemical weapons stock, making it less dangerous to its people, to the region, and to us. Just ask Israeli security officials how they feel about it; theyll be the first to acknowledge that this achievement exceeded their most optimistic expectations. And just imagine what Syria would look like today if ISIL or al Qaeda in Syria could get a hold of the regimes former vast chemical weapons stockpile. The truth is that no military strike could have produced the result the administration achieved. The bottom line is the United States fulfilled the stated purpose of the red line and did so without initiating military action with neither a clear endpoint nor clear international legal basis.

ADM: Theres another critique of the administration, which is that it has not been loyal enough to its traditional allies.

RM: Its another critique that rests on dubious assumptions. The administration has provided strong  in some respects unprecedented  security assistance to partners and allies, making clear we would protect them against the threat of foreign attack. Thats true in the case of Israel and of the Gulf. But support doesnt mean a blank check or blind acquiescence in actions we believe are contrary to our interests and could have negative consequences.

The support the administration has extended to our Gulf allies through the Camp David process is designed to both bolster their confidence and check Irans destabilizing activities; it is not intended to enable an open-ended conflict with Tehran, let alone have the United States dragged into a Sunni-Shia or Arab-Persian confrontation, whose only beneficiary would be radical, sectarian, violent groups. And the powerful support the administration has extended to Israel does not extend to policies that are making a two-state solution increasingly difficult to contemplate. When some bemoan a so-called lack of U.S. leadership in the Middle East, it seems, what they often are lamenting is that the United States is not automatically siding with every policy pursued by our partners. So well defend Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries if and when their territorial integrity is under threat, and well defend Israel. But that does not mean we should refrain from expressing our concerns about the war in Yemen and how its been waged; Bahraini actions against its Shia population; or Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that is incompatible with our interest in a two-state solution, as well as with basic Palestinian aspirations.

ADM: Governing is about choosing. With six months left in Obamas term, how would you prioritize the administrations Middle East goals?

RM: The first priority, as I mentioned, is to protect the United States and our citizens from terrorist attacks. Our second, related goal is to ensure that ISIL is on the path to lasting defeat  the word lasting being just as important as defeat. That entails maintaining momentum on the ground, working with the Iraqi government and with local forces, as the campaign moves to Mosul and, in Syria, toward ISILs stronghold in Raqqa and in other countries  most notably Libya  where ISIL has sought to extend its reach. But doing it smartly, with an eye to avoiding a situation in which ISIL or a successor simply will emerge from its ashes. Third, we need to protect the Iran deal, which means being absolutely vigilant in terms of Irans compliance with its commitments and absolutely fair in terms of our compliance with our own. Finally, we will pursue the efforts I described to advance political settlements, notably in Syria, but also in Yemen and Libya.

I didnt mention the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the same breath, not because it is peripheral or because our efforts will cease. Rather, it is because  as Obama has made clear  we should not be peddling illusions about resolving the conflict within the next few months and we should not expend our energy trying to resume talks whose futility would only further erode the credibility of diplomacy, as well as our own. The parties have had enough of a process for the sake of a process. Our efforts need to be of a different but no less meaningful type. They are geared toward rethinking the means, the methodology we use to create the conditions under which the parties can engage in meaningful negotiations  negotiations in which both peoples truly believe  not the simulacrum of talks too often witnessed in the past.

ADM: So is that the legacy you want to leave for the next administration?

RM: Six months is a long time, and I dont think we should be talking in terms of legacy, especially when there is still so much work to be done. But I think it is fair to say that at a minimum we want to establish a more solid foundation on which the next administration could build, if it so chose, in terms of keeping Americans safe, defeating terrorist groups, ensuring adherence to the nuclear deal with Iran (and, should Irans leaders opt for a different course, opening the door to a different bilateral relationship), and making progress toward the resolution of regional conflicts.

In a broader sense, I believe that the stage is being set for a more realistic, more honest, and ultimately healthier relationship with both our regional allies and our regional foes  withdrawing the bulk of our fighting force from Iraq; avoiding new, open-ended military entanglements; steering clear of the budding sectarian proxy war; defusing potentially catastrophic tensions over Irans nuclear program; leading multilateral diplomatic efforts; and, above all, remaining focused on promoting our core interests, loyal to our partners but also truthful to our values. That would not be such a bad place for us to end. And it wouldnt be such a bad place for the next team to start.

Photo credit: KEVIN DIETSCH/Pool/Getty Images
By Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) - Food delivery firm Deliveroo apologized on Monday and said British riders could opt out of its new payment system after it became the latest high-flying tech start-up to face criticism for the employment terms given to its staff.

The London-based company, valued at more than $1 billion after a recent funding round, said a proposed plan to pay riders per delivery and not per hour had been a trial that its staff could opt out of if they preferred.

The new system of payment per delivery had prompted staff protests, criticism from the government and condemnation from the opposition Labour party which accused Deliveroo of offering a return to a piecemeal "Victorian system" by cutting costs and increasing insecurity for staff.

"We communicated this to our drivers really badly. I believe I should apologize for that," Dan Warne, managing director of UK and Ireland, told Reuters.

"If they don't like the lack of security that they feel they would have with the per delivery system ... then they can revert to the old system and we're very comfortable doing that."

The dispute echoes similar standoffs in the United States and elsewhere between staff and fast-growing tech platforms such as Uber [UBER.UL] which provide an instant service to customers through workers who are self employed.

With their distinctive black and teal jackets, Deliveroo riders have become a familiar sight on London streets since the firm started trading in 2013, delivering food from restaurants which do not have their own delivery service.

The firm, which competes with the likes of Just East and UberEats, says it has around 6,000 riders in Britain, with 3,000 in London, using either mopeds or, more commonly, bikes.

Active in 12 countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Deliveroo tested a system in five areas in London last week where riders received 3.75 pounds per delivery rather than the current 7 pounds per hour plus one pound per delivery.

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Deliveroo said they believed the new system would enable riders to earn more while working fewer hours and said that during the trial the average hourly fees for riders had doubled at the busiest times.

But Deliveroo's new pay scheme has made headlines in Britain where there is mounting public anger over low pay and job insecurity.

Workers aged 25 or over are entitled to receive the national living wage of 7.20 pounds, but those who are self employed do not. Two drivers for taxi app Uber have taken the firm to an employment tribunal in Britain, arguing they should get holiday and sick pay.

"Individuals cannot opt out of the rights they are owed, nor can an employer decide not to afford individuals those rights," said a spokesman for the department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy when asked about Deliveroo.

The dispute in Britain follows two years of court and regulatory battles in Silicon Valley, the spiritual home of tech startups, over how dozens of on-demand delivery companies pay drivers as contractors rather than as full-time employees.

"I think that we are in an evolving industry, an evolving economy and there's a changing nature in the way people work," Warne said.

(Editing by Jane Merriman and David Evans)
Australia was on Monday facing growing opposition demands for an inquiry into its treatment of asylum-seekers on remote Pacific islands after further allegations emerged of abuse against refugees.

Photographs published in Australian media on the weekend showed two bloodied Afghan men after they were allegedly attacked with an iron bar by locals on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

The graphic images follow the leaking last week of some 2,000 incident reports filled in by workers on the second island to which Australia sends asylum-seekers arriving by boat, Nauru, detailing abuse suffered by asylum-seekers.

"We're seeing more and more disturbing reports coming out from Nauru," opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said Monday.

"Just because people are in detention doesn't mean that they have to be mistreated and it doesn't mean that they should be kept in indefinite detention," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"That's why Labor is leading the push to have a Senate inquiry."

Shorten said he still supported the offshore processing of asylum-seekers on Nauru and in PNG to dissuade others from making the dangerous journey to Australia, but that refugees should not be left to languish in Pacific camps indefinitely.

The leaked documents, which allege that asylum-seekers on Nauru, including children, suffer violence, sexual assault and degrading treatment, have prompted the United Nations to repeat calls for offshore processing to end.

"The allegations contained in the documents must be systematically and properly investigated and those responsible held accountable," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

New Zealand's Labour opposition has also weighed into the debate, with David Shearer describing the policy as unsustainable.

"It's almost like Australia has lost its moral compass in terms of where it's going," he said.

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The Nauru reports published by The Guardian allege incidents such as guards threatening a boy with death and only allowing a young woman a longer shower in return for sexual favours.

Mental stress caused by prolonged detention was deemed to be the cause of alleged cases of self-harm, including a woman trying to hang herself and a girl sewing her lips together.

Some 442 people remain on tiny Nauru today and almost double that number on Manus.

In the latest incident, two Afghan men were reportedly attacked last week as they walked to a beach. The assault stopped when a local man intervened but one of the Afghans, who was bleeding from the head, later collapsed.
ONITSHA, Nigeria Aug 15 (Reuters) - Protesters blocked the gate to offices of U.S. oil company Chevron in Nigeria's Niger Delta on Monday, widening a week-long demonstration to demand jobs and housing, a protest organizer and a community leader said.

Youths, most of them unemployed, have also blocked the entrance to Chevron's Escravos oil storage tank farm since last week, claiming the facility had destroyed their housing settlement.

"What we shut down on Monday is Chevron's administrative and logistics office in Warri that serves Escravos," said Collins Edema, a protest leader. "No work is going on there as we speak, and Chevron Escravos remains shut."

"Some of us are now in a meeting with Chevron personnel at the palace of the Olu of Warri (traditional ruler of Warri) but the protesters are still at Chevron's office," he said.

Community leader and Warri resident Godspower Gbenekama said the protesters have been demonstrating at the gate of Chevron's Warri site since early Monday.

"They are complaining that Chevron is not bringing anything to the table to benefit their host community," he said.

Chevron was not immediately available to comment on the office occupation or the meeting. The company confirmed last week the tank farm protest without saying whether oil production had been affected.

Communities in Nigeria's southern swampland often complain about oil pollution and houses being moved to make way for drilling.

They also say they live in poverty despite sitting on much of Nigeria's oil wealth.

The Niger Delta region has been hit by a wave of militant attacks on oil and gas pipelines, reducing Nigeria's crude output by 700,000 barrels a day, according to state oil company NNPC.

The militants, which are splintered into many groups, say they want a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth - which accounts for around 70 percent of national income - to be passed on to communities in the impoverished region and for areas blighted by oil spills to be cleaned up.

(Reporting by Anamesere Igboeroteonwu and Tife Owolabi; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Susan Thomas)
ONITSHA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Protesters blocked the gate to offices of U.S. oil company Chevron in Nigeria's Niger Delta on Monday, widening a week-long demonstration to demand jobs and housing, a protest organizer and a community leader said. Youths, most of them unemployed, have also blocked the entrance to Chevron's Escravos oil storage tank farm since last week, claiming the facility had destroyed their housing settlement. "What we shut down on Monday is Chevron's administrative and logistics office in Warri that serves Escravos," said Collins Edema, a protest leader. "No work is going on there as we speak, and Chevron Escravos remains shut." "Some of us are now in a meeting with Chevron personnel at the palace of the Olu of Warri (traditional ruler of Warri) but the protesters are still at Chevron's office," he said. Community leader and Warri resident Godspower Gbenekama said the protesters have been demonstrating at the gate of Chevron's Warri site since early Monday. "They are complaining that Chevron is not bringing anything to the table to benefit their host community," he said. Chevron was not immediately available to comment on the office occupation or the meeting. The company confirmed last week the tank farm protest without saying whether oil production had been affected. Communities in Nigeria's southern swampland often complain about oil pollution and houses being moved to make way for drilling. They also say they live in poverty despite sitting on much of Nigeria's oil wealth. The Niger Delta region has been hit by a wave of militant attacks on oil and gas pipelines, reducing Nigeria's crude output by 700,000 barrels a day, according to state oil company NNPC. The militants, which are splintered into many groups, say they want a greater share of Nigeria's oil wealth - which accounts for around 70 percent of national income - to be passed on to communities in the impoverished region and for areas blighted by oil spills to be cleaned up. (Reporting by Anamesere Igboeroteonwu and Tife Owolabi; Writing by Ulf Laessing; Editing by Susan Thomas)
Copenhagen (AFP) - The Danish government said on Monday it was willing to offer a container vessel, a support ship and 200 staff to an international operation to rid Libya of its chemical weapons arsenal.

A maritime operation coordinated by the UN-backed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) would be led by Denmark, but other countries including Finland would also take part, it said.

"Denmark will once again show international responsibility by contributing very concretely to international efforts to reduce the spread of chemical weapons in the world," Danish Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen said in a statement.

The Scandinavian country, which was a key player in the international operation to remove and destroy Syria's chemical arsenal in 2014, said it had been asked by the OPCW and the United States to contribute to the operation.

Later this week, the proposal will be put to a vote in parliament.

"The OPCW is expected to accept a German offer to undertake the subsequent destruction of the chemical substances," the Danish government said.

The UN Security Council on July 22 endorsed plans to remove Libya's chemical weapons from the country and prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists like the Islamic State group.

The move came after Libya had asked the OPCW to draw up a plan for the destruction of the toxic agents that until recently had been stored at the Ruwagha depot in southeastern Libya.
MISSOULA -- Veteran journalist though she is, Ellen Wulfhorst had trepidations when she flew into Missoula last week.

Wulfhorst is the New York-based chief correspondent in the Americas for the Thomson Reuters Foundation headquartered in London. Sometime in the next few days her interpretation of the refugee resettlement landscape in Missoula will be distributed worldwide on the foundations website and to a potential readership of 1 billion via the Reuters News Service.

In her short stay, Wulfhorst needed to find the right people and hope they were willing to talk to her. Most of them are from a Hmong community that began arriving in Montana as refugees from Thailand after their native Laos fell to communist forces in 1975.

I was open to the idea the parents wouldnt talk to me at all, Wulfhorst said. Thats what I was kind of expecting.

But she found entire Hmong families at the Tuesday evening farmers market on Circle Square.

"They were only at three tables, but each table had a bunch of kids, so it was fine," Wulfhorst said with a laugh. "They were three different families, all of whom are cousins to each other. They were like: there's my cousin, he's my uncle.

"I'm like, OK, everybody here is named Vang. It's going to be fun on second reference."

Later in the week Wulfhorst visited with an older Hmong and his married daughter at her home in Orchard Homes.

She discovered a people who had aged under scrutiny in Missoula, the children better with the English language than their elders, with aspirations, dreams and lifestyles that took her by surprise.

You come with a cynical eye, or at least a judgmental eye, to figure out the idea that people come here because they want the American dream that may or may not exist, she said. And then you meet these Hmong kids.

Heres a father who came to this country through another third-world country and God knows how he got here, and his wife was pregnant and 17 at the time. Hes got five kids and four of them are in college or done, and ones in high school and about to go college. They are the American dream.

Wulfhorst was the second reporter with a global audience to take a look at Missoula as it prepares for 100 or more refugees in the next year. The first family of six is expected to arrive any day from a refugee camp in East Africa. They are Christians who fled persecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have lived for years in poverty.

They speak Swahili and are in for certain culture shock. Missoula's new International Rescue Committee resettlement office on Thursday night completed its first training session for family mentor teams through Soft Landing Missoula.

That the newcomers wont be Syrian or Muslim refugees wasnt known when Matt Danzico, a Los Angeles-based video journalist for the British Broadcasting Co. (BBC), came to town in July. His five-minute news segment includes interviews with Mary Poole of Soft Landing Missoula, the volunteer group that opened the doors to refugees; Missoula mayor John Engen, a proponent of resettlement, and Wilmot Collins, who fled civil war in Monrovia, Liberia, and lives in Helena.

Danzico also spoke with Jeff Burrows, a Ravalli County commissioner, who explained the formidable opposition to bringing refugees to western Montana. The three-paragraph text that accompanies the video at www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36944701 highlights a comment made during a public meeting on the refugee resettlement question held in Hamilton in February: ISIS will come for our women.

The video on Missoula is currently the most-watched across the whole of the BBC, Danzico said in an email on Aug. 4, the day the segment was first posted. It's run on TV and online. That's to say, I think the world now knows about the debate happening there.

Wulfhorst took a different tack. She also talked with Engen (Hes a great quote. He speaks in full, short sentences. We like that, she quipped). She interviewed Ellen Leahy, director of the Missoula City-County Health Department, who was a public health nurse during the early Hmong immigration years.

But her focus was on the Hmong and their stories.

My endeavor is to talk to real people, she said. Im ordered and I try not to talk to NGOs and bureaucrats. So just finding someone at the farmers market and getting them to smile and trust you -- it makes for a better story.

By her own reckoning itll be an uplifting one.

Among her recent projects for Reuters, Wulfhorst has explored domestic violence and abuse on the Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico and issues revolving around death and property wills on the Crow Reservation in Montana.

You dont usually find stories that are heartwarming, Wulfhorst said. Usually you find stories that are kind of tragic and disappointing and frustrating. Its kind of nice to see a success story.

Wulfhorst admitted that the idea to come to Montana was in part influenced by her customary summer vacation trip to Sheridan, Wyo. Here, though, she was all business for two-and-a-half days.

Were trying to look at what lies ahead as Missoula opens its doors to refugees, and we cover refugees from a very global context, she said. You take the refugee crisis on one hand and on the other the fact that America in particular is known for being rather ungenerous right now as far as welcoming refugees.

Such a perspective raises the hackles of Jack Wiegman of Missoula, a retired broadcaster, engineer and industrialist whose books Extremists in Our Midst and Federal Siege at the Manor are expected out this year.

Ungenerous, my foot! Wiegman said in an email to the Missoulian. We ace it on the refugee issue every time. We show all other nations how.

He has long argued that Missoula is opening its doors to refugees via a process in which it has no say and doesnt fully understand.

The idea that Americans are somehow unkind or unwelcoming to refugees is just plain nuts, Wiegman wrote. There is nothing suspicious or mean about inquiring into the logistics of refugee arrivals here. I find such claims outrageously hateful.

Wulfhorst pointed to Canada, where nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees have been accepted since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in November. President Barack Obamas stated goal of resettling 10,000 Syrians in the U.S. by the end of September has drawn withering attacks, most notably from presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on all Muslim refugees.

From our perspective (at Reuters) the United States is not at the forefront of being welcoming toward refugees or immigrants, and now also its not being welcoming in terms of rhetoric, Wulfhorst maintained. What the rest of the world sees now is Donald Trump, and even if we at home think thats a small but loud voice, overseas hes getting enormous attention. People are asking, what on earth is going on over there?

Wiegman said its because of the U.S. that the world situation is not nearly so bad as it once was.

But times are tough for all, he wrote. Americas bucket is full. For every new refugee who arrives here, there is some weakening, some loss for some citizens.

When we are too weakened we will be unable to help anyone here or in any place else. Thereby the American dream will be lost to every person on the planet.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Diamond Fields International Ltd. (DFI.V) ("DFI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a conditional Purchase Agreement with Pala Investments Limited ("Pala") and Austral Resources Limited ("Austral") for the purchase of the Beravina Zircon deposit (the "Deposit") in Madagascar (the "Agreement"), subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Pala and Austral collectively own 100% of the issued shares of Action Mining Limited ("Action"), a Mauritius company and the parent company of the Madagascar entity holding the license to the Deposit. Under the terms of the Agreement, DFI, through its wholly owned subsidiary Kimberley Overseas, will acquire 100% of the issued shares of Action. In consideration therefor, DFI has agreed (a) to pay Pala US$300,000 (Cdn$391,878) cash and issue 3,265,650 common shares at a deemed price of Cdn$0.02 per share; and (b) pay Austral US$60,420 (Cdn$78,924) cash.

Beravina is a pegmatite hosted hard rock zircon deposit located approximately 325 kilometers west-northwest of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The Deposit is characterized by a small surface footprint, with the mineralized pegmatite describing a steeply dipping cone-shaped structure. A historical independent JORC compliant geological resource estimate on the property undertaken by Badger Mining and Consulting (Pty) Ltd. in 2012 estimated an indicated resource of 1.8mt at 29.5% zircon, open at depth. While the estimate was a consideration in the decision to acquire the deposit, the Company cautions that it is historical in nature and the Company is not treating such resources as a current resource under NI 43-101. Investors are further cautioned that a qualified person has not yet completed sufficient work to be able to verify the historical resources, and therefore they should not be relied upon. Limited metallurgical work undertaken to date indicates that the zircon ore can be liberated and concentrated by crushing and gravity separation.

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The geological and technical information in this press release has been compiled and reviewed by Mr. Ian Ransome B.Sc. (Hons) Geology, Pri. Sci. Nat. Mr. Ransome is a director of DFI, and is a registered geological scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and is thus a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

DIAMOND FIELDS INTERNATIONAL LTD.

SIGNED: "Sybrand van der Spuy"

Sybrand van der Spuy, Chief Executive Officer

Contact: Earl Young at +1 214 566 3709

Website: www.diamondfields.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors identified in Diamond Fields' periodic filings with Canadian Securities Regulators. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Diamond Fields does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE: Diamond Fields International Ltd.
By Byrn Stole BATON ROUGE, La. (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration on Sunday for flood-ravaged Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by unprecedented flooding. Governor John Bel Edwards said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state. The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley. While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference. "Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down," Edwards said, calling the flooding unprecedented. Obama issued the disaster declaration after speaking with Edwards, the White House said in a statement. The initial declaration makes federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa. Edwards said in a statement that other parishes could be added to the list. Edwards told a later news conference that more than 20,000 people had been rescued from flood waters in southern Louisiana. In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full. A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways. About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods. Helicopters were also transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters. Some 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts. Even as the state grappled with high waters, the National Weather Service forecast heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding. A flash flood watch was in place until Monday morning for Houston, where rains killed at least eight people in late April. At least five people had died in Louisiana from the high water. Ronda Durbin, a spokeswoman for Tangipahoa Parish, said by telephone that searchers on Sunday recovered the body of a man reported swept away on Friday. The body of a woman was also recovered from a submerged vehicle in the parish, she said. On Saturday, the body of a woman was recovered from the Tickfaw River, in St. Helena Parish northeast of Baton Rouge, after a car in which she was riding was swept away. A 54-year-old man in Greensburg in the northern part of the state died when his vehicle was swept off the road, state police said. The body of a 68-year-old man was recovered on Friday near Baker after he drowned, said William "Beau" Clark, the coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish. Another person is also believed missing in St. Helena Parish, Edwards said. (Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and Laila Kearney and Chris Prentice in New York; Editing by Bill Trott, Richard Chang and Paul Tait)
Republican nominee Donald Trump launched a new attack Monday on his rival Hillary Clinton, comparing her to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Hillary Clinton wants to be Americas Angela Merkel, and you know what a disaster this massive immigration has been to Germany and the people of Germany. Crime has risen to levels that no one thought would they would ever see, Trump said, during a foreign policy address in Youngstown, Ohio. We have enough problems in our country, we dont need another one.

Left unsaid was Trumps own past admiration for the German leader. Nearly a year ago to the day, on August 18, 2015, Trump gave an interview with TIME in which he said, unprompted, that Merkel was probably the greatest leader in the world today.

At the time, Trump was criticizing U.S. leaders for paying to support Ukraines government against Russian-backed separatists, while those in the region did little to help. Germanys like sitting back silent collecting money and making a fortune with probably the greatest leader in the world today, Merkel, Trump told TIME in 2015. Shes fantastic, he added. Highly respected.

Germany was already experiencing a massive influx of refugees in the summer of 2015. On August 20, 2015, the German government announced that the number of refugees would grow to 800,000 for the year. Within weeks, the refugee issue had changed Trumps opinion of Merkel.

Frankly, look, Europes going to have to handle it. But theyre going to have riots in Germany. Whats happening in Germany, I always thought Merkel was, like, this great leader, Trump said on Face the Nation on CBS on Oct. 11. What shes done in Germany is insane. Its insane.

In December of 2015, Merkel was named TIMEs 2015 Person of the Year, the fourth woman to be awarded the honor. Trump was listed as a runner up. He tweeted after the announcement that Merkel was ruining Germany.
Correction Appended August 15, 2016

If you only read one thing: After a miserable three weeks for his campaign, Donald Trump lashed out at the press Sunday in a series of tweets blaming perceived media bias for his struggles in the polls. In one instance, Trump claimed hed be leading Hillary Clinton by 20 points if if the disgusting and corrupt media covered me honestly and didnt put false meaning into the words I say. Meanwhile, senior aides did the round of Sunday morning shows to drive home the theme. Trumps blame-the-press tactic is hardly new, especially for him, but it marks his latest attempt to delegitimize public institutions, who in this case, have committed the deadly sin of directly quoting him. As Trump searches for easy targets to offload the blame for his foundering campaign, the true responsibility lies squarely with the candidate, who has stepped on his own message time and again.

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is facing renewed scrutiny over his work for pro-Russian former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, who was pushed from power in February 2014. A New York Times report alleges that handwritten ledgers found in Ukraine detail millions in cash payoffs said to have been delivered to Manafort, whose ties to the corrupt former leader remain murky. In a statement Monday, Manafort denied the latest allegations, but the controversy stands to be a sideshow to Trumps foreign policy speech Monday. Trump is expected to announce a revision of his controversial Muslim ban, replacing it instead with an ideological test for entry to the U.S., while rejecting the Bush administrations foreign policy.

Hillary Clinton is campaigning in Scranton, Pa. with Vice President Joe Biden Monday, as she seeks to shore up support in the white, working-class, part of the key swing state.

Obama releases a summer playlist. Young voters flee Trump. And how ScamPACs killed the tea party.

Story continues

Here are your must reads:

Must Reads

Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Donald Trumps Campaign Chief

Trump campaign boss under renewed scrutiny for ties to Putin ally [New York Times]

Donald Trump says media is out to get him

Facing a pivotal moment in his campaign, Trump blames the press [CNN]

Trump Campaign Looks to Evangelicals to Mobilize Hispanic Outreach

With 85 days remaining, the campaign organizes an advisory board, TIMEs Elizabeth Dias reports

Donald Trump Ohio speech preview: Foreign policy realism to replace nation building

Trump to reject Bush doctrine and revise Muslim ban [Associated Press]

Sound Off

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 Trump in a tweet Sunday.

How dare we cover what he says CNNs Jake Tapper to Trump surrogate and former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewers complaints about the press

Bits and Bites

Young voters flee Donald Trump in what may be historic trouncing, poll shows [USA Today]

President Obamas Emotional Spotify Playlist Is a Hit [New York Times]

The Bidens bump into the Bushes in the Hamptons [New York Post]

How Donald Trump Brought House Conservatives to Heel [National Review]

Manafort blasts NYT, denies he accepted Ukraine cash payments [Politico]

How We Killed the Tea Party [Politico]

Heres How Much Hillary Clinton Paid in Taxes Last Year [Fortune]

Correction: The original version of this post misstated the nickname for the period of time that lead to the removal from power of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych.
From Esquire

Remember when Donald Trump said four times in quick succession that President Obama was the "founder of ISIS?" Remember when he said this after referring to the President as "Barack HUSSEIN Obama?" Remember when he went on Hugh Hewitt's radio show after the fact and doubled down on what he meant?

"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS," Trump told Hewitt. "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."

And when Hewitt pushed back, saying Obama "hates" ISIS and is "trying to kill them," Trump kept on going. "I don't care," he said, "He was the founder. His, the way he got out of Iraq was that that was the founding of ISIS, okay?"

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Story" customtitles="Desperate Donald Trump Claims Obama 'Founded ISIS'" customimages="" content="article.47547"]

Remember when he also backed the sentiment in a CNBC interview? Where he legitimately asked if there was "something wrong" with saying a sitting president founded an anti-American terrorist organization without justification?

Oh yeah, all that was yesterday. But now times have changed-or, more likely, Trump realized that this line of rhetoric is getting him in trouble. So there's only one thing to do: Back away quickly while saying, "JK, LOL."

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM? - Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

As plenty have already pointed out, this is not what sarcasm means.

Updated list of words Trump doesnt understand: sarcasm, grovelling, mistake, temperament, sacrifice, founder, brainwashed, dog. - emily nussbaum (@emilynussbaum) August 12, 2016

trump dictionary

founder (n): someone around when the thing starts

sarcasm (n): something i mean but republicans make me apologize for later - Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) August 12, 2016

As TPM reminds us, this is not the first time Trump has said something dumb or offensive that he or his defenders have tried to pass off as a joke. Just this week, Speaker Paul Ryan desperately tried to write off the Second Amendment People fiasco as a gag. Last month, the Orange One's invitation to the Russians to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails was also recast as a light-hearted aside.

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If only Trump's jokes were funny. If only he weren't running for president.

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump gave what his campaign billed as a major national security address on Monday that was intended to lay out his plan to defeat terrorism and move from nation building to realism.

But given the opportunity to show that continued controversial statements on foreign-policy issues are a distraction from a serious campaign rather than its substance, the New York businessman either seemed to borrow heavily from the president he just last week said founded the Islamic State or described actions that were divorced from reality.

Extreme vetting

One of the few new recommendations from Trumps speech was a beefed-up version of his on-again, off-again ban on Muslims entering the United States, which legal experts have broadly said would be unconstitutional.

In a practice he described as extreme, extreme vetting  a term nowhere in the media-footnoted version of the speech shared by his campaign  Trump said his administration would only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people and would weed out any who have hostile attitudes or do not believe in our Constitution. Trump compared it to ideological screening tests he said were used during the Cold War.

Trump said his administration would temporarily suspend immigration from countries with a history of exporting terrorism, where the State and Homeland Security departments determined adequate screening cannot take place, until his officials set up the new U.S. vetting system.

But that system  which would effectively ban any immigration from Europe, where the State Department has cautioned Americans about security concerns due to terrorist threats, as well as from the Middle East and likely Africa  would probably in and of itself be deemed unconstitutional and illegal for reasons similar to its initial form. The First Amendment enshrines the freedom of religion; the U.S. Constitution guarantees equal protection; international law establishes the rights of refugees; and the United States has numerous agreements signed with other countries that would be prohibitive.

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Trump gave no details for how the system would be enforced or how much it would cost.

The United States has one of the strictest vetting processes for refugees of any country in the world, taking an average of 18 to 24 months. President Barack Obamas administration also has lifted the cap on the total number of refugees from around the world to 100,000 by 2017, far fewer than the onslaught Trump described.

I was an opponent of the Iraq War from the beginning

Trump repeatedly claims he had always opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, drawing a contrast with Hillary Clinton, who voted in favor of it while serving as a New York senator. The Republican nominee  like Clintons Democratic primary rival, Bernie Sanders  argues that Clintons backing of the war shows that she has bad judgement when it comes to vital national security and foreign-policy issues.

But the Manhattan real estate magnate is on the record saying he was for the Iraq War before he was against it. When radio host Howard Stern asked him in September 2002 whether he supported invading Iraq, he said, Yeah, I guess so. You know, I wish it was  I wish the first time it was done correctly. He also supported pulling out from the country, telling CNNs Wolf Blitzer in 2007, years before the Obama administrations withdrawal in 2011, You know how they get out? They get out. Declare victory and leave, because, Ill tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down. Theyre in a civil war over there, Wolf. Theres nothing that were going to be able to do with a civil war.

That didnt stop the mogul from slamming Obama on Monday for pulling out of Iraq and arguing that doing so set the conditions for the rise of the Islamic State.

I have often said that General MacArthur and General Patton would be in a state of shock if they were alive today to see the way President Obama and Hillary Clinton try to recklessly announce their every move before it happens  like they did in Iraq  so that the enemy can prepare and adapt, Trump said.

But it was Republican President George W. Bush who set the timeline for the withdrawal after failing to get a security agreement with the Iraqi government to keep troops there.

Our current strategy of nation building and regime change is a proven failure

Trump consistently contrasts his America First foreign policy with what he derides as an Obama-Clinton foreign policy of fomenting instability by toppling strongmen and engaging in long, costly, and ultimately futile efforts to rebuild war-shattered nations and impose new forms of government.

They never shouldve attempted to build a democracy in Libya, he said, a knock at Obamas 2011 intervention there.

The president had taken office saying he wanted to move U.S. foreign policy away from the kind of adventurism that bogged the United States down in the Middle East during the Bush administration.

Obama did reluctantly support the military push, which Clinton also backed, that resulted in the removal of Libyan dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi. But both have subsequently said their primary regret in Libya was not planning for what came after. The country has since devolved into what is effectively a failed state, with competing governments and vast stretches of lawless country that have at times been controlled by an offshoot of the Islamic State.

Trump also was for the intervention in Libya, saying at the time, At this point, if you dont get rid of Qaddafi, its a major, major black eye for this country.

In the same speech Monday, Trump seemed to advocate for a practice associated with nation building that is broadly prohibited by international law: nation plundering.

In the old days, when we won a war, to the victor belonged the spoils, Trump said, repeating as if in refrain a phrase that remarkably was on-script: Keep the oil, keep the oil, keep the oil.

On this point, Trump has been consistent, saying early in his campaign that the United States shouldve seized oil from Iraq  a sovereign country  and given the proceeds to veterans (though he has a mixed record there). The problem with the old days is that they were marked by colonization that depleted countries resources, destroyed their environments, and slaughtered their citizens.

I also believe that we could find common ground with Russia in the fight against ISIS

Wouldnt that be a good thing? Trump ad-libbed, during a speech in which he mostly turned from one teleprompter to another.

Trumps rhetorical olive branch to Russia is an offshoot of remarks earlier in his campaign when he asked, Whats wrong with having Russia drop bombs all over ISIS? and suggested the United States should leave Syria as a free zone for ISIS, using an alternate acronym for the Islamic State.

But his comments add to a pattern of friendliness toward Moscow that takes on more unsettling implications in the wake of a New York Times report with the strongest evidence to date that Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, maintains an interest in pro-Russian politics and business in embattled Ukraine.

The Obama administration, too, has sought to work with Russia to find a political resolution to Syrias civil war, saying Washington has common ground with Moscow there.

But those efforts have been frustrated in part by Russia working against resolving the conflict, striking opposition fighters  including those trained by the United States  instead of the Islamic State and shoring up President Bashar al-Assads regime.

But it is time to put the mistakes of the past behind us and chart a new course

Trump proposed working with NATO on counterterrorism; convening international conferences on countering the Islamic State and other militant groups; working with Middle East allies  in particular Israel, Jordan, and Egypt  to fight the Islamic State; expanding intelligence sharing; countering the Islamic State online; and capturing high-value targets in order to glean valuable intelligence for dismantling terrorist networks.

All of which the Obama administration has done or is already doing.

And in the last 72 hours alone, U.S.-backed rebels have made notable gains in Libya and Syria, taking back Islamic State strongholds after American warplanes bombarded the militants from above.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, those were two things the garrulous GOP nominee chose not to mention.

This story has been updated since publication.

Photo credit: Bloomberg/Contributor
Trump called for an ideological test for immigrants in a new policy speech, saying he would institute extreme vetting for visa applicants.

We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people, Trump said at Youngstown State University in Ohio Monday. In the Cold War we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting. I call it extreme, extreme vetting, he continued. Our country has enough problems, we dont need more.

Trump explicitly tied immigration to the threat of terrorism in the U.S., which has been one of his key themes throughout the campaign. The common thread linking the major Islamic terrorist attacks that have recently occurred on our soil  is that they have involved immigrants or the children of immigrants, Trump said. He advocated a reformed version of the controversial Muslim ban he proposed in December, which he now seems to have shifted to nation-based rather than religious criteria. Trump said he would temporarily suspend immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions in the world that have a history of exporting terrorism, and that as President he would consult with the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to draw up a list of the regions.

My Administration would speak out against the oppression of women, gays and people of different beliefs, Trump said. Our Administration would be a friend to all moderate Muslim reformers in the Middle East and will amplify their voices.

The Republican presidential nominee spent much of his speech attacking President Barack Obama and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump said, I was an opponent of the Iraq War from the beginning, a major difference between me and my opponent  I publicly expressed my private doubts about the invasion. I was against it, believe me. He cited a 2003 interview he gave to Foxs Neil Cavuto in which he said, Perhaps [we] shouldnt be doing it yet and perhaps we should be waiting for the United Nations on invading Iraq. He neglected to mention an interview he gave Howard Stern in 2002 in which he expressed support for an invasion.

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Trump then bashed Clinton and Obama for, once getting into the war, withdrawing too suddenly. Yet he also has multiple comments on the record from the years preceding the 2011 withdrawal advocating for the same thing. For example, he told CNNs Wolf Blitzer in 2007, You know how they get out? They get out. Thats how they get out. Declare victory and leave, because Ill tell you, this country is just going to get further bogged down.

Reading off a teleprompter, Trump softened his language around his recent assertions that Obama and Clinton are the founders of ISIS. (He later said those remarks were misconstrued sarcasm.) His Monday speech took a more measured approach, saying, The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton.

In proposing his immigration policies and criticizing his political adversaries, Trumps main pitch during the speech was to the fears stoked by what he sees as a globally insecure America. The situation is likely worse than the public has any idea, he said.
Ending the scourge of terrorism that is sending shivers around the world, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Monday, requires a two-pronged approach: keep terrorists from coming to the U.S., and kill them where they live. But his remarks, while full of bluster, offered few specifics on doing either.

Only those we expect to flourish in this country and to embrace a tolerant American society should be issued visas, Trump said, declaring that admission would be restricted to those who support our values. He called for a return to the kind of Cold War-era ideological exclusions the U.S. used to keep communists out. He added that he would be willing, as commander in chief, to partner with any nationspecifically mentioning communist Russiadedicated to the destruction of Islamic terrorism: Any country which shares this goal will be our ally.

In sweeping remarks in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump made clear he sees the war on violent Islamic fundamentalism as a clash of civilizations, something Presidents Bush and Obama have refrained from saying. Anyone who cannot name our enemy, is not fit to lead this country, Trump said. Anyone who cannot condemn the hatred, oppression and violence of radical Islam lacks the moral clarity to serve as our President.

He blamed Obama and Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent who served as Obamas first secretary of state, for the rise of the Islamic State, which Trump said has spread from seven to 24 nations since 2014. My Administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, Trump said. But he didnt spell out how he would accomplish that, beyond calling for an international conference focused on this goal.

Make no mistake about it: While Obama has cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq from 180,000 to 15,000 during his time in office, the fear of terrorism on U.S. soil has only grown on his watch. Clintons policy for handling the threat posed by ISIS and other terror groups largely replicates what Obama is already doing. Basically, she just wants to do more of it, faster. It is not enough to contain ISIS and the threat of radical jihadismwe have to defeat it, her campaign says on her website, echoing Obamas pledge, first made two years ago, to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIS. Like Trump, Clinton offers few specifics of how she would actually do it.

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The threat of terrorism remains perhaps the most combustible issue in the election, and one difficult for many voters to keep in perspective. I dont believe that we ought to just simply scare people and instill a lot of fear in them, and to predict the inevitability of the next terrorist attack, Jeh Johnson, chief of the Department of Homeland Security, told TIME recently. We have an obligation to lay out all the things that we are doing for public safety and for homeland security. But there will be additional terror attacks on Americans on U.S. soil. The key to any successful long-term U.S. anti-terror strategy is to build the publics resilience so that the nation can fight terrorists without launching wars to do so.

Trump declared that he would no longer engage in nation-building, which has sucked tens of billions of dollars from the U.S. Treasury to such efforts (some valiant, some dubious) in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Pentagon has long argued that it doesnt do nation building, but that line fell apart as the U.S. troop presence in both countries stretched into years, and it became clear that the military was the only U.S. agency with sufficient money to get things done.

Every senior U.S. military officer knows military force isnt sufficient to turn the tide in these conflicts. It should be clear by now, and no one knows this better than our military leaders, that even as we need to crush [ISIS] on the battlefield, their military defeat will not be enough, Obama said during a visit to the Pentagon Aug. 4. While Clinton and Obamas first Pentagon chief, Robert Gates, called for a massive civilian increase in U.S. efforts in both Afghanistan and Iraq, that never happened. Inevitably, that meant as the U.S. military pulled out, so did the creaky scaffolding it provided each countrys shaky central government.

Trumps pledge to scrub would-be terrorists disguised as immigrants from coming to America ignores the rigorous screening those wishing to come to the U.S. already undergo. It follows his call last year to suspend all Muslim immigration to the U.S. until the policy is reviewed and tightened, if necessary. And it does nothing to address the threat posed by homegrown terrorists whose only link to Islamic jihadists is via the Internet.

Trumps speech echoed his first major foreign-policy address in April. He is trying to convince voters that he has the smarts and temperament to serve as President. Earlier this month, a group of 50 GOP national-security heavyweights declared they would not vote for him because he would be the most reckless President in American history.

Trumps willingness to embrace as an ally, at least temporarily, any state fighting ISIS, represents the flip side of what President George W. Bush said a week after the 9/11 attacks. From this day forward, Bush told Congress, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. Eighteen months later, that language led the U.S. to invade Iraq.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio  Donald Trump on Monday elaborated on his call for a ban on Muslims entering the United States, proposing a new ideological test for anyone seeking to enter the country. He vowed to block those who sympathize with extremist groups or dont embrace American values.

Speaking in what is expected to be a hotly contested swing district in the battleground state of Ohio, the Republican presidential nominee said his administration would take on the ideology of radical Islam and stand up against the oppression of women, gays and people of different beliefs.

He cited a spate of recent terror attacks, including last years deadly shooting in San Bernardino, Calif., the Orlando nightclub shooting in June, and the massacres in Paris and Brussels. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today, he said.

I call it extreme vetting. Extreme, extreme vetting, Trump declared.

The celebrity businessman turned presidential candidate offered no specifics on how exactly the proposed screenings would be administered. But he offered some criteria, including screening out all members or sympathizers of terrorist groups and those who have hostile attitudes to our country and its principals, including a belief that Shariah law should supplant American law.

Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted for immigration into the country, Trump proclaimed. Only those who we expect to flourish in our country and to embrace a tolerant American society should be issued immigrant visas.

For the screenings to work, Trump said he would temporarily suspend immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world  a pledge he has made previously on the campaign trail. Critics have questioned whether Trumps standards would include European countries like France and Germany that have suffered terror attacks, but the GOP nominee did not say which would be included. Instead, he said he would have to determine the regions as soon as I take office.

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Donald Trump speaks in Youngstown, Ohio. (Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP)

The speech, delivered before an invited audience at Youngstown State University, came as Trump struggles to regain momentum after a series of mostly self-inflicted controversies. Those include last weeks statements in which Trump repeatedly called President Obama the founder of ISIS and Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival, the co-founder.

Trump, who had made similar remarks for the past few months, initially defended the comment  declining to tell conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that he was speaking figuratively when offered the chance. But on Friday, he abruptly dialed back, insisting it was sarcasm that has been misreported by the media. In a rally later that day, he partially reversed himself again, telling supporters at a Pennsylvania rally that his comment was not that sarcastic, to be honest with you.

On Monday, Trump sought to clean up the remarks once again  saying the Obama-Clinton foreign policy  unleashed ISIS.

The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, Trump said. Hillary Clintons policies launched ISIS onto the world.

Trump also accused Clinton of lacking the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS or any other challenge facing the country. At the same time, the GOP nominee cast himself as someone willing to ally with any country willing to take on radical terrorists, calling it an ideological struggle on par with the Cold War.

The GOP nominee specifically cited Russia as a potential ally he could work with  amid new criticism of his campaign chiefs ties to the Kremlins political interests. Democrats have further alleged that the Russian government may be behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committees servers to sway the campaign on his behalf.

Any country that shares this goal will be our allies, Trump declared. We can never choose our friends, but we can never fail to recognize our enemies.
Donald Trump's campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, said Monday that there's no truth to a New York Times report that secret ledgers in Ukraine showed more than $12 million in cash payments designated for him.



The report alleged that the pro-Russian political party of former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych earmarked the cash for Manafort through what Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators told the Times was an "illegal off-the-books" payment system.



Manafort, who previously worked as a political consultant for Yanukovych, called the report "unfounded, silly, and nonsensical" in a statement.



"The simplest answer is the truth: I am a campaign professional. It is well known that I do work in the United States and have done work on overseas campaigns as well. I have never received a single 'off-the-books cash payment' as falsely 'reported' by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia. Further, all of the political payments directed to me were for my entire political team: campaign staff (local and international), polling and research, election integrity and television advertising. The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly, and nonsensical," the statement said.







"My work in Ukraine ceased following the country's parliamentary elections in October 2014. In addition, as the article points out hesitantly, every government official interviewed states I have done nothing wrong, and there is no evidence of 'cash payments' made to me by any official in Ukraine," the statement continued. "However, the Times does fail to disclose the fact that the Clinton Foundation has taken (and may still take) payments in exchange for favors from Hillary Clinton while serving as the Secretary of State. This is not discussed despite the overwhelming evidence in emails that Hillary Clinton attempted to cover up."





Story continues

Related Video: Could Donald Trump Drop Out? GOP Officials 'Actively Exploring' How to Replace Nominee If He Resigns





Clinton's campaign, meanwhile, slammed Trump for "more troubling connections" to Russia in the wake of the New York Times report.



Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement released Sunday evening, "On the eve of what the Trump campaign has billed as a major foreign policy speech, we have learned of more troubling connections between Donald Trump's team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine."



He continued, "Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort's and all other campaign employees' and advisers' ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trump's employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them."





Are you planning on voting in this year's election? We want to know! Take our survey: https://t.co/b6KMj1ZeAt a People Magazine (@people) August 15, 2016





The dueling statements come one day after the Times reported that investigators found in secret, handwritten ledgers "$12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych's pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012."



The report also said that the investigators have not yet determined whether Manafort actually received the payments but that "prosecutors say he must have realized the implications of his financial dealings."



"He understood what was happening in Ukraine," Vitaliy Kasko, a former senior official with the general prosecutor's office in Kiev, told the Times. "It would have to be clear to any reasonable person that the Yanukovych clan, when it came to power, was engaged in corruption."
- Russia's Paralympic Committee announced it filed an appeal against the decision to ban the country from the Rio Paralympic Games over evidence of state-sponsored doping. A statement by the committee said it had "sent an appeal on August 15 to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)". A hearing has been set for August 21 in Rio and a final ruling was expected August 22, it said. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced this month by unanimous decision it was suspending the country over evidence of state involvement in a doping cover-up scheme published in a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report by Canadian lawyer Richard McLaren. "The court has been known to show balance and make decisions competently in many cases. We are counting on victory because it cannot be otherwise," said Vladimir Lukin, president of Russia's Paralympic Committee.

AFP
Yuri van Gelder

Come Olympic time, every athlete is trying their absolute hardest to do everything in their power to stay in competition for as long as possible. But in the case of Yuri van Gelder, getting sent home after a night of drinking suggests he was doing something else.

According to Netherlands Olympic website, via Yahoo Sports, van Gelder left the Olympic village on the first Saturday of the Olympics after qualifying for the finals in the rings and did not return until the following day. After being asked, van Gelder reportedly admitted that he had been drinking, and was sent home for breaking team rules.

van Gelder appealed the decision, denying that he broke any rules, according to Dutch News. He was seeking to be reinstated to the team and also to be reimbursed for his flight home. However, the appeal was denied and van Gelder's dismissal was upheld.

It is still unclear why van Gelder was dismissed. During his appeal, van Gelder reportedly admitted to drinking "four beers" but denies going to a club. The Dutch News report also says the Dutch Olympic committee argued during the appeal that he left the village without persmission and missed a training session.

The decision may also have been influenced by the gymnast's history. He previously tested positive for cocaine in 2009, and the suspension that followed took him out of contention for the 2012 Olympics.

Here is the statement from the Dutch team (translated by Google):

"It's been a very difficult decision for us to take. I hate to Yuri, but this behavior is unacceptable. That does not belong to participation in the Olympics or any sporting event whatsoever. Sporting this is a loss, but at such a breach of the applicable values within TeamNL we have no other choice. We stand for excellence with respect for all agreements and rules. Our athletes definitely not have an exemplary turd and this behavior fits with that. We have Yuri on it addressed and he admitted that he was only that morning returned to the village. Yuri has left us no choice. "

Story continues

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By Nerijus Adomaitis (Reuters) - British gas suppliers may have to compensate hundreds of their customers who were overcharged because of a mix-up involving metric and imperial measurements, with one having paid too much for 15 years. German utility E.ON, the first utility to admit the mistake, said it would compensate around 350 residential and business consumers in Britain. The company confirmed there was one example which had gone on for 15 years, but said most involved shorter periods. "Each case is being dealt with on an individual basis," E.ON spokesman Scott Somerville said, declining to say how much the problems would cost the company. Rivals Scottish Power, EDF Energy and SSE also indicated that small numbers of their customers could have been affected. "It was generally because customers with a metric meter had been registered as having an imperial meter or vice versa," E.ON said in a statement. "This mistake meant ...customers either being overcharged or undercharged." The errors further dent the image of the supply industry after a two-year investigation found that providers have overcharged customers because of uncompetitive standard energy tariffs. E.ON said it would compensate around 350 customers in full and pay interest. About 250 households who had been undercharged would not be asked to pay anything. "Its good to see that E.ON is doing the right and fair thing, by coming forward and compensating its affected customers, and other suppliers should follow suit," said Margot James, the minister responsible for small business. UK energy market regulator Ofgem said the number of customers affected was "very small". Ofgem has asked other gas suppliers to check their systems and to report back by the end of the week. There were around 21 million domestic gas consumers in Britain in March, and E.ON had 11 percent retail market share, Ofgem's data showed. "It's an industry wide issue," said an official at one British utility. Scottish Power, owned by Spain's Iberdrola, said the company believed about 100 customers out of 2.2 million could be affected. "We are now in the process of directly contacting these customers, and ensuring that any overpayments can be corrected," a spokesman for the utility said. French-owned EDF Energy, another gas supplier, said it has been working with Ofgem and the industry to agree a consistent approach to resolve the issue "for the very small number of affected gas customers". SSE said its initial analysis suggested only around 0.01 percent of its gas customers were affected. (Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis; Editing by Keith Weir)
By Ayman al-Warfalli MARJ, Libya (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Libya's eastern government will secure major oil ports and fields to "protect" them, a senior commander said, signaling possible conflict with a U.N.-backed administration in Tripoli which is taking steps to restart crude production. Abdulrazak al-Nazhuri, chief-of-staff for General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), also restated a threat to target oil tankers that do not have permission from eastern authorities to dock. Since a 2011 revolt against Muammar Gaddafi, Libya's oil sector has been steadily disrupted by competing governments and their armed allies, as well as by militant attacks. Haftar's LNA has mobilized around eastern oil ports and fields and their former allies, the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) in recent weeks, as the PFG agreed with the U.N. backed Government of National Accord (GNA) to stop blockading the facilities. "We will enter the ports of Zueitina and Es Sider and Ras Lanuf," Nazhuri told Reuters in an interview at a military base in the eastern town of Marj. The three ports are occupied by the PFG, which signed the deal with the GNA at the end of last month to enable the Tripoli authorities to restart production, a major step toward asserting its control across the country. Last week one LNA brigade entered Zueitina in a show of force, though it stopped short of the oil port controlled by the PFG. A resident and a security source said LNA troops were still stationed there on Monday. There was no immediate sign of major military movement near it or the other ports. "Our entry into the ports is to protect them, not to occupy them or to be substitutes for the mercenaries or thieves who preceded us," Nazhuri said. BATTLE FOR SIRTE Haftar and his allies in the east oppose the GNA, saying it is empowering armed groups in the western city of Misrata and Tripoli. Misrata brigades aligned with the GNA have largely driven Islamic State from their former North African stronghold of Sirte, raising fears splits between eastern and western factions could deepen, reigniting a civil conflict that erupted in 2014. Sirte lies in the center of Libya's coastline, just 180 km (112 miles) west of Es Sider and close to other key oil fields and installations. Haftar's LNA initially said it would lead the campaign against Islamic State in Sirte, but mobilized around eastern oil ports and fields instead. Partly because of the blockades at the eastern ports, Libya's oil production is currently about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd), a fraction of the 1.6 million bpd the OPEC member was producing before the 2011 uprising toppled Gaddafi. The agreement with Jathran was part of efforts to revive output, ease a financial crisis, and bolster the fortunes of the GNA, which has been struggling to impose its authority. But the deal was controversial, with the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli warning that the payments to Jathran's forces could set a dangerous precedent. The NOC office in Benghazi, which is loyal to the eastern government and parliament but is meant to be reunifying with the Tripoli branch, also spoke out against the deal, adding to uncertainty over whether exports could resume. "We have said that in the event that permission is not sought from the National (Oil) Corporation that answers to the (eastern) parliament, we will target the ships with our air force as we deem them militias or smugglers," said Nazhuri. "The goal is not to threaten any nation but to protect the Libyan people's assets." All desert oil fields in the east of the country are under the control of Haftar's forces, Nazhuri said. Nazhuri also defended a decision last week to replace the municipal council in Benghazi with a security official, which raised concerns of growing military control in the east. He said the LNA had intervened at popular request because "the council was internally split and not offering anything for citizens", seeking to manage the situation until the liberation of Benghazi, "not a return to military rule". For the past two years Haftar has been waging a military campaign in Benghazi against a coalition of Islamists and other opponents, including Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked militants. The LNA has repeatedly announced that Benghazi's "liberation" is imminent. It has made big gains in recent months but some areas remain outside its control. (Writing by Aidan Lewis; editing by Patrick Markey and Philippa Fletcher)
YOUNGSVILLE, LA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / RedHawk Holdings Corp. (IDNG) ("RedHawk" or the "Company") announced today that EcoGen Europe LTD ("EcoGen") has received final regulatory certification for the sale and distribution of its branded generics and specials. In connection therewith, the Company also announced that EcoGen has now partnered with Alliance Healthcare, a member of Walgreens Boots Alliance, for the nationwide distribution of its current suite of branded generics to pharmacies and healthcare providers throughout the United Kingdom. Sales of EcoGen's branded generics and specials are expected to commence immediately.

In March 2016, RedHawk signed a definitive agreement through its wholly-owned subsidiary RedHawk Pharma UK LTD to complete the acquisition of a 25% ownership investment in EcoGen, a United Kingdom company specializing in the manufacturing and the marketing of certain branded generic pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Additionally, during the seven-year period commencing on the closing date, the Company has the right, but not the obligation, to increase its ownership position in EcoGen up to a maximum of 49% of the entire capital of Ecogen.

In May 2016, RedHawk announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, RedHawk Pharma UK, LTD, is in advanced discussions to acquire a United Kingdom based manufacturer of non-narcotic made-to-order or customized medicinal products ("Specials"). Until closing of this acquisition, the Company said this pharmaceutical manufacturer will be EcoGen's provider of certain Specials.

About RedHawk Holdings Corp.

RedHawk Holdings Corp., formerly Independence Energy Corp., is a diversified holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is engaged in sales and distribution of medical devices, sales of branded generic pharmaceutical drugs, commercial real estate investment and leasing, sales of point of entry full-body security systems, and specialized financial services. Through its medical products business unit, the Company sells WoundClot Surgical - Advanced Bleeding Control, the Disintegrator Insulin Needle Destruction Unit, the Carotid Artery Digital Non-Contact Thermometer and Zonis. Its real estate leasing revenues are generated from various commercial properties under long-term lease. Additionally, RedHawk's real estate investment unit holds limited liability company interest in various commercial restoration projects in Hawaii. The Company's financial service revenue is from brokerage services earned in connection with debt placement services. RedHawk Energy holds the exclusive U.S. manufacturing and distribution rights for the Centri Controlled Entry System, a unique, closed cabinet, nominal dose transmission full body x-ray scanner.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than statements of historical fact. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be," "potential" and any similar expressions are intended to identify those assertions as forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties. In evaluating forward-looking statements, you should consider the various factors which may cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements including those listed in the "Risk Factors" section of our latest 10-K report. Further, the Company may make changes to its business plans that could or will affect its results. Investors are cautioned that the Company will undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:

Julie Calzone

(337) 235-2924

jcalzone@calzone.com

Company Contacts:

Thomas J. Concannon, CEO

(908) 625-7811

tom.concannon@redhawkholdingscorp.com

G. Darcy Klug, CFO

(337) 269-5933

darcy.klug@redhawkholdingscorp.com

SOURCE: RedHawk Holdings Corp.
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."

Please keep the family and Forest Service employees in your thoughts and prayers during this time, he said in a news release issued Sunday.

-- For the Independent Record
Egypts Islam El Shehaby (blue) declines to shake hands with Israels Or Sasson after their judo match. (AP)

Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

A week after a female Saudi Arabaian judo competitor allegedly forfeited her first-round match to avoid meeting an Israeli in the second round, Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has been banished from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics for refusing to shake hands after losing to Israels Or Sasson.

Sasson twice bowed in El Shehabys direction and approached him with his hand extended after the victory, but the Egyptian backpedaled before walking away from the Israelis appreciative gesture.

The International Olympic Committee reprimanded El Shehaby after the act of poor sportsmanship, and the Egyptian Olympic delegation sent the judoka home on Monday, according to Reuters.

This is merely the latest in a string of anti-Israeli behavior at the Olympics. Lebanese delegation leader Salim al-Haj Nakoula barred the Israelis from boarding a bus to the Opening Ceremony, drawing a warning from the IOC. Days later, Saudi Arabia judoka Joud Fahmy withdrew from competition to avoid a second-round match with Israeli Gili Cohen, the Times of Israel reported.

[Related: Israeli Olympic team met with apparent anti-Semitism in Rio de Janeiro]

Neither Lebanon nor Saudi Arabia recognize Israel as an independent state. In 1979, Egypt became the first Arab nation to recognize Israel with the signing of a peace treaty between the two countries.

While El Shehaby was ousted in the first round, Sasson went on to capture a bronze medal in judo.
Rio Olympics Judo

Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby has reportedly been sent home from the Rio Olympics as punishment for refusing to shake his Israeli opponent's hand after a match last week, the AP reports.

On August 12, Israeli judoka Or Sasson defeated El Shehaby in a men's 100-kilogram match. It is customary for the the judokas to bow toward one another following the conclusion of a match, but El Shehaby instead lingered on the mat and refused to get up.

Judo Controversy

When El Shehaby finally did get up, Sasson tried three times to bow to him. El Shehaby refused to reciprocate on each occasion. Then, Sasson approached El Shehaby and extended his hand, to which El Shehaby backed away.

Judo Bow

The crowd looking on booed.

El Shehaby's gesture was reportedly politically motivated:

Israeli publication The Algemeiner wrote:

"El Shehaby, who is known for his extreme anti-Israel views, told Egyptian media outlets that he would make his decision closer to the fight. 'The situation is very sensitive,' he said. 'And I don't want to discuss it.'"

Sasson went on to win bronze in the men's 100-kilogram judo class.

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CAIRO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Egypt's unemployment rate dipped to 12.5 percent in the second quarter, state statistics agency CAPMAS said on Monday, but joblessness among the country's youth remains at critical levels.

Unemployment stood at 12.7 percent in both the previous three months and the year-earlier quarter. The actual rate is higher than the reported one, analysts believe, reflecting the difficulty of gathering data in a country where the informal economy is large and the social security system inefficient.

The number of Egyptians unemployed stood at 3.6 million, down 61,000 from a quarter earlier, CAPMAS said. The size of the workforce rose 2.9 percent year on year to 25 million.

Egypt's economy has struggled since 2011, when an uprising - partly driven by anger about the lack of job prospects for young Egyptians - toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Young people remain disproportionately impacted by the jobs shortage, with Monday's data showing almost four out of every five of the unemployed are aged between 15 and 29.

Youth unemployment stood at 42 percent in 2014, according to the latest International Labour Organization data.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had pledged to reduce joblessness to 10 percent over the next few years, which would require much higher levels of economic growth.

(Reporting by Ola Noureldin; Editing by Ahmed Aboulenein and John Stonestreet)
Anthony Jones of Virginia doesn't regret getting his bachelor's degree online from a for-profit school, despite some of the criticisms he initially heard of these programs, such as them being of lower quality.

"I was looking for a place where continuing my education and being able to still work full time would be met," the 39-year-old said via email. The University of Phoenix fulfilled those criteria, he says.

But to a certain extent, Jones was also worried about his job prospects.

"I did not want to invest a great deal of time, effort and money, and in the end my efforts would not be recognized to the same stature as traditional brick-and-mortar establishments and their students," he says.

[Ask four questions before enrolling in a for-profit online program.]

Jones, who's now an account manager at a software provider, was ultimately satisfied with his undergraduate experience and even went on to earn a master's degree from the school. But employers and recruiters offer mixed opinions about the online, for-profit sector, which has faced declining enrollment and criticism about low graduation rates, high student loan default rates and questionable recruitment practices.

Still, recruiters say, the negative perception of undergraduate, for-profit education that some employers have held in recent years may be starting to shift, and not all are skeptical.

"Although I think that still somewhat of a stigma might exist against the for-profit universities, given the current state of the job market today and the low unemployment rates, employers are starting to get really creative and are definitely placing more value on this type of degree than they had in the past, and are much more willing to extend an offer to these applicants," says Amy Glaser, senior vice president of Adecco Staffing, a worldwide employment agency.

Employer views also vary depending on the program, Glaser says, and an applicant's undergraduate education is just one part of the hiring decision.

Story continues

Karl McDonnell, chief executive officer at Strayer Education, Inc. -- including the for-profit Strayer University, which grants online bachelor's and other degrees -- says it's inaccurate to lump all for-profit bachelor's programs into one category. He says there's some degree of variability in outcomes in any industry.

While the school offers "very little" in terms of career services, for instance, McDonnell says, it has relationships with hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies.



[Discover how to vet a for-profit online program.]

"Are there institutions where maybe outcomes have been low and therefore the economic return for students has been lower than what somebody had hoped? I think that's clear; I think that's obvious. But to say that that is the case for an entire sector -- it's not representative of our experience," McDonnell says.

Representatives from three other online, for-profit programs declined or were unavailable to comment.

Still, employers deciding between two equally qualified job candidates are more likely to prefer the one with an undergraduate education at a traditional university over the one with an online, for-profit bachelor's, says Glaser from Adecco Staffing.

Greg Keller, chief operating officer at the Washington, D.C.-based national recruiting firm Bloomfield & Company, says o nline degrees alone don't carry as much as a stigma as the for-profit classification because reputable institutions have launched online programs in the past few years.

Based on what he's seen among employers, "My guess would be that if you've got five really qualified applicants, and one of them has the for-profit degree, it could work against them," he says.

A study published this year that found applicants are 22 percent less likely to receive a callback from an employer if they have an online, for-profit business bachelor's degree listed on their resume than if they include a non-selective public university without specifying on ground or online, says David Deming, one of the authors of the report and a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The findings might indicate that public universities have existed for longer, so employers may simply be more familiar with them, or that some employers have had negative experiences with hires from for-profit bachelor's programs, Deming says.

Among other findings, the study revealed that the online, for-profit schools in the sample spent less money per student than the non-selective public universities on instruction in 2013, Deming says.

While a school's reputation matters, recruiters say, what's more important is that an online program is accredited, along with an applicant's skills. Education also matters less for those with several years of work experience, says Jay Houston, president of finance and accounting at the Addison Group, a staffing firm.

[Explore how to tell if an online program is accredited.]

"So many times, we know that a given person with an online degree from a for-profit institution has all the capabilities of anybody else," especially if they balanced a job with their education, he says. That context, he says, is important.

And many employers won't rule out a candidate based on their for-profit education. Connie Ford, vice president of professional practice at the Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona, says the school has hired graduates from the University of Phoenix, for instance.

"We are looking for the best candidate to fit our culture, and to provide the care that children need," she says.

Trying to fund your online education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News Paying for Online Education center.

Jordan Friedman is an online education editor at U.S. News. You can follow him on Twitter or email him at jfriedman@usnews.com.


By Maytaal Angel

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Commission is expected to further strengthen its steel trade defences, possibly as early as October, industry leaders say, as a global trade war in the alloy intensifies and imports keep flooding into the bloc.

The Commision has ramped up trade defences over the past year, slapping anti-dumping duties on products like reinforced bar, cold-rolled carbon steel and cold-rolled stainless steel, ranging between 18.4 and 25.3 percent for imports from China.

Despite that, carbon steel imports in the year to May rose 21 percent, with China now representing 27 percent of total imports, while stainless steel imports rose 17 percent over the period, EU data shows.

"The European Commission know they'll have to act because too many other agents of this planet are fencing off borders," Voestalpine (VOES.VI) Chief Executive Wolfgang Eder said in a conference call with reporters.

Eder, also chairman of World Steel Association, expects to see more "efficient and effective" measures in place this autumn, saying that duties in the region of 20 to 30 percent would go some way to helping the industry.

A European Commission spokesman declined to comment on future trade defences measures.

China, which produces half the world's 1.6 billion tonnes of steel, has struggled to reduce its estimated 300 million tonne overcapacity, and rising prices (SRBcv1) have encouraged its firms to ramp up production for export.

But Beijing denies its firms are dumping or selling steel at below fair value. It says global steel overcapacity is due to the collapse of demand after the 2008 financial crisis.

Countries from Asia to the Americas disagree. The U.S., in the midst of an election year, has slapped duties of up to 450 percent on some Chinese steels.

Still, industry representatives say they are not advocating U.S. style protectionism, but that the EU's renewed determination to protect steelmakers is encouraging.

"A full-fledged war on steel is now ongoing with China," said an EU official familiar with the bloc's steel sector plans.

Story continues

The crunch point could come in October, when the EU might cut the time frame for imposing duties from nine to seven months, and water down or scrap the 'lesser duty rule', which severely limits tariff levels.

"There's been a shift in understanding amongst EU members which we welcome, but we would call on them to do more to efficiently and effectively defend the industry," a spokesman for European steel association Eurofer said.

The EU is scheduled to rule on preliminary anti-dumping duties on plate and hot rolled coil from China in November.

Industry representatives expect a positive ruling, adding that besides the renewed EU drive to protect steelmakers, Britain's vote in June to leave the EU should free the bloc's hand.

Britain was one of a small minority of countries that opposed duties due to concerns about potential retaliation from Beijing.

"Following (Britain's) EU referendum, we see a very high potential for the EU to politically favour domestic steelmakers," Berenberg analyst Alessandro Abate said.

The Commission has 37 anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures in place for steel products, 15 of them concerning China.

(Additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; editing by Susan Thomas)
By Julia Fioretti

BRUSSELS, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The European Union is planning to extend telecom rules covering security and confidentiality of communications to web services such as Microsoft's Skype and Facebook's WhatsApp which could restrict how they use encryption.

The rules currently only apply to telecoms providers such as Vodafone and Orange.

According to an internal European Commission document seen by Reuters, the EU executive wants to extend some of the rules to web companies offering calls and messages over the Internet.

Telecoms companies have long complained that web groups such as Alphabet Inc's Google, Microsoft and Facebook are more lightly regulated despite offering similar services and have called for the EU's telecoms-specific rules to be repealed.

They have also said that companies such as Google and Facebook can make money from the use of customer data.

"Unlike telcos, OTT (web-based) are global players that are allowed to commercially exploit the traffic data and the location data they collect," telecoms group Orange said in a response to the EU's public consultation on the reform proposals.

Under the existing "ePrivacy Directive", telecoms operators have to protect users' communications and ensure the security of their networks and may not keep customers' location and traffic data.

The EU rules also allow national governments to restrict the right to confidentiality for national security and law enforcement purposes.

Many tech companies such as Facebook and Google already offer end-to-end encryption on their messaging and email services.

They argue there is no need to extend the telecoms rules to web services and that the EU should not dictate how they protect their users' communications.

Facebook, which uses full-scale encryption on WhatsApp, said in its response to the Commission's public consultation that extending the rules to online messaging services would mean they could in effect "no longer be able to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the communication through encryption" because governments would have the option of restricting the confidentiality right for national security purposes.

Story continues

"Therefore, any expansion of the current ePD (ePrivacy Directive) should not have the undesired consequence of undermining the very privacy it is seeking to protect," the company said.

Tech companies have been at loggerheads with national governments and police agencies over the use of encryption. Advocates of strong encryption argue the technology is vital for protecting the privacy of consumers and businesses.

The EU document said that the exact confidentiality obligations for web firms would still have to be defined.

The Commission could also force the companies to allow their users to take a copy of their content, for example emails, with them when they switch providers, according to the document.

The EU executive will propose a reform of the ePrivacy rules later this year, while a broader overhaul of the EU's telecoms rules will come in September.

The Commission was not immediately available to comment.

(Reporting by Julia Fioretti. Editing by Jane Merriman)
(Writes through)

By Dhara Ranasinghe

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields pulled away from record lows on Monday as rallying equities dented the appeal of fixed income markets, even as weak economic data kept the onus on central banks to provide stimulus to support global growth.

World shares traded at one-year highs, while European stocks rose to a seven-week peak on the back of firmer healthcare stocks.

Economic data from around the world meanwhile continued to support the case for further monetary stimulus, with Japan's economy expanding at an annualised rate of 0.2 percent in the second quarter and at a much slower pace than forecast.

Manufacturing conditions in the New York region meanwhile weakened in August, data from the New York Federal Reserve showed.

Still, investors were reluctant to pushed bond yields lower given a huge rally in fixed income markets since Britain's vote to leave the European Union in June, analysts said.

"We've had a decent rally in fixed income post Brexit, so there is not much more further we can go until we see some more signals from the ECB on monetary policy," said Owen Callan, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald.

"Equity markets are also at new highs so that's weighing on bonds in a thin summer market," he said.

Germany's 10-year Bund yield rose 3 basis points to minus 0.13 percent, off record lows hit last month at around minus 0.2 percent.

Spain's 10-year bond yield, which hit a record low at around 0.92 percent last week, was at 0.95 percent and steady on the day.

Spanish yields have fallen to record lows in the past week on signs of progress on ending a near eight-month political deadlock. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to accept a reform pact from centrist party Ciudadanos. A vote in favour would be a step closer to forming a government.

A rally in risk appetite helped Portuguese bond yields reverse early rises, with focus turning to the country's ratings outlook.

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Portugal faces a review by Fitch Ratings later this week, which could put the spotlight on its rating and eligibility for the European Central Bank's quantitative easing programme.

"Fitch should reiterate its take on Portugal. However, hawkish comments may raise concerns about DBRS's stance on which QE-eligibility rests," Commerzbank strategists said in a note.

Portugal's debt is rated as junk by the three main ratings agencies (Ba1/BB+/BB+ by Moody's/S&P/Fitch); it remains eligible for quantitative easing only because of a BBB rating from ratings agency DBRS.

For Reuters new Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets (Editing by Jon Boyle)
By Abhinav Ramnarayan

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Euro zone government bond yields held around record lows as poor economic data from Asia kept the onus on central banks to provide stimulus to kick start the global economy.

Japan's second-quarter economic growth fell short of expectations while Chinese activity slowed in July, with investment growing at its slowest pace since the turn of the century, data out on Friday showed.

Chinese stocks jumped to a seven-month high amid speculation more stimulus would be forthcoming, further dimming the allure of top-rated euro zone bonds. Ten-year German Bund yields edging up to minus 0.16 percent.

A Sunday Times report citing UK government sources as saying Britain's exit from the European Union may not take place before the end of 2019 also added to the uncertainty.

"Prolonged uncertainty is damaging for both the UK and euro zone economies. Markets have so far been able to shrug off bad economic news but the longer the Brexit process remains in limbo the harder it will be to ignore," analysts at Mizuho International said in a note.

Spanish and Italian yields held steady. Portuguese 10-year yields, however, rose 2.2 bps in early trading to 2.75 percent before falling back.

The country faces a review by Fitch Ratings later this week, which could put the spotlight on its rating and eligibility for the European Central Bank's quantitative easing programme.

"Fitch should reiterate its take on Portugal. However, hawkish comments may raise concerns about DBRS's stance on which QE-eligibility rests," Commerzbank strategists said in a note.

Portugal's debt is currently rated as junk by the three main ratings agencies (Ba1/BB+/BB+ by Moody's/S&P/Fitch); it remains eligible for quantitative easing only because of a BBB rating from DBRS.

No euro zone government bond issues are due this week, and this could prove supportive for bonds.

Spain's People's Party is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to accept a reform pact from centrist party Ciudadanos.

Story continues

A vote in favour would take acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy another step close to forming a government and ending an eight-month political deadlock.

Also on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Reserve is due to release minutes from the July meeting and the ECB will follow suit the day after, which should give markets some guidance on what course monetary policy will take in coming months.

For Reuters new Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets (Reporting by Abhinav Ramnarayan; Editing by Toby Chopra)
A striking feature of a US election campaign focused on the supposed ills of globalization is how little attention is being drawn to Germanys extraordinarily large external current account surplus. This is all the more surprising considering how much larger are Germanys external imbalances in relation to those of China.

While the IMF now estimates that Chinas external current account surplus might be some 1 to 3 percent of GDP above an appropriate level, it estimates that Germanys is some 3 to 6 percent of GDP too high. Similarly, while the IMF considers that after years of appreciation Chinas exchange rate is now approximately at an appropriate level, it considers that the exchange rate Germany faces is now between 10 and 20 percent too low for that country.

Related: Trump Denounces Globalization, but Trade Experts Arent Buying It

That Germany is running a disturbingly large external imbalance is hardly open to question. According to the most recent official balance of payments data, Germanys external current account deficit rose to the highest level on record. It is now on track to remain above 8.5 percent of gross domestic product for the year as a whole, which would be around three times the size of Chinas current account surplus. Making this surplus all the more troubling is the fact that it is occurring at a time when the German economy is cyclically in a very much stronger position than its European partners.

Germanys maintenance of a current account surplus as large as that it now has would be damaging to both the global and the European economies. From a global perspective, at a time that there is insufficient global aggregate demand, a large German current account surplus constitutes a drain on aggregate demand in the rest of the world. Similarly, from a European perspective, at a time that countries in the European periphery are being required to balance their economies, the maintenance of a large German current account surplus makes that rebalancing all the more difficult.

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While US analysts are now coming to focus their attention on Germanys large external imbalance, as is the US Treasury in its latest currency report to Congress, the solutions that they are proposing to redress this imbalance are partial at best. Such solutions range from requiring of Germany to undertake a greater degree of public infrastructure spending to boost investment or having the German government encourage higher wages from the corporate sector to boost consumption and to make the country less competitive.

Related: Throwing Shade on the Dow's New Record High

The truth of the matter is that the very size of the German external imbalance makes it necessary to contemplate a comprehensive approach if a substantial reduction is to be made in that imbalance. Indeed, in much the same manner as the IMF would prescribe a comprehensive approach for a country to redress a large external current account deficit, so too would a comprehensive approach, albeit in reverse, be indicated for a country with a very large external current account surplus.

Two key elements would be required in such an approach. The first would be to require a substantial appreciation of the currency facing German exporters and importers. Such an appreciation would be needed both to switch resources away from Germanys traded good sector as well as to reduce domestic savings by effectively increasing the real wage level through lowering the price of imports. The second element would be to substantially loosen German domestic fiscal and monetary policies to boost domestic demand to make up for the reduced support to the domestic economy from the external sector.

Sadly, so long as Germany remains tied to the Euro, there is little prospect that it will be faced with a stronger currency anytime soon. Indeed, with US and European monetary policies now out of sync and with the overall European economy still struggling, there is every prospect that the Euro will continue to depreciate. If that were to occur, there is every likelihood that Germanys external imbalance would only increase.

Related: German Economy Lost Growth Momentum in Q2: Economy Ministry

It would seem that the only way that Germany can get a very much more appreciated currency would be if it were to exit the Euro. To be sure, such a move would represent a fundamental departure from current policy. However, if that move is not undertaken, the world should reconcile itself to a large German external current account imbalance for a protracted period of time. Meanwhile countries in the European periphery should brace themselves for continued tough sledding in their efforts to reduce their economic imbalances.

This piece was published originally in Economics 21, a website of The Manhattan Institute.
IAM is the online name of one of our professional trader friends who writes a respected private newsletter to be shared with just a few friends and colleagues. He lets us share the newsletter with you, our readers. We offer it to you largely unedited, so you can see how professionals think and what they talk about. All views belong to the writer.

For seven years and five months the magic of fiat currency has brought us from the brink, or has it? A couple of months ago Radar noticed an article, How to prepare for the next recession. It popped up in email. There were more reports that reminded me of the past. Oh those premature worriers.

In the barbaric old days of the Gold Standard, the pundits figured we would be able pay interest on our debt because we had a budget. It measured growth, debt and spending. It held us accountable because we had the gold standard to govern the printing of more currency. The thought of creating currency with accountability seemed utterly barbaric!

Then, we got a printing press. The pundits rationalized we were civilized and didnt need the accountability; after all, we are civilized and can manage our debt and debt service. We can print the money we need to service our debt and we will grow and collect more taxes. The key assumptions were growing and collecting more taxes.

In the last two weeks the term Goldilocks has resurfaced. Before that it was QE, negative rates, helicopter money and the like. In the old days the term was, Fine Tuning the Economy. The belief was, this time it is different. We can manage this. The Markets will self-regulate. With prudence, we can steer our way through our ups and downs.

All of the assumptions for our economic model require economic growth, job creation, growing wages and capital management.

There is so much more!

The government and American citizens did not heed the advice of the Bernanke when he cautioned the government to address excessive spending and debt accumulation. QE and the Fed can only do so much. Radar remembers the warning!

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When Quantitative Easing began, politicians promised even more freebies and like hungry little birds, citizens demanded more. Care for us; in spite of our bondage, we want fish, leeks, onions, melons and cucumbers.

Growth has diminished, pay has declined, freedom has diminished, choice diminished and prosperity was bartered in exchange.

The middle-class American worker has been defiledsold down the river as jobs were sent away to countries with less regulation, lower wages and lower taxes. It is okay, because, we the government will give you food stamps, health care and a free education. We will get cheaper goods in return. Everyone will benefit (except the American worker.)

U.S. debt has exploded while growth has diminished. Managing this is getting harder not easier.

It is possible for this to continue. Long ago NAFTA passed. It led to increased trading; however, it came with the exportation of jobs, capital and unforeseen consequences. Maybe this time it will be TPP? To this day Americans seem willing to continue this exportation with an apologetic tone that has accompanied our prosperity.

There is so much more, but Radar is glad to get this off its chest!

Where are we now? Radar doesnt call tops or bottoms, but rather trades them. The course we are on can go on longer and higher than we can think or imagine. There will be new events and ways we will deal with them.

Bull markets dont die because of old age, but a change in the course. The markets have spoken and acted by continuing to buy relatively better/up and the Goldilocks promise. One can easily assume that this will go on until something changes that perception. For now it is up, up and away.

A quick and dirty comparison of historical averages would seem to indicate even if the $128 earnings forecast for the S&P 500 are delivered in the next nine to 12 months; stocks will still be overpriced 18% above longer term multiple averages. Will this lead to multiple reversion at some point?

Lets play with that thought. If we stumble, we could experience concerns of even lower growth. A Bear Market could ensue. It would look something like a 20% decline in equity asset values. If accompanied by a recession, the average decline would be something like 33%. When a high is put in, the measure for lower asset prices of 20%/33% could ensue. If 2185.75 were the high, the valuation range could imply 1732/1464. This range would give us mean reversion.

Last week, the market again held value near 2168 http://screencast.com/t/DrTQmDQTj  It tried and managed to extend value above to 2182/Value High/2185.75 Weekly High. We settled at 2180.25. If all is good, (Goldilocks)/the bulls will prevail. If all is good, 2160 should be enough to shake and bake the triple-witch and extend above the highs of 2185.75 to 2201/2215.75. Possibly higher, but lets not put the cart before the horse. The markets have been slowly melting higher.

If 2174/2168 does not hold, there are many areas below that look to need rest and repair. Since we are in a Goldilocks/Fine-Tuning gear, any deviation of the growth promised or events unfurling in a negative way; well, the down side is a group!

Remember, it is not the snake you see that bites you!

Q3 in Development:

Month-to-month value development:

Weekly Development:

I have written this article myself and it expresses my opinions. I am not receiving any compensation or gratuities for it. Radar follows news sources it believes are highly reliable.



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Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, met early last week in St. Petersburg to repair relations that have sharply deteriorated since Turkeys November 2015 shootdown of a Russian Su-24 fighter jet it claimed had entered Turkish airspace from Syria.

But there have been few signs so far of a major thaw at the United Nations, where Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin used a closed-door session of the U.N. Security Council last week to criticize Turkey for permitting what he claims is the continued flow of weapons and terrorists across the border into Syria, council diplomats told Foreign Policy. Moscows private criticism of Ankara hasnt previously been reported.

The rebuke underscored the tensions that continue to define Russias interactions with Turkey even at a time when they are trying to put their relationship back on track after nearly a year of public recriminations and threats risked bringing the two countries to the brink of war. It also reflected the fact that Moscow and Ankara remain deeply divided over the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is receiving direct military assistance from Russia as he fights rebels armed and backed by Turkey.

The Russians were very tough on Turkey in the session, one senior council diplomat said. Churkins remarks, added a second council diplomat, echoed the old Russian argument that Turkey is the main enabler of extremist forces seeking to move weapons and fighters into Syria. Churkin was still going on about how all of this stuff is coming across the border from Turkey and none of you are doing anything about it, the second diplomat said. Churkin also urged opposition supporters, including the United States and Turkey, to cut ties with some of the anti-Assad fighters they support. Basically, what he was saying was, We really dont like the opposition, so can you please change it?' the second council diplomat said.

Following the closed-door session, Churkin also pressed Ankara to reconsider its opposition to a role for Syrian Kurds in the fight against extremists in Syria and urged Turkey to allow the group to participate in U.N.-brokered peace talks. Ankara considers the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) that Russia has championed a terrorist organization. Both Russia, which allowed Syrias Kurds to open an office in Moscow in February, and the United States have sought to cultivate close ties with the PYD and its military affiliate, the Peoples Protection Units, or YPG.

The Russian diplomat told reporters on Aug. 9 that Turkey needs to understand that including the Kurds in the discussion is one of the things that should be important for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

There are some complicating factors in the minds of the people in Ankara, but this is something we believe should be done as quickly as possible, he added.

Ankara maintains that the Syrian Kurds  who draw inspiration from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which Turkey views as a terrorist group  are not part of the legitimate Syrian opposition and that if they do play any role in the talks, they should be part of the Syrian government delegation. Despite its sharp differences with Moscow, Ankara has decided it has to agree to disagree with its Black Sea neighbor. We are over a major hurdle in the last phase of our relations, Turkeys U.N. ambassador, Yasar Halit Cevik, told FP. We had a tradition of working together, even if we do not agree on everything. Both governments have a mutual wish to restore that relationship, he added.

Andrew Tabler, an expert on U.S. policy toward Syria at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said Churkins remarks reflected the likelihood that Erdogan and Putin have not bridged their major differences over how to resolve the brutal civil war in that country. It seems to be that issue is not resolved, Tabler said.

There have been reports that the United States and Russia are working together to try to better coordinate their efforts to fight terrorist groups in Syria, including the Islamic State and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front. But council diplomats said those talks appear to be bearing little fruit.

Russias second highest-ranking diplomat, Vladimir Safronkov, took aim at the United States during an informal council meeting last Monday, saying the Americans have not lived up to their promise to identify moderate opposition groups that should be exempt from airstrikes. The United States is concerned the Russians would use that information to target legitimate opposition groups seeking to overthrow Assads government. Things arent moving, Safronkov told Security Council members on Aug. 8. We still dont know where exactly the moderate opposition is.

Despite their differences, Moscow and Ankara have much to offer one another. Turkey has the power to sharply restrict the ability of anti-government forces to deliver weapons and fighters across the border. And Moscow can help limit the ability of Syrian Kurdish fighters to gain influence and power in Syria.

The basis for that sort of grand bargain would require that Russia end its cooperation with the Kurdish rebels that have served as the most effective fighting force battling the Islamic State. For its part, Turkey would have to yield to Russian pressure to accept the continuation of Syrias rule by Assad or someone else acceptable to Moscow. That would be a hard pill for Erdogan to swallow, given his persistent calls for Assad to step down from power.

Richard Gowan, a U.N. expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said some of Russias criticism of Ankara was valid because it has generally been unwilling throughout much of the five-year conflict to control its border with Syria. For once, Churkin is right, he said. The reality is that Turkey is extremely unlikely to crack down on all the routes extremists use to move men and weapons into Syria.

Erdogan took the first major step to restoring normal relations with Russia in late June, when the Turkish leader wrote a letter to Putin in which he expressed regret for the downing of the Russian plane last year. Diplomats in New York say Russia responded by toning down attacks on Turkey in areas far beyond Syria.

In January, at the height of diplomatic tensions between the two countries, Russia took advantage of a routine vote renewing the mandate of a decades-long U.N. peacekeeping mission in Cyprus to denounce Erdogans government for violating the small countrys airspace.

We are convinced that such actions have a negative impact on the negotiation atmosphere and harm civil aviation in the region and should be curtailed, Churkin said.

But when the missions mandate was extended in July, shortly after Erdogan expressed regret for the shooting down of the Russian fighter jet, Russian diplomats said nothing.

Photo credit: SASHA MORDOVETS/Getty Images
(Reuters) - Senator Ben Sasse was in a fairly lonely place when he wrote on his Facebook page back in February that he could not support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. That is changing. Since Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, staked out his position, the ranks of Republican Trump critics in the U.S. Congress have grown, with the New York real estate mogul stirring almost constant turmoil within his party. The following are Republicans in Congress who have said they will not vote for Trump in the Nov. 8 presidential election, followed by those who have said they are keeping their options open. WILL NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP Senator Ben Sasse. Wrote in February he could not support Trump or his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Sasse wrote: "Mr. Trumps relentless focus is on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation." Senator Lindsey Graham. A strong Trump critic, Graham sought the Republican presidential nomination, but drew little support. He has told reporters he may write in someone for president. Senator Mark Kirk. The Illinois lawmakers faces a tough battle for re-election and withdrew his endorsement of Trump in June, citing Trump's attacks on "Hispanics, women and the disabled like me." Kirk had a stroke in 2012 and uses a wheelchair. He told CNN on Aug. 10 that he will write in former Secretary of State Colin Powell for president. Senator Susan Collins. The Maine moderate said in a Washington Post opinion article on Aug. 8 that she will not vote for Trump or Clinton. She has said she may write in another candidate. Representative Carlos Curbelo. A Cuban-American from Florida, Curbelo was an early Trump critic. "If the nominee is a fraud, and someone who's offensive, and incapable of being an effective president like Donald Trump, I won't support him," Curbelo told Reuters in February. Representative Justin Amash. A libertarian-leaning Michigan congressman, Amash says Trump's policies go in the wrong direction. "I'm not voting for him," he told Reuters in March. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. A Cuban-American whose south Florida district is next door to Curbelo's, Ros-Lehtinen said in May that she will not support Trump or Clinton. Representative Bob Dold. A longtime Trump critic from Illinois who plans to write someone in. Representative Adam Kinzinger. Another Illinoisan, Kinzinger told CNN on Aug. 3 he did not see how he could support Trump. Representative Charlie Dent. The Pennsylvanian said earlier this month he was not planning to vote for Trump or Clinton. Representative Richard Hanna. On Aug. 2, Hanna, of New York state, became the first House Republican to say he will vote for Clinton. He is retiring from Congress at the end of this year. Representative Scott Rigell. A Virginian who is also retiring from Congress, Rigell said on Aug. 7 that he would vote for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. Representative Reid Ribble. The Wisconsinite already was blasting Trump last September, saying Trump was doing "serious damage" to the Republican brand and that he could not support him. Ribble is retiring from Congress. HAVE NOT ENDORSED Some prominent lawmakers have not endorsed Trump, but will not say whether they will vote for him, leaving their options open. Senator Jeff Flake. The Arizona lawmaker on Aug. 9 said there was "slim hope" he could vote for Trump, and added Trump could not win the presidency unless he changes. Senator Pat Toomey. A Pennsylvanian in a tight re-election race, Toomey has not endorsed Trump and says he has not made a decision on what he will do. Senator Ted Cruz. A conservative Texan and former Trump rival for the Republican nomination, Cruz was booed at the Republican convention after he pointedly did not endorse Trump and urged delegates to "vote your conscience." Senator Mike Lee. A Cruz ally, the Utah senator says he has concerns about whether Trump is conservative enough. "He has not endorsed and he has no plans to do so," a Lee spokesman said. Representative Mike Coffman. The Colorado lawmaker has not ruled out voting for Trump, but put out a television ad saying "I don't care for him much." Representative Fred Upton. From Michigan, he says he is not endorsing anyone and has not said for whom he will vote. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jonathan Oatis)
The cast and crew of Fast 8 would like to remind us: Its all about family. In a Facebook message to commemorate the end of filming, the cast of the next Fast and Furious film (coming to theaters in April 2017) put their recent disagreements aside and extended a big thank-you to the actors, producers, crew, fans, and of course, the late Paul Walker.

All of us in the Fast Family wanted to thank you for coming on the ride with us during this epic production, begins the note to fans, which is signed from Your Fast Family. We began in Cuba, visited Iceland, New York and Atlanta, and as we head into our final few days of shooting, we wanted to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to those who have worked so hard over the past 100 days to bring you a movie that is going to be another incredible installment of our saga.

Related: Inside The Rock and Vin Diesels Fast 8 Feud: Tension Has Been Building for Months, Says Source (Update)

The letter goes on to individually thank all the cast members based on when they joined the franchise, beginning with Vin Diesel (who has been at the wheel since this journey began, first as star and then as producer) and ending with Fast & Furious newcomers Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren, Scott Eastwood, and Kristofer Hivju. (Best known for playing Tormund Giantsbane on Game of Thrones, Norwegian actor Hivju is the bearded redhead in the group shot above.) Walker, who died in a car crash in 2013 during a break in production on Furious 7, is singled out as our brother who continues to inspire us all. The Fast Family then thanks the producers, crew, and new director F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) before promising to wow the world with a first look at the new film in December. Let the trailer countdown begin!

Related: Game of Thrones Star Kristofer Hivju Talks Fast 8 and The Last King: The Most Dangerous Film Ive Ever Done

Things seem to have been tense on the set of Fast 8, with stars Dwayne The Rock Johnson calling some of his male co-stars candy asses on social media, and Vin Diesel promising fans, I will tell you everything. Several sources report that Johnson, who came aboard the franchise in Fast Five, has been butting (shaved) heads with original cast member Diesel for months. The Facebook note represents a show of solidarity, bringing back the recurring Fast and Furious theme of family before all. As Johnson wrote on Instagram last week, With any team  thats a family  theres gonna be conflictAnd like any family, we get better from it. At the end of the day me and #F8 co-stars all agree on the most important thing: Delivering an incredible movie to the world.

Related: Vin Diesel and Helen Mirren Nuzzle On Fast 8  See More Shots From the Set
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted marketing approval for Boston Scientific Corporations BSX Emblem MRI Subcutaneous Implantable Defibrillator (S-ICD) System, in line with managements expectations. This approval added another device to this medical technology giants expanding product line of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)  safe devices.

The approval also included magnetic resonance (MR) labeling for all previously implanted Emblem S-ICD Systems of the company; so that going forward all patients will be receive a MRI-enabled S-ICD system from Boston Scientific.

Notably, Boston Scientifics Emblem S-ICD System safeguards patients, at risk of sudden cardiac arrest by not touching their hearts and vasculatures. Therefore this device has the potential to reduce the risk of complications associated with conventional transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator leads.

Moreover, the Emblem S-ICD is 20% thinner and projected to last 40% longer than the companys previous generation of S-ICD.

We believe the recent FDA approval for the next-generation version of this device  the one enabled for undergoing MRI, should enhance Boston Scientifics position in the global multi-billion dollar cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices market.

Apart from being MRI-safe, the device introduces two new features to the market  Smart Pass technology and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Monitor. The Smart Pass technology, also being added to the earlier version through a software update, facilitates more enhanced therapy for patients only when necessary. The AF Monitor feature is a detection tool designed to alert physicians after the identification of AF so they can make more informed treatment decisions for their patients.

Per management, Emblem S-ICD has been a key contributor of the companys top line growth during the recently reported second quarter of 2016, following the international launch of the Emblem MRI S-ICD system in Europe in Apr 2016. Going ahead, the company plans to expand global utilization of its S-ICD systems with more long-term data from the Effortless Registry, growing physician implant experience and widespread expansion in demand for S-ICD systems.

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Besides, the company expects this FDA approval will aid in neutralizing the near-term headwinds it has been suffering from the U.S. MRI high voltage segment.

With the CRM Devices market value currently expected to reach $20.9 billion by 2017, we expect Boston Scientific to capture larger shares of this market going ahead, banking on the recent FDA as well as CE Mark approvals for the Emblem MRI S-ICD. Additionally the growing demand for MRI-safe devices and the strong performance this medical device major has exhibited so far further buoys this optimism.

Some of the notable players in the medical space include NuVasive, Inc. NUVA, Quidel Corp. QDEL and Lantheus Holdings, Inc. LNTH.

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The old career-counseling advice about choosing a job that's a good fit for you is getting support from a new study: Job burnout may be caused by a "mismatch" between an employee's inner needs and the characteristics of his or her job, the study from Switzerland suggests.

For example, a woman who works as an accountant and is an outgoing person who enjoys forming close relationships may be a poor fit in a workplace if her job gives her few chances to socialize and offers her little contact with her colleagues or clients. This type of mismatch  between job demands and social needs  makes a person more prone to burnout, the study revealed.

In the study, the researchers defined burnout as a prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job, said Veronika Brandstatter, a professor of psychology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and the lead author of the study published today (Aug. 11) in the journal the Frontiers in Psychology.

The researchers found that it's important for a person to have a match between his or her needs for two key aspects of the persons job in order to prevent burnout, she said.

One of the aspects is the amount of affiliation  or the level of closeness in the job's social relationships  and the other is power, which means the ability the person has to influence and take on responsibility for other people, Brandstattertold Live Science. [7 Ways to Reduce Job Stress]

A person who has a strong affiliation motive should have a job that offers this individual an opportunity to interact in a friendly manner with other people, she said.

A person who has a strong power motive should have a job that offers this individual the opportunity to take center stage and be in a leadership role, she said. On the other hand, a person who does not have a strong power motive would be more prone to burnout in a leadership position.

Hidden stressors at work

In the study, the researchers recruited 97 men and women ages 22 to 62 who were full-time employees and who had visited a Swiss website that provided information about job burnout.

Story continues

The participants filled out online questionnaires about their background, job characteristics and physical well-being. To determine the participants' motives, the employees were shown five different photos depicting people at work, such as an architect, women in a lab and trapeze artists, and were asked to write a short, imaginary story to explain each picture. The researchers analyzed the participants' stories looking for descriptions of establishing or maintaining social relationships (the affiliation motive), as well as indicating impact or influence on other persons (the power motive).

The researchers found that when employees' personal needs and their job characteristics didn't match up, it acted as a hidden stressor. The researchers characterize the stressor as "hidden" because the employee isn't fully aware of it, Brandstatter said. [9 DIY Ways to Improve Your Mental Health]

The mismatch may not only cause job burnout, but may also influence the number of physical symptoms that workers report, Brandstatteradded.

Indeed, the researchers found that when an individual has a strong inner need to be in a position that involves having power and influence at work, but winds up in a job that does not offer these responsibilities, the employee experienced more physical health complaints, such as headaches, stomach pain, dizziness or sore throats.

People in jobs that don't match their inner needs can work toward making changes to reduce their frustration level and possibly make the situation better, Brandstattersaid. For example, an employee who likes social contact and is strongly motivated by a need for affiliation, but who has little personal interaction at work, might find ways to handle his or her job duties in a more collaborative way that involves more teamwork, she suggested.

Alternatively, an employee who is interested in taking on more responsibility, but is in a position where he or she has no influence on others, might seek out leadership training in order to apply for other career opportunities where this skill is needed.

But not every work situation that may lead to burnout can be resolved, Brandstattersaid. If a person is in a management position but does not enjoy being in a leadership role, that employee will probably need to change jobs, she said.

Originally published on Live Science.

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From Popular Mechanics

The Boeing 747 might be the most versatile aircraft ever flown, and we're not just talking about the many variations of the wide-body jet that have carried passengers around the world during 46 years of active service. The huge plane is also a firefighter-the colossal Global SuperTanker just scored FAA aerial firefighting approval a few weeks ago. And now you can step inside a 3D recreation of the firefighting 747 and experience the tech required to blast nearly 20,000 gallons of fire retardant onto a wildfire at 800 feet.

It's been a long, convoluted flight path for the water-bombing 747 to get here. The airframe originally served Japan Air Lines for nearly 20 years before finding a new home at the now-defunct Evergreen International Aviation. Evergreen had ambitious plans to convert four of its 747 cargo ships into firefighting aircraft. Only one of the airplanes was fully converted, and it wound up parked in the Arizona desert waiting on expensive deferred maintenance. Financial woes forced Evergreen into bankruptcy and the supertanker seemed doomed to live out its existence in the boneyard.

Fast forward a few years and along comes a new business called Global SuperTankers with ambitious plans to rescue the flying firetruck. Recruiting a large team of original Evergreen crew and technicians, Global SuperTankers stripped all the glorious guts from the original Evergreen 747-100 and moved them to the newer and more powerful 747-400. It's this plane that could soon be dropping huge quantities of firefighting compounds from the sky.

Now don't confuse this airplane with a simple dump-and-run water bomber. The 747's liquid drop system is quite advanced. The aircraft houses eight large pressurized tanks each holding 200 lbs. of air and can disperse retardant under high pressure or at the gentler speed of falling rain. The aircraft can also release its entire load on one target or disperse it in up to eight segmented drops.

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This 747 supertanker can pack 19,600 gallons of retardant in its cargo hold. That's nearly twice as much as the next largest aerial tanker; Tanker 10's DC-10 tri-jet which carries a measly 11,600 gallons. Not only that, but the system is approved for retardant, gel, foam, and water drops, or the combination of any two of these agents. Since this airplane is simply an airliner converted for cargo, it can still cruise at over 600 mph and reach any location in the United States from its Colorado base in approximately 2.5 hours and the rest of North America in only two additional hours.

Be sure to experience all the details in the interactive 3D tour where you can virtually maneuver through the entire cabin including the cockpit, crew quarters, and even the first class seating area. That is, if you can pull yourself away from the fascinating details of the liquid drop system that occupies nearly all 20,674 cu. ft. of the main cargo deck.

But don't expect to see the big four-engine tanker dousing flames near you. Not yet, anyway. While the new FAA certification approves Global SuperTankers for performing water drops on state land, there's still one problem; no one has hired them. The U.S. Forest Service is the largest contractor of air tankers in the country, hiring 20 aircraft exclusively for firefighting. They spend roughly $26,000 dollars per aircraft per day to keep them available for battling a fraction of the 50,000 to 60,000 wildfires the USFS responds to each year. The Global SuperTanker is not one of these 20 aircraft. A spokesperson for the service recently told KKTV News in Colorado that contract discussions won't begin until sometime in 2017.

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You seem pretty mature for a skinhead, observes a white supremacist leader of Daniel Radcliffe in Imperium, in which the former Boy Who Lived plays a nebbishy, classical-music-loving FBI agent under deep cover in the neo-Nazi underworld. Its a welcome acknowledgement of the unlikeliness of the casting, which turns out to be one of the films chief strengths. While maturing male actors from Ryan Gosling to Russell Crowe and Edward Norton have strapped on boots and braces as a sort of early proof of the toughness and danger of which theyre capable, Radcliffes performance asks how someone danger-averse and not-at-all tough would ingratiate himself into that dark milieu.

Unlike The Believer, Romper Stomper, or American History X, Imperium  directed and scripted by first-timer Daniel Ragussis  is not principally concerned with exploring the political or psychological dysfunction that drives young men to join violent hate-groups. Indeed, though based on a story by former FBI agent Michael German (who based much of the narrative on his own undercover experiences), Imperiums depiction of the white-nationalist underground is ultimately background for a straightforward potboiler, and the film is at its best when it stays in that arena.

Radcliffes Nate Foster is a brilliant agent, but wet-behind-the-ears, disappointed to discover the jihadist terrorist suspect hes been tracking for weeks is really just a low-level functionary. And yet his ability to empathize with the suspect during questioning attracts the attention of a superior, Angela Zamparo (Toni Collette, all gum-smacking insouciance), who suspects an extremist white nationalist group is trying to build a dirty bomb, and thinks an Alex Jones-styled, right-wing web-radio host (Tracy Letts) might have knowledge of it. Desperate to make his name in the agency, Nate agrees to become her mole.

With nonexistent combat skills or field experience, Nate shaves his head and dives into white nationalist literature, learning all of the passwords and half-secret codes he needs to pass for a fellow traveler, and inventing attributes (a military past, a knowledge of chemistry) that would make him a particularly attractive recruit.

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Once introduced into the scene, Nate encounters a range of distinct, tenuously collaborative groups. There are the skinheads, belligerent and none-too-bright; the far-better-organized Aryan Brotherhood, led by an imposing, militaristic taskmaster (Chris Sullivan); the goonish, almost dorky Klansmen; and most arrestingly, a polite, clean-living, wealthy family man named Gerry (Sam Trammell) whose extremist heart is concealed behind a seemingly reasonable, empathetic exterior. As knowledgeably sketched as these different groups are, director Ragussis leans a bit heavily on their own iconography in some early scenes, orchestrating montages of reactionary kitsch and propaganda that stall the film without revealing much about the characters.

In little time  perhaps a little too little  Nate becomes a sort of Zelig of the racist underworld, moving freely among factions and forging alliances as Angela needles him for actionable intel on terrorist activities. Despite a few overly convenient plot pivots, once the film gets moving, it tightens the screws and forces Nate to think on his feet, building a good deal of momentum. Never resorting to rote gunplay or secret-agent cliches, smartly written scenes concoct difficult dilemmas  how to stop one of his skinhead buddies from harassing an interracial couple without blowing his cover; how to avoid being recognized at a rally  with believable solutions.

It helps that Radcliffe effectively conveys the characters intelligence, including the not-at-all simple trick of suggesting a racing mind without betraying hints of panic. But the real cast standout is Trammell, who eerily manages to put a happy face on some of the ugliest undercurrents of American life. More than the challenges of living a double life, the film suggests that the toughest task for an undercover counterterrorism agent is distinguishing the performative bluster from the active threats. And its idea that the quietest voices may be the most dangerous lands with unsettling resonance.

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By Erwin Seba and Liz Hampton

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A fire that started in a processing unit on Monday at Phillips 66's 260,000 barrel per day Lake Charles refinery in Louisiana, has been put out with no injuries reported, an emergency management official said.

The fire started when a heater tube failed as a hydrogen unit was being shut down at the plant, according to sources familiar with operations. A Phillips 66 representative did not immediately comment.

Local media had earlier said that the fire broke out around midday.

The Lake Charles refinery primarily processes heavy, sour crudes at the facility, as well as some light crude. The refinery relies on a mix of U.S. Gulf Coast streams as well as foreign crude, including barrels from Colombia, Mexico, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Cash crude and products prices remain unchanged after news of the fire, dealers and traders said.

According to a Genscape report, all monitored units remained online by early afternoon.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton and Erwin Seba in Houston, Writing by Catherine Ngai in New York; Editing by Tom Brown and Sandra Maler)
Juan-les-Pins (France) (AFP) - A noise that sounded like gunfire sparked panic at a French Riviera resort as people rushed to flee what they believed was a terror attack, causing a number injuries, the fire service said.

The noise was caused by firecrackers thrown from a car, local radio France Azur reported, adding that around 40 people were injured in the incident late Sunday in Juan-les-Pins.

Video footage showed tables and chairs overturned on the terraces of cafes and restaurants near the beach and people screaming in the stampede.

The incident came amid heightened tension in France after a string of attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, including the July 14 massacre in the Mediterranean city of Nice when a Tunisian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 85 people.

A state of emergency was declared in France after November's IS attacks in Paris which left 130 people dead.

The fire service in Juan-les-Pins, known for its vibrant nightlife and annual jazz festival, said a number of people were lightly injured but did not say how many.

Police were examining CCTV footage to determine the exact cause of the incident.

The Nice Matin newspaper quoted witnesses as saying beachgoers rushed into the streets of the busy nightlife area on hearing what they feared was gunfire.

One witness told AFP he saw "a lot of people running" in a "stampede caused by the panic" that "left dozens of people slightly injured".

The injured were treated at the scene, some in the restaurants, and "police cordoned off the town centre," he said.

In New York on Sunday, unfounded reports of shots fired at the city's main John F. Kennedy airport triggered scenes of panic, evacuations and huge flight delays.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / FIRST BITCOIN CAPITAL CORP. (OTC markets: BITCF), announced today that FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) has approved its name change to FIRST BITCOIN CAPITAL CORP from Grand Pacaraima Gold Corp. The change will be reflected at the opening of the market today, August 15th, 2016. For shareholders, the name change has no effect on the stock that is held. The name will automatically change in shareholders' brokerage accounts and the amount of shares will remain unchanged.

All shareholders are asked to update their email addresses in order to receive Company electronic communications and further instructions. Kindly send an email to us via: info@bitcoincapitalcorp.com

The company is excited to announce that it has developed for its own account and third parties certain crypto currencies such as TeslaCoil Coin (trading symbol TESLA), President Clinton coin (trading symbol HILL), President Trump coin (trading symbol PRES) , President Johnson (trading symbol GARY). These last three digital crypto coins -we believe to be history's first commemorative election coins trading as crypto currencies and public interest in these commemorative coins may increase as the election process comes to a close with the winning candidate's coin showing the most interest. These currencies have been launched using the OMNI protocol, developed by OMNI FOUNDATION and ride on the rail of the Bitcoin blockchain.

We also believe that we are history's first publicly traded company to develop a blockchain for our shares to dually trade both in a traditional market (OTC Markets) and on crypto currency exchanges, such as company's own cryptocurrency exchange COINQX. Our crypto currency symbol is: BIT

About the company:

First Bitcoin Capital is engaged in developing digital currencies, proprietary Blockchain technologies, and the digital currency exchange- www.CoinQX.com We see this step as a tremendous opportunity to create further shareholder value by leveraging management's experience in developing and managing complex Blockchain technologies, developing new type of digital assets. "Being first publicly-traded cryptocurrency and blockchain-centered company we want to provide our shareholders with diversified exposure to digital cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies." At this time Company owns and operates the following digital assets.

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www.BITCoinCapitalcorp.com company website. www.CoinQX.com Company operated Cryptocurrency Exchange, registered with FINCEN. www.iCoiNEWS.com real time cryptocurrency and bitcoin news site www.BITminer.cc company provides mining pool management services. www.2016coin.org online daily election coverage and home page for $PRES,

$HILL and $GARY coins

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings, which are on file at www.OTCMarkets.com.

SOURCE: First Bitcoin Capital Corp.
First Solar Inc. FSLR has won contracts to supply 160 megawatts (MW) of photovoltaic (PV) modules for two projects in Turkey. Two Turkish energy companies  Basariarge Enerji A.S. and Zorlu Enerji, a subsidiary of Zorlu Holding  have awarded the contract in the first half of the year.



Details of the Projects



The contract includes 100 MW of high-performance Series 4 thin-film modules for Zorlu Enerjis Turkey-based projects, which are expected to be finished in 2017.



The remaining 60 MW will comprise modules for Basariarge Enerji  a joint venture between Basari Yatirimlar, a Turkish infrastructure company, and the Basari Group  to utilize in its projects. The modules will also be employed in PV power plants, for which Basariarge Enerji will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services.



Delivery of the first modules is scheduled later this year. However, the company did not disclose the value of the two contracts.

FIRST SOLAR INC Price

FIRST SOLAR INC Price | FIRST SOLAR INC Quote

Efforts on Expanding in Turkey



According to Georges Antoun, First Solars Chief Commercial Officer, these contracts prove that solar energy, incorporated with First Solars technology, is the best solution for the present energy security challenges in Turkey as the company can deliver cost-competitive electricity to meet the immediate requirement.



Antoun added that First Solar has made considerable progress in the country and is looking forward to future growth in the region on the back of its solid track record over the past two years.



Since Apr 2014, when First Solar opened an office in Istanbul, the company has received contracts totaling 300 MW in the country. In fact, it was one of the first operators in the industry to recognize the massive potential of the Turkish market.



So far, 2016 has witnessed a major surge in investment in the Turkish PV sector, along with a growing number of solar companies trying to enter into and establish their presence in the country.



More about First Solar



First Solar has been able to develop economically sustainable businesses as it gained expertise in PV generation solutions as well as in other areas of the solar-value chain, such as project development, EPC capabilities and O&M services. First Solar continues to focus on retaining its competitive edge and aims to further consolidate its position in the market.



However, the company faces intense competition from other players in the same space that include SolarCity Corporation SCTY, Canadian Solar Inc. CSIQ and JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. JASO.



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LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Rating agency Moody's warned that Russia's credit rating was facing fresh pressure after a resurgence in fighting between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces in Crimea.

The agency said the tensions could be a blow to Ba1 negative-rated Russia's economic recovery hopes and that Western sanctions could well be tightened again if the trouble escalated further.

It is "a credit negative for Russia", Moody's said in a new research note.

"If the fighting were to spread to a new front in Crimea and intensify further in Donbass, international sanctions would likely tighten and be extended, which would renew capital flight and rouble exchange rate weakness, and eventually undermine Russia's economic recovery." (Reporting by Marc Jones, editing by Nigel Stephenson)
Dear Annie: My team at a mid-sized consumer-goods company is getting ready to start visiting college campuses in the fall, meeting potential interns and new hires who will graduate either in January or next spring. One of my colleagues says that we'd do fine sticking to our approach for the past few years, which has emphasized the things Millennials care about, like the chance to learn new skills, the option to telecommute, and an active company-sponsored volunteer program that provides a chance to give back to the community. My coworker says Gen Z can't be much different from Gen Y, but is that necessarily true? I don't want to overlook anything that could give us an edge with this new batch of kids. What do you think? -- Marty in Michigan

Dear M.M.: You've certainly picked the right moment to ask. Born in 1995, the oldest members of Gen Z are turning 21 this year, which means that some already graduated in the Class of 2016. Gen Z is a much smaller demographic cohort than Gen Y, so "the competition for them is going to be intense," notes Dan Black. He says that you and your coworker are both right. "In some ways, Millennials and Gen Z are very similar -- but there are a few interesting differences, too."

As head of recruiting for the Americas at audit-and-consulting powerhouse EY (formerly Ernst & Young), Black has taken a close look at what Millennials' younger brothers and sisters are hoping to find in their first jobs. For one thing, he's met and chatted with many of the almost 4,000 interns working at EY this summer; and the firm recently surveyed 3,200 Gen Zers worldwide about what kind of company they'd feel most comfortable working for. Black also hosted a series of informal "town hall" gatherings on college campuses, inviting college students and local high school kids to talk about how they see their futures. "This is not a shy bunch," he says. "They're much more confident and assertive about their goals, and a lot more knowledgeable about employers, than Millennials were at the same age."

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Like their older brothers and sisters, many Gen Zers say they want to do work that "makes a difference" and has a positive impact on the world. But they're also more concerned about job security than the generation just before them. "They were at a very impressionable age during the financial crisis," notes Black. "Watching what happened to many of their moms and dads' careers during the worst economic downturn since the 1920s really left a mark on them." Partly as a result, Black has noticed that Gen Zers are a bit more inclined than Gen Y to favor the idea of developing skills and building career in one place, rather than hopping around from one employer to another.

Black has 3 suggestions for recruiters on what to talk about with young potential hires on campuses this fall:

How your company's work benefits the larger world. "You don't have to pretend to be the Peace Corps, but do point out how you contribute to the greater good," says Black, adding that this is possible for almost any employer who's willing to "talk less about what you do and more about why." Take, for instance, EY's audit and tax practice, which "doesn't sound thrilling at first," he says. "But if we do our jobs well, our clients can make better financial decisions and generate more profits. That leads to more job creation, which makes the whole economy stronger."

Benefits that matter right now. Even if your company has a terrific retirement plan, its appeal is too far off in the future to interest Gen Z, so talk more about how your benefits could affect their lives before they turn, say, 30. For instance, what's your company policy on paid parental leave? How about your student-loan-repayment program, if you have one? Notes Black, "Keep in mind that Gen Z is thinking much more short-term. They really want to hear about benefits they'll be able to use in the next few years."

Customized career paths. Noticeably more than even Milliennials, "Gen Z is used to having everything personalized just for them, from playlists to newsfeeds to product features of all kinds. They've grown up expecting that," Black says. "So, to the extent that you honestly can, emphasize that you're willing and able to develop a career path for them that builds on their particular strengths and helps them develop their interests."

One other thought you might find useful: Chicago-based staffing and recruiting firm LaSalle Network recently polled about 3,000 new college grads and found a few surprises. Unlike many Millennials, for instance, the Class of 2016 doesn't seem to care much about telecommuting, with only about 10% saying it matters to them in choosing an employer. Instead, new grads rated "opportunity for growth" their Number One priority. So when you meet with them, "share stories about employees who have been promoted internally," the study suggests, and describe where the job you're looking to fill right now could lead.

Good luck!

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
LONDON (Reuters) - Tributes poured in for former English premier league striker Dalian Atkinson on Monday after he died when police fired a high-voltage Taser stun-gun at him during an incident in his home town. West Mercia police said officers had been called to "a report for the concern for the safety of an individual" in Telford, central England, in the early hours of Monday and a Taser gun had been deployed. Atkinson, 48, whose former clubs included Aston Villa and Spain's Real Sociedad, was given medical treatment at the scene but later died. "Aston Villa is saddened to hear of the death of our former striker Dalian Atkinson," the club said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this terrible time." The incident has now been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, the police watchdog, which said its officers had launched an investigation. A witness told the local paper The Shropshire Star that Atkinson appeared to be staggering in the street towards officers who fired the stun gun at him. Civil rights groups have spoken of their concern about the increasing use of stun guns and their potential risk. According to figures from the Home Office (interior ministry), police discharged Tasers 1,921 times last year. Atkinson began his soccer career at Ipswich Town and scored a goal in Aston Villa's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the 1994 League Cup final. His strike against Wimbledon in 1992, in which he ran from his own half, beating numerous challenges before chipping the ball over the goalkeeper's head, was named Goal of the Season by BBC's "Match of the Day" programme. "Terrible news about Dalian Atkinson. Losing his life after being tasered by police. Thoughts are with this fine footballer's family," Gary Lineker, the show's current presenter, wrote on Twitter. Atkinson's former team mates and clubs added their messages of shock and sympathy. "Terribly sad news about our former striker. Our thoughts are with Dalian's family and friends at this tragic time," Ipswich said on Twitter. Defender Paul McGrath, who played with Atkinson in the League Cup final, said on twitter: Don't feel to gud at the moment , Dalian Atkinson was a huge part of the Villa family I played with lovely kid and friend R.I.P pal." (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison)
BILLINGS -- On the day the Billings Library Board learned the librarys assistant director was resigning, the board unanimously approved a plan requiring parents opt in before their children ages 13-17 can access one of the librarys four unfiltered computers.

The action followed a statement of concern written by City Administrator Tina Volek, who noted the Billings City Council was set to take up a discussion during Mondays work session on whether children younger than 18 should have access to the four library computers that dont have internet filters.

Volek proposed  and the library board approved  an opt-in policy in which parents must write a letter authorizing that their children age 13-17 may use one of the unfiltered computers. The current policy is opt-out, in which parents must write a letter if they dont want their children to have that access.

Library Board Chair Stella Fong said during Thursdays library board meeting that the decision belongs to the board.

The city council does not have the right to tell us how to proceed, she said. In June we voted not to do this, but were revisiting it due to this statement of concern. We need to protect children, but I hope this does not set a precedent for the city council to come in and tell us what to do at every turn.

Kathy Robins, the librarys systems administrator, said that over the past seven years, only four families have written letters ensuring that their children would not have access to the unfiltered computers.

Some board members said they dont want library internet filter software to limit, for example, access to one political party or another.

Filtering can be very subjective, said Jennifer Quinn. If its limited to pornography and sexual content, thats fine. But if its political sites that are filtered, or basic knowledge, I think we need to address that.

Gavin Woltjer, who began as library director Aug. 1, said he believes Voleks solution is a good compromise, but I want to handle it delicately, because this is an unresolvable issue.

Many sites, she said, "are misogynistic."

Board member Bernie Rose called Volek's request "an excellent compromise."

The parent is always in charge, said Roger Young, a fellow board member. Thats the safest place for us to fall.

Via telephone, library board member Bill Lamdin told the board that he, too, supported Voleks approach. Its better not to get into a kerfuffle with the council, he told Robins, who relayed Lamdins comment to the board.

The board was given library use statistics comparing the 2015-16 fiscal year with the preceding fiscal year. Total circulation was up 2 percent, while downloadable use was up 12 percent.

At about 372,000, the number of people using the building during the most recent fiscal year was up 9 percent from the previous year.
Family and friends will pay their respects at a wake Monday and Tuesday for Daniel Fitzpatrick, the 13-year-old boy from Staten Island, New York, who hung himself on Thursday after allegedly being bullied in school.



Daniel's heartbroken family arranged four viewings at the Harmon Funeral Home on Staten Island on Monday and Tuesday, an employee at the funeral home tells PEOPLE.



The funeral mass will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Sacred Heart R.C. Church in Staten Island.



Dozens paid their respects to Daniel and his family on the funeral home's website. "So sorry for the loss of your son. This broke my heart. Sleep in peace sweet angel," one mourner wrote.



Daniel's sister found his body in the attic on Thursday. The cause of death was hanging and the manner was suicide, New York City Medical Examiner spokesperson Julie Bolcer confirmed to PEOPLE.



In a heartbreaking suicide note that his parents gave to The New York Daily News, the teen claimed he was bullied tirelessly at Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.



"I gave up," wrote Daniel, who would have been a freshman at Brooklyn's Xaverian High School in the fall.



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"The teachers either they didn't do ANYTHING!" he wrote in the handwritten note.



Daniel's father, also Daniel Fitzpatrick, posted a video to his Facebook page on Saturday to thank people for their support. In the video, he condemns both the boys who allegedly "tormented" his son and the Catholic school that allegedly told the younger Daniel, "You'll be fine ... These things will pass" when the teen said he went to school officials for help.



"Thank you to all the people out there for your support and condolences, your thoughts and your shares," the elder Daniel says in the Facebook video. "My son's story is now out there for the world to see and for the world to know the pain that he went through. I miss my son very much."



"No parent should have to bury their child. No child should have to go through what my son went through."



Holy Angels Catholic Academy has not responded to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
Global specialty retailer, The Gap, Inc. GPS has been struggling with waning top-line results, owing to ever-changing fashion trends, slow traffic and currency headwinds. Though the company breathed a sigh of relief when it broke its fourteen month record of negative comparable store sales (comps) in June, Gaps sales data for July and second-quarter fiscal 2016 remained soft. So, is the company back to the grind? Lets find out.



Gaps net sales and comps for both the aforementioned periods declined year over year as a result of continued weakness witnessed across its namesake and Banana Republic brands. However, second quarter net sales came ahead of our estimates, thus adding something positive to the otherwise dull picture.



Further, the performance of the companys Old Navy brand was decent, which added another ray of hope. This brand, which was once the knight in shining armor for Gap, delivered flat comps for July as well as the second quarter, following positive comps in June. That said, we believe the companys efforts to revive the Old Navy brand have started to pay off.



This is in tandem with the recently chalked-out strategic plan that advocates positioning the company to match the accelerated pace of change in the apparel industry. The company intends to escalate its transformation plan by bringing meaningful changes to its product portfolio and operating capabilities worldwide. The company remains committed to better position itself for long-term growth by setting its priorities right and channelizing its resources accordingly.



Gap plans to focus on growing its brands in regions which offer greater structural advantage and potential to expand market share. Apart from focusing on the market positioning of each of its brands, the company remains keen on streamlining its operating model by creating a more proficient global brand structure. By doing this, it anticipates its brands to better leverage its scale advantages and quickly ascertain and respond to the changing needs of customers and the retail landscape.



However, the apparel and accessories retailer operates in a highly fragmented market and competes with a number of well-established players such as American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. AEO, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. ANF and Nordstrom Inc. JWN in terms of fashion, quality and service. Failure to offer high-quality distinguished products at a competitive price may hamper Gaps market share, consequently resulting in reduced top and bottom lines.



While the troubles at Gap are quite obvious, we believe the companys calculated plan provides the much needed boost to turn around its operating performance. That said, lets wait and see what lies ahead for Gap.



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Beit Hanun (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - Palestinian businessmen staged a protest Monday at a crossing between Gaza and the Jewish state over what they said was Israel's mass cancellation of travel permits that was suffocating trade.

Palestinians accuse the Jewish state of having scrapped hundreds of travel documents allowing them to enter Israel and the West Bank as well as other countries for trade.

The permits are crucial to the economy of the impoverished Gaza Strip, on the brink of collapse after a 10-year Israeli blockade, according to the World Bank and United Nations.

Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent the Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the strip, from rebuilding its military forces and positions.

COGAT, the defence ministry body responsible for implementing government policies in the Palestinian territories, refused to comment on Monday.

But an Israeli official confirmed to AFP: "There are currently 1,600 trading permits, compared to 2,800 in the same period in 2015."

Walid al-Hosary, chairman of the Gaza chamber of commerce, said that "more than 1,500 permits and more than 160 authorisation cards for merchants and businessmen have been withdrawn."

Israel had cited "security reasons", he told the demonstrators at the Erez crossing.

Also, "the entry into the Gaza Strip of many of the necessary raw materials and goods for the industrial sector have also been prevented," he said.

"We also call for more neutrality in the private sector and for it not to be mixed in any political decisions, because traders, businessmen and industrialists do not have anything to do with political matters," Hosary said.

Wedged between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean, the Gaza Strip is home to about 1.9 million Palestinians.

Israel controls all but one of the crossing points with Gaza -- the Rafah crossing into Egypt.
A 57-year-old man who went to the emergency room for swelling of his extremities learned that his symptoms had an unusual cause: a massively enlarged chamber of his heart, according to a brief report his case.

Imaging tests revealed that the man had what his doctors described as a "giant right atrium," according to the report, published Aug. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The right atrium is one of the four chambers of the heart.

Because of the enlarged chamber, the man had a "cardiothoracic ratio" of 0.82, according to the report. [Here's a Giant List of the Strangest Medical Cases We've Covered]

The cardiothoracic ratio is a ration of the width of the heart is compared to the width of the chest, said Dr. David Majdalany, a cardiologist and director of the adult congenital heart disease center at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who was not involved with the man's case. In other words, this man's heart was occupying 82 percent of the width in his chest cavity. A normal cardiothoracic ratio is less than 0.5, meaning that the heart takes less than 50 percent of the width in the chest, Majdalany added.

Indeed, an isolated enlarged right atrium is a very rare condition, Majdalany said.

The right atrium of the heart is responsible for receiving the blood that has returned from its trip around the body. From the right atrium, the blood is pumped down, into the lower chamber of the heart called the right ventricle, and it is then pumped out of the heart and sent to the lungs to receive oxygen, Majdalany said.

In the man's case, the doctors suspected that he was born with the condition. However, certain heart problems can also lead to an enlarged right atrium, Majdalany told Live Science. For example, conditions that cause too much blood to flow into the right atrium may lead to enlargement, he said. This is because the chamber needs to make more space to accommodate that extra volume of blood, he said. High pressure in the right chambers of the heart can also lead to right atrial enlargement, he said.

Story continues

Problems with the valves in the heart (such as a leaky or narrow tricuspid or pulmonary valve), a hole between chambers of the heart, or abnormal vessels draining into the right atrium can cause too much blood to flow into the right atrium and increase the pressure within it, or the chamber size, Majdalany said.

But when the right atrium is enlarged with high pressure, blood doesn't return efficiently to the heart, which can cause pooling and swelling in the lower extremities, as the man in the case experienced. This slowdown in blood flow is what can cause swelling in other parts of the body, as the man in the case experienced. Because the right atrium receives the blood from the rest of the body, a problem with it can decrease blood flow in the vessels that lead to the atrium, including the veins in a person's legs, Majdalany said. Poor blood flow in the legs can result in swelling, he said.

Another problem that arises from slowed blood flow is the risk of clots, Majdalany said. When blood is not moving along, it's more likely to clot, he said. These clots can form in the legs or the right atrium and travel to the lungs, or if there is a hole between the two atria, to the brain and cause a stroke, he added.

There are different approaches to treating a person with an enlarged right atrium, Majdalany said. The treatment depends in part on whether the patient has symptoms, and in part on what caused the condition in the first place. For example, if the condition is caused by a problem with a valve or excess blood flow into the right atrium, surgeons may repair the valve or re-route the blood flow, Majdalany said. If the condition is caused by a problem with the heart's rhythm, a procedure called "ablation" may be used to correct the rhythm, he said. And in some cases, surgeons can operate to reduce the size of the atrium, he said.

In the man's case, the doctors who treated him did not perform any surgeries, they wrote in their report. The man was given anticoagulants to prevent blood clots and his condition has not gotten any worse in the past year, according to the report.

Originally published on Live Science.

Editor's Recommendations

Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEWS BRIEF The Nigerian militant group that kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls more than two years ago has released a video purportedly showing dozens of them alive.

The footage from Boko Haram, posted on Twitter Sunday by Nigerian journalist Ahmad Salkida, appears to show more than 40 girls, covered in hijabs and some holding infants. The Islamist militant group alleges they were among the 278 abducted from their school in Chibok in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014. Dozens of girls managed to escape in the hours after the ambush, but the fate of the missing 218 girls remains unknown.

In the video, which lasts 11-and-a-half minutes, a militant, masked and dressed in camouflage, warns the Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari, that if bombing continues, the girls will not be seen again, according to the APs translation of the Hausa language. He says some of the girls have life-threatening injuries, and that 40 have been married to militants. Later, one of the schoolgirls addresses the Nigerian government, asking officials to release detained Boko Haram militants in exchange for the girls. She says some of the girls died in air strikes by Nigerian forces, which are trying to drive the militant group out of the country.

Recommended: How Closely Are Paul Manafortand Donald TrumpTied to Vladimir Putin?

Heres a still image from the video, from Reuters:

Reuters TV

The video also shows what appears to be the bodies of schoolgirls on the ground, lifeless.

The video was cited by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors potential jihadist activity on the internet. Nigerias Ministry of Information and Culture, Nigeria said in a Facebook post Sunday government officials are communicating with the individuals allegedly behind the video. Several parents have already told news organizations they recognized their daughters in the video.

In May, one of the schoolgirls was found, along with her four-month-old baby and a man claiming to be her husband, by Nigerian forces in a forest in the northeast part of the country. She was the first of the hostages to be rescued.

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The insurgency of Boko Haram, which adheres to strict Sharia law and opposes Western-style education, is in its seventh year. More than 20,000 people have been killed and two million driven from their homes during the uprising. Relatives of the captive schoolgirls and other demonstrators hold regular protests in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, calling for the government to increase its efforts to find them.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
Global Water Resources, Inc. GWRS second-quarter adjusted loss per share of 1 cent. However, the Zacks Consensus Estimate was earnings of 2 cents.



Total Revenue



Second-quarter total revenue of $7.6 million lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8 million by 5%. Quarterly revenues were also down 16.5% year over year.

Segmental Highlights



Water Services registered revenues of $3.6 million in the second quarter, down from $5.1 million in the prior-year quarter.



Wastewater and Recycled Water Services revenues came in at $3.9 million, up from $3.8 million in the year-ago period.



Unregulated revenues amounted to $0.02 million, down from $0.18 million in second-quarter 2015.

GLOBL WATER RES Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

GLOBL WATER RES Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | GLOBL WATER RES Quote

Highlights of the Release



Total operating expenses in the reported quarter decreased marginally to $6.7 million primarily due to lower operations and maintenance expenditure.



Operating income came in at $0.83 million in the second quarter of 2016, down from $2.3 million in the prior-year quarter.



Interest expenses significantly increased to $7.5 million from $2.1 million in the year-ago quarter.



Financial Highlights



Cash and cash equivalents were $25.6 million as of Jun 30, 2016, up from $11.5 million as of Dec 31, 2015.



Long-term debt and capital leases was $114.5 million as of Jun 30, 2016, up from $102.4 million as of Dec 31, 2015.



For the first six months of 2016, cash used in operating activities was $2.5 million compared with cash of $0.76 million provided by operating activities.



Capital expenditure in the first six months of 2016 amounted to $2.6 million, up from $1.1 million in the prior-year period.



Excluding the impact of the divestiture of the Valencia and Willow Valley assets, active service connections increased by 36.8 thousand, up 1.4% from the tally at Dec 31, 2015.



Peer Releases



Aqua America Inc.s WTR second-quarter earnings of 33 cents per share were on par with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.



California Water Service Groups CWT second-quarter 2016 operating earnings per share of 24 cents lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 26 cents by 7.7%.



SJW Corp.s SJW second-quarter 2016 operating earnings per share of 66 cents surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents by 60.9%.



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Country flags are waving, national anthems are sung and patriotism is running especially high since the Aug. 5 Opening Ceremony kicked off the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Some of the loudest cheers can be expected from Israelis, who seem to have the strongest sense of national identity -- or the weakest conviction that they are global citizens, anyway. In the Best Countries survey of more than 16,000 people from 37 countries, respondents from Israel disagreed most strongly with the statement, "I feel more like a citizen of the world than my country."

An overwhelming 80 percent of respondents from Israel said they disagreed with the statement, half of whom indicated that they "disagree strongly," instead of moderately or slightly. In Kenya, the second most nationalistic country according to the survey, a much smaller portion of respondents -- 27 percent -- indicated that they "disagree strongly" with the statement.

National identity and pride take time to develop, according to a June report published in the political science journal Research & Politics.

It "is likely greater in older than in younger nations because older nations have, all else equal, had more time to accumulate experiences and events (related to, for example, literary, scientific and art work, as well as political events and wars) that can be memorialized as national achievements," write the authors, a concept supported by outcomes from their own survey in Europe.

But as national pride claims its stake within country borders over the years, so, too, does a sense of interconnectedness in the modern world, taking root in the literal cables and trade routes that cross between borders.

For the first time in 15 years, public opinion researchers at GlobeScan found that a global majority "see themselves more as global citizens than citizens of their country" in 2016.

Patriotism is also lower in younger generations, according to a YouGov survey in Britain, perhaps related to their greater exposure to globalization. In one of the purest recent expressions of nationalism, citizens of the the U.K. voted in June to leave the European Union, a decision driven by older voters. Younger citizens voted overwhelmingly to remain a part of the economic and political partnership, but had lower rates of voter turnout.

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Globalization is not without its troubles, though. Since the global financial crisis in 2009, feelings of global citizenship have hit all-time lows in established economies like Germany and other member states of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to GlobeScan.

In the Best Countries survey, respondents from centuries-old nations like Sweden, Spain and Hungary are rather evenly split when asked to consider the statement, "I feel more like a citizen of the world than of my country." In the U.S., where presidential candidate Donald Trump has made nationalistic themes cornerstones of his campaign , nearly two-thirds of survey respondents disagreed with the statement.

[READ: In Trump, the World Sees 'The Ugly American.']

The financial crisis seems to have had the opposite effect on developing economies like Nigeria and Peru, or non-OECD nations, where the sentiment of global citizenship continues to grow, according to GlobeScan.

India, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey had the greatest portion of self-identified global citizens, with at least 65 percent of respondents indicating that they agree with the statement.

Here are the top 10 countries that both agree and disagree with the statement, "I feel more like a citizen of the world than of my country."

Country Agree Agree Strongly Best Countries Rank India 73.5% 19.2% 22 UAE 67.1% 17.9% N/A Turkey 64.9% 21.5% 30 Vietnam 62.3% 13.8% 32 Italy 62.2% 12.6% 13 Thailand 61.9% 11.1% 21 Egypt 59.3% 22.1% 39 China 59.2% 9.2% 17 Saudi Arabia 58.8% 24.1% 29 Mexico 58.7% 17.6% 27

Deidre McPhillips is a data reporter at U.S. News. You can find her on Twitter or email her at dmcphillips@usnews.com.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Golden Predator Mining Corp. (GPY.V) (the "Company") is pleased to announce the discovery of visible gold mineralization in the newly identified Jack of Spades quartz vein at its 3 Aces Project in southeastern Yukon. This is the first discovery arising from the Company's phase II exploration program commenced on August 3, 2016 (GPY NR16-24). The Jack of Spades vein was discovered through systematic trenching and mapping of a small portion of one of the 16 soil anomalies present across the 10 km2 central core area of the 225 km2 property.

For pictures of the 3 Aces Project, Jack of Spades vein and visible gold please see the enclosed link:

http://www.goldenpredator.com/_resources/news/3Aces-Jack-of-Spades-Vein-Discovery-Slide-Show.pdf .

Additional photos are also available on the Company website at http://www.goldenpredator.com/projects/3-aces/.

The Jack of Spades Vein

The newly discovered Jack of Spades vein is 2.5m thick and is located 100m east of the Sleeping Giant vein (now renamed the Ace of Spades vein), and 1,100m east-northeast of the Main Discovery Vein, (now renamed the Ace of Hearts vein). Trenching at the Jack of Spades vein has exposed 25m of strike length and the top 3m of dip extent. Patchy coarse gold, sometimes crystalline, occurs within a 4m x 3m area along the western end of the exposed Jack of Spades vein. Two other occurrences of visible gold occur in the central area of the Jack of Spades vein. This style of mineralization is consistent with the gold occurrences along and within the Ace of Spades vein.

The newly discovered Jack of Spades vein, trending 097/60SW has a different orientation than the previously discovered Ace of Spades vein and Ace of Hearts vein. The Ace of Spades vein which is oriented 050/50SE is the site of the Company's bulk sampling conducted earlier this year (see news release NR16-07 dated March 31, 2016). The Ace of Hearts vein, which is oriented 170/70NE is the site of the original discovery of coarse gold in an outcropping quartz vein in 2009.

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The Jack of Spades vein, Ace of Spades vein and Ace of Hearts vein have all formed at the contact between softer shales and harder sandstone to conglomerate grit unit. Optimal conditions contributing to vein geometry include the intersection of high-angle, north to north-northwest trending structures and the favorably oriented contact between the shales and the grit unit. These northerly trending structures appear to exhibit a significant influence over gold mineralization as coarse visible gold occurs along with arsenopyrite adjacent to and within their intersections with the westerly Jack of Spades vein.

The newly recognized relationships between gold mineralization, structure and host rock lithology will provide better targeting for the potential discovery of additional high grade vein zones. Once the mapping and trenching program have sufficiently delineated and prioritized mineralized veins within the numerous soil anomalies across the approximate 10km2 central core of the project area, the Company will initiate its planned RC drill program.

Systematic panel sampling has been conducted along the exposed extent of the Jack of Spades vein. These larger samples (appx. 12kg each) have been submitted to ALS Chemex for screen metallic gold analysis. Importantly, the Company's aggressive mapping and trenching program is already well underway with the discovery of the Jack of Spades vein.

3 Aces Project, Yukon

The 3 Aces property is a 225 km property consisting of 1,118 contiguous quartz claims (23,000 hectares) located in southeast Yukon and includes the two highest grade surface outcrops discovered to date in the Yukon. The veins discovered to date are characterized by coarse nuggetty gold with a low sulphide content consistent with an orogenic vein model. The property is located along the all-season Nahanni Range Road which accesses the Cantung Mine located 40 kilometers to the north.

The 3 Aces property contains a number of quartz veins and vein zones that cut Cambrian aged limestone, shale, quartz grit and chert pebble conglomerates of the Hyland Group. Previous sampling and exploration by Golden Predator has outlined extensive gold-in-soil anomalies over ten square kilometers, including five high grade gold in quartz veins that contain coarse visible gold. Exploration work in 2015 and 2016, including metallurgical studies, Rotary Air Blast drilling, Reverse circulation drilling and bulk sampling, has focused on establishing the grade and continuity of the Ace of Spades vein (previously called the Sleeping Giant vein). Previous diamond drilling in 2012 had intersected the vein but returned lower than expected grades. The work in 2015 and 2016 has confirmed the high grades of the vein and established a sampling protocol which is resulting in a better estimation of gold grades within the veins. This work, the sampling protocol and the Phase II program are designed to significantly advance the understanding and discoveries on the project in 2016 and 2017.

The 3 Aces property is located in the traditional territory of the Kaska Nation. In January 2013, Golden Predator signed an Exploration Agreement with the Kaska Nation, as represented by the Ross River Dena Council and the Liard First Nation, with respect to activities within their traditional territories.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mike Burke, P. Geo, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and Chief Geologist for the Company.

Golden Predator Mining Corp.

Golden Predator Mining Corp., a Canadian gold mineral exploration company, is focused on advancing its high grade 3 Aces Project and the Brewery Creek project, a past producing heap leach gold operation in Canada's Yukon.

For additional information:

Janet Lee-Sheriff

Chief Executive Officer

(778)847-3351

info@goldenpredator.com

www.goldenpredator.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. This press release contains forward-looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations that the private placement will complete as described herein, that the Project will advance through permitting and feasibility. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change.

SOURCE: Golden Predator Mining Corp.
People loved the idea of Google Fiber when it was first announced in 2010. Superfast internet that's 100 times faster than the norm  and it's cheap? It sounded too good to be true.

But maybe that initial plan was a little too ambitious.

Over the last several years, Google has worked with dozens of cities and communities to build fiber optic infrastructure that can deliver gigabit speeds to homes and neighborhoods  this would let you stream videos instantly or download entire movies in seconds.

But right now, introducing Google Fiber in any town is a lengthy, expensive process. Google first needs to work with city leaders to lay the groundwork for construction, and then it needs to lay cables underground, along telephone lines, and in houses and buildings.

This all takes time and money: Google has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on these projects, according to The Wall Street Journal, and the service is available in just six metro areas, an average of one per year.

starry internet fiber underground

Given these barriers, Google Fiber is reportedly working on a way to make installation quicker, cheaper, and more feasible. According to a new filing with the Federal Communications Commission earlier this month, Google has been testing a new wireless-transmission technology that "relies on newly available spectrum" to roll out Fiber much more quickly.

"The project is in early stages today, but we hope this technology can one day help deliver more abundant internet access to consumers," a Google spokesperson told Business Insider.

And, according to The Journal, Google is looking to use this wireless technology in "about a dozen new metro areas, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas."

Right now, Google Fiber customers can pay $70 a month for 1-gigabit-per-second speeds and an extra $60 a month for the company's TV service. It's unclear if this wireless technology would change the pricing, but at the very least, it ought to help accelerate Fiber's expansion and cut down on installation costs.

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One of the company's recent acquisitions could help this transition. In June, Google Fiber bought Webpass, a company that knows how to wirelessly transmit internet service from fiber-connected antennas to antennas mounted on buildings. It's a concept that's pretty similar to Starry, another ambitious company that wowed us earlier this year with its plan for a superfast, inexpensive internet service.

NOW WATCH: How different camera lenses affect how you appear in photos





More From Business Insider


Stocks (^DJI, ^GSPC, ^IXIC) are rallying midday, with energy (XLE) and industrials (XLI) leading, and with utilities (XLU) in the red. Keith Bliss of Cuttone & Co. joins us live from the New York Stock Exchange.

To discuss the other big stories of the day, Alexis Christoforous is joined by Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer and Yahoo Finances Dan Roberts.

Google Fiber problems

Googles parent company, Alphabet (GOOGL), is having problems delivering a big promise. Alphabet is rethinking its high-speed internet business altogether. Unfortunately, its spending a lot more than it initially anticipated. How is the company looking to reduce costs of Google Fiber?

Investing in infrastructure

Heres something you dont hear often. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have one thing in common. Each of them want to invest massively in infrastructure. Clinton wants to invest $275 billion over the next five years, and Trump wants to spend twice as much. Andy, youre writing a piece on this. Where would the money come from on such a massive project?

Realization over blockchain

When it comes to the oft-misunderstood blockchain, regulators are now taking the Hippocratic oath. A CFTC commissioner is telling her colleagues to do no harm to the blockchain because American jobs depend on it. How did this revolution come about, and how are companies using the blockchain?
Despite robust accommodative measures, the Japanese economy is suffering from slow growth and has been weighed down by weak exports and business investment, diminishing the outlook for Japan country-specific exchange traded funds.

Japans economy stalled in the second quarter, expanding an annualized 0.2% in the April through June quarter, compared to the 2% expansion in the first three months of the year, reports Eleanor Warnock for the Wall Street Journal.

The economy would have actually contracted over the quarter if the government had not front-loaded infrastructure spending. Prime Minister Shinzo Abes administration approved a 28 trillion, or $276 billion, stimulus package that includes 15,000 handout to 22 million low-income people, so spending should extend into the latter part of the fiscal year.

SEE MORE: BOJ Expands Stimulus, Nearly Doubles ETF Purchases

I expect exports to remain slow ahead, but for more public spending to support growth, Hidenobu Tokuda, an economist at Mizuho Research Institute, told the WSJ. Fundamentally, Japans growth potentially has fallen. That means the government needs to continue with structural reforms, not just stimulus.

Exports declined an annualized 5.9%, with exports of ships, steel product and oil-related goods falling. Meanwhile, U.S. and European demand for Japanese products diminished.

Weighing on the Japanese export industry, the yen currency appreciated against other major currencies since the start of the year. The U.S. dollar is now trading at 101.23, compared to 120 at the start of the year.

Consumer spending also stalled over the quarter. Consumers makes up about 60% of Japans gross domestic product and they may have held back on spending due to the lack of significant wage increases, despite record earnings at many large companies.

SEE MORE: Hedged Japan ETFs to Capitalize Off Additional Stimulus

Additionally, business investment decreased for the second straight quarter.

Story continues

Year-to-date, the non-hedged iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) gained 2.5% while the CurrencyShares Japanese Yen Trust (FXY) rose 18.4%.

Meanwhile, the WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund (DXJ) declined 16.0%, iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF (HEWJ) decreased 14.4% and Deutsche X-trackers MSCI Japan Hedged Equity ETF (DBJP) dropped 14.4%. The currency-hedged ETFs outperform non-hedged funds when the local currency depreciates against the U.S. dollar, but these funds have been underperforming as the JPY surged against the USD this year.

ETF investors have been pulling out of the currency-hedged Japan play as the yen continues to appreciate. For example, DXJ saw $281.8 million in net outflows over the past week and experienced $5.2 billion in outflows year-to-date, according to ETF.com.

For more information on the Japanese markets, visit our Japan category.

iShares MSCI Japan ETF
By Clare Baldwin HONG KONG (Reuters) - Crypto-currency exchange Bitfinex's plan to impose losses on all its trading clients for the theft by hackers of $72 million in Bitcoin rests on two flawed pillars, according to lawyers. The Hong Kong-based exchange said on August 2 that hackers had stolen 119,756 bitcoins from some clients' accounts, the second-biggest such hack in dollar terms, and later said it would spread the losses across all its customers, whether or not they had been hacked or even held bitcoin. It said customers would forfeit 36 percent of their holdings and be given "BFX tokens" instead that could be redeemed by the exchange or converted to shares in its parent company iFinex. Both elements of the plan are open to legal challenge, lawyers said. Imposing losses on customers who were not hacked appears to go against the company's terms of service, said Ryan Straus, a Fenwick & West lawyer who advises financial technology companies on regulation and co-authored the U.S. chapter of a book on bitcoin law. The terms state "bitcoins in your multi-signature wallets belong to and are owned by you", which Straus said implied a special banking relationship with clients that the Bitfinex plan would breach. "The depository ... is obligated to return, on demand, the same monetary objects deposited," he said, quoting a line from his book. The exchange's tokens could also be problematic, said Zach Zweihorn, a lawyer at DavisPolk who specialises in U.S. securities and trading laws. The way they are currently being described - redeemable by the exchange or convertible to shares in iFinex - places them somewhere between a bond and a security and makes it highly likely that issuing them and trading them would require licences in the U.S. that Bitfinex doesn't have. "If they are issuing an equity interest in their parent company, I don't really think the fact that it's evidenced through an electronic token ... really changes the analysis of whether it's a security," said Zweihorn. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission did not return a request for comment. Bitfinex did not respond to requests for comment on either issue. "ROBBED" Bitfinex's website acknowledges there are "protocol level details" still to be worked out for the tokens, and that U.S. residents can sell but not buy them for the time being. "I feel like I was robbed," a 33 year-old investor who had a five-figure U.S. dollar amount on the platform told Reuters. He said he took a 36 percent "haircut" across all assets, including U.S. dollar reserves, and as a U.S. trader he couldn't properly deal in the IOU token. "Basically they took customers' funds in order to try to stay afloat. Nowhere in their terms of service did it mention that this was a possibility," said the user, who works in the financial services industry. Bitfinex is nevertheless hoping that traders will be patient and accept that they won't get a better deal if legal challenges force it into liquidation. "This is the closest approximation to what would happen in a liquidation context," it told traders in a blog post a week ago, while the tokens gave them some hope of ultimately recovering their losses. Traders will be aware of the fate of Tokyo-based crypto-currency exchange Mt Gox, which suffered the biggest bitcoin theft of all time in 2014, and consequently went bankrupt. Traders have not recovered any losses, and court proceedings are still ongoing. "People are afraid to see their assets completely frozen if they sue Bitfinex too early," said 28-year-old Nathan Bourgeois, who is based in France and moderates a 2,000-member traders' messaging group called Whaleclub under the username dr Helmut. He said he thought people would agree to the deal if there was a chance of getting some of their money back. But Patrick Murck, a fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, said the Bitfinex plan was unlikely to survive a legal challenge. "It might be a pyrrhic victory. You might still end up with less money," said Murck, who is also co-founder of the Bitcoin Foundation and its former general counsel, but the "odds are fairly low" that nobody will test it in court. "It takes one grumpy hold-out ... to blow the whole thing up, he said. (Reporting by Clare Baldwin; Additional reporting by Hera Poon and Tris Pan; Editing by Will Waterman)
(MEXICO CITY)  Armed men abducted multiple people from an upscale restaurant in the popular Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities said Monday.

Prosecutors in the western state of Jalisco said two SUVs carrying an unknown number of gunmen arrived around 1 a.m. at the La Leche restaurant on the citys main boulevard, which runs through the hotel zone between the old beach city and the airport.

The office said in a statement that it was still investigating. Five vehicles were abandoned at the restaurant, but it was unclear whether they belonged to any of the victims or attackers.

Mexican media reports said as many as 16 people were abducted, but authorities did not immediately confirm the number.

Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval said through his official Twitter account that such violence would not be tolerated and a search was underway for the victims and the kidnappers.

To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual, Sandoval wrote.
If aging gracefully were an Olympic sport, Halley Berry would be a gold medalist. The actress and mother of two turned 50 on Sunday (Aug. 14), and shes looking better with age.

Berry marked the milestone in an Instagram photo which she captioned, With open arms I welcome 50 Im so blessed to be here!

With open arms I welcome 50 Im so blessed to be here! A photo posted by Halle Berry (@halleberry) on Aug 14, 2016 at 12:23pm PDT

More than finding the fountain of youth (see: #BlackGirlMagic), the Ohio native has been a fixture in film and TV for close to three decades.

Berry scored her first TV roll in the 1989 series Living Dolls, and would go on to snag gigs on classic shows like Living Dolls, Knox Landing, Amen, and A Different World.

The former Miss Teen Ohio who landed her debut film role in Spike Lees 1991 film, Jungle Fever, has appeared in more than 45 films  and lest we not forget that she made history in 2002 as the first black woman to win a Best Actress Oscar.

Hit the gallery for some throwback pics of Berry through the years.
Couple

Indulging in a piece of chocolate cake. Meeting up with your best friends for drinks. Going for a hike in the wilderness.

We like doing things that feel good because, well, they feel good. It's something psychologists call the "hedonic principle." Basically, the principle goes, we try to do pleasurable things whenever possible and avoid un-pleasurable things whenever we can.

Given our pleasure-seeking track record, it's pretty remarkable that any of us actually gets anything done.

So remarkable, in fact, that social scientists have hotly debated the question for decades. After all, if all we want to do is enjoy ourselves, how do we commit to mind-numbing chores like doing the laundry, or challenging tasks like finishing a work project?

More importantly, if all we seek is pleasure, then why do some of us spend such a large proportion of our lives unhappy?

A new study published August 15 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences takes a pretty big step toward answering it.

The researchers found that, contrary to popular belief, we actually don't spend all of our time going after activities that make us feel good. In fact, it's at times when we're feeling our best that we tend to gravitate toward doing the least pleasurable tasks on our lists, like laundry and chores. So maybe we forgo things that'll make us feel happy immediately (like happy hour) for duller things that have the potential to make us feel satisfied in the long term (like housework).

The finding could have big takeaways for our understanding of happiness and motivation.

"Our positive emotion, perhaps, can be seen as a resource," Dr. Jordi Quoidbach, one of the study's lead authors and a psychology professor at Barcelona's University Pompeu Fabra, told Business Insider. "When we don't have enough, we need to replenish it, but as soon as we have enough, we can potentially use that to get things done."

couple hiking

Happiness is a delicate balance

To come to their conclusions, the researchers  an international team of psychologists, economists, and data scientists from universities including Harvard, Stanford, and MIT  spent a month using a smartphone app to monitor 28,000 Europeans' moods and activity choices.

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First, the app would a person rate their current mood on a scale from 0 (very unhappy) to 100 (very happy) at random times throughout the day. Then it would ask them to pick from a list of 25 things what they were doing. (They were free to pick more than one.)

Not surprisingly, how people felt in any given moment sharply affected what they chose to do in that moment. When people were feeling bad, they tended to do things to make them feel better, like going on a hike or meeting up with friends.

Conversely, when folks were feeling good, they tended to do things that weren't inherently fun, like doing the laundry or cleaning up the house. (Of all the logged activities, spending time with other people had the strongest link to positive emotions, while using social media had either a neutral or slightly negative link.)

All of this suggests that for most of us, happiness is a delicate balance. When we're feeling down, we choose activities with short-term rewards to boost our spirits. When we're feeling good, we sacrifice fun activities for the potential of longer-term rewards.

And it could be good news for the workplace, too, Quoidbach said.

"Sometimes managers equate positivity and happiness at work with a propensity of people to slack off," Quoidbach said. "But one of the takeaways from this study is that cultivating positive emotion might be one way to actually get people to be more productive because of this sort of buffer or resource."

NOW WATCH: The simplest way to get  and stay  happy, according to psychologists





More From Business Insider


Shanghai (AFP) - Universities from mainland China broke into the global top 100 in an annual ranking for the first time on Monday, but Harvard remained number one for the 14th consecutive year.

China's prestigious Tsinghua University was 58th, beating elite Peking University in 71st place, in the "Academic Ranking of World Universities" compiled by the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.

The National University of Singapore also entered the top 100 for the first time, tying for 83rd, it said.

For the top 10, Stanford maintained second place but MIT dropped from third to fifth, with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Cambridge each moving up one spot to take third and fourth.

The Shanghai Ranking is consistently largely static at its top levels, and this year nine of the top 20 were in unchanged positions, and another nine moved by only one place.

The biggest change was by Britain's Oxford University, which climbed three spots from 10th to seventh.

Princeton University was sixth again, with another three US institutions -- the California Institute of Technology, Columbia University and the University of Chicago in places eight to 10.

The ranking, which was launched in 2003, has generated controversy in the past for what critics say is stressing science over the humanities in its grading.

According to the statement the rankings use "objective indicators" including the number of staff and alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, and articles published in the journals of "Nature" and "Science", according to a statement.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the University of Tokyo was top at number 20 overall.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich was the highest-ranked entry from continental Europe, in 19th place, while the University of Copenhagen in Denmark -- which came 31st -- overtook France's Pierre and Marie Curie University (39th) as mainland Europe's next best, the statement said.
Light In The Dark Crumbled walls and broken tiles lie on the floor of this forgotten church in Belgium. (Maxime Cotte/Media Drum World/Caters News)

These spooky snaps of some of Europes abandoned churches show how traditional Christian worship is steadily falling out of favour.

Eerie shots reveal the still-ornate interiors of abandoned churches in France, Belgium and Italy, while others display the crumbling, creaking remains where damage has been allowed to occur.

Stained-glass windows still adorn one church, and it is not hard to imagine the huge hall full of churchgoers who came to worship on any given Sunday. Rotting pews line the walls of another, and collapsed roof beams litter a third.

French engineer and urban explorer Maxime Cotte from Grenoble captured the images as he travelled through Europe.
By Svea Herbst-Bayliss

BOSTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Hedge fund manager Sahm Adrangi, who has a large following on Wall Street after making a number of public bets against telecom companies, was arrested for impaired driving after crashing his car in the Hamptons during the weekend, police said on Monday.

Adrangi, 35, was charged with driving under the influence, East Hampton police said. He was driving on Montauk Highway early Saturday morning when his 2015 BMW convertible collided with another vehicle, injuring the driver. Police found cocaine in Adrangi's car.

Adrangi declined to comment on the record on Monday.

Adrangi runs $350 million Kerrisdale Capital Management, which is best known for its 200 percent return five years ago. While the fund is relatively small, Adrangi and Kerrisdale are active on Twitter and well known on Wall Street for bold bets.

Earlier this year Kerrisdale took a short position against direct broadcast service provider DISH Network Co., a bet that has not worked so far and helped put the firm on track to post its first ever losing year.

Adrangi deferred his arraignment until his next court appearance early next month and posted $1,000 bail.

Hedge fund managers have long spent summer weekends in the Hamptons, a string of oceanside communities on Long Island's South Fork that have become even more popular this year after being featured in "Billions" a U.S. television series, that plays into the industry's negative stereotypes, including risky investing and conspicuous consumption.

Kerrisdale made a splash right from the start, delivering double-digit returns ever since its launch in 2009. In 2011, the fund returned 201.2 percent. This year has been tougher however and Adrangi told investors that his fund is down 8 percent through the end of July.

(Additional reporting by Lawrence Delevingne; Editing by Bill Trott)
Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2016. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Here's a brief guide to what traders are talking about right now, via Dave Lutz, head of ETFs at JonesTrading:

Good Morning! US Futures are testing fresh all-time highs, with the Spoos adding 20bp early as we await the end of Earnings season this week. Over in Europe, a sea of Green as the DAX turns positive for 2016, climbing 40bp as the Autos are leading across Europe and Fins add small. London is adding 30bp, with rallies in staples and HC outweighing a drop in those Miners overnight. Volumes are terrible, with most exchanges trading 40-50% below trend as peeps celebrate Assumption day across Europe. Asian shares hold near a one-year high - Chinese stocks hit seven-month high on fresh stimulus hopes, leaping 2.5% led by brokers on hopes of a launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect, while Aussie gained 20bp as earnings down under gathered steam. Nikkei lost 30bp in very light trade, while EM Mixed, with Thai stronger on GDP, while Indonesia lost 1.1% on weak trade data



We have a Fresh record low in Gilts, but US and German Yields are relatively unchanged in light trade. The $/Y smashed below 101 this AM on Weak Japan GDP, while the Pound slips to three-year low against the euro. Commod Currencies jumping, led by Rubles, Pesos and Rands  keeping the DXY basket under water. Despite Ore dropping to a 6week low in China, most metals are higher, led by a 1% pop in Silver, while Copper pops 30bp early. Oil is climbing to four-week high on more OPEC Chatter, with WTI adding 50bp. Natty Gas and Gasoline remain under decent pressure tho, both losing nearly 1%. Softs are strong, led by 1%+ pops in Soy and Corn



Ahead of us today, we get Credit card charge-offs/delinquencies (AXP, BAC, C, COF, DFS, JPM, SYF) throughout the session  at 8:30 we get Empire Manufacturing, followed at 9 by Canadian Existing Home Sales. At 10 we get the US NAHB Housing Market Index, then things go quiet until the 4pm release of Total Net TIC Flows from the US Treasury. Throughout the session, we get a slew of 13Fs as they are due by tonight, and Retail still in focus this week: HD Tues, TGT Weds, WMT and LOW Thurs.

NOW WATCH: Usain Bolt's fans are ecstatic after he makes Olympic history with a third successive gold





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SCRANTON, Pa.  Vice President Joe Biden told voters at a Monday afternoon rally in his blue-collar hometown that Hillary Clinton understands the concerns of the middle class, while Donald Trump is seeking to exploit them.

Hes trying to say he cares about the middle class, Biden said. Give me a break. And to repeat myself, its such a bunch of malarkey. He doesnt have a clue. The crowd erupted into cheers at Bidens signature malarkey line  which he famously used at the Democratic National Convention last month.

During her brief remarks before Biden spoke, Clinton stressed her own ties to Scranton  her grandfather and father lived there, and she was christened at a local church  and tied it into her economic message. I always remember that I am the granddaughter of a factory worker and the daughter of a small business owner and Im so proud, she said.

Both Clinton and Biden blasted Trump, with Clinton stressing that his economic plan is designed to benefit himself and other wealthy people. Clinton said Trumps plan to eliminate the estate tax would save him $4 billion if he is as wealthy as he claims.

Think of what we could do with those $4 billion, she said. We could pay for more than 47,000 veterans to get a four-year college education. We could provide health care to nearly 3 million kids.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton welcomes Vice President Joe Biden as he disembarks from Air Force Two for a joint campaign event in Scranton, Pa. (Charles Mostoller/Reuters)

Clintons recent focus on a populist economic message may be helping her in Pennsylvania, where Trumps numbers have plunged in recent weeks. The Scranton rally was originally scheduled for early July but was scrambled after the Dallas shooting that left five police officers dead.

At the time, Clinton and Trump were roughly tied in Pennsylvania surveys, and Trump insisted he could be the first Republican since George H.W. Bush to carry it. His focus on opposing free trade deals like NAFTA appeared to be appealing in the state, and the Clinton campaign likely figured it could use Bidens help in reaching some swing voters.

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Now, Clinton is up 9 points over Trump in the RealClearPolitics polling average  giving the rally the air of a celebration and homecoming.

As Scranton has always had my back, we  all of us  will have your back, Hillary, Biden said to cheers.

Former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell told Yahoo News that he believes Clinton has sharpened her message on trade and economic fairness since the convention, which he thinks has helped her in the state among working-class white voters.

On Thursday, she told a crowd in Warren, Mich., that she would continue to oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership deal no matter what, including as a candidate, in the legislative lame-duck session after the November election, and as a potential future president. This was her strongest statement of opposition yet for the deal, which she backed while secretary of state.

Her campaign is also running an ad attacking Trump in Pennsylvania using a clip of the candidate in a 2012 appearance on David Lettermans show, where the mogul admitted that many of his products are made in foreign factories. (Trump, meanwhile, has not run any political ads in Pennsylvania or elsewhere, and BuzzFeed reported his campaign infrastructure is sparse in the state.)

The populist economic message and the concrete plans  thats what the people of Scranton want to hear, Rendell said, adding that both Biden and Sen. Tim Kaine, Clintons VP pick, are good messengers to blue-collar voters.

Trump also spent the weeks after the conventions in a public feud with the family of a Muslim American soldier who died in Iraq. The soldiers parents criticized Trump at the Democratic convention, and Trump took a number of swipes back. I think Trump lost voters with his bad choices and bad words, Rendell said.

Biden bashed Trump for slandering the Gold Star family and argued that the GOP nominee is the most unprepared and unqualified person to run for the presidency on national security matters. Trump gave a foreign policy speech in neighboring Ohio later in the day.

Urging the crowd to listen to him in silence, Biden said Trump had already made the country less safe by his candidacy alone. I can say that no major-party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with national security than Donald Trump, he said. And what absolutely amazes me is he doesnt seem to want to learn it.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden at a campaign rally in Scranton, Pa. (Photo: Mel Evans/AP)

Biden also said Clinton knows what it feels like to be a parent who has to say no to a childs needs because of money. She gets it. She understands, he repeated during the Monday rally.

Some who attended the rally were watching the race closely and had their own theories about why Trump had plunged in the polls. Trump doesnt shut up, said Matt Cordier, a former supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders who now backs Clinton. Cordier drove nearly two hours from Harrisburg, Pa., so his 4-year-old daughter Annika could see Clinton and Biden in Scranton.

Cordiers father-in-law, William Cole, an independent voter and retired maintenance worker, said trade is an important issue to him and that he is leaning toward voting for Clinton in November.

Its a torn issue between letting free trade and having our workforce underbid by other countries, Cole said. I dont have the answer to the middle ground on that.

Trump is apparently refusing to believe the shift in the polls. On Friday he said that he will lose in Pennsylvania only if theres cheating on Election Day. The only way we can lose, in my opinion, I really mean this, Pennsylvania, is if cheating goes on. I really believe it, Trump said Friday at a rally in Altoona, Pa., the Hill reported. The only way they can beat it, in my opinion, and I mean this 100 percent, is if in certain sections of the state they cheat.
From Cosmopolitan

Hillary and Bill Clinton earned $10.6 million last year, according to a tax filing released by her campaign Friday that sought to pressure presidential rival Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns.

The filing shows that the Clintons paid a federal tax rate of 34.2 percent in 2015. The bulk of their income - more than $6 million - came from speaking fees for appearances made largely before Hillary Clinton launched her campaign in April 2015. They gave more than $1 million to charity.

The release 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 that he'll release them only once that review is complete. All major U.S. presidential candidates in modern history have released their returns.

The Clintons have disclosed returns for every year dating back to 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's message, Clinton frequently mentions Trump's returns as a way of underscoring how his economic plans would benefit his personal interests and questioning whether he's as wealthy as he claims.

Democrats believe Trump's returns could be treasure 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 *any* taxes," Clinton tweeted, just minutes after releasing her own returns.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Clinton's strategy is borrowed from President Barack Obama's winning playbook against Mitt Romney in 2012. Obama repeatedly used Romney's business dealings against him and seized upon the former Massachusetts governor's reluctance to release certain tax records.

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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.

Clinton has tried to paint Trump has 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.

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 Clinton tax returns.

Bill Clinton also earned more than $17 million over the same period for consulting work for Laureate Education, Inc., another worldwide for-profit education system based in Baltimore that has come under controversy.

Bill Clinton's office last year said he had ended his consulting relationship with Laureate but no similar statement has been made regarding to GEMS, which stands for Global Education Management Systems. His office did not immediately respond to a question about whether he still has a relationship with GEMS.

Associated Press writer Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report from Washington.
Hope you're not sick of considering the subject of memorable movie quotes.

Last week, we explored what makes a classic one, which were judged the three greatest and whom I chose as the king of the catchphrase (one John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson).

When starting this whole quote journey, I worked on the assumption that all the good ones were from long ago.

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" was from the 1930s, and

"Here's looking at you, kid" was the 1940s. Even "May the Force be with you" is almost 40 years old.

Again, I assumed, there won't be any quotes worth quoting from recent films. Let's chalk that up to my decline in film viewing.

But wait: Even by my graying, modern movie-ignorant standards, there are quotes to be cherished.

Here are some I've heard repeated from films made since 2000.

-- "I wish I knew how to quit you," from "Brokeback Mountain" (2005)

-- "I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight" ("The Devil Wears Prada," 2006)

-- "Wilson" (Tom Hanks, to his "best friend" in "Cast Away, 2000)

-- "At my signal, unleash hell" ("Gladiator," 2000)

-- "What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?" ("No Country for Old Men," 2007)

and

-- "Fish are friends, not food" ("Finding Nemo," 2003)

These may not slide off the tongue as casually as Nicholson's or Bogart's from days of yore, but some of the best that have been recorded in the new millennium.

Maybe it'll take a while before "I wish I knew how to quit you" is regarded in the same light as "You complete me" or "You had me at 'hello' " from "Jerry Maguire." But that may not exactly be an honor: Some people consider those "Maguire" quotes trite and schocky.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  August 15, 2016  Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This weeks list includes Home Depot (HD), Foot Locker (FL), Macys (M), Nordstrom (JWN) and Amazon ( AMZN).

To see more earnings analysis, visit https://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

Every day, Zacks.com makes their Bull Stock of the Day available, free of charge. To see it, click here.

Are Retail Earnings Really Improving?

The Retail sector is the only one where a significant number of Q2 earnings reports are still awaited at this stage; the reporting cycle has effectively come to an end for most of the other sectors, particularly in the large-cap S&P 500 index (plenty of small-cap reports are still to come).



Almost 92% of the S&P 500 members have already reported Q2 results, though results from more than 40% of the retailers in the index are still to come. We have 124 companies coming out with quarterly results this week, including 21 S&P 500 members that include major retailers likeHome Depot (HD) and Foot Locker ( FL).



We have already seen Q2 results from 56.8% of the Retail sector members in the S&P 500 index. While most of the initial retail sector reports were from online vendors and restaurant operators, most of the recent reports have been from the beleaguered department stores space with market participants pleasantly getting surprised that the sky wasnt really falling for Macys (M), Nordstrom ( JWN) and others.



The problems that have been weighing on these department stores like reduced foot traffic as a result of steady migration of sales to the online medium havent gone away. But a couple of things appear to be happening, all favorable to these retailers. First, Macys announcement of closing 100 locations appears to be an acknowledgement of the over-stored ground reality. Second, inventories finally appear to be in-line with sales, which come after two back-to-back quarters when these operators were saddled with mountains of unsold merchandize as a result of weather and the aforementioned reduced foot traffic issue. Third and most important, expectations were so low from these department stores and their stocks were so beaten down that even a modest improvement have helped push them higher.



These favorable department store results notwithstanding, the overall environment still remains challenging in this space, with the longstanding competitive pressures from Amazon (AMZN) and others are only expected to increase over time. The Q2 Retail sector results that have been reported already, as a whole, are on the weak side, with growth tracking below historical periods and very few companies able to come out with positive earnings and revenue surprises. This weeks reports from Wal-Mart, Home Depot and others are expected to be better relative to the department stores, but the overall aggregate picture for the sector may not change much.



The Retail Scorecard



As of Friday August 12th, we have seen Q2 results from 25 retailers in the S&P 500 index (out of the 44 total) that combined account for 59.5% of the sectors total market cap in the index. Total earnings for these 25 retails are up +6.5% from the same period last year, on +7.8% higher revenues, with a relatively low 52% beating EPS estimates and a very low 24% coming ahead of top-line expectations.

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HOME DEPOT (HD): Free Stock Analysis Report



FOOT LOCKER INC (FL): Free Stock Analysis Report



MACYS INC (M): Free Stock Analysis Report



NORDSTROM INC (JWN): Free Stock Analysis Report



AMAZON.COM INC (AMZN): Free Stock Analysis Report



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Honda hasn't sold a hatchback version of its Civic compact car range in the United States in more than a decade, but that's all set to change this fall when a decidedly more upmarket Civic Hatchback arrives in dealers as a 2017 model.

This latest Civic hatch isn't a dowdy 3-door like its predecessors. Instead, this latest model is essentially the American market version of the Civic Hatchback that has been primarily sold in Europe. Although its front fascia is closely related to the sedan, its stubby tail falls more in line with the last couple of Civic hatchback models not offered in the U.S.

READ: Honda Pilot Vs. Nissan Pathfinder: Compare Cars

To that end, all Civic hatchbacks will be built not alongside their sedan brethren in Honda's American assembly plants but instead in Swindon, England, where the last hatchbackthe short-lived Civic Si 3-doorwas assembled.

The lineup

The Civic Hatchback will be offered in a wide range of trims that don't quite mirror its sedan counterpart: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Sport Touring, and it will initially feature a single turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with two different outputs: 174 horsepower/162 pound-feet of torque and 180 hp/162 lb-ft, the latter of which will be reserved specifically for the Sport and Sport Touring models, which will include a center-mounted exhaust pipe.

Honda hasn't confirmed the higher-output, 180 horsepower 4-cylinder for the Civic sedan, but its eventual arrival seems like a safe bet.

CHECK OUT: Like glittery metallic paints on cars? There's something you should know...

Both a CVT automatic and a 6-speed manual transmission will be on offer and Honda says to expect fuel economy as high as 31 mpg city, 40 highway, and 34 combined.

Honda says to expect the new Sport Touring trim level to come loaded to the gills with heated front and rear seats, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, power front seats, and LED headlamps, among other features.

The Civic hatch will square off against 5-door versions of the Chevrolet Cruze, the Mazda 3, and the Ford Focus, among others.

Look for more details about the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback to make their way online after the 5-door officially debuts at next month's Paris Motor Show.

___________________________________________

Follow The Car Connection on Facebook and Twitter.
By Venus Wu and Hera Poon HONG KONG (Reuters) - Three Hong Kong student leaders who helped orchestrate the financial hub's massive pro-democracy street protests in 2014 were spared jail time on Monday but ordered to carry out community service. Teenage activist Joshua Wong, 19, was given 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly after he and others stormed into a fenced-off area in front of government headquarters called "Civic Square" to stage a sit-in in September 2014. That sparked a night-long standoff with police and was seen as a key trigger for the "Umbrella Movement" that blocked major roads in the Chinese-ruled city for 79 days in a push for full democracy, presenting Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political challenges in decades. Two other student leaders were also sentenced. Alex Chow, 25, was given a three-week prison sentence but granted a reprieve for graduate studies in the United Kingdom. Nathan Law, 23, who was found guilty of the more serious charge of inciting others to unlawful assembly, was given 120 hours of community service. "The court believes the three defendants are expressing their views and demands genuinely out of their political beliefs or their concern for society," said district court judge June Cheung. "Their aim and motive is not for their own interest or to hurt other people." Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed back to China in 1997 under an agreement that gave ultimate control to Beijing while promising Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy. But Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy has exacerbated recent tensions with growing calls for Hong Kong to split from China. Speaking outside the court besides banners calling for "democracy and self-determination", Chow said the judge's statement carried a "timely warning" for authorities at a time when more people have agitated for independence from China. "The authorities should consider why so many people are raising these options. What is the motivation, stance and reasons behind them?" An upcoming legislative election that will be contested by Law and other young activists seeking to enter mainstream politics for the first time is likely to further expose underlying strains in the city of 7.2 million. "I was really worrying about whether I would be sentenced to imprisonment and that it would affect my election campaign," Law said. Wong's lawyer, Michael Vidler, said the sentence was fair but that the legal process had been skewed by politics. "There's a bit of sort of an attitude of ... let's just prosecute everybody despite the weakness of some cases," he said. "They wanted to send a message and very much for Joshua: let's dig up the incidents in the past and see whether we can charge him." (Reporting by Venus Wu and Hera Poon; Writing by James Pomfret; Editing by Nick Macfie)
If youre hoping for a Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers crossover, weve got some bummer news

If youre hoping for a Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers crossover, weve got some bummer news

On a scale of one to 10, how much do you want to see Star Lord rub elbows with Iron Man? Like, a 15, right?

With the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe so perfectly connected all together, theres a chance that sometime in the future, Star Lord could drop into Star Tower, or Iron Man could catch a ride on the Milano. Its something that could happen, and its something that we want to happen  because who wouldnt want to watch Chris Pratt and Robert Downey Jr. together on the big screen?  but sadly, its something we probably wont see anytime soon. Right now, theres not going to be any sort of Guardians/Avengers crossover  or at least, it sounds like one isnt in the works for any of the upcoming movies.

During a lengthy Facebook Q&A session, Guardians director, James Gunn, fielded all sorts of questions about his movie and the MCU. When asked about how much collaboration goes into making a Marvel movie, Gunn responded, there isnt a lot of collaboration at the story-building end.

two

Obviously, this means that Gunn works on his story, and his story alone  which is normal for basically all directors out there. Gunn crafts the (perfect) story for Guardians

Buuuuuuuut, its the fact that Gunn was asked about the collaboration between himself and ALL the other Marvel directors, and his response is that he wrote his own story, and only once that was finished, shared with with the Russo Brothers (who have directed the last two Captain American movies, and literally just started pre-production in Avengers: Infinity War). If a crossover between the two Marvel movie worlds were in the works, thered be a lot more input from both sides as to what happens. But Gunn makes it clear that the Russo, along with Christopher Marcus and Stephen McFeeley (who are also working on the next Avengers) are not part of his story process.

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If there were some epic Guardians/Avengers crossover in the works, Gunn might have explained things differently, citing how they all write their own story, and then come together to toss more ideas around, pitch new things, and figure out how to bring these two worlds together. It sounds like the Guardians movies and the Avengers are two completely separate things. And theyre going to stay that way for right now.

Never give up hope that theres a chance these two worlds will collide, and our world will be a beautiful place. But as for the next Guardians and the next Avengers, thell be no Peter-Tony bromance.

The post If youre hoping for a Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers crossover, weve got some bummer news appeared first on HelloGiggles.
For most Olympics fanatics, dressage doesn't have the same sex appeal as, say, the 100m sprint or, hell, even??team synchronized swimming. But for horse-heads, Monday's (Aug. 15) individual dressage competition was a must-see, and Spain's Severo Jurado Lopez put on exactly the kind of show they were looking for.

As Jurado Lopez's horse Lorenzo trotted, pirouetted and danced more nimbly than any 1,300-pound beast should, the crowd was treated to a bit more than the usual staid horsey show soundtrack.

Rio Olympics 2016: Puerto Rican Anthem Played for First Time for Monica Puig's Win

Jurado Lopez guided his partner around to a few verses of a sound-alike version of Santana and Rob Thomas' 1999 No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Smooth" -- you know, the one with the line about the "Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa" -- before ending the routine with an interpolation of Bon Jovi's "It's My Life."??

As reported by SB Nation, that infusion of rock and roll attitude wasn't enough to put Jurado Lopez on the medal stand. Sadly, he ended up in fifth on a day when it was, yes, "a hot one" (97 degrees, in fact), but the rider's choice of music made him a crowd favorite.??"I choose the music I like," Jurado Lopez told the site. "I feel good, I like the music, and it's a good music to go to all international people." As for why he chose the Jersey-boy anthem from Bon Jovi, which ends on the line "it's now or never," Jurado Lopez said it fit the setting.??

Michael Phelps' Olympics Warmup Playlist Includes Eminem & Young Jeezy

"We spend a lot of time in our lives in this sport, and we only have five minutes in there... so it's a nice sentiment," he said.??SB Nation noted that the crowd was doing a lot of polite clapping during most of the day's routines, thanks to such predictable soundtracks as a Beach Boys medley, "Age of Aquarius," and the Moody Blues' "Nights in White Satin." But, the site reported, "they clapped to Bon Jovi's beat and lustily booed when the judges gave Jurado Lopez a score that put him off the podium."??

He, um, took it in stride, though. "In a way, it was good when they booed," he said of the rare break in decorum at the event. "It's a good feeling when you have a??lot of people all thinking the same."

Side note: Music choice is actually part of the scoring in dressage, judging the horse on how well its choreography fits the song choice.
If you've been considering a new credit card to rack up hotel rewards points, now is the time to make a move, even if you don't have your next trip planned yet. According to a study by NerdWallet, co-branded hotel credit cards are most likely to offer increased sign-up bonuses or limited-time offers in August.

Limited-time offers often have sign-up bonuses that are higher than usual by tens of thousands of points, potentially equivalent to hundreds of dollars in free hotel stays. These bonuses probably won't be available to use on summer travel -- most travel rewards cards give you three months to meet the spending requirement to earn a sign-up bonus -- but they should be ready just in time for Thanksgiving or the December holidays.

Here's how to take the long view and get the most for your hotel chain preferences through your credit card.

[See: 6 Ways to Treat Yourself on a Budget.]

Who benefits most from a hotel credit card. Hotel loyalists -- or consumers who stay at a specific hotel chain regularly -- may want to choose a hotel card over a general travel credit card. These co-branded credit cards are most beneficial to frequent customers. Those who stay at a hotel only once or twice a year will likely do better with a general travel card, with rewards that can be more flexible.

Hotel credit cards typically give you more rewards on purchases from a particular hotel chain and higher redemption values on rewards redeemed for free or discounted stays, along with hotel-specific perks like free room upgrades. If you prefer more flexibility when earning and redeeming rewards, you may want to opt for a general travel card.

[See: 50 Ways to Improve Your Finances in 2016.]

How to get the most out of your hotel rewards points. Timing and flexibility are important factors in getting the most value from your hotel credit card rewards. Here's how:

-- Understand the optimal time to stay: Each hotel rewards program is different, so it's important to know the optimal value of your points and how to redeem them for the most value.

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-- Be flexible: The cardinal rule of traveling frugally is being flexible about your dates. This isn't an option for everyone, but if your travel time isn't set in stone, you can probably get better deals on your hotel stays. Book your hotel stay based on which dates require the fewest points and save the rest for a later trip.

[See: 12 Simple Ways to Raise Your Credit Score.]

-- Stay outside the city: What you may lose in excitement by picking a hotel on the outskirts of your desired destination you can make up for in savings to use on other parts of your trip. For example, staying in Newark, New Jersey, instead of New York City, or finding a hotel in Mississauga, Ontario, instead of Toronto, would leave you with rewards points to spare after a weeklong vacation. Choosing to be in the heart of those cities would afford you fewer days in hotel stays.

-- Look for bonus nights. Some programs offer bonus nights. For example, if you book a hotel room for five nights and redeem points to pay for the first four, you could get the fifth night's stay for free. If your hotel program has bonus stays, try to book a trip that's long enough to get that free night.

When to apply for other travel credit cards. The NerdWallet study also shows the best time to apply for other types of travel credit cards. For instance, if you're interested in a general travel or an airline credit card, you're most likely to get a higher sign-up bonus in November.

For most consumers looking for travel rewards, a general travel card, which allows earning and redemption of rewards on a variety of travel expenses, is usually the best option. Airline loyalists who check bags and seek perks such as priority boarding may want a co-branded airline card.

To find limited-time offers, research online to see the times that the desired card offers increased sign-up bonuses, and then wait to apply until one of these offers becomes available. Some of these offers happen at the same time every year. Your patience could yield hundreds of dollars of free travel and a useful new card in your wallet.

Erin El Issa is a former accountant and a staff writer for NerdWallet. She covers credit reporting and scoring, credit cards, consumer debt and other personal finance topics.
Barcroft Media / Getty

Homes can endure all kinds of damage (flood, fire, hail), but one that doesnt come up quite so often is getting hit by a car. The odds of that happening must be one in a million, right? If so, then one house in Raleigh, NC, has had more than its share of bad luckmillions more, in fact.

A total of six cars have crashed into it since 2004, when Carlo Bernarte and his family moved in.

The hapless homeowner told ABC News hed known the house had been hit by a car at least once before they moved in. He figured it was just a fluke  until another vehicle crashed into the home in 2007, followed by others in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, and most recently on Aug. 13.

Why do cars crash into homes, anyway?

Experts attribute this rash of accidents to an especially curvy road in front of Bernartes home. The city installed solar lights along its perimeter in 2015, but as the most recent accident suggests, lights alone wont keep cars from veering onto his property. Discussions have ensued to extend the guardrail, but some argue this will cause more problems by obstructing visibility.

Despite improvementsMans house is hit by car now for the 6th time. Our last story: https://t.co/Tb6yIb7kV4pic.twitter.com/mGxD4EU8ZR  AngelicaAlvarezABC11 (@AlvarezABC11) August 14, 2016

Although no one in Bernartes family (which includes three kids) has been hurt so far, he worries it may be only a matter of time. Hes considered movingbut who in their right mind would buy his home?

Oh, and in a bit of a (figurative) pile-on, Bernarte also lost his homeowners insurance due to the frequency of the accidents. All of which had us wondering: What should this poor guy do?

His predicament isnt as unusual as you might think. A house located near a highway offramp in San Jose, CA, has been hit by a car four times. In New Brunswick, Canada, a couple have reported that their home, located near an overly sharp turn, has been hit by a car nine times, prompting them to avoid that side of their home completely. Drivers exiting the freeway have even crashed through a homes roof, as happened in 2015 in South Africa (photo up top).

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These kinds of situations are actually not that rare, and any home located near a busy road or intersection is at risk, says Florida Realtor Cara Ameer. If the road curves, has a blind spot, or is not well-lit, the home can be prone to being a victim of an accident.

Whats more, she says, there isnt much you can do.

As weve seen from the incidents in North Carolina and Canada, no matter what is done, road signs, reflectors, flashing lights, guardrails wont prevent these accidents. It is almost unavoidable.

How to avoid buying a crash-prone home

All of which serves as a reminder for home buyers everywhere that if theyre eyeing a home in a high-traffic area, its prudent to vet the property carefully.

The Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange maintains records on home insurance claims filed at a particular street address. Also, because cars crashing into homes typically make the news, see if any news stories turned up any incidents. If there was one that happened, that is probably one too many and there is a likelihood it will happen again, says Ameer.

Michael Barry, a spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute, also points out that homeowners who are denied insurance due to these types of accidents arent just out of luck. For starters, call your state insurance department, which can provide you with a complete list of insurers in your area to make sure your bases are covered. Also the majority of U.S. states offer Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plans, created for homeowners with abnormally high exposure to risks over which they have no control.

Then, of course, you can also erect barriers around your home. The homeowner in San Jose, for instance, has since built a double-brick wall reinforced with cement, rebar, and a curved railroad track inside to steer wayward cars away from his house.

Or if a wall seems too foreboding, Wendy Flynn, a Realtor in Texas suggests, I have one client who, after seeing this happen to a friends house, arranged to have large natural boulders placed in the yard outside the windowsso that they looked decorative and naturalto ensure a car would never crash into their childrens rooms.

The post House Keeps Getting Hit by Cars: Whats a Homeowner to Do? appeared first on Real Estate News and Advice - realtor.com.





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DECATUR  Caterpillar Inc. confirmed Monday that new layoffs have been occurring at its factory operations in Decatur.

As is usual company policy, Peoria-based Caterpillar would not confirm the number or types of workers involved, or say when the latest round of job cuts started. Chatter on social media had pegged the total of jobs lost at more than 40, and said they targeted management positions ranging from engineers to superintendents.

Speaking to the Herald & Review, Caterpillar described the staff reductions as part of an ongoing effort by its various business divisions to reduce expenses and stay competitive in tough times. When company spokeswoman Rachel Potts was asked if ongoing meant more layoffs are likely, she said that was a reasonable conclusion.

I think that is a fair statement across the company... and this is not just happening in Decatur, she added. It is happening truly globally as these businesses work to continue to get costs out.

Caterpillar had telegraphed a new layoff punch was coming when it announced its second quarter results in July and said the costs of cutting jobs would rise substantially as it shed more workers. Caterpillar is now in an unprecedented fourth year of sales and revenues declines and slashing costs is its main coping mechanism. Layoff costs for 2016 are now expected to hit $700 million from a previous estimate of $550 million, a jump of 27 percent.

The company reported that its global workforce had dropped by close to 14,000 workers in the past 12 months as earlier layoffs took hold, falling from 126,800 in June 2015 to 112,900 by June of this year. The number of U.S workers let go totaled more than 7,000.
A hungry 7-year-old boy in Franklin, Ohio, tried to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food. According to WLWT5, police officer Steve Dunham discovered the child in front a CVS store on Sunday, August 7.



It broke my heart, Dunham told WLWT. He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadnt eaten in several days.

Thats when Dunham suggested they head over to a nearby Subway to get something to eat. We said a little a prayer and ate dinner together. Afterward, they headed to the Franklin Police Department, where the boy watched cartoons, per The Washington Post.



PHOTOS: Celebrity Mugshots

The childs parents, Tammy and Michael Bethel, are facing child endangerment charges after authorities said they found four other boys  ages 11, 12, 15 and 17  living in squalor. According to WLWT, the home was filled with garbage, cockroaches and liquor bottles. And the smell of urine was overwhelming.

According to the Journal-News  which obtained a copy of the police report  officials wrote that the Bethels created a substantial risk of health and safety by neglecting the cleanliness in the residence, having a large amount of bugs and spoiled food throughout the residence, not having properly prepared and packaged food for the minor children to eat, and allowing a 7-year-old to wander from the residence without their permission or knowledge, in an attempt to locate food.



Tammy defended her actions on the Franklin Ohio Police Department Facebook page. The cop just popped up on the wrong day I hadnt had a chance to clean the mess that all them kids had made, she wrote August 12. BTW my kids didnt even eat the food that the cops brought them because they had just ate.

PHOTOS: Stars at Court

She added: Another BTW I could throw a rock from my house and hit CVS where my son was at. He goes down there all the time with his brothers.

Per the Journal-News, all five children were removed from the house and placed with relatives. Both Tammy and Michael have pretrial hearings set for September 16

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Related Content:
Joseph Schooling with his mother May and father Colin at Parliament. Photo: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo Singapore



After a week competing at the Rio Olympics, Joseph Schooling really just wants to sleep.

The 21-year-old touched down at 530am on Monday (15 August) after an almost 25 hour flight home from Rio de Janeiro, then spent about two hours obliging hundreds of autograph and selfie hunters at Changi Airport. After a brief stop at home, it was time to head to Parliament.

Its been kind of non-stop really, today, admitted Schooling. I kind of just wanted to be by myself (to) digest my thoughts. I also want to catch some Zs tonight.

He added, Emotionally and physically, its pretty draining but Im just going along for the ride. Im enjoying every moment.

Schooling was addressing reporters at Parliament after being feted in the House together with his parents Colin and May.

Schooling became Singapores most high profile athlete overnight when he beat Michael Phelps  one of the greatest Olympians  to gold on Saturday (13 August) in the 100m butterfly.

It was the trios first time in Parliament, and they were treated to a standing ovation, a pretty cool experience which gave Schooling goosebumps.

The visibly tired Olympic record holder remained composed and savvy, promising to address questions about his renewed National Service deferment at a press conference on Tuesday (16 August). Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen announced on Monday that Schooling has been deferred from National Service again, till after the 2020 Olympics.

He also revealed that although he was initially slated to stay only four days in Singapore, he was seeking permission from his school, the University of Texas at Austin, to attend the National Day Rally on Sunday (21 August).

Asked if all the attention has been overwhelming, he credited his parents and other advisors for not letting things get out of hand. Ive got a good support staff behind me. If I had to do all this by myself, then I would be overwhelmed, for sure.

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May Schooling puts the gold medal around her sons neck. (Photo: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo Singapore)



SEE ALSO

- Schoolings pillars of support

- What coaches say about Joseph Schooling

- What Joseph Schoolings friends and rivals think of him

- Joseph Schooling in his own words

- Colin Schooling: The world has taken notice of Joseph and Singapore

- Photos: The Schoolings in Parliament
Ian??McKellen??was so concerned about being caught short in his new play without a bathroom break, he attempted to insert one into the script, according to sources close to the production. In??Harold??Pinter's??No Man's Land?? - which opened in Sheffield on Aug. 3 and will travel the U.K. before a three-month stint in London starting Sept. 8 - ??McKellen??plays a down-at-heel poet who spends a heady evening imbibing heavily with an acquaintance (played by real-life??BFF??Patrick Stewart).

For purposes of the play, the booze is fake, but the liquid is very real. And while??McKellen??is a producer of the play that has been revived several times since debuting at the Old Vic Theater in 1975 without any reported bathroom accidents, his attempts to doctor the work of one of the U.K.'s greatest playwrights were in vain, sources say.??McKellen, 77, and his fellow producers couldn't be reached for comment. The actor, however, did hint to a British radio station what it's like to be held captive by the work - and his bladder: "My character never leaves the stage for two hours and drinks an awful lot."

This story first appeared in the Aug. 19 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
By Fiona Ortiz

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A lawyer for dozens of families from a suburban Chicago high school district argued in court on Monday that students' privacy was being violated at a school that allowed a transgender girl access to the girls' locker room under an agreement with the federal government.

A group of 63 students and 73 parents from Township High School District 211 challenged the agreement in federal court and is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent enforcement.

Lawyers for the district, the U.S. Department of Education and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) argued that no one is harmed by the policy, which was agreed to last September after the ACLU filed a complaint in 2013 on behalf of a transgender student who was born male and identifies as female.

Similar battles are playing out around the country as the Department of Education has told public schools that transgender students must be allowed to use the bathrooms and locker rooms of their choice.

Texas and a dozen other states asked a U.S. judge last week to block the Obama administration's guidance in the matter, saying it usurps the authority of school districts.

In Chicago, U.S. District Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert said he would issue a recommendation in the matter after he reviews all materials. Judge Jorge Alonso will make the decision on an injunction based on Gilbert's recommendation.

Sheila Lieber, an attorney who represents the Department of Education, argued in court at the hearing: "They have pointed to not one single student who has been harmed." The hearing coincided with the first day of school in District 211, which serves Chicago's northwestern suburbs of Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Schaumburg, among others.

Lieber said the school has made curtained stalls available to girls who wanted more privacy in the locker room, but that no one uses them, which she said shows that students are not concerned about the transgender girl's presence.

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Jeremy Tedesco, a lawyer with the Alliance Defending Freedom conservative group that represents the families, argued that girls who use the locker room feel fear over the possibility that someone born male could see them undressing. He said girls may not be using the private stalls because of an atmosphere at the school of harassment against people who do not agree with the policy.

"It's a violation of girls' right to privacy to have a male student in the locker room," Tedesco told reporters after the hearing.

(Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Nine people including a 16-year old protester and a police commander were killed Monday in Kashmir as clashes and gun battles raged across the disputed Himalayan region on Indian Independence Day.

The teenage boy was shot dead late Monday following clashes between security forces and protesters in Batmaloo area of the main city Srinagar, hours after two militants were killed in a brief shoot-out a few miles away.

"The teenager was brought dead to the hospital. He was hit by a bullet," Kaiser Ahmad, a doctor at Srinagar's main hospital told AFP.

Separately, doctors at another Srinagar hospital said a young protester died of his injuries on Monday, days after he was hit by a bullet, taking the death toll to 58 in the ongoing unrest.

Fierce clashes between protesters and Indian troops were reported across the Kashmir valley despite the authorities imposing a round-the-clock curfew.

Mobile and internet services were snapped and thousands of armed policemen patrolled the main cities and towns to thwart any violence on Independence Day.

Earlier Monday a paramilitary police commander was critically wounded in an ambush in Srinagar's Nowhatta locality and later died in hospital while two militants were killed in a shootout following the attack, an officer of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) told AFP.

"We have lost a commanding officer. Two militants were also killed in the ensuing gunfight," said Atul Karwal, the force's inspector general in the region.

He said nine others were wounded with three, including two local policemen, in a critical condition.

The officer could not immediately confirm the identities of the slain militants but said they were "non-locals", usually a reference to Pakistani nationals.

Authorities have imposed a curfew in large parts of Kashmir, India's only Muslim majority state, since July 9 during an upsurge in violence sparked by the killing of a top militant commander called Burhan Wani in a gunfight with security forces.

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Fifty-eight civilians, mostly young men, have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces, and thousands more injured in the region's worst violence since 2010.

- Flag farce -

In a separate gunfight on Monday, five militants were killed near the Line of Control (LoC) -- the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan -- in the northern Uri sector, the area's police chief said.

Imtiyaz Hussain said the militants were spotted by guards after they sneaked over to the Indian side of the heavily militarised border.

Two Indian army officers including a commanding officer were also wounded and were evacuated to an army hospital in Srinagar.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in August 1947 but both claim the territory in full.

It is the epicentre of a separatist insurgency, with several rebel groups fighting Indian troops and police as they seek either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Separatist groups traditionally order citizens to observe a shutdown on Independence Day to protest against Indian rule.

The state's first woman chief minister Mehbooba Mufti called on India and Pakistan to make the LoC irrelevant to bring peace in the region.

"I appeal to both countries that this line dividing Kashmir should be made irrelevant," Mufti told a thinly attended gathering at a sports stadium in Srinagar.

She blamed the Indian leadership for the current crisis in Kashmir and appealed to protesting youths to return to their schools and colleges.

The main event at the fortified arena was marred by spectators booing the chief minister after the Indian flag fell to the ground as she tried to hoist it, prompting authorities to order a probe to determine if it was the result of an act of sabotage.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made no direct reference to the situation in Kashmir in his annual Independence Day speech but made a general appeal for an end to violence, adding that India "will never tolerate terrorism".
By Bernadette Christina Munthe

JAKARTA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Indonesian plantation company Sampoerna Agro is considering how to respond to a recent court ruling that handed down the country's largest ever fine to a company linked to forest fires, a company official said on Monday.

"We're still studying this," Sampoerna Agro spokesman Michael Kesuma told Reuters when asked whether the company would appeal the decision.

Kesuma referred to a Jakarta court ruling on August 11 that found Sampoerna unit PT National Sago Prima negligent in relation to fires on 3,000 hectares of its concessions in Riau in 2014, and handed down fines totalling 1.07 trillion rupiah ($81.62 million).

According to a spokesman at Indonesia's environment ministry, the fine is the biggest ever to be handed down to a company linked to fires.

Five other lawsuits are currently being pursued by the government against companies linked to forest fires, environment ministry spokesman Novrizal said in a written statement.

An intensification of law enforcement by Indonesia could help deter companies and individuals from using fire to clear land.

Last year PT Kalista Alam was fined 366 billion rupiah in relation to fires in Aceh province.

Indonesia's efforts to penalize companies allegedly responsible for its annual forest fires suffered a setback in late 2015 when a judge rejected a $565 million lawsuit against a pulp and paper firm, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau.

Fires in Indonesia, often set in the dry season by companies clearing land for plantations, cause an annual "haze" crisis that blankets large parts of the region in choking smog.

Home to the world's third-largest area of tropical forests, Indonesia has been criticised by green activists and by neighbouring Southeast Asian nations for failing to stop the annual haze.

The heavy smoke from slash-and-burn clearing often comes from the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan, where large forest concessions are used by pulp and paper and palm oil companies, some of which are listed in Singapore.

Singapore said in June it was planning to prosecute Indonesian polluters in Singapore courts under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act. ($1 = 13,110 rupiah) (Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
WASHINGTON -- Apparently we've reached the part where Donald Trump, not satisfied with having demolished the Republican Party, tries to bring down the rest of the political system as well. No one should be surprised.

The garbage that comes out of his mouth gets more vile and putrid by the day. On Tuesday, he suggested that fervent defenders of the right to keep and bear arms could take things into their own hands if Hillary Clinton were elected. It was a shocking incitement to political violence.

"If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks," Trump told a rally in North Carolina. "Although the Second Amendment people -- maybe there is, I don't know."

We all understood exactly what he was saying. House Speaker Paul Ryan suggested that perhaps he was trying to be funny. Since Trump knows nothing, perhaps Ryan will explain to him that five of our 44 presidents have been shot while in office.

A day later, Trump was equally unhinged at a Florida rally when he went on a bizarre rant about the terrorist Islamic State, also known as ISIS. "In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama. ISIS is honoring President Obama. He's the founder of ISIS. He's the founder of ISIS. The founder. He founded ISIS. And I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."

Be honest, all you Republicans who support Trump despite knowing better. If you were walking down the sidewalk and someone coming toward you was screaming those words verbatim, you'd cross the street. This is the man you want to entrust with the nuclear codes? Seriously?

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried gamely to help Trump clean up the mess. "I know what you meant," he told the candidate Thursday, "you meant that [Obama] created the vacuum, he lost the peace."

"No, I meant that he's the founder of ISIS, I do," Trump said. "He was the most valuable player."

Hewitt suggested this line of attack was a mistake. Trump's reply: "No, it's no mistake. Everyone's liking it. I think they're liking it."

So much for the idea that Trump, at some point, will undergo a metamorphosis and turn into a normal candidate, the kind who doesn't go around encouraging political assassination or accusing the president of founding a terrorist group. If the cheering crowds at his hate-filled rallies are happy, Trump is happy.

Speaker Ryan and all you other reluctant Trump supporters, you know as well as I do that he's not going to change. Not ever. You will recall that this was supposed to be the week when Trump turned to the economy. He even gave a teleprompter-aided speech Monday that was generally praised by conservatives, who clearly are willing to grade their candidate on an absurdly generous curve. But within a day, Trump was back to setting new lows in the history of modern presidential campaigning. If there is a trophy for Most Dishonest and Destructive, Trump is determined to retire it.

He is also determined, apparently, to rationalize his likely defeat by claiming the election was stolen from him.

The other trope he keeps returning to these days is that the election is somehow being "rigged." He claims that the striking down of discriminatory voter ID laws in North Carolina, Wisconsin and elsewhere would make this possible. He fails to explain why Republican officials -- who administer the voting process in most states -- would want to steal the election from their own party.

The point isn't logic, of course. It's emotion. Trump strikes a chord with Republicans who cannot bring themselves to admit they were beaten fair and square by Barack Obama, not once but twice. Trump has long sought to delegitimize Obama by refusing to disown all the "birther" nonsense and insinuating that the president has some sympathy for jihadists. Now Trump seeks to delegitimize the likely next president as well by claiming the election will be rigged.

In 2000, after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Florida recount must cease, Al Gore graciously conceded to George W. Bush. Gore said he was doing so "for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy."

Can anyone imagine Trump ever giving such a speech?

Trump wants to stoke anger, resentment and victimhood. He abases our democracy -- and Republican elected officials abase themselves by supporting him. History will have no mercy for Trump's enablers.
Last year, Deadmau5 sent his lawyer, Dina LaPolt, a Skype message: "Please shut this down." He'd found a YouTube channel with 400 unauthorized videos containing his songs: album tracks, remixes and full live shows. "We had to have a paralegal sit in my office for six hours and send 400 takedowns," says LaPolt. "After that, the channel shut down  and it popped up again two days later. It's a big issue for him."



YouTube, with more than 1 billion users, is the most popular source for music streaming on the Internet. But it's become a source of frustration for artists including Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Beck, Kings of Leon and others, who recently signed an open letter to Congress calling for reform on the law that allows YouTube to host millions of unauthorized videos. "The artist has no choice  their music is on YouTube even if they don't want it there," says Irving Azoff, manager of acts such as the Eagles and Van Halen. Azoff has published a separate letter to YouTube, calling for action on two issues: its relatively small royalty payments to artists, and its inability to efficiently remove content from the site.

The music business has less bargaining power than ever: As album sales have fallen about 60 percent in the past decade, YouTube has become increasingly important  98 percent of American Internet users ages 18 to 24 visit the site  and the company says its ad sales have delivered $3 billion to artists and content creators. "YouTube has become radio for kids," says Ken Levitan, who manages Kings of Leon, Cheap Trick and others.

But unlike radio, Azoff says, YouTube is a bad business partner. It allows leaked material and poor-quality live music to stay online. And it pays far less on average than streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. "YouTube revenue for a superstar artist is a joke," says Azoff. "Their accountings are too complicated and opaque to give an accurate per-stream number. They're acting like an old record company by making the accountings so difficult, the artist remains in the dark."

Like any site, YouTube can stream material without artists' permission thanks to 1998's Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The law allows companies to post copyrighted content online if they agree to take it down upon request. But in the YouTube age, this means artists' representatives need to monitor hundreds of millions of new videos every day. YouTube says it has addressed the issue, spending $60 million to build a "Content ID" program, which uses digital "fingerprints" to identify pirated material.

This system catches 99.5 percent of copyrighted material, says Robert Kyncl, YouTube's chief business officer. "I challenge somebody to find a better system of copyright management anywhere," says Kyncl. "It's been nearly a decade of us investing in the system when no one else does anything."

Azoff says YouTube's 99.5 percent claim isn't good enough: He estimates that the videos it doesn't catch account for "48 million unauthorized plays per day. That still requires an army to manually claim the remaining videos."



"YouTube destroys my business and makes money by enabling theft worldwide." Steve Miller

Some artists hire private services to manage the flood of content. Queen uses Believe Digital, a music-distribution company that employs a 40-person staff, to issue takedown notices or monetize unofficial videos. "If we don't want something, we block it," says Denis Ladegaillerie, the company's chief executive. "If we want it available, we make money. It's a significant source of revenue that did not exist before." Other artists throw up their hands: "YouTube destroys my business and makes money by enabling theft worldwide," says Steve Miller, whose material, including full albums like Greatest Hits 1974-1978, can be found on YouTube.

Azoff points out that YouTube can fully control content when it wants to  it keeps pornography off, plus it charges $10 per month to watch original shows. "Taylor Swift should be able to decide which of her songs are available for free and which are part of a paid subscription service," he wrote. His proposal? For YouTube and its parent company, Google, to join him in lobbying Congress to reform the DMCA. So far neither is onboard, and the tech industry's response has been lukewarm ("Note to Irving Azoff: YouTube Doesn't Need Change. You Do," read a recent Fortune headline).

Corynne McSherry, legal director for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which advocates for digital rights, points out Azoff may be forgetting that things have gotten better in recent years: "I don't think copyright owners appreciate what they got. In 1997, if you wanted to get music taken offline, you had to go to court."

But Azoff isn't backing down. "Some of us believe we live in an era of government by Google," he says. "Their power to influence Washington is unprecedented. But you can't walk away from a fight just because it is going to be hard."

Related
The picture of Usain Bolt smiling as he seemed to easily outpace??his competition during the men's??100-meter semifinal race on Sunday night in Rio was a split-second decision by??Getty Images photographer Cameron Spencer.

The 38-year-old from Sydney told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday that he has been inundated with congratulations??after getting what is already being called one of the most iconic shots of the 2016 Olympic Games.??

Spencer says he is overwhelmed and very proud.??

"At the time, I knew it was cool, but I didn't??know it would turn out to be as popular as it turned out to be," he tells THR. ??

The image, which became an instant meme on social media, almost didn't get made.

Read more: TV Ratings: Rio Sees Another Uptick With Bolt and Biles

Spencer, who is covering his fifth Olympic Games, explains his assignment was shooting??field??events on Sunday, but he made a quick decision to try and get a slow-motion shot of the Jamaican sprinter known as the world's fastest man.??

Spencer, a photographer for 14 years, says the "risk" to break from assignment??when he ran across the field, ending up about 20 meters away from the track, was worth it.??

"I'm pretty over the moon it worked out the way it did," he says. "I think [Bolt's] personality really shines through. He's a showman, and he loves to entertain the crowd."

When Spencer??checked his frame right after taking the picture, he knew he had a good image, but he didn't know how good until his phone started blowing up at the end of the night with friends and family congratulating him, "which is always nice to receive," he says.??

Among the "top three" photos Spencer has ever taken, the Bolt shot will be entered into competitions, including for a Pulitzer Prize, Spencer tells THR. "I mean, why not?"??

And while he has not directly talked to Bolt yet, Spencer says he has it on good authority that the runner is impressed with the shot.??

Story continues

"We're going to try and get him a print."

Read more: Leslie Jones Starts Gabby Douglas Hashtag Over Social Media Criticism

Read more: Spectacular Sights and Scenes from the Rio Olympics
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Lundin Law PC (the "Firm") announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against K12, Inc. ("K12" or the "Company") (LRN) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws between November 7, 2013 and October 27, 2015 (the "Class Period"). Investors who purchased or otherwise acquired shares during the Class Period should contact the Firm in advance of the September 19, 2016 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

To participate in this class action lawsuit, click here. You can also call Brian Lundin, Esquire, of Lundin Law PC, at 888-713-1033, or e-mail him at brian@lundinlawpc.com.

No class has been certified in the above action. Until a class is certified, you are not considered represented by an attorney. You may also choose to do nothing and be an absent class member.

The complaint alleges that K12 issued false and misleading statements and/or failed to disclose: that the Company published misleading advertisements about students' academic progress, parent satisfaction, graduates' eligibility for admission into the University of California and California State University, class sizes, the individualized and flexible nature of K12's instruction, hidden costs, and the quality of the materials provided to students; that the Company submitted inflated student attendance numbers to the California Department of Education in order to receive additional funding; that K12 was open to potential civil and criminal liability due to these practices; that K12 would likely be forced to end these practices, which would have a negative impact on its operations and prospects; and as a result of the above, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When this news was disclosed, shares of K12 decreasing in value, causing investors harm.

Lundin Law PC was founded by Brian Lundin, a securities litigator based in Los Angeles dedicated to upholding shareholders' rights.

Story continues

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contact:

Lundin Law PC

Brian Lundin, Esq.

Telephone: 888-713-1033

Facsimile: 888-713-1125

brian@lundinlawpc.com

http://lundinlawpc.com/

SOURCE: Lundin Law PC
Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi Kurdish forces on Monday wrapped up a two-day offensive during which they took several positions from the Islamic State group near its Mosul bastion, officials said.

The peshmerga forces had launched the assault on Sunday to retake villages in the Nineveh plain between Mosul, the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold, and Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish region.

The Kurdish military command issued a statement naming 10 villages it said its forces retook, and said the reconquered area covered 150 square kilometres (58 square miles).

Colonel Chris Garver, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, said coalition advisers had been helping peshmerga forces in an advisory role on the ground.

"The coalition is providing support to the peshmerga operation, which is designed to expand the lines of communication south of Mosul and to deny ISIL freedom of mobility," Garver said, using an IS acronym.

Coalition warplanes had been providing air support but as of Monday morning no strikes were called in, he added, describing the peshmerga advances as "shaping operations" for the eventual push on Mosul.

The head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, Masrour Barzani, said on social media that the advance would "tighten the grip around ISIL's (IS) stronghold Mosul".

The recently retaken areas are 30 to 40 kilometres (18 to 25 miles) southeast of Mosul, Iraq's second city and the only major urban centre in the country that IS still controls.

The peshmerga command said 130 IS members were killed in the operation, but did not provide casualty figures for its own ranks.

A senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, had told AFP that at least seven members of the Kurdish forces were killed on Sunday.

A journalist working for local satellite channel Kurdistan TV was also killed when a mortar round struck the peshmerga convoy he was travelling in on Sunday.

Story continues

Iraqi forces retook the jihadist bastion of Fallujah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, in June, and Mosul is the next major target for the myriad forces battling IS in Iraq.

The latest Kurdish advance east of Mosul 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.
(Adds U.S. reaction, context, comments on oil conflict with Kurds)

By Maher Chmaytelli

BAGHDAD, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved the appointment of Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, former head of the main state oil firm, as oil minister in a cabinet overhaul on Monday that bolsters Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's leadership.

Luaibi, who led the South Oil Company that produces most of the OPEC nation's crude, was one of six candidates Abadi nominated to fill vacant ministerial jobs.

Parliament approved five of them, state television said, rejecting only Abadi's pick for trade minister.

The vote eases a political crisis that broke out in February over anti-graft reforms sought by Abadi, and consolidates his position ahead of a battle planned for later this year to recapture Mosul, the largest city under Islamic State control.

U.S. envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition Brett McGurk welcomed the approval of the five ministers, saying in a tweet that parliament's endorsement had overcome months of deadlock.

Demonstrations by supporters of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in support of anti-graft reforms turned violent in May, after influential political groups blocked Abadi's plan.

The premier announced in February his intention to overhaul the cabinet by appointing independent technocrats as ministers to loosen a political patronage system that breeds graft.

Five of the 22 government ministers resigned following his announcement, followed by a sixth, the interior minister, after a massive bombing in central Baghdad in July. Abadi has yet to propose a new interior minister.

The whereabouts of a seventh, former trade minister Milas Mohammed Abdul Kareem, are unknown after authorities investigating alleged corruption issued an arrest warrant for him in October. Abdul Kareem has said the allegations were not based on solid evidence.

The other ministers refused to budge, with the support of influential political groups who thrive on the patronage system that allows them to amass wealth and influence.

Story continues

DEFENCE MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE

Abadi could also suffer a setback should parliament withdraw confidence from Khaled al-Obeidi, the defence minister he wants to keep for the sake of maintaining momentum against Islamic State.

Parliament voted on Monday to reject explanations given by Obeidi after they grilled him earlier this month on allegations of corruption involving weapons contracts.

The vote doesn't mean the removal of Obeidi as another vote will be required in parliament to demand his resignation, according to Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.

During his Aug. 1 appearance before parliament, Obeidi responded by accusing Jabouri and five other MPs of corruption.

An Iraqi court last week cleared Jabouri of those charges, citing lack of evidence

Thirteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International's Corruption Index.

It still suffers electricity and water cuts, as well as shortages of schools and hospitals, while existing facilities and infrastructure suffer widespread neglect and mismanagement.

Corruption continued to eat away at state resources even after they sharply declined when oil prices collapsed two years ago, and despite the rising costs of the war on Islamic State.

Luaibi, the new oil minister, was on a previous list of ministerial candidates, blocked by parliament in April.

In his first comments after being sworn in, he said a solution to the Iraqi government's conflict over oil with the Kurdish self-ruled region was possible.

"There are solutions to the existing problems between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government about the oil file," he told Baghdad-based Sumaria TV.

The conflict centres on the Kurdish region's crude oil exports which Baghdad wants to bring under its control.

OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, Iraq produces about 4.6 million barrels of crude oil per day, most of it from the southern region overseen by South Oil Company.

About 500,000 barrels per day are exported from the Kurdish region independently from Baghdad.

A solution will increase the nation's crude exports by allowing Baghdad to carry some of its oil through a Kurdish pipeline to a Turkish port on the Mediterranean.

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; editing by Dominic Evans)
Fighters from the Islamic State extremist group, displaced from one of their key bases in the Libyan city of Sirt, could attempt to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Europe disguised as asylum seekers, Italy has warned.

According to the head of the parliamentary committee in charge of Italian intelligence, the risk of ISIS militants trying to enter Europe has substantially increased, the Telegraph reports.

Airstrikes by a U.S.-led coalition, coupled with a heightened offensive by Libyan ground troops, have led to ISIS members fleeing Sirt in recent weeks. Should they succeed in reaching the shores of Italy  the first port of entry for millions of migrants and refugees  they could potentially launch further attacks inside Europe.

They are loose cannons, men on the run, Giacomo Stucchi, the parliamentary committee head, told the Telegraph. We need to understand their intentions  whether they want to disappear without trace, or whether they want to continue fighting in the name of their cause.

Italy is already facing potential extremist threats closer to home, with Agence France-Presse reporting that Libyan authorities warned of an ISIS cell based in Milan, linked to one of the militant groups veteran commanders. The Italian government has also cracked down on suspected jihadist sympathizers, deporting a Tunisian imam on Saturday  the ninth Muslim cleric expelled in the past 18 months  for suspected incitement to racial hatred.
Jerusalem (AFP) - The Israeli army on Monday destroyed the home of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, after he killed a 13-year-old girl as she slept in her bed, a military spokeswoman said.

Mohammed Nasser Tarayra, 19, broke into a house in the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron in the southern West Bank on June 30.

He stabbed American-Israeli Hallel Yaffa Ariel dozens of times while she slept, before being shot dead by settlement guards.

A video posted by the army online Monday showed dozens of troops laying charges in the building in the dead of night before carrying out a controlled explosion.

Israel frequently destroys the homes of Palestinians who have carried out attacks.

Critics of the policy denounce it as a collective punishment, which leaves the families of attackers homeless, but the Israeli government says it discourages others who might be thinking about carrying out similar acts.

Since October, 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died in violence in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.
Child Specialist Cindy Hoegenauer reads to babies of young mothers at St. Judes Ranch for Children on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has prohibited soldiers from volunteering in their free time with children of migrants who are illegally in the country, sparking fierce debate Monday.

Human rights organisations, leftwing opposition politicians and some media condemned the decision as racist, while rightwing supporters said the soldiers should instead help disadvantaged Israelis.

Commanders of some units in the army, one of Israel's most important institutions, encourage their troops to carry out educational or fun initiatives with the children of African migrants, including in public parks in south Tel Aviv where many can be found.

Ultra-nationalist Lieberman, however, in recent days ordered the army to curtail such activities.

"Lieberman's directive derives from the belief that IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers should take part in activities that are widely agreed upon and not at the heart of public debate, especially when the activity is among a population that is not here legally," a spokesman explained.

"The minister thinks that... IDF soldiers should follow the principle that 'charity begins at home' and help Holocaust survivors, people in need, the elderly," Lieberman's spokesman told AFP.

"Soldiers must primarily help the needy" Israelis, deputy defence minister Eli Ben-Dahan, a member of the religious nationalist Jewish Home party, told Israeli radio.

Nava Boker, a parliamentarian from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, said "the role of soldiers is to defend the country's inhabitants."

But Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai responded on army radio that the country could "under no circumstances ignore the plight of children living among us."

And former defence minister Amir Peretz of Labour suggested Lieberman should "read a few things about how the Jewish tradition compels us to treat foreigners".

Story continues

For the leftist daily Haaretz, Lieberman had set "a new record for racism, abominable morals and cruelty".

According to the interior ministry, Israel is home to some 41,000 asylum seekers from Africa.

The vast majority are Eritrean and Sudanese who entered illegally via the Egyptian Sinai peninsula.
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish police on Monday raided four major courts in Istanbul in search of 190 suspects wanted over last month's attempted coup, state media said.

In total, 136 of the wanted prosecutors and other judicial staff working at the courts have been detained, the official Anadolu news agency said.

They are suspected of links to US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for the putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of July 15.

According to official figures, more than 35,000 people have been detained so far in the post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulen supporters, although almost 11,600 have since been released.

Erdogan has said the purge is needed to wipe out what he calls the "virus" of Gulen from Turkish institutions. But critics have expressed alarm that its sheer scope has turned it into a witch hunt.

In a separate development, the former chief prosecutor for the eastern region of Erzurum was detained late Sunday while trying to cross into Syria.

Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named. There was no indication over why he had been heading to Syria.
The iShares MSCI Italy Capped ETF (EWI) , which is already one of this years worst-performing developed markets single-country exchange traded funds, has recently notched some modest upside.

Give the largest Italy ETF some credit because the Eurozones third-largest economy faces an array of challenges and headwinds. Italys fragile banking sector, the largest sector allocation in EWI, is in focus as global market participants fret about Brexits impact on Italys banks. The Italian government has been under pressure to calm concerns over its ailing banking system, which underperformed in the European Central Banks 2014 financial stress test and is holding 360 billion, or $410.5 billion, in bad loans.

Recent economic data indicate EWI has been moving higher amid a batch of concerning points about Italys economy.

Gross domestic product was unchanged in the three months through June, Rome-based statistics agency Istat said in a preliminary report on Friday. That compares with the 0.2 percent median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 25 analysts. The economy grew 0.7 percent from a year earlier, according to Bloomberg.

Related: Rome Extends Italy Banks, ETFs a Helping Hand

Since the days of the Greek financial crisis, investors have frequently wondered which Eurozone shoe would be the next to drop. Italy has often been mentioned as that shoe and that sentiment has become widespread in recent months.

Italian banks bad loan problem has become more pressing during years of economic stagnation. A highly fragmented and inefficient industry doesnt help  Italy has more than 600 banks, supporting 52 bank branches for every 100,000 adults. Germany has 14 bank branches per 100,000 adults, and the United States 38, according to CNN Money.

While Italys economy is stagnating, making matters worse is the fact that some agencies do not expect that trend to reverse course anytime soon.

The Bank of Italy and the International Monetary Fund have both revised down their economic outlook, predicting growth of less than 1 percent this year. Political uncertainty ahead of a referendum thats threatening to topple the government, and banks high share of non-performing loans, are weighing on domestic demand, while trade is damped by clouding global prospects and a looming recession in the U.K. following its Brexit vote, according to Bloomberg.

Story continues

Related: 10 ETFs Hit the Hardest in Brexit Fallout

In Italy, regulators are currently working to configure a bad debt company of sorts to help Italian banks deal with a rising non-performing loan problem. Earlier this year, Economy Minister Pier Carlo Padoan called a meeting in Rome with executives from Italys top financial institutions on Monday to hash out a plan for a state-backed fund to acquire bad loans and cover capital shortfalls, reports Silvia Aloisi for Reuters.

For more news and strategy on the Italy ETF market, visit our Italy category .

iShares MSCI Italy Capped ETF

ewi

The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.
Friends who vacation together, stay together.??

So seems to be the case for Ivanka Trump and Wendi Murdoch, who traveled to the city of??Dubrovnik, Croatia, together over the weekend, taking in the sights and posing for a requisite vacay??Instagram.??

A photo posted by Ivanka Trump (@ivankatrump) on Aug 14, 2016 at 8:04am PDT

Murdoch, who is rumored to be dating Vladimir Putin, has a long and significant friendship with Donald Trump's eldest daughter; according to Vogue, she was the one who played matchmaker between Trump and her now-husband Jared Kushner.

Murdoch and Trump have since become quite the dynamic duo and taken to social media to document their escapades. Murdoch even joined in on??Kushner's birthday celebration earlier this year.

The gal pals' latest friendship 'gram in Eastern Europe has only served to intensify the Murdoch/Putin rumors, especially given Putin's vocal support of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race. In a career profile in Vogue earlier this summer, Murdoch denied the allegations and asserted that she's never met Putin. (Ivanka Trump shared the same article on her social media in support of her dear friend.)

A photo posted by Wendi Murdoch (@wendimurdoch) on Jan 10, 2016 at 8:48am PST

But Trump isn't Murdoch's only friend in fashion. The??businesswoman has posed for??pics??with Naomi Campbell, whose 46th birthday she recently celebrated, as well as??Karlie??Kloss, who has been dating Josh Kushner, brother of Trump's husband, for four years.

Now that they're official vacation friends, perhaps the pair will continue Murdoch's Burning Man tradition for 2016. The bigger question: Will Putin tag along?
Cairo (AFP) - Shouting to make himself heard from the soundproof glass dock during a break in his trial, Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abdel Shakour said he feels he has been "forgotten" in prison.

Three years ago, Abdel Shakour -- known as Shawkan -- had been covering the police dispersal of an Islamist protest camp in Cairo when he was arrested, and he has been in jail ever since.

August 14, 2013 was the bloodiest day in Egypt's modern history, and one of the deadliest in the region since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Hundreds of Islamists supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi, toppled by the military in July that year, were mowed down by police in clashes. About 10 policemen were killed.

Three years later, thousands of Islamists remain in prison after a wide-ranging crackdown that has extended to leftists and even journalists like Shawkan.

Shawkan had been photographing the carnage that day for the Demotix photo agency when he was arrested. Three journalists, including Sky News cameraman Michael Deane, were shot dead in the violence.

The photographer spent months in pre-trial detention before he was put on trial along with hundreds of other defendants over the protest.

"I feel like I've been forgotten in prison," Shawkan, 29, told an AFP reporter during a break at a recent court session, yelling through the glass barrier to make himself heard.

"I feel despair, and powerless. Time is flying by while I'm in jail."

He is imprisoned in a poorly ventilated cell which becomes scorching hot in summer.

"My hope diminishes every day," he said, adding that he missed being able to look at the sky.

Sitting on his bed back home, next to a framed picture of her son, Shawkan's mother Reda Mahrous said she has trouble getting to sleep.

"I feel oppression and injustice," she said, wearing a green bracelet that her son made her in prison.

"Every day I make his bed, and wait for a knock on the door to see him before me. But it never happens."

Story continues

- 'No evidence' -

Shawkan and his 738 co-defendants are accused of involvement in the killings of policemen and resisting the authorities during the protest dispersal.

If convicted, they will face the death penalty.

"There is no evidence against him. To the contrary, there is evidence proving he was working as a freelance photographer," said his lawyer Karim Abdel Rady.

The photographer has won two awards this year, including one from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"I wanted to be happy but I couldn't. Give me my freedom and take the prize," Shawkan said.

He suffers from Hepatitis C, which is common in Egypt, and his family says he needs treatment that is not available in prison.

Shawkan was detained as part of a crackdown against Egyptian journalists, rights activists say.

His co-defendant Abdullah Elshamy, a journalist with Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, was released and left the country after a long hunger strike.

Rights groups say President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government has tried to repress all opposition since the former army chief led the overthrow of Morsi.

Fears of restrictions on press freedoms heightened after the head of the Journalists' Syndicate and two aides were put on trial for harbouring wanted men -- including a reporter -- in the union's headquarters.

They had been sought by police for alleged involvement in April protests against a deal to give Saudi Arabia two islands.

"It's the worst era for someone to be a journalist in Egypt," said Sherif Mansour, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Egypt provoked international condemnation when it arrested three Al-Jazeera reporters, including an Australian and a Canadian, in late 2013 and put them on trial.

They were sentenced to jail terms but were later pardoned by Sisi after a lengthy international campaign, and have since left the country.
From Popular Mechanics

A Japanese newspaper reports that the country plans to develop a long range land to sea missile to strike Chinese ships encroaching on remote uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku by Japan and Diaoyu by China. These islands have been a continual point of contention between the two nations. Japan has repeatedly protested Chinese coast guard ships sailing in the area. Earlier this year, Japan turned on radar to track the Chinese ships, causing irritation in China.

"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 wrote.

The missiles planned for development will have a range of 190 miles, and would most likely be launched from islands like Miyako-jima, near Taiwan, the newspaper Yomiuri said. The weapon will use solid fuel, enabling it to be deployed quickly and allowing for long term storage.

Source: The Guardian

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By Kento Sahara and Nobuhiro Kubo TOKYO (Reuters) - South Korea expressed deep regret and China's state-run news agency called on Tokyo to repent its wartime past on Monday after dozens of Japanese lawmakers visited a shrine for war dead, which Seoul and Beijing see as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime militarism, on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering but did not go to the Yasukuni Shrine. Visits to the shrine outrage Beijing and Seoul because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals, along with war dead. Ties between China and Japan, Asia's two largest economies, have been strained in recent days after a growing number of government ships sailed near disputed East China Sea islets. Territory disputes and historical issues also periodically chill relations between Japan and South Korea. "(We) express deep concern and regret that responsible political leaders ... are again paying tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies the history of the war of aggression," South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. China's Xinhua news agency urged Japan to repent its wartime past or risk steering the country down a dangerous path. "It's in the interests of both Japan and its neighbouring countries for the former military power to truly reflect upon its past wrongs," Xinhua said in a commentary. Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013, sending ritual offerings instead. "He told me to come and my visit was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who gave the offering in Abe's name as LDP president rather than premier. New Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, who has been accused by China of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two, was visiting troops in Djibouti and unable able to go to the shrine as she has in the past. Emperor Akihito, at a ceremony honouring victims of the war, expressed "deep remorse" over the conflict fought in the name of his father, Hirohito. He first used the phrase at the memorial service last year - the 70th anniversary of the war's end - in what some saw it as a subtle rebuke to Abe, who favours a less apologetic tone. "Reflecting on our past with a feeling of deep remorse, I earnestly hope the ravages of war will never be repeated," said Akihito, 82. The emperor hinted in a rare video address last week at wanting to abdicate in a few years. Abe vowed at the same ceremony that Japan would work for world peace. "Going forward, and sticking to this firm pledge while facing history with humility, we will make every effort to contribute to world peace and prosperity and the realization of a world where everyone can live without fear," he said. (Additional reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Takaya Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Nataly Pak in SEOUL; Writing by Elaine Lies and Linda Sieg,; Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie)
Tokyo (AFP) - Tokyo and Seoul struck a conciliatory note Monday on the anniversary of the end of World War II, with South Korea's president calling for a "future-oriented" relationship and Japan's prime minister denouncing the "horrors of war".

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine but again avoided visiting it, in an apparent nod to China and South Korea.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, meanwhile, called for a "future-oriented" relationship with Tokyo even as a group of Seoul lawmakers sparked official anger in Japan by visiting islets claimed by both nations.

August 15 is an emotional date in both countries, remembered in Japan as the day in 1945 when wartime Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender. In South Korea it is marked as the day Japan's harsh 35-year occupation of the Korean peninsula came to an end.

China, which was partially occupied by Japan from the early 1930s to 1945, marks the end of the war on September 3.

A frequent flashpoint for nationalist tensions is Yasukuni Shrine, which honours millions of war dead including senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after the conflict's end.

Abe visited in December 2013, sparking fury in Beijing and Seoul and earning a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

He has since refrained and reactions by China and South Korea to visits by cabinet ministers and lawmakers, while still critical, have become less intense.

Separately, Abe and Emperor Akihito both reiterated Japan's commitment to peace at an official ceremony to commemorate the war dead.

"We shall never again repeat the horrors of war," Abe said.

Akihito expressed similar sentiments.

"Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated," he said.

- 'Extremely regrettable' -

Story continues

China's official Xinhua news agency in a commentary said Abe's comments missed the mark as he "failed again to offer a sincere apology for the country's wartime aggression in Asia".

Park, however, stressed the need to look forward in her nationally televised speech in Seoul.

"We should newly define relations with Japan to forge future-oriented ties," she said.

But her remarks coincided with the visit by 10 lawmakers to the Dokdo islets where they met South Korean security personnel based there.

South Korea has long controlled the islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) which are known in Japanese as Takeshima, but Tokyo has never renounced its claim.

"We absolutely cannot accept this," top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters in Tokyo, calling it "extremely regrettable".

Abe and Park are scheduled to visit China early next month for a Group of 20 summit hosted by President Xi Jinping, while Japan is due to host a trilateral leaders' meeting later this year.

Abe sent the offering to Yasukuni as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party rather than as prime minister in an apparent attempt to lessen criticism.

A total of 67 members of Japan's parliament -- 59 from Abe's ruling LDP -- visited the shrine en masse in the morning.

Tomomi Inada, Abe's hawkish new defence minister who has been a frequent visitor to Yasukuni in past years, was on an official visit to Djibouti.

But two members of Abe's cabinet showed up at the shrine in the afternoon.

"I don't think the way a country commemorates people who died for their country should be a diplomatic issue," Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister, told reporters.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points

Japanese Yen little changed after worse than expected GDP data

Annualized 2Q GDP growth rate 0.2% vs. 0.7% expected, 2% in 1Q

On-coming fiscal stimulus plan likely at center stage in the near term

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The USD/JPY was little changed after worse than expected second-quarter GDP figures crossed the wires, hinting that the governments promised stimulus plan is at center stage in the near term.

The annualized GDP came in at 0.2 percent versus the 0.7 percent expected and the 2.0 percent recorded previously, while nominal GDP was in-line with expectations at 0.2 percent versus the 0.8 percent recorded previously.

With the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announcing plans for a new round of stimulus last month, the market may not be as concerned with near term economic figures. Meanwhile, the DailyFX Speculative Sentiment Index shows retail traders are net long by a factor of over 4 to 1. The SSI is typically a contrarian indicator, meaning this hints at USD/JPY weakness.

Japanese Yen Little Changed After Worse than Expected 2Q GDP Data



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When construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline got underway and it was revealed that a 2-kilometer section of the 1,768 pipeline would pass through the fields in the village of Molit, in the Samtskhe-Javaketi region of Georgia, local Armenian residents were overjoyed.

They were to be compensated, and residents decided to share the windfall equally, regardless of whose fields the pipeline passed through.

In the end, each Molit resident received 14,000 Georgia Lari (US$6,000).

Construction of the Molit section of the pipeline began in earnest in 2004-2005. Once complete, twenty jobs to keep watch over the pipeline went to locals. While village roads werent asphalted, then were upgraded.

Molit, at 2,050 meters above sea level, had 54 households (273 inhabitants) according to a 2002 census. Now, 45 households remain. Nine families left the village after receiving the pipeline money.

Other than monetary compensation, the greatest benefit to the village was the upgrading of the nine-year old school. Only 36 pupils attend the school. This September, three kids will start first grade.

Knar Haroutyunyan, a graduate of Yerevan State University who teaches English at the school, is a native of Molit. She remembers that when she attended class, the schools enrollment was more than 100.

Ten years after the pipeline started to transport oil, the village is again in retreat. Jobs are being cut and the pipeline is now looked after by various law enforcement agencies.

The road to Molit is in terrible condition. The village is 64 kilometers distant from the regional capital of Borjomi. Taxi drivers refuse to make the perilous trip no matter how much money is offered.

When this reporter recently visited Molit, residents were out in the fields for the hay harvest. Winters last for up to eight months in the region, followed by two months of spring and two of brutal summers.

Under the scorching rays of the sun, women cover the faces like Soviet battalion laborers of old. Only their eyes are visible. Some wear wide-brim hats in the Mexican style.

The village is deserted. Shota Margaryan, a 66-year-old resident, approaches and sits under a stone wall in the village center. He tells me that of the four villages in the Borjomi region (Tabatzghour, Molit, Chkharola and Balanta), only Molit has no natural gas. Recently, a Georgia running for MP in the area visited the village and promised to bring in natural gas and repair the road.

Saakashvili gave the order and the gas pipes were installed. But they have stayed like that. Officials come and make promises that are never realized, says Mr. Margaryan.

Molit residents mostly engage in raising livestock and a bit of farming, mostly potatoes and fodder for the animals.

A few families make a living from Lake Tabatzghour, four kilometers away. Hetq has written about the lake in the past and how Armenia MP Vardan Ayvazyan has leased the lake from the Georgia government. Local residents were then banned from fishing. Ayvazyan used to have people patrol the lake to stop residents from entering. Not anymore. There are no fish left ever since Ayvazyan introduced crayfish.

When were there fish for us to take? The crayfish have decimated fish stocks, says Roubik Haroutyunyan while working on a haystack.

We walk down to the lake. Rouzanna Mikoyan is washing sheeps wool. She says the lake water turns the wool snow white. When I marry off my son this year, theyll sleep on this quilt Im making, she says with pride in her voice.

I spot three boys on the shore. They quickly disrobe and jump in the water. They couldnt care less who has leased the lake or why.

So what? Its our lake, says one of the young swimmers.
Yuki Sato, on paper, has achieved the dream. He is a student at Waseda University, one of the top colleges in Japan, studying political science. Which means he successfully survived the rite of passage that looms large over all Japanese adolescents: the wild hustle to get into a good college.

The degree doesnt matter to me, he says over coffee one weekday, fresh from swim practice with his classmates. I just want the knowledge. Unfortunately, he doesnt feel he can say the same about most of his peers, who, he says, are products of cramming culture  the idea that studying constantly, by rote, is the best way to achieve success. Sato, who attended an international school in Tokyo before going to boarding school in the U.S., takes a distinctly more liberal arts approach to his education. Dissatisfied with his time at Waseda  whose public relations department did not reply to requests for comment  Sato is venturing back to the U.S. soon to study abroad at the University of Washington.

In a few years, some Japanese universities may be better prepared to keep the attention of students like Sato  students who want global, bilingual educations. Some are even staking their reputations on wooing students like this, from across the country and even the continent. Japan is approaching what some are calling the 2018 problem  in two years, the number of college-bound 18-year-olds will hit an all-time low and continue to shrink thereafter, according to data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Which means Japanese universities may not be able to rely much longer on a regular customer base. In this country of near-universal higher education, a whole lot of college campuses threaten to be abandoned.

All that which is the traditional Japanese way of educating is changing. William Shang

That threat is looming large for colleges, especially middle- and lower-tier universities, says William Shang, dean of global studies at Tama University in Tokyo. Were anticipating some schools will no longer be in operation at all, he says. A new urgency is setting in for the nearly 800 higher ed institutions in the country  according to ministry data from 2014. So what is to be done? The challenges Japanese universities are facing are not unheard of. American colleges, too, have stared down the huge overheads that come with running campuses. In the U.S., colleges have ballooned out a kind of secondary economy to higher education  night school courses, extension schools, continuing education, MOOCs and more.

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Gettyimages 108744260

Aerial view of Waseda University, Shinjuku ward, Tokyo Prefecture, Honshu, Japan.

Source Getty

Some of those models may reappear in Japan, perhaps marketed toward elders whod like something to do with their time. But so far, here, the answers some colleges are turning to sound a bit like planks of their own version of Abenomics. Mission one: Globalize. Programs like Shangs, or the one in which Sato is enrolled, which promise English-language education with an outward view, are becoming increasingly popular. Some colleges have tried to switch to the American school year calendar, thereby allowing their students to take internships abroad. The ruling party has touted TOEFL, the English language proficiency test, as an increasingly crucial part of public and private education, and in 2014, the government announced a $77 million initiative to hire foreigners or Japanese who have graduated from foreign universities to teach at Japanese universities. Rick Overton, professor at the Tokyo College of Music, has been involved in creating a new, liberal artsstyle music major for his students; he says alarm bells go off whenever foreign students or faculty are discussed, as his colleagues worry there will suddenly be no more Japanese anymore.

What of mission two? Liberalize  liberal arts-ize, that is. Shang says the classic lecture-style courses are increasingly hard sells, and more colleges are looking at seminar-style discussions in hopes that students will find them more appealing. The over $10 billion private tutoring, or cram school (juku) industry, in Japan is even finding some holes poked in it; two years ago one of the countrys most famous cram school chains shut down three quarters of its branches, according to local reports. All that which is the traditional Japanese way of educating is changing, Shang says. Theyre behind the ball game, says Overton of universities scramble to revamp their curricula.

Indeed, the scent of senescence has been in the air for some time when it comes to Japanese education, and there have been plenty of signs that things would have to change soon  the latest impetus for the shift is not only the 2018 demographic dropoff but also the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Then there are a few prominent moves made by large companies like Rakuten, whose leader bragged to the The Wall Street Journal about the edge it gets from making English its official language; other industry leaders like Fast Retailing, the parent of Uniqlo and Theory, also expect English from new employees. It would seem that the education sector is experiencing a wave of the same economic urgency that has descended on the archipelago country in the business of trying to remake itself. Much like the Japanese economic system itself, which grew accustomed to catering to its own, sizable market of culturally understood consumers during the 1980s bubble economy, the educational system now must similarly come to understand what lies beyond its borders.

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Vice President Joe Biden called Donald Trump clueless on foreign policy and a fanboy of dictators, telling an audience in an appearance on Monday with Hillary Clinton that Trump would have loved Stalin.

He likes autocrats, he wills the politics of fear and intolerance, calling for a ban of Muslims in the United States, slandering proud Muslim parents of a Gold Star family, Biden said to a crowd of more than 3,000. Look, Trumps ideas are not only profoundly wrong, theyre very dangerous and theyre very un-American.

He would have loved Stalin, Biden said twice.

Bidens remarks directed against Trump were part of a one-hour-long joint appearance with Clinton in Scranton, Pa., where both have family roots and are seeking to win working-class voters in a swing state.

The Clinton campaign had planned the event to focus on the economy, and the two assailed Trumps plans and touted the Democratic nominees own agenda.

But they had sharpest words for Trumps foreign policy pronouncements, attacking his suggestion that he would not come to the aid of NATO allies, his proposal to allow countries like Saudi Arabia and Japan to obtain nuclear weapons, his belief that torture should be allowed and suspected terrorists families should be targeted and what Biden called a profound misunderstanding of foreign affairs. Trump has praised autocratic leaders like Russian President Vladimir Putin and said Saddam Hussein was good at killing terrorists.

Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy than Trump and his entire  Im not joking here  and his entire team will ever understand, Biden said.

Trump has blamed Obama for much of the turmoil in the Middle East and the rise of ISIS, saying the President founded the terrorist organization. He has promised a tougher stance with Americas adversaries and an end to the chaos that has spread out of Iraq and Syria.

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Clinton, for her part, mocked Trumps campaign speeches. He says he knows more than the generals do, Clinton said. No, Donald, you dont.

There is no doubt that Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be President of the United States and Commander in Chief, Clinton continued.

Clinton and Biden served together for four years in the Obama White House and often disagreed about foreign policy. As Secretary of State, Clinton was eager to arm Syrian rebels and advocated for the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2010; Biden was a more dovish adviser.

Biden flirted last year with his own run for President, a decision that would have scrambled the race and could have imperiled Clintons campaign. He ultimately decided not to run amid pressure from President Obama and other top Democrats.

Despite past differences, however, Biden will be a valuable surrogate for Clinton, particularly in Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Clinton and Biden took the stage holding hands, and Clinton was waiting on the tarmac with a warm embrace when the Vice President arrived in Pennsylvania. Bidens working-class background and ease behind the podium made him an important conduit between President Obama, the first black President, and white voters in the Midwest and beyond.

Bidens vows of sincerity  I sincerely mean this and from the bottom of my heart  are the dressings on his folkish appeal. The people of Scranton, Biden said, deserve someone whos made of the same stuff, referring to Clinton.

Scranton has been the site of a long economic decline, following a familiar pattern for Rust Belt towns as steel and coal jobs moved west and overseas. The towns boom years in the early 20th century gave way to diminished population and industry.

Clinton and Biden both have Scranton roots. Biden was born in Scranton and spent his early years there before moving to Delaware.

Clintons father was born in the city, and the family spent summer vacations at a cottage nearby at Lake Winola. Clinton famously recalled during her 2008 campaign that she learned how to shoot a gun as a little girl at the cabin; her grandfather worked in a lace mill in town.

I always remember that I am the granddaughter of a factory worker and the daughter of small-business owner, and I am so proud of it, Clinton said.

Polls in Pennsylvania show Clinton with a significant lead, edging Trump by a double-digit margin of 48-37 in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.

The Clinton-Biden rally was delayed more than a month after the deadly police shootings in Dallas.

For months Clinton has targeted Trumps economic plan, but polls show his reputation as an adept businessman has been difficult to shake. In early June, 53% of voters trusted Trump to better handle the economy vs. 43% for Clinton, according to a Gallup poll. Only in recent weeks has Clinton been able to make up that difference by unrelentingly focusing on Trumps bankruptcies and outsourcing jobs.

Clinton assailed Trumps tax plan, which she said included a Trump loophole for the wealthy, including his family, and repeated her economic plan, including debt-free college, $275 billion in infrastructure spending, corporate profit-sharing for employees and affordable child care services.

With the Vice President sitting next to her, Clinton said Obama and Biden dont get the credit they deserve in the aftermath of the financial crisis, but acknowledged the worries that many local families face seven years into the Obama Administration.

Inequality is too high. Wages are too low, it is still too hard for too many to get ahead, Clinton said. We have a lot of work to do.
Making his debut appearance on Hillary Clintons campaign trail, Vice President Joe Biden said GOP nominee Donald Trump would have loved Stalin.

This guys shame has no limits, Biden told a crowd in his hometown of Scranton, PA. He noted that Trump, at a news conference last month, urged Russia to conduct a cyber attack against America when he invited Russian hackers to find and publish emails Clinton says she were deleted because they were personal.

Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 [Clinton] emails that are missing, Trump said at a press conference. I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.  Thatll be nice.

Even if he is joking  which he is not  thats an outrageous thing to say, Biden said this afternoon at the Clinton rally which was covered by the cable news outlets, though Fox News Channel broke away before Biden really got rolling on Trump.

Trump has expressed admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and showered praise on Saddam Hussein, a man who repeatedly backed terrorist attacks against Israel, Biden told the receptive crowd of Clinton supporters.

RelatedFiery Joe Biden Touts Top Dems, Roasts Clueless Donald Trump & Stokes American Pride At DNC

The veep blasted Trump for telling a Florida crowd last week that President Obama founded ISIS. Thats an outrageous statement, Biden scoffed.

Trump last Wednesday called Obama the founder of ISIS, later adding that Clinton co-founded the terrorist group. Trump said Friday that his assertion was sarcasm lost on CNN,but later that same day said his claim, while sarcasm, was not that sarcastic.

Let me tell you why its a dangerous statement, Biden warned today. The bad guys are listening.

He quoted Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, who last week said of Trumps remark: This is an American presidential candidate. This was spoken on behalf of the American Republican Party. He has data and documents.

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Said Biden: If my son were still in Iraq, and I say to all of those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks  as a consequence of Trumps outlandish comments, which have hurt the physical safety of our troops and already made our country less safe.

Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy than Trump and his entire team will ever understand.

He added: I can say without hesitation  no major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump, Biden insisted. And what absolutely amazes me is that he doesnt seem to want to learn it.  He doesnt think it matters.

RelatedVice President Joe Biden To Guest Star On Law & Order: SVU

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In a stinging pre-rebuttal to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trumps major speech Monday on national security and defeating ISIS, Vice President Joe Biden declared that the billionaire businessman has no clue how to lead the country and should never be entrusted with the nuclear weapon codes.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who Biden once considered challenging for the nomination, the vice president told a cheering crowd in Scranton, Pennsylvania, that Clinton has forgotten more than Trump and his advisers will ever know about foreign policy.

Related: Trump Promises to Get Vicious With Radical Islam

He doesnt understand it, he doesnt have a clue, Biden said in his first joint appearance with Clinton since she won their partys nomination in Philadelphia. I have worked with eight presidents of the United States, I have served with hundreds of senators  dozens of secretaries of state and secretaries of defense of both parties. And I can say without hesitation  no major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump.

Clinton, who has taken a substantial lead over Trump in the polls since the July party conventions, introduced Biden at a campaign rally in Scranton, a blue collar enclave and Bidens hometown. She, too, denounced Trump as a foreign policy phony who claims to have a secret plan to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria, but it turns out the secret is he has no plan.

Biden, a one-time chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and one of President Obamas closest advisers on defense and foreign policy issues, said he was dumbstruck by Trumps ignorance on international affairs.

He doesnt seem to want to learn, Biden added. I really mean it. He doesnt seem to want to learn, he doesnt seem to think it matters. He is thoroughly unqualified to be president of the United States of America. People say he lacks good temperament. I would feel better if thats all he lacks. On every issue that matters the most to our security, Donald Trump has no clue what it takes to lead this great country.

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Related: 'We Owe You So Much,' Kosovo to Tell Biden as Street Named After Late Son

Biden noted that scores of prominent Republican national policy experts and former officials have come out against Trump in recent days, declaring that he would be the most dangerous president in history. He also said that he is spending time comforting foreign leaders in Eastern Europe and elsewhere who were shaken by Trumps threats to withdraw support from NATO unless member countries pay more for the common defense.

He also blasted Trumps ideas for encouraging Japan, South Korea and other allies to develop their own nuclear weapons, when the United States helped negotiate Japans post-World War II constitution to ban the use of nuclear weapons. And he sharply criticized Trump for praising Russian president Vladimir Putin, lacking any understanding of Russias invasion of Crimea, and even encouraging him to wage cyber-attacks against Clinton and the Democrats.

He says he admires Vladimir Putin, Trump said. Putin is determined to crack NATO and crack the European alliance. That is his overarching, overwhelming interest.

He likes autocrats, he wields the politics of fear and intolerance, calling for a ban on Muslims in the United States, slandering proud Muslim parents of a Gold Star family who paid the ultimate sacrifice, threatening to send American citizens to Guantanamo [Bay terrorist prison]  Look, Trumps ideas are not only profoundly wrong, they are very dangerous ... and show a profound ignorance of our Constitution.

Related: The Trump Delusion: GOP Candidate Says Everythings Just Fine

Obama recently declared that Trump was woefully unfit to be president, and Biden took the critique to a new level.

Someone who lacks this judgement cannot be trusted  with the nuclear code, Biden said, noting that any president may have to make split second decisions on whether to launch a nuclear attack. He is not qualified to know the code. He cant be trusted.

Trump Promises to Get Vicious With Radical Islam

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
Euro Pacific Capital Economist, and former British Parliament member, John Browne weighed in on reports Brexit may be delayed to late 2019.

It is a very serious and complex issue involving the unwinding of some 50% of Britains distorted trade towards the European Union and it will require very lengthy negotiations and a lot of time so I think [British Prime Minister] Theresa May is quite correct to play the ball long and to allow time for cool heads to prevail, Browne told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

Browne explained how British trade was impacted by being a part of the European Union.

Britain has to negotiate within the European Unions negotiations worldwide, of which it has one twenty-eighth of a vote, in other words one in 28 nations, he said.

Browne said Brexit will greatly benefit Britains economy.

Now, under Brexit, Britains going to be free to negotiate with places like the United States, Japan, China, three of the largest economies in the world in which the European Union does not have a trade agreement yet. So its going to be greatly to the benefit of Britain over and above democracy, freedom and common law which are the three fundamental reasons why Britain broke from Europe, he said.

But he said it shouldnt be rushed.

I think markets are going to be much happier with a slow, gradual movement than a sudden shocks, and the sudden shocks would be greatly to the disadvantage of the United Kingdom and the European Union, he said.

And, he said, there is another reason to proceed cautiously: time heals all wounds.

At the moment, the Italians and the French are out for revenge. Theyre trying to squeeze Britain hard and everything, which is unrealistic. Merkel is much more realistic and says look, weve got to negotiate a deal thats a win-win for both sides so we both have an amicable deal. Now with the anger and revenge thats been stirred up already, one has to allow that to die down, he said.

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This is disturbing.

New allegations have emerged regarding Johnny Depp's March 2015 hand injury that halted production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Sources told ET at the time that Depp had punched a wall during an argument with estranged wife Amber Heard, after which the 53-year-old actor had to return to the United States to have a pin put into his finger.

WATCH: Amber Heard Arrives On Time for Deposition in Restraining Order Case Against Johnny Depp

Now, a new report goes into graphic detail about the alleged incident, claiming the argument stemmed out of Depp's suspicion that Heard cheated on him with actor Billy Bob Thornton.

(WARNING: Graphic details below.)

During the altercation with Heard, 30, Depp was allegedly intoxicated and slamming glass bottles, windows, and a plastic phone into the wall, causing one of his fingers to become partially severed, TMZ reports.

EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Depp 'Punched Wall' During Argument With Amber Heard, Leading to Injury That Halted 'Pirates,' Sources Say

The report goes on to claim that Depp then dipped the bloody finger into some paint belonging to Heard, and wrote "Billy Bob" and "Easy Amber" on a mirror.

Heard and Thornton worked together on the yet-to-be-released film, London Falls.

WATCH: Amber Heard's Lawyers Speak Out on Actress' Domestic Violence Claims Against Johnny Depp: 'She's the Victim'

Despite Depp's alleged suspicions, a source told People, "Billy Bob definitely, absolutely did not have an affair with Amber."

The new report comes shortly after a video, that appears to show Depp throwing a wine bottle and glass during an argument with Heard, was leaked.

WATCH: Amber Heard Delays Deposition, Lawyer Insists Actress Is Not Refusing to Give Testimony

Depp sources maintain the video was "heavily edited" while the actress issued a statement to ET, saying, "I am not responsible for the release of the video. It was not what I wanted and I am doing what I can to force the media to take it off the internet."

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"I underestimated the toll that this difficult few months have taken on me, emotionally and physically, and the efforts made by the media to intimidate and discredit me," Heard added. "It is for that reason, and my desire to make the healthiest choice for myself, and hopefully for Johnny, that I am attempting to resolve this matter in the most private way possible."

NEWS: Amber Heard Claims Johnny Depp Has Been 'Stonewalling' Divorce Proceedings

As the estranged couple's legal battle continues, Heard arrived on time to her deposition on Saturday morning in Los Angeles.

The two are set to meet in court on Wednesday. However, the two parties are attempting to reach a settlement that would involve both a monetary amount and a statement about the alleged abuse Heard suffered on May 21, according to TMZ.

Watch the video below for more on the leaked video.

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A new photo has emerged that allegedly shows Johnny Depp's severed fingertip following a heated argument with his estranged wife Amber Heard.



In the gruesome photos, which were obtained by TMZ, a doctor is seen holding what the site claims is Depp's hand as the actor's butchered finger is examined.



Depp, 53, reportedly suffered the injury in March 2015 while he and Heard, 30, were living in Australia during his shoot for Pirates of the Caribbean  just one month after the couple got married.



According to TMZ, Depp sliced off the tip his finger on a piece of glass when he allegedly smashed several bottles and windows during an argument with Heard. After the injury, the actor allegedly dipped his severed finger in a jar of blue paint Heard had in their home and wrote various words on a mirror including "Billy Bob" and "Easy Amber."







Depp allegedly accused the actress of cheating on him with Billy Bob Thornton, something she adamantly denied. Heard and Thornton starred together in the still-unreleased thriller London Fields.



A Thornton source tells PEOPLE: "Billy Bob definitely, absolutely did not have an affair with Amber."



Reps for Depp and Heard could not be immediately reached for comment.



In March 2015, according to multiple news outlets, Depp injured his hand while in Australia filming Pirates and traveled back stateside for surgery.









The photos, which are reportedly part of Heard's domestic violence case against Depp, come just days after a video emerged apparently showing the actor yelling, drinking and slamming cabinets in a kitchen during a fight with Heard, while the actress videotaped the argument. The reason for the outburst is unclear.



In court documents responding to Heard's initial request for a restraining order, Depp's attorney, Laura Wasser, alleged that Heard "is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."
Amman (AFP) - Jordan's King Abdullah II has rejected calls to restore access to a border area where tens of thousands of Syrians are stranded, local media reported on Monday.

Jordan declared the area around the Rukban border crossing a "closed military zone" in June, after a suicide bombing claimed by the Islamic State group killed seven soldiers near a makeshift desert camp where more than 100,000 Syrians are stuck.

This cut off aid access to the Syrians, who have been gathering at the border for months attempting to flee their country's five-year civil war into Jordan.

In comments published by the semi-governmental Addustour newspaper on Monday, the king cited fears of "extremist elements" among those stranded, many of whom come from areas controlled by IS.

"Despite all difficulties, Jordan is doing its utmost to help refugees," he said, "but that will under no circumstances be at the expense of the livelihood of Jordanians and their security."

Aid agencies have pleaded with the government to restore access to the camp and earlier this month Jordan allowed a delivery of desperately needed food and hygiene supplies after an appeal by the United Nations.

But Abdullah said national security was Jordan's top priority.

"We will not allow anyone to put pressure on us," he said.

Abdullah said Jordan was willing to help transfer the Syrians to "any country willing to host them".

Jordan says it is already hosting nearly 1.4 million refugees, of whom 630,000 are registered with the United Nations.

Abdullah said donations from the international community only covered 35 percent of the cost of hosting the refugees, leaving Jordan to make up the shortfall.

That took up more than a quarter of Jordan's budget, he said.

"Jordan is doing its utmost to help refugees," he said. "However, we have reached our limits... This is an international crisis and an international responsibility and the world has to do its part."
Amman (AFP) - Jordan on Monday condemned Israel for allowing "extremist" Jews to visit Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews, saying such action could spark a "religious war".

Jordan is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and has repeatedly denounced what it says are violations of rules at the site, Islam's third holiest.

Jews, who consider the compound their holiest site and call it the Temple Mount, are allowed to visit but not to pray on the esplanade in order to avoid tensions with Muslims who worship there.

On Sunday, about 400 Jews entered the compound to commemorate the destruction of two ancient temples, but several who tried to pray there were expelled by Israeli police while two were detained.

Jordan's Minister of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf (religious property), Wael Arabiyat, denounced Israel for allowing "Zionist extremists" to enter and pray at the compound.

"Pursuing such measures could spark a religious war in the region," Arabiyat warned.

Arabiyat also denounced Israeli police for allegedly "arresting and beating" Muslim worshippers at the site.

Israeli police on Sunday said Muslims had gathered around two Jews who were being expelled from the compound and began yelling at them.

Police pushed them away and three Muslims were lightly injured in the scuffle.

Jordan's King Abdullah II also denounced "repeated violations and transgressions by Israel and extremist groups and their blatant attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem," in an interview published Monday by the semi-official Addustour newspaper.

"We will persist in undertaking our religious and historical responsibilities towards Al-Aqsa mosque.... which faces repeated violations by extremist groups," he said.

"As the Custodian of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, I will continue my efforts to protect these places and stand up against all violations of their sanctity," he said.

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Jews on Sunday were commemorating the religious day of mourning known as Tisha B'av.

Palestinian fears of Israeli intentions to undermine Muslim control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were a key factor in a wave of violence that erupted 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.
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Losing is one thing. Justin Gatlin didn't expect he'd get booed at the Olympic 100-meter final, too.

''We all have respect for each other,'' the American sprinter said of his fellow competitors. ''I'd like to see everyone have respect in the audience, as well.''

Gatlin's doping history - he's served two bans - has always been a part of his rivalry with Usain Bolt. Sometimes, Bolt vs. Gatlin has even been characterized as good vs. evil.

When Gatlin walked out for the 100 final in Rio de Janeiro, the boos resounded around the Olympic Stadium because of that. He said he didn't focus on them, and rather looked out at the red, white and blue U.S. flags up in the stands. But the way he scrunched up his face when the crowd bellowed at him suggests he did notice.

As did Bolt.

''It was surprising. I've never heard, I've never seen it happen before,'' Bolt said. ''But I guess some people are more vocal than others.''

It was a bittersweet night for Gatlin - he won a silver medal - yet the race had been built up as a great chance for him to beat Bolt in an Olympic final. Greeted by those boos, Gatlin then saw Bolt race past him to an historic third Olympic title in the 100 meters.

Surely hurting, the 34-year-old Gatlin put on a brave face.

''I have the utmost respect for Usain,'' said Gatlin, who won Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games and bronze four years ago in London. ''Away from the track, he's a great guy, he's a cool guy, there is no rivalry between us. There is no bad blood. I'm a competitor, he's a competitor and he has pushed me to be the athlete that I am today. I hope he can say the same for me.''

Bolt did that, too.

''I personally think he's a great athlete,'' Bolt said. ''He shows up and pushes you to run fast and be at your best at all times.''
Have you seen The Muppet Movie? In the unfortunate case you haven't, it begins when Kermit the Frog is picked off his lily pad and invited to be a star in Hollywood. As he starts his journey, he finds Fozzy Bear telling jokes in a dive bar. He asks the waka-waka machine to join him, and so it goes with Gonzo, Miss Piggy, Rowlf the Dog, and so on until his brown Studebaker is overflowing with a wild and varied cast of characters.

Although they come from different backgrounds and take different approaches, each one is a dreamer pursuing a passion. They are stronger and better together than they ever were apart, and that's something Justin Jay has learned during the course of his own Fantastic Voyage.

5 DJs Who Started in College

"I know that I'm not your type, and you're not mine, but that's alright," his college buddy Josh Taylor sings on "What Do you Want." It's track three of 12 on Fantastic Voyage, the debut collaborative album from the producer's new four-to-seven-piece band (depending on the lineup that day), Justin Jay & Friends, and it captures the spirit of the project.

This is a band that in many ways shouldn't make sense. It's a tech-house producer teamed with a singing ukulele enthusiast, a drummer, a guitarist, and sometimes a trumpeter, saxophonist, and bassist. It's a process so involved, Jay actually went back to college after graduation to take a "school of rock" style class that taught him how to perform in a band. It's been totally weird, but that's what's made it exciting. As Taylor sings on track seven "Let Go," "holding on will hold you back."

"We didn't even realize it (was happening), because we were really just getting lost in the process of making music, songwriting, and just hanging out," Jay says of the album writing and recording process. "I've just learned so much from that experience, and I'm really excited to just keep learning about new things and to experiment with my homies."

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Porter Robinson &??Madeon??Announce Joint Live Tour, Release??Collab??'Shelter'

He and Taylor have been friends ever since they rushed the same frat freshman year at the University of Southern California. They roomed together, showed each other musical ideas, but never thought collaboration was possible. Jay was releasing on Dirtybird and Taylor was doing a folk jam thing. It didn't make sense - until making sense didn't matter.

"I didn't have the opportunity to collaborate wth people interested in making instrumental house and techno," Jay says. "Our last semester of college we were like 'dude, we hang out all the time anyway, let's jam.'"

It started on a Monday, and Friday, they performed a song with Taylor's band's guitarist, Benny Bridges, at a frat party. The response was great, and the friends decided to premiere it live at Jay's DJ set in San Francisco the next day. The track was called "Weathermen," and it's the opening track on Fantastic Voyage.

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--Rawr --@trippinbillys

A photo posted by Justin Jay (@justinjaymusic) on Jul 22, 2016 at 1:40pm PDT

The songs continued to flow, Jay and his pals kept traveling together to rock them out for crowds, and before they knew it, they had enough for an LP. But traditional release wasn't going to cut it. The tracks were cool, audiences approved, but it was still so stylistically different from anything Jay'd put out before, even from one another.

The fix? Jay sent the songs out in various groups for release on different labels. "Turn Around" and "Let Go" are funky disco jams that found a home on Soul Clap. Techno-tinged "Make You Mine" and "Climbing Trees" landed on Repopulate Mars. A few saw release on Jimpster's Free Range, a few on Black Butter, and of course, on his home-base label Dirtybird. The whole album came out that way, to "give people a chance to gradually get into it."

Justin Jay Announces New EP, Premieres Upbeat Single 'You Give Me Butterflies'

As a final product, the cohesiveness speaks for itself. Fantastic Voyage is a wild ride of sounds for anyone used to a dance-centric groove. It's a dance record, to be sure, but it plays with rock band themes. Hey, disco was created with funk bands. It's not all that crazy.

"The more deeply I learn about it, the more I can bring a more substantive live performance to my world or dance music," Jay says. "It's been scary at times, but so rewarding ... we really do have this scrappy DIY, we'll figure it out, just throw ourselves into the fire (approach). It's very college cramming right before the midterm but we've been figuring it out, and we've been having lots of fun."

Zeds Dead Talk Genre-Hopping 'Northern Lights' Album and Deadbeats Label

The final exam??swiftly approaches in the form of a full-on live tour later this year. The experience also spurred the launch of Jay's new label, also called Fantastic Voyage, a place Jay sees as a cool way to show off his band member's fledgling electronic works and give young, local DJs a way to get cool new sounds at little to no cost.

"There's a level of seriousness it takes to peak Claude VonStroke's interest, and a lot of my homies are just starting to make music for the first??time and making really cool stuff," he says. "It's not necessarily the best songs for the big festivals or the coolest artsy warehouse parties. They're songs for playing a little house party in your living room."

Because if Justin Jay & Friends aren't afraid to experiment, neither should you.
In addition to being USA Swimmings breakout star at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Katie Ledecky is one of several Olympic athletes who will be allowed to keep thousands of dollars in prize money without sacrificing their NCAA eligibility.

Through its Operation Gold program, the U.S. Olympic Committee grants bonuses of $25,000 for gold medals, $15,000 for silver medals and $10,000 for bronze medals. The NCAA altered its by-laws in 2001 to allow Olympic competitors to accept Operation Gold rewards, as well as training and expense stipends, without jeopardizing their status as amateur athletes.

That means Ledecky, who will attend Stanford University in California this fall, will net at least $115,000 in prize money before taxes. The 19-year-old D.C. native won gold in the 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter freestyles, as well as the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. She took home a silver medal in the 4x100-meter relay.

Ledecky set two world records and became the first swimmer to sweep the 200-meter, 400-meter and 800-meter individual events since Debbie Meyer in 1968.

As of Saturday, Team USA swimmers had won more than $700,000 in medal bonuses while retaining their amateur status, according to USA Today reporter Steve Berkowitz. USA Swimming did not respond to FOXBusiness.coms request for comment on total payments through its Operation Gold program in Rio.

While swimmers have taken home the majority of Olympic bonus money, NCAA athletes who medaled for Team USA in any sport can receive the same benefit.

The NCAA limited its Operation Gold exception to American athletes until 2015, when officials adopted a rule change that extended the protection to international athletes that also attend American colleges.

That change was good news for Joseph Schooling, a Singaporean swimmer who also competes for the University of Texas. Singapores program rewards gold medal athletes with $1 million in domestic prize money  an equivalent of more than $700,000 in U.S. dollars before taxes and payouts to his home countrys swimming program.

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While medal winners gain international recognition for their Olympic success, the NCAA still restricts its student-athletes from receiving compensation through endorsement deals. So Ledecky is free to keep her bonus money, but she cant pursue compensation through corporate sponsorships.

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By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - Living in poor neighborhoods has been linked to increased heart risk, and a new U.S. study suggests the lack of access to fresh, healthy foods may be to blame. Previous studies have found relationships between neighborhood characteristics and cardiovascular disease, said lead author Jeffrey Wing of Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Finding that the density of healthy food stores was the only factor among those tested that consistently was related to slowing the progression of coronary calcium build-up was interesting in that we didnt see the same relation with other neighborhood features, like recreation centers, Wing told Reuters Health by email. Coronary artery calcium buildup hardens the arteries and causes atherosclerosis, which underlies many cases of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., responsible for one in every four deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers analyzed data from a large multiethnic study of atherosclerosis, in which 6,000 adults had CT scans for coronary artery calcium at the start, and at least once more after a 12-year follow-up period. Almost 90 percent of participants had three CT scans over time, with an average of three to four years between each scan. Researchers also recorded neighborhood features like recreational facilities, healthy food stores, walking environments, healthy food stores and social environment. They found that people with healthy food stores within one mile of their homes had slower coronary artery calcium buildup over time than those who lived further away from fresh food sources, according to the results in Circulation. Coronary calcium in itself is not a health endpoint for patients, Wing noted. Coronary calcium, as we used it, was a marker for subclinical disease, he said. That means the study team was trying to get at future cardiovascular outcomes like heart attacks and strokes without having to wait for those endpoints to actually occur, he said. Though there has been a fair amount of research on this topic, researchers dont have one consistent way of measuring access to fresh food and that can make it difficult to come up with a good estimate, said co-lead author Ella August of the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Grand Rapids. Previous studies have found that predominantly black neighborhoods have fewer supermarkets compared to predominantly white neighborhoods in the U.S., she said. Some options for providing fresh food in such food deserts have been implemented on a small scale, like mobile urban produce vendors that drive through city streets offering apples, lettuce and carrots, August told Reuters Health by email. Michelle Obama has also made some efforts to increase funding for urban supermarkets, but these have been challenging to implement, August said. We need to work harder to find ways to provide access to healthy food to everyone in this country. These findings suggest points of intervention on a neighborhood level that may be particularly impactful for improving health outcomes of its residents, Adelaida M. Rosario, a health specialist at the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, write in an accompanying editorial. Quitting smoking, being physically active and engaging in other healthy behaviors are other things individuals can do to reduce heart disease risk if they have limited access to healthy food alternatives, Wing said. SOURCE: http://bit.ly/1XIhahI Circulation, online August 15, 2016.
Lattice Semiconductor Corporation LSCC reported second-quarter 2016 loss per share of 3 cents, greater than the Zacks Consensus Estimate loss of 2 cents.



Revenues



Lattices revenues of $99.2 million increased 2.8% sequentially but decreased 6.8% year over year. Also, revenues crawled at ll the lower end of the companys guidance range of $97-$103 million, and grazing below the neck of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $100.0 million.



The sequential increase was driven by strength in industrial end market as well as increased licensing and services revenue.



Revenues by End Market



Communications and Computing segments contributed 29% to Lattices second-quarter sales, down from 34% in the last quarter; Mobile and Consumer segment brought in 24% of total sales, down from 26% in the previous quarter; Industrial and Automotive segment brought in 37% of total sales, up from 31% from the previous quarter; while the Licensing and Services segment generated the remaining 10%, up from 9% in the first quarter.



Revenues by Geography



On a sequential basis, Asia accounted for 68% of Lattices sales, flat with that of the prior quarter; Europe, including Africa, generated 15%, down from 17% in the previous quarter, while the Americas contributed the remaining 17%, up from 15% in firstquarter 2016.



Margins



Reported gross margin was 58.9%, down 30 basis points (bps) year over year but up 630 bps sequentially. The sequential decrease was due to unfavorable product mix.



Operating expenses  selling, general and administrative (SG&A) and research and development (R&D)  of $53.9 million decreased 20.4% from $67.7 million in the year-ago quarter. As a percentage of sales, both SG&A and R&D expenses increased. So reported operating margin came in at (6.4%) compared with (24.3%) a year ago.



GAAP net loss was $13.8 million or a loss per share of 12 cents in the second quarter versus loss of $35.6 million or 30 cents per share in the year-ago quarter. Excluding all special charges but including stock-based compensation expense, adjusted loss per share was 3 cents compared with a loss of 10 cents in the year-ago quarter.



Balance Sheet



Lattice exited the second quarter with cash and short-term investments balance of $119.3 million, up from $116.5 million in the past quarter. Trade receivables were $84.7 million, slightly up from $84.4 million in the previous quarter. Day sales outstanding improved to 78 days in the second quarter from 80 days in the prior quarter. Inventories were $86.7 million compared with the lower $82.6 million at the end of the first quarter.



Guidance



For the third quarter of 2016, Lattice expects total revenue in the range of $110$116 million and gross margins of 52% (+/-2% sequentially). On a non-GAAP basis, total operating expenses are expected to be approximately $45.0 million (+/-2% sequentially).

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LATTICE SEMICON Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

LATTICE SEMICON Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | LATTICE SEMICON Quote

Conclusion



Lattice Semiconductor designs, develops and markets high performance programmable logic devices and related development system software.



During the quarter, Lattice launched several products. Also, demand for FPGAs is increasing because these offer flexibility in terms of designs at lower R&D costs to electronic device manufacturing companies. Therefore, the companys new innovations in the FPGA space, solid execution and design wins will likely drive demand, going forward.



Additionally, the acquisition of Silicon Image completed last year will expand the companys revenue base and drive growth. The company expects to meet its profitability goals for this year, with $49 million in cost synergies from the buyout.



However, increasing competition from rivals and global uncertainty remain headwinds. Some competitors populating the same space are Amkor Technology, Inc. AMKR, Cirrus Logic Inc. CRUS and FormFactor Inc. FORM.

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Three Hong Kong student activists will avoid jail time for their activities in the 2014 pro-democracy protests here, a judge decreed on Monday.

Joshua Wong, 19, who emerged as a poster child for civil disobedience during the three-month demonstration, known as the Umbrella Revolution, was sentenced to 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly; 23-year-old Nathan Law, currently a candidate in next months legislative elections, will serve 120. Alex Chow, 25, received a three-week prison sentence, but with a one-year suspension, which means the sentence will likely be lifted if he does not violate the law in the next 12 months.

The lenient sentences are certain to anger China, which sharply criticized the protests.

The case in question concerned the trios decision to storm a public plaza outside Hong Kongs legislative headquarters on Sept. 26, 2014, to demand the right to vote in elections for the Chief Executive, as Hong Kongs top official is called. (The position is currently decided by an electoral college widely seen as sympathetic to Beijing, which rules over the semiautonomous territory.) The assembly precipitated the largest pro-democracy demonstration on Chinese soil since the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing in 1989.

Wong and Chow were found guilty last month of participating in an unlawful assembly; Law was found guilty of inciting one. At the time, many here worried that the activists would face imprisonment.

Its good news, Wong tells TIME, regarding the relatively lenient sentences. In the future, Ill still continue to engage in civil disobedience to fight for democracy.
girl reading the Quran

A recent series of leaked Islamic State documents have revealed that most of ISIS recruits had a rudimentary knowledge of Shariah law  the legal system that governs people of the Islamic faith.

The thousands of IS documents shed light on over 4,000 recruits that made their way into Syria during ISIS heyday. These documents, after being analyzed by the Associated Press, showed that 70% of recruits had just a basic, the lowest possible category, knowledge of Shariah, while 24% had an intermediate knowledge, and 5% advanced.

According to the AP, this recent revelation suggests that individuals with a limited knowledge of the Islamic faith may be more susceptible to recruitment by ISIS militants  more so than those with a deeper, fundamental understanding of the faith.

This theory is supported not only by APs documents, but by court testimonies from European ISIS recruits who have allegedly defected from the terrorist organization.

"I realized that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like 'when you die, who should we call?', a 32-year-old recruit, who claimed to believe that he was joining the Syrian rebellion to fight against President Bashar Assads forces, said.

The anonymous recruit also detailed the intake process that he and fellow enlistees underwent: new recruits were indoctrinated with videos with IS propaganda, visited by imams  Muslim religious leaders  who encouraged martyrdom, forced to sever ties with their family, and were required to surrender their electronic devices.

ISIS suspect

This trove of documents from the AP disclosed that one of the mentioned recruits, Karim Mohammad-Aggad, was identified as having just a basic knowledge of Shariah. He recounted being smooth-talked by an ISIS recruiter that even went barhopping with other recruits. After claiming to have been treated as "a dirty Arab" in France, he left for Syria where his exploits didnt go as planned  he allegedly left the organization after being treated like an "apostate"  someone who had renounced their faith.

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After returning to France in 2013, Mohammad-Aggad and his associates were arrested. Unfortunately, French officials missed one of the suspects, Mohammad-Aggads brother, who happened to be one of the three men that killed 130 people at the Bataclan on November 13.

My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure," he claimed during a court testimony. Islam was used to trap me like a wolf.

Muslim woman reads the Quran

Perhaps no other example could personify the lack of familiarity with the faith than two other convicted terrorists, this time from Britain, that had ordered copies of "The Koran for Dummies" and "Islam for Dummies" from Amazon, prior to their trip to Syria to join ISIS.

Former CIA case officer Patrick Skinner explained in the AP report that most of these recruits are those who yearned for a sense of belonging, notoriety, and excitement.

Religion is an afterthought," said Skinner.

Although many of these oblivious recruits may appear to be prepared for martyrdom, the fate of those that possessed an advanced or intermediate knowledge of Shariah may differ.

Those with the most religious knowledge within the organization itself are the least likely to volunteer to be suicide bombers," states a report from the United States Military Academys Combating Terrorism Center.

Tariq Ramadan, an Islamic Studies professor at Oxford, elaborated on the implications of ISIS' convoluted messages to AP, The people who are doing this are not experiencing martyrdom, they are criminals. They are killing innocent people. Nothing in Islam, nothing ever can justify the killing of innocent people, never, ever."

NOW WATCH: Trump says he was being sarcastic when he called Obama the 'founder of ISIS'





More From Business Insider


Secret ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Donald Trump's campaign manager from the administration of former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Paul Manafort, who joined Trump's presidential campaign in March, was a former consultant for the Party of Regions  Yanukovych's now-defunct pro-Russian political party. But the reported payments, from 2007 to 2012, may be part of an illegal off-the-books system, the Times said.

In a statement Monday, Manafort called the report "unfounded, silly and nonsensical." He added that he had never taken an "off-the-books cash payment" nor worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.



Officials have yet to determine whether Manafort actually received the cash, but they claim the money was earmarked for him, the Times said. In a statement to the newspaper, Manafort's lawyer Richard A. Hibey denied that the lobbyist had received any such cash payments.

Yanukovych was ousted from the presidency in February 2014 following months of violent protests, and eventually fled to Russia, where he was granted protection. Yanukovych's regime was characterized by widespread graft, and Transparency International in February branded the ex-leader "as one of the most symbolic cases of grand corruption."

Ukrainian authorities are also investigating a number of offshore shell companies that allegedly financed luxurious purchases by Yanukovych's elite inner circle, the Times reported.

Read the full report here.

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Leonardo DiCaprio actually went through a LOT to get his iconic role in Romeo + Juliet

Leonardo DiCaprio actually went through a LOT to get his iconic role in Romeo + Juliet

If you grew up in the 90s, there is no way youve forgotten about your love for the modern retelling of Shakespeares most famous play, Romeo and Juliet. Starring forever babes Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, this film celebrated both young stars at pinnacle points in their careers. Remember, this was before DiCparios success in Titanic, which leads some people to wonder: How did he nab his role in Romeo + Juliet, anyway?

As Baz Luhrmann, director of the film, recently told iHeart Radio, the director immediately knew DiCaprio looked exactly the part of boyish yet charming Romeo, but that didnt mean the young star simply walked onto the set and was handed the part.

giphy (12)

In fact, as Luhrmann explains, the director had DiCaprio fly to his home in Australia and shoot an entire movie. Thats right: In order to get the role, DiCaprio and some friends literally flew to the directors home and put together a short film version of the play. Talk about commitment to the role, am I right?

giphy (13)

As Luhrmann gives us this nugget of information, though, it does come with some provisions. He promises iHeart Radio that the short film will never be publicly released. He also refuses to tell us who exactly was in DiCaprios friend group, though Vanity Fair guesses it was members of the Pussy Posse. (Hey, we didnt come up with the name, okay?)

A friend group many people recognized in the 90s, the Pussy Posse generally included actors like Kevin Connolly, Lukas Hass, and Tobey Maguire, along with DiCaprio. Were they actually in a short film version of Romeo + Juliet? Did they accompany DiCaprio to Australia to help him land a leading role? We will probably never know, but we can definitely wonder.

The post Leonardo DiCaprio actually went through a LOT to get his iconic role in Romeo + Juliet appeared first on HelloGiggles.
For prospective law school students, having summer internships can be an application boost, but only if they know how to describe them to an admissions committee.

Experts say that simply listing internships in an application is not enough.

Prospective students must know where to include internship experience in an application and how to describe these short-term work experiences in a way that gives admissions officers a fuller perspective of who applicants are beyond their GPA and LSAT scores.

"The resume is a good starting point," says Jenny Branson, the assistant dean of admissions and financial aid at Baylor Law School in Texas. "You should definitely highlight any internship you've had there. And then, kind of in the bullet points or in the discussion underneath the internship, in the resume, you can talk about what skills you gained."

[Take this quiz to see if you're ready to apply for law school.]

Applicants can also discuss internship experiences in more depth in other areas of the application, depending on the importance of the internship, experts say.

"If the internship is a central focus of student's application or reasons to pursue a career in law, then I'd recommend that the experience should be woven into the personal statement," says Ethan Rosenzweig, dean for admission, financial aid and student life at the School of Law at Emory University in Atlanta. "If the internship was one step in a longer journey, then a succinct description on a resume or statement of activities would be most appropriate."

Admissions staff are looking for candidates to describe certain attributes about themselves and what they learned, and applicants shouldn't worry if their internships are not law related. There is still plenty to learn from working in other fields, says Rosenzweig.

"Leadership, time management, learning from one's mistakes or challenges, advising customers or clients or solving problems -- all of those skills are critical for success in the legal profession," he says.

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If the internship ties into why an applicant is interested in law, it's important to point that out as well, says Branson.

[Avoid these mistakes when requesting a letter of recommendation.]

"If you say in your personal statement or in a interview that you are interested in a particular area of law and that's why you want to go to law school, if you don't have any experience on your resume to back that up, it makes us question you," she says.

An applicant interested in becoming an attorney who focuses on business transactions, for example, might be expected to have accounting-related work experience on a resume, she says. And elaborating on what that experience entailed is critical. So if the hopeful business attorney learned about financial statements, that's worth mentioning.

"Details are key," she says.

If a summer internship involved research, it's best for applicants to say what topics they researched, how many memos they compiled based on the research and share similar details about their day-to-day activities.

Some experts say that applicants don't need to list each and every work experience if they don't feel like it will help them in admissions, but there can be a benefit in discussing less-desirable jobs and work experiences.

"When I would see resumes that had waitressing jobs or driving a taxi or working road crew, that gave more depth in some ways to the individual," says Anne Richard, who has worked in the admissions office at the School of Law at University of Virginia and George Washington University Law School. She's now principal consultant of AMRichard Consulting, which helps aspiring law applicants get into school.

[Get law school application advice from recent law grads.]

Candidates sometimes hesitate to mention babysitting or helping an elderly relative as their summer activity, but they should, she says. "It presents a much more robust and accurate picture of each candidate to disclose what they actually did for work and internships and community service."

Internship experiences that are bad can also be used to highlight a candidate's journey to law.

"Sometimes the strongest applications describe what the student or the applicant didn't enjoy about it, and how that helped the student refocus their goals," says Rosenzweig from Emory University.

Internship experiences that are positive, however, can help candidates get letters of recommendation for law school.

"If the internship experience ends up being a central part of one's application, it would make really good sense to have an internship supervisor write up a letter of recommendation, so it all pulls together," says Richard. She encourages applicants to discuss with their letter writers their goals and aspirations and why they want a legal career.

While internships can be important for law school applicants, they shouldn't be viewed as the only critical component of an application.

"There's no magic internship that's going to get somebody admitted into law school or rejected from the law school," Richard says. "It's one piece of the whole package that applicants have to work on and craft and present to the law schools to which they apply."

Searching for a law school? Get our complete rankings of Best Law Schools.

Delece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering graduate schools. You can follow her on Twitter or email her at dsmithbarrow@usnews.com.
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LONDON  Hundreds of LGBTQ people staged a kissathon in a London supermarket after a gay couple was reprimanded by a security guard for holding hands in store.

SEE ALSO: 14 striking ways the global LGBTQ community protested this year

On Saturday, people gathered at Sainsbury's in Hackney, east London, to do something other than a spot of grocery shopping: they kissed en masse in an act of solidarity with the couple.

Last Monday, Thomas Rees and his boyfriend Joshua Bradwell were reprimanded by a security guard at the store after a customer complained about the couple's handholding.

According to Michael Segalov  who organised the "kiss-in"  the couple were told by a security guard that "holding hands was 'inappropriate,'and theyd need to stop right away or leave the store."

People take part in a mass "kissathon" in the aisles of a Sainsbury's Local store in Hackney, London, on Aug. 13.

Image: Steve Parsons/ PA Wire/Press Association Images

According to Segalov, people rallied in the store; dancing to disco music and drinking outside the store as they counted down until the kick-off.

"Suddenly we werent just talking about homophobia, which is of course vital and necessary, but we were also talking about celebration, about empowerment and about defiance," wrote Segalov.

Thomas Rees (left) and Joshua Bradwell kiss in the aisles of Sainsbury's after they were ejected for holding hands.

Image: Steve Parsons/ PA Wire/Press Association Images

During the kiss-in, Rees and Bradwell took to a microphone and delivered an "emotional address," stating no matter how you identify, or who you love, its your human right to express that love as you see fit.

Drag queen Rodent Decay began the countdown, and after ten seconds, the mass kissing began inside the store, continuing out into the street.

Its been a really great event and an important opportunity for the community to show their support," a spokesperson for Sainsbury's said in a statement emailed to Mashable.

"We do our best to make sure everyone feels welcome in our stores but occasionally we make mistakes. We are working hard to make sure lessons are learnt, the spokesperson continued.
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / LIG Assets, Inc. (LIGA) announces that it filed the second quarter 2016 financials with OTC markets on time to remain current. Based on its policy to be transparent and commit to keep its valued and loyal shareholders informed about recent developments and future plans, the Company has released the following shareholder update:

LIG Assets, Inc. is now owned by its shareholders.

Newly appointed Company President Charles Gambino explains, "Once the new management and Advisory Board was in place, the turnaround of LIG Assets, Inc. began with filing its quarterly and annual reports for year 2015, and its first quarter ending March 31, 2016 at OTC Markets, which in turn, removed the Stop Sign designation and replaced it with OTC Pink Current Information."

The restructuring process of LIG Assets, Inc. was dedicated to the benefit of the shareholders. This was done by announcing there would be no increase in the authorized number of common shares to be issued, no additional classes of stock created, no reverse split for at least three years unless unanimously approved by the Board of Directors, and the existing 50 million shares of Series A Preferred Stock would only convert into one share of common stock for each preferred share held. The reduction of the preferred conversion rate kept the Company from increasing the authorized share count and eliminated significant dilution of the Company's stock. The Company also announced that a top priority would be to resolve previous indebtedness

LIG Assets has conducted its first audio interview with CEO Kenneth Wiedrich and President Charles Gambino that will explain in more detail the company's current and future business plans. The Company plans to make the interview available to the public in the near future at www.LIGAssets.net.

LIG Assets is committed to being transparent. The Company plans to conduct regular podcast interviews with senior executives and affiliates. In addition, it has also created a free shareholder newsletter to keep shareholders and the investment community informed about important current and future developments. Interested parties can subscribe by visiting the Company's temporary corporate website www.LIGAssets.net

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Investors are encouraged to watch for news regarding the debut of the Company's new corporate website and additional podcasts in the very near future.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "expect," "should," "intend," "estimate," "projects," variations of such words and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are risks that are detailed in the Company's filings, which are on file at www.OTCMarkets.com.

Contact Information:

Shareholder/Investor inquiries can be directed to:

LIG Assets, Inc.

President: Charles Gambino

Email: Charles@LIGAssets.net

To subscribe to the free LIGA shareholder newsletter or for additional information visit LIG Assets website www.LIGAssets.net or email info@LIGAssets.net

SOURCE: LIG Assets, Inc.
The owner of this limited edition Corvette got a shock when he went to collect it from the dealer. Hed left the car in for a window-tint before taking it for its first spin that evening. But the window-tinters got to his new set of wheels first, allegedly taking it for a joy ride and smashing the car to pieces. Thankfully nobody was seriously injured, but what a wreck. Credit: YouTube/Jordan Lee
Bingeworthy: Netflix's 'The Get Down' is a delirious ode to the birth of hip-hop
Saying "she was done with ALS," the loved ones of a California woman, who took a fatal dosage of medication after a gathering to celebrate her life, are opening up about the artist's "final performance."

Read: Girl, 14, With Spinal Muscular Atrophy Decides to End Her Life: 'This Is Enough Pain'

Betsy Davis, of San Diego, was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease, in July 2013.

"From early on, Betsy knew that she didn't want to suffocate to death in a horrible, ignoble, painful way, which is what ALS does to a lot of people," longtime friend and photographer Niels Alpert told InsideEdition.com.

Her sister, Kelly Davis, said Betsy contemplated from the beginning of her diagnosis a way to end her life before she had to rely on a feeding tube or a ventilator to survive.

When California lawmakers signed the End of Life Option Act, Betsy was given a safe and legal way to receive aid in dying in the form of a lethal dosage of medication.

Kelly told InsideEdition.com, "She had suffered so much. She was in constant pain, constant discomfort."

Just after the new law came into effect, Betsy decided on a weekend, July 24, and invited more than 30 of her friends and family to join her in one final hurrah.

"People knew this was something that was going to be in her future," Kelly said. "She sent out an email letting people know it's going to be a big party  all weekend long  at her place."

"The mood of everyone was very loving, very supportive," said Alpert, who photographed the weekend. "While there were a lot of smiles and laughter and joy, behind all that, everybody knew what was coming."

Read: Nurses Inspire Bride With Terminal Cancer to Continue Treatment After Throwing Her a Wedding

According to Kelly, "People were just very present and enjoying being with her. They're all about capturing that moment.

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"Not to say no one was getting choked up, but it was very minimal," Kelly said. "Mostly, people were just having fun, finding reasons to be silly, telling stories. They wanted to make Betsy laugh."

As the weekend drew to a close, Betsy said her last goodbyes to her guests, and put on a silk yukata  a casual version of a kimono  that she had purchased from Japan in her final trip with Alpert a year after she was diagnosed.

"It came from a 190-year-old ryokan (guest house) in Kyoto," Alpert explained. "We had a really special time there. We just came away from that trip deeply touched."

Her wheelchair was then positioned on a hillside overlooking the sunset, and the 41-year-old artist prepared to take her lethal combination of morphone, pentobarbital and chloral hydrate.

Kelly said the doctor had ground the mixture into a fine powder and mixed it with the morphine.

To try to mask the flavor, she said they consulted a bartender friend, who recommended mixing it with coconut milk, sugar and a pinch of salt.

"She didn't comment on what it tasted like. I think we did our best to make it palatable," Kelly said.

Doctors said Betsy would have to finish the mixture within five or six minutes for it to be effective, or else she would risk falling into a prolonged coma, one she would ultimately wake up from.

"We were trying to get it almost like a Jello for her to swallow, but the Jello didn't set," Kelly joked, "so it was more like a milkshake."

In her final moments, Kelly said her sister was calm and focused on finishing the concoction.

Read: 3-Year-Old Boy Battling Terminal Cancer Sworn In as Honorary FDNY Firefighter

"I think she was envisioning this as a final art work, a final performance," Kelly speculated in an interview with InsideEdition.com. "Betsy wanted to show people a different concept of death and what laws like this allow somebody to do."

As she later reviewed Alpert's photos of the event, Kelly told InsideEdition.com she thought her sister looked so cheerful in the hours before her death because, "she knew she wouldn't have to go back to that stupid bed later that night. She was free."

Watch: 6-Year-Old Girl With Fading Eyesight Makes Lifetime of Memories While Her Vision Lasts

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The Walmart Supercenter in Camden, S.C., is a 24/7 retail oasis in an area with few options. There are Walmarts in nearby counties, but some of them arent open 24 hours a day. Camdens locationclose to Lake Watertree and a nearby river with few bridgesmakes it difficult for residents to go anywhere other than the sprawling complex for everything from bread to tires to electronics. And its a place the Camden Police Department knows well. In the first six months of 2016, 14% of the departments police reports originated at Walmart, most for shopliftinga figure that could be much higher if you ask the towns police chief.

Sometimes they dont call us, says Camden Police Chief Joe Floyd. They call us when they make an apprehension of a shoplifter. But they dont call us every time something happens there.

Across the U.S., Walmarts have become a regular stop for law enforcement responding to calls. In Camden, The State reported in July that 187 of the police departments 1,372 calls from January to June this year occurred at Walmart. The Tampa Bay Times found 16,800 calls to police for Walmarts in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco and Hernando counties in just one yearfour times the number of calls to Targets in the areaand amounting to the equivalent of two calls an hour. In Louisville, WDRB reported more than 9,200 calls for police at area Walmarts since 2012, by far the most of any location in the city. In April 2015, a Portsmouth, Va., Walmart was the scene of a fatal encounter between a white police officer and a black unarmed man accused of shoplifting. Police in Amherst, N.Y., recently discovered a meth lab inside a drainage pipe underneath a Walmart parking lot. And earlier this month, criminal charges were brought against three employees of a Florida Walmart Supercenter accused of fatally injuring a shoplifter who was trying to steal $380 worth of DVDs.

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Read more: Walmart May Spend $3 Billion to Take on Amazon

To combat crime and ease the burden on law enforcement, Walmart has begun a novel experiment: deal with shoplifters internally by meting out its own version of law and order through an initiative called Restorative Justice. The idea is to give some accused shoplifters, such as first-time offenders, the option of completing an online remedial program designed to deter through education, rather than jail time.

The program, which offenders must pay an undisclosed sum to take but doesnt involve the police, employs an approach sometimes found in schools and prisons, which emphasizes rehabilitation and reconciliation between the offender and the community. Walmart spokesperson Brian Nick says the initiative is reducing police runs requiring officers to come to Walmart and hopefully giving people a second chance.

There are some signs of its success. The Arlington Police Department, for example, estimates that the program has reduced police calls to local Walmart stores by 40.5% from October 2015 to June 2016. But it also raises questions about whether the nations largest retailer should play judge and jury within its stores. One of the companies hired by Walmart to administer the coursesCorrective Education Companyis currently being sued for false imprisonment and overcharging alleged shoplifters.

How Walmart became a hub for crime

Walmart has struggled for decades with the perception that its stores are crime magnets. A 2014 study led by a criminologist at the University of South Carlina showed that crime rates around Walmarts often remained constant even as they dropped in surrounding areas. The sprawling stores, roughly 5 acres in size, can be difficult to secure, and for many small towns, theyre not only a central hub of commerce but a gathering place for the surrounding community.

Its the location that has more people at it than any in our town, says Floyd, the Camden chief. Its open 24 hours a day. The parking lot is never empty. Its a major public area.

Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect, says that throughout the 1990s and 2000s, most of Walmarts crime was happening in the stores parking lots. An internal figure cited in the documentary Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices suggested that 80% of crime at Walmarts happened outside. In response, Fishman says the company made efforts to prevent criminal activity through increased surveillance cameras and better lighting. Today, most of the Walmart-related crime appears to be taking place in the stores aisles.

At night, theyre the only place thats open, and where Walmart is the dominant retailer, theyre pulling in visitors from all over, Fishman says. They can easily generate more traffic than the whole town. By pure numbers, the crime is going to be where the people are.

There are questions about Walmarts role in the crime at its stores. The company has expanded over the years with a deliberately lean staffing model, potentially leaving the stores vulnerable to shoplifting, says Burt Flickinger, managing director at Strategic Resource Group, a retail consulting firm. The company has historically tried to keep labor costs as low as possible, an approach that goes back to the stores founding, and Flickinger says that has meant relying heavily on local police departments for store security. He estimates that there are 400,000 fewer Walmart workers in the U.S. today compared with 10 years ago, potentially leaving stores even more vulnerable to crime.

Read more: Walmarts On-Again, Off-Again Relationship with Guns

They dont understand that when you cut staffing, which includes security, your shrink or inventory loss goes up, Flickinger says. Fewer employees in stores often mean more opportunities for customers to steal, and he estimates that Walmart loses roughly 2 cents for each dollar in sales to shoplifting. Major retailers like Costco or WinCo have loss figures around seven-tenths of 1%, or less than a penny for each sale, Flickinger says.

But that might be changing. Walmart recently boosted wages for its workers, something that is expected to boost employee retention, and it hired 9,000 new people this summer to work the doors and check receipts as a preventative shoplifting measure. The company is also pushing to make current employees more visible on the sales floors and implementing enhanced security measures on theft-prone products.

Walmart justice

Walmart believes its Restorative Justice program will alleviate the burden on local departments responding to petty crime calls. David Karp, a professor of sociology at Skidmore College who studies restorative justice, says the companys approach is promising. If they can reduce shoplifting by helping people understand the costs to the company as well as to themselves, thats a good thing, he says. I think Walmart recognizes that sending them to jail isnt particularly productive.

Read more: Walmart Will Sell Completely Cage-Free Eggs by 2025

But those taking the course must pay a fee, and Karp warns that it would be counterproductive if the company is gouging shoplifters. The San Francisco City Attorney is currently suing one of Walmarts third-party vendors responsible for administering restorative justice coursesCorrective Education Companyfor overcharging people accused of shoplifting and falsely imprisoning them while theyre taking the course. The lawsuit alleges that some retailers take suspected shoplifters to a secluded area in the back of the store to show them a video produced by CEC. One woman was reportedly asked to pay $500 to take CECs course after she was accused of stealing items worth $6.97 from a Goodwill Industries store.

Nick, Walmarts spokesperson, said he didnt have figures on how much CEC charges those accused of shoplifting from Walmart. It is 100% voluntary in terms of participation, and I do know that financial aid can be available, Nick said. He declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.

In a statement, CEC spokesperson Laura Barnett said she is confident that we will prevail at trial and said CEC has successfully worked with our retail and law enforcement partners to reduce calls to police by as much as 40 percent.

Reducing shoplifting at the nations largest retailer will likely take years, Flickinger says, but Walmarts efforts seem to show theyre taking it more seriously than before. Theyre doing everything they can to stop it, Flickinger says. But its going to take three to five years, and more likely five years or more. Something transformational cant be done in a day, a month, or even a year.
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State Debate: Is Paul Ryan helping or hurting himself with Trump? Papers, bloggers debate the issue
In lieu of Madonna's 58th birthday on Tuesday and Rocco Ritchie's 16th birthday last week, the mother-son duo are featured in the latest issue of Love magazine.

Madonna posed for the cover of the publication and is seen sucking her thumb while lying down in a black hoodie and nearly makeup-free.

Meanwhile, her son looks like a character out of one of his dad Guy Ritchie's movies in his photo, wearing a red tank top and Army-green trousers.



Love's editor-in-chief, Katie Grand, explains that the two agreed to the photo shoot when family friend and photographer Mert Alas pitched the idea to them. "The morning after Madonna's reconciliation with Rocco, nine stunning images of Madonna arrived," Grand reveals. "They had been taken at 2 a.m. at Mert's house in Hampstead where he and Madonna often hang out and have casual dinners."

WATCH: Madonna Shares Pic of Lourdes and Rocco Hugging, Dons Black Cleavage-Baring Dress for Family Night Out

Mert -- who recently had Kim Kardashian West pose for him in the nude -- was not only excited to share his famous friend's Love cover, but he was also eager to send Madonna a few birthday wishes as well. "Happy Birthday to my one and only  my inspiration , my friend and my partner in crime. Love you bad girl. @madonna #icon #love #soulmate," he captioned a pic of him with the music icon.

As for Rocco's birthday, his mother posted not one but three Instagram pics in his honor. "Happy Birthday to my First Born Son! A true Warrior with a beautiful Heart. Let the Sun shine!" she wrote. "Once my baby always my baby. Happy Sweet 16!"

Madonna tells Love magazine that she likes Instagram because it acts as a sort of diary for her. "Every day I get to share different aspects of my personality, my life, and what inspires me, what infuriates me, or what causes I want to fight for. It allows me to be mysterious, ironic, provocative or proud," she says. "I get to use it as a platform to bring attention to people or issues that I think are important. It allows me to be the curator of my life."

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WATCH: WATCH: Madonna and Son Rocco Reunite in New York City

Rocco, Madonna's eldest son, has been living in London with his father since late last year amid a long custody battle over his living arrangements. However, Rocco and his mom reunited in New York City in June, and have appeared to be on good terms ever since.

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From Esquire

Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos spent 10 years of their lives documenting the trial of Steven Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey. They embedded themselves into a small Milwaukee community as they got to know every player of the case, every detail, every clue.

This monumental effort resulted in the 10 part documentary Making a Murderer, which debuted in 2015 to universal acclaim. Ricciardi and Demos went on talk shows, spoke on news programs, conducted interviews, and seminars, but as their acclaim grew for the groundbreaking series, its subjects-Dassey and Avery-still sat in prison with lifetime sentences. Yes, there was outrage. Yes, there were think pieces for and against the treatment of the two men. But that didn't equal freedom.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Stories" customtitles="Brendan Dassey's Conviction Has Been Overturned|How Brendan Dassey Could Clear His Name" customimages="|" content="article.47631|article.41031"]

Yesterday, a Milwaukee judge ruled that Dassey be "released from custody unless, within 90 days of the date of this decision, the State initiates proceedings to retry him." This judge concluded that a number of factors "rendered Dassey's confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments."

Now, Ricciardi and Demos-who have confirmed a second season of Making a Murderer-have responded to yesterday's ruling:

"Today there was a major development for the subjects in our story and this recent news shows the criminal justice system at work. 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."

As you can gather from that statement, this story isn't over yet, and with a new season in the works, it will be interesting to see what this means for Avery.

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From Esquire

Brendan Dassey, the nephew of Steven Avery who was convicted of intentional homicide in the 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach, had his conviction overturned by a Milwaukee judge this afternoon.

Dassey gave a videotaped confession to the murder-which he said he committed with his uncle-that he later recanted. Dassey's lawyers-as was detailed in the popular Netflix documentary Making a Murderer-argued that his confession had been coerced by police officers.

[contentlinks align="left" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Stories" customtitles="The Major Flaw in Our Justice System|New Revelations About 'Making a Murderer' Trial|How Brendan Dassey May Clear His Name" customimages="||" content="article.40828|article.41666|article.41031"]

Dassey, who was 16 at the time of the murder, was serving a life sentence.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter John Diedrich tweeted today that the judge cited Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of supportive adult as to what rendered his confession involuntary.

"The investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about," Judge William E. Duffin wrote in a 91-page court order, according to The New York Times. "These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments."

Dassey will go free in 90 days if the state does not refile.

Dassey goes free in 90 days if state does not refile #makingofamurderer - John Diedrich (@john_diedrich) August 12, 2016

Judge: Repeated false promises ... Dassey's age, intellectual deficits ..absence ofsupportive adult, rendered confession involuntary - John Diedrich (@john_diedrich) August 12, 2016

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Story" customtitles="Ken Kratz: 'I Actually Put a Gun in My Mouth'" customimages="" content="article.44455"]

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Mohamad Jonit Adnan appeared at the State Courts on Monday (15 August).

A 37-year-old man was charged in the State Courts on Monday (15 August) for allegedly murdering his wife in Yishun.

Court papers revealed that Mohamad Jonit Adnan is accused of causing the death of 29-year-old Sri Idayu Ghazali in a flat at Block 342B Yishun Ring Road on Saturday (13 August).

Appearing before District Judge Christopher Goh, the boyish looking accused looked calm as the charge of murder with intention was read out to him in Malay.

Jonit will be remanded for a week at Central Police Division. He will be back in court on 22 August.

A statement by the police on Sunday (14 August) said that upon arriving at the scene at about 9pm on Saturday, officers found an injured woman inside the flat. She was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and was pronounced dead on Sunday morning (14 August).



Local media reports said that Sri Idayu was working as a clerk and had moved into the flat about a year ago with her family.
New York City police questioned a man in connection with Saturday's fatal shootings of a local Imam and his assistant, PEOPLE confirms.



Police say the man was arrested for a separate incident and questioned while in custody about the deaths of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old assistant, Thara Uddin.



"No one has been formally arrested for the murder of the Imam and the friend," a New York Police Department spokesman tells PEOPLE, adding, "There is an individual for an unrelated arrest, the individual has been questioned in regard to the double homicide."



The spokesman did not provide details about what prompted police to question the man about the shootings. It is unclear if officials believe the man was involved in the crime.



The mosque leader and Uddin were killed near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers dressed in traditional religious garb, the Associated Press reports. The mosque serves a largely Bangladeshi community.



 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.



The pair was approached from behind by a man of "medium complexion" who wore a dark shirt and shorts, officials said at a Sunday press conference.



"There's nothing in preliminary indications that would indicate that they were targeted because of their faith," Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said at the press conference.



Officials released a sketch of the suspected shooter: a dark-haired man with a beard and glasses. It is unclear whether the man questioned by police resembles the sketch.



New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio denounced the killings in a statement, saying police would bring the killer to justice.



"This weekend our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today," the statement read.



"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."



The Council on American-Islamic Relations is expected to announce a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter, the AP reports.



The killings have rattled the Bangladeshi Muslim community, and Akonjee's son, 21-year-old Naim, is desperate for answers.



"He always wants peace," Naim told the AP of his father through tears. "Why did they kill my father?"
A California federal judge will soon decide whether or not to restrain a military prosecutor from issuing a subpoena to Mark Boal, the screenwriter and producer of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, who is aiming to shield??about 25 hours of recorded interviews conducted with U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Boal has asserted reporter's privilege in a lawsuit filed last month. In response, the Justice Department has told U.S. District Court judge George H. King not to infringe on the independence of a military court that is set to preside over Bergdahl's court martial. The government asserts that Boal can take his arguments about the sacrosanctity of his journalism and constitutional rights there.

On Monday, Boal submitted his retort with heavy emphasis on Boal's civilian status. He points out that the government has failed to cite any other case in American history where a military prosecutor has attempted to subpoena unpublished materials from a civilian journalist.

"Boal never joined the Armed Forces," states the court brief. "He did not submit to the narrowed rights attendant to military life. Although there is no dispute that Boal is a civilian and not a defendant in any court-martial, Defendants' opposition brief relies heavily on cases where members of the Armed Forces asked federal courts to enjoin court-martial proceedings in which they were criminally accused. Boal is not asking this Court to stop the court-martial of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl."

Dozens of media groups are supporting Boal's??bid to shield his interviews, and Boal is looking to avoid the possibility of any contempt charge that could mean a jailing. He's filed in California federal court with hopes of taking advantage of precedent in the 9th Circuit regarding reporter's privilege. The outcome will likely turn on how King regards jurisdiction.??

In the latest court brief, Boal contends that??"Consistent with their equitable powers, federal district courts may also enjoin the actions of federal officers in Article I courts," and that because Boal is a third-party civilian with constitutional claims, this case deserves "special attention" and that it would be "especially unfair" for him to have make constitutional arguments before a military court that "almost certainly has zero experience with the issue" of reporter's privilege.

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"The Government's suggestion that Boal litigate in a military court system that does not clearly recognize his constitutional rights or guarantee timely or meaningful civilian review is not acceptable," states the brief.

As for sovereign immunity, the principle that the federal government can't be sued without explicitly authorizing a lawsuit via statute or otherwise, Boal argues there's an exception to stop federal officers from ongoing and future infringements of constitutional rights. Here's the full brief.
Billionaires Mark Cuban and Carl Icahn clashed on Twitter on Monday over the economic platforms proposed by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

The back-and-forth started early on Monday morning when Cuban, the owner of the NBAs Dallas Mavericks and star of ABCs Shark Tank, responded to a tweet from Icahn, in which the hedge fund billionaire ripped the Democratic nominees economic proposals that she discussed in a Thursday speech.

Icahn wrote on Thursday, How do you unleash the power of corporations if you do nothing about the strangulating regulations, which she said zero about.

@Carl_C_Icahn sure hasnt stopped you from investing in companies Carl , has it? Cuban posted. Regs can improve, no doubt, but trump plan is a disaster.

Responding to a tweet from Business Insiders Bob Bryan shortly after, Cuban said that he likes Icahn, but that it doesnt mean I wont give him s when he is wrong. And he is wrong about Trump.

Icahn, who said on Monday following Trumps economic speech that the Manhattan billionaire did a great job, fired back at Cuban later on Monday morning.

@mcuban it sure has stopped me and thousands of others from making capital investments in companies, Icahn posted on Twitter, adding, Cap spending is way down b/c companies r worried about onerous regs - which is diminishing productivity & our ability to compete.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Files" data-mce-source=Thomson Reuters data-mce-caption=Carl Icahn gives an interview on FOX Business Networks Neil Cavuto show in New York width=650 height=325/>(Carl Icahn.Thomson Reuters)



Cuban responded on Monday afternoon, asking Icahn to think of the bigger picture.

I get you are huge in energy and that sucks right now, he wrote. But can you think of the bigger picture?

He then used Icahns energy investments as a reason to question the billionaire, asking why he picks the most regulated industries to invest in?

Cuban recently endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton at a rally in Pittsburgh, his hometown. He called Trump a jagoff  a popular, demeaning slang term frequently used in western Pennsylvania  during the event. The brash billionaire has ripped Trump repeatedly on social media in recent months.

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Earlier in the cycle, Cuban expressed interest in serving as either Trumps or Clintons running mate before souring on the real-estate magnates candidacy.

Icahn has promoted Trumps candidacy since early in the presidential cycle, and Trump has touted Icahn along the campaign trail.

NOW WATCH: This is what Carl Icahn would do first if he ruled America

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If you're a teen heading off for your freshman year at college this fall, it may be the first time you will live on your own. In addition to studying and going to class, you may need to learn how to cook, do your own laundry and manage a budget. You may find yourself expanding your social networks and engaging in new behaviors, some of which may be bad for your health. With all the demands for your attention, don't neglect your health. This is particularly important if you need to keep allergies and asthma under control.

Self-management is a vital part of staying healthy. For teens, this means understanding your body's signals, including what elements trigger your allergies or asthma, what makes them worse and how to correctly use your medications. Self-management also means taking medications consistently and knowing who to contact in case of an emergency. You'll need to make your own appointments and pick up prescriptions from the pharmacy. It takes time and practice to get comfortable taking care of your own health needs, so start now to get used to the added responsibility.

[See: 8 Surprising Facts About Asthma and Seasonal Allergies.]

You may have been taking a back seat during your allergist visits in the past, but it's important for you to start a more active role. Ideally, you should be the one asking questions and discussing your concerns during visits. There are specific issues that need to be addressed and understood, particularly if any type of medical device -- such as an inhaler or epinephrine auto injector -- is needed. Improper use of devices makes medications less effective. Although never an easy discussion, your allergist is a great person to ask about how intimacy or alcohol may interfere with your health, especially if you have food allergies or asthma.

Good communication plus preparation eases a lot of anxiety and helps ensure a smooth transition to living on your own. Before you leave, contact school administrators to discuss necessary arrangements for your dorm room, meals or transportation around campus. If you're moving far from home, identify new primary care and specialty physicians -- especially an allergist -- as well as a new pharmacy. Ask your current allergist for a referral. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has an allergist locator that can help you find an allergist in your new town. Prescriptions should be transferred prior to leaving for college, not when medications run out, which inevitably will occur at an inconvenient time. The nearest hospital facility may not be equipped to treat patients with special medical needs, so identify the best facility in case of emergency.

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If you have food allergies, you'll need to up your game when heading off to college. Plan to talk to food handlers and ask about ingredients at every meal or snack. You'll also need to carefully read labels on packaged products. It helps if you inform your friends, roommates and resident advisor of your food allergies. It can be hard to manage new social situations, but don't ever knowingly eat foods you're allergic to because you're afraid of standing out. It's your job to educate others about your need to strictly avoid certain foods.

[See: 7 Lifestyle Tips to Manage Your Asthma.]

Despite your best efforts, accidents can still occur. Anyone at risk for anaphylaxis needs to have immediate access to epinephrine auto injectors at all times. Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction, and being an adolescent is a big risk factor for severe food allergy reactions, along with peanut or tree nut allergy and coexisting asthma. Almost every fatality from food allergy involves lack of timely administration of epinephrine.

Epinephrine is the first line and only effective treatment for anaphylaxis and can rapidly reverse all symptoms associated with a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. Unfortunately, lack of access to epinephrine is common, particularly among adolescents. One survey found adolescents were less likely to carry their auto injector at inconvenient times, including at the gym or because of wearing tight-fitting pants. Figure out a way to keep two doses of epinephrine on hand at all times, and remember to check expiration dates.

If you have food allergies, be aware that impaired judgment from drug or alcohol use increases your risk for accidental ingestion of foods that cause anaphylaxis. There are also risks associated with intimacy and the potential for partners to transfer food allergens through saliva. Discussions surrounding drugs, alcohol and sexual activity are never easy, but you may find your allergist is a great resource for providing straightforward information about these issues.

[See: How to Survive Ragweed Allergy Season.]

The transition to living on your own is an important milestone for adolescents. This is a time that should be mostly exciting, although often a little bit scary. With some foresight and preparation, anyone with allergies or asthma can successfully make this transition -- and have a fantastic first year at college.

David Stukus, MD, FACAAI, is a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and serves on the ACAAI Public Relations Committee. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Stukus' interests lie in dispelling commonly held misconceptions surrounding allergic conditions and dissemination of best practices to health care providers. You can find him on Twitter @AllergyKidsDoc.
New-student leaders introduce themselves as 2016 incoming first-year undergraduates listen to a presentation about challenges new students may face as they transition to campus life during a Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) session at Union South.
DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Medicine Man Technologies Inc. (MDCL), one of the country's leading cannabis branding and consulting companies, announced today that it has agreed in principle to acquire Pono Publications Inc. and Success Nutrients Inc., each a Colorado corporation. The closing of this transaction is subject to due diligence and execution of more definitive agreements, which is expected to occur on or before November 9, 2016. The consideration to be paid by Medicine Man Technologies includes the issuance of 7 million shares of Medicine Man Technologies' common stock and retention of key team member employment consideration.

The Pono Publications Inc. brand includes the Three A LightTM cultivation publication with a 'Professional Grade' version (scheduled for release by year end) being developed exclusively for both Three A LightTM and Medicine Man Technologies clients. This new cultivation protocol has already achieved yields in the 450-gram per square foot range (flowering canopy, annualized) and is deployable in both greenhouse and indoor based cultivation facilities. In addition to having a consulting client in Las Vegas, since January of this year, Pono Publications has sold in excess of 800 of the Three A LightTM manuals (currently list for $500) on both their web site (www.threealight.com) and on Amazon.com.

The Success Nutrients brand provides one of the key underpinnings of the cultivation methodology and is essential to the overall Three A LightTM performance metric. With an investment of two years of research, development and intense testing, this product line was specifically formulated for the cannabis industry. Within nine months of operations, this new start up business has already achieved strong growth, most recently generating $100,000 in sales in July (up from 1st month sales of $4,000 in December 2015). While there can be no assurances of future growth given at this time, recent inquiries suggest this company will be growing considerably in the upcoming year (www.successnutrients.com).

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The combination of these two new businesses is expected to allow Medicine Man Technologies to establish a cultivation improvement offering to existing cultivation facility owners not yet able to achieve these performance levels. Adoption of this new methodology is expected to allow most business owners the ability to improve their existing cultivation performance metrics while maintaining the highest quality product.

Josh Haupt, Principal and Founder of Pono Publications and Success Nutrients stated, "After spending many years in development of both my proprietary nutrient line and cultivation methodologies, I am pleased to have found a new partnership opportunity in which I truly believe my companies will be able to grow with. The fact that Medicine Man Technologies is also a well-known presence in the cannabis industry should allow us to add substantial value back to the business as a whole while making more efficient use of our mutual resources."

Brett Roper, MMT's COO and Co-Founder noted, "As we continue to search for opportunities within our industry we were amazed to find such a remarkable prospect so close to home. The fact that these two ventures are so well developed and already generating cash flow as well as profits is extraordinary and we are excited to add these two new elements to our brand warehouse deployment. Additionally, Success Nutrients, in combination with Pono Publications and Three A LightTM add a whole new depth of value to the current Medicine Man Technologies cultivation deployment initiatives we are deploying nationwide for our clients."

Andy Williams, MMT's CEO and Co-Founder added, "Prior to touring Josh Haupt's cultivation facilities, I had never met an industrial cultivator of cannabis that was better than Medicine Man. Now I have. I believe Josh Haupt and Three A LightTM are hands down the best industrial cultivators of cannabis in the world. I could not be more excited to welcome Pono Publications and Success Nutrients to Medicine Man Technologies. The revenue and earnings potential of both products are tremendous. Paired with the leadership and charisma that Josh Haupt will bring to our executive management team and the synergies of our current product and service portfolio, the potential growth on all product and service fronts is exciting."

About Medicine Man Technologies

Established in March 2014, Medicine Man Technologies secured its first client/licensee in April 2014. To date, the company has provided guidance for numerous clients (Colorado, Nevada, California, Oregon, Arizona, and Illinois) that have successfully secured licenses or partnered with other enterprises to operate cannabis businesses within their state. Medicine Man Technologies currently has 24 active clients in 13 states, focusing on working with licensees and clients to:

Utilize management experience, technology, and training to help secure a license

Deploy the company's highly effective variable capacity constant harvest cultivation practices and eliminate the liability of single grower dependence

Avoid the costly mistakes generally made in start-up by taking advantage of the experience of Medicine Man Technologies' principals in developing a cannabis business

Stay engaged with an ever-expanding team of licensees all focused on quality and safety that will 'share' the ever-improving experience and knowledge of the network

Improve the quantity and quality of your cultivation outputs through utilization of our unique experience and technologies  let us help you go from good to great

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release may contain forward looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts, and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected, including statements related to the amount and timing of expected revenues and any payment of dividends on our common and preferred stock, statements related to our financial performance, expected income, distributions, and future growth for upcoming quarterly and annual periods. These risks and uncertainties are further defined in filings and reports by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors detailed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among other matters, the Medicine Man Technologies may not be able to sustain growth or achieve profitability based upon many factors including, but not limited to, general stock market conditions. Reference is hereby made to cautionary statements set forth in the company's most recent SEC filings. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant expenses in our expansion of our existing and new service lines, noting there is no assurance that we will generate enough revenues to offset those costs in both the near and long term. Additional service offerings may expose us to additional legal and regulatory costs and unknown exposure(s) based upon the various geopolitical locations where we will be providing services, the impact of which cannot be predicted at this time.

Contact Information:

Attention Brett Roper via info@medicinemantechnologies.com

Telephone (303) 371-0387

SOURCE: Medicine Man Technologies Inc.
microsoft research peter lee

In 1991, Microsoft founded Microsoft Research, a division for the company's army of PhDs and scientists to pursue the coolest, wildest, most science-fictional ideas that they possibly could, with the very noncorporate goal of expanding human knowledge.

They came up with some incredible stuff. Over the years, Microsoft Research contributed to a whole mess of inventions, including Google Maps-style global mapping, voice-recognition software, and the smartwatch.

The problem was, very few of those cool academic discoveries were actually making their way back to Microsoft's actual commercial products. Microsoft may have invented the tablet, but the Apple iPad ran away with the market.

Meanwhile, the world of tech has changed drastically. Facebook, Uber, Google, Apple, and pretty much every other company in the tech market are trying to build products that require solving really hard computer-science challenges, like artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles. So all of these companies are hiring their own crack internal science teams.

That's why, about 18 months ago, Dr. Peter Lee  a longtime Microsoft Researcher, formerly of DARPA and Carnegie Mellon's computer-science department  thought that it was time for Microsoft Research to take a risk and make some changes.

"Twenty-five years in the tech industry is an eternity," Lee says, and he had these "crazy thoughts" about how to give Microsoft Research more impact.

microsoft research Jeannette Wing

Lee's big idea would manifest as Microsoft Research NExT, or "New Experiences and Technologies." In its short life, NExT has been responsible for Microsoft technologies like Skype Translator, some of the intelligence behind the Cortana digital assistant, and robots like China's beloved Xiaoice and the notorious rogue Twitter bot Tay.

Behind the scenes, too, Microsoft Research NExT is responsible for the more subtle, but still important, leaps that make modern tech possible. If Alex Kipman, development lead for the Microsoft HoloLens holographic goggles, needs "four technological miracles for HoloLens," then it's a NExT team that gets the call.

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But building NExT required a big change in how Microsoft Research did business  or, perhaps more accurately, how it didn't.

What's NExT?

In his "wildest dreams," Lee says, he saw maybe 15% of Microsoft Research adopting this new way of doing things. Lee loves Microsoft Research and didn't want to rock the boat too much.

But when he took his ideas to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Microsoft Research boss Harry Shum, they pushed him to go further.

"This is really interesting, but you're being way too timid,'" Lee says Shum and Nadella told him.

As a result, about half of the division, around 500 researchers, was reorganized into Microsoft Research NExT with Lee at the head. Distinguished computer scientist Jeanette Wing has control of the other half of Microsoft Research, still focused on more academic areas of study.

harry shum microsoft research

The idea, Lee says, is that "every great research mind is special." Some PhDs and scientists will still want to come to Microsoft Research to pursue the more academic experience that the company has provided for the last quarter of a century, and where science will still be pursued for science's sake without corporate oversight.

"There's a big part of Microsoft Research still focused on that life goal," Lee says.

By splitting off NExT, though, the company is diversifying its appeal for recruiting top scientists. Companies like Facebook and Google are "snapping up PhDs like crazy," offering the chance for academicians to tackle practical problems that will have a direct and tangible benefits on people's lives, from self-driving cars to cutting-edge quantum computers.

And so, NExT is designed to encourage a more entrepreneurial mindset.

Science startup

If teams at Microsoft Research NExT want funding and access to Microsoft's vast store of resources, then they have to go through a process similar to any private startup.

First, Lee says, each team has to "declare very clearly, a very specific goal in the world." That has to be a yes or no question, like "Can we build a bot that humans will want to interact with every day?" because it's the metric on which they'll be judged.

Then, the idea has to be vetted by the so-called launch team, a group of executives who act "very similarly to the managing partners of a venture-capital firm," Lee says. If they like what they hear, then the launch team will authorize the necessary resources and the capital for the project.

Microsoft Tay AI

From there, each team is placed under the auspices of one of three groups, Lee says, as makes sense:

One, led by Yi-Min Wang and focused on "execution," works on solving specific problems on a case-by-case basis. So if HoloLens needs a miracle, then Wang's team gets the call.

Another, led by Norm Whitaker, is in charge of "special projects," which is similar to Google's idea of "moonshots." Big ideas like building Microsoft data centers underwater came from Whitaker's lab.

Finally, Dr. Hsiao-Wuen Hon leads Microsoft Research NExT's efforts in China, which Lee considers to be a huge opportunity. Xiaoice, the smash-hit chatbot in China that has users literally falling in love, came from Hon's team.

The end result: Science from Microsoft Research has been moving into the real world much more quickly than it used to. That's good news for Microsoft, which has been betting big on cutting-edge advancements in security and artificial intelligence as it moves past Windows and into a new age.

NOW WATCH: Microsoft has created an AI bot that captions photos and its shockingly accurate





More From Business Insider


By Brendan O'Brien MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - The city of Milwaukee imposed a 10 p.m. curfew on Monday in an attempt to quell rioting that erupted the previous two nights in response to the police shooting of an armed black man in one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Mayor Tom Barrett also renewed his call for state officials to release a video of the Saturday night shooting in hopes it convinces angry protesters that deadly force against Sylville K. Smith, 23, was justified. "There is a curfew that will be more strictly enforced tonight for teenagers," Barrett told a news conference. "So parents, after 10 o'clock your teenagers better be home or in a place where they're off the streets." Milwaukee has become the latest American city to be gripped by violence in response to police killings of black men in places such as Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 and Baltimore last year. Famed for its breweries, Milwaukee is also one of the most segregated cities in America, with a large concentration of unemployed black men in the inner city separated from the mostly white suburbs. Such inequality has afflicted many U.S. cities as a result of the loss of manufacturing jobs over the past three decades, sometimes stoking unrest when police use deadly force. Police say Smith was stopped on Saturday afternoon for behaving suspiciously and that he then fled on foot between two homes. Smith was carrying a stolen handgun which he refused to drop when he was killed, police said. The shooting led to a first night of protests over his death in which gunshots were fired, six businesses were torched and 17 people were arrested. Police reported four officers were injured and police cars were damaged before calm was restored. On Sunday night, when police in riot gear faced off with protesters throwing bottles and bricks, four officers were injured and one other person suffered a gunshot wound, police said. Three police squad cars were damaged and 14 people were arrested, authorities said. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had activated the National Guard on Sunday in case more trouble flared, but despite the violence, police said the guardsmen were not called in. This weekend's shooting in Milwaukee was distinct in that the deceased was armed, according to the police account. The officer who fired the deadly shot was also black. The mayor would like Wisconsin state officials to release the video to the public in order to corroborate the police account. State law requires all police shootings to be investigated by an independent state agency, giving the state control over such evidence. "I want the video released. ... I'm going to urge that it be released as quickly as possible," said Barrett, who has yet to see it. Police Chief Edward Flynn said on Sunday that video from the officer's body camera showed Smith had turned toward the officer with a gun in his hand. The video appeared to show the officer acting within the law, Flynn said, but because the audio was delayed it was unclear when the officer fired his weapon. Police had stopped Smith's car, leading to a chase on foot. Police said Smith's car was stopped because he was acting suspiciously, raising skepticism within largely African-American neighborhoods where people report racial discrimination from police. Smith also had a lengthy arrest record, officials said. Asked at the news conference why officers had stopped the car on Saturday, Police Chief Edward Flynn said the officers had not been interviewed yet and that they would be interviewed later on Monday. (Additional reporting David Ingram in New York; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by James Dalgleish)
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been intensifying its efforts to track down foreign scholars who have defaulted on their university bonds, said parliamentary secretary Low Yen Ling on Monday (15 August).

These defaulters make up one per cent of foreigners who have been awarded university scholarships, Low said in Parliament.



We will chase down liquidated damages. If they dont pay their liquidated damages, we will ban them from working and staying in Singapore.



MOE is currently in the process of contacting another four per cent to determine their bond-serving status, said Low. The remaining 95 per cent are currently serving their bond, she added.



In the last few years, Low said that MOE has strengthened its process coordination with the Ministry of Manpower and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to ensure that the agencies are aware whether the foreign scholars are employed in Singapore.



MOE is also tightening its coordination with universities to convey to foreign scholars on the seriousness of their bond obligations and the consequence of not fulfilling them.

Some of these defaulters have begun to pay back their scholarship monies, and MOE will continue to recover the rest of them, said Low.



She also noted that there have been occasions where scholars are unable to fulfill their bond obligations due to serious illnesses. Some applied for deferment as they wanted to pursue their post-graduate studies.



MOE does not write off any scholarship monies lightly. Write-offs are considered only as a last resort, and on a case by case basis, said Low, adding that MOE is reviewing the issue very seriously.



The government spends about $12 billion on education annually, and $5 billion of this goes to higher education, said Low. Out of the $5 billion, a small portion goes to international scholars, she added.
Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Reince Priebus, Chairman of the Republican National Committee talk while Alaska recounts their votes at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 19, 2016.
From Good Housekeeping

Last week, mother of two Lory Beth Snyder took her youngest, 4-month-old Lorelai, to the NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to have her treated for what ended up being a serious milk allergy. The blood work and other tests exhausted both the mother and daughter, so when Snyder had the opportunity, she laid Lorelai down to rest in the hospital crib and settled down for a nap, herself. When she awoke, however, her baby was gone.

Panicked, Snyder began searching the hospital for Lorelai. Snyder later wrote in a Facebook post that when she found her daughter, she was in another hospital room - and in the arms of another patient. According to Snyder, there were also multiple hospital nurses in the room, who were "s just laughing and playing with her and Lorelai," as if this was completely normal.

Snyder, who didn't know the patient holding her baby or what illnesses she might have, wrote in the post that she quickly took Lorelai from the mysterious woman and left the room. Nurses packed up her diaper bag - the contents of which had been strewn around the room - and followed. The woman allegedly also followed, all the while continuing to tell Snyder to leave the baby with her and go get some rest. Snyder and Lorelai were then transferred to a more private room in the hospital's intensive care unit.

After the horrific incident occurred, Snyder contacted the local police department - and took to Facebook to tell her story. In her post, the mother shared that Jonesboro police have told her she cannot press charges because the patient did not intend to harm her child. To Snyder, this seems tremendously unfair. She views it as akidnapping, and the hospital doesn't seem to be claiming any responsibility - a spokesperson told local television station KAIT Region 8 News that the staff followed protocol and responded appropriately.

"That hospital's responsibility is to care for their patients and make sure that they are safe and they are well, and that doesn't seem to be what's going on," Snyder told KAIT Region 8 News.

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The Jonesboro Police Department is currently working with the NEA Baptist Hospital to conduct a follow-up investigation. For more on Snyder's story, read her full Facebook post below:

[h/t KAIT Region 8 News]

Follow Good Housekeeping on Instagram and Facebook.
NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A closely watched gauge on what banks charge each other to borrow dollars for three months fell on Monday, marking its biggest single-day fall over seven weeks.

The London interbank offered rate on three-month dollars , or Libor, was fixed at 0.80411. This was its lowest level in more than a week compared with Friday's 0.81825 percent which was its highest since May 2009.

Libor, which is a benchmark for over $300 trillions of dollars worth of financial products worldwide, has risen since July as some U.S. prime money market funds have changed over to funds only holding government bonds, which are exempt from rules from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that will take effect on Oct. 14.

(Reporting by Richard Leong; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
(The writer is a Reuters contributor. The opinions expressed are his own.)

By Chris Taylor

NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Parents these days are expected to pull off a financial Mission: Impossible. Cover the monthly bills, pay down debts, help elderly parents, save for retirement and for kids' college costs, all with incomes that may have been flat for years.

Facing such a demanding feat, here's some advice you may not often hear: When it comes to your kids' college costs, maybe you are doing too much.

To wit, 42 percent of parents are actually losing sleep over college costs, up from 28 percent just two years ago, according to new data from the Parents, Kids & Money survey by Baltimore-based money managers T. Rowe Price.

Of parents surveyed, 57 percent are willing to take on at least $25,000 of college debt on behalf of their kids, and 19 percent are willing to borrow $100,000 or more.

More parents (58 percent) report having college-savings accounts for their kids, rather than retirement savings for themselves (54 percent).

"Parents are more stressed than ever about college costs, they feel guilty about not being able to help more, and many are willing to take on huge debts," says Marty Allenbaugh, a senior marketer for T. Rowe Price.

Their motivation comes from a positive place, of wanting their children to emerge from college debt-free.

But remember that college saving for little Johnny or Janie should not be your top financial priority, or even your second or third. That does not make you a bad parent; it just makes you realistic.

"Like they say in the safety briefing on an airplane, put your own oxygen mask on before assisting others," says Stephanie Genkin, a financial planner from Brooklyn, New York. "That might sound harsh to parents, but it is advice that may save you from a severely underfunded retirement."

Since many parents seem to have their financial priorities backwards, here are a few tips to help turn things around:

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FORGET PAYING IT ALL OFF

It is a lovely idea to want your kids to graduate totally debt-free. But realistically, that goal is far out of reach for most families, with just 12 percent on track to pull it off, according to T. Rowe Price.

And it's no wonder. The annual tab for a four-year private college is $32,410, according to The College Board.

Instead of aiming to cover the full freight of tuition and fees, set the bar lower and help with some costs, not all.

MODERATE EXPECTATIONS

The sleepless nights some parents experience may partly be due to their offspring's expectations. An eye-popping 62 percent of kids are counting on their parents to cover every college bill, perhaps because they have not been warned otherwise.

A better tactic: Arrange money conversations early and often. Discuss with your children how they can help with the college costs, including through part-time work, applying for grants and scholarships, and low-interest loans.

RESHUFFLE PRIORITIES

College savings should be far down on your to-do list, according to T. Rowe Price. Saving for retirement, by contrast, should be the top priority. Ideally you should be socking away 15 percent of income, or at the very least, boost the level of your employer's 401(k) match.

Next comes paying off debts like credit cards, the most high-interest ones first. In addition, build an emergency fund to last you at least 3-6 months' worth of living expenses. After all that, you can finally think about college savings.

Saving $300 a month from birth is a useful target to aim for, says Allenbaugh, although even $70 a month for 18 years, assuming a 6 percent rate of return, will still amount to a healthy $25,000 by the time university rolls around.

That will put a major dent in the cost of a four-year public college education for in-state students, which currently comes to $9,410 a year.

RETAIN FLEXIBILITY

Students entering college enjoy some flexibility when it comes to funding their education, including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study programs, and gifts from family members like doting grandparents. They also have a long stretch of life ahead of them, to deal with bills that accrue.

However, if you are a parent who has spent all your money getting your kids through college, your avenues for retirement funding have narrowed precipitously.

Financial planner Scot Stark of Freeland, Maryland, knows one generous couple, ages 69 and 71, who helped get their four kids through college.

They are now staring retirement in the face with a $380,000 outstanding mortgage and only $180,000 in investments.

"You might have to support yourself for 30 years in retirement," says Genkin. "If that's not a case for putting your own retirement ahead of college planning, I don't know what is." (Editing by Lauren Young and Bernadette Baum)
(Adds HSBC, Integro Re, Brown Advisory and Ygrene Energy Fund)

Aug 15 (Reuters) - The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Monday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com.

BNP PARIBAS SA

The bank appointed Martin Egan and Benjamin Jacquard as global co-heads of primary and credit markets.

HSBC HOLDINGS PLC

The bank named Anthony Glover as head of U.S. retail banking.

STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS

The unit of Standard Life Plc said Marc Brammer and Sophie Rahm would join its environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment team as Responsible Investment Analysts.

NATIONAL BANK OF ABU DHABI PJSC

The Emirate's largest lender by assets said Alex Thursby had stepped down as group chief executive after three years in the position.

INTEGRO INSURANCE BROKERS

The broker and risk management company said Raj Gulati joined its reinsurance unit, Integro Re, as senior vice president in New York.

BROWN ADVISORY

The investment firm appointed Nick Andjel as private client portfolio manager in its London team, with immediate effect.

YGRENE ENERGY FUND

The energy efficiency lender recently made three hires to support its growing asset-backed securities issuance program, the firm told IFR.

DHABI GROUP

The diversified investment group, owned by a prominent member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi, appointed a new chief executive.

(Compiled by Anet Josline Pinto and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru)




Getty Image

on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, otherwise known as the Fastest Man in the World, will race for a gold medal tonight. If his semi-final and preliminary performances are any indication, however, hes a lock and he knows it.

Getty Image

The only thing faster than Bolt around the track has been the dozens and dozens of photographers snapping his every step, and tonight that meant his every smile as he realized he was cruising in first and could jog across the line.

God, it must be so damn frustrating to be his opponents. Youve worked SO HARD for four years, youve seen him get older, you think maybe, maybe this year is my chance and then WHOOOOOSH!!!!

Imagine working so hard to be at the #Olympics just to lose against a smiling Usain Bolt, lmao. #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/dLKhI1alto  Denizcan James (@MrFilmkritik) August 15, 2016

If you ARE one of his opponents, may I suggest just laughing? Sometimes you just have to understand that its not your fault you were born within a few years of Bolt, just like we all tried to appreciate last winter that we were lucky enough to be alive when David Bowie was.

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Getty Image

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 14: Usain Bolt of Jamaica and Andre De Grasse of Canada compete in the Men

American sprinter Justin Gatlin is rumored to have the best chance at topping Bolt, but that might be more of a prayer. Is there anyone that can?

In my opinion, there's only one man that could beat Usain Bolt in the 100m dash #Rio2016 pic.twitter.com/axxECNsQiL  Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) August 15, 2016

Normal person: "Wow, how can Usain Bolt run so fast?"

Neil deGrasse Tyson (chuckling): "Atoms"  Pixelated Boat (@pixelatedboat) August 15, 2016

Really, the most surprising thing so far is that nobody has Michael Jordah, there it is.
From Road & Track

From the August 1992 issue of Road & Track

Hanging from its cherrypicker, the engine and transmission were almost out of the MGB, suspended from a chain in that nose-up attitude that always re minds me of a U-boat surfacing to rescue (or possibly shell) survivors from its latest torpedo run. That analogy, in its tone of latent danger, is probably not altogether strained. There's something about a 500-lb. drivetrain dangling four feet in the air that always makes me work a little faster. Perhaps it's knowing that the chain on my engine hoist was originally purchased to secure a 10-speed Raleigh Record to campus lamp posts when I was a student, back in the era when Bill Clinton was not exactly inhaling marijuana.

At any rate, the engine was almost out, except for one snag. There's always one snag. The driveshaft flange was caught on something, and now I was under the car, rolling around and trying to push it out of the tunnel.

As it came free, the engine lurched forward, tilted upward slightly and released a small shower of coolant mixed with oil from various orifices on the engine block. Most of this swamp water and sludge ran along the bottom of the transmission and down my sleeve, settling in a cold pool at the spot where my elbow touched the floor. Some of it simply splashed onto my glasses.

I lay under the car motionless for a moment, staring (as best I could) at the floorpan, which was about three inches from my face, and said to myself quietly "Why am I doing this? Why didn't I buy a nice new Miata, so I could wear white turtlenecks and spend my time driving to ski resorts?" Or words to that effect.

Reasonable questions.

I pulled the engine all the way out, lowered it safely to the floor, cleaned my hands with Goop, opened a Guinness from the mini refrigerator under my workbench and sat down to stare at the old green "B."

Just as the unexamined life is not worth living, I've always felt that the unexamined dirt-ball project is not worth doing. You must have a reason behind all this fun, some sort of dream or vision to sustain the effort. Why (I tried to recall) was I restoring the MGB?

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Ah, yes. After a few minutes of reflection it all came back to me. Highway 421.

Beautiful road. My friend Pat Donnelly and I discovered it last year while driving a Ford Explorer from Wisconsin to North Carolina for the Winston 600 at Charlotte. We picked it up at the Kentucky border, on the Ohio River near Madison, Indiana, and followed it all the way. Several hundred miles of up and downhill curves through some of the most beautiful green country in America, across the Blue Ridge and down to the edge of the eastern coastal plain.

"I'd like to make this trip in my MGB," I told Pat. "Go with Barb on a summer vacation. Take this same road to Charlotte, then head up the Blue Ridge to Washington, D.C. Visit the Smithsonian and Gettysburg and all those places we haven't seen since we were kids. The MG would be the perfect car for the trip. If it had decent tires. And maybe functioning brakes and rebuilt suspension . . . and an overdrive gearbox and an engine with freeze plugs that didn't leak . . . "

So the hook was set. The car and the appropriate journey had suddenly fused into a single Big Idea. I knew when I got home I'd be forced to restore the MG, held hostage by plans for a trip and sustained by the simplistic mental snapshot of my green car on those ideal sports-car roads.

Since then, I've balked at the project a couple of times, nearly overwhelmed by the typical number of small parts that have to be degreased, sanded, painted, replated or replaced, but the work goes on. The MGB is a relatively simple car, so the quicksand pit never gets much deeper than your actual height, give or take a couple of inches. At the moment, I have every confidence (?) it will be done in time for an East Coast trip this coming August.

And so it has always been. While contemplating the MGB last night, it occurred to me that every project I've ever completed has been driven by a similar, underlying visionthe simple dream of a particular road, a geographical setting or an arrival at some event or gathering. Yet in the end, the car, motorcycle, airplane, bicycle or whatever takes over and becomes the bearer of the dream, a sort of mechanistic St. Christopher that carries the whole plan across the river on its shoulders. Eventually, the plan and the vehicle seem to weld together, and you can't remember which came first.

It doesn't matter. The important thing is, this combination strikes every year, like clockwork. Or flu.

Five years ago, for instance, it arrived in the guise of an airplane. Barb and I spent one year fixing up a 1945 Piper Cub so we could spend six weeks of summer touring the U.S. All those late nights in the hangar were helped along by the prospect of flying low and slow over midwestern farm land, looking down on red barns and green cornfields through the open door of the airplane. When that picture finally came to life, it was worth all the work. And as a pleasant side effect, the airplane was reasonably airworthy. Or was the journey a side effect of the airplane project? I can't remember any more. The two are inseparable.

Other summers it's been Sprites, Westfield 11s, old motorcycles or Formula Fords. Every year seems to produce some kind of weird, time-consuming, bent, rusted or grease-covered project, and it's generally the pressure of an upcoming trip-or a race-that forces me to get it done. Probably because there's nothing quite like the threat of driving in competition or traveling a great distance from home to concentrate the mind and help focus on the matter at hand.

For instance, it's much easier to go through the greasy job of repacking your wheel bearings if you can picture those bearing races spinning like crazy out in the middle of nowhere, 1000 miles from your garage. (Nevada in midsummer is always a good place to picture bearings at work.)

Likewise, the assembly of stub axles and steering arms assumes a higher status if you can imagine these parts supporting your car on a flat-out dip through the kink at Elkhart Lake or enduring the endless g-loads of Willow Springs' Turn 9. In fact, any mechanical task that prevents you and your car from catapulting over the Armco-or searching for Whitworth tools in Elko-tends to be more absorbing than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill car repair.

Life is simpler, of course, if you can avoid mixing your racing and travel projects. Last year, I accidentally spent the entire winter on the leisurely restoration of an older motorcycle, a 1984 BMW R100RS, so Barb and I could take it on a summer road trip to British Columbia and down through the Rockies.

Unfortunately, this BMW reconstruction caused me to ignore my small time racing program until it was almost too late. So I spent two months of the summer rebuilding a Lotus Seven almost around the clock to get it ready for Monterey, and I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep, a year later.

But, in this case, the old Vision Thing came to the rescue again. During those many late, incoherent nights, it helped a lot to imagine the car accelerating downhill through the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca, sunlight filtering through the live oaks on the hillside. It also helped to picture the wheels not falling off at the exit of the downhill sweeper. In the end, we made it to Laguna, the sun shone on the Corkscrew, the wheels didn't fall off and the car is now in one movable piece. Another successful case of progress through hallucination.

This past winter I got myself caught up in another logjam of ideas, a small conflict between two projected road trips, that both sounded pretty good. It was a struggle between that East Coast tour with the MGB and a long-suppressed desire to ride a Harley-Davidson Electra Glide FLHS across the West, camping on the way. The Great American Desert versus the Blue Ridge. After a short stand off, however, the MGB won this battle, mainly because (a) I already have one in my garage, (b) new Electra Glides cost about $12,000 and (c) it's too late to rebuild the sort of old one I could afford.

So it looks as if the Harley trip out West will have to wait. But there's always next year. Or the year after.

We'll get there eventually. We have to. I have a feeling Monument Valley is waiting for us, and I can already picture the road.
Nancy from Stranger Things fan-girling out in the Hannah Montana movie will make you LOL

Nancy from Stranger Things fan-girling out in the Hannah Montana movie will make you LOL

While more and more people catch on to the Stranger Things phenomenon, lets just take a moment to appreciate one of the heroes of the show

Nancy Wheeler.

nancy stranger things

Played by actor Natalia Dyer, Nancy is a largely conflicted character we can all relate to. Well, kinda-sorta anyway, we dont know how to feel about her ditching Barb AND THEN Jonathan, too

nancy stranger things

But Nancys social decisions aside, we obviously have to applaud her for keeping her cool while kicking some serious Demogorgon-ass.

nancy stranger things

In real life, Natalias characters werent always so ~chill~, particularly in her breakthrough role as Clarissa Granger in Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Premiere Of Walt Disney Pictures' "Hannah Montana The Movie" - Arrivals

Clarissa Granger (and her sister, Phoebe) were small, but pivotal roles in Hannah/Mileys journey. They were the daughters of conflicted villain Oswald Granger  a somewhat sleazy journalist looking to expose the Hannah/Miley double-life secret! Also, BONUS POINTS, Natalia got to perform in a British accent for this role.

**SHOCK, HORROR**

natalia

Basically, just before Oswald exposes Hannahs truth, Clarissa (and Phoebe) storm in and inadvertently save the day when they pretty much FREAK THE FUCK OUT over seeing their idol, Hannah, in person.

natalia gif

Oswald realizes hed hate to disappoint young girls around the world, like his daughters, and decides to NOT give away Hannah/Mileys secret. AWWW.

To be fair, wed probably act EXACTLY the same if we met Nancy/Natalia in real life.

natalia

Same, Natalia. Same.

The post Nancy from Stranger Things fan-girling out in the Hannah Montana movie will make you LOL appeared first on HelloGiggles.
When Gregg Irwin next appears in Chippewa County Court, it will be within a week of the first anniversary of a Sept. 28, 2015 crash that took the life of 20-year-old Erica M. Strandt of Chippewa Falls.

The 48-year-old Boyd man is charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle in the crash in the town of Edson.

Fridays court session with Strandt frustrated Strandts family, including her mother, Jennifer Grau.

She lost a 17-year-old son, Jason, who was murdered in Chippewa Falls in February 2010. Since last September, she has watched the case about the death of her daughter slowly unwind.

Online court records said a review hearing for the case against Irwin was first set for Jan. 6. It was then scheduled for Feb. 17, then March 4 and then Friday.

The latest court session was pushed off until next month at the request of defense attorney Harry Hertel of Eau Claire, who said a reconstruction of the crash done for the prosecution by the Wisconsin State Patrol had inconsistencies. He said he wanted to have Irwins insurance company, State Farm, do its own crash reconstruction.

Judge Steven Cray granted the extension so the defense and prosecution can gather more information. If we are unsuccessful on the 22nd, wed schedule a preliminary hearing, Cray said.

A family friend of Erica Strandt, John Imm, questioned why the Standt case has taken so long. He said another of his friends, Vanessa Rossano, was killed in a January 2016 crash in Eau Claire County. The defendant in that case entered a guilty plea in April.

According to a criminal complaint against Irwin:

Irwin was driving a 2009 Dodge truck northbound on 300th Street and claimed to have stopped at a stop sign before crossing Highway 29. He was struck by Strandts vehicle, a 2000 Saturn SL.

His preliminary alcohol breath test registered at 0.15, nearly twice Wisconsins standard of intoxication of 0.08 for first time drunken drivers.

A review of Department of Transportation records show that Irwin was convicted of OWI on April 6, 1992 for an offense that occurred on March 9, 1992, according to the complaint.

Irwin has posted a $5,000 cash bond.

Erica Strandt, who attended Eau Claire Memorial High School and earned a General Educational Development degree, was survived by a daughter.
Nairobi (AFP) - Nearly a million refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in South Sudan, most of them women and children, are suffering dire conditions in camps across the region, the UN said on Monday.

Refugee agency UNHCR said arrivals in Uganda alone had peaked at "more than 8,000 in one day" last month after an outbreak of fresh fighting in the capital of neighbouring South Sudan.

Ninety per cent of new arrivals were women and children, the UN added.

"With refugees fleeing South Sudan in their thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations," UNHCR said in a statement.

"Already there are some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily."

Despite a peace agreement signed nearly a year ago by the government and the rebels, fighting has continued and the country's crisis has worsened.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since civil war resumed in December 2013.

Towns have been razed in fighting characterised by rape, murder and the deployment of child soldiers.

Food shortages are common with nearly five million needing emergency rations, while some parts of the country are on the brink of famine, and the economy is in free fall.

Citing the example of a new 100,000 capacity camp at Yumbe, in Uganda, UNHCR said it urgently needs more money to "speed up the relocation of more than 45,000 refugees out of overstretched and severely congested reception and transit centres."

"With so many people living in such close proximity, the potential for disease outbreak is high," the agency said.

UNHCR said it had only received a fifth of the $609 million (545 million euros) it needed to cater to nearly one million South Sudanese refugees in six countries in the region, as well as the roughly 1.6 million uprooted and living in displacement camps inside the strife-torn country.
When Lisa Peluso heard that James Worley had been charged with the alleged July abduction and murder of 20-year-old Ohio college student Sierah Joughin, she was shocked and disturbed: Peluso and her 14-year-old daughter had been at Worley's Delta, Ohio, property the day before Joughin disappeared.



According to Peluso, Worley, 57, ran an engine repair service out of his barn. As part of a gift to her daughter, Madalynn, Peluso took her to Worley's property on July 18 to fix the engine of a vehicle they owned.



Peluso tells PEOPLE that the next 30 minutes with Worley were "bizarre." She was disturbed that when they showed up to Worley's property without having scheduled an appointment, Worley remembered their names even despite only having met them once prior, in 2015.



"I was really shocked that he remembered my name [after so long]," Peluso says.



"And he looked at [my daughter] and was like, "You're 12," she adds. (Peluso's daughter was 12 at the time of their first meeting.)



"Madalynn and I looked at each other and I just thought, 'That's weird.'"



Four days later, the dead body of Joughin, a University of Toledo student, was found hogtied in a shallow grave in a cornfield, and Worley was arrested.



According to a recently released autopsy report obtained by PEOPLE, Joughin died when she choked to death on a "large plastic gag." She died over a period of minutes after the gag, which obstructed her breathing, was placed into her mouth.



 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.





Peluso: Worley's Barn, Once Messy, Was 'Immaculate'

After a few minutes of talking, Worley invited the pair into his barn to see a motorcycle he was working on, Peluso tells PEOPLE. She says the barn, which was messy the year before, was extremely tidy.



During their search of his property, authorities discovered an allegedly secret "room" Worley kept on his property that had bloody walls, a bloody freezer and restraints, allegedly "for holding human against their will," according to police documents obtained by PEOPLE.



Peluso says Worley showed the pair a room he had recently completed at his property, though it's not clear the room is the same one as the one authorities referred to.



"I didnat see any [blood and restraints] but it was just another thing that was odd: How it went from being a disaster to it becoming immaculate, like, what drove him to do that?" Peluso says.



Worley pleaded guilty to abduction in a 1990 case also involving a female cyclist, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE. According to a search warrant affidavit, police believe Worley may be a "serial offender."



"Worley fits the profile of a serial offender and could potentially have additional victims who could have been kept at [his property]," a sheriff's sergeant wrote in the affidavit. That affidavit sought to recover a wide range of possessions from Worley's property, including alleged "documents in reference to prior criminal acts, evidence of prior abductions, instruments of sexual deviation, journals" and more.





'I Had this Gut Feeling'

Peluso, who has lived in her home in the same town as Worley for 12 years, says she was unaware of Worley's criminal history when she went to visit him but still felt uncomfortable.



"I was kind of scared," she tells PEOPLE. "I had this gut feeling. There was something about him that made me think he was strange."



Peluso and other neighbors describe Worley as a quiet man who could often be seen mowing his lawn or working in his barn. Peluso says on the day she saw him, he expressed concern over growing medical bills for his mother, who he said was 99 and lived with him.



Worley served three years in prison for the 1990 the abduction conviction before being released on parole in 1993, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.



In a letter to a judge asking for his release from prison, Worley explains how his mother depends on his income.



"I don't like to admit that I and my family are poor," Worley writes in the 32-page letter, which was obtained by PEOPLE. "But we have always worked hard and earned everything we have ever done. My family and myself are good, decent and very honest people!"



During their conversation, Worley allegedly asked Peluso a lot of questions about who she knew from town. "It seems like he knew everybody around here but no one knew anything about him," Peluso says.



Worley is being held without bond and has not yet entered a plea. His attorney, Mark Powers, has not responded to PEOPLE's request for comment.



Worley will next appear in court on Aug. 18.
Managua (AFP) - Nicaragua's opposition called Monday for a boycott of November presidential and legislative elections, dismissing the vote as a "farce" engineered to re-elect President Daniel Ortega and allow him to start a ruling family dynasty.

"We herewith declare the absolute invalidity of these fraudulent elections and demand real elections," the National Coalition for Democracy said in a statement read by a representative, Violeta Granera, at a news conference.

She said the November 6 election -- in which Ortega is seeking a third straight term with his wife as his running mate -- "will only go to strengthen a dynastic dictatorship."

The coalition urged voters to "reject... this electoral farce," abstain from voting or cast a blank ballot.

Ortega, a 70-year-old former leftist rebel, has tightened his grip on power this year. His current rule dates back to 2007, after he served a previous term between 1985 and 1990.

The supreme court in June ordered the ouster of the head of a key opposition party, and the electoral tribunal has stripped many opposition lawmakers of their seats and replaced them with deputies hewing to the government line.

Ortega has also said he will not permit foreign observers in to monitor the elections.

Polls suggest the president and his wife, Rosario Murillo, enjoy majority support in the electorate.

The opposition is made up of small parties which, together, would garner no more than six percent of the vote.

Murillo, already chief government spokesperson and a cabinet minister, is seen by many in the opposition as an eminence grise.

If the couple are victorious in the November election, which appears likely, she will become vice president.

Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Ortega has championed plans for a canal to cut across the country to rival the one in Panama.

But so far the Hong Kong-based company meant to carry out the $50 billion project has not started work on it.
Since his big money fight with Georges St. Pierre three years ago, Nick Diaz seems to have gotten into the party life. The previously reclusive Stockton fighter started up in pictures at nightclubs and concerns about his drinking were raised after he racked up two DUIs, eventually serving two days in jail over the incidents. And now the UFC star is worrying people even more with a series of erratic Snapchats sent Monday morning.

Based on photos from his social media accounts, Nick arrived in Las Vegas Sunday night in preparation for his brothers fight at UFC 202 and partied right through into the dawn. After arriving back at his hotel, he received a call from USADA and got into an argument over whether or not hed let them test him.

Nick Diaz having some trouble with USADA @BloodyElbow pic.twitter.com/PgG3CDOQVk  Michael Hutchinson (@TheMikeyHutch) August 15, 2016

Youre going to have to wait 5 or 6 hours. I just got here I want to go to sleep, Ive been here all night! Diaz says in one of the several Snapchat videos he made of the phonecall. Why dont you come tomorrow? Why not tomorrow? Ive f**king been out all night I have s**t to do this week I want to go to sleep! I want to wake up by 2 oclock!

The USADA rep tells Diaz that failing to allow the test could result in a two year suspension. Who knows if Nick was ever serious about not taking the test or if he was just trolling her, but in the end it seems like cooler heads prevailed and Diaz provided USADA with his room number and was willing to take the test.

Part 2 of Nick Diaz's USADA situation pic.twitter.com/k9PsWiYMh4  Michael Hutchinson (@TheMikeyHutch) August 15, 2016

Or so we hope. If he fell asleep or something, we could have just witnessed Nick Diaz shooting himself in the foot worse than hes ever done in the past  and were talking about a guy whos spent literal years under multiple suspensions for smoking weed.
Residents read a Nigerian army poster of wanted Boko Haram suspects in Bayelsa, Nigeria

Following the release of a new video by Boko Haram showing some of the schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok, in northeast Nigeria, two years ago, the countrys military is going after the journalist who first received the footage.

The military has declared freelance journalist Ahmad Salkida wanted for purported links to the group. Also declared wanted were Ahmed Bolori, co-ordinator of a local NGO, and Aisha Wakil, who was involved in an ill-fated negotiation attempt with the terror group in 2014.

NIGERIAN ARMY DECLARES AHMED SALKIDA (AMBASSADOR) AHMED U BOLORI AND AISHA WAKIL WANTED  Nigerian Army (@HQNigerianArmy) August 14, 2016

The army believes Salkida and the others are in possession of information on the conditions and the exact location of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Like some previous information from the group, the new Boko Haram video was first released to Salkida before it was released to the public. Salkida has also published information gleaned from his sources inside the terrorist sect over the years via Twitter. In the past, Nigerias army has previously made victorious claims about the progress in the fight against Boko Haram but Salkida often offered conflicting reports which suggested the armys claims were being exaggerated or misleading.

In a statement, Sani Usman, an army spokesman, said the decision is necessary as a result of their link with the last two videos released by Boko Haram terrorists and other findings of our preliminary investigations. Due to these links, Usman says the trio must come forward and provide intelligence on the abducted girls.

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For his part, Salkida, who lives in the United Arab Emirates on self-exile, says while his work has stayed within the creed of professional journalism, he is willing to avail himself to the army as requested. While the army is basing its action on the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011, which mandates full co-operation of Nigerians in disclosing information about terrorist activities, its method has been criticized as an attack on the free press.

The war against our dear @ContactSalkida is a war against free press and fair reporting. He is a #JournalistNotTerrorist  GlintstoneNEWS (@glintstonemag) August 15, 2016

Salkida has long held rare access to Boko Harams leadership. In 2009, he was arrested and tortured by the Borno state government for interviewing a former Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf. Fearing that he may be in danger as a result of his access to the terror group, Salkida fled to the United Arab Emirates in 2013.

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Lagos (AFP) - Nigeria's army said Monday it wants to question three suspects, including a journalist, for allegedly concealing information on the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

The announcement came just a day after Boko Haram released a new video purportedly showing some of the more than 200 girls who were seized by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014.

Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said local journalist Ahmad Salkida had been in contact with Boko Haram, as had Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil, both activists familiar with the workings of the Islamist group.

"There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram terrorists and have contacts with them," he said.

"They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us to rescue them."

Usman said the military would work with other security agencies to bring in the suspects if they fail to turn themselves in.

The mass kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram and its bloody quest to create a fundamentalist state in northeastern Nigeria.

A total of 218 girls are still missing.

Usman said the authorities wanted to talk to the suspects over the video released on Sunday in which a masked man called on the government to free Boko Haram prisoners if it wants the girls to be rescued.

Salkida is said to have high-level contacts among the group's leaders and is believed to have been involved in failed talks between Boko Haram and the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The journalist said in his personal blog he would report to the authorities as soon as he returns to Nigeria, without giving his current whereabouts.

"In the coming days I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the army authorities," he said.

- 'Personal sacrifices for Chibok girls' -

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Salkida said he had nothing to fear because he had not done anything outside the tenets of journalism.

"Clearly, my status as a Nigerian journalist who has reported extensively, painstakingly and consistently on the Boko Haram menace in the country since 2006 is an open book known to Nigerians and the international community," he said.

"I made personal sacrifices for the release of our Chibok daughters."

Sunday's video showed a group of about 40 girls in Islamic dress sitting or standing around a masked man armed with an assault rifle.

The man said some of the girls had been killed in air strikes by Nigerian armed forces, which have been intensifying their campaign against the jihadist group.

It was the latest release from Boko Haram's embattled chief Abubakar Shekau, who earlier this month denied claims he has been replaced as leader.

Throughout last year the military announced the rescue of hundreds of people, most of them women and children, who have been kidnapped by the Islamists.

But the missing schoolgirls were not among them, despite several unconfirmed sightings.

Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency has left some 20,000 people dead and forced at least 2.6 million others to flee their homes.
Lagos (AFP) - Nigerian troops have thwarted a Boko Haram attack in the country's volatile northeast, killing 16 insurgents while 12 soldiers were wounded, an army spokesman said Monday.

Troops "successfully repelled" the Boko Haram attack in the town of Kangarwa on Sunday, Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement.

The military "rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents by killing 16," he said, adding: "Unfortunately, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in action during the encounter."

A cache of arms and ammunitions were recovered from the insurgents, he said.

Usman said the military rescued five people held by the jihadists in the village of Dogon Chikun early Monday during an operation to clear the area of Islamists.

Boko Haram, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing more than 2.6 million people since 2009.

A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year has recaptured swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014.

On Sunday, Boko Haram released a video showing at least one of 218 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok more than two years ago.
Warning: This recap for Samson and Delilah episode of The Night Of contains spoilers.

Its taken six episodes, but in Samson and Delilah, John Stone has finally cracked the case wide open. No, not the case of Who Killed Andrea Cornish. That mystery is still very much ongoing. No, the offense that Stone has successfully solved is The Case of the Disgusting Feet. And all it took was a trip to a Chinatown herbalist named Dr. Yee, who handed over packets of gross-tasting, but highly effective powders that have completely cleared up the open sores that used to cover Stones ankles, soles, and toes. Its such a mitzvah for the beleaguered lawyer that John  who puts on a pair of closed-toed loafers like theyre twin Holy Grails  cant resist rubbing his good fortune (though, fortunately, not his feet) in the face of his former support group for skin-related issues. Based on their awed reaction, its clear that Dr. Yee is about to become very busy in the near future.

While Stones foot crisis arrived at a satisfying resolution, its worth noting that he made a crucial discovery in his other case as well, one that well get into a little bit further down. First, though, lets check in with the man who currently stands accused of killing Andrea, Nasir Khan, and to say that hes in a precarious place right now is an understatement. Oh, in terms of his personal safety, hes fine; aligning himself with Freddy Knight has seen to that. But Freddy has also made prison life a little too comfortable for Naz, who now has his own cell phone (which he uses to make a personal call to his lawyer, Chandra, a choice that could have major consequences if discovered), multiple tattoos, and a serious drug habit. In fact, when Freddy asks him point blank, Did you like your life out there? Nazs response is troublingly non-committal. Why try to hack it in the real world when you can get high with your prison buddies all day?

Related: Catch Up on The Night Of With Our Recaps

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Well, heres one reason: Those prison buddies arent necessarily your buddies. Naz discovers that firsthand when he witnesses one of Freddys lower-ranking crew members, Petey, pleasuring higher-up, Victor, who proceeds to make it forcefully clear to Khan that it would be very unwise of him to spread any rumors. And even before that incident, theres been a palpable sense amongst the unit that Naz is Freddys pal and everyone else just tolerates his presence. How long they continue to do so will determine Nazs preference for living in here rather than out there.

The Crime: Although Stones pursuit of Duane Reade is temporarily at a dead end, he did follow up on that argument he witnessed at Andreas funeral back in Episode 4, when the murdered womans stepfather, Don, hurled abuse at another man. Turns out that other guy is the lawyer in charge of overseeing the not-inconsiderable estate of one Evelyn Cornish, Andreas deceased mom. During their lifetimes, mother and daughter didnt always see eye-to-eye, especially when Evelyn decided to marry her much-younger personal trainer  that would be Don  despite his history of philandering and obvious interest in her cash. After her death, Don made his play for said cash, demanding half of whatever was willed to Andrea. Her response? Over my dead body, the lawyer tells Stone, completely off the record. With Andrea out of the way, he gets the whole nine yards. Can anyone say, Probable cause?

Related: The Night Of Star Amara Karan Talks the Twisty Road to the Finale, Reuniting With Her College Pal Co-Star, and Carrying the Olympic Torch

The Cops: Never let it be said that Detective Box is out of touch with the youth of today. Looking for more intel on Naz, the veteran cop hops on Facebook and makes immediate note from an FB friend named Amir, who claims to owe his buddy big time. Box also revisits Khans high school years, discovering that he had to transfer from his Queens school to one in the Bronx after he shoved a kid down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm. Thats yet another dent in Nazs good boy armor, suggesting that hes got a history of violence that may have reared its head again when he was under the influence of Andreas drug cocktail. By the way, special shout-out to Officer Wiggens, who offered up the most evocative description of Nazs appearance and behavior on the night in question: His eyes looked like two cherries floating in buttermilk and he reeked like someone just dropped a bomb in a tequila factory. Someone get her a job writing for Law & Order: SVU, stat.

The Court: Heres an important piece of courtroom intel: Should you ever find yourself in the unfortunate position of being the defendant in a murder trial, make sure to wear a white shirt into the courtroom. Having walked into court sporting a blue button-down shirt that his mother brought for him, Naz is instantly stopped by John, who switches shirts with him in full view of the audience, as well as the jury. Apparently, in a trial setting, youre being judged not only on your crime, but also on your sartorial selection.

Related: The Night Of Star John Turturro Talks About His Underdog Character, Bonding With Co-Star Riz Ahmed, and His Friendship With James Gandolfini

The bulk of the courtroom action in this episode was given over to the prosecution, which sought to swiftly and emphatically establish that the guilty party is sitting between Stone and Chandra. No doubt they were spurred on by the last line of her simple, but direct opening statement: Theres no burden on me to prove to you the defendant didnt commit the crime. The burden is on the state to prove he did. Helen Weiss assumes that burden stoically, introducing expert witness after expert witness, while Chandra waits patiently to present her side. Look for courtroom fireworks to go off after the prosecution rests and the defense takes the lead.

The Cat: Andreas cat is still limited to a single room in Johns apartment, but that room is steadily filling up with more kitty-related stuff. In addition to food and cat toys, Stone has also purchased a litterbox for his feline houseguest, who is becoming more and more of a family member everyday. Especially because Stones actual son isnt interested in returning his phone calls. These two will be watching television together any day now, even if John has to wear a face mask the whole time.

The Night Of airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
For the second time in two weeks on Tuesday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will be in Wisconsin on the same day.

Trump is holding a public rally at the Washington County Fair Park and Conference Center in West Bend at 7:30 p.m. He is also participating in a ticketed event with Fox News host Sean Hannity at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and two private fundraisers in La Crosse and Milwaukee, his campaign confirmed.

Kaine will visit Madison for a fundraiser Tuesday, the campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton confirmed to the State Journal Monday.

The campaign didnt provide additional details, but according to an invitation obtained by the State Journal, it is being hosted by prominent local Democratic fundraisers Hans and Mary Lang Sollinger.

It will be at least the second Wisconsin visit this month for Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia. Kaine made a public stop in Milwaukee on Aug. 5, the same day Trump held a rally with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in Green Bay.

Pence also visited La Crosse and Milwaukee on Aug. 11 and Waukesha on July 27, his first stop after accepting the GOP vice presidential nomination in Cleveland.
Riz Ahmed (Credit: Barry Wetcher/HBO)

Warning: This story contains spoilers through episode 6 of The Night Of.



Six down, and just one more episode to go before the Aug. 28 finale of The Night Of reveals who really killed Andrea Cornish or, at least, resolves Naz Khans murder case. We think. There are no guarantees, of course, of just how much closure we can expect from HBOs intense, twist-filled drama, but we do expect to get some answers to the many questions the series has posed.

The biggest, of course: Did Naz really kill Andrea? If youd asked viewers after watching just the first episode, wed bet the overwhelming majority would have said the naive, quiet, observant college student wasnt capable of such a thing. But between the reveals about his past and how quickly hes taken to life in Rikers who among us doesnt at least harbor a few doubts? Especially since Naz himself cant remember the events of the night of?

Related: The Night Of Recap: Over My Dead Body

With the end so near, and unanswered questions so plentiful, heres a roundup of why Naz might be guilty, why he might not be, who might have done it if he didnt, and other things were dying to know before our summer obsession comes to a close.

Amara Karan, Riz Ahmed, and Turturro (Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO)

Naz might be guilty, because:

* He cant remember much of what happened after he got to Andreas house that night including, for certain, whether or not he killed her.

* He lied about having taken amphetamines on the night Andrea died, which proves hes capable of lying, and which might have affected his decision-making abilities/what he was capable of doing that night.

But Naz might not be guilty, because:

* He cant remember much of what happened after he got to Andreas house that night but he says he didnt kill her.

* He still seems like the good kid we thought he was in the beginning, albeit with an ever-increasing number of asterisks, i.e. except for that time he pushed that kid Steve Diaz down the stairs when he was in high school; except for that time he beat that guy, Calvin, in the shower at Rikers; except for the time he smuggled drugs into the jail for Freddy; except for the time he used his friendship with Freddy to play power games with those dudes in the TV room; except for that time he shaved his head to appear tougher; except for that time he started using drugs with Freddy Second thought, this might go under he might be guilty, because

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Others who might have done it:

Paul Sparks (Credit: HBO)

* Don Taylor (Paul Sparks), Andreas stepdad. He went from making $30K a year as a personal trainer to marrying a much older millionaire, and stands to inherit even more with Andrea out of the picture. He also has a habit of dating older, wealthy women, according to Ray Halle.

Paulo Costanzo (Credit: HBO)

* Ray Halle (Paulo Costanzo), Andreas accountant, who was a little too easily manipulated  or was he?  into spilling the deets on Andreas mother and her marriage to Don to John Stone. Theory: Maybe Ray and Don were in cahoots to get rid of Andrea and share the even bigger pile of cash that would be left to Don?

Sofia Black-DElia (Credit: Barry Wetcher/HBO)

* Andrea (Sofia Black DElia): Is it possible she killed herself? There were a LOT of stab wounds all over her body, almost certainly too many for her to have inflicted on herself, but maybe not?

Esau Pritchett (Credit: HBO)

* Mr. Day (Esau Pritchett), aka that creepy hearse driver from the gas station, who Nazs attorney, Chandra (Amara Karan), spoke to in episode 6. Mr. Day has got some issues with women, and seemed to take an instant dislike to Andrea (even with her tossed cigarette at the gas station aside). Even if he didnt kill Andrea, its not tough to imagine he might be responsible for providing clients for his own business.

J.D. Williams (Credit: HBO)

* Trevor Williams (J.D. Williams), the guy who harassed Naz outside Andreas apartment, and who lied about another guy being with him that night. Why would he lie about that guy being with him?

Charlie Hudson III (Credit: HBO)

* Duane Reade (Charlie Hudson III), the guy who was with Trevor the night Andrea was killed, and who fled when John Stone tried to question him. Duane, who shares a name with the greatest pharmacy/store you can never shop at without spending at least $25, also has a criminal record and is known for his use of knives.

Lingering questions:

* Is Naz playing with Chandra (Amara Karan), his attorney? Are his flirtations  and that cell phone call from Rikers  sincere attempts to interact with a human being on the outside and/or get reassurances from his legal counsel or is he trying to get her emotionally invested in him as more than her client?

Amara Karan (Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO)

* Does Det. Dennis Box (Bill Camp) have lingering doubts about Nazs guilt? Something seems to be nagging at him as he continues to work the case.

Related: The Night Of Postmortem: Amara Karan Talks the Twisty Road to the Finale, Reuniting With Her College Pal Co-Star, and Carrying the Olympic Torch

Michael K. Williams (Photo: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO)

* What is Freddys (Michael K. Williams) big-picture plan with Naz? Why did he choose Naz to befriend and offer his favors to? What, ultimately, does he expect in return?

* Nazs swift adaptation to prison life does it mean he believes hes going to be there a long time? Or does it perhaps indicate that these are the behaviors he was predisposed to all along?

* If Naz is guilty, does he know he is? Or does he suspect he is, but just cant remember committing the act? He definitely has awareness of the rage inside him, the violence he is capable of, and, as he admitted to Chandra, that he is capable of committing violent acts  like pushing Steve Diaz down a staircase  and not feeling any remorse for them, or being able to give a reason for why he committed them.

* Nazs parents (Poorna Jagannathan and Peyman Moaadi) and brother (Syam Lafi) are already feeling the consequences of the charges against Naz; whatever the outcome of his case, will the rest of the Khan family be able to recover from the fallout of Andreas death?

John Turturro (Credit: Craig Blankenhorn/HBO)

* Will John Stones (John Turturro) near-miraculous recovery from the eczema on his feet be a permanent thing? One of the best scenes of the series so far was the episode 6 moment when Stone goes to his eczema support group and shows off his feet housed inside socks and fancy dress shoes instead of his usual mandals with chopstick scratching implement. His was nothing less than a st-eating grin as he sat there as the king, and fresh hope bearer, for the skin condition sufferers.

* What happens to Andreas cat, the one currently residing in the bedroom of Stones son, Dwight Gooden Stone? Now that Stone seems to have successfully won his battle with eczema, will he decide he can deal with his cat allergy on a permanent basis and let the feline stay? Or is kitty doomed to return to the shelter where he narrowly missed out on a death sentence when John Stone gave him a reprieve?

The Night Of airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.
Nissan's new behemoth of an SUV is just hitting dealership showrooms, where interested buyers will find a lineup (or an Armada, if you will) of choices ranging from $45,395 to over $60,000 for a fully loaded model.

That's a big increase over the last Armada sold herethe 2015 version was $39,505 before any options were piled onbut it's a hefty savings compared to the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition rivals that start at nearly $3,000 or $2,000 more, respectively.

ALSO SEE: 10 states with the harshest DUI penalties: Are laws having the desired effect?

The Armada skipped the 2016 model year. However, the 2017 is a vastly improved vehicle over its predecessor, which hit the market all the way back in 2004 and was only updated lightly over the ensuing decade. The latest Armada instead shares its platform, engine, and basic design with the Nissan Patrol sold globally, as well as the Infiniti QX80 that has been offered to Americans for several years.

2017 Nissan Armada, Press Drive, Carmel, California, July 2016

READ: Honda Pilot Vs. Nissan Pathfinder: Compare Cars

The Armada's richer brother from Infiniti comes in at about $64,000 before any options are added, making the Armada a relatively good value if you don't need all of the Infiniti's pampering.

Here's a quick look at the 2017 Armada's available trim levels, including a mandatory $995 destination charge:

SV 2WD - $45,395

SL 2WD - $50,145

Platinum 2WD - $58,085

SV 4WD - $48,295

SL 4WD - $51,045

Platinum 4WD - $60,985

Nissan says that the 2017 Armada should be arriving in dealers soon.

___________________________________________

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nokia lumia 920

Nokia-branded Android devices are another step closer to reality.

HMD Global, a new Finnish company that in May signed an exclusive licensing agreement for the Nokia brand, announced on Monday that its hired Pekka Rantala as its chief marketing officer.

Rantala previously spent a year as CEO of Angry Birds maker Rovio  with mixed results  but will now be charged with selling the public on phones and tablets from a brand that has steadily fallen from relevance over the last decade.

For the unfamiliar, Nokia might be the most famous casualty of iOS and Androids rise to control of the smartphone market. The Finnish firm had massive success with feature phones in the 90s and early 2000s, but hitched its wagon to Microsofts Windows Phone OS as Android phones and the iPhone became more ubiquitous.

Microsoft bought the companys mobile and devices division in 2014, but has since distanced itself from the purchase as its mobile platform struggled to gain traction.

Nokia itself still exists outside of the consumer phone space, but largely focuses on its telecommunications network equipment business. It most recently acquired wearable device manufacturer Withings this past May.

HMD, headed by former Nokia and Microsoft exec Arto Nummela, now has control of the Nokia name on mobile for the next 10 years. Itll use a manufacturing partnership with Foxconn subsidiary FIH Mobile to produce various Android-powered Nokia smartphones and tablets, and says it plans on investing $500 million in marketing those devices.

No release details have been announced just yet. Still, years after one helped push the other out of the mobile market, it looks like Android and Nokia will come together after all.



NOW WATCH: Sorry Apple fans  the iPhone 7 is going to be boring





More From Business Insider


We issued an updated research report on Norfolk Southern Corporation NSC on Aug 12.

Coal Hits Q2 Results

Norfolk Southern reported mixed results for the second quarter of 2016 with earnings beating estimates and revenues lagging the same. However, both earnings and revenues declined on a year-over-year basis. As has been the case in the past quarters, decline in domestic coal shipments hurt results in the second quarter.

Coal revenues declined 25% to $339 million. A soft coal export market, declining natural gas prices and unusually mild winter temperature resulted in a 24% decline in volumes. On a year-over-year basis, both revenues and earnings declined in the second quarter. Apart from coal, intermodal revenues and merchandise revenues also declined.

Not only Norfolk Southern, players like Union Pacific Corporation UNP, Kansas City Southern KSU and CSX Corporation CSX have been dealt a heavy blow by coal. Since coal is a key revenue-generating commodity for railroad operators, it is only natural that the decline in domestic coal shipments has hurt stocks.

We are also concerned about the companys high debt levels. The company exited the second quarter of 2016 with long-term debt of more than $9 billion. Apart from a rise in immediate finance costs, the high debt level will also require significant cash flows for repayments. The companys debt- to capitalization ratio at the end of the second quarter was almost 44%.

We are, however, impressed with the companys focus on rewarding shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. The company, which has paid dividends for 136 consecutive quarters, shelled out $350 million in dividends and repurchased shares worth $400 million in the first six months of 2016. The company intends to buy back shares worth $800 million in full-year 2016.

Moreover, the expanded 102-year old Panama Canal, which was officially inaugurated on Jun 26, is likely to lead to an increase in east coast container traffic. This has the potential to benefit railroads like Norfolk Southern.

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North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory requested Monday that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts reinstate North Carolinas voter-ID law after an appeals court struck it down.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in late July that a North Carolina law requiring voters to show certain types of photo ID at the polls had been passed with racially discriminatory intent.

McCrory announced late Monday that changing the law so close to the November general election would cause havoc at the polls, according to the Charlotte News & Observer. Allowing the Fourth Circuits ruling to stand creates confusion among voters and poll workers and it disregards our successful rollout of Voter ID in the 2016 primary elections, McCrory said in a statement. The Fourth Circuits ruling is just plain wrong and we cannot allow it to stand. We are confident that the Supreme Court will uphold our states law and reverse the Fourth Circuit.

North Carolinas law was passed by the states Republican-led legislature in 2013 and has faced intense scrutiny from critics since.

Other states have faced similar court rulings over voter restrictions, as courts have blocked or weakened laws in Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, Kansas and North Dakota recently.
Ri Se-Gwang had tears in his eyes as he stood to attention on the Rio podium on Monday giving a military-style salute as North Korea's national anthem blasted out after his gold in the men's vault.

The 21-year-old gymnast from Pyongyang crushed his rivals with the hardest combination of two jumps to add Olympic gold to his two world titles on the apparatus.

Ri is North Korea's third gymnast to win an Olympic gold and the first on the vault. Hong Un-Jong, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, finished fourth in the women's vault final on Sunday.

The latest North Korean star gushed with the lavish praise for his country and its leader Kim Jong-Un that nearly all North Korean athletes use when on the world stage.

"I was filled with a lot of emotions and joy because I feel I was able to bring a sense of victory and courage to our leader," he said.

"It does not mean anything to me. It is a gift that I present to my country."

"This gold medal is joy for my country," continued Ri.

South Korea's Yang Hak-Seon won in London 2012 but did not defend his title.

"I had the confidence that I could win. With that confidence I came to Brazil," Ri said.

"I think I was able to come to where I am thanks to the great support and encouragement from my coach and from my teammate.

"I wanted to win this gold medal for all the love I have received from my country."

Ri scored 15.691 points to take the title ahead of Russian Denis Abliazin (15.516) who also took silver in London 2012.

The Russian even performed a vault named after his North Korean rival Ri.

It was the third medal in Rio for Abliazin, who won team silver and bronze on the rings.

Japan's Kenzo Shirai snatched bronze ahead of Romanian veteran Marian Dragulescu.

Both scored 15.499 points with Shirai achieving a higher execution score.

"My number-one objective was to win the team gold medal," said Shirai. "So this (bronze medal) doesn't change the fact that that (team gold medal) was the happiest moment for me."

"I was really close to getting a medal. I am happy about this experience and qualifying for the final. I am proud of myself," said Dragulescu, 35, who hit a vault named after hisself.

"It was a good competition for me. It is a pity that they don't give ties here, but it's the game," added the three-time Olympic medallist.
Have the great cargo shorts wars of 2016 made it to your office?

The passionate Internet debate over 90s-era baggy shorts is just the latest example of why summertime has long been the bane of the office fashion police. Clothes get skimpier. Hot weather makes the ties and jackets less appealing. The dreaded flip-flops threaten to emerge from the closet.

Employers across the country, including some traditionally stuffy government offices, law firms, banks and management consultancies, are changing their dress codes, often to help recruit or retain workers in a highly competitive job market  though flip-flops remain a step or three too far. J. P. Morgan Chase is allowing most workers outside its investment bank to trade their suits for business-casual clothing. Last year, Walmart loosened its dress code to allow its associates to wear denim. Accenture and PwC both recently adopted Dress for Your Day policies that let employees use their best judgment when it comes to clothing.

Related: 21 Business Buzzwords Goldman Sachs Thinks You Should Know

It depends on where youre going and what youre doing. If youre in front of a CEO, you wear a suit, says Anne Donovan, PwCs people innovation leader, adding that the change answers the workforces desire to wear more comfortable clothes. Were competing in a market thats a war for talent. Were listening to people who say: `This would make it better.

Accenture doesnt explicitly ban any specific clothes, but asks people to be mindful of factors like t-shirt slogans when dressing for work.

The formality of work clothes has been sliding downhill for years, with experts pointing to the rise of tech startup culture  awash in hoodies and fancy sneakers  as leading the way. Now, startup Betabrand designs yoga pants specifically for the office. A survey of more than 300 senior managers released in June by staffing firm OfficeTeam found that half said employees now wear less formal clothing than they did five years ago.

Story continues

Related: Who's Having an Office Romance? The Numbers May Surprise You

You can see the casualization of the workplace beginning a century ago, but accelerating in recent years with the emergency of fast fashion and new clothing choices. Its been happening for the past 100 years with the emergence of a middle class and many social rules and social classes disappearing, says Francois Kress, chief executive officer of fashion label Carolina Herrera. We have taken into account that people want more comfortable clothes.

Carolina Herrera now sees perhaps 30 percent of its ready-to-wear sales in daywear separates, versus 70 percent in occasion or evening wear. A few years ago the balance wouldve been 10-90 percent, and in the near future its likely to be 50-50, Kress says.

Increasing sales of activewear, which has been booming for the last three years, feed into the growing informality of work attire. Not only do people buy activewear for exercise, these same stretch fabrics are increasingly finding their way into everyday and work clothes. Customers want more versatile clothes that they can wear to work but keep on into the evening, whether for picking up kids after school or dinner out with friends.

As a result, even luxury brands are launching activewear lines, such as the collaboration between Stella McCartney and Adidas or the recently announced partnership between Givenchy and Nike. Or take Burberrys line of lightweight stretch suiting thats easily packable for work travel.

At Takeda Pharmaceuticals, many U.S. employees can be found in jeans on a daily basis. The company relaxed its dress code last August based on feedback in a regular survey.

The new dress code was intended to provide an even more comfortable workplace where employees can do their best work, a high priority for Takeda, says spokesman Jim Schwartz, adding that the company respects individual expression in appearance and dress, as well as the variety of work. On days that employees are working with vendors or external partners, theyre expected to dress more formally than if theyre primarily working alone.

Related: The Retirement Revolution That Failed: Why the 401(k) Isnt Working

At law firm Hunton & Williams, partner Rori Malech sees an increasing variety of options for men, who often wear just dress pants and a shirt, whereas women tend to be a bit dressier, in sleeveless dresses or elegant blouses.

The most dressed down I will see is capri pants, but theyre work capris with a dressy fabric  not Banana Republic, says Malech. Theres definitely a movement going more casual.

The New York City office tends to be more formal than the Richmond, Virginia office  where the firm was founded  with Washington, D.C. and Texas offices being even more casual and California the most laid back.

Related: So Long, Cubicle! How Millennials Will Change the Office

Malech appreciates the more versatile work options available from fashion lines like MM.LaFleur, with comfortable dresses, fitted pants and separates, and even has donned Betabrand dress yoga pants when she knew shed be working an 18-hour day in her office.

Only if Im going to be under a rock, she explains. Its not the norm.

In winter, women might wear dressy boots with a cute skirt, and you could see the occasional loafer. If Malech puts on jeans for casual Friday, shes sure to dress up the outfit with a jacket, nice heels and pearls.

I would never not have a suit jacket, sweater or wrap in my office, she says. At a white shoe, Southern-founded firm, I dont think things have changed that much.

Indeed, the challenge of a more casual and open environment is to strike the balance between comfort and a professional look. The benefits of more regulated way of dressing at work is that it was easy to look a certain way. There were only a few options, Kress says. Its much more challenging for people to dress more casually but also look good.

Even with all this change, companies of all stripes still draw the line at flip-flops. Absolutely not, Malech says.

PwC specifically asked employees not to wear flip-flops  or shorts. We said: Use your judgment, and always represent the brand, Donovan says.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
From Cosmopolitan

After days of alleging repeatedly that President Barack Obama literally founded the Islamic State group, Donald Trump abruptly shifted tone Friday and insisted his widely debunked claim had been sarcastic.

Trump, in an early-morning post on Twitter, blamed CNN for reporting "so seriously" that he had called Obama and Democrat Hillary Clinton the extremist group's founder and most valuable player respectively. He added, in all capital letters: "THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?"

Only hours before, the billionaire businessman had restated the allegation with no mention of sarcasm, telling rally-goers in Kissimmee, Florida, that "I've been saying that Barack Obama is the founder." It's a claim that Trump repeated at least a dozen times in three cities since debuting the attack-line Wednesday during a rally outside Fort Lauderdale.

In fact, Trump had refused to clarify that he was being rhetorical or sarcastic when asked about the remark during interviews. On Tuesday, when conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried to steer Trump toward explaining he really meant Obama's Mideast policies created conditions that IS exploited, Trump wanted none of it.

"No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS. I do," Trump said, using another acronym for the extremist group. Told that Obama was trying to defeat the militants, Trump added, "I don't care. He was the founder."

The controversy over the Islamic State has dogged the campaign in a week in which he has been trying to highlight his economic proposals. Trump is encountering worrying signs as his campaign moves into the November election. Clinton's lead over Trump in national polls has widened in recent days, while a growing number of fellow Republicans have declared they won't support their own party's nominee.

Clinton is looking to take advantage by expanding into traditionally Republican states, seeking a sweeping victory in November.

Story continues

It wasn't immediately clear why Trump altered course Friday and said the whole notion was sarcastic. But the allegation had elicited fresh concerns about Trump's relationship with the truth and his preparedness to be commander in chief.

Clinton's campaign has cried foul and accused Trump of mimicking Russian President Vladimir Putin's talking points, and the Democratic Party had asked for an apology.

"I just do not think insults and bullying is how we are to get things done," Clinton said as she laid out her economic plan Thursday in Warren, Michigan.

Yet even as he worked to quell one campaign controversy, Trump appeared to spark another late Wednesday when said he was "fine" with trying Americans suspected of terrorism in military tribunals at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Asked specifically about U.S. citizens, Trump told the Miami Herald that he didn't like that Obama and others wanted to try them in traditional courts.

"I would say they could be tried there," Trump said, referring to Guantanamo Bay. "That'll be fine."

Federal law generally prohibits U.S. citizens from being prosecuted in military tribunals.

Trump has blamed Obama's decision to pull U.S. forces from Iraq in 2011 for destabilizing the Middle East and creating a situation in which Islamic State militants could thrive. He'd added Clinton to the mix by noting her initial support for the Iraq War and her ties to Obama's policies as his first-term secretary of state. However, Trump previously had said he wanted U.S. troops out years earlier than Obama withdrew them.

The founder of the Islamic State group was Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the head of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006. The group began as Iraq's local affiliate of al-Qaida, the group that attacked the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001.

GOP concerns about Trump are compelling enough that dozens of worried Republicans were gathering signatures for a letter urging the party's chairman to stop helping Trump and focus on protecting vulnerable House and Senate candidates, according to a draft obtained by the Associated Press. Trump said he wasn't worried Republicans would cut him off - and threatened to stop fundraising for the party if they do.

Trump's campaign planned to sit down with RNC officials in Orlando on Friday. But both Republican Party officials and Trump's campaign said the meeting was focused on campaign strategy in battleground states like Florida, and not tensions between the campaign and the GOP. The officials weren't authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.
By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Monday 15 inmates from the Guantanamo prison were transferred to the United Arab Emirates, the single largest transfer of Guantanamo detainees during President Barack Obama's administration. The transfer of the 12 Yemeni and three Afghan citizens brings the total number of detainees down to 61 at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Most have been held without charge or trial for more than a decade, drawing international condemnation. Obama, who had hoped to close the prison during his first year in office, rolled out his plan in February aimed at shutting the facility. But he faces opposition from many Republican lawmakers as well as some fellow Democrats. "In its race to close Gitmo, the Obama administration is doubling down on policies that put American lives at risk," Republican Representative Ed Royce, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement. "Once again, hardened terrorists are being released to foreign countries where they will be a threat," he said. While Obama's plan for shuttering the facility calls for bringing the several dozen remaining prisoners to maximum-security prisons in the United States, U.S. law bars such transfers to the mainland. Obama, though, has not ruled out doing so by executive action. "I think we are at an extremely dangerous point where there is a significant possibility this is going to remain open as a permanent offshore prison to hold people, practically until they die," said Naureen Shah, Amnesty International's U.S. director for security and human rights. Shah said keeping Guantanamo open gave cover to foreign governments to ignore human rights. "It weakens the U.S. government's hand in arguing against torture and indefinite detention," she said. One of the detainees who was transferred is an Afghan national, identified as Obaidullah, who has spent more than 13 years at Guantanamo. He had been accused of storing mines to be used against American forces in Afghanistan. "The continued operation of the detention facility weakens our national security by draining resources, damaging our relationships with key allies and partners, and emboldening violent extremists," Lee Wolosky, the State Department's special envoy for closing the Guantanamo detention center, said. "The support of our friends and allies - like the UAE - is critical to our achieving this shared goal," Wolosky said. A State Department official speaking on condition of anonymity said the UAE had resettled five detainees transferred in November 2015. (Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by James Dalgleish, Bernard Orr)
By David Shepardson and Valerie Volcovici

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Obama administration is expected on Tuesday to issue final rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from medium and heavy duty trucks over the next decade, likely one of the last major climate-related rules President Barack Obama will issue before he leaves office.

The commercial vehicle rules, which the administration says could cut 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, could help put the United States on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 23 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. However, that is still short of Obama's pledge at last year's Paris climate summit to reduce emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, according to research organization the Rhodium Group.

The rules for commercial vehicles apply to semi-trucks, large pickup trucks and vans, buses and work trucks. The administration has estimated previously the rules would cut fuel costs by about $170 billion, surpassing the $25 billion projected costs for new technology by 2027.

Among the companies the commercial vehicle rules affect are Cummins Inc, Eaton Corp, and truck makers such as Daimler AG, Navistar International Corp PACCAR Inc and Volvo AB.

Brian Mormino, executive director for worldwide environmental strategy and compliance at Cummins, said manufacturers need time to redesign vehicles so they can meet the new standards economically. "We are going to pick the technologies that are most cost efficient for our customers," he said.

The rules have put unions and environmentalists at odds. Top United Auto Workers leaders in February met with regulators to raise concerns that higher regulatory costs could hurt workers when commercial truck demand is slumping.

However, the California Air Resources Board urged U.S. regulators in October to move up the effective date of the emissions reductions to 2024 from 2027.

The commercial vehicle emissions curbs are one of several steps the Obama administration has taken to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from passenger cars, light trucks, airplanes and power plants without the collaboration of the Republican-controlled Congress. The long-term results will depend on what Congress, the courts and his successor in the Oval Office do over the next few years.

Story continues

ISSUE IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Obama's climate policy is a central issue in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has promised to both continue Obama administration regulations and expand her use of executive authority to achieve deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Clinton has pledged to regulate oil and natural gas fracking almost out of existence, although her proposals have been met with skepticism by opponents and proponents of the oil and gas-drilling technology.

Republican nominee Donald Trump has vowed to undo the environmental regulations proposed by Obama as a central part of his economic plan. Campaigning in Pennsylvania and other coal states, Trump has blamed the EPA for the demise of the coal industry and vowed to put miners back to work.

He also vowed to undo the Paris Climate Agreement negotiated by the Obama administration.

Separately, the Supreme Court in February stayed the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan to cut emissions from power plants to allow a lower court to decide later this year or next year on a legal challenge by 27 states.

The next president's appointees at regulatory agencies will also get a say. The auto industry has an opportunity between now and April 2018 to persuade the next administration to rewrite rules requiring sharp cuts in carbon dioxide emissions from cars and light trucks. Industry lobbyists, for example, have proposed giving auto makers credits toward emissions compliance for installing advanced safety systems such as automatic braking.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
By Brendan O'Brien MILWAUKEE (Reuters) - An uneasy calm was holding on Sunday evening 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. 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 systemically 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 Smiths 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. "Im looking at a silent movie that doesnt 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, didnt hear, dont 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 Smiths 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. Policing in Milwaukee has come under scrutiny since 2014 when Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill, unarmed black man, was fatally shot in a park by a white officer, an incident that sparked largely peaceful protests. (Additional reporting by Chris Michaud and Laila Kearney in New York and Julia Harte in Washington; Writing by Frank McGurty and Bill Trott; Editing by Howard Goller and Peter Cooney)
- Usain Bolt is ready for sporting immortality after blasting his way into Olympic history. The Jamaican sprint king clinched an unprecedented third consecutive 100m gold with a superb display, winning in 9.81sec. Bolt said two more victories in the 200m and 4x100m relay this week would assure him of "immortality." "Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal," said Bolt after his win. Although short of his world record, Bolt meanwhile expressed satisfaction with his performance. "It was brilliant. I didn't go so fast but I'm so happy I won. I told you guys I was going to do it," he said.

AFP
From Cosmopolitan

And the green diving-pool saga at the Rio Olympics continues. Just two days after Olympic officials said that the pool changed color because of a "proliferation of algae" due to a decrease in alkalinity, the diving pools were reportedly shut down.

Rio officials ran out of certain chemicals used in the water treatment process but they said it posed no risk to athletes, other then generally grossing them out because this is a green pool we're talking about. When officials tried to fix the issue, athletes complained of abnormally high chlorine levels in the pool that made it difficult to see, according to People. This latest pool-gate update has raised new questions and concerns from athletes.

Tom Daley, the British diver and professional dreamboat, was the first to tweet the news.

Diving pool is closed this morning. Hopefully that means we haven't been diving in anything too bad the last couple of days!  - Tom Daley (@TomDaley1994) August 12, 2016

The official Rio 2016 Twitter account responded to Daley, stating that they closed the pool so it could become still enough to return to its natural blue state.

@TomDaley1994 As approved by @fina1908, diving training is cancelled b/c the water must be still for the pool to return to its blue color. - Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) August 12, 2016

But apparently the smell was also a problem.

The Olympic diving pool has been closed again because of water quality issues...a German diver says "the whole building smells like a fart" - Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) August 12, 2016

A few hours later, Loudy Wiggins, an Australian diver, tweeted that the diving pool was back in action ahead of a preliminary event.

Story continues

Diving pool back in action. Looks kinda Aqua. Definitely on the improve ahead of Women's 3m Prelim. #diving #rio2016 pic.twitter.com/Tc6J89UBvR - Loudy Wiggins (@loudywiggins) August 12, 2016

Perdita Felicien, a former Olympian, tweeted that it was the bluest she had seen the water in a number of days. She also noted a strong chlorine smell.

Diving: Bluest I've seen water in 4 days. Noticeable scent of chlorine hangs in air for first x. #diving #PerdiInRio pic.twitter.com/IU1ZjxKkvv - Perdita Felicien (@perditafelicien) August 12, 2016

So perhaps the case is closed on pool-gate. But stay tuned.

Follow Maggie on Twitter.
Eduardo Trejo, who cooked in his sister's restaurant Taqueria Guadalajara for almost two years, is opening his own restaurant on Madison's West Side.

Trejo is opening Lalo's Mexican Restaurant, which he said will be similar to Guadalajara on Park Street, and hopes to have it open by the end of the month or in early September, if he can get all the necessary approvals.

The location at 5510 University Ave., was home to the longstanding Shish Cafe, but for the past three years housed Marrakesh, another Middle Eastern restaurant.

Lalo is a nickname for Eduardo, which is also the name of Trejo's 7-year-old son.

Trejo, 40, will be doing all the prepping and cooking with help from his partner Oscar Gonzalez. The two, who grew up not far from Mexico City, have known each other since childhood. Trejo came from Amealco de Bonfil, while Gonzalez is from nearby Queretaro.

Both men worked in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, before moving to Madison more than 20 years ago. Trejo said as a child he sold ice cream in the street. He came to Chicago at age 14, and has been doing restaurant work for most of his adult life, sometimes spending 11 or 12 hours a day in the kitchen.

He's made low wages much of his life, he said, and his aim with Lalo's is to give his three children a better life. "I want them to go to college and have a good career. A good life. Not like mine when I was a kid."

Trejo is doing the remodeling work on Lalo's with help from family members, sometimes working until 11 p.m. or midnight, he said.

The menu will consist of burritos, tacos, chile rellenos, chimichangas, gorditas, huaraches, enchiladas mole, enchiladas verdes, flautas, nachos, tamales, quesadillas, tostadas, carne asada, pozole, pancita (menudo) and tortas, he said.

"It's going to be complete Mexican food," said Gonzalez, 36, who also has a bar and restaurant background, but for the past three years has had a factory job.

"It's going to be a great place to eat and drink," Gonzalez said. "We are going to do all kinds of stuff to make people happy."

Imelda Perez, speaking on behalf of her mother, Josefa Trejo, who owns Taqueria Guadalajara, confirmed that Eduardo Trejo worked at Taqueria Guadalajara, but didn't want to be associated with Lalo's.

Eduardo Trejo, for his part, said he gets along with his sister and used to live with her, but hasn't talked to her lately.
By Mary Milliken RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - As Italian rifle shooter Niccolo Campriani revelled in his second gold medal in the Olympic Games on Sunday, he paused to express some sadness. For him, the "greatest shooter of the century," Matt Emmons, had not made it to the eight-man final of the 50 metre rifle three positions event, even though the American was considered a top contender for gold. It was the final blow in a disastrous showing for the U.S. shooting team in 15 Olympic events. The Americans go home with one gold and two bronze, a result that the 35-year-old Emmons called "the worst we've done in a while." "Yeah, it's been rough," Emmons said after finishing 19th in qualifying. "I don't really have an explanation for it. I really felt we brought a pretty darn good team here." The Italians, meanwhile, were preparing the party for their stellar showing at the Olympic Shooting Centre. With Campriani's second gold, Italy topped the shooting medal table for Rio 2016 with four golds and three silvers. Germany also impressed, winning three gold medals in three days. China won seven medals, but only one gold, a disappointment for them too. Vietnam picked up two medals, including its first gold in any sport. Two Kuwaiti men competing under the Olympic flag, due to the International Olympic Committee's ban on Kuwait, won a gold and a bronze and a young Greek woman at war with her federation won gold and bronze medals. For Olegario Vazquez Rana, president of the International Shooting Sport Federation, the finals were gripping and unpredictable and made for great television. "But the Americans were weak this year," Vazquez Rana said, adding "they did not have the results they should have." He said internal strife in the U.S. federation could explain the poor performance. "When there are internal problems in a federation, that sport usually doesn't do well in international competition," said Vazquez Rana, a Mexican businessman. "And the U.S. federation has had its problems." USA Shooting acknowledges that it has had internal struggles over the last four years and it is working to overcome them. "But I don't think you can point to that as the factor in terms of the idea that anything was taken away from athletes trying to gear up for a Games," said Kevin Neuendorf, director of public relations at USA Shooting. He rejects labelling the American performance as poor and prefers to view the U.S. medal count in Rio as "a testament more to the overall strength of the world" in shooting. ITALIANS 'DEAL WITH EMOTIONS' The United States did come charging out of the gate, when a little-known 19-year-old Ginny Thrasher grabbed the first gold, which was also the first gold medal of all of the Olympic Games. But then, in nine days full of upsets, surprises and new names, stalwarts like two-time gold medallist and defending skeet champion Vincent Hancock failed to even make the finals. It was a consolation that Kim Rhode won bronze in women's skeet, allowing her to join five other athletes who have won six medals in six Games. The 37-year-old, three-time gold medallist is also the only sportswoman in Olympic history to win six medals in six consecutive Games. But it was two Italian women who made it to the finals of skeet, giving the country its first one-two finish ever in Olympic shooting. Campriani believes that Italians have something special in their Mediterranean character that helps them deal with the extraordinary pressure of sport shooting. "Look, this sport is not about not feeling emotions, it is about dealing with emotions," the 28-year-old Italian said. "We are Mediterranean, we have a lot of emotions, we deal with this since we are two years old and I think that's our strength." (Reporting by Mary Milliken; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
(Adds Hungary women's victory against Australia) By Joshua Schneyer RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The world champion U.S. women's water polo team won a spot in the Olympic semi-finals by overwhelming home-team Brazil on Monday, prevailing 13-3 and moving a step closer to defending their London Games title. In the semi-finals on Wednesday, the U.S. women will face Hungary, who edged out Australia by winning a penalty shoot-out following an 8-8 draw. After three dominant U.S. performances in the group round, where the team beat Spain, China and Hungary, they faced their easiest game yet against Brazil. Californian Makenzie Fischer, 19, helped to lead the charge with two goals, and was one of eight U.S. players to score in the first half without reply. "Everyone is ready to step up and take a shot," Fischer said of the team. The U.S. may face a tougher opponent in their next game. Hungary came back from a 5-3 first half deficit against Australia, to even the score in the last quarter and go on to win a tense shoot-out by 5-4. Hungarian centre-back Orsolya Takacs, 31, said her team have ample experience playing against the United States and will be studying videotape to devise a winning strategy for the match-up. "Everybody's beatable," Takacs told reporters. "We will do everything to win." The only other women's team to emerge from the Rio group phase undefeated is Italy, who won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games and faces China in the quarter-finals. Team USA won gold at London 2012 and has clinched a spot on the podium at every Games since women's water polo was added to the Olympics in 2000. The women's gold medal match is set for Friday. The men's water polo tournament resumes on Tuesday, when world champions Serbia face Spain in the quarter-finals, after a series of mostly disappointing performances in the group phase. Brazil's men's team, who won three out of five group stage matches and upset the Serbian team earlier, face a strong Croatian side. The U.S. men's team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals. Olympic water polo teams have faced some unexpected challenges in Rio. Controversy erupted over the outdoor water polo pool conditions last week after some players complained about over-chlorination that stung their eyes. But play has now moved to the indoor pool stadium that hosted Olympic swimming events, where there have been no complaints. (Reporting by Joshua Schneyer; Editing by Andrew Hay and Alison Williams)
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Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University announced on Monday that it will change the name of Confederate Memorial Hall, a dormitory whose name invoked racial segregation, The Tennessean reported.

The removal, which the school had tried to complete for more than a decade, came with a hefty $1.2 million price tag.

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos wrote a note to the Vanderbilt community explaining the need for the change:

"Ever since I joined the Vanderbilt community in 1987, the residence hall bearing the inscription Confederate Memorial Hall has been a symbol of exclusion, and a divisive contradiction of our hopes and dreams of being a truly great and inclusive university...

They have decided that it is now time to move our university forward again, to remove the pediment, and in every way to recognize the building as Memorial Hall."

Vanderbilt attempted to change the dormitory's name in 2002, but was sued by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who gifted Vanderbilt $50,000 in 1935 for the building.

A court decided that Vanderbilt could change the name only after repaying the gift in the current dollar amount, approximately $1.2 million.

In Zeppos' note, he indicated that generous anonymous donors made it possible for the university to pay back the gift in full.

The move to rename buildings with racist connotations has swept college campuses across the nation over the past several years.

At Yale, students and faculty have fought to remove the name of John C. Calhoun, a 19th-century alumnus who was a fervent supporter of slavery, from one of its 12 residential college.

Similarly, students at Princeton gave impassioned calls for the removal of all references to former US president Woodrow Wilson because of arguments that he was a racist and segregationist.

NOW WATCH: Here's why the Olympic diving pool turned green





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From Esquire

In the wee hours of Friday morning, "Martin Shkreli," impish Ponzi-schemer and generally repulsive human male, emailed 450 members of the media about a new track from the Wu-Tang Clan album he so infamously snatched up last year. Shkreli, or someone pretending to be Shkreli, did not BCC anyone on the email. (Side note: I was not on the list of 450 journalists. I'm not mad about it.) Turns out, Shkreli is not in jail like some had so naively assumed.

So, that alleged track from Once Upon a Time in Shaolin.

"Be the first to hear an exclusive track from Once Upon A Time In Shaolin. Spread the word," Shkreli, or someone pretending to be Shkreli, wrote. "When I reach 200k followers on twitter, I will drop another track." Then he included a YouTube link, which leads to nothing.

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Story" customtitles="Martin Shkreli's Shakespearean Downfall: A Timeline" customimages="" content="article.40577"]

Presumably-because real life Shkreli, as of approximately 11:30 a.m. Friday morning, remains 72K short of 200K-we will not be hearing either of these hot new tracks. Also, it should be noted, his Twitter profile picture is a face morph of him and Harambe, and his bio reads "Half-Gorilla aspirant." We can now add "Harambe jokes" to the list of things Shkreli has ruined.

Meanwhile:

Does anyone want to be CCed to this massive email? Just reply with your email. - Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) August 12, 2016

Not one person over the age of 30 in this libtard 500+ journalist replyallfest. This is not media, these are future welfare recipients. - Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) August 12, 2016

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By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani ABUJA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Parents of Nigerian schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram more than two years ago said on Monday they felt wounded after watching a video posted by the Islamist militants that showed dozens of the girls. In the video published by the militants on social media on Sunday, a masked man stands behind a group of the girls, and says some of them have been killed in air strikes. Many of the girls' parents in the northeastern town of Chibok said they tried to watch the video straight away, but were unable to see it due to the poor internet connection. Three of the parents on Monday drove two hours to the nearby town of Mubi, where they used a computer in a church to watch the video - hoping to see their daughters alive. "I couldn't identify my daughter among the girls," Yana Galang, the women's leader of the Association of Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok, said after watching the video. "It wounded my heart," Galang told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone, describing how she broke down in tears and found herself unable to watch the whole video. Boko Haram kidnapped 219 girls from their school in Chibok, in April 2014, as part of a seven-year-old insurgency to set up an Islamic state in the north that has killed some 15,000 people and displaced more than two million. Some girls escaped in the melee but parents of those still missing accused former President Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria's then leader, of not doing enough to find their daughters, whose disappearance sparked a global campaign #bringbackourgirls. In the video, one veiled girl could be seen holding a baby, while unidentified bodies could be seen on the ground. "Some of the girls, about 40 of them with God's permission have been married, some of them have died as a result of bombing by the infidels," said the masked man in the video. The two other parents, who traveled with Galang to Mubi, were able to identify their daughters in the video. "This thing has become a wound for us," said Zannah Lawan. "We are praying ... that we can one day see our daughters. If not, there is nothing you can say now," Lawan added. One of the Chibok girls, Amina Ali, was rescued from Boko Haram in May by soldiers and a civilian vigilante group. She told her mother earlier this month that the girls were starved and resorted to eating raw beans and maize, and that some had died in captivity, suffered broken legs or gone deaf after being too close to explosions. (Editing By Kieran Guilbert; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change. Visit news.trust.org)
(Photo: Yahoo Singapore)



Passengers were detrained at Tanjong Pagar MRT station Monday afternoon (Aug 15) after smoke appeared to be billowing out of a westbound train.

Train operator SMRT said on its Facebook page that there was a leak of freon gas from the trains air-conditioning system.



Staff switched on the tunnel ventilation system immediately to disperse the odourless gas. The train was also withdrawn from passenger service to allow the air-conditioning system to be checked, SMRT added.



Police said that when they arrived at the station after receiving a call at 3pm for assistance, smoke was seen coming from the platform gaps of a stationary train.



Detrainment of the affected train was carried out and no injuries were reported, they noted.



In a statement on its Facebook page, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said it deployed its resources to the train station as a precautionary measure.



Train services were not affected and the cause of the incident is being investigated, said SMRT.


Marianne Fairbanks is still working on solar textiles, a project she and her collaborator hope will lead to the mass production of everyday cloth that collects and stores solar power.

In the meantime, she is looking for worn-out blue jeans.

Fairbanks, assistant professor in the School of Human Ecologys design studies program at University of Wisconsin-Madison, is creator of the Weaving Lab thats taken up residency this summer in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery building, 330 N. Orchard St.

The Weaving Lab (weavinglab.com) is a drop-in, hands-on exploration of weaving, open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday through Aug. 25. A free, public closing reception will be held that evening, from 4 to 6 p.m.

I wanted to call it the Weaving Lab because I like the idea of the image that its a lab where were asking different questions around weaving, said Fairbanks, who has long been interested in the intersection between art and science. This idea of not only exposing people to the process, but also asking questions about the process that I just havent had time to ask, or to answer for that matter.

Fairbanks also continues to work with former UW-Madison chemist Trisha Andrew on concepts for creating solar power-collecting textiles. They are also now exploring triboelectric charging, where certain materials can be electrically charged through friction with a different material. (Think, Fairbanks notes, of the potential of a runners triboelectric charging shirt, where the runner rubs her arms against her torso as she moves.)

Fairbanks kicked off her collaboration with Andrew just after the textile artist got her job at UW-Madison in 2014. Previously, Fairbanks had run a company producing handbags that could store solar power. She was profiled by the Wisconsin State Journal in January.

One of the things thats a little disappointing is that Trisha has now taken a job at Amherst (College in Massachusetts), Fairbanks said. We intend to continue the research because its gotten pretty far, but she will no longer be at UW. Were at a place where it doesnt make sense to stop.

In the Weaving Lab in the Discovery building, Fairbanks has set up several looms  including one that is meant to explore how long it takes to make an entire bolt of cloth by hand. Another measures how productive a weaver can be in an hour. A third is meant to be a meditational loom, to allow visitors to simply enjoy the rhythm and repetition of weaving.

I like the idea of one loom where you dont have to worry about time. You just sit there and weave, said Fairbanks, who has received donations of worn-out blue jeans to be cut up for making rag rugs and meditation mats.

I think the most interesting part has been just how interested people are, she said.

Being in the WID has been awesome, because just the amount of traffic that pops in is really great, from young people to researchers to just people from across campus. In that sense, I think its really lived up to what I hoped it would be.
By David DeKok

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - A lawyer for Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane on Monday accused the two main prosecution witnesses in her week long obstruction and perjury trial of telling self-serving lies to protect themselves.

Closing arguments by defense lawyer Seth Farber were the last stage in the trial before Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy gave instructions to the jury and it began deliberating in a politically charged case that has riveted the state for a year.

The charges against Kane stem from allegations that she attempted to gain revenge against former prosecutor Frank Fina by leaking grand jury information to a reporter to embarrass him and then lied about it. She could serve up to seven years in prison if convicted on all counts.

Farber sought to raise questions about the credibility of Adrian King, a former deputy to the attorney general, and Josh Morrow, a political consultant who worked on her campaign.

Both King and Morrow took the stand as prosecution witnesses during the trial to testify about what went on behind closed doors in the attorney general's office.

"They point fingers at each other and tell lie after lie to protect themselves, Farber said during his closing arguments in a courtroom in Norristown, outside Philadelphia.

Farber took particular aim at Morrow's credibility, pointing out that he twice defended Kanes version of events in sworn grand jury testimony and then flipped to the prosecution after gaining immunity shortly before her trial began.

Defense lawyers have said Kane intended to make a legal leak of information to the press and did not know her aides would include grand jury material. They contend she made "honest mistakes" when testifying to the grand jury, but did not intentionally lie. Kane, who decided against running for re-election in November, chose not to testify in her own defense.

Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, in his closing arguments, referred only obliquely to the credibility attacks on his main witnesses, saying they were not on trial.

Story continues

Instead, he offered a painstaking review of the evidence presented during the trial, frequently shouting to drive home his points. Steele highlighted numerous texts and telephone conversations between the attorney general and Morrow that the prosecutor said pointed to Kanes guilt.

We submit to you that there are certain things that have the ring of truth, Steele said. where the clouds separate and the light comes through.

(Editing By Frank McGurty and Dan Grebler)
Washington (AFP) - The Pentagon was expected Monday to announce 15 inmates have been transferred from the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba, in what would be the largest such release in years, Amnesty International USA said.

The Pentagon declined to comment, but if confirmed, the transfers would bring the number of detainees left at Guantanamo down to 61.

"It's a significant repudiation of the idea that Guantanamo is going to be open for business for the indefinite future," Naureen Shah, Amnesty International USA's security and human rights program director, told AFP.

Amnesty emphasized that the group had not yet seen the Pentagon announcement.

But Shah said all of the men appeared to be destined for the United Arab Emirates.

One of those expected to have been transferred is an Afghan called Obaidullah, who allegedly had hidden land mines in 2001. He was detained for 14 years without trial.

The Guantanamo prison has held about 780 inmates in all since it was opened shortly after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.

President Barack Obama urgently wants to close the facility before he leaves office at the start of next year but has been continually thwarted by Republican lawmakers.

Still, the United States has in recent months accelerated the rate at which detainees who have been approved for transfer are released from the facility.

Monday's expected announcement would represent the largest transfer of prisoners under the Democratic Obama administration.

- Closure a long shot -

If Amnesty's numbers are confirmed, 19 inmates will remain who have been cleared for transfer.

Obama wants to send the rest, deemed to be the most dangerous, for incarceration in the United States -- but that is an extreme long shot given Republican opposition.

In February, the president presented Congress with a new closure plan for Guantanamo, which he says serves only to stoke anti-US resentment and fuel jihadist recruitment.

Story continues

Last week, Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte renewed calls to keep Guantanamo open and published an unclassified report on 107 current and former detainees that she said highlighted their terrorist pasts.

"The more Americans understand about the terrorist activities and affiliations of these detainees, the more they will oppose the administration's terribly misguided plans to release them," she said.

To date, just 10 of the detainees face criminal trial, including the "9/11 Five" -- led by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- who are accused of plotting the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Shah said it was important for Obama to push ahead with plans to shutter Guantanamo, or the next administration could start filling its cells with suspected jihadists captured in the campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

"We are at an extremely dangerous and pivotal point where if President Obama fails to close Guantanamo then the next administration could bring more detainees there," Shah said.

Guantanamo is a US naval base carved out of a remote chunk of land on the tip of southeastern Cuba.

The administration of George W. Bush opened a prison there to hold terror suspects.
USAs Phil Dalhausser (LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images)

Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

RIO DE JANEIRO  When Phil Dalhausser ran out onto the beach volleyball court at Copacabana on Monday, the air was calm, despite the stadiums location right near the rolling waves.

Then came a gust of wind, which, as can be the case in Rio, never really ceased for the next three sets.

It went from dead calm in the warmups to blowing hard within like a second. It was really weird. It took us a little time to get accustomed to it, he said.

Dalhausser and partner Nick Lucena knew they were at a disadvantage playing top-ranked Alison Cerutti and Bruno Oscar Schmidt of Brazil on their home court, in front of screaming, chanting fans clad in yellow futbol jerseys.

What they didnt anticipate was that advantage would extend meteorologically.

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I was impressed with how well they played in the wind. It was tough conditions and they played like there wasnt any wind, Dalhausser said. The wind was really tough on the bad side because it was tough to pass. On the other side, you have to be carful not to set it too tight, or else Alison would be right there.

Dalhausser and Lucena lost in the quarterfinals to Brazil, 2-1 (21-14, 12-21, 15-9), to end their journey in the Rio Olympics. They went undefeated in pool play, losing only one set, but by virtue of Brazil having lost a match to Austria, the two powerhouse teams had to meet one round before the final four.

You do your job, you win your pool, and you end up with a bad draw, Dalhausser said.

Their opponents lamented the fact they had to face each other in the quarterfinals as well. The quarterfinals was like a final for me, because we were playing a great, great team, said Cerutti, the 6-foot-8 man-beast nicknamed The Mammoth.

Cerutti was 23 when Dalhausser won beach volleyball gold in Beijing. Phil sets an example for me, said Cerutti, arguably the most dominant force in beach volleyball today.

Story continues

So what does the future hold for Dalhausser, 36, after the Rio Games?

He and Lucena will play Long Beach next week and then the Chicago AVP tour stop. Two weeks later, its the World Tour Final, battling the top 15 teams in the world.

[Related: Dalhausser, Lucena eliminated by Mammoth effort from Brazil]

Then its the offseason.

But what about four years from now, in Tokyo?

Ill be 40. Ill take it a season at a time, Dalhausser said.

But really, Ill tell you what: It all depends on if my sponsors keep resigning me. The last two years, Ive had injuries. Without my sponsors, I wouldnt have made any money. With a family, I need side income. I cant just rely on prize money.

He paused for a moment.

If I was single, no baggage, Id play until Im 45, he said, smiling. Or try to anyway.

Time will tell for Dalhausser as a volleyball pro. After all, theres no predicting in which direction the wind is going to take you.

More Summer Olympics coverage on Yahoo Sports:



Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

Listen to Yahoo Sports Greg Wyshynski podcast from Rio on GRANDSTANDING, featuring Olympians and NBC cultural correspondents Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski!

Live from Rio: Tara & Johnny Q & A, green fart water, and more:


MANILA (Reuters) - Leftist activists and victims of human rights abuses in the Philippines urged the Supreme Court on Monday to block the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at a cemetery for national heroes, saying it would be unconstitutional. President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the army to bury Marcos, who ruled with an iron fist for two decades, at the cemetery, saying he was fulfilling a campaign promise to have him interred there as a former president and soldier. Critics of the plan include Vice President Leni Robredo and senators allied with former President Benigno Aquino. On Monday, victims of rights abuses during the rule of Marcos and leftist activists went to the Supreme Court seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the plan. "The interment of the remains of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani with the honors that supposedly befit only Filipino heroes with overall unblemished integrity and dignity is contrary to the constitution," they said in the petition, referring to the cemetery. Marcos was a soldier and guerrilla leader during World War Two when the former U.S. colony was occupied by Japanese forces. As a dictator in the 1970s and '80s, Marcos, his family and cronies amassed an estimated $10 billion in ill-gotten wealth and thousands of suspected communist rebels and political foes were killed. His wife, Imelda, denies amassing wealth illegally. In 1986, he was ousted in a "people power" revolt and fled to Hawaii where he died three years later. His remains were returned in the early 1990s and have been kept in a family mausoleum in his hometown in the north. The critics said Duterte's plan to transfer Marcos' remains would also violate military regulations that bar from the cemetery "those who have been dishonorable discharged from service or personnel convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude". Chanting "Marcos, not a hero," hundreds of people held a protest on Sunday at a park to oppose the government plan. Presidential Press Secretary Martin Andanar, said the president was not bothered by the protests and the plan was going ahead. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Last summer, Kenneth Clavasquin was arrested in front of the Bronx apartment he shared with his mother. While the 23-year-old was being processed, the New York Police Department took his possessions, including his iPhone, and gave him a receipt detailing the items in police custody. That receipt would be his ticket to getting back his stuff after his case ended.

But the recovery process would soon turn into a nightmare. Clavasquins case was dismissed on December 8, 2015, and one day later, he took a court document proving the dismissal to the NYPD property clerks office. He was told that the department had classified his possessions as arrest evidence, to give the district attorney the option of considering them in the case. But the district attorney didnt, and now that the case was over, the classification meant Clavasquin was about to enter a bureaucratic obstacle course.

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Clavasquin needed to get a release from the district attorneys office stating that his property would no longer be needed for evidence. Over the following three months, he repeatedly called the assistant district attorney assigned to his case, but he neither got a release nor a written explanation of why he was being denied one.

Then, with the help of an attorney at the Bronx Defenders, a public-defender office that had been representing him since the day after his arrest, Clavasquin sent a formal written request for the district attorneys release. He got no response.

Clavasquin still hasnt gotten his phone backbut he had to continue paying for its service contract as it remained locked up in an NYPD facility.

His ordeal is a common one. Earlier this year, the Bronx Defenders filed a class-action lawsuit against New York City that named three plaintiffs: Clavasquin and two other men who were also given the runaround when they tried to pick up their property, including their cellphones, after an arrest. The lawsuit alleges that the city has shown a policy, pattern, and practice of unconstitutionally depriving people of their property after an arrest, without due process.

Story continues

There are two avenues available to the government for seizing items that were used to commit a crime, or cash that was made unlawfully. If a person is convicted of a crime, the government can use a legal tool called criminal forfeiture that allows it to confiscate property that was involved. Civil forfeiture, on the other hand, does not require a criminal chargeonly a suspicion that a piece of property was involved in a crime, or that it was obtained illegally.

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But neither of those legal processes were used against Clavasquin, his coplaintiffs, and the estimated hundreds if not thousands of others just in New York City that they represent in the lawsuit. Instead, they got caught in legal limbo: When their property was classified as evidence after their arrest, slow-moving bureaucracy and red tape turned what should be a routine transactiongetting back personal property after the state no longer has any use for itinto a near-impossibility.

If our clients were doing what the police are doing, itd be called robbery.

In New York, the multi-step process required to get the NYPD to release possessions can be opaque and circuitous. When the Bronx Defenders circulated a questionnaire in 2014 among its clients who had possessions taken from them at the time of arrest, nearly half said they were never even given the itemized voucher that Clavasquin received.

Even with that voucher in hand, petitioning the district attorneys office for the necessary forms to release items categorized as evidence can be fruitless: More often than not, requests to the district attorneys officewhether phoned in, written, or emailedgo unanswered, said Adam Shoop, a Bronx Defenders attorney who helped bring the class-action lawsuit against the city. The only reliable way to force a response is to file an administrative appeal, a legal tool that the average non-lawyer almost certainly wouldnt be able to use on his or her own, Shoop said.

Recommended: Does the First Amendment Protect Deliberate Lies?

If someone is able to jump through all the hoops and obtain a district attorneys release, theres one final hurdle: The NYPD property clerk, which actually holds on to the items, requires two forms of ID before releasing any property. Drumming up two forms of ID can be difficult on its own, but its made harder still if the persons wallet, which may contain a drivers license, is in police custody. (The property clerk wont count a seized license as a valid form of ID.) When thats the case, the person has to notarize an authorization for someone else to pick up the items on their behalf.

Of the items that might be seized during an arrest, cars, cellphones, and wallets with cash are among the most valuable. Cellphones are especially likely to be categorized as arrest evidence, throwing up additional hurdles to recovery. (Shoop says that people arrested on drug-related charges are most likely to get their phones categorized as evidence.)

If a phone is taken and is hard to get back, not only does its owner have to keep paying for serviceor pay an early termination fee, if its under contractbut he or she loses a basic tool of modern life. Younger, lower-income, non-white, and uneducated people are particularly likely to depend on their smartphones as their only way of accessing the internet, and some lower-income families may only have one smartphone.

All manner of other things get taken, too. James King, a staff attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, says his clients often want to get their winter coats back after an arrest. Since theyre hiring us, they cant afford attorneys, King said. These are people who are poor. But the hunt to get their coat back sometimes takes so long that, even if its ultimately successful, winter has ended by the time the coat is returned.

In New York, a clock starts ticking the moment a criminal case is over, whether or not it resulted in a prison sentence: A property owner has 120 days to demand the return of their things before the NYPD has the right to dispose of the property, which can mean auctioning off a vehicle or sending seized cash to the citys general fund. If they cant demand the property back in personperhaps because theyre behind barsthey must formally authorize an attorney, friend, or family member to do so.

(If the items are categorized as evidence, the property owner has another 270 days after making the original demand to secure the elusive district attorneys release. If the items are slated for forfeiture, the owner also needs an additional release from the NYPD civil legal bureau.)

In Washington, D.C., on the other hand, formal deadlines are hard to come by. I spoke to three criminal-defense attorneys who work in the district, and none knew of any official timeline for getting back seized items. They described a chaotic, ridiculous system where none of the separate parties involved in property seizures communicate effectively, leaving property owners without a way to recover their things even when prosecutors make it clear they no longer need the items.

This is extraordinary, said William Claiborne, an attorney in D.C. who has brought a class-action lawsuit against the District of Columbia government regarding civil forfeiture. Its based on the old days, when ships used to travel around and maybe the ship was carrying contrabandso youd snatch the ship because you didnt know where the owner was.

Claiborne and Joseph Scrofano, who also practices criminal-defense law in the district, said phones are nearly always categorized as evidence in D.C. Scrofano said fewer than half of his clients are able to recover their property after the police seize it. Some give up before they get their things back, deciding its not worth the trouble.

The fundamental principle here is that prisoners do retain rights in their propertyeven prisoners who have been convicted of a crime, said David Fathi, director of the national prison program at the American Civil Liberties Union. If a piece of property is legitimately evidence in a criminal proceedingand certainly you can imagine a situation where a cellphone would beit can be held for that purpose, but that should not be indefinite.

In both Washington and New York, defense attorneys lamented a lack of coordination between police departmentswhich make the initial call of how to categorized seized itemsand prosecutors. Unless prosecutors are bringing a major felony case, they almost never pursue a search warrant to gather evidence from a smartphone, the lawyers said, but police keep categorizing them as evidence, turning attempts at recovery into punishing experiences.

And forget getting back a phone marked as evidence while court proceedings are underway: Unless the court intervenes, which it does infrequently, theres no way to even start the process of getting back possessions until the case is wrapped up.

Civil forfeiture makes people prove their own innocence.

Even if a person is arrested but isnt charged with a crime, his or her possessions can be seized. (In certain cases, police can even seize property without arresting its owner.) But the lack of criminal charges dont make recovery any easier. In fact, in Washington and New York, it lands individuals in another gray area that can be even more difficult to navigate than the maze of red tape that follows the end of criminal proceedings.

Shoop and Claiborne said they advise clients who havent been charged to go back to their arresting officer or call the officers station, to try and get the hold on the property lifted because of the lack of charges. You can imagine its not a comfortable experience for our clients to have to go the precinct and speak to the person who arrested them to do them a favor, wrote Shoop in an email.

In one case, Shoop said, a Bronx client who wasnt charged with a crime asked his arresting officer for his property backbut instead of releasing it, the officer changed the propertys designation to investigatory evidence, a classification Shoop called essentially the black hole of property confiscation. It means that the district attorney wants to hold on to the property in case it chooses to go forward with a case in the future, even though it has no plans to bring a case now. An internal NYPD document shows that investigatory evidence can be held for a year, but that officers can ask for that timeframe to be extended.

According to Dick Carpenter, the director of research at the Institute for Justice, the difficulty of getting back seized assets in New York and D.C. is representative of similar problems nationwide. The prevalence of civil forfeiture and the bureaucracy that surrounds it are generally worse in large cities, he said, but state and federal laws remain unfriendly to property holders. He co-authored a report last year that graded every state on the fairness of their civil forfeiture laws. New York got a C, and the District of Columbia got a B+. By contrast, 24 states got a D- and twoMassachusetts and North Dakotagot an F.

In this country youre supposed to be innocent until youre proven guilty, said Robert Johnson, an attorney at the Institute of Justice. Civil forfeiture takes that and turns it on its head. It makes people prove their own innocence before they get their property back.

In the last year, both Washington and the Bronx have started to introduce reforms to their civil forfeiture processes. In response to the class-action lawsuit from the Bronx Defenders, the Bronx District Attorneys office has proposed significant updates to the way the property release process works, introducing an electronic tracking system for property release requests for the first time. The system will notify assistant district attorneys about requests for releases, and allow them to accept or defer the request with one click. The office has also hired an assistant district attorney who will help people who are asking for their property back along their process, and provide responses if the claimants dont initially get one within a reasonable amount of time.

Julian OConnor, deputy counsel at the Bronx District Attorneys office, says the electronic tracking system is 90 percent complete. He and others from the office will soon meet with the Bronx Defenders and other public-defense organizations to introduce them to the system and ask for feedback, before starting to roll it out across the county for a three-month evaluation phase. (There are currently no plans to share the findings of the evaluation with New Yorks other four boroughs, or to export the Bronx model elsewhere if it succeeds.)

In Washington, the city council passed a change last year that makes it harder for D.C. police to profit from assets and money seized in forfeiture cases, hoping to remove unsavory incentives to pursue forfeiture. The change also raises the bar of evidence that the government must meet in order to take possession of a vehicle involved in a crime. A spokesperson for the districts Metropolitan Police Department was not immediately able to comment on the citys forfeiture policies.

These changesespecially the ones underway in the Bronxmay help prevent people who havent even been convicted of a crime from being deprived of essential property. But in most of the country, the system still works against them.

Claiborne says hes seen a significant bias in the way the system works in Washington. These are just wealth-stripping devices, and theyre directed basically at black people, he said. Ive talked to a lot of people whose cars were taken, but Ive only talked to one white person whose car was taken, and they got it back. There may be more white people out there, but I havent found them. This preys on the most economically vulnerable people.

King, who also works in the District of Columbia, was more blunt. To me it feels like legal robbery, like a shake down, he said. If our clients were doing what the police are doing, itd be called robbery, and theyd be charged or indicted within a day or two.

Read more from The Atlantic:

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jfk shots fired

Police responded to reports of gunfire at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City Sunday night, multiple news outlets confirmed.

However, conflicting reports over whether any shots were actually fired arose immediately. According to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, a preliminary investigation found no shooter and no reported injuries.

All clear has not been given at JFK. Police say there's no confirmation of shots being fired. They're checking terminal 8 to be sure.  Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) August 15, 2016

The reports started coming in around 9:30 p.m. local time, the New York Police Department told CBS2.

The shots were reportedly fired at the airport's Terminal 8. According to ABC7, the terminal was evacuated as Port Authority police searched for a suspect.

Photos posted on social media show police vehicles at the airport.

Extent of what I can see from other side of Terminal 8 at #JFK pic.twitter.com/FGTHTTUBiB  Ryan M Craver (@ryanmcraver) August 15, 2016

Everyone is being kicked out of the terminal. Police on alert! #JFK pic.twitter.com/0r5WSdkFeC  Robbie Rob (@locodoggy) August 15, 2016

NOW WATCH: 'I don't even really know where to start on answering this question': Watch President Obama respond to Trump's claim that the election will be rigged





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New York (AFP) - New York police charged a suspect with the double murder of a New York imam and his friend, in a brutal slaying that sent shock waves through US Muslim communities.

Oscar Morel, a 35-year-old Brooklyn man,was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, NYPD detective Hubert Reyes told AFP.

Fearful Muslim New Yorkers have demanded stepped-up security and justice as hundreds of mourners attended the two men's funeral service in the borough of Queens.

Maulama Akonjee, 55, who migrated to the United States from Bangladesh, and his friend, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood.

Morel was taken into custody on Sunday, the NYPD told AFP.

Following his detention, he was charged with a hit-and-run that took place three miles (about five kilometers) away from the double murder and the assault of a police officer, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told a news conference.

The murder charges were added later Monday after police recovered a gun and clothing from his house that were similar to those believed used by the shooter, US media reported.

Morel was known to have been in the area of the double murder eight minutes before the homicide and took off directly afterward, Boyce said.

Police said Morel was from East New York, a troubled area of Brooklyn, and was believed to have a job in a warehouse.

Authorities had earlier said hate crime was being investigated as a possible motive -- as demanded by Muslim elders -- but did not provide any information on the suspect's motives Monday evening.

The New York Daily News quoted police sources as saying the killer may have been settling a score in a feud between Muslims and Hispanics, suggestions that have been dismissed by members of the Muslim community.

"We want justice, we want justice, we want justice," chanted Muslim elders at a chaotic news conference before Monday's funeral.

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- Xenophobic statements -

The Council on American-Islamic Relations had offered a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to an arrest or conviction.

Community leaders, clearly rattled by rising Islamophobia, slammed "xenophobic statements" made against Muslims in speeches by "politicians and candidates seeking the highest office in the land" -- a clear reference to Donald Trump.

Trump, the New York billionaire and Republican nominee, used a keynote address Monday to demand ideological screening tests for immigrants, saying immigrants and their children had been responsible for a string of extremist attacks in America.

One speaker at the pre-funeral conference demanded security cameras be erected outside mosques and for the street where the two men were shot to be renamed in their honor.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who paid his respects with other elected officials, promised extra police would protect mosques and Muslim communities, saying the entire city stood shoulder-to-shoulder with those in mourning.

"We know there are voices all over this country who are spewing hate, trying to create division, trying to turn one American against another," de Blasio said.

"We're not going to let them continue to encourage acts of hatred."

The working class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

Akonjee had been carrying more than $1,000, but the attacker did not take the money, police said.
The Animated Film Tells the Story of An Adorable Cast of 'Poopy Pals' Who Help their Friend Bailey Find Her Mother in Scotland

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Patricia Henderson, the President and CEO of the Poopy Products company, is pleased to announce the upcoming release of her first animated film The Poopy Pals First Adventure.

To see a sneak peek of The Poopy Pals First Adventure and learn more about the delightful animated cast of animals who start in the new movie, please visit https://goo.gl/4ky7iv.

As a spokesperson for The Poopy Pals First Adventure noted, the new animated film is already creating a serious buzz in the animation and children's story spaces. In the story, Bailey tries to find her mother. In order to help their friend, the colorful and animated cast of Poopy Pals stow away and travel to Scotland to help her find her family and more.

"The animation features several animal characters that children will love. Each character has his or her own unique traits and funny personality," the spokesperson said, adding that the animation will feature a range of pet toys, stuffed animals, and other fanfare.

Henderson, who earned a degree in Geophysics, has had an interesting background prior to devoting her life to the Poopy Products line. She worked for over 30 years in the oil industry, including 15 years overseas in Norway, Denmark, the UK and Indonesia.

"I gave birth to my six Poopy Pals 14 years ago on our packaging of our first item, and now after selling more than 25 different items that feature our Poopy Pals for these past years, I am ready now to breathe more life into my six Poopy Pals by launching a full length animation," Henderson said.

In order to pay for the production costs that are associated with creating The Poopy Pals First Adventure, Henderson recently launched a fundraiser on Kickstarter. She hopes to use crowdfunding to raise $250,000 to help cover the costs of the movie, as well as add new Poopy Pals product lines like pet toys, stuffed animals, pet treats, costumes and more.

Story continues

About The Poopy Pals First Adventure:

The Poopy Pals First Adventure is a new animated film created by Patricia Henderson. The story tells the heartwarming tale of a group of best friend pets who stow away to Scotland to help Bailey find her family. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/4ky7iv.

Contact:

Bobby Pierce

admin@rocketfactor.com

(949) 555-2861

SOURCE: Poopy Pals First Adventure




PPG Industries PPG will showcase its Duranar and Coraflon coatings range at Construct 2016, to be held in Texas during Sep 89. The company will also address an industry meeting and highlight a range of printed and digital color selectors and specification tools at the event.

PPG Industries versatile Duranar liquid coating product can be applied on coils and extrusions in a number of formulations. While the Duranar GR coatings are graffiti-resistant, the Duranar Ultra-Cool coatings exhibit the companys proprietary infrared-reflective coating technology and Duranar Vari-Cool coatings that add the ability for the Ultra-Cool technology to shift color. Additionally, the company will showcase solvent-free, ultra-low-volatile organic compound coatings in both the range. The compounds offer durability as well as hardness in an extensive variety of colors, effects and gloss ranges for extruded metal building components.

In addition to displaying the two ranges, PPG Industries will exhibit its expanding line of printed and electronic design and specification tools. The company will also highlight its digital Architectural Metal Coatings Binder app which includes updated catalogs, brochures of products along with all liquid and powder coatings data sheets. The company will also present its PPG Metal Coatings Online Color Selector Tool at the event. The tool facilitates easy digital visualization of 170 colors in the companys Architectural Liquid and Powder Coatings Color Guide and the Building Products Coil Coatings Color Guide.

Prior to Construct 2016, PPG Industries will provide a short presentation at the annual meeting of the Specifications Consultants in Independent Practice (SCIP) on Sep 6, in relation to the event. SCIP is a technical organization which allows designing firms and agencies to obtain specifications from qualified writers.

PPG Industries, which is among the prominent players in the diversified chemical industry along with The Dow Chemical Company DOW, DuPont DD and Air Products and Chemicals Inc APD,saw higher profits in the second quarter of 2016, aided by its cost-cutting actions.

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The companys adjusted earnings of $1.85 per share for the quarter improved 10.8% year over year. Sales in the quarter were fairly consistent with the prior-year quarter, at $4,064 million. While earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, sales lagged the same. The bottom line was primarily boosted by the successful commercialization of innovative products, strong business and cost management as well as earnings-accretive cash deployment.

PPG Industries is committed toward delivering higher organic growth, including continued commercialization of its innovative, industry-leading coatings technologies. The reported quarter saw increased growth in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The company anticipates overall volume growth in the third quarter as it will start receiving benefits of growth initiatives undertaken in the past.

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As foreign and security policy appointees in previous Republican administrations, we will reluctantly (for some) but unavoidably be voting for the Democratic partys presidential candidate this November. In doing so, we will join former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and other mentors who have already made the same decision.

Most criticism of current Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump focuses on his erratic behavior, bizarre conspiracy theories, vulgar and inappropriate words, and appeal to baser instincts and atavistic nationalism. He dismisses whole groups of people, including adherents to a world religion.

Meanwhile, policy-focused dissent covers the field, from the Mexican border wall fantasies to his ill-informed (if not willfully ignorant) views about allies, Russia, torture, the origins of the Islamic State, and nuclear weapons.

We share these and other misgivings, but our common and primary reason for deciding to vote for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton arises from fears that Trumps combative, ignorant views can (and will, if hes elected) inflict great damage on our countrys global position and on its economy.

America faces relentless economic and geostrategic competition from China and Russia, and new variants of global jihadi terrorism. Its absolutely the wrong time to elect an unstable, ill-prepared amateur with no vision or foresight to meet the manifold challenges of the 21st century.

In Europe, we need a president who will strengthen trans-Atlantic relations and stand up to Russia. While Russian President Vladimir Putin only respects strength, we also need shrewd policies to thwart the insidious infiltration of propaganda and corruption.

In the Middle East, also, we need equally smart statecraft  to prevent sectarian conflict from engendering wider hostilities while doubling down to defeat the Islamic State and the wider jihadist threat in whatever forms it assumes.

Looking forward, however, we especially fear a Trump presidencys impact on Americas future in Asia, where Chinas influence in the region, now the global economys center of gravity, grows apace with the countrys power. Beijings worldview offers less liberty and more state and military control  attitudes which, coupled to an assertive chauvinism, directly challenges an open, rules-based order.

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Looking at all his announced intentions, Trump cannot provide leadership to adapt global and regional economic institutions to the new Asian realities. Doing this means weaving the United States more tightly into Asias economic tapestry and security arrangements, not the opposite.

These trends explain why, back in 2007, President George W. Bushs administration began reemphasizing Asia, setting out an American-led path for the regions future.

The Obama administration persisted with, and expanded, this important policy pivot. Indeed, Clinton played a vital part in this U.S. rebalancing policy in Asia after 2009, a move which elicited sustained, genuine bipartisanship  an approach which prevailed during her tenure as secretary of state, despite occasional disagreement over tactical choices.

By contrast, the current Republican presidential candidate offers only bluster or preposterous panaceas for Asia  ideas which, if they ever find their way into policy, will wreck our countrys credibility, economy, and leadership in very short order.

Should Trump become president and put his nostrums into practice, Asias response will be prompt and epochal. In their varying ways, Asias big or small countries will be forced to tilt towards Americas challengers, especially China. Some of them may move quickly to seek security under a new proliferation of nuclear weapons.

In short, if the Trump brand  of which this candidate is so proud  becomes Americas brand, we can expect ruinous marginalization in Asia and unwanted compliance with rules which the Chinese and other challengers set.

Trump speaks of a greater America, a more competitive America, and a stronger America, but his election risks the exact opposite, especially in Asia. His scorn for free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) fires up the campaign crowds but risks a catastrophic loss of prestige and leadership. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on a recent visit to the United States, put it succinctly: For Americas friends and partners, ratifying the TPP is a litmus test of credibility and seriousness of purpose.

While its tempting to join the anti-free traders, we would hope that Clinton reconsiders her current position on the TPP. Failure to approve it would cede to China the role of defining regional trade rules, and would be a body blow to U.S. standing and the U.S. economy.

We accept legitimate anxieties about the TPP but believe that these would be best met by working with Congress and bilaterally with other treaty partners. Trade forms a small but vital part of preparing a 21st century workforce in a world transformed by technological change, from robotics and artificial intelligence to 3D printing and self-driving cars. We cannot command the incoming tide to recede. Were stuck with the world in which we dwell.

Our relations with nations across the Indo-Pacific region will go a long way toward determining the future prosperity and security of the United States. Like it or not, an internationalist foreign policy is a necessity, not an option. Its not a divide between globalism and nationalism, as Trump would have us believe, but a strategic question: How does America navigate the current centurys competitive environment?

Trump would take us on a race to the bottom in a fragmenting world order; Clinton is best positioned seek both renewed prosperity and better security. For these reasons, we will work towards her election in November as our next president.

The Honorable Dr. Patrick M. Cronin

Former Assistant Administrator, Policy and Program Coordination, U.S. Agency for International Development

James Clad

Former deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs

Robert Manning

Former senior counselor, Department of State and member, policy planning staff

Charles W. Dunne

Former U.S. Foreign Service officer and former foreign policy adviser to the director for strategic plans and policy at the Joint Staff

Dr. Michael J. Green

Former special assistant to the president and senior director for Asia, National Security Council

The Honorable Frank L. Lavin

Former under secretary of commerce for international trade and former U.S. ambassador to Singapore

Anja Manuel

Former special assistant to under-secretary for political affairs, U.S. Department of State

Peter Watson

Former chairman, U.S. International Trade Commission; former chairman, president, and CEO, U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and former director of Asian affairs, National Security Council

Photo credit: FENG LI/Getty Images
Aug 15 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Wall Street Journal. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

- Two websites whose operators are believed to have ties to the Russian government now serve as portals for leaking sensitive information about the Democratic Party and its supporters. http://on.wsj.com/2bw1cut

- Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency in Milwaukee on Sunday and activated the state's National Guard, a day after violence erupted in the city spurred by the fatal police shooting of an armed man following a traffic stop. http://on.wsj.com/2bw2ZQ7

- Google parent Alphabet Inc is rethinking its high-speed internet business after initial rollouts proved more expensive and time consuming than anticipated, a stark contrast to the fanfare that greeted its launch six years ago. http://on.wsj.com/2bhBuW8

- Private-equity firm TPG has agreed to buy cable-television providers RCN and Grande Communications for about $2.25 billion including debt. http://on.wsj.com/2bwkU9x (Compiled by Shivam Srivastava in Bengaluru)
A Minnesota judge has given the administrator of??Prince's??estate the green light to sell six of the late artist's properties.

Carver County Judge Kevin??Eide??gave the trust approval to list the properties, which include homes, vacant lots and buildings in Prince's hometown of??Chanhassen, a suburb of Minneapolis

The list includes a commercial building estimated at $22 million and a 156-acre piece of land in Lakes Ann and Lucy valued at $13.7 million.

Prince Estate Denies Plan to Sell Paisley Park

As expected, Prince's home and recording studio Paisley Park is not among the??15 properties to be liquidated. Bremer Trust, which is managing the late performer's affairs, recently confirmed it "has no plans to sell either Paisley Park or the property referred to as the??Purple Rain??house."

Judge??Eide??said the estate administrators may list the six properties on Aug.??26, once Prince's half-brother Alfred Jackson had the opportunity to tour them, according to??Minnesota Public Radio News.

Avoiding The Prince Syndrome: A Primer On Estate Planning

The estate must then submit another affidavit before listing the sale of the remaining eight properties.

Prince was found dead in his Minnesota home on the morning of April 21. He??was 57. The iconic musician died of an??opioid??overdose, toxicology tests later revealed, and he apparently didn't leave a will.??
An Iowa man who waded out onto a sandbar in the Wisconsin River on Saturday drowned in the river after disappearing from sight, authorities said.

The incident took place at about 3 p.m. at Peck's Landing off of Highway 23 in the town of Spring Green, the Sauk County Sheriff's Office said.

The man was identified as Anthony Rodriguez, 53, of North Liberty, Iowa.

Rescue units were called for immediately when it was discovered Rodriguez was missing.

"Fire department crews recovered the man's body about 90 minutes after the initial call," said Sheriff Chip Meister. "Resuscitation was attempted but the efforts were unsuccessful."

The Spring Green and Lone Rock Fire Departments, the DNR and the Sauk County Dive Team assisted at the scene.

This was the first of two drownings in the Wisconsin River on Saturday. A man drowned near Woodman in Grant County about 50 minutes later.
Its a family affair. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wont be leaving anyone else in charge of their little ones while they set off to tour Canada. Prince George and Princess Charlotte may be coming along for the ride.

The couple will visit the country next month, and according to a royal source, they may bring their 3-year-old and 1-year-old with them.

A source in Canada told Vanity Fair: We are told the children are coming, and the itinerary is being coordinated accordingly  There will be a heavy focus on nature, the outdoors and there will be at least one private day factored into the trip.

The source added: Were hearing hiking, walking and outdoor pursuits will feature while the family is in British Columbia. Theres talk of going into the center where there are freshwater lakes and great kayaking.

Kates mum, Carole Middleton, looked after Charlotte and George in April when the royal couple traveled across India. But the duke and duchess ended up getting caught in an earthquake, and Kate admitted at the time that she missed the children massively.

Kensington Palace has yet to comment.

Photo: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Kate is backing a series of mental health podcasts released by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, and has said that she wouldnt hesitate to seek professional mental health support for her children, should they need it.

She said in a statement: 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. 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.

She went on to say: 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.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.
Princess Eugenie will move into Kensington Palace next year but her boyfriend Jack Brooksbank is not expected to move in with her at this stage. (Photo: Getty Images)

Princess Eugenie is set to move into Kensington Palace next year, a York family friend has told HELLO!. The 26-year-old will settle into the three-bedroom Ivy Cottage in the palace grounds, making her neighbors with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge who own Apartment 1A, and Prince Harry who lives in Nottingham Cottage.

The source said that the move has not been finalized and discussions are still ongoing, but it is likely that she will take over the property in the next few months." A three-bedroom house in the Hyde Park costs approximately 3,500 ($4,500) a week  the equivalent of 182,000 ($234,279) a year, although how much Eugenie will pay has yet to be revealed.



Eugenies boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, 29, is not expected to move in with her at this stage.

View Gallery: Princess Eugenie to become neighbours with William and Kate



The source added: "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.

It comes after a report claimed that Eugenie and Jack were planning to get engaged by the end of the year, and marry in 2017.

However a spokesperson for Eugenies mum, Sarah Ferguson, categorically denied it saying: The story is not true. The family are currently holidaying in Balmoral, the Queens estate in Scotland, and are said to be utterly bemused by the engagement suggestion.

Eugenie and Jack, who is the manager of celebrity hotspot club Mahiki in Mayfair, have been together for six years after being introduced by friends during a ski break in Switzerland.

Jack is very close to Eugenies parents and is often pictured in their company. Last year, they attended the Ascot races together.

Eugenie, who is an associate director at art gallery Hauser & Wirth, currently lives with her older sister Princess Beatrice in a four-bedroom apartment in St Jamess Palace. Beatrice first moved into the apartment when she was a student at Goldsmiths College in London.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment on the move.
milwaukee shooting protests

A well-known journalist who frequently covers civil unrest across the country has decided to leave Milwaukee because of "racial tensions" that he observed while covering protests on Sunday night.

"For those who are perceivably white, it is just not safe to be here," Tim Pool said in a YouTube video on Monday.

Protests in Milwaukee first erupted over the weekend, after a police officer fatally shot an armed black man on Saturday.

Pool is among several journalists covering the uprising to express concern for his safety over the weekend after the protests turned violent.

He said during Sunday's protests that he heard members of the crowd yell comments such as "F--- white people" and "What are these white people doing here?" and observed one reporter being grabbed and another being hit in the head by a protester who then attempted to incite others to attack the reporters.

Pool, who previously worked for Fusion, gained prominence in recent years for covering protests such as Occupy Wall Street in 2011 and Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 using aerial drones and live streaming.

He said in the video that his decision to pull out was finalized when he witnessed the aftermath of a white 18-year-old being shot in the neck during the protests.

Milwaukee police have confirmed that an 18-year-old man sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the neck, but have not specified his race.

"When you hear a group directing their anger and hate towards white people, and then see several white people being attacked, and then finally an 18-year-old white kid is shot in the neck, that's when I'm like, 'OK. I shouldn't be here,'" Pool said.

He is not the only reporter to witness tension between reporters and Milwaukee residents in recent days.

BuzzFeed reporter Jim Dalrymple II reported early on Monday morning that he was chased by a group of men in a Chevrolet Suburban as he drove back to his hotel. He tweeted that he didn't know who the men were, and that an armed security guard eventually escorted him from his car into the hotel.

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"For those asking, I'm fine. But not going to lie, I'm a bit shaken up from when they started rushing the car. Not sure where that was going," Dalrymple tweeted.

BuzzFeed told Business Insider that it is "continuing to cover this story," but did not confirm whether Dalrymple will remain in Milwaukee to do so.

Another reporter from WITI, the local Fox affiliate, tweeted that he cut the station's broadcast after receiving threats:

I apologize for cutting our broadcast. It got too dangerous. Shots fired about 15 feet from us and we were threatened multiple times.  A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) August 15, 2016

Other media outlets have reported that police officers have been targeted with rocks, bricks, and other objects, and several buildings have been burned during the riots.

Watch Pool's full video below:





More From Business Insider


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the "Company") (TSX: PCY, OTC: PRPCF, Frankfurt: 1P2N) is pleased to announce, further to its press release dated June 16, 2016, the assay results for the first group of 40 samples collected from the Paca exploration program at its Pulacayo project. During the sampling program, 233 samples were collected. However, due to a backlog at the testing laboratory, Prophecy prioritized the 40 most prospective samples for assay. Thus, the assayed samples are not representative of the sample population. These results are taken from the first group of samples Prophecy delivered. Samples were obtained by continuous chip channel sampling across the width of the vein mineralization at locations one meter apart.

Sample Sampling Method Ag g/t Zn % Pb % Ag Eq. g/t P225 Chip Channel Sampling >1500 0.82 2.84 >1617 P224 Chip Channel Sampling 838 1.85 2.18 965.3 P233 Chip Channel Sampling 866 0.32 0.88 902.0 P206 Chip Channel Sampling 721 0.10 2.78 802.6 P229 Chip Channel Sampling 674 0.66 1.19 731.1 P232 Chip Channel Sampling 639 0.39 1.42 692.9 P192 Chip Channel Sampling 599 0.07 0.50 615.5 P228 Chip Channel Sampling 565 0.55 1.04 613.7 P231 Chip Channel Sampling 502 0.53 1.58 565.1 P230 Chip Channel Sampling 493 0.60 1.49 556.4 P210 Chip Channel Sampling 518 0.28 0.69 547.4 P227 Chip Channel Sampling 469 0.97 0.66 522.1 P186 Chip Channel Sampling 271 0.83 6.72 489.5 P226 Chip Channel Sampling 356 2.27 1.37 475.5 P201 Chip Channel Sampling 373 0.10 3.35 470.7 P184 Chip Channel Sampling 351 0.76 2.53 449.3 P213 Chip Channel Sampling 273 2.49 1.74 410.6 P223 Chip Channel Sampling 289 1.67 1.71 396.5 P180 Chip Channel Sampling 250 0.84 4.15 396.6 P211 Chip Channel Sampling 295 0.31 1.43 346.3 P183 Chip Channel Sampling 250 0.73 2.39 343.1 P222 Chip Channel Sampling 174 1.78 3.24 328.4 P187 Chip Channel Sampling 231 0.24 2.20 301.4 P199 Chip Channel Sampling 242 0.12 1.84 297.9 P185 Chip Channel Sampling 149 0.80 3.53 276.7 P207 Chip Channel Sampling 194 0.40 1.78 258.3 P196 Chip Channel Sampling 128 0.16 2.97 217.1 P190 Chip Channel Sampling 187 0.10 0.64 208.5 P189 Chip Channel Sampling 121 0.29 2.38 198.2 P191 Chip Channel Sampling 141 0.08 0.73 164.5 P208 Chip Channel Sampling 97 0.54 1.33 153.0 P188 Chip Channel Sampling 57 0.20 2.56 135.8 P176 Chip Channel Sampling 89 0.59 0.88 135.0 P197 Chip Channel Sampling 83 0.08 1.46 126.8 P198 Chip Channel Sampling 47 0.17 2.44 122.0 P179 Chip Channel Sampling 53 0.55 1.89 125.2 P193 Chip Channel Sampling 79 0.18 0.93 112.1 P182 Chip Channel Sampling 46 0.59 1.40 106.6 P181 Chip Channel Sampling 22 0.53 1.00 69.2 P177 Chip Channel Sampling 15 0.39 0.61 45.7

Silver equivalent (Ag Eq.) calculations are based on the following closing prices as of August 9, 2016: USD$19.79/oz for Ag (www.kitco.com), USD$1.03/lb for Zn and USD$0.81/lb for Pb (London Metals Exchange spot prices). Metal recoveries are assumed to be 100%.

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The samples were delivered to ALS Geochemistry Laboratory in Oruro, Bolivia ("ALS") for assay and included QA/QC samples. Standard reference, duplicate and blank samples were used - all of which, produced acceptable results. ALS is an independent laboratory and was qualified and accredited by the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC) and the Standards Council of Canada for the methods used during the time the samples were prepared and assayed. Records were maintained to document the secure handling of the samples and to verify their identities were maintained.

Chip channel sample P225 returned a silver grade that is greater than the 1,500 g/t detection limit. This sample will now undergo another assay for precious metals content using methods having a greater upper detection limit. Results are expected to be received in approximately three weeks.

Samples were obtained from shallow depth drifts within the Paca mine which appear to have limited historic development. The area of sampled drifts has an estimated dimension of 90 metres length (east to west) and 75 metres width (north to south) and occurs at an average depth of 100 metres. Mineralization mainly consists of silver sulphides (mostly tennantite), galena and sphalerite in the pores of the sedimentary rocks and in breccias. The sampled area is within the Paca resource boundary, but was not included in the block model used to estimate the resources* recently disclosed according to National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

*Paca Mineral Resource Statement - Effective September 9, 2015 Ag Eq. Cut-Off (g/t) Category Tonnes** Ag (g/t) Zn (%) Pb (%) Ag Eq. (g/t) 200 Inferred 2,540,000 256 1.10 1.03 342 300*** Inferred 1,260,000 363 0.98 1.02 444 400 Inferred 650,000 462 0.90 1.00 538 500 Inferred 330,000 558 0.79 1.04 631

**Tonnes are rounded to nearest 10,000

***Base case resources are those reported at the 300 g/t Ag Eq. cut-off

Inferred resources do not have demonstrated economic viability and are speculative.

The mineral resource estimate was prepared by Mercator Geological Services Limited ("Mercator") under the supervision of Michael Cullen, P.Geo., who is an independent Qualified Person as set out in NI 43-101. The Paca mineralization starts from surface, with approximately 95% of the resource existing at the cut-off value of 300 g/t Ag Eq. occurring within 100 metres of surface (please refer to the Company's news release dated September 21, 2015).

Map 1 Esmeralda Adit Area and Paca Drill Holes Intercepts

To view the graphic, please click here

Map 2 (a). Cross Section View of Esmeralda Adit North to South

To view the graphic, please click here

Map 2 (b). Cross Section View of Esmeralda Adit West to East

To view the graphic, please click here

The above sampling maps (both plan and cross section) are also available at: www.prophecydev.com along with high resolution, close-up pictures of selected assayed samples.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release, sampling maps and pictures were reviewed and approved by Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, who is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and serves as its Qualified Person and General Mining Manager.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that is engaged in developing mining and energy projects in Mongolia, Bolivia and Canada. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"JOHN LEE"



Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecydev.com

www.prophecydev.com

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Prophecy's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, such as due to labour disruptions; currency exchange rates being approximately consistent with current levels; certain price assumptions for coal, prices for and availability of fuel, parts and equipment and other key supplies remain consistent with current levels; production forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of Prophecy's current mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Prophecy's current expectations; and that any additional required financing will be available on reasonable terms. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous factors could cause Prophecy's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading "Risk Factors" in Prophecy's most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecy's website: Prophecy's history of net losses and lack of foreseeable cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecy's mineral properties; Prophecy not having a history of profitable mineral production; the uncertainty of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates; the capital and operating costs required to bring Prophecy's projects into production and the resulting economic returns from its projects; foreign operations and political conditions, including the legal and political risks of operating in Bolivia, which is a developing jurisdiction; amendments to local Bolivian laws which may have an adverse impact on the Company's operations; title to Prophecy's mineral properties; environmental risks; the competitive nature of the mining business; lack of infrastructure; Prophecy's reliance on key personnel; uninsured risks; commodity price fluctuations; reliance on contractors; Prophecy's need for substantial additional funding and the risk of not securing such funding on reasonable terms or at all; foreign exchange risks; anti-corruption legislation; recent global financial conditions; the payment of dividends; and conflicts of interest.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecy's forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp.
LIMA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Residents of Andean communities in Peru have blocked a key road to MMG Ltd's Las Bambas copper mine for the past week, forcing the Chinese-owned company to use an alternate route, the country's ombudsman's office said on Monday.

The residents say the road passes through their lands and want the company to pay them for using it, said Artemio Solar, the head of the ombudsman's office in the region of Apurimac where the mine is located.

Las Bambas spokesman Domingo Drago confirmed the company was using an alternate route but said it had not affected its shipments of copper concentrates.

Three local residents protesting Las Bambas were killed in clashes with police in September last year when the mine was still being built.

Peru is on track to become the world's second biggest copper producer this year because of rising production from Las Bambas and other new copper mines that has been driving economic growth.

The mine, which began production late last year, produced about 32,900 tonnes of copper in June.

(Reporting by Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes; Editing by Peter Cooney)
LIMA (Reuters) - Residents of Andean communities in Peru have blocked a key road to MMG Ltd's Las Bambas copper mine for the past week, forcing the Chinese-owned company to use an alternate route, the country's ombudsman's office said on Monday. The residents say the road passes through their lands and want the company to pay them for using it, said Artemio Solar, the head of the ombudsman's office in the region of Apurimac where the mine is located. Las Bambas spokesman Domingo Drago confirmed the company was using an alternate route but said it had not affected its shipments of copper concentrates. Three local residents protesting Las Bambas were killed in clashes with police in September last year when the mine was still being built. Peru is on track to become the world's second biggest copper producer this year because of rising production from Las Bambas and other new copper mines that has been driving economic growth. The mine, which began production late last year, produced about 32,900 tonnes of copper in June. (Reporting by Mitra Taj and Teresa Cespedes; Editing by Peter Cooney)
Cincinnati (AFP) - Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig withdrew from the ATP-WTA Tour Cincinnati Masters with lower back pain.

The Puerto Rican made history for her island nation by winning the country's first-ever gold medal with her 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 defeat of German Angelique Kerber in the Saturday women's final.

Andy Murray became the first man to defend and Olympic tennis gold medal as he beat Argentine Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 in a four-hour final on Sunday.

Murray had originally been scheduled to share a private jet overnight from Rio to Cincinnati with Rafael Nadal, the BBC reported. Murray owns two titles at the midwest venue from 2008 and 2011; Nadal won it in 2013.

But number two Murray changed his plans after his Olympic success: "I was planning to travel tonight, but I think I'll stay around and celebrate," the Scot said in his post-match interview.

Del Potro, still ranked 141 after nearly two years of wrist surgeries and recovery, is not ranked high enough for entry into the Cincinnati field, with his camp now hoping he will be given a US Open wild card.

Puig, ranked 34th, was unseeded at the Cincinnati tournament, the last major tune-up prior to the start of the US Open on August 29. The pullout came less than 24 hours after her Rio success.

On Saturday, bronze medallist Petra Kvitova withdrew with an injury.

Sunday rain made a hash of qualifying rounds, with one of two men's ATP first-round matches cancelled as play was interrupted in the afternoon by weather, resuming as evening fell.

Alexandr Dolgopolov, who reached the semi-final a year ago from a qualifying start, was to have faced South African Kevin Anderson in a match wiped out for the day.
(Adds detail, background)

By Tom Finn and Hadeel Al Sayegh

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Qatar's central bank is offering 3 billion riyals ($825 million) of government bonds in its first domestic bond sale this year, suggesting liquidity conditions are easing in a banking system pressured by low oil and gas prices.

A central bank official said results of the offer would be known on Tuesday. If it succeeds, it would be the bank's first such issue since it sold 6.5 billion riyals of conventional bonds and sukuk last November, according to bank data.

The new offer comprises 1.5 billion riyals of three-year bonds at a fixed rate of 2.25 percent, 1 billion riyals of five-year debt at 2.75 percent, 250 million riyals of seven-year debt at 3.25 percent and 250 million riyals of 10-year debt at 3.75 percent, according to an offer document seen by Reuters.

Plunging state revenues due to low oil and gas prices have cut flows of new petrodollars into the banking system this year, pushing money rates up sharply and causing the central bank to cancel several monthly sales of short-term bills.

Since June, however, money rates have come off their highs, with the three-month interbank offered rate quoted at 1.54 percent on Monday, down from June's multi-year peak of 1.77 percent though still up sharply from 1.13 percent 12 months ago.

The central bank has helped to improve liquidity in recent months by reducing the size of its Treasury bill issuance, a senior banking industry source said.

"Liquidity has gradually got better in the past six weeks, though it is still tight. The cost of deposits hasn't come down," a Qatari commercial banker said.

He added that it was not clear how much appetite banks would have for this week's bond offer, which the central bank might be conducting as a way to gauge conditions in the banking system.

Qatar's government raised $9 billion in an international bond issue in late May, and there are signs that authorities may have provided at least some of this money to Qatari banks to ease liquidity pressures.

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Government deposits at commercial banks in Qatar rose sharply to 68.0 billion riyals in June, their highest level in more than a year, from 57.0 billion riyals in May, according to the latest central bank data.

Deposits by local banks at the central bank jumped to 14.5 billion riyals in June, the highest since July 2015, from 3.7 billion riyals in May, suggesting banks now have more spare cash on hand.

(Editing by Andrew Torchia and John Stonestreet)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Top quotes from the Rio Olympics on Sunday:

"Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal."

- Usain Bolt after winning his third straight 100m to kick off his bid for the 'triple triple'

"I have never seen anything like that. It is amazing. That was a massacre by van Niekerk."

- Michael Johnson tips his hat to Wayde van Niekerk, who broke his 1999 400m record

"The guy pulled out his gun, he cocked it, put it to my forehead and he said, 'Get down.'"

- Ryan Lochte becomes the latest victim of Rio's criminal fraternity

"We've been dating for six years, but I didn't expect him to propose today."

- Chinese diver He Zi after boyfriend Qin Kai proposed, in front of the world's media, when she stepped off the Rio podium

"I'm glad to be out now. Don't want to go diving in the swamp again."

- Australia's Maddison Keeney is happy to leave Rio's green diving pool behind

"I sat in anti-doping for two hours waiting to go to the toilet."

- Jessica Ennis-Hill on how she spent her time after winning heptathlon silver on Saturday
A Waunakee man was killed early Sunday morning in a rollover crash in Columbia County, authorities said.

Peter Ripp, 25, was killed in the crash that was reported at about 1:20 a.m. Sunday on Highway 60 near Gluth Road in the town of West Point, the Sheriff's Office said.

The investigation determined Ripp was ejected from the vehicle. His body was located in a ditch near the crash scene; deputies said nobody else was located.

"Alcohol does appear to be a factor in the crash," said Sheriff Dennis Richards. "The victim was not wearing a seat belt."

The crash remains under investigation.
EDINBURGH (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS.L) would move its main office from Scotland if the nation were to split from the UK after Britain's vote to leave the European Union, although moving domicile would not mean major job losses, the head of RBS has said.

"The Royal Bank of Scotland would just be too big for the economy (...) but that's around the plaque and not about where our people (are) because we have a very big business up here in Scotland," Chief Executive Ross McEwen told the BBC in an interview.

"We will have the people in the right place, moving the plaque won't make any difference to that."

The head of Scotland's devolved government, Nicola Sturgeon, has vowed to find ways to honour Scotland's vote to stay in the European Union, which was at odds with the overall vote in Britain to leave the bloc. As part of that she said is not ruling out holding a second independence referendum.

Less than two years ago Scots voted to stay in the UK by 55 to 45 percent.

Royal Bank of Scotland has been based in Scotland since 1727 and employs 11,000 staff. In the wake of Britain's vote to exit the EU, there has been debate about the impact of Brexit on financial services sector, which is key for Scottish jobs.

Asked what his advice to Sturgeon would be, McEwen said: "Take account of uncertainty, that's what you're seeing after Brexit. It's uncertainty that slows markets down, make sure the long game is worth it, but that's going to be up to the people of Scotland."

(This story corrects date of referendum in fifth par to two years ago)

(Reporting By Elisabeth O'Leary; editing by Michael Holden)
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians are in an odd segment of their schedule in which they will play three different teams on three consecutive days at Progressive Field.

On Sunday, the Indians posted a 5-4 victory over the reeling Los Angeles Angels. Cleveland will host the Boston Red Sox on Monday before the Chicago White Sox come to town the following day for the first contest of a three-game series.

Monday's contest between the Indians and Red Sox is a makeup of a game that was postponed on April 7. The Indians will send Josh Tomlin (11-5, 4.18 ERA) to the mound, while Boston's starter will be Drew Pomeranz (0-2, 5.26).

Pomeranz is a former first-round pick by the Indians, who selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 June Draft. In 2011, the Indians traded Pomeranz to Colorado as part of the trade that brought Ubaldo Jimenez to Cleveland.

Since then, Pomeranz has bounced from the Rockies to pitch for Oakland, San Diego and Boston. In a combined 27 starts with San Diego and Boston this year, Pomeranz is 8-9 with a 3.03 ERA - including 0-2 with a 5.26 in five starts for the Red Sox.

Pomeranz has failed to record a decision and owns a 3.00 ERA in five career appearances against the Indians, all of them in relief.

Tomlin got off to a very fast start this season, but has struggled over the last month. He was 9-1 with a 3.21 ERA on July 1, but is 2-4 with a 6.88 ERA and eight home runs allowed in 34 innings in his last six outings.

The long ball has plagued Tomlin through most of his starts. He has allowed 27 homers, which ties him for the most of any American League pitcher.

The Indians, however, have plenty of support behind Tomlin. The addition of left-hander Andrew Miller to the Indians' bullpen has bolstered manager Terry Francona's late-game options.

Miller, closer Cody Allen and set-up man Bryan Shaw are the three chess pieces Francona has for the late innings in games the Indians are leading. Francona has stuck with Allen in the closer's role so far, with Shaw in the seventh and Miller in the eighth.

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"We're still trying to figure out how we're going to use guys (late in games)," Miller said. "Flexibility is a positive I can offer. Any way (Francona) wants to use me, I'll happily oblige."

In their win over the Angels Sunday, Francona had Miller pitch the seventh and eighth innings and Allen the ninth. The two relievers combined to retire all nine batters they faced to preserve the win.

"With the way he was throwing, the best thing to do is to stay out of the way. That was phenomenal," Francona said of Miller's two-inning, six-batter domination of Angels hitters.

The matchup between the Indians and Red Sox will be one that features the two highest scoring teams in the American League. Boston leads the AL with an average of 5.51 runs per game and Cleveland is second at 5.11. The Red Sox are coming off a 16-2 pummeling of Arizona on Sunday.

"We've gone through some cycles offensively," Boston manager John Farrell said. "It looks like we're headed into one of those better cycles that we've seen strong offensive output."

Monday's game will be the first of Boston's 11-game, four-city road trip that will also include stops in Baltimore, Detroit and Tampa Bay.

"It's definitely really important," Mookie Betts said of the road trip after belting three homers versus the Diamondbacks on Sunday. "We're playing against some division guys and somebody we're in a race with, so it's going to be tough. They're really good teams, but we're a good team too."

Betts wasn't fazed by playing in four different parks over a five-day stretch.

"You've just got to go play," he said. "You can't let those type of things affect you."
Who got signed, promoted, hired or fired? The Hollywood Reporter's Rep Sheet rounds up the week in representation news. To submit announcements for consideration, contact rebecca.sun@thr.com.

#HaveMercy

John Stamos, who continues to be represented by WME and Brillstein, has signed with Digital Media Management CEO Luigi Picarazzi for social media strategy. The Grandfathered alum will next be seen as a series regular on season two of Fox's Scream Queens.

Lego My Ninjago

UTA has signed The Lego Ninjago Movie co-directors and co-writers Bob Logan and Paul Fisher. The duo's previous shared credits include Madagascar 2, Shrek 3 and How to Train Your Dragon. They continue to be repped by attorney Todd Stern at Weintraub Tobin.

Houston, You Have a New Agent

Orange Is the New Black's Mike Houston has signed with Stone Manners Salners. The actor plays CO Lee Dixon on the Netflix series. He will next recur on the upcoming Amazon drama Sneaky Pete, created by Bryan Cranston and David Shore and starring Giovanni Ribisi. Houston continues to be repped by Rosier Artist Management.

A Model Daughter

Delilah Belle Hamlin, the daughter of Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna, has signed with Jon Ilani of Elite Model Management and with Jill Fritzo Public Relations. The 18-year-old rising senior has appeared alongside her parents in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Harry Loves Lisa but is now stepping out on her own in singing and modeling, most recently with a spread in Teen Vogue.

Jill Fritzo PR also has signed Stranger Things' Noah Schnapp, who plays the missing son of Winona Ryder at the center of the new Netflix sensation. It's been a big year for the young actor, who also recently voiced Charlie Brown in The Peanuts Movie and played Tom Hanks' son in Bridge of Spies.

She Can Hack It

The Vampire Diaries alum Tristin Mays has signed with publicity firm 42West. After recurring as a Salvatore spawn on the CW supernatural drama last year, she showed up as Maxwell Lord's secretary on CBS' Supergirl this season and this fall will co-star as a hacker on the network's MacGyver reboot.

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Elsewhere in Rep World:

Sofia Vergara Signs With UTA

Greg Louganis Signs With Arya Artist Management

CAA Promotes Four Trainees
A minor bombshell went off in mid-June when ABC News first reported that a Chicago securities trader and major donor to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Family Foundation had been placed on a sensitive State Department nuclear weapons advisory board in July 2011 with no apparent expertise in the area.

The donor, Rajiv K. Fernando, had contributed to Clintons unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign before she became secretary of state. He then gave a $250,000 donation to the Clinton Foundation followed by between $1 million and $5 million in contributions. And most recently he donated to Hillary Clintons 2016 campaign.

Related: Is the Clinton Foundation Hillarys Achilles Heel?

In July 2011, he was appointed to the State Departments International Security Advisory Board, a blue-ribbon panel of prominent retired generals, a former chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other high ranking national security experts specializing in tactical nuclear weapons and focusing on the practices of Russia and Pakistan.

The Chicago investor  whose background was primarily in information technology and financial risk management -- was granted access to the governments highest levels of top secret information. But within a month of his appointment, Fernando stepped down  after some of the other board members questioned his credentials for the assignment and ABC News began making inquiries at the State Department.

We had no idea who he was, one of the board members told ABC News.

Fernando's appointment quickly became fodder for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's stump speeches.

Related: How Many Red States Can Hillary Clinton Win?

"He was a donor, a recent donor to Hillary Clinton's campaign and also gave as much as $250,000 to his foundation," he said in June at a campaign rally. "They all looked, they said 'Where did this guy come from?' He made a contribution of $250,000 all of a sudden he's on this very important, vital board. This position dealt with tactical nuclear weapons and had Top Secret clearance and he knew nothing about it."

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The episode of a loyal Clinton supporter with deep pockets receiving special consideration in an appointment at the State Department began to fade as the battle between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump heated up heading into the GOP and Democratic national conventions. Trumps subsequent campaign meltdown as he lashed out at a Gold Star family of a fallen Army hero and alienated both prominent and rank and file Republicans overshadowed new questions about Clintons honesty.

But the controversy over whether Clinton engaged in pay for play practices in which she arranged for government favors to friendly donors and supporters of her familys global foundation was rekindled a week ago. That came with the release of a fresh batch of Clintons State Department emails obtained by the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch in a Freedom of Information law suit.

In the latest revelation, Douglas J. Band, a long-time aide to former President Bill Clinton after he left the White House, sent urgent email messages to two of Hillary Clintons top State Department aides attempting to arrange a meeting for another major foundation donor, billionaire Gilbert Chagoury, who wanted to speak to a top official at State on the Lebanon situation, according to The New York Times.

Related: The Trump Delusion: GOP Candidate Says Everythings Just Fine

Hillary Clintons senior aide Huma Abedin responded that the departments personnel department was already on the case and was sending him options. Abedin wore multiple hats, both as a top aide to the secretary of state and as a consultant to the foundation.

As it turned out, nothing ever really came of the requests, from what is currently known. Chagoury, a Nigerian-based hotel and real estate developer whose family was from Lebanon, never got his meeting with a former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon to discuss the upcoming 2009 Lebanon elections. Moreover, he had no direct contact with Clinton or her State Department aides.

Nonetheless, Trump, GOP vice presidential nominee Mike Pence and other Republicans claim that the newly released emails highlight how Clinton and her husband pursued interlocking strategies for raising money for the family foundation and advancing Clintons political career.

During an appearance on Fox News Sunday yesterday, Pence strongly called for a federal investigation into whether Hillary Clinton while serving as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013 provided political favors to foreign donors to the Clinton Foundation, insisting that the American people have a right to know.

Related: Trumps Economic Plan: Spend Like a Democrat, Regulate Like a Republican

The FBI and Justice Department did not examine the operations of the Clinton Foundation during its extensive probe of her mishandling of official, top-secret email during her four years as secretary of state, which ended last month with FBI Director James B. Comey strongly criticizing her use of a private email server but recommending against any formal criminal charges.

Pence, the Indiana governor, contended that the latest batch of emails released last week suggested a connection between major donors to the Clinton Foundation and State Department officials, but acknowledged that Clintons involvement remains murky.

It looks that way more and more every day, Pence told Chris Wallace, the Fox News Sunday host. That's what we need to find out.  This is exactly the kind of pay- to- play politics the American people are sick and tired of. It is just one more example of the way I do believe that the Clintons have been operating over the last 30 years.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
The saying goes, "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." And that's just what Teresa Giudice did on Sunday's The Real Housewives of New Jersey, when she stormed out of Jacqueline Laurita's house after an explosive argument.



"I don't think I could have stood there one more second and looked at her f------ face," the 44-year-old Turning Tables author said upon her exit. "She's such a nasty person."



"She has not changed," Laurita, 46, told viewers. "You have all this time to sit in a f------ cell and think and you're still sitting there thinking about the victim you are?"



The two Housewives  who had been friends for 13 years before falling out two seasons ago  each went into the evening hoping to have fun and vowing to start over with their relationship.







"I just want to be friends, get along with everybody  I just want peace," Giudice declared early on in their meeting. "I want to make sure any toxic people  I want to keep them away. Anyone that's not loyal, I just want them out of my life."





RHONJ's Teresa Giudice Accuses Jacqueline Laurita of a 'Low Blow' During Their Most Bitter Fight Yet| The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, The Real Housewives of..., People Picks, TV News, Caroline Manzo, Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice

But their " new year, new beginnings" mantra didn't last long, when Giudice brought up her past conflicts with Laurita, sister-in-law Melissa Gorga and former Housewife Caroline Manzo.



"I don't really want to rehash the past, [but] you guys were all against me," Giudice said. "We were all friends and then you guys got together and ganged up against me."



"I didn't see that," Laurita responded, while cooking dinner. "I mean, to be honest, you did that. I don't think it was the same issues with anybody. No one ganged up on you."



Giudice described how she "felt ambushed" when Manzo showed up during a season 5 argument between her and Laurita on Laurita's porch  and how she felt "attacked" when Laurita asked her about a tabloid story regarding her legal battles.





Story continues

RELATED VIDEO: Teresa Giudice Tells All! Maggots at Mealtime, Bloodstains on the Beds and More



"I had no idea Caroline was coming over that day," Laurita explained, in her defense. "That was not planned. I asked you about an article that was in a magazine and I wanted to know if it was true. You told me I was crazy and it wasn't true. Clearly it was true."



Even though Giudice ended up serving 11 months for mail, wire, and bankruptcy fraud, she told Laurita she "didn't file fraudulent things" and didn't know the story was true at the time.



"I knew nothing," she said of her legal standing. "I mean, you know me  couldn't you tell if I was lying or not? Obviously there was a disconnect between you and me because my real friends knew what was going on."



Laurita's confusion appeared to stem from the fact that Giudice had admitted to selling stories to the tabloids in the past. "How was I supposed to know if this one is true or that one is true? Or if that was you or if that was someone else?" she explained.





RHONJ's Teresa Giudice Accuses Jacqueline Laurita of a 'Low Blow' During Their Most Bitter Fight Yet| The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, The Real Housewives of..., People Picks, TV News, Caroline Manzo, Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice

Soon Giudice's brother Joe Gorga was brought into the fire, with both Housewives saying he had told them not to trust the other.



There was only one way to solve the problem: Call Joe Gorga.



"What I probably told [Teresa] is she shouldn't trust anybody. But I don't think I mentioned you," Gorga told Laurita. "I'm not telling you I remember clearly. And if I did say it, it was probably when [Teresa and I] were in the worst position that we were."





RELATED VIDEO: Real Housewives of New Jersey Newbies Siggy Flicker and Dolores Catania Open Up About Jacqueline Laurita and Teresa Giudice Feud

Real Housewives of New Jersey Newbies Siggy Flicker and Dolores Catania Open Up About Jacqueline Laurita and Teresa Giudice Feud" data-ad-channel="peoplenow" data-ad-subchannel="peoplenowupclose" data-auto-play="no">



After the Gorga call, the gloves were off  with both Housewives removing their filter and appearing to throw away any chance of reconciliation.



"Don't play stupid," Giudice told Laurita. "I would never ask you your personal business. You were going through legal issues I didn't ask you a question."



"I wasn't the one playing stupid. Mine wasn't a criminal case. I wouldn't file a fraudulent bankruptcy like you did. It's totally different," Laurita fired in return.





RHONJ's Teresa Giudice Accuses Jacqueline Laurita of a 'Low Blow' During Their Most Bitter Fight Yet| The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, The Real Housewives of..., People Picks, TV News, Caroline Manzo, Joe Giudice, Teresa Giudice

That was the straw that broke Giudice's back. "That's a f------ low blow," she said, as she called for her husband, Joe Giudice, in the other room. "Joe  let's go. I've had enough. She just hit below the belt."



"I'm just saying it like it is," Laurita said, in her defense. "You can't compare the two! I'm just stating the facts. You were accused and convicted."



"Listen, I own it  I did my time," Giudice said.



"But you're not owning it  you're blaming it everybody else," Laurita told her, claiming Giudice had blamed her prison sentence on her brother and sister-in-law.





RELATED VIDEO: Teresa Giudice Opens up About How Her Four Daughters Are Coping With Husband Joe Giudiceas 41-month Prison Sentence



By that point, Giudice was practically in the street, calling Laurita crazy and vowing to close the chapter on their friendship for good. "She's bringing my brother into it? Big mistake," she said. "I don't need people hitting below the belt. She doesn't want peace."



Joe Giudice perhaps had the best advice for his wife. "If you can't repair what is broken, leave it and walk away," he said.



"She's a bitch," he added, of Laurita. "F--- her."



The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Rufus Wilson, an incoming fifth-grader at Crestwood Elementary School, had an uneasy feeling about police before taking part in a club where he got to know some officers and how they conduct their jobs.

On TV, I see people just shooting at people for no reason, Rufus said about his prior exposure of police interacting with the community.

The club was another step in a relationship the Allied Learning Center formed three years ago with the Madison Police Department, which has brought a K9 unit and mounted horse patrol to visit. Madison School and Community Recreation, which provides after-school and summer programming at the center, started the Police Club this summer in response to building tension across the country in the aftermath of several police shootings of African-Americans. The center is in the Allied Drive neighborhood where many Latinos and African-Americans live.

The goal of the club, which is for children ages 9 to 13, was to build positive relationships, educate kids about police practices, introduce them to policing as a career and train them to be leaders within their own community.

This year, we decided we really wanted to take it a step further and bridge a relationship between the kids and the police officers, said Laura Harrington, building director and recreational specialist for MSCRs Allied Learning Center. It has strengthened a bond and greater understanding of police work between the youth and the neighborhood officers.

Rufus, who is black, said the club had an impact on him and he now sees things differently. It takes some courage to be a police officer, Rufus said.

Fifteen children took part in the eight-week, one-hour-a-week club.

Harrington said the children got excited when neighborhood police Officers Manny Gatdula and Brandon Mortenson came to the club each week. The students took part in a simulated police chase and a search-and-rescue mission. In a lesson on why handcuffs are used, they got to handcuff Allied Learning Center staff. They also talked about bullying and about being leaders.
Screen Shot 2016 08 15 at 7.25.18 AM

The

Russian ruble is surging.

The currency is up by 0.7% at 64.3107 per dollar as of 7:33 a.m. ET.

Notably, Brent crude is higher by 0.5% at $47.21 per barrel following reports that Russia and Saudi Arabia are talking about oil.

Reuters reported that Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that a complete return to market stability is possibly only in 2017.

"We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time," he said, according to Reuters.

As for the rest of the world, here's the scoreboard as of 7:34 a.m. ET:

The Japanese yen is up 0.2% at 101.06 per dollar after the Japanese economy posted 0.0% growth for the second quarter, compared to expectations of 0.2%-0.3% growth. "Japans economy stagnated in the second quarter, so spare capacity didnt shrink any further," wrote Capital Economics' Senior Japan economist Marcel Thieliant in a note to clients. "Adding in the deflationary impact of the stronger yen, underlying inflation should moderate further in coming months, increasing the pressure on the [Bank of Japan] to provide more monetary easing."

The US dollar index is down 0.1% at 95.64 ahead of several data points. Empire manufacturing will be released at 8:30 a.m. ET before the NAHB Housing Market Index and net long-term TIC flows cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET, respectively.

The euro is stronger by 0.1% at 1.1175 against the dollar.

The British pound is down 0.1% at 1.2899 against the dollar.

NOW WATCH: Brexit campaigners take to the water in bizarre flotilla battle





More From Business Insider


Moscow (AFP) - Russia is close to joining forces with the United States around Syria's ravaged second city of Aleppo, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in comments aired Monday.

"Step by step we are getting closer to the situation in which -- and I'm only speaking about Aleppo here -- we will be able to begin battling together so that there is peace on this territory," Shoigu told Rossiya 24 television.

In the interview conducted on Saturday but shown only Monday, Shoigu said Moscow was in "active" negotiations regarding the city, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control.

But in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau refused to confirm any collaboration.

"We have nothing to announce at this time," Trudeau told AFP.

"We speak regularly with Russian officials about ways to strengthen the cessation of hostilities, improve humanitarian access and bring about the conditions necessary to find a political solution to this conflict," she added.

Shoigu acknowledged that Moscow and Washington were still deeply at odds over the situation in Aleppo, accusing rebels of holding civilians hostage and waging brutal suicide bombings.

"In the eastern part of Aleppo, people are hostages," he said, accusing the rebels of planting bombs along escape routes established by Russia and of staging executions.

He blasted accusations that Moscow has imposed a blockade on rebel-held areas, calling them "untrue" and "propaganda".

Shoigu said suicide attacks by rebels have included loading an armoured vehicle with explosives and welding it shut.

"That's moderate opposition? Who is this?" he said.

"There are many issues there that we are yet to decide on with our American colleagues," he said of Aleppo. "We are now in a very active stage of negotiations with American colleagues."
DUBAI (Reuters) - Russia, the world's top oil producer, is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, adding that the door is still open for more discussions on freezing output levels if needed.

In an interview published on Monday Novak also told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that a complete return of market stability is only likely in 2017.

"With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue between our two countries is developing in a tangible way, whether in the framework of a multi-party structure or on a bilateral level," Novak was quoted as saying.

"We are cooperating in the framework of consultations regarding the oil market with OPEC countries and producers from outside the organisation, and are determined to continue dialogue to achieve market stability," he said.

"We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time."

Novak's comments come only days after Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said his country would work with OPEC and non-OPEC members to help stabilise oil markets.

An informal meeting of major producing countries is scheduled in Algeria late next month.

Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria from Sept. 26-28.

Oil prices extended gains after Falih's remarks on Thursday, which indicated that Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, is worried that oil prices could fall towards $40 per barrel or lower due to oversupply.

Talks on a global oil production level freeze collapsed in April. OPEC member Iran has been the main opponent of a freeze as it looks to raise its output to levels seen before the imposition of now-ended Western sanctions.

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi; editing by Andrew Torchia and Jason Neely)
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Syrian rebels had used temporary ceasefires in and around Aleppo to regroup and rearm. Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he realized that brief daily ceasefires in place now to allow aid to enter and civilians to leave were not sufficient. But he said it was difficult to make the ceasefires longer for the moment because of the risk of militants using them to regroup and rearm, something he said they had done in the past. German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the hardships faced by people in Aleppo could not be alleviated by announcing three-hour ceasefires. "It's supposed to sound like a concession but it's actually cynicism, because everybody knows that this amount of time is nowhere near sufficient to actually build up supplies for the desperate people there," he told a government news conference. He said the killing in Aleppo had to stop and the city needed to receive food and medical items without hindrance. Seibert said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, an ally of Assad against rebels in Syria's five-year-old civil war, were largely responsible for the situation in the city: "It's primarily their decision whether there will be further deaths or whether the people there get help and hope after months of suffering." (Reporting by Polina Devitt; additional reporting by Michelle Martin and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
The family of a Waunakee man is suing UnityPoint Health-Meriter and a former doctor there after the man died in 2011 following heart surgery by the doctor, who was later fired by Meriter and surrendered his state medical license because of an investigation related to the death.

The widow and estate of Thomas Pliner, 77, allege wrongful death and negligence by Meriter and Dr. Sean Yetman in the medical malpractice lawsuit filed Friday in Dane County Circuit Court.

Details of the case were brought to the familys attention last year by a State Journal reporter working on an article about doctor discipline in Wisconsin.

According to state Medical Examining Board records, Meriter fired Yetman in October 2011 after hiring a consultant to review records of the seven patients he operated on during his short time at the hospital.

The cases include two deaths, which prompted a state investigation in 2013 that led Yetman to surrender his license in 2014.

In August 2011, Yetman did a heart bypass and heart valve repair surgery on Pliner, who bled a lot during the procedure and died the next day, according to the medical board records.

Yetman left Pliner on a heart-lung bypass machine too long, and he should have stopped trying to harvest one of Pliners arteries for the bypass and instead harvested a vein, medical board records said.

Nancy Glumske, 61, of Elroy, died after a similar operation in July 2011. Yetman left her on a heart-bypass machine too long, and he should have replaced the heart valve with an artificial device instead of trying to repair it, the records said.

Family members of Pliner and Glumskie told the State Journal last year they had no idea Yetman had been fired by Meriter or disciplined by the medical board until the newspaper contacted them.

Jodie Busch, of Waunakee, Pliners daughter, said at the time she wished Meriter had told her family why it let Yetman go.

The statute of limitations to file a lawsuit generally is three years after an incident, but cases can be brought up to a year after the discovery of negligence if it occurred no more than five years earlier.

Yetman, who was listed in January as working at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, is no longer listed as working there. The medical board in Massachusetts says he is working in Astoria, New York. The website for USA Vein Clinics, which has a clinic in Astoria, lists Yetman among its doctors.

The lawsuit, by Shirley Pliner and Thomas Pliners estate, alleges Yetman failed to meet the standard of care by damaging Pliners vein, which caused uncontrollable bleeding, and leaving him on bypass for more than eight hours. It says Meriter negligently hired and/or supervised Yetman.

Busch and the Pliner familys attorneys, Timothy Capser and Thomas Griesheimer of the Madison law firm Murphy Desmond, could not be reached for comment Monday. Meriter declined comment.

Yetman told a state investigator there were political reasons for his termination and experienced surgeons didnt take him under their wing. He told the State Journal last year that he denies any unprofessional conduct.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian standards agency Rosstandart said on Monday it had been informed about a voluntary recall by Honda's <7267.T> Russian subsidiary of 55,590 Honda CR-V, Accord and Jazz cars.

The recall is due to a fault with the cars' air bags, the agency said.

(Reporting by Polina Devitt; editing by Alexander Winning)
As a San Antonio councilwoman fighting for affordable housing, Ivy R. Taylor was appointed mayor in 2014, when her predecessor left to work for President Obama. She won a second term in 2015, making San Antonio the first major U.S. city to elect a black woman to office. Taylor, 46, talked to Real Simple about rising to the task without losing sight of her mission.

What was your upbringing in New York like?

My parents were members of a Pentecostal Holiness Church, and most of our lives revolved around the church. I couldnt wear pants, jewelry, or makeup. Dating was out, and [my younger sister and I] couldnt even go to the movies. I read a lot of books. When I was in middle school, I discovered Gone With the Wind, and I think I read it 20 times, to the point where my dad took it and hid it. Its a family joke, but its still a sore spot with me.

What sort of work did your parents do?

My dad was a printing pressman. He may have gone up to 9th or 10th grade. My mom worked as a bank teller when I was very young, then worked at the church, volunteering.

You ended up at Yale.

My mom kept pressing me to apply there, and I didnt know why. Later I found out that when she graduated from her segregated high school in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1963 without a chance of going to college, the valedictorian from her class went to Yale.

Were you interested in politics as a kid?

I never had any interest in politics. My interest in politics is still limited. In college, I focused on American studies. I really didnt give a lot of thought to how that would trans late into a career. I felt so much pressure in high school to focus on grades that in college I was just into learning for learnings sake.

You worked in New York after college.

I floundered for four years with jobs I hated. Then I decided I wanted to study urban planning. I first came to San Antonio for a summer internship with the San Antonio Affordable Housing Association during graduate school.

Story continues

Thats when you met your husband.

Yes. I sat behind [Rodney] in church, and we started talking at the end of the service. I moved to San Antonio after graduate school and got a job working for the city. Rodney and I got married and had a baby. Then I worked for a nonprofit for about five years.

What brought you to the city council?

Some community members asked me to run. I thought I could get things done in relation to inner city redevelopment.

When the mayors spot opened up, you raised your hand. The city council voted.

The moment I remember feeling most nervous in the past two years was when it became apparent that I was going to get it.

You werent planning to run for reelection?

I dont relish the campaigning side of things. But when I saw some of the folks running, I thought I could bring more to the table.

Whats it like to be in a meeting with you?

I dont mind sharing a few jokes and laughing. In the work we do, the stakes are high and it can be pretty intense.

What have you learned in this role?

There are always going to be naysayers. Once you get where you think you have a reasonable compromise or decision, you have to tune out the noise. You just have to articulate your position and move for ward. Then sometimes you go home and whine to the husband about the people who dont understand what youre doing. Other than that, its just focusing on what you can do and knowing that you cant make everybody happy.

What are you proudest of?

Being a mom is pretty awesome. My daughter is 12 now. I guess this mayor thing is a pretty big deal, too. It serves as a point of pride for our city, especially considering the demo graphics. [San Antonios population is about 60 percent Latino and less than 10 percent black.] I also hope its inspiring for young people, especially young minorities.

Talk about work-life balance a bit.

My husband [who works in real estate] is extremely supportive of me being in this role. I couldnt do it if he didnt have that attitude. I miss a lot of time with my daughter, but I also have experiences with her that are extraordinary. She came with me when I went with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on a trade mission to Spain. I think that will always be something that shell remember.

How do you relax?

I still love to read. Now I tend to read books about cities or biographies. It always relates back to work.

Whats the thread that runs through your career?

Ive stayed focused on making cities better places and creating opportunities for people, and it just happened to carry me to the mayors office.

Whats your takeaway from that?

Pursue your passion, not a position. That will take you where you need to go.
In a nod to the growing popularity of urban Cuban music in the U.S., Spanish Broadcasting System today??flipped its Miami top 40 radio station, La Nueva I95.7 FM, to Ritmo 95.7 FM, with the tagline "Cubat??n y m??s" (Cubat??n and more)??on Monday (Aug. 15).

The move sends a major message to the marketplace that commercial radio sees Cubat??n??--??the mix of reggaet??n with Cuban beats and sometimes trap --??and the Cuban urban movement in general as more than a passing fad.

"I think it's [Cubat??n] becoming a worldwide phenomenon," said Jesus Salas, SBS' EVP of programming, multi-platform coordinator. "Everything Cuban now is fashionable and Cuban music is widely popular all over Europe. And in Miami what I saw and what I've been seeing is, when we go to bars they play this music over and over and no one has really embraced it enough. We were the first to break Gente de Zona in the country and the first to break Jacob Forever in Miami. I see all the different fusions that are being recorded. These artists have millions of views in YouTube, and no one is playing it on rotation. We have the station to do that."

Ra??l Alarc??n Jr., Chairman/CEO of Spanish Broadcasting System, on His Push Into Streaming and Why He Won't Go Back to Cuba

While the bulk of Ritmo's programming, roughly 60-70%, will be Cubat??n, it will also feature other urban and reggaet??n music.

"The appeal is going to be Cubat??n, which doesn't have an outlet in and of itself, but it will live within a Latin urban format that will include reggaet??n," said Carolina Santamarina, GM of SBS.??

While Cuban urban music has gained traction in recent months thanks to hits by Gente de Zona and Jacob Forever, to date the music is far from dominating the charts.??This week, for example, there are no Cuban acts on the top 25 of Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart (the highest is Gente??de Zona's "Algo contigo" at No. 26), which measures airplay, sales and streams, and only two (Gente de Zona and Jacob Forever) on the top 25 of the Latin Airplay chart, which only measures airplay.

Story continues

However, Salas says, the music is there.

"I've done extensive research on it, and there are more than 10 main Cuban artists making this kind of music, and I've found over 100 songs that I think are really good, and when they get exposed they're going to become hits. There is more than enough music to create a station."

Cubat??n has already tested well for SBS on its Lamusica app, which has a Cubat??n-dedicated channel, and SBS is hoping to attract millennial listeners who??are very interactive and engaged, opening up the spectrum for more revenue opportunities.

As for ballads and other traditional pop music, they will now live on SBS's Zeta 92.3 FM, which currently plays hits, ballads and tropical music.

But no doubt, the flip to Ritmo will be hard on non-urban acts who have seen their format lose stations.

"Urban is the new pop," said Salas. "But traditional ballads will always have a place. And Zeta in Miami will play ballads."

??
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / SeeThruEquity, a leading independent equity research and corporate access firm focused on small-cap and micro-cap public companies, today announced it has issued an update on M Pharmaceutical, Inc.

The report is available here: MQ Update Note.

M Pharmaceutical, Inc. ("M Pharma", CSX: MQ, OTCQB: MPHMF, FWB:T3F2), is a development stage biomedical company focused on addressing unmet needs in the multi-billion dollar market for obesity treatment. Over the last several months M Pharma has undergone a reorganization and has new leadership focused on bringing to market novel solutions intended to improve the health and quality of life people suffering from obesity. M Pharma's pipeline is now centered on two orally-administered solutions for obesity/ weight loss: 1) Trimeo technology expandable capsules; and 2) Chelatexx (C-103) reformulated orlistat capsules. The company still retains rights to the Trimtec gastric management system and the eMosquito wearable blood monitor; however, management has opted to focus M Pharma's attention and resources on developing the Trimeo technology and C-103. We expect the company will minimize further investment in Trimtec and eMosquito and move to divest / partner these lines.

Additional highlights of the note are as follows:

C-103 acquisition to headline narrowed focus on obesity

M Pharma completed the acquisition of C-103 from Chelatexx LLC (Chelatexx) on July 15, 2016, which provides the company with a novel reformulation of Orlistat, an FDA approved medication for weight loss sold by Roche (prescription Xenical 120mg capsules) and in Glaxo Smith Kline (OTC Alli 60mg capsules). C-103 represents a large potential opportunity for M Pharma as orlistat is an effective weight loss medication that had peak sales of $900mn in 2007 before sales declined due to well-publicized, embarrassing side effects (steatorrhea, fecal incontinence and frequent / urgent bowel movements) and competition from generics. The C-103 reformulation aims to match orlistat's efficacy without these side effects. M Pharma has patent coverage for the C-103 reformulation of Orlistat and is pursuing a 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway for C-103, which should provide an accelerated time to market. The company believes $200mn+ in peak sales is possible for C-103 and expects to be in a position to begin marketing the product in 2019E.

Story continues

Large market opportunity for Trimeo and C-103

With the addition of C-103 to its portfolio, M Pharma now has two promising, orally-administered therapies in its pipeline for obesity and weight loss (the other being Trimeo, an expandable capsule designed to displace volume in the stomach). If clinical trials are successful, M Pharma is projecting commercialization of C-103 to begin in 2019E and Trimeo to begin in 2020E, and projects peak sales potential of approximately $200mn and $130mn per year, respectively. This lineup positions the company well to address unmet needs in the multi-billion-dollar obesity market. Indeed, obesity is emerging as a global epidemic, as 27% of the world's population is overweight or obese, with 2.8mn people dying annually from being overweight / obese each year. Given the large opportunity for these two programs, M Pharma expects de-emphasize Trimtec and eMosquito. We believe the company will seek to extract value from these programs through divestures / partnerships.

Adjusting target to CAD $0.85 for M Pharma

We see the acquisition of C-103 as a significant advancement for M Pharma and are encouraged by the company's focused pursuit of the large market for obesity / weight loss therapies. Our price target moves to CAD $0.85 and is based on management's view of 330mn+ in combined peak sales for Chelatexx and Trimeo. We view M Pharma as an intriguing high risk / high reward investment targeting a large and growing segment of the healthcare industry.

Please review important disclosures on our website at www.seethruequity.com.

About M Pharmaceutical, Inc.

Formed in early 2015, M Pharmaceutical Inc. is a clinical-stage company developing innovative technologies for obesity and weight management. In addition to the intended acquisition of C-103 from Chelatexx, LLC, the Company will focus on the development of its Trimeo capsules, temporary controllable pseudobezoars for non-invasive gastric volume reduction for the treatment of obesity, for which it has exclusive rights.

M Pharmaceutical trades on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the ticker symbol "MQ" as well as on the OTCQB as "MPHMF" and FWB (Frankfurt Stock Exchange) as "T3F2."

About SeeThruEquity

Since its founding in 2011, SeeThruEquity has been committed to its core mission: providing impactful, high quality research on underfollowed smallcap and microcap equities. SeeThruEquity has pioneered an innovative business model for equity research that is not paid for and is unbiased. SeeThruEquity is the host of acclaimed investor conferences that are the ultimate event for publicly traded companies with market capitalizations less than $1 billion.

SeeThruEquity is approved to contribute its research reports and estimates to Thomson One Analytics (First Call), the leading estimates platform on Wall Street, as well as Capital IQ and FactSet. SeeThruEquity maintains one of the industry's most extensive databases of opt-in institutional and high net worth investors. The firm is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan in New York City.

For more information visit www.seethruequity.com.

Contact:

Ajay Tandon

SeeThruEquity

info@seethruequity.com

SOURCE: SeeThruEquity
From ELLE

For the past couple days, Justin Bieber has been in Tokyo, where he took 17-year-old Sofia Richie-and from paparazzi-snapped hand-holding pics to filling his Instagram with shots of her (eight photos in the last two days), he hasn't made the romantic nature of their relationship very secret.

This has upset fans, partly for the speed of the relationship (Bieber was shot in Hawaii with other girls just last week), and partly for the way Bieber was quick to defend Richie against their fan hate. Bieber edited the caption of one of their Instagrams to send a message to his followers. "I'm gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don't stop the hate," he wrote. "This is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn't be so mean to people that I like."

Photo credit: Instagram

Beliebers were outraged at this insult to their support, with #RIPBeliebers trending on Twitter.

This evening, it looks like Selena Gomez broke her silence, commenting on Bieber's Instagram. "If you can't handle the hate, then stop posting pictures of your girlfriend lol," she wrote. "It should be special between you two only. Don't be mad at your fans. They love you."

Photo credit: Instagram

The Beliebers saw that and responded, making #SelenaEndedJustinParty a trending topic on Twitter.
A new self-destructing battery can power a simple electronic device for up to 15 minutes and then dissolve in water. It could pave the way for so-called transient power sources for scientific instruments or tools of espionage, according to a new study.

Engineers have developed a novel variety of battery capable of powering a simple electronic device, such as a four-function calculator, and then dissolving in water in half an hour. The new transient battery represents a marked improvement in voltage and disintegration time over its predecessors, the researchers said.

The lithium-ion battery, the first transient battery of its kind, is "very similar to a conventional battery," study co-author Reza Montazami, who heads the Advanced Materials Lab at Iowa State University, told Live Science. [Top 10 Inventions That Changed the World]

The battery's polymer casing, made from a molecule that can form long repeating chains, swells and physically breaks itself and the other components into small pieces when exposed to water, the researchers said. Devices powered by this type of battery could serve their function or transmit data, and then be washed away in the rain.

"Their mechanism relies simply on hydration," Christopher Bettinger, a polymer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh who was not involved with the new study, told Live Science. "That's a unique discovery."

The newly developed battery takes about 30 minutes to dissolve, Montazami said, whereas other transient batteries relying on different chemical processes can take hours or days to break down.

The battery can generate about 2.7 volts, which is similar to the electric potential produced by a pair of conventional AA batteries. This means the new invention can power devices that lower-voltage transient batteries cannot. However, the use of lithium makes the new battery unsuitable for biomedical applications, such as to power implants, Montazami said. Still, the invention could have other medical uses, in addition to being used for surveillance, military or environmental purposes, he said.

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Because the current battery can power a device for only 15 minutes, its applications right now are limited, Bettinger said, but "it will be interesting to see the limits on capacity, theoretical or practical."

And Montazami said he has other immediate plans. "Our next step is to gain a better understanding of how these batteries break down."

The research was published June 22 in the Journal of Polymer Science, Part B: Polymer Physics.

Original article on Live Science.

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By Momar Niang KAFFRINE, Senegal (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Little is left in the house where Fati Camara lived with her four children, after it was hit by heavy rains last month. This is the fourth time weve faced floods since we moved here 10 years ago, said Camara, drying her tears with a pink and white shawl. Her fridge, which brought her a daily income selling ice cream, was washed away after 175 mm (6.89 inches) of rain fell in Kaffrine in central Senegal on July 24  a record for the beginning of the rainy season. Usually we can drain the water and return two or three days later, but this time we were unable to save anything, Camara told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Water has devastated the Diamaguene district, leaving entire streets flooded and houses ripped open. Salimata Ndaos life has also changed radically. We have a house with 10 rooms  three of which are in ruins, with the rest mostly flooded, she said in a resigned tone, lamenting the loss of 80 kg (176 lb) of millet and 20 kg of groundnut seeds. Ndao, her husband and their nine children found refuge in Kaffrine School 6, along with around 10 other families. UNPRECEDENTED FLOODS According to Kaffrine Mayor Abdoulaye Wilane, at least 1,500 households were struck by the floods in what he described as an extreme and unprecedented phenomenon. Nestled in a river basin, the city regularly falls prey to floods that until now mostly hit the poorer districts of Diamageune and Kaffrine 2. These, Wilane explained, are located in flood-prone areas, without sewage or drainage systems. In Kouthia Thiambene, 30 km (18.6 miles) from Kaffrine, 200 mm of rain fell on July 24. Village chief Moth Goune Samb cannot remember having experienced anything so severe, despite his advanced age. We were completely powerless  so much so that all we could do was abandon our homes and gather on the village square, he said. In a place where agriculture is the main source of income, farmers saw their fields engulfed by sand. The fields were inundated, producing a kind of muddy paste that stopped seeds germinating - that's weeks of work for nothing, Alioune N'Diaye said calmly, walking through his field where huge cracks testify to the latest floods. Nearly 100 clay huts were destroyed and tonnes of millet and other crops, as well as seeds, were swept away by flood waters. SOUNDING THE ALARM The extreme weather that battered Kaffrine and its surroundings took everyone by surprise, including the Met Office, said locals. A few of those affected, including Ndao, received a weather forecast through the regional agricultural service. But they said the information lacked detail, giving no indication of the quantity or duration of the rainfall. Diabel NDiaye, an agricultural meteorologist at the National Agency of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, admitted an alarm was not issued because we lack adequate equipment to predict the quantity of rainfall. Kaffrine, which does not have a weather station, gets alerts via text messages sent to the regional agricultural service, which acts as a relay to the population, starting with farmers, NDiaye explained. We dont yet have a system that allows us to alert the whole population, and that is perhaps the first thing we should try to address, he said. Idy Niang, who heads a local branch of the environment ministry, said it was vital to equip meteorological services better, so they have adequate and reliable rainfall information. RESILIENCE IN ACTION Meanwhile, in Kaffrine and surrounding areas, grassroots organizations are devising their own solutions to build resilience to climate extremes. Papa Souleymane Coulibaly, program assistant at development agency IED Afrique, said it has selected 22 projects as part of the Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) program, backed by the British government. The initiative, which focuses on directing funds for climate action to the local level, chooses activities that help communities adapt to climate change. They receive training to build skills and find resources to put their ideas into practice. Fily Traore leads a group of 100 women in Femmes Forestieres (Forest Women), a local organization benefiting from BRACED funding, who are working to make reforestation a priority. Deforestation has led to the disappearance of several kinds of fruit trees, which our project aims to restore, she said. Deforestation caused by bushfires exacerbates the impact of flooding, she added. In Keur Mbouki village, climate resilience is also about reforestation. According to Seynabou NDiaye, the main economic activity of salt harvesting harms the environment by contaminating the soil. NDiaye, who runs a womens organization, aims to remedy this by planting salt-tolerant plants in Kaffrine, also with BRACED support. While the government can help us against floods, for example in issuing alerts, its also important that we are better prepared at our own level, she explained. (Reporting by Momar Niang; editing by Zoe Tabary and Megan Rowling. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)
From Town & Country

In South Korea there is a term that women use to explain away all the work behind their extensive beauty regimes: gwallee. It translates as maintenance, and it can refer to anything from healthy eating to nightly skincare to a $1,000 scalp and body massage meant to align the spine and sculpt the face. The latter is what got me on a plane to Seoul but not what first piqued my interest in a country in which proper skincare starts in grammar school.

Korean beauty (or K-Beauty, as it's known) has seduced editors, bloggers, and consumers with its snail creams, cushion compacts, and sheet masks that look like Kung Fu Panda and Shrek but promise a complexion as soft as a baby's bottom. Exports are increasing-there were 1,200 beauty brands in South Korea five years ago; today there are 9,000-and not a week goes by without a Western beauty brand introducing an essence, or sheet mask. (For proof see your Instagram feed: So. Many. Sheet masks.)

Much of the creditcan be given to Alicia Yoon, CEO of Peach & Lily, a New Yorkbased distributor for Korean companies seeking to make it big in the States. In 2012 the Harvard Business School grad started her business with three brands. Today she works with more than 35 companies, has two shop-in-shops at Macy's, and just debuted her own line of face masks, which aim to cure everything from hangovers to jetlag. But the products are only part of the story, as women in Korea spare no expense or time in pursuit of beauty. When Yoon invited me to see how Seoul residents really get their gwallee on-and try a few of the latest treatments with her-I couldn't get there fast enough.

THE $1,000 MASSAGE

On the 14th floor of a Seoul office building, Ryu Bae, a therapist known as "the Star Face Maker," is explaining that the goal of her particular line of work-a combination of craniosacral therapy, acupressure, and manual ass-kicking that involves the bashing of cheekbones and other wayward parts-is to make the body healthier and the face prettier. This seems like a rather subjective standard, but I quickly learn that in South Korea "pretty" equals small and that having a small face is a signifier not just of beauty, but of wellness. As we get older, Bae says, the face gets wider and longer due to muscle strain, poor circulation, inflammation, and tension. Change in one area of the body is often linked to a problem else- where, so during treatments Bae loosens tight ankles to make sure the butt doesn't sag, employs lymphatic drainage massage to counteract the effects of alcohol, and recommends taping balls made of the element germanium to the upper ear to help release tension all over the body. It all sounds absolutely insane until we meet one of her patients, Soo Hyun Yum, a 22-year-old student who has been dutifully getting the $1,000, two-and-a-half-hour massages weekly for the last six months. When she shows us her "before" picture, Yoon and I try to hide our shock. It looks as if she has face-swapped with a more sculpted little sister.

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Hyun Yum is not chasing youth (she is, after all, 22) but instead wants to alter the shape and contours of her face, as well as straighten her silhouette. Celebrities, including an actor I'm told is the Ryan Gosling of South Korea, have been Bae's best endorsement, and this has led to frequent spots on TV, during which Bae demonstrates such beauty hacksas pressing the tip of a pen against the edge of the face to unlock the jaw. She demonstrates some of her techniques on Yoon and me, alternating between deep kneading, cradling motions, and a rubbing that feels like getting a noogie all over your scalp. Although my face doesn't look different after one treatment (she recommends a series of 10 to 20), I do notice that the curve of my spine is less pronounced for about 10 days following my session. TAEWASUN.CO.KR

THE ANTI-AGING COUNTRY CLUB

During a tour of Chaum, a seven-story peach-scented medical center where membership starts at $55,000 a year and patients can visit for everything from IVF to exercise, I am told that the focus is on inner beauty and holistic health. (Chaum's slogan is "The Power to Age Beautifully.") To that end, each of the 900 members has access to medical checkups and stem cell banking, as well as Eastern medicine, including the Eight-Constitution Clinic, which uses a practice that tracks your pulse to determine what type of disposition you have and what type of acupuncture and food you are most likely to respond to positively. Test results are disseminated throughout the building, from the on-site chef at Les Trois restaurant to the trainer at the gym. While there are several similar facilities in Seoul, this may be the only one that cites the famous Swiss rejuvenation destination Clinique La Prairie as a touch- point. But instead of fetal sheep cell injections there is tea therapy, a never-ending flight of "meditation stairs," and an anti-aging checkup, which includes tests for hormone function, metabolism, and stress. CHAUM.NET

THE ACUPUNCTURE LIFTING FACIAL

Women in the United States may aim to look five or 10 years younger with plastic surgery, but the goal in Korea is to go back to the cradle by restoring babylike plumpness to the nose and cheeks, under the eyes, and even to the forehead. Yet it's not just locals who come for extreme cosmetic procedures. According to the Korean Tourism Organization, the number of medical tourists has nearly doubled over the last three years.

At Kwangdong Hospital of Traditional Korean Medicine, the goal is slightly more realistic. Yoon and I agree to try the Intensive Care Acupuncture Facial, a $1,200 treatment explained in an oversize book that also comes in Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and Mongolian. Up to 300 points on the face will be punctured with needles that do triple duty, as stimulators of collagen and elastin and as acupuncture meridian points that help increase blood circulation in the face. After clinic manager Deborah Park promises that the results-plumper skin, less pronounced wrinkles, minimized pores-will last a year, Dr. Choi Woo Jeong comes in to inspect my tongue. "Oh," she says, immediately assessing my condition. "Tired. And dry." She's back a few minutes later to poke needles into my face, an intensely painful process that leaves tiny bruises on my cheeks for about a week. Park holds my hand throughout. When I thank her for doing so, she says, "I'm not just holding, I'm praying."

Once the bruises finally heal, and my husband admits that I came home resembling the emperor from Star Wars, Yoon and I start messaging each other frantically. We've both noticed a lifting effect we didn't know we needed, particularly around the nose. She reports more plumpness and a more even tone, while I notice more color in my face, a side effect I attributed to the improved circulation. She's committed to doing it again next year. I may have to join her.
Donor livers would be shared more broadly around the country under a new proposal meant to reduce geographic disparities in access to transplants, but the move could harm UW Hospital and other programs by forcing them to export more livers and do fewer transplants.

This new proposal will save very few lives, it will result in fewer transplants, and greatly escalate costs, Dr. Dixon Kaufman, transplant chairman at UW Hospital, wrote in comments submitted to transplant officials.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which runs the nations transplant program, released the controversial proposal Friday for additional feedback before its board is expected to vote on the matter next year.

Currently, livers are distributed among 58 local areas and 11 regions, and supply, demand and access varies from place to place. Relatively healthy patients can get livers in some areas, such as parts of Indiana, South Carolina and Tennessee, while sicker patients elsewhere, including much of California, Massachusetts and New York, deteriorate or die on the waiting list, according to UNOS.

In Wisconsin, patients generally have had to be sicker to get liver transplants in Milwaukee than in Madison, as the State Journal showed last year in a series, Living on: Improving the odds of organ transplants. However, patients getting transplants in Madison during the first half of this year were slightly more ill than those in Milwaukee, according to UNOS.

Under the new proposal, eight regions would replace the 11 regions, meaning more livers would be shipped to places with greater demand. Proximity circles would give patients within 150 miles of donor hospitals extra medical urgency points, so livers wouldnt travel a long way because of minor differences in how much patients need them.

The new system would cut in half the significant variance today in how sick patients are when they get transplants, said Dr. Ryutaro Hirose, of the University of California, San Francisco, chairman of the UNOS liver committee.

When we redraw the lines, it actually matches better the organ supply and the demand and ensures more equitable access across the country, Hirose said. Everything is more evened out.

Shipping livers further would cost more, but that would be offset by savings from transplanting sicker patients on the waiting list sooner, Hirose said.

Kaufman and doctors from other transplant programs that could be negatively impacted, mostly in the Midwest and the South, say urban centers on the coasts should beef up donation efforts to meet demand.

Focusing our communal energy and resources to increasing donation and maximizing organ utilization will save more lives by providing a greater number of transplant opportunities rather than shuffling who gets the existing opportunity, Kaufman wrote in his comments.

Kaufman, who wasnt available for an interview last week, has said one of his major concerns involves how medical urgency points are given to patients, through a system known as Model of End-Stage Liver Disease, or MELD.

MELD scores, based on three lab tests, range from 6 for least ill to 40 for gravely ill.

Extra points can be given to patients with conditions such as liver cancer, who otherwise have low MELD scores. Use of exception points varies, with some studies showing more liberal use on the coasts.

People have gamed the system to have livers sent their way, Dr. Tony DAlessandro, a transplant surgeon at UW Hospital, told the State Journal last year.

A proposal to create a national board to oversee MELD exceptions, replacing the regional boards used today, is expected to go before the UNOS board along with the new allocation proposal in June, Hirose said.

UW Hospital, which has one of the largest transplant programs in the country, did 98 liver transplants last year. Six of them were from living donors, significantly more than were done annually during the previous decade.

UW Hospitals organ procurement organization works hard to recover organs from local deceased donors, an effort that should support local recipients over those in distant locales, Kaufman told the State Journal last year. Transplants didnt originate to become a national system, he said.

Hirose is among others who think otherwise. Organs are a national resource, not something that is local and provincial, he said.

When we redraw the lines, it actually matches better the organ supply and the demand and ensures more equitable access across the country. Dr. Ryutaro Hirose, chairman of the UNOS liver committee
Cincinnati (AFP) - Top seed Serena Williams gave up a wild card entry into the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Masters tournament after complaining of a shoulder injury.

The world number one, who is being chased in the rankings by German Angelique Kerber, took a free entry only last week and was seeded atop the draw.

But the 34-year-old American reversed course abruptly and withdrew from the tournament on Monday.

"I'm very disappointed I'm not able to compete as I was really looking forward to defending my title," Williams said.

"My shoulder inflammation continues to be a challenge, but I am anxious to return to the court as soon as possible."

The absence of Williams now opens the door to Kerber to make a run at the WTA top ranking. Williams has been No. 1 for 183 straight weeks and 306 overall.

But Kerber can become number one if she wins the Cincinnati title.

Williams took a wild card spot to get into the draw. She will be replaced by lucky loser Misaki Doi of Japan.

Doi moved into the second round and will face American Christina McHale, who beat Zheng Saisai of China 6-2, 6-2.

Australian Daria Gavrilova defeated Caroline Garcia of France 7-5, 6-3; Latvian Jelena Ostapenko stopped Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5).

Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko defeated China's Zhang Shiau 6-3, 6-3 while American CoCo Vandeweghe put out Italian Sara Errani 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Croatian Donna Vekic shocked newly married former world number one Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-2.

In men's play on a day interrupted by rain, France's Julien Benneteau earned the first upset win of the week as he put out Spanish 10th seed David Ferrer 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Injury comeback hope Kevin Anderson of South Africa reached the second round when Alexandr Dolgopolov -- a semi-finalist here last year from a qualifying start -- was unable to carry on after losing the first set 7-5.

Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas beat Californian Sam Querrey 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, finishing just before the rain arrived.

Marin Cilic reached the second round by beating Serb Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4, while Atlanta tournament champion Nick Kyrgios saw off Frenchman Lucas Pouille 6-2, 7-5.

Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov shrugged off a first-round Olympic loss to defeat Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-3 while US teenager Reilly Opelka put out Jeremy Chardy 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (11/9).
(Reuters) - Serena Williams, fresh off a third-round upset loss at the Rio Olympics, has pulled out of this week's Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati with a shoulder injury, the tournament's two-times defending champion said on Monday. Williams, who had accepted a wild card into the tournament last week after competing at the Olympics, made the decision to skip the key U.S. Open tuneup after a morning practice in Ohio. "I'm very disappointed I'm not able to compete in the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati as I was really looking forward to defending my title," world number one Williams said in a statement on the tournament's website. "My shoulder inflammation continues to be a challenge, but I am anxious to return to the court as soon as possible." The decision by Williams comes six days after she tumbled out of the singles competition at the Rio Olympics where she suffered a shock defeat to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina. The withdrawal by Williams means the tournament second seed Angelique Kerber of Germany will claim the world number one ranking if she wins the event. Williams, who will be replaced in the draw by Misaki Doi of Japan, has been the world's top-ranked player for 183 consecutive weeks. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Both)
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Levi & Korsinsky announces it has commenced an investigation of Cryoport, Inc. (CYRX) concerning possible breaches of fiduciary duty by the board of directors of the company. To obtain additional information, go to: http://zlk.9nl.com/cryoport-cyrx or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@zlk.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500, toll-free: (877) 363-5972.

Levi & Korsinsky is a national firm with offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut and Washington D.C. The firm's attorneys have extensive expertise in prosecuting securities litigation involving financial fraud, representing investors throughout the nation in securities and shareholder lawsuits. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Eduard Korsinsky, Esq.

30 Broad Street - 24th Floor

New York, NY 10004

Tel: (212) 363-7500

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SOURCE: Levi & Korsinsky, LLP
From Esquire

Police shot and killed an armed man who was fleeing from a traffic stop in Milwaukee on Saturday, leading to protests that became violent.

"The black people of Milwaukee are tired," Alderman Khalif Rainey said. "They're tired of living under this oppression."

Protests began on Saturday evening and continued through much of the night. According to police, they began restoring order to the area around 3:30 a.m.

The names of the victim and the officer involved have not yet been released, the New York Times reported. The shooting took place around 3:30 p.m. Saturday when police pulled over a "suspicious vehicle" with two men inside. Both men attempted to flee and police ordered one to drop his gun. When he did not comply, the officer opened fire, shooting the man in the chest and arm, Mayor Tom Barrett said.

Crowds of angry people fought with police in the Sherman Park neighborhood near where the incident took place. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, around 10:15 p.m., a gas station was in flames and police and firefighters said they were unable to respond because of gunfire. Three other businesses were also set afire. One officer was taken to the hospital after he was hit in the head with a brick.

Crowd breaks widows of unoccupied squad near Sherman and Auer. Other squad set afire and broken windows on another. pic.twitter.com/Jux2mJZYyQ - Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) August 14, 2016

Three buildings in flames. Two stores & a gas station. #Milwaukee pic.twitter.com/wrqd4xpYSY - Alejandro Alvarez (@aletweetsnews) August 14, 2016

"What has happened may not have been right," Alderman Rainey said, "I'm not justifying that, but nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that have to be rectified, because if you don't, you're one day away."

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Update, August 14, 3:03 p.m.: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has activated the Wisconsin National Guard following the incidents on Saturday night and issued the following statement.

"Following a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, and after discussions with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Adjutant General Donald Dunbar, I have activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request. I commend the citizens who volunteered in clean-up efforts this morning. This act of selfless caring sets a powerful example for Milwaukee's youth and the entire community. I join Milwaukee's leaders and citizens in calling for continued peace and prayer. It is also important for citizens to know that Wisconsin is the first state in the nation to have a law requiring an independent investigation anytime there is a shooting by a law enforcement officer that leads to a death. I will not comment on the specifics of the case as it is now under this investigation. I do, however, hope people will give law enforcement the respect they deserve for working so hard to keep us safe.

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Simone Biles lost her balance during our routine in the beam final. (Getty Images)

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RIO DE JANEIRO  It was, by Simone Biles standards, a simple front flip, not close to the most difficult elements of her audacious beam routine. Yet she lost balance as she landed it, stumbled her feet and needed to grab the beam to stabilize herself.

And in the cruel, perfection-chasing world of gymnastics, that was that for Biles quest to become the first gymnast ever to capture five gold medals in a single Olympics. Not even her high degree of difficulty could save her.

The next competitor up, Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands, took advantage and, perhaps motivated by the unexpected opportunity in front of her, delivered a brilliant routine for a score of 15.466 to win gold in the balance beam final.

Wevers held off a charge later by American Laurie Hernandez, who scored 15.333 and took silver. Biles score of 14.733 was enough for bronze.

[Featured: Mary Lou Retton tells why the first prom she experienced was her daughters]

Well, she is human, said Amiee Boorman, Biles coach.

Im still proud of it, Biles said.

So was Hernandez, who was satisfied with her routine even if it fell just short of gold. The 16-year-old native of New Jersey performed to her standards and barely missed out. Wevers proved just too strong.

Judging is judging, said national team coordinator Marta Karolyi.

Hernandez didnt appear too disappointed. This was her first major international competition and to come away with two medals, including a gold in the team competition where she competed in three disciplines, was an unquestioned success. Hernandez, who recently turned professional, will continue competing and, barring injury, should make a run at returning to Tokyos Olympics in 2020.

Hernandez said winning a medal on beam was particularly satisfying because for a long time it was her least favorite event.

When I was younger I remember competing and I couldnt even stand on the beam I was so nervous, Hernandez said. Its kind of nice.

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Her team launched an inquiry into the scoring, arguing that she deserved an extra 0.1 points on her difficulty rating, but it was denied. It wouldnt have been enough to change the outcome anyway.

The medal would have been the same, said Maggie Haney, Hernandezs coach.

[Related: Challenging judges in Olympic gymnastics costs real money]

Biles was seeking to become the first gymnast to win five gold medals at a single Olympics. She had already earned gold in team, all around and vault.

She can still tie the record of four held by Vera Caslavska of then-Czechoslovakia (1968) and Agnes Keleti of Hungary (1956) by winning the floor exercise final on Tuesday. She is the favorite, having posted the highest scores in qualifying and during both the team and all-around competitions.

Biles stumble reminds of the physical and mental grind of the Olympic gymnastics meet, with podium training, qualifying and five days of competition spread out over 12 days. Unlike some competitors, she competed in all-around and on all four apparatus in the team event. Its a heavy workload.

To be on point each time is a grind, perhaps particularly when the hoopla of being Simone Biles overtakes you. Remaining focused and in a bubble closed off from outside distractions is a challenge  during Sundays session with the media she was already fielding questions about appearing on Dancing with the Stars.

Theres only one day left, Biles said, brushing off suggestions she might be getting tired.

The 19-year-old from Spring, Texas, took the mistake well, rallying herself to a terrific performance the rest of the way. Although clearly disappointed, she smiled and waved to the crowd which cheered for her. And she enthusiastically hugged and cheered for Hernandez when she competed later and scored higher.

To win any medal is amazing, Biles said.

Two Americans still wound up on the medal podium, but for the first time Simone Biles has competed at these Olympics, a national anthem other than the United States was played for the champion.
Photo: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo Singapore



The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be deploying a medical team to Iraq in 2017 as part of Singapores contribution to the multinational coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced in Parliament on Monday (15 August).

The team will be deployed for about three months to address the healthcare needs of coalition troops and residents in Iraq, Ng said.

Since December 2014, Singapore has been contributing to the coalition by deploying a liaison officer, an intelligence planner and an imagery analyst team to the combined task force headquartered in Kuwait.

SAFs KC-135 tankers, a military aerial refueling aircraft, have also been deployed, Ng said.

Our deployment in Iraq will complement existing coalition medical resources. Through this deployment, our personnel will also gain good operational experience.

The exact size, composition and capabilities of the medical support team will be determined after our Needs, Assessment and Survey team assesses the situation, Ng added.

This is not the first time Singapore has deployed a medical team for overseas operations. A medical team was also deployed to Afghanistan between 2008 and 2011.

Ng reiterated the governments view that the threat posed by terrorism is long term and that the campaign against ISIS will not end quickly.
On the run. Islamic State fighters are fleeing their one-time stronghold of Sirte, Libya, and heading south. Libyan and western military officials arent sure where exactly theyre headed, but the fight against the militant group in the country appears far from over. While Libyan militias have finally (mostly) pushed the fighters out of the city, hundreds of ISIS members apparently fledin the weeks leading up to the fight, and some have regrouped near the city of Bani Walid. Others have pushed across the borders into Algeria and Niger.

These borders are so huge and they require a degree of professionalism that these countries do not have in order to monitor them, a Western official told the Wall Street Journal. American warplanes flew 41 missions over Sirte between Aug. 1 and 11, pummeling dozens of targets in support of the Libyan militias.

Here, too. Iraqi and Kurdish forces also took four villages near Mosul over the weekend, inching closer to the city which ISIS has held since 2014. The new offensive, which kicked off Sunday, was backed by U.S. airstrikes and artillery. Last month, Iraqi forces backed by U.S. air strikes retook the Qayyarah Air Base south of the city  also known as Q-West during the U.S. occupation  which will soon serve as a main logistics hub in the push for Mosul. The base will also likely house many of the 500 new U.S. soldiers currently being sent to Iraq.

Just one more. Hundreds of ISIS fighters also recently fled Manbij in northern Syria, as U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab rebels completed the retaking of the key city after weeks of heavy fighting. The city is one of two major crossings to Turkey from Syria, and its fall will probably shut off the route for supplies and fighters for the terrorist group. Like in Sirte, and Mosul, the U.S. Air Force played a key role in the battle, launching about 100 airstrikes on targets in recent weeks. After the militants fled the city, Britains Channel 4 News broadcast images of jubilant residents burning their veils and cutting off their beards.

Its still 2016. Republican nominee Donald Trump will deliver a foreign policy speech in Ohio at 2:00 p.m. Monday in which his advisors say hell outline plans to defeat ISIS, and offer a revamped version of his call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. Hell also offer a vision for foreign policy realism that will call for an end to nation building.

While Trump looks to move his campaign forward, questions continue to swirl around his advisors and their ties to Russia. A new report emerged Sunday that handwritten  and unverified  documents recently found in Kiev include the name of Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, stating that he was owed over $12 million by the pro-Russian regime of then-President of Ukraine, Viktor F. Yanukovych. Theres no hard proof that Manafort ever actually received the money and the advisor has pushed back hard against the story.

Good morning and as always, if you have any thoughts, announcements, tips, or national security-related events to share, please pass them along to SitRep HQ. Best way is to send them to: paul.mcleary@foreignpolicy.com or on Twitter: @paulmcleary or @arawnsley

Japan

Japan is working on a new anti-ship missile to help defend its claims to a disputed chain of islands that both Tokyo and Beijing say belongs to them, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun. The missile will be mounted on vehicles and have a 300 kilometer range. If all goes to plan, itll be available by fiscal year 2023. Japanese officials plan to deploy the weapon to Miyakojima so it could be used to hit targets near the Senkaku Islands (called Diaoyu by Beijing), claimed by both China and Japan.

Europe

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has told Russia that it needs to stick to the Minsk peace agreement to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, Reuters reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin raised eyebrows when he hinted that Russia might no longer be invested in the terms of the Minsk peace agreement, hammered out between Moscow, Ukraine, and European countries. Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have risen in recent days following a series of murky violent incidents on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia has blamed on Ukraine.

Cybersecurity

Hackers linked to the Russian government released personal data on Democratic Members of Congress on Friday. The leak, posted to the Guccifer 2 WordPress blog which cybersecurity researchers believe is run by Russian military intelligence, included all Democratic House Members personal cell phone numbers and email addresses.

House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the publication lead to receiving a torrent of obscene and sick calls, voicemails and text messages. Twitter briefly suspended the Twitter account linked to the Guccifer 2 blog but has since reinstated it, declining to offer explanations for its removal or reappearance.

The Islamic State

Islamic State recruits are pretty dumb, Islamically speaking. The AP dropped a story based on leaked internal documents containing biographical information from 3,000 recruits to the Islamic State in Syria. It turns out that the foreign fighters dont know much about the religion theyre purportedly ready to die for. When asked to rate their knowledge of Sharia law, 70 percent described picked the basic familiarity box on forms, the lowest option available.

Afghanistan

The Taliban is making progress in bring breakaway factions back into the fold after a poisonous dispute over its leadership. The Wall Street Journal reports that a splinter group led by Mullah Baz Mohammad Haris has pledged allegiance to Taliban leader Maulavi Haibatullah Akhundzada after a concerted effort to woo the rebels back. Akhundzada has taken a different tack towards splinter groups than his predecessor, Mullah Mansour, applying a softer line in winning them back compared to Mansours harsh crackdown.

Nigeria

Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has released a new video showing 50 of the Chibok schoolgirls. The group kidnapped 276 girls in one assault in 2014, prompting outrage around the world and a viral #BringBackOurGirls hashtag on social media. In the new video, a masked member of the group says it has married off 40 of the captives and will not return them unless the Nigerian government releases some of its prisoners. Analysts say the video is an attempt to undermine the government by rekindling the anger over its failure to prevent their kidnapping and secure their return.

Bots o war

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) is joining the fight against the threat of small drones on the battlefield. Defense One reports that the Pentagon sci-fi research shop posted a request for information stating that its in the market for ideas on how to make sensors that can find small unmanned aircraft while to defend vehicles, ships and fixed defense installations. Darpa also wants the system to be useful for detecting other small, airborne threats, such as rockets, mortars and small artillery.

And finally

The heartless monsters who run the Pentagon have banned all Defense Department employees from using Pokemon Go app on their work phones, citing fears that it could be exploited for espionage. Workers had established a Pokemon gym, where users can train Pokemon and face off against others, in the Pentagon, but it looks like the establishment will now have to be closed.

Correction, August 15, 2016: A previous version of this article stated that Trump advisor Paul Manafort had been paid over $12 million by clients in the former Ukrainian government, but there is no evidence that he had received any such payments. A note will follow in Tuesdays Situation Report email.



Photo credit: STR/AFP/Getty Images
Maputo (AFP) - Six people have been killed in an attack by Renamo rebels in Mozambique, police said Monday, the latest in a string of violent skirmishes between opposition fighters and government forces.

Two unidentified survivors claimed that government troops had staged the attack, but police laid the blame squarely on rebels.

"Armed men from Renamo ambushed a vehicle on Friday, firing at it until it caught fire," police spokesman Daniel Macuacua told AFP.

"Six people were burnt to death." All the victims were civilians, though their identities have not been released.

"We are still looking for any potential survivors who may have escaped," Macuacua added.

- 'Lined up and shot' -

But two survivors told the country's independent television channel STV on condition of anonymity, that the government troops were behind the attack.

One claimed police stopped them, checked their identities and drove them into the forest. They were eight farm produce sellers, two of them Bangladeshis.

"They put the Mozambicans in a line and shot them down one by one. Then I was grabbed by the coat but I managed to get out of it and escaped (unharmed)," said the survivor, of Bangladesh origin.

The second survivor said they were taken out to the bush where they were shot "one by and one" as they stepped out of the car.

The man also a Bangladesh, claimed that he jumped out of car, was shot but "hid in the bush," he told STV from a local hospital.

Renamo, which waged a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992, has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since independence 40 years ago.

Since 2013, tensions have risen and Renamo fighters have again taken up arms in a battle that it says is against a Frelimo elite who have enriched themselves at the expense of the country.

- Uptick in violence -

Peace talks are under way, but authorities blame the stand-off for an uptick in violent attacks in northern and central parts of Mozambique.

Story continues

In May, 13 bodies were found in the restive centre of the country where security forces and Renamo rebels have frequently clashed, while the Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH) claimed at least 83 summary executions had been reported since the start of the year.

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama has been living in hiding since October 2015 after he escaped two attacks against his convoy.

He claims government troops are continuously attacking his stronghold in Gorongosa in central Mozambique, in an attempt to lure him out or kill him.

The clashes have intensified in recent months following Dhlakama's declaration in December that he would take power in six of Mozambique's 11 provinces which he claims he won in the 2014 elections.
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaked this week, but four daredevils were not to be outdone by the spectacular sky show. As meteors streaked across the night sky, the men jumped out of an airplane wearing LED wingsuits, transforming themselves, in essence, into shooting stars.

The stunt, sponsored by energy drink maker Red Bull, was timed to pay tribute to the Perseids, which are also known as the "tears of St. Lawrence," the skydivers said in a statement.

What's more, the men  Joakim Sommer from Norway, Armando del Rey from Spain, and Marco Waltenspiel and Georg Lettner, both from Austria  did the jump in one of the best areas in the Northern Hemisphere for astronomical observations: over La Palma in the Canary Islands, located off the northwestern coast of Africa. [8 Craziest Skydives of All Time]

The Perseid meteor shower occurs every year when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind from the Comet Swift-Tuttle. These cosmic objects streak across Earth's atmosphere, leaving ephemeral burning trails of light.

This year's show has been particularly dazzling, with some skywatchers reporting up to 200 meteors per hour on Thursday night and Friday morning (Aug. 11 and 12) when the Perseids peaked, according to NASA. The four additional "shooting stars" over the Canary Islands didn't burn up like most meteors. Instead, the four daredevils jumped from an altitude of 1.1 miles (1.8 kilometers) out of an airplane above the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, home of the world's biggest optic telescope, the Gran Telescopio.

Moreover, the jumpers pulled off the 105-mph (170 km/h) freefall in total darkness, using only the light from their LED wingsuits and the stars around them to guide the way.

"The experience has been amazing," Sommer said in a statement. "It literally felt like I was in a video game. I was in this black tunnel, and there was nothing else besides all those billions of stars in my face. It was a really unique visual, because you could really feel the speed, but you have no other surroundings. You are just in pitch black; it is like you are out there in the outer space. It's crazy. It was literally crazy."

Story continues

Photographers captured the stunt for prosperity with videos and pictures. Several long-exposure photos show the wingsuit jumpers streaking across the dark sky with stars in the background.

The jump above La Palma, also known as "La Isla Bonita," happened from a T21 aircraft, courtesy of the Air Force, the Canarian Institute of Astrophysics and La Palma City Hall.

The jumpers also paid their respects to firefighters battling a massive blaze that hit La Palma this past month. It's likely that the fire was started by a German tourist who was burning used toilet paper in a national park, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Original article on Live Science.

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Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The wrestling world was shocked in the best possible way earlier this year when Shane McMahon himself returned to the WWE after a near-decade away from the business. But after the initial excitement of seeing Shane OMac in the flesh wore off, a subset of people got even more stoked once they noticed that week after week, McMahon was rolling out to ring in some vintage Nike kicks. It turns out the boss son is a bit of a sneakerhead, as this new video interview strongly reinforces.

As Shane browses the absolutely insane selection of rare shoes at Flight Club in New York City, he shows off his deep knowledge of Air Jordans and reveals that Vince McMahon doesnt care for the flashier sneakers of today, preferring to stick with the tried-and-true Stan Smiths. And while he eventually racks up a near-$900 bill off of four pairs of Jordans (the most expensive of which, 2014s 1 Retro High, retails for $250), the total couldve been a whole lot higher, as he briefly eyes up a pair of Eminem Nikes that cost $30,000.

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The absolute best part, however, is when Shane has to lie through his teeth and say hed happily wear John Cenas Kmart-brand sneakers if Cena asked him. The second-best part? When Shane politely throws shade at Kanye Wests new line of top-dollar Nikes, saying he likes his music and thats it.
Mensah discovered the 25-year-old Anderson sleeping in his car after hours in a park in Wauwatosa, a Milwaukee suburb. Mensah said he shot Anderson after he reached for a gun.
ROK NAVY aegis Sejong the Great

South Korea's Yonhap news agency recently reported that the country may seek to buy Raytheon SM-3 ballistic defense missiles from the US as tensions rise with North Korea and in the broader Pacific region.

The missiles, if acquired, would replace the SM-2 missiles currently fielded by South Korea's Aegis destroyers and improve their range from about 100 miles to more than 300 miles, significantly extending their layers of missile defense.

The move to acquire better missile defenses comes after North Korea launched two "No Dong" intermediate-range ballistic missiles, one of which landed near the Sea of Japan, or the East Sea, as it is also known.

SM-3 Missile

The South Korean Navy plans to build three more Sejong the Great-class guided missile destroyers that use the same radar and launch system as the US Navys Arleigh Burke-class BMD guided missile destroyers, the US Naval Institute reports. As the current ships cannot accommodate the SM-3 missiles, the newer ships may be modified for their use.

The SM-3 missiles would leverage the South Korean Navy's powerful radar to accurately and reliably destroy incoming ballistic missiles while they're still in space, and safely distant from targets on the surface.

The Naval Institute also notes that the news of South Korea's SM-3 deliberation was met with immediate and harsh rebuke from a Chinese state-run news agency: It is unmistakably a strategic misjudgment for Seoul to violate the core interests of its two strong neighbors, at the cost of its own security, and only in the interests of American hegemony.

The State Department would not confirm the possible foreign military sale, but a single SM-3 missile costs at least $9 million, according to the US Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Request.

Story continues

Watch the SM-3 missile intercept tests in the video below:

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By Denis Dumo JUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan will consider a United Nations plan to send in troops and stop the country's episode of violence, President Salva Kiir said on Monday, confirming a softer stance toward a U.N. vote to send in extra troops. The U.N. Security Council authorized an extra 4,000 troops on Friday, something Kiir's spokesman immediately said the government would oppose. On Sunday, however, the information minister said the proposal would be considered. "There are people who are accusing the transitional government of refusing and fighting the U.N. ... this is not accurate," Kiir said at a ceremony to reopen parliament. "The transitional government has not met to declare its final position. Deliberations will come later on a final position," he said, without saying when the government might make a decision. The U.N. decision was a reaction to days of fierce fighting in Juba, the country's capital last month. The violence raised fears of a slide back into civil war in the world's youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011. Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had uncovered evidence of cold-blooded execution of civilians, including a journalist, by security forces during last month's fighting. The group also found evidence of civilians being raped by soldiers in the chaos of the fighting, it said on Monday. The U.N. made similar accusations against the military earlier this month. HRW criticized the U.N. for failing to impose a "long overdue arms embargo", calling for asset freezes and travel bans on those who carried out abuses. "The continued supply of arms only helps fuel the abuses on a larger scale," said Daniel Bekele, the group's Africa director. Ateny Wek Ateny, the president's spokesman, said he could not comment since he was still going through the report. Earlier, Kiir had said in his speech to parliament they were investigating reports of sexual assaults, calling them unacceptable. At least two civilians and a soldier were killed in fighting southwest of the capital on Saturday between Kiir's forces and troops loyal to his former deputy, Riek Machar. Each side blamed the other for starting the violence. The extra U.N. troops, described as a protection force that has the backing of African nations, will fall under the command of UNMISS, the existing 12,000-strong U.N. mission. The U.N. resolution threatens South Sudan with an arms embargo if it does not cooperate. Kiir said the government had serious concerns about the U.N. decision but was willing to discuss them to find the best way of "achieving our mutual interests". Political differences between Kiir and Machar first erupted into conflict in late 2013. A peace deal ended the civil war in August 2015, but sporadic fighting continued. Machar withdrew with his forces from Juba after violence flared in July, setting up a potential armed standoff. (Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Robin Larry King)
COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lankan financial crime police arrested the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said, the latest legal difficulty for the once-powerful family. Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, faces pressure to act on allegations of corruption dating back to the Rajapaksa era, especially from civil society organizations who backed his successful bid to oust Rajapaksa last year. The son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a member of parliament, had been questioned by officers from the Financial Crimes Investigations Division investigating some money he had invested in two companies, the lawyer said. "He was arrested by police under the anti-money laundering act," lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatta told Reuters. He later appeared in court and was remanded for a week, Dolawatta said. Neither Namal Rajapaksa nor family members were immediately available for comment but they have in the past all publicly denied wrongdoing. It was the second time he had been arrested. In July, he was arrested in connection with a separate case on suspicion of misappropriating of funds in a $650-million apartment project and was released on bail after seven days in detention on remand. Namal's uncle, the former president's brother, Basil Rajapaksa, who headed the economic development ministry, has also been arrested three times - twice over suspicion of misuse of anti-poverty funds and a once over suspicion of laundering money. He too has denied any wrongdoing. Since he took power in January 2015 after winning a presidential election, President Sirisena has launched a series of investigations into deals cleared by his predecessor and several members of his family. Mahinda Rajapaksa was president for a decade until January 2015 and is now an opposition legislator. He is popular among ethnic majority Sinhala Buddhists who credit him with ending a 26-year-war against ethnic minority Tamil separatist rebels in 2009. He is trying to rally opposition to the government. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez; Editing by Robert Birsel)
If youve recently stayed at a hotel, now might be a good time to check your credit card statement.

On Aug. 12, HEI Hotels and Resorts reported a data breach that could have exposed the names, card account numbers, expiration dates and verification codes of thousands of customers. The breach affected at least 20 of the 43 Starwood (HOT), Marriott (MAR), Hyatt (H) and Intercontinental Hotels (IHG) operated by HEI.

According to a notice on its site, HEI discovered the breach after receiving an alert from its card processor. A subsequent investigation found that malicious software was installed in payment processing systems used at restaurants, bars, spas and lobby shops.

Its hard to pinpoint how many people were affected, but Chris Daly, a spokesperson for HEI, says it could be in the tens of thousands. 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 told Reuters. The number of customers affected is difficult to calculate because they might have used their cards multiple times.

The malware was installed in some hotels as early as March 1, 2016, with a large number of properties coming under attack in December 2015. The breach was active until June 21, 2016.

Multiple properties were affected, including Starwood Westin hotels in Minneapolis; Pasadena, Calif.; Philadelphia; Snowmass, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The breach also affected Starwood properties in Arlington, Va.; Manchester Village, Vt.; San Francisco; Miami; and Nashville.

Marriott hotels in Boca Raton, Fla.; Dallas-Fort Worth; Chicago; San Diego; and Minneapolis were also affected by the breach.

According to HEI, the company is cooperating with law enforcement to do a thorough investigation, and is working with banks and payment card companies to correct any issues. HEI also said its reviewing and enhancing security measures.

Story continues

How do you know if your credit card was among those hacked? The majority of states have laws that require consumers to be notified if there is a security breach where personal information is at risk. (Alabama, New Mexico and South Dakota are the only three states where this rule doesnt apply.) However, HEI says that it does not have the information needed to locate potentially affected customers. So if you think you were affected by the breach, its important to contact your bank or card issuer immediately.

Going forward, here are some tips to keep our personal information safe.

1. Review credit and debit card account statements

Do this as soon as possible. Check to see if there are any discrepancies or unusual activity listed. Youll want to look at past statements, but its also important to keep an eye on future statements as well. If you see anything that looks suspicious, or you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the card issuer immediately.

2. Credit is better than debit

Both credit cards and debit cards typically come with a zero-liability policy, meant to protect consumers from fraudulent and unauthorized charges. If credit card data is stolen, most issuers are able to straighten out the account and issue a new credit card within a few days  and the cardholder is not liable for any unauthorized transactions. The same cant be said for debit cards. For instance, in 2007, TJ Maxx had a massive data breach that resulted in $150 million in losses. Credit card users felt little impact, but in an interview with Bankrate, Frank Abagnale, a secure document consultant, revealed that it took some debit card holders three months to get reimbursed.

If youre concerned with the possibility of having a depleted bank account if a breach occurs, its safer to use your credit card for daily purchases and pay off the balance every month.

3. Check your credit report

The three major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax and Experian) each offer a free credit report every year. Its a good idea to check your report annually to ensure there is no debt that doesnt belong to you. Finding unknown debt or suspicious activity could indicate fraud.

Brittany Jones-Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Finance.

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If Hillary Clinton wins the election this November, Bill Clinton would be more than just the first first gentleman. As a former president, hed get the unique opportunity to do what Im sure many former presidents wish they could  help right the wrongs of his administration.

Like that infamous 1994 crime bill.

This was the massive law that created mandatory minimums for violent offenders before they could be considered for parole, and required those convicted of two or more felonies to serve a life sentence. It incentivized state-level truth in sentencing laws, which moved people off parole and into jail cells, and then awarded $10 billion to build prisons.

Bill Clinton didnt create mass incarceration  we have Nixons drug war to thank for that  but he did exacerbate it, contributing to a system where poor, black people are imprisoned longer and more often than anyone else.

We now have the largest prison population on earth, with more than 2 million people incarcerated in the United States today. And more than 60 percent of those imprisoned are people of color, even though they account for just a quarter of the overall population.

Since then, Bill Clinton has acknowledged he made a mistake in signing that law. And Hillary  who notoriously warned back in the 1990s about super predators who need to be brought to heel  has also acknowledged her mistake and has pledged to reform our criminal justice system from end to end.

If Hillary wins, the Clintons will get a chance to do more than just apologize.

The Movement For Black Lives has just released a policy agenda to address racial justice issues in America and put an end to the criminal justice system as we know it. The document provides alternatives, it says, to the current systems use of increasingly long sentences as catch-all responses to everything from economic desperation to substance dependence.

At a broader level, the platform calls for ending the criminalization and killing of black people, democratic community control of law enforcement agencies, divesting government funds from prisons, and investing instead in education and other services.

A reformed Bill Clinton could be a powerful advocate for criminal justice reform on these fronts and others. But a new Clinton administration could go even further to make amends with the communities of color most affected by mass incarceration.

For example, the new Black Lives platform also demands reparations for harms from slavery to redlining  a Federal Housing Administration policy that refused to back loans for black people which, in author Ta Nehisi Coates words, destroyed the possibility of investment wherever black people lived. And it calls for increased local democracy through policies like participatory budgeting.

A Clinton administration that adopted even part of this agenda could help reverse the narrative that theyd pursue the same old policies just because theyre established politicians. And Bill hitting the trail for them would be a fitting extension of the first spouse tradition of championing worthwhile social causes.

For first gentleman Bill Clinton, the third time could be the charm.
From Esquire

We don't usually post about polls here in the shebeen, but, since we were talking earlier about how Republicans in the newly insane state of North Carolina are making it so hard for Certain People to vote that even the federal courts have begun to notice, we thought we'd throw up some numbers produced on Friday by the NBC/Wall Street Journal abacus.

Glorioski.

"These are supposed to be battleground states, but right now, they don't look that way," says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. Indeed, if Clinton ultimately wins all four, Trump has no realistic path to getting the 270 electoral votes needed for victory. And even if Trump is able to win in Florida and its 29 electoral votes, he has to run the table in the other battlegrounds, including in Pennsylvania.

I know. I know. Labor Day. The Debates. Anything Can Happen and Whatta Year It's Been, Amirite? But, right now, in these critical states, the Republican presidential candidate looks as though he's spiraling out of control into a very deep ravine.

(And if you can look at those numbers and figure out why the hell he's in Connectticut tomorrow, you should contact the RNC immediately.)

[contentlinks align="center" textonly="false" numbered="false" headline="Related Story" customtitles="Donald Trump Is the GOP's Disease in Its Terminal Stage" customimages="" content="article.47511"]

You will note in particular that HRC is leading by nine in North Carolina, even with all the effort the state legislature has put into creating a wide margin of finagle in the numbers. And, just as a set decoration, I thought I'd leave this right here.

Amendment XV: Section 1: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude; Section 2: The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Story continues

If that nine-point spread holds, and the Reverend William Barber, official preacherman of this shebeen, isn't invited to give the invocation at the inauguration, somebody really should get fired.

Click here to respond to this post on the official Esquire Politics Facebook page.

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4197

Jeff Steinhauer, a physicist at Technion University in Israel, has created an acoustic black hole and observed particles slipping out of its grasp, providing the strongest evidence to date of one of Stephen Hawking's most famous predictions.

In 1974, Stephen Hawking predicted that black holes might not be the bottomless pits we imagine them to be. According to Hawking's calculations, some information might escape black holes in the form of energy, or Hawking radiation.

Here's how it works: Throughout the universe, matter-antimatter pairs of particles are constantly flickering in and out of existence (because matter and antimatter quickly annihilate each other).

But if one of these particles is dragged into the event horizon of a black hole  the point where not even light can escape  before the pair annihilates, the other particle might slip away as Hawking radiation.

Acoustic black hole

black hole

To test this prediction, Steinhauer created an analogue black hole using extremely cold atoms trapped in a laser beam.

When he applied a second laser beam, it made a sort of step that the atoms could flow over, kind of like a waterfall. As the atoms poured over the step, they accelerated, reaching supersonic speeds (faster than the speed of sound).

This created an acoustic black hole  sound waves inside the supersonic region couldn't escape because the condensate was flowing faster than the sound particles, or phonons, could travel.

It's like trying to swim against a river, Steinhauer told Business Insider. If the river is flowing faster than you can swim, then you can't move forward  you go back. That's like this phonon trying to escape the black hole.

When pairs of phonons were created near the analogue black hole, Steinhauer observed one particle falling in and the other escaping. This, he said, is analogous to a photon escaping a real black hole.

In 2014, Steinhauer observed this Hawking radiation, but in that experiment, the radiation was simulated  it was caused by something hitting the event horizon and creating the pairs. These new results are the first observation of quantum Hawking radiation, which means that the pairs were created all on their own, out of nothing.

Story continues

Entangled pairs

Steinhauer also observed something called entanglement between the two particles. Entanglement is a quantum connection of sorts between particles. Entangled particles are somehow connected, regardless of the distance between them. So even if one particle falls into the black hole, the particle on the outside is still carrying the information of that particle.

This is the first time that anyone has ever produced evidence of entanglement between Hawking pairs.

Thinking about entanglement, Steinhauer said, is important to understand something called the information paradox.

According to quantum mechanics, information should never be lost. But as a black hole radiates Hawking radiation, it slowly evaporates until it disappears, along with all of the information inside it. If entangled Hawking radiation on the outside carries the information of particles on the inside, it would explain what happens to all of that information.

"The reason people care about black holes and Hawking radiation is not to learn about the black holes themselves so much as to test the new laws of physics," Steinhauer said. "Verifying that Hawking radiation really occurs is a good step toward trying to figure out what the new laws of physics are."

In this experiment, Hawking radiation occurred in the form of extremely weak sound waves, with one wave on the outside and one on the inside. In order to see these very slight waves, Steinhauer had to repeat the experiment 4,600 times, which meant six days of continuous experiments. But the hard work paid off.

"We've verified Hawking's calculation, and we've even seen that particles really are entangled," Steinhauer said. "I hope that this will give insight to physicists who think about real black holes."

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Long before he was a renowned plastic surgeon, this reality show doctor was a library scofflaw after failing to return an overdue book for more than 40 years.

Dr. Michael Kelly, Miami plastic surgeon and star of TLC reality series Body Work, was visiting his West Virginia hometown for a high school reunion when he realized a beloved book was way past due.

The book, entitled So You Want To Be a Doctor by Alan E. Nourse, was checked out of the Kanawha County Public Library in 1976 when Dr. Kelly was just 17 years old.

Read: Library's Harry Potter Event Postponed After Adults Complain About Being Excluded

The book was a guide to what it takes to get into medical school, Dr. Kelly told InsideEdition.com. I was interested in going into medicine so I picked up the book and soon enough, I couldnt put it down.

Kelly said hes always been fascinated with the world of medicine and after reading the book, he knew it was the right career path for him.

Read: Town in Uproar After Council Votes to Evict Library Cat From His Only Home

It went with me from house to house, said Kelly. I had it in high school and in college; it went everywhere with me.

Dr. Kelly returned the book, along with a check for $500 he donated to the library.

According to Marketing and Development Manager, Terry Wooten, the book is now outdated and wont be returned to the shelf.

Between his Miami practice and the success of Body Work, Dr. Kelly doesn't have much time for library books these days.

"I just use my tablet now," he said. "At least Ill never have to return that."

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - A suspect being questioned in the killing of a Muslim imam and his associate in New York City over the weekend was arrested on Monday on charges related to a hit-and-run traffic accident on the day of the murders, police officials said.

The suspect, who police described at a briefing as an Hispanic man, was being questioned about the fatal shootings of Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin on Saturday after they left a mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens.

Officials declined to give the name of the suspect or to comment on a suspected motive for the killings.

(Reporting by Frank McGurty; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Geneva (AFP) - Local officials have searched a Liechtenstein home belonging to the attacker who started a fire on a Swiss train and stabbed passengers at the weekend, police said Monday.

Police had already searched the residence of the 27-year-old Swiss national in eastern Switzerland on Saturday, hours after the deadly attack.

But on Monday Swiss police said he also had a home in the tiny principality of Liechtenstein, which he had reportedly sublet for the past three years.

The authorities are working to determine what led the man to carry out the grisly attack on Saturday, on a moving train in the eastern Swiss region of Saint Gallen.

"It is too early to say anything about (the motive)," Saint Gallen police spokesman Gian Andrea Rezzoli told AFP, reiterating that there was no indication it was a terrorist or politically-motivated attack.

He said Swiss police were preparing to study the material retrieved on Sunday in the Liechtenstein search at the man's home.

Both the attacker and a 34-year-old female victim died of their injuries on Sunday.

Five other people suffered both burn and stab wounds in the attack, which took place on the line between Buchs and Sennwald near Salez station.

A 17-year-old woman's life remained in the balance and a six-year-old girl was in serious but not critical condition, Rezzoli said.

A witness told the 20 Minutten daily that he had seen a young woman burning "like a torch", and said another woman suffered stab wounds to her stomach and the child had burn injuries to her face.

- 'Loner' -

Police have so far not named the perpetrator or any of the victims, but media identified the attacker as Simon S., citing neighbours describing him as tall, lanky and a "loner".

Several media published a slightly blurry picture allegedly of the attacker with his eyes blacked out, but showing a man with a thin face, blond hair and goatee and apparently wearing steel-rimmed glasses.

Story continues

"He was a quiet, friendly guy, but I have a feeling he had problems with himself," The Blick daily quoted one acquaintance as saying.

"You could tell he had been teased his whole life," he added, saying the man "had no friends. He was often alone."

A neighbour meanwhile told 20 Minuten the man "lived in extreme isolation".

The attacker was reportedly the son of a teacher who had worked part-time at an car parts supplier and also attended a technical university in Buchs.

Blick also identified the woman who died as Janja S., and said she was a Croatian national and the divorced mother of two children, aged seven and 10.

Police say it remains unclear if the attacker knew any of the victims on the train or if he struck at random.

A friend and neighbour of the woman who died meanwhile said she did not think she knew her killer.

"I think Janja was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is so unfair," Jelena Karan, 23, told Blick.
(Adds impact on commodities, quote from Louisiana governor and forecast for central states)

By Bryn Stole

LIVINGSTON, La., Aug 15 (Reuters) - Swollen rivers across much of southern Louisiana receded slowly from record levels on Monday while rescue crews searched for people stranded in flooded homes after torrential rains left seven people dead.

While the threat of flash flooding moved into Texas and the U.S. Midwest, more than 11,000 Louisianans had signed up for disaster assistance, Louisiana's governor said on social media. Over the weekend, floods inundated their homes, rising to rooftops in some areas and trapping people inside cars on a major interstate around Baton Rouge.

Emergency crews had rescued more than 20,000 people and continued to search for more after a storm dumped than 2 feet (61 cm) of rain in three days in some places.

"Our state is currently experiencing a historic flooding event that is breaking every record," Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a statement on Monday, adding that he did not know when the water would clear. Some downstream communities were still experiencing cresting rivers.

"The water started rising three or four days ago and it's still coming up right now," said Lonnie Wells, 59, as he stood on flooded state highway in French Settlement, a town in southern Livingston Parish.

The Louisiana flooding, which prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to issue a disaster declaration, resulted in seven deaths, National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer McNatt said. Four occurred when high waters overcame motorists.

U.S. rough rice futures surged the most in five years as floodwaters hit mature fields in the region, with farmers and millers bracing for crop loss.

Heavy rains also have slowed unloading of grain barges and loading of export-bound bulk cargo ships at grain terminals along the Mississippi River, causing a glut of supply that has weighed on corn prices.

The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday closed a section of the Intracoastal Waterway near Port Allen, Louisiana, due to flooding, but the Mississippi remained open to commercial navigation with no restrictions, a Coast Guard spokeswoman said.

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The floodwaters were expected to linger.

"It is going to take a while for that water to make its way out," said the National Weather Service's McNatt, who is based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Rivers in Louisiana crested at record levels in multiple places, with the Amite River reaching 46.2 feet (14 meters) in Denham Springs, 5 feet (1.5 meters) higher than a 1983 record, McNatt said.

In flood-ravaged Livingston Parish, scores of people woke up on Monday in packed emergency shelters.

Pierre and Barbara Pitard, both 76, said they had just minutes to leave their home in Denham Springs as the water rose rapidly. They were finally rescued by boat and carried to safety on Saturday night, the vessel rocking as it hit submerged pickup trucks on streets inundated by water.

"It's already under water," Pitard said of his house. "I'm worried about how you go about getting it fixed because you've got thousands of people now with the exact same problems."

Localized flooding in Texas was a concern on Monday, the National Weather Service said, especially from Houston to the Hill Country region in the central part of the state. Rain also could bring flooding to Midwestern states including Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, forecasters said.

(Additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; Writing by Letitia Stein; Editing by Tom Brown; Editing by Bill Trott)
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)
Teresa Giudice refuses to call her 11 and a half-month prison sentence anything but prison  it was "camp."



On Sunday's episode of Watch What Happens Live, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star explained to host Andy Cohen, 48, the reasoning behind her using the term "camp" instead of prison.



"Because where I was it was called Danbury Prison Camp and I don't like the word prison because really where I was, I wasn't in a cell," Guidice said. "There were no bars and I wasn't in caged in. There was no wired fence on the outside. It really looked like a camp. That's the facility where I was."



Giudice was released on Dec. 23 after serving nearly a year at Connecticut's Federal Correction Institute, Danbury, after being found guilty of fraud charges and sentenced to 15 months in jail.









RELATED VIDEO: Teresa Giudice Tells All! Maggots at Mealtime, Bloodstains on the Beds and More



Cohen then asked how she felt when fans say she doesn't "own the fact" that she was away in prison.



"Listen, I was away from my kids for 11 and a half-months, so nobody should even ask me that," the 44-year-old replied.



The Real Housewives of New Jersey airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
The Highway 59 overpass at I-39/90 in northern Rock County will be demolished as part of the Interstate expansion, with the work requiring the shut down of the Interstate for two overnight periods.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said on Monday crews will remove the existing bridge during nighttime hours, from 10 p.m. Wednesday to 5 a.m. Thursday and from 10 p.m. Thursday to 5 a.m. Friday.

Motorists will be directed to use the off ramps and on ramps at the interchange to bypass the closure.

Single lane closures on the Interstate are planned as well, starting at 8 p.m., in both the southbound and northbound lanes of the Interstate. Full closure begins at 10 p.m.

The work and closures are weather dependent, so the work could be delayed if necessary.
Update: see below

Over the weekend, Tesla Motors tidied up its Chinese-language website. Although the company says that the edits have been in the works for a while, the timing is a bit suspicious.

That's because the changes appear to come in response to a recent fender-bender in Beijing that involved a Tesla Model S in Autopilot mode.

Autopilot has come under increasing scrutiny over the past month-and-a-half, as reports have emerged of two U.S. collisions that occurred when the semi-autonomous software was engaged. In one of those incidents, the driver of the Tesla was killed, and although investigations are still ongoing, reports suggest that he wasn't paying attention to the road.

In the wake of those two crashes, Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, have gone to great lengths to remind Congress, regulators, the press, and the public, that Autopilot is still in beta. The company says that shoppers are told that the system is opt-in, and that they have to keep their hands on the steering wheel, even when Autopilot is turned on.

Reports from China, however, suggest that Tesla sales personnel there haven't been nearly as clear about Autopilot's limitations. In fact, several Tesla owners in China--including the owner of the Model S involved in the accident, Luo Zhen--say that sales staff have led shoppers to believe that Autopilot is a fully autonomous driving system.

Until Sunday, those reports were supported by Tesla's Chinese-language website, which used the term "zidong jiashi" to describe Autopilot. Literally translated, the term means "self-driving", though it also can mean "autopilot".

Yesterday, however, the website removed all use of the phrase "zidong jiashi". Furthermore, Tesla has instructed its sales team in China to keep both hands on the steering wheel when demonstrating Autopilot--something that Zhen and other say they did not do.

Tesla says that the updates to the website have been in the works for several weeks and have nothing to do with the August 2 collision in Beijing.

Update: Tesla now says that the term "zidong jiashi" was removed accidentally. The website's text will be updated to include the word "Autopilot" in English, followed by "zidong fuzhu jiashi"--a phrase that translates as "automatic-assist driving" and reiterates that Autopilot technology does not allow a Tesla to drive itself.
The Tesla Model S electric luxury sedan has had a dizzying array of battery offerings over its four-year life, and the Model X has had quite a few over less than a year.

Now it appears that we may be getting closer to the rumored 100-kilowatt-hour battery option for the top-of-the-line Teslas.

If a Dutch government website proves accurate, that pack may already have been certified by at least one government regulator.

DON'T MISS: Tesla opens new electric-car store in San Francisco, to serve as flagship

The news comes via a post on Kenteken.TV, which noted drily, "Normally this blog publishes postings in Dutch, but this posting might get some coverage internationally. For that reason English is used."

Indeed.

The information about a 100-kwh pack comes from the database of RDW, the Dutch agency responsible for type approval of new cars sold in The Netherlands.

Tesla Model S P90D pulls away from P85D on California drag strip, Oct 2015 [video: Danilo Crudele]

The agency now publishes complete type approval data for cars sold in the European Union, a process harmonized many years ago among members so a car can be sold in any EU country without requiring specific national modifications.

(Older readers may recall the special yellow headlamp lenses required for all cars in France, for instance; that rule was supplanted by the EU-wide type approval process.)

ALSO SEE: Tesla now 'driving force' behind San Francisco area manufacturing

As Kenteken noted, a flurry of rumors about a possible 100-kwh Tesla pack arose in March when a Tesla owner hacking into his car's software found a buried "badge" for a P100D model, presumably for use on the car's touchscreen display during bootup.

Now the EU database contains entries for six new 100-kwh cars, three each for the Model S and Model X, with the same motor outputs as the 90-kwh cars but longer ranges.

Tesla Model S P90D runs 10s at the drag strip

The motor output is given by Kenteken as 90 kilowatts (121 horsepower). That is the maximum output the Tesla motors can sustain over extended periods without overheating, and it is how the EU quotes powertrain output.

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The ranges cited for both vehicles are 613 kilometers (381 miles), though the NEDC test cycles used to calculate that number are far more optimistic than the EPA test routines for the U.S.

CHECK OUT: Tesla Model X drives semi-conscious owner to hospital on Autopilot

A more likely range for the new and larger pack might be 310 to 320 miles, but we'll likely soon find out from Tesla, which will choose to roll out information on its latest and largest batteries at an opportune moment.

The Kenteken site, meanwhile, contains a great deal of information on the EU vehicle type-approval process for those interested.

[NOTE: An earlier version of this article suggested that the quotation of 90 kw (121 hp) for the Tesla's motor output was a typo or an error. We thank our reader Vigge50 for pointing out that EU requirements appear to require quoting maximum sustainable power over a long period, rather the peak outputs quoted by Tesla in North America. We've corrected the error.]

_______________________________________

Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter.
By Jake Spring and Alexandria Sage SHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Tesla removed a Chinese term for "self-driving" from its China website after a driver in Beijing who crashed in "autopilot" mode complained that the car maker overplayed the function's capability and misled buyers. The Tesla driver crashed earlier this month while on a Beijing commuter highway after the car failed to avoid a vehicle parked on the left side but partially in the roadway, damaging both cars but causing no injuries. It was the first known such crash in China, although it follows a fatal accident in Florida earlier this year that put pressure on auto executives and regulators to tighten rules for automated driving. A check of Tesla's Chinese website on Sunday showed that the word "autopilot" had also been removed. But that term was subsequently reinstated on Monday. "At Tesla we are continuously making improvements, including to translations," a Tesla spokeswoman said on Sunday in an emailed statement to Reuters when asked about the removal of the terms "autopilot" and "self-driving." "We've been in the process of addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks. Timing had nothing to do with current events or articles." References to autopilot and the term "zidong jiashi," which most literally translates as self-driving, although also means autopilot, were taken off the web page for the Model S sedan by late Sunday, according to a comparison with an archived version of the page. Both terms previously appeared several times on the site. Instead, a phrase that translates as 'self-assisted driving' is used. Tesla China staff have additionally undergone training in response to the Aug. 2 crash to re-emphasize that employees must always keep two hands on the wheel when demonstrating the autopilot function, according to a Tesla employee who was not authorised to speak to the media. Reuters was first to report last week that Tesla said it downloaded data from the Beijing car and confirmed it was in autopilot mode at the time of the crash, although the driver was not detected to have his hands on the wheel. The spokeswoman for the U.S. automaker issued a statement saying that the system was not self-driving but merely assistive and that drivers were responsible for always maintaining control of the vehicle. Other Tesla drivers interviewed by Reuters said China sales staff took their hands off the wheel while demonstrating the function. Under Chinese law, drivers are required to keep two hands on the wheel at all times. The crash is another hiccup for Tesla in the Chinese auto market, the world's largest, after it initially struggled with distribution and charging issues. Various Chinese government ministries did not respond to requests for comment on the Tesla crash and self-driving policies. (Reporting by Jake Spring and Alexandria Sage; Editing by Stephen Coates and Dan Grebler)
(Updates to reflect that word 'autopilot' reinstated on website)

By Jake Spring and Alexandria Sage

SHANGHAI/SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Tesla removed a Chinese term for "self-driving" from its China website after a driver in Beijing who crashed in "autopilot" mode complained that the car maker overplayed the function's capability and misled buyers.

The Tesla driver crashed earlier this month while on a Beijing commuter highway after the car failed to avoid a vehicle parked on the left side but partially in the roadway, damaging both cars but causing no injuries.

It was the first known such crash in China, although it follows a fatal accident in Florida earlier this year that put pressure on auto executives and regulators to tighten rules for automated driving.

A check of Tesla's Chinese website on Sunday showed that the word "autopilot" had also been removed. But that term was subsequently reinstated on Monday.

"At Tesla we are continuously making improvements, including to translations," a Tesla spokeswoman said on Sunday in an emailed statement to Reuters when asked about the removal of the terms "autopilot" and "self-driving."

"We've been in the process of addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks. Timing had nothing to do with current events or articles."

References to autopilot and the term "zidong jiashi," which most literally translates as self-driving, although also means autopilot, were taken off the web page for the Model S sedan by late Sunday, according to a comparison with an archived version of the page.

Both terms previously appeared several times on the site.

Instead, a phrase that translates as 'self-assisted driving' is used.

Tesla China staff have additionally undergone training in response to the Aug. 2 crash to re-emphasize that employees must always keep two hands on the wheel when demonstrating the autopilot function, according to a Tesla employee who was not authorised to speak to the media.

Story continues

Reuters was first to report last week that Tesla said it downloaded data from the Beijing car and confirmed it was in autopilot mode at the time of the crash, although the driver was not detected to have his hands on the wheel.

The spokeswoman for the U.S. automaker issued a statement saying that the system was not self-driving but merely assistive and that drivers were responsible for always maintaining control of the vehicle.

Other Tesla drivers interviewed by Reuters said China sales staff took their hands off the wheel while demonstrating the function. Under Chinese law, drivers are required to keep two hands on the wheel at all times.

The crash is another hiccup for Tesla in the Chinese auto market, the world's largest, after it initially struggled with distribution and charging issues.

Various Chinese government ministries did not respond to requests for comment on the Tesla crash and self-driving policies.

(Reporting by Jake Spring and Alexandria Sage; Editing by Stephen Coates and Dan Grebler)
Miami (AFP) - A person in Texas has contracted Zika after traveling to a part of Miami where local mosquitoes are spreading the virus, which can cause birth defects, officials said Monday.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States," said the Texas Department of State Health Services.

"Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami."

The unidentified person had "recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission" and "has tested positive for the virus."

Upon returning to Texas, the traveler "sought testing after becoming ill."

Florida has tallied 30 cases of locally transmitted Zika since July, marking the first cases of the virus spreading locally on US soil.

"We still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than one square mile in Wynwood" -- a neighborhood north of downtown Miami -- Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Monday.

The Florida Department of Health is nevertheless also investigating four areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred.

Zika, which can be transmitted via sexual contact or mosquito bites, has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.

The virus is blamed for a surge in cases of babies born with the brain and skull defect known as microcephaly.

Suspected Zika-related birth defects have been reported so far in 15 countries or territories, according to the World Health Organization.

As many as four in five of those infected may notice no symptoms at all. Those who do often report fever, rash and body pain.

Until now Texas has now only reported travel-associated cases of Zika, and said it would also classify the Miami case as linked to travel.

The state is now "on alert for the possibility of local transmission," said the health department.
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Andrew R.C. Marshall BANGKOK (Reuters) - Within hours of last week's deadly bomb and arson attacks in Thailand, police and senior officials publicly ruled out any link to foreign militants and insisted the perpetrators, as yet unidentified, were homegrown. But they also doubted the involvement of Thailand's most violent homegrown militants: the Malay-Muslim insurgents fighting a bloody separatist war in the country's three southernmost provinces, where similar bombings are grimly routine. The official denial was unsurprising, said security experts. Admitting that southern insurgents could be involved in last week's attacks would have serious economic and security implications for Thailand. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the wave of bombings on Thursday and Friday that killed four people and wounded dozens, including foreign tourists. But some security experts have noted that southern insurgent groups have a track record for carrying out coordinated bombing attacks. Since 2004, a low-intensity but brutal war between government troops and insurgents has killed more than 6,500 people in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat that border Malaysia. Most people there are ethnic Malay Muslims, who for decades have chafed under the rule of Buddhist-dominated governments in faraway Bangkok. Last week's attacks had "nothing to do with the southern insurgency," Colonel Yuthanam Phetmuang, a spokesman for the military's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) told Reuters. Yuthanam denied the police were too quick to reach this conclusion, insisting it was based on "evidence collected and experience". He declined to elaborate further. POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, also Thailand's defense minister, told reporters on Monday the attacks were "definitely not an extension" of the southern insurgency, but said the perpetrators "could have been hired from there". Security experts told Reuters that southern insurgents should remain the chief suspects, and questioned the government's political motivations for so hastily ruling them out. Admitting the possible involvement of insurgents would mean that violence, once largely contained in the south, was "spreading to other parts of the country," said Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, an independent analyst who has written two books on the conflict. "This could have a potentially huge economic impact," she said. If perpetrated by the insurgents, the attacks constituted the biggest and deadliest campaign yet outside their traditional area of operations, she said. It could also indicate that security operations in the south had "seriously failed," despite the military taking complete control after seizing power in a 2014 coup, she added. Rungrawee stressed that the involvement of southern militants in the recent attacks "remains a hypothesis". NEW CONSTITUTION The attacks came days after Thailand voted to accept a new constitution that paves the way for an election in 2017 and, say critics, enshrines the military's already considerable power. Thailand's deputy national police chief on Sunday said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details. Police on Monday said they had arrested one man for arson. Suspicion over the attacks has also fallen on forces loyal to former populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled in a 2006 coup. His sister, Yingluck, who took power after a winning a general election in 2011, was ousted in a 2014 coup. His "red shirt" supporters denied they were behind the attacks. Security experts have said the involvement of the group, which is intensely monitored by the military, is highly unlikely. Most Thais voters accepted the military's constitution, but those in the three southern provinces overwhelmingly rejected it. Analyst Rungrawee said this reflected deep local resentment of the Thai military and government. TOURISTS TARGETED BEFORE Violent incidents, including roadside bombings and shootings, take place almost daily in the southern border provinces But they have spiked considerably so far this month, with 88 incidents of violence just in the first 10 days of August in the three southern provinces and neighboring Songkhla province, according to Deep South Watch (DSW), a Pattani-based group which monitors the conflict. This compared with 32 incidents in all of August 2015, the lowest level of violence for 12 years. Southern insurgents have targeted tourist sites before. Thirteen people were killed and more than 300 wounded in March 2012 when multiple bombs went off in Yala and Hat Yai, a bustling commercial center north of the three southern provinces popular with Malaysian visitors. Peace talks between the Thai government and a handful of insurgent groups began in 2013 under the civilian government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, but have stalled since the military overthrew her. Hardliners from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (National Revolutionary Front, or BRN) have largely rejected the negotiations. The BRN is the region's most powerful insurgent group and says it fighting to establish an independent state. (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpnata Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Pracha Hariraksapitak.; Editing by Bill Tarrant.)
Make Them Mad is an Online Service that Teaches Parents to Teach their Kids Two-Dimensional Spatiotemporal Patterns





LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Georgiy Kuznetsov, a computer engineer with a strong interest in mathematics, is pleased to announce the upcoming release of his Make Them Mad and Shnumber One online math educational services.

For more information about Make Them Mad and Shnumber One and how both online classes will harness the educational potential of spatiotemporal patterns, please visit https://goo.gl/c2HePD.

As Kuznetsov noted, while terms like "spatiotemporal patterns" may sound intimidating, their meaning is simple enough for children.

"Spatiotemporal patterns are patterns changing and repeating themselves in space and time. Schools do not teach them to your children, yet they are everywhere," he said, adding that Make Them Mad and Shnumber One will help grownups turn 5-year-olds into native math users by spending three or four hours a week working with them.

Make Them Mad is designed for children ages 30 months and up, Kuznetsov said. Depending on how much time a parent has to work with the new program, it can teach young kids essential math-related skills like handling the pieces and navigating space. Over time, Make Them Mad can be extended to more advanced concepts like affine transformations and symmetries.

Kuznetsov is also putting the finishing touches on his online Shnumbers school. The first installment, which will be called Shnumber One, will cover quantity and elementary operations, positional systems, long addition, long subtraction and many less demanding issues like the number spaces.

"The age span is from 4 to 5 years," he said, adding that he has personally used the concepts taught in Shnumbers for over 30 years, including to his own child. While long addition can be a tedious and difficult process to learn, Shnumbers helps kids to add 10-digit numbers as easily as they do one digit numbers.

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In order to help pay for the production costs associated with creating the online educational services, Kuznetsov recently launched a fundraiser on Indiegogo. He hopes to raise $478,217 through crowdfunding to help complete the launch of Make Them Mad and Shnumber One.

About Make Them Mad and Shnumber One:

Make Them Mad is a soon-to-be launched online service that teaches parents to teach their children two-dimensional spatiotemporal patterns. The founder of Make Them Mad is also planning to launch the online Shnumber One math training school. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/c2HePD.

Contact:

Owen Norman

admin@rocketfactor.com

(949) 555-2861

SOURCE: Make Them Mad and Shnumber One
Jeff Whitmire, Founder, President and CEO of the Frosty Towel Company, is Devoted to Getting the Patented Cooling Towel into the Hands of as Many U.S. Military Troops as Possible

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Jeff Whitmire, Founder, President and CEO of the Frosty Towel  company, is pleased to announce the launch of a campaign that is designed to keep the members of the U.S. military feeling cool, even under the harshest conditions. Called Towels for the Troops, Whitmire is determined to get as many Frosty Towels as possible sent to the American troops.

To learn more about Towels for the Troops and the innovative Frosty Towel that Whitmire created, please visit https://goo.gl/VSOZ02.

As Whitmire noted, the idea behind the Towels for the Troops campaign is simple. Users can donate money to send an incredible product to American troops, providing them with support, relief, and an undeniable message that the American people value their great sacrifice for the nation.

"This amazing product, that a few members of the 82nd Airborne Division have already tried and loved, is called a Frosty Towel," Whitmire said, adding that when one is opened and brought in contact with the air, it cools itself to around 64 degrees, which to a soldier in sweltering 115 degree heat, provides some much needed relief.

"Giving them this moment of comfort is the least that we can do to show our troops that we truly care, so please donate whatever you can to this noble cause and do your part towards helping our armed services today."

Whitmire and his wife first created the Frosty Towels in 2007, and it is currently the world's only patented natural cooling towel. Along with the help of their 14 children, the Whitmires have worked hard to grow their family-run company. Today, the towels are sold at Disney World and are used by members of the medical profession.

To help get Frosty Towels to members of the military, Whitmire is asking people to make donations, post about the project on Facebook several times, email friends and family asking for help and use the hashtag #coolourtroops on Instagram and Twitter.

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To make it as easy as possible for people to donate, Whitmire recently launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo. He hopes to raise $50,000 on the crowdfunding site, which will help bring even more Frosty Towels to the troops.

About Towels for the Troops:

Towels for the Troops is a new campaign that was created by Jeff Whitmire, Founder, President and CEO of the Frosty Towel company. Whitmire is asking people to make monetary donations to help send Frosty Towels to the American troops. People can also participate by asking friends and family to donate, sharing the campaign and posting about it on Facebook. For more information, please visit https://goo.gl/VSOZ02.

Contact:

Hattie Brewer

admin@rocketfactor.com

(949) 555-2861

SOURCE: Towels for the Troops
The Tribeca Film Festival has set the dates for its 2017 edition, including submission deadlines in advance of the April festival, and promoted longtime staffer Cara Cusumano to director of programming.

Submissions open Sept. 6 for consideration for the upcoming fest, with Oct. 19 the early deadline ahead of official entry deadline A, Nov. 23, for features, TV and episodic storytelling and new online work, and then deadline B, Dec. 2, for shorts and experimental storytelling. Dec. 14 marks the late entry deadline for world premiere features and TV/episodic work.

There are additional deadlines for consideration for the second year of the Tribeca X awards, honoring branded content. For that one, the early deadline is set for Jan. 13 with the official deadline marked for Feb. 15.

The festival itself falls in late April, as it usually does, running April 19-30. On the festival circuit calendar, Tribeca slots in alongside Berlin in February, SXSW in March and Cannes in May.

Meanwhile, Cusumano, who joined Tribeca in 2008 and most recently was senior programmer at Tribeca, has been upped to director of programming, a post thats been open since Genna Terranova was promoted to festival director in 2014. Cusumano will oversee feature film and TV programming, working with Terranova, festival EVP Paul Weinstein, artistic director Frederic Boyer and VP of shorts Sharon Badal, along with the rest of the programming team.

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'Southwest of Salem' Documentary Scheduled for Fall Release (EXCLUSIVE)
Washington (AFP) - Corruption investigators in Ukraine say an illegal, off-the-books payment network earmarked $12.7 million in cash payments for Donald Trump's presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort, the New York Times reported Monday.

It is not clear if Manafort actually received any of the money designated for him from 2007 to 2012 while working as a consultant for pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovych's party, the Times said.

The report was confirmed in Kiev Monday by the head of Ukraine's newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Artem Sytnyk, who said the money earmarked for payment to Manafort totalled more than $12 million.

"The presence of Manafort's name on this list does not mean that he really received this money, since other signatures appeared under his name, and the purpose for which the money was issued was not stated. At the moment, the investigation continues," Sytnyk said.

Manafort issued a statement vehemently denying any wrongdoing, saying he had "never received a single 'off-the books cash payment,'" or worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.

"The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, non-sensical and silly," the statement says, according to NBC News.

- Ledgers -

Manafort's name appears 22 times in 400 pages of handwritten Cyrillic taken from ledgers found at the headquarters of Yanukovych's Regions Party, the Times said. The article includes a scan of one of the pages but that page does not include Manafort's name. Those assigned payments totalled $12.7 million.

The ledgers were obtained by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators say the network was used to raid Ukrainian assets and influence elections while Yanukovych was in power.

Yanukovych was ousted in a 2014 pro-Western revolt, after which Russia seized the Crimean peninsula, fuelling a separatist uprising in the country's east which has claimed some 9,500 lives.

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The Times said investigators are also probing a group of offshore companies that helped people close to Yanukovych finance lavish lifestyles.

One was a cable TV deal involving a partnership assembled by Manafort and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the newspaper reported.

Manafort is not a focus of this separate probe.

But the Times said it was clear that shady things were happening in Ukraine at the time and Manafort must have known this.

"He understood what was happening in Ukraine," Vitaliy Kasko, a former senior official with the general prosecutor's office in Kiev, told the Times.

"It would have to be clear to any reasonable person that the Yanukovych clan, when it came to power, was engaged in corruption."

In his statement Monday, Manafort attacked the Times.

"Once again, the New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report," he said.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's campaign, meanwhile, deplored the "troubling connections between Donald Trump's team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine."

In a statement, it demanded that the Republican nominee disclose Manafort's ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, given Trump's "pro-Putin policy stances" and "the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records."
By Alana Wise and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump should fix his stumbling White House campaign in the next three weeks or step down, The Wall Street Journal said on Monday in a sharply worded warning from a leading conservative voice. Trump has alienated his party and failed to establish a competent campaign operation, the paper said in an editorial. The Journal's editorial board, which generally favors Republicans, has been critical of Trump and has questioned his conservative credentials, but its warning on Monday was its strongest attack yet. It echoed growing alarm about Trump's candidacy among many leading Republicans who have been slow to embrace him or have completely distanced themselves. The New York real estate developer, who has never held elected office, has been mired in weeks of controversy and opinion polls show him falling behind Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the race for the Nov. 8 election. The Journal urged Trump's backers to push the candidate to conduct himself with a more presidential demeanor and begin running a more disciplined campaign. "If they cant get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races," it said. Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 5 this year, marks the end of U.S. summer vacations and traditionally launches the final phase of the long U.S. election season. "As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be president - or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," it said, referring to the Indiana governor, who is Trump's vice presidential running mate. Trump has repeatedly provoked controversy in the weeks since his formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate in July, despite appeals from party leaders for him to focus on issues that could win him the election. He picked a fight with the parents of a Muslim U.S. Army captain who was killed in Iraq and falsely accused President Barack Obama and Clinton of being "co-founders" of Islamic State. He later said he was being sarcastic but has continued to repeat the remark. In an effort to right his campaign, Trump will deliver his second policy speech in as many weeks on Monday, this time an address on foreign policy. Speaking in Youngstown, Ohio he will outline his plan to defeat Islamic State. Most controversially, Trump has long said he will impose a temporary ban on Muslims entering the country, and has said he would "knock the hell out" of Islamic State. RUSSIA TIES Adding to Trump's woes this week was the news, first reported by The New York Times, that the name of his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was on secret ledgers showing cash payments designated to him of more than $12 million from a Ukrainian political party with close ties to Russia. Manafort denied any impropriety in a statement on Monday. "I have never received a single 'off-the-books cash payment' as falsely 'reported' by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia," he said. Artem Sytnik, the head of Ukraines anti-corruption bureau, confirmed in a briefing with reporters that Manafort's name appeared on a ledger and that more than $12 million had been allocated as an expenditure, referencing Manafort. But Sytnik said that the presence of Manafort's name "does not mean that he definitely received this money." The Clinton campaign said the news was evidence of "more troubling connections between Donald Trump's team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine." Trump has spoken favorably in the past of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month he invited Russian hackers to find "missing" emails from Clinton's time as secretary of state, when she used a private computer server to conduct government business, although he later described that comment as sarcasm. Trump has increasingly begun to portray himself as a victim of 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 (percent)," he wrote in one tweet in a series of complaints about media coverage on Sunday. The current RealClearPolitics average of national opinion polls puts Clinton 6.8 points ahead of Trump, at 47.8 percent to Trump's 41 percent. Opinion polls also show Trump trailing in states such as Pennsylvania that are likely to be pivotal in the election. (Additional reporting by Ginger Gibson in Youngstown, Ohio and Pavel Polityuk in Kiev; Editing by Frances Kerry)
Donald Trump

In a major foreign-policy address on Monday, Donald Trump attacked Hillary Clinton for not being physically capable of taking on terrorism and other challenges that the country faces.

The Republican presidential nominee ticked off a list of what he described as "failures" of the former secretary of state's foreign policy, and then said that she does not have the "physical stamina" to face terrorism.

"Incident after incident proves again and again, Hillary Clinton lacks the judgment, as said by Bernie Sanders, stability, and temperament, and the moral character, to lead our nation," Trump said of the Democratic presidential nominee.

"Importantly, she also lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS and all of the many adversaries we face, not only in terrorism, but in trade, and every other challenge we must confront to turn our great country around," he said.

Trump claimed that he opposed the war in Iraq, which he argues led to the rise of the terrorist group ISIS. Trump also attacked Clinton for other interventions in the Middle East.

"The failures in Iraq were compounded by Hillary Clinton's disaster, total disaster, in Libya," Trump said. "President Obama has since said that he regrets, and really regrets, Libya and the mistake he made. He considers it his worst mistake."

He also echoed a tamer version of controversial statements that he made last week when he referred to Clinton and President Barack Obama as "cofounders" of ISIS.

"With one episode of bad judgment after another, Hillary Clinton's policies launched ISIS onto the world stage," Trump said. "Yet, as she threw the Middle East into violent turmoil, things turned out really to be not so hot for our world and our country, the Middle East in particular. The Clintons made almost $60 million in gross income while she was secretary of state. It is unbelievable."

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Trump said that, with him as president, the US would no longer partake in nation-building efforts like those undertaken in Iraq, a war launched by Republican President George W. Bush.

"It is now time for a new approach," Trump said. "Our current strategy of nation-building and regime change is a proven, absolute failure. We have created the vacuums that allow terrorism to grow and thrive."

Trump's speech, which was billed as a major policy address that would touch on his strategy for defeating terrorism, comes as he dives in the polls and faces criticism from Republicans within the foreign-policy establishment.

NOW WATCH: Trump rips a protester in Pennsylvania: 'Your mother is voting for Trump'





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In what was billed as a major foreign policy and national security speech on Monday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed a major reorientation of U.S. immigration and law enforcement policy toward preventing terrorist attacks. He promised to halt immigration from some parts of the world and to employ extreme vetting on immigrants from the remainder. At the same time, he said, all federal investigators and prosecutors will be told to focus on rooting out extremist groups, promising that they would do so viciously if necessary.

Over the course of the nearly 50-minute address, delivered in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump spent more time focused on the past and attacking the Obama administration and his Democratic opponent, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, than he did on proposing new ideas.

Related: The Russian Government Could Be Manipulating the US Election

However, if a bit sketchy in the details, the cumulative effect of Trumps speech was to describe an America that is in constant mortal danger from terrorist attacks related to what he described as radical Islam, the spread of which must be halted.

All actions should be oriented around this goal and any country which shares this goal will be our ally, Trump said. That would include countries -- Trump mentioned Russia in particular -- with which the U.S. might have major disagreements on other issues. We cannot always choose our friends but we can never fail to recognize our enemies, he said.

Trump said that as president he would call an international conference of nations dedicated to combating groups that commit terrorism in the name of Islam. He also pledged to work closely with NATO, an organization he has criticized as obsolete in the past. (He also took credit for a change in NATOs structure that added a focus on terrorism, though NATO officials have denied that Trump had anything to do with it.)

Without mentioning any specifics, Trump called for blocking terrorists from using the internet as a recruiting tool and for other purposes. He said, We must shut down their access to this form of communication and we must do it immediately.

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He called for new and even stronger sanctions on terror groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah. Military, cyber, and financial warfare will all be necessary to dismantle Islamic terrorism, he said.

Related: As Young Voters Flee Trump, Republicans May Be Losing a Generation

He also called for employing ideological warfare, though he did not make clear what he meant by that term.

In dealing with other nations, My administration will speak out against the oppression of women, gays and people of different beliefs, he said.

Trump promised a temporary suspension of immigration from countries with a history of supporting terrorism and the application of extreme vetting to immigrants from the rest of the world. Trump suggested that the vetting process would be able to discern political and social beliefs of applicants and would bar entry to those the Trump administration sees as unfit.

He proposed a national Commission on Radical Islam that would be in charge of informing Americans of the core beliefs of extremists. It would define the signs of radicalization and help identify the recruiting networks which, he suggested, have already taken root in the U.S.

Destroying them, he said, will be the understood mission of every federal investigator and prosecutor, and that they would do so viciously if necessary.

Top Reads from The Fiscal Times:
New York (AFP) - Donald Trump laid out a US blueprint for defeating global terrorism in partnership with NATO and Middle East allies, demanding extreme restrictions on immigration and likening the fight to the Cold War.

The Republican nominee, who is tanking in the polls following weeks of self-inflicted disasters, made his pitch to be a security strongman as the Democratic vice president accused him of imperiling the lives of Americans.

"We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism just as we have defeated every threat we faced at every age," said Trump in Ohio, a battleground state considered essential to winning the US presidential election.

His foreign policy address marked the latest attempt by the Trump campaign to get their maverick candidate back on message as his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton surges ahead in the polls.

Watering down his highly contested assertion that Barack Obama and Clinton created the so-called Islamic State extremist group, Trump said IS was "the direct result of policy decisions" made by the president and former secretary of state, referencing chaos in Iraq and Libya.

He claimed the extremist group, which is the target of US-led air strikes and Special Forces operations in Iraq and Syria, was "fully operational" in 18 countries and had "aspiring branches in six more."

The real-estate tycoon and former reality TV star promised to end the US policy of "nation building" and called for a "new approach" in partnership with foreign allies to "halt the spread of radical Islam."

Trump vowed to work "very closely" with NATO, sidestepping previous criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after saying that a Trump presidency would not automatically leap to members' defense.

- Temporary suspension -

"I have previously said NATO was obsolete because it failed to deal adequately with terrorism. Since my comments, they have changed their policy and now have a new division focused on terror threats, very good," he said.

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Trump said he believed the United States could find "common ground with Russia" in the fight against the IS group -- a claim bound to do little to silence critics who accuse him of being soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said his administration would "aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS," another name for IS, and be a "friend to all moderate Muslim reformers in the Middle East."

At home he demanded new immigration screening, saying that the perpetrators of a series of attacks in the United States -- including the September 11, 2001, hijackings, the 2013 Boston bombings and the recent mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub -- involved "immigrants or the children of immigrants."

"We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people," he ventured, promising to temporarily suspend immigration from "the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world" that export terrorism.

"In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting."

On the home front he also proposed setting up a "commission on radical Islam" which would include "reformist voices in the Muslim community" to root out jihadist networks and stop radicalization of young Americans.

The Clinton campaign responded by stating that any policy submitting immigrants to ideological tests was a "ploy."

"This so-called 'policy' cannot be taken seriously." Clinton senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

"How can Trump put this forward with a straight face when he opposes marriage equality and selected as his running mate the man who signed an anti-LGBT law in Indiana? It's a cynical ploy to escape scrutiny of his outrageous proposal to ban an entire religion from our country and no one should fall for it," he said.

- Manafort allegations -

But Vice President Joe Biden, who on Monday hit the 2016 campaign trail with Clinton for the first time, trashed Trump as unqualified for the White House and accused him of endangering the lives of US troops.

Biden's folksy demeanor and ability to connect with working-class voters is considered an asset for Clinton particularly among blue-collar white male voters who lean toward her Republican rival.

"No major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump," Biden said.

Trump's accusation that Obama and Clinton created the Islamic State group had imperiled the lives of US troops, Biden said.

"If my son were still in Iraq and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple of clicks," he said.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that corruption investigators in Ukraine say an illegal, off-the-books payment network earmarked $12.7 million in cash payments in 2007-2012 for Paul Manafort, now Trump's campaign chairman.

Manafort denied any wrongdoing, saying he had "never received a single 'off-the books cash payment,'" or worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.
First, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed a blanket ban on Muslims visiting the United States, suggesting that anyone of the Muslim faith poses a threat to American security. Then, that proposal morphed into a ban on immigrants from any country afflicted by terrorism  including from U.S. allies like the Philippines. And on Monday, Donald Trump announced that if elected to the highest office in the United States, he would use extreme, extreme vetting to determine who gets to enter the country, and who doesnt.

We should admit to our country only those who share our values and respect our people, he said. Only those who we expect to flourish in our country and embrace a tolerant American society should be issued visas.

Though Trump didnt go into detail, his campaign aides told the Associated Press that the candidate plans to introduce a test that would question applicants views of social issues such as religious freedom, gay rights, and gender equality.

Sounds like Trump took a page out of the Netherlands book: His proposal bears a strong resemblance to a 2006 Dutch immigration law, which similarly tests whether would-be citizens share the countrys secular values.

The Dutch exam contains questions for those from what the law vaguely describes as non-Western countries on social policy issues like nudity or public displays of same-sex affection. Such behavior is widely accepted in the Netherlands, which has been accused by human rights groups of using the quiz to keep out certain nationalities, as well as devout Muslims from around the world.

According to groups like Human Rights Watch, the test was designed to reduce the number of immigrants from Morocco and Turkey, both Muslim countries that have supplied the Netherlands with two of its three largest immigrant communities

Applicants must take the exam before leaving their country, and, to pass, demonstrate a basic command of Dutch language, as well as tolerance of Dutch cultural norms. Immigrants do not want to learn the language; we have to force them to do so, says the exams introductory text.

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A film provided by the government as preparation material for the written test shows two men kissing in a meadow. What would you do if you saw two men kissing in public? it asks the viewer, before posing the loaded question, would this disturb you? In another scene, an attractive, topless woman sunbathes while the narrator explains that Dutch people do not make a fuss about nudity. If these images, which would be considered profane in many Islamic countries, werent enough to offend and discourage its intended audience, the film also warns of traffic jams, unemployment, integration problems, and even flooding in the largely below-sea level country.

The patronizing tone of the integration exam was echoed in fall 2015, at the height of the refugee crisis, when the countrys junior justice minister penned a stern warning to potential immigrants. His letter promised an austere reception for asylum-seekers and told them that if they came to the Netherlands, some would necessarily be lodged in shipping containers and converted office spaces.

Photo credit: JOHN MOORE/Getty Images
From Esquire

On Thursday night, severe turbulence forced a Jet Blue flight from Boston to Sacramento to make an emergency landing in South Dakota. A sudden drop sent passengers flying into the air and luggage all over the aisles. The force was so strong it dislodged one of the toilets in the bathroom. At least 22 passengers and two crew members were hospitalized.

One passenger, Jason Layne, a freelance radio DJ and insurance analyst in Boston, and a friend of mine, was on the flight. I asked him to explain what happened.

My fiance, Pammeke, and I were flying to a wedding. Up to that point it was a fairly uneventful trip.

We were in row 7 on the right side of the plane and had a good view out of the window. A couple minutes before it happened, we noticed there was some bad weather in the area. We were at 34,000 feet at that point. We were surrounded by clouds, and I could tell it was a severe thunderstorm.

I think the plane just hit a pocket of air. It happened way too quickly for an announcement to be made. I think it even took the pilot by surprise.

The turbulence was the finger-of-God kind. It lasted just a few moments, probably about 10-15 seconds. But at one point we dropped probably 100 feet in a second, and that's when people who weren't buckled in flew out of their seats and smashed their head into the ceiling. The flight attendants were thrown like rag dolls all over the place. It was significant.

The atmosphere in the place was a lot calmer than you would expect it to be. Obviously there were shrieks of fear. A lot of people grasped onto the passengers' hands next to them. But overall it wasn't chaos. Luggage did dump all over the aisles, and a lot of debris from people's beverages and stuff was thrown into the aisles.

The flight attendants were thrown like rag dolls all over the place.

Once it happened, I think the crew first concentrated on making sure everybody was ok. Then they made an announcement a little later than you would expect. But they did ultimately do a commendable job.

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Pam and I once were in a severe car crash where debris flew through the window, so we had been in an experience like this before. So on the flight I had that moment of thinking, This is it. At least I'm with Pam. But then I just relaxed. And Pam was calm as a cucumber. She's a frequent traveller. She ranked it as the worst turbulence she's been in, but she didn't fear for her life per se.

There was a slight change of course like you would if there was a thunderstorm-the pilot maneuvered his way through. The plane flattened out and things came back together. The oxygen masks did not deploy.

Photo credit: Getty

Once we found out there was an injury, we were on the ground in Rapid City within about 30 minutes. One of the stewardesses was taken off on a board with a neck injury and there was blood on her face-she was in rough shape. But nobody was unconscious-jut a lot of shock for the people who weren't belted in.

Rapid City did a phenomenal job. As we were taxiing, ambulances were already there, and within a minute of us docking EMTs were on the plane.

Jet Blue stayed with us the whole way. The two pilots were with us until the second plane came to take us to Sacramento. They did a great job coordinating with the local authorities and helping us through it. We waited about five hours. All in all from Boston to Sacramento it took about 14 hours. We landed at 4 o'clock PST.

We are going to make it to the wedding. The funny thing is, we're on no sleep. We're just thankful that's all that happened. We'll have a good story to tell at the wedding. We don't want to steal the bride's thunder, but there's going to be a lot of hubbub.

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Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey said on Monday it has summoned Sweden's envoy in an escalating row after Stockholm accused Ankara of legalising sex with children.

The dispute is the latest in several spats highlighting rising tensions between Turkey and EU states in the wake of the botched July 15 coup followed by a relentless crackdown that angered Europe.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom had tweeted on her official account that the "Turkish decision to allow sex with children under 15 must be reversed", following a controversial ruling by the Turkish constitutional court.

"It is a scandal for a foreign minister to post such a tweet based on false news or speculation," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in televised comments, adding that the Swedish ambassador to Ankara had been summoned to his ministry.

The Swedish foreign ministry added it was charge d'affaires who was summoned by Ankara, as the ambassador was still on vacation.

Cavusoglu blasted the "unacceptable" tweet, saying Wallstrom should have acted "responsibly".

"A foreign minister should not tell lies and should not adopt an approach accusing Turkey," Cavusoglu said. "Yes to criticism but this is a slander, a lie."

- 'You are misinformed' -

Turkey's constitutional court in July annulled a criminal code provision punishing as "sexual abuse" all sexual acts involving children under the age of 15, responding to a petition brought by a lower court.

The top court has given a six-month period for parliament to draw up a new law based on its ruling.

The lower court that brought the petition was worried there was no distinction between cases of sexual acts involving a young teenager or a toddler.

The legal age of consent in Turkey remains 18 and was not affected by the ruling. But it drew a furious response from activists worried it would open the way for unpunished child sexual abuse.

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The justice ministry said in a statement that a new bill would be submitted to the parliament "as soon as possible" while adding that the constitutional court ruling would come into effect no earlier than December 11.

"By passing new legislation by the court-imposed deadline, the Turkish government will prevent a loophole from emerging in the future," the ministry said.

"Under Turkish law, all provisions related to the sexual abuse of children remain in effect. As such, the claim that the sexual abuse of children under 15 goes unpunished is completely baseless."

In a war of words with Stockholm on Twitter, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Wallstrom: "You are clearly misinformed. There is no such stupid thing in Turkey. Please get your facts right."

The Turkish ambassador to Stockholm was due to meet the Swedish foreign minister on Monday, Cavusoglu said, adding that he would also speak with Wallstrom on the phone.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told the country's news agency TT: "For our part its important to express what we believe in."

"There is no reason to back down from a view that we want to strengthen childrens rights .. Its important for us to have a dialogue but we have to express what we feel strongly about."

- 'Austria capital of racism'-

Ankara also summoned the Austrian charge d'affaires at the weekend in protest over a news ticker at Vienna airport about the age of consent controversy.

The news ticker -- above an arrivals board and supplied by mass-circulation daily Kronen-Zeitung -- said in German "Turkey allows sex with children under 15".

The foreign ministry expressed outrage that the airport was being abused by a "discredited newspaper to spread its irresponsible, distorted and falsified messages in order to defame a friendly country".

Cavusoglu hit back at what he said was growing racism and Islamophobia engulfing the European continent.

"It is alarming that the slander campaign that started in Austria -- the capital of racism and Islamophobia -- is spreading into Sweden which is actually more sensitive on human rights," he said.

Ties between Turkey and Austria have strained after a number of Austrian politicians spoke out against Turkey's longstanding bid to join the EU, particularly after the vast purge that followed the coup bid.

Austrian Defence Minister Hans-Peter Doskozil has compared Turkey to a "dictatorship".
By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police raided the country's biggest courthouse and two other halls of justice in Istanbul on Monday, detaining dozens of judicial personnel as part of their investigation into last month's attempted military coup. The raid on the Palace of Justice, which has hosted some of Turkey's most important trials, was a powerful symbol of a post-coup crackdown that has purged Turkey's military, law-and-order, education and justice systems since the failed putsch. Plain clothes police officers held the arms of the detainees as they escorted them out of the building and into waiting cars. Warrants had been issued for 173 judicial staff, of whom 136 were detained in the raid, the state-run Anadolu agency said. More than 35,000 people have been detained, of whom 17,000 have been placed under formal arrest, and tens of thousands more suspended since the July 15 putsch, which authorities blame on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers. President Tayyip Erdogan demands the United States extradite Gulen, and the purge is straining relations with Western allies who Turkish officials say appear more concerned by the crackdown than the failed coup that killed 240 people, mostly civilians. Police were searching offices at the main courthouse in Istanbul's Caglayan district as well as at two other courthouses on the European side of the city, Anadolu said. The homes of those being detained were also being searched, it said. In the crackdown since the abortive coup, more than 76,000 civil servants, judges and security force members have been suspended and nearly 5,000 dismissed, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday. Western officials are concerned the purge will impact stability in the NATO member and a key partner in their war on Islamic State in neighboring Iraq and Syria. Turkish officials counter they are confronting an major internal threat. With tensions rising with the West, Turkey has sought to normalize relations with Russia, sparking concerns Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin might use their detente to pressure Washington and the European Union. Also at risk is a deal with the EU on helping stem the flow of migrants into Europe, under which Turkey pledged to stop people leaving its shores and readmit those who crossed into the bloc illegally from Turkey. Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Monday's German newspaper Bild that Turkey could walk away from its promises if the EU fails to grant Turks visa-free travel to the bloc in October. "It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU, but that Turkey gets nothing in return," he told Bild. EXTRADITE HIM In keeping with Erdogan's tough line on Gulen, Yildirim told reporters there would be no compromise apart from "this chief terrorist coming to Turkey and being prosecuted," according to Anadolu agency. Turkish officials say they have handed over documents to U.S. officials concerning Gulen. Washington has been cautious, saying it needs clear evidence before he can be extradited. A U.S. Department of Justice team is due in Turkey this month. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies any role and condemned the coup bid. Turkish officials describe a network of his followers inside state institutions masterminding the putsch. Erdogan's critics say he could use the purge to crack down broadly on dissent. A top U.N. rights official last week warned against a "thirst for revenge". A court in the western city of Izmir has imposed a ban on reporting the statements of suspects and anonymous witnesses in the coup investigation, Turkey's broadcasting authority RTUK said on Sunday. It said the ban, applying to all media, was taken to ensure that the investigation was sound and conducted in secrecy. Newspapers and broadcasters have given extensive coverage of statements from detained military officers since last month. In another arrest, a prosecutor in eastern Turkey, who had been suspended under the coup investigation, was detained as he tried to cross the border into Syria on Sunday night, a Turkish government official said. He said Ekrem Beyaztas, chief prosecutor in Erzurum province, was detained by border guards in Kilis province. There was a warrant for his detention. "Our initial assessment is that he was trying to reach PYD-controlled parts of northern Syria in an attempt to seek protection," the official said referring to Syria's main Kurdish party, which Turkey considers a terrorist group because of its ties to Kurdish militants in Turkey. "In recent weeks, runaway coup plotters have been trying to leave Turkey via routes traditionally used by the PKK to smuggle militants and weapons in and out of the country," he said. Two fugitive staff colonels accused of involvement in the coup were detained in the central Turkish city of Konya along with one person helping to hide them, Anadolu said. They were flown to Istanbul for questioning. It said one of the officers was accused of commanding soldiers to open fire on protesters on Istanbul's Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul and the other of ordering a raid on the state broadcaster TRT on the night of the coup. (Editing by David Dolan, Patrick Markey and Peter Graff)
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A meteor shower can be a spectacular sight from dark parts of Earth's surface.

Last week, stargazers on the ground were treated to the annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the most reliable cosmic shows each year. Some of those observers even took incredible photos of Perseids streaking through the sky, but they all pale in comparison to a view of the meteor shower from space.

A new video taken by a camera on the International Space Station shows at least two bright meteors streaking through Earth's atmosphere within a few seconds of one another.

SEE ALSO: The glory of the Perseids: This year's must-see meteor shower

According to NASA, both meteors  which are likely bits of ice and dust left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle decades ago  seem to appear and disappear above Pakistan.

The video, was captured on Aug. 10, just ahead of the Perseids' expected peak this year.

Being able to watch meteor showers from space gives scientists a distinct advantage over tools tracking them from the ground. Cloud cover and enveloping light pollution can obscure views of any meteor shower, so getting up high above the bulk of Earth's atmosphere affords scientists the ability to watch the cosmic light show with an unobstructed view.

The difficult task of tracking meteors from the ground is even apparent in this video. A burst of lightning illuminates cloud cover at the very beginning of the 20-second clip. Anyone below that storm probably had no chance of seeing any of the meteors spotted from the Space Station that night.

Videos like this one, which will be used as part of the Meteor Observation on ISS (known as Meteor), will also open up new opportunities for scientists hoping to learn more about these "shooting stars" in general.

Researchers should be able to figure out what certain meteors are made of by checking out the color of light they emit when burning up in the atmosphere. This kind of measurement can help scientists learn more about the kind of object  whether it be a comet, asteroid or something else  that gave rise to the meteor.

We have a pretty good understanding of composition based on meteorites weve collected on ground, but most meteors dont make it to the ground, NASA's William Stefanov, said in a statement.

Measurements from the Meteor project can be used to relate composition back to their parent bodies. On some level, that lets us test the validity of our understanding built from meteorites collected at Earths surface.
(Adds United comment, details on pilot contracts)

By Jonathan Stempel

Aug 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. government filed a lawsuit on Monday accusing United Airlines Inc of violating a pilot's employment rights by failing to provide sick leave when he was called to active duty by the U.S. Air Force, where he was a reservist.

According to a complaint filed in Chicago federal court, United failed to credit Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Fandrei with sick leave while he was deployed as a KC-10 pilot in southwest Asia from December 2012 to March 2013.

The U.S. Department of Justice said the Chicago-based carrier did this despite offering such benefits to other employees on similar leave, violating the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

"USERRA ensures that service members like Lt. Col. Fandrei who answer our nation's call to duty don't return to civilian life and find their employment benefits denied and their civil rights violated," Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a statement.

In a statement, the carrier said it believes its policies comply with USERRA, and that it is "committed to supporting the many aviation professionals at our airline who served or who are currently serving in the military."

United's parent is United Continental Holdings Inc.

The lawsuit seeks to recoup the value of Fandrei's lost benefits, and an injunction against similar violations.

It is part of the U.S. government's effort to ensure that military personnel are not penalized for serving their country, including legal actions to stop improper home foreclosures and car repossessions.

The Justice Department said Fandrei, of Fairfield, California, worked at the time of his deployment for Continental Airlines, whose contract with its pilots did not let them accrue sick leave during military deployments.

United and Continental had merged in 2010.

According to the complaint, Fandrei was commissioned as an Air Force officer in 1990, and retired from the Air Force Reserve as of Jan. 1, 2016.

He joined United as a pilot in 2000, and was recalled from a furlough six months before being deployed, the complaint said.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Tom Brown and Diane Craft)
REUTERS - Senator Ben Sasse was in a fairly lonely place when he wrote on his Facebook page back in February that he could not support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. That is changing. Since Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, staked out his position, the ranks of Republican Trump critics in the U.S. Congress have grown, with the New York real estate mogul stirring almost constant turmoil within his party. The following are Republicans in Congress who have said they will not vote for Trump in the November 8 presidential election, followed by those who have said they are keeping their options open. WILL NOT VOTE FOR TRUMP Senator Ben Sasse. Wrote in February he could not support Trump or his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. Sasse wrote: "Mr. Trumps relentless focus is on dividing Americans, and on tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation." Senator Lindsey Graham. A strong Trump critic, Graham sought the Republican presidential nomination, but drew little support. He has told reporters he may write in someone for president. Senator Mark Kirk. The Illinois lawmakers faces a tough battle for re-election and withdrew his endorsement of Trump in June, citing Trump's attacks on "Hispanics, women and the disabled like me." Kirk had a stroke in 2012 and uses a wheelchair. He told CNN on Aug. 10 that he will write in former Secretary of State Colin Powell for president. Senator Susan Collins. The Maine moderate said in a Washington Post opinion article on Aug. 8 that she will not vote for Trump or Clinton. She has said she may write in another candidate. Representative Carlos Curbelo. A Cuban-American from Florida, Curbelo was an early Trump critic. "If the nominee is a fraud, and someone who's offensive, and incapable of being an effective president like Donald Trump, I won't support him," Curbelo told Reuters in February. Representative Justin Amash. A libertarian-leaning Michigan congressman, Amash says Trump's policies go in the wrong direction. "I'm not voting for him," he told Reuters in March. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. A Cuban-American whose south Florida district is next door to Curbelo's, Ros-Lehtinen said in May that she will not support Trump or Clinton. Representative Bob Dold. A longtime Trump critic from Illinois who plans to write someone in. Representative Adam Kinzinger. Another Illinoisan, Kinzinger told CNN on Aug. 3 he did not see how he could support Trump. Representative Charlie Dent. The Pennsylvanian said earlier this month he was not planning to vote for Trump or Clinton. Representative Richard Hanna. On Aug. 2, Hanna, of New York state, became the first House Republican to say he will vote for Clinton. He is retiring from Congress at the end of this year. Representative Scott Rigell. A Virginian who is also retiring from Congress, Rigell said on Aug. 7 that he would vote for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. Representative Reid Ribble. The Wisconsinite already was blasting Trump last September, saying Trump was doing "serious damage" to the Republican brand and that he could not support him. Ribble is retiring from Congress. HAVE NOT ENDORSED Some prominent lawmakers have not endorsed Trump, but will not say whether they will vote for him, leaving their options open. Senator Jeff Flake. The Arizona lawmaker on Aug. 9 said there was "slim hope" he could vote for Trump, and added Trump could not win the presidency unless he changes. Senator Pat Toomey. A Pennsylvanian in a tight re-election race, Toomey has not endorsed Trump and says he has not made a decision on what he will do. Senator Ted Cruz. A conservative Texan and former Trump rival for the Republican nomination, Cruz was booed at the Republican convention after he pointedly did not endorse Trump and urged delegates to "vote your conscience." Senator Mike Lee. A Cruz ally, the Utah senator says he has concerns about whether Trump is conservative enough. "He has not endorsed and he has no plans to do so," a Lee spokesman said. Representative Mike Coffman. The Colorado lawmaker has not ruled out voting for Trump, but put out a television ad saying "I don't care for him much." Representative Fred Upton. From Michigan, he says he is not endorsing anyone and has not said for whom he will vote. (Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jonathan Oatis)
(Repeats story that ran on Aug. 15 with no change in text)

* Coal communities sinking into abandoned mines

* Mines encroached into communities during 30-year coal boom

* Mines responsible for 26,000 "geological disasters"

* China needs to move 655,000 in Shanxi province alone

By David Stanway

HELIN, China, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Deep in the coal heartlands of northern Shanxi province, people in Helin village are fighting a losing battle as the ground beneath them crumbles: patching up cracks, rebuilding walls and filling in sinkholes caused by decades of coal mining.

Around 100 pits in Helin - buried in the hilly rural outskirts of the city of Xiaoyi - have been exhausted, and cluttered hamlets totter precariously on the brittle slopes of mines.

But while local authorities have begun evacuating hundreds of thousands of residents most at risk elsewhere in Shanxi province, Helin's situation - though serious - isn't yet considered a priority.

"We haven't been told to leave yet, but when the government gives us the order, we'll be happy to go," said Wang Junqi, who lives in a one-room tenement with his family. "It isn't safe here and the people who have a bit of money have already gone. It's scary, but what can we do?"

Mines that burrowed under villages and towns during China's three-decade coal boom have left the authorities with the need to evacuate hundreds of communities in danger of sinking.

Shanxi province alone plans to move 655,000 residents by the end of next year from unsafe old mining regions, with the cost of relocation estimated at 15.8 billion yuan ($2.37 billion). The Shanxi government estimates coal mining has cost the province 77 billion yuan in "environmental economic losses".

GEOLOGICAL DISASTERS

Mine-induced subsidence is not unique to China, but its problems dwarf those of other countries.

A notice board at a deserted Communist Party building in an abandoned village not far from Helin gives an idea of the scale of the disaster.

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It lists 19 geological "disaster zones" spread across 23 villages, 55 landslides, 950 cracks in the ground and 808 incidents of mine subsidence -- all in an area of just 13.25 square kilometres (5 sq miles)

According to official data, coal mining had already caused as many 26,000 geological disasters by the end of 2014, and as much as 10,000 square kilometres of land has been affected, an area the size of Gambia in Africa, according to some estimates.

China's land ministry said last month it would spend 75 billion yuan ($11.27 billion) over the next five years to restore mined land and treat mining waste nationwide.

The growing environmental bill comes at a time when China's stricken coal sector faces mounting debts, falling demand and a long-term decline in prices after the boom turned into a bust.

BOON TO BURDEN

The coal sector, as with other basic industries in China such as steel, is now saddled with overcapacity estimated at around 2 billion tonnes a year, as demand growth slows and the country promotes cleaner forms of energy. China planned to close around 1,000 collieries this year alone, many of them in residential areas such as Helin, as it cuts coal's share of total energy consumption to 62 percent by 2020.

During the boom years, as prices and profits soared, miners were encouraged to dig further and deeper, encroaching upon residential areas and farmland.

While large state-run firms would often relocate entire villages, smaller private miners, chasing quick profits, simply dug under and around communities. With mining tax revenues surging, local governments were reluctant to impose stricter controls on the industry.

The industry helped pay for construction binges like one in Xiaoyi, where Helin is located, topping up local government tax coffers and bestowing the city centre with rows of largely unoccupied luxury apartment blocks.

What was once a boon for governments has now turned into a burden: Xiaoyi has already spent more than 6 billion yuan ($901.31 million) to treat subsidence, the government said. Together with the neighbouring city of Luliang, it plans to relocate as many as 230,000 people over 2014-2017.

Little of the money to move communities and restore the land is coming from the miners themselves, although that was supposed to be the plan in the beginning.

Miners are required to pay "subsidence fees" to pay for the cleanup when their mines close. The Datong Coal Industry Group , the only state miner to give breakdowns, paid just 1.4 million yuan in those fees from January to March this year, or 0.04 percent of its total costs, according to its quarterly report.

SOLAR SOLUTIONS

Jiang Jian, a legislator from Shandong province, said Beijing needed to draw up detailed measures to determine how much mining firms should pay.

Many of the worst-hit sites have been long abandoned, making it harder to decide who is responsible, she noted, so Beijing also needed to set up dedicated funds to help pay remediation costs, including treatment and disposal of mine waste.

To help with the clean-up, China is encouraging developers to turn abandoned mining sites into wind and solar power projects. Solar accounted for just 0.6 percent of China's overall electricity generation from January to June, and wind was a mere 3.6 percent.

One solar demonstration project has been completed in the eastern outskirts of Datong, also in Shanxi, on ground damaged from mining and not suitable for farming.

The area was once a prosperous coal region with more than 1,000 mines, but extraction stopped after the collapse in prices, and the local economy cratered.

"Before we got here this piece of land wasn't suitable for any kind of planting, but now at least some of it can be used," said He Xin, project manager with the United Photovoltaics Group , which owns and operates a 100-megawatt solar farm at the site.

($1 = 6.6570 Chinese yuan) (Additional reporting by Natalie Thomas and Jason Lee. Editing by Bill Tarrant)
Washington (AFP) - The United States on Monday denounced what it called a "miscarriage of justice" in Venezuela, where a court last week upheld the 14-year prison sentence for opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Washington and Caracas, which have had frosty relations in recent years and have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010, regularly trade such barbs, particularly surrounding the South American nation's ongoing political crisis.

Lopez, one of leftist President Nicolas Maduro's most hardline opponents, has repeatedly declared himself innocent of the crime for which he was convicted -- inciting violence at anti-government protests in 2014.

"The United States is deeply concerned by the Venezuelan Court of Appeals decision to allow the miscarriage of justice to continue against political prisoner Leopoldo Lopez," State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said.

The 45-year-old US-educated economist was arrested in February 2014 amid a wave of pro- and anti-government protests that swept Venezuela and left 43 people dead.

Trudeau said that since his arrest and subsequent sentencing in September 2015, the United States has "underscored our concern with the unsubstantiated and politically motivated charge brought against Mr Lopez."

Lopez's sentence, handed down after a closed-door trial, was strongly condemned by the United Nations, the United States and the European Union.

The 14-year sentence was upheld in the court of appeals on Friday.

"The United States calls on the government of Venezuela to guarantee the rights of Mr Lopez and all political prisoners to due process, freedom from arbitrary arrest and a fair, public and impartial trial," Trudeau said.

Once-booming Venezuela, home to the world's largest oil reserves, is gripped by recession that have contributed to severe shortages of food, medicine and basic goods that have triggered violence and looting.

The opposition is racing to force a referendum to recall Maduro from office, blaming him for the crisis and mishandling the state-led economy.

"Rather than silencing peaceful democratic dissent, now is the time for Venezuela's leaders to listen to diverse voices and work together to find solutions to the political, social and economic challenges facing the Venezuelan people," Trudeau said.
Washington (AFP) - The United States denounced Monday airstrikes in Yemen that hit a hospital where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) works, but refrained from condemning outright the US-backed, Saudi-led coalition that led the attack.

The Arab coalition air raids in northern Yemen killed at least 11 people, MSF said, just 48 hours after another attack that the humanitarian organization said killed 10 children.

"We're deeply concerned by a reported strike on a hospital in northern Yemen," said State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau.

"Strikes on humanitarian facilities, including hospitals, are particularly concerning."

The US called "on all parties to cease hostilities immediately," but Trudeau did not specifically point to the Saudi-led coalition.

"Continued military actions only prolong the suffering of the Yemeni people," the US diplomat said.

Asked about the coalition's potential responsibility, Trudeau said the US remains "in close contact with the Saudis on this."

The shelling hit northern areas controlled by Huthi rebels, who are allied with soldiers loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saleh has jostled for power with President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi since 2014.

Since March 2015 Washington has supported and sold defense equipment to a coalition of nine countries led by Saudi Arabia carrying out strikes in Yemen.

The US regularly urges its Saudi ally to avoid civilian casualties in the devastating Yemeni conflict.

In some 18 months, the war has left more than 6,400 dead and 30,000 hurt, including many civilians.
New York (AFP) - Federal investigators probing Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal have uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department is now negotiating a settlement which may involve significant financial penalties for the company, the newspaper said.

The German automaker has worked swiftly to put the emissions scandal behind it, reaching multi-billion-dollar civil settlements with most US states and offering to compensate owners and fix deficient automobiles.

But, with the possibility of criminal sanctions, Monday's news added a grave new dimension to the company's travails.

Prosecutors had yet to decide on specific charges, according to the Journal.

It said the department is weighing the alternatives of requiring a guilty plea from the company, or offering it a deferred prosecution agreement, which would require certain corrective behaviour by the company over time after which charges would be dropped.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the report.

In a statement, Volkswagen said talks were continuing with federal and state authorities, including the Justice Department.

"Volkswagen is committed to earning back the trust of our customers, dealers, regulators and the American public."

The company admitted last year to installing cheating devices on nearly 600,000 diesel-powered vehicles in the US and as many as 11 million worldwide.

Cars were configured to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions during official pollution tests, while allowing emissions of up to 40 times the legal limit during actual driving.

The company, which also markets Audi and Porsche vehicles, settled civil cases in June over cheat devices on 2.0 liter cars in an agreement valued at $14.7 billion.

It still needs to settle complaints about its 3.0 liter diesel cars.

Lawsuits filed last month by the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts implicated senior company executives in the emissions cheating, suggesting a current and former CEO may have been aware of it.

Both men, current CEO Matthias Mueller and his predecessor Martin Winterkorn, have denied personal responsibility for wrongdoing.
DailyFX.com -

Talking Points:

-USD/CAD Technical Strategy: On Watch For Down < 1.2841 to Carry Toward 1.25

-Trader Sentiment Warns a Coiled Move Lower Could Be Around the Corner

-Looking For Clear Short-Term USD/CAD Levels Updating In Real-Time? Check Out GSI

Quick Fundamental Take:

Will the price of the Canadian Dollar break or follow the recent breakout in WTI Crude Oil? That is a question worth asking in the second half of August. We recently saw in the Commitment of Traders report from the CFTC that leveraged institutional funds have shifted to a net short CAD position from a net long position the week prior. From an internal perspective of the Canadian Economy, a short CAD position has some credibility.

Economic announcements in Canada have steadily underperformed economists expectations since late April as shown via the Economic Surprise Index for Canada. Recently, we saw housing data out of Vancouver that showed the once-high-flying Real Estate markets now leads the third straight fall month over month in Canadian Home Sales. Earlier this month, the provincial government placed a foreign buyers tax for Vancouver home, but inflated prices may have put a dent in sales even before the tax went into effect.

Access Our Free Q3 Dollar Outlook As The US Dollar Reserve Status Makes It A Possible Haven

Another key development worth watching as Q3 and H2 2016 get under way is the directional bias inWTI Crude Oil (CFD: USOil).So far, Oil looks to have found new life and may be pushing back toward resistance near ~$49/bbl at a time when the US Dollar is showing few signs of another Bull Market.

Technical Focus:

Long-Term Chart:

USD/CAD Technical Analysis: Macro Now Favoring a Breakdown?

A quick note on the long-term (9-Year, Weekly Chart) can be a helpful way to put yourself in the right frame of mind about long-term moves in USD/CAD. On the far right side of the chart, you can see the sideways price action that began in early May, which now represents a Bear Pennant.

The chart below shows the pattern in more detail. A Bear Pennant is a continuation pattern that if we can break below the gang of support below, could open up a flood of selling in the pair. Given the recent strength of Oil, which is positively correlated to the price of Crude Oil with a correlation coefficient over the last month of +0.49. The correlation coefficient is the lowest level in 18-months.

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The last point on the chart above is to watch the long-term Median Line that sites at ~1.23. Again, a break below ~1.2840, which is the H2 Macro Opening Range low would immediately turn focus to 1.23 that aligns with the Median Line where USD/CAD bounced in May 2015.

Median Term: USD/CAD Is Now Putting Pressure on Support That May Not Hold

USD/CAD Technical Analysis: Macro Now Favoring a Breakdown?

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The chart above is a good explanation on the difference between a price and time correction. The move from late January to early May was a classic price correction. In shortorder, the price of USD/CAD dropped ~15% in a bit more than four months, which many felts was a long overdue move given the recent rally and other attributed more to the strong move higher in Oil.

Having a Hard Time Trading USD/CAD? This May Be Why

In 78.6% of the time consumer as in the initial price drop (as shown with the vertical lines on the chart above), the price of USD/CAD has a little more than ~6%. While a move higher has taken place, the move has been more of time consumption > price consumption.

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It appears now that focus should be if were about to move into another phase of a price correction similar, albeit likely weaker than the January-May move. A break below the H2 2016 Macro Opening Range Low of 1.2840 would be the first indication that this move could be under way.

Canadian Dollar Has Regained Favorper Sentiment

USD/CAD Speculative Sentiment Index as of Monday, August 15, 2016

USD/CAD Technical Analysis: Macro Now Favoring a Breakdown?

Combining the technical picture above, with the sentiment picture, and the Intermarket analysis, there continues to be evidence for a possible breakdown if USD/CAD can break below 1.2850.

The ratio of long to short positions in the USDCAD stands at 1.48 as 60% of traders are long. Yesterday the ratio was 1.43; 59% of open positions were long. Long positions are 0.6% higher than yesterday and 42.6% above levels seen last week. Short positions are 3.1% lower than yesterday and 20.5% below levels seen last week. Open interest is 0.9% lower than yesterday and 0.1% above its monthly average.

We use our SSI as a contrarian indicator to price action, and the fact that the majority of traders are long gives asignal that the USDCAD may continue lower. The trading crowd has grown further net-long from yesterday but unchanged since last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives a further bearish trading bias.

Key Levels as of August 15, 2016

USD/CAD Technical Analysis: Macro Now Favoring a Breakdown?

T.Y.

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original source

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Revenue and Operating Income Grew Year-Over-Year by 68% and 28%, Respectively

PLAINVIEW, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Vasomedical, Inc. ("Vasomedical") (OTC PK: VASO) today reported its operating results for the three months ended June 30, 2016.

"We are pleased to report that the Company recorded $18.2 million of total revenue during the second quarter of 2016, a 68% increase from the same quarter a year ago, due mainly to the inclusion of the NetWolves operations we acquired at the end of May 2015 as well as the growth in the healthcare IT VAR (value added resale) business we started in late 2014. Our proprietary equipment business unit also saw significant growth and improvement during the quarter," commented Dr. Jun Ma, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vasomedical, Inc. "Adjusted EBITDA was $886 thousand and $1.6 million for the three- and six-month period ending June 30, respectively, compared to $751 thousand and $729 thousand for the same periods last year, representing a growth of 18% and 119% year-over-year. We also recorded improvement in net income for the second quarter and first half of 2016. Given this momentum as well as our historical trend of being more profitable in the second half of the year, we feel confident in delivering the third consecutive year of profitability in 2016."

"It is exciting to see significant revenue growth from our healthcare IT VAR operations in the second quarter of 2016. Moreover, the substantial backlog in this business unit continues to grow, and our team is working hard to turn it into revenue and profit as we accelerate the implementation of the underlying IT services for the customers," concluded Dr. Ma.

Three Months Ended June 30, 2016 Financial Results

For the three months ended June 30, 2016, revenue increased by 68% to $18.2 million from $10.8 million for the same period of 2015. This is primarily attributable to an increase of $7.3 million of revenue in our IT segment, $6.5 million of which was from the NetWolves subsidiary the Company acquired in the end of May 2015, and an increase of $841 thousand, or 1781%, in our healthcare IT VAR business. Additionally, equipment segment revenue increased 23% to $1.2 million.

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Gross profit for the second quarter of 2016 increased 38% to $10.1 million, compared with $7.3 million for the second quarter of 2015. The increase was principally due to the increase of $2.8 million in the IT segment, including $2.7 million from our NetWolves operations, and an increase of $258 thousand in our equipment segment, offset by a slightly lower gross profit in our professional sales services segment.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses for the second quarter of 2016 increased to $9.7 million from $7.0 million for the second quarter last year. The increase is primarily due to including three months of the NetWolves operations in the quarter, compared to only one month of NetWolves operations for the second quarter 2015.

Operating income for the second quarter 2016 was $264 thousand, compared to $206 thousand for the same period in 2015, representing an increase of 28%. The improvement in operating income was due to the increase in gross profit and lower SG&A expenses relative to revenue. SG&A expenses were 53% of revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2016, compared to 64% of revenues for the same period in 2015. Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2016 was $213 thousand, compared with net income of $191 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2015, an increase of 12%.

Adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and non-cash stock-based compensation) rose to $0.9 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016, compared to $0.8 million for the same period a year ago, representing an increase of 18%.

Net cash generated from operating activities in the first half of 2016 was $3.7 million. As of June 30, 2016, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $5.6 million, compared to cash and cash equivalents of $2.2 million at December 31, 2015. We anticipate continued positive cash flows from operations for the remainder of the year.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call on Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. ET featuring remarks by Jun Ma, Ph.D., President and CEO, Peter Castle, Chief Operating Officer, and Michael Beecher, Chief Financial Officer of Vasomedical. To join the conference call, please dial 1-877-407-8033 from the U.S. or 1-201-689-8033 internationally. Please call at least five minutes before the scheduled start time. The conference call will also be available via webcast and can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of Vasomedical's website, http://www.vasomedical.com/. Please allow extra time prior to the call to visit the site and download any necessary software to listen to the live broadcast.

A replay of the conference call will be available approximately two hours after completion of the live conference call at http://www.vasomedical.com/. To access the dial-in replay of the call, which will be available until September 15, 2016, please dial 1-877-660-6853 or 1-201-612-7415. All dial-in participants must use the following code to access the call: 13643094.

About Vasomedical

Vasomedical, Inc. is a diversified medical technology company with several distinctive but related specialties: professional sales services for diagnostic imaging products; managed IT systems and services, including healthcare software solutions and network connectivity services; and design, manufacture and sale of proprietary medical devices.

Vasomedical operates through four wholly owned subsidiaries. Vaso Diagnostics, Inc. d.b.a. VasoHealthcare (www.vasohealthcare.com), provides professional sales services and is the operating subsidiary for the exclusive sales representation of GE Healthcare diagnostic imaging products in certain market segments in the USA. Vaso Technology, Inc. provides network and IT services through two business units: VasoHealthcare IT Corp., a national value added reseller of GE Healthcare IT's Radiology PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) software solutions and related services, including implementation, management and support, and NetWolves Network Services LLC (www.netwolves.com), a managed network services provider with an extensive, proprietary service platform to a broad base of customers. Vasomedical Solutions, Inc. (www.vasosolutions.com), manages and coordinates the design, manufacture and sales of EECP Therapy Systems and other medical equipment operations. Vasomedical Global Corp. (www.vasoglobal.com), operates the Company's China-based subsidiaries, including Biox Instruments Co. Ltd. and Life Enhancement Technology Limited. It is also the minority shareholder of VSK Medical Limited, a marketing and sales company for ECP products in the international market. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.vasomedical.com.

Summarized Financial Information

Except for historical information contained in this report, the matters discussed are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this report, words such as "anticipates", "believes", "could", "estimates", "expects", "feel", "may", "plans", "potential" and "intends" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: the effect of business and economic conditions; the effect of the dramatic changes taking place in IT and healthcare; continuation of the GEHC agreements; the impact of competitive technology and products and their pricing; medical insurance reimbursement policies; unexpected manufacturing or supplier problems; unforeseen difficulties and delays in the conduct of clinical trials and other product development programs; the actions of regulatory authorities and third-party payers in the United States and overseas; and the risk factors reported from time to time in the Company's SEC reports. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.

Investor Contacts:

Michael J. Beecher / Amanda Jiang

Investor Relations

Phone: 516-508-5840

Email: mbeecher@vasomedical.com / ajiang@vasomedical.com

SOURCE: Vasomedical, Inc.
A first look at the poster of the film which Venice director Alberto Barbera singled out as the big discovery of this years festival: El cristo ciego (The Blind Christ), from Chiles Christopher Murray (pictured, right).

Produced by Chiles Jirafa Films and Frances CineSud Promotion, The Blind Christ is not Murrays first feature: Straight off college, he co-directed with Pablo Carrera Manuel de Ribera, produced by Bruno Bettati when at Jirafa, which already hints at The Blind Christ in its mix of professional actors and non-pro locals, spectacular locations and the mood of a fable as Variety described Manuel de Ribera, praising an an impressive feature debut the tale of a man who wants to develop an island hes inherited.

In The Blind Christ, Murray looks set to up the ante. His second fiction feature is sold worldwide by Film Factory, one of the biggest sales agents in the Spanish-speaking world, in a two-pic deal with Jirafa. The Blind Christ also world premieres in competition at this years Venice Festival, which runs Aug. 31 to Sept 10.

Shifting the setting from Manuel de Riberas Chilean archipelago to the dirt-poor desert of Chiles North, The Blind Christ begins with a villager, Michael who, believing he is a Christ, sets out on a barefoot pilgrimage across the desert to perform his first miracle, curing a dying friend.

The voyage will traverse the desperation of a society in need of faith, the films production notes read.

Its a surprising debut, influenced by Pasolini but with a marvellous expressive strength of its own, Barbera told Screen Daily.

Barbara added: Murrays talent for image composition is striking and the films narrative quality is one like weve never seen. He is an auteur and everyone will see it.

Developed at Cannes Cinefondation, the Torino Film Lab and Rotterdams Cinemart and produced by Jirafas Augusto Matte and Thierry Lenouvel at CineSud Promotion, The Blind Christ also offers a way into the social realities of Chiles North, Murray himself argues.

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The Blind Chist is a unique story about a young man trying to overcome a harsh reality through the use of a miracle and about the way in which communities are able to find meaning through his journey, according to Murray.

He continued: In pondering faith, we can uncover the social conflicts that have historically plagued us as a country and society, in the case of Chiles north its impoverishment at the hands of multinational companies which have ravaged its natural resources.

In order to penetrate the countrys conflict, all the actors are real locals who share their stories in the film, Murray said. Casts only professional is lead Michael Silva, best known to Chileans as a star of TV series Sudamerican Rockers. As The Blind Christs poster suggests, however, Silva has both the mien of a biblical character and a sense of strong humanity. Posters log-line, Let me tell you a story, hints at the power of storytelling as a central theme of the film.

Just how that plays out, however, will be seen in Venice where The Blind Christ will be one of two Chilean films in competition on this years Lido  with Pablo Larrains Natalie Portman-starrer Jackie  a historical record for Chile, a country which over the last decade has punched far above its weight when it comes to cinema.

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Venice Film Festival Lineup Includes Mel Gibson, Tom Ford, Terrence Malick Movies
SPRINGFIELD, VA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Versar, Inc. (NYSE MKT: VSR) today announced that the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District (USACE-MED) has ordered more requirements under Versar's ongoing Iraq Personal Services Contract. By this modification, USACE exercises a second and final option year, ending in August 2017, and adds $2.5 million in funding to the original contract. Under this contract, personnel supporting USACE-MED ensure the performance of quality assurance, warranty, material and equipment inspections and on-site monitoring of geographically dispersed construction sites requiring Iraqi National project, administration and technical support.

Tony Otten, CEO of Versar, noted that, "this second extension of our Iraq Personal Services Contract in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to demonstrate the strength of our partnership with the Middle East District contributing to our nation's security interests and the stability of Iraq. Versar has provided such services to USACE-MED for the past twelve years and we look forward to continuing such support."

VERSAR, INC., headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, is a publicly-traded global project management company providing sustainable value oriented solutions to government and commercial clients in the construction management, environmental services, and professional services market areas.

VERSAR operates the following websites: www.versar.com and www.versarpps.com.

Find out more about VERSAR at



https://twitter.com/VersarInc

https://www.facebook.com/VersarInc

http://www.linkedin.com/company/38251



This news release contains forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be significantly impacted by certain risks and uncertainties described herein and in Versar's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the fiscal year ended June 26, 2015, as updated from time to time in the Company's periodic filings. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and Versar does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.

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Contact:

Karin Weber

M&A, Investor Relations Manager

Versar, Inc.

(703) 642-6706

kweber@versar.com

Robert Ferri

Robert Ferri Partners

(415) 575-1589

robert.ferri@robertferri.com

SOURCE: Versar, Inc.
Shyrokyne (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukrainian paratrooper Boroda says pro-Russian rebels have recently ramped up their shelling of one key village -- a move he links to Moscow's claim of a Kiev plot against annexed Crimea.

Boroda, or "the Beard", is the nom de guerre of a member of an air assault battalion defending the once quiet coastal resort village of Shyrokyne that has turned into one of the bloodiest battlefields of the 27-month separatist revolt.

Few buildings are left standing in the little village and the quaint sailing boats that once lined its sunny shore have long been destroyed.

"These attacks clearly began in response to Putin's statement about Crimea," the 45-year-old Ukrainian fighter told AFP as the echo of distant shelling shook the air.

"But I doubt that the Russian side is prepared for an all-out offensive."

Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have been boiling over since President Vladimir Putin last Wednesday accused the pro-Western leadership in Kiev of attempting an armed incursion into Crimea that killed two Russian servicemen.

Kiev has furiously denied the allegations, and Ukraine asked Russia at an emergency UN Security Council session last Thursday to come up with the "proof" that any such attack happened.

Moscow responded by airing the alleged confessions of some of the captured purported Ukrainian plotters, and beefing up its forces on the Black Sea peninsula it seized in 2014.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has also put his troops on a heightened state of alert as Russia conducts naval exercises around Crimea that have NATO and the United States particularly concerned.

Officials and analysts remain undecided about whether Putin's charge meant that Russia intended to step up a war it formally denies backing, but which has already claimed more than 9,500 lives.

Yet soldiers like Boroda believe that the intensification of bombardments by the insurgents that began the night following Putin's announcement suggests Moscow and its alleged proxy forces are manoeuvering.

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"Most likely, they are trying to gain some political advantage from this escalation," he said.

- Land bridge to Crimea -

Shyrokyne lies just 10 kilometres (six miles) east of Mariupol -- a strategic industrial port whose control would provide the rebels with new financial resources as well as a potential land bridge to Crimea.

Monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have recorded in Shyrokyne regular violations of a ceasefire and a political reconciliation agreement signed in the Belarussian capital Minsk in February 2015.

But the truce has done little to end the daily loss of life of civilians and fighters on both sides.

The deadline for a permanent solution to one of Europe's deadliest conflicts since the 1990s Balkan wars has now been extended from the end of last year to the start of 2017.

"The last heavy rounds of shelling happened Saturday morning," Ukrainian battalion commander Vyktor Sikoza told AFP.

"They are shooting at us like they were at the start of the war, in 2014. The Minsk Agreements are not being respected here by our opponent."

The 30-year-old commander is certain that the insurgents' main goal is not to capture Shyrokyne but to break their way through to Mariupol and then Crimea -- effectively cutting off eastern Ukraine's access to the Sea of Azov.

"Their main goal is to establish a pathway through Shyrokyne to Mariupol," Sikoza said.

"This village itself is of little value to them."

- 'Anything but peace' -

Both OSCE monitors and Ukrainian military leaders confirm that fighting in Shyrokyne is flaring to levels not seen for months.

"What we heard here last night and this morning -- and what you hear regularly -- can be called anything but the peace for which the UN secretary-general called for," the OSCE's deputy chief monitor Alexander Hug said in Mariupol on Saturday.

But pro-Moscow militia leaders blame the flare up on Ukrainian soldiers who they say have launched hundreds of shells on their positions.

"The moment the OSCE mission left Mariupol (on Saturday), the number of daily attacks increased from 200 to 700," rebel commander Eduard Basurin told AFP.

"Our forces are not advancing and staying put where they are."
A VW sign is seen outside a Volkswagen dealership in London, Britain November 5, 2015. REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett/File photo - RTSMMUB

The Department of Justice has found Volkswagen liable for criminal wrongdoing, CNBC first reported on Monday.

Volkswagen is expected to face criminal and civil penalties for violating the Clean Air Act by installing software on vehicles that violates environmental standards meant to reduce smog, but prosecutors have yet to decide the specific criminal charges they might bring against the automaker.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Department of Justice is negotiating a settlement with Volkswagen. The German carmaker is expected to face charges and significant financial penalties, people familiar with the matter told The Journal.

The penalties could exceed the $1.2 billion Toyota had to pay for intentionally concealing unintended acceleration problems, The Journal reports. The $1.2 billion charge is the largest criminal penalty ever imposed on an American automaker.

"As we have said previously, Volkswagen is cooperating with federal and state regulators in the United States, including the Department of Justice, and our discussions are continuing toward a resolution of remaining issues," a Volkswagen representative told Business Insider.

"Volkswagen is committed to earning back the trust of our customers, dealers, regulators, and the American public," the person added.

The Department of Justice declined to comment.

The emissions scandal

Volkswagen installed the software on almost 500,000 diesel vehicles in the US, according to an Environmental Protection Agency press release from September.

The software, known as a defeat device, conceals the cars' emissions of nitrogen oxide, a pollutant that contributes to the creation of smog and ozone and causes health issues like asthma attacks.

The installed software is designed to turn on full emissions-control systems only when the car is undergoing official emissions testing; it neglects to do the same during normal driving situations, when Volkswagens pollute far more heavily.

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Cars with such devices are able to meet emissions standards while emitting nitrogen oxide at levels up to 40 times the standard when the car is in actual use, according to the EPA.

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down in September as a result of the emissions scandal. "As CEO I accept responsibility for the irregularities that have been found in diesel engines and have therefore requested the Supervisory Board to agree on terminating my function as CEO of the Volkswagen Group," he wrote at the time.

Volkswagen admitted to installing the emissions-cheating software. The automaker expected to receive credit from prosecutors for cooperating with the investigation and agreeing to a civil accord in June with regulators and consumers that could separately cost the automaker up to $15 billion, The Journal also reports. The credit could reduce the financial penalty Volkswagen receives, among other things, in the final settlement with the Department of Justice.

Volkswagen set aside roughly $21 billion to deal with the fallout, The Journal reports. As part of its civil accord in June, Volkswagen agreed to pay $10 billion to repurchase cars from consumers and another $4.7 billion on environmental remediation and investments in zero-emission vehicles like electric cars.

Affected diesel models include the 2009-2015 Audi A3, the 2009-2015 Beetle, the 2009-2015 Golf, the 2014-2015 Passat, and the 2009-2015 Volkswagen Jetta. The EPA allegations encompass about 482,000 diesel passenger cars that have been sold since 2009 in the US.

The defeat device was uncovered by independent researchers at West Virginia University working with the International Council on Clean Transportation.

NOW WATCH: Volkswagen's brand chief gave an extended apology before their CES keynote





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(Adds previous automaker fines, paragraphs 13, 14)

By David Shepardson and Joel Schectman

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG and the U.S. Justice Department have held preliminary settlement talks about resolving a criminal probe into the automaker's diesel emissions scandal, two sources briefed on the matter said.

Reuters reported in June that a criminal settlement could include a consent decree, an independent monitor overseeing the German automaker's conduct and significant yet-to-be determined fines for emissions violations.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the fines could top $1.2 billion.

The pace of VW's internal investigation together with complications from separate civil suits filed in July by three U.S. states have slowed progress on reaching a settlement of the criminal investigation, according to people familiar with the probe.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

In June, VW agreed to pay as $15.3 billion after admitting it cheated on U.S. diesel emissions tests for years. The company agreed to buy back vehicles from consumers and provide funding that could benefit makers of cleaner technologies.

VW agreed to set aside $10.033 billion to cover buybacks or fixes for 475,000 2.0 liter diesel cars and sport utility vehicles that used illegal software to defeat government emissions tests.

Under the Justice Department deal, VW will spend $2 billion over 10 years to fund programs directed by California and EPA to promote construction of infrastructure to charge electric vehicles, development of zero-emission ride-sharing fleets and other efforts to boost sales of cars that do not burn petroleum.

VW also agreed to put up $2.7 billion over three years to enable government and tribal agencies to replace old buses or to fund infrastructure to reduce diesel emissions.

VW could face billions of dollars more in costs in the United States if it is forced to buy back 85,000 3.0 liter Audi, Porsche and VW cars and SUVs sold since 2009.

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Last month, three U.S. states led by New York filed suits seeking at least hundreds of millions of dollars and said senior executives at Volkswagen including its former chief executive covered up evidence that the German automaker had cheated on U.S. diesel emissions tests for years.

A VW spokesman said the company "is committed to earning back the trust of our customers, dealers, regulators and the American public. As we have said previously, Volkswagen is cooperating with federal and state regulators in the United States, including the Department of Justice, and our discussions are continuing toward a resolution of remaining issues."

The fine to resolve the U.S. criminal investigation could be the largest ever imposed on an automaker, surpassing the $1.2 billion paid by Toyota Motor Corp in 2014 to resolve a Justice Department investigation into its handling of sudden unintended acceleration incidents.

In September, General Motors Co paid $900 million and signed a deferred-prosecution agreement to end a Justice Department investigation into its handling of an ignition-switch defect linked to 124 deaths. Both automakers agreed to three years of oversight by an outside monitor.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Joel Schectman; Editing by Sandra Maler and David Gregorio)
While every consumer with a driver's license has celebrated the low cost of gasoline in 2016, sage investors would urge unschooled investors to take their adoring eyes off the pump and pump up their portfolios with energy stocks instead.

For indeed, the energy sector has seen better days, given that as recently as 2011, a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.53, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data. Today, it costs $2.27 -- down 36 percent and at levels last seen in 2009.

And despite a modest uptick in gas prices thus far in 2016, energy companies still struggle to fill up the investment equivalent of an empty tank.

[See: Oil ETFs: 8 Ways to Invest in Black Gold.]

"Although oil stocks have jumped quite a bit from their February lows, they still reflect a lot of uncertainty and fear," says David Twibell, president of Custom Portfolio Group in Englewood, Colorado.

"While some of that is warranted given the dearth of global economic growth, there's really no escaping the fact that oil demand is moving higher and oil production is heading lower," Twibell says. "Unless we see a major global recession, that dichotomy should eventually produce higher oil prices."

And where some say "eventually," others say "inevitably" -- it's simply a matter of how soon.

"Given the recent weakness, it is important to stress to investors that from a simple cost basis, $40-a-barrel crude prices are not sustainable," says Matthew Michael, emerging market debt and commodities product director at Schroders, based in London.

And so let the market games begin -- with eager investors revving up for the race to bargains.

"My analysis indicates that while prices are depressed, this window represents an excellent opportunity to invest in oil and oil services as pre-positioning strategy for the upcoming oil price shock," says Albert Goldson, executive director of Indo-Brazilian Associates, a New York-based boutique global advisory firm and think tank that specializes in the energy sector.

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Goldson sees scenarios in places from Venezuela (plummeting production) to Nigeria and Iran (overestimated production in the near term) as conspiring to make the current oil glut a short-lived one: "Should more than one of these scenarios come to fruition, we may expect an oil price spike."

But as with anything else involving investment and geopolitics, it's complicated.

"While OPEC can attempt to limit production in an attempt to raise prices, various challenges can and have impeded this success," says Bob Silvers, managing director of energy and live sciences at management consulting firm SSA & Co.

Silvers says these include "OPEC agreeing and adhering to their own production rates, their need to finance their budgets and the ability of the U.S. to quickly ramp back up to 2015 production levels, filling some of this void and gaining more market share, to name a few."

On the balance, observers believe the fundamentals of the energy market point to 2017 as a key year for price recovery.

"Based on the comments from the latest earnings report from Schlumberger (ticker: SLB), it appears that several energy companies are ramping up production in anticipation of higher energy prices," says David Yepez, investment analyst and portfolio manager at Exencial Wealth Advisors, based in Oklahoma City.

Houston-based SLB is the world's largest oilfield services company "and has a good track record of accurately forecasting energy prices," Yepez says. "Schlumberger believes the sector is poised for recovery, which is very reassuring." It would also be good news for SLB, which is down 25 percent from two years ago and trades at $82 per share.

[See: The 10 Energy ETFs That Will Clear Your Conscience.]

But if you're looking for a winner right now, consider the oil and gas storage and transportation sub-sector, which has jumped in value a full third on a year-to-date basis.

"Oneok (OKE) and Spectra Energy (SE) were two of the year-to-date outperformers in this sub-industry," says Andrew Birstingl, research analyst at FactSet Research Systems in the greater New York City area. In fact, OKE has jumped more than 80 percent since January -- trading at $45 per share -- while SE climbed 45 percent, to about $36 per share.

"Within the S&P 500 Energy sector, five of the six sub-industries are expected to see an improvement in year-over-year earnings in 2017," Birstingl says. But it's not yet a profits gusher worthy of punchbowls for everyone.

"Aggregate earnings for the S&P 500 energy sector in 2017 are still projected to be well below the aggregate earnings recorded in 2014," he says.

"Is the energy sector making a comeback? When it comes to the utility market, the answer is an unwavering 'yes,'" says Swap Shah, CEO and co-founder of FirstFuel Software.

Citing low commodity prices and deregulation, "utilities today have a huge opportunity to innovate and gain competitive advantage," Shah says. "For the first time, they're able to break free of traditional models and use new strategies and techniques that differentiate them from other industry players -- and gain significant market share."

In the meantime, oil remains on a wild ride worthy of a tanker truck on grease slick.

"After reaching a low of just above $26 per barrel in February, oil staged a rally to nearly double in price to $50.56 per barrel in early June," says Bruce Bullock, director of the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University's Cox School of Business "But since that time, the market has retreated again 20 percent into bear territory at slightly over $40 per barrel."

So how to gauge the next wave of upward movement? "Measures of recovery in this next up-cycle are likely to be very different than previous ones: Old benchmarks may not work," Bullock says. Counting the number of active oil rigs is a favorite metric, "but production generated from a rig count of 1,600 to 2,000 rigs can likely be accomplished with 700 to 1,000 rigs today."

And some investments may remain on the downside for a long time -- even if a comeback revives the rest of the energy market.

"The one major winning bet during the oil price down-turn was owning Gulf Coast refiners," says Andrew Wetzel, senior vice president and portfolio manager at F.L.Putnam Investment Management Co. and based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. "But the fortunes of refiners have turned as the glut of oil has become a glut of refined product."

[Read: What to Expect at the Pump This Driving Season.]

And so the bottom line: "The refining golden age is likely over," Wetzel says, "making refiners a losing long-term bet, though there will be trading opportunities."

A former longtime staff writer, editor and columnist at the Chicago Tribune, Lou Carlozo writes about investment for U.S. News & World Report, and personal finance for Money Under 30 and GOBankingRates. He is based in Chicago. Connect with him at linkedin.com/in/loucarlozo.
donald trump

The Wall Street Journal's editorial board has a message for Donald Trump: Stop whining or drop out.

In an editorial published Sunday evening, the right-leaning editorial board questioned the Republican nominee's temperament, accusing him of lacking interest in acquiring in-depth policy knowledge and scolding him for his frequent outbursts against the news media.

"If they can't get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races," the editorial board wrote.

"As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be President  or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence."

The board wrote that it "should be obvious" to Trump that the campaign is dysfunctional. Trump has been unable to make inroads in key battleground states despite Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's unpopularity, sluggish economic growth, and a restless electorate tired of eight years of Democratic control of the White House.

The board also expressed skepticism that the real-estate magnate was capable of changing the tone of his campaign, citing his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward various news media outlets and his inability so far to avoid controversial gaffes.

"Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isn't running a competent campaign," the board wrote. "Mrs. Clinton is the second most unpopular presidential nominee in history  after Mr. Trump. But rather than reassure voters and try to repair his image, the New Yorker has spent the last three weeks giving his critics more ammunition.

"Even with more than 80 days left, Mr. Trump's window for a turnaround is closing. The 'Trump pivot' always seemed implausible given his lifelong instincts and habits."

The Wall Street Journal article is the latest in a slew of high-profile newspaper editorial pieces critical of the Republican presidential nominee. Earlier this year, The Washington Post's editorial board took the unusual step of unendorsing Trump months before the election, labeling him an "unusual threat to democracy." The Boston Globe opinion section ran a fake front-page cover imagining what life would be like under a Trump administration, predicting an economic downturn and harsh libel laws.

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Read the whole thing at The Wall Street Journal.

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Australian researchers have captured an event thats happening with alarming frequency worldwide: Coral bleaching.

A team from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia filmed a particular type of mushroom coral as it responded to warming water temperatures.

Researchers found the solitary Heliofungia actiniformis coral inflated to more than three times its normal body size before suddenly expelling the tiny algae cells that live in a symbiotic relationship within its tissues.

SEE ALSO: A deep-sea camera just discovered a mysterious purple blob

The algae, called Symbiodinium, are corals main source of food and give coral their vibrant color.

But as ocean temperatures rise due to global warming and natural climate variability, corals are becoming increasingly stressed and expelling their algae.

Pollution and extreme weather events can also cause coral to shed the algae. Without their food source, coral turn white and grow more susceptible to disease and death, a phenomenon known as coral bleaching.

During the past few years, the longest-lasting global coral bleaching event on record has been occurring, a result of global warming and an El Nino event.

Image: noaa national ocean service

While scientists have long known that coral bleaching can happen, the new video provides the first recorded evidence of this particular coral species' bloat-then-burp response to heat stress, according to a peer-reviewed study published Aug. 12 in the journal Coral Reefs.

Researchers Brett Lewis and Luke Nothdurft from QUTs marine facility used a microscope, digital camera and smart tablet to capture the moment.

They raised the water temperature in a 2.6-gallon aquarium system from 26 degrees Celsius (78.8 degrees Fahrenheit) to 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over 12 hours. The coral remained in the heated tank for up to eight days.

Heliofungia actiniformis inflates to expel algae.

Image: Brett Lewis/QUT

Whats really interesting is just how quickly and violently the coral forcefully evicted its resident [algae] symbionts, Lewis said in a press release . The H. actiniformis [coral] began ejecting the symbionts within the first two hours of us raising the water temperature of the system.

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But the QUT research team suggested the mushroom corals fast response to water stress could actually help protect it from dangerous bleaching events over the long-term.

This particular type of coral was one of the very few species on the Great Barrier Reef considered relatively resilient to bleaching, even as other nearby species suffered the worst effects.

Watching a bowling ball drop from a tower onto an axe is pretty wild

Top 10 structured movies of all time

Security guard confiscates BMX bike, promptly busts out sick moves

Underwear ad aims to flip gender stereotypes with 'dad bod' video
We finally??have a chance to see??Janelle Monae help the U.S. win the first major battle in the race to leave Earth's orbit. In the new trailer for the Ted Melfi-directed??movie Hidden Figures -- based on Margo Lee Shetterly's??upcoming book Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race --????Monae??stars alongside Empire's Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer.??

Janelle Monae Lands Role in NASA Drama 'Hidden Figures' Alongside Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer

In the film, the trio of women help the space agency??with the mathematical computations needed for??NASA's Friendship 7 mission, which resulted in astronaut John Glenn become the first American to orbit the Earth in February 1962. Monae??plays Mary Jackson, and in the trailer she is seen dealing with the not-so-subtle racism (not to mention sexism)??that the women faced in their pioneering??roles, including dealing with police officers who are surprised by their gigs working on the space program and fellow engineers who doubt Katherine Johnson's (Henson) skills.??

"Every time we have a chance to get ahead, they move the finish line... every time," she says at one point in frustration.

In one scene astronaut??Glenn meets the women and asks them what they do and Monae confidently explains, "Engineering and I'm proud as the devil to be working with??you," letting her friends know that her??"equal rights" allow her to ogle fine white men as well.

??

Hidden Figures, which also stars Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst and Jim Parsons,??features original music by Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer.

??
rio synchornized swimming

Order has been restored to the Rio Olympics.

The water in the diving pool is blue again.

After nearly a week of mysteriously green water, brought to a head when officials had to close the pool because the water smelled "like a fart," the water in the Maria Lenk Aquatic Center is back to normal.

On Saturday, officials said they would drain the pool after they were unable to restore its blue coloration. It seems to have done the job.

British diver Tonia Couch posted a photo on Twitter noting the change in color.

Women's individual soon and the water isn't green anymore  pic.twitter.com/F9whIZzTOo  tonia couch (@toniacouch) August 15, 2016

Several other reports noted the change, too.

The diving pool is blue again and Team Ireland's @OliverDingley goes now for the first of 6 dives today  pic.twitter.com/SiUWLkuH5e  Evanne Ni Chuilinn (@EvanneNiC) August 15, 2016

Here was the water on Wednesday, when the water polo pool also began to turn green.

green olympic pools

According to a report from the New York Times, a maintenance worker had mistakenly poured hydrogen peroxide into the pools, thus neutralizing the chlorine and allowing algae to grow.

While Rio officials were unable to fix the situation, they maintained that the water was not dangerous to swimmers, and thus far, aside from a few complaints of itchy eyes, there haven't been any serious issues.

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Forensic experts in the city of Surat Thani have said that the explosives used in the wave of bombings that struck Thai resort towns last Friday are similar to those used by separatists in the countrys Deep South.

While stressing that it was too early to say with certainty who was behind the violence, Police Lieut. General Suchart Theerasawat told the Bangkok Post, The bombs used in the Phuket, Phang Nga and Surat Thani attacks were related and similar to those found in insurgent attacks in the Deep South.

Nobody has so far claimed responsibility for the bombs, which killed four people and injured dozens in Surat Thani, Hua Hin, Phuket and other locations with above-average concentrations of foreigners. Incendiary devices and arson are also suspected of being behind the simultaneous fires that gutted market and shopping facilities popular with tourists.

The Post quoted unnamed military intelligence sources as saying they were confident that the attacks were a show of force and network expansion on the part of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, a Muslim separatist group.

However, a senior junta member, retired army commander in chief Prawit Wongsuwan, told reporters Monday that the attacks were not an expansion of the southern insurgency. According to Reuters, he said that insurgents could have been hired by other parties to commit the violence.

Since 2004, at least 5,000 people have died violently in the insurgency, which is mainly being fought in Thailands three southernmost provinces. On Sunday, two soldiers were injured, one of them seriously, when a roadside device exploded in Narathiwat province.

Last Fridays bloodshed coincided with the birthday of Thailands Queen Sirikit (the holiday also marks Mothers Day in Thailand). It also occurred near the first anniversary of the bomb attack on Bangkoks Erawan Shrine, a major tourist attraction. That attack, on Aug. 17, 2015, killed 17 and injured over 100.

Speaking to TIME about the bombings last week, Zachary Abuza, an expert in Southeast Asian politics and security at the National War College in Washington, D.C., said that by targeting tourist areas, the bombers were trying to do harm to the Thai economy. Thats the Achilles heel of the junta.

Thai police have arrested two people in connection with attacks. Reuters reports that several others have been detained for questioning, but details have not been released.
Bissau (AFP) - West African troops who have provided security to the unstable west African state of Guinea-Bissau will pull out within a year, a top official for the ECOWAS regional bloc said Monday.

The troops were deployed in May 2012 following one of the nation's many coups and have since served with a mandate to protect public figures and institutions.

"That's four years now. The contingent cannot stay in Guinea-Bissau forever. It's costing us a lot, and more and more often the head of state has asked me to organise the demobilisation," said Marcel Alain De Souza, the head of the ECOWAS Commission.

"That's what we are working on, to extend our stay for a year so that the security situation can be reinforced," he added after leaving a meeting with Prime Minister Baciro Dja.

De Souza added that the ECOWAS contingent would concentrate its efforts on training up the tiny state's own armed forces.

"In the next six months, we are going to train men capable of replacing ECOMIB who will then be able to progressively pull out," he said, referring to the ECOWAS military mission.

De Souza had already said Sunday there was "no miracle" for the country's political and economic crises as he made an official visit, saying a country could not be "perpetually in crisis".

Guinea-Bissau is in the throes of a protracted power struggle, which dates back to the sacking of ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) leader Domingos Simoes Pereira in August 2015.

President Jose Mario Vaz named Dja as his choice for premier in June 2016 and a powerful faction of the party have protested the decision ever since.

Guinea-Bissau has been plagued by military coups and instability since its independence from Portugal in 1974, and has more recently become a key cocaine trafficking hub.
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The Louisiana floods, which have now killed at least six and led to the evacuation of 20,000, were the result of a bizarre confluence of weather events that are becoming suspiciously more common as the planet's climate continues to warm.

First off, the atmosphere was primed for heavy rain for days on end along the central Gulf Coast, with precipitable water values (the amount of water vapor in a column of air above a specific location) hitting record levels in Louisiana  beating out readings seen during tropical storms and hurricanes going back to 1948.

SEE ALSO: Louisiana residents make best of 'historic' flood on social media

A near-record warm Gulf of Mexico helped add water vapor to the air, with bathtub-like water temperatures near 90 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of the Gulf.

Another factor contributing to the heavy rain was the slowly swirling storm system itself, which was a relatively weak area of low pressure that succeeded in wringing the moisture out of the atmosphere like a wet sponge.

The storm  which dumped rain on the region from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Monday  had tropical characteristics, with a warm air mass located near the center. Day after day, massive thunderstorms erupted around the storm's center, dumping rains over the same water-logged region.

Some spots picked up more than a foot of rain in 24 hours and 2 feet in 72 hours, an indication of the extreme efficiency with which the storm was converting water vapor in the air into rainfall.

Such "warm core" systems are generally known to be more efficient rain producers than typical cold-core systems.

For example, a computer model and a sample of the atmosphere provided by a weather balloon in Louisiana on Saturday showed the freezing level was unusually high, at 17,000 feet, meaning that warm rain processes were taking place in much of the cloud layers.

The rainfall totals that resulted from this storm are extraordinary, and they caused record crests on nearly a dozen rivers. In some cases, the rivers beat their previous record crests by several feet, rather than inches.

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Atmospheric sounding over Louisiana on August 13, 2016, showing warm rainfall processes at work.

Image: NCAR

For example, the Amite River at Denham Springs, just east of Baton Rouge, hit 46.2 feet on Sunday morning, which was about five feet above its previous record crest in 1983. Records there date back to 1921.

According to the National Weather Service, The frequency intervals of this rainfall event show that this was about a 500-year event.

This doesn't mean that there will only be one such deluge every 500 years, though. Rather, it means that in any given year, there is a 0.2 percent chance of such rainfall occurring.

Here are some of the most impressive rainfall totals from this event:

Watson, Louisiana: 31.39 inches

Brownfields, Louisiana: 27.47 inches

Monticello, Louisiana: 26.26 inches

Lafayette, Louisiana: 21.60 inches

Baton Rouge, Louisiana: 19.14 inches

Gloster, Mississippi: 22.84 inches.



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Climate change's role

If such rainstorms seem familiar to you, that's because they've been in the news more frequently lately.

According to Steve Bowen, a meteorologist for the insurance company Aon Benfield, there have been nine 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events in the U.S. since 2010 alone, including a deadly flooding event in West Virginia in June and a devastating flash flood in Ellicott City, Maryland in late July.

In general, this is the type of event that we expect to see occur more frequently, and with greater severity, as the climate continues to warm and more moisture is added to the air.

The record-high amounts of precipitable water and tremendous rainfall rates are suspicious, as well as the fact that this same area had 500-to-1,000-year rainfall events earlier this year.

River gauge showing the record crest of the Amite River at 46.2 feet.

Image: NOAA

Kevin Trenberth, a senior researcher with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, says he has not conducted an in-depth examination of this particular event, however:

"... Increasingly, these kinds of events are clearly enhanced by warmer temperatures and the ability of the atmosphere to hold more moisture at higher temperatures," he wrote in an email to Mashable.

Sea surface temperature anomalies in the Gulf of Mexico.

Image: Weatherbell analytics

"The high temperatures themselves have a foundation of higher upper ocean heat content and associated higher sea surface temperatures. So there is a clear human component in them."

Trenberth said media reports that don't mention climate change in stories about these floods are "pathetic," given that the atmosphere can hold 7 percent more moisture for every degree Celsius of temperature increase. The actual percentage increase in precipitation during storm events can be much greater than 7 percent, however.

In this aerial photo a boat motors between flooded homes after heavy rains inundating the region Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in Hammond, La.

Image: Max Becherer/AP

Marshall Shepherd, a professor at the University of Georgia, said this flood fits a pattern he and a research team developed that found a tie between urban flood events and high amounts of precipitable water in the atmosphere.

"In a recent study we published in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, we found that most urban flood events over the past 40 years exhibit top percentile precipitable water values," he said in an email.

"... The flood event in Louisiana fits the prototype very well," he said, speaking of floods resulting from "tropical-like air masses.

Shepherd emphasized that there are non-climate change-related trends that make floods like this more likely, too.

Precipitable water on Saturday, August 13, showing nearly 3 inches across Louisiana, and a plume of extremely humid air streaming northeastward all the way to Canada.

Image: NCAR

"Days of tropical-like rainfall, saturated soil, lots of rivers and low-lying wetlands coupled with increasing urban impervious surfaces was the recipe for this type of event and I believe we will continue to see more of these 'new normal events' going forward."

Victor Murphy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Texas and Louisiana have been hit with at least six separate 500-year rainfall events since October 2015.

"The increase in water vapor in the atmosphere as the atmosphere warms is clearly a factor in priming the pumps for these extreme rainfall events," he said in an email to Mashable, noting that it's not clear exactly how much of a factor this is.

A recent report from the National Academies of Sciences found that studies do show "strong support for upward trends in the intensity and frequency of extreme precipitation events." An EPA report updated this month found that nine of the top 10 years for extreme single-day precipitation events in the U.S. have occurred since 1990.

That report indicates that heat waves and cold snaps have clearer climate change ties than extreme precipitation events. However, the report also notes that events like what is still unfolding in Louisiana have some scientific backing for concluding that global warming is playing some role in producing them.

Meteorological debate

The Louisiana floods have generated some debate in the weather community, since the Weather Prediction Center in Maryland, which is responsible for flood forecasting, wrote that it described the storm as tropical in origin. However, the National Hurricane Center, which would have jurisdiction over a tropical system, was silent, and never declared it a tropical depression.

This may seem like an esoteric discussion, but settling it may be important if global warming helps spawn more hybrid storm systems that feed off of warmer than average waters and take on tropical characteristics even when they are over land.

It is also important because the public may respond more to warnings when storms are numbered, as tropical depressions are, or named, like more intense storms including tropical storms and hurricanes.

The lack of a storm name could have hindered efforts to call attention to the flood threat in Louisiana, despite the storm's clear tropical characteristics.
Although Kubo and the Two Strings marks Matthew McConaugheys first animated film, the actor admitted that his interest in voice acting preceded his involvement in Laikas latest stop-motion fantasy.

Id been looking for a voice acting role for years. When this came along  its a quality production, Laikas quality, the storys good  I was in, McConaughey told Variety at the films Los Angeles premiere. I havent made many films lately, in the last 15 years, that are children-friendly so it was nice to make something that [my kids] can go to.

The Oscar-winning actor plays a light-hearted human-turned-insect in the fantasy epic, which follows a young Japanese storytellers mystical quest to defeat evil and protect his familys legacy. Charlize Theron, Rooney Mara, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, and George Takei also lend their voices to the film, which marks Laika CEO Travis Knights directorial debut.

For Kubo screenwriter Marc Haimes, the goal was to spark imaginative, boundless thinking in young viewers  an effect he recalled experiencing while watching classics like The Empire Strikes Back during his childhood. It was my ambition to create those moments that really challenge a kid and expand their definition of how stories and storytelling works, he said.

The Kubo premiere, held at of Universal Studios Hollywood, kicked off with a carnival-style pre-party, complete with cookie decorating, cotton candy, snow cones, and mini donuts. Party guests were also in close proximity to Laikas From Coraline to Kubo interactive exhibit and a showcase of Nikes special edition Kubo-inspired sneakers.

Kubo and the Two Strings hits theaters on Friday.

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From Popular Mechanics

If you could walk into a NASA wind tunnel, you might find model planes and rockets painted in the hottest pink you've ever seen. The color choice isn't a simple aesthetic choice, though. NASA hopes this type of hot-pink paint could cut fuel use in half, pollution by around 75 percent, and noise to practically one-eighth of what it is today.

The hot pink stuff is pressure sensitive paint (PSP), and its talent is that it shows how an aircraft model responds to pressure. PSP is being used in wind tunnel tests at the agency's Ames Research Center in California and Langley Research Center in Virginia. NASA explains how it works in a somewhat confusing video.

If you were distracted by how much that video looked like Taiwanese news animators Next Media, here's how PSP works. Inside the wind tunnel, the model aircraft is lit up by LEDs that really emphasize how hot this hot pink is. Then the wind starts coming. Oxygen in the air connects with luminophores-fluorescent particles inside the paint. Areas with high air pressure have more oxygen, and the pink is dimmer as a result. As the luminophores start to dull the pink, scientists can determine exactly which parts of the model are being affected and how.

Scientists have known that oxygen can quench luminescence since 1935. NASA started experimenting with fluorescent dyes in the '80s. Blair McLachlan, a NASA researcher, worked back then with scientists at the University of Washington including Janet Kavandi. By 1989, Kavandi, McLachlan, and their team created the first generation of pink PSP paints. These days Kavandi is the director of NASA's Glenn Research Center, putting her in the position of benefitting from her own research breakthroughs decades later.

Photo credit: NASA

The next generation of PSP, deemed Unsteady PSP, is already being prepared. Unsteady will be able to show changes in pressure at the microsecond level, and will be less sensitive to temperature. But NASA is proud of its color. Its press release notes that the color is unavailable in hobby stores and that when Unsteady arrives, "one thing that is not expected to change is the bright pink color of the specialty paint."

Story continues

Source: Space.com

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Profitability has already doubled to $2.02 million.

The top-waste water treatment player SIIC Environment Holdings was on a roll the previous quarter and it may continue to be as it embarks on its acquisition of Longjiang Environmental Protection Group.

While the group is hands-on with regards to upgrading its capacity, it is also looking forward to finalizing the said project at the soonest possible time, analysts from the Jefferies said.

"We expect construction and upgrade demand will continue to drive growth in the near term. Acquisition of Longjiang project could be a 2H16 catalyst," they explained.

The SIIC Environment has registered a stellar performance for the previous quarters. The group has reported a net profit of $20.5 million in 2Q16, a 21.8% boost from the year prior, mainly bolstered by its income.

More so, the profitability of the groups North East China joint-venture in Longjiang has already doubled from around $1.01 million last year.

The groups water facilities also increased from 880,000 tons to 7 million.

Meanwhile, RHB analysts foresee an increase in the operating income for group with design capacity being expanded and upgraded.

Currently, the group has about 750,000 tons of reconstruction projects under way.

"This will help to boost wastewater tariffs, ie when its projects are completed and commence operations next year. We believe this would support the growth of its operating income, if it does not make any new acquisition," the RHB analysts said.

The RHB analysts said construction works still dominate topline growth for the group in the first half of this year, with its revenue surging 33.5%.

"With government policies that support the grading of wastewater treatment standards, we expect most of SIIC Environments upgrading projects to happen in FY16-17," they said.





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By Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A wildfire that spread into a small Northern California town over the weekend has destroyed more than 175 homes and businesses, authorities said on Monday, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames. The Clayton fire, named for the creek near where it broke out, was driven by fierce winds into the foothill community of Lower Lake, 80 miles (130 km) north of San Francisco, forcing hundreds of residents to flee. That fire broke out on Saturday evening. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said on Monday afternoon that more than 175 structures had been destroyed by the fire and that 1,500 others were threatened. There were no reports of casualties. Lake County sheriffs deputies were investigating burned-out structures. The nearby community of Clear Lake was also evacuated. As winds abated on Sunday evening, crews made progress cutting containment lines around the flames and putting out hot spots, said Daniel Berlant of the California forestry department. "As temperatures heat back up again today, it's likely fire conditions will increase." "We've got over 1,600 firefighters ready to go to battle again when that happens." The cause of the Clayton fire, which had blackened about 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) by late Monday afternoon, was under investigation. Fire managers said the blaze grew during the day, but remained about 5 percent contained. The conflagration is one of 24 major wildfires burning across the drought-parched U.S. West, which all together have charred nearly 300,000 acres (120,000 hectares). The so-called Chimney fire, which erupted on Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo County, had scorched more than 4,300 acres (1,740 hectares) in less than 48 hours, destroying 20 structures and threatening some 150 others as hundreds of residents were told to evacuate. That blaze, which broke out near Chimney Rock Road, was only 10 percent contained as of Monday morning. The Soberanes fire, one of the largest so far this season, has burned through more than 72,000 acres (29,100 hectares) near scenic Big Sur, destroying 57 homes and 11 outbuildings since it broke out on July 22. It was 60 percent contained as of Monday. A bulldozer operator died on July 26 when his tractor rolled over as he helped property owners battle the flames, the sixth wildfire fatality in California this year. Authorities have traced the Soberanes fire to an illegal campfire left unattended in a state park. (Additional reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, Calif.; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney)
LONDON (Reuters) - British bookmaker William Hill rejected a revised takeover proposal from rivals 888 Holdings and Rank Group on Monday, saying it continued to see no merit in engaging with the consortium.

Casinos and bingo halls operator Rank and online gambling group 888 want to join up with William Hill to create Britain's largest multi-channel gambling operator by revenue and profit. They say a combination will result in cost savings of 100 million pounds a year.

However, William Hill spurned the consortium's initial 3.16 billion-pound cash-and-shares proposal last Tuesday, saying it "substantially undervalued" the business.

It said a revised proposal was received on Sunday, comprising the same 199 pence per share in cash but 0.86 new shares in the bidding company instead of the 0.725 shares previously offered, which would result in William Hill shareholders owning 48.8 percent of the combined group, up from 44.6 percent under the original proposal.

William Hill said that with the exception of the change to its shareholders' proposed ownership of the combined group, none of the other key terms of the revised proposal had changed from the original approach.

It said that based on the combined market capitalisation of the three companies on July 22, adjusted for the cash component of the revised proposal and before any synergy benefits, the offer equated to an estimated value of 352 pence per share - a premium of 12 percent.

It said the consortium's previous proposal had an estimated value of 339 pence per share. July 22 was the last trading day prior to the announcement of a possible offer by the consortium.

"This revised proposal continues to substantially undervalue the company and the cash element of the proposal has not changed. Therefore, the board sees no merit in engaging," said William Hill Chairman Gareth Davis.

This latest proposal moves nothing forward - I cant engage in something based on risk, debt and hope," he said.

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The consortium said the revised proposal was worth 394 pence a share to William Hill shareholders.

However, that valuation was based on the closing share price of 888 shares on August 5 - the last trading day prior to the consortium's submission of the original proposal.

Shares in William Hill were down 3.1 percent at 323.8 pence at 0858 GMT, which analysts said indicated investors were unimpressed by the latest proposal.

Under UK takeover rules the consortium has until August 21 to either announce a firm intention to make an offer or walk away.

(Reporting by James Davey; editing by Kate Holton, Greg Mahlich)
A woman who disguised herself as a hospital nurse and kidnapped a newborn from her mothers room has been sentenced to10 years in prison.

Judge John Hlophe announced the sentence in South Africa Monday, nearly two decades after Zephany Nurse was abducted in Cape Town, the Associated Press reported.

Read: 21 Years After Her Baby Son Was Kidnapped, Mother Sees Him for the First Time

The 19-year-old was reunited with her birth parents last year after befriending the couples second daughter in school. Classmates remarked about how the girls resembled each other and DNA tests later showed the two were sisters.

The pair grew up just a few streets apart from each other.

Morne and Celeste Nurse attended Mondays hearing, but their daughter was not present. She has chosen to stay with her kidnappers husband and will keep the name he and his wife gave her.

The judge ordered that her name, as well as the kidnappers, not be used in media accounts to protect the young womans identity, the news agency reported.

Her birth parents said they never gave up hope of being reunited with their daughter and celebrated her birthday each year.

Read: Woman Kidnapped and Beaten By Man She Met On Tinder In 6-Day Ordeal: Police

She was three days old when she was snatched from her sleeping moms bedside.

Her kidnapper registered the child as her own six years later under a fake birthdate, authorities said.

After her arrest, she told police she had purchased the baby from a woman at a railway station. The judge called that claim "a fairytale."

Watch: See Man Attempt to Kidnap 4-Year-Old Girl Righ In Front Of Her Mom

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From Cosmopolitan

KAIT 8, an ABC affiliate in Arkansas, is reporting on one woman's claim that her child was taken from her hospital room and then found later in another patient's room.

Lory Beth Snyder posted on social media on Friday about what she's saying was a "terrifying" experience at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Snyder was in the hospital so the four-month-old child could get treatment when she woke up from resting and her kid was gone.

"I don't want anyone else to go through what I did," she said while crying.

Snyder said she later found her child in a stranger's hospital room, in the woman's arms "with a room full of six or seven nurses just laughing and playing with her" and her child.

She says she took her child, despite the other patient telling her to "just go rest."

"I told her no that I was fine and I would be taking my daughter back now," Snyder said in the post.

Not only does Snyder say her child was in the room, but she also says that her diaper bag and her child's IV pole were there, as well.

Snyder says the nurses followed her back to her room and told her that her "child was in no danger," adding that they knew the patient and that she meant no harm. She also says the other patient followed her back to her room and kept asking to take the child back.

Brad Parsons, the hospital's CEO, said he could not confirm or deny the report and that there is currently an ongoing investigation. He also moved Snyder and her child to a secure room in the ICU.

"We are working with our risk management department as well as the Jonesboro police on that investigation," Parsons said.

Snyder also contacted the Jonesboro Police Department and says they told her that no crime was committed since the other patient didn't intend to harm the child.

According to the police report, Snyder was told there were "no criminal charges and everything else that occurred would be a civil issue" between her and the hospital.

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The NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital also released this statement:

An incident occurred in one of our patient care units (not labor and delivery) on Friday involving two patients, one of them a pediatric patient. While we cannot go into details because of patient privacy laws, two of our nurses acted immediately, followed all protocols, and rapidly brought the situation under control. Because of their quick work, all patients remained safe. Our nurses quickly secured the pediatric patient and mother and fully cooperated with police, who declined to take action against anyone.. We are grateful that everyone is safe, and we wish everyone the best and continued good health.

Even so, Snyder says she still has questions.

"You do not enter a room and take a child that does not belong to you, especially from a person you don't know," she said. "I want some answers, and I don't feel like I'm getting them from that hospital."

Follow Laura on Twitter.
The Florida woman whose son allegedly beat an infant to death once appeared on a 2010 episode of cable TVs Im Pregnant and..., it has been revealed

The episode, entitled "55 Years Old," followed Kathleen Steele and her 64-year-old husband as they prepared for the birth of their late-in-life child, conceived through in-vitro fertilization.

Read: Woman Who Kidnapped Newborn, Raised Her for Nearly 2 Decades, Gets 10 Years in Prison

There aren't a whole lot of people our age that are having babies, she said on the show.

Kathleen gave birth to her first child, a healthy son. Her husband died sometime after that, but by using his frozen sperm she gave birth to another son three years later. On July 26, she gave birth to Kathleen Bridget Steele.

Cops say that same little boy, now 6, killed his baby sister  who was only 13 days old  last week. all three children had been left in a minivan for about 40 minutes, according to authorities.

Police say the beating allegedly occurred while the mother went inside a store to get her cell phone repaired. When she returned, her newborn was apparently dead, allegedly by the hands of the 6-year-old son, who said the baby had been crying.

Police say the little boy told them what happened. In a press conference Thursday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said: The best way I can describe it to you is he pummeled her. He was tossing that baby around like a rag doll.

The sheriff added: One of the worst things Ive ever seen, with especially a 13-day-old, and her appearance was just one of that had been pummeled. The baby was simply beaten, traumatized, gross swelling about her face. The skull was cracked in numerous places.

Read: JonBenet Ramsey's Brother Is Asked About What Happened The Night His Sister Died in Exclusive Interview

Steele, 62, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter and neglect for allegedly leaving her kids to fend for themselves in the vehicle.

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Authorities say the little boy will not be charged because of his age.

Those of us who have been doing this in this business for a very long time have never seen anything like this, the sheriff said.

Watch: 20 Years After JonBenet Ramsey's Murder, Where is Her Family Today?

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Montreal (AFP) - The World Social Forum attracted 35,000 participants, organizers said Monday -- a lower-than-anticipated turnout for the anti-globalization event held in a Group of Seven industrialized nation for the first time.

Forum planners had hoped 50,000 would come to Montreal for this year's event, but nevertheless heralded the 12th edition of the conference a success.

"The first WSF in Porto Alegre (southern Brazil) in 2001 brought together 20,000 participants, we have brought together 35,000 for the first forum in the north," said Raphael Canet, who helped put together the Montreal summit, adding that organizers are "very pleased with the number of participants."

"The WSF has passed from thought to action," Canet told journalists. "There were 22 meetings during this WSF on a range of topics such as the environment, public services and health."

The conference kicked off to a rocky start last week when 230 delegates were denied entry into Canada, but organizers downplayed the incident, saying it had nothing to do with the venue.

"The problem of denied visas has also arisen in southern countries," said WSF spokesman Carminda Mac Lorin. "This is an issue that affects all Forums."
maersk container ship

Maersk is warning about two important parts of the global economy.

In its earnings results on Friday, the Danish shipping conglomerate, which is the world's largest, restated its expectation for declines across most of its businesses this year.

And it warned about the damage that changes to US trade policy could cause to the global economy.

"Currently we are challenged by market headwinds, as I started out talking about, in the form of low growth and excess capacity in both our industries and that has led to declining prices and declining revenue," CEO Soren Skou said during the earnings call.

The company said its second-quarter results were unsatisfactory, even though it escaped a loss. Its profit tumbled from $1 billion a year ago to $100 million because of lower prices for oil, freight shipment, and tanker charters.

Changes to US trade policy could join that list. Maersk CFO Trond Westlie said that any policy tweaks could damage global trade, according to Bloomberg.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has proposed negotiating America's trading relationship with China to keep jobs and factories from moving overseas. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has said the Trans-Pacific Partnership did not do enough to boost American jobs.

'Significantly below last year'

The company said it outperformed relative to its industries in the second quarter, achieved in huge part by cost cuts. But its updated outlook underscores that its industry continues to be slammed by the declines in commodities and shipping activity.

It expects 2016 profits to be "significantly below last year," at $3.1 billion. Maersk Line, the container-shipping company, also expects results to be worse year-over-year. The container-terminal, drilling, and shipping-services businesses are forecast to decline.

Maersk Oil now expects positive earnings for the year, upgraded from a Q1 estimate for breakeven and the only upwardly revised forecast.

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To deal with the industrywide downturn, Maersk is also exploring strategic options that could involve selling some parts of the company. According to Reuters, the company is fighting to keep its No. 1 position as mergers and acquisitions create bigger competitors.

NOW WATCH: Warren Buffett's sister needs your help giving away millions





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The CurrencyShares British Pound Sterling Trust (FXB) , which tracks the British pounds movement against the U.S. dollar, is down more than 3% over the past month and is within pennies of its 52-week low, cementing its status as one of this years worst-performing currency exchange traded funds.

That is just one data point, but it say the British pound and FXB are getting worse not better as the British currency resides near its lowest levels in more than three decades. Earlier this month, the Bank of England pared its benchmark rates to a record low 0.25% from 0.5% and anticipates it will further bring it down toward zero ahead, the Wall Street Journal reports.

The BOE also revived its government bond-buying program, which has been on pause since 2012, along with purchasing corporate bonds as well.

SEE MORE: Currency-Hedged U.K. ETFs for Improving Earnings, Depreciating Pound

Furthermore, the central bank added a new term-funding program for banks, providing lenders ultra-cheap, four-year loans to help finance lending for households and businesses as an additional step to stimulate the economy.

The pound has regained the title as the years worst performer among 32 major currencies. Sterling is now back below $1.30 for the first time since July as the Bank of England restarted its stimulus program aiming to shield the economy from the decision to quit the European Union, according to Bloomberg.

Some ETFs have the potential to benefit from the sliding pound, namely currency hedged funds such as the Deutsche X-Trackers MSCI United Kingdom Hedged Equity ETF (DBUK) , iShares Currency Hedged MSCI United Kingdom ETF (HEWU) and the WisdomTree United Kingdom Hedged Equity Fund (DXPS) .

The iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWU) , the largest US-listed U.K. ETF, is not a currency hedged product.

SEE MORE: Brexit Continues to Drag on Pound ETF, Sends GBP to Three-Decade Low

Looking ahead, many expect the Bank of England to enact more accommodative measures to help bolster the economy. In the post-Brexit environment, Martin Weale, one of the bank of Englands long-time hawks, is even beginning to turn dovish on their policy outlook.

Story continues

For more information on Brexit, visit our Brexit category .

CurrencyShares British Pound Sterling Trust

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The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Mr. Lydon serves as an independent trustee of certain mutual funds and ETFs that are managed by Guggenheim Investments; however, any opinions or forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Mr. Lydon and not those of Guggenheim Funds, Guggenheim Investments, Guggenheim Specialized Products, LLC or any of their affiliates. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.
By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hundreds of mourners gathered in New York City on Monday for the outdoor funeral for a Muslim cleric and his associate who were gunned down over the weekend, as police questioned a man about the killings that shocked the neighborhood's Bangladeshi community.

The traditional Islamic services for Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, drew a large crowd to a parking area near where the men were killed after Saturday prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens.

The suspect being questioned was arrested on charges related to a hit-and-run traffic accident on the day of the murders, police said at a briefing.

He was described as a 36-year-old Hispanic man from the borough of Brooklyn, but they declined to give his name.

A motive for the killings has not been determined, police said, adding that there was still no known connection between the man being questioned and the murder victims.

"We believe because of the evidence we have acquired thus far that ... this is the individual," New York City Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said when asked if he could reassure the rattled community.

Speaker after speaker at the funeral had implored authorities to investigate the murders as hate crimes and to step up efforts to protect mosques and parts of the city like Ozone Park where many Muslims live and work.

"We want justice," Badrul Kahn, founder of the Al-Furqan mosque and its chief adviser, shouted to the crowd in the service's opening speech. "We want justice," responded the mourners, most of them men dressed in Islamic garb.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, addressing the funeral, promised the city would bolster the police presence in the neighborhood even though the motive behind the killings was still unclear.

"We don't know what happened but we will," the mayor said. "An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us."

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Police had said earlier that there was no evidence the men were targeted because of their faith but nothing was being ruled out.

The victims appeared to have been stalked by a lone gunman who shot them in the head at close range at about 1:50 p.m. (1750 GMT) on Saturday, police said after interviewing witnesses and watching surveillance video.

Residents of Ozone Park were shaken by the brazen daylight killings and said such a crime was rare in the quiet neighborhood.

Felix Lopez, 26, who has lived in Ozone Park for a decade and works at a barber shop, said the Muslims in the neighborhood, many of Bangladeshi heritage, were very friendly and there was little rancor between ethnic groups in the area.

"People aren't messing with other people," Lopez said. "We're all pretty shocked this happened."

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington and David Ingram in New York; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by James Dalgleish, Toni Reinhold)
New York (AFP) - A New York neighborhood teetered on edge as it struggled to pinpoint the motives behind a gunman's fatal daytime attack on an imam and his assistant near their mosque.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot at point-blank range just before 2 pm (1800 GMT) Saturday in the Ozone Park neighborhood in the borough of Queens, police said.

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.

Security video footage of the brazen attack shows the gunman approach the two men from behind at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79th Street, a few blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque.

The victims, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, reportedly left the mosque following Saturday afternoon prayers.

After the attack witnesses saw the gunman flee the scene with a gun, police said, adding that the 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.

Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000, police said, but noted 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 and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

- Hate crime? -

The culturally diverse, working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

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The mayor's office said the New York Police Department was exploring all potential motives, including the possibility of a hate crime.

"While we do not yet know the motivation for the murders, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

"Our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today."

Muslim community representatives condemned what they described as a toxic climate of hatred.

"Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn.

"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 under the tracks of an elevated metro line late Saturday, 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 added: "When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!"

CAIR announced plans to give a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on the attacker that could lead to his arrest and help determine a motive.

"We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime," said the group's executive director Nihad Awad.

CAIR plans to hold a funeral prayer service for the slain men on Monday.

Last year, hate crimes against Muslims and mosques tripled across the country following extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, according to The New York Times.
Medal count | Olympic schedule | Olympic news

There are emotional roller coasters, and then theres the gamut of emotions that one young Brazilian fan traversed in a beach volleyball match at the Rio Olympics.

Brazil is home to the No. 1 seeded duo of Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes, but the pair had a tough battle with Switzerlands Nadine Zumkehr and Joana Heidrich on Sunday. After dropping the first set, the Brazilians had to stave off three match points in the second set to earn a comeback victory.

It was a little too much drama for one fan to handle:

He wasnt the only fan emotionally invested in the match. The home crowd gasped and held its collective breath when Franca and Antunes fought off elimination to win the second set 27-25.

No point was more gut-wrenching than the second match point, with Switzerland up 22-21 in the set.

With the victory, the top-seeded Brazilian duo advances to face Germanys Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst in the semifinals Tuesday.

And when they do, there should be one fan right in there in the first row because theres no way anyone in the world cares more.
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  August 15, 2016 - Stocks in this weeks article include: Hallador Energy Company (HNRG), TDK Corporation (TTDKY), KT Corp. (KT), Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (ROCK) and Tokyo Electron Limited ( TOELY).

Screen of the Week of Zacks Investment Research:



Forget Profit  Bet on 5 Stocks with Increasing Cash Flows

Investing in stocks with high profits and solid earnings surprises appears trendy in this final stretch of the current reporting cycle. But looking beyond profits and evaluating a companys cash position is far more rewarding. Because even though profit is a companys goal, cash is its lifeblood and measure of resiliency.



In fact, even a profit-making company can have a dearth of cash flow and face bankruptcy while meeting its obligations. But a healthy cash position indicates that profits are efficiently channeled to the companys reserves, which not only shield it from market mayhem but also offer flexibility to make decisions, chase potential investments and run its growth engine.



And to find out this efficiency, one needs to consider a companys net cash flow. While cash moves in and out of any business, it is net cash flow that indicates how much money a company is actually generating.



Experiencing a positive cash flow denotes an increase in the companys liquid assets. This provides the means to meet debt obligations, shell out for expenses, reinvest in business, endure downturns and finally return wealth to shareholders. On the other hand, incurring negative cash flow indicates a decline in the companys liquidity, which in turn lowers its flexibility to support these moves.



Yet, positive cash flow alone is not sufficient to predict a companys future growth. A company can consistently grow only when this positive cash flow is rising. Because, increasing cash flow indicates managements efficiency in regulating its cash movements, less dependency on outside financing for running its business and finally its improving fundamentals.



Therefore, while picking stocks, look beyond profits and select companies with dependable and increasing cash flows.



Screening Parameters:



To find out stocks that have seen increasing cash flow over time, we ran the screen for those whose cash flow in the latest reported quarter was at least equal to or greater than the 5-year average cash flow per common share. This implies a positive trend and increasing cash over a period of time.



In addition to this, we chose:



Zacks Rank 1: No matter whether market conditions are good or bad, stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) have a proven history of outperformance.

Story continues

Average Broker Rating 1: This indicates that brokers are also highly hopeful about the companys future performance.



Current Price greater than or equal to $5: This screens out the low-priced stocks.



VGM Score of B or better: This score is also of great assistance in selecting stocks. Importantly, this scoring system helps in picking winning stocks in their individual industry categories.



Here are five of seven stocks that made it through the screen:



Hallador Energy Company (HNRG) , through its wholly owned subsidiary, Sunrise Coal, LLC, is engaged in the production of coal in the Illinois Basin for the electric power generation industry. The company is headquartered in Denver, CO and has a VGM score of A.



TDK Corporation (TTDKY) is a Tokyo-based manufacturer and seller of electronic components. The company has a VGM score of A.



KT Corp. (KT) , headquartered in Seongnam, South Korea, provides telecommunication services. Its services include mobile telecommunications services, telephone services, fixed-line and VoIP telephone services. The company also provides interconnection services to other telecommunications companies, broadband Internet access services and other Internet-related services. It also offers information technology and network services, including consulting, designing, building, and maintaining of systems and communication networks. The company has a VGM score of A.



Gibraltar Industries, Inc. (ROCK) , with a VGM score of B, is a leading manufacturer, processor and distributor of metals and other engineered materials for building products, vehicular and other industrial markets. The company is headquartered in Buffalo, NY. With a decent earnings surprise history, the company remains a solid pick. It exceeded estimates in each of the past four quarters, with an average surprise of 74.53%.



Tokyo Electron Limited (TOELY) , with a VGM score of B, together with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the development, manufacturing and selling of semiconductor and flat panel display production equipment.



Get the rest of the stocks on the list and start putting this and other ideas to the test. It can all be done with the Research Wizard stock picking and backtesting software.



The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.



Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today .



Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.



Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance .



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Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Dont wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: https://at.zacks.com/?id=111



Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.



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Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  August 15, 2016  Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Railroads, part 2, including like Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC), Kansas City Southern (KSU), CSX Corp (CSX) and Canadian National ( CNI).

Industry: Railroads, part 2

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/88267/railroads-a-turnaround-in-sight

Opinions remain mixed among analysts and industry decision makers on whether the Railroads industry will shift towards a growth trajectory. While some believe that earnings have bottomed, others feel that unprecedented economic woes will likely continue to impede growth. However, post earnings season, a string of factors can be evaluated to speculate that a positive turn might be on the cards for this industry.

Expected Increase in Grain Production & Intermodal Volume

The agricultural segment is expected to support growth for railroad companies that would follow a period of declining volumes as a result of lower grain production in Canada and the U.S. But hopes remain high that the coming crop size in Canada and the U.S. will be the 5-year average, which should be beneficial to the railroad industry.

Another segment to consider is Intermodal which accounts for the bulk of revenues for most railroad companies. This segment has also been a drag of late. However, the positive outlook issued by the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) signals at an increase in volumes in 2016. IANA expects intermodal volumes to increase by 34% in 2016.

As per a Journal of Commerce (JOC) article, intermodal volumes inched up 2% in the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period in 2015. An increase in intermodal volumes can help railroad operators offset revenue losses stemming from the weak coal and energy segments. Notably, within intermodal, imports are a key factor driving growth.

Class I Railroads: Outlook & Investments

Investments in a sector are always a solid indication of future projections by company management. Some of the major railroad companies have made commendable investments in the sector this year and there are several more in the pipeline.

Story continues

Union Pacific recently invested over $150 million in the development of its rail infrastructure in regions such as Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and Washington. The investments are part of the companys total planned capital expenditure of $3.75 billion for this year. Notably, the company has spent almost $33 billion in the past decade which has resulted in a 25% decrease in derailments.

Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern Corp (NSC) has planned investments of $2.1 billion this year for rail safety network enhancements, operational efficiency improvement and growth opportunities. Canadian Pacific is targeting an investment of approximately C$2.75 billion this year as part of its capital program, out of which C$1.5 billion is for the enhancement of track infrastructure.

According to a Maquila Portal report, Kansas City Southern (KSU) intends to put in $154 million in Sanchez, Nuevo Laredo Backyard, in Tamaulipas in railway infrastructure and modifications, expansion of Interpuerto facilities, track maintenance, and new equipment and systems. Mexican operations account for a bulk of Kansas City Southerns revenues.

CSX Corp (CSX) recently raised its capital investments projection for 2016 by $300 million to $2.7 billion to include accelerated payments for locomotives throughout 2016.

Although investments have declined slightly for some companies as compared to the previous year, the fact that companies are still opting to make sizable investments is encouraging.

Expansion of Panama Canal

The expansion of the 102-year old Panama Canal in June, in order to let huge container ships carrying upto 14,000 containers to navigate across it, initially raised concerns for railroads. Although it does hold that volumes for railroads transporting freight between the U.S. west to east coast might get affected, the enhanced Panama Canal might actually favor companies with extensive operations on the U.S. east coast and those shipping to the Gulf Coast.

Companies expected to benefit from the Panama Canal expansion include Norfolk Southern, CSX Corp., Canadian National ( CNI) and Canadian Pacific. Moreover, the canal expansion might eventually lead to higher shipments to ports along the coast but only if economic conditions in the U.S. improve.

Rebound in the Cards?

It cannot be said for certain if the railroad industry can actually start seeing earnings growth over the next few quarters. One of the key reasons for the uncertainty is economic factors which give no clear indication on where the economy is headed. The Fed continues to hold rates at the current level despite signaling at the prospects of a hike.

Meanwhile, events such as Brexit, slowdown in the Chinese economy, low oil prices and a tepid growth in emerging economies have kept markets in turmoil this year. However, a favorable U.S. job report, possible uptick in industrial growth and rise in domestic consumption may provide the much-needed boost to the economy, thus propelling growth in industries such as railroads.

Check out our latest Railroad Industry Outlook for more news on the current state of affairs in this market from an earnings perspective, and how the trend looks ahead for this important sector at the moment.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  August 15, 2016  Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses the Railroads, part 3, including like Union Pacific Corp. (UNP), CSX Corp. (CSX), Canadian National Railways Corp. (CNI) and Norfolk Southern Corp. ( NSC).

Industry: Railroads, part 3

Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/88269/railroad-growth-stays-grounded-speedy-pickup-unlikely

The railroad sector has not been able to put up a decent second quarter earnings season. Across the board, most stocks suffered year-over-year declines in earnings. Though most Class 1 railroad companies beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, the declining earnings trend is a matter of concern. Furthermore, there has been no major development to suggest a speedy recovery for the industry. Energy markets and continued issues with the factor sector appear to be the key reasons behind the slump in earnings performance.

Lack of Uniform Growth

For the railroad industry, steady economic growth is an essential requirement to boost freight volumes. The U.S. economy keeps giving out mixed signals, making it tough for anyone to gauge where it is headed. This uncertain environment is the primary reason keeping the Fed on hold from announcing the next rate increase. While parts of the U.S. economy appear to be doing fine, bug chunks remain in a depressed state.

The manufacturing sector in particular is barely in expansionary territory, though some of the recent signs suggest that the wort may be behind us. As a result, GDP growth has barely reached the 1% level in each of the last three quarters, though expectations remain high for a rebound in the current period.

Beyond the U.S. economy, the outlook remains fairly uncertain for many of our trading partners, with Britains exit from the European Union adding another source of uncertainty to an already cloudy environment. Questions about China, recession in Brazil and an overall weak global growth environment is having a negative impact as well, particularly through the trade channel.

Story continues

Energy Markets Impact on Earnings

The energy market has a significant impact on railroad revenues. Coal, a major freight product for most railroad companies, has been observing a consistent decline in volumes. This has hurt the top line of companies like Union Pacific Corp. (UNP), CSX Corp. (CSX), Canadian National Railways Corp. (CNI) and Norfolk Southern Corp. ( NSC). Coal volumes have suffered do to two key reasons. First, sluggish industrial growth has resulted in low demand for coal.

Industrial growth in the U.S. is unlikely to improve significantly in the coming few months as a result of which coal volumes are expected to trudge along at a slow pace. Second reason hampering coal volumes: the shift to renewable and more environment friendly sources for electricity. As per the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), new carbon related regulations will result in a 25% decline in coal production by 2040. Clean energy requirements could significantly reduce coal consumption by power plants.

Moreover, even if changes do not take place, coal demand is expected to stay flat over the next 25 years. A McKinsey report recently highlighted that by 2020, natural gas is expected to surpass coal as the major source of electricity production in the U.S. The growing popularity and need for renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind energy will eventually reduce reliance on coal. Thus, railroad companies are not expected to see any improvement in coal-related revenues.

Another energy component, crude oil, has also been impacting rail revenues. Crude oil prices have remained low over the past couple of months in addition to lower demand for the commodity. While low crude prices have helped railroads cut costs, it has taken a toll on revenues due to reduced income from low fuel surcharge.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Brent crude oil prices are expected to average $44 per barrel in 2016 and $52 per barrel in 2017. Thus not much change is expected from fuel surcharge revenues for railroads over the next couple of months.

New Regulation Threat

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) of the U.S. has come up with a new proposal to allow reciprocal switching for captive shippers. This proposal was presented to the STB in 2011 by shippers. After evaluation, the proposal was recently tabled to railroad companies. As per the proposal, captive shippers who have access to only one railroad will be allowed to switch between rail lines of different companies. This proposal has received intense opposition from railroad stocks since it may result in revenue loss and an increase in costs for such companies.

Moreover, rail companies are also skeptical of operational issues and safety concerns arising from the proposed regulation. Another new regulation proposed by Freight Railroad Administration (FRA) is for increasing the crew size on railways from one to a minimum of two persons. This proposal too is being opposed by railroad companies as it would increase operating expenses. If these proposals get sanctioned, especially the reciprocal switching one, these are likely to adversely impact the profits in the railroad industry.

To Conclude

We are skeptic about the railroad stocks ability to perform well in the current market scenario. There is a pressing need for a positive indicator to drive growth. For the time being, it is to be seen whether rail companies can return to growth despite the prevailing challenges.

Check out our latest Railroad Industry Outlook for more news on the current state of affairs in this market from an earnings perspective, and how the trend looks ahead for this important sector at the moment.

About Zacks

Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time! Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.

Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/zacksresearch

Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts

Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.

Media Contact

Zacks Investment Research

800-767-3771 ext. 9339

support@zacks.com

https://www.zacks.com/performance

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.



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By Stella Mapenzauswa and Chris Mfula LUSAKA (Reuters) - President Edgar Lungu was leading in Zambia's presidential election on Monday, with 85 percent of the constituencies counted, but his main rival demanded a recount in a key district, citing irregularities. Lungu faces a stiff challenge from United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema, who accuses him of running the economy down, a charge the president has rejected. With 50.14 percent, Lungu was ahead of Hichilema, with 47.7 percent, after results were collated from 132 of 156 constituencies in Aug. 11 voting, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) told a news conference. But Hichilema told a separate media briefing his party wanted a recount of votes in Lusaka district "for the sake of free, fair, credible and transparent elections". "The question is will the elections be defined as free and fair, transparent and credible in this environment? My answer is no," Hichilema said. "Zambia needs to remain peaceful. Anybody seeking political office wants to make sure that they take over a country that is peaceful and stable so that you can implement your vision." The winner of the presidential election in one of the most stable democracies in Africa must get more than half the vote, failing which the top two candidates face a re-run. The UPND said on Saturday that data from its own parallel counting system showed Hichilema beating Lungu "with a clear margin", based on about 80 percent of votes counted. All parties have access to the raw voting data and may add up the results faster than the national commission. The ECZ had hoped to have final results from the elections - in which Zambians also chose members of parliament, mayors and local councillors and decided on proposed constitutional changes by early Sunday. But it said the process had been lengthened by a large voter turnout, now at 56.22 percent, far above 32 percent last year, when Lungu won an election to replace Michael Sata, who died in office. The commission and Lungu's Patriotic Front have both rejected the UPND's charges that some officials were working to manipulate results to help the ruling party. One of its officials accused Hichilema of making inflammatory statements. "Our main concern is that Mr Hichilema has decided to take his frustrations to a criminal level," said Given Lubinda, a member of the parliament dissolved ahead of the vote. Supporters of the two main parties clashed over rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices after weak global prices hit exports of copper, the mainstay of the economy. (Reporting by Stella Mapenzauswa; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Lusaka (AFP) - Zambia's newly re-elected president, Edgar Lungu, likes to portray himself as a man of the people, but observers see a sharp edge that he reserves for rivals and critics.

Lungu, 59, a trained military officer and lawyer, defeated his main opponent and erstwhile colleague Hakainde Hichilema by around 2.5 percent of the vote in a fiercely-fought contest.

The Patriotic Front leader cut his political teeth as a little-known lawmaker at the United Party for National Development (UPND), the party led by Hichilema. Lungu quit the UPND in 2001.

He came into power in 2015, after the death in office of his predecessor Michael Sata.

He has used his short stint in office to present himself as the rightful heir to Sata, who enjoyed widespread popularity. He describes himself as an "ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings."

"Although he has demonstrated some humbleness, he is not really liked across the country but remains popular within his party," said political analyst Oliver Saasa.

"Lungu is fairly harsh in dealing with those who appear to be against him, that has come up on a few occasions," Saasa said.

"That is not the way a president is supposed to present himself."

His tough stance against critical independent media coincided with the closure of The Post newspaper in July.

On the campaign trail, in warning to political rival and activists, he told a meeting in the key election battleground of Copperbelt province: "If they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace."

An opposition leader was earlier this month was charged with defamation for comments he made against Lungu almost a year ago, when he accused him of partying at the taxpayers expense.

On social issues, Lungu revealed a conservative side after the arrest of two Zambian gay men in 2013.

"Those advocating gay rights should go to hell," he said. "That issue is foreign to this country."

Story continues

Born in 1956 in Chadiza in eastern Zambia, Lungu is from the minority Nsenga ethnic group, but he often describes himself as a non-tribal Zambian from an unexceptional background.

Lungu graduated with a law degree from the University of Zambia in 1981 and also underwent training as a military officer.

When the PF first came to power in 2011, he became home affairs minister.

After two previous presidents of Zambia died in office, his health has been in focus.

Lungu suffers from recurring achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, and was flown to South Africa for treatment last year after collapsing in public.

He is married with six children, and is now a grandfather.
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe plans to deploy aerial drones in its biggest wildlife sanctuary in the west to combat poaching of elephants, a parks official said on Monday, as the country aims to protect one of its top tourist attractions. Tourism contributes 11 percent to Zimbabwe's $14 billion economy, according to Ministry of Tourism data, with the country's wildlife parks popular with overseas visitors. Poachers have in the last two years killed dozens of elephants in Hwange National Park by lacing watering holes with cyanide, a toxic substance that kills within hours. Hwange holds two thirds of Zimbabwe's 80,000 elephants. Cephas Mudenda, a board member of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) told a committee of parliament that the agency had bought two drones, as well as sniffer dogs from South Africa. The parks authority is struggling with lack of funding and plans to gradually increase the number of game wardens. Mudenda said ZPWMA had about 2,000 employees, instead of 3,200. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by James Macharia)
By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is to propose that telecom spectrum licenses are granted for a minimum of 25 years to increase investment certainty for operators, under a reform of the bloc's telecoms rules, according to an EU document seen by Reuters. The European Union executive will publish its proposal next month and expects it to be endorsed in 2018. However, as it will need to be approved by member states and the European Parliament before becoming law, it may yet be revised as EU states could resist the plan. The European Commission has sought for years to coordinate how national governments allocate blocks of airwaves to mobile operators such as Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom and EE in a bid to create a single European telecoms market. Telecoms operators have also long called for more EU coordination of spectrum policy. But national authorities are loath to relinquish control over how they auction wireless spectrum, which they consider a national resource, and license durations vary across Europe, making it harder for companies to operate on a larger scale. Spectrum auctions can fetch billions of euros. Under the Commission's plan, licenses would last at least 25 years and the Commission would have the power to adopt binding guidance on some conditions of the assignment process, such as the deadlines for spectrum allocation and spectrum sharing. Member states would also be able to jointly organize spectrum auctions to award multi-country or pan-EU licenses, although this would be voluntary. "Long-term license durations of at least 25 years proposed in this option will increase stability and certainty of investments as well as innovation requirements," the document says. Telecoms operators see a coordinated EU policy as a way to put Europe at the forefront of the drive to roll out the next generation of mobile broadband, 5G, which will underpin innovative services such as driverless cars, remote healthcare and connecting billions of everyday objects to the Internet. "Longer spectrum licenses and harmonization send a pro-investment signal to boardrooms and investors across Europe," a telecoms industry source said. The Commission also wants to establish a peer review mechanism to review national regulators' draft measures on spectrum allocation. "This mechanism would foster common interpretation and implementation across the EU of those elements of spectrum assignment which most impact business decisions and network deployment," the document says. The EU executive has made a priority of fostering the early development of 5G mobile technology in Europe, and estimates that 5G will bring 146.5 billion euros ($164 bln) per year in benefits. (Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Susan Fenton)
HELSINKI (Reuters) - HMD Global Oy, a new Finnish company looking to relaunch the Nokia brand for phones, said on Monday it has hired Pekka Rantala, the former CEO of Angry Birds maker Rovio, as its Chief Marketing Officer. Nokia, once the world's biggest maker of mobile phones, said in May it had signed an exclusive licensing deal with HMD to bring Nokia-branded devices back to the market. A Nokia veteran, Rantala worked for the company from 1994 to 2011. He joined Rovio as CEO in 2015 but stepped down after only a year in the job after imposing deep job cuts and restructuring. Nokia was wrong footed by the rise of smartphones and eclipsed by Apple and Samsung. It sold its entire handset business to Microsoft Corp in 2014 and now focuses on telecoms network equipment. Microsoft has largely abandoned the business it acquired since then. HMD's Nokia-branded phones and tablets run on the Android operating system. The devices will be manufactured and distributed by FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Foxconn Technology. It is yet to give any timetable for the products. (Reporting by Tuomas Forsell; editing by Jussi Rosendahl and David Evans)
Drones. The mere mention of the word can incite a mix of terror, annoyance and fascination.

Pranksters have flown drones over sporting events, paparazzi have used them to spy on celebrities' homes and activists have used them to place suspicious packages inside gated government facilities.

But now, doctors at Stony Brook University Medicine have delivered on a promise of using drones for the good of humankind, to offer life-saving health care to villagers in a remote rural region in Madagascar.

The concept is simple: Use a drone to fly to villages that aren't easily accessible by roads, in order to deliver medicine or pick up biological samples for analysis at a central medical center. For remote villages in Madagascar's Ifanadiana district, where there are no roads, drones can fly to and from a central region in about an hour, compared to a trip lasting upward of 10 hours each way by foot.

In July, public health professionals  led by Dr. Peter Small, a professor of global health at Stony Brook  partnered with a startup drone company called Vayu Inc. to conduct what they claim is the first autonomous, long-distance flight of a drone to land and retrieve biomedical samples  in this case, blood samples collected by a health care worker in the field. The drone flew from the central research facility and landed in the village. The health worker loaded it with real blood samples, and then the drone flew back to the facility. This was a test with real samples, and although this trip was just a one-stop round trip, with enough battery life, the drone could go location to location.

Although the concept is straightforward, the devil has been in the details, Small told Live Science. First, he needed to obtain permission from three different Madagascan ministries, each with unique concerns about unmanned vehicles flying through their skies. [Photos from Madagascar: A Drone Carries Blood Samples from a Remote Village]

His group also needed a drone that was capable of carrying large loads over long distances  specifications that Vayu could meet. The drone that the company selected for this task is about the size of a picnic table, and has fixed wings. It can land and take off vertically, and fly autonomously as far as 40 miles (64 kilometers).

Story continues

But it was equally important to gain the trust of, and educate, the villagers about drones. Many of these villagers live as their ancestors have for hundreds of years and would be startled by flying vehicles. For this task, Small relied on his colleagues at Stony Brook's ValBio research station, on the edge of Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar, who regularly dispatch health workers (by foot) to these remote villages. [5 Amazing Technologies That Are Revolutionizing Biotech]

The promise of drone-facilitated health care has been years in the making. Some university-based researchers have used drones to deliver medicine and other supplies, often using parachutes to drop packages from the drone to the ground because of the difficulty of landing and relaunching a drone from a great distance. In June, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health published an article in the journal Vaccine describing the details of how a vaccine delivery and disease surveillance system via drones in rural Africa and Southeast Asia could be set up someday.

"It's easy to say one could or will fly, but we actually did," Small said. The next steps in the researchers' plan are to use the drones for surveillance, he said. For example, a community health worker who notices an unusual disease beginning to emerge could call in drones to deliver help.

These are definitely not the kinds of drones you want trained raptors to take down.

Follow Christopher Wanjek @wanjek for daily tweets on health and science with a humorous edge. Wanjek is the author of "Food at Work" and "Bad Medicine." His column, Bad Medicine, appears regularly on Live Science.

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Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
As per some media reports, Alphabet Inc. GOOG has filed a new report with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding its plans to bring forth a wireless version of its high-speed Internet service, Fiber.



Although the company has been testing its wireless transmission technology in Kansas City by making use of the 3.5 GHz band, the newly filed redacted FCC filing states that Google wants to aggressively expand its testing grounds to over 24 locations in the U.S. including Omaha, Nebraska, Boulder, Colorado, Utah and Provo.



Google wants to test its wireless Internet technology in the 3.4 GHz to 3.8 GHz band for which it is requesting authorization from the FCC.

ALPHABET INC-C Price

ALPHABET INC-C Price | ALPHABET INC-C Quote

Why this Move?



In its bid to provide superfast Internet throughout the U.S., Google Fiber depends on high-bandwidth fiber-optic cables that are directly connected to the houses of its customers. Till now this has proved to be a very expensive undertaking by the company and often disrupts day-to day activities of the community as a whole.



However, with its acquisition of Webpass in 2016, Google is also experimenting with its proprietary wireless technology. This could be perhaps to supplement or speed up adoption of its existing Fiber Internet services (laying fiber cables requires more regulatory approvals and Google has also run into a lot of objections from competitors).



Furthermore, given the low costs involved in wireless technology, Google has deferred its Fiber rollout plans in some cities in the U.S.



Google is trying its best to keep things under wraps given the fierce competition in the Internet service provider business with the presence of AT&T and Comcast. Moreover, the FCC filing doesnt include the details of the technological aspects either. However, per the filing, no commercial operations will be carried out during the testing phase.



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Apart from Alphabet, investors looking to invest in the broader technology sector can consider Facebook, Inc. FB, LinkedIn Corporation LNKD and Blucora, Inc. BCOR.

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No, HTC did not come out with any official announcement that would prove what all Nexus rumors say  that HTC is making the Sailfish and Marlin for Google. However, official HTC documents spotted at the FCC are very clear. The struggling Taiwanese smartphone maker has been working on Nexus-branded devices for Google.

DONT MISS: The iPhone 7 is going to be so much more exciting than you think

Spotted by TechTastic, the two documents do not mention Sailfish or Marlin by name, and they do not list features or specs. But they do mention Nexus and Google.

We, HTC Corporation, herby declare that the user guide submitted for review is draft and the final version will be made publicly available on Googles website (http://support.google.com/nexus) at the time the product is commercially released, the documents read.

Both documents are dated July 20th, and the FCC published them on August 15th, so theres little doubt at this point. This isnt some sort of old documentation for older HTC-made Nexus hardware. These are two distinct statements made for two upcoming devices that were not released yet  you can see both of them at the source links below.

In related news, the first real photos showing the upcoming Nexus smartphones have been leaked. The devices are expected to share the same high-end design and flagship specs, and launch at some point in early October.

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Analysts and investors are constantly questioning Apples plan for the long term, especially as revenue from the iPhone has declined. Now, Apple CEO Tim Cook is hinting that hes keeping an eye on one emerging technology in particular: augmented reality.

I think AR [augmented reality] is extremely interesting and sort of a core technology, Cook told The Washington Post. So, yes, its something were doing a lot of things on behind that curtain we talked about.

Augmented reality, unlike virtual reality, overlays images and graphics on the real world. This is why wild creatures that appear in Pokemon Go look like theyre hiding underneath your desk or above your computer, for instance. Google Glass also used AR to display information like alerts from incoming calls and search results above the wearers line of sight. Augmented reality has existed for decades, but a new class of apps and products like Pokemon Go, Microsofts upcoming HoloLens headset, and the Google-backed startup Magic Leap have renewed interest in the technology.

This isnt the first time Cook has expressed interest in the AR field. When analysts probed Cook about augmented reality during Apples earnings call in July, he said the company will continue to invest a lot in the technology, adding that Apple is high on AR for the long run. Apple reportedly has a team of experts in augmented reality and virtual reality and is said to have built prototype headsets similar to Facebooks Oculus Rift and Microsoft HoloLens, according to The Financial Times.

If Apple does intend to pursue augmented reality, Cooks comments suggest that it will be quite some time before the tech makes its way into any of the companys products.
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Ashutosh charged that under Modi's rule, the Chief Justice of India is "weeping, intellectuals are resigning from their posts, journalists are under fear and governments are being dismissed."

By Press Trust of India: The Prime Minister's Red Fort speech would have struck Gold if there was a medal for the "most boring" public speech at Olympics, the Aam Aadmi Party said today even as it attacked the Centre for lack of intent and policy.



UNINSPIRING AND DIRECTIONLESS

Attacking the government over varied issues ranging from Kashmir policy to assault on Dalits, AAP leader Ashutosh said Modi's speech was "uninspiring and directionless". "If at all Olympics had a medal for the most boring public speech then Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have received gold," Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra said.



??? ??, Should we wait for it to end... Or declare it Most Uninspiring Speech ever from Red Fort. Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) August 15, 2016

If at all Olympics had a Medal for Most Boring Public Speech Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) August 15, 2016

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Referring to a picture in which cameras caught Union Minister Arun Jaitley and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's eyes shut at Red Fort, Deputy Chief Manish Sisodia said it seems that Modi's speech was really "boring".



ISSUES NOT ADDRESSED

"It is because of the lack of intent and policy which is why Kashmir is burning, Pakistan entered our home and hit us and (the promise of bringing back) black money has been forgotten. Decisions are not being taken because the intent is not right," he said.

"Haryana was burning and violence is being perpetrated in the name of cow worship. There is no action against attack on Dalits, farmers are committing suicide and the new education policy has become a rhetoric," he went on.

"It is due to lack of intent and policy that judges are not being appointed," Sisodia charged in a series of tweets.

Ashutosh charged that under Modi's rule, the Chief Justice of India is "weeping, intellectuals are resigning from their posts, journalists are under fear and governments are being dismissed."

ALSO READ:

Modi wants to run government by force: AAP

Delhi to not be part of 'Bharat Parv', AAP government says they weren't invited

--- ENDS ---
Sushant Rohilla, a 3rd year student of Amity Law School, IP University, known for his debating skills, hanged himself, ostensibly due to the college's high-handedness.

By India Today Web Desk: In a distressing case of apathy, a talented student allegedly committed suicide after a college refused to allow him to sit for exams due to low attendance, despite valid medical reasons.

Sushant Rohilla, a 3rd year student of Amity Law School, IP University, known for his debating skills, hanged himself, ostensibly due to the college's high-handedness.

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SUSHANT SUFFERED A FOOT INJURY

Another student of the college, a friend of Sushant, took to Twitter to share his friend's ordeal.

"The reason why he missed college was because he had suffered a foot injury," tweeted Teerth Waraich of Amity Law School.



The reason why he missed college was because he had suffered a foot injury, which made him unable to go to college.

Teerth Waraich (@WesterosKaKing) August 15, 2016

Apparently, despite repeated requests by Sushant Rohilla, the college refused to let him sit for the exams. Teerth also tweeted a picture of the letter Sushant Rohilla had sent to college authorities.



But his pleas fell on deaf ears. You can see my friend, Sushant, begging for another chance, they didn't even reply. pic.twitter.com/ZpHXELANiZ Teerth Waraich (@WesterosKaKing) August 15, 2016

75 % ATTENDANCE MANDATORY



Sushant was said to be a bright student who took active part in various competitions and even won some of them.



Angry over the college norm of 75 % mandatory attendance, Waraich termed the rule as arbitrary in nature.



Our college has a 75% attendance norm but it is completely arbitrary. They forgave attendance for Miss India contestant but killed my friend Teerth Waraich (@WesterosKaKing) August 15, 2016

Waraich has now requested Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar's intervention in the matter.



I tweet here because I am helpless, we've tried to reach @PrakashJavdekar but to no avail. Sir, I please request you to look into this. Teerth Waraich (@WesterosKaKing) August 15, 2016

Meanwhile, Sushant's father in an emotional post said that he was proud of his son and he hoped his son's death will ensure the college authorities won't destroy any other student's future.



His dad and his sister. pic.twitter.com/UrOOb4SVIh Teerth Waraich (@WesterosKaKing) August 15, 2016

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

All students of Amity Law School, Delhi and the management as well as the whole Amity fraternity are extremely sad on the loss of our dear student Sushant Rohilla. It is a great loss to Amity Law school and the Amity fraternity as a whole.

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Amity Law School, Delhi, is affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh IP University, Delhi.

The students were detained as per the decision of Guru Gobind Singh IP University and in that Amity Law School itself had absolutely no role.

The Law school officials had gone to meet the bereaved parents and pay condolence. The parents of the deceased have expressed that there is no fault of Amity Law School Delhi in this tragic incident.





Also read:

Bengaluru: Class 12 student jumps from 9th floor, says 'I don't deserve to be your child' in his suicide note

Kerala: 19-year-old student commits suicide after being ragged

IIT Madras shocker: 2 women commit suicide on campus on same night



--- ENDS ---
According to the Bengaluru Police, the case has been registered against Amnesty International India and students who raised anti-national slogans.

By Rohini Swamy: The Bengaluru Police has booked Amnesty International on charges of sedition and for spreading enmity among people.

According to the Bengaluru Police, the case has been registered against Amnesty International India and the students who raised 'azaadi' slogans. Kashmiri students raised slogans of 'azaadi' during an event which was held at the United Theological College in Bengaluru on Saturday.

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ANTI-NATIONAL SLOGANS RAISED

Jayaprakash, Organising Secretary of ABVP, stated that one of the rappers (MC Kash) who was present at the event, sang anti-national songs and raised anti-national slogans alleging that Kashmir should be given to Pakistan. Jayaprakash further alleged that several ABVP activists were assaulted during the scuffle that took place during the sloganeering on Saturday.

Additional Commissioner Law and Order, Charan Reddy told India Today that they are seeking legal advice as to how to go about the matter and that they will begin arrests after a detailed probe has been initiated. As of now, the FIR has been filed based on the preliminary investigation.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE EVENT

Amnesty International India had organised an event called 'Broken Families' to discuss human rights violations. At the event, 'azaadi' slogans were raised by a Kashmiri group. To counter the sloganeering, some BJP activists who were present at the event raised 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' slogans. This led to a scuffle and the police had to intervene to stop the programme.

On Sunday, ABVP activists filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police seeking a probe into the slogans of 'azaadi' alleging that they were anti-national in nature. Karnataka BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa had sought Home Minister Rajnath Singh's intervention to initiate a probe into the matter.

Also read:

Bengaluru: Kashmiri separatist groups raise anti-India slogans, probe on



--- ENDS ---
The woman was abused in Chennai when she was 10 years old. But even after 42 years, she couldn't find peace. She then decided to file a complaint with the Canadian police who suggested she transfer the case to Chennai.

By Pramod Madhav: A 52-year-old Canadian woman of Chennai origin filed a complaint of child abuse with the Chennai Police.

The incident occurred way back when she was 10 years old but the scars have not healed even after forty years. She was then staying at different homes in Anna Nagar and Shenoy Nagar.

WHAT HAPPENED

One of her relatives had abused her multiple times. She was too young to even realize what he was doing to her. She protested because of uneasiness and he stopped.

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But to even realize what had happened, it took many years. It took almost 10 years for her to decide to break her silence.

In her 20s, she decided to file a complaint through her brother in India. However, it did not work as much clarity was not there about sexual abuse in India.

Her family knew what she had gone through and ensured that she never saw the predator again.

AFTER DECADES, SHE DECIDED TO EXPOSE HIM



Even after 25 years, she could never find peace. She finally approached the Canadian Police and a file was created on the case but as the victim and the culprit were not in Canada when it happened, they suggested that the case be transferred to Chennai. She did so with not much hope.

She mailed the case file back in March thinking nothing would turn up but to her surprise, she got a call from the cops in Chennai.

A senior officer met with her and an investigation has now been initiated.

The state has become a mixing point for tradition and modernisation and is constantly undergoing transformation where elders spend time with kids lesser and lesser by day.

Also Read:

Mentor exploits teen's Bollywood dreams, rapes her for 2 years

Trafficked Delhi girl, tortured brutally, returns home after 10 years







--- ENDS ---
Chief Justice of India TS Thakur hit out at the Independence Day speech of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for maintaining silence on judicial appointments.

By Anusha Soni: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi finished his Independence Day speech, it was not only the opposition, but even the Chief Justice of India TS Thakur criticised him for delay in judicial appointments. Justice Thakur hit out at the speech of the Prime Minister for his silence over the stuck judicial appointments.

Speaking at the Independence Day function organised at the Supreme Court, the CJI in his signature poetic style said that the Law Minister or the Prime Minister should have spoken about the judicial appointments which have been stuck. The CJI was also witty enough to mention that at the peak of his career he is not afraid to express his opinions frankly.

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LAW MINISTER RESPONDS

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was quick to retort that Independence Day was not the occasion to talk about judicial appointments since judiciary is already independent in the country. Prasad also said that the Centre was fast-tracking the matter.

This is not the first time that the CJI has hit out at the Centre. Last week, he came down heavily on the central government for allegedly delaying judicial appointments. During a hearing on the matter Justice Thakur had questioned the Attorney General as to why the Centre had not responded to the suggestions made by the collegium.

Lamenting that the government was bringing the crucial judicial appointments to a 'grinding halt', the apex court warned the Centre that it would be forced to judicially interfere in the matter.

The apex court further asked the Attorney General to give details of compliance of decisions of the collegium with respect to appointment and transfer of High Court judges, which include Chief Justices of High Courts.



ALSO READ:

CJI TS Thakur breaks down in front of PM Modi, calls for increasing judge strength



--- ENDS ---
Home Minister Rajnath Singh paid condolences to the family of CRPF commandant Pramod Kumar who died in a militant attack in Nowhatta today.

By Press Trust of India: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today expressed concern over the death of a CRPF commanding officer in attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir and ordered shifting the injured to Delhi by air ambulance for treatment.

"CRPF commanding officer Pramod Kumar fought valiantly when attacked by terrorists in Srinagar today. I am deeply pained at his death," he said in a statement.

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Saluting the CRPF officer for his valour and supreme sacrifice, Singh said Kumar served the nation till his last breath.

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," he said.

The Home Minister also asked Director General of CRPF K Durga Prasad to evacuate those injured in the incident by air ambulance to Delhi for better treatment.

"I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured CRPF jawans," he said.

As the nation was celebrating its 70th Independence Day, militants attacked security personnel at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar, killing the CRPF officer and injuring nine other personnel. Two militants were also killed in retaliatory fire.

Also Read

Firing in downtown Srinagar, 1 injured CRPF jawan dies





--- ENDS ---
It's been four years together for lovers Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

By India Today Web Desk: Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh might not have made anything about their relationship official yet, despite dropping heavy hints about it all, but that hasn't stopped their fans from celebrating August 14 for the last four years.

Like every year, the fans of Deepika and Ranveer, who have coined the moniker 'DeepVeer' for the Bajirao Mastani stars, celebrated their fourth year of togetherness yesterday.

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ALSO READ: Ranveer, Deepika and Ranbir might party together, but look who's going home with the girl!

ALSO READ: Fizool ki baatein na karein, says Ranveer Singh on engagement rumours with Deepika Padukone

PHOTOS: When Deepika Padukone kissed boyfriend Ranveer Singh at Madaari screening

To their fans, it doesn't matter whether Deepika and Ranveer themselves are celebrating their fourth anniversary or not. 'DeepVeer' fans took it upon them to remind people of their anniversary because the two actors were first spotted together in August 2012.

On Sunday, the Ram-Leela stars' fans trended '4 Years of DeepVeer' on Twitter to show their love for the couple.

"We Successfully trended 4 Years Of Deepveer @deepikapadukone @RanveerOfficial Thank You Everyone #Deepveer," tweeted Deepika Ranveer Fan Club.

"When everything matched from head to heels This will remain one of my fav 4 Years Of Deepveer," wrote one fan.

"they are Pure , Honest, shy, no fake , no mask about them when they are together 4 Years Of Deepveer (sic)," wrote another.

"4 Years of Deepveer Leela for Ram ! and Ram For leela @deepikapadukone @RanveerOfficial," tweeted another handle.

"I can switch off and just be my true self with him" - Deepika 4 Years Of Deepveer (sic)," tweeted some other fan.

For years now, ever since Deepika and Ranveer scorched the screen with their appearance together in Ram-Leela, the two actors have been nearly inseparable. Deepika and Ranveer recreated their mind-blowing chemistry in last year's Bajirao Mastani, a film for which both the actors received numerous awards.

During an awards ceremony a few months ago, Ranveer and Deepika's public display of affection had many people stop and admire the two.

--- ENDS ---
"No parent should have to bury their child. No child should have to go through what my son went through", these are the harrowing words of a shattered father who speaks out against bullies who forced his son to commit suicide.

By India Today Web Desk: Daniel Fitzpatrick, from Staten Island in the US, posted a heartrending video on Facebook speaking out against the bullies and school authorities who caused his 13-year-old son to kill himself.

For years, Fitzpatrick's son, also named Daniel, suffered at the hands of bullies for being fat and a poor student and last week he decided to put an end to his misery and hung himself in the attic of his Staten Island home.

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In a heartbreaking Facebook live video, Daniel opened up about the irreparable loss saying, "my son's stories are out there for the world to see, and for the world to know the pain that he went through. "

The grief-stricken father goes on say, "I miss my son very much. No parent should have to bury their child. No child should have to go through what my son went through."

Every time he approached the school authorities about the issue, they would only dismiss him with a 'it'll be fine'.

In the video he elaborates, "He and I went to the school, went to the principal. All I got was, and all he got was, 'He'll be fine. Is he in counseling? You have to try harder, Danny. These things will pass. Children can be such horrible creatures.' They ain't creatures - they're monsters. Disgusting little monsters."

In memory of his son Daniel, a GoFundMe page has been set up by his oldest sister Eileen Fitzpatrick 'to give him a proper memorial, as well as shine a bright light on the bullying that killed him.' The money will also be donated to an anti-bullying or suicide prevention charity.

Watch the heartbreaking video below:







--- ENDS ---
These runaway kids when questioned about why they were going to meet Shah Rukh Khan, they responded with a SRK dialogue, a dance step, a song from his film and his unique style of laughing.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The dream to meet Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai went terribly wrong for four kids belonging to West Bengal who now find themselves in a rescue home in Gaya in Bihar.

These four kids from Asansol district in Bengal were found at the Gaya railway station early Saturday morning by the Government Railway Police (GRP). Later they were handed over to Childline, an organization which deals with children and such cases related to them.

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RAN AWAY FROM HOME

These four kids, Sameer Ansari (5 yrs), Kaishil Awaad (9 yrs), Aakir Ansari (4 yrs) and Arman ( 5 yrs) ran away from their home in Asansol on Friday evening and boarded a Mumbai bound train.

When the train it reached Gaya railway station early Saturday morning, these four kids got out of the train and were found roaming on the platform. That is when the GRP found them and questioned them.

CRAZY FOR SHAH RUKH KHAN



During questioning these kids said that they were fans of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and were going to meet him in the Mumbai. These runaway kids when further questioned about why they were going to meet Shah Rukh Khan, they responded with a SRK dialogue, a dance step, a song from his film and his unique style of laughing.

One of the kids said that after recently watching Shah Rukh's last release "Dilwale", on television, they were fascinated and went crazy to meet the star personally.

"We are crazy for Shah Rukh Khan and were going to Mumbai to meet him but at the railway station we have been caught by the police", said Sameer Ansari, a kid.

RESCUE HOME

These kids are now at the rescue home of Childline and arrangements are being made to send them to their homes in Asansol, Bengal.

"These kids say that they Shah Rukh's fan and were going to meet him. The police contacted us and now we are taking them to our rescue home. Arrangements are being made to get in touch with their parents and send them back", said Riya Kumar, Coordinator at Childline.



ALSO READ:



Delhi restaurant denies entry to underprivileged children, AAP govt orders probe



--- ENDS ---
In her Independence Day speech Mehbooba Mufti denounced use of guns in Kashmir, said guns can't resolve any issue.

By India Today Web Desk: Even as a gun-battle ensued in Srinagar on the Independence Day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mebooba Mufti on Monday denounced use of arms by all sides. In her Independence Day speech Mufti said, "Bandooke chahe militants ki ho ya humari ho, bandook se koi masla hal nhi hoga" (Whether it is militants' guns or ours, gun can't resolve any issue).

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In her address to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti blamed successive governments for not finding a suitable solution to the issue of Kashmir. She said, "The entire national leadership from Jawaharlal Nehru's time till today, political parties are responsible for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir."



Mufti further said that the fault is not with the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor is it with India. The problem has been with the leadership of the state over the years.

The Jammu and Kashmir CM gave a straight forward message to the separatists saying, "If we can't find our solution in the world's biggest democracy, we won't find it anywhere else."



7 KM FROM ATTACK ON CRPF

Mufti participated in the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar's Bakshee Stadium and merely 7 kilometres from here at Nowhatta the Central Reserve Police Force personnel were attacked by terrorists. Seven CRPF personnel were injured in the incident. The terror attack took place in the city despite Srinagar being on high alert. Security was tightened even more with separatists urging people to observe a "black day" today.

Nowhatta has been under curfew since July 8, when security forces gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani. More than 50 people have died in the clashes that followed Wani's killing while hundreds have been injured many with pellets.



MODI BLAMES PAKISTAN FOR KASHMIR VIOLENCE

While Mufti stressed on a peaceful resolution of Kashmir issue in Srinagar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of fomenting unrest in Kashmir. He said, "When terrorists killed innocent children in Peshawar, there were tears in the eyes of India's Parliament, India's schools, India's children. This is our character. But, look at the other side. They glorify terrorists. They celebrate when innocent lives are lost. What kind of terror-inspired people and governments are these?"

ALSO READ:

Mehbooba Mufti requests Haj pilgrims to pray for peace in Kashmir



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By Devarsi Ghosh: While India celebrates 70 years of independence today, it is most natural for TV channels to telecast patriotic films all throughout the day. You have your usual suspects - Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, all the Bhagat Singh films ever made, Border, Chak De! India, Rang De Basanti, so on and so forth. There's no dearth of patriotic films in a country which loves itself so much.



But what about the films which question the very idea of the nation state that forms the basis of celebrating Independence Day? Independence means freedom to self-govern. What we are witnessing in Kashmir now or in Bastar - protests for azaadi - will appear confusing to the everyday man living in the suburbs or the cities, seemingly not oppressed for his caste, class or religious identity. However, the country is boiling from within and if reel echoes the real, it is only natural for Bollywood to highlight these issues on the big screen. Although not many directors have had the guts to walk the road less travelled.

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Here are the five most UNpatriotic films in Bollywood that bursts the bubble of nationalism and makes you question, exactly what is 'India' today?

ALSO READ: Big B to Shah Rukh Khan, Bollywood celebs wish their fans Happy Independence Day



Maachis (1996)

Dir: Gulzar

Gulzar's most politically charged film takes a look at Sikh militancy post Operation Bluestar. The film explores the political climate of Punjab after the government's brutal manhunt throughout India for any and every 'Anti-National' Sikh (Sikh youths who protested against the brutality of the Indian armed forces and the police through militancy) following the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Gulzar again dealt with a similar anti-nation-state theme, albeit, in a milder way, in Hu Tu Tu (1999).



Gulaal (2009)

Dir: Anurag Kashyap

Anurag Kashyap's 'college-politics' film Gulaal has, at its centre, the mercurial character Dukey Bana (Kay Kay Menon), who is challenging the Indian idea of democracy which has yielded nothing for the Rajputana. One of the film's famous scenes is the Yeh Duniya song sequence. The song is a reworking of the famous Pyaasa (1957) song.

Interestingly, Pyaasa, which was released five years after the launch of the first five-year plan, also criticised the Indian state through the song Jinheh Naaz Hai Hind Par, which compared the Indian nation state to a brothel.

Shanghai (2012)

Dir: Dibakar Banerjee

Dibakar Banerjee's darkest film till date deals with a political conspiracy which leads to the killing of an activist who is protesting the demolition of slums to build high-rises in a fictitious city, Bharat Nagar. This fictional city, aptly named 'Bharat Nagar' was basically an allegory for the Indian state. The film ends on a pessimistic note, signalling that nothing changes in India and that the ruling class has the final word here.



Chakravyuh (2012)

Dir: Prakash Jha

Prakash Jha's mainstream take on the Naxalite problem is, of course, a 'Why Naxalism?' for dummies, but at least it makes an attempt to understand the constant subjugation and oppression of tribals in India, which leads to them joining Maoist and Naxalite groups. The ongoing tribals versus corporate encroachment and the Indian state problems in Chattisgarh's Bastar district make the film all the more contemporary.



Haider (2014)

Dir: Vishal Bhardwaj

Perhaps the only film among the list that made the most noise, Haider is the first Bollywood film to push the envelope as far as exploring Kashmir's self-rule issue is concerned. Partially based on Basharat Peer's non-fiction book Curfewed Night, Vishal Bhardwaj's adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet does more for the Kashmir issue than it does for making a Shakespeare adaptation.

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( The writer tweets as @devarsighosh )



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It is for the first time since independence that the the India women combat soldiers unfurled the national flag at a forward post.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Women soldiers of the Indo Tibetian Border Police (ITBP) are filled with pride as India turns 70.

As the nation celebrates Independence day, these women have become a part of a small revolution at the Sino-Indian border. They added feather in forces' cap by shattering an important male bastion and by being deployed on the front of the volatile border.

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It is for the first time since independence that the India women combat soldiers unfurled the national flag at forward post.



India Today team reached Thangi post in Kinnaur to bring this exclusive report.



Also Read: PM Modi's Independence Day speech: Top 10 quotes

'IT IS WITH A GREAT SENSE OF PRIDE, I UNFURLED THE NATIONAL FLAG'

Nealy 640 kilometers away from the national capital Delhi, 20 women soldiers part of 19th Battalion of ITBP took charge of the post early morning today at Thangi post in Kinnaur district.

Shivani Aggarwal, a young 23-year-old sub-inspector of 19th battalion, ITBP, who unfurled the flag told India Today, "It is with a great sense of pride, I unfurled the national flag. Women are equal to men in every sense, but in the force (ITBP), it is more true. We take all responsibility at the borders and today I am so proud that we are breaking all barriers."

A dainty looking Heena Thakur, a 22-year-old hawaldar from Simla, now in Thangi post, said, "There is no difference between men and women. We face same hardship as the men, and our male counterparts support us. It is a proud moment for us, that women unfurled the flag at this important border."

These 20 women are among 2000 soldiers of Mahila Contingent who were recently inducted in ITBP after 44 weeks of training in battle craft and mountain survival.

The commandant of 19th Battalion, ITBP, in Sarhan says with immense pride "Let the world know that women are here at such heights. They are doing equally good as men. These women soldiers work and guard with the same zeal morale. They are looking at volatile border just the way as our male soldiers do."

WOMEN MANNING 20 OUT OF 176 BORDER OUT POSTS AT BORDER

Deployed in combat roles, ITBP women soldiers are proving their mettle at the Indo-China border. They are now manning 20 out of 176 Border Out Posts.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs' guidelines, the Cental Armed Police Force need to induct 33 per cent women in workforce but in ITBP, the conditions are harsh, so only 15 per cent women are inducted and deployed.

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ITBP will have to increase its strength from current 2000 to 10,000 to reach the target.

But ITBP faces a tough challenge.

They have asked the UPSC to induct women officers from the rank of Assistant Commadant, so that the force can fulfill another target of having an all woman post, again a first for any paramilitary force.

Many women officers have overcome personal and professional challenges to be a part of ITBP.

WOMEN ARE HERE TO STAY

Seema, a constable from Moradabad, says she is has five sisters and her father was in UP roadways. The family wanted her to be a teacher, but she fought her way to become a combat soldier.

"Women are here to stay in the force," she said.

Inspector Bhola Nath, who is set to retire this year, says "I have been in ITBP for 36 years, and now I see a huge change with women being deployed at such harsh battlefields. But women are conquering new heights every day, so this was bound to happen. Women are also sincere, and with training as tough as men. So it is a welcome step that women are reaching such forward post."

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The motivation level among women cadres remains very high.

These women have a tough regimen which includes physical training, obstacle course, combat and non-combat.

Meena Rathore, another constable in 19th battalion, says "Women will always be in the front. We will continue to do so. We are proud to be ITBP jawans serving at Indo-China border. And if situation demanded ever, we will surely defeat the Chinese troops."

There has also been a significant delay in deployment of these women owing to infrastructure problems.

WORK IN PROGRESS

A senior ranking officer told India Today, "This is the first time women have been deployed, so their barracks had to be prepared, separate restrooms were to be set up at base and forward post. Both men and women soldiers needed to feel comfortable." But this has been a work in progress.

Women personnel have been spread to be posted along all border states including Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.

Security expert PK Sehgal says "As per known sources, women in Chinese PLA are deployed in auxiliary and non-combat roles and duties like intelligence gathering, research, political, administration, communication and propaganda. Their presence is between 7.5 per cent to 4.9 per cent."

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He said, "Except for 1953, when the Chinese PLA women personnel were used as combat soldiers in Korean war, the women have not been deployed in combat roles. Perhaps, because manpower has not been a problem in China."

The chirpy group at Thangi post is unfazed, most of them with a big smile seeing the camera and mike. They have overcome many challenges to announce to the world that "women are on top."

Also Read:

Independence Day: Unity in diversity essence of Indian culture, no place for violence or atrocities, says PM Modi

India's first female fighter pilots pave way for more women in combat



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"Unity in diversity is the whole essence of the Indian culture. There is no place for violence and atrocities here," said PM Modi from the Red Fort on India's 70th Independence Day.

By India Today Web Desk: It was the third consecutive Independence Day speech for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the last two of his speeches from the Red Fort have largely been extempore, this year the Prime Minister had invited suggestions from the public to include in his address to the nation. IN PICS | WATCH FULL SPEECH VIDEO

READ: President slams anti-Dalit forces, calls for protection of women and children

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PM Modi's Independence Day speech: Top 10 quotes

In his 3rd Independence Day speech, PM Modi talks governance, growth

HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES

For us, image of the nation is more important than the image of the Government: PM Modi #IndiaIndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/CFE4lOntpS ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

PM Modi concludes his speech.

We did not get an opportunity to die for the country but we have the opportunity to live for the country.

There can't b a bigger freedom than freedom frm poverty.Invite all SAARC countries to work together to fight this.

To the youth who have taken up gun, I urge them to return to their parents, shun violence.

This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists.

To the youth who have taken up gun, I urge them to return to their parents, shun violence.

This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists.

People of Balochistan,Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them.

Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack (Pakistan), but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here.

This country will never bend before terrorism.

Therefore my Govt tried to resolve the long standing issue of OROP.

More than 35000 jawans have lost their lives fighting at border so that we can stay peacefully here, how can we forget them?

Humne 'one rank one pension' ka vaada poora kiya hai.

Only financial growth is not imp, social unity is also imp. 125 crore people of India are part of one family.

Yes there are problems, but we have to rise above and fight such anti-social elements. Only then we'll be able to progress in real sense.

Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar ji have always stressed on the need for social unity.

We have worked to achieve "One nation, one grid and one price"

GST is one such tax reform which will help us bring in financial stability.

GST will give strength to our economy & all parties are to be thanked for its passage.

Financial independence of Women and her participation is important to fight poverty.

Amidst global economic slow-down, Indian economy is growing.

We all know about coal scam. However, we auctioned coal online, without any corruption charges levelled against us due to transparency.

We have connected Aadhar card to Govt schemes to curb corruption.

Reform, perform, transform, we have made efforts in every sector.

We are trying to revive 'post-offices' in the country which is becoming irrelevant increasingly due to advent of technology.

Our government is giving importance to 'last man delivery' by taking decisions decisively as our policies and intentions are clear

We are giving importance to Integrated development against Isolated development, empowerment against entitlement.

When new government is elected, many-a-times, good initiatives taken by the previous government are forgotten.

But we did not let this happen, we have taken forward the good initiatives taken by the previous government.

We have been blessed with monsoon, this year. Sowing has therefore increased, this will help us meet demand shortfall.

I will continue to strive hard to ensure that the this inflation doesn't affect the food plate of poor.

That's why my government has given importance to save water. We have given impetus to 'per drop, more crop' initiative.

If farmers in my country get adequate water, they can turn 'soil' into 'gold.'

Under the previous Govt, inflation had crossed 10 per cent. We have brought inflation rate below 6 per cent, I will continue to work to ensure food plate of poor is not affected by inflation.

From Delhi it takes 3 hours to reach nagla fatela village in Hathras, it took 70 years for electricity to reach there.

Due to drought situation in the last 2 years, government has faced challenges in terms of price rise.

We can contribute a lot to curb global warming by using IED bulbs and saving energy.

We are working to bring in social change, over 70,000 villages are free from open-defecation, today.

We have connected 70 crore Indians to Aadhaar and social security schemes.

In last 60 years, 14 crore were given gas connections, while my government provided gas connections to over 4 crore people in just 60 weeks.

There was a time when getting a passport was a tedious process and needed strong references. We have changed this. Now one can avail passport in a week, have eased processes.

Renewable energy is a focus area for us.

There was a time when government was surrounded by allegations but now the government is surrounded by expectations.

I want to change the lives of common people, I am committed to it.

Today, in all the major government hospitals, online registration is available and medical records are also available online.

'Surajya' means a Govt should be sensitive towards the common man, weaker sections.

For this, one needs to give imp to good governance, accountability and transparency in any government is paramount.

Today, more than 'Karya', I want to talk about 'Karya Sanskriti' of the government.

It is easy to keep account of the work done by the government, but it is difficult to have in-depth knowledge of those initiatives.

India faces a lot of challenges, today but I believe that 125 crore people of India have the ability to face and overcome these challenges.

Panchayat se Parliament aur gram pradhan se lekar PM tak,sabko apni zimmedari samajhne ki zarurat hai.

The onus is on 125 cr people of India to convert this 'Swaraj' into 'Surajya'-PM Modi at Red Fort.

Ek bharat, shresht bharat ka sapna poora karenge.

August 15 Sankalp Parv to take India to new heights.

Today on the 70th Independence Day, I convey my greetings to 125 crore Indians & the Indian community living overseas .

We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, many others who sacrificed their lives so that we attained Swarajya.

India's age is not 70 years,but the journey post colonial rule for a better India is 70-year old.



07:34 AM: PM Modi begins his I-Day speech | RATE THE SPEECH HERE

07:31 AM: PM Modi unfurls the Tricolour at Red Fort

07:19 AM: PM Modi reaches Red Fort, to address nation shortly

07:14 AM: PM Modi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajghat, pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi. #IndiaIndependenceDay pic.twitter.com/RLqeCApgID ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

07:06 AM: Rajnath Singh: I wish happy independence day to all and I expect that the freedom will continue for ever

07:02 AM: Warm greetings and felicitations to Prince and people of Liechtenstein on their National Day #PresidentMukherjee, tweets President Pranab Mukherjee.

06:53 AM:

LG Najeeb Jung, Amit Shah, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader GN Azad at the Red Fort,PM to speak shortly pic.twitter.com/uiBioLkQla ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

6:00 AM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi wishes nation a happy Independence Day. Tweets, "Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!"

RED FORT READY

The 17th Century fort - a heritage monument -- and its adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to-ground security blanket. The Prime Minister will inspect the Guard of Honour at the Red Fort and unfurl the Tricolour before addressing the nation.

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.

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TIGHT SECURITY

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.

READ: Ashok Chakra 2016: How Havildar Hangpan Dada single-handedly took out 3 terrorists, made supreme sacrifice

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Watch the man who gave us our national anthem sing it.

By India Today Web Desk: On this Independence Day watch Rabindranath Tagore, the man who gave us our national anthem, sing it. Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar and Malayalam actor Prithviraj shared this video on their Facebook page and it has gone viral.



Tagore wrote Jana Gana Mana in Bengali in 1911 and its first rendition was during a Indian National Congress convention in December 1911. The song was made India's national anthem only on January 24, 1950.

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Also read: Independence Day Special: Evolution of the Indian flag





The Nobel laureate was not only a poet but a novelist, philosopher and a painter as well. In fact, as a painter he played an important role in modernising Bengali art.

As a mark of respect to Tagore's nationalism which involved giving up his knighthood to protest British policies in colonial India, Odisha government will install his statue at a school in Jagatsinghpur district.

Also read: Independence Day special: 5 must reads on India's freedom struggle



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Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Pakistan, accusing it of "glorifying terrorists who attack us" while India had cried when children were killed in a terror attack on Peshawar.

By India Today Web Desk: In his 100-minute Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Pakistan, accusing it of "glorifying terrorists who attack us" while India had cried when children were killed in a terror attack on Peshawar.

Modi invoked Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) - his second reference in less than a week - and said that India will not bow before terrorism from across the border.

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"I want to speak a bit about the people in Balochistan, Gilgit, Baltistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The world is watching. People of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me a lot in the past few days. I am grateful to them," he said.

Though he made no reference to the situation in Kashmir which has been rocked by violence and curfew since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month, Modi came out openly in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "Pakistan-occupied Kashmir".

Modi said the way people from these Pakistani regions "wished me well, gives me great joy".

Modi said Pakistan's promotion of terror in Kashmir and other areas was "in contrast" to the way Indians reacted with sorrow when terrorists slaughtered school children in Peshawar.

"That is the nature of India. But on the other hand, look at those who glorify terrorists. What kind of people glorify terrorists? What kind of people celebrate when people are killed?"

Last week, Modi had said that it was time for Islamabad to explain to the world "why it has been committing atrocities on people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan".

Want to thank PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally: Ashraf Sherjan,Baloch Republican Party pic.twitter.com/3b2EXElD1oANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

PM Modi's Independence Day speech: Top 10 quotes







In his 3rd Independence Day speech, PM Modi talks governance, growth

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti puts the blame of the tense situation in Kashmir valley on the Centre saying that it was due to problems in nation's leadership.

By Anindya Banerjee: Independence Day has been an expression of patriotism for the government as much as discomfiture for it. First, it was the Chief Justice of India blaming PM Modi for being silent on appointment of judges and then came one from its ally PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti.

BLAME GAME CONTINUES

On occasion of Independence Day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister remarked controversially, "Kashmiris do not wield guns, we do not resort to violence. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir today is because of problems in the nation's leadership." And thus putting the onus of Kashmir violence on its ally BJP.

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But opposition Congress was quick enough to hit out at both BJP and PDP who are jointly ruling the hill state. Tom Vadakkan told India Today, "Is Kashmir under President's Rule that she is blaming the Centre? She is either incompetent to govern or it's a match fixing between the two."

While at least three BJP spokesperson who were approached for a comment, refused to come on record; but most agreed that this comment by the J&K CM couldn't have come at a worst time leaving the BJP red-faced.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced a hike in the pension for freedom fighters from Rs 11000 to Rs 12000.

By Akshaya Nath: As the country celebrated 70th Independence Day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced a hike in the pension for freedom fighters from Rs 11000 to Rs 12000. Also, the family pension for legal heir of freedom fighters hiked from Rs 5500 to Rs 6000.

Jayalalithaa hoisted the national flag at Fort St. George in Chennai and went on to distribute awards for people for their exemplary work in different categories. Some of the winners were:



Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award: P. Shanmugam, Principal Scientist of Central Leather Research Institute

Kalpana Chawla Award for Courage and Daring Enterprise: Jayanthi of Namakkal District.

The Chief Minister's Best Practices Award: Mahamaham 2016 arrangements, Solid Waste Management in Rural Areas - 'Thuimai Kavalar' and Online Patta Transfer.

Under the Exemplary Service for the Welfare of the Differently Abled: D. Raja Kannan of Chennai (Best Doctor Award)

MP Mohamed Rafi of Chennai (Best Social Worker)

Little Flower Convent Higher Secondary School for the Deaf, Chennai (Best Institution),

Annai JKK Sampooraniammal Trust, Namakkal (Best Private Player),

Salem District Central Cooperative Bank, Salem (Best District Cooperative Bank).

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An evacuation of JFK's Terminal 8 was under way while police searched for a suspect, WPIX television and other news outlets said.

Hundreds of people come out of JFK airport Credit: @

By Reuters: An evacuation of JFK's Terminal 8 was under way after the reports of gunfire in the departures area, CNN reported on its website, quoting a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport.

The evacuation was a precaution, Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo told CNN, as there were no injuries, arrests or confirmation of shots fired.

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Sherwin Bryce-Pease, a correspondent with South African Broadcasting Corp based in New York, was on a Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris that landed at JFK shortly before 10 p.m. EDT.

"They told us nothing from the flight deck. Only that the earliest the gate will be available will be in an hour 15 minutes from when we landed, an announcement greeted by huge sighs on our Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris," he said.

Video and photos posted on social media showed hundreds of people streaming out of Terminal 8.

Port Authority tweeted " Preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at JFK airport, no gun shells found at New York's John F. Kennedy airport after reports of gunfire."

Port Authority says JFK terminal was evacuated out of "abundance of caution".

WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/listonb/videos/10155166402618712/





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As many as 5 policemen, including two officers, committed suicide earlier this year citing work pressure and political interference.

By Mail Today Bureau: Following a spate of suicide by policemen in Karnataka owing to work pressure this year, the state government has decided to fill up 15,000 vacancies over the next two years.

CHIEF MINISTER SIDDARAMAIAH'S STATEMENT

Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today announced the government's plans to strengthen the police department by recruiting policemen of all cadres. "In the last three years, we recruited 364 sub inspectors and 7,642 constables. The recruitment of another 6,389 constables is in progress," Siddaramaiah said here today.

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"I am confident that the work pressure of the police will reduce once we fill up all vacancies," Siddaramaiah added and pointed out that revision of their wages was being undertaken.



WORK PRESSURE

As many as 5 policemen, including two officers, committed suicide earlier this year citing work pressure and political interference. For the first time, the policemen planned a state wide stir owing to mounting work pressure.

ALSO READ:

Karnataka cop suicide: Minister KJ George resigns after court orders FIR





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Katrina Kaif and Fawad Khan on the big screen would mean *one* good-looking film!

Fawad Khan and Katrina Kaif will be seen together on screen for the first time

By India Today Web Desk: Katrina Kaif and Fawad Khan. Together. On the big screen. If you're still wondering maybe it's too good (good-looking?) a news to be true, truth is, a film is happening.

ALSO READ: Did a drunk Fawad Khan misbehave at Manish Malhotra's party?

ALSO READ: Fawad Khan bonded with Ranbir Kapoor during the shoot of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

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If rumours are anything to go by, Katrina Kaif and Fawad Khan are being paired together, for the first time, in a yet-untitled film. Katrina has supposedly already signed the film.

The project in discussion is to be backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, and will see debutant Aditya Dhar on the director's chair, says a report in Mid-Day.

Aditya Dhar, who is getting Katrina and Fawad together on the silver screen, has been an assistant director to filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj. Katrina and Fawad are to begin shooting for this love story this November.

Currently, Katrina is busy working on her soon-to-be-released film Baar Baar Dekho. In the film, Kaif will be seen opposite Sidharth Malhotra. Fawad, on the other hand, was last seen on the silver screen in Kapoor & Sons earlier this year. The actor will next be seen in Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

We're sure Katrina and Fawad's fans are gearing up to see this fresh pair on screen soon.

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A procession consisting of 5000 students along with their teachers was taken out with a 3350-foot long and 6-foot width national flag.

By Rohini Swamy: Karnataka has its own way to celebrate the 70th Independence Day. A procession consisting of 5000 students along with their teachers was taken out with a 3350-foot long and 6-foot width national flag. This is pipped to be the longest national flag ever taken out on Independence Day in the country.

The procession was organised in Bellary by the NSUI as sort of the Independence Day celebrations in the district

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The rally started from DC office and reached district stadium and it culminated at the Royal circle, Mothi circle in Bellary.

--- ENDS ---
By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian leader to use Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort to raise issues of Pak-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit, while almost reproaching Pakistan for human rights violations in Balochistan.

The PM also criticised Pakistan for supporting cross-border terrorism and praising terrorists who kill innocent people on Indian soil in the Kashmir Valley and elsewhere.

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"When you look at things from the scale of human values and humanity, when innocent school children were massacred in Peshawar, Indian Parliament wept, every school in India shed tears at this tragedy. On the other hand we have a situation where some people glorify terrorists in our country," Modi said.

THANKING BALOCHISTAN, PoK

In what is seen as tit for tat tactics, PM Modi said that ever since he talked about Pakistani establishment's record on human rights abuse in Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK, he had been flooded with messages of gratitude by people from those area. "I am grateful to the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK who have thanked me in the past few days. If people of Balochistan thank me, they are thanking the 125 crore Indians," the PM said.

In one of the longest Independence Day speeches ever, the PM laid emphasis on stern dealing with terrorism saying, "The country will never bow down before terrorists. It will never tolerate terrorism.

PM'S APPEAL TO KASHMIRI YOUTHS

Modi also appealed to the youths of Jammu and Kashmir to take more constructive way and shun violence. He told them to "please go back, do not follow the path of terror. Follow and fulfil your parent's dreams."

Fresh wave unrest is being witnessed in the Valley following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani on July 8. Many parts of Jammu and Kashmir have been under curfew for over past five weeks. More than fifty people have lost their lives and hundreds received injury in the clashes with security forces.

PAKISTAN'S RESPONSE TO MODI'S SPEECH

Within hours of the PM's third Independence Day speech, Pakistan was responded with an invitation for talks. Pakistan's Foreign Secretary called in Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad and handed over a letter for India's Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir.

However, this invitation is more like a provocation as Pakistan again referred to settlement of the Kashmir issue as per UN Resolution. India has already rejected Pakistan's demand for discussion under UN Resolution calling it outdated.



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ALSO READ:

PM Modi's Independence Day speech: Top 10 quotes

Pakistan formally invites India for talks on Kashmir

PM Modi attacks Pakistan in I-Day speech: They glorify terrorists while India cried for Peshawar

--- ENDS ---
The Louisiana floods have claimed five lives and left thousands stranded so far, prompting President Obama to declare it a disaster.

An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescues three people from a rooftop due to flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: U.S. President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration on Sunday for flood-ravaged Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by unprecedented flooding.

Governor John Bel Edwards said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state. The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

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LOUISIANA STILL ON HIGH ALERT

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference.

"Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down," Edwards said, calling the flooding unprecedented.

DECLARED DISASTER

Obama issued the disaster declaration after speaking with Edwards, the White House said in a statement.

The initial declaration makes federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa. Edwards said in a statement that other parishes could be added to the list.

RESCUE EFFORTS

Edwards told a later news conference that more than 20,000 people had been rescued from flood waters in southern Louisiana.

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full. A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways.

About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods. Helicopters were also transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters.

Some 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts.

WARNING OF HEAVY RAIN FROM THE GULF COAST

Even as the state grappled with high waters, the National Weather Service forecast heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding.

A flash flood watch was in place until Monday morning for Houston, where rains killed at least eight people in late April.

CASUALTIES

At least five people had died in Louisiana from the high water. Ronda Durbin, a spokeswoman for Tangipahoa Parish, said by telephone that searchers on Sunday recovered the body of a man reported swept away on Friday.

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The body of a woman was also recovered from a submerged vehicle in the parish, she said.

On Saturday, the body of a woman was recovered from the Tickfaw River, in St. Helena Parish northeast of Baton Rouge, after a car in which she was riding was swept away.

A 54-year-old man in Greensburg in the northern part of the state died when his vehicle was swept off the road, state police said.

The body of a 68-year-old man was recovered on Friday near Baker after he drowned, said William "Beau" Clark, the coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Another person is also believed missing in St. Helena Parish, Edwards said.

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By Smita Sharma: A day after India rejected Pakistan's proposal for sending supplies to the Kashmir Valley, Islamabad on Monday invited New Delhi for talks of Kashmir. Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry called in the Indian High Commissioner this afternoon (15 August 2016) and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir issue.

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Chaudhry has called for resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.

INDIA REJECTED PAKISTAN'S PROPOSAL

India had earlier this month rejected a similar proposal for talks when Pakistan's Prime Minister's advisor on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz spoke about the idea at a press conference on August, 12. Responding to Aziz's proposal, the External Affairs Ministry clearly spelt out the terms of any further talks on Kashmir with Pakistan.

MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Saturday 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."

Later the same day, Sushma Swaraj while speaking at a book launch on Modi Doctrine had said dialogue was conditional to action on terrorism.

"Unlike in the past, we cannot agree that dialogue with sponsors and supporters of terrorism should carry on without being linked to action in that regard. In fact, we have insisted that addressing the terrorism challenge is central to engagement," said Swaraj.

ALSO READ:

India ready for talks with Pakistan but only on 'relevant issues', says MEA

WATCH:



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Mass hysteria gripped the passengers at the busy John F Kennedy International Airport, as reports of shots fired led to a complete shutdown of the airport.

By AP: Kennedy Airport is back to normal Monday after unfounded weekend reports of gunshots in two terminals triggered a series of evacuations and some panic among travelers spooked by the heavy police response.

Videos and photographs posted by people who were at the airport showed people cowering behind chairs and running across a road to escape the evacuated terminals.

One video showed startled travelers scrambling for cover as a team of police officers swept through the terminal, weapons drawn, shouting for people to get down on the ground.

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Police evacuated Terminal 8 as a precaution around 9:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving a 911 call reporting the sound of a gunshot near the departures area.

The initial report that resulted in the "robust response" was "not a hoax," said airport police spokesman Joe Pentangelo, but rather appeared to be "an initial reaction to people running."

It's not clear what had prompted the people to run. Investigators determined there were no guns or ammunition involved.

Port Authority police called in officers from the New York Police Department to assist with the investigation.

A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after receiving additional reports of a gunshot there. A highway approaching the airport also was shut down.

Demetrius Pipkin told WPIX-TV he was in Terminal 1 waiting for his Norwegian Airlines flight when passengers were "told to get on the floor and take cover behind any and everything we could find."

Pipkin described the terminal as a "madhouse" with panicky passengers eventually bolting for the nearest exists.

According to the flight tracking company, FlightAware, all inbound flights were held at their origin at until 11:30 p.m. "due to security."

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Petrol price was today reduced by Rs 1 a litre and diesel by Rs 2 per litre.

By India Today Web Desk: Petrol price was today cut by Rs 1 a litre and diesel by Rs 2 per litre. The revised prices will take effect from midnight.

Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 60.09 a litre, and diesel will cost Rs 50.27 per litre.



Petrol was last cut by Rs 1.42 a litre on July 31. Diesel rate on that day was reduced to Rs 2.01 per litre. Prior to that, petrol price was cut by Rs 2.25 a litre on July 16. The petrol price was reduced by 89 paise a litre and diesel by 49 paise on July 1.

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Prior to the reductions in July, rates had been hiked on four occasions since May 1. Petrol prices in the four hikes had been raised by Rs 4.52 a litre and diesel by Rs 7.72 per litre.

ALSO READ | Petrol price cut by Rs 1.42/litre, diesel by Rs 2.01 a litre



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These Delhiites have dared to paint their freedom in new, unconventional hues that should be a source of inspiration for all of us.

Beyond Biases

Zeenat Club

FREEDOM FROM PREJUDICE

Twenty-five-year-old Zarina spent many years begging at traffic signals. The transgender, along with three friends, now runs a beauty parlour and wants to pursue further studies. This unfathomable dream became a reality with the help of Zeenat Club, a community for transgenders and transsexuals.

Picture courtesy: M Zhazo

WHAT IT'S ABOUT

Established by the NGO, SPACE (Society for People's Awareness, Care & Empowerment), in 2012, Zeenat Club provides skill development training on Information Technology/computer literacy, beauty culture and hair dressing as well as spoken English courses exclusively to transgender members.

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FREEDOM IS

Mallika, a transgender counsellor with Zeenat Club, says that freedom to her means, "Freedom to choose her life as she wants", while Neha, a volunteer with the club says, "No more abuse, no more discrimination and no more violence." The future, says Anjaann Joshii, executive director, SPACE "Looks bright". The club, which initially started with a few hundred members now has more than 3,000.

Also Read: Here's what this generation wants freedom from this Independence Day

Auto Rickshaw Diplomat

Melba Pria, 58, Mexican Ambassador

FREEDOM TO BE DIFFERENT

Soon after she assumed office in India earlier this year, Mexican ambassador to India, Melba Pria, surprised everyone by choosing an auto as her mode of transport rather than a sedan, breaking free of her diplomatic cocoon. She is rather proud of her bright white auto that greets visitors at the embassy. "I'm just doing what millions of Indians do," says Pria. "We have five senses that we know of and India is the only country that awakens the senses we're not aware of. You either love it or hate it."

Picture courtesy: M Zhazo

WHY THE AUTO?

Pria candidly admits that the initial idea was to promote Mexico through the brightly painted auto. "What could be more apt than an auto to show the vibrancy of my country." Eventually, it started serving a larger purpose. By travelling in an auto, she says that she is contributing to only a third of the pollution to the city than she would have by a car. She plans to get electric autos for her entire staff.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE

Exuding an unmistakable nonchalant vibe, the ambassador says, "I am a free spirit. You are a leader only if people recognise you as one. The young people I work with have taught me so much," pointing to her 20-something employees. "We have to see beyond the boxes and appeal to young Indians who want to see something outside the rich India."

FREEDOM IS

"To free yourself of the things that hold you down. You lose your freedom when you stop dreaming," says Pria.

A Rebel's Anthem

Taru Dalmia, 35, Music artiste and activist

FREEDOM TO SPEAK OUT

He is one of the few Dancehall artistes in the country practising a genre, a variation of the popular Reggae, that is still largely unexplored in the country. "All art or cultural production should challenge people's perception in some way," believes Taru Dalmia, also known by his stage name-Delhi Sultanate.

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Photo courtesy: Chandradeep Kumar

WHY REGGAE?

"The charisma, black power politics and fierce anti-colonialism of Reggae music appealed to me," says Dalmia. As a student of history (he is alumnus of Hindu College, Delhi University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi), he wanted a name that signifies where he is from. "It's common in Reggae music for entertainers to adopt names that signify power. Often ghetto artists will add military titles to their names, such as General and Brigadier," says Dalmia of the reasons behind his stage moniker.

SOUND POWER

Through collaborations with traditional music artistes across the country-Bant Singh, a Dalit activist, and Gaddar from Telangana, as well as Odisha bard, Sallu Majhi, Dalmia's music is a social commentary that tells the undiscovered story of the country. "The current regime is trying its best to find ways to control artistic output. If art was not effective, writers and artistes in India would not have be murdered and intimidated and there would be no attempts at gleichschaltung (standardisation of political, economic and social institutions) in the country," says the artiste.

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RECLAIMING MUSIC

Dalmia, who is also part of Ska Vengers-a Delhi-based band whose music is a unique mix of jazz, ska, rap and punk genres- is currently on tour in the UK to promote the band's new album, XX. He is also busy with the Bass Foundation Roots Sound System, launched in April this year, in an effort to reclaim the way artistes reach out to the audience, cutting through the layer of sponsors and venues.

FREEDOM IS

"There is profound unfreedom," says Dalmia, adding that "we live under matsya nyaya, the law of the fish, where the big eat the small. We fear the strong and oppress the weak. That's not how it should be and we need to take back control of our lives."

Weaves of Passion

Shilpi Yadav, 33, Founder, Kharakapas

FREEDOM TO CREATE

Shilpi Yadav wanted to design "clothes with a soul"- that represent India but in a modern avatar. With that thought in mind, she launched Kharakapas (which means 'pure cotton' in Hindi), her online label in February 2015, from a basic two-sewing-machine set-up in a single room in her home. Today, the designer has a fully functional production as well as and design unit in Gurgaon and will soon be collaborating with stores in India and abroad. Armed with a degree in apparel design from National Institute Of Design, Ahmedabad, and merchandise marketing from Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles, plus experience of years of work at various design houses in Delhi, Yadav had one mission- to revive Indian textiles.

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Picture courtesy: Rajwant Rawat

WHY?

Yadav feels India is a reservoir of resources in terms of culture, craft and fabric-enough for, as she puts it, "a designer to devote her label to". It was her deeprooted passion for design, for a unique form of expression and for the freedom to uninhibitedly create a space for her design sensibilities that finally led her to launch Kharakapas.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE

Working with local weavers and providing them with a global platform to showcase their skills has given Yadav the biggest high. "We've brought back Indian weaving and craft techniques to our customers' wardrobe in a contemporary avatar and as everyday wear," says Yadav, whose designs have found buyers not only in northern India and Bollywood but also in the United States, Australia and the UAE. And Kharakapas will change your mind when it comes to cotton not being cool enough to don as formal wear, for her free-flowing mulmul gowns in organic prints and cotton lehenga cholis with gota work are nothing short of stunning.

FREEDOM IS

"To create something that celebrates your own heritage and culture," says Yadav.

Candid Confessions

Arjun Nath, 37, Author, White Magic

FREEDOM TO TRANSFORM

He chose to openly talk about his life as a drug addict in his first book, White Magic. Arjun Nath, a corporate lawyer turned writer, talks about his years at Land, a rehab centre in Mumbai. "I was never ashamed or embarrassed while I was doing drugs, so why feel shy now that I've stopped? It is a relief to live without the burden and baggage of secrets. Just open the closet and let all those skeletons come clattering out," says Nath.

Picture courtesy: M Zhazo

LOOKING BACK

There's a sense of liberation in the brutally honest manner Nath describes his life before writing the book. According to him, substance abuse brought about a heavy sense of disillusionment and lack of belonging. "My life was an unspeakable mess," he says.

FREEDOM IS

Nath believes he has three hearts-one to show to the world, another to show to the people he cares for, and a third innermost heart that is his alone. "Freedom is keeping the thorny hedges separating the three as thin as possible, so I can be free to be me no matter who I'm with or where I go," he says.



The Thinking Millennial

Anshul Tewari, 25, Editor In Chief, Youth Ki Awaaz

FREEDOM FROM CONFORMITY

In 2011, when the Libyan Civil War started, Pranay, a contributor to Youth Ki Awaaz (YKA), an online media portal for a young audience, wrote a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs using YKA as the medium, requesting them to help evacuate his father, one of the many Indians stuck in the conflict zone. The story went viral, YKA's servers crashed and the Ministry finally took notice. Within 48 hours, 16,000 Indians were rescued and came home to safety. This is just one of the many ways in which YKA, started by Anshul Tewari, then an undergraduate student of journalism from Delhi, changed the way the young communicate with the political reality around them.

Photo courtesy: Chandradeep Kumar

BREAKING STEREOTYPES

"We are told that we are that section of the population that is considered of massive consequence. Yet, we play only a limited role in decision making, with hardly any level of engagement with the governmental authorities, especially for issues that affect our generation the most," says Tewari. This realisation led to the creation of the idea of Youth Ki Awaaz. The mouthpiece of the millennial generation has over the course of eight years, seen over 55,000 people contributing articles to the website and two million hits per month.

THE CONVERSATION STARTER

The editor believes that the concept of a homogeneous reality doesn't exist and that life is about diverse experiences. According to him, his job then is to bring these experiences out and to make people uncomfortable. "We want to start conversations where they don't exist," says Tewari.

FREEDOM IS

"As somebody who leads a major platform for the youth to voice their opinions, I can say that the freedoms we want are the freedom to raise questions, demand accountability and become shareholders in our future," he says.

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Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who is currently recovering from fracture, is likely to resume shoot of his upcoming trilingual comedy Sabash Naidu from the second week of September.

By India Today Web Desk: Actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, who is currently recovering from a leg injury, will join the sets of his upcoming comedy trilingual flick Sabash Naidu from the second week of September.

He suffered the fracture in his leg after he slipped and fell in his Chennai office, has been discharged from the hospital after undergoing two surgeries.



ALSO READ: Kamal Haasan 'hobbling' on road to recovery, daughter Shruti cheers him on



ALSO READ: Panchathanthiram 2- Is Kamal Haasan planning a sequel?



Speaking about the actor's health, a source close to Haasan said, "It's going to take him two or three more weeks to get fully fit. He's currently on physiotherapy and has also started gymming to strengthen his leg. Although he has started moving, he is still dependent on assistance,"

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"As of now, the plan is to resume shooting from the second week of September. The next schedule will start in Vishakhapatnam. Nearly half of the film has already been completed," he said.

Meanwhile, the Vishwaroopam star updated his health to his fans on Twitter. He wrote, "Stitches off. Hobbling up to the gym past 2 days. Physio at full swing. Thank you all who persisted and insisted on my getting better soon."



Stitches off. Hobbling up to the gym past 2 days. Physio at full swing . Thank you all who persisted & insisted on my getting better soon Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) August 13, 2016

Sabash Naidu, which is directed by Kamal Haasan, is a spin-off of Dasavatharam's Balram Naidu character. The film is simultaneously shot in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Also starring Shruti Haasan, Brahmanandam, Ramya Krishnan and Saurabh Shukla, the film stars Kamal in the lead and has music by maestro Ilayaraja.



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Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech saying that by talking about Balochistan the PM was trying to divert the attention from Kashmir unrest.

By Press Trust of India: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan today claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modi's Independence Day speech, said that the prime minister was only trying to divert world's attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

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The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz said.

MODI MENTIONS BALOCHISTAN IN HIS INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech today.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of "RAW's active service Naval Officer" Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

PROTEST IN KASHMIR



Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz claimed.

"These events have nothing to do with terrorism. It is an indigenous movement for self determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council," he said.

He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark.

Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.



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Also Read

Modi stumps Pakistan, refers to Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK from Red Fort



Modi's I-Day speech: Were Kejriwal, Jaitley sleeping at the Red Fort?

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Abe instead sent a gift of money and religious ornaments to Yasukuni Shrine.

o, second from left, accompanied by Empress Michiko, delivers his remarks during a memorial service at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo

By AP: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stayed away Monday from a Tokyo shrine that honours convicted war criminals among the nation's war dead, a bid to avoid controversy with neighbouring countries on the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II.

Abe instead sent a gift of money and religious ornaments to Yasukuni Shrine. His visit to the shrine in December 2013 drew sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism and consider the visits an attempt to whitewash the country's wartime aggression.

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Abe's government is reportedly trying to arrange a meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G-20 summit in China next month.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS At an official memorial ceremony later Monday, Abe reiterated his pledge not to let the tragedy of war be repeated, but neither mentioned Japan's wartime actions in Asia nor apologized to its victims. He also did not do so in his three previous speeches at the annual event, though he did touch on some of Japan's wartime actions last year during a speech in Washington and in a separate statement for the 70th anniversary of the war's end. Emperor Akihito reiterated his "feelings of deep remorse," a phrase he used last year for the first time, capturing media attention because of the contrast between his words and Abe's. Akihito, 82, spoke after observing a moment of silence in his first public appearance outside the palace since he indicated his wish to abdicate in a video message last week. Abe also visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery for unidentified soldiers on his way to the memorial ceremony at the nearby Budokan hall. In a sign of lingering bitter feelings in Asia over Japan's wartime actions, a group of South Korean lawmakers picked the day to land on small disputed islands in the Sea of Japan to celebrate their country's liberation from Japanese colonization. The islands are controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Tokyo. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated Japan's claim to the islands and said the lawmakers' action was "unacceptable and extremely regrettable." He said Tokyo had protested to Seoul. In Nanjing, China, Chinese and South Korea representatives gathered at a memorial hall for victims of Japan's notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre to commemorate victory in what China calls the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. There was mixed reaction in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye focused on future relations with Japan, while the Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concerns and regret" over visits to Yasukuni by others in Abe's government. At least four Cabinet ministers have visited Yasukuni since early August, two of them on Monday. Abe's special aide Yasutoshi Nishimura, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters that he offered a donation from Abe to the shrine along with the religious ornaments and prayed on his behalf. Hidehisa Otsuji, head of a group of lawmakers from various parties who routinely visit Yasukuni, told reporters that Abe's absence would be understood by the war dead "if it's a judgment based on national interest." Separately, a group of conservative members of parliament chaired by Tomomi Inada, a recently appointed defense minister known for downplaying Japan's wartime atrocities, also visited the shrine. Inada is a regular at Yasukuni during ceremonial occasions but is currently out of the country.







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The team hoisted the Indian flag at the peak after scaling the mountain, sung the national anthem, besides displaying the poster of BR Ambedkar, chief architect of Indian Constitution.

The team took one of the toughest summit route from Machame Gate in Tanzania for an expedition of scaling the 19,341-feet Mt Kilimanjaro on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

By Ashish Pandey: In an unique effort, a team of young mountaineers of Telangana hoisted the Tricolor at Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak of South Africa.

The team took one of the toughest summit route from Machame Gate in Tanzania for an expedition of scaling the 19,341-feet Mt Kilimanjaro on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

20 MEMBER TEAM LED BY RECORD HOLDER

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Carrying a 20-feet-long Indian tricolor, the 20-member team led by Malavath Poorna of Nizamabad district of Telangana, the youngest female ever to scale the Mount Everest, reached the Uhuru Peak at around 11.30 am (IST) on Sunday.

However, the team was scheduled to complete the trek on August 15, but they reached the summit a day ahead.

The team hoisted the Indian National Flag at the peak after scaling the mountain, sung the national anthem, besides displaying the posters of BR Ambedkar, chief architect of Indian Constitution, and Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

YOUNGEST CLIMBER SIX-YEAR-OLD

The team includes 10 girls of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya of Medak district including a 12-year-old G. Narsamma of the school (the youngest in the team), six student of Telangana State Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS), Adilabad Additional Superintendent of Police GR Radhika, who climbed Mt Everest in May this year, Padma Shri Awardee Gurmayum Anita Devi of Imphal, Bimla Negi Deoskar of Nagpur and guide Raji Tammineni of Hyderabad

The team set off for the expedition from Machame Gate on August 10 and reached to Mt Kilimanjaro on 14th August.

Later, the team leader 16-year-old Malavath Poorna released the poster of her biopic 'Poorna' movie made by Rahul Bose.

Poorna is the youngest woman in the world scaling the highest Mount Everest on May 25, 2014 at 6 am, at the age of 13 years and 11 months.

INSPIRATION TO MANY

Speaking to India Today, Medak District Collector Ronald Ross said "The feat achieved by these underprivileged students is a huge boost for those hailing from rural areas of the country and want to achieve the height in there life".

The team is currently descending the mountain and is scheduled to return to Hyderabad on August 18.

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The clash between the Kurdish militants and Turkey government has taken three more lives, with a car bomb going in Diyarbakir claiming the lives of two officers and one civilian.

By Reuters: Two officers and one civilian were killed when a car bomb exploded outside a police station near Turkey's southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Monday, in an attack suspected to have been carried out by Kurdish militants, security sources said.

Ambulances rushed to the scene, Dogan News Agency said. The area where the explosion hit is on a road between Diyarbakir and the district of Bismil, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) east, the security sources said.

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Footage on Turkey's CNN Turk television showed the blast left the building's concrete frame and twisted metal exposed with the windows entirely blown out and its roof partially collapsed. The explosion left a crater on the ground.



HISTORY OF CONFLICT IN TURKEY



Turkey's southeast has seen some of the most intense fighting in decades after a ceasefire between the Turkish state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) collapsed in July 2015. Thousands of militants, security force members and civilians have since been killed in fighting across the region.

Monday is the anniversary of autonomy-seeking PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, taking up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

ALSO READ: India closely monitoring situation in Turkey



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Vim India's new ad features the inspirational story the first woman village head from Nizampur to highlight the importance of women empowerment this Independence day.

By India Today Web Desk: On the eve of the 70th Independence day, Vim India released an ad featuring the 'untold story of Afroz and her journey of freedom'.

Afroz Jahan, a mother of four children, is the Gram Pradhan or Village Head of Nizampur village, Malhaur.

Like all other Indian women, she had the apprehension that marriage would restrict her from enjoying freedom that she had earlier. But things were not what she expected, with the support of her in-laws and her husband, she became the first female head of the village in Nizampur.

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In the three minute video Afroz, who is an extremely dedicated worker, says 'being a Gram Pradhan is not like a government job, we are directly elected by people, and I have to be available at any given point of time to solve the grievance that people come with.'

Her husband who is a social worker himself, is equally supportive and has no qualms admitting to the fact that his wife is more educated than him. He encouraged her to become the village head so that they could work in unison to help the people of their village.

Since she took charge of the village she installed more street lamps, ensured that mid-meals were served in school and also fixed roads in the village.

At the end of the ad, Afroz says, 'I am a village head and a homemaker too. I am not restricted to my home because my the entire village is my home.'

The ad which goes with the hash tag #ChangeBeginsAtHome shows how Afroz's freedom at home lead to the transformation of an entire village.

Watch the inspiring video below:

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Three years have passed since the July 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin prompted Oakland, Calif., organizer Alicia Garza to write an anguished Facebook post ending with the words Black lives matterwords that would channel an outpouring of outrage on social media. A year later, the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., ignited a local rebellion of Black citizenry, and a social movement took shape. That the Ferguson Police Department left Browns fatally wounded body on the street for hours encapsulates the disregard for Black suffering that continues to drive protest nationwide.

Already, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the violence it exposes feel like a fixture of our media and social landscape, the images jarring and unrelenting: Tamir Rice, a boy playing with a toy gun, shot by charging police; police chasing middle-aged Walter Scott and shooting him in the back; the cold-blooded execution of Laquan McDonald on a Chicago street; and most recently, the close-range shooting of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and the point-blank killing of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, Minn., as he reached for his wallet, next to his girlfriend, before the eyes of her child. At the same time, the determined, angry, mournful protests nationwideon interstate highways, on college campuses, in city streetshave become highly visible as the first sustained grassroots challenge to American policing in U.S. history.

Despite the medias reductive framing, the movement is far from single-issue. If Bernie Sanders presidential campaign sought to revitalize an electoral Left, BLMalong with the immigrant rights struggle and the Fight for $15is reminding us of the power of mass action, moral outrage, youth leadership, civil disobedience, boisterous demonstrations, sophisticated use of media and spirited ideological debate in building a left consciousness and a movement.

A closer look at BLM advocacy reveals a more comprehensive approach to social change than the media typically allows. Again and again, BLM has challenged the abandonment of Black communities underlying this wave of police violence.

What unites the broad tent of BLM organizations and voices is a frustration with the lack of accountability for police who use excessive force, and with the states typical response: a task force or commission report that garners laudatory headlines and leads nowhere. Instead, this generation envisions more far-reaching change, including, even, a world without police. The insistent radicalism of the movements demands and tactics place it at the vanguard of a reenergized Left.
The tape, leaked by Montazeris supporters, demonstrates the lengths that the Iranian regime had gone to, to protect their power.

Many of the people in that room have remained in power to this day; Mostafa Pourmohammadi, a leading figure in the Intelligence Ministry, now serves as justice minister under President Hassan Rouhani.

On the July 1988 tape, Montazeri said: In my opinion, the greatest crime committed during the Islamic Republic, for which history will condemn us, has been committed by you.

An Amnesty International report in 1990 stated: Thousands of people were executed between 1987 and 1990 including more than 2,000 political prisoners between July 1988 and January 1989.

The number is now thought to be closer to 30,000.

The Washington Post wrote: Maryam Rajavi, head of the National Council of Resistance of Iran opposition group, urged international prosecutors to use the tape as further evidence that can be used to press charges for the political slayings of the late 1980s. She noted that some of the officials who helped carry out the purges  such as Pourmohammadi and the others who met with Montazeri  have, from the beginning of this regime to the present day, held posts at the highest levels of the judicial, political and intelligence apparatuses.

For his stand, Montazeri had his position taken away, was declared an enemy of the state and was placed under house arrest for six years but in comparison to PMOI supporters, he was lucky.

Montazeris supporters say that under his rule, Iran may have stayed truer to the spirit of the 1979 revolution but this is all conjecture.
He condemned Iranian meddling in the Middle East, which he cited as a major cause of trouble in the region. He also reminded the attendees that Iran was a major supporter of terrorist activity from religious extremists in the Sudan to the Japanese Red Army to Hamas in Palestine.

During the July 30 meeting between President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Maryam Rajavi, and President of the Palestine Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, the pair condemned extremism and fundamentalism.

The meeting took place in Paris.

Hossein Sheikholeslam, an advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, said: Mahmoud Abbas has had secret ties with terrorist groups and Israelis, and now these relations are being disclosed.

This claim has been dismissed by Abbas people as nonsense.

Valiolla Nanvakenari, a member of the Iranian parliaments foreign affairs committee, also criticised the meeting.

He said: Backing the [MEK] terrorist group in any sort by any institution or country whatsoever runs counter to international norms and regulations and draws the Iranian peoples ire.

Irans regime describes the MEK as a terrorist group, while the rest of the world does not. Iran is itself listed as the main state sponsor of terrorism by the United States and a number of its allies.
On the backdrop of the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, Mr. Kia highlighted the challenges in the U.S. foreign policy which the new president will have to face. Namely  how to solve the complex crisis in the Middle East. He stated that Iran is definitely the No. 1 foreign policy challenge in the battle against the Islam extremists, arguing that the mullahs who have been ruling Iran for almost forty years are actively funding the extremists using state money. This claim is supported by the recent U.S. State Department annual report that claimed Iran to the the foremost state sponsor of terrorism in 2015.

The report mentioned Hezbollah (The Party of God) as one of the main beneficiaries on the receiving end of these funds. It is an unsurprising fact, considering that the terrorist group emerged with the support of Iran in the early 1980s, Rooted in Islamic extremist ideology, Hezbollah is among the terrorist groups that have helped the notorious Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to reclaim territory thats been lost to rebel forces.

Despite the grim statistics in the Middle East, Mr. Kia believes that peace and stability are possible. His solution begins with a democratic Iranian government in Tehran, supported by the Iranian civilians who are eager for a change. He endorsed The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) who act as the opposing force to Irans current rulers, as an organisation that could help bring this change about. The movement already has international support and is growing in popularity. The recent Free Iran rally, hosted by NCRI in Paris on July 9, was attended by more than 100,000 supporters.

Among them were internationally recognised political and military figures, including Linda Chavez, the Former White House Director of Public Liaison who opened the event, and the U.S. Senator for Arkansas John Boozman. However, the most notable attendee of this rally was the Saudi Prince Turki al-Faisal who supported the NCRI, praising the work of its President-elect Maryam Rajavi: your endeavor to rid your people of the Khomeinist cancer is a historic epic that, like the Shahnameh, will remain inscribed the annals of History.

Mr. Kia believes that the challenges in foreign policy which the new U.S. president  be it Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump  are likely to face, will be very unique in nature. In order to succeed, the new president will have to take bold steps towards bringing peace and stability to the Middle East, by supporting a dramatic change in Iran, rooted in democratic values.
[August 14, 2016] China Semiconductor Industry: Expansion Plans Analysis and Trends

PUNE, India, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "China Semiconductor Industry: Expansion Plans Analysis and Trends (Government Policies and Guidelines, Import and Export Impact on Trade Partners, Key Concepts, Case Study, Key Strategies Adopted, Future Plans, and Recommendation to Players)", published by MarketsandMarkets, the industry is expected to reach USD 157.66 Billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 12.8% between 2016 and 2020. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 26 market data Tables and 57 Figures spread through 152 Pages and in-depth TOC on "China Semiconductor Industry: Expansion Plans Analysis and Trends ".

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/china-semiconductor-industry-37311555.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. The major factors driving the China semiconductor industry are the growing demand for semiconductors from various verticals and favorable government initiatives. The Government of China is promoting the growth of IC manufacturing. The Made in China 2025 policy formulated by the state council is dedicated to strengthening the semiconductor segment. Integrated Circuit (IC) expected to hold the largest market and grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The market for IC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR and hold the largest share during the forecast period. The semiconductor industry is the summation of integrated circuits (ICs) and optoelectronic, sensor, and discrete (O-S-D) devices. The IC segment accounted for almost two-thirds of the total semiconductor industry in China. The IC industry includes the manufacturing of logic ICs, memory ICs, processors, and analog ICs. The increasing demand for smartphones and tablets as well as the growing applications in consumer electronics and the automotive sector are expected to be the key drivers for the growth of the logic ICs segment. The demand for analog ICs is expected to be driven by the growth in the automotiveand telecommunications sector.



Automotive vertical to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The increasing electronic content in automobiles has made the automotive electronics segment highly lucrative. The key trends in the automotive sector contributing to the rising semiconductor content in vehicles are IoT and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). The increasing availability, rising consumer awareness about fossil fuel pollution, and decreasing prices have led to the steady growth of hybrid and electric car shipments.

Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=37311555 The report profiles the major players in the China semiconductor industry, namely, SK Hynix Inc. (South Korea), HiSilicon Technologies Co., Ltd. (China), Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) (China), Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea), Micron Technology Inc. (U.S.), Intel Corp. (U.S.), Qualcomm Inc. (U.S.), Jiangsu Changjiang Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (JCET) (China), Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (China), and Spreadtrum Communications Inc. (China). Browse Related Reports China IoT Market by Hardware (Processor, Memory, Logic, Sensor, & Connectivity), Software (Real-Time Streaming, Network Security, Data Management, Remote Monitoring, & Bandwidth Management), Platform, Service, and Application - Global Forecast to 2022 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/china-iot-market-10742584.html Semiconductor Industry - M&A Analysis and Future Trends by Acquirer Type (IDM, Fabless, Foundry), Deal Value, End-User, and Region http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/semiconductor-m-a-analysis-111568099.html

About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors.



M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical info graphics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers.



We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository.

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[August 15, 2016] Raising the Bar for Midrange IaaS Providers, Infinitely Virtual Implements Hitachi VSP G600

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Laying down sub-millisecond storage performance as a new marker for midrange cloud hosting, leading Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) provider Infinitely Virtual today announced that it has begun implementing Hitachi's Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) G600, a breakthrough, rack-mountable storage system acknowledged as the industry's fastest. Infinitely Virtual is currently migrating customers served by its Los Angeles and Boston data centers, with full deployment expected by the end of 2016. The Hitachi VSP G600 delivers up to four million IOPS (input/output operations per second) of flash-accelerated performance, responds in less than 1 millisecond for 99.6 percent of transactions, and automatically maximizes performance in real time with Hitachi Dynamic Tiering active flash. According to industry analyst Technavio, flash-based NAS storage arrays offer 40-45 times better performance than hard disk I/O performance. "Our move underscores the primacy of high-speed storage in overall infrastructure performance," said Adam Stern, founder and CEO, Infinitely Virtual. "We believe that if providers aren't delivering storage performance at this level, they simply aren't delivering. Storage infrastructure too often cannot keep pace with today's demands, which is why we're moving aggressively to offer new solutions that provide substantially better performance, IT efficiency and reliability. To meet future demands, these solutions will lay the foundation for a software-defined infrastructure that has the agility to quickly adapt as demand grows and shifts." The Hitachi VSP family of flash-accelerated storage systems offers the ultimate in enterprise storage technology. In addition to delivering up to four million IOPS, the Hitaci Virtual Storage Platform G600 supports up to 255PB (petabytes) of storage and the industry's only 100 percent data availability guarantee.



Powered by Hitachi Storage Virtualization Operating System (SVOS), the G600 delivers best-in-class, flash-accelerated scalability, simplified management and advanced data protection that eliminates downtime. VSP systems also include up to eight times greater memory cache, two times more connectivity and four times more cores than the previous generation. These improvements result in up to four times greater performance, including the lowest response time in the industry. The Hitachi VSP G600 consists of a 4U controller that includes the controller but no disk drives; drives are supported using drive trays connected to the controller. The G600 supports 64GB of high-speed memory cache, arranged as 32GB per controller.

Hitachi Accelerated Flash (HAF) combines the flash optimizations of SVOS and its new patented flash module drives (FMD DC2), to deliver best-in-class performance and efficiency for hybrid and all-flash VSP systems. For hybrid systems, HAF software provides automated, active-flash tiering that monitors and moves data to flash in real time, so you can be more responsive to sudden changes in workloads and deliver an "all-flash" experience. HAF delivers increased real application performance at lower latency. It improves efficiency with inline compression and ensures a higher resiliency than other offerings. FMD DC2 uses specially designed flash modules that are up to five times faster than off-the-shelf solid-state disks (SSDs), so applications run faster and are less likely to slow down even as workload I/O increases. FMD DC2 embedded ASIC enables accelerated data compression that runs 10 times faster than competitive offerings, freeing up system resources so that more hosts and applications can be supported. Compared to most solid-state systems, it also offers greater total system capacity of up to 8PB effective capacity. "The industry hasn't done an adequate job equipping business users with the vocabulary they need to understand storage speed," Stern said. "The key is latency: as StorageSwiss puts it, how long it takes for a single data request to be received and the right data found and accessed from the storage media. The norm used to be storage latency of 5 milliseconds  now, it's 1 to 2 ms latency across the board. And that's not even fast enough. Sub-millisecond performance is here  and users need to start asking their providers for that kind of capability. Before long, if providers aren't hitting sub-ms latency, they won't even be in the ballpark." For more information, visit www.infinitelyvirtual.com. About Infinitely Virtual Infinitely Virtual is a leading provider of high quality and affordable Cloud Server technology, capable of delivering services to any type of business, via terminal servers, SharePoint servers and SQL servers  all based on Cloud Servers. Named to the Talkin' Cloud 100 as one of the industry's premier hosting providers, Infinitely Virtual has earned the highest rating of "Enterprise-Ready" in Skyhigh Networks' CloudTrust Program for four of its offerings -- Cloud Server Hosting, InfiniteVault, InfiniteProtect and Virtual Terminal Server. The company recently took the #1 spot in HostReview's Ranking of VPS hosting providers. Infinitely Virtual was established as a subsidiary of Altay Corporation, and through this partnership, the company provides customers with expert 247 technical support. More information about Infinitely Virtual can be found at: http://www.infinitelyvirtual.com, @iv_cloudhosting, or call 866-257-8455. Media Contact:

Ken Greenberg

Edge Communications, Inc.

323-469-3397

[email protected] Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160809/396992 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/raising-the-bar-for-midrange-iaas-providers-infinitely-virtual-implements-hitachi-vsp-g600-300311675.html SOURCE Infinitely Virtual

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[August 15, 2016] Zap Zap Math To Help Get Kids Ready For School

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The new school year is fast approaching, and for kids it is often a stressful period as they wind down from summer time fun to resume learning. But it is not all dull and grey especially since learning is now made so much more exciting with Zap Zap Math, a fun and engaging gamified math platform designed by Visual Math Interactive for students in grades K-6. Zap Zap Math is the world's first critical thinking gamified math universe that was developed by Singapore and Malaysian teachers to help young learners master their math skills. The platform incorporates thousands of exercises that are tied to Common Core or State standards. "After long holiday breaks, it can be challenging for kids going back to school to get back on track, much less learn new topics, especially when it comes to difficult subjects like math. But it does not necessarily have to be that way. With Zap Zap Math, they can make the transition effortlessly as the platform comes with highly interactive and engaging space-themed math challenges. Students learn as they play," said Zap Zap Math CEO and Co-Founder John Ng. "As a former math teacher in Singapore, I could see how students struggled with worksheets that were basically one dimensional. Irrespective of the difficulties they were facing, students were forced to complete them anyway. But with Zap Zap Math, they get to go on a space odyssey of math challenges comprising animated and colourful characters with different levels of difficulties. If they get stuck on one challenge, they can always go back and try again, and get rewarded with points! It's self paced to encourage independent, learning addiction--no coercion involved," enthused Ng. According to Ng, he was initially surprised to see the response and traction that Zap Zap pltform has received to date with more than 1 million downloads (Zap Zap Math, Fraction Basics, Fraction Calculator, Zap Zap Fraction: Visual Fractions Tutor and Zap Zap Fraction Extended). It was also recently featured "Best New App" in the Apple App Store.



Since the launch of the Zap Zap Math platform almost a year ago, we have received numerous positive feedback from students, parents and teachers. Students are learning and having fun at the same time; while both parents and teachers are involved in the student's learning progress as they can monitor each activity in real-time and gauge real results via the Parent/Teacher Dashboard. Just in time for the new school year, Zap Zap Math will be launching its latest update which includes more than 160 topics mapped to cover students' math curriculum for the entire school year.

"We are always looking for ways to improve Zap Zap Math and our latest update comprises several big changes: The platform now comes with a new and improved user interface for easier navigation with grade selector and slider, curriculum matching for all games, and simplified topic explanation for students' easy comprehension. It also includes clear mapping of topics to state standards. "Beyond learning and memorizing topics, Zap Zap Math further develops higher-order thinking as it inculcates critical thinking and problem solving skills, which is often difficult to teach and learn in a usual classroom setting," he added. "Schools are embracing technology wholeheartedly and we're definitely seeing a growing momentum in this space with more schools integrating Zap Zap Math in their math curriculum. It's an exciting time for us as eight schools in the US and Malaysia have worked with us to use our platform." As for future plans, Ng was tight-lipped about further platform enhancements but hinted on the possibility of making Zap Zap Math a more immersive virtual learning experience for students far and wide. Users can find and download Zap Zap Math through the Apple App Store, Google Play and Amazon App Store for free. More information on Zap Zap Math can be found at www.zapzapmath.com. Media Contact for Zap Zap Math: Beverly Bav

Chief Marketing Office

+6012 4690196

[email protected] John Ng

Co-Founder, CEO

[email protected] Zap Zap Math visuals, are available through our dropbox link below:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/vx8271s14onjqbe/AABG_cfxkoRnPcKWyjz4tnGca?dl=0 About Zap Zap Math Zap Zap Math, developed by Visual Math Interactive, is a math-based ecosystem which constantly innovates on the best education practices. The company's highly experienced team is made up of former math teachers, creative people, technologists and strategists, who work closely with a number of advisors including teachers, principals and education consultants across seven countries to ensure its games and content are both fun and effective. The app is currently available for play in three languages: English, Spanish and Bahasa Malaysia. More languages are in development, so watch for updates! Follow Zap Zap Math on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/zapzapmathapp), Twitter (@zapzapmath) and their website (www.zapzapmath.com). Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160811/397445LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zap-zap-math-to-help-get-kids-ready-for-school-300313233.html SOURCE Visual Math Interactive

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Information technology teams can hold a wide variety of roles within an organization, from troubleshooting PCs to software training to maintaining network security. However, as tech has become more integral to the way employees work each day, IT roles have expanded. In some cases, businesses bring their IT workers in on business decisions in an analyst role. They also ask them to help with technology-related purchasing decisions.

However, over the years, many businesses have employed IT professionals to help with human resources issues. Traditionally this has meant simply locking down systems after a termination or setting up key card access to various building areas. Over the years, however, HR departments have found innovative ways to use technology to hire, manage, and fire employees, which has further expanded the role of IT departments. Here are a few ways IT professionals will be used to screen and monitor employees.

Applicant Tracking Solutions

Employers are growing more sophisticated with their hiring processes, using automation to make it easier to recruit and sort applicants. Often IT departments are asked to recommend and set up these solutions, even though they lack expertise in the hiring process. LinkedIns Recruiter feature is ideal for businesses whose candidates are most likely to maintain an account on the platform and fortunately, many solutions now integrate with the tool. This will make HR teams happy because it gives them a wider pool of applicants.

Its important to choose a tool that takes hiring managers beyond the process of accepting and sorting resumes, however. IT teams should look for a full-service solution that helps HR professionals create interview kits, score candidates, make employment offers and pull reports. Solutions like Greenhouse and SmartRecruiters are two options that are popular with smaller businesses.

Pre-Employment Checks

Before making a final commitment to hire, businesses often want to conduct some type of research. This could be as simple as a Google (News - Alert) search where they browse social media photos and LinkedIn profiles. In those instances, HR likely wont be involved. However, more advanced checks sometimes require tech intervention, especially if the business wants to conduct official background checks using online resources. This type of screening can often prevent a costly bad hire, especially if a candidate has a criminal background that wasnt disclosed during the interview process.

When asked for recommendations, IT departments have two options. Many HR departments want immediate results and should therefore rely on a DIY service, such as Checkthem, that searches available public records for information. However, for a more comprehensive option, some businesses choose to go with a full-service background check company that provides investigative-style services. This option can be much more costly and require a wait, so its important to let staff members know what to expect.

Disciplinary Decisions

Anyone who has ever worked in IT is familiar with the request to monitor a specific employees online activities. Often this is done as part of a disciplinary process, where a supervisor needs documentation on a team members daily activities. While businesses have the right to monitor employees use of their equipment during work hours, some experts discourage it. However, in an instance where an employee is being terminated, this type of documentation can be the very thing a business needs to protect themselves against an unemployment claim or, worse, legal action.

In the coming years, businesses are expected to increasingly rely on data to power every decision they make. Reports on online activity could very easily be a part of this, if only to give business owners insight into productivity in the workplace. A business could pull a report and determine that too many work-related emails are to blame for poor performance levels. It could also contradict employees claims that too many meetings are keeping them from getting their work done. After pulling a report, employers could demonstrate that personal social media use or online shopping were, in fact, taking up the majority of their team members days.

IT departments constantly see their roles changing to meet evolving demands. By finding ways to help HR bring in the right team members, IT teams can become even more valuable to the businesses they serve. This is especially true of the data they can pull from a businesss system, which can help companies be more productive and effective.

Edited by Alicia Young
Stephen Early

Stephen Early born on August 27, 1889, was a U.S. journalist and government official. His career started when he met Franklin D. Roosevelt while covering the 1912 Democratic National Convention as a reporter for the United Press.

From 1913 to 1917 Early was the Associated Press correspondent covering the Navy Department, during which time he became better acquainted with Roosevelt.

During World War I he wrote for the Stars and Stripes while also being attached to an Infantry Regiment. Upon his return to the United States he was asked by Roosevelt to be the advance man for the 1920 vice presidential campaign. Following the election, Early returned to the Associated Press. In 1927 he became the Washington representative of Paramount News.

After Franklin Roosevelt was elected president of the United States in 1932, he hired three White House secretaries whose duties were to be responsible for press relations. Stephen Early was one of the three Roosevelt selected for the job.

Roosevelt thought Early was the ideal person for the job of being the White House Press Secretary. Finding favor with the President he held the position throughout the entire Roosevelt administration.

With the chosen career in journalism, Early understood the newspaper business. President Roosevelt told Early that he wanted an open-door policy with all correspondents. Having access to President Roosevelt made the job of gaining meaningful news much easier for all of the reporters. Early also served as spokesman and troubleshooter for the president.

It was Stephen Early who helped persuade the White House Correspondents Association to issue press credentials to Harry McAlpin of the National Negro Publishers Association. In 1944 McAlpin became the first African American reporter to attend presidential press conferences.

Early left his position as White House Press Secretary and became Vice President of Pullman, Inc. He stayed with the Pullman Company for only four years before returning to government service as Deputy Secretary of Defense from April 1949 to June 1950.

With the death of Press Secretary Charles G. Ross in December of 1950, Early accepted President Truman's request that he complete the tenure of Ross.

On August 11, 1951, Early suffered a fatal heart attack. Survivors included the former Helen Wrenn, whom he married in 1921, and three sons.

President Truman issued a statement calling him "an outstanding newspaper man" and "always on the side of President Roosevelt."

Defense Secretary George Marshall said in a statement that he was "very distressed" at the news of his death and he "served his country faithfully for many years."

His widow donated his papers to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in 1969. Today the pubic can view these papers in Roosevelt's Library.
CHARLESTON -- A man was sentenced to prison for having a stolen vehicle in Coles County, and he also faces additional time for a forgery case in another county.

Chad M. Edgar pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle that accused him of having a sport utility vehicle on Aug. 8 of last year, knowing it was stolen.

Edgar, 25, for whom court records list an address of 22631 Edgewood Road, Ashmore, was sentenced to five years in prison for the conviction that could have brought a three- to seven-year prison term.

Prison time wasn't required for the conviction.

However, the agreement in his case included a judge's recommendation for the Illinois Department of Correction's Impact Incarceration program.

The program, often called a prison "boot camp," can lead to an early release if the prisoner complies with a discipline program's requirements. A judge's recommendation is needed for eligibility and it's then up to prison officials whether to admit someone to the program.

Records in Edgar's case indicate that he was identified as the person who stole the SUV from the home of a relative, also in Ashmore.

The plea agreement also included a record that Edgar unsuccessfully completed the probation sentence he received in April 2014 for a Coles County forgery conviction.

Also with the agreement, whatever sentence Edgar receives for a now-pending forgery offense in Edgar County will be added to his Coles County prison time.

Edgar County court records show that he's charged there with six counts of forgery in connection with incidents in March. A court hearing is that case is scheduled for Thursday and records indicate a plea agreement is expected.

In Edgar's Coles County case, Circuit Judge Teresa Righter imposed the sentence by accepting the terms of the plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Rob Scales and Assistant Public Defender Lupita Thompson recommended.
Bryan Physician Network welcomes Hong Cui, MD, to our Bryan Urgent Care clinic. Dr. Cui has served the Lincoln community for more than 15 years caring for patients in a variety of settings.

"Dr. Cui is a well-respected physician in our community serving patients with skilled and compassionate care," said Eric Mooss, Bryan Physician Network president. "His philosophy of putting patient care first matches our approach to care." Dr. Cui is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Physicians and advanced care practitioners at Bryan Urgent Care, located at 7501 S. 27th St., care for patients of all ages, with no appointment needed.

Bryan Urgent Care offers convenient care for life's minor illnesses and injuries with onsite lab and radiology services to accurately diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions. Hours are 8 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday - Friday, and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday - Sunday. For more information, call 402-481-6343 or visit bryanurgentcare.com. Bryan Physician Network offers primary care, specialty care and urgent care services throughout the Lincoln area.
BEATRICE  A 53-year-old Lincoln man accused of trying to sell stolen cattle has been given two years in prison.

Cork Tyan pleaded guilty in April to theft and attempted theft and was sentenced Friday. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors lowered one of the theft charges.

Authorities said Tyan went to a Gage County sale barn in February and tried to sell some calves that later proved to have been stolen from a rancher in Hayes County. They said he also admitted stealing barbed wire from a Beatrice store.

Court documents indicate he took 14 calves from a former employer.

Tyan has been living in Lincoln and was described as being from Hickman when he was arrested in February.

He said then that he bought the calves but was unable to say where or from whom.

The calves were taken to Hayes Center, and all paired up immediately with their mother cows.
Alison Trueblood knows firsthand: Meth takes people to terrible places.

On Oct. 9, 2013, it took her to a little house in Belmont with meth in her purse and her 8-year-old daughter in the passenger seat of her car.

Trueblood didn't know it, but drug task force officers were watching the house. They followed her to the Kwik Shop at 14th and Adams, where she stopped to get a soda before taking her daughter shoe shopping.

They approached her, and she ended up admitting she was a meth user and had a pipe in her purse.

She had two baggies, too, holding 1.6 grams of methamphetamine, some of which she later admitted she would have given away or sold, according to her attorney.

They found more meth, 75 grams of it, at the house they'd been watching.

That night, Trueblood went to jail, and her daughter went to stay with a relative.

A couple of days later, another inmate told her about an article in the Journal Star about her arrest. There was her mugshot, under a headline that said police believed she sold meth in front of her daughter.

"You know, you're a celebrity," Trueblood remembers the woman saying.

Sitting outside Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso on a sticky hot August afternoon, she said she was in a very active addiction, spurred in part by her father's death in 2009, in part by self-medicating for ADHD.

She had used pot and meth before her daughter came along, but it was a sporadic, once-in-a-blue-moon kind of thing, Trueblood said, an iced coffee in front of her.

After her dad died, she went out of her way to find it, eventually buying a gram per paycheck to last her a month. She used on weekends when her daughter was at her dad's.

"It was about keeping busy so I didn't have time to think about it," she said.

Like they say at meetings, Trueblood said, addiction is a cunning enemy.

"It sneaks up on you and takes control," she said.

Still, she said, she tried to be a good mom and denies ever getting high with her daughter around. When the news came out, she worried about her getting teased at school.

For a good month, Trueblood said, she couldn't talk to her daughter, who met with her counselor and came up with a list of questions for her.

The toughest was this: "Why didn't you tell me?"

Trueblood always told her daughter she could come to her about anything and her daughter didn't understand why she hadn't done the same.

Despite what police originally thought, Trueblood said, she hid her drug use and never bought or used meth in front of her daughter. But they were so close, she said, that her daughter probably guessed something was up.

When she got out of jail a week after the arrest, she found a pipe and relapsed.

"It just so wasn't worth it," Trueblood said.

She said she hasn't used since.

A day after she got out of in-patient treatment, she was indicted by the feds, a big eye-opener for someone who had just a couple of traffic tickets on her record to that point.

At her sentencing on Jan. 28, 2015, the U.S. Attorney's Office sought prison time. Her federal public defender, John Vanderslice, argued against it, calling her a nonviolent offender who sold extremely small quantities to support her own habit.

And, he said, she had done a remarkable job turning her life around since she was arrested.

In the end, Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Kopf gave her five years of probation, saying if she screwed up he could send her to prison for up to 20 years.

"Essentially I've given you enough rope to hang yourself," he told her then.

This week, Trueblood joked, she made macrame instead.

"The key to it is I'm never going to give up, and this is not going to define me," she said.

As part of her treatment, Trueblood reached out to those she wronged: her child, the father of her child, her sister, mother, even the officer who arrested her.

About a year ago, she called the Lincoln police station and asked to talk to Officer Tony Gratz.

She remembered the call taker asking what she was calling about. She was working the steps and wanted to make amends.

When the officer called her back a few minutes later, she told him she was clean and sober and needed to thank him for saving her life.

At first, Trueblood said, she was angry and frustrated over getting caught. Later, she realized she was at rock bottom that day and wasn't thinking.

"It was a big cry for help," she said.

If she hadn't been arrested, Trueblood thinks she probably would be dead by now.

The community service work at Goodwill -- started as part of her probation -- turned into a part-time job. She's been there more than a year now and lives with her mom. Her daughter, now 11, is proud of her again and she's trying to get custody.

It's been an eye-opening journey, Trueblood said.

She said she'll always be an addict, but she's not in active addiction.

"We do recover," she said. "I guess that's the biggest message I want people to know. No matter how big the hole is you dug for yourself, you can stop digging."
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student remained in critical condition at a Texas hospital Tuesday, as Corpus Christi police continued to search for the driver who hit her and her boyfriend early Sunday.

Maria Anderson, 21, and Tyler Sheets, 23, were walking south near a Sonic Drive-In on Padre Island when they were hit about 1:30 a.m. by an older model Dodge Ram pickup, Officer Kirk Stowers told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

The driver of the southbound pickup fled the scene, and Anderson and Sheets were taken to the hospital.

Anderson had surgery for a brain injury and has several broken ribs, a cousin wrote on an online fundraising page.

Sheets suffered a concussion and other minor injuries, his grandmother Mary Alice Sheets said Tuesday.

He has seen Anderson at the hospital and noted some improvements in her condition, his grandmother said.

"When Tyler talks to her, her heart rates goes up, she said, adding that small sign is heartening.

Investigators have released images captured by nearby surveillance video of a gray or silver pickup they believe was involved in the collision.

Anderson, a psychology student, was in Texas visiting Sheets, a UNL graduate, who is in Navy pilot school there, his grandmother said.

The fundraiser to cover Anderson's medical expenses had raised more than $13,000 by Tuesday afternoon.

"Besides any donations, we are asking for prayers," Anderson's cousin Morgan Kneip wrote on the fundraising page.

"Prayers of strength and healing for Maria and Tyler, prayers of wisdom for their doctors and prayers of comfort for our families as we lean on each other through this difficult time."
Union Pacific started a vital economic engine for Nebraska when it laid its first railroad tracks in Nebraska in the 1860s. A century and a half later, Nebraskans continue to benefit from healthy freight railroads, and the best way to preserve this health is by maintaining smart public policies set by lawmakers in Washington, D.C.

The freight rail industry must be left alone and allowed to do what it does best: move large goods long distances and continually invest in its vast network. A pivot back to overregulation of yesteryear would only stall the enormous gains made by freight rail over the past 30 years  a result Nebraska and the entire country cannot afford.

With nearly 3,400 miles of track stretching from Omaha  home of Union Pacific and BNSF Railroad parent company Berkshire Hathaway  to the Wyoming border, more than 500 million tons of freight travel through the state each year. These railroads and the some 12,000 Nebraskans employed in the industry connect the states farmers, manufacturers, and resource producers to markets in other states and around the world.

The ripple effects of the industrys impact are felt throughout a variety of industries across the state. For instance, railroads bring more than 15 million tons of coal to the state every year, which is used to cheaply power Nebraskas homes and businesses. According to an analysis by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, coal-related rail activity directly generates $2.9 billion in economic output and creates 6,750 jobs. When multiplied throughout the states economy, that amounts to $4.8 billion in economic activity and 22,600 jobs.

Smart public policies that have paved the way for rail to expand and innovate are key to rails economic success. In 1980, President Carter signed the Staggers Act, which revitalized the industry by relaxing burdensome government regulations that prevented railroads from setting their own prices and managing their track use. By reducing burdens, lawmakers gave railroads the freedom to operate and compete more effectively, opening the door to growth.

Since partial deregulation, railroads have invested more than $600 billion in private capital back into their infrastructure, ensuring the nations 140,000-mile rail network is safe, modern and the envy of the world. Union Pacific, which the Progressive Policy Institute ranked the 17th most investment-intensive U.S. corporation in 2015, has also pledged to spend more than $78 million improving rail access in the state. BNSF Railway Co. is investing $110 million into rail this year in Nebraska, which comes on the heels of $437 million worth of investments over the previous two years.

This capital investment and the economic impact is felt from coast to coast.

A healthy rail system spurs growth in all economic sectors, former presidential candidate Steve Forbes recently wrote. It is frightening to think what the U.S. trade imbalance would be without railroads. In addition to moving 40 percent of domestic intercity freight volume, trains carry one-third of all American export goods as well.

Now it is up to lawmakers to maintain and strengthen this regulatory environment to ensure railroads can continue to operate safely, create jobs, and further grow the economy. Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer is an outspoken champion for the benefits of railroads and their profound impact on Nebraska. Her leadership helps ensure a prosperous future, and her colleagues should follow her lead.
Its a good thing that the Nebraskas state auditors office takes a regular look over the shoulder of the people that run state agencies.

Judging by the latest series of reports, there are an alarming number of questionable expenditures and an intolerable sloppiness in handling of agency funds.

At this juncture strong action has been taken to remedy the problems with the Tourism Commission and the Department of Economic Development. Further action is required to fully address the problems but improvement seems to be underway.

Questions remain, however, on the actions taken by the Brand Committee.

Two of the agencies  the Nebraska Brand Committee and the Nebraska Tourism Commission  are run independently by boards appointed by the governor but not under the governors direct control. A third, the state Department of Economic Development, is under the governors direct supervision.

The Tourism Commission fired former Director Kathy McKillip after the auditors office reported that advertising firm Bailey Lauerman had been allowed to overrun its contract with the state by $4.4 million over three years.

The commission is continuing to clean up its act.

At the Economic Development Department former director Brenda Hicks-Sorenson was fired by Gov. Pete Ricketts just nine months after she was hired. The report from State Auditor Charlies Janssen questioned the propriety and necessity of the $14,286 settlement with Hicks-Sorenson. The report also criticized the lack of documentation and monitoring of several grants totaling more than $1million.

New Economic Development director Courtney Dentlinger said better controls are being put in place. She and Ricketts announced the hiring of a new chief financial officer and an internal auditor.

By comparison, the actions of the Brand Committee seem anemic. Most of the auditors report focused on the actions of Shawn Harvey as the committees executive director, including the use of a state vehicle for personal trips and approving the sale of livestock without proof of ownership by a man with a criminal record.

The committee accepted Harvey resignation but allowed him to remain on staff in a newly created position of interim chief investigator and director of field operations at his previous annual salary of $70,932.

Davis, a Hyannis-area rancher who has sponsored several legislative for the Brand Committee thinks the committee should have done more.

What kind of message is the committee sending to nearly 100 hard-working employee who find that rules can be broken if you know the right people? Davis asked.

Credit the work of the auditors office for exposing in the first place that rules were being broken. The agency needs continued scrutiny to ensure that its reforms are effective and sufficient.
Writing as a very orthodox Roman Catholic and social conservative, my displeasure as to the current state of political discourse in America should surprise no one. Each of the major political parties have profound impediments to their ability in providing what is desperately needed-real leadership that draws upon the strengths of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, as entrusted to us by the founders.

Unfortunately, our country is on a path which is as much cultural as it is political and I am amused by anyone who would suggest that the future is dependent upon electing enough members of either of the two political parties. The recent speech given by Mr. Khizr Khan at the Democratic National Convention is reflective of just how poorly we are doing. I am not surprised by anything said by Mr. Donald Trump in his daily commentaries. The case could be made that he is as unfit for office as Hillary Clinton but when grieving parents wrap the corpse of a fallen hero in the shroud of the American flag and allow his body to be paraded as a tool for partisan politics, I would say that we have fallen very far indeed.
Almost a year to the day after Nebraska Corrections Director Scott Frakes announced his appointment of Lisa Jones as behavioral health administrator for the prison system, he announced her resignation amid an investigation into her alleged "over-familiarity" with a parolee.

The extent of the relationship will be determined through the investigation, which has been turned over to the Nebraska State Patrol, according to a news release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.

Department spokeswoman Dawn-Renee Smith wouldn't say where the parolee had done time or how the alleged relationship came to light. She did say Jones, 48, started work for the department on July 6, 2010, as a psychologist and supervisor of substance abuse clinicians.

There is zero tolerance for unprofessional relationships with inmates and this is no exception," Frakes said in the news release.

"The department has been working diligently to streamline and increase the availability of treatment services over the last year. While upsetting, I am confident this will not alter our course or diminish our commitment to transforming behavioral health services within NDCS.

On Aug. 11, 2015, Frakes announced Jones' appointment as one of five people he was putting into senior staff positions as part of a reconfiguration of the beleaguered department.

Gov. Pete Ricketts brought Frakes to Nebraska in January 2015 after a series of missteps that included the accidental early release of hundreds of prison inmates and the case of inmate Nikko Jenkins, who killed four people within weeks of being released from prison.

Other prison woes in the past couple of years include staffing shortages, inadequate mental and physical health care for inmates, low morale among staff, threats of lawsuits over crowded prisons and a riot on Mother's Day 2015 that left parts of the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in ruins and two inmates dead.

I was hoping to find a combination of proven NDCS experience and perspectives from outside of Nebraska Corrections," Frakes said in announcing the appointment of Jones and others to key positions last year.

Jones received a masters degree in psychology from Wake Forest University and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska. At the time of her promotion to head of behavioral health, she was teaching two masters of counseling program classes at Doane College, was a member of American and Nebraska Psychological Associations and had served two years on the board for Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center in North Platte. Before working in the prison system, Jones had a private practice specializing in psychological evaluations, including forensic evaluations for the courts.

On Monday, the Corrections Department said Dr. Alice Mitwaruciu will step into Jones' position and a search will begin for a permanent replacement. Mitwaruciu has been with Corrections since January 2014 as a psychologist and was promoted to assistant administrator of mental health on Sept. 7.

The Nebraska Legislature formed a special committee to look into prison problems and has expressed frustration with Frakes and the pace of reforming the Corrections Department.

Ricketts has steadfastly stood behind him, including during the aftermath of two dangerous sex offenders escaping from the Lincoln Correctional Center in June. On Monday, he reiterated that stance.

"Such behavior is unacceptable and undermines the mission and work of Corrections," he said of the investigation into Jones' alleged relationship with a parolee. "My team will support Director Frakes as he takes swift action to fill this important role."

The news about Jones comes after two other Corrections employees were charged July 29 with having illegal relationships with inmates.

Cindy Huber, a food service specialist at LCC, is charged with second-degree sexual abuse of a 52-year-old inmate, and Erin Harris, 32, is charged with having unlawful communication with a 30-year-old penitentiary inmate serving time for burglary. Federal and state laws bar police officers or jail guards from having sex with anyone under arrest or in custody. Nebraska law says consent cannot be used as a defense.
Don Walton Political reporter/columnist Don Walton covers politics and the Legislature along with writing a weekly column. Follow Don Walton 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

Hear ye, hear ye!

This town hall is convened.

When Gov. Pete Ricketts opens his own, less formal town hall gatherings to questions, you can almost be certain property taxes are going to be on the agenda.

"Property tax relief is the chief concern I hear," the governor said.

It happened again last week in Seward when about 60 citizens showed up at the civic center, but the governor also encountered a couple of challenging questions about Medicaid expansion and the future of the Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare.

With the working poor, including those in rural Nebraska, falling through the cracks of affordable health care coverage now, one questioner wondered why wouldn't Nebraska accept the hundreds of millions of dollars of federal Medicaid funds available to fill in that coverage gap under provisions in the ACA.

Ricketts said the latest proposal rejected by the 2016 Legislature would have required state matching funds that would take money away from education and roads.

And the added number of people being covered by expansion of coverage would place the traditional Medicaid population, largely children and the elderly, at risk in terms of continuing full coverage, he said.

"Maybe in a new (presidential) administration, there might be more flexibility," the governor said. "There may be alternatives down the road."

Asked about the future of ObamaCare, which is under constant Republican attack, Ricketts said it might be time to "rethink ... and look for other options" to provide affordable health care coverage.

Somewhere in that mix, the governor suggested, block grants to the states might provide part of the solution.

When discussion turned to concerns about the impact of property taxes in rural areas and the desire for even more legislative action after two sessions that have produced property tax reduction, Sen. Mark Kolterman of Seward offered a real-world observation.

"It's important to forge strong relationships with urban senators," he noted. "Relationships are very important."

Ricketts finished his Seward visit with a tour of the big Hughes Brothers plant, which manufactures nearly all of the cross arms, supports and other connectors on electrical transmission lines, and a lunch with local business leaders upstairs at the Cafe on the Corner.

And then it was on to York.

* * *

So, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton support a large, job-creating infrastructure repair and construction program that would be a boon for the economy and for American workers.

And perhaps address some of the pent-up middle class concerns that have helped shape this presidential election year.

So, with both presidential nominees on board, it'll happen in one form or another next year.

Yeah, right. Don't bet on it.

There's a C and a P standing in the way.

Congress and party.

Even in the midst of the Great Recession, President Obama had to struggle to win approval in 2009 for an infrastructure program to help stimulate the economy, put money directly into taxpayer hands, create jobs and, in the process, bail out Nebraska's state government and save the jobs of teachers and other public employees.

An estimated 55 percent of the cost took the form of tax incentives, or direct payments to taxpayers, along with state and local fiscal relief.

Highway construction was a big piece of the investment package and, although it was criticized by opponents as public spending, it is private sector employment and profit and private sector work.

That infrastructure -- and taxpayer relief -- program was enacted by a party-line vote in the midst of the most dangerous economic downturn since the Great Depression.

The Democratic proposal was approved by the House by a vote of 244-188, with no Republican votes.

It was enacted by the Senate by a vote of 61-37, with three Republican votes.

Trump and Clinton may talk now about a new stimulus package to bolster the economy, create new jobs and build for the future, but the way Washington works -- or doesn't -- stands in the way.

Finishing up

* Governor Ricketts has begun using a state budget chart at town hall meetings, which he acknowledges is patterned after Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's longtime use of budget charts to explain federal spending.

* Sen. Ben Sasse was one of the featured speakers at the weekend RedState Gathering of conservative activists in Denver.

* When five home runs are hit in one game by five players all 26 or younger, there's reason to wonder if the future of the reconstructed Yankees is right now.

* School resumes on a summer day.
Nebraskans would save $14.6 million a year by replacing the death penalty with a sentence of life imprisonment, according to an economic study prepared for opponents of a referendum to restore capital punishment in the state.

The study written by Creighton University economist Ernie Goss was released Monday at a news conference in Lincoln.

The results, Goss said, surprised him and have caused him to reconsider his own personal position on the issue, prompting him to "lean toward voting to retain" the pending law to repeal the death penalty.

A referendum vote on the issue is scheduled for the November general election.

The results of the study by Goss and Associates Economic Solutions will be the focus of a new TV ad campaign to be launched later this month by Retain a Just Nebraska, the organization formed to oppose the referendum to restore the death penalty in the state.

The Legislature abolished the death penalty in 2015, overriding a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts, but implementation of the new law was halted by a successful petition drive to submit the issue to the voters.

Sen. Colby Coash of Lincoln, who helped lead the legislative effort to repeal the death penalty, said the new study should demonstrate to voters that "it's a costly endeavor to continue a government program that is not working."

The death penalty has been used once in Nebraska in the past 19 years and three times in the past 41.

Nebraskans are "not getting anything for that cost," Coash said.

Meanwhile, funding is needed for education and to "fix corrections problems," he said, as well as to help lower property taxes.

Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln, a member of the Legislature's Appropriations Committee, said senators are looking for cost savings as they approach a challenging new budget cycle.

Goss said costs associated with the death penalty as opposed to a sentence of life without parole are higher at every stage of the judicial and correctional process, including legal defense, pre-trial activities, jury selection, length of trial, incarceration and appeal.

Each additional death penalty arraignment costs the state almost $1.5 million, he said.

Ten men are now on death row.

Nebraskans for the Death Penalty, the organization supporting the referendum, swiftly rejected the argument of cost savings.

"Opponents of the death penalty want Nebraskans to believe that there will be millions of taxpayer dollars saved by eliminating the death penalty," said Bob Evnen of Lincoln. "The Legislature's fiscal office says this just isn't true."

He pointed to a fiscal note attached to the costs of the bill that repealed the death penalty.

Supporters of the death penalty released a poll Sunday suggesting a majority of Nebraska voters favor repealing the bill that ended capital punishment in the state.
MOUNT PLEASANT  A ceremonial groundbreaking today will mark the construction start of a new, $6 million Racine Hyundai dealership just south of Highway 20 and just east of Interstate 94.

Just as a new Racine Toyota recently opened in the north quadrant of that intersection, the Hyundai dealership now at 9503 Washington Ave. will also be moving west, into a brand-new building. Both are owned by Home Run Auto Group, which is owned by partners Jim Bozich of Bull Valley, Ill., and Mark Geiger of Madison.

Angela Wollenberg, a spokeswoman for the owners, said they closed on the purchase of 6 acres at 13313 Washington Ave. for the new dealership just one week ago. The plan is to open the new Racine Hyundai by years end, she said. Rochester, Minn.-based Kraus-Anderson Construction is the general contractor.

Wollenberg said the owners wanted to get Racine Hyundai closer to I-94 to make it more accessible to the entire area and attract people from other parts of the county.

At 22,000 square feet, the automotive sales and service building will be somewhat smaller than the new Racine Toyota at 32,000 square feet on 9 acres.

Gates Collision Center, 6801 Washington Ave., will move into the current Hyundai space when it is vacated, she said.

In January 2014, Bozich and Geiger announced they had bought the former Gentile Automotive Groups assets, at the former Gentile dealerships at 6801 and 9501-03 Washington Ave., and split the group into four new, separate dealerships. Bozich promised changes throughout the operations here as well as new facilities.

He and Geiger own numerous other auto dealerships in Wisconsin and the region.
Center Stage appears Thursdays in Out & About. The deadline for submitting information is one week in advance. Band members and/or nightclub owners should send a color or black-and-white photograph, the bands name and biographical information, name and position of each band member, website if available and name and telephone number of a contact person to: Loreen Mohr, The Journal Times, 212 Fourth St., Racine, WI 53403; or send email to: Lmohr@journaltimes.com and journaltimes@gmail.com. Emailed photos must be high-resolution (300 dpi or better). For more information, call Loreen Mohr at 262-631-1725.
CALEDONIA  Sunday really was a dog day of August  at least at Caledonia-Mount Pleasant Memorial Park, where the Greater Racine Kennel Club hosted its All-Breed AKC Conformation Show.

The show drew dog owners, breeders and handlers with a wide variety of dog breeds. Each dog entered was judged for its degree of conformation to American Kennel Club standards for that breed. Owners could receive points elevating their dogs to Grand Champion status.

Mary Ross came from Little Suamico, north of Green Bay, to have Moses, her basenji, judged in the 6- to 9-months-old puppy class. The previous day, Moses  whom Ross bred  earned points toward champion rank as Winners Dog, the best male, in the Cudahy dog show.

Ross said she chose the basenji, an African hunting dog, as her breed of choice for several reasons. Its known as the barkless dog, she said, so basenjis are very quiet.

They dont smell like a wet dog when theyre wet, she continued, and keep themselves extremely clean. Also, shes typically allergic to other dogs, but not the basenji.

On the other hand, theyre stubborn and can be destructive when left alone, Ross said.

Gail McEvilly came from Cary, Ill., with her Irish wolfhound Ever and his breeder-handler, Victoria Cook. At 10 months old, it was Evers first show.

Irish wolfhounds are often called gentle giants, McEvilly said. Shes had six of them, and theyve all been therapy dogs.

But they earned their name: Wolfhounds were bred to hunt both wolves and stags, in packs.

And they were dogs of war, McEvilly added. They would knock riders off a horse, a bit of trivia that surprised even Cook, the breeder.

James Wendt of Downers Grove, Ill., talked with his Belgian tervuren, Blaze, on a leash while his wife, Racine native Debra Woolrage-Wendt, showed their other tervuren.

Blaze is already a Grand Champion, but Wendt said I didnt set out to do that. Blaze also has titles in both rally obedience and regular obedience and tracking.

With our breed, Wendt said, you want to do more than just show. Its a visually and mentally acute dog.

He added: We find if we work our dogs, theyre a very pleasant animal to have in the house.

Charlene and Bill Rabinak of Naperville, Ill., brought their four Rhodesian ridgebacks in their 33-foot, air-conditioned recreational vehicle. Its a home away from home, with a large awning, fenced-in yard, comfortable chairs and even two padded loveseats.

Those are for the dogs, Charlene said with a smile, and she wasnt kidding.

The Rabinaks breeding business is Tamadyra Ridgebacks. One reason they go regularly to dog shows is that you might see who you want to breed to, Charlene said.

Also, their dogs love it: They can hardly wait to get in the van, she said.

The All-Breed show resumes at 8 a.m. today and concludes by early afternoon.
RACINE COUNTY  A quick internet search, a simple online order and soon enough U-47700 could be at your doorstep.

U-47700 is a currently legal, synthetic opiate that is hitting the streets of the U.S. and reportedly caused two deaths in Racine County in June and July, according to Racine County Medical Examiner Michael Payne.

After those deaths and 50 throughout the nation, local and state law enforcement are working to add the drug to the state's controlled substance list, making it illegal.

Both Racine County deaths are being investigated by the Metro Drug Unit, Special Investigations Unit and Gang Task Force, according to Racine District Attorney Rich Chiapete.

As with all of these controlled substances, we will aggressively address this issue, Chiapete said.

U-47700 recently emerged in the United States. It is a synthetic opioid that is legal in the U.S. though is just as dangerous as other opiates, according to Payne.

Payne said the deaths in Racine County occurred on the east and west ends of the county. Both cases involved men, although he could not name the individuals because there is are open investigations into their cases. Though final autopsy reports have not come in, the deaths are confirmed to be caused by U-47700, Payne said.

One is confirmed in an adjacent county as well, according to Payne.

This is just as dangerous, if not more dangerous than any other synthetic opiate that is illegal. Payne said.

Many synthetic opioids are scheduled under state and federal statutes, which means they are categorized as controlled substances. What makes U-47700 legal is its chemical makeup. It is almost identical to regulated synthetics and mimics the effects of those synthetic opioids, but this exact formula was never scheduled.

Synthetic opioid substances like U-47700 are very concerning because they are so potent, addictive and dangerous, said Robert Bell, the Drug Enforcement Administration's Milwaukee assistant special agent in charge. Abusing these types of powerful opioid substances could be very damaging  the results could be deadly.

With the drug now entering the U.S., there is worry that this drug, created originally in the 1970s, will cause problems sooner rather than later, leaving many to call for action.

U-47700 will kill you, Payne said. Its something to be considered at this point a health hazard to people who elect to try this or use this.

'Russian roulette

Bell said that because U-47700 was not approved by the FDA, and because its effects mimic those of other dangerous synthetic opiates, the risk of taking the drug is high.

Experimenting with them is like playing Russian roulette, Bell said. You dont know what youre getting and the first time could be the last time.

Chris Eberlein, medical adviser for the southwest region of the Department of Health Services, said the drug has the same effects as most opiates and is often mixed into a "drug cocktail."

Once in the body, the central nervous system fails, breathing becomes harder, the body goes into respiratory arrest, then cardiac arrest and, in many cases, death.

"The cartels or whomever make them overseas will produce them in a lab to make something much more potent," Eberlein said.

Payne said he worries that because people can obtain U-47700 on the internet legally, that they will mistake it as a safe substance. However, he said that is not the case at all.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said that U-47700 needs to be scheduled because of the present dangers it creates.

"I'm very concerned with the two deaths that have occurred in the county," Schmaling said. "Like any other street drug, addicts are unaware of its potency, thus causing accidental overdoses."

Scheduling to be determined

Though U-47700 is not currently listed as a controlled substance, the Wisconsin DEA and the Controlled Substances board for the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services are looking to schedule the drug in the future.

Payne said that drug trends are seen at the grassroots levels before they reach the national or even state levels.

Were going to see this before it reaches the federal level, he said. We knew we had a heroin problem before the state did.

The DEA is investigating the drug and working with legislators to potentially schedule in the future.

I think I can safely say steps are being taken to control it under the Federal Controlled Substances Act, Bell said. A lot of info needs to be gathered before that happens. The DEA is looking at the substance and evaluating with an eye toward scheduling it.

Though it is not scheduled, prosecution is still possible for distributing the substance.

Were more concerned with if we identify people who are distributing the substance and putting users and others at risk, Bell said. Prosecution could be brought forward under the Federal Analogue Act.

The state Controlled Substances Board will meet Sept. 20 to discuss scheduling U-47700. Though the state usually goes with what is federally scheduled, the board has the power to schedule drugs in the state.

Were going to put it on the next Controlled Substances Boards agenda for potential scheduling, said Jeff Weigand, assistant deputy secretary at the Department of Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said it is important to get drugs like this scheduled.

While the Legislature has passed more than a dozen laws to help combat the problem, tragedies like these make it clear more needs to be done, Vos said. Its essential that law enforcement has the necessary tools to fight the spread of these new drugs, which includes exploring the placement of this compound on the controlled substance list.

With the two deaths confirmed in the county, and three confirmed in southeastern Wisconsin in the past six weeks, Payne hopes the drug is scheduled sooner rather than later.

I dont need another name up on my board, Payne said.
Over a century ago, the old Keuper Mercantile building in downtown Burlington was one of the cornerstones of the citys commercial district.

Built in 1914, the building on Pine Street originally housed a general store, was later a Montgomery Ward department store and then a shoe store. In 1977, it became home to Schuette-Daniels Furniture until it was destroyed in a fire in 2014  and it has remained vacant ever since.

Local businessman Shad Branen is working to change that. Branen, who purchased the building in November 2014, has ambitious plans to redevelop the historic building into one that will include office suites on the top floor, retail space on the first floor and community co-working spaces and smaller office spaces in a lower level.

Its the kind of a project that will not only revitalize a dormant building, but has the potential to change the face of downtown, generate jobs, attract small businesses and become a permanent home for Racine County entrepreneurs.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) this month helped this project take a major step forward by awarding a $192,000 grant to the City of Burlington to assist with redevelopment costs.

Vibrant downtowns and thriving commercial centers are critical to the vitality of Burlington and other communities throughout the state. Thats why WEDC believes in investing in community development projects such as this one to establish a firm foundation for ongoing economic growth.

In this case, the redevelopment of the Schuette-Daniels building not only will help improve downtown, but will ensure the preservation of a building that remains a centerpiece of Burlingtons historic business district.

The State of Wisconsin is one of many partners working on transforming this century-old building into a modern renovated structure with retail and commercial space, as well as a unique co-working environment that will be ideal for small startup companies and entrepreneurs.

The City of Burlington and the Racine County Economic Development Corporation played key roles in providing financial assistance, as has the private sector. Other local and regional partners who are expected to provide business resources in the renovated facility include Gateway Technical College, UW-Parkside, the Wisconsin Womens Business Initiative Corporation and Burlington High School.

Working with businesses, communities, universities and other key partners here and around the state is at the heart of what WEDC does to help grow Wisconsins economy and position its workers for the jobs of the future. In Racine County alone, WEDC has invested more than $29 million since 2014 in initiatives that are expected to create or retain about 3,000 jobs here.

There are still a few steps to go before the old Keuper Mercantile building once again becomes a vital part of downtown Burlington. But like Shad Branen, Burlington officials and others, WEDC sees the great potential of this project, and well continue to work side-by-side with those key partners to help ensure this vision comes to fruition.
Mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus dont know if you are Democrat, Republican, third-party or independent. Nor do they care.

For Americans, concerns about Zika had, until recently, been limited to those traveling to the Rio Olympics or to those with friends or relatives in the Carribean.

But the virus has reached the continental United States for the first time: There is an outbreak in a one-square-mile Miami neighborhood called Wynwood. Florida health officials say there have been at least 25 local Zika infections, the New York Times reported.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging pregnant women and their partners to stay away from Wynwood  the first time the CDC has ever warned against travel to an American neighborhood for fear of an infectious disease.

We have a growing public health problem, meaning its time for Congress to stop playing politics with regard to Zika.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., last week urged his fellow members of Congress to pass a $1.9 billion emergency funding bill needed to fight the growing spread of the Zika virus.

It has been more than 165 days since the President requested emergency funding to fight Zika, but Congress has yet to pass a bill and public health now hangs in the balance. The time to act is now, Schumer said at an Aug. 7 press conference.

At least 1,400 Zika cases have been confirmed in the continental U.S., including more than 400 in New York City, the New York Daily News reported.

Lawmakers left Washington in mid-July for a seven-week recess without approving any of the $1.9 billion that President Obama requested in February to develop a vaccine and control the mosquitoes that carry the virus.Why the delay in funding to battle the virus? Politics played a role: Republicans angered Democrats by adding a provision to a $1.1 billion, take-it-or-leave-it measure that would have blocked Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico from receiving money.

The Republicans should not have injected something so overtly political into a debate over funding to deal with a public health crisis.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott might have his state in a better position to deal with the crisis if he hadnt cut state aid to mosquito control programs by 40 percent in 2011. But hes not wrong now when he says the president and Congress have to work together.

President Barack Obama took action on Thursday, shifting $81 million away from biomedical research and antipoverty and health care programs to pay for the development of a Zika vaccine, keeping alive research programs that were in danger of running out of money when Schumer called his news conference. Thats a start.

But the dangers of the virus  Zika can cause birth defects in the babies of women infected with the disease, including microcephaly, a serious condition where newborn babies are born with unnaturally small heads  will require more than moving money from one research group to another. If your daughter were newly married and trying to conceive, you wouldnt want the newlyweds traveling to Miami right now.

The mosquitoes carrying Zika are bipartisan with regard to transmission. We need a bipartisan solution to an emerging health crisis, and we need it now.
University of Wisconsin System officials say they will spend millions of dollars on new programs meant to push educated students into the workforce if lawmakers approve their request for a $42.5 million funding increase in the next state budget.

UW released more details Monday of its request for the 2017-19 budget, which will go before the UW Board of Regents for approval on Thursday in Madison.

The budget request seeks funding for a range of initiatives, called 2020FWD, that officials say will boost Wisconsins economy. They include:

$15 million to fund efforts to address the most critical workforce needs in the areas around each UW institution.

$5.4 million to expand a program that allows high school students to enroll in courses for college credit, which officials say will reduce the time it takes students to earn a degree.

$4 million for 360 Advising that targets at-risk students and provides help with their academics, job searches and finances to reduce student loan debt.

A new program to turn more student research into businesses with help from organizations such as the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Expanding the UniverCity Year program at UW-Madison, in which students and faculty work with local communities on sustainability projects, to all four-year UW campuses and UW Extension.

Each of these items will make the University of Wisconsin more responsive to the needs of the state and its citizens, System officials wrote in a summary of the budget.

While the budget document shed some new light on where the requested funding will be directed, it does not say exactly how much many of the specific initiatives will cost. System spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis said those details will emerge after the budget is passed, once UWs campuses develop their plans for the funding.

It also remains to be seen how receptive Gov. Scott Walker and the state Legislature will be to the request.

Walker has said he is planning to recommend the state provide some new funding for the UW System that would be tied to its performance in certain criteria. In his radio address last week, Walker said that criteria may include the number of degrees UW awards and how many graduates actually find work.

Otherwise, Walker has told UW and most state agencies they should not expect to receive any additional funding in his next budget, which he will present early in 2017.

UW officials acknowledged that, but wrote in their budget summary that they have been in discussions with Walkers office about their plans to seek an additional investment.

System President Ray Cross has also called for an end to the freeze on in-state tuition in the next budget, while Walker has said he wants to extend it.
Attorney General Brad Schimel asked the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to reject a review of a halted criminal investigation into Gov. Scott Walkers recall campaign, marking the first time his office has argued the merits of the case after his predecessor declined to lead the investigation more than three years ago.

Schimels filing argues the court should reject the appeal because Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature have since changed the law making the alleged activity legal and prohibiting the use of secret John Doe proceedings in investigating campaign finance violations.

The people of Wisconsin thus made as clear as they possibly could that they wish to put this unfortunate chapter behind them, Schimel wrote.

In June, the lawyers representing the various respondents in the case waived their right to file a response to the request for review filed earlier this year by three Democratic district attorneys. But on July 14, the U.S. Supreme Court directed its clerk to request that responses be filed, according to a letter provided by Schimels office.

Schimel filed the brief because of that request, Schimel spokeswoman Rebecca Ballweg said.

The filing also reveals that Jefferson County District Court Judge David J. Wambach replaced reserve Judge Gregory Peterson in February as the presiding official in the so-called John Doe II investigation. The Justice Department has represented both judges in the case, but it has focused arguments on procedural matters rather than the merits of the case.

The investigation was examining whether Walkers 2012 recall campaign violated election laws regulating coordination between campaigns and so-called issue advocacy groups that have backed Republicans and conservative Supreme Court justices.

In January 2014 Peterson, the second judge to preside over the secret probe, quashed dozens of subpoenas that had been approved in October 2013 by Kenosha County Circuit Judge Barbara Kluka, the first judge assigned to the case who later recused herself.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld Petersons ruling a year ago, halted the investigation on grounds the underlying legal theory was a violation of First Amendment free speech and ordered prosecutors to turn over the evidence they had collected. Three Democratic district attorneys involved in the investigation have appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing two of the justices who decided the case should have recused themselves.

Schimel argues in his brief the recusal question should be denied because it doesnt involve a federal issue.

Lisa Graves, executive director of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy, which has filed a brief supporting the prosecutors, said the court has ample grounds for taking the case and reversing the state courts judgment.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court based its self-serving decision on an erroneous misreading of the First Amendment, and its ruling flies in the face of several U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding corruption, Graves said.

Scot Ross, executive director of liberal advocacy group One Wisconsin Now, noted the political arm of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, one of the conservative groups linked to the investigation, spent $1.5 million in 2014 to help Schimel win election.

Before he was Attorney General, Brad Schimel said elected officials should be able to help their campaign donors, and this latest action shows he wasnt kidding, Ross said.

Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm began the John Doe II investigation based on evidence collected in a prior John Doe investigation into Walkers Milwaukee County office that resulted in six convictions of Walker aides and associates.

Chisholm initially asked former Republican Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to lead the case, but Van Hollen referred Chisholm to the now-defunct Government Accountability Board, partly because of the possibility of a perceived bias.

The investigation expanded to four other counties, including Dane County and Iowa County. District attorneys Ismael Ozanne and Larry Nelson are the other prosecutors appealing the case.

Two Republican district attorneys declined to join the appeal.

Schimel previously filed a brief in a separate but related federal lawsuit filed by former Walker aide Cindy Archer. That lawsuit was rejected by a federal judge but the decision is under appeal.
107 Gun Felons Forgiven, Amid

Calls for Stricter Gun Control

By Mark Swanson. August 10th, 2016

President Barack Obama has forgiven 107 federal inmates who were convicted of gun crimes during his administration while at the same time pushing for stricter gun controls, according to a story in The Washington Times.

According to the Times report, of those 107 who were either pardoned or had their sentences commuted, their dealings with a gun included:

Using firearms while dealing drugs;

Carried firearms despite felony convictions;

Caught lying to gun dealers;

Carrying firearms with registration numbers removed.

Yet this is the President who repeatedly calls for reform to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

"This is the most incredible hypocrisy," Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, told the Times. "The president has commuted the sentences of dangerous criminals who were convicted of gun-related charges. But then, he does everything in his power to block law-abiding gun owners from purchasing firearms."

The Times reports Obama has forgiven a total of 600 federal inmates, more than his nine predecessors combined. Apparently 107 felons who carried guns while selling drugs don't count as having a propensity for violence......

While it can be argued that prison sentences are sometimes excessive with more minor felonies, it has long been the case that prosecutions against illegal firearm possession, (often combined with drug dealing) have been regarded as severe. Criminal plus gun equates to significant violence potential and yet here we are releasing felons, all the while watching attempts to disarm good people. Hypocrisy seems too mild a word.

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Asian nations participate in model UN conference in Kathmandu

A Model United Nations (MUN) conference was organised here in the Capital on Monday by US Embassy in partnership with Youth Thinker's Society.
Bottlers Nepal, distributors talks make no headway

Talks between Bottlers Nepal (Tarai), the producer of Coca-Cola, and its agitating distributors failed to reach any conclusion on Saturday.
Sangam Prasain is Business Editor at The Kathmandu Post, covering tourism, agriculture, mountaineering, aviation, infrastructure and other economic affairs. He joined The Kathmandu Post in October 2009.
CIAA confiscates NOC files related to bullet permits

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has said the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has confiscated its files related to permitting gas companies to acquire LPG bullets and increasing the number of petroleum tankers.
Deep division dampens NSU election

Despite publishing the voters list and distributing voter cards, the Nepal Students Union elections scheduled for Tuesday looks uncertain after a section of student leaders expressed their dissatisfaction on the names of representatives and threatened to boycott the conclave.
DPM Mahara off to China

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara has left for China on Monday.
Dr KC alliance condemns arrests at CIAA office

An alliance supporting Dr Govinda KC has condemned the arrest of nine people who had gone to the office of Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority to seek the property details of its chief Lok Man Singh Karki on Wednesday.
Fire guts property over Rs 3 million

Property worth over three million rupees was gutted after two scrap metal shops caught fire at Dharan-Biratnagar road section in Itahari Sub-Metropolitan City early on Monday morning.
Four killed in Baitadi accident

A passenger bus met with an accident at Siddheshwor VDC-3 in Baitadi district on Monday, killing four people on the spot.
Four murdered in separate incidents

Four persons were murdered in separate incidents in Morang, Baitadi, Tanahun and Kapilvastu districts in the past 24 hours.
Gathabandhan proposes panel to settle thorny issues

The Sanghiya Gathabandhan, an alliance of Madhesi and Janajati parties, has proposed to form a tripartite panel comprising representatives of the agitating parties and the ruling CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress to negotiate on the disputed issues of the constitution.
Human rights activists stage sit-in at Singha Durbar

Human rights activists have staged a sit-in in front of the south gate to Singha Durbar on Monday under the "Save Gangamaya's Life" campaign.
Mahara leaves for China today with messages

Special Envoy of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to China, Deputy PM Krishna Bahadur Mahara, embarks on a five-day official visit of the northern neighbour on Monday
Milwaukee shooting: 'Shots fired' at new protests over police killing

Shots have been fired during new protests in the US city of Milwaukee, police say, as demonstrators took to the streets for a second night.
NHRC asks govt to address Ganga Mayas demands

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to save the life of Ganga Maya Adhikari, who has resumed her fast-unto-death protest from August 11 demanding arrest of the persons involved in the murder of her teenage son Krishna Prasad Adhikari.
26 killed in Kavre bus accident: Home Ministry

Twenty-five people were killed and 42 other injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Deurali VDC-9 in Kavre district on Monday, Home Ministry confirmed.
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
PM directs health secy to suspend fake docs

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Sunday instructed the Ministry of Health to suspend doctors who had been arrested on charge of possessing fake higher secondary certificates.
Sensible step

Dahals decision to send envoys to neighbours indicates a mature approach to foreign policy
Snakebite cases on the rise in Rasuwa

The number of snakebite cases has surged in the mountainous district's Rasuwa hospital.
Swaraj pitches Indias regional co-op, connectivity

External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj has said that her governments neighbourhood-first policy stresses cooperation, connectivity and greater people-to-people contact among the neighbouring countries.
Three friends

Can Nepal rise to the occasion to put its house in order first and then reap the rewards of geography?
UML: Govt working to award Fast Track to foreign company

The main opposition CPN-UML has warned the government not to assign a foreign company to construct the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track saying that the National Pride Project should be built with domestic resources.
You cannot have a unified country without inclusive democracy

With the promulgation of the constitution last year, Nepal has witnessed a political polarisation.
Yes, its hard to to tell when one enters the city limits

Yes, they will make the city more inviting

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Former Lords Resistance Army (LRA) Rebel commander Thomas Kwoyelo, has rejected a decision by the Constitutional Court to allocate him new lawyers.

This is after his defense counsels failed to appear for his pre-trial case at Gulu High court earlier today.

Kwoyelo appeared before the Justice Suzan Okalany at the International Crimes division of the High Court in Gulu district without his lawyers Caleb Alaka and Nicholas Opiyo.

The duo never served court any information regarding their absence, prompting the pre-trial conference to kick off without them.

Kwoyelo was captured in 2008, by UPDF in the Democratic Republic of Congo and charged in 2010 by the Directorate of Public Prosecution with 53 counts of murder, willful killing, kidnap with intent to kill, aggravated robbery and destruction of property in northern Uganda.

In April this year, the Constitutional Court resumed the trial of Kwoyelo overturning a constitutional court verdict in 2011 that had set him free from custody after applying for amnesty in 2010.

Meanwhile the judge has ordered Kwoyelo to return to court on August 16th with a defense lawyers or court will allocation him some.

Story By Cissy Makumbi
The Chief Justice of Uganda Justice Bart Katureebe has asked government to ensure that Judges retire with their Full retirement benefits.

He says after the retirement Judges live a miserable life, because they do not run private practices when they are working as judicial officers and therefore its pertinent to give them full retirement package during their retirement.

He says he is optimistic that government will listen to the plea of the Judges.
Welcome! You have come to the right place. Khmerization is a home to the Cambodian daily news, which is updated twice daily. Please take a tour and enjoy yourself. Thank you.

To contact Khmerization please send an email to:
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Area Rotary clubs and Rotarians will be honored by members of the La Crosse areas nine Rotary clubs during the 27th annual Avenues of Service banquet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Four Seasons Community Center in Caledonia, Minn. Clubs receiving recognition for their Avenue of Service projects include:

Club Service Award

Rotary Rocking Ribs  Holmen Area and La Crosse Valley View

Community Service Award

HOPSA Dress Project  La Crescent

International Service Award

English as a Second Language Classes in Potrerillos Arriba, Panama  After Hours

New Generations Award

Tanzania Fresh Water Well Project  Caledonia and Caledonia Interact

Vocational Service Award

Holmen High School Strive Program  Holmen Area

Rotary Pride Award

I Feed  All area high school Interact Clubs

Individual Rotarians selected by their clubs as a Rotarian of the Year include:

Caledonia  Ben Barton

Holmen Area  Tom Knobloch

La Crescent  Steve Mau

Onalaska  Barry Nimtz

Onalaska Hilltopper  Angie Jones

The annual Avenues of Service Banquet allows Rotarians from throughout the region to recognize those who exemplify Rotarys motto of service about self. The nine area Rotary Clubs that participate include Caledonia, Holmen, La Crescent, La Crosse, La Crosse After Hours, La Crosse East, La Crosse Valley View, Onalaska, and Onalaska Hilltopper, and consist of include nearly 480 members. They are part of Rotary District No. 6250.

Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provides humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary clubs in 167 countries.
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HOKAH, Minn.  Shelley Ellingson created Windy Ridge Ranch Therapeutic Riding Center so Houston County residents could more easily get the therapeutic effects of working with horses.

When I learned about Houston County residents traveling all the way to La Crosse, I wanted to make it easier for them to go, said Ellingson, who has volunteered with Horsesense for Special Riders, a program that pairs people with special needs with horses.

The program relies on volunteers and the help of mentors. Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship-certified instructors must pass tests, horses have to pass standards, and they need 25 hours of training under a certified instructor.

In its second year, Windy Ridge is working toward PATH certification and hosts mentors from Thunder Rode Therapeutic Riding in Decorah, Iowa. Michelle McClain-Kruse is one of the mentors and she said its great that the center is working toward certification.

As well as the physical benefits, theres positive social interaction for the clients, McClain-Kruse said.

Ellingson hopes to increase the number of sessions for clients and have more volunteers, and also work toward her own and others PATH certification. By next year, Ellingson hopes she and her sister, Kerrie Hauser, will be certified instructors.

The ranch has seven horses, with three of them in the program and two more training to be certified therapeutic animals. The program has 12 volunteers and is looking for more.

Windy Ridge partners with programs such as Houston County Human Services and a care provider for people with developmental disabilities and brain injuries in Houston County called ABLE. Its part of the La Crescent Area Healthy Community Partnership.

Clients learn to groom a horse, along with basic riding skills, steering, voice commands and more, but the real benefit comes from the horses themselves.

The clients are increasing their confidence and this carries over into their house and work lives, Ellingson said. They get to interact with volunteers and each other and bond with the horses to gain physical and psychological benefits, as well.

United Way has given the group grants to help purchase materials and equipment for riders, and the Minnesota Horse Council awarded one toward instructor certification.

Houston County resident Nancy Nimmos daughter Sarah Wiste is in the program, and Nimmo is happy with the results so far.

It really opens the kids up. They feel more comfortable and confident, Nimmo said. Its a wonderful program.
A former La Crosse woman convicted of driving with a 0.45 percent alcohol level was ordered Monday to serve two years on probation and fined $1,200.

Erin Ersted, 40, spent more than one year undergoing in-patient alcohol treatment and completed 300 hours of community service since her arrest more than three years ago, defense attorney Jim Koby said.

The Erin Ersted that came into court on June 24, 2013, is a totally different person than the person who is here today, Koby said. When youre a 0.45, youre off the chart. The fact that shes alive is miraculous.

A witness saw Ersted fall from her moped and continue driving at 30 to 35 mph with an officer pursing her until she reached her home, according to the complaint filed in La Crosse County Circuit Court. Police found an unopened vodka bottle in the back of the moped.

Ersted pleaded no contest to fifth-offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration, while a charge of fifth-offense operating while intoxicated was dismissed but considered by the judge at sentencing. She has drunken driving convictions in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2009.

Ersted cannot drive and must undergo random alcohol testing while on probation, a sentence jointly recommended by attorneys. Circuit Judge Ramona Gonzalez also imposed a stayed two-year prison sentence.
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.
A timber rattlesnake educational session will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at the Myrick Park Center.

All ages are invited to learn about the Timber rattlesnakes history, biology, identification, conservation methods and safety practices. This species plays an important part in our local ecosystem. The presenter will be Armund Bartz, endangered resources ecologist from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
PIERSON STATION, Ill.  Farm auctions in tiny towns like this one in Illinois often mark the end of a family legacy.

Land cultivated for generations is placed on the auction block. Sometimes the acreage is split up and sold to multiple buyers. Often, though, nearby farmers and investors secure another section of what some call the most fertile terrain in the country.

On Thursday, folks from far and wide gathered at the farm of Dale Fulton to bid on large machinery that  even at age 95  he has relied on to harvest corn and soybeans.

But Fulton said he will not sell a single acre of the flat land his family has owned since nearly the Civil War.

He feels a bond and doesnt want the estate broken up, even after hes gone. That will be one last obstacle for him to figure out and overcome.

At 80, I didnt have a single problem, physically, he said. I am losing ground now.

Indeed, weekly blood tests signal thats hes winding down. Hes been a little out of breath the past couple weeks hitching up things and preparing for the auction.

But he still has ambitious plans for his familys 633 acres, even though hes all the family thats left.

Fulton, a lifelong bachelor worth millions, has outlived his kin and contemporaries by a long shot. So it will fall to a younger business partner and a small local bank to see his plan for the farm forward.

Fulton is a profile in intrigue, independence and health  a man who still drives a pickup to the cafe for lunch, and shows up for work six days a week.

What I am trying to figure out, how can a man live out in the world like that and live that long, said Jacob Helmuth, 78, an Amish farmhand who worked at the Fulton farm for decades.

Helmuth, who has Parkinsons disease, was talking more about religion and worldly temptations than the limits of human longevity.

Fulton said his mother, Rosa, was a strict Baptist who wouldnt let him drink root beer. As an adult, he still doesnt drink much but leans heavily toward reason. Even so, he sees signs of the divine in the world around him.

If you consider biology and science, it couldnt have happened by accident, he said.

Taking flight

Born and reared here during the Depression, Fulton is grounded to the family farm.

That wasnt always the case.

When he was 17, his parents bought him his first airplane. And with it, Fulton flew the coop toward a full career as an international pilot for TWA.

Fulton said hes still baffled why his parents paid $1,000 for the used 50-horsepower Taylor Craft bought in Indianapolis. It must have been wild for them to look up and see their teenage son buzzing overhead, landing in pastures as he learned to fly.

Especially for his father, William B. Fulton, who was born in 1868. He was 52 when Dale, the youngest of three children, was born in 1921. Dales brother died at 7, his sister at 21.

And there Dale was, pushing the limit, initially on a motorcycle. Stories still linger about how the young daredevil rode standing on the seat.

Id never let a child of mine have a motorcycle, he said. We were always getting skinned up.

After getting his first ride with a barnstormer who was showing off an airplane in the area, Fulton started riding to the airport in Decatur, 30 miles away. An instructor there encouraged the adventurous boy. Once he got his own plane, he further honed his landing, heading and recovery skills.

He said his first major trip was in 1940. He flew to an air show in Miami. Hed watch the metal wire gas gauge on the 12-gallon tank sink as he flew each leg of the trip, usually about 175 miles, depending on the headwind.

He recalled landing at the airport in Atlanta during the voyage without a radio.

You try to do that today and youd be in Leavenworth 100 years, he said.

It was a job advertisement that soon took him out of the row crops for a long time. Pilots were needed in England to ferry airplanes from factories to fighter fields.

His credentials were thin.

They didnt care too much, as long as you could fly, he said, adding of his talent for figuring things out: If you have a job to do, your mind orients to it and thats what you have to do.

Over two years, he learned how to fly all sorts of aircraft. In 1942, as the United States dipped more heavily into World War II, Fulton signed on with Transcontinental and Western Air, which later became TWA. The company had a government contract to fly transport planes and they needed pilots.

You know, if it hadnt been for the war, I dont know what I would have done, said Fulton, who never went to college. Probably nothing.

He was the commander of various types of cargo planes that flew across the ocean dozens of times. One common route was from Natal, Brazil, to Dakar, in West Africa, then over to Khartoum, Sudan, and up the Nile Valley to Cairo.

He became a seasoned long-range pilot but still liked pushing the performance of smaller planes. Around 1946, he bought a used P-51 Mustang from the War Department for $3,500. While on vacation that year, he won notoriety with a first-place trophy at the National Air Races in Cleveland. His average speed was 352 mph.

Fly or farm?

He stayed on with TWA, flying passengers all over the world, for decades to come. He lived in Washington, D.C., New York, and San Francisco. After his mother died in 1969, he spent a lot of his downtime in Illinois, running the farm with the help of farmhands and others from the community.

Roger Harris, an electrician in nearby Atwood, said Fulton once left him a message about fixing a fan in a grain bin. No need to call back, he was in the French Riviera.

Hed tell you to do something, whether he was here or not, said Harris, 79. You did it and he was happy.

Fulton had a big decision to make when he retired from TWA in 1981 at the age of 60: Move to Singapore to fly for a different company and continue to wear tailor-made white shirts, or take on rural Illinois full time, where the family farm was worth a considerable amount. He said the fertile land could have more recently sold for $14,000 an acre.

I had to do something, he said. I couldnt have been happy with my feet up.

He dug into the farm, poured countless hours into work. Sometimes during harvest season, he wouldnt get to bed until midnight, then hed be up before sunrise.

Years passed. His reputation solidified as a man who wanted the best.

Hes been a frequent customer at the nearby Case International Harvester dealership, where a combine fetches $500,000. He is meticulous about machinery, wants the new stuff delivered straight from the factory. He demands that it be washed, even waxed sometimes, before leaving it in the shed for the next season.

Hes not as particular about his own accommodations. He lives in his parents old home. Parking is easy compared to where he used to live, he says with a smile.

Looking back, he said, maybe he should have put more effort into getting married.

The women I knew wouldnt have cared for farm life, he said. They wanted a few more bright lights.

Securing a legacy

Fulton has avoided retirement homes. Not able to fly anymore, growing soybeans and corn on land that his parents cultivated helped keep him alive, some said.

In recent years, he had a dog named Rambo that hed buy hamburgers for at the cafe. Other than that, it has just been him and some farmhands. Among the help is Rob Flavin, 53, who farms Fultons land and looks out for him.

You need to eat more, he told Fulton the other day.

Fulton weighs 116 pounds, down from 140 four years ago. His hemoglobin count needs to be monitored.

My future is not very far from here, he said.

But there are still plans to set in order, including the auction.

Fulton said hes happy to sell off the equipment he cared so much about. He was losing too much to depreciation. But selling the land, he said, would come with an enormous tax bill, and the government would just piss it away.

To keep the land intact after he dies, it will be left in trust.

Flavin will farm the land, largely using his own equipment  though a few tools and tractors are being spared from the auction. A new farm office was just built and siding is being replaced on a large shed and shop.

If all goes well it will be a profitable enterprise for years to come.

Profits from Fultons side of the operation will be donated to nearby Friendship Hill Retirement Center, sometimes referred to as Pill Hill.

The center was set up by a homeopathic doctor from Hammond, the next little town over. The doctor, who didnt have children either, left it as her dying legacy. It operates out of her former summer home and is supported by an endowment that includes net income from 2,000 acres of farmland.

Fulton said he liked that approach and wanted to add income from his own land to the cause.

Hopefully, it will help keep the rates down, he said.
For the second time in two weeks on Tuesday, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine will be in Wisconsin on the same day.

Trump is holding a public rally at the Washington County Fair Park and Conference Center in West Bend at 7:30 p.m. He is also participating in a ticketed event with Fox News host Sean Hannity at the Pabst Theater in Milwaukee and two private fundraisers in La Crosse and Milwaukee, his campaign confirmed.

Kaine will visit Madison for a fundraiser Tuesday, the campaign for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton confirmed to the State Journal Monday.

The campaign didnt provide additional details, but according to an invitation obtained by the State Journal, it is being hosted by prominent local Democratic fundraisers Hans and Mary Lang Sollinger.

It will be at least the second Wisconsin visit this month for Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia. Kaine made a public stop in Milwaukee on Aug. 5, the same day Trump held a rally with his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in Green Bay.

Pence also visited La Crosse and Milwaukee on Aug. 11 and Waukesha on July 27, his first stop after accepting the GOP vice presidential nomination in Cleveland.

Top Wisconsin Republicans, including Gov. Scott Walker, attended the Pence events but did not participate in the Green Bay event. They are also not attending the Trump event in West Bend.
Authorities believe a fire at a town of Little Falls shed was intentionally set.

Firefighters and law enforcement were dispatched to the blaze at 3033 Acorn Ave. a little after 11 p.m. July 26 to find the large pole barn structure fully engulfed, according to the Monroe County Sheriffs Department report.

No suspects have been identified in the case, and it remains under investigation, Sheriff Scott Perkins said.

The Sparta Fire Department said an investigation revealed a wood stove was burning before the fire  an indicator the fire was suspicious because the outdoor temperatures were in the 90s throughout the week, according to the report.

Officials later made contact with the owner, Nicholas Zillmer of Sparta, who said he was camping about two miles from the property when he heard sirens and noticed the sky turn orange in the direction of the structure but didnt think it was on fire. He observed the fire damage to the building, which does not serve as a residence for him, when he drove back to pick up his mail, according to the report.

Zillmer, who said he hoped to have it as eventual living quarters, said the power had been shut off to the property in June, and someone must have broken in and started the wood stove, which he noted he last used in January, according to the report.

A nearby homeowner reported the blaze and said he did not see anyone around it when he discovered it. Zillmer told authorities he was distraught from the incident and he did not set the fire, according to the report.
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.

What a pleasure it is to be here today, said Walker, who shared stories of his own love of cranberry juice. 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.
I am a proud Fighting Bob Progressive from Wisconsin who believes that: The supreme issue, involving all others, is the encroachment of the powerful few upon the rights of the many.

I also believe Bob La Follette's quotes, "The will of the people shall be the law of the land. Constitutions, statutes, and  government are but instruments to carry out the will of the people, and when they fail  they must be changed to carry out and express the  will of the people. For over all and above all, and greater than all, and expressing the supreme sovereignty of all, are the people.

Unfortunately, the pro, exclusive corporate-rights TPP candidates, like Reps Ron Kind and Paul Ryan, and even Hillary Clinton have won their nominations.

La Follette progressives like Myron Buchholz and Bernie Sanders lost the election. The sovereignty of all..the people has spoken. We are apparently willing to give up our sovereignty to corporate rulers who will lord over us in their world tribunals. Tribunals which are created by and for multinational corporations, and ratified into existence by the TPP, allowing them to sue our government for the loss of future profit a sovereign law, written for our protection, might cause.

Neighbor, an authoritarian corporate state is upon us. One that exists and rules outside of our sovereign nation. We lose our liberty when we lose our sovereignty. Our job now is to wrestle it back. We dont do that by voting for enablers. We do that by joining and occupy the Democrats.

The other thing we Fighting Bob progressives must do is take back "Progressive." We cannot let neo-liberals like Hillary steal and try to own our identity. Frankly, it is insulting that a neoliberal neocon like her got away with it. Fighting Bob would be outraged that such a pro corporate, pro-war person could label themselves a progressive.

And for those now publicly supporting Hillary, please out of respect for Fighting Bob, stop calling yourselves progressive. Its not nice, nor accurate, and it isnt helping those of us opposing the authoritarian corporate states control of our liberty.

Now get out there and overwhelm the corporate rats infesting the Democrats and drown them in a sea of people. Occupy your local Democratic Party now!
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(6) Feb 13 (6) Feb 12 (9) Feb 11 (5) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (4) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (7) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (4) Feb 04 (5) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (3) Jan 31 (4) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (2) Jan 27 (2) Jan 26 (3) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (4) Jan 23 (2) Jan 22 (2) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (4) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (3) Jan 11 (2) Jan 10 (8) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (2) Jan 07 (2) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (2) Jan 04 (2) Jan 03 (2) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (2) Dec 31 (2) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (2) Dec 26 (2) Dec 25 (2) Dec 24 (2) Dec 23 (2) Dec 22 (2) Dec 21 (2) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (2) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (2) Dec 16 (2) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (2) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (5) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (2) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (5) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (4) Nov 29 (4) Nov 28 (2) Nov 27 (2) Nov 26 (2) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (2) Nov 23 (2) Nov 22 (2) Nov 21 (2) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (2) Nov 17 (2) Nov 16 (5) Nov 15 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(3) Aug 15 (4) Aug 14 (5) Aug 13 (2) Aug 12 (2) Aug 11 (2) Aug 10 (2) Aug 09 (2) Aug 08 (5) Aug 07 (5) Aug 06 (6) Aug 05 (2) Aug 04 (5) Aug 03 (2) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (2) Jul 31 (4) Jul 30 (2) Jul 29 (2) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (2) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (4) Jul 24 (2) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (2) Jul 21 (3) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (2) Jul 18 (3) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (2) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (2) Jul 12 (3) Jul 11 (2) Jul 10 (2) Jul 09 (2) Jul 08 (2) Jul 07 (2) Jul 06 (2) Jul 05 (2) Jul 04 (2) Jul 03 (2) Jul 02 (2) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (3) Jun 29 (7) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (2) Jun 26 (3) Jun 25 (1) Jun 24 (2) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (2) Jun 19 (2) Jun 18 (2) Jun 17 (2) Jun 16 (2) Jun 15 (2) Jun 14 (2) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (2) Jun 09 (4) Jun 08 (2) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (3) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (2) Jun 02 (2) Jun 01 (4) May 31 (2) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (2) May 26 (2) May 25 (2) May 24 (2) May 23 (2) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (2) May 19 (2) May 18 (4) May 17 (7) May 16 (2) May 15 (2) May 14 (4) May 13 (3) May 12 (4) May 11 (4) May 10 (4) May 09 (3) May 08 (2) May 07 (2) May 06 (2) May 05 (1) May 04 (2) May 03 (4) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (1) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (2) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (2) Apr 25 (2) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (2) Apr 22 (2) Apr 21 (2) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (4) Apr 17 (5) Apr 16 (4) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (4) Apr 09 (4) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (2) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (1) Apr 03 (1) Apr 02 (1) Apr 01 (2) Mar 31 (2) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (2) Mar 28 (3) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (2) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (4) Mar 20 (2) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (1) Mar 17 (2) Mar 16 (2) Mar 15 (1) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (1) Mar 12 (2) Mar 11 (1) Mar 10 (3) Mar 09 (2) Mar 08 (1) Mar 07 (1) Mar 04 (2) Mar 02 (2) Feb 28 (1) Feb 24 (1) Dec 31 (4) Dec 30 (4) Dec 29 (4) Dec 28 (5) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (3) Dec 22 (4) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (3) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (3) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (3) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (4) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (3) Nov 23 (3) Nov 22 (3) Nov 21 (3) Nov 20 (3) Nov 19 (3) Nov 18 (3) Nov 17 (3) Nov 16 (2) Nov 15 (3) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (4) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (4) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (4) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (3) Nov 05 (5) Nov 04 (4) Nov 03 (3) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (4) Oct 30 (3) Oct 29 (3) Oct 28 (2) Oct 27 (4) Oct 26 (4) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (3) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (4) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (3) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (4) Oct 16 (3) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (3) Oct 12 (3) Oct 11 (3) Oct 10 (4) Oct 09 (3) Oct 08 (3) Oct 07 (4) Oct 06 (3) Oct 05 (4) Oct 04 (3) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (5) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (4) Sep 29 (3) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (4) Sep 26 (3) Sep 25 (3) Sep 24 (3) Sep 23 (3) Sep 22 (3) Sep 21 (3) Sep 20 (3) Sep 19 (4) Sep 18 (3) Sep 17 (3) Sep 16 (4) Sep 15 (3) Sep 14 (3) Sep 13 (3) Sep 12 (4) Sep 11 (4) Sep 10 (4) Sep 09 (4) Sep 08 (4) Sep 07 (3) Sep 06 (3) Sep 05 (3) Sep 04 (3) Sep 03 (3) Sep 02 (4) Sep 01 (3) Aug 31 (3) Aug 30 (4) Aug 29 (3) Aug 28 (3) Aug 27 (3) Aug 26 (3) Aug 25 (4) Aug 24 (4) Aug 23 (5) Aug 22 (3) Aug 21 (3) Aug 20 (3) Aug 19 (3) Aug 18 (3) Aug 17 (3) Aug 16 (3) Aug 15 (3) Aug 14 (3) Aug 13 (3) Aug 12 (3) Aug 11 (4) Aug 10 (5) Aug 09 (3) Aug 08 (3) Aug 07 (4) Aug 06 (5) Aug 05 (4) Aug 04 (3) Aug 03 (3) Aug 02 (3) Aug 01 (3) Jul 31 (3) Jul 30 (4) Jul 29 (3) Jul 28 (5) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (4) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (3) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (4) Jul 16 (4) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (3) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (5) Jul 11 (4) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (3) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (3) Jul 04 (3) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (3) Jul 01 (6) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (4) Jun 28 (3) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (5) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (3) Jun 22 (5) Jun 21 (5) Jun 20 (4) Jun 19 (4) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (4) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (5) Jun 14 (3) Jun 13 (3) Jun 12 (3) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (5) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (4) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (5) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (3) Jun 03 (4) Jun 02 (5) Jun 01 (3) May 31 (4) May 30 (3) May 29 (3) May 28 (3) May 27 (3) May 26 (4) May 25 (4) May 24 (4) May 23 (4) May 22 (3) May 21 (3) May 20 (4) May 19 (3) May 18 (3) May 17 (4) May 16 (3) May 15 (4) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (1) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (4) May 06 (3) May 05 (4) May 04 (4) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (6) Apr 30 (3) Apr 29 (3) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (5) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (3) Apr 24 (3) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (3) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (4) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (3) Apr 12 (3) Apr 11 (3) Apr 10 (3) Apr 09 (3) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (3) Apr 06 (3) Apr 05 (3) Apr 04 (3) Apr 03 (3) Apr 02 (3) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (3) Mar 30 (3) Mar 29 (3) Mar 28 (4) Mar 27 (3) Mar 26 (3) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (3) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (3) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (3) Mar 18 (3) Mar 17 (3) Mar 16 (4) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (3) Mar 13 (3) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (3) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (4) Mar 08 (3) Mar 07 (3) Mar 06 (4) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (3) Mar 03 (3) Mar 02 (3) Mar 01 (3) Feb 28 (3) Feb 27 (3) Feb 26 (3) Feb 25 (3) Feb 24 (2) Feb 23 (3) Feb 22 (3) Feb 21 (3) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (3) Feb 18 (3) Feb 17 (3) Feb 16 (3) Feb 15 (3) Feb 14 (3) Feb 13 (3) Feb 12 (3) Feb 11 (4) Feb 10 (3) Feb 09 (3) Feb 08 (3) Feb 07 (4) Feb 06 (3) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (4) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (4) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (3) Jan 30 (3) Jan 29 (3) Jan 28 (5) Jan 27 (4) Jan 26 (5) Jan 25 (5) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (4) Jan 22 (3) Jan 21 (4) Jan 20 (3) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (5) Jan 17 (4) Jan 16 (3) Jan 15 (4) Jan 14 (3) Jan 13 (5) Jan 12 (5) Jan 11 (4) Jan 10 (4) Jan 09 (3) Jan 08 (3) Jan 07 (3) Jan 06 (3) Jan 05 (3) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (3) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (3) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (3) Dec 25 (3) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (3) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (3) Dec 19 (3) Dec 18 (3) Dec 17 (3) Dec 16 (4) Dec 15 (3) Dec 14 (3) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 (4) Dec 10 (3) Dec 09 (3) Dec 08 (3) Dec 07 (3) Dec 06 (4) Dec 05 (3) Dec 04 (3) Dec 03 (3) Dec 02 (3) Dec 01 (3) Nov 30 (3) Nov 29 (3) Nov 28 (3) Nov 27 (3) Nov 26 (3) Nov 25 (3) Nov 24 (4) Nov 23 (6) Nov 22 (4) Nov 21 (5) Nov 20 (4) Nov 19 (4) Nov 18 (4) Nov 17 (4) Nov 16 (3) Nov 15 (2) Nov 14 (3) Nov 13 (3) Nov 12 (2) Nov 11 (3) Nov 10 (2) Nov 09 (4) Nov 08 (5) Nov 07 (3) Nov 06 (2) Nov 05 (2) Nov 04 (3) Nov 03 (2) Nov 02 (4) Nov 01 (4) Oct 31 (2) Oct 30 (6) Oct 29 (5) Oct 28 (3) Oct 27 (5) Oct 26 (3) Oct 25 (4) Oct 24 (3) Oct 23 (4) Oct 22 (3) Oct 21 (5) Oct 20 (4) Oct 19 (4) Oct 18 (4) Oct 17 (3) Oct 16 (2) Oct 15 (3) Oct 14 (3) Oct 13 (2) Oct 12 (2) Oct 11 (2) Oct 10 (3) Oct 09 (4) Oct 08 (2) Oct 07 (2) Oct 06 (2) Oct 05 (3) Oct 04 (2) Oct 03 (4) Oct 02 (3) Oct 01 (3) Sep 30 (3) Sep 29 (4) Sep 28 (3) Sep 27 (2) Sep 26 (2) Sep 25 (2) Sep 24 (1) Sep 23 (1) Sep 22 (2) Sep 21 (2) Sep 20 (1) Sep 19 (1) Sep 18 (1) Sep 17 (2) Sep 16 (1) Sep 15 (2) Sep 14 (2) Sep 13 (1) Sep 12 (1) Sep 11 (2) Sep 10 (2) Sep 09 (1) Sep 08 (1) Sep 07 (2) Sep 06 (1) Sep 05 (1) Sep 04 (2) Sep 03 (1) Sep 02 (1) Sep 01 (1) Aug 31 (2) Aug 30 (1) Aug 29 (1) Aug 28 (1) Aug 27 (1) Aug 26 (1) Aug 25 (1) Aug 24 (1) Aug 23 (2) Aug 22 (1) Aug 21 (1) Aug 20 (2) Aug 19 (1) Aug 18 (1) Aug 17 (2) Aug 16 (2) Aug 15 (1) Aug 14 (1) Aug 12 (1) Aug 09 (1) Aug 08 (1) Aug 07 (1) Aug 05 (1) Aug 04 (1) Jul 31 (1) Jul 30 (3) Jul 29 (5) Jul 28 (2) Jul 27 (3) Jul 26 (3) Jul 25 (3) Jul 24 (3) Jul 23 (3) Jul 22 (3) Jul 21 (4) Jul 20 (4) Jul 19 (3) Jul 18 (4) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (5) Jul 15 (3) Jul 14 (4) Jul 13 (4) Jul 12 (4) Jul 11 (3) Jul 10 (4) Jul 09 (3) Jul 08 (4) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (4) Jul 04 (4) Jul 03 (4) Jul 02 (5) Jul 01 (3) Jun 30 (4) Jun 29 (6) Jun 28 (4) Jun 27 (4) Jun 26 (4) Jun 25 (4) Jun 24 (4) Jun 23 (4) Jun 22 (6) Jun 21 (3) Jun 20 (3) Jun 19 (6) Jun 18 (5) Jun 17 (5) Jun 16 (5) Jun 15 (4) Jun 14 (4) Jun 13 (5) Jun 12 (4) Jun 11 (3) Jun 10 (4) Jun 09 (3) Jun 08 (3) Jun 07 (4) Jun 06 (3) Jun 05 (4) Jun 04 (5) Jun 03 (5) Jun 02 (4) Jun 01 (5) May 31 (4) May 30 (4) May 29 (4) May 28 (5) May 27 (5) May 26 (5) May 25 (4) May 24 (5) May 23 (4) May 22 (4) May 21 (3) May 20 (6) May 19 (4) May 18 (4) May 17 (4) May 16 (5) May 15 (3) May 14 (3) May 13 (4) May 12 (3) May 11 (3) May 10 (3) May 09 (3) May 08 (3) May 07 (3) May 06 (3) May 05 (3) May 04 (3) May 03 (3) May 02 (3) May 01 (4) Apr 30 (4) Apr 29 (6) Apr 28 (3) Apr 27 (3) Apr 26 (3) Apr 25 (4) Apr 24 (4) Apr 23 (3) Apr 22 (3) Apr 21 (4) Apr 20 (3) Apr 19 (3) Apr 18 (3) Apr 17 (6) Apr 16 (3) Apr 15 (4) Apr 14 (3) Apr 13 (6) Apr 12 (4) Apr 11 (4) Apr 10 (5) Apr 09 (7) Apr 08 (3) Apr 07 (4) Apr 06 (4) Apr 05 (4) Apr 04 (6) Apr 03 (4) Apr 02 (4) Apr 01 (3) Mar 31 (4) Mar 30 (5) Mar 29 (5) Mar 28 (6) Mar 27 (5) Mar 26 (5) Mar 25 (3) Mar 24 (4) Mar 23 (3) Mar 22 (3) Mar 21 (5) Mar 20 (3) Mar 19 (5) Mar 18 (4) Mar 17 (5) Mar 16 (5) Mar 15 (3) Mar 14 (6) Mar 13 (4) Mar 12 (4) Mar 11 (5) Mar 10 (4) Mar 09 (7) Mar 08 (5) Mar 07 (5) Mar 06 (6) Mar 05 (4) Mar 04 (4) Mar 03 (4) Mar 02 (6) Mar 01 (4) Feb 28 (4) Feb 27 (4) Feb 26 (5) Feb 25 (4) Feb 24 (5) Feb 23 (5) Feb 22 (6) Feb 21 (6) Feb 20 (3) Feb 19 (6) Feb 18 (7) Feb 17 (4) Feb 16 (5) Feb 15 (7) Feb 14 (5) Feb 13 (5) Feb 12 (6) Feb 11 (8) Feb 10 (4) Feb 09 (6) Feb 08 (4) Feb 07 (3) Feb 06 (6) Feb 05 (3) Feb 04 (6) Feb 03 (4) Feb 02 (3) Feb 01 (4) Jan 31 (5) Jan 30 (4) Jan 29 (6) Jan 28 (3) Jan 27 (6) Jan 26 (6) Jan 25 (4) Jan 24 (5) Jan 23 (5) Jan 22 (5) Jan 21 (5) Jan 20 (5) Jan 19 (5) Jan 18 (4) Jan 17 (6) Jan 16 (4) Jan 15 (3) Jan 14 (5) Jan 13 (3) Jan 12 (4) Jan 11 (5) Jan 10 (3) Jan 09 (6) Jan 08 (5) Jan 07 (4) Jan 06 (5) Jan 05 (6) Jan 04 (4) Jan 03 (3) Jan 02 (2) Jan 01 (4) Dec 31 (3) Dec 30 (3) Dec 29 (5) Dec 28 (3) Dec 27 (3) Dec 26 (4) Dec 25 (4) Dec 24 (3) Dec 23 (4) Dec 22 (5) Dec 21 (3) Dec 20 (4) Dec 19 (4) Dec 18 (7) Dec 17 (5) Dec 16 (5) Dec 15 (5) Dec 14 (5) Dec 13 (3) Dec 12 (3) Dec 11 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2016 is a big year for American women. Last month, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to receive a major party nomination for president in the United States.

But does her nomination mean all restrictions on woman and their careers are gone?

The term glass ceiling is often used to describe an unseen barrier that stops women and minorities from moving up in their careers.

American small business owners said in an opinion survey that the glass ceiling remains in place, even with Hillary Clinton running for president.

Bank of America contacted 1,001 business owners from across the country for their opinion on the issue. Seventy-seven percent of the women, and 56 percent of the men said they believe the barrier still exists for some women and members of minority groups.

Aquila Leon-Soon is chief executive officer of Advance Talent Solutions, a company that helps non-profit groups and government with finding workers. She told VOA the glass ceiling is very real.

"I think that glass ceiling does exist and I would like for people to even think more about how it impacts women entrepreneurs.

Entrepreneurs launch businesses and are willing to risk money to make money.

The Bank of America survey found that 54 percent of women small business owners did not feel affected by the glass ceiling. But 46 percent said they had felt limited by it at some time in their careers.

Sharon Miller is head of small business at Bank of America. She told VOA the survey shows that more women small business owners are hopeful about their companies making money than men. And more women than men plan to grow their business over the next five years.

Miller said that "from 2015 to 2016, the number of men small-business owners expressing optimism about revenue and growth declined significantly, more than 15 percentage points.

Most American companies are small businesses -- ones with less than 500 employees. The U.S. Small Business Administration says small businesses make up more than 99 percent of American companies.

Miller says the survey found that women want to operate their own businesses.

When we asked why did you become an entrepreneur, why did you open your own small business, most of the women answered because I want to be my own boss, because I want to take control of my own destiny.

She added they found that women were not opening businesses because they were unhappy in their old job.

Those are running towards something, not away. So it wasnt because I was unhappy in my previous role or didnt like it, its that I wanted to build something for myself.

A big part of getting a business started is finding the capital, or money, to finance it.

Some people may have to use credit cards, or borrow money from family or friends, or get traditional loans for their businesses. The survey found that more than one in four women still feel they do not have the same access to capital as men.

Leon-Soon knows about that. She says, the first time she went to a bank to get a loan to pay her employees, she was rejected. Now that her company is established, she does not have trouble getting money.

But she says people are still surprised to find women in top leadership.

Often I am asked, and people are surprised, theyre like, well, can I talk to your boss? And I say, I am the boss. Theyre like REALLY?!

She says people are also surprised when they find out a successful company is led by a woman.

And that shows that as a nation we have a lot more that we need to do to change the way people view entrepreneurs, and how successful women can be.

And that most likely means there is a lot more work to be done to make that glass ceiling disappear.

Im Anne Ball.

Bernard Shusman reported this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball wrote it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

glass ceiling - n. an unfair system or attitudes that prevents some people from getting the most powerful jobs

survey  n. questions asked to gather data on a group

optimism  n. a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future

decline - v. something that goes down in numbers

boss  n. the person in charge of employees

destiny  n. what will happen in the future
Three leaders of Hong Kongs pro-democracy protests in 2014 were sentenced on Monday. All three avoided jail time.

A judge sentenced Joshua Wong, 19, to 120 hours of community service. Nathan Law, 23, was ordered to perform 80 hours.

The most famous leader of the protests, 19-year-old Alex Chow, was sentenced to three weeks in prison. But his sentence was suspended for a year while he attends school in Britain.

The three student activists entered a fenced-off area of Hong Kongs government offices in September 2014. They were protesting Chinese government plans to restrict elections in Hong Kong. Police detained the young men and other protesters.

The arrests led to a massive demonstration along major Hong Kong streets. The protest shut down much of the territory for 79 days.

Judge June Cheung said she handed down light sentences because the three men had no previous criminal history. She said the court also felt the activists did not mean to harm anyone else or to help themselves by their actions.

The court believes the three defendants are expressing their views and demands genuinely out of their political beliefs or their concern for society, the judge said.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The territory has autonomy from China, but the government in Beijing has refused to grant full democracy.

Pro-democracy activists have expressed concerns that China is moving to reduce personal freedoms in Hong Kong.

The three activists spoke outside court after the sentences were announced. Chow said the protests showed that the people are advocating self-determination, or even Hong Kong independence.

It is out of their frustration and their hope for a better Hong Kong, a more democratic Hong Kong, a more just Hong Kong, he said.

Wong promised to keep pushing for political reforms in Hong Kong. He said by taking part in non-violent protests, he can show his commitment and persistence to fight for human rights, democracy and freedom in Hong Kong.

Im Ashley Thompson.

Richard Green reported this story for VOANews.com. Bryan Lynn adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

sit-in  n. protest in which people stay in one spot and refuse to leave until their demands are met

tear gas  n. gas that makes peoples eyes hurt, used by police or military to control crowds

assembly  n. group gathered in a place for a common purpose

benefit  v. to be useful or helpful

genuinely  adv. in a truthful way

autonomy  n. the right of a country or group to govern itself

advocate  v. express support for a cause

persistence  n. continue to do or pursue something
Dozens of vehicles, including semitrailers, were involved in a deadly crash in heavy fog Wednesday on Interstate 5 in Oregon. Oregon State Police told KOIN-TV that one person was killed in the multi-vehicle crash that happened in the southbound lanes of the interstate north of Eugene. About 60 vehicles, including up to 20 semitrailers, were involved in the crashes Wednesday morning that spanned more than a mile. Police say the Department of Environmental Quality responded to address leaking fluids from six of the semitrailers. School buses from Eugene were reportedly sent to take several dozen stranded motorists to a nearby truck stop. Authorities believe the fog led to the crash.
The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
LEXINGTON, Neb. - Walking into Los Arcos Restaurant is like walking into a hacienda dining room in Mexico. You better be ready to eat.

The Mexican restaurant, located at 1108N. Adams, is connected to Vazquez Market. Both businesses are owned by Gerardo Vazquez, of Chihuahua,Mexico. The restaurant has been open for 14 months.

"The restaurant was an idea of incorporating the market and taking advantage of the space and the customer base," Vazquez said.

The menu for Los Arcos includes a varied menu, from steak meat with shrimp to enchiladas to Chimichangas with chicken, a favorite of Americans, he said.

The interior of the restaurant dazzles visitors with bright colors on the walls, with paintings of Mexican life and historical figures by the booths with tables. Each table area is covered with a curved painted decoration similar to thatched hacienda buildings in Mexico.

"I wanted to have the design of the restaurant be typical of Mexico. I had a variety of painting helpers design the restaurant. Everything, chairs, tables, walls are all handmade and hand-painted," he said.

Customized orders are gladly accepted at Los Arcos, meaning items on the menu can be changed to fit the requests of customers, Vazquez said.

Daily specials are available at Los Arcos, which has happy hour Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. with 99 cent margaritas and special priced beers.

The restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
Google makes most of its money by showing ads to users of its online services. So it makes sense that the company has been exploring ways to help users get online, ranging from internet-delivered-by-hot-air-balloons to an unusual cellular service that lets subscribers access the internet using a range of mobile and WiFi networks.

But one of the companys most ambitious projects has been an effort to bring gigabit internet service to communities through Google Fiber. Rollout has been relatively slow, though, and Google Fiber is only available in half a dozen US cities and metropolitan areas.

Now the Wall Street Journal reports that Google is exploring other ways to pipe high-speed internet service to homes and businesses.

According to the WSJ report, Google is finding that the process of digging up streets and laying fiber-optic cables is more expensive and time consuming than anticipated.

So the company is said to be exploring other options such as leasing fiber from other networks or using wireless systems to deliver high-speed internet.

The report comes on the heels of an FCC filing form Google showing that the company plans to test wireless data transmission technology in up to 24 locations across the United States.

It also follows a similar WSJ report from June, when the chairman of Googles parent company Alphabet, suggested that Google was looking at wireless internet.

Its unclear if wireless service would be as fast or as reliable as a fiber optic service. But if Google can deliver broadband service thats cheaper or faster (or both) than whats offered by other internet service providers (ISPs) in an area, the competition could help drive down prices for everyone in a service area. And thatd be good news both for internet users and for Google whether youre actually using Google as an ISP or not.


Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean Cocteau
British actor Kenny Baker, who played the droid R2-D2 in the famous Star Wars films, died at the age of 81 after a long illness on 13 August 2016. Baker, who was only 3ft 8in tall, was suffering from a lung condition from the past few years.

After staring as the droid in the first Star Wars film in 1977, he reprised the role of the droid in other movies in the Star Wars franchise like The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, as well as the Star Wars prequel trilogy: Star Wars: Episode I  The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.

His filmography also includes films like The Elephant Man, Time Bandits and Flash Gordon which made him a household name in the eighties.

The Baker obituary on starwars.com included a quote from George Lucas, the director of the Star Wars franchise:

Kenny Baker was a real gentleman as well as an incredible trooper who always worked hard under difficult circumstances. 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.

Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, paid tribute to the star on Twitter.

Goodbye #KennyBaker A lifelong loyal friend-I loved his optimism & determination He WAS the droid I was looking for! pic.twitter.com/rd94OEYaHi  Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 13, 2016

The studio behind the original Star Wars films, 20th Century Fox, posted a still of R2-D2 and C-3PO on twitter:

Rest in peace, Kenny Baker, the heart and soul of R2-D2. pic.twitter.com/NqOpxotxyK  20th Century Fox (@20thcenturyfox) August 13, 2016

Ewan McGregor, who played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three Star Wars prequels, tweeted:

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

Actor Daniel Logan, who played Boba Fett in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, tweeted:

So sad to hear one of my dearest friends passed away. Rest in peace Kenny Baker. Love you. Will miss you! pic.twitter.com/FosdwNysGk  Daniel Logan (@Daniel_Logan) August 13, 2016

Baker was a consultant on the last Star Wars production - The Force Awakens - but British actor Jimmy Vee was already lined up to take on the role of R2-D2 in the next film, due for release in 2017.
Na Muthukumar was one of Tamil cinemas leading lyricist; he has won the prestigious National Awards twice. His untimely death at the young age of 41 has sent the Tamil film industry into mourning.

Almost the entire industry including galaxy of writers, directors and top stars like Vijay turned up for his funeral. Muthukumar was very popular as he had made a refreshing change to Tamil film music with his simple lyrics, which were turned into many melodies that went on to be chart-busters.

Muthukumar had worked with the entire pantheon of top music directors like Ilaiyaraja, AR Rahman, Harris Jayaraj, Yuvan Shankar Raja, GV Prakash and many others who churned out hit after hits. He has written lyrics for nearly 1500 songs in the last 15 years.

For the last three years, he holds the record for penning the maximum number of Tamil film songs. He has about a dozen films coming up for release and is said to have also penned a song for Rajinikanths forthcoming Shankar directed 2.O under the baton of AR Rahman.

The lyricist created magic best with young music directors like Yuvan Shankar Raja and GV Prakash . Muthukumar songs could reach across to the youth, as he understood their pulse, whether it was a love failure song (Kadhal Valarthen from Manmadhan) or just plain romantic song (En Kadhal Solla from Paiyaa).

The youth loved his songs because it was easy to roll on the lips and was uncomplicated. Muthukumar was also a writer and had written the screenplay of a couple of films early in his career. He had also written Silk City, a novel based on four generations in Kancheepuram where he grew up.

Poet Vairamuthu wrote a moving obituary in The Hindu on Na. Muthukumar, Fate has snatched away from us a lyricist who delved deep into literature. The Tamil film world has seen only a few lyricists who had a masters degree in Tamil. In a short span he wrote many songs. In the life of a writer, the forties is a period that witnesses a transition from emotion to intellect. This is not an age to die, but an age of achievement.

GV Prakash who has worked with him in almost all his films remembers, I got launched with Veyil, whose songs were written by him. Muthukumar was sought after because his lyrics were simple yet descriptive. He could write a song to the tune I give and at times under an hour he had the lyrics ready for the situation in the film, which is fabulous. And his knowledge of Tamil literature made him a soulful poet.

Another new generation popular lyric writer Madhan Karky, who was close to Muthukumar told Firstpost,  Muthukumar has penned the maximum number of songs in the last decade. Most of them were hits. His songs used simple words to express a wide range of emotions that could connect to the present generation. Even in the last few months he was working on songs for many movies including Shankars Two Point O.

Karky also pointed out that Na.Muthukumar was one of the few to raise his voice against royalty issues. He was against the policy to write off all rights. Karky remembers, He once said to me that if I die one day, my family should receive the royalties for my songs. I hope it happens someday so that all musicians and writers will thank Muthukumar.

Listen to Na Muthukumar's most popular songs (in no particular order):

Veyilodu Vilayadi, Film: Veyil, Music Director: GV Prakash

2. Suttum Vizhi Chudare, Film: Ghajini, Music: Harris Jayaraj

3. Ballelekha, Film: Sivaji, Music: AR Rahman

4. Devathai Kanden, Film: Kadhal Konden, Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja



5. Ninaithu Ninaithu, Film: 7G Rainbow Colony, Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja



6. Adada Mazhai Da, Film: Paiyaa, Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja



7. Ananda Yaazhai, Film: Thanga Meengal, Music: Yuvan Shankar Raja



8. En Jeevan, Film: Theri, Music: GV Prakash



9. Aval Appadi Ondrum , Film: Angadi Theru, Music: Vijay Antony



10. Azhage Azhage , Film: Saiva


Ranveer Singh is having the time of his life vacationing in Switzerland amidst some very busy shoots.

The actor just wrapped up filming YRF's Befikre in Paris. He decided to take a detour and spend some 'me' time in Switzerland and has been sharing photos of his antics on his Instagram account. Suffice it to say that we are jealous.

Judging by the amount of suitcases, we hope he isn't moving away permanently?

I prefer to travel light Viszlat Budapest A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 11, 2016 at 4:38am PDT

And of course he travels business class. This is en-route to Budapest.

Off for a Howl-iday w my homeboys...So friggin' excited!!! Chal...can you guess where I'm going?? #euro #trippin A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 11, 2016 at 7:20am PDT

He is in Switzerland. Dont miss the cool shades!

Room with a view! #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND #Lucerne @myswitzerlandlive A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 1:32am PDT

Here is Ranveer Singh doing quirky Ranveer Singh things in Switzerland.

Speed Demon ! ! ! #Tobogganing #MtPilatus #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 3:46am PDT

The woods of Switzerland seem the right place to sprout some poetry by Robert Frost.

Well said, Ranveer.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep , But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep... #serenity A photo posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 12, 2016 at 5:58am PDT

Here's one more picture of our favourite actor enjoying the greenery in Switzerland. We just hope he doesn't like so much that he packs his bags and moves there permanently.

Nomadic soul.. just passing through this life #Interlaken #GoldenPass #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 13, 2016 at 7:43am PDT

Of course it's important to try your hand at new things in foreign lands.

Spin it to win it ! #FunkyChocolateClub #inLOVEwithSWITZERLAND @myswitzerlandlive A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 13, 2016 at 11:18am PDT

Ranveer Singh tries to pull an SRK.

HAD to be done! @iamsrk #JuhiChawla @yrf A video posted by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on Aug 14, 2016 at 8:27am PDT

Amidst the snow-clad vacation festivities, he also took some time out to take a picture of a happy couple, who happily posed for him, clearly unaware that Ranveer was a superstar back in India. They only realised it when the photo went viral on social media. Here's the picture:
Kangana Ranaut has paid a tribute to the Indian armed forces in a video.

The anthem titled Love Your Country was released on Friday online. It focuses on social issues such as rape, female infanticide, child marriage, dowry and apathy, read a statement.

The 3 minute-long video has Kangana saluting and lip syncing 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 Modis Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
New Delhi: Finding banks working under the fear of CBI and CVC as "bizarre", a Parliamentary panel has asked lenders to take decision on financing of stressed assets as per their "own wisdom" and on the basis of the projects viability.

Finding that total NPAs of Rs 2.6 lakh crore may go up to Rs 4 lakh crore on account of defaulting infrastructure projects, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, headed by Kanwar Deep Singh, also recommended banks can be empowered to make recovery of bad debts.

"The Committee finds it bizarre that the banks work under the fear of CBI and CVC... Banks should take a decision on its own whether a particular NPA is to be financed or not and it should be done on the banks own wisdom under the permissible capacity of the banks," the panel said in a report which was tabled in Parliament last week.

The panel suggested that bank should see viability of the project  whether lending some more money will give their due returns.

"Every decision if taken in a transparent way and approved by a Committee consisting of more than two officials based on laid-down principles, there should not be any cause for fear of investigation by CVC, CBI and other enforcing agencies," it said.

Noting that model concession agreement of NHAI was not acceptable to banks, it said that the agreement may be circulated to all the banks and financial institutions and the input and feedback received may be incorporated.

"Every effort may be made to ease out the bad debts. It is good that the RBI has already taken steps for converting debts into equity and the contractors are allowed to get out of the projects in case of a default. Need for higher government allocation is also emphasised and the banks NPA may be supported by government allocation," it said.

Asking the government to consider empowering the banks adequately to make the recovery of bad debts easier it said, "For example, in case of a default, the banks may be allowed to take over the entire company."

Saying that total NPAs of banks due to defaulting infrastructure projects is at Rs 2,60,000 crore and may go up to Rs 4 lakh crore, the committee also said the banks have demanded that the money of the loan given to road sector be allowed to be restructured.

This "may be considered along with proposal for making adequate provisions in the model concession agreement for cost escalation of the projects. In case of time overrun due to the reasons which are beyond the control of the promoters the projects may be re-assessed and the project cost may be refixed accordingly also needs to be seriously considered for adoption," it recommended.
The thing about near term is that we tend to overestimate impact. And underestimate the impact of it over long term. Impatience of braying anchors, combined with instant pundits on social media means that a culture of short-term wins weighs over long term success. Unfortunately, this world of instant opinion has undermined the capacity of the governance class to plan and execute for the long term. The pressure on the governance class that includes both the bureaucrats and politician is immense.

On our 70th Independence Day we need to look at the long-term economic challenges that we face. The world around us is changing rapidly.

The world economy has changed dramatically since 2008, the old models are no longer functional. The links between productivity and technology seems to be broken. Intensive growth which means a more equitable growth for the population is now not possible in market lead model. The market economy itself is being questioned as a solution. Pikettys research data seems to be in question by the bastions of market economy like WSJ and Financial Times. The data might be wrong but there is no question that 1 per cent of the richest classes benefited more from the market economy.

Even job creation from the traditional manufacturing industry has changed rapidly, and policy makers are yet to take recognize it. A cement plant today employs one-tenth the manpower it did 10 years back. Manufacturing 4.0 is dependent on automation, digitization and customization employing less, but more skilled.

Indian governments most-hyped program Make in India is focused on generating manufacturing but it will not generate jobs, even if it does give a fillip to manufacturing. Though that does not mean it should be abandoned, but the government cannot rely on it for generating all the jobs that the Indias burgeoning population needs.

The solution suggested is services, by many including Nandan Nilekani. There are certainly new services that will develop and evolve due to digitization of the economy. But there is a massive destruction underway in the services sector, particularly in the IT services and BPO sector. Automation can and will cut jobs to one tenth in this sector. And the new jobs will not come to India.

Take one area--Receivables as a process. It comprises of almost 40 per cent of the employees working in the BPO sector in India. This process basically involves reconciling receipts with the entry and is a manpower intensive process. Now, there are solutions available that use algorithms, artificial intelligence and big data analysis to identify the discrepancy without manual checking.

New companies from Russia, promising such a solution are already there in the market, getting funded and bagging contracts. So the job engine that the outsourcing industry had created in India is going to first slow down and then change. While disruptive companies like Ola, fintech startups will create new jobs, the powerful outsourcing job engine will slow down.

The services jobs that fintech and other start-ups will create are not because of any specific government programs. Missions like Start-up India are misguided in terms of the very approach. Funding start-ups is not the governments job. SIDBI or any other government body has little capability in analyzing or taking risks. Moreover, the government should not be using public funds to take risks that private capital capable of taking.

The risk capital that the government should be deploying should be in skilling its citizens over a lifetime. The way Singapore does it. At the beginning of this year, it launched a program called SkillsFuture. What the government has done is to ensure that every single Singapore citizen [age 25 and over] has a SkillsFuture account. A certain amount of money is put into that account every year. That money can be used toward reskilling an individual for the rest of his or her life because many of the skills that need to be built will have to be built as an adult, and they will have to evolve through that adults life.

Indian policy maker still fail to see the mega trends that will play out over the next 15 years.

China played the globalization trend to its advantage by creating global scales of manufacturing. It created that trend, its economy rode on it, the trend is ebbing and so is growth in China. We cannot create a model based on globalization anymore. But we do need understand the mega trends and create on that combines our strength in manufacturing, services and agriculture. Yes, we need to break this silo thinking on sectors to create a holistic view of the economy.

The Indian model has to be one that will create leadership and drive a global mega trend not one that is borrowed or from the past. We have for a very long time believed in individuals and not systems. In the process we have forsaken our future for the present.

Any 15 year planning will move beyond individual leadership to systemic leadership. If this Independence Day we can gain freedom from our past methods and create new systems, we can really celebrate this day as we were truly free.

(The writer is a policy commentator based in New Delhi. He tweets @yatishrajawat)
So, how much money did the government save by implementing direct benefit transfer (DBT) in cooking gas  the PAHAL scheme  in 2015-16? Is it Rs 9,211 crore, as the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas claims? Or Rs 5,107 crore as the oil marketing companies (OMCs) estimate? Or Rs 4,813 crore, as the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) suggests in its report on the implementation of the scheme?

Should that matter, really?

Its not as if the Ministry of Petroleum has caused any loss to the exchequer by quoting the higher figure. Its really all about how the saving was calculated. The Ministry assumed all those who were not part of PAHAL (and hence not entitled to subsidy) would have consumed 12 cylinders a year; the CAG went by the national average consumption of 6.27 cylinders. The OMCs went by the 6.27 usage figures, but considered the subsidy rate of 2014-15; this threw up a higher level of savings because global oil prices had come down sharply in 2015-16. The CAG estimation corrected both these problems and came to a lower figure. There is nothing more to it.

These quibbles aside, is a saving of Rs 4,813 crore something to be scoffed at?

Yet another figure that is thrown up to belittle the success of PAHAL relates to the contribution of falling oil prices. The CAG report notes that the actual subsidy payout in the April-December 2015 period was Rs 12,084 crore against Rs 35,400 crore in the April-December 2014 period  a reduction of Rs 23,316 crore. But only Rs 1,763 crore of this is due to reduced offtake of cylinders, the report points out; a significant Rs 21,552 crore was on account of reduced subsidy rate due to lower oil prices.

But once again, is a reduction of Rs 1,763 crore in the subsidy bill something to be dismissed as insignificant?

Splitting hairs over the extent of savings on account of PAHAL does not take away from the main point  that PAHAL has scythed the subsidy bill. No more proof of concept is required.

The fiscal savings story may be validated, but the leakage/diversion elimination story, unfortunately, is not.

The CAG report found that the sale of non-subsidised domestic LPG cylinders had shot up after the implementation of PAHAL. As many as 8,023 domestic consumers used up more than 24 cylinders a year in 2015-16, more than double of 3,070 consumers who did so in 2014-15. Now since subsidy is available for only 12 cylinders a year and the rest have to be bought at market prices, on the face of it, PAHAL appears to have checked diversion of subsidised cylinders.

But that, according to the CAG report, maybe too pat an explanation. There is still, it points out, quite a large price differential between non-subsidised domestic LPG and LPG for commercial use. A commercial cylinder costs at least Rs 233.20 more than a non-subsidised domestic cylinder. In contrast, the price difference between a subsidised and non-subsidised domestic cylinder is only Rs 99.86. So there could still be a risk of domestic cylinders being diverted for commercial use. The CAG is not going out on a limb and saying this is happening but is red-flagging the issue.

How is this possible, given Aadhaar-based subsidy delivery and weeding out of duplicate accounts, one may well ask?

This is where PAHAL does not seem to have helped. The CAG found multiple LPG connections with the same Aadhaar number or same bank account as well as duplicate connections with the same name and address.

In the case of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), the CAG audit found 1400 LPG connections linked with 700 Aadhaar numbers  a clear case of duplication. Half of these were active consumers. There were also 14,918 consumer IDs lined with 6,614 bank accounts and IFSC numbers. In the case of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), there were 43,323 LPG consumer IDs linked with 21,504 bank accounts and IFSC numbers. The CAG audit also threw up cases of multiple connections having the same Aadhaar number across different OMCs - 74,180 LPG consumer IDs linked to 37,090 Aadhaar numbers.

Across OMCs, the CAG audit also found 15,885 consumers with the same name and same address (indicating duplicate connections) with 34,729 LPG connections linked to them. As a result of these various kinds of duplications, the audit found that 8,707 consumers across OMCs had availed of subsidy for more than 12 cylinders in 2015-16, though to PAHALs credit this is way below the figure of 37,499 consumers who availed of more than 12 subsidised cylinders in 2014-15 (remember that PAHAL kicked off only in November 2014).

The CAG audit also threw up cases of distributors not linking the Aadhaar numbers of consumers with their LPG connection IDs as well as incorrect seeding, 55,407 LPG connections in the names of minors (which is not allowed).

Clearly technology has its limits  it works when humans handling it do it efficiently or without crooked intent; but it is not too intimidating a bar for those determined to game the system. But it could equally be argued that the Aadhar-based de-duplication system has helped bring these discrepancies to light.

The CAG report on PAHAL, far from being a damning indictment of the scheme as detractors would like to portray it, actually shows that it has helped in generating considerable savings. The government now needs to fix the other problems it has highlighted so that the savings  no matter how they are calculated  can be even higher.
We celebrated 15 August in the same way at my school, every year  an obligatory march past, the ceremonial flag hoisting followed by a cultural programme. It was not a holiday for us as attendance was compulsory. Every year, standing out on the school field, the same thought used to run through my head: Why do we pick this wailing banshee (a fellow student) to sing all the songs?

After making sure I collected the snack boxes, I used to head home only to sit in front of the telly to watch JP Duttas high on jingoism Border and later, when Lagaan released, the Aamir Khan-starrer proved to be a better entertainer. I moved on to Mani Ratnams Roja when I developed a teenage crush on Arvind Swamy.

The point is, Independence Day was spent hardly dwelling on the history of the countrys freedom struggle and the peoples movement it brought about. Blame it on the sense of entitlement that my generation is usually identified with.

This year, the Narendra Modi government has issued a diktat (lets call it 'instruction') to schools across the country for the celebration of freedom fortnight, 'Azadi 70  Yaad Karo Kurbani', from 9-23 August. The circular from the Ministry of Human Resource Development stated that activities should include mass singing of the national anthem, greeting card painting for the jawans posted on the border, slogan and essay writing and talks on on the 'Freedom Struggle of 1857'. The irony of a government issuing orders to celebrate freedom cant be missed.

A government circular to encourage students to remember Indias freedom struggle and leaders who made it possible and to instill feelings of patriotism and nationalism cant be such a bad idea. Then again the self-styled nationalists of our country have gotten into the habit of categorising the citizens into nationals and anti-nationals. Given the existing political climate, a person runs the risk of being labelled anti-national, if he/she chooses to not participate in these freedom fortnight celebrations.

The exponents of nationalism in India have a bizarre way of defining this feeling. It is perfectly logical for these nationalist vigilantes to play the national anthem before a movie to force feelings of patriotism even though all movie-goers care about is Great Grand Masti. An Bollywood star can get away with making statements like, When I used to walk out of that ring, it used to be actually like a raped woman walking out, but an actor is forced to face sedition charges for making an honest confession that he is alarmed by the rising intolerance in the country, with his wife even suggesting leaving the country.

Last year, a man was lynched by a mob for allegedly possessing beef and a month ago, four Dalit youths were brutally assaulted by self-styled gau rakshaks. The entire horrifying episode was recorded and shared. With a state in turmoil and vote bank at stake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally spoke against the cow vigilantes during his town hall address on 6 August, It makes me angry that people are running shops in the name of cow protection. Most of them are anti-social elements hiding behind the mask of cow protection. But he didnt assure any harsh punishment or stringent law to curb the power of the cow vigilantes; state governments to prepare a dossier on such people was his only assurance.

In a country where violence is unapologetically meted out over an animal, terms like 'ghar wapsi' become political agenda, students are termed anti-nationals for not saying Bharat Mata ki Jai, a mother-daughter pair is gang raped, but the so called torch-bearers of law and order choose to engage in political rhetoric, the governments diktat to celebrate Independence Day with freedom fortnight and tiranga yatra simply comes across as coercion and an attempt to perpetuate the divisive politics that has become more pronounced lately. Will a tiranga yatra manage to restore faith of the many Kashmiri youths, who feel so alienated by the government, that they choose to make a martyr of a Mujahideen commander? If students are getting a list of dos and don'ts for 15 August, they will probably soon be marked anti-national instead of failed in their report cards.

Eminent professors and authors including Noam Chomsky, Orhan Pamuk, Akeel Bilgrami had issued a very strong statement when protests erupted in Jawaharlal Nehru University after the arrest of JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly raising anti-India slogans during a student rally. It stated:

We can only conclude that this arrest is further evidence of the present governments deeply authoritarian nature, intolerant of any dissent, setting aside Indias longstanding commitment to toleration and plurality of opinion, replicating the dark times of an oppressive colonial period and briefly of the Emergency in the mid-1970s.

The cheerleaders of nationalism in India seemed to have confused the term with freedom of expression. Any form of dissent against authority or a voice that is not in line with the political ideology is being equated with being anti-national. This is, however, not a new trend as it saw manifestations under different regimes in India.

Noted historian Romila Thapar explained nationalism as:

Nationalism has a lot to do with understanding your society and finding your identity as member if that society. History is essential to a national ideology, but it has to be a shared history. It cannot be a history based on one identity, but has to be all inclusive.

She went on to say that "today efforts are being made to obfuscate the existing definition of nationalism. The nationalism draws on reliable history and not just on anyone's fantasy about the past.

In a country, where instances of racism, sexism, homophobia and violence against minority communities are unabashedly flaunted, the call for a fortnight of Independence celebration sounds hollow and oddly has a Trumpuesque lets make our country great again ring to it.
In April 2015, as reported by The Hindu, a bench of Madras High Court rebuked the judicial officers who pass single line orders without giving reasons for having arrived at a decision. By doing so, it reiterated an old saying that a judge should not speak but his judgments should.

Judiciary in any democratic setup is uniquely placed in the matrix of power structure, so in India. Judges of higher courts, on numerous occasions, through their judgments have defined and redefined this matrix of power structure. But this was long before My Lords chose to enter the debating space open to masses. Instead of reflecting their views in judgments and observations, sitting on the dais, they choose to speak publicly, allowing political undertones to permeate their words.

In a less than a week, for the second time on Monday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur expressed his displeasure over the logjam that has been created in judicial appointments. His displeasure was mixed with disappointment as his expectation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking up this issue in his Independence Day speech was dashed.

PM Modis silence on this issue miffed CJI Thakur, who on 12 August, while questioning the sense of mistrust, had warned the government that it would be forced to interfere judicially to break the deadlock.

While CJIs concerns are not entirely ill-founded, there lingers a very important question and adjoining doubts that need to be answered.

Why the logjam?

On 12 August, almost a week after the government declined to yield to the Collegiums objections in the memorandum of procedure (MoP) with respect to the executive having the final say in rejecting names on pretext of national security concerns, a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur rebuked the government while hearing a PIL on shortage of judges and delay in filling up vacancies.

We wont tolerate a logjam in judges appointmentit is stifling the judicial work. We will fasten accountability now. Why is there mistrust? If this logjam continues, we will be forced to interfere judicially. We will ask for every file that was sent to you by the Collegium, the CJI was reported to have remarked.

A pertinent question to ask here is whether this logjam created only by the executive. The fact remains that a host of constitutional experts Firstpost spoke to last month felt that the Collegium system needs to be revamped and highlighted numerous cases of nepotism in judicial appointments.

Indira Jaising, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court, speaking to Firstpost last month, said that strong lobbies exist in judiciary that promote nepotism. The appointment of judges to constitutional courts or indeed to any court needs to be totally transparent to be truly considered independent. A judiciary which claims independence from the executive must also be independent form vested interests and powerful cast and class lobbies. Today, I cannot say with confidence that such independence exists. The data from previous appointments show that children of judges become judges, that even within the judiciary, lobbies exist. These lobbies are invisible but they sometimes surface during periods of tension or when critical decisions are taken. So entranced is the vested interest that even at the stage of designation of Senior Counsel, the aristocracy of the legal profession gets preference.

On 12 August, while admonishing the government for the logjam, the bench said that 75 names for appointment as judges have been recommended by the Collegium in the last eight months after the Supreme Court quashed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) but there was no response from the government.

Again, the concern raised by the apex court was right but several recommendations made by the Allahabad Collegium were put under scanner after serious allegations of nepotism was made in recommending the names. While the interference in judicial appointments has been rejected by most of the constitutional experts, most of them agreed to the ineffectiveness of Collegium in appointing judges.

While the conflict between judiciary and the executive in the first three decades following independence cantered around the larger cause of protecting the fundamental rights and constitutional edifice of the country, developments since the 80s have given new dimension to the tug of war between judiciary and executive. The fight that ensued between the two branches of government after First Judges Case (1982) revolved around the role of executive in judicial appointments and judicial independence that culminated in NJAC Act to replace Collegium system for appointment of judges to higher judiciary and it being struck down by the apex court last year.

13 April, 2015 was a watershed in the constitutional history of India. The government notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014 for bringing a change in the existing system for appointing judges in Supreme Court and high courts. While the government thought that by creating a new body, it will be able to give a silent burial to the Collegium system, the judiciary was in no mood to cede the ground to the executive. The act was challenged and struck down last year in October.

Could not those numerous hearings on the validity of NJAC be used for reaching out on consensus, on method of appointment that would have suited both and have ensured prudent and fair judicial appointment? But both the branches took to mud-sledging each other. While the executive pointed out a judge who did not write even 100 judgments in 15 years of his tenure, in spite of the fact the collegium brought laurels to him, the judiciary retorted in the same language by questioning the government as to why they rewarded the same person with a post in the national human rights commission.

Anupam Gupta, Senior Advocate, Punjab and Haryana High Court, who in the last three decades has highlighted the issue of nepotism time again, feels judiciary has done very little to mitigate the problem of nepotism.

Gupta, talking to Firstpost, said, I am totally opposed to the appointment of judges relatives as judges. Inbreeding and nepotism has long been the bane of the Indian judiciary all over the country. The problem is truly endemic and pan-India and very little, if at all, has been done by the judiciary to mitigate it. The 2015 NJAC judgment of the Supreme Court conveniently steers clear of the problem. The judgment stretches the conflict of interest principle (in relation to the Executive participation in judicial appointments) far beyond any known jurisprudential boundaries but turns a blind eye to the problem with in the judiciary itself. It is definitely a brave judgment but only politically and not morally.

In March this year, speaking at Sesquicentennial celebrations of Allahabad High Court, President Pranab Mukerjee said that there are a total of 1056 sanctioned posts of judges in the country out of which only 591 judges have been appointed till now.

In March last year, department of justice in the ministry of law informed the parliament that 26,851,766 cases were pending in subordinate courts. This figure has remained unchanged since at least 2012. The number of cases pending in all the courts, including the high courts and Supreme Court, was estimated to be upwards of 3 crore.

While the pendency is big issues, it is being majorly contributed by district courts. Supreme Courts E-Committee recently released the latest statistics on pending cases in district courts, according to which there are more than 2.18 crore cases pending in district courts across the country, out of which more than 22.5 lakh cases have failed to be decided in the last 10 years.

Can we say that this lag between the number of judges required and the number of cases pending exists and, for that matter, has been created in the last two years? Certainly not. It is a collective failure of all those who have been responsible for dispensing justice in the last 70 odd years.

While the appointment to higher judiciary is an imperative, given the fact that more than 2 crore cases are pending in districts courts, should not the apex court also think and focus on restructuring the lower judiciary to do away with pendency?

While the CJIs stern warnings and displeasure would ignite the debate between the two branches, it can hardly do any good to the crore of litigants waiting for justice.
New Delhi: Hitting back at Congress for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said the opposition party should condemn Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir instead of the PM's "inspiring" and "comprehensive" address.

Naidu lauded Modi's 93 minutes speech at Red Fort, terming it "great, inspiring and comprehensive" which "gives hope" to the youth. "It is unfortunate that our Congress friends r quick in condemning PM's speech rather than condemning Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir.

It is unfortunate tht our Congress friends r quick in condemning PM's speech rather than condemning Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir  M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) August 15, 2016

"Great, inspiring and comprehensive speech by the PM. Gives all the hope to our young generation," Information and Broadcasting Minister Naidu said in tweets.

Great, inspiring and comprehensive speech by the PM. Gives all the hope to our young generation.  M Venkaiah Naidu (@MVenkaiahNaidu) August 15, 2016

In a scathing attack, Congress accused Modi of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address. "PoK is our right, our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK," Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

In his address on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

In provocative remarks, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had on Sunday said that the country was 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.

Terming as "absurd" Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India had on Sunday strongly retorted that it, along with others in the region, has already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.
Tinsukia: Suspected ULFA- Independent militants exploded four bombs in various parts of Assam's Tinsukia district on Monday as the state celebrated the 70th Independence Day.

There was no casualty or injury in any of the explosions.

An improvised explosive devise (IED) exploded near Indira Gandhi School at Laipuli on the outskirts of district headquarters of Tinsukia town at 7.15 AM, the police said.

This was followed by another explosion in line no.6 of Badlabhata tea estate in Doomdooma area where the third IED was also set off at Masuwa locality, they said.

The fourth one exploded at Gamtumati in Philobari area where ULFA-I militants on 12 August night had shot dead two persons and injured six others in indiscriminate firing at Bahbon village.
New Delhi: Against the backdrop of recent attacks on Dalits, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said freedom can never be for the few and asked Indians to aspire for a country where ideas are not "crushed violently" by the forces of hate and mediocrity.

"When the forces of darkness threaten this liberty for some of us, as we saw in recent times, we must remember that freedom can never be for the few - it has to be for everyone.

Every human being in India has the right to dignity and the freedom to live and express themselves freely," he said in a message on Independence Day.

Gandhi said Indians are honour-bound to aspire to a country where nobody lives in fear and "where ideas flow freely and are not crushed violently by the forces of hate and mediocrity. We must insist and fight for this truth, at all times."

Rahul hoisted the national flag at the party headquarters here for the first time since he took over as the Congress Vice President three years ago. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who usually hoists the tricolour at the party office, was discharged from a private hospital on Sunday.

Senior party leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were present on the occasion.

Rahul said the generation which earned us the hard earned freedom is no longer with us but the Constitution is their precious gift. "It embodies the values, principles and ideals for which they fought, values they hoped would guide our brave young country. Now it is up to us."

Rahul's remarks come against the backdrop of attacks on Dalits as also on Muslims by cow vigilantes in the recent past.
Sarangpur (Gujarat): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday turned emotional as he paid his last respects to Pramukh Swami, the religious head of the Swaminarayan sect, saying he has lost a fatherly figure.

Recalling his close association with Pramukh Swami, who passed away last Saturday here, Modi called him his "father" as he was twice overcome by emotions during his 20-minute long speech made at a temple where Swami's mortal remains have been kept.

"Many of you might have lost a guru, but I have lost a father," Modi said, as he paused for nearly a minute to overcome the swell of emotions.

Calling him a "combination of grandeur and divinity," the Prime Minister said he knew Pramukh Swami from the time when he was not a public figure and showered praise on him for

bringing about reforms in the "saint" culture.

The mortal remains of the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami Maharaj have been kept at the temple till 17 August to

enable devotees and citizens to get a final glimpse.

Modi also paid floral tributes to the departed soul. Recalling a few instances of his "close association" with Pramukh Swami, Modi said Swami once asked him to address a gathering of saints of the Swaminarayan sect at a temple in Ahmedabad upon which he'd express his surprise, saying what were they (saints) going to gain from him.

"When I said this to Pramukh Swami, he said, no, the saints should know about the social reality as they have to work to take the society in the right direction," Modi added.

The prime minister also recalled Yogiji Maharaj, who initiated Pramukh Swami into Swaminarayan sect, and said the latter established an example on how a disciple should be.

"We have known Pramukh Swami as a guru. But looking at him, one also understands how a disciple should be," Modi said, as he recounted an instance of how Pramukh Swami fulfilled the desire of his guru by constructing the Akshardham temple on the bank of Yamuna river in Delhi.

"Long back, while strolling on Yamuna river bank, Yogiji expressed desire to Pramukh Swami to have a temple constructed on Yamuna bank. It was a desire informally expressed. After he passed away, as a disciple, Pramukh Swami constructed Akshardham to fulfil his desire," Modi said.

Modi said after he became the (Gujarat) Chief Minister, Pramukh Swami would ask him for the videos of his speeches which he'd listen and call him up to say that "you should not have used these words (referring to certain words used in his speeches)."

"(Pramukh Swami) taught me things that even my political guru did not teach me," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said Swami also knew a lot of things about him through intuition, as he recalled an instance of being called by him to Akshardham temple in Delhi during the time of its construction.

The Prime Minister said Pramukh Swami knew he had no money in his pocket and asked a disciple Brahmbihari Swami to pay him the money.

"I actually had no money in my pocket at that time," he said.

Modi further recalled how he received a call from Pramukh Swami -- and his mother -- in 1992 when he was at Srinagar airport in Jammu and Kashmir after unfurling a tricolour amidst tense situation at Lal Chowk.

The Prime Minister further said, "Swamiji assured 'Swaminarayan will do all good'. I was amazed in receiving his call and his caring words amidst such tension. The other call that I had received that day was of my mother."

Modi also remembered how two years ago he managed to persuade Swamiji to take food when he received a call from his disciples that he had given up on eating and his health was deteriorating.

"He accepted my request and I was told that he has started taking food. Such was the bond that we shared," the Prime Minister added.

"He always demanded grandeur and did not compromise on it. But as a saint he was divine," Modi said.

Modi said some time back, he talked to him over telephone even when he was not able to speak properly.

The Prime Minister said his words "must have consoled him." Modi also said how former President APJ Abdul Kalam termed him as a main element in the direction of achieving the vision of 2020.

"He (Swami) may not be with us today, but his presence will be felt by us all. We will continue to uphold the tradition set by him," said the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, thousand of devotees of Pramukh Swami Maharaj continued to throng Sarangpur for a glimpse of his mortal remains from across Gujarat. Swami will be cremated here on Wednesday.
Every year I put out this article or a form of it hoping someone will agree. Lonely me.

So far no one has patted me on the back and said, "Good for you, you have a point."

So, I soldier on.

I have no hesitation in celebrating all that is wonderful in my country. I am in awe of our diaspora that has made its mark around the world. Our people have reached the pinnacle of the arts and sciences. Our music resonates in every genre of sound. Indians have made business acumen their forte and whether it is retail or finance, aviation or shipping, trade or commerce, medicine or education, Indians are part of the spearhead at home and abroad.

On this canvas, I find it difficult to see any virtue in recalling the colonial yoke and celebrating Independence. We shouldnt have let the East India Company to tea into the country anyway. And our princely states gave in pretty easily. That was an aberration that lasted far too many centuries and while it is vital to remember the lessons from that history and that abject sell-out, todays 1.2 billion people no longer need pomp or splendour to mark the occasion.

From my point of view and without being far too dramatic, most Indians did nothing to achieve that freedom. Those who served in the armed forces in the Second World War or joined the bureaucratic civil services were all forms of semi-surrender.

If we have over run that island thats because it was a broken empire at the end of a brutal war and it was Britains need for rebuilding that spurred the 1947 departure of the jewel in that crown. Only a handful of super-patriots risked their lives to take on the colonists while the majority did nothing but aid and abet the invaders.

In Goa, there are still people who long for the yoke.

So, it is an annual indulgence in vanity that we hop around on 15 August and engage in self-congratulations. I'd rather this day was dedicated to the elimination of not just the common enemies of mankind like poverty, injustice and disease but also to the homegrown viruses of caste, corruption and an absence of hope against sexist prejudice, infanticide and greed.

Rather that than all that speech-making stuff that neither does anyone really need, nor is it any more relevant than the shibboleths and sermons and soda-water of the last half a century, present incumbents reading with mind-boggling insincerity from the very same script. The presidents speech is usually soporific and every embassy has to read it out aloud.

No, lets change the system, lets change the dynamics and talk on 15 August of what is to be, not what is.

The house is not in order. The current mood is sullen and hostile. The united fabric of India itself sometimes seems in jeopardy and the power of youth and technology is staggering and held in check by a very fragile rein. People want more in their quality of life. Their bristling sense of outrage at being left on the fringes is tangible.

The acid of the untruth-fed generations is eating through that resolve and no one really believes in the political promise any more than they do that a borrower will return their loan.

This year again, we will recall for a brief moment the Unknown Soldier without knowing why and certainly not prepared as a nation to do the men in uniform any reverence for the next 11 months and 29 days. Then the verbal volleys, replete with their hypocritical content will be hurled from a thousand microphones to tens of thousands on different TV screens and the martyrs of the past will be dusted and pulled out the drawer of distant memory, given a bit of a hurrah only to be wrapped again till next time.

Let the rope go. Its over. The British have gone. There is no need for this day to be special except as a mark of respect to those who fought for our freedom and for the fact that no foreign flag will fly on our ramparts again. Make 15 August count for more than window dressing.

Lets just leave it for 26 January, when we became a republic and take pride in that and lay down the bricks of the future on freedom, liberty and justice for all.
Jammu: Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh on Monday said the terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar was a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar. "Pakistan has been continuously doing such type of things and it always tries to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir and in the country. It is a desperate attempt ... every time they face defeat...their fate would be the same," Singh told reporters after an Independence Day function.

He said Pakistan has been using terrorism to weaken India, but its "nefarious designs" would not be fulfilled. "Terrorism is its (Pakistan's) instrument which it uses to weaken India but its designs would never be fulfilled," he said.

"Terrorism will devour Pakistan and would eliminate it. India is capable enough to deal with such type of acts", Singh said.

He warned Pakistan to mend its ways as it was on the "verge of disintegration". "Pakistan is standing on the verge of disintegration, be it Balochistan or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), people are running a movement for independence. If Pakistan does not mend its ways it will disintegrate," he added.

On the surfacing of Pakistani flags and Burhan Wani's posters in Srinagar on Sunday, he said the culprits of such acts would be punished as per the law. "This type of act is done by the anti-national elements supported by Pakistan. It's a long battle; we will never accept such attempts and those who are involved in such activities would be punished", he said.

In his Independence Day speech, the deputy CM said that attempts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere in the Jammu region also but the people foiled such nefarious designs.
New Delhi: CPI on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sending out message to Pakistan in his Independence Day address was "alright", but sought to know steps the Centre is going to take to restore peace in Kashmir. "The Prime Minister referred to PoK, Balochistan (in his speech). It is alright, but what about Kashmir? What the government is doing to defuse tension in the Valley and to win the confidence of people and restore normalcy?" CPI national secretary D Raja asked.

Raja asked Modi for his response to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti attributing the problem in Kashmir to "mistakes" committed by successive central governments starting from that of Jawaharlal Nehru.

"What is his response to Mehbooba's remark that national leadership has failed? Mehbooba and the BJP are in the government (in Jammu and Kashmir)," he questioned. Raja targeted Modi also for "not assuring" nation during his Independence Day speech that law of the land will prevail in the country in the wake of "atrocities" on Dalits and attacks on minorities by "certain outfits".

Raja sought to tear into Modi's claim that "previous governments were besieged with allegations while his is surrounded by expectations". He claimed that there has been "atmosphere of fear" among minorities as "certain organisations" are taking law into hand and asked Modi to ensure Constitution will be upheld in the country.

"After this government came to power, there is a sense of fear, insecurity...why minorities feel insecure? There is atmosphere of fear because of the lynching mob taking law into their hands. Why Prime Minister has not said the law of the land, Constitution will be upheld?" he asked.

On the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities, Raja said the Prime Minister should have had spoken about it again as "it was a historic moment and he was addressing the nation". The Prime Minister had denounced the alleged attacks on Dalits twice last week.

The Rajya Sabha member hit out at the Modi also for not making any mention of his "poll promises" such as providing two crore jobs a year and "bringing back" black money. "Prime Minister spoke on initiatives on several issues. Now the problem is he promised two crore jobs, black money, why it did not happen? After he became PM the wholesale price index has gone up. What is his answer?" he asked.
Chief Justice of India TS Thakur expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Independence Day at Red Fort on Monday. Thakur asked Modi to think of justice for the people of this country and that he was hoping that there would be mention on appointment of judges in the latter's speech.

Thakur added that he is at the peak of his career and he will not hesitate in speaking his mind.

#IndiaAt70 | Was hoping there would be a mention on appointment of judges in PM's I-Day speech: CJI TS Thakur  News18 (@CNNnews18) August 15, 2016

I think I have reached the peak of my career, so I don't hesitate in saying what I feel: Chief Justice TS Thakur  ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

The Supreme Court had recently expressed unhappiness over Centre's failure to implement the collegium's decision on transfer and appointment of judges and chief justices of high courts, observing "why there is mistrust", and asked the Attorney General to seek instruction from the government.

"The collegium has cleared 75 names of high court judges (for transfer/ appointment) but they have not been approved. I don't know why, where these files are stuck," a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice TS Thakur had said while hearing a PIL on the issue.

"Why there is mistrust? Judges who have been transferred by the collegium have not been transferred. We don't want all this," the bench also comprising justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had pointed out.

During the brief hearing, the bench referred to the rising vacancies of judges in the high courts and the increasing number of pending cases.

"The vacancy in high courts has risen to 43 percent and there are four million cases in the high courts. The whole system is collapsing," the bench had said.

Firstpost's Shishir Tripathi wrote that the Modi government and the Supreme Court of India are in deadlock over the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for the appointment of judges. "One of the biggest roadblocks in this is the issue of what may be called judicial dynasties or collegiums appointing relatives, friends, former colleagues and juniors. The government is deeply concerned over this because it strikes at the very root of merit and transparency in judicial appointments," he wrote.

With inputs from agencies
On Friday, during an all-party meeting on Kashmir, Narendra Modi had hinted at a radical shift in India's foreign policy. Firstpost had pointed out how the Prime Minister intends to fix India's biggest geopolitical failure till date by completely changing the rules of engagement with Pakistan. The bold, new strategy would include two major thrust areas. One, reclaiming India's writ over Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). Two, exposing globally Pakistan's gross human rights violations, brutalities and untold atrocities in Balochistan and PoK.

But it is one thing to outline a tactic while addressing heads of India's major political parties during a closed-door meeting and something quite another to announce it from the ramparts of Red Fort during an Independence Day speech in presence of the entire foreign diplomatic corps.

This wasn't just the Prime Minister "poking" a neighbouring country to earn some domestic brownie points. In fact, Modi's reference to PoK and Balochistan wasn't even aimed solely at Pakistan.

Considering that Pakistan-occupied Gilgit and Balochistan are regions through which the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passes, the Prime Minister was sending a message to more than just Islamabad. He just made a calculated move in the great game of chess against China, Asia's largest power and an aggressive, rising force in world politics.

"Today on this occasion from the Red Fort I want to speak a bit about the people in Balochistan, Gilgit, Baltistan, and PoK," Modi said during his speech to mark India's 70th year of Independence.

"The world is watching In the past few days people from areas such as Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me, wished me well and have expressed gratitude towards me. They are far away from us. I have never visited these places nor have I ever met them. When they respect and congratulate the Prime Minister of India, it gives me great joy It is a respect for 1.25 billion Indians. And so I want to thank the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK," Modi said.

'People of Balochistan,Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them' PM Modi pic.twitter.com/usvFpSUE9J  News18 (@CNNnews18) August 15, 2016

Though Modi didn't clarify why people from the troubled areas of PoK, Gilgit-Balitistan and Balochistan have approached him, he didn't need to. Pakistan's large-scale human rights abuses in these areas, which some Baloch activists allege are of genocidal proportions have been widely reported.

During a recent visit to India, Balochistan activist and womens leader Naela Quadri Baloch spoke to Times of India about the war imposed on Pakistan on people of Balochistan province for the last 15 years where 25,000 people including women and children are missing due to Pakistan's "kill and dump" policy. She spoke about mass graves and said "far from being simple human rights violations or missing persons issue, it has reached the level of genocide."

As Pakistan employs its security forces to crush the separatist movement with a brutal hand, it has given rise to widespread resentment and massive protests in Balochistan.

The situation has been further complicated by China, whose intention to use the CPEC to seek strategic depth inside Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir for installing military installations is clear. Head of ORF's Neighbourhood Regional Studies Initiative Ashok Malik recently pointed out in his piece how actual construction of roads and facilities make it evident that CPEC is aimed at serving a purpose quite different from its stated goal of being an economic corridor. "They seem to be designed to support military logistics. Both China and Pakistan are seeking a strategic depth in each others territories, and there can be only one possible target."

By invoking Balochistan's freedom struggle from the Red Fort, therefore, the Prime Minister on Monday was openly acknowledging the threat and targeting both Pakistan and China, whose CPEC depends on a safe passage from Gwadar Port.

There is no reason, however, to think that the international community is blind to Pakistan and China's foxtrot. In a recent piece for eptoday.com, European Parliament member Alberto Cirio wrote: "The CPEC has generated major resentment in Balochistan, and the Gwadar Port project is perceived as merely facilitating further exploitation of the area." The project allows China access to Balochistan from its western province of Xinjiang.

But India had so far appeared ambivalent if not disinterested towards Balochistan's struggle.

It is important to note, however, that Modi gave absolutely no indication of India supporting an armed insurgency against an elected government abroad. This caveat is significant. It tells us that even as India highlights human rights abuse in PoK and Balochistan, New Delhi shall use diplomatic means to ramp up global pressure on Islamabad. This serves a dual purpose. It gives India an effective counter-narrative strategy and also the moral high ground vis-a-vis Pakistan, whose sponsoring of terrorist forces to incite insurgency in Kashmir is well-documented.

The claiming of the moral high ground is a recurrent theme in Modi's message. Towards the end of his speech, he recounted two incidents to present a crucial distinction in the moral fibre of India and Pakistan that determines their respective foreign policies. This was an attempt to convince the global community that Pakistan cannot be hyphenated with India.

I want to place two pictures before the world There are those who believe in humanity and others who glorify terrorists, please weigh these two scenes," he said. "When innocent people are killed in violent acts of terrorism (in India), there are celebrations (in Pakistan). What kind of a government that is inspired by terrorism (is this), this is what the world needs to see and evaluate."

"In Parliament there were tears for all the innocents killed in Peshawar in the terror attack there by Pakistanis. Indian children were traumatized. This is the example of our humanity, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists." The reference was obviously to Pakistan describing Burhan Wani, whom India considers a terrorist belonging to the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, as a Kashmiri leader and a martyr.

This was Modi at his best, answering Pakistan's non-stop propaganda war and turning it around, exposing the hypocrisy behind Islamabad's approach.

If Modi's mention of Balochistan and Gilgit in an Independence Day speech shows a huge stiffening of rhetoric against Pakistan, it will be pertinent to remember that Modi arrived at this juncture after spending a considerable amount of time and energy playing the dove.

From gifting saris to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's mother to dropping down for impromptu chitchat, Modi has invested a lot of personal capital in building a relationship which he may have thought would be based on friendship instead of animosity. This 'new awakening', in that sense, has also been necessitated by a sense of personal betrayal.

This would also indicate that the time for dangling carrots is now over. Pakistan must be ready for some stick.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out Pakistan for "glorifying" terrorists and wondered what kind of a country it was that drew inspiration from terror, an apparent reference to the eulogising of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

Referring to Peshawar school attack in which more than 140 people, most of them children, were killed, the Prime Minister said India's Parliament and the country's schools and children had felt the pain as the country has strong foundation of humanity.

"But look at the other side where terrorism is being glorified. Where killing of innocents by terrorists is celebrated. What kind of terrorism-inspired life is it? What kind of government is which is inspired by terrorism? The world will need to understand the double standards," Modi said.

His comments came against the backdrop of Pakistan declaring Wani a "martyr" and organising programmes in his memory.

The Prime Minister asserted that India will not yield to terrorism and violence and asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to youth of Kashmir.
Birsa Munda, Sidhu-Kanhu Murmu, Jatra-Turia Bhagat (Bihar-Jharkhand), Rani Gaidinlu (Manipur), Veer Narayan Singh (Chhattisgarh), Alluri Sitarama Raju (Andhra Pradesh)  these are the few names of freedom fighters who contributed immensely to Indias struggle for Independence, yet remain mere footnotes or at best a paragraph in history books.

What about the rest who dont even get a mention?

This less illuminated area of Indias freedom struggle seems to have caught the eye of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who announced from the ramparts of Red Fort on Monday, on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, that the government would build museums in every state exclusively dedicated to tribal freedom fighters.

We want to have museums in each state dedicated to tribal freedom fighters, where their contributions and memoirs related to them would be displayed, said Modi in his address.

Historians such as Sumit Sarkar, and a few others have written about subaltern history but its reach has largely remained limited to academic circles. Modi wants the information to be disseminated among the common masses.

Is building museums enough?

Historians consider building museums dedicated to tribal freedom fighters a good idea, but they think theres a need to revamp the academic curriculum and incorporate the same in text books in a bigger way.

Modis idea of building museums in each state is a good idea and it should be done. But, there is also an urgent need to restructure our syllabi, where the contributions of lesser mentioned tribal freedom fighters get more space. New text books need to be written. This will help Indias young generation to know about tribal history, says Prof Saradindu Mukherji, member of Indian Council for Historical Research.

Along with tribal leaders, we need to highlight the contributions of peasants in the freedom movement. They contributed immensely and had been a major force in mass movements, adds Mukherji.

Modi was right when he said many big personalities associated with the freedom struggle have been named in text books and public domain. He said even not-so-big freedom fighters have been named. There is a need to recognize the unsung tribal heroes.

Among large number of tribal freedom fighters, Birsa Munda is the only tribal leader to have been elevated to mainstream level, as his portrait hangs in the Central Hall of Parliament.

The British projected the tribal uprising as a mere protest against British rule and not as a voice of freedom movement. The reason is that the British tried to impose their system on tribals, who were independent and out of the mainstream socio-legal framework. The British Raj put economic sanctions on tribals by forcefully introducing their system on them and it resulted into tribal uprising across the country. The tribals fought for Indias freedom at par with those in the mainstream. Undoubtedly, its commendable on the part of the PM to have expressed his willingness to address this issue long overdue, says Chhattisgarh-based archaeologist Rahul Singh.
When Aditya Gupta, one of the founders of iGenero, a digital and web solutions firm, wants to explain how powerful agitations spread across social media, he gives the example of the Indian freedom struggle.

Then too, outrage was communicated from one person to many, as a form of domino effect. But the many in this case was still relatively a small group of people, he says.

With social media, that many has grown to be a huge number.

In 2013, researchers at Beihang University of Beijing studied messages on Weibu, the Chinese version of Twitter. They wanted to look at what emotion spreads fastest on the platform; they did this by studying what emoticons were embedded in the messages that were shared the most.

What they found? That anger is the emotion that spreads fastest on social media. Joy was a distant second. (The other emotions that were studied included sadness and disgust.) The only instance in which anger might be outstripped by another emotion was awe  such as news of a landmark scientific discovery.

The very things that characterise social media  its contagiousness, wide reach and ability to organise people, the circumventing of traditional gatekeepers of information like news media or public relations teams  are what makes it so easy for outrage to spread on it.

Gupta equates it with a bush fire; like the domino effect he mentioned earlier  but on steroids.

A 2013 study found that people who were susceptible to internet rage were also angrier than the general population. In that sense, the outrage we see on social media is an extension of who we are as people.

Anger is also the emotion that gets us to act. The limbic system in the brain (which also controls fear and desire) is where anger originates: It primes us to act first, think later.

And social media doesn't require much effort of us; it is, as experts point out, costless: it takes nothing to click on a like button, or re-tweet or share. You have the satisfaction of being part of a movement without having done anything at all. There is a lower barrier to action.

What this means, is that anger can spread unchecked on social media frequently, in a way that it would very rarely in the offline world.

Slate for instance, looked at what had caused the most outrage on social media in 2014  the team found that there was one subject (whether this was a person, an issue or an event) for each day of the year.

Many of these triggers are genuine. They deserve our anger, and outrage. Many of these are also not as genuine.

(Elsewhere in this edition, you'll see why some incidents cause outrage and other equally worthwhile ones, don't.)

Where an individual may have vented his or her agitation over something to friends, family or by writing a letter or complaint or organising a meeting or door to door signature campaign, he or she now has a (potentially) vast audience, a proactive audience that can spread the message in very little time and across a very wide area.

Experts say that a social media crisis can spread in an hour. There's a factor called 'content velocity' that comes into play here, where the faster a piece of content garners reactions on social media, the higher it ranks on news feeds. So the faster people click, the greater the reach, and the more eyes that content will be placed in front of.

Typically, an outrage cycle begins with a controversy (which may have been reported by traditional media), the public piles on. This reaction of such a large number of people then becomes news, reports of which further intensify the anger. Then, the anger splinters  there's a group that's angry, and there are others who're angry at the first group for being angry! The outrage however, may lead to an apology or some form of (usually temporary) solution from the object of the anger, even as some sentiment over why are we outraging over X when there are so many other issues to be angry about in the world continues.

While outrage spreads very quickly on social media, it also dies out fairly soon. When describing the phenomenon, the phrase fangs of a rattlesnake and the attention span of a gnat has been used. As Americus Reed said, social media amplifies the illusion of outrage  of the million or so people expressing anger, barely 100 will take action that has some practical consequences.

Nikhil Wad, a digital media expert, says that the outrage culture on social media has certain consequences (and not just on the quality of discourse  studies have established that messages that invoke strong emotion are more popular on social media than fact, detail or information-based posts).

"Outrage culture has grown on social media at a very alarming rate. It has become so easy to lash out at someone. Call it a boon or a curse, but yes it's on the rise," says Wad. "And to make it worse, people in disguise troll people even more. Many create profiles just to bring down someone else."

While outrage on social media has had a positive impact in instances like the Delhi 2012 gangrape, the Lokpal Bill agitation etc, it has also made it very easy for trolls to target unsuspecting victims.

Wad gives the example of a girl who was relentlessly trolled when she incorrectly tweeted out an RIP message on Muhammad Alis death. "Within minutes, many caught on to the tweet and suddenly this girl's hitherto unknown profile became a troll magnet. She finally deleted her account, but several fake accounts were created under her name, and the trolling went on."

All of which makes one wonder  will anger management in today's world need a social media intervention as well? On that thought, we'll go find something to not outrage over.
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said it was the responsibility of the Centre to accord the special status to the state and implement all other promises made at the time of its bifurcation.

Addressing the Independence Day parade in Anantapur, he demanded the Centre immediately grant special category status to his state and create a railway zone to fulfill the promises.

Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, regretted that the central government was neither fully bridging the state's revenue deficit nor providing funds for the development of the state capital and construction of Polavaram project.

He also wanted the Centre to take steps to address the interstate issues between Andhra Pradesh and the newly carved state of Telangana.

Naidu said he was fighting without any compromise to make the Centre fulfill all promises and assurances given in Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

He repeatedly requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the handholding till Andhra Pradesh develops on par with the neighboring states.

Naidu spoke about what he called was injustices done to the state by previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government by dividing it in an unscientific manner.

He said the state was left to fend for itself in the absence of allocation of revenues and a state capital.

The Chief Minister said despite all the odds, his government tried to put the state's economy on track. He pointed out that during last financial year, the state achieved top position with a growth rate of 10.99 percent against the national average of 7.5 percent.

He claimed that the state is at second position after Gujarat in ease of doing business, third in attracting investments and number one in implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme.

Naidu said he had set a goal of making Andhra Pradesh one of the three developed states in the country by 2022, number one state by 2029 and the best state in the world by 2050.

The Chief Minister vowed to ensure development of the backward Rayalaseema region. He announced Rs 6,554 crore package for drought prone Anantapur district. Out of this Rs 1,767 crore will be used to free the district from drought.
On Monday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the revered Gujarat godman Pramukh Swami Maharaj at a temple in Sarangpur, around the same time an unprecedented Dalit rally in Una served a month-long ultimatum to his home state. The ultimatum stated to either fulfill communitys demands or face an intense rail blockade protest in the state.

State highways crisscrossing the region saw thousands of people in buses, chhakdas, auto-rickshaws, many walking towards the temple where Pramukh Swamis body has been kept for the last darshan. About the same time, spirited Dalit crowd marched towards Una where the self-proclaimed cow vigilantes had flogged four Dalit youths for allegedly skinning a dead cow on 11 July.

During this chaos, Gujarat governments official Independence Day event in Morbi, which falls in the same Saurashtra region, was held so peacefully that it almost went unnoticed.

Not less than 20,000 Dalits cheered Jignesh Mevani, convener of the Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti (Una Dalit Committee to Fight Atrocity), who at a public gathering said that the BJP and Sangh Parivar should stop testing the patience of Dalits and agree to their 10-point demand, including grant of 5 acres of land to each Dalit family in the state.

The protest march, or the Dalit padayatra that had begun from Ahmedabad on 5 August, concluded on Monday after snaking through scores of villages and towns en route receiving major response. Mahatma Gandhis Dandi yatra began with 76 people and more people joined in, we started with 70. The same spirit has arisen now with hundreds of people coming out in support, Mevani told Firstpost.

He was not wrong. This is for the first time in its history that Gujarat is witnessing such Dalit uprising and that too not mobilised by any political party. Jagdish Dulare from Alampura in Ranpur, who had taken a local bus to reach Una said, This agitation will not get over here. This fight will continue from here.

Your TV channels are more interested in that Pramukh Swami who died and that Modi who came to see him. We were shown in just in bits. Not a problem, we have seen such behavior since ages, Dulare added.

Dinesh Gaikwad, from RPI (Secular) Mumbai, said: Gujarat is witnessing such kind of an uprising for the first time, and we are here to express our solidarity. Echoing the same emotion Prashant Dilve added, Everyone believes Gujarat treats its Dalits well. See what happened to the four youths, hence the massive protest.

The padyatra covered a mind-boggling 350-km journey. People from several other states, like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh participated in it.

We give a 30-day ultimatum to the government to meet our demands. This is elaan-e-jung (battle cry). If they fail to do so, we will block rail routes. If a Patidar leader (Hardik Patel) can go to jail for nine months over demands of his community, I am ready to go for 27 months. When people from across the country will come out to support us they will say that they havent seen such a miserable model of development, said Mevani.

The crowd cheered Mevanis call for a jail bharo andolan (to court arrest in protest).

Mevani criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that while the PM spoke on the Dalit issue, he has been silent on the Thangadh issue in 2012 when three Dalit youths were killed in police firing.

Radhika Vemula, whose son Rohith studying in Hyderabad University committed suicide over discrimination in education, and the father of one of the victims of the Una incident unfurled the national flag amid a crowd of 10,000 people. Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union leader Kanhaiya Kumar, documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Dalit activist Martin Mackwan and ex-IPS officer Rahul Sharma were also present at the event.

Mevani, a journalist-turned-human rights activist, while taking a dig at the new land bill of the state government  which does away with the consent clause for farmers  said that they will also involve farmers in their fight for land rights.

Other key demands include alternative livelihood options, better policy and legal frameworks for protection against atrocities and prosecution of those involved in the Una incident.

In the towns and villages where the Dalit yatra reached, the leaders took a pledge from Dalits not to continue with the hierarchical occupation of disposing of dead cattle, a job carried out by a Dalit sub-caste.

While Vemula said that she is still awaiting justice for her sons death, Kanhaiya Kumar compared the Dalit yatra with BJP patriarch LK Advanis rath yatra in 1990, saying that while the former is to bring together various sections of the society, the latter divided the nation.
Srinagar: Five militants were killed as the army today foiled a major infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Kashmir.

"Alert troops noticed some suspicious movement along the Line of Control in Uri Sector in north Kashmir's Baramulla

district this morning and challenged the intruders," an army official said.

He said the intruders opened firing towards the army positions which was retaliated by the soldiers.

"Two militants were killed in the initial exchange of firing while three others were killed late in the day," the official said.

He said search operations were continuing in the area till reports came in.

He said arms, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered from scene of the gunbattle.

This is the fourth infiltration bid foiled by the army along the LoC in Kashmir in the past three weeks, killing 12 militants.
Srinagar: Opposition parties National Conference and Congress on Monday opted to stay away from the Independence Day celebrations at Bakhshi stadium in view of the ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley.

"We decided to stay away from the functions as people of Kashmir have now been caged for more than a month and there is no improvement in the situation in the valley so far," National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar told PTI.

He said the party had submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the valley but nothing has come out after the assurances he gave to the National Conference delegation.

"We had asked for stopping the use of pellet guns and other steps to be taken for improving the situation. The Home Minister had given assurances but nothing has happened," Sagar said.

A Congress spokesman said none of the party leaders could make it to the Bakhshi stadium due to strict curfew imposed in the city.

He said the party, however, organised a function at its headquarters at Maulana Azad road in Lal Chowk area to hoist the national flag and celebrate the Independence day.

Normal life has remained paralysed for more than a month in Kashmir due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces on 8 July.

As many as 56 persons including two policemen have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the

clashes that began on 9 July.
New Delhi: Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for referring to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, saying it will give Pakistan a reason to interfere in India's internal matters.

"Balochistan is a different thing from PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). We have every right to speak about PoK because it is our matter. Balochistan is not," Khurshid told TimesNow.

The former external affairs minister said Balochistan was an internal matter of Pakistan. "When the question is about a sovereign nation, we should maintain a sense of restraint.

"Do we allow Americans to speak about atrocities in our country? Do we express concern over the atrocities in Africa and Europe?"
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday hit out at incumbent Mehbooba Mufti for not owning up responsibility for the prevailing situation in the Kashmir Valley since she took over the reins of the PDP-BJP coalition government.

"Between 2009-14 everything was my fault but as of the last 4 months nothing is @MehboobaMufti's fault (sic)," Omar wrote on Twitter.

Between 09-14 everything was my fault but as of the last 4 months nothing is @MehboobaMufti's fault. #livingindenial https://t.co/p1vtntV0Kj  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 15, 2016

Omar was referring to the criticism he was subjected to by Mehbooba when he was the Chief Minister and she was the leader of opposition.

Mehbooba, who made her maiden speech at an Independence Day function as chief minister, said, "Encounters have taken place in the past, will continue to take place. What was my government's fault?"

Omar created a hashtag "living in denial" to go with his tweets.

In another tweet, Omar said Mehbooba will have to find someone to blame for failing to hoist the national flag at the Independence Day function on Monday. He was referring to the national tricolor falling off the post as Mehbooba hoisted it at Bakshi stadium here where the main Independence Day function of the state was held.

Now @MehboobaMufti will have to find someone to blame for failing to hoist the  in Srinagar since nothing is ever her fault.  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 15, 2016

Mehbooba pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolor fall from the post and land on the ground.
New Delhi: Declaring that India will not bow before terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the youth who have taken to violence to join the mainstream even as he brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK, saying that they have thanked him to do so.

Though Modi did not make any reference to Kashmir Valley which is witnessing violence after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, he accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan, which was not directly named by him.

In his 93-minute Independence Day address to the nation amidst tight security, Modi said, "From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people --the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir-- for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently."

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence speech. The remarks also come in the backdrop of recent comments by Modi during an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of J&K under its illegal occupation.

The Prime Minister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other's country.

"When children were killed in terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified," Modi said.

Asserting that India will not yield to terrorism and violence, the Prime Minister asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to youth of Kashmir.

"I am telling those youths that there is time left, come back and join the mainstream. Realize your parents' aspirations. Lead a peaceful life. The path of violence has never benefited anyone," he said.

Attired in his trademark half sleeves kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government's work particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.
Issru: Slamming the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their "anti-Punjab" stance, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday urged the people not to "blindly follow the sinister moves" of these parties as they were "inimical to the interests of the state".

Addressing a function to mark the martyrdom day of revolutionary Karnail Singh Issru, who had laid down his life during the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese, in Issru at his native village, he alleged that the Congress and the AAP were "two sides of the same coin".

Claiming that these parties had a "proven track record" of being "anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh", Badal asked the people of the state to remain vigilant of their "nefarious" designs.

He accused the Congress of "irrelevantly meddling" in the social, political, economic and religious affairs of Punjab and alleged that successive governments of the party at the Centre had "deliberately denied" the state of Punjabi-speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and its legitimate share of river waters.

"How can a true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocent Sikhs in the 1984 carnage," said Badal.

He accused the Congress of being the "perpetrator of a deep-rooted conspiracy" to deprive Punjab of its waters by constructing the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, adding that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation of the project to "rob the state of its waters".

"Congress leaders are now shedding crocodile tears on the issue while forgetting that the current chief of the party's state unit, Amarinder Singh, had welcomed Indira Gandhi to lay the foundation of the canal in the 1980s," alleged Badal.

Training his guns on the AAP, the Chief Minister said in the garb of Aam Aadmi, the party was nothing but a "band of fugitives and opportunists" who were vying to attain political power "at any cost".

He claimed that "this new party" had no sympathy for the people of Punjab and alleged that in the Supreme Court, the AAP government in Delhi had taken a stance contrary to the interests of the state on the SYL issue, adding that only the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was the "true custodian" of its interests.

He said the last almost 10 years of rule of the SAD-BJP combine in the state was a testimony to the fact that it had honoured all of its promises.

"The alliance delivers whereas, the other political parties mislead by unleashing malicious propagandas," Badal said and called upon the people to let the "control of their destiny" remain in the "right hands" by ensuring a third consecutive SAD-BJP government in the state in the 2017 Assembly election.

The Chief Minister said every vote for the alliance would be one for "stability, development, peace and right governance".

"Secure the future of the younger generations by supporting the ruling alliance so that the ongoing development of the state gets a further boost," he said.

Listing the major initiatives of his government, Badal said it has supplied free electricity to farmers at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore and doubled the pension amount under various pro-poor and pro-people social security schemes.

He said his government has launched a unique scheme to provide interest-free crop loans worth Rs 50,000 to farmers.

He said in another "historic" decision, it has been decided that farmers would be provided with a health insurance cover of Rs 50,000 and an insurance of Rs 5 lakh in case of accidental death or incapacitation of the head of the family.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the "overwhelming" success of the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme and claimed that the people were availing the benefits of this "first-of-its-kind" scheme in the country "enthusiastically".

Earlier, he paid floral tributes to Karnail Singh Issru.
Lucknow: In an indication that all is not well within the party, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday came out in support of his brother and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav, saying if he left SP, it will get divided into factions.

His remarks came a day after Shivpal threatened to resign alleging rampant corruption in the Uttar Pradesh government headed by Mulayam's son Akhilesh Yadav. Assembly polls in UP are due next year.

At a flag-hoisting programme on the occasion of Independence Day, Mulayam said that a conspiracy was being hatched against Shivpal within SP and if he leaves the party, it will get divided into factions.

He said he had read media reports that Shivpal while expressing concern over touts and musclemen calling the shots in the state, had threatened to resign. "Shivpal is working very hard. A few people are against him. If he quits, then the situation for the party will become bad. Half of the people will go with him," the SP supremo said.

As some party leaders attempted to prevent the issue from being talked about in the presence of the media, he said, "How does it matter? An issue that is true is true." SP state president and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was present on the occasion.

While expressing concern over "land-grabbing", Shivpal, who was in Mainpuri, had spoken about his resignation. He had alleged some party workers and office-bearers were involved in "wrongful acts" of "land-grabbing and harassment of the public".

"MLAs and MLCs involved in such activities will be expelled from SP. Those party workers and office-bearers involved in land grabbing and acts of deceit will be expelled," Shivpal had said on Sunday.

He had said, "Government staff at police stations and tehsils are not paying heed to public grievances. SP had to face defamation because of those involved in land-grabbing and illegal acts."

Shivpal had later said in an statement that SP would not allow people to be harassed even if it requires him to resign. "Samajwadi Party will never allow harassment of the public...Iske liye chahe mujhe istifa kyun na dena pade (for this I am even prepared to resign)...Those involved in harassment of the people have no connection with SP," he said. Mulayam said that from next month, he would hold rallies in 18 divisions.
Karachi: The Chief Minister of Pakistan's restive Balochistan has dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble in Karachi.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri made the remarks on Sunday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic...they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.

Prime Minister Modi also made a mention of atrocities committed by Pakistan in Balochistan in his Indepence Day speech today.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir  for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," he said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.
Rationality and faith are both two of the most important aspects of life. But what happens when rationality contradicts faith? How do we deal with lack of faith?

Atheism is perhaps the best example of lack of faith. So how are atheists perceived by the world?

Well, there are 13 countries in the world where the lack of faith in God can get you a death sentence.

The Free Thought Report 2013 from the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) pointed out the discrimination against atheists in various countries. Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen are the countries where the punishment for blasphemy or apostasy is death, often by public beheading.

Moreover, in Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Kuwait and Jordan, publication of atheist or extremist views on religion is banned or strictly limited. Who can forget about the gruesome murders of atheist bloggers and activists like Ahmed Rajib Haider, Avijit Roy, Ananta Bijoy Das and Niloy Neel in Bangladesh?

In the United States, emails released by WikiLeaks had revealed that the chief financial officer of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) had considered raising the question of whether Bernie Sanders is an atheist, hoping that the fact would cost him votes in the primary contest against Hillary Clinton.

A survey conducted by the Pew Research Centre in January this year found that being an atheist remains one of the biggest liabilities that a presidential candidate can have; fully half of American adults say they would be less likely to vote for a hypothetical presidential candidate who does not believe in God.

In fact, the constitutions of seven Bible Belt states in the US ban atheists from holding any public office, although technically, these laws are unenforceable.

The IHEU had also said that there was systematic or severe discrimination against atheists across the European Union.

Across the world, the Free Thought Report 2013 said that "there are laws that deny atheists' right to exist, revoke their citizenship, restrict their right to marry, obstruct their access to public education, prevent them working for the state...."

It is, thus, safe to say that most of the countries in the world react with mild or intense outrage when dealing with atheism.

What is the situation in India?

On 20 August, 2013, atheist and anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar was shot dead by two youths on a motorcycle while he was out on a morning walk near Pune.

After his murder, no one claimed responsibility for the crime and no eye-witnesses came forward, according to this report in The Times of India.

In July 2014, a sting operation by journalist Ashish Khetan revealed that Pune Police had consulted a retired policeman-cum-tantric called Manish Thakur to try and solve the Dabholkar murder case. In February 2015, former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar confirmed that the then Pune Police commissioner Gulabrao Pol had to be transferred because he had resorted to a planchet to solve the murder case.

The fact that the police turned to tantrics and planchets to try and investigate the murder of an atheist is not just a horrible irony but also shows how seriously police officials took that case.

The case was eventually handed over to the CBI after a Bombay High Court ruling. In June this year, almost three years after Dabholkar was murdered, CBI made the first arrest in the case when it took Virendra Tawde, member of a right-wing organization, into custody.

On 16 February, 2015, rationalist and CPI leader Govind Pansare was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

On 30 August, 2015, MM Kalburgi  writer, scholar and rationalist  was shot dead by two unidentified men in Dharwad, Karnataka. His murder was the third instance in two years where a rationalist author had been killed.

After Kalburgis murder, Bajrang Dals Bantwal co-convener Bhuvith Shetty compared his killing to a dogs death and even threatened another rationalist.

However, it is not just Hindu fundamentalists who are involved in attacking atheists in India. In 2012, a church in Mumbai told its followers about a miracle when droplets of water appeared at the base of a crucifix. When rationalist Sanal Edamaruku pointed out that the water was, in fact, coming from a drainage pipe, he made the church leaders so angry that they persuaded the police to file charges that Edamaruku had hurt their religious sentiments. Edamaruku himself had to flee to Finland to avoid further harassment.

According to Reuters, activists in India have said that the police are often reluctant or unwilling to investigate murders of atheists carried out by religious fundamentalists.

People all over the world need to realise that it is not enough just to be tolerant and respectful to all kinds of faith. They also need to be accepting of a lack of faith.

And that can only happen when people get over their obsession with faith. This obsession leads most of the people to perceive faith as such a necessary trait in a human being that its absence is seen as a flaw, which ultimately leads to discrimination against those without faith.

When we stop caring about whether someone has faith or not, we will have taken a huge step towards equality.

This is especially important for India because according to the 2011 census data, our country has around 33,000 atheists. This means that only 0.0027 percent of the population in India is atheist, probably making atheists the smallest minority group in the country.

A lot of resources are also wasted in our country in the name of religion. On Sunday, the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments came under flak from rationalists and atheists for spending public funds on the ongoing Krishna Pushkaralu river 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.

"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," PTI quoted well-known atheist G Vijayam as saying. 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. Andhra Pradesh in particular has come under strong criticism for spending public money on religious events, despite the financial crunch the state is facing.

Instead of outraging over the faith of a person, we should be outraging over discrimination against people on the basis of (lack of) faith.

With inputs from agencies
Donald Trumps campaign to become the next President of the United States, to state the obvious, has been divisive. Reflecting the larger American electorate, those divisions are also apparent within the Indian-American community, especially among Hindus. Though he may have divided them, this is a group Trump is far from being able to conquer, but certainly one hes left confused.

There are elements within the community that believe Trump has the potential to move the dial when it comes to Hindus in America. The group 'Indian-Americans for Donald Trump 2016' is among them. AD Amar, a professor of business at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, is president of this outfit, and he is confident Trump will attract more Indian-American votes than previous Republican candidates like John McCain in 2008 or Mitt Romney in 2012 did: In 2008, because of Obama, the percentage of Indian-American support (for Republicans) was 18. A recent survey showed it at 22 percent. Our estimate is 30 percent. My personal belief is I am comfortable with 30 percent.

A majority of Hindu Americans (among them many supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi) had been traditionally opposed to the Republican Party due to its pandering to the Evangelical Christian lobby in America. This year, Trumps sharp and harsh rhetoric against Islamic terrorism and for a ban on immigration from Muslim nations may have won him some support. However, such support isnt stated in public but circulates on WhatsApp and social media. A New Jersey-based community leader believes an increase in support of between 15 and 20 percent is possible. He did not speak on the record since he is an office-bearer of a non-profit, one affiliated to the RSS. His personal opinion of Trump: He doesnt have the temperament. This guy is a screwball.

In fact, the establishment within the RSS, and BJPs diaspora fronts, view Trump negatively; in a sense reflecting the concerns arising out of New Delhi that Trumps unpredictability may scorch India if he makes it to the White House.

But there are others like the Republican Hindu Coalition that are unabashedly pro-Trump. Its founder and chair, Chicago-based businessman Shalabh Kumar, handed over a campaign contribution cheque of nearly $1 million personally to 'The Donald'. But schisms remain, and even many Hindu Republicans have shied away from openly endorsing Trump. In fact, among them, New Jersey-based physician Sudhir Parikh, who also owns a chain of desi publications, was to chair the fund-raising component of Indian-Americans for Trump, but parted amicably from that group and now no longer formally supports the New York businessman.

While pujas in Delhi or being featured like a deity on Twitter, may have received extensive coverage, the vast majority of Hindu Americans remain poised to vote against Trump.

The truth is that like many minorities in America, Hindus find themselves far more comfortable with the Democrats. The community has found its champion in Tulsi Gabbard, the Hawaii Congresswoman, who just won her primary with nearly 85 percent of the vote. And while she was the first Hindu to be elected to the House of Representatives, as many as three more could join her when the new Congress is sworn in next January. All of them are Democrats  Pramila Jayapal in Washington State, Raja Krishnamoorthi in Illinois and Ro Khanna in California.

The population of Hindus in America is nearly 2.5 million, but it punches above its weight. Groups like the Hindu American Political Action Committee are trying to ensure that it attains more muscle while lobbying in Washington. The bipartisan PAC has become active during this election cycle and while it has stayed out of the Presidential race, it has focused on Congressional candidates, whether Hindus or not, who will pay attention to the communitys concerns, according to its chair Mihir Meghani, a California-based doctor.

Speaking in his personal capacity, Meghani expressed the usual worry over Trumps rhetoric: Many are concerned about some statements from the Trump campaign, that he doesnt have a particular track record. Hillary Clinton has also not reached out the way (Barack) Obama did. He showed pretty good sensitivity; the way he mentioned Hindus at his inaugural event (in January 2009). He set a pretty good bar for future candidates.

That may be a bar too high for Trump when it comes to making major inroads into the Hindu American vote. On Election Day, 8 November, he will have overachieved if he captures a quarter of the communitys votes. He is not quite its idol.
Milwaukee: 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.

Wisconsin's governor put the National Guard on standby in case of a repeat of the violence that rocked the city earlier in the weekend, but after dark on Sunday protests were so far peaceful.

Police Chief Edward 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 the 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 on Sunday 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."

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.

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. Flynn said 150 department officers specially trained in managing big protests had also been mobilised.

Six businesses were burned in the unrest that spilled past midnight Sunday. Seventeen people were arrested, Flynn said, and four officers were hurt from flying concrete and glass, although all of them had been released from hospital.

After dark on Sunday, about a hundred protesters marched to a police station, shouting "Indict. Convict. Send the killer cops to jail," and "Who's streets? Our streets." Police were lined up in riot gear behind a row of squad cars. The protesters were shouting at police but there had been no incidents.

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.

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 organised difference," Rose said. "The people that came and looted, you're not going to see them here today."

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 on Saturday night, 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 6,00,000 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 US 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 most recent Milwaukee shooting was 24 years old 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 smashed a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire.

In addition to the gas station and auto parts store, a bank and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.


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New York: A New York neighborhood teetered on edge on Sunday as it struggled to pinpoint the motives behind a gunman's fatal daytime attack on an imam and his assistant near their mosque.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot at point-blank range just before 2 pm on Saturday in the Ozone Park neighborhood in the borough of Queens, police said.

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 fuelled 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.

Security video footage of the brazen attack shows the gunman approach the two men from behind at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79th Street, a few blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque.

The victims, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, reportedly left the mosque following Saturday afternoon prayers.

After the attack witnesses saw the gunman flee the scene with a gun, police said, adding that the surveillance video appeared to show a man wearing shorts and a dark polo shirt.

A sketch of the suspect released early on Sunday showed a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. Police said witnesses described him as having a medium complexion.

Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000, police said, but noted 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 and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

Hate crime?

The culturally diverse, working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

The mayor's office said the New York Police Department was exploring all potential motives, including the possibility of a hate crime.

"While we do not yet know the motivation for the murders, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

"Our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today."

Muslim community representatives condemned what they described as a toxic climate of hatred.

"Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn.

"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 under the tracks of an elevated metro line late Saturday, 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 added: "When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!"

CAIR announced plans to give a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on the attacker that could lead to his arrest and help determine a motive.

"We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime," said the group's executive director Nihad Awad.

CAIR plans to hold a funeral prayer service for the slain men on Monday.

Last year, hate crimes against Muslims and mosques tripled across the country following extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, according to The New York Times.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches at the all-party meet on Friday and then at the Red Fort on the occasion of India's Independence Day on Monday, has riled up neighbour Pakistan.

Pakistan forgets that it bombs its own citizens using fighter planes. The time has come when Pakistan will have to answer to the world for the atrocities committed by it against people in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Modi said at the all-party meet.

Modi hit out at Pakistan for supporting terrorism on Monday. This, he said, was in contrast to the way Indians reacted with sorrow when terrorists slaughtered school children in Peshawar. "But on the other hand, look at those who glorify terrorists. What kind of people glorify terrorists? The world is watching. People of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me a lot in the past few days. I am grateful to them," he said during his Independence Day speech.

Pakistan's oldest English daily Dawn criticised Modi's speech calling his language "aggressive", and his comments about Pakistan, a breach of "diplomatic norms". It added that the Indian PM's remarks will most likely be interpreted by Pakistan as a threat. The country's beef with India as to why the latter (or rather, Modi) shouldn't be raising the issue of Balochistan is because the issue is "senseless" and that Pakistan could easily come up with a retaliatory accusation: that North East India is unstable and plagued by violence.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri also had similar strong reactions to Modi's comments. The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modis statement on the situation in the province, The Express Tribune quoted CM Zehri as saying. He also dismissed Modi's comparison of Balochistan to Kashmir saying that, "people of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic", and that they wouldn't offer support the "nefarious designs of the countrys enemies".

The Dawn further wrote that Modi was in denial of the original India-Pakistan dispute and that he should take a good hard look at the "dismal path he has ventured down".

Meanwhile, The Nation, in an editorial on Monday, concentrated on the violence in "Indian-administered Kashmir" writing that Pakistan will extend its "diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self-determination". On 22 July, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif at a public gathering announced that the country was waiting for the day when "Kashmir becomes (a part of) Pakistan".

Echoing the view of The Nation, the country's high commissioner to Delhi, Abdul Basit, dedicated Pakistan's Independence Day to Kashmir. "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.

India-Pakistan ties have plunged further since the death of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. Sharif declared Wani a "martyr" and even observed 19 July as black day to mourn the continuing violence in Kashmir.

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.

With inputs from PTI
Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry on Monday invited his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to visit Islamabad for talks on Jammu and Kashmir.

The Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan was called by Chaudhry and handed over an invitation addressed to Jaishankar, the Foreign Office said.

The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the letter said.

Pakistan's foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz announced last week that the Foreign Secretary would write to his Indian counterpart to extend a formal invitation for the talks.

He had said Pakistan would invite India for the Kashmir talks despite their stalled Composite Dialogue process.

India and Pakistan dispute the ownership of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan holds the northern third of the state and India the southern two-third.

New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming and training the militants fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan says it gives only moral and diplomatic backing.

India-Pakistan ties have become frosty after largescale violence broke out in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of militant Burhan Wani on 8 July.

On 25 July, Indian authorities arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Bahadur Ali in Kashmir.
Islamabad: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan on Monday claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir. Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modi's Independence Day speech, said the Premier was only trying to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech on Monday.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people  the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK)  for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech. Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of "RAW's active service Naval Officer" Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz claimed.

"These events have nothing to do with terrorism. It is an indigenous movement for self determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council," he said.

He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark. Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.

Aziz's remarks came after Pakistan formally invited India for talks on Kashmir, a move already rejected by New Delhi which had insisted it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had dismissed Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Zehri made the remarks on Sunday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir. "The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic...they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim. "India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces. "But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.
Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stayed away from a Tokyo shrine that honours convicted war criminals among the nation's war dead on Monday, in a bid to avoid controversy with neighboring countries on the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II.

Abe instead sent a gift of money and religious ornaments to Yasukuni Shrine. His visit to the shrine in December 2012 drew sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism and consider the visits an attempt to whitewash the country's wartime aggression.

Abe's government is reportedly trying to arrange a meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G-20 summit in China next month.

At an official memorial ceremony later Monday, Abe reiterated his pledge not to let the tragedy of war be repeated, but neither mentioned Japan's wartime actions in Asia nor apologised to its victims.

He also did not do so in his three previous speeches at the annual event, though he did touch on some of Japan's wartime actions last year during a speech in Washington and in a separate statement for the 70th anniversary of the war's end.

Emperor Akihito reiterated his "feelings of deep remorse," a phrase he used last year for the first time, capturing media attention because of the contrast between his words and Abe's.

Akihito, 82, spoke after observing a moment of silence in his first public appearance outside the palace since he indicated his wish to abdicate in a video message last week.

Abe also visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery for unidentified soldiers on his way to the memorial ceremony at the nearby Budokan hall.

In a sign of lingering bitter feelings in Asia over Japan's wartime actions, a group of South Korean lawmakers picked the day to land on small disputed islands in the Sea of Japan to celebrate their country's liberation from Japanese colonisation. The islands are controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Tokyo.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated Japan's claim to the islands and said the lawmakers' action was "unacceptable and extremely regrettable." He said Tokyo had protested to Seoul.

In Nanjing, China, Chinese and South Korea representatives gathered at a memorial hall for victims of Japan's notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre to commemorate victory in what China calls the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

There was mixed reaction in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye focused on future relations with Japan, while the Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concerns and regret" over visits to Yasukuni by others in Abe's government.

At least four Cabinet ministers have visited Yasukuni since early August, two of them on Monday.

Abe's special aide Yasutoshi Nishimura, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters that he offered a donation from Abe to the shrine along with the religious ornaments and prayed on his behalf.

Hidehisa Otsuji, head of a group of lawmakers from various parties who routinely visit Yasukuni, told reporters that Abe's absence would be understood by the war dead "if it's a judgment based on national interest."

Separately, a group of conservative members of parliament chaired by Tomomi Inada, a recently appointed defense minister known for downplaying Japan's wartime atrocities, also visited the shrine.

Inada is a regular at Yasukuni during ceremonial occasions but is currently out of the country.
New York: Police evacuated a terminal at New York City's John F Kennedy International Airport even after reports of shots fired at New York City's John F Kennedy International Airport appear to be unfounded.

Port Authority police say they have not found any firearms, rounds of 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 around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

The New York Police Department was called in to assist.

No one was injured.

A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after they say they received additional reports of shots fired in that terminal. An expressway approaching the airport also was shut down.

According to the flight tracking company, FlightAware, all inbound flights were being held at their origin until 11:30 p.m. due to security.
Seoul: South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Monday urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapon programme and defended the deployment of a US anti-missile system in the face of repeated "provocations" by Pyongyang.

Tensions have been running high on the divided Korean peninsula ever since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, and are expected to spike again when the South launches an annual joint military exercise with the United States later this month.

"I urge the North Korean government to immediately stop all provocations and threats targeting South Korea as well as the development of weapons of mass destruction," Park said.

Her comments came as both Koreas celebrated the anniversary of the liberation of the peninsula from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

Stressing that "true liberation" would involve reunification of the divided Korean peninsula, Park said that could only happen by removing the fear of nuclear weapons, missiles and war.

She also warned Pyongyang that all attempts to provoke and intimidate the South would be counter-productive.

"The more efforts (the North) makes, the deeper the country's isolation in the international community will be and the bigger its economic problems will be," she said in a televised Liberation Day speech.

The North's nuclear test in January resulted in a substantial strengthening of UN sanctions, but a defiant Pyongyang doubled down with a series of ballistic missile tests also banned by UN resolutions.

South Korea responded last month by announcing the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) system to counter the North's missile threat.

The move was not only condemned by Pyongyang but also Beijing which views the deployment as a US move against its own national security interests and a threat to regional stability.

"The deployment of Thaad is an act of self defense," Park stressed in her speech, adding that her priority as president was to "protect the lives of our people from the reckless provocations of the North."

Thaad has also been the subject of domestic protests, particularly by those living in the rural South Korean county of Seongju where the first battery will be installed.

Residents say the system's powerful radar poses health and environmental hazards and argue that its presence will make them a key military target.

Some opposition lawmakers have actively sided with the residents and called for the deployment to be scrapped  a stance criticised by Park.

"I believe that such a matter ... should not be the subject of a political fight," she said.

"If there is any other way to protect our people and the country, one should propose an alternative," she added.
Istanbul: Turkish police on Monday raided three major courts in Istanbul in search of more than 170 suspects wanted over last month's attempted coup, reports said.

Police began searches of the city's main Caglayan court and courts in the districts of Gaziosmanpasa and Bakirkoy with arrest warrants for 173 prosecutors and other judicial staff working there, the Dogan news agency said.

The accused are suspected of links to the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for the 15 June failed putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It was not clear how many suspects had been detained in the raids.

According to official figures, more than 35,000 people have been detained so far in the post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulen supporters, although 11,597 of these have since been released.

Erdogan has said the purge is needed to wipe out what he calls the "virus" of Gulen from Turkish institutions. But critics have expressed alarm that its sheer scope has turned it into a witch hunt.

In a separate development, the former chief prosecutor for the eastern region of Erzurum was detained late Sunday while trying to cross into Syria.

Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named. There was no indication over why he had been heading to Syria.
New York: Two terminals at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport are resuming normal operations Monday morning after reports of shots fired prompted evacuations and grounded and diverted flights.

The reports, which led to some frightening moments for fliers Sunday night, were later determined to be unfounded and the airport was given the all-clear.

"At this time, no firearm, rounds or shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found," said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.

Police evacuated Terminal 8 around 9.30 pm on Sunday as a precaution after receiving 911 calls about shots fired near the departures area.

Port Authority police called in officers from the New York Police Department to assist with the investigation.

A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after they said they received additional reports of shots fired in that terminal. A highway approaching the airport also was shut down.

Passengers posted pictures and videos on Twitter that showed crowds of people gathered outside of the terminals.

Demetrius Pipkin told WPIX-TV that he was in Terminal 1 waiting for his Norwegian Airlines flight when the reports of shots fired came in.

"We were previously told to get on the floor and take cover behind any and everything we could find," said Pipkin, who described the terminal as a "madhouse" with panicky passengers eventually bolting for the nearest exists.

According to the flight tracking company, FlightAware, all inbound flights were held at their origin until 11.30 pm "due to security." Port Authority police said travelers should contact their carriers. They also warned of a "substantial PAPD and NYPD presence" at JFK and LaGuardia due to the investigation.

There were no injuries reported. It was not immediately clear what led to the airport scare.
Till around 5 pm on August 6, when Vijay Rupani was declared the 16th chief minister of Gujarat, all indications were that the chosen one was Nitin Patel. Even Rupani, who had celebrated his 60th birthday just four days previously, appeared convinced that Patel would be the party's choice. Indeed, when the latter arrived at Kamalam, the BJP state headquarters, he was received by workers as the CM-designate. So certain did Patel's elevation seem, local television channels were already interviewing his wife for her reaction.

Patel was outgoing CM Anandiben Patel's choice to be her successor. But it took Prime Minister Narendra Modi till the last minute to make up his mind. He told Amit Shah, the party president, that Rupani was the man for the job. Shah is widely acknowledged to have been in Rupani's corner, for he admires the soft-spoken but efficient manner in which the minister for transport and labour in Anandiben's government gets things done.

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It seems there were some tough political calculations behind Modi and Shah's surprise choice. Though a Patel, Anandiben had proved unable to contain the community's agitation for reservations. She had also failed to consolidate the non-Patel voters, most of whom were repelled by the violence of their methods. What went in favour of Rupani (also the current Gujarat BJP president), is that he's a skilled negotiator, with an impressive track of winning elections for the party. More importantly, he has no political baggage weighing him down; there's no animosity against him, either among the Patels or the OBCs. It's part of Rupani's appeal for both Modi and Shah, especially in the run-up to the crucial assembly elections next year. This has arguably been the most testing period for the state BJP in the past 25 years, marked by the disenchantment of the Patels and the Dalits, who together comprise about 23 per cent of the population of Gujarat.

Two examples help demonstrate why so much faith has been placed in Rupani's understanding of electoral and party matters. During the 2007 assembly polls, Rupani was in charge of both Saurashtra and Kutch. The media speculation was that the Patels of Saurashtra had turned against Modi and that the BJP was set to lose one of its assured bastions. On the eve of the polls, Rupani told a journalist that the BJP would win 42 of the 57 seats. In the event, the party won 43.

Five years later, when former Gujarat CM Keshubhai Patel resigned from the BJP and launched his own Gujarat Parivartan Party, Rupani urged Modi to take no notice of the hype, assuring him that the BJP would win at least 35 seats from the region. The party did exactly that.

Rupani, a long-time party loyalist, has had a relatively meteoric rise in electoral politics. He won his first elections as recently as 2014, nominated by the BJP to contest the Rajkot West seat vacated by Vajubhai Vala, who had been appointed Karnataka governor. In November the same year, he was appointed to the cabinet. And by the following February, he was the BJP state president.

Rupani might have become an MLA in 2014 but otherwise he is among the senior-most leaders of the Gujarat BJP. He was a student ABVP activist, going to jail as a 19-year-old for protesting against the Emergency. He was an RSS worker and has been associated with the BJP since its inception. Rupani has served on various committees in Gujarat, been the general secretary of the BJP's state unit on a number of occasions, and is also an ex-chairman of the Gujarat Tourism Board. He was a Rajya Sabha MP from 2006 to 2012.

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Rupani is also Gujarat's first Jain chief minister. The community forms but one per cent of the state's population, so the decision to pick him is also being interpreted by many as a nod to the Centre's decision in January 2014 to recognise Jainism as a minority religion and confer upon Jains a legally distinct status. Rupani ticks all the right boxes, or at least enough of them to smooth over any objections over his lack of administrative experience (that said, good governance is Modi's key mantra, and many sceptics feel it will weigh on the new CM).

His first significant test will come in January with the 'Vibrant Gujarat' global investment summit, the event which catapulted Modi to national prominence. A BJP observer says all eyes will be on Rupani then because "a good party and election strategist doesn't necessarily mean a good administrator. Modi was a great exception".

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For all his lack of experience, though, Rupani began his innings on a confident note, inducting eight new, young faces in his 25-member ministry. Nine members from Anandiben's administration have been dropped, including senior ones, necessary shock treatment, insiders say, to break up vying power centres and send out a message of a unified command.

While Nitin Patel has been appointed deputy CM and given important portfolios, among those axed is finance and power minister Saurabh Patel. This is a major surprise, as he has long been considered one of Gujarat's most efficient ministers, a mainstay of the cabinet and a force behind its exemplary power reforms. Saurabh Patel's exit has raised eyebrows in an otherwise 'balanced' ministry, in terms of age, caste and regional representation.

Already there is speculation that not having Saurabh Patel on his side could end up hurting Rupani. Patel has the confidence of captains of industry, some of whom have privately expressed dismay. Who, many are asking, will oversee the Vibrant Gujarat summit, in which he has earlier played such a key role? Patel, reportedly, was dispensed with as a sop to Anandiben, who attributed many of her troubles to his alleged non-cooperation. He was also seen as a cold technocrat who could not connect with party workers. But few deny his abilities and there is some speculation that Modi might make use of him in Delhi.

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For all the cachet of the Vibrant Gujarat summit, though, Rupani's biggest challenge will be bringing the Patels back into the BJP fold. It will be the severest examination of his vaunted negotiation skills. Nitin Patel, despite his disappointment in not being made CM, will be an important ally in this task. The Patels in rural Gujarat, who account for about two-thirds of the community votebank, have practically revolted against the BJP over the reservation agitation. The heavy-handed treatment of protesters during the August 2015 stir, the sedition charges against its leader Hardik Patel and his nine-month stint in prison, have all played a part in this. The BJP's shocking reversals in the November 2015 district and taluka panchayat elections were clear evidence of the Patels' disenchantment.

Despite a court order to stay out of Gujarat for six months, Hardik, living in Udaipur now, is still a considerable presence. When Rupani was made CM, Hardik was quick to comment that the BJP "had insulted the Patels by projecting Nitinbhai as CM and then dropping him like a hot potato". He demanded that "Nitinbhai resign in protest". These are not the rants of a frivolous youth but the comments of a caste leader who drew a frighteningly big crowd in Surat when he got bail in the sedition case against him last month. A threat to the BJP and Rupani, he cannot be underestimated.

The other big problem for Rupani is the rising Dalit anger. Even as the decision about Anandiben's replacement was being made, a Dalit padyatra from Ahmedabad to Una, site of the flogging last month of community youth by gau rakshaks, was announced to "awaken people to the atrocities against Dalits in the BJP's model state". There has been so much pressure on the party since footage of the flogging was aired that Modi himself has had to make a sternly-worded statement disavowing the vigilantes. While Modi's intention was to assuage the feelings of Dalits, part of the outcome has been the alienation of sections of the Sangh Parivar.

The VHP Gujarat unit is unrepentant. "The prime minister himself," the organisation stated, "eulogised the gau rakshaks when he was CM in Gujarat." The RSS, however, came out in support of Modi's statement. The 'PD problem', as the Patel-Dalit issue is referred to in party circles, will be a tricky one to handle for Rupani. Political analyst Vidyut Thakar says the selection of a non-Patel CM will end badly for the party. "The BJP national leadership," he says, "is courting electoral death by selecting a non-Patel CM. The Patel vote will shift en masse to the Congress."

Japan Pathak, another analyst, disagrees. "Rupani," he counters, "is an excellent negotiator and he knows how to call elections. He can't be written off. Nor can you write off the Gujarati sentiment for Modi. They cannot let down a man they believe to be one of the state's four jewels, alongside Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel and Morarji Desai."

But by selecting Rupani, is the BJP gambling on winning the election without the Patel vote? A substantial section of the OBC and even high-caste voters in rural areas are disenchanted with the Patels. They believe their demand for reservations is frivolous, given their economic status. If the Patels refuse to come on board, Rupani might be able to capitalise on the anti-Patel sentiment. He is well-connected in the OBC communities of Saurashtra and has ensured they are well represented in the ministry.

Rupani, though, will not be drawn out on either the Dalits or the Patels. He maintains that the "main task is to intensify the healing process and focus on a development-oriented polity by taking forward the prime minister's message. 'Sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas' is our model."

If Rupani is a careful public figure, his personal life offers evidence of a more relaxed, fun-loving side. He fell in love and married Anjali Bakshi after they met as young ABVP workers (her parents were also closely connected with the RSS). He's also an avid traveller. Rajkot-based media baron Kirit Ganatra says Rupani "enjoys leading an exciting life. He has a zest for life, the energy needed to succeed".

He will have to call on all that and more to succeed in his new role. Bureaucratic corruption in Gujarat has increased since Modi's departure. Part of Rupani's challenge will be to clean up the state again. The rival Congress party is confident that changing CMs at this late stage will make little difference. Party spokesman Manish Doshi describes it as a "game of musical chairs. It will not save the BJP. The writing is on the wall, the BJP's 2017 defeat is certain". Nothing, of course, in politics is certain, as both Rupani and Nitin Patel will attest.

Follow the writer on Twitter @UdayMahurkar

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture shocked grain markets Friday with its newest outlook for the corn and soybeans crops that are getting ready to be harvested. The government agency is now projecting record-breaking yields for corn at 175.1 bushels per acre and soybeans at 48.9 bushels per acre.

If these projections come true this fall, the corn and soybean crops will be the largest in U.S. history, adding to the global surplus of grain.

While record yields are a point of pride for the agricultural industry, the overwhelming supply is hurting prices. On Fridays report, soybean prices dropped as much as 21 cents per bushel, and corn fell to the lowest level in almost seven years.

As of noon Friday, corn for delivery in December was worth $3.24 and November soybeans traded for $9.69.

OPEC primes pump for cutbacks

Oil prices jumped over $44 per barrel this week after a statement by new Saudi oil minister, Khalid Al-Falih, suggested that the Saudis would attempt to boost prices at next months OPEC meeting.

While a supply cut from OPEC could raise prices, skeptics point out that many of the member states, especially Saudi Arabia, have been increasing production in recent months, adding to the worlds overwhelming supplies of petroleum, gasoline and diesel fuel.

If OPEC members cant agree to scale back production, it appears that they will continue pumping at full-speed and could knock prices back below $40, taking gasoline and diesel fuel prices along for the ride.

OJ prices wild

Orange juice prices spurted to a four-year high recently at $1.95 per frozen pound and have gyrated wildly since. Prices exploded as the market feared an orange tree disease called citrus greening and a wild start to the Atlantic hurricane season could derail this years crop.

Since then, friendlier weather forecasts and signs of weaker consumer demand knocked the market back down, although prices were still lofty Friday near $1.82 per pound.

These higher prices were welcomed by Floridas orange growers, who suffered through prices near $1.00 per pound in recent years. Longer-term, they are facing a dire threat from citrus greening that has already ravaged Floridas groves and could lead to further losses in the coming years.
WASHINGTON  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced approximately $11.2 million in financial assistance to American dairy producers enrolled in the 2016 Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). The payment rate for May/June 2016 will be the largest since the program began in 2014. The narrowing margin between milk prices and the cost of feed triggered the payments, as provided for by the 2014 Farm Bill.

We understand the nations dairy producers are experiencing challenges due to market conditions, Vilsack said in a release. MPP-Dairy payments are part of a robust, comprehensive farm safety net that help to provide dairy producing families with greater peace of mind during tough times. Dairy operations enrolled in the 2016 MPP-Dairy program will receive approximately $11.2 million this month. I want to urge dairy producers to use this opportunity to evaluate their enrollment options for 2017, as the enrollment period is currently scheduled to end Sept. 30. By supporting a strong farm safety net, expanding credit options and growing domestic and foreign markets, USDA is committed to helping Americas dairy operations remain successful.

Dairy producers who enrolled at the $6 through $8 margin trigger coverage level will receive payments. MPP-Dairy payments are triggered when the national average margin (the difference between the price of milk and the cost of feed) falls below a level of coverage selected by the dairy producer, ranging from $4 to $8, for a specified consecutive two-month period. All final USDA prices for milk and feed components required to determine the national average margin for May/June 2016 were released on July 29.

The national average margin for the May/June 2016 two-month consecutive period is $5.76277 per hundred weight, resulting in the following MPP payment rates. (Margin trigger coverage levels payment rate/cwt.)

$6.00 $0.23723

$6.50 $0.73723

$7.00 $1.23723

$7.50 $1.73723

$8.00 $2.23723

State specific payment amounts can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/dairy.
RUPERT  A 43-year-old Rupert man is charged with felony child sexual exploitation after he sent inappropriate pictures to a 16-year-old girl and requested she take naked photos of herself, police said.

Christopher Lee Baxter is also charged with misdemeanor disseminating harmful materials to a minor.

Rupert police say Baxter was talking to the girl on Facebook and told her he wanted to have sex with her.

The girl had been living with her mother in Wisconsin, but both recently moved back to Rupert.

Police say Baxter told the girl about his past sexual experiences and made explicit suggestions. He sent the teen photos of genitals and asked her to send him a nude photo of herself.

Police say the girl responded to his request with two photos.

On Aug. 10, police found Baxter at a Rupert home and detained him for questioning.

Baxter told police that he was drunk and, he said, the photos he sent the girl were ones he found on the internet.

Police say he admitted he was attracted to the girl, but he said he knew she was under age so he did not pursue anything.

Baxter is being held at the Mini-Cassia Criminal jail in lieu of $75,000 bond.

A preliminary hearing is set for Aug. 24 in Minidoka County Magistrate Court.
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When Shayla Haddock was born in 1997, her parents immediately realized something was wrong. The sixth of seven children, Shayla had unusual facial features. She had club feet and shorter-than-normal limbs. She was smaller than most newborns. Hearing tests showed she was deaf.

As her parents, Cheryl and Levko Siloti, searched for answers about her condition, they worried: Had some preventable event during Cheryl's pregnancy caused Shayla's symptoms? Could identifying her diagnosis improve her treatment options? If Shayla's siblings wanted to become parents someday, would their children be at risk for the same illness?

"It was kind of an emotional roller coaster," Cheryl Siloti said. Over the years, doctors suggested many diagnoses for Shayla, but medical tests repeatedly disproved their theories. "We would get these possibilities and then hear 'Nope, that's not the answer.'"

The Stockton, California, family's quest for answers illustrates the challenges of diagnosing rare genetic diseases, and illustrates how and why scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine are devising new approaches to help.

As much as Shayla's parents longed for a diagnosis, they almost didn't get one. On Aug. 10, 2012only two weeks after Shayla's doctors at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford concluded that they could not match her genetic patterns and symptoms to a diseasea scientific report about a newly discovered link between a genetic defect and a rare disease was published that would have allowed them to diagnose her. But at the time, genetic-testing results were not routinely re-analyzed to take into account new knowledge. The family and doctors remained unaware that the answer was out there.

Genetic re-analysis

Last year, as part of a scientific study, Shayla's parents agreed to have her genome re-analyzed. This time, Stanford computer scientists used new computational tools they had developed to compare Shayla's gene sequences to the scientific literature. They found the 2012 scientific report and predicted that Shayla had a rare genetic disease called Wiedemann-Steiner syndrome, which her doctors confirmed.

"With each passing month, more of the world's genetic diversity is represented in scientific databases, and each time more information is there, it's easier to interpret the next thing you see," said Jon Bernstein, MD, Shayla's clinical geneticist at Packard Children's and an author of the new report, which was published online July 21 in Genetics in Medicine. Ten percent of the patients in the studyfour individuals, including Shayla, out of 40 who did not receive diagnoses after their first genetic analysiswere diagnosed with various rare diseases based on recent discoveries, even though the initial analyses had been conducted an average of only 20 months earlier.

These "near misses" highlight a big challenge in the realm of precision health: Although the speed, cost and effort involved in obtaining individuals' genetic sequences has dropped dramatically in recent years, it still requires about 20 to 40 hours of work by trained experts to match a patient's rare mutations to information in the scientific literature that might reveal a diagnosis. Among patients suspected of having a rare genetic disease, 75 percent aren't diagnosed the first time they have their DNA analyzed. And yet the knowledge base is growing fast. Each year, researchers discover the cause of about 250 genetic diseases and also find 9,200 links between specific gene variants and known diseases.

Too many to diagnose by hand

"Our study demonstrates that reanalysis of patients' gene-testing results is useful because there's a steady rate of discovery," said Bernstein, who is also an associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.

"But there is no way we'll have enough manpower to continue to do all the analysis manually, as clinicians and scientists have done in the past," said Gill Bejerano, PhD, senior author of the study and associate professor of developmental biology, of computer science and of pediatrics.

Bejerano led the computer scientists who devised the automated approach used in the new research. Several million Americans may have some form of rare genetic disease, he notedtoo many to diagnose by hand. "Rather than continuing to invest dozens of hours in each patient's analysis, our team thought it made more sense to spend that time building computer science tools that can do much of the work for us," he said.

In the new study, the scientists tested whether automated comparisons between undiagnosed patients' genomes and existing gene databases could accelerate diagnosis. The approach worked.

"The genome is ultimately a programming language," Bejerano said. "We really would like to use machine learning and other approaches to build computer systems that leave as little as possible work for the human expert. A computer is going to be weaker than a human at doing this, but we think we can take the process 80 to 90 percent of the way by computer and provide a huge time savings for the human in the loop."

Comparing patients', parents' genes

Another key finding from the new research, according to Bernstein and Bejerano, is that comparing patients' gene sequences to those of their parents greatly speeds the diagnostic process. Such comparisons help turn up new disease-causing mutations that occurred in the patients but are not present in their parents. "These things stand out more easily if you have the parents' data in front you," Bernstein said.

In Shayla's case, her diagnosis brought her family the answers they'd long been seeking. She doesn't share her disease-causing mutation with her parents; instead, it occurred spontaneously in her. It wasn't preventable, nor is there any expectation it would affect her siblings' children. "It really relieves a lot of worry to know that," Siloti said.

The diagnosis also has helped the Silotis find other families whose children have the same diagnosis. They share stories on a Facebook group and feel they've found a new sense of support and community. "We've always believed that knowledge is power," Siloti said. "It is wonderful to have some answers, especially after such a long search."

Explore further New rare congenital heart disease disorders found in children
Numerous challenges face providers who are administering developmental screenings for refugee children, including differences in cultural and religious beliefs, language barriers, and disparate education levels, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) published in the journal Pediatrics.

The United States takes in approximately 70,000 refugees annually, of which 30 percent are children, and refugee resettlement experiences are known to impact critical stages of a child's intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. But the developmental screenings recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics don't always translate perfectly to other cultures, which can lead to a missed diagnosis of a potentially serious developmental disability. The research is the first known attempt to study the obstacles surrounding refugee developmental screening.

"For several of the languages spoken in these refugees' home countries, there isn't even a word for 'development' that is used in the way pediatricians use it in the United States," said Abigail Kroening, M.D., assistant professor of neurodevelopmental and behavior pediatrics at URMC and the study's lead researcher. "We hope this study will help providers to bridge some of these gaps and help refugee parents engage more with their child's development."

Working with the Center for Refugee Health in Rochester, the researchers interviewed 29 refugee parents, community collaborators and providers, and turned up a number of cultural differences that may create barriers when identifying developmental milestones.

For example, those from cultures with multi-deity belief systems were more likely to attribute a child's disability to a generational curse or as a karmic retribution for a past transgression. Meanwhile, those with Christian or Islamic backgrounds were more likely to see a disabled child as a "gift from God." In either case, a parent may be less likely to report or engage as strongly with their child's disability.

"Here, we are inundated with baby books and milestone charts, and parents often proactively reach out to their pediatricians to say 'My child isn't talking quite as much as his peersis that something to worry about?'" said Kroening. "That's not always the case in other cultures."

Families said that meeting with both a physician and an in-person interpreter (as opposed to a telephone interpretation) was the most ideal scenario for developmental screening. Additionally, researchers found that establishing trust between parent and provider was extremely vital to increasing a parent's engagement in terms of identifying behavioral milestones.

Kroening and her collaboratorsJessica Moore, Ph.D., senior instructor of Psychiatry and Psychology at URMC, and Therese Welch, Ph.D., associate professor of Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at URMCare continuing her research in the hopes of establishing a more concrete set of guidelines and resources for providers who treat refugee families and children.

"These children and their families have been through so much already just to get to the United States," said Kroening. "We, as pediatric providers caring for refugee children, are invested in doing all that we can to recognize their developmental needs, partner with parents, and promote these kids' long term health and success."

As a refugee resettlement city, Rochester takes in 750 refugees annually, of which approximately one third are children. In recent years, refugees have come to Rochester from Bhutan, Cuba, Myanmar, Somalia, Congo, Iraq, and elsewhere.

More information: A. L. H. Kroening et al, Developmental Screening of Refugees: A Qualitative Study, PEDIATRICS (2016). Journal information: Pediatrics A. L. H. Kroening et al, Developmental Screening of Refugees: A Qualitative Study,(2016). DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-0234
Paying smokers to quit with payments that increased with the length of abstinence led one third of participants in a study to stop smoking for six months, according to research published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. While a large group relapsed after payments ended, abstinence rates a full year after the last incentive were almost 6 percentage points higher among smokers who received financial incentives compared to those who did not.

The study, conducted in Geneva, Switzerland, enrolled 805 low-income smokers who indicated they were motivated to quit. Researchers randomly assigned 401 participants to the incentive group and 404 to a control group, verifying smoking status with biochemical tests throughout the study.

Limitations of the study were that a larger portion of the 81 participants who dropped out were in the control group than in the incentive group. Participants who dropped out or were missing data were counted as smokers. Also participants in the control group knew they were recruited to a study where some participants would receive incentive payments; and control group participants were subjected to fewer biochemical tests to verify status, which could have impacted behavior.

All participants in the study were provided booklets and access to a website with information about smoking cessation were given biochemical tests at the outset to confirm they were smokers. The incentive group received frequent rewards for confirmed abstinence, with rewards increasing incrementally after three months. Total incentives were worth as much as $1,500.

Previous research has shown smaller incentives helped smokers remain abstinent for six months after final incentive payments when research subjects were educated, relatively affluent employees of U.S. companies with access to counseling and other assistance. Researchers, led by Jean-Francois Etter, PhD, from the Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Switzerland, set out to find out if larger, incremental rewards would work better among lower income smokers who did not have access to other smoking cessation support.

Participants had a median income of about $20,000, and smoked about 16 cigarettes a day, with 43 percent identified as students, and 19 percent unemployed.

At three months, 44.4 percent of the smokers in the incentive group reported they had been abstinent continuously compared to 6.4 percent of the control group. At six months, 35.9 percent of the incentive group and 5.7 percent of the control group reported continuous abstinence. At each stage, biochemical tests confirmed abstinence for seven days and for four weeks.

At 18 months, which was one year after incentive payments ended, 9.5 percent of the incentive group and 3.7 percent of the control were confirmed abstinent.

With a difference of 5.76 percentage points between the control and the incentives group after 18 months, 17 people would need to go through an incentive program like the one in the study to get one person to quit. In an accompanying editorial, Joseph A. Ladapo, M.D., PhD, and Judith J. Prochaska, PhD, MPH, noted this means it would cost $28,050 to yield one additional long-term quitter.

Explore further Team support for cessation in the workplace helped motivate cigarette smokers to quit
Leptomeningeal metastases (LM), a devastating complication and predictor of poor survival in lung cancer patients, was found to be more prevalent in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting EGFR mutations had a longer overall survival (OS) than those who did not receive TKIs, demonstrating the effectiveness of TKIs for LM therapy.

The leptomeninges are the membranes that surround the brain, including the arachnoid mater and pia mater, and ensue when cancer cells metastasize to intracranial structures and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). LM occurs in 10-26% of lung cancer and the presence of LM is a devastating complication for patients and often associated with poor survival. Treatment strategies for LM include epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), chemotherapy, whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT), intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC), surgery, and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt operations. However, therapeutic options for treating LM are challenging with no standard treatment. The use of EGFR-TKIs markedly prolong survival in patients with EGFR mutations and frequent EGFR mutations.

A group of Chinese investigators retrospectively screened 5,387 NSCLC patients at Guangdong Lung Cancer Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, from January 2011 to June 2015 to examine the prevalence of EGFR mutations in NSCLC patients with LM as well as treatments and clinical outcomes. Medical records of patients were reviewed for demographics, tumor-related features, and major treatments. Patients with known EGFR status were screened for LM by cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology test or gadolinium-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). OS was determined from the period of LM diagnosis to death or last follow-up. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and presented as a median value with a two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI).

The results of the study published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official journal of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC), showed that of the 5,387 patients examined only 3,775 patients were tested for EGFR gene status. Of those tested for EGFR status, 1,258 patients had confirmed EGRF mutations and 2,517 had wild-type EGFR (no identified mutations). The incidence of LM in all 5,387 patients was 3.4% (184/5,387). However, the incidence of patients with LM harboring EGFR mutations (9.4%, 118/1258) were significantly more than those with a wild-type EGFR status (1.7%, 42/2,517; 2 = 122.9, p <0.001). Of the 118 patients harboring EGFR mutations, 109 patients had the most common EGFR mutations, 53 had exon 19 deletions (del 19) and 56 had Leu858Arg mutations (L858R).

Patients that were given TKIs for treatment of LM had longer OS than patients that did not take TKIs (10 months, 95% CI=8.9-11.1 vs. 3.3 months, 95% CI = 0.5-6.1; p <0.001). Patients that had not taken TKIs prior to LM demonstrated a longer OS than those who failed on initial TKIs (12.2 months, 95% CI=9.7-14.8 vs. 9.2 months, 95% CI=7.8-10.5; p=0.016). Patients that underwent WBRT for LM did not show longer OS than those without WBRT (9.3 months, 95% CI=8.4-10.3 vs. 8.1 months, 95% CI=4.8-11.4; p=0.448) and patients treated with both WBRT and TKIs did not have longer OS than those who only received TKIs (9.7 months, 95% CI=8.7-10.8 vs. 10.1 months, 95% CI=7.1-13.1; p=0.778). Chemotherapy after LM was associated with prolonged survival when compared to those not receiving chemotherapy (21.0 months, 95% CI=14.8-27.1 vs. 8.7 months, 95% CI=6.8-10.6; p=0.001). Overall, the two factors that significantly affected prolonged survival after LM were TKIs (p<0.001, HR=0.218, 95% CI=0.116-0.411) and chemotherapy (p<0.001, HR=0.206, 95% CI=0.092-0.460).

The authors comment that, "This study had some limitations, however, we showed that OS after LM was longer than that in previous reports, and LM were much more frequent in NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations. EGFR-TKIs were the optimal strategy for LM with EGFR mutations, especially TKI treatment-naIve patients. Nevertheless, active treatment with WBRT, with or without EGFR-TKIs, was not supported by our study."

Explore further Not all EGFR mutations are the same when it comes to therapy for non-small cell lung cancer

More information: Yang-Si Li et al. Leptomeningeal metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations, Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2016). Journal information: Journal of Thoracic Oncology Yang-Si Li et al. Leptomeningeal metastases in non-small cell lung cancer patients with EGFR mutations,(2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2016.06.029

Provided by International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
An automated external defibrillator (AED) is pictured. Research led by U of T Engineering Professor Tim Chan showed that up to 30 per cent of the time, AEDs are locked inside closed buildings when someone suffers cardiac arrest in a public place. Credit: Liz Do - U of T Engineering

When a person suffers cardiac arrest, there is a one in five chance a potentially life-saving Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is nearby. But up to 30 per cent of the time, the device is locked inside a closed building, according to a study led by U of T Engineering researchers, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The work was conducted by Professor Timothy Chan of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto, in collaboration with Rescu, led by Dr. Laurie Morrison at Li Ka Shing Institute of St Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

Currently, AED placement in Canada does not necessarily consider accessibility of the device during an emergency. Many AEDs are located within office buildings, schools and recreation facilities, which tend to be open for a limited set of hours during the daytime.

Toronto had 2,440 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in a public place during the study period, and 767 AED locations. Of these AED locations, 73.5 per cent were not open 24-hours a day, and 28.6 per cent were closed on weekends. Of the total number of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, 451 were located near an AED but only 354 were located near an AED when the AED was accessible, resulting in a coverage loss of 21.5 per cent.

When researchers looked at cardiac arrests during evenings, nights and weekends, which is when the majority of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, coverage diminished to 31.6 percent.

The researchers concluded that a significant proportion of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur close to a public AED that is inaccessible at the time of the arrest, and a model that accounts for both location and availability when determining AED placement has the potential to significantly increase the likelihood of accessing an AED when needed.

"Our research has shown AED availability for cardiac arrests is overestimated when time factors, such as building access and time of day, are not considered," said Chan. "The model considers time of day, building access and location information to optimize AED availability. Using the model, we found an average 25 per cent improvement in AED accessibility for cardiac arrests at all times of day."

Government legislation mandating all AEDs be registered with emergency medical services dispatch centers and accessible to the public 24/7 would also improve access to AEDs.

But coverage is only one issue, according to the study's authors: AED coverage does not necessarily equal survival, because the existence of an AED still doesn't necessarily mean the AEDs are being used.

"Accessibility is only one piece of the larger puzzle in optimizing public defibrillator use and bystander response in an emergency," said Chan, who is also director of the Centre for Healthcare Engineering at the University of Toronto.

In an accompanying editorial comment, Robert J. Myerburg, a professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, said the study is important and should be included in planning strategies for AED locations, but society would benefit more by both achieving better outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and reducing the number that occur in the first place.

"Now we need a parallel effort to develop a roadmap for improving prediction and prevention of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest," he said.

Explore further Ensuring defibrillators are accessible when heart attacks are most likely to happen
Patients whose acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) had relapsed or was resistant to chemotherapy and those who were deemed unable to tolerate chemotherapy experienced responses to the selective BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax (Venclexta), with complete remissions in some, according to phase II clinical trial data published in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

"There has been research into apoptosis [cell death] for decades now. It has long been a goal of the field to see the work translated into actual improved care of cancer patients. AML is a disease in which new therapies are desperately needed, and based on published preclinical work, this type of cancer seemed to be an excellent target for the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax," said Anthony Letai, MD, PhD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Venetoclax is a small molecule that belongs to a class of drugs called BH3 mimetics. It binds with great affinity and selectivity to BCL-2, an antiapoptotic protein that plays a role in many blood cancers, Letai said. BCL-2 proteins keep the AML cells alive by binding to proapoptotic proteins. Venetoclax binds to BCL-2 and frees the proapoptotic proteins, thus rapidly and irreversibly forcing the AML cell to undergo apoptosis, he explained.

In April 2016, venetoclax was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

"In this clinical trial, we found that even among pretreated patients whose AML was refractory to intensive chemotherapy, there was evidence of exceptional sensitivity to selective BCL-2 inhibition, even to the point of complete remissions. This could be accomplished by a single oral dose of venetoclax daily and demonstrated the potential clinical activity of BCL-2 inhibition in AML," Letai said.

The study investigators recruited 32 patients with AML with a median age of 71 years to this multicenter, single-arm trial evaluating 800 mg daily oral venetoclax. Twenty-six patients received at least four weeks of therapy.

The overall response rate was 19 percent; two patients had complete response (CR) and four had complete response with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi). The median duration of therapy in responders was 144.5 days, and the median duration of CR was 48 days. All patients discontinued therapy due to progressive disease or an adverse event, or for other reasons.

The investigators performed cytogenetic analysis, BH3 profiling, and next-generation sequencing to look for AML-related genetic mutations in the patients' samples collected at study entry and found that 12 patients had mutations in IDH genes, and six had a high BCL-2-sensitive protein index.

The four patients who had CRi had IDH mutations in their cancer cells. Response to the drug correlated with biomarker results, including indices of BCL-2 protein expression and BH3 profiling, Letai said. "This is significant as it supports the mechanism of action of venetoclax as an on-target inhibitor of BCL-2. Moreover, it offers the possibility of using BH3 profiling as a potential predictive biomarker for clinical use of BH3 mimetics," he added.

Adverse events were as expected and included nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, febrile neutropenia, and hypokalemia.

Lead author of this study, Marina Konopleva, MD, PhD, professor in the Department of Leukemia and the Department of Stem Cell Transplantation at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said, "We believe that venetoclax will soon become an equal partner to standard-of-care chemotherapy in elderly patients with AML when used in combinations with hypomethylating agents and other approaches. Planned studies will test the hypothesis that venetoclax may likewise improve outcomes in younger AML patients when combined with high-dose chemotherapy."

Letai said, "It is also worth noting that in this age of precision medicine, dominated by genomics, this is an example of the importance of functional precision medicine. CLL and AML lack genetic abnormalities related to BCL-2. Instead, their vulnerability to BCL-2 inhibition was identified using functional studies. This is support that functional studies need to be part of any mature precision medicine project."

As limitations to the study, most patients did not meet the criteria of a clinical response, and in those who did respond, the response was not as durable as expected, Letai said. Further, the predictive biomarker assays were performed retrospectively. Subsequent studies will need to perform biomarker studies while blinded to clinical data, he added.

"Marina and I both identified evidence that AML would be a good target for BCL-2 inhibition some years ago. When we realized that we were working on the same idea, we made the conscious decision to collaborate rather than compete," Letai noted. "Combining our work made progress more rapid, and provided more material to convince AbbVie to initiate a program of venetoclax in AML."

This study was funded by AbbVie in collaboration with Genentech/Roche. Letai has been an advisor to, and his laboratory has received research funds from, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Tetralogic, and XrX. Konopleva has been a consultant to, and received research funding from, AbbVie, Genentech, Stemline, Eli Lilly and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Calithera, and Cellectis; she is also a stockholder in Reata Pharmaceuticals.

Explore further Oral inhibitor shows clinical activity in poor-prognosis AML

More information: M. Konopleva et al. Efficacy and Biological Correlates of Response in a Phase II Study of Venetoclax Monotherapy in Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia, Cancer Discovery (2016). Journal information: Cancer Discovery M. Konopleva et al. Efficacy and Biological Correlates of Response in a Phase II Study of Venetoclax Monotherapy in Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia,(2016). DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-16-0313
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The Sanlam Group is pleased to announce key leadership appointments which will support and further strengthen the Groups Pan-African growth. This is also in keeping with the Groups expanded footprint on the continent following the recent acquisition of a 30% stake in Morocco-based Saham Finances. These appointments will result in four distinct regionally focused units within Sanlam Emerging Markets (SEM) - Southern Africa; East Africa; North and West Africa; and South East Asia.



With effect from 01 September 2016:



 Mr Julius Magabe, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Life Insurance in Tanzania since 2011, will assume the position of Regional Executive: East Africa for SEM. Magabe will remain based in Dar es Salaam. He will join the SEM Executive Committee and will be responsible for businesses in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.



Among his successes at the helm of Sanlam Life Insurance, he is credited for growing the business and achieving 60% of the market share.



Magabe is an alumnus of the Johannesburg-based Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). He also holds an MBA from the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI) and is a graduate of the Institute of Finance Management Tanzania in Insurance and Risk Management. He joined Sanlam Life Insurance in Tanzania (formerly African Life Assurance) in 2007 as Head of Corporate Business. In 2010 he was appointed as Managing Director of the company, a position he has held up to now.



 Mrs Margaret Dawes, currently SEMs Executive Director: West and East Africa, will take up the position of Executive Director: North and West Africa. A Chartered Accountant, Dawes also holdsaBSc (Hons) Biology (London) and anHDip Tax Law (Wits).



She joined Sanlam in 2005 as the chief financial officer for Sanlam Developing Markets (now SEM) and has held various other positions within SEM. In her new role, Dawes will be responsible for the SEM businesses in Nigeria, Ghana as well as those businesses in the North and West Africa region which are part of the recently established partnership with Saham Finances based in Morocco.



Earlier this year, the Group made the following appointments:



 Mr Gaffar Hassamas SEMs Regional Executive: Southern Africa responsible for SEMs businesses in Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.



An MBA graduate from Oxford Brookes, Gaffar is also a fellow member of Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (FCCA). Prior to his SEM appointment, Hassam was the Group CEO for Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL) since 1 December 2011. Hassam joined BIHL in April 2003 as the Group Finance Manager and Company Secretary and held several positions within the Group, includingamong others, Head of Finance and Chief Operating Officer.



 Mr Prasheem Seebran as SEMs Regional Executive: South East Asia responsible for all SEMs businesses in Malaysia.



An Actuary, Seebran is currently completing his MBA at Henley Business School. He began his career at Marsh and held various positions at Guardrisk and Telesure before joining Sanlam in June 2013. In September 2013, hemoved to Malaysia where he has been responsible for all risk and capital related areas within Sanlams short term insurer, Pacific &Orient (P&O). He has also been in charge of developing P&Os actuarial capabilities and has worked with the regulator on developing the risk management function and optimisation of capital.



In June, Sanlam Group also announced the appointment of Mr Junior Ngulube as the Chief Executive Officer of SEM. Dawes, Hassam, Seebran and Magabe will report to Ngulube when he takes over from Mr Heinie Werth on 01 October 2016. Werth has been appointed the Groups Financial Director with effect from 01 October, succeeding Mr Kobus Moller who will retire.



Commenting on the appointments Sanlam Group CEO, Mr Ian Kirk, said: On behalf of the Sanlam Group Executive Committee, SEM and staff, I wish to congratulate these colleagues. We are confident that they will continue to add value to the SEM business and support us in our journey as a Pan-African leader in financial services.



We are pleased to have been able to fill the majority of these positions from organically grown Sanlam candidates through our succession planning and leadership development programmes, while balancing that by bringing in the right type of external exposure and experience.



The Group is in the process of appointing Magabes successor at Sanlam Life Insurance in Tanzania and an announcement will be made in due course.
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Veteran journalist though she is, Ellen Wulfhorst had trepidations when she flew into Missoula last week.

Wulfhorst is the New York-based chief correspondent in the Americas for the Thomson Reuters Foundation headquartered in London. Sometime in the next few days her interpretation of the refugee resettlement landscape in Missoula will be distributed worldwide on the foundations website and to a potential readership of 1 billion via the Reuters News Service.

In her short stay, Wulfhorst needed to find the right people and hope they were willing to talk to her. Most of them are from a Hmong community that began arriving in Montana as refugees from Thailand after their native Laos fell to communist forces in 1975.

I was open to the idea the parents wouldnt talk to me at all, Wulfhorst said. Thats what I was kind of expecting.

But she found entire Hmong families at the Tuesday evening farmers market on Circle Square.

"They were only at three tables, but each table had a bunch of kids, so it was fine," Wulfhorst said with a laugh. "They were three different families, all of whom are cousins to each other. They were like: there's my cousin, he's my uncle.

"I'm like, OK, everybody here is named Vang. It's going to be fun on second reference."

Later in the week Wulfhorst visited with an older Hmong and his married daughter at her home in Orchard Homes.

She discovered a people who had aged under scrutiny in Missoula, the children better with the English language than their elders, with aspirations, dreams and lifestyles that took her by surprise.

You come with a cynical eye, or at least a judgmental eye, to figure out the idea that people come here because they want the American dream that may or may not exist, she said. And then you meet these Hmong kids.

Heres a father who came to this country through another third-world country and God knows how he got here, and his wife was pregnant and 17 at the time. Hes got five kids and four of them are in college or done, and ones in high school and about to go college. They are the American dream.

Wulfhorst was the second reporter with a global audience to take a look at Missoula as it prepares for 100 or more refugees in the next year. The first family of six is expected to arrive any day from a refugee camp in East Africa. They are Christians who fled persecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have lived for years in poverty.

They speak Swahili and are in for certain culture shock. Missoula's new International Rescue Committee resettlement office on Thursday night completed its first training session for family mentor teams through Soft Landing Missoula.

That the newcomers wont be Syrian or Muslim refugees wasnt known when Matt Danzico, a Los Angeles-based video journalist for the British Broadcasting Co. (BBC), came to town in July. His five-minute news segment includes interviews with Mary Poole of Soft Landing Missoula, the volunteer group that opened the doors to refugees; Missoula mayor John Engen, a proponent of resettlement, and Wilmot Collins, who fled civil war in Monrovia, Liberia, and lives in Helena.

Danzico also spoke with Jeff Burrows, a Ravalli County commissioner, who explained the formidable opposition to bringing refugees to western Montana. The three-paragraph text that accompanies the video online highlights a comment made during a public meeting on the refugee resettlement question held in Hamilton in February: ISIS will come for our women.

The video on Missoula is currently the most-watched across the whole of the BBC, Danzico said in an email on Aug. 4, the day the segment was first posted. It's run on TV and online. That's to say, I think the world now knows about the debate happening there.

***

Wulfhorst took a different tack. She also talked with Engen (Hes a great quote. He speaks in full, short sentences. We like that, she quipped). She interviewed Ellen Leahy, director of the Missoula City-County Health Department, who was a public health nurse during the early Hmong immigration years.

But her focus was on the Hmong and their stories.

My endeavor is to talk to real people, she said. Im ordered and I try not to talk to NGOs and bureaucrats. So just finding someone at the farmers market and getting them to smile and trust you  it makes for a better story.

By her own reckoning itll be an uplifting one.

Among her recent projects for Reuters, Wulfhorst has explored domestic violence and abuse on the Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico and issues revolving around death and property wills on the Crow Reservation in Montana.

You dont usually find stories that are heartwarming, Wulfhorst said. Usually you find stories that are kind of tragic and disappointing and frustrating. Its kind of nice to see a success story.

Wulfhorst admitted that the idea to come to Montana was in part influenced by her customary summer vacation trip to Sheridan, Wyoming. Here, though, she was all business for two-and-a-half days.

Were trying to look at what lies ahead as Missoula opens its doors to refugees, and we cover refugees from a very global context, she said. You take the refugee crisis on one hand and on the other the fact that America in particular is known for being rather ungenerous right now as far as welcoming refugees.

Such a perspective raises the hackles of Jack Wiegman of Missoula, a retired broadcaster, engineer and industrialist whose books Extremists in Our Midst and Federal Siege at the Manor are expected out this year.

Ungenerous, my foot! Wiegman said in an email to the Missoulian. We ace it on the refugee issue every time. We show all other nations how.

He has long argued that Missoula is opening its doors to refugees via a process in which it has no say and doesnt fully understand.

The idea that Americans are somehow unkind or unwelcoming to refugees is just plain nuts, Wiegman wrote. There is nothing suspicious or mean about inquiring into the logistics of refugee arrivals here. I find such claims outrageously hateful.

Wulfhorst pointed to Canada, where nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees have been accepted since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in November. President Barack Obamas stated goal of resettling 10,000 Syrians in the U.S. by the end of September has drawn withering attacks, most notably from presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on all Muslim refugees.

From our perspective (at Reuters) the United States is not at the forefront of being welcoming toward refugees or immigrants, and now also its not being welcoming in terms of rhetoric, Wulfhorst maintained. What the rest of the world sees now is Donald Trump, and even if we at home think thats a small but loud voice, overseas hes getting enormous attention. People are asking, what on earth is going on over there?

Wiegman said its because of the U.S. that the world situation is not nearly so bad as it once was.

But times are tough for all, he wrote. Americas bucket is full. For every new refugee who arrives here, there is some weakening, some loss for some citizens.

When we are too weakened we will be unable to help anyone here or in any place else. Thereby the American dream will be lost to every person on the planet.
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.
As a veteran myself, I was incensed to read Ryan Zinkes recent (Aug. 5) pretend condemnation of Donald Trump for his despicable comments regarding a Gold Star mother who had lost her son, a U.S. Army captain, in the Iraq War. Trump is a guy who sought out four deferments in order to avoid serving in Vietnam, yet chooses to insult POWs like John McCain as losers. Zinke states that both our candidates for president have picked fights and said extremely regrettable things to service members who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our great nation Really! What Gold Star family did Hillary Clinton insult?

Trump has made loathsome comments about women, made fun of the disabled, described Mexican immigrants as rapists and conducted a campaign of personal insults against all of his Republican opponents in the recent primaries. The man Zinke is supporting is little more than a bully and a buffoon, spewing empty bravado such as I alone can fix this.

Having no foreign policy credentials, he questions why we havent used nuclear weapons more and indicated that as commander-in-chief he would illegally order the military to reinstitute torture. Domestically, all we have heard is that the widening income gap in this country will be addressed by even more tax cuts for the rich. So much for substance.

Hillary Clinton is far from perfect but Trump is little more than a dangerous phony. Trump is a guy who has cheated employees out of wages, stiffed contractors, scammed students at the defunct Trump University and declared bankruptcy numerous times. Zinke seems to have hitched his wagon to this demagogue and the wagon is headed for the cliffs. I wonder whether Zinke will exercise good judgment, like many decent Republicans across the country, and cut his all-too-close ties to this dishonorable pretender. Probably not.

Paul Lynn,

Missoula
HELENA - A deep water recovery specialist has located the body of the Clancy man who sank while trying to stunt ride a motorcycle across the surface of Canyon Ferry Reservoir last month.

Gene Ralston of Idaho found the body of 19-year-old Blake Becker and his modified motorcycle Friday at the bottom of the reservoir near Cemetery Island, Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said.

Earlier today, he found a target on his sonar, sent down a robotic camera and it is Blakes bike and him, Dutton said.

Local officials suspected the mans body was in the area, Dutton said, but this part of the reservoir was extremely difficult for them to search.

A recovery crew plans to retrieve the body Saturday.

Its bittersweet. Its very rewarding to be able to help the family, but sad that they have to relive his death, Dutton said.

Local officials began searching for Becker shortly after he disappeared into the lake July 23. Ralston was brought in after local crews were unable to find him.

Becker had completed the stunt at least once previously.

My safety message is, no matter your age, think about safety, and sometimes a day of hesitation may help you live a long and healthy life, Dutton said.
A recent uptick in the amount of smoke rising from the Roaring Lion fire southwest of Hamilton created a flurry of 911 calls from worried residents.

Officials say the fire is burning in a remote area and currently theres no danger of it jumping fire lines protecting the valley floor.

Fire managers were expecting this to happen with the hot and dry weather that weve had recently, said Forest Service Public Information Officer Nathan Zalewski said Monday. Weve also gotten some good affirmation on the work that was accomplished on the eastern part of the fire. We werent seeing any smoke there.

Most of the recent activity is coming from a bowl just east of Ward Mountain.

Two experienced firefighters were stationed as lookouts on Ward Mountain. After they spotted the fire burning up through patches of subalpine fire, Zalewski said the decision was made to use helicopters in attempt to keep the fire contained.

We dont want to let the fire get out of that bowl and get established on the ridgeline, he said. Were taking measures to do what we can to keep that from happening.

Helicopters are dousing flames on the north, south and west rims. Zalewski said the fire has already burned most the fuel on the eastern edge of the bowl.

There is no continuous path of fuel that the fire could use to work its way down the valley floor, he said. Its one of the furthest points away from the valley.

There is a misconception by some in the public that the fire is more or less out, he said.

We will see smoke coming from the interior of this fire until we have a season-ending event, such as a large rainfall or snow, Zalewski said. This smoke caught a lot of people by surprise. The 911 center had lots of calls from people wondering if they should evacuate.
HAMILTON - 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.
BUTTE - Butte-Silver Bow police are investigating a possible murder-suicide that occurred around 8 a.m. today in the 1800 block of Oregon Avenue, Undersheriff George Skuletich said Monday morning.

At 8:01 AM on August 15, 2016 Police along with rescue units responded to the 1800 Block of Oregon Ave. on a report of shots being fired. Upon our arrival it was determined to be a possible Murder/ Suicide the investigation continues. No names will be released at this time.
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.
MISSOULA  Veteran journalist though she is, Ellen Wulfhorst had trepidations when she flew into Missoula last week.

Wulfhorst is the New York-based chief correspondent in the Americas for the Thomson Reuters Foundation headquartered in London. Sometime in the next few days her interpretation of the refugee resettlement landscape in Missoula will be distributed worldwide on the foundations website and to a potential readership of 1 billion via the Reuters News Service.

In her short stay, Wulfhorst needed to find the right people and hope they were willing to talk to her. Most of them are from a Hmong community that began arriving in Montana as refugees from Thailand after their native Laos fell to communist forces in 1975.

I was open to the idea the parents wouldnt talk to me at all, Wulfhorst said. Thats what I was kind of expecting.

But she found entire Hmong families at the Tuesday evening farmers market on Circle Square.

"They were only at three tables, but each table had a bunch of kids, so it was fine," Wulfhorst said with a laugh. "They were three different families, all of whom are cousins to each other. They were like, 'There's my cousin, he's my uncle.'

"I'm like, 'OK, everybody here is named Vang. It's going to be fun on second reference.'"

Later in the week, Wulfhorst visited with an older Hmong and his married daughter at her home in Orchard Homes.

She discovered a people who had aged under scrutiny in Missoula, the children better with the English language than their elders, with aspirations, dreams and lifestyles that took her by surprise.

You come with a cynical eye, or at least a judgmental eye, to figure out the idea that people come here because they want the American dream that may or may not exist, she said. And then you meet these Hmong kids.

Heres a father who came to this country through another third-world country, and God knows how he got here, and his wife was pregnant and 17 at the time. Hes got five kids, and four of them are in college or done, and ones in high school and about to go college. They are the American dream.

Wulfhorst was the second reporter with a global audience to take a look at Missoula as it prepares for 100 or more refugees in the next year. The first family of six is expected to arrive any day from a refugee camp in East Africa. They are Christians who fled persecution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and have lived for years in poverty.

They speak Swahili and are in for certain culture shock. Missoula's new International Rescue Committee resettlement office on Thursday night completed its first training session for family mentor teams through Soft Landing Missoula.

That the newcomers wont be Syrian or Muslim refugees wasnt known when Matt Danzico, a Los Angeles-based video journalist for the British Broadcasting Co. (BBC), came to town in July. His five-minute news segment includes interviews with Mary Poole of Soft Landing Missoula, the volunteer group that opened the doors to refugees; Missoula mayor John Engen, a proponent of resettlement; and Wilmot Collins, who fled civil war in Monrovia, Liberia, and lives in Helena.

Danzico also spoke with Jeff Burrows, a Ravalli County commissioner, who explained the formidable opposition to bringing refugees to western Montana. The three-paragraph text that accompanies the video at www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36944701 highlights a comment made during a public meeting on the refugee resettlement question held in Hamilton in February: ISIS will come for our women.

The video on Missoula is currently the most-watched across the whole of the BBC, Danzico said in an email on Aug. 4, the day the segment was first posted. It's run on TV and online. That's to say, I think the world now knows about the debate happening there.

Wulfhorst took a different tack. She also talked with Engen (Hes a great quote. He speaks in full, short sentences. We like that, she quipped). She interviewed Ellen Leahy, director of the Missoula City-County Health Department, who was a public health nurse during the early Hmong immigration years.

But her focus was on the Hmong and their stories.

My endeavor is to talk to real people, she said. Im ordered, and I try not to talk to NGOs and bureaucrats. So just finding someone at the farmers market and getting them to smile and trust you  it makes for a better story.

By her own reckoning itll be an uplifting one.

Among her recent projects for Reuters, Wulfhorst has explored domestic violence and abuse on the Pueblo Reservation in New Mexico and issues revolving around death and property wills on the Crow Reservation in Montana.

You dont usually find stories that are heartwarming, Wulfhorst said. Usually you find stories that are kind of tragic and disappointing and frustrating. Its kind of nice to see a success story.

Wulfhorst admitted that the idea to come to Montana was in part influenced by her customary summer vacation trip to Sheridan, Wyoming. Here, though, she was all business for two and a half days.

Were trying to look at what lies ahead as Missoula opens its doors to refugees, and we cover refugees from a very global context, she said. You take the refugee crisis on one hand, and on the other the fact that America in particular is known for being rather ungenerous right now as far as welcoming refugees.

Such a perspective raises the hackles of Jack Wiegman of Missoula, a retired broadcaster, engineer, and industrialist whose books Extremists in Our Midst and Federal Siege at the Manor are expected out this year.

Ungenerous, my foot! Wiegman said in an email to the Missoulian. We ace it on the refugee issue every time. We show all other nations how.

He has long argued that Missoula is opening its doors to refugees via a process in which it has no say and doesnt fully understand.

The idea that Americans are somehow unkind or unwelcoming to refugees is just plain nuts, Wiegman wrote. There is nothing suspicious or mean about inquiring into the logistics of refugee arrivals here. I find such claims outrageously hateful.

Wulfhorst pointed to Canada, where nearly 30,000 Syrian refugees have been accepted since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took office in November. President Barack Obamas stated goal of resettling 10,000 Syrians in the U.S. by the end of September has drawn withering attacks, most notably from presidential candidate Donald Trump, who has called for a temporary ban on all Muslim refugees.

From our perspective (at Reuters), the United States is not at the forefront of being welcoming toward refugees or immigrants, and now also its not being welcoming in terms of rhetoric, Wulfhorst maintained. What the rest of the world sees now is Donald Trump, and even if we at home think thats a small but loud voice, overseas hes getting enormous attention. People are asking, 'What on earth is going on over there?'

Wiegman said its because of the U.S. that the world situation is not nearly so bad as it once was.

But times are tough for all, he wrote. Americas bucket is full. For every new refugee who arrives here, there is some weakening, some loss for some citizens.

When we are too weakened we will be unable to help anyone here or in any place else. Thereby the American dream will be lost to every person on the planet.
BILLINGS  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.
MUSCATINE, Iowa The Muscatine High School Class of 1948 will have their regular monthly meeting at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 at McDonalds on Park Avenue. Final plans will be made for the annual luncheon reunion which will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, in the Hy-Vee Club room at 2400 Sevond Ave.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The First Baptist Church in Muscatine hosted its second Muscatine Gospel Sing on Saturday.

Groups from the surrounding area came to play music at the all-day event, held behind the church, where guests could sit on lawn chairs in the grass under canopies.

Chris Marshall, a member of the Gospel Sing Committee at the church, said the different singing groups and pastors were combining their efforts to spread Christianity.

"We're trying to build the body of Christ," he said.

Marshall said music has a way of reaching across all age groups and backgrounds.

"Music is something that draws people," he said.

In 2015, Marshall said the bands all volunteered their time, and this year they only asked a good-will offering from those who attended.

One local band, the Musical Hammers Trio, said they were happy to have an opportunity to play close to home.

"We're really excited to be here," said Jane Seligman, a member of the group.

Andy Grizzle, of Crimson River, a trio from the Quad Cities, said they know some of the people who organized the event and were happy to help.

"We always enjoy an opportunity to share the good news," he said.

Grizzle said the group enjoyed spending time listening to music and the sunshine in Muscatine.

"It's a wonderful time, we love being outdoors and it's a time to fellowship with friends," he said.

Dean Goodale, a member of the First Baptist Church in Muscatine, said he was glad the event is being held.

"I think it's great, we should do it more often," he said.

Cindy Axtell, of Muscatine, whose husband was playing in the Country Church Friends band, said she also enjoys the event.

"We love it," she said.

Other bands playing included Soul's Afire, Long Road Blues, Joyful Noyz and more gospel, blues and contemporary gospel groups.

A prayer tent was also available for those who wanted prayer or were going through a difficult time.

The program, which lasted from 11 a.m.-5:45 p.m., had drawn more than 20 people by 12 p.m.

Another gospel sing will be held in Kalona on Aug. 26-28, which will include several of the groups who performed in Muscatine. For more information, call 319-936-7763 or visit www.kalonagospelsing.com.
AMES, Iowa  Iowa State University will soon offer a new program that applies a national research-based training model to help couples have healthy relationships.

Elevate, a new curriculum offered by Human Sciences Extension and Outreach, is aimed at helping couples learn skills to improve their relationships.

The program is designed for couples in all types of relationships: dating, premarital, cohabiting, married or married with blended families. Its based on the national Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training model.

When couples come to therapy, were intervening at that point. Usually, theyre in some sort of a crisis when they come to see us, said Anthony Santiago, a marital and family therapist whos also a specialist with Human Sciences Extension and Outreach.

Elevate, though, is for all couples, Santiago said. Couples dont have to be in crisis in order for them to benefit. This is more of a preventative, educational program for all couples. The bottom line is we have learned a lot about what works, and what doesnt work over the last 30 years. Weve seen tons of research on why relationships work or why they dont work.

Launching Elevate this fall

Santiago is working with David Brown and Kristi Cooper, who are both field specialists with Human Sciences Extension and Outreach, to launch Elevate in Iowa. They hope to launch pilot programs around the state in the fall.

Before Iowa couples can benefit from this training, experts will train extension staff on how to offer it. The first Elevate facilitator training for extension staff will be held Aug. 30 and 31 at the ISU Extension and Outreach Polk County Office.

For extension staff wanting to offer training directly to couples and families, Elevate is perfect, Santiago said. They dont have to modify it. Its designed for couples. Its a very practical, skills-based training.

Ted Futris, an associate professor and extension family life specialist at the University of Georgia, and co-director of National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Network, will facilitate this first Elevate training for Iowa extension specialists.

A national model

Elevates curriculum follows the National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Model, a model based on literature covering healthy marriage predictors.

The model was a result of collaborative efforts by the National Extension Relationship and Marriage Education Network, a network of extension specialists and educators from land-grant institutions across the country. Santiago is an executive member of the network and helped develop the model and the programs for which it is the basis.

Thanks to a $1.2 million federal grant in 2008 from the Healthy Marriage Initiative, the network used the model to develop the Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training program for professionals whose work revolves around promoting family well-being such as clergy, licensed mental health professionals, child welfare professionals and family support staff.

We basically created the training program from scratch, Santiago said. It was designed for professionals who as part of their daily jobs work with couples. We can offer Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training for them and provide them another set of tools in their toolbox.

Collectively, Elevates modules cover the seven core qualities of the model: care for self, choose, know, care, share, manage and connect. These qualities each delve into critical mental, physical and emotional skill sets that have been shown to bring the best out of couple relationships. For example, know focuses on truly getting to know ones significant other, while manage refers to healthy conflict resolution.

The eight-hour curriculum can be adapted based on the instructors or couples schedules. The program can take place over one day, eight weekly sessions or anywhere in between. It covers eight 60-minute modules: introduction, empower yourself, lay the foundation, enlighten, value, attach, tame and engage. The curriculum is intended to be interactive and encompasses worksheets, discussion time, icebreakers, and skills practice.

Not a replacement for therapy

Santiago and Brown previously facilitated Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training sessions in September 2015. That curriculum was designed to train the trainers, who could then use the model to help their clients achieve healthy relationships.

There was a strong interest in working with couples, Brown said. We were trying to use the Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training program for couples, but then we just started thinking, Lets clarify our audiences and make it very clear which audiences are for which program, and have a training specifically for that audience.

The curriculum is not designed to serve as a replacement for marriage and family therapy, as couples are still encouraged to use these tools if their particular situations are best suited for sessions with a licensed therapist. It is designed to provide practical skills to give couples a better understanding of the tools to ensure healthy relationships.

Reaching new audiences

Santiago and Brown will also launch a new session of Healthy Relationship and Marriage Education Training for Iowa Army National Guard chaplains and other family support professionals, Aug. 13 at Camp Dodge in Johnston.

These professionals are out there supporting military families, Brown said. Were really excited about this training.

In addition, the extension specialists see another potential audience expansion for Elevate: married Iowa State graduate students.

Its not easy to manage a relationship while going through school, Santiago said.

Both facilitators realize graduate student schedules are full, but are interested in breaking the program down into small components over multiple weeks to help them fit it into their lives.

The research is clear, the curriculum description states. There is simply this amazing connection between relationship quality, positive parenting practices and healthy child outcomes. This truly reinforces the notion that a strong adult couple relationship is the foundation for a healthy family.
MUSCATINE, Iowa  The president of the Muslim Community of the Quad Cities recently visited Muscatine to discuss common misconceptions about Islam.

Lisa Zaynab Killinger, the first woman, non-immigrant, convert to be named president of the MCQC, took her first trip to Muscatine to speak to the Muscatine Freethinkers Society.

Its just beautiful, what a lovely city, she said.

Travis Glynn, of the Muscatine Freethinkers Society, said the opportunity to learn more about a different religion, especially Islam, was important to the societys members.

Im kind of interested in all religious anyway, and I think a lot of people in our group are, but especially with the political climate lately it kind of pushed it to the front of my mind, Glynn said.

The first guest speaker to attend a group meeting, Killinger answered questions from the group members. According to Glynn, many of the group members were surprised by how progressive womens rights were at the time the Quran was written.

People get the feeling that women have no rights, but when it was being developed more than 1400 years ago they obtained the right to vote, and own their own property, something we didnt have in this country till when I was young in many states, Killinger said.

In addition to being able to own their own property, Killinger said women were not discouraged from working outside the home.

That was pretty unusual back then, she said.

Glynn said members of the group were also interested to learn that wearing a head covering is a choice for many Muslim women.

"It changes the way people interact with you. Im American, I look white, and without the scarf, people may make assumptions and act very forward, thats not who I am. When I wear a scarf people recognize that, and dont speak to me in such a lewd way," Killinger said.

But Killinger said wearing her scarf also carries some risk. She was nearly run off the road recently by some men in a car on I-80 near Grinnell.

"At the time I experienced the most fear in my life. I was driving at night wearing a scarf, and the men saw that and screamed slurs at me and flipped the bird at me, then tried to run up on bumper, I tried to stop and they threw things at my car," she said.

Every Muslim woman, Killinger said, risks hate crimes.

"Many people have been beaten, hurt, and run off the road," she said.

But the invitation to speak in Muscatine, especially in a time where hate speech is accepted, she said, gave her hope.

"I think thats what we need to do more of in this world is learn from each other."
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
Les blattes ou cafards (Blatta orientalis) sont des insectes qui appartiennent a la famille des Blattoptera. Ils se caracterisent par leur forme allongee, leurs ailes []
A six-week-long strike at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has ended.

The regulator  which oversees South Africas communications and telecommunications sectors  said on Monday that an agreement had been reached with disgruntled workers.

For weeks, over 100 Icasa workers were on strike as they demanded salary increases back-dated to 2015 and bonus pay from 2014.

Other demands included the reversal of human resource policies and restructuring that took place in the 2014/15 fiscal year.

But Icasa, in a statement on Monday, said that the labour action has come to an end.

The management of Icasa has always been open to communication with staff representatives to ensure that all matters are resolved and therefore confirms that the engagements have been fruitful and led to these developments, said Icasa.

Icasa would like to thank all parties involved in these engagements including the mediator thereof.

Even though there was little interruption on business operations during the time of strike, stakeholders are informed that Icasa is now operating with the full complement of staff to ensure that all South Africans have access to a wide range of communication services at affordable prices, said Icasa.

The Icasa strike stemmed to a dispute over previous union talks.

Icasa said last month that it had previously decided on an agreement with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) on revised employment conditions, but workers said the union failed to represent their mandate.

The disgruntled workers then discontinued their CWU memberships, and they went on strike at the beginning of July this year without union representation.

The striking workers, though, signed up to the National Trade Union Congress of South Africa (NTUC) earlier this month in a bid to resolve their issues with Icasa management.

Fin24

More on Icasa

DStv competition investigation delayed: Icasa

Why Minister Siyabonga Cwele is suing Icasa
{all photos by Kim Graham Photography}

I still cant believe Cathy of Poor Little It Girl and I have officially wrapped the 4th Annual Blog Societies Conference over a week ago held at Belmond Charleston Place hotel in Charleston, South Carolina. It was hands down our biggest and best event yet. Considering we began this once regional network 4 years ago and had our first event as a 15 person brunch, weve come a long way! It wouldnt have been possible without all of the amazing digital publishers from The Blog Societies who attended, our incredible brands and speakers. A few other names to mention who were a big part of this event are Kim Graham (our amazing photographer), Caroline of Birdie & Boe for keeping our heads straight and Drew Glickman who was our videographer, a fun addition from last year! You can see his amazing video at the very bottom of this post.

This year was an exciting one as it was the first time we had ALL regions able to attend. There were 75 digital publishers from all over the country from New York City, Boston, all the way from Salt Lake City to Houston and more. Its incredible to see so many creative and hard working people in one room all eager to learn more, network and grow their businesses. Once everyone arrived in the Holy City, it was time to begin the 3 day event. Heres what went down!

DAY ONE

The event kicked off Thursday with welcome goodies at Belmond Charleston Place Hotel thanks to Mary Kay (seriously, have you tried their lipsticks?!) and the sweetest maps from Cheree Berry Paper. I honestly think these cute little maps may be one of my favorite parts of the conference, theyre always so cute and fun! To begin the festivities, Vera Bradley hosted a gorgeous welcome party complete with umbrella party favors that came in handy the next morning as there was a total downpour when everyone headed to the Riviera Theatre. We mixed and mingled with bloggers and brands and got to know everyone before the weekend really took off. Between light bites, bubbly champagne and good music, we were all well aquainted for the weekend. A good nights sleep was in order and it was off to bed for me and Cathy.



DAY TWO

Friday morning everyone headed to the theatre with Vera Bradley umbrellas in hand to stay dry. This art deco space was the perfect backdrop to hear from some experts in the industry which included Lindsay Humes of White Oak Creative who discussed branding (she designed my site and I was thrilled to get to hear her speak), mastering Instagram with rewardStyle, finding your voice with The InStyle Collection team and how to pitch yourself with Amy Flurry of Recipe For Press, an Atlanta native. Everyone was taking lots of notes and I think we all took away some great tips. Plus, a long to do list of things to tackle once the fun was over.

We worked up a serious appetite and headed into lunch before the big networking and gifting suite. Im still thinking about that fried chicken salad from that afternoon, the food was to die for! The networking and gifting portion is always the highlight of the 3 day event. This part of the conference is where all the brands and digital publishers can network and learn more about the brands! From Moon and Lolas charm bar, to LOreals braid bar, it was a super fun and interactive afternoon. Everyone grabbed a Vera Bradley tote bag to fill with goodies from each brand. This is a great way to start working on creating content and trying new products.

DAY THREE

Bright and early on Saturday morning, Kendra Scott hosted a colorful breakfast for all of our attendees. Their support has been incredible and this is their third year being a part of our annual event. Once our bellies were full it was workshop time! For the first time ever, we introduced workshops to the agenda. I think it was the most popular portion of the whole weekend. Its nice to get to sit and chat in a smaller group with experts like Lindsay Humes of White Oak Creative who chatted all things SEO (someone please send me all their notes!) and Amy Northard, our CPA. We also had two members, Beth of Bethcakes and Molly of Hey There Sunshine host a hands on photography class complete with props and backdrops. Attendees also could learn from LikeToKnow.it guru, Sarah Bertness from rewardStyle.

Cathy and I also hosted our very own Founders Workshop which we were surprised, was a hit! Who knew people wanted to hear us chat. We discussed how to price yourself, negotiate and taking your part time gig, full time. We realized how valuable this open and very honest conversation was. This conversation is important to have with other publishers. We need to help each other in this very new and ever changing industry with these types of discussions. It also may be sparking some new ideas that youll just have to wait to learn more about!

After all the note taking and photography practice, we wrapped the whole 3 day event with a beautiful lunch hosted by Atlanta skincare brand, COSMEDIX. You all know how I feel about this brand so I was really excited to have them there this year. We all chit chatted about skincare while devouring lunch. We finised the meal off with the BEST blueberry trifle Ive ever had. I wish we could eat like this every week!

These are just a few fun snaps from the 3 day event. You can see all our attendees photos under #TBScon on Instagram. You can also see more photos on The Blog Societies today as were rounding up a few more favorite photos from the weekend! If you arent a member, or want to learn more, head on over to The Blog Societies and apply!

Below are our incredible sponsors who helped to make this event possible (and may I add, awesome!).

PLATINUM SPONSORS

Vera Bradley | COSMEDIX | Kendra Scott

GOLD SPONSORS

Swoozies | Lilly Pulitzer | Moon and Lola | iT Cosmetics | Mud Pie Gifts | Wayfair | Physicians Formula | The InStyle Collection | Mark & Graham | The Container Store | YMI Jeans | Chantelle | LOreal

SPEAKERS & WORKSHOP LEADERS

rewardStyle | White Oak Creative | Amy Flurry | Beth Branch | Molly Burton | Amy Northard | Victoria of The InStyle Collection

SILVER SPONSORS

Palm Beach Tan | asos | Talbots | Mary Kay | aerie | Cheree Berry Paper

AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE BEHIND THE SCENES TBSCON TEAM

Birdie & Boe | Kim Graham Photography | Drew Glickman Films | Whitney Hawkins

The Blog Societies Convention from Drew Glickman Films on Vimeo.
Unless I have stated otherwise- all work, images and words are my own.

I have worked really hard on my projects, paper crafting and art. Please give credit where credit is due.


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio  Donald Trump called Monday for "extreme vetting" of immigrants seeking admission to the United States, vowing to block those who sympathize with extremist groups or don't embrace American values. He said the policy would first require a temporary halt in immigration from dangerous regions of the world.

Speaking in swing state Ohio, Trump also said his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton lacks the "mental and physical stamina" to take on the Islamic State. He said destroying the terror group would be the centerpiece of his foreign policy and he would partner with any countries that share that goal  specifically singling out Russia as a nation the U.S. could have a better relationship with.

"Any country that shares this goal will be our allies," Trump said. "We can never choose our friends, but we can never fail to recognize our enemies."

Ahead of Trump's address, Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden vigorously challenged the Republican nominee's preparedness to be commander in chief. Biden called Trump's views "dangerous" and "un-American" and warned that Trump's false assertions last week about President Obama founding the Islamic State could be used by extremists to target American service members in Iraq.

"The threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks," he said.

While Trump has been harshly critical of Obama's handling of the threat posed by the Islamic State, his own policies for defeating the group remain vague. His most specific prescriptions centered on changing U.S. immigration policy to keep potential attackers from entering the country.

Trump's campaign aides said the new ideological test for admission to the United States would vet applicants for their stance on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. The government would use questionnaires, social media, interviews with friends and family or other means to determine if applicants support American values like tolerance and pluralism. The U.S. would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

Trump did not clarify how U.S. officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting. Nor did the campaign say whether additional screenings would apply to the millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars visiting the United States each year.

The Republican nominee's foreign policy address comes during a rocky stretch for his campaign. He's struggled to stay on message and has consistently overshadowed his policy rollouts, including an economic speech last week, with provocative statements, including his comments falsely declaring that Obama was the "founder" of the Islamic State.

Trump spent much of the speech building a case that Obama and Clinton are to blame for the creation of the terror group that has roiled the Middle East and carried out attacks in the West. He specifically highlighted the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011, arguing the move created a vacuum for terror groups to thrive.

Reiterating a favorite criticism of Republicans, Trump also panned the Obama administration for not using the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" to describe sympathizers.

Obama, Clinton and top U.S. officials have warned against using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

Trump's immigration proposals were the latest version of a policy that began with his unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American. Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard, vowing to "suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats."

That proposal raised numerous questions that the campaign never clarified, including whether it would apply to citizens of countries like France, Israel, or Ireland, which have suffered recent and past attacks. Trump had promised to release his list of "terror countries" soon. But aides say the campaign needs access to unreleased Department of Homeland Security data to assess exactly where the most serious threats lie.
LOWER LAKE  A wildfire destroyed at least four homes and forced thousands of people in two Northern California towns to flee on Sunday as flames jumped a road and moved into populated areas.

The fire reached Main Street in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,200, and burned the post office and several businesses as black smoke loomed over the downtown area. Doctors and nurses at a hospital in Clearlake, a neighboring town of about 15,000, rushed to transfer patients to another hospital 25 miles away while firefighters carried goats and other animals to safety as homes burned around them.

The fire broke out Saturday afternoon and grew to more than 3 square miles as firefighters struggled to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze amid hot, windy conditions.

The fire was creating its own weather pattern and shifted direction into populated areas in the afternoon, said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

As it grows, the fire is pushing heat in front of it and it gets critically dry, Cal Fire spokeswoman Suzie Blankenship said.

The fire was throwing embers and spreading rapidly because of parched conditions brought on by the states historic drought, officials said. Large, explosive fires have torn through dried-out or hard-to-reach areas across California this summer, including a stubborn blaze near the picturesque Big Sur coastline that has burned 113 square miles since late July and destroyed nearly 60 homes.

Lower Lake was evacuated in a devastating wildfire last year.

That blaze killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes. It was considered Californias third-most-destructive wildfire after ravaging most of rural Lake County and parts of Napa County about 90 miles north of San Francisco. A report issued this week concluded that faulty wiring in a hot tub ignited the 120-square-mile fire.

Lt. Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriffs spokesman who was working on behalf of Cal Fire, said residents fled their homes very quickly this weekend.

Theyve seen it before, Pittman told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Another blaze that broke out Saturday afternoon forced the evacuation of 135 homes south of Lake Nacimiento in central California, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs office said. It burned more than 2 square miles, but no homes have been lost, and its partially contained.

In Southern California, forecasters warned of high fire danger due to a heat wave and gusty winds. Temperatures reached triple digits in numerous places, stoking an increased risk of wildfires across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties through at least Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
With back-to-school spending on a stock up cycle rather than a make do cycle, the average family is expected to spend more freely on school and college supplies this year, according to the National Retail Federations annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics.

Total spending for K-12 and college is expected to reach $75.8 billion, up from last years $68 billion.

Families are still looking for bargains, but there are signs that they are less worried about the economy than in the past, NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said.

Heading into the second half of the year, we are optimistic that overall economic growth and consumer spending will continue to improve as they did in the first two quarters of the year. We fully expect retailers to be aggressive with offering great deals both in stores and online for back-to-school shoppers. And retailers will keep a close eye on inventory levels as families spread out their shopping throughout the summer.

K-12 Spending

Families with children in grades K-12 plan to spend an average $673.57 on apparel and accessories, electronics, shoes and school supplies, up from last years $630.36, for a total of $27.3 billion, according to the survey. Thats an increase of 9.6 percent from last years $24.9 billion and compares with a total growth of 54.8 percent over the past 10 years.

The numbers follow a pattern in which spending often increases one year as families stock up on supplies only to drop off the next as they get a second year out of longer-lasting items like backpacks or computers. Spending then increases in the third year once children outgrow clothing or items need to be replaced.

According to the survey, K-12 consumers plan to spend $9.54 billion on clothing (purchased by 95 percent), $8.27 billion on electronics such as computers or calculators (57 percent), $5.12 billion on shoes (94 percent) and $4.37 billion on school supplies such as notebooks, folders, pencils, backpacks and lunchboxes (96 percent).

Parents say they will spend an average of $235.39 on clothing, $204.06 on electronics, $126.35 on shoes and $107.76 on school supplies.

Consumer confidence in the economy continues to grow and is a significant factor in how families will spend for back-to-school this year. A few more families are shopping for sales (43 percent, up from 41 percent) or comparing prices online (32 percent, up from 31 percent).

But the number who say they are spending less overall is down at 23 percent compared with 27 percent last year. And the number who say the economy will have no effect on their plans is at 27 percent, up from 24 percent last year and the highest level in the surveys history.

The budget-conscious consumer is not forgetting about price, quality or value, and we continue to see this when it comes to back-to-school shopping, Prosper Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow said. That is why many parents are taking advantage of shopping early, scouring ads and websites for the best deals, and taking advantage of free shipping with online purchases.

More families are tackling back-to-school lists earlier this year with 73 percent beginning about a month to two months out from the beginning of school, up from 62 percent last year. Only 22 percent are waiting for the last week or two, down from 30 percent. A total of 75 percent of those shopping early say they are trying to spread out their budgets, 63 percent of early shoppers dont want to miss out on back-to-school sales and 51 percent want to avoid crowds.

While discount stores continue to be the choice of the largest share of shoppers at 61 percent, the number is at its lowest level in the surveys history. But 46 percent of parents said they would shop online, a dramatic jump from last years 36 percent.

The vast majority of online shoppers plan to take advantage of free shipping (89 percent of those surveyed) and conveniences like buy online, pick up in store (54 percent).

Bigger Kids, Bigger Bills

College students and families with children in college plan to spend an average of $888.71, according to the survey. Thats down slightly from $899.18 last year, but total spending is expected to be up at $48.5 billion compared with $43.1 billion last year due to an increase of consumers shopping for back-to-college.

Whether its laptops for class or mini-fridges for the dorm, college simply costs more than the lower grades, Shay said.

Some of these big-ticket items can last all four years, but when they need to be replaced its a bigger investment than pencils and lunchboxes. But retailers are ready to help students and parents alike stretch their dollars and make the investment in college pay off.
The Salvation Army has deployed multiple mobile kitchens to the Clayton Fire scene in Lake County where thousands of residents have been evacuated.

Teams from Napa, Auburn, Roseville and Solano County are at the Twin Pine Casino in Middletown to prepare and serve meals to first responders and evacuees, the Salvation Army said in a news release.

Salvation Army representatives are also distributing meals to evacuation centers at Kelseyville High School and Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lakeport. So far, more than 500 meals have been served at all three locations, the Salvation Army reported.

Monetary donations are only needed at this time. The Salvation Army uses 100 percent of disaster donations in support of local disaster relief operations, the organization said.

To give, visit www.gosalarmy.org or call 800-SAL-ARMY (800-725-2769) and designate Lower Lake Fire. Donations by mail may be designated Lower Lake Fireand sent to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 348000, Sacramento, 95834.
Authorities reported the arrest Saturday of a patient at Napa State Hospital on suspicion of assault.

The woman was detained after an attack on another patient that left the victim hospitalized, according to Ken Paglia, spokesman for the Department of State Hospitals, which oversees Napa State and other mental health institutions. The suspect faces allegations of felony assault, battery and causing great bodily injury, Paglia reported.

The department did not name the suspect, but Napa County jail logs recorded the arrest of 36-year-old Valerie Diaz at the hospital at 5:19 a.m. Saturday. She was booked on the allegations listed by state authorities, as well as for investigation of false imprisonment.
A 32-year-old San Jose woman who allegedly abducted her infant son last month has been found, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.

Satima Michelle Purnell has been charged with child abduction for leaving with her 10-month-old son Davione Doe. Purnell hadn't been seen since July 9 when she learned she lost custody of the baby to the Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children's Services, prosecutors said.

Investigators were unable to establish contact with Purnell, who they believed was traveling with the child. Authorities were concerned for the child, who has a "serious" medical condition, but he was found safe as of Thursday afternoon, according to the district attorney's office.
When Napa Valley Publishings new multimedia account executive Mitch Pitter isnt walking up and down Upvalley streets, hes liable to be jumping out of an airplane.

Pitter, 22, said he loves to stand on the edge of an airplane, look down and know hes about to jump. The rush, he said, is pretty awesome. He said hell free-fall for somewhere between 30 and 55 seconds  it goes by pretty fast  and then hell pull the chute and enjoy five or six minutes of canopy flight, which is also fun to do. Pitter has made five or six jumps in Davis, and with a couple more jumps, hell be certified and will be able to jump wherever he likes.

Pitter grew up in Bolingbrook, a western suburb of Chicago, and graduated from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville in 2012. Four years later, he graduated from Michigan State with a managerial/advertising degree.

I always wanted to come to California after graduation, because its a beautiful state with beautiful weather, he said. I wanted to get away from the Midwest snow. Additionally, he said he wanted to do something with advertising because of his schooling, and found the job with Napa Valley Publishing online.

His first day on the job was July 13. The account executive for Upvalley accounts said his responsibilities include consulting and advertising sales for newspapers and online for the Napa Valley Register, St. Helena Star and The Weekly Calistogan.

Im still getting the hang of everything, he said, but added his new job is awesome. I love it, its what I went to school for and its exactly what Im looking for. I feel my degree prepared me for this.

He adds he loves the Napa Valley and its beauty, both weather-wise and visually, being surrounded by vineyards and mountains. Theres nothing like this in the middle of Michigan where I went to school, he said.

Beyond skydiving, Pitter said he loves to travel and spent six months living in a city of 100,000 people about 90 minutes from Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where he studied marketing, advertising and communication. He also likes to ride motorcycles and is in the process of buying a Harley-Davidson Sportster Forty-Eight. I know exactly which one Im getting, he said. Ive had the same one planned for years now. Its finally time to experience roads in California, which is the best riding state in the country.

Pitter lives in Napa. To reach him call his cell, 630-335-4753, or email mpitter@napanews.com.
Iran permitted to build two new nuclear plants under provisions of deal signed with Obama administration

(NationalSecurity.news) The Obama administration has given the green light to Iran to build a pair of nuclear reactors under provisions of the atomic deal signed last year, the Washington Free Beacon reports, adding that construction began after President Hassan Rouhani issues the order.

Ali Salehi, the top Iranian nuclear official said this week that Iran has invested $10 billion in the construction of two new nuclear plants after Rouhani issued the orders, according to reports in Irans state-controlled media.

A U.S. State Department official told the Free Beacon after the announcement that Iran is permitted to move forward with the project as per the nuclear agreement, which never prohibited such construction.

The [nuclear deal] does not prevent Iran from pursuing new light-water reactors, a State Department official not authorized to speak on record said to the Free Beacon in response to questions about the announcement. Any new nuclear reactors in Iran will be subject to its safeguards obligations.

Some members of Congress critical of the administrations dealings with Iran also condemned the new reactors, telling Free Beacon that the White House appears to be turning a blind eye to Irans continued pursuit of illicit nuclear technology that many believe is being utilized for a weapons program.

Nothing in the behavior of the Iranian regime in the year since the JCPOA went into effect should give us any confidence that they will be confining their nuclear program to peaceful activities, Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) told the Free Beacon, using the official acronym for the nuclear deal.

Secretary [of State John] Kerry seems to think that the mullahs are interested in curing cancer and civilian energy production, but their rapid progress in ballistic missile technology suggests they are far more determined to develop the nuclear weapons these projectiles are designed to deliver, he said, adding: This is just the most recent confirmation of how misguided, shortsighted, and downright dangerous the Obama administrations nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic truly is.

Since the deal was signed a number of previously secret revelations have come to light, including provisions that will allow Iran to begin enriching more uranium years before the supposedly 15-year delay the administration touted during negotiations.

Also, Republicans in Congress have, for months, been investigating information pertaining to what they say is an Obama administration plant to pay Iran $400 million in cash and another $1.3 billion as part of a ransom payment to free American hostages.

Rep. Mike Pompeo (R., Kan.), who has led multiple efforts to compel the administration to come clean about the cash deal, told the Free Beacon that the White House appears more concerned about appeasing Iran than protecting U.S. national security.

While the Iranians complain that the U.S. is not allowing enough investment into Iran, when investments do occur, Tehran continues to focus on its nuclear program. The Iranian regimes priorities are clear, Pompeo said. The Ayatollah is more concerned with strengthening Irans nuclear infrastructure than providing for the Iranian people. Unfortunately, President Obamas failed nuclear deal with Iran does little to protect the United States from an eventual Iranian nuclear weapon.

More:

NationalSecurity.news is part of USA Features Media.
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The subsequent consultations at the level of the Collective Security Treaty Organizations (CSTO) Deputy Foreign Ministers took place in Sochi. Armenian Deputy FM Shavarsh Kocharyan, who headed the Armenian delegation, presided over the meeting, Armenian MFA press-service reports.

A wide scope of issues on the organizations activity was included on the agenda of the consultations, including the steps aimed at comparing foreign policy and raising the efficiency of the cooperation in international organizations.

The participants also referred to the upcoming CSTO summit and the preparatory work ahead of the meetings of other regulatory authorities.

Apart from this, the CSTO Deputy FMs exchanged views on the current international processes.
YEREVAN.  The statement on a 10-percent GDP growth in Armenia, which was made during the meeting between the Armenian and Russian presidents, has nothing to do with reality, Armenian economist and former MP Vardan Bostanjyan said at a press conference on Monday.

In his words, this figure has pleasantly misled both Armenian and Russian specialists.

Its not that the presidents dont master statistical data, stressed Bostanjyan. This shows that they just dont care about these figures.

As per the economist, this statement is a sign that the presidents want this.

They just didnt have anything else to say associated with the economic numbers, he added.

During the Armenian and Russian presidents talk on August 10, Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed satisfaction with the 10-percent GDP growth, which Armenia had recorded since joining the Eurasian Economic Union which also comprises Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
YEREVAN.  Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan on Monday received US Congressman Steve Chabot, who is in Armenia on a regional visit. US Ambassador Richard Mills also participated in the ensuing talk.

Minister Ohanyan lauded the level of Armenias cooperation with the US in the defense sector.

During the talk, the parties reflected on the main projects being implemented within the framework of Armenian-American defense cooperation, the strategic defense review, and several other matters of mutual interest.

Ambassador Mills, for his part, noted that Congressman Chabots meeting with the headship of the Armenian armed forces was important considering Armenias increasing role in the NATO and UN peacekeeping operations. As per the diplomat, Armenian-American partnership is crucial for sustainable liberty and future prosperity.

The interlocutors also discussed regional security and the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process.
YEREVAN.  Armenia seems to be pushed out of regional events and projects, Armenian economist and former MP Vardan Bostanjyan stated at a press conference on Monday.

In his words, we need to focus not on the talk between the presidents of Armenia and Russia, but rather on the Russian presidents meetings with the leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Its apparent that a conflict of huge political interests is taking place, stressed Bostanjyan. In essence, the current situation in the region is unfavorable to Armenia.

Reflecting on the present-day economic situation in Armenia, the economist highlighted that fundamentaland not cosmeticchanges are needed in the system of governance in the country.

The psychological factor also plays a role, added Vardan Bostanjyan. A psychological decline dominates over throughout Armenia.
STEPANAKERT. - A new phase will start in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement if Azerbaijan shows respect for the ceasefire agreement signed in 1994 and Nagorno-Karabakh returns to the negotiation table, as well as when the psychological obstacles stemming from Azerbaijans revanchist policy are overcome.

NKR President Bako Sahakyan said the aforementioned in an interview with the e-newspaper of the French National Assembly (NA), Radio Liberty reports.

According to Sahakyan, Azerbaijan must be able to abandon its xenophobic policy against the Karabakh and Armenian people, as well as its shortfall adventurism, committing itself to respecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of other people.

The NKR President noted that the four-day April war was the result of the aforementioned policy of xenophobia and dictatorship of the Azerbaijani authorities against the Armenians.

Responding to the question on compromises, Sahakyan said that the resolution of any conflict, especially one as complex as Karabakh issue, is possible only on the basis of mutual concessions.

Reasonable, correct and equivalent concessions are needed, Sahakyan noted, adding that we are ready for compromises if they dont violate the security of our country and do not serve a convenient occasion for the adversary to initiate a new attack against us.

Touching on the international recognition of Karabakh, Sahakyan expressed confidence that the process will continue with greater success in the future, positively impacting the stability in the South Caucasus.

The President also recalled that the right to self-determination is one of the fundamental principles of international law. But this right becomes a necessary obligation when the state it is annexed to has no wish but to eliminate those people, Sahakyan concluded.
YEREVAN. - Chairman of the Armenian National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan , as well as MPs Mher Shahgeldyan, Edmon Marukyan and Khachatur Kokobelyan on Monday had a meeting with the U.S. Congress delegation headed by the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, Steve Chabot.

Welcoming the U.S. Congressmen in the Armenian NA, Artak Zakaryan underscored the importance of the nature of the Armenian-American cooperation, noting that since Armenias independence, the Armenian-American relations have included a wide scope of cooperation.

He also added that Armenia and U.S. have strong cooperation relations both on bilateral and multilateral platforms.

Armenia highly appreciates the support provided by the U.S. for many years in the processes of developing the countrys economy, making reforms in different spheres and establishing democracy and civil society.

Attaching importance to fostering the Armenian-American economic cooperation Zakaryan noted that one of the successful economic cooperation areas of Armenian-American joint cooperation is the IT area, where the U.S. side is on the lead by the number of its investments. Overall, more than 550 Armenia-based companies operate with U.S. capital.

In the area of developing intergovernmental cooperation, Zakaryan underscored the importance of the activity of the Armenian group working in the U.S. Congress. The group members play a key role in raising the issue of the Armenian Genocide, financial support to Karabakh and other issues related to Armenia, he added.

Zakaryan also stressed the active role of the U.S. in the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group, which are aimed at the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

Attention was also attached to the exercise of the Nagorno-Karabakhs right to self-determination and establishment of a legal status between the sides through negotiations in order to achieve a long-term and complete political solution.

The Committee Chairman also appreciated the U.S. stance on settling the Karabakh conflict, namely refusing the military way of its solution.

Referring to the Armenian-Turkish relations, the Armenian side underscored the circumstance that the American side has always contributed to the normalization of relations between the two countries. The Armenian MPs noted that Turkey should not hinder the regional stability and refrain from non-constructive steps.

Touching on the Armenian Genocide recognition, the participants noted that over dozens of U.S. states have recognized it at the state level. Artak Zakaryan expressed hope that in the future the issue will be solved at the U.S. Congress level too.

Apart from this, it was noted that the U.S. Congressmen also took part in the Armenian Genocide Centennial events.

U.S. is one of the countries with largest Armenian Diaspora: more than 1.500,000 ethnic Armenians live there. Thus, the role of the Armenian Diaspora organizations in the development of the Armenian-American relations was underscored.

For his part, Head of the Congress delegation Steve Chabot thanked for the warm welcome, noting that it is a great honor for him to be in the Armenian parliament.

He promised to brief his U.S. colleagues on all the issues raised by the Armenian parliamentarians.

Referring to the Karabakh conflict, Chabot noted that it should be solved by peaceful means and through talks. He excluded the military solution of the issue.

Besides, the U.S. Congressman attached importance to the fight against corruption in the development of the economic ties.

Touching on the Armenian Genocide recognition by the U.S. Congress, Chabot noted that that is a sensitive issue, which requires comprehensive work.

Armenian MPs Edmon Marukyan, Mher Shahgeldyan and Khachatur Kokobelyan also underscored the importance of the peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict, noting that all the forces represented in the parliament have a unilateral stance on the settlement principles.

U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills also attended the working meeting.
Russia will not hinder the project of the Iranian gas import to Armenia, economist Iosif Diskin told Armenian News  NEWS.am.

Touching on the energy agreements reached at the trilateral summit of the Russian, Iranian and Azerbaijani presidents in Baku, the expert noted: It is within Russias interests that our allies, partners and brothers in Armenia are provided with gas, and these talks in no way influence the position of Iran, which is interested in exporting its gas to Armenia not only via transit from Georgia, but also from the south.

I think Russia will not obstruct this project, although it is definitely in our interests that Armenia continues getting Russian gas. Thus, I dont think this is a case of a failure of Armenias policy.

This is more an issue of a balance of interests and agreements, he added.
The Embattled former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmunin Jibrin, wrote to the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Sunday, to explain why he levelled allegations against Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara.

Jibrin apologized for being instrumental to the emergence of Dogara as Speaker, as he chronicled all his allegations, and insisted that Dogara must step aside and allow investigations to commence.

The letter read in part: "I write to the leadership of our party, the various organs and chapters of the party, elected and appointed officials of our party, supporters, well wishers and members of our party in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large through your good office, the Chairman of our great party.

"I write you this letter for four very important reasons: To apologise and seek forgiveness of the party for the role I played in the election of Speaker Yakubu Dogara; to give a background of the current crisis as a result of the allegations I raised against Speaker and the 12 other corrupt members; to furnish you with the details of the allegations against Mr Speaker and the 12 others and; to provide urgent recommendation on the way forward before this crisis cause irreparable damage of our great party.

"Mr Chairman, you will recall the crisis during and after the election of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Yusuf Lasun and Whip Alhassan Doguwa. You will also recall the leading role I played in bringing these 3 Principal Officers on board.

"I recollect with deep regret and pains and can still hear the echo of your voice in the make or mar meeting at the ICC shouting sit down Jibrin, sit down Jibrin, Jibrin sit down', you dare not walk out of this hall Jibrin'! Sen Lawali Shuaibu watched helplessly with the box of ballot meant for the mock elections as I forced myself up, stood my grounds, made my points, held the hands of Yakubu Dagara, a green snake under green grass, and pulled him out of the hall.

"You saw what I didn't see. A validation of the saying that what an old man can see, a young man cannot even if he climbs a tree' worst, an old man of over seven decades. The rest is history.

"The role I played to the best of my conscience at then, sir, was patriotic. I analysed the two candidates and felt Speaker Dogara has a better temperament to make a good Speaker.

"It was a narrow line of thinking, an error of judgment. It took only few weeks after the election for me to realize the corrupt and dangerous man inside the skin of Speaker Dogara.

"That was when I started getting reports of his corrupt practices for many years in the House undetected. I fell apart with Speaker Dogara instantly.

"Contrary to public belief, we have never been close since few weeks after he emerged speaker.

"We practically disagreed on almost everything. From the appointment of Committee Chairmen, to splitting of Committees, to non disclosure of the finances of the house, to his greed of unifying everything under his control, commercializations of bills, divisive approach across ethnic and religious line, arrogance and power drunkenness, corruption and fraud during the budget period among many others.

"But who will I tell or run to having played such a leading role in bringing him on board. It was a painful,frustrating and depressing period for me. He operates alone, keep weird relationships with top politicians. His God father is Sen Iyola Omisore.

"Speaker Dogara is of the habit of taking standing Committee Chairmen to swear Oaths of allegiance before Omisore. During the build up to the appointment of committee Chairmen, I had a terrible disagreement with him. I stayed far away from him. I was in London when he insisted he wants to see me.

"He came to my hotel room and we talked for hours. I gave him a lot of advice but I never knew it was getting in from one ears and out from the other. He was more interested in telling me about the forces who didn't want me to be appointed Chairman of Appropriation; as if I cared. He mentioned Former Speaker and present Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as one. That is how narrow minded Dogara can be.

"I have always maintained to him that being Chairman of Appropriation is not in any way a favour to me. I dashed him money, he thanked me and left. The following day, he pleaded to me to join him at a house in London. I went and I saw him seated very comfortably with Sen Omisore. It was there he said he was going to appoint me Chairman of Appropriation and I should be reporting to Omisore!

"I was completely shocked. A nice lunch was served, we ate and we left. At least there are CCTV's in London. I confided in a highly placed person who I wouldn't want to mention his name. He advised me to remain calm and concentrate on my job. My refusal to comply with such questionable instructions largely accounted for the anger of Mr Speaker towards me.

"It was much later that I realized that Sen Omisore had adopted Speaker Dogara as a god son since their days as Chairmen of Appropriation and house Services in the 6th Assembly respectively.

"Studying Speaker Dogara in the last one year and many things I know may not be proper to mention here, he does not wish the APC well.

"He is a cheap pretender, he is not loyal to the party and he will provide a solid platform for a massive attack against our party in the nearer future. I know what I am talking about.''
Militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, on Sunday dared the Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunye, 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.

This challenge was thrown down in a statement released by the NDA Spokesperson, self-styled Brig-General Mudoch Agbinibo, who also denied the claims by the NNS Delta commander, that two suspects, Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye, arrested by the Navy a 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 the military intelligence on the activities of the group.

It said: "We made it clear that the Nigerian military is using sleeper agents to track or checkmate the activities and operations of Niger Delta Avengers. But the more they try, the more they run into crisis with their employed sleeper agents.

"Tonghan and Miyenminiye that were arrested and paraded by the Nigerian Navy in Delta State are just two of the sleeper agents working for the Nigerian military in conjunction with two leaders, (names withheld).

"They were paid N5 million to give the military intelligence on the activities of NDA. On failing to deliver, they were arrested and tagged NDA members.

"Tonghan and Miyenminiye are not members of NDA. We do not know or have any connection with them. The Navy Commanding Officer NNS Delta, Warri, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, is trying to impress his bosses in Abuja.

"Any criminal arrested is now tagged 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.

"If the Nigerian military is serious about arresting NDA, let them come to the creeks of the Niger Delta. That is where we dwell. If I (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 gone to the creeks instead of sitting in the comfort of my office."
23:03





The incident took place around 5 pm. Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd and resorted to mild lathi-charge, even as the victims alleged that the force did 'nothing to help' them.





The victims also claimed that the attackers were residents of Samter village, who wanted to 'avenge' the arrest of 12 persons in connection with last month's Una Dalit flogging case.





The 20 victims, who are from Bhavnagar district, had gone to Una on their motorcycles along with others. They were returning home after hoisting of a tricolour by Radhika Vemula, mother of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide in Hyderabad, and Balu Sarvaiya, father of one of the victims of Una Dalit flogging incident, in the presence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.





The mob stopped and attacked them at Samter, which falls on Una-Bhavnagar road and not far from Mota Samadhiyala village, where seven Dalits had been brutally beaten up by cow vigilantes last month.

Around eight Dalits were severely injured when a mob allegedly attacked them and 12 of their community members at Samter village near Una, while they were returning home after attending a protest rally in Una town of Gir Somnath district this evening.
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Touch of Nature seeks volunteers for trail work

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Touch of Nature Environmental Center, Southern Illinois University Carbondales unique outdoor experiential education facility, is hosting two special events to help restore and expand the extensive trail system.

Groups and individuals are welcome to participate in the Trail Stewardship Days, taking place on several weekend days during the months of September through November. Volunteers will be working to clear existing trails and create new trails in the 3,100-acre camp in the Shawnee National Forest, founded as a 150-acre outdoor learning laboratory in 1949 along the shores of Little Grassy Lake.

Sessions will take place from 9 a.m. until noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. People may sign up for one or both sessions on any of the available days. All participants must pre-register at least 48 hours in advance.

The schedule for the free Trail Stewardship Days includes:

Sept. 11, 18 and 25

Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30

Nov. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20

No sessions will take place during SIUs Thanksgiving break.

To register for Trail Stewardship Days, call 618/453-1121 or visit www.ton.siu.edu.

In addition, Touch of Nature, in partnership with the American Hiking Society, is sponsoring its inaugural Volunteer Vacation Oct. 16-22. Volunteers ages 15 and older will stay in Touch of Natures rustic cabins and enjoy Mother Nature as they clear pathways and create new trails at the facility, located about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road. The cost for this weeklong adventure varies and ranges from $195 to $325. For more information about this project or to sign up, visit http://volunteervacations.americanhiking.org/.

Participants in the Trail Stewardship Days and the Volunteer Vacation should dress appropriately for the location and work theyll be doing. Tools will be provided along with instruction in how to properly use them.
"Pakistan High Commissioner Basit's statement regarding the independence of Kashmir is highly objectionable. It is the duty of the foreign ministry and the Government of India to send him back to his own country," NCP leader Nawab Malik told ANI.

"Sitting here in India and speaking against the country cannot be tolerated," he added.

Disquieted over the ceasefire violations that occurred yesterday, Malik said the violations have increased in the last two years and requested the Government of India to give a tough message to Pakistan.

"Since last two years there have been lots of cease fire violations happening in the border area, the country has to give tough message," he said.

In a provocative remark, Pakistan High Commissioner yesterday said the Pakistan is dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmir's freedom and will continue to extend its support to the people of the state.

His remark came during Pakistan's Independence Day celebrations held at the embassy in New Delhi.

Meanwhile the ceasefire in LOC was violated with Pakistan firing at two places in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

The Indian army responded heavily to the ceasefire violation by Pakistan.

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. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there was no place for violence and atrocity in the country and urged terrorists to return to the mainstream. In his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Modi declared that the country won't tolerate violence and terrorism. "The nation will not bow to Maoism and terrorism," Modi said. "Those who have chosen the path of terrorism achieved nothing. Come to the mainstream and live a peaceful life. Violence never helps anyone." --IANS rak/py/mr ( 90 Words) 2016-08-15-10:48:02 (IANS)
Noting that India's foreign policy has shown considerable dynamism in recent times, President Pranab Mukherjee today said India's focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development. Addressing the nation on the eve of 70th Independence Day, the President said while India has reinvigorated its historic bonds of friendship with traditional partners of Africa and Asia Pacific, there would be no stepping back on our "neighbourhood first policy".''Our foreign policy has shown considerable dynamism in recent times. We have reinvigorated our historic bonds of friendship with traditional partners of Africa and Asia Pacific. 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,'' the President said. He, however, said there would 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. The President 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.UNI AR AE 1923 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0092-887625.Xml
Telangana Minister for Information Technology, Industries and Municipal Administration K T Ramarao will address at the National Teacher's Congress (NTC) scheduled to be held at Pune in Maharashtra from September 23 to 25. The Minister was invited by the organizing committee of the Teachers' Congress, according to an official release here today. For the first time in the country, NTC is being organized under the guidance of MAEER's MIT School of Government, Pune. Around 8,000 teachers from all over the country will be attending NTC, the objective of which is 'to build a pool of inspired and committed teaching fraternity in the country, who not just impart knowledge, but also use the power of education for nurturing citizens who remain faithful to the values and sensitive to physical and moral welfare of humanity'.UNI KNR AKC AE 1909 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887603.Xml
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. Mr Reddy said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard.He told mediapersons here 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,'' he said. ''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 said. 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 Vizianagaram,Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh .UNI BSR PR AE 1953 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-887675.Xml
Mounting a scathing attack on Pakistan for fishing in troubled waters of Kashmir by glorifying terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today used the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to make a fervent appeal to youths of the Valley to eschew the path of violence and join the mainstream even as he highlighted the plight of the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK). " When innocent children are gunned down in Peshawar, the entire India felt the pain, but they glorify terrorism,'' the Prime Minister said in an obvious reference to Pakistan describing slain terrorist Burhan Wani as a''martyr''. Mr Modi was very categorical in telling the Kashmiri youth that they would gain nothing by taking the path of terrorism. ''They will get nothing. This country will not tolerate terrorism,'' the Prime Minister said, appealing to them to think of the dreams of their parents and come back. Flagging the issue of the atrocities in PoK and Balochistan, the Prime Minister said these people had thanked him for his support to their cause, and their expression of gratitude was a respect to the whole nation.More UNI NAZ ADG RP1005 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888194.Xml
Even after several alerts by the Health department officials, the disease is spreading, with more than 100 people affected and around 50 being admitted to different government and private hospitals.

Of the seven deaths, two were reported during the past 24 hours, including government officials Rajiv Verma (41) and Shekhar Singh (32), who died in private hospitals due to the fatal disease.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Lucknow SNS Yadav told UNI here today that the government had made special arrangements to counter the spread of Dengue in the state capital.

"Special wards have been made at government hospitals, while blood tests were conducted in urgency to start the treatment of patients," he said.

Dr Yadav said the private hospitals and nursing homes have been warned to immediately inform the government about the dengue patients.

He claimed the situation has well under control.UNI MB RJ 1000

-- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888202.Xml
He reviewed the colourful parade by the police and took salute at the main official ceremony at the Police Training College.

Tableaux highlighted various programmes and schemes of different departments. The ceremony showcased the state's rich culture.

Naidu announced a package for the overall development of the backward district of Anantapur. As Anantapur records second least rainfall in the country, he vowed to free the district from drought.

Naidu's cabinet colleagues, MPs, legislators and top officials attended the ceremony. Before reaching the venue of the main celebration, the Chief Minister garlanded a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the town.

As Vijayawada, the current fuctional capital of the state is busy with 'Krishna Pushkaram', the government choose Anantapur was the venue for the main official function.

In 2014, a couple of months after the state's bifurcation, the main Independence Day function was held in Kurnool, which was once the capital of the erstwhile Andhra state.

The Independence Day celebrations were held in all 13 districts of the state. State ministers unfurled the national flag in district headquarters.

YSR Congress party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy unfurled the tricolor at a function held at the party office in Hyderabad.

--IANS ms/mr

( 229 Words)

2016-08-15-11:56:00 (IANS)
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy presented the Cchief Minister's police medal for best service to R Narayanane, ASI, Special Grade and D Bhoopahty ASI, SG, on the occasion of Independence day celebrations here today. The chief minister also presented the chief minister's police medal for very good service to sub-inspectors S R Kumar and R Rajan on the occasion. Mr.Narayansamy presented the Rajiv Gandhi police meal for meritorious service to 20 Police personnel including Venkateswara Rao,assistant commandant IRBn,Hemachandran ,secretary to the DGP andinspector Subramaian. Thavalakuppam Police station was adjudged the best police station and a cash award of Rs.25,000 and a trophy was presented to the sub-inspector of the station V Purushotaman. He presented the chief minister's commendation certificates for various persons and also presented Gold,Silver and bronze medals to NCC cadets for outstanding performance .Awards for the best health field staff and environment awards were also presented on the occasion. The chief minister also honoured Bharatha Natyam dancer Kirthiga who has been awarded a winner prize by ministry of women and child development,Government of India in January this year. Mr Gunasekeran, Superintendent of Police, Karaikal, has been selected for the president's police medal for distinguished service,Mr.Venkatasamy,SP special branch and Inspector Jintha Kothandaraman for president's police medal for meritorious service for this year. The awards will be presented at the Republic Day celebrations next year.UNI PAB RJ 1218 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888281.Xml
Vice Admiral HCS Bisht AVSM ADC, Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command(ENC) today took the salute by the Parade Commander, Commander Dinesh Kumar Singh and inspected a 50 men Armed Guard and reviewed the platoons of Naval personnel drawn from various ships and establishments, Defence Security Corps and Sea Cadet Corps. He conveyed good wishes and greetings to all personnel on parade and to their families on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day. He complemented the men on Parade for their immaculate turn-out and smart drill. Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral Bisht reiterated the need to maintain 24X7 vigil on physical security of naval assets and also on cyber security as World is witnessing increased incidents of terrorist attacks. He further emphasized that the primary responsibility of everyone in ENC in ensuring that the ships, submarines and aircraft remain combat ready at all times. The Commander-in-Chief underscored the need to maintain the Command Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) Response Team The Parade was attended by all Flag Officers, Commanding Officers of various ships and establishments at Visakhapatnam and a number of service and civilian personnel and their familiesUNI BSR SDR RJ 1224 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888351.Xml
"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January. He is of Goan Indian origin. We are very pleased as a consulate to have him here," Baceira said, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Independence Day celebrations in Panaji.

Lawyer turned politician Antonio Costa assumed charge as Prime Minister of Portugal in November last year. Costa hails from Margao town, 35 km south of Panaji.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parserkar has already said that he will formally invite Costa to the coastal state.

Goa was a Portuguese colony for 451 years, until it was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961. Many Goans hold Portuguese passports under the offer Lisobon made.

--IANS maya/in/vt

( 153 Words)

2016-08-15-13:32:01 (IANS)
A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight here on Monday despite a strict curfew in the Kashmir Valley in view of terror threats on India's Independence Day. Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area. Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack. They have been shifted to a hospital. Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta - close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar. "Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house," a police officer told IANS. Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on July 8 sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured. Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day. The main official function was held at Bakhshi stadium near Lal Chowk in Srinagar amid tight security. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering. She referred to the recent bout of violence in the valley and said peace was imperative for equal development of all the three regions - Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir. "I ensured that civilians are not used as human shield during anti-militancy operations. I am sad because certain elements are using our youths as a shield to fulfil their notorious desires. "These elements are trying to achieve their objectives through violence. "Thousands have died in the state since the 1990s but what did we achieve? During the past 40 days, we handed our youths to these vested interests who are using them as cannon fodder." She said her government needed time for healing the wounds of Kashmiris. The Chief Minister appealed India and Pakistan to come together and work for peace in both parts of the divided Kashmir. "So much blood has flown in the Jhelum river and it has no capacity to bear further bloodshed." --IANS sq-ruwa/sar/mr ( 369 Words) 2016-08-15-13:48:01 (IANS)
Remembering with fervent gratitude the sacrifices made by freedom fighters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day. According to an official release, following were the brief highlights of Mr Modi's address: ''Today on this special day, I convey my greetings to 125 crore Indians & the Indian community living overseas. May this energy guide the nation to scale newer heights of progress in the years to come ''We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, countless people who sacrificed their lives so that we attained Swarajya. '' It is true that India faces a lot of problems, but we have the capacity to find solutions. '' Today, more than Karya, I want to talk about Karya Sanskriti of the Government. '' There was a time when past governments used to be surrounded by accusations, not so anymore. They are now surrounded by aspirations." '' It is our responsibility to convert our Swaraj into Suraaj, which cannot be done without sacrifice, discipline and staunch resolution Today I will be speaking not just of policy but vision. Not just the speed of work, but actual experience of progress.'' Mr Modi said,'' Suraaj means the progress of the common man, a government that is sensitive to the requirements and aspirations of the common man. Responsibility and accountability are to be the roots of such a Suraaj." ''We want to change the situation where people are scared of income tax authorities, particularly among middle class families. ''Two crore people apply for passports in the country. Even poor people get passport in one or two weeks. ''In the past any businessman who wanted to invest in this country had to spend more than six months just registering his business. However, with this government we have simplified the procedure to an extent that in last July itself, 900 such registrations have taken place. ''Interviews for more than 9,000 posts in Group C and D jobs have been abolished. ''In the the last 70 years people's expectations have changed. Announcement of policies and budget doesn't convince them. We have to show what has been achieved on the ground. ''Earlier, 70-75 km of rural roads used to be laid per day. Now we lay upto 100 km of rural roads a day. ''One nation, one grid and one price- we have worked on this.''More UNI SW RP1417 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0101-888527.Xml
Kerala Health and Social Welfare Minister K K Shylaja today declared Kannur as the first barrier-free district in the country, in a function held at the District Conference Hall here. Ms Shylaja said all people should avail the rights and social justice, then only the freedom is avail to them, so the government is committed to help the physically and visually challenged people in all ways. She also said the one of the next slogan of the government is Barrier- free Kerala . Ms Shailaja said " freedom means breaking to barriers".Around 1842 institutions under the state government and local body institutions including schools,hospitals, police stations converted to barrier-free environment for the assess to physically challenged persons and old aged persons, while visit for grievances. Each government office equipped with a ramp for movement using wheel chair, a steel railing, grooved tile surface for visually challenged and display boards in Braile script. Lifts is also constructed in ten selected government offices in the district including collectorate.This project is begin in October 2015 and spent an amount of Rs 18.5 crore for converting the offices as barrier free in the district.Later Minister also inaugurated the district level second batch of the higher secondary equivalency course in humanities and commerce, jointly organize by literacy mission and district panchayat. 1049 persons including women and government employees , between the age of 22 to 62 years old are registered in this course this year. Minister also distributed the books to the students.MP P K Sreemathy, District panchayat president K V SUmesh, District Collector P Balakiran, District medical Officer P K Baby, Corporation mayor E P Latha also attended the function. UNI AK SDR RJ 1242 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888365.Xml
Underlining that the goal of ''One India, Great India'' would remain only a dream unless the Government ensured last-man delivery, and there was social harmony, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said stern measures will have to be taken to root out social evils like discrimination based on caste and creed. In his address to the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day, the Prime Minister also asserted that the nation will never bow before terrorism and Maoist violence, and appealed to the people of Kashmir to shun violence and join the national mainstream. With recent attacks on Dalits and Muslims apparently on his mind, the Prime Minister said economic progress was meaningless unless there was social justice and stressed that business as usual would not do in dealing with forces of injustice . While admitting that these problems were very old, Mr Modi said they have to be dealt with sternly and with sensitivity. He urged the people to rise above and fight such anti-social elements. ''Only then we'll be able to progress in real sense. Great leaders like (renowned theologian) Ramanujacharya, (Father of the Nation) Mahatma Gandhi, (Architect of the Constitution Bhim Rao) Ambedkarji had always stressed on the need for social unity. All citizens have to do this, else India can't progress. A strong society can only be built on social justice,'' Mr Modi said. The Prime Minister also sent out a strong message to Pakistan against glorifying terrorism and misguiding the people of Kashmir. While making it clear that the country was no more going to tolerate terrorism, he made a fervent appeal to youths of the Valley to eschew the path of violence and join the national mainstream even as he highlighted the plight of the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK) and Balochistan.More UNI Team NAZ RP1250 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888385.Xml
The 70th Independence Day was celebrated with enthusiasm in this winter capital of the state today, while youth pledged to fight against drugs and make the state free from the menace. The main function of Independence Day was held this morning at Mini Stadium Parade, where Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh hoisted the Tricolour. In his address, Dr Singh criticised Pakistan for perpetuating terrorism from its soil in Jammu and Kashmir and India. Dr Singh, however, lauded the role of security forces for neutralizing the anti-national elements on the borders and standing tall and vigilant. He also said that PDP-BJP coalition government is committed to provide all facilities to the people of the state and in the coming days, Jammu and Kashmir will look new era of development. Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister took salute from the participating contingents of police, army, security forces, school children and college students. Hundreds of school children presented various colourful items including folk depicting traditional and rich diversity of secularism and Indian culture. In a separate function, 'Team Jammu', a social organization, fighting against menace of drugs, celebrated Independence Day as 'pledge day' asking youth to say no to drugs. People from all castes, colour, creed, prominent citizens, civil society, children and particularly youth, attended the function and 'Pledged' to raise their voice against drugs and will not allow the region to become 'Udta Jammu'. ''It was a collective initiative by the Team Jamamu and on this I-Day, we invited people from across the state to join our cause and concern for rising drug menace,'' Zorawar Singh Jamwal, Chairman, 'Team Jammu', said. He said that from this platform, youth have 'pledged' to stay away from drugs and help those who are already trapped, by bringing them out of the menace and guide them towards life. However, tight security arrangements were made for smooth and incident free celebrations across the winter capital.UNI VBH SDR RJ 1247 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888390.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today on way to Botad to pay his last tributes to the Pramukh Swami of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swami sect, who died at the age of 95.The Prime Minister was received by Gujarat governor O P Kohli, chief minister Vijay Rupani and other senior IAS and IPS officials at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel International Airport here. The Prime Minister air dashed here by a special plane after addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. From here he left for Sarangpur in Botad by a helicopter where the Pramukh Swami's body has been kept in state for his followers to have a last darshan.Mr Modi would spend about an hour in Sarangpur after which he would return to Delhi. Prime Minister described Pramukh Swami as his 'Mentor'. As the chief minister of Gujarat, Mr Modi used to frequently visit the Pramukh Swami, to pay his respects to the veteran spiritual leader. UNI ND SDR RJ 1348 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888449.Xml
"The case should be transferred to the CBI for fair investigation so that no doubt remains regarding the probe," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Indian Army chief told IANS.

BJP spokesperson Rajeev Aggrawal said Gen Singh's statement had raised serious doubts about the investigation conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Commenting on police claims that the case had been almost resolved, Aggrawal said the police appeared to be acting under pressure from the state government.

"Such a big conspiracy cannot be resolved in such haste."

Gen Singh told IANS on telephone: "To eradicate every doubt, the case should go to the CBI."

Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent of Police K.S. Emmaneul told IANS that the investigation into the August 11 attack on Teotia was going on in the right direction.

"Till now we have screened about 20 persons. The investigation indicates the attack was made due to personal enmity. It might be a property related dispute," said the officer.

Teotia was fired at in Murad Nagar in Ghaziabad when he was returning to his residence.

The gunmen used AK-47 and 9 mm calibre pistols and fired over a hundred shots.

Teotia sustained six gunshot injuries along with six others who were with him in the vehicle. But he survived the attack.

--IANS sps/mr/ahm

( 249 Words)

2016-08-15-15:54:01 (IANS)
YSR Congress Party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today said real freedom would usher in only with the system which enables the people to question the political leaders who fail to fulfill the election promises and Dalits are treated as equal besides giving due respect to parliamentary democracy and constitution. Speaking after unfurling the national flag at the party office here, Mr Jagan said, "Attacks on dalits are still continuing in the country and in the state even 70 years after Independence and the recent incident at Amalapuram stands a testimony to that. Chief Minister who was just 60 km away from the site of attack on dalits did not visit the spot to reassure the dalits which shows his indifference." The Dalits were attacked for skinning a dead cow in the burial ground and the Dalits were dragged out and indiscriminately beaten up. Among those who were attacked was a tenth standard boy. Dalit Christians are being subjected to severe discrimination, he said. The spirit or freedom has lost its way when the Prime Minister and Chief Minister aspirants promises of special status to Andhra Pradesh during electioneering but failed to fulfill it after coming to power. The same assurance was given in Parliament earlier and in the same House it was categorically stated that special status cannot be accorded which tantamount to mocking the institution. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has promised waiver of agriculture and DWACRA loans besides providing jobs to every family, unemployment stipend and houses to the poor before elections and after coming to power did not fulfill any of the promises and this happens 70 years after they attained independence, he said. People who do not respect constitution and the laws made by Parliament are resorting to trading of elected representatives buying them with huge amounts of unaccounted money stashed away and when audio visual evidence of the Chief Minister comes out in the horse trading, still the person goes scot free which is very baffling, he said. The real independence will come only when the spirit of freedom prevails and people question the leaders who fail to fulfill the election promise and we have to join hands to usher in such a society, he said.UNI VV SW AE 1527 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-888606.Xml
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today offered his heartfelt condolences to CRPF Commanding Officer Pramod Kumar's bereaved family. Pramod died during fighting with terrorists at Nowhatta area in the Kashmir Valley this morning after two militants attacked the CRPF security forces. They fired indiscriminately on them injuring nine jawans besides killing Pramod. He also prayed for speedy recovery of the injured. "The martyred CRPF officer served the nation till his death. I salute his valour and supreme sacrifice," said Mr Singh. He said he was deeply pained at his death. The gunfight between militants and security forces took place in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid. Besides, the Army has claimed that they foiled an infiltration attempt by two Pakistani militants into Kashmir. The two were killed in the Uri sector. UNI XC SW AE 1847 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0432-888919.Xml
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today hosted a tea party at the lawns of the Raj Nivas here this evening, to mark the Independence day celebrations here. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his cabinet colleagues, Speaker V Vaithilingam, Deputy Speaker Sivakozhunthu, former chief ministers R V Janakiraman (DMK), MDR Ramachandran (Congress) and CPI state secretary R Viswanathan among others attended the party. Dr Bedi honoured the workers of 'Swatch Bharat' and 'Swatch Puducherry' on the occasion by presenting momentos to them. Cultural programmes was also organised.UNI PAB JW AE 1942 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-889003.Xml
Leader of Opposition in Telangana State Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir today said the encounter of former Naxalite-turned-gangster Md Nayeemuddin may be linked to the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin. In a statement here, Mr Shabbir Ali said Nayeemuddin was a witness in the investigation into Sohrabubbin case where he was often referred as "Kalimuddin". The Gujarat police, in its investigation, had claimed that Kalimuddin was on board a Hyderabad-Sangli bus in November 2005 with Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi when they were allegedly abducted by policemen from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh and killed within days. Although the CBI investigation later claimed that it was not "Kalimuddin", but Tulasiram Prajapati, the then IGP Geetha Johri, who investigated the case, had claimed that "Kalimudddin", an informer, was a witness to the abduction of Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi. Geetha Johri, in a curative petition filed in the Supreme Court, had reportedly said, "It appears that Kalimuddin was in People's War Group and then turned police informer and was being protected by the Andhra Pradesh police as a valuable informer for them as also for the Central Intelligence." It was also reported that Nayeemuddin was one of the absconding accused in the Haren Pandya murder case. She also reported to have said that the CBI chargesheet contained a statement by Kalimuddin's sister Saleema Begum saying Kalimuddin had hosted Sohrabuddin and his wife in Hyderabad and was also known as Nayeemuddin. "Sohrabuddin's fake encounter is a high profile case involving BJP national president Amit Shah. In July 2010, Amit Shah was arrested and was also banned from entering Gujarat till 2012. Although Amit Shah was acquitted of all charges in December 2014, Nayeem was a major link in both Haren Pandya and Sohrabuddin case. Incidentally, he was killed just one day after PM Narendra Modi's visit to Telangana. Therefore, the State Government must order a CBI probe to ensure that the truth comes out," Shabbir Ali said.MORE UNI VV JW AE 1947 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0364-889009.Xml
New York City police searched today for a gunman who killed a Muslim cleric and his associate as they left prayers at a mosque in Queens yesterday, stunning 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.New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito condemned the attacks in a statement that said: "This kind of hate has no place in our communities."The gunman approached the men from behind and shot both in the head at close range about 1:50 p.m. EDT (2320 IST) 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 both wearing religious garb, police said. Police found them bleeding in the street and took them to a hospital where they were pronounced dead.Akonjee was a married father of three who moved from Bangladesh about two years ago, according to media reports. He was carrying 1,000 dollars with him at the time of the attack but the money was not taken, The New York Times reported.They were attacked about two blocks from a 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."I have never felt this kind of tension," said Nizam Uddin, 57, a taxi driver and member of the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque who said he knew both the cleric and his associate but was not related to the associate."We are asking for justice for our imam."This appeared to be the most violent act against local leaders in recent years, said Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy group.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.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.REUTERS PS 0119 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0421-888024.Xml
An uneasy calm was holding 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.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 yesterday 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 systemically 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."Yesterday 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 UNRESTThe 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.Policing in Milwaukee has come under scrutiny since 2014 when Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill, unarmed black man, was fatally shot in a park by a white officer, an incident that sparked largely peaceful protests.REUTERS SDR PR0840 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888108.Xml
Thailand's army said today it had detained several people for questioning over a wave of deadly bombings in some of the country's best known-beach resorts that killed four people and wounded dozens, including tourists.Last week's blasts came days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that paves the way for an election at the end of 2017.No group has claimed responsibility, although police and the government have ruled out ties to foreign groups, linking the bombings to an unspecified domestic issue.Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the predominantly Buddhist country.Several people are being held at army facilities, but none have been charged, military government spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree told Reuters."Ever since the incident on August 11, the army has used Article 44 to summon people who the state think can give useful information," Winthai said.The legislation gives the military government absolute power to take any steps needed to protect the public peace and detain people for up to seven days without a court warrant."They were sent to various army camps," added Winthai, who declined to say how many were detained, although rights groups fear the number runs into the dozens. "Nobody has been charged so far."Yesterday, a deputy national police chief said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details.Police yesterday said they had arrested one person for arson but did not elaborate.Over the weekend authorities defused at least five explosive devices that had failed to detonate.Three bombs went off in the Muslim-majority province of Yala late yesterday, but nobody was injured, police said.Defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan said last week's blasts were "definitely" not related to the southern insurgency, although some involved might have come from the region."It is definitely not an extension of the deep south insurgency," Prawit told reporters today. "But it is possible they could have been hired from there."For more than a decade, Thailand has been divided between populist political forces, led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the royalist and military establishment.They accuse Thaksin, toppled in a 2006 coup, of corruption and nepotism, charges he rejects. His sister Yingluck, who took power after a 2011 election win, was ousted in a 2014 coup.Fears that Yingluck and Thaksin could be blamed for orchestrating last week's attacks prompted a denial by their party. REUTERS SDR PR1130 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888297.Xml
New York City police searched 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, a crime that sowed fear and sadness in their Bangladeshi community.A possible suspect had been detained and was being questioned, but has not been charged, NBC News reported early today, citing unnamed sources. A police spokesman could not confirm the report.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 2330 IST 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 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.'MAKES ALL MUSLIMS SCARED'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, or 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 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.CAIR said it was offering a 10,000 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.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. NBC reported the man being questioned matched the description.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 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." REUTERS SDR PR1253 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0431-888405.Xml
The home of 17-year-old Mohammed Tra'ayra in the West Bank village of Bani Naim near Hebron, was demolished overnight, Xinhua news agency quoted military statement as saying.

On June 30, Tra'ayra killed the 13 years old Hallel Yaffa Ariel in the nearby settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Ariel, who held a dual US-Israeli citizenship, was the youngest Israeli victim in a yearlong spate of violence, which had claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and at least 220 Palestinians.

Israel had demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes since it occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, as a punitive measure aimed at deterring Palestinians from carrying out attacks against Israelis.

--IANS sm/ahm/vt

( 149 Words)

2016-08-15-16:54:02 (IANS)
Republican Donald Trump should fix his stumbling White House campaign by Labor Day or step down, The Wall Street Journal said today in a sharply worded warning from a leading conservative voice."Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isn't running a competent campaign," the newspaper said in an editorial.The paper's editorial board, which generally favors Republicans, has been critical of Trump but its warning today was its strongest attack yet and echoed growing anxiety among many Republicans over the state of Trump's campaign.The New York real estate developer, who has never held elected office, has been mired in weeks of controversy and opinion polls show him falling behind Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the race for the November 8 election.Trump's "window for a turnaround is closing," the Journal said, urging his backers to push the candidate toward a promised "pivot" to a presidential posture and a more disciplined campaign."If they can't get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races," it said.Labor Day, which falls on September 5 this year, marks the end of US summer vacations and traditionally launches the final phase of the long US election season."As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be president - or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," it said, referring to the Indiana governor, who is Trump's vice presidential running mateTrump has repeatedly provoked controversy in the weeks since his formal nomination as the Republican presidential candidate in July, despite appeals from party leaders for him to focus on issues that could win him the election.He picked a fight with the parents of a Muslim US Army captain who was killed in Iraq and falsely accused President Barack Obama and Clinton of being "co-founders" of Islamic State. He later said he was being sarcastic but has continued to repeat the remark.Trailing in opinion polls in so-called battleground states, Trump has increasingly begun to portray himself as a victim of the media.The Journal said Trump mistakenly believes his rowdy rallies will morph into votes and he can get away with relying on social media instead of spending money to compete in battleground states.Adding to Trump's woes this week was a report in The New York Times that the name of his campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was on secret ledgers showing cash payments of more than 12 million dollar from a Ukrainian political party with close ties to Russia. There was no evidence Manafort took the payments.Manafort denied any impropriety in a statement today. "I have never received a single 'off-the-books cash payment' as falsely 'reported' by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia," he said.The report came as Trump prepared to give a foreign policy speech today. The Clinton campaign said it was evidence of "more troubling connections between Donald Trump's team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine."Trump has spoken favorably in the past of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month he invited Russian hackers to find "missing" emails from Clinton's time as secretary of state, when she used a private computer server to conduct government business, although he later described that comment as sarcasm.REUTERS AKC AS1914 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0432-888957.Xml
Kurdish Peshmerga forces today said they had secured a river crossing point enabling them to open a new front against Islamic State and further tighten their grip on the militants' capital Mosul.Backed by air strikes from the US-led coalition, Kurdish fighters reached Kanhash, the western side of the Gwer bridge, the target of an offensive that started on Sunday.The militants damaged the bridge, across the Grand Zab river and to the southeast of Mosul, two years ago as they swept through northern and western Iraq. Repairing the bridge would allow Peshmerga and other anti-IS forces to move towards Mosul from a new front."Control over Kanhash Heights give the Peshmerga strategic advantage over nearby enemy positions and the main road linking Mosul," tweeted Masrour Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council."This successful operation will tighten the grip around ISIL's stronghold Mosul," he added, using another acronym of IS.About 150 square kms (58 square miles) were taken from the militants along the Grand Zab which flows into the Tigris, Kurdish officials said.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.With a pre-war population of nearly 2 million, it is the largest urban centre under the militants' control and 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 it 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."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 in a comment on the Kurdish offensive.The militants were using suicide car bombs and mortar rounds to try to slow the Kurds' advance, said Saif Hameed, a Reuters correspondent who covered the offensive on Sunday."At the sixth village we entered, we received the usual incoming fire and the gunner was firing back ... mortars started to land on our right every three minutes," said Hameed, who was moving in a Peshmerga armoured truck with a group of journalists."Suddenly one of the men who was anxiously watching through the narrow, shattered bulletproof glass shouted and all eyes turned to the left," Hameed said. "It was a car bomb and it was speeding towards us.""The gunner opened fire from the turret and it vanished. We didn't know where it went. As we retreated from the village, we were told it exploded elsewhere."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 on Sunday the death of a Kurdish TV cameraman and the injury of another journalist.Preparations for the offensive on Mosul were nearing 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.Up to one million people could be driven from their homes in northern Iraq, once fighting intensifieds around Mosul, posing "a massive humanitarian problem", the International Committee of the Red Cross forecast last month.More than 3.4 million people have already been forced by conflict to leave their homes across Iraq, taking refuge in areas under control of the government or in the Kurdish region.REUTERS JW NS2134 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0364-889109.Xml
NAIROBI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese funded Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) linking Kenya's port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi will be a boon to the country's economy and livelihoods, a senior lawmaker said on Sunday.

Adan Duale who is also the Leader of Majority in the Kenyan Parliament said in a commentary published by a local daily that SGR will be a transformative infrastructure project.

"The SGR project will stimulate the economy in diverse ways. It will be a boon to areas it passes through, spawning new trading centers and hubs," Duale remarked.

He added that incomes for ordinary Kenyans will rise substantially while the GDP will increase by 1.5 percent once the 472-kilometer Chinese-funded railway is commissioned next year.

Duale noted that the construction of the modern railway line dovetails with the government's socio-economic transformation agenda.

"The current administration is committed to revolutionizing transport system through development of modern railway. Good roads and a modern railway will have ripple effects across key economic sectors," said Duale.

He noted that agriculture and manufacturing sectors will be the greatest beneficiaries of the SGR project.

Kenya anticipates vibrant cross-border trade in goods and services upon completion of the Chinese-funded modern railway.

Duale said that besides reducing congestion at the port of Mombasa, the Standard Gauge Railway will also encourage movement of skilled personnel across the borders.

The SGR project will hasten Kenya's industrialization process and boost its competitiveness in a globalized world.

Duale noted that a modern railway line will ease movement of manufactured goods across the borders.

"It will be possible to transport goods churned out by local factories efficiently once the SGR project is operational. The modern railway will also boost Kenya's standing as an investment destination," Duale said.
NAIROBI, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Wang Shusheng, from Hebei Province of Northern China, is occupied with his steel plant in Tanzania set to go into operation in October.

Wang is the manager of Kiluwa Steel Group Co. Ltd, which covers an area of 300 acres, located in a remote land in Kibaha District, eastern Tanzania.

The factory mainly produces screw-thread steel and wire rod, with a first-phase investment of about 200 million yuan (about 30 million U.S. dollars).

In underdeveloped Africa, infrastructure construction is the guarantee for development and it requires rebar, cement and electric power, Wang said.

In Tanzania, the quality of local rebar cannot meet the requirement of building skyscrapers or bridges. As a result, 70 percent of rebar in the country are imported.

Wang is among an increasing number of Chinese entrepreneurs who are turning their eyes to Africa to seek business opportunities.

Partial statistics show that China and Africa have signed over 180 various cooperation agreements with a total value of 32.5 billion U.S. dollars since the Johannesburg Summit of The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last December. This includes 29.1 billion dollars of commercial loans, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the total amount.

Investment-led cooperation is becoming a main driver for business cooperation, marking a new stage of higher quality of economic cooperation and trade between China and Africa, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Plenary Session of the Coordinators' Meeting On the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of The Johannesburg Summit in July.

Shi Jiyang, CEO of China-Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund), noted that Africa is a new horizon of global economic growth, the most dynamic economy seconds only to East and South Asia. There is an enormous potential of China-Africa cooperation, particularly in terms of investment.

Shi said more and more Chinese enterprises will invest in Africa, along with the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Ten Cooperation Plans as put forward at the Johannesburg summit.

According to the statistics from the CAD Fund, trade between China and Africa reached 222 billion dollars in 2014 and is projected to hit 400 billion dollars by 2020; the stock of Chinese investment in Africa amounted to 32.4 billion dollars in 2014 and is expected to reach 100 billion dollars by 2020.

China has been a transformational partner from the standpoint of Africa's development, Prof. Lemma Senbet, executive director of African Economic Research Consortium said on Friday in Mombasa, Kenya.

Senbet said at the China-Africa Media & Think-Tanks Symposium that China has emerged as Africa's largest trading partner, but China's engagement with Africa is not just limited to minerals and oil.

"It is multifaceted and multilayered," he said.

He also said it is important that China and Africa should foster relationship in other spheres apart from that fostered by government actors.

"China could provide some public-private partnership to interface the private sector in Africa and also use that as a pattern of investment. That would be win-win," added Senbet.
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.
Phelps and Lochte talk after the men's 200m individual medley at London Olympics. (Xinhua)

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."


RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Rio Olympic shooting concluded all its finals after Italian Niccolo Campriani won the men's 50m rifle three positions on Sunday, enabling Italy to become the biggest winner by taking four out of the 15 gold medals on offer, and collected a total of seven medals.

Italian shooters did a good job on rifles and shotguns. Campriani managed to get into the final on all the three events he participated in. He collected two gold medals, becoming the fifth Italian athlete to win at least three Olympic gold medals in any individual event.

Italy bagged three out of the six medals produced in men's and women's skeet. Diana Bacosi and Chiara Cainero took gold and silver respectively in women's skeet, while 21-year-old Gabriele Rossetti won gold in men's.

Germany was placed second on the shooting medal list with three golds and one silver. 33-year-old Barbara Engleder claimed the title on women's 50m rifle three positions, her first medal in four Olympic Games. Christian Reitz and Henri Junghaenel contributed the other two golds for Germany.

Shooting powerhouse China collected as many as seven medals, but only one of them is gold, which came from Olympic debutant Zhang Mengxue in women's 10m air pistol. China had sent 22 shooters to Rio, and more than half of them appeared in the finals. The team had aimed for more golds, but they were just not lucky enough to reach the goal.

The Rio Olympic Shooting Center witnessed several milestones for Olympics and the shooting sport.

The 41-year-old veteran Hoang Xuan Vinh won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for Vietnam after claiming the men's 10m air pistol event. He said he would continue his career after the Olympics.

Jin Jongoh from South Korea won his fourth Olympic gold medal in men's 50m pistol, becoming the first shooter to win three straight Olympic golds in the same event (men's 50m pistol).

The 49-year-old Kuwait Fehaid Aldeehani won gold in men's double trap, which produced the first Olympic gold medal for Independent Olympic Athlete.

The 37-year-old U.S. veteran Kimberly Rhode won the bronze medal of the women's skeet, setting a legendary record of winning at least one medal in six consecutive Games. She was the first female athlete in Olympic history to achieve the milestone.

The ISSF President Olegario Vazquez Rana was pretty satisfied of the competition.

"We have witnessed the best shooting sport competitions in the history of the sport here in Rio de Janeiro, we would like to thank the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee, and all the volunteers who worked with us in these days," he told ISSF official website.

"The rule changes we adopted after London 2012 proved to be successful, improving the presentation of our sport."
TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Regardless of the feelings of the peoples of neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

Abe is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea, said Kyodo News.

Meanwhile, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda visited the notorious shrine on Monday morning.

Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from WWII and is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.

Related

Interview: Japan shall take history as mirror to achieve reconciliation with other Asian nations: civic group
SYDNEY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Australian share market opened lower with the banks and the materials space setting to drag on the index on Monday.

At the open on Monday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 19.5 points, or 0.35 percent, at 5,511.4 while the broader All Ordinaries index was down 18.0 points, or 0.32 percent, at 5,608.3.

IG market analyst Angus Nicholson said in a note on Monday that energy stocks may be the one bright spot as benchmark crude eyes breaking through the 45 U.S. dollar mark on new rumblings in OPEC, while resources will be under pressure after Chinese economic data filters through.

"While China's data releases did not have an immediate impact on Asian markets (on Friday), they were wreaking havoc in Chinese commodity futures with particularly massive drops in nickel prices," Nicholson said.

Australian banking stocks are also coming under pressure as profit results continue to concern in the financial space after National Australia Bank's earnings dipped on rising bad debts.

In early trade, ANZ was down 0.15 percent, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia declined 0.29 percent, the National Australia Bank lost 0.37 percent and Westpac fell 0.25 percent.

BHP Billiton shed 2.51 percent, rival Rio Tinto slumped 2.73 percent while gold miner Newcrest was 2.82 percent weaker.

Oil Search lost 0.68 percent, Santos dropped 1.90 percent while Woodside Petroleum slipped 0.18 percent.

Wesfarmers rose 0.21 percent while rival Woolworths edged 0.09 percent higher.

Qantas was up 0.78 percent while telecommunication giant Telstra's lifted 0.64 in early trade.
MELBOURNE, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- An upgrade to Melbourne's metro rail system will compromise the safety of hospital patients, according to a group of major hospitals.

The Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospitals made a submission to a government committee, along with a host of other medical institutions, that the Melbourne Metro Rail project could jeopardize patients and damage sensitive equipment.

The submission claimed that the underground drilling for the nine-kilometer, 8.4 billion US dollar tunnel route could put the Royal Melbourne Hospital's older buildings at risk of collapsing.

"Level of noise and vibration during both the construction and operation of the Parkville station is detrimental to patents' health, wellbeing and recovery," the submission, published by News Limited on Monday on Monday, said.

"Poor air quality has the potential to adversely impact patient outcomes, which is a major issue in the Parkville precinct due to the number of health and education facilities treating patients with severely acute respiratory conditions."

"Sensitive equipment such as diagnostic imaging machines and surgical devices is compromised (affecting) the ability of major hospitals to deliver timely, safe and best practice care."

The submission further warned that stress to animals caused by the loud works would set back experiments being carried out by the facilities -- Melbourne's zoo is also located in Parkville -- and that the ground movements could jeopardize the security of biological agents stored in carefully controlled conditions.

Evan Tattersall, chief executive of the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, said that while the hospitals' concerns are valid, the authority would "definitely be able to manage this like they have all over the world."

"We know there is substantial work we'll need to do to manage these impacts and we've provided appropriately for that in the budget," Tattersall told the ABC on Monday.

"Exactly how we do it yet is to be worked through, but we know generally what we need to do and that's been accounted for."

An impact statement commissioned by the rail authority said that vibration levels would overwhelm MRI machines and that the cost of moving the equipment to protect it and hiring extra staff would be an extra 8 million U.S. dollars.

The Melbourne Metro Rail project involves the construction of nine-km of rail under Melbourne's CBD as well as five new underground train stations.

Works on the project are expected to begin in 2017 with construction expected to take at least nine years.
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on a school in northern Yemen, which killed at least 10 children and injured many more.
by Zhu Feng, Yan Lei

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- When asked about what Aug. 15 represents, 30-year-old salesgirl Ariko hesitated a moment and said with a smile "it is memorial day for the end of the war, I've been taught that in school."

"I know it is an important day, but that's all. I have no motivation to deepen my knowledge about it after I began working," Ariko told Xinhua.

In Japan, Aug. 15 is usually known as the "memorial day for the end of the war." The official name for the day, however, is "the day for mourning of war dead and praying for peace." This official name was adopted in 1982 by an ordinance issued by the Japanese government.

At 7 a.m. Beijing time (2300 GMT) on Aug.15, 1945, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union simultaneously released the announcement of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II.

Compared to "surrender" and "defeat", "the end of the war" is obviously a neutral expression, which only represents the fact that the war ended.

At the former Nazi concentration camp of Sachsenhausen in Germany, facts and data of Nazi war crimes are exhibited. Narrow and dark cells, crematoriums used for mass killing, and gas chambers are all well preserved.

But in Japan, though the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima reproduces the horrible and miserable scenes of the U.S. atomic bombing in 1945, the true cause of the bombing has seldom been mentioned.

Many Japanese WWII veterans still believe that Japan had never launched acts of aggression against other countries since they were establishing the so-called "Great East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere" in helping Asian countries' liberation.

Yokohama resident Keiko Syono, who is past retirement age, told Xinhua that "for people over 80 years old, Aug. 15 is an unforgettable day. That generation has experienced the bloody and horrible war, and is unwilling to see their children go to war."

But regarding the question as to who should take responsibility for the war and whether the war waged by Japan is right or wrong, she said few people around her talked about it, except some politicians and constitutional scholars.

"This issue is complicated, it is difficult for people nowadays to truly understand what people in those days thought at that time," said Syono, adding that "it was an action taken by the country of Japan at that time and that it is inappropriate to let any individuals take responsibility."

"The war has passed, there's no need to investigate the issue," she claimed, stressing that "however, Japan should pursue a peaceful road of development in the future."

Is it, indeed, not necessary to investigate past historical responsibilities? In this regard, Germany has set a good example.

Since the Nuremberg trials were held in the German city of the same name over 70 years ago, Germany has still been investigating responsibility for war crimes, and is earnestly racing against time.

The Nuremberg trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the Allied forces after WWII, which were most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, judicial and economic leadership of Nazi Germany, who planned, carried out, or otherwise participated in the Holocaust and other war crimes.

This year, three people aged over 90 are to stand trial for their participation in the massacre of Jewish people. These trials aim to seek justice from "even those who are least involved in Nazi crimes," and "let the last survivors tell the truth," said historian Werner Lenz.

"Japan should learn from Germany. Through thorough reflection on history, Germany has been able to reconcile with France and other neighboring countries," said 83-year-old Japanese resident Takeji Hashimura.

"What Japan is currently doing is regrettable," said Hashimura.

Since the mid-1950s when Shinzo Abe's maternal grandfather Nobusuke Kishi held the position of Japanese prime minister, some people in Japan have begun to whitewash its wartime history of aggression, said Liu Jiangyong, a professor of Tsinghua University.

"Until now, every time when Japanese school text books are amended, there is retrogression on historical issues," said the professor, underscoring the validity of former German President Richard von Weizsacker's famous speech, in which he said "those who don't want to remember past inhumanity will be vulnerable again to new dangers of contagion".

Japanese people's ignorance of history makes them easy to be duped by the Abe administration's increasingly right wing, revisionist stance. This has provided a malleable social backdrop for his successful push for military expansion and passage of a new security law that allows Japanese troops to fight abroad even if Japan itself is not under attack.

With the gradual loss of the objective facts of Japan's war of aggression in Japanese society, the possibility for Abe to achieve his ambition of getting rid of the postwar system is increasing, which includes his long-held goal of revising the country's pacifist constitution and scrapping war-renouncing Article 9 and turning Japan's Self-Defense Forces into a conventional army. This will make it likelier for Japan to be involved in war again, all of which are a danger for its Asian neighbors' security and world peace.

Every year, Japan commemorates the Aug. 15 anniversary, and every year there's hot debate on "war and peace." For the good of Japan, its people, its neighbors and the world, the nation must not only remember its own suffering and lives lost, but remain forever cognizant of the fact that Japan itself was perpetrator first and victim of its own actions thereafter.

Only through deep, honest reflection on its wartime aggression and the immeasurable misery and suffering this brought to millions of innocent lives and through sincere regret and apology, can Japan ever hope to adhere to a peaceful road ahead.
CANBERRA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Embracing economic change is the key contention of a comprehensive new Australian report detailing the future of the Sino-Australia relationship.

Delivered to both the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang on Monday, the Australian National University's (ANU) Australia-China Joint Economic Report (ACJER) is the first major independent study of the burgeoning economic relationship between the two nations.

The report has said embracing China's transition to a services-based economy and fully realizing the potential of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) is the key to a strong future ties.

Professor Peter Drysdale from the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at the Australian National University (ANU), a co-autor of the report, said Australia's breakaway from its reliance on minerals and resources has opened the door for trade-based economic reform.

"Australia and China have a great opportunity to turbo-charge an already close relationship, to become stronger partners over the coming decades," Drysdale said.

"Australia has been a trusted partner in China's 'reform and opening' since the 1980s, and is seen in China as a valuable international testing ground and pilot zone for economic policy reform."

China is Australia's largest trading partner with trade between the nations worth around 115 billion U.S dollars in 2015.

But the report also highlighted the rising number of Chinese students choosing to study in Australia; currently China is the source of the most number of foreign students in Australia with 120,000, and Drysdale said Australia's willingness to embrace China's requirement for a more services-based economy, as well as opening up ways for premium Australian products to be sold in China, would benefit both nations in the future.

"Both Australia and China gain from growing and diversifying their economic relationship through new flows of tourists, students, investors and migrants," he said.

The report recommends the creation of a new Australia-China Commission to "promote academic, cultural, policy, government, business and community exchanges", high-level policy co-operation on trade routes - particularly those at seas, and the negotiation of a "negative-list Agreement on Investment within the ChAFTA framework to further liberalize investment flows" between the two nations.

The report said if both governments adopt these and other measures, it would maximize future economic growth for both Australia and China.

"If this reform agenda is prosecuted successfully, Australian exports to China will grow by 120 percent in real terms, and Chinese exports to Australia by 44 percent," the report reads.

"For China, this is conditional on the implementation of a reform agenda that embraces financial and factor reform, state-owned enterprise reform, increased openness to foreign investment, and capital account liberalization."

"For Australia, it means increased competition in sheltered industries, openness to foreign investment and skills, and facilitating investment in social and physical infrastructure."
MELBOURNE, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The authorities in the Australian state of Tasmania are urging seafood-lovers to avoid eating wild shellfish from the island state's east coast, due to the risk of potentially-fatal paralytic poisoning.

Dr Mark Veitch, Tasmania's acting director of public health, released a statement late on Sunday night warning Tasmanians and tourists to heed the "very real" threat to health, which has come due to an algal bloom in the water.

"Shellfish feed on the algae and (therefore) concentrate the toxin--this makes them dangerous to eat and may cause serious and even fatal illness," the statement said.

"The large scale of this algal bloom and the high levels of toxin in tested shellfish mean the risk of shellfish poisoning from eating shellfish collected from the wild is very real."

Tasmanian seafood is considered by many as the best in the world, with many Australians choosing to make the trip to the southernmost state for sport fishing, mussel and abalone diving, as well as oyster sampling.

The authorities have said it is unsafe to eat wild oysters, mussels, scallops cams and pipis from anywhere along the island's east coast, while hungry Tasmanians have also been warned that cooking the fish will not kill the deadly toxins.

Two types of toxin have been identified by the authorities, one of which causes mild diarrhea while the other causes paralysis which could lead to death.

The latest algal bloom follows a similar one which occurred in 2015 when two people were hospitalized after consuming toxic mussels in October.
People are evacuated from the JFK International Airport in New York, the United States, on Aug. 14, 2016. All the flights at the JFK International Airport in New York have been suspended due to reports of shooting inside a terminal, local media said on Sunday. (Xinhua/Tao Chen)

NEW YORK, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- All the flights at the JFK International Airport in New York have been suspended due to reports of shooting inside a terminal, local media said on Sunday.

"Full ground stop underway. All incoming aircraft being diverted to other area airports," the police wrote on the Twitter microblog.

An evacuation of JFK's Terminal 8 was also under way while police searched for a suspect.
CHICAGO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Gunshots were fired, businesses were set ablaze, people were detained and police vehicles damaged after a confrontation between police and protestors turned violent Saturday night in Milwaukee in the north-central U.S. state of Wisconsin.

A vehicle and some businesses, including a gas station, a bank, a beauty supply company and an auto parts store, were reportedly set on fire as some 200 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 in the evening.

An officer was hit in the head by a brick thrown through the windows of a police car. Witnesses say gun fires were heard as police officers wearing riot gear tried to disperse the protesters.

According to Edward Flynn, the Police Chief, seventeen people have been detained and four police officers were treated for injuries and released from hospital.

The confrontation was sparked by the police's fatal shooting of Sylville K. Smith, a 23-year-old black man, when he was trying to flee from two police officers who had stopped his car.

The police officer, who was not hurt, was placed on administrative leave while an investigation into his conduct has been launched. Flynn said the police officer was also black.

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.

By early Sunday, the police said they were restoring order to the area and reducing deployments.

Although it was not immediately clear whether the police officers handled the case properly, the incident was preceded by several police-involved shootings across the United States in which the use of force by police is questioned.

On 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.

On July 7, a 25-year-old sniper 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.

On 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.

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.
MEXICO CITY, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to push for the adoption of efficient policies to boost global economic growth at the upcoming G20 summit, a veteran Mexican diplomat has said.

"It is significant that a country committed to economic growth policies, in contrast with those favoring stabilization policies, is presiding the G20," Jorge Eduardo Navarrete, former Mexican ambassador to China and the United Nations, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The world's 20 large economies will converge in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, for a summit on Sept. 4-5 amid a climate of global economic stagnation, financial turbulence and trade protectionism.

Navarrete attributed the negative environment to a combination of macroeconomic circumstances and national policies.

The diplomat, who has published several books on China, said that governments are wrong in thinking that stabilizing prices combined with restrictive fiscal and monetary policies can boost the economy.

"The objective should be growth, employment and social progress, not stability and stagnation," he said.

China, as the second-largest economy in the world, has proposed four key priorities at the G20 summit: "breaking a new path for growth," "more effective and efficient global economic and financial governance," "robust international trade and investment," and "inclusive and interconnected development."

"In 2016, we need a country like China...to push in this direction, to lead the group in the adoption of efficient policies that will ensure economic growth, job creation and social development," said Navarrete.
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will pay an official visit to China from Aug. 17 to 21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced Monday.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the first Myanmar leader to visit China since the Southeast Asian nation's new government was formed late March.

"It holds great significance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between both countries in the new phase," Lu said.

Chinese leaders will meet with her and exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Apart from Beijing, Aung San Suu Kyi will visit other Chinese cities, according to Lu.

China believes this visit will increase the strategic communication and practical cooperation between China and Myanmar as well as friendly relations among their peoples, Lu said.

"It will promote our relationship to achieve new development and bring more benefit to the peoples," the spokesperson said.
WELLINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will this year to assess the stability of New Zealand's banking and insurance sectors and financial markets, Finance Minister Bill English said Monday.

The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP) -- a routine part of the IMF's financial surveillance -- found the banking system was efficient and adequately supervised when it was last conducted in 2004, said English.

"New Zealand has a stable, well-capitalized banking sector that held up well in the face of the global financial crisis and I expect the IMF to comment favourably on both it and the improvements to the regulatory landscape since its last report," English said in a statement.

"There are, however, a number of areas where the IMF may identify differences between New Zealand's arrangements and international standards," he said.

The reasons exist for the differences included the structure of the financial system and the regulatory and supervisory system the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) had developed to meet New Zealand conditions.

"We will be interested to hear what the IMF has to say about New Zealand's regulatory and supervisory framework and will carefully consider any recommendations it makes," said English.

The IMF team would make two visits to New Zealand, with a visit this month focusing on the banking and insurance sectors, and a second visit in November to review the securities regime.

The final report was expected to be issued in April or May next year.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) has repeatedly raised concerns about the financial risks posed by the overheated housing market, particularly in the largest city of Auckland, which is home to a third of the population.

Announcing tighter loan-to-value restrictions on commercial mortgage lending last month, RBNZ governor Graeme Wheeler said "A sharp correction in house prices is a key risk to the financial system, and there are clear signs that this risk is increasing across the country."
VANCOUVER, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The skies above the Canadian city of Abbotsford in the outskirts of Vancouver came alive on Sunday as super-sonic metal birds ripped through the air at the Abbotsford International Airshow.

The three-day annual event which began on Friday has become the largest show of its kind in Canada and attracts more than 125,000 people to see some of the world's historic and most famous planes in full flight.

Among the aviation fans on Sunday was Jerry Vernon, who has attended the show for more than 50 years.

"It's great now, well with digital for one thing. You can take thousands of shots now as opposed to the old days of taking it with film. And just take a lot of pictures and hope you get some good ones," Vernon told Xinhua.

The airshow first took flight in 1962, launched by a local flying club to draw attention and business to the town's airport. It later became one of the most important aviation shows in North America, drawing top pilots and airplanes from around Canada, the United States and Europe.

Jadene Mah, Abbotsford Air Show spokeswoman, said the air show has built a great reputation over the past half century.

"We've seen a lot of firsts here at the Abbotsford International Air Show. And this is the only place where you can see an F-35, and a Boeing Super Hornet on the ramp side-by-side and we are very excited that we were the first place in Canada to display an F-35," she said.

Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet has been in the Canadian headlines in recent years, as the government had been mulling a purchase of the stealth fighter as a replacement for its aging CF-18 fleet.

The show organizers say the event has become a major showcase for the aviation industry to introduce their latest models to the government and the air force.
NANJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Liji Alley Comfort Women Museum, Nanjing, has begun to collate information on military brothels, or "comfort stations," established by the Japanese during its occupation of the eastern city during World War II.

The investigation will result in a comprehensive record of Japan's war crimes, according to museum curator Su Zhiliang, and the evidence will be used as supporting documentation for the ongoing application to have comfort women inscribed on the Memory of the World Register, established by UNESCO in the 1990s.

An exhibition and a report on the museum's findings are scheduled for next year.

The museum is on the former site of a WWII Japanese military brothel, which was established after Japanese troops occupied Nanjing at the end of 1937, said Su, there were around 60 brothels in Nanjing at the height of the Japanese occupation.

The museum opened in December 2015 with a collection exceeding 1,600 items and 19 videos. More than 20,000 people have visited the museum since it opened.

The survey will be completed in three parts: The sourcing of plans, maps, photos and videos of Nanjing's comfort stations; archiving interviews with comfort women and witnesses; and interviewing those that lived near comfort stations.

NGOs from eight countries and regions including China, the Republic of Korea and Indonesia, are working together on the nomination.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 15, 2016. The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war.

Japanese Emperor Akihito stated his "deep remorse" over the past war for the second time at the national memorial service, and expressed his wish for world peace.

However, Abe, though vowing not to repeat the horrors of war, shied away from mentioning Japan's wartime aggression or the suffering Japan had inflicted upon other countries before and during the World War II.

This is the fourth consecutive year for Abe to fail to mention "reflection" at the annual memorial service since he retook office as prime minister in 2012.

It raised increasing concerns over Japan's possible shifting away from pacifist stance, with the newly enacted security laws allowing Japan's self-defense forces to fight wars abroad and Abe attempting to revise Japan's pacifist Constitution.

Regardless of the feelings of the peoples of neighboring countries, Abe also sent his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make an offering Monday morning as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine which honors 14 Class-A convicted criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the World War II.
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will pay an official visit to China from Aug. 17-21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced Monday.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the first Myanmar leader to visit China since the Southeast Asian nation's new government was formed in late March.

"[The visit] holds great significance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between both countries in the new phase," Lu said.

Chinese leaders will meet with her and exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Apart from Beijing, Aung San Suu Kyi will visit other Chinese cities, according to Lu.

China believes this visit will increase the strategic communication and practical cooperation between China and Myanmar as well as friendly relations among their peoples, Lu said.

"It will advance China-Myanmar relationship, and bring benefit to the people of both nations," the spokesperson said.

China will receive Aung San Suu Kyi with due etiquette by considering her rank as Myanmar's second figure after the president and China's diplomatic protocol, according to Lu.

Aung San Suu Kyi visited China in June 2015 as chair of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua)-- Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Monday said that Nepal wants to further strengthen bilateral relationship with China in the changed political scenario in Nepal.

The deputy prime minister in charge of fiance, who is leaving for Beijing on a two-day visit on Monday afternoon as a Special Envoy of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, said that the government will make all efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation with China.

The visit came shortly after the formation of the new government in Nepal on Aug. 3.

"As a close and immediate neighbour, we seek China's support and goodwill in our political stability to achieve development goals. We have been enjoying age-old friendly relationship with China and want to take it to a new level," the deputy prime minister said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua News on Monday here in Kathmandu.

Talking about his visit to China, the minister said that he will brief the Chinese side regarding the latest political situation of the country following the advent of the new government on Aug. 3.

"In addition to that, I will share ongoing efforts made by the government toward effective implementation of the new Constitution," he said.

The minister expressed commitment toward effective implementation of bilateral deals on transit, connectivity, trade, commerce reached between the two governments during then Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli's visit to Beijing.

"This government will sincerely implement the bilateral deals on transit, connectivity, trade, commerce reached between the two governments during the erstwhile government. We want to take bilateral relationship to a new high by implementing those deals," he added.

Nepal and China signed ten accords including the Transit Transport Agreement during then Prime Minister Oli's trip to Beijing this year in March.

The minister said that Nepal wants to enhance connectivity with China through China's Belt and Road Initiative, recalling that Nepal had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China to become a part of Silk Road Economic Belt initiative in 2014.

"We are aware of the fact that China wants to strengthen its cooperation with neighbouring and other countries through the Belt and Road Initiative. As a close neighbour Nepal wants to be benefited from such new initiatives," he said.

As a founding member of China-initiated Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), Nepal wants more foreign investment on its development efforts in the days to come, he said. Nepal had formally become the founding member of the China-initiated AIIB in January.

The minister also said that Nepal is keen to see a high-level visit from China in near future.

"I will hand over invitation to the Chinese president during my visit," he said adding that such high-level visits will further strengthen the friendly ties between the two close neighbors.

The minister, who belongs to the CPN (Maoist Centre) party, was of the view that the government wants to have cordial and 'balanced relationship' with China and India.

"We want to have cordial and balanced relationship with both of our neighbouring countries China and India as per the changed context. We expect goodwill and support from our neighbours in our socio-economic development, prosperity and political stability," he said.

Mahara said that the government is in favour of inviting more foreign investments in Nepal's mega infrastructure projects.

The Nepalese minister is visiting China nearly a week after the government decided to send Special Envoys to China and India in order to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries.

Bimalendra Nidhi, another deputy prime minister who oversees home affairs in the Dahal-led government, will be travelling to India later this week as Special Envoy of the prime minister.

"Nidhiji will also seek goodwill and support from the Indian leadership for Nepal's prosperity, economic development and political stability," Mahara said.

Meanwhile, the minister said that Nepal wants support, goodwill and solidarity from both China and India in the implementation of the new Constitution promulgated in September last year.

"As we are in the phase of Constitution implementation, we expect support, goodwill and solidarity from both neighbours in the effective implementation of the Constitution," he added.
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Monday expressed deep regret and worry over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's sending of a ritual offering to a notorious Tokyo war shrine and a group of Japanese politicians paying respect to the shrine.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that it expresses deep worry and regret over leaders from the Japanese government and parliament repeatedly making a ritual offering and paying homage to Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies Japan's war of aggression.

The statement urged Japanese politicians to face up to history with courage, calling on them to show humble introspection and sincere repent over the militaristic past with actions to gain trust from neighboring countries.

Abe sent his ritual offering once again to the Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan's past militarism as it enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead, earlier in the day that marks the 71st anniversary of his country's defeat in World War II.

He reportedly refrained from visiting the war-linked shrine to prevent Japan's relations with China and South Korea from worsening. In December 2013, Abe drew harsh criticism from neighboring countries as he became the first sitting Japanese prime minister to visit the controversial shrine in seven years. Since then, he has sent offerings or donations.

Scores of Japanese lawmakers from a cross-party group and Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda visited the infamous shrine on Monday morning.

Tomomi Inada, Japan's new defense minister who had been widely expected to visit the war shrine, is on her first overseas trip to Djibouti.

Related:

Japan marks anniversary of unconditional surrender in WWII, Abe fails to mention "reflection"

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war.
GUANGZHOU, Aug. 15 -- Guangdong, China's economic powerhouse on the country's southern seaboard, has become the latest province to scrap the special accounts created for officials to anonymously deposit bribe payments that they had accepted.

The provincial discipline inspection committee, in a regulation released recently, called on its officials to be "clean, and turn down any bribes, be they gifts or gift cards."

"The accounts send the wrong message -- some officials and cadres may think that it is OK to accept gift cards or 'Hongbao' [the red envelope,]" said an official with the committee. "From now on, all these accounts will be closed and any bribe payments must be returned to the bribers."

Several other provinces including Guizhou, Sichuan, Gansu and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have also recently dropped the accounts, following the release of strict rules on the conduct of the Communist Party of China members.

Starting from January this year, a revised regulation issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee banned officials from accepting gifts, money or gift cards.

According to the regulation, if accepting the bribe is unavoidable, the money must be handed over to the discipline inspection authority along with the real names of those involved, when the bribe is given and the location among other details.

Those who fail to hand in the bribes in a timely fashion will be punished accordingly, it said.
NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Indian security forces personnel have been injured in an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir's capital Srinagar, a police official said on Monday.
SYDNEY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Capilano Honey only exports 100 percent authentic Australian honey to China and nothing less, assured its top executive.

The company's chief executive Ben McKee said the company has never sold blended honey originating from different countries other than Australia to China.

"Claims that we buy honey from China and sell them back (to China) under our brand Capilano is not true at all," he told Xinhua.

"Though Capilano brand has used blended honey in the past, it was never sold to China, probably in the Middle East," he said.

McKee said the practice of selling blended honey under its Capilano brand started four years ago as Australian beekeepers were not producing enough honey for local and international markets due to the drought.

"That was when we started blending the honey (with those from other countries)."

"We used a lot of the honey from Argentina, as we have a plant there (producing honey) since 2013," he said.

Besides Argentina, the company also bought honey from Brazil, Hungary and China to meet the shortfall. As for Chinese honey, McKee said the company purchased them in huge amounts and sold them to Australian restaurants for cooking purposes.

He said any Capilano brands consisting blended honey were labelled right from the start with the phrase "from imported ingredients," which indicated to customers that they were not buying authentic Australian honey.

He added that Capilano brands with blended honey only consists 15 percent of overseas produce while the rest were derived from Australian beekeepers.

However, McKee said since last month all Capilano brands were no longer dependent on imported honey as the shortage had been addressed with Australian beekeepers stepping up their game and producing enough for domestic and overseas markets.

Meanwhile, Capilano's sales director Peter McDonald said the company's secondary brand Allowrie is mixed with honey imported from China, Mexico and Argentina but the product is only sold within Australian shores.

"We introduced Allowrie in 2002 during the severe drought period," McDonald said.

"If you see Allowrie sold on Taobao (Chinese online website) it's probably by individual sellers and has nothing to do with our company."

Capilano honey has been in China for the past 10 years and contributes up to 3 percent towards the company's overall revenue.

Recently, Fairfax Media reported that Capilano, partly owned by Australian billionaire businessman Kerry Stokes, had applied for a gag order to stop beekeeper Simon Mulvany from publishing social media posts that had accused the company of selling toxic imported honey that contains Chinese and Argentine ingredients.

Melbourne-based Mulvany told Xinhua that he strongly believed that honey exported to China under the Capilano brand was not of pure Australian honey but a mixture from various countries, including China.

"I am passionate about bees... and I am doing this because I want them (Capilano) to stop importing honey and exporting it out (as Australian honey) as they are affecting Australia's reputation," he said.

Mulvany also said Capilano's chief executive McKee would meet him on Friday in Melbourne to mediate a solution that could possibly lead to the end of the litigation.
Indian policemen rush to take position near the site of a gunfight in Srinagar, capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 15, 2016. At least seven Indian security forces personnel were injured in an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir's capital Srinagar, a police official said on Monday. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

NEW DELHI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least seven Indian security forces personnel have been injured in an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir's capital Srinagar, a police official said on Monday.

"The incident took place in Srinagar's Nowhatta area when personnel of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force were combing the area, following a tip-off that some terrorists were hiding in the area," the official said on condition of anonymity.

"Seeing the area cordonned of by the security forces, the terrorists opened fire at the forces, which also retaliated. In the ensuing gunbattle, seven paramilitary personnel sustained bullet injuries," he added.

The injured have been rushed to a hospital and reinforcements sent in to neutralize the terrorists, the official said.

The clashes came despite a curfew being imposed in Srinagar to prevent violence on India's 70th Independence Day, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in Delhi.

In a separate incident on Monday, the Indian security forces foiled an attempt by militants to infiltrate into Uri, about 70 km from Srinagar. Two gunmen were killed.
SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea expressed deep regret and worry on Monday over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sending a ritual offering to a notorious Tokyo war shrine and a group of Japanese politicians paying respect to the infamous shrine.

Seoul's foreign ministry said in a statement that it expresses deep worry and regret over leaders from the Japanese government and parliament repeatedly making a ritual offering and paying homage to Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies Japan's war of aggression.

The statement urged Japanese politicians to face up to history with courage, calling on them to show humble introspection and sincere repent over the militaristic past with actions to gain trust from neighbor countries.

Abe sent his ritual offering once again to the Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Japan's past militarism as it enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead, earlier in the day that marks the 71st anniversary of his country's defeat in World War Two.

He reportedly refrained from visiting the war-linked shrine to prevent Japan's relations with China and South Korea from worsening.

In December 2013, Abe drew harsh criticism from neighboring countries as he became the first sitting Japanese prime minister to visit the controversial shrine in seven years. Since then, he has sent offerings or donations.

Scores of Japanese lawmakers from a cross-party group and Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda visited the infamous shrine on Monday morning. Tomomi Inada, Japan's new defense minister who had been widely expected to visit the war shrine, is on her first overseas trip to Djibouti, opting to avoid paying homage to the shrine.

The Korean Peninsula was colonized by the militaristic Japan from 1910 to 1945. Under the colonial rule, Korean people suffered from numerous atrocities and brutalities, including forced recruitment of Korean women as sex slaves for Japanese military brothels and compulsory labor for Japanese munitions factories.

Meanwhile, 10 South Korean lawmakers reportedly visited the easternmost islets of Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan, to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the peninsula's liberation from the Japanese colonial rule.

Visiting the rocky outcroppings were seven ruling Saenuri Party lawmakers, two main opposition Minju Party members and one member of the casting vote-exercising People's Party.

Japan had allegedly protested against the planned visit through diplomatic channels. Na Kyung-won of the Saenuri Party, who led the visiting lawmakers, was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying that there would be no problem caused by their visit as it is part of normal parliamentary activities to travel to their own territory.

It marked the first time since Aug. 14, 2013 that a group of South Korean lawmakers made a symbolic visit to the islets, lying halfway between the two nations, to protest against Japan's repeated territorial claims to rocky outcroppings.

Japan's defense ministry laid territorial claims to the islets in its 2016 defense white paper earlier this month, claiming its sovereignty over the islets for the 12th straight year since 2005.

Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak unexpectedly visited the Dokdo islets in 2012, freezing diplomatic relations with Japan to the worst level.

Seoul has maintained that the islets are their indigenous territory historically, geographically and according to international law.

Following the liberation from the Japanese colonization, the islets have been in effective control of South Korea because security guards have been dispatched there since then. South Korean military has held defense exercises around Dokdo twice a year since 1986.
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on a school in northern Yemen, which killed at least 10 children and injured many more.

The deadly attack on Saturday was "reported to have been an airstrike," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman.

"The secretary-general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen."

"He calls for a swift investigation of this tragic event and urges the parties to take all necessary measures to prevent further violations of international humanitarian lawand human rights and do everything in their power to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," said the statement.

The secretary-general reiterated that there is no military solution to the crisis in Yemen," the statement said. "He calls upon the parties to renew -- without delay and in good faith -- their engagement with his special envoy for Yemen in pursuit of a negotiated solution."

Twenty-eight people were injured in a Saudi-led airstrike on Saturday, after a school in the Houthi main stronghold province of Saada was hit, the humanitarian association Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said, adding that the children were between eight and 15 years old. The Houthi-held Saba news agency also reported the airstrike.

The Saudi-led warplanes launched over 100 airstrikes against Houthi military targets in several northern provinces on Saturday, including the Houthi-held capital Sana'a.

Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in support of exiled Yemeni government in 2015, but failed to bring it back to power.

The war and airstrikes in Yemen have since killed over 6,400 people, mostly civilians.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends the ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 15, 2016. The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

By Yan Lei, Zhu Feng

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- History is a mirror to the future. If Japan continues to view its war-time past distorted and whitewashed by rightwing revisionists without earnest reflection and repentance, it will have a precarious future in which "horrors of war" could be repeated.

Aug. 15 marks the day when Japan unconditionally surrendered in World War II, bringing an end to the war, the deadliest conflict in human history that witnessed the loss of about 70 million lives.

When Japan marked the 70th anniversary of its unconditional surrender in World War II last year, Japanese Emperor Akihito unprecedentedly expressed his "deep remorse" over the past war at a national memorial service but Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, however, in a closely-watched statement failed to make a full, direct apology.

In the statement, Abe shied away from assuming responsibility for Japan's war-time aggression, and attempted to play down its war crimes by saying that Japan tried to "overcome its diplomatic and economic deadlock through the use of force."

Moreover, Abe went on to say that it was unnecessary for the Japanese young people to keep apologizing in the future, exposing once again his reluctance to face up to history, thus delivering a dangerous message to the younger generations.

Though vowing not to repeat the horrors of war at the ceremony this year, Abe failed once again to mention Japan's war-time aggression in Asia and to make an apology.

The Japanese revisionists have attempted to deny and hide the true history of Japan in the first half of the 20th century from the public as it was an infamous one in which Japan launched aggressive wars against other nations and committed numerous atrocities.

In March, the Japanese education ministry revised some junior high school history textbook passages regarding Japan's WWII barbarities. In a passage on the Nanjing Massacre, for example, the original statement that the Japanese army "killed many captives and civilians" was watered down to read as "captives and civilians were involved" in the tragedy and "casualties were exposed."

Earlier this year, the Japanese government once again intervened into the authorization of high school text books in an attempt to ensure its revisionist stance on historical and territorial issues is upheld.

While the Japanese revisionists complain about the humiliation and fatigue of making apologies, what they fail to note, however, is that apologizing is necessary not only in the moral sense, but also shows a country's determination to make right the old wrongs and to never repeat the same mistakes.

They should be cognizant of the fact that it is only by facing up to the past that they can look forward to a meaningful peaceful future.

Japan is now craving to become a "normal country". However, by refusing to recognize its history and not learning from the past, Japan's leadership could steer the country down to a dangerous path, farther away from its goal of being "normal."

Japanese citizens and its neighbors are now becoming increasingly concerned over the direction Japan is now heading in, especially at a time when the newly-enacted security laws have enabled Japan's Self-Defense Forces to fight wars overseas and Japan's postwar pacifist Constitution is also in serious jeopardy.

What's more, Japan, using the groundless "China threat" as an excuse, has also been strengthening its military capabilities, in addition to muddying the waters in the region by selling weapons to other countries and meddling in the South China Sea dispute.

Pandora's Box was opened even earlier than that as Japan unilaterally "nationalized" China's Diaoyu Islands in 2012, a move that changed the then "status quo" and chilled Japan's relationship with China.

It's in the interests of both Japan and its neighboring countries for the former military power to truly reflect upon its past wrongs and to learn a valuable and lasting lesson.

While Japan commemorates its war dead, including those killed in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it's also important for the nation to reflect upon the real cause of the lost lives, and how to avoid similar tragedies.

Japan is also trying to bring forth a trilateral summit with China and South Korea, two of its closest neighbors as well as victims before and during WWII. To make this happen, Japan should demonstrate its sincerity in word and deed.

Related:

Commentary: 71 years on, Japan still haunted by specter of militarism

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-one years following Japan's surrender in World War II, the specter of militarism is still haunting the country and the Asia-Pacific.
JERUSALEM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Israel's army said on Monday that troops demolished overnight the family home of a Palestinian who stabbed to death a Jewish teenager in her settlement home.

A military statement said that the home of Mohammed Tra'ayra, 17, in the West Bank village of Bani Naim near Hebron, was demolished.

On June 30, Tra'ayra entered a home in the nearby settlement of Kiryat Arba and killed 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel while she was in her bed.

Ariel, who held a dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, was the youngest Israeli victim in a yearlong spate of violence, which has claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and at least 220 Palestinians.

Israel has demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes since it occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, as a punitive measure aimed at deterring Palestinians from carrying out attacks against Israelis.

In early 2005, a defense ministry committee concluded that the measure is ineffective, and Israel ceased to use it.

However, the government renewed the controversial practice about a year ago, in the wake of the fresh wave of attacks. The U.S. administration has denounced it as "counterproductive" and Palestinians and human rights organizations describe it as collective punishment that leaves the relatives homeless.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front) attends the ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 15, 2016. The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

by Xinhua Writer Zhu Dongyang

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-one years following Japan's surrender in World War II, the specter of militarism is still haunting the country and the Asia-Pacific.

In his speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe failed again to offer a sincere apology for the country' s wartime aggression in Asia, and failed to pledge not to return to war.

Abe's remarks can be seen as yet more proof of his intention to regain constitutional power for combat in foreign lands.

However, the latest polling results show that nearly half of Japan's general public is against any plans by their country to return to war.

In a move to manipulate public opinion, Abe and his team are cultivating a sense of fear among the people by cooking up the so-called "China threat," fanning flames in the South China Sea, and hyping up island disputes with South Korea.

In its maritime dispute with Beijing in the East China Sea, Tokyo is seeking to strengthen its military posture in the area by developing a new land-to-sea missile as a deterrent to what Japan calls "Chinese intrusions" in the surrounding waters of the Diaoyu Islands.

Yet considering the islets are part of Chinese sovereign territory, Japan's move serves no more than another excuse for militarizing the region, and would place more hurdles in the way of any future attempts for a peaceful settlements to the spats.

While making turbulent waves in the region, Tokyo is trying to play innocent. On the one hand, Abe blames other countries for refusing to engage in dialogue with him to reduce tensions. On the other hand, his provocations continue over sensitive historical issues, and he refuses to apologize for his country's wartime atrocities.

Knowing quite well that it would be extremely offensive to Japan' s neighbors, Abe still offered a ritual offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of Tokyo' s wartime militarism, on a day when he should have repented the country' s past crimes. Earlier in the day, two senior Japanese politicians, Koichi Hagiuda, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, and former defense minister Gen Nakatani visited the shrine that honors 14 Japanese war criminals.

Meanwhile, the current Japanese government is using its alliance with Washington as an expressway to reach its goals. And to maintain a dominant role in the Asia-Pacific, the United States is using Japan as a counterbalance to China's rise, and winks at Tokyo's reckless moves.

But Washington needs to know that a right-wing and ultra-nationalist Japan may not be satisfied with staying as America's stooge in the region. Washington's scheme would eventually backfire.

Now is the time for Japan's neighbors to stand together and take all possible countermeasures to ensure that Japan behaves according to the rules set by the international community after WWII.

Peace-loving Japanese people should also remain vigilant over the right's plots to challenge regional peace and stability.

Also in Monday' s speech, Abe said Japan wants to contribute to world peace. Well, if Abe truly means that, then issuing an apology would be a good start.

Related:

Commentary: Fixing distorted view of history, reflecting on past only way for Japan to avoid future mistakes

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- History is a mirror to the future. If Japan continues to view its war-time past distorted and whitewashed by rightwing revisionists without earnest reflection and repentance, it will have a precarious future in which "horrors of war" could be repeated.
Photo taken on Aug. 15, 2016 shows the Train No. G8041 departing from Dalian for Shenyang at Dalian North Railway Station in Dalian, northeast China's Liaoning Province. The China Railway Corporation announced on Monday that its "China Standard" bullet trains, also known as electric multiple units (EMUs), have started operation in Liaoning. Train No. G8041 is the first passenger service using China Standard EMU trains, which can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)

DALIAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The China Railway Corporation announced on Monday that its "China Standard" bullet trains, also known as electric multiple units (EMUs), have started operation in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Train No. G8041 departed from Dalian for Shenyang, capital of Liaoning on Monday. It is the first passenger service using China Standard EMU trains, said Zhou Li, head of technological management at the China Railway Corporation, the national rail operator.

"China independently owns the design of the EMU, and it will be a leading model for China to export to the world," Zhou said.

The China Standard EMU uses the latest exterior design, reduces energy consumption, and adopts a standard parts design, he said. It has reinforced safety features compared with old models, he added.

The trains can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

China's EMU fleet of 2,470 trains is the world's largest, and the total length of high-speed track in the country -- 19,000 km -- represents 60 percent of the global total.

In the future, China will offer rail products and solutions according to the needs of various countries, he added.

Chinese bullet trains have already found international customers in Indonesia, Russia, Iran and India.

Construction of a 150-km high-speed link between the Indonesian capital Jakarta and Bandung began in January 2016. It will cut travel time between the two cities by about two thirds. The project is almost entirely Chinese, including the technical standards, survey and design, construction, equipment manufacturing and personnel training.
HAVANA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan traditional music show "Corazon Llanero" kicked off here on Sunday its first stage of an international tour, in honor of veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who turned 90 on Saturday.

Over 40 artists from the Foundation "Corazon Llanero" (Heart from the Plains) joined the celebration to mark the 90th birthday of the Cuban "Chief Commander", who initiated a socialist revolution in the Caribbean nation.

The three-hour show was broadcasted live by the official television and gathered many Cuban musical elites, such as Omara Portuondo, winner of Latin Grammy Award.

Captain Juan Escalona, Chairman of the Foundation, said that he was satisfied with the realization of the "International Corazon Llanero" after 27 concerts throughout Venezuela.

"Corazon Llanero" was put forward by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and it is the first time for it to perform out of Venezuela, while next stages will cover other Latin American nations.

Maduro arrived early on Saturday and participated together with his Cuban counterpart Raul Castro and former President Fidel Castro in a cultural gala marking the birthday of Fidel.

Caracas has been Havana's close ally in politics and economy for the last 15 years.
TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, where two of his cabinet members paid homage on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, drawing criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors.

Regardless of the feeling of the peoples of neighbor countries, Abe sent his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make the offering on his behalf as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The prime minister is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day in an effort to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea.

But at an annual memorial ceremony held by the Japanese government in Tokyo Monday noon, Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war.

Japanese Emperor Akihito, in contrast, stated his "deep remorse" over the past war for the second time at the national memorial service, and expressed his wish for world peace.

Meanwhile, two of Abe's newly reshuffled cabinet members paid homage to the notorious shrine on Monday, including Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister and Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Farm minister Yuji Yamamoto, however, told a press conference Monday that he visited Yasukuni on Aug. 6. Masahiro Imamura, minister for reconstruction of disaster-hit regions, visited the shrine last week.

Dozens of conservative lawmakers, including Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda and Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, also visited the shrine Monday.

Japan's new defense minister Tomomi Inada, who had regularly visited the shrine before, did not pay homage Monday as she has been on a four-day trip to Djibouti in Africa since Saturday. But an LDP lawmakers' group with Inada as president visited the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Monday left for China for a two-day visit as the special envoy of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal.

"My visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral relationship with northern neighbor China after the formation of the new government. Nepal expects goodwill and support from China in socio-economic development," the deputy prime minister, who is the in-charge of finance in the government, told reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

The deputy prime minister reaffirmed his government's commitment to implement bilateral agreements reached during then Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli's visit to Beijing in March this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Mahara, who is also a leader of the CPN (Maoist Center) party, is scheduled to hold talks with Chinese top dignitaries during his stay in Beijing.

"I will invite Chinese president to visit Nepal in near future," he said, adding that Nepal hopes to strengthen bilateral ties with the northern neighbor through high-level visits.

"As a close neighbour, we seek China's support and goodwill in our political stability to achieve development goals. We have been enjoying age-old friendly relationship with China and want to take it to a new level," the deputy prime minister said earlier on Monday.

The Nepalese government last week decided to send two deputy prime ministers as special envoys of the prime minister to China and India respectively to expand bilateral relationship with neighboring countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, who is the in-charge of home affairs, will be visiting India later this week.
RIYADH, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi health ministry will enforce tight border control measures to prevent the spread of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Zika viruses during the Hajj season which will start next month.

The ministry will also monitor suspected cases of diseases such as cerebral spinal fever, meningitis, yellow fever and polio among the incoming pilgrims, Okaz local newspaper reported on Monday.

A team of 97 medics, including 18 doctors, have been assigned to monitor coming pilgrims by examining suspected cases and check the vaccination cards. Saudi Arabia has made it compulsory for all pilgrims to get vaccinated before granting them permission to perform hajj.

In addition to border control, Saudi authorities will also put in place a strict health plan at the holy sites to protect pilgrims.

In 2015, 1.3 million foreign pilgrims performed hajj.
(Xinhua file pic)

SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Splits continued among South Korean people over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in their soil on Monday that marks the 71st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

On one side of the capital Seoul, civic group activists called for the Japanese government's sincere apology and repent over its past militarism.

Under the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule, Korean people suffered from numerous atrocities such as forced recruitment of Korean women as sex slaves for Japanese military brothels and compulsory labor for Japan's munitions factories.

Defying such civilian calls and deep regrets from neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering once again to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of the militaristic Japan as it enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead.

On the other side of the capital, thousands of South Koreans gathered to protest against Seoul and Washington's abrupt decision last month to house one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year.

Protesters worried that if the U.S. missile defense battery is deployed as planned, it would usher in an era of so-called New Cold War and eventually bring in a fierce arms race in the region. They called for dialogue to replace the armistice treaty after the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War with a peace treaty between the two Koreas.

Anti-THAAD activists marched down the streets across central Seoul, raising high a variety of placards that read, "Let's bring peace and reunification to the Korean Peninsula," "Opposing to THAAD deployment on the Korean Peninsula," and "Resume inter-Korean dialogue."

President Park Geun-hye said in her speech to mark the 71th liberation day anniversary that her THAAD deployment decision was a defensive measure to protect people from the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, reiterating her insistence and showing her reluctance to hear the growing dissent from people and neighboring countries.

China and Russia have strongly opposed the U.S. missile defense system in South Korea as THAAD's X-band radar can snoop on Chinese and Russian territories. Experts here said the THAAD battery, composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, a radar and a fire control unit, is incapable of shooting down more than 1,000 DPRK missiles targeting South Korea.

Criticizing the president's speech, the main opposition Minju Party said it was miserable for Park to maintain her stance that she will not allow for any dissent or objection to the THAAD deployment decision despite repeated calls from people and the opposition parties for communications.

The casting vote-exercising People's Party also regarded Park's speech as her routine attitude of non-communications, saying the unilateral THAAD deployment decision resulted in rising diplomatic security threats in the region and disorders and splits among South Korean people.

Related:

S.Korea's opposition lawmakers hold tri-partisan anti-THAAD gathering




File photo taken on July 30, 2016 shows a solar wing deployment test for the experimental quantum communication satellite at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province. The world's first quantum communication satellite, which China is preparing to launch, has been given the moniker "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese scientist, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced Monday. According to CAS, the quantum satellite will conduct experiments on high-speed quantum key distribution between the satellite and ground stations, as well as explore quantum teleportation for the first time in the world. (Xinhua)

JIUQUAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The world's first quantum communication satellite, which China is preparing to launch, has been given the moniker "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese scientist, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced Monday.

Micius was a philosopher as well as a scientist. He discovered that light travels in straight lines more than 2,000 years ago and was likely the first person to record an image with a pinhole.

"Just like the Galileo satellites and Kepler telescopes, we used the name of a famous scholar for our first quantum satellite. We hope this will promote and boost confidence in Chinese culture," said Pan Jianwei, quantum communication satellite project chief scientist.

According to CAS, the quantum satellite will conduct experiments on high-speed quantum key distribution between the satellite and ground stations, as well as explore quantum teleportation for the first time in the world.
People protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Newsis)

SEOUL, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Splits continued among South Korean people over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in their soil on Monday that marks the 71st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

On one side of the capital Seoul, civic group activists called for the Japanese government's sincere apology and repent over its past militarism.

Under the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule, Korean people suffered from numerous atrocities such as forced recruitment of Korean women as sex slaves for Japanese military brothels and compulsory labor for Japan's munitions factories.

Defying such civilian calls and deep regrets from neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering once again to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of the militaristic Japan as it enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead.

People protest against the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Newsis)

On the other side of the capital, thousands of South Koreans gathered to protest against Seoul and Washington's abrupt decision last month to house one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in southeastern South Korea by the end of next year.

Protesters worried that if the U.S. missile defense battery is deployed as planned, it would usher in an era of so-called New Cold War and eventually bring in a fierce arms race in the region. They called for dialogue to replace the armistice treaty after the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War with a peace treaty between the two Koreas.

Anti-THAAD activists marched down the streets across central Seoul, raising high a variety of placards that read, "Let's bring peace and reunification to the Korean Peninsula," "Opposing to THAADdeployment on the Korean Peninsula," and "Resume inter-Korean dialogue."

President Park Geun-hye said in her speech to mark the 71th liberation day anniversary that her THAAD deployment decision was a defensive measure to protect people from the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, reiterating her insistence and showing her reluctance to hear the growing dissent from people and neighboring countries.

China and Russia have strongly opposed the U.S. missile defense system in South Korea as THAAD's X-band radar can snoop on Chinese and Russian territories. Experts here said the THAAD battery, composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, a radar and a fire control unit, is incapable of shooting down more than 1,000 DPRK missiles targeting South Korea.

Criticizing the president's speech, the main opposition Minju Party said it was miserable for Park to maintain her stance that she will not allow for any dissent or objection to the THAAD deployment decision despite repeated calls from people and the opposition parties for communications.

The casting vote-exercising People's Party also regarded Park's speech as her routine attitude of non-communications, saying the unilateral THAAD deployment decision resulted in rising diplomatic security threats in the region and disorders and splits among South Korean people.
Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara speaks during an exclusive interview with Xinhua prior to his visit to China at the minister's office in Kathmandu, Nepal, Aug. 14, 2016. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma)

KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua)-- Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara on Monday said that Nepal wants to further strengthen bilateral relationship with China in the changed political scenario in Nepal.

The deputy prime minister in charge of fiance, who is leaving for Beijing on a two-day visit on Monday afternoon as a Special Envoy of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, said that the government will make all efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation with China.

The visit came shortly after the formation of the new government in Nepal on Aug. 3.

"As a close and immediate neighbour, we seek China's support and goodwill in our political stability to achieve development goals. We have been enjoying age-old friendly relationship with China and want to take it to a new level," the deputy prime minister said during an exclusive interview with Xinhua News on Monday here in Kathmandu.

Talking about his visit to China, the minister said that he will brief the Chinese side regarding the latest political situation of the country following the advent of the new government on Aug. 3.

"In addition to that, I will share ongoing efforts made by the government toward effective implementation of the new Constitution," he said.

The minister expressed commitment toward effective implementation of bilateral deals on transit, connectivity, trade, commerce reached between the two governments during then Prime Minister K.P Sharma Oli's visit to Beijing.

"This government will sincerely implement the bilateral deals on transit, connectivity, trade, commerce reached between the two governments during the erstwhile government. We want to take bilateral relationship to a new high by implementing those deals," he added.

Nepal and China signed ten accords including the Transit Transport Agreement during then Prime Minister Oli's trip to Beijing this year in March.

The minister said that Nepal wants to enhance connectivity with China through China's Belt and Road Initiative, recalling that Nepal had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China to become a part of Silk Road Economic Belt initiative in 2014.

"We are aware of the fact that China wants to strengthen its cooperation with neighbouring and other countries through the Belt and Road Initiative. As a close neighbour Nepal wants to be benefited from such new initiatives," he said.

As a founding member of China-initiated Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB), Nepal wants more foreign investment on its development efforts in the days to come, he said. Nepal had formally become the founding member of the China-initiated AIIB in January.

The minister also said that Nepal is keen to see a high-level visit from China in near future.

"I will hand over invitation to the Chinese president during my visit," he said adding that such high-level visits will further strengthen the friendly ties between the two close neighbors.

The minister, who belongs to the CPN (Maoist Centre) party, was of the view that the government wants to have cordial and 'balanced relationship' with China and India.

"We want to have cordial and balanced relationship with both of our neighbouring countries China and India as per the changed context. We expect goodwill and support from our neighbours in our socio-economic development, prosperity and political stability," he said.

Mahara said that the government is in favour of inviting more foreign investments in Nepal's mega infrastructure projects.

The Nepalese minister is visiting China nearly a week after the government decided to send Special Envoys to China and India in order to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries.

Bimalendra Nidhi, another deputy prime minister who oversees home affairs in the Dahal-led government, will be travelling to India later this week as Special Envoy of the prime minister.

"Nidhiji will also seek goodwill and support from the Indian leadership for Nepal's prosperity, economic development and political stability," Mahara said.

Meanwhile, the minister said that Nepal wants support, goodwill and solidarity from both China and India in the implementation of the new Constitution promulgated in September last year.

"As we are in the phase of Constitution implementation, we expect support, goodwill and solidarity from both neighbours in the effective implementation of the Constitution," he added.
ALMATY, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese e-commerce services has brought more wealth and opportunities to Kazakhstan and other countries encompassed in China's Belt and Road Initiative.

AliExpress, the global shopping portal of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, is becoming a new favorite among Kazakhstan's young generation between the age of 25 and 30.

TAKE FANCY TO ALIEXPRESS

Young people in Kazakhstan take a fancy to shopping on AliExpress, an online retail service made up of mostly small Chinese businesses offering products to international online buyers.

Mitet Zhumabaev, a citizen from Kazakhstan's largest city Almaty, told Xinhua that he got to know AliExpress by chance and found that millions of Chinese products were sold on the online shopping site. He frequently visits the website, saying that it's very easy and safe to use, and that he would buy products with good consumer reviews.

"AliExpress provides an excellent buying experience," Zhumabaev said, adding that the average delivery time for free shipping usually takes one or one and a half months, while express shipping normally takes less than two weeks.

Kazakhstan, which relied heavily on its energy and resources industries, has a less developed light industry and mainly depends on imports to meet the needs for daily necessities.

However, thanks to cross-border e-commerce services, the Kazakh people can now purchase Chinese products with good quality and at an inexpensive price without leaving home.

AliExpress Country Station Director Liu Wei told Xinhua that AliExpress promoted its brands overseas mainly by word of mouth, and that it is a leading e-commerce website in Russia, Spain and Israel which enjoys great popularity.

AliExpress has become one of the top ranking online trading platforms in Kazakhstan, with clothes, home appliances and digital products being the favorites of local consumers, according to Alexa, a commercial web traffic data provider wholly owned by Amazon.com.

JOIN HANDS WITH CHINESE E-COMMERCE

The Belt and Road initiative, which comprises the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was brought up by China in 2013. The initiative envisions a trade and infrastructure network that connects Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road routes.

Over 70 countries and organizations have voiced support for and willingness to join the initiative.

In May, Kazakhstan's national sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna led the Kazakh telecom and post companies to sign a memorandum of understanding with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba to promote cooperation in e-commerce, payment and logistics.

The central Eurasian country, which borders with China in the southeast and with Russia in the north, marks the start of the Silk Road Economic Belt outside China. Kazakhstan is trying to improve its infrastructure in order to become a transit hub that connects China and Europe, increase the efficiency of freight railroads and promote trade growth.

"Alibaba is optimistic about the outlook of Kazakhstan's potential in cross-border transportation and logistics," said Liu.

The "Khorgos - Eastern Gates" special economic zone, located near the border of China and Kazakhstan, is a logistics center built by the Kazakh government.

Hicham Belmaachi, Chief Operating Officer of the management company of the special economic zone, told Xinhua in an interview that the convenience of international trade will be augmented immensely if land ports in the special economic zone could forge closer cooperation with e-commerce platforms like Alibaba.

It takes only 15 days to send goods via land transportation from Khorgos to Europe, whereas traditional waterway shipping would take as long as 40 days.

Unlike other land ports, the land port in the Khorgos-Eastern Gates special economic zone is of a huge container yard, where products are gathered, classified and shipped to various Eurasian destinations, thus meeting the goal of faster speed and lower cost, according to Belmaachi.

Last year, the volume of freight traffic through Kazakhstan surged over the previous year. According to planning by Kazakh government, the volume of freight traffic processed through the Khorgos-Eastern Gates special economic zone will exceeds 4 million tons in 2020.

Belmaachi believes that the main challenge of trade inter-connectivity lies in ideology, technology and intergovernmental cooperation.

People need time to accept new stuff and new ideas, Belmaachi said. China's Belt and Road Initiative creates fresh opportunities of regional trade cooperation. "We look forward to cooperation with Chinese ports and e-commerce companies," he added.

PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH EWTP

In a recent Business 20 (B20) meeting, business leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) members completed a report on policy advice and will submit it to the upcoming G20 summit.

Among many suggestions proposed in the report, B20 leaders put forward the idea of electronic world trade platform (eWTP), a mechanism for public-private dialogue in cross-border e-trade development.

The new mechanism will improve the current trade framework and help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), developing countries, women and the young generation participate in the global economy, said Alibaba founder Jack Ma, chair of B20 SME development taskforce.

Ma said that if the Belt and Road Initiative can facilitate free trade for these people, it will bring profound changes to the world economy.

The initiative represents China's responsibility as a big power and the second largest economy, Ma said, adding that it will not only bring new opportunities to SMEs, but will also enlarge the size of the middle class, and promote social stability and economic development.

However, against the backdrop of a global economic slowdown and rising protectionism, the main challenge to implement the eWTP lies in the coordination of efforts by different countries.

Based on the operation and practice of AliExpress, Liu pointed out, the level of each country's cross-border logistics varies greatly, and depends mainly on the country's infrastructure and government support.

It's not easy to promote our business overseas, Liu said. But the "Belt-Road" countries are more likely to support our business, especially in areas of promoting logistics infrastructure and import policies optimization.
HOUSTON, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Four people have been killed and thousands of others have been rescued since Friday as severe flooding hit the southern U.S. state of Louisiana.

At least 20,000 people have been rescued and 10,000 others have to stay in shelters after thousands of homes across the state have been flooded since Friday, said Louisiana governor John Edwards in a press conference.

More than 1,000 vehicles with people trapped in on Interstate 12 have been rescued while over 200 roads have been closed and more than 1,400 bridges will have to be inspected, he added.

Edwards had declared a state of emergency in the state on Friday after heavy rains downpoured in southeast Louisiana.

Up to 1,700 members of the state National Guard have been deployed and some 2,000 others will be mobilized in the coming days, said Edwards.

The U.S. government declared Sunday night a major disaster in Louisiana's four parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston, making federal funding for flood-related assistance possible.

Edwards expected additional parishes of the state to be added as authorities assess the extent of the damage.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's parliament approved on Monday five cabinet members as part of a reshuffle presented by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, official television reported.
KATHMANDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A bus carrying over 40 passengers have fallen 150 meter down from the road in Birtadeurali village of Kavrepalanchowk district, Nepal, local media reported on Sunday.

It has so far been no report on death and injury in the accident, the police was quoted as saying.

The bus was heading from capital Kathmandu to Koshipari area of Kavrepalanchowk district.
BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's parliament approved on Monday five cabinet members under a reshuffle presented by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, as part of his reforms aimed at fighting corruption, state TV reported.

The lawmakers voted in the ministers of oil, water resources, construction and housing, higher education, and transport, but they failed to vote in a candidate for the ministry of trade, the state-run channel of Iraqiya said.

The five new ministers were sworn in at the session that was attended by 210 legislators out of the 328-seat parliament, according to the channel.

Abadi's move came after the Iraqi federal court on June 28 invalidated an earlier reshuffle following disagreement among the parliament's political blocs.

Observers see the court's verdict as a serious blow to Abadi's efforts for presenting comprehensive reforms, including a cabinet reshuffle to replace ministers, who were chosen to balance the divisions among the Iraqi parties, ethnic and sectarian factions, with technocrats, in order to end corruption and provide better services.

Months-long protests by Iraqis as well as many legislators from various parties demanded an end to the quota system, which was created following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to control and divide Iraq's resources between political parties representing Iraq's ethnic and sectarian factions.

Some political blocs and politicians apparently have been resisting the reforms because there is a lack of trust among the political parties who see that such reforms, or part of them, are marginalizing their factions from the political scene which was originally built on power-sharing agreements.

A series of failed reform measures have paralyzed Iraq's parliament and the government as the country struggles to fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which seizes swathes of territories in northern and western Iraq, and in dire need to respond to an economic crisis sparked in part by a plunge in global oil prices.
VANCOUVER, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinatown in downtown Vancouver on the west coast of Canada hosted a large street party on Sunday to mark the Chinese heritage, and highlight the importance of preserving the historic neighborhood.

The festival director Jordan Eng said the Chinatown Festival is now in its 17th year and it has a pretty simple goal.

"To bring more people back into the Chinatown, invigorate the neighborhood and show people what we have to offer," Eng told Xinhua.

The Vancouver Chinatown took shape between the 1890s to the 1920s with early Chinese immigrants settling in what's known as the Shanghai and Canton alleys. By the end of the 19th century, more than 1,000 Chinese residents had lived in the area and some Chinese businesses had taken root there.

But many of the Chinatown's businesses are closing now, and some of the low-income Chinese residents are departing the area for other parts of Metro Vancouver.

Concerns over the area's future has spurred a revitalization plan by the city that aims to foster economic growth, while maintaining the neighborhood's culture and history.

The city is now pumping millions of dollars into upgrading several buildings that belong to Chinese associations.

Eng said holding celebrations like this is also an important part of maintaining a future for Vancouver's Chinatown.

Vancouver's Chinatown is reputed as one of the cleanest modern Chinatowns in North America with world-class Chinese foods, shops and history that has survived for several generations.
NEW YORK, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Police searched on Sunday for a gunman who killed a Muslim imam and his associate as they left a mosque in the Queens Borough of New York City Saturday, a crime that set off fear and anguish in the Bangladeshi community.

The shooting occurred around 2:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) near the Al-Furqan Masjid Mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens, where the two victims were attending their Saturday afternoon prayers, according to local media.

The victims, identified as Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were wearing the traditional Muslim garb and were both shot in the head from close range. The killer approached them from behind, according to police.

Local police have released a sketch of a male suspect with dark hair, a beard and glasses. Police said witnesses described the shooter as a man with a medium complexion, who fled with a gun in his hand. Surveillance footage showed the suspect tailing the victims.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is set to announce on Monday a 10,000-U.S. dollar reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Imam Akonjee had moved to the United States from Bangladesh two years ago, according to media reports, and the culturally diverse, working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

Members of the mosque had gathered at the mosque after the tragedy, denouncing the shooting as a hate crime against their faith.

The New York City police said they have not established a motive in the attack, saying there was no evidence the men were targeted because of their faith, but nothing was being ruled out.

On Saturday, Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said there was "nothing in the preliminary investigation to indicate that they were targeted because of their faith."

"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."

"When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today," said the mayor.

Bangladesh's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, said the shooting was a "cowardly act on peace-loving people." The U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, said Akonjee "stood for peace."
PHNOM PENH, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will pay an official visit to Timor-Leste on Aug. 19 and 20, where he will witness the signing ceremony of three documents between the two countries, a Foreign Ministry statement said on Monday.

During the visit, Hun Sen will hold bilateral talks with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo before they preside over the signing ceremony, the statement said.

The three documents expected to be signed include technical and economic cooperation pact, visa exemption agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports and memorandum of understanding on cooperation in labor field, it said.

The two prime ministers will hold a joint press conference after their talks, it added.

According to the statement, Hun Sen will also attend the 41st anniversary of the founding of the liberation forces of Timor-Leste on Aug. 20.
NAY PYI TAW, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi on Monday called for reaching common consensus in seeking eternal peace in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the two-day meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee's (UPDJC) in Nay Pyi Taw, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is the committee's chairperson, said that the non-existence of peace in the country since independence was due to the failure to meet the needs of people, warning that the absence of lasting peace could cause the economy to collapse.

She stressed the need to work for peace in the country without ignoring the undertaking for economic and social development and called for mutual trust and unity to successfully hold the upcoming 21st Century Panglong Ethnic Conference.

The 18-member UPDJC , made up of representatives of the government, ethnic armed groups and political parties, is headed by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Aung San Suu Kyi, who is also chairperson of the Central Committee for Holding the Panglong Conference, has called for continued coordination and cooperation on preparatory work being carried out by the government in order to successfully hold the conference, saying that the Panglong Conference is the first step toward a robust Union.

The former Myanmar government and eight ethnic armed groups out of 15 signed the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA) on Oct. 15, 2015, leaving seven other armed groups who are yet to sign the accord.
Delegates from China, South Korea and Japan pose for photos during an assembly at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 15, 2016. Monday marked the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of world War II. (Xinhua/Sun Can)

BEIJING, Aug.15 (Xinhua) -- The 71st anniversary of the end of World War II was marked across China on Monday, with war victims remembered nationwide.

People from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea attended the annual peace assembly in Nanjing, commemorating China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

At the Nanjing Massacre Victims' Memorial Hall representatives from the three countries recited a declaration of peace.

On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese troops began six weeks of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter after capturing Nanjing. More than 300,000 Chinese, including unarmed soldiers and innocent civilians, were murdered.

On Aug. 15 every year, NGOs from across the world gather in the city to pay their respects to the victims.

Miyauchi Yoko, head of an anti-war NGO based in Kobe, Japan, said the hot summer weather in Nanjing reminded her of the brutality suffered by Chinese during the war, giving her and her colleagues the motivation to do everything in their power to prevent such a tragedy ever happening again.

In Harbin, one year after the Museum of Evidence of War Crimes by Japanese Army Unit 731 opened on the site of the former headquarters of the army unit, visitors topped 950,000, three-fold the number prior to the musuem's opening.

Unit 731 was a biological and chemical warfare research base established in 1935.

Jin Chengmin, curator of the museum said it held many historical documents, and about ten percent of visitors came from overseas.

In Shanghai, the "Transcript of the Proceedings of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East" was published for the first time and is scheduled to debut at Shanghai Book Fair on Tuesday.

The book selects and translates sections pertaining to China of a previous English book on the military tribunal. It was jointly published by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press and the National Library of China Publishing House.

Xiang Longwan, honorary director of the Center for the Tokyo Trial Studies of Shanghai, Jiao Tong University, said the Tokyo Trial has significant meaning for international relations today.

"Hopefully, the book will become standard material for future studies of the trial, " he said.
HANOI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam saw a sharp increase of over 218 percent in fruit and vegetable exports to China in the first half of 2016, according to Vietnam General Department of Customs on Monday.

During the period, Vietnam sold some 803.808 million U.S. dollars worth of fruits and vegetables to China.

China remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese fruits and vegetables, accounting for nearly 70 percent of Vietnam's total market share in the six-month period.

Vietnam's watermelon, dragon fruit and longan are among major exported fruits to China.

During the six-month period, Vietnam posted some 1.16 billion U.S. dollars in revenue of exports of fruits and vegetables to world market, up 31.22 percent year-on-year.

According to Vietnam's Association of Fruits and Vegetables, Vietnamese fruits and vegetables have been presented in some 40 countries and territories worldwide.
CHENGDU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Another giant panda cub was born at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province during the early hours of Monday.

The mother, Dajiao, gave birth to the male cub at around 3:55 a.m. Her water broke at around 2:16 a.m., and the cub, weighing 179 grams, was born less than two hours later, said Wu Kongju, a panda expert at the center.

The mother, born Aug. 30, 2006, has given birth once before.

It is peak season for panda births, and staff at the center have gone to great lengths to take care of the mothers and their cubs.

There are more than 1,300 wild pandas in Sichuan, 15 percent more than 10 years ago. The number of captive pandas in Sichuan is more than 360, accounting for 86.3 percent of all captive pandas nationwide.




Soldiers guard at the site of blast near a traffic police station in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Aug. 15, 2016. Two police officers and one civilian were killed when a car bomb detonated near a traffic police station in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir on Monday, local media reported. (Xinhua/Mert Macit)

ANKARA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two police officers and one civilian were killed when a car bomb detonated near a traffic police station in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir, local media reported.

Twenty-five people, including eight police, were also wounded in that blast at the police station in Sukurlu, a village in Diyarbakir, Dogan News Agency reported.

Militants from the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) conducted the attack, State-run Anadolu Agency said.

Over 500 members of Turkish security forces and thousands of PKK members have been killed in confrontations inside Turkey and northern Iraq since last July.

More than 40,000 people have lost their lives in clashes with the PKK since 1984, when the group first started anti-government attacks.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey.
YEKATERINBURG, Russia, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Germany on Monday called on all parties to focus on the implementation of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine despite recent tensions in Crimea.

"I insist on concentrating on the return of the whole situation in all of its aspects, including security and political settlement, to the continuation and the essence of the Minsk agreements," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a joint briefing with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Lavrov called on all parties involved not to "yield to emotion" and "extreme options," but to focus on stabilizing the situation.

Steinmeier, for his part, said it was necessary to stay on with the Minsk agreements.

"The Minsk agreements still remain our guideline for the solution to the conflict," said Steinmeier.

The Minsk agreements, signed in February 2015 in the Belarussian capital Minsk, are aimed at a peaceful settlement to the conflicts in eastern Ukraine.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been escalating since Wednesday when Russian Federal Security Bureau said it had thwarted a series of terrorist attacks in Crimea masterminded by Ukrainian military intelligence. The Ukrainian side denied the accusation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to take additional measures to ensure the safety of infrastructure and citizens on the peninsula. The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday that an anti-aircraft missile regiment based in Crimea had received a new S-400 Triumf air defense missile system.

Lavrov said that Moscow was not interested in severing diplomatic relations with Kiev, which Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev suggested on Friday.

"It is an extreme measure," he said.

However, Lavrov noted that Russia would take exhaustive measures to "nip in the bud" any attempts of trespassing into Russian territory.

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

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A truck transfers containers at Qingdao port in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, Aug. 8, 2016.(Xinhua/Yu Fangping)

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- For a massive economy like China's, which is in the midst of transition, it is easy to dwell on fragmentary data while failing to see the forest for the trees.

While the latest official indicators of traditional growth engines have underperformed, those measuring the new drivers of the Chinese economy suggest a silver lining.

OLD ENGINES LOSING STEAM

Growth in retail sales, industrial output and investment all decelerated from June levels, official data showed Friday, adding to concerns that the Chinese economy might be faltering.

Customs data published earlier showed July exports contracted by 4.4 percent from a year ago while imports plunged 12.5 percent.

Economists said the slowdown is expected if not desirable, given the side effects of the government's efforts to cut overcapacity, destock, deleverage, reduce corporate costs and shore up weak spots, five major tasks high on the agenda.

Li Daokui, an economics professor at Tsinghua University and a former adviser to China's central bank, expects a painful adjustment period in the near term as the country shoulders the costs of restructuring.

The dragging effect of the restructuring program can be seen in the efforts to slash overcapacity.

In the first six months of 2016, China reduced steel production capacity by 13 million tonnes and coal capacity by over 72 million tonnes, official data showed.

Short-term strains have resulted as China speeds up reform, said Zhao Xijun, vice head of the school of finance at Beijing-based Renmin University.

NEW ENGINES GAIN MOMENTUM

Monthly dips in growth should not justify panic over the world's second largest economy, Zhao said.

The economy is actually emerging stronger with solid improvement in structural reform and new growth industries, official data showed.

Against the backdrop of lackluster industrial production, output of the high-tech industry climbed 12.2 percent in July, accelerating from June's 10.6-percent increase and more than double that of the entire industrial sector.

New-energy car production surged 88.7 percent and revenues of strategic emerging service sectors gained 15.6 percent year-on-year in the first half of the year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

Meanwhile, with an annual expansion of 40 percent, China's sharing economy market, including Internet-based ride-hailing businesses, will account for more than 10 percent of the country's GDP by 2020, according to an Internet Society of China report.

The service sector expanded 7.5 percent in the first half, accounting for 54.1 percent of the overall economy, up 1.8 percentage points from a year earlier, according to NBS data.

Investment in energy-intensive industries also continued to cool down, resulting in a year-on-year decline of 5.2 percent in energy consumption per unit of GDP in the first half.

Thanks to new growth engines, the Chinese economy generated 7.17 million new urban jobs in the first half of 2016, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

Li of Tsinghua University pointed to stable administration and policies, increasing human capital and further opening of the economy as three major advantages for China to achieve sustained growth.

The country's growth in the next two decades will mainly be driven by urbanization, consumption and industry rearrangement, Li said.

CHALLENGES STILL DAUNTING

If China continues its current supply-side structural reform, and carries out pro-reform and stabilizing measures, its economy will continue to improve, said Zhao.

However, the challenges should not be underestimated, as it is not easy for a huge ship to change course overnight, experts said.

Take the overcapacity cuts in the steel sector as an example.

In the first six months, China completed only about 30 percent of the planned cuts for the whole year. Warming steel prices had watchdogs on alert for a rebound in production capacity as crude steel output surged.

A price rebound means local officials have balked, with some deciding to defer capacity cuts. Creating new jobs for hundreds of thousands of laid-off employees and the massive debts of steel enterprises pose tough challenges ahead for cutting overcapacity.

However, the economy has embarked on an irreversible path of restructuring, and the transition, which is crucial to the country's supply-side structural reform, is bound to forge ahead, experts said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday issued an affirmative forecast, expecting a positive outlook for the Chinese economy and predicting 6.6-percent GDP growth for this year.

China's economic transition will continue and will be positive overall for the global economy, the IMF said in a report after concluding its annual economic health check on the Chinese economy.

"Many countries could only dream of achieving growth rates that China has and is likely to achieve, which also reflects positively on the reforms that Chinese policymakers have undertaken," said James Daniel, the IMF mission chief for China.

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MANILA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Vicitms of the martial law imposed by former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 asked the Supreme Court on Monday to stop the government's plan to bury him in the country's heroes' cemetery.

In a statement, the Samahan ng Mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detention at Aresto or SELDA, an organization of martial law victims, said they filed the formal petition to ask the court to issue a temporary restraining order "to disallow" the burial of Marcos in the hallowed cemetery.

The group said in their petition that Marcos "is not entitled to any hero's burial," adding that he "overly abused" the presidency during his rule and faked his military record.

The petition also cited the study conducted by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines belying the claim of Marcos of being a World War II hero and bemedalled soldier.

"The interment of the remains of Marcos at the heroes' cemetery with honors that supposedly befit only Filipino heroes with overall unblemished integrity and dignity is contrary to the constitution," the group said.

They also cited a 1992 agreement between the Philippine government represented by then President Fidel Ramos and the Marcos family that Marcos' remains will be buried in their hometown in Ilocos Norte, a province north of Manila.

"To abandon the agreement, to reboot the entire process, exhume his remains and allow his burial at (the heroes' cemetery) is to relive the terror and horrors of his victims who have, until now, not been given justice," the group said.

It added, "While his victims will be forgotten, Marcos will be remembered as a president given a hero's burial in violation of the law and even their contractual commitment with the Philippine government."

They said that burying Marcos in the heroes' cemetery "will not achieve the purpose of closure espoused or accepted by others."

The filing of the petition came a day after at least 1,000 martial law victims and anti-Marcos activists held a protest rally to stress that Marcos is not a hero and to denounce President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to bury Marcos in the heroes' cemetery.

Duterte, a friend of the Marcoses, has allowed the burial of Marcos in the heroes' cemetery, stirring up an old debate on whether or not Marcos deserves the honor.

Marcos, who ruled the country for two decades, died in exile Hawaii in 1989 three years after the Marcos family fled the Philippines following a popular uprising that ousted the dictator in 1986 when millions of Filipinos, backed by the military, took to the streets to protest his abuses.

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

His body, which was brought back to the Philippines in 1993 after he died in Hawaii in 1989, is now on display inside a glass box in an air-conditioned mausoleum beside the family's ancestral home in Batac, north of Manila.

The Marcos family, pleading for an "honorable burial," had lobbied the government for Marcos' remains to be interred at the heroes' cemetery in Manila. But the anti-Marcos and human rights groups had opposed the plan saying the disgraced leader does not deserve a military honor and a plot in the hallowed ground.
ANKARA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has proposed a three-step roadmap to solve a five-year-old war in Syria, local media reported on Monday.

In an interview with daily Karar, Yildirim said that the time has come for Turkey to mend relations with Syria after Ankara took steps for rapprochement with Israel and Russia.

In his roadmap, Yildirim called for excluding the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria from the political process.

"A state structure like the Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria will be out of the question," he said.

Turkey considers the PYD and its military wing, the People's Protection Unit (YPG) as offshoots of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

But the U.S. sees the PYD and YPG as reliable partners in the fight against the Islamic State (IS).

Yildirim said that any of Syria's sectarian, ethnic or regional formations should have no supremacy over the others, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will have no place in the long run.

He demanded that Syrians who fled their war-torn country to other regional states, including Turkey, should return to their homeland under a plan.

Turkey hosts around 3 million refugees, most of whom from Syria.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011. Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to the United Nations, which stopped counting two years ago.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (front) attends the ceremony marking the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 15, 2016. The Japanese government held an annual ceremony Monday in Tokyo to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II (WWII) and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Monday marks the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, but more than seven decades on, Japan remains stuck in the quagmire of its wartime past, continues to ignore its wartime responsibilities and moves further and further to the right in its politics.

For the fourth year running at the annual memorial service for Japanese war dead, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe neither touched on Japan's responsibilities regarding the devastating war, nor offered condolences to other Asian nations.

Once again, this only serves to remind Japan's neighbors of the great disservice done to them, and of the absence of any sincere remorse from Abe's administration.

In his speech delivered on Aug. 14 last year, Abe noted that Japan must not let its future generations, who have nothing to do with the war, "be predestined to apologize."

A genuine and resolute apology could never be a disgrace to Japan or any of its generation, but instead would represent the right attitude from the Japanese government in order to regain the complete trust and respect of its neighbors.

If the Abe administration refuses to honestly reflect and repent on its war guilt, how can it prevent its future generations from apologizing?

In December 2015, Japan reached a "final and irreversible" agreement with South Korea over its wartime use of sex slaves or "comfort women," which involved the payment of just 1 billion yen (about 8.3 million U.S. dollars) and no official apology from Tokyo.

Monetary payment alone will not heal the damage caused by Japan's past militarism, nor does it address the dangerous current trend towards militarism.

The Japanese government has made a series of proactive moves, which include but are not limited to: an increased arms trade, weaker civilian control over the military, and controversial security legislation that attempts to rebuild the country as a military power.

In its 2016 defense paper issued on Aug. 2, Japan shamelessly accused China of jeopardizing regional peace and stability, playing up the "China Threat" to further justify its rightist and militarist moves.

As a matter of fact, Japan's resurgent militarism is rooted in its reluctance to admit to its history of aggression and its failure to hold its war criminals responsible after surrender.

The word surrender never even appeared in Japanese Emperor Hirohito's speech declaring the acceptance of the Potsdam Proclamation, broadcast Aug. 15, 1945. The Japanese continue to downplay the significance of Aug. 15 as the memorial day for the end of the war.

In past decades, regardless of war victims' feelings, Japanese political figures have visited and paid tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine that honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals, which only raises suspicion from its Asian neighbors that Japan may one day repeat its militarist history.

As long as it turns a blind eye to its responsibilities and guilt, Japan will never shake off it wartime past and move on as a normal country.

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Commentary: 71 years on, Japan still haunted by specter of militarism

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-one years following Japan's surrender in World War II, the specter of militarism is still haunting the country and the Asia-Pacific.

In his speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary in Tokyo on Monday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe failed again to offer a sincere apology for the country' s wartime aggression in Asia, and failed to pledge not to return to war. Full story

Commentary: Fixing distorted view of history, reflecting on past only way for Japan to avoid future mistakes

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- History is a mirror to the future. If Japan continues to view its war-time past distorted and whitewashed by rightwing revisionists without earnest reflection and repentance, it will have a precarious future in which "horrors of war" could be repeated.
LANZHOU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A group of Muslims left northwest China's Gansu Province on Monday for the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, local authorities said.

A total of 297 Muslims boarded a chartered flight in Gansu's capital of Lanzhou at around 2:45 p.m. Monday, according to the Gansu Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau. It is Gansu's first chartered plane this year for the Hajj.

From Monday to Saturday, more than 2,900 pilgrims from Gansu, Tibet Autonomous Region and other parts of China will fly to Saudi Arabia via ten chartered flights departing from Lanzhou.

The bureau has enhanced efforts to spread knowledge about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). The Saudi health ministry will also enforce tight border control measures to prevent the spread of MERS and the Zika virus during the Hajj, which will start next month.
DUBLIN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's trade surplus in June reached 4.5 billion euros (5 billion U.S. dollars), up 22 percent over a month ago, according to figures issued by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Monday.

The CSO figures showed exports in June rose by 5 percent to 9.5 billion euros, while imports fell by 8 percent to just over 5 billion euros.

The European Union (EU) accounted for 50 percent of Ireland's total exports in June, of which 1.3 billion euros went to Belgium and 1.1 billion euros to Britain. The United States was the main non-EU destination accounting for 27 percent of Ireland's total exports in June.

The EU accounted for 62 percent of Ireland's imports in June, with 25 percent of Ireland's total imports coming from Britain. The United States and China were the main non-EU sources of imports.

Commenting on the figures, Alan McQuaid, chief economist with the Dublin-headquartered Merrion Stockbrokers, said business and consumer confidence have been dented in recent months by the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

However, he said the trade data for the first half of the year were quite positive, though he expected to see a slowdown in activity in the second half of 2016.

The Irish economist said the overall trade surplus this year will be higher than in 2015.

"We are currently projecting a positive balance for 2016 of around 45 billion euros, a new record-high," he said. (1 euro=1.117 U.S. dollars)
Photo taken on Aug. 1, 2016 shows a bullet train running in Qinzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

MEXICO CITY, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to push for the adoption of efficient policies to boost global economic growth at the upcoming G20 summit, a veteran Mexican diplomat has said.

"It is significant that a country committed to economic growth policies, in contrast with those favoring stabilization policies, is presiding the G20," Jorge Eduardo Navarrete, former Mexican ambassador to China and the United Nations, said in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The world's 20 large economies will converge in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, for a summit on Sept. 4-5 amid a climate of global economic stagnation, financial turbulence and trade protectionism.

Navarrete attributed the negative environment to a combination of macroeconomic circumstances and national policies.

A boat sails in the Port of Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Aug. 3, 2016. (Xinhua/Wang Jianmin)

The diplomat, who has published several books on China, said that governments are wrong in thinking that stabilizing prices combined with restrictive fiscal and monetary policies can boost the economy.

"The objective should be growth, employment and social progress, not stability and stagnation," he said.

China, as the second-largest economy in the world, has proposed four key priorities at the G20 summit: "breaking a new path for growth," "more effective and efficient global economic and financial governance," "robust international trade and investment," and "inclusive and interconnected development."

"In 2016, we need a country like China...to push in this direction, to lead the group in the adoption of efficient policies that will ensure economic growth, job creation and social development," said Navarrete.
NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The UN refugee agency has voluntarily repatriated 2,272 Somali refugees from the Dadaab camp in northwest Kenya between July 16-31.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in its bi-monthly report received in Nairobi that some 1,272 returnees were supported to voluntarily return to Somalia.

"Some 1,061 returnees were transported by road, while 211 persons returned to Mogadishu by flight," the UN refugee agency said on Monday.

"In total, as of July 31, 19,523 Somali refugees had returned home since December 8, 2014, when UNHCR started supporting voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya, out of which 13,322 were supported in 2016 alone," it said.

During the reporting period, 1,581 individuals also visited the Return Help Desks where they received return-related information or were processed for repatriation, adding that there has been a sharp increase of refugees visiting the return help desks.

Kenya,in collaboration with the UN refugee agency, is working on a program that will ensure a smooth and voluntary repatriation of over 500,000 refugees living in five camps at the Dadaab refugee camp after Nairobi announced the closure of the camp.

Kenya, which hosted protracted negotiations that culminated in the formation of the transitional federal government of Somalia, says the refugee situation continues to pose security threats to Nairobi and the region apart from the humanitarian crisis.

Nairobi believes Somalia militants, Al-Shabaab, who killed 148 people at Garissa University in April 2015, are behind a spate of insecurity that has hit several parts of northern, Nairobi and coastal regions.

UNHCR said its office in Dadaab was also involved in the planning of the relocation of 16,000 non-Somali refugees and asylum seekers, and 15,000 Somali refugees in the resettlement process from Dadaab to Kakuma.

"UNHCR has been discussing with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM is in the process of preparing a proposal which they will present to UNHCR. UNHCR Kakuma has initiated preparations to ensure a seamless reception of refugees to be relocated to Kakuma," it said.

The UNHCR and Kenya are also carrying out a verification exercise in the Dadaab refugee camps in order to have a clear picture of the refugees living in the camps and gather more information on their condition and return intention.

It is anticipated that the exercise, which started on July 4, will serve to ascertain the number of persons of concern living in each of the camps.

"As of July 31, a total number of 58,012 households comprising 270,517 individuals had been verified out of the targeted population of 78,998 households comprising 341,571 individuals," it said.
MOGADISHU, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Somali National Army (SNA) backed by Africa Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) on Monday captured four locations near Bardhere town in southern Somalia's Gedo region from Al-Shabaab militant group.

Somali Army Commander in the area, Osman Sheikh, told journalists in Mogadishu that the operation was aimed at liberating key areas where the militants were hiding and planning terrorist activities in the region.

"SNA's 9th Division carried out the operation against militants in Matano, Anole, Tubako and Qutaley locations about 30kms south of Bardhere town. We are now in full control of all the four regions. However, the terrorists escaped during the operation but we shall pursue them," Osman said.

The Al-Shabaab militant has often carried out road side attacks against AU and Somali government administration in the region.
Cao Heimao, a 94-year-old woman who was forced to serve as a "comfort woman" during the Second World War, sits in her house in Qidong Village of Yuxian County, north China's Shanxi Province, Aug. 5, 2016. Monday marked the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender at the end of World War II. Some 400,000 women in Asian were made into comfort women for the Japanese army during WWII, nearly half of which are Chinese, according to a research center of comfort women under the Humanities and Communication College of Shanghai Normal University. Since 1990, some 100 surviving comfort women began to speak publicly about the atrocities they suffered from the Japanese invaders during the war and sought legal actions. They have continued to push for the cause despite being in old age and suffering from poverty and disease. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

TAIYUAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Hao Yuelian, 88, will never forget the nightmare seven decades ago when she was tied with rope in a brothel and forced to have sex with Japanese invaders.

Countless rapes during the war left her infertile, and she has lived alone on government aid since her husband's death.

"I'll struggle to live, waiting for Japan to acknowledge the crime and apologize," said Hao, from Yanggongling Village in Wuxiang County of north China's Shanxi Province.

Monday marks the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

As the number of "comfort women," or sex slaves, like Hao becomes smaller and smaller, Chinese campaigners realize time is running out to get an apology from Japan and seek justice for them.

Campaigner Zhang Shuangbing, a retired teacher, has sued the Japanese government on behalf of the surviving "comfort women" and sought government aid for them for 34 years.

Of the 129 comfort women victims Zhang has on record in the province, 122 have died. The remaining seven, with an average age of over 90, all suffer from haunting memories, miserable living conditions and poor physical health.

NIGHTMARE

Hao was only 15 when she was first raped on June 13, 1943.

She was at home alone while her parents were out farming, when two Japanese soldiers raided the house.

"With their guns pointed at me, I did not dare to utter a word," she recalled, adding one soldier stripped her naked and raped her, followed by the other.

She wrapped herself in a quilt and stayed in bed all day. Several Japanese soldiers rushed in after the sunset, tied her with rope, and took her away together with a dozen men and women from the village.

"Ordering the women to watch from the side, they tortured the men with sticks, red-hot irons and wolfdogs. Some of them were bitten to death," she said.

Six to seven women, including Hao, were locked in a dirty straw house, which served as a military brothel.

A month later, Hao's family bought her freedom after a fellow villager tipped them off, but the Japanese later forced her back until another two months later, when her father and brother sneaked into the house and rescued her.

"Years later, when I finally got married at the age of 18, I found I was no longer able to have children," she said.

HISTORY MUST BE REMEMBERED

Research shows some 400,000 women in Asia were forced to be "comfort women" for the Japanese army during World War II, nearly half of whom were Chinese.

Su Zhiliang, director of a research center on comfort women under the Humanities and Communication College of Shanghai Normal University, said the number of Chinese who identified themselves as comfort women for Japanese troops during WWII has fallen to only 20.

"There is no doubt that the best time for systematic investigation into the suffering of comfort women has passed, but there is still hope for obtaining more evidence and materials if we act now," Su said on Sunday at a museum in the eastern city of Nanjing, located at the former site of a Japanese military brothel.

To record the history, Su's team is researching the experience of comfort women in 22 provinces in China. NGOs from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, the Philippines and other countries and regions are working together to nominate documentation on comfort women for inclusion on the Memory of the World Register, established by UNESCO in the 1990s to preserve the world's most important documents.

"Despite the years that have passed, it's still as though it has just happened," said Liu Fenghai, 89, from Nanyuan Village of Qinxian County, Shanxi Province.

She and another woman were forced to be comfort women in 1943 and later abandoned in a valley after catching a disease. The two managed to walk home, helping each other.

"We can't forget, and we'll never forget," she said, wiping tears away with bony hands.

Zhang Shuangbing wrote to the Japanese government in 1992, demanding compensation of 100,000 U.S. dollars for each comfort woman. Receiving no response from Japan, he helped the women take legal action beginning in 1995. The suit lasted more than a decade and ultimately failed.

"Losing the lawsuit was quite a blow for the women. But as long as they are still alive, they will not stop seeking justice," he said.
Syrian children are seen at a refugee camp in southern Syrian province Suweida, May 9, 2016. About 5,000 refugees from Islamic State controlled Raqqah and Dayr Az-Zawr provinces fled to the refugee camp in recent ten days. (Xinhua/Yang Zhen)

YEKATERINBURG, Russia, 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia fears that airdropped humanitarian cargoes meant to support the people of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo and its vicinity may be seized by terrorists, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"We see huge risks that weather conditions, like wind, and the constant alterations in the configuration on the ground will leave humanitarian cargo in the hands of terrorists, and serves to strengthen their position," Lavrov said at a joint briefing with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

Russia and Syria have opened six humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave Aleppo and to provide aid to those who decide to stay, as well as another for the safe passage of the militants who lay down arms.

Lavrov said that terrorists prevented both the escape of fellow militants and the civilians, using public executions to intimidate them.

The foreign minister said Russia will continue to coordinate additional steps in the delivery of humanitarian aid with the International Syria Support Group, the United States and the United Nations.

"The main thing, while providing humanitarian aid, is to prevent using humanitarian channels to allow terrorists to receive reinforcements in the forms of militants, arms and munitions," he said.
LUSAKA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Monday was re-elected for another five-year term amid complaints from opposition political parties over malpractices in the results.

Lungu was declared winner of the tightly contested election after polling 1,860,877 votes (50.35 percent) from all the 156 constituencies, while his main challenger Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) polled 1,760,347 votes.

Nine candidates run for president, and under the country's amended constitution, a winner must garner 50 percent plus one of the votes in order to be declared winner.

Lungu's election shows that the ruling party still commands huge support in major cities such as the Copperbelt Province, Lusaka, the northern, and eastern parts of the country.

However, some of the opposition political parties have contested the presidential election, saying it was a fraud with so many irregularities.

The opposition parties also accused the country's electoral body of failing to manage the election properly after it failed to address the concerns raised in the anomalies seen in the presidential results.

"This election is a fraud and has been poorly managed by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). We do not accept its outcome," Edith Nawakwi, leader of the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD), told reporters after the announcement of the final results.

The only female presidential contender, who came third with 24,149 votes, said her party witnessed a lot of anomalies in the results for the presidential election, adding that the electoral body failed to help the situation by being adamant and failing to address the concerns raised.

Among concerns raised by opposition parties included the lack of tallying of results from polling stations and the ones announced at the National Results Totaling Center, number of votes in some polling stations is exceeding the number of registered voters, and disappearance of boxes containing ballot in some cases.

They also alleged that some electoral officials at some polling stations were arrested with pre-marked ballot papers.

The main opposition party, UPND, also expressed concern over the failure by the ECZ to stop the electronic transmission of results after the system server was hacked by alleged ruling party operatives.

One man who had gained entry into the server room was arrested by alert opposition party members, but the police have since released him.

While people voted in a peaceful manner, the run-up to the elections was marred by violence between Lungu's supporters and those of the main challenger.

Lungu had campaigned on a platform to continue with the development programs he had embarked on such as infrastructure development, while the opposition had wanted to capitalize on the current economic downturn caused by fall in prices of commodity, which saw mining firms downsizing on their workforce while the prices of essential commodities skyrocketed.
NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Africa requires additional trained experts to help with the fight against life-threatening infections, a senior Kenyan official said on Monday.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said that with highly trained personnel, the continent will be capable of fighting the emergence of infections such as Ebola, typhoid, drug-resistant tuberculosis among others.

"A lot still needs to be done toward building the necessary human resources capacities to effectively and safely handle such pathogens," Bett said during the first African Biosafety Leadership Summit in Nairobi.

He observed that it is unfortunate that Africa is regularly plagued by a number of life-threatening infections that has been wiped out in other continents.

Bett said experts ought to discuss and find a solution on threat reduction and how countries in Africa can meet the requirements of other international agreements on major scientific commitments.

He said Kenya is ready to support biosafety in the Eastern Africa region by providing an enabling environment for the growth of the biotechnology innovations and industry.

"We need to reduce trade barriers, trans-boundary movements and strengthen expertise across the region to benefit farmers," Bett added.

The summit was formed by the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE), a pan-African research network, to move forward in adopting biotechnology while ensuring human and animal health, plants and adequate protection of the environment.

Dr. Argent Chuula, CEO of Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), told African governments to apply the existing regional policy on biotechnology and apply modern biotechnology in improving living standards of farmers.

"We are planning to use the summit to advance regionally harmonized regulations and product testing practices and eventually establish a regional-level risk assessment mechanism," Chuula said.

He announced that ACTESA and Common Market for East and Southern (COMESA) plan to help member states in building an institutional framework to regulate the application of the GM Biotechnology program.

Jenesio Kinyamario, Chairman of Kenya's National Biosafety Authority, said the summit will help identify the regulatory needs of African countries with the purpose of ensuring adoption of international agreements and implement programs in biosafety in the continent.

Kinyamario said that the summit will lead to collaborations, sharing and enhancing safe and responsible work with biotechnology in Africa.

Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana, Senegal and Burkina Faso are among the 18 countries that have registered with the summit.

It is expected that the summit will help reduce hurdles that currently exist in sharing biosafety data and information for decision making between the countries.
URUMQI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China's armed police on Monday completed a five-day anti-terror exercise in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as part of efforts to combat violent terrorist attacks.

The exercise, attended by some 3,000 people, was based on the current security situation in southern Xinjiang, according to a military statement released Monday.

The drill examined the force's capabilities in force projection, intelligence reconnaissance, information communication, fire assault, comprehensive support as well as nighttime operations, it said.

The exercise also examined the force's ability to carry out missions in complicated circumstances such as in cold mountainous regions, desert and residential areas.

A total of 21 new pieces of high-tech equipment, including drones, assault rotorcraft and all-terrain assault vehicles were involved in the drill, according to the document.

The exercise strengthened the country's anti-terrorism system and examined the battle capability of anti-terror equipment, it added.
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan on Monday criticized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that Pakistan is "glorifying terrorists" and said the Indian leader has tried to divert attention from the violence in Kashmir.

Prime Minister Modi in his speech to mark India's 70th Independence Day also alleged that Pakistan is "involved in human rights abuses" in its large province of Balochistan and in its controlled-Kashmir.

Responding to Modi's speech, Pakistan Foreign Affairs Adviser, Sartaj Aziz, said that Modi was only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in the Indian-controlled Kashmir over the past five weeks.

"Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self-determination. More than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6000 injured," Aziz said in a statement.

He said there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, adding these events have nothing to do with terrorism but is an indigenous movement for self-determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council.

"At this time, the contrast between the Indian Occupied Kashmir and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir could not be more stark," the Pakistani adviser said.

He said Prime Minister Modi's reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, only proves Pakistan's contention that India through its main intelligence agency RAW, has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan.

"India should recognize that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets. It requires a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan," Aziz said in conclusion.

Modi's Independence Day speech came as the Indian government struggles to contain the unrest in Indian-controlled Kashmir in the wake of the killing of 22-year-old militant Burhan Wani, terror outfit Hizbul Mujahiddin's poster boy for new militancy, on July 8 by Indian security forces. More than 60 people have been killed in the violence so far.

"They (Pakistan) glorify terrorists who attack us. (But) India had cried with sorrow when nearly 130 children were killed in a massacre by the Taliban in Peshawar two years ago," Modi said.
TIRANA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Albanian authorities on Monday decided to lift a temporary ban on meat trade imposed about two weeks ago due to the disease "nodular dermatitis" that affected livestock in the country.

Albanian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Management Edmond Panariti authorized on Monday the controlled movement of cattle from farms to slaughterhouses.

When the first cases of nodular dermatitis were reported weeks ago, the agriculture ministry launched a vaccination campaign in order to prevent further spread of such disease. The ministry also deemed it necessary to block the trade of domestic meat as a way to protect consumers.

Two weeks after the ban, sources from the agriculture ministry said the blocking measures were lifted considering the improvement of epidemiological indicators of nodular dermatitis disease and the consolidation of vaccine immunity.
MANILA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A senior Philippine government official said Monday that a previous agreement, supposedly signed between the Philippine government and the family of former President Ferdinand Marcos about the location of his burial, does not bind President Rodrigo Duterte who has the discretion and authority to amend or modify certain arrangements made before him.

Salvador Panelo, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said he has not yet seen the said agreement which supposedly stated that the body of Marcos would be allowed to return to the country provided that it is not buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Heroes' Cemetery.

Filipinos who were tortured, jailed, raped, illegally arrested and whose relatives disappeared when Philippine former President Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial law in 1972 asked the Supreme Court on Monday to stop the government's plan to bury him in the heroes' cemetery.

"For one, assuming there is an agreement, it does not bind the President because that was entered into by previous presidents," he said of the reported agreement signed between the Marcoses and the government under then President Fidel Ramos.

He added that based on his understanding of former interior secretary and ally of Ramos, Rafael Alunan III, the agreement and conditions stated were made based on the circumstances then.

Panelo said the circumstances at present may already be different from the conditions now.

He cited for instance that Duterte, with the overwhelming support from the public during the May 2016 elections, has the authority to make decisions and arrangements that he sees fit and applicable to the present time like allowing the burial to finally put an end to the issue and allow the country to finally move forward.

Panelo said Duterte, having promised during the campaign that he would allow the burial of Marcos if he becomes president, is also just making true his earlier campaign promise.

He said voters are well aware of Duterte's stand even before he became president and still voted for him which means that the public is giving him the authority to fulfil his promise.

Panelo added that the burial of Marcos, apart from being allowed under the law, does not change the fact that the state at one time had recognized that there were human rights violation under the Marcos presidency and is in fact in the process of indemnifying the victims.

Under the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Regulation 161-375, those who may be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani include soldiers, veterans and former presidents, among others.

Malacanang earlier said there is no date set yet as to when the burial would occur but said that Marcos would be accorded honors fit for a president.

The former president died in 1989 in Hawaii or three years after he was booted out of power and forced to leave the country following the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986.

His body had been flown back in 1993 and had been in state in his hometown of Batac in Ilocos Norte in northern part of the country since then.
Iraqis walk past on August 3, 2016 the site of an explosion which killed more than 300 people in Baghdad's Karrada district, as they mark one month since the bombing. (AFP/Xinhua)

BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's parliament approved on Monday five cabinet members under a reshuffle presented by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, as part of his reforms aimed at fighting corruption, state TV reported.

The lawmakers voted in the ministers of oil, water resources, construction and housing, higher education, and transport, but they failed to vote in a candidate for the ministry of trade, the state-run channel of Iraqiya said.

The five new ministers were sworn in at the session that was attended by 210 legislators out of the 328-seat parliament, according to the channel.

Abadi's move came after the Iraqi federal court on June 28 invalidated an earlier reshuffle following disagreement among the parliament's political blocs.

Observers see the court's verdict as a serious blow to Abadi's efforts for presenting comprehensive reforms, including a cabinet reshuffle to replace ministers, who were chosen to balance the divisions among the Iraqi parties, ethnic and sectarian factions, with technocrats, in order to end corruption and provide better services.

Months-long protests by Iraqis as well as many legislators from various parties demanded an end to the quota system, which was created following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to control and divide Iraq's resources between political parties representing Iraq's ethnic and sectarian factions.

Some political blocs and politicians apparently have been resisting the reforms because there is a lack of trust among the political parties who see that such reforms, or part of them, are marginalizing their factions from the political scene which was originally built on power-sharing agreements.

A series of failed reform measures have paralyzed Iraq's parliament and the government as the country struggles to fight the Islamic State (IS) militant group, which seizes swathes of territories in northern and western Iraq, and in dire need to respond to an economic crisis sparked in part by a plunge in global oil prices.
JAKARTA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday evening decided to terminate the term of a newly appointed minister after rumor that he is holding both Indonesian and U.S. citizenship, official announced here.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Archandra Tahar, who was appointed as minister on July 27, was fired from his position effective on Tuesday, Pratikno, secretary of state, announced.

"Responding on the public questions about the citizen status of Archandra Tahar, the president decided to fire energy and mineral resources Archandra Tahar," Pratikno said at the State Palace.

President Widodo appointed Coordinating Minister for Maritime Luhut Pandjaitan to temporarily take over Tahar's tasks, the secretary of state said.

Tahar has gained U.S. citizenship after he applied for it, but his Indonesian passport has not expired.

President Widodo picked up Tahar as parts of his second cabinet reshuffle.

Indonesia does not apply dual citizenship system.
JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- African countries have high expectations for the upcoming G20 Summit, which is expected to address a series of burning issues affecting the world, particularly developing countries, South African experts have said.

African countries expect the G20 Summit, scheduled for Hangzhou, China on September 4-5, to be open and frank in addressing global challenges, Sabelo Gatsheni-Ndlovu, a researcher on Developmental Studies at the University of South Africa, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Gatsheni-Ndlovu said: "Obviously G20 cannot ignore environmental challenges facing the world, terrorism and general development. The world is facing depressed growth and they have to come up with a solution on what needs to be done."

The researcher, who is also director of Archie Mafeje Research Institute in South Africa, called on the G20 to genuinely address the climate challenges. He said the global North countries are the major contributors to ozone depletion and should take responsibility and frankly address it.

Gatsheni-Ndlovu said developed countries should not blame others for the climate change and instead take concrete action.

Speaking of terrorist threats, Gatsheni-Ndlovu stressed the importance of punishing those who are arming terrorists.

He accused certain Western countries of fueling disunity by sponsoring terrorist groups in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, Syria, and some other African countries.

At the G20 Summit, South Africa is expected to raise issues affecting Africa and the global South in accordance with its foreign policy, according to Gatsheni-Ndlovu.

"South Africa is expected as per the custom to speak on behalf Africa in the G20. They have to raise issues bedeviling Africa and the global South, which include weak economic growth, terrorism and underdevelopment in general," he said.

The summit will be held under the theme: "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy".

The G20 Summit should come up with a long-term strategy to prevent further slowdown of the world economy, Gatsheni-Ndlovu said.

Kuben Naidoo, Deputy Governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), also said the sluggish economic growth should feature prominently at the G20 Summit.

The summit should take concrete steps to help the world going forward as the economies of most countries are not performing well, Naidoo told Xinhua.

There should be resilient plans from the summit to avoid a similar global economic crisis in future, Naidoo said.

"We expect G20 to address the broader issues around global growth, getting growth back on track to ensure sustainable growth, making sure that the financial sector reform process continue. We have to deal with too-big-to-fail issues," he noted.

Naidoo also stressed the importance of dealing with money laundering, Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS), and other tax avoidance schemes in a coordinated manner to prevent illicit outflows and corrupt practices.
TAIPEI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation led a rally on Monday urging the Japanese government to apologize for the Taiwanese women who were forced into sex slavery during World War II.

Monday marked the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII.

Seventy-one years have passed and they have not received any apology from the Japanese government, not to mention compensation, local lawmaker Wang Yu-min said when delivering a speech at the event.

Wang called on the island's current administration to listen to local people's appeals on the "comfort women" issue and take action to reveal the historical truth.

Around 2,000 Taiwanese women were forced into sex slavery during WWII, according to the foundation. It has identified 58 of them, but only three are still alive.

Kang Shu-hua, executive director of the foundation, said the three women were not present at the rally due to old age.

"However, righteousness should not be compromised and the truth about 'comfort women' must be sought to bring dignity to the victims," she said.

About 100 people participated in the gathering outside the Taipei Office of Japan's Interchange Association, according to organizers, who added the event was part of a global action on Monday to seek justice for the women.
People attend a protest near the Peace Momorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 2016. Hiroshima, the city that suffered U.S. atomic bombing in 1945 during World War II, commemorated the 71st anniversary of the bombing on Saturday at the city's Peace Memorial Park. About 1,000 people from all over the country rallied around the park early Saturday morning, protesting against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attendance at the ceremony and his right-minded policies including the controversial security bills. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday voiced "firm" opposition after two Japanese cabinet members paid homage to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

"That some Japanese cabinet members paid tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A convicted war criminals and aims to beautify aggression wars, once again proved the Japanese government's wrong attitude to the history-related issue," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said in response to a question from the press.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Lu urged the Japanese side "to squarely face and deeply reflect upon the history of aggression, deal with relative issues in a responsible and appropriate way, and work to win trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete moves."

Related:

Japan marks 71st anniversary of WWII end, PM failing to mention "reflection"

TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japan marked the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II on Monday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failing to mention "reflection" at an annual memorial service and a number of Abe's Cabinet members visiting the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.
TOKYO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Japan marked the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II on Monday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe once again failing to mention "reflection" at an annual memorial service and a number of Abe's Cabinet members visiting the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine.

The event came at a time when Japan's newly enacted security laws have enabled the country's self-defense forces to fight wars overseas for the first time since WWII and Japan's pacifist Constitution is more than ever in jeopardy, raising concerns over Japan's shifting away from pacifist path.

At an annual memorial ceremony held by the Japanese government in Tokyo Monday noon, Abe delivered a speech with a large part dedicated to mourning the Japanese war dead, while shying away from mentioning Japan's wartime aggression or the suffering Japan had inflicted upon some nations before and during WWII.

This was the fourth consecutive year for Abe to fail to mention "reflection" at the annual memorial service since he retook office as prime minister in 2012.

In contrast to Abe, Japanese Emperor Akihito stated his "deep remorse" over the past war for the second time at Monday's national memorial service, and expressed his wish for world peace.

Japanese prime ministers started to refer to Japan's past aggression at the annual event since 1994, when the then Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama expressed remorse for the country's wartime atrocities.

Abe's speeches at previous three ceremonies also lacked mention of the Japanese wartime aggression, triggering criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors.

"Abe's failing to mention Japan's war responsibility as a victimizer shows his reluctance to face up to history and his denial of the fact that Japan had launched an aggressive war," said political critic Jiro Honzawa here in an article.

"Abe administration's recent moves, including enacting the controversial security laws and attempting to amend the pacifist Constitution, were all embodiment of his distorted historical view," said Takakage Fujita, director general of a civic group dedicated to upholding and developing the well-known Murayama Statement.

Meanwhile, two of Abe's newly reshuffled Cabinet members paid homage to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, including Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister, and Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Farm minister Yuji Yamamoto, however, told a press conference Monday that he visited Yasukuni on Aug. 6, while Masahiro Imamura, minister for reconstruction of disaster-hit regions, visited the shrine last week.

Abe himself, though refraining from visiting the shrine, sent his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make a ritual offering on his behalf as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, regardless of the feelings of Japan's neighboring countries.

With the Abe government and many lawmakers highlighting Japan's sufferings in the war while evading the country's war responsibility as an aggressor, for many Japanese people, Japan's image as a victimizer seems to be fading, with the country posing more as a victim than victimizer on many occasions.

In Tokyo, about 5,500 people attended a ceremony commemorating the U.S. bombing of Tokyo in 1945, with a number of survivors telling about their horrible experiences in the bombing. In Kagoshima, people visited a museum where things that used to belong to members of the Japanese Kamikaze, a special attack unit of the Japanese army, were stored and exhibited.

"For those of us who don't know much about the past war, even though we know the definition of the word 'invasion', we find it difficult to connect the word with what Japan had done," said Daisuke Yamada, a student from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.

"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.
Yemenis inspect the rubble of a house in Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa on August 11, 2016, after it was reportedly hit by a Saudi-led coalition air strike. (AFP/Xinhua)

SANAA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and 15 others wounded when the Saudi-led warplanes attacked a hospital operated by the humanitarian association Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Yemen's northwest province of Hajja on Monday, a MSF spokeswoman and an eyewitness told Xinhua.

"It is confirmed that a Saudi-led airstrike today hit a hospital run by MSF team since July 2015 in Abbs district," MSF spokeswoman Malak Shahir told Xinhua.

She said the doctor team is busy treating the injured.

An eyewitness told Xinhua that the airstrike destroyed a part of the hospital, but the hospital is still being operated by the MSF doctors.

He told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that a Spanish female doctor survived the airstrike and she is now treating the injured.

It's not the first time MSF-run hospitals were hit by the Saudi-led warplanes.

A few months ago, two MSF-run hospitals in neighboring Saada province were hit by several airstrikes, as the Saudi-led military coalition admitted its mistakes.

On Saturday, another Saudi-led airstrike raided a children school in Haidan district in Saada province, killing at least 10 students and injuring 28 others, according to a MSF statement.

The Saudi-led warplanes fighting Shiite Houthi rebels launched airstrikes against military targets of Houthis and their ally forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in several northern provinces on Monday, including the capital Sanaa, according to reports by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

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.
LISBON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Portugal said Monday that no Chinese national has died at the Boom Festival being held in Idanha a nova, around 300 km northeast of Lisbon.

The Chinese embassy got the confirmation from the organizers of the festival, and Portugal's National Republican Guard.

Lusa News Agency reported on Sunday that two men of Chinese and Dutch nationality were attended at the festival's facilities by medical staff but died due to cardiac arrest when they were being taken to hospital, according to the festival's organizers.

Boom festival is held every year in Portugal and is one of the world's most popular trance and electronic music festivals.
SANAA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least seven patients were killed and 10 others wounded when the Saudi-led warplanes attacked a hospital operated by the humanitarian association Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Yemen's northwest province of Hajja on Monday, a MSF spokeswoman and an eyewitness told Xinhua.

"It is confirmed that a Saudi-led airstrike today hit a hospital run by MSF team since July 2015 in Abbs district," MSF spokeswoman Malak Shahir told Xinhua.

She said the doctor team is busy treating the injured.

An eyewitness told Xinhua that the airstrike destroyed a part of the hospital, but the hospital is still being operated by the MSF doctors.

"Seven patients have so far died, and 10 others in critical conditions," he told Xinhua on condition of anonymity, adding that a Spanish female doctor survived the airstrike and she is now treating the injured.

It's not the first time MSF-run hospitals were hit by the Saudi-led warplanes.

A few months ago, two MSF-run hospitals in neighboring Saada province were hit by several airstrikes, as the Saudi-led military coalition admitted its mistakes.

On Saturday, another Saudi-led airstrike raided a children school in Haidan district in Saada province, killing at least 10 students and injuring 28 others, according to a MSF statement.

The Saudi-led warplanes fighting Shiite Houthi rebels launched airstrikes against military targets of Houthis and their ally forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh in several northern provinces on Monday, including the capital Sanaa, according to reports by Houthi-controlled Saba news agency.

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.
NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said on Monday that heavy investments in agriculture have helped transform the sector, making the East African nation food sufficient.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said the investment had also increased income along the value chain and has helped create jobs and enhanced value addition and agro-processing.

"Kenya is now food-secure and we are working to make the country self-sufficient in food," Bett said during the Agricultural Summit organized by State House in Nairobi.

He said the transformation of the agricultural sector through mechanization and technology had brought competition and efficiency, attracting young people into farming.

Bett pointed to the wider agenda, saying that for Africa to transform its agriculture, mechanization was a necessity.

He said the government is especially concentrating on mechanization and automation, explaining that reports indicate most Kenyans are still using outdated technology.

"There will be a plan on how technology transfer will be done so that we make it cool for young people," Bett said.

He also said the government has also started implementing interventions in the livestock production sector.

The government has also set up 18 new livestock marketing yards, a number of fodder banks as well as water pans and dams. He also said Livestock Marketing Board would be operationalized, to give required service to farmers.

He said a number of cooling facilities had been put up and before the end of this year, there would be 990 of them in the country.

The CS said since 2013 the Government had spent more than 256 million U.S. dollars on the fertilizer subsidy program which now reaches 1.5 million farmers every planting season.

He said the government wants to continue expanding the project until all farmers are covered. In the areas covered, Bett said, maize production had grown from about 35 million bags to 42 million bags annually, and the cost of production fallen by 40 percent, from 28 dollars to 18 dollars per bag.

Bett said the subsidized fertilizer program will soon be expanded to cover other crops such as sugar, coffee and tea.

Bett said the ministry has targeted production and elimination of illegal marine resource activities in the country's water bodies, noting that the ministry wants to have more diversified marine activities and deep sea fishing.

He pointed out that since 2013, aquaculture production doubled from 23,502 to 48,000 metric tonnes annually.

Bett pointed out that investing in agriculture is the most effective way to end hunger, improve nutrition and drive economic opportunities for African countries.

He said growth in the agricultural sector in sub-Saharan Africa is 11 times more effective at reducing poverty than growth in any other sector.
A team of Chinese ophthalmologists are conducting free cataract surgeries for Sudanese patients in Khartoum, Sudan on August 15, 2016. (Xinhua photo)

KHARTOUM, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese ophthalmologists have started to conduct free cataract surgeries for Sudanese patients in Khartoum as part of a medical cooperation program between the two countries.

Sudan's Federal Ministry of Health organized a ceremony at a local eye hospital on Monday to inaugurate the therapeutic Light Program.

"This therapeutic program indicates the level of the distinguished ties between Sudan and China and their cooperation in what brings benefit for the two peoples," said Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz, Sudanese official in charge of maintaining Sino-Sudanese relations, when addressing the ceremony.

"Sudan and China are tending to make their relationship comprehensive and strategic in all fields. We hope this practical application would push the bilateral ties to a strategic level with mutual benefits," he said.

According to Sudan's Federal Minister of Health Bahar Idriss Abu Garada, the Light Program aims to conduct 1,000 free eye surgeries at an average of 30 operations a day.

"We launch the Light Program which tends to conduct 1,000 eye surgeries by specialized Chinese ophthalmologists, using the most modern medical devices, as part of the National Program for Combating Blindness," the minister said.

In his address at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Khartoum Li Lianhe reiterated China's concern with enhancing ties with Sudan in all fields and reviewed the health cooperation between the two countries starting about 50 years ago.

"The Light Program represents one of the practical steps that the Chinese government adopts in line with the outcomes of Johannesburg summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. It incarnates the idea of the Chinese side towards cooperation with the African countries according to the principles of devotion, true results, convergence and honesty," Li said.

The visiting Chinese medical team includes 15 ophthalmologists, surgeons, surgery assistants and medical technicians.

Ahmed Al-Ma'moun Ahmed, a Sudanese patient who had a cataract surgery by the Chinese medical team, expressed his appreciation for the Chinese initiative, which has assisted Sudanese cataract patients to recover.

"I was suffering from cataract and could not undergo the surgery which costs 5,000 Sudanese pounds, so when I heard that there was a medical team arriving in Sudan to conduct free eye operation, I did not hesitate to travel to Khartoum," he told Xinhua.

Ahmed lives at Kiraima area in Sudan's Northern State, some 371 km north of the capital Khartoum.

"Now I feel much better. I will wait for two days and then they will remove the bandage. I'm optimistic to recover my sight. Thanks for these doctors who are so humane," said Ahmed after the surgery.

Sudan is planning to reduce its blindness rates to 0.3 percent by 2020.

In 2005, Sudan launched Vision 2020 initiative to eliminate blindness diseases, which focuses on preventing the spread of trachoma and cataract, the two major diseases responsible for blindness in Sudan.
China launches the world's first quantum satellite on top of a Long March-2D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, Aug. 16, 2016. The world's first quantum communication satellite, which China is preparing to launch, has been given the moniker "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese scientist, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced Monday. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

JIUQUAN, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched the world's first quantum satellite from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gobi Desert at 1:40 a.m. on Tuesday.

In a cloud of thick smoke, the satellite, Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS), roared into the dark sky on top of a Long March-2D rocket.

The 600-plus-kilogram satellite will circle the Earth once every 90 minutes after it enters a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometers.

It is nicknamed "Micius," after a fifth century B.C. Chinese philosopher and scientist who has been credited as the first one in human history conducting optical experiments.

In its two-year mission, QUESS is designed to establish "hack-proof" quantum communications by transmitting uncrackable keys from space to the ground, and provide insights into the strangest phenomenon in quantum physics -- quantum entanglement.

Quantum communication boasts ultra-high security as a quantum photon can neither be separated nor duplicated. It is hence impossible to wiretap, intercept or crack the information transmitted through it.

With the help of the new satellite, scientists will be able to test quantum key distribution between the satellite and ground stations, and conduct secure quantum communications between Beijing and Xinjiang's Urumqi.

QUESS, as planned, will also beam entangled photons to two earth stations, 1,200 kilometers apart, in a move to test quantum entanglement over a greater distance, as well as test quantum teleportation between a ground station in Ali, Tibet, and itself.

"The newly-launched satellite marks a transition in China's role -- from a follower in classic information technology (IT) development to one of the leaders guiding future IT achievements," said Pan Jianwei, chief scientist of QUESS project with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

The scientists now are expecting quantum communications to fundamentally change human development in the next two or three decades, as there are enormous prospects for applying the new generation of communication in fields like defense, military and finance.

SPOOKY & ENTANGLED

Quantum physics is the study of the basic building blocks of the world at a scale smaller than atoms. These tiny particles behave in a way that could overturn assumptions of how the world works.

One of the strange properties of quantum physics is that a tiny particle acts as if it's simultaneously in two locations -- a phenomenon known as "superposition." The noted interpretation is the thought experiment of Schrodinger's cat -- a scenario that presents a cat that may be simultaneously both alive and dead.

If that doesn't sound strange enough, quantum physics has another phenomenon which is so confounded that Albert Einstein described as "spooky action at a distance" in 1948.

Scientists found that when two entangled particles are separated, one particle can somehow affect the action of the far-off twin at a speed faster than light.

Scientists liken it to two pieces of paper that are distant from each other: if you write on one, the other immediately shows your writing.

In the quantum entanglement theory, this bizarre connection can happen even when the two particles are separated by the galaxy.

By harnessing quantum entanglement, the quantum key technology is used in quantum communications, ruling out the possibility of wiretapping and perfectly securing the communication.

A quantum key is formed by a string of random numbers generated between two communicating users to encode information. Once intercepted or measured, the quantum state of the key will change, and the information being intercepted will self-destruct.

According to Pan, scientists also plan to test quantum key distribution between QUESS and ground stations in Austria. Italy, Germany and Canada, as they have expressed willingness to cooperate with China in future development of quantum satellite constellations, said Pan.

LIFE CHANGING

With the development of quantum technology, quantum mechanics will change our lives in many ways. In addition to quantum communications, there are quantum computers that have also drawn attentions from scientists and governments worldwide.

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 quantum computer will take just 0.01 second to deal with a problem that costs Tianhe-2, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, 100 years to solve.

Many, however, is viewing this superpower as a threat: if large-scale quantum computers are ever built, they will be able to crack all existing information encryption systems, creating an enormous security headache one day.

Therefore, quantum communications will be needed to act like a "shield," protecting information from the "spear" of quantum computers, offering the new generation of cryptography that can be neither wiretapped nor decoded.

GOING GLOBAL?

With the launch of QUESS, Chinese scientists now are having their eyes on a ground-to-satellite quantum communication system, which will enable global scale quantum communications.

In past experiments, quantum communications could only be achieved in a short range, as quantum information, in principle, could travel no more than 500 kilometers through optical fibers on the land due to the loss of photons in transmission, Pan explained.

Since photons carrying information barely get scattered or absorbed when travelling through space and Earth's atmosphere, said Pan, transmitting photons between the satellite and ground stations will greatly broaden quantum communications'reach.

However, in quantum communications, an accurate transmission of photons between the "server" and the "receiver" is never easy to make, as the optic axis of the satellite must point precisely toward those of the telescopes in ground stations, said Zhu Zhencai, QUESS chief designer.

It requires an alignment system of the quantum satellite that is 10 times as accurate as that of an ordinary one and the detector on the ground can only catch one in every one million entangled photons fired, the scientist added.

What makes it much harder is that, at a speed of eight kilometers per second, the satellite flying over the earth could be continuously tracked by the ground station for merely a few minutes, scientists say.

"It will be like tossing a coin from a plane at 100,000 meters above the sea level exactly into the slot of a rotating piggy bank," said Wang Jianyu, QUESS project's chief commander.

Given the high sensitivity of QUESS, people could observe a match being lit on the moon from the Earth, Wang added.

After years of experimenting, Chinese scientists developed the world' s first-ever quantum satellite without any available reference to previous projects. Now they are waiting to see QUESS's performance in operation.

According to Pan, his team has planned to initiate new projects involving research on quantum control and light transmission in space station, as well as tests on quantum communications between satellites, all-time quantum communications and the application of quantum key network.

"If China is going to send more quantum communication satellites into orbit, we can expect a global network of quantum communications to be set up around 2030," said Pan.
According to a report by the Egyptian statistics authority, the number of tourists coming to the country declined in May by 51.7 percent, comparing to the same month last year. (Xinhua photo)

by Xinhua Writer Wang Xue, Mahmoud Fouly

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Warm sunshine, peaceful beaches, colorful reefs and a cup of iced drink are always essentials for a heaven-like vocation, and also compose the reason why Sharm el-Sheikh is famous around the world.

However, as Egypt's most famous tourism city, Sharm el-Sheikh is still suffering from the sluggish income growth in the tourism sector, with hope on the coming season and a new market, China.

"We have gone through a very tough period because of the terrorism," Egyptian Tourism Minister Yehia Rashed told Xinhua in an exclusive interview recently, adding that the declining dollar income in tourism is the main reason of the current economic woes in his country.

Egypt has been suffering from the weak economy, especially in tourism, the second largest U.S. dollar income sector, over the past few years due to political turmoil.

The situation further deteriorated due to the Russian plane crash in Sinai that killed over 200 in October last year and a tragic fall of an EgyptAir flight in May that killed all 66 people on board.

"Egypt is where the history started, and tourism is a very cultural embedded industry. We have one-third of the antiquities of the world and the largest beaches on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, which I believe is very attractive for the Chinese tourists," Rashed explained Egypt's interests in Chinese market.

"With the testimony of all people, including the Chinese living in Egypt, it is evident that Egypt is safe and a good choice for everyone for holidays," he added.

According to a report by the Egyptian statistics authority, the number of tourists coming to the country declined in May by 51.7 percent, comparing to the same month last year, with the main reason of the flight bans carried out by Russia, Britain and some other Western states after the plane accident last year.

At the same time, the number of Chinese visitors to Egypt increased from 65,000 to 135,000 in 2015, while the tourism ministry targets to multiply the number in 2016, given the growing bilateral relations the two countries.

"The good news is we have witnessed a slow growth in tourists recently, especially during the vocational month in the Arab countries," Khaled Fouda, South Sinai Governor of Egypt, said in an interview on Sunday.

"Besides the traditional origins of tourists, now we have turned our eyes on China, a country with a large population and ancient culture, similar to Egypt," the governor said, adding that Sharm el-Sheikh is highly and technologically-based re-secured, ready to welcome people around the world.

He also told Xinhua that Chinese people still don't know enough about Egypt. "It means that we have broad prospects in Chinese market," Fouda added.

Along the coastal strip of Sharm el-Shaeikh lays hundreds of hotels, resorts, travel agencies and night clubs. Some of them have been shut down, only leaving the dedicate buildings beside the sea, while others are trying to attract the shrinked number of tourists with lower price.

"Sharm el-Sheikh has become a habit for my family, every summer we come here with friends," George Turk, a middle-aged Jordanian told Xinhua. His wife and daughters were playing in a swimming pool within a hotel.

He said that years ago, Sharm el-Sheikh was always full of people from Britain and Russia. Now he noticed the increasing number of Chinese tourists.

A Chinese student named Li Ruiqing told Xinhua, echoing the governor's words, that "for most Chinese people, Egypt is still a distant country with mysterious culture. They like beaches and old temples, but they don't know well about Egypt."

For Semih Elbaba, the manager of a famous hotel named Rixos Seagate Sharm, his business idea is a little different from others.

"Differing from the other owners who have shut down their hotels or promoted cheaper packages while firing some staff, we choose to maintain our price and develop more projects," Elbaba told Xinhua.

As an experienced practitioner in the field of hotel management, Elbaba said Sharm el-Sheikh is reviving slowly, and his hotel will work on some promotion campaigns in China.

"We don't worry about the income in a short term, we cast our hope in the future," he said.
Residents inspect their damaged homes after an airstrike on the rebel-held Old Aleppo, Syria August 15, 2016. (REUTERS/Abdalrhman Ismail)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations remained deeply concerned over the plight of up to 2 million people in need of assistance across Aleppo city and for those in the surrounding countryside in Syria, a UN spokesman said here Monday.

The humanitarian situation in Aleppo was dire, including in the east of the city where between 250,000 to 275,000 people remain trapped following the July closure of the Castello Road, the last remaining access route in and out of the area, Farhan Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, said at a daily news briefing here.

The situation was also bad in government controlled areas in the west, where between 1.2 million and 1.5 million people live, as well as in the surrounding suburbs and neighboring countryside which have continued to suffer from attacks, Haq said.

"Hostilities persisted over the weekend, including airstrikes and barrel bomb attacks on three medical facilities in Aleppo governorate," he said.

The airstrikes reportedly struck a paediatric hospital in Big Orem, and Al-Huda hospital in Hor on Aug. 13-14, he said.

"In eastern Aleppo city, several rockets reportedly struck the area in the vicinity of Al-Quds hospital in Al-Sukari neighbourhood on Aug. 14."

In the absence of a ceasefire, the UN continues to call for a weekly 48-hour humanitarian pause in the fighting to provide assistance to those cut off from aid across the city to receive food, water, and other life-saving assistance, he added.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was concerned about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation across Aleppo.

The UN and its partners had been providing assistance including regular food supplies from across the border in Turkey to some 144,000 people, as well as assistance to thousands of others, up until July 7, when the last available route into eastern Aleppo, the Castello Road, was cut by fighting.

Aleppo has seen intensified battles and violence recently with the Syrian government troops tightening the noose on the rebel-held areas in the eastern part, while the rebels unleashed several offensives to break government siege on rebel-held areas.
A supporter hold up an anti-Trump sign before being removed from a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S., August 13, 2016. (REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin)

by Matthew Rusling

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- While his bombastic rhetoric helped him win the Republican primaries, analysts said time is running out for U.S. Republican nominee Donald Trump to start acting more "presidential" in order to win the presidential race.

There have been too many occasions in the past months in which when people just thought that Trump turned a corner and started toning down his bombast, the brash billionaire would quickly again begin making comments perceived as incendiary to many outside his base.

Recent weeks have seen many ups and downs for the candidate. His recent speech on the U.S. economy last week saw a more mature, statesman-like Trump, but days later he was back to his old self, calling rival Hillary Clinton "the devil" and dubbing U.S. President Barack Obama "the founder" of terror group Islamic State (IS).

While such statements play well with his base, the brash billionaire needs to start reaching out to others, many of whom don't like to hear such comments, analysts pointed out.

While the bombastic real estate tycoon was just a hair ahead in the polls a few weeks back, he is now dragging several points behind Clinton, and will have to start showing a more temperate side of himself to catch up.

But the clock is ticking toward the election in November, and while there's still time to turn things around, the window is slowly beginning to shut.

Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, told Xinhua that it's not too late for the polls to change.

"That said, the data is pretty devastating and the trajectory is moving the wrong way for him," Zelizer said.

Dan Mahaffee, an analyst with the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, told Xinhua that at this point Trump would have to stop being Trump and "demonstrate some level of statesmanship."

"The telepromptered speech in Detroit was supposed to be the beginning of that process - a reset," he said, referring to Trump's speech on the U.S. economy early last week, in which he refrained from making any rash comments and showed a more presidential side of himself.

But the comments that Trump made later in speeches at the subsequent campaign rallies completely negated that. Trump indirectly called on gun advocates to stop Clinton, and even dubbed President Obama and Clinton as co-founders of IS.

Indeed, Trump's original appeal was that he'd "tell it like it is" to the political elite, and that carried enough of a populist electorate through the Republican Party primaries.

"That core group of supporters will stay with him and continue to see him standing up to the status quo. However, for much of the electorate, Trump's 'telling it like it is' is seen as a dangerous, temperamental, thin-skinned, and combative personality that is unfit for the White House," Mahaffee said.

Every time it appears that Trump is going to try to get out of this course and change the aforementioned perception, he follows it up with statements that completely negate any potential momentum upward, Mahaffee noted.

There is still plenty of time left in the campaign, but one cannot help but wonder if Trump can really change his course to try to build a majority to win the presidency, he said.
BRUSSELS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- A shooting took place in Belgian city of Ghent Monday evening between police and an unidentified man, who is now being neutralized, according to local media reports.

The gunman is shot by police after opening fire in the city center of Ghent at around 18:00. Seriously injured, the gunman has been taken to the hospital, according to Belgian newspaper HLN.

It is still not clear of the gunman's motive. Investigation is still on the way, according to the prosecutor.

Belgium has been on high security alert since the country has been rocked by serial bombings in March which killed 32 people.
A supporter hold up an anti-Trump sign before being removed from a campaign event for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump in Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S., August 13, 2016. (REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Despite U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's strategy of patching together a bipartisan coalition by appealing to the millions of young supporters of former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, a new poll found that his populist play had so far failed among millennials.

The latest USA Today/ Rock the Vote poll released on Sunday found that while 56 percent of voters under 35 say they would vote for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, one in five in this age group support Trump.

In addition, Clinton trounced Trump among Sanders' supporters, with 72 percent supporting the former secretary of state and 11 percent backing Trump.

The number of the Millennial generation, now 18-34, was estimated to be 75.4 million, according to U.S. Census Bureau data released in April.

While young voters tended to vote for Democrats in recent election cycles, the latest poll by USA Today and Rock the Vote showed that young adults may reject the Republican nominee at an unprecedented rate during this election cycle.

According to the poll, Trump's support among young voters was even lower than the estimated 32 percent of support Richard Nixon received among 18-to-29-year old voters in 1972 amid widespread protest against the Vietnam War among young population.

Meanwhile, the poll offered the latest evidence for verifying the widely perceived allegation that a majority of supporters of both nominees may base their allegiance not on approval of their nominee but rejection of the other.

According to the poll, 54 percent of Trump supporters and 51 percent of Clinton supporters say one of the main reasons they back the nominee is to keep the other out of the White House.
MONTEVIDEO, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Uruguay's Foreign Minister Rodolfo Nin Novoa said Monday that he was opposed to the proposal that the presidency of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) should be held collectively, as a number of countries are opposed to Venezuela taking over the role.

The proposal has been touted by Paraguay and Brazil for several weeks, particularly Brazil's Foreign Minister Jose Serra.

"There is no plan to accept this (joint presidency) and Venezuela will also not accept it," Nin Novoa told the El Pais daily.

He added that Aug. 13 was the deadline for Venezuela to be sworn into its duties and for it to comply with a number of Mercosur's legal norms, including the bloc's human rights standards and tariff regulations.

While Caracas has not met these norms, Nin Novoa warned "there are no sanctions contemplated for those who do not meet these norms. Nobody had predicted this."

"The situation is complex. We want Mercosur to work, we do not want paralysis," he said.

On Aug. 23, a Mercosur summit will be held in Montevideo to debate the collective presidency idea as well as Venezuela's failure to abide by the norms.

Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay do not accept that Venezuela can assume the presidency until the end of 2016, while Uruguay does.

On July 30, Venezuela said that it had assumed the presidency of Mercosur, although Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil rejected it. Uruguay said it was in favor of maintaining the current order.
Herdsmen transfer their sheep to autumn pastures in Jigin County in Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 14, 2016. As the summer comes to its end in Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, millions of herds will be moved into autumn pastures. (Xinhua/Wu Mingxian)
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Security guard shot dead

The 40-year-old security officer was shot dead minutes after leaving his Lyon Drive, Orange Field Road home yesterday morning.

Joseph who worked at Guardsman Security Services died on the spot after being shot multiple times. The incident took place in close proximity to a church not too far from Josephs home.

According to police reports, at about 5 am, Joseph was walking along the Orange Field Road when a white vehicle pulled up along side him.

Reports are that three men alighted from the vehicle and began shooting. When the security officer slumped to the ground, the gunmen drove off.

Yesterday, when Newsday visited Lyon Drive, frustrated residents said they have been living in fear for the past three years as threats have been made on their lives.

It was only a matter of time before someone ended up dead.

These people are even shooting at women who are walking with children.

These men are shooting at people in their cars. They dont care and now my husband is now dead, cried Josephs wife Neisha Richards.

The emotional woman claimed that for years residents have complained to police officers of the Freeport Police Station of the problems they face on a daily basis, but the she said their complains have continuously fallen on deaf ears.

If you go in the police station, you will see how many reports there are from residents of Lyons Drive, but no one takes us seriously and now a father was taken away from his three children, she cried.

The ongoing war started three years ago following an altercation between two residents after a Jouvert celebrations. Since that it has been war here, you are afraid to walk the streets because residents from that other street are looking at you. We feel just like how the residents of Enterprise area are feeling but noone cares about us here, she explained.

Minutes before her husband was gunned down Richards said that she was walking along side him towards the main road but was forced to return home when she heard the cries of their youngest daughter, two-year-old Amani.

When Amani started to cry, I rushed back home and in that short space of time my husband was killed.

I dont know if Amani heard the gunshot but when I reached home she told me Mummy they shoot daddy. I hugged her tight saying please doh say that baby, the tearful mother said.

These people have no respect for anyone and maybe the police are waiting for more bodies to drop before they do something.

This what is going on has to stop, I want justice for my husbands death, Richards cried. Joseph was described as a hard working father. An autopsy is expected to be performed today. Homicide Bureau region III are continuing investigations.
Charred remains near river

According to reports, at about 2.30 pm, Chunilal Mahabir, 25, went to a river bank at Bernard Street Extension in Felicity, to catch fish with his common-law wife and mother-in-law. After trying for a while and not catching anything, Mahabir decided to go further north along the bank to see if the fish were biting there.

It was then that he saw smoke and then the human remains. A report was immediately made to police. Speaking with Newsday yesterday, Mahabir said as he was walking along the bank, he noticed smoke and thought someone had burnt garbage along the river bank. As he investigated further, he saw the charred body.

A party of officers led by Ag Supt Paul as well as Inspector Douglas along with officers of Homicide Region III, Chaguanas CID and the Central Division Task Force visited the scene.

Crime Scene Investigators who examined the area, determined that the body was burnt using wood and car tyres. The right side of the body was burnt down to ashes.

The unidentified body was ordered removed to the Forensic Science Centre in St James by the District Medical Officer. Mahabir told Newsday that it was customary for himself and his family to go to the river off Bernard Street to catch fish and crabs, but since he discovered the body, he is now scared to return to the river.

It is almost every other weekend we go to the river to catch fish and crab, Mahabir said. But now I am not so sure we should go back.

Suppose I and my family was there when the burning now started? It is a kind of scary area too, because it is in the mangrove area. I am thinking anything could happen in there, not just to me, but to my family. Police sources last night called on members of the public especially those who have a loved one missing, to assist them in identifying the corpse. Homicide Region III detectives are continuing investigations
Play the Devil to open ttff

Making its Trinidad and Tobago premiere, the film which debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June to rave reviews, will also be screened at MovieTowne Port-of- Spain, as part of the festivals programme of films from September 21 to 27.

Locally produced, Play the Devil tells a universal story of self-denial and dysfunctional power dynamics within individuals, families and the wider society. Feeling the pressure to achieve what no one else in his family has managed to do  excel at high school, win a scholarship to study abroad, become a doctor, rise beyond his humble beginnings and most importantly, make his grandmother proud theres pressure building beneath 18-year-old Gregorys gentle exterior. When he befriends the sophisticated businessman, James (played by local newcomer, Gareth Jenkins), it seems that someone finally understands him and his secret desire to become a photographer.

Though supportive of his artistic passion, James begins to push Gregorys (Petrice Jones ) boundaries, fuelling a powder keg of emotions. Its a cat-and-mouse entanglement that will reach its crescendo on Carnival Monday, amidst the frenzied dance macabre of Paramins famed blue devil celebrations.

Play the Devil, produced by TTs Abigail Hadeed and directed by Bahamian native, Maria Govan, showcases sterling performances by the UK-based actor, Jones (Gregory) and local veterans Penelope Spencer (his grandmother) and Che Rodriguez (his father), with breathtaking shots of Paramin as its dramatic backdrop, said a media release.

Govan, a self-taught film-maker worked on sets in Hollywood, before returning home to work on documentaries. In 2004 she moved to New York and began writing her first narrative film, Rain, which premiered at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, screened at ttff/09 and won numerous awards internationally.

An additional screening of Play the Devil will be held at MovieTowne, Invaders Bay, Port-of- Spain on September 25 at 6 pm, with the film-makers present for a Q&A session.

The trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff) celebrates films from and about the Caribbean and its diaspora, as well as from world cinema, through an annual festival and year-round screenings. In addition, the ttff seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The ttff is presented by Flow, given leading sponsorship by the Trinidad and Tobago Film Company (FilmTT), and supporting sponsorship by RBC and The National Gas Company, the Embassy of the United States of America and the Tourism Development Company (TDC).
Faith and freedom

Author: Dr Jerome Teelucksingh

THE LOST GOSPEL: Christianity and Blacks in North America unveils a chapter in black history that struggles for meaning. History, we know, is never dormant.Therein are lessons, counsel and guidance. In this stirring historiography, Dr Jerome Teelucksingh details the role of faith and liberation in the lives of blacks in Canada.

The anecdotes are riveting and the data is punctilious. Slavery in Canada wasnt marked by the brutality and dehumanisation witnessed in other parts of North America, the Caribbean, and South America. Not that slave owners were magnanimous.

Conditions and needs were just different. Few in number, [slaves] were expensive and intimately connected to the household as domestics. Yet, the inexorable call for freedom was never silenced. Of this struggle, Teelucksingh writes, There were also unpleasant instances as in Montreal in 1734, [when] an enslaved girl, Marie Joseph Angelique, burned the home of her mistress while attempting to escape. The fire spread and damaged almost half of Montreal. She was found guilty and hanged in downtown Montreal. The lot of Canadas freemen and fugitives was inextricably bound to slave conditions across the border.

Teelucksingh effortlessly traverses these boundaries showcasing the desperation for freedom in the US and the relative sanctuary that Canada offered.

It is at this juncture that we get a cursory but incisive look at the legendary Underground Railroad that defined the revolutionary sacrifice made by Harriet Tubman, dubbed Moses by her people.

We learn that railroad terms were successfully used to deceive and confuse the slave masters and the public, and the conductors of the Railroad would have false compartments in carriages and wagons for escaping blacks. Teelucksingh elaborates: Cellars, farmhouses, secret passages, attics and churches were the stations where abolitionists temporarily hid their passengers, and terminals for the fugitives included Niagara, Owe, Sound, Dresden, Dawn, and other towns.

Remarkably, from 1815 to 1860, an estimated 80,000 enslaved persons escaped using the Underground Railroad with more than half fleeing to Canada. And while slaves plotted their freedom, the morality of slavery was debated among clergy and social activists in the United States, pitting the likes of John Wesley against the philosophy of George Armstrong, whose treatise, The Christian Doctrine of Slavery, argued that slaverys essential form did not constitute a sin or moral wrong doing. The old canard that slavery was biblically justifiable was challenged by a parallel movement within the Protestant body.

For sure, there wasnt a monolithic approach to slavery. Arguably, this inhumanity ignited a cold war within the religious movement.

Although the sins of slavery weighed heavily on the conscience of many, few were willing to abrogate the economic stature that the cotton industry afforded.

In Canada fugitives availed themselves of an environment that, while not openly welcoming, posed little in the way of an existential threat. Blacks thrived in communities established by theologians and progressive leaders.

Faith served as the moral compass of a once shackled people. Benevolent societies assisted the needy.

Religious leaders encouraged secular education and desegregated schools. Preachers, many influenced by their unique spiritual journey in America, gained influence in Canada, even shepherding a handful of whites. The Buxton Mission proved exemplary with Rev William King at the helm. He advanced the philosophy that the bible would be read everyday as a textbook, and the school would be conducted on religious principles. Notably, black worship wasnt supervised by whites nor villified as a mongrelised, cultic form of Christianity. Rather, its tenor and spirit were encouraged and viewed as an organic expression of faith, and a liberating phenomenon.

Teelucksingh elaborates: [A] cadre of zealous, upright and open-minded leaders promoted assimilation in society and simultaneously emphasised the value of education among their folk.

Education empowered the black leaders to comprehend the bible and be effective leaders in mission schools. Faith and education spurred self-reliance, as evident in the acquisition of land and a reluctance to rely on white paternalism.

Still, Canada wasnt idyllic.

Discrimination persisted even in death as evident in segregated pews and burial grounds. We learn that whites derogatorily referred to the separate pews as nigger heaven, and there were also special galleries for blacks. This led to the emergence of pronouncedly black churches and a desire by some to emigrate. Many blacks returned to the United States at the end of the Civil War, and more interestingly, in January 1792, 1,192 blacks departed Halifax Harbour for Sierra Leone. Undoubtedly, The Lost Gospel will advance the discourse on the role of Christianity in the lives of an enslaved people. Pan Africanism has long rejected the magnanimous side of western religions and has encouraged the dismantling of its doctrines and practices in Afro-Caribbean religious expressions.

It has also assailed assimilation and has warned against racial suicide or miscegenation.

The introduction of Garveyism in schools throughout Jamaica, and the new thrust toward Africa by many in the diaspora have ratcheted up the debate. A line has been drawn in the sand.

Notwithstanding, the sharp philosophical divide, the instrumental role of abolitionists in the manumission of slaves cannot be ignored neither should the educational directives of mission schools that ably integrated blacks in their adopted homes. Although dealt a bad hand by Providence, blacks somehow surmounted the most egregious challenges. With unswerving faith they garnered strength to open another chapter in a bristling historical journey that has only just begun.

Feedback: glenvilleashby@gmail.com of follow him on Twitter@ glenvilleashby

The Lost Gospel: Christianity and Blacks in North America by Jerome Teelucksingh Publishers: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, UK

ISBN: 13: 978-1-4438-1635-9 Available at Amazon

Rating: Highly recommended
TATT told not to approve mobile license

Secretary general of the CWU Joseph Remy said if Government was to relinquish any part of their major holding in the Telcommunications Services of TT (TSTT), they would effectively privatise the company.

Cable and Wireless (C&W) holds the other 49 percent. Government has 51 percent shareholding in TSTT, and that was invested in a holding company, National Enterprise Limited (NEL), which also has the 51 percent shareholding that the Government has in National Flour Mills, TrinGen, CNG and other companies, Remy explained.

NEL, which was solely owned by the Government, had invited investors - ordinary citizens - to buy its shares.

The CWU has written to both Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and chairman of TATT Gilbert Peterson SC, on the matter. The letters were delivered last week.

The State owns 51 percent of the enterprise.

We are asking the Government to let us know what is their intention with respect to that 51 percent shareholding.

That is the major concern we are having at this time because C&W must sell their 49 percent shareholding.

Who they sell it to we have no control over that, that is in the hands of NEL and TSTT.

Our information is that all those buyers who want to 49 percent shareholding have made approaches to Government to get an additional two percent so that it would now be in private hands, which is what we are against. We need to know that the Government is holding on to the committment made by the last government (Peoples Partnership), which stated that it would not divest of its 51 percent shareholding of TSTT, Remy said.

He added that this would ensure that citizens owned an integral part of the telecommunications sector, and allow TSTT to evolve into an indigenous, local and regional telecomunication body. He said because C&W held 49 percent, but because they had applied to acquire Columbus Communications, who was a competitor to TSTT, they had to relinquish their holdings because it was a conflict of interest.

TATT had decided that C&W could gain control of Columbus, but would have to relinquish their shareholding because they could not be with the both competitors.

That transaction to get rid of the 49 percent shareholding has not been done. They were given 18 months in which to so since March 2015. We are 15 months into that arrangement and we have not heard anything from anybody.

We do not know the value of the C&W shares, we dont know who has made bids for the shareholding, or the process that is going to be utilised to dispose of the 49 percent shareholding, Remy said.

He said that no information has been forwarded to the CWU with them being the main stakeholders for the employees at TSTT.

Remy said he believed that TATT played a very critical role as they were the ones who granted permission.
Reforestation workers beg for outstanding wages

She said workers under the reforestation project have not received their wages since June and other reforestation workers in the country face similar salary issues.

Estimating that close to 30 workers are responsible for approximately 300 acres of land, Jaramoji highlighted that workers at times often go above and beyond their designated duties such as fighting forest fires during the dry season.

In a passionate plea to the relevant agencies, Jaramoji asked that the workers be respected for their work in the environment.

Taramoji said a telephone conversation on August 9 with Dominic Pierre Louis, the Acting Coordinator of the National Reforestation Program, did not provide much assurance as Louis only informed workers that he has to wait for the Ministry of Finance to release funds and there was no solid timeline for the process.

Asked whether there has been official correspondence from any of the relevant state authorities, Jaramoji said the workers have not heard from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries which are the line ministries in the issue of the outstanding salaries.

Fondes Amandes workers last week staged a placard demonstation as they publicly vented their frustration at not being paid.

With four children of school age to support, Andrew Malchan, a rehabilitation assistant at the Fondes Amandes project noted that he cannot do anything for his family without proper pay.

Matsimella Tacuma Jaramogi, another worker at the project lamented that from his recollection, over the past ten years throughout the projects growth, salary payments have been a problem which shows, a lack of respect for the work being done. Cecile Joseph, another worker at the project reminded the public of how important her job is saying, If there is no environment, there is no world. Efforts to reach an official at the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries for a comment proved futile.
Pinto residents living in fear

The residents, many of whom are approaching retirement age, say they are under siege by criminals.

A long-time Santa Rosa resident who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she along with other residents no longer feel safe and are calling on officers of the Pinto Road police post to get serious about tackling robberies.

She said that the recent robbery and assault of a Chinese businessman was the beginning of an upsurge in criminal activities.

The Pinto Road police post is literally a stones throw away from the Chinese mini mart that was robbed on Wednesday last.

The man who owns that mini mart was robbed and beaten, I think hes still in Hospital and on Thursday another Chinese business was robbed.

Just on my street last night (Friday) they stole some rims from a vehicle parked a few corners away from my home.

There are a few young guys that keep riding their bicycles through the neighbourhood, scouting around looking for potential targets.

This is all very worrying, the resident said.

In addition to the recent upsurge of robberies, residents say Pinto Road is gaining a reputation of being a crime hotspot, as several killings have taken place in the area and several motorists have gotten into the habit of racing along the road in the early hours of the morning.

Despite having a permanent police post in the area, residents say that police officers have yet to seriously address the escalating crime leading to fear in the community with many choosing to lock themselves into their house both during the day and especially at night.
Lee: Kamla is fine

Persad-Bissessar was supposed to give a tribute to Daaga, 80, who died last week Monday at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.

Lee told Newsday that during the UNCs screening exercise last week, the former prime minister complained of a lot of discomfort.

As a result of this, Lee said Persad-Bissessar had emergency dental surgery done last Friday.

He said Persad-Bissessar needed a couple of days rest and should be able to resume her duties this week.

Lee said the UNC resumes its screening for local government candidates at its new party headquarters in Couva. He was hopeful Persad-Bissessar should be fit enough to chair the screening committee. However Lee said if Persad-Bissessar is unable to chair the committee, then screening could be deferred by a day if necessary.

Lee explained that unlike the ruling Peoples National Movement (PNM), the UNC does not have provisions in its constitution which automatically allow other top party officials to chair the screening committee if the political leader is unavailable for any reason. He explained the screening exercise involves the political leader, chairman, the three deputy leaders, other party officials and the regional coordinator for the relevant area.

During her tenure as prime minister over the last five years, Persad-Bissessar has had some health concerns.

In 2012, she was hospitalised at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Bridgetown, Barbados, where she was attending a Caricom meeting and a Caricom-Mexico summit.

No briefing or official statement announcing her return to Trinidad or the details of her illness were given at that time.

On October 1, 2011, that Persad- Bissessar was admitted to St Clair Medical Centre after a bout of illness. Upon her discharge she had admitted to suffering from diabetes and hypertension, claiming everything else was fine
PNM begins screening this week

Contacted yesterday, PNM general secretary Ashton Ford indicated that so far nothing has changed to suggest that Rowley will not be able to chair Wednesdays screening exercise.

As political leader, Rowley is the chairman of the PNMs screening committee.

Rowley, who left the country on August 4 to take a vacation in California and have some medical examinations done at a clinic there, is due to return home today.

Ford indicated that between today and tomorrow, he will be speaking with PNM chairman Franklin Khan and Rowley regarding the screening exercise scheduled.

He explained that under the PNMs revised constitution, the screening committee can continue to sit, even if the political leader is absent. Under Rowley, the partys constitution was amended to remove the political leaders veto as the chair of the screening committee.

Ford said if the political leader cannot chair the committee, that role is handled by the party chairman.

Wednesdays screening will involve persons seeking to become candidates for the Arima Borough and Diego Martin Regional Corporations, which are both controlled by the PNM. On Thursday, nominees for the San Fernando City and Point Fortin Borough Corporations will be screened at the PNMs South Regional Office on Navet Road, San Fernando.

On Friday, persons will be screened as candidates for the Tunapuna/Piarco and San Juan/ Laventille Regional Corporations at Baliser House.

Screening continued on August 22, for persons for the Chaguanas Borough and Sangre Grander Regional Corporations at Balisier House.

On August 24, nominees for the Princes Town, Mayaro/Rio Clari and Siparia Regional Corporations will be screened at the PNMs South Regional Office.

Nominees for the Port-of- Spain City Corporation will be screened at Balisier House on August 25. The PNM is scheduled to conclude its screening on August 26, with nominees for the Penal/Debe and Couva/ Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation at the South Regional Office. All screening starts at 5 pm. Rowley and Khan, who is also Rural Development and Local Government Minister, have said this years local government elections will be held when they are constitutionally due.

Khan is due to bring local government reform legislation to Parliament shortly after it resumes next month.

In the 2013 Local Government Elections, the PNM won eight of the 14 local government corporations in Trinidad while the United National Congress (UNC) won the other six.
ATGWTU calls on absent PM

ATGWTU members marched last Friday from the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) to the Office of the Prime Minister in St Clair, to deliver a letter outlining their concerns.

Union head Nirvan Maharaj said they are taking a stand and demanding their rights which are legally due to them.

He said they were going to peacefully march to the PMs office requesting the his (PM) personal intervention to deal with the matter.

We would like the Prime Ministers personal intervention in the issues that have been affecting.

We would like him to intervene to ensure that the 5,000 Ex-Caroni workers get what is due to them and who are still waiting 13 years for their VSE P package.

We are hoping that this issue is dealt with before the end of this year. Maharaj also said he would like to inform the PM that it is a breach of citizens constitutional rights when they cannot live in a country in peace, safety and security.

Something needs to be done to ensure that the crime situation is arrested because people throughout the length and breath of Trinidad and Tobago people are suffering and living in fear.

We are simply asking the Prime Minister to ensure that the constitution and people rights are given to them, Maharaj explained.

As the medium group assembled in front of the PMs office in the rain, Maharaj said they are hoping that all issues would be settled before the end of this year.

He said the United National Congress has failed to deliver to the ex- Caroni workers what was due to them, and called on Rowley to live up to his electoral promises, and deliver to the workers what was due to them.

We are hoping within a matter of a week or so we have a response from th Prime Minister and then we can take it from there, he said.

However, Maharaj said they are also discussing the matter with their attorneys at law who dealt with the matter in 2007.

You cannot have a situation in this country where there is a mandatory Court order from the High Court and Governance, and subsequence governance continues to breach that order. So you have basically a violation of the constitution rights of the people of this country under the rule of law, he said Several of the issues, Maharaj outlined in the letter to Rowley include outstanding lands and leases owed to the Ex-Caroni Workers, outstanding money owed to Cane Framers, issues at the Mora Valley Farm, back pay owed to the visually impaired workers at the Blind Welfare Association, Sweetener Loan interest repayment, increasing retrenchment of workers, the rising crime situation and the need for a proper diversification programme for the economy
What you need to know about the Octagon Art Festival on Sunday in Ames

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The UN-backed Libyan Prime Minister Faiez Serraj is losing support in the country as a result of mounting social and economic challenges which need urgent solutions, said Head of UN Support Mission in Libya, Martin Kobler.

The German diplomat told Swiss media Neue Zurcher Zeitung that despite the unity governments key and ongoing victories over the Islamic State group in Sirte, support for nominal Prime Minister Faiez Serraj backed by the international community is declining back home due to continuing power cuts and the collapsing dinar.

Serraj and his Government of National Accord enjoyed overwhelming support upon arriving in Tripoli in March but the support is crumbling, Kobler noted in the interview published on Friday.

Now the GNA has lost support. In April, Tripoli had electricity for 20 hours a day. Now it is 12 hours. In April, people were paying LD 3.5 for a US dollar. Today it is LD 5. This is disastrous in an import-oriented economy. The support is crumbling. Kobler said.

Faiez Serraj appointed under the Libyan Political Accord (LPA) reached in December has been rejected by the eastern-based rival government supported by the internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HoR).

The HoR has repeatedly postponed recognition vote for Serraj and his GNA and rejects the LPA article which confers supremacy over the army to the Presidency Council.

The LPA implementation also stumbles over the role of HoR-backed army General Khalifa Hafter in the future Libyan army. The HoR wants Hafter as Libyas future army General but other regions, namely the Southern and Western regions, reject the proposal.

Hafter has also refused to recognise the GNA which he deems a tool for western countries to control Libya.

I have tried repeatedly to speak to Hafter, said Kobler. We are the United Nations. We speak to everyone, even if they dont like the Political Agreement.

But I need to see Hafter to know what he wants. I hope such a meeting is going to be fixed.
Canadian aviation industry giant, Bombarider is planning the relocation of parts of its production from its factories in Northern Ireland to Morocco and Mexico in a bid to cut costs.

Bombardier, which employs around 5,000 staff in Belfast, confirmed the transfer of certain activities it said it was unable to undertake competitively in Northern Ireland, the Belfast Telegraph reported.

Moving some production capacities to Morocco and Mexico is dictated by the need to balance costs and optimize manufacturing footprint, the Irish paper said, quoting Bombardier statement as saying It is absolutely critical that we continue to transfer work packages in which we are no longer competitive so we can safeguard the long-term future of our Northern Ireland operations.

Bombardier in east Belfast, along with other sites, produces a range of aircraft parts including the wings and fuselage of the flagship CSeries passenger jet.

In January 2013 Bombardier began operating out of a transitional facility located at the Mohammed V International Airport in Nouaceur in the Greater Casablanca region, where the company is currently producing simple structures including flight controls for the CRJ Series aircraft, and will employ over 100 workers by the end of December 2013.

Besides Bombardier, there are 100 European and American aviation industry companies operating in the country, including Latsima, Alcoa and Stelia, a subsidiary of Airbus.

Moroccos aim is to create 23,000 jobs in the aeronautic sector by 2020, increase exports to $1.6 billion per year and boost to 35% the proportion of locally-produced components.
Italys defense ministry and defense industry giant Leonardo-Finmeccanica signed this week an agreement to set up a military helicopters manufacturing plant near Setif in eastern Algeria.

The factory will produce multipurpose light and medium Augusta West Helicopters that are used for transport, evacuation operations and surveillance, the Italian defense ministry said in a statement.

The statement, which did not specify when the factory will be operational, added that the factory will be established as a joint venture.

The news confirms the statements made by Algerian Prime Minister in July when he told the Algerian official news agency about an upcoming setting up of a helicopter company in partnership with a foreign partner which he did not name.

Under Algerian investment law, 51% of shares will be owned by the Algerian government while the remaining 49% will go to the Italian partner.
After a sharp drop in tourist arrivals last June which coincided with the holy month of Ramadan, the tourism sector in Agadir is showing signs of recovery thanks to significant rise in national, Russian and Algerian tourists.

Much to the delight of tourism professionals, most hotels in Moroccos second tourist destination were fully booked in August to an extent that some tourists are spending the night in the beach or in their cars, Telquel magazine reported.

The 29,000 beds in the citys hotels were not enough to accommodate the rising numbers of tourists in August, the magazine quoted an official from the regional tourism council as saying.

In the first half of 2016, tourist nights fell along with the number of tourist arrivals which dropped by 3% to stand at 473,000. This slowdown in tourist activity is ascribed to a 20% decrease in arrivals from traditional western European markets: France, the UK, Germany and Belgium, the same source added.

To make up for the decrease in foreign tourists, Agadir tourism authorities are gearing efforts towards attracting more national tourists whose numbers rose by 58% in July compared to the same period last year.

The city has also witnessed a significant increase of arrivals from Russia with 5200 Russians visiting Agadir in July 2016 compared to 1000 in July 2015.

To diversify tourism markets, authorities in Agadir are planning to attract more Algerian tourists through establishing a direct air link between the Atlantic Moroccan city and Algiers, Telquel reported.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reached an initial agreement to lend $12 billion to Egypt to bolster an economy battered by years of unrest, a move that was denounced by some activists who see the loan terms will further cripple the Egyptian economy.

A letter by a number of political groups and figures was sent to Egypts President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi Sunday rejecting the IMF loan and expressing concern over the entailed severe financial and economic measures, the Ahram Online reported.

The letter was signed by five parties, including Al-Karama Party and the Popular Current, four non-governmental organizations, among them Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination, and tens of public figures and unionists, including Press Syndicate board member Khaled El-Balshy and former MP and member of the Egyptian Socialist Democratic Party Zyad Elelaimy.

The group, which dubbed itself Egypt National Forces, called on the President to halt any deal with the IMF and instead implement a national program for economic reform.

The loan is subject to final approval by the IMF executive committee, and disbursement is linked to progress on a variety of reforms. They include subsidy cuts, the introduction of value added tax (VAT) and a shift to a more flexible exchange rate regime.

Speaking at the opening of a factory in Alexandria days after securing the IMF initial loan agreement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he was committed to pushing through the reforms necessary to turn the economy around and cut public debt.

For his part, Central Bank Governor Tarek Amer said securing IMF funds is one step toward reviving the economy.

Reform will not come in a day or two, but we have the ability and faith to improve things, he told reporters in Cairo. Investors will have no excuse to not invest in Egypt.
Tripoli-based Libyan authorities have warned their Italian counterparts against planned terror attacks by an Islamic State groups local cell in Milan.

The cell is reportedly sponsored by a veteran jihadist formerly deported by Rome.

Forces aligned with the Tripoli-based Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) made, over the weekend, further advances into the city of Sirte as they try to dislodge IS militants who conquered the coastal city last year in June.

GNA forces on Sunday reportedly discovered a cache of IS documents revealing plans by the terrorist group to perpetrate attacks in Italy.

The Milan-based cell was uncovered thanks to the seized documents, reported Italian Corriere della Sera.

The cell, located in Milans San Siro neighbourhood, has been linked to Abu Nassim, a Tunisian IS commander, who lived in Italy for most of the 1990s.

Nassim, 47, arrived in Italy in 1989 as a construction worker. Also known under his real name Moez Ben Abdelkader Fezzani, Abu Nassim fled Italy in 1997 after he was found guilty of recruiting for terrorist groups. He reportedly ran to Afghanistan where he fought in the ranks of Ben Ladens al Qaeda. He was later in 2001 arrested by US forces and detained at Bagram airbase. American authorities handed him over to Italian authorities in 2009.

In 2012, Italian authorities deported Abu Nassim to Tunisia after clearing him of the charges.

The IS commander is also wanted by Tunisian authorities who accuse him of masterminding the Bardo Museum attack in Tunis in 2015 which killed 21 people most of whom foreign tourists.

GNA forces over the weekend took control of Sirte radio station used by the terrorist group to promote its ideology.

They also moved northwards in the citys residential area located near Sirtes seashore.

As the terrorists are being squeezed and their defeat a matter of days, Italian authorities fear that the militants could dissolve among migrants heading to European coasts.

There are also reports that other militants are heading South of Libya, into the desert, to the Algerian, Tunisian and Nigerien borders.
Milwaukee police stand in front of a gas station set ablaze by protesters on Saturday night. Photo: Gretchen Ehlke/AP Photo

Protests raged in Milwaukee Sunday night, the second night of unrest despite calls for calm from city leaders. One person was shot and hurt very seriously, and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the victim and rush them to the hospital, CBS News reports.



Demonstrations first erupted 24 hours earlier, after police officers shot and killed a young, armed black man in the citys Sherman Park neighborhood on Saturday afternoon. Sunday saw more scenes of confrontation. About two dozen officers in riot gear confronted a group of about 150 people blocking an intersection in Sherman Park. As they tried to disperse the crowd and threatened arrests, the protesters responded by throwing rocks and bottles. Local TV footage showed one officer fall to the ground after being hit by an object. They were moved to safety by fellow officers.

VIDEO: Officer goes down after being hit by thrown object. Other officers are then seen carrying him away to safety pic.twitter.com/uvYw2H8mKl  WISN 12 NEWS (@WISN12News) August 15, 2016

Police said a total of four Milwaukee police officers and four Milwaukee County deputies were hurt in the standoff, most of whom were hit by concrete and rocks allegedly thrown by the protesters. At least one injured officer was taken to the hospital after a rock broke the windshield of their squad car.



Officer taken to hospital for injury after thrown rock breaks windshield of squad near Sherman & Burleigh. pic.twitter.com/At5HDBOXHm  Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) August 15, 2016

At least 14 people were arrested in Sundays clashes between protesters and police. National Guard troops were deployed to the protest scene Sunday in case they needed to assist police officers. Scott Walker had first activated the states National Guard to assist Milwaukee police officers in restoring calm after Saturdays demonstrations, where hundreds of protesters took to the streets to confront police and express their outrage over the shooting  some eventually setting fires, smashing cars, and throwing rocks at police officers.

Overnight totals:

4 injured MPD officers

14 arrests

3 squads damaged

30 ShotSpotter activations

1 store with broken windows  Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) August 15, 2016

Here's the crowd gathered near the scene Sherman Blvd near Auer before the rocks started flying. pic.twitter.com/RfNOL57OJZ  Mike De Sisti (@mdesisti) August 14, 2016

Anticipating more unrest Monday night, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett enacted a 10 p.m. curfew for all teenagers.

Regarding the shooting that sparked the unrest, CNN reports that, on Saturday afternoon, a pair of Milwaukee police officers chased after two men who had fled following a traffic stop. Police say that one of those men, eventually identified as a black 23-year-old named Sylville K. Smith, was armed with a loaded handgun, and when he did not comply with an order to drop the gun, one of the officers shot and killed him. It is not clear if Smith ever pointed the gun at the officer, but Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn said on Sunday that the officers body-camera footage indicated that Smith was without question still holding the weapon when the officer fired.

The black 24-year-old officer who shot Smith has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. On Sunday, police said that Smiths car had been stopped by the officers because it was behaving suspiciously. The area where the stop and shooting occurred is a majority-black neighborhood in Milwaukee.

Police also report that the handgun found on the suspect had been stolen during a March burglary, and that Smith had a lengthy arrest record, including a conviction for carrying a concealed weapon and arrests for multiple nonviolent misdemeanors. In addition, Smith at one point faced felony charges related to a shooting and the intimidation of a witness of a shooting, but those charges were eventually dismissed.



The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating the shooting, a requirement for any officer-involved incident that results in a death. Authorities have not released the video  and typically wouldnt until the completion of an investigation  but officials may try to speed up the timeline to help ease tensions in Milwaukee, reports the Journal Sentinel. [The] DOJ is working expeditiously, and within the parameters of the law, to provide the community a transparent view of the events that took place on Aug. 13, a Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesperson said in a statement.

Smiths mother, Mildred Haynes, spoke with the media on Sunday and said she was lost over his death, noting that Smith had a 2-year-old son. She also said that Smith had recently gotten a concealed-carry license after having been shot twice and robbed four times. She added that she couldnt imagine Smith pulling a gun on police officers.

During the mayhem Saturday, at least seven police cars were damaged and six neighborhood businesses  including a bank, a beauty store, and a gas station  were set ablaze. Firefighters reportedly had trouble responding to at least one of the fires because of gunfire in the area.



Near the end of this video you can hear shots ring out. The rest of our covereage here: https://t.co/bxlzQJgEXu pic.twitter.com/u2bFkXiQp0  Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) August 14, 2016

Another pic of the burning car. PPL on scene said it was a cop car. Hard to tell. Story. https://t.co/s97Hx2RQFI pic.twitter.com/TuZPlepFm5  Mike De Sisti (@mdesisti) August 14, 2016

Milwaukee police report that four officers were injured on Saturday, and 17 people were ultimately arrested.



Another scene from the unrest tonight as smoke hangs in the street. Our coverage here: https://t.co/u2RE4DBrQG pic.twitter.com/QfFsEVsZU1  Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) August 14, 2016

At a midnight press conference Saturday, Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett promised a fair and transparent investigation into the shooting. He said that many of the protesters were young and that some had encouraged others to join the unrest via social media. Barrett asked parents in the neighborhood to help get the protesters off the streets. Also speaking at the press conference were Milwaukee aldermen Russell W. Stamper II and Khalif Rainey, who cited the frustrations of the citys black residents, particularly in the neighborhood where the police shooting occurred, as the reason for the nights explosion of anger. Rainey, who represents that neighborhood, also warned that further unrest might result if those frustrations were not swiftly and adequately addressed.

Some aerial footage of the Milwaukee aftermath from last night. pic.twitter.com/55fn20QxcZ  Mike De Sisti (@mdesisti) August 14, 2016

This entire community has sat back and witnessed how [Milwaukee] has become the worst place to live for African-Americans in the entire country, Rainey claimed on Saturday night, calling the protests a warning cry. On Sunday morning, community groups organized a cleanup of the affected areas, and at least one additional demonstration against police violence occurred again around midday.

Cleanup efforts on Sunday. Photo: Darren Hauck/Getty Images

The Journal Sentinel notes these protesters arent the first tense episode between the community and police:

In early July, a group of several dozen young people threw rocks and bottles, damaging windows of a gas station and a county transit bus near Sherman Park. Law enforcement beefed up their presence for several days there. Some activists said it was an intimidating presence. At the same time, the incidents also led to a surge in residents and local leaders promoting positive activity there. The gas station, a BP , that was the scene of the July incident, was the station that burned Saturday night.



Regular protests also followed the fatal police shootings of Jay Anderson in Wauwatosa in 2016 and Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee in 2014. On the same day federal prosecutors announced they would not seek charges against the ex-officer who killed Hamilton, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn requested the U.S. Department of Justice review the Police Department.



In addition, on Friday night, five men  all under the age of 36  were killed in separate shootings in the city over the course of only nine hours.

This post has been updated throughout.


Police sketch of alleged gunman. Photo: Handout

Police have charged a Brooklyn man for the brazen murders of a Queens imam and his associate on Saturday. Oscar Morel, 35, was taken into NYPD custody Sunday night after allegedly ramming his car into an unmarked police car around 11 p.m. in the Ozone Park neighborhood  the same community where the killings occurred. Police identified Morel on Monday evening, and said hed been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, according to the New York Times. Hes also facing two counts of criminal possession of a weapon after police searched his home and found what they believe to be the revolver used in the killing and clothes worn by the gunman in surveillance video.



Police have not yet named a motive in the killing of the 55-year-old imam Maulama Akonjee and his friend and assistant 64-year-old Thara Uddin, both Bangladeshi immigrants and religious leaders in their Queens neighborhood. The men were shot in the head at close range in broad daylight around 2 p.m. on Saturday. The victims were a block away from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque, where both men, who wore traditional Muslim garb, had just finished afternoon prayers.

NYPD chief of detectives Robert Boyce said its still unclear if Morel had any connection to the two victims. Were still drilling down on it, he said, adding that its certainly on the table that its a hate crime.

FIRST LOOK: Oscar Morel, suspect in Imam and associate's murder on Saturday, now under arrest @NBCNewYork pic.twitter.com/YvLXVmCLPQ  Ray Villeda (@RayVilleda) August 16, 2016

A home-surveillance video of the shooting, released Sunday, shows the killer approaching the two men from behind. He rushes up behind them and lifts his arm and aims at the back of their heads; the two men crumple to the ground. The shooter appears to stuff the gun in his pocket and walk calmly away from the scene.

The footage showed the suspect getting into a black GMC SUV, and by tracking the make and model, police were able to connect the shooting to a hit-and-run involving a cyclist that occurred several miles away in Brooklyn.



Police put a special surveillance team on the vehicle, and it was found parked on the street in East New York. Officials say that when Morel got in the car on Sunday night, he rammed a police vehicle as he tried to flee.



Ozone Parks tight-knit Muslim community has been reeling from the cold-blooded crimes. Residents are on edge, as many fear Akonjee and Uddin, both well-liked and respected, were targeted because of their faith. Neighbors are calling it a hate crime. This was absolutely a hate crime, a local resident, Bazlur Rahman, told the New York Times. This is a busy intersection filled with people, and the two people killed were the ones in Muslim clothing. How is that anything other than targeting?

The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is working on the case alongside homicide detectives, but has not said with certainty that a religious or ethnic bias prompted the attack. A police source told the New York Post that the crime appears calculated, and authorities believe the gunman knew the imam and knew his schedule. Sources told the Daily News that the murders may have stemmed from a neighborhood feud between Muslims and Hispanics, and the gunman may have been seeking revenge after Muslim men beat up a Hispanic man in the area a few weeks ago. The NYPD has not corroborated any of those allegations.

The mosque held a prayer service for Akonjee on Monday afternoon. We will never be able to replace [him], Badrul Khan, the founder of Al-Furqan, told the Post. He was the best translator of the faith.

This post has been updated throughout.


Surprise! Obamas giving Democrats a lift on his way out the door. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In the 2012 presidential cycle, Republicans spent an inordinate amount of time comparing Obamas reelection campaign to that of Jimmy Carter in 1980, which of course made Mitt Romney exactly what he wanted to be: the reincarnation of Ronald Reagan. But while Carter lost by a landslide in 1980, Obama was reelected by a healthy, if not overwhelming, margin. And so, going into this cycle, its Obama who is being compared to Reagan as a two-term president whose popularity (or the lack thereof) looms large over the contest to succeed him.

Given the famously polarized climate and high wrong track sentiment, youd figure Hillary Clinton would be struggling to rid herself of the dead political weight of the 44th president. But one of the surprises of 2016 has been Obamas steadily improving job approval ratings. He was mired in negative-popularity territory and in the low-40s for job approval for much of 2013 and 2014, and only partially recovered in 2015. But as of today the RealClearPolitics polling average for Obamas job approval rating is 52 percent, with 44 percent disapproving. Gallups last three-day average puts Obamas job approval ratio at 54-43. Thats better than he was doing on the eve of his reelection in 2012. And its very similar to Reagans numbers late in his second term, which helped George H.W. Bush win in 1988. The other relatively recent precedent for a two-term president was Bill Clinton in 2000; his Gallup job approval rating on the eve of the 2000 elections was 57 percent, but it was offset by very poor personal favorability ratings and the frequent reluctance of Al Gore to embrace the record of his own administration.

Will Obamas popularity (assuming it remains more or less at current levels) matter in November? It could; its one part of the formula used by most analysts for the fundamentals, the aspects of the election that have nothing to do with the campaigns. And given the continuing hate and rage aimed at Obama by Republicans, a relatively sunny public-opinion attitude toward the incumbent can help Democrats cast their opponents as extremist ideologues who have given their presidential nomination to the anti-Obama, a living embodiment of hate and rage. If the Clinton-Trump race tightens up, Obamas job approval ratio is something to watch closely.
Detained. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

For the first time in modern American history, the government decides to detain all Central American women and children seeking asylum in the U.S., instead of allowing them to live freely until their days in court. The policy change is intended to send a message to anyone else seeking refuge from a plague of gang violence below our southern border: Dont believe everything you read on the Statue of Liberty.

And to implement this draconian proposal, the government awards a well-connected private prison company with a $1 billion no-bid contract  one that promises to pay the firm $20 million a month, no matter how few migrants its facility is responsible for housing at a given time. Then federal courts rule that this policy of mass detention isnt actually legal. But the contract is already signed, and so the Corrections Corporation of America collects millions in taxpayer money to maintain a nearly empty detention center.

This may sound like the kind of cruel, incompetent policy-making youd expect from Donald Trumps administration. But its actually the work of Barack Obamas. Per the Washington Post:

As Central Americans surged across the U.S. border two years ago, the Obama administration skipped the standard public bidding process and agreed to a deal that offered generous terms to Corrections Corporation of America, the nations largest prison company, to build a massive detention facility for women and children seeking asylum.



The four-year, $1 billion contract  details of which have not been previously disclosed  has been a boon for CCA , which, in an unusual arrangement, gets the money regardless of how many people are detained at the facility. Critics say the governments policy has been expensive but ineffective. Arrivals of Central American families at the border have continued unabated while court rulings have forced the administration to step back from its original approach to the border surge.

When the federal government wants to pay one of our nations esteemed prison profiteers to build a detention center, it typically forces those companies into a bidding war. Nearly all private prison contracts allow federal funding to rise and fall along with the percentage of beds being occupied at a given facility. The government uses the bidding process to win taxpayers the best possible bargain.

Thats how its supposed to work, anyway. But in the case of the South Texas Family Residential Center, the Feds agreed to pay CCA for 100 percent capacity at all times, even when the facility is half-full  as it has been for months now.

CCA secured that sweetheart gig by offering the administration a quick way to get tough on the border amid the 2014 migrant crisis. Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson had become convinced that the only way to stem the tide of child migrants was through an aggressive deterrence strategy. Unable to deport asylum-seekers without giving them the opportunity to press their claims, Johnson decided mass detention would send the necessary message.

To get around a public bidding process that would have delayed construction, CCA convinced the town of Eloy, Arizona, to amend its existing contract with the company, to include provisions for the new facility.

And then federal courts ruled that detaining asylum-seekers for the purposes of deterrence is illegal. And then another noted that, for two decades, the U.S. government has been legally required to house migrant children in the least restrictive environment possible.



Now the government pays millions each month for CCA to maintain hundreds of empty beds, while the number of new migrants crossing the border over the past 12 months is higher than it was during the same period two years ago.

The administration no longer describes the facility as a means of deterrence. But if the administrations goal had been to limit migrants flight risk  rather than to make their lives miserable as a message to others  they could have pursued low-cost options like monitoring bracelets, instead a $1 billion facility.

But at least the South Texas Family Residential Center worked out for one set of stakeholders, or, more precisely, one set of shareholders. Per the Post:
Photo: Lacey Terrell

This December, when the Cut published a cover story about Tracey Africa Norman, the first black transgender woman to work, undetected, as a successful fashion and beauty model, we hoped her story would touch people and bring attention to her remarkable career. We could not have predicted that it would result in a phone call from Clairol, whose Born Beautiful hair-color boxes Traceys face had graced in supermarkets nationwide 30 years ago, asking her to come back to work.

Today, the Cut is pleased to announce exclusively that, at age 63, Tracey Africa Norman is the new face of the Clairol Nice n Easy Color As Real As You Are campaign.

Working as a model who did not disclose her transgender identity in the late 70s and early 80s, Tracey was discovered by photographer Irving Penn, and featured on that Clairol box and the pages of Essence. But her outing in a less tolerant era ended her career. She was reluctant to tell her story, and only did so after convincing from friends. I was reminded that I made history and I deserve to have it printed, she said. And Im still here.

Then, not long after the Cut article was published, she got a call from an ad agency asking her to meet for lunch in Manhattan with a mystery client. They sprung it on me at the table, saying they were with Clairol and they wanted me to come back to work for them, says Tracey. And I was just overwhelmed with emotions. I was excited, I was joyful, I was very humble at some point. I was just all over the place, and I really felt like this was going to be a great reunion.

The original Clairol job had been a big deal for Tracey, not to mention what kept her financially afloat for years; shes actually been a loyal Clairol customer ever since. As a model, I was hiding my truth, and when I got the job it was very exciting for me, she says. It was different because we were back in the late 70s and early 80s, so it was something that wasnt spoken of, and at that time it wasnt acceptable for me to be out. What overwhelmed her most was how much times had changed. I was being accepted for who I am and they wanted me as the person that I am today to represent them. And I just thought that was fantastic.

Heres what we wrote about her big Clairol moment in the mid-70s:

The company was looking for fresh faces to adorn the boxes of its new hair-dye line for women of color, Born Beautiful, and brought her in for a test. Under the bright lights, her hair had reddish undertones. They snapped photos and labeled her hue Dark Auburn, Box 512, and concocted a hair color to match. She had never dyed her hair, but she had done a home perm to relax her curls, and the interaction of the chemicals and the sun had naturally lightened it to a shade women would pay money to re-create. She signed a contract for two years use, with the agreement that shed get paid more if they renewed, which they did, twice. So they used my box for six years, because they said it was the hottest-selling box, says Norman. This is what I was told. Thousands of Clairol customers were emulating the look, and affirming the beauty, of a transgender woman.

Tracey didnt cry during that lunch meeting  I was holding back. I didnt want to be in a public restaurant and all of a sudden having this ugly cry  but she did break down talking about her mother in a promotional interview later. I was able to speak about her unconditional love for me, and that was a little bit overwhelming because it was too soon that I hadnt really gotten over her passing, so I kind of had to excuse myself for a second, to pull myself together for that, says Tracey. I believe shes looking down and extremely excited for me because she was there from the beginning and she was there to hold me during the time of my rejection.

Photo: Lacey Terrell

The shoot was important for Tracey because it represented coming out of retirement, so to speak, and being in front of a camera, and I hadnt been in front of a camera in such a long time. (Except for her gorgeous photos in the Cut.) It also brought her to California for the first time, and on a plane for one of the few times since her modeling career abruptly ended. She learned that times have changed at airport security, too, and got to spend a few hours exploring Sunset Boulevard searching for a drugstore after all her toiletries were confiscated. I thought they were the proper size because everything fit in a Ziplock bag, but I had six ounces instead of four ounces and I was trying to explain to them, Look, Im going to be gone for days. I need this! says Tracey with a laugh. They werent hearing it.

The entire year has been a whirlwind for Tracey. Ive been thrust back into the limelight, thanks to you! she says. A lot of attention has come to me because of the article. Shes since been profiled by the London Times and Marie Claire South Africa. This May, my co-writer Aaron Wong took her to the GLAAD awards, where our article was nominated, and she got to go backstage and meet Laverne Cox, whod told me that shed been fascinated and inspired by Traceys story ever since stumbling upon it on Transgriot, a website devoted to celebrating the forgotten pioneers of the community. I cant tell you how many hours I stared at that photo of her on that Clairol bottle and that caption, Born Beautiful, said Cox. Yeah, we are born beautiful.

Photo: Lacey Terrell

That night she also met trans model Andreja Pejic, who congratulated me for opening that door, she says. I had a big, giant Kool-Aid smile on my face that people in this younger generation know who I am and have appreciated my work and recognized me as the pioneer. I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for the recognition. This month, shell be getting an award from the drag ball community, and last month, she was honored at Newark Gay Pride. And that was overwhelming for me because it feels like I had come full circle from living in a city that didnt accept me and I wasnt able to live my truth as far as being in public, where I couldve been arrested, because it was on the books that we werent allowed to be in public like that, says Tracey.

Walking on the street feels the same, because Ive been living my truth for a very long time, Tracey says. Though she has been recognized in Manhattan a few times. Somebody across the street yelled, Tracey! And they were putting their hands up and high-fiving me from across the street, Great article! she says. Whats really taken adjustment is the idea of being back in the fashion industry that once spurned her. Ive lived my life privately and as a woman, and now Im being labeled as transgender, says Tracey, so its something that I have to get used to mentally with the labeling part, but its still exciting.

Shes getting to do what she always loved to do, and at just a few months shy of turning 64 no less. Its incredible! she says. At this age, thats overwhelming for me, too. But yeah, people are looking at me and not believing that Im this age. Its great.

Now shes just eager for the ads to come out, to let the public know about my truth and how I became a model and how accepting this company is, she says. For this huge company to want me to come back and represent them in this way, it was overwhelming for me. It truly touched me.
Sud de France reveals UK anniversary plans

Sud de France, the umbrella brand for wine, food and tourism products from southern France, has announced that its 10th anniversary celebrations will commence shortly after its Portfolio Tasting event in London on 5 October.

The brand covers a newly-extended region of Occitanie, previously Languedoc-Roussillon, in southern France; the wine tasting event includes 150 wines from Languedoc, the Roussillon and the South West.

Sud de France has grown and achieved a great deal since its creation in 2006 and we look forward to celebrating this with our friends in the UK, said Isabelle Janaan, executive director of Sud de France. We will be announcing some big, exciting news at the celebration, which will define the future of this incredibly successful brand.

Visitors will also be able to pick up a Midi Card, Sud de Frances new loyalty card. Stamps will be given out to members each time they attend a Sud de France event, and those with a full card will receive a mixed case of premium wines from the region.

Related articles:
of course he did, he's such a whiny brat



"because I have never felt the hatred and spite and judgement that I feel from you."



Aw, Jared, that's just bc you've never been on ONTD before.





Edited at 2016-08-15 03:57 pm (UTC)

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HAHA, right though. i just can't about how preachy he is about spreading love and no bullying and then he goes around and does stuff like this. i just can't.

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Right? I'm a SPN fan, but it's like Jared, you KNOW what your stans will do to this girl and the restaurant.

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My first thought tbh.

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Aw, Jared, that's just bc you've never been on ONTD before.



lmaooooooo

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maybe she's a member here and just informed him that most people hate him!

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lmaoooo

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He's just like Dean in real life!

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As someone who's never watched it, you mean Dean from Gilmore Girls, right? I don't think Dean from Supernatural would react like this, heh. He'd just shrug, order more pie and be good to go.



Edited at 2016-08-15 04:18 pm (UTC)

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Talking GG

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i was thinking Supernatural Dean & was like '...what?'

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I keep thinking the same thing

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omg yes, that was my first thought lol XD

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he and dean are interchangeable to me at this point

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he is such a fucking overgrown brat. setting up these witch hunts in this day and age is so scary.

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he knows what the fuck he's doing posting her picture online, and what his fans will do too. he could have just left a bad review like a regular person but he's gotta go do this kinda stuff. i really can't.

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yeah, the fact that he posted a pic of her (that he secretly took) without her consent is worrying. social media really brings out the absolute worst in these already-abrasive people.



Edited at 2016-08-15 04:02 pm (UTC)

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This. He's within his rights to let the restaurant know his service was subpar but the way he just put this woman on blast was so OTT and inappropriate.

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For real. He knows exactly what he is doing. Like, just handle this like a normal human being and ask to speak to a manager or owner. He's abusing his celebrity status to harass an individual. Even if she was terrible at her job and did everything and more he says in his post, this is still wildly irresponsible. For real. He knows exactly what he is doing. Like, just handle this like a normal human being and ask to speak to a manager or owner. He's abusing his celebrity status to harass an individual. Even if she was terrible at her job and did everything and more he says in his post, this is still wildly irresponsible.

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mte. Supernatural fans are a scary, fanatical bunch and he knows they are going to destroy this woman. Be a fucking adult and take your complaints to the restaurant managers. Setting the Supernatural fandom after someone for lousy service is such an entitled, shitty thing to do.



Edited at 2016-08-15 09:00 pm (UTC)

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came here to comment this lmao It's absolutely wrong of him to post her pic and everything, especially since he has such a huge following and those crazy ass fans- BUT she totally looks like the kind of person that could ruin your night (he's being super dramatic about the whole thing but yeah)

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I missed it, he already deleted it lol

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Did he ever say what is it that she did that made him feel "less than" and ruined his entire trip?

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no, just implied she made him feel less than human and played on her phone during his shift. this ott reaction makes it sound like she kicked his puppy though like ??? he has done this with airlines when his flight is delayed though and stuff like that. he just throws huge tantys.

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NO! I also hate that when people tease a story or over exaggerate and then never give any details

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I really doubt there is a story to be told here...



poor woman

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It honestly seems like he's exaggerating to make her seem worse.

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Check the first comment and his reply to it. Here's his reply:



Sandy H, Thank you for voicing your opinions and your concern. You are, of course, entitled to both. As far as last night goes, I didn't receive "poor service". I didn't have mustard instead of mayonnaise on my burger, and she didn't give me too many or too few cubes of ice in my drink. The picture of her playing on her phone was the NICEST thing she did during the course of the evening...... No. I was subjected to a mean, spiteful human being. Period. She was mean. She was a bully. She, specifically, did several things that hurt mine (and our) feelings. She made me feel singled out and not welcome and "less than" (maybe you've been in the same situation before?). She ruined my night (if not my trip) in Minnesota. Furthermore, I'm not incredibly happy to have you express that you believe I'm not entitled to share my concerns or unhappiness because I'm a "celebrity". That's akin to the people who told me that I should be "happy" because I'm "successful", and that I shouldn't have "depression" or "anxiety" because "famous people" are so "lucky". And I very much don't appreciate being victim shamed, even though I'm "famous" and should just "deal with it and keep quiet about it". At the end of the day, I am a human being that breathes oxygen. The same as you. And, sometimes, there are people who hurt my feelings intensely and I want to reach out to my social media family to express my hurt and let y'all know that I, too, sometimes run into mean people who aim to ruin my day. As far as "keeping future grievances" more private?Simply put, no. I will not let you silence or censor me and my feelings the same way those in the past have tried to silence or censor or ignore or belittle my feelings. I've worked too hard for too long on myself to be told to take negativity that's sent my way, and shut up about it, just because I'm a "celebrity". I'm truly sorry that the existence of my hurt disappointed you, and I wish you peace and happiness. With love, jp.



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honestly she most likely didn't know who he was and he got pissed. i could see him doing that.



and i don't get why he was pissed at her for being on her phone. maybe it was the babysitter who was with her sick kid?? like he's never been on his phone while on set??

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I read his entire thing thinking, "Okay but what exactly did she do?" wtf

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There are far more mature ways to voice poor treatment. Like find a manager.

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Get up, leave no tip, find another restaurant.

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When I've had service so bad that I genuinely complained, instead of not tipping at all, I tip 1%, I feel that makes it clear that I'm not just a bad tipper or not a tipper and leaves a bigger message. It might be petty, but I've only done it once.



And when I receive amazing service, I let them know and ask to speak to their manager or supervisor to tell them as well and ask if I can fill out a comment card and then I leave a review on yelp. I've done that 3 times.

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Yup. I left a penny face down once. I wish i could have superglued it to the table.

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damn she must have been pretty awful

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so, what did she do?

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So what did she do? Burn off your finger nails, vomit in your food, wash your hair? If service is horrible somewhere, you mention it to the manager and leave (with or without paying). Warn people off on Google/TripAdvisor/Yelp reviews if you still need to get it out of your system and move on with life again.



I don't understand social media rant people.

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Lmao @ wash your hair

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LOLOL WASH YOUR HAIR

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I don't understand them either. I feel more often than not their social media bitching is in hopes that their complaints go viral and they get attention from the media and other people. They want the sympathy that comes with shitty service or experiences.



Half the time I don't believe the viral stories that get out there (A poor family goes out to dinner, you won't BELIEVE what the waiter wrote on their check!) since they're so easy to fake or blow out of proportion.

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Lol @ that list. And what's worse is he know how crazy and overinvolved his fans are, but he subjects this poor woman to them? No amount of making him feel not like a pretty proncess requires that.

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WASH UR HAIR LOL screaming

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wow, he's such a prick.

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mte

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"Sometimes, there are people who hurt my feelings intensely"



Is he kidding me with this? Anyway, he knows his social media following is a rabid army, and giving them all the indentifiying details about this girl was shitty and selfish.

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Stop harassing Jared for sticking up for himself. Hell, hes fucking brave for doing so. A lot of us keep quiet because were too afraid to say anythingso we let ourselves be put to shame. We let ourselves be ridiculed. We let ourselves be bullied.



Jared did what we wish we could do. He stood up for himself. He gave himself a voice. And hell what a voice he had. No one should allow themselves to be treated so horribly. Celebrity or not.



Now, I may not know what happened last night and what the woman had said to make Jared react like that, but Jared is one of the most nicest, caring, loving people I admire and I know his experience mustve been bad if he had the need to publicize it. Hes a human being, for crying out loud. We let out our frustrations on social media too, so why cant he?



I hope this woman finds peace, just like Jared hopes. There are cruel people in the world. Theres vulnerable people in the world too and are too afraid to speak up.



So yes, Jared is my fucking hero. Let this be known. He is our voice. Those select few who are too afraid to speak up, hes our voice, our rock, our hero.



Okay. Im done.

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lmao

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Posting someone's picture on social media isn't sticking up for yourself though. Going to a manager would do that without ruining her online. Whatever she did should have been dealt with then and there.

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I stand with Jared Padalecki

And his right to call out shitty service . If you think he should have kept his mouth shut because hes a celebrity , you are also a bully .

He came to Minneapolis for his fans , to give his fans the best time possible . Someone in the service industry ruined that for him .



As someone who has been part of the service industry , she must have did something awful . Being kind and polite is how you make your money , this person clearly didnt care about that .

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Well thank god a white man who was dissatisfied with his service finally has a medium to express his pain, I say. Instead of getting a manager or writing a bad review on Yelp, he literally posts her face and all her identifying details to his massive social media following. What a brave soul.

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Idg when users post these deranged people's comments here.



lol, I guess?

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lol

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lmaooooooo

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lmfao

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ia tbh!

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Ignore these idiots. They are Jared haters and always blather on about shit they have no clue about.



His comments CLEARLY imply that he is not just whining about bad customer service but this person went out of her way to hate him. I'm quite sure none of them would get mad if it happened to them, right?





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lmao sis this trolling! I'm screaming!





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LMAOOO! So brave :')

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"Our rock, our hero."



Legit, we must've suffered a lot to have this shining beacon of light and truth deliver us from evil. He is the superman we never knew we needed, or wanted. And his kryptonite is mean bartenders.



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I have no idea if this is parody or not, so A++ if it is.

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It's not brave of him to publicly shame this woman on his social media page knowing his fans would go after her and the establishment she works in without giving ALL of the details of the interaction he had. All he said was she was mean and made him feel bad. Does that deserve having rabid supernatural fans coming after her? Most likely threatening her? No. Unless he explains exactly what happened during this interaction what he did is wrong. If he wants to complain about his experience in the bar he has that right but posting a picture of this woman to go along with his complaint is not okay. The fact that people are applauding him is the worst part. Hope to god no one ever does this to you.

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this is what makes ONTD great...

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thank you for the laugh i needed to start my morning

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You can contact your local health center and get information for counseling. Get help before its too late.

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so people who bully people in service positions r ur hero? lmao ok some people will do anything to stan a bland white male w/ middling talent

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lmao ok when you have tens of thousands of literal fucking psychos for fans, posting a photograph of a waitress from goddamn minnesota who will have no impact on your life after a night of sitting at a restaurant that you COULD HAVE LEFT IN THE FIRST PLACE is not 'defending yourself' it's releasing your batshit crazy sycophant army on some girl that dared get on his bad side.



oh god you're not the embarrassing stan that is actually the other person that showed up in this thread BYEEEEEE SIS



Edited at 2016-08-15 06:30 pm (UTC)

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I can't tell if this is a serious comment or if you cped a random fan's comment...

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Lmao, now change your icon for a Jared one, please, troll spn fans more!!

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I love how people are still falling for this lmao

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Jared isn't brave. He's an overgrown, whiny pissbaby with an embarrassingly large cult following.

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Hi Bev!!



I was dumb enough to search his tumblr tag

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lmao omg.

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LMAOOOO i love it when non-fandom people comment in supernatural posts

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LOL at people taking this seriously



i love this comment

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Lmao, ilu bb! :D (Dying even more at some of the replies to this comment).

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Bitch, you almost got me! Lmmfao!

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and to think i scrolled past this post at first because this dude annoys me so much. everything about this thread is beautiful

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lmaoooo sis. i love you. for a sec i was like wtf then realized the genius of your comment.

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BITCH! Lmaooo, you got me!

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LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

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jesus just leave a bad yelp review/call the manager. also i'm confused about what she actually did?

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he never said which makes it even more ridiculous. just that she hurt his feelings tbh.

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Yeah, it's super-weird that he's like "she, specifically, did these several vague things that I'm not going to specify." Like, what...?

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I feel like he not saying it indicates it was something minor that he blew up out of proportion tbh. Like, if it was something so serious that would make her deserving of a witch hunt (which is probs what he's trying to make happen by putting her pic online while knowing his fans), he wouldn't just keep quiet about it, especially considering how obviously mad he is.

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do people really go on there to read reviews of places.id never even heard of yelp till south park made fun of it.lol

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Yikes at posting her picture and her place of employment on a public forum, talk to the manager if you have that big of a issue. Online witch hunts have gone too far.

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lol damn I thought it was so ridiculous of him to be a grown man, have someone point out that the fans are going to ruin that woman's life, and him be like I'll never be shut up!!! lol it was like he was sitting at his keyboard like, that BK bitch doesn't know WHO I AM. REVENGE!!!!! SICK MY MINIONS!!!! lololol omg that's some fame gone wrong. I'm usually behind Jared, but this is def too much b/c some people are crazy and they might even try to do something to that woman at her house

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Canadian royalty tbh



This moment should go down in Canadian history books.



Edited at 2016-08-15 06:53 pm (UTC)

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I almost got to meet her once she had just left a mall signing it was in 1998 lol

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hahahahah I love when drake gets really canadian

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I would be the most uncool celeb ever. I don't think I would ever consider the people I adore or have a crush on to be my peers. I'd be damn a fool around Mandy Moore, Liv Tyler, Lenny Kravitz, and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Which I need to get my Mandy game tight since I probably will bump into her one day at a Dawes show.

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IKR this really warms my heart for some reason

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I really want to go to Memphis, I hear there are some beautiful parts around there and the people are great.

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Well...was she impressed?

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SO he thinks he's Elvis

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He don't impress her much

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ahaha

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Cackling

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I can't find a gif, but all I can think of is Abbi saying that she trains VIP clients at night, "like...Shania Twain..."

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lmaoooooo

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So much Canada in this pic

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Every August I'm tempted to revisit Memphis. In two days it'll have ben 17 years since I was there. But the whole reason I want to is kind of lame, especially since the one scene that took place at Graceland wasn't even filmed there. I should want to see The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville instead, but I just don't.

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I used to be obsessed with Shania. When I was young and a stupid af child I didn't understand how cassettes worked and thought Shania lived inside my radio.

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ahaha aww that's rly cute actually (thinking shania lived in your radio)

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I lived in australia where there is like zero context for country and western music but one could be mistaken for thinking that because her music was EVERYWHERE for a few years there

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I used to listen to Kasey Chambers, who is from Australia. I thought there was some context since most of the big cities are on the coasts and the rest is just...country?



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when i was in elementary school we had to do a report on famous composers for music class and i chose shania twain and my music teacher was like, "okay..." lmao

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this is too fucking cute

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I love when Drake and Justin Beaver paid their respect for Canadian Queen: Sarah McLachlan and covered her Worldwide Smash "I Will Remember You" at the Junos...that was long overdue <3. Shania twain i thought she was from Switzerland...

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Lol @ Justin Beaver. Bless autocorrect.

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she lives there but she's from Timmins Ontario

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He looks so disgusting all buff with that derp face of his.

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no he doesn't. he needs to sit on my face

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WHOSE BED HAVE YOUR BOOTS BEEN UNDER, HEIFER?

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I feel like I've never met a Canadian who doesn't at least low-key love Shania (cue all the #specialsnowflake Canadians commenting that they don't particularly care for her). I could rock out to her music any day.

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or alanis!! both canadian queens dominated my 90s childhood.

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Playing that song is how we started all of my work Christmas parties for a solid 5 years in a row lmfao everyone would jam out to Shania

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her slow song like--- from this moment---are amazing.

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i'm a texan, but i'd be hard pressed to believe anyone would deny their love for Shania. I mean girl has bawps and ballads for weeks.

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When I want a "feel good" movie what I really want is a rom com where the main character goes through the basic emotional journey of good/okay beginning, sad middle, and then happy ending



I like Bridesmaids, Bridget Jones, Trainwreck, Sex and the city movie, etc. for that need

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I go to The Holiday for that. Love that movie.

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I especially love The Holiday b/c I've basically lived the scene where Iris tells Jasper off and kicks him out. The ONLY differences are I'm not from the UK (he is), we weren't in L.A., it wasn't Christmas, and we didn't work together.

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I love that movie too and always watch it at Christmas. I love all the cozy sweaters Cameron and Jude wear

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I always thought that movie looked cute but I CAN NOT stand Jack Black. Do you think I'll be able to tolerate that movie?

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yeah i always cry when the old man goes up to the stage (RIP actor who played old man)

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French Kiss?

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Bend it like Beckham does that for me

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Legally Blonde is a fucking classic.



I loved Obvious Child, and it was funny, but it made me pretty emotional.

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Well, due to habeas corpus you and Miss Bonifante had a common law marriage which heretofore entitles her to what is legally referred to as equitable division of the assets.

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WERK

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Yesssss

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I can't watch Legally Blonde the movie any more, because I saw the musical so many times and it feels wrong now.

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The Devil Wears Prada is my go-to

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yes so good, I could watch it over and over

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One of those movies I'll watch every time it's on E, I dun curr if I just saw it last week.

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Same. I love that flim



Edited at 2016-08-15 10:04 pm (UTC)

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now that I'm older (DWP came out when I was like a freshman in high school) - I actually hate the message of the movie. Her friends were complete assholes and her boyfriend sucked. She started doing well at an extremely hard job to get where she wanted to be in the future and she shouldn't have been shamed for that. :|



I still enjoy the rest of it though lol. Maybe I'm taking it too seriously.

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ia completely

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ugh I completely agree! It's pretty ridiculous and it just infuriates me more the older I get and the more into my job that I am. I understand how maybe they wanted to show that Miranda's commitment to her work wasn't healthy but to anchor Andie's life on her asshole friends and bf just makes me so so mad. I have a lot of feelings about this movie lol

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OH GOD her friends were the worst of the worst. They loved it when she brought them expensive shit from her job but then tried to endanger her position by not letting her answer her boss when she called? And then they just cut her off completely because she was working her ass off trying to advance her career? They couldn't suck it up for ONE fucking year to just let her do her own thing and get her kudos? I wanted her to walk away from those asswipes and never look back.

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fuck yes.



but whatever you do, don't read the book.

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I love Coming to America. and I can't count the number of times I've watched Mermaids. .



Edited at 2016-08-15 09:29 pm (UTC)

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Also I didn't know mermaids was on netflix! I'm totally watching that my next day off

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This was my reaction too.

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not on the US version

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oh :(



thanks for warning me lol at least now I know!

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Aw! I didn't know they removed it

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Dammit. I went from so excited to watch it for the first time in 20 years to disappointed.

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What? Why would timeout put it on the list since it's a US mag? Weird.

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100% LEGALLY BLONDE <3<3<3 I really need to read the book.



It's not a feel good movie, but damn does it cheer me up:









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Yes! This movie is so stupid, it makes me happy.



I recently watched Star Trek Insurrection - it was so dumb and bad it made me laugh the entire time, but in a fun way, no Deep Hurting.

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Hobgoblins is just...I don't even know how to describe my love for this episode. If I remember the article I read correctly, the director thinks the MST3K guys made it better. Hobgoblins is just...I don't even know how to describe my love for this episode. If I remember the article I read correctly, the director thinks the MST3K guys made it better.

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One of my all time favorite movies is MST3K the Movie. It's so amazing.

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It's the 80s! Do a lot of coke and vote for Ronald Reagan!

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LMAO this is probably my favorite MST3K episode. So funny!

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that movie with mark ruffalo and reese witherspoon

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Just Like Heaven I think?

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yes, i fucking love that movie

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Ever After yes SO GOOD



your whole list is great

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I recently bought Ever After on Blu Ray. Gotta watch that.

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I loved Whip It too, srsly underrated. I'm glad it's getting lots of love here

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Best in Show is probably the funniest movie I have ever seen. Sometimes I will just turn to my roommate and start listing nuts.

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Charlies Angels! Its so cheesy and girl-power!

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heart and souls pls heart and souls pls

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lmao yes

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Love <3

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UGH I love it. this is one of those movies that was always on TV when I was a kid. This, Overboard, Back To The Future, Troop Beverly Hills.

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yaaas! This movie is my childhood <3 When I saw Alfre Woodard in CW, all I could think was it's Penny and Thomas!

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Gasp! I love this but haven't seen it in years omg

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my go to feel good movie is Hot Fuzz

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omg yessss <3

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Same, such an amazing movie.

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Same, well this and the Penguin Movie

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yesss

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the only really happy ending in the cornetto trilogy

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Agreed. I LOVE this movie. I've seen it so many times. Highlight of the Cornetto trilogy.

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i was just thinking about what to watch



i've only seen it like 3x



i'm going to watch it now



thanks

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Enjoy it!

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Same! One of my favorites of all time.

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Is Obvious Child on American Netflix? I've been meaning to watch that movie for forever.

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yes! it's really good, go watch it!

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actually i forgot i watched it on Amazon Prime. its not on US netflix ):

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the Obvious Child is SO GOOD. A nice guy who was actually nice!!!



I go through like Legally Blonde, Clueless, and Mean Girls when I'm sad or just need a movie to watch

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and also Bad Teacher bc I'm a teacher

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I watch bad teacher at least twice a year, it's hilarious



it also reminds me of my mom because she did a lot of things in the movie that Cameron did, nothing really bad lol but like turning the lights off during class and locking her door during lunch time lmao

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I love Obvious Child but I totally got serial killer vibes from him

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I forgot about this film!

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Penelope is such a cozy movie. idk, it's something about the colors.

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i haven't seen it in forever but it's so nice. is it on netflix?

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This gif made me look for the movie and I fucking love Penelope

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yesss I love this movie

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Sorry for the dp!



My feel good movies are Legally Blonde, 13 Going on 30, and The Parent Trap. Also How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.

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13 going on 30 <3

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yas 13 Going on 30 is so cute

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and rich, by proxy

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He's making that kid's uni fund in a weekend by doing conventions he needs to put the phone down.

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Who cares? Making fun or rich or white people won't make you any richer or anymore white. Live your own life JFC

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yes yes

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Lol, ikr? That kid is just as white as the royal one.

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When the fuck did it become trendy/okay to bash white people though? Like that's just as embarrassing as being racist against POC.



I cannot understand how its anyone's fault that their BORN white? Or any other color. And its no one's fault but your own if your own standard of beauty is not the skin you were born in. That's not my problem, that's only your own.



Racism is not cute. And saying reverse racism doesn't exist is not any cuter.





/rant

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Are you seriously comparing the immense amounts of undeserved privilege the royal child is going to experience in his life to ordinary white privilege? Lol keep on w/ that reaching.



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lol

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bless his heart

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aaaw, his little grump. Grumpybaby tbh.

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I see... Joffrey... and Grumpy cat...

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so accurate, i cackled

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lol ew

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I'm saving this pic for my best friend. She loves grampa's and babies! This is so perfect <3

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lol idgaf about this baby and i'm basically ~fuck the monarchy~ in general, but omg that is an adorable picture.



~who's a grumpy baby, yes, you are!~





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lmao that little face

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This is an BITCH STOLE MY LOOK! moment :(

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OMG his tiny bitchface.

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LOL You know he's just pissed off because now no one cares about his recent pregnancy announcement. He got himself in a magazine with his kid when Thomas was only a couple months old. He's just pissed off no one cares enough about him to give the birth of his kid "rich white" babies that much attention. :)



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Idg why people are treating this like a personal attack. Him criticizing the sensationalist media obsession with the birth of a baby is a commentary on society, not bashing the kid ffs. ONTD needs to calm the fuck down.

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My baby was a grumpy baby too. They are so cute. :)

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Trying waaaay too hard to seem down ~for the cause.

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MTE

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he really is trying embarrassingly hard

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P. Much

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mte

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yup

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yeap

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he'd fit right in at ontd!

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lol i got that vibe too

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I feel like he's not trying at all.

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Just like everyone at ONTD.

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Ikr? He sounds like an ONTD member.

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LOL, the irony

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You say this as if you're not a member.

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IA

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mte, tbh the comments ppl are already giving about the royal baby are giving me secondhand embarrassment

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.. oh hello Rory.

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hello hello hello hello

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He gets called a cracker once and now thinks he's an expert on race and economic status.

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He's an inspiration to us all! Rme.

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very true.

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That's not whats most embarrassing here. Excuse me, but race and economic status are not mutually exclusive. People can look rich but be poor. Or look poor and be rich. And can be white and poor. Or black and wealthy.



If you judge based on image or looks alone, you are in for some wild and disappointing surprises.

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it's really kind of hilarious; he made a stupid tweet, got schooled, now he's trying, he's really trying, bless

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not that rich and the dutch are whiter tbh

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This made me lol for some reason. I think it's the way you randomly mentioned the Dutch.

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They make good chips.

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what about scandinavian countries

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but Maxima is Argentinian, so....



the Belgians and Norwegians are nice n white like a sheet of paper on freshly fallen snow

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be quiet, dean forester

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but its so much more fun to be cryptic and passive aggressive

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He bored me to tears.

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ikr



I disliked him as Dean so much that it has carried onto my watching Supernatural. I hate his character on that, too.

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I hated Dean sfm.

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I love Jared and Sam, but I fucking hate Dean Forrester with every fiber of my being.

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Tristan >>>>>>>>>>>

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i shipped it so hard

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this damn truth.

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Fucking yes!

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I feel like he was the only male character Alexis had real chemistry with.

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he was so fucking boring, and needy.





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Unpopular opinion but I actually liked Logan. He was entertaining and he did get his shit together to be better to Rory unlike Jess.

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Always hated him

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exactly. he was the worst

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I agree. Hated him so much

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Dean was a clingy, pathetic boyband-looking dumbass whose possessiveness over Rory actually set off red flags for me. Dean was a clingy, pathetic boyband-looking dumbass whose possessiveness over Rory actually set off red flags for me.

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same.

that's why after 8 seasons i still cant really like sam. dean forrester is all i see.

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Rory had such shitty luck with guys. Dean was too much of a pushover, Tristan was a douche, Jess was a jerk, and Logan was an entitled brat (although he did change at the end of the series).

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Hmm, don't know if I agree with him or not. He needs to understand that the media reports on what will sell.

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This is a fucking non-story.



And Thomas is so cute.



You also missed this:



@sebroche no doubt. Especially when Jesus (according to the Bible) healed the sick. And fed the poor..  Jared Padalecki (@jarpad) July 23, 2013







Edited at 2013-07-23 08:22 pm (UTC) Fuck, he can complain about this even though he's privileged. And he's fucking right! I loved it, but I still don't understand why the media covered this so much.This is a fucking non-story.And Thomas is so cute.You also missed this:

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Yes? Historians that believe Jesus was a real person without all the miracles and healing.

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He's not necessarily wrong, but it's a bit silly for a rich, white B-list actor to announce his rich, white wife's pregnancy of his second rich, white baby in multiple, clearly attention-mongering tweets and then turn around and complain about the media caring about the very recent birth of the future king.



Edited at 2013-07-23 08:26 pm (UTC)

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how is it a non-story tho?

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LMAO yes, lets privilege shame here! You know, if that's the case, NONE of ONTD should EVER complain again about ANYTHING because we all have running water and a place to live, whereas many people in this world do not.

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LOL let's bring The Bible into it.





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But him?



His son is so cute.But him?

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omg

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Karl <3

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What kind of Khaleesi nonsense?

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lmao

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Russia is still negotiating an oil production freeze with OPEC, and more specifically with the organizations number-one producer Saudi Arabia, Energy Minister Alexandr Novak said, in an interview published on Monday for Saudi newspaper Asharq al-Awsata move that has oil prices rising in the grasping hope that production will soon be tapered.

On Monday 11:00 am EST, WTI stood up 2.25% at $45.49 while Brent, the international benchmark, climbed 2.28% at $48.04.

Novak also said, as quoted by media, that Russia was in talks with non-OPEC producers as well, and is ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time."

Novak added that he expected the international oil markets to rebalance next year and not before that, and that the Doha negotiations had a certain positive effect on current developments.

Russia was the initiator of the Doha talks with several OPEC members that aimed to agree on a production freeze to alleviate some of the pressure from oil markets. Many observers and analysts said at the time, however, that with both Russia and Saudi Arabia pumping crude at record levels since the start of the year, a freeze would not have much of a point. Related: What Really Caused The Oil Price Rebound?

The Russian ministers statement comes just days after his Saudi counterpart Khalid al-Falih said Saudi Arabia is ready to co-operate with other OPEC members and other oil producers to help restore balance on the market. In an interview with Saudi Press Agency, the minister reiterated that, in his opinion, the market is already moving back towards balance.

Some observers note, however, that there have been many discrepancies between statements and actions on the part of the Saudis, and that the market is still far from rebalancing. Saudi Arabia is still pumping at record-high rates, with its July output rising to 10.67 million bpd.

Things are unlikely to change substantially at the next OPEC meeting, this time an informal one in Algeria. After all, Saudi Arabia, like its rivals, has a market share to protect and an output freeze will not really make it more flexible in this respect.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Oil is carrying on where it left off last week, rallying higher on the low likelihood event of a production freeze by key global producers. As rumors and murmurs lifted prices last week by the most since April, there appears little incentive for producers to back away from jawboning. Hark, here are five things to consider in oil markets today:

1) As rhetoric swirls of an OPEC oil production freeze, it seems prudent to point out the contrast betwixt actions versus words. As our ClipperData illustrates in the chart below, crude oil loadings from OPEC members in the Middle East (USE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and Iraq) have risen by over 20 percent since the beginning of last year. OPEC oil exports from these six cartel members is now well above 18.5 million barrels per day, 3.3 million bpd higher than early last year.

(Click to enlarge)

2) In response to the return of production freeze chatter from OPEC members, hedge funds have bolstered their long positions in the latest CFTC / ICE data (through to last Tuesday). After dropping into thirty dollardom, jawboning has laid down a bullish wildcard, and bullish bets have risen the most since January in the latest data. Short positions have barely budged, meaning the net long position has risen strongly.

(Click to enlarge)

3) After we highlighted last week that Qua Iboe is likely to be gone 'til November, this has been swiftly followed by Shell declaring another force majeure on Bonny Light exports. The force majeure is due to a pipeline leak, although it is not clear whether it is a result of sabotage.

Force majeure was only lifted on Bonny Light last month after a leak on a different pipeline; according to our ClipperData, Bonny light loadings so far this month are at their lowest since 2013. Related: Morgan Stanley: The Oil Rally Might End On Wednesday

4) Just as winter natural gas prices need to take heed of the woolly worm, hedging activity by Mexico needs to be acknowledged and respected, given their prudent past. Although it has missed the target some years, in others it has made a considerable amount by hedging over 200 million barrels of its domestic production.

Last year it received $6 billion by hedging its exposure, locking in prices at $76/bbl, while this year it has hedged at $49/bbl - considerably higher than the average price so far this year. Hence, as it is apparently starting its hedging program for next year (at a similar price level to last year), it could be a harbinger for future price action.

5) Finally, the chart below from EIA shows its production forecast over the coming years. While long-term forecasts have to be considered with a pinch of salt (or ten), they are still useful for highlighting potential future broader trends.

Shale gas is projected to contribute the biggest increase to global natural gas production over the coming decades. The U.S., Canada, China, and Argentina are expected to continue to lead the charge in shale production, while they will be joined by Mexico and Algeria; these six countries are projected to account for 70 percent of global shale production by 2040.



By Matt Smith

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Cheniere Energy has long been my favorite contrarian indicator in the U.S. natural gas market. For those unfamiliar with the term, a contrarian indicator is an event which suggests that a broadly and firmly held view--in this case, the view that U.S. natural gas supplies will grow and remain cheap for decades--is about to begin a reversal.

As the company shipped its first cargo of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) for export earlier this year, the glut of cheap U.S. natural gas seem to vindicate Cheniere's plans. I, on the other hand, imagined that the shipment was not confirmation of Cheniere's assumptions, but a contrarian signal that natural gas production was about to dip and that prices were finally going to turn higher in a sustained way.

I say this based on the timing of Cheniere's last scheme, a U.S. natural gas import terminal that now sits unused next to its newly built LNG export terminal in Louisiana. The import terminal received its first LNG shipment in April 2008, just two months before U.S. natural gas prices peaked around $13 per thousand cubic feet, collapsing to a low of $2.06 by September 2009. For comparison, last week U.S. natural gas futures for September delivery closed at $2.59.

Cheniere's stock price went from above $40 in 2007 to around $3 by September 2009, having gone below $1 at one point. When Cheniere planned and built the import terminal, most everyone believed that U.S. natural gas production would soon go into decline. But, only months after the terminal was operational, there was no longer any reason to bring LNG into the United States. It was just too expensive to compete with cheap domestic production which continued to grow.

So, Cheniere got the idea that it would reinvent itself as an LNG exporter. After all, because of the so-called shale revolution U.S. natural gas production was supposed to rise for decades, keeping U.S. domestic gas cheap. The rest of the world, Europe and Asia especially, would be hungry for LNG supplies and would pay dearly for them.

That was then. Now, of course, LNG prices have collapsed because of worldwide overexpansion of LNG capacity and flat demand in a world struggling to grow. Prices which had been above $11 in Europe and between $15 and $18 in Japan in 2012--while Cheniere was building its export terminal--have now swooned to $4.51 in Europe and $6 in Japan. Even back in 2012 Cheniere's foray into LNG exports seemed like a risky proposition to me. Related: Is This Finally A Real Energy Storage Breakthrough?

What's worse for Cheniere is that the first signs of a U.S. natural gas production decline have appeared. Shale gas, the main driver of U.S. production growth, is expected to decline. That means that at some point supplies will shrink enough that U.S. prices will rise and likely make the margin between the U.S. price and European and Asian prices even smaller. And, as it turns out, the peak in U.S. natural gas production may arrive by 2020 if it hasn't already.

I have not scrutinized Cheniere's financial statements. I do not know the structure of its debt. Nor have I studied the arcana of the company's existing contracts for delivery of LNG cargoes. Cheniere reports that 87 percent of its capacity is under long-term contracts where all the price risk is taken by the buyer. If Cheniere makes money, it will make money based on service fees.

With LNG prices as low as they are and a glut of new LNG facilities still planned, will other buyers from other new facilities take all the price risk which seems only to the upside? Will they insist on a more equitable sharing of that risk? Will the low spot price of LNG lead to more short-term arrangements for the time being? These are all good questions for those contemplating an investment in LNG facilities.

An earnings report from Cheniere released last week missed estimates and may or may not indicate a problem. Famed short seller Jim Chanos--who has no doubt done all the analysis I've failed to do--thinks the company has many problems.

In December of last year I suggested that one possible surprise in the year ahead was that several approved U.S. LNG projects might be delayed or canceled, something that seemed unlikely at the time. In late July Royal Dutch Shell announced that it was delaying a decision on whether to build an LNG export facility in Louisiana. Earlier in the month, the company announced a delay for a similar project in British Columbia. Related: What Really Caused The Oil Price Rebound?

Just last week Sempra Energy announced a delay in further work on an expansion of its Louisiana-based LNG export operation.

Outside North America a cancellation in Australia and a delay in Cameroon show that the problem is worldwide.

Possibly making matters worse in the long run are planned natural gas deliveries by pipeline from Russia to China starting in 2019 that might sell for around $10 to $11. If that becomes the ceiling price in China, LNG from the United States will almost surely be unable to compete for the large Chinese market.

Because Cheniere is taking no price risk on almost all of its exports, the company may make out just fine no matter what happens to U.S. natural gas or world LNG prices. (I leave it to the financial analysts to figure out, for instance, whether Cheniere's arrangement with Britain's BG Group to supply gas at 115 percent of the Henry Hub price plus a $2.25 per million BTUs liquefaction fee will provide adequate cash flow.)

But, I'm guessing that Cheniere's first exports of LNG will, in hindsight, likely mark a bottom for U.S. natural gas prices--just as its first imports of LNG nearly coincided with the top of the gas market in 2008. U.S. natural gas production is likely to shrink in the coming years, and Cheniere is proposing to take more and more of that shrinking supply and export it. And, so are several other companies (though I doubt that many of them will complete their projects).

The question for investors is whether U.S. LNG operators will make money or simply destroy capital as Cheniere did in the past with its LNG import operations. The question for policymakers is whether shipping U.S. natural gas abroad is a good idea even as the country continues to import natural gas to meet its needs.

By Kurt Cobb via Resource Insights

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
All eyes were on Milwaukee on Saturday night as protesters and rioters took to the streets of the Sherman Park area, a boiling point reached after the police-involved shooting of Sylville Smith earlier that afternoon.

Those eyes, local and national, stayed on Milwaukee and Sherman Park on Sunday to see how the city and its residents would react and respond to the previous night's violence. What they saw was a community  black and white, young and old  come together to clean up their streets, show their support for an area in recovery and voice their thoughts, hopes and prayers for a safer, more peaceful tomorrow.

Here are 16 images of that scene Sunday afternoon:

1. Some of Saturday night's wreckage

(PHOTO: Carolynn Buser)

2. Residents look on at the aftermath

(PHOTO: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

3. People gather to clean the debris of Saturday night's riots

(PHOTO: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

4. Local leaders discuss Saturday night's events

(PHOTO: Carolynn Buser)

5. Nate Dotson supports the clean-up by providing extra supplies and food

(PHOTO: Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

6. A family helps pick up trash in the area

(PHOTO: Dontello Get Bands Fifer Facebook)

7. Three men join in thought and prayer

(PHOTO: Stephen Jansen Facebook)

8. People unite to help the community

(PHOTO: Eshi Morris Facebook)

9. A job well done by cleanup volunteers

(PHOTO: Marie Carlson Facebook)

10.

The young man with the braids in the white t-shirt lost his brother yesterday. I told this young man that I love him, WE as a community told him that we love him, and we want the best for him and our community. A photo posted by Sean Lowe (@seanrlowe) on Aug 14, 2016 at 12:33pm PDT

11. A mother and son (looking at camera) attend a Sherman Park gathering

(PHOTO: Jabril Faraj/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

12. A community joined in hurt, hope and prayer

(PHOTO: Jabril Faraj/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

13. A gathering near West Auer Avenue where Saturday's shooting took place

(PHOTO: Jabril Faraj/Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service)

14.

Hundreds and hundreds of people praying, demonstrating in Sherman Park. pic.twitter.com/W2L3Iv06zq  Jabril Faraj (@jabrilfaraj) August 15, 2016

15.

Religious leaders singing hymns with at least 200 in Sherman Park, the site of past mishaps btw cops and community pic.twitter.com/wUhiBLXReu  Tony Briscoe (@_TonyBriscoe) August 15, 2016

16.
"The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don't acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead." Kurt Vonnegut from Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons.



Chelsea Lyons Kent 'salutes' DNC, certain members of the Hawaii delegation

(Image by Shawn Hamilton) Details DMCA



The 2016 presidential election so far has left me feeling acutely unrepresented. The one candidate that seemed reasonable was, through chicanery and malice, politically neutered by my former Party, yet Mr. Sanders continues to play a weird game of ignoring what Party infidels did to him and us.

There has been only one time during this election when I felt truly represented. It occurred during the Democratic National Committee convention and wasn't part of the script. Leaders of the Hawaiian delegation ignored the 70% majority who had voted for Sanders in the primaries--and cast their ballots instead for Hillary Clinton. Hawaii had even passed a resolution that urged delegates to vote according to the state's popular will. Only two super delegates honored the resolution--senators Tulsi Gabbart and Tim Vandeveer; the others voted for Clinton. Delegate Chelsea Lyons Kent (CLK) realized that Sanders' supporters in Hawaii had just been royally screwed by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and establishment members of the Democratic Party of Hawaii (DPH). In that moment she had a choice: she could fake a smile and feign jollity--or she could use the moment to register an honest statement, and that's what she did. She gave the duplicitous delegates "the finger" on national television!

Bravo! Chelsea! For the first time this election year, I felt represented! Democratic Party officials decided to censure her honest and courageous rebellion, however, threatening to invalidate her delegate credentials if she didn't apologize and agree to and meet a set of specific conditions. "I did have my credentials taken at the DNC. I was given the opportunity to get them back, but I chose not to. I was told that if I apologized to (state senators) Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono and the DNC, that I would get my credentials back. I absolutely, 100% refused to do that. Both Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono chose to vote against the 70% of voters in Hawaii who chose Bernie Sanders--and cast their votes for Hillary Clinton instead," CLK told me. "There is nothing democratic about the Democratic National Committee," she added, describing the convention as nothing more than "well-orchestrated theater". Party officials, she reported, worked tirelessly to produce a false image of unity by silencing all dissent.

"It's a crushing realization when it dawns on you that democracy truly is dead. When the cameras were turned on my delegation, I had approximately three seconds to figure out how I could protest that moment. Especially that moment. If there was one moment throughout the convention that I would want to destroy the illusion of, it would have been that moment," CLK recounted. "So I did the only thing I could think of...." (Full video clip1:28):

Everything is not okay in the Democratic Party

Chelsea Lyons Kent (CLK) explained that the Democratic Party's established structure--on both the local and the national level--caters to big business and career politicians. In Hawaii, the DPH has been primarily controlled by a small clique that has been present for years. "If you are just a concerned citizen looking for an organization through which to enact change, you are in the wrong place," she observed. "If you're looking to climb the establishment ladder, then you are welcome to stay." She added:

"I like to say that our local party is more like 'Democracy role playing'. It was only once I was at the convention that I realized [the corruption] extended all the way up the chain. I think the overwhelming issue is that people are more concerned with politeness and propriety than they are with election fraud and the outrageous lack of democracy in America. We speak of paradise and Aloha without mentioning the corruption of our local party, the thousands of homeless people littering our streets, and the big-money companies that are destroying the land. We aren't doing anyone any favors by perpetuating this false image of unity. Everything is not okay in the Democratic Party."

CLK describes the Democratic Party of Hawaii (DPH) as exceptionally unhelpful to newer Party members, citing lack of outreach. "No-one is sending out invitations to join the organization or to attend their events. DPH representatives elect new positions yearly but don't explain how one runs for them. You will have to do all of your own research. You either read the cluttered manifesto that is the rule book or remain clueless. There is a much greater sense of exclusion than that of inclusion," CLK said. "It becomes clear very quickly that the Democratic Party is indeed a private club--a far cry from the party of the working class that they promote themselves to be."

CLK said she will be voting for Jill Stein because the two-party system exemplifies excessive power in the hands of too few. In many other countries it's common to have a slate of candidates in an election, yet in the US we have only two! She believes that Jill Stein and Gary Johnson have a unique opportunity to really shake thing up! "It's likely that neither will win, but it would send a clear message to the major parties that they shouldn't choose such unlikable candidates. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are equally terrifying options, and both of them will lead us into war," she said. "The American people deserve better."

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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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See original here



.I want to scare Assad.. Mike Morell, former deputy director of the CIA, discusses the need to put pressure on Syria and Russia.

(Image by Charlie Rose, Channel: Charlie Rose) Details DMCA



Former CIA Director Michael Morell sparked uproar when he said in an interview on Charlie Rose that Russians and Iranians should be killed in Syria. Was the provocative statement an effort to promote himself as the new CIA Director under Hillary Clinton?

Morell has proposed the US change tactics in Syria by targeting President Bashar Assad's allies, adding that killing Russians should be done covertly.

"We need to make the Iranians pay a price in Syria, we need to make the Russians pay a price,"Morell told a stunned Charlie Rose, who asked if that means killing Iranians and Russians. Morell answered "Yes,"saying the killings should be done "convertly"but done in such way that "Moscow would get the message."

Two former CIA officials turned whistleblowers, Ray McGovern and John Kiriakou, appeared on RT's "Watching the Hawks" program to give their analysis on the disturbing comments, as well as other tantalizing bits of information.



Copyrighted Image? DMCA

-" @RT_America

'Kill Russians and Iranians, threaten Assad,' says ex-CIA chief backing # Clinton http:// on.rt.com/7m57

2:20 PM - 9 Aug 2016

RT (Tyrel Ventura):Morell was suggesting to kill Russian and Iranian people -- I'm assuming soldiers, even though he wasn't that specific -- as payback for their actions in Syria and Iran's actions in Iraq. Apparently Iran was providing supplies and armaments to the people we were fighting there during our occupation. Is this of strategy or tactics the norm or the oddity for the CIA in planning?

John Kiriakou:This is the exception. It's not the norm. Even under George W. Bush when the CIA wanted to initiate or institute a policy or program that would result in the killing of foreign nationals, my God, we went to the UN Security Council and asked for a vote. What Mike Morell is proposing is quite simply illegal. You just can't wantonly kill people because you don't like their politics. One of the important things that Mike Morell has forgotten or has chosen to ignore is that [Syrian President Bashar] Assad, whether we like him or not, is the internationally recognized leader of a sovereign country. And the Russian military has been invited into that country by its sovereign leader. So it's not up to us to decide we don't like that, and so we are going to start killing people because of it.

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Reprinted from Wallwritings

In the beginning was Donald J. Trump's false birther tweet, posted four years ago.

The Los Angeles Times' Matt Pearce remembers: "On Aug. 6, 2012, the Twitter account @realDonaldTrump posted an important public announcement: "An 'extremely credible source' called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud.'"

Donald Trump's presidential campaign began with that false statement from an "extremely credible source."

The birther allegation was so obviously false that it should have fallen into the trash heap of absurdity. Instead, an alarming number of Republican voters took the birther nonsense seriously enough to launch Trump's campaign for president, a campaign one final election away from placing "birther" Trump in the White House.

Trump's style of short falsehoods embellished with insulting adjectives ("crooked Hillary"), is tailor-made for Twitter. The Times' Mike Pearce points to August 6, four years ago, and asks:

"Who was the source? (Why was 'extremely credible source' in quotation marks?) Donald Trump didn't say. Nor did he offer evidence to back up his claim. But out it went to his millions of Twitter followers."

Trump's style has not changed. His tweets and public speeches continue with the same misleading bellicosity with the hashtag "@realDonaldTrump. Here is one recent 2016 tweet:

"The failing @nytimes has become a newspaper of fiction. Their stories about me always quote non-existent unnamed sources. Very dishonest!"

The polls, state by state, show that Trump is headed for a blowout defeat. In a normal campaign this would be a call for shift in strategy. Trump, however, is not running a normal campaign. Why won't he change?

Peter Danou, former advisor to both Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, writes in his Blue Nation Review:

"Donald Trump is not running a campaign to win the American presidency. Rather, he is using his presidential run as a vehicle to achieve a larger personal ambition: To be seen as the leader of a 'white [nationalist] awakening' -- the term David Duke used to describe his campaign."

Accustomed to political campaigns run to be won, Danou's proposition appears far-fetched. But is it? Danou again:

"By accident or design, Trump is now seeking what he sees as a greater glory than the mere presidency. His strategy could be described as 'lose at all costs.' That's not to say he wants to lose. Far from it. He'd happily advance his agenda from the Oval Office."

That makes more sense. Trump wants to win. He is gambling that his twitter style campaigning could put him in the White House. If he loses?

Peter Danou suggests that Trump...

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Sindh imbroglio needs full antidote 15 August, 2016 By Asif Haroon Raja

Related News Govt finalises draft of national security policy: Nisar Govt okays targeted action in Karachi Related Articles Horde of Enemies surrounding Pakistan

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By By Asif Haroon Raja Related Speakout More on this View All Govt determined to transform Pakistan into truly democratic society: Rasheed

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Pakistan's existence not jeopardised at all: FM Qureshi

Pakistani state is not going to collapse, says Zardari Related News Poll Are you in support of amending the law to raise the strength of the Supreme Court to 27 from 17? PPP-MQM 5-year rule in Sindh from 2008 to 2013 had devastated Karachi. The cosmopolitan city of lights was destablised by the MQM with the help of its target killers trained in India with an additional base in South Africa under a well calculated plan of India and its strategic partners to bleed Pakistans economic hub centre and crumble its economy. Well over 5000 innocent people had been gunned down by the target killers. Lyari gangs under the name of Aman Committee were created by the then Home Minister Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza in 2011 to confront MQM militancy. Arms licenses were issued to the gangsters liberally. Both parties milked the resources of Karachi and the people with both hands. Injured and dead of the MQM and Lyari terrorists as well as of affiliated terror groups were secretly treated/handled in Ziauddin hospital run by Dr. Asim Hussain, blue-eyed boy of the then President Asif Al Zardari.



PPP-MQM partnership was a marriage of convenience and an unnatural alliance. The PPP after winning majority seats in 2013 elections in Sindh kept MQM out of power but failed to curb its militancy since the latter had gained control over 80% Karachi with the help of its militant wing structured on the basis of Rabita Committee, Tanzeemi Committee, Sector and Unit HQs. Rabita Committee in London acts as the Supreme Council. RAW has been funding this party since 1989 to control Karachi and blackmail Sindh and federal governments. MQM leaders in Sindh have been sending huge funds to London for the upkeep of Altaf Hussain and his team of runaways living an Aristocrats life.



Unable to control the ever deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi, the PPP, MQM and ANP agreed to the new PML-N govts suggestion of launching an intelligence based targeted Rangers-Police Operation in September 2013 under the captaincy of Sindh CM Qaim Ali Shah. Both the MQM and PPP wanted to get rid of their trouble makers, but MQMs main concern was the TTP threat which it wanted to be eliminated by the Rangers. When the rangers raided Nine Zero in March 2015 and arrested several high profile terrorists and seized arms, the MQM leadership made hue and cry but it didnt bother the Sindh govt. Unruffled by the MQM leaders loud complaints that the operation was MQM specific, and Altafs highly insulting remarks against the Rangers/Army, and seeking intervention of the UN and RAW, the Rangers continued to net wanted criminals of MQM and kept shrinking their space. Many senior MQM leaders like Babar Ghauri, Sabzwari, Haider Rizwi fled abroad. As long as the Rangers were operating against the criminals of MQM, Lyari gang and banned terror groups, no objection was raised by sleepy Qaim Ali.



Trouble started when the Rangers raided the Sindh Board Authority and Fisheries Department and seized implicating material from which it gathered that most of the Sindh ministers, bureaucrats, police and other officials were deeply involved in the racket of financial terrorism and corruption. The front man of Zardari Dr. Asim was nabbed who revealed a lot. Already miffed by the arrest of model Ayan Ali, Asims arrest made Zardari hit the roof and he fired hysterical



salvos at the Rangers and military establishment and threatened of dire consequences if the PPP was pushed against the wall. From that time onwards, Sindh govt is feeling nervy and seems less interested in the Rangers and want to get rid of it. Qaim Ali Shah, who was a puppet in the hands of Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur and Tappi, was reluctant to grant extension on the plea that the Rangers had trespassed into the prohibitive domain of corruption, which was none of their business.



This is the 3rd time that the Sindh Ministry created a big issue at the time of grant of extension to Sindh Rangers to operate with special policing powers. Each time it delayed and raised undue concerns and created an embarrassing situation for the Rangers which impacted the momentum of operation. The Centre had to butt in to get the ball moving. When Qaim tried to put obstacles in the way of Rangers, the interior ministry decided to induct NAB and FIA in Sindh to back up the Rangers efforts to tackle financial terrorism amounting to Rs. 250 billion each year earned through massive corruption. Finding the noose tightening around their necks, Zardari and over 100 PPP leading lights, including Home Minister Sharjeel from whose house Rs. 2.50 billion were recovered, and bureaucrats fled to Dubai. Since then Zardari is remote controlling Sindh govt from there. He has been applying pressure tactics to get Dr. Asim and Ayan Ali released and to keep the Rangers within limits. Kidnapping of son of Sindh chief justice Owais Shah was link of the same chain. Teaming up with its arch rival PTI on the issue of Panama Leaks and TORs is again aimed at pressuring the government to ignore corruption and pursue PPPs infamous policy of national reconciliation.



Arrest of front man Asad Kharal of the new Home Minister Syal by the Rangers from Larkana and the Sindh Police retrieving him after confronting the Rangers, and soon after the recovery of Owais from Tank by the Army complicated things for Zardari and the PPP. Egged on by Bilawal, Zardari changed the aged chief minister to deflect attention, but the new face is as loyal to Zardari as his predecessor. According to Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, as Finance Minister Sindh, Murad had been doling out Rs. 80 billion out of Sindh budget to Zardari every year. Based on the directions he received from Dubai, Murad Ali Shah issued the notification of extension on August 01 after a delay of 12 days for only one month and confined the Rangers jurisdiction to Karachi only. The Sindh Ministry doesnt want it to operate in interior Sindh asserting that the initial charter was for Karachi only. Its a clear-cut indication that they want to keep the hideouts in rural Sindh and escape routes to Baluchistan and southern Punjab protected particularly after the busting of Lyari no-go area. The Interior Minister has issued two notifications by virtue of which the Rangers will remain operational for counter terrorism duties for one year, and will enjoy extra powers in whole of Sindh for next 90 days. It is hoped that the next notification is issued well in time before the expiry date.



The Rangers have to a large extent succeeded in reducing the bleeding of people of Karachi and Sindh economy and freeing Karachi from the clutches of foreign paid monsters by cornering them. 15000 target killers, kidnappers and extortionists have been arrested by the Rangers and handed over to the police for prosecution, conviction and punishment. Smashing of criminal and



militant infrastructures in Karachi have substantially improved the law and order situation. Incidents of target killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion and other crimes have dropped by 80%.



Majority of MQM militants have either been arrested or have gone underground, or have joined the new Pak Sarzmeen Party, a breakaway faction led by Mustafa Kamal. Lyari gang has cracked up after the arrest of Uzair Baloch and killing of senior gangsters. The leeches which are sucking the blood are however yet to be quashed since the reins of power are in their hands. While the people are eulogizing the Rangers the MQM is leaving no stone unturned to discredit and defame the Rangers on concocted charges of genocide of Mohajirs, kidnapping and torture of political workers. In line with its past tradition, the party leadership is putting up an innocent face and playing the card of victimization of Mohajirs. Both PPP and MQM desire that the Rangers should quit, but the people of Karachi who are feeling secure after three decades of acute insecurity hold the Rangers in high esteem. They want the Rangers to stay and completely rid Karachi of the killers and criminals once and for all.



Zardari and Sindh govt are in no mood to change their old habits of nepotism, feudalism, ineptness and corruption, and are least interested in reforming the politicized and corrupt police, the inept civil administration, the lethargic investigative and prosecution systems, protection of witnesses, and performance of lower judiciary. They are quite at ease with the existing flawed systems that allow them to break or bend laws, and loot and plunder without any fear of accountability. 18th amendment has further emboldened them to defy the authority of Islamabad. Sindh govt is ready to tolerate the Rangers as long as they remain within assigned limits and ignore corruption.



Decades old bitterness between the old and new Sindhi in which RAW also had a hand has accentuated rural-urban divide and has turned Sindh into a wounded province. This state of affairs doesnt bode well since Pakistan cannot hope to prosper without making its economic lifeline secure and healthy. Operations launched in Karachi in 1992 and 1995-6 were directed against the MQM to bridle its militancy but were called off halfway on account of political expediency.



Altaf and founding members of MQM are responsible for militarizing the party to terrorize the Karachites and bleed the port city. Altaf has become a tool in the hands of MI-6 and RAW and takes dictations from them. PPP, PML-N and Gen Musharraf are responsible for strengthening the MQM, while Zardari is responsible for injecting the germs of corruption in the PPP in 1988 and reducing the party to a regional party in 2013. He seems to have learnt no lesson and is continuing to tread on a destructive path. In his mad lust for big money he is causing grievous harm to Pakistan as well.



Nawaz has become PM for the 3rd time and his popularity graph has so far not receded but he lacks charisma and traits of a real leader. Gen Raheel is the only Army chief with whom he has so far not locked horns, although he had created a situation in September 2014 after Imran and



Tahirul Qadri had held a meeting with COAS and the PM created tension in civil-military relations by telling the opposition leader that he had not asked the army chief to hold a meeting. For a change he has maintained cordial relations with the Army despite willful efforts of vested groups to spoil them and provoke one or the other to go for the kill. This harmony has proved fruitful for Pakistan and has helped in achieving good results in the last three years.



PML-N under Nawaz has performed well by way of starting Rangers Operation in Karachi in September 2013 to stabilize Pakistans economic lifeline, Operation Zarb-e-Azb in June 2014 to fight and destroy terrorism in the northwest, and in empowering nationalists in Baluchistan to smother separatist movement with the help of Frontier Corps backed by Army. Outstanding results have been achieved in the three conflict zones. It is also credited for formulating productive 20-point National Action Plan. So far no mega corruption case against any of the sitting ministers has come to surface. The sunk economy has been upturned and macroeconomic indicators as well as stock exchange are positive. Energy crisis has been boldly tackled by undertaking multiple initiatives. Above all, CPEC has been launched which hopefully will change the complexion of Pakistan in coming years. But for futile 126-day sit-in by PTI-PAT, the road infrastructure connecting Gwadar with Kashgar by now could have neared completion.



This is not to say that everything is fine in the ruling party. It has many feudal lords and industrialists who are insensitive to the problems of the poor and least care about national interests. Some have connections with the likes of Chotu gang in Southern Punjab. Very little attention has been paid to rectify the serious flaws in electoral laws without which honest and efficient leaders cannot emerge; pro-rich criminal judicial system which denies cheap and fair justice to the poor. Without police reforms crime cannot be checked and curbed. And without robust accountability system, corruption among the politicians and the bureaucrats who work in unison, cannot be tackled. Charter of Democracy signed by Nawaz and Benazir in 2006 is another anomaly which has handicapped Nawaz. It envisaged keeping the Army under control and the two mainstream parties ruling in turn for five years each. It has given birth to friendly opposition, national reconciliation and scratching each others back. Nawaz cannot forget and forgive Gen Musharraf for the trial and tribulation he suffered at his hands for a decade and wants to pay him in the same coin.



Another weakness of Nawaz is his softness towards India which provides a handle to his haters to beat him with. In the wake of upsurge in freedom movement in Kashmir and Indian security forces breaking all records of atrocities, he need to put more steel in his back and adopt an aggressive diplomatic posture particularly in the wake of hysteria created by Indian media which is branding the freedom movement duly sanctified by the UN as terrorism. Chaudhi Nisar Ali did very well to give appropriate reply to the visiting Indian Home Minister Rajnath who in frustration had to beat a hasty retreat to Delhi. Such responses are essential to bolster the morale of the Kashmiris in distress and to assure them that they are not alone.



Non-cooperation of PPP and 18th Amendment are coming in the way of taking Rangers operation to its logical end in Karachi. The other reason is PTIs aggressiveness and its obsession to unseat



the PM. It intends to start protest march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on August 7th. These factors and fear of political isolation are restraining Nawaz to go full hog in Karachi. But for Gen Raheels push, Nawaz might have called off the Karachi operation to please the PPP and MQM under the misplaced belief that enough has been achieved. He and his core team fail to comprehend that the progress is illusory and will get reversed once Rangers are pulled out.



Wholesome peace can return to Karachi only when the malignant part is removed. The cancers of corruption, crime and financial terrorism have intertwined with politics. Zardari and his coterie are neck deep involved in mega corruption and cannot live without it. They do not consider corruption bad. The MQM cannot survive without terrorism. While Zardari is an obstacle in the way of surgery, the surgeon is hesitant and lacks courage and political will to go for surgery. Till such time the surgery of malignant part is undertaken, the cancers of corruption, crime and terrorism will not get cured and all the sacrifices rendered will go in vain. The vultures, criminals and parasites will bounce back with a vengeance upon the people of Karachi. Their comeback will prove fatal for the integrity of Pakistan.



The situation will become all the more grave in the backdrop of Indo-US-Afghan-Israeli nexus formed against Pakistan in 2002 which has been consistently working to denuclearize and fragment Pakistan into Quasi states. Their efforts to disrupt and fail CPEC is well known. The US is expressing its hostility openly and has not only denied Pakistan the eight F-16s but has also stopped payment of close support fund. Pakistan is faced with ominous internal and external challenges and security forces are fighting a war of survival whose end is not in sight. Certain political parties, banned terror groups, electronic, print and social media, intellectuals, NGOs and snakes in the grass are facilitating foreign agenda.



Under the circumstances the Sindh Ministry has no earthly reason to create impediments in the way of Rangers at this vulnerable stage when light is seen at the end of long tunnel. There is also no reason for opposition parties to gang up and resort to politics of agitation particularly at a time when the wale of Kashmir is bleeding and danger of floods is looming over Pakistan, and the displaced persons from Waziristan who have suffered a long ordeal need rehabilitation. The government must not dillydally at this critical juncture and should stand behind the Rangers and Army to take the Karachi operation to its logical end at the earliest. Hundreds of cases prepared by the JITs must be finalised on war footing and the culprits given exemplary punishments. This will help in destroying RAWs network in Sindh.



Gen Raheel has only 3 months at his disposal. Having played a glorious inning, he should avoid the temptation of getting extension in service or seizing power. Unless the Parliament amends the rules and extends the tenure of COAS to 4 or 5 years, he should retire honorably on time. He should ignore the suggestions of those trying to place their guns on his shoulder. If he decides to save the so-called sinking ship which is not sinking, like FM Ayub, Gen Yahya, Gen Zia and Gen Musharraf, he will never be forgiven for this cardinal sin and he will go down in history as a usurper. These very political parties who are provoking him to takeover will gang up against him. Suggestion of forming a national govt in 3 months and expecting that it will cure all the chronic



diseases is impractical and wishful. I dare say, the only way out left for the adversaries to stop work on CPEC is the fall of govt in power, which with all its drawbacks is moving things forward.



Although Gen Raheel has achieved a lot and will be remembered with fondness for times too come, he is urged to maximize output in his left over time by exerting full pressure on the decision makers to expedite operationalization of CPEC, resettlement of IDPs in Waziristan, further improving the management along the western and southwestern borders, catching the big fish in Sindh, across the board accountability of all by NAB, Hopefully the baton will be taken over by an equally professional and dedicated successor who should pursue his policies and complete the left over works.



The writer is retired Brig, war veteran, defence and security analyst, columnist, author of five books, Director Measac Research Centre, Director Thinkers Forum Pakistan. Takes part in TV talk shows and delivers talks. asifharoonraja@gmail.com
Why do more mantra applicable to Pakistan only 15 August, 2016 By Asif Haroon Raja

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Relations with US improving: Sartaj Aziz Related News Poll Will President Obama`s policies on Pakistan be any different from President Bush? After making Pakistan an ally and a frontline state in September 2001 to help the US in occupying Afghanistan and in fighting global war on terrorism, it was first asked to sever relations with Taliban regime in Kabul. Later on, it was coerced to flush out Al-Qaeda elements and their supporters from South Waziristan (SW) in 2003. Pakistan sent regular troops in violation to the pledge Quaid-e-Azam had given to the people of FATA that they will be allowed to retain their customs and system of Jirga and that except for the Frontier Corps, no regular troops will be deployed in the tribal belt. Backpedaling on the pledge proved fatal since it provided an opportunity to the enemies of Pakistan to win over a segment of resentful tribesmen bitter over Pakistans decision to ditch Taliban whom they considered as their role models. They were tasked to carryout guerrilla war against Pak security forces. In addition, CIA and FBI that had established outposts in FATA to trace and kill Al-Qaeda operatives and their supporters created a shady organization called Spider Web, in which retired Pakistani and Afghan soldiers were inducted. The hidden objective was to assassinate tribal elders and clerics loyal to Pakistan. Over 400 loyalists were murdered to create space for the militants.



Helped by foreign agencies, the misled militants called Pakistani Taliban managed to establish Tehreek-Taliban-Pakistan (TTP) in December 2007 under Baitullah Mehsud. During this period, Pak agencies netted over 600 Al-Qaeda operatives including high profile leaders with head money and handed them over to the US. The TTP in the meanwhile kept receiving funds, weapons, explosives and equipment from their patrons based in Afghanistan and extended their influence from the seven agencies of FATA to several regions within the settled areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and made Swat into a state-within-state by 2009.



On one hand Pakistan was eulogized for fighting the war and making sacrifices, on the other it was admonished for not doing enough and asked to do more. It was also brought under a malicious propaganda campaign to discredit its premier institutions. Maps and stories of Balkanized Pakistan showing Greater Baluchistan and Greater Pashtunistan as separate states were circulated. Many western and Indian writers predicted that Pakistan would crumble by 2015 if not earlier. Besides fanning fears that Pakistan is a failing state and soon it will become a failed state, it was propagated that Pak nukes are unsafe and are likely to fall in wrong hands. Pak security forces and ISI were accused of being aligned with Al-Qaeda and Taliban. The US military and the US think tanks kept making accusation that either Pakistan was complicit or incapable of fighting and defeating the terrorists.



Large scale operations were undertaken in end April 2009 and by November that year Swat, Malakand, Shangla, Dir, Buner, Bajaur and SW (main operational base of TTP) were cleared of the presence of militants and order restored. There on, smaller operations were launched in 2010 and 17 out of total of 18 administrative units under the influence of TTP were retaken and writ of the state re-established. No sooner SW was recaptured, the US began to press Pakistan to start another major offensive in North Waziristan (NW) and flush out Haqqani network (HN). Showing utter insensitivity to Pakistans compulsions and its security concerns, the US kept demonizing HN and repeating the demand of operation in NW. To intensify pressure, it withheld counter terror equipment as well as CSF. The reason was that the Afghan Taliban from 2008 onwards had started gaining an edge in eastern and southern Afghanistan and the US military gave an impression that HN was the major source of terrorism in Afghanistan.



Failing to evoke the desired response, the US launched a stealth helicopters attack in Abbottabad under the plea of nabbing or killing most wanted Osama bin Laden (OBL) on May 2, 2011, who from all accounts had died in 2003 owing to kidneys failure. OBLs two wives and 11 children were residing in Abbottabad house which was attacked. Cross border attacks by fugitive Fazlullahs terrorists were intensified in Mohmand Agency and Dir. When Pakistan still declined to launch an operation in NW, the NATO Apache helicopters callously attacked military outposts at Salala in Mohmand Agency on November 26 and killed many soldiers. Never before an ally was stabbed in the back so coldheartedly. For next six months, Pak-US relations hit rock bottom but even though the relations normalized in July 2012, the element of distrust remained. The US and Afghan government held Pakistan and the HN responsible for their failures in stemming the upsurge of Taliban in Afghanistan.



Once the decisive operation Zarb-e-Azb was launched in NW in June 2014 and HN, Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, IMU, and other local and foreign terror groups were flushed out and peace was restored, Washington and Kabul showered rose petals on Pakistan and urged it to help in bringing the Taliban to the negotiating table. The Indo-US-Afghan nexus poured cold water on Pakistans efforts twice, first time in July 2015 by mischievously announcing death of Mulla Omar at a wrong time, and second time droning the new Taliban Ameer Mulla Mansour in May 2016 in Baluchistan to sabotage peace process. Once the US and the unity government in Kabul assumed that either Pakistan cannot convince the Taliban, or else was playing a double game, and that the security situation in Afghanistan rather than improving had gone worse, the duo changed their stance and rose petals changed into stings and arrows.



Rather than owning their mistake, Pakistan is being blamed for not doing enough to convince/coerce the Taliban under the new leader Haibutullah Akhundzada to agree to talk. The other crib is that Pakistan is not agreeing to the US-Afghan proposal to fight the bad Taliban refusing to talk. The US want Pakistan to forget about Indian threat, Indo-Afghan cross border terrorism from Afghanistan, and rebellious BLA, BRA and BLF operating in Baluchistan, and instead concentrate fully on Afghan Taliban and make them agree to the US tailored peace formula. The US is resorting to its old coercive tactics and has stopped payment of $ 300 million CSF as well as delivery of eight F-16s and has also adopted a belligerent posture.



The US has all along been playing a double game with Pakistan. Under the garb of friendship and making Pakistan a non-NATO ally, it has been striving to rob Pakistan of its nukes and making it a client state of India.



The US gets upset whenever Pakistan fails its evil plans. Swat, Bajaur and SW had been converted into extraordinary strong fortresses and strategic ambush sites, where the partners in crime had hoped that Pak Army would get sunk into one of the quagmires.



When Pak Army emerged victorious by November 2009, the US soon after started pressing it to jump into the inferno of NW straightaway without taking a breather and consolidating its gains. It didnt care that the Army had suffered 3000 casualties to achieve those brilliant triumphs. And now when their last wish has been fulfilled, it is still dissatisfied and wants Pakistan to do more by hunting leaders of HN and Quetta Shura and at the same time convince them to talk.



The US and its strategic allies had hoped that a military venture into the last bastion of NW would bring all the terror groups as well as Afghan Taliban on one page and their collective effort would pin down bulk of Pak Army in the northwest and create conducive conditions for Indian military to launch its Cold Start doctrine against the weakened eastern front. It was with this end in view that Baluchistan and Karachi



were destabilized to fix the Army in the three conflict zones. The MQM had also kept requesting the Army to takeover Karachi operation from the Rangers. Another reason of destabilizing Baluchistan was to equate it with Kashmir and use it as a card to make Pakistan forget Kashmir.



Brilliant success in NW has decisively broken the back of foreign supported TTP and its affiliates. It has turned the tables on the conspirators who were very optimistic that the TTP in concert with BLA-BRA-BLF would help in weakening the Army and in slowing down the work on CPEC and in scuttling it. Ongoing combing operation all over Pakistan to search facilitators and collaborators is giving sleepless nights to the masterminds. The Army has become more robust and battle worthy and is today rated as second to none.



Substantial progress has been made in improving the law and order and security situation in the other two conflict zones of Baluchistan and Karachi that had been made restive through proxies. Not only that, freedom movement in occupied Kashmir which apparently had been curbed by 700,000 Indian forces operating under draconian law of AFSPA, has once again erupted like a volcano. Pakistans proactive moral, political and diplomatic support to the Kashmiris in distress has added to Indias woes and flabbergasted it.



Latest terror attack in Quetta in which about 60 lawyers lost their lives was in all probability aimed at giving vent to their pent up anger, ego and frustration by giving pain to Pakistan. It also indicates that from now on, main effort of proxy war will be concentrated in Baluchistan.



Let us now recapitulate the performance of ISAF which fought the longest war in the contemporary history in Afghanistan. The US-NATO forces removed the Taliban from power and occupied Afghanistan in November 2001 on the plea that the Taliban were linked with Al-Qaeda and had refused to hand over wanted OBL. The Taliban had been projected as fanatics who had made the lives of Afghans miserable because of their extremist ideology. Singing the songs of Enduring Freedom, democracy, women rights and prosperity, the 150,000 strong ISAF consisting of military contingents from 48 countries sounded bugles of victory all too soon and declared the Taliban and Al-Qaeda down and out. They didnt take into consideration the possibility of tactical withdrawal by the two for regrouping purposes and then striking back within a year time. They could never contemplate in their wildest stretch of imagination that the Taliban would regain the initiative and force them to withdraw bulk of their forces from Afghanistan despite their overwhelming superiority in men and material and use of excessive force and torture for 14 years at a stretch.



1, 40, 000 soldiers of the ISAF exited without accomplishing any of the stated objectives. The US has also failed to convince the Taliban to agree to sit and talk and work out a political settlement. A token force called Resolute Support Mission (RSM) comprising 12000 soldiers is stationed in Afghanistan. This force is meant to continue imparting training and technical assistance to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and also undertake limited counter terror and combat operations. The RSM is likely to be halved by the end of this year and probably exit by December next year.



Reasons why Obama administration decided to pullout was increasing rate of casualties, in-house killings, suicide cases, post stress disorders, fatigue, demoralization and home sickness.



The ANSF have 3, 60,000 soldiers and policemen fully trained and equipped by the US and UK, and have 12 years of combat experience to their credit which they have gained by fighting war against resistance forces on their home ground. They have the numerical as well as strategic, tactical, administrative,



technical, technological and intelligence advantages over their opponents who are very less in numbers and devoid of air power, drones, gunship helicopters, tanks, artillery, multi-barrel rockets. The Taliban do not have a safe and secure base of operation, or a logistic base or a caliphate like the IS in Syria-Iraq. Their leadership remain in hiding and cut off from the fighters and keep shifting from one place to the other to avoid detection.



Despite multiple advantages, the ANSF have been unable to cope with the Taliban threat which is becoming menacing with every passing day, given the number of deadly attacks all over Afghanistan. They have suffered maximum casualties in 2015-16 and are demoralized and involved in all sorts of indiscipline cases like corruption, private business, drugs, arms stealing, green-over-blue attacks, desertions, infighting and insubordination. The writ of unity government doesnt extend beyond Kabul which also has been repeatedly attacked by the Taliban.



The Taliban Shura has now decided to capture whole of strategically important Helmand province which is contiguous to Baluchistan and flanked by Nimroz province (sharing border with Baluchistan and Iran) and Kandahar from where the Taliban movement under late Mulla Omar had started in 1994. They feel the time has come for the Taliban senior leadership, which is spread all over the country, to base itself at a permanent and safe place in Afghanistan with escape routes and tactical positions to fight positional battle whenever required. This need was felt in the wake of increased vulnerability of Taliban leaders belonging to Quetta Shura outside the borders of Afghanistan after the droning of Mulla Mansour in Baluchistan. Earlier on, the Shura under Mulla Mansour had selected populous Kunduz in northern Afghanistan for this purpose and the Taliban had captured the province more than once, but taking into consideration the difficulties faced by the locals due to excessive aerial bombardment, had vacated it.



Helmand, besides being hilly and having less population which is scattered, has several tactical advantages. It dominates strategic Kandahar-Kabul highway and facilitates its blockage. Being a Pashtun region and the people being 100% pro-Taliban, they are confident that unlike in Kunduz the CIA and NDS will find it difficult to gather information. Both Nimroz and Kandahar being strongholds of Taliban will make it difficult for the attackers to launch direct assault on Helmand. The Taliban have already taken over most of its districts including Sangin district and the military camp and police centre in Garam Ser district and are now knocking at the gates of capital city Lashkargah and are trying to penetrate it from all sides. Capture of Helmand will convert guerrilla war into semi-guerrilla war cum positional war, and will encourage the Taliban to change their strategy and start besieging cities to cause bigger casualties on their foes. The Afghan forces have assembled a force of 40,000, 2 km away from Lashkargah and the RSM jets are pounding Taliban positions intensely. But for air attacks the Taliban by now would have overpowered the province.



Fall of Helmand which had remained in the control of British troops from 2004 to 2014 will be the biggest setback for the unity govt and it will pave the way for fall of Zabil, Qandahar and Urzgon provinces. Kabul govt is already rived in serious crisis owing to increased rift between Ashraf Ghani and Dr. Abdullah. The latter whose two-year term as CEO expires in September this year is miffed with the former and has stated that he is unfit for the presidency. Neither the constitution has been amended nor has Loya Jirga been called to authorize the post of PM. If Abdullah is edged out of his office, it may create political crisis which the country cannot afford at this critical stage. Both are string puppets of USA and India and that is why the Taliban are not agreeing to talk to them.



Having narrated the above facts, what is ironic is that the ones who have performed poorly and committed big blunders repeatedly owing to which it has suffered successive reverses and for all practical purposes lost the war in Afghanistan, have the audacity to censure Pakistan and ask it to it to do more. The age old saying bad workman quarrels with his tools fits well for the US. Rather than admitting its faults, exiting gracefully and carrying out in-house postmortem to determine where and why it went wrong, the US is behaving like a bad loser and shifting the blame of its failures on Pakistan which has performed outstandingly.



Shouldnt George Bush and his team of neocons who planned the war on terror with selfish motives be held accountable and punished for war crimes? After all, millions have died in this senseless war and millions displaced. Spillover effects have penetrated Europe and the heat is being felt in USA. And what has the US achieved in this dirty war except for earning a bad name and making USA a descending power and facilitating China and Russia to surge forward as ascending powers? Shouldnt Bush and Tony Blair in particular be punished for faking WMDs and invading Iraq? Who will answer for the mess created in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen and pushing the whole of Middle East in the vortex of chaos? What about the innocent victims of drones? Who will account for the sufferings of the innocent suspects that were locked up in prisons of Bagram, Guantanamo Bay and Abu Gharaib without trials for years and subjected to water boarding and soul searing torture? Should Pentagon not be asking the military commanders of ISAF equipped with world resources for their abject failures against a small rag tag enemy?



The US need to do a lot more to clear up the messes it has created rather than blaming others. The US is digging its own grave by prolonging its stay in the graveyard of super powers and is reinforcing failure by supporting the effete horses. Earlier it quits better it will it be since time is running out and time is not in favor of USA.



Let us see where the US went wrong. Although the list is long, in my view following were some of the major reasons for its failure in Afghanistan:



1. 9/11 was a false flag operation engineered by the neocons and Jews to steal the resources of Muslim world and to discredit Islam.



2. The war was launched with insincere intentions and without a plausible cause.



3. Relying on minority non-Pasthuns (Northern Alliance) and sidelining majority Pashtuns was a blunder. 4. No narrative was constructed to counter Taliban narrative who had a just cause to liberate their homeland.



5. Opening second front in Iraq without consolidating in Afghanistan and that too on concocted charges put strains on military and economic resources.



6. Total dependence upon perfidious India and Israel and distrusting time-tested Pakistan that had played a key role in pushing out Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989, which fragmented USSR and brought down Berlin wall, and made USA the sole super power.



7. The US has become most hated country because of its all-out support to barbaric Israel and India. Ruling elites of the trio are birds of same feather and are therefore flocking together.



8. Wasting time and resources in covert operations, indulging in drug business and making little effort to win hearts and minds of the Afghans and economically developing the country.



The writer is a retired Brig, war veteran, defence & security analyst, columnist, author of five books, Director Measac Research Centre, Director Thinkers Forum Pakistan, member Executive Council Ex Servicemen Society and of Tehreek Jawanan Pakistan. Takes part in TV talk shows and delivers lectures. asifharoonraja@gmail.com
Britain exit from EU could be delayed till 2019

LONDON: 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 realization 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 people of Britain voted for a British exit, or Brexit, from the EU in a historic referendum on Thursday, June 23. The outcome has prompted jubilant celebrations among Eurosceptics around the Continent and sent shockwaves through the global economy.



After the declaration of the result, the pound fell to its lowest level since 1985 and David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister of this country. Cameron said: I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months.



But I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.



The new Prime Minister Theresa May has already set out Britains positions in meetings with the leaders of France, Germany and other key European nations.
*T*his is yet another example of the corruption of the mainstream media. If you like this blog's content please subscribe to our mailing at upper right c...
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...
ABC News(NEW YORK)  Just as Donald Trumps campaign thought the dust had settled on his prolonged public battle with the family of slain army Captain Humuyan Khan, the GOP nominee then suggested last week that second amendment people could perhaps prevent Hillary Clinton from being able to choose Supreme Court Justices.



And then he declared, over 20 times in just two days, that President Obama was the founder of ISIS only to then say he was being sarcastic but not that sarcastic.



To conclude Trump's trying week, the New York Times issued a blistering report Saturday afternoon, quoting over 20 anonymous sources who attested to the turmoil within the campaign.



Trump responded by assailing the Times in a series of tweets, blasting the newspaper and the press in general, repeating a claim he made on Friday that he would be beating Hillary Clinton in the polls, were it not for the media. "I will tell you honestly, Im not running against crooked Hillary, Im running against the crooked media that's what Im running against, Trump said in Connecticut Saturday evening. "It's true. I'm not running against crooked Hillary.



And so begins Trumps week. His campaign is attempting to forge ahead with a focus, again, on policy. On Monday, he will deliver remarks in the battleground state of Ohio, laying out a plan for combating Islamic terrorism. This comes as part of a concerted effort on behalf of senior staff members to keep Trump on message with a policy-based speech each week. Last week Trump rolled out an updated version of his economic plan in Detroit, Michigan.



But controversy still dogs the campaign. Sources tell ABC News that staffers remain frustrated with Trump, who has been having a hard time adjusting from the primaries to the general election and the rigors that come with it.



To help change the campaign's trajectory, Trump is now increasingly being joined on the trail by a travel companion. This includes either a top-level surrogate, party official or member of his family. We saw a soft roll-out of that plan with former New York City Mayor Giuliani, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus joining him last week.



As Republicans both publicly and privately continue to question their nominee -- even as Trump maintains that his operation is sound and his campaign is unified -- behind the scenes, sources tell ABC News that the campaign is constantly having to quell the concerns of nervous party members. Attempting to build bridges for his running mate, Indiana Gov. Pence has met with top Republicans like former candidate Jeb Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain.



An aide to John Kasich told ABC the two governors have been trying to reach one another over the phone, but haven't been able to speak yet. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that Pence also called Ted Cruz.



Pence promised voters in Lancaster, Pennsylvania last week that Trump would begin laying out more substantial policy proposals.



"Donald Trump laid out the first of what will be a series of major addresses on a broad range of policies that will articulate our  our vision for a new administration in Washington D.C.," he said.



One senior level campaign source says Trump "just needs to focus on her," referring to Secretary Clinton.



ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Copyright  2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
83 F. high in the Twin Cities Sunday.

81 F. average high on August 14.

94 F. high on August 14, 2015.

August 15, 1936

on Saturday

tonight

Tuesday

Thursday

Friday

A Few Swarms of Storms. T-storms may be heavy late tonight into Tuesday (but probably not severe). There's a better chance of strong to severe T-storms late week, especially Friday, as a vigorous cool front approaches.

Summer into Friday, Touch of Autumn This Weekend? ECMWF model guidance hints at temperatures having a tough time cracking 70F in the MSP metro area next weekend, and highs should, in fact, hold in the 60s over much of the state with a stiff breeze. No, this doesn't necessarily mean an early fall is imminent. Graphic: WeatherBell.

90F By Late Week? NOAA models are in fairly good agreement, showing highs in the upper 80s to near 90F by Thursday, possibly Friday, before the inevitable weekend temperature dip. Source: Aeris Enterprise.

Dig Out The Light Jackets. By Sunday morning temperatures are forecast to dip into the mid and upper 40s up on Leech Lake. This weekend will be our first (real) hint of late September.

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Thousands Displaced in Flood-Drenched Louisiana. More perspective via . More perspective via The New York Times : "After days of ruinously heavy storms in southern Louisiana, rain-swollen rivers and creeks continued wreaking damage across the state, inundating neighborhoods and submerging roads and highways. More than 7,000 people have had to be rescued from the flooding this weekend, Louisiana officials said, in a waterlogged stretch from the parishes to the north and east of Baton Rouge west past the city of Lafayette. Thousands of homes have been flooded, forcing more than 5,000 people to spend Saturday night in shelters. Those stranded by the waters found themselves further marooned by a massive cellular network failure..."





Photo credit : " On Saturday, residents evacuated from Providence Boulevard in Hammond, La., where floodwaters inundated homes." Credit Max Becherer/Associated Press .

Animation credit : "Aerial view before and after in Denham Springs, Louisiana." (After image: Patrick Dennis/The Advocate via AP, Before Image: Google Earth).

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The Times Picayune in New Orleans has live-blogging on the ongoing flooding disaster across Louisiana and Mississippi at in New Orleans has live-blogging on the ongoing flooding disaster across Louisiana and Mississippi at NOLA.com

How To Help Louisiana Flooding Victims. CNN has details.

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9 Pieces of Obsolete Tech That Just Won't Die. Here's a clip from Here's a clip from Popular Mechanics : "

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Flickr

CC BY 2.0/Blude.

See a Twinkling Galaxy and a Cosmic Green "Blob". I love this image, courtesy of . I love this image, courtesy of NatGeo : "

Feed your need for heavenly views of the universe with our pick of the most awe-inspiring space pictures.

This week, a NASA spacecraft sees Ceres's dramatically cratered landscape, shadows drape Saturn's rings, and the night sky gets lit up by a supercharged meteor shower..."

Image credit : "

Hubble looks out at Pisces B, a dwarf galaxy 30 million light-years away. Less than a hundred million years ago, it doubled its star formation ratea sign that it fueled up by passing through dense gas." Photograph by NASA/ESA/Hubble.

TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

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Most fundamentally of all, the new dataset allows us to answer the three questions we posed at the beginning of this article.

First, there is no point in the past 150 years where sea ice extent is as small as it has been in recent years. Second, the rate of sea ice retreat in recent years is also unprecedented in the historical record. And, third, the natural fluctuations in sea ice over multiple decades are generally smaller than the year-to-year variability..."

Image credit : "

Growing Corn Like It's 2065 To Study Climate Change Effects. reports: "At the University of Minnesota, researchers are growing corn in greenhouses like its the year 2065. The effort is part of a long-term plan to study how corn will grow under weather conditions considerably different from todays, predicted in climate change models for a half-century out. Many models show that with increasing temperatures we could be seeing a reduction in corn yields, so thats something we would like to investigate under controlled conditions, said Tim Griffis, University of Minnesota professor of biometeorology and one of several researchers directing projects..." The Star Tribune reports: "At the University of Minnesota, researchers are growing corn in greenhouses like its the year 2065. The effort is part of a long-term plan to study how corn will grow under weather conditions considerably different from todays, predicted in climate change models for a half-century out. Many models show that with increasing temperatures we could be seeing a reduction in corn yields, so thats something we would like to investigate under controlled conditions, said Tim Griffis, University of Minnesota professor of biometeorology and one of several researchers directing projects..."





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: St. Paul swelters with a high of 108.For 40 years I've been preaching the perils of lightning, andI nearly got a taste of my own medicine. I was on our deck, grilling, skies clearing in the distance, a light rain falling.Then a blinding flash of light and deafening crack of thunder - followed by a few choice words.It was a "bolt from the blue", a reminder to wait 30 minutes after the last thunderclap before heading back outside. Lightning can travel 10 miles - horizontally.Every year Americans are struck and killed by lightning, blue sky above; a distant thunderhead giving off a deadly spark. Be careful out there.Warm sunshine today gives way to a few T-stormsand. Daytime highs approach 90Fandbefore a late-week line of T-storms arrives, marking the leading edge of a hefty cool front - a preview of what's to come. Weekend highs hold in the 60s across most of Minnesota; lows dipping into the 40s and 50s.Almost time to dig a sweatshirt out of cold storage.In spite of a weak La Nina (cool) signal in the Pacific I expect a warmer than normal signal to linger well into October this year.. Today should be dry, although a few T-showers may push into western and even central Minnesota by late afternoon. Storms become more widespread by Tuesday, followed by a drier day on Wednesday. 4km NAM Future Radar: NOAA and AerisWeather.. 20-30" of rain, based on Doppler radar estimates, one bulls-eye over Baton Rouge. That's 2 hurricane's worth of water, from a persistent storm that had no name. It wasn't a tropical storm, but a stagnant pattern, day after day of torrential rain, created the kind of flooding damage you'd expect to see from a tropical storm or hurricane. Graphic: ESRI and NOAA. AL.com has details on historic flooding still underway across Louisiana: "Record levels of widespread flooding in Louisiana prompted Gov. John Bel Edwards to call the weekend rainfall a "major disaster," local TV station KTLA reported. "This is an ongoing event and we are still in the response mode," the governor said. "This is a major disaster." Edwards declared a state of emergency on Friday, which will remain in effect until September 10. At least three people have been reported dead in the floods. The first victim died on Friday in East Baton Rouge Parish, when he slipped and fell into the flood waters. He was 68...": "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) (Max Becherer).. More details on another 500-year flood, courtesy of The Weather Channel : "...Steele then said emergency crews were waiting on daybreak to converge their air and boat assets for further rescue operations. "Its kind of an all hands on deck," he said in a phone interview. "We still have a situation where motorists are stranded on I-12, and it remains closed between here and St. Tammany Parish, so the whole interstate system from Baton Rouge to that location is still closed." In terms of the number of homes impacted, Steele said more than 1,000 have been flooded in Baton Rouge - a number that is expected to climb. In Livingston, more than 1,000 homes have been impacted, along with 200 in St. Helena Parish, and 500 or more in Tangipahoa Parish..." VICE NEWS reports: "Three people are dead and more than 1,000 were rescued from their homes in Louisiana following what Governor John Bel Edwards described as "unprecedented, historic" rainfall and flooding. Heavy flood waters swamped not just Louisiana but also southern Mississippi. Edwards has declared a state of emergency, and national guard soldiers in boats and helicopters have been patrolling southern Louisiana, removing people from their homes where necessary. One town was cut off entirely, and highways were shut down by heavy flood waters...": "Residents wade through floodwaters from heavy rains in the Chateau Wein Apartments in Baton Rouge, La., Friday, Aug. 12, 2016." (Gerald Herbert/AP). Here's the intro to a story at UCI News : "The worlds leading atmospheric scientists overwhelmingly deny the existence of a secret, elite-driven plot to release harmful chemicals into the air from high-flying aircraft, according to the first peer-reviewed journal paper to address the chemtrails conspiracy theory. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the Carnegie Institution for Science and the nonprofit Near Zero organization asked 77 atmospheric chemists and geochemists if they had come across evidence of such a large-scale spraying program, and 76 responded that they had not. The survey results were published Wednesday in Environmental Research Letters . Heat from aircraft engines produces condensation trails that can be clearly seen from the ground. A small but vocal segment of the population firmly believes that these are composed not merely of condensed water vapor but of chemicals and elements such as strontium, barium and aluminum that powerful, high-level entities have been intentionally and covertly releasing into the atmosphere for decades...": "A commercial airliner produces a condensation trail in the skies over California." Mick WestHave you had to write a rent check lately? Or maybe fax some important documents? Despite things like Venmo and email that normal people use every day, these ancient bits of tech and culture just keep hanging on. There's clearly better technology, it's just that not everyone is using it. Here are nine outmoded technologies that just won't disappear...": Warm sunshine. Winds: SE 5-10. High: 83MONDAY NIGHT: Clouds increase, T-shower late. Low: 66: Sticky again, few T-storms likely. Winds: S 8-13. High: 83: Sunnier, drier and hotter. Winds: NW 5-10. Wake-up: 67. High: 87: Muggy, feels like prime-time summer. Winds: SE 10-15. Wake-up: 70. High: near 90: Steamy sun, heavy T-storms arrive late. Winds: SE 10-15. Wake-up: 73. High: 88: Partly sunny, cooler breeze. Winds: NW 10-15. Wake-up: 62. High: 72: Feels like September. Peeks of sun. Winds: NW 8-13. Wake-up: 54. High: 69Here's the intro to an explanation at Forbes : "On Thursday,a letter to Governor Jerry Brown of California, about how nuclear energy was essential to fighting global warming, was sent by Dr. James Hansen and the leading climate scientists in the world, plus a long list of environmentalists. The letter was prompted by a recent announcement by Pacific Gas & Electric Company to close its well-running, low-carbon, low-cost nuclear reactors at Diablo Canyon because of political pressure from the state of California and especially its Lt. Governor. The widespread claimthat dozens of nuclear plants merit subsidies to protect the earths climatehas been borne out by reality . At the same time, tax subsidies for renewables, plus low natural gas prices, are making reactors uneconomic in the short term...": "Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County, California is at risk of premature closing for political reasons. On Thursday, a letter to Governor Jerry Brown of California, about how nuclear energy was essential to fighting global warming, was sent by Dr. James Hansen and the worlds leading climate scientists. The plant is safe, can withstand a large earthquake, tsunami and any other disaster, provides billions to the local economy, and produces more clean energy than all the wind turbines in California combined." Photo: John Lindsey. Bloomberg View has the story: "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..." (Image credit: NASA).. Here's an excerpt of an interesting post at Carbon Brief : "...Sea ice cover maps for the annual minimum in September, for the periods 1850-1900, 1901-1950, 1951-2000, and 2001-2013. The maps show the sea ice extent in the lowest minimum during each period, which are in years: 1879, 1943, 1995, and 2012.": "Richard TSONG-TAATARII, Star Tribune. "John Baker of the Agricultural Research Service is studying how climate change may affect crop yields."
The mathematical (and other) thoughts of a (now retired) math teacher,
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 of the New Patriotic Party said 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.

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.









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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



Por culpa de Chavez



Cerveza Polar







Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Offer charcoal briquette. Up to 125 tons per month. 320 euro/ton. FCA Baranovka Town (Zhitomir region, Ukraine). We can package our briquettes in a Customers packages or produce this bags upon your requirements. Min. Order: 21 MT.
Quality of peat (torf) pellets is similar to sawdust pellets (a bit more ash and higher moisture content), but price is considerably better - 99 EUR/t EXW Latvia, bulk.



If packed in smaller bags like 20kg - 110 EUR/t in Latvia. We can send you description as well as certificates of the quality and laboratory test results.

If packed in big-bags - 104 EUR/t (bag).

Can be delivered FOB Riga port.
Dr Ben Schulz investigated claims that Vegemite can be used to brew beer.

Is Vegemite more than a spread? Or can it be used to brew beer? University of Queensland researchers have put the theory to the test.

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences researchers investigated claims that Vegemite and a similar product, Marmite, have been used to brew a cheap form of beer.

Vegemite and Marmite are iconic Australian, New Zealand and UK products made from brewer's yeast extract, and popular as spreads on bread or toast, and as ingredients in other foods.

Dr Ben Schulz, who co-wrote the paper with Science Honours student Edward Kerr, is a yeast researcher who also investigates the biochemistry of beer manufacture.

He said it had been recently reported that Vegemite was being used as a yeast source for home brewing in Indigenous Australian communities where alcohol was banned.

"Vegemite is also banned in prisons in Victoria, Australia, due to its reported use in home brew alcohol production," he said.

"As the Vegemite production process would be expected to effectively sterilise the spread, it was unclear how the addition of Vegemite would benefit alcohol production."

The researchers brewed Vegemite beer to understand the process, creating a product that looked like ginger beer, was safe to drink, but was bland with a Vegemite after-taste.

They found that they could not culture the microorganisms necessary for fermentation from the spreads, consistent with these food-grade spreads being essentially sterile.

They then tested if the addition of Vegemite or Marmite could assist in fermentation when additional viable yeast was also present.

Fermentation did not occur when yeast was added to solutions containing only glucose, but progressed efficiently when Vegemite or Marmite were also added.

"Our data showed that home-brewed Vegemite beer could be easily made from sugar, Vegemite, and yeast - but not from just Vegemite and sugar, or sugar and yeast," he said.

"The Vegemite added the nutrients necessary for the fermentation process, but there are also many other sorts of food apart from Vegemite, such as fruits or ginger, that could provide those additional nutrients."

Dr Schulz estimated the real-world cost of Vegemite beer as about $0.09 per 375 mL compared with the retail cost of bulk commercial beer at about $1.60 per 375 mL or home brewed beer at about $0.27.

''Vegemite beer is therefore substantially cheaper than other readily available products," he said.

The findings were published in PeerJ.

More information: Edward D. Kerr et al. Vegemite Beer: yeast extract spreads as nutrient supplements to promote fermentation, PeerJ (2016). Journal information: PeerJ Edward D. Kerr et al. Vegemite Beer: yeast extract spreads as nutrient supplements to promote fermentation,(2016). DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2271
"Fracturing Horizontal Wells" offers a comprehensive look at the process, from planning to production. Credit: McGraw Hill Education

Fracturing horizontal wells has had a profound impact on the U.S. oil and gas industry over the past 25 years, allowing production from fields once considered too marginal to produce. A new book, "Fracturing Horizontal Wells," translates that history and the lessons learned into a comprehensive look at the process, from planning to production.

Mohamed Soliman, chairman of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Houston, co-wrote the book with Ron Dusterhoft, technology fellow for Halliburton Energy Services.

"We look at the issues people worry about in fracturing and completion of horizontal wells," said Soliman, who joined the University this summer. "At the end, we address environmental issues, which have become very important, especially in areas plagued by drought."

Environmental issues weren't a factor when the first well was fractured in 1947. That was a vertical well, and the technique enjoyed a burst of popularity in the 1970s. But Soliman, who spent more than 30 years at Halliburton before entering academia in 2011, said even fractured vertical wells were unable to economically produce hydrocarbons from shale fields.

As chief reservoir engineer at Halliburton, Soliman was involved in the first fractured horizontal well, an experiment in the late 1980s that was funded by a number of oil companies interested in the research it yielded on drilling, logging, fracturing, cementing and other procedures. Soliman later published and presented the results at conferences around the world.

Oilman George Mitchell is credited with popularizing the technique in the Barnett Shale in North Texas several years later.

"Fracturing Horizontal Wells," published by McGraw Hill, is aimed at an industry audience, although Soliman said it is suitable for graduate petroleum engineering students who already have some knowledge of the technique. Among the topics covered are: fracture stimulation of horizontal wells, transitioning from vertical to horizontal wellbores, proppant and proppant transport, interval isolation, and horizontal completion fracturing methods and techniques.

Soliman, who holds 29 U.S. patents, has written a chapter in the textbook "Well Construction," chapters in World Oil's "Handbook of Horizontal Drilling and Completion Technology" and the Society of Petroleum Engineers monograph "Well Test Analysis of Hydraulically Fractured Wells," as well as serving as author or co-author of more than 200 papers.

Explore further Can fluids from fracking escape into groundwater
Credit: Goteborgs Universitet

Plants, bacteria and fungi react to light with light-sensitive proteins. Scientists from the University of Gothenburg and their Finnish colleagues from University of Jyvaskyla have now determined the inner workings of one of these proteins. The results have been published in the most recent issue of Science Advances.

The investigated proteins are called "phytochromes". They consist of thousands of atoms and can be thought of as tiny, microscopic machines. These proteins are found in all plant leaves, many bacteria and fungi. The proteins inform the cell whether it is day or night or whether it is cloudy or sunny.

"Phytochrome proteins are the eyes of plants and in many bacteria. We have now discovered how bacterial phytochromes work at the molecular level," explains Sebastian Westenhoff at the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg.

Phytochromes change in the light

Efficient photosynthesis requires that leaves are exposed to the sun. For this, the plants have to grow towards sunlight and phytochrome proteins control this process. Similarly, bacteria use phytochromes to move to spots where they can survive better. The proteins detect the light and signal to the plant cell how much light is available.

"Each time a phytochrome protein absorbs light, it deforms in a well-orchestrated series of structural changes. We already discovered an early structural change two years ago. Back then we used a shortened phytochrome. In the meantime we have advanced our experimental methods and could now study a full-length protein with a biological activator unit, called histidine kinase. This revealed the change in the final stage of the process." says Sebastian Westenhoff.

New ways of controlling cells

The discovery increases our understanding of how phytochromes work. This enables modification of the proteins, for example to increase crop yield. However, the new knowledge is also crucial for another technology, where scientists engineer light sensitive proteins to control organism by light. Potentially such artificial proteins can be used to release drugs at specific spots in out body, for example in cancer cells.

"Proteins are molecular nanomachines, which control most of what we see in Nature. Deciphering the structure of proteins is key to understanding how the machines work. This knowledge can also be used to modify or construct new proteins, with custom-built functions," says Sebastian Westenhoff.

Collaborative effort

The project was carried out as a collaboration between two groups at the University of Gothenburg and the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland. However, more collaboration was needed and the data for the study was recorded at experimental facilities in France, Switzerland, Finland, and the US. "Numerous data sets had to be recoded and evaluated until a reliable and complete result was obtained." says Sebastian Westenhoff, "but I think that all the hard work was worth it, because we now understand better how plants and bacteria see light."

More information: A. Bjo rling et al. Structural photoactivation of a full-length bacterial phytochrome, Science Advances (2016). Journal information: Science Advances A. Bjo rling et al. Structural photoactivation of a full-length bacterial phytochrome,(2016). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1600920

Provided by Goteborgs Universitet
Artists impression of a sunset seen from the surface of an Earth-like exoplanet. Credit: ESO/L. Calcada

The hunt for exoplanets has been heating up in recent years. Since it began its mission in 2009, over four thousand exoplanet candidates have been discovered by the Kepler mission, several hundred of which have been confirmed to be "Earth-like" (i.e. terrestrial). And of these, some 216 planets have been shown to be both terrestrial and located within their parent star's habitable zone (aka. "Goldilocks zone").

But in what may prove to be the most exciting find to date, the German weekly Der Spiegel announced recently that astronomers have discovered an Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, just 4.25 light-years away. Yes, in what is an apparent trifecta, this newly-discovered exoplanet is Earth-like, orbits within it's sun's habitable zone, and is within our reach. But is this too good to be true?

For over a century, astronomers have known about Proxima Centauri and believed that it is likely to be part of a trinary star system (along with Alpha Centauri A and B). Located just 0.237  0.011 light years from the binary pair, this low-mass red dwarf star is also 0.12 light years (~7590 AUs) closer to Earth, making it the closest star system to our own.

In the past, the Kepler mission has revealed several Earth-like exoplanets that were deemed to be likely habitable. And recently, an international team of researchers narrowed the number of potentially-habitable exoplanets in the Kepler catalog down to the 20 that are most likely to support life. However, in just about all cases, these planets are hundreds (if not thousands) of light years away from Earth.

Knowing that there is a habitable planet that a mission from Earth could reach within our own lifetimes is nothing short of amazing! But of course, there is reason to be cautiously optimistic. Citing anonymous sources, the magazine stated:

"The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surfacean important requirement for the emergence of life. Never before have scientists discovered a second Earth that is so close by."

In addition, they claim that the discovery was made by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) using the La Silla Observatory's reflecting telescope. Coincidentally, it was this same observatory that announced the discovery of Alpha Centauri Bb back in 2012, which was also declared to be "the closest exoplanet to Earth". Unfortunately, subsequent analysis cast doubt on its existence, claiming it was a spurious artifact of the data analysis.

However, according to Der Spiegel's unnamed source  whom they claim was involved with the La Silla team that made the find  this latest discovery is the real deal, and was the result of intensive work. "Finding small celestial bodies is a lot of hard work," the source was quoted as saying. "We were moving at the technically feasible limit of measurement."

The article goes on to state that the European Southern Observatory (ESO) will be announcing the finding at the end of August. But according to numerous sources, in response to a request for comment by AFP, ESO spokesman Richard Hook refused to confirm or deny the discovery of an exoplanet around Proxima Centauri. "We are not making any comment," he is reported as saying.

What's more, the folks at Project Starshot are certainly excited by the news. As part of Breakthrough Initiatives  a program founded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner to search for intelligent life (with backing from Stephen Hawking and Mark Zuckerberg)  Starshot intends to send a laser-sail driven-nanocraft to Alpha Centauri in the coming years.

This craft, they claim, will be able to reach speeds of up to 20% the speed of light. At this speed, it will able to traverse the 4.37 light years that lie between Earth and Alpha Centauri in just 20 years. But with the possible discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, which lies even closer, they may want to rethink that objective.

As Professor Phillip Lubin  a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, the brains behind Project Starshot, and a key advisor to NASA's DEEP-IN program  told Universe Today via email:

"The discovery of possible planet around Proxima Centauri is very exciting. It makes the case of visiting nearby stellar systems even more compelling, though we know there are many exoplanets around other nearby stars and it is very likely that the Alpha Centauri system will also have planets."

Naturally, there is the desire (especially amongst exoplanet enthusiasts) to interpret the ESO's refusal to comment either way as a sort of tacit confirmation. And knowing that industry professionals are excited it about it does lend an air of legitimacy. But of course, assuming anything at this point would be premature.

If the statements made by the unnamed source, and quoted by Der Speigel, are to be taken at face value, then confirmation (or denial) will be coming shortly. In the meantime, we'll all just need to be patient. Still, you have to admit, it's an exciting prospect: an Earth-like planet that's actually within reach! And with a mission that could make it there within our own lifetimes. This is the stuff good science fiction is made of, you know.
Social media has become a key forum for discussing US race relationsbut far more so for blacks than whites, a study showed Monday.

The Pew Research Center report found black social media users in the United States are roughly twice as likely as whites68 to 35 percentto say that race relations are a part of their social networking conversations.

The report comes amid a growing social movement using #BlackLivesMatter and related hashtags following the deaths of African-Americans in police custody.

Among black social media users, 28 percent said most or some of what they post is about race or race relations but just eight percent of whites said the same, Pew found.

Meanwhile two-thirds of whites who use social media said that none of things they post or share pertain to race, the researchers said.

Some analysts give networks such as Twitter credit for popularizing social justice movements.

At the time of the social network's 10th anniversary this year, it noted that #Ferguson was the top social hashtag, emerging after the police shooting of an unarmed black youth in the Missouri town.

That was followed by #LoveWins, a reaction to a US court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, and #BlackLivesMatter in third place.

"Social media also can serve as an important venue where groups with common interests come together to share ideas and information," the study authors wrote.

"And at times, Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites can help users bring greater attention to issues through their collective voice."

The researchers said the tone of social media conversations changed after the shootings this year of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which fueled a rise in the hashtags #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter.

"There was a dramatic rise in the share of tweets criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement using that hashtag in our July analysis and a drop in the share of tweets that supported the movement," the researchers said.

"The rise in critical tweets was especially notable after the killing of police officers in Dallas."

The survey was based on interviews from February 29 to May 8 among a national sample of 3,769 adults, with a margin of error for the full group estimated at 2.3 percentage points.

Explore further The social media profile of the Black Lives Matter movement

 2016 AFP
Credit: Karolinska Institutet

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet in collaboration with Estonian Competence Centre on Health Technologies have developed a new gene expression analysis method to widen the usage of blood in biomarker discovery and analysis. Their paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

Blood carries cells that provide biomarkers for a number of applications. Blood as a type of liquid biopsy is widely used in clinical research due to its ease of sampling and its rapid dynamics: the majority of the cells are erythrocytes that carry oxygen, causing 5080 per cent enrichment of globin RNA molecules among all blood RNA.

Technical bias

This high prevalence of globin complicates blood related gene expression biomarker studies, causing technical bias and leaving biologically relevant molecules undetectable. According to the researchers the study reveals for the first time the detailed methodology  GlobinLockTM  how to overcome a limitation in blood sample analysis caused by erythrocytes, which complicates any downstream biomarker identification or tracking from blood. The published and patent pending assay minimizes the needs of reagents and sample material, which makes it an effective and robust tool.

"The globin reduction rate of GlobinLock is sufficient for any applications. It reduces the globin prevalence from 63 per cent before to five per cent which makes it an effective tool for biotechnology companies as an additive to their kits, said Dr Kaarel Krjutskov, the leading author of the study from both Karolinska Institutet and Estonian Competence Centre on Health Technologies.

DNA strands

The new method consists of a pair of short synthetic DNA strands that silence majority of globin RNA molecules by highly specific binding. The strands are introduced to purified RNA sample, and according to the researchers, being effective immediately after RNA denaturation and add only ten minutes of incubation time to the whole complementary DNA synthesis procedure.

The locking DNA molecules bind specifically at globin RNA poly-A site that is needed for further analysis. Therefore the globin RNAs are "locked" prior downstream manipulations and are unavailable to cause technical biases in blood RNA biomarker applications.

"We show that globin locking is fully effective not only for human samples but also for widely used animal models, like mouse and rat, cow, dog and even zebrafish", said professor Juha Kere in who's laboratory the invention was created at Karolinska Institutet.

The research and development from idea to patent pending method was financed by Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Strategic Research Program funding on Diabetes to Karolinska Institutet, Swedish Research Council, Orion Research Foundation, EU, Enterprise Estonia, and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research. The GlobinLock technology is already applied in different ongoing research projects.

Explore further New method provides better information on gene expression

More information: Kaarel Krjutskov et al. Globin mRNA reduction for whole-blood transcriptome sequencing, Scientific Reports (2016). Journal information: Scientific Reports Kaarel Krjutskov et al. Globin mRNA reduction for whole-blood transcriptome sequencing,(2016). DOI: 10.1038/srep31584
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ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/  Recently a server is arrested for serving a guest food he was highly allergic to, sending him into anaphylactic shock that resulted in a coma. Now is the time for real awareness and change! The exploding rise in food allergies is not showing signs of slowing or going away anytime soon. Yet many restaurants are still resistant or clouded by the myth that there are no real solutions which are not costly or overwhelming to implement. Not so. Addressing this challenge head on is not only the right thing, but its inevitable to the survival of restaurants as the trend continues.

Attitude Counts!

Quoting a member of the Board of Directors of FAACT, Chef Keith Norman, An Allergen guest is not an inconvenience or interruption of service, but rather a humbling opportunity to change a life.

Working at Disney as a server for years, DineSafes Nick Caturano says, I have personally seen the genius of Disney as theyve stayed ahead of the food allergy trend, embraced challenges, creating amazing experiences for families, guests and friends which has made Disney not only a theme park destination but a place to go where food allergy families can enjoy dining out together safely. Nick continues: Those chances for caring, connecting and problem solving are not only a real catalyst for embracing hospitality, but building an extremely loyal customer base (http://www.foodallergy.org/file/welcoming-guests-faan.pdf). Imagine that, increased revenue for doing the right thing at a time when some restaurant earnings are showing weakness on wall street.

Not a matter of if, but when, says Executive Chef James Slattery of Big Fin Seafood in Orlando when talking on possible food allergy legislation. If the food industry which understands its business, gets out ahead and creates the process and standards for dealing with allergens, legislators will work with structures in place, building on them. If not, they will have to regulate, from scratch, an industry they really dont know and that will probably not be good. When questioned about his serious approach to food allergies, Chef James simply responds, Its a matter of life and death for many of our guests, I dont want anyone getting sick or even worse! 

Head of Development at DineSafe, David Richard states, We have consulted with many chefs, servers and restaurant owners and have addressed their needs and concerns in the continual development of our service. We are constantly streamlining and simplifying the experience, providing such tools as worksheets, resources and menu importers which can absorb and input an entire menu in seconds.

What To Do:

1. Take it seriously and embrace the opportunity. Yes, some guests claiming they have food allergies are really just preferences, but as weve seen in the sad case in Quebec, a decision to ignore an allergen request can be devastating. Restaurants must treat every request with genuine concern, always assume its real. That culture will reflect from the top down.

2. #KnowWhatsInYourFood Its not complicated, we know, we have done it. With our worksheet, go through your menu, stockroom and coolers. Fortunately allergen disclosure for the top 8 allergens is now standard, The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004. If two or three hour commitment is too much or want to make extra sure, trust a company like MenuTrinfo to do the work for you.

3. Educate yourself and staff, train, adapt, repeat. Groups like AllerTrain.com provide training resources online inexpensively. Discuss regularly in pre-meals, create a process that ensures fluid communication with all staff, from check in to food running. Take the guess work out of what needs to be done.

4. Cross contamination. A big one. Have a separate prep area and process, fry in a separate clean pan. Yes,it can be done. Sometimes there are no perfect solution, but care and honesty with guests as they themselves deal with the challenges, they live with, goes a long way to building bridges and creating solutions.

5. DineSafe App was created as a tool for not only guests but for staff as well. Managers, chefs, servers, hosts will have accurate realtime information. Changes and updates take seconds. From the app or office computer.

6. We agree with snacksafely.com that it should be standard to stock epinephrine auto-injectors in house in case of emergency. We also firmly believe in shared responsibility. We all forget some of the most important of things sometimes, but guests should always do their best to have their own EPIs on them at all times.

DineSafe is available on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Learn more at http://www.dinesafeapp.com.

Sources:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/quebec-restaurant-incident-shows-importance-of-taking-food-allergies-seriously/article31295732/

http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/32706896/server-arrested-customer-had-severe-allergic-reaction

http://snacksafely.com/2016/08/editorial-of-waiters-anaphylaxis-and-arrests/

http://snacksafely.com/2015/11/food-labeling-modernization-act-introduced-in-congress/

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/563009/EU-rules-food-allergy-labelling-nightmare-restaurants

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/server-arrested-dinesafe-wants-food-industry-to-know-there-are-real-tangible-solutions-that-are-simple-and-effective-300312895.html

More POS news:
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has forwarded a plan put together by SUNY ESF to expand hiking trails and other public access to a large part of the southern Adirondacks in northern Warren, northwestern Saratoga and Hamilton and Essex counties.

The proposal to increase use of state land in the "Great South Woods" will now move forward to public comment and further planning.

The DEC's press release on the proposal is below, with a link to the full report.

-- Don Lehman

DEC ACCEPTS GREAT SOUTH WOODS REPORT FOR PLANNING REVIEW

Report Highlights Increased Recreational Points for the Adirondack Park

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has accepted recommendations for expanding recreation opportunities within the Great South Woods (GSW) from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF), Commissioner Basil Seggos announced today. This report highlights the potential for recreational use within a large region of the Adirondack Park including all of Hamilton County and parts of Essex, Warren, Herkimer, Fulton and Saratoga Counties. The GSW area covers two million acres, including 20 individual Forest Preserve management units.

Promoting access and connectivity throughout the Adirondack Park Communities is essential and a goal of and the goal of this planning process is to ensure that DEC and partners continue to foster this as recreational facilities are developed and enhanced, said Commissioner Seggos. We appreciate the considerable efforts that ESF, the people and community leaders within the Great South Woods region of the Park and the other members of Planning Team have devoted to create this terrific blueprint to create attractive destinations while connecting communities within this large part of the Park. DEC remains committed to achieving these goals and we look forward to working with the Adirondack Park Agency and other members of the Great South Woods team to implement these recommendations.

The GSW process was designed and led by SUNY ESF in collaboration with representatives from DEC, the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) and the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors. The GSW team conducted recreation planning at a landscape scale, beyond the boundaries of individual management units. It was designed to engage communities and stakeholders in the design of a destination-based system of trails and infrastructure that could stimulate economic activity while protecting the Adirondack Parks ecosystems and wild character. Development of the report included an 18-month participatory process that involved more than 300 individuals that attended public workshops and meetings held across the GSW planning area.

ESF developed strategies and recommendations that emphasized public participation and prioritized local knowledge and community-generated ideas to inform recreation planning at multiple scales. The GSWs effort represents a new model and opportunity for recreation planning that facilitates a high degree of public engagement to gather local knowledge and community ideas to inform planning, design, and implementation steps

The objectives of the GSW planning effort were to identify opportunities and feasible means to:

 Optimize the potential of the GSW to provide a wide spectrum of outdoor recreational activities available on Forest Preserve, DEC easement, municipal and private lands across the region;

 Establish a new community-based land-and-water trail and lodging system that would strengthen community linkages to each other and to nearby Forest Preserve and conservation easement lands;

 Better develop front-country areas of state lands for improved access and greater enjoyment of diverse including motorized  recreational activities;

 Improve protection of back-country areas of state lands in their primitive, wild condition while improving trail systems for heightened enjoyment of self-powered recreation.

ESF received $250,000 over a two year time period and included input from the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors, the Adirondack Park Agency and other Park Stakeholders.

Sherman Craig, Adirondack Park Agency Chairman said, The APA is excited to be a part of this innovative planning approach. We congratulate the planning team on their outstanding efforts. Connecting the Forest Preserve to Park Communities will broaden economic opportunities and increase visitation.

Brian Houseal, Director of ESFs Adirondack Ecological Center said, We appreciate DECs support of our ESF team's facilitation of a region-wide, grass-roots participatory planning effort. We learned so much from local communities: their knowledge of the special places on nearby Forest Preserve lands, and their willingness to partner with the DEC by adding volunteers and resources to create new nature-based tourism destinations throughout the Great South Woods - the real wild place in the Adirondack Park.

William Farber, Chairman of the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors said, We applaud both ESF and DEC for working with the Hamilton County Board of Supervisors on the development of the Great South Woods planning document. The goal of this report is to make sure that as planning for State lands within this region of the Park is conducted, the need to connect communities and maximize economic opportunities including increased tourism are part of the plan.

The report contains many recommendations for enhanced connectivity and access, including maps that depict new, conceptual destination based hiking routes and other outdoor recreational facilities. DEC will now review the report and work with communities, recreation interests and other Park stakeholders to refine and implement the proposals.

The recommendations in the GSW Strategy address longstanding issues such as protection of remote core wilderness, as well as emerging issues, such as invasive species. Next steps will require further engagement with communities to identify priority projects and engage in further design work.

To view a copy of the Great South Woods report, visit DEC's website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/107049.html.
CAMBRIDGE  A Cambridge man was jailed early Monday after he fought with police who were trying to pull him over for traffic violations, and police said two good samaritans came to the aid of an officer as he struggled with the suspect.

Andreo A. Delnevo, 32, of East Main Street, was charged with a felony and numerous misdemeanors after the 12:30 a.m. melee that began when an officer spotted a car spinning its tires leaving a convenience store.

Cambridge-Greenwich Police Officer Ryan Saunders followed the car to 62 East Main, where Delnevo walked toward his home and ignored the officer's directions.

A fight ensued, and neighbors, one of them former Cambridge-Greenwich Police Officer Greg Toleman, heard the commotion and assisted Saunders, Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief George Bell said. The other man's name was not available.

Delnevo was found to be intoxicated and driving with a suspended or revoked license, which resulted in a felony count of aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, according to police.

He also was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, non-criminal disorderly conduct and issued numerous traffic tickets.

Saunders had minor injuries and was treated at Cambridge Health Center, and Delnevo may face an additional felony assault count for those injuries, Bell said.

Delnevo was arraigned in Cambridge Village Court and sent to Washington County Jail for lack of $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bail bond, but had posted bail as of Monday afternoon.
A change to environmental regulations in Vermont may halt plans to treat Lake Champlain for a pest that has devastated the lakes fishery for decades, and fisheries advocates are concerned about the possible impact.

The Vermont Department of Health drastically cut the allowed level of the lampricide TFM in the states drinking water, to a level that lake advocates believe will not be strong enough to kill young sea lamprey. The allowable level had been 35 parts per billion, but the Department of Health earlier this month changed that threshold to 3 parts per billion.

The decision had fisheries experts in both Vermont and New York scrambling to figure out how to adjust and keep the successful lamprey treatments going. It was unclear what effect, if any, the Vermont rule change would have on New York treatments.

Vermont and New York, working through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, have alternated annual treatments of lake tributaries for lampreys since 2002. No treatments were planned in New York this year, but three northern Vermont tributaries  the LaPlatte and Missisquoi rivers and Stone Bridge Brook  were scheduled to be treated later this year.

Each tributary lampreys are found to use for significant reproduction is treated every four years. Locally, the Poultney River, Putnam Creek and Mount Hope Brook have been treated in recent years.

New Yorks maximum standard for TFM in water is 50 parts per billion.

James Ehlers, executive director of Lake Champlain International, a lake advocacy group, questioned the change. The LaPlatte is one of the biggest lamprey-producing waters on the lake, Ehlers said. Halting the treatments would squander all of the work that has been done to fight lampreys in recent years, he said.

Trout Unlimited members on the New York side expressed concern about the possible halt to lamprey treatments but were awaiting word on whether a compromise could be found, said Bill Wellman of the Lake Champlain TU chapter.

Louis Porter, the commissioner of Vermonts Department of Fish & Wildlife, said a meeting of the Lake Champlain Fish & Wildlife Management Cooperative held Thursday did not yield any concrete plans for future treatments, but the agencies were reviewing their options.

He said the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife plans to work with federal and New York fisheries experts to determine if treatments can be worthwhile this year at the lower chemical limits.

We are working to figure out whether a treatment can be done this year, he said.

The agency also plans to study the effects of TFM.

Tributaries where there are not public water systems could be viewed differently under the rule change. Filter systems were put in place in at least one bay in Vermont to filter TFM several years ago after a treatment on the Winooski River, near where the Burlington, Vermont, water district draws water.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had no comment on the rule change as of Friday.

New Yorks Department of Environmental Conservation planned to continue to work with Vermont and federal wildlife officials to figure out the best treatment plan for the lake while also addressing water quality issues, DEC spokesman David Winchell said.

New York remains committed to an effective sea lamprey control program and the resulting enhancement to the recreational fishery and associated economic benefits derived from that healthy fishery, Winchell said.

Lamprey latch onto fish and bore through their scales to suck their bodily fluids, severely injuring and even killing them. Trout, salmon and walleye are particularly susceptible.

Lamprey wound rates at their peak in the early 2000s, before the current treatment program began, were 93 per 100 salmon, compared to 15 per 100 salmon in 2014. Fish size has also improved dramatically.

The program has been a tremendous success, both in terms of wound rates and size of fish, Porter said.

Use of the chemical has been controversial among some environmentalists for years, with critics pointing to studies that show it may kill other waterborne life, such as mussels.
Charred Ridge Road Care Care shop may finally be cleaned up

Bravos to Supreme Court Justice Martin Auffredou, who has ordered the cleanup of Ridge Road Car Care by its owner, Andrew Ratto. The repair shop was destroyed in a fire more than three years ago, and since then, its charred remains have been an unsightly blot on Queensburys streetscape. Its outrageous that the site has been allowed to remain in its crumbling, dangerous condition for so long. If Ratto now does not clean up the site and does not appeal Auffredous ruling, the town will be able to do the cleanup and add the cost to Rattos tax bill. Sometime this fall, we should finally have seen the last of Ridge Road Car Care.

Moreau moves forward with sewer line

Bravos to the Moreau Town Board for persisting in the effort to get a sewer line run down Route 9 and for qualifying for a low-interest loan from the state Environmental Facilities Corp. To keep the loan offer, the board has to get a new sewer district designed and approved by the end of the year. Its a tight schedule, but it gives the board enough time to get the project mapped out and listen to public input along the way. Last time the board began this process, it had to be rushed, and public opposition led to delays that put the project on hold. One of the leaders of the opposition at the time was Gardner Congdon, who is now Moreaus town supervisor. We are hopeful Mr. Congdon and the board can work together on the process this time, to make sure the public gets involved and the sewer line gets done in a way that is acceptable to most residents. With a sewer line, Route 9 could be a thriving commercial area and could generate tax revenue that would lower tax bills for residents.

Schuylerville refuses to honor reimbursement

Boos to the Schuylerville Village Board for refusing to reimburse a resident of the neighboring village of Victory for half the cost of replacing the sidewalk in front of his house. The sidewalk is in Schuylerville, because the village line runs right along it on that side of the street. Schuylerville has a program that reimburses property owners for half the cost of sidewalk replacement. Obviously, the program covers sidewalks in the village of Schuylerville, including sidewalks like this one that are right on the village line. The board has no valid justification for refusing to honor the reimbursement. One board member said he doesnt want to give money to a resident of the village of Victory because the resident hadnt paid Schuylerville taxes, which are used for the sidewalk fund. Unless the sidewalks on the villages border were specifically excluded from the fund when it was set up, that argument does not hold water.

Congdon isn't justified in suspending procedure

Boos to Moreau Supervisor Gardner Congdon for declaring that the situation at Town Hall, where repairs are needed for a flood that took place in February, is an emergency. Under an emergency situation, the supervisor is allowed to suspend the towns usual procedure and not put out requests for proposals, under which the board has to consider proposals from at least three different contractors. Congdon, who has experience as a builder, has already undertaken to find contractors on his own, although he has not hired anyone. To justify the emergency declaration, Congdon said the work has to be done before cold weather hits. That still gives Moreau several months to follow proper town procedure, solicit proposals, choose one and have the work done.

Cleanup of charred car repair shop is ordered

Bravos to Supreme Court Justice Martin Auffredou, who has ordered the cleanup of Ridge Road Car Care by its owner, Andrew Ratto. The repair shop was destroyed in a fire more than three years ago, and since then, its charred remains have been an unsightly blot on Queensburys streetscape. Its outrageous that the site has been allowed to remain in its crumbling, dangerous condition for so long. If Ratto now does not clean up the site and does not appeal Auffredous ruling, the town will be able to do the cleanup and add the cost to Rattos tax bill. Sometime this fall, we should finally have seen the last of Ridge Road Car Care.

Matt Funiciello is active on the campaign trail

Bravos to Matt Funiciello, the Green Party candidate for the 21st Congressional District, who recently spoke at the partys national convention in Houston. Funiciello used the opportunity to criticize both major political parties, suggesting that a voter trying to choose between the lesser of two evils would have a hard time deciding. We have an unobstructed warmonger and an obstructed buffoon, he said, referring to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Funiciello, who owns Rock Hill Bakehouse and lives in Hudson Falls, is an entertaining and effective speaker, and he has worked hard for the Green Party. Its good to see him gain some national attention.
This was announced at a durbar organized for over 1000 cocoa farmers at Mumuni, near Samreboi in the Amenfi West District of the Western Region.Olam Ghana says 2015s amount represents more than a hundred percent increase over the total premium of Gh1.9 million paid to farmers last year, and about 12,000 farmers across the country benefited from it, with each receiving a bonus of GHC15 per bag of cocoa sold to the company.

READ MORE: COCOBOD Unrestrained takeover of cocoa lands threatens cocoa production

The premiums, popularly known as bonuses, are paid to deserving farmers for selling certified cocoa beans to the company, based on premium grading by cocoa buyers on the international market.

General Manager of Olams cocoa Licensed Buying Company (LBC) business, Mr. Eric Asare Botwe, applauded the farmers for a good job done in the previous crop season, and urged them to improve on the quantity and quality of produce by adopting improved farming techniques and practices.
Further investigations by the FDA revealed that some of the culprits submitted original olive oil to the FDA for registration and after approval had been given, they subsequently put in a different product, some vegetable oil, to deceive unsuspecting consumers.

READ MORE: Skin Bleaching FDA warns against skin lightening creams

The fake brands found on the markets include:

Pinno Olive Oil by Mfred Co Ltd

Kazmor Olive Oil by Kazmor Ventures

Quality Olive Oil

Holy Oil

The FDA, with the assistance of the Ghana Police arrested the culprits who are assisting the Police in their investigations.
Explaining why angry, Lil Win told Sammy Flex on Pluzz FM that Shatta Wales manager prevented him from performing at the event even though he was billed to perform.

According to the Kumawood actor, he together with his team was there and ready to perform even before his schedule but was denied access to the stage.

Realising that they werent going to allow him on stage, he had to force his way onto the stage to perform regardless. Lil Win continued that even his presence on stage was not enough to cause them to allow him to have a smooth performance.

I eventually had to perform without my songs because the DJ refused to play them. Then they put off my microphone so I had to start dashing out my clothes to the fans who were dying to see me on stage," Lil Win stated.
Former President John Rawlings sounded philosophical when he addressed members and supporters of the NDC at the partys official campaign launch at the Cape Coast Stadium yesterday.

MILLS POSTERS POP UP

The debate over the circumstances surrounding the death of President John Atta Mills appears to have been rekindled in Cape Coast where the ruling NDC launched its campaign at the weekend.

2016 ELECTION WILL BE TOUGH  MAHAMA

President John Mahama yesterday ruled out that the December 2016 election was a done deal, predicting a tough duel.

IM CONFIDENT OF NDC VICTORY  PREZ

The NDC launched its 2016 election campaign in style yesterday, with President John Mahama predicting that although the elections would be tough, he was confident that the NDC would triumph.
Speaking at the campaign launch of the National Democratic Congress Sunday at the newly commissioned Cape Coast Stadium in the Central Region, Amissah-Arthur also urged voters to ignore the NPP's call for change since 'change is happening under John Dramani Mahama.'

"Every opposition party will talk about change. so change for an opposition party is normal but this change that they [NPP] are talking about is different," he said. "They are threatening the people of Ghana with change."

READ MORE

He continued:"We want change that transforms, we want change that improves things, we want change that is inclusive. All these changes we are getting with John Dramani Mahama."
According to him, the creation of jobs to solve the countrys crippling unemployment crisis will be the number one focus of an Akufo-Addo government, God-willing, from January 2017, assuring that we, in the NPP, have the formula for job creation.

Addressing residents of Sekondi on Sunday, August 14, 2016, at the campaign launch of the NPPs parliamentary candidate for the Sekondi constituency, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Alan Kyerematen noted that rapid infrastructural development for every part of the country, Nana Akufo-Addos message everywhere he goes is that he is coming to create jobs for all Ghanaians. The creation of jobs is what Ghanaians must look at before voting.

The 1-District-1-Factory policy, he stated, will be one of the programmes for the creation of thousands of jobs for the teeming masses of unemployed Ghanaian youth across the country.

If we have 216 factories in this country, it would mean that some of the items imported from outside of the country will be manufactured right here in Ghana. When we produce these items here, it would mean the appreciation and strengthening of the Ghana cedi. If theres a factory in every district, why would our young men and women leave their respective homes for non-existent jobs in the city centres? he asked.

In addition to the 1-District-1-Factory, Alan Kyerematen noted that the creation of an enabling environment for the private sector to flourish will be a priority area for the government of Nana Akufo-Addo.

With many Ghanaians engaged in their own private businesses, the NPP will make sure that there is availability of capital, at significantly lower lending rates, for the growth of businesses. 90% of jobs currently created in Ghana are through small businesses. The NPP is coming to assist the private sector, so they can create more jobs for the people, he assured.

He further revealed that to complement the 1-District-1-Factory policy and the strengthening of the private sector, Nana Akufo-Addos government is going to make sure that strategic anchor industries are created to provide more jobs for Ghanaians. These industries will include iron and steel, cement, bauxite and aluminum, petrochemical industry, vehicle assembly and the manufacture of machine parts and equipment.
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But in a response, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahene said the statement by the President is a clear display of his ignorance of the NPP constitution.

Nana Akufo Addo has never suspended any individual out of his own volition...the suspensions came about as a result of the operation of the NPPs constitution.

The President can wallow in his ignorance. I do not begrudge him and I dont think matured minds will begrudge him, Nana Obiri Boahene said.

Meanwhile, the first Vice National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu at the NDC Campaign launch also urged Ghanaians not to make the mistake of entrusting the peace and security into the hands of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to him, Nana Addos inability to control affairs and ensure peace in his own party shows that he would not be able to secure the peace of the nation if voted into power.

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.
READ ALSO: NDC campaign launch

He also cautioned the party against mimicking the opposition New Patriotic Party and said he was going to reserve the rest of his thoughts for after the December polls.

I want to urge you to recognize that what is ahead of you wont be an easy task, its going to be challenging so dont allow unnecessary provocation to create unnecessary tension.

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.

READ ALSO: Election 2016

The former president also shied away from speaking in the first person and limited his use of we in preference of you; signalling a somewhat distance between himself and the party.

The rift between Rawlings and his party began shortly after John Evans Atta-Mills became president in 2009 with him publicly criticising the president and his ministers. His wife led an unsuccessful bid to assume leadership of the party and has now established her own party; the National Democratic Party.
According to the judgment of presiding judge Justice Anthony Yeboah which took more than hour, the suspension of the Mr. Afoko was just, lawful and fair.

He further added that the procedure used for the suspension was right and was not breached in any way by the NPP.

Mr. Afoko who testified in the matter during the hearing accused the NPP of not going through the right processes in suspending him.

He also challenged the capacity of one the members of the disciplinary committee Gifty Kusi who sat on the issue and recommended his suspension.

The NPPs National Executive Committee suspended Paul Afoko, and the decision was adopted by the partys National Council, which is the second highest decision making body of the party after congress.

Mr. Afoko rejected the reasons for his suspension and subsequently sued the party for taking such an action against him.

Unconstitutional suspension? The suspended Chair had earlier described his suspension as unconstitutional and a breach of natural justice.

The illegal National Executive Committee meeting adopted the illegal recommendations of the disciplinary committee following the rules and procedures laid down by the constitution by appealing against these illegalities, he complained.

My opponents plotted my suspension Paul Afoko had alleged that the partys action against him was masterminded by some members of the party who opposed his candidature before his election.

He said the members of National Council meeting that voted to suspend him are his avowed opponents who worked against his candidature ahead of the partys congress to elect national officers.
Consequently, lawyers for Mr. Afoko will carefully study the judgment and launch an appeal against the decision at the appropriate time, Paul Afoko said in a statement.

According to the judgment of presiding judge Justice Anthony Yeboah which took more than hour, the suspension of the Mr. Afoko was just, lawful and fair.

He further added that the procedure used for the suspension was right and was not breached in any way by the NPP.

Mr. Afoko who testified in the matter during the hearing accused the NPP of not going through the right processes in suspending him.

He also challenged the capacity of one the members of the disciplinary committee Gifty Kusi who sat on the issue and recommended his suspension.

The NPPs National Executive Committee suspended Paul Afoko, and the decision was adopted by the partys National Council, which is the second highest decision making body of the party after congress.
READ MORE

"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.
The presiding judge, Justice Anthony Yeboah adjourned the case following the submission of written addresses by lawyers of Paul Afoko and the NPP.

Mr Afoko sued the NPP after he described his suspension from the largest opposition party last year as unlawful.

He is, therefore, asking the court to quash the suspension.

He is challenging the legitimacy of two members of the disciplinary committee, Madam Gifty Kusi and Alhaji Short, who voted to suspend him on the grounds that his actions and inactions were inimical to the political fortunes of the NPP.
The move would have to be approved by the Bank of Ghana to see the light of day.

She made the disclosure at a stakeholders meeting in Accra organised by leading telecommunications giant, MTN.

READ MORE

The announcement comes as mobile money transactions in the country reached a total of 679.17 million Ghana Cedis.

This figure represents a 20% growth for the mid-year figure, compared to the 547.96 million Ghana Cedis recorded for the end of 2015.

Mrs Kudawor also noted that the central bank will continue to dialogue with the industry so as to strengthen the regulatory framework, supervisory practices and check abuses.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the trio started the scam in 2014, after investigators began a joint investigation of a group suspected of being involved in fraud in which credit cards were applied without the victims' consent, mailed to the victims, and stolen out of their mail boxes.

The scammers were also said to have registered two business ventures with which they used to process the credit cards for large unusual amounts, and were also able to generate cash from the fraud apps they had created.

Those businesses were identified as Lace Warehouse and African Fashions owned by Maxwell Ezenwa and Lagos Island Cafe, owned by Christy Tifase, while the losses incurred by the victims of the fraud exceeded $500,000 and dozens of identities were stolen.
Speaking of the haul, the spokesperson of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, the suspects had either ingested the drugs or used other means to evade the officers but were caught all the same due to their diligence.

Ofoyeju narrated that Mbatugosi, who used to sell shoes in Enugu before he decided to be a drug courier, was caught with 1.95 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside shoe soles and that the consignment of shoes where the cocaine was concealed most likely originated from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The shoes where the cocaine was discovered

Photo Credit: NDLEA

Adugba, Ofoyeju said, had swallowed 1.50 kilograms of cocaine and was caught on his way to Sydney, Australia, while Onuoha was arrested on his way from Brazil with 850 grams of cocaine he had swallowed.

While confessing to the crime, Mbatugosi told interrogators that a friend he met in Brazil introduced him to drug trafficking.

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.

Adugba, an indigene of Abia State, claimed his family lived in Australia, also blamed a friend for his venture into the drug trade, adding that he had initially turned down the proposal, but could not resist the offer of $15,000.

Onuoha, also from Abia State, said he had gone to Brazil in search of greener pastures but when none was forthcoming, he had to succumb to friends who pressured him into the crime.

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.
Hamza reportedly told the police that his daughter was also sleeping with her boyfriends and that they are the ones that should be held responsible for the four months old pregnancy his daughter is carrying.

According to the Nigerian Tribune, Hamza who is a night guard, was arrested when a neighbour reported the atrocity to the police after he and his wife discovered that the lady was pregnant and on interrogation, she mentioned her father as the culprit.

It was also learnt that Hamza is a single father of two following his separation from his wife about 15 years ago when his second child was barely a year old.

The children were reportedly living with the maternal grandparents in Offa, Kwara State but were released to a family member after his family begged on his behalf to be allowed to raise his children and for someone to help around the house.

The arrangement was said to have held for a short period before the suspect complained that the wife of the person his children were staying with, was over-pampering them in a way that would not help them in being skilled in performing house chores.

This was said to have led the girl going to her fathers house every morning to help him out, but in the process, he started having sex with her with her getting pregnant in the process.

It was further gathered that Hamza's 16-year-old son had allegedly caught his father in the act twice but the father swore he would kill him if he ever divulged the secret to anyone.

During interrogation at the police station, a police source said that the pregnant daughter disclosed that her father had been having sex with her before they went to live with their grandparents and continued on their return.

She further revealed that her father always demanded to know when she was menstruating and strictly warned her against having a boyfriend.

However, Hamza, a resident of Aroro Makinde in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, admitted sleeping with his daughter but said he was not sure he was the one who got her pregnant as she also had other boyfriend she was sleeping with.

It is true that I slept with my daughter, but I started with her when she returned to my house in February this year. I think it was diabolic attack from my enemies who do not want my progress in film making that made me do the abominable. I believe it was the devil at work.

The mother of the children left me about 15 years ago and had remarried. I did not stop her from taking her children with her. I also went into several relationships which failed because the women always left me after taking money from me.

But I only slept with her four times. I am not sure who is responsible for the pregnancy because she has other boyfriends.

The first time it started, she came in to greet me one morning and the next thing was that I saw her getting up beside me.

She told me she was seeing her menstrual cycle twice a month. Some women noticed that she was getting lean and she told me what she was going through so I took care of her with herbs and her cycle became normal again."

"After that, she would tell me Daddy, I am menstruating. I didnt tell her not to have boyfriends; I only asked her to be careful in choosing a lover.

I don't want her to have an abortion. Anyone who aborts is a murderer. She should deliver the pregnancy so that people would know that I am not likely to be the father of the baby. And if I happen to be the father, proper punishment should be meted out to me.

I was not even the one who deflowered her. My son caught us in the act twice. The first time, I was on top of her and the door was not locked. My son came in and saw us.

He greeted me and asked for money for his breakfast. My daughter and I were naked. I had already withdrawn from my daughter when he caught us the second time, he confessed.
According to Punch, the late Desmond was the Chief Protocol Officer in the Ministry before his untimely death just six hours after he was taken into the custody of the EFCC.

Narrating her plight on the demise of her husband, Sussane said:

Around 3pm on June 9, my husband had gone to pick up our son from school and they both returned home. He later went out. Around 6pm, I called his line and it rang once. I tried his number several times later, but it was off.

The next morning, I got apprehensive when he didnt come home. However, around 3.48pm, someone called me with his phone and said my husband was in the EFCCs custody and I should come to bail him.

When I got to their office in Wuse, I was informed that being a woman, it would not be easy to secure his bail, not knowing he was already dead at the time they called me.

The EFCC called me to their office to come and bail my husband while he was already at the mortuary. I later received a phone call from a former colleague of mine that he had read the news online that my husband was arrested for fraud and he had died.

Shortly after leaving, the EFCC issued a press statement breaking the news of my husband's death.

I was informed my husband's arrest was as a result of a petition written against him by one Uloma, his business associate.

She (Uloma) told the EFCC that she met my husband on a flight in 2012 when he was on his way to the US where I went to give birth. She said my husband introduced her to a third party with whom she did a N91m transaction.

The EFCC is to be blamed for my husband's death and labelling him a fraudster. They must clear his name."

A nephew of the late Desmond, Amaechi Ihezie said he was told by the officials of the EFCC that his uncle just slumped and died during interrogation. Ihezie added that the agency had denied the deceased bail even after it had been discovered that he did not receive any money from the transaction.

The EFCC told me that before he died, he wrote a statement of four pages. They gave him his phone to make calls for about two hours and then nobody came to bail him and so they said they transferred him to their head office and that a few hours later, he started to complain of discomfort and slumped. They said he was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead, he added.

The family of the deceased through its lawyer, has, however, petition the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), alleging cover up by the agency.

In the petition, the lawyer, Paul Edeh, said the EFCC had released all those who were in detention with the late Desmond on the day he died, so that there would be no witnesses.

The EFCC has blatantly refused that a post-mortem examination should be carried out on the body so as not to be indicted. This may have been the reason why more than two months after Desmonds death, no move has been made to carry out an autopsy.

After many visits by our clients to the EFCC and the police, both agencies have maintained that Desmond died a natural death. One, therefore, wonders how both the police and the EFCC could come up with such a common position in the absence of a medical examination to determine the cause of death.

The the spokesperson of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, has exonorated the agency of complicity in the death of the victim, insisting her he had fraudulently obtained N91 million from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business associates in Dubai who were on the verge of buying NICON Insurance, and convinced her of their disposition to help her stock fish business.

After the transfer of the funds, he became evasive, forcing the complainant to report to the EFCC. Consequently, he was arrested in Utako, Abuja, at about 5.33pm on Thursday, June 9, 2016.

He admitted to receiving the money from the complainant, with the additional information that he transferred N30 million of the said money to Norway. But he could not explain the whereabouts of the balance of N61 million.
ABC News(NEW YORK) -- The leader of Hezbollah this weekend quoted Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's accusation that President Obama and Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton founded ISIS.



Hassan Nasrallah, leader of the Lebanese militant group, used Trump's claim last week that Obama and Clinton were behind the extremist group ISIS's establishment to bolster his criticism of the U.S. administration in a speech in Lebanon on Saturday, according to a transcript posted by the group's media arm.



"This is not simple speech, Nasrallah said of Trump's remarks. This is an American presidential candidate. This was spoken on behalf of the American Republican Party. He has data and documents.



Trump said on Wednesday that Obama was "the founder of ISIS" and later expanded the claim to include Clinton. Trump repeated his accusation throughout the next day. He said Friday morning the comment was meant as sarcasm, but later that day qualified that by saying his initial claim was "not that sarcastic."



Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militant group and political party, has aligned itself with Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime in that government's civil war against rebel factions. The Lebanese group is also fighting ISIS.



The United States has openly called for Assad to step down and considers both Hezbollah and ISIS terrorist organizations.



ISIS was founded in its current incarnation by its present head, Abu Bark al-Baghdadi, in June 2014.



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The self-employed Omale, responding to a divorce suit filed by his wife to nullify their two-year-old marriage, said his wife was not as innocent as she claimed since she packed out of his house and the only thing that will vindicate her is for her to swear to the oath at his village shrine.

My wife knows that , that is why she is afraid to go to my village to swear. She left her matrimonial home for a month to unknown destination.

In my tradition, when a woman leaves her matrimonial home and wants to come back, she must first go to our village to swear that no man has slept with her.

My wife left my house without my consent and when she returned, she refused to go to my village instead, she rushed to court to ask for divorce.

She is an ingrate and wants to leave me after all I did for her. I sponsored Yetunde from her 100 level to final year. After her graduation, I lost my banking job and she told me she was not interested in the marriage again."

But the 29-year-old Yetunde, is insisting on the divorce, citing her husband trying to force her into taking the oath.

My husband tells me to travel to his village in Benue State to make sacrifice and swear to an oath if a man sleeps with me. He tells me that he always see a man making love to me in his dream.

His elder brother is a herbalist and his wife is currently running mad, while his second brothers wife has been sick for years without solution."

"They cast spell on the wife of his other elder brother who is now a prostitute. I will never be a victim of their evil plan.

My husband always leaves the house without my knowledge and he will never care to call me. Because of his bad behaviour, I went to stay in my parents house. I am no more interested in the marriage," she insisted.
It was gathered that the family of the deceased had petitioned the Zone 5 Police Headquarters in Benin, the state capital, where it alleged questionable circumstances surrounding the death of their daughter in what Pastor Amayo said occurred in a ghastly car accident but could not show them the cars involved in the accident. This therefore raised doubts about the true position of the incident.

The police, acting on the petition, reportedly arrested Amayo, who is said to be a senior pastor of a Pentecostal church in Uromi town, Esan North-East Local Government Area of the state, alongside three other pastors of the church.

Confirming the arrest of Amayo, the Zonal Public Relations Officer (ZPRO), DSP Emeka Iheanacho, said the discrepancies in the report made to the police on the death of Faith, a 38-year-old woman, necessitated the arrest and investigations.

According to reports, Pastor Amayo had reported a case of motor accident in which he alleged that he lost his wife, at the Ekpoma Police Division while the family of the deceased wrote a petition to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in the zone, alleging murder.

The matter was reported at the Edo State Command where initially, they were investigating a fatal motor accident, before the family of the late woman, Faith Amayo, initiated a petition to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police alleging foul play.

So the petition before AIG is from the family of the deceased where they suspected that the husband must have used the woman for ritual. So, that is the matter we are investigating presently.

Officials of the Zone 5 Police Headquarters arrested Amayo and three other pastor of his church who will not be named until investigations are complete.

The investigating team will unravel the circumstances of the womans death, the ZPRO said in a statement.

A brother of the victim, Engineer Fidelis Evbuomwan, also narrated that the family became worried with the secrecy Pastor Amayo went about in the sad development, citing that the deceased who was yet to have a child, was properly married to Pastor Kingsley Amayo in 2011.

On Tuesday, July 26, 2016, Pastor Kingsley Amayo had, through his elder brother, one , informed the family that their daughter, Mrs Faith Amayo, had died in a motor accident at Ujogba, while her husband was driving her to Benin City.

We had to instruct our lawyer to initiate a petition when Amayo gave conflicting accounts of how our sister, his wife, died in an accident he was also involved in.

Our findings revealed that no case of accident was recorded at Ujogba nor reported at Ekpoma Police Division in charge of the area that fateful day.

There was no report of the other vehicle which was allegedly involved in the head-on collision with Pastor Amayos Sienna car.

Who rescued them and the hospital where my sister was pronounced dead, who embalmed her corpse before she was taken to mortuary in Uromi?
According to the statement, Abuah passed on after a brief illness on Sunday.

The statement reads:

"Born on January 29, 1959, Mr Abuah, fondly called O.J, by all who knew and came in close contact with him, died on Sunday, August 14, in Abuja after a brief illness.

"The late Abuah had a long and rich career at the Presidency, where he served seven past Nigerian leaders since 1986 when he joined the State House media office from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

"His many colleagues, friends and admirers will fondly remember him as the man behind several presidential statements and speeches; and he demonstrated a rare sense of calmness and candour in service.

"A native of Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State, O.J is survived by his wife, Loretta and three children (Chinedum, Chike and Amaechi).

"President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a condolence message to the bereaved family. Burial arrangements will be announced later by the family."

Meanwhile, the senior special assistant to the president on economic matters, Ayodele Adu passed on Friday, August 12.
They know me very well. Right from [former President Goodluck] Jonathans time. I am not hiding,Wakil told Premium Times on Monday, August 15.

The army had declared Wakil and two others, Ahmad Salkida, a journalist, and Ahmed Bolori, a peace negotiator based in Maiduguri, wanted on allegations that they have ties to the Boko Haram sect.

Salkida and Bolori have also denied the claims, saying they are not in hiding.

Ive had meeting with them, I still met with the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, and other Army chiefs towards the end of last year. We had very lengthy meeting that we finished around 11 p.m and the next day we continued.

Im in Abuja right now, but I am thinking of going back to Maiduguri so I can see them at the main barracks there. But if theres anywhere I could see them in Abuja here I will go and see them, Wakil added.

ALSO READ: Army killed some of the Chibok Girls  Boko Haram
According to the army spokesman, Sani Usman, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in the counter.

He said: Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole at a harbour in Kangarwa yesterday successfully repelled suspected remnants of Boko Haram terrorists attack.

The attack was launched by the suspected terrorists about 5:30pm on Sunday, August 14 2016.

The alert troops rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents, by killing 16 of them and recovering arms and ammunitions from them. 

Usman further said that the troops recovered one rocket-propelled grenade seven tube, one rocket-propelled grenade bomb, 11 AK-47 rifle, a 60mm mortar tube, a dozen of 60mm mortar bombs, a 36 hand grenade, five AK-47 rifle magazines, one Gionee handset and one Bandolier.

The troops have continued to intensify vigilance and high level of alertness through patrols and reconnaissance.

It is in line with that the troops went on fighting patrol to Dogon Chikun this morning, recovered one vehicle and rescued five people from the Boko Haram terrorists, he added.
The group also called on the Nigerian government to release its fighters which are being kept in various locations across the nation, in exchange for the girls.

According to Sahara Reporters, they said Some have been killed by air strike of the Nigerian military. We will show you clips of how some were killed by the military through air strikes. We will also show you clips of some of them who had broken bodies and injuries following the air strikes and air bombing. Like I said, these are the remaining girls; we have nothing against them. All that we want is you should free our brothers.

If you don't set free our brothers, you should know from this moment that you will never get these girls back by the power of Almighty Allah. This is the summary of our message to the Federal Government and the parents of Chibok girls.

The core message is to the parents to prevail on the Federal Government of Nigeria if they don't set free our brothers we will not let these girls go. We hope you got the message and in this video, you will see how the jet bomb and killed your girls. Some had broken bodies and others receiving medical attention.

We want you to know again, we have nothing to get from these girls, but if you don't set our brothers free, we will never set them free by the power of Almighty Allah. You will see how jet killed your own children.

Also, the Nigerian Army on Sunday declared Ahmad Salkida, (Ambassador) Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil, wanted allegedly in connection with the recently released video of the Chibok girls.

The Federal Government also said it is doing everything possible to secure the release of the Chibok girls.
However, according to the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar the equipment used by the military in air strikes against the sect had a high level of precision in hitting targets.

We are still assessing the video clip to confirm its authenticity or otherwise. This is an era of social media, anything can happen, anybody can crop up anything. However, we are very much alive to our responsibilities, he told Punch.

The claim that the aerial bombardment was used to kill some of them is a complete propaganda; they are trying to buy time, or trying to put psychological trauma in Nigerians against the military.

The equipment we are now using since the beginning of the new leadership of the military is a high level precision aerial equipment; just the way we did in Arepo in the Ogun, Lagos areas against vandals. The equipment was capable of the registering target and capable of hitting that target.

The equipment was used to avoid unnecessary targets; to avoid collateral damage. So the issue of saying we are using bombs to kill Chibok girls is propaganda. They are trying to create psychological trauma in the parents and all Nigerians, he added.

ALSO READ: Father identifies Chibok girl kidnapped by Boko Haram
Governor El-Rufai also said parents who do not want to send their wards to school, can leave Kaduna state.

He said this on Saturday, August 13, 2016, during the screening of a documentary titled: He named me malala.

El-Rufai said "You can leave Kaduna State if you dont want to send your child to school next month. No street begging again. All our children must go to school. Any parent who refuses to send his or her child to school will be prosecuted and send to prison.

Also speaking, the first lady of Kaduna state, Hadiza El-Rufai also said I wish to start by thanking all of you for coming to this screening of the He named me Malala Documentary. While most of us know Malala as the 19-year-old Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, it is important to know where her journey started.

Malala was just a regular Pakistani girl with a penchant for education until in 2012 when her pursuit for education resulted in her being shot and put in a coma. The attack received worldwide condemnation, she has since recovered from the tragedy and has translated this tragedy to worldwide advancements in girl child education.

In Kaduna State, we are working assiduously to create opportunities, the percentage of girls out of school is way too high and this is a problem we have decided to solve. In cognisance of this, we are working hard to increase female enrolment in good schools, improve school curriculum and make affordable health care available for everyone.

Nasir El-Rufai also lamented the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) current fiscal direction, saying that the bank's 14 per cent monetary policy rate has led to extensive job losses in the country.
The militant group also called on the Niger Delta elders to stop asking them to negotiate with the Federal Government.

The militants also dared the Nigerian military to come and get them in the creeks of the oil rich region.

According to the groups spokesman, Agbinibo Mudoch, To the elders of the Niger Delta, hope it is clear to you our elders that the Buhari-led government is unreliable, unreasonable and irresponsible. Can you tell the world the government official you have been dialoguing with? Is it the President? Or is there any committee that is set up for it?

We respect you our elders. As such, stop behaving, as if the Niger Delta is a seized region. Stop acting like you are begging the government for a dialogue. The worse the government will do is to bombard our villages and towns in the name of looking for NDA. So, our elders should tread carefully with the Nigerian government.

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. Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye are not members of NDA. We dont know them or have any connection with them.

The suspects (Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye) were paid five million naira to give Nigerian military intelligence information on the activities of NDA. The suspects failure to deliver led to their arrest. They were therefore tagged NDA members. What a shame?

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai said the army would not hesitate to use force against militants in the Niger Delta if they refuse to accept peace efforts.
The group also called on the international community to prevail on Buhari to obey existing court orders relating to Kanus case.

IPOB also revealed links with Niger Delta Avengers, saying there are inseparable in the fight for a Biafra nation.

The Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), had alleged that IPOB and many others, are sponsors of the militant group.

According to Daily Post, IPOB spokesmen, Emma Nmezu and Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya issued a statement saying:

Trying the discredited divide and rule tactics of using the media to claim Nnamdi Kanu denied N.D.A. in order to engineer acrimony and hatred between him and N.D.A. has failed woefully. South South and South East are united in this noble quest for freedom and no amount of media manipulation can alter this fact. Only if Buhari knows who Nnamdi Kanu truly is or the amount of influence he commands among the people of South East and South South he wont listen to the lies Lawal Daura of DSS and Ohanaeze Ndigbo have been feeding him.

Although we acknowledge that our lawyers spoke out of turn in a recent press conference, we are also aware that Mr. Rochas Okorocha who parades himself to the contrary as an Igbo man has been working as a front man for Muhammadu Buhari to penetrate and compromise IPOB governing structure and our lawyers. We are aware of the grand conspiracy orchestrated by Rochas Okorocha to penetrate IPOB by all and any means necessary.

We know that one of our lawyers has been meeting with Okorocha clandestinely in the past few weeks just like Buhari through Lawal Daura of DSS has been doing through inducements and threats. Some of our lawyers are currently being investigated by the EFCC at the behest of Daura of DSS over a land case settled years ago, in order to unsettle them sufficiently to turn to DSS informants and ultimately undermine the legal defence of our leader as was the case with Vincent Obetta.

In spite of all these shenanigans by Buhari through Daura of DSS and his co-jesters in the media peddling falsehood about negotiations that our leader never consented to, IPOB worldwide is unwavering, determined and resolute under the supreme command of Nnamdi Kanu. No other person dead or alive has the right to command or can command IPOB whether that person is residing in Government house in Owerri or from a private hospital in Nnewi. Only Nnamdi Kanu can tell us in IPOB what to do and we obey. Anybody else attempting to do so will be comprehensively disgraced. IPOB rank and file is with their leader Nnamdi Kanu and we speak with one voice. Our decision remains that there will be NOnegotiations with Nigeria until Buhari obeys court orders for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.

We would like to remind everyone that whatever statement or information is provided by IPOB either through our spokespersons or live on Radio Biafra broadcast by our Deputy Director is exactly the mind of our leader Nnamdi Kanu because he trained us to always put the needs of Biafra restoration first and never to retreat nor surrender. From the time of the arrest of our leader till date he has never at any time disputed publicly or in private, through his wife or family members any press statement issued by IPOB official spokespersons.

Furthermore, IPOB is aware that Buhari is planning to kill our leader Nnamdi Kanu and is doing so with active connivance of some Igbo politicians with certain executive members of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. We warn Buhari and his cohorts that the murder of Nnamdi Kanu will spell doom not just for Nigeria but the entire sub-region because the fall out will be too disastrous for a sane mind to contemplate.

Anybody from the government of Nigeria or Ohanaeze Ndigbo that thinks that Nnamdi Kanu can be another Ken Saro-Wiwa or M.K.O. Abiola is digging their own grave.

IPOB is a global phenomenon, unprecedented in the history of freedom fighting anywhere on earth. We are all over the world with fanatical following. That IPOB has vowed to maintain a peaceful approach to liberating Biafra from the contraption called Nigeria does not translate to allowing Buhari and his conniving so-called Igbo elites to assassinate Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and go scot-free. That will never happen.

We would like to state that IPOB is aware of the fact that all over the world terms for self-determination is always negotiated. But what we insist on is that for Buhari to start any negotiation with IPOB on a peaceful exit of Biafra from Nigeria he must first obey court orders on the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. Buhari should also release all Biafrans illegally detained in various prisons in Nigeria.

However, IPOB would like to take this opportunity to commend the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) of Nigeria, Hon. Abubakar Malami (SAN) and all those endowed with common sense who have come to understand that all IPOB family members arrested must be released unconditionally because our quest is the restoration of Biafra and not to take over the rulership of Nigeria.

It is instructive to note that the AGF dropped all the charges against IPOB members in Abia State even when Okezie Ikpeazu Abia State governor and other killers of innocent Biafrans in government houses were hell-bent on forging ahead with the ridiculous treasonable felony charges. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and those like him specifically directed Hausa-Fulani controlled JTF to undertake the indiscriminate slaughter of fellow Biafrans in Aba on more than two occassions. Their judgement is coming and Nigeria they so diligently serve now will abandon them as is happening already with Ikpeazu.

It is a fact that some people within the Judiciary know that there is no evidence of treasonable felony in the case against Nnamdi Kanu which was why a more learned and highly respected judge like Ademola dismissed these charges at the same Federal High Court John Tsoho is now sitting today to make a mockery of himself and justice.

Finally, we want to reiterate that IPOB and N.D.A. share the same ideology and philosophy concerning the liberation of Biafra from Nigeria and this will be the centrepiece of any negotiation that will take place after the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu. We re-emphasize our stance that there is no negotiation going on at this time and that IPOB and N.D.A. are inseparable in their objectives and expected outcomes.

It is either we get Biafra or we die trying to get Biafra. There is no middle ground, there is no compromising this cardinal point. Let it be known to humanity that there will be no negotiation without first effecting the release of Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally.

The restoration of the blessed nation of Biafra is a divine mission from God Almighty of which Nnamdi Kanu is the chosen messenger. We are unstoppable, unchangeable, irresistible, and irreversible whether Buhari and Lawal Daura like it or not.

Nnamdi Kanus lawyers, Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amoebi Nzelu, told members of the press that he is ready to negotiate with the Federal Government.
MEND also accused Kanu and his group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), of hypocrisy after they reneged on the agreement.

The Niger Delta group made the comment via a statement released by spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.

The statement reads:

"The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu."

"MEND hereby uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the groups ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce Biafra in secret; in exchange for his freedom.

"MEND and the Federal Government have, however, flatly rejected the IPOB/Kanu hypocrisy to remain defiant in public; while accepting to secretly renounce secession. MEND, therefore, urges the already frustrated and desperate Mr. Kanu and IPOB to swallow their pride and make a public denunciation of Biafra.

"MEND also warned followers of Kanu and IPOB that the so-called Biafra Republic is merely a business venture and scam whose sole beneficiaries are Kanu, directors of IPOB and their families and cronies.

ALSO READ: FG releases all detained IPOB members in Abia
Afolayan has raised the bar in Nollywood and challenged other producers to up the ante in respect to the amount of work they put into movie production.

According to a source who spoke to Punch News, the filmmaker now has his eyes set on taking over the African continent in terms of movie production.

If he successfully does this, Afolayan will be breaking a norm that has seen Nigerian movie producers limit their trade to neighbouring Ghana.

He has made the statement he wanted to make with The Figurine, Phone Swap, October 1 and his movie, The CEO is selling in Nigeria now."

"So he wants to explore Africa beyond the usual Ghana that Nigerian producers explore."
The former committee head made the comments via a letter of apology written to All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, John Oyegun.

The letter reads:

We practically disagreed on almost everything. His godfather is Sen Iyola Omisore. Speaker Dogara is of the habit of taking standing committee chairmen to swear oath of allegiance before Omisore.

During the build up to the appointment of committee chairmen, I had a terrible disagreement with him. I stayed far away from him. Who will I tell or run to having played such a leading role in bringing him on board? He operates alone, keep weird relationships with top politicians.

I was in London when he insisted that he wanted to see me. He came to my hotel room and we talked for hours. I gave him a lot of advice, but I never knew it was getting in from one ears and out from the other, Jibrin said.

The role I played, to the best of my conscience at then, sir, was patriotic. I analysed the two candidates (Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila, who is not the Majority Leader of the House) and felt Speaker Dogara had a better temperament to make a good Speaker.

It was a narrow line of thinking, an error of judgement. It took only few weeks after the election for me to realise the  inside the skin of Speaker Dogara. That was when I started getting reports of his  practices for many years in the House undetected. I fell apart will Speaker Dogara instantly. Contrary to public belief, we have never been close since few weeks after he emerged Speaker.

We practically disagreed on almost everything. From the appointment of committee chairmen, to splitting of committees, to nondisclosure of the finances of the House, to his greed of unifying everything under his control, commercialisation of bills, divisive approach across ethnic and religious line, arrogance and power drunk, during the budget period among many others. But who will I tell or run to having played such a leading role in bringing him on board.

I wish to state that I deeply regret the role I played in the emergence of Yakubu Dogara as Speaker. I seek the understanding and forgiveness from you, our leaders and every member of the APC family that was hurt by my action. Thank God Almighty, I am young and energetic. I will be 40 on September 9th. I promise that moving forward, I will dedicate and completely commit myself to achieving the goals set out by the party. This case should serve as a lesson for everyone in the future.

Dogara emerged Speaker on June 9, 2015, despite being excluded from contesting by the APC which had chosen Femi Gbajabiamila as its sole candidate for the Speakership.
Shehu also said that the critics of Buharis government have forgotten how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) destroyed the country during its 16-year rule.

The presidential aide made the comment via an article titled In Defence of President Buhari: Is This The Change We Voted For? Yes, It Is!

It reads:

In Defence of President Buhari: Is This The Change We Voted For? Yes, It Is! He said that Buharis critics had already forgotten the ruinous years of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

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. 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.

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? 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.

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 country 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, he added.

ALSO READ: Presidency denies using UK aid to fight political enemies

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it was not aware how bad the situation in Nigeria was before it assumed office.
Justice Okon Abang opposed an application filed by a former senator Ben Obi, alongside Ahmed Makarfi and some PDP members, seeking to be joined in the suit initiated by the embattled chairman of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff to stop the convention.

Obi had been given the go ahead by the Port Harcourt division of the court for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents to be present at the convention.

Obi cannot undermine the authority of this court. Senator Ben Obi cannot treat the court with disdain and levity, Abang said.

According to The Cable, the judge said he would have adjourned the case to the next day to give Obis counsel time to prepare for an intending application from Sheriffs group, but added that Obis action is a slap on the court, and therefore adjourned the matter to August 16 at 12pm.

Cancelling the convention, Justice Abang said: Where a party has taken law into its hands, and to maintain the dignity and integrity of the court and in the over all interest of justice, taking into consideration the competing claims of the parties, an order is hereby made in the interim suspending the PDP convention slated for August 17, 2016, pending when the plaintiff motion on notice dated July 20 is served.
Sheriff said this following reports that the Northern caucus of the PDP has given their support for the partys convention slated for August 17 in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.

He said he is ready to step down if the executives of the party agree to his call for the convention to hold in Abuja.

He said We will not let PDP to be hijacked by a few people like Governor Fayose and the governor of Rivers State. They have a script that they want someone to act, but I am a man of principle. This is not about Ali Sheriff; it is about democracy, and the rule of law.

I never asked to be chairman of the PDP. I was asked to come and assist the party. I never wanted to be chairman of the PDP. I was sitting down in my house when leaders of the party begged me to come and help the party. Initially, I said no, but I later accepted.

We wont allow things to go wrong, the party will not be hijacked. If they agree to carry everybody along and take the convention to Abuja, I am ready to step down today.

Sheriff also said he will not withdraw any pending case which he instituted against the PDP in various courts.
Daily Post reports that the group of Northern Christians stated recent political happenings and 'corruption', as their reasons for the withdrawal.

In an interview with journalists in Jos, the leader Rev. Luka Shehu, called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate, while announcing plans to revert to the pre-independence Northern Nigerian Christian Association (NNCA).

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", he announced.

Stating that none of the CAN leaders, under the leadership of Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor had ever visited victims in the north-east, middle belt region and other northern States, he said, " there is no need being associated with the body.

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."

Rev. Shehu also made reference to the recent election of election of Rev. Supo Ayokunle on June 14th, 2016.

He said it "was contrary to CAN constitution and the greatest travesty of justice, lies, manipulation and imposition by men in white collar and cassocks.

Therefore, we the Concerned Christians of Nigeria and the teaming Christians of the North renounce and reject every process of 14th June, 2016, and Ayo Oritsejafor with mockery to due process and integrity handed over to his choice.

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

We are writing to EFCC to come and investigate CAN. The history of that aircraft of Pastor Oritsejafor should be investigated.

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, he added.
During a recent visit to the Pope John XXIII Community safe house in Rome on August 12, 2016, he described the criminal act as "a crime against humanity."

A statement from the Holy See Press office called on people to fight human trafficking.

Todays visit by Pope Francis is another call to conscience to fight the trafficking of human beings, which the Holy Father has on several occasions defined as a crime against humanity", and "an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ", it read.

ALSO READ: 10 pearls of wisdom from Pope Francis

The Popes visit to this refugee centre was part of his Friday of Mercy gestures during this Jubilee Year of Mercy.

There, he met 20 women, 6 from Romania, 4 from Albania, 7 from Nigeria and the remaining from Tunisia, Italy and Ukraine, all aged around 30.

Pope Francis spent over one hour with the former sex slaves, all of whom suffered serious physical abuse and live under protection, from their pimps.

This visit is the Popes eighth act of mercy, while the seventh took place on July 29, 2016 at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, there, he said a prayer and visited sick children at the pediatric hospital of Krakow, Poland.

Others include a visit to two communities of priests  the Monte Tabor community, consisting of eight priests, suffering from various forms of hardship, and the Diocese of Romes Casa San Gaetano community, which houses 21 elderly priests.

The Friday of Mercy initiative also includes a visit to a retirement home for the elderly, sick, those in a vegetative state in January, another visit to a center, for recovering drug addicts in Castel Gandolfo, and washing the feet of 12 refugees at the CARA welcoming center in Castelnuovo di Porto.
The FG also added that it would sanction any institution that conduct written post-UTME and sack the vice chancellors of such schools.

Deputy Director, Press at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Bem Goong, who confirmed this in an interview, said the warning has become necessary as some institutions were still bent on going ahead with the written test, which the government has since abolished.

Goong alleged that Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) was stopped from carrying out a post-JAMB examination over the weekend in the Garki area of the Federal Capital Territory.

According to the Goong, One of the parents alerted me about what they were trying to do, and I in turn contacted the permanent secretary outright, who mandated me to convey the development to the National Universities Commission (NUC), and the executive secretary of the commission was duly briefed.

On learning of this development, we promptly reacted and the exercise was stopped at that centre. By the time we got there, they had actually gone in and had even started the examination. So, we had to stop them and also informed them that if they choose to go ahead, they would face serious sanctions from the NUC. We, however, do not know whether they went ahead in other centres around the country, where the exercise was meant to take place.

Goong warned that such act will not be tolerated.

For federal universities, there are also sanctions, because the vice chancellors are public servants, and it could be worse for them because they would be seriously dealt with, and could even be sacked. So, it is very important that they comply with governments directives as it concerns scrapping of written post-UTME.
Digi School includes various components of the government's project including the provision of devices for both the students and the teachers. It also includes capacity development for the various stakeholders involved, content development and establishment of a local assembly for digital devices and related accessories.

Earlier in 2016, the Kenyan government announced that the consortia of Moi University - JP SA Cuoto and Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) - Positivo BGH had won the Kshs. 17 Billion tender to supply laptops.

Soon after the consortia started the pilot phase of the project in February with a target of 150 schools. Next was the proof of concept phase to gauge the ability to deliver, specifications of devices and their usability.

Some of the devices included 14-inch laptops for teachers, 10-inch tablets for students, while special needs students get 12-inch laptops with braille keyboards, head phones and embosser.

According to Techweez, the Kenyan government is planning a massive roll-out of digital learning devices in all primary schools in the country starting from September 1, 2016.

On the 1st of September, all Principal Secretaries and Cabinet Secretaries will launch the laptops to schools countrywide. We will give to them as many schools as possible and PSs and CSs will choose which primary school to launch in," said the Kenyan commissioner for ICT, according to the Techweez report.

The report also reveals that the government plans to give all 22,000 schools in Kenya about 1.2 million devices.
According to him, the 1-District-1-Factory policy will be one of the programmes for the creation of thousands of jobs for the unemployed Ghanaian youth across the country.

If we have 216 factories in this country, it would mean that some of the items imported from outside of the country will be manufactured right here in Ghana. When we produce these items here, it would mean the appreciation and strengthening of the Ghana cedi. If theres a factory in every district, why would our young men and women leave their respective homes for non-existent jobs in the city centres? he asked.

Alan Kyerematen said: With many Ghanaians engaged in their own private businesses, the NPP will make sure that there is availability of capital, at significantly lower lending rates, for the growth of businesses. 90% of jobs currently created in Ghana are through small businesses. The NPP is coming to assist the private sector, so they can create more jobs for the people.
Austria has not seen scenes like those in the German city of Cologne on New Year's Eve, when hundreds of women told police they had been groped, attacked and robbed by mobs of men.

But immigrants have been accused of isolated sexual and other attacks committed in Austria, which has helped harden public opinion against an open-door policy towards migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere, as the Cologne episode did in Germany.

The far-right Freedom Party, which is running first in opinion polls, has seized on cases in which immigrants have been accused of crimes to press for stricter immigration policies. Immigration is likely to be a central theme in the re-run of a presidential election on Oct. 2.

The nine Iraqi men arrested in Vienna and two other provinces over the weekend are aged between 21 and 47 years and deny any wrongdoing, a police spokesman said. All have either applied for, or been granted, asylum.

They are accused of assaulting the German woman, who was visiting a friend in Vienna, in an apartment where two of the men were staying.

"The presumed perpetrators are likely to have taken advantage of the female victim's high level of inebriation," the Vienna police said in a statement.
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.

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.
Teenage activist Joshua Wong, 19, was given 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly after he and others stormed into a fenced-off area in front of government headquarters called "Civic Square" to stage a sit-in in September 2014.

That sparked a night-long standoff with police and was seen as a key trigger for the "Umbrella Movement" that blocked major roads in the Chinese-ruled city for 79 days in a push for full democracy, presenting Communist Party rulers in Beijing with one of their biggest political challenges in decades.

Two other student leaders were also sentenced.

Alex Chow, 25, was given a three-week prison sentence but granted a reprieve for graduate studies in the United Kingdom.

Nathan Law, 23, who was found guilty of the more serious charge of inciting others to unlawful assembly, was given 120 hours of community service.

"The court believes the three defendants are expressing their views and demands genuinely out of their political beliefs or their concern for society," said district court judge June Cheung.

"Their aim and motive is not for their own interest or to hurt other people."

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed back to China in 1997 under an agreement that gave ultimate control to Beijing while promising Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy.

But Beijing's refusal to grant full democracy has exacerbated recent tensions with growing calls for Hong Kong to split from China.

Speaking outside the court besides banners calling for "democracy and self-determination", Chow said the judge's statement carried a "timely warning" for authorities at a time when more people have agitated for independence from China.

"The authorities should consider why so many people are raising these options. What is the motivation, stance and reasons behind them?"

An upcoming legislative election that will be contested by Law and other young activists seeking to enter mainstream politics for the first time is likely to further expose underlying strains in the city of 7.2 million.

"I was really worrying about whether I would be sentenced to imprisonment and that it would affect my election campaign," Law said.
"Armed men from Renamo ambushed a vehicle on Friday, firing at it until it caught fire," police spokesman Daniel Macuacua told AFP.

"Six people were burnt to death."

All the victims were civilians, though their identities have not been released.

"We are still looking for any potential survivors who may have escaped," Macuacua added.

Renamo, which waged a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992, has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since independence 40 years ago.

Since 2013, tensions have risen and Renamo fighters have again taken up arms in a battle that it says is against a Frelimo elite who have enriched themselves at the expense of the country.

Peace talks are underway, but authorities blame the stand-off for an uptick in violent attacks in northern and central parts of Mozambique.

In May, 13 bodies were found in the restive centre of the country where security forces and Renamo rebels have frequently clashed, while the Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH) claimed at least 83 summary executions had been reported since the start of the year.

He claims government troops are continuously attacking his stronghold in central Gorongosa in an attempt to lure him out or kill him.
The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office said in a statement dated Friday that the two males were accused of helping the North Korean secret operative from 2014 to 2015, which would violate the South's National Security Law.

The indictments come amid heightened tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang after a series of missile launches by the North this year and the decision by the United States to place a sophisticated anti-missile system in South Korea.

The two South Korean men met the North Korean in the Chinese city of Dandong, which borders North Korea, and conspired to smuggle two containers of tyres into the North, prosecutors said.

"There were sufficient possibilities that the large tyres, in particular, could be converted for military use," South Korea's Yonhap News Agency quoted an unidentified prosecution official as saying on Monday. "They (the two) were aware of this and attempted to smuggle them out of the country."

Chinese customs officials blocked the transaction, South Korean prosecutors said.

The North Korean agent also asked one of the two South Koreans to look into the possibility of distributing counterfeit dollars, South Korean prosecutors said.

The Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office was not immediately available for further comment.

North and South Korea remain in a technical state of war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armed truce.

In July, South Korea warned its citizens in China and Southeast Asia of the risk of "dangerous acts" by North Korea after news reports said North Korea may have sent agents to those places to harm or abduct South Koreans.
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.

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.
Russia accused Ukraine last week of planning terrorist attacks in Crimea to provoke a new conflict over the region Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine flatly denied that.

Lavrov said in televised comments on Monday after talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier that Moscow could supply more evidence of what it has said was a long-planned Ukrainian plot to destabilise Crimea.

But in more conciliatory comments, Lavrov said he did not think anyone was interested in cutting diplomatic ties between Russia and Ukraine yet.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores has announced it will expand into Moline, moving into the former Hancock Fabrics store near SouthPark Mall.

Jo-Ann, which already has a store in Davenport, indicated it will try to hire the Hancock workers who were displaced when that store closed this summer.

"In everything we do, our goal is to serve our loyal customers," Jo-Ann President and CEO Jill Soltau said in a news release. "It is that passion that led us to reach out to former Hancock employees regarding opportunities with Jo-Ann."

Founded in 1943, Jo-Ann is the nation's leading fabric and craft specialty retailer with 850 stores in 49 states. It employs about 23,000 people.

The Moline store, located at 3911 16th St., will be its fourth store in the Quad-City region. It also has stores in Muscatine, Iowa, and Galesburg, Illinois. An opening date for the Moline store was not announced.

In addition to fabric and craft supplies, Jo-Ann offers in-store project inspiration and education classes in sewing and crafting. The Moline store also will sell an array of finished products from home decor to storage, jewelry, books, children's activities and more.
Q. I was wondering if the prison system prepares for the release of prisoners by giving them information about social services available upon release. I ask this because I was recently approached for money by someone who said that he just got out of prison and needed money. He surprised me and made me feel a little vulnerable. So, I got in my car and drove off. However, I thought about it and wondered what survival preparation is taken into account before release.
Friends and family members are raising money for a former Clinton man who was severely injured during last month's Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

Veteran RAGBRAI rider James Foley, 67, of Middleburg, Florida, formerly of Clinton, was struck and dragged by a pickup while he was in his sleeping tent July 24, the first full day of the ride.

Phil Smoker, of East Moline, a longtime friend of Foley, was a support driver for RAGBRAI riders.

As usual, Foley led his group of RAGBRAI friends called Foleys Boys, Smoker said. The night of the accident, the group camped in the 59er Motel & Campgrounds in Shenandoah, Iowa.

We turned in at 10:30 or 11 oclock and went to our tents, Smoker said.

Foley was alone in his tent when, about 11:30 p.m., a diesel pickup truck hauling a trailer struck and dragged him, Smoker said.

Foley was airlifted to Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, Neb., where he remains hospitalized, Smoker said. He has a crushed hip and dislocated pelvis and can respond but not talk, Smoker said.

According to the official RAGBRAI website, Danny Cardin, 55, of Homer, Louisiana, was charged with serious injury by vehicle, leaving the scene of a serious injury accident and operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

Foley has stabilized since the accident, but he will undergo several surgeries, said Smoker, who said his friend since high school could be in the hospital for months.

Foley is a Vietnam veteran who, with his wife, runs a lawn-maintenance company, Smoker said.

Earlier on July 24, another RAGBRAI rider and friend of Foleys was killed in a collision with a pickup truck near Glenwood, Iowa.

The ride started July 23 in Glenwood, Iowa, and ended July 30 in Muscatine.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine will return to the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday to discuss Hillary Clintons vision for economic fairness. He is expected to highlight her 100-day jobs plan.

Kaine is scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. at the Michael J. Gould Recreation Center, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW. Doors will open at 9 a.m.

Tickets are free, but people who want to see the candidate are asked to RSVP at hrc.io/2btSnOv.

Kaine, a U.S. senator from Virginia, visited Cedar Rapids in 2014 to campaign for 1st District Rep. Bruce Braley, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate. Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, met with veterans to talk up Braleys record on veterans issues.

Kaine, who has an aunt and uncle who live in Fort Madison, rode in RAGBRAI in 1996 and campaigned for Barack Obama in 2008 as well as for Clinton in the run-up to the 2016 caucuses.
DES MOINES  Three Iowa state lawmakers  including a pair from the Cedar Valley  are calling for increased transparency as a state board chooses the next president for the University of Northern Iowa.

The three legislators in a letter released Monday outline their concerns to the Iowa Board of Regents, the panel that governs the states three public universities, including UNI.

The letter was sent by Democratic Iowa Sens. Jeff Danielson, of Cedar Falls; Brian Schoenjahn, of Arlington; and Rob Hogg, of Cedar Rapids; to Board of Regents chair Bruce Rastetter.

The senators in the letter said the 2015 hiring of University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld failed to adhere to the high standards Iowans expect from our Board of Regents, and encouraged the regents to be more fair and transparent in selecting a new president at UNI.

Harrelds hiring was criticized by many for his lack of experience in the education field and allegations that prior to being hired he met with regents outside of the normal interview process.

In June, the American Association of University Professors sanctioned the University of Iowa for what the group called substantial non-compliance with standards of academic government and called the search at best an illusion of an open, honest search.

Given the problems with that selection process documented by University of Iowa faculty and students, the American Association of University Professors, and the news media, we encourage you to use a fair and transparent process in the selection of the next president of the University of Northern Iowa, a process that actually and fully involves the faculty and students in the spirit of shared governance, says the letter from state lawmakers.

The letter notes as one small step that the regents have hired a different search firm, and asks the board to respond to the letter with specific steps being taken to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process.

A regents spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday.

Iowa Rep. Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, echoed the concerns outlined in the letter.

We should have a transparent process that makes sure that the next president at UNI will continue to work at growing the university and work to get the necessary funding from the state of Iowa, Kressig wrote in an email response to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. Hopefully the regents are willing to let that happen.
Nearly $200,000 in grant money is being poured into the Rapid City school district for technology upgrades this year.

The money will be spent at Canyon Lake elementary, Stevens high, and Corral Drive elementary schools for projects ranging a keyless entry system to improve safety, to an expanded graphic design program, to a more involved system to tailor lesson plans for individual elementary students.

The largest of the three  a $90,000 Classroom Innovation Grant funded by the state legislature  is going to Canyon Lake to pay for teacher development and training, as well as classroom access to virtual education platforms geared toward fostering customized learning experiences.

The grant will allow educators at Canyon Lake to begin tailoring lessons to individual students using whats called the Mass Customized Learning method. In a nutshell, Mass Customized Learning utilizes in-classroom technology to offer students a greater amount of freedom and options in selecting how they will learn a given subject, according to district spokesperson Katy Urban.

Students will be able to curate, with guidance from teachers, a playlist of learning experiences, personalized to each student, Urban said.

Every staff member at Canyon Lake will receive training on the concept. If it succeeds at Canyon Lake, other schools in the district may adopt the Mass Customized Learning method, Urban said.

At Canyon Lake, we pride ourselves on engaging our students, said Canyon Lake Principal David Swank, who applied for the grant. "I believe that this initiative will allow us to meet our students at the confluence of ability and passion, and that well be able to empower our learners to take more agency over their learning.

Another $43,000 South Dakota Workforce Education Grant has been awarded to upgrade the graphic designs program at Stevens High School. The funds are part of a series of grants, totaling $800,000, awarded to eight schools in the state.

According to Urban, the funds will be used to update the Adobe software and Creative Cloud system at the Stevens High graphic design program.

The software we currently have is outdated, Urban said. Using current software will help students entering the workforce.

Corral Drive Elementary School will also get a new keyless entry system thanks to a $65,190 grant from the Department of Homeland Security.
PRESHO | One man died and another was injured Sunday in a two-motorcycle crash west of Presho.

A release from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said a 58-year-old man died, and another 58-year-old man suffered serious but non life-threatening injuries. Both men, whose names were not released pending notification of family, were driving Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Just before 11:45 a.m. Sunday, both motorcycles were eastbound on Interstate 90 near mile marker 219, about 6 miles west of Presho. The first motorcycle slowed quickly and the second motorcycle, unable to stop, rear-ended the first motorcycle.

The first driver, who was not wearing a helmet, was separated from his bike and eventually died from his injuries. The second driver was wearing a helmet.

The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating. Lyman County Sheriffs Office, Jones County Sheriffs Office, Jones County Ambulance, Lyman County Ambulance and Presho Fire also responded.
A severe thunderstorm watch blanketed much of the Black Hills on Sunday, as rain, thunder and lightning hit the region in the evening and didn't leave until after nightfall.

The storms were expected to move across the state to East River overnight.

For today, anyone leaving town from the Sturgis rally can expect a mostly sunny morning, with a 30 percent chance of showers after noon, according to the National Weather Service. Heading into the overnight hours, the chance for rain drops to 20 percent, with a low of 61.

The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls predicts a 30 percent chance of storms throughout the day today with a high of 84.

Tonight, storms are expected to get stronger as they leave Western South Dakota and head east. There is a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms East Rivern with new rainfall predicted to range between a quarter- and a half-inch.

There remains a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday, with a high of 88. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy with a chance of storms and a low of 60.

There will still be a chance of rain in Eastern South Dakota on Tuesday, but the chance drops down to 30 percent, with storms calming after midnight. The high will be 88 and the low will be 60.

Wednesday looks to be a calm day in South Dakota, with plenty of sunshine and a high of 90 in Rapid City and 85 in Sioux Falls.

Thursday, there is a chance thunderstorms will return to Rapid City during the day, when the high will be 86 and the low will be 57.

In Sioux Falls, the day will remain clear with a high of 89, and during the night the chance of a shower or thunderstorm increases to 30 percent with a low of 66.

Friday could bring a shower or thunderstorm to Rapid City. It will be cooler, with a high of only 71 and a low of 52.

On the east side of the state, the chance for showers and thunderstorms Friday is 50 percent, with a high temperature of 78. The chance decreases to 30 percent during the overnight hours.
LEAD | State Senator James Bernard Jim Dunn, 89, life-long resident of Lead, died Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016, at the VA Hospice in Sturgis, SD, after a year of declining health. Known as a faithful public servant on the local, state and national level, as well as for his long career with Homestake Mining Company, Jim was defined by his love for family, his hometown of Lead, and the state of South Dakota.

Born on June 27, 1927, to William and Lucy (Mullen) Dunn in a house above the Old Abe mine shaft in Lead, Jim attended St. Patricks Grade School and Lead Junior and Senior High Schools. After graduating in June 1945, he enlisted in the United States Army. Jim served in the Signal Corps for a year before transferring to Task Force Frost in Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where he tested military communications equipment in winter conditions for eventual use in the Korean conflict. Delivered in his always colorful language, PFC Dunns assessment was, Some of the items we tested werent worth a damn!

In 1947, honorable discharge in hand, Jim returned to his hometown of Lead to begin a satisfying 38-year career with Homestake Mining Company, starting as a heavy equipment and diesel mechanic in the Mechanical Department. In 1962, he began working concurrently in Homestakes Public Affairs Department and as a lobbyist, representing Homestakes interests in Pierre from 1963 to 1970. Jim completed a business administration/economics degree at Black Hills State College in 1962. He was promoted to assistant director of public affairs in 1962 before serving as director of public affairs from 1978 until his retirement in 1985.

During his tenure at Homestake, Jim was associate editor of the Sharp Bits publication and principle photographer and printmaker for the images used in print, magazine and TV news. Most photos of the construction of the early neutrino chamber at the mine were the handiwork of Jim Dunn. He also contributed to publications, television programs and movies including, The Homestake Story (co-authored with Donald P. Howe), Homestakes Bulldog Mountain Silver Mine, and The Violent Universe, a 1969 PBS/BBC documentary about the solar system and neutrinos.

Among other duties as assigned, Jim filled the role of director of the Homestake Recreation Center, and managed the Homestake surface tours taken by tourists from around the globe. For 30 years, he designed, constructed, assembled, and staffed the Homestake information booth at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron, offering the citizens of South Dakota a glimpse of the underground world of mining in the Largest Gold Mine in the Western Hemisphere. Jim also was a familiar sight along parade routes in the Black Hills as the bass drum player in the Homestake Marching and Concert Band. Most recently he tried his hand as a thespian, having bit roles in the Homestake Opera House productions of Fiddler on the Roof and The Music Man.

Jim was active in membership and leadership positions in numerous organizations: Knights of Columbus, Black Hills Badlands and Lake Association, Black Hills Girl Scout Council (first male president!), Lead Chamber of Commerce, Society of Black Hills Pioneers, Lead Toastmasters, Lead United Fund, American Institute of Mining Engineers/Black Hill Section, American Legion, Lead Civic Association, Lawrence County Historical Society, Adams Memorial Museum and House, South Dakota Centennial Commission, Lead Economic Development Board, Homestake Veterans Association, Black Hills State University Alumni Association, Black Hills Eye Institute Foundation, South Dakota Auto Club and South Dakota Blue Shield.

In 1970, Jim was tapped to run for the South Dakota House of Representatives on the Lawrence County (Districts 26, 31) Republican ticket. After a two-year term (1971-1972) in the House, he began an unbroken, 28-year incumbency in the South Dakota Senate, making him the fourth individual in state history to hold a legislative seat for 30 years. Senator Dunn chaired the Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee for two decades, as well as serving on the Tax, State Affairs (as vice chair), and Health and Welfare (chair and vice chair) committees. By all accounts, he ran committee meetings with a fair hand, didnt like political posturing, kept to time limits and let all who came to present on an issue be heard.

During his tenure in the Senate, he held progressive leadership positions on the South Dakota Legislative Research Council and served as both the assistant majority and assistant minority leader. Senator Dunn also was active on a national level through his work with the Council of State Governments (CSG), and the National Council on State Legislatures (NCSL). Due to term limits, his public service to the good citizens of South Dakota ended with the 2000 legislative session.

Jim received many accolades during his lifetime of service, including inductions into the South Dakota and Lead-Deadwood High School halls of fame and City of Deadwood Wall of Fame. He was named the National Republican Legislators Associations 1996 Legislator of the Year, a Black Hills State University Distinguished Alumni, and Grand Knight of the St. Patricks Knights of Columbus. He received Dakota State Universitys Distinguished Contribution to the Preservation of South Dakota History Award, a Distinguished Service Award from the Masonic Lodge, a U.S. Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award, the South Dakota National Guards Williamson Militia Man Award, and a Friend of Law Enforcement Award from the South Dakota Peace Officers Association. Jim received a presidential appointment to the U.S. Selective Service Board in 1967, and a U.S. Department of Defense appointment to the South Dakota Committee for Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve.

Jim was swept off his feet in 1954 when he met the love of his life, Elizabeth Betty Lanham from Beresford, SD. They married in September 1955 and raised four children together. He was an especially proud father of the people his children became and their place in the world. For all his travels and accomplishments, Jim liked nothing better than spending time with family and friends. The family cabin in Spearfish Canyon was a special spot, and many a T-shirt was sweated up working on his little spot of heaven. A man of deep Catholic faith, and strong Irish heritage, Jim believed in straight talk and common sense, and lived his life with those foundations. Genuinely interested in people and their stories, Jim Dunn never met a stranger.

Jim is survived by his four children, Sue (Alec Tsoucatos) Dunn of Denver, Colorado; Tom (Sharon) Dunn of Denver; Mary Beth (Dennis) Mallow of Black Hawk, SD; and Kathy (Lew) Forti of Youngstown, NY. He was a loving grandfather to Jennifer (Jeremie) Young, Kaitlin Mallow, Laura Mallow, Kristina Burley, Brian Forti, Nick (Wendy) Kolchev, Larisa (Jeffrey) Gutierrez, Sara (Craig) Hendrick and Sam Forti, and great-grandfather to Melanie Hendrick, Nicholas Hendrick and Kiera Gutierrez. Other survivors include siblings Bill Jerry (Jane) Dunn of Omaha, Nebraska; Mary Margaret Stelloh of Denver; and several cousins, nieces and nephews. Jim was preceded in death by Betty, his wife of nearly 60 years and the prettiest girl he ever saw, in April 2015; grandsons James Mallow and Thomas Burley; and his parents.

Memorials have been established with the Adams Museum, Homestake Opera House, St. Patricks Altar Society, Black Hills Mining Museum and Society of Black Hills Pioneers.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at St. Patricks Catholic Church, Lead, followed by Rosary at 7 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, at St. Patricks Catholic Church. Interment will be at Holy Cross Cemetery in Lead.

Arrangements are under the care of the Lead-Deadwood Memorial Chapel in Lead. Online condolences may be written at fidler-isburgfuneralchapels.com.
Russia appeals national teams ban from Rio Paralympic Games in CAS

MOSCOW, August 15 (RAPSI)  Russias Paralympic Committee on Monday filed an appeal with the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) challenging exclusion of Russian athletes from participation in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil, a statement of the committees press service reads.

The application has been lodged in accordance with an arbitration agreement earlier concluded between Russias Paralympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

The court hearing will take place on August 21 in Rio de Janeiro.

On August 7, IPC banned 268 Russian athletes from competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games following the country's doping scandal.

The Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro will be held from September 7 to September 18, 2016.
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 titled The 1959 Yellowstone Earthquake, released in July 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 forward 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.
This year, 2016, is one of the more challenging years for Montanas natural resource industries. Timber for sawmills, 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 strong headwinds.

As the co-chairs of the Natural Resources Key Industry Network (KIN) for Gov. Steve Bullocks Main Street Montana Project (MSM), we bring a unique perspective to the discussion.

MSM was launched in 2013 to provide a roadmap for businesses and state government to grow, strengthen and streamline their relationship. It is focused on more tightly braiding the private and public sectors by convening the knowledge and experience of Montana business leaders. This provides a platform for the business community to share ideas with Governor Bullock, who in turn has committed state agency time and resources to implementing KIN recommendations.

MSM 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.

Bullock recognizes Montana natural resources sectors are facing a complex, difficult and multi-layered reality. MSM has provided a platform to identify problems and offer solutions. 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.

Those 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.

Bullock listened to the recommendations from the Natural Resources KIN and is making progress to address them. Utilizing both the 2014 Farm Bill and state funding and resources, Montana now has 15 timber and restoration projects happening 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 of Montana just signed a Good Neighbor Agreement with the United States 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 and 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.

While the governor has made progress and taken supportive actions, we also recommended additional items that are critical to our industries.

The Natural Resource KIN 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.

And because Montana businesses do it right, we asked the governor to project that fact by pushing federal agencies 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, or MEPA.

On behalf of the Natural Resources KIN, we thank Governor Bullock for convening the Main Street Montana Project. We appreciate the steps taken so far and trust serious consideration will be given to the full set of recommendations we provided.

For more information about the Main Street Montana Project and the Natural Resources KIN recommendations, please visit www.mainstreetmontanaproject.com/Resources.
Political Incorrectness Paradoxes, and Anything else out of left field.
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Defiance and Protest Since the Police Murder of Paul ONeal

August 15, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

From the Revolution Club, Chicago:

The Revolutionary Communist Party IS ORGANIZING NOW TO OVERTHROW THIS SYSTEM AT THE SOONEST POSSIBLE TIME. Preparing to lead an actual revolution to bring about a radically new and better society: the New Socialist Republic in North America. From Time To Get Organized for an ACTUAL RevolutionMessage from the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA

Since the murder of Paul ONeal by Chicago police on July 27 (Chicago Police Videos of Paul ONeal Released: Black Teenager Was UnarmedIt was cold-blooded murder), there have been repeated outbreaks of protest, including among the youth in the neighborhood where he lived. The Revolution Club has been in the midst of this. This correspondence is to let revcom.us/Revolution readers know what has been happening and how the Revolution Club has been working to connect this with Message from the Central Committee of the RCP, USA, Time To Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution and carry out the "three prepares"prepare the ground, prepare the people and prepare the vanguardget ready for the time when millions can be led to go for revolution, all-out, with a real chance to win.

Friday Night, July 29:

The day after the murder, youths from the South Shore neighborhood organized a vigil for their friend Paul ONeal. Close to 100 friends and some relatives gathered on this quiet street of single-family homes. A memorial was erected and candles were laid on the sidewalk.

A couple of us from the Revolution Club went by the spot around midnight. About a dozen of his friends were still there. We expressed our condolences and then got into what became a pretty intense discussion. South Shore has a history of some intense gang conflicts. The Revolution Club had been involved in protests of two police murders of young men in South Shore in 2015. Some of Pauls friends remembered us from this. They told us that they had been part of blowing whistles with us when the police tried to disrupt the funeral for JJ. JJ, Jeffrey Kemp, was a friend of theirs, but the other young man, Alfontish NuNu Cockerham, killed only a few blocks from where we sat, belonged to an opposing set (known here as the Ops). One young woman was vehement that she would never want Pauls picture on a banner with one of the Ops. Others joined in with her.

We got into this pretty hot and heavy, bringing out the Message (and walking through some of its points as we talked). In particular, we pointed toThe Problem, including This system locks down generations of Black and Brown youth, brutalizing and incarcerating them and even blowing them awayor else setting them up to fight and kill each other, when they should be fighting the REAL enemy. We went round and round with some of these youths about what is the problem and who is the enemy.

The role of the police is not to serve and protect the people. It is to serve and protect the system that rules over the people. To enforce the relations of exploitation and oppression, the conditions of poverty, misery and degradation into which the system has cast people and is determined to keep people in. The law and order the police are about, with all of their brutality and murder, is the law and the order that enforces all this oppression and madness. Bob Avakian, BAsics 1:24

Are the youths on the next block the enemy, even if they have been responsible for the death of one of your friends? Or are they, too, trapped by this nightmare of a system into this hellish war of seemingly endless retaliation? Who benefits from this? We argued that the system does. It has no future for the youth and those in power are terrified of these youth becoming conscious revolutionaries. Those in power remember the 1960s and how they came close to losing power and never want to see that happen again. Some of Pauls friends were listening intently as we struggled with them to pull the lens back and look at the larger picture.

Are the police just another gang and is the solution to exact revenge? Or are they instead enforcers of this system of capitalism-imperialism? We read BAsics 1:24. We argued that they needed to get with the Revolution Club and that we were serious when we said, The Revolutionary Communist Party IS ORGANIZING NOW TO OVERTHROW THIS SYSTEM AT THE SOONEST POSSIBLE TIME. Preparing to lead an actual revolution to bring about a radically new and better society: the New Socialist Republic in North America. We need youths like them to step forward, take up this Message and learn the science of communism and the new synthesis Bob Avakian has brought forward. We left them with copies of the Message and plans to get into all this more, and some signed up to get with the Revolution Club.

Saturday, July 30the Next Night:

The Revolution Club called on people to gather at the site of the memorial at 8:30 pm. Dozens of Pauls friends showed up, including the youths wed met the night before. Blowing whistles the whole time and carrying the Stolen Lives banner, the protest took to the streets. Police SUVs and Tahoes with blue lights flashing were at the front and back, but the police did not get out of their vehicles or attempt to stop the protest, which wound through the streets for over an hour. One of Pauls friends called out repeatedly over the sound system, this is about Justice for Paul and Justice for All. What he said represented a beginning step, calling on the youth from different sets to stand up together. The significance of this was not lost on participants or on the police who know well, and often in fact fuel, the gang conflicts in this area. Cars honked in support and some older people said they were happy to see these youths into something positive.

Chicago, August 5. People across the city and country went from shock to outrage when the videos were released. By evening, many young people in South Shore moved to open defiance. All photos: Special to revcom.us Youths from the neighborhood converged on a major intersection that includes a Metra commuter train stop. Approaching the intersection, a train stopped several hundred yards away as the track was blocked by protesters, then backed off in the direction it came from. Rage rippled through the people on the street and there was a very fluid scene as at times people linked arms to block the street, and other times the intersection was blocked just by the fact of so many people gathering in the middle of the street, chanting in smaller knots of folks.

During the next week, Club members went to where these youths hang out, got further into the Message with them and got them bundles to distribute. We showed clips of the leader of the revolution, Bob Avakian, up on revcom.us, including Bob Avakian Through the Years. In this, BA talks about how the guards set up prisoners to fight each other in the Corcoran SHU and calls on people to pull the lens back and see how they are being played. This is an important concept we dug into with these youths. All through the week the Message and Stolen Lives poster were posted throughout the neighborhood.

Friday Night, August 5:

The horrific videos of Chicago cops gone wild and executing 18-year old Paul ONeal (Chicago Police Videos of Paul ONeal Killing Released: Black Teenager Was UnarmedIt was cold-blooded murder) were released at 11 am Friday by the citys cop review agency, IPRA. People across the city and country went from shock to outrage. By evening, many young people in South Shore moved to open defiance.

They gathered again at the memorial for him. At first there were 20 or so. One young man argued that people needed to take the streets. People had seen the videosthey were angry and wanted to confront the cops who had shot Paul down, then high-fived each other. There were handmade posters saying Fuck Da Police and Justice for Paul. Someone from the Revolution Club was there with a large Stolen Lives banner and posters from revcom.us saying America was NEVER greatwe need to overthrow this system! Youths took up the banner and posters and began to march in the street. A stack of Messages was already at the memorial and people took those with them, too.

The march grew twice its original size as it continued in the street. Cops drove up in SUVs with flashing blue lights. But they did not try to stop the youths, who draped the Stolen Lives banner over the window of police cars so that they had to confront what they had done. They would surround the police cars putting the picture of Paul on the windows. One youth threw a Message in the face of a police car. They ran alongside buses putting pictures of Paul on the buses. They sat on the bike racks in the front of the buses. They were getting out the Message to cars and buses. One woman stood up in her car and cheered the youths. The young man who had pushed to take the streets got on a bullhorn: You all saw that video, you saw that video. And he was challenging people in cars and on the sidewalk that they had to get involved. He agitated about the cop on the video who said, Im going to get 30 days of desk duty.

Finally, the youths from the neighborhood converged on a major intersection in South Shore that includes a Metra commuter train track and stop. They were soon joined by activists against police murders who had held a press conference and die-in at Chicago police headquarters earlier in the evening.

People say: You mean to tell me that these youth running around selling drugs and killing each other, and caught up in all kinds of other stuff, can be a backbone of this revolutionary state power in the future? Yesbut not as they are now, and not without struggle. They werent always selling drugs and killing each other, and the rest of itand they dont have to be into all that in the future. Ask yourself: how does it happen that you go from beautiful children to supposedly irredeemable monsters in a few years? Its because of the system, and what it does to peoplenot because of unchanging and unchangeable human nature. Bob Avakian, BAsics 3:17

At any given moment, at least 100 people were in the streets and organized themselves to shut down traffic in all directions for several hours. A Metra train approaching the intersection stopped several hundred yards away as the track was blocked by protesters. After over half an hour, the train did not attempt to continue down the track and backed away in the direction it came from. This is a first in Chicago!

Rage rippled through the people on the street and there was a very fluid scene as at times people linked arms to block the street, and other times the intersection was blocked just by the fact of so many people gathering in the middle of the street, chanting in smaller knots of folks.

Police cars were blocking the streets behind the protesters, but though flashing blue lights lit up the night, there had obviously been a political decision by higher authorities to not attack the protesters this time. Any time cops ventured out of their cruisers to approach the crowd, they were surrounded by people going right in their face denouncing their cold-blooded murder of Paul ONeal. Several times a high-ranking police officer appeared on the street to wave the cops back into their SUVs. Some of the same cops that were in the video were there. One of these swine had the audacity to tell the youth that after the murder, I slept good.

Why are we still fighting for justice in 2015? "Why are we still fighting for justice in 2015?" is a clip from the film REVOLUTION AND RELIGION: The Fight for Emancipation and the Role of Religion; A Dialogue Between CORNEL WEST & BOB AVAKIAN. Watch the entire film here.

Learn more about BA here.

A young man from Pauls neighborhood told Revolution, during the midst of the shutdown, Were out here trying to live our lives and they trying to stop us from doin what we doin. I knew Paul, me and Paul been close and I knew Paul like a brother. Now I cant call him on the phone and see where he at. It feels sad not to have Paul here. The police killing us for no reason. Like, we cant go outside, go to the store and stuff, stopping us, searching our pockets, and we get shot, for no kind of reason. So we doin it right, right now, getting people to support us more, to stop police from killing us. I want to grow up. Instead of gang killings, we got police killing us one by one. I feel this aint right, so we doin this right, right now.

When asked what he thought it would take to stop all this police murder all across the country, he said, I think we need to come together as one unit, Black, white, I dont care what color, and support each other. Stop killing us. Come together as one unit and fight.

Pauls cousin, a petite young woman, was relentlessly calling out the cops and agitating to the people over a bullhorn: Paul was only 18! Everybody knew him and liked him! He was shot down for no reason! Everybody needs to unite to fight this! We have to stop killing each other and fight the policeFuck the police!

Fighting for unity among the people against the system was a real factor and continuing struggle in this protest. An activist who works with the Revolution Club in South Shore told Revolution that it actually took a lot of work to bring people together for this protest. He said many youths in the neighborhood were scared of the potential for conflict between the young people who are associated with competing sets of youths in South Shore. We had to fight for this, he said.

As one club member reported: As people came up to a street that divides gang turf, some people from the other set came out and there was kind of like this tension. I was struggling with the youth on the bullhorn, we have to chant, Justice for all. There was kind of a process that went on. I got on the bullhorn and said, The Ops are the Police and the System. Not other people. Justice for Paul, Justice for JJ AND Justice for NuNu, Justice for All.

There were people on the sidewalk and there was some taunting between the sets. The closer we got to the dividing line, the more the police presence went away. I was agitating to the youths, pointing out that they are all over you until you get up here... They want you to be at each other. And some youths were saying, Listen to her. After some hesitation, the crowd crossed the gang divide and marched on a way and then turned back around. It did not develop into a confrontation. Club members felt that within this were some important seeds, embryonic, beginnings, of what needs to and must change. We saw the potential for this, something BA points to when addressing the question of the youth in REVOLUTIONNOTHING LESS! These youth need to get out of the gang life and get into the revolution.

This potential will not become reality without a fight. The struggle with the youth to break with the oppressors way of thinking and acting and fight the real enemy will be sharply contended, over and over... including as we go up against the ways in which the pigs try to foster conflicts as they did on this day. Transforming the thinking of the people is a key part of forging a critical mass of people who bring forward a different way and as they fight the power, show people what the road forward out of this is and fight for them to join the revolution.

The Revolution Club was present the whole time with the Stolen Lives banner. A Club member agitated over a loudspeaker about how this whole system that murdered Paul in Chicago, Alton Sterling in Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Minnesota needs to be taken down, and a new one serving the people put in its place. He told the people that there is a leadership to do this with Bob Avakian and the Revolutionary Communist Party he leads. He also picked up on the outrage from Pauls cousin, telling people that You go to school together, you go to the same stores as each other, you take the same bus as each otherbut you fight each other over bullshit. Dont tell me you cant come together to fight this system! And he led people in the chant Indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell! A small posse of young people from the neighborhood followed the agitating team as they walked through the intersection to address different knots of people, nodding their heads in approval. Copies of Time To Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution were also distributed.

Find out more about the revolution

Find out about BA, the leader of the revolution

August 7A crowd of hundreds, mainly young and including many high school and college students, took the downtown streets and shut down the area for over four hours. Photos: Special to revcom.us

Sunday, August 8:

There was a protest downtown of hundreds called by high school students who are part of Black Lives Matter. Before it began, the Revolution Club boldly marched through parts of downtown chanting and doing the mighty, mighty revcoms chant. When we got to the rally site we caused a stir, many cameras captured our entrance.

The crowd was mainly young and included many high school and college students. It was diverse, with a large representation of white youths. The club felt that the participation of these white youths was of strategic importance. We have been listening to BAs talk on the importance of being able to break out of the encirclement when the actual revolution comes and how our work today must be rooted in that understanding. There was a small group of friends of Pauls from South Shore at the march also.

The march took the streets and shut down downtown streets for over four hours. At different intersections there were die-ins and sit-ins. The size of the march would ebb and flow as tourists and shoppers joined the march for a block or two. Chants of No Justice, No Peace and Black Lives Matter rang out as did calling out the names of men and women killed by the police. At times the whole march took up the Revolution Clubs chant, Indict, convict, send the killer cops to jail, the whole damn system it guilty as hell! Smaller numbers joined with us as we chanted, How do we get out of this mess? Revolution, Nothing Less! Hundreds of copies of the Message Time To Get Organized for an ACTUAL Revolution went out to marchers and people along the sides. Many protesters carried Stolen Lives posters, and America Was Never Great, We Need to Overthrow This System picket signs which revcoms had distributed. We got contact information for almost 50 people, some who were very interested in learning more about the Club.

A young white man who was interviewed on the news said he had sat on the sidelines too long and he had joined the march as it passed by because he wanted to be part of the solution. As the march passed Trump tower, the whole crowd chanted, America was Never Great.

Wednesday, August 10:

Youths from South Shore called for a midday protest on Lakeshore Drive, a busy thoroughfare. Joined by some Revolution Club members and anti-police brutality activists they gathered, about 20 people total. When there was a break in the traffic, they boldly jumped onto the drive and blocked it at a busy intersection for 30 minutes. They got a mostly favorable response from the drivers forced to wait. When the police finally forced them off, one young man who refused to go was handcuffed but then let go by the police. The crowd then moved to another busy intersection and blocked traffic there for 15 minutes.

Club members are planning recruitment meetings with some of these youths and making plans to show key chapters of BA Speaks: REVOLUTIONNOTHING LESS!

Get with the Revolution Club HERE

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Guwahati: An Assam Police Battalion jawan was killed and another injured in an accidental firing in Assam's Karbi Anglong district on Saturday morning, officials said.

According to the reports the firing incident took place at Rongbongway police station in Karbi Anglong bordering with Nagaon district at around 2-30 AM on Saturday.

Police said that there was an accidental firing in the barrack of jawans inside Rongbongway police station.

"Two jawans were injured in the incident and one of them was died on spot and another immediately rushed to nearest hospital," a police official said.

Police has started investigation into the incident.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, Aug 12 : Assam became the first State to ratify the Constitution Amendment Bill on Goods and Services Tax with the Assam Legislative Assembly passing the bill unanimously on Friday.

The State Cabinet approved the bill on Friday before it was placed in the Assam Assembly.

'A historic resolution was passed in Assam Assembly as Assam became the 1st State to ratify the Constitutional Amendment Bill relating to GST,'Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal tweeted soon after it was ratified.

'I am sure Assam will benefit from the GST through higher economic growth and better revenue collection,'A Sonowal said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a telephonic conversation congratulated Assam CM for ratification of GST by Assam Legislative Assembly.

State finance minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Chief Minister Sonowal wanted Assam to become the first State to pass the amendment as this would send a positive signal to the industry.

'This is a historic occasion for us to become the first State to pass this Bill. I would like to thank the Speaker for allowing us to introduce it today after we informed him just last night,' Dr. Sarma said, who introduced the bill on behalf of the Chief Minister.

Of the Central GST portion, 42 per cent tax will be given back to the State.

The GST will also have a special concession option for NE and Himalayan States if they request reduction of taxes for any reason.

Besides, these States can collect special tax during any natural calamity or disaster subject to approval by GST Council.

The Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill for the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday, with 443 members present in the House voting in favour of the legislation.

The deadline for the rollout of the bill was April 1, 2017.

At least 50 per cent of the States have to pass what is technically the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Second Amendment) Bill, 2014, for the next steps of legislative action to follow, to ultimately introduce a

pan-India Goods and Services Tax regime.

The new regime seeks to subsume all central indirect levies like excise duty, countervailing duty and service tax, as also state taxes such as value added tax, entry tax and luxury tax, to create a single, pan-India

market.

Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath.
Guwahati, Aug 12 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal appealed to all conscientious citizens to come forward and mobilise public activism towards making a tobacco free society.

Speaking at an awareness programme on Tobacco Free Assam on a theme Save our ChildrenA held at the Central Hall of Assam Legislative Assembly in Dispur Friday, Sonowal sought activism from the society to generate awareness against tobacco and its associated health hazards.

Addressing the programme, Sonowal said that smoking is a challenge to humanity and it must be addressed with all intensity.

Passive smoking is as dangerous as active smoking and everybody in the society including public representatives must take a pledge for a tobacco free society,' the Assam CM said.

Acknowledging the decision of the organisers for holding the programme at Assam Legislative Assembly, Sonowal said building a tobacco free society is the bounden duty for everyone and asked all MLAs and Ministers to take a proactive role and sensitise public representatives even at the gaon panchayat levels for generating awareness on it.

He also urged upon all the bodies mandated to work for the people to organise awareness drive against tobacco.

Sonowal also said that everybody has a moral duty towards a tobacco free society and should work towards giving rise to an apparent disease free society which is a pre-condition to a healthy and bright future generation.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a coal mining roundtable at Fitzgerald Peterbilt in Glade Spring, Virginia, on August 10. Photo: AP

JERSEY CITY: 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 organisations.

In a speech the Republican presidential nominee will deliver on Monday in Ohio, Trump will argue that the country needs to work with anyone that shares that mission, regardless of other ideological and strategic disagreements. Any country that wants to work with the US to defeat radical Islamic terrorism will be a US ally, he is expected to say.

Mr Trumps speech will explain that while we cant choose our friends, we must always recognise our enemies, Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said ahead of the speech.

Trump is also expected to outline a new immigration policy proposal under which the US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It will be the third iteration of a policy that began with Trumps unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticised across party lines as un-American. In a speech following the Orlando nightclub shooting, Trump introduced a new standard, vowing to suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats. Now, aides say, the campaign needs access to undisclosed government documents to assess exactly where the most serious threats lie.

Trump is also expected to propose creating a new, ideological test for admission to the country that would assess a candidates stances on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism.

The candidate is also expected to call in the speech for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the nation is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and top US government officials have warned of the dangers of using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants hands.

While Trump has been criticised in the past for failing to lay out specific policy solutions, aides say that Mondays speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in the weeks ahead, they said.

Trump is also expected to spend significant time going after President Barack Obama and Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for enacting policies he argues allowed the Islamic State group to spread.

Mr Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many, Miller said Sunday in an email, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

The speech comes as Trump has struggled to stay on message. Last week, an economic policy speech he delivered calling for lower corporate taxes and rolling back federal regulations was overshadowed by a series of provocative statements, including falsely declaring that Obama was the founder of the Islamic State group.

Trumps allies said Sunday theyre confident that this time, the billionaire developer will stay on track.

Stay tuned, its very early in this campaign. This coming Monday, youre going to see a vision for confronting radical Islamic terrorism, his vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, said on Fox News Sunday.

Trump and his top advisers, meanwhile, have blamed the media for failing to focus on his proposals.

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 percent, he tweeted Sunday.
Guwahati, Aug 12 : Suspected ULFA(I) militants had killed two hindi speaking people in Upper Assamas Tinsukia district on Friday evening.

According to the reports, a group of armed militants had entered at Bahbon, a remote village near Philobari in Tinsukia district and started firing targeting to the hindi speaking people dominated the area.

In the militants attack, two people killed on spot and few others were reportedly injured.

Tinsukia district police and army had rushed to the area.

More reports are awaited.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : Suspected ULFA(I) militants killed two Hindi-speaking people in Upper Assamas Tinsukia district on Friday evening.

According to the reports, a group of armed militants entered at Bahbon, a remote village near Philobari in Tinsukia district, and started firing by targeting the Hindi speaking people dominating the area.

In the militants attack, two people were killed and 9 others were reportedly injured.

The deceased persons were identified as Kishori Shah (65 years) and Rajesh Shah (28 years).

The injured persons were rushed to nearest hospital.

Tinsukia district police and army have rushed to the area and launched operation against the militants.

ULFA(I), GNLA and several militant groups of North East India had called boycott the Independence Day celebration.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that, the state government will not compromise with any group in any situation.

'Security forces had launched massive operation against the militants across the state,' Sonowal said.

*(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)*
Kathmandu, Nepal: the government and the agitating Federal Alliance (FA) have agreed to prepare lists of injured and disabled people and lawsuits filed against those involved in movements.

A meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi and leaders of the FA held on Sunday morning at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Singha Durbar made the decision.

Likewise, the meeting has also reached on the conclusion to sort out and verify the lists of injured and disabled people within two days.

With the agreement, it is believed that the way is paved to implement the agreement reached between the government allies and the FA before formation of the government.

As per the agreement, the government has to compensate with one million to the families of the decease people and free treatment during the Terai movement.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio 

on Monday laid out his plan for combating global Islamic terrorism, invoking the Cold War era to try new approaches and accusing President Obama and Hillary Clinton of bungling the fight against terrorist threats.





Calling for significant changes in how the United States defines its allies, he urged an end to nation building and recommended overhauling how the United States screened people coming in to the country.





We cannot let this evil continue, he said in his address in Youngstown, Ohio, a place where the driving concern for voters is the economy more than terrorism. We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism.





He accused the Democrats of creating a vacuum to let terrorism grow and thrive and singled out President Obama as an incompetent president for his opening to Iran and for, in Mr. Trumps view, allowing chaos to spread throughout the Middle East by supporting the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, leading to the rise of the Islamic State and spread of Islamic terrorism.





We will not defeat it with closed eyes and silenced voices, he said of the fight against Islamic terrorism. We have a president who doesnt want to say the words. Anyone who cannot name our enemy is not fit to lead our country.





He also took aim at the approaches of the past Democratic and Republican administrations as outdated given the urgent threats posed to America.





If I become president, the era of nation building will be brought to a quick and very swift end, Mr. Trump said. He also said that the United States will partner with any nation willing to fight Islamic terrorism, specifically mentioning Russia, saying the United States would conduct joint military operations with such countries to defeat the Islamic State.




Former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos is back home in the Philippines after what may have been the most closely watched and consequential Track II dialogue in East Asia in some time. Ramos, in a personal and informal capacity, met with Fu Ying, a former Chinese envoy to the Philippines, and Wu Shicun, the president of Chinas National Institute for South China Sea Studies, in Hong Kong.

Of course, while both the Philippines and China sought to clarify that for reasons of diplomatic protocol these talks would be considered strictly informal, Ramos and his Chinese interlocutors had the nods of their respective governments. In fact, Ramos had been dispatched to China on the personal request of Rodrigo Duterte, intending to communicate with his Chinese old friends.

As my colleague Shannon Tiezzi discussed last week , the backdrop to the Ramos-in-China episode was the outcome of the July 12 award issued by a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the nature of Chinese and Philippines maritime entitlements. The strong and overwhelming outcome in favor of the Philippines 2013 submissions to the tribunal have led to an unexpected period of seeming detente in the South China Sea. While Chinese ships continue to patrol disputed waters (such as Scarborough Shoal), Beijing has taken few steps to actively aggravate the status quo.

The Ramos experiment is an attempt by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to see if the bilateral relationship with China can be managed and recovered in the aftermath of the award. Duterte, above all, wants to avoid a deterioration of circumstances for Philippines mariners in disputed waters. Despite the careful attempts at rapprochement, the new Philippine presidents approach is not without its dangers

For now, Dutertes gambit by dispatching the former president seems to still have some steam left. At the conclusion of his trip, Ramos invited China for formal discussions. An August 12 press statement issued after the Track II talks outlines possible areas for cooperation between the two countries. Specifically, the statement lists the following seven proposals:

encouraging marine preservation;

avoiding tension and promoting fishing cooperation;

anti-drug and anti-smuggling cooperation;

anti-crime and anti-corruption cooperation;

improving tourism opportunities;

encouraging trade and investment facilitation;

encouraging track II (think tank) exchanges on relevant issues of mutual concern and interest.

The above list is notable for not including the joint development or exploitation of resources by the two countries in disputed waters, including over fishing at Scarborough Shoal or hydrocarbon exploration at Reed Bank. As I wrote in the aftermath of the July 12 ruling , Duterte, for both constitutional and public opinion reasons, would not be able to offer up maritime space that the tribunal had clarified as belonging to the Philippines in any bilateral bargain with China.

The road map laid out by the Ramos-Fu-Wu statement is, therefore, generally quite modest. Its possible that should a more formal iteration of these talks take place going forward that Manila may find itself gaining little without dangling a more attractive carrot (no doubt, involving Scarborough Shoal or Reed Bank). By doing so, however, the Philippines would cede the upper hand granted by the powerful July 12 award.

The Ramos-Fu-Wu statement does hit on an important point, however; it stresses that building trust is very important to the long-term beneficial relationship between the Philippines and China. Trust between the two countries is certainly lacking and the success of Ramos trip may at least help alleviate that in the near term.
sacw.net - 15 August 2016

[This article is is likely to appear in Mainstream Weekly]

by D N Jha

In the Hindutva historiographical format Bhaarata, i.e., India, is timeless: the first man was born here; its people were the authors of the first human civilisation, the Vedic, which is the same as the Indus-Saraswati; they had reached the highest peak of achievement in both the arts and the sciences; and they were were conscious of belonging to the Indian nation, which has existed eternally. Views such as these are churned out of the cultural nationalist mill day in and day out and are peddled to the credulous, who accept them as a matter of faith. But evidence shows that India as a country evolved over a long period, and that the formation of its identity was linked with the changing perceptions of the people who migrated into the subcontinent at different times.

The geographical horizon of the early Aryans was limited to the north-western part of the Indian subcontinent, referred to as Saptasindhava, and the word Bhaarata in the sense of a country is absent from the entire Vedic literature, though the Bharata tribe is mentioned at several places in different contexts. In the Ashtadhyayi (IV.2.113) of Panini (500 B.C.) we find a reference to Pracya Bharata in the sense of a territory (janapada) which lay between Udicya (north) and Pracya (east). It must have been a small region occupied by the Bharata tribe and cannot be equated with the Akhanda Bhaarata or Bhaarata of the Hindutva camp. The earliest reference to Bhaaratavarha (Prakrit Bharadhavasa) is found in the inscription of Kharavela (first century B.C.), who lists it among the territories he invaded: but it did not include Magadha, which is mentioned separately in the record.

The word may refer here in a general way to northern India, but its precise territorial connotation is vague. A much larger geographical region is visualised by the use of the word in the Mahabharata (200 B.C. to A.D. 300), which provides a good deal of geographical information about the subcontinent, although a large part of the Deccan and the far south do not find place in it. Among the five divisions of Bhaaratavarsha named, Madhyadesha finds frequent mention in ancient Indian texts; in the Amarakosha, a work of the fourth-fifth centuries, it is used synonymously with Bhaarata and Aryavarta; the latter, according to its eleventh-century commentator Kshirasvamin, being the same as Manuas (II.22) holy land situated between the Himalayas and the Vindhya range. But in Banaas Kadambari (seventh century), at one place Bhaaratavarsha is said to have been ruled by Tarapida, who aset his seal on the four oceansa (dattacatuhsamuAdramudrah); and at another, Ujjaini is indicated as being outside Bhaaratavarsha, which leaves its location far from clear.

Bhaaratavarsha figures prominently in the Puranas, but they describe its shape variously. In some passages it is likened to a half-moon, in others it is said to resemble a triangle; in yet others it appears as a rhomboid or an unequal quadrilateral or a drawn bow. The Markandeya Purana compares the shape of the country with that of a tortoise floating on water and facing east. Most of the Puranas describe Bhaaratavarsha as being divided into nine dvipas or khandas, which, being separated by seas, were mutually inaccessible. A few inscriptions of the tenth and eleventh centuries indicate that Kuntala (Karnataka) was situated in the land of Bhaarata, which is described in a fourteenth-century record as extending from the Himalayas to the southern sea (Epigraphia Indica, XIV. No.3, lines 5-6) but, by and large, the available textual and epigraphic references to it do not indicate that the term stood for India as we know it today.

It was only from the 1860s that the name Bhaaratavarsha, in the sense of the whole subcontinent, found its way into the popular vocabulary. Its visual evocation came not earlier than 1905 in a painting by Abanindranath Tagore. Bhaaratmata is thus little more than a hundred years old, nearly the same age as the Gau Mata of the bhakts.

In many texts Bhaarata is said to have been a part of Jambudvipa, which itself had an uncertain geographical connotation. The Vedic texts do not mention it; nor does Panini, though he refers to the jambu (the rose apple tree/jamun in Hindi). The early Buddhist canonical works provide the earliest reference to the continent called Jambudvipa (Jambudipa), its name being derived from the jambu tree which grew there, having a height of one hundred yojanas, a trunk fifteen yojanas in girth and outspreading branches fifty yojanas in length, whose shade extended to one hundred yojanas. It was one of the four mahadipas (mahadvipas) ruled by a Cakkavatti. We are told that Buddhas and Cakkavattis were born only in Jambudipa  the early Buddhists could not visualize it as home to modern Togadias and Singhals and their followers! Going by its descriptions in the early Buddhist literature, Jambudipa appears as a mythical region, though juxtaposed with Sihaladipa (Simhaladvipa=Sri Lanka), it stands for India in the inscriptions of Ashoka, who uses the word to mean the whole of his empire, which covered nearly the entire Indian subcontinent excluding its far southern part.

Jambudvipa appears as a mythical region also in the Puranic texts. The world, according to them, aconsists of seven concentric dvipas or islands, each of which is encircled by a sea, the central island called Jambudvipaaa . According to another Puranic conception, which is similar to the Buddhist cosmological ideas, the earth is divided into four mahadvipas, Jambudvipa being larger than the others. In both these conceptions of the world, Bhaaratavarsha is at some places said to be a part of Jambudvpa but at others the two are treated as identical. Since these differently imagined geographical conceptions of Bhaarata and Jambudvipa are factitious and of questionable value, insistence on their inhabitants forming a nation in ancient times is sophistry. It legitimates the Hindutva perception of Indian national identity as located in remote antiquity, accords centrality to the supposed primordiality of Hinduism and thus spawns Hindu cultural nationalism.
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."
Honoured at the 69th edition of Locarno Film Festival, Howard Shore attended the Swiss event to receive his lifetime award and to introduce a few screenings. ScreenAnarchy was offered the chance to talk to him about his impressive career and comes back on his lifelong collaborations with David Cronenberg, Martin Scorsese and Peter Jackson.



You said in an interview that it is always the director who dictates the style. Taking this into consideration, how do you manage to still be able to express yourself?

What I try to do is to have a good collaboration with the director. What I want to do is to express the ideas that I have and then have the director guide me, as to what he might require for the film with the music. I always try to write from my heart and kinda give what I think is really a true expression that what I have for that story.

How different was it to collaborate with David Cronenberg, Martin Scorsese and Peter Jackson?

They're all great directors. They have different ways of working. I think you just adjust to different sensibilities. With Cronenberg I'm more working as a fellow artist. He's made his experiences, he made a lot of films and I've done a lot of films with him so there's really a great trust there.

With Scorsese also I've worked for a long time - since 1986 on After Hours - and he loves music. It's a really fun environment. The process is definitely different: there's more discussion about it, sometimes we look at other films, older films. We also look at the movie a lot, every few weeks we look it even no whatever shape it's in. Martin is a real fan of music. He has a fabulous library of music and when he puts music in a film it's not by accident. It's very detailed. He could spend a day or two just to put music into the film. It's a very interesting process. With David it's really not the same.

With Peter, because he was in New Zealand and I was in New York, we worked differently. I visited him in New Zealand, we worked a lot of the internet and we met in London for the recordings. Peter attended all the sessions. Cronenberg wouldn't go, he would just let me do the recordings. So yeah, they would really work in different ways.

Of course you have an impressive career but for many people your work on THE LORD OF THE RINGS is the soundtrack of the century. Do you consider it as well as a highlight or a consecration or do you see it as another piece of your career?

Well, it was definitely everything I knew about filmmaking, music, composition, orchestration, conducting, producing, recordings. It came at a point when I was in my late fifties, so it was a good period. I had done a lot of films after that point - maybe 70 films - and I knew this orchestra very well. I wrote the piece specifically for this orchestra. At that time I was really able to do all these different things and at the same time keeping it very small, as if I was doing a very independent film. I had control over all aspects of what was being done. I think that helped creating the piece.

How do you tackle such hugh scores such as THE LORD OF THE RINGS or THE HOBBIT? Don't you ever get bored? How do you keep surprising yourself?

On The Lord of the Rings I never got bored. Actually it was a daunting task, when you look at that book and you have to write a piece for it. You knew that these things were coming, for instance the destruction of the ring. You knew you had to write that at some point. So you kinda just work your way up to that and each day was just a small journey. If you thought too far away it would be crushing. But if you just thought: 'How would I get from here to here" successfully and you just join the dots. It was never boring. After four years of The Lord of the Rings, I kinda had to drag myself away from this because you get so far inside of it. I was so happy writing in that world.

Could you maybe come back on your work for KING KONG, which was eventually not used for the film?

Well, you always hope for a great collaboration but people change, things change. It's like a relationship. Sometimes the magic is there and it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I don't know if the music will ever be released, we'll see. I'm not sure there's a reason for it.

I feel there's a been a huge change of paradigms in terms of film scoring. Film music used to abundantly rely on themes - Theme A, Theme B -, notably during the classical era from the 1930's to the 1950's. Nowadays it's much more unusual to find such kind of compositions, although of course you can still find some exceptions - as with your work with Peter Jackson. How do you perceive this evolution of film scoring?

This style of using thematic ideas and using leitmotifs comes from the 19th century, from Wagner. Before that, music wasn't meant to express emotions. It was pure. It wasn't descriptive of particular objects, cultures, or characters. Not all films need that type of process to explain them. The Lords of the Rings is arguably the most complex fantasy world that was ever created. To take that book and put it on screen it became logical to express clarity of storytelling through the music. Using that leitmotif system it could help explain the different between Rivendell and Lothlorien, or Rohan and other cultures of men. But not all films need that kind that. For instance Cronenberg's films have to do with ambiguity. They don't want to give the audience so much clarity. They let them bring their own ideas. Music can be used in very different ways and that's just one technique, really.

You began your career as a saxophonist in the band The Lighthouse. Could you come back on your experience on THE NAKED LUNCH working with Ornette Coleman?

I worked on Saturday Night Live and I booked Ornette and his band primetime on the show. That's where I met him - I think it was in 1976. When we started working on The Naked Lunch I knew Ornette had a connection to Burroughs because his albums from the late 50's came at the same time as the publication of The Naked Lunch. I called Ornette who was playing in Amsterdam and asked him about it. We met in London and he told me he wanted to do it. So we started working together on it. The score was written for the London Philharmonic orchestra and Ornette was a soloist. We did the recordings in a studio near Wembley.

How is it for you to conduct an orchestra? What kind of experience is it for you?

Well, conducting is the performance. That's the actual recording. When you're conducting, you're working with the orchestra. The performance is really important because that's what becomes part of the film. It's not just anonymous sound: it's people playing, the way it's recorded, the sound in the room. The conducting is the combination of all of those things, of all of the work. You're on the podium, you're bringing the sound to life, making all sorts of adjustments. When you record with live instruments, which I do a lot, where you put the podium, above you are three microphones - left, central, right - and that's what you're hearing. When you go to the cinema, equipped with dolby surround, you're hearing exactly what I'm hearing from the podium. You're in the centre of it all and you're creating that sound, right in that room.

Then what do you think of the new ways of consuming cinema, using phones and tiny screens?

I can't watch movies that way. I have to watch them in a dark room. I don't like the distraction; I like to be focused. I think it's a better experience. I work in a similar way: I can't see the film in the editing room or anywhere, I have to watch it projected the way I'm used to see a film. And then I can begin to work with it. I have to have that initial experience. If you go to a cinema to see a film you've never seen before, and you see it projected on a good screen with good sound and a quiet audience. If it's a good film, you feel something. You have an experience. And it's hard to catch that on a phone, on a TV or on a computer. That's what I'm going for. That's the greatness of cinema and I hope we'll never lose that.

Thanks to Ursula Pfander and to the team of Locarno Film Festival for making this interview possible.
One of the most interesting filmmakers working in India's Tamil film industry is Selvaraghavan. This director, who happens to be the elder brother of actor Dhanush (Aadukalam and the upcoming project from Persepolis director, Marjane Satrapi), has a very distinct visual style that almost always yields very interesting results.

His latest project is a romantic horror film titled Nenjam Marappathillai, starring S.J. Suryah and Regina Cassandra. The film shares a title with a 1963 Tamil horror film about reincarnation, but exactly how much else it shares is still to be determined. Suryah is a fairly busy director in the Tamil film industry but recently made a huge splash with his acting performance in Karthik Subbaraj's Iraivi as an alcoholic movie director looking to put his life back together.

Nenjam Marappathillai looks like it'll be going the supernatural route based upon the visuals of the teaser. I was also able ot gleam from a translation of the teaser dialogue that Suryah speaks about seeing a ghost in the opening monologue. The visuals for this teaser are quite impressive and leave us interested in seeing more. In the past Selvaraghavan has gone full speed ahead on crazy, outlandish visuals that suggest alternate dimensions and reality-hopping, but this time around it looks like he's trying to rein it in a bit and keep the action centered on a family that looks like it's facing a crisis.

Nenjam Marappathillai is scheduled to open soon, though a proper release date has not been set.
With the recent release of Steven C. Millers Marauders (2016) on V.O.D and limited cinema release, I noted that there was a definite rise in quality from the usual DTV fare. From his first film, Miller has consistently been getting better as a director, and considering the quality of his films in regards to their budgets, it is only a matter of time before he is directing bigger budget features. In regards to this I thought it would be good to look over his film career to date, so when he does become even more successful, we can remember where he started.

Automaton Transfusion  2006

This was Miller first feature length film. A horror film concerning the United States Army re-opening a project that was developed in the 1970s, to re-animate corpses. The original plan was for the Army to have the corpses fight their war for them. Unfortunately, they didnt count on the re-animated corpses proclivities towards human flesh. 30 years later when the experiments start up again, it is up to a group of High School students to save the day.

Made in 2006 on a budget of $30,000, the first screening of the film was at the Scream fest Film Festival. From this the film was eventually purchased and released by Dimension Extreme, a subsidiary of the Weinstein Company, in 2008.

Miller had originally made another version of the film a number of years earlier while he was still in school. That version of the film only amounted to a trailer. The feature length version of the film was shot in just 9 days. Unfortunately, it does show in the finished result, with there being a number of factors that detract from the viewers overall enjoyment of the film.

As director, Steven C. Miller does an admirable job as director. This of course is nowhere close to being the best example of his work, as the film was made on the cheap and shows in the film, with the film being shot digitally. Miller also edited the film, and even at 70 minutes, sometimes drags, although the more action orientated and gore scenes are well done, and appear to have the most attention paid to them.

Written by its director, the script of Automaton Transfusion is sadly one of its poorer aspects. Due to budget restrictions, Miller probably had no choice but to scale the film back, which results in a slower pace and poorly drawn characters. He does get some elements right in his script, and you can see the other genre films that he has been influenced by, but he doesnt have the money to do those films justice this time round.

The main cast of the film dont make any lasting impressions, and there are no stand-out performances, with each character being poorly written. Due to the supremely low budget of the film it appears that Steven C. Miller didnt exactly have the greatest choice of actors, perhaps even using his own friends and acquaintances.

Rowan Bousaid who plays Tim's other credits are all mainly bit parts and walk ons, such as his role of Rental Agent in A Walk in the Woods (2015), which is one of his better credits. Certainly better than Kung Fu and Titties (2013).

The same is true for William Howard Bowman who plays Scott in the film, who has a number of credited roles in a number of films you probably havent heard of, other than perhaps Dear John (2010).

Juliet Reeves London, credited in the film as Juliet Reeves has also mainly just appeared as an extra or walk on for the most part of her career, although they have been bit parts in higher profile films such as Dallas Buyer Club (2013), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) and The Big Short (2015). Although she is certainly better than her co stars in the film, it would appear that Miller cast her more for her looks than acting ability.

Garret Jones, who plays Chris has the shortest credit list of the main characters, appearing in only three films, with Automaton Transfusion being his first credit, then going on to work on the higher profile horror film Devils Dungeon (2009), acting alongside established actors such as Tony Todd, Graham McTavish and Michael Rooker. His last credited film did have him working again with Steven C. Miller, on his horror film Under the Bed (2012).

The one element that cant be faulted is the special effects work. Rick Gonzales and his team do excellent work in the film, with a number of memorable scenes throughout the film. Gonzales is a veteran of special effects work, going back to the early 1980s. He has assisted on George A Romeros classic Day of the Dead (1985), Invasion USA (1985) and a number of lower budget features, such as The Woods Have Eyes (2007) and Dead by Friday (2012), which are sadly beneath his talents.

I would recommend Automaton Transfusion to fans of Steven C. Miller and perhaps zombie movies, but to watch with lowered expectations. From this Miller would only get better.

Scream of the Banshee  2011

Scream of the Banshee was a major rise in quality from Steven C. Millers previous Automaton Transfusion. Co-produced by Syfy and distributed by After Dark films as part of their After Dark originals series, and just from a visual standpoint, Miller was already showing major signs of improvement. This also gave him a chance to work with more established actors than in his previous film.

Originally premiering on the Syfy channel in America, Scream of the Banshee focuses on the work of Professor Isla Whelan (Lauren Holly), an archeology professor who along with her two assistants unwittingly release a creature that can kill someone with the power of its scream. By releasing this Banshee, they have doomed themselves to a terrible fate. They have no choice but to track down a crazy and discredited professor (Lance Henriksen), and ask for his help.

Miller, now working from another writers script, turns in a much more professional film than his previous effort, getting good performances from his cast and creating a good atmosphere when it comes to the more horrific scenes of the film. Although not as gory as Automaton Transfusion, Scream of the Banshee still has a number of violent scenes, and deserves the 18 age rating that it carries in the UK. Miller also does double duties once again, working as the films editor. The film also moves with a much better pace than his previous work.

The film was written and produced by Anthony C Ferrante. Ferrante has worked in Hollywood as a writer, producer and director. He is not exactly the best writer in the world, with Scream of the Banshee probably being one of his better films as a writer. He has written other horror films such as the terrible Red Clover (2012), also released by After Dark films, and the equally as poor American Horror House (2012). He is probably best known as the writer/director of Sharknado (2013) and its three sequels.

As mentioned before, performances are all decent. This is none of the lead actors best work, but none of them phone it in either. Lauren Holly turns in a good performance as the lead character. With an acting career beginning in the 1980s, she has acted in numerous films, most famously in the Bruce Lee biopic Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and Dumb & Dumber (1994). She also appeared in the schlocky Turbulence (1997) which is closer to the tone of her performance in Scream of the Banshee. Of late she will be most recognisable to audiences for her role as Jenny Shepard in the television series NCIS (2003).

Lance Henriksen, although given second billing on the promotional material for the film, only appears for a limited time. With the time he is given he does his usual good work, but the role is similar to hundreds that Henriksen has played through the years, and definitely beneath the great work that he has done in the series Millennium (1996) or as the villain in Hard Target (1993). Still it is miles better than his work in Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006) and its even poorer sequel Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud (2007).

One other actor in the film of note is Todd Haberkorn, who puts in a better than expected performance as Otto. Haberkorn is credited more as a voice actor, mainly in anime shows such as Pokemon (1998) and Attack on Titan (2013).

The Aggression Scale  2012

In my opinion, this was the first great film to come from Steven C Miller. Playing like a crazed version of home alone, it doesnt skimp on the tension and violence and is only slightly let down by its apparent low budget.

The film falls into the home invasion category, with Mob Boss Bellavance (Ray Wise) sending hit men to recover money that was stolen from him. Unluckily for them they happen to invade the house of the Rutledges, and have to contend with their mentally unstable son, Owen (Ryan Hartwig). It turns out Owen has a history of violent behavior and decides to turn the tables on the home invaders.

Another rise in quality for Miller after his previous movie, even though it does look lower budget than Scream of the Banshee. Miller gets great performances from a relatively unknown cast, with there being only a few recognisable faces in the cast, such as Ray Wise and Dana Ashbrook. Miller ups the tension with the home invasion scenes and unlike a lot of horror/thriller films, the majority of these takes place during the day. There are a number of violent scenes throughout, that although dont have the best special effects involved, are quite disturbing, due to the fact they are mostly carried out by a very young boy. Miller once again performs editing duties, pacing the film well in its 91 minute run time.

Considering the young age of lead actor Ryan Hartwig, he does an excellent job. The role doesnt call for him to have much emotion, due to the character of Owens psychological issues, but he is totally convincing as a young psycho in training. The film should have lead on to better things for Hartwig, and even though he has appeared in bigger budget fare such as World War Z (2013) and Just Before I Go (2014), they have amounted to no more than bit parts.

Fabienne Therese plays Lauren, Owens sister. Although she is good in the role, the character can be quite annoying throughout the film. She fared better in John Dies at the End (2012), which she had appeared in earlier in the year. She would also go on to have parts in Starry Eyes (2014) and Southbound (2015), both of which use her to slightly better effect.

The film also works as a reunion for Twin Peaks (1990) co-stars Ray Wise and Dana Ashbrook. Wise plays the villain of the film, Bellavance. Wise if his usual great self, even though he does have limited screen time. This is just one of the many B movies he has appeared in. Most people will recognise him from Robocop (1987) or the afore mentioned Twin Peaks. More recently he has made appearances in a number of television shows such as Mad Men (2010), Agent Carter (2015) in addition to his many film roles. One noteworthy role is in Adam Greens Digging up the Marrow (2014), as a man out to prove the existence of monsters. This is one film fans of the genre shouldnt miss.

Unlike the seemingly ageless Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook is a long way from his Twin Peaks days. Since then he has worked mainly in television, with a few movies in between. Viewers may have spotted him more recently in the shows Dawsons Creek (2002) or Crash (2009). His role in The Aggression Scale is decent, but really only amounts to a henchman. He does get considerably more screen time than Ray Wise, but sadly doesnt make as much of an impression. Both Wise and Ashbrook are reported to be returning to the revival of Twin Peaks, which is due in 2017.

One last co-star worthy of a mention is Derek Mears, who plays Chissolm, another of the hit men sent to the house. Cutting quite an imposing figure, he also gets quite a number of good lines throughout the film, and his character makes more of an impression than the previously mentioned Ashbrook. Fans of horror movies may not instantly recognise Mears, as he is under prosthetics a lot of the time. Most famously he took over the role of Jason Voorhees in the remake of Friday the 13th (2009). He also played the classic Predator in Predators (2010) and Edward in the underrated Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013). For a better viewing of what he actually looks like other than the Aggression Scale, I would recommend Hatchet 3 (2013), where he goes up against everyones favourite Jason, Kane Hodder.

The Aggression Scale was written by Ben Powell. As mentioned previously, there are certain characters that come across as underwritten, which could be more to do with the restrictive nature of DTV movies. He does create an interesting scenario and the film is gleefully twisted, in that we are rooting for a psychopathic teenager to kill people in extremely violent ways. Some of the traps that are used in the film could have been a bit more imaginative, but again I am not sure if this is the problem of the writer, or that they had to be scaled down due to lack of finances. This was Powells second film as writer after the underwhelming Satanic (2006). After The Aggression Scale he has only written two other films, the horror movie The Sand (2015) and the television movie Diagnosis Delicious (2016), which doesnt seem to share anything in common with his previous work.

Under the Bed  2012

Steven C Millers second film of 2012 is a gore filled take on Amblin films from the 1980s, with a little bit of Little Monsters (1989) thrown in as well. Just as enjoyable as The Aggression Scale, there are also certain similarities, being that a majority of the film takes place within a house. It also revolves once again around a damaged teenager. Fortunately the teenager in question isnt as damaged as Ryan Hartwig was in The Aggression Scale.

Unlike The Aggression Scale, which was more of a thriller, Under the Bed is a straight up horror film. The film is about Neal, a teenager who has been living with his aunt after the death of his mother. He has recently returned to the family home to live with his father, younger brother and step mother. Although he is initially welcomed by them, his father begins to be extremely hostile towards Neal. This is due to the implications that Neal had burned down their house, which killed his mother. Neal eventually tells his brother Paulie the real reason their mother died. A monster lives under their bed and can only be repelled by the light. With Paulie now being stalked by the monster, like it had done with Neal in the past, they decide to come up with a plan to deal with the monster for good.

Steven C Miller gives Under the Bed a much slower build up than his previous films, with a good portion of the film focusing on the relationship of the two brothers. Unlike other films of its ilk, the relationship seems natural, and unlike a lot of movie kids such as Fabienne Therese in The Aggression Scale, the two of them are likeable. The real horror section of the film comes in the last thirty minutes. Up until this point, you could be wondering why the film comes with an R rating (15 in the UK). Once the monster comes out of from under the bed, there are a number of gore filled scenes, incorporating both practical and digital effects. Again, Miller works as editor, and keeps the film to a brisk running time of 87 minutes.

This was the first lead role for Jonny Weston, who plays Neal. He had previously made a few appearances in a few television shows as well as the cult hit John Dies at the End. Weston plays Neal just on the right side of moody, not going overboard into annoying territory, and once you find out why he acts the way he does, he is pretty much forgiven. Weston went on to star in the higher profile Chasing Mavericks (2012), alongside Gerard Butler as well as the more recent Taken 3 (2014), Project Almanac (2015) and Insurgent (2015). Personally, even though these films are much higher profile, Under the Bed has been the better role for him, with the rest pushing him into the background, other than Project Almanac where he was at least the lead.

Young Gattlin Griffith is also impressive in his role, and comes across as a believable terrified child. Under the Bed doesnt fall into the trap of having kids acting older beyond their years as a lot of other Hollywood movies do. He also has good chemistry with Weston, who he shares the majority of his scenes with. Griffith has actually had the longer career than Weston, putting in good work in a number of shows, such as Cold Case (2003) and How I Met Your Mother (2005) as well as appearing in Clint Eastwoods Changeling (2008) and the more recent Labor Day (2013).

Peter Holden plays the boys father, Terry. Although he acts well enough in the film, his character comes across as a complete arsehole, and sometimes makes the monster seem a better alternative than living with him. His behavior in the film borders on the abusive. When the monster finally makes itself known, you end up hoping the father will be the first to die. Holden has appeared in numerous television shows and movies throughout his career, but only as a guest star. Eagle eyed viewers may recognise him from movies like The Social Network (2010) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).

Musetta Vander who plays the boys stepmother, Angela is a much more sympathetic character and acts more like a parent than their father. Vander acts well in the part, but her looks are a distraction, as it is quite unbelievable that she would settle for someone that looks like Holden (no offense), especially with the baggage that his character has. Unlike Holden you do hope that she makes it out of the film alive. Hailing from South Africa, Vander has had a career spanning back to the mid 1990s. Most people will probably recognise her from the god awful Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), where she played Sindel. She has also appeared in bigger budget films Wild Wild West (1999), O Brother Where Art Thou? (2000) and (2005).

The film was written by Eric Stolze. Before Under the Bed he had written a few short films and television episodes. The only feature he was credited for was a co-writing credit on I Heart Shakey (2012), a family comedy starring Broken Lizards Steve Lemme. Considering his lack of experience, he does a number of things right that more established writers always seem to get wrong. As mentioned before, the kids are written as normal kids, and are actually relatable. A lot of recent horror films, for example The Conjuring (2013), and Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension (2015), fall into the trap of the younger characters being extremely annoying, to the point that you stop caring. The only issue with his writing is the slightly overblown character of the father, and the less than subtle change into a full blown gore-fest.

There have been some complaints by critics that the film is about an actual monster instead of being a psychological horror, with the monster being a delusion created by the boys, somewhat similar to the overrated The Babadook (2014). I am glad that the film did not go down this route, and turned out to be an actual monster movie.

Silent Night  2012

Millers third film of 2012, and to date his most fun. A loose remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), Miller knows his audience and delivers exactly what you would expect. Superior in nearly every way to the original, the film only has the most basic links to the original film, mainly a serial killer dressed as Santa Claus.

Although the plot is the usual slasher movie fare, it does find space to include scenes that are inspired by the real life Covina massacre in 2008, where Bruce Jeffrey Pardo entered a Christmas party and killed nine people before committing suicide in his brothers house.

Made on a considerably larger budget than any of his previous movies, Miller creates an atmosphere of dread, more reminiscent of the great slasher films of the 1980s. Like those films, Silent Night has everything you have come to expect from a slasher film, gore, nudity and a certain amount of comedic elements. He also elicits great performances by the lead actors. The film is very violent, with imaginative kill scenes throughout. The gore effects in these scenes are well done, only let down by a few poor CGI shots, the most memorable of these being someone being fed through a wood-chipper foot first.

This was the first film of Steven C. Millers career that he didnt edit himself. Editing duties this time were taken up by Seth Flaum, who does a commendable job throughout. Flaum has been working as an editor since the late 1980s. This was the first horror film he had worked on since William Friedkins The Guardian (1990). He has worked on higher profile films throughout the years, Posse (1993), The Replacements (2000) and The Whole Ten Yards (2004) just being a few of them. Of late he has worked on mainly DTV movies, with Silent Night being a bright spot amongst them.

On the acting side, everyone is great, although some performances are a bit campier than others. Jamie King seems to be making herself a bit of a scream queen of late, with roles in the remakes of My Bloody Valentine (2009) and Mothers Day (2010) in addition to starring in Silent Night. King is great in the role of Audrey, a police woman thrown in at the deep end, and getting no support from her supposed superiors. Her character comes across as capable but out of her depth with what is happening, and she plays it totally straight. Considering the great work that King has done, not only in these films but in others such as Sin City (2005) and the Pardon (2013), she really should be a bigger star.

The total opposite from Jamie King is the brilliant Malcolm McDowell, who plays the town sheriff. During his career he has been guilty of phoning performances in, but seems to be having great fun in Silent Night. His character is quite ridiculous at points in the film, and McDowell hams it up with gusto. Some of his one liners throughout the film are hilarious and he certainly adds a bit of levity to the overall film. His character isnt the most sympathetic, especially when he is speaking with Kings character, but he is definitely the best thing in the film. McDowells career has had many ups and down, his most famous work arguably being A Clockwork Orange (1971), although he has put in great performances in, Aces High (1976), Time After Time (1979) and the more recent Gangster No.1 (2000). During this time he also has been guilty of starring in bottom of the barrel stinkers such as Cyborg 3: The Creation (1994) or Ringer (1996), where you can tell by his performance that he really doesnt care.

Fans of the television show Gotham (2014) will no doubt recognise Donal Logue. His role in Silent Night is essentially an extended cameo, but he does add some levity to the film exactly when it is needed. His character is a mess, but Logue manages to make the character likeable, in a kind of sleazy way. Logue has been doing this for much of his career, most notably in Blade (1998) where he played the villainous Quinn. As well as his many film credits he has also done excellent work on television, starring in the underrated and sadly short lived Terriers (2010), Copper (2013), Sons of Anarchy (2008) and also played King Horik in the excellent Vikings (2013). Every one of these shows are highly recommended.

The film was written by Jayson Rothwell, who also acted as one of the executive producers on Silent Night. Hailing from Britain, Rothwell has a number of writing credits to his name. He wrote three films directed by a fellow Brit, director Simon Fellows. Blessed (2004), Second in Command (2006) and Malice in Wonderland (2009). Each of these films are very different from the other, but are all DTV movies. His script for Silent Night is the only one that stands out, with his others being pretty generic. Silent Night has well developed characters, that even though are over the top at some points, are relatable. As well as being a writer, Rothwell has also directed the comedy Zemanovaload (2005), which he also wrote.

Submerged  2015

Steven C. Millers first film in 3 years. It is also the first of his films that moves totally away from the horror genre, being more of an action thriller. His earlier The Aggression Scale is possibly the closest in style to Submerged, but even that film still fits under the horror genre. It has had some unfavourable reviews, which is unfortunate as it is a good thriller. Admittedly it isnt as enjoyable as Silent Night, but considering the budget and the limited setting, Miller does excellent work.

The majority of the film takes place in a limousine that has been submerged underwater after being forced off the road by a gang of kidnappers. Throughout the film there are a number of flashback scenes that shows how the characters have ended up in this predicament, which helps break up the film, and takes it away from the limousine. Miller is once again editing his own material, building up the tension well in the scenes in the limo when the characters start panicking and turning on each other. He also has them contend with the kidnappers who continually try to get into the vehicle. There are also a number of small but well executed action scenes peppered throughout the film.

The majority of the cast are lesser known actors, mainly from television and DTV movies, with the odd cinema release between them. Jonathan Bennett makes for an engaging hero. Bennet plays Matt, who works as a chauffeur and a bodyguard. We find out during the film that Matt has some personal problems, which are related to his troubled brother. Bennet does well in the film, and seems capable in the films action scenes. This is the closest to an action hero Bennet has played so far, with only his roles in the ill advised The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning (2007) and the war drama Memorial Day (2011) giving him a chance to take part in any action, although the two of these films cant really be considered action movies. Bennet is also openly gay, and is good to see a Hollywood production cast him as the macho hero and not have his sexuality be an issue in his casting.

Tallulah Riley should be recognisable to UK viewers, showing up in a number of television shows and movies, most notably her roles in Agatha Christies Marple (2004), St. Trinians (2007) and its sequel St Trinians 2: The Legend of Frittons Gold (2009). Unfortunately her role in Submerged doesnt rely on her to do a great deal, basically playing the damsel in distress. It seems the majority of her roles have been based more on her looks than acting ability.

Rosa Salazar is another actress in the film that is sadly underused, although she does come off as sympathetic compared to some of the other characters in the film. Salazar was used to much better effect in the same years The Scorch Trials (2015) and is also scheduled to show up in the films sequel Maze Runner: The Death Cure, which has sadly been delayed. Manga and Anime fans should also look out for her, as she has most recently been cast in Robert Rodriguez planned Alita: Battle Angel.

Samuel Hunt (credited her as Caleb Hunt) should probably be best known to audiences for his role in the television show Chicago P.D. (2014) or the soap opera Days of Our Lives (1965 onwards), which coincidentally Jonathan Bennet also appeared in. Hunt plays Brandon, a friend of Matts. Hunt is good in the early parts of the film, but should have been reigned in towards the end, as he starts chewing the scenery and goes way over the top. He goes from normal to Heath Ledgers Joker in the blink of an eye. His character becomes extremely annoying, to the point you are longing for his character to be killed.

To add a bit of name recognition to the cast, there are small roles for Mario Van Peebles and Tim Daly, the closest the film has to stars. Both of their roles amount to nothing more than extended cameos, although Van Peebles gets the better role of the two, and even gets involved in the action towards the end of the film. Peebles has been in a good number of DTV movies, a lot of them beneath his talents. Although not a starring role, Submerged uses him better than films like Love Kills (1998) and Judgment Day (1999). Daly has done better work in the past, but has also done worse. Daly has been working consistently since the early 1980s, mainly in television, with the odd feature film in between. He has put in memorable performances, especially in the television movie In the Line of Duty: Ambush at Waco (1993), where he played real life criminal David Koresh.

Rounding out the main characters trapped in the limousine are Giles Matthey as Todd, Cody Christian as Dylan, Willa Ford as Carla and Denzel Whitaker as Eddie. All of them perform well enough, but seem to be there to pad out the cast than play actual characters.

Scott Milam was script writer and co-producer on the film. The script is one of the poorer aspects of the film. It gets you from A to B but has badly drawn characters, and some poor dialogue, and if it was not for the film being told in a non-linear fashion it would have been completely generic. Milam did better work in his script for Mothers Day (2010), which also had multiple characters involved, but were much better written. It could also be due to the fact that Mothers Day had more competent actors such as Rebecca De Mornay, Jamie King and Frank Grillo. Milam hasnt written anything else to date.

Extraction  2015

Millers second release of 2015, and his first proper action movie. It is also the first of his films to have a major Hollywood star headlining, even if it is a slumming it Bruce Willis. The plot has Willis character, a CIA agent, being kidnapped and the efforts of his son trying to rescue him.

Next to Silent Night, Extraction is Millers most enjoyable film. As well as being released on the same day as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), it has had some unfair reviews since its release. It appears that a lot of critics didnt know what kind of film to expect. The film plays more like an action thriller from the late 1980s or early 90s. There are some silly scenes and kooky characters throughout. The main issue they had was that Bruce Willis only appeared in a number of scenes, with Kellan Lutz being the true lead of the film. Miller should hold his head high, as compared to the other DTV films Willis has made around the same time, this rises above them, with decent production values, well shot action scenes and a good leading man in Kellan Lutz (no matter what the critics say). My only issue is that the action seems to die down towards the finale, and ends more on a whimper than a bang. Considering the excellent fight scenes throughout, it is a shame that the films climax is a lackluster car chase.

The film was produced by Emmet/Furla/Oasis Films, who specialise in low to medium budget films, mainly in the action thriller genre. The most successful and well known films they have produced would probably be Rambo (2008), End of Watch (2012) and Lone Survivor (2013). They have also produced some bottom of the barrel stinkers in their time, the worst of these being the Christian Slater starring Hard Cash (2002) and the remake, The Wicker Man (2006).

On the cover art, Bruce Willis name is out front, but during the opening credits Kellan Lutz gets top billing, which is how it should be. Starting as a model, Lutz is unfortunately best known for his role of Emmet Cullen in the film Twilight (2008) and its sequels. Although Twilight was his breakout role, it has somewhat hindered him, just like Robert Pattinson, in going for other roles, as the Twilight series carries around a certain stigma. He has tried to break free of this by appearing in supporting roles in films like Immortals (2011), where he played the God Poseidon, and The Expendables 3 (2014). He has been the lead in Java Heat (2013, alongside Mickey Rourke and as the title character in The Legend of Hercules (2014). Both of these films used him well, but were critical and financial failures. Extraction is the best of his lead roles. Although he will never be called the best actor around, he does well in a very physical role and certainly proves more than capable of being an action star, even if it is in DTV movies like this. Lutz was reported to be working with Steven C. Miller again on a film called The Feud, but there has been no news concerning this lately, so it is unclear if it is still happening.

Bruce Willis is undoubtedly the main draw for most viewers, even though he only appears in a number of scenes. Apparently filming his scenes in one day, Willis screen time amounts to just under 15 minutes in total, with a lot of that taking up with him just talking. He does get to use a gun once at the start of the film, to outline his badass credentials. He isnt terrible in the role, but considering that he is Bruce Willis you know he is capable of more. It is also slightly unbelievable that Willis and Lutz are related. Extraction isnt the first DTV film that Willis has appeared in and also not the first where he appears in just a handful of scenes. Of late in his career, the majority of films he has appeared in have followed this pattern, such as The Prince (2014), Vice (2015) and Precious Cargo (2016), all of which have been DTV. His last lead role was in Red 2 (2013), although he does have a remake of Death Wish (1974) in the pipeline.

Since her breakthrough in Steven Soderberghs Haywire (2011), Gina Carano has been steadily been building up a decent resume. Most of her roles have called on her background as an MMA fighter, with the majority of her roles in films like Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and Deadpool (2016) are supporting characters. Other than the afore mentioned Haywire, her only lead role has been in John Stockwells In the Blood (2014). She had also appeared in Heist (2015), another Emmet/Furla/Oasis Film. Unlike that film, Extraction does give her a chance to take part in some action in the film, although not as much as I would have liked. She is mainly a sidekick/love interest to Lutz character in the film. She is definitely better at punching heads than delivering lines, as some of her non action scenes seem a bit off. Not enough to distract from the film, but something she will have to work on if she wants to become a major star.

D.B. Sweeney appears as Willis friend and fellow CIA officer Ken, or Uncle Ken as Lutz calls him. Sweeney can always be relied on to give good support to the leads, pretty much carrying out the same duties in Extraction that he did in Taken 2 (2012). He does get more to do than in Taken 2, and plays a more integral part to the story as the film goes on. Like Carano, Sweeney also appeared in the film Heist (2015). It seems Emmet/Furla/Oasis like to use the same actors in their productions.

One other noteworthy performance is Lydia Hull who plays the slightly crazy Kris, a friend of Caranos character. She adds a bit of comedy to the film, and appears to be stoned in most of her scenes. Like a lot of other people in the cast, she also appeared in Heist.

The script is the work of two writers, Max Adams and Umair Aleem. As well as co-writing Extraction, Adams also co-wrote the afore mentioned Heist and Precious Cargo (2016), which he also directed. Precious Cargo was based on a short film he wrote and directed in 2008. The feature length version was once again produced by Emmet/Furla/Oasis films. Extraction is the only credited writing job Umair Aleem has to date.

Miller once again stands aside as editor, with the job being taken on by Vincent Tabaillon. Tabaillon has worked on a number of larger action films, assisting with editing films such as Transporter 2 (2005), The Incredible Hulk (2008), and Now You See Me (2013) amongst others. He is exactly the type of editor a film like Extraction needs, cutting the action well and keeping the film fast paced with a suitably short running time.

Marauders  2016

Back into thriller territory, if any criticism can be aimed at Marauders is that it is too ambitious for a DTV movie, with an overly complex plot and a number of characters you have to keep track off. Miller, working well with his cinematographer Brandon Cox, turns in his most professional looking film to date. It is also his most serious, with none of the levity of Silent Night or Extraction, and certainly none of the craziness of The Aggression Scale. There are some good lines delivered by the cast that raise a laugh, but thats about it. The film has more in common with Heat (1995) and the more recent Triple 9 (2016), than any of Millers earlier films. It will never live up to Heat, but it is more of an A picture than anything Miller has directed in the past, and should have had a larger cinema release.

The main plot concerns a group of bank robbers committing a series of brutal heists. As an FBI team starts to investigate, a larger conspiracy becomes apparent, which includes the owner of the bank, ex soldiers and a group of corrupt cops.

Bruce Willis is once again the largest face on the poster, although he is in Marauders even less than the previous Extraction. He also looks extremely old throughout, and makes you think that Willis action movie days are behind him. This is as far removed from John McLane as you can get. It has been reported recently that Willis is once again working with Miller on another film, First Kill. Unlike their other pairings, it appears as if Willis will actually be the lead actor this time.

Luckily the film has an ace up its sleeve in the excellent Christopher Meloni, who seems to relish the role of a tough FBI agent. He walks through the film being a dick to pretty much everyone, which can be pretty funny at times. He even threatens Bruce Willis at one point in the film, which I never thought I would see. He equips himself well in the films action scenes, although there arent as many as expected. Meloni is probably best known as Chris Keller from the HBO show Oz (1997) or for his Emmy nominated role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), where he played detective Elliot Stabler. Lately he has had more of a chance to prove himself as an action hero, mainly in the films Man of Steel (2013) and I Am Wrath (2016).

Dave Bautista is obviously most famous as a wrestler, but as of late has been building up quite the acting C.V, especially since his breakout role as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014). Bautistas role is limited in the film, although he is surprisingly witty. I did expect him to get more involved in the action, although he does get to have a brief fight sequence towards the finale. His role in Marauders certainly uses him to better effect than his role as Mr Hinx in Spectre (2015), which wasted him in a non speaking role. Like a lot of others who have acted in Emmet/Furla/Oasis films, Bautista also appeared in the film Heist.

Most famous as Vincent Chase in Entourage (2004), Adrian Grenier is sadly the poorest aspect of the film, and lets the side down. It could be due to miscasting, but his role as an FBI agent comes across as unbelievable. He seems especially uncomfortable in the scenes that require him to act tough, and it can be laughable when he tries this next to someone the size of Dave Bautista or even Christopher Meloni. It would appear that Miller enjoyed working with Grenier, as he has cast him again in his following film, Southern Fury (2017). This time he will be co starring with Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. For his sake I hope he does better work than what he has in Marauders.

The best of the supporting players is Johnathon Schaech, who plays corrupt cop Mims. His character is really put through the ringer in the film, and he is one of the only supporting characters to have a complete arc. He really gives the performance his all, much better than a DTV film would normally have, and it would hopefully lead to better work for him. As of late he has appeared in Ray Donovan (2013) and as Jonah Hex in Legends of Tomorrow (2016), a role which is rumored to continue in the next season. He has also starred in his fair share of DTV movies such as 8MM 2 (2005) and the unfairly maligned Road House 2: Last Call (2006). For some particular reason he is un-credited for Marauders, but make no mistake he is definitely one of the stars, and it is a crime that he doesnt get more recognition for his work in the film.

Marauders was again the work of two script writers, Michael Cody and Chris Silvertson. To date this is Codys only writing credits. Silvertson on the other hand has written and directed a number of films, none of which are very memorable, other than the Lucky McKee directed All Cheerleaders Die (2013), and even that is probably at the bottom of Lucky McKees directorial achievements. As a director, I Know Who Killed Me (2007), starring Lindsay Lohan, is probably the only film some people would have heard of, and even then I am not sure they would admit seeing it. Marauders would definitely stand as the high point in his career.

Editing is once again carried out by Vincent Tabaillon, who does his usual excellent work, giving the film a somewhat slower pace than the frenetic Extraction.




This site became active in October 2007 and most of the 2008 posts at the link above are duplicated here. We sometimes transfer earlier posts from the previous sites to this one, but we do not revalidate the links therein. Posts on this site dated before October 2007 are transferred posts.

This site has gone through a few iterations. Archived posts from March 2002 - Aug. 22, 2008 may be found at two URLs on the the Internet Archive Wayback Machine, 2002 and 2003-2008


The second Dunkin Donuts in the entire Bay Area opened in the cozy beach town of Half Moon Bay on Monday and for East Coast and Midwest transplants, renewed proximity to their favorite childhood chain is a sprinkle-covered thrill.

I made the 30-mile drive down the coast to witness the second most important opening of a Dunkin' Donuts in the San Francisco metro area and can report that the event was drenched in seaside mist and small-town enthusiasm.

A balloon arch in Dunkies' trademark orange and pink greeted customers of the brand new, jam-packed storefront. A rather grandiose step-and-repeat remained mostly ignored by the crowd, due to either the town's notorious heavy fog or the disappointing lack of paparazzi. The new doughnut shop occupies a former fast-food chicken restaurant, and is attached to a gas station food mart  not your typical step-and-repeat venue, but I digress. Throughout the morning, a gentleman dressed as an iced coffee named "Cuppy" posed with children and "dignitaries" while bemused coffee snobs watched the proceedings from a Peet's Coffee across the parking lot.

According to those in charge, the first 100 guests in line for Monday's 6 a.m. opening were given a bright orange swag bag filled with jelly Dunkin' merchandise and treats. A Bay Area transplant and Dunkin' die-hard from Allentown, Pennsylvania arrived at 9 p.m. the night before to secure his place as the location's first official customer  and recipient of a $100 donut gift card.

At 9 a.m., a fabulously orange-hued woman from the Half Moon Bay Chamber of Commerce excitedly announced to the assembled crowd that it was time for the official ribbon cutting. Members of the City Council and local Boys and Girls Club as well as a handful of well-wishers dutifully gathered in the Dunkin' parking lot to hear remarks from the Mayor and the franchise's new owners. Every few minutes, the small crowd would have to step out of the way to let a drive-thru customer pass.





After a brief discussion of just which set giant scissors would be used to cut the ribbon, the snip was made and Half Moon Bay was (and is) officially in possession of an open and operating Dunkin' Donuts.

"This is one of the rare cases where I didn't hear any discontent from the community," confessed Half Moon Bay Mayor Rick Kowalczyk. "All I heard were positive comments and enthusiasm."

Vishal Shah is a partner with "California Donut Kings" which has exclusive rights to open Dunkin' Donuts in Alameda and San Mateo counties. The second-generation Dunkin' franchisee owns 22 Dunkin' Donuts, mostly in the "Chicagoland" area.

"I was, gosh, nine years old when my dad opened his first Dunkin'" Shah said.

The California Donut Kings chose Half Moon Bay for their first location due in large part to what Shah called "the community feel." "The drive-thru is obviously an important part of our business," explained Shah, before handing off a giant check for $1,000 to the Half Moon Bay Boys and Girls Club.

According to Shah, the most popular doughnut variety is glazed, followed by chocolate, chocolate with sprinkles, and plain. "People get plain so they can dunk it in their coffee," said Shah. "That's where the name comes from. You know, dunking."

The doughnut chain previously had a small but significant presence in California, but the company decided to divest itself of the market, closing the few remaining franchises here in the 1990's. There are currently plans to open 200 locations across the state in the coming years.

Dunkin' devotees take note: the Kings' next openings will be in South San Francisco and Fremont. Half Moon Bay's Dunkin' Donuts is located at 120 San Mateo Avenue along Pacific Coast Highway 1.

Also take note: SF is scheduled to get its own Dunkin' Donuts, according to an earlier report, later this year, though the location has not been made public  and everything in SF gets delayed.

Previously: The Bay's First Dunkin' Donuts (In A Long Time) Opens In Walnut Creek
Just In - #ClaytonFire in Lower Lake area (Lake Co) remains 3,000 acres & 5% contained. 100+ structures destroyed. pic.twitter.com/aoUDG6HqUb  CAL FIRE PIO Berlant (@CALFIRE_PIO) August 15, 2016

Bay Area fire departments are sending firefighters and supplies northward to battle a blaze being called the Clayton Fire, ABC 7 reports, a disaster threatening the Lake County town of Lower Lake, which borders Clearlake, and its 1,300 residents. The fire was 3,000 acres in scope and just five percent contained earlier this morning. Update: The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted the use of federal funds to help fight the fire, which it deems to constitute a "major disaster." Mandatory evacuations of 3,000 people have occurred, and a Fire Management Assistance Grant for up to 75 percent of eligible firefighting costs will be granted.

Downtown businesses like the Tuscan Village winery and a Habitat for Humanity office have already been destroyed according to the Chronicle, with the Lower Lake High School campus in danger.

Sadly, it's now Habitat for Humanity office that will need rebuilding after #ClaytonFire pic.twitter.com/LHBOUomWYB  Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) August 15, 2016

Airdrops little match for obstinate #ClaytonFire that's torching Lower Lake pic.twitter.com/4YjJDrSAS4  Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) August 15, 2016

The Clayton Fire began Saturday evening, growing stronger during the day Sunday as temperatures reached 100 degrees and winds picked up, KQED writes. But despite its small scale so far, the fire has already been more destructive than the much larger, three-and-a-half-week-old Soberanes Fire in and around Big Sur. As of today, 175 homes and business or more had been destroyed in the Clayton Fire according to the Chronicle, while only 57 homes have been burned by the Soberanes Fire.

Officials now say hundreds of structures destroyed by #ClaytonFire https://t.co/PPTDieZOMY pic.twitter.com/yDKVmxeYC1  KRON 4 News (@kron4news) August 15, 2016

One potential victim of the fire appears to have been saved by a photographer shooting for the Chronicle: Noah Berger was able to rescue a goat from a burning building, according to SFGate's Instagram account.

It's been a rough couple of years in Lake County for wildfires. Three major fires burned through the county at roughly this same time last summer, the Rocky Fire, the Jerusalem Fire, and the very devastating Valley Fire, painful and fatal events of which residents are reminded today.

Related: Soberanes Fire Edges Closer To Big Sur, May Cause Highway 1 Shutdown This Weekend
Hold onto your pearls, folks: The powers of Dede Wilsey may fast be waning. A consummate socialite who has long held sway over the deYoung Museum and the Legion of Honor as the board president and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Wilsey is expected to step down from those joint positions in the fall, a recently revealed move spurred in part by a scandal regarding a seemingly outsized severance check granted to a former employee without board authorization, and the subsequent firing of a whistleblower. And today we learn of another way in which Wilsey's world has shifted out of her control: The Chronicle writes that Wilsey was the largest donor in the recent election battle for the Democratic County Central Committee, giving $110,000 to help moderate, Ed Lee-supporting candidates succeed, which they did not.

As you may recall from our byzantine ballot, 60 candidates competed for that committee in a game of brutal musical chairs with just 24 seats on the committee available. Just three Wilsey-backed candidates won: Tom Hsieh Jr, London Breed, and Mary Jung. Meanwhile, the progressives scored 15 seats to the moderates 9, essentially taking committee control. Other major donors in the contest included Lee faithful Ron Conway with $64,000 and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams with $50,000 according to the Chronicle.

Wilsey considers herself basically an independent, telling Messrs. Matier and Ross that I give to those persons I regard as the best candidates, regardless of political affiliation. In past elections, she's ponied up more than $24,000 for Kamala Harris in state attorney general bids, also donating the maximum amount, $5,4000, to Harris' current US Senate bid. Some of Wilsey's donations have been problematic: Consider the donation to current supervisor Mark Farrell she made, helping elect him by a mere 252 votes in a move that eventually led to an Ethics Commission fine that he's fighting in court.

Also, it was Harris's state office's non-profit oversight division that recently had to audit the Fine Arts Museums' books, leading to the recommendation that Wilsey's lifetime appointment as board chair should not be in perpetuity.

The intrigue surrounding Wilsey has lead to increased coverage lately, including a critical article in the New York Times. In response, the Chronicle's art critic called such press a "pile-on." What would that make this latest Chronicle Matier and Ross piece, then?

Previously: Oh Dear, Dede: NY Times Eviscerates Wilsey While Chronicle Offers Her A Defense
Two men were rushed to the hospital in critical condition this weekend, victims of separate shootings in which the suspects remain at large.

At 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, police say that a 42-year-old man was critically injured in a shooting at 19th and Capp Streets. According to a report from the San Francisco Police Department, "Witnesses heard male voice. Witnesses then heard gunshots," and saw two suspects "running away from scene."

The shooter or shooters might have continued their flight in a "dark blue four door vehicle," according to the SFPD.

Police found the victim on the ground, suffering from at least one gunshot. He was transported to an area hospital in critical condition, and remains there as of publication time.

Early Sunday morning, police say that a second shooting went down outside a nightclub at Loomis and Waterloo Streets, which is right behind the Lowe's on Bayshore Boulevard.

According to the SFPD, at 4:45 a.m. Sunday, a 20-30-year-old male suspect "fired ten rounds into the crowd" when "a fight outside of a nightclub occurred."

A 23-year-old man was shot in the melee, and was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

No arrests have been made in either case, according to the SFPD, and the shooters remain on the loose. As always, anyone with any information on either case (or any other crimes) is urged to call SFPD's Anonymous Tip Line at 415-575-4444 or to text a tip to Tip411 with SFPD at the beginning of the message.
The Shepherd Express is sponsoring the 2016 Milwaukee Film Festivals Documentary Festival Favorites. The program track includes 18 feature-length true-fact films, produced over the past two years in the U.S., Germany, China, Turkey, Ireland and Bolivia.

One of the documentaries is of special local interest. Beware the Slenderman by director Irene Taylor Brodsky focuses on the Internet urban legend that inspired a pair of Waukesha girls in a notorious case of attempted murder. It was made with the full cooperation of the perpetrators families, says the festivals Artistic & Executive Director Jonathan Jackson. Threaded through it is footage from after the girls arrestraw camera feed from the police interrogation room. Beware the Slenderman looks at the subject from the perspective of understanding the phenomenon of Internet folklore, the nature of storytelling as it evolves in social media.

Beware the Slenderman had its world premiere at this years South by Southwest festival in Austin and will be aired later this year on HBO. The Milwaukee Film Festival will present the Wisconsin premiere.

Other Documentaries:

Check It

(U.S.)

Directed by Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer

Much like the Deacons of Defense and similar African-American groups from the 1960s, Washington D.C.s Check It began as a self-defense gang for put-upon queers. They have developed a fierce reputation for striking back at anyone foolish enough to attack one of their own. Some of the Check It's founders have begun to consider the need to move beyond street fighting into culture and political activism to break the cycle of violence.

Generation Startup

(U.S.)

Directed by Cheryl Miller Houser and Cynthia Wade)

Recent college graduates have many reasons to worry about a future of outsourced opportunities and downsized dreams. Generation Startup looks at six young people in Detroit involved in start-up culture with an eye toward urban renewal as well as creating employment for themselves. Hard work and imagination are their assets as the film follows them through months of setbacks, successes, hope and despair as they try to transform their postindustrial Rust Belt city into a high tech hub.

Ghostland

(Germany)

Directed by Simon Stadler

One of Earths most primeval surviving cultures, Namibias Bushmen have been forced from their traditional hunting grounds, penned into a welfare system of public housing where they are ogled by backpacking adventure tourists. Germany director Simon Stadler follows a group of Bushmen on a trip to Europe for their first full-scale experience of what passes as Western civilization. Ghostland affords viewers a fascinating (and funny) opportunity to see ourselves from the outside, i.e. with the perspective of people encountering the West with wide-open eyes.

God Knows Where I Am

(U.S.)

Directed by Jedd and Todd Wider

A mystery wrapped in an elegy, God Knows Where I Am concerns an unidentified homeless woman found dead in an abandoned New Hampshire house with a diary that chronicled her final months. Isolated from society, she survived on scavenged apples and rainwater. The documentary expands into an examination of Americas mental health system without ever losing sight of the heartrending perspective at its center.

Hooligan Sparrow

(China/U.S.)

Directed by Nanfu Wang

Chinese activist/provocateur Ye Haiyan (a.k.a. Hooligan Sparrow) refuses to remain silent in the face of rampant sexual abuse in Chinas schools. Teaming up with documentary filmmaker Nanfu Wang, he braved government interrogation, the secret police and mob intimidation to shoot video footage the Beijing regime wants no one to see.

In Pursuit of Silence

(U.S.)

Directed by Patrick Shen

With John Cages 433 for inspiration, Patrick Shen seeks out pockets of silence in an increasingly noisy world. A Japanese Zen Buddhist shrine and Alaskas Denali National Park are among the quiet places offering solace in a postmodern crowded with traffic and incessantly ringing phones. In Pursuit of Silence is a remarkable sensory experience filled with unforgettable visuals and immersive sound design that demand to be seen and heard on the big screen.

Kedo

(Turkey/U.S.)

Directed by Ceyda Torun

In the ancient-modern bustle of Istanbul, stray cats wonder the streets by the hundreds of thousands. The felines are not treated with hostility or regarded as pests by the people whose city they share. Instead, as one resident puts it in this documentary, they embody "the indescribable chaos, the culture, and the uniqueness that is Istanbul.

The Last Laugh

(U.S.)

Directed by Ferne Pearlstein

Can the Holocaust inspire anything but dumbstruck silence or profound tragedy? The Last Laugh queries the idea that horror can be transmuted (or overcome) by humor. Director Ferne Pearlstein asks the opinions of comedians Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, Carl Reiner and others along with survivors. Also included are clips from The Great Dictator and The Producers and rare footage of cabaret shows inside of concentration camps show.

Mom and Me

(Ireland/U.S.)

Directed by Ken Wardrop

Oklahoma City, dubbed "the manliest city in America, is setting for a surprisingly moving film that shows the only thing stronger than a tough man is his mother. Mom and Me focuses on men calling in to a local talk radio show paying tribute to the women who shaped them. The stories told in Mom and Me are emotional, frequently hilarious, subtly beautiful and always touching.

National Bird

(U.S.)

Directed by Sonia Kennebeck

Esteemed filmmakers Wim Wenders and Errol Morris helped produce this penetrating look into Americas reliance on drones to project force overseas. It includes interviews with survivors of drone attacks and a trio of whistleblowers who spoke out and providing firsthand accounts of the harsh reality of warfare by remote control.

Nuts!

(U.S.)

Directed by Penny Lane

Prescription meds for male sexual dysfunction are all the rage. Nuts! examines the empire built by Dr. J.R. Brinkley who sold an impotency remedy prepared from goat testicles. Brinkley used the fortune he amassed to purchase a hire powered radio station and run for governor of Kansas, all the while preaching a crackpot brand of libertarianism.

Obit

(U.S.)

Directed by Vanessa Gould

Obituary writers seldom achieve the respect accorded to rock critics or political columnists, but are probably among the most well read writers. Obit goes behind the scenes at the New York Times as its team of obituary writers decides who will receive posthumous coverage and how to condense a life into a short overview.

Orange Sunshine

(U.S.)

Directed by William A. Kirkley

The Brotherhood of Eternal Love was one of several sects formed in California during the 1960s whose agenda included changing the world through psychedelics. Not content to preach the idea, the Brotherhood soon became Americas principal supplier of LSD. With Super 8 recreations and interviews with Brotherhood members, Orange Sunshine brings the 60s counterculture and war on drugs to stirring life.

The Peacemaker

(U.S.)

Directed by James Demo

Padraig O'Malley is a recovering alcoholic who owns a Boston pub. The Irish expatriate has also served as an international peace broker, spearheading conflict resolution in some of the world's most troubled areas, including Northern Ireland and South Africa. Although he had devoted his public life to bringing people together, his personal life is shown as troubled and solitary in this documentary of a paradoxical man.

Salero

(Bolivia/U.S.)

Directed by Mike Plunkett

Located in Bolivia, Salar de Uyuni is the worlds largest salt flat, a vast expanse occasionally broken up by a "salero" harvesting salt from the crystalline surface. The natural environment may be changed by Bolivian government plans to extract precious minerals below the salt surface. Filled with breathtaking beauty, Salero challenges us to think of the consequences of our modern way of living by acquainting us intimately with those who work the land.

Untouchable

(U.S.)

Directed by David Feige

Dealing with contemporary societys pariahs, Untouchable hopes to spark honest discussion of sex offender laws that, instead of preventing future cases, encourage recidivism by forcing many perpetrators into homelessness. Showing sympathy for abuse victims while revealing the tortured humanity of the offenders, Untouchable forces us to confront all sides of this issue.

The Wrong Light

(Bolivia/U.S.)

Directed by Dave Adams and Josie Swantek Heitz

The nonprofit Children's Organization of Southeast Asia (COSA), led by Mickey Choothesa, has working to combat sex trafficking in Thailand, providing shelter and education for atrisk women to ensure their safety. But an unanticipated narrative emerges as the directors interview many of those women, showing Choothesa may not be an altruistic hero. The Wrong Light shows the potential for NGOs to perpetrate fraud that exacerbates the very issues they're created to prevent.
HAVANA | Ramses Fernandez's 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 lawnmower.

"That's 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 who've kept Cuba's 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 son's birth and bought his Polski with the proceeds, about $5,000.

He's 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. Fernandez's closed hatch, and his car's 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 Seoane's 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.

He's been surprised by the number of tourists who ask to pose with the family vehicle.

"Foreigners take photos as if they've never seen something like this," he said. "For being an economical car, the Polski has really caught on."
LE MARS, Iowa | An Akron, Iowa, man was placed on probation Monday for sending sexually related text messages to a 14-year-old girl.

District Judge Jeffrey Poulson suspended a two-year prison sentence and placed Kevin Essington on two years probation. Essington, 43, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement on Aug. 2 in Plymouth County District Court to one count of enticing a minor, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Essington also must register with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry and pay a $625 fine. Poulson ordered him to have no contact with the victim for five years.

According to court documents, Essington sent the girl text messages asking her to engage in sexual acts on July 14, 2015. He was arrested after one of the girl's parents reported the texts to authorities. Essington admitted at his plea hearing that he knew the girl was under age 16.
SIOUX CITY | Charges have been dropped against a Sioux City man who was accused of taking part in a beating that left a man with a serious brain injury.

Assistant Woodbury County Attorney James Loomis on Friday filed a motion for dismissal, saying that further investigation was needed in the case. Associate District Judge Todd Hensley approved the dismissal.

Gallaugher had been arrested in connection with the June 22 assault of Bradley Coan, 22, of Waterbury, Nebraska in the 700 block of Riverside Drive. Police have said that eight people kicked and punched Coan and beat him with metal poles resembling those found on a chain-link fence. Coan had to be induced into a coma because of serious brain injuries.
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 miniscule 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 the drain. These compounds commonly are referred to as emerging contaminants.

Iowa is in a water quality crisis, Des Moines Water Works communication coordinator Laura Sarcone said. She cited that facilitys increased use of an expensive nitrogen removal process and a record number of impaired waters as determined by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources as well as a growing concern about the impact of emerging contaminants.

Some of the cities in Iowa most likely to be exposed to emerging contaminants include Des Moines, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City, Iowa City and Keokuk. All use a high proportion of surface water, making them more susceptible to pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals than cities that rely more on underground aquifers for drinking water.

A new national study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed data from the third round of unregulated contaminant monitoring and concluded that millions of Americans may be drinking water with unsafe levels of polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances. The contaminants come from industrial site, military bases with firefighting training and wastewater treatment plants.

A little less than half of Iowas residents get drinking water from systems that use surface water or a combination of surface and groundwater. They are among the nine of 10 Iowans who use public water systems, with the remainder using private well services.

Eight percent of Iowas public water systems use surface water, sometimes mixed with water from other sources, but are in the most heavily populated areas.

Everything we use has the potential to become an environmental contaminant, Dana Kolpin, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said. We use it, we excrete it, we wash it down the drain.

Caffeine ends up in water from a number of sources, not limited to coffee and soft drinks. Soap, shampoo and even pantyhose can be caffeinated and its this level of dependence on caffeine that makes it such a prevalent contaminant.

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 source 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 treatment 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 or not 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 like 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 a June 29 EPA webinar.

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.

Jeff Mitchell, a lab supervisor with Des Moines Water Works, said concern about pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants began in the last 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 under 10,000 for the unregulated contaminant monitoring rule, but for systems over 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.

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.

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

Fourmile Creek runs through central Iowa and was tested at various points by Kolpins team. The team found that downstream from metro areas, including Ankeny, aquatic creatures responded differently to predators than those upstream. Minnow larvae in particular were found to have been exposed to a range of antidepressants such as bupropion and desvenlafaxine, and ended up responding slower to predators.

While the exposure itself did not directly kill the hatched minnows, Kolpin said the slower response time made them more susceptible to predators, thereby decreasing their survival.

IOWAS 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.

IMPAIRED WATERS:

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is required to submit a survey of Iowa bodies of water to the Environmental Protection Agency every two years. These bodies of water can have a variety of designated uses, from recreation to drinking water or an aquatic life habitat. Each body of water is categorized in one of five ways:

-- It meets its designated need.

-- Some designated uses are met, but there is insufficient data to determine if all are met.

-- More information is needed.

-- It is impaired, but a water quality improvement plan has already been written.

-- It is impaired and has no improvement plan written.

A waterbody is considered impaired until the water quality improves and it passes an assessment to show that improvement.

If one portion of a watershed is deemed impaired - say one portion of the Des Moines River - it does not mean the entire watershed is impaired. Improvements to the overall watershed can, however, have a positive effect on impaired portions of the watershed.

According to the DNR, the majority of impairments to waters in Iowa are considered minor to moderate. Out of 2,567 bodies of water analyzed in 2014, 765 were considered impaired. Seven met all designated uses while 1,455 had insufficient data to determine whether any designated uses are met.

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 on Aug. 2 that he stands by his plan to split state sales tax funding between school improvements and water quality projects with the deadline of 2029. The next day in Anamosa he said neither the Iowa House nor Senate could support a tax increase in order to fund water quality projects.

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.

It certainly raises the question that if its happening to animals it at least deserves more research to see if there is a risk for us or not, Kolpin said. Certainly with pharmaceuticals you cant deny there are benefits, but do we need to do better in takeback programs or have greener pharmaceuticals that break down quicker?

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 Clinton 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 like the one in Clinton County could prevent some pharmaceuticals from going down the drain but that 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.

This story was produced by the Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism-IowaWatch.org, a non-profit, online news Website that collaborates with Iowa news organizations to produce explanatory and investigative reporting.
OMAHA | Seven of nine former Winnebago Tribal Council members charged with theft of tribal funds pleaded not guilty to federal charges Monday.

Former tribal chairman John Blackhawk, 61, and former council members Darwin Snyder, 49, Thomas Snowball, 55, Louis Houghton, 69, Lawrence Payer, 70, Charles Aldrich, 48, and Ramona Wolfe, 76, all entered pleas in U.S. District Court in Omaha to charges of conspiracy, theft from gaming establishments on Indian lands and wire fraud.

All are free on bond.

U.S. Magistrate Judge F.A. Gossett set a Sept. 30 deadline for pretrial motions. He did not set a trial date.

Former council member Travis Mallory, 38, is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 24. The initial appearance and arraignment for Morgan Earth, 70, has been continued to a date yet to be set.

All nine were indicted July 19, after an FBI investigation determined that while on the tribal council, the defendants had given themselves large raises and bonuses totaling $327,500 directly from the tribe's WinnaVegas Casino Resort without approving them at council meetings. It showed that in 2013 and 2014, the nine were issued $87,000 in gift certificates by the casino and uploads to prepaid debit cards paid for by the casino totaling $240,500. These distributions were recorded on the casino's books as miscellaneous administrative expenses, according to the indictment.

The case stemmed from a tribal investigative report early last year. In the wake of that report, the nine resigned or were ousted from office by newly elected council members.

A conspiracy conviction is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. A conviction for theft from gaming establishments on Indian lands is punishable by up to 10 years of imprisonment and/or a $250,000 fine. A wire fraud conviction is punishable by up to 20 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of $250,000.
STORM LAKE, Iowa | A Sioux Rapids, Iowa, man pleaded not guilty Monday to his role in fraudulently claiming a scratch lottery ticket prize.

Johnny Long Jr., 26, entered his written plea in Buena Vista County District Court to theft of a lottery ticket or share.

Ashley Bosler, 20, and her mother, Sally Bosler, 42, both of Sioux Rapids, previously pleaded not guilty. Ashley Bosler is charged with theft of a lottery ticket or share and aiding and abetting theft of a lottery ticket or share. Sally Bosler is charged with aiding and abetting theft of a lottery ticket or share. Both are scheduled to stand trial on Nov. 15. Long's trial was set for Sept. 13.

Ashley Bosler, who was an employee at Casey's general store, is accused of scratching off a corner of the Iowa Lottery instant-scratch game ticket and scanning the bar code that confirmed it was a winner.

She did not buy the ticket and was not old enough to play, authorities said, so he asked Long, her boyfriend, to claim the $250,000 prize at the Storm Lake Regional Lottery office on June 17. The ticket sparked suspicion, and state and local authorities launched an investigation. The prize was not paid.

The three were arrested July 27.
DANVILLE, Ill. | When longtime members talk about their affinity for the Union Corner United Methodist Church, one word keeps popping up  family.

People say they feel comfortable and accepted, even when there are differences  just like a family.

"We have love and respect for each other. We can work through anything," said Patti Wise, pastor since 1997. She's also pastor of Batestown United Methodist Church.

Wise and others are inviting people to visit "the little white church on the bend of the road." The church on Perrysville Road, one mile from the Indiana state line, is marking its 125th anniversary with a special service and a meal. A group photo will be taken after the service.

The service will celebrate the past and present, and make a recommitment to the future and its ministries, Wise said.

The church was dedicated on Aug. 9, 1891.

Letters have sent to the members and former pastors. There are about 70 people on the membership roster, Wise said, while the average attendance on Sundays is 30-35.

While other United Methodist churches are closing, Union Corner is able to pay its bills and keep its ministries going.

"Like Dory, we just keep swimming," Wise said with a smile, referring to the movie "Finding Dory."

"You need to keep dreaming and envision God's presence in the church."

Don Gouty, 82, has been attending the country church since he was an infant, and continued when he got older. He received perfect-attendance bars when he was younger.

"I couldn't go to a bigger church and enjoy myself," he said.

His wife, Helen, had been going to another church, but started attending Union Corner with her husband 62 years ago.

"I came and brought the kids on Sundays and Wednesday nights. I just fell into it," she said, adding that the church has good selections of music.

The Goutys' grown daughter, Joy Fox, said it's the only church her family has attended, and as a mother, she brought her four children to services.

"I enjoy it," she said. "It's small. It's family."

Paula Meece attended St. James United Methodist Church, but wasn't comfortable in a larger church. In 1998, she moved to an area near the church, and a neighbor invited her to attend.

"I like the feel, and I told Bob (husband), 'this is my home now; this is where I'm going to be,'" she recalled.

Don Gouty also noted, "We're a proud bunch of people, and maintain the church and grounds."

The 1-acre land for the church was donated by C.J. Langley in 1891; Langley descendants still attend the church.

Although the church has traditional services, it sometimes incorporates modern-day touches, such as Power Point slides and videos, Wise said.

Music is an important part of the services, with Bonnie Marble on organ and Wise on piano. Wise used to be organist at Oakwood United Methodist Church.

"The life, the vibrancy are still alive here," Wise said.

Thanks to the generosity of the congregation, the old organ was replaced by an Allen Electric, she said.

The small church also is very active in the community, and is part of the "popcorn cluster" that includes other United Methodist churches.

"We do work well together," Wise said.

In addition, Union Church is involved in several ministries, such as the Danville Rescue Mission, Women's Care Center, Fair Hope, taking meals to others, back-to-school projects, and the Haitian Interdenominational Shelter (H.I.S. Home) in Port-au-Prince. The church also supports individual missionaries in their efforts.

The church has a chicken-noodle meal in April and chili-vegetable soup in October, both open to the community.

Wise has served both Union Corner and Batestown for 20 years, which is unique for United Methodist churches, she said. She is a retired teacher from Oakwood Grade School.

During her time, she said, "It's been wonderful. The colors of the rainbow become more vibrant the longer you walk together."

It's important to "find the place where the head and heart meet, then you get out of the way," Wise said.

Wise hopes community members join in the celebration Sunday, as it's a good way to start the week.

"It's the place where we come and start our week, then go out into the world. It's one place where we have our foundation," she said.
SIOUX CITY | A building located downtown in Sioux City's Historic Pearl District could be receiving new life as a restaurant-bar.

Jeff Conley, of Dakota Dunes, plans to renovate a one-story building at 401 Pearl St. into a restaurant-bar. The property formerly served as offices for TKC Optical, where Conley works.

When TKC Optical moved its offices and the location became available, Conley said he was inspired to open a restaurant-bar there because of its proximity to downtown events and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which is across the street.

The Sioux City Council on Monday will decide whether to approve a certificate of appropriateness for the renovations. Certificates of appropriateness are required by city code for proposed additions or modifications to buildings within Sioux City's historic districts.

According to city documents, plans for renovation include significant improvements to the inside and outside of the building. The majority of the existing brick will remain in the structure with the exception of the damaged bottom part of the building's columns, which will be replaced with black brick.

"It's basically a shell right now," Conley said. "We're going to do everything to it."

Conley also plans to add windows and build a new two-story, free-standing deck on the building's west side.

To complete the project, Conley will be working with H&R Construction, a construction management firm out of South Sioux City.

Sioux City's Historic Preservation Commission has recommended the council approve the certificate of appropriateness.

The city had previously approved a certificate of appropriateness for the building's demolition in February. Conley said that he has since decided to renovate the existing building rather than build a new one.

Conley said the menu and name of the restaurant are still in the works. If plans go well, the business will open in spring 2017.

In other action Monday, the council will vote on the third reading of a proposal to rezone a parcel of land near the Sergeant Floyd Monument from residential to commercial. The first and second readings passed in July, with the third reading deferred so the developer could address drainage issues on the property.

The council will also vote on contract approval for the annual road resurfacing project and a pair of consulting service agreements to JEO Consulting Group Inc., of South Sioux City, for design and construction of the Leeds and Cone Park splash pads.

If approved, the designs of both splash pads will be complete by Sept. 29 of this year.

Monday's Sioux City Council Meeting will be 4 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the fifth floor of Sioux City Hall, 405 Sixth St.
For millennials, everything old is new again. Vinyl records. Typewriters. Pabst Blue Ribbon. And cross-country train trips.

Tapping into a yearning among young people for better ways of learning and communicating, a former financial analyst left his Wall Street job to start the Millennial Trains Project. Now in its fourth year, the nonprofit puts dozens of young people from around the United States and the world onto vintage train cars to explore the country and talk to one another about what theyve seen.

Were trying to give participants a real, visceral sense of the scale of our country and build a transregional perspective, said Patrick Dowd, 29, MTPs founder and CEO. We look at this as an inner journey and an outer journey  the inner journey is about how our participants are growing at an individual level.

This year, the project doubled to two train trips, with two diverse groups of 26 travelers, including participants from Germany, Peru and Singapore. The first trip started in Pittsburgh last week and went through Chicago, Kansas City, Mo., and Albuquerque, N.M., before ending in Los Angeles on Sunday. The second started Wednesday in LA and goes through San Francisco, Denver, Milwaukee and Detroit.

The young people on board, who raised money mostly through crowdfunding to pay for their $5,000 tickets, include recent college graduates, grad students and those a few years into their careers. The State Department also sends a contingent of foreign Fulbright scholars. At each stop, they got to meet as a group with local leaders  including Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto and Chicago city Treasurer Kurt Summers on the most recent trip.

They then get to go off on their own to meet specialists in their fields of interest, ranging from designing playgrounds, planning museum programs, teaching financial literacy and promoting urban farming. Some have specific goals. Pittsburghs Daniel Scullin is making a documentary about local food economies  while others are just there to learn.

After their city visits, they return to their train cars, which include a domed observation car and a Pullman sleeper, to eat regional food prepared by on-board chefs, attend seminars and lectures, and exchange ideas. Its a full day  starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 11 p.m.

Dowd said the goal of the trips is to build leaders and grow networks. A train is an ideal environment for community building because a cross-country observation car is like a floating living room, where people can relax and talk, he said.

Riding on an airplane or in a car is an anonymous and isolating experience, Dowd said. Being on a plane eliminates the space to have a natural human conversation  two people having to look at each other and talk. We have an environment thats very conducive to creativity.

Riding along are MTP staff and mentors, including former participants. The cars are attached to Amtrak trains.

Dowd said he doesnt look at the trips as a business incubator  but participants do go on to start their own companies and other creative endeavors. One traveler started a business that turns misshapen fruit that gets rejected from grocery stores into juice, and others she had met on the MTP trip helped her out, Dowd said.

Another MTP traveler wrote clean energy legislation, using research from his journey.

There are so many examples of people making connections that were helpful for their careers, Dowd said.

The idea for MTP came to Dowd while he was training to be a financial analyst on Wall Street in 2012. The Occupy movement was going on outside his office windows, noisily questioning his work. While Dowd didnt want to be an occupier, he knew he wanted to do something besides juggle numbers.

I wanted to do something I thought would be helpful, Dowd said.

He decided to try a U.S. version of a train tour he learned about while on a Fulbright scholarship in India. The tour, called the Jagriti Yatra, which means journey of awakening in Hindi, takes young people on a loop around the subcontinent.

Dowd said his peers are besieged by advertising and constant claims on their attention, which can distract them from getting anything done. He sees a train journey as being similar to practices like yoga or writing personal letters  a way to slow down, pay attention and act with intention.

Were not all sitting in a row with our ear plugs in, watching an on-demand movie, he said. Were talking.

Dowd said even the delays that come with Amtrak are educational  the fact that a train is held up by a freight carrying coal and oil tells something about the nations history, and how things work.

One participant in this years project is Rachel Reilly Carroll, 31, of Washington, D.C., who works for Enterprise Community Partners, a national nonprofit that finances affordable housing. Carroll wanted to look at the need to preserve and create affordable housing near transit.

On her journey last week, Carroll talked to residents in the gentrified East Liberty neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and with activists in Chicagos Wicker Park and Logan Square neighborhoods who fear being displaced by new, high-rise projects near L stops.

Carroll decided to take the trip because she could only learn so much sitting at my desk behind a computer screen.

Its a great opportunity for me to learn about different policies, Carroll told the Tribune while waiting for the next leg of her journey in Chicagos Union Station. You really got to be on the ground and take a look for yourself.

Carroll said its also important for people who want to understand the nations problems to not just see the big cities  like New York and LA  or popular mid-sized spots like Austin, Texas, but also places like Kansas City and Detroit.

She said the trip has given her a chance to unplug from the online world and engage.

You cant help but have conversations with people, she said. I really wanted to take this opportunity to learn.
The rise of the gig economy offers attractive benefits for workers and businesses alike. Freelancers get to enjoy the flexibility that comes with the lifestyle while companies get to hire talented people without incurring the costs associated with a full-time employee.

Hiring freelance workers also presents a dilemma: Businesses are often confused about how to classify whether a worker is a 1099 independent contractor or a W-2 employee.

An estimated 3.4 million employees are classified as independent contractors when companies should report them as employees, according to JustWorks, an HR management software provider.

Misclassification Affects All Parties

Misclassification of workers is a problem that affects three parties: the worker, the business and governmental agencies.

If improperly classified, workers could miss out on benefits such as insurance, 401K and paid vacation. Business owners might incur stiff fines and penalties, lawsuits and even jail time.

According to a report from SIA, a global staffing and workforce solutions advisor, more than one-third of midsize businesses have been fined or penalized for not complying with laws about how they manage their workforces.

Not only that, but federal and state governments miss out on money that would otherwise fill their coffers. The federal government alone loses between $2.7 to $4.3 billion in tax revenue annually, studies estimate.

The loss of income is not something the Obama administration is taking lightly.

According to a webinar hosted by Work Market, a freelance workforce management software provider, independent contractor misclassification is the Department of Labors (DOL) single most important enforcement priority in 2016.

The department has assigned 300 new investigators to track down offenders, and added $31.7 million to its budget for that reason.

Employee Classification is Difficult

It may seem surprising that confusion exists over worker classification. After all, an independent contractor is someone who works for himself while an employee works for another party.

Unfortunately, things arent that simple. Lots of uncertainty exists in the regulatory environment.

Where worker classification is concerned, no hard-and-fast criteria exists, despite the fact that the Department of Labor, National Labor Relations Board, IRS and a host of state labor-related agencies have their various interpretations, said Jeff Wald, Work Market co-founder and president, in a telephone interview with Small Business Trends.

According to Wald, businesses need to be prepared in the event one of these agencies comes calling. And its not a matter of if the government will come calling, but when, he added.

The IRS, DOL, workers comp or unemployment insurance boards, or even your insurance company could knock on your door wanting to understand how you engage the freelance workforce, he said. Should that happen, the burden lies on the back of the business owner to interpret the complex sets of rules and regulations and make the determination as to how his business will address it.

Any way you look at it, misclassification of employees is a problem, and the burden of compliance falls to the business owner.

Consequences of Misclassifying Workers

The consequences of non-compliance can be tough and include fines, penalties, lawsuits and even jail time.

Fines levied by the U.S. Department of Labor, IRS and state agencies for worker misclassification can exceed millions depending on the severity of the infractions, Wald said in a post on TLNT, an HR industry blog. The threat of class action lawsuits should also serve as a further deterrent for companies straddling the boundaries of improper classification.

He added that trouble could come in many forms: Wage law violations, trouble with the IRS, I-9 violations, unemployment insurance shortfalls, workers comp violations, improper exclusion from benefits, anti-discrimination violations, FMLA violations, and much more.

Misclassification Fines and Penalties

Even if the misclassification is unintentional, the employer could still face the following penalties:

See Also: How to Turn Your Customer Complaints into Business Benefits

$50 for each Form W-2 that the employer failed to file because of classifying workers as an independent contractor;

5 percent of the wages for failure to withhold income taxes;

40 percent of FICA taxes that not withheld from the employee;

100 percent of matching FICA taxes the employer should have paid.

Interest can also accrue on these penalties daily from the date they should have been deposited. The IRS can also impose additional fines and penalties if it suspects fraud or intentional misconduct.

The bottom line: Businesses cant afford to misclassify.

Worker Classification Compliance Tests

The government has several tests for compliance (e.g., Economic Reality, IRS 20-Factor, Common Law, ABC) but there is little standardization among them. In fact, one test may qualify the worker as an employee while another will classify the same person as an independent contractor.

The IRS 20-Factor (PDF) test, for example, uses the degree of behavioral and financial control the employer exercises, as well as the type of relationship that exists between the two parties (written contracts or employee-type benefits), to determine whether or not a worker is an employee or independent contractor.

The Economic Reality test, on the other hand, places emphasis on the economic dependence of a person on the employer as its litmus.

The New York Times reports that under federal tax and labor law, contractors must have greater independence than employees, which limits their use. Simply put, if you tell someone when, where and how to work, you do not have a contractor relationship, the Times said.

Steps Small Businesses Can Take to Ensure Compliance

Wald and Work Market recommend that small businesses take the following steps to ensure compliance:

Have a Plan in Place

Have a documented plan of action that you can back up with facts, Wald said. If a representative from your states unemployment office were to pay a visit, would you be able to defend why you classified a person as a contractor rather than as an employee?

He added that, due to the lack of uniformity, the business owner has to determine what the rules are and document them.

Get what your interpretation is for your business and document that as your point of view, Wald said. Have audit trails, so you can show someone your interpretation based on what youve read, backed up by facts. If you have established rules and documentation, trained your people and set up processes and audit trails, it will bode better for you than for those who havent.

Exert Limited Control

Exert limited control over independent contractors.

According to Wald, its okay to have generalized rules of governance but dont give them an employee handbook. That makes them look like employees, he said.

Also, dont give freelancers full-time work. Short-term projects that are encompassing from time to time is fine, however.

Compliance Dos and Donts

Though not exhaustive, here are some general guidelines, in the form of dos and donts.

Do:

Conduct a systematic review of compliance policies in light of new DOL standard (whether the person is economically dependent on the employer or truly in business for him or herself);

Establish a formal and centralized approval, governance and monitoring process for all contractors;

Require contractors to submit invoices for payment, rather than paying them on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis;

Follow the terms of the agreement, including termination provisions.

Dont:

Supervise the independent contractor or his assistants. He should perform his duties without direction;

Allow the contractor to work on-premise unless necessary;

Establish particular working hours;

Provide ongoing training or instruction;

Invite the contractor to company meetings or functions;

Give the contractor a title or provide equipment unless necessary;

Pay travel or other expenses directly;

Give the contractor new work after the original project is completing without requiring a new agreement.

Conclusion

Classifying workers as employees or independent contractors is more complicated than it may first appear. And it doesnt help that the government has no single standard that companies can use to make that determination.

However, due to the adverse fines and penalties a company could accrue as the result of a misclassification, the savvy business owner will take the steps necessary to ensure compliance.

For more information about freelance worker compliance, visit the Work Market website. It contains a list of helpful resources to educate and inform business owners.
What do all the most successful people tend to have in common? Its a question that is seen as holding the answer to getting ahead in your professional life. If it works for them, itll work for me!

Of course experience counts, and in certain, increasingly complex industries, relevant hard skills often hold the key.

But one thing that truly sets apart the best people is the transferable skills they have that benefit them across everything they do. In a dynamic, constantly changing world, your core skills that allow you to adapt may be more important than ever.

Soft Skills List for Successful Entrepreneurs

Self-Awareness

Understanding and reading others is something that everyone knows is integral to being a successful manager and leader.

However, not everyone fully realizes the importance of understanding yourself.

One of the key factors in productivity and clarity of thought is understanding and working with your emotions. Appreciating when youre not at your best, or understanding when one outward emotion is actually hiding another, is the first step towards understanding the cause and finding a solution.

The most effective leaders know that it starts with them, and high personal emotional intelligence is valuable to all employers. When youre going for a new role, try to remain calm during the process and focus on discussing areas of self-improvement. This way theyll know youre capable of identifying weaknesses or gaps in your ability before taking active steps to make them better.

Responsiveness

As a rule, we now work in much more collaborative workplaces. People are better understood as rounded employees who may offer something unexpected and beneficial.

As a result, it is now hugely important to react speedily to a change of direction or a new requirement while continuing to offer new ideas and consulting on all areas of the business.

In a more fast-paced and, at times, volatile world, your ability to react and then capitalize on changes is absolutely essential. Address how good you are at viewing things objectively, as this holds the key to responding to something new, and dropping old ideas quickly without holding on to them for sentimental reasons.

Think about times in your life when youve had to deal with rapid change. How did you deal with it? Could you have taken a more objective view point?

Being Personable

That same collaborative environment also makes it more and more important to fit into a culture of work and develop strong relationships with those around you.

Especially within smaller teams, the disruption of having one employee that nobody connects with can be huge. With the days of top-down, authoritarian management dwindling, your ability to communicate with people at all different levels is essential.

On top of this, social awareness will become increasingly important as automation and artificial intelligence play a bigger role in our lives. One thing that is likely to be very difficult to replicate is the human ability to persuade, communicate and ultimately connect with other people.

Learn to be patient with those you dont quite click with, and endeavor to find common ground with everyone. Youll be surprised at how significant an impact this has on the effectiveness of your team.

Listening

One of the keys to thriving in this collaborative environment is not your ability to talk. Its your ability to communicate, and the most important skill in communication is actually listening.

Whether youre talking to the CEO or an intern, listening is key to building trust. By switching on and actively showing that you are engaging with what the person is saying, youre showing that you care about what they have to say.

Generally people will know when theyre not being listened to. Forget about what youre going to say and ask them questions about what theyre talking about. Try not to interrupt. If you need to address something else and move the conversation forward, have the patience to wait until theyve finished talking until you change the topic.

The effect of listening goes beyond simply alleviating tensions. Of course, everyone likes to be listened to, and knowing that youre not can cause a strain on any working relationship. But more importantly, if youre not listening to people youre not understanding them, and so you wont be working with them as effectively as you can.

Problem Solving

As you make your way through your career, you tend to move from learning and implementing systems of work to having a guiding hand in the nature of those systems.

See Also: 5 Mistakes Even Successful Entrepreneurs Often Make

As a result, the business problems become yours to solve. You could have been beaten to a client by a competitor, resolve a flaw in your product or service, or look at finding a new way to reach potential customers. Either way, your ability to objectively view a problem, collate advice and suggestions before finding the best solution is critical in this situation.

Whether or not certain problems are within your remit, allow yourself to consider how you would solve them as a way to practice. If you stumble onto something good, dont be afraid to propose your solution. In the right company, youre far more likely to be identified as proactive and aware than disruptive.

Consider having a go at problem solving briefs in your spare time, whether industry specific or general. Like anything else, these skills are improved by practice and noticing patterns that may prove useful in the future.

Republished by permission. Original here.
Working mobile is becoming hugely important for small businesses. And thanks to a recent update to the Ulysses writing app, small business owners who want to work in WordPress from their iPhone or iPad and also have access to Dropbox where they may be storing images, video or other content from a mobile device, can now do just that conveniently on iOS.

Ulysses App for Mac and iOS

Ulysses  a fully-fledged, plain text enhanced writing tool  debuted back in 2013 on the Mac App Store as a gorgeously elegant app for Mac. It has since introduced Ulysses for iOS.

The app for Mac, iPhone and iPad manages to stay completely out of your way when writing, providing a clean and intuitive workspace that can rival any distraction-free writing app.

Many options can easily become too many options, and complex can get complicated, The company says on its official website. Ulysses confines to what is essential for writing, and keeps its advanced features out of the way until you actually need them.

The latest Ulysses 2.6 updates, which are available for both the iOS and macOS, add some impressive and quite handy features to the app.

Whats New in the Ulysses 2.6 Update?

1. WordPress Publishing

Ulysses 2.6 adds the ability to publish text straight to a WordPress site, complete with category, tags, excerpt, featured image and preview support. No more copy and paste, and switching between browsers. You can even schedule a post for later and setup multiple WordPress accounts in the app. Additionally, you can choose which blog youd like to publish to for each new sheet. The app supports publishing not only to a WordPress.com blog, but also all self-hosted WordPress.org installations.

2. Dropbox Support on iOS

As with Mac, iPad and iPhone users can now also sync their content over Dropbox instead of via iCloud only. You can now link your Dropbox account(s) and have any folder show up in Ulysses on iPad and iPhone, and use it just like you would Ulysses native iCloud/local storage, wrote Marcus Fehn, Ulysses Co-founder and interface designer, in a blog post announcing the updates. You get filters, manual sorting, all the markup, and, best of all, full search across all your linked folders.

3. Quick Open on iOS

A popular feature of the Mac app has been Quick Open, which is now available on the iOS app. As the name suggests, Quick Open lets you search your whole library, all your folders, whether on Dropbox or iCloud, and quickly open any document in Ulysses with just a single tap, says Marcus. For those with newer iPhones, this feature is also available via a 3D Touch action on the app icon on your home screen.

4. Typewriter Mode

If you are a fan of focused writing, Ulysses 2.6 introduces a new Typewriter Mode. While this feature has been a part of Ulysses for Mac since version 1.1, version 2.6 Typewriter Mode for iOS and Mac has been completely revamped. It includes a highlighting feature known as Focus Mode. Activating Focus Mode will dim everything but the current line, sentence or paragraph. You can even adjust scrolling behavior.

Many writers praise the way Ulysses encourages immersion with the text, and testify how using it has considerably increased their productivity, company adds on its website. The company recently emerged as one of the winners of the prestigious Apple Design Awards 2016.

Cost and Availability

If you write a lot of reports, documents, blog posts or even books and would like to use Ulysses for iOS and Mac for the first time, the app is readily available for download. Ulysses for Mac can be found on the Mac App Store and costs $44.99, although a free trial version is also available. Ulysses for iOS is available as a universal app on the App Store priced at $24.99.

The cost of Ulysses for iOS and Mac, as you might have noticed, is not exactly cheap considering that apps like Evernote are free. But, Ulysses is a powerful, intuitive app with a fresh and clean feel.

Yes, it sounds awesome, easy, and believe me: It is, insists Fehn in his announcement. You be the judge.
The gravity of the existential threat we face from Islamic Jihad is truly of epic proportions. It is essentially a battle pitting free-civilized man against a totalitarian barbarian. What is at stake is the struggle for our very soul - namely who we are and what we represent. The lives that were sacrificed for individual rights and freedoms that we've come to cherish are being chiseled away from right under our noses by the stealth jihadists. And many of us are in denial and totally clueless.



The left's appeasement and pandering to evil is nothing new. What makes their utopian delusions so infuriating and unpardonable is that it is not only they who will have to pay the consequences, and deservedly, so, they are thwarting and undermining our best efforts at resistance and are thus dragging us down in the process as well.







By Peter Lancz,, the head of the Raoul Wallenberg World Campaign Against Racism.
LEONARDTOWN, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://so.md/expungeme.

(Aug. 14, 2016)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.7/31/2016 BURGLARY: Deputy T. Siciliano responded to the 20000 block of Flat Iron Road in Valley Lee for the report of a theft/burglary. The suspect, Paul Robert Riley, age 45, of Valley Lee, entered a victim's residence and retrieved tools which he then used to dismantle the victim's air conditioning unit. He was arrested and charged with First Degree Burglary, Third Degree Burglary, Malicious Destruction of Property $1000+, Malicious Destruction of Property $1000+, Theft $1000-10,000, and Fourth Degree Burglary. CASE# 39418-16.7/30/2016 POSSESSION: Deputy R. Steinbach responded to Towne Place Suites on Three Notch Road in Lexington Park for the report of subjects using controlled dangerous substances in a vehicle parked in the back parking lot. The driver, Daniel West Welling, age 21, of Lexington Park, displayed signs of being under the influence, and the orange cap of a syringe was in the deputy's plain view. Welling and the passenger, Tavon Irving Huffin, were removed for a vehicle search. During the search, deputies located multiple items of paraphernalia, suspected heroin, and Suboxone. The suspects were arrested and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Welling was charged with Two Counts of CDS Possession: Not Marijuana and CDS Possession: Paraphernalia. Huffin was charged with CDS Possession: Not Marijuana and CDS Possession: Paraphernalia. CASE# 39278-16.8/5/2016 POSSESSION: Deputy R. Trudell responded to the Sheetz Gas Station on Old Great Mills for the report of a disturbance. The suspect, Keith Randall Nelson, age 42, of Avenue, was causing a disturbance and refused to leave the store. While making contact with Nelson, Deputy Trudell discovered Nelson was in possession of merchandise he did not pay for and suspected Xanax. Nelson was arrested and charged with CDS Possession: Not Marijuana, Theft Less than $100, Malicious Destruction of Property/Value - $1000, and Trespass: Private Property. CASE# 40345-16.8/7/2016 ASSAULT: Deputy J. Krum responded to the 21000 block of North Essex Drive in Lexington Park for a conservator. Upon arrival, contact was made with the victim who advised the deputy, the suspect and the victim were involved in a verbal altercation that escalated to a physical fight. The victim also alleged the suspect, Durez Lindell Creek, age 27, of Lexington Park, called the victim several times making threats to harm the victim physically. The victim displayed visible signs of injury. The investigation also revealed Creek had an active warrant for his arrest. Creek was transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center and charged with Second Degree Assault, Harass; a course of Conduct, and served the warrant. CASE# 40589-16.8/7/2016 POSSESSION: During routine patrol at Chancellor's Run Regional Park, Deputy R. Trudell observed a suspicious vehicle in the park. While making contact, the deputy noticed a strong odor emitting from the vehicle and subsequently, a search was performed. During the search, deputies recovered multiple bags of suspected marijuana under the driver's seat. The driver, Shaaban Gohar Tarek, age 23, of Ridge, was arrested and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. Shaaban was charged with CDS Possession - Marijuana. CASE# 40547-16.8/8/2016 THEFT: Deputy M. Beyer responded to the Walmart in California, for a theft in progress. Loud noises were coming from the bathroom stall, and when deputies went in to investigate, they found the suspect, Keith Antoine Mackall, age 23, of No Fixed address, attempting to hide merchandise. Mackall was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Theft Less than $1000 and Malicious Destruction of Property - $1000. CASE# 40745-16.8/10/2016 ASSAULT: Sgt. J. Yingling responded to the 39000 block of Lindsey Way in Mechanicsville for the report of an assault. The victim alleged the suspect, Amanda Lyne Mangum, age 31, of Mechanicsville, punched the victim in the face and then scratched the victim's face. The victim displayed injuries consistent with the allegations. Mangum was arrested and charged with Second Degree Assault. CASE# 406954-16.8/11/2016 THEFT: Deputy M. Mccuen responded to the Walmart in California, for a reported theft. The suspect, Delmante Isiash Jordan, age 18, of Lexington Park, stole several gift cards and phone cards while employed by Walmart. Jordan was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with Theft: $1000 to under $10,000. CASE#41341-16.8/11/2016 RESISTING ARREST: Deputy First Class J. Maguire responded to the 13000 block of Point Lookout Road in Ridge for an attempt to locate a suspect with an open warrant. The suspect, James Eliot Hammel, age 50, of Ridge, was located driving a motor vehicle. While he was being placed under arrest, he became uncooperative and resisted. Further investigation revealed, Hammel currently has a suspended license. He was placed under arrest and transported to the St. Mary's County Detention Center. He was charged with knowingly Driving an Uninsured Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, Driving on Suspended License, and served the warrant. CASE# 41331-16.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a vehicle and stole property on Dean Court in Leonardtown. CASE#41101-16.
Johnnie L. Sellers, Jr., 37, who is a state prison inmate in the Jessup Correctional Institution in Jessup, Md. has been charged with the murder of his cellmate.

JESSUP, Md.

(August 15, 2016)Maryland State Police have charged a state prison inmate with the murder of his cellmate earlier this year.The accused inmate is identified as Johnnie L. Sellers, Jr., 37, who is a state prison inmate in the Maryland Division of Correction. He is charged with second degree murder, manslaughter, first degree assault and second degree assault.The inmate victim is identified as Glenn E. Smith, 58. Smith was a state prison inmate serving time at the Jessup Correctional Institution in Jessup, Md.On January 21, 2016, the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was contacted by investigators from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit (DPSCS IIU) about an inmate death. Investigators told State Police Smith was found in his cell with multiple injuries on January 18, 2016. He was transported to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center and died at the hospital on the morning of January 21st.An autopsy was conducted at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore. The autopsy determined Smith's death was a homicide, resulting from multiple blunt force injuries.The investigation revealed Smith was last seen uninjured on the evening of January 17th, before the cells were locked for the night. Smith shared a cell with another inmate. The next morning, Smith's cellmate reported to the tier correctional officer that Smith was injured. Correctional officers responded and could see Smith had sustained injuries to his face. Medical assistance was summoned and Smith was transported to the hospital.At the conclusion of their investigation, State Police Homicide Unit investigators reviewed the case with the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office. After consultation with members of the state's attorney's office, investigators were directed to obtain an arrest warrant charging the suspect with the listed charges.State Police Homicide Unit investigators were assisted in the investigation by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigations Unit. Assistance was also provided by State Police crime scene technicians and investigators from the State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, as well as members of the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Office.
Booking photos via CalCoSO.

PRINCE FREDERICK, Md.

Disclaimer: In the U.S.A., all persons accused of a crime by the State are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. See: http://so.md/presumed-innocence. Additionally, all of the information provided above is solely from the perspective of the respective law enforcement agency and does not provide any direct input from the accused or persons otherwise mentioned. You can find additional information about the case by searching the Maryland Judiciary Case Search Database using the accused's name and date of birth. The database is online at http://so.md/mdcasesearch . Persons named who have been found innocent or not guilty of all charges in the respective case, and/or have had the case ordered expunged by the court can have their name, age, and city redacted by following the process defined at http://so.md/expungeme.

Booking photos via CalCoSO.

(, 2016)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of August 8 through August 14, deputies responded to 1,380 calls for service throughout the community.CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-45041: On August 12, 2016, at approximately 4:50pm, Deputy A. Locke conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven erratically near the intersection of southbound MD Rt. 4/Lower Marlboro Road, in Huntingtown. The driver, Craig Milligan, 20, of St. Leonard, was found to be in possession of CDS Administration Equipment (hypodermic syringes). He was transported to the Detention Center to be booked for this charge and was issued several traffic citations for the moving violations.CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-44736: On August 11, 2016, Deputy D. Naughton was dispatched to the Lusby Post Office for a 'check welfare' call placed by a concerned citizen. Upon arrival Deputy Naughton observed Toni Davis, 57, of Prince Frederick, who appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, leaning against a vehicle. Deputy Naughton charged and arrested Davis with Possession of CDSnot marijuana (Oxycontin), two (2) counts of being in Possession of an Opiate without a Prescription (Oxycontin &Amphetamine) and Possession of Paraphernalia (plastic pill container).CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-44663: On August 10, 2016, at approximately 6:00pm, Deputy M. Trigg conducted a traffic stop, near MD Rt. 4/Langley Lane, on a vehicle whose driver was seen not wearing a seatbelt and was talking on a cell phone. The driver, Tyler Williams, 25, of Solomons, was found to be in Possession of illegal drugs. He was charged and arrested with two (2) counts of CDS Possession-not Marijuana (Clonazepam &Adderall), one count of CDS Possession-not Marijuana (Suboxone), CDS Prescription/Remove Label and Possession of Paraphernalia (pill bottle).CDS VIOLATION CASE #16-44629: On August 10, 2016, Deputy R. Wilson conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven unsafely when seen at the intersection of C Street/S. Solomons Island Road in Solomons. The driver, Dylan Carroll, 24, of Lusby, who repeatedly made turns without using a turn signal, admitted to playing "Pokemon Go" while he was driving. Deputy Wilson determined he was also driving with a suspended license. He was arrested for these driving infractions and while being processed at the Detention Center, it was discovered he was also in Possession of a Suboxone strip.DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY CASE #16-44777: On August 11, 2016, Deputy C. Callison was dispatched to Chinquapin Ridge Court in Prince Frederick for the report of damage to a house. The victim reported when leaving their home that morning, he noticed egg shells and egg stains on the roof, several areas on the front of their home, including a front window. The damage occurred during the overnight hours.MAIL TAMPERING CASE #16-44454: On August 9, 2016, Deputy G. Gott was dispatched to Dillon Drive, in Lusby, for the report of mail tampering. Several mailboxes along Dillon Drive had been rummaged through and mail was lying on the ground. The crime is estimated to have taken place sometime that afternoon (9th).MAIL THEFT CASE #16-44968: On August 12, 2016, Deputy R. Evans was called to the Sheriff's Office to speak with a victim who wanted to report a theft of mail from Hallowing Point Road in Prince Frederick. The victim reported leaving their home, around 4:00pm, and upon returning 40 minutes later, noticed a small brown mail package ripped open in her front yard. The victim realized the package contained jewelry that was ordered and to be delivered that dayfour (4) Petis Bijoux Station bracelets and one set of Petis Bijoux hoop earrings. There are no suspect(s) at this time.THEFT & FRAUD CASE #16-45531: On August 15, 2016, Deputy D. Clark received a theft complaint from a citizen whose credit card was used to order pizza. The victim reported checking his account earlier that day and discovered that a fraudulent charge was made. Deputy Clark was able to develop the suspect/customer, Timothy Thomas, 20, of Huntingtown, to be the one responsible for using the credit card number to place an order for pizza. He was charged and arrested for Theft Less than $1,000.00, Theft-Scheme less than $1,000.00 and Fraud Identity Theft Under $1,000.00.THEFT CASE #16-44751: On August 11, 2016, Deputy G. Shrawder was dispatched to the Calvert Substance Abuse Center in Prince Frederick for the report of a theft. Sometime between close of business August 8, 2016 and 8:00am on August 9th, staff discovered two (2) bank money bags stolen, along with an undisclosed amount of money. The investigation is continuing.TAMPERING/THEFT FROM VEHICLE #16-44703: On August 10, 2016, at approximately11:15pm, Deputy A. Curtin responded to Taney Court in Dunkirk for the report of a vehicle tampering and possible theft. The victim reported seeing someone taking items out of their vehicle and run away from the scene. When the victim searched the vehicle, no items appeared to be missing but an item of clothing, belonging to the victim, was found on the ground.THEFT CASE #16-44657: On August 19, 2016, Deputy R. Kreps was called to Panera Bread on Costly Way for the report of a theft. The complainant reported leaving their vehicle keys on the counter while placing their order; when returning to get the keys, they were gone. At this time, the keys have not been turned in.THEFT CASE #16-44600: On August 10, 2016, Deputy C. Callison responded to the lobby of the Sheriff's Office to assist a citizen who wanted to report a theft. The complainant stated while shopping at the Prince Frederick Walmart, someone stole their identification out of their purse.MAIL THEFT CASE #16-44478: On August 9, 2016, Deputy A. Ostazeski responded to Chisolm Trail in Lusby for the report of mail tampering and theft. The complainant reported that around 3:30pm that day, they discovered their mailbox open and several pieces of mail on the ground.THEFT CASE #16-44282: On August 8, 2016, Deputy A. Ostazeski responded to Howard Drive in Port Republic for a report of theft from vehicles. The victim reported that sometime between 10:00pm on August 7 and 10:30am on August 8th, someone entered two (2) unlocked vehicles parked in their driveway and stole a driver's license, credit cards and money from two (2) wallets.THEFT CASE #16-44278: On August 8, 2016, Deputy S. Rediker was dispatched to Chestnut Drive in Lusby for the report of a theft. The complainant reported a cement baby deer decoration was stolen out of their yard. The decoration was last seen on August 4th around 5:00pm and they noticed it missing on August 6th, at approximately 8:30am.THEFT CASE #16-44275: On August 8, 2016, Deputy A. Ostazeski responded to Alexander Court in Port Republic for the report of a theft from vehicle. The victim reported locking their vehicle around midnight on August 8th and later the next day, discovered a window broken out and a black Michael Kors purse stolen. Also missing are: wallet, driver's license, military id, social security card, two (2) credit cards and money.THEFT CASE #16-44203: On August 8, 2016, at approximately 3:45am, Deputy T. Holt responded to Spur Road in Lusby for the report of a theft. The complainant reported seeing someone breaking into two (2) of their vehicles parked in the driveway. When the suspects were approached, they ran off with an iPhone 6 stolen from one of the vehicles.
(SS) Florida has only one openly gay state legislator, but a record eight LGBT candidates are on the ballot trying to change that.

All the candidates are in winnable races. They say the LGBT community needs greater representation because the Legislature's conservative outlook on gay rights has not kept up with the swiftly liberalizing views of Floridians.

Five of the candidates running are from South Florida, including incumbent state Rep. David Richardson, D-Miami Beach. He has a Republican opponent in November, but the district is largely Democratic.

He believes the relatively large group of LGBT candidates is an indication of things to come.

"I think it's going to be the new normal," he said. "We're at a place and time where people are truly being evaluated based on their qualifications and not some of these other demographics."

Related: Florida Legislature Calls for Convention to Term Limit Congress

The other South Floridians are: Paulette Armstead and Ken Keechl, both running in Broward; and Michael Gongora and Kevin Burns, facing each other in a state Senate race in Miami-Dade.

They are joined statewide by Carlos Guillermo Smith and Beth Tuura, both running in the Orlando area, and Jennifer Webb, running in a west coast district that includes parts of St. Petersburg.

While all eight of the candidates are Democrats, and the Democratic Party generally pushes for expansion of gay rights, they say it makes a difference to have members of their community in the Legislature.

"The more gays and lesbians that are involved on the floor of the House, the more the other side is going to see that we're not different than anybody else," Keechl said. "It's a very toxic environment to begin with, and we're only there for two or three months, but I'm hopeful that it can make a difference."

Richardson agrees.

"When I'm able to stand on the floor and speak on an issue that affects me so personally, then I think it's more impactful," he said. "We're always going to need our straight allies, but I do think it changes the dynamics to have someone who's so personally affected talk about it in a way that people can relate to it on a personal level."

Related: Conversion Therapy Ban Advances in Florida Legislature

After the legalization of gay marriage, the state Legislature started to push back at the expansion of LGBT rights, including the passage last session of a bill that protects clergy from having to perform same-sex marriages. They already have that right under the First Amendment, but supporters of the bill said it would protect clergy from expensive lawsuits.

Opponents of the bill called it homophobic and unnecessary.

A Gallup demographic study in 2012 found that 3.5 percent of Floridians self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. But because the study asked people to self-identify, it's possible the number of LGBT people in Florida is somewhat higher.

Despite that small percentage, a series of polls over the past two years has found about 60 percent of Floridians support gay marriage, and a slightly larger percentage support LGBT nondiscrimination laws.

Richardson became one of Florida's first openly gay representatives, along with Joe Saunders of Orlando, when the two were first elected to office in 2012. Richardson says his sexual orientation was never an issue.

"I didn't even get any questions," he said. "No one asked me to leave their front porch when I was knocking on doors."

Saunders lasted just one term in office, but Smith, the man who served as his legislative aide, is now looking to take Saunders' old seat back from the Republicans. And Smith has an easy path to power; he faces only an independent candidate in November.

"The last couple years have been fairly hostile for LGBT Floridians even as Republicans need to be moving on from these social wars. Not only because it's 2016 and, come on, get over it, but because they can't afford to marginalize a very active voter base," he said. "Things are moving in our direction, and I think that's a good signal of things to come."

For the other six LGBT candidates, the future is less certain. Burns, Gongora and Armstead don't have Republican opponents but face crowded Democratic primaries.

"I'm running as an out-and-proud lesbian, but it doesn't make a difference. I want people to look at my qualifications, my advocacy," Armstead said. "To have more [LGBT candidates] is not some big surprise. Even Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, is, so I'm in good company."

Armstead said that although the LGBT community may take a deeper interest in issues such as firing people based on their sexual orientation  the subject of a bill that comes up every year and just as frequently dies  the most important issues tend to be the same.

"A lot of the issues facing the LGBT community are some of the same issues facing the general community  the economy, jobs, the expansion of Medicaid and quality health care," she said. "That community is interested in good schools, affordable housing. The issues are no different."

The final three candidates face the toughest odds of getting elected, because all are trying to unseat incumbent Republicans.

Tuura has to win a primary before trying to beat state Rep. Mike Miller, R-Orlando, in November. Webb will face state Rep. Kathleen Peters, R-South Pasadena, in November. And likely Democratic candidate Keechl will go against state Rep. George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale, the only Republican state legislator in Broward County.

Beating an incumbent is rarely easy but all three of these districts produce close races, and all three candidates have raised enough money to keep them competitive.

"I think this is a precursor of things to come," Keechl said. "If the House has 120 people in it and we say five percent of the population is gay or lesbian, you would expect to have 5 or 6 gay or lesbian House members."

Keechl became Broward County's first openly gay county commissioner in 2006, and even ten years ago, he found there was little pushback over a gay politician.

"I don't remember any homophobia in 2006 while I was running, with the exception of one thing that happened," he said. "Jim Scott, my Republican opponent, and I live in the same neighborhood. I was jogging one day and I saw a Jim Scott sign defaced with the word 'Fag' and I thought, 'I think they got the wrong guy.'"
SAVE, a prominent South Florida LGBT organization, is honoring young activists at an awards show in Coral Gables next week.

Five individuals, who SAVE terms young guardians, are being presented with luminary awards. The five are: Benjamin Brotha Ben Evans, Justin Flippen, L.J. Woolston, Jason King and Lutze Segu.

The fourth annual awards ceremony will be held rooftop at the Bacardi headquarters building (2701 S. Lejeune Road), Thursday, Aug. 18 from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50.

These are people who have dedicated their lives to making equality a reality, said Tony Lima, SAVE Executive Director. They are young people working hard to champion equality for all.

Evans is a Baptist minister and motivational speaker in the black community, Flippen is a Wilton Manors Commissioner who has fought against conversion therapy, Woolston is a trans-pan-queer advocate and homeless service liaison, King serves as legislative affairs manager for the AIDS Healthcare Foundations Southern Bureau and Segu developed a comprehensive sex education campaign for the Miami-Dade County public schools.

Related: SAVE Praises City Commission for PSA Support

I am flattered to be thought of as a luminary, King said. It shows that were making inroads in the community and making lives healthier.

Health care priorities in South Florida, King said, are ensuring sex education is taught in public schools, patients are allowed to choose their own doctor and the eventual eradication of AIDS.

A keen observer of the political environment, King said President Barack Obamas signature piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act, must remain in place. On the contrary, Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump has repeatedly called for a repeal of the law.

Thats not a good idea, King said of Trumps plan. You can fix the holes in the law, but not get rid of it. I personally know many people who have been helped by Obamacare. Its a step in the right direction and a total repeal would cause too many people to lose coverage, interrupt therapies and miss medications.

Lima said Kings commitment is true and steadfast.

Jason is dedicated to finding solutions and making HIV something of the past, Lima said.

The Young Guardians Society is a young professional network with an emphasis on equality, social justice advocacy and philanthropic giving.

They all bring sometime special, Lima said of this years luminaries. They all shine a light on a different aspect of our community.

According to its website, SAVE is recognized as South Floridas leading organization dedicated to protecting people who are LGBT against discrimination. SAVE stands for Saveguarding American Values for Everyone.

For more information, visit SAVE.lgbt
(AP) Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told faith leaders in Orlando on Friday that they must love LGBT people and accept them into the church, even if the pastors stay firm in their belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.

Rubio delivered his address the day after protesters condemned his plans to speak to the group, saying many of the speakers at the Pastors & Pews conference have been notoriously anti-gay.

But Rubio urged the gathering to drop their judgments of the LGBT community.

"To love our neighbors we must abandon a spirit of judgment. Do not judge, or you will be judged,'' Rubio said. "Abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbors is not a betrayal of what the Bible teaches, it is a fulfillment of it. Jesus showed us how to do this. Jesus showed us that we do not have to endorse what people do in order to accept them for who they are: children of a loving and merciful God.''

Related: Rubio In Cahoots With Anti-LGBT Activists

Rubio, who is seeking re-election after a failed presidential run, said American history is marred by the discrimination and rejection of gays and lesbians and that it was not long ago that slurs were an acceptable part of speech.

"We must recognize that many have experienced, sometimes, severe condemnation and judgment from some Christians. They have heard some say that the reason God will bring condemnation on America is because of them, as if somehow God was willing to put up with adultery and gluttony and greed and pride, but now this is the last straw,'' Rubio said.

His remarks came two months to the day after a gunman killed 49 people at a gay nightclub just miles from the conference. Rubio told the group he attended a prayer service for the victims and spoke to gays and lesbians afterward. He said some told him it was the first time they'd entered a church in years and others said it was their first experience with Christianity. He told the pastors that LGBT people should be welcomed into churches.

"Many in that community deeply desire to come to Christ, but they do not because they fear they will be shunned and rejected by some,'' Rubio said. "If any of us, myself included, in any way, have ever made anyone feel that Christianity wants nothing to do with them, then I believe deeply that we have failed deeply to represent our Lord Jesus Christ, who time and again went out of his way to reach out to the marginalized and to the forgotten of his time.''

Related: Trump and Rubio Attend Anti-LGBT Event

The speech wasn't warmly received by Nadine Smith, CEO of Equality Florida, a group fighting discrimination against LGBT people.

"These words ring hollow from a man who has made the world less safe for LGBT and our families. He has opposed basic legal protections and today he shared a stage with people who have dehumanized us,'' she said in an email. "We do not need thoughts and prayers when he could act right now to secure legal protections and support common sense gun laws that keep weapons of mass murder out of the hands of hate fueled madmen.''

Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy, who is running for Rubio's seat, criticized Rubio for even appearing at the event, which Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke at Thursday.

"For Florida's senator to stand alongside these homophobic leaders and his bigoted candidate for President is a disgrace,'' Murphy said in a statement emailed by a campaign spokeswoman.
(CNN) Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines' firebrand president, is not known for being diplomatic.

He recently said he doesn't care about human rights and ordered the military to "shoot to kill" drug dealers. He even cursed Pope Francis for causing traffic during his visit to Manila last year.

And now Duterte has used a gay slur against the US ambassador to his country.

Duterte was heavily criticized during his presidential campaign earlier this year for a statement he made indicating he had wanted to rape a missionary.

After US envoy Phil Goldberg objected to Duterte's remark, Duterte accused the ambassador of meddling in the election and on Friday called him a "gay son of a bitch."

Related: Philippines elects first transgender woman to congress

The State Department summoned Manila's envoy to Washington to clarify the remarks. But officials have been tight-lipped about the conversation, as the diplomatic spat comes at a sensitive time in relations with the Philippines, a key ally and former US colony.

Under Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, Washington and Manila sought to deepen their long-standing military alliance as a counterweight to China, as well as cooperation on combating terrorism.

The two countries strengthened a defense pact to increase the US military presence in the Philippines and have held joint military exercises. Most recently, the US voiced its support for an international tribunal's ruling against China over disputes in the South China Sea.

Washington fears Manila's foreign policy alignment, traditionally one of America's closest in Asia, could shift under Dutarte, who swept to power in a landslide in May.

The new president has signaled he would be willing to have bilateral talks with China over the South China Sea and favors greater economic cooperation with Beijing, which could have implications for its relationship with Washington.

The US has also voiced concern, shared by human rights groups, about Duterte's bloody crackdown on alleged drug dealers. More than 4,400 suspected drug dealers have been arrested since Duterte took office and more than 400 killed.

On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said the Obama administration was "concerned by these detentions, as well as the extrajudicial killing of individuals suspected to be involved in drug activity in the Philippines."

This week Duterte publicly named more than 150 officials and accused them of being linked to drugs in the Philippines. In reading the list he said the officials would have their day in court but necessarily equal protection from his rhetoric, saying, "my mouth has no due process."

Hours earlier Duterte vowed to keep his "shoot-to-kill" order against drug dealers "until the last day of my term, if I'm still alive by then."

Related: Philippine presidential front-runner's rape remark condemned

He also threatened to declare martial law if the country's judiciary interferes with his war on drugs.

"I don't care about human rights, believe me," Dutarte said, according to official transcripts released by his office.

Despite Washington's trepidation over Dutarte, Gregory Poling, a fellow following South Asia at the Center for International Strategic Studies, doesn't expect his offensive comments to alter the course of the decades-long alliance, even if it was stronger under Aquino.

"Both of our national interests are pretty closely linked, which is what drove this kind of a revitalization of the alliance under Aquino," he said. "Personalities helped, but underlying that are real national interests that are emerging."

But US diplomats managing the relationship with the Philippines now "have a whole new task on their hands" with Duterte in office, he said, warning, Washington must tread carefully to avoid sending him into Beijing's arms.

"Duterte is a loose cannon," Poling said. "He's going to say things that are going to rub people the wrong way, and we have to be very careful about the things we say because obviously he gets rubbed the wrong way rather easily."
(EDGE) An amateur photographer from the U.K. who admitted to luring at least two male fitness models into his home via Instagram, drugging them with Rohypnol, and raping them was sentenced to 11 years in prison, The Mirror reports.

Touting himself as a male fitness model photographer on Instagram, Nigel Brent Wilkinson, 43, who hails from Bristol, England, created a website and invited male models into his home for photoshoots. He then gave them drinks laced with sedatives before committing sex acts on them without their consent, the Mirror reports. The victims were 19 and 23 years old.

Related: Special Report: Gay drug-and-rape victims rise up and speak



Wilkinson pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, three counts of administrating a substance with intent to rape and possession of the drugs Rohypnol and Nitrazepam.



"On the surface, Nigel Wilkinson was a photographer with an interest in male fitness models. In private, he was a cunning sexual offender who used his photography enterprise as a cover and catalyst for his deviant activities," detective constable Stacey Matthews told the Bristol Post. "The victims have shown immense bravery, dignity and courage throughout our investigation, and I'd like to thank them for the support they've given the investigation team. These crimes have had a significant impact on them and their families."



A judge sentenced Wilkinson to 11 and a half years to prison and police said they think there are more victims.



"You wanted to have sex with as many attractive men as possible," according to the Mirror. "All the victims were much younger than you and entrusted themselves to you. You abused the trust they placed in you. The whole basis of your contact with you appears to be a lie."
Brown Dawrf NASA

Brown dwarfs are smaller than stars, but more massive than giant planets. As such, they provide a natural link between astronomy and planetary science.

However, they also show incredible variation when it comes to size, temperature, chemistry, and more, which makes them difficult to understand, too.

New work led by Carnegies Jacqueline Faherty surveyed various properties of 152 suspected young brown dwarfs in order to categorize their diversity and found that atmospheric properties may be behind much of their differences, a discovery that may apply to planets outside the solar system as well. The work is published by The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

Scientists are very interested in brown dwarfs, which hold promise for explaining not just planetary evolution, but also stellar formation. These objects are tougher to spot than more-massive and brighter stars, but they vastly outnumber stars like our Sun. They represent the smallest and lightest objects that can form like stars do in the Galaxy so they are an important book end in Astronomy.

For the moment, data on brown dwarfs can be used as a stand-in for contemplating extrasolar worlds we hope to study with future instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope.

Brown dwarfs are far easier to study than planets, because they arent overwhelmed by the brightness of a host star, Faherty explained.

But the tremendous diversity we see in the properties of the brown dwarf population means that there is still so much about them that remains unknown or poorly understood.

Brown dwarfs are too small to sustain the hydrogen fusion process that fuels stars, so after formation they slowly cool and contract over time and their surface gravity increases. This means that their temperatures can range from nearly as hot as a star to as cool as a planet, which is thought to influence their atmospheric conditions, too. Whats more, their masses also range between star-like and giant planet-like and they demonstrate great diversity in age and chemical composition.

By quantifying the observable properties of so many young brown dwarf candidates, Faherty and her teamincluding Carnegies Jonathan Gagne and Alycia Weinbergerwere able to show that these objects have vast diversity of color, spectral features, and more. Identifying the cause of this range was at the heart of Fahertys work. By locating the birth homes of many of the brown dwarfs, Faherty was able to eliminate age and chemical composition differences as the underlying reason for this great variation. This left atmospheric conditionsmeaning weather phenomena or differences in cloud composition and structureas the primary suspect for what drives the extreme differences between objects of similar origin.

All of the brown dwarf birthplaces identified in this work are regions also host exoplanets, so these same findings hold for giant planets orbiting nearby stars.

I consider these young brown dwarfs to be siblings of giant exoplanets. As close family members, we can use them to investigate how the planetary aging process works, Faherty said.

###

Other co-authors on the paper are: Adric R. Riedel, Kelle L. Cruz, Joseph C. Filippazzo, Erini Lambrides, Haley Fica, Vivienne Baldassare, Emily Lemonier, and Emily L. Rice from the American Museum of Natural History; John R. Thorstensen of Dartmouth College, and C. G. Tinney of University of New South Wales.

This work was supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure and Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategies of the Australian Federal, the Australian Research Council, and the National Science Foundation.

This publication has made use of the Carnegie Astrometric Program parallax reduction software as well as the data products from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey, which is a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center/California Institute of Technology, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. This research has also made use of the NASA/ IPAC Infrared Science Archive, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Furthermore, this publication makes use of data products from the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), which is a joint project of the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, and NEOWISE, which is a project of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology. WISE and NEOWISE are funded by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The Carnegie Institution for Science (carnegiescience.edu) is a private, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with six research departments throughout the U.S. Since its founding in 1902, the Carnegie Institution has been a pioneering force in basic scientific research. Carnegie scientists are leaders in plant biology, developmental biology, astronomy, materials science, global ecology, and Earth and planetary science.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)A fatal explosion in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has claimed the lives of three soldiers, media reported on Monday.

"Three soldiers were killed and a fourth was injured in the bombing," a local security source was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency.

An explosive device was detonated in central Sinai when a military water tanker was passing, the source added. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, the media outlet added.
Head of Sputnik Arabic news agency and radio Nadim Zuaui said: "Sputnik Arabic is glad to promote cooperation with such an influential and professional resource as Akhbar Al-Youm. This cooperation offers new opportunities for us to grow our audience in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world. It will also help us cover more news in Egypt and the rest of the Middle East."

The Akhbar Al-Youm internet portal is one of the world's largest Arab-speaking online resources. It was founded by the Akhbar Al-Youm Publishing House in 2011. The portal carries the latest news in Arabic and real-time photo and video materials for different platforms, including mobile devices. It operates round the clock, reporting on politics, the economy, society, culture and other topics.

Sputnik (sputniknews.com) is a news agency and radio network with multimedia news hubs in dozens of countries. Sputnik broadcasts through its websites in over 30 languages, as well as analogue and digital radio, mobile apps, and social media. Sputnik newswires, available by subscription, run around the clock in English, Arabic, Spanish and Chinese.
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.
Citing a need to contain the "Russian aggression," the US military made a move to restore its Keflavik airbase in Iceland. But instead of recognizing the true intentions of the US and of the other NATO member nations, Iceland decided to "score points" with Washington, German media outlet Burgerstimme remarks.

According to the article's author, Joachim Sondern, the Western world has no prospects, unlike BRICS, and more and more people are beginning to understand that.

"Independent national currencies, development banks, ban on genetically modified foods  Russian President Vladimir Putin is thinking outside the box. This is why NATO countries fear that their world power construct will collapse when BRICS penetrates the awareness of the Western citizens," Sondern declares.
"These missiles may surpass the Russian S-300 missile systems in terms of range. Furthermore, Japanese missile systems will be more advanced than the Chinese ones," he said.

Japanese social media users also criticized this proposal, albeit from a different standpoint. The Japanese netizens believe that these missiles are needed now as by 2023 it might be too late, and that it might be cheaper to buy anti-ship missiles from the United States. Some of them even suggested that the missiles should be deployed directly on the disputed islands.

However, Russian military analyst Vladislav Shurygin told Sputnik that an armed conflict between Japan and China over the disputed islands is fairly unlikely and neither of their interests. He pointed out that both countries are economically interconnected, and a conflict would put a considerable strain on Japans economy which continues to deal with one hardship after another for the last ten years.

"Japan still hasnt completely recovered from the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, so the country requires a period of calm for restoration. Furthermore, Japans Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) do not have the offensive potential of posing a threat to China. While modern and numerous, the Japanese Navy lacks the troop landing capability and striking power in order to stake a claim on those islands. So the JSDF, at least for now, arent capable of spearheading a serious expansion of this kind. And China has declared its priorities  to become a leader in the Asian-Pacific region and to edge out its long-time rival Japan  a long time ago. But China is well aware of the fact that Japan is backed by the United States with its powerful military and has its own interests in the Asian-Pacific region," Shurygin explained.

Early in August the US deployed a squadron of B-1B Lancer strategic bomber aircraft to its Guam airbase, allegedly as a response to the North Korean missile tests. But could it also be a signal to China, considering the fact that Lancers have "exceptional capabilities for launching long-range strikes?"

Meanwhile, the project for increasing the defense level of remote islands was included in Japans national security program back in 2013. Back then Tokyo even intended to develop ballistic missiles with a range of up to 500 kilometers by 2016, but due to concerns that such a weapon could be considered a violation of the 9th article of Japans constitution, the proposal was scrapped.

Lyudmila Saakyan for Sputnik Korea
The underlying principle driving the initiative is known as 'harm reduction'. According to Harm Reduction International, the principle's "defining features are the focus on the prevention of harm, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself, and the focus on people who continue to use drugs." Heroin assisted treatment is an established program of Switzerland's national health system and The Netherlands has studied medically supervised heroin maintenance. Internationally, the harm reduction principle has been applied to other drugs such as ecstasy.

By its own admission, Copenhagen Municipality expects to annually earmark about 30 million kroner (4.5 million USD) to run the facility.

Needless to say, the controversial and costly initiative has triggered criticism. Liselott Blixt, the health spokesman for the Danish People's Party, believes the "shooting gallery" indirectly supports the sale of illegal substances by offering a space for drug users. According to her, the money should have been spent otherwise.

"I don't think we have any other options," Jesper Christensen, Copenhagen's deputy mayor for social issues, told Danish Radio. "If we aim to give these people a life of dignity and a chance to move on, this is the best bet we have right now," he said.

According to private rehabilitation organization Foreningen Fixerum, which provides drug users with injection rooms, some 300 drug users die from overdoses in Denmark every year, which is one of the highest rates per capita in Europe. Apart from Copenhagen, injection rooms are available in Arhus and Odense, Denmark's largest cities.
In April, China announced plans to begin reclamation around the Scarborough Shoal, which is north of the Philippines, despite contesting claims to the territory by Philippines and Taiwan.

"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 [acting on the] reclamation plan," the source said as quoted by South China Morning Post newspaper.

The source does believe that the possibility exists that China will avoid reclaiming the Scarborough Shoal in light of the fact that the Philippines have expressed an openness to find ways to resolve the dispute peacefully.

The source also added, that Beijing could start reclaiming land in the disputed Spratly Islands before the US presidential elections in November.

Scarborough Shoal is located 143 miles (230km) from the Philippines coast with overlapping claims over the territory by Manila, Beijing, and Taipei. In 2012, Chinese coastguard ships took control of the area after a tense stand-off with Philippine vessels.
NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  According to The Times of India, the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force personnel occurred on Monday morning, as India celebrates the Independence Day.

The attacks coincided with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory speech to the public in New Delhi.

The media added that the exchange of fire continues, as security forces have cordoned off the area.


BEIJING (Sputnik)According to the Hong Kong Free Press, a nineteen-year-old who was the most public face of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protest movement, avoided a jail term for his role in a 2014 protest, but was sentenced to community service for unlawfully entering a fenced off Admiraltys Civic Square.

Wong's fellow activists Nathan Law Kwun-chung was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, while third activist Alex Chow was given a three week jail.

Wong was the founder of the Scholarism student activist group that played a leading role in last year's protests demanding electoral reform for Hong Kong.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)North Korea must urgently stop the development of its nuclear program and the saber-rattling moves on the international arena, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said Monday.

"I urge [North Korea] to immediately stop developing nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, and halt its threats of provocations against South Korea," the president said in Seoul at the ceremony to mark South Korean liberation from Japanese colonial rule as quoted by the Yonhap news agency.

She defended the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system in the country in light of the alleged threat from the North.


TOKYO (Sputnik)Earlier in the day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to the Shinto shrine, which is regarded as a symbol of Japans past militarism by other Asian nations, while 70 lawmakers and two ministers paid a visit to the shrine.

"We express our deep concern and regret over the donation of offerings and the visit by political leaders of the government and the parliament to the Yasukuni Shrine, which embellishes the history of the Japanese aggression," the ministrys statement reads.

The statement also called on Tokyo authorities to revise their views of the past and to act upon it.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Two civilians were injured in a blast that occurred Monday in the area close to the US Embassy in the Afghan capital of Kabul, local media reported, citing the head of Kabul criminal investigation department.

"Two civilians were wounded in the blast. No soldier was not hurt in the attack," Fraidoon Obaidi said as quoted by the TOLO news broadcaster.
Wang Shibing, who worked in Tianjin, went back to his hometown in Hanyuan in 2013. He set up a cooperative, purchasing fruits from farmers and selling them online. Farmers in the cooperative are required not to use potentially harmful pesticides. All cherries are shipped by air the same day they are picked. Every single fruit is larger in diameter than a one yuan coin.

This past spring, he sold 15 tons of cherries online and 10 tons offline in 20 days. Fifty farmers in the cooperative with him earn 20% more on average, year-on-year. All cherries in their orchards are sold.

According to farmer Jiang Li, her cherries sell at 80 yuan (about $12) per kilogram online, while they only sell for 50 yuan per kilogram wholesale.

By Jiang Wei (China Daily)
NEW DELHI (Sputnik)  On its 70th Independence Day, India has taken a huge diplomatic upturn by expressing support to the ongoing freedom movement by the people of the Gilgit and Balochistan areas controlled by Pakistan. In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan against continued atrocities on the people in these areas and called for an end to the glorification of terrorism.

India@70. PM@narendramodi hoists the tricolor at the Red Fort on a very special #IndependenceDayIndia pic.twitter.com/In3a7JpOa6  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) 15 August 2016

In his speech of more than one-and-a-half hours from the ramparts of Red Fort, Gilgit and Balochistan received special attention in Modi's speech.

"The world is watching. In the last few days the way the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, from Pak occupied Kashmir have thanked me, it is the honor of 1.25 billion people of India. I thank those people from Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak occupied Kashmir," said Modi in his speech.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Afghan troops killed two girls wearing explosive vests in a counter-terrorism operation in the eastern province of Nuristan, local media reported on Monday, citing the country's Ministry of Defense.

The number of suspected terrorists killed during the raid totaled 27 people, the Khaama news outlet said, citing a ministry statement.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Hundreds of protesters have shaved their heads in South Korea's Seongju county in protest over the planned deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system, media reports said Monday.

Earlier in the day, South Korean President Park Geun-hye urged North Korea to stop the development of its nuclear program and provocative international policies against the South, and defended the deployment of THAAD over the alleged threat from the North. The move comes after North Korea fired a ballistic missile from its eastern shore on August 3. The country had previously carried out multiple missile and nuclear tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.

Over 900 residents of Seongju, located in the eastern North Gyeongsang Province, had their heads shaved in a local park in a show of determination while chanting "we need to show our determination in order to stop THAAD," the Channel NewsAsia reported.
"Even then, however, China could not be confident of gaining military advantage, which suggests the possibility of a prolonged and destructive, yet inconclusive, war."

It's a prospect that many hope will never be realised.

"Chinese technological progress has been very impressive in the last decade or two. Whether they will reach parity with the US, I hope we never know. There's only one way to find out," Professor Steve Tsang, an expert on Chinese politics and associate fellow at Chatham House, told Sputnik.

Certainly, Monday's report will do little to ease rattled nerves in the Pacific. China has maintained an inflexible commitment to its territorial claims in the South China Sea. It's neighbors see ongoing military expansion, particularly of its navy, now the biggest in the region, and construction activities on the islands as part of a more assertive foreign policy by Beijing.

China earned the Bronze in gymnastics but they pretty much own the entire US economy so those gold medals are practically theirs anyway.  Shawnze Kopitar (@shawnzekopitar) August 9, 2016

In April this year, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, accused China of making the world "worried."

In a speech to business leaders Mr Kishida said: "Candidly speaking, a rapid and opaque increase in (China's) military spending and unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas, under the aim of building a strong maritime state, are having not only people in Japan, but countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the international community worried greatly."

China and Japan dispute sovereignty over a group of uninhabited East China Sea islets.

Also disputing parts of the waters, believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, are Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
In an interview with Sputnik, Vladimir Yevseyev, deputy head of the Moscow-based Institute for CIS Studies, described a Chinese newspaper's remarks on the need to expand the role of the Chinese special forces as Beijing's effective retaliation to the rising tide of international terrorism

Yevseyev's comments came after the PLA Daily, the Chinese military's mouthpiece, said that China's special forces should take a greater role in protecting the country's national overseas interests, including energy sources and their supply lines, as well as play a greater role in counterterrorism operations.

"The Chinese special forces may act in some Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, as well as in AfghanistanBy resolving international terrorism-related problems, China will simultaneously uphold its national interests there," Yevseyev said.
Tokyo has also made repeated requests to acquire a fleet of F-22 Raptors, but has so far been denied by the US government.

At a cost of over $1 trillion, the F-35 is the most expensive weapons system ever built. Despite these costs, the aircraft has been riddled with problems throughout its production, including software glitches, engine malfunctions, and flight performance issues.

Despite being deemed combat-ready, the fighter still suffers from an ejection seat malfunction that could place the lives of pilots at risk. The US Air Force is currently troubleshooting the issue.
Afghanistans Zabul province has become a refuge for hundreds of extremist group members fleeing Pakistan since the beginning of Islamabads crackdown on jihadists last year. As a result, numerous fighters with the Taliban and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, as well as members of Daesh and civilians loyal to the group, have settled in the district of Khak-e-Afghan, local authorities claim.

Khak-e-Afghan has long been a Taliban bastion that Afghani security forces tended to avoid.

With newcomers buying up expensive properties in the area, the implications of resettlement werent clear to local authorities. But now, as Daesh has been to said to have established a base in the district, it has become clear that the group is recruiting fighters in the region. According to local law enforcement, Daesh is well-equipped, with cutting-edge communication technologies.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russia's energy giant Rosneft has discovered a new oil deposit with an estimated 25 million metric tons of oil equivalent at the Verkhnechonskoe field in the Irkutsk Region, the company said in a press release Monday.

"Gushing oil flow of 230 cubic meters per day was obtained at the exploration well at the Nizhneustkutskiy Horizon. Recoverable reserves of the Nizhneustkutskiy Horizon are estimated at 10 million tonnes [11 million tons] of oil," the press release reads.

Operational estimations of the deposit's hydrocarbon reserves are now underway.
Some farms and processors' losses were even higher, with the Jekabpils piena kombinats processor reducing output by 32%, and Valmieras piens by 33.1%. Delfi estimated that prior to the crisis in relations between Russia and the West, 80% of the country's milk products, both unprocessed and finished goods, were sold to Russia. Companies have tried to try to reorient production to other markets in Asia and the Middle East, but the losses demonstrate that they are a long way from replacing the Russian market.

Lithuania's dairy industry is even worse off, with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker recently admitting that Vilnius has been hit by the sanctions harder than any other country in the EU, and Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius warning that the dairy industry was on the brink of collapse.

The Baltic states' fisheries industry is doing little better. Gamma-A, Latvia's largest producer of canned sprats, has reported a 34% decline in turnover. The company's management stated bluntly that the sprats sold to Russia had no market in the West, adding that they are losing hope in the search for new markets.

Meanwhile, the Russian online newspaper Svobodnaya Pressa explains that Russian fish processing companies have effectively replaced the Latvians, with the embargo stimulating domestic production in the Kaliningrad region. The Russian firms also attributed their success to the natural smoking methods used in their production. As for the Latvian companies, their products often exceeded the limits Russian regulators placed on carciogenic benzopyrene, leading to imports being regularly suspended even before the 2014 crisis.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Earlier, the ministry sent two Russian Beriev Be-200 multirole amphibious aircraft, which arrived on Saturday and started work on extinguishing Portugal's raging wildfires on Sunday.

"A meeting between the Portuguese prime minister and members of the Russian Emergencies Ministry air group took place in Leiria. He thanked Russia for helping and praised the Russian rescuers' work," the ministry's spokesperson said.

The two Russian aircraft dumped over 200 metric tons of water over the forest fires, making a total of 17 water intakes, according to the ministry.
Merkel's plummeting approval rating, however, has had no negative impact on the voters' support for her Christian Democratic Union party, Pletten said, citing 35 percent of respondents who have repeatedly backed the party, according to polls.

"Also, there are no signs showing that Merkel may not stay on as Chancellor, if she decides to run for new elections next year," Pletten pointed out.

In this vein, she quoted Aftenposten journalist and author of a book about Merkel Ingrid Brekke as saying that "there is no worthy opponent able to get the better of the current German Chancellor."

On July 18, a 17-year-old male youth who had sought asylum in Germany was shot dead by police after wounding five people with an axe on a train near Wuerzburg, also in Bavaria. Police found a hand-painted Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State) flag in his flat.

On July 22, an 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman killed nine people in a shopping mall in Munich and injured dozens more in a shoot-out that ended with the gunman shooting himself. According to preliminary data, the shooter adhered to nationalist views and also had mental problems.

On July 24, a 21-year-old Syrian refugee was arrested after killing a pregnant woman and wounding two people with a machete in the southwestern city of Reutlingen, near Stuttgart.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)The attack occurred around 4 a.m. local time (2:00 GMT) and two suspected attackers were detained shortly after, while two others are still at large, Koelner Express newspaper reported.

Police have provided no information regarding the reasons of the attack so far.
Following the Brexit vote, many in the United Kingdom raised concerns about London losing access to the EU market upon the country's official withdrawal from the bloc, claiming the country should keep access to the EU tariff-free single market by following in Norways footsteps and joining the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). This organization unites non-EU members Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland, and Britain needs these countries' approval to become the fifth member.

Kvalheim noticed that the plans regarding London's relations with Brussels and possible alternative institutional arrangements were at a very early stage as Britain had not yet invoked Article 50, which triggers the process of leaving the European Union.

"The Norwegian Labour Party will follow the talks between the UK and EU closely, as well as the decisions both will take regarding new arrangements; and base our positions on these. This includes a possible application from the UK to join EFTA," she said, adding that Norwegian Labour main concern was "to maintain the close political and economic relations Norway has both to the EU and to the UK."

Last week, Norwegian European Affairs Minister Elisabeth Vik Aspaker said it was not definitely in Oslo's interest if Britain joined the EFTA, with concerns running high it would force four members to renegotiate numerous trade deals once the United Kingdom becomes a new member.

Britain was a founding member of the EFTA in 1960. In 1973, Britain joined the European Economic Community and eventually become an EU member.


YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)Russia is concerned by the development of the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"We discussed, first and foremost, international issues, paying particular attention to the development of the situation in Ukraine. This development causes serious concern," Lavrov said following talks with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Neither of the sides is interested in severing the diplomatic ties between Russia and Ukraine, this is a last-ditch measure, Sergei Lavrov said.


YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)Germany is calling for avoiding actions that could lead to the deterioration of the situation in Crimea, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday.

"We must refrain from everything that can deteriorate the situation further," Steinmeier said after a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The German official said Berlin was concerned about the situation in Crimea and there was no complete clarity on the developments in the region as the results of investigations by Ukrainian and Russian sides were expected.
#Turkey FM Cavusoglu told a German paper: either EU grant Turks visa-free travel in October or the migrant deal with Turkey is off.  yurda budak (@yurdabudak) August 15, 2016

However, EU officials have rejected the Turkish claims, saying that visa liberalization for Turkish citizens will be met once Turkey meets a series of conditions and guidelines, including the reformation of its anti-terror laws.

In the tit-for-tat between Ankara and Brussels over the issue, Cavusoglu pointed to the migration agreement, which laid out that all Turks would have visa restrictions lifted by October.

After our agreement w/EU on migration crisis, daily irregular crossings have reduced to below 50 these days from 7000 in October 2015.  Mevlut Cavusoglu (@MevlutCavusoglu) June 30, 2016

"It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothing in return," he said.

Coup Triggers Tense Ties

While relations between Turkey and the EU have been gradually deteriorating in recent times, the tension between the two parties has been exacerbated by the failed coup one month ago.

Turkey cracks down on free media and arrests people on dubious grounds. Still wants visa free travel to the EU. That must be a no go.  Mats Lofstrom (@matslofstrom) August 1, 2016

EU officials have openly criticized the Turkish response to the failed coup, condemning the widespread arrest of military officials, academics and journalists, while the proposed re-introduction of the death penalty led Austrian officials to declare they would block any further talks associated with Turkey's accession into the EU.

Huge anger in #Turkey towards west for perceived lack of support after coup. After Ukraine revolution, NATO/EU came. No western leader here  Mark Lowen (@marklowen) August 12, 2016

Meanwhile, on the other hand Turkish officials have been increasingly vocal in their criticism of Brussels, accusing EU member states of showing a lack of support to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government in the wake of the coup attempt, while there have been additional threats and warnings over the future of the Turkey-EU migration deal, which would be disastrous for the bloc should it collapse.

Strains Showing in Germany

The criticism has particularly been directed towards Germany, with the German parliament's decision to recognize the Armenian genocide in June kicking off a summer of increased tension between Ankara and the EU's strongest economic and political power.

I support the Germany! Germany have done very well, with recognizing the Armenian genocide in Turkey!  Vahan Hakobian (@EU_PRIME) June 15, 2016

Turkish government officials have publicly criticized many German MPs of Turkish origin for their support of the genocide vote, which has divided Germany's significant ethnic Turkish community.

Meanwhile, there was further anger when Erdogan was banned from speaking via video link at a public event denouncing the country's failed coup.

85 Germany banned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from addressing rally in Cologne via video-conference pic.twitter.com/byYgwm2gCG  Fact-Checking Turkey (@FactCheckingTR) August 5, 2016

As the tensions increase and Turkey's demands remain, the crucial relationship between the EU and Turkey remains on thin ice, with fears it could result in the collapse of the bilateral migration deal.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The French energy giant Total has fired almost three-quarters of staff working in its Russian office in Moscow following the partial withdrawal from the Kharyaga oil field, media reported Monday, citing sources in the company.

Total sold a half of its 40-percent share in the Kharyaga oil field production sharing agreement (PSA) to the Russian state Zarubezhneft firm earlier this month after a preliminary agreement was signed in January.

According to the Forbes magazine, some 420 people lost their jobs at Total, with some of them transferring to Zarubezhneft, which now owns a larger part of the oil field.
"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 volunteer said in a recent interview.

The Sofetex refugee camp was built in response to the closure of the illegal Idomeni camp, which also experienced many clashes as boarder police prevented migrants from coming through.

Reports of children being sexually abused in Greek refugee camps have also been heard by Anna Chiara Nava of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) in Thessaloniki.

"It's really hard for the unaccompanied minors  16- and 17-years-olds  to survive. It's the survival of the fittest in there. In the evening and night, it's impossible to find them because they are hiding in the tents."

Sex abuse on children in refugee camp in grece.  hope n praying for a divine intervention soon ya Allah https://t.co/BtdCmnmDjo  latifa chakir (@lolaparvez) 14 August 2016

This is not the first time that reports of sexual abuse against refugees have risen to the surface, in was only in May of this year, a shocking revelation emerged concerning sexual abuse at a migrant facility in southeast Turkey, where a cleaner at the Nazip refugee camp received a 108-year prison sentence for sexually abusing over two dozen Syrian refugee boys, aged 8 to 12.
Speaking about the case McIvor Farrell Solicitor Ciaran O'Hare told Sputnik:

"As a victim of the most recent conflict in Northern Ireland, Mr McCord is very concerned about the profoundly damaging effect that a unilateral withdrawal of the UK from the EU will have upon the ongoing relative stability in Northern Ireland."

Presumed consent? The role of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the #Brexit process https://t.co/M4EZoHaKPP pic.twitter.com/gQuN7qs1zr  Institute for Gov (@instituteforgov) August 14, 2016

"He is concerned that any withdrawal would be contrary to the UK's international law obligations pursuant to the Good Friday Agreement. He is also concerned about the abrogation of his fundamental rights that withdrawal will entail. In the alternative, any notification under Art 50 should at least be done lawfully and constitutionally, in particular by way of a prior mandate from Parliament."

In his affidavit to the High Court of Northern Ireland  which Sputnik has seen  Mr McCord says:

"I am a 62-year-old male British citizen and resident of Northern Ireland who has for many years acted as a victims' campaigner following the murder of the eldest of my three sons, Raymond McCord Junior, by loyalist paramilitaries on 9 November 1997."

"I have dedicated much of my life to campaigning on behalf of victims and seeking justice in respect of my son's murder. The peace process is based upon a fundamental recognition of equality of traditions and upon a shared future for the UK and the Republic of Ireland within the European Union.

"I am therefore worried that a departure from the European Union will have an adverse effect on the current stability in Northern Ireland and the level of support and resources as currently provided by the European Union. I am also worried that my and others' fundamental rights under EU law and treaties will be removed if the UK were to leave the European Union."

Ciaran O'Hare told Sputnik:

"Mr McCord's application is an important constitutional case which engages the Northern Irish public interest in a way that no other case has or is likely to for many decades."
The environmental watchdog Greenpeace has recently landed in trouble for its fierce opposition to the application of modern genetic engineering in agriculture, which could become a lifesaver in poor, underfed parts of the world. On top of strictly scientific issues, Greenpeace was censured for its failure to discourage or distance itself from "environmental activists" who harass scientists and engage in violent crime.

Last month, 110 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry and or medicine wrote an open a letter addressed to Greenpeace, the UN and governments worldwide. The letter accused Greenpeace and its supporters of having misled the public about the risks, benefits and importance of biotechnology, as well as having supported criminal activity directed against research projects. The letter particularly emphasized Greenpeace's campaign against golden rice, condemning the group's activity by concluding: "How many poor people in the world must die before we consider this a crime against humanity?"

Ever since Greenpeace stopped focusing on campaigning against nuclear pwer in the 1990s, they have been using GM crops as both a focus for campaigns and a cash cow. This way was mapped out by Greenpeace's former chief, Lord Melchett, who declared in his address to the House of Lords that his organization "will remain opposed to GM crops, regardless of any scientific risk assessments."
"Officers from the Shetlands to the Isles of Scilly now have the power to arrest offenders and protect victims from this abhorrent crime whether on board a ship or on our shores," Sarah Newton, minister for vulnerability, safeguarding and countering extremism said.

"Modern slavery is a crime that rips victims from their families, trapping them in a cycle of abuse at the hands of ruthless gangs."

Since the beginning of August 2016, vessels can be intercepted, boarded by law enforcement officers and any evidence seized and suspected arrested on prosecuted under Britain's Modern Slavery Act.

Anyone on board, found guilty of perpetrating human trafficking crimes could face up to life imprisonment.

New maritime powers introduced. This means victims of #ModernSlavery at sea are better protected by law enforcement pic.twitter.com/x1IFbU0kQt  Kevin Hyland OBE (@UKAntiSlavery) August 8, 2016

"Our message is clear  the UK is taking action to protect victims," Newton said.

Between 2013 and 2014, the UK's National Crime Agency found 37 potential victims of modern slavery who had been reported to have been exploited in the maritime industry.

The illegal and unregulated fishing industry is said to be worth around US$23.5 billion a year.
Last week Greg Clark said Hinkley showed UK was "open for business". Now he needs more time to think it through https://t.co/8g2MGGHPLL  Robyn Wilson (@CNRobynWilson) July 29, 2016

The decision came less than a year after  then  Chancellor George Osborne told a meeting at the Shanghai Stock Exchange:

"Let's stick together to make Britain China's best partner in the West. Let's stick together and create a golden decade for both of our countries. Britain and China: we'll stick together."

The project has been beset with difficulties from the outset. The UK plant is based on the same technology as two other plants being built in Flamanville in northern France and Olkiluoto in Finland  both of which have been beset with technical problems and cost overruns.

Financial Risks

The project has been hit by financial woes because of a drop in demand for nuclear power since the Fukushima disaster, in March 2011, when a magnitude nine earthquake set off a tsunami that hit the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant resulting in the meltdown of three of the plant's six nuclear reactors.
ROME (Sputnik)  According to Gentiloni, other EU member states act as if the problem of the migrant influx concerns only Italy and Greece.

"I believe that in September Italy will be forced to raise questions over the issue of migration," Gentiloni told Il Messaggero.

"There need to be commitments in the economic and organizational field, comparable to those we have agreed with Turkey," Gentiloni added.
Sitting in front of a portrait of the Turkish president, Bohmermann read out a poem that accused the Turkish president of "repressing minorities, kicking Kurds and slapping Christians while watching child porn," among other things.

Erdogan has demanded that Bohmermann be prosecuted, which German Chancellor Angela Merkel has allowed.

Turkish Clashes

However, tensions within Germany have risen, following the failed coup in July which Erdogan has accused of being promoted by the US and the 75-year-old US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey wants to extradite.

VIDEO: Erdogan supporters attack school associated w/ Gulen in #Germany after failed coup @thevocaleurope pic.twitter.com/zsQWUVa1c2  Conflict News (@Conflicts) 17 July 2016

There have been clashes in Germany between supporters of Erdogan and Gulen, with nearly 40,000 pro-Erdogan fans staging a rally in Cologne in support of the Turkish president. The tensions could not have come at a worse time for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is still trying the keep the controversial EU-Turkey migrant deal on track.

Under the deal, the EU was due to pay Turkey  initially  US$3.95 billion to bolster its refugee camps and accept "irregular" migrants denied asylum in Greece in return  on a one-for-one basis  for Syrian refugees in Turkey being relocated in the EU.
Commons Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz told the Times:

"It is deeply concerning that a third of all asylum applications have been made by illegal migrants and overstayers.

"The very principle of seeking asylum is that you feel persecuted at the time you arrive, not saying you feel persecuted after arriving illegally or for different reasons and then remaining in the country until you are apprehended," Vaz said.

"This is a significant clog in the immigration system, and we should ensure that this is not to the detriment of vulnerable people with a legitimate claim of asylum. It is one thing for the [UK] government to say it's tough on illegal immigration  it's another to actually take control of issues like these."

There are 1000s of homeless & destitute asylum seekers across the UK, failed by the system and trapped in limbo.  Frances B (@Frances_M_B) January 21, 2016

Meanwhile, Steve Symonds suggests that "very few" refugees from around the world travel to the UK.

"Those that do, often do so because of family and other connections, or because they've found only insecurity and hopelessness elsewhere."

Symonds also points out the reality for many asylum seekers in the UK.

The British cruelty: Child asylum seekers risk lives making channel crossing due to lack of Home Office system https://t.co/KNwnoMTY6u  politics.co.uk (@Politics_co_uk) August 3, 2016

"The UK offers no asylum visa to permit their travel, despite the fact they cannot claim asylum unless they get here, so forcing people to rely on smugglers and false documents."

However, the analysis of the figures offered by the Times and reported in the UK press suggests that the UK asylum application process is being "abused" by illegal immigrants and "overstayers."
The particular blades under the spotlight  zombie knives  are named for the fact that they often have words or images that glamorize violence, which are sometimes inspired by horror or apocalypse films.

They can be sold as seemingly innocuous collectors items for as little as 10 (approximately US$13).

NEWS! Britain defenceless against the walking dead after zombie knife ban comes into force https://t.co/lUqoJzYymH pic.twitter.com/EYDfS3cUIa  News Thump (@newsthump) August 15, 2016

Police officials claim they are increasingly being used in gangs as a sign of toughness. Those caught making or selling the items will now face up to four years in prison.
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MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The European Union should not rely on its agreement with Turkey to manage the influx of undocumented migrants, but rather be able to protect the bloc's borders as the only way to put an end to the migration crisis, the press office of the Hungarian prime minister told Sputnik Monday.

On Sunday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told the Bild newspaper that Ankara could walk away from its promise to stem the flow of illegal migrants to Europe if Brussels failed to grant Turkish citizen visa-free travel to the bloc in October.

"The EU-Turkey agreement is important and useful, but the European Union cannot give up on protecting itself and rely on the goodwill of a third country. It is both in the interests of Hungary and Europe to maintain a strong alliance with Turkey since its stability is indispensable to eliminating the migration pressure. At the same time, however, EU Member States must be able to protect their own borders since it is the only way of ending the crisis," the press office said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The Hungarian government does not consider it necessary to undertake any new measures to stop the inflow of migrants as Budapest has already enacted all possible measures to cope with the matter, the press office for the Hungarian prime minister told Sputnik Monday.

Earlier in the day, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern announced that the Austrian authorities would probably convene for talks on the introduction of a special border regime amid the rising influx of asylum seekers on September 6.

"It is not necessary for the Government to introduce measures other than those already in force in Hungary," the press office said, commenting on Hungary's likely reaction should neighboring Austria decide to entirely close its borders at a Cabinet meeting in Vienna.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Jeremy Corbyn, the current leader of the UK Labour party, has secured support in 285 constituency Labour parties (CLPs), or 84 percent, while his contender Owen Smith secured only 53 nominations, the press office of the former said on Monday.

According to the press release published on Corbyn's Facebook account, support extended to him is more than twice as high as in 2015, with just 39 percent of CLPs backing the party leader then.

"We're really grateful to have received so much support from constituency Labour parties across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland," a spokesperson for Corbyn's campaign was cited in the press release as saying.
The news came after Venezuelas National Electoral Council (CNE) said on Monday it had gathered one percent of votes across the country needed to activate the next stage on the path to the referendum. However, now the political opposition is subjected to a much more difficult timeline, as it has to get four million people  or 20 percent of population  to sign the second petition to start an election.

Under Venezuelan legislation, the referendum should be conducted by January 10, 2017 to make possible Maduros ousting and the launching of new presidential elections. Otherwise, the current leader would have to appoint his vice-president as a new president leaving Socialists in the Latin American nation in power.

The National Electoral Council (CNE) so far hasnt determined the deadline for the new petition which could cause delays in the process, Financial Times reported. On Tuesday the council announced that the required amount of votes will not likely be gathered to hold elections by January.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  She added that the disaster destroyed at least 80 homes in the state of Arequipa.

"According to the councillor in charge of Yanque [District], there are six dead and three more in Achoma [District]," Yamila Osorio told local RPP broadcaster.

The earthquake hit the southern Preruvian region of Arequipa at 21:58 local time (02:58 GMT) at a depth of about 6.2 miles, according to the US Geological Survey. The epicenter was 4.3 miles west of the town of Chivay.
Six Russian long-range bombers hit Daesh (known colloquially as ISIS) positions outside Deir ez-Zor destroying the terror networks command centers, ammunition depots, and numerous tanks. The terrorists suffered major casualties in the airstrike according to the Defense Ministry.

"[The bombers] which took off from a Russian air base have conducted a concentrated airstrike with high-explosive munitions on IS in areas located southwest, east, and northeast of the city of Deir ez-Zor," the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The strike destroyed at least two of the jihadists command centers, six large ammunition depots, two tanks, four infantry fighting vehicles, seven SUVs with mounted machine guns, and also leveled major casualties against the terrorist enemy.
The US hostages had previously revealed some details of their liberation that point to the fact they could have been ransomed. Saeed Abidini, one of the hostages, said in an interview with FOX Business last week that Iranians were waiting for what he said was a ransom plane en route from America.

They told us you going to be there for 20 minutes but it took hours and hours, Abidini said. And I asked them why dont you let us go, because the  was there, pilot was there, everyone was there to leave the country. And he said they were waiting for another plane so if that plane didnt come they would have never let us go.

Following the reports, Barack Obama lambasted at media outlets suggesting the move was a ransom, saying the handover of money "wasnt some nefarious deal."

Some of you may recall, we announced these payments in January. Many months ago. There wasnt a secret  we announced them to all of you, Obama said.

But the assurances from the president havent calmed down members of Congress, who said that the reports, if proved true, would undermine the legitimacy of Iran Nuclear Deal brokered by P5+1 group in July 2015.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Journalists in Turkey are arrested because of their links with the movement of opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of playing a key role in the recent coup attempt, and not because of their profession, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday.

On July 15, a coup attempt took place in Turkey, which was suppressed the following day. Following the coup attempt, the Turkish authorities issued a warrant for the arrest of more than 100 journalists, starting a media purge in the country. On August 10, Turkish prosecutors ordered the arrest of another 47 journalists. Germany and other EU countries have repeatedly accused Turkey of violating the freedom of the press.

"Should you be untouchable, because you are a journalist? Some journalists have followed the instructions of the Gulen's terrorist organization, they have ruined lives of many people and have supported the coup. If a journalist is a member of a terrorist organization, what does that have to do with freedom of the press? There are many journalists and media that criticize the government every day. They are able to report freely. But when it comes to the coup, they have made a clear stance. But the media coverage in Germany is controlled in a way that has nothing to do with the reality in Turkey," Cavusoglu told the German Bild newspaper.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Turkish police detained two soldiers who were behind raids at the TRT news building and were giving orders to shoot civilians on the Bosphorus Bridge during a foiled coup attempt, local media reported Monday.

Staff Col. Nebi Gazneli, and Muslum Kaya were detained in the central Turkish province of Konya, the Daily Sabah newspaper reported.

Their weapons were found buried in a house where they were hiding.


ALEPPO (Sputnik)Syria's government army managed to fully stop attacks by terrorist groups in northern and southern regions of Aleppo, a military source said Monday.

"Fighting began yesterday evening. The army managed to repel attacks by terrorists in the Jamiat al-Zahra district and attacks on the territory of a cement plant in the southwest," the source told RIA Novosti.
"The situation in Aleppo keeps changing. We think there is a huge risk that weather conditions, like wind, and the constant alterations in the configuration on the ground will leave humanitarian cargo in the hands of terrorists, rather that those who they really are meant for, and serve to strengthen their position," the Russian top diplomat stressed.

Lavrov admitted, however, that three-hour humanitarian ceasefires that have been taken place daily in Aleppo were not enough to meet the needs of civilians trapped in this divided city.

"Of course, it is not enough," he agreed. "To make these pauses last, we need to resolve all the outstanding issues We agreed with the United States in the past to declare 72-hour regimes of calm' that slightly improved the humanitarian situation, but these pauses mainly allowed terrorists to swell their ranks by 7,000 more fighters, as well as restock weapons and ammo."

Turkey and Russia share an understanding that additional measures must be taken in order to implement the resolution on Syria border control, Russian Foreign Minister said.

"The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2165 at our initiative, which notes the need to establish control over the supply of humanitarian goods from Turkey, particularly through the so-called Castello road. And with permission from the Turkish government, two checkpoints on Turkish ground were outlined, where the UN would establish monitoring presence. UN personnel have been stationed at one of these checkpoints, the other one has yet to open," Lavrov told reporters.

"We share an understanding with the Turkish side that there is a need to take additional measures for this resolution to be fully and effectively implemented," he added.

Militant leaders in eastern Aleppo are preventing civilians from fleeing the city through the recently established humanitarian corridors, Sergei Lavrov said.

"Today, we have discussed Aleppo a lot, we have a similar understanding of how serious the situation is. We, together with the Syrian government forces, proposed and created six corridors for the evacuation of the civilian population, those wishing to leave the area, and one corridor was created for fighters who are willing to leave unharmed under the guarantee of the Syrian government and the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, the militants, the leaders of the militants, who are running the show in eastern Aleppo, are preventing the evacuation of their allies and civilians," Lavrov said, speaking at a press conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Russias Yekaterinburg.

He added that Russia, like the West and countries in the region, hopes that the situation for the civilians in Aleppo improves.

"We hope that the participation of Russia and the US and other Western countries, and not only Western, but also countries in the region, with the participation of the UN, we will be able to ease the [living] conditions for the civilian population," the Russian minister said.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Russia and the United States are close to starting joint operations against terrorists in Syria's Aleppo, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

"We are in a very active stage of negotiations with our American colleagues now, both in Geneva and Amman; we are practically in constant talks with Washington. Step by step we are nearing a structure  I'm talking about Aleppo only  that would allow us to truly begin working together so that this territory, this long-suffering region could find peace," Shoigu told Rossiya-24 television.
Moreover, he added, if neccessary Ankara could cooperate with the Syrian and Russian Air Force to secure the necessary level of control over the border.

However the former diplomat stressed that upon sealing the border, the groups which have previously enjoyed support from Turkey now can stage provocations in response to the move and it could be avoided if Ankara follows the correct foreign policy tactics.

The closure of the border could have a certain impact on Turkeys internal security, he said.

For example, being deprived of Ankaras support, some groups might try to carry out terrorist attacks in large provinces or in the cities where there is an unstable social structure, such as Hatay, Urfa or Gaziantep.

The Turkish authorities therefore need to act cautiously, and follow a clear strategy. And there should be a political will, he added.

In modern Turkey the political will is concentrated in the hands of the president, he explained. Any further developments depend on the actions of the government, which will act in accordance signals given by the presidents apparatus.

Aydn Selcen also noted that the sealing of the border should be a priority for Turkey as the jihadists pose a threat to its national security.

And even though it might somehow deteriorate relations with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, if these countries understand and respect Turkey, they should equally understand and respect its priorities,

The maintenance of close ties with Russia is also a priority in comparison with cooperation with these countries, he finally states.
The video obtained by Sputnik Arabic was shot from Qubbat al-Kurdi which is under the control of the Syrian Army.

With the support of the allied forces, the Syrian Arab Army is trying to encircle the militants of the Al-Nusra Front (which recently changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham) having reached the southern border of Hama Governorate through the city of Salamiyah.

According to reports on the ground, the militants are getting support from the cities of Al-Rastan and Talbiseh in the Homs Governorate, located to the south of Hama.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  A Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders, or MSF)  supported hospital in Yemen was hit by an airstrike on Monday, the organization said on its Twitter account.

"MSF-supported Abs hospital in Hajjah gov. #Yemen was hit today- medical teams assisting wounded, # of casualties still unknown," the statement read.

BREAKING: #Yemen MSF-supported hospital was hit by airstrikes at 15:45. We are assessing the situation. Number of casualties still unknown.  MSF International (@MSF) August 15, 2016

According to MSF, the attack took place at 3:45 p.m. local time (12:45 GMT).
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  An Istanbul court ordered the arrest of a reporter at the country's media outlet Hurriyet on Monday as part of ongoing investigation into the thwarted coup, the daily reported.

According to Hurriyet, Arda Akin was detained at a police station and the Istanbul Court ordered his arrest.

The reporter had already been detained and later released on probation in the investigation, however Turkey's prosecutor's office appealed the decision and issued a warrant for his second arrest, the media outlet added.
In general, Kucukcan that Turkey's rapprochement in relations with Russia does not mean that it will be leaving the NATO alliance, or breaking its ties with Europe. At the same time, he added that "if the EU continues to use negative, aggressive rhetoric in its statements about Turkey, Turkey can find alternatives for cooperation for itself both in regional politics, and within the global balance of power. A rational and well thought-out policy in today's world requires such an approach."

On the Syrian question specifically, the politician admitted that at present, this issue is now the most problematic point in bilateral relations between Moscow and Ankara. "What will be the Syrian policy of the two countries? Here we have two things bringing us together which can allow Turkey and Russia to reach an agreement. First, this is the territorial integrity of Syria, the desire to prevent the dismemberment of the country. The second point on which Turkey and Russia are in agreement is the fight against terrorism."

"Both countries seek to prevent terrorists operating in the region from attempting to fill the geopolitical vacuum in the country, because this upsets the balance of forces in the region, and stabilityTherefore, looking at the situation from these two positions, it becomes clear that Turkey and Russia have common ground for reaching agreement on the Syrian issue."

Kucukcan suggested that he has every confidence that follow-up meetings, contacts and negotiations between the two sides will lead to the strengthening of this common ground, "and discussions of concrete and practical steps in this direction."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  According to the Hurriyet Daily News, apart from the Istanbul-based operation, searches for the personnel took place in four provinces, including the capital of Ankara and the Central Anatolian province of Eskisehir. The detainees were taken to the police stations at Istanbuls Vatan Avenue to give testimony, the media outlet added.

The Istanbul chief prosecutors office also issued warrants for detention of another 17 personnel working for the Buyukcekmece courthouse as a part of the investigation into the attempted coup.

Ankara has accused Gulen and his followers of playing a key role in the mid-July attempted coup, which claimed the lives of over 240 people. Since the failed coup, Turkey has jailed more than 10,000 people and suspended more than 50,000 judges, civil servants, and educators under a state of emergency, in which expressing ideas similar to those of Gulen is considered a crime.
"The bombardment of this hospital is a deplorable act that has cost civilian lives, including medical staff, who are dedicated to helping sick and injured people under some of the most challenging conditions," Magdalena Mughrabi stated. "Deliberately targeting medical facilities is a serious violation of international humanitarian law which would amount to a war crime."

The attack on the medical facility, run by the aid group Doctors Without Borders has reportedly left at least seven civilians dead and dozens injured.
Stepnov recalled that in circumstances where areas may be controlled by terrorists or other militants, armored trains are an excellent alternative to aircraft and road transport for moving of resources and personnel. "The mass use of air transport quickly becomes very expensive, and is vulnerable to ground fire from areas controlled by the enemy; using civil transport and passenger aviation is too risky. At the same time, road transport, even when accompanied by armor, means the use of ordinary Kamaz and Ural trucks, which are not armored," making them vulnerable even to small arms fire, "while roads can be blocked by rubble and other obstructions."

In this sense, the journalist suggested, "rail transport, when accompanied by protection in the form of armored trains, allows for regular and effective patrolling of areas which, unlike roads, remain a restricted zone even in peacetime." After all, "not just anyone can use the rail systemPutting armor on the train, meanwhile, is much easier to do than in the case of road transport, while its great weight capacity allows it to carry significant armament."

According to publically available information, the Russian armored trains are equipped to withstand everything from small arms fire to artillery fire using 30mm shells. Their basic weapons include automatic grenade launchers and heavy machine guns, but if necessary, they can also be equipped with installations including modular multiple launch rocket systems.

Stepnov recalled that the question of the train's armament was decided in a simple but effective way a long time ago; "the center of the train can be fitted with a tank resting on a platform; the tank is capable of fire from all angles from its main gun." Naturally, "apart from the tank, the platform can be equipped with any armored vehicle, equipped with a wide range of weapons, which can be changed out depending on the objectives in the given situation."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russias actions regarding the destruction of chemical weapons in Syria helped prevent a NATO strike of 624 cruise missiles, Sergei Shoigu said Monday.

"The situation regarding Syria was changing, and when you ask yourself, what would have happened if your president did not manage to persuade and implement the idea of handing in and destroying chemical weapons This was literally in the 24-hour readiness mode, speaking of cruise missiles only, 624 cruise missiles were ready to carry out a mass strike in Syria," Shoigu said as broadcast on the Rossiya-24 television channel.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Already, four of Japans Kongo-class destroyers and two Atago-class destroyers carry the Aegis system, the company said.

"Aegis will join the next three KDX-III Sejong the Great-class destroyers, a multi-purpose destroyer with air and land defense and anti-submarine capabilities," the release stated on Monday.
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."
TALLINN (Sputnik)  On August 1, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that the Russian Defense Ministry is ready for military consultations with all neighboring countries to avoid incidents on sea and air. He noted readiness to conduct joint incident prevention work on the basis of bilateral agreements, as well as consultations with the defense ministries of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and Finland to address mutual concerns related to military activities in the border areas.

"Estonia has not yet established its position on this issue. We have received the proposal. We are now conducting a thorough analysis. Undoubtedly, we will conduct the negotiations with our NATO allies, as well as with Finland and Sweden. That is, [to find out] how they refer to the subject. After that, we will formulate our position and will give our response to Russia," Jugaste told the Estonian public broadcaster (ERR).

On August 4, Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said his country will not negotiate with Russia on cooperation in the defense field, as it should discuss such an issue with its allies,
TOKYO (Sputnik)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expressed his confidence in the steady development of bilateral relations with Russia, on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of North Korea's liberation from Japan, in the letter addressed to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

"I am sure that the relations of friendship and cooperation between North Korea and Russia, embodied in a hard struggle against the common enemy, will steadily strengthen and develop in accordance with the desires and aspirations of the two countries' peoples," the letter said, as quoted by the state's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim Jong UN wished also well-being and prosperity of the people of Russia.
BEIJING (Sputnik)  The participation of Russia will be an important contribution to the success of the G20 summit in Chinese city of Hangzhou in early September, Deputy Head of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Li Baodong said Monday.

"Russia is an important member of the G20 and for many years has played an important role in the development of this format. Since China adopted the presidency of the G20, we conducted extensive consultations on drawing up the agenda with all parties, including Russia. We expect the participation of Russian President. We are convinced that the participation of Russia will be an important contribution to the success of the G20 summit," Li told reporters.

The 2016 G20 summit in Chinese eastern city of Hangzhou will be held on September 45.


YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)The NATO-Russia Council mechanism must be used, particularly in difficult times, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Monday.

"I call for using the possibilities of the NATO-Russia Council, particularly in difficult times," Steimeier said, speaking at the Ural Federal University.
In a comment published on his official Twitter page, the former official stated bluntly that "if the Minsk peace process is over, we should supply Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to deter further Russian aggression."

If the Minsk peace process is over, we should supply Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to deter further Russian aggression.  Radosaw Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) 14  2016 .

Sikorski, hired as an official advisor to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko last year, is well-known for his anti-Russian commentary, informed by neoconservative ideology. The former Polish official is married to Anne Applebaum, an American-Polish journalist who is well-known inside the US for her hawkish, stridently anti-Russian attitudes, and for suggesting in 2014 that Europe should prepare for "total war" with Moscow.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  In March, the European Union and Turkey agreed on a deal, under which Ankara pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union through its territory, in exchange Syrian refugees accommodated in Turkey would be relocated to the bloc on a one-for-one basis. In return, the bloc pledged to accelerate Turkey's EU accession bid and introduce a visa-free regime.

"I do not want to talk about the worst case [scenario], the talks with the EU are continuing. But it is clear: either we apply all the agreements at the same time or else put them all aside," Cavusoglu told Bild newspaper on Sunday answering a question on whether Ankara would relax its border controls and allow any refugees travel to Europe if Brussels reneges on its promise to institute a visa-free regime for Turkish citizens.
On Friday, Russias Izvestia newspaper reported that Russia is considering cutting its diplomatic ties with Ukraine in response to a supposed attempted sabotage plot in Crimea that Ukrainian intelligence was allegedly behind.

According to the news outlet, one of the possible measures open to Moscow in retaliation of Kiev's actions could be to close the Russian diplomatic mission and recall the staff of its embassy in Ukraine.

One of the options for a possible, strict response may be to break off diplomatic ties. Moscow is working on such an option. However, the head of the country will have the last word, he will take a decision based on all the data available, the outlet said citing its unnamed foreign services source.
YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)  He welcomed the Russian initiative on establishing humanitarian corridors in the city and called for maintaining them on the 24-hour basis.

"We see pictures of Aleppo, it is a sad catastrophe. Humanitarian situation in Aleppo is disastrous. We see ruined houses, unending bombings. It cannot go on like that," Steinmeier said after the talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"I believe that three-hour ceasefires will be insufficient, we need to secure permanent corridors in Aleppo for supply of civilians," Steinmeier added.
Commenting on Western officials' telephone conversations with their Ukrainian counterparts, and on Kosachev's interpretation of their remarks, experts speaking to Russia's Svobodnaya Pressa online newspaper were divided on what to make of Western leaders' shifting tone toward Kiev.

For his part, Ukrainian political commentator Dmitri Skvortsov warned against lending too much weight to the Western officials' remarks. Effectively, the journalist suggested that Poroshenko and Biden are really just trying to take the 'goodwill' card out of President Vladimir Putin's hand, with Kiev presenting itself as the reasonable and responsible partner, "looking for every last opportunity" for negotiations with an angry Moscow.

Skvortsov suggested that the reality is that Washington and Brussels' response showed no real signs of disappointment or concern with Kiev, even if it did avoid blaming Russia for everything. In any case, Western officials continued with their standard commentary about Russia's "occupation of Ukrainian territory."

Asked whether Kiev has overplayed its hand with the Crimean sabotage operation, the analyst suggested that factually, "Ukraine had done that a long time ago," first by blocking off the North Crimean Freshwater Canal in 2014, and then through the so-called 'electricity blockade' a year later, and finally by Kiev politicians' repeated threats to blow up the Kerch bridge that's set to connect Crimea to the Russian mainland.

In spite of all this, Skvortsov noted, "the West continues to tolerate these antics of 'their son of a b****', which only makes Kiev more confident." At the same time, the commentator pointed out that Western leaders have actively chosen to ignore Russia's version of events in the Crimea story.

For his part, Ukrainian political scientist Evgeny Filindash told the online newspaper that he has a different position. In his view, when it comes to the Ukrainian issue, Washington's main goal is now to preserve the situation in a more-or-less 'frozen' condition until the fall, when the outcome of the American presidential election becomes known. At that point, it will become the next president's responsibility to decide how to proceed.
Instead of protecting Europe, the US-led NATO bloc is destroying it, Deena Stryker, a prominent journalist that has been at the forefront of international politics for over thirty years, underscores.

"In the early eighties, during its evolution from 28 warring countries to an economic union that would keep the peace, the Europeans, ever suspicious of one another, rejected the idea of a federation that would have given them a common political system. Instead, they settled for a common currency, which has been revealed as impotent without a common government. The only common government Europe has is the one they were given by the United States: it's called NATO, and instead of 'protecting' Europe, it too is destroying it," Stryker writes in her article for New Eastern Outlook.
"For Damascus and its allies, the possibility of striking a bargain with Turkey on the Syrian civil war is a golden opportunity," Stratfor's report reads.

The tensions simmering around the Russo-Turkish partnership have prompted Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders to go even so far as to call upon its European counterparts to discuss the rapprochement between Moscow and Ankara at the level of the European Union and NATO.

"So many concerns emerged regarding the relations between Turkey and Russia that it is necessary to hold a discussion on this issue at the EU level, as well as NATO," Reynders told the Radio 1 station.

While Washington's fears are quite understandable, the question arises why Brussels has also begun to beat the war drums.

According to Vadim Trukhachev, Professor of Foreign Regions Chair at Russian State University for Humanities, Turkey and Russia are the EU's largest neighbors.

"The EU's relations with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin and [Turkish President] Erdogan leave a lot to be desired. Since the very beginning the EU's foreign policy has been aimed at preventing the establishment of any blocs and alliances on its borders. No one [in the EU] has rejected the "divide and rule" principle," Trukhachev told Svobodnaya Pressa.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, in an op-ed published in Le Monde on August 12, called for an international investigation into Turkeys coup.

"In terms of an international investigation I would refer you to the Turks. We [the United States] would not take a position on it," Trudeau stated when asked about the possibility of an independent probe.
Financial reform might be off the agenda, in the general election battle between a Fake Populist and a Wall Street Ally. But were still worried about financialization, so we brought on journalist and author David Dayen to talk about two pieces he recently wrote for The Intercept.

And, President Obama hasnt given up on passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, despite the deal getting beaten up pretty badly on the campaign trail. Well talk about the White House latest maneuvering to pass the trade deal in our Peoples Bulletin.
YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)  On Wednesday, Russia's Federal Security Service said that it had eliminated a spy ring organized by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry in Crimea, which was preparing acts of sabotage on "critical and life-supporting elements of the peninsula's infrastructure."

Of course, we cannot show everything on TV, but we have compelling evidence that this was a sabotage, which was being planned for a long time, through the chief of intelligence office of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry. It aimed to destabilize the situation in Russian Crimea, Lavrov said after a meeting with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Norway is renowned for its magnificent landscapes, which feature deep fjords and rocky mountains. In Norway, there are close to 1,200 fjords along the country's west coast, and many of them are celebrated tourist attractions. The downside of enjoying the scenic views they offer is that the 1,100 kilometer long route from Kristiansand in the south to Trondheim in central Norway takes 21 hours (given an average speed of roughly 50 kilometers per hour). The current situation also requires seven ferry trips to get across the fjords along the way.

As the beautiful fjords are notoriously difficult to bridge, Norway is considering using floating tunnels to solve the problem. Today, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NRPA) is bidding 25 billion dollars on the project to eliminate ferries and halve the travel time needed between the two cities, the Swedish national broadcaster SVT reported.

One of the proposals is to build a floating tunnel that lies partially submerged by icy fjord water. The tunnel would consist of two concrete pipes, over a kilometer long each, upheld by floating pontoons located approximately 20 meters below the surface.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham's School of Computer Science, suggest millions of cars are at risk of being stolen because the technology is out of date. Volkswagen cars were found to be most at risk from criminals uncovering cryptographic algorithm signals between the vehicle and the key.

What VW don't want you to know. Volkswagen admits keyless tech not working. 4 out of 10 cars in London nicked by hackers. #cybersecurity  BeSecureOnline (@BeSecureOnline1) August 18, 2015

Using a simple radio transmitter, hackers can intercept the signal between the car and the key, clone it and then use it at a later date to open the car without the owner being there.

The car manufacturers affected by the potential hack include Audi, Skoda Porche and VW, all part of the Volkswagen Group. All vehicles dating back to the mid-1990s could be compromised.
Over the last few years, the Swedish media have gone to great lengths to portray the immigration of asylum seekers as morally noble and economically beneficial for the economy. It is therefore hardly any surprise that Swedes, who traditionally have a deep-rooted sense of trust in their media, share this viewpoint. It is only natural that loyal Swedes topped the survey of European nation's attitude towards migrants, performed by pollster Pew Research Center.

A record 62 percent of Swedish respondents confirmed the widespread idea that refugees make their country stronger because of their work and talents, the highest of any nation surveyed.

Remarkably, Sweden also produced the highest number of respondents (36 percent) who advocate multiculturalism and regard an increasing number of people of different races, groups and nationalities as a positive factor, which makes their country a better place to live. Sweden, which has in recent years welcomed more immigrants per capita than any other European country, is striving to become "a humanitarian superpower," as the former Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt put it.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)According to the local police, crowds threw rocks at officers during riots which started Saturday and continued through Sunday into Monday.

"Officer taken to hospital for injury after thrown rock breaks windshield of squad near Sherman & Burleigh," police said on Twitter.

The police added that shots were heard in the area minutes after the incident. According to the police, a car fire was also reported in the city.
She also drew attention to the fact that the report by the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General was conspicuously released several months ahead of the presidential elections in the US.

"The report shed more light on what happens inside private prisons, which can be seen as an enormous industry [playing a] major part in driving prison overpopulation in the United States, something that remains a big issue on the agenda of the US general elections campaign," she noted.

The report's authors compared surveys on eight types of incidents within 14 contract prisons as well as 14 state-run detention centers. The categories varied from contraband to inmate discipline.

SenSanders: Its time to end the morally repugnant private prison racket, and along with it, the era of mass incarceration.  Left Side Story (@leftsidestoryUS) 13  2016 .

Contract prisons showed better oversight only in terms of drug tests and sexual misconduct.

"With the exception of fewer incidents of positive drug tests and sexual misconduct, the contract prisons had more incidents per capita than the BOP [Federal Bureau of Prisons] institutions in all of the other categories of data we examined," according to the report.

There is no logical reason to construct more prisons in the US unless you're a wealthy investor in the private prison industry.  (((Dan J))) (@RelUnrelated) 10  2016 .

Furthermore, the report also revealed a range of abuses against inmates in private prisons, such as keeping them in Special Housing Units (SHU) when there's not enough place in the main block.
Ongoing Humanitarian Crisis

Paul's stance comes amid an increase in concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, with reports over the weekend suggesting at least 10 children were killed in an alleged Saudi airstrike against a school in the country's north.

UN estimates for the 16 month-long Saudi-led offensive against Houthi rebel groups put the death toll at more than 6,400, with the majority of those civilians.

Ban Ki-moon condemns the attack on a school in northern Yemen that killed at least 10 children and injured many more https://t.co/MN222awDNJ  UN Spokesperson (@UN_Spokesperson) August 15, 2016

On top of the thousands of deaths, the conflict has forced 2.8 million people from their homes and created a disastrous humanitarian situation in Yemen, where 80 percent of the population is in need of aid.

Despite Washington's longstanding military support of Riyadh, Paul's push to block the latest sale of arms does have some support, with fellow Senate foreign relations committee member, Democrat Chris Murphy, also critical of the US' policy towards Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

815 civilian casualties in 4 months in #Yemen and that's only the ones documented by @UNHumanRights https://t.co/iXMOCr0k8R  Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) August 12, 2016

"If you talk to Yemeni Americans, they will tell you in Yemen this isn't a Saudi bombing campaign, it's a US bombing campaign," Murphy said, while speaking in the Senate in June.

"Every single civilian death inside Yemen is attributable to the United States. We accept that as a consequence of our participation," he added.

I wish our president pays attention to what senator Chris Murphy says about Saudi Arabia. This country is breeding terrorism everywhere  Ibrahim Alwareeth (@wareeth11) June 13, 2016

Lawmakers in the US have 30 days after any arms deal is agreed to try and block it.

UK Also Facing Backlash for Saudi Arms Sales
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  On Saturday night, officer Tim Smith was shot dead when he exited his patrol car to investigate information about a suspicious person seen in the center of the city of Eastman, Georgia.

Royheem Delshawn Deeds, 24, was arrested in Nassau County, Florida, on suspicion of committing a crime, the newspaper USA Today reported, citing Georgia investigators. No details about the arrest have been provided as yet.

Deeds is said to be in currently custody, the media outlet added.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  US President Barack Obama announced on April 25 the deployment of 250 special ops personnel to the war-torn country, in addition to the 50 personnel already there.

This measure has been approved by 57 percent of respondents, according to the poll by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, a think tank providing insight into US global engagement.

Fifty-two percent said they were in favor of making skies over parts of Syria off limits to Syrian planes, including bombing the governments air defenses.
Pointing out the parallels between the pressures which led to the success of Brexit in the UK and the situation in the US, the commentator warned that "the coalition of frustrated working-class voters and nostalgic nationalists that the Republican has put together is uncomfortably reminiscent" to the British vote. "Trump's 'make America great again' mantra has an echo of the Brexit campaign's winning slogan 'Take back control'," he added.

"Nor is this just an Anglo-American phenomenon," Rachman argued. "Across the EU, including in France, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland, protectionists and nationalists are gaining ground."

"As Trump might put it: 'Something's going on.' That something is a historic shift in economic and geopolitical power that is bringing to an end a 500-year period in which Western nations have dominated global affairs. This erosion of the West's privileged position in world affairs is creating new economic, geopolitical and even psychological pressures in both the US and the EU," the commentator noted.

Asia, the journalist recalled, is now the driving force behind this changing economic and geopolitical picture. "In 2014, the IMF reported that, measured in purchasing power, China is now the world's largest economy. The US had held this title since 1871, when it displaced the UK; now China is number one." And China's not alone. "The IMF reports that three of the world's four largest economies are now in Asia," with India and Japan trailing China and the US for the top spot.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  Sending ground troops to fight against the Daesh is not a possibility under a Hillary Clinton administration, the Democratic presidential candidate said at a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Monday.

"Donald's [Trump] been all over the place on ISIS [Islamic State] he's talked about sending ground troops, American ground troops," Clinton stated. "Well, that is off the table as far as I am concerned.
"The dangers imposed by the greed of big oil on the people who live along the Missouri river is astounding," said Sacred Stone organizer Joye Braun in a statement on the groups website. "When this proposed pipeline breaks, as the vast majority of pipelines do, over half of the drinking water in South Dakota will be affected It must be stopped. The people of the four bands of Cheyenne River stand with our sister nation in this fight as we are calling on all the Oceti Sakowin or Seven Council Fires to do so with our allies, both native and non native in opposing this pipeline."

USACE has declined to conduct another assessment, and announced July 26 that the permits requested by Energy Transfer Partners, a Texas-based developer overseeing construction, had been approved. In response, a coalition of activists and lawyers released a protest statement on August 5, stating that threats to the environment and Native communities had been ignored. The statement read in part: "We call for a full halt to all construction activities and repeal of all USACE permits until formal tribal consultation and environmental review are properly and adequately conducted."
Later that day, the local authorities arrested 17 people after rioters injured four officers, damaged seven squad cars and set six businesses on fire.

On Sunday, the Wisconsin National Guard was activated in the event Milwaukee police may need assistance, but the police managed to arrest multiple rioters for setting cars on fire.
Parents, after 10 oclock, your teenagers better be home, or in a place where theyre off the streets, Tom Barrett said at a press conference, as quoted the The Washington Post.

On Sunday, the Wisconsin National Guard was put to assist the city police of Milwaukee. Despite that violence erupted again with a 18-year old man seriously injured by a gun shot, four police officers wounded by rocks and bricks thrown by protesters and 14 people detained.
"If I become president, the era of nation-building will be brought to a very swift and decisive end," he said. "Our new approachmust be to halt the spread of radical Islam. All actions should be oriented around this goal, and any country who supports this goal will be our ally."

He said that he would call for an "international conference" to focus address this goal with partners in the Middle East, including Israel and Jordan.
The TPP agreement seeks to deregulate trade among 12 signatory nations that comprise 40 percent of the world economy. They include the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been very outspoken against the TPP and has argued in favor of rescinding the treaty if not in the interest of the American people.

In 2012, Clinton praised the pending free trade deal as the "gold standard" for trade agreements. She expressed support for the deal again in 2013, but spoke against the deal in her presidential campaign after being pressured by labor unions and her Democratic competitor Bernie Sanders.

Critics of the TPP agreement argue the trade deal was concluded under unusual secrecy and will significantly undermine standards and regulations on environmental protection, health and safety, as well as workers rights.
Almiron said, "When Johnson said (ICE) only detains people for 20 days, he said that thinking that no one would care. Our goal has always been to make people aware of the inhumane nature of detention in general, but also that children are being locked up and moms are being held indefinitely."

In Austin, Texas, Grassroots Leadership, a social justice group calling for an end to for-profit prisons, describes family detention as "the practice of holding immigrant families, including children and babies, in prison-like detention centers with their parents. These detention centers are often operated by for-profit, private-prison companies."
Carried out by the 775th Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the trial was the first of three test phases. Three cruise missiles were dropped from an upgraded B-52H.

This initial trial focused on data collection related to the JASSMs coordination with the new launcher. The next phase will add live weapons to the test, while the final phase will examine the CRLs full capabilities.

Carrying bombs inside of the aircraft instead of mounted beneath the wings allows the B-52 to reduce drag and improve flight performance. While the bomber is currently capable of carrying 12 JASSMs externally, the upgrades allow it to hold eight smart bombs internally, in addition to other "dumb" munitions.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The files claimed to be the Equation Groups hacking tools were uploaded by the Shadow Brokers on the Github hosting service on August 13, while on Monday, the group issued its manifesto on Tumblr.

"If our auction raises 1,000,000 (million) btc total, then we dump more Equation Group files, same quality, unencrypted, for free, to everyone," the group wrote on Tumblr.

Some names of the files hacked by the Shadow Brokers reportedly correspond with the names mentioned in the leaks of former NSA employee Edward Snowden.
"On at least three separate dates in 2009, [Kristian] Saucier used the camera on his personal cellphone to take photographs of classified spaces, instruments and equipment of the USS Alexandria, documenting the major technical components of the submarines propulsion system," read a statement released by the US Justice Department at the time.

As Saucier awaits sentencing, defense attorney Derrick Hogan has argued that his client should receive probation. His justification? Hillary Clinton.
The incident happened at Rockwood Middle School. Rockwood Police Chief Danny Wright said no children were present as it was an in-service day for teachers. Wright acknowledged that the shooting should not have happened, but stressed that no one was in danger.

The weapon was fired during a drill in which police were demonstrating to teachers and administrators what a gunshot would sound like within the school. The drill required teachers to be locked in a classroom with the police chief while another officer in the hallway fired a weapon containing blanks.


YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)The Nord Stream 2 project will help diversify gas supplies and contribute to the implementation of the Paris climate agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"We are convinced, just like our European partners who are developing this project together with us, that it will help diversity gas routes to the European continent and that it overall matches the development program for European gas infrastructure that exists within the EU, complying with EU's main goal of creating an energy union," Lavrov said, speaking at the Ural Federal University in Russia's Yekaterinburg together with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"The implementation of [Nord Stream 2] will certainly be another contribution to the implementation of the agreements reached at the Paris climate conference," he added, underlining that the project should not be politicized.


YEKATERINBURG (Sputnik)NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe deepens the region's divisions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

"NATO policy of moving further east at any cost are deepening the fault lines in Europe," Lavrov said at the Ural Federal University in Russia's Yekaterinburg.

NATO's latest summit in Poland's capital was held on July 8-9 and focused on relations with Russia. During the summit, the Alliance decided to strengthen its military presence in Eastern Europe on a rotational basis with four battalions in Poland and in the Baltic nations.
"We see that Europe's awareness of the lack of alternatives to normalizing relations and resuming existing cooperation formats is growing. We are receiving the corresponding signals not only from representatives of the public, from academic and business circles and regular citizens, but also from many politicians," Lavrov said at the Ural Federal University in Russia's Yekaterinburg.

The realization that suspending the work of the NATO-Russia Council and freezing cooperation mechanisms between Russia and the European Union was a mistake is increasingly dawning on Europe, he added, speaking at an event also attended by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

The two ministers are set to hold a meeting later in the day to discuss the situations in Ukraine and Syria, as well as other international issues.

Lavrov also expressed hope for Russian-German relations to return to their previous level, adding that the issue must be approached in a comprehensive manner.

In 2014, relations between Russia and the European Union deteriorated amid the crisis in Ukraine. Brussels, Washington and their allies introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions over Crimea's secession from Ukraine and reunification with Russia and accusing Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.

Moscow hopes that Russia and the European Union will be able to restore all cooperation mechanisms and move away from the "ideologization" of relations, Russian Foreign Minister added.

According to Lavrov, Western governments are starting to realize that politics should not affect commercial cooperation on mutually beneficial projects, such as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

"This gives me hope that we will move away from the ideologization and gradually restore all cooperation mechanisms," Lavrov said at the Ural Federal University in Russia's Yekaterinburg.
The base was impacted significantly by the July 15 events and their aftermath. Former base commander Gen. Bekir Ercan Van was arrested over alleged involvement in the plot, while Turkish authorities cut the base's electricity supply off and prohibited US planes from taking off.

From a security point of view, its a roll of the dice to continue to have approximately 50 of Americas nuclear weapons stationed at Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, just 70 miles from the Syrian borderThese weapons have zero utility on the European battlefield and today are more of a liability than asset to our NATO allies, Laicie Heeley, a Stimson Center researcher and the report's co-author, was quoted as saying in the statement.

The Stimson Center recommended the removal of all B61 bombs from Europe, stressing that a total over $6 billion could be saved by such a move.

Earlier in August, the US National Nuclear Security Administration approved the production engineering phase for the B61-12 life extension program as a part of the country's drive to modernize it nuclear arsenal. The lives of over half of all B61 bombs are set to be extended.

The Incirlik base is used by the United States and US-led coalition combat planes when launching airstrikes in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State group, which is outlawed in many countries including Russia. The base is located in the city of Adana, several dozen miles from the Syrian border.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia is ready to discuss the possibility of reaching an oil output freeze deal with Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and non-OPEC countries to further stabilize the global oil market, Russia Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Monday.

"The idea of freezing oil output, which was discussed in April, has played its role in stabilizing the market. The speculators saw that producers can agree. The door for continuing talks remains open in case such a need emerges," Novak said in an interview with the international Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.

Earlier in August, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid Falih said that the country may coordinate with OPEC and non-cartel exporters to rebalance the market. Reports have also emerged that Venezuela, Ecuador and Kuwait may resume talks on setting new limits on oil production in September at the International Energy Forum (IEF) in Algeria.
Saakyan described the Egyin Gol project as the most dangerous to Lake Baikal's environmental security. She explained the Egying Gol tributary is not included in the Russian-Mongolian agreement on the use of trans-boundary rivers, signed in 1995. It means that any action related to the tributary is an internal affair of a sovereign Mongolia, she said.

Mongols themselves claim that they are no less concerned about Lake Baikal's ecology than the Russian and the Buryats, who have long been living on the shores of the lake and consider it a sacred place and the cradle of their nation.

Greenpeace and the international environmental organization Rivers have repeatedly called for the Mongolian project's closure, which has been echoed by the Russian Natural Resources and Ecology Ministry.

Stoney Beach on the shore of Lake Baikal, Russia pic.twitter.com/gLmRRjrSFB  World Destinations (@DESTlNATlONS_) 4  2016 .

"A possible drop in water levels at Lake Baikal may finally lead to a repeat of the situation around the Aral Sea," the Ministry said. The over-use of the Aral Sea's tributaries for crop irrigation in the Soviet Union caused the Aral Sea to almost completely dry up.

With a diplomatic decision to the problem yet to be clinched, Russian President Vladimir Putin touched upon the issue during his meeting with his Chinese and Mongolian counterparts Xi Jinping and Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj, respectively, in the Uzbek capital Tashkent earlier this year.

#FacilitandoTuVida RT EarnKnowledge: This is what the turquoise ice formations on Lake Baikal, Russia look like.  pic.twitter.com/AKRfb4KSwC  Facilite QRoo (@faciliteqroo) 4  2016 .

While noting the negative stance of the international environmental organizations on the Mongolian project, Putin at the same time said that "energy shortages in Mongolia are a serious problem and we understand that."

"Russian hydropower plants could increase electricity supplies to Mongolia's northern regions. Also, we are interested in the joint elaboration of issues related to the construction of such facilities alongside Mongolian and Chinese partners, he said.

Financing the Mongolian projects were the World Bank and China, which has now suspended the allocation of funds for the purpose, according to Saakyan, who cited a whopping one billion dollars Beijing earlier earmarked for the goal.
ROME (Sputnik)  Italy is ready to consider requests by Libya to help the country establish regular security forces, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said Monday.

"We will look into potential Libyan requests and their compliance with UN plans. We will see if we are asked to help with preparing regular forces, for example. Gradually transforming an archipelago of different militias into a regular armed presence is a crucial and difficult task. Starting with the presidential guard, it is then possible to move onto regular forces, including the police and military units of the Libyan government," Gentiloni said in an interview published by the Il Messaggero newspaper.

Italy's main concern is to stabilize the situation in the North African country in order to stem the influx of migrants heading for Italy, as well as countering the terrorist threat, he added.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Sheikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, a Bahraini royal and the head of the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) during the Arab Spring unrest in 2010-2012, released a statement last month in support of legal action against Bahraini journalist Nazeeha Saeed.

"It is not innocuous that Sheikh Fawaz, as ambassador to the United Kingdom, had the embassy publish this statement in support of the IAA and we see this statement as a reflection of Bahrains antipathy towards a free press, and as Sheikh Fawazs direct role in antagonising the press," the message reads.

The open letter, published by Index on Censorship and signed by six other press freedom groups, urged UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to raise "issues surrounding Sheikh Fawazs past and current involvement in the violations of press freedom with the Government of Bahrain."
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Global oil prices are expected to start rebounding as the market rebalances by the end of 2017, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Monday.

"According to most experts' opinions, the crisis has bottomed out and the process of restoring the balance between demand and supply on the oil market has begun. And we expect the end of the low-price period by the end of 2017," Novak said in an interview with the pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Denmark will submit a motion Monday to lead a UN-backed international maritime operation to remove chemical weapons from Libya, the Danish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It will offer to provide the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which coordinates the effort, with a civil transport ship, a Danish Royal Navy support ship, and personnel.

"Denmark will once again demonstrate international responsibility by making a concrete contribution to the international effort to curb the global spread of chemical weapons. We therefore hope for as broad support from the parliament of this important operation as possible," Foreign Minister Kristian Jensen said.


MOSCOW (Sputnik)Turkey expects Greece to extradite eight Turkish servicemen who fled the country after an attempted coup, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told journalists on Monday.

On Friday, August 19, the trial of these traitors will take place. One more hearing will be held next week, on August 2325. We expect that our request to extradite [them] will be satisfied, Cavusoglu said after a meeting with opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) head Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

On July 15, the Turkish authorities said that an attempted coup was taking place in the country. The attempt was suppressed by the following morning.
In an interview with Sputnik, Ahmad Vakhshiteh, an expert on Russian-Iranian relations, said that he currently sees no reason for Tehran to be displeased with the situation.

He added that "both Iran and Russia admit the importance of bilateral cooperation, even though some time ago, Iran indeed made complaints concerning delays on the delivery of the S-300 systems  something that took place due to objective reasons."

"On the one hand, the anti-Iranian sanctions played their role, and on the other  Russia faced pressure and restrictive measures on the global stage. About three months ago, most of the S-300 systems were delivered to Iran and we expect subsequent deliveries. Therefore, it would be wrong for Iran to make any complaints about the matter," Vakhshiteh said.

He also pointed to the importance of Iran receiving the S-300 systems in terms of its domestic and foreign policy.

"By possessing such a defensive weapon, Iran is able to resolve at least two tasks at once. Firstly, it demonstrates the power of its army and national defense capability in the face of the enemy. Secondly, the S-300 has already become a symbol of fraternal ties between Iran and Russia and effective bilateral cooperation in the military sphere," he said.

Addressing the two's military-technical cooperation, Vakhshiteh said that modern-day global challenges and threats prompt Moscow and Tehran to expand this partnership.

"Our military cooperation in Syria will develop not only in order to help a friendly country to get rid of the yoke of terrorism, but also because security in Syria guarantees security in the Middle East and beyond. Our close military collaboration adds greatly to stability and security not only in Syria, Iraq and the entire Middle East, but even in Central Asian countries," he said.

The 800-million-dollar Moscow-Tehran contract to deliver Russian S-300 systems to Iran was signed in 2007. It was suspended after the adoption of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran in mid-2010.
BAKU (Sputnik)  The General Prosecutors Office of Azerbaijan has launched a criminal case against supporters of US-based dissident Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, the head spokesman of the organization said Monday.

On July 15, the Turkish authorities said that an attempted coup was taking place in the country, which was suppressed the next day. Ankara believes that Gulen and his supporters were seeking to overthrow the current government. The cleric, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, has denied the allegations that he orchestrated the coup attempt.

"In order to prevent illegal actions on the Azerbaijani Republics territory by supporters of Fethullah Gulens terrorist organization, the General Prosecutors Office of the country launched a criminal investigation," Eldar Sultanov told RIA Novosti.
The attack on the medical facility, run by the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders, or MSF) aid group, has reportedly left at least seven civilians dead and dozens injured.

"We have condemned all attacks on medical facilities by any side, and we would similarly condemn any attack that caused the sort of damage that we have heard reported in this attack on an MSF facility," Haq told reporters.
Driver Alfie Carroll celebrated his 2,000th career win on Sunday, August 14 at Georgian Downs as he steered the four-year-old pacing mare Leaving A Legacy wire-to-wire in the evening's sixth race.

Carroll scored the milestone win with the Mike Weller trainee in the sixth race for $12,000 claiming-conditioned mares. Leaving A Legacy left from post four and carved out fractions of :28.1, :57.2 and 1:26.3 en route to the 1:55.2 victory, with Dana Salaam following one and a quarter length behind in the pocket and Deucette coming on for third. The daughter of Skydancer Hanover is campaigned by Indiana owners Lynn, Barbara, Brett and Candice Wilfong. She paid $4.40 to win as the 6-5 favourite.

Carroll is currently the win leader in Canada for the second straight year with 362 victories and he has driven horses to more than $1.96 million in 2016. The 31-year-old reinsman from Iona Station, Ont. is on pace to smash his driving stats from 2015 that included a career-high 408 wins and $2,339,567 in purse earnings.

Carroll began driving in 2005 and has driven horses to over $11.35 million lifetime.

In other Sunday racing action, Here Comes William earned his third straight win at Georgian as he prevailed by a head over Shippen Out in the featured $11,000 Preferred 2 Pace in 1:53.1. The five-year-old Dragon Again gelding was driven by Donald Dupont and is owned and trained by Marie Dupont.

To view Sunday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Sunday Results - Georgian Downs.
While final totals won't be known for a few days, the Saturday and Sunday cards at Century Downs raised at least $8,000 for charity and received nothing but praise.

Fred Gillis, Executive Director of the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association noted that it was "a great day" as three charities -- Autism Speaks, Juvenile Diabetes and Breast Cancer -- were in the spotlight. On the track, Ontario's Jody Jamieson, James MacDonald and Jack Moiseyev made the trek west and donated all winnings from the Pacing For Charity card to their representative charities.

According to Gillis, each of the Ontario horsemen had their earnings matched dollar for dollar by three local participants -- Lorne Duffield, Bill Andrew and Shirley McClellan. Brandon Campbell and Ryan Grundy also followed the lead of the Ontario-based drivers and donated 100 per cent of their Sunday commissions to charity as well.

With all funds raised from the Pacing Under Saddle events and the Pacing For Charity card, Gillis puts the total for the weekend at a minimum of $8,000.

"A great day in Calgary," said SC President & CEO Dan Gall. "The Pacing for Charity event was extremely well done," with Gall noting stable tours accompanying the on-track fundraising activities. "There was a great turn out of fans and a great story to tell."

Gall sent in a few photos from the Pacing For Charity event. Those photos follow at the following link: SC's Dan Gall visits Century Downs
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This is my second post about Moebius, in which I wanted to tell my story how I came to discover him, love his comics and all the things I di...
BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE GOVERNMENT is making headway in bringing the country`s first Sovereign Wealth fund into fruition.





Cabinet on August 3, advised the Attorney General's Chambers to commence the drafting of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill which will bring the fund into effect.





The Sovereign Wealth Fund is aimed at creating a mechanism for future budgetary surpluses that will ensure the future economic prosperity of the Turks and Caicos Islands.





The Government earlier this year announced that model legislation will be laid in the House of Assembly for scrutiny and debate in the third quarter of the financial year.





It was noted that the repayment of the UK guaranteed bonds in February saw the Government putting forward its intentions to create a SWF to safeguard its people and businesses from sudden economic shocks.





The framework of a sovereign wealth fund is a valuable tool for achieving certain public policy and macroeconomic goals according to Minister of Finance, Investment and Trade Washington Misick .





Misick said the SWF will be established as a savings mechanism for the future.





He said: "This consultation will provide individuals, professional bodies, businesses, churches and other stakeholders, with a voice and vital input into how we plan for the future of our country.





Premier Rufus Ewing said at a press conference that after garnering the publics feedback, it will then inform the necessary policy changes in legislation that will be tabled before the House of Assembly.





He noted that the fund will put the Turks and Caicos Islands in an advantageous position in terms of financial management.





"The sovereign wealth fund is an initiative that several countries around the globe have, but very few countries in this region have and most persons would be very familiar with the sinking fund that weve created that weve worked under for the past three years while in Government.





"And whilst the sinking fund still remains necessary if the Turks and Caicos Islands Government seeks to acquire a loan via some kind of bond, its good to have a sinking fund.





"But outside of that its necessary for this Government to ensure that we can withstand any kind of global economic shock, so that we can have quick and fast recovery.





He explained that the creation of the sovereign wealth fund will have components to fund infrastructural development on an ongoing basis as well as to provide contingency funding for major catastrophic emergencies such as hurricanes.





"In addition to that, to have a prosperity fund is like a heritage fund, so that this generation and generations onward will be able to capitalise on savings that each government will bring into these Islands.





The fund will also support the countrys future credit ratings.





Guyana is the latest Caribbean country poised to establish a sovereign wealth fund.





The Guyanese government announced on November 25, 2015, that it intends to establish a sovereign wealth fund to enable the country to obtain long-term benefit from its oil and mineral resources.








BY OLIVIA ROSE

GOVERNOR Peter Beckingham has lauded the tourism sector in Turks and Caicos Islands for its enormous strides in making the country one of the top tourism brands in the Caribbean.





His extollment comes ahead of the forthcoming Invest TCI Enhancing National Competitiveness seminar to be held on September 1.





Governor Beckingham in a release said: "I have had plenty of opportunities during my three years in TCI to meet the leaders and drivers of the economy, here and overseas.





"At the moment these remain overwhelmingly in the tourism space, and everyone involved in that sector should take a bow for the enormous strides they have helped TCI to achieve.





"We are one of the top Caribbean brands, regarded as a high class resort destination offering quality beaches, sea, security and resorts.





"No-one needs me to remind them that it is essential that everyone in TCI works to keep that reputation.





"The risks include degradation of our environment, which on occasions does look fragile, an unacceptable increase in crime, and political instability. the Governor noted.





However, he cautioned that TCI is lagging behind others in the areas of food production and financial services.





He emphasized that the upcoming competitiveness conference will also focus on developing new businesses.





He noted that the country is far too dependent on food imports, and its financial services sector is a shadow of Overseas Territory partners and rivals in Bermuda, BVI and Cayman Islands.





"I will have a particular interest in hearing what the financial services group recommend TCI look to develop.





He pointed out that with the international focus on Overseas Territories and other countries with perceived tax benefits for investors, TCI will have to peddle very fast to catch its rivals, or over-take them.





The Governor welcomed the focus by Invest TCI on co-operation between business and the public sector.





He said: "I am pleased that the conference will also be looking at the contribution of the public sector to growing our economy





"Too often the public service is viewed as a drag on economic development rather than a provider; and again we need to work hard to gain and maintain the confidence of business and the public.





"To this end I am particularly pleased that, over the last few months, I have been able to introduce the start of more private sector buy-in to improve public service delivery and customer service.





Acknowledging that notable changes will not take place overnight, he encouraged new business owners to seek the advice of seasoned entrepreneurs.





Finally the Governor noted that his tenure is coming to an end and he would be leaving TCI in a little over a months time.





"I will, sadly, be leaving Turks and Caicos Islands this October after three very happy and, I believe, fruitful years.





"The Government has been successful in paring down its debt to a negligible amount, from a colossal $260 million.





"Standards and Poor have given us successive Triple B Plus ratings, and our reputation for top end tourism, including notably in villa development, is at an all time high.





He asserted that the formation of Invest TCI is an important and necessary step in building on these achievements.





"I look forward to hearing of their conclusions from this Competitiveness seminar, continuing to contribute from overseas to TCIs successes, and hearing about new investments in the coming months. Im sure TCI has a great future.




BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE GOVERNMENT needs to be more proactive and transparent in dealing with Zika Virus cases before there is a national outbreak.





These sentiments were expressed by the Leader of the Progressive Democratic Alliance (PDA) Oswald Skippings in a media release issued Wednesday, August10.





Skippings remarks come days after Leader of the People`s Democratic Movement (PDM) Sharlene Cartwright Robinson expressed her party`s concern with what seems to be a lack of effort by the Government to seriously deal with the Zika virus.





The PDM also noted that there is seemingly a lack of dedication on the part of the Government to actively address the Zika virus in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





To date five cases of the dreaded Zika virus was confirmed in the Turks and Caicos Islands by Premier and Minister of Health Dr. Rufus Ewing in a release issued on Sunday July 24.





However , Skippings said the fact that the whereabouts of the cases discovered is shrouded in secrecy ,not only deprives the public of the opportunity of knowing where to exercise uttermost caution, but it puts pregnant and potentially pregnant women at an unnecessary higher risk of contracting this potentially dangerous virus.





He said: "The insensitive and unprofessional approach taken by the Premier speaks to the lack of concern for the wellbeing of our people by him and his PNP administration. It is totally unfair and unacceptable and is an insult to our intelligence.





Skippings emphasized that more must be done to protect and educate the population.





"Moreover, it is simply not enough to distribute more mosquito nets and utilize more insecticides, but as I have been stating for the past twelve months, among the measures a PDA administration would take, include changing the current policy of pumping out or treating settled water in public areas only thereby avoiding private property, employing and training more Turks and Caicos Islanders in the Environmental Health department to effectively cover the entire country and putting in place a structured vector control program nationwide.





Premier Ewing also recently stated that: "The Environmental Health Department and Public Health Disease Surveillance Team of the Ministry of Health has stepped up its surveillance activities and has been working with the persons infected with the Zika virus to ensure that the risk of in-country transmission is reduced.





He urged calm as there is no evidence of in-country transmission at this time, although it remains possible.





He emphasized that the Environmental Health Department will continue its fogging activities where necessary and country-wide cleanup campaigns will continue.





He noted that: "During the Pre-Joint Ministerial Council Conference which was hosted here last week I, along with the other UK Overseas Territory Leaders, discussed new and innovative ways to combat the Zika virus by reducing the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito population.





"We will continue to explore those initiatives which are deemed suitable and applicable in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





"We are particularly asking pregnant women to take extra precaution to avoid mosquito bites and to visit our local public health care providers who are currently issuing mosquito nets and providing educational material.





However, on Monday July 25 during the House of Assembly the Premier revealed that the Government is contemplating genetically modified mosquitoes to control the population of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito.





He told the House that the Government has already engaged companies involved in the manufacture of genetically modified mosquitoes.





He said: "If this goes well and good, this is something that we may have to consider using in the future and we will have to sensitize the public about it.





"I would like to say that yes, these five cases did not just pop up on Saturday. A number of these cases are some that were once in time suspected and before we even communicated anything, as it relates to the suspected cases; we had to confirm, because we have to be true that we are confirming.





"We had to also go further and find out, in addition to whether or not they are imported cases, versus in-country transmission. So lots of works have been going on behind the scenes, Premier Rufus Ewing said.





The Zika virus has since been reported in 20 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean from February 2014 to January 26, 2016.




BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE GOVERNMENT of the Turks and Caicos Islands has launched a new partnership with the Cayman Islands to improve the performance of the civil services of both countries.





The new partnership is geared at enhancing training, professional development and performance management in the civil service.





On August 8, Deputy Governor' Anya Williams accompanied by the Director of her office Mr. Tito Lightbourne and Human Resources Director Mr. Mark Greenway visited the Cayman Islands to commence talks with officials in this regard.





According to a media release during the course of the visit the Deputy Governor and her team had the opportunity to engage with Cayman`s Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and his team on areas of mutual interest and how both territories could work to improve the services that their agencies provide to the general public.





Commenting on the visit Deputy Governor Manderson said: "It was a privilege and pleasure to welcome the Deputy Governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands to the Cayman Islands.





"We are working together to improve the performance of our respective civil services so that we can deliver high quality services to our customers and look forward to great successes."





According to the release Deputy Governor Williams was pleased to visit Cayman and to formally launch such a partnership.





She stated: "DG Manderson and I were appointed during the same period as both our territories have been undergoing a series of reform programs throughout the years, we both have continuously led over the years in delivering presentations in the UK and elsewhere on the successes of our reform programs.





"Following on from the voluntary severance program in the Turks and Caicos we have spent a considerable amount of time during the past few years in focusing on rebuilding the civil service by ensuring that departments were properly staffed and equipped with the resources needed to carry out their jobs, including improvements in pay and infrastructure and whilst there is still some work to be done in this area, our new vision will focus on rebranding the civil service and on improving our customer service delivery.





She explained that this will be done by continuing to focus on staff training and professional development and by ensuring that proper performance management systems are put in place.





The Cayman Islands has been of great assistance to the Turks and Caicos Islands in the past in providing training for social services and in other areas of development.




CABINET has advised the Attorney General's Chambers to commence the drafting of the Sovereign Wealth Fund Bill which will bring the fund into effect.





His Excellency the Governor, Peter Beckingham, chaired the 22nd meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday, 3 August 2016, at the Hon. N J S Francis Building on Grand Turk.





All Ministers were present except the Hon. George Lightborne, Minister of Home Affairs, Transportation and Communication.





At this meeting Cabinet:

Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve amending the Hotel and Tourism (Taxation) (Designated Restaurant) Order 2016 which lays out the criteria for an establishment to be considered as a designated restaurant for the purposes of the collection of tourism related taxes.





The amendments would commence on September 1, 2016.





Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a license to construct a rock breakwater seaward in the Juba Salina in Providenciales subject to conditions as set out by the Departments of Planning and Environment and Maritime Affairs.





Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a license to construct and operate a beach restaurant and deck business in Grace Bay Providenciales subject to the conditions as set out by the Crown Land Unit and the Departments of Planning and Environment and Maritime Affairs.





Cabinet agreed to support in principle an application for a long-term lease over two parcels of commercial land for the development of a car detailing service center in Grand Turk. Cabinet further approved the issuance of a notice for tender for a long-term lease over the identified parcels in accordance with the Crown Land Ordinance.





Cabinet agreed the submission of the Statement of Net Excess Expenditure to the House of Assembly for consideration as part of the charge to Public Funds for the Financial Year 2015/16 and in accordance with the Public Financial Management Ordinance.





Cabinet agreed that the Attorney General's Chambers commence the drafting of amendments to Reg 3 (2) (d) (iii) of the Business Licensing (Amendment) No. 2 Reg 2015 and the repeal of the Immigration (Exemption) Order 2015 (30 of 2015).





Agreed that the Ministry of Finance, Investment and Trade to undertake a review of businesses operating in the reserved and restricted categories with the aim of formulating a policy to protect Turks and Caicos Islanders and Turks and Caicos Islanders interests in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the grant of concession orders for four businesses under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Policy operated by Invest Turks and Caicos.





Cabinet agreed in principle, subject to the standard legal, planning and environmental requirements, to a proposal by Grace Bay Resort for the development of a 48 cottage rental suites and 4 residential homes as an oceanfront development in Providenciales.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the advancement of the amendments to the Tobacco Ordinance to the House of Assembly which will exempt specialty shops, whose sole business is tobacco, to advertise and display tobacco products.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to agree for the Attorney General's Chambers to commence drafting the regulations to the Tobacco Ordinance.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to agree for the Attorney General's Chambers to commence the drafting of amendments to the Public and Environmental Health Ordinance to review the offences under sections 4, 5 and 7 to allow for a ticketing system and imposition of fines as penalties for non-compliance of upkeep of surroundings.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to conduct a consultation for a period of two weeks commencing Friday August 5 2016 among the political parties and those candidates who as of that date are widely known to be running independently, on recommended amendments to the voting ballot to change the current layout from a portrait to a landscape with candidates listed alphabetically and grouped by party affiliation, with the view of simplifying the voting process and presentation of candidates on the ballot for the voting populace.





Cabinet agreed to the commencement of a consultation of industry stakeholders for the construction of a national fiber ring along the circumference of the chain of islands to reinforce the data and communications connectivity of all the islands and to improve the broadband service experienced in the family islands.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the amendments to the Telecommunications (Fee) Structure Regulations for the adoption of a revised license fee structure for commencement September 1, 2016.





Agreed for the body of the late Charles Glinton Snr. to lay in repose from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturday August 13, 2016 at the General Post Office in Grand Turk.





Agreed to name the government building which currently houses the General Post Office as the Charles Glinton Snr. Building in honor of the late officer's contribution to the work of the post office and the civil service.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to grant approval for the Ministry of Tourism, Environment, Culture and Heritage to enter a bid for the hosting of the 2017 Caribbean Tourism Organization State of the Industry Conference in the Turks and Caicos Islands.





Agreed for the Ministry of Finance to set up a working group for the transitional arrangement for

the Carnival Cruise Center and Downtown Welcome Center whose ownership will transfer to the Government once Carnival has recovered their investment which it is expected to be in 2018.





Noted and gave support for the appointment of the Minister of Border Control and Employment Services as the Turks and Caicos Islands Special Representative to the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors to represent the interests of the TCI in CARICOM led initiatives.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to approve the appointment of a Steering Committee for the CCTV Policing and Security Project which will expand the installation and monitoring of closed circuit television cameras in the islands of Providenciales and Grand Turk (initially) as a part of the National Security Council's crime prevention and detection program. The committee will comprise of members of the Police Force, the Computer Unit and other stakeholder government departments or agencies, and chaired by the Director of the Office of the Premier.





Advised His Excellency the Governor to appoint Ms. Tracy Smith of North Caicos to the National Health Insurance Board to meet the number of prescribed appointments in accordance with the National Health Insurance Board Ordinance.





Agreed to the approval of an additional five taxi licenses for Providenciales Cabinet denied a request for supplementary appropriation made by the judiciary for additional funding in the SIPT trials towards legal aide.





Further information on these matters will be provided by Ministers in due course.
tech2 News Staff

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now that time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of today's 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 new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment we take the pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people and to the still larger cause of humanity with some pride."

That is the start of the historic speech that Jawaharlal Nehru at parliament house, towards midnight on August 14, 1947. The speech is commonly referred to as the "Tryst with Destiny" speech. The speech is considered one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century. While the speech is optimistic about the future of India, it was given against the backdrop of communal tensions and the partition. At the start of the speech, when Nehru says the pledge is not redeemed wholly or in full measure, he is referring to the partition of India.

Today's Google Doodle commemorates the speech by showing Nehru at the constituent assembly, delivering the speech. Nehru's speech was interrupted frequently with loud applause from an enthusiastic applause from the Indian Constituent Assembly. Although originally delivered in English, there was a Hindi version recorded, that was broadcast on All India Radio.
tech2 News Staff

For India's Independence Day, we take a look at some of the most important technological innovations over the years by Indians.

#7 i-Diya



Developed by an IIT B student, the i-Diya is a small, portable solar powered LED light and mobile charger. There are three variations available, the i-Diya basic is the smallest and most portable. The i-Diya home is a solar lamp that can illuminate a home. The i-Diya charge is the version with the mobile charger. The device is sold by the company illumind solartek Pvt. Ltd. The i-Diya is made to work in demanding weather conditions. It was designed in mind keeping the needs of the rural population in mind, including food stall owners, healthcare workers, and street-side hawkers.

#6 SmartCane

Navigating Indian roads can be hazardous even for those with sight. There are various obstructions at street level, including uneven footpaths, potholes, wayward vegetation, hawkers and street dogs. A regular cane can help the visually challenged avoid these obstacles, but there are other dangers as well, at chest and face level. These include sides of trucks, protruding air conditioners, overhanging wires, clothes hung out to dry, tree branches or protrusions from construction sites.

The SmartCane allows the visually challenged to detect these obstacles, providing faster and safer mobility. The SmartCane is an electronic device with a high battery capacity that vibrates a cane in four different modes on detection of obstacles. The SmartCane is added to a regular cane and can be held with various grips. Developed by IIT Delhi, Saksham.org organises distribution and training camps for the SmartCane.

#5 Microwave Communication

Jagdish Chandra Bose pioneered the development of wireless communication with a technological demonstration of microwave transmission in Calcutta. Bose's innovations included developing a mercury coherer, a component of radio receivers. Using mercury significantly improved the performance and usability of radio recievers. Bose could have patented the idea, but his focus was on the product and not on making profit from it.

However, due to pressure from friends and colleagues, he holds the first patent for a solid state diode that detects electromagnetic waves. The demonstration included ringing a remote bell, setting off a gunpowder explosion and sending the waves through the body of the Chairman, Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. To boost the capacity of broadband networks, India is planning to implement backhaul networks that use microwave transmission.

#4 USB interface

The USB interface is a ubiquitous standard to connect devices. Ajay Bhatt is the co-inventor of the USB standard. He is an Intel fellow, and has won the European Inventor Award in the Non-European countries category in 2013.

In 2009, Ajay Bhatt was featured in an advertisement by Intel, where he is shown by an actor walking through the office like a rock star. People are wearing shirts with his name on it, and cramming for autographs. Bhatt was also involved in the development of the PCI express standard.

#3 Intel Pentium Chip



The Intel Pentium chip was developed by a team lead by an Indian, Vinod Dham. Dham has developed chips that have been used by Intel, AMD and Qualcomm. He is known as the "Father of the Pentium". He started his career in 1971 by joining a Delhi based semiconductor company called Continental Devices. Dham's innovative approach for developing the chip was going to customers and software publishers, and compiled a list of 147 features the companies wanted. By including these features, Intel avoided making costly tweaks to the product after it was launched. Dham is a philanthropist, and has donated to many charities in India and the United States.

#2 Fibre Optics



Narinder Singh Kapany is known as the "Father of Fibre Optics." Kapany coined the term "Fibre Optics" in 1956. According to a fortune magazine feature in 2009, a high school teacher had told Kapany that light could only travel in a straight line. Kapany proved his teacher wrong by developing fibre optic cables. Kapany has written several papers and delivered lectures in universities around the world, on the theoretical aspects of fibre optic communication. Kapany is an avid collector of Sikh art, and has held exhibitions of his dynoptic sculptures.

#1 Binary



Binary was conceptualised by Indian mathematician and Sanskrit grammaticist Pingala. The Chandahshastra was written between 500 and 0 BC and contains the earliest known description of binary. The same text contains the earliest descriptions of the Fibonacci sequence. Binary, forms the base of most modern computation, and is widely known as the language used by computers. Binary is a way to store and transmit information using two states, on or off, represented by the numbers 0 and 1.
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By Asheeta Regidi

Trai has announced that it will come up with a final consultation paper on Free Data, and also a pre-consultation paper on Net Neutrality by the end of this month. The pre-consultation paper on Free Data (the Consultation Paper), which was issued in May 2016, asked for options where free data could be provided for accessing certain websites or apps without violating the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations issued earlier in February. The objective of the paper is to maximise internet penetration, and make internet available even to the poorest.

The models suggested in the Consultation Paper are a reward of free data for certain internet uses, zero data charges for accessing certain content, and refunding data charges in a manner similar to refund of LPG subsidies. These models are very similar to plans like Facebooks Free Basics and Airtel Zero, which were banned by the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations.

While it is clear that Trai has no intention of withdrawing the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations, the Consultation Paper does appear to open up the doors to net neutrality violations again. Heres a look at the comments and counter-comments that have come in response to this paper.

Large TSPs and TSP associations want content-based free data schemes

The response of large TSPs like Vodafone, Idea and so on are quite predictable. They, alongwith most of the TSP associations such as ACTO, COAI and AUSPI, are in support of the idea of free access to certain sites. They, in fact, point out the similarities between the proposed models and the similar models brought out by them, such as Airtels One Touch Internet and Reliances Facebook Tap. They have also asked for a withdrawal of the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations, on the grounds that they hamper the innovation and forbearance capabilities of the TSPs.

They do, however, take issue with the fact that a TSP agnostic platform, or a platform which is completely independent of the TSPs, is to be given the power to decide how the lower prices or discounts are to be provided. They allege that there is nothing to prevent such a platform from acting as a gatekeeper in itself. They argue that TSPs are in a better position to perform this function, since they are subject to strict regulatory and licensing requirements from Trai.

Smaller TSPs and other companies fear net neutrality violations

Smaller TSPs like Atria, Citicom and MTS are against content based free data proposal, mostly on the grounds that the models suggested violate net neutrality. They point out that allowing content based free data in any form will give an unfair advantage to large TSPs and content providers. Smaller companies and start-ups will be left in the lurch since they will not have the financial capabilities to effectively compete with such schemes. These entities also share the fear of the TSPs that there is nothing to stop a TSP agnostic platform from also acting as a gatekeeper.

Some alternative suggestions for free data schemes which do not violate net neutrality

The approach suggested by Trai will, to a large extent, only benefit existing users of the internet, since a basic internet access of some sort is required before the users can enjoy the benefits of a rewards or a refund. Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC), in its comments, points to research that found that only 12 percent of the users of zero rating services abroad (no data charges for certain websites), started using it because of the zero rating. Clearly, these schemes are not achieving the objective of increasing internet usage, and an alternative solution is required.

Many of the responses came up with alternative suggestions for free data schemes which can increase internet usage without violating net neutrality. Some of these suggestions are listed below:

The Digital Empowerment Foundation suggests the provision of free data quotas or packs, which would give a limited amount of data free of charge to all consumers. Any data usage above the basic pack will be charged at normal rates. It also suggests making such packs mandatory as a part of the TSP licensing terms or alternatively subsidising the cost of these packs through other benefits to the TSPs.

suggests the provision of free data quotas or packs, which would give a limited amount of data free of charge to all consumers. Any data usage above the basic pack will be charged at normal rates. It also suggests making such packs mandatory as a part of the TSP licensing terms or alternatively subsidising the cost of these packs through other benefits to the TSPs. MTS suggests that content providers be allowed free internet access for a limited time or quantity, such as 30 minutes per day, or 100MB per day, to certain groups, like low income groups.

suggests that content providers be allowed free internet access for a limited time or quantity, such as 30 minutes per day, or 100MB per day, to certain groups, like low income groups. Mozilla and SFLC suggest the equal rating system, where a small amount of data per day is made available free of charge to all internet users, over and above whatever other packs they may have purchased.

and suggest the equal rating system, where a small amount of data per day is made available free of charge to all internet users, over and above whatever other packs they may have purchased. The Centre for Internet and Society suggests that the government allow TSPs to provide free internet to all, at a lower speed, and in return exempt the TSPs from the USO contributions in their license fees. This will ensure free data to all without differentiating based on content.

suggests that the government allow TSPs to provide free internet to all, at a lower speed, and in return exempt the TSPs from the USO contributions in their license fees. This will ensure free data to all without differentiating based on content. SFLC also suggests an increase in free public Wi-Fi hotspots, like the kind being made available in Indian railway stations, to increase internet accessibility without content-based discrimination.

MTNL suggests that if content-based free data is to be allowed, the government should determine what constitutes the basic services to be allowed for free, such as railway booking services, and not leave this to the understanding of the TSPs.

suggests that if content-based free data is to be allowed, the government should determine what constitutes the basic services to be allowed for free, such as railway booking services, and not leave this to the understanding of the TSPs. MTS also suggests that content providers be allowed to give data-based rewards for certain activity, such as watching associated advertisements.

Atria suggests that if free data is to be allowed, first establish a negative list of what cannot be done, such as no throttling of speeds.

First establish ground rules of net neturality

One common aspect of most of the comments to the Consultation Paper was the confusion regarding Trais stance on net neutrality. Many entities, including the large TSPs, pointed out the contradiction between this Consultation Paper and the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations.

This paper gives the impression that the Discriminatory Tariff Regulations were issued not to prevent content based discrimination, but to prevent telecom service providers from becoming gatekeepers. In reality, that is not the main fear of the people, but the fear that net neutrality will be affected. The culprits might be anyone, whether it is the TSP, the content provider or the TSP agnostic platform suggested by Trai. It needs to modify its approach, and first lay down the fundamental rules on net neutrality. Any other regulations must first comply with these rules.

While the motives of Trai are laudible, it is hoped that Trai will look into the several suggestions made that will achieve the dual targets of maximum internet penetration as well as securing net neutrality.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung is getting ready for IFA 2016 for which it has started sending out invites for international media. The invite shows the hour and minute hands of a watch, hinting at the probable launch of the Samsung Gear S3.

The Samsung press conference is scheduled to take place on 1 September.

According to SamMobile, the Gear S3 will be launched with a rotary bezel, just like its predecessor. IFA has been a platform where Samsung has launched flagships such as the Galaxy Note series.

Since the Galaxy Note 7 has already been launched, it looks like the Gear S3 will be the star of the show for Samsung at IFA 2016. According to TechRadar, the Gear S3 will most likely release in different variants  a sporty one and more elegant one. It will be called the Classic, Frontier and Explorer variants.

Apart from the smartwatch, Samsung is also expected to launch the Galaxy Tab S3 which will be a successor to the Galaxy Tab S2.

IFA is scheduled to take place from 2-7 September.
Aditya Madanapalle

Every Indian has a right to high speed broadband internet. One of the known ways to increase broadband penetration is to encourage the creation of local language content. Even if users go online, there has to be something on the internet that is relevant to their needs, available in their native language. Korea and Australia are examples where users directly connected to broadband services, before opting for narrowband options, because of an increase in the amount of local content.

India has 22 scheduled languages and 122 languages with more than 10,000 speakers. There is a lot of room for growth for publishers when it comes to creating local language content. The kind of content needed is not just news, and information, but videos and games as well. There is a need for developing voice interfaces for web services in regional languages. Kiosks, ATMs, ticketing machines and vending machines in local languages will help in an increase in number of people using these services.

Residents in rural areas, and everyone but those who live in metro cities, have shown a high propensity for using local language services. The response for creation of technology enabled services in the local language has not been appropriate taking the demand in consideration.

Keyboards, software, search engines, mobile operating systems, all of these are more useful to people in local languages, if the latest technology tools and services are to be made available to those who are now under-served. This will help bridge the digital literacy gap, by allowing a large number of people to use electronic devices in a familiar language.

This is not just a matter of translation. Sure translation can be easily achieved, but there is also the need of the generation of relevant to the locals, and utilitarian. The content should be within the local cultural context, tailored to the audience, with a voice that the local speakers of that language can relate to.

The government can at least create fonts, keyboards and standards, that allow for the creation of local language content. Maybe even an India specific mobile operating system with support for all the local regional languages is needed to help in increasing broadband penetration.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology recently held a meeting with representatives of Google, Microsoft and Rediff in an effort to get technology corporations to support email addresses in local languages. This is an effort to allow citizens living in rural and semi-rural areas to have access to email with local language handles. The implementation will start with Hindi but will roll out for other languages as well.

The Google Indic keyboard is available for text entry in 23 languages. The input options include entry with english characters, a local language keyboard, and the ability to trace out the letters directly on the touchscreen. The Indic Project creates open source information infrastructure for Indian Languages. It has text to speech systems, predictive transliteration, Indian language processing applications library and fonts available for Indian languages.
China's young entrepreneurs go home to get rich 2016-08-15 08:06 By (Xinhua)

Employees of start-ups walk out of an incubator center in Lanzhou city, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province. Oct 10, 2015. Incubator centers have been set up these years to boost start-ups in Chengguan district of Lanzhou city. Measures including simplifying procedures for licenses application and earmarking subsidiaries have been implemented to reduce the operation cost for the companies in these centers. Up to now, about 30 incubator centers have fostered more than 1000 start-ups in the sectors encompassing e-commercial, bio-pharmaceutical, cultural and creative and internet plus industries. [Photo/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.
With teams able to score on every serve and the matches only best-of-three, the emotions and momentum of a beach volleyball match at the Olympics can swing rather quickly.

These quick swings were perfectly embodied by a young Brazilian fan Sunday.

This excited fan was watching Brazilian beach volleyball superstars Larissa Franca and Talita Antunes on Sunday as the duo won a highly-contested, three-set match against Switzerland. The match was full of intense moments, and our young Brazilian fan has gifted us with a very dramatic, emotional reaction for each and every moment of Sundays three-set thriller.

In less than a minute, we see so many great reactions from this youngster. It started with the classic hands-in-the-head reaction. We then see moments of dancing, sad tears, jumping up and down, head scratching, screaming, and it all ends with a burst of happy tears. Lets also not forget this young mans valiant effort to keep the wave going inside the stadium.

This young man has a passion for sports, and we salute him for that. Thankfully, Americas youth has passion for sports, too. Back in July, one young fan gave us a show of emotions during a Pittsburgh Pirates fan.

With Franca and Antunes headed to the semifinals, its likely our young Brazilian friend will be making a few more cameo appearances on screen. Lord only knows how emotional this young man could get if Franca and Antunes take on the U.S. beach volleyball duo of Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross in the gold medal.

[FTW]
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
The woman turning rubbish into homes in Pakistan

Nargis Latif calls her work a \'bloody revolution\' and believes it has the potential to change the world.

Al Jazeera News :

The doctors had given up on her. Her children and husband were at her side, crying. Shouts of "she's going, she's going" and "mummy, don't 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 couldn't diagnose what was wrong with her, although they suspected it might be blood cancer.

"I can't 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."

Latif's 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.

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 hasn't been easy," she says. "I realised I had to dedicate my whole life to it. Once you commit, you can't 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.
DIU holds seminar on cervical cancer vaccination

Prof Dr SM Keramat Ali addressing at a seminar on cervical cancer vaccination held at Daffodil International University organized by the Public Health Department of the University on Saturday.

Campus Report :

About 17688 women are attacked by Cervical Cancer every year in Bangladesh and every day about 18 women died by this disease. Only creating awareness about this disease among the women can prevent it, said the speaker at a seminar. Department of Public Health of Daffodil International University (DIU) in collaboration with 'Projayeeni' a project of Child and Mother Care jointly organized the seminar on "Creating Awareness on Cervical Cancer Vaccination" today on Saturday at DIU Auditorium. Prof Dr Shah Md. Keramat Ali of Department of Public Health of DIU was present as the chief guest.

Presided over by Dr Md. Shahjahan, Associate Professor and Head of the department, the keynote paper in the seminar was presented by Dr Badrul Haque. The seminar was conducted by Ainun Memi, Director, 'Projayeeni' project of Child and Mother Care and also addressed by Dr Ehsanul Haque, Researcher, ICDDRB and Md. Akhlakur Rahman, General Secretary, Child and Mother Care.

Prof Dr SM Keramat Ali said, DIU is very much conscious about the health care of the students and for that university authority already set up a medical center. After the commencement of Department of Public Health, a series of Health concerned awareness program, seminar and workshops have been organized under the department. He urged the students to follow the rules of health in every step of life, which help them to be healthy and to contribute to the nation.


ELE system for learning English in Bangladesh

Campus Desk :

The English Language Education (ELE) system in Bangladesh has been created based on the National Education Policy (NEP 2010) implemented by the authorities including the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (DSHE) and the University Grant Commission (UGC). It as a system which covers a compulsory education of General English with an emphasis on the communicative English up to the pre-tertiary phase of education as well as the optional education of academic subjects in English medium at all phases of education.

It, as a system, is not based on any kind of language policy rather than on some arguments, the instances of which can be found in the writings of advocates of ELE in Bangladesh. Imam (2005) and Hamid (2010) are such advocates who actually echo the suggestion of English language educationists who have been working to vernacularize English in the plurilingual countries, e.g. India, Kenya and Nigeria. They provide the following arguments: i) English is a colonial inheritance, ii) English is an international language, iii) English is a means for the access to global knowledge, and iv) English is a means for the access to global job market in favour of the compulsory provision for the ELE.

On the basis of above arguments, the ELE policy makers of Bangladesh made English language a compulsory subject in the education system of Bangladesh with the two basic principles: i) English for all and ii) Earlier is better.

The ELE system follows a principle of giving an extraordinary burden of ELE at the earlier phases of education and exemption from the requisite level of ELE to undertake study in the higher phases of education. It also gives an exemption from the linguistic competency to be necessitated by the teachers at the entry to teaching jobs in each phase of education. In fact the prevalent ELE practices have brought forth a number of adverse consequences, which are causing to damage the country's language and culture as in the following descriptions.

1) Loss of various domains of Bangla language: The prevalent ELE system has created a situation of language contact conducive to the borrowing and calquing of linguistic elements from English into Bangla. Many of the borrowings from English are causing to replace the words and expressions, e.g. congratulations of Bangla. Because of the unusual borrowing and calquing, languages of academic domains in Bangla have been falling into disuse, the process that has been causing to disuse of the domain specific languages in Bangla. This process of disuse of domain specific languages has continued to yield deficiency in Bangla, which, in effect, has been causing to lose the capacity of Bangla in containing the growing disciplines of knowledge.

2) Change in the linguistic landscape of the country: The consequences of the ELE system have manifested itself in the linguistic landscapes of Bangladesh. Accordingly change in the visual landscape can be noticed on the signboards/billboards in the cities and labels of commodities all over the country. There are some centers in every city, where hardly a Bangla billboard can be seen. The English medium institutions and organizations also present a visual landscape of languages that they can hardly be recognized a sit to be a part of Bangladesh. The change in the acoustic linguistic landscape can also be noticed in the localities. The code-mixing of Bangla and English as well as the code switching from Bangla to English have been common phenomenon in the premises of different social and educational institutions, and corporate offices. They can be noticed in the speech and music broadcasted through the TV and radio. Hence the ELE has continued to shape the national culture and create English subculture in the major cities, and causing to loss the empathy to the indigenous culture.

3) Shifting of Bangla medium institutions into English medium corporate organizations: The consequences of prevalent ELE has manifested in such a way that the government and private institutions, and the corporate organizations have continued to turn into English medium organizations for which the main cities of Bangladesh have appeared to be the cities of the English speaking countries.

4) Reproduction of English subculture: The ELE has been shaping the thinking process of the English educated who have been contributing to the creation of English subculture within the Bangalee culture, which is different from its parent Bangalee culture, by importing culture of the Anglophone countries. The reproduction of this homegrown English subculture has been steadilyoccurring with the participation of English educated people coming out from the English medium schools and universities. Hence it has now been evident that the ELE practices have appeared as means to reproduce the extraneous English subculture with the own resources.

5) Submission to the English linguistic empire: The ELE carried over from the British colonial education system has been contributing in withstanding a condition for the submission of Bangladesh to the English linguistic empire. Though English was once merely a language of the UK, it has now been the language of dominant countries, e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, UK and the USA, which are actually the colonies of invading Europeans occupied in the last centuries (cf. Phillipson, 2009). This is how the Anglophone countries have achieved pre-eminence over other major powers of the world since the era of colonial expansion.

6) Creation of Social disparity: The ELE has been the symbol of power, prestige and economic affluence (Imam, 2005). It has been means of social mobility in that it serves as means for jumping to the higher socio-economic strata from the lower socio-economic strata. It has brought disadvantage for the poor social class, because of their socio-economic disposition. Therefore the ELE policy has been contributing in shaping the society, which can be characterized with economic disparity (cf Hamid, 2010).


Kriti Sanon to donote her eyes



News is actress Kriti Sanon has decided to donate her eyes. The actress strongly feels that its a sheer blessing to be able to experience see and witness this big beautiful world. And so Kriti has pledged her eyes.

We all know how Aishwarya in the past also has announced her wish and expressed how she would donate her eyes to someone in need. After Aishwarya its Krit Sanon who wants to pledge her eyes to someone else who has lost his/her eyes.

In fact, the actress Is also encouraging others for the same cause and feels more people should take this up. It is a sheer brave step that the actress has committed to at such an early stage of life.

When contacted Kriti shared, It is something I have wanted to do since many years. I really feel that it is a blessing to be able to see this beautiful world.
Post '75 regimes pinned down AL for 21 years



State Minister for Local Government Ministry Mashiur Rahman Ranga said post 1975 regimes put in their efforts to hold down ruling Awami League for 21 years.

Awami League was not allowed to keep its head high for 21 years after the assassination of Bangabandhu, he said this on Monday while speaking at a discussion on National Mourning Day organised by the Local Government Ministry.

Ranga said propaganda was carried out against Bangabandhu and family while Awami League leaders and activists were exposed to reprehension during the 21 years until the landmark 1996 general elections which brought the party back to power.

He sought support for the incumbent government with Jatiya Party being its coalition partner saying under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's leadership the country was advancing on the track to be a middle income country by 2019.

"All of us should to extend our hands to the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she is working relentlessly for the development of the country," he said.

The discussion was held at the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) with Local Government Division's secretary Abdul Maleque in the chair.

The meeting also was addressed, among others, by Acting Secretary of Rural Development and Cooperative Division Proshanta Kumar Roy, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Chief Engineer Shyama Prashad Adhikari, Director General of Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB) Mohammad Abdul Quiyum and DPHE Chief Engineer M Wali Ullah.
Homage paid to Bangabandhu

Portrait of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was bedecked with flowers at Dhanmondi-32, Bangabandhu Bhaban, marking the 41st National Mourning Day on Monday.

Staff Reporter :The nation observed the National Mourning Day on Monday across the country paying rich tributes to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his 41st martyrdom anniversary.The government, the ruling Awami League (AL) and different socio-cultural, political and professional bodies chalked out elaborate programme to mark the day. Thousands of people from all strata participated in the programme to pay their homage to the greatest leader. On this day in 1975, the Father of the Nation along with most of his family members was assassinated by a section of disgruntled army personnel.His two daughters-Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister and Sheikh Rehana-escaped the bloodbath as they were abroad at that time.Security in and around the capital city as well as in other metropolitan cities had been beefed up to avoid any untoward incident. Entry and exit points of the metropolis had been kept under extensive watch as part of the enhanced security measures. The day's programme began with hoisting of the national flag at half-mast and raising of black flags atop public and private buildings, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, as a mark of respect to the martyrs of August 15, 1975 carnage.Wearing black badges, hundreds of people from all walks of life thronged the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum on the historical road number 32 in Dhanmondi residential area since as early as 6 in the morning to pay profound homage to the Father of the Nation by placing wreaths at his portrait there.People of all walks of life expressed their strong commitment to protect the values of the War of Independence by resisting all conspiracy against the country and fighting back terrorism and militancy by building a national unity like they did in 1971.The resolution came from the politicians, intellectuals, social and development activists, professional groups, civil society members and trade bodies while they were paying their highest and deepest respect to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his 41st martyrdom anniversary. As part of the state programme on the National Mourning Day, President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the wreaths separately at the portrait of Bangabandhu. After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence there for some time as a mark of respect to the great leader. A smartly turned out contingent of Bangladesh Armed Forces gave an honour guard, while bugle played tune of grief and somber. Special Munajat was offered seeking eternal peace of the departed souls.Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Deputy Leader of the House Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, cabinet members, Prime Minister's advisors, parliament members, cabinet secretary, chiefs of the three services, senior leaders of Bangladesh Awami League and the 14-Party combine, and senior government officials were present on the occasion.Flanked by senior party leaders, Sheikh Hasina, also the President of Awami League, placed another wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu. Later, the Prime Minister visited the historic residence of Bangabandhu on Dhanmondi Road No. 32 which witnessed world's one of the most barbaric carnage on this day in 1975.Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury placed wreath at the portrait of Bangabandhu while President of Supreme Court Bar Association Advocate Yusuf Hossain Humayun placed wreath on behalf of Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.The 14-Party Combine, led by Health Minister and AL Presidium Member Mohammad Nasim, Information Minister and JASOD President Hasanul Haque Inu, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister and Workers Party President Rashed Khan Menon, Samyabadi Dal President and former minister Dilip Barua also placed wreaths at the portrait of the Father of the Nation.Later, the Prime Minister went to Banani Graveyard in the city and paid homage to her mother Bangamata Fazilatun Nesa Mujib, Sheikh Kamal, Sheikh Jamal and Sheikh Russell and other martyrs of August 15 by placing wreaths and spreading flower petals on their graves. She also offered Fateha and doa seeking eternal peace of the departed souls of the martyrs of August 15. Like in the capital city, thousands of mourners from all strata of life also gathered at the mausoleum of Bangabandhu at Tungipara to pay deep homage to Father of the Nation. The Prime Minister paid homage to Father of the Nation by placing wreath at his graveyard and stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memory of the architect of the independence. A special contingent drawn from the three services gave a state salute on the occasion, while bugle played the last post. Chiefs of the three services were present at that time. Different ministries, divisions, institutions, foreign diplomats and socio-cultural-professional bodies also placed wreaths at Bangabandhu's portrait in front of Bangabandhu Museum. Bangladesh missions in different countries observed the day with due fervor amid different programmes.The national dailies published special supplements while Bangladesh Betar and Bangladesh Television and other private television channels and radio stations aired special programmes highlighting the life of Bangabandhu, his affection and care for his people and immense contribution to the nation.Special prayers were offered at all the places of worships seeking divine blessings for eternal peace of the souls of the martyrs of August 15 carnage while different organisation organised blood donation camps and distributed foods among the destitute at different places across the country.Black banners and posters were hung at different places across the capital and the country. The historic speeches of Bangabandhu and patriotic songs were played through loudspeakers at different places.The day was a public holiday, but the capital city and other major cities and towns were busy when people came out of their homes to pay homage to their greatest leader by participating in different programmes, organised in befitting manners.A milad mahfil was held yesterday at Bangabhaban on the occasion of National Mourning Day. President Abdul Hamid attended the milad mahfil held at Darbar hall after Zohr prayers.A special munajat was offered seeking divine blessings for the peace of the departed souls of Bangabandhu and other martyred members of his family.On behalf of Dhaka Zila Sarak Paribahan Sramik Union, greater Demra Thana Awami League arranged offering of munajat for the peace of the departed soul of Bangabandhu at mosques and other places of warship in the thana. Foods were also distributed among the destitute in the area.
NYC police search for Imam's killers

A sketch of a suspect in the shooting of Imam Maulana Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, hangs on a street sign across from Al-Furqan Jame Mosque, where the two victims had been worshipping on Saturday afternoon before the shooting, in New York, August 14,

Reuters, NewYork :

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, a crime that sowed fear and sadness in their Bangladeshi community.

A possible suspect had been detained and was being questioned, but has not been charged, NBC News reported early on Monday, citing unnamed sources. A police spokesman could not confirm the report.

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. (1750 GMT) 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 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, or 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 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.

CAIR said it was offering a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

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. NBC reported the man being questioned matched the description.

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 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."
Stranded elephant's life in danger

Staff Reporter :The physical condition of the stranded wild elephant is being deteriorated gradually as the authority concerned is failing to reach the mammoth with sufficient foods. "The wild elephant's life is now in danger as we failed to supply foods to it," wildlife inspector of the Bangladesh Forest Department Ashim Kumar Mallick on Monday said.He said as insufficient foods are being supplied to the elephant, it is becoming weak day by day. "We are also keeping the elephant wet so that she can cope with the heat," he said."We were planning to escort the elephant with the help of three other elephants brought from Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur. But these elephants have not come here till Monday," he said. Meanwhile, the elephant recently rescued and named as Bangabahadur, was not transported to Bangabandhu Safari Park in Gazipur yesterday as it was expected.On the other hand, the forest department is confused that how and in what way the elephant can be boarded on a truck to bring it to the Safari park, Mallick said."This is our first experience in tranquilising and transporting of a wild elephant," Tapan Kumar Dey, Chief Executive of Nature Conservation Society told The New Nation.
'Shots fired' at new protests over police killing

Shots have been fired during new protests in the US city of Milwaukee, police say, as demonstrators took to the streets for a second night.

Protests erupted on Saturday after Sylville Smith, 23, was shot dead in a police chase.

Mayor Tom Barrett said Smith, an African-American, did not drop a gun he was holding when told to do so.

Police violence against the black community in US cities in the past two years has prompted huge protests.

The Milwaukee Police Department tweeted that shots had been fired at several locations before and after midnight on Sunday local time. Rocks were also thrown at police as they attempted to disperse crowds in the Burleigh area. Officers were making "multiple arrests" in the Sherman and Burleigh districts, police said.

One civilian had earlier been taken to hospital after he suffered a gunshot wound.

Local news footage also showed a car on fire. On Saturday night, cars and buildings, including a petrol station, had been set ablaze. Police in Milwaukee, in the state of Wisconsin, said Smith had fled from a car after being stopped by officers in traffic on Saturday afternoon; he died from his injuries at the scene.

Smith had a "lengthy arrest record", police said on Sunday. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel newspaper reported he had been charged over a shooting and witness intimidation, charges that were eventually dropped.

Milwaukee police chief Edward Flynn did not say what prompted officers to stop Smith's car, saying only that he was "behaving suspiciously". Footage of the shooting was captured by a body camera worn by the officer who fired the shots, who was African-American.

On Sunday, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker made the National Guard available to Milwaukee police should more violence occur later in the day. Khalif Rainey, who represents the area where the violence hit on Milwaukee's city council, said people were "tired of living under this oppression" in a city that is 40% black.

"Now this is a warning cry," he added. "Where do we go from here? Where do we go as a community from here?" In 2014, police shot dead an unarmed black man, Dontre Hamilton, in Milwaukee, leading to protests in the city. Prosecutors chose not to charge the officer responsible.

In December, the US Justice Department said it would carry a full review of Milwaukee's police department, at its request, to look into areas for improvement.

Mayor Barrett called for restraint, and understanding towards Smith's family. "A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," he said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."
Mother wants her son Himu's killers early execution

The killers of teenager Himadri Majumder Himu should meet their fate soon, says his mother after five were sentenced to death for the murder. Gopa Majumder was not with her husband and her brother when the verdict was delivered at a Chittagong court on Sunday. She stayed home with relatives, crying in front of her son's photo.

"As a mother, I am content with the verdict. The killers got death which is what we wanted," she told bdnews24.com. The five convicted of the murder are Junaid Ahmed Riad, his father Shah Selim Tipu, Shahadat Hossain Saju, Mahbub Ali Danny and Jahidur Rahman Shaon.

Riad has been absconding since the start of the trial and Shaon jumped bail.

Himu, a student of Summerfield School and College, had just passed A-Levels and was an activist for Shikhor, a local group against drug abuse. On April 27, 2012, he was in front of his school when he was picked up and taken to the roof of Riad's house in city's Panchlaish.

The 18-year-old was held captive on the roof of the house owned by Riad's businessman father.

He was badly beaten before the killers set loose a pack of Doberman dogs after him and pushed him off the roof. After 26 days, he died from his wounds in Dhaka.
Marzan went missing along with wife

Staff Reporter :

Nizamuddin alias Nizam, father of Marzan, one of the masterminds of Gulshan cafe attack, was picked up by police from Afuria village in Pabna on Monday night for interrogation.

Earlier in the morning, Nizamuddin identified his son as Nurul Islam Marzan, a student of Arabic Department of Chittagong University.

"After seeing the photo published in different media, we became confirmed about him," said Nizamuddin.

"Marzan, along with his wife, has been missing for about eight months from Afuria village in Pabna," he said.

Marzan is a student of Arabic Department of Chittagong University, his father added.

Abdul Mannan, Aditional Dputy Cmmissioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, said two families-one from Pabna and other from Chandpur-contacted with police through facebook and hello city apps about the identities of Marzan.

According to the descriptions of Marzan's face, figure and academic background given by both the families, Pabna family's claim might be authentic, the police official said.

Marzan was a close aide of Bangladeshi origin Canadian citizen Tamim Chowdhury, claimed Monirulm Islam, chief of the CTTC on Friday.

He was free-handed JMB commander, the police official said.

He had a close connection with the high-profiled militants and took part in several meetings to attack on Gulshan cafe and Sholakia, he said.

On the July 1 Gulshan attack, Marzan was staying at Kalyanpur in the capital and continued communication with the attackers and other two masterminds, the detective official said.

Marzan took the Holey Artisan attackers to the Gulshan area and later he left the spot on July 1, he added.

It is also suspected that two other suspected masterminds of the attack-Tamim and sacked army Major Syed Mohamad Ziaul Haque-are staying in Dhaka, Monirul further said.

According to police, Tamim "masterminded" the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, while sacked army official Ziaul had a hand in the targeted killings.

Recently, police announced Tk 20 lakh bounty on each of the duo.

On July 1, a group of terrorists stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan diplomatic zone in the capital, killing 22 people, mostly foreigners.


Legal steps taken to bring back 6 fugitive killers

Sagar Biswas :

The taskforce committee, formed on 28 March, 2010 to bring back the six fugitive killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, could not attain any remarkable progress in this regard, though six years have already elapsed in the The committee, however, managed to locate the whereabouts of two killers, SHMB Noor Chowdhury and Abu Mohammad Rashed Chowdhury, first one is staying in Canada and the next one in the USA. But this information is nothing new, according to sources.

"We have initiated a discussion with the US Justice Department to bring back Rashed Chowdhury," Anisul Huq, Law Minister and Chairman of taskforce committee, said.

The government is still in the dark about the existence of four other killers -- Khandakar Abdur Rashid, Shariful Hoque Dalim, Abdul Mazed and Muslehuddin Khan --as no accurate information could be collected about their whereabouts.

Unconfirmed sources, quoting expatriates, said that Rishaldar Muslehuddin was seen in Germany though he was earlier reportedly located in India.

Official sources said that an accused Abdul Aziz Pasha died in Zimbabwe a few years ago. Besides, Abdul Mazed is now in Senegal, Khandakar Abdur Rashid in Libya [sometimes in Pakistan], Shariful Hoque Dalim in Libya [sometimes in Pakistan or Zimbabwe].

It is learnt that government is facing hurdles to bring back Noor Chowdhury from Canada due to its existing deportation law.

Pointing the issue, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam told The New Nation on Monday: "There are some complexities. The countries those do not support death penalty also do not hand over the absconding criminals. It is not only applicable for Bangladesh, but also for other countries."

"We've so far traced some killers. They are now staying in different countries. It is the first priority of Foreign Ministry to bring back the killers. The ministry has taken diplomatic effort with the countries where the killers are hiding", said Shahriar Alam.

A source close to the Foreign Office told The New Nation that the countries concerned have been requested by the government not to give citizenship to the killers.

Echoing the same, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said: "Legal and diplomatic efforts have been taken to bring back six absconding killers. Especially, the government has taken legal steps with employing legal experts to bring back two absconders [Noor Chowdhury and Rashed Chowdhury] from Canada and USA."

"The taskforce committee is working to bring back the killers. They are trying to contact with the countries where the killers are hiding. But the concerned countries are not responding to its appeal," Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque said on Monday.

The IGP said: "Intelligence activities have been intensified to get accurate information about the killers. The INTERPOL has sought more information about them. The concerned department of police has been asked to keep close touch with INTERPOL to bring back the killers including Rishaldar Muslehuddin."

The photographs along with detail information of the fugitive killers have been sent to important airports of the world through INTERPOL to track down the killers, according to officials.

In 1997, the INTERPOL issued arrest warrants against the six fugitive killers. As per procedure, the arrest warrants were renewed after 10 years in 2010.
The silent death of Eurozone governance

Daniel Gros :

Sometimes the most important thing that happens is what doesn't happen - or, to paraphrase Sherlock Holmes, it's the dog that doesn't bark in the night. The lack of response to the European Commission's non-enforcement in Spain and Portugal of the terms of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is one of those times.

According to SGP rules, the Commission should have proposed a fine to be levied on Spain and Portugal for overshooting their fiscal deficit targets by a wide margin. The fine would have been largely symbolic, but the Commission seems to have decided that the symbolism wasn't worth it.

And it was not only the Commission that chose not to bark; the rest of Europe remained silent as well. Not even Germany, the European Union's leading austerity watchdog, perked up. In fact, there have been reports that German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble lobbied several commissioners not to impose fines on Spain or Portugal. The German financial press, which often criticizes the European Commission for being too lax, barely registered the decision.

What explains the silence?

There is precedent for fiscal leniency in the EU. In 2003, all three large eurozone countries (France, Germany, and Italy) were running deficits in excess of 3% of GDP, the upper limit established by the SGP. Toward the end of that year, it was clear that France and Germany (then with record-high unemployment) were not fulfilling their deficit-reduction commitments.

But, unlike today, the Commission did bark (even if it could not really bite). It proposed ratcheting up the SGP's so-called excessive deficit procedure. The proposal did not entail any fines; rather, it focused on the stage before fines would be considered. Nonetheless, EU finance ministers strenuously opposed it, largely for political reasons.

The clash occupied the front pages of newspapers all over Europe, especially in Germany, where the press, like the political opposition, was eager to chastise Chancellor Gerhard Schroder's government for its failure to uphold fiscal rectitude. There were heated debates on the fiscal rules, and the Commission's role in enforcing them. In short, everyone was howling.

Despite the resistance, the Commission decided to plow ahead and censure Germany and France. With that decision, it sent a clear message that it took seriously its responsibility to administer the EU treaties - so seriously, in fact, that it would enforce rules with which it did not necessarily agree. Indeed, the Commission's then-president, Romano Prodi, had already harshly criticized the SGP's rigidity. Ultimately, however, political interests won the day, and the EU finance ministers voted down the proposal.

The ministers subsequently moved to reform the SGP, shifting the focus from headline deficits to a measure of the fiscal position that takes into account the state of the economy. The Commission accepted the reform, and has since made several additional changes, each time proudly declaring that the SGP is more "flexible" and "intelligent" than ever.

Today, Spain and Portugal are not adhering even to the new flexible rules. Yet the current Commission, led by President Jean-Claude Juncker, was divided on whether to enforce them, with some commissioners favoring leniency. Schauble's intervention, it seems, settled the matter. Clearly, when it comes to allowing political considerations to affect enforcement of the rules, not much has changed.

And, in fact, this time around, the Commission had more power to override resistance from finance ministers. After the 2008 economic crisis, Europe introduced a "reverse majority rule," under which any Commission proposal to impose a fine is final, unless EU finance ministers can muster a two-thirds majority against it. And herein lies a key difference between today and 2003: the Commission's commitment to enforcing SGP rules has waned.

The relative silence of the public and the media drive the point home. Support for the fiscal rules has faded. Perhaps, with a surge in terrorist attacks, particularly in Germany and France, citizens and leaders are too preoccupied with security issues. The United Kingdom's impending "Brexit" from the EU is also consuming much attention. And continuing high employment in many countries may seem to be a more urgent economic issue than reducing deficits.

But the decline in support for European fiscal rules carries serious risks. If the most concrete elements of the eurozone's governance framework are not applied rigorously, what will compel member states to undertake reforms and stabilize their debt levels? Vague exhortations will not work. It seems that the crisis, and the untenably large risk premia for highly indebted governments that followed, has already been forgotten.

Officially, the Commission is still working to realize the blueprint for a "genuine" Economic and Monetary Union. But in the wake of the Commission's decision not to enforce the SGP, this effort has become meaningless. It is now clearer than ever that EU member states prioritize domestic political imperatives over common rules - and Europe's common good.



(Daniel Gros is Director of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies. He has worked for the International Monetary Fund, and served as an economic adviser to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the French prime minister and finance minister).

Courtesy: Project Syndicate


Understanding America's Electoral College

Elizabeth Drew :

Anyone watching the United States' presidential race needs to understand that national opinion polls do not provide an accurate picture of how the election might turn out. Thanks to America's Electoral College, it's not who wins the most votes nationwide that matters in the end, but who wins in which states.

Each state is awarded a certain number of votes in the Electoral College, depending on the size of its population. The candidate who crosses the threshold of 270 electoral votes wins the presidency.

In almost every state, a candidate who wins 50.1% of the popular vote is awarded 100% of its electoral votes. (Only Maine and Nebraska don't follow the winner-take-all rule; they divide the Electoral College vote by congressional district.) As a result, the votes of millions of people who cast their ballot end up not counting. If you're a Republican in New York or California, which are dominated by the Democrats, or a Democrat in Wyoming or Mississippi, which are reliably Republican, you can forget about your vote for president mattering.

One peculiar result of this peculiar system is that a candidate can win a majority of the national popular vote but lose in the Electoral College, by losing narrowly in populous states and winning in some smaller states. It doesn't happen often, but whenever it does, the US goes through a paroxysm of hand-wringing over this seemingly undemocratic mechanism. In the most recent case, Al Gore won a majority of the popular vote in 2000, but George W. Bush won the presidency.

Due to the Electoral College, voters cast their ballots not for a candidate but for a slate of electors - party activists, including friends and allies of the contender - who will support their choice. The role of the electors is a brief formality; they meet in their state capitol and cast the vote. But we already know how it's going to turn out, because the presidential election results are reported at the time in terms of who won each state.

At this point, the national vote count is meaningless. Congress convenes and "counts" the electoral votes; but this, too, is a mere formality. (The Bush-Gore contest was unusual in that it wasn't settled until December 12, more than a month after the election, when the Supreme Court, in a partisan and highly controversial decision, voted 5-4 to end the recount in Florida, handing the presidency to Bush.)

Now, here's where it can get convoluted, and possibilities for mischief arise: if no one wins 270 Electoral College votes, the election goes to the House of Representatives, where each state delegation casts a single vote, regardless of how many voters the delegation represents. Wyoming (population 585,000) and California (population 39 million) each get one vote. And the delegations aren't bound to vote for the candidate who won the most votes in their state.

Then, after the House elects the president, the Senate picks the vice president, with each senator getting one vote. It's theoretically possible that Congress could elect a president and vice president from different parties.

This labyrinthine system for choosing the president reflects the ambivalence of America's founders about popular democracy. They were suspicious of the rabble - the public - having its way on the basis of misinformation or a lack of understanding of the issues. The United Kingdom's vote in June to leave the European Union - against the advice of experts and allies - appears to validate this concern.

From the outset, America's founders were aware of the dangers of government by plebiscite. Alexander Hamilton worried about giving power to the people because "they seldom judge or determine right." Fearing "an excess of democracy," they interposed institutional buffers between the popular will and government decisions. Until 1913, senators were chosen by state legislatures, not directly elected by the voters. And they gave us the Electoral College.

This system has an enormous impact on the actual campaign for the presidency, because it determines where the candidates spend their time and money. Only about ten states are considered "swing" states that could go for either party; the rest are considered "safe" states for one party or the other.

Of course, sometimes the political wisdom can be wrong and a state bounces out of its category. But these ten "battleground" states are the ones to watch for clues as to how the election will turn out. They are much more indicative of the final result than national polls.

For example, California and New York are so routinely Democratic that the only reason candidates turn up in either one is to raise money. By contrast, Ohio - the jewel in the crown of swing states, because tradition has it that no Republican can win the presidency without winning there - is well trodden by the candidates. The other states considered most important to victory for either side are Florida and Pennsylvania.

Because such populous states, along with a handful of others, routinely go Democratic, the Democrats have a built-in advantage in the Electoral College. So Donald Trump is widely believed to have more limited options for accumulating 270 votes.

Maybe the Electoral College isn't such a peculiar idea, after all.

(Elizabeth Drew is a regular contributor to The New York Review of Books and the author, most recently, of Washington Journal: Reporting Watergate and Richard Nixon's Downfall).

Courtesy: Project Syndicate
Bangabandhu`s legacy is not revolutionary socialist

The cry of anti-communalism by leftists is a ploy of socialists to undermine the influence of religion. Our Muslims were never communal and do not deserve to be called communal. It is certain that in free Bangladesh the acts of terrorism began not by Islamists anti-liberation forces but leftists pro-liberation forces.Those who think that present terrorism has no simple explanation of being fomented by Muslim religious fanatics should be taken seriously. Whether or not the tension between denying democracy and forcing socialism on our people has anything to do has to be keenly examined both by us and internationally. We are in the midst of a deep conspiracy within and outside not easy to end by us alone.Democracy was fundamental to his struggle. Bangabandhu is the creation of the people as their leader. He often said with pride : the people love me and I love the people.He was the embodiment of a people's leader and not a dogmatic leader produced by socialism to serve a dogma.If he was not for the people and their democratic rights then his lifelong assertion for democracy and his suffering for realisation of his people's democratic rights have to be described most heartlessly as duplicitous.To call him revolutionary leader, it will also be necessary to deny that he was a devoted disciple of Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, the leader known as the living face of democracy practising constitutional poll politics. The influence of his dear Manik Bhai is also to be disowned.Those leaders and workers who, along with him, made sacrifices for their belief in democracy were to be found wrong.Bangabandhu saved Awami League as a leading democratic party in the face of a challenge by the left leaning elements within Awami League. He remained with Suhrawardy accepting his leadership to fight for democracy. Bangabandhu refused to join Moulana Bhashani for the influence of leftists over him. Awami League risked split in 1957 but did not surrender to revolutionary politics of the leftists.The leftist elements in Awami League formed NAP under the leadership of Moulana Bhashani. The leftists who deserted Awami league became lonely and isolated.Bangabandhu refused to listen to leftists not to take part in the election of 1970. He remained true to his faith in people power and his commitment to democracy by taking part in the election announced by President Gen Yahya Khan in 1970. The leftist groups tried hard to dissuade him from participating in the election in favour of revolutionary politics. Bangabandhu believed in the power of the people and not in the revolutionary politics of gun and international conspiracy. Leftist politics is never nationalist, its international connection is too obvious. He knew that by going for the election he would be able to stand out as the supreme leader of the people. He was sure as a democratic leader that Yahya Khan's legal frame work would fall by the way side once the people's verdict was pronounced.The man who believed in the power of people and in their support could not be called a revolutionary socialist. Bangabandhu wanted to be known as the people's leader enjoying the people's trust. He was not the leader of any dogma calling itself scientific or not.In socialism it is Marxism and not the people that the leaders serve to their convenience.Nowadays Marxism is propagated as scientific socialism for dictating the people and forcing the people to obey. The people are to be treated as animals living in a farm. The socialism will take care of the animals in the Orwellian farm.The socialists do not believe that the people must have some inalienable rights respected by the government. In modern days even the animals have some rights. But under the outdated socialism the people have no rights only obligation.To be blunt, socialism is a cruel formula of modern day slavery for the people by the power hungry few. It denies the people vote because they cannot be trusted in the affairs of the country. Socialism as a form of all-embracing authoritarianism is dying fast and denied in rest of the world.However, in politically unsettled countries like Bangladesh the leftists are still clinging to the ambition of capturing power by prevailing upon the weak and failed democratic leadership. The allurement they offer is to remain in power like monarchs without the need of free and fair election. The living example is Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader of Cuba, though aged 90, do not feel the necessity of leading ordinary life outside the power.It cannot be denied that in free Bangladesh Bangabandhu being true to his democratic ideology gave one of the best democratic Constitutions in 1972 and went for election to prove his dedication to democratic ways.But soon leftist groups found an opportunity to drive Bangabandhu in the direction of socialism. The time was difficult for Bangabandhu to run the country and the leftist groups resorted to acts of terrorism and looting. They challenged his authority while assuring him of their cooperation if he had accepted the authoritarianism of their socialist politics. There would be no need of people's election. The unpopularity of the government would be of no consideration as there would be no need to win public support. There would be no free press to write about the government's failures.In this way the leftists became part of the elected government of Awami League under Bangabandhu in 1975. Bangabandhu justified the one-party BAKSAL government calling the process the second revolution. He could not term the change democratic.But Bangabandhu at heart cannot be the anti-people revolutionary leader the leftists wanted him to be. The leftists used him but did not trust him.But the democratic reality of our people and their faith as moderate Muslims will remain as steadfast as historically expected. The best way to fight extremism will be to allow our people the freedom to choose their politics.We do not want the Indonesia's experience with communism to be repeated in Bangladesh. The tragedy is like the religious fanatics the socialists do not seek peaceful ways or tolerance of opponents. There will be clashes of violence with no end in sight.Our people need help for sanity to prevail. We must not delay a peaceful and democratic solution. Failing to do so will be to facilitate international terrorism to have their way for more terrorism and more mayhem. Most dangerous is the rending of our social fabric of unity and belief in government.
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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A cocktail hour kicked off a special dinner for Jennifer Adcock and seven of her lucky guests, who were wined and dined with shrimp, frog legs, figs and other seasonal Louisiana delights Aug. 1 at Es Kitchen in Parc Lafayette. Hundreds entered for a place at Lafayettes most delicious dining event, featuring the culinary mind-meld of seven innovative Acadiana chefs, as part of The Independents annual promotional contest in partnership with the EatLafayette campaign. Featured chefs included Indulge pastry chef Tuesday Sunshine, Charley Gs executive chef Holly Goetting, Mortar and Pestle owner/chef Hannah Ellaham, Saint Street Inn chef Ashley Roussel, Dark Roux owner/chef Ryan Trahan, Social Southern Table and Bar chef de cuisine Kyle Waters III and Es owner/host Paul Ayo. Adcock also received a commemorative poster signed by the chefs and the opportunity to watch some of Acadianas top chefs in action. Wine pairings were provided by Schilling Distributing.

Paul Ayo, Eric Adcock and Jenn Adcock Photo by Robin May

Julie Calzone Photo by Robin May

Kristy Smith and Maegan Sonnier Photo by Robin May

Shelley Humble, Jude Mire, Julius Meaux and Stephen Broussard Photo by Robin May

Ryan Trahan, Holly Goetting, Ashley Roussel, Hannah Elleham, Tuesday Guidry, Kyle Waters and Paul Ayo Photo by Robin May
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.
SALINA, Kansas  One of three Salina, Kansas, men accused of conspiracy to commit capital murder who appeared in court Monday morning had an attorney, and the other two needed additional time to secure an attorney.

Saline County District Court Judge Rene Young set a scheduling hearing for Alex B. Karcher, 22; Xavier L. McCray, 22; and Xavier E. Lewis, 24, for 9 a.m. Aug. 29.

Karcher appeared with attorney Trevor Riddle, of Wichita. Lewis asked for another week to hire an attorney.

Young granted a motion to withdraw because of conflict of interest for attorney Julie Effenbeck, who had been appointed to represent McCray. Young set a hearing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday on the new case against McCray and pending drug-related charges. She said she hoped a new attorney could be appointed by that date.

According to complaints filed Wednesday in Saline County District Court, the three men are accused of unlawfully, feloniously and intentionally agreeing to assist in the crime of capital murder pursuant to a contract or agreement to kill between July 27 and Aug. 1 and of traveling to Jackson County to commit the crime.

The intended victims of the murder were Judios Kizeart, Darien Williams-Wright and Robert Harris, according to the complaints. The three men are alive and are listed among the states witnesses on the complaints.

A statement released by the Carbondale Police Department indicated that Karcher, Lewis and McCray might have been involved in the shooting of a Carbondale police officer who responded to a call of shots being fired on the night of July 31.

No charges had been filed against the three men in Jackson County as of Monday morning.

For more on the story, visit the Salina Journal.
BELLEVILLE  College hopefuls might want to put down the Pokemon Go and reach for a drone.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are the wave of the future for ag school graduates. Chris Clemons, an ag education professor at Auburn University, says studies show that over the next decade, 25 percent of all new jobs in the ag sector will be UAV-centered.

That means pilots, maintainers, data analysts, software programmers, designers, engineers, whatever, Clemons said. One-quarter of new graduates will be involved in UAV tech.

Colleges will be hard-pressed to supply those grads. Clemons said at a field day here there are only about 150,000 ag school graduates to fill 400,000 jobs open this year, and most of those dont involve drones.

This is one more layer that were already going to start pulling from a limited pool, he said.

Dennis Watson, a Southern Illinois University professor who works in agricultural systems, agrees drone technology is facing supply-and-demand issues. The 25 percent figure is understandable.

Ive not seen that data, but its not surprising, he said. If youre a farmer, you want to fly over your fields and collect some infrared imagery and get a crops health report.

Seed sales people, for instance, want to fly over those test plots to look at them. Third-party services may be working with the data recommending fertilizer application and precision ag.

He said thats on the production side. Drones could also keep tabs on farm structures, making it easier to get a good look at the top of a grain bin, rather than have someone climb it.

Watson said the majority of UAV research today is being done in vineyards in the West, especially in California. That is changing as quickly as the technology.

Were seeing that technology move to the East, he said. Were starting to see a number of applications for UAVs. Theyre essentially taking the role of crop scouting. We can identify disease and not just weed pressure in general, but down to the individual classification of the kinds of weeds.

Non-ag uses also abound. Utility company engineers often must hire helicopter pilots to fly over power lines to monitor problems. That can cost thousands and require advance scheduling.

If they had a UAV, the engineer could launch it and see whats going on, Watson said.

The increasing use of unmanned vehicles brings with it a number of challenges. They include not only technical aspects and application, but regulation. As with any fledgling industry, regulators are struggling to adapt.

The Federal Aviation Administration originally sought to have operators obtain pilots licenses. The agency then decided to require an abbreviated version. University researchers have met other roadblocks, such as dealing with restrictions on use near airports.

Operators may not run UAVs within five miles of an airport unless they obtain exemptions.

This is a slow process, Clemons said.

College administrators are scrambling to prepare students for the burgeoning UAV field. SIU has a precision ag course that incorporates some education on drones and offers students some experience. The universitys aviation flight program provides a step up. The ag college may also focus more on the technology.

What I think well end up doing is offering a course if aviation flight doesnt, to train the students and give them some instruction so they can take that aeronautical knowledge test theyre going to need and pass it, Watson said. If I were a student graduating and I could get my UAV certification, I would think that would be a plus for me applying for jobs.

Fortunately, interest in the field appears to match the demand. Watson took an informal poll of a class of 25 students, and all indicated they would be interested in UAV technology.

Its cool and its technology, he said.
Numerous residents told HUD they didnt want to move. Dont do this. Its wrong, man, one resident told them. You dont know what were going through because you're not from here, said another, noting he has lived in Cairo since the 1950s and doesnt intend to live elsewhere. Stop moving our people out of town. Build something new here.
State Rep. Justin Bamberg is representing the family of a Raleigh, N.C. man who was shot and killed leaving a house party last week. Officials have charged a neighborhood man.

Bamberg, an attorney who has taken on several high-profile cases, has compared the North Carolina case to the 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Law enforcement officers are trained extensively to handle bad situations. We have seen that sometimes they mess up. We cant have citizens running around like vigilantes living like were in the wild, wild West, Bamberg said.

Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas, 20, was killed early Sunday after a man living two doors down from the party called police to complain of hoodlums in his neighborhood. The man fired a shotgun out of his garage, according to authorities.

Chad Cameron Copley, 39, has been charged with murder.

Bamberg compared the death to that of Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman, who functioned as a neighborhood watch volunteer.

Zimmerman claimed he shot Martin in self-defense and a jury found him not guilty of murder.

During a 911 call from Copleys house, a man said, Weve got a bunch of hoodlums out here racing, and told the dispatcher he was taking action.

I am locked and loaded. Im going outside to secure my neighborhood, the man said. He asked for officers to come, but authorities say he refused to give his address and hung up.

On a second call from the Copley home about seven minutes later, the man said he fired a shot, and that someone was hit.

We have a lot of people outside of our house yelling and shouting profanity. I yelled at them, Please leave the premises. They were showing firearms so I fired a warning shot. And, uh, we got somebody that got hit, the caller said.

Asked who was outside, the caller said, Theres black males outside my freaking house with firearms.

Witnesses have said there wasnt anyone waving guns, fighting or arguing.

Bamberg said Thursday, What is not OK are people in our neighborhoods and communities who take the law into their own hands, who do things like Mr. Copley did like shooting at people in the street from his garage.

He also said, The other aspect is the idea of protecting your house, protecting your neighborhood. Its perfectly fine to protect your house when it is under attack.

Copley's lawyer, Raymond Tarlton, has asked that his client not be judged until more facts are available.

"It's under investigation. We'd caution restraint and ask folks not to rush to judgment," he said by phone to the Associated Press last week. He declined to discuss any details.

Bamberg, who is from Bamberg, represents the family of 37-year-old Alton Sterling, a black man who was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana as he wrestled with two white officers.

He also works for the family of Walter Scott, a black man who was shot and killed by a white North Charleston police office.
South Carolina is celebrating aviation at a time when the business of flight has never been a bigger player in the state.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler has joined in proclaiming Aug 23-29 as General Aviation Appreciation Week.

Mayor Butlers proclamation helps highlight the economic benefits and valuable service that general aviation provides to the City of Orangeburg and the State of South Carolina, said Selena Shilad, executive director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America.

Estimates are that aviation contributes $417 million annually in economic activity in South Carolina.

Benefits and services include:

A connection for thousands of businesses and communities across South Carolina.

A means for South Carolina companies to reach customers, suppliers and markets.

A lifeline to communities, including access to emergency care.

An economic development asset. General aviation and local airports are essential to the competitiveness and growth of businesses.

University of South Carolina research economist Joseph Von Nessen with the Darla Moore School of Business has studied the economic impact of the states growing S.C. aerospace cluster, concluding that it has a $17.4 billion economic impact and supports more than 102,000 workers.

His study, titled Uncovering the Stealth Cluster: The Economic Impact of Civilian and Military Aerospace on South Carolina, was released by New Carolina-South Carolinas Council on Competitiveness and the universitys Ronald E. McNair Center for Aerospace Innovation and Research during the states first-ever Aerospace Industry Day held in Columbia in August 2014.

An industry cluster is a group of complementary businesses that focuses on or serves the same industry. They come together to increase efficiency and innovation within that industry, while boosting the overall economy in a region. Clusters attract more businesses to an area and provide more opportunities for existing businesses to grow.

South Carolinas aerospace cluster includes private-sector firms operating directly within the industry (known as the aerospace core), the states four military aviation facilities and smaller private companies supporting the aviation and aerospace industries. Among the key findings of the study:

Since 2010, South Carolinas aerospace core has had an average annual employment growth rate of 11.4 percent, which is approximately eight times higher than the employment growth rate for the state over the same time period.

Since 2010, South Carolinas aerospace core has had an average annual firm growth rate of 19.2 percent, with the majority of growth originating in small firms with five or fewer employees.

The average compensation for a civilian aerospace employee is $70,748, which is significantly higher than South Carolinas average employee compensation of $41,206.

The aerospace cluster generates $532,096,021 in state tax revenue per year.

Boeings major presence in Charleston is the catalyst for South Carolina as an emerging leader in aerospace.

Much like BMW accelerated the growth of the states automotive industry, South Carolinas aerospace industry has grown exponentially since Boeing selected the Charleston region in 2009, Secretary of Commerce Bobby Hitt has said. And the Boeing boost continues as we recruit major global suppliers  that serve the aerospace cluster in South Carolina.

As much as Orangeburgs commitment to general aviation through the citys Orangeburg Municipal Airport remains a sound one in the pursuit of economic development, our hope is the Boeing boost will add to the enterprises associated with the aerospace industry landing in our locale with its proximity to Charleston.
Our system of campaign finance is badly broken and is deforming our democracy. The problem is the Supreme Court, not the Constitution.

In a series of 5-4 rulings, Chief Justice John Roberts and his conservative colleagues have rewritten the constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech, insisting that money is speech, that corporations are an essential part of We the People, and that the governments only legitimate interest in limiting election spending and giving is to prevent bribery.

In decisions beginning with Citizens United v. FEC, the courts conservative majority opened the floodgates to massive spending by corporations and the wealthy individuals who control them and made it possible  for the first time since the Watergate era  for the wealthiest of Americans to cut million-dollar checks. Free speech is a core constitutional value, but the Supreme Court has lost sight that the Constitution also ensures a democracy equally open to all and free from corruption.

This year, weve seen fewer and fewer people giving more and more money, much of it dark money that is difficult to trace because of loopholes in disclosure laws.

As the New York Times reported, during the first phase of the presidential election, 158 of the richest families in the United States, along with the corporations they control, contributed $176 million to the Republican and Democratic candidates for president. These top donors  largely backing Republican candidates  sought to use their money to enrich themselves at the expense of others, aiming to roll back regulations affecting their businesses as well as cut taxes, while shrinking entitlement programs that hardworking Americans rely on.

While money alone cant buy elections  witness the failure of Jeb Bush despite his huge war chest  it can skew public policy in favor of the super-rich.

Big money can have an especially dramatic effect on the state and local level, where huge sums of money  often shielded from effective disclosure  can have a decisive effect.

Thats what occurred in Illinois when a handful of rich families  many of the same ones that have spent big in 2016  poured millions to help elect Gov. Bruce Rauner, seeking to ensure that the new governor would enact policies favorable to them.

Elsewhere, the availability of dark money has expanded opportunities for corruption, with politicians all too willing to dance to the tune of huge financial backers, who often lurk in the shadows unbeknown to the voters.

This is not the Constitution our Framers designed. Our Constitution creates a democratic system of government for We the People of the United States, not simply the wealthy few. Our system of government, James Madison insisted, was for not the rich, more than the poor; not the learned, more than the ignorant; not the haughty heirs of distinguished names, more than the humble sons of obscure and unpropitious fortune. The electors are to be the great body of the people of the United States.

Since then, We the People have repeatedly amended our Constitution to ensure political equality, prohibiting voting discrimination whether based on race, gender or age and eliminating the use of poll taxes. Ensuring a democracy based on principles of political equality runs through the Constitution.

Eliminating corruption, too, is a core constitutional commitment. Our Constitutions Framers recognized that corruption was one of the greatest threats to government, and made sure to include a host of protections designed to ensure political integrity.

In Citizens United, Justice Anthony Kennedy equated corruption and bribery. The Framers did not have such a crabbed view. Rather than prohibiting bribery, they wrote into the Constitution rules designed to prevent even the appearance of corruption. The Framers sought to ensure  consistent with democratic principles  that, in the words of Madison, the government was dependent on the great body of the people and not a favored class of it.

Currently, there are four justices on the Supreme Court intent on further deregulating our system of money and politics and four justices who view Citizens United as a betrayal of the Constitution. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has said, If there was one decision I would overrule, it would be Citizens United. I think the notion that we have all the democracy that money can buy strays so far from what our democracy is supposed to be.

At stake in the coming presidential election is whether the court will continue to unravel the fabric of our democracy, or reverse course and honor our Constitutions promise that our democracy is for all persons.

David Gans is the civil rights director at the Constitutional Accountability Center (www.theusconstitution.org). He wrote this for InsideSources.com
The Third Estate Sunday Review focuses on politics and culture. We're an online magazine. We don't play nice and we don't kiss butt. In the words of Tuesday Weld: "I do not ever want to be a huge star. Do you think I want a success? I refused "Bonnie and Clyde" because I was nursing at the time but also because deep down I knew that it was going to be a huge success. The same was true of "Bob and Carol and Fred and Sue" or whatever it was called. It reeked of success."
By Azernews

Irans petrochemical export to Europe is facing problems due to banking problems, Fariborz Karimaei, deputy head of Iranian Association of Petrochemical Industry Corporation, said.

Some eight months pass from removal of international sanctions, but banking problems are not fully settled, Karimaei said, Mehr news agency reported Aug. 13.

He referred to lack of cooperation from European banks as main obstacle ahead of Iranian petrochemical products export to Europe.

All Iranian petrochemical products have obtained necessary certificates form the EU, including REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals), he said, adding that shipping and insurance problems have been resolved as well.

REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.

Karimaei further said Iran has a potential to export 2-2.5 million tons of petrochemical products to the European countries per annum, which is equal to 10 to 13 percent of Irans petrochemical output.

Earlier, Karimaei said Irans attempts to regain the lost share in the European countries petrochemical markets will not be so easy.

Iran rapidly lost its 12.5 percent export share in the EU petrochemical market due to sanctions, meanwhile the figure has revived only to 0.5 percent following the removal of sanctions in January, Karimaei said last June.

The process will not be that easy and years will be needed for Iran to return to the point left under the sanctions, he said.

He further said Iran and the Saudi company Sabic are competing over the European petrochemical market.

Irans petrochemical output capacity currently stands at 61 million tons. The Islamic Republic hopes to bring this capacity to 120 million tons by 2020 and 180 million tons by 2025.

Petrochemical plants in Iran had to operate below the actual production capacity due to the shortage of natural gas as feedstock, old production units, and the sanctions, which caused a decline in exports.
By Azernews

By Gunay Hasanova

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused the European Union of "humiliating" Ankara.

"Rather than helping Turkey, (European nations) are humiliating us," he said in his interview to German Bild newspaper, Anadolu Agency reported.



The EU-Turkish relations have soured since the military coup attempt t of July 15, with Europe concerned by Ankaras subsequent crackdown.

Ankara has rejected EU criticism that the purges might violate rights norms Ankara must meet under the agreement in return for visa-free travel and accelerated negotiations for bloc membership.

Cavusoglu announced that Turkey has made intense efforts, "like few other nations, to fulfill the conditions of accession to the EU".

In return, Turkey has received "only threats, insults and a total blockage" from the 28-nation union.

"I ask myself, what crime have we committed? Why this hostility?" said Cavusoglu, who earlier accused the EU of "encouraging" the coup plotters.

Moreover, Cavusoglu touched the issue of possibility of restoring the death penalty in Turkey.

Europe is behaving as if we have already restored the death penalty. There are particular request in this regard and it should be understood. Turkey has experienced the bloodiest coup in its history. Tanks crushed on the people and the planes were shooting peaceful civilians. The Parliament was shelled. Which is why we cannot ignore such demands, he said.

The July 15 coup attempt occurred when rogue elements in the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country's democratically elected government.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,000 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration into Turkish state and government establishments, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the "parallel state".

Previously, Turkish President Erdogan said that Europe has never kept its promise, adding that they still have not paid $3 billion allocated for maintenance of refugees so they cannot demand anything without fulfilling their promises.

The Heads of State and the EU Member States' governments agreed with Turkey upon a joint plan to combat the migration crisis in mid-March. The program is focusing on the return of illegal immigrants arriving from Greece to the territory of Turkey and accepting legal Syrian refugees in Turkey by the EU based on to the principle of "one for one".

Currently, there are more than two million Syrian refugees in the territory of Turkey. Approximately 300,000 of them live in the camps and the rest are scattered over the Turkish provinces. Only Istanbul is host to 40,000 refugees from Syria.

Turkey has long waited for its EU membership, while each application to accede to the European Union was frustrating for the government. Turkey, holding a status of an associate member at the Economic Community -- the predecessor of the EU since 1963 -- made an official application for entry on April 14, 1987.

The membership bid has become a major controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union.
NEW DELHI - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday that consensus had been reached with the Indian side to firmly support each other so as to ensure the successful organization of the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits.

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

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

The foreign minister stressed that as two neighbors that are both the world's major countries, it is inevitable for China and India to come across certain problems in developing ties. However, the common interests far exceed differences, and the need for cooperation far exceeds competition.

China and India should not let specific differences affect the overall situation of friendly bilateral ties, nor should they let individual problems obstruct the course of cooperation, the foreign minister emphasized.

He said that the two sides have reached consensus that individual problems will eventually be solved through the strengthening of mutual trust and reduction of unnecessary misunderstandings.
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Alex Thursby has stepped down as the group chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) after over three years in the role.



Abhijit Choudhury, NBADs Group Chief Risk Officer, has been appointed as acting CEO with immediate effect, the bank said.



I would like to thank Alex Thursby for his leadership of NBAD. Under his guidance, the bank has transformed into a modern, well regarded, customer-oriented and results-focused financial institution, said Nasser Ahmed Alsowaidi, chairman of NBAD.



NBAD approaches the merger with FGB in a strong financial and risk position, recognised as the safest bank in emerging markets and the highest rated bank in the UAE. I am confident Abhijit Choudhury will lead the bank successfully through the integration planning process in the coming months, drawing on his decade of experience at NBAD, he added.



Choudhury will work closely with deputy group CEO Abdulla M S AbdulRaheem to lead the bank until the completion of the proposed merger with FGB, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2017.



Khalifa Sultan Al Suwaidi, who is currently a member of NBADs Board of Directors, will take on the newly created position of managing director to support the bank through the integration planning process until the merger completes.



Abdulhamid M Saeed, the current managing director of FGB, was announced on July 3 as the CEO designate of NBAD, and is due to take up this position on completion of the merger.



It has been an honour to have been CEO of NBAD as the bank pursued a path of sustainable growth, which has culminated in the proposed merger with FGB to create the largest bank in the Middle East and North Africa region. I leave the bank in a very strong position to make a success of the merger and thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape, Thursby said.



With the planning for NBADs integration with FGB now under way, I believe this is the right moment to hand over the reins to Abhijit Choudhury and a senior team that will plan for the merger. I feel strongly that it is important from now, that there is alignment between the decisions being taken during integration planning, and implementation of these decisions after the merger is legally completed. I would like to wish Abhijit, and all the employees of NBAD well for the exciting period ahead, and thank them for their support and dedication to building a highly successful bank, he added.- TradeArabia News Service
Construction industry experts and government officials assembling in Dubai, UAE, next month at a key summit will tackle the threat of building fires in the region, an issue highlighted by recent blazes in high-rise towers.



The latest statistics, published this month by Guardian Wealth Management, a global financial planning company, claim that up to 80 per cent of expatriate residents living in Dubai are not protected against property fire.



In the build-up to the Windows, Doors & Facades Event taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre from September 18 - 20, the latest fire safety circular issued by Dubai Municipality looks set to change the face of the construction industry.



That and the new fire safety codes, underlining the need for the right building facade materials to ensure heightened safety and fire prevention, will be top of the agenda for international consultants, government officials, high-profile construction engineers at the Middle East Facades Summit, the conference taking place alongside the first day of the exhibition.



Andy Dean, head of Facades for the Middle East at WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, a global engineering and design firm, believes that UAE high-rise buildings present several unique challenges, including complex evacuation strategies, fire department accessibility, smoke movement and fire control.



The much-anticipated update to the country-specific UAE Fire and Life Safety code has been introduced and includes a significantly enhanced section on facade materials (Chapter 4), he said.



Since its original introduction in 2012, the market has consequently learned and absorbed this information and, at the very least, an awareness of the need for the control of fire performance has become self-evident, which is the first step in any learning process.



A panel discussion, Fire safety in design  translating policy into practice, featuring Dean alongside David ORiley, Brittania International; and moderated by Christopher Seymour from Mott MacDonald, will focus on the effective practices for ensuring highest safety standards of new construction projects as well as the ways existing buildings can be brought up to code.



Dean added: The design challenge here isnt innovation in safety, but in using robust and verified methods of evaluating new and innovative buildings, construction materials and techniques. However, tools such as building information modelling (BIM) and parametric modelling allow us to identify buildability problems before construction starts and, most importantly, provide us with opportunities to use cutting edge methodologies and materials while ensuring safety measures are met.



In 2012, 70 per cent of the UAE high-rise buildings were estimated to have utilised flammable panelling, but Dean believes the use of such materials has dropped significantly since; thanks mainly to the introduction of the UAE code.



A great deal has changed and materials going onto new buildings are now fundamentally different as a result, he said. Crucially, developers have started looking at their existing building stock as well as new design and this is the next important step the entire construction industry must take.



The Summit will host three separate sessions dedicated to fire and safety in building design, including a panel discussion focusing on the implementation of most recent UAE Fire and Life Safety Code of Practice updates and the ways they can be implemented.



Muhammed Kazi, exhibition director, said: With the recent fire incidents in high-rise towers throughout the GCC, buildings safety and fire prevention is more important than ever and the Summit will address that. Its attendees will have the unique opportunity to learn from the expert speakers and government officials what guidelines are in place to ensure building safety and how the recent policies will translate into practice.



A panel discussion assessing most common errors in design and approaches to maximize quality, safety, and building integrity will follow, and the one-day conference will close with a presentation of a project in Beirut designed by the late Zaha Hadid, featuring an innovative facade whilst adhering to highest levels of fire safety in materials selection.  TradeArabia News Service
The Cribb, an incubator located in Al Quoz Dubai, UAE has opened The Cribb Academy, opening more than 30 of its in-house training courses to the regions most promising entrepreneurs and corporates.



The Cribb Academy will offer its trailblazing courses to all, including government institutions, corporations, business owners, start-up founders and entrepreneurs.



The academy aims to provide an end-to-end service by providing training courses and one-on-one projects mentoring for entrepreneurs at the idea stage to scaling a business and for corporates from rethinking to reinventing their innovation models.



With an intention of reaching out to more than 500 entrepreneurs and business leaders every year, The academy will be carrying out over 30 major entrepreneurial, innovation and technical courses from best-in-class innovation trainers.



Ahmed Abdulwahab, head of The Cribb Academy said: "The Cribb Academy is building, expanding and sharing our experience to people from all walks of life. The objective of the Academy is to fill the learning gap by providing impactful entrepreneurial, innovational and technical courses.



Unlike traditional training courses, the Cribb Academy is focused on practical implementation and to develop and deliver training courses that are customized to the Mena environment, he added.



The four major tracks have courses that are delivered over half day or full day. These track are as follows:



Entrepreneur / Intrapreneur Track



For entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs in the idea stage considering to start a new business. These courses help participants successfully launch their businesses by learning from proven models.



Start-up Biz Track



For start-ups looking for impactful action-oriented courses that will help scale existing business models and fast track growth.



Start-up Tech Track



For start-ups looking for impactful technology courses that will help them to scale their technology by leveraging the latest tech trends and insights.



Corporate Innovation Track



For corporations and government institutions looking for impactful innovation courses that will help them to rethink and reinvent their products and business models. This track will also provide corporates a deep understanding in how to successfully encourage intraprenuership and creativity among employees.  TradeArabia News Service
Top experts, specialists and academics will discuss critical maritime education, training methods and technological advancements at the International Maritime Academic Conference and Expo, Maracad 2016, to be held next month, in Dubai, UAE.



The event will be held on September 20, at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage of Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al-Nuaimi, Minister of Public Works and chairman of the Federal Transport Authority - Land and Maritime.



The events will create an opportunity for international and regional government and semi government organisations and institutions, to meet with maritime experts and academics though its conference and associated exhibition allowing all visitors and delegated to be updated with the latest that technology has to offer, said a statement.



The upcoming maritime event, which is organised by Cham Events, will raise many topics during its sessions, it said.



Marine engineer Ali Shehab, deputy chief executive of fleet operations, Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC)  a Maracad 2016 Gold Sponsor- emphasised on the need to attract talented youth and to encourage them to work in the maritime sector whether it was shipboard operations, shipbuilding, repair yards or other services, it added.



Shehab said: As a leading international company in maritime transport, KOTC is very much focused on its human element investment strategy.



Dr Mustafa Massad, president of the Jordan Academy for Maritime Studies, also a Maracad 2016 Gold Sponsor, stated that the importance of this event emerges from the fact that it is the only maritime academic gathering in the Arab world, and one of the few maritime academic events in the world, since the Arab world lacks such establishment.



He said: We hope that this will lead to the founding of Arab union for maritime institute that will work on unified policies for maritime education and training in the region which are compliant with ever-changing international maritime requirements and meet the needs of ships, ports and technology.





Dr Massad also highlighted the effectiveness of simulators in education and training in addition to conventional methods, therefore there is a growing need for simulator trainers.



He added: "As for e-learning, despite its importance and uptake in other areas of education, and in spite of maritime academic institutions and shipping companies attempts to take advantage of technology in the field of communications, its spread might be limited in the specific area of maritime.



It might be early to use e-learning, especially as it requires international and national legislations to coincide for the maritime industry in order to realise its full potential, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service


Eight out of 10 companies across industries worldwide are worried about rising price pressure. Many of the companies (49 per cent) even say they are actively engaged in a price war.



This is a key finding of the Global Pricing Study 2016, conducted for the fourth time by the global strategy and marketing consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners. Approximately 2,200 managers in leading positions from more than 40 countries and a wide variety of industries participated in this year's study.



The implication of the international numbers is alarming for companies in the region: In light of the sharp decline in oil prices since 2015, governments in "oil-dependent" economies such as the GCC have considerably reduced their spending. The results: Especially here clients' stronger negotiation power and overall lower demand put local businesses under intense price pressure.



Margins drop further in 2016



Measures against the negative impact of the oil price development in the GCC range from reduced energy subsidies to lower total government spending and have increased the pressure on companies from two sides: higher costs of goods sold (COGS) on the one hand, and strong pressure to reduce their prices due to lower customer demand on the other hand. As a result, it has become very difficult for companies in the region to improve profit margins.



However, this hot topic is universal, as the results of the Global Pricing Study show: Only six out of ten companies worldwide indicate they have managed to increase their margins over the previous year and companies' margins will decline by an average of 0.7 percentage points this year.



Based on his long-time consulting experiences, Lovrenc Kessler, managing partner of Simon-Kuchers office in Dubai, UAE has put these international findings into local context.



"Theres no doubt that the situation in the GCC is even worse, since in many industries increases of COGS are leading to cost increases by up to five per cent, bringing down profits even further," explained Kessler.



The most successful companies handle their pricing more professionally



Most companies questioned admit that they have invested too little in price management. In fact, 87 per cent of the international study participants indicate that there is considerable need for improvement regarding price strategy, price control, and supporting tools.



The 'best', in other words the Global Pricing Study's top 13 per cent of companies, demonstrate the effectiveness of these tools: Investing in price management has put them in a much better position than their competitors.



Their profits, as measured by EBITDA margins, are around a quarter (27 per cent) higher than the profits of the 'rest'.



David Vidal, study author and Partner at Simon-Kucher, said: "These numbers weren't just pulled out of thin air. The 'best' are more professional in almost every area of pricing. For instance, they organize regular price increases as cross-functional projects, rather than simply delegating this important task to sales. Subsequently, the price implementation rate is 38 per cent higher than for the 'rest'."



New products and better value communication to counter price pressure



The good news is that, according to the study, almost all companies, not only the 'best', have meanwhile recognized that they need to systematically counter the rising price pressure. Two-thirds of companies (66 per cent) rely on new products to avoid price pressure.



For half of the interviewees (50 per cent), the most suitable option is to improve the value communication of products. "In the GCC with a high number of foreign residents from all around the world, successful companies develop dedicated products and services and employ unique communication approaches for each segment", acknowledged Kessler.



"Those are important first steps. However, joining the ranks of the 'best' requires three to five years of hard work, he concluded.  TradeArabia News Service
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, a crime that sowed 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. (1750 GMT) 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 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.



'MAKES ALL MUSLIMS SCARED'



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, or 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 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.



CAIR said it was offering a $10,000 reward for information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.



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 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."  Reuters
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has approved the five-year plan of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) which envisages a major increase in the number of vehicles and use of hybrid taxis.



The DTC's Projects & Investment Initiatives 2016-2021 serves the strategic goals of the RTA to provide advanced transit systems capable of bringing happiness to users, said a Wam news agency report.



"The five-year plan envisages beefing up the fleet of the Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) by more than 40 percent as the number is set to rise from 5,000 cabs in 2015 to 7,000 cabs by 2021. The number of limousines is set to leapfrog by as much as 340 percent from 113 vehicles in 2015 to 500 vehicles by 2021. The larger number of taxicabs is required to cater to the growing needs of customers comprising residents and visitors as well as the requirements of hosting the Expo 2020 in Dubai,'' Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA, said.



"The plan covers converting 50 percent of taxicabs into hybrid vehicles by 2021 as part of a master plan to curb carbon emissions in the taxi sector by 2 percent as stipulated by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Green Economy transition. This step is prompted by the deregulation of fuel prices, and the reduced lifespan of hybrid vehicles compared with conventional vehicles. Thus, the number of hybrid vehicles at the disposal of the DTC would soar from 145 in 2015 to 2,280 vehicles in 2021," Al Tayer added.



The RTA is determined to overhaul the school transport sector with a view to offering safe and smooth mobility for all students of various ages, he said.



"Our intention is also to encourage parents to have their wards transported by school buses rather than private vehicles, support the UAE education strategy 2020, improve the calibre of school transport service in Dubai, and strike a balance between supply and demand in the sector.



"The DTCs five-year plan includes a new bundle of programmes and initiatives to improve the school transport services that it runs, by supplying the fleet with new eco-friendly buses fitted with sophisticated technologies corresponding to the smart government initiative, and cutting-edge means of safety and security. Accordingly, the number of school buses in operation would rise from 117 in 2015 to more than 650 buses by 2021, reflecting an increase of more than 450 percent," explained Al Tayer.
Dubai Duty Free walked away with the awards for Best CSR Practices and Best Community Action at the recently concluded 6th Asia Best CSR Practices and Sustainability Excellence Awards held in Singapore.



The Asia Best CSR Practices & Sustainability Excellence Awards is one of the Asias leading industry event hosted by CMO Asia annually. The event recognises organisations that have a significant and positive impact on the lives of people around them and consider companys commitment to and respect for communities, environment and the people.



Commenting on the awards, Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer of Dubai Duty Free, said: Winning the Best CSR Practices for three consecutive years and Best Community Action for the second time is an excellent achievement for Dubai Duty Free. It is a clear indication of how serious we are in serving the society and integrating responsible practices into our daily business operations. Corporate Social Responsibility is a commitment made at all levels of the company and it is important to all of us.



Dubai Duty Free was awarded with Best CSR Practices for its strong demonstration and positive approach on various aspects of CSR including workplace, environment and community as well as involvement of its growing workforce in bringing the CSR programs and initiatives forward. While the Best Community Action recognised the operation's significant contribution in creating immeasurable difference to peoples lives through its diverse and effective community involvement and support in the field of medical and healthcare services, education and environmental protection, both local and overseas. - TradeArabia News Service
A man who drowned Saturday in Alcova Reservoir, west of Casper, was a teacher at Natrona County High School, the district confirmed Monday.

Todd Hallsted had been teaching science at the high school since 2002, said NCHS principal Shannon Harris.

He was known for blowing things up, setting things on fire and engaging classrooms, Harris said. He was just one of those teachers who made science fun.

Hes going to be sorely missed by his family and his Mustang family, Harris continued. He was a great teacher, and his colleagues loved working with him. You just dont replace someone like that. Well miss him and well do the best we can to honor his memory as we move forward.

Harris said grief counselors will be at the high school all week to assist anyone who needs them.

Authorities are unsure what led to the drowning. Witnesses said they saw Hallsted go underwater at Cottonwood Beach about 11:15 a.m., said Natrona County sheriff Lt. Mike Steinberg. When Hallsted didnt resurface, a bystander called 911.

Witnesses said Hallsted had been in the water bobbing up and down while playing with a dog, Steinberg said. Hallsted had been at the lake with other people, but none of them were at the campsite at the time.

Hallsted had been about 30 feet from the shore in an area where the water depth was about 12 feet, Steinberg said.

Wyoming Game and Fish officials and sheriff deputies located Hallsted just under the water about 11:40 a.m. They took Hallsted to shore and began lifesaving measures.

Steinberg said officials are unsure if Hallsted suffered a medical emergency that led to the drowning. An autopsy is pending.
Wyoming 11th graders performed marginally better in statewide exams this spring, but recent changes to the test have made it difficult to compare the performance of younger high school students to past years.

The Wyoming Department of Education announced the results of 2016 high school performance tests Monday for ninth- through 11th-graders, with juniors improving in each subject area over former years and lower grade levels exceeding performance goals in English.

Ninth-graders surpassed the 426 benchmark score set by the test providers in English by 1.58, while 10th-graders scored an average 2.55 points higher than the goal.

However, both grades failed to reach similar benchmarks set in math, science and reading.

Eleventh-graders fared better. Juniors averaged a score of 18.8 last year in English. Those scores rose to an average of 19.1 in this years tests. Composite scores increased from 19.8 to 20.04.

Math, reading and science averages each increased for 11th-graders, though by less than a percentage point per subject area.

Though growth in each subtest is relatively minor, the upward trend is encouraging, said Deb Lindsey, assessment administrator for the department.

Each spring students are assessed in science, math, reading and English through the ACT standardized test. The goal of the testing is twofold: to gauge the high schoolers readiness for college and to provide a spectrum of data to judge the performance of Wyoming teenagers over the years.

However, changes in testing and performance standards over the last five years make that job challenging.

In contrast to this years growth, the department in 2015 reported students performed about the same as the year before. But this year the education agency used a new, online test for ninth- and 10th-graders, ACT Aspire, and so lacks comparative score date from previous years.

Similarly, Wyoming established guidelines in 2014 for performance to match with the federal standards of accountability in the recently replaced No Child Left Behind Act.

Those guidelines grouped scores according to corresponding proficiency levels, like basic and advanced.

In the fall of 14, we conducted standard setting in order to decide how much students needed to know, and be able to do, in order to earn a score in the proficient-advanced range or the basic range, Lindsey explained. So, in terms of proficiency rates we only have comparable data from 2014-on, so three full years.

Nonetheless, the department is reporting success for ninth- and 10th-graders this year due to strong performance in English.

State schools chief Jillian Balow called this years results a good baseline for future assessment.

I would say everything that Ive gotten from staff about the Aspire, because its a new test, is basically we were looking for successful administration so that we have a baseline for future years, department spokeswoman Kari Eakins said in a news conference Monday.

The most recent scores will play a role in determining how well schools and districts are doing when the education agency releases school performance ratings in September.

Under No Child Left Behind, schools were held accountable on a pass or fail basis. Schools that performed poorly over consecutive years were considered failing schools and could risk losing funding.

New federal guidelines, passed in late 2015, allow Wyoming officials to determine how well schools and districts are succeeding. State officials also decide the appropriate steps to improve performance at struggling schools.
CHEYENNE  A Cheyenne man who skipped jury duty because he couldn't shut down his business on short notice will now have to close shop for two weeks while he sits in jail.

65-year-old Gary Schroeder on Thursday was sentenced to 14 days in jail after he pleaded no contest to indirect contempt of court.

Schroeder was summoned to appear after he told the Laramie County District Court Clerk's Office that he wasn't going to show when they called him to have him report for jury duty earlier this month. He told the clerk's office they could arrest him if they wanted to.

Had he gone to trial, Schroeder could have faced the maximum punishment of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
GILLETTE  A Gillette man has been charged with murder in the death of his girlfriend's 3-year-old son.

Joseph Nielsen, 20, appeared in court Friday, where his bond was set at $750,000.

Nielsen had been arrested after the boy, who is not named in court documents, died Wednesday at a hospital from swelling of the brain.

Police say Nielsen told them he had been watching the child and had returned from the bathroom to find him standing on a coffee table. He says the boy jumped and fell over some boxes and a dollhouse.

Niesen says he found the child breathing but unconscious before he dialed 911.

Doctors who evaluated the child disputed Nielsen's account and say his injuries were consistent with child abuse.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky endorsed Leland Christensen for Wyomings open U.S. House seat, just hours before Tuesdays primary.

Paul, a libertarian-leaning Republican and onetime presidential hopeful, said Sunday evening in a telephone interview that he waited to voice his opinion toward the end of the race because he has been watching it for months, trying to assess who the best candidate would be.

There are several candidates who are good, he said. In the end, Leland looks like the main alternative to Liz Cheney. I think at this point, its narrowed down to a two-way race. We decided to get involved and help Leland get over the top.

The only publicly released poll of the race, by the Star-Tribune and Wyoming PBS, showed over half of registered Republicans in mid-July were undecided. Cheney, daughter of the former vice president, led with 21 percent, followed by Republican state lawmakers Tim Stubson, at 9 percent, and Christensen at 4 percent.

Paul said he is wary of Cheney because shes too hawkish. Paul disagrees with the recent trend in Republican and Democratic politics in which presidents start wars without Congress declaring them, including in the two wars in the Middle East started under the administration of President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Paul said that Dick Cheney supported torture, which the administration at the time called enhanced interrogation techniques, of suspected terrorists. Many experts say torture is not a successful method for obtaining intelligence and is unethical.

The countrys fathers were wary of war and giving too much power to the presidency, he said.

The Star-Tribune sought a response from Cheneys campaign manager. He did not respond by press time.

Really its mostly about (Christensens) positions on the issues and the fact that I think hes a good constitutional conservative, Paul said. I think the contrast between him and Liz Cheney is remarkable. Having traveled to Wyoming, having known a lot of folks from Wyoming, I dont see folks picking a big government candidate.

Paul said Cheney is a big government candidate because wars add to the national debt and the powers of the presidency.

Christensen, in a statement, described being proud of having Pauls endorsement.

Representing a rural, coal-rich state similar to Wyoming, Sen. Paul understands firsthand the challenges we face in pushing back against government overreach and defending our way of life, he said. After looking at the entire field in this race, Sen. Paul reached out to our campaign and offered his support and encouragement. Im humbled to have his endorsement.
CHEYENNE  Firefighters have been making progress on battling wildfires in northwest Wyoming.

The Hunter Peak Fire in the Shoshone National Forest northwest of Cody has increased in size to about 3 square miles, but most of that was because of firefighters conducting burnouts to help contain it.

The fire is about 5 percent contained.

Firefighters have gained about 15 percent containment on another fire that is burning about 20 miles southwest of Meeteetse. The Twin Lakes Fire was reported Friday evening and is about 1,000 acres. Firefighters also are making use of burnouts to help contain it.

In Yellowstone National Park, a new fire that started Saturday on the north side the park of is being monitored along with two other remote fires. A fire between Old Faithful and West Thumb was extinguished over the weekend.
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. Shermans Sept. 2 capture of Atlanta probably guaranteed Lincolns victory).

On election night 2016, the nations attention might be focused on Nevada, where Republicans have their most promising, and probably their only realistic, chance to capture a Democratic Senate seat. Harry Reid, Senate minority leader, is retiring, and Republicans hopes of retaining their majority might depend on Joe Heck replacing Reid.

He is a strong candidate for his party, as his opponent is for hers. Catherine Cortez Masto is a former two-term state attorney general who won re-election even against the 2010 anti-Democratic wave. She would be the Senates first Latina.

Heck, an emergency room physician and a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, is a third-term congressman from the Las Vegas metropolitan area, where 75 percent of Nevada voters live. His district, where he defeated his 2014 Democratic opponent by 24.6 points, is 19 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Asian-American.

The states non-Hispanic white population was 79 percent in 1990 and is now 54 percent. There are about 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, down from 90,000 in 2012, when Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney here by 67,806 votes.

According to the Almanac of American Politics, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and from 2000 to 2007, before the economy cratered. Since 1990, the population of Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, has quadrupled to 286,000, the size of Cincinnati. Heck says many people come to Nevada, which has no income tax, in flight from Democratic governance in contiguous California  but some come with, and retain, Democratic attitudes.

Only 24 percent of Nevadans were born in the state, the lowest percentage of any state, which is one reason Nevada was devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, which left 62 percent of Nevada homeowners underwater  owing more on the mortgages than their homes were worth. Today, only 24 percent are, but Cortez Masto is picking at the scab of the post-2008 trauma with ads accusing Heck of putting the big banks before Nevada families, partly because he has received contributions from the financial industry.

Heck notes that Trumps candidacy has energized Nevada Republicans. He says their February caucuses on a Tuesday evening attracted more participants than the 2008 and 2012 caucuses combined. Which is good for Heck, unless it isnt: Trump might similarly energize the Hispanic 17 percent of the electorate against Trump, with Heck as collateral damage.

Nevada has a senator from each party and a split (three Republicans, one Democrat) House delegation. Polls show a close contest between Heck and Cortez Masto. Today, there are 54 Republican senators, seven of whom are in difficult re-election races: Arizonas John McCain, New Hampshires Kelly Ayotte, Pennsylvanias Pat Toomey, Ohios Rob Portman, Missouris Roy Blunt, Wisconsins 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 Reids celebrated turnout machine was an utter disaster.

In 1908, the Silver State (another Nevada nickname, a legacy of the long-since-depleted Comstock Lode) voted for a third and final time for the Democrats presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan, who favored free coinage of silver. Since then, only once (in 1976, when it favored President Gerald Ford) has Nevada not supported a winner. Which is another reason the nation will be watching Nevada late on Nov. 8.
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 Republican John McCain of Arizona. 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, a greenhouse gas that scientists say contributes to warming.

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 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, some say, 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 another 28 percent concerned but viewing it as a more distant threat. But theres an often-vocal 10 percent who are dismissive, rejecting the concept and the science behind it.

Sometimes dismissiveness and desire for action mix in one family.

Rick and Julie Joyner of Fort Mill, South Carolina, are founders of MorningStar ministries. Most of the people they associate with reject climate change. Their 31-year-old daughter, Anna Jane, is a climate-change activist.

As part of a documentary a few years ago, Anna Jane introduced Rick to scientists who made the case for climate change. It didnt 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.

A split with science

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 and strident 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, Nisbet says.

Climate change is more about tribalism, or who we identify with, Nisbet and other experts say. 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 at Inglis home for Bible study and agreed that global warming wasnt an issue and probably wasnt real.

But after seeing the effects of warming first-hand in Antarctica and on 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.

When the split widened

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 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 as big an issue as the economy.

Scott Tiller, a 59-year-old coal miner in West Virginia, who has seen mine after mine close, 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?

BRIDGING DIFFERENCES

Overwhelmingly, scientists who study the issue say it is man-made and a real problem. Using basic physics and chemistry and computer simulations, they 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 of a degree.

Repeatedly explaining science and showing data doesnt convince some people to change their core beliefs, experts say. So instead, some climate activists and 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.
EX-CONVICT, ARMED, CONQUERED BY NERVE

Clarence Barnhardt, With Flashlight and Superior Will, Captures Burglar

Armed with nothing but a pocket flashlight, Clarence Barnhardt, of 225 East Fourth street, conquered Jesus Navarro an ex-convict, who was armed with a six-shooter, Sunday evening. It was a battle of wills and the American won the mastery. Sunday evening about 9 oclock Barnhardt heard a noise in his back yard and, going to the door, observed a Mexican, who proved to be Navarro, trying to unlock the door of an outhouse in which a quantity of clothing was stored.

Earnhardt surprised the Mexican in the act of trying to enter the house. The Mexican, turning suddenly, made a move toward his hip pocket as if to draw a gun. In a flash Barnhardt realized that he, unarmed, was at the mercy of a man who, for all he knew, might be a desperate criminal who would not hesitate to do murder.

Appreciating his peril, Barnhardt flashed a pocket electric flashlight in the Mexicans face, keeping it within a few inches of his eyes. The intruder was completely blinded by the glare and for all he knew a gun was covering a vital part of his body down under the glare of the flashlight. His right hand, containing the weapon, was halted as it swung into position, and Barnhardt had won.

Earnhardt called to his wife then to request her to telephone the police to come for the burglar and Officer ODonnell responded. In the meantime Mrs. Barnhardt had gone to her husbands aid, knowing that he was unarmed, and she gave her husband a pistol, which he substituted for the flashlight.

After the officer had taken the Mexican away, Barnhardt picked up from the ground where Navarro had stood, a six-shooter, which he had evidently dropped to the ground as he was faced by Barnhardts pocket flashlight.

Navarro was turned over to the county authorities yesterday and two charges were put against him, attempted burglary and burglary. No charge of carrying a concealed weapon has yet been made against him.

The charge of burglary resulted from a search of Navarros home, where clothing that had been stolen from the outhouse in Barnhardts yard last Thursday night, was found. It was identified by the owner by marks on the lining of a coat placed there by a cleaner, which corresponded to marks on a vest belonging to the same suit, which had been overlooked by the thief.
Longtime community activist Marian Lupu died at her Tucson home on Sunday. She was 91.

Lupu founded the Pima Council on Aging and was its director for 40 years  waiting until she was 82 to step down and even then continued on as a consultant to the agency for several years.

In her later years she became a tireless volunteer with Dancing in the Streets Arizona, founded by her daughter and son-in-law, Soleste Lupu and Joseph Rodgers, going to the studio six days a week, more than five hours each day.

Known for her habit of stuffing two or three pairs of glasses into her piled-up hair, Lupu was an omnipresent activist for elders in the Tucson area.

The Pima Council on Aging is one of hundreds of area agencies on aging funded through the federal Older Americans Act of 1965.

That's the same year that Lupu, a public policy researcher, moved to Tucson with her husband, Charles, a biochemist and their three children from Pittsburgh.

She landed the job as director of what was then Tucson Council on Aging in early 1967. She worked for nine months without pay, drawing her first paycheck that October.

Over the years Lupu created an awareness of aging issues that helped position the state to address the governor's 'Aging 2020' plan to meet the needs of the aging population.

Former Tucson Mayor Lew Murphy, who died in December 2005, recalled in a 2003 interview with the Star that Lupu's tactic in advancing funding for seniors was to pack the council chambers with elderly people.

"Marian, just tell us what you want, and we'll get this over with," Murphy would direct her.

Lupu hired current Pima Council on Aging employee Adina Wingate in 2006. Wingate says Lupu nurtured the Pima Council on Aging to become a "singular and outstanding non-profit."

"She was tireless in her commitment to promoting the health, safety and well-being of older adults and family caregivers," Wingate said.

"Her commitment to improving the safety net of aging services is an example of her leadership, grit and tenacity, as a true leader in her field."

Wingate says it is a sad day at the Pima Council on Aging.

"It was a genuine privilege to be hired by her a decade ago in 2006, to get to know her and her loving family, and to experience her kindness and generosity, too," Wingate said. "I will miss her a lot."

Information about a memorial service was not immediately available.
Arizona contains a mixture of active and inactive structural landmarks representing a long and proven history of mining and energy production.

These landmarks of industry are captivating, having been erected during the industrial revolution of the 20th century and have met, or continue to meet, societys insatiable demand for energy and metals.

Arizonas early man-made, pre-eminent structures include smelters. The smelter at Superior, completed in 1924, and the surrounding roaster, furnaces and converter operated for nearly half a century before the Magma Copper Co. closed them in 1971.

Today amid reclamation work by Resolution Copper, the 300-foot smelter stack is the subject of preservation efforts by the local community. Ongoing debate continues about the costs of preservation, estimated to be $12 million, rather than $2 million for demolition.

Along Arizona 69 stands a 130-foot smelter stack erected by the Weber Chimney Co. of Kansas City in 1917 to serve the nearby Treadwell Mine. Although it never served as a smelter, a railroad spur was built to it by the Prescott & Eastern Railway.

A drop in copper prices following World War I curtailed the procurement of firebrick necessary to enable the structure to withstand the heat of smelting.

However, the current concrete shell supposedly can withstand 100 mph winds and heat up to 1,300 degrees. The inside diameter at the stacks base measures 16 feet across at the top of the stack it measures 10 feet.

In the past, it was a popular destination for Mayer High School students who would burn tires at its base, pushing black smoke out of the stack to commemorate homecoming.

The nearby Humboldt Smelter just north of Mayer was rebuilt in 1906 after a fire destroyed it in 1904. It processed lead-zinc ore from the Iron King Mine until its closure in 1969.

It remains standing, having made a substantial contribution in ore processing in the Big Bug Mining District. The Dewey-Humboldt Iron King Mine and Humboldt Smelter Superfund site is currently under investigation because of ground contamination involving high concentrations of arsenic and lead.

The ASARCO smelter at Hayden is another iconic structure, dating back to 1912. It continues to serve mining operations throughout the state, including those at the nearby Ray Open Pit Mine. Its annual production exceeds 300 million tons of 99 percent pure copper.

Power plants are formidable and picturesque parts of the vast landscapes of Arizona.

The Navajo Generating Station, near Page, provides electricity to customers in Arizona and Nevada.

The stations boilers produce steam and the turbines provide power. Production is 2,250 megawatts of electricity. It is powered by low-sulfur bituminous coal mined by the Peabody Western Coal Co. at the Kayenta Mine, 78 miles to the southeast. The coal is moved between the two by electric train.

The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, on 4,000 acres in Tonopah, holds the distinction as the only nuclear power plant in the world not located near a large water source.

It is the largest nuclear plant in the United States. The plant currently uses 26 billion gallons of treated effluent, city water from Phoenix, 40 miles to the east.

It annually supplies 35 percent of electricity generated in Arizona. The plant began operating in 1988 and includes three combustion engineering pressurized water reactors. It serves 4 million people in four states, producing up to 4,000 megawatts of electricity.

The Apache Generating Station, 35 miles southeast of Benson in Cochise County, was built in 1963 and is owned by the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative.

The customer-owned utility serves 144,000 people in Arizona, New Mexico and California. Its prominent 400-foot-tall stack, two coal-fired generating units, one natural gas-fired boiler and four gas turbines are a landmark in the Sulphur Springs Valley.

Although environmental regulations, maintenance costs and alternative metals-processing methods have reduced the number of these leviathan structures across the state, the remaining structures stand as testimony to Arizonas commitment to energy production and metal refinement.
Many Tucsonans have faced the decision: to cross or turn around.

When summer monsoons turn many regional thoroughfares into ephemeral but ferocious waterways, the quickest route can mean rolling the dice and forging ahead, while the safe way can mean significant delays.

Many drivers, including Road Runner and his trusty four-cylinder Ford coupe named Boss, have taken the chance  on at least one occasion. Probably most motorists, including Boss and the Road Runner, make it safely to the other side.

Craig Sumberg and his Volvo sedan were not so lucky on Tuesday, when torrential rains flooded downtowns Stone Avenue underpass, swallowing his stalled-out car. The rains also led to eight swift-water rescues elsewhere in the area. A Tucson Fire Department spokesman called the day one of the busiest for flood-related incidents that he could recall in recent years.

Sumberg, like many whose monsoon misfortunes are aired publicly, was subjected to a torrent of online criticism.

People are just too dumb to take another route which would add maybe five minutes travel time, one representative Facebook commenter wrote after the Star published a video of Sumbergs car re-emerging.

Stupid motorist, wrote another, both insulting Sumberg and referencing a well-known Arizona law that will be discussed below.

Sumberg certainly regrets having made the decision to proceed through the underpass, but his account of the incident suggests that if he is indeed a stupid motorist, the ranks of such drivers locally are legion (if you honestly answer this poll, well get some idea of just how many).

After having crossed several flooding roadways uneventfully on his way to work Tuesday morning, Sumberg got to the underpass and saw that vehicles were still passing on both sides. He went in with other southbound vehicles, and estimated that there was between a foot and a foot-and-a-half of standing water at the bottom of the many-decades-old structure. Not much, but enough to spell trouble.

His Volvo made it through the tunnel, but stalled on the way up and out, coming to a stop on a patch of road with no standing water yet, according to his account. An SUV behind him waited a few minutes before passing him and driving away. Motorists entering the underpass northbound saw what had happened to Sumberg and U-turned to high ground.

Over the next 10 minutes, Sumberg watched the water rise to door-level as he called his insurance company and then 911, hoping to get the car towed before it was overtaken completely. He eventually grabbed some of his belongings and walked the rest of the way to work downtown.

It was not a happy piece of information, he said of learning that the tow truck didnt arrived in time.

What did he take away from this experience? That many local drivers, despite years of experience with monsoons and their awe-inspiring power, make risky decisions with floodwaters. He just happened to be the one whose number was up.

Until youve been in the situation yourself, dont judge the actions of the driver, he told the Road Runner. What I did Ive done dozens of times and seen dozens of other Tucsonans do it. I was just the first car to get stuck.

Hed also like readers to learn from his misfortune: Unless (drivers are) 100 percent sure theyre going to make it, turn around.

Boss will be glad to know that your humble columnist intends to heed Sumbergs sensible advice going forward.

As for the Stone underpass  whose flooding has been such a regular occurrence historically that, when waterlogged, it has been dubbed Lake Elmira for much of the past century  major infrastructure work on tap may cut down on the frequency of flooding like the water that claimed Sumbergs car.

The drainage system beneath the underpass is set for a major upgrade, and new catch basins will be installed nearby, said Sam Credio, a Tucson Department of Transportation engineering manager.

Those improvements, part of the roughly $40 million third phase of the Downtown Links project, will also improve the situation at the Sixth Avenue underpass, which also fills up during heavy downpours.

A TDOT spokesman estimated the underpasses flood a few times every monsoon season, but Credio said that once construction is complete  its slated to start in early 2017  the possibility of such events will definitely be reduced.

And now, back to the famous stupid motorist law, which became an even hotter topic of conversation later Tuesday after it was learned that county Supervisor Sharon Bronsons county-issued SUV was swept away near Oracle and Fort Lowell Roads.

Many commenters insinuated that the law would not be applied in her case because of her political prominence.

Think shell get a stupid motorist fine? one Facebook commenter asked before answering his own question: I doubt it!

But whatever the circumstances of Bronsons incident, the details of which are somewhat unclear, she would certainly not be alone if authorities dont apply the law (28-910 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, if you want to Google it).

Subsection A of the statute states that to be fined for rescue expenses, a driver must, of course, enter a flooded roadway, but the crossing must also be barricaded at the time. Bronson said there was no barricade across Cemetery Wash on North Balboa Avenue.

Because of last weeks incidents and resulting social media uproar, the Road Runner called local law enforcement representatives to see how often the stupid motorist law is applied.

The short answer? Not often.

Between June 2014 and August of this year, the Pima County Sheriffs Department responded to 81 flood-related rescues and issued eight stupid motorist citations, according to data provided by Capt. Russell Ponzio. That works out to 3.6 per year.

While the Tucson Police Department did not provide analogous data, spokesman Sgt. Pete Dugan said TPD rarely applies the statute (but before you think youre off the hook in that jurisdiction, he also pointed out there are many other statutes officers can apply when drivers make poor driving decisions during downpours).

Driving through running water or flooded areas is not only extremely dangerous for the driver and their occupants, but is also dangerous for the first responders that oftentimes have to rescue those individuals, he went on to say in an email. If you see running water, whether it is barricaded or not, turn around and choose an alternate route. It takes very little water to float a vehicle.

Tucson Fire Department spokesman Capt. Barrett Baker, whose colleagues broke the rear window of Bronsons 2014 Ford Escape Tuesday morning and helped her to safety, said even if the law were to be used against the supervisor, We didnt have to call in any additional resource. We didnt incur any additional costs to perform that rescue.

Theres nothing for us to charge for, he added.

All were worried about, truth be told, is whether the person is OK and how do we prevent other people from doing it, Baker told the Road Runner.

DOWN THE ROAD

Starting at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Stone Avenue will be closed between Helen Street and First Street. Detours will be established directing northbound and southbound motorists east to Sixth Avenue. The section is expected to reopen by Aug. 22. The closure is intended to expedite the reconstruction of the Speedway-Stone intersection.
U.S. Border Patrol horse unit

Even as he searches for weapons, identification and contraband, Shawn Rodgers, with the US Border Patrol Horse Patrol unit, keeps his horse nearby by having the reins looped through his belt while detaining several crossers outside Nogales, Ariz., on May 18, 2016. This allows him to use both hands and if the horse spooks he can still maintain balance and grab the reins, he said. A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star
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.
Help India!

By TCN News,

Bhopal: Survivors of the Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal burned effigy of US President, Barrack Obama on Saturday for continuing to shield Dow Chemical Company from the ongoing criminal proceedings on the disaster in the Bhopal District Court. Leaders of survivors organizations expressed outrage at the White Houses recent response to a petition by well over 125000 signatories calling for the US Department of Justice to serve the Bhopal courts notice on Dow Chemical.

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Supporters of the Bhopal survivors will be holding actions outside American consulates in India demanding that the US government stop protecting Dow Chemical. Supporters will also send out tweets @POTUS and @PMO asking them to make Dow Chemical appear in its hearing on August 19 in the Bhopal Court.

The White House has said that asking the US Department of Justice to serve notice on Dow Chemical would be exercising undue influence. This is extreme duplicity. How can asking the Department to follow the terms of the treaty between India and US be improper? said Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogi Sangharsh Morcha.

Nawab Khan of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha said The US governments refusal to follow its treaty with India under the pretext of not using undue influence is heavy with irony. There is documentary evidence of the US government using undue influence to help Union Carbide set up the killer factory in Bhopal and to protect its chairman Warren Anderson from criminal proceedings in the Bhopal court.

We are shocked that the Indian government and particularly the Indian home ministry that sent the Bhopal courts notice to the US Department of Justice has chosen to remain quiet about the repeated violation of the 25 year old Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) between India and US said Rachna Dhingra of the Bhopal Group for Information and Action.

She said that the organizations have sent letters to the PMO and the Home Minister demanding that the Indian government refuse to honour requests from the US Department of Justice under MLAT till it serves the Bhopal District Courts notice on Dow Chemical.

Safreen Khan of Children Against Dow-Carbide said President Obama vowed to kick the ass of a British corporation for the oil spill disaster in Gulf of Mexico but when it comes to an American corporation he seems to be kissing instead of kicking.
Help India!

While Modis belated rebuke to the cow brigade is welcome, it is unfortunately selective and is motivated by the upcoming polls in UP, Punjab and Gujarat

Aijaz Zaka Syed for TwoCircles.net,

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Narendra Modi is seldom known to lose his cool. Indeed, this one quality, the unruffled serenity in the face of multiple storms, often has the combined opposition and pundits all worked up but to little effect. So if the Prime Minister has lost his famous composure, there must be a good reason for it  and there is.

Addressing his first US-style town hall meeting in New Delhi this week, Modi blasted the raging vigilantism in the name of cow, saying he feels infuriated at some people who have opened shops in the name of cow protection. He condemned the cow vigilantes as people who commit anti-social activities through the night, don the mantle of cow protectors by the day.

In his first public denouncement of the vigilantes perpetrating brutalities in the name of cow protection, Modi advised the state governments to go after such self-proclaimed volunteers and big cow protectors.

Commenting on Modis rare outburst, Indias legendary former top cop Julio Ribeiro wrote in Indian Express that he has never seen the prime minister so angry. And clearly it is not an act and characteristic doublespeak that Hindutva has mastered. The PM appears genuinely furious.

So what makes Modi angry? After all, what the self-anointed cow protectors have been doing across the country in the name of Hindu sentiments is not something entirely new and has always enjoyed the blessings of the Sangh Parivar. Indeed, these elements form the critical support base of Hindutva.

This week, Reuters quoted a senior Modi aide as saying that while the leader is aware of the social and economic implications (of cow vigilantism), we cannot do much to stop cow protection forcescow protection is integral to our core support base.

As Ribeiro points out, Modi himself has long been a champion of the protection of the cow, probably to harvest the votes of devout Hindus.

Who can forget his fiery speeches in the run up to the 2014 Elections, attacking the ruling Congress of leading a pink revolution in the country with its alleged support to beef trade and cow killers. (Its a different matter altogether that some of Indias biggest beef exporters  by the way under this government the country has become the worlds largest beef exporter!  happen to be Hindu.)

To quote an Indian Express editorial, Bigotry and blackmail, lumpenism and violence in the name of the cow have picked up pace ever since the Modi government came to power in 2014 armed with a huge mandate.

Last year, Mohammad Akhlaq, a 52-year old ironsmith and father of a young Indian Air Force engineer was dragged out of his home and beaten to death by a mob in Dadri, barely 30 kilometers from the seat of power in Delhi, accusing him of eating beef.

The mob was led by the local BJP leadership. We are yet to hear the ruling party condemn the killers of Akhlaq and others like him who have subsequently been targeted. Indeed, as absurd as it sounds, instead of going after Akhlaqs killers, UP police have registered a case against his family for cow killing! Evidently, in the words of Sandip Roy, the state is more concerned about what Mohammed Akhlaq was eating, rather than who killed Mohammed Akhlaq!

So what has changed? Why is the ruling BJP and its leadership all agitated now? Clearly, when the Sangh unleashed its hunting dogs, they were meant to target the easy prey, that is, Indias silently suffering, voiceless Muslims. That they may turn on the Dalits, the dispossessed of low birth who have for centuries been the victims of discrimination, oppression and worse at the hands of upper caste Hindus, next was something that the Parivar did not see coming.

As noted in my recent piece on the issue, (Dalits, Muslims and the Holy Cow) Hindutva has been assiduously trying to woo and cultivate the Dalits, cleverly portraying them as the defenders of Hindu society. Indeed, the Right has successfully and repeatedly used the Dalits in successive communal riots and pogroms, including in Gujarat 2002, against Muslims.

The Dalits are also critically important from BJPs electoral perspective. Unlike the politically and economically irrelevant Muslims, the empowered and informed Dalits could make and break governments in states with huge stakes like Uttar Pradesh (with a population of more than 204 million  three times the size of France) and Punjab and Gujarat.

All three battleground states go to polls next year. And what happened recently in Una in vibrant Gujarat, the prime ministers home state, in full view of the world may have cost the BJP the election and power in these states.

The recent merciless whipping of four Dalit men  shirtless and chained to the bumper of a truck like animals  with iron rods in Gujarat for skinning a dead cow has the underprivileged community across India up in arms. And they cannot wait to teach the BJP and the Parivar it represents a lesson in the upcoming elections, especially in Gujarat and UP.

The unprecedented rally on July 31 saw tens of thousands of Dalits  at least 30 Dalit groups supported the call  storm Ahmedabad in Gujarat, putting the BJP government in the state and in Delhi on notice. And it was as much the power of strident Dalit voices as it was the growing panic in the saffron camp that the day after the Ahmedabad rally Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel, who was picked up as his successor by Modi himself, was forced to quit.

There is disquiet and palpable panic in the BJP ranks in UP as well where it was hoping for a cake walk in 2017, given the increasing unpopularity of Samajwadi Party government and the clean sweep that the saffron party had made in the 2014 parliamentary elections.

No wonder Prime Minister Modi is beside himself with rage at fellow travelers of the cow brigade who seem hell-bent on spoiling his party.

So welcome as the Prime Ministers belated rebuke to the cow vigilantes is, it is far from reassuring and does not inspire excessive confidence. His outrage unfortunately remains selective and is not motivated by a sincere concern for the wellbeing and security of all Indians but the deepening anxiety about the fast disappearing Dalit votes.

While this fury over the atrocities against Dalits is heartening, one wonders why we did not see the same anger at the brutal lynching of Akhlaq and other Muslims. Of course, Dalit lives matter. But shouldnt Muslim lives matter too? Is it because Dalit votes count and Muslim ones do not for the BJP?

If this government genuinely cared for all Indians and their wellbeing, it would have swiftly dealt with the killers of Akhlaq and cracked down on all those who have been running a reign of terror in the country in the name of cow and other holy excuses and absurdities.

In any case, the physical violence by the cow brigade is only the visible part of it. The silent war that Hindutva has unleashed on the Indian constitution and the idea of an inclusive and tolerant India is far more dangerous and damaging than what the so-called defenders of cow have visited.

What will it take for this government to see that its facile electoral slogan of sabka saath, sabka vikas (Progress for all) is possible only when all Indians  Hindus, Muslims, Dalits, Christians and Siks  are safe and at peace with one another. Theres no progress without peace.

(Aijaz Zaka Syed is a Gulf based writer. Email: [email protected])
Help India!

By TCN News,

Kerala: Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Centre Malappuram at Kerala celebrated 70th Independence Day with full Joy and fervor. The celebration started with flag hoisting in the morning followed by national anthem.

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Dr. Ahazam Khan, Assistant registrar, gave the welcome address and elaborated the importance of Indian freedom struggle. He told that Indians must preserve this Freedom.

Professor T.N Satheesan, Director of Aligarh Muslim University Centre Malappuram gave the presidential address on the occasion.

On this 70thIndependence Day we have special responsibility to guide our country through the new ideas and researches. We can do it through hard work and we must take inspiration from ideas of great founder of this University, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. We need to continue this legacy at AMU Malappuram Centre, Satheesan told the gathering.

Elaborating the developmental activities at the Centre, he also said that the development work is going on and Academic Blocks III and IV will be completed within two months. Very soon solar panel and CCTV work will be inaugurated. Funds have been transferred into PWD accounts and PWD will start the permanent construction for Law and MBA department buildings. Water storage and water treatment plant work is under progress.

During his address, Dr. Faisal K.P Coordinator, Department of Law, told that reflection upon the past is good but it should not block the nation from moving ahead. Our designs and plans for the future should be guiding force to move forward.

He also said that it is high time to settle the issues with all and live in peace. He was of the view that Freedom means freedom to assimilate and to have Unity in the country and hence everyone must work to strengthen our country as Sovereign, Secular, Social and Democratic India.

Shahnawaz Ahmed Malik, Assistant Professor, Deparment of Law told that we should not forget the sacrifices made by earlier freedom fighters including Allama Fazle Haq Khairabadi, Nawab Sirajuddaula, Tipu Sultan, Rani Laxmi Bai and Bahadur Shah Zafar. Malik further said that father of nation MK Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhash Bose and Maulana Azad walked on the path given by these earlier freedom fighters. He elaborated the meaning of Independence by explaining that without protection of guaranteed fundamental rights enshrined under the Constitution of India, we cant say we are really Independent.

Unless a weaker section does not feel freedom, we cant say as a Nation that we are really Free. The Constitutional rights of Dalits, Minorities and other weaker sections must be protected in order to make India real Independent India, he added.

On this occasion students of various Departments also expressed their views to the audience. Dilshad Ansari (MBA), Shivendra Raj Singhal and Srimee Srivastava (LAW), Rumisha Ansari and Taab Sherwani (B.Ed) spoke on the Indian Freedom struggle and its importance.

The celebration came to an end with the singing of traditional University Tarana followed by sweet distribution.
For almost two decades, New Zealand's creative designers and Fashion Brands are playing a vital role in the continued globalization of the fashion marketplace. Previously, it was considered that the US Fashion designers are most talented, but now the trend has been changed. New Zealand's fashion players including Walker and Barkers have given a new horizon to the industry. Let us check out the list of top fashion designers and brands of New Zealand of 2016.

Zambesi

Zambesi is a famous fashion and beauty brand. It was founded in 1979 by Elizabeth and Neville Findlay.

The couple has launched a series of excellent designs. Zambesi is best known for itsdesigner clothes, sunglasses, and handbags. This brand has recently launched stylish undergarments for men and women. Its stores are located all over Australia, Japan, and America.

Storm

Storm needs no introduction. This fashion house is known for its vibrant outfits. Deborah Calder laid the foundation of Storm about fifteen years ago. She is a marvelous fashion designer. Calder always comes up with some very amazing and exceptional prom dresses, swimming costumes, and nightwear. Storm has its stores across the US, Australia, London, and Canada.

Karen Walker

Karen Walker is one of the most prominent fashion designers of New Zealand.

She has recently launched her winter collection ofprom dresses, jewelry, and footwear.The sunglasses of Karenhave no alternative. She began her career in 1998. Walker represents her brand at Paris Fashion Week every season. Her outfits are affordable. Some of the top female celebs including Alexa Chung and Rihanna give high preference to Karens designs.

Trelise Cooper

We know Trelise Cooper as a fashion model. She was born in New Zealand. Cooper worked as a model for only a few years because she was more interested in fashion designing. She has been the cover girl of magazines likeVogue, Marie Claire, and InStyle. She began as a fashion designer a few years ago. Her designer clothes, jewelry, footwear, and handbags are famous amongMiley Cyrusand Stevie Nicks.
On 23rd June 2016, 51.9% of British voters opted to leave the European Union. However, in northern ireland almost 56% voted to remain in the union, prompting worries in the country that Brexitnegotiations would be wholly negative for them. Indeed, Northern Irish farmers are heavily dependent on EU funds, which make up 80% of their income, as well as access to the European market, and the Northern Ireland economy did decline in the month after Brexit, albeit less so than the UK average. EU money has also served as a major source of funding for peace-building in Northern Ireland, prompting concerns about a deterioration of the Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, which brought an end to The Troubles which claimed thousands of lives.

Joint concern over Brexit

In a joint letter to Theresa May, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster of the DUP, and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness of Sinn Fein, stated their concerns over Brexit. They demanded that Northern Ireland maintain a porous border with the south and also some form of free movement of labour with the EU as a whole. They also warned that Brexit must not undermine the fight again cross-border crime. However, Foster was the only leader of a main Northern Ireland party to back Leave, and she continues to adamantly deny making a U-turn on Brexit. This comes as the Chancellor of the Exchequer Phillip Hammond pledges that EU structural and investment projects in Northern Ireland that were signed off before the previous Chancellors Autumn Statement will be funded after Brexit, and that EU payments to farmers will be upheld.

Nevertheless, Northern Ireland Finance Minister Mairtin O Muilleoir has insisted that this has not gone far enough, and will only help some of those dependent on EU membership.

The illegality of leaving

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border shared with an EU member state, leading to concerns over the re-implementation of a hard border between Northern Ireland and the south.

However, Charlie Flanagan, the Irish Foreign and Trade Minister has said that a heavily fortified border would not work, and the Taoiseach has also stated that there will be not return to a hard border. However, any sort of controls or checks between the North and the South, which would undoubtedly be introduced, risk a deterioration of the relationship between the two countries.

This comes as the number of people in Northern Ireland applying for an Irish passport has risen by more than 60% in July, compared to the same period last year, with the number of applications by the British people as a whole rising by more than 70%. But perhaps the most poignant story is that of Raymond McCord, a human rights activist in Northern Ireland, who has recently mounted a legal challenge against any British attempt to leave the EU. He claims that this would be in breach of the Good Friday Agreement, and therefore Britains domestic and international treaty obligations, meaning that it would be illegal for Britain to leave the EU without a parliamentary vote in the House of Commons. Similar cases questioning the legality of Brexit have also been filed.
2016 PokerNews Cup Main Event Day 2: Ronny Voth Leads Final Eight

August 15 2016 Christian Zetzsche

Day 2 of the 250 PokerNews Cup Main Event saw 251 hopefuls out of a 1,104 entry strong field return to the tables of the King's Casino in Rozvadov and only eight players remained when the chips were bagged up for the night. It's Day 1a chipleader Ronny Voth in the lead.

Seat Player Country Chip Count 1 Alin-Florin Toma Romania 7,480,000 2 Christian Sperrer Austria 2,275,000 3 Ronny Voth Germany 9,125,000 3 Jenny Germany 1,100,000 5 Miroslav Lelek Slovakia 1,280,000 6 Ondrej Vlasanek Czech Republic 2,535,000 7 "Magic Man 558" Germany 5,735,000 8 Timur Caglan Germany 3,615,000

The penultimate day started with 251 players still in contention and only 103 spots were paid. The action early on was incredibly fast-paced. After a total of only 14 full levels of 45 minutes each, the unofficial final table was reached and Sebastian Langrock busted in a three-way all in to miss out on the live stream spotlight today.

Day 1a chip leader Ronny Voth surged into the lead in the last few levels and claimed 9,125,000. He is followed by Alin-Florin Toma with 7,480,000, the Romanian cracked the aces of Miroslav Lelek with pocket kings and sent Langrock to the rail, who had jacks.

King's regular "Magic Man 558" follows in third with 5,735,000, while Timur Caglan (3,615,000) is in the middle of the pack. Ondrej Vlasanek (2,535,000) of the Czech Republic and Austria's Christian Sperrer (2,275,000) make it an international final table and aforementioned Lelek (1,280,000) as well as Jenny (1,100,000) are the two shortest stacks.

The action will recommence at 1 p.m. local time in Europe's biggest card room and there will be a live stream with hole cards and commentary available. There are 16:49 minutes left in level 29 at blinds 60,000-120,000 with a running ante of 20,000 and all finalists have 4,460 locked up for their efforts. The winner takes home 44,695 and bragging rights.

Among those to bust before the money were the King's regulars PiMo and Zarathustra. Martin Kabrhel, Deniz Sinanmes and Raketak were eliminated in a three-way all in and the bubble burst in the last hand of level 19 with the elimination of Andreas Thomas Gondrom. Within the next level, more than 30 players were eliminated and the two chip leaders at the start of Day 2, Giuseppe De Tomasso (64th) and Tippy333 (59th) had to settle for 755 each.

There was plenty of drama with high pocket pairs also. Roman Montovsky ran with ace-king into the kings of Jiri Chladek, only for the latter to send his stack to "Magic Man 558" with kings versus aces.

Tezer Cetindag had a roller coaster day with several double ups and finished 18th. Just over half an hour later, the field had already been reduced to 11 with Martin Bartos, Simon Bollinger, Francisco Arce, Adrian Buzan and Tony Veille all being sent to the rail in quick succession. Antonio Rubiano Prada was left short after a confrontation with Sperrer and fell in 11th while Sandro Pitzanti had to settle for 10th.

The unofficial final table lasted less than 15 minutes until the clash of three pocket pairs brought Day 2 to a spectacular end. An overview of all players in the money can be found in the live reporting.

Make sure to tune back in and follow the updates of the PokerNews live reporting team to find out who will be crowned champion here in Rozvadov.

Get all the latest PokerNews updates on your social media outlets. Follow us on Twitter and find us on both Facebook and Google+!

Sharelines Only eight players remain in the 2016 PokerNews Cup, with Ronny Voth leading the way.
Male infertility related to professional reprotoxic exposure has been assessed in several studies. Collaboration between occupational physicians and patients can yield information about the preventive measures that can be taken to avoid such exposure. The use of preventive measures is determined by the collaboration between reproductive medicine and occupational medicine and also by the patient's awareness of reprotoxic occupational exposures. Our andrology laboratory developed a systematic environmental interview that an occupational physician administers before semen analysis to assess patients' occupational reprotoxic chemical and physical exposures. This observational prospective study evaluated patients' feelings regarding this interview. The main outcome measure was the participants' score to determine their general reprotoxicant knowledge. The study also evaluated the patients' satisfaction about the interview with occupational physician and their attitude about reproductive toxicants.

The mean score for general knowledge of reprotoxicants was 9.6  2.7/16. The most frequently underestimated reprotoxic factor was excessive heat (34.7 % correct responses). In cases of semen parameter abnormalities AND recognized occupational reprotoxic exposure, 63.2 % of the patients said they would use individual protective devices, and 55.1 % said they would temporarily adapt their workstation. Regarding the interview with the laboratory's occupational physician, 80.7 % considered it moderately or very useful. Of the interviewed patients, 46.2 % reported having changed their living habits 2 months after the interview, and 88.5 % were satisfied or very satisfied with the care they received. All of the respondents said it would be useful to extend the interview to include their wives.

The data suggest that patients' knowledge about reprotoxic exposures can be improved, particularly knowledge related to physical exposure. The vast majority of patients were satisfied with the introduction of this new collaboration between reproductive and occupational medicine.

Abstract available from the publisher.

Basic and clinical andrology. 2016 Aug 10*** epublish ***

Amelie Christiaens, Irene Sari-Minodier, Sophie Tardieu, Oana Ianos, Sebastien Adnot, Blandine Courbiere, Jeanne Perrin

CECOS Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, AP-HM La Conception, Pole femmes parents enfants, Marseille, France ; Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine - Aix Marseille Univ, 13005 Marseille, France., Department of Occupational Health, AP-HM La Timone, Marseille, France ; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France., Department of Public Health, Pole Sante Publique, AP-HM La Conception, Marseille, France., Department of Occupational Health, AP-HM La Timone, Marseille, France., Department of General Practice, Faculty of Medicine - Aix Marseille Univ, 13005 Marseille, France., Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France ; Department of Reproductive Medicine, AP-HM La Conception, Pole femmes parents enfants, Marseille, France., CECOS Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, AP-HM La Conception, Pole femmes parents enfants, Marseille, France ; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Marseille, France.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27512580
Shanghai, Taipei to hold forum despite cross-Strait communication suspension Updated: 2016-08-12 18:47 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - Shanghai and Taipei will hold their annual city forum from Aug 22-23 in Taipei, Shanghai municipal authorities announced Friday, despite current suspension of cross-Strait communication mechanisms.

Senior municipal official Sha Hailin, on behalf of Shanghai Mayor Yang Xiong, will lead a delegation to attend the forum, the Shanghai government announced via its official microblog account on Sina Weibo.

The forum has been held by the two cities in rotation since 2010. The 2016 forum will focus on exchanges in fields such as health care, smart cities, culture and transportation in a bid to "deepen exchanges and cooperation in various aspects" between the two cities, according to the Shanghai government.

The Taiwan side has failed to recognize the 1992 Consensus, which endorses the one-China principle, since new leader Tsai Ing-wen assumed office in May, leading to the suspension of communication and consultation mechanisms.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office on the mainland, said Friday that the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations can be maintained as long as the Taiwan side adheres to the political foundation of the 1992 Consensus.

"We hold an active and open attitude toward exchanges between cities of both sides," Ma said, stressing that the nature of cross-Strait relations and city exchanges should be interpreted correctly.
Ramos and 'old friends' seek trust-building talks Updated: 2016-08-13 01:55 By An Baijie, Li Yinze(China Daily)

Former Philippine president, two Chinese open door for dialogue on South China Sea

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos speaks to journalists on Friday during a trip to Hong Kong. The five-day visit was aimed at helping rekindle ties with China, which have been soured by a maritime dispute in the South China Sea. [Photo/Agencies]

Former Philippine president Fidel Ramos said on Friday that he and his Chinese "old friends" looked forward to starting formal discussions, after bilateral ties were jeopardized by an arbitration case over the South China Sea dispute.

Ramos met in Hong Kong with Fu Ying, foreign affairs chief of China's top legislature, and Wu Shicun, president of China's National Institute of South China Seas Studies, a think tank, according to a statement released after the talks.

The statement, signed by Ramos, Fu and Wu, described the meeting as one between "old friends" and said it had taken place "in a friendly atmosphere".

"The informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation for the benefit of both their peoples and the region," the statement said.

The China-Philippines relationship was hurt by an arbitration case unilaterally initiated by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino III.

Manila wants formal discussions with Beijing "at the appropriate time" to explore pathways to peace and cooperation, the statement added.

Speaking near the end of a trip that he earlier described as "ice-breaking", Ramos told reporters in Hong Kong that the three had not discussed territorial disputes in the South China Sea, but had talked about fishing rights.

"It's not really a breakthrough, in a sense that there is no ice here in Hong Kong to break, but the fish we eat ... are cooked in delicious recipes," said Ramos, who also had earlier referred to his visit as a fishing expedition.

Ramos said he hoped that a second round of discussions would take place soon, adding that the venue for further talks had not been decided yet.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, commenting on Ramos' visit, said on Friday that Beijing hopes such communications could "help restore China-Philippines dialogue and improve bilateral relations".

On Wednesday, Hua also said in a statement that "China sticks to an open attitude toward all means of contact between China and the Philippines, and welcomes Mr Ramos to China".

Ramos, 88, started a five-day trip to Hong Kong on Monday. Bilateral relations were good when he was president from 1992 to 1998.

Li Hak-yin, a lecturer at the Department of Government and Public Administration of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, said this is a particularly critical moment for China and the Philippines as they approach negotiations on the South China Sea disputes.

Ramos was in Hong Kong to send a message to the Chinese government of his country's willingness to start negotiations, Li said.

Li Guoqiang, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, said that China would like to see positive signals sent by the new Philippine government.

"Through the visit of Ramos, the Philippines is expected to hear China's voice and understand Beijing's concerns over South China Sea issues, to improve bilateral ties," he said.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
Protocol set for response to public sentiment Updated: 2016-08-13 07:35 By Mo Jingxi(China Daily)

Government news conferences must be held within 24 hours of serious major events and incidents to deal with public concerns, the General Office of the State Council said in a statement released on Friday.

The statement further specified the responsibility of national and local government agencies in responding to public opinion on government affairs.

The development of the internet in recent years has been changing how people communicate. Social media have the ability to incite and expand public sentiment quickly and often. But "some government officials do not respond to public sentiment quickly and effectively", the release said.

Government agencies must react promptly, if they are to be effective, the release said, so news conferences should be held within 24 hours of major emergencies.

Regarding public reaction to smaller government affairs, agencies should respond within 48 hours and keep updating with authoritative information on the latest developments.

When there is notable public opinion on major State Council policies and decisions, the central government agencies directly involved should be the first to respond. Similarly, local government agencies should be the first to address the public's reaction in matters directly related to them.

The statement said that public officials must have the room to decide for themselves how they should address the public and errors they make in this regard should be tolerated.

Wang Xiaole, a communication expert at Central University of Finance and Economics, said the protocol laid out in the statement is suited to the new media era, as public sentiment can now grow much faster than before.

"This requirement will help to change the lack of willingness some local governments have in responding to people's concerns," he said.

However, Tang Jun, a social policy expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is sometimes not a good idea to respond so quickly, because "some incidents can be complicated and time is needed to complete their investigation".

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/13/2016 page6)
China's Long March, a new story Updated: 2016-08-15 10:12 (Xinhua)

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.[File photo from Xinhua]

CHICAGO - 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.
Essential for govts to timely respond to public concerns Updated: 2016-08-15 07:22 (China Daily)

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.
It would be hard for people to understand the reaction or overreaction of African Americans if they haven't studied the history of slavery and racial discrimination in the United States. Likewise, it would be impossible to correctly interpret the action, reaction and overreaction of Chinese if they haven't studied the history known as the "century of humiliation".

Just in the past few years, African Americans have taken to the streets in droves across US cities following the fatal shootings or other brutality against black people by police officers.

The shooting to death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in late 2012, for example, gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement gained momentum across the nation following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City, both in 2014, all by police officers.

Marches organized by the movement also were quite noticeable during the recent 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25-28.

Many African Americans lived as slaves in the 18th and much of the 19th century until slavery was abolished in the 1860s by President Abraham Lincoln. However, African Americans still suffered from serious discrimination and unequal rights until the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which legally bans racial discrimination and segregation.

The situation today is entirely different from the 18th century or even the 1960s. African Americans have taken important positions in the government, Congress, the Supreme Court and the US military. Barack Obama has become the first African American president in the US.

But it cannot mask the fact that African Americans still face discrimination, as evidenced by the low income and poor education in their communities and the much higher incarceration rate than the nation's average.

Clearly, to many African Americans, the struggle for equality and against racial discrimination is far from over. That explains why they tend to overreact if certain words and actions remind them of the bitter history of slavery and the continuing racial discrimination.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, set to open on Sept 24 in the National Mall in Washington, is likely to help people better understand that mentality.

For Chinese, the "century of humiliation" started in the First Opium War (1840-1842) and lasted until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded.

After defeating China in the First Opium War, the British forced the Treaty of Nanking on China. Under the unequal treaty, China ceded the island of Hong Kong to Britain and opened treaty ports. A subsequent unequal treaty granted British extraterritoriality, meaning British were immune from the punishment of Chinese laws.

Such unequal treaties were later imposed on China by other Western powers such as France and Germany.

The Second Opium War (1856-1860) allowed the British to force more opium trade on China and opened more treaty ports. The looting and burning in 1860 of the Old Summer Palace, known to Chinese as Yuanming Yuan, by the British and French troops have left indelible marks on the Chinese collective memory.

Same with the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). China, which was defeated, was forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in which China ceded Taiwan and part of the Liaoning peninsula to Japan. China was also forced to pay a huge war indemnity that was several times Japan's GDP at the time.

While China was among the victors of World War I, the German concessions on China's Shandong peninsula were transferred to Japan as a result of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, instead of returning to China.

There has been no doubt that when Chairman Mao Zedong declared in 1949 in the Tian'anmen Rostrum that the Chinese people have stood up, it resonated so strongly with every Chinese who remembered the bullying by Western powers, or the "century of humiliation".

Unlike the US, whose history in the last 150 years has been seizing land and expanding territory, for China, it has been a bitter memory of ceding territory and bullying by Western powers.

That explains why Chinese took to the streets in massive numbers to protest against the US following the EP-3 spy plane collision in April 2001 and the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May 1999, and that is also why Chinese took to the streets when the Japanese government in 2012 nationalized the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, territory the Chinese believe belongs to China.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
Premier Li to receive Aung San Suu Kyi Updated: 2016-08-15 16:46 By Hu Yongqi(chinadaily.com.cn)

At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will start a five-day visit to China on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

She will hold meetings with China's leaders to exchange views on China-Myanmar relations and issues of common concern, and also visit cities other than Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

Suu Kyi's trip, the first visit by a member of Myanmar's new administration to China, will render great significance to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two neighbors, Lu said.

The premier's invitation was offered on the basis that the position Suu Kyi holds ranks second in Myanmar's leadership structure after its president (U Htin Kyaw), Lu explained.

"Referring to China's protocol tradition and the state counselor's previous visits to other countries, Premier Li invited her for the visit and will preside over meetings," Lu said.
UK Minister for Asia Alok Sharma makes first visit to China Updated: 2016-08-15 20:49 By Chen Yingqun(chinadaily.com.cn)

Alok Sharma was in Beijing on Monday for his first official visit to China since being appointed UK Minister for Asia, according to news from the UK embassy to China.

Sharma will later travel to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the South part of China.

He will meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss UK and China's global strategic partnership as the two world powers work together to solve global issues, build economies of the future, and develop our strong trade, investment and people to people links.

According to the UK embassy to China, the UK and China share an interest in a stable and ordered world. Both have been working together on foreign policy challenges such as Syria, DPRK and Afghanistan. Both are enhancing our cooperation on climate change, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and development.

Sharma will also be underlining how the strong UK-China relationship is delivering benefits for the prosperity of both countries. In Beijing, Sharma will meet clean energy experts and companies to discuss projects supported by the UK Government's Prosperity Fund.

In Shenzhen, he will also discuss new energy technologies and investment into the UK with BYD who are already trialing e-buses and electric taxis in London and across Europe.

In Guangzhou, Sharma will open a new VisitBritain office in a key visitor market, meet Chinese business leaders and hold talks with British companies focused on corporate social responsibility.

"The UK's relationship with China is strong, growing and delivering benefits for both countries. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, we are working together to tackle global issues of the 21st century," Sharma says.
Will NYC hotels see bids from China's insurers? Updated: 2016-08-15 10:44 By Ai Heping in New York(China Daily USA)

Will a Chinese insurance company go after any of the more than 30 hotels in New York City that reportedly are now up for sale, including the Park Hyatt in the luxury tower One57, where billionaires have acquired condos?

The Real Deal cited anonymous sources on Aug 12 about the number of hotels that have come on the market. Jeffrey Davis, the head of JLL's New York hospitality division, called the number "unprecedented", according to The Real Deal.

Hyatt has had talks with potential buyers for the West 57th Street property, but no deal appears imminent, The Real Deal said.

"If the right buyer stepped up, Hyatt would sell that hotel tomorrow," an anonymous broker was quoted by the publication.

Representatives for Hyatt declined to comment on the potential sale of the Park Hyatt, The Real Deal said.

The Park Hyatt is a 210-room, five-star hotel on the lower level of One57.

The 90-story skyscraper at 157 West 57th Street has sold many of its condos to wealthy foreigners, among them Guoqing Chen, a founder of Hainan Airlines, the largest independent air carrier in China and part of the HNA Group, according to The New York Times. He bought a floor-through unit on the 57th floor for nearly $47.4 million, the newspaper reported in May 2015.

Last December, a penthouse at One57 sold for $100.5 million, breaking the record for the most expensive apartment ever sold in New York City.

In 2015, Chinese companies bought $5.13billion in US real estate and hotels, a 68percent jump from the $3.05billion they spent a year earlier, according to data from the Rhodium Group, an advisory firm that tracks Chinese investments in the US.

In 2014, Anbang paid $1.95 billion for the Waldorf Astoria hotel on Park Avenue and will convert it into a combination of condos and hotel rooms. An affiliate of China's Sunshine Insurance Group paid $230 million for the 114-room luxury Baccarat Hotel on West 53rd Street.

In March, Anbang made its biggest deal for prime US property, agreeing to buy Strategic Hotels & Resorts for $6.5 billion only three months after private-equity group Blackstone took the luxury hotels collection private.

aiheping@chinadailyusa.com
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.[File photo from Xinhua]

CHICAGO - 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.
Every time I do a giveaway here, there is always some geographical limitation, but some of you Sweet Potatoes are not very happy about it. So let me explain several things:

1. When brands are sponsoring the giveaway  like the current one with the purple robe. Have you entered yet?  they decide the rules.

2. Financially, it only makes sense for brands to prefer winners to be located where they are located. For example, if Company ABC, located in Baltimore, Maryland is giving away a bag of rice that is worth $10, it wont make sense for Company ABC to mail said bag of rice for $100 to Nigeria because now, Company ABC is spending way more than the worth of the bag of rice. You get?

Okay, lets do this giveaway:

Since I launched my small shop, I have been meaning to do a giveaway of the t-shirt. For the Sweet Potatoes in America, Ill still do a giveaway for you. For now, however, I have worked out the logistics for the Lagos/Abuja Sweet Potatoes. Yes, I am aware that there are many more States in Nigeria than the two mentioned here, but I have not worked out the logistics for them. Once I do, Ill be sure to do another one.want to do one for the Lagos and/or Abuja Sweet Potatoes.

I created this t-shirt as my own little way of schooling people  the non-African people, that is. After living in America for 16 years, I am so sick and tired of people referring to my beloved continent as if its a country. There are no words to explain the absurdness of someone planning a trip to Africa, but when you ask them where in Africa, they dont know. Id like to see them board a flight heading to the International Airport of Africa. Dont let me preach too much here; this is, after all, a giveaway.

This is the Africa tee, which I hold close to my heart. Its a UNISEX v-neck tee that is made of soft, lightweight, premium cotton. Its a stylish, expressive, and witty way of screaming without screaming that Africa is not a country. You may enter to win very, very easily via the Rafflecopter box. There will be 5 total winners, and the giveaway will end on Thursday (August 19th 2016), so please enter to win.

The Rules:

1) By leaving a comment and telling me why you want this t-shirt. (required)

2) By following @verastic on Twitter (optional)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



3) By tweeting a message (as captured in the Rafflecopter box) (optional)

Please note: You do not have to enter through all three methods, unless you want to. But you have to at least leave a comment, and the more you do, the more likely you are to win. Also, participating in this giveaway adds you to my monthly newsletter love letter. I promise youre gonna love it.

IMPORTANT: Please make sure you enter the giveaway with a correct email address because thats how Ill reach you when you win.

JUST AS IMPORTANT: You dont have to wait to win the giveaway oh! You can actually purchase it here. Free shipping within the United States.

UPDATE: The winners of the giveaway are Atinuke, Inumidum, FavorMoyse, Chizzy, and Sarah! Congratulations. An email has been sent to all the winners.
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HCM CITY  Start-ups in the technology sector are on the rise in the world and Viet Nam is no exception, delegates told a seminar in HCM City on Saturday.

Many Vietnamese young people started their businesses by developing technologies that are applied in various sectors, including education, healthcare, agriculture, they said.

According to inh Ba Tien, head of the HCM City University of Natural Sciences Information Technology Faculty, start-ups in the technology sector have not faced barriers, while technology provides opportunities to expand to the world market.

Many fields in daily life need to apply technological solutions to cut back costs and time.

Tien urged young people to relentlessly stay up to date on the technology trends in the world market, and choose proper solutions to deploy in Viet Nam.

With their knowledge and ability, Viet Nams young generation is expected to create tech products to meet the markets demand and boost the development of local businesses further as well as contribute to addressing the shortcomings of the country.

Start-ups have been booming in Viet Nam in recent times, with about 1,000 tech start-up projects each year. A start-up ecosystem, which includes venture capital, angel investors, accelerators, incubators, government funds, businesses, and others, has also developed to support start-ups.

Truong Ly Hoang Phi, director of the Business Start-up Support Centre (BSSC), said the centre provided start-ups with support in terms of finance, branding, mentoring and start-up connection activities.

The centre would organise a Start-up Exchange later this month to enable start-ups to present their projects to attract investment, she said.

ang To Loan, deputy director of Sai Gon-Ha Noi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB), which is the co-founder of the HCM City Startup Investment and Innovation Fund, said the bank set aside specific programmes to support feasible and high growth potential start-up projects.

Le Hai Binh, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Ecommerce Association (VECOM) and founder and chairman of Mat Bao Corp., said his company had accompanied start-ups for many years as an angel investor, saying that it was willing to support feasible start-up projects.

Nguyen Huu Thong from Mobiphone Service Company region 3 said education, medical and agricultural sectors were high potential sectors for tech start-ups, adding that his company was also willing to co-operate with promising start-ups.

At the seminar, Binh suggested start-ups should learn from the failures of other companies to avoid repeating the mistakes.

Organised by VECOM, BSSC, and chilli.vn, the seminar themed Tech Start-up was expected to help provide young start-ups with new directions in starting their businesses as well as connect them with successful start-ups and potential investors.  VNS
About 43 state-owned enterprises (SoEs), including six corporations, were cleared for equitisation in the first seven months of this year, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.  VNA/VNS Photo

HA NOI  About 43 State-owned enterprises (SoEs), including six corporations, were cleared for equitisation in the first seven months of this year, the finance ministry said.

State units divested VN2.87 trillion (US$130.4 million) in book value and earned VN5.6 trillion ($256 million) from the sale of stocks.

State-owned groups and corporations raked in VN424 billion from selling stakes in five sensitive areas -- securities, insurance, banking and finance and real estate, besides investment funds -- not to mention VN1.96 trillion ($89 million) from other fields.

In July, the state budget revenue was estimated at VN102 trillion, up 26.6 per cent from the previous month. The figure for the January-July period reached VN583.6 trillion, up 5.7 per cent from the same period of 2015.

The total budget spending hit VN107.5 trillion, raising the seven-month figure to VN662.1 trillion, marking a 4.9 per cent increase year-on-year.

Also in July, four loan agreements worth $669 million were signed with the World Bank (WB).

Twenty-six loan deals valued at $4.43 billion were inked during the seven months, mostly with the WB, the Asian Development Bank and Japan. Approximately $150 million were disbursed.

In the remaining months of this year, the ministry will increase inspection of tax payment and customs clearances, while asking relevant units to monitor the SoEs restructuring, securities market, pricing and public asset management. -- VNS
Taiwanese-invested Viet Phuoc Agricultural Produce Co was fined VN400 million ($18,000) for throwing out hundreds of dead pigs neat the Sai Gon River, causing serious pollution to the water.  Photo tinmoitruong.vn

BINH PHUOC  Police in southern Binh Phuoc Province have fined an agricultural business VN290 million ($13,050) for discharging untreated waste water into Sai Gon River.

Taiwanese-invested Viet Phuoc Agricultural Produce Co Ltd, based in Hon Quan Districts Minh Tam Commune, was caught twice discharging untreated waste water.

Previously, the company was fined VN400 million ($18,000) for throwing out hundreds of dead pigs neat the Sai Gon River, causing serious pollution to the water.- VNS
Central city launches design contest on Han River banks

A NANG  The central city has launched a contest on planning and architecture design of the Han River banks with an aim of creating landscape and beautiful scenery for local people and tourists.

The citys administration officially announced yesterday that the contest will give Vietnamese and foreigners the chance to submit ideas for developing the Han River as an attraction in the future.

The 7.2km long river, which is sandwiched between the citys downtown and Son Tra peninsula, has been seen as a typical symbol of the central city and tourist industry as well as a famous brand of the citys products.

As scheduled, the contest organising committee has opened registration for contestants between August 1-12 before selecting the best 10 plans between August 12-15.

The organisers said contestants will start designing their ideas from August to October for the last mock-up competition on October 15th.

The city will also display the design winners in public for review on October 15-29.

In 2015, Jina designing company from South Korea was selected as a consultant for designing and planning of the river banks, but its architecture design was not satisfactory.

All designers can visit the website of the contest at hanriver.viar.gov.vn for further information.

In 2014, Son Tra Peninsula Strategic Vision Plan, which was designed by the USs Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), was awarded the excellence prize from the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Earlier this year, the Dragon Bridge, which spans the Han River, won the 2016 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award.

The lighting design on the bridge also received the Best Citation Award from the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) in 2014.  VNS
On the occasion of Indias 70th Independence Day today (August 15), Viet Nam News presents an article written by the Ambassador of India to Viet Nam, Parvathaneni Harish.

India celebrates National Day

Today, on 15th August 2016, India celebrates its 70th year of independence. It was on this day in 1947 that India achieved its independence after a long and valiant struggle against colonial rule, uniquely characterized by non-violence and civil disobedience. This month also marks the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement against the British launched by the Father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, in 1942.

The traditionally close relations between India and Viet Nam in recent times have their roots in our freedom struggle led by our founding fathers, Mahatma Gandhi and Ho Chi Minh. However, our civilisational relationship spans over 2000 years as the advent of Buddhism to Viet Nam and the remnants of the Hindu Champa civilisation in Viet Nam stand testimony. Our monks and traders have interacted over centuries and cultural exchanges have left their imprint on our daily lives and activities. In an effort to preserve this history for posterity, the Archeological Survey of India will be assisting the Vietnamese Government in the conservation of the Cham Monuments in My Son.

We established diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level in January 1972. The relationship was elevated to the level of Strategic Partnership in 2007. In 2017, our two countries will be celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations and 10 years of Strategic Partnership. We will be organising numerous political, cultural and economic events to celebrate these important milestones in our partnership.

High level political visits have established a comprehensive agenda for our Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Ha Noi next month on the first bilateral visit of an Indian Prime Minister in 15 years and both sides are working on an ambitious agenda that will benefit our countries and peoples.

Prime Minister Modi has focused on the ease of doing business with his motto no red tape, only red carpet. The numerous flagship programmes launched in India such as Make in India, Skill India, Startup India, Digital India and the Smart City Mission are intended to reinforce the infrastructure, skill the workforce, encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, ensure inclusive digital access and improve urban management and governance.

India is now among the top 10 trading partners of Viet Nam. With a bilateral trade of US$7.8 billion (2015-16), Viet Nam is an important destination for Indian exports in the region. The two countries have set an ambitious trade target of $15 billion for 2020. Indias investments in Viet Nam are over $1.1 billion in 132 projects and will increase to over $3 billion once major upcoming investments in the power sector are implemented.

The Indian Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj have focused on its Act East policy in which our strategic partnership with Viet Nam is a major pillar. Viet Nam is also the coordinator country for the India-ASEAN relationship and we look forward to intense engagement with Viet Nam and ASEAN in the period ahead.

Our cultural outreach to Viet Nam will receive a major boost with the impending opening of the Indian Cultural Centre in Ha Noi. We look forward to conducting classes in Indian music and dance and already hold regular classes in yoga that are immensely popular. We received overwhelming support from the Vietnamese authorities and the thousands of Vietnamese people who enthusiastically participated in the International Day of Yoga celebrations in June in all major cities. Our partnership in training and human resource development is strong and India offers over 200 scholarships every year.

Today I am reminded of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagores words during his memorable visit to Viet Nam in 1929:

Please know that before human joys and human miseries, my heart always beats with the same rhythm as that of those of my predecessors who in the most distant past lived among you I bring you the greetings of that radiant India, who lavished her light on this land as well as the message of sympathy and brotherhood of present India.

I wish the Indian community and friends of India in Viet Nam a very happy Independence Day.  VNS
HA NOI  The National Assemblies (NA) of Viet Nam and Laos are hoped to increase cooperation and experience exchanges in order to make their ties on par with those between the two countries Parties, States and people.

Lao NA Vice Chairman Somphan Phengkhammy expressed the wish at a meeting with NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan in Ha Noi yesterday.

The guest said his ongoing visit to Viet Nam aims to study the position, role, functions and power of the provincial and municipal Peoples Councils, adding that the Lao delegation is scheduled to visit the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An and HCM City.

He said the Lao NA hopes to coordinate with Viet Nam in organising a workshop sharing experience in public debt management and supervision.

She said the two countries would jointly host a workshop to share experience between Vietnamese and Lao parliaments in next October and a ceremony to inaugurate the Viet Nam  Laos historical site in the northern province of Son La to mark the 55th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and 40th anniversary of signing the Viet Nam  Lao Amity and Cooperation Treaty.

The top Vietnamese legislator also suggested the two NAs coordinate in supervising the implementation of high-level agreements and commitments, and their bodies promote experience exchanges.

In talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, Uong Chu Luu, the visiting Lao legislator said his country wishes to learn about the organisational structure and activities of the Vietnamese NA Committee for Deputy Affairs, and the all-level Peoples Councils, especially those at provincial levels.

He said he believes that Viet Nam will increase its development pace and promote relations with his country.

He affirmed that Laos will work closely with Viet Nam in organising events to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties and 40 years of the signing of the Amity and Cooperation Treaty between the two nations.

For his part, Luu spoke highly of Laoss recent legislative achievements, including the ratification of the Revised Constitution, saying that these contribute to reinforcing the countrys legal system and laying the foundation for Laos to realise its socio-economic development goals.

He expressed his belief that the Lao NA will continue making important contributions to successfully implementing the Resolution of the 10th National Congress of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party and the countrys socio-economic development plan for 2016-20.

Presidential reception

The Party, State and people of Viet Nam give the highest priority to enhancing the time-honoured friendship with Laos, President Tran ai Quang told Phengkhammy yesterday.

Viet Nam considers the relationship an invaluable asset and vital to the revolutionary causes of the two countries, the President said.

Noting with pleasure co-operation between the two countries, President Quang said such achievements were due to the contributions of their legislative bodies.

He suggested the two agencies continue working to implement high-ranking co-operation agreements, especially those sealed at the 38th meeting of the Viet Nam-Laos Inter-governmental Committee in December last year, while increasing the exchange of experience, particularly in building institutions and laws, and supervising law enforcement, he said.

Phengkhammy said that the Lao NA will mark 40 years since the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Amity and Cooperation Treaty (July 18) and the 55th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic relations, in a bid to help the two countries young generations understand more about the special solidarity.  VNS
The Ministry of Education and Planning has set itself an ambitious goal of making English the second language at universities across Viet Nam. Photo phumy1.com

HCM CITY  The Ministry of Education and Planning has set itself an ambitious goal of making English the second language at universities across Viet Nam.

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha had said earlier this month that the ministry has created a roadmap to achieve the goal starting this academic year, and urged universities to improve their English teaching methods.

He asked universities to apply the latest technologies in teaching English, teach students about the importance of globalisation and expand international links to promote the use of the language.

He said students would be required to make all presentations and hold all discussions in English, while the staff would speak English at their meetings.

The ministry has given specific instructions to the 61 universities and academies it runs to take the initiative to draw up teaching standards that match ASEAN standards.

They would then be published to solicit public opinion before the ministry tweaks its education and training plans, he said.

Other universities needed to review and report the challenges they face in making English the second language and suggest solutions, he said.

The ministry said it would assist pedagogy universities in training capable English teachers through new programmes that focus on training in remote areas like the north-western, Central Highlands and south-western regions.

Nha said it would also improve the curriculum, materials, textbooks and testing.

Foreign language plan

At the beginning of this year the ministry announced that English would be a compulsory subject from grade three onwards starting in 2018 as part of its foreign language teaching plan.

English is currently only mandatory from grade 10 onwards.

Under the plan, from 2018 students in grade three and above will have four English lessons a week.

English is now only an optional subject in primary schools, with one or two lessons a week.

The ministry reported that around a 10th of primary school students do not learn English since the country has a shortage of some 7,700 teachers.

Besides, only a third of English teachers at primary and high schools meet teaching standards, according to the ministry.

In the recent national high school graduation exams, students fared worst in English out of the eight compulsory subjects, with an overwhelming number scoring 2-3.5 out of 10.

The public was shocked when the results were announced, but both the students and teachers admitted they reflect the candidates true ability.

Prof Tran Xuan Nhi, a former deputy education minister, said children should study English in kindergarten, adding that they are capable of learning new languages at a very early age.

Experts said that since Viet Nam aims to compete in the global marketplace through the recently launched ASEAN Economic Community, improving its level of English is crucial.

Viet Nam ranks 29th on the Education Firsts English Proficiency Index, and fifth among Southeast Asian countries.

According to the ministry, a second language refers to one that is used in daily life and learnt by students without the need for lessons, while a foreign language is learnt in school but rarely used in daily life.

In Viet Nam, English is becoming more and more common, especially in big cities like HCM City and Ha Noi and tourists destinations.  VNS
A poor household in Pa Bong, ien Bien District, ien Bien Province.  Photo danviet.vn

HA NOI  A steep increase in the number of poor and near-poor households following the implementation of new poverty measuring standards is putting pressure on the Government to achieve its poverty eradication goals.

Located some 400km to the northwest of Ha Noi, the mountainous border district of Yen Minh in Ha Giang Province last year saw the average number of poor households climb to more than 61 per cent after authorities applied the new multi-dimensional poverty measure.

It was a 2.5 times surge compared to only some 24.5 per cent the same time last year when calculated using the older method, Yen Minh Labour Division Head Nguyen Van inh told the Nong thon ngay nay newspaper.

There are some communes, for example Sung Trang, that now have more than 80 per cent of local households listed as poor, he said.

The upwards trend has also occurred in Muong Nhe District in northwestern ien Bien Province, as the figure has increased by 1.5 times since applying the new multidimensional poverty measure. The districts poverty rate spiked from 45 per cent in 2014 to 74 per cent last year because of different measuring methods. In 2011 the poverty rate (under the old measurement system) was 77.8 per cent.

Viet Nam last year asked localities to apply the multidimensional poverty measure that considers whether a household is poor or not based on its income and five other basic criteria including access to medical services, education, accommodation, as well as clean water and hygiene and information services.

Such a complicated and multi-faceted measurement in lieu of the older way of calculating poverty purely by household income led to a sharp hike in the number of households recorded as poor and near-poor.

Statistics from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) show that the multidimensional measurement had the national poverty rate in 2015 triple to about 15 per cent compared to the previous measurement technique.

Budget sufficiency

The National Assembly last November passed the five-year national programme on sustainable poverty reduction 2016-2020, aiming to bring down the average national poverty rate by one to 1.5 per cent annually, and up to 4 per cent in extremely disadvantaged areas.

The Government planned to pour at least VN46.1 trillion (US$2.06 billion) into the national programme, a 30 per cent increase to the same programme for the last five-year period of 2012-2015.

Yet local officials in those areas, disproportionately located in remote mountainous regions where a majority of residents are ethnic minorities, were growing anxious about whether they could accomplish the newly set targets with as yet no actual money flowing through other than the rhetorical announcements of an increased amount invested.

ooc May Commune in the central province of Nghe An had 68 per cent of its population considered as poor by the multidimensional measure, a rise of 18 per cent compared to 2014.

The communal Peoples Committee Chairman Ly Giong Dia said that he struggled every year to figure out how to divide the limited budget support to such a large pool of households in need.

There is the 30A programme providing cattle to help poor households that gave us officials a headache whenever the cows came, he said.

There were times when we had to hold three or four resident meetings yet still failed to decide who got to raise the cows. How are we supposed to reduce poverty with such little support but so many poor people?

Yen Minh District Labour Division Head Nguyen Van inh said his biggest concern was whether the budget would be enough to lift villagers out of the newly applied poverty scale.

Apart from economic support, investment in education, medical services, clean water and information connections should all be prioritised, he said.

MoLISA Deputy Minister Nguyen Trong am said that the Government was not too surprised at the poverty rate surge, believing it could handle the funding pressures to accomplish the national programme targets.

The rate (of poverty) is actually three per cent lower than the initial predictions made by MoLISA and the General Statistics Office, he said.

am said that Viet Nam previously had managed to find sufficient resources to cut the initial poverty rate of 14.2 per cent in 2011 down to less than 5 per cent last year.

The increased rate (15 per cent) still hovers around the initial level so there should be enough resources to fund poverty reduction plans, he said.

He also said the Government was working to review and cut overlapping support policies and programmes to spend the budget more efficiently.

The kind of programmes that give a man a fish will be eliminated and in their place there will be policies to encourage the poor to work their way up themselves, he said.

The Ministry of Finance was still on its way to map out a national budget distribution plan in line with the poverty reduction programme while the Committee on Ethnic Minority Affairs was rushing to complete a criteria set on categorising extremely disadvantaged localities to focus support on, of which the deadline to submit to the Prime Minister for approval is this September.  VNS
HA NOI  Residents in Block N5 of ong Tau apartment building in Ha Nois Thinh Liet Ward are concerned about their safety after the lobby floor partially caved in last week.

According to reporters who visited the building on Sunday, some 20 square metres of floor surface had opened up, creating 50 centimetre holes. These holes, located in the middle of the floor, were causing considerable inconvenience for those who lived in the building. Cracks have also been seen on the walls.

According to residents, the caving in of the floor has affected water pipelines and electricity in the building.

Also, residents have placed a warning sign in front of the lobby.

Nguyen Van Tiu, a resident in Apartment 702, said he heard a loud noise, after which the buildings water supply stopped.

He then went downstairs and found the floor of the lobby had caved in.

He noted that there were no people in the lobby at that time.

According to Tiu, careless construction, such as using loose sand, has created gaps underground. This made the surface weak and easy to collapse.

The ong Tau apartment buildings are under the management of Ha Nois Housing Management and Development Company.

Tran Van Sau, former head of the residential group of N5 Block, said that the apartment building was built in 2005 and began taking in residents in 2007.

In 2014, other buildings also suffered from floors caving in and walls cracking. The lobbys floor had once before developed holes.

Le Van Duc, director of the municipal Department of Construction, inspected the building yesterday morning.

He required the buildings construction group to begin repairs on the floor at 8am this morning. The work must be completed within ten days.  VNS
Eric Wiseman, associate professor of urban forestry and arboriculture and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, received the 2016 Alex L. Shigo Award for Arboricultural Education from the International Society of Arboriculture.

The award, one of the societys Awards of Distinction, recognizes the important role that education plays in enhancing the quality and professionalism of the arboriculture industry through sustained excellence in arboricultural education. Its namesake, Alex Shigo, was a tree biologist and plant pathologist renowned throughout the industry for his studies on tree decay, which led to major changes in arboriculture.

Wiseman earned his undergraduate degree in wildlife science from Virginia Tech but took an entry-level position with Bartlett Tree Experts in Raleigh, North Carolina, after a chance meeting with a representative at a job fair on campus.

You dont really find careers in arboriculture; they seem to find you, he said. While working as an arborist, he developed a passion for trees that he now strives to share with his students.

For Wiseman, fostering curiosity and enthusiasm in his students is crucial to successful arboriculture education. I teach a lot of students who arent destined to become arborists, but most of them are living in areas surrounded by urban forests, he said. I try to show them that theyre going to learn something that will be relevant somewhere down the line.

To do so, Wiseman, a faculty member in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, makes an effort to provide as many hands-on learning opportunities as possible. He has encouraged students to participate in Sustainability Week, Arbor Day events, and a campus tree inventory.

As an undergraduate, I didnt do as much as I could have to prepare for my career, so I want to make sure that my students have those opportunities he said.

Some of his favorite mentorship opportunities have included involving his students in field research. Between 2009 and 2013, Wiseman partnered with the Virginia Department of Forestry to conduct street tree and urban forest assessments, allowing several undergraduate students the opportunity to assist with data collection. As program coordinator for the Virginia Big Tree Program, which is dedicated to educating citizens about the value of trees, Wiseman works regularly with student interns.

Each day is something new for them, he said. It keeps you excited and motivated to work alongside them.

Wisemans dedication to education extends beyond the classroom. He has served as secretary treasurer of the society's Arboricultural Research and Education Academy. As a member of its Educational Goods and Services Committee, he helped to develop a selection of digital educational materials for professional arborists. Beginning almost 10 years ago as a collection of CDs, the educational products that Wiseman helped the society create on integrated pest management and plant health have now been reformatted for online learning.

For Wiseman, receiving the award is both surprising and humbling. Im just a guy from Virginia Tech trying to inspire young folks about trees, he said. It causes you to reflect and appreciate the people who have helped you get where you are and the hard work youve put in.

In addition to his dedication to arboriculture education, Wiseman is known for his work on roadside arboriculture management, citizen monitoring of the emerald ash borer infestation, and energy conservation benefits of landscape trees.

Wiseman earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Virginia Tech and his doctorate from Clemson University. He was honored with the International Society of Arboricultures Early Career Scientist Award in 2012.
Vishal Sikkas plans to stabilise business and focus on higher growth at faced a setback early this month after a key client Royal Bank of Scotland scrapped a project to set up a separate bank in the United Kingdom, for which was a key technology partner.
Kozhikode-based Malabar Gold & Diamond has pulled out its Facebook post related to the Pakistan Independence Day Quiz competition, meant for its customers in the West Asia, following media reports.

While the post was taken out soon, it has received nearly a million likes within the time, according to news reports.
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.
WATERLOO  The former Rath Packing Co. building looms over Jess Boatrights tiny barber shop like an industrial House of Usher  tattered and boarded up, a brick gothic castle of Waterloo.

And like Edgar Allen Poes House of Usher, the Rath building, closed in 1985, now stands as a reminder of bygone days; when business boomed around the intersection of Lafayette and Division streets.

Boatright, 84, remembers those times well, perhaps better than anyone.

Im the only person alive now who had a business down here 62 years ago, Boatright said.

Storefronts surrounding the area included a drug store, jewelry store, a shoe cobbler and multiple taverns.

Those Rath boys sure could drink, Boatright said of the former plant workers.

The Rath days boded well for the corner shop where Boatright barbered. He and two others worked for many hours, six days a week, grooming plant workers of all statures  from those who worked the floor and exchanged stolen meat for haircuts to those wearing suits and ties. Even company president Howard Rath himself.

He called me The Kid, Boatright recalled.

He said Rath walked in one day 62 years ago and announced to those in the shop, Ill let The Kid cut my hair.

Satisfied with Boatright, 22 at the time, Rath kept a standing appointment every Tuesday at 2 p.m. after that.

Hed always asked me to tell him how the plants going, Boatright said. And I told him, But youre the president, dont you know better? He just said to me, Yeah, but you hear more than I do.

You know, Ive had a lot of fun as a barber, Boatright said, looking back on 62 years in the profession. Ive had some fun times.

It all began after Boatright returned home from an 18-month stint in Korea during the war.

Originally from Detroit, he married and moved to Iowa to attend barber school in Des Moines.

Boatright says back then one received their barber license only after 18 months of apprenticeship post-barber school. He apprenticed on Lafayette Street and spent 54 years in that shop.

In 2008, after flooding damaged the corner location, Boatright moved down the block. The current locale is a small, aged shop with off-white scuffed paint  a neighbor to the Cedar Valley Fish Market, the source of the aroma that drifts as far down Lafayette as the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

But the Fish Market may not be the fishiest thing about Division Street  it may be Boatrights shop. One step inside and even Boatrights newest customer would know hes a veteran angler.

Thousands of nautical accessories  mounted fish, lures, bobbers and countless variations of gone fishing signs cover every inch of wood paneling. Each of the hundreds of picture frames is decorated with sea shells  16,910 shells in total, according to Boatright.

I have 4,596 bobbers, 3,223 pictures, 858 frames (multiple pictures per frame), 50 mounted fish, 155 poles, 196 reels and 493 lures, Boatright rattles off, reading from a handwritten inventory list.

Asked why he keeps such a detailed tally, Boatright fired a curt retort.

Because everyone keeps askin me! he exclaimed.

Boatrights been fishing since he was 7 years old, and it stands as close to his heart as barbering. He says hes caught 106,968 fish since 1992, when he began keeping track.

The reason I got into barbering in the first place was so I could have a job that lets me go hunting and fishing, Boatright said.

Barbering has been steady and Boatright said he could always get an open weekend.

No one fires a barber, you know, Boatright said. They just go get their hair cut somewhere else.

Business was steady for Boatright last week. Seven customers stopped by in just over an hour. At least three were former Rath workers.

Dont know whats gotten into folks today, Boatright said. What do they think, Im gonna die tomorrow?

Perhaps the congestion is because 100 percent of Boatrights business are walk-ins  he doesnt own a phone.

Its caused him some problems in the past.

Im probably the only barber in the area who had a customer die in his chair, Boatright said dryly.

He said it happened years ago, hes not certain when. A man in his 60s stopped breathing while getting his hair trimmed.

Another customer came in and I told him the situation ... He hightailed it down the street to call 911 because I didnt have a phone. I decided I should lay the guy on the floor, propping his head up in case they (paramedics) want to do work on him when they get here 

Anyway, a new customer comes in and asks, Whats the deal with him? I said, This guys dead. He got really pale, turned around and ran right back to his car, Boatright said, allowing his humor to take over what some would otherwise consider a sad story.

Did you charge him? quips Bill Day, 96, of Waterloo, referring to the dead man. As the room laughs, he confesses hes heard the story before.

I tell you I dont blame that new customer, Boatright said. I wouldnt want to sit for a cut from a barber whos just killed a man!

I come to him for the stories, Day says of Boatright. A former traffic manager at Rath, Days been coming to Boatright since well before the plant closed.

Gene Edler, also a former Rath worker, asks for a number five, high and tight.

High and tight? Once we get going, you know I cant stop with that one, Boatright cautions.

Yep, the closer the better, Edler replies.

Boatright said the high and tight flat top has always been his specialty, and it was even the reason he was hired so many years ago.

Boatright recalls some of the customers hes had: mayors, police chiefs and sheriffs among them.

Whereas he used to lose customers to the British Invasion and the Beatles (after they showed up, kids would go months without a cut), Boatright says those hes lost lately have been to old age.

Yeah, I really never thought Id enjoy barbering this much, Boatright said. Most people are doing things they dont enjoy and want to get out as fast as they can. But when you get to be an old man and can say I love what Im doing, youre pretty lucky.
WATERLOO (AP)  A white police officer in Waterloo faces a disciplinary investigation after he was caught on tape disparaging a black teenager who was the victim of a fatal 2013 shooting.

Daniel Trelka, Waterloos director of safety services, said Monday he has opened an internal investigation into the remarks by Officer Kenneth Schaaf after learning about them Friday.

We dont tolerate these kinds of remarks, Trelka said.

The remarks  first reported in The Courier  came to light when Schaaf testified at the trial of Perquondis Holmes, 25, who is charged in the November 2013 shooting death of 18-year-old DaeQuan Campbell.

In remarks caught on tape while he provided security at the death scene, Schaaf was recorded asking a colleague, When was the last time we had a death where its a true victim? He also referred to Campbell as an obscenity and said we just need a semi-apocalyptic event to get rid of 90 percent of them.

Waterloos largely white police force is already facing scrutiny over the way it treats minorities in the city, which has the highest percentage of African-Americans in Iowa.

The city agreed to pay $2.5 million earlier this year to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a 22-year-old black man who was fatally shot by a white officer in 2012. Last week, the city settled lawsuits filed by three other black residents, including two teenagers, who alleged they were illegally arrested and roughed up by white officers. Schaaf wasnt a subject of the lawsuits.

Schaaf called his statements stupid, crass, and insensitive while on the witness stand Friday.
CEDAR FALLS  A long-range facilities master plan for Area Education Agency 267 proposes consolidation of its central offices at an estimated cost of $3.11 million.

Currently, the offices include four buildings along Cedar Heights Drive just south of University Avenue. Estimates include upgrades, remodeling and new construction. Design and construction contingencies and fees plus other soft costs are built into the expense projections.

Officials with Struxture Architects of Waterloo presented the 90-page document to AEA 267s Board of Directors last week after conducting a study with the help of a facilities planning committee. The plan also looks at office locations in Clear Lake and Marshalltown, each of which include one building. Struxture was awarded a $17,900 contract in December to lead the effort.

This is really the data gathering phase as we examine our facilities, said Beth Strike, a spokeswoman for AEA 267. Essentially, the facilities study provides the board with data and information to create options for the use of our facilities. It isnt so much about making recommendations as it is about exposing options.

The study involved a review and report of agency buildings, looking at how facilities are utilized and their suitability for educational purposes. Possibilities also were outlined for renovation and new construction to make operations more cost-efficient or cost-effective. Buildings were reviewed and assessed based on their exterior and interior condition, mechanical and plumbing condition, and electrical and data networks.

Although the plan laid out how Marshalltown operations could fit into about half of their space at a former school, its proposals focused on the Cedar Falls campus. The administration determined consolidation should be a goal there, according to the plan, with operations from the special education and maintenance buildings moving into the conference center and administration buildings. It also proposed building a stand-alone garage to house the maintenance truck and related items.

The report includes no information on funding if the board decides to move forward on any of the projects. Strike noted much discussion and planning is still required before any action is determined.

Board members did go into a closed session to discuss purchase of property, but didnt take any action. Theyve got the facilities study in and its opened up discussion about what the possibilities may be, said Strike.
DES MOINES  Three state lawmakers  including a pair from the Cedar Valley  are calling for increased transparency as a state board chooses the next president for the University of Northern Iowa.

The three legislators, in a letter released Monday, outline their concerns to the Iowa Board of Regents, the panel that governs the states three public universities, including UNI. The letter was sent by Democratic Iowa Sens. Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls, Brian Schoenjahn of Arlington and Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids to regents chairman Bruce Rastetter.

The senators in the letter said the 2015 hiring of University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld failed to adhere to the high standards Iowans expect from our Board of Regents, and encouraged the regents to be more fair and transparent in selecting a new president at UNI.

Harrelds hiring was criticized by many for his lack of experience in the education field and allegations that prior to being hired he met with regents outside of the normal interview process.

In June, the American Association of University Professors sanctioned the University of Iowa for what the group called substantial noncompliance with standards of academic government and called the search at best an illusion of an open, honest search.

Given the problems with that selection process documented by University of Iowa faculty and students, the American Association of University Professors and the news media, we encourage you to use a fair and transparent process in the selection of the next president of the University of Northern Iowa, a process that actually and fully involves the faculty and students in the spirit of shared governance, says the letter from lawmakers.

The letter notes as one small step the regents have hired a different search firm. It asks the board to respond to the letter with specific steps being taken to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process.

A regents spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment Monday. State Rep. Bob Kressig, D-Cedar Falls, echoed the concerns outlined in the letter.

We should have a transparent process that makes sure that the next president at UNI will continue to work at growing the university and work to get the necessary funding from the state of Iowa, Kressig wrote in an email response to The Courier. Hopefully the regents are willing to let that happen.

Courier news editor Pat Kinney contributed to this report.
WATERLOO  The 100+ Women Who Care, Cedar Valley Chapter, will hold its third quarterly meeting from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at PIPAC Center, 1521 Technology Parkway in Cedar Falls.

The organization aims to raise $10,000 at each of its quarterly meetings, with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward local nonprofits. All women who live and/or work in the Cedar Valley are encouraged to join the 100+ Women Who Care Cedar Valley Chapter.

The organization asks all members commit to $400 in local giving annually, $100 per quarterly meeting.

At the first meeting in February $15,000 was raised and donated to the House of Hope in Waterloo, and at the second meeting in May more than $13,000 was raised and donated to Pathways Behavioral Services. A representative from Pathways will be present Thursday to talk about how the donated funds will be used.

All members have the opportunity to nominate a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization to receive the groups quarterly gift. The chapters board then randomly draws three nominations for that evenings meeting.

The women who nominate an organization have about five minutes to speak about why their charity is deserving of the donation. Following the presentation, the group votes to select the nonprofit organization that will receive a $100 check from each member.

For more information or to join the 100+ Women Who Care Cedar Valley Chapter, go to www.100pluswomencv.com.
Kids Day set at farmers market

CEDAR FALLS  Kids Day will be Thursday at the College Hill Farmers Market from 4 to 6 p.m. at the corner of College and West 22nd streets.

It will include nutritional strategies to prevent lead absorption, samples and recipes, face painting and other kid-friendly activities.

The market has various vendors and has a large amount of seasonal produce for sale, along with crafts, baked goods, jelly and home decor items. Various payments are accepted and vary with each vendor including cash, EBT cards for SNAP, FMNP for WIC and Seniors and credit and debit cards.

UNI program is granted funding

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa  The University of Northern Iowa has been granted funding of $545,188 by the U.S. Department of Education to be used for the Talent Search Program.

The program is designed to identify qualified youths with potential for education at the postsecondary level, assist them in completing a rigorous secondary school program of study and graduate from a secondary school and to assist individuals with enrolling in and graduating from a postsecondary institution within six years.

There are 1,200 middle school and high school students in the program from the Waterloo Community School District. The services provided through the Talent Search Program includes tutoring, academic advising, course selection, career counseling, assistance in preparing for college entrance examinations and completing college admission applications, assistance in completing financial aid applications, connections with counseling services designed to improve financial and economic literacy and assistance with secondary and postsecondary school re-entry.

Galyen appointed director of bands

CEDAR FALLS  Danny Galyen, UNI associate professor of music, has recently been appointed as the director of bands at the University of Northern Iowa. He will be responsible for the administration of all aspects of the entire band program.

Prior to this, UNI did not have a director of bands who provided supervision of the entire band program, said Galyen.

In his new role, Galyen will conduct the UNI Wind Symphony, the premier wind ensemble on campus. He currently directs the Panther Marching Band, the Symphonic Band and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting and music education.

Hartman to host

Doggie Dash 5K

CEDAR FALLS  Hartman Reserve Nature Center will host its third annual Doggie Dash 5K on Sept. 17 for runners, walkers and four-legged friends.

The event celebrates both Hartman Reserve and the dog-loving community. People also are welcome to participate in the race without a dog.

Those who register before Sept. 7 are guaranteed a T-shirt and a goodie bag; cost is $25.

Sign up online at www.doggiedash5k.weebly.com or in-person at 1346 W. Airline Highway, Waterloo.

For more information, including route information, rules/regulations or to volunteer, go to the website.
Q: Is the big craft show going to be at the UNI-Dome this fall?

A: Yes, its set for Oct. 15 and 16, according to UNI-Dome staff.

Q: If you drew a straight line from Rio de Janeiro north to the Northern Hemisphere, where would you be?

A: It looks to us as if you end up in Greenland.

Q: Can you print the lyrics to The Long Black Train?

A: Here they are:

Theres a long black train

Coming down the line

Feeding off the souls that are lost and crying

Rails of sin only evil remains.

Watch out, brother, for that long black train.

Look to the heavens

You can look to the skies

You can find redemption

Staring back into your eyes.

There is protection and there is

Peace; the same burn in your ticket for that

Long black train.

Cause theres victory in the Lord, I say

Victory in the Lord

Cling to the Father and his holy name

And dont go riding on that long black train.

Theres a engine there on that long black train

Making you wonder if your ride is worth the pain.

Hes just a waitin on your heart to say

Let me ride on that long black train.

Q: Where can I write to Hillary Clinton?

A: Write to Hillary for America, P.O. Box 5256, New York, NY 10185-5256, or send email through the website at www.hillaryclinton.com

Q: Did Hoda Kotb get married?

A: Kotb has had a longtime gentleman friend, New York financier Joel Schiffman, but as far as we can tell, they havent married.

Q: Was the Cedar Falls Schools bond money earmarked for the three individual projects? Will the remodels of North Cedar and Orchard Hill be started before they start building the new school?

A: Yes, the money will be designated for the three projects. Andy Pattee, Cedar Falls Community Schools superintendent, has said he expects the contract for the new elementary school to be awarded first, possibly in January. The contracts for remodeling the two existing schools are expected to be approved in March and April. Grading work on the new elementary site is expected to happen this fall, so construction could begin as soon as weather permits after the contract is awarded. Work at Orchard Hill and North Cedar elementary schools will need to account for the fact school is in session during the spring. Pattee has said the North Cedar project is expected to take longer than the Orchard Hill remodeling.
If you have opinions about the subject matter of posts on this blog please share them. Do you have a story about how the system affects you at work school or home, or just in general? This is a place to share it.
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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.
Schools have become very dependent on the cloud to improve learning and teaching environments, as well as peer collaboration.
Another worker problem is now being discussed in North Korea to accelerate a major construction project. Many of the workers are being given a methamphetamine-based drug to speed up a 70-story building in the heart of North Koreas capital city. The new skyscraper project is just one part of a 60-building development on Pyongyang's Ryomyung Street. After unhealthy, inconvenient conditions for workers in Qatar-which was largely discussed over Zaha Hadid's project Al Wakrah stadium, North Korean workers are now overpressure to finish their works on time. Zaha Hadid was under pressure for a long time since she had indequate sense of civic responsibility on the workers conditions and she had said:

''I have nothing to do with the workers. I think thats an issue the government  if theres a problem  should pick up. Hopefully, these things will be resolved.

[W]hat do I do about that? Im not taking it lightly but I think its for the government to look to take care of. Its not my duty as an architect to look at it.

I cannot do anything about it because I have no power to do anything about it. I think its a problem anywhere in the world. But, as I said, I think there are discrepancies all over the world.''

Bad conditions of workers in construction bloom become a major issue to be discussed and regulated by some authorities because a great majority of workers are working in terrible conditions, unhealthy, illegal ways and very low salary and that results in hundreds deaths of workers in many countries like India, Nepal and Qatar. This overpressure on the workers to finish their jobs on time reveals another 'humanist crime' to be taken an immediate legal act for their rights.

Part of the amphetamine family of stimulant drugs, it is also known as Crystal Meth or Ice. It gives an intense high, followed by a severe comedown and is highly addictive. The effects of drug make users feel very up, exhilarated, alert and awake. It can also make you feel agitated, paranoid, confused and aggressive.

Using 'methamphetamine' causes increased heart rate and blood pressure, raising the risk of heart attack, evidence of brain damage with long-term use, severe psychoses, overdoses can cause strokes, and lung, kidney and gastrointestinal damage.

North Korean workers are being given a methamphetamine-based drug in the hope it will speed up a major construction project, according to reports. Project managers in the city's capital of Pyongyang are said to be under so much pressure to finish the job on time that they have resorted to openly providing builders with the drug. Nicknamed "ice," it is a form of the powerful stimulant methamphetamine, which is also known as crystal meth.

Project managers are now openly providing drugs to construction workers so that they will work faster, a construction source in Pyongyang told Radio Free Asia.



"[They] are undergoing terrible sufferings in their work."......Continue Reading

Top image (via traveller.com.au)

> via telegraph.co.uk




MILTON, MA, August 15, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Delphi Academy of Boston has closed its doors until Tuesday, September 6th when the school reopens. This is only three short weeks away, so students, parents and teachers are getting ready for the new school year.



School administrators say they are preparing the school, while helping some potential students work through the admissions process. With many classes full, the school only has a few more places open for admissions. So, if you are considering sending your child to Delphi Academy of Boston this fall, connect with school administrators today. You can contact them through the "Contact Us" page on the school website: http://delphiboston.org/ or read independent reviews on Great Schools here: http://www.greatschools.org/massachusetts/milton/2301-Delphi-Academy/.



Delphi Academy of Boston is an independent, coeducational, non-sectarian day school offering a preschool through eighth grade program. Academics focus on providing students with a solid grounding in the basics, a rich and challenging hands-on curriculum and the ability to study purposefully and independently. Children may enroll as early as two years and nine months in the preschool program. To find out more visit http://www.delphiboston.org/.



# # #
Aug 15, 2016 | By Benedict

South Korea is looking to increase its share of the global 3D printing market. The countrys domestic additive manufacturing industry was worth 82 billion won ($75 million) in 2015, and is expected to rise to more than 116 billion won ($100 million) this year.

As Asias fourth-largest economy, South Korea can boast of some hugely successful companies which function as both domestic providers and global exporters. Its automotive sector, for example, contains Kia Motors and Hyundai, both household names around the world, while tech giant Samsung is headquartered in the Samsung Town area of Seoul, the Korean capital. But despite its dominance in some industries, South Korea is still seen as something of a hanger-on in the global additive manufacturing industry, with a lack of human resources and investment seemingly holding back domestic 3D printing companies.

According to the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information, the countrys additive manufacturing industry was worth 59 billion won ($54 million) in 2014, 82 billion won ($75 million) in 2015, and is expected to rise to more than 116 billion won ($100 million) this year. To put that into perspective, the Wohlers Report 2016 valued the global additive manufacturing industry at $5.165 billion in 2015, putting South Koreas share at around 1.45%. Most of that figure is populated by small and medium-size companies rather than conglomerates like Samsung, with 72% of 3D printing-related companies in South Korea posting annual sales of less than 5 billion won ($4.5 million) and three-quarters of the firms having 50 employees on average.

Some experts in South Korea believe that the countrys relatively small additive manufacturing footprint comes from a lack of investment in software, with domestic 3D printer manufacturers producing products of a respectable calibre. Currently, Korea is in the initial stage as it joined the 3D printing market late, said Kunkuk Universitys technology management professor Lim Chai-sung, chair of the Korea Industry 4.0 Association. The two core factors of additive manufacturing are software and materials. Making printers is simple but developing software requires astronomical investment and efforts.

Most agree that investment and growth is required if the Korean additive manufacturing industry is to cultivate real expertise in the market, but there are areas in which the country is currently making good use of 3D printing technology. The medical sector, for example, has already adopted certain additive manufacturing practices in order to advance surgical techniques, with 3D printed surgical guides and even 3D printed implants helping doctors to provide more efficient and patient-specific care.

The South Korean government has helped this growth in the medical sector by expressing confidence in the additive manufacturing industry and its products. With medical professionals keen to adopt 3D printing technologies as soon as they become available, the state has been exploring fast-track approval options for 3D printed medical devices. In May, officials from the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that it was looking to amend existing regulations in order to allow fast-track approval of such instruments to enable them to be used in life-or-death situations. It would greatly help patients who have no other alternative means of treatment because of their physiological or pathological characteristics, said Lee Sung-hui, a ministry official involved in the process.

Governmental support for the 3D printing industry, which has also been expressed through additive manufacturing tax exemptions, has culminated in a sharp increase in AM-assisted surgical procedures in recent yearsprocedures which demonstrate a level of expertise beyond the countrys perceived entry-level status in the global 3D printing industry. Earlier this summer, a man was successfully implanted with Koreas first 3D printed heel bone in a procedure which took place at the National Cancer Center. Korea was also the first country in the world to approve 3D printed cranial skull implants for medical use, and was responsible for a 3D printer which can print objects thinner than blood cells. That machine, developed by scientists from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, uses electrohydrodynamic inkjet 3D printing to print on delicate materials such as textiles, fibers, and potentially human skin.

South Korea's first 3D printed heel bone

Such cases demonstrate progress in the area of medical 3D printing, but some will raise eyebrows over the methods used by the South Korean government to get these technologies from concept to the operating room. While investments have been made and grants given, the easing of regulations could be seen as a riskier means of advancing the industry. Fast-track approval of 3D printed medical devices could certainly enable potentially life-saving operations, but it could also result in the use of low-quality or inadequately tested devices that would not hold up to scrutiny in other countries. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a different route, drawing up a draft guidance for 3D printed medical devices in May and encouraging those in the know to contribute their expertise to the would-be regulations. As of last month, however, the draft guidance had received little attention, with just 3 public comments added to the page. Experts have cautioned that the lack of input given to the guidance could result in safe and usable medical devices being denied approval for medical use in the Statesthe opposite problem to that being faced in South Korea.

Outside of the medical sector, South Korea has taken steps to advance 3D printing in other areas such as the automotive and shipbuilding industries. Earlier this year, the country invested in a five-year, $20 million research project for 3D printed ship development in Ulsan, a former fishing port. In 2014, the Korea 3D Printing Association, whose members include KT, Naver, SK Telecom, Stratasys, and 3D Systems, as well as numerous small and medium-size businesses, was established to serve as an outpost for the additive manufacturing industry. The organization hopes to train 10 million industry specialists and increase its share of the global market to 15% by 2020. Some, however, have expressed skepticism over its operations: Lack of human resources and the governments reassurances are the main issues for now, Lim said. The government should firstly define what the problem is and come up with solutions.

Home page of the Korea 3D Printing Association

South Korea is currently home to a handful of 3D printer manufacturers, including InssTek, Carima, and ROKIT. Established in 2001, InssTek was the country's first metal additive manufacturing specialist, and holds patents in the U.S., China, and Japan. InssTek's metal 3D printers have recently become available on the European market. Carima, a plasic-oriented 3D printer manufacturer, has been in the business for 15 years, and has produced 3D printers capable of printing at speeds of 60 cm/h thanks to the company's proprietary C-CAT (Carima-Continuous Additive 3D Printing Technology) system, as well as advanced DLP 3D printers. ROKIT is one of the foremost 3D printer manufacturers in South Korea. One of the fastest growers in the South Korean market, they have a wide range of consumer and professional machines in their catalogue already. And now they have also a foothold in the biomedical industry after developing its Edison Invivo 3D bioprinter.

Wo Jong-hyun, a business professor at Chung-Ang University, has said that the government will now have to play its cards right during what would prove to be a crucial moment in the global additive manufacturing industry: The government should not only make investment under specific plans but also provide various packages of subsidies and tax cut to encourage the industry to keep digging in the field no matter how much outcome they achieve at first, said the professor. Now is the very crucial moment that could change the industry supremacy from Asia to the West. Additive manufacturing is a matter of survival for companies.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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by Claire Chambers

The current volatile state of global higher education raises urgent questions. Student protests broke out at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, in March 2015. These demonstrations initially called to remove the statue of the racist imperialist Cecil Rhodes from campus.

As Rachael Gilmour explains, the ejection of Rhodes's statue was rapidly achieved. Then a broader student protest movement spread across universities in South Africa under the banners of #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall. Led, in large part, by an inspiring cohort of young black women activists and feminists, the movements aim to decolonize teaching methods and recruitment. Their influence is being felt outside South Africa in the #RhodesMustFall campaign at Oxford University in the UK, and on US university campuses such as UC Berkeley.

Similarly, in the United States and beyond, Black Lives Matter is gaining traction. It combats systematic racism and discrimination as well as police killings of black people. The movement emerged in response to the lack of justice for the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin. There has been a vicious backlash against the group around the slogan All Lives Matter, whose participants attempt to paint Black Lives Matter as violent Marxists.

This July Patricia Leary, a professor at Whittier Law School, wrote an incisive rejoinder to a student letter criticizing her decision to wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirt on campus. In this reply, Leary dismantles the assumption that the motto Black Lives Matter is preceded by a silent only:

There are some implicit words that precede Black Lives Matter, and they go something like this: Because of the brutalizing and killing of black people at the hands of the police and the indifference of society in general and the criminal justice system in particular, it is important that we say that This is, of course, far too long to fit on a shirt.

In India, Narendra Modi's BJP government has taken an increasingly sadistic stance towards artists, intellectuals, dissenters, and minorities. The killing of activists and writers Govind Pansare and Professor M. M. Kalburgi in 2015 led to many authors returning awards in protest.

At the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, a Dalit study circle was banned in May 2015. Earlier this year Rohith Vemula, a Dalit PhD student at the University of Hyderabad, took his life. Vemula had been stripped of his stipend as punishment for demonstrating against governmental reprisals for the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Finally, the BJP pursued Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and its proud tradition of radical scholarship. In February 2016, several JNU students were arrested and beaten for holding a meeting to mark the third anniversary of the death penalty accorded to Kashmiri Mohammed Afzal Guru, accused of the Indian Parliament attacks.

Some commentators compare this situation to Mrs Gandhi's dictatorial mid-1970s Emergency. Arundhati Roy writes of the BJP's instinctive hostility towards intellectual activity. The BJP's flinging around of the terms anti-national and sedition stifles critique and is reminiscent of 1950s McCarthyism, or the way the Blasphemy Laws are used to settle vendettas in present-day Pakistan.

Over here, British-Pakistani feminist theorist Sara Ahmed resigned her professorship at Goldsmiths, University of London, in June because of the thorny issue of sexual harassment. Rather than seeing her move as passivity  resigning and therefore being resigned to the status quo  she urged people to view it as an act of feminist protest and an act of feminist self-care. Ahmed claims that sexual misconduct is normalized and generalized, when it is actually an institutional problem. She describes the silence that envelops sexual harassment in higher education, especially as most cases end with confidentiality clauses. Yet Ahmed argues that speaking out against the issue and building up an archive of evidence is crucial. At the time of writing this article, Ahmed's position that sexual harassment is endemic in academia was fortified by the case of media studies lecturer Lee Salter. He was convicted of beating, stamping on, and throwing salt at his student girlfriend Allison Smith. And yet his employer, the University of Sussex, did not see fit to suspend him from work until the media furore apparently forced the institution's hand.

Following what appears to have been a failed coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey has entered a three-month state of emergency with a drastic impact on academia. Lecturers and researchers are currently prohibited from leaving the country and their annual leave has been cancelled. Over a thousand university staff members have been made to resign in Erdogan's purges, and more expect to be forced out in the coming months.

In 2014, Mushtaq Bilal, author of Writing Pakistan, wrote an article for Dawn entitled Of Doctors and Quacks. In it he lambasted Pakistani universities' postgraduate provision, lack of critical thinking and paucity of genuine research. Fearing reprisals from his university, he published the piece under a pseudonym.

Bilal's broader point is that in Pakistani scholarship (and society at large) there is little freedom of expression or thought. Protests such as those described earlier do not even get off the ground in Pakistan. Thinking back to Professor Leary's Black Lives Matter t-shirt controversy, many universities in Pakistan police what is worn by students through dress codes. At Bahria University, for example, male students are never supposed to wear sandals and rarely shalwar kameez, while women must wear scarves and only light makeup. These rules are not always enforced at Bahria, but there was outcry a few years ago when security staff at the National University of Modern Languages in Islamabad turned away students dressed in chappals and sportswear. So much for freedom of expression.

In relation to freedom of thought, the Unsilencing Balochistan seminar was due to take place at the Lahore University of Management Sciences last April. According to a senior official, the university was told to cancel the event on the orders of the government. LUMS complied, and the rearranged seminar took place at Karachi's T2F. Venue owner Sabeen Mahmud was killed soon after this seminar.

US-based security studies expert C. Christine Fair writes in the Huffington Post about a nasty war being waged against herself and other American academics who interrogate Pakistan's army and intelligence agencies. As the author of Fighting to the End: The Pakistan Army's Way of War, Fair was attacked by online trolls and smeared in fallacious articles, suffering frightening, graphic threats.

In April a few, mostly female students at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore, displayed sanitary napkins on walls. They were inspired by a similar stand taken at Delhi's Jamia Millia Islamia University in 2015. Seeking, albeit crudely, to challenge the stigma around menstruation, these students faced a social media backlash so damaging that they were forced offline.

All this is not to suggest that no critical thinking happens on Pakistani university campuses. On the contrary, there are many brilliant scholars in the country, pockets of excellence still exist, and Pakistani universities once had a strong leftist tradition. However, since Zia-ul-Haq's regime, Pakistani higher education institutions, particularly their arts departments, have faced restrictions and a lack of funding which limit research. In the climate of fear that has worsened in recent years, universities have been cleansed more than ever.

Strands we need to draw out from this exploration include that the influence of social media as both a positive and negative force in protests can hardly be overstated. Additionally, there is a pressing need to divest universities of racism, casteism, classism, sexism, and other oppressive forces. Education is part of the problem but it can also spearhead the solution. As Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o argues in a 1986 book, we need to decolonize our minds.
Shehryar Fazli in the Los Angeles Review of Books:

To read or reread Hemingway is always, in part, to inquire into the mystery of his significance. The ideals he symbolized are dated  masculinity and heroic dissipation, to quote Edmund Wilson in his collection The Wound and the Bow  while the appeal of his deceptively lean style seems to have eluded several generations of American novelists who valued excess over omission. However, if we cant explain why, we also cant evade the proposition that Ernest Hemingway continues to matter.

Lesley M. M. Blumes Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingways Masterpiece The Sun Also Rises offers an opportunity to visit the question afresh. It isnt just an account of Hemingways writing of his first major work, but also of an animating moment in literary history, when modernism was maturing in the barrel and Hemingway readied to pour the United States its first major dose. Like Hemingways posthumously published A Moveable Feast, Blumes book covers the authors search for a style, as well as a subject that would be thoroughly modern but would also capture the wider publics imagination.

More here.
by Dwight Furrow

Almost everyone connected to the world of wine has a story about their aha experience, the precise moment when they discovered there was something extraordinary about wine. For some that moment is a sudden, unexpected wave of emotion that overcomes them as they drink a wine that seems utterly superior to anything they had consumed in the past. For others it's the culmination of many lesser experiences that overtime gather and build to a crescendo when they recognize that these disparate paths all lead to a consummate experience that should be a constant presence in their lives going forward.

For me it was the former. As a casual and occasional consumer of ordinary wine for many years, I had my first taste of quality Pinot Noir in a fine Asian tapas restaurant. I was blown away by the finesse with which the spice notes in the food seemed to resonate with similar flavors in the wine. The wine, I now know, was an ordinary mid-priced Pinot Noir from Carneros; Artesa was the producer. But to me in that moment, it was extraordinarily beautiful and I resolved to make that experience a regular part of life.

A simple Google search will turn up any number of these stories. The Wall Street Journal's Lettie Teague interviewed several wine lovers about their aha moment. One became intrigued by wine while an art student in Italy, another when he discovered he had a discerning palate, many report childhood experiences of being impressed by the serious conversations about wine among the adults in their lives, others were intrigued by wine's complexity or the sense of adventure and risk involved in the winemaking process. Teague herself reports the wine talk of her study-abroad family in Ireland as the catalyst that launched her career as a wine writer.

These stories have two things in common. In each case the experiences are motivating. Like all experiences of beauty we don't passively have them and move on. The recognition of genuine beauty inspires us to want more.

As philosopher Alexander Nehamas writes comparing our response to beautiful persons with our response to art:

A work we admire, a work we love, a work we find, in a word, beautiful sparks within us the same need to rush to converse with it, the same sense that it has more to offer, the same willingness to submit to it, the same desire to make it part of our life. (Only a Promise of Happiness, 205)

The second feature of these stories is that the aha moment happens only after the stage has been set. A novice with little prior experience with wine or engagement with wine culture will not have the discernment to have an aha moment. It is fundamentally an experience of difference which can have an impact only if a storehouse of ordinary has already been established. Only after we build an intuitive sense of what wine should taste like and what quality means can the conditions for an aha moment be present. Some of the above reports are of people who experienced their epiphany when very young, but in these cases they had been exposed to wine and wine talk over a significant period of time and were already thoroughly absorbed in wine culture.

These two features, the motivational dimension and the need for stage-setting suggests that the aha experience is more than just an experience of pleasure. It is falling in love.

To the uninitiated this probably sounds peculiar. Wine talk is often criticized for being pretentious and without substance and wine lovers can be the subject of derision when their obsession is on display. Shouldn't the word love be confined to our feelings for persons, pets, or spiritual beings? For those who have not yet swooned perhaps wine seems too insignificant to be a proper object of loving attention.

To see why this dismissive attitude is mistaken we need to explore the nature of love.

As I argued more extensively in an earlier essay, love is a response to the perception of value. We love something when we discover consummate value in it. But we don't love something because we have reasons to do so. Love isn't primarily an intellectual apprehension like assenting to the conclusion of an argument. It's a matter of emotion, a feeling of strong attraction, but based on perception and sensibility. When we love something we sense that it is pregnant with possibility. This is especially true of wine since our experience of it is rooted in sensation.

Even ordinary, everyday perceptions are infused with implicit value judgments that are related to possibilities and our expectations about them. I don't simply see the bus hurtling down the street, but judge its trajectory as benign or threatening, as normal or abnormal, and these value judgments are as much a part of our perceptions as sensing a color, shape, or flavor. This is especially true of what we ingest. When we taste something we immediately make a value judgment we like it or we don't, it's familiar or unfamiliar, apparently safe or potentially dangerous.

But these judgments we make as part of our perceptual sensibilities are not judgments of something static. The things we perceive are disposed to change. A glass bowl is disposed to break even when sitting comfortably on a shelf, a disposition that becomes more evident when the shelf tilts. This expectation of change, the intuition that objects exist on a trajectory of ordered transformation related to an object's possibilities, is built into our perceptual judgments and we therefore, without deliberation, reach out to prevent the bowl from falling. Part of our perceptual sensibility is recognizing the potential of a situation, and often this is nothing more than a pervasive feeling of rightness or wrongness that motivates us to take action.

And so it is with love. The initial affinities that ultimately become full blown love emerge from this pervasive quality that things have as we encounter them in experience. The example above of a generic bowl sitting on a generic shelf was of a simple object with a limited set of dispositions that issue in routine expectations. It isn't pregnant with unfolding possibilitiesit most likely will just continue to sit there, mutely and obscurely doing its thing. It is unlikely to be loved without some very special circumstances that allow it to acquire more potential. But many persons, objects, or practices that we encounter have deep and diverse potential based on the recognition of developing but incomplete patterns in their nature some of which our actions can help complete. We see in them, the potential for further involvement, not as a plan or policy but as a felt richness when they seem tailor-made for our engagement.

Wine offers this kind of engagement. In wine once we have some knowledge and experience with it, we sense many dimensions influenced by a vast array of unpredictable factors. It is only fermented grape juice but it displays a seemingly infinite array of different ways of being delicious, all of them reflecting significant geographical variations across much of the globe, deeply embedded cultural traditions, as well as the imaginations of dedicated winemakers all in symbiotic relation to the foods we eat, and all in constant change. This potential is what immersion in wine culture enables us to sense.

This is the real meaning of qualitya set of dispositional properties that promise more than superficial engagement because they have great variety, intensity or provide a deep contrast with static, familiar, completed patterns. This felt potential for further engagement is a natural lure, an attractant that demands our active engagement.

What we sense in that aha moment then is a world opening up that seems to have no boundaries yet draws all of life together. In this respect, wine is no different from other things we love. Everything we encounter in experience is an opportunity for a continuing transaction, whether through attraction or repulsion. The things we loveour children, romantic partners, friends, activities or objects such as wine, music, sports, books, etc.have an initial grip on us because we sense that they are redolent with possibilities. Sensation has a holistic, agential quality; the restless energy of curiosity commandeers our sensory mechanisms employing them as probes seeking intensity, qualitative contrast, and potential patterns to be completed by further actions. The value judgments we make about objects, activities, or persons begin as this affective standing out against a background of normalcy.

The precondition of love is this recognition of quality. We sense that some objects, persons, or practices are pregnant with potential because they afford us opportunities for engagement. Of course whether we fall in love or not depends on how that engagement proceeds, but the initial impetus toward love is aesthetic. The aha moment is possible only when we have enough acquaintance with wine to sense all of this.

The love of wine, then, is not just a passive, pleasurable response to a stimulus. It is shot through with expectations and judgments. And like anything else we love it involves mystery. The aha moment is a moment in which you taste something you have never tasted before. It's an experience of depth and a recognition that there is more here than one might expect, that the wine and the wine world have more to give, that my engagement hasn't reached its full potential. Beauty draws us in because the patterns we sense are incomplete.

Is wine uniquely capable of producing this experience, at least among beverages? Far be it from me to argue with beer or scotch fans but only wine seems to have the strong connection to place, traversing the boundary between nature and culture that becomes more fascinating the more nature disappears. That something so cultured and refined is subject to the vagaries of geography, and utterly dependent on farming, is one of the enduring mysteries of wine, a transformation to which bearing witness deserves to be called epiphany.

For more on the aesthetics of food and wine visit Edible Arts or consult American Foodie: Taste, Art and the Cultural Revolution
Tucked into a grove of heritage redwoods in the heart of Mill Valley lies the sweetest Victorian home you've ever seenall white picket fence and trim with a front porch and swing. Walking past it, you'd likely never imagine that this historic abode is home to one of the most powerful women in tech.





"No one would even know we're here," says Tina Sharkey, a venture partner at San Francisco-based Sherpa Capital (whose portfolio includes some companies you may have heardlike Uber, Munchery, and Slack) and former CEO of Sherpa Foundry, a startup incubator of sorts. Before landing at Union Square's Sherpa, Sharkey has racked up bona fides from the Silicon Valley to Manhattan as the founder of iVillage, chairman of BabyCenter, and lead on the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA)a Johnson & Johnson's initiative with the U.S. State Department and the United Nations. She's also a founding board member of Brit & Co. You get the picture.





"We can walk everywherewe feel like we're a real part of the community," Sharkey says of her new post in downtown Mill Valley, where she and her family have lived since early 2015 when the classic 19th Century bungalowloaded with period details but fully modernized and significantly expanded by Mill Valley's own Richardson Architectssurfaced on the market.





Originally just 1,700 square feet, the 1890 home fell into the hands of architect Heidi Richardson, thanks to a commission from the previous owners, and Richardson's firm took on what became a true feat of historic renovation, mounting hurdles both stylistic and bureaucratic. The house's official status as a Mill Valley Historic Residence allowed for very little exterior alteration and, of course, the giant redwoods towering over the property had to remain untouched. The solution? A low-profile suite of new pavilions, clearly separated from the original structure by a flat-roofed hallway, that would preserve all historic windows and most of the existing siding.





The trees "dictated the layout of the new additions," Richardson says, taking obvious pleasure in the challenge. "It's a puzzle I enjoy. While fitting together all the pieces of a historic renovation is very challenging, the Bay Area's relaxed indoor-outdoor living allows for a lot of design flexibility."





In fact, Sharkey's finished home is a beautiful example of flexibility, easily marrying the whimsical scalloped shingles and tres elegant crown molding of the original Victorian style with modern, fully livable interiors.





It's all working for Sharkey: "I love my front porch and swing, and we added an outdoor heaterit's a wonderful spot to dine and hang," she says. Add us to the next dinner party guest list, please!





Here are the details:

Location: Downtown Mill Valley

Sale Price: $3,400,000

Beds: 4 bedrooms

Bath: 3 bathrooms

Square Footage: 3,061 sq ft.

Year Built: 1890




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.
Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko wave to well-wishers who gathered to celebrate the monarch's 79th birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Dec 23, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

In a rare televised speech on Monday, Japan's 82-year-old Emperor Akihito hinted his wish to abdicate because his declining health is preventing him from fulfilling all his duties. Last month NHK, Japan's national public broadcasting organization, reported that Akihito, who is suffering from prostate cancer and heart problems, wanted to step down in a few years.

Although Akihito stopped short of saying that he wished to abdicate, the very possibility of his unprecedented abdication has sparked a heated debate on the future of Japan's 2,600-year-old royal family, one of the world's oldest.

Chinese observers' opinions on Akihito's 10-minute speech are divided. Many argue the emperor's hint at abdication is aimed at thwarting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's attempts to amend Japan's pacifist Constitution. Japan's royal family, especially the emperor and his eldest son, 56-year-old Crown Prince Naruhito, have constantly urged Japanese people and politicians to respect the Constitution and reflect upon the country's wartime history.

Some, on the other hand, tend to play up the conflict between Naruhito and his younger brother Akishino over the throne. Naruhito is most likely to succeed Akihito, but the crown prince's only child Princess Aiko cannot follow him to the throne under Japan's male-only succession laws. His brother, however, has a son.

Although Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party enjoy a more than two-thirds majority, along with their coalition partners, in the upper house and are bent on amending the Constitution to make Japan "a normal state", it is unlikely that they pressured the emperor to hint at retirement in order to expedite the constitutional amendment.

Rather, Akihito's message could be a complaint against the government ignoring for a long time his request to retire because of his inability to fulfill the ceremonial duties, and a suggestion to allow princesses and their children to inherit the throne.

In his Monday address, Akihito emphasized his role as the "symbol of the state", signaling his opposition to elevation of the emperor as head of state, which the Abe administration suggested in its new constitutional draft. Perhaps Akihito wants to change the monarchy into a profession that allows retirement to deal a blow to Japan's burgeoning militarism.

The vast majority of Japanese people is reportedly sympathetic toward the emperor because of his difficult schedule and supports his desire to retire. But for that to happen, Japan's parliament needs to revise the 1947 Imperial House Law, as the Constitution does not support abdication by a reigning emperor.

As much as some Japanese right-wingers want to abolish the emperor's ceremonial role, which remains the crux of Shinto religion and hence deterrent to their efforts to "soften" the Constitution, Akihito seems to have thrown a spanner in their works by hinting his wish to abdicate.

In fact, Akihito's speech could tie legislators in knots, involve considerable political resources and manpower, and prevent any such constitutional backsliding, because of the absence of any legal precedent. And a new clause or revision allowing a reigning emperor to retire could create huge rifts among legislators before it comes into effect.

That explains why some rightists called Akihito's intention to retire a constitutional "violation". In his address commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II last year, the emperor expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's atrocities before and during the war. He made similar remarks during his 1992 visit to China, the first and only one by a Japanese emperor.

Even if his abdication is eventually approved, Akihito could still help the new emperor perform his duties in a display of unity in the royal family. But even without it, Japan's ceremonial monarchy can defend the Constitution from ill-intentioned right-wing revisionists.

The author is an associate professor at University of International Business and Economics.
San Juan, Puerto Rico

The International Association of HealthCare Professionals is pleased to welcome Victor Manuel Santiago-Noa, MD, PhD, Psychiatrist, to their prestigious organization with his upcoming publication in TheLeading Physicians of the World. He is a highly-trained and qualified psychiatrist with a vast expertise inall facets of his work, including general, pediatric, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Santiago-Noa has been practicing for over forty years and is currently serving patients at Nuestra Clinica Healthcare in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Throughout his career, he has been an expert witness in federal and state courts in Puerto Rico and the United States, has participated as an expert in Colombia and has lectured in Argentina.

Dr. Santiago-Noa studied at Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad de Puerrto Rico and received his medical degree in 1972. He completed his training as a psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry at the Medical School of the University of Puerto Rico in 1976 and, in the same department, completed training as child and adolescent psychiatrist in 1977. Dr. Santiago-Noa obtained a PhD in Forensic Science at the University of Wexford in Switzerland in 2001 and completed training as a hypnotherapist at the Wellness Institute of Seattle in 2003.

He credits his success to lots of respect for his patients and always being available to then when they need him. In his spare time, he dedicates to playing the guitar, singing, and poetry. He was named Exemplary Psychiatrist of the Year by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (1993) and Professional of the Year in Psychiatry of Children and Adolescents by Whos Who in the World (2012).Its forensic services include civil, family and criminal areas.

View Victor Manuel Santiago-Noas Profile Here: https://www.findatopdoc.com/doctor/Victor-Santiago-Noa-Psychiatrist-Guaynabo-Puerto-Rico-00969

Learn more about Dr. Santiago-Noa here: http://www.santiagonoamd.com/about_us and read his upcoming publication in TheLeading Physicians of the World.

About FindaTopDoc.com

FindaTopDoc.com is a hub for all things medicine, featuring detailed descriptions of medical professionals across all areas of expertise, and information on thousands of healthcare topics. Each month, millions of patients use FindaTopDoc to find a doctor nearby and instantly book an appointment online or create a review. FindaTopDoc.com features each doctors full professional biography highlighting their achievements, experience, patient reviews and areas of expertise. A leading provider of valuable health information that helps empower patient and doctor alike, FindaTopDoc enables readers to live a happier and healthier life. For more information about FindaTopDoc, visit http://www.findatopdoc.com

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Appointment of Chief Operating Officer

Perth, Aug 15, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MMJ PhytoTech Limited ( ASX:MMJ ) ("MMJ" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that Catherine Harvey has been appointed as Chief Operations Officer, effective 1 September 2016.



In the role of Chief Operations Officer, Catherine will play a significant role in overseeing the daily operations of MMJ's key business divisions, with a focus on the execution of key international growth objectives. Catherine will be based in Sydney and will work closely with MMJ's senior management team to design and deliver MMJ's commercial and regulatory strategy, with a focus on the Australian market, but also overseeing MMJ's international operations.



Catherine is a highly experienced pharmaceutical industry executive, with an extensive corporate background, having worked for multiple pharmaceutical organisations both domestically and overseas. Most recently, Catherine held executive leadership positions including Director of Business Development and Corporate Affairs at Mundipharma Pty Limited and Business Development Manager at Norwegian Pharmaceutical company, Nycomed.



Throughout her career to date, Catherine has established a strong track record in the implementation of successful commercialisation strategies and strategic planning at senior management level.



MMJ's Managing Director, Andreas Gedeon, commented on the appointment, "We are very pleased to be welcoming someone of Catherine's calibre to the management team, during this exciting period in our evolution as a leading vertically integrated medical cannabis business.



Catherine's extensive pharmaceutical industry experience, in particular her ability to drive commercial strategies and sales growth, will be a tremendous addition to the team and will provide MMJ with the requisite bench strength to build upon our robust foundations as we look to capitalise on a number of near-term growth opportunities."



As part of Catherine's remuneration package, the Company has agreed to grant her 3,000,000 unlisted options with an expiry date of 4 years from the date of issue and an exercise price equal to the 5 day VWAP of the underlying MMJ shares traded on the ASX immediately prior to the commencement of her employment on 1 September 2016. The options will vest in equal thirds every 12 months, subject to Catherine's ongoing employment with the Company.



About MMJ Group Holdings Ltd





MMJ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:MMJ) is a global cannabis investment company. MMJ owns a portfolio of minority investments and aims to invest across the full range of emerging cannabis-related sectors including healthcare, technology, infrastructure, logistics, processing, cultivation, equipment and retail. For MMJ's latest investor presentation and news, please visit: https://www.mmjphytotech.com.au/investors/


MMJ to Commence Phase 2 Clinical Trial on Pediatric Epilepsy

Perth, Aug 15, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - MMJ PhytoTech Limited ( ASX:MMJ ) ("MMJ" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that its wholly-owned, Israeli-based subsidiary PhytoTech Therapeutics Limited ("PTL"), will commence a Phase 2 clinical study into the efficacy of the its PTL101 capsules in treating intractable epilepsy in children.



Highlights:



- Phase 2 clinical trial of PTL101 capsules to commence Q4 2016 following completion of successful Phase 1 trial in Q1 2016



- Phase 2 clinical trial is aimed at measuring efficacy of the capsules for reducing seizures in children with intractable epilepsy



- Successful Phase 2 clinical trial will be a major step towards commercial development of PTL101 capsules for epilepsy treatment



- Planning for an additional Phase 2 study to treat spasticity related symptoms of multiple sclerosis patients utilising PTL201 is well advanced



- MMJ is a leading, vertically integrated biopharmaceutical company, with three key operating divisions securing entire medical cannabis supply chain



The PTL101 capsules contain organically derived, highly purified CBD (cannabidiol) and are utilising proprietary formulation developed through the Company's Gelpell(TM) product technology.



The Phase 2 study is scheduled to commence in Q4 2016 and will be undertaken at a leading healthcare facility in Israel. This follows the highly successful Phase 1 study (announced 3 March 2016), which highlighted the safety and high performance of the Gelpell-CBD capsules. The capsules successfully demonstrated the effective delivery profile of CBD compound to trial subjects. Importantly, the Phase 1 study also highlighted the favourable bioavailability of the capsules in comparison to Sativex - a well-known, commercially available cannabinoid oral spray produced by GW Pharmaceuticals ( LON:GWP ) ( NASDAQ:GWPH ).



It is estimated that approximately 100,000 children in North America suffer from intractable epilepsy - a treatment resistant category of the disease, causing uncontrollable seizures.



To date, drug therapy remains ineffective in the treatment of epileptic seizures for approximately 30% of intractable epilepsy patients in North America alone, due to the drug failing to control the frequency of seizures or patients not being able to tolerate the related side effects. A number of currently available epilepsy drugs have been found to have significant side effects including the impairment of a patient's motor skills and cognitive abilities.



If successful, the Phase 2 clinical trial results will serve as a key catalyst towards the commercial development of the PTL101 prescription drug for the treatment of intractable epilepsy in children.



MMJ would also like to advise that it is in the final stages of preparing for the commencement of a Phase 2 clinical study into the ability of its PTL201 capsules to treat spasticity related symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis patients.



Characterization of the PTL 101 capsules



Satipharm's flagship, Gelpell(TM) technology, used as a presentation of our PTL101 capsules, are seamless natural gelatin pellets under 2mm that bound and protect the active compound. The natural pellets do not contain filling and or any emulsifiers which help to avoid irritation of gastric mucosa. The gelatin matrix pellets dispense over the gastrointestinal (GI) system to achieve a constant GI-transit time. Maximised surface to volume ratio also contributes to enhanced bioavailability. The pellets are packed in hard gastro-resistant capsules or can be mixed directly with foods such as yogurts if required.



MMJ PhytoTech's Managing Director, Andreas Gedeon, commented:



"We are very pleased to be commencing the Phase 2 clinical trial of our PTL101 capsules, as it marks another critical milestone in the Company's evolution. To my knowledge, MMJ is the only other company than GW Pharmaceuticals who is actively entering a meaningful Phase 2 clinical trial based on an organically derived cannabis formulation.



While many other companies try and fail in attempting to reach this stage, our ability to compete with a large pharmaceutical player like GW results from the synergies of our vertically integrated global supply chain.



Recent developments, including the granting of an MMPR production licence for our flagship Duncan Facility in Canada, have further underpinned this internal supply chain, allowing the business to accelerate growth across each of our three operating divisions.



We look forward to providing our shareholders with updates on the progress of our Phase 2 clinical trial, along with further operational from our Duncan Facility in Canada, as we ramp up production over the coming months."



About MMJ Group Holdings Ltd





MMJ Group Holdings Ltd (ASX:MMJ) is a global cannabis investment company. MMJ owns a portfolio of minority investments and aims to invest across the full range of emerging cannabis-related sectors including healthcare, technology, infrastructure, logistics, processing, cultivation, equipment and retail. For MMJ's latest investor presentation and news, please visit: https://www.mmjphytotech.com.au/investors/


Atlantic Carbon Group Presentation

Sydney, Aug 15, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Atrum Coal NL ("Atrum" or the "Company") ( ASX:ATU ) ( ATRCF:OTCMKTS ) is pleased to announce it has commenced discussions with European and Asian parties regarding the supply of up to 100,000t of ACG anthracite. Earlier this month, Atrum announced it had entered into a binding agreement to acquire a 26.68% interest in ACG.



HIGHLIGHTS:



- Atrum in discussions with carbon users regarding samples and shipments of Atlantic Carbon Group PLC (ACG) ultra-high grade anthracite under the Company's 100,000t option sales agreement



- Anthracite pricing is strong with major markets in Europe, Asia and South America remaining under-supplied



- Notice of Meeting has been prepared and subject to ASX approval, the Company will hold an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in September to vote on the acquisition of a 26.68% stake in ACG



- Updated presentation including ACG information provides additional information to shareholders prior the EGM



Export markets remain under-supplied for ultra-high grade anthracite and the Company is arranging for ACG product samples to be sent to customers in Asia, Europe and Brazil. Although some major users have already expressed interest in the entire 100,000t option, the Company is contemplating supply of select parcels to numerous customers in order to develop a commercial relationship with Atrum.



Peter Doyle, VP Business Development and Marketing commented: "Interest in Atrum continues to strengthen as we prepare to enter the market with ultra-high grade anthracite for sale. We are currently opening discussions with multiple parties across Europe, Asia and South America in relation to the 100,000t option, with the aim of strengthening long-term ties with Atrum."



Subject to specified pricing hurdles, ACG will, on request from Atrum, make available up to 100,000t of anthracite in aggregate at its site in Pennsylvania for Atrum to collect and arrange transport to its customers. Several anthracite mines are expected to close in Europe over the next 18 months due to depletion of reserves, and removal of government subsidies, and the Company expects the global anthracite market to tighten even further.



In addition to the more typical Electric Arc Furnace, metals production and filtration media users, the Company has also been investigating the growing use of anthracite in sugar beet production and chemical manufacturing. Anthracite is the preferred type of fuel for sugar beet refining due to its low sulphur and nitrogen, high heating value and low emissions.



Over the coming weeks leading up to the Extraordinary General Meeting the Company will continue to investigate high value carbon markets, with the aim of securing multiple customers. An updated presentation featuring information on Atlantic Carbon Group has been prepared as an introduction to the EGM and is attached to this release. The Company will provide more information on ACG in the coming weeks.



To view the presentation, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/U7FXSMV1





About Atrum Coal Limited





Atrum Coal Limited (ASX:ATU) is a metallurgical coal developer. The Company flagship asset is the 100%-owned Elan Hard Coking Coal Project in southern Alberta, Canada. Elan hosts large-scale, shallow, thick, hard coking coal (HCC) deposits with a current JORC Resource Estimate of 298 Mt (70 Mt Indicated and 228 Mt Inferred). Comprehensive quality testing of Elan South coal on samples from the 2018 exploration program, combined with review of substantial historical testwork data for the broader Elan Project, has confirmed Tier 1 HCC quality.

The initial focus for development is the Elan South area, which is located approximately 13 km from an existing rail line with significant excess capacity, providing direct rail access to export terminals in Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Elan South shares its southern boundary with Riversdale Resources Grassy Mountain Project, which is in the final permitting stage for a 4.5 Mtpa open-cut HCC operation. Around 30km to the west, Teck Resources operates five mines (the Elk Valley complex) producing approximately 25 Mtpa of premium HCC for the seaborne market.


Signs First China Regional Partnership Contract - Access to Potential Market of Over A$1 Billion Over Five Years

Sydney, Aug 15, 2016 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Directors of Emefcy Group Limited ( ASX:EMC ) ("Emefcy" or the "Company") are pleased to announce the signing of Emefcy's first Chinese sales distribution partnership for Emefcy's Membrane Aerated Biofilm Reactor ("MABR")-based wastewater treatment solutions with Wuxi Municipal Design Institute, one of the top institutes in China. The parent company of Wuxi Municipal Design Institute is Wuxi Guolian Environmental & Energy Group Co. Ltd. ("Wuxi Guolian"), a leading state-owned enterprise and provider of environmental protection services throughout Jiangsu, mainland China, and international markets.



When commissioned, the initial Emefcy MABR-based system, which is to be paid for by Wuxi Municipal Design Institute, is anticipated to treat an initial 24,000 litres per day and provide sufficient data to obtain provincial certification throughout the Jiangsu Province. According to the Chinese Government's Five-Year Plan (the "Plan") announced earlier this year, new rural wastewater treatment plants supporting an estimated population of some twenty-two million people in Jiangsu Province are expected to be built over the next five years. The total revenue potential accessible to Emefcy is estimated at over A$1 billion in this Province alone. Importantly, Wuxi Guolian has its own financial arm to support the financing of plant deployments.



Wuxi Guolian is proposing to deploy Emefcy's solutions throughout China, including both the current MABR product and the upcoming SUBRE product which targets the additional market of centralized municipal plants. For all joint future contracts, Wuxi Guolian will purchase MABR modules from Emefcy, will integrate them under Emefcy's technical guidance into a complete treatment system and provide on-going plant maintenance and/or related services.



Future MABR-based system sale contracts in this Province are anticipated to have revenue contract values to Emefcy ranging from A$50,000 up to A$300,000 each. SUBRE projects are anticipated to be considerably larger. Importantly, once the full rollout commences it is expected that the total value of contracts entered into will begin to increase rapidly.



The Emefcy MABR modules initially will be produced at the Company's manufacturing facility in Israel, and are scheduled to ship before the end of this calendar quarter. The Wuxi Guolian installed MABR-based system is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of this calendar year. Critically, Provincial certification is anticipated to be completed in the first half of calendar 2017, thereby enabling the broader sale of Emefcy's MABR products throughout Jiangsu Province. This initial Wuxi Guolian demonstration system, which aims to treat typical municipal wastewaters to class A1 effluent standards, represents an essential reference site as part of the required Jiangsu Province certification process as well as being an important reference site for other Provinces in China.



"We are very pleased to sign our first contract in China with such an experienced, proven partner in a province with such a large potential for Emefcy's solution," said Richard Irving, Executive Chairman of Emefcy. "With Provincial certification anticipated to be obtained in the first half of 2017, and once our China manufacturing facility is up and running, we expect to be taking orders and potentially shipping plants made in China by the end of next calendar year. The city of Wuxi is in one of China's most progressive Provinces and our partner Wuxi Guolian, represents a preferred profile of partnership in China. We anticipate Wuxi Guolian's reputation will help significantly in accelerating deployments throughout other Provinces."



"The fact that Emefcy's solution uses 90% less energy than conventional wastewater treatment systems while being capable of meeting the stringent Chinese Class A1 effluent standard, saves the need for additional electricity power generation capacity. This and our very attractive costs meant that Emefcy, with the strong support of its strategic Chinese advisor, was selected to win this contract and sign this important regional partnership," said Eytan Levy, CEO of Emefcy. "We expect this to be the first of several regional partnerships in China and are very pleased to be working with this well regarded and experienced commercial team."



"We are excited to have teamed up with Emefcy to bring this innovative and highly efficient MABR based wastewater treatment system to China. This solution will be demonstrated at the wastewater treatment facility in Wuxi in the coming months through the Wuxi Municipal Design Institute. We look forward to this being a valuable solution to address the stringent wastewater effluent guidelines and reuse needs for China, all with substantially reduced energy costs", said Mr. Li, Executive VP Wuxi Goulian.



About Wuxi Guolian Environment & Energy Group Co., Ltd



Wuxi Guolian Environment & Energy Group Co., Ltd. is a state-owned enterprise focusing on green energy, environment protection and urban infrastructure construction in the context of industrialisation development.



Led by advanced and new technology, linked by clean energy, devoted to the harmless treatment of urban living garbage and sludge as well as resource comprehensive utilization, cogeneration equipment design and fabrication, cogeneration project construction and operation, and urban infrastructure, the company has set up integrated operating systems including project development, operation of investment and financing, boiler design, fabrication and installation for large-scale power plant, power project design, full set of equipment supply, construction and operation of environment protection power plant, design and training, etc., forming a highly effective industry chain developed in a continuous way.



About Fluence Corporation Ltd





Fluence Corporation (ASX:FLC) (OTCMKTS:EMFGF) is a leader in the decentralized water, wastewater and reuse treatment markets, with its Smart Products Solutions, including Aspiral, NIROBOX, NIROFLEX and SUBRE. Fluence offers an integrated range of services across the complete water cycle, from early stage evaluation, through design and delivery to ongoing support and optimization of water related assets, as well as Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) and other recurring revenue solutions. With established operations in North America, South America, the Middle East, Europe and China, Fluence has experience operating in over 70 countries worldwide and enables businesses and communities worldwide to maximize their water resources.

Further information can be found at https://www.fluencecorp.com/
Many Americans are understandably worried about the ever-increasing cost of college education. Recent proposals from politicians to offer free tuition at public universities makes calls for free community college seem reasonable in comparison.

However, subsidizing even two years of higher education can have harmful effects on both students and taxpayers.

Overall, community colleges have a bad track record of getting students on the path to upward mobility. If policymakers are considering further subsidizing the community college system and enabling all students to attend for free, we must first establish whether this is a wise investment.

For starters, low-income students who wish to pursue an associates degree already have ample financing options. According to College Board, Pell Grants cover nearly the entire cost of tuition at public two-year institutions, with the average Pell Grant award for these students amounting to $3,200 of the average in-state tuition of $3,440.

Considering that the cost of community college is miniscule compared to that of a four-year degree, it is not surprising that only 17 percent of students participate in federal loan programs.

Yet, even though the financial burden of attending community college is relatively low, students still have trouble paying off their loans. Far more community college students default on their loans (38 percent) than students at four-year colleges and universities (10 percent).

Additionally, community college students graduate at shockingly low rates. Only 20 percent of students graduate within 150 percent of the time that their program is supposed to take.

While many experts have argued that this number is so low because many community college students transfer to four-year universities, it turns out that only two in 10 do so.

Once transfers are accounted for, the Community College Research Center found that only 38.1 percent of students who enrolled in community college in 2009 earned a two- or four-year degree within six years.

Even if community colleges were performing well, offering additional subsidies would do more harm than good. If the four-year system is any indicator, further subsidizing the community college system will raise tuition prices.

Economists have noted in recent years that the more the federal government offers aid to students, the more universities are encouraged to raise their tuition prices, knowing that students wont feel the immediate impact of that increase. Last year a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that each dollar in Pell Grants alone leads to a tuition increase of 40 cents.

Worse, when one takes into account all federal loans, each dollar an institution receives leads to a tuition increase of 60 cents. This explains why, according to Bloomberg, the cost of college tuition and fees has increased 1,120 percent since 1978.

Unfortunately, free community college is anything but. Policies that claim to offer free tuition, whether at a community college or a public four-year institution, put no downward pressure on prices. This shifts the ever increasing financial responsibility from the student to the taxpayers, and the true price of tuition will continue to increase exponentially. Such policies look to the cause of the problem, federal subsidies, as the solution.

A better option would be to reign in federal subsidies to drive down college prices and open up private lending in the market place so that more students can attend college at a reasonable price. Additionally, a more diverse market of alternative schooling models, such as vocational or online learning, could offer specific skill sets to students wishing to streamline their education at a lower cost.

By contrast, free community college will only lead to a financial bubble for future generations to solve. As the country considers ways to provide better options for our children, this proposal deserves a big fat F.

Mary Clare Reim is a research associate in education policy in The Heritage Foundations Institute for Family, Community and Opportunity. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
New Mexico State Universitys Arrowhead Center and WESST will hold the WE Mean Business conference aimed at female entrepreneurs next month.

WE Mean Business will bring together innovators to share personal strategies, stories and transformational wisdom with early-stage entrepreneurs.

The event will feature guest speakers, a panel and two tracks of breakout sessions, the Idea Track and the Business Track, that will provide aspiring or early-stage female entrepreneurs with training and advice from expert women.

The conference will be Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at NMSUs Center for the Arts, 1000 E. University Ave. in Las Cruces.

General admission is $35. For more information, visit http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/we/.
Albuquerque transplant Chris Mayo was 47 when he decided to ditch social work and build his chimney sweep/masonry/handyman sideline into a full-time business. Within a decade, Amrak Enterprises was growing by 30 percent each year, and Mayo was paying a subcontractor to help with the workload and aiming to compete with the citys top chimney-cleaning company.

Im 57 years old and need to position myself to either sell the business and be a silent partner or manage a fleet of chimney sweeps, Mayo told Finance New Mexico.

To help him prepare for the future, Mayo took the advice of his friend Dimitri Kapelianis, associate professor of marketing at the University of New Mexico School of Management. Kapelianis had urged Mayo to seek marketing advice from the Small Business Institute  a mentorship program of the UNM Anderson School of Business. Every semester, as many as 20 teams  comprising up to five masters-level students supervised by a faculty member  help local businesses with strategic planning, financial analyses and marketing research.

He was so busy with the day-to-day operation of his company, Mayo said, It took me two or three years to decide to do it. I guess its the same for a lot of small businesses.

Collaborative approach

Mayo was doing a lot of things right, according to the students who worked with him for 16 weeks last fall. He mailed service reminders to his regular clients, carefully monitored customer reviews and tracked the sources of new contacts  all of which helped him decide where to advertise.

The SBI team identified his website as Mayos biggest weakness and suggested he upgrade his provider. Even though Mayo was paying a provider $50 a month to manage and host the site, it wasnt smartphone-friendly. It wasnt something I felt competent to evaluate, Mayo said of the website service.

Mayo and the student team met every three weeks for 60 to 90 minutes to review metrics and collaborate on new strategies. At the end of these sessions, he had a report written by objective researchers that summarized what to continue and what to change to improve outreach.

He hasnt applied every suggestion, Mayo admitted, but having experts pay such close attention to his business was well worth the $500 fee  money that was reimbursed when the school received a grant to cover the cost.

Making an impact

More than 700 small businesses of all types  including startups, longtime ventures and nonprofits  have consulted with the SBI since its founding 38 years ago, according to an independent study by the Mid-Region Council of Governments, a public agency representing the four counties that make up metropolitan Albuquerque.

And the state has benefitted from this teamwork when businesses applied the SBI recommendations, the study showed. Between 2014 and 2015 alone, SBI clients created 195 direct and indirect jobs, adding more than $8 million in personal income to New Mexico households and $14 million to the states gross domestic product.

For more information about the SBI and to apply to the program, visit sbi.mgt.unm.edu/. To learn more about Chris Mayos Amrak Enterprises, visit www.amraknm.com.

Finance New Mexico assists individuals and businesses with obtaining skills and funding resources for their business or idea. To learn more, go to www.FinanceNewMexico.org.
Time is running short to get in on this years New Mexico Private 100.

The annual program features a list of the top 100 privately held companies in the state based on revenue and the deadline to take part is this Friday.

Moss Adams LLP, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Modrall Sperling are sponsoring the 2016 New Mexico Private 100 in conjunction with the Journals Business Outlook.

The New Mexico Private 100 program is an excellent event that recognizes a diverse group of privately held companies within our great state, said Steve Keene, Partner in Charge for Moss Adams Albuquerque. Each year, we are excited to welcome new companies to the list, as well as admire the longevity of the companies we welcome back to the list every year.

To qualify for the list, a company must be privately owned and headquartered in New Mexico. It may be any type of business, except an accounting firm, cooperative, depository financial institution, law firm or securities broker-dealer. There is no minimum or maximum number of employees, or sales revenue.

The nomination requires each company to report revenue for ranking purposes. But information will be kept strictly confidential  financial information will be used solely for ranking purposes and wont be disclosed in the final list.

Other restrictions may apply: The nomination form provides details.

Nomination forms can be found at mossadams.com/nmprivate100. The deadline to apply is Aug. 19. For more information about the nomination form or the New Mexico Private 100 program, contact Cindy Miller or Amanda Marquez at nmprivate100@mossadams.com or 505-878-7200.

The program is a way to bring attention to the economic contribution these companies make to New Mexico. A special issue of the Journal s Business Outlook this fall will feature the Private 100.
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 dont 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 McKinneys 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.

Theres a myth thats been placed on our communities for many generations: White peoples 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, N.J., outside of Philadelphia, says her lower sales to black shoppers dont 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 theyll wear a big-name brand that costs the same or more.

Brown, who lives in Manchester, N.H., recognizes that a preference for well-known brands isnt limited to the black community, but also wonders if buying them is a statement: Youve 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 such as 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 grandfathers 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 dont support their business, they dont 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.

Its opening the communitys eyes to the many ways theyre 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 isnt always easy, Jerome Williams says.

As a black consumer, if I wanted to buy from a black-owned merchant, there arent 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 hours drive away.

Im willing to drive that far, but thats 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 such as hair salons, auto mechanics and restaurants.

Sometimes that meant driving 50 miles to get things. Sometimes it meant going without fresh fruit because they couldnt find what they wanted at a black-owned store. It meant telling their daughters no when a toy or book wasnt 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 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.
ATLANTA  In a story Aug. 14 about the fatal shooting of a police officer in Eastman, Georgia, The Associated Press, relying on information provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, reported erroneously the age of the slain officer. Tim Smith was 30 years old, not 31, according to the GBI.

A corrected version of the story is below:

Georgia officer fatally shot, suspect remains on the loose

Authorities say a police officer in a small, central Georgia city has been shot and killed by a suspect who remains on the loose

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.

Associated Press

ATLANTA  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 Drbutton said.

Smith, 30, 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 reward for information leading to Deeds whereabouts.

Smith was not wearing a body camera.

Smith 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.

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.
TEMPE, Ariz.  Twin 2-year-olds remain in critical condition at a hospital a day after being pulled from an unfenced backyard hot tub in a Phoenix suburb and revived, authorities said Monday.

Tempe Police Department Detective Lily Duran said that the boy-and-girl toddlers were being treated at pediatric intensive care unit at a hospital in Mesa and were in very serious, critical condition.

Duran said the water in the small spa pool was not extremely hot and injuries were related to submersion.

The mother of the twins called 911 and received instructions as she administered CPR. Her husband arrived home soon after and helped until medical first responders came and transported the children to a hospital.

Duran said the incident is under active investigation and that it appears that the mom just looked away for a few minutes as the children found the hot tub. The identity of the family was not released.

The twins just turned 2 years old, she said. As toddlers do, theyre very inquisitive and can quickly move in and about a place. And unfortunately they went into the tub.

Authorities received the emergency call Sunday at about 11: 15 a.m.

When she (the mother) discovered the twins were inside the tub, she started CPR until the officers were able to get there and continue efforts, along with the fire department, Duran said.

Police said the parents were cooperating fully with investigators. Detectives worked into the evening Sunday collecting information.

In a briefing on Sunday, Tempe Assistant Fire Chief Paul Nies said the girl twin was able to breathe on her own after reaching the hospital.

He said it could take a day or two to understand whether the toddlers sustained neural damage  a possible result of going without oxygen.
Police say an Albuquerque man pulled a box cutter on a grocery store employee who attempted to stop him Saturday morning from stealing booze, according to police.

An employee at the Lowes on Fourth Street and Griegos told Albuquerque police that he noticed two men pick up two bottles of alcohol before attempting to walk out of the store without paying at about 8 a.m..

The employee confronted the duo, and both subjects became irate, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

One of the men dropped the bottle he was holding and started walking away, police said.

The employee tackled the second man, who police later named as Aaron Lujan, 42, and retrieved the bottle he was carrying. Lujan stood, pulled out a box cutter and told the employee, Come at me! according to the complaint.

The employee wielded a box cutter of his own, and shortly after, the two men left the store, police said.

Officers said they found Lujan walking nearby. He was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center on one count of aggravated assault.

The second man was transported to a local hospital after he complained of pain. It is not clear whether he will face charges; online jail records showed he had not been booked by Sunday evening.

The store employee was not injured.
A series of suspicious notes, including one that referenced a bomb, led to the evacuation of Meow Wolfs House of Eternal Return on Sunday evening, police said.

Santa Fe police were called to the popular art exhibition at around 5 p.m. Sunday after staff pulled the fire alarm hoping to quickly empty the building, Lt. Michele Williams said.

Employees told police that theyd found multiple notes in the facility, including one that said the word bomb, Williams said.

The departments bomb unit checked the building and found nothing unusual, other than the notes.

A lot of them had just kind of random statements, Williams said of the messages. Nothing threatening per se.

She said police will likely release a photo tomorrow of the person who was caught on video leaving the notes in the building.
Albuquerque streets were host to dozens of major traffic crashes  including four rollovers  in what a police department spokesman called crazy crash Sunday.

Albuquerque police officer Simon Drobik said police responded to 33 minor crashes and 26 major crashes with injuries.

Asked for crash numbers for a more typical day, Drobik said simply, Nothing like that.

I dont think theres a normal, but  four rollovers before 8:00 (p.m.) is pretty unique, he said.

Within a six-hour span on Sunday, rollovers were reported at Montgomery and Wyoming; San Mateo and Pan American Freeway; Rio Grande and Indian School; and Eubank and Central.

Meanwhile, a driver who police believe was on heroin, crashed into parked vehicles in the 2800 block of Quincy, near San Mateo and Menaul. Neighbors zip-tied the driver to a fence as they waited for officers to respond.

Just 20 minutes later, and a couple miles away, a male driver crashed into seven vehicles parked outside of Lovelace Womens Hospital on Montgomery near San Mateo. The man fled the scene wearing a blond wig and carrying a handbag.

Drobik said excessive speed and driver inattention were to blame in nearly all of the crashes.

Traffic crashes drain department resources, as investigators generally spend hours on scene, often closing intersections and requiring even more officers to help divert traffic.

These things take a lot of time and manpower, he said.

Drobik said accidents happen but that Sunday was unique.

Crazy crash Sunday, he said. Thats what Im calling it.

He reminded drivers who are involved in minor wrecks to exchange information and drive to a local substation to file a report.

Well still come out, of course, if you want us to, he said. But thats an option.

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PUEBLO, Colo.  In 35 years, seven months and two weeks, Keesha has seen his share of changes. He has witnessed five presidencies, a full economic boom-bust cycle and the end of communism.

OK, national and international events have little to no impact on this particular bird, but its safe to say Keesha the golden eagle has been nothing if not adaptable during his long life.

After all, he was born in the wild.

When the flightless Keesha was moved into the Pueblo Zoo on Dec. 26, 1980, the institution was still city-operated, manned by parks employees and characterized by undersized enclosures that offered animals little protection or stimulation. Then, in early 1991, City Council turned operations of the zoo over to the Pueblo Zoological Society, and an overhaul of animal care and habitats quickly followed.

That meant Keesha was a firsthand witness to the zoos change in management and culture, reported the Pueblo Chieftain (http://bit.ly/2aBlC44). And, as he approaches his 36th year at the park, the majestic bird of prey has the distinction of being its longest-term resident.

We do our best with him, General Curator and Conservation Programs Manager Ashley Bowen said. Its one thing to have a healthy animal in captivity and wish they could be released, but when you know they cant go back, you have a greater purpose.

No one knows precisely how old Keesha is, although conservative estimates have him pushing 40. Nor do they know how he ended up with an irreparably injured wing. What is known is that he was fully grown, albeit presumably young, when he was rescued and rehabilitated.

The noble, chocolate brown and gold bird holds his right wing at an odd angle, slightly away from and forward of his massive body. He cant fly, but that doesnt stop him from nimbly dashing about his enclosure, hopping from limb to limb and even, when he truly wants a birds-eye view of his domain, scaling up the roughly 20-foot tree trunk that is the centerpiece of his habitat.

He is a special eagle, Bowen said. He has survived West Nile (disease) and he has fathered chicks who have been released back into the wild.

For years, Keesha was housed in a smallish habitat that is now home to the zoos eagle-owls. It was in that space, where he acted as ambassador as well as father, that he cohabitated with, mated and eventually outlived not one but two females, Bowen said.

He did OK there, she said.

These days he has the full run of a multilevel, stone-sided and topless gorge that was formerly one of the much-maligned and sun-scorched bear pits. The pit measures more than 2,000 square feet, according to interpretative signage about the historic Works Progress Administration habitats, and is now a shady oasis of trees, reeds, grass, logs and branches.

Keesha shares a common wall with a pair of bald eagles, who are also too injured to be returned safely to the wild and who likewise occupy a refurbished pit. The craters were closed after the change in management; in 2012 the birds were relocated.

Bowen was in charge of care and maintenance for the birds of prey at the time and spearheaded the pre-move redesign.

It was blood, sweat and tears from my life for about a week, she said as she surveyed Keeshas cool space.

In addition, federal guidelines required the zoo to hold special permits to relocate and keep the raptors, even though the birds were simply moving across the property.

But the first time Keesha was released into his new home and promptly scaled to the highest point in his run, it was worth the work.

As a former (zoo) keeper and now curator, anybody in this field will go to any length to help these animals, Bowen said. If it was six months for the federal government to issue a permit, its worth it.

He has been thriving. He has more space, he can (climb) higher, his feather quality has improved. Hes just been thriving out here.

___

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com
Kudos to the Indigenous Book Festivals program, Beyond Stereotype, Prejudice, and Racism. Its daring to challenge the near sacred seal of the University of New Mexico has produced far reaching results.

A recent article quotes celebrated author Sandra Cisneros as saying, I think what New Mexico needs is what South Africa had  the truth and reconciliation (commission) in order to address its history of violence between Hispanics and Native Americans.

Cisneros also stated that such conflicts influenced her recent decision to not relocate to New Mexico. This story reveals a long standing schism and offers an opportunity for understanding the division.

The op-ed letter, Native American, Hispanic History Forever Intertwined, written by a member of the New Mexican Hispanic Cultural Preservation League, defends the seals implicit message and symbolism, the sword and musket personify just how order and civilization was achieved in the founding of New Mexico. In her attempt to minimize past atrocities she quotes noted historian Mark Simmons, History is not for sissies every group welded the ax and the sword.'

Many New Mexican Hispanics, who self identify as Chicano, Mexican American or Latino, disagree, and choose to be guided by the words and example of Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, a 16th century Spanish soldier, who owned natives, became a Dominican friar, turned historian and is widely recognized as the most influential critic of Spanish colonialism.

Fray Bartolome, a long time candidate for beatification, spoke a liberating truth that remains uncomfortable to the present. He spoke of unspeakable atrocities, such as butcher shops providing human-native meat for the dogs. Fray Bartolome is considered one of the first human rights activists.

After meeting with the native coalition seeking changes to the seal, UNM President Bob Frank admitted, Its been a very educational experience for me. Let us hope that an educational experience ensues the provocative statements of Cisneros.

Chicanos, Latinos share a sense of pride in their Spanish heritage but are also capable of admitting and acknowledging the cruelty sanctioned and committed by our forefathers. The reluctance to acknowledge and disavow such history is the core reason for the schism amongst the Hispanic community and amongst the native and Latino cultures.

Chicanos, by definition, take pride in their native heritage and seek a brotherhood with native people.

Cisneros words prompted me to review a publication published in 1981, Ceremony of Brotherhood, a commemorative anthology of the Pueblo Revolt, published by La Academia.

The effort involved many Hispanos y Indios, including Rudolfo Anaya, N. Scott Momaday, Enrique La Madrid, Jack D. Forbes, R.C. Gorman and the late UNM sociology professor emeritus Tomas Atencio, amongst the talented contributors.

I would think that all of them and multitudes of others find merit in the idea of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. What a powerful concept! What an opportunity to find harmony by discussing the unspeakable.

First we must admit to past atrocities and speak the truth in order to reconcile and that truth includes the following words: Our nation was born in genocide when it embraced the doctrine that the original American, the Indian, was an inferior race. Even before there were large numbers of Negroes on our shore, the scar of racial hatred had already disfigured colonial society. From the sixteenth century forward, blood flowed in battles over racial supremacy. We are perhaps the only nation which tried as a matter of national policy to wipe out its indigenous population. Moreover, we elevated that tragic experience into a noble crusade. Indeed, even today we have not permitted ourselves to reject or feel remorse for this shameful episode. Our literature, our films, our drama, our folklore all exalt it.

 Martin Luther King
Another Tesla has crashed because the driver thought its self-driving technology could actually drive the car. As we read all the stories about magical technology and then use the hyped-up products, we ought to keep in mind that the magic hits the market long before it lives up to its promise, which in some cases it will never do. If its new, dont expect it to work as advertised.

The Tesla in Beijing, in autopilot mode, hit the side of an illegally parked car and kept going until driver Luo Zhen  who had taken his hands off the steering wheel  manually stopped it.

The $7,500 repair bill was probably a tough way for Luo to learn that when he read and heard about self-driving cars, or even when he watched Teslas autopilot video (which tells drivers to grip the wheel at all times but shows the Model S changing lanes, taking curves and parking itself), he was essentially reading and watching sci-fi.

Im not going to accuse Tesla of false advertising, as many did after autopilot led to a fatal crash. The technology can do what the video shows it doing, but it cant do it in every situation, and thats why the automakers warning about holding on to the wheel is clearly articulated.

Nor was Microsoft really misleading customers about the ability of its Skype Translator to live-translate between Mandarin and English. It can do that when you speak slowly and clearly, avoiding complicated subjects and sentence structures, the way people do in the promotional videos.

But a Tesla cannot drive itself better than an experienced human driver can drive it. Skype Translator cannot really handle normal conversation the way even a middling simultaneous translator could. Nor can big data predict election outcomes or real-world economic phenomena better than traditional tools. And Pokemon Go isnt quite augmented reality.

Its sad but true, whatever you think youre hearing from starry-eyed tech writers, Silicon Valley marketers or even chief executives.

For example, when Apple boss Tim Cook said during the latest earnings call that machine learning enables Siri to understand words as well as the intent behind them, it was a forward-looking statement, not a promise to tomorrows iPhone buyers; 98 percent of iPhone users have tried Siri, but only about 30 percent use it with any regularity  precisely because they expected more from it before it could match those expectations, and thats the way its going to stay for some time.

Two years ago, when much-hyped 3-D printing was proving a bit kludgier than neophytes drawn by the promise of magic expected, its inventor, Charles Hull, said this in an interview: Most of the stuff they talk about will happen someday  eventually. But theres the here-and-now and the near-term future, where a lot of that stuff is definitely hype and wont happen.

Most of the stuff and eventually are the keywords.

We dont know for sure whether, let alone when, autonomous-driving technology will fully replace humans, or whether machine translation will work as well as the human kind.

We often pay to serve as testers for technology that is going exciting places for the engineers who develop it. And we expect instant gratification, though intuitively, we should understand theres no such thing in engineering. They dont really deceive us: The warnings are always there for those who are willing to listen, and the makers and the hypers are rarely the same people.

Its difficult for laymen to resist the hype. We want to believe in miracles, and we often dont admit to ourselves that the tech we buy into isnt quite miraculous, that despite being extremely advanced and unimaginable just a decade or two ago, the gap between it and pure magic is often bigger than the distance already covered.

For those who need a reality check, though, theres a convenient tool: the Hype Cycle, developed by tech research firm Gartner. Technologies arent brought to market when they can fully deliver on their promise but when they are at what Gartner calls the Peak of Inflated Expectations.

Almost exactly a year ago, the company released its 2015 Hype Curve. At the top: autonomous vehicles, speech-to-speech translation and machine learning.

Marketers figure the top of that cycle is the best time to offer tech to the masses. People who expect magic get disappointed, and the technology falls into the Trough of Disillusionment. But the good news is that at least some of the technologies then make it up the Slope of Enlightenment to the Plateau of Productivity.

This doesnt mean we shouldnt buy new tech when its being overhyped. But it does mean that we shouldnt expect much from it. I feel privileged to play with the early implementations of big dreams, even if they never come to fruition.

Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View contributor, is a Berlin-based writer.
Fresh on the heels of emails that showed Democratic National Committee bosses discussing ways to sabotage the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders come new emails that show donors to the Clinton Foundation had a special in with the State Department under then-Secretary Hillary Clinton.

Sad, but hardly surprising  and completely in character with the Clinton machine.

The latest email release shows:

A foundation staffer telling a State Department staffer it was important to take care of an individual and the State staffer replying personnel has been sending him options.

A foundation staffer telling two State Department staffers to put a billionaire donor in touch with a substance person in his country. Yes, Clintons minions selling State Department access in return for supporting the foundation that has helped to enrich the Clintons beyond their wildest of dreams.

Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group that recently obtained the emails through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed against the State Department in 2015, says it would seem in violation of the ethics agreements that Hillary Clinton agreed to in order to be appointed and confirmed as Secretary of State.

The Republican Party has called it a pay-for-play scheme.

Some Americans may be sick and tired of the scandal involving Clinton emails dragging on and on  Sanders once said the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails, a tactic that may well have cost him the nomination. But it has dragged on thanks to the Justice Department under Barack Obama dragging its feet on releasing them to the public or alternately prosecuting Clinton for her use of a private email server for classified documents.

This latest dump of heavily redacted emails should leave no doubt now that a sick political quid pro quo is alive and well in D.C.

Its no wonder Clinton had her attorneys delete and remove all traces of some 30,000 other emails. This latest dump makes it clear some of those deleted emails dealt with matters completely unrelated to innocuous topics like yoga pants or her daughters wedding.

For those keeping track of the number of lies, add another notch. For those who have quit trying to tally, just take note.

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.
A proposal at City Hall to halt spending on Albuquerque Rapid Transit and put the project on the Nov. 8 ballot always faced long odds.

But theyre getting even longer.

The bill died, at least for now, in the City Councils finance and government operations committee on a 2-2 vote.

Committee actions, however, arent final decisions, so the full council can still revive the bill, even without a majority in favor. It would take four of nine councilors to revive the proposal and place it on the Sept. 7 council agenda.

Even then, however, the Nov. 8 ballot might already be set  too late to add a question on Albuquerque Rapid Transit.

Opponents better chance of stopping the project probably lies in court. The U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals is considering their lawsuit, and a decision could come at any time.

A District Court judge already denied opponents request for a preliminary injunction to stop the project, but they filed an appeal with the 10th Circuit.

Sick leave summary?

Supporters of the sick-leave ordinance say theyre confident that a summary of the proposal is all that must appear on the ballot, not the full seven-page text.

Thats critical because the county clerk says the Nov. 8 ballot isnt large enough to include the entire ordinance, though a summary might fit.

The city attorney has said the complete text must go before voters, not a summary.

But Tim Davis, a staff attorney for the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, says supporters of the ordinance have the law and precedent on their side.

In 2012, he said, the city put only a summary of the proposed minimum-wage ordinance on the ballot. That proposal, like the sick-leave initiative, was the result of a petition drive in which supporters gathered thousands of signatures to get it on the ballot.

Davis said the City Charter itself also supports the publication of just a summary. For petition initiatives, the charter calls for the proposed measure as originally submitted to be placed on the ballot.

The words complete text arent there, Davis said. But for proposed charter amendments  not petition initiatives  the charter does say the complete text must be put on the ballot.

That suggests that the charter draws a distinction between the two types of legislation  that only proposed amendments must be sent to voters in their entirety, Davis argues.

Whether this debate is headed to court isnt clear yet. Supporters of the sick-leave ballot measure say litigation is a last resort and that theyre simply advising the County Commission that only a summary is required for the ballot.

The proposal would require employers to offer their workers a chance to earn paid sick leave.
WHEN DRIVERS IGNORE EMERGENCY VEHICLES: Joe Demijohn emails, Over the years there have been fatalities, numerous accidents and near misses involving emergency vehicles with flashing lights and blaring sirens at intersections controlled by stoplights.

Why doesnt Albuquerque follow the example of progressive cities that allow emergency vehicles to remotely switch the traffic light to red in all four directions as the emergency vehicle approaches and passes through? (It) appears to work well in other cities I have driven in.

Albuquerque Police Department officer Simon Drobik questions how having all the vehicles in front of you come to a stop allows your ambulance/fire truck/police car to proceed quickly through the intersection to that heart attack/fire/robbery in progress.

Turning an intersection all-red would cause more of a hindrance, he says. It would cause more wrecks. We (first responders) can negotiate through an intersection (and the responsibility) is 100 percent on us.

Drobik explains that APD policy is, if the path forward is blocked by stopped vehicles, we cant push through. First responders have to wait for a path, usually a left-turn lane, to clear and use that to get up to and then through the intersection.

Meanwhile, Nancy Adam asks, Does Albuquerque have a system so emergency vehicles can change the traffic lights to give them a green as they approach? I observed three emergency vehicles  two fire trucks and one ambulance  having to wait until traffic heard their sirens and saw them to cross Tramway at Comanche about 9 a.m. during the week. I know other cities have this capability; why not us?

The real issue is drivers who dont follow the law of pulling to the right when they hear sirens and/or see flashing lights. Drobik says sometimes its just panic that freezes drivers in place or has them pull to the left, but sometimes they just arent paying attention.

And sometimes they dont seem to care about someone elses emergency. Drobik says failure to yield carries a fine ($15 plus $65 in court costs), but officers priority is responding to the emergency, not writing that ticket.

IGNORING THE LEFT ON LADERA: Teresa K. Deras emails, When traveling west on Ladera to 98th, the lane splits, the right lane to go straight or turn north. The problem is the center lane and the left lane are both left-turn lanes at the light at 98th. No one stays in the left lane, and I have nearly been wiped out so many times. The lane markings are bad and people just dont get it.

Melanie Martinez, program manager and public information officer for Albuquerques Department of Municipal Development, says, The markings are directional, letting drivers know the right lane is not a right-turn only. As for adding dashed lines through the intersection to get folks in the left-turn lanes to turn left, she explains those so-called puppy tracks are used mostly to match up lanes when they are offset and changing.

NO JUDICIAL IMMUNITY PLATES: Bill Everett writes in an email, I pulled up to a stoplight behind a car with a Judicial Immunity license plate. I couldnt believe it. It was a plain white plate with very small lettering and no numbers and official looking seals on either side. I squinted and all I could make out was Constitutional Right. Is this for real?

I know there are vanity plates for elected legislators, retired police officers and a number of other groups. I looked at the DMV website but there was no Judicial Immunity license plate illustrated.

That is because New Mexico does not issue Judicial Immunity License Plates, according to Taxation and Revenue Department spokesman Benjamin Cloutier. A LexisNexis search turned up that in 2013 a dozen states and the District of Columbia authorized judicial plates on judges personal vehicles.

ROAD DEATHS ON THE RISE: At the end of July, 232 people had been killed on New Mexico roads this year.

Thats up from 159 the year for the same period in 2015.

February, April, May and July were especially deadly  with at least 10 more deaths each than the same month in 2015. April was especially bloody, with 47 killed, more than a road death a day.

One-hundred and fifty-five people have died in vehicles so far this year. In addition, 44 pedestrians, 29 people on motorcycles, two on bicycles, and one on an all-terrain vehicle were killed. In one death, the vehicle is unknown or other, according to data from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the University of New Mexico.

Alcohol was a factor in almost 40 percent of the deaths  90. Of the 155 people killed in vehicles, 93 were not wearing a seat belt.

And around half of those killed on motorcycles, 16, were not wearing a helmet.

Assistant editorial page editor DVal Westphal tackles commuter issues for the Metro area on Mondays. Reach her at 823-3858; road@abqjournal.com; or P.O. Drawer J, Albuquerque, N.M. 87103.
Copyright  2016 Albuquerque Journal

The only house he ever owned became, and remains, Albuquerques first branch library. A South Valley middle school bears his name, and his face once appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

But, today, many people would be stumped to tell you much, if anything, about Ernie Pyle, the famed newspaper columnist whose writings brought the realities of World War II home to millions of Americans.

Jerry Maschino, along with several of Pyles descendants, is out to change that.

A lot of people, if you ask them, Do you know Ernie Pyle? will answer yes, Maschino said. But if you ask about specifics, they usually dont know any, other than he was a war correspondent.  But theres a lot more to Ernie Pyle than that.

Maschino and a trio of other board members with the 3-year-old Ernie Pyle Legacy Foundation, based in Gallatin, Tenn., were in town recently drumming up support for a national Ernie Pyle Day. They plan to kick off the effort with an Aug. 3, 2017, celebration at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial, which sits about 2 miles east of Pyles 900 Girard SE home, now the Ernie Pyle Library.

Maschino, whose wife is Pyles first cousin once removed, said he hopes the nation will follow the lead New Mexicos Legislature took in 1945 when it declared Aug. 3, his birthday, as Ernie Pyle Day.

Our mission is simple: Ensure the legacy of Ernie Pyle, Maschino said. We have a lot of avenues to do that. The short-term objective is to visit places and have events where we can bring a lot people together and present this idea of having a national Ernie Pyle Day.

We want to kick it off in Albuquerque because this was his home, he said.

From farm boy to fame

Pyle, an Indiana native, was the best-known columnist of World War II. Writing in a conversational, down-home style about the soldiers, places and events of that global conflict for the Scripps Howard newspaper chain, Pyle reached millions of readers who came to regard him as friend, confidant and teller of truth.

Pyle, a thin, balding man approaching middle age, was on the front lines in the North Africa campaign, the invasion of Sicily, the D-Day landings at Normandy and the invasion of Okinawa.

His columns  which Pyle believed never adequately conveyed the horror of war to his readers  won him a Pulitzer Prize in 1944.

Mothers used to wait for their newspapers every day to see whether their sons might be mentioned in Pyles columns, Maschino said.

But Pyle honed his reporting skills and writing style long before shipping out to war.

While attending Indiana University to study journalism, Pyle was editor of the student newspaper, The Indiana Daily Student.

He quit college in 1923, a few months before graduating, to work as a cub reporter for the LaPorte Herald, now the LaPorte Herald-Argus, in Indiana.

He left Indiana 3 months later to write for Scripps Howards Washington Daily News, where he became the countrys first aviation columnist, rubbing elbows with pioneers of the fledgling industry. His friend, famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart, gave him an engraved watch that he wore most of his life.

After a brief stint as an editor, Pyle persuaded his bosses to let him become a roving reporter. For the next six years he traveled throughout the country, writing columns about the people he met and the places he visited.

During those travels, he developed an affinity for New Mexico. He and his wife, Jerry, decided to settle in Albuquerque in 1940, buying a lot and building the modest home on Girard.

Then came the war, and Pyle embedded with the troops.

When it was clear that the battle against Hitlers Nazis in Europe was heading toward its inevitable conclusion, Pyle wrestled with the urge to leave war behind. But his bond with the GIs bearing the brunt of the war convinced him to head to the Pacific Theater.

While in the Pacific, Pyle waged a successful war against military censorship by persuading the Navy to rescind its policy that prevented him from publishing the names and hometowns of the sailors and Navy aviators he wrote about in his columns.

Pyle was killed by a Japanese machine gunner on April 18, 1945, on the island of Iejima, then known as Ie Shima. He was accompanying units with the 77th Infantry Division during the battle for the Japanese island of Okinawa. The nation mourned his loss like no other casualty of the great war.

Jerry Pyle, who fought her own war with alcoholism and mental illness, died seven months after Ernie.

In 1983, Ernie Pyle was awarded the Purple Heart  a rare honor for a civilian  by the 77th Army Reserve Command.

Mark your calendar

Next years event, still in the planning stages, will have the pomp of military celebrations, Maschino said, but will include a catered lunch and a portrayal of Ernie by Baldwin G. Burr, a Los Lunas author, educator and consulting historian at the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Arts.

The keynote speaker will be Joe Galloway, co-author of the 1992 best-seller We Were Soldiers Once  And Young. Galloway covered the Vietnam War for United Press International and went on to cover conflicts across the world, including the first Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War.

While in New Mexico, Maschino and fellow board members met with city, state, National Guard and Kirtland Air Force Base officials to seek support for the upcoming event and for National Ernie Pyle Day, he said.

Everyones been really receptive, Maschino said. It will be a great event for the whole state, the whole country.
LOURDES, France  Watched over by French soldiers and police, Catholic pilgrims from around the world prayed together for healing and peace Monday at a grotto shrine in Lourdes where exceptional security greeted the spiritual travelers due to recent extremist attacks.

A helicopter circled overhead as thousands of visitors bearing candles and banners streamed toward the celebrated grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

A special prayer was held for France and for the more than 200 people killed by the blind violence of terrorism in Islamic extremist attacks over the past year and a half, including a priest whose throat was slit last month.

The prayer extended to the soldiers and police officers patrolling the train station, town center and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th-century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.

The site in southern France near the Spanish border annually draws pilgrims of all kinds, including sick and disabled believers hoping for a cure from the famed spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

Crowds gathered throughout the day at a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus mother Mary ascended into heaven.

French authorities already had been planning extra security for the holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe  notably one July 26 in northwest France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priests throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

The prayer for France extended to victims of extremism in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, and persecuted Christians everywhere.

It is all of humanity that is being trampled, The Rev. Fabien Lejeusne said, urging believers to build bridges, and not walls.

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this years pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been dropped amid security fears.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks, and authorities funneled visitors through three access points, reduced from past years.

Roads were closed to allow pedestrians to reach the site unhindered. Vehicle attacks are a new concern after a driver rammed his truck into Bastille Day revelers in Nice last month, killing 85.

Petronella Davis of London, 62, called the security measures a good thing, but added, I dont feel any less safe than I used to.

Gloria Munoz Fernandez, a 68-year-old pilgrim from Madrid, said, If you believe in God you dont need this sort of protection; however, for me it (the army) is a good protection, it helps you to be more at ease.

Nearly 300 extra forces were brought to Lourdes  including mobile intervention teams, soldiers, bomb squads and canine units  to help local forces, raising the overall security presence to more than 500.

The Catholic Church has recognized dozens of miracles at Lourdes since villager Bernadette Soubirous said she had visions of Mary while gathering stones in the grotto in 1858.

Among those leading ceremonies at the Lourdes festivities is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a top French church official who faced accusations this year of covering up for pedophile priests. He denies wrongdoing.

French President Francois Hollande marked Assumption  a national holiday in a country that is officially secular but traditionally Roman Catholic  by announcing a trip to see Pope Francis on Wednesday. They are expected to discuss the church attack and bilateral relations.

___

Charlton reported from Paris.
FARMINGTON, N.M.  Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye is renewing the tribes call for the federal government to reimburse farmers for damaged caused by a massive mine waste spill in southwestern Colorado.

Begaye was among the tribal, state and local officials who participated earlier this week in a discussion marking the one-year anniversary of the blowout at the Gold King Mine.

An EPA-led crew triggered the spill during preliminary cleanup work on Aug. 5, 2015. Three million gallons of wastewater carrying arsenic, lead and other heavy metals tainted rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah.

Begaye says the spill was devastating for Navajo farmers and the $445,000 the EPA recently awarded for response costs is only a quarter of what the spill has cost the tribe so far.
DEMING  The First United Methodist Church Men seized the opportunity to piggy-back off the Great American Duck Race back in 1981, and now the two are a match made in heaven.

People need protein to sustain energy for the duck race weekend, said FUMC member Fletcher Shanty Bowman. We supply that by hosting the Duck Days BBQ (Barbecue).

Indeed the Methodist Men have been feeding the masses to the tune of 1,400 pounds of top sirloin beef. And its all you can eat, Bowman said.

The Duck Days BBQ is considered one of the churchs primary fundraisers during the course of the calendar year. It was the brainchild of members Don Cameron and Robert Frosch, according to Bowman. People gotta eat, Bowman said. Taking in the duck race weekend events can be exhausting if youre not properly fed and we will feed you.

The beef will be smoked overnight and served at the church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27. The church is located at 1020 S. Granite, adjacent to the Sam Baca Aquatic Center. The dining area will be set up in the gymnasium or guests can carry out. The tickets are $9 for adults and $5 for children. The dinner will consists of sliced top sirloin beef, Cole slaw, pinto beans and dessert. Beverages will be available.

The Methodist men have been around for a while, Bowman said. I remember when Frank Cain was our president. He was instrumental n keeping our club going, along with Ernest Burleson.

Proceeds from the Duck Days BBQ have provided scholarships for graduating seniors at Deming High School. Bowman says the Methodist Men would like to continue that tradition by providing a New Mexico-style barbecue dinner. And its all you can eat, he added.

Bowman said in 1958 the Methodist Men were selling enchiladas as their chief fundraiser at $2 a plate  and children ate free. We actually did quite well, Bowman recalled. We had a gimmick, though. The flyer read: Enchiladas: Untouched by womens hands.'

Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (ext. 2606) or biamrnedariz@demingheadlight.com.

If you go

Who: First United Methodist Church Men

What: FUMC Duck Days BBQ (all you can eat)

When: Serving from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, August 27, 2016

Where: At the church, 1020 S. Granite Street (corner of Granit and Buckeye streets)

Menu: Sliced top sirloin beef, Cole slaw, pinto beans and dessert

Tickets: Adults, $9; Children, $5 Tickets can be purchased at the church or from any Methodist member or call the church 575-546-2791.



2016 The Deming Headlight (Deming, N.M.)

Visit The Deming Headlight (Deming, N.M.) at www.demingheadlight.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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(c) 2016, The Washington Post.

A week before the last U.S. soldiers left his country in December 2011, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki traveled to Washington to meet the team that would help shape Iraqs future once the troops and tanks were gone.

Over dinner at the Blair House, guest quarters for elite White House visitors since the 1940s, the dour Iraqi sipped tea while Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke of how her departments civilian experts could help Iraqis avoid a return to terrorism and sectarian bloodshed.

Iraq would see a robust civilian presence, Clinton told reporters afterward, summing up the Obama administrations pledges to Maliki. We are working to achieve that, she said.

Less than three years later, the relatively calm Iraq that Maliki had led in 2011 was gone. The countrys government was in crisis, its U.S.-trained army humiliated, and a third of its territory overrun by fighters from the Islamic State. Meanwhile, State Department programs aimed at helping Iraqis prevent such an outcome had been slashed or curtailed, and some had never materialized at all.

Clintons political foes would later seek to blame her, together with President Obama, for the Islamic States stunning takeover of western Iraq, saying the State Department failed to preserve fragile security gains achieved at great cost by U.S. troops. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump last week asserted that Obama founded the Islamic State and that Clinton was the most valuable player in the groups creation. Trump later contended that he was being sarcastic.

But an intensive review of the record during Clintons tenure presents a broader picture of missteps and miscalculations by multiple actors  including her State Department as well as the Maliki government, the White House and Congress  that left Iraqi security forces weakened and vulnerable to the Islamic States 2014 surge.

Documents and interviews point to ambitious plans by State Department officials to take control of dozens of military-run programs in Iraq, from training assistance for Iraqi police to new intelligence-collection outposts in Mosul and other key Iraqi cities. But the State Department scrapped or truncated many of the plans, sometimes at the behest of a skeptical Congress and other times on orders from the White House, which balked at the high costs and potential risks of U.S. civilians being killed or kidnapped. Still other efforts were thwarted by a Maliki government that viewed many of the programs as an unwelcome intrusion in Iraqi affairs.

Senior State Department leaders were at fault as well, according to documents and interviews with officials who helped manage Iraqi aid programs after the withdrawal. By early 2012, pressed by the White House to reduce the U.S. civilian footprint in Iraq, the department had begun implementing sweeping, across-the-board cuts that extended to security and counterterrorism initiatives once considered crucial for Iraqs stability after the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a joint investigation by ProPublica and The Washington Post found.

Clinton, a member of the administrations national security team at the time, argued at first in favor of many programs that the State Department eventually cut, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with internal White House deliberations. For the Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. policy misadventures in Iraq, from the initial invasion and occupation to the disasters after the U.S. troop withdrawal, have persistently undermined Clintons efforts to tout her extensive record in foreign policy. Candidate Clinton has frequently pushed for more assertive engagement with Iraqs military and tribal alliances to help repel the Islamic State, essentially arguing for an expansion of programs that were curtailed on her watch after the U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011.

A State Department team that administered the cuts under White House direction eventually ended up with a $1.6 billion surplus  money initially appropriated for Iraq that was freed for use in other conflict zones, including Libya, officials and documents say.

The downscaling was done over the objections of U.S. military leaders on the ground, who said the slashing of key assistance programs  in a few cases, by more than 90 percent  left the U.S. government increasingly in the dark about developments outside the Iraqi capital. Some former officers who managed Iraqi aid programs say the cuts were a factor in the slow deterioration of Iraqs security forces in the months before the Islamic States 2014 assault.

Our job was to prevent this from happening, said retired Rear Adm. Edward Winters, a former Navy SEAL and deputy director of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, a Pentagon organization overseen by the State Department that managed the bilateral security relationship.

We felt the capability to do that was being taken away.

A strategic vacuum

Current and former Obama administration officials, including some who sparred with the State Department over Iraq policy, defend Clinton as one of the most vocal advocates for a muscular U.S. presence in Iraq after the withdrawal deadline. Clinton argued publicly and privately for keeping a contingent of U.S. troops in Iraq after Dec. 31, 2011, and when that effort failed, she lobbied the White House and Congress for money to fund civilian-run security programs in Iraq, her former aides said. In written memos and in meetings as part of the presidents national security team, she questioned Malikis ability to keep the country united and warned that instability could lead to a resurgence of al-Qaeda in Iraq, or AQI, the terrorist group that later renamed itself the Islamic State, the officials said.

She was seized with this, recalled Deputy Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who was national security adviser to Vice President Biden and then deputy national security adviser to Obama during key discussions about Iraq policy. She recognized that AQI was down but not out, and pressed the Iraqis, and us, to keep taking the fight to them.

But, in scaling back civilian assistance to Iraq, Clintons aides cut aggressively and sometimes unwisely, internal auditors later concluded. The reductions met cost-cutting goals but did not fully consider U.S. foreign policy priorities in Iraq, an internal review by the State Departments inspector general said. Some of the cuts were not fully implemented until after Clintons departure in early 2013, though the plans were largely in place, former aides said. The report is silent on Clintons role in the reductions or views about them.

There was a period of time after the transition from the military-led mission to a civilian-led mission when strategic decisions were not made, with one official calling the period a strategic vacuum,  the inspector generals office said in its 2013 report, citing interviews with department officials in Washington and Iraq. It said the cuts were driven by Congressional and White House concerns that the Department quickly reduce costs and security vulnerabilities and address [the Iraqi governments] desire for a more normalized U.S. diplomatic presence.

Among the casualties was a U.S. Army-run Iraqi tribal reconciliation program with a record of successfully resolving disputes between Iraqs querulous Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish factions. Animosity between Sunni tribes and Malikis Shiite-led government would become a key factor in the Islamic States takeover of Iraqs Sunni heartland in 2014.

Asked to account for such cuts, a State Department spokesman said in an email that diplomats lacked the personnel or financial resources to continue many of the programs begun by the Pentagon during an era when tens of thousands of U.S. troops were serving in Iraq. In any event, the result was lost trust with the Sunni community and the abandoning of an important window into what was really happening inside Iraq, said retired Army Col. Rick Welch, who oversaw the program before the military withdrawal,

No one from the State Department ever contacted me, Welch said in an interview. Eventually the Baghdad-based reconciliation effort was scaled back to a trickle, he said, and then nothing else happened.

The presidents directive

In the first weeks of his presidency, Obama flew to Camp Lejeune, the sprawling Marine base in North Carolina, to repeat a promise made throughout his election campaign: a pledge to wind down Americas wars in the Middle East. He told the troops that the war in Iraq will end through a responsible drawdown of U.S. forces in Iraq by Dec. 31, 2011, the deadline set three years earlier by the George W. Bush administration.

In reality, few within Obamas own administration expected that the entire U.S. contingent would exit Iraq by that date, current and former aides say. In interviews, State Department and Pentagon officials said they were convinced that Iraq would ultimately negotiate an agreement to leave a modest contingent of U.S. soldiers  perhaps 10,000 or so  in the country to ensure stability and serve as a bulwark against a resurgence of al-Qaeda in Iraq.

The presence of even a small American force would have provided a substantial benefit for U.S. diplomats in Iraq after 2011, assuring that the Pentagon would continue to take the lead in U.S.-Iraqi military liaison programs while also helping with mundane but necessary functions such as security, medical care, food service and transportation on the ground and in the air. But with a deadline looming and no firm decision from the White House, the State Department began to develop plans for hiring thousands of contractors to perform the same services at higher costs. The uncertainty lingered until October 2011, when the talks collapsed 10 weeks before the deadline for pulling all U.S. forces out of the country.

Throughout this period, Clinton continued to campaign for what several aides called a robust mission for American diplomats in Iraq, preferably backed by a significant U.S. troop garrison. Her advocacy was recalled by numerous military and intelligence officials who participated in classified discussions on Iraq. It was also expressed publicly in news conferences and congressional testimony at the time.

She was very focused on how to apply the full weight of the U.S. government to locking down that residual troop presence, said Jake Sullivan, the State Departments director of policy and planning who later became the top foreign policy adviser to the Clinton campaign. As prospects for U.S. troop garrisons began to dim, Clinton insisted on a robust contingency planning process, to leave nothing to chance on how we protected our civilian presence and how we made sure that we were supporting the outlying posts beyond Baghdad, Sullivan said.

State Department officials initially planned for taking control of more than a third of the 1,300 programs and missions run by the Pentagon in Iraq. That alone, as Clinton herself would acknowledge, constituted the largest transition from military to civilian leadership since the Marshall Plan, the extensive U.S. aid effort after World War II.

Contingency plans created in 2010 envisioned taking over key security missions, such as the tribal reconciliation program. Another initiative called for building new diplomatic and intelligence outposts around the country to give the United States a presence in cities that once hosted American military bases. These facilities, called Enduring Presence Posts, or EPPs, were initially planned for five Iraqi locales: Irbil, Diyala province, Kirkuk, Basra and Mosul.

State Department officials urged Congress to approve funding for the EPPs, saying the listening posts would help mitigate ethno-sectarian conflict while allowing the security officials to better forecast, prevent or contain instability outside of Baghdad.

Spotting emerging problems early is going to be critical, Clintons aides wrote in a 2010 staff report to lawmakers. The report raised concerns about the departments ability to carry out some of its new mandates without U.S. military support, but it urged congressional appropriators to put up the necessary financial backing.

In Washington, both the White House and Congress viewed the plans with deepening skepticism. At a March 2011 Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) appeared to scoff at the idea of a civilian force of diplomats and contractors trying to do business in Iraq all over the place with no troops.

That is basically a private army replacing the American military, Graham said to Clinton. So Id like us to think long and hard as a nation  does that make sense?

The cost of building, equipping and securing diplomatic enclaves in Iraqi cities such as Mosul  a hotbed of Sunni terrorism in 2011  struck senior Obama aides in the meetings as exorbitantly expensive and impractical, even more so because of Malikis growing antipathy toward U.S. interference in Iraqs domestic affairs, according to current and former aides who participated in the private discussions.

The loss of a U.S. troop presence meant the closing of all U.S. military installations, including dozens of Provincial Reconstruction Teams, the smaller regional units from which U.S. military and civilian workers administered aid to local towns and tribes. Unable to rely on Iraqi help, State Department officials would have to hire an army of contractors to replicate the functions and services previously provided by the Pentagon. For U.S. diplomats, a routine journey along the 40-mile highway from Baghdad to Baqubah would now be a complicated and dangerous affair in which assassination or kidnapping would be a constant threat.

The decision to scale back plans for the post-2011 civilian mission was made by Biden and a faction of White House officials that included staff members of Obamas National Security Council, who were given primary responsibility for managing relations with Iraq, according to accounts from current and former U.S. officials who participated. A team led by State Department Deputy Secretary Thomas R. Nides was put in charge of reviewing and implementing the reductions, with support from State Department officials in Washington and Baghdad. Clinton, having lost the argument for a larger force, was briefed about the developments but left it to her subordinates to decide how the cuts would be implemented, several former and current administration officials said.

Bidens office declined to comment on the reductions, although former aides said the cuts reflected the prevailing view at the White House and on Capitol Hill: that a large civilian force in Iraq would not be sustainable once U.S. troops were gone.

The president made the decisions on the military drawdown, and it was the presidents directive that we were all executing, Nides said. On the civilian side, the White Houses big worry was the security of our people. Once the decision was made that we werent going to have the authority to keep our military there  and even before it was made  we knew we not only couldnt afford to keep growing, but we had to reduce. At one point, we had the biggest civilian footprint in the world.

Administration officials insisted that a smaller, civilian-led force could continue to provide critical support for Iraqs transition, but the cuts were demoralizing to State Department and Pentagon officials who saw prized aid programs shrink or disappear. State Department officials tried to persuade other agencies, including the CIA, to split the costs of operating posts in Mosul and other provincial cities, but that idea withered as well.

The robust presence we envisioned did not survive, recalled a former State Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private White House deliberations about Iraqi policy. Things kept getting whittled down. Wed come back from each meeting with bad news about the latest thing to get scrapped.

A slow-motion nightmare

Meanwhile, other programs intended to help Iraqis battle terrorism were facing a quiet death.

On Jan. 1, 2012, the first day after the U.S. troop era officially ended, 157 American military service personnel remained in Iraq as part of the State Department-run Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq. Pentagon and State Department officials sought and won authorization to expand the number by nearly twofold, from 157 to about 300, to be backed by a supporting cast of thousands of contract workers, according to documents and former officials.

Pentagon budget documents in early 2012 called the unit vital to counterterrorism efforts, facilitating the sharing of intelligence between military and civilian agencies in both the United States and Iraq. Among other missions, it provided support for Iraqs elite terrorism-fighting unit, known as the Counter Terrorism Service.

But the program began shrinking almost immediately after the troop withdrawal, former Pentagon officials remembered.

It started going away, remembered Winters, the former deputy director.

A 2013 report by the Pentagons inspector general said the cuts amounted to unilaterally slashing such programs to meet budget goals. The department implemented a primarily top-down directed initiative in which cuts were made based on percentages and targets across assigned agencies without sufficient consideration of their differing missions and resources requirements, the report said.

An early casualty was direct U.S. support for Iraqs Counter Terrorism Service. The number of embedded U.S. advisers to the elite terrorist-fighting unit dropped from more than 100 before the military withdrawal to just two, according to Winters and other former Pentagon officials who served in Iraq.

Another key Pentagon program that helped the U.S. government collect and analyze intelligence about terrorist activities was scrapped. Charles Bova, who ran the program, said the scuttling of the project resulted in the loss of an important window into Iraq that could have provided Americans and Iraqis with a better awareness of what al-Qaeda in Iraq was up to.

A training facility in Kirkuk was shuttered, not only because of budget cuts but also because of resistance from Malikis Shiite-led government, which had begun to push back against U.S. assistance programs in predominantly Sunni and Kurdish provinces. Immediately after the U.S. troop departure, Maliki began ordering the arrests of rival Sunni politicians while replacing U.S.-trained Iraqi generals with Shiite allies personally loyal to the prime minister. Some of the same Maliki appointees would later abandon their divisions as the Islamic State began its assault on Mosul.

Sunni protests against Maliki erupted in 2012 and, almost in tandem, the number of suicide bombings in Iraq started to rise. The terrorist predecessors of the Islamic State began gaining strength across Iraq, aided by the worsening sectarian tensions as well as the fighting next door in Syria, where the civil war gave jihadist leaders a cause and a safe haven in which to rebuild.

None of us thought the problem was gone  we thought we were leaving a void there, Winters said. We all expected that [al-Qaeda in Iraq] would come back and get worse. But we didnt think it would happen that fast.

Worried that Iraqi security was unraveling, Clinton and other senior Obama advisers lobbied Iraqi leaders to accept new forms of assistance unfettered by State Department legal and budgetary constraints. Beginning in late 2011, Clinton joined then-CIA Director David H. Petraeus and other White House officials in seeking to persuade Maliki to host a joint U.S.-Iraqi fusion cell, consisting of intelligence experts and Special Operations forces from both countries, according to officials who participated in the talks. The White House also offered Maliki nonlethal surveillance drones to help track the movement of suspected terrorists, the officials said.

The Iraqis appeared open to both ideas but made no move to implement them. The possibility of U.S.-supplied drones in Iraq was nixed by Maliki after news of the offer leaked to the media. Both programs were eventually implemented, but only after waves of Islamic State suicide bombings began to threaten security in Baghdad.

It was like one of those slow-motion nightmares, said Blinken, the State Department official. We were moving our own system, trying to move Congress, trying to move the Iraqis. We saw this thing coming, we were acting on it, but the problem outran the solution we put into place.

The budget cuts did achieve one positive, and perhaps unexpected, result: a budget surplus. By May 2012, the State Department was sitting on $1.6 billion in funds that Congress had appropriated for Iraq, but which the department no longer intended to use there. Department officials had the option of redirecting those funds, and did so, shifting some of the money to other conflict zones, including Libya, according to public documents and former officials.

A large chunk of leftover cash was initially earmarked for the construction of a new diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, the restive Libyan city that Clinton had planned to visit in late 2012. That idea abruptly ended after the deadly Sept. 11, 2012, assaults on the Benghazi compounds that left four Americans dead.

Prized targets

On June 4, 2014, the Islamic State, in a quick strike, captured Mosul. The black-flagged terrorists blew past Iraqi army defenders, aided in many cases by Sunni tribesmen who saw the jihadists as preferable to Malikis Shiite-led government.

Whether the additional security assistance could have helped prevent the collapse of Iraqs security services is impossible to say with certainty. Many current and former administration officials, including some who strongly favored a residual U.S. troop presence, argue that Malikis inept management of the military and repression of the countrys Sunni minority inalterably weakened the country and made it vulnerable to collapse. If a few hundred Americans had been stationed in Mosul in 2014, these officials say, they might have become prized targets for the terrorist army that overran the city that summer.

People have an illusion here, said Nides, the former State Department deputy secretary. From a practical perspective, what you actually get is 20 people with a big security footprint. Are they going to be getting in their cars and driving around talking to tribal leaders? I dont think so.

In any case, the Islamic States takeover prompted a rush by the Obama administration to restore military-led security assistance programs that had been curtailed after the military drawdown. Within weeks, 475 U.S. troops were sent to advise Iraqi security forces. Today, the level is more than 10 times that. The concern over tight budgets has faded as well: Congress has appropriated billions of dollars to deal with the jihadist threat.

Clinton, the presidential candidate, responded to the crisis as well, putting forward a detailed plan for defeating the Islamic State. She has primarily blamed Maliki, the former Iraqi leader and her former partner during the transition, for the resurgence of the Sunni terrorists. Some of her proposed solutions have called for improving tribal liaisons and intelligence collection programs that were cut or abandoned three years earlier.

Weve got to do a better job of getting back the Sunnis on the ground, she told ABC News in an interview in 2015.

Clinton has stressed her experience and track record in the national security arena as a key selling point on the campaign trail, echoing themes from her memoir, Hard Choices, which chronicled her experiences as secretary of state. The book came out a few weeks after Mosul fell to the Islamic State.

The book made news upon publication because of Clintons admission that it was a mistake to have voted in 2002 to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq the following year.

On the rest of what happened in Iraq during her tenure as Americas top diplomat, the 635-page book is silent.



Gerth reports for ProPublica, an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

clinton-iraq

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Keywords: Iraq war, Islamic State, State Department, Hillary Clinton, White House, President Obama, Obama administration, U.S. army, Donald Trump, U.S. troops, Maliki, Iraqi army, Iraqi police, Iraq in 2011, troop withdrawl
Police departments across New Mexico are set to host a procession along a 220-mile stretch of Interstate 25 today for a police officer killed following a traffic stop.

Dan Trujillo, a spokesman for the Las Cruces Police Department, said the procession for Officer Jose Chavez is tentatively set to start about 2 p.m. in Albuquerque. It should move through Socorro about 3 p.m., Truth or Consequences about 4 p.m., Hatch about 4:40 p.m. and Las Cruces at about 5 p.m.

The Las Cruces Police Department urged caution for those who wished to watch the procession.

Motorists are asked to show their respect by safely pulling over to the right shoulder, completely off the roadway, and remaining there until the procession passes, the post said.

The Albuquerque Police Department said it would have officers as part of the procession at the Sunport Boulevard overpass at I-25. Traffic will be interrupted at that time, said APD spokesman Simon Drobik.

Trujillo said to check the Las Cruces Police Department Facebook page for updates later in the day.

Chavez was shot on Friday during a traffic stop. He was flown to University Medical Center in El Paso, where he died after surgery. Hed been shot in the neck.
DALLAS  The Dallas police shooting last month dramatically changed the nations online conversation about race, unearthing much more negativity against the #BlackLivesMatter movement, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center.

The study, released Monday, considered how social media users talk about race, analyzing the impact of major news events and exploring differences in the online experience of blacks and whites.

It found that as Americans increasingly turn to social media as a virtual town hall, online conversations can help propel racial issues into the national spotlight.

But it also found that the same disparities that occur elsewhere in life exist online: White experiences on social media are much different from those of people of color.

In the days before the July 7 police shooting, as the nation reacted to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, 87 percent of tweets mentioning #BlackLivesMatter were supportive of the cause.

Then shots rang out in Dallas about 9 p.m. July 7, and the tone shifted overnight.

From July 8 to July 17, support for #BlackLivesMatter dropped to just 28 percent of tweets. And 39 percent of tweets using the hashtag were critical, compared to just 11 percent in the previous time period.

Many negative tweets blamed #BlackLivesMatter for the attacks on police, and some referred to it as a terrorist organization, the study found.

On July 8, the hashtag #AllLivesMatter was used almost 190,000 times and #BlueLivesMatter was used nearly 140,000 times  a major uptick compared to previous months.

Tweets using those hashtags were mostly favorable, the study found, a stark contrast to the backlash against the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

The study also found remarkable differences in how people use social media, depending on their race.

Black adults are nearly twice as likely as whites to say that most or some of the posts they see on social media are race-related. Hispanics fall somewhere in between.

Meanwhile, the study found, actively posting about race on social media is much more common among people of color.

About 28 percent of black social media users and 20 percent of Hispanics say at least some of what they share is about race relations. Just 8 percent of whites say the same.

Pew analyzed tweets from Jan. 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 and found a lively online discussion about race.

There were 995 million tweets about racial issues during those months and no single day had fewer than 1.5 million tweets about race.

The most active periods tended to come after a major news event, including the death of Sandra Bland, who authorities say hanged herself in a Texas jail after she was arrested for kicking an officer during a traffic stop.

Her death spurred three of the most active days to talk about race on Twitter in the time frame, according to Pew. Here are the top 10:

June 18, 2015  4.3 million tweets  Day after church shooting in Charleston, S.C.

April 28, 2015  3.4 million tweets  Unrest in Baltimore after death of Freddie Gray

July 22, 2015  3.3 million tweets  Details released about death of Sandra Bland

July 29, 2015  3 million tweets  #BlackLivesMatter protests in response to Sandra Blands death

July 23, 2015  3 million tweets  Day after details are released about Sandra Blands death

Feb. 16, 2016  2.9 million tweets  Day after Kendrick Lamars provocative performance at the Grammy Awards

Nov. 11, 2015  2.9 million tweets  Missouri University of Science and Technology student is arrested after racially charged threats

June 19, 2015  2.9 million tweets  Two days after church shooting in Charleston

Feb. 29, 2016  2.9 million tweets  Day after 2016 Oscars, controversial for lack of minority nominees

June 29, 2015  2.9 million tweets  Day after BET Awards



2016 The Dallas Morning News

Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
In campaign appearances for Donald Trump, retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn has cast the presidential race as a continuation of the career he spent battling dangerous enemies in distant wars.

The enemy camp in this case is Hillary Rodham Clinton, he said at a rally in Florida this month, pointing his thumbs down in disgust. This is a person who does not know the difference between a lie and the truth.  She is somebody who will leave Americans behind on the battlefield.

As chants of Lock her up! rose from the crowd, Flynn nodded with enthusiasm and said he was so proud standing up here to be an American.

It was a jarring moment in a race full of them  a retired three-star general comparing a presidential candidate to the al-Qaeda militants he faced in Afghanistan and Iraq, calling for a former senator and secretary of state to be imprisoned.

The appearance was only the latest eyebrow-raising episode from Flynn, 56, who was one of the most respected military intelligence officers of his generation but who has spurned the decorum traditionally expected of retired U.S. flag officers and become the only national security figure of his rank and experience to publicly align himself with Trump.

The unruly 2016 campaign has drawn dozens of former senior national security officials into the fray, including 50 Republicans who this month signed a letter saying Trump lacks the character, values and experience to be president. Denunciations of Trump from retired Marine Gen. John Allen  who spoke at the Democratic convention  and former acting CIA director Michael J. Morell struck some as compromising their former institutions apolitical role in American democracy.

But Flynn, who vaulted to public attention with his speech at the Republican National Convention last month, has rattled even some of his most long-standing colleagues, engaging in harsh, partisan rhetoric that, to his critics, seems to clash with the principles and values he spent a career defending.

He has called President Obama a liar, declared the U.S. justice system corrupt and insisted that he was pushed out of his assignment as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency because of his views on radical Islam. The claim has left former superiors seething, including Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr., according to current and former officials who said Flynn was removed because of management problems.

Like Trump, Flynn has advocated forging closer ties with Russia. In interviews with The Washington Post, Flynn acknowledged being paid to give a speech and attend a lavish anniversary party for the Kremlin-controlled RT television network in Moscow last year, where he was seated next to the Russian leader.

People went crazy, said retired Brig. Gen. Peter B. Zwack, the former U.S. military attache in Moscow. They thought it was so out-of-bounds, so unusual. Zwack emphasized that he regards Flynn as a patriot who would never sell out his country.

Flynn, who was no longer in government but got a DIA briefing on Russia before the trip, said the invitation and payment came through his speakers bureau. He said he used the visit to press for collaboration in Syria, Iran and the Middle East and dismissed the ensuing controversy as boring. Asked why he would want to be so closely associated with a Kremlin propaganda platform, Flynn said he sees no distinction between RT and other news outlets.

Whats CNN? Whats MSNBC? Come on! said Flynn, who has also occasionally appeared as an unpaid on-air analyst for RT and other foreign broadcasters.

Dismayed by Flynns behavior since he left the military, former colleagues have contacted him to urge him to show more restraint. Among them are retired Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who relied heavily on Flynn in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and retired Adm. Michael Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. McChrystal declined to comment.

Mullen provided a written statement saying that for retired senior officers to take leading and vocal roles as clearly partisan figures is a violation of the ethos and professionalism of apolitical military service. Officers are sworn to execute orders without regard for political positions, an oath to the Constitution that is inviolable and presidents must never question it or doubt it, he said.

Flynn and Allen have violated this principle and confused that clarity, Mullen said. This is not about the right to speak out, it is about the disappointing lack of judgment in doing so for crass partisan purposes. This is made worse by using hyperbolic language all the while leveraging the respected title of general. 

Allen noted that retired U.S. military officers have frequently taken public positions in presidential campaigns, including a number of recent chairmen, and that he did so out of concern with Trumps calls for resuming the use of torture, killing families of terrorism suspects and mass-bombing cities in Syria.

Retired senior officers should not take lightly the impact of public commentary in a political environment, Allen said. I chose to do so because I believe that Trump was proposing policies and orders to the U.S. military as a potential Commander in Chief, which I believed would create a civil-military crisis. This is a matter of conscience for me, because in moments of crisis such as these, credible voices must speak out.

In interviews, Flynn said he respects his former superiors but rejected their entreaties as attempts to silence him and impinge his free speech rights. When someone says, Youre a general, so you have to shut up,  he said, I say, Do I have to stop being an American? 

Flynn dismisses his critics as closet Clinton supporters or misguided colleagues who have put their pursuit of corporate board seats and lucrative consulting contracts ahead of their concern for the country. Most retired generals are afraid to speak out, he said, because they use their stars for themselves, for their businesses.

Flynn said his foray into politics began last year when he volunteered to advise five Republican candidates. He said that he first met Trump 11 months ago and that he spoke with him by phone several times before being asked to deliver a speech at the Republican convention.

Trump is a very serious guy. Good listener. Asked really good questions, Flynn said. His role in the campaign has yet to be defined. Flynn said he has never met with Trumps foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, and has not been promised any position if the real estate baron wins.

Flynns credentials and vocal backing of Trump have fueled speculation that he could be in line for a high-level national security job if Trump is elected. He was briefly considered a potential Trump running mate before the candidate picked Mike Pence, the Republican governor of Indiana.

Rather than scaling back, Flynn, a registered Democrat, has become an avid campaigner for Trump whose views and impulses increasingly echo those of the Republican candidate.

He sees the nation as beset by darkness and corruption, with voters split between centrist nationalists and socialists.

The divide has weakened the nations ability to grasp what he regards as an existential threat from a diseased component of Islam. Theres something going on in the Muslim world, he said. Why do we have heightened security at our airports? Its not because the Catholic Church is falling apart.

Flynns sudden political prominence represents a departure from a 33-year military career spent largely in the shadowy realm of military intelligence and Special Operations missions. Former colleagues said they could not recall Flynn ever discussing politics while in uniform or voicing the views he has embraced since his career came to an abrupt end.

The son of a World War II and Korean War veteran, Flynn was one of nine children in a close-knit Irish family in Rhode Island. His brother Charlie is a two-star general in the U.S. Army.

Flynns early years in uniform coincided with the end of the Cold War, but he made his mark after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as an intense officer with a string of important intelligence assignments.

He has held senior positions in the 18th Airborne Corps, at the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and at U.S. Central Command, which runs U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Throughout his career, he was seen as a charismatic and unconventional officer with a talent for mapping terrorist networks  qualities prized by superiors. But his hard-charging approach was at times seen as disruptive or undisciplined.

He is best known for his integral role in the lethal machine that McChrystal assembled in Iraq to eviscerate the al-Qaeda affiliate there. Together, they perfected an approach known as find, fix, finish that relied on the elite Joint Special Operations Command to carry out raids and then used intelligence from captured militants and materials to identify new targets at a blistering tempo.

When McChrystal was put in charge of the war in Afghanistan, he tapped Flynn again to serve as his top intelligence officer. Flynn used that job to position himself as a gifted strategist, helping co-author a 26-page article, Fixing Intel, that depicted the intelligence-gathering mission in Afghanistan as a failing endeavor  too focused on finding targets rather than understanding cultural complexities. The article was praised by some in the military as insightful, but critics considered it grandstanding at the expense of his predecessors.

Some of Flynns other moves angered superiors. Former U.S. officials said Flynn was scolded after traveling to Pakistan in 2009 or early 2010 and revealing to Pakistani officials sensitive U.S. intelligence on the militant Haqqani network accused of staging attacks on American forces. U.S. officials said the move was aimed at prodding Pakistan to crack down on the militant group, but that Flynn exposed U.S. intelligence capabilities that only helped Pakistan protect an organization it used as a proxy ally.

Flynn also came under investigation by the Pentagon over an allegation that he had inappropriately shared highly classified intelligence with Australian and British forces. Im proud of that one, Flynn said in an interview. Accuse me of sharing intelligence in combat with our closest allies! Please!

The probe delayed but did not derail Flynns ascent through the ranks. Always pushing for a deeper understanding of terrorist networks, Flynn convinced Clapper in 2011 to let him form a team to reexamine the materials recovered from bin Ladens compound in Pakistan, searching for clues overlooked by the CIA. In 2012, he was tapped by Obama for one of the highest positions a military intelligence officer can attain, running the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Flynn arrived with a mandate for change. He began trying to reorganize the agency into regionally focused centers, station more analysts overseas and build a spying capability that could rival the CIA. In public remarks, he warned any employees who resisted his agenda that he would move them or fire them.

Almost from the outset there were concerns at the Pentagon that Flynn was struggling to execute his reform plans and that the agency was beset by turmoil. A career staff officer, Flynn had little experience running a large organization, let alone a plodding institution like the DIA, with nearly 20,000 employees.

Former subordinates at the DIA said Flynn was so prone to dubious pronouncements that senior aides coined a term Flynn facts  for assertions that seemed questionable or inaccurate.

The DIA job is ordinarily a three-year assignment. But early in Flynns second year, his bosses  Clapper and then-Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael G. Vickers  summoned Flynn to a meeting at the Pentagon to tell him that he was being removed.

As the search for a replacement stalled, Flynn attempted an end-run around his superiors, appealing directly to the vice chief of staff of the Army to extend his tenure. The move infuriated Clapper, according to former officials who said the DNI warned Flynn that if he made any other attempt to circumvent the outcome he would be fired on the spot. Clapper declined to comment for this story, but several current and former officials confirmed the account.

Flynn disputed the account as well as the claim that he had shared sensitive intelligence with Pakistan, saying in an email that the claims are all false.

Flynn characterizes his ouster as a political purge orchestrated by an administration unwilling to heed the warnings he was sounding about militant Islam. Asked for evidence, he said, I just know! adding that Clapper had once told him that the issue behind Flynns ouster was not your leadership, or I would have removed you right away.

The decision to remove Flynn was about turbulence and a destructive climate, said a former senior U.S. intelligence official. I dont think anybody in the administration was even aware of his views on radical Islam.

Flynns views have become more strident since leaving DIA and are increasingly aimed at Obama. He said he is sick and tired of Obama taking credit for approving the 2011 mission that led to the death of Osama bin Laden. This decision to kill bin Laden  so what?! he said. What did it really do?

Once firmly against waterboarding and other banned interrogation measures, Flynn now appears at least willing to consider supporting Trumps threat to reinstate those methods, saying he would be reluctant to take options off the table. Asked on Al Jazeera in May whether he would allow the military to carry out Trumps threat to kill any families of suspected terrorists, Flynn replied, I would have to see the circumstances of that situation.

In February, Flynn posted a video about a Pakistani terrorist group on his Twitter account with the comment: Fear of Muslims is RATIONAL.

His views are difficult to reconcile with some of the prescriptions for fighting terrorism that he outlines in a recent book, The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies, that he co-authored with neoconservative analyst Michael Ledeen.

In the book, Flynn argues that the United States needs new partnerships with Middle Eastern countries and a deeper understanding of radical ideology. He said Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia should shoulder more of the responsibility for ridding their nations of terrorists, accept more Syrian refugees and deploy soldiers in Syria.

Asked whether his comments about Islam or Trumps behavior  threatening to ban Muslims from entering the United States, vilifying the parents of a fallen Muslim American soldier  might alienate those potential Middle East partners, Flynn said, I dont see it that way. I see a lot of Muslims who actually want this conversation. They want this point to be made.



Greg Jaffe and Julie Tate contributed to this report.



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(c) 2016, The Washington Post.
Donald Trumps running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, will hold public events today in Albuquerque and Roswell.

The Republican vice presidential nominee will hold a 3:30 p.m. town hall meeting at Sandia Resort and Casino before holding a rally at 8 p.m. at New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell. He also will attend a private fundraiser while in the state.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who didnt attend Trumps Albuquerque rally in May, will not be on hand for either of Pences events. Instead, she will be in Colorado for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association.

Meanwhile, in anticipation of his visit, the Democratic Party of New Mexico and two Democratic state legislators held a news conference Monday saying that the rhetoric and policies of Trump and Pence are wrong for the middle class and wrong for New Mexico.

Felicia Salazar, communications director for the Democratic Party of New Mexico, said that two recent reports by Moodys economist and a former adviser to John McCain, Mark Zandi, showed that under Hillary Clintons plans the economy will create 10.4 million jobs nationwide, while under Trump it will lose 3.4 million jobs and the nation will plunge into recession.

House of Representatives Majority Whip Sheryl Willams Stapleton said, Pence comes to this state to promote a ticket that does not stand for working families and adds nothing to middle-class America or middle-class New Mexico.

The Republican Party of New Mexico, not surprisingly, had a different perspective. The Democrats are trying to distract from the disappointment many in their own party feel about the status-quo establishment candidates theyve chosen in Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine, said state Republican Party spokesman Tucker Keene.

To register for tickets, go to www.donaldjtrump.com/schedule.
APPARENTLY, THE New Mexico Lottery and lottery CEO David Barden are not altogether comfortable with the notion of Of the People, By the People, and For the People. For two years in a row, the state Legislature  elected by the people  has rejected the lottery proposals to implement Play at the Pump, but Barden feels that he can institute it by bureaucratic fiat.

In a recent newspaper article, Barden indicates that he feels justified in thwarting the democratic process because he says,  lottery players have told us they want more convenient ways to play the lottery.

Even if Barden had a valid scientific poll that showed a majority of the people of New Mexico wanted Play at the Pump (which he doesnt), bureaucrats have no authority to overturn legislative action and implement policies on their own, regardless of how wonderful they think they are.

This decision reflects the inherent exploitation and dishonesty of the lottery. The lottery is not held to a duty of care that any other industry in the state is obligated to uphold.

So try suing the state lottery because they exploited you and see how far you get. The lottery is not subject to any truth in advertising laws, which all other industries are subject to. The state lottery largely operates outside of New Mexico law in the area of consumer protection.

In state after state, including North and South Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Connecticut, Texas, Florida and California, studies by state governments and universities have unequivocally proven that the majority of revenue to state lotteries comes from minorities, the poor and the less educated. State lotteries, including the New Mexico Lottery, are the perfect example of institutionalized unfairness and inequality.

Play at the Pump will only make the exploitation of our citizens more efficient, and raise the number and intensity of gambling problems.

Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico urges the attorney general to close down any Play at the Pump operations in the state for violating state law.

DR. GUY C. CLARK

Chairman, Stop Predatory Gambling New Mexico
(c) 2016, The Washington Post.

Donald Trump proposed on Monday a new ideological test for all Muslim immigrants and visitors to this country, allowing entry only to those who support our values.

Those who support bigotry and hatred will not be admitted to the United States, said Trump. Only those we expect to flourish in this country and to embrace a tolerant American society should be issued visas.

The proposal, which the campaign said also draws its precedent from Reagan-era presidential proclamations prohibiting the entry of illegal migrants by sea, was part of a speech that Trump delivered Monday in Ohio outlining his plan to Combat Radical Islamic Terror.

The plan also includes previously announced initiatives to temporarily suspend visas from Muslim-majority countries and others with a history of exporting terrorists until there are new procedures and it is safe to resume.

Trump also criticized what he called President Obamas focus on nation building, saying it had failed.

Instead, Trump said his administration will concentrate on destroying ISIS and would conduct joint military operations with any country that shares that goal. ISIS, ISIL and Daesh are alternate terms for the Islamic State.

The reference to joint operations is apparently to Russia, which opposes U.S. support for moderate opposition forces trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Russian ally. Trump has said he would join forces with Russia to combat the Islamic State.

The Obama administration has made a similar proposal to Russia, on the condition that the nation restrain Assad from bombing civilians and opposition groups that are party to a cease-fire that both Assad and Moscow signed.

U.S. warplanes, and those of allies in a 65-nation coalition, have carried out more than 14,000 airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq over the past two years, Obama said at a news conference last week.

Trumps speech is one of a series of prepared remarks the Republican presidential nominee has scheduled, amid criticism of controversial off-the-cuff policy pronouncements that he has later dismissed as jokes or sarcasm.

Most recently, Trump labeled Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, as founders of the Islamic State, a charge he began making during last years primary campaigns.

Hes the founder of ISIS, OK? Hes the founder. He founded ISIS, Trump said of Obama at a Florida rally last week. And I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton. Although he subsequently labeled the remark as sarcasm, Trump then said that Obama and Clinton had created the vacuum that allowed the Islamic State to form, an apparent reference to the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq.

Through the Republican primary season, Trump and his rivals blamed Clinton for opening the door to the rise of the Islamic State and goaded her for what they called a weak strategy against the militants once they gained firm footing.

Trump and others sought to make Clinton look soft on terrorism by repeatedly pointing out that she refused to use the term radical Islamic terrorism to describe the groups ideology. Clinton replied, as did Obama, that such terminology demonized the Muslim faith and risked making enemies of potential Muslim supporters and informants.

In his speech Monday, Trump said his administration would be a friend to all moderate Muslim reformers.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), a Trump adviser, described Trumps strategy as foreign policy realism. Trump, the senator said Sunday on ABCs This Week, was going to talk about how you target your enemies and work with your friends. You dont overreach and destabilize countries like the Obama/Clinton administration has done.

Trumps vice-presidential running mate, Mike Pence, told Fox News on Sunday that Trump would provide real specifics about broad-shouldered leadership along the lines of former president Ronald Reagan.

Pence discounted criticism from fellow Republicans, including 50 top former national security officials who last week issued a statement saying Trump was too reckless to be president and they would not vote for him.

They were saying about the same thing of Reagan before his election, Pence said.

Beyond new twists on previously stated immigration policies, much of Trumps planned remarks appear to be drawn from campaign appearances and a lengthy foreign policy speech he delivered in April. In the speech, he said that under a Trump administration, America would be getting out of the nation-building business and would work together with any nation in the region that is threatened by the rise of radical Islam.

During the primary campaign, Trump said he would bomb the hell out of the Islamic State, and I would bomb the s out of them. Id blow up every single inch, there would be nothing left.

In April, he said he had a great plan to defeat the militants, but was keeping it secret to avoid tipping them off. Were gonna beat ISIS very, very quickly. folks. Its gonna be fast. I have a great plan. Its going to be great. They ask What is it? Well, Id rather not say. Id rather be unpredictable.

Last month, he told CBSs 60 Minutes that he intended to declare war against ISIS, but would have very few troops on the ground. Were going to have unbelievable intelligence.



Anne Gearan contributed to this report.

trump-immig

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Keywords: national security, trump islamic state, trump ISIS, Trump ISIL, trump terrorism, trump immigration
State regulators have ordered Public Service Company of New Mexico to detail the potential consequences of a recommended rate increase the company has called shocking.

The order, handed down Friday, comes in the wake of an Aug 4. recommendation by New Mexico Public Regulation Commission hearing examiner Carolyn Glick to slash PNMs rate hike request by two-thirds, from an increase of $123.5 million in annual revenue to $41.3 million. Under Glicks recommendation, PNM customers on average would see their bills increase by 6.4 percent instead of 14.4 percent under the utilitys application. The commission is expected to hand down its decision by Aug. 31.

In a post-hearing brief, PNM told the commission that adopting Glicks proposal without changes would mean severe financial repercussions for the company. The PRC order requires PNM to explain this assertion in greater detail.

Specifically, the order asked PNM to:

 Describe the specifics of the serious financial harm the company anticipates.

 Indicate whether adopting Glicks recommendation would mean a PNM divestment from the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station in Arizona, and identify the types of sources that might provide replacement energy if such a divestment were to take place.

 Detail the actions PNM will take to mitigate lost revenue, including deferred plant maintenance and employee layoffs.

 Explain whether PNM is contractually obligated to move forward with a purchase of 64.1 megawatts of nuclear power from Palo Verde, or whether the deal can be unwound.

The utility has until the end of the day Tuesday to file its response to the PRCs order.

PNM declined comment Monday.

Glick has said she will not comment on non-procedural questions in the middle of a case, but her recommendation called PNMs purchase of the 64.1 megawatts imprudent, and said the company did not prove it had conducted an appropriate analysis of alternatives. As a result, she recommended not allowing the purchase price of $163.5 million into the rate base calculation, drecreasing the recommended annual rate increase by about $24 million.

The nuclear power purchase was made in January to replace energy PNM will lose from a partial closure of the San Juan Generating Station coal-fired plant. The closure is part of an agreement between PNM and the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at reducing air pollution in the Four Corners area.

Glick also excluded from the rate base calculation $19.5 million in costs associated with other Palo Verde transactions, as well as $52.3 million in pollution controls at San Juan that some called excessive.

PNM announced last week the companys net earnings dropped 26 percent between April and June compared to the year before, driven in part by decreased electric demand in the state. The company also suspended its request to the PRC to install smart meters, stating in a filing that it needed to evaluate its capital funding priorities once the commission rules on the rate case.

PNM has said if the PRC adopts Glicks recommendation, the company will immediately appeal the decision to the New Mexico Supreme Court.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post.

The lawyers for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl have lodged a new complaint in his controversial desertion case, saying that the four-star general overseeing the soldiers court-martial should be disqualified after he burned more than 100 letters related to the case.

In the filing, released late Friday, the defense team said that Gen. Robert B. Abrams, the commanding general of U.S. Army Forces Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, acknowledged destroying the documents in an Aug. 8 interview with Bergdahls lawyers. The defense team said Abrams told them the letters spanned the full spectrum of opinion on what to do with Bergdahl, who walked away from his infantry platoons base in Afghanistans Paktika province in June 2009 and was subsequently captured by the Taliban.

Abrams inexcusable and baffling conduct plainly disqualifies him from overseeing the case, the lawyers alleged. It also requires that his decision to refer Bergdahl to a general court-martial  the most serious kind the military holds  be vacated, they added.

There is no substitute for the letters Gen. Abrams destroyed, the defense team argued in a motion to disqualify Abrams. Their loss prevents both the Court and the defense from knowing precisely how many such letters there were, what they actually said and, importantly, who wrote them and how we may get in touch with those individuals. This damage is irreparable.

A spokesman for Forces Command, Paul Boyce, characterized the Bergdahl teams new filing as one in an ongoing series of legal motions made by both the defense and prosecution in the case. The next hearing in the case will be held Aug. 22 at Fort Bragg, while the trial is expected to start in February, he said.

Bergdahl, 30, faces charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, the latter of which can carry up to a life sentence. He has said in interviews with both Army authorities and filmmaker Mark Boal that he did so because he wanted to expose problems in his unit and that he planned to travel about 20 miles on foot to a larger base nearby.

Bergdahls lawyers also said Abrams should be disqualified from overseeing the case because of his earlier ties to the case while serving as the senior military assistant to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter after Bergdahl was recovered by the U.S. government in May 2014.

An officer who has had extensive prior personal involvement in a politically-charged controversy should not serve as a CA, the filing said, using an acronym for convening authority. The Army must find some other commander to own and operate the military justice for this case.

Bergdahls lawyers previously sought last year to have Gen. Mark Milley from overseeing the case after he was selected as the Armys new chief. Milley took over his current job a year ago and was replaced by Abrams as both the commanding general of Forces Command and the convening authority of Bergdahls case.

bergdahl

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Keywords: Bowe Bergdahl, Fort Bragg, Army
AUSTIN, Texas  Health officials say a Texas resident who recently traveled to an area of Miami where local Zika transmission occurred has tested positive for the virus.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Monday that its the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental U.S.

Health officials linked the case to Miami travel after investigating factors such as travel dates and when symptoms appeared.

The El Paso County resident sought testing after becoming ill. Health officials say its that countys first case and no other evidence of the virus or local transmission has been found there.

Texas has reported more than 100 cases of Zika associated with travel to areas with active transmission. There havent been any reported cases of Zika transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas.
(c) 2016, The Washington Post.

WASHINGTON  The Obama administration on Monday transferred 15 detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to the United Arab Emirates, the largest release under the current president, according to media reports and a human-rights organization.

The transfer comes as the president faces a looming deadline to keep the promise he made on his first day in office to close the military prison. The prisoner population there dipped under 100 for the first time in years in January with the release of 10 Yemeni detainees, and will shrink to 61 with the latest transfer, underscoring a late effort to move toward closure.

Human Rights Watch praised the new transfer, which was first reported by AFP, releasing a statement from retired Marine Maj. Gen. Michael Lehnert. He oversaw the construction of the prison in 2002 and said that it will significantly hinder national security until it is closed.

We can only win the fight against terrorism and religious extremism if we adhere to American values, Lehnert said. Guantanamo flies in the face of those ideals we hold dear, and will continue to impede our efforts to keep Americans safe so long as it remains in operation.

The transfers this year have involved a number of countries that agreed to resettle detainees, including Serbia, Italy, Montenegro, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Oman and Kuwait. The UAE last accepted detainees with the transfer of five men approved last November.

President Barack Obama made an appeal in February for Congress to allow him to close the prison, a plan which many lawmakers oppose. The administration released a blueprint for doing so in February and said at the time that of the 91 detainees still being held, 35 were eligible for release. A numbers of detainees, including the alleged organizers of the 9/11 attacks, are facing war crimes charges in military commissions. The administration has also said that other detainees are too dangerous to release but there is not enough evidence against them that can be used in court so they will be held indefinitely without charge.

gitmo

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Keywords: Post Keywords
A roundup of recent expansions, additions, new services and other news from firms across the country.

CALIFORNIA

Lindqist, San Ramon, received an Inaveros Best of Accounting Award for providing superior service to its clients.  Intacct announced the members of its 2016 President's Club. (See the story.)

CHINA

GP CPAs LLP, Guangzhou, has joined global accountancy network HLB International. Established in 1981, the firm has more than 800 staff, including 29 partners, 250 CPAs and 100 CTAs.



ESTONIA

Internal audit providers Interna OU in Estonia, have joined Grant Thornton Baltic OU, adding three Certified Government Auditing Professional internal auditors.

GEORGIA

Windham Brannon, Atlanta, has partnered with Intacct to add Virtual Accounting Solutions, a cloud-based financial management and accounting service for small and midsized businesses, to its technology offerings.

ILLINOIS

Crowe Horwath LLP, Illinois, has launched its enhanced audit service delivery platform, the Crowe Insight Center for Audit. For more, visit www.crowehorwath.com/audit.

INDIANA

The CPA Center of Excellence Inc. of the Indiana CPA Society will host a new Talent Academy in Indianapolis this fall, with the first two days on September 21-22 and the final three days on October 31 and November 1-2. For more, visit cpacoe.com/talentacademy.

MALTA

HLB CA Malta Ltd., Lija, has joined global accountancy network HLB International. The firm provides audit, accounting and tax advisory services and, through related entities, also company setup and company administration services including fiduciary and trust services.

MASSACHUSETTS

Rodman CPAs, Waltham, has recently rebranded itself and launched a new generation of its Web site, www.rodmancpa.com. The responsive site was developed using the latest web technique, a parallax design, and contains 90 percent new content and photography.





MICHIGAN

Clayton & McKervey, Detroit, has been nominated for the International Tax Reviews 11th Annual Americas Tax Awards, in the category of Transfer Pricing Firm of the Year  U.S. East Coast.

NEW YORK

A record 223 Long Island companies and organizations fielded teams for the 2016 Marcum Workplace Challenge run-walk for charity at Jones Beach State Park on July 26. More than 12,000 runners, walkers and spectators attended the event, which was presented by Marcum LLP. The Challenge benefits the Childrens Medical Fund of New York, the Long Island Childrens Museum, Long Island Cares  the Harry Chapin Food Bank, and the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. To date, the event has raised nearly $600,000 for charity.

[IMGCAP(1)]

OHIO

Zinner & Co., Cleveland, received a 2016 Business Longevity Award from Smart Business Magazine. The firm was established in 1938.  Skoda Minotti Risk Advisory Services LLC has been designated a HITrust CSF Assessor by the Health Information Trust Alliance.

RHODE ISLAND

BlumShapiro is moving its Rhode Island headquarters into the center of Cranston, to 1 Capital Way, at the intersection of Leyden Street and Lovell Avenue. The new location will consist of 22,000 square feet of office space.

VIRGINIA

The Virginia Society of CPAs held its 10th Anniversary Leaders Institute on June 17-18 at the University of Richmond, with more than 49 accounting students from 16 Virginia colleges attending. The program provides rising college juniors and seniors the opportunity for leadership training and real-life skills to transition into the competitive marketplace.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The Center for Audit Quality and the American Accounting Association issued a call for research proposals and announced an expansion of their joint annual program, Access to Audit Personnel. (See the story.)

Send your firm announcements to AcToday@SourceMedia.com.
Rehmann is combining with Sobb Roberts, expanding the Michigan-based accounting firms presence in Toledo, Ohio.

Sobb Roberts has been providing tax, audit and consulting services in Toledo since 1993. Rehmann plans to supplement those with accounting, wealth management and corporate investigation services when the merger takes effect on September.

As part of the deal, 15 employees from Sobb Roberts will be joining Rehmann and the two firms plan to move to a new location in Toledo to accommodate the expanded staff. They currently have separate offices in the city.

Expanding our presence in OhioToledo especiallyis important to us, said Rehmann CEO Randy Rupp in a statement. Were very happy to be a part of the citys business community, and combining with the well-respected and talented group at Sobb Roberts allows us to increase our presence here even further.

Rehmann, based in Saginaw, Mich., ranked 30th on Accounting Todays 2016 list of the Top 100 Firms, with $116 million in annual revenue. The firm has nearly 800 employees in 17 offices across Michigan, Ohio and Florida. It is part of the Nexia International accounting firm network.

Our firms have a shared mission to provide the best tax, audit, assurance, wealth management and corporate investigation services possibleall while emphasizing practical and proactive solutions, said Sobb Roberts partner Garry Roberts. This business combination enables both parties to offer clients more by connecting them with local specialists and delivering valued business wisdom.
A selection of our favorite recent fraud cases.

Waterbury, Conn.: Preparer Marcus Fox, 42, has been sentenced to a year of imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release for preparing and filing hundreds of false returns.

According to court documents, Fox prepared returns for individuals in his community, many of whom were associated with a church he attended. From approximately 2009 through 2012, he prepared and filed more than 900 returns with the IRS, a number of which contained false childcare credits, education credits, American Opportunity Credits, itemized deductions, education expenses, charitable contributions, unreimbursed employee business expenses, hobby expenses and childcare costs.

Fox typically received $200 to $350 for his prep services.

Beginning in approximately 2011, Fox also falsified a number of returns that allowed him to secure a greater payout for himself without his clients knowledge. He would prepare a client return with significant falsified credits or expense deductions, inflating the refund. The return would be e-filed with the IRS with instructions to split payment of the large refund between the client and Fox, with Fox receiving a substantial portion. He would also prepare a second return, which he never filed, but instead provided to his client to hide the ongoing scheme.

The government suffered a tax loss of more than $2.2 million.

In March, Fox pleaded guilty to two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false return.

St. Cloud, Minn.: Preparer and CPA Bernice Aurelia Garbina has been charged with five counts of failing to file income tax returns and five counts of failing to pay income taxes.

She is alleged to have evaded paying approximately $4,000 in Minnesota income tax by failing to file and pay for tax years 2010 through 2014, according to the complaint.

The complaint also states that Garbina admitted that she knew when tax filings were due and did not file hers on time.

Each tax-related felony charge carries a maximum of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.

Franklin, Tenn.: Michael Mancil Brown, 37, has been sentenced to four years in prison for engaging in an extortion and wire fraud scheme involving former presidential candidate Mitt Romneys tax returns.

According to trial testimony, evidence recovered from a computer seized from Browns residence in 2012 implicated him in a scheme to defraud Romney, PricewaterhouseCoopers and others by falsely claiming that he had gained access to the PwC internal computer network and had stolen tax documents for Romney and his wife, Ann, for tax years prior to 2010.

In August 2012, a letter delivered to the PwC offices in Franklin demanded $1 million in Bitcoin to prevent the release of the purportedly stolen Romney returns; the letter invited interested parties who wanted the allegedly stolen Romney tax documents to be released to contribute $1 million to another Bitcoin account.

Brown was also ordered to pay $201,836 restitution to PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Baltimore: Lateisha Kone has agreed to an injunction permanently barring her from preparing federal returns for others or from owning, operating or profiting from a tax prep firm, according to published reports.

Though she agreed to the orders entry, Kone didnt admit to the claims against her, reports added.

Authorities reportedly said that Kone and her employees at six Liberty Tax Service franchises filed returns that, among other things, had false business profit or loss information and intentionally omitted W-2 and Social Security income. In all, 1,222 returns reported fictitious household help income, news outlets added.

Kone then reportedly kept each refund as a preparation fee and gave each customer a $50 cash payment as part of a Liberty Tax promotion.

Pasadena, Calif.: A circuit court has reportedly ruled that preparer Neil Thomsen, convicted on dozens of counts of fraud, cannot be forced to pay restitution in another tax fraud case in which he was not ultimately convicted.

News outlets reported that Thomsen was convicted of 32 federal offenses arising from a tax fraud scheme in which he filed false returns using stolen IDs from former clients and co-workers. Before the trial commenced in his first case, reports added, Thomsen was also indicted in a separate case on charges of conspiring with three co-defendants by claiming fraudulent federal income tax refunds. Thomsen reportedly neither pleaded guilty to nor was convicted on any of the charges in this case.

In sentencing Thomsen to 15 years in federal prison in the first case, a federal judge also ordered $515,257 in restitution to the IRS, which included the $197,922 in restitution calculated in the second case against Thomsen and his three co-defendants, according to published reports that added that the second indictment against Thomsen was later dismissed, leading to his appeal that he should not be held responsible for the restitution payment in that case.

Although it was once the case that a defendant could be required to pay restitution only to the victims of the offenses for which he was convicted, this is no longer always true, authorities reportedly said.

Columbia, Mo.: Preparer David Lee Keithley, 63, has pleaded guilty to defrauding clients and failing to pay his personal income taxes, which totaled nearly $300,000.

He was charged with one count of assisting in the filing of a false income tax return and one count of failing to file an income tax return.

Keithley owned and operated Keithley and Associates, offering prep and payroll tax services; clients hired him to prepare returns as well as make tax deposits to the government. After accepting funds from his clients, Keithley failed to make the clients deposits to the government and instead used the money for his own personal benefit.

When clients contacted Keithley after receiving letters from the IRS indicating that these returns had not been filed or taxes had not been paid, he told his clients he would contact the IRS to correct it.

The misappropriated funds totaled $120,354.

Keithley also admitted that he willfully failed to file federal income tax returns for tax years 2009 through 2013. The total amount of tax owed by Keithley to the IRS for those years is $148,423. He also owes the State of Missouri $22,264 for state income taxes due for the years 2009 to 2013.

Keithley faces up to four years in federal prison without parole.

Newark, N.J.: Preparer Mach Worotikan has been indicted on 16 counts of making false claims to the IRS.

According to the indictment, from June 2010 through November 2011 Worotikan devised a scheme to prepare and file fraudulent returns by approaching taxpayers and proposing preparing their returns for a nominal fee or no fee. He took the W-2s and used the information to prepare returns. Worotikan then added claims for false dependents, false child and dependent care expenses, false student loan interest and false unreimbursed employee expenses.

Worotikan addressed each taxpayers return to one of four post office boxes that he controlled and forged each of the taxpayers signatures on the returns and failed to sign the returns as the paid preparer, making it appear the returns were prepared by the individual taxpayers.

The Treasury Department issued refund checks in the names of the taxpayers and mailed them to the mail boxes. Worotikan then endorsed the refund checks and cashed them at a check-cashing facility. He then gave the taxpayers a nominal amount of the refund and kept the rest for himself. The tax loss to the government totaled some $97,265.

Each count of the indictment carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000, twice the gross amount of any gain derived from the offense or twice the gross amount of any loss by any victims.
Is ADHD Real?

Just about every mainstream medical, psychological, and educational organization in the U.S. long ago concluded that ADHD is real, and that children and adults with attention deficit disorder benefit from appropriate ADHD treatment.

Yet, somehow, the world still seems to be filled with self-appointed ADHD experts  some well-meaning, some sanctimonious  who insist on burdening us with their ill-informed opinions and asking repeatedly, What is ADHD?

Weve all heard the ADHD skeptics comments: ADHD is bunk! Cant people take responsibility for their own actions anymore? All that so-called ADHD kids really need is discipline! Drug companies invented ADHD so they could sell stimulants. Blah, blah, blah.

We expect to hear such nonsense about ADHD and LD from misinformed movie stars ranting on talk shows. But what about the know-it-all who happens to be a friend? Your childs teacher? A co-worker  or your boss? What about a member of your own family?

Lets be honest: Words hurt. Holier-than-thou barbs, fault-finding, and finger-pointing can make you resentful and just plain furious. Discussing ADHD can be as touchy as talking about politics or religion, says Susan Ashley, Ph.D., author of The ADD and ADHD Answer Book. Feelings get hurt, defenses go up, and relationships suffer when there are disagreements about it. In extreme situations, families disintegrate, and kids and grownups who need help dont get it.

[Free Download: 7 Myths About ADHD Debunked!]

Should you bite your tongue and walk away? Make a sharp retort? Make an effort to educate the ignoramus? A jab to the nose might make you feel better, but it probably isnt the best solution.

The debate about attention deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD) is over. O-V-E-R. And the truth about ADHD and LD is clear. Here are the five varieties of ADHD naysayers out there, and the right ways to respond to each.

The Skeptic: Can Adults Have ADHD?

The Skeptic denies the very existence of ADHD, calling it a phantom that was cooked up as an excuse for bad parenting. He maintains that ADHD would go away if parents simply reined in their brats and stopped letting them run amok. What about the adults who say they have ADHD? Why? says The Skeptic, They just need to grow up and take responsibility for their shortcomings, rather than blaming an illness.

No one questions the existence of diabetes or migraine headaches, says Philip Levin, Ph.D., director of The Help Group/UCLA Neuropsychology Program. Yet, he says, people who dont know better question the existence of ADHD  despite a body of research indicating that it is a neurobiological disorder that affects 11 percent of children and 4 percent of all adults.

[21 Ignorant Comments About ADHD (and the Facts to Refute Them)]

Given a wealth of evidence, the National Institute of Mental Health has concluded that ADHD is a real medical condition. So has the American Psychological Association, which includes ADHD in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the bible of mental-health professionals. And the U.S. Department of Education requires educational institutions to provide special accommodations to kids with ADHD  its the law.

When Suzanne Herman, of Tyler, Texas, encounters Skeptics, she tells them the reason they dont believe in ADHD is that theyve probably been lucky enough never to have experienced it, either in themselves or in a loved one. If my son could exert the control necessary to conform, he would, Herman says. No child would choose to be isolated and punished constantly.

Indeed. Unless ADHD hits close to home, one may never totally understand it, says Luanne Southern, the senior director of prevention and childrens mental health at the National Mental Health Association in Alexandria, Virginia.

Shantella Benson, whose 10-year-old daughter has ADHD, takes another approach with The Skeptic: She simply steers the conversation to a more benign topic. Changing the subject saves me from having to get into a heated conversation in front of my daughter, the Torrance, California, resident says. Ive been trying to help her learn to control her emotions. It wouldnt help to see me blow my stack.

Hard facts are often the best ammunition to use against The Skeptic. Direct the skeptic to CHADD, order him a subscription to ADDitude or give him copies of relevant articles, and take him to a support group meeting, Southern says. If that doesnt convince him that ADHD is real, its likely that nothing will.

When Elisabeth Carnell of Kalamazoo, Michigan, comes across people who pooh-pooh her nine-year-old daughters ADHD, she gives them information about the condition and shares her experiences with it. If these strategies fail, she calls the errant comments what they are: bull#!^@.

If you prefer sarcasm to scatology, try, Gosh, it must be nice to be smarter than thousands of doctors, scientists, and psychologists.

The Crusader

The Crusader takes a holier-than-thou approach, second-guessing adults who take ADHD medications and parents who give them to their kids. I would never take a stimulant medication or give one to my child, he proclaims. Ritalin is kiddie cocaine.'

Actually, study after study has shown ADHD medications to be highly effective at curbing impulsivity and distractibility. Like all drugs, ADHD meds have side effects  but dependency is not a major one. In most cases, the benefits of taking ADHD medication far outweigh the risks. Ritalin has been used to treat ADHD for over 30 years, Dr. Levin says. We have countless scientific studies on the safety of Ritalin. In fact, some of the drugs that children routinely take for asthma and cancer havent been studied nearly as much as Ritalin.

Caryn Stevens, of Midlothian, Texas, wishes people werent quick to assume that her decision to medicate her 11-year-old twins was a hasty one. In fact, quite a while passed before she agreed to medicate her boys, even after doctors urged her to do so. The same was true for Jennifer Andrews of Virginia Beach, Virginia. My husband and I were against drugs for children  until we had a child with ADHD, Andrews says. Our daughter literally cannot sit still to eat her breakfast without medication. I learned the hard way that you must get the facts and have some experience before spouting off about something.

Make it clear to The Crusader that you feel drug therapy for ADHD is not a cause for shame. Medicating your child doesnt make you a lazy or incompetent parent. It shows that you are an effective parent. You dont need to explain to anyone why you are medicating your child, Dr. Ashley says. Forget what others think. Instead, ask yourself how you feel about your choice to medicate. If youre at peace with it, the opinions of others should not matter to you.

Next time someone says, I would never , look him in the eye and ask, If you had diabetes, would you not take insulin? Would you deny insulin to a child who had diabetes? Then why should I withhold appropriate medication from my child?

Ultimately, Caryn Stevens says, I think it would be a crime not to give my boys every resource available to enable their success.

The Joker

The Joker takes potshots at ADHD, using sarcasm and pretending that his barbs are innocuous, says Lillian Glass, Ph.D., the Beverly Hills, California-based author of Attracting Terrific People. A Joker might say, I wish I had ADHD! At least then Id have an excuse for my bad behavior. Or, Pass the Ritalin  I could use a (wink, wink) boost.' Other Jokers make clever twists on the ADHD acronym, claiming that it really stands for Adequate Discipline Deficiency.

The intent of such comments, of course, is to have fun at your expense. But if you show anger or indignation, The Joker protests, I was just kidding. Marilyn Cullinane, a 63-year-old with ADHD from Lowell, Massachusetts, once had a boss who joked endlessly about her ADHD. Whenever she made a mistake, he would say  loud enough for all to hear  ADHD got the best of you again, huh, Marilyn?

Mick Quinn, the author of Power and Grace: The Four Steps to Authentic Joy, suggests that selective silence can be a good way to counter The Joker. As soon as you realize that someone is being nasty, choose not to respond, he says. This was how Gandhi did it  and note the results.

Cullinane put up with her bosss teasing until she found a new job. Then she wrote a letter to her former corporate headquarters, detailing her abuse at the hands of her boss  and he was fired.

Of course, Cullinane had another option, as does anyone with ADHD who is harassed on the job: legal action. But before resorting to this, Philadelphia-based employment lawyer Robin Bond suggests being direct: When you say X, I feel Y, or Mocking my medical condition is hurtful, and Id like you to stop. If the direct approach fails, Bond says, consider moving up the chain of command or consulting a lawyer.

The Ostrich

The Ostrich cant accept that any person (including himself or his own child) has ADHD  even in the face of evidence to the contrary. Theres nothing wrong with me, he says. I just take things as they come and try not to tie myself down with plans. Or, in response to news that his child has been diagnosed with ADHD, he might inform the doctor, Theres nothing wrong with my kid that an old-fashioned spanking wont cure. No matter how fervently the pediatrician, psychologist, teacher, or family member waves the red flag, The Ostrich cannot (or wont) accept the ADHD diagnosis.

Acceptance can be hard, since ADHD is considered a mental disorder, Southern says. Some people resist testing altogether because they cant acknowledge even the possibility that such a disorder runs in the family.

If youre married to an Ostrich, say, This is not about you or how you feel about ADHD. Its about our child and what we need to do for her. It might take awhile, but most Ostriches eventually pull their heads out of the sand. Dont give up!

The Voice of Doom

The Voice of Doom sees a bleak future for kids with ADHD, warning that People who have ADHD never amount to anything. They all lead lives of failure and disappointment. The Voice of Doom ignores the evidence suggesting that people with ADHD are often energetic, intelligent, and creative.

Maybe your child wont grow up to be Steven Spielberg or Michael Jordan. Or maybe he will. After all, both Spielberg and Jordan have ADHD. Apparently, so did Thomas Edison, Agatha Christie, Ludwig van Beethoven, Henry Ford, and Vincent van Gogh.

The honor roll goes on and on, reminding us that those with ADHD can live rich, productive lives. We may be inconsistent, and less productive, in the short run, says Scott Nipper, a teacher with ADHD from Houston. But were more likely to accomplish big things through our passionate, hyperfocused pursuit of projects. What seem like off-task distractions can sometimes lead to great innovations.

Whats the best defense against a Voice of Doom? A strong offense. Marcia Conner, of Staunton, Virginia, is a former corporate executive who now runs a small company. She tells each Voice of Doom she encounters, I have fresh ideas, endless energy, and an Olympic-level multitasking ability. I cant imagine how people without ADHD excel in business. Its my competitive advantage!

Next time youre face-to-face with Eeyore, turn the tables. Say, If Richard Branson can found Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways, despite having ADHD, Im not worried about my son, or If my daughter turns out as well as Suzanne Somers or Whoopi Goldberg, who both have ADHD, thats fine with me!

No doubt about it, ADHD makes it hard to navigate the normal world. But with appropriate support, Luanne Southern says, Individuals with ADHD can lead happy, healthy lives.

And maybe, just maybe, extraordinary lives.

[Quiz: ADHD Myth or ADHD Reality? Check the Facts About ADHD.]
Many children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are chronically late and unprepared, causing problems at school.

Consider the case of Stewart. Between classes, this sixth-grader with ADHD struggled to open his locker, too distracted by the conversations going on around him. By the time he got to his next class, the students were already hard at work. His chronic tardiness frustrated his teachers and annoyed his classmates. As the semester progressed, he grew increasingly anxious.

Stewarts problem proved surprisingly easy to solve. His parents bought him a padlock (no combination to remember) and had him post inside his locker a list of the items he needed for each class. His anxiety diminished, and he became more popular with his classmates.

Lets look at some other transition hot spots students face, and let me share the strategies that have proven helpful for the kids I work with:

Getting Ready for School

Kids with ADHD are often slow to wake up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. To get your child out the door on time, practice her morning routine. Have her use a written checklist until the routine becomes second nature: Dress, eat breakfast, pack backpack, wait at door. Children tell me checklists help them feel calmer, because they dont have to worry about remembering to do everything.

Starting Class

Urge the teacher to tell the students exactly whats expected of them  especially when it comes to multistep tasks. Instead of Get ready for the first lesson, she might say, Put your backpack in your cubby, take out the red folder, and open your book.

Changing Classes

If this is hard for your child, ask each of his teachers to let him leave class a few minutes early (to give him more time and to enable him to avoid crowded hallways). Primary-school students dont move from classroom to classroom, but misbehavior can occur when they line up for activities or walk to the gym. Teachers can help by staying nearby  so they can intervene quickly if problems arise.

If locker clutter contributes to the problem, buy a locker organizer from an office supply store. Help your child reorganize her locker every so often, to make sure that it remains orderly.

Lunch Time

Is a noisy lunchroom too stimulating for your child? Ask the school if he can eat in a quiet classroom or a resource room. Or ask a lunch monitor to secure your childs meal, so that he doesnt have to wait in line  and risk getting in trouble.

Heading Home

Misbehavior is common at days end, when kids are tired and ADHD meds are waning. Arrange to have your child leave school a few minutes early to avoid waiting for the bus with a group of other kids. Or give your child a book of mazes or word games to help keep him out of trouble. Suggest that your child find a friend to share these with.

Homework Time

Kids with ADHD often find it hard to switch to homework mode after an interlude of fun. Try having your child finish all her assignments immediately after school, and give her a reward-such as playtime  only after shes done.

No doubt you can come up with other strategies. And dont forget to ask your child for ideas. One first-grader I know used to shove his classmates each time they lined up. He found he could avoid doing this by keeping his hands in his pockets.

Heres to smooth transitions!
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AF awards replacement firefighting foam contract

The Air Force has awarded a $6.2 million contract to replace firefighting foam used in fire vehicles with an environmentally responsible foam to reduce the risk of possible contamination of soil and groundwater.



ICL Performance Products was awarded the contract Aug. 15 for 418,000 gallons of Phos-Chek 3 percent, six carbon chain aqueous film forming foam (AFFF). The Air Force expects delivery to begin in August and for all foam in fire vehicles and fire stations to be replaced by the end of 2016.



AFFF is used by civilian and military firefighters to extinguish fires in aircraft accidents and other emergencies where jet fuel and other petroleum-based flammable materials are present, said James Podolske Jr., the Air Force fire chief. The Phos-Chek foam will replace the current product in use in Air Force fire vehicles.



The Air Force is replacing the foam to reduce the potential risk of contamination from perfluorinated compounds in AFFF. These compounds, commonly called PFCs, are found in many commercial products.



The Environmental Protection Agency has classified PFCs as contaminants of concern, and set health advisory levels for drinking water supplies in May. Two specific compounds are the focus of regulatory interest: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS).



Podolske said Phos-Chek was developed under the EPAs PFC Stewardship Program. The foam is PFOS free, and contains little or no PFOA.



The Air Force must continue to use AFFF in its defense operations to protect people, critical weapon systems and infrastructure, but we will do so in a more environmentally responsible way that also makes our operations safer for the public, Podolske said.



The Air Force also recently awarded a contract to retrofit all aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles with specialized equipment that will let firefighters conduct fire vehicle operational checks and required annual foam tests without discharging any AFFF into the environment. Retrofitting the Air Forces fleet of more than 800 vehicles will take about 15 months, Podolske said.



The Air Force has restricted AFFF use for emergencies only. When AFFF is used, Air Force hazardous materials teams will treat the response scene as a hazardous site, and remove and destroy foam residue before contamination can occur.



The Air Force is considering several courses of action to address the AFFF used in aircraft hangar fire suppression systems. Unlike mobile fire trucks, the AFFF in hangars is contained to a stationary location, which is a more stable and controlled environment, Podolske said.



Replacing the foam is part of the Air Forces aggressive efforts to ensure PFCs are not a threat to human health and the environment, said Mark Correll, the deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force for environment, safety and infrastructure.
Dalits from Mumbai too had participated in the rally and warned the government to end atrocities committed against members belonging to their community.

Thousands of Dalits gathered at Una in Gujarat to protest against the atrocities committed against their community members. The flogging of four Dalit men by alleged cow protection vigilantes had grabbed headlines recently and this incident was raised in the parliament too. Dalits gave a stern message to the government that they wont tolerate any injustice being meted against members belonging to their community. They have given 30 days to the government to provide five acres of land to Dalit families failing which they will intensify their agitation.

The consolidation of Dalits ahead of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh election is a challenge for the government which is trying hard to lure them. The 10 day Dalit Pride Yatra had commenced from Ahmedabad and ended in Una where seven Dalits were publicly flogged for skinning a dead cow by local cow vigilante group on July 21. Thousands of Dalits and social activists holding posters and garlanded photos of Baba Saheb Ambedkar joined the yatra to mark a new era in Dalit movement. Muslims too came forward to support Dalits as both the communities are attempting to create a new political force.

Sanket Kamble, a student from Government Law College, Mumbai said, All Dalit students are united to protest against injustice being meted against members of our community. We have issued a warning to the government to end discrimination against Dalits and whatever incidents have been happening for years cant go on forever. The government has been using Dalits as vote banks and has always tried to lure them before the onset of election. They make false promises about uplifting Dalits but fail to fulfil them.

RPI (A) leader Ramdas Athawale said, Dalits have come on streets for demanding social justice from the government. I am sure that the Modi government will take steps to end atrocities committed against them.

Dalits also took a pledge to end the disposal of dead animals and seek land from government for pursuing other tasks for earning their livelihood.

Rohith Vemulas mother Radhika Vemula who had recently embraced Buddhism said she was unhappy with the caste discrimination prevailing in the Hindu religion. She unfurled the flag at a school ground in coastal town in Gir Somnath district and said, I will fight for providing justice to my community and son till my last breath. I will not let my sons sacrifice go waste. India belongs to all, not one caste or religion. Congratulations to Dalits of Gujarat for forcing Anandiben to resign as CM.

We have to fight for our rights. Enough is enough now. We will speak and raise our voice against injustice and will not tolerate any atrocity or discrimination in any form now, said a participant Jivabhai Vankar.

People belonging to other communities attacked Dalits and abused them. They also pelted stones on vehicles carrying Dalits to Una. Many of them had to take protection in the local police station as they were finding it difficult to return home. They requested the police to offer security to them.
The Mumbai police officials have brought Islamic International School (IIS), operated by Dr. Zakir Naik, under their scanner alleging that the school officials are brainwashing its students. A report submitted by Mumbai police to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, have raised serious concerns over the kind of education imparted to students at his Mazgaon school.



The report suggested that there was enough material in the syllabus to indicate that the Zakir Naiks school was not only brainwashing students into rejecting other faiths; it also urged them to convert people to Islam.

Last month the state government had ordered a probe against the Mumbai-based controversial preacher, who allegedly inspired ISIS terrorists in Dhaka and members of its module in Kerala, to know whether he is a threat to the society. Experts believe that Dr. Naik could only be booked by police officials for hurting religious sentiments. A source said that the brainwashing angle could lead to serious trouble for Naik.

It is alleged that the syllabus has enough material to indicate the school is brainwashing students to reject other faiths and convert themselves to Islam.

The state government had ordered a probe against Naik after Bangladesh government accused him of inspiring terrorists involved in Dhaka attack.

According to the police probe, the school also has a branch in Chennai which is conceived, planned, and developed by Dr. Zakir Naik and asks Muslims to stay away from non-Islamic schools.

The 71-page report said that the schools literature is aimed at making the students insular.

Societal influences upon a child should be analysed critically. An un-Islamic environment can result in the corruption of a virtuous Muslims Islamic understanding, upbringing and values. It is therefore recommended that Muslim parents educate their children in an Islamic school to prevent them from falling prey to the bad influences and immorality prevalent in society, the report quotes the schools literature as saying.

Some of the schools literature, which is also available on its website, is highly controversial and objectionable, and could produce indoctrinated individuals, the newspaper quoted a senior police officer as saying.
Terrorists struck at Nowhatta area of downtown Srinagar this morning, triggering a nearly 5-hour encounter to flush them out. At the end of it, two terrorists were killed. A Central Reserve Police Force officer died and 9 others were injured in the encounter, whereas series of blasts heard in North eastern states of Assam and Manipur. However, no casualty reported from two states.



The historic Jama Masjid is close to the site of the attack.

The militants hid in a nearby building and exchanged fire with the forces, police said. Two were killed and their identity was being ascertained, Kashmirs inspector general of police Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani said. Two rifles, eight magazines with ammunition were recovered from the site, police said.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area.

Paramilitary troopers those were injured in the attack, was shifted to a nearby Army hospital.

Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta  close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar. Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house, a police officer said.

Terrorists movement was reported from the area. We began a search operation and came in contact with the terrorists, leading to exchange of fire, police sources said.

Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on 8 July sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day.

Assam serial blasts

Suspected ULFA-Independent militants exploded four bombs in various parts of Assams Tinsukia district as the state celebrated the 70th Independence Day.

There was no casualty or injury in any of the explosions. An improvised explosive devise (IED) exploded near Indira Gandhi School at Laipuli on the outskirts of district headquarters of Tinsukia town at 7.15 AM, the police said.

This was followed by another explosion in line no.6 of Badlabhata tea estate in Doomdooma area where the third IED was also set off at Masuwa locality. The fourth one exploded at Gamtumati in Philobari area.

Manipur Twin blasts

Two bombs, suspected to be improvised explosive devices (IEDs), were exploded at separate places in the state an hour before the official Independence Day programme started at the Manipur Rifles Parade Ground, police said.

The first bomb exploded at around 8.20 AM next to a saloon at Tera Bazaar in Imphal West district, police said.

The second bomb went off at about 8.33 AM near the gate of Manipur College behind Assam Rifles post in Imphal West district.
As India celebrates her 70 years of independence on August 15, 2016, we are reminded of Mahatma Gandhis vision of swaraj. Many of our freedom fighters sacrificed their lives to free the nation from the tyranny of British rule. But although India is a sovereign nation, its citizens continue to be enslaved by serious economic, cultural and social problems. In order to free ourselves, we must think about what the freedom fighters, who played such a vital role in the independence movement, would have wanted for the nation.

In India, Independence Day is celebrated by people of all religions, cultures and traditions with great joy and happiness. A big celebration is organized by the government of India at the Rajpath, India Gate in the National Capital, New Delhi where people of all religion, culture and tradition gather together to listen to the patriotic speech of our Prime Minister. By celebrating this event, we commemorate those all great people who had sacrificed their lives and loved ones in making India an independent country.

Homage is paid to all those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of our country. After the Prime Ministers speech, the functions come to an end with the recital of our national anthem. Independence Day reminds us of those patriots who fought and suffered to win freedom for us. It also reminds us of our duty and responsibility to our country. It also inspires us to follow the teachings of peace and non-violence that was preached by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation.

Jubel Dcruz

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
Hundreds of passengers at the John F Kennedy International Airport were today evacuated from at least two terminals following reports that multiple shots had been fired in one of the US busiest airport, triggering scenes of panic and chaos.

The Port Authority, which manages the citys airports, in an initial update said police had received reports of shots fired at Terminal 8 at JFK at about 9:30 pm (local time yesterday), apparently near the departure area.

Just half an hour later, at about 10:15 pm (local time), Terminal 1 at New Yorks main airport was also closed after additional calls of shots fired were received.

The Port Authority said the terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution and there was substantial presence of New York Police Department at the John F Kennedy (JFK) airport and LaGuardia airports as an investigation was launched.

Hundreds of travellers were evacuated from the terminals and several flights in and out of the airport were cancelled and diverted as a precautionary measure.

There were scenes of panic as authorities asked people to lie down and then asked them to evacuate.

However, after conducting a thorough search, police gave an all-clear and said emergency calls over shots at the airport were unfounded.

All terminals searched & cleared.Negative results. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired, New York Police Department Chief of Special Operations Division Chief Harry Wedin tweeted.

Wedin said in an earlier tweet that police officials from New York City and the Port Authority, which also operates and manages airports in New Jersey, were clearing the departure areas at Terminal 1 and 8 at JFK.

There is nobody shot. It appears that no shots have been fired, he said.

A preliminary investigation also showed no indication that shots were fired.

Preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at JFK. There are no injuries. At this time no gun shells or other evidence of shots fired has been found, the Port Authority said in a statement on its Twitter handle.

It also said that travellers should contact their carriers.

It was not immediately known if there were any injuries or arrests as part of the incident.
South Korea expressed deep regret and Chinas state-run news agency called on Tokyo to repent its wartime past on Monday after dozens of Japanese lawmakers visited a shrine for war dead, which Seoul and Beijing see as a symbol of Tokyos wartime militarism, on the anniversary of Japans World War Two defeat.



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering but did not go to the Yasukuni Shrine. Visits to the shrine outrage Beijing and Seoul because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals, along with war dead.

Ties between China and Japan, Asias two largest economies, have been strained in recent days after a growing number of government ships sailed near disputed East China Sea islets.

Territory disputes and historical issues also periodically chill relations between Japan and South Korea.

(We) express deep concern and regret that responsible political leaders  are again paying tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies the history of the war of aggression, South Koreas Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Chinas Xinhua news agency urged Japan to repent its wartime past or risk steering the country down a dangerous path.

Its in the interests of both Japan and its neighbouring countries for the former military power to truly reflect upon its past wrongs, Xinhua said in a commentary.

Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013, sending ritual offerings instead.

He told me to come and my visit was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country, said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide in Abes Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who gave the offering in Abe`s name as LDP president rather than premier.
Taliban militants captured a key district about 100 miles north of Afghanistans capital, which itself was hit by a bombing on Monday, a blow to the government in Kabul thats coming under further pressure from a renewed surge in fighting.



Following days of heavy clashes with Afghan security forces, the Dahan-I-Ghori district in northern Baghlan province came under Taliban control, said Mahmood Haqmal, a spokesman for the province. Soon after its capture, the militants set some shops and fields ablaze, Haqmal said by phone on Monday. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed also confirmed the takeover in an e-mailed statement.

Despite air support from US and Afghan warplanes, government troops are struggling against the resilient Taliban, with senior government officials saying the insurgents are becoming better trained and equipped.

Amir Gul Hussainkhil, deputy police chief of Baghlan, said Dahan-e-Ghori district was under siege for days and the Taliban managed to seize it late on Sunday as dozens of Afghan forces made a tactical retreat.

The district is next to the provincial capital of Pol-e-Khomri, which has been threatened by insurgents for months.

Afghan forces fought for days but no help arrived and they had to retreat and the Taliban captured the district, Hussainkhil told, adding that five Afghan police were killed.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the fighters captured the district and hoisted their white flag.

Many Afghan and militia forces have been killed and 33 soldiers are captured, Mujahid said in an email statement to media.

Both sides often release casualty figures without independent verification.

Baghlan borders Kunduz province, where the Taliban briefly captured a provincial capital last year for the first time since they were ousted by a US-led operation in 2001.

In the southern province of Helmand, there has been fighting in four districts as Afghan forces hold off insurgents advancing on the provincial capital, government officials said.








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Global warming is a nightmare most countries face especially when it comes to environmental degradation. It is not only a disease that cripples the economy, but it kills millions of earthly beings wherever it touches. And in this age it only keeps getting worse by the day.

Any measures to help curb it have always been thrown out the window, by the same earthly beings that it scars, before even being implemented.

Well, this time Ottawa Valley in Canada is scheduled, as Environment Canada has issued, to experience another heat wave.

Environment Canada recently issued a reminder warning early this Wednesday that the latest hot and humid air mass is expected to take over the city of Ottawa and its surrounding areas at least up to Friday. Though there might be moderate relief, day time highs are expected to stay between 31 C and 34 C. However, this can be complicated by humidex readings that can possibly make it feel like 40 at times.

Residents have been cautioned to schedule their outings in cooler parts of the day and away from the heat. They have also been advised to stay hydrated at all times.

Gatineau has officially stepped in to offer some form of relief to the residents by extending the opening hours at city beaches as well as wading and splash pools by an hour.

Environment Canada said this might be the longest and most significant heat wave of the summer so far. It also stressed that pets and people should not be left in a parked vehicle or under direct sunlight when temperature are high.

There wont be any relief even through the night as lows are expected to be in the 20s. So with a 40 percent chance of rain, the residents can only pray for a miracle to reprieve them from the heat.








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I think most residents in the City of Ottawa believe that their municipal government is there to help defend the rights of women and senior citizens through social services agents. But, The Canadian has uncovered an on-going case where the City of Ottawa is actually facilitating abuse against Dezrin Carby-Samuels of the Katimavik area in Kanata shown in this photo back in 12 Jue 2015.



Jeremy Wright, a city of Ottawa lawyer is defending Detective Robert Griffin Jr. and some other apparent dirty cops who were hired by Marcella Carby-Samuels to block visitation action by Raymond who is Dezrin's son.



It seems that Marcella who lives in Sweden is pursuing a bid to seize control of family assets and did not either want Raymond or social service agents who sought to help back in June 2015 helping her Mom as her health deteriorated.



When Raymond had been getting his Dezrin better though his care giving, Did you know that she became enraged. In response, she began many mischievous calls to the Ottawa Police Services starting on 8 January 2015 which fabricated such lies as Raymond suffered from mental illness.



When that proved to be not sufficient for Marcella's agenda, she then hired Detective Robert Griffin when Raymond was on the verge of guaranteeing access to see his Mom on 12 June 2015.



Detective Robert Griffin appears to have intimidated witnesses back in June 2015 who were on the verge of liberating Dezrin Carby-Samuels.



Thanks to Jeremy Wright of the City of Ottawa and the apparent dirty cops he defends. Dezrin Carby-Samuels can no longer write, walk and talk and has not seen her son since 12 June 2015.



Now you know where your money in part is going to at the City of Ottawa  apparently to enable people who have money to pursue abuse against mothers and other relatives.



Why should the residents of the City of Ottawa be supporting dirty cops and in the process perpetuating abuse against women and elders? These dirty cops should hire their own lawyers and not be using City of Ottawa resources for their corrupt activities.



Indeed, Jeremy Wright's involvement in perpetuating conditions abuse involving blocked visitation access has been quite unethical. It appears that for every dirty cop there's is a dirty lawyer willing to further bring down the integrity of the law profession with public funding.














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Get the book on John Summers HERE. This is a story of evil and profound injustice in the legal community. Explore demonic minds in the legal community that include judges. This is a story of evil and profound injustice in the legal community.





Thanks to the activities of John Summers from the law firm Bell Baker in Ottawa an elderly woman's hope of every seeing her son before she dies is fading. Dezrin Carby-Samuels has sought to see her son since 12 June 2015.

Raymond Carby-Samuels who had witnessed the infliction of abuse and neglect by his father Horace Carby-Samuels got Raymond evicted from his parents' home so that he would not be able to further defend his elderly Mom from that abuse.Justice Patrick Smith granted a court order giving mutual access to Raymond and his Mother seeing each other in 11 February 2016 (documented in above video). The abuse against Dezrin Carby-Samuels that worsened with the forcible removal of Raymond worsened the abuse and resulted in Dezrin not being able to talk, walk and write.John Summers through unethical activities which is the current subject of a complaint to the Law Society of Upper Canada has managed to frustrate Dezrin's access to seeing Raymond. her own son. John Summers' unethical activities includes preparing a fraudulent affidavit that falsely accused Raymond of suffering from mental illness. Mr. Summers has sought to support other such accusations without oneof independently verifiable evidence as Dezrin's health has deteriorated.As John Summers' deceit, deception and lies mount, Dezrin's health has gotten worse.We ask for members of the public to take a stand against Bell Baker's lawyer oppressing the civil rights of a defenceless elderly woman and her son seeing each other through free speech that will help liberate Dezrin Carby-Samuels from the elder spousal abuse that is being perpetuated by Mr. John Summers.The law profession is supposed to be honourable and not to be used as a tool to deprive a mother of ever seeing her son to protect ab abuser who has seized control of her money to perpetuate abuse against her wit the help of a lawyer who seems willing to support lies that undermines the course of justice.Dezrin Carby-Samuels has been made an apparent prisoner of her own home thanks through the assistance of John Summers and his dishonourable activities.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2016 - The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has given the Environmental Protection Agency an additional three months to decide whether to allow continued use of chlorpyrifos.

In a decision issued Friday, Aug. 12, a three-judge panel ordered EPA to make a final decision by March 31, 2017. The court added that it will not grant any further extensions. EPA had asked for six more months, and pesticide manufacturers and commodity groups had sought an extra year. Pesticide Action Network North America and the Natural Resources Defense Council said EPA should comply with the Dec. 30 deadline imposed by the court last year.

The extraordinary circumstances claimed this time  that EPA issued its proposed rule before completing two studies that may bear on the Agencys final rule  is another variation on a theme of partial reports, missed deadlines, and vague promises of future action that has been repeated for the past nine years, the court said, citing its opinion a year ago that criticized the agencys delay in addressing the environmental groups concerns.

EPAs continued delay is all the more significant since there are considerable human health interests prejudiced by it, the court said.

A Scientific Advisory Panel that reviewed the science behind the agencys proposal to revoke tolerances for the organophosphate insecticide concluded that EPA should not rely primarily on a long-term epidemiological study conducted by Columbia Universitys Center for Childrens Environmental Health (CCCEH).

One of the panels concerns was that the raw data behind the study was unavailable for review. EPA told Agri-Pulse Aug. 3 that it planned to discuss the matter with CCCEH officials.



We have contacted Columbia University to set up a conference call to discuss how to obtain data that doesnt infringe upon confidentiality concerns while satisfying the agencys need to be transparent, the agency said.

CCCEH officials have adopted a policy of not commenting on the matter, even though a spokesperson told Bloomberg BNA earlier this year that CCCEH was willing to share the data in some form.

Peter Taback, a CCCEH spokesperson, told the news organization in an email that the school had offered to make the data available under protocols that ensure the confidentiality of the children who are the subjects of our research. If we have a formal request from EPA, we will, of course, share all data that were gathered with the support of the U.S. government.

Like what you see here? Agri-Pulse subscribers get our Daily Harvest email and Daybreak audio Monday through Friday mornings, a 16-page newsletter on Wednesdays, and access to premium content on our ag and rural policy website. Sign up for your four-week free trial Agri-Pulse subscription.

CCCEH receives funding from EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, along with numerous private donors and foundations.

PANNA and NRDC filed a petition with EPA to revoke all uses of chlorpyrifos in 2007. They sued the agency in 2013 and 2014, seeking a writ of mandamus  essentially, an order from the court that would force EPA to respond.

(At) this stage, a claim of premature rulemaking has come and gone, the court said Aug. 12. The requested six-month delay is not justified in light of EPAs history in this matter as well as the courts previous extensions.

Introduced by Dow Chemical in 1965, chlorpyrifos is the active ingredient in Dow AgroSciences Lorsban but is also sold under a variety of other trade names. It is registered to control pests in more than 50 crops, including aphids and armyworms in alfalfa, corn rootworm and lesser cornstalk borer in peanuts, and wheat midge in wheat.

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Editors Note: Agri-Pulse and The Chicago Council on Global Affairs are teaming up to host a monthly column to explore how the U.S. agriculture and food sector can maintain its competitive edge and advance food security in an increasingly integrated and dynamic world.

In June, I walked into a room in Havana to sign on the University of Floridas behalf an agreement with the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture to do joint research on citrus, sugar cane, grains, and more.

I never got to hold a pen. Yet I didnt leave discouraged, and we continue to pursue the agreement. UF has been working on this relationship for more than 20 years, and we know progress doesnt always keep pace with our goals.

Well keep at it because its too important not to. After all, since passage of the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act in 2000 (which allowed U.S. firms to sell food and agricultural products to Cuba for the first time in nearly 40 years), U.S. agriculture has sold more than $5 billion worth of food products to Cuba.

Even though U.S. sales to Cuba are declining (due to legislative restrictions that prohibit credit sales), Cuba remains an important potential market right on our doorstep.

Its in our national interest to tap into Cuban expertise on crops that Florida and Cuba have in common. We need to establish the strongest scientific links possible to prepare for any additional opening of economic doors that could whisk pests and disease in both directions across the Straits of Florida.

Also, the Southeastern United States, as productive as we are, cannot feed the world on our own. Our neighbor 90 miles away from Key West has fertile soil, knowledgeable farmers, well-trained researchers, and a culture that esteems scientists as agents of progress.

Yet Cuba imports most of its food. This could be a nation that produces enough to feed its 11 million people (and its growing number of visitors) instead of one where staples are rationed. Cuban farming is characterized by low productivity and high post-harvest loss. Investment, knowledge transfer, mechanization, and enhanced coordination could help transform Cuban agriculture.

We all have an interest in that transformation occurring with our input and without severe environmental damage. So there is also much potential in joint science on natural resources  conservation of our shared fisheries and iconic animals such as the manatee and the mitigation of invasive plant and animal species.

Now is an opportune moment for us to establish some relationships and expand on others by identifying areas of common interest  with Cuba, and among ourselves. As the doors to trade with Cuba are just opening and the relationship is still in its infancy, fostering positive relationships with the island nation could not be more important.

UFs Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, which I lead, hasnt waited. We have been deeply engaged with our Cuban counterparts in both academia and other agricultural research institutes, and we hope to expand the breadth and depth of that relationship by bringing in additional partners.

The Cubans will choose their partners carefully from among many suitors. If academia and business can approach Cuba as a consortium, it increases our potential to get the focused attention of our Cuban collaborators as researchers as well as potential trade partners. This will also help facilitate a coordinated and strategic approach across NGOs and businesses to bringing Cuban agriculture into the new millennium sustainably.

UF/IFAS participates in talks with the Cuba Consortium, an assembly of companies, non-profit organizations, and academics to inform and prepare its members for potential future opportunities.

Florida is arguably the state that has the most to gain or lose as U.S.-Cuba relations thaw. So you can bet were going to keep our eye on the ball.

Heres some of what weve done recently to build a bridge to Cuba:

On September 1, World Food Prize laureate and Cuban-born soil scientist Pedro Sanchez started working at UF/IFAS. A team of faculty led by forest entomologist Jiri Hulcr has received Farm Bill funding to research Cuban forest pests and assess the likelihood of their invasion into the U.S.

Last year UF/IFAS brought University of Havana marine research leader Jorge Angulo to Gainesville as a visiting scholar.

In the fall of 2015, UF/IFAS admitted its first Cuban student to pursue a graduate degree in over 50 years; Anmari Alvarez, who was on the team that discovered Florida manatees in Cuba, is pursuing a Ph.D. in the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Were going to keep working to finalize that pact on citrus, cane, and other crops, as well as others to complement the agreements weve already established.

My observation from three trips to Cuba is that already the island is struggling to accommodate the visitors it receives. This historic moment offers an opportunity to assemble high-impact agricultural and environmental science partnerships that could inform business opportunities, develop sustainable techniques, and enhance agriculture development throughout the food system.

I fear that if we wait until all travel restrictions are lifted, we could find ourselves lost in a stampede of tourists, investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone else out to discover Cuba. So lets join together now to create those partnerships.

About the author: Jack Payne is the University of Floridas senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. jackpayne@ufl.edu; @JackPayneIFAS

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August 14, 2016

In a move that critics say will further undermine transparency, Egypts parliament on Aug. 9 approved amendments to the police authority law that bar police officers  including those who are retired  from providing information to the media without prior authorization from the Interior Ministry.

The new restrictions require that police officers seek approval from the interior minister before publishing any documents, reports or photographs related to their work and are seen by some observers as yet another attempt by the authorities to hide truths under a shroud of secrecy.

Strictly curating information from the state will exacerbate existing doubts about the integrity of the government, Timothy Kaldas, a nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, was quoted as telling Al Jazeera on Aug. 9.

Police officers who violate the law could face unspecified prison terms and fines of up to 20,000 Egyptian pounds (roughly $2,250).

Police have traditionally been an important source for journalists covering criminal and terrorist activities. The amendments, however, mean that journalists reporting on security issues may now be kept in the dark.

The amendments are tantamount to imposing a news blackout on all security issues, Rasha El-Ibiary, an assistant professor of political mass media at Future University in Cairo, told Al-Monitor.

A security source, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the press, defended the new legislation. He told Al-Monitor, It is important that journalists speak to one informed source only, to avoid getting contradictory statements that could cause confusion.

This, however, defies the principles of a free press that encourage journalists to seek information from a variety of sources. It is also reminiscent of the restrictive anti-terrorism law issued by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in mid-August 2015 prohibiting journalists from acquiring information from any source other than the military authorities on all terrorism-related issues.

Media gags are not rare in Egypt, where the space for free expression has dramatically diminished since the military takeover of the country in July 2013. The prosecutor general has in recent months prohibited the media from reporting on several public interest issues, including the investigation into the brutal murder of Italian researcher Giulio Regeni, whose badly mutilated corpse was found on the side of a road in the Cairo suburb of 6th of October City in early February, 10 days after he had mysteriously disappeared on Jan. 25  the date marking the fifth anniversary of the 2011 revolution. Regime opponents and outside observers have said his death bears the hallmarks of a state-sponsored killing.

A Reuters article published April 21, meanwhile, said that three intelligence officials and three police sources had independently confirmed to the news agency that police had the slain Italian doctoral student in custody at some point before he died. Not surprisingly, Reuters protected the identity of the sources for fear of repercussions against them. Last year, the prosecutor general also imposed a media gag on the investigation of a police officer charged with the fatal shooting of leftist activist Shaimaa el-Sabbagh. The 31-year-old mother was killed on Jan. 24, 2015, while participating in a peaceful protest near Tahrir Square that had been staged to commemorate the martyrs of the 2011 revolution.

Well over 40,000 political prisoners languish behind bars as part of a harsh security crackdown on dissent since the ouster of democratically elected Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July 2013. In 2015 alone, more than 1,250 forced disappearances and 267 alleged extrajudicial killings were recorded by local rights groups. Police brutality, one of the factors that sparked the 2011 mass uprising, appears to have returned with a vengeance with a series of police assaults on citizens in the past year alone resulting in at least eight fatalities. The recurring police assaults on citizens have provoked a heated debate in parliament, with some liberal lawmakers calling on the interior minister to resign and other pro-government parliamentarians arguing that calls for police reforms were merely attempts to undermine the state.

In a bid to appease public anger over police excesses, Sisi in February pledged new laws that would allow harsher penalties for police officers guilty of rights abuses. He firmly told Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar that the violations must stop. His remarks came after angry protests sparked by the fatal shooting of a van driver by a low-ranking policeman during a dispute over the fare. The death of the driver prompted crowds of protesters to take to the streets chanting anti-police slogans in defiance of a law banning protests without authorization from the Interior Ministry. In another incident of police brutality less than three weeks later, a tea vendor was shot to death by a policeman in the Cairo suburb of al-Rehab during a dispute over the price of the tea. Instead of cracking down on members of security forces responsible for the abuses as Sisi has urged, the new law will likely keep the rights violations hidden from the public eye. It may also further widen the gap between police and journalists, as it will reduce the chances of communication between them.

Tensions have simmered between journalists and the police since April, after members of security forces harassed reporters covering protests denouncing the Egyptian governments decision to transfer two Red Sea Islands to Saudi Arabia. Several journalists covering the protests that took place April 15 and April 23 were arrested and briefly detained; several others were reportedly molested by security forces. The standoff reached its peak when police raided the Press Syndicate headquarters in early May to arrest two journalists critical of the government who had sought refuge inside the building. The labor union called the raid an unprecedented crackdown on the media. Yehia Qalash, the head of Egypts Press Syndicate, and two syndicate board members were arrested at the end of May and are facing trial on charges of harboring journalists wanted by the authorities and publishing false news.

The amendments approved by parliament this week also demand that police officers show greater respect for human rights. Skeptics, however, doubt that the culture of police impunity will end anytime soon.

Hossam Menai, a documentary filmmaker who has experienced police abuse firsthand  including daily beatings and insults by a low-ranking officer during his short spell in prison in January 2014 on the charge of spreading false news that threatens national security  told Al-Monitor that the law can only weaken police accountability.

It helps protect the abuser rather than the abused and may make it even more difficult to expose those who have committed rights violations, Menai said.
August 14, 2016

Abu Dua al-Ansari  the reported head of the Islamic States (IS) affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula  has been killed in an airstrike, an Egypt official said. Brig. Gen. Muhammad Samir, the official spokesman of Egypt's armed forces, described Ansari on Aug. 4 as the leader of the [Ansar] Bayt al-Maqdis organization.

A number of his deputies were also killed in the strike, Samir said. The Egyptian army stressed that numerous scenarios were being contemplated concerning the future of the organization, also known as Wilayat Sinai, in the wake of its leaders killing and amid speculation as to who might replace him as the groups next head.

Najeh Ibrahim, a former leader of Gamaa Islamiya and a researcher specializing in Islamist movements, told Al-Monitor, Any discussion of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis future following the death of its leader should follow discussion of the various stages of the groups founding and development. The organization is rooted in desert, borderland environments. It began in 2003, founded by a dentist known as Khalid bin Masaid, with the help of Usama al-Mahlawi and Nasr Khamis al-Mallah. The military [leaders were] Salim al-Shanub and Hani Abu Shitah. They are the leaders who headed the organization in its initial stages, when it was known as the 'Tawhid Wal-Jihad' organization. It adopted the ideology of al-Qaeda, but was not [organizationally] affiliated with it. The groups goal was to target Israelis and Egyptian policemen in Sinai. The group carried out several bombings of Sharm el-Sheikh, but most of the leaders were executed, with the exceptions of Hani Abu Shitah and Hamdin Abu Faysal, who were imprisoned with me at the time. In prison the two of them attended my lectures [outlining] a reassessment of jihadi ideology and, in fact, adhered to that ideological reassessment [themselves].

Ibrahim said that in 2005, security forces succeeded in taking control of the group and killing most of its leaders. They assaulted Jabal al-Hallal, which was the groups redoubt, but the state was unable to generate any development [of education, infrastructure, etc.] in Sinai.

And thus the group embarked on its second stage, which began after the events of Jan. 25, 2011. In the aftermath of former President Muhammad Hosni Mubaraks ouster, Ibrahim said, leaders and members of [Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis] escaped prison. However, before they fled, they met with an individual known as Magdi al-Safti, who belonged to the Al-Nagun Min an-Nar Organization. Most remained there for three years, spreading extremist takfiri ideology among one another to their hearts' content. The prison administration did not take much interest, because it did not expect that these leaders would escape. In the second phase of the groups history, the state experienced a security vacuum and the organizations leaders, after making their escape from prison, succeeded in occupying three villages in Sinai.

It was in these villages that they openly set up camps for their organization, which had been designed to provide advanced training to their recruits. Ibrahim said the leaders were joined by a number of military experts and university graduates, which enabled them to make a qualitative leap in terms of the groups culture and capabilities.

Members of the organization exploited the chaos that then afflicted the border areas in order to train many of their members in Gaza and Syria. During that phase, the group swore an oath of allegiance to Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of al-Qaeda, and the group underwent a name change to become Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, the very name used by a group that provided them with training in Gaza. The group then directed a number of strikes at the police department in el-Arish and raised the flag of al-Qaeda over the police headquarters. The group was in constant contact with [Ayman] Muhammad al-Zawahri, and their goal shifted toward a collision with the Egyptian army.

Ibrahim concluded by noting that the organization waged a number of attacks on the Egyptian army in its third phase.

These attacks, according to him, were the first Rafah operation, which witnessed the killing of soldiers in the month of Ramadan during the presidency of Mohammed Morsi.

The organization had decided that Morsi was an infidel, but did not announce this publicly. The group succeeded in shooting down army planes. ... This inaugurated the groups third phase, which coincided with the demonstrations on June 30, 2013, that resulted in the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi. The group announced it was now affiliated with IS, whose star was rising, even as al-Qaeda was in decline.

Ibrahim clarified that the third stage witnessed violent clashes against the army, and many young men joined the organization from the Hazemun movement, so that the organization was able to use advanced weaponry. It was also joined by drug smugglers fleeing the police and a number of criminals who feared persecution by the security forces.

Concerning the truth about the figure of Abu Dua al-Ansari, Ibrahim said, During the third phase the group was led by Muhammad Farih Ziyadah. His name within the movement was Abu Dua al-Ansari. His brother was Tawfiq Freij Ziyadah [who was known within the group as Abu Musab] and he was killed. His deputies were Hamdin Abu Faysal and Hani Abu Shitah. The likely candidate to assume leadership of the group is Hani Abu Shitah.

Regarding the impact on the organization of its leaders death, Ibrahim said, The death of group leaders has a negative impact, because jihadi organizations dont depend upon institutions, and the role of a central leader is to know the sources of armaments and funding. They cannot share that information with everyone [in the organization].

Ibrahim said that Abu Shitah is noteworthy for not being a particularly bloody-minded individual, in comparison with his companions. However, the ideological evolution that took place among jihadis after the demonstrations of Jan. 25 has made it difficult to analyze Abu Shitahs personality, especially since most of the members of his family are also jihadis, he added.

Ibrahim stressed that the killing of Ansari reflects a major success for the army in terms of penetrating the organization and obtaining extremely sensitive information about the leaderships secret locations.

Meanwhile, Kamal Habib, a former jihadi and researcher specializing in Islamist movements, told Al-Monitor, The organization has suffered a decline of late. [Most of] its operations are now individual assassinations, because IS has weakened in Mosul and in Syria, in addition to the acuity of military strikes against the group in Egypt.

Nabil Naim, also a former jihadi, denied in statements to Al-Monitor that Bayt al-Maqdis would be greatly affected by the death of Ansari. He stressed, The organization will not collapse if its leaders or commanders are killed, for they all possess deputies and a clear [succession] arrangement for scenarios following the leaders death: One of the deputies is promoted to leadership of the organization following his predecessors death, and he is [generally] a figure well-known to group members. [These plans are laid out in advance] out of fear that internal strife and struggles could break out over who would assume leadership.

Naim said, Abu Dua al-Ansaris death and that of 45 leaders in the group is a powerful blow to the organization, for the killing of [core] cadres is a humiliating loss to any jihadi group. Building jihadi cadres takes a long time, and uncovering another cadre and training it is not a simple matter. It will take many years.
August 12, 2016

BAGHDAD  With the imminent launch of the operation to liberate Mosul, announced by Iraqi Minister of Defense Khaled al-Obaidi on Aug. 8, the Chaldean National Council  which got together on the occasion of the second anniversary of the displacement of Christians from Mosul  expressed concern about the future of minority areas after the liberation operations end. Representatives of other minority communities share this concern about their areas; the Yazidis are concerned about Sinjar, the Turkmens about Tal Afar and the Shabak community, Christians and other minorities fear for the Ninevah Plains.

These areas are known as disputed territories, a description that deprives the minorities from determining their own fate, since it indicates that these areas have long been disputed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Iraqi federal government.

Prince Breen Tahseen Bek, a representative of the Yazidi royal institute, told Al-Monitor, When we speak with representatives of the federal government or the KRG, the discourse tends to take a turn toward finding out whether we are with them or against them. The Kurdish and Arab political elites do not take the Yazidi genocide seriously; all they care about is whether our areas will be part of the federal government or the KRG.

Thus, the representatives of minority communities hope for an internationally supervised negotiation process on the disputed internal borders for areas that are ethnically, religiously and linguistically diversified, but are subject to an Arab-Kurdish conflict that could clearly drag the country into an internal war.

Meanwhile, Pascale Warda, the president of Hammurabi Human Rights and a Christian activist who has served as deputy minister of displacement and migration, said, Applying Article 125 of the Iraqi Constitution  by turning it into legislation that would ensure self-administration for minorities in the disputed areas and in a way that would ensure keeping them away from the conflict between the major powers  will guarantee these areas right to manage their own affairs without its meaning supporting these territories desire to disengage.

Another option is also taking shape, and resorting to it could encourage the return of the displaced people after their areas are liberated from the Islamic State (IS). This option is represented by creating new provinces in the minority areas in order to ease ethnic tension, facilitate the achievement of self-management for minorities, and reduce corruption and injustices that often occur as a result of the local government neglecting these areas.

For instance, an arrangement can be made for Ninevah province to spin off provinces in Sinjar, Tal Afar, Ninevah Plains and Sheikhan, while the remaining area can represent what is left of the original Ninevah province, with Mosul as its center.

Prominent Turkmen politicians support this option; Ali Akram, the head of the Turkmen Rescue Foundation, told Al-Monitor he supports this option, and Torhan al-Mufti, the former minister of state for provincial affairs, had previously told Al-Monitor that such an option could prevent ethnic conflict in the country.

Another advantage of this option is that the new provinces receive an equal budget from the federal government to promote suitable conditions for the return of refugees. In this context, economist Imad Abdel Latif told Al-Monitor, It is important to devise a plan of return for minority refugees to their regions that are being liberated from IS while providing enough resources to fix the main infrastructure and reform the service system. The individuals who want to return home fear for their security first and do not want to come back unless there is a comfortable alternative for their integration in regions they were displaced to or thinking of immigrating abroad.

Regaining trust seems pivotal for reconciliation and for any peace agreement in the regions post-IS. This cannot be imagined without first settling the affiliation of these regions, through negotiating with the representatives of minorities, which will ensure their independence from a political conflict between the large Kurdish and Arabic political currents.

Associations that promote the rights of minorities such as MASARAT suggest political recommendations that can contribute to rebuilding trust, and that can encourage the Iraqi federal government to launch several necessary reforms. Such reforms include fighting corruption, enhancing transparency and accountability, holding immediate investigations into the violations of the rights of minorities, canceling legislation that protects discrimination or persecution of minorities, in addition to joining the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and accepting its jurisdiction over the current conflict.

Tahseen Bek said, Nothing indicates that the Iraqi government is willing to join the Rome Statute of the ICC, but we can work with it to accept the jurisdiction in one case [genocide of Yazidis] and for a certain time, i.e., for the current conflict. The minority representatives have the right to seek international protection amid the lack of domestic governmental cooperation."

Other minority representatives such as Rajab Assi, who represents the Kakais in Kirkuk, and Diyaa Yaacoub, who represents the Baha'is in Baghdad, told Al-Monitor that the package of reforms must include suggestions about widening the recognition of minorities in the constitution, i.e., the recognition of some religious minorities such as the Baha'is, Kakais, Zoroastrians and Iraqis with African origins. Yaacoub reiterated the need to cancel all legislation inherited from the Baath Party days that opposes constitutional rights, such as banning Baha'i activity, a law issued in 1970.

The representatives of minority communities engaging in these discussions say there is a need for a long-term political plan that includes political, cultural and economic reform aspects to regain the trust of minorities and defeat IS once and for all.
August 14, 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putins Aug. 9 meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didnt solve all the problems in the complex Russian-Turkish relationship, but it seems likely to impart further momentum to the rapprochement following Erdogans apology for Ankaras downing of a Russian Su-24 in November 2015. Still, the limits to the Russia-Turkey relationship may already be apparent to some in Moscow.

On the positive side, perhaps most significant is the fact that Putin did not limit the event to a one-on-one meeting with Erdogan. Indeed, had the Kremlin sought to draw out Erdogans penitence, Russian officials could have done so; Putin could even have pressed Erdogan to repeat his somewhat weak written apology live on camera on Russian territory. Instead, Russias president was magnanimous in victory; he not only met his Turkish counterpart, but assembled several key subordinates for a larger and more practically oriented conversation about restarting specific bilateral projects. Russias high-level delegation included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Putins foreign policy assistant Yury Ushakov, General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, Gazprom Chairman Alexey Miller, and Russias energy, economic and transport ministers. Putins special representative on Syria also took part, as did Russias ambassador to Turkey.

Russias president would not bring together a group like this if he didnt want to turn the Russian-Turkish relationship around. Putin also addressed Russian and Turkish business leaders, whom he told, We should not simply return to the previous level but exceed it and go further. While it will not be easy to surpass souvenir plates displaying the two presidents shaking hands, Moscows effort in presenting these during the meetings likewise demonstrates more than casual interest in the relationship.

Putins remarks at a joint press conference following the meetings suggest one of Moscows principal motives in accepting Erdogans apology so readily: The Russian president spoke at some length about restoring Russian-Turkish trade, resuming energy projects, lifting restrictions on tourism and reopening Russias construction sector to Turkish firms and workers. In the transcript, this continues for six paragraphs, compared with only four sentences about pressing international issues, including Syria. On the latter topics, the Kremlin leader seemed decidedly less optimistic.

Nevertheless, Putins economic focus allows him to demonstrate that he is trying to do something to stimulate Russias weak economy, which was still shrinking in the second quarter  albeit to a lesser degree than many economists expected. This may be particularly important in advance of September parliamentary elections in Russia and in framing the countrys political environment in advance of the 2018 presidential elections. In this context, Andranik Migranyan, a professor at Russias prestigious Moscow State Institute for International Relations and a well-connected analyst of Russias politics and foreign policy, told Al-Monitor that reopening Russian tourism to Turkey is also a significant gesture to middle-class Russians reluctant to travel to Egypt (another popular and inexpensive destination) due to security concerns.

Nevertheless, the Russian-Turkish relationship is far from a simple one and it will take more than a successful summit to address its underlying weaknesses. As Migranyan put it, there have been many wars between Russia and Turkey and they have conflicting interests in many areas. None of this has disappeared. In his view, Putin and Erdogan are using one another to demonstrate that each has non-Western foreign policy options and that Western governments will not be able to isolate either. Putin and Erdogan are almost in the same position in their differences with the West, he said, though of course Putins position is stronger. Migranyan added that of course neither Putin nor Erdogan trusts the other.

This lack of trust lends a degree of credibility to speculation that Putin was sending a signal to his outwardly repentant counterpart by holding their official meetings in the Greek Room in a former imperial palace in St. Petersburg; it is precisely a lack of trust that would make it useful to send such a message.

Moreover, the selection of the summit venue appears to have been quite deliberate. Putin was in Baku, Azerbaijan, just the previous day for a three-way session with the presidents of Azerbaijan and Iran. It would have been much more convenient for both Putin and Erdogan to meet in Sochi, in southern Russia, where Putin often receives foreign heads of state. If Putin did not want to see Erdogan in Sochi, the Kremlin could have proposed a meeting in Moscow, where Putin met with Armenias president and, separately, with several Russian Cabinet members the following day. Moscow would also have required less travel for the two presidents and their respective delegations  St. Petersburg is much farther north.

Putin implicitly referred to the extra travel required when he pointed out that Erdogan found the time to come to St. Petersburg in his statement to the press, something that he said certainly shows the interest of our Turkish partners in restoring cooperation with Russia.

Less noticed than the choice of the Greek Room has been the larger summit venue: the renovated Constantine Palace, where Russia hosted the G-20 Summit in 2013. According to some sources, the palace took on its name in the mid-19th century as a summer residence of Grand Duke Constantine, a son of Czar Nicholas I. The most prominent Constantine (and a source of the names popularity in many Orthodox Christian populations) was of course Romes first Christian emperor, who gave his name to Constantinople, todays Istanbul. Constantine is of special interest to some far-right Russian nationalists, who see their own country as the third Rome, a reference to Constantines description of the Byzantine Empire as the second Rome.

From this perspective, meeting at the Constantine Palace has a considerably deeper and richer symbolism  though one far more mixed than the rather unsubtle message of the Greek Room. Like pre- and post-summit statements reflecting Russian-Turkish differences over Syria, it is a visible reminder that notwithstanding the important common strategic interests that have energized Russian-Turkish relations for more than a decade, Moscow and Ankara are not easy partners.

For his part, Migranyan was bemused at Western concerns that Turkey could align with Moscow and leave NATO, or even extract significant concessions from other NATO governments troubled by Ankaras flirtation with Russia. Turkey is much more dependent on the United States than the reverse, he argued, before asking, How many Turkish jets might have been destroyed after the Su-24 incident if Turkey had not been a NATO member?
August 14, 2016

Donald Trump has been under attack with his loose words regarding world events lately, leading to condemnation from top figures from his own party.

On Aug. 8, 50 Republican national security experts denounced Trump's presidential candidacy and pledged not to vote for him.

"He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood. He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior," the letter claims. "All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal."

Trump's campaign responded by saying the signatories deserve the "blame for making the world such a dangerous place."

The denouncements from high-level officials continued throughout the week. On Aug. 11, another letter was sent to Trump with more than 70 top Republican-elected officials and party operatives calling for the Republican National Committee (RNC) to stop funding Trumps presidential campaign. Former members of Congress, RNC staffers and other party insiders say the RNC should focus on Senate and House races where Republicans face tough elections. The letter says Trump has alienated millions of voters.

It continues, Every dollar spent by the RNC on Donald Trumps campaign is a dollar of donor money wasted on the losing effort of a candidate who has actively undermined the GOP at every turn.  The RNC should shift its strategy and its resources to convince voters not to give Hillary Clinton the 'blank check' of a Democrat-controlled Congress to advance her big government agenda.

Trump also started quite the controversy by recently describing President Barack Obama and Clinton as the founder and co-founder of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. "ISIS is honoring President Obama," he said. "He is the founder of ISIS. He is the founder of ISIS, OK? He is the founder. He founded ISIS. And I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton."

On the other side of the aisle, a majority of Americans still believe Clinton broke the law and put Americas national security at risk by using a private home email server to transmit top secret information. On Aug. 12, it was announced that a cyberattack many attributed to Russia had gained access to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee emails. Trump has taken an entirely different stance when it comes to Russia. He often says nice things about President Vladimir Putin. If we could get along with Russia, wouldnt that be a good thing, instead of a bad thing?" Trump said last week. "Wouldn't it be nice if we actually got along, as an example, with Russia?

Pew data shows two-thirds of Americans regard Russia as either an "adversary" or a "serious problem." Gallup polling shows about two-thirds of Americans have an unfavorable view of Russia  the second-highest mark since the end of the Cold War. A CNN/ORC poll last week showed 48% thought the Russian government was indeed trying to influence the results of the US election. Meanwhile, a new Bloomberg Politics National Polls show 42% of Americans say they are bothered "a lot" by Trump's praise for Putin, with an additional 27% saying they're bothered "a little."

Newly released emails from Clintons time at the State Department raise questions about the department's relationship with the Clinton Foundation. Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, released 296 pages of emails. The emails raise questions about the Clinton Foundation's influence on the State Department and its relations during her tenure. Some have described the emails as pay for play, meaning because individuals have donated to the Clinton Foundation, they are given access to high-ranking officials within the State Department.

Its no wonder these two have the highest negative ratings of any two candidates who have run for the presidency. With 86 days left before the election, its very clear how quickly things can change simply within a day or two. We have seen poll numbers sway back and forth and the RealClearPolitics average polling on Aug. 12 shows Clinton with a 6.8% lead (47.8% to 41%) over Trump. Debates start next month and we can expect to continue seeing more drama within the two camps.
August 12, 2016

BAGHDAD  The war and the consequent void of security in Iraq have left a lasting impact on Iraqi society. A recent survey conducted by the Ministry of Planning and Development about women and children, specifically widows and orphans, reflected this reality.

According to the survey, The number of orphans aged 17 at most and registered at the Ministry of Planning and Development reached 600,000, while the number of widows reached 850,000.

Despite the large number of widows and orphans, the survey did not include Ninevah and Anbar provinces, which witnessed a violent war when the Iraqi security forces attempted to regain control after the Islamic State (IS) took over large parts of the provinces in the past two years. Abed al-Zahra al-Hindawi, the spokesman for the Ministry of Planning and Development, told Al-Monitor, The number of widows and orphans is expected to increase if another survey is conducted to include these two provinces.

In any case, the survey, which was conducted by the Central Statistical Organization that is affiliated with the Ministry of Planning and Development in coordination with the World Bank, did not reveal the reasons why families lost parents or husbands. It also did not reveal other details that are considered sensitive in the conservative Iraqi culture. For example, the survey overlooks the number of widowed women who remarried after the death of their first husbands and the adoption of orphans by Iraqi foster families.

Hindawi said, Iraq is a conservative society and might resent such questions and avoid answering them. Moreover, widows and orphans are bound by traditions and norms that forbid them from living a normal life.

Shahed became a widow when her husband died in a blast in New Baghdad in 2009. She and her husband had a baby boy. Her in-laws forced her and her son to live with them. But after Shahed decided to get married again, her in-laws offered her two choices: either forget about getting married or leave her son for them to raise. She opted for marriage.

Shahed, who preferred not to give her last name, told Al-Monitor, I was 24 when my husband died, and my in-laws wanted me to spend my life raising my son without mingling with society or getting married again. Iraqis tend to imprison widows and increase their grief, she said.

As Shaheds late husband was not a government employee, she does not get a pension from the government that is granted to state employees who fall prey to blasts or die naturally. Consequently, her in-laws are providing for her son as she lives a new life with her second husband.

There are a lot of women who have been through the same but who decided to spend their lives in their in-laws prison while raising their children, Shahed said.

Rehab al-Abboudeh, a member of the Child and Family Committee in the Iraqi parliament, told Al-Monitor, These orphans and widows include large numbers of victims who fell prey to the fighting taking place now against [IS].

Abboudeh said the figures provided by the Ministry of Planning are shocking. Yet the Iraqi government has not taken any action to develop a true strategic plan to help the widows and orphans, she added with a sad tone.

Abboudeh said the lack of attention to widows and orphans reveals the Iraqi governments poor performance at this level, and stressed, We will discuss the ministrys statistics in a parliamentary meeting and come up with recommendations or legislation that could positively affect these two categories.

However, Abboudeh said, The government's indifference to orphans and widows may be due to the deteriorating economic situation or its preoccupation with the war against terrorism.

The government does not seem interested in this large category, let alone its future, and it only gives widows registered with the Social Protection Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs a stipend of no more than $100 per month. This low amount, along with the bureaucracy in dealing with government institutions, led a lot of widows to refrain from registering themselves in this department.

Orphans and widows account for a big part of Iraqi society, and the government ought to pay attention to them and develop strategic plans aimed at enabling women to work and live normally away from the pressures of worn social norms and traditions. Also, orphans should be urged to complete their studies and granted a good life that could make up for the loss they suffered.
Birmingham-Southern College has named its first executive-in-residence for entrepreneurship.

Jennifer Skjellum, president of the nonprofit TechBirmingham and co-founder of TechAlabama, has been selected as the first McCain Executive-in-Residence for Entrepreneurship.

The McCain Executive-in-Residence in Entrepreneurship position was made possible by a $500,000 contribution from David O. "Dave" McCain III and his sister, Susan C. McCain, in honor of their parents.

Skjellum will teach a course this academic year in the fall, January term and spring semesters, promote internship opportunities and encourage entrepreneurial thinking among students.

TechBirmingham was founded in 2002. Skjellum has been president since 2012. She co-founded TechAlabama in 2015 and serves as director. She will continue her work at both during her nine-month appointment at Birmingham-Southern College, a liberal arts school affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

She is also president and co-founder of RunTime Computing Solutions LLC, which provides software and solutions for high performance and embedded computing space. It is located at Innovation Depot, Birmingham's technology incubator.

Her entrepreneurial experience dates back to 1996, when Skjellum and her husband founded MPI Software Technology Inc., which designed performance software for the high performance computing market. MPI was acquired by San Diego-based Verari Systems Inc. in 2004.

Skjellum has a bachelor's degree in speech communication from Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., and a master's degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has been on the advisory board of the Stump Entrepreneurship Program at Birmingham-Southern for three years.

AL.com interviewed Skjellum. Here's an edited transcript of the interview:

AL.com: You're pretty busy already. Why did you accept this position?

What excites me is that I was an instructor 23 years ago at Mississippi State. I like to go back to the classroom to stay grounded. I want to teach how to think about entrepreneurship. I think there's an opportunity for BSC to do something no other programs are doing, to take it outside the business school to other disciplines, across the campus with faculty and staff.

AL.com: Can you teach someone how to be an entrepreneur?

That's a good question. I think you can teach people the best way to approach it. You can teach some very factual ways. You certainly can't teach grit. Some kids are just born with the desire to be an entrepreneur. You can explore what students' desires are. It's not as easy as you often read about. There's a lot of work and trial and error. We'll try to bring real-world ideas to the classroom. I'm interested in helping the school figure out what's working, what are the possibilities.

AL.com: What's the name of the class you'll be teaching this fall?

Entrepreneurial thinking. The class has 21 freshmen from across all disciplines.

There's a desire to learn about entrepreneurial thinking, or it's become a buzzword desired class.

Despite what you read about everything being about computer coding, liberal arts majors are in a good position. Liberal arts majors are really still in high demand. They are at the core of entrepreneurship and business. The great thing about this position is there's a lot of flexibility in what is taught.

AL.com: How important is it for this position to be someone who is actively an entrepreneur?

These positions are designed to get talent and know-how from the surrounding community.

That's one of the criteria. You certainly want someone currently active. One thing I'll be looking at is how do we set up a program that makes internships as effective as possible.

AL.com: Where are you from?

I was born and raised in California. I was born in Redondo Beach, and grew up in Solvang. Do you know where that is?

AL.com: Not really?

It's near Santa Barbara, where the Ronald Reagan Ranch is. They filmed the movie 'Sideways' there.

AL.com: Okay, I think we'd recognize it if we saw it. How did you end up in Alabama?

My husband and I met in Starkville. In 2003, he decided to be chair of computer science at UAB.

What does he do now?

For the last two years, he's been running cybersecurity at Auburn University. I couldn't even tell you all his titles.

What's his first name?

Anthony.

How do you pronounce your last name?

Shell-um.

AL.com: Thanks, Jennifer!
A fourth person has died following a weekend crash in Russell County.

Desmond James, 18, was pronounced dead at Columbus Midtown Medical Center, Alabama State Trooper Cpl. Jesse Thornton said today. The two-vehicle crash happened at 7:22 a.m. Saturday on Alabama 26, two miles east of Hurtsboro.

Authorities said Travis Latrell Davis, 33, of Columbus, Ga. was killed when the 2013 Ford F150 in which he was a passenger collided with a 1995 Toyota Avalon before catching fire. Davis also was taken to the Columbus hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An unidentified passenger in the Ford was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Ford was hospitalized with serious injuries.

The driver of the Toyota, 19-year-old Deontaye Caple, was pronounced dead at the scene. James was passenger in the Toyota.

Troopers said at least three of the victims were not wearing seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.
Joshua Aaron Jamal Lewis.jpg

Joshua Aaron Jamal Lewis, 24, was fatally shot inside his Birmingham apartment on Aug. 13, 2016.

(Facebook/Birmingham Police)

Authorities have now released the name of a Birmingham man shot to death in his apartment early Saturday by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office today identified the victim as Joshua Aaron Jamal Lewis. He was 24.

Birmingham police East Precinct officers were dispatched to Lewis' apartment in the 7700 block of Fourth Avenue South just after 1 a.m. Saturday. When they arrived on the scene, a witness told them a shooting had taken place inside the apartment.

Officers went inside and found Lewis lying across the bed suffering from a gunshot wound, said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards. The shooting happened at 1:06 a.m., and Birmingham Fire and Rescue pronounced Lewis dead on the scene at 1:26 a.m.,

The shooter, police said, fled before officers arrived on the scene. Edwards said Saturday the investigation showed Lewis was confronted by his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend and that is when he was shot.

Police have not yet announced any charges against the suspected shooter.

Lewis is Birmingham's 61st homicide victim of 2016. Of those, at least six have been ruled justifiable and therefore have not been deemed criminal. Two others were involved officer-involved shootings by outside law enforcement agencies: the Irondale Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff's Office.
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Karen McPherson, left, is serving a life sentence in the 1991 of 25-year-old Jasper lawyer Carrie Smith Lawson, whose body has never been found. The main suspect, Jerry Bland, committed suicide as lawmen surrounded his Walker County home.

(ADOC/The Birmingham News)

A woman who has been in prison for 25 years in the kidnapping of a young Jasper lawyer, whose body has never been found, will go before Alabama's parole board on Tuesday.

Karen McPherson, now 54, is serving a life sentence in the kidnapping of Carrie Smith Lawson, who was abducted from her Jasper home in the early-morning hours of September 11, 1991. McPherson's cousin, Jerry Bland, was identified as the main suspect and committed suicide as lawmen surrounded his home.

The kidnapping happened about 3 a.m. at the home Carrie Lawson, 25, shared with her husband, 26-year-old Earl Lawson, also an attorney. They received a middle-of-the night call from a woman claiming to be a nurse who said a close family member was at the hospital. As the couple left for the hospital, a gunman appeared at their vehicle. Earl Lawson was bound, and Carrie Lawson was never seen again. She had recently graduated from the University of Alabama law school.

A ransom demand was made, and paid, but Carrie Lawson was never found. A search of Bland's property found the majority of the $300,000 paid by her family. Carrie Lawson was declared dead two years after her disappearance.

Tuesday will mark the fourth time McPherson will appear before the parole board. Her last appearance was in October 2013, at which time her request for release was rejected.

Carrie Lawson's sister, Margaret Smith Kubiszyn, and father, 82-year-old David Smith, are rallying friends and supporters to contact the board opposing McPherson's early release. "We are afraid that, due to prison crowding concerns, this parole is being expedited,'' Kubiszyn said.

In 2015, the legislature passed a law capping the maximum set-off at two years for certain cases, said Meridith H. Barnes, chief legal counsel for the parole board. McPherson is on Tuesday's docket because of the Board's Special Docket process targeting the Tutwiler prison population. Her case meets the criteria the board set for that docket, Barnes said.

Kubiszyn said McPherson's role in the disappearance has always been understated. "She was alone with Carrie for a long time when they were holding her and she got to know her and still didn't let her go,'' she said. "That's always been really hard for me to swallow, that anyone could get to know Carrie and then turn her over to her executioner."

Years ago, McPherson agreed to meet with David Smith and give details about the crime in return for the family not protesting parole. "She sat down with my dad for five hours and told all lies,'' Kubiszyn said. "He has lost so much financially, emotionally, everything. That's really what makes me saddest about the whole thing."

Kubiszyn said she doesn't hate McPherson, and actually feels sorry for McPherson's daughter who also has been devastated by the events 25 years ago. "I know she (the daughter) has had a really hard time, and I feel a lot of sympathy for them, but Karen McPherson did get a life sentence and it was a kidnapping that ended in murder,'' she said. "We do not take lightly the effect that this has had on Karen McPherson's daughter, or the fact that we are asking for the board to keep a mother and grandmother incarcerated and away from her family for five more years."
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.
MILWAUKEE -- 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.



Police Chief Edward 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 the 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."

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 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.

Gov. Walker activates National Guard; Milwaukee shooting victim identified



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 because the victim recanted the identification and failed to appear in court, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern told the newspaper.



"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," Smith's mother, 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."



Early Sunday evening, about 100 people gathered next to the blackened ruins of an auto parts store, saying they hoped there would be no repeat of the violence. Most were from Greater New Birth Church, and wore red T-shirts that read "Grace Stop the Violence" as they sang songs and prayed. As their group broke up later, they gave officers hugs and handshakes.



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 most recent Milwaukee shooting was 24 years old 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 smashed a squad car's windows. Another police car was set on fire.



In addition to the gas station and auto parts store, a bank and a beauty supply shop were burned. Firefighters held back from the gas station blaze because of gunfire.
Prosecutors have filed their opposition to former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard's request for a new trial, saying in a motion filed Friday that the evidence was sufficient to support Hubbard's conviction on 12 felony ethics charges in June.

"Hubbard has failed to show that the jury's verdict is contrary to law or the great weight of the evidence," prosecutors said in the 33-page motion.

"None of Hubbard's arguments, including the ones in earlier filings that this court already denied, entitle him to relief."

Hubbard lawyers filed a motion for a new trial, acquittal or dismissal of charges on Aug. 5.

Hubbard's lawyers are also seeking an investigation into possible juror misconduct.

Prosecutors oppose that as well, saying the defense has provided no admissible evidence of juror misconduct.

Lee County Circuit Judge Jacob Walker has scheduled a hearing on post-trial motions on Sept. 2.

On June 10, a Lee County jury found Hubbard guilty on 12 of 23 felony ethics counts.

Hubbard was convicted of using his office for personal gain by entering consulting contracts and seeking and receiving business investments from people who had interests in state government.

He was also convicted of voting for legislation with a conflict of interest, lobbying state departments for a fee and using state personnel to benefit a consulting client.

Walker sentenced Hubbard to four years in prison and fined him $210,000 for the 12 counts. He is out on bond.

Prosecutors have asked Walker to reconsider his decision not to order Hubbard to pay $1.1 million in restitution to the state.
First look at Airbus assembly line in Mobile.JPG

Defense industry sources have suggested that Airbus might bring new business to Mobile, possibly including engine assembly work for the A400M Atlas Airlifter military transport plane. (File photo)

( (File photo))

The recently opened British fraud and corruption investigation into Airbus looks as if it's about to grow into an international issue as the United States Department of Justice begins a probe into the aircraft manufacturers conduct, according to a lawyer that spoke with the Times of London Monday.

While the investigation by the U.K.'s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) could take up to four years, it's not thought that it will have any major immediate effect on sales and manufacturing in the U.S., where the company has a major assembly hub in Mobile, Alabama. However, if the DoJ ultimately pushes forward with a formal investigation, it could jeopardize Airbus' growing presence and reputation in the U.S.

The SFO formally opened its investigation last week after Airbus self-reported the use of middlemen to get deals in emerging markets, such as the Middle East and Asia. The deals were made using billions of dollars provided by the U.K's Export Finance agency, which provides insurance to exporters and guarantees to banks.



While most of the deals in question would have been signed in Europe where the Franco-German-owned company has its headquarters, the DOJ can become involved if it can prove a crime was committed in the U.S.

"The DoJ gets involved when it believes it has jurisdiction," a lawyer who has worked with the SFO on similar cases told the London Times, and who requested anonymity. "The DoJ will launch its own investigations if it believes U.S. persons are involved, if there has been use of US payment systems and therefore the involvement of U.S. banks, and where any act may have been perpetrated on U.S. soil."

Actions on U.S soil extend to any communication or transaction that uses U.S. based internet servers. This could be as little as a U.S. bank merely assisting in moving money from one account to another.

The Airbus investigation is similar to one opened against Rolls Royce for its use of third-party agents in Asia. At the time, the DoJ also became involved in a perceived effort to protect the interests of U.S. companies such as Pratt & Whitney and GE, which are rivals to Rolls Royce in the manufacturing of jet engines.



The potential investigation by the DoJ will be of interest to Airbus' fierce rival Boeing, which has long lobbied against European state-support for Airbus. Boeing would ordinarily also receive state-support for large aircraft deals in the U.S. from the Import-Export bank, but that has been stymied by the Republican Senator from Alabama, Richard Shelby, who is preventing U.S. President Barack Obama nominating a third member of the bank's five-person board. On deals over $10 million, the bank needs a minimum of three members to approve any deals over $10 million.



The investigation by the SFO will be a disappointment to Airbus after the company had a successful Farnborough Airshow in the U.K. last month where it managed to bring in around $35 billion in deals for 279 aircraft.
A Covington County man escaped arrest Sunday, stole a police car, and then wrecked the patrol car across the state line.

Florala Police Chief Sonny Bedsole said that the suspect, Anthony Scott Brown, is now in custody in the Walton County Jail and will be extradited to Covington County.

Bedsole said that the incident started Sunday around 4:00 p.m. when family members called police and said Brown, 30, was "brandishing a gun."

When police arrived on the scene, Brown let his family out of the house. He remained inside until Florala police and Covington County sheriff's deputies were able to talk him out.

Bedsole said that the suspect came outside and was arrested without incident. He was handcuffed behind his back, which police said is standard procedure, and placed in the backseat of the patrol car.

Brown had multiple outstanding warrants in Alabama and Florida.

Two officers were standing outside the car, and left the car running so Brown would have air conditioning. All other officers were inside the house, where they found a .25 caliber pistol and a shotgun.

Bedsole said that Brown somehow slipped his handcuffs in front of him, climbed through a small window separating the front and back seats, and got into the drivers seat.

Brown drove three miles across the state line into Florida, where he crashed the patrol car and fled the scene on foot.

Bedsole said the patrol car was a total loss.

Walton County sheriff's deputies, Covington County sheriff's deputies, and Florala police set up a perimeter and searched for Brown. He was found by a K9 unit about 1.5 miles away from the scene of the crash.

When Brown was located, he was attempting to break into a vehicle. He was taken into custody.

In Florida, Brown will face charges including possession of stolen property and grand theft auto from a previous warrant.

In Alabama, the suspect will face charges including theft of property, escape, reckless endangerment, and other charges stemming from prior warrants.
It would be hard for people to understand the reaction or overreaction of African Americans if they haven't studied the history of slavery and racial discrimination in the United States. Likewise, it would be impossible to correctly interpret the action, reaction and overreaction of Chinese if they haven't studied the history known as the "century of humiliation".

Just in the past few years, African Americans have taken to the streets in droves across US cities following the fatal shootings or other brutality against black people by police officers.

The shooting to death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in late 2012, for example, gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. The movement gained momentum across the nation following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City, both in 2014, all by police officers.

Marches organized by the movement also were quite noticeable during the recent 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25-28.

Many African Americans lived as slaves in the 18th and much of the 19th century until slavery was abolished in the 1860s by President Abraham Lincoln. However, African Americans still suffered from serious discrimination and unequal rights until the passing of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, which legally bans racial discrimination and segregation.

The situation today is entirely different from the 18th century or even the 1960s. African Americans have taken important positions in the government, Congress, the Supreme Court and the US military. Barack Obama has become the first African American president in the US.

But it cannot unmask the fact that African Americans still face discrimination, as evidenced by the low income and poor education in their communities and the much higher incarceration rate than the nation's average.

Clearly, to many African Americans, the struggle for equality and against racial discrimination is far from over. That explains why they tend to overreact if certain words and actions remind them of the bitter history of slavery and the continuing racial discrimination.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, set to open on Sept 24 in the National Mall in Washington, is likely to help people better understand that mentality.

For Chinese, the "century of humiliation" started in the First Opium War (1840-1842) and lasted until 1949 when the People's Republic of China was founded.

After defeating China in the First Opium War, the British forced the Treaty of Nanking on China. Under the unequal treaty, China ceded the island of Hong Kong to Britain and opened treaty ports. A subsequent unequal treaty granted British extraterritoriality, meaning British were immune from the punishment of Chinese laws.

Such unequal treaties were later imposed on China by other Western powers such as France and Germany.

The Second Opium War (1856-1860) allowed the British to force more opium trade on China and opened more treaty ports. The looting and burning in 1860 of the Old Summer Palace, known to Chinese as Yuanming Yuan, by the British and French troops have left indelible marks on the Chinese collective memory.

Same with the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895). China, which was defeated, was forced to sign the unequal Treaty of Shimonoseki in which China ceded Taiwan and part of the Liaoning peninsula to Japan. China was also forced to pay a huge war indemnity that was several times Japan's GDP at the time.

While China was among the victors of World War I, the German concessions on China's Shandong peninsula were transferred to Japan as a result of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles, instead of returning to China.

There has been no doubt that when Chairman Mao Zedong declared in 1949 in the Tian'anmen Rostrum that the Chinese people have stood up, it resonated so strongly with every Chinese who remembered the bullying by Western powers, or the "century of humiliation".

Unlike the US, whose history in the last 150 years has been seizing land and expanding territory, for China, it has been a bitter memory of ceding territory and bullying by Western powers.

That explains why Chinese took to the streets in massive numbers to protest against the US following the EP-3 spy plane collision in April 2001 and the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in May 1999, and that is also why Chinese took to the streets when the Japanese government in 2012 nationalized the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, territory the Chinese believe belongs to China.

Contact the writer at chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
More than four years after seizing the capital, the Houthis have consolidated their grip over large parts of Yemen.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since late 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

A coalition assembled by Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign against the rebels in March 2015 to try to restore the internationally recognised government of President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

With logistical support from the US, the Saudi-UAE alliance has carried out more than 18,000 raids on Houthi-held areas in an attempt to reverse their gains.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in the fighting, millions of civilians have been forced from their homes and the impoverished country has been pushed to the brink of famine.

The Arab coalitions campaign of air raids has devastated Houthi positions, ammunition depots and bases, but largely failed to pave the way for the recapture of Sanaa.
Even in the lands untouched by war, tens of millions of people suffer the indignities of political powerlessness.

Week after week, year after year, the endless stream of cruelties and occasional barbarism across the Middle East seems only to widen and deepen.

Routine criminal deeds using barrel bombs, chemical weapons, starvation sieges, shooting of children, torture and rape, mass imprisonment, destruction of hospitals and schools, and death by drones and missiles are committed by all actors in the region, including governments, rebel groups, foreign militaries, ethnic militias, and criminal gangs.

Innocent civilians pay the heaviest price. The rule of law and its global human rights and international humanitarian law protection remain elusive, with no serious signs of either deterrence or accountability measures to stop the atrocities.

Even in quiet or wealthy lands untouched by war, tens of millions of people suffer the indignities of political powerlessness, socioeconomic vulnerabilities, and rampant discrimination.

Two countervailing patterns

The temptation to despair is great, yet the nearly 400 million people who live in Arab countries have nowhere to escape to, and must keep seeking the path to stability and equity.

International development experts in the United Nations system and its thousands of non-governmental partners see three critical pillars that underpin stable, secure and satisfying societies and countries: peace and security, development and humanitarianism, and human rights.

Instead of just cursing the madness and cruelty all around us, I decided to ask some experts whom I respect how one day we can reverse the worsening conditions and growing atrocities in the Arab world.

I went first to the person who is charged with promoting global human rights compliance in our world.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Zeid Raad Al Hussein, is a Jordanian prince and seasoned diplomat whose assessment of such sensitive issues over the years I had always found clear, useful, and truthful. I met him in Geneva recently.

Protecting the fundamental freedoms and rights of your citizens is the way to create an antidote to the extremists and their thoughts. Using counterterrorism measures against journalists, activists and politicians to achieve a narrow political aim and consolidate your power base and authority is counterproductive. by Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Should ordinary citizens anywhere expect the UN system to provide practical assistance, or have even just a glimmer of hope that one day soon we will emerge from this nightmare of human cruelty and return to orderly, secure societies, I asked him.

We see two countervailing trends at the same time, he told me. There is growing acceptance of universal norms on issues such as child rights, women, minorities, LGBT, and torture, but some countries take exception to some norms  like sexual and reproductive rights, LGBT communities, and minorities  and say they need more time to overcome cultural resistance.

Some states also sign the human rights agreements, but do not enforce them seriously. Our message to them is simple and clear: What can you say to others who deny your citizens rights, if you also deny rights to your own minorities and vulnerable groups?

One area of progress is offering no amnesty after a peace agreement for those who have been accused of war crimes, and ensuring that those who violate human rights on a massive scale must face their victims in a court of law one day.

OPINION: More freedom of expression for the Middle East

Frustratingly slow but real signs of such progress include the sentencing of former officials of Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On the negative side, he points out, were the devastating consequences of giving former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh amnesty when he stepped down in 2012, which was intended to foster stability, but backfired horribly.

Turbulent conditions in the Middle East

So what does this mean for Syria, Yemen, Libya and other conflicts, I asked? Accountability must be institutionalised in post-conflict transitional justice arrangements, he said, otherwise tensions from deep-rooted grievances will persist, and people will commit atrocities without fear of being brought to court.

In the current turbulent conditions in the Middle East especially, he regularly criticises states in the north and south for overreacting in hysterical ways to existing security or refugee conditions.

Protecting the fundamental freedoms and rights of your citizens is the way to create an antidote to the extremists and their thoughts. Using counterterrorism measures against journalists, activists and politicians to achieve a narrow political aim and consolidate your power base and authority is counterproductive; it often fans the very thing governments say they want to remove from society, including intolerance, incitement to hatred, violence, assorted phobias, and deep racism. This is evident everywhere in the world, including some Middle Eastern societies.

OPINION: The British PM, the Middle East, and human rights

He regularly speaks out about these issues forcefully and frankly. At the UN Human Rights Councils June session he warned against harsh action by specific European, Arab, Asian and African states alike.

He does not shy away from warning about the damage caused by human rights regressions during specific events, such as the war in Yemen, the policies of the Philippines new President Rodrigo Duterte, Donald Trumps statements, or post-coup measures in Turkey.

Human rights for all

Better human rights conditions will emerge from closer coordination among the four levels of activism and official responsibility in this field, he says: governments, state and regional non-governmental organisations, and the UN system.

In the final analysis, he adds, human rights must be consequential for individuals everywhere, in villages, on the border, in the capital and throughout society. We have to keep fighting the tendency by some governments and others to treat human rights as window-dressing in their laws, treaties and rhetoric, without showing any perceptible change at the level of a citizens life.

Human rights protections under the rule are directly related in two ways to the current wave of violence, abuses, state fragmentation, and refugee flows.

He suggests human rights observance is the glue that binds the citizen-state relationship that is absolutely fundamental to the legitimacy of the state. The Arab uprisings of 2011 started in the two states  Egypt and Tunisia  that were well on track to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

It is clear that beyond material conditions, citizens also must feel they are treated with dignity and have a say politically in the direction of their country.

Better human rights protections would also reduce the flows of desperate displaced people and refugees.

If the world had invested in improving human rights conditions in the refugees home countries, and reduced the insane disparities, deprivations and discrimination they faced, we certainly would not have the current refugee flows, human suffering, and underfunded responses, he suggests.

Rami G Khouri is a senior public policy fellow at the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut and a non-resident senior fellow at Harvard University Kennedy School.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
At least five people dead and more than 20,000 rescued in US state amid predictions of more rain from storm system.

US President Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration for the state of Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by unprecedented flooding.

Obamas announcement on Sunday came as John Bel Edwards, Louisianas governor, said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state.

The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west towards Texas, Louisiana residents are told to remain cautious.

Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down, Edwards said.

READ MORE: Dramatic footage captures flash flooding in Maryland

The initial declaration makes federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa.

About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state on Saturday.

Colonel Michael Edmonson, of Louisiana State Police, said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods.

About 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts.

Even as the state grappled with high waters, the National Weather Service forecast heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding.

A flash flood watch was in place until Monday morning for Houston, where rains killed at least eight people in late April.
Rescue operation under way after bus heading to Kavre, east of Kathmandu, veers off a road in Kavrepalanchok district.

At least 30 people have been killed after a passenger bus crashed on a mountain road in central Nepal, according to police.

An additional 30 people were injured on Monday when the bus veered off a road in Kavrepalanchok district, plunging some 300 metres downhill, police spokesman Madhav Joshi told DPA news agency.

Fifteen of the injured were being treated at a hospital in the town of Dhulikhel, southeast of the capital, Kathmandu.

An army helicopter has been sent to airlift the other 15 injured people to Kathmandu, Joshi said.

Bhim Kanta Sharma, the deputy district chief of Kavre, where the bus was heading, told AFP news agency that a rescue operation was continuing.

Rescue workers are still recovering bodies but rain is making their work difficult. We cannot ascertain the final toll right now.

Poorly maintained vehicles, coupled with reckless driving and bad roads, lead to a number of fatal road accidents in Nepal every year.

In late July, nine people died when two passenger buses collided in southeastern Nepal.
Three given community service in the most prominent court case to emerge from the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella movement.

Three leaders of Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement have been sentenced to community service over a protest that prompted huge rallies two years ago.

They were convicted last month for the demonstration that saw students climb into a government complex in September 2014.

It led to large rallies that brought parts of the city to a standstill for two months, but failed to win concessions on political reform from China.

The rallies came to be known as the Umbrella movement, after people used umbrellas as protection from police firing tear gas and pepper spray to break up the protests.

Q&A: The Hong Kong teenager who confronted China

Tensions are high as fears grow that China is closing its grip on semi-autonomous Hong Kong and observers had said that a harsh sentence for the three popular young campaigners could lead to a backlash.

The conviction of Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow last month, in the most prominent court case to emerge from the pro-democracy movement, was criticised by rights group Amnesty International, which described it as an intimidation tactic and a chilling warning to the citys activists.

No criminal records

Magistrate June Cheung said that the three defendants had no previous criminal records, were concerned about social issues and passionate about politics.

They turned it into action, she said.

The court believes the case is different from an ordinary criminal case. I accept they were genuinely expressing their views.

Cheung said it would be unfair to the defendants if a deterrent sentence is imposed based on the political atmosphere.

Wong, 19, and Law, 23, were given community service over the protest, which saw students climb over a fence into forecourt of the government complex in the heart of the city, known as Civic Square.

The third activist, Alex Chow, 25, was given a suspended three-week sentence.

All three were facing possible two-year jail sentences when they appeared at district court on Monday morning.

Political Persecution

Wong and Chow had been charged with taking part in an unlawful assembly for the Civic Square demonstration, while Law was charged with inciting others to take part.

Wong has always said that 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 China.

OPINION: How Hong Kongs umbrella movement folded

Wong and Law, who is a candidate for the citys upcoming legislative council elections, 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.





In another prominent case, activist Ken Tsang of the 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 guaranteed for 50 years, but there are growing concerns that Chinas rulers are no longer adhering to the agreement.
At least seven soldiers wounded in attacks as prime minster asks youths to shun violence in Independence Day speech.

Indian officials say at least seven paramilitary troops have been wounded, three critically, after assailants attacked them in Srinagar, the main city of Indian-administered Kashmir.

KK Sharma, a top official of the Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF), said the attacks came on Monday as India celebrated the anniversary of its independence from Britain.

Authorities have imposed a curfew in large parts of Kashmir, Indias only Muslim-majority state, since July 9 during a surge in violence prompted by the killing of a top separatist commander a day earlier.

The first attack on Monday took place in Srinagars Nowhatta neighbourhood when suspected separatist fighters attacked troops on patrol to enforce a curfew, Sharma said.

He said the second attack occurred in the Khanyar neighbourhood.

The AFP news agency quoted a CRPF spokesman as saying that that 10 officers were wounded in the attacks.





Bhuvesh Chaudhary said seven paramilitary personnel were injured in the Nowhatta attack and three others in the second incident.

Another security official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said intermittent gunfire could be heard in the neighbourhood and it was not yet clear how many attackers were involved.

More than 50 civilians have been killed and thousands more injured in clashes since July 9 between Kashmiri protesters and Indian security forces, in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan region since 2010.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in August 1947 but both claim the territory in full.

READ MORE: Security forces urged to stop using pellet guns in Kashmir

It is the epicentre of a separatist movement, with several armed groups fighting Indian troops and police as they seek either independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Mondays attacks in Kashmir coincided with the annual Independence Day speech by Narendra Modi, Indias prime minister, from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi.

Although he made no direct reference to the situation in Kashmir, he made a general appeal for youths to steer clear of violence and promised jobs for young people.

I want to tell these youths that this country will never tolerate terrorism, this country will never tolerate terrorists and this country will never bow down to terrorists, he said.
In wake of failed coup attempt, unprecedented changes to the Turkish military could deepen divisions in the country.

Turkish authorities have launched an unprecedented shake-up of the countrys security forces after a section of the army attempted to overthrow the government on July 15, turning their weapons on the very people they were sworn to protect.

Soldiers involved in the coup killed hundreds of civilians who had taken to the streets to protect Turkeys elected government, shattering the countrys deep-seated trust and admiration for the armed forces in a matter of hours.

Because we fear others, we create an institution of violence to protect us, but then we fear the very institution we have created for protection, said Metin Gurcan, a security analyst who served as an adviser to the Turkish Armed Forces in Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Iraq between 2002 and 2008.

This implies the need to have protection both by and from the military, he told Al Jazeera.

OPINION: Coups work only for autocracies, not democracies

To solve this dilemma, the Turkish government has initiated a revolutionary civilianisation process, aimed at bringing the military under civilian control and ending the autonomy previously enjoyed by the Turkish Armed Forces. The changes, which began to be rolled out on July 27 under the terms of a state-of-emergency decree, would decrease the armys scope of influence in politics and society.

With the initial dismissal of more than 1,000 ranking officers, the state had formally discharged nearly 44 percent of land force generals, 42 percent of air force generals and 58 percent of navy admirals. By July 31, the total number of soldiers dismissed had surpassed 3,000, while the number of soldiers of various ranks detained stood at around 8,000.

Then, the Gendarmerie Command and Coast Guard Command were brought under the control of the Interior Ministry, while the land force, navy and air forces were brought under the control of the Defence Ministry.

Later, in another state-of-emergency decree, all of Turkeys military schools were shut down, and an inclusive new national defence university was founded to take their place.

The Turkish public, especially supporters of the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has largely applauded the purge in the military. But these rapid and fundamental changes to the structure, purpose and scope of the Turkish Armed Forces  an institution that for decades has been viewed as the foremost protector of Turkish democracy  also rang alarm bells for some.

These reforms will certainly help to bring an end to military tutelage in Turkey, said Tarik Celenk, a retired major and the founder of Ekopolitik, a conservative think-tank.

But we also need to be careful about the risks of civilian tutelage, he told Al Jazeera.

OPINION: Could Turkey turn its back to the West?

The Turkish military, which staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and pressured former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan out of power in 1997, has played a very active role in Turkish political life for decades. In the early 2000s, the army slowly began to civilianise under pressure from both the AK party and the European Union, although it still remained mostly autonomous.

The AK party brought stability to the political system, which in turn gave civilians power and prominence over the military, said Gurcan, who wrote his PhD dissertation on changes to the Turkish military over the past decade.

The AK party brought stability to the political system, which in turn gave civilians power and prominence over the military. by Metin Gurcan, security analyst

At the same time, Turkey diminished or ended military representation in civilian government bodies, introduced greater transparency in defence spending and policy-making, and improved parliamentary oversight of the military while on its reform pathway towards EU membership.

This process of civilianisation reached its peak with the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer trials, in which scores of officers from the Turkish Armed Forces were put on trial and jailed for attempting to topple the government.

In the beginning, these cases were seen as the most serious attempt yet to liberate Turkey from an overly controlling, meddling and dangerous military elite. But later, as both cases collapsed  with the revelation that most of the evidence against the defendants had been fabricated  they came to be seen as little more than a witch-hunt against the secular enemies of Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally, who has been blamed for last months coup attempt.

READ MORE: Turkey court overturns Ergenekon coup plot convictions

Now, even the Turkish government, which gave its full support to prosecutors at the time, accepts that the Ergenekon-Sledgehammer trials were used by Gulenist elements within the judiciary to cull secular personnel from the armed forces.

Amid this backdrop, some secular Turks who view the military as the ultimate protector of Turkeys secular identity have expressed concerns about the current civilianisation process of the armed forces. They fear it could pave the way for another cull of secular military staff, in a similar vein to Ergenekon and Sledgehammer.

At the moment, there are two prominent factions in Turkish society: people who value secularism and principles of Kemalism the most, and people who value religion. by Tarik Celenk, Ekopolitik

At the moment, there are two prominent factions in Turkish society: people who value secularism and principles of Kemalism the most, and people who value religion, Celenk said.

A considerable amount of tension exists between these two groups. They have been suspicious of each other since the first AK party government took power in 2002. They may have come together to fight against Gulen, but they did not actually solve their issues. They only postponed facing them.

After last months failed coup attempt, several military personnel dismissed as a result of the Ergenekon and Sledgehammer trials were reinstated in their military roles  but this was not enough to convince secular Turks that stripping the army of its autonomy is the best course of action.

The attempted coup has not only created a fault line between the military and society, it also increased the visible split between the pro-AKP masses and Turkeys secularist circles, Gurcan said, noting that two competing narratives over the question of who prevented the coup have emerged, pitting the secular elite and civilian masses against each other.

The first narrative focuses on the idea that the people prevented the coup, while the army was sitting in the shadows, he said. This narrative has been taken up predominantly by the mobilised pro-AK-Party and Islamist masses. Their objective is to bring the military under fully-fledged civilian control.

INSIDE STORY: Is Turkey undergoing a shift in foreign policy?

The second narrative is that the military itself resisted the coup plotters, and those Kemalists and secularists within the military prevented the coup, he added. This camp is mainly led by ex-officers who were arrested and tried in the Ergenekon-Sledgehammer cases, Gurcan said, as well as some drawn from secularist and nationalist circles.

They argue that the military should reset to its default factory settings, which are Kemalism, secularism, and the other founding principles of the Republic. Their objective is to re-establish military autonomy with a new ideological outlook, he said.

Because of this, Turkish civilian-military relations have become a new domain for political conflict on the nature and extent of secularism, Kemalism, and religion, which is not good.

Celenk noted that rapidly reforming the military following the coup attempt may deepen divisions within society.

The [failure of the] coup attempt was a chance for reconciliation, he said. But if the government does not seek to reach a consensus with the secularists regarding the future of the Turkish Armed Forces, we may witness further polarisation.

The government has a responsibility to prevent the two sides from becoming embroiled in an open conflict over such an important institution as the military, he said.

OPINION: Whats behind the Turkey-Russia reset?

The implications of this process will affect much more than just Turkish domestic politics, particularly as Turkey continues its fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

For its part, the government insists that the purge and subsequent reforms to the army will only increase Turkeys military prowess.

Removing rogue elements from the security forces will make it easier for Turkey to address national security threats, including ISIL and the PKK, a senior government official told Al Jazeera.

We will be able to make sure that each part of the system receives orders from their official superiors instead of their superiors within FETO [Fethullah Gulen Terror Organisation], he added.
At least four police officers and three civilians killed in a car bomb blast near Turkeys southeastern Diyarbakir city.

At least four police officers and three civilians, including a child, have been killed in a powerful car bomb explosion outside a police station near Turkeys southeastern city of Diyarbakir, according to state media.

A further 21 people, including six police officers, were also wounded in the blast on Monday near a police control post on a highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman.

Footage of the aftermath of the attack showed that the blast had destroyed a large portion of the police station, including parts of its roof, with the bomb leaving a giant crater in front of the building.

Earlier on Monday, the local governors office had said in a statement that 25 people, including eight police officers, had suffered injuries.

Local officials blamed the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels for the attack, according to the AFP news agency.

No group, however, has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

PKK, designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the EU and the US, took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

This car bomb targeting a police station shows how southeastern TUrkey is a region thats still being plagued by deadly violence, Al Jazeeras Reza Sayah, reporting from Gaziantep in southern Turkey, said.

For years now, government forces and Kurdish fighters in southeastern Turkey have been locked in what many people describe as a low-intensity civil war.

At least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed last week in two separate attacks blamed on the PKK in the southeast of the country, which has seen some of the most intense fighting in decades after a ceasefire between the Turkish state and the PKK collapsed in July 2015.

Thousands of PKK fighters, security force members and civilians have since been killed in fighting across the region.
Operator of New Yorks international airport says no bullet shells found but action taken out of abundance of caution.

A preliminary investigation at New Yorks John F Kennedy International Airport has found no evidence of gunfire inside one of its terminals despite earlier reports of shots being heard, according to the airports operator.

No gun casings were found after a search of Terminal 8, where reports of shooting in the departures area on Sunday led to an evacuation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a Twitter message.

The preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at JFK. There are no injuries. At this time, no gun shells or other evidence of shots fired has been found, the Port Authority said.

Hundreds of people were evacuated out of an abundance of caution, according to the Port Authority.

Opinion: Is it still safe to fly?

Video and photos posted on social media showed hundreds of people streaming out of Terminal 8, used by Air Berlin, Alaska Airlines, American Eagle, American Airlines, Finnair and other carriers for departures.

Panic spread quickly through the crowd as police ordered people to lie on the ground, then evacuated them outside on the tarmac before making them pass through a corridor.

Get down on the ground! police officers yelled. Move, move move!

JFK UPDATE: All terminals searched & cleared. Negative results. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired.  NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) August 15, 2016

Al Jazeeras Mike Hanna, reporting from New York, said there was a general sense of panic and chaos at the immensely busy airport.

You had a situation that there was a disruption in place. There is general sense of panic that is going on at the moment, and delays that the authorities say were due to an abundance of caution.

JFK is still at high alert.

Amelia Mularz, a stranded passenger, was on a plane travelling to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil when her flight was disrupted.

The flight attendant came and announced that there was an active shooter so thats why we were not moving. So weve been sitting here since then. Its been three hours now, she told Al Jazeera.

Huge sighs

Sherwin Bryce-Pease, a correspondent for the South African Broadcasting Corp based in New York, was on a Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris that landed at JFK shortly before 10pm EDT (02:00 GMT).

They told us nothing from the flight deck. Only that the earliest the gate available will be in an hour and 15 minutes from when we landed  an announcement [that was] greeted by huge sighs on our Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris, he said.

On Saturday, reports of gunfire sent a crowded mall in Raleigh, North Carolina, into chaos.

The Crabtree Valley Mall was placed on lockdown during early afternoon after several shoppers reported hearing gunfire, but a search turned up no suspects or bullet casings.
Government air strikes and a suicide bombing kill more than 100 people in 24 hours in Syrias rebel-held territories.

Opposition activists in Syria say at least 66 people have been killed in fighting across the country in the past 24 hours.

They say Syrian government and Russian air strikes have carried out fresh bombardment of Aleppo and neighbouring Idlib province.

There were 26 air strikes in Idlib on Sunday alone, killing at least nine people, according to the activists.

Perhaps nothing indicates more effectively how intense the fighting is in Syria than the daily death toll, said Al Jazeeras Reza Sayah, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkey-Syria border.

Rarely have we seen a day where scores of people have not been killed.

Late on Sunday, at least 35 people were killed and many more injured, some critically, after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive vest inside a bus in Syrias Idlib province, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Syrian Observatory said the bus was carrying opposition fighters when the blast happened near the Atmeh border crossing.

In critical condition

Turkeys CNN Turk television citing local sources reported that the explosion occurred at the entrance of Atmeh refugee camp in Idlib.

Turkey sent several ambulances to the scene of the attack. Eight injured rebels who were in critical condition were taken to hospitals in Turkeys Hatay province. The rest are being treated in Syrian hospitals, Turkish media reported.

Authorities in Hatay said in an official statement on Monday that four of the injured fighters later died in Turkish hospitals.

Idlib is a major bastion of the Turkey-backed opposition to President Bashar al-Assads rule.

The Syrian Observatory had earlier reported 26 air strikes on Sunday across the province.

Rami Abdurrahman, the observatorys head, said Russian and government air strikes have intensified since rebels launched a campaign on July 31 from Idlib to break a government siege of Aleppos opposition districts.

The raids have killed scores of civilians, he said.

Staggering death tolls

For its part, the Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots network of activists, says that more than 180 civilians have been killed across Syria since Friday, including 22 children and 23 women.

At least 90 people were killed on Friday, while a further 83 civilian deaths were recorded by Saturday night, with most of them occurring in 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.

The Syrian Observatory also released figures on Sunday detailing the killing of at least 327 civilians, including 76 children and 41 women, in Aleppo over the last 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 government bombardment, according to the observatory.
Taliban fighters have captured a key district in Afghanistans northern province of Baghlan after days of fighting, Afghan officials say.

The fighters launched a coordinated attack on Dahana-e-Ghori on Friday that led to heavy fighting in the area until the Taliban took control of the district on Monday.

Amir Gul Hussainkhil, deputy police chief of Baghlan, said Dahana-e-Ghori district was under siege for days and the Taliban managed to seize it because dozens of Afghan forces made a tactical retreat.

However, the Taliban, known to exaggerate in their reporting of casualties and impact of the attacks for which they claim responsibility, said they killed and captured many policemen.

We have hoisted our white flag in the district now. Many Afghan forces have been killed and 33 soldiers are captured, Zabiullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

Al Jazeeras Qais Azimy, reporting from Kabul, said the Taliban opened two other frontlines, fighting against Afghan security forces in Baghlan-e-Markazi, which neighbours Dahana-e-Ghori, and in Tala wa Barfak.

READ MORE: Afghanistan political crisis  Entitlement vs democracy

The importance of Baghlan province is that the main highway which links Kabul to the nine other provinces in the north and northeast of Afghanistan cross Baghalan province, he said.

So if the Taliban manages to keep control of Dahana-e-Ghori and gain control of Baghlan-e-Markazi district, where heavy fighting is still going on, that could mean they will be able to control the main highway of the nine other districts.

Elsewhere, in the southern province of Helmand, fighting continues to rage in four districts as Afghan forces hold off fighters advancing on the provincial capital, according to government officials.

About 30,000 people have been displaced in Helmand in recent weeks, local officials said, with many of them fleeing to Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, forced to abandon their lentil, maize and cotton crops during the lucrative harvest season. One third of casualties reported between January and June in Afghanistan were children, with 388 killed and 1,121 wounded, 18 percent more than in the first half of 2015, a figure the UN described as alarming and shameful.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east of the country to once peaceful regions in the north. Low morale The security problems facing Afghanistan are being compounded by a growing political crisis within the Afghan government. Abdullah Abdullah, Afghanistans chief executive, recently criticised President Ashraf Ghani for failing to work collaboratively and deemed him undeserving to serve the government. The political crisis in the country is what the Taliban are benefiting from. If you talk to any soldier, they will tell you that it is lowering their morale, Al Jazeeras Azimy reported. Despite air support from US and Afghan warplanes, government troops are struggling against the Taliban, with senior government officials saying the fighters are becoming better trained and equipped.

With reporting by Shereena Qazi, follow her on Twitter: @shereenaqazi
Two soldiers reported wounded in Narathiwat province, days after a spate of bomb attacks struck tourist resort towns.

Fresh explosions have rocked Thailands south, days after a spate of bomb and arson attacks struck multiple tourist resort towns.

In one of the incidents, a bomb went off on Monday morning in Bacho district, Narathiwat province, targeting government troops in motorcycles.

One soldier was seriously injured from a bomb buried under the road, local police captain Wiroge Boonkae told AFP news agency.

According to The Nation, a Bangkok-based newspaper, a second soldier was also wounded in the explosion.

READ MORE: Will Thailands new constitution lead to stability?

The report also said that a second bomb went off after the arrival of investigators at the site. But there were no reported injuries in the second blast.

Police said a further three blasts struck the neighbouring Yala province, though no injuries were reported.

The latest explosions happened just days after a series of bombings on Thursday and Friday, which killed four people and wounded 35 others, including tourists.

Thai investigators did not say, however, whether Mondays explosions were linked to last weeks incidents.

The southern Thai region, which the country annexed a century ago, has been battered by 12 years of violence between the Buddhist-majority state and Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy.





Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs in the area have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians.

But the violence has largely remained local.

Last weeks attacks hit tourist resort towns further north  a highly unusual assault in a country where foreign visitors are rarely caught up in political violence.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree, but Thai authorities have ruled out foreign involvement and said the culprits are local saboteurs.

Officials also quickly dismissed suggestions that southern armed groups were behind the attacks.

With southern armed groups ruled out by the military government, official suspicion has fallen on groups within the so-called Red Shirt movement, loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Red Shirts, however, have denied any suggestion of involvement, and accused the military government of using the bomb blasts to roll out a fresh crackdown against them.

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.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has said he will introduce extreme vetting of immigrants and set up a new commission on radical Islam if he wins the US election in November.

In a foreign policy speech on Monday, the billionaire businessman said the goal of the new commission would be to expose networks within the US that support radicalisation.

As president, Trump said, he would ask the state department and department of homeland security to identify regions of the world that remain hostile to the US, and where screening might not be sufficient to catch those who pose a threat.

READ MORE: Trump and the Khans

We should only admit into our country those who share our values and respect our people, he said from Youngstown, Ohio.

In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting.





As part of the plan, Trump, who has previously called for a ban on Muslims entering the US, said that he would temporarily suspend immigration from countries that have a history of exporting terrorism.

He said that every year, the US admits 100,000 permanent immigrants from the Middle East, and hundreds of thousands more temporary workers and visitors from the same region.

We will stop processing visas from those areas until such time as it is deemed safe to resume based on new circumstances or new procedures.

Fight against ISIL

Outlining his policy to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Trump also reversed an earlier position, promising that he would work with NATO allies to defeat the armed group if elected.

We will also work closely with NATO on this new mission, said Trump, whose previous remarks about the organisation earlier this summer drew heavy criticism from US allies, and even some of his fellow Republicans.

Trump, who last week called US President Barack Obama the founder of ISIL, also attacked his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton for enabling the rise of the armed group, which is also known as ISIS.

Sticking largely to prepared remarks and reading from a teleprompter, something he rarely does, Trump also criticised Clintons record as secretary of state and said she lacked the judgment and character to lead the country.





Does he have any idea?

Trumps comments came amid increased scrutiny of his campaign and his off-the-cuff, inflammatory statements.

Before his speech, the Clinton campaign said on Twitter: Trumps candidacy alone is undermining our national security.

In a campaign appearance with Clinton in the state of Pennsylvania, Vice President Joseph Biden said that Trump has no clue what it takes to lead this great country.

Biden also said that Trumps accusation that Obama and Clinton had created ISIL endangered the lives of US troops abroad.

Ladies and gentlemen, does he have any idea of the adverse consequences these comments have on our allies, our friends and the physical safety of our troops?  he said.

Trump is already making our country less safe.

A ruinous presidency

Separately on Monday, US Asia experts who served in past Republican administrations said they would back Clinton in the presidential race, as Trump would lead to ruinous marginalization for the US in the region.

In an open letter, the eight former senior officials said that with global strategic competition growing, including from China, it was absolutely the wrong time to elect an unstable, ill-prepared amateur with no vision or foresight to meet the manifold challenges of the 21st century.

They said the Republican nominee offered only bluster or preposterous panaceas for Asia that would wreck our countrys credibility, economy, and leadership in very short order.

The signatories to the letter included Michael Green, who served as President George W Bushs top Asia adviser at the White House, James Clad, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense, and Patrick Cronin, a former senior official at the US Agency for International Development.

In short, if the Trump brand  becomes Americas brand, we can expect ruinous marginalization in Asia and unwanted compliance with rules which the Chinese and other challengers set, they said.
Hospital supported by MSF in northwestern Yemen hit by air strike, killing at least 11 and wounding 19, aid group says.

At least 11 people have been killed and 19 wounded in an air strike on a hospital in northwestern Yemen, according to the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) aid group, which helps run the facility.

Mondays attack on Abs hospital, located in Hajjah province, which is held by Houthi rebels, immediately killed nine people, including an MSF staff member, the Paris-based organisation said in a statement.

Two other patients died while being transferred to another hospital in Yemen, while five of the patients remained hospitalised, according to MSF.

MSF said the Arab coalition, which has been conducting air strikes in its battle against Yemens Houthi rebels, was responsible for the hit, and asked all parties  to guarantee that such attacks do not happen again.

There was no immediate comment from the coalition.

Air strike has partially destroyed @MSF-supported Abs hospital in #Hajjah, #Yemen and all remaining patients and staff have been evacuated  MSF Yemen (@msf_yemen) August 15, 2016

Teresa Sancristobal, MSF emergency programme manager for Yemen, said this was the fourth attack against a facility run by the group in less than a year.

Once again, today we witness the tragic consequences of the bombing of a hospital, she said.

Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients.

At the time of the strike, there were 23 patients in surgery, 25 in the maternity ward, 13 newborns and 12 in pediatrics, MSF said.

READ MORE- UN: All sides flouting humanitarian law in Yemen

The attack on the hospital came two days after an air strike on a school in Haydan, in Yemens northwestern Saada province, killed at least 10 children and wounded about 30, according to MSF.

The victims were aged between aged between eight and 15 years, the group said.

Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh loyalists, captured large swaths of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

The Arab 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 in fighting across the country.
Opposition party challenges result of presidential election, claiming the electoral commission colluded to rig the vote.

Zambias incumbent President Edgar Lungu has been declared the winner of a closely fought presidential election, but the result was immediately challenged by his main opponent Hakainde Hichilema.

Lungu, leader of the Patriotic Front (PF), won 50.35 percent of Thursdays vote, against 47.67 percent for Hichilema, of the United Party for National Development (UPND), the Electoral Commission of Zambia said on Monday.





The opposition party quickly, however, rejected the result, claiming the electoral commission had colluded to rig the vote against its candidate.

We have evidence to the effect that the votes for Hakainde Hichilema have been deliberately reduced in collusion with the Electoral Commission of Zambia, the UPNDs lawyer, Jack Mwiimbu, told journalists.

We have confidence that the constitutional court will rise above board and declare the results a nullity, he said.

Police said officers were sent to quell rioting by Hichilemas supporters in the south of the country who blocked roads and burned tyres after the result was announced. Southern province police commissioner Goldwin Phiri reported clashes with police in the towns of Monze, Chombe and Mazabuka.

We dont know where we are headed, but  there will be trouble, a civil servant in Mazabuka told DPA news agency.

Al Jazeeras Tania Page, reporting from the capital, Lusaka, said Hichilema has really been able to cast a lot of doubt over the process, raising many complaints about the campaign period and vote-counting process.

Some of that has been supported by international observer missions, Page said.

Most particularly, the European Union, which agreed with his claims that the state media is heavily biased towards the government.

The EU also supported Hichilemas view that police had acted with political motives at times, and had also cracked down quite harshly on some of his political gatherings, our correspondent said.

The election was fought around the issues of rising unemployment, mine closures, power shortages and soaring food prices which Hichilema, an economist and businessman, blamed on Lungus mismanagement.

Lungu has been in office for just 19 months after he first took power last year when he beat Hichilema by fewer than 28,000 votes in a snap election following the death in office of president Michael Sata.





His re-election will see him remain in power for another five-year term.

Hundreds of Lungus supporters, most of them young men draped in PF regalia, took to the streets of Lusaka, chanting slogans and singing, while drivers hooted their car horns in celebration.

Emanuel Phiri, 48, a taxi driver, said he believed Lungu was the popular choice of the Zambian people.

Lungu really worked hard for this and God has made it possible, he told Al Jazeera.

The opposition, however, has launched a challenge to the result and will appear in court later in the week, Al Jazeeras Page said.

We are going to petition this election in court. It was full of irregularities, malpractices and vote stealing, said Brian Mwiinga, spokesperson for Hichilemas UPND.

The narrow margin that the electoral commission claims Lungu won by is not legitimate and because it is such a small percentage it shows that it does not reflect the will of the people; instead it simply tells us the story that the election was stolen, he told Al Jazeera.

Chris Akufuna, a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of Zambia, declined to comment on the disputed result, but urged aggrieved parties to submit complaints in writing.

Gilles Kasongo, of the Zambia Election Information Centre, a coalition of civil society organisations focusing on governance and electoral procedure, said that several flaws in the election process made it difficult to accept that it was a fair victory.

There are strong concerns in the electoral commissions handling of matters concerning results, and these should be taken up in the courts by political parties, Kasongo told Al Jazeera, adding that the use of public funds to finance the ruling partys campaign means the victory cannot be seen as a just win.

Additional reporting by Tendai Marima in Lusaka. Follow Tendai on Twitter: @i_amten
           2005     ..        
(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The most talented baristas from across the Middle East, Europe and Africa met up in Dubai earlier this month for an epic barista showdown to determine who can make the very best espresso as Gloria Jean's Coffees searches for its best coffee maker.

The Regional Final was won by Marcelino Lacurum from Kuwait, whose signature beverage, the Cococcino', impressed the judges with its mix of espresso coffee, coconut milk, young coconut strips and coconut flake garnish.

As well as holding the title of IMEA Barista Champion for 2016, Marcelino was awarded full travel expenses to the Gold Coast, Australia, where he will compete for the chance to win AUD$3,000 cash and the title of World Barista Champion in September this year. ...



Source : http://me-newswire.net//news/18467/en...
Naysayers love to nay. And the bitcoin skeptics  of which there are many  are at it again. In late June, Citi Research released a report that asked, "Could the Bitcoin Blockchain Disrupt Payments?"

The researchers' short answer  unsurprisingly  was: no. That short answer, however, was shortsighted. Even more troubling is that Citigroup is not alone in its critique of the cryptocurrency.

We have a little secret for all of those who once again have predicted bitcoin's imminent demise: They're wrong. Instead of simply shouting that point over and over again, let's carefully examine some of the faulty arguments cryptocurrency naysayers, when they are naying, seem to be saying in unison.

The U.S. and Western Europe are well served by existing financial systems.

Here, we mostly agree. Existing centralized payment systems can work for those within the established system. But what of the 2.5 billion people excluded from the established system? For the disenfranchised living in places banks cannot or will not serve, bitcoin can change lives.

The naysayer argument here (and well articulated by Citi) is a familiar established financial refrain: "We do not believe bitcoin is superior to existing centralized payment systems." Yet, can we really argue the superiority of a model unavailable to so many?

Indeed, the established financial industry has left over a third of the world's population without access to checking accounts, saving accounts or credit cards. It doesn't have to be that way.

Blockchain technology provides the opportunity to rewrite the financial services sector and create a more global, open and efficient system. Such a system can provide unparalleled access to a stronger economic future for billions across the globe. It can help a woman in Afghanistan who seeks to hold value independent of the men in her life, or a doctor in Venezuela who is watching the bolivar become worthless every day but can secure assets by holding their value in bitcoin.

Bitcoin can't reach parts of the world that lack internet services.

A working paper from the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development is just the latest in a lengthy string of commentary from naysayers articulating the loudest and longest-running argument against bitcoin: limited connectivity. In the paper, researcher Brett Scott writes:

"There remain doubts as to the viability of Bitcoin within countries with poor infrastructure and technology access. Besides the issue of establishing trust in an otherwise poorly understood digital token system, there needs to [be] consistent internet availability and efficient electrical grids."

Let's put this issue to bed once and for all: Connectivity is not an issue. The reason is you don't need a computer connection to be connected. There are at least 7 billion mobile phone subscriptions in the world  that means there are almost twice as many people with cell phones than bank accounts or working toilets. The combination of digital currency and mobile phone connectivity promises to fundamentally overhaul a banking system to the benefit of those excluded from the current so-called superior model.

The "last mile" cost makes bitcoin a last resort.

The naysayers, including Jamie Dimon, argue that bitcoin will never be a major competitor to the U.S. dollar.

Among the reasons often cited, particularly by money transfer operators, is that bitcoin doesn't solve certain cost challenges associated with remittances. While bitcoin can streamline the value transfers, it does not affect what is known as the "last mile" costs of making the conversion into local currency.

Again, we agree. But it's a misguided point because it assumes that conversion is a foregone conclusion, when it's not. Believing conversion is the ultimate goal is a view deeply rooted in the Western banking paradigm. However, in many parts of the world, holding value in bitcoin is preferable to the volatility of local currency. Note the aforementioned Venezuelan doctor who has no interest in converting bitcoin to bolivar anytime soon.

Bitcoin's two "incurable" diseases.

The number of bitcoin obituaries is almost endless. One of the chief causes of death are bitcoin companies' lack of resiliency in such a volatile market. Bitcoin has only been around since 2009 so it's neither time-tested nor stable.

Bill Gates has flagged resiliency/volatility as a bitcoin pitfall. But what the naysayers and obit writers overlook is that youth bears no relation to resiliency, just as age does not suggest security. Don't believe us? One word: Brexit.

In the immediate wake of Brexit, bitcoin experienced record transaction volumes as it became a safe haven for Brits watching the pound tumble. Despite the cryptocurrency's increased use and relative youth, bitcoin's value remained stable because its global nature made it more resilient to geo-political risk.

And yet the naysayers continue to nay. But as we have said, they're getting it all wrong. Is bitcoin perfect? Of course not, though we would argue that it's perfectly accessible  an attribute lacking in our "superior" centralized system.

Could the bitcoin blockchain disrupt payments? The right answer is a resounding yes.

Arthur Levitt Jr. is former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Peter Smith is CEO of Blockchain, a provider of blockchain technology and bitcoin wallets.
California state lawmakers have dropped plans for legislation this year to create a new license for bitcoin companies.

The effort to create the state's own BitLicense was halted last week after virtual currency advocates strongly opposed a new version of the plan, charging that it had grown to encompass too many types of businesses.

The bill, which was first introduced in 2015, will be reintroduced next year, said Mark Farouk, a spokesman for the California State Assembly's Committee on Banking and Finance.

"It is dead for this year," Farouk said. "We couldn't find consensus to come up with the right solution" by the end of this year's legislative session, he added.

A version of the bill introduced last week drew fire from virtual currency advocates who had previously grown to applaud how it differed from the New York BitLicense  notably in its lack of new anti-money-laundering requirements.

But the latest version, Coin Center Executive Director Jerry Brito said in a letter to California Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee Chairman Steven M. Glazer, "is a completely re-written bill."

Brito said the bill was not targeted enough, and was likely to force businesses that support virtual currency exchanges  such as multi-sig providers or even miners  to seek a license. "It not only provides no regulatory clarity, it will likely stifle innovation if enacted unchanged," Brito said in his letter.

The plan would require all virtual currency businesses to apply for California's "Digital Currency Business Enrollment Program." The license would cost $2,500 annually, and companies would have to pay $5,000 to apply or risk facing up to $25,000 in fines.

Virtual currency advocates also complained that the rule did not explicitly allow companies enrolled in the program to be exempt from money transmission licensing.

"We would expect the creation of a new 'enrollment program' would take the place of money transmission licensing, thus providing clarity," Brito said. "If it does not, then it is difficult to see what is the purpose of this bill."

The next version of the bill, which could be introduced as early as January 2017, will look different, Farouk said. "I think there's going to be a lot of things that are going to be modified," he said. Legislators, he said, are considering taking a closer look at a model virtual currency bill being developed by the Uniform Law Commission.


PNC Financial Services Group has expanded its support of mobile wallets to Microsoft devices.

Customers of the $350 billion-asset bank can now store their consumer and small-business debit and credit card details to their Microsoft Wallet to make contactless payments anywhere where Near Field Communication is enabled, PNC confirmed Monday.

The Pittsburgh company began testing the program with volunteer users of Windows 10 Mobile devices on July 26 and completed its rollout to all bank customers on Aug. 9, according to Alan Aldinger, a PNC spokesman.

PNC also supports Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay.

Microsoft Wallet has fewer bank partners than other wallets. According to Microsoft's website, PNC is joined in supporting Microsoft Wallet by Bank of America, U.S. Bank, People's United Bank and a few credit unions. The website also notes that the wallet will soon be supported by JPMorgan Chase and Fifth Third Bank.


Neighborhood Bancorp in San Diego has an agreement in place to raise $6 million.

The $58 million-asset company said in a press release Monday that Stephen Taylor, chairman and chief executive of Taylor Asset Management in Chicago, is leading a $6 million investment in its Neighborhood National Bank, effectively doubling its capital.

The company said the investment would raise the bank's Tier 1 capital ratio to more than 18% and its total risk-based capital to more than 38%. The transaction expected to close between now and January.

"This agreement represents an important step in recapitalizing and positioning the bank for future growth," Dan Yates, the bank's president and chief executive, said in the release.

Yates said that, through strategic planning and board oversight, Taylor has been able to help turn around several California banks, including Tri-Valley Bank in San Ramon, Coast National Bank in San Luis Obispo, Pan Pacific Bank in Fremont and Sierra Vista Bank in Folsom.

Neighborhood National Bank, a community development financial institution, was formed in 1997.


10 Big Ideas for Banking in 2015 From the brain drain to cyber threats, the revenue squeeze to regulatory pressure, the challenges banks face are absolutely daunting. But we're here to help with some interesting ideas for thwarting hackers, winning new customers and making more money. Get ready for a busy year. December 29

Law and regulation Good Election News for Supporters of Green Banks Connecticut and New York are the only states to have established institutions specifically called green banks to stimulate lending on clean energy projects, but others could soon join them following the election of green bank-friendly governors in nine states. November 11

Consumer banking Here Comes the Sun: Banking the Upstart Solar Industry The solar industry is still developing, but Mercatus CEO Haresh Patel has suggestions for banks that want to get in on it now. July 28

Until the New York Green Bank came along, lenders at M&T Bank wouldn't have given much thought to financing a photovoltaic power plant  also known as a solar farm  on a contaminated industrial site in Buffalo. But with the Green Bank offering credit enhancement in the form of a guarantee, M&T felt comfortable enough to help with the construction project. That's exactly the outcome New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had hoped for when he established the state-funded Green Bank through an executive order. The bank's goal is to accelerate the state's green economy by helping lenders finance alternative energy projects that they aren't yet ready or willing to finance on their own.

The bank, headed by longtime Citigroup executive Alfred Griffin, opened for business in February and announced its first round of transactions in October. They include supporting the loan for that four-megawatt solar farm; providing construction funding to a firm that builds and operates cogeneration facilities in large commercial buildings like hospitals and hotels; and establishing a $100 million warehouse facility that will be used to put more solar panels on residential rooftops. Its partners in the various projects include M&T, First Niagara Bank, Citigroup, Bank of America and Deutsche Bank.

Though New York and Connecticut are the only states that have publicly funded green banks, more are expected soon. The Coalition for Green Capital, an industry group that supports creation of green banks, points out that six states recently voted in governors who back green banks. Those looking to diversify into new types of lending should take note.

Bankers say that deals involving renewable energy projects often require public support to get done. Among the issues that can keep banks from making these loans on their own is a lack of operational history on the type of equipment involved.

"We have various tools we can use to finance projects  debt, equity, securitizations  but often there's a piece of the puzzle that [a bank] can't do because we don't have years and years of data," says Marshal Salant, global head of alternative energy finance at Citi. "There are things that are difficult for us to do as a regulated bank that a green bank can do."

The Green Bank's Griffin says many community and regional banks aren't comfortable financing alternative energy projects because they don't have the expertise to thoroughly evaluate them. Larger banks might have that expertise, but sometimes view projects as too small to be worthwhile.

No matter a bank's reason for trepidation, the Green Bank can help. It is staffed by many ex-bankers with experience in alternative energy financing who can vet projects properly. "They provided us not only with financial support, but also with technical support," says Jeff Wellington, an M&T regional president. "M&T is not necessarily an expert in this type of financing, so that level of expertise was critical."

Part of the Green Bank's mission is to help lenders become experts. "Some of these projects are right in their backyards so they have an interest in supporting those things and developing that experience," Griffin says.

But in some cases, projects of interest to the Green Bank, like financing installation of solar panels on homes, aren't very appealing to large banks. So the Green Bank is helping to facilitate the warehousing of these small loans, which the banks then could buy and package for sale to investors.

New York expects the $800 million invested in the first round of Green Bank projects to result in an annual reduction of 575,000 tons of carbon dioxide  the equivalent of taking 120,000 cars off the road per year.

The Green Bank's success in finding bank partners for its energy projects bodes well for the six states  California, Colorado, Hawaii, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont  that elected green-bank-friendly governors, says Reed Hundt, CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital. Hundt, a former head of the Federal Communications Commission, sees the need to support clean energy as an imperative. "If in 10 years the country has not moved to a clean energy platform, then we'll be spending money on building dikes and walls around Miami and New York City," he says.
On August 2, the Kansas City Star ran "Public pays for the private political choices of each party" by Dave Helling. His main point is that taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for primary elections. He bases that on his contention that our political parties are "private institutions," not "public entities." Helling writes: "In almost all states, though, the public pays for private party decisions [i.e., primary elections], a fact that would make the Founders cringe."

But the states require the parties to hold primary elections. And insofar as the primary elections are "private party decisions," that's completely false in states that have "open primaries" like Missouri, where anyone can ask for the ballot of any party (you'd think a political columnist for a Missouri newspaper like the Star would have heard of El Rushbo's Operation Chaos). Not only that, but the states intrude into the parties' delegate selection for their national conventions, dictating how delegates will be chosen and even how they vote. How, then, can one say that America's political parties are private?

If Helling believes that the parties are indeed "private institutions," then the issue he should be addressing is not who pays for the primaries, but whether the states should be demanding that the parties even conduct primaries.

Here in Missouri, we had four candidates for governor in the Republican primary. What the 2016 Missouri gubernatorial primaries resulted in is a Republican winner (Greitens) who used to be a Democrat and a Democrat winner (Koster) who used to be a Republican. Only the primary system can produce outcomes like that, and it should pose quite a dilemma for Missouri voters in November. If Missouri's GOP committees had the latitude to choose their candidate for governor, would they have chosen a former Democrat who had attended Obama's 2008 convention? Maybe Greitens and Koster are fine fellows and worthy of consideration, but their ascension to the general election cannot be said to be the results of decisions made by "private institutions."

Helling seems to be committing a "category error" (or some other mistake) when he compares primary elections to other elections (italics added):

Let's say union members pick a new president, or a company's stockholders elect a board of directors. Those common elections are paid for by the members and the stockholders. Asking taxpayers to pay would be absurd. Unions and corporations are private entities. So are the Republican and Democratic parties.

This is a most unfortunate analogy. First, one must pay to be a union member and to be a stockholder; union members pay dues, and stockholders buy stock, making them owners. But voting in a political election is a right; primary election voters don't pay to exercise that right.

Helling's error rests on his misattribution of "private" to political parties. Yes, political parties in America are technically private, but the states make them jump through so many hoops and put so many requirements on them that they might as well be public. The parties in America are private in about the same way that corporations are private in fascist states: government intrudes and dictates.

Another thing Helling is forgetting about is that unions and corporations usually operate across state lines. While they may be headquartered in one state, many of the voters may not be residents of that state. But political election laws, including those for primaries, are state-specific.

The Constitution gives the power to conduct elections to the legislatures of the several states. That makes sense because all elective offices in America but one, even federal offices, are specific to the states and the jurisdictions within the states. The one political office that is not state-specific and that all eligible Americans get to vote for is, of course, the president of the United States. However, in 2016, both major-party nominees for president are seen by millions of Americans as unfit and unacceptable. Whom to blame for this unhappy turn of events?

The primary voters deserve some of the blame, but they constituted only a tiny minority of eligible voters. The voters who didn't vote in the primaries  i.e. the majority of eligible voters  deserve more blame. Even more blame should be heaped upon the convention delegates who voted for the nominees, for they could have stopped it all. As for how much blame should be attached to the various party committee chairpersons, that is a more difficult call.

But the entities that deserve the most blame for the choices the American people have for president this year are the states, for it is the state legislatures that have produced the ungodly stew of laws that we call the presidential primary system. It is that system that makes it so difficult for decent people to run for office. (And I say that as a big states' rights advocate.)

If our political parties were truly private, there would be no presidential primaries. Instead, party nominees would be chosen in national conventions by delegates who would be thoroughly vetted by party committees. All delegates would be "unbound" and could choose anyone. In a private system, there is no way "outsiders" like Sanders and Trump would have gotten as far as they did. Sanders and Trump would have had to run in some other party or under no party.

But what about Hillary, you ask? Some think she should be wending her way through the judicial system rather than to the White House. In a private party system with no primaries and therefore no presumptive nominees going into the conventions, would the FBI have hesitated to recommend prosecution of Mrs. Clinton? I believe that her designation as "presumptive nominee" affected the FBI's decision on prosecution. And if so, didn't the current primary system work to "corrupt" the FBI's judgment on this matter?

Now that the conventions have come and gone, and we have our nominees, there remain but two avenues to having better choices this fall. The first is that the nominees could drop out. How likely is that? The second is that the national committees might be able to replace the presidential nominees, which is already being discussed. (There's quite a range of opinions on this second possibility; go here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here.)

The fact that "the public"  i.e., voters  has any say in the selection of the parties' candidates is itself enough to classify the parties as being (at least) semi-public. But a party is not a suicide pact. If a party's elders see that the voters have erred in their choice for the top of the ticket, then rather than meekly accept annihilation for their entire ticket, the party should override the voters and replace the nominee. Were the parties to have such interventions, then Dave Helling might be able to make a better case that the parties are "private institutions."

Jon N. Hall is a programmer/analyst from Kansas City.
Donald Trump was not my first choice for the Republican nomination. He often makes intemperate statements, and comes across as his own worst enemy during the campaign. He might not be the best person lead the United States down the right road to a secure and prosperous future, but he is at least on the right road. If we're on the wrong road, as represented by Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee, we have no chance whatsoever of reaching any destination except national ruin.

Robinson, Breasted, and Smith's most recent edition of Earlier Ages was written in 1965, more than 50 years before the current issues it describes with uncanny precision. These issues are, quite simply, as Michael Savage describes them: "Borders, language, and culture." Donald Trump has shown clearly that he wants to choose the road that leads us away from the Roman Empire's fatal mistakes while Hillary Clinton wants to repeat them.

One of the discussion questions for the chapter on "A Century of Revolution" is, "The racial change which took place in the population was the greatest single cause of the downfall of Rome" (page 366). Page 355 makes it clear, however, that "racial" does not refer to skin color or ethnicity as it does today, but rather to attitudes, values, and culture. Rome benefited enormously from ethnic diversity while foreign, inferior, and non-Roman attitudes and values were the principal causes of its destruction.

Desirable Immigrants Helped Build Rome and the United States

Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party support unrestricted immigration while Donald Trump welcomes only immigrants who have job skills along with American values, or who are at least willing to adopt our values. The roles of desirable and undesirable immigrants in Rome are object lessons here.

Greece played a major role in civilizing Rome, just as Rome later civilized most of Western Europe along with Britain. Romans were the classical world's greatest engineers, and they built roads and aqueducts to last forever; Europeans still drive on Roman roads today. The Romans, however, owed most of their natural sciences and fine arts to desirable immigrants from Egypt, the Near East, and especially Greece. These immigrants' role in building Rome was similar to that of equally desirable immigrants in the growth of the United States.

The Greeks were, after all, the people whose stories described assault robots (Talos), industrial robots (Hephaestus' mechanical helpers), and flying machines (Daedalus and Icarus) roughly 2000 years ago. Modern experiments leave it open to question as to whether Archimedes used a heat ray from a parabolic array of mirrors to incinerate Roman warships, and modern solar furnaces use similar arrays of mirrors. Heron of Alexandria proved that steam could perform useful work while Dionysius of Alexandria built the contemporary equivalent of a machine gun. The Greeks were, in summary, the people who taught the Western World how to think.

The Greeks who wrote stories about Hercules could have even been said to have invented hydraulic mining because the hero diverted a river to wash excrement from the Augean Stables. The Romans put into practice the idea that water could remove other soft materials like dirt to reveal desirable ores and metals. This legacy from the Greeks is why the Western World and Westernized World (e.g. Japan) are still the sources of almost all patents and Nobel Prizes while the Third World and especially the Islamic world lag far behind.

Many of Rome's desirable immigrants were admittedly involuntary immigrants (more commonly known as slaves), but their influence on Roman society was nonetheless positive. The presence of a Greek tutor in a Roman household was a status symbol. Wealthy Romans might even purchase a Greek physician, who was then obviously treated as a valuable household retainer rather than as a domestic animal, the usual fate of unskilled slaves on farms or in mines.

The United States benefited similarly from desirable immigrants who included our own ancestors, unless we are Native Americans. The bottom line is, however, that all these immigrants either brought with them values and attitudes similar to ours, or they adopted ours in a process that used to be called assimilation.

When Diversity Becomes Perversity

Diverse and dysfunctional values and culture, rather than ethnic diversity, ruined Rome roughly 1900 years ago the way they are ruining Europe today, and are likely to ruin the United States.

"Moreover, slaves were constantly gaining their freedom, and they frequently retained slave ideas of conduct even after they were freedmen. This change in the nationality of the citizens, and the subsequent change in ideals, conduct, and government, were perhaps the chief causes of the downfall of Rome."

This is happening very openly in Germany, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and several other European nations that have not only permitted but welcomed an influx of fundamentalist "Muslims" substantial numbers of whom have nothing whatsoever in common with the advanced societies they now infest. They lack the Euro-American work ethic, Euro-American (originally Greek) inventiveness and creativeness, and indeed anything else of value to an infidel nation. They produce little and invent nothing except for particularly cruel ways to murder those who are unlike themselves.

An alarming share of the young males do believe they have the Allah-given right to kill, rob, rape, and/or enslave those who do not share their depraved ideology, which is why European governments are urging women to dress according to the standards of the 19th rather than the 21st century. After all, a woman who does not wear a sack over her head is "uncovered meat" whom any militant "Muslim" has the right to "take." Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and most of the Democratic Party wants to welcome this flood while Donald Trump wants to admit only those who have job skills along with values that are consistent with our society.

Slavery was eradicated from our country more than 150 years ago, but the Democratic Party is nonetheless infusing elements of African-American society with "slave ideas of conduct" in the 21st century. The Democratic National Committee wants to keep Black people in a state of dependence on government programs because, while Black lives might not matter, Black votes do. While it was never proven that Lyndon B. Johnson said that he would have the N-words voting Democratic for the next 200 years, there is audio of Johnson using the N word along with an ethnic slur for Poles. Hillary Clinton's reliance on somebody like Al Sharpton to deliver the Black vote, or a substantial portion thereof, shows clearly how little she thinks of African-Americans.

This is not the only area where Obama, Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee seek to lead us down the same path that led the world's greatest civilization to ruin. The other issue is economic.

Excessive Government Regulation Ruined Rome

Earlier Ages (pages 359 to 360) describes how the Roman government ruined itself economically by spending far more than it could collect in taxes, the same way our government increases its deficit every year. A progressive income tax system, in which Rome looked to its "one percent" for revenue, resulted in a situation in which "there was no incentive to hard work when success in business meant ruinous over-taxation."

Rome's most productive citizens therefore "went John Galt" long before anybody ever heard of John Galt, with the result that Emperor Diocletian tried to force people to continue to practice their occupations. He added wage and price controls that reduced the ordinary Roman to a condition "just where the peasant on the Nile had been for thousands of years." Diocletian's modern incarnation, Hillary Clinton, wants similarly to raise taxes not only on the one percent but also on the middle class, and the middle class can meanwhile attest to how Obama's so-called "Affordable" Care Act has affected its finances and access to health insurance. Hillary also made it clear that she believes that the estates of wealthy people somehow belong to the government even though the government had no hand in creating them.

The United States is at a crossroads where one road leads to a prosperous and secure future while the other leads to the ash heap of history where the Roman Empire already resides. Donald Trump may or may not be the best person to lead us down the former path, but we know for certain that Hillary Clinton will take us down the latter. This leaves voters with only one viable alternative in November.

William A. Levinson is the author of several books on business management including content on organizational psychology, as well as manufacturing productivity and quality.
The plot twists would seem terrific if so much weren't at stake.

A classic American success story of a couple starting a company from a New York University dorm room in 1992 and watching it grow into a tech powerhouse turned into a soap opera when the former fiances split. When a court ordered the sale of the profitable firm, many feared that such judicial overreach could set a precedent for trampling on the free market. On top of all that, now the matter has turned into a federal free speech case.

A direct lawsuit against a judge for a ruling might seem unusual or even unprecedented, but the actions of a Delaware state judge  in an apparent attempt to muzzle the First Amendment rights of a group that has criticized his ruling  seems unprecedented as well.

The already chaotic case of TransPerfect Global, a software translation company, has reached yet another level of absurdity. A new federal lawsuit accuses Delaware Chancery Court judge Andrew Bouchard of threatening the jobs of the company's employees who are lobbying the state legislature to pass laws making it tougher for a judge to force the sale of a profitable company.

Bouchard ordered TransPerfect, with $500 million in annual revenues, to be sold at an auction, claiming that it would be fair because the two quarreling owners  Phil Shawe and Elizabeth Elting  could both make a bid. The rationale for ordering the sale is "dysfunction" on the board because of constant disputes between Shawe and Elting. Elting wanted the court to dissolve the company. Shawe is fighting to keep the company, with 4,000 full-time employees in 90 offices, alive.

TransPerfect's director of corporate strategy, Timothy Holland, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York against Bouchard and the court-appointed custodian, Robert Pincus. A court order from Bouchard allowed Pincus to search the private communications of TransPefect employees to determine if they were lobbying the state legislature, the lawsuit says. Specifically, this was a search for communications between employees and Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware, a political action committee that Holland helped found.

The lawsuit seeks "declaratory judgment against [a] judicial officer for due process and First Amendment violations," asserting that Bouchard and Pincus tried to stifle employees from advocating for their own interests on their own time. Further, Holland's suit asserts that the judge strongly implied that "employment could be at risk" if the organization "did not cooperate with attempts to stifle employee activities" and that Holland's employment was "at risk as a result of his participation in speaking out against the order compelling the involuntary sale of TransPerfect and in petition the Delaware state legislature."

The right to petition one's government is one of the five freedoms in the First Amendment.

Citizens for a Pro-Business Delaware says it has more than 1,700 members  including many TransPerfect employees along with Delaware residents and business executives. Separately, about 600 employees have been attempting to buy Elting's share of the company.

"We launched this campaign to make sure that no successful, profitable company could ever be sold off again. We never anticipated the court would attempt to limit our members right to free speech and to expressing themselves," said Chris Coffey, campaign manager for the group.

TransPerfect, a privately held firm based in New York, is incorporated in business-friendly Delaware, as are 50 percent of all publicly traded companies and 65 percent of Fortune 500 firms. That's because Delaware has a business-friendly tax and regulatory environment. So the stakes are significant for the economy if Bouchard's decision to force the sale of a profitable company becomes a legal precedent.

As former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani remarked, "it appears to be a very intrusive ruling in terms of the free market. I hate to see the government, including courts, sharing in the control of a private business."

TransPerfect is successful by every measure except for the board strife. Sales are up by more than 11 percent from last year, and SmartCEO Magazine recognized TransPerfect as a winner of the 2016 Future 50 Award.

The state legislature could act on a resolution calling for the Delaware State Bar Association to clarify the appropriate legal remedy for resolving any dispute of a profitable Delaware-incorporated company  which would include a lot of companies.

"As a small business owner and member of the House Economic Development Committee, I understand the significance of this case and how important it is for Delaware business," said state representative Michael Ramone, a Republican. "We as state legislators need to recognize the impact this will have on both the company and employees, as well as our reputation as the best place to form a business corporation."
Donald Trump is a big problem for the New York Times. These elite journalists are in a dither. Trump is such a threat that the Times feels morally obligated to destroy him, even if its staff have to violate traditional journalistic ethics requiring facts and fairness.

Editor Jim Rutenberg wrote in a major front-page article last week: "If you view a Trump presidency as something that's potentially dangerous, then your reporting is going to reflect that. You would move closer than you've ever been to being oppositional." And that's admirable.

A headline in a major Los Angeles paper sums up the Times doctrine: "To fight Trump, journalists have dispensed with objectivity."

In this shoddy new world, liberals must do whatever it takes to stop Trump. If you hate Trump, as you should, your reporting will show it  and that's a good thing.

(Many conservatives laughed at the silly claim that the New York Times has ever observed traditional journalistic ethics. More than 35 years ago, the Times declared that objectivity was impossible, subjectivity was inevitable, and in so many words, the paper gave its reporters permission to fudge facts. The Times has always been the country's leading liberal newspaper because it always figures out a way to promote liberal views, never mind the facts.)

But here's the Big New Story. The New York Times has revealed something fundamental about the liberal mindset. High-sounding principles are for losers. Winning is what matters. If rules get in the way, ignore them.

Many people look at the mediocrity in our public schools and feel that something is very wrong, but they don't want to think that education has been intentionally dumbed down. But reflect on what the New York Times is telling you. Their reporting is going to be biased  intentionally so. It has to be that way because Trump is the enemy. Progressive values and victories are what matter. Everyone should accept this. Forget the rules.

Similarly, the history of K-12 education in the 20th century was one of progressives imposing their ideological views on the American public. Nobody explained this to the public, no more than the New York Times normally explains its biases. But now we know how these people think. Push comes to shove, they don't give a darn about traditional pieties. Old-fashioned notions about education are relics that must be destroyed. Progressives will attack when their visions are threatened.

Why, by the way, did they tell this now? Because they are frightened that Trump might win, so they can't be subtle and sneaky anymore. They wanted to give themselves  and all the lesser liberal journalists across the country  sweeping permission to go for the jugular. Taking Trump out is all that matters. So a remarkable thing happened: they told the truth about themselves.

My point now is that our Education Establishment has always operated this way. That's what John Dewey told the world a century ago: we're going to turn the USA into a socialist country; we'll do this through "progressive" educational practices that are primarily concerned with social engineering; we will undermine reading, writing, arithmetic, etc.; we will sabotage traditional academics and thereby create millions of half-baked students at every level.

If there is a good way to do something and an inefficient way, our Education Establishment will embrace the inefficient ways. No, you might object, that's too crazy. Not at all. Socialists are obsessed with everyone being part of a group. Leveling is highly preferable for socialists. They don't want John to know more than Jack. So they never object to inefficiency, no more than the New York Times objects to inaccuracy. Same mentality. If you gain ideological ground, you did the right thing.

Here is one of the striking things about American education. Virtually no progressive educator ever writes a confession, a memoir, a tell-all. You might think that after they retire and start feeling guilty about their careers, they might want to blurt out the bitter truth. They might want to tell us, for example, about the challenge of designing reading instruction to make sure that children never learn to read. Such confessions don't happen. I tend to think of our elite educators as old-line Stalinists with cold hearts. But you can't question their discipline.

So this outburst by the New York Times is as close as we have gotten to a member of the socialist fraternity confessing: we don't care about the rules. We care about winning, no matter whether it's Trump we need to eliminate or traditional education. For progressives, it's all the same problem  kicking nuisances out of the way.

A big reason for Trump's appeal is that he has promised to weaken the liberal media's grip on American reality. Behold, he has already started. The New York Times is so shaken that a top editor just had to tell us their back-room secrets. Now this newspaper is sacrificing what little credibility it still has in order to hurt Trump. Behold: the Times commits professional suicide. Score points for Trump.

Bruce Deitrick Price explains theories and methods on his education sites Improve-Education.org. For info on his four new novels, see his literary site Lit4u.com.
Playing a coveted role in the most one-sided assault in the history of political journalism, NBC News ran an article last week that managed -- in the headline -- to insult both the candidate and his base, Trump's Conspiracy Theories Aren't Far Outside GOP Mainstream".

Today, if a politically troublesome issue arises, the media feel no pressure to investigate. Confident their peers will slack off as well, they tend to dismiss the issue as a conspiracy theory and deride those who raise it as gullible, paranoid, and probably racist.

Donald Trump has raised any number of such issues, and the media have reflexively attacked him for raising them. His focus has been on Barack Obamas quasi-fictional past. A more profitable focus, however, would be on Hillary Clintons future fitness to be president. I refer specifically here to her role in the corruption of the TWA 800 investigation.

When my book, TWA 800: The Crash, the Cover-Up, The Conspiracy, was published last month, I hoped the twentieth anniversary of the disaster might prompt at least some media interest. I was kidding myself. The collective urge to stop Trump and elect Hillary has silenced the major media. Trump will have to ask his own questions.

From her logs, we know that Hillary and President Bill Clinton returned to the White House at 8:35 p.m. on the night of July 17, 1996. Former Chief of Staff Leon Panetta tells us he called the president at 9 p.m. with the news that TWA Flight 800 blew up off the coast of Long Island.

My source at the White House has confirmed that the Clintons and their consigliere, Deputy National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, holed up in the family residence throughout the night. Berger was the Clintons political guy. His boss, Tony Lake, left the room whenever politics surfaced. That night, with re-election looming, all decisions were political, and no one can doubt Hillarys active role in the conversation.

By 3 a.m. the Clintons had settled on a strategy. At that fabled hour -- the one Hillary would mythologize in her run against Barack Obama -- Bill called Lake with the following message: Dust off the contingency plans. For the time being, the president would quietly blame terrorists for the presumed missile attack.

That night, the Department of Justice had the FBI take the investigation over from the National Transportation Safety Board, the NTSB. Although illegal, this move was made publicly.

Less public was the intervention of the CIA. As a treasure trove of recently unearthed CIA documents confirm, The DI (Directorate of Intelligence) became involved in the missile theory the day after the crash occurred.

When he testified before the 9/11 Commission in March 2004, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet blamed 9/11 on a wall that was in place between the criminal side and the intelligence side. He noted, Whats in a criminal case doesnt cross over that line. Ironclad regulations.

Tenet oversaw the collaboration between the FBI and CIA during the TWA 800 investigation in 1996-97. The wall memo was written in 1995. On this point, Trump could start by asking some tough questions the media will not ask. Why did Tenet ignore the wall? Why did the CIA involve itself in a domestic air crash? Why were its analysts talking about missiles on day one?

As the documents make clear, the CIAs role was to make all talk of missiles go away. This strategy was evident as early as July 30, 1996. In an internal memo, teasingly headlined Hold the Press, a CIA analyst warned his superiors of an impending FBI report on a likely missile strike.

After interviewing 144 witnesses, the members of the FBI team concluded there was a high probability that a surface-to-air missile destroyed the 747. The evidence was overwhelming. The witnesses were excellent and their testimony too consistent for the cause to be anything other than a missile. The unnamed CIA analyst boasted of how he discouraged the FBI team from publishing its report despite having only minor corrections left to make.

The CIA got its way. By August 17, the FBI was telling the New York Times there were fewer than a dozen credible witness accounts. The one eyewitness the FBI allowed the Times to interview caught a white flash out of the corner of his eye, suggesting a bomb. According to the Times, his account substantially weakened support for the idea that a missile downed the plane.

Trump might ask the FBI what happened to the 144 excellent witnesses to a missile strike. He might also ask the Times editors how many of those 144 witnesses their reporters interviewed. I will save him the trouble. The answer is none.

In March 1997, Tenet sent FBI director Louis Freeh a letter assuring him that what these eyewitnesses saw was the crippled aircraft after the first explosion had already taken place. The CIA analysts argued that the 747 zoomed upwards nearly a mile after a spontaneous fuel tank explosion blew the nose off the plane, confusing the witnesses into thinking they saw a missile.

For all the FBIs bluster and the NTSBs statutory authority, the CIA gave the impression of being the agency in charge. In November 1997, the FBI concluded its criminal probe by showing a CIA-produced animation of the noseless plane ascending like a rocket.

Every aviator with whom I have spoken thought the cartoon to be ludicrous. In a memo from March 24, 1999, the CIA very quietly owned up to the con. The maximum CIA calculated altitude in the final study was about 14,500 feet, wrote the analyst -- or about 3,000 feet lower than shown in the animation.

Industry professionals were even more appalled by the eventual NTSB conclusion that a spark of unknown origin ignited the vapors in the center fuel tank. Said one 747 pilot, It cannot happen. It is impossible. There is nothing else to be said. Added a certified aircraft maintenance technician, If it were a spark that really caused the accident and knowing the FAA, all 747s would have immediately been grounded, including Air Force One. The FAA grounded not a single plane.

Although the media have been mute, members of the aviation community and the military have been speaking out. In the month or so since the books debut, I have heard from roughly a hundred of them, all in the affirmative.

These include an air traffic controller who reviewed the TWA 800 radar tape, a Raytheon rep who worked with the FBI missile team, an FAA tech who reviewed the eyewitness summaries before the CIA did, a Naval officer involved in an accidental 1992 missile attack against a Turkish ship, the executive officer of the Navy Missile Technical Center, an ALPA air safety chairman thrown off the investigation for being too inquisitive, Boeing engineers, FBI agents, pilots from every major airline, sailors of all ranks, and an ordinance expert who shot at more aircraft than any other person alive test firing missiles at the Navys China Lake Air Weapons Station.

In person, I have talked to scores of retired TWA personnel. I have not met a one who buys the government explanation. In fact, the TWA Museum in Kansas City made me an honorary member, and I will speak there next month. This is the rare conspiracy theory to which virtually every professional in the industry subscribes.

At this stage, Trump has little to lose by raising this issue. If I were he, I would start by ask Hillary about her handpicked deputy attorney general, Jamie Gorelick. The single greatest structural cause for Sept. 11 was the wall, Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the 9/11 commission in April 2004. Full disclosure, Ashcroft continued, compels me to inform you that its author is a member of the commission.

That author, of course, was Gorelick, the same official who managed the collaboration between the FBI and the CIA on the TWA 800 investigation. In between her stint as deputy AG and 9/11 commissioner, the Clintons rewarded her with a $25 million gig at Fannie Mae.

If exposed, the TWA 800 coverup is a scandal that could dwarf Watergate. It will not be exposed, however, unless someone powerful asks questions before November. If Donald Trump does not ask them, no one will.

He might save that best question for last, Mrs. Clinton, what do you know about TWA 800 and when did you know it?

Anyone with inside information, please contact me through my website, Cashill.com.
They can't vote, but that isn't stopping Hillary Clinton from using DREAMers to register people for the ballot.

There are about 730,000 illegal immigrants whose parents came here illlegally but have grown up and been educated in the U.S. President Obama tried to legalize all of them with his executive order four years ago, but court challenges have prevented the plan's implementation.

Fox News:

Organizers will remind voters that a Trump presidency would end the Dreamer program, according to the campaign, which is already at risk after a June Supreme Court effectively killed Obama's efforts to give legal status to some of the 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. The program is part of an aggressive effort by Clinton's campaign to woo the record 27.3 million Latinos eligible to vote in 2016. Polling shows Trump doing worse with Latino voters than any GOP presidential candidate since 1996. Much of the new effort will focus on battleground states including Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida, where Latinos and other immigrants make up an important part of the voting base. Though Obama's campaign had no formal organization program for Dreamers, door-knocking by those young immigrants, who have lived and attended school in the U.S., helped mobilize many Latino voters who could vote. Clinton believes she can harness their power in a more formal way, particularly given her opponent. Trump's immigration rhetoric has sparked outrage and fear within the Latino community, though the Republican nominee says it's critical that the country start rigorously enforcing its immigration laws. He's promised to revoke Obama's executive orders within the first 100 days of his presidency, calling them the "most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a president." Clinton has made revamping the country's immigration system a key plank of her presidential campaign. She has said she will introduce legislation during her first 100 days in office, vowed to restore and expand Obama's programs, close private sector detention centers and to "take a very hard look at the deportation policies" now in force. Last month, she called on Latino voters to help stop what she called GOP rival Donald Trump's efforts to "fan the flames of racial division."

Apparently, the DREAMers want only to "tell their stories":

"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.

Of course, Trump isn't trying to "silence" anyone, but how can you raise the specter of Trump the bogeyman without lying a little bit?

The truth is, legal immigrants have little to worry about from Trump. As for being an illegal immigrant, what is it they expect? They treat the deportation process as a joke, helped along by activists like Ms. Silva who encourage them to avoid responsibility. Should they be surprised when a president actually wants to enforce the law?

Obviously, the DREAMers and other illegals know they have a friend in Hillary Clinton.
Sylville Smith, who was shot by Milwaukee Police when he turned on an officer holding a gun in the midst of a foot pursuit, had an extensive criminal record by the age of 23. Even his godmother, Katherine Mahmoud, admitted, I'm not going to say he was an angel. He was out here living his life.

Smith had managed to avoid any felony convictions, having only a misdemeanor conviction for carrying a concealed weapon. But, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

Smith had been in trouble with the law dating back at least to 2011, according to arrest records released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office late Sunday. He was arrested or ticketed nine times in that period  for the shooting, a robbery, carrying a concealed weapon, theft, possession of heroin and more. His most recent arrest was July 22 for possession of cocaine, records show. Last year, Smith was charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and with witness intimidation, but the charges were dismissed, court records show. The charges were dropped even though the prosecutors had recorded jail calls in which Smith asked his girlfriend to pressure the victim to recant, according to court records. In the witness intimidation case, Smith was accused of pressuring the victim in a shooting to recant a statement identifying him as the suspect, according to the criminal complaint. That case was dismissed at the preliminary hearing because the alleged victim reversed himself and he was, in fact, not intimidated by Smith, contrary to the allegations in the complaint, Chief Deputy District Attorney Kent Lovern said Sunday in an email.

So far absent from this case is any phrase like gentle giant or childhood pictures of Smith looking angelic. He is not being portrayed by the media as an innocent victim. In fact, this morning, it has been announced that the body cam video shows Smith turning on a police officer while holding his gun. Perhaps when the tape is released, the rioters who kept the riot again for a second night will calm down.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
Marion Christopher Barry, 36, the sole child of the late former D.C. mayor Marion Barry, is dead of a drug overdose. He was discovered by his girlfriend, who brought him to George Washington University Hospital, where he expired. He has no close family survivors, as his father and birth mother pre-deceased him.

With his death, a would-be Democrat political dynasty has come to an end, for Christopher Barry unsuccessfully attempted to gain election to the D.C. City Council. His fathers enduring popularity with the capitals electorate failed to pass on to the heir.

The arc of the story of the Barry Family Saga begins with a justifiable fight for civil rights in the South and left-wing activism as the first head of SNCC, soars to political heights as city councilman and mayor (four terms, in two separate sequences), and then, tragically (in the classical Greek sense of being undone by hubris) declines into criminality and depravity, captured on videotape in a motel room...

...smoking crack with a hooker and being arrested (The bitch set me up, Barry claimed), corrupt, and imprisoned. D.C. voters forgave him after he got out of prison and elected him mayor again.

Such are the standards of civic virtue in our nations capital.

Most readers probably are familiar with Marion Barrys story, but if not, the Wikipedia article on him covers most of the high points.

The story of the Barry family is very sad. I offer condolences to Christopher Barrys girlfriend and others who knew and will miss him. I wonder what kind of chance he had at all. If anything, the critical juncture in his personal story may well have been his fathers youthful embrace of leftist ideology (SNCC was very left-wing) and victimology, which led to a sense of grievance overpowering adherence to law and an embrace of pleasure in the moment over family responsibility.
Milwaukee became the latest city to erupt in violence fueled by rage toward white people and law enforcement along with, quite likely, some usual suspects of outside agitators, when an officer (who, by the way, is black) shot and killed a black suspect this weekend. A 14-paragraph Reuters article notes the following:

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker activated the National Guard on Sunday to assist should further riots erupt in Milwaukee over the police killing of an armed suspect in a predominantly black neighborhood. [snip] Walker announced the action after a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, nationally known as a conservative voice in Republican politics, who met with Walker and Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant General Donald Dunbar. [snip] Clarke, who endorsed U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention last month, has in the past advised residents to arm themselves against criminals. An African American, he has publicly opposed Black Lives Matter.

Theres nothing subtle going on here. Reuters decided that part of the story should be Clarkes political leanings, including his endorsement of Donald Trump, not to mention the nerve of being a black man who opposes Black Lives Matter.

Have you ever heard members of the media talk about how failed cities across the country are, just-as-a-nonchalant-point-of-interest, run by Democrats? Ever heard them make mention, you know, as a quick aside, that the mayor of Milwaukee and the city alderman for the district where rioting unfolded are both Democrats who, I presume, support a felon for president? (Here, here, here, here, here, and video here.)

I didnt think so.

God bless Sheriff Clarke. He represents all that is right and great about America.
Today, BlackBerry became the first company to release a critical security patch designed to prevent the QuadRooter exploit from taking hold of the BlackBerry PRIV and DTEK50 devices. The QuadRooter exploit actually consists of four high-severity critical vulnerabilities present in close to a billion Qualcomm-powered Android devices. BlackBerrys blog on the subject explained how three of these rooting vulnerabilities had already been fixed for the PRIV thanks to the August Marshmallow security patch and on all DTEK50 models. BlackBerry go on to explain that the secure boot chain that BlackBerry use in their devices mitigated the remaining rooting threat and that the company were not aware of any examples of the exploit being used in the wild, but of course they are taking no chances. The term rooting means granting an application full access to the drive. This means that all data and applications are available, which in turns means that potentially sensitive information is exposed. When an application has root access, it is able to change and adjust system settings. It is also able to look through potentially sensitive parts of a device, such as message stores and similar. This is the reason why the more sensitive and personal applications, such as banking and financial applications, will not run on a device that has been rooted.

When BlackBerry released the PRIV at the end of 2015, the Canadian smartphone manufacturer promised to deliver monthly critical security patches. At the time, BlackBerry also explained that critical Android vulnerabilities could not wait for a monthly update cycle and with this in mind, the business would release patches for these issues as soon as it could. As soon as BlackBerry got wind of the QuadRooter issue, they started working on the necessary security patches. This process  which involves developing, testing and integrating new code into the operating system  is the reason why some device manufacturers take several weeks if not months to release patches. And whilst BlackBerry only have two devices to release patches to, their Android development team are surely less experienced than many competitors in the market today. This makes their achievement at pushing the QuadRooter fix to devices commendable. The fourth vulnerability associated with QuadRooter is set to be fixed in the September patch, but despite the BlackBerry devices already being hardened against the threat the company decided to release the update anyway.

For customers with either the new DTEK50 or the PRIV unlocked, the device will check and download the update automatically, but may be prompted by visiting Settings, About Phone, System Updates. The device will then download the patch and prompt the user to reboot to complete the update process. Customers with a device bought via a carrier should expect the update to arrive in the next few days, once the carrier has approved the patch.
The European Commission is planning to reform the European mobile telecom rules by proposing spectrum licenses are issued for at least 25 years. This, it hopes, will provide more stability for operators in the European Union. The proposal is due to be published in September and is expected to be endorsed in 2018, but it needs to be approved by the member states and European Parliament. This means that the draft proposals may be amended between now and becoming the law. The European Commissions plans also mean it will have the ability to control certain aspects of the bidding and assignment process, including spectrum allocation deadlines and spectrum sharing in addition to the minimum 25 year licence rule. Other plans in the draft regulation including allowing member states to award multi-country or pan-European Union licences, but currently this is seen as a voluntary arrangement.

Current European Union telecom and spectrum rules are left up to the individual member states. Different states, or counties, apply slightly different rules to their auctions and as this spectrum is potentially very valuable  spectrum auctions can raise billions of Euros, representing something of a windfall for the host country  governments are unwilling to relinquish control of how this spectrum is divvied up, as this could result in lower revenue. However, Europes carriers have called for a greater level of coordination of spectrum policy across the European Union. Current legislation means that spectrum contracts are subject to different durations, whereby an operator may have a shorter or longer licence depending on the member state. This in turns makes it difficult for an operator to form a cohesive strategy and bring a network to several countries, which they are otherwise being encouraged to do thanks to a reduction on EU-wide roaming charges.

There are a number of benefits of the proposals, including how it will provide network operators with a medium to long term business asset. This will increase the stability of the market and should encourage greater investment, because the longer the licence runs the greater the potential to generate profits. This in turn should encourage more operators to take an interest in the European Unions mobile sector, seeking to take advantage of the worlds largest single market. With fifth generation, or 5G, networking technology only a relatively small number of months away this could be a very important step. The European Union sees 5G networking technology as a cornerstone in tomorrows cities, involving smart devices such as driverless cars, remote healthcare systems and the Internet of Things. Another proposal is that national regulators would be used to review their peers when it comes to spectrum allocation and similar. This change is designed to harmonize how the European Union regulators interpret and implement the rules of spectrum assignment, which again is seen as a positive thing from the carriers perspective. From a customer perspective, these changes should be broadly positive. Changes in EU roaming costs are making it increasingly affordable to use a mobile device across many member states without incurring bill shock. The prospect for a pan-European carrier could be good news although the competition authorities will need to keep a careful eye on this development.
Pekka Rantala, the former chief executive officer of the Finnish Angry Birds developer Rovio, is going to be part of the team which looks to reintroduce Nokia phones to the market. Namely, Rantala has joined HMD Global, another Finnish company which recently acquired a global license to manufacture Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets for the next decade. The firm announced that Rantala has accepted the position of a chief marketing officer wholl be responsible for making the Nokia brand relevant again in the smartphone industry.

Rantala stepped down from his position as Rovios CEO in late 2015 after overseeing significant job cuts which resulted in over 200 employees losing their jobs and restructuring the entire company. Rantala is also well-acquainted with the Nokia brand seeing how he used to work for the company from 1994 to 2011. He spent the last three years of his Nokia career as a senior vice president of marketing after which he moved to the food and beverages industry managing brands like Fazer and Hartwell. In the last two years, Rantala served as a board member of JOT Automation, a Finnish wireless technology company. All in all, hes a veteran executive and marketing professional with a lot of experience in the tech industry.

Nokia sold its phone business to Microsoft in 2014 and is now almost exclusively focused on manufacturing telecommunications equipment. Since then, the US tech giant has pretty much abandoned its acquisition and has recently announced the sale of the remnants of Nokias feature phone business to FIH Mobile, a Foxconn Technology subsidiary which is tasked with manufacturing and distributing upcoming Nokia-branded smartphones and tablets. Other than that, not much else is currently known about this endeavor. Just to clear up any possible confusion, HMD Global is a fairly new company which was created only three months ago and largely thought to have been created for the sole purpose of bringing the Nokia brand back into the consumer electronics game. Theres still no word on when exactly these new Nokia phones and tablets will appear on the market, but the rumors and speculation that has been forming of late seem to highly suggest the first official announcements could come through as early as the fall.
Xiaomi and Meizu are the two China-based companies that most of you are quite familiar with. Xiaomi is definitely the more popular one, but Meizu is one of the fastest growing smartphone manufacturing companies in the country (and the world) at the moment, and it will be interesting to see where the company will end up in a year or two. That being said, these two companies are at the very top of the food chain in China, in other words, amongst the largest Chinese smartphone manufacturing companies. With that in mind, Xiaomis sales are really good this year, though they were trumped by Huawei, Vivo and OPPO in the second quarter of this year, which is not something many people have expected. Meizu is still a significantly smaller company than Xiaomi, and is currently not amongst the top 5 smartphones in the country, but its close enough, and Meizus sales have also been quite good this year.

Now, these two companies have a lot in common, theyre both located in China, they both pre-install their own Android-powered OS on their devices and they both really, really need to change up the design of their smartphones. Now, weve actually talked about Meizus design language quite recently, in case youd like to read that piece, and are here to tackle both of these companies at the same time basically. Meizu and Xiaomi might be selling tons of smartphones as of late, but the sales of some other China-based companies have managed to shake up both of these companies, mainly because they do the vast majority of their business in their homeland, and we all know how fierce the Chinese smartphone market is. Tons of Chinese companies are looking for a way out of China, and it will be interesting to see how long will it take for Xiaomi and Meizu to spread on Europe and the US. They will, of course, not leave their homeland literally, nor will they stop selling devices over there, but they need to tackle different markets in order to grow.

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Anyhow, as already mentioned, these two companies need to change up the design of their smartphones, badly. This might not be the main reason why Xiaomis sales are not as good as Huaweis, OPPOs and Vivos lately, but it sure is one of them, and Meizu will end up in the same hole with Xiaomi if they dont do something about it. Even Meizus CEO recently criticized the design of one of their devices, the MX6, in an internal memo. The companys CEO did not say that the design is bad or anything of the sort, but that it resembles the companys previous devices a bit too much, and that is very true. Meizu has been releasing similarly-looking smartphones for quite some time now, and even though we might know the difference between them, they certainly do look too similar to regular consumers. Same can be said for Xiaomi, the company did take a step back with the Xiaomi Mi 5, their current flagship, and included a physical home button on it (and its design looks more premium in general), which is a first for Xiaomi, but the rest of their lineup looks way too similar.

Now, to tell the truth, the design is not bad, and theyre extremely well-built devices, but they look boring to be quite honest. Xiaomi releases devices with three capacitive buttons below the display, and the menu button is still there for whatever reason. Android ditched the menu button a long time ago, and its more in a way now than anything else. Thats not all though, the general shape of Xiaomis devices is regular, theres not much to excite about when you look, or hold those devices. Similar things can be said for Meizus units, though this company doesnt have the capacitive button issue. Meizu pushes their trademarked mBack multifunctional physical home button, and theres nothing wrong with that, its unique and functional, but the rest of their devices, not so much. The ports are usually identical, the camera design as well, and the device are all basically pieces of metal which dont look that fresh. As already mentioned, these are very well-built devices, but Meizu really needs to start differentiating. You can imagine how confused people get when they see two very similar devices made out of metal, one is an entry level phone, and the other one is the companys flagship. Flagship devices need to differentiate from the rest of the pack, significantly, that will not only make them more appealing to consumers, but the sheer design will excite them.

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Now, truth be told, it seems like both companies are aware of this. If rumors are to be believed, both companies will introduce devices with curved displays before the end of the year, similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Galaxy Note 7. This will not exactly be an original design, but it will certainly differentiate their higher-end devices from the rest of the pack, and both of them really need to do that throughout their whole lineup of devices. Theres a good reason why Samsung had a crisis a while back, their Galaxy S3, S4 and S5 devices looked way too similar, and the company did not really bring anything new to the table in terms of the design. They looked uninteresting, for the most part, and people eventually got tired of them. Samsung did a great thing when they released the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge (even though the new era began with the Galaxy Alpha), the company finally realized they cant just recycle in order to be successful, they actually have to innovate. The same thing can be said for both Xiaomi and Meizu, they really need to step up in order to remain successful.

Both of these companies sell the vast majority of their devices in China, while India is their second market, and in order to succeed outside of Asia, theyll need to improve their design quite significantly, design really is equally as important as everything else, whether people want to admit it or not. That being said, it will be interesting to see what happens next, both companies seem to be ready to change things up and release significantly different devices than the ones weve seen them release in the last couple of years. The Meizu PRO 7 seems to be the name of the companys upcoming Exynos 8890-powered device which will sport a curved display on the sides, though we still dont know whether this device will be made out of metal like the rest of the companys lineup, or if we can expect a combination of metal and glass like the one Samsung used. As far as Xiaomi is concerned, this company is going to introduce their Mi Note 2 flagship phablet soon, and the rumors say that this is the curved glass smartphone weve been waiting for, though it seems like only the most expensive variant will ship with such a display, it remains to be seen what the other variants will look like, though we can probably expect a design similar to the Xiaomi Mi 5 with a combination of glass and metal, and a curved glass back. As always, feel free to share your thoughts with us, wed love to hear what you think on the subject, because from our perspective, both Meizus and Xiaomis devices got pretty stale at this point in terms of the design, their UIs have been refined to a certain point and are constantly improving, but the design, not so much. Thats not all though, they also need to get the names of their smartphones in line, Xiaomi in particular manufactures too many similarly named devices which are too much alike in most other aspects, while Meizus naming structure does not make sense. Meizu introduced the PRO 5 flagship with a 5.7-inch display, then the PRO 6 with a 5.2-inch display which is not exactly more powerful than the PRO 5, and then the MX6 which is almost identical to the PRO 6, but has a 5.5-inch display. It doesnt really make sense, now does it? In any case, we are looking forward to see what will these two companies come up with.
South Korean cellular carrier, SK Telecom, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, with Americas largest carrier, Verizon Wireless, in order to further wireless technologies. The Memorandum covers a number of current and next generation networking standards including LTE, the Internet of Things (IoT), networking virtualisation and working towards the standardisation of 5G networking. The two carriers have already been working together on a number of technical projects and earlier in the year formed a global initiative called the 5G Open Trial Specification Alliance. In the words of SK Telecoms Chief Technical Officer, Alex Jinsung Choi, This MOU will further strengthen and deepen our collaboration with Verizon.

Other projects included in the Memorandum include the Open Compute Project (OCP) and Mobile Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter (M-CORD). The Open Compute Project is the ethos behind building the most efficient server design for a scaleable computing system, which lends itself well to cloud computing. M-CORD is a project around reorganising CORD (Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter, which is a way for a business to replace rooms full of servers with a cloud connection) with mobile networking technologies. The technologies that SK Telecom and Verizon Wireless will be cooperating on are interlinked, as many Internet of Things designs are likely to be at least partially reliant on cloud computing, which itself can be built to be more efficient using OCP, M-CORD and networking virtualisation schemes.

Verizon Wireless and American telecommunications regulator, the FCC, have already been discussing the 5G technologies. The FCC is improving how quickly new network technologies can be put into place to hopefully accelerate the deployment of 5G networking. Verizon has been working with Asian telecom operators since 2015, where in South Korea the carriers wish establish a 5G network ready for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. Japanese carrier, NTT DoCoMo, has plans to launch a 5G network in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Verizons networking expertise with both help its partners and of course its own continental American 5G network when it is ready to deploy. Americas largest carrier is already planning to have the first 5G fixed mobile service launched in North America and has ambitious plans to be staging a trial service next year.
Tom Wasswa, the CAA manager marketing said the airport will soon witness the arrival of the two airlines, along with Airberia, Air Europa and Air China.

Of course efforts to revive Uganda Airlines are already awaiting a final cabinet decision. But already five airlines have showed interest in flying in passengers into Entebbe Airport, said Wasswa.

Daniel Kiyimba a CAA Civil Engineer in Charge of Airport Development programme said: Entebbe Airport upgrade and expansion will cost $200m. Africa has experienced air traffic growth in terms of passenger, cargo and aircraft movement. Passenger traffic is expected to grow at 12.6% growth rate from 1.4m passengers in 2014 to 6.1million passengers in 2033 per year.

Kiyimba said the upgrade and expansion plans are necessary because they anticipate handling 172000 tonnes of cargo per year from the currently handled 55,000 tonnes.

Main runway 17/35 will be resurfaced and will have a full strength parallel taxiway and new lighting. A new cargo terminal with its taxiways and Apron will be constructed and the rehabilitation of the secondary runway 12/30, said Kiyimba

Apron 2 serving VVIP will be strengthened with a new terminal building adjacent to and connected to the old building to handle 3.3 million passengers by 2023.
Kuwait Airways begins disposing of parked A310 fleet

Kuwait Airways has begun selling off its entire fleet of A310-300s following their retirement from scheduled service late last year, reports ch-aviation.
The workshop, which will be held on October 3 at The Westin Dubai, Al Habtoor City, will address the science of the Martian atmosphere, as well as various topics about the Red Planet, its history and evolution over millions of years, with the participation and the presence of professors from UAE universities, the international scientific community, and students from the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programme.



Salem Humaid Al Marri, assistant director general for Scientific and Technical Affairs at MBRSC, said: The Emirates Mars Mission - Hope is of great importance, being a pivotal phase in the space sector journey in the UAE. Being delegated to design, implement and supervise all the phases of the project, under the supervision of the UAE Space Agency, MBRSC is committed to the development of national capacity in Martian science and outer space exploration technology, so as to achieve the UAEs strategy in the field of space and to serve the projects current and future requirements and objectives.



Sarah Amiri, deputy project manager, science lead of the Emirates Mars Mission, said: "This workshop is in line with the efforts of MBRSC and the Emirates Mars Mission, to create opportunities for exchanging information among those who are interested in Martian science.

The second Annual EMM Science Workshop offers a opportunity for a specific number of people wishing to participate as presenters for the submission of presentations on Martian science and atmosphere.


According to Abuja high court papers seen by the CPC, the Nigerian government has filed a three-count charge against the airline and two of its principal officers, Liker Ayci and Rasak Shobowale for violating the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Act.

It claims that they collectively refused to cooperate with lawful requests from the CPC for full reports on the alleged poor treatment of passengers and the delayed delivery of their luggage on flights between Abuja and Istanbul Ataturk on December 25 and 31, 2015 and on January 9, 2016. It also claims Ayci and Shobowale failed to appear before the CPC when requested to do so.

Given that cooperation with the CPC is required under the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Act, the council subsequently turned to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for assistance when repeat attempts for clarification went unheeded.

The CPC also refused to accept a late response from Turkish Airlines where it claimed to have held discussions with other government agencies and had therefore already resolved the matter.
File photo shows Seoungju residents chant slogans during a protest against the government's decision on deploying a US THAAD anti-missile defense unit in Seongju, in Seoul, South Korea, July 21, 2016. The banner reads "Desperately oppose deploying THAAD". [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL - Splits continued among South Korean people over the deployment of a US missile defense system in their soil on Monday that marks the 71st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

On one side of the capital Seoul, civic group activists called for the Japanese government's sincere apology and repent over its past militarism.

Defying such civilian calls and deep regrets from neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering once again to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a symbol of the militaristic Japan as it enshrines 14 Class-A convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead.

On the other side of the capital, thousands of South Koreans gathered to protest against Seoul and Washington's abrupt decision last month to house one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Southeastern South Korea by the end of next year.

President Park Geun-hye said in her speech to mark the 71th liberation day anniversary that her THAAD deployment decision was a defensive measure to protect people from the DPRK's nuclear and missile threats, reiterating her insistence and showing her reluctance to hear the growing dissent from people and neighboring countries.

China and Russia have strongly opposed the US missile defense system in South Korea as THAAD's X-band radar can snoop on Chinese and Russian territories. Experts here said the THAAD battery, composed of six mobile launchers, 48 interceptors, a radar and a fire control unit, is incapable of shooting down more than 1,000 DPRK missiles targeting South Korea.

Criticizing the president's speech, the main opposition Minju Party said it was miserable for Park to maintain her stance that she will not allow for any dissent or objection to the THAAD deployment decision despite repeated calls from people and the opposition parties for communications.

The casting vote-exercising People's Party also regarded Park's speech as her routine attitude of non-communications, saying the unilateral THAAD deployment decision resulted in rising diplomatic security threats in the region and disorders and splits among South Korean people.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Protests in Milwaukee following the police shooting of an armed African American man intensified as demonstrators reportedly threw objects and fired shots Monday shortly after midnight, according to police, CNN reported.

The death of Sylville Smith, 23, triggered unrest beginning Saturday as protesters torched six businesses, including a gas station, and threw rocks at officers. Four officers were injured and 17 people were arrested, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said on Sunday.

Protests carried into early Monday morning.

From Sunday evening, protesters began swarming a Milwaukee police station blocking the streets. There were reports of shootings in three different locations, all within close proximity.One victim was shot and officers used an armored vehicle to rescue the person, who was rushed to hospital, according to police.

Milwaukee Police warned that they would arrest protesters.

The turbulent weekend prompted Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to declare a state of emergency on Sunday. But the National Guard was not deployed as local police sought to restore order.

Earlier that evening residents had gathered to mourn Smith as his family and friends held a candlelight vigil at the site of Saturday's shooting in a residential area of North Milwaukee. At one point, the crowd chanted "ready for war," followed by a a chant of "peace, peace, peace."

Smith's sister, Sherelle Smith, condemned violence carried out in her brother's name, saying the community needs those businesses.

"Don't bring that violence here," Kimberly Neal, another sister, said, sobbing as she lamented that she would never be able to again hug her brother.

Residents also came into the streets with trash bags, brooms and shovels to sweep up the debris from burnt down businesses.

Tensions on Sunday gave way to prayers as activists gathered to call for peace.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani addressed a letter to the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov regarding the latest developments of the situation in Syria, the OIC Press Service reported.

The OIC Secretary General indicated, in his letter, that the OIC follows with grave concern the deteriorating situation in the Syrian territories, as well as the tragic escalation meted upon the Syrian people.

Madani indicated that OIC has consistently called for the concentration of diplomatic efforts to find an urgent and adequate political solution to the crisis in Syria in order to end the Syrian peoples sufferings.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. Panicked travelers stampeded through Kennedy International Airport on Sunday night after unconfirmed reports of gunfire there, leading the police to evacuate two terminals and close part of a major highway that runs near the airport, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said, New York Times reported.

The Port Authority said in a statement that its preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at the airport, but that Terminals 1 and 8 were evacuated to be cautious. No explanation was given as to what had caused the initial reports.

There are no injuries, the statement said. At this time, no firearm, rounds or shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found.

Harry J. Wedin, chief of the special operations division of the New York Police Department, said on Twitter shortly after midnight that all affected terminals had been searched and cleared. He said no shots had been fired. A Port Authority spokesman said no arrests had been made.

Both the panic earlier in the evening and the process of clearing the terminals produced dramatic scenes inside the airport and striking imagery on social media, where one user shared pictures and a video that appeared to show hundreds of travelers standing in the terminal with their hands raised over their heads.

Armed police have evacuated the terminal  everyone is being searched, Zack Young, a businessman who was inside Terminal 8, wrote on Twitter. Mr. Young shared more than half a dozen images of frightened travelers hiding behind rows of chairs inside the terminal and, later, standing with their arms raised.

Joe Pentangelo, a Port Authority spokesman, said in an email that reports of gunfire inside Terminal 8 began arriving around 9:30 p.m. He said the panic appeared to have begun near the departures area.

Mr. Pentangelo said Terminal 1 was evacuated after the police received additional calls of shots fired. He said the Van Wyck Expressway, which runs near the airport in Queens, had been partially closed to aid in the response.

The authority said there was a substantial police presence at both Kennedy and La Guardia Airports on Sunday night. The Police Department was assisting the Port Authority Police, a police spokesman said.

Dan Archer, a journalist and media executive who was inside the airport when the first report of gunfire filtered through the crowd, described scenes of panic in a series of Twitter posts.

He said that the gates at the security checkpoints were closed and that he saw armed policeman patrolling the terminal. Just minutes later, he wrote that travelers were told the situation has been cleared at the terminal, but that it was unsafe for them to stay there.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 15, ARMENPRESS. The opening ceremony of the last stage of this years Ari Tun program (Come Home) was held on August 15.

Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, Deputy Minister Serzh Srapionyan, Ministry Chief-of-Staff Firdus Zakaryan, teachers of Charents school, ministry officials and guests took part in the ceremony.

I am very happy to welcome the last part of the six thousand participants of the 7 year program. Dear teenagers, I wish for this two weeks to become the fullest and most interesting part of our lives, that you learn a lot about your Motherland, make many friends, and most importantly  to maintain contact with one another in the future. I would like to thank the parents, who trusted us and upon our call these teenagers are taking part in our project. Really, Armenia becomes their home, by returning each participant wants to come again, to take part once again, once again be in the Motherland, and this is the most important result, which we were able to achieve during years. I would like to especially thank those families who hosted you with such warmth and care in their homes, Minister Hakobyan said.

The minister also thanked different agencies, provincial and community entities, who were assisting them by providing the safety and security of the participants.

55 teenagers from ten countries take part in the 8th stage of the program.

The young Armenians come from Russia, Georgia, Lebanon, Iran, Syria, France, Netherlands, Romania and Poland.
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Startup Fundraising 101

Startup Fundraising 101: Everything You Need To Know About Raising Money

If youre part of a startup or even just follow the industry, you already know that fundraising is an integral part of startup growth. Raising funding allows a company to go from an idea to an operating entity with employees.



I know firsthand how beneficial raising funding can be. I am the CEO of a venture-backed startup. We recently closed $500,000 in seed funding for Benchmark Intelligence and we were able to do double our headcount.



But what does this all mean  $500,000 seed round, $3M Series A, Venture-Backed, Super Angel and so on? The rest of the article will break down exactly what startup fundraising is all about in laymans terms.



The reasons why startups seek funding and investors seek startups to fund are quite simple. Startups take funding so that they can grow. The majority of the time, the funding is used to hire the right people to help them hit the growth they project. Funding allows startups to get revenue goals years faster than if they did it without funding, which is called bootstrapping.



Investors invest in startups so they can get a return on their investment. I am not talking about the 10% return you get when you let a business borrow money debt. I am talking about the 1,000% return you get when your purchase shares of a company, which is an equity investment.



Have you ever seen the show Shark Tank? The entrepreneur will ask for $100,000 for 10% of their company and then the investor will make a counter offer and so on. Those are equity investments and a semi-accurate representation of how negotiations go in real life.



However, in real life the entrepreneur doesnt tell the investor that were looking to give up __% for $___. Instead, they will do something along the lines of we are looking to raise $___ at a pre-money valuation of $___.



What is a pre-money valuation, you ask? Well, its quite simply what the entrepreneur believes their company is worth right before receiving the investment. This pre-money valuation determines how much of the company they have to give away for the investment. Meaning, the higher the valuation, the better for the entrepreneur and the lower the valuation for the investor. The pre-money valuation is very subjective and by far the most negotiated point during an investment negotiation.



The next valuation piece is the post-money valuation, which is calculated like this: the pre-money valuation + the investment = post money valuation. Once you have these pieces, you can determine how much of the company the investor is purchasing.

Example:

An entrepreneur says hes looking to raise $250,000 at a pre-money valuation of $1 million. The entrepreneur believes his company is worth $1M because hes built a prototype of the application and has a handful of customers using it, validating that it works. The investor agrees on the valuation and they make the deal happen.



Let's calculate the post money valuation.



Pre-money ($1,000,000) + Investment ($250,000) = Post Money Valuation



Post Money Valuation = $1,250,000



Once you have the post money valuation, you can calculate what portion of the company the investor purchased by dividing the investment amount by the post-money valuation.



Investment ($250,000)/ Post-Money Valuation ($1,250,000) = % of company the investor gets



Investors share of the company: 20%



So long story short, the investor invested $250,000 for 20% of the company.

Stages

Now that we have the basics of how the actual investment works, let's go over the different stages of startups and what that means for investors.

Pre-seed: This is a very early company thats probably been around less than 12 months. Most pre-seed companies have no revenue yet and many times dont have their first product built yet. Pre-seed companies are generally able to raise money because they are a team of smart guys and gals with some sort of prototype and plan in motion. Pre-seed investments typically range from as low as $20,000 up to about $500,000.

This is a very early company thats probably been around less than 12 months. Most pre-seed companies have no revenue yet and many times dont have their first product built yet. Pre-seed companies are generally able to raise money because they are a team of smart guys and gals with some sort of prototype and plan in motion. Pre-seed investments typically range from as low as $20,000 up to about $500,000. Seed: Seed stage companies are early stage companies that are showing market potential. The majority of seed stage companies are either generating revenue or getting very close to it. By the seed stage you already have your initial product built out and you have a small sample size of paying customers or a larger number of users validating that there is a need for it. However, at the seed stage there are still a lot of unknowns. Seed stage investments typically range from $500,000 to $2M+.

Seed stage companies are early stage companies that are showing market potential. The majority of seed stage companies are either generating revenue or getting very close to it. By the seed stage you already have your initial product built out and you have a small sample size of paying customers or a larger number of users validating that there is a need for it. However, at the seed stage there are still a lot of unknowns. Seed stage investments typically range from $500,000 to $2M+. Series A: If you survived being a seed-stage company and get to a Series A, you reached what investors call Product Market-Fit. Product Market-fit means you validated that the market wants your product and you found a scalable way to sell your product. Series A companies usually generate anywhere from a couple hundred grand to a million dollars in revenue. Series A rounds range anywhere from $3 to $10 million dollars.

If you survived being a seed-stage company and get to a Series A, you reached what investors call Product Market-Fit. Product Market-fit means you validated that the market wants your product and you found a scalable way to sell your product. Series A companies usually generate anywhere from a couple hundred grand to a million dollars in revenue. Series A rounds range anywhere from $3 to $10 million dollars. Series B: After Series A, it goes Series B, C and so on. Usually, each time you move farther down the alphabet your valuation and the amount you raise go up.

Angel vs. VC

Let's talk about the investment players themselves, angel investors and venture capitalists.



Angel Investor

An angel investor is a high net worth individual that makes personal investments in startups. Many times they are doctors, lawyers, accountants or successful entrepreneurs. They can invest as little as a couple of thousand dollars all the way to a couple hundred thousand dollars. Although they are smart investors, investing is usually not their full-time job.



Angel investors commonly fund pre-seed and seed stage startups. Many times a seed round will consist of multiple angel investors or an angel group. An angel group is just a group of angel investors who co-invest together so that they can collectively put more money in.

Venture Capitalist (VC)

Venture capitalists (VCs) are institutional funds that invest professionally in companies. Its a VCs full time job to invest in high-growth companies in order to seek returns.

VCs have funds that they manage over a specific time period. Smaller VC firms can have a couple of million dollars under management and a few of the largest VC firms in the world have over a billion dollars under management.

There are two types of partners in a VC firm. General Partners (GPs) and Limited Partners (LPs). General Partners are the ones that run the actual firm and are the ones that do the due diligence, meet with entrepreneurs and make the investment. LPs are the silent millionaire and billionaire partners that invest into the fund but are not involved in the operations of the firm.

Exiting

Lastly, let's talk about how the entrepreneurs and investors actually become rich. Investors and entrepreneurs dont really accumulate wealth until there is a liquidity event, which we call an exit, meaning either the company is bought by another company or goes public.



For example, an entrepreneur may have a net worth of $10 million because he or she owns 25% of a $40 million dollar company but that entrepreneur probably couldnt cash a check for $200,000 because he or she doesnt get that $10 million unless the company is sold. The best way I can describe it to my friends is that its like you're playing poker but you cant cash out your chips whenever you want, only when someone offers to buy them from you.



The same concept applies to investors. They can have their money tied up for years in a startup and wont make a penny off the startup (unless they have dividends, which is rare) until the company is either sold or goes public.
How To Get A Made-To-Measure Suit On A Budget

Here's Your Chance To Get A Made-To-Measure Suit For Less Than $400

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Lets be real, a sharply tailored suit is a status symbol. Theres nothing quite like a perfectly fitted made-to-measure suit to show off your style, boost your confidence, and turn a few heads. But with a high-quality suit can come a sky-high price tag.

Thanks to Indochino, you can purchase a custom-made suit without breaking the bank. Indochino creates entirely customizable suits: you can browse their suit library and make the perfect suit for you, from choosing the fabric to the fit to the lapel style. Heres the kicker: you can even browse through their selection of made-to-measure shirts and suits right from your couch via their mobile and online platforms.

Or, if youd like the full experience, you can visit one of their showrooms in Toronto, Vancouver, New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Beverly Hills, and Boston. Before you hit the store, here are a few pro tips to keep in mind. If you prefer online shopping to brick and mortar, be sure to use the code ASKMEN at Indochino.com for over $300 in savings  don't say we never gave you anything.

1. Know What You Want

Know what kind of suit you want before you start shopping: if youre looking for a special occasion suit (think funerals, weddings, and the like), look for a suit in a more formal shade of black or navy. If you need a suit to take you through the work week, feel free to move into the lighter greys, pinstripes, or even a bolder color.

2. Know Your Personal Style

Are you a flashier dresser or do you like to stick to traditional silhouettes? If youre shopping in-store, bring a few of your favorite dress shirts along and try them on with the suit. If you're sticking to the Indochino online store, be sure to explore all of your options.

3. Bring Your Entourage

You know that friend who tells it like it is? Bring them along or send them a few links. Whether its your mother, your girlfriend, or just your blunt friend, bring someone who can give you an honest opinion on the fit and style.

4. How To Size

Check out the size of your blazers and dress pants you already own. The sizing of a suit will be different, but checking what you already own will give you an idea if you should be looking at suits with wider shoulders or a narrower waist.

5. How To Fit

Ideally, you should be able to button up your blazer without a strain. On the flip side, there should not be too much extra room around the midsection. For the shoulders, shoulder pads should not extend past the end of the shoulder. The shoulder pads should hug your shoulders.

6. Pick Your Buttons

The standard suit will be your three-button suit. Two-buttons are an option, but be wary as they can easily move into bland banker territory. One-button suits work the best on taller, slimmer men.

7. Trust Your Tailor

Ideally your jacket sleeves should fall to the beginning of your palm. If you find a jacket that fits well but has longer sleeves, a tailor can easily adjust it. Ideally, sleeves should fall  inch above your shirt sleeves. Pro tip: tailors can work wonders on some things, but generally its not a good idea to let a tailor adjust the shoulders or shoulder pads. If your made-to-measure suit needs any alterations, the guys at Indochino will provide a $75 credit towards alterations at any tailor!

Head over to Indochino.com to find out more. Use the code ASKMEN to get any Premium Suit for only $375.00 (that's over 50% off!) Offer valid until 8/21/2016.

Related Readings

Buying A Suit - A Shopper's Guide

Best Casual Blazers For Men

Best Casual Dress Shoes For Men

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
A sitting judge in the US state of Connecticut has been arrested after allegedly attacking a woman she initially met at a local bar.Martin Landgrebe, a judge at Connecticuts Housatonic Probate District Court, was taken into custody last week after a woman who has not been named by authorities hesitantly divulged that the judge attacked her. According to The Connecticut Post , the judge and the woman were together drinking at a local establishment on August 8 before he took her to her home.The two then had a disagreement culminating in Landgrebe pinning her down in the grass behind her home by holding her throat, the publication noted from court documents.She reportedly first asked help from a neighbour telling them that she was attacked and needed a ride to the hospital.It appears she was not brought to the hospital after asking for help, but the authorities responded to a 911 call placed by the neighbour and found the woman walking along a local road.Initially refusing to cooperate, the woman eventually named Landgrebe and told the police she was afraid of the judge because of his connections and because he could make her disappear.She was reportedly so afraid she wrote notes which she dropped out of her bedroom window saying Help please help me Marty Landgrebe murdered me.The woman did, however, say that the attack was completely out of character for the judge, The Connecticut Post noted.For his part, told police that he was defending himself and that he also sustained injuries. He said he was helping the woman up the stairs when she began to scream and bolted out of the house.The judge said he even gave the woman his phone because she wanted to call a former relative. An affidavit said that the former relative indicated the woman had a history of erratic behaviour when drinking.
The jobs we'll lose to machines -- and the ones we won't | Anthony Goldbloom https://t.co/9AL3SFJOsv  TED Tweets (@TED_Tweets) August 8, 2016

Australian technology entrepreneur Anthony Goldbloom has some bad news for some lawyers: machines will be replacing you in your job.The silver lining is, even if the legal profession as well as others will see a radical shift because of artificial intelligence, theres space for machines and lawyers to co-exist.In an interview with The Australian Financial Review, Goldbloom said that writing and reviewing "boiler plate" legal contracts is vulnerable to automation.Given the right data, machines are going to outperform humans at tasks like this, said Goldbloom.Nonetheless, he did note that tax accountants and lawyers will still have a place in a future workforce that has AI workers as an integral part.These professionals will still be needed to complete complex tax structuring, take into account a companys circumstances and interpret legislation, he said.Other workers who can worry less than robots will take over their jobs are creative and strategic professionals, the entrepreneur said.Goldblooms TED Talk in February was recently uploaded and has since been viewed more than 430,000 times.In it, he discusses machine learning and how it will take over some jobs in the future.Machine learning is when computers study patterns and learn how a human does tasks. This means that if fed a large amount of data over time, machines can do as humans do and eventually replace them at certain tasks.Nonetheless, Goldbloom points out that new situations or situations that machines do not have a lot of data on still stump them.Humans have the ability to connect seemingly disparate threads to solve problems we've never seen before. This puts a fundamental limit on the human tasks that machines will automate, he said.So while there are legal tasks machines will eventually take over, complex knowledge work will still need skilled lawyers to complete.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Facebook that Uber will be legal in the state from September prompting the taxi industry to contemplate taking the government to court.



We want to put a premium on passenger safety, and ensure all operators follow a new, fair set of rules, with the best interests of consumers at heart, Palaszczuk wrote on Facebook.



She also said that unlike some other states, including New South Wales, no new tax will be imposed on passengers.



We had to find the balance between Queenslanders who make millions of ride bookings each year and their right to better affordability, choice of service and consistency in safety, and transitioning the taxi industry into the digital era, she wrote.



Palaszczuk also announced a $100-million package to support the taxi industry. $4 million in taxi fees will be waived over the next year as part of the package, she revealed.



Despite the substantial package, taxi operators and owners are still up in arms.



A report from 7News said that Taxi Council Queensland called the ride-sharing review of the government a farce.



According to the report, Gold Coast Cabs may also take legal action since the support program announced, which compensates taxi license holders up to two licenses for $20,000 each, does not apply to company-owned licenses.



Brisbane Times, on the other hand, asked the premier where the $100 million will be coming from. She did not answer directly but insisted that: Treasury assures me that the $100 million is there, it is structured over the next two years.


ANDI HORVATH

Hi, I'm Doctor Andi Horvath, thanks for joining us. Today we get up close to a human driving force, our passion. Consider the spectrum of your passion, it can range from a healthy motivation to an unhealthy obsession or even addiction. While the emotions that play a part in passion are central to the domains of psychology and psychiatry, passion itself seems to be taken seriously these days only in the arts and self-help literature. Our guest on this episode, philosopher of the emotions, Professor Louis Charland from the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He argues that passion, a term once used regularly by philosophers and medical scientists of long ago, continues to describe a human experience that is distinct from mere emotion. He says there's much to gain by reinstating the role of passion in our empirical understanding of the world.

Professor Charland is also known for reframing certain psychiatric and health problems, such as the potentially fatal condition of anorexia nervosa. He asks the question, what if anorexia nervosa wasn't a disorder, but in fact a passion. How would we rethink the diagnosis and, therefore, the treatment? Louis Charland is an...
Are you looking to work in IT specifically? It may be hard to find something part time in IT (I'm assuming you can only work 20hrs a week with your Visa?)



If your English skills are good, hospitality and retail are always a good start.



What type of working are you looking at?
MQB

TDI

PHEV

Our spy photographers caught the compact crossover roaming leisurely on the streets of Germany and, as you can see in the adjacent photographs, the front and rear are identical to the Tiguan. The most noticeable visual difference between the Tiguan XL and the Tiguan can be identified when you look at the car from the profile.The first thing that caught our attention is the rear door. Not only is it longer than the regular Tiguans rear door, but its joined by a generous quarter window and a different C-pillar. As for the interior, the only change comes in the form of a third row of seats. These being said, whats hiding underneath?As expected, the 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan XL (or whatever it will be called) rides on theA2 platform. The Tiguan XL is believed to boast 110 mm (4.33 in) of additional wheelbase compared to the regular Tiguan. Rumor has it the wheelbase of the Tiguan XL is exactly the same as the Skoda Kodiaq Under the hood, however, dont expect to get anything other than the same TSI turbo gasoline andturbo diesel engines in the regular Tiguan. On that note, the Volkswagen Tiguan family will get a third member sometime in the near future. It will arrive in the form of a coupe SUV which will be built either in Wolfsburg, Germany or at the SEAT plant in Martorell, Spain.Another variable which might or might not happen is a plug-in hybrid model. We know for sure that the normal Tiguan and the Kodiaq will share apowertrain in the nearest of futures, but nothing has been made official regarding the possibility of a plug-in hybrid Tiguan XL. All we can do now is wait and see what VW has in store for this family-friendly crossover.
CVT

HP

The 2017 Honda Civic is the first five-door hatchback offered by this brand in its American lineup. It is produced in Europe at Honda's UK Manufacturing facility in Swindon, and it is built on the 10th-generation Civic Sedan and Coupe platform.All the versions of the all-new Civic X will be fitted with a 1.5-liter direct injection gasoline turbocharged engine. This body style will serve as the basis for the 2018 Civic Type R , which will come to the USA next year, as Honda has announced today. Until then, customers will have access to the regular Civic X Hatchback, which will be available starting this fall.Honda will offer a six-speed manual transmission or afor the new Civic, with the mention that the manual only comes with the LX, Sport, and EX trim levels.The engine provides a peak output of 174and 162 lb-ft of torque for the LX, EX, and EX-L trims, while the Sport and Sport Touring grades get 180 HP and 162 lb-ft of torque. The latter equipment level is easily recognizable through a high-flow center-mounted exhaust.Honda anticipates an EPA fuel economy rating of 34 mpg combined, 40 mpg highway, and 31 mpg city for its CVT-equipped models. The anticipated fuel economy figures are based on the EPA ratings for 2017 model year vehicles, and Honda claims it is at the top of the class with the new Civic.Honda has fitted the Civic X with a fully independent suspension configuration, and its bushes are filled with liquid for enhanced performance and comfort.Concerning the interior of the all-new Civic , Honda has equipped it with better materials and finishes when compared to its predecessor, while cargo capacity and cabin volume are claimed to be class-leading.
The Swedish hypercar maker is not coming empty-handed, but with a pair of stunning cars, the Agera XS and Regera . Both vehicles will be flown directly from Angelholm to be displayed at two events.Visitors of the McCalls Motorworks Revival and The Quail Motorsport Gathering during Monterey Car Week will be able to see and hear the two exquisite examples of engineering. Koenigsegg is not at its first presence in the USA , as the brand has showcased a One:1 in Monterey, California, last year. However, this news is not just about the Swedish automaker showcasing its finest creations in the United States of America, but about the fact that the Agera RS has become road-legal in the U.S.The Agera XS will be the first U.S. road-legal example of the Agera RS . Koenigsegg representatives have explained that the model's name was changed according to the wishes of the owner.The vehicle will be presented in the shade called Karosserie Orange, which is an intense finish with diamond-dust metallic effect, as well as a transparent carbon center strip.On the inside, the Agera XS comes with black Alcantara upholstery with orange contrast stitching. Evidently, the shade of orange on the inside matches the exterior color in the best possible way that a piece of fabric could match paint.The Agera XS also comes with another unique touch  it has the largest ever rear wing ever fitted to a Koenigsegg. Like the badging and color combination, this is the owners choice.Koenigsegg has not revealed the identity of the first American owner of an Agera RS, but it will be difficult to hide such a car. The Agera XS is the first fully homologated Agera XS that can be used on American roads.Company representatives have explained that the demand for its models from U.S. clients is overwhelming, and that they look forward to delivering more units in the very near future.
The 2017 Global Fleet Conference will be returning to Miami, site of the 2015 conference (pictured), and will offer attendees educational content presented by top fleet professionals. Photo: Chris Wolski

When making your travel plans for 2017, make sure to save June 6-8 for the annual Global Fleet Conference, which will be returning to Miami.

Since debuting in 2013, the Global Fleet Conference has become a "must-attend" industry event, selling out every year, and attracting fleet managers and fleet stakeholders with global responsibilities from around the world.

The 2017 Global Fleet Conference will return to the Marriott Miami Biscayne Bay hotel, site of the successful 2015 conference.

In addition to stellar educational content, covering areas of specific concerns to fleet professionals with global responsibilities, the Global Fleet Conference offers numerous networking opportunities, allowing attendees to make new and lasting professional and personal connections.

The Global Fleet Conference is co-produced by Bobit Business Media, publisher of Automotive Fleet magazine, and Nexus Communication, publisher of Fleet Europe magazine. The conference, which alternates between locations in the U.S. and Europe each year, was held in Brussels, Belgium, in June 2016.
James Dalglish, general manager of GO Rentals in New Zealand. Photo courtesy of GO Rentals

GO Rentals, a New Zealand-based car rental company, has joined forces with the New Zealand Transport Agency and HMI Technologies to test a Bluetooth device that delivers auto safety messages to rental car drivers. The trial started July 2.

The safety messages are sent from roadside transmitters  via Bluetooth  to devices in the rental vehicles.

According to GO Rentals, there are 60 roadside transmitters set up between Queenstown and Christchurch that will transmit three types of messages to the rental cars. The three messages include reliability (talking about the road, how to travel on it, etc.), amenity (where restroom facilities are located), and safety (stay on the left side of the road, slow down, etc.).

As rental customers drive along the road, the messages are heard like a radio announcement in the car, according to GO Rentals.

Were running the proof of concept over a three-month period until the end of September with a view to getting feedback from 100 users, said James Dalglish, general manager of GO Rentals. No doubt that once the full results from the surveys are collated well have a better idea what the next steps are.

If a rental customer is interested in participating in this government trial, the GO Rentals car is equipped with a Bluetooth receiver. During the trip between Christchurch and Queenstown, the customer listens to the safety messages and then takes a survey about their experience and whether the messages were helpful.

If the trial is successful, the initiative may continue along the route and be implemented in other parts of New Zealand, said Dalglish.

Click here for more information.
Parallel parking can turn out to be a tricky affair for even seasoned drivers at times. Or so found out the owner of Ferrari 458 Speciale who recently went through the horrors of witnessing a Mercedes 380 SL land up on the nose of his bright red Prancing Horse while attempting the parking manoeuvre.

According to AutoBlog, the incident occurred at the Cars & Coffee event at Katie's cafe in Great Falls, Virginia. A video clip of the incident showed the owner of the Ferrari supercar arriving onto the scene soon after and his exasperated looks was enough of an evidence of what could have been going on in his heart.

The woman who was behind the wheels of the Merc roadster also had two of her kids in the car when the incident occurred. Fortunately none was hurt though the Speciale suffered the brunt of her miss-manoeuvre.

It isn't exactly known as to what might have caused the accident except that she was perhaps trying to park in front of the Speciale. It could have been a matter of nerves; with her actually pressing on the gas when all that was needed was a slight nudge.

Incidentally, the subsequent damage control efforts led to more damage being inflicted on the Ferrari supercar. This since her attempt to quickly dislodge from atop the Ferrari led to her rear wheels digging on to the supercar all the more.

Fortunately for the Ferrari owners, no serious damage was inflicted on to the supercar either, except for scrapes and nudges. Sure that still would require a trip to the Ferrari service station to get the front bumper, hood and headlight changed. However, considering the cost of the supercar, the repair work can still run into several tens of thousands dollars. However, as Graham King of Motor1 stated, the front bumper too might require a replacement.

That said, the Speciale looked quite composed even after the bruising she got from the 3,400-pound roadster. Speaks volumes of the quality of Ferrari workmanship.
A total of 12 people died in two separate crashes of light twins over last few days. A Beech Baron crashed at Shannon Airport in Fredericksburg, Virginia, at midday on Friday and a Piper Navajo went down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Sunday morning. In both cases, all six aboard each of the aircraft died. Local authorities in Virginia are discussing possible causes of the crash while a technical problem appears to be a factor in the Alabama tragedy.

Although the official cause wont be released for a year or more, local authorities in Virginia were quoted by the Washington Post as saying the Shannon crash occurred during a go-around attempt. The aircraft flew from Louisville to Shelbyville, Indiana, before heading to Shannon as the final destination. Late Sunday morning, the Navajo crashed just short of the runway in Tuscaloosa. The pilot issued a distress call reporting engine problems just before the crash. The aircraft departed Kissimmee Airport in Florida for a flight to Oxford, Mississippi.
Whoever said success is its own reward probably wasnt talking about the aviation business and the folks who run Surf Air know that all too well. The company has made a go out of a potentially risky membership business model offering patrons an all-you-can-fly package for $1,950 a month in Pilatus PC-12s. They picked the toney San Francisco suburb of San Carlos as a base and were soon filling the turboprops with prosperous Silicon Valley customers heading for destinations like Las Vegas, L.A. and Napa. But as Surf Air grew, so did complaints from local residents angered at the noise being generated at their formerly sleepy airport. A public meeting has been called for Aug. 16 in which San Mateo County officials will explain why its not their fault.

Surf Air started with a handful of customers and a few airplanes and was operating about three flights a day to begin with. However, the business caught on and now theyre averaging more than 20 flights a day and a lot more than that during peak times. The company recently started a European operation. When Surf Air came in, we were surprised that you could have a commercial operation at the airport, San Mateo County Supervisor Don Horsely told the San Jose Mercury News. We talked with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) about, how did this happen? Horsley said. This is a general aviation airport. How was a scheduled airline able to operate at a general aviation airport? What the FAA said was, they were only concerned about safety in the air. They have no rules about noise. So, the stewards of San Mateo have scheduled Wednesdays meeting with apparently one goal in mind. I think they [local residents] think we have a lot more power than we do. We do own the land, but not the air space, Horsley said.
The mission of awwwards is to create the biggest community of web designers and developers on the Internet, as well as our platform, we also host conferences all over the world in iconic cities, where attendees can see inspiring talks from leading fi
15 August 2016 10:48 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Armenian armed forces have 19 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, Azerbaijans Defense Ministry reported on August 15.

Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns while firing at Azerbaijani positions.

The Armenian armed forces stationed in the Bash Gervend village of the Aghdam district, Ashagi Seyidahmadli village of the Fizuli district, Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions.

Azerbaijani positions also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located on the nameless heights in the Goranboy, Khojavand 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.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 16:04 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Opposition rallies against the Armenian government continue in the capital of the country, Yerevan.

Protesters in Yerevan and across Armenia staged mass demonstrations after the Sasna Tser movement, an armed group that took over the police station on July 17 for two weeks. They were demanding the release of jailed opposition leader Jirair Sefilian, and calling for the resignation of the government.

After another rally of July 29, there were revealed credible reports of violence and excessive use of force by the police to disperse protestors during the night of July 29-30. Then, Armenian police arrested 165 people.

Following the events, 73 people addressed medical institutions with injuries of varying severity. Some of them still continue receiving treatment in hospitals of Yerevan. During the crackdown of police, journalists and cameramen also got injured.

Alec Yenigomshyan, member of the Pre-Parliament of Armenia civil initiative, who addressed the rally on August 14, called on the Armenians to continue protests till the end.

He read out the list of Armenian political prisoners, and stressed that the armed group Sasna Tsrer, members of which surrendered only after two weeks of resistance, are even more focused on political struggle against the current government.

The opposition reiterated its demands, particularly the resignation of Serzh Sargsyan and his regime, and formation of a new government which would base on trust.

Meanwhile, another member of the Pre-Parliament Areg Nazaryan informed that a big rally will be held on August 19.

Politicians, arrested in connection with the events in Yerevan, are political prisoners, said lawyer Seda Safaryan at a meeting with journalists on August 15.

Every request we submit is being rejected, she said, adding that the lawyers defending the arrested will have to address international courts if the situation does not change.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 15:04 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Seventy-one state facilities were put up for privatization in Azerbaijan as part of an action plan to revitalize the countrys economy amid the low oil prices.

The countrys State Committee for Property Affairs reported that 31 of these facilities are joint stock companies operating in various sectors of economy, two are non-residential areas, 10 are means of transport, and 28 are other state properties and facilities.

Total value of shares of the enterprises put up for sale with a 50-percent discount exceeds 2.4 million manats ($1,477 million).

Due to lack of data on the nominal value of all the enterprises, it is impossible to specify the exact value of shares put up for sale.



A complete list of state facilities put up for sale can be found at http://privatization.az/index.php/az/sas-s-hif/mue-ssis-l-r# portal, which was issued this July to significantly simplify the process of privatization and to increase transparency in this area.

The portal was designed in two languages - Azerbaijani and English, which allows foreign investors to actively participate in the privatization process. In addition, the portal has a special section called Why Azerbaijan? that explains foreign investors why they should invest in the country.

President Ilham Aliyev previously noted the need for a large-scale privatization in the country. The president said that a specific business plan should be introduced for each enterprise that will be offered for privatization.

The business plan, the responsibility, the obligation should be considered. Otherwise it will turn out that someone will buy the enterprise, and it will not work again. We need leading foreign consulting companies, because the privatization must be transparent, and the states interests must be secured.

Last year more than 1,000 different public facilities were privatized in Azerbaijan. Some 685 small state enterprises and objects, unfinished buildings, vehicles, 456 land plots, and 20 joint stock companies were privatized. Moreover, 464 non-residential area and 298 plots of land were leased and five state-owned enterprises were privatized through investment competitions.

Today, there are still a sufficient number of businesses in Azerbaijan that are entirely on the state balance sheet. There are many fields where privatization can take place including energy sector, as well as oil and gas sectors.



Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov announced earlier that most of the medical institutions in the county could be privatized in the future.

The process of privatization is not the guarantee of the economic revival, but it strengthens the competitiveness of the economic sphere, which includes a combination of private and public ownership.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli



Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 15:17 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

TS Events presents an absolutely new kind of party that will be held annually.

The main event of exciting European Night will take place at Elektra Events Hall, an extraordinary multipurpose hall with capacity of 2500 people!

During the show, guests will enjoy the best Deep House and Nu Disco performed by Turkish DJ and producer Mahmut Orhan at My Beach Club in Novkhani on September 10, Trend Life reported.

Dj has gained popularity not only in Turkey, but also in Europe. His track "Feel" was an international commercial success, appearing in many record charts around the world and reaching the top-four in Bulgaria, Greece, Kazakhstan, Romania and Ukraine, top-five in Russia and top-ten in Serbia.

Don't miss the party and don't come alone!

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START: 21:00

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  SPECIAL QUEST

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TS EVENTS - You Only Live Once

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Media partners of the event are Trend.az, Day.Az, Milli.Az, and Azernews.az.

---

Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 14:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Camal

The State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons has announced that relevant international organizations have been informed about Armenian Henrich Aghetian, who was detained by Azerbaijani servicemen while attempting to illegally cross into Azerbaijan and enter the Sadarak district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on August 7.

The Commission told Trend that currently, necessary procedures are underway with regard to the detained person in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The public will be further informed on the issue.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 13:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The International Army Games 2016 wrapped up with a solemn closing ceremony in Moscow, Russia.

Participating in the contests "Tank biathlon" and "Caspian Sea Cup" of the international military competition, representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces become the winners of the various stages in both categories and represented the country at the highest level.

Azerbaijans Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov was among officials attending the event organized at the range "Alabino" on August 13. Hasanov met with the Azerbaijani tank crew and hailed their performance at the International Army Games 2016.

Azerbaijans tank crew showed significant results at a Tank biathlon contest held in the framework of International Army Games 2016 running from July 30 till August 13. In the international competition attended by 54 tank crews from 17 countries, the Azerbaijani tank crew ranked seventh in the overall table and fifth in the ranking of Best Crew.

The Azerbaijani tank crew, which participated in this competition for the first time, performed a variety of tasks at a high level, skillfully destroyed all the targets and overcame obstacles.

Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani military seamen ranked second to be awarded with special medals at the Caspian Cup 2016.

Azerbaijani officer of patrol and guard ship G-124, Israil Mammadov won an individual award for his skills and professionalism.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 14:28 (UTC+04:00)

Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mladen Ivanic and representatives of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center have discussed a preparatory meeting for 5th Global Baku Forum that will take place in the country on November 22-24, Azertac reported.

The State Committee for Work with Diaspora reported that the sides highlighted the importance of the event.

More than 20 former heads of state, including of Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania are expected to attend the preparatory meeting.

The 5th Global Baku Forum will be held in 2017.

Nizami Ganjavi International Center was created with the multiple aims of preserving the reach cultural heritage of the past as well as encouraging and fostering current scholarship, research, cultural activity and social outreach.

The Center moves forward to build, an institution worthy of bearing the great name of Nizami Ganjavi with hope it will become a source of pride for Azerbaijan and the world.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 14:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The military and military-technical cooperation, as well as the security issues of the Caspian region will be on the agenda of a meeting to be held between Azerbaijans Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on August 15.

I think today we will have an opportunity to discuss the security situation in the region and in the Middle East. In addition, we have a great program of military and military-technical cooperation, which also requires its own adjustments and solving a number of issues. I am sure that we will find a solution to these issues, said Shoigu, who is on visit in Baku.

The sides are also expected to discuss cooperation in the Caspian Sea in terms of joint security work. "I hope that the plans and programs prepared by us last year will be implemented in full," the Russian minister noted.

The Russian delegation includes a number of experts involved on the program of military and military-technical cooperation between the two countries, according to Shoigu.

Hasanov, in turn, said that Shoigu's visit is of great importance for the development of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia.

As part of the two-day visit the Russian defense minister was received by President Ilham Aliyev, who hailed the bilateral relation between the two countries. The president also mentioned the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijan, which President Aliyev called successful.

--

Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 13:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

Iran and Russia are expanding their cooperation in the energy sphere, as the two countries will construct two new nuclear power plants.

Seyed Hossein Hosseini, a representative of the Iranian Parliamentary Committee on National Defense and Foreign Policy announced about this while talking to reporters, Shana News agency reported.

He noted a need to ensure Iran with 20,000 megawatts of electricity, which requires the construction of ten nuclear power plants

Organization for the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) has already prepared a plan for the construction of power plants. At this point the agenda includes the construction of two power plants since it is not possible to build ten sites at the same time.

The two countries signed a historic $20 billion energy deal in Moscow in November 2014. This agreement has extended the cooperation of the parties in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy and creating the possibility of building of eight units of nuclear power plant in Iran with Russian technologies.

Iran and Russia cooperate both politically and economically. Although mostly two countries cooperate in the energy sphere, they have also expanded trade ties in many non-energy sectors of economy, including a large agriculture agreement in January 2009 and a telecommunications contract in December 2008.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 16:16 (UTC+04:00)

By Gunay Hasanova

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has accused the European Union of "humiliating" Ankara.

"Rather than helping Turkey, (European nations) are humiliating us," he said in his interview to German Bild newspaper, Anadolu Agency reported.

The EU-Turkish relations have soured since the military coup attempt t of July 15, with Europe concerned by Ankaras subsequent crackdown.

Ankara has rejected EU criticism that the purges might violate rights norms Ankara must meet under the agreement in return for visa-free travel and accelerated negotiations for bloc membership.

Cavusoglu announced that Turkey has made intense efforts, "like few other nations, to fulfill the conditions of accession to the EU".

In return, Turkey has received "only threats, insults and a total blockage" from the 28-nation union.

"I ask myself, what crime have we committed? Why this hostility?" said Cavusoglu, who earlier accused the EU of "encouraging" the coup plotters.

Moreover, Cavusoglu touched the issue of possibility of restoring the death penalty in Turkey.

Europe is behaving as if we have already restored the death penalty. There are particular request in this regard and it should be understood. Turkey has experienced the bloodiest coup in its history. Tanks crushed on the people and the planes were shooting peaceful civilians. The Parliament was shelled. Which is why we cannot ignore such demands, he said.

The July 15 coup attempt occurred when rogue elements in the Turkish military tried to overthrow the country's democratically elected government.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the deadly plot, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,000 others, was organized by followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration into Turkish state and government establishments, particularly the military, police, and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the "parallel state".

Previously, Turkish President Erdogan said that Europe has never kept its promise, adding that they still have not paid $3 billion allocated for maintenance of refugees so they cannot demand anything without fulfilling their promises.

The Heads of State and the EU Member States' governments agreed with Turkey upon a joint plan to combat the migration crisis in mid-March. The program is focusing on the return of illegal immigrants arriving from Greece to the territory of Turkey and accepting legal Syrian refugees in Turkey by the EU based on to the principle of "one for one".

Currently, there are more than two million Syrian refugees in the territory of Turkey. Approximately 300,000 of them live in the camps and the rest are scattered over the Turkish provinces. Only Istanbul is host to 40,000 refugees from Syria.

Turkey has long waited for its EU membership, while each application to accede to the European Union was frustrating for the government. Turkey, holding a status of an associate member at the Economic Community -- the predecessor of the EU since 1963 -- made an official application for entry on April 14, 1987.

The membership bid has become a major controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
15 August 2016 13:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan Tourism Association considers it necessary to establish a mechanism of control over the activity of tourism companies and hotels to prevent frauds and problems in this area.

Licenses are no longer required for implementation of tourism activity in the country. Of course, it is a positive factor, but some agencies benefitting from that do not always behave lawfully. Therefore, a special mechanism of control over their work is needed, said Muzaffar Agakarimov, the adviser of the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Tourism Association, while speaking about Azerbaijani tourists, who have faced problems in Batumi.

Roughly 50 Azerbaijani tourists faced difficulties in Batumi as travel companies Altur Travel and Ray Travel have not paid for hotel accommodation. The hotel administration refused to return passports of the tourists until the payment is made. The situation was resolved after the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Georgia helped tourists to return their passports.

Agakerimov noted that every travel agency should initially sign a contract with its customer and the document should define the obligations of the agency to the tourist. In case the travel company does not pay the hotel accommodation, the tourist can sue the agency through court and recover money. The necessity of concluding the agreement is prescribed in the law On tourism.

If the travel agency lacks such a contract then it should be punished. That is, the travel agency is to blame anyway. Generally, I think such companies must be closed, said Agakerimov.

Today, there are about 300 travel agencies and more than 570 accommodation establishments in Azerbaijan. The number of foreigners who visited Azerbaijan in 2015 exceeded 2 million.

Most of them came from neighboring countries. Thus, 685,555 visitors were from Russia, 571,648 from Georgia, while 149,600 tourists came to Azerbaijan from Iran. This year, a greater number of tourists from Arab countries visit Azerbaijan.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
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Flour milling executives in developed nations who often face many difficult issues may derive some relief from contemplating what millers in Saudi Arabia are facing this year. It is this year that the kingdom is halting the purchase of locally-grown wheat, which in effect means that no more wheat is being produced in a country that not long ago was striving to be self-sufficient. To protect domestic wheat availability, the kingdom has committed to building sufficient new grain storage capacity to bring the total equal to slightly more than a full years needs, or around 3.7 million tonnes. If this is not sufficient to create complexities, think of the kingdoms firm decision to finalize before years end the privatization of the entire government-owned milling industry, comprising 10 mills with daily capacity of 13,000 tonnes of wheat grind. This action means sale to a Saudi or non-Saudi operator or by undertaking an initial public offering or finding some other way of ending government ownership of all of the kingdoms mills.

While each aspect of this undertaking affecting such a major food industry has its own reasons, theres a single driving force  the collapse of oil. Saudi Arabia long operated with a heady financial surplus from its position as the worlds largest oil exporter. That has dramatically ended since 2014 in the collapse of oil prices that once ruled above $100 per barrel and recently fell to $30 and below. At the same time as the mills are being shifted from government ownership, suggestions are sought on how best to monetize ownership of the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Aramco), the worlds major oil exporter. It is likely that a public sale would make Aramco the most valuable company in the world, at a total in the trillions of dollars. These actions, it is hoped, will ease the pain of growing deficits that are forcing cuts in consumer subsidies, delays in infrastructure investing and tapping of once sacrosanct foreign reserves.

Putting oil aside, the end to wheat crop subsidies, where farmers enjoyed more than double global prices, came about because of huge quantities of water used to grow wheat. Draining water reserves was wisely decided as a poor trade in a world of wheat abundance. Privatizing flour milling has been a possibility almost from the time the kingdom began building mills to replace imports after World War II. The mills owner-manager is the widely known government agency, Grain Silos and Flour Mills Organization (GSFMO). In preparing for this change, the new name is General Organization for Grains (GOC).

As prelude to many of these steps, the Saudi Council of Ministers, which is chaired by King Salman, moved to restructure milling into four separate companies. The new milling companies will buy wheat from the government and will be allowed to sell flour at pre-determined prices to approved customers processing the flour into a range of consumer products. In an opening to free markets, mills may also import wheat at world prices for sale as non-subsidized flour to high-end specialty bakers and pasta manufacturers. The new milling companies will control a limited amount of wheat storage, all with the hope of improving milling efficiency and encouraging innovation. It is the GOC that will continue to look over milling operations with responsibility for overseeing product quality, compliance with government regulations and competition.

In an interview with our sister publication World Grain, Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, minister of agriculture and chairman of GOC, expressed enthusiasm for the opportunities he sees in private ownership and operation of Saudi flour mills. Predicting the drawing of international investors, he cited new investments and heightened progress for food security. Of course, such issues as profits dependent on operating fees agreed to by GOC are challenging for new owners. The Saudi combining both government and private price setting on wheat and flour promises a much different milling industry from any other country.
Alok Sharma was in Beijing on Monday for his first official visit to China since being appointed UK Minister for Asia, according to news from the UK embassy to China.

Sharma will later travel to Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the South part of China.

He will meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss UK and China's global strategic partnership as the two world powers work together to solve global issues, build economies of the future, and develop our strong trade, investment and people to people links.

According to the UK embassy to China, the UK and China share an interest in a stable and ordered world. Both have been working together on foreign policy challenges such as Syria, DPRK and Afghanistan. Both are enhancing our cooperation on climate change, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and development.

Sharma will also be underlining how the strong UK-China relationship is delivering benefits for the prosperity of both countries. In Beijing, Sharma will meet clean energy experts and companies to discuss projects supported by the UK Government's Prosperity Fund.

In Shenzhen, he will also discuss new energy technologies and investment into the UK with BYD who are already trialing e-buses and electric taxis in London and across Europe.

In Guangzhou, Sharma will open a new VisitBritain office in a key visitor market, meet Chinese business leaders and hold talks with British companies focused on corporate social responsibility.

"The UK's relationship with China is strong, growing and delivering benefits for both countries. As permanent members of the UN Security Council, we are working together to tackle global issues of the 21st century," Sharma says.
As Polk County students return to school, the district there is facing multiple schools at risk of closing.

Five Polk County middle schools in danger of closing



Schools are Kathleen, Denison, Westwood, Shelley S. Boone and Lake Alfred-Addair



Polk Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd is scheduled to meet this week with principals

BN9 Education resources

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The Florida Board of Education is threatening to shut down five middle schools over failing grades.



Today's first day also is the deadline for the district to present plans to the state for keeping the troubled schools open. The schools are Kathleen, Denison, Westwood, Shelley S. Boone and Lake Alfred-Addair.



The schools have had D or F grades issued from the state for the past three years.



More than 13,000 students are assigned to those schools and during the summer, the school district accepted an unspecified number of parent requests to move their children to different schools.



Polk district leaders say part of the plan they will present to the state will make it easier to move under performing teachers out of their positions. School officials said the plan would also involve getting about $1 million in additional funding and resources.



"School culture, discipline and attendance are huge, huge factors in the success or as the state will grade you, student performance," said Polk Deputy Superintendent John Small. "So we are addressing that."



Polk Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd is scheduled to meet this week with principals of the five middle schools to discuss turnaround plans.



Still, if the state does decide to close the schools, it's likely the district would receive time to transition thousands of students to different schools.


Tenoroc High School students in Auburndale will now have a brand new sidewalk to get them to school.

Hernandez family fought to get sidewalk along Old Dixie Highway

Son Enrique Hernandez was hit by a car in 2013

Family lobbied state lawmakers when the county said it was too expensive



The sidewalk is on Old Dixie Highway from HWY 92 to the high school. It was built after the family of Enrique Hernandez pushed for it, petitioning and collecting thousands of signatures in the process.

Enrique Hernandez died on Aug. 21, 2013 while walking down Old Dixie Highway to school, after missing the bus. He was the second student to die while walking down the road. Colton Meyers died on Dec. 8, 2009, while walking from the school to his home.

After county commissioners voted against building the sidewalk because it was too expensive, the Hernandez family partnered with Young American Dreamers to get the job done. Together, they went to the state capitol and lobbied legislators for support.



Polk County officials said the Old Dixie Highway sidewalk project had been approved and funded before the group lobbied for safer sidewalks.



It was an extremely hard fight, recalled Daniel Barajas, the Executive Director for Young American Dreamers. We met with over 80 legislators in Tallahassee as well as our local legislators to ensure thered be funding for this."



The Hernandez family and Young American Dreamers helped lobby lawmakers for the money for the sidewalk, in memory of Enrique Hernandez.(Stephanie Claytor, Staff)

I never really believed you could actually go meet a representative. Go travel and actually fight for something you want, said Anally Hernandez, Enriques sister. Now its like if you want it, fight for it. We struggled, but we got it. 

The family and Young American Dreamers said they will now fight to get a crosswalk at Hwy 92 and Old Dixie Highway and street lights along Old Dixie Highway. It was black the morning Hernandez was hit and killed.

We had asked also in our petition that there be lighting down the sidewalk because at night time, its pitch black. However, we are excited that the biggest safety concern has been addressed, Barajas said.
The contractor whose employees were critically injured in a flash fire at Sunoco Logistics in Nederland on Friday refused to provide updates about their conditions Monday, frustrating Sunoco officials, according to Jefferson County's Emergency Management director.

Greg Fountain, who heads the county's emergency management department, said Sunoco officials discovered Monday that an information hotline set up by Houston-based contractor L-Con Inc. goes straight to voicemail

"L-Con is not releasing anything to anybody," said Fountain. "Sunoco is frustrated with them. Usually, you get regular updates. These guys (L-Con) don't seem to get it."

Seven L-Con contract workers were injured - four of them critically - in the flash fire Friday night. Three were treated and released from area hospitals, and four are in burn units in hospitals in Galveston, Houston and Beaumont, according to early reports from Sunoco Logistics.

The flash fire occurred during welding of pipeline connections to new storage tanks under construction at the oil terminal, located on the east side of Texas 347 in Nederland.

A second federal agency, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, has joined the investigation into the flash fire, adding to the inquiry already under way by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Sunoco Logistics and L-Con.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board cited "hot work" as its reason for joining the investigation. It defines "hot work" as anything involved in burning, welding or similar spark-producing operations that can ignite fires or explosions. "The CSB has investigated too many incidents involving hot work  my thoughts go out to the workers and their families affected by this tragedy," said safety board chair Vanessa Allen Sutherland.

Investigator-in-charge Mark Wingard will lead the safety board teamm accompanied by Sutherland. The safety board is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents.

While the Chemical Safety Board can make recommendations, only OSHA has enforcement authority, depending on the outcome of its investigation.

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/dwallach
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Rose Hill Manor, once a popular site for social events at Port Arthur's seawall, now has holes in its windows and a balcony unfit to stand on.

It's a shell of itself - a microcosm of the city's past, present and future. Symbolic of Port Arthur's greater predicament, the once-elegant home is now barely getting by, desperate for a facelift to preserve its history, though at a cost its owners could have difficulty bearing.

City leaders planned to ask architects to compile a list of repairs the 6,000-square-foot home needs after 110 years. The assessment was to cost $70,000; repairs could approach $1 million.

Then came a sobering moment for Rose Hill Manor supporters: City leaders realized they have no idea what to do with the historic building where Southeast Texans have regularly held weddings, baby showers and parties for more than half a century.

Port Arthur City Council members, already struggling with major budget challengers, are unsure how much money, if any, to put into Rose Hill Manor.

One councilman says to "remodel it, or tear it down."

Because Rose Hill is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it can't be demolished. It would have to sit there and rot until it's beyond repair.

Some say that should be out of the question.

"I just don't understand why the city doesn't care about such a historical home," said Lezlie Armentor, a member of the volunteer group tasked with keeping up the building's interior. "They've totally dropped the ball and neglected Rose Hill Manor."

City leaders last week acknowledged they lack a vision for Rose Hill, which was built in 1906 for former mayor Rome Hatch Woodworth. The estate was donated to Port Arthur in 1947.

For decades, the home doubled as a museum and special venue, hosting hundreds of milestone events.

The property's front view shows ships on the Neches River and the bridge to Pleasure Island.

Carolyn Martinez held her wedding reception there in 1957, shortly after Rose Hill was refurbished.

"It was just such a beautiful place," said Martinez, who recently stepped down from the volunteer group. "The grounds were lovely and it was sort of a crown jewel of that area of Port Arthur."

Still, Martinez says the building has not been painted properly since the late 1990s.

It took several months to fix a problem that resulted in a leak from Rose Hill's roof, down the wall and into its basement.

Mushrooms grew on carpet in the foyer and dining room wall.

"It's a slap in the face," Armentor said. "It sends the message, 'Don't ever leave anything to the city of Port Arthur.'"

'Be honest'

Council members' reluctance to spend $70,000 on architectural drawings is both a cause and result of uncertainty about Rose Hill's future.

And without the drawings, no one can determine specifically what needs to be done, City Manager Brian McDougal said.

The Texas Historical Commission would have to review the sketches before Port Arthur could receive grant funding, which council members are relying on if Rose Hill is to survive.

"I really think we need to have a deep conversation about this and be honest with ourselves," Councilman Morris Albright III said. "There's no point in spending $70,000 we could spend somewhere else if our heart isn't really committed to spending $1.5 million on Rose Hill."

The Beaumont-based LaBiche Architectural Group did an $11,000 assessment two years ago, but it still left the city without floor plan drawings or details on the building.

Workers will have to hand-measure every dimension for the historical commission's evaluation, something architects normally bypass for non-historic buildings.

A paint assessment alone would be close to $9,000.

Repairing Port Arthur's streets is a greater priority for city leaders, Councilman Keith Richard said.

Also, the city would need a plan to market its historic buildings and figure how to make them self-sustaining.

The cost has become intimidating because the city has gone so many years without any long-term investment, taking a piecemeal approach instead, according to project manager Dohn LaBiche.

"That always costs you more money," LaBiche said. "It is very important for council to decide what the path is with that building so that you can either do it the right way, or spend the money elsewhere."

Beyond reason

April Crooks-Dean was married at Rose Hill earlier this month, nearly 60 years after Martinez.

Even Crooks-Dean, a Deweyville native who now lives in Silsbee, admires the history at Rose Hill.

She settled on the location for her wedding because of its view and "vintage" feel.

Despite all the work Rose Hill needs, Crooks-Dean describes her wedding as "perfect."

Supporters say Rose Hill could still help make more memories there if city leadership takes a stand.

The property's sentimental value to Martinez extends beyond the wedding in '57. Her niece celebrated a 25th wedding anniversary there in the mid-1990s, and her mother held a 100th birthday party at Rose Hill in 2010.

Martinez would be devastated if the building is torn down, but she understands the current situation.

"If you're going to maintain the history of an area, it means an investment of time and money," Martinez said. "The longer it's neglected, the more expensive it is to repair.

"There comes a point when it gets beyond reason to spend the money necessary to bring it back up to standards."

BScott@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/BrandonKScott
Chadd Daniel Burke, 23, of Buna, died Sunday after a Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy attempted to rescue him from Spindletop Bayou, where the man was kayaking, the department said.

The Sheriff's Department answered a call about a kayaker in distress shortly before 8 p.m., Jefferson County Sheriff's Department deputy Marcus McLellan said.
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A dispute over who would be responsible for an outstanding government loan could leave the Beaumont Yacht Club high and dry and conceivably scuttle the city's plans to sell the Neches River marina to a developer.

Since the city accepted a bid of $1.475 million for the land and improvements just upstream from the Interstate 10 bridge four months ago, the transaction has not been completed, despite two extensions.

Some of the improvements were made by the yacht club, using a $550,000 loan from the Small Business administration to make repairs after

Hurricane Ike in 2008.

The city co-signed on the loan, which has a balance of $464,000, because as a non-profit the yacht club was not eligible for an SBA disaster recovery loan, said John Guedry, the yacht club's bookkeeper.

The yacht club unsuccessfully bid $1.175 million for the property. Since its lease expired in September, the club has paid the city $2,500 a month in rent. It earns revenue from the rental of about 65 boat slips and 122 dry stalls, launch fees and memberships.

Bill Gregory, the yacht club's commodore, or chief executive, said all the dry stalls are rented, with a waiting list to get in. Most of the covered boat slips are occupied, too.

If the yacht club, which has operated the city-owned marina with direct river access for 54 years, has to leave, it likely will default on the loan for lack of a revenue stream.

Who would be responsible for the loan balance is the subject of current debate.

City Attorney Tyrone Cooper said the loan "does not encumber the land," which is what the city is selling.

Cooper and City manager Kyle Hayes said city taxpayers would not be liable for the debt if the yacht club defaulted and the buyer refused to pay it.

"The SBA could not indebt the city if the yacht club defaulted," Cooper said. "That would be my position."

Whether Monroe would assume the debt is unknown.

The city's real estate broker, Lee Wheeler, is working with Monroe and the city on the sale, Hayes said.

"That's what they're working on," Hayes said, referring to the status of the loan.

Wheeler said a commercial transaction takes a long time. He said he hasn't spoken with Monroe and is dealing with Monroe's attorney.

If Monroe walked away from the sale, the city would have to re-bid the property, which is the only way the yacht club could possibly try to submit another bid.

City Council will discuss the proposed sale on Tuesday in its closed session, which is permitted for real estate transactions. The agenda contains no action item pertaining to the marina property.

Cooper said Friday if the yacht club defaulted on its, the Small Business Administration could forgive the loan or it could foreclose on the dry stalls, which are not permanent fixtures on the property, and sell them.

The uncertainty is causing membership to slip, Gregory said.

For some members, it's a question of business.

Tony Terry, service manager for Pete Jorgensen Marine, brings customers' boats to the yacht club to launch and test the craft after repairs.

"This is a very nice facility," Terry said. "It's well-kept and clean."

Jason Haynes had backed his pickup truck to the front of his dry stall, withdrew his boat and was headed down the road.

"This is the only place I can keep my boat," he said.

Haynes said he has rented a dry stall at the yacht club since 2002.

Gregory said the uncertainty is affecting memberships and has prevented investment for improvements.

"The unknown is a killer," he said. "If you don't know where to put a foot, would you step?"

DWallach@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/dwallach
The voter identification law in Texas has set some records, and none of them are good. It deepened the harsh divide between Democrats and Republicans and cost the state millions to defend in court. In the end, after all the wrangling and legal fees, both sides agreed to a temporary deal that softens the original law but still requires some form of ID.

If you're wondering why that couldn't have been done three years ago, join the club.

The agreement hammered out by U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos expands the list of acceptable IDs to things like voter registration cards, birth certificates, utility bills, paycheck stubs and government documents with the voter's name and address. If voters have to provide an alternate ID, they also have to sign an affidavit and check a box saying why they were unable to obtain one of the forms of identification required by the original law.

That's less than many Republicans wanted because a photo ID is no longer mandatory. But it's more than some Democrats wanted and should make it hard for voter fraud to occur.

More money

The state will also have to spend $2.5 million on voter outreach efforts, but money has never been a problem for some participants in this battle.

Perhaps all of this could have been avoided if both sides had shown a little flexibility. Republicans could have OKd other forms of photo ID like college IDs and made it easier for voters to cast provisional ballots if they lacked IDs. Democrats could realized that photo IDs help marginalized people in many other ways and done more to support the concept.

The law will be in effect for the November elections, but then both sides can resume negotiating a final version. Taxpayers would be well-served if this issue is put to rest once and for all with a compromise like this.
Healthcare is seemingly trending toward hospital employment, but independent physicians provide a slew of benefits to the healthcare system.

Here are five statistics to note:

1. A Health Affairs article found independent practices decrease avoidable hospitalizations by 33 percent.

2. A 2016 Harvard Medical Study found independent physicians have stronger incentives to prevent hospitalizations as opposed to hospital-employed physicians.

3. Compared to independent physicians, a JAMA 2014 study found costs for services associated with hospital-owned physicians increased 40 percent and multi-hospital-owned physicians rallied 56 percent.

4. An American Medical Association study suggests the movement to employment may not be as commonly thought. The study found between 2012 and 2014, 60.7 percent of physicians were in practices between 10 or fewer physicians.

5. The AMA study also found the practice owner physicians' shares fell from 53.2 percent in 2012 to 50.8 percent in 2014. However, the AMA study findings are "in sharp contrast to predictions suggested by another prominent study."

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Many leading organizations have starkly opposed CMS' Medicare Part B payment proposal, which will change the way the government reimburses physicians for certain drugs, according to The Hill.

Here are six insights:

1. Some of the proposed changes include lowering the add-on payments from 6 percent to 2.5 percent with an additional $16.80 flat payment and decreased cost sharing.

2. Opponents of the proposal, including Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, argue it will limit patients' access to treatment, thereby impeding patient care.

3. CMS is also trying to implement mandatory bundled payments for hospitals for procedures including hip replacements and heart surgery. The American Hospital Association says CMS is moving too swiftly in its changes. AMA Vice President Joanna Hiatt Kim said, "We are nowhere near having any lessons learned, but CMS is already proposing to expand it."

4. However, President Obama stands by the payment proposals saying leading organizations, especially those in the pharmaceutical company, oppose these proposals because it takes away from their profits.

5. President Obama's time in the White House is coming to a close, and many supporters want to get these proposals passed before a new candidate takes office.

6. Zeke Emanuel, MD, a former Obama administration health advisor and a professor at Philadelphia-based University of Pennsylvania, said, "The last few years they've been working on them and they're finally ready for prime-time and there is I think some sense that, you know, we've got to push it out now because if we don't push it out now our work may well go for naught."

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Bringing in physician investors is an essential way for ambulatory surgery centers to bolster their case load in a volatile marketplace. But the decision to bring in new investors should not be taken lightly. It is critical to ensure that individuals offered the opportunity to become owners are a strong fit for your center.

"It is not uncommon to see newly recruited physicians discover they don't like the equipment or get along with the other physicians and staff once they starting performing procedures at the ASC," says Arthur Casey, senior vice president of Outpatient Healthcare Strategies, a healthcare and surgery center consulting company in Houston, Texas. "When this happens, an ASC is now faced with having an owner who may not be dedicated to working at the center."

Here are three areas to focus on when recruiting physician investors to your ASC:

1. Physician personality. Make sure you weigh the physician's personality against your center's current physicians' personalities.

"I can't stress enough the need to make sure the physician investor being recruited fits into your center's partnership," Mr. Casey says. "There is nothing worse than having a great running partnership and then bringing in a personality that creates drama for the entire center. A center with a good partnership will be more efficient and profitable."

Having your physician partners on board is an important element when recruiting. Some partners may welcome younger physicians if they are nearing retirement, and may want to use the addition of new partners to cut down on their workload.

"Many older physicians who are patriarchs of the centers may want to start slowing down, and these new owners can pick up some of that business," Mr. Casey says. "You will want to make sure new physician investors are a good fit upfront so you can maintain the strength of existing partnerships. You don't want to create animosity amongst your group of owners."

2. Physician cost-effectiveness. ASCs are cost-effective in nature, which is a selling point for many physicians. When onboarding physicians, make sure their practices are aligned with the ASC's current investors.

You need to determine if the approach a new physician takes to surgery is cost-effective, both concerning instruments and supplies used during procedures as well as time spent performing surgeries, Mr. Casey says.

"A physician may not be a good fit if they take two hours to do a procedure that takes your other physicians only one hour," he says. "Taking the time necessary to perform a comprehensive analysis of how a physician will fit in to an existing center partnership is critical."

3. Appeal of ASC ownership. As an increasing number of physicians are being employed by hospitals, the number of opportunities for physicians to obtain ownership in facilities has declined, Mr. Casey says. Health systems often prohibit their physicians from holding ownership in an ASC unless the hospital runs the center.

While hospital employment may make it a bit more challenging for ASCs to recruit physician investors in certain markets, there are many physicians across the country looking for ways to remain self-employed.

"You still see a substantial number of physicians willing  and eager  to take a risk to keep their independence," he says. "It is important for ASCs to remember that they provide this very appealing avenue to do so."



To attract physicians, highlight the value of independence and appeal of ownership, including the ability for new physician investors to take an active role in the planning and direction of the ASC. You should also focus on the benefits of performing procedures in the setting.

"The reality is many hospitals are still much slower in terms of room turnaround and efficiency," he says. "The argument really comes down to whether the physician would prefer to tackle eight cases at a surgery center in the same amount of time it would take to do four cases at a hospital. Most physicians will strongly consider where they can maximize their time and profitability."

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Partners HealthCare saw revenue increase 7 percent year over year to nearly $3.2 billion in the second quarter of 2016, but the Boston-based system ended the quarter with an operating loss, according to the Boston Globe.

Partners reported an operating loss of $33 million in the second quarter of 2016, a dramatic drop from the operating gain of nearly $30 million the system recorded in the same period of 2015.

The system took an $8 million hit from spending on strike preparations earlier this summer at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Nurses planned to stage a one-day strike, beginning June 27. However, the strike was averted when the Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents 3,300 nurses at Brigham, and hospital officials reached a three-year agreement.

The week before the planned the strike, the hospital dialed down operations, transferred hundreds of patients and canceled procedures and appointments, causing the hospital to lose another $16 million in revenue.

"No one likes to be out of $24 million, but frankly, at the end of the day, it was the cost of doing business," Peter K. Markelly, CFO of Partners, told the Boston Globe. "Hopefully, we don't have to do it again when this contract expires."

Partners also incurred higher-than-usual real estate expenses in the second quarter, as the system consolidates leases for its new administrative offices in Somerville, Mass.

For the nine months ended June 30, Partners reported operating income of $1.1 million, down 98.7 percent from operating income of $86.3 million in the same period of 2015.

Partners' year-to-date operating income was dragged down by the cost of implementing an Epic EHR system. Training staff to use the new EHR system and decreased productivity during the transition cost Partners $27 million in the nine months ended June 30, according to the Boston Business Journal.

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A shortage of obstetricians/gynecologists and nurse midwives has prompted lawmakers in several states to consider proposals that supporters say would improve maternal care, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Almost half of U.S. counties don't have a single obstetrician/gynecologist and 56 percent don't have a nurse midwife, according to American College of Nursing Midwives data cited by The Pew Charitable Trusts. These shortages can have dangerous consequences for women, and could explain why such a high percentage of American women die as a result of pregnancy complications. In the U.S., there are 18.5 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle.

With the female population and number of babies born in the U.S. expected to rise dramatically over the next decade and beyond, health experts are calling for significant changes. One possibility is lifting some of the restrictions on nurse midwives, who assist with labor and also provide routine primary and gynecological care to women of all ages. Meanwhile, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is pushing for measures in Congress that would provide financial incentives to medical school graduates to encourage them to specialize in maternal healthcare, according to the report.

As states ease restrictions on nurse midwives, the number of such medical professionals has increased. Since 2012, the number of nurse midwives has grown by 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, their overall numbers remain low: There are about 11,200 nurse midwives in the whole country, and about 20,000 obstetricians/gynecologists. The ACOG's estimates the U.S. will have between 6,000 and 8,800 fewer obstetrician/gynecologists than needed by 2020 and a shortage of 22,000 by the year 2050, according to the report.

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A growing number of states  25 plus Washington, D.C.  have legalized medical marijuana. However, many physicians consider themselves ill-equipped to talk to sick patients about whether the drug could benefit them, according to Kaiser Health News.

In response to this, some states are looking at physician training programs that require physicians to take continuing medical education courses that detail how medical marijuana interacts with the nervous system and other medications, as well as its side effects, according to the report.

New York's state health department, for example, launched a online education course last year for practitioners who want to issue certifications to their patients to receive medical marijuana products.. The course includes information about the pharmacology of medical marijuana, contraindications, adverse reactions, drug interactions, dosing, routes of administration, risks and benefits and abuse and dependence.

Similar programs are also being developed in Pennsylvania and Ohio, the report states. Physicians in Massachusetts who want to participate in the state medical marijuana program nust take courses approved by the American Medical Association. According to the report, Maryland doesn't require training but encourages it through its Medical Cannabis Commission website.

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The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions and general partnerships took place or were announced in the past week.

1. Piedmont, Athens Regional partnership clears final regulatory hurdle

The Georgia Attorney General ruled in favor of a partnership agreement between Athens (Ga.) Regional Health System and Atlanta-based Piedmont Healthcare.

2. Christ Hospital outpatient center sold for $13.2M

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Everest Medical Core Properties acquired Fort Wright, Ky.-based Christ Hospital outpatient center.

3. OHSU Partners lands third partner: Adventist Health  Portland

Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health and Portland, Ore.-based Oregon Health & Sciences University Partners signed a nonbinding letter of intent to pursue an affiliation.

4. AltaPointe merges with Cheaha Regional Mental Health

Mobile, Ala.-based AltaPointe Health Systems and Sylacauga, Ala.-based Cheaha Regional Mental Health merged, making AltaPointe the largest and most comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider in Alabama.

5. Universal Health Services, LG Health to jointly operate mental health facility

Lancaster (Pa.) General Health and King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services plan to jointly operate a 126-bed behavioral health hospital in Lancaster.

6. Mount Sinai Health partners with Stony Brook Medicine

Stony Brook (N.Y.) Medicine and New York City-based Mount Sinai Health System inked an affiliation agreement, which includes collaboration on research, academic programs and clinical care initiatives.

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The city of Blackwell, Okla., entered into an agreement with Salt Lake City-based Alliance Health, Oklahoma City-based Mercy Health and the Blackwell Hospital Trust Authority. The agreement will allow Mercy Health to act as a consultant and manage the city's hospital, which will be renamed Blackwell Regional Hospital, according to Ponca City News.

A spokesperson for the city said the agreement will go into effect Sept. 3. Blackwell Regional will be owned and operated by the hospital authority, which will be financed by a new city sales tax, according to the report.

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From Charlotte, N.C.-based Carolinas HealthCare System asking a federal court to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit to a New York pharmacist found guilty of distributing black-market HIV drugs, here are the latest healthcare industry lawsuits and settlements making headlines.

1. Former Sacred Heart physician gets 2 years for role in kickback scheme

Venkateswara Kuchipudi, MD, was sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement in a kickback scheme at now shuttered Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago.

2. Former health official bent law for Steward, lawsuit alleges

Southcoast Hospitals Group in Fall River, Mass., filed suit against the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, alleging former agency secretary John Polanowicz wrote legislation specifically designed to help Steward Health Care System in Boston build a new heart center.

3. DOJ sues Mississippi for ADA violations: 4 things to know

The Department of Justice sued the state of Mississippi, alleging the state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act by neglecting to provide necessary, community-based mental health services to adults with disabilities.

4. Novant class-action settlement over retirement plan expected to top $100M in value

Novant Health entered a settlement agreement to resolve allegations the Winston-Salem, N.C.-based system charged excessive fees for its defined-contribution retirement plan.

5. Carolinas HealthCare asks court to dismiss antitrust lawsuit

Charlotte, N.C.-based Carolinas HealthCare System asked a federal court to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit alleging the hospital system drove up costs in the region by imposing steering restrictions in contracts with commercial health insurers.

6. NY pharmacist guilty of distributing black-market HIV drugs

After a four-week jury trial, 63-year-old pharmacist Ira Gross was found guilty of distributing HIV medication illegally obtained from the black market to patients.

7. Anesthesia group will pay $1M to resolve kickback allegations

Alpharetta, Ga.-based Sweet Dreams Nurse Anesthesia agreed to pay more than $1 million to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute by paying kickbacks to healthcare providers for referrals.

8. AHA asks appeals court to reject FTC's proposed test for evaluating hospital mergers

The American Hospital Association filed a friend-of-the court brief, asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit to reject the Federal Trade Commission's proposed test for evaluating hospital mergers.

9. Aetna-Humana merger trial slated for Dec. 5

Trial proceedings concerning the Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against the proposed Aetna-Humana merger are set to begin Dec. 5.

10. Ex-Birmingham Health Care CFO sentenced in $11M fraud case

Birmingham (Ala.) Health Care's former CFO was sentenced to 17 years in prison, after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $1.7 million and diverting $11 million in funds from two healthcare facilities.

11. Former patient pleads guilty to assaulting nurse at Montana hospital

A 31-year-old man pleaded guilty to assaulting at nurse at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs

12. Maine health insurance co-op sues feds over $23M of missing ACA payments

Community Health Options, Maine's only health insurance co-op, is suing the federal government, claiming the U.S. failed to pay the insurer nearly $23 million in payments owed under the Affordable Care Act's risk corridor program.

13. Physician files class-action lawsuit against Banner over data breach

Phoenix-based Banner Health faces a class-action lawsuit regarding the massive data breach it reported earlier this month. The lawsuit, filed by a Banner physician, claims Banner was negligent and allowed the breach to occur and seeks compensation for identity protection and credit monitoring.

14. Teva's Cephalon inks $125M settlement with 48 states over generic delays

Frazer, Pa.-based Cephalon  a subsidiary of Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals  reached a $125 million settlement with 48 states after an investigation found Cephalon purposefully delayed generic versions of its sleep disorder drug Provigil.

15. 8 individuals charged in $157M compounding pharmacy fraud scheme

Eight Florida residents were charged in an indictment for their alleged participation in a multi-million dollar fraud scheme.

16. Wisconsin pharmacist charged in $1M fraud scheme

Mark Johnson, a pharmacist in Janesville, Wis., was charged with healthcare fraud, making false statements in a healthcare fraud audit and identity theft.

17. AbbVie sues Amgen for patent infringement on Humira: 5 things to know

Pharmaceutical company AbbVie filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Amgen over a lower-priced copy of AbbVie's top-selling anti-inflammatory drug Humira.

18. Anti-abortion group, physician sue Illinois governor over Right of Conscience Act

A women's health nonprofit, a Rockford, Ill.-based medical center and a Downers Grove, Ill.-based physician are suing Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner claiming a law that ensures physicians inform their pregnant patients of all options available to them, including abortion, is unconstitutional.

19. Texas physician's estate, UMC Physicians to pay $3.28M to resolve false billing allegations

The estate of Kenneth Michael Rice, MD, and Lubbock, Texas-based UMC Physicians agreed to pay $3.28 million to the federal government and the state of Texas to resolve allegations Dr. Rice and UMCP violated the False Claims Act.

20. Advocate, NorthShore say FTC has no case for blocking merger on appeal

Downers Grove, Ill.-based Advocate Health Care and Evanston, Ill.-based NorthShore University HealthSystem filed an appellate brief defending a lower court's rejection of the Federal Trade Commission's attempt to block their potential merger.

21. Court upholds NJ law restricting ambulance, emergency services to Level I trauma centers

A New Jersey appellate court upheld a state law allowing Level I trauma centers to take over paramedic services.

22. Ariz. business group files suit to prevent hospital executive salary cap

The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry filed a lawsuit on behalf of its member hospitals to prevent a ballot measure capping the salary of hospital executives.

23. 12 arrested in Miami for insurance fraud

Police arrested a dozen people in Miami-Dade County for various medical fraud schemes.

24. Hawaii sues to temporarily suspend pension bill affecting hospital employees

The Hawaii Employees' Retirement System filed a lawsuit against the state and Hawaii Health Systems Corp., a state-funded hospital network based in Honolulu, asking a state court to temporarily suspend a bill that aims to financially assist state employees at three hospitals undergoing privatization by Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente.

25. Adventist sues Wellmont over delay in acquisition of Tacoma Regional

Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based Adventist Health System filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Kingsport, Tenn.-based Wellmont Health System alleging Wellmont is refusing to close on a transaction.

26. Ex-hospital employee charged with theft of fentanyl

A former employee of Central DuPage Hospital was charged with stealing narcotics from the Winfield, Ill.-based hospital.

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The Department of Justice has sued the state of Mississippi, alleging the state violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act by neglecting to provide necessary, community-based mental health services to adults with disabilities.

Here are four things to know about the lawsuit.

1. Under the ADA and the Supreme Court's decision in Olmstead v. L.C., states are required to make services available to people with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs, according to the DOJ.

2. The complaint alleges the Mississippi failed to provide adults with mental illnesses access to community services, forcing them to receive care in segregated state hospitals, including Whitfield-based Mississippi State Hospital, Meridian-based East Mississippi State Hospital, Tupelo-based North Mississippi State Hospital and Purvis-based South Mississippi State Hospital.

3. The complaint further alleges adults with mental illnesses often "spend days in local emergency rooms and jail holding facilities that are ill-equipped to address their needs" before being transferred to state psychiatric hospitals.

4. The DOJ has engaged in discussions with the state, but has yet to reach a settlement.

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Venkateswara Kuchipudi, MD, was sentenced Friday to two years in prison for his involvement in a kickback scheme at now shuttered Sacred Heart Hospital in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Dr. Kuchipudi was arrested along with other former Sacred Heart physicians and executives in 2013 for their alleged involvement in a multifaceted Medicare fraud scheme. Physicians, including Dr. Kuchipudi, were allegedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks for referrals to Sacred Heart.

After the arrests, CMS suspended its reimbursements to Sacred Heart, and the hospital closed in July 2013. Authorities subsequently dropped the charges against Dr. Kuchipudi in September 2013. However, six months later, he was indicted by a federal grand jury.

A federal affidavit identified Dr. Kuchipudi as one of Sacred Heart's most prolific sources of patients. Sacred Heart administrators referred to Dr. Kuchipudi as the "king of nursing homes" for the number of elderly patients he referred to the hospital, according to the report.

Dr. Kuchipudi is the 10th defendant convicted for his role in the scheme. The hospital's owner and CEO Edward Novak, former CFO Roy Payawal, and former COO Clarence Nagelvoort, were convicted for their participation in the scheme last March. Mr. Novak was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $10.4 million. Mr. Nagelvoort received a prison term of 21 months, and Mr. Payawal was sentenced to one year in prison.

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Becker's Hospital Review is pleased to recognize 50 CEOs, presidents and administrators for their leadership of nationally recognized critical access hospitals.

The men and women included on this list are at the helm of organizations regularly recognized for the quality and safety of their services. Their hospitals appeared on this publication's 50 Critical Access Hospitals to Know list, published in July.

Note: Leaders are presented in alphabetical order.

Sposored By:

athenahealth connects care nationwide with a unique network of services for electronic health records (EHR), revenue cycle management and medical billing, patient engagement, care coordination, and population health management, as well as Epocrates and other point-of-care mobile apps. With a network of over 76,000 providers, athenahealth helps providers thrive through change and focus on patient care. A recognized industry leader, athenahealth received two Best in KLAS awards in 2015/2016, including #1 Ambulatory EHR (11-75 physicians) and #1 Practice Management (11-75 physicians).

Unlike software alone, athenahealth combines the power of its nationwide network with continually updated knowledge and back-office work to keep providers profitable and prepared for change.

athenahealth alleviates administrative burden by taking on paperwork, tracking claims, managing pre-registration and more. With athenahealth as a partner, practices, hospitals and health systems are always connected to the latest knowledge and well-prepared to thrive into the future.

Todd Almendinger. CEO of Magruder Hospital (Port Clinton, Ohio). Prior to his current position, Mr. Almendinger offered his financial expertise at multiple organizations, including as vice president and CFO at both Magruder and Memorial hospitals in Delaware, Ohio. [READ MORE]

Rebecca Beck. President of Hancock County Hospital (Sneedville, Tenn.). During her 13-year tenure with Wellmont Health System, Ms. Beck served in various administrative capacities, including director of surgical services for Bristol Regional Medical Center and Bristol Surgery Center. [READ MORE]

Mark Biscone. President and CEO of Coastal Healthcare Alliance and Waldo County General Hospital (Belfast, Maine). As president and CEO of Coastal Healthcare Alliance, Mr. Biscone oversees operations and administration for both Waldo County General Hospital and Rockport, Maine-based Pen Bay Medical Center. [READ MORE]

Arthur J. Blank. President and CEO of Mount Desert Island Hospital (Bar Harbor, Maine). Mr. Blank first joined Mount Desert Island Hospital as CEO in 1999. [READ MORE]

Ed Bruun. President and CEO of Sparrow Clinton Hospital (St. John's, Mich.). Mr. Bruun has served as president of Sparrow Clinton Hospital since 1994. [READ MORE]

Patrick Carron. President and CEO of Perry County Memorial Hospital (Perryville, Mo.). Mr. Carron began his career in healthcare as a registered nurse at Barnes Hospital, St. Louis University Hospital and St. Anthony's Hospital, all in St. Louis. [READ MORE]

Paula Chermside. CEO of Aspirus Grand View Hospital (Ironwood, Mich.). Ms. Chermside was named CEO of Aspirus Grand View Hospital in May, before which she served as the hospital's COO for three years. [READ MORE]

Terry Collins. Interim CEO of Aspen (Colo.) Valley Hospital. Mr. Collins was appointed interim CEO of Aspen Valley Hospital in January, though it is a position for which he is well prepared. [READ MORE]

Dolan C. Dalpoas. President of Abraham Lincoln (Neb.) Memorial Hospital. Mr. Dalpoas serves as president of Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital. [READ MORE]

Michael Donlin. Administrator of Floyd Valley Hospital (Le Mars, Iowa). A native of St. Cloud, Minn., Mr. Donlin enlisted in the Navy as hospital corpsman in 1975. [READ MORE]

Mike Dowdy. CEO of Central Montana Medical Center (Lewiston). Central Montana Medical Center appointed Mr. Dowdy as CEO in June 2015. [READ MORE]

Toby Freier. President of New Ulm (Minn.) Medical Center. Mr. Freier has more than 13 years of experience as a rural healthcare executive. [READ MORE]

David Frum. President and CEO of Bridgton (Maine) Hospital and Rumford (Maine) Hospital. Mr. Frum has more than 20 years of experience in healthcare, a period during which he has held various leadership roles at both large and rural hospital organizations. [READ MORE]

Marian Furlong, RN. President and CEO of Hudson (Wis.) Hospital & Clinics. Ms. Furlong is a decorated healthcare executive with more than three decades of healthcare management experience. [READ MORE]

Jeanie Gentry. CEO of Steele Memorial Medical Center (Salmon, Idaho). Ms. Gentry joined Steele Memorial Medical Center in April 2016, prior to which she served as CEO of two Bend, Ore.-based St. Charles Health System hospitals in Madras and Prineville, Ore., for five years. [READ MORE]

Martin W. Guthmiller. CEO of Orange City (Iowa) Area Health System. Mr. Guthemiller has been CEO of Orange City Area Health System since 1994 and has dedicated more than 30 years to service in the healthcare industry. [READ MORE]

Hank Hanigan. CEO of Whitman Hospital and Medical Center (Colfax, Wash.). Mr. Hanigan left his post as COO of Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville, Wash., to serve as Whitman Hospital CEO in October 2014. [READ MORE]

Tim Herrmann. Chief Administrative Officer of PeaceHealth Cottage Grove (Ore.) Community Medical Center. Mr. Herrmann joined PeaceHealth in 1986 as the trauma program coordinator at Sacred Heart Medical Facility in Spokane, Wash. [READ MORE]

Dale Hustedt. CEO of Avera Holy Family Hospital (Estherville, Iowa). Mr. Hustedt was named hospital administrator of Avera Holy Family Hospital in 2014, prior to which he served 18 years as chief administrative officer of Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, Minn. [READ MORE]

Barry Jacobsen. CEO of Myrtue Medical Center (Harlan, Iowa). Mr. Jacobsen was appointed CEO of Myrtue Medical Center in 2009 after dedicating more than a decade to the Harlan-based institution. [READ MORE]

M. Steven Jones. President of University Hospitals Geneva (Ohio) Medical Center. Mr. Jones currently serves as president for three University Hospitals facilities in Ohio: UH Geneva Medical Center, UH Geauga Medical Center in Chardon and UH Conneaut (Ohio) Medical Center. [READ MORE]

Ben Koppelman. President of CHI St. Joseph's Health (Park Rapids, Minn.). Mr. Koppelman joined CHI St. Joseph's Health as CEO in 2007. [READ MORE]

Catherin Landis, RN. President and CNO of Transylvania Regional Hospital (Brevard, N.C.). Ms. Landis was named president and CNO of Transylvania Regional Hospital in August 2014. [READ MORE]

Victor Lee. President and CEO of Boone County Health Center (Albion, Neb.). Mr. Lee has served as president and CEO of Boone County Health Center since June 2000. [READ MORE]

Jeff Lingerfelt. CEO of Hammond-Henry Hospital (Geneseo, Ill.). Mr. Lingerfelt was appointed CEO of Hammond-Henry Hospital in September 2015, following a brief tenure as interim CEO. [READ MORE]

Lenny Lyons. Administrator and CEO of Delta (Utah) Community Hospital. Mr. Lyons has served as the administrator of Delta Community Hospital and Fillmore Community Medical Center for the last three years. [READ MORE]

Michelle McEwan. President and CEO of Speare Memorial Hospital (Plymouth, N.H.). Ms. McEwan has led Speare Memorial Hospital as CEO for more than 16 years. [READ MORE]

David R. Miller. President of River Falls (Wis.) Area Hospital. Mr. Miller has an extensive career in healthcare administration. [READ MORE]

Tamara Miller. CEO of Madison (S.D.) Community Hospital. Ms. Miller is a decorated healthcare professional with more than 22 years of service in the hospital industry. [READ MORE]

Kim Monjesky. CEO of Pikes Peak Regional Hospital (Woodland Park, Colo.). Following her tenure as CFO, then interim CEO, of Pikes Peak Regional Hospital, Ms. Monjesky was appointed CEO in December 2015. [READ MORE]

Gregg Olson. President and CEO of Aspirus Medford (Wis.) Hospital. Mr. Olson joined Aspirus Medford, formerly Memorial Health Center, in 2007. [READ MORE]

Bob Peterson. CEO of Millinocket (Maine) Regional Hospital. Millinocket Regional Hospital appointed Mr. Peterson as CEO in June 2014, prior to which he worked as administrator for surgery and women and children's services at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. [READ MORE]

Julie Petersen. CEO of Kittitas Valley Healthcare Hospital (Ellensburg, Wash.). Julie Petersen joined Kittitas Valley Healthcare in June 2016 as interim CEO. [READ MORE]

David E. Phelps. CEO of Fairview Hospital (Great Barrington, Mass.). Mr. Phelps was appointed president of Berkshire Health Systems in 1993. [READ MORE]

Lisa M. Radtke. Chief Administrative Officer of Winneshiek Medical Center (Decorah, Iowa). Winneshiek Medical Center is part of Mayo Clinic Health System, which Ms. Radtke has been a part of for more than 30 years.[READ MORE]

Roger J. Reamer. Administrator and CEO of Seward (Neb.) Memorial Hospital. Mr. Reamer has been CEO of Seward Memorial Hospital since 2000. [READ MORE]



Timothy Richman. President and CEO of Calumet Medical Center (Chilton, Wis.). Prior to Calumet, Mr. Richman served as regional vice president of physical medicine and rehabilitation for oncology services at Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in Milwaukee. [READ MORE]

Jeremy Roberge. Interim President and CEO of Huggins Hospital (Wolfeboro, N.H.). Mr. Roberge joined the senior leadership team at Huggins Hospital as senior vice president and CFO in July 2012, and took over as interim CEO in November 2015. [READ MORE]

Bruce Roesler. CEO of Richland Hospital (Richland Center, Wis.). The Richland Hospital board tapped Mr. Roesler as CEO in early 2015 for his breadth and depth of healthcare experience in the southwestern Wisconsin region. [READ MORE]

Rob Santilli. CEO of Gunnison (Colo.) Valley Hospital. The Gunnison Valley Hospital board of trustees appointed Mr. Santilli CEO in October 2012. [READ MORE]

Justin Selle. CEO of Pike County Memorial Hospital (Louisiana, Mo.). Mr. Selle has been with Pike County Memorial Hospital a little more than two years, a time during which he transitioned from hospital COO to CEO. [READ MORE]

Hank Simpson, MD. CEO of Mayo Clinic Health System-Red Cedar and Vice CMO of Mayo Clinic Health System (Menomonie, Wis.). Dr. Simpson has served as CEO of Red Cedar and vice CMO of Mayo Clinic Health System since 2004. [READ MORE]

Philip J. Stuart. Administrator and CEO of Tomah (Wis.) Memorial Hospital. Mr. Stuart has served as administrator and CEO of Tomah Memorial Hospital since 1995. [READ MORE]

Jeanie Vieira. CEO of Providence Hood River (Ore.) Memorial Hospital and the Columbia Gorge Service Area. A Hood River native, Ms. Vieira was named CEO of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital and the Columbia Gorge Service Area in May. [READ MORE]

Harry Weis. Tahoe Forest Hospital (Truckee, Calif.). Mr. Weiss took over as CEO of Tahoe Forest Health System in December 2015. [READ MORE]

Ken Westman. CEO of Barrett Memorial Hospital (Dillon, Mont.). Mr. Westman joined Barrett Memorial Hospital as CEO in 2011. [READ MORE]

Richard Willett. President and CEO of Redington-Fairview General Hospital (Skowhegan, Maine). Mr. Willet joined RFGH in 1972 as director of pharmacy and took over as CEO in October 1991. [READ MORE]

Joseph Woodin. President and CEO of Martha's Vineyard Hospital (Oak Bluffs, Mass.). Mr. Woodin is a recent addition to Martha's Vineyard Hospital; he became president and CEO of the Oaks Bluffs-based facility in May. [READ MORE]

Gerald Worrick. President and CEO of Ministry Door County Medical Center (Sturgeon Bay, Wis.). Mr. Worrick has served as president and CEO of Ministry Door County Memorial Hospital for more than 28 years. [READ MORE]

Robert Wright. CEO of Newman Regional Health (Emporia, Kan.). Mr. Wright has gained more than three decades of healthcare financial and leadership experience at a variety of organizations across the county, though his preferred healthcare setting is a smaller, community hospital environment. [READ MORE]

Correction: A previous version of this list incorrectly listed Jeff Hill as CEO of Steele Memorial Hospital. The real CEO is Jeanie Gentry. We apologize for the error.
Chester Zoo keepers have become the first in the world to successfully breed an unusual species of tarantula.

After a clutch of around 200 of the rare Montserrat tarantulas hatched, it was hailed as a "momentous event" by invertebrate keepers who are hoping to discover more about the mysterious species.

The threatened Montserrat tarantula is native to the Caribbean island of Montserrat, but very little information is known about how the spiders live.

Now, new behavioural observations made for the first time by experts at the zoo have revealed crucial insights about the tarantulas which, prior to their breeding, had never before been seen in zoos or in the wild.

The adult tarantulas first arrived at the zoo three years ago and since then, the team at the zoo have been able to gather the knowledge that has enabled them to successfully breed the tiny tarantulas.

Dr Gerardo Garcia, curator of lower vertebrates and invertebrates at Chester Zoo, said: "Breeding these tarantulas is a huge achievement for the team as very little is known about them. It's taken a lot of patience and care to reach this point.

"It's successes like this which really highlight the work that zoos are doing behind the scenes to conserve a range of endangered species, including the smaller, less well-known species that contribute to the world's biodiversity."

Dr Garcia added: "Importantly, the skills and techniques the team has developed with this new breeding success will now be transferred to other threatened species."

Montserrat tarantulas were first formally described by science from a single male more than 100 years ago. Since then, a team of researchers have observed the tarantula as a prey item for another threatened species from the island, the mountain chicken frog.

Through its wildlife conservation campaign - Act for Wildlife - Chester Zoo is helping to save highly threatened species around the world from extinction.
Michaella and Melissa Reid shortly after their arrest in Peru

Celebratory balloons visible through the windows of the McCollum family home in Dungannon

Celebratory balloons visible through the windows of the McCollum family home in Dungannon

Convicted drug smuggler Michaella McCollum pictured leaving her Dungannon Home in Co Tyrone on Sunday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Convicted drug smuggler Michaella McCollum pictured leaving her Dungannon Home in Co Tyrone on Sunday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Convicted drug smuggler Michaella McCollum pictured leaving her Dungannon Home in Co Tyrone on Sunday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Convicted drug smuggler Michaella McCollum pictured leaving her Dungannon Home in Co Tyrone on Sunday Morning. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

The return of high-profile convicted drugs mule Michaella McCollum from Peru to a party resembling a hero's homecoming in Northern Ireland has sparked anger.

The glamorous 23-year-old Co Tyrone woman flew into Dublin on Saturday night after travelling from Lima - where she had been on parole for attempting to smuggle 1.5m of cocaine.

It was the first time the notorious Dungannon woman had been in Ireland in over three years after she was arrested at Lima airport in August 2013.

She is believed to have spent her first night home partying and celebrating her release with family and friends in Co Tyrone.

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But her arrival has sparked fury from politicians.

DUP MLA Lord Morrow was critical of her homecoming, saying it resembled that of a "minor celebrity".

"This is the return of a convicted criminal yet a great deal of the publicity which appears to surround her currently resembles a minor celebrity," he said.

"The harm caused by the drugs she attempted to smuggle affects communities everywhere and that should not be forgotten.

"A question which remains is whether her return will be followed by attempts to remain in the public eye, or even to profit from the notoriety she achieved with her crimes.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of her club hostess outfits Michaella McCollum Connolly with Brad Houston from England Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum cradling her newborn twins Michaella McCollum Connolly pictured during an interview with RTE in 2016 after being released on parole from a Peruvian prison Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing in Lima, Peru, clutching the book 'Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know: Ten principles for spiritual and emotional fulfillment' (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly arrives to court for her sentencing in Callao, Peru (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) AP Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum, both handcuffed, arrive for a court hearing in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum, left, and Melissa Reid listen to a translator during a hearing at court in Callao, Peru (AP) AP Police escort Melissa Reid, front, and Michaella McCollum to a hearing in Lima, Peru (AP) Police escort Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid from the National Police anti-drug headquarters in Peru (AP) Michaella McCollum Connolly (left) and friend Melissa Reid in the airport after they were arrested Michaella McCollum Connolly with rugby star Tommy Bowe while doing promotional work at an official Ulster Rugby event Santa Monica female prison in Peru AP SECRET STASH: The drugs found in food packs in the girls luggage CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Michaella and Melissa caught on CCTV loading bags into a car in Peru Michaella McCollum, centre, and Melissa Reid leave the court after being sentenced in Peru. Lawyer Peter Madden, who represents Michaella McCollum, has claimed his client has suffered from a lack of food. Belfast solicitor Peter Madden said Michaella McCollum and co-accused Melissa Reid have been well treated by the authorities PA Michaella McCollum, right, and Melissa Reid, left, were jailed in Peru last year after they admitted trying to smuggle cocaine worth 1.5 million pounds from Peru to Spain (AP) Michaella McCollum's mother Norah McCollum and sister Samantha McCollum vist the Peru prison Michaella McCollum Connolly with reality TV star Mark Wright at a promotional night hosted by Belfast's M Club / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer

"The focus should be on the victims of drug abuse in our society and not those who contributed to their harm."

McCollum was released from prison in Peru on March 31 after spending less than three years behind bars with Scot Melissa Reid.

She had been ordered to spend the next six years of her sentence on parole in the city.

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But after reports that McCollum made a secret deal with Peruvian authorities recently, she was given permission to fly back to Northern Ireland.

The MP for the area, Tom Elliott, said it would be "more appropriate" if she had remained in the South American country to finish her parole.

"She served her time in prison but people will be asking was that enough and does it fit the crime?" he asked.

"I would have thought that if it was part of her conditions that she had to remain in Peru, then it would be more appropriate to remain there at this stage and it would have been seen as better justice.

"There will be a mixed reaction with her arriving home.

"Friends and family may probably be pleased to see her coming back whereas others will say it's a pretty serious crime, she should have done the full sentence. A lot of people could have been seriously damaged and had their health seriously damaged if she would have pursued with that crime."

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McCollum arrived in Dublin at around 8.30pm on Saturday.

She walked through the arrivals area alone but did not talk to the waiting press as she dragged two suitcases behind her.

She remained outside for several minutes for family members.

When asked where she had planned to go by reporters, she replied: "Home."

However, hours before she landed in Dublin, the former dancer posted pictures on Instagram as she prepared for her long journey home.

Wearing a black vest top and black jeans, Michaella was greeted by two females before making her way back to Dungannon where she was met by other family members.

McCollum and Reid - nicknamed the Peru Two - were working in Ibiza for the summer when they travelled to South America three years ago. They were arrested as they attempted to smuggle the cocaine in their suitcases. However, they denied knowing the luggage contained drugs, claiming they had been kidnapped and forced to become drug runners.

They later admitted the offence and were jailed for six years and eight months.

In June, McCollum was criticised after being pictured living it up in the capital Lima with fellow cocaine smuggler Kaouthar Essafi, who she befriended in prison.

Following her release from prison, she was spotted partying in nightclubs and dining out at plush restaurants, despite agreeing to do charity work while living with a local priest.
James Nesbitt has revealed how the cast of hit TV series Cold Feet have swapped booze at work and nights on the town for a regime of herbal tea and early bedtimes.

The ITV drama will return to our screens later this year after a 13-year gap.

The new eight-part series picks up fans' favourite characters in their 50s.

Nesbitt starred in the original Cold Feet, which in 1998 rocketed him to fame alongside the likes of John Thomson, Hermione Norris, Helen Baxendale, Fay Ripley and Robert Bathurst.

In an interview about the return of the series, he said: "There's a lot of herbal teas being asked for - in the old days it was just basically pints of lager.

"But the big difference is after filming we're all in bed by 10.30 instead of 3.30am."

Cold Feet ran from 1998 to 2003 and followed the story of three sets of 20-something couples as they navigated life, love and relationships.

After an unpromising start - the pilot pulled in fewer than four million viewers - the show took off.

It was soon dubbed "the British version of Friends", and cast members became the biggest stars on TV.

Nesbitt went on to star in award-winning dramas including The Missing and Lucky Man.

But for all his A-list status, he was among the keenest to reunite with the show.

He told the Mail on Sunday's Event magazine: "I was definitely not going to be Posh Spice.

"I was in from the start. This is something very special to me."

The new series is being filmed in Manchester under the strictest secrecy.

Nesbitt admitted there were some nerves ahead of the big reunion.

"When we filmed the first time around we all shared a caravan on set, which could get pretty ripe towards the end of the week," he added.

"Now we all have a little trailer each. You slip into the same relationships, we're even telling the same jokes.

"Coming back together for the first time at the first read-through was actually great. We were all actually quite nervous.

"It was all of us, older, changed a bit but not really changed that much at all. If anything I think we are all closer now."

Nesbitt had planned not to refresh his memory of Cold Feet by watching the original series back to back before he started.

But fate intervened, bringing back forgotten memories.

He added: "I got to Manchester. I was jet-lagged, I was staying in a flat in Didsbury and I turned on the TV and there was an old episode of the show.

"It was a scene with me and Hermione smoking weed together in a toilet. I thought it was brilliant. Really funny, really true to those mad moments in your 20s, and I also had absolutely no memory of actually doing that scene. I walked on to set the next day and saw Hermione.

"I said to her: 'Do you remember the two of us smoking a joint in a toilet?' She said, 'No. You're making that up.' Neither of us had any memory of it at all."

In the interview Nesbitt is asked about claims by co-star Robert Bathurst that he scrawls OBE under his name on any photograph or set list with his name on it.

Nesbitt was awarded the honour for his services to drama and the community.

He replied: 'Robert calls me the peacock because I can be very vain. We're very different. Robert is like a cross between Terry-Thomas and Lord Charles, and then John has always been the joker."
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and the PSNI are working to determine the cause

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Salterstown Orange hall which was extensively damaged in an overnight arson attack. Gordon Bryson deputy master of LOL 482 Salterstown Photograph by Stephen Hamilton Press Eye. 15th August 2016.

Police believe an overnight fire that extensively damaged an Orange hall was started deliberately.

The interior of the Salterstown Orange hall near Magherafelt was gutted in the blaze, with banners, collarettes and band instruments destroyed.

The Order Order said it was the 21st hall attacked in 2016 so far.

PSNI Detective Inspector Will Tate appealed for witnesses to come forward.

"Substantial damage has been caused to the Orange hall and we are treating this as deliberate," he said.

A spokesman for Salterstown Loyal Orange Lodge 482 said members were in a "state of shock".

"We are absolutely devastated that our property should be targeted in such a manner, and are simply crestfallen by the scene of devastation inflicted by the abhorrent individuals responsible," he said.

"The hall has been a part of community life for over 100 years, serving as a meeting place for local groups, and its unavailability for a period will be keenly felt.

"Despite this major setback, the lodge and the wider Orange fraternity will rally around and ensure our hall is once again fully restored."

Orange Order representatives are due to meet with senior police officers later this week to discuss the ongoing attacks on Orange halls.

"The Salterstown incident once again illustrates there remains a minority in Northern Ireland society who are prepared to use violence to attack the Orange Institution," said an Orange Order spokesman.

"They must not be allowed to succeed.

"We would also make an appeal for calm right across the community, and in particular that there should be no retaliation whatsoever for this attack. We, as an Institution, would not wish any community to suffer from such violence, having sustained so many attacks on our properties over the years."
One of the many people who dressed in a blanket to signify the H-Block protests

Women in old IRA uniform during the march

The 35th anniversary parade for the hunger strikers in west Belfast yesterday

A Sinn Fein senator has said the 1981 hunger strikers died for gay rights.

Yesterday, thousands of republicans marched through west Belfast to mark the 35th anniversary of the 1981 hunger strike.

Those taking part included Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

On May 5, 1981 IRA prisoner Bobby Sands (27) became the first of 10 republicans to die on hunger strike at the Maze Prison - part of a campaign for political status within the jail.

Speaking at yesterday's event, Fintan Warfield - a gay rights activist and Irish senator - said: "Eight years ago, I became involved with our movement aged 16, inspired and informed by our songs, poems and music, and politicised by my sexuality.

"As in 1916, the 10 men who made the ultimate sacrifice in 1981 were cultural as much as political activists.

"As in 1916, amongst our comrades, and before and after, were prisoners who ensured queer representation from the cells of Long Kesh.

"A quarter of a century before the achievement of civil marriage equality in the south, one Prisoner of War said, and I quote: 'The key to gay and lesbian liberation lies in the success of the national liberation struggle.' That national liberation struggle has yet to be achieved and our rights continue to be partitioned."
A man charged with the "predatory" rape of a teenage boy in west Belfast must remain in custody, a judge has ruled.

Gerard Scannell, 39, was refused bail amid claims his own safety could be at risk due to public outcry over the alleged attack.

Scannell, from Ballymurphy Road in the city, denies three counts of rape and a further offence of sexual assault.

He is alleged to have attacked the 16-year-old boy in the Falls Park area in the early hours of July 16.

Belfast Magistrate' Court heard Scannell is forensically linked to a T-shirt discovered near the scene of the alleged incident.

But it was also revealed that intimate samples taken from the teenager found no traces of the accused's DNA.

The results of forensic tests on samples from Scannell will not be available until November.

Opposing his application for bail, police and prosecutors claimed he may contact witnesses or flee.

A detective constable also raised issues about the reaction to the alleged rape on social media.

"Among the local community there's been a lot of public outrage, and I would be concerned that for his own personal safety he may try to leave the jurisdiction," he said.

The detective claimed the attack was carried out on "a vulnerable person without provocation".

Scannell was picked out during an identification process, the court heard.

But defence counsel Mark Farrell challenged the police portrayal of the case.

In cross-examination, he suggested relatives of the alleged victim and accused were in contact before the incident.

"If the prosecution case is this was completely and utterly stranger rape that would be an odd development," the barrister contended.

He was told any such contact would be investigated by police.

As Scannell listened via video-link from Maghaberry Prison, his lawyer dealt with the T-shirt evidence by stressing he never denied being in the Falls Park area.

The detective responded, however, by claiming the accused had failed to account for his whereabouts over a 90-minute period.

Refusing bail, District Judge Fiona Bagnall raised concerns over Scannell wanting to stay at an address where four children live.

Citing the risks of re-offending and interference with witnesses, she added: "At this stage it's been put forward to me as a predatory rape and sexual offences against a vulnerable stranger."

The accused was remanded in custody to appear in court again next month.
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.
Michaella McCollum, left, and Melissa Reid stand behind their luggage after being detained at the airport in Lima, Peru (AP)

Disembarking from a long-haul flight, most of us are a crumpled, unsightly mess. But Michaella McCollum looked a million dollars as she walked through Dublin airport at the end of a 15-hour journey from Peru.

It could have been an up-and-coming young actress or supermodel striding across the airport foyer with her two bulging suitcases - this time filled with chic outfits I'm sure, and not cocaine.

Foreign travellers, sipping coffee in cafes as they waited for their flights, could be seen looking on puzzled as reporters and photographers surrounded Michaella, snapping away and asking her for comment.

"Who is that?" they undoubtedly wondered as she brushed by with the media in pursuit. And therein lies the problem. Imagine their reaction when they find out that she's a drugs trafficker. They will think that we have lost our senses to be treating this woman as a celebrity.

Some will say that McCollum didn't invite the attention. Yet had she wanted to arrive back home in anonymity, she would hardly have posted selfies on Instagram in Lima as she prepared for take-off on board a flight to London.

Everything about the Michaella McCollum story sends out the wrong message to young people.

Rather than being deterred from following the same path that she did, they are far more likely to want to hurtle down it now, and who could blame them?

Despite all the allegations about the horrendous conditions in Peruvian hell-hole prisons with their cockroaches, dirty drinking water and inedible food, they will look at a radiant Michaella and think 'It can't have been that bad'.

She's almost unrecognisable from the harsh looking girl in the black leather jacket and bun hairdo from not-so-long-ago. She served just two years and three months of an almost seven-year sentence.

When she was released on parole in March, it was expected that she would spend the remainder of her sentence in Peru working with Aids sufferers, and the destitute and downtrodden.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of her club hostess outfits Michaella McCollum Connolly with Brad Houston from England Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum cradling her newborn twins Michaella McCollum Connolly pictured during an interview with RTE in 2016 after being released on parole from a Peruvian prison Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing in Lima, Peru, clutching the book 'Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know: Ten principles for spiritual and emotional fulfillment' (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly arrives to court for her sentencing in Callao, Peru (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) AP Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum, both handcuffed, arrive for a court hearing in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum, left, and Melissa Reid listen to a translator during a hearing at court in Callao, Peru (AP) AP Police escort Melissa Reid, front, and Michaella McCollum to a hearing in Lima, Peru (AP) Police escort Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid from the National Police anti-drug headquarters in Peru (AP) Michaella McCollum Connolly (left) and friend Melissa Reid in the airport after they were arrested Michaella McCollum Connolly with rugby star Tommy Bowe while doing promotional work at an official Ulster Rugby event Santa Monica female prison in Peru AP SECRET STASH: The drugs found in food packs in the girls luggage CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Michaella and Melissa caught on CCTV loading bags into a car in Peru Michaella McCollum, centre, and Melissa Reid leave the court after being sentenced in Peru. Lawyer Peter Madden, who represents Michaella McCollum, has claimed his client has suffered from a lack of food. Belfast solicitor Peter Madden said Michaella McCollum and co-accused Melissa Reid have been well treated by the authorities PA Michaella McCollum, right, and Melissa Reid, left, were jailed in Peru last year after they admitted trying to smuggle cocaine worth 1.5 million pounds from Peru to Spain (AP) Michaella McCollum's mother Norah McCollum and sister Samantha McCollum vist the Peru prison Michaella McCollum Connolly with reality TV star Mark Wright at a promotional night hosted by Belfast's M Club / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer

Yet only a handful of months later, she was free to hop on a flight home. And, during her parole period, photos of Michaella and her mates dining in posh restaurants and partying in Lima's most exclusive nightclubs appeared on social media.

Back home, the future looks rosy. A book with film rights is more than likely in the pipeline. Perhaps there will be photoshoots for lads' mags. The chat show circuit also beckons. I can just see McCollum flitting from green room to green room across the country.

But she could have far bigger fish to fry than Nolan Live or The Late Late Show. Reality TV surely looms on the horizon. Will it be Celebrity Big Brother or Celebrity Love Island? I can hear those words loud and clear, "Michaella, would you please come to the diary room".

Michaella's career prospects are miles better now than they were before her drug trafficking days. To teenagers, she will appear as an exciting figure who has been on an adventure and has prospered for it. The message will be that crime does indeed pay.

McCollum, of course, was a cog in a big machine. She is certainly not Pablo Escobar, but neither is she the little innocent abroad as she portrays herself. That's what irritates me most about her - not the drug-smuggling, but the insistence on playing the victim and playing us.

When she was arrested, she told a litany of lies about being kidnapped by drug lords who had held her at gunpoint and had threatened her family.

We were encouraged to believe that the Peru Two were a contemporary Guildford Four or Birmingham Six. People - though thankfully not very many of them - gave money to a defence fund to help pay her legal bills.

Neither Michaella nor her supporters have ever once apologised to the public for that deception. In an unbelievably soft RTE interview in April, there was no expression of genuine contrition nor taking responsibility for her crime. Instead, she bleated about being a "naive, young and insecure" girl who had "a moment of madness".

Now a "moment of madness" might be doing a runner on a taxi-driver on a Saturday night if you haven't the fare home. It isn't flying halfway across the world trafficking 1.5m pounds worth of cocaine. Young male members of the Dublin Kinahan or Hutch drug gangs, or their Northern Ireland equivalent, wouldn't get away with repeating this rubbish.

In contrast, Michaella's accomplice, Melissa Reid, has gone a long way towards redeeming her reputation. Following her release in June, she gave a searingly honest interview to the Mail on Sunday.

"I regret what I did and I don't want to make any excuses. I'm embarrassed and ashamed and sorry and I want people to know that," she said. "I can't sit here and say I made a mistake. I knew what I was doing. I made a conscious decision to do it and no-one forced me."

Melissa admitted she tried to smuggle drugs for greed and the thrill of it.

"I was offered 5,000 cash but it wasn't just about the money. I had saved up before I left Scotland so I had cash for rent. I didn't owe money or anything," she said.

"I just wanted to be able to boast about it. I just wanted to be this big person that I'm not."

Now that she's back home, Michaella may well decide that a more robust media interview in which she is finally forthright is actually in her interests.

The problem is that she has lied so extensively, for so long, that most of us now wouldn't believe a word that passes from her lips.
Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid after being detained at the airport in Lima, Peru

Michaella and Melissa Reid shortly after their arrest in Peru

There was no sign of life at Michaella McCollum's old home when the Belfast Telegraph called to the door - but the balloons hanging in the house told their own story.

While the news that Dungannon's most infamous resident returned to her home town was a cause for celebration for some, others were less than impressed that a drug smuggler who served less than half her sentence was being given a hero's homecoming. Streams of people were said to have called to the property, where McCollum lived for part of her childhood and her teenage years.

Red and green balloons could be seen dotted throughout the kitchen for the celebrations after McCollum's three years in jail.

However, there was little evidence of the night before when the Belfast Telegraph called to her home yesterday.

The curtains were drawn in most of the rooms and no one answered our requests for an interview.

Only the barks of two small dogs could be heard from the apparently empty home.

Neighbours said they were not aware of her impending return until a number of cars started to arrive for the get-together.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said the celebrations continued on into the night.

"There was an unusual amount of cars parked outside the house," they said.

"While I didn't see Michaella, I saw a few of her family members. They definitely seemed to be having a party and I heard it was for her.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of her club hostess outfits Michaella McCollum Connolly with Brad Houston from England Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum Connolly Michaella McCollum cradling her newborn twins Michaella McCollum Connolly pictured during an interview with RTE in 2016 after being released on parole from a Peruvian prison Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing in Lima, Peru, clutching the book 'Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know: Ten principles for spiritual and emotional fulfillment' (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly arrives to court for her sentencing in Callao, Peru (AP Photo/Martin Mejia) AP Melissa Reid and Michaella McCollum, both handcuffed, arrive for a court hearing in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum Connolly, handcuffed, arrives for a court hearing, in Lima, Peru (AP Photo/Karel Navarro) AP Michaella McCollum, left, and Melissa Reid listen to a translator during a hearing at court in Callao, Peru (AP) AP Police escort Melissa Reid, front, and Michaella McCollum to a hearing in Lima, Peru (AP) Police escort Michaella McCollum Connolly and Melissa Reid from the National Police anti-drug headquarters in Peru (AP) Michaella McCollum Connolly (left) and friend Melissa Reid in the airport after they were arrested Michaella McCollum Connolly with rugby star Tommy Bowe while doing promotional work at an official Ulster Rugby event Santa Monica female prison in Peru AP SECRET STASH: The drugs found in food packs in the girls luggage CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Michaella and Melissa caught on CCTV loading bags into a car in Peru Michaella McCollum, centre, and Melissa Reid leave the court after being sentenced in Peru. Lawyer Peter Madden, who represents Michaella McCollum, has claimed his client has suffered from a lack of food. Belfast solicitor Peter Madden said Michaella McCollum and co-accused Melissa Reid have been well treated by the authorities PA Michaella McCollum, right, and Melissa Reid, left, were jailed in Peru last year after they admitted trying to smuggle cocaine worth 1.5 million pounds from Peru to Spain (AP) Michaella McCollum's mother Norah McCollum and sister Samantha McCollum vist the Peru prison Michaella McCollum Connolly with reality TV star Mark Wright at a promotional night hosted by Belfast's M Club / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michaella McCollum Connolly in one of the Ibiza clubs where she worked as a dancer

"I'm sure she will be welcomed back by her friends and family - but I'm not sure about everyone else.

"She did a bad thing and some think she got away lightly with it."

There was a mixed reaction in Dungannon yesterday as the news of her arrival home began to spread.

On a quiet Sunday afternoon in the town's square, few wanted to comment.

However one local resident, who did not want to be named, said he did not believe she served enough time in prison.

"She should have stayed in jail," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

"She could have destroyed a lot of lives with what she did. But I'm sure people will welcome her home and have a party for her."

Another said: "People are in jail for a lot longer than her for doing a lot less. The support for her quickly disappeared after it came out what she had really did with the drugs."

It remains to be seen what the former dancer will do with her free time while at home or whether she will be allowed to work under the new terms of her parole.
A group of shamed student PSNI officers who were stopped from graduating amid an exam cheating scandal have cost the force almost half a million pounds to retrain

A group of shamed student PSNI officers who were stopped from graduating amid an exam cheating scandal have cost the force almost half a million pounds to retrain.

More than 50 student officers were told in June they were to be back-squadded as punishment after they were caught sharing and memorising exam questions ahead of assessment.

The scandal was uncovered following a complaint from a whistleblower just hours before a squad of student officers were due to graduate from the PSNI's training college at Garnerville.

Police statistics show that the cost for "re-coursing" the trainees - 42 men and 12 women - is 489,402, which includes salary and accreditation costs.

It is understood that the student officers will not have to pay any of these costs.

Following the revelations, Chief Constable George Hamilton was criticised by members of the Policing Board for his handling of the scandal. They claimed sanctions imposed by the PSNI were "inadequate".

Mr Hamilton insisted that he had acted in "good faith and with integrity" and that his actions "have been proportionate and appropriate in all the circumstances".

Some board members believed the cheating students should have been sacked on the spot.

"If there is evidence that someone has cheated then they should not be police officers," said Policing Board member Ross Hussey at the time.

The UUP man added: "You join the police to be a law abiding member of society with integrity. If you have cheated in your examinations to become a police officer then you should not progress."

Policing Board chairwoman Anne Connolly said members considered it "a very serious matter which has caused reputational damage to the PSNI."

Last month Mr Hamilton warned that he may have to freeze recruitment while a full review of the examination process is carried out. The PSNI training the students were caught cheating in is accredited by the Ulster University, which means student officers are both students of the Police College and the UU.

Although the university is very strict on cheating, disciplinary action in this case was left up to the PSNI.

A UU spokeswoman said: "We were made aware of the allegations when they first arose and we have been liaising with the PSNI on the matter."

The PSNI has been desperately trying to replenish officer numbers through recruitment campaigns.

At least 6,963 officers are needed, but currently there are only 6,881.
A Co Antrim hot-food van owner has defended the Ulster Fry after the local favourite came in for a bashing.

Sunday Times columnist Kevin Myers ripped into the Ulster Fry slamming it as "utterly irredeemable" but Darryl Wilson who runs Mr D's catering van which is permanently based at Ballymoney's Ballymena Road, has hit back.

Myers wrote: "The province's culinary essence remains the utterly irredeemable Ulster Fry, an aboriginal aberration that bizarrely still finds a place on Belfast menus.

"This is the equivalent of a New Guinea restaurant discreetly suggesting a lightly boiled head as a starter."

Last night, Darryl Wilson - who is also an Ulster Unionist councillor on Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council - told the Belfast Telegraph: "In a recent poll to find Northern Ireland's favourite dish, the good old Ulster fry came out on top.

"It certainly remains a firm favourite amongst my local customers. It is also thoroughly enjoyed by the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Northern Ireland on a regular basis.

"The traditional favourite which features sausages, bacon and eggs has the added splendour of soda farls and potato bread. In my opinion when cooked as it should be ... well, it firmly thrashes its rivals from across the rest of the British Isles. We are seldom rude when it comes to breakfast rivalries, maybe it's because we are too 'well bread'," he joked.

Meanwhile, Myers also hit out at the standard of posh restaurant this side of the border.

He said: "No Northern Ireland restaurant that had a Michelin star 10 years ago retains it still. In this present decade, 12 restaurants in the Republic have won a Michelin star; just two in the North have.

"Clearly this island has two distinct cooking traditions. There is the southern one, which for all its historic failings, looks south to the capitals of Europe, which has undergone a revolution.

"Then there is the Northern one, which looks to the grey granite of Knox plus the suet, starch and stodge of Stenhousemuir and clearly hasn't."

Mr Myers also said the Republic has 52 cheeses and the North just five.
Hank being reunited with his owners Joanne Meadows and Leonard Collins last week

Hank with a thank you message for his supporters

The owners of a dog saved by a massive public campaign have thanked their supporters as they plan to take a step back from the spotlight by shutting down their social media page due to "stress".

A global campaign was sparked when Hank was taken from his east Belfast home by Belfast City Council dog wardens on suspicion of being a pit bull-type breed.

The case reopened the debate on Northern Ireland's breed-specific legislation, which has been condemned as "flawed and archaic". There was controversy in 2012 when another family pet, Lennox, was put down by Belfast City Council after being deemed a banned breed and dangerous.

Hank's story made headlines around the world and featured in the US newspaper the Washington Post and French publication Le Monde.

Among those to pledge their support were X Factor host Dermot O'Leary, boxer Carl Frampton and celebrity dog trainer Victoria Stilwell.

An assessment concluded that although Hank was "a pit bull terrier-type" breed, the pet could be placed on the council's exemption register, thus saving it from death.

As part of his release conditions, Hank is kept on a lead and muzzled in public.

Since being freed Hank and his owners Joanne Meadows and Leonard Collins have remained in the public eye and have been at the centre of a campaign to change the dangerous dogs law that led to Hank being seized.

In the initial week since he was released they described their "pain, frustration and hurt" and explained how Hank was struggling to adjust to the conditions of his release.

A rally organised for Stormont in protest against Northern Ireland's controversial Breed Specific Legislation (BSL) dog laws has been postponed a number of times, with a new date yet to be set.

However, what appears to have been the final straw for the owners is a threat by a man who claims he was attacked by Hank.

Posting on their page the owners addressed the man directly who is "telling people that Hank 'attacked him yesterday'".

They said: "You put your face directly in front of Hank and put your hand on his muzzle.

"Hank is not reacting well to his muzzle nor the entire ordeal and honestly neither are we.

"Can we ask that people allow Hank to settle back in and respect that he is a dog, not a toy. The vast majority of people have been respectful, please do not take this is as a slight against anyone.

"Incidences like this will force the council to seize Hank and put him down.

"If anyone has any issue with Hank, the funding or anything else, as I have said repeatedly, please come and speak to me."

In a post minutes later the owners then claimed the man was threatening to put details of the "attack" on Facebook "for money".

It read: "I have received word that this gentleman wants money, for a chipped tooth apparently or he will put details of this "attack" on Facebook.

"If Hank causes someone distress, or indeed an injury, I would do everything in my power to fix the issue. Spreading rumours and making threats to extort money is not something that will work."

In a final post they said they were closing the page due to the "recent developments".

It said: "We owe each and every one of you a great debt but the last week and a half has been beyond stressful. We must do what is right for all three of us.

"Joanne and I were never spokesmen for the Anti BSL movement, we just played a very small part; many, many people have worked tirelessly for years to draw attention to BSL and they generally go unappreciated. Please now give them your support, seek out a local Anti BSL group and join their ranks.

"None of Hank's donations will goto us, it will all be used for good causes. Please look up my personal FB account (Leonard Collins) for details of this over the next couple of weeks. Thank you all. Leonard, Joanne & Hank."

Following their announcement the page was flooded with comments of well-wishes and support.

One read: "In the light of recent events I completely understand you. I wish your lovely family all the best and I thank you for letting us come along this journey this far. Take care of each other."
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.
The suggestion a British-Iranian mother being detained in Iran may have been involved in a plot to overthrow the regime is "nonsense", her husband has said.

Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, from Hampstead, north-west London, was arrested at Imam Khomeini airport in April as she was trying to return to Britain after a holiday visiting family with her two-year-old daughter Gabriella.

Speaking on their seventh wedding anniversary, her husband Richard Ratcliffe told the BBC the accusations were false.

He said: "The idea that anyone with a baby could be busy overthrowing the regime is obviously nonsense."

He added: "There is definitely a political game going on between different parts of the Iranian government and the Iranian regime, so the revolutionary guard versus the government, and she's caught up in that.

"There have been various attempts by the Iranian government to improve relations with the West and this is almost as provocative as possible to stop that happening."

Earlier in August Prime Minister Theresa May urged the president of Iran to resolve the case during a phone call.

Gabriella is being cared for by relatives in Tehran but Mr Ratcliffe said being away from her was "tough".
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
My wife and I recently travelled to Northern Ireland from Australia to visit my widowed mother, who lives alone in Portrush.

After visiting mum, my wife and I had a Ryanair flight from Belfast International Airport to Barcelona.

We were told that as we had not checked in online, we must pay 45 each for the privilege of Ryanair allowing us to check in and board. (I acknowledge the requirement to check in online is stated in the company's terms and conditions.)

After discussion with the supervisor (who advised me to pay, otherwise we would not be permitted to board), I reluctantly paid the 90. I am unclear as to how Ryanair is allowed to make such an excessive charge.

I have written to Ryanair for an explanation. Needless to say, we will never travel with Ryanair again.

ANDREW McNEILL

Victoria, Australia
giulio napolitano/Shutterstock.com

Its a long shot, but women could bring more insight and leadership to the Catholic Church if the Pope pushes through efforts to look into reinstating female deacons.

The Popes announcement to create a commission to study the historical role of female deacons in the Catholic Church is a move in the right direction to allow more leadership roles for women in the church, but its important to remember the road could be long for change.

The Pope announced the creation of the commission in early August after promising its creation back in May.

"After intense prayer and mature reflection, Pope Francis has decided to institute the Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women, the announcement earlier this month said.

This will be the third church commission appointed to study the historical role of women deacons since 1992. The other two commissions worked for several years and neither made any changes.

After bishops and priests, deacons are the lowest order of ordained clergy in the Catholic Church. Transitional deacons are seminarians preparing for priesthood and permanent deacons can be married and often lead parishes.

Deacons can perform several of the functions of priests: preach and deliver the homily and Mass. They can perform some of the sacraments, such as baptism and matrimony. However, they cannot hear confessions or consecrate the bread and wine for the Holy Eucharist.

If women deacons are eventually reinstated, it will not be the first time the church has had female deacons.

Some experts believe that when Mary Magdalene went to Jesus tomb to remove his body after his death and saw the risen Christ, that she became the first deaconess. She ran to tell the other disciples the news of Jesus rising and share the good news and thus was an evangelist and deacon.

However, the first biblical mention of a deaconess is Phoebe, who served the early church.

Critics are concerned that women deacons will lead to women priests, but a deacons role is very different from a priest. Its not as liturgical as a priest, and right now the church needs women leaders to reach out to its female members.

Women would bring fresh insights and life experiences into the ordained leadership of parishes, Phillip M. Thompson writes in a column for Religion News Service.

The question is whether or not the Catholic Church will be bold enough to make the change and place women in the leadership roles. Women are desperately needed in the church to uplift and train other women, and it will be interesting to see whether the Pope returns the historical roots of the church and puts women in the servant leadership positions.

But change could take time.

It was only in the 1990s that the Catholic Church ended the centuries-old custom of using only altar boys in church services, opening the way for girls to step into the sought-after servant role.

For women who want to serve their church, the Popes announcement this month is a hopeful one. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, there are about 18,000 deacons in the United States and growing, as compared to the number of priests, which are declining.

So will women get a chance to serve the Catholic Church as deacons? Only time will tell.

The Pope has been considered more liberal than his predecessors, but he hasnt said what he would do with a recommendation in favor of reinstating women deacons. After all, theres still a strong culture of male privilege and fear of women empowerment within the Catholic Church, and again, that takes time to chip away at.

The Popes new commission includes 13 people: seven men and six women, headed by Archbishop Luis Francisco Ladaria, secretary at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF).

One of the appointees, Professor Phyllis Zagano of Hofstra University, is an American who has written in support of female deacons.

But the initial choice of servantsdeaconsby the apostles was from among those put forth by the community following Jesus's death and resurrection. (Acts 6:1-6), she writes in Ordain Catholic Women as Deacons. Although she is not mentioned in Acts, given that Phoebe is the only person in scripture called deacon (Rom. 16:1), and given the many evidences of women deacons throughout history, the restoration of women to the diaconate seems to be something Francis could do easily.

She also said this week that shes asking the church to start praying for the decisions that could eventually be made.

Despite the frayed edges of the conversation, I think it is important for the church -- the whole church -- to think and pray about women deacons, she wrote in a column for the National Catholic Reporter.

Were they ordained in ceremonies identical to those used for men? Yes. Was that always the case? Who knows? Did their ordination ceremonies include the epiclesis -- the calling down of the Holy Spirit -- and the laying on of hands? Yes. Did they have the same tasks and duties as men deacons? No. They had some. But neither did men deacons share their tasks and duties, including anointing ill women and those newly baptized. History alone cannot decide this. One hopes the Holy Spirit is in the details.

I cannot tell you how things will be resolved, or when. I can only say that it appears Pope Francis will make a decision. I genuinely believe his decision, whatever it is, will be the right one, she said.

For now, the formation of the commission is a start to what could be a major change in the Catholic Church. Its still unclear what the scope of the commissions work will be (even Zagano said she didnt know what comes next), but the fact that a dialogue is happening is important.

Conversations are important. Listening to experts is important, said Patrick Donovan, director of the Diocesan Leadership Institute for the Diocese of Bridgeport. Even if nothing happens, this is really huge.

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has contributed pieces for Boundless, iBelieve.com and HeartSupport. She also blogs at http://tx.ag/casanova.
With 1.6 billion adherents, Islam is the second most-followed religion in the world, and is currently growing faster than any other. A report by the Pew Research Center shows that it will, in fact, overtake Christianitythe worlds most popular religionby 2070, if current growth continues. It is also one of the most feared and maligned belief systems on the planet.

But that fear is misplaced, largely due to a lack of information. The Muslim world remains mysterious to many, a state which results in Otherness, which is the perception that a people group is somehow mysterious, alien, and fundamentally different, which often results in culturally engrained fear and exclusion of that group. To be other is to be the opposite of usa dangerous position. But if knowledge is the first step along the road to empathy, then let us take that step with a brief look at the core tenants of Islam.

Islam is a monotheistic religion which calls mankind to serve the one omnipotent creator, known, in Islam, as Allah, a word which simply translates to the God, from Arabic. Islam is articulated through the Quran, the religions central text, which is composed of revelations given by God to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.

Islam emphasizes the importance of belief and practice togetherthey are inseparable. Lets first take a brief look at some of the core beliefs of Islam.

Six major beliefs can be construed from the teachings of Quran, beginning with Islams strictly monotheistic nature. Muslims believe in one, all-powerful, all-knowing God, who has no body, no gender, and no offspring, and who is the creator of all things. They do not believe Jesus to be the literal son of God, but rather a prophet, and one of the greatest of Gods messengers who was born without sin and was raised to heaven rather than being crucified. Within Islam, every individual is capable of their own independent relationship with God without intermediary.

The next major belief involves spiritual beings. In the Islamic narrative, the angel Gabriel revealed Gods word to Muhammad, who then transcribed that word into the Quran. Muslims believe in an unseen spiritual world, and acknowledge the existence of both angels and jinna separate race of being created by God from smokeless fire, some of which refused to bow to Adam, as God commanded, and thus were cast from paradise, becoming similar to Christianitys demons.

All of this is recorded in the Quran, which is another core belief of Islamthe belief in the holy books of God. Muslims revere the Torah, the Gospel, the Abrahamic Scrolls, and the Psalms, but believe that only the Quran remains as it was first revealed by God. The Quran dictates many aspects of Muslim life. Prohibitions include everything that is harmful to the body, mind, soul, or society, while anything that is beneficial is permissible, or halal. Specific prohibitions include gambling, fortune-telling, killing, lying, abusing, and engaging in sex outside of marriage.

As for Gods revelations to mankind, Muslims believe that God has guided humans throughout history, beginning with Adam, who is considered to be the first prophet. Twenty-five prophets are named in the Quran, with Muhammad being the latest, sent to give mankind the ultimate message of Islam.

Muslims believe in a Day of Judgment, in which all mankind will be judged for their actions. Those who followed Gods commands will reside in paradise, while those who did not will be relegated to hell.

Finally, Muslims believe in predestinationthat whatever happens to a person is preordained by God. This does not, however, negate the idea of free will in the minds of Muslims. Although God knows the fate of every man, woman, and child, humans are still capable of choice. This creates a religious atmosphere which encourages gratefulness for blessings and patience through trials, both of which are seen as a part of Gods ultimately good and divine plan.

Alongside these core beliefs, Muslims also marry action to their faith, and performing acts of worship are just as important as adhering to their intellectual beliefs. The level of adherence to these acts is dependent upon each individualas in all religions, some are more strict than others. There are five pillars of worship in Islam.

The first pillar is the declaration of faith. The very first act of worship that a Muslim must make is the proclamation There is no deity except God and Muhammad is the messenger of God. This is repeated many times a day during Islamic prayers, and is the entry-prayer spoken when someone initially becomes a Muslim. There is no established ceremony involved in conversionone must simply believe in and recite the declaration of faith.

The next pillar is that of prayer. Islam advocates prayer five times a dayat dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and at night. Muslims often perform a ritual washing of their hands, mouth, nose, face, arms and feet before prayer, which is performed in a clean location. Muslims face toward Meccathe birthplace of Islamwhen they pray.

Next is charity. Muslims are commanded to give to the needy. Zakat, an obligatory charity, is prescribed by Islam, and equals to about two and a half percent of income. Islam, in general, encourages giving to charity as much as a possible.

Fasting is required of Muslims from morning to night during the month of Ramadana holy time that occurs on the month in which the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad began, and is dedicated to the purification of the soul and coming closer to God. During this time, Muslims refrain from food, drink, and sexual activity, as well as any behaviors which carry negative connotations, such as lying, gossiping, arguing, and anger. The disabled or elderly are exempt from this requirement.

The pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajji, is a vital part of the Islamic faith. Every Muslim is required to make this pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life if they are physically and financially able. Located in Saudi Arabia, the city of Mecca is home to the Kaaba, the first house of worship of God, and is also the site of Muhammads birth and divine revelation. Within the city resides the Kaaba, considered to be the house of Allah, which holds a similar status to Judaisms Tabernacle and Holy of Holies. Muslims, when praying, face in the direction of the Kaaba.

These tenants are the simplified core of the Islamic faith, and will hopefully shed some light upon the beliefs of your Muslim neighbors. The elephant in the room, howeverreligious extremismshould be addressed, as well.

The Quran, like other religious texts, is presented as the infallible word of God. It is, however, interpreted in varying ways by human minds. Sharia Law, the basic Islamic legal system derived from the religious texts of Islam, has been used as the framework for violence and the stripping away of basic human rights, and the conflict between Sharia and secular law remains a point of contention between the Muslim community and the rest of the world.

The truth, however, is that this violence is not inherent to Islamit is the result of complex interactions between current society, the individual, and religious interpretation, just as it is in any other people group.

The key to rooting out this violence? Dialogue.

The Islamic world, at large, decries the violence we see constantly cropping up in the newsnew which often emphasizes the Muslim nature of the attackers, rather than their violent nature. Terrorists should not be thought of Muslims first, and terrorists second when, in reality, their actions violate widely accepted Islamic lawtheir actions displease Allah. They are terrorists first, violent individuals who reshape Islam to suit their need to lash out at a society they do not try to understand.

Let us not sink to that level on the intellectual scaleif you find Islam to be frightening or mysterious, you now have a starting point upon which to find out more, and to engage with the Muslims in your community. Dialogue between the faithsand non-faithsis the only thing which can unite the peaceful world against the true threat of violence.

Wesley Baines is a graduate student at Regent University's School of Divinity, and a freelance writer working in the fields of spirituality, self-help, and religion. He is also a former editor at Beliefnet.com. You can catch more of his work at www.wesleybaines.com.
Muslims pray for slain Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin, both from Bangladesh, outside the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in New York City, Aug. 15, 2016.

The weekend killings of a Muslim prayer leader and a fellow Bangladeshi in New York City added to the grief that countrymen back home felt as Bangladesh marked National Mourning Day on Monday.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his associate, Thara Uddin, 64, appeared to have been targeted when they were shot dead in the street as they were leaving Saturday afternoon prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in the Ozone Park section of the borough of Queens, Reuters reported. Ozone Park is home to many Bangladeshi immigrants.

On Monday, the motive for the killings remained unknown.

While public officials in Bangladesh were not immediately available for comment because of the holiday, Pallabi Mosque in Dhaka and other places of worship offered prayers of salvation for the two mens departed souls.

We hope that American authorities will maintain the beauty of diversity, which has made them great in the world. So, the wrongdoer should not be spared, I think, Mafuzur Rahman, a student of world religions at Dhaka University, told BenarNews on Monday.

Bangladesh observes the National Day of Mourning on Aug. 15, the day in 1975 when a group of army officers assassinated Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of Bangladesh who was regarded as the father of the nation, and killed most of his family. Rahmans daughter, Sheikh Hasina, is the countrys prime minister.

We condemn killing of Bangladeshi origin Imam in #NYC, cowardly act on peace loving people, Md. Shariar Ala, Bangladeshs Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said in a message posted on Twitter over the weekend.

In New York, American Muslims and Bangladeshi immigrants prayed for the two slain men, whose funeral services took place Monday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) 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.

Hate crime?

On Monday police were questioning a suspect taken into custody Sunday night, according to reports in the New York media. Police were investigating whether a dispute over parking led to the deadly attacks, the New York Daily News reported.

In Dhaka, Mohuddin Ahmed, a former acting foreign secretary, told BenarNews that the men could have been killed for their faith.

He said he trusted the New York Police Department (NYPD) to do a thorough investigation.

The American police and investigators are highly professional and skilled. They can find the killer and the motives behind the murder. We have to wait until the investigation is over, Ahmed told BenarNews.

Ahmed expressed concern that Muslims could be targets of hate crimes in the United States, pointing out that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had fomented hate against Muslims, including by calling for a ban against them entering the country.

Earlier, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had pledged his support for the Muslim community.

This weekend our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain hose in Ozone Park feel most personally today, the mayor said in a statement issued Sunday.

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. Rest assured that our NYPD will bring this killer to justice.

Kamran Reza Chowdhury in Dhaka contributed to this report.
Members of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front delegations join Malaysian officials in Kuala Lumpur to mark the start of meetings aimed at implementing peace between the two sides, Aug. 13, 2016.

The Philippines government and representatives of the rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed on a plan to implement a stalled peace agreement following a two-day meeting in Malaysia  the first such meeting since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took office in June.

On Saturday, the groups agreed to a two-phased implementation stage for peace in the region  the writing of a basic law followed by the decommissioning of MILFs fighters, Malaysian facilitator Tengku Ab Ghafar Tengku Mohamed told reporters in Kuala Lumpur.

For the first phase, we let the two parties involved decide how they want to shape the future of the Philippines. On the second phase, Malaysia might be involved upon request from the parties, the Malaysian facilitator said.

Wrapping up the session on Sunday, government and MILF officials announced in a joint statement that they had agreed to meet regularly in the Philippines to pursue forging a just and enduring peace in conflict-affected areas on the southern island of Mindanao. They set their next meeting for Aug. 30 in Davao City, the Philippines, GMA News Online reported.

The parties agreed on the substantive aspects of the peace and development road map, the joint statement said. In keeping with their firm resolve to build on the gains of the peace process so far, the parties committed to work collaboratively and cooperatively to ensure efficient and inclusive implementation of the GPH [Government of the Philippines]-MILF signed agreements.

An agreement reached in March 2014 under the previous president, Benigno Aquino III, was held up because the Philippine Senate failed to approve the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), whose passage was needed to implement the deal.

The Senate balked on passing the BBL after 44 Filipino commandoes and at least 17 MILF fighters were killed in a gun battle during a police raid in MILF-claimed territory in January 2015. Afterward, Aquinos government was criticized for the operation and MILF was accused of violating the terms of a ceasefire that followed the signing of the original peace deal.

Under that agreement, MILF leaders promised to lay down their weapons in exchange for the establishment of a southern autonomous region. MILF rebels have fought since the 1970s for autonomy for the predominantly Muslim Bangsamoro people of the southern Philippines.

Malaysia served as a facilitator in those peace efforts as well.

Transition commission expands

In another move to push for peace, the groups agreed to increase the membership of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, with 11 members to be nominated by MILF and 10 by the government. The commission, which is tasked with drafting a new BBL, will see its membership increase from 15  eight from MILF and seven from the government.

The groups also decided to include Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari in the peace process.

Misuari is a former governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and has been a fugitive since an attack on Zamboanga City in 2013. In May, he helped Malaysian and Indonesian officials seek the release of Malaysian and Indonesian sailors by the Abu Sayyaf Group.

On Saturday MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim said the panel welcomed the inclusion of Misuaris MNLF, and invited other southern Philippine militant groups to bring peace to the region.

We need all the players on board. We welcome all, not only brother Misuari, but other factions as well. We want them to be involved.

They were all part of the peace process before. Abu Sayyaf was part of it. They were members of MNLF. Also part of us was the seemingly radical group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Both had left MNLF and MILF, Murad told a press conference before the meeting opened on Saturday.

Murad said the establishment of Bangsamoro government was crucial in preventing the Islamic State (IS) from gaining a foothold in Mindanao and in stopping militancy in the southern Philippines.

Philippines Presidential Adviser Jesus Dureza, who led the government delegation, echoed Murads views.

That is why we are coming together for Bangsamoro, Dureza said.

Analyst: Peace deal will deny IS

The implementation of a peace deal would mean that Muslims in the southern Philippines would no longer see a reason to support extremists, according to security analyst Rohan Gunaratna.

The implementation of Bangsamoro peace deal will deny the growth of IS-centric groups in Southern Philippines, Gunaratna, who heads the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told BenarNews.

In his opinion, it is essential for all parties in the Philippines, especially Malaysia, to support the peace process because IS in the Philippines would pose a serious threat to the security and stability of Southeast Asia.

The resolution of the dispute between the north and the south will result not only in peace and security, but economic prosperity and development of Mindanao, added Gunaratna, a columnist for BenarNews.
A bomb squad officer checks the area around the clock tower in Hua Hin following a bomb attack there, Aug. 12, 2016.

Malaysian authorities are looking into a request from neighboring Thailand to track down the owner of a Malaysia-registered mobile phone allegedly used to detonate one of 11 bombs that killed four and injured dozens at tourist sites across southern Thailand last week, an official told BenarNews.

The anonymous official at Government House in Bangkok said the bombings that hit at least seven provinces  and which Thai authorities have described as coordinated  would be on the agenda of discussions between Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha and his Malaysian counterpart, Najib Razak, during their meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.

Prayuth is scheduled to attend a three-day International Conference on Blue Ocean Strategy, at Malaysias administrative capital Putrajaya that will focus on how nations can innovate to spur economic growth.

Our side is asking the Malaysians to track down a mobile phone number that our people believe was used to detonate one of the bombs during the attacks last week, the Thai official told BenarNews.

The phone was recovered from the site of a bombing in Phuket and Malaysian police have already received the device, according to reports in the Malaysian media.

The blast did not destroy part of the handphone and the serial number of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on the phone was still visible, the state-run Malaysian news agency Bernama reported.

Malaysian police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said Kuala Lumpur was willing to provide full cooperation to Thailand to facilitate investigations into the blasts.

Deep South connection?

On Friday, Thai officials said the attacks appeared to be politically driven and connected to the results of an Aug. 7 constitutional referendum. A majority backed a controversial draft charter that would allow the military-controlled government to influence the outcome of future elections.

On Monday, however, officials said it was too soon to rule out the possibility that the attacks were connected to a separatist insurgency in Thailands far southern region, which is known as the Deep South.

Ive always said since the beginning and Ive never said anything else, there are similarities between the tourist spot bombings and those carried out by the separatists, the Associated Press quoted national police chief Chakthip Chaichinda as saying on Monday.

He was referring to bomb attacks that are frequent in the Deep South, a predominantly Muslim and Malay-speaking border region where more than 6,500 have died since 2004 in violence associated with the insurgency.

Chakthips comments conflicted with those made a day earlier by one of his deputies, Police Gen. Pongsapat Pongcharoen. He told reporters in Bangkok that the attacks in the upper south were not linked to the rebellion in the Deep South.

A network of 10 to 20 people was behind the attacks in the seven provinces last week, which were coordinated by one mastermind, he said.

Chakthips words about a possible Deep South connection were echoed by at least one Thai security official who is familiar with the region.

There are just too many similarities between the attacks in the upper south and the ongoing insurgency in the far south, the senior military officer with access to initial reports of last weeks bombings and arson attacks told BenarNews.

The source cited the example of a previous bombing in southern Thailand but well north of the confines of the Deep South: a car-bombing at a shopping mall on the resort island of Koh Samui in April 2015, after which authorities traced the vehicle back to the Deep South.

11 bombings, five arson attacks

So far, at least one person has been arrested in connection with last weeks attacks and several members of the anti-junta Red Shirt movement have been taken in for questioning as well, officials said. But it remained unclear on Monday whether police were holding these people for questioning.

A resident of Chiang Mai, Sakharin Karuehas, was arrested Friday night in connection with an arson attack at a Tesco Lotus supermarket in Nakhon Si Thammarat province that afternoon, authorities said. The market was one of five shops and shopping areas targeted in arson attacks in five southern provinces on Friday.

The first bomb went off Thursday afternoon at a market in Trang province, about 900 km (560 miles) south of Bangkok, killing a soldier and injuring six others. Officials initially blamed that attack on a likely gangland dispute.

On Thursday night, two bombs exploded in the resort town of Hua Hin, about 193 km (120 miles) south of Bangkok, killing one and injuring 21.

On Friday, twin bombs went off near a clock tower in Hua Hin, killing one and injuring three, officials said.

In Phuket, two small bombs exploded, injuring one. And in neighboring Phang Nga province, two bombs exploded but no one was injured.

Elsewhere, in Surat Thani province, two bomb blasts killed one and injured three, officials said.
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Mewing is a TikTok trend that has blown up in the last few months. It is claimed that it can help shape your jawline as well as cure other ailments by actively pressing your tongue to the roof
Africa's fluctuating markets require a nimble-footed approach by marketers, who need to challenge convention and adopt breakthrough, original and interesting approaches to their communication strategies. If they don't, they are not going to survive in an environment where change is the only constant.

Image by 123RF

The Africa rising narrative is not wholly dead. The region continues to grow faster than most others and countries with more diversified and robust economies, such as Mozambique, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya, enjoy relatively high growth rates.

The flip side of the coin is that commodity-based economies are suffering. There is a lot less money to go around and, in most instances, government spending remains high. This has a broad-based dampening effect and means doing business in these countries is difficult.

In addition, many companies looking to grow their businesses on the continent are learning that there is not always a plug and play model, process, product offering or service for the African market. Solutions that work in Europe, the US or even South Africa do not necessarily work for Nigeria, Kenya, Angola or Botswana.

The only way to be noticed in this milieu is to challenge the status quo around communication and ideas. Marketers need to consider how to do things differently, get more bang for their buck and drive return on investment.

Hotbed of innovation

This is why Africa is ripe for Disruption. Just as TBWA has Disruption in its DNA, so does Africa. Characterised by uncertainty and dynamic change, the continent is a hotbed of innovation. There is no shortage of challenges that need to be solved. Purpose-built solutions are needed for Africa, by Africa.

The continent has a culture of leapfrogging technologies, services and processes  think M-Pesa and the other mobile phone-based money transfer solutions in Kenya, now processing over $24 billion dollars per year (about 39% of Kenyan GDP); or Uber  also in Kenya  which takes cash as well as of credit cards.

Other great ideas of disruption across Africa include Ghanas alternative to cars, the eco-friendly Green Bike with its durable and lightweight bamboo frame; and Nigerias Shypmate, a peer-to-peer delivery service that allows individuals to buy products online in the United States and get them delivered through homebound travellers, especially in Nigeria and Ghana.

Marketers would do well to take note of Africas energy and dynamism. They need to harness its inherent creativity. They need to challenge the mundane and find uniquely African solutions. Only then will businesses survive and even thrive under the continents tougher economic circumstances.
Nigerian telecommunications company Etisalat, in line with its commitment to promote innovation and creativity, has announced the opening of the 2016 Etisalat Photography Competition.

Image by 123RF

The Etisalat Photography Competition encourages emerging photographers to capture and celebrate fascinating pictures that reflect the diversity and daring spirit of our expressions. The competition kicks off series of activities leading to the opening of the 7th edition of the Etisalat-sponsored annual Lagos Photo Festival.

Etisalat Nigeria director, brands and experience, Elvis Ogiemwanye, revealed that submission of entries is open from 8 August to 1 September 2016.

This years edition of Etisalat Photo Competition is themed Performance: action repeated constantly, becomes a ritual, and its transference into other spaces of engagement becomes a performance.

We wish to explore further these performances through the strength of photography in depicting our daily routines and celebratory activities and expressions. Under the categories daily routines and celebratory, the competition serves as a platform fostering expressions and creativity at its peak, Ogiemwanye said.

The Etisalat photography competition aims to use the power of photography to create compelling stories that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across Africa.

To enter for this years competition, participants are required to visit photo.etisalat.com.ng to register and submit entries for both Daily Routines and Celebratory. Voting will be announced after entry closes on 1 September 2016. The top 50 images from each category will be reviewed by a jury who will then unveil the finalists at the grand opening of the Lagos Photo Festival.

The first prize winner in the competition will receive a Canon Camera; the second prize winner will get an iPhone; while the third prize winner will receive a Samsung. The shortlisted photographers will also be enrolled at Lagos Photo Summer School where they are expected to hone their skills.

The Lagos Photo Festival is the first and only international arts festival of photography which features exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, discussions, screenings, and large scale outdoor installations in public spaces, in Nigeria.
Over the last few weeks, I've been going through the basics of how to create a good (hopefully great) advertising campaign. If you've been reading them all, I hope that if you're already in the business, it will have reminded you of some of the basics.

But if you're still trying to get in to the industry, then the last few articles should give you an edge.

You may find my own experiences interesting and, who knows, it may give you some inspiration, too.

I fell into advertising by accident, really. Two things happened when I was floundering around in London trying to qualify as a lawyer (yes, I really did and thank goodness I gave it up  terrible occupation).

The first was that my girlfriend was working in classified sales at the Evening Standard and she knew there were three vacancies for advertising executives in the Beaverbrook Newspaper group and thought I'd enjoy the life, the car and the excitement.

The second was that I saw two films at the time; one was Morgan, a suitable case for treatment, and the other was I'll never forget Whatsisname? In Morgan, one of the lines the man guy (David Warner) said to his wife was you married me for insecurity and in Whatsisname, Oliver Reed played a confident ad man who chops his desk to pieces with an axe.

The thought of insecurity and living on my wits appealed no end and I was always a fan of Oliver Reed.

So I jumped at the chance of joining advertising and applied for the Evening Standard job. I don't know how I got one of the three jobs out of several hundred applicants but I remember the interviewer (Colin Owen-Browne) was incredibly rude and I didn't take any offence and just made a joke of just about everything he said. He eventually asked me to sell him a pen and I said: If you don't buy this pen, I'll stab you in the eye with it. And that was that.

So I joined the suits and had a lot of fun.

Then I transferred to the Cape Times (in Cape Town, duh) and began doing the same job there  but I didn't like it too much, so I applied for jobs in five agencies.

All five turned me down because I had no experience.

But I joined the Publicity Club and met some people and, eventually, John Turvey at VZ (Ogilvy & Mather, actually) offered me a job as a media planner. And that's where I learned that advertising is a business, and like any other business, it's serious.

By the way, within six months of being at VZ all five of the original agencies I'd applied to work for offered me a job  every single one of them.

So, on the assumption that you're just entering the business, I would like to leave you with a couple of pieces of advice.

Turvey always told me to take the initiative  and it took me at least ten years to understand what he meant. In short, it means don't wait, use your brain and instinct and take action  even if it means upsetting senior management along the way (but use caution  don't make enemies).

Don't believe all you are told (including what I've been writing!) Think things out for yourself and then, with a firm belief in what you believe, go forth and DO IT.

Don't just do what your boss or client tells you. If you do then you'll quickly become dispensable.

The second piece of advice comes from the expression about not what but who you know.

You must learn to network (horrible word, but it has to be done). That doesn't imply sucking-up and grovelling  that's strictly short-term and terminal.

Get out there and meet people who are important and who can open doors for you.

Circulate and make sure the industry knows who you are. Be eccentric if necessary. Certainly be bold but never be insufferably argumentative.

If you ever feel the need to write to me then do so. My email address is az.oc.srewerb@sirhc and the reason I don't mind giving my address out publicly is because, who knows, YOU may become important to ME one day!

Finally, although advertising would appear not to be a cautious business, you would be well advised to remember what my father (a wise man) often told me:

Measure twice, cut once.

Good luck.

I'll be taking a couple of weeks off and then I'll be writing about more topical stuff.

Read my blog (brewersdroop.co.za) or see what other amazing things we do at brewers.co.za

*Note that Bizcommunity staff and management do not necessarily share the views of its contributors - the opinions and statements expressed herein are solely those of the author.*
Processing 800,000 blood donations a year creates quite a paper trail, and considering that lives are literally at stake, the South African National Blood Service (SANBS) is required to follow a rigorous process as documents flow through each phase - from donor, all the way to the patient who benefits from a blood donation.

 Wavebreak Media Ltd 123RF.com

Massive financial drain

Hazel Bell, senior manager of quality systems at SANBS, notes that: Up to 30m individual paper records are generated each year, creating enormous complexities for SANBS staff. Considering the total costs of paper  including purchasing, printing, processing, ink costs, transporting, storing and retrieving  this causes a massive financial drain on the organisation.

Errors in the way some forms were completed hindered SANBS ability to collect certain invoices, causing revenue leakage. There was also no simple way to analyse the data on record: surveys were a very time-consuming and laborious process. And then, to compound these issues, a fire in SANBS Pinetown warehouse resulted in the destruction of many records.

Project Impilo

In this spirit of going green, and with the goal of enhancing efficiencies, SANBS decided to implement an enterprise information management (EIM) solution that would consist of digitising its operations, migrating away from paper-based processes, and enhancing information management. This project became affectionately known as Project Impilo  a Zulu term meaning health.

The second phase, she adds, is now in full swing: transforming millions of other records relating to blood donation, testing and quality control into digital assets.

Complying to PoPI

As the project gains momentum, the initial pilot group of 120 users should be extended to all 2,500 SANBS staff nationwide. Paper consumption and costs will decrease dramatically, creating not only a positive environmental impact, but also improving the working conditions for SANBS staff, notes Bell. In addition, the system will assist SANBS in its strategic focus on compliance to the Protection of Personal Information (PoPI) Act.

The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) provides patients with a supply of safe, high-quality blood products and medical services related to blood transfusion. Operating across nine South African provinces, SANBS collects blood donations from millions of volunteer donors, also providing support to other countries within the SADC region.

Sustainability

Bell explains that, as a non-profit organisation committed to making a positive impact on the lives of all South Africans, the principles of sustainability and environmental awareness have been firmly entrenched by the SANBS board. These principles extend to every area, including the likes of medical waste.

As the organisation looks to move towards a fully-digital environment, it expects the user experience for donors and beneficiaries to improve  spurring greater levels of donation, and greater impact in fulfilling its mandate of saving the lives of South Africans in need of transfusions.

Ultimately, the cost savings will mean that budgets are funnelled into more valuable areas like research, performing big data analysis on our records, and increasing the size of our donor base, concludes Bell.
By exposing small farmers to big retailers, the Eastern Cape Rural Development and Agrarian Reform Department hopes to create 10,000 direct and indirect jobs annually while increasing the province's GDP contribution by at least 2%.

Kate Holt via Wikimedia Commons

Rural Development and Agrarian Reform MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane said this as he rewarded 11 women farmers across the Eastern Cape with cash prizes and certificates for their contributions to agriculture.

Concern over dwindling number of commercial farmers

The agriculture economic transformation strategy which is hoped to push up the province's struggling GDP is the department's latest solution to countering the declining number of commercial farmers in the province. Speaking at the annual Female Entrepreneur of the Year Awards at Coega Village, Qoboshiyane said: "The GDP of the country is not growing and has been heading downward since the first quarter of 2016 and the province's agriculture value is very low at 5.5% when compared with others."

Attributing the province's low agriculture value to competitiveness, policy uncertainty and increasing production costs, Qoboshiyane said that he was mostly concerned about the dwindling number of commercial farmers. The province saw a decrease from 6,000 to 4,000 between 1996 and 2007. He estimated that this figure is as low as 3,000 today. In the same period, the country saw a drop from 60,000 to 37,000 farmers.

"The reality of the situation is that between 95% and 99% of agricultural output is produced by commercial farmers," Qoboshiyane said.

Helping small farmers access big retailers

In an effort to help small farmers, he said they would be added on the department's database and their products would be graded before being supplied to Boxer Superstores, Nicks Food, and McCain Foods.

While all Boxer supermarkets in the country are prepared to buy fresh produce from the Eastern Cape, Qoboshiyane said the province now needed more farmers to meet the new demand. The farmer awards are aimed at encouraging and increasing the participation of women in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.

Top female entrepreneurs

During the ceremony, women empowerment songs were sung, with many people joining the winners on stage when they were called.

Oudrie farm owner Venecia Janse, 54, was close to tears when her name was called as the overall winner. She won R250,000. "I worked hard and prayed for the success of this farm," she said. "This is a big surprise and I will use this money to buy tractors and sprayers."

Janse's farm has been operating since 2012 in Louterwater near Joubertina. She also won the top export producer category, scoring an extra R120,000.

Emmanuel Haven, a Motherwell NGO, received the MEC's special award and walked off with R50,000.

Source: Herald
Ecoffee Cup, a local South African brand has launched today, Monday, 15 August, a unique range of reusable and recyclable takeaway cups that are also stylish, in response to the waste epidemic that sees 100bn single-use coffee cups thrown away each year.

Joris van Grieken, marketing director at Ecoffee Cup, says, It's a big problem, needing a big and beautiful solution.

In 2015, when we read that half a trillion single-use cups are manufactured each year (and that most of these end up as landfill)  we felt that what society was doing was creating more harm than good. Therefore, we set out to make some change, not revolutionary but somehow contributory to social good. We certainly never set out to be eco-warriors, but once you become aware of the unsustainability of single-use items, you realise that everyone needs to change, therefore we created a product that is environmentally very strong and beautifully designed.

Bamboo fibre cup

Created with the worlds fastest growing, most sustainable crop  naturally organic, bamboo fibre and non-GMO cornstarch, Ecoffee Cup is BPA and phthalate free, with a tactile experience similar to thick, yet light cardboard. Fast growing, quickly renewable and highly sustainable, bamboo is a naturally organic crop that uses no pesticides in its farming. Bamboo is also naturally sterile, preventing flavour taint and, unlike plastic, it contains no petrochemicals and is biodegradable at the end of its lifecycle. The material is also super light, just 135g, and it has a fully resealable drip-proof lid, making it perfect to take with you everywhere you go. The cup itself is dishwasher safe and should last for years - if you treat it nicely.

Explains founder and head designer, David McKlagan, Our design philosophy is a simple one: Have Fun. Do Good. We think there should be an Ecoffee Cup for everyone, that is why we have more and more designs from international designers. Our influences come from the streets of Kyoto or holy sites of Isfahan  to the coffee houses of Stockholm and hipster bars of Melbourne. We are about surprise and we take our design language seriously. Cool is an over-used word, but we think that people don't like feeling nagged or preached at about the environment  so we think that the focus is on creating a stylish, desirable product first, social conscience later. This is the best way to get people to change. Collectability and peer-to-peer recommendation  are also important ways to influence consumer decisions.

People are definitely taking coffee more seriously. Less milk, more focus on flavour and variants. The trend in UK is downwards in size, brought about by the 8oz Flat White phenomenon, emanating from Australia and New Zealand. The big chains are cottoning on to better quality ingredients, driven by the rise of artisan coffee bars. The US, via New York, is starting to change slowly, although there is still the crazy 20 and 30oz variants that a few of the big chains seem intent on.

I think we have definitely hit the zeitgeist, especially in places such as Germany, France and Scandinavia, where taxes on single-use items are imminent. Something like this even makes for a great socially conscious gift. Every time you use your Ecoffee Cup you are helping make a tiny dent in the 100bn single-use coffee cups that go to landfill each year, he concludes.

Growing market

Coffee is a growing market, with Statistics SA showing that coffee shops have contributed to around 2.8% of the positive annual growth around takeaway and fast food. There has also been a 7.1% increase in income since 2014, with growth across the country. The South African Coffee Club (SACC) says coffee consumption and business has grown dramatically in South Africa with less than 20 roasteries ten years ago versus just over 100 today, many of them small startups.

Moreover, while a reusable cup may seem like a drop in the ocean to some, one only has to look at Woolworths, which, according to its website, has made a significant dent in the sale of reusable bags with over 920,000 bags sold and a number of new designs launched.

Relative plastic shopping bag sales have also decreased significantly over the last financial year. The 25% reduction target (of 1.0) had been set for 2012, off a 2007 benchmark of 1.3 plastic bags per transaction, with 0.995 already being achieved during the current year. If one retailer can make that possible for bags, what may be possible for coffee cups?

For more information, go to EcoffeeCup.co.za, find them on Facebook or #stopthe100billion on Twitter.
Environmentally friendly bricks, sustainable heating, and the re-use of underutilised resources are just some of the projects that are pioneering a degree of circular economy thinking in South Africa.

Alex Lemille

While discussion about the circular economy began in the 1970s, it is a relatively new environmental term for South Africa. In a nutshell, the circular economy, otherwise known as the closed-loop economy, aims to reduce pollution through a process whereby resources and products are reused before they reach the waste stage. It counters a linear economy approach which is based on making, using and disposing products. The circular economy aims to use as little energy as possible, so, ideally, products would be used and reused in their natural state. For more about the circular economy, read How creatives can lead us to a circular economy and How media can influence the adoption of the circular economy concept.

Alex Lemille, founder of Wizeimpact, a South African company that aims to change wealth-centred businesses into value-centric ventures, comments on the effect that the circular economy may have on South Africa: "While the circular economy in Europe could translate into 1.8tn in net material annual savings by 2030, a circular South Africa might not see similar huge numbers. Yet the benefits of entering a well-designed SA circular economy could go beyond just 'closing the loop' into a highly beneficial 'closing many gaps' effect."

Cradle-to-Cradle products and certification

Another approach that encourages the move to a circular economy relates to Cradle-to-Cradle products and designs, which Wizeimpact describes as: "a holistic economic, industrial and social framework that seeks to create systems that are not only efficient, but also essentially waste-free."

The term 'Cradle-to-Cradle' was originally defined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in Cradle-to-Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Wizeimpact explains that McDonough and Braungarts research had a biomimetic approach and "explored materials as biological or technical nutrients, as well as their use periods and evolution" and, based on this, they devised accreditation for businesses to produce safer, more environmentally conscious products.

The Cradle-to-Cradle certification, available to South African businesses from Wizeimpact, encourages businesses to make the move towards circular economic principles. The certification, which ranges from Basic to Platinum, recognises companies that adhere to the following five criteria:

They use safe and healthy materials.



They eliminate their waste.



They power with clean energy.



They protect water as a precious resource.



They respect human and natural systems.

According to Wizeimpact: The certification process is made in such a way that both the intention to improve as well as the achieved levels are recognised. The Basic level is provided on a two-year basis during which the company has set itself some targets to reach the Bronze level.

The image below provides an example of the factors taken into consideration when determining a companys Cradle-to-Cradle certification. The least results of the five criteria affect the level of certification that can be displayed on the companys product.

Image: Wizeimpact /C2C Innovation Institute

Three circular economy projects

We sought three projects in South Africa that reflect circular economy principles.

Rambrick

Having rebranded from Use-It to Rambrick, this company serves to minimise waste through several projects, one of which involves creating environmentally friendly bricks from compressed earth and the remains of waste soils.

"Most importantly, the re-use of waste soils and rubble that would otherwise go to landfill to make bricks that are environmentally friendly is a prime example of how innovative thinking can be beneficial on many levels  from a clever use and re-use of resources, to job creation in the green economy, and a contribution to effective waste management strategies," explains Chris Whyte, managing director of Rambrick.

"These earth blocks will also supply desperately needed housing to Africa that is not only higher quality than conventional methods, but represents truly green and sustainable alternatives that are also cost-competitive," adds Whyte.

Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme

The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) develops mutually beneficial links between companies from all industrial sectors, so that under-utilised resources such as materials, energy or water from one company can be recovered, reprocessed and re-used by others, explains Oliver Bonstein, WISP programme facilitator at GreenCape.

WISP's free facilitation service creates opportunities for new business and increased profitability of existing business through the sharing of resources. Previously under-utilised or wasted resources become valuable inputs to other manufacturing companies. In short, WISP works to boost the circular economy of the Western Cape.

Since inception in 2013, WISP has diverted 2,964 tonnes from landfill, stimulated R15,369 839.52 in cost savings and additional revenue and created 12 new permanent jobs, concludes Bonstein.

Sustainable Heating

This company provides heating solutions which involve the burning of biomass (such as the remaining woodchips created by the furniture industry, for example) instead of oil or coal.

In short, Sustainable Heatings furnaces burn biomass. Biomass being any residual carbon-based waste such as wood, sawdust, bagasse, grain husks, maize, sisal, etc. The heat from the combustion is used to feed local industries with steam, hot water, hot air or thermal oil. The flue gases are filtered to European standards. The byproduct is ash from the combustion, this can be given back to the farmers to enrich their soils, explains Bruno Migliorini, business manager at Sustainable Heating.

View a video released earlier this month explaining Sustainable Heatings product and how it relates to the circular economy:
Corobrik has opened a new bricklaying training centre at its Lawley factory in Gauteng. It is one of three countrywide that provides opportunities for unskilled South Africans to acquire the expertise they need to secure work in the building industry.

Delegates who participated in the first bricklaying training course held at the new Corobrik bricklaying training centre at its Lawley factory in Gauteng.

More than 2000 people have already graduated from the companys training schools in Durban and Cape Town, and at their former Midrand facility.

"Skills development remains a key priority in South Africa and Corobrik is committed to playing a meaningful role in this process," says Berkley Petty, HR development manager for the brick manufacturer which has been in operation for more than a century.

"Corobriks three building training centres are designed to provide unskilled workers in both the public and private sectors with recognised qualifications in bricklaying, blocklaying and segmental paving disciplines, providing fundamental skills to the construction industry."

Various courses on offer

The Corobrik training centres offer a variety of courses ranging from basic bricklaying to learnerships. The bricklaying training centres are accredited by the Construction Education and Training Authority (CETA) and run NQF-accredited courses. Training is conducted in groups both at the centre or on site, combining theory with practical implementation.

A number of major construction companies as well as the Department of Public Works and Transport have enrolled learners on Corobriks bricklayer training programmes.

The progress and skills levels of each student are monitored and recorded - during both their theoretical and practical training. Those with strong technical aptitudes and those that show initiative are encouraged to go further with their training.

"Once they have completed the courses, the learners are in a better position to find gainful employment with government or construction companies and many have gone on to establish their own enterprises," Petty said.

The Corobrik Bricklaying Centres are not run on a profit basis but rather to cover costs so as to help make the training affordable to the learners.

B-BBEE initiative

According to Petty, it is all about helping people attain the skills they need to earn a living. This is in line with governments appeal for business, labour and communities to work together to help meet the New Growth Path objective of creating five million jobs by 2020 and reducing the unemployment rate to 15%.

"The building training centres are also an integral element of Corobriks multi-faceted Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment initiatives to help lay the foundation for a prosperous future for South Africa."

The Durban training centre is situated at Corobriks Avoca factory, the Cape Town facility recently moved to a site adjacent to the companys modern new Lansdowne centre in Springfield and the Gauteng school has moved from Midrand to Lawley which it was felt would be more accessible to the learners.
Donald Trump is, to put it lightly, a controversial figure, known for his extreme right wing political views and far from subtle criticism of, and disdain for, various minority groups. Well, Donald has done it again.

As followers of international news broadcasters like Sky and CNN will be aware, at the recent Republican National Convention, Donald strutted onto the stage to the heroic sounds of Queens We Are the Champions. The band was not happy and accused Trumps campaign of using their song without permission.

Their discontent is heightened by the fact that they claim that Trumps use of the song implies that Queen endorses or supports his campaign, which it does not.

Contravening copyright?

Trump is not the first politician to use popular music on the campaign trail, but certainly as far as the United States is concerned, this does not necessarily contravene copyright law.

The copyright laws of most jurisdictions prohibit the playing of copyrighted sound recordings to the public without the permission of the copyright owner, and the United States is no exception. But to make things easier, it is not necessary to obtain permission from the band itself; this can be done by purchasing a licence directly from the relevant rights management organisation (in Queens case, BMI).

Interestingly, in such cases, provided that the requisite licence fee has been paid and the correct procedure followed, the organisation must grant the licence, and neither the band nor the management organisation have much leeway to refuse permission.

SA law

The position in South Africa is not much different. The Copyright Act provides that no person may play a sound recording in public without payment of a royalty to the owner of the relevant copyright.

This wording implies, from a pure copyright law perspective, that if a person pays the required royalty, they are allowed to play a sound recording in public, notwithstanding that the copyright owner or author(s) of the sound recording may disapprove of such use on the basis of a divergence of moral, political or religious views.
Echo Polska Properties (EPP) is set to have a market capitalisation of about 800m when it becomes the first 100%-focused Polish property fund to list on the JSE next month.

EPP CEO Hadley Dean. Image source: cijeurope.com

The real estate investment trust wants to attract South African investors looking to benefit from a fast-growing eastern European economy driven by wealthier consumers and by the offices of the growing outsourcing industry in the country.

"We have noticed that many South African investors have been attracted to real estate companies in central and eastern Europe. As Echo, we are a company which owns some of the best shopping centres and offices in Poland, which is the largest economy in eastern Europe. Poland is also very stable, and its markets are more liquid than other countries in the region," said EPP CEO Hadley Dean.

South African-based Redefine Properties holds a 49.9% stake in EPP, having bought into the company earlier in 2016.

Dean said Poland had become a highly attractive investment destination for western European countries. It was the largest EU development beneficiary, with 105.8bn allocated for the years 2014-20. As much as 27% of Polish exports were sent to Germany, its largest trading partner.

Poland was the only country in Europe to avoid recession during the 2008 global financial crisis.

"Between 2007 and 2015, Poland experienced 28% growth in GDP and 45% growth in exports," said Marek Belka, an independent nonexecutive director at EPP.

The value of EPP's initial portfolio as at June 30 2016 was 1.2bn, with retail properties comprising 78% of the initial portfolio by market value.

The other 12% represents office exposure. These offices are dominated by Poland's business process outsourcing industry.

Dean said many European companies chose to run call centres and support offices from Poland as labour was relatively cheaper there than in western Europe but the quality of services was competitive.

EPP owns six office and 10 retail properties with a gross leasable area totalling 446,400m.

The buildings are located in major cities across Poland, and were all built by Echo Investment.

Alternative Real Estate Capital Management's Garreth Elston said EPP's team had "very good experience", and the Polish "country story looked very positive" for investors.

"A big plus is that they will likely end up in the (South African listed property) index straight away," Elston said.

Source: Business Day
South Africa presents an attractive opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to get a foot in the hospitality market - this is great news for existing B&B or guesthouse owners who are hoping to sell their businesses for a tidy profit.

Going about it the right way, however, is essential for good results, says Schalk van der Merwe, the Rawson Property Groups Helderberg franchisee.

Selling a guesthouse or B&B is very different to selling a regular home, says Van der Merwe. You have to keep in mind the fact that youre not just selling a property  youre selling a business, a brand and a reputation.

Because these aspects are generally inseparable, Van der Merwe recommends providing plenty of information on both the physical property and business operations to prospective sellers.

Youll achieve a much higher sales price if you can prove that your guesthouse is not only in great physical shape, but great business shape too, he says. Audited financials are essential, as is proof of your occupancy rates and any online social media presence and guest reviews you have. If you have email addresses of past guests, that can be a valuable asset to new owners. Registration with the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa is also beneficial  buyers want to know theyre investing in a reputable establishment with good earning potential.

Detailed inventory

In terms of physical property, Van der Merwe suggests including a detailed inventory of all the furniture and decor items that are included in the sale, along with any maintenance records, floor plans and applicable health and safety documentation that you have available.

Ensuring your zoning and land use rights are in order is also incredibly important, he adds. Any potential buyer investigating the purchase of a guesthouse or B&B is guaranteed to look into the zoning rights as a matter of course, and if youre not 100% above board this will definitely impact the sale.

Guesthouses and B&Bs are subject to different zoning restrictions, and the category you fall into will depend on how many rooms you have, what kind of facilities you provide, and the primary purpose of the property. If necessary, you can apply for departures or consent for additional usage rights at your local municipal council, but Van der Merwe warns that this process can take some time.

Its obviously in your best interests to have your legalities in order from day one of operations, he says, but if there are some loose ends, try to tie them up well in advance of a sale. That goes for things like liquor licenses too if you sell alcohol on the premises  it may not seem like a big deal, but it does show buyers the options they would have if they decide to purchase your property.

Proceed with caution

When you do start receiving offers, Van der Merwe recommends proceeding with caution.

Banks tend to be reluctant to bond more than 20-30% of the transaction value on guesthouse purchases, and seldom exceed 50% even in best case scenarios, say Van der Merwe. That means its not uncommon for offers to fall through because of a failure to secure a sufficient bond. I always recommend sellers include a 72-hour meet or beat clause to any offer that is subject to finance. This gives them the flexibility to accept a cash offer of equal or greater value and avoid having to wait on financing that may never come through.

Youd be forgiven for thinking that the whole process sounds a little complicated, but Van der Merwe strongly believes that an experienced estate agent can make all the difference in smoothing any bumps in the road.

There are a lot more elements to consider when valuing, marketing and selling a guesthouse, compared to a normal residential property, he acknowledges, but a good estate agent is trained to handle these complexities.

A successful sale is about more than just a collection of statistics and information, however. Its about finding your unique selling point  whether its your location, your clientele, your reputation  and showcasing it in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Protea Hotel by Marriott has expanded its presence in Zambia to eight hotels with the opening of Protea Hotel by Marriott Ndola, highlighting Protea Hotels by Marriott's focus on growing its footprint in strategic growth areas in Africa.

The new hotel is located in the city of Ndola, 320km north of the capital city, Lusaka. Described as the Commercial Capital City of Zambia, Ndola is the third largest city in the country, and is the gateway to the mineral producing region in Zambia. It also serves as the end-point for the oil pipeline from Dar-es-Salaam, providing a refinery for the processing of oil for the country.

A business focus

The recent announcement of Protea Hotels being endorsed by Marriott International is certainly positive for Zambia since there is now the added benefit of a truly global brand in Zambia. According to Mark Satterfield, chief operating officer for Marriott International, Middle East and Africa and Marriott Internationals business leader for Protea Hotels, With our positioning in the moderate and upper moderate tier categories and with properties situated in major primary and secondary business centers and sought-after leisure destinations, Protea Hotels by Marriott offers accommodation ideal for both business and leisure travellers. The approach we take is to offer modern design and consistent amenities, along with proactive and personal service at a global standard.

As for Zambia specifically, Satterfield explains, Research showed that Ndola was previously under-serviced for the business travel market, yet business people visit the region in large numbers because of the business activity there. This business focus is evidenced in the extensive conference facilities available at the hotel: up to 200 conference delegates can be hosted in the three conference rooms, and the hotel also offers additional breakaway rooms.

The two-storey building provides a total of 80 bedrooms, and with its restaurant offering three meals a day, a bar, a swimming pool and free Wi-Fi, the hotel provides for all the needs of the business traveller.

Job creation

The hotel has created over 50 new employment opportunities for the local population and is headed up by GM, Sitembile Kayumba, a Protea Hotels by Marriott employee for the past ten years. Sitembile has risen to her current senior management role from having started out as a hotel receptionist. The experience she gained as part of the team responsible for opening the Protea Hotel by Marriott Livingstone a few years ago will no doubt serve her well as the rollout of the new Ndola hotel takes place.

Satterfield comments that, Sitembiles career history reflects the Protea Hotels by Marriott human resources philosophy: employees progress up the career ladder because of attitude and the willingness to learn, rather than purely on the basis of their academic qualifications.
For a long time, Africans have perceived traveling, especially withing the continent, as a non-essential only reserved for high-net-worth persons. Attributed mostly to their supposedly low spending power, Africans are said to believe that money should be spent on 'more important priorities' which exclude traveling (in this case considered as leisure). Therefore, spending on travel is only for purposes of unavoidable occasions such as burial or wedding ceremonies either within or without the home country.

rhodes8043 via pixabay - Kenya hot air balloon

Euromonitor International, however, says this trend is gradually changing, as more Africans are now embracing domestic tourism both in their countries and within the continent. This is highly as a result of efforts by respective governments to ease travel measures, with favorable packages that are affordable for the locals as well as visa-free restrictions within many African countries.

Kenya: a case study

After a significant period of severe decline in the influx of tourists in Kenya, due to, among others, election-related challenges and the impact of international economic and financial crises as well as security related challenges, the tourism sector is gradually stabilizing. This was largely attributed to the lifting of travel advisories by the United Kingdom, especially towards the countrys 2015 peak season. The relative security across Kenya during the 2015-2016 period has also gone a long way in restoring confidence among both domestic and international tourists.

American President Barrack Obamas visit to Kenya in July last year, as well as major international conferences - notably the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference held in Nairobi in December 2015 and the just concluded UNCTAD 14 Conference in July 2016 - were great endorsements towards restoring the countrys tourism industry. In supporting the claims, Estelle Verdier, East and Southern Africas managing director of hotel booking portal Jumia Travel, depicts the global trust in the Kenyan tourism industry as a great milestone in encouraging locals to explore the countrys great tourist treasures.

Travel initiatives

The zeal by Kenyans to save the dwindling industry cannot be overlooked. The Kenyan government has come out to strongly encourage Kenyans to embrace domestic tourism. Recently, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said that Kenya should not rely on foreign markets to boost the tourism sector, rather they should come together and promote domestic tourism. Among the measures implemented by the government to encourage local tourism is the provision that corporate and business entities (employers) pay vacation trip expenses for their staff on annual leave in Kenya and deduct such expenditures in their taxes. This would bring to total over 300,000 additional Kenyan guests in Kenyan hotels throughout the country.

Being the enthusiasts they always are, Kenyans took up the spirit to rise above its dependence on foreign tourists to grow the industry. The introduction of campaigns like Tembea Kenya (A Swahili statement for Tour Kenya), is a true reflection of Kenyans patriotic spirit. With an aim to promote tourism particularly among Kenyans, Tembea Kenya, led by local Radio host Maina Kageni, sets to tour 53 locations around the country. Corporates have also not been left behind, with campaigns such as #KenyaYetu by Jumia Travel, aiming to encourage Kenyans to share photos of their travel experience from various destinations in the country. This move is also seen to motivate others to tour the same destinations to first-hand experience the country in all its beauty.

With such initiatives by Kenyans for Kenya, domestic tourism has become significant as it is expected to cushion tourism during low periods of international arrivals. In Kenyas Vision 2030, tourism has been identified as one of the top priority areas for driving double-digit economic growth and development.

However, while enthusiasts remain optimistic, early political campaign rallies this year in preparation for the 2017 election might cause alarm in the tourism sector. Yet, despite these numerous challenges, Kenya remains a top travel destination in the world and, hopefully, the aspect of domestic tourism will place Kenya at an even better position.

Cash in on domestic tourism

Kenya is just but one of the many African countries striving to cash in on domestic tourism, especially during turbulent times. Figures by the Domestic Tourism Growth Strategy (2012-2020), show the volume of domestic holiday travelers in South Africa rising from 3.9 million in 2010 to a target 6 million in 2015. The trajectory shows a possible 9 million domestic tourists by the year 2020.

Other factors highly contributing to the increase in domestic tourism in Africa are the presence of local airlines offering affordable air fares for locals traveling from one domestic short haul destination to another. Provision of discounted boarding rates for resident tourists by major hotels has also gone a long way in encouraging locals to travel, not to mention the flexible mobile payment options like EcoCash in Zimbabwe, Tigo Pesa in Tanzania and M-Pesa in Kenya among others.

According to UNWTO Tourism Highlights 2016, as a worldwide export category, tourism ranks third after fuels and chemicals and ahead of food and automotive products. In many developing countries, tourism ranks as the first export sector. As an emerging tourism destination from the traditional favorites of Europe and America, Africa has proved resilient to the occasional shocks and is set to receive a three-fold boost in its tourism revenue with the continued domestic tourism initiatives.
New Terberg Haulers have arrived at the Durban Container Terminal, (DCT), Pier 1. Valued at R23.4 million, the state-of-the-art equipment is expected to make a significant impact on improving operational efficiencies at the terminal.

The benefits of having these new haulers at Pier 1 will improve the availability and ultimately equipment reliability at our terminal. The increased reliability will correlate to fewer breakdowns resulting in minimal interruptions to operations. Furthermore, the terminal will be able to operate six gangs without equipment shortages. We are committed to delivering better services and achieving better turnaround times at Pier 1 and the arrival of these new haulers is a substantial investment by Transnet Port Terminals which clearly demonstrates that, stated Brenda Magqwaka, Transnet Port Terminals GM: KZN Operations Containers

The haulers

Driver familiarisation training took place recently, which included endurance testing on the haulers, allowing them to be handed over to operations earlier than originally anticipated. The newly designed seat of these haulers has a host of features, adjustments and lumbar support to improve the ergonomics of the machine.

Furthermore, what makes these haulers different from the old ones is that the seat has a built-in sensor that cuts off the engine when the operator has left the seat for more than a period of five minutes. The new haulers also have door sensors linked to the air conditioner that once the door is opened, the air conditioner switches off. Lastly, the machines come with the same engine (Mercedes OM906LA Tier 3), which meets the Euromot 3A specifications with regards to emissions.

Replacement project

As these new Terberg Haulers are part of a replacement project, they are to replace the current Mafi Haulers, thus the terminal will decommission and phase out 14 old Mafi Haulers respectively. TPT will begin the reverse logistics process for these Mafi Haulers. The hauler replacement project is planned to be completed in 2019, with a further 30 haulers planned to be purchased in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 financial year. The terminal is also embarking on the phased refurbishment of 18 Rubber Tyre Gantry cranes at DCT Pier 1 which is due to commence in January 2017.

TPT has committed R385 million to the upgrading and improvement of equipment and facilities for Durban Container Terminals Pier 1. This is in line with the companys Market Demand Strategy (MDS) launched in 2012 to create capacity well ahead of demand and improve productivity and operational efficiencies, with an additional R260 million earmarked for further upgrades in the 2016/2017 period.
Medicine Boy; a talented local duo act consisting of Andre Leo and Lucy Kruger offers a soulfully grimy and silkily dark sound and aesthetic. We chat to Lucy Kruger about their new LP 'Kinda Like Electricty' which releases today.

How did the decision to join forces and create Medicine Boy come about?

Very naturally and necessarily. We both wanted to be making music with a similar attitude and a similar drive. And all the time. So it made a lot of sense.

What was the writing and recording process of Kinda Like Electricity?

We had more time than usual and so we could really experiment and take care with the kind of sounds and attitudes that were being created. It was wonderful to have that, but also quite challenging in the sense that you have the opportunity to second guess yourselves and the songs more than you might when the process is quite rushed.

We worked very closely with Dave Langemann at his home studio in Pinelands. He has an amazing ear and feel for music and became a very integral part of our team and process.

What exactly is dream noise? How would you describe this?

Its the meeting point between the calm and the chaotic: a lullaby that could just as easily become nightmare.

Why the name Medicine Boy?

When I say Medicine Boy and when I see it written I never think of the conversation around the naming. It has come to mean all that the band entails.

What local artists have currently got you feeling excited?

Ive always been a real Sannie Fox fan. Dangerfields is a new band that Im already in love with. Ive also been getting into Felix Laband over the last little while - all bands playing at The Endless Daze Festival in November.

What was it like touring Europe and the UK?

A whole lot of fun. Its an incredible way to travel - to play and connect with local musicians in different parts of the world. The gear gets pretty heavy - but its a small price to pay.

What are some of the advantages, as well as challenges, in the current SA music scene?

The scene is quite small, but I think the heart of it is pretty big and in the right place. You have to create your own space which can be challenging, but its also possible and quite rewarding.

Youre touring the album in Europe. Will you be touring it locally too?

Well be doing a few more shows in the Cape before heading off. Well be at Bohemia in Stellenbosch on 25 August, at Alma on 2 September and on 3 September well have one last show at The House of Machines. Well make sure to head North again when were back in South Africa.

Purchase Kind Like Electricity on iTunes. The album is also available on 180g vinyl, CD and digitally. Vinyl orders are now available from Roastin' Records and Permanent Record.

www.facebook.com/gimmeyourmedicineboy
The power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to connect us to everyday objects and allow them to send and receive data has the potential to change the way we buy, sell, manage and service goods and commodities. However, for this to have a real impact on the way you do business, you need to go back to the drawing board and incorporate IoT innovation in your business model from the start.

Moving from a hardware first to a software first mindset

There has been a legacy of businesses focusing on hardware first, and of bigger businesses outsourcing various aspects of their products and services. The result is a functioning product that does what its meant to, but without the business functionality to monitor usage or have any further input in the customers experience.

The same businesses are beginning to see the benefits of including an IoT component into their products. For example, imagine operating an office automation business and being able to monitor toner usage in your customers devices so that you can deliver new cartridges before the customer even knows they need to be replaced. Or you may own a lighting company and thanks to real-time data monitoring, you may be able to find a problem and redevelop a lightbulb that many of your customers have been having trouble with. It changes the nature of your business from being purely a manufacturer or distributor, to being able to take responsibility for the full customer experience.

However, a lot of existing companies are trying to retrofit IoT technology into their products to take advantage of these benefits and, quite simply, because they need to in order to stay relevant. The problem with this is that if you have been in business for several years, your business model has probably been devised around the way you sell and service your products. Simply plugging IoT into your existing model is going to be difficult.

Thats where newer or more innovative companies have an advantage. Many of them are starting with a blank canvas and designing products with software and service at their core focus.

Tesla Motors embodies this way of thinking. The company designed its whole business around its car, in a ground-up approach. Tesla is in control of its entire ecosystem, from manufacturing through to aftersales service because IoT technology was part of its business model from the beginning. Its a prime example of using IoT to take control of customer experience at every touchpoint, and making these customers lives as simple as possible by choosing to use this product.

Improved customer service and deeper insights

This highlights one of the two main advantages of incorporating IoT into your business: the positive impact it has on customer service. Its a relatively easy way of looking after your customers by monitoring their usage of your product and then stepping in with assistance before they have to reach out to you. The knock-on effect of this is creating customer loyalty to your brand. This creates a proactive approach as opposed to our current reactive nature in business.

Beyond customer service, IoT can also be a useful tool for you to monitor and manage customer data and gain insights from this data. Alarm companies have been monitoring our homes using a form of IoT technology for years, and they have the potential to take this further by incorporating data collection, storage and analysis to develop a picture of how many houses are being broken into in each suburb. Although they are currently doing it, the incorporation of an IoT platform, allows them much more insight into the data they are able to collect. They then have the opportunity to work on their product offering and security strategies, to address this.

Companies involved in water management and electricity management are also ideally placed to take advantage of IoT. In South Africa, the City of Johannesburg has already rolled out approximately 92,000 smart meters and plans to deploy another 250,000 by the end of 2016. This can give the municipality important information about energy consumption in the area and per household  and the more broadly this is rolled out, the more information there is for the government to make decisions about energy regulations within the country.

Apart from that, its also a useful tool for consumers to monitor their own energy consumption and manage it more effectively to cut costs. Its already fairly common to have an app on your phone linking to your circuit board to turn off circuits that arent being used. And there is the potential to develop a similar system to manage water consumption too.

Addressing real, relevant problems

This shows that IoT innovation is not only a nice to have for improving customer service and consumer experience, but actually addresses real and relevant problems within the South African landscape. The good news is that we have a lot of young, innovative talent in the country ready to help us ride the IoT wave by developing new technology and looking at how to transform existing business models to incorporate it.

The technology on the back-end is ready to roll. All you need to do now is start thinking beyond your existing business model and put IoT software and services at the centre of your business model. Were not far away from making this connected world a reality  so the time is now to start innovating to make sure youre riding the wave rather than being washed away.
Corporate Durban filled out the ICC on Friday, 12 August 2016, to hear four influential South Africans share their wisdom at the FNB Business Women's Breakfast in association with East Coast Radio*. East Coast Breakfast's Darren Maule hosted hundreds of women from all spheres of business who enjoyed a morning of networking and key strategic insights and learnings at one of the most anticipated events on the KwaZulu-Natal corporate calendar.

East Coast Radios General Manager, Boni Mchunu, welcomed the more than 800 guests and introduced the #Wonderwomen theme. Womens month is not simply a month to recognise the achievements of individual phenomenal women  it is a time when we in the media hold the mirror up to the everyday women who have been, through circumstances, forced to rise up well beyond capacity.

IT guru, Stafford Masie kicked off the power presentations, drawing attention to the fact that the notion of driving businesses in a masculine way is a thing of the past and that technology is playing a leading role in driving this. Women are not equal. Women are better! The former Google Africa boss and self-confessed serial entrepreneur tapped into his knowledge as a technology futurist to highlight that as much as the world today is about technology, it is about humanity. Masie has been involved in several leading-edge technology start-ups. He has played a significant role in the open software arena and is responsible for global partnerships and corporate tech strategy in Latin America, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Europe.

Head of FNB Innovations, Yolande Steyn, dished up honesty with a dash of pragmatism, in her account of the challenges, trials and tribulations as a woman in business. The industrial engineer has extensive experience in product development and strategic project management and has played an integral role in consulting, mobile telecommunications, software development, mobile money and innovations. Yolandes advice to all Wonderwomen of KZN: We should never underestimate our own resilience and our ability to overcome pretty much anything. Every time you think your problems are bad, just take a look around and youll find people who are dealing with much worse.

Wonderwoman exists in each and every one of us! Ndalo Media CEO and award-winning media personality, Khanyi Dhlomo, packed a powerful punch with her inspiring story of her journey to get in touch with her inner Wonderwoman and shared how she brings these superhero qualities in everything she does. The challenge is breaking down the boundary between who we are, what we believe and what we do. The work we do needs to be aligned with our purpose. At the end of the day, we are all Wonderwomen!

Humour, a magnetic personality and strategic food for thought make for a formidable combination and thats exactly what entrepreneur, Vusi Thembekwyo, delivered when he wrapped up the morning. Using humour and personal anecdotes, he encouraged women to boldly charter new waters. Men have had it easy for a really long time. Women have far greater odds to go up against when they want to build lives, build businesses, build careers so I stand before you with a sense of humility knowing that Im speaking to an audience of powerful people who face odd who, I as a man, would never understand. Vusi highlighted the changes evident in business today, why those changes are happening and what we need to do, as professionals and business people, to be able to compete in the new world.

The morning wrapped up with invaluable take-home lessons, loads of inspiration and the establishment of new contacts and networks.

*Official name of the event




I caught up with a few more of the industry's top creative minds to find out what they're most excited about as Loeries Creative Week Durban gets underway.

Before Loeries judging got underway, Gareth McPherson, ECD of Publicis Machine, expressed that admiring and debating all the creative entries is always a treat, but what's everyone else looking forward to?

L to R, top to bottom: McPherson, Lang, Khoury, Davenport, Gainsford, Van Vuuren, McManus, Williams. Rangaka, Clerke, Carter, King, Willoughby, Ray, Welsh, Varkel.

Short version: This weeks top anticipated points are the winning work, the weather, the DStv Seminar of Creativity, and the networking. Specific responses are much more eloquently phrased by the selection of top-performing creative directors and creative officers polled below

The work

Graham Lang, chief creative officer at Y&R South Africa and Africa: I love looking at the work. I love awards judging, because its so indulgent to be immersed in creativity without all the usual distractions.

Peter Khoury, chief creative officer of TBWA/Hunt/Lascaris: I am looking forward to celebrating South Africas most iconic communication from the past year. I am hopeful that the bravest pieces of work will win big and win it all.

John Davenport, executive creative director at Ireland/Davenport: Every year it is genuinely inspiring to see what ones colleagues are doing. The competition between us helps make us all better at what we do. Every year the bar is raised. And that is amazing to see.

Kirk Gainsford, chief creative officer MullenLowe SA: Im really looking forward to a fantastic time. And by this I mean getting to see the best work that the profession has created. I look forward to seeing SAs best talent, and SAs bravest and most successful clients being acknowledged.

Lucas van Vuuren, executive creative director at The Jupiter Drawing Room CT: The weird mix of jealousy and admiration that fills me when watching the winners AVs and the weird mix of jealousy and admiration that fills me when I see how much alcohol some of these people can consume.

Ryan McManus, executive creative director at NATIVE VML: I am always excited to see all the work. To see the best work rise to the top, and to see who the winners are. Its inspiring to see the best work from the industry. Its also great to have the whole industry in one place, so its cool to see people that you dont often get to see and catch up and have a few beers in the Durban winter weather. Also that warm water surf in the mornings. Thats a nice bonus.

The DStv Seminar of Creativity

Roanna Williams, creative director at Joe Public: Loeries Creative Week allows you to soak up the Durban sunshine, which is always good for the creative soul. Im super excited to be a judge on the digital panel and am looking forward to the female seminar speakers this year sharing their challenges, insights and personal experiences on how they made it to the top in the industry.

Tseliso Rangaka, executive creative director of Ogilvy & Mather Cape Town: Some good weather for a start. Also seeing what the benchmark work is for us this year. I have the pleasure of judging two categories, so Ill have a front row seat to the selection process. The DStv Seminar of Creativity is always a highlight, and then the award ceremonies of course.

Camilla Clerke, creative director at Hellocomputer: There is always a lot to look forward to: the DSTV Seminar of Creativity, meeting all the creative minds, and, of course, seeing some of the great work South Africa has produced over the last year  work that is of an international standard.

Brian Carter, executive creative director at Liquorice: I think the DStv Seminar of Creativity should be very inspiring and of course the award shows. Im looking forward to seeing the best work across Africa.

The networking

Alistair King, co-founder and chief creative officer of King James: I obviously do enjoy the snap shot of where the industry is right now, but Im mostly really looking forward to hooking up with a few industry people I dont get to see as often as Id like. The years fly by and I get irritated that I dont get around to doing that more often.

Carl Willoughby, executive creative director at OpenCo: Feeling a little more inspired. Its a cliche, but I think itll help stimulate me. Also, its a chance to connect with peers/clients.

Gordon Ray, executive creative director of M&C Saatchi Abel: Reconnecting with industry friends and hopefully seeing our teams hard work rewarded.

Eoin Welsh, chief creative officer of Havas WW SA: Seeing new work and old friends.

Adrian Varkel, managing director of 140 BBDO Cape Town: Its a chance to be inspired and to look up and step back from the hustle and bustle of the day-to-day job. To be re-energised, to re-appreciate what it is that we do. A chance to feel proud or feel moved by work that we wished was ours. Its also a moment to reflect on the power of creativity to positively impact a brand, business and more importantly society. Heres to camaraderie, context, inspiration and a few too many drinks.

Hear, hear! Heres also hoping all attendees come away inspired and ready to create more creatively going forward. Follow the #Loeries2016 hashtag on Twitter for more and click here for a reminder of what this years digital and interactive judging panel will be looking for
Judging starts today, the first day of Creative Week, and well be announcing finalists every day for the week ahead. Finalists will be live on finalists.loeries.com and on the new Loeries app. Also  for the very first time  well have a finalists viewing station at the ICC from Thursday so everyone can see all the work thats up for the awards at the end of the week.

We also launch the Loeries MasterClasses this year. This is a big addition to the programme, offering a variety of focussed learning sessions, all taking place on Thursday, 18 August, at Tsogo Sun Elangeni Hotel. The sessions are presented by Donovan Goliath, Accenture, Google and Mike Schalit for IAS.

Registration opens on Thursday and this is coupled with great exhibits from our partners. Also definitely not to be missed, is the Adams & Adams Student Portfolio Day on Friday, where the best students from across the country present their portfolios. Its like speed-dating for creatives  bring your employment contracts and a black pen!

One of the major highlights of the week, the DStv Seminar of Creativity which takes place on Friday, 19 August, at the Durban ICC, has a really interesting and strong line-up of thought leaders. What is amazing in this years speaker line-up is the impact that women are having in senior creative roles globally  five of the seven speakers are women, namely Bridget Jung (Sydney), Laura Jordan-Bambach (London), Susan Credle (New York City), Debra Mallowah (Nairobi) and Sarah Personette (New York City). Other speakers in the line-up are Marco Cremona (Moscow) and Jimmy Smith (Los Angeles).

Loeries CEO, Andrew Human

In terms of where to hang out and network, the DStv Beach Cafe has been launched this year, right on the beach in front of the Elangeni. The cafe is open Friday to Sunday from 6am, with specials taking place and a DJ on the decks. Tables can be reserved via the number on the website and meals and drinks are served. We also have the Patisserie in the Elnageni foyer serving the best cheesecake in town, as well as the Tall Ships bar in the Elangeni for the last stop in the night or early hours of the morning!

Its also worth keeping an eye out on the Loeries Fringe Festival  events in and around Durban during creative week. Two to watch out for are Wednesday Jazz Live on 17 August at ItsTaboo, on Meyiwa Avenue, and a Durban InstaMeet at the Whale Bone Pier Umhlanga where igers meet friends and followers as well as get a chance to take some really awesome new shots.

For a little shopping and for the second year running, the I Heart Loeries Market brings Durbans best craft market to the beachfront on Sunday, 21 August, from 9am to 3pm. Theres also the Joe Ride on Sunday at 11am for the brave, with a 7km and 21km bike ride starting and ending at the DStv Beach Cafe.

Then of course Creative week culminates with the coveted awards ceremony, on Saturday, 20 August, and Sunday, 21 August. You can catch a little red carpet glamour spotting the whos who in the industry and beyond before well find out who this years winners are.

The best way to stay in touch with everything thats happening is to download the Loeries app at loeries.com.

Major partners of the Loeries 2016

Tourism KwaZulu-Natal (TKZN), the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal Province (EDTEA), EThekwini Municipality  Durban Tourism, DStv Media Sales, Gearhouse South Africa.

Category partners

Accenture, Adams & Adams, ADreach, Channel O, Facebook, Film & Publication Board, Google, JCDecaux, Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA), The Times, Unilever South Africa, Woolworths, YFM.

Additional partners and official suppliers

AAA School of Advertising, Antalis South Africa, Aon South Africa, Arcade Content, Association of Practitioners in Advertising, Backsberg, BEE Online, Clive Stewart Photography, Circus Circus Beach Cafe, Egg Films, First Source, Fresh RSVP Guest Logistics, Funk Productions, Gallo Images, Graphica, Grid Worldwide, HelloCrowd, Hetzner, Independent Agency Search and Selection Company, Locomute, Multiprint Litho, Newsclip, Paygate, Red Hot Ops, Rocketseed, SAB, Scan Display, South African Airways, Telkom SA SOC Ltd, Tiekie Barnard Consultancy, Total Exposure, Tsogo Sun, Universal Music Group, Vega School of Brand Leadership.

Official media partners

Between 10and5, Bizcommunity.com, CliffCentral.com, Coloribus Advertising Archive, Design Times, Film & Event Media, Goliath and Goliath, iDidTht.com, Marketing Edge Nigeria, Music in Africa, The Redzone, YouTube.




According to JLL and LaSalle Investment Management's 2016 Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI), while tangible improvements in transparency are being made, sub-Saharan Africa is still some distance from competing equally with its counterparts in the EMEA region.

Even further efforts are required to close the gap with other global regions.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to make advances in real estate transparency, but progress has been patchy with limited development in regulatory and legal reforms and enforcement, comments Craig Hean, MD: Sub-Saharan Africa at JLL South Africa.

Improvements in regulatory oversight have great potential to enhance peoples lives and promote greater transparency within the region. High-profile failures of regulation such as building collapses have served to highlight that a lack of regulatory enforcement can have devastating consequences.

Hean notes a growing recognition by governments across the region of the critical role transparent real estate markets can play in a dynamic economy. He added, The greater penetration by international real estate consultancies that are promoting professional standards and availability of market data has already begun to improve transparency in some areas.

Key sub-Saharan Africa highlights:

Sub-Saharan Africa has continued to make advances in real estate transparency over the last two years, although progress has been more mixed than in 2014.



Six markets (Botswana, Zambia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Angola and Ghana) have recorded reasonable progress in transparency since the 2014 index.



The improvement from Botswana, Zambia and Ethiopia has secured these countries a position on the global top 10 improvers list.



Despite these advances, the region has seen a slight deterioration in the legislative and operating environment which appears to have stalled in several markets, with two countries  South Africa and Mozambique  registering a noteworthy decline in overall score.



South Africa, however, remains Sub-Saharan Africas most transparent market, supported by an active listed sector. It is the only country from the continent to feature in the Transparent category.



Technology is allowing some countries (Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya) to leapfrog the normal transparency evolution process by introducing innovative new ways of improving access to data or to faster, more reliable services.



Complexities of implementing new regulatory structures and the impact of slowing commodity markets have stalled progress in certain areas.

Anthony Lewis, Head of Capital Markets, Sub-Saharan Africa, comments: One of the issues currently clouding the Sub-Saharan Africa market sentiment is currency and liquidity risk. There is significant uncertainty, especially in Nigeria, Angola and Mozambique and to a lesser extent Zambia, owing to acute US dollar illiquidity and lack of direction on monetary and central bank policies to alleviate this. This compounds transparency risks.

The future of real estate transparency

Despite the slowing of momentum in some markets, there are continuing examples of tangible advances being made around the region. Increased accessibility to market information and scrutiny by international organisations, national governments and communities will continue to advance transparency in the regions real estate markets.

On the flipside, there are as many examples that confirm that corrupt practices, poor corporate governance and failures in regulatory enforcement are resulting in serious consequences for society and hampering business activity and investment. Investors and tenants will bypass countries unable to address these shortcomings, and will gravitate instead to more transparent markets.

View the infographic.
The first Miss Teen Social Entrepreneur, organised by Mrs Africa 2016 finalist, Tarryn Ogle, will focus on empowering teenage girls from Grades 8-12, through developing their social entrepreneurial skills and awareness of social responsibility.

Tarryn Ogle

The beneficiary of the pageant, Dignity Dreams, was started in 2012 by Sandra Millar, and manufactures and distributes sanitary wear for underprivileged schoolgirls across the country who cannot afford to buy their own.

Over four million young girls in South Africa cannot attend school because of this and I wanted to make a significant impact. What better way than to educate young teenage girls that are in school and who can afford sanitary wear to spread this message with me, explains Ogle.

A businessperson, entrepreneur, wife and mother of four, Ogle has always wanted to develop young women in the hope of increasing their desire to be educated, independent and achieve their goals.

Developing young women is a vital part of the countrys growth and future credibility. I am excited about working with young women who are passionate about making a difference as well as learning business/entrepreneurship skills. They will gain the tools to enable them to make informed decisions for their futures, which I believe, will take this country to the next level. My main aim is to inspire young women to get involved in social entrepreneurship and that they then share their knowledge and experience with generations to come, after all; it takes more than one person to change the world.

More than a beauty pageant

The event is not a beauty pageant in the traditional sense, but more a beauty with a purpose theme. I would like to spread the message that every girl should know and feel she is capable of reaching her dreams and your worth should not based on looks, but more on how much passion, soul and determination she has to make a difference.

The Pageant part of it is more of a fun fashion show to celebrate the work these young girls have been involved in. The competition will enhance the confidence and empower each contestant to strive towards her individual goals, making a tangible positive impact in the lives of others. I want all interested teenagers to become a part of this programme and share what they learn with their family, friends and communities.

I have been blessed with all my sponsors. Most recently, Sun International - Carnival City has come on board and I am thrilled that such a major brand is backing my cause. I would like to thank all the sponsors and I would also like to encourage the private and corporate sector to get on-board and assist in making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate, concludes Ogle

Miss Teen Social Entrepreneur will take place at Carnival City on 8 October 2016. For more information, email Tarryn Ogle on moc.azsledomcinoci@nyrrat.
The island country of Haiti buys 85% of its food with most of it coming from their neighbour, the Dominican Republic. According to the ambassador for the Embassy of Haiti, Jacques Junior Baril, this doesn't make any sense since both countries share the same water and soil. He says that this challenge has a lot to do with financing, lack of competence, and technology.

Jacques Junior Baril - Image: Le Journal de Montreal

Baril says continental collaboration is highly important. We as countries owe each other the capacity and the capability to produce in agriculture. In Haiti, most of its people are in the agriculture business. My grandmother used to feed me with food grown in the villages and we didnt go to a large grocery store. Until 10 or 15 years ago, there was an invasion of products from other countries that were sold cheaper than what we could produce due to technology. This killed our economy and the system.

One of the other problems Baril pointed out was the invasion of people in the capital, Port-au-Prince, which can only hold about 600,000 people but is currently populated with 3 million people. When the earthquake happened in 2010, 300,000 people died not because of the earthquake but because there were surplus population of 2.5 million people that the city could not hold.

I think it was important for me to attend the African Sustainable Agriculture Summit 2016 and understand how agriculture works in different countries and to bring my government to the right side of the table. I am currently not aware of any trade happening between the African continent and Haiti and as the ambassador, I am here to create some. One of my first courtesy calls when arriving in South Africa was to the Minister of Agriculture as well as other ambassadors of different countries of Africa.

Agriculture should be the number one priority to Haiti because we are an island country with rich soil, but financially poor. We are in 2016 and our country is still under the poverty level. I feel we will do well in joining cooperations with Africa. Some of the countries in Africa have the same climate as us and we also share the same kind of challenges, so I am hoping to bring experiences from the African Sustainable Agriculture Summit 2016 back to Haiti. In fact, a conference such as this one wouldnt hurt to be held a few times a year in Haiti.

The African Sustainable Agriculture Summit 2016 took place in April.
MBABANE - Drought-stricken Swaziland said it would begin sever water rationing in the capital Mbabane after levels in the main dam supplying the city fell to a critical low.

Image by 123RF

Swaziland Water Services Corporation (SWSC) said the restrictions would begin on Friday and probably last until the arrival of summer rains expected around October.

Under the measure, there will be no mains water for four days a week. Residents will collect water from mobile tanks instead. "This is because of the dire drought situation which has decreased water levels at the Hawane Dam," said SWSC spokeswoman Nomahlubi Matiwane.

She said water levels in the dam had dropped from 15% of capacity in the last few weeks to just 9%.

Swaziland is one of a number of countries in southern Africa that have been badly hit by El Nino - a weather phenomenon that is centered on the countries in the Pacific but can affect other regions as well. In February, dry conditions gripping the agricultural sector prompted the government to declare a state of emergency.

Water resources in the impoverished country of 1.2 million people have more than halved, contributing to higher food prices and poor crops.

Last month aid organisations estimated that El Nino had affected 12.3 million people across southern Africa.

Source: AFP
Every year, The Phan Foundation honours an outstanding young leader with a certificate of recognition and $2000 grant, to recognise their contribution to the community and provide practical support for their work, according to a report out on August 12.

Sa Shine, co-founder of the Youth Network (Hpa-an), has initiated several social and educational programmes, including the Tounge La Yat Academy, a community-based post high school education programme of the Education Gathering Group, and the Youth Learning Center, to create opportunities for youth employment, internship and further education for young people in the area. He also set up Youth Community Cafe to create space for youth and other local people to work together. Born and raised in Hpa-an, after obtained a Bachelor degree in Architecture in Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand, he went back to his home town and got involved with the community as a very active youth leader.

In 2013, Sa Shine joined Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) as Project Manager for Capacity Building. He has organised many capacity building trainings, workshops, public events, talks, exposure trips and other social activities in Kayin or Karen State. As a result of Sa Shines hard work, many young Karen people now have access to further education and employment opportunity, for example 12 students received a scholarship to study in universities and schools. Some of them are now leading social development programmes of their respective fields and are contributing back to their own communities.

I would like to thank the children of Mahn Sha for giving me the Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader award, said Sa Shine, the winner of 2015 Padoh Mahn Sha Young Leader award. I can still see Tee Mahn Sha sitting in the chair and encouraging us during Karen University Students Group's conference. He would like to see us becoming educated leaders with love for our people. This award is dedicated to all young Karen leaders who realise the vision of Tee Mahn Sha and become the change makers. I am thrilled to be part of it. I would like to take this opportunity to inspire the rest of our young Karen people and they are all the children of our great Leader, Mahn Sha Lah Phan.

Sa Shine works hard to inspire those around him through action. He is a truly outstanding youth making a huge difference to society every day, said Nan Aye Aye Thwe, a community leader who nominated Sa Shine for the award. As a role model and a mentor for youths, he always tries to create and find learning opportunities for youths to grow and contribute back to their community development. He wishes to see that youths of diverse background work together, respects each others values, and preserve their cultures and natural environment.

The Phan Foundation is very proud to be able to present Sa Shine with Padoh Mahn Sha Young leader award. He is indeed a very exceptional young leader with ability and skill to successfully support his community, said Saw Say Say Phan, the eldest son of Padoh Mahn Sha. Saw Say Say Phan presented the award at the commemoration of Karen Martyrs day in Hpa-an District on August 12.

Padoh Mahn Sha Lah Phan was assassinated by agents of the Myanmar military regime on 14 February 2008. In memory of Padoh Mahn Sha and his wife Nant Kyin Shwe, their four children established the Phan Foundation with the aims to support the Karen people such as poverty alleviation, education and human right promotion and culture preservation.
Lower House Deputy Speaker T Khun Myat will chair the commission, Kyaw Tint Swe, the Union Minister for the State Counsellor's Office, will act as the vice chairman of the commission, and Dr. Win Thein, the Union Civil Service Board chairman, will act as secretary. The order was signed by the President Htin Kyaw.

The commission must review whether the projects are systematically being carried out in accordance with international and local laws related to environmental conservation, according to the order. The benefits that the projects could bring to the citizens and the country will also be reviewed by the commission.

The commission will review the project agreements in order to find solutions by which both the country and foreign investors will benefit. The commission must also take into account of the opinions of citizens and civil society organizations.

The commission must submit its first report to President Htin Kyaw by November 11 this year.

The Myitone dam project, a joint venture by China Power Investment Corporation, the Myanmar Energy Ministry and Asia World Company was suspended by the Thein Sein regime in September 2011 over human rights and environmental concerns. Most of the power to be generated will be transmitted to China under the original agreement.
One participant reported to the Peace Process Steering Team (PPST), made up of top leaders from the 8 signatory EAOs, that he had met a senior officer from the Inter Mediate, a UK based charity said to be working with the State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

In response to my protest that the conference was coming up too fast and furious for the EAOs, especially for the non signatories, to have time to prepare, let alone consult with the government, she told me not to worry, he said. As the conference would be attended by several foreign dignitaries, particularly the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, its priority would just be the grand opening, with little on substance. Accordingly, great speeches and sweeping statements are expected. It may also open the doors for political dialogues at state, region and ethnic levels, in the run up to the next conference. But thatll be all.

So whos getting anything out of it?

According to the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA), political dialogue was to begin 90 days after its signing, explained a participant who was one of the negotiators for the document which was signed on 15 October. However, government representatives requested that we should go around the third step of the roadmap: (Political Dialogue) to do the 4th step (Holding the Union Peace Conference) #1 instead. Afterward, we could then return to the 3rd step. Anyway the 3rd and 4th steps would continuously alternate until the Pyidaungsu (Union) Accord is signed. So why dont we give something for (the outgoing) President to remember for what he had worked so hard? they said.

So in the end, we held the UPC#1 for the glory of President Thein Sein, he concluded rhetorically. Now for whose glory will we again be holding the UPC#2 or, if one prefers, the 21st Century Panglong?

The State Counselor is scheduled to visit the United States next month to meet President Obama as well as deliver an address at the UN General Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Inter Mediate, headed by ex UK Prime Minister Tony Blairs former Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell, is said to have effectively replaced the former governments Myanmar Peace Center (MPC) as its technical support body, according to one informed source.

Not only the MPC has been supplanted, he said, so are the Union Peacemaking Central Committee (UPCC) and the Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC). Now we have, in their place, the National Reconciliation and Peace Center (NRPC) and the Peace Commission (PC).

The UPCC was the policymaking body chaired by President Thein Sein, and the UPWC the implementing body chaired by Vice President Sai Mawk Kham.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC), made up of representatives from the government, EAOs and political parties, is meeting in Naypyitaw today to discuss preparations for the 21st Century Panglong.
After days of fighting, the Taliban has taken a district in the northern Baghalan province of Afghanistan. The importance of Baghalan province is that the main highway linking nine other districts passes through it. Which means that if the Taliban takes over neighboring districts, they will have complete control over travel into and out of those nine districts.

Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas has been the target of severe social media and press attacks the last few days. She's being criticized for not putting her hand over her heart during the national anthem, and for not having straight enough hair. Y'all. We're better than this.

Protests began in Milwaukee on Saturday, just a few hours after police shot and killed Sylville Smith, a 23-year-old Black man, who was apparently armed and running away from police. The protests continued into the early hours of Monday morning, with Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker declaring a state of emergency and calling in the National Guard on Sunday. Some protestors claim that Smith was shot in the back while running away, which police deny happened. It would all be a lot clearer if the police would just release the body camera footage...

Days of heavy rain have flooded Southern Louisiana, wreaking homes and submerging roads and highways. Five have died, and 20,000 have had to be rescued. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has called it an "historic, unprecedented flooding event."

Chinese diver He Zi won a silver medal on Sunday, and got another surprise: as she was standing on the medal podium, her boyfriend of six years, fellow diver Qin Kai, pulled out a ring and proposed. The photo pretty much says everything you need to know about this. Love is cool.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CARBERRY  At Manitobas only designated heritage district, the fourth annual Carberry Heritage Festival was held this weekend.

Described as a celebration of the towns history, the Friday-Saturday event boasts a network of locally produced goods and the opportunity for guests to learn about Carberry.

The townsite, like many others on the Prairies, was settled in the late 1800s along the Canadian Pacific railway.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Highland dancers with the McHarg School of Dance perform during the Carberry Heritage Festival on Saturday afternoon. The two-day festival included live entertainment, a flea market, kids activities, historical re-enactments and a variety of other events.

Situated above the Assiniboine Delta Aquifer on fertile land, the Carberry economy was originally hoisted by the agriculture and the railroad sectors.

It quickly grew to a population of 1,600, around which it hovers today.

In 2006, the municipality designated the blocks between Second Street and Fourth a heritage district.

One hundred years ago, it was a busy, busy street, Cathy Drayson said on Saturday.

In 2013, she owned a business on Main Street and found the summers to be slow business, so she decided to organize a yearly festival.

I think small towns are struggling to keep business open, but if we got it, we gotta support it (and) show it off, she continued.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun A crowd sits on Main Street watching the entertainment during the Carberry Heritage Festival on Saturday afternoon.

Drayson and a committee of five others planned this years event, sticking to a schedule that has proven successful in past years.

About 250 people attended Friday and many stayed for the old-fashioned social, at which fiddler Mark Morisseau and his band performed.

Roughly 500 came the next day and visited the towns museums, participated in guided walking tours of the district and shopped at local vendors.

Groups of four passed by the crowd in a horse-drawn carriage while others littered the sidewalks and benches for a vintage fashion show and performance by Neepawa-based band, Swamp Gas.

Ella Bollman and her sister, daughter and granddaughter  three generations of born-and-bred Carberry women  come out each year to browse the local products.

Bollmans great-great-grandparents founded their family farm more than 100 years ago, so much of the familys history is intertwined with that of the towns.

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Hannah Selyn and Ben Lamont perform together for a crowd on Main Street in Carberry during the Carberry Heritage Festival on Saturday afternoon.

Theres just a lot of interesting stories and you know, lots of things are unfortunately slowly going away  its nice to keep stuff alive.

 aantoneshyn@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @AAntoneshyn
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Two individuals suspected of stealing a security camera and $300 worth of clothing items from two businesses on Thursday were arrested early Sunday.

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Police are investigating after a business in the 1700 block of Pacific Street reported its warehouse had been broken into by smashing a window.

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Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So Canada is not immune to terrorist threat. Did anyone still think we arent immune? Already there have been deaths  Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, run down in a parking lot in 2014 in St.-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que; Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, shot at his post in Ottawa two days later. It is folly to assume there will never be more.

Aaron Driver, who was shot by police in the back seat of a taxi cab in the driveway of his sisters Strathroy, Ont, home last Wednesday, is at least this much like the perpetrators of those earlier murders: he came to Islam late in his short life and he does not seem to have been a diligent student. He showed up late at the mosque, left early, took no conspicuous interest in his community.

But he found in Islam, and increasingly in Daesh itself, some kind of awful inspiration. The video that tipped the FBI to his plan and condemned him to a bloody death was a formal bayah, or pledge of allegiance, to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Its what you are supposed to do before you kill people where you live, as Daesh has been urging its faithful to do, a kind of murderous branding exercise.

The smallest action you do in their heartland is better and more enduring to us than what you would do if you were with us, an audio clip from Daesh spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani said in May. Mayhem in Orlando and Istanbul and Nice ensued. Driver was just slow getting his act together.

His father is an RCAF pilot who trained CF-18 pilots at Cold Lake, Alta. Some of them spent 2014 and 2015 bombing Daesh targets in Iraq and Syria. Youthful rebellion is seldom so complete.

And while its never wise to take a dead terrorists word on much, we should take Driver as an authority on this at least: Justin Trudeaus decision to stop the CF-18 mission will not dissuade other Daesh-besotted loners any more than it dissuaded him. Whether you drop a bomb or fire a single bullet, we will hold you accountable for this, Driver said in his last video. Take that to the bank.

Drivers family ties to the Canadian military make him an unusually clear expression of what the French scholar Olivier Roy has called the Islamisation of radicalism  Islam as pretext, as shiny object transfixing the worlds murderous losers. Earlier generations might have killed for heavy metal, or for Charlie Manson. Perhaps their grandparents would have taken up arms for anarchy or the workers struggle.

Those earlier generations would not have been nearly so numerous. Daesh is an unusually potent recruiter, efficient in transforming allegiance into slaughter, as anyone who travelled warily through Europe this summer well knows. But we help Daesh when we fail to note that a very large number of its practitioners are misfits, not scholars of the Quran.

Driver was followed by police for two years, gave several media interviews, posted his bayah in plenty of time for the FBI to tip off the RCMP, detonated a bomb in the back of a cab that did not badly injure the cabbie two feet away. He was no elusive mastermind.

Some guy was on TV on Wednesday saying we lack the tools to stop this sort of thing. In a sense this argument is self-rebutting. Driver was stopped. I guess we have the tools. But the comment was not devoid of meaning. We lack the tools because sometimes there are no tools. Orlando didnt happen because the police screwed up. Nice didnt happen because the police screwed up. They happened because these things happen now, and they happen anywhere. They could happen here, for real next time.

There will now be arguments in Ottawa about whether the Trudeau governments policies against terrorism are too hot, too cold, or just right.

Unfortunately, the Liberal government campaigned on a promise to strip the police of essential investigative and enforcement tools, Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose wrote Wednesday. She did not list which tools have been taken, because none have: The Liberals have introduced no bill to match their vague campaign hand-wringing over the Conservatives Bill C-51. One suspects they will not be in more of a hurry now.

Aaron Driver converted to Islam and started telling reporters of his fondness for jihad while a Conservative was prime minister. A Liberals decision to end bombing runs did not dissuade him. These guys are not keener students of politics than of anything else. They do what they do. Usually the police catch them. They wont always. A dose of fatalism is handy.

 Halifax Chronicle-Herald
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

City streets in shambles

Can someone please explain why the City of Brandon is completely destroying our streets? They paved 15th Street between Rosser and Princess at a cost of god knows what and two weeks later tore it up and its been like that since. They did the same thing to 26th Street and pretty much everywhere else in town. What is the purpose of this column if everything pertaining to the citys performance continually falls on deaf ears?

ISIS is a threat, like it or not

When our present federal defence minister took office, he commented that Canada had no need to fear ISIS. That statement has always puzzled and concerned me. Now, with the recent incident near London, Ont., with a young man having to be killed by police for planning to be a suicide bomber, ISIS has claimed support of his actions. This incident confirms that Canada should have serious concerns about ISIS  wake up, Trudeau government! It is fortunate that U.S. authorities were capable of surfacing this incident, before a major incident could have taken place.

The student union has it right

I think that Brandon University Students Union has good intentions regarding the case with the Students for Life club. The club has a record of purposefully making other students uncomfortable. Debate is good for society, but this club is not receptive to this debate.

Too many politicians

It is reported that the new Pallister government will realize a $5 million saving in downsizing its cabinet from 18 to 12 members. Unfortunately the number of councillors in Brandon has not been downsized. Also, the need for the current number of Brandon School Division trustees is puzzling. Taxpayers expenses must be of no concern.
There has been a slowdown in Irish retail spending in the wake of the Brexit vote, according to the latest figures from Retail Ireland.

Although sales values grew by 2.8% in the first half of the year compared to last year, the sector has started to lose this positive momentum - and has been showing an easing of growth.
UK employers are more cautious about hiring new staff following the vote to the leave EU, a survey suggests.

The joint report, by HR body CIPD and recruitment firm Adecco, also found that public sector and private sector employers have begun helping some of their EU migrant workforce apply for UK citizenship.

Ian Brinkley, acting chief economist at the CIPD, warned that employers could create a self-fulfilling prophecy if they overreact to fears of a downturn.

The survey found the percentage of UK employers expecting to recruit new staff over the next three months dropped from 40% before the vote to 36% after.

The fall was significantly sharper among private sector employers.

Mr Brinkley said: "There is clear evidence some employers have become more cautious about hiring following the vote to leave the EU.

"While many businesses are treating the immediate post-Brexit period as 'business as usual', and hiring intentions overall still remain positive, there are signs that some organisations, particularly in the private sector, are preparing to batten down the hatches."

He said the softening of the British pound and the expectation of further weakness in the currency are affecting investment decisions, as the UK waits to see the terms of the exit from the EU.

He said: "The economy had positive momentum going into the referendum and there is a risk that employers will create a self-fulfilling prophecy if they over-react in the expectation of a downturn.

"Instead of looking at cuts, now is the time to be talking about investment in people and in processes and equipment that will boost productivity and improve the resilience of businesses and our economy."

The survey found UK employers are also anxious over their current and future EU migrant workforce.

Nearly one in five (17%) British employers said they were giving EU staff help, with public sector organisations most likely to help their employees apply for citizenship (27%).

Around 40% were also concerned that it will be harder to recruit EU nationals over the next 12 months.

Mr Brinkley added: "Employers are rightly thinking about the impact that the EU Referendum decision will have on their migrant workers and how they can best support their workforce.

"However, it's likely that we won't have a full understanding of what the implications are and when they will happen for some time."
A bus driver in Yulin, China is been praised for his fast actions during a heavy flood, last Saturday.

In fast-moving waters in the Shaanxi Province, the driver parked his bus across the flooded street, preventing a car from being swept away.
The President of Maynooth University is warning that colleges are using the CAO system as a marketing tool to fuel the points race.

Professor Philip Nolan says changes to reduce the massive number of college courses are happening too slowly.
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.
Catholic pilgrims from around the world, many sick or disabled, converged on a shrine in the French town of Lourdes on Monday under exceptional security following recent extremist attacks.

Armed soldiers and police patrolled the railway station and town centre and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.

The site in southern France, near the Spanish border, draws pilgrims of all kinds, some hoping for a cure from the famous spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

As a helicopter circled overhead, visitors bearing candles and banners streamed towards the grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

Crowds began gathering at the sanctuary before dawn on Monday for a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus's mother Mary ascended into heaven.

Thousands attended a candlelight procession on Sunday night, though the route was reduced from past years to better protect believers.

French authorities had already been planning extra security for the annual holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe - notably one on July 26 in north-west France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priest's throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this year's pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been scrapped.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks, and authorities funnelled visitors through three access points, reduced from past years.

Roads were closed to allow pedestrians, some in wheelchairs, to reach the site unhindered. Car attacks are a new concern after a driver rammed his truck into Bastille Day revellers in Nice last month, killing 85.

Nearly 300 extra forces were drafted in to Lourdes - including mobile intervention teams, soldiers, bomb squads and dog units - to help local forces, raising the overall security presence to more than 500.

The Catholic Church has recognised dozens of miracles at Lourdes since villager Bernadette Soubirous, gathering stones in the grotto in 1858, said she had visions of Mary.

Among those leading ceremonies at the Lourdes pilgrimage festivities is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a top French church official who faced accusations this year of covering up for paedophile priests. He denies wrongdoing.
A South African woman who kidnapped a newborn baby nearly two decades ago from a hospital and raised the girl as her own has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Zephany Nurse was reunited last year with her biological parents, Morne and Celeste Nurse, after the couple's second daughter befriended a girl at school who looked remarkably like her.

A police investigation and DNA tests showed that the two girls were sisters and that the new friend was the Nurses' missing child.

Zephany Nurse's biological parents were in court in Cape Town for the sentencing, but their daughter was not.

Judge John Hlophe said the crimes that the kidnapper committed were serious but that he had taken into account her previously clean record and other mitigating circumstances in deciding the sentence, according to South African news outlet News24.

Publicly, the girl is known by the name given to her by her biological parents and used in the media in the years since her disappearance.

After she was found, the girl chose to continue using the name given to her by the kidnapper.

To protect her privacy, a judge ordered that her adopted name and the name of her kidnapper not be used by the media.

The kidnapper snatched the three-day-old baby from her sleeping mother's hospital bedside in Cape Town in April 1997, state prosecutors said.

The prosecution also said the woman defrauded authorities when she registered the child as her own daughter in 2003 under a false birth date.
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Cole was arrested at the scene and charged with murder.

Police were called to the scene and found Mr Hollingshed's body about 4.30pm.

Police at the Stuart Flats in Griffith after Jason Hollingshed was found dead. Credit:Melissa Adams

A man accused of stabbing his neighbour to death at a Griffith public housing complex earlier this year is set to fight a murder charge at trial.

Trevor John Hobbs, 48, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to the murder, but that charge was dropped last month after the prosecution said there was not enough evidence to pursue it.

Cole represented himself when he appeared briefly before the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday.

Magistrate Peter Morrison committed him to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court.

The defendant, who was previously represented by Legal Aid, indicated he would seek legal assistance before the matter went to trial.

Few details of the alleged murder have been aired in court.
There was nothing coy about the proposition being made to the financial markets on Monday by condom maker Ansell.

It is looking to sell the business that has put a smile on the face of Australians for more than 100 years: Condoms.

Not that Ansell chief executive Magnus Nicolin is making a firm commitment  he says the company is merely keeping its options open.

The last paragraph of the press release for Ansell's full-year results disclosed that the company is looking for "opportunities for portfolio optimisation" including options for the sexual wellness business, which consists of condoms and Ansell's premium lubricants.
The first sign in your child might be a skin infection, fever or a wound that won't heal. Or maybe one of their joints or bones  a knee or elbow, perhaps  is persistently sore.

If you observe any of these things, particularly in combination, your child might have a golden staph infection that has got into their blood.

Hundreds of children are going to hospital with golden staph infections in their blood each year. Credit:Kim-Cherie Davidson

About 350 Australian children are going to hospitals with potentially fatal golden staph infections in their blood each year  more than double the estimated 165 who suffer meningococcal disease.

And in a surprising finding, about 70 per cent of these children are picking it up in the community, not in hospitals where golden staph has become a notorious pest.
Police are searching a teenage girl and a man who are missing across Queensland.

A 13-year-old Browns Plains girl was reported missing on Friday after she was last seen at an Acacia Ridge school about 2.30pm.

This 12-year-old boy was last seen near the intersection of Brisbane Road and Stafford Street in Booval.

She is described as Caucasian in appearance, with a slim build, long blonde hair and blue eyes and was last seen wearing a blue Indigenous school shirt, black leggings, pink shoes and a black and pink hoodie.

Police said she was known to frequent the Browns Plains and Inala areas.
Fired-up RACQ executive Paul Turner says the Taxi Council Queensland has wrongly accused the motoring group of wanting to enter the ride-share market.

Mr Turner said that the RACQ, which has 1.6 million members, has no plans of becoming a player in the ride-share market alongside Uber and in opposition to taxis.

Uber will be legal in Queensland from September 5.

He said more than 80 per cent of the 1009 RACQ members it surveyed wanted ride-sharing to be approved and that's why it made a submission to the government in support of Uber, which will be legal in Queensland from September 5.

Mr Turner conceded the RACQ did say on its submission that it "may or may not" enter the ride-sharing market in the future but that was only in case the motoring group ever changed its mind.
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.
There are many ways businesses can be owned and operated. The simplest is a sole trader, the next is a partnership of individuals, and then there are the more complex and costly options of a company, a family discretionary trust, or a unit trust. The most complicated of all is a business operated through a combination of both companies and trusts.

Q. Is there any advantage of a company over a family trust owning a business? Some people recommend a company with a trust as the shareholder, while others recommend a trust with a company as a trustee, don't both of these options achieve the same thing?

Is there any advantage of a company over a family trust owning a business?

A. The recommendations mentioned in your question relate to two different options. The first is how a business should be owned and the second is who, or what, you choose to act as trustee if you decide to operate through a discretionary family trust.

When a family trust is formed it requires a settlor, a trustee or trustees, and beneficiaries. The settlor starts the trust with a settled sum. The trustee or trustees of a trust are responsible for the day-to-day running of the trust, and can either be individuals or a company.
A woman has been arrested after state MP Jane Garrett was physically attacked on an inner-Melbourne street.

Ms Garrett was assaulted as she was walking home in Carlton on Monday afternoon.

Jane Garrett leaving her home in June. Credit:Chris Hopkins

The woman grabbed Ms Garrett by the hair and reportedly tried to push her through a plate glass window.

Ms Garrett is understood to be shaken by the incident, which happened outside the Shaw Davey Slum Pub.
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Well that sucks. Or does it?

The developer of a Red Hook waterfront property once slated to house a hotly anticipated outpost of BJs Wholesale Club says the dream of buying bulk toilet paper and buckets of candy en route from Ikea to Fairway is well and truly dead, because it is instead building offices aimed at hip tech startups.

Its going to be a campus-type structure thats common in Silicon Valley where tech firms have offices  thats not really common here, said Joshua Greenwald, a spokesman for Joe Sitts Thor Equities.

Thor recently unveiled plans for two four-story office and retail buildings at the site of the former Revere Sugar refinery at Beard and Richard streets, which it has dubbed Red Hoek Point  a title inspired by the neighborhoods old Dutch name of Roode Hoek  and will be designed by the same architect behind Apples iconic headquarters in California.

Sitt bought the property in 2005 and at one point planned to build a mall there anchored by a branch of the members-only big box store  though over the years he has also pitched luxury condos, college dorms, and a Nets training facility for the site.

But now the company is looking to cash in on the citys growing tech industry and high demand for office space in the borough, according to Greenwald.

There seems to be a need for more office space for more technology companies, he said. Were looking at what these companies want and building something that will fit their needs.

Red Hook is hardly a white-collar hub right now, but an area real-estate expert said that Thor is getting ahead of the curve by expanding into the industrial neighborhood as space becomes increasingly scarce elsewhere.

Red Hook is just a stones throw away from Brownstone Brooklyn, said Jakub Nowak, a commercial broker with Marcus and Millichap. Theres a limited size of land so Red Hook is going to be filling in  where else are you going to go?

The neighborhood has remained relatively untouched by the boroughs office-building boom in part because it is far from a subway stop, but the increasing number of cyclists and the complexs planned parking garage should help prospective tenants see past that, Nowak said.

The city is also opening a ferry stop in the nabe next year and, if Mayor DeBlasio gets his way, a streetcar line by 2024. Thor may also run a shuttle service for workers running to and from the subway, although the company hasnt finalized anything, Greenwald said.

The complex hasnt signed on any tenants yet, he said, but construction is scheduled to kick off this fall.

Brooklynites looking for BJs can still visit the outposts in Bensonhurst, Canarsie, and East New York.

Reach reporter Lauren Gill at lgill @cngl ocal.com or by calling (718) 2602511. Follow her on Twitter @laurenk_gill
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.
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Collaborative culture can empower women in male-dominated workplaces

When teams foster a culture of open communication and teamwork, it allows new leaders to step forward and diverse perspectives to be heard. 

Lemoine discusses the implications of his research and the future of women in leadership.

BUFFALO, N.Y.  Its no secret that men still hold the majority of leadership positions in American companies. But new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management finds that when male-dominated work groups foster collaboration and communication, its women who are more likely to emerge as leaders.

Published in The Leadership Quarterly, the study examined how gender and personality affected who took leadership roles in work groups. In both temporary and long-term work teams with more men than women, the researchers found that as the group became more social, women were more likely than men to seize leadership opportunities.

Groups choose a leader based on who best exemplifies their shared values. For example, in sports, the team captain is often the best athlete, says lead author James Lemoine, PhD, assistant professor of organization and human resources in the UB School of Management. Our results indicate that when work teams value communication and increase their interactions with one another, women may have a leadership advantage.

Lemoine says this is in sharp contrast to past research showing that men are more likely than women to receive leadership roles partly because of masculine stereotypes like dominance or authoritativeness.

When we first meet people, we tend to categorize them subconsciously based on snap judgments and observations, Lemoine says. But the more we get to know people, the less those preconceived ideas matter.

The researchers randomly assigned nearly 1,000 participants to small groups and asked them to rate which group members emerged as leaders after performing a series of tasks. They replicated the study with participants of varying ages and with both short- and long-term groups to verify the results.

Interestingly, group collaboration did not impact which gender emerged as leaders in teams with more women.

Lemoine says their findings have important implications for the predominantly masculine C-suites found in todays corporations, particularly given recent studies by the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Ernst & Young that found an increase in women in management positions corresponded to an increase in company profits.

Companies need to take a hard look at their processes and culture, says Lemoine. Is your team isolated and driven by individual goals? Or are there opportunities for employees to get to know each other and collaborate on projects? When teams foster a culture of open communication and teamwork, it allows new leaders to step forward and diverse perspectives to be heard.

Lemoine collaborated on the study with Ishani Aggarwal, assistant professor in the Brazilian School of Public and Business Administration, and Laurens Bujold Steed, a doctoral candidate at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
A UB spinoff and a UB licensee selected to present at the University Startups Demo Day in Washington

Companies named among the "Best University Startups 2016"

We are looking forward to presenting the innovative devices we have in development and sharing the story behind our strategic initiatives with UB. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  University at Buffalo spinoff ZOETIC Pharmaceuticals and UB technology licensee Garwood Medical Devices are among the first 18 companies nationwide selected to present at the prestigious University Startups Demo Day.

The event, on Sept. 20 in Washington, D.C., brings together Fortune 500 and global 1000 companies, universities and entrepreneurs. It aims to spur partnerships that lead to new and innovative technologies.

A total of 35 companies  an additional 17 companies will be announced the week of Aug. 29  will be given 6 minutes in front of company executives, venture capitalists and angel investors. The startups  selected as "Best University Startups 2016"  will also visit congressional offices to showcase the role that universities play in the startup economy.

The event is organized by the National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit.

"To lead the world in the 21st Century, our nation must have a sustained commitment to education, scientific research, and startups," says Tony Stanco, NCET2 executive director, "and American universities are uniquely positioned to deliver on all three to ensure the U.S. continues to lead socially and economically in this century, as it did in the last."

ZOETIC, founded by John J. Seman, chief executive officer, and Sven A. Beushausen, chief scientific officer, has licensed antigen-specific immune tolerance induction technology that significantly reduces the production of anti-drug antibodies to biologic drugs. It has the potential to reverse the debilitating effects of autoimmune diseases and considerably enhance the success rate of gene therapy.

We are pleased to have been selected to participate in the inaugural University Startups Demo Day, Seman said, and we look forward to making productive connections with angels, corporations and venture capital firms.

The licensed technology was pioneered by Sathy V. Balu-lyer, PhD, professor of pharmaceutical sciences in the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Zoetic is receiving support from UBs economic development and technology transfer teams.

Garwood, founded by chairman and CEO Wayne Bacon in 2014, is part of the START-UP NY economic development program at UB. Garwood recently received a $1.48 million grant from UBs Buffalo Institute for Genomics and Data Analytics to accelerate development and commercialization of its programmable, monitored medical devices. One device focuses on the eradication of biofilms and controlling implant infections  a technology based on intellectual property licensed from UB  while another device is for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Biofilm eradication is the holy grail to the implant surgeon. We are looking forward to presenting the innovative devices we have in development and sharing the story behind our strategic initiatives with UB, said Bacon. Its gratifying to be recognized among such a prestigious group of startups.

Garwood, a semifinalist in this years 43North business plan competition, recently moved into the downtown UB Gateway Building, where it projects to create 40 jobs in the next five years.
Campus News

Public art installation provides safe haven for birds

UB architect Joyce Hwang (above) and New York City artist Ellen Driscoll have co-developed Bower, a bird dwelling that also raises awareness of one of the most significant causes of bird mortality in urban areas: bird-glass collisions. The installation opens this week at Artpark in Lewiston.

UB REPORTER STAFF

UB architect Joyce Hwangs latest animal architecture creation is a bird-friendly public art installation that both promotes awareness of local avian species and calls attention to a common, but often invisible peril: bird-glass window collisions. Bower, co-designed by Hwang and New York City artist Ellen Driscoll and sited along a wooded trail in Artpark in Lewiston, is a series of architectural fragments that host bird nesting boxes and feature custom-designed glass windows composed of drawings and anti-bird-strike patterning. A bower is a leafy shelter of recess, an arbor or a rustic dwelling. The opening event for Bower will start at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 at Artpark, 450 S. Fourth St., Lewiston. It will include a presentation, reception and walking tour at the Bower installation site, located at the entrance to the Upper Gorge Trail. It is free and open to the public.

The images in the windows are overlaid with a grid of dots, a pattern that prevents birds from colliding with the pane of glass.

The nesting boxes are designed to accommodate a variety of local bird species, such as chickadees, wrens, blue birds and purple martins. The window images are created from drawings that depict local bird species that have come to prefer human-made structures to nest in. Some, like the purple martin, make an annual journey of 3,000 miles from North America to Latin America and back again. The images in the windows are overlaid with a grid of dots, a pattern that prevents birds from colliding with the pane of glass. Bird-glass collision is one of the most significant causes of bird mortality in urban areas. Yet, this condition is often overlooked, says Hwang, whose research at UB and through her practice, Ants of the Prairie, explores the boundaries and relationships between the built environment and contemporary ecologies. While there is a growing number of organizations that are beginning to address this issue through legislation, I think it is important for designers to more tangibly draw awareness to birds and their safety, she says. The intent behind Bower was to create a structure that challenges the idea that building enclosures serve as a boundary between the inside and outside, between us and them  them being the wilderness, animals or the weather. I see habitat loss in cities as a significant ecological condition to contend with. Ive been interested in creating work that not only provides habitable conditions for urban wildlife, but also draws attention to them as an important part of our ecosystem, says Hwang, whose previous works include Bat Tower in Griffis Sculpture Park and Habitat Wall: Chicago, a sculptural habitat for birds and bats. Bower is the inaugural program for Artpark as a Living Laboratory, a multi-year initiative to transform Artpark into a collection of artistic strategies that advance environmental awareness, literacy and sustainable development. It was commissioned by Artpark along with Mary Miss, who directs City as Living Laboratory (CALL), an organization dedicated to addressing environmental issues through meaningful engagement of diverse communities.

The three architectural fragments that comprise Bower are made of cedar; the tallest point is 15 feet above the ground.

Hwang and Driscoll, who is also a professor and director of the studio arts program at Bard College, worked with Matthew Hume, adjunct assistant professor of architecture at UB, on the projects construction and installation. The three, along with Lauren Makeyenko of the Audubon Society and Mary Miss, will lead the presentation, reception and walking tour. Bowers design and fabrication team members included several current and former architecture students: John Nathaniel Costello, Olivia Rose Arcara, John Wightman and Casey Hume. Ecological consultation was provided by Katharina Dittmar, UB associate professor of biological sciences, and graduate student Heather Williams. Structural engineering was provided by Mark L. Bajorek, with glass fabrication by Moon Shadow Glass. The three architectural fragments that comprise Bower are made of cedar. The tallest point is 15 feet above ground. Creating the foundation for the installation posed a unique challenge. Artpark encouraged us to find a new way to make a foundation rather than pouring a concrete pad. We were also not allowed to dig into the ground due to regulations at Artpark, so we had to develop an innovative solution, Hwang says. The foundation, developed in collaboration with Bajorek, a local structural engineer, is composed of four layers of wood framing that is weighed down by earth and gravel. Bower was developed with support from the Garman Family Foundation and Pamela and Joseph Priest. Presentations on two additional art installations at Artpark will follow the Bower opening. They are: Earthsong by Carin Jean White and Belinda Patterson, a sound installation of Haudenosaunee stories and song near the Hopewell burial mound in Artpark. This sound installation shares Native American heritage and culture, and draws attention to the natural environment of the area. It will take place at 7 p.m.

Artpark Percussion Garden, a series of installations by UBs Percussion Ensemble presenting playful opportunities for visitors to explore different ways to interact and produce sound. It will begin at 7:30 p.m.

READER COMMENTS

Very cool! Scott Meier
Campus News

UB police chief attends White House briefing on 21st century policing

UBPD Chief Gerald Schoenle Jr. (right), shown here with Lt. David Urbanek, was one of about 35 law enforcement executives who took part in a special briefing at the White House. Photo: Douglas Levere

By MICHAEL ANDREI

We have been building these tenets of community policing into our training at UB for a number of years now. But we know there are ways that we can enhance what we are doing. 

UB Chief of Police Gerald W. Schoenle Jr. has participated in high-level training sessions his entire career, but nothing quite like the one he attended on Aug. 4 in Washington, D.C.

Schoenle was among about 35 chiefs of police and high-level law enforcement executives taking part in Advancing 21st Century Policing at the White House.

All of the law enforcement officials attended the briefing via an invitation extended through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), a component of the U.S. Justice Department dedicated to community policing.

The briefing was among a series of follow-ups to the final report of the Presidents Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which was established by an executive order signed by President Barack Obama on Dec. 18, 2014. The report was released last year.

I am familiar with the report, but I was surprised to receive an invitation to the White House, Schoenle told the UB Reporter.

The COPS office frequently offers high-level training sessions to police chiefs  this was the fifth session they have offered, he explains. It is really to try and get buy-in from chiefs, to try and give you some idea of how to implement the recommendations that are in the report.

They bring in great speakers, some who are part of the COPS office within the Justice Department and others who come in from around the country. The core of the program is community policing.

Schoenle notes that New York State University Police and UBs police department already are implementing many of the community policing principles and concepts presented in the final report of the Presidents Task Force.

The report presented six key categories of recommendations for police departments across the country. These included things such as building trust and legitimacy, training and education, policy and oversight, and making greater use of technology and social media, he says.

We have been building these tenets of community policing into our training at UB for a number of years now. But we know there are ways that we can enhance what we are doing.

One key example Schoenle points to is managing implicit bias within a police force.

Implicit bias is within all of us, he says. And it is especially critical for police officers to recognize it within themselves and within a police department.

Schoenle says the White House briefing presented two excellent speakers on the fair and impartial policing perspective, which was developed by Lorie Fridell, a former research director with Police Executive Research Forum working with the COPS office.

Fair and impartial policing reflects a new way of thinking about the issue of biased policing, he says. Its based on the science of bias, which tells us that even well-intentioned humans and police officers have bias that exists below their consciousness and can readily interfere with their job function.

Schoenle says that after attending an earlier training session on fair and impartial policing with Commissioner of University Police Paul Berger, he and Berger felt the concept was a good fit with university policing.

In January of this year we offered it to 26 SUNY police trainers from every SUNY campus. They attended a training session and took it back to their departments, says Schoenle, who was president of the SUNY Chiefs of Police at that time.

He says one half of the UB police force has been trained in recognizing and managing implicit bias, with plans to have the remaining members of the department trained by the end of the year. We are in the process of bringing it to SUNY police statewide, and we are the first university system to do this, he adds.

Another recommendation from the White House briefing that Schoenle plans to bring back to UBs police force is making greater use of social media.

The example they gave was of an animal shelter that used Tumblr to offer people opportunities to rent a dog  for an hour or a day  while they were walking around doing Pokemon Go. That way, people could say they were just walking the dog.

It sounds funny, but they reported that that shelter raised thousands of dollars doing this. So it was a very effective use of social media for them, Schoenle notes.

UBs police department will not be using social media to raise funds, of course. But I can see us using those channels more to raise awareness and get our community policing message out.
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.
Air Indias return to profitability was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech on Monday.



Air India was infamous for incurring losses. My government has succeeded in bringing Air India to a situation of clocking operational profit, Modi said, taking credit for the carriers achievement.



Modi did not disclose the airlines profit figure in his speech. According to airline officials, Air India has made an operating profit of Rs 100-110 crore in FY16, higher than the earlier projection of Rs 8-10 crore, driven by low jet fuel price.



The airline, which is under Rs 30,000-crore government bailout plan, closed its financial 2015-16 accounts recently, but the accounts are yet to be audited. Top officials confirmed that the airline had made Rs 100-crore operating profit in FY16, but refused to divulge other details.


Aluminium majors like Hindalco and Bharat Aluminium Company (Balco) have started feeling the pressure of cheap imports. Cheap aluminium imports are eating up nearly 50 per cent of the total domestic cosumption. Primary aluminium producers are finding it diffcult to have volume-driven toplines amid rangebound price trend of the base metal.
Domestic and foreign institutional investors such as Life Insurance Corporation of India and UK's Aberdeen Fund, which together hold over 50 per cent in Grasim Industries, will be key decision makers in Aditya Birla Nuvo's merger with Grasim, even as the top management of the Aditya Birla Group said on Saturday that the deal would be a win-win for everybody.
Seshagiri Rao M V S, joint managing director & group chief financial officer, JSW Steel, tells Megha Manchanda that the minimum import price for steel products is compliant with rules of the World Trade Organization, and why the country cannot afford to allow iron ore exports. Edited excerpts:



Is the minimum import price (MIP) sustainable in the long term?



A lot has been written on India flouting World Trade Organization (WTO) norms after imposition of MIP, which is a fear of the unknown. There are exceptions to WTO norms and those have been described in detail. If you summarise the exceptions provided, they convey that if imports are impacting the economic situation of the country then restrictions can be imposed in public interest. If imports are causing serious injury to domestic industry, barriers can be imposed. So to say MIP is not WTO compliant is not correct. What is wrong in India taking remedial action against imports from surplus countries such as China, Korea, Japan and Russia?



There is surplus iron ore in the country. Some states have sought removal of export duty to export the ore. Do you think that domestic demand can be created or do we have to export?



The major advantage that the Indian steel industry has is domestic iron ore, so it should be conserved for the industry here. To develop infrastructure, more steel is required and, hence, more iron ore. Therefore, to think that there is no domestic demand and that we should extract everything and export is not a good policy. We have to conserve this resource as it cannot be replenished. Karnatakas steel industry requires 35-40 million tonnes (mt) of iron ore per annum and this is growing, whereas iron ore production in the state at present is below 35 mt. If the total consumption is more than supply, the question of export does not arise. As far as Odisha is concerned, many mines are going to come up for re-auction in 2020, so some mining companies are in a hurry to extract iron ore as soon as possible. There will be a spurt in supply in the short term, but we have to look at the long-term interest of the country. The ministry of steel has a vision that India should become a 300 mt steel producing country, that is the demand India is expected to have in the next decade, therefore we cannot afford to exhaust this competitive advantage.
The (RCDF), which sells milk and dairy products under the Saras brand, is following in the footsteps of Amul (GCMMF) to sell products outside the state. While it already supplies milk for the Delhi Milk Scheme (to Mother Dairy) it has also started supplying in Ahmedabad, an Amul stronghold.
The Chief Minister of Pakistan's restive has dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri made the remarks on Sunday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic... they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.

Prime Minister Modi also made a mention of atrocities committed by Pakistan in Balochistan in his Indepence Day speech on Monday.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people, the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir, for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," he said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.
China's state-run Global Times has blamed the Indian media for deteriorating ties between the two countries.

In a scathing article against the media in India, the Global Times wrote that "they grab all the attention they want like always" and "also caused a deterioration in the Indian public's views of China".

The Indian press "has not yet learned to see the considerable potential of the bilateral relationships with a constructive mind-set", it said.

The artcile was written against the backdrop of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's India visit that was focused on cooperation over the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits.

It said while the tour was widely reported but "quite a few Indian media started to cover the tour with the eye-catching headline 'China blocked India's NSG bid, but now wants help on South China Sea'."

"They tend to attach more attention to divergences while overstating contradictions between the two.

Words like 'invasion' or 'transgression' are often used by them to describe Beijing without naming sources, and the 'China threat theory' has been hyped up by them from time to time."

The tabloid wondered why the Indian media is doing it "again this time".

"Given the recent frictions between the two countries, including the NSG issue and New Delhi's rejection of visa extension requests for Chinese reporters, there are indeed certain puzzles left unresolved in the bilateral relationship. But they can hardly represent the big picture of Sino-Indian ties."

The article, however, praised the efforts of the India and Chinese governments for "enhancing collaboration and promoting more communications and mechanisms over bilateral, regional issues".

It said that the Indian government was treating its relations with Beijing "rationally" but "the country's media and public opinion are busy stirring up negative sentiments".

"Over the years, bilateral joint works are unfolding in a variety of fields such as international trade, environmental protection, infrastructure projects, and anti-terrorism, as well as energy security."

The newspaper said it was important for the Indian media "to remember that development and prosperity are needed by both sides and they need a stable environment for that."
An FIR was registered on Monday against India in connection with alleged raising of "independence" slogans by "pro-freedom" Kashmiris who entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.

A police official involved in the investigation said that a First Information Report has been registered and investigations will proceed.

The FIR has been registered under IPC sections-- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), he said.

A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of whom were youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.

The event was organised by India at United Theological College here.

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had on Sunday said the intention and background of those involved will be investigated.

ABVP activists, who staged a protest on Sunday against the event calling it "anti-national", had also filed a complaint with the police along with a CD containing video recording of the event.

Holding that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for "victims of human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir, India in a statement had said towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azadi' (freedom).

Noting that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Amnesty had said it, however, considers that the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
Friendly relations with neighbouring states have helped resolve a number of interstate issues benefiting in the past couple of years, chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao said while addressing the Independence Day celebrations on Monday.
The coastal state of Goa has been given the opportunity to host the BRICS summit in October this year ahead of other states because of its high hospitality standards, Chief Minister said on Monday.

Parsekar said, "The Prime Minister gave Goa an opportunity to host the BRICS summit over all other Indian states because of Goa's fame. He chose Goa because when BRICS heads arrive in Goa they should get good hospitality and a good impression about India."

The BRICS summit will be held in Goa in mid-October. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Goa last week to review preparations for the meet, which is expected to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Parsekar also said that Goa should capitalise on the state's tourism potential.

"Goans need to be aware of the state's tourism potential. All of us should take advantage of this," Parsekar said.

Goa, famous for its beaches and nightlife, attracts four million tourists annually, half of them are foreigners.
Prime Minister on Monday turned emotional as he paid his last respects to Pramukh Swami, the religious head of the Swaminarayan sect, saying he has lost a fatherly figure.

Recalling his close association with Pramukh Swami, who passed away last Saturday here, Modi called him his "father" as he was twice overcome by emotions during his 20-odd minute long speech made at a temple where Swami's mortal remains have been kept.

"Many of you might have lost a guru, but I have lost a father," Modi said, as he paused for nearly a minute to overcome the swell of emotions.

Calling him a "combination of grandeur and divinity," the Prime Minister said he knew Pramukh Swami from the time when he was not a public figure and showered praise on him for bringing about reforms in the "saint" culture.

The mortal remains of the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami Maharaj have been kept at the temple till August 17 to enable devotees and citizens to get a final glimpse.

Modi also paid floral tributes to the departed soul.

Recalling a few instances of his "close association" with Pramukh Swami, Modi said Swami once asked him to address a gathering of saints of the Swaminarayan sect at a temple in Ahmedabad upon which he'd express his surprise, saying what were they (saints) going to gain from him.

"When I said this to Pramukh Swami, he said, no, the saints should know about the social reality as they have to work to take the society in the right direction," Modi added.

The Prime Minister also recalled Yogiji Maharaj, who initiated Pramukh Swami into Swaminarayan sect, and said the latter established an example on how a disciple should be.

"We have known Pramukh Swami as a guru. But looking at him, one also understands how a disciple should be," Modi said, as he recounted an instance of how Pramukh Swami fulfilled the desire of his guru by constructing the Akshardham temple on the bank of Yamuna river in Delhi.

"Long back, while strolling on Yamuna river bank, Yogiji expressed desire to Pramukh Swami to have a temple constructed on Yamuna bank. It was a desire informally expressed. After he passed away, as a disciple, Pramukh Swami constructed Akshardham to fulfil his desire," Modi said.

Modi said after he became the (Gujarat) Chief Minister, Pramukh Swami would ask him for the videos of his speeches which he'd listen and call him up to say that "you should not have used these words (referring to certain words used in his speeches)."



"(Pramukh Swami) taught me things that even my political guru did not teach me," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said Swami also knew a lot of things about him through intuition, as he recalled an instance of being called by him to Akshardham temple in Delhi during the time of its construction.

The Prime Minister said Pramukh Swami knew he had no money in his pocket and asked a disciple Brahmbihari Swami to pay him the money.

#WATCH: PM Modi gets emotional while paying homage to HH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Sarangpur (Gujarat)https://t.co/rTxxyvSS01  ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

"I actually had no money in my pocket at that time," he said.

Modi further recalled how he received a call from Pramukh Swami and his mother in 1992 when he was at Srinagar airport in Jammu and Kashmir after unfurling a tricolour amidst tense situation at Lal Chowk.

The Prime Minister further said, "Swamiji assured 'Swaminarayan will do all good'. I was amazed in receiving his call and his caring words amidst such tension. The other call that I had received that day was of my mother."



Modi also remembered how two years ago he managed to persuade Swamiji to take food when he received a call from his disciples that he had given up on eating and his health was deteriorating.

"He accepted my request and I was told that he has started taking food. Such was the bond that we shared," the Prime Minister added.

"He always demanded grandeur and did not compromise on it. But as a saint he was divine," Modi said.

Modi said some time back, he talked to him over telephone even when he was not able to speak properly.

The Prime Minister said his words "must have consoled him."



Modi also said how former President A P J Abdul Kalam termed him as a main element in the direction of achieving the vision of 2020.

"He (Swami) may not be with us today, but his presence will be felt by us all. We will continue to uphold the tradition set by him," said the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, thousand of devotees of Pramukh Swami Maharaj continued to throng Sarangpur for a glimpse of his mortal remains from across Gujarat.

Swami will be cremated here on Wednesday.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister on Monday announced the commencement of 34 cyber laboratories in various parts of the state as part of the government's efforts to crack down on cyber crime.

"We have started 34 cyber laboratories today and a total of 51 such labs will be started across the state. This will ensure that we have an upper hand while tackling crimes," he said.

He was addressing people here on the 70th Independence Day.

Commencing operations of cyber labs, that will be equipped to analyse mobile forensic and call detail records, is part of the state government's proposed cyber crime project which is expected to be completed by December this year.

Fadnavis said the state government will provide all its services through a mobile application by October this year.

The CM had in January 2015 launched 'Aaple Sarkar', an integrated web-based platform, that allows citizens to register grievances and send suggestions to the government on various issues.

"Till now, we have had 30 lakh applications on 'Aaple Sarkar' portal, all of which have been addressed that has led to a 92 per cent rate of satisfaction. By October 2, all our services will not only be available online, but will also be available on an application. A mobile phone will become a government office for the common man," Fadnavis said.

He said the government's aim is to ensure that people do not need to visit government offices physically.

The government has spent over Rs 9,000 crore to provide relief to farmers grappling with incessant drought, erratic climatic conditions and monetary loans, he said.

The government, as a part of its tree plantation drive, has planted about 2.5 crore trees, he said, adding that around five crore trees will be planted over a period of five years.

Fadnavis also said that all police stations have been



linked with a central server and a crime and criminal tracking system has been developed.

"This is the first state in the country to do so. This has ensured a control in crime rates and an increase in the rate of conviction. We have taken the rate of conviction from 9 per cent to 52 per cent. Our agenda is that the common man needs to feel safe," he said.

He said the government is also doing good work in the department of Health and that the state has played a big role in improving health indicators like infant mortality of the nation.

Fadnavis said around 30,000 adivasi children are being educated through government schemes and that the state has fulfilled a long pending demand by hiking annual income limit of parents of non-creamy layer category OBC students seeking scholarships, to Rs 6 lakh from the current Rs 4.5 lakh.

He said that as part of making Maharashtra a digital state, 500 gram panchayats have already been made digital, and that by October 2, Nagpur would be turned into a complete digital district.

"By November 2018, 29,000 gram panchayats will be turned digital. We have also introduced a smart schools programme, where 11,000 schools have benefited and the learning outcome was 100 per cent," the CM added.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said in Nagpur today that the government was creating employment opportunities while carrying out developmental activities across the state.

On the occasion of Independence day celebration at the Divisional Commissioner's office in Nagpur, the District Guardian Minister said about 313 villages were selected by the state government for 'Jal Yukta Shivar' scheme and a huge amount of Rs 3,806 crore was spent on it.

About 500 villages have been digitised, he said.

The authorities have completed a target of crop loan disbursement to the tune of Rs 769.95 crore, he said.

Nagpur Divisional Commissioner Anoop Kumar, Commissioner of Police Sharda Prasad Yadav, zilla parishad president Nisha Sawarkar and MLA Jogendra Kawade were present on the occasion.

Later, Bawankule inaugurated the cyber lab at Nagpur rural police premises.
A senior paramilitary officer and two militants were killed in a gunfight here on Monday, the state police said.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed and nine security personnel were injured when a group of four militants attacked them in an old city area.Militants on Monday attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar, injuring five personnel, and triggering a gunfight.The unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid.Five security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said.The exchange of fire was going on.The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.
Prime Minister on Monday came out openly in support of "freedom" for Balochistan and "Pakistan occupied Kashmir".

"I want to speak a bit about the people in Balochistan, Gilgit, Baltistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir," the Prime Minister said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.

"The world is watching. People of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me a lot in the past few days," Modi said. "I am grateful to them."

He said the way people from these Pakistani regions "wished me well, gives me great joy".

Modi said last week that it was time for Islamabad to explain to the world "why it has been committing atrocities on people in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan".

On Monday, Modi also hit out at Pakistan for supporting terrorism. This, he said, was in contrast to the way Indians reacted with sorrow when terrorists slaughtered school children in Peshawar.

"That is the nature of India. But on the other hand, look at those who glorify terrorists. What kind of people glorify terrorists? What kind of people celebrate when people are killed?"
Unlike his previous two speeches from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the Independence Day, Prime Minister today didnt announce any new schemes or policy initiatives that his government plans to take.
Portuguese Prime Minister will visit India in January next year and is likely to make a trip to Goa.

Consul General of Portugal for Goa Rui Baceira told reporters on Monday that the Portuguese Prime Minister will be visiting India in January 2017, with Goa and Bangalore being on his travel itinerary.

"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January (2017). He is of Goan Indian origin. We are pleased to have him here," Baceira told reporters on the sidelines of Independence Day event here.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had in March told the State Legislative Assembly that he would invite Costa to Goa.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Monday faced a deeply embarrassing moment, when the tricolour fell off the post when she wanted to hoist it at Bakshi stadium here where the main Independence Day function of the state was held.

An inquiry was immediately ordered into the fiasco.

Mehbooba, who was hoisting the flag as chief minister for the first time, pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolour fall from the post and land on the ground.

Amid the embarrassing situation, two personnel from the security detail of the chief minister held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute to the flag.

As Mehbooba left the stage for inspecting the contingents of the police and paramilitary forces, the security staff at the Bakshi Stadium hurriedly set the flag right and hoisted it atop the post.

Later, Director General of Police K Rajendra Kumar said he has ordered an inquiry into the fiasco.

"An inquiry was ordered immediately into the incident so as to fix the responsibility," Kumar told Press Trust of India.



The DGP said it was a lapse on part of "someone and that person needs to answer.
Hitting back at Congress for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech, BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said the opposition party should condemn Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir instead of the PM's "inspiring" and "comprehensive" address.

Naidu lauded Modi's 93 minutes speech at Red Fort, terming it "great, inspiring and comprehensive" which "gives hope" to the youth.

"It is unfortunate tht our Congress friends r quick in condemning PM's speech rather than condemning Pakistan and its interference in Kashmir.

"Great, inspiring and comprehensive speech by the PM. Gives all the hope to our young generation," Information and Broadcasting Minister Naidu said in tweets.

In a scathing attack, Congress accused Modi of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.

"PoK is our right, our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK," Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

In his address on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Balochistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

In provocative remarks, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had yesterday said that the country was 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.

Terming as "absurd" Pakistan's proposal of sending supplies to Jammu and Kashmir, India had on Sunday strongly retorted that it, along with others in the region, has already received enough of "trademark exports" from that country, including terrorism and infiltrators.
As the nation soaked in patriotic fervour celebrated its on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir was rattled by fresh militant violence which claimed three lives, including that of a CRPF officer, and explosions shattered the brittle calm in Assam and Manipur.

The Kashmir Valley, in the grip of violence for nearly 40 days now, saw militants mount a morning assault on security forces in downtown Srinagar resulting in the death of the Commanding officer of CRPF's 49th Battalion Pramod Kumar and two militants.

Kumar, thrice decorated with CRPF's Director General's commendation, had also served in the Special Protection Group for three years.

Two blasts rocked Manipur capital Imphal an hour before the official Independence Day celebrations were to start, but no casualties were reported. Several militant organisations have called for a boycott of Independence Day celebrations in the state, often rocked by insurgent violence.

A series of five bomb explosions by suspected ULFA-Independent militants rocked upper Assam's Charaido and Tinsukia districts this morning but there were no casualties.

With the Kashmir Valley caught in a welter of violence since the July 8 killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made an emotional appeal to the agitating youths not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue was the only way forward to resolve issues.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan where there is instability and absence of safety of life and urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

She blamed the successive central government, starting from the one led by Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, completing the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mehbooba faced a deeply embarrassing moment when the tricolour fell off the post when she attempted to hoist it at Bakshi stadium. She pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolour fall from the post and land on the ground.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, locked in a bitter battle with the Centre over primacy in the Capital Territory, made a pitch for full statehood.
While the finance ministry remains optimistic about meeting the April 1, 2017, deadline for the goods and services (GST) tax rollout, it has not ruled out the possibility of delay on account of a slew of challenges to be resolved by the yet-to-be-set-up GST Council. The government will also have to take into account information technology (IT) preparedness of the trade and industry sector for compliance with the new indirect tax regime.
The prime minister's Independence Day address referred to the hope placed on e-NAM, the electronic project to create a national agricultural market for farm produce. The aim here is to, in two to three years, link the 600-odd major wholesale markets (mandis) in the country.
Since April 2011, when the Indian Air Force (IAF) shortlisted the Eurofighter and Rafale for purchase, Swedish company Saab has believed its JAS-39 Gripen fighter was unfairly eliminated from that globally watched tender for 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA). Similarly, US aerospace giant, Lockheed Martin, which had offered an F-16 Block 50/52 variant called the Super Viper, feels hard done by. Yet, one of these companies might still have the last laugh after the eventual MMRCA winner, Dassault of France, failed to conclude a contract for the Rafale.
To ensure viability of its ultra mega solar energy park at Rewa, the Madhya Pradesh government will extend a state guarantee to the flagship project. Billed as the worlds largest contiguous solar park, the project entails an investment of Rs 7,500 crore.



The guarantee would ensure against a default in payment to Rewa Ultra Mega Solar (RUMS), a joint venture of the states Urja Vikas Nigam and the Union governments Solar Energy Corporation of India.



The state Cabinet is likely to approve the guarantee this week. The park is expected to have a capacity of 750 Mw.



Of the power generated, 75 per cent would be procured by Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company (MPPMC) and the other 25 per cent by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) and related deals are to be signed.



So will a Land Use Purchase Agreement for the 1,530 hectares required, of which 90 per cent has been acquired. RUMS will provide 90 per cent of the land within 30 days from the signing of PPAs.



After which the solar power developers construction timeline will start. The other tenth of the land will be provided within three months of PPA signing. In a delay beyond 10 months, the unit capacity will be reduced proportionately.



The state would invite a formal Request for Proposal by September.



Manu Srivastava, chairman, RUMS, and the states principal secretary, renewable energy, told this newspaper: There would be a three-tier payment security mechanism, comprising a letter of credit of 1.25 times the average monthly billing for 12 months, a Payment Security Fund being approved soon, to be created by RUMS and a state guarantee for MPPMCs payment obligation under the PPA.



He said the project would get a loan from the World Bank and the Clean Technology Fund.



Power Grid Corporation of India, he added, was constructing a sub-station and line to connect the project with the inter-state transmission system. RUMS is about to award related tenders. Open access and connectivity was granted in June.



Rewa is the first mega solar energy park coming up in the state. The rate for supply from here is to be decided after the bids are finalised.



Under the project framework, the first contract years rate will be as quoted by the selected bidder. From the second year, there will be a rise of five paise annually for 15 years, inclusive of all taxes.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to loss-making public-sector behemoths now making profits could be an indication that this government has greater confidence in reviving loss-making public-sector enterprises (PSUs) rather than selling them.
Prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday said online refunds had reduced the hardships of the income tax assesses. Personal income tax refunds of Rs 14,332 crore had been issued till August 5 of this financial year.
Associate banks of State Bank of India (SBI) will experience another painful quarter as they align asset quality review accounts with that of the parent, to make way for smoother integration later this financial year.
Civil society groups in the Democratic Republic of on Monday said the number of people hacked to death in the restive east this weekend has risen to 51.

"Our team on the ground has counted 51 bodies slain with machetes," said Teddy Kataliko, a member of a local alliance of NGOs and unions working in the troubled town of Beni.

Local mayor Edmond Masumbuko on Sunday said 42 people had died in Saturday night's mass killing in Beni; the government in Kinshasa had earlier put the death toll at 36.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said the civil society groups' toll was "impossible to objectively verify".

Saturday night's attack was the latest in a string of killings that have left more than 650 people dead in and around Beni since 2014.

The army has blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly Islamist armed group of Ugandan origin.

The group has been present in DR for more than two decades and is accused of copious human rights abuses.

The killings sparked rage among local residents who accused the government of failing to protect them.

Some of the victims' families refused to take their relatives' bodies to the morgue, Kataliko told AFP.



"They decided to hold private funerals and refused to allow the government to bury them, because it could not guarantee their security while they were still alive," he added.

All shops were shut in Beni on Monday and the streets plunged into silence for the first of three days of national mourning.
Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan on Monday, claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modi's Independence Day speech, said the Premier was only trying to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech on Monday.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people  the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK)  for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of "RAW's active service Naval Officer" Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz claimed.

"These events have nothing to do with terrorism. It is an indigenous movement for self determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council," he said.

He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark.

Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."



He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.

Aziz's remarks came after Pakistan formally invited India for talks on Kashmir, a move already rejected by New Delhi which had insisted it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had dismissed Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Zehri made the remarks yesterday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic... they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.
Prime Minister Prachanda sent a special envoy to China while another such emissary was set to visit India soon as part of Nepal's bid to woo its two giant neighbours and firm up bilateral ties after the formation of the new government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara left for Beijing with an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit .

Speaking to reporters at the Tribhuvan Airport here before leaving, Mahara said the main objective of his visit is to further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

"I am leaving for China to strengthen the relation with China in the changed political context following the formation of the new government. We expect China's support to build good ties between and China and Chinese political leaders to visit Nepal," he was quoted as saying by My Republica.

Mahara also pledged to carry on and implement the agreements reached between the Chinese government and the former K P Oli-led government.

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, foreign minister and senior officials of China's ruling Communist Party.

Mahara and Jhabindra Aryal, a joint-secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will reach Beijing via Chengdu.

Earlier, the Cabinet meeting last week had decided to send Mahara to China and another Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi to India as the Prime Minister's special emissaries.

Nidhi's visit would focus on strengthening of relations between and India and President Pranab Mukherjee's Nepal visit.

The special envoy would also hold discussions with high-level officials over the cancellation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's India visit.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who is also the Maoist chief, assumed office earlier this month for his second term as Prime Minister.
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry has invited his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to Islamabad for talks on the Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Chaudhry on Monday afternoon called in Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Gautam Bambawale and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir, which he termed "the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan", said the Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in a statement issued here.

Pakistan's invitation came days after Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz's statement that Pakistan is planning to invite India for a dialogue on the Kashmir issue.

Briefing reporters on the Envoys Conference recently, Aziz said, "As for India, the Envoys Conference noted that India's policy of not engaging in a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan was not conducive for peace in South Asia. In this regard, Pakistan should invite India for a dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir. Our Foreign Secretary would formally be writing to his counterpart in this regard."

However, India has already rejected Pakistan's invitation to hold talks on Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to Aziz's statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday said India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations.

Elaborating on contemporary and relevant issues, MEA Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted, "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.
Tesla removed the word "autopilot" and a Chinese term for "self-driving" from its China website after a driver in Beijing who crashed in "autopilot" mode complained that the car maker overplayed the function's capability and misled buyers.
Improved business performance and expected unlocking from the listing of its 57 per cent diagnostic subsidiary, SRL, helped the stock gain 20 per cent over the past month. On August 4, the board of directors had given in-principle approval to demerge the diagnostic business.
Come Sunday, you will be able to inspect some high-end luxury cars and Sports-Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in Badkhalsa village near Haryana's Sonipat. Eight Audis, Six BMWs, four Range Rovers, a couple of Jaguars and Mercs.
In the past few years, investors have avoided shares of . Last year when Dilip Buildcon was planning its initial public offering (IPO), foreign bankers advised the firm to postpone the issue, as they were not able to attract enough interest from foreign investors. With IPO subscription of 15 times and listing gains of 15 per cent in Dilip Buildcon, coupled with buoyant secondary market, the tide for infra stocks could be turning, say bankers.
The Afghan Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Monday said that 27 people, including two young girls equipped with suicide bombing vests, were killed during an operation in eastern Nuristan province.

The Ministry of Defense in a statement said the people were killed during the operations conducted in Want Waigal district, reports the Khaama Press.

In addition, 31 others were also wounded during the same operation.

So far, the anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report.

It is also not clear which group had recruited the two young girls for the suicide attack.

Nuristan province is reportedly one among the relatively volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups actively operating in a number of its remote districts.

The province is also located near the Durand Line close to the tribal regions of Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are ideological descendents of non-participants of the freedom struggle, the Congress Party on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have talked about unity and integrity of the nation instead of criticising the Grand Old Party, which contribution to the freedom struggle is immense.

Congress leader Anand Sharma said, "It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister does not have the humility and grace to acknowledge the contribution of those who gave us independence - the Indian Congress and its leadership, and those who built the country."

"I have never seen him recalling the enormous contributions made by the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He is visiting various parts of the country trying to find icons and to appropriate them, because the BJP and the RSS are ideological descendents of non-participants of the freedom struggle and those, who opposed Gandhi and the freedom movement, particularly the Quit India Movement.

"Let the younger generation be reminder of that. It's unfortunate that he choose this occasion to criticise. This was an occasion to unite, this was an occasion to show humility," Sharma added.

All India Congress Committee general secretary (AICC) Ambika Son said till date, not even a single prime minister spoke like this at the Red Fort; instead, speeches of hope, expectations and desires have been delivered.

"He said many things like crores of rupees have been invested in almost 1,100 projects and have been left incomplete, which is a criminal offence," Soni told ANI.

However, Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal said most of information given by Prime Minister Modi in his speech was false.

"Today, after 45 minutes, people started getting up and moving out. Arun Jaitley and Kejriwal were sleeping. I can understand if Kejriwal is sleeping, but if Jaitley was sleeping then it's very big news.

Afzal further said, "From the time Modi has come to power, he promised to give employment to at least two crore youth every year. So, by now 4.5- 4.75 crore youth should have been employed, but he hasn't even reached lakhs, which clearly states that he has nothing for the youth of the country, except lengthy speeches.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Enthused and relieved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expression of gratitude and indirect criticism of Pakistan's brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Baloch leaders on Monday thanked the Indian leadership and media for raising the issue publicly, but called for more practical steps to be initiated by New Delhi.

Baloch leader-in-exile Brahumdagh Bugti who is also the founding chief, Baloch Republican Party said, "I thank the Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi sahab for speaking about the Balochistan problem. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi sahab on behalf of the whole Baloch nation. And we hope that the Indian government and Indian media and whole Indian nation will not only raise voices for Baloch nation but also strive to help practically the Baloch independence movement."

Asserting that Pakistan's destructive role in Kashmir and direct involvement in terrorist attacks in India such as Mumbai and Pathankot has been a very well exposed fact, Bugti said that the Baloch issue should be a very serious part of the foreign policy of the Indian government.

"In this context raising the voice of Balochistan should not be a temporary reaction or a counter strategy by the Indian government. But it should be a sincere intention of the Indian people to support their oppressed brothers and sisters and also should be a very serious part of the foreign policy of the Indian government," he added.

Taking a jibe at Pakistan's demand for self determination and self rule of Kashmiris, and questioning Balochistan demands, he said that this doesn't only expose the double standards of Islamabad but also their evil designs to destroy the peace and stability in the region.

He also highlighted that thousands of Baloch youth are being tortured in the custody of Pakistani forces and more than 20000 dead bodies have been recovered. Many other bodies were found to have been dumped.

He also questioned that how many people know that there is a military operation going on in every part of Balochistan? where innocent Baloch civilians, women and children are being killed on a daily basis.

Stating that recent comments of the Indian government and Indian media is very encouraging, Bugti hoped that the same continues in the future.

He also revealed his admiration for Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan and requested them to craft a movie on Balochistan.

Echoing similar sentiments Baloch-leader- in exile Ashraf Sherjan hailed Prime Minister Modi's 70th Independence Day speech for reiterating the Baloch issue.

"I would like to thank Prime Minister of India for highlighting the issue of Balochistan internationally. I would like to thank all the media of India and social activists of India for always supporting Balochistan issue internationally," he said.

Prime Minister Modi earlier in the day said he was grateful to the Baloch people for reaching out to him.

"People of Balochistan,Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the nation on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

"This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists. To the youth who have taken up guns, I urge them to return to their parents and shun violence," he added.

Terming Prime Minister Modi's speech as very encouraging, Baloch Voice Foundation, President Munir Mengal said,"The statement of Narendra Modi ji with respect to Human rights abuses in Balochistan is highly appreciating.India as an elder brother of the region has an obligation to break its silence and help Pakistan accountable for the forces occupation of lands colonization and excessive abuse of human rights in the region particularly in Balochistan. "

He hoped that India as an obligation will take all sorts of practical steps in the Baloch issue.

Another Baloch Leader and Central Secretary, Foreign Affairs, United Kashmir People's National Party, Jamil Maqsood also hailed Prime Minister Modi's remarks saying, "We welcome the statement."

Meanwhile, Baloch Journalist, Faiz Baloch from London thanked Prime Minister Modi for remembering the Baloch people on the occasion of India's Independence Day.

We hope Indian government will raise the Baloch issue officially on all forums. Together we can stop terrorism in the . Baloch people are fighting with terrorism, " he added.

Prime Minister Modi on terrorism had earlier said that India will never bend before terrorism.

Highlighting the December 16, 2014 Peshawar terrorist attack he said, "Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack, but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here."

He asserted that 'unity in diversity' is the whole essence of the Indian culture, the Prime Minister said there is no place for violence and atrocities in the nation.

Two Baloch leaders earlier on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Modi's stand to expose Pakistan's brutalities in Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Baloch Women's Forum president Naela Quadri Baloch said the people of the region supported Modi.

Hammal Haider Baloch, another Baloch leader, said it was for the first time that an Indian Prime Minister has expressed his wish to support the Baloch people.

Their appeal came a day after the Modi government launched a fresh offensive against Islamabad for igniting the latest unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani last month.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than a month with at least 58 killed and thousands wounded during protests against Wani's killing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With Baloch people demanding freedom from atrocities committed by the Pakistani Army on them for years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today said people want 'Azadi' (freedom) from terror.

BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI that the world is already worried about the role and involvement of Pakistan in perpetrating terror and would take a serious note on what is happening.

"People in Pakistan and otherwise in the rest of the world also want freedom and 'Azadi' from the terror machine that the Pakistani establishment has encouragement and created, irrespective of what Pakistan says," Kohli said.

"World is already worried about its role and involvement in role of perpetrating terror and now I think the world is also going to take serious notice on what is happening in Balochistan and other parts of Pakistan, including the Pak occupied Kashmir," Kohli added.

Stating that Pakistani political person, official and ambassadors speaks of 'Azadi', Kohli said, "I think the core issue that comes to focus is that the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir are seeking freedom or Azadi from that illegal occupation, from the kind of terror that they are perpetrating on such people. In terms of the people of Balochistan, the kind of terror that their own armed forces is unleashing on the Baloch people."

At the time when Pakistan was celebrating the 70th Independence Day, people in Balochistan province, in southwestern region of Pakistan, were 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."

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."

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."

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Border Security Force (BSF) will soon be deploying additional five battalions at the Attari-Wagha border.

Informing this to reporters after the high-voltage Beating Retreat function here, BSF Director General (DG) K.K. Sharma said, "In the past few days, BSF has shot dead eight smugglers, including six Pakistani and two Indians. Besides, we have seized heroin in huge amount, which is record in itself. With an aim to intensify our effort, we have decided to induct five more battalions, who will be posted soon, along with that, we are also installing our technical equipment in big number and improving intelligence services as well."

"BSF is a modern border guarding force laced with modern equipment, but we upgrade our equipment on regular basis. In coming time, we will be using highly advance equipment. This is a constant process," said the BSF DG.

"It is the result of effort made by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that we got permission to deploy five more battalions and being provided new equipment," he added.

When asked that sweets were being exchanged at the time when the Pakistani soldiers had breached the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Sharma said, "We should not connect that incident with this drill. Today, you saw that we offered sweets amid very friendly environment and they accepted it. Kashmir incident is at its own place."

Meanwhile, he lauded the performance given by schoolchildren from nearby areas, saying they braved heat, but their enthusiasm was infectious. "The 70th Independence Day was celebrated here with enthusiasm and schoolchildren from nearby areas presented a glittering cultural programme. Their performance was full of fervour. It was nice to see them performing."

On the occasion of Independence Day, the BSF gifted a box of traditional Indian sweets to the Pakistani Rangers at Attari-Wagah border.

At the time of handing over of sweets to Pakistani Rangers, both forces were looking relaxed; they hugged and shook hands with each other, besides sharing pleasantries for a few minutes.

On Sunday, the Pakistani Rangers had offered traditional Pakistani sweets to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A ceremonial Border Personal Meeting was conducted today on the occasion of Indian Independence Day at eastern Ladakh's Chushul-Moldo area.

The Indian delegations was led by Brigadier R.S. Raman and Brigadier V. Yadav and the Chinese delegations by senior Colonel Fan Jun and senior Colonel Guo Kexie.

The ceremonial meeting was marked by saluting the Indian flag by both the delegations.

This was followed by ceremonial address by both the delegation leaders comprising exchange of greetings, wishes and reaffirming the mutual desire of maintaining and improving relations at functional level at the border.

Thereafter, a culture programme showcasing Indian culture was organised with traditional grandeur.

The delegation parted amidst feeling of friendship and commitment towards enhancing the existing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control.

Both sides also sought to build on the mutual feeling of upholding the treaties and agreement signed between the Government of India and the Government of China to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress Party on Monday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address as the poorest speech ever made from the ramparts of the Red Fort and cornered him for not speaking on the prevailing unrest in Kashmir but rather highlighting Islamabad's brutality in Gilgit-Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, expressed his disappointment over the fact that the Prime Minister was all the time talking about Balochistan and other places, but didn't say a word about the present unrest in Kashmir.

"Now, this is the 37th day there is curfew in Kashmir, but he did not utter even a single word about the boys and the people killed there and the thousands of people injured and the prolonged curfew. He didn't talk about the plight of the Kashmir," Azad told the media here.

"So, he didn't talk about the Kashmir which is our part, an integral part of India. He was talking about something which was occupied by somebody else," he added.

Stating that Balochistan is not a problem, the Congress leader pointed out that the main cause of concern at the moment is Kashmir.

"Kashmir is burning. This is for the first time if I remember correctly never before in 36 years I have seen that a full-fledged debate in Rajya Sabha on two occasions within 25 days.so, in total four times this issue was raised and discussed in the Parliament so important is this issue," said Azad.

Questioning the Prime Minister's silence on Kashmir, the Congress leader said, "That was the place to give the message to our own Kashmir, who are our own kith and kin. So, you are not talking about your own children."

Pointing out that the Prime Minister's speech was not even of a Chief Minister's standard, Azad said that the former should have talked about development and employment.

"He should have talked about policy vis-a-vis Pakistan, America and China," he added.

The Congress leader further alleged that the Prime Minister maintains silence wherever there is a discussion on the issue of minorities, Kashmir, Dalits and farmers.

Deviating from the norm of restricting Independence Day speeches to issues of domestic import, the Prime Minister earlier said the fact that people from those remote and deprived regions are approaching India for help and support should be seen as a certificate of credit of New Delhi's humanitarian approach and the greater need for shunning violence as a pursuit of one's life.

"Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack, but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here," he said in his speech on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Urging the Pakistan Government to come for discussion, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said be it guns from India or across the border, it cannot get them justice.

"You can come for discussion. If this can't give us any solution, then no gun can get us justice.be it our guns or the guns of the militants. The fault is not with the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor is it with India... the problem has been with the leadership of the state over the years," Mehbooba said after unfurling the tri-colour on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

"Encounters have taken place in the past and will continue to take place. But I don't understand what my government's fault was? I promise that action will be taken against the police and security forces, who went against my directions," she added.

Remembering the efforts made my former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mehbooba said, "We hope that the efforts put in during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime would be completed now under Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

Urging the people to denounce violence in the Valley, Mehbooba said, "If we can't find our solution in the world's biggest democracy, we won't find it anywhere else."

Mehbooba was participating in the Independence Day celebrations in Srinagar's Bakshee Stadium, which is just seven kilometers away from Nowhatta where seven Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured in an attack by the terrorists earlier in the day.

Many parts of Srinagar, including the Nowhatta area, have been under curfew since the security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani earlier on July 8.

More than 50 people have died and thousands have been injured in clashes between the protesters and security forces since then.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday hailed the passage of Maternity Bill in the Rajya Sabha and expressed hope that it will sail through the Lok Sabha in the next session of Parliament.

"I am very happy that the Maternity Bill got passed through the Rajya Sabha and I wish the Lok Sabha had been there for one more day (then) we would have got it done. But I am very hopeful it will come through in November," said Gandhi.

The Rajya Sabha last week passed a Bill that provides for 26 weeks maternity leave.

The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill 2016, which was moved for consideration and passage by Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, was passed by a voice vote.

The measure also seeks to increase maternity benefit from 12 to 26 weeks for two surviving children that would benefit about 1.8 million women in the organised sector.

The new law will be applicable to all establishments employing 10 or more people.

The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, protects the employment of women during the time of her maternity and entitles her full paid absence from work, to take care for her child.

With the passage of this bill, India will join the league of 42 countries where maternity leave exceeds 18 weeks. The International Labour Organization (ILO) recommends a minimum standard maternity leave of 14 weeks, though it encourages countries to increase it to at least 18 weeks.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu today lashed out at the Congress for cornering Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not speaking on the prevailing unrest in Kashmir but rather highlighting Islamabad's brutality in Gilgit-Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said that the nation must speak in one voice.

Naidu said it is unfortunate that the Congress, instead of condemning Pakistan, is critical of the Prime Minister's statement.

"I am not able to understand. Our Congress friends, instead of trying to defend our interest, I don't know why they are trying to offend it. I hope they understand the damage they are doing to the cause of the nation," Naidu said.

"Today the nation has to speak with one voice with regard to fighting terrorism, with regard to outside interference in J-K," he added.

Describing Prime Minister Modi's Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort as 'inspiring', Naidu said the former has sent an unequivocal message to Pakistan without naming it.

"He has outshined the various developments of the government and also the need to have a change in the society, change of mindset among people and also he has explained India's resolve to march forward. He has sent an unequivocal message to Pakistan without naming it that we will not tolerate any kind of interference in our internal affairs," he added.

The Union Minister said it is a well-known fact that Pakistan is aiding, abetting and funding terrorists.

"And today every day we are seeing some or the other attempts are being made by Pakistan to fish in troubled waters...Pakistan should understand that this is not acceptable in India at all," he added.

Naidu further said that Pakistan should set its own house in order first instead of interfering in India's internal matter,

"In spite of our government making all efforts of having a normal relationship with Pakistan, they are not responding in a positive manner. Kashmir is a settled issue, it is an integral part of India. The only issue is as to how to get back the PoK to India," he added while asserting that the government is making attempts to reach out to all sections of the people with regard to Kashmir.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, earlier expressed his disappointment over the fact that the Prime Minister was all the time talking about Balochistan and other places, but didn't say a word about the present unrest in Kashmir.

"Now, this is the 37th day there is curfew in Kashmir, but he did not utter even a single word about the boys and the people killed there and the thousands of people injured and the prolonged curfew. He didn't talk about the plight of the Kashmir," Azad told the media here.

"So, he didn't talk about the Kashmir which is our part, an integral part of India. He was talking about something which was occupied by somebody else," he added.

Stating that Balochistan is not a problem, the Congress leader pointed out that the main cause of concern at the moment is Kashmir.

"Kashmir is burning. This is for the first time if I remember correctly never before in 36 years I have seen that a full-fledged debate in Rajya Sabha on two occasions within 25 days.so, in total four times this issue was raised and discussed in the Parliament so important is this issue," said Azad.

Questioning the Prime Minister's silence on Kashmir, the Congress leader said, "That was the place to give the message to our own Kashmir, who are our own kith and kin. So, you are not talking about your own children."

Deviating from the norm of restricting Independence Day speeches to issues of domestic import, the Prime Minister earlier said the fact that people from those remote and deprived regions are approaching India for help and support should be seen as a certificate of credit of New Delhi's humanitarian approach and the greater need for shunning violence as a pursuit of one's life.

"Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack, but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here," he said in his speech on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbai-based healthcare company Wockhardt reported its first quarter (April-June) consolidated profit, which fell sharply by 82.6 percent year-on-year to Rs. 15.9 crore.

The healthcare company's falling results is an impact by the US and emerging markets businesses, and weak operational performance.

Consolidated revenue during the quarter declined 4.2 percent to Rs. 1,090.8 crore on yearly basis.

International contributed 62 percent of the total revenue for the quarter.

"US business, which contributed 18 percent of global revenue, de-grew 16 percent," said Wockhardt in its release.

"The company's UK (excluding one-time opportunity) grew by 26 percent in Q1 on yearly basis while India increased by 10 percent on account of continued new products launches and focused strategies on various therapies," it added.

The company said it had initiated required steps to address the concerns raised by USFDA. It received establishment inspection report from USFDA with observations for three units in Maharashtra and import alert for active pharmaceutical ingredients located in Ankleshwar, Gujarat.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 16 Boko Haram insurgents have been killed by the Nigerian troops in the country's restive Borno state, officials said.

Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman said on Monday that an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded during the encounter with the militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Army spokesperson said that the troops will continue to intensify vigilance and high level of alertness through patrols and reconnaissance.

--IANS

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As the nation celebrated its 70th Independence Day on Monday, celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra took to Twitter to greet fans, calling it a day "of pride, happiness and love".

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who is currently in New York shooting for "Quantico", "missed being" in India to revel in the patriotic fervour.

Here's what the stars tweeted:

Amitabh Bachchan: Independence Day 15th August ... happiness and prosperity for all, particularly for our country

Shah Rukh Khan: Happy Independence Day to my country women and men Aug 15, 2016. A day of pride, happiness and love.

Shabana Azmi: On our 70th Independence Day, lets all take a pledge that we will attempt to be part of the solution not part of the problem

Kajol: We are a country that was born with diversity. Today let us celebrate it and make it our strength. Happy Independence Day!

Priyanka Chopra: And how much I miss being home today. Happy Independence Day to the country that is my identity.

A.R.Rahman: Wishing you independence from all the negative influences in the world.

Ajay Devgn: This Independence Day, let's pledge to fight for freedom from hunger.

Madhuri Dixit-Nene: Happy Independence Day!

Farah Khan: Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high! Happy Independence Day.

Huma Qureshi: Happy Independence Day guys...We got this day after much struggle and sacrifice...Cherish today cherish your country...

Hansal Mehta : Independence to express. Independence to be. Independence to create. Independence to love. Independence to dissent. Happy Independence Day

Abhishek Bachchan: Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind. Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

Shreyas Talapade: My nation, determination. Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind.

Riteish Deshmukh: Happy Independence Day. Born Indian. Proud. Tricolour. Jai Hind

Rannvijay Singha: Happy Independence Day. Started the journey to Siachen today.

Jacqueline Fernandez: Happy Independence Day India.

Milap Zaveri: Happy Independence Day! Love my country! Jai hind!

Prateik Babbar: Happy Independence Day to our beautiful country and its beautiful people.

Vir Das: Happy Independence Day! We have -- Third largest economy in the world soon. Largest working population under 30 on Earth! A bright future!

--IANS

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Chinese swimmer was surprised by a marriage proposal from her boyfriend and fellow diver Qin Kai after receiving her women's 3 metre springboard silver medal at the Rio Olympics.

Quin asked her to marry him in front of the audience at the Maria Lenk Aquatics Centre on Sunday, reports Efe.

Shortly after the medal ceremony, He Zi, 25, silver medallist in Rio and gold medallist in the 3m springboard synchronised diving at the 2012 London Games, received the marriage proposal when her boyfriend got down on his knee and gave her a diamond ring and flowers.

Visibly excited, she said "Yes!"

The groom-to-be, Qin, earlier won bronze in the men's synchronised 3m springboard together with Cao Yuan.

In the diving competition, finished 2nd in the final of the women's 3m springboard behind compatriot Shi Tingmao while Italy's Tania Cagnotto won bronze.
A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight here on Monday despite a strict curfew in the Kashmir Valley in view of terror threats on India's Independence Day.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area.

Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack. They have been shifted to a hospital.

Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta - close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar.

"Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house," a police officer told IANS.

Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on July 8 sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day.

The main official function was held at Bakhshi stadium near Lal Chowk in Srinagar amid tight security. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering.

She referred to the recent bout of violence in the valley and said peace was imperative for equal development of all the three regions - Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir.

"I ensured that civilians are not used as human shield during anti-militancy operations. I am sad because certain elements are using our youths as a shield to fulfil their notorious desires.

"These elements are trying to achieve their objectives through violence.

"Thousands have died in the state since the 1990s but what did we achieve? During the past 40 days, we handed our youths to these vested interests who are using them as cannon fodder."

She said her government needed time for healing the wounds of Kashmiris.

The Chief Minister appealed India and Pakistan to come together and work for peace in both parts of the divided Kashmir.

"So much blood has flown in the Jhelum river and it has no capacity to bear further bloodshed."

--IANS

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Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar on Monday said that he doesn't know if he is suitable to play late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray in his biopic, something he feels that the makers need to decide.

At a media interaction for the success of his recent film "Rustom", Akshay was asked if he would like to play the character of Balasaheb and he said, "I don't know whether I suit the character first of all, whoever makes it will have to first think if I suit the character or not."

When asked which actor he feels will be suitable, he said, "I don't know about it. Rather people should think about it, because it is not a small personality, it's a big personality that you're talking about. So I cannot answer it like this."

Akshay's name is one of the names that has cropped up for the biopic. Thackeray's grandson Rahul and his daughter-in-law Smita are currently in the process of making a biopic on the late leader.

Akshay's "Rustom" was a sort of a biopic, as it was based on real events -- a 1959 case where a naval officer had killed his wife's lover.

About the trend of biopics, Akshay said, "I think biopics have been picked up by audience in a good way and it's great that biopic is about a great person's story which comes in front of the audience and they would love to see how they became great, so it's good to make biopics. Biopics work for India, so it's good that India is making it."

"Rustom" has earned more than Rs 50 crore in the first three days.

About the success of the film, Akshay said, "I felt very good when the audience response was good. As far as the collections are concerned, I am not an 'antaryami', I can't say till where the collections will go. I can definitely say that it felt very good that the opening of the film was good.

"It was not confidence, I was nervous. when a film releases, no one knows about what is going to happen. And definitely, I had liked its screenplay and the script and that's why I had done the film. That was the only confidence, but there was nervousness."

Akshay will next be seen in the film "Jolly LLB 2" and the sequel of Rajinikanth's "Robot".

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned emotional on Monday as he paid tributes to godman Pramukh Swami of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swami sect who died at age 95.

Pramukh Swami enjoyed a massive following around the world. He passed away on Saturday evening.

Watched by thousands, Modi said that while people may have lost a guru, he had lost a father.

The Prime Minister flew to Gujarat after addressing the Independence Day function at the Red Fort in Delhi.

In Ahmedabad, Governor O.P. Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and senior officials received him.

From Ahmedabad, Modi flew by helicopter to Sarangpur in Botad where Pramukh Swami's body had been kept for his followers to have their last 'darshan'.

Modi spent about an hour in Sarangpur after which he would return to Delhi. The place crawled with thousands of devotees who had reached there in hundreds of buses and other vehicles.

Modi said Pramukh Swami fulfilled his guru Yogiji Maharaj's wishes by developing the Akshardham temple on the bank of the Yamuna in the Indian capital.

Sharing his memories, the Prime Minister said that when the Akshardham temple in Delhi was to be inaugurated, Pramukh Swami insisted that he must join the consecration ceremony. Modi was then the Gujarat Chief Minister.

"Though there were many important people there, Swamiji not only wanted me to sit in the 'puja' but he gave some money to me so that I would also contribute in the form of donation.

"He knew I didn't have anything in my pocket," he added.

All the major highways leading to the venue in the Saurashtra region were choc-o-bloc.

The Prime Minister described the Pramukh Swami as his mentor. As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi was a frequent visitor to Pramukh Swami.

--IANS

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An LTTE leader who was once a deputy to its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran was a RAW agent, recruited as early as 1989, a new book says.

Journalist Neena Gopal, who interviewed former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi moments before he was assassinated in 1991, says that Gopalaswamy Mahendrarajah alias Mahattaya was a Research and Analysis Wing mole.

"The man was cultivated and positioned by RAW as their mole inside Prabharkaran's hitherto impenetrable ranks as early as 1989," she says in her book "The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi" (Penguin).

"He would become their deep asset, the one who would subvert the insurgent movement from the inside, and had been tasked to eliminate Prabhakaran and take over the LTTE," the book says.

RAW's links with Mahattaya, who the LTTE later executed on charges of being an Indian intelligence agent, was not known to the Indian Military Intelligence or the Intelligence Bureau, it says.

The LTTE reportedly suspected that it was Mahattaya who tipped off the Indians about a Tamil Tiger ship in January 1993, leading to the death of former Jaffna LTTE commander Kittu, a childhood friend of Prabhakaran.

According to the book, Mahattaya was reportedly seized by the LTTE and taken to a camp where he was "tortured over a period of several weeks and months until he could barely speak, sit or stand.

"He was finally executed in December 1994, 19 months (later). Some 257 of his men were executed and their bodies dumped, LTTE style, in a pit and set on fire."

Despite the RAW's covert penetration of the LTTE, the Indian military, civilian intelligence and its diplomats worked at cross-purposes when the Indian military was deployed in Sri Lanka's northeast in 1987-90, the book says.

The Sri Lankan military finally crushed the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, leaving thousands dead in the final months of a brutal conflict that began some 30 years earlier.

The book also suggests that the RAW -- which like other Indian institutions felt betrayed after Prabhakaran ordered Gandhi's killing -- may have had a hand in the LTTE chief's elimination.

"RAW sources say that until the very last minute, Prabhakaran was tricked into believing that a surrender (by him and his men in 2009) was a viable option, and that he would be handed over to a neutral international group and not the Sri Lankan government as Colombo wanted."

The RAW's ability to cultivate assets in the LTTE was one reason for its overconfidence vis-a-vis the Tigers.

Accordingly, the agency failed to factor that the LTTE leader would avenge the fighting against the Indian military in Sri Lanka by targeting Rajiv Gandhi one day.

Neena Gopal quotes a senior RAW officer as saying: "If we had read the signals right, if we understood what was going on in Prabhakaran's mind, who knows, we could have prevented this.

"It was our fault, we made a huge error of judgement. We misread Prabhakaran. We never believed he would turn against us in this manner. We should have seen it coming. We didn't.

"We failed Rajiv Gandhi, we failed to save his life."

The author had been interviewing Gandhi until he reached the election rally ground at Sriperumpudur near Chennai on the night of May 21, 1991. A little later, Gandhi was killed by a LTTE woman suicide bomber.

She says that Gandhi "had an almost prescient premonition of his own death".

The book says there was complete lack of security at the venue and it was not well lit too, a point even Gandhi noticed.

Gandhi then told the author: "Have you noticed how every time any South Asian leader of any import rises to a position of power or is about to achieve something for himself or his country, he is cut down, attacked, killed...

"Look at Mrs (Indira) Gandhi, Sheikh Mujib, look at Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, at Zia ul-Haq, (S.W.R.D.) Bandaranaike."

The book says: "Within minutes of making that bone-chilling prophetic statement that hinted that there were dark forces at work and he knew he was a target, Rajiv Gandhi himself would be gone."

--IANS

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Sprint king Usain Bolt has said he was a step closer to immortality after becoming the first man to win three consecutive Olympic 100-metre gold medals.

The Jamaican finished in 9.81 seconds, beating rival Justin Gatlin of the United States by eight hundredths of a second at the Olympic Stadium here on Sunday. Canada's Andre de Grasse took bronze in 9.91, reports Xinhua.

It was the seventh Olympic gold medal of Bolt's career as he confirmed his status as the greatest sprinter in history.

The result kept intact Bolt's hopes of being the first man to achieve an unprecedented triple-triple: three successive Olympic gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay.

"It was brilliant. I didn't go so fast but I'm so happy I won," Bolt said after winning on Sunday. "I told you guys I was going to do it."

"Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal."

Bolt suffered an injury scare at the Jamaican Olympic trials last month, forcing him to seek treatment in Germany.

He said he never doubted his fitness, nor his ability to beat rival Justin Gatlin, who had held the fastest time of the year in the event before Sunday.

"There will always be doubters. But I'm in better shape than last season," the 29-year-old said.

Bolt enjoyed overwhelming support from the Rio crowd while Gatlin was roundly jeered. The 34-year-old American won the 100m gold medal at the Athens 2004 Games but later served a four-year ban for doping.

Read our full coverage on the 2016 Rio Olympics



"That's the first time I've gone into a stadium and they've started to boo," Bolt said. "It surprised me."

Gatlin was upbeat after the race but hinted he could retire from the sport.

"We work 365 days a year to be here for nine seconds. At the age of 34, to race these young guys and still make the podium feels so good."
The 70th Independence Day was celebrated with traditional fervour across Uttar Pradesh on Monday.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav unfurled the tricolour at the Vidhan Sabha in the state capital city and spoke of the priorities of his government.

He said all-round development and comprehensive progress of all sections of the society is the driving force for the state government.

Akhilesh Yadav said that the Lucknow Metro Rail was the fastest Metro project in the country and spoke in detail about the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, the Kanya Vidyadhan scheme, projects and schemes for farmers, and the work done in Bundelkhand.

He said that the Dial-100 facility would begin soon.

Governor Ram Naik unfurled the flag at Raj Bhavan and exhorted political parties to contest elections with a clean frame of mind.

Director General of Police (DGP) Javeed Ahmad unfurled the tricolour at the police headquarters here and lauded the efforts of the police force.

Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) President Raj Babbar hoisted the tricolour at the state headquarters of the party at Mall Avenue.

He paid homage to the unsung martyrs and said that a lot of struggle and sacrifices by millions had ensured freedom to the country.

He also credited the Congress party for successfully taking the nation into the 21st century.

Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and state Vice-President Gopal Tandon unfurled the national flag at the state BJP headquarters on Vidhan Sabha Marg in the presence of party office-bearers and cadres.

The District Magistrate of Lucknow, Raj Shekhar, presided over a flag hoisting event in the state capital.

The Independence Day was also celebrated in all the 75 districts of the state.

The Lucknow zoo, despite it being he weekly off for the staff, remained open on Monday to accommodate the huge rush of people, who were on an outing on the Independence Day.

--IANS

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The Independence Day was celebrated on Monday across Madhya Pradesh with Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan presiding over the main function here in the state capital.

Chouhan hoisted the national flag here at the Motilal Nehru Stadium here and took the salute from police contingents. The function had large participation of enthusiastic school children.

Tricolours were also hoisted at government offices, schools and offices of political parties in Bhopal.

State ministers presided over Independence Day functions in 29 of the 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh. In other districts, District Panchayat presidents led the celebrations.

The occasion also witnessed Prabhat Pheris -- early morning marches for singing, cultural expression and solidarity -- and musical programmes.

--IANS

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The Indian embassy in Brussels on Monday held an event to celebrate the country's 70th Independence Day.

The ceremony, attended by around 400 people, began with the hoisting of the tricolour and singing of the national anthem.

India's Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Manjeev Singh Puri read out the President of India's message to the nation on the occasion.

Puri thanked the Indian community in Belgium for their strong support during the first visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Brussels just a week after the terrorist attacks in the city last March.

A special film highlighting government schemes and programmes along with public service schemes was also screened at the funcion, which concluded with folk dance performance by the Kalbelia tribal group from Rajasthan.

--IANS

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday reiterated his demand for full statehood for Delhi and asked why the value of vote in Delhi was less compared to other states.

"Why is the value of votes of Delhiites less than those who voted in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh? Why does the Delhi government not have powers like other states?" Kejriwal asked in his Independence Day speech at a packed Chhatrasal Stadium.

Addressing the gathering of mostly students, Kejriwal said the Delhi government's powers were curbed a few years after independence when it was declared a Union Territory.

He said people in Delhi had a right to choose their government but the power of the elected government was limited.

"People choose their government which had certain powers. But for the last one-and-a-half years, the Delhi government's every right is being taken away one by one. Now the elected Delhi government has almost no powers (na ke barabar). We cannot take even one independent decision."

Reminding the "Government of India 1935 Act", Kejriwal said the act had given right to the people to elect their representatives but those elected persons have no power to run the government.

"Now, Delhi's situation is similar to the 1935 Government of India Act," Kejriwal said.

--IANS

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Chief Minister Mukul Sangma unfurled the national flag here on Monday as Meghalaya celebrated the 70th Independence Day.

Thousands of people gathered at the Polo ground witnessed a ceremonial parade. An Indian Air Force helicopter hovered over the sprawling parade ground showering rose petals.

Sangma appealed to all citizens to extend their support to his government in its endeavour to maintain peace and harmony and in implementing the developmental policies and programmes.

He said the government had provided an enabling environment for the members of insurgent and militant outfits to withdraw from their criminal activities and avail the rehabilitation package.

"The state has taken the effective measures to strengthen its internal security apparatus - resulting in better outcomes in our pursuits to restore normalcy and sustained peace for the progress and prosperity of the state," Sangma said.

--IANS

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Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in the country heading for a steady progress of development, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla said on Monday.

"Mizoram is one of the most peaceful states in India and also moving ahead for a steady progress, development, special infrastructure expansion," Lal Thanhawla said after unfurling the national flag at the Assam Rifles Ground here.

"This year is the 30th anniversary of the signing of the memorandum of settlement, known as the 'Mizoram Peace Accord'. In the last 30 years much has been achieved, yet there is still more to be done," he said.

A tripartite agreement was signed between the Centre, the Mizoram government and the erstwhile militant outfit Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1986, ending a two-decade (1966 to 1986) long insurgency in the northeastern state.

The 70th Independence Day was observed across Mizoram with diverse programmes, including sports, cultural events and public gatherings.

The Chief Minister said that rice production was increased in Mizoram from 60,647 tonnes during 2014-15 to 62,089 tonnes during 2015-16, an increase of 2.29 per cent.

Area under oil palm cultivation increased from 20,377 hectares in 2014-15 to 23,358 hectares during 2015-16, which is an increase of 14.63 per cent.

Lal Thanhawla said that Mizoram has finally been connected to the broad gauge railway map of the country.

"Broad gauge goods train was flagged off at Bairabi railway station in March while the broad gauge passenger train was flagged out of the station in May by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video conferencing system. We expect that by 2019, the railway line under construction to reach Sairang would be completed."

He said that 60 MW Tuirial hydroelectric project was in the final stages of completion and was expected to be commissioned shortly. Construction work for the 210 MW Tuivai hydroelectric project is being pursued.

The Chief Minister said that the school education department has tied up with Tata Institute of Social Sciences to introduce Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx) in 200 high schools in Mizoram.

The Mizoram government has implemented the much-awaited National Food Security Act, 2013, in March, benefiting 140,017 households covering 667,482 people.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited Botad in Gujarat to pay his last tribute to Pramukh Swami, his 'mentor', who died here on Sunday.

Pramukh Swami belonged to Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swami sect and was 95 at the time of death. He enjoyed a huge following across the world.

The Prime Minister was received by Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other senior Indian Administrative and Police Service officials at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad. He left for Botad later.

Modi airdashed to Gujarat by a special plane after addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. Immediately from Ahmedabad, he left for Sarangpur in Botad by a helicopter where Pramukh Swami's body was kept for his followers to pay their last homage.

Modi spent about an hour in Sarangpur before returning to Delhi. He described Pramukh Swami as his 'mentor'. Modi frequently visited Pramukh Swami, when he was still the Chief Minister of the state.

All the major state highways leading to Sarangpur and Una in Gujarat witnessed huge rush on Monday, as thousands of devotees jumped into hundreds of buses and vehicles and made their way to the Saurashtra region for Swami.

On other state highways, hundreds made their way to Una to participate in a massive Dalit rally held at the conclusion of the Dalit padyatra, which began on August 5.

--IANS

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Swimmer Michael Phelps has said that his success at the ensured he could retire without any regrets, even as he ruled out a return to competition.

The 31-year-old American won five more Olympic titles in Rio, extending his record as the greatest Olympian of all time to 23 gold, three silver and two bronze medals, reports Xinhua.

"This is what I wanted to finish my career. This is the cherry that I wanted to put on the top of the cake," Phelps told a press conference on Sunday.

Phelps announced his retirement after the London 2012 Games but returned to the sport two years ago, citing unfinished business.

The American praised his partner, Nicole Johnson, for helping him to recover from bouts of depression and alcohol abuse.

He said his recovery was completed in May with the birth of his son, Boomer.

"I am proud of the work I have put in over the last two-plus years to be able to get back to where I am today," Phelps said.

Read our full coverage on the 2016 Rio Olympics



"This is the way I wanted to hang my suit up. I am very happy I came back. If I hadn't had come back, I wouldn't have know what to do with myself and would have been frustrated with myself for not giving myself a chance. I'm in the best place possible with everything that's going on in my life."

Phelps added that there was no chance he could be coaxed out of retirement for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

"When I decided to come back I wanted to do it the right way," he said. "I wanted to challenge myself and see how much more I could do. I don't have anything that's left. This is it. This is the last time you'll ever see me racing in the water."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought support from all sections of society for the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative which focuses on the girl child.

"I still need social support for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'," the Prime Minsiter said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.

He said one healthy, educated and economically independent woman can pull a family out of poverty.

He also spoke of the bill for extending maternity leave to 26 weeks that the Rajya Sabha passed last week.

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday thanked the soldiers who guard India's borders.

The Prime Minister in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort said India cannot forget the soldiers because of whom we enjoy our freedom.

Loud applause was heard from the audience as the Prime Minister mentioned the soldiers.

He said that his government had approved the long-pending 'One Rank One Pension' scheme and brought happiness to the families of the soldiers.

--IANS

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India's 70th Independence Day was celebrated with enthusiasm, gaiety and fervour throughout Rajasthan on Monday.

The state-level function was held at the Patel Stadium here where Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje unfurled the national flag and urged the people to cooperate in making Rajasthan a leading state.

"Lot has been done, but more is needed to make Rajasthan a leading state and without participation and cooperation of people nothing much can be achieved," she said, addressing a large gathering of city residents, school children and others here.

Raje highlighted various schemes of the state government.

Various steps are being taken to improve infrastructure in the state, including road network, she said.

"We are working hard to put Rajasthan on the path of progress," Raje said.

"We are giving priority to development of solar and wind power and because of our policies the state ranks top in solar power."

The state will organise Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet-2016 (GRAM) in Jaipur from November 9-11, which is likely to be attended by over 40,000 farmers from all over the country, she said.

The function also saw Raje honouring police and government officers and cultural performances.

--IANS

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Amnesty India of the international human rights organisation was booked for sedition and other unlawful acts after anti-India slogans were raised at an event it organised here last week, police said.

A case of sedition and rioting has been booked on Monday under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Amnesty on a complaint that anti-India slogans were raised at its event here on August 13, a police official told IANS.

The charges, including sedition, rioting, an unlawful assembly and promoting enmity were mentioned in the FIR (first information report) police filed on Monday, two days after the RSS-affiliate ABVP lodged the complaint with audio-video evidence on August 13 and protested against Amnesty on Sunday at the venue (United Theological College) in the city centre where the event was held.

"We are investigating the complaint and checking the video to ascertain the charges and identify those who raised the slogans for culpability," the official said but declined to elaborate.

The sedition charge under section 124A of the IPC amounts to an attempt to cause hatred or contempt or excite disaffection towards the government of India.

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.

The case, however, did not name any individual or member of the organisation, but implicated Amensty Indian for holding the event and allegedly allowing slogans to be raised against the country and the Indian army.

Claiming that they were yet to receive a copy of the FIR, Amnesty executive director Aakar Patel regretted that organising an event to defend constitutional values was being branded 'anti-national and a criminal act.

"As police were informed about the event in advance, they were present at the venue. Registering a case of sedition on a complaint against us shows a lack of belief in fundamental rights and freedom in the country," Patel said in a statement after police filed the FIR.

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 on Sunday 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.

"Among those who spoke at the event were the family of Shahzad Ahmad Khan, one of the men killed in the Macchil extra-judicial execution, where five army personnel were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment," Amnesty said in the statement.

A representative of the Kashmiri Pandit community in the city, who was invited to attend the event, also spoke on the occasion about the 'human rights violations' in the Valley.

BJP's Lok Sabha member from Mysuru Pratap Simha was dismayed that police had allowed such an event and lamented that the state intelligence agency was unaware ot it in advance or later.

"The state government should order an inquiry into the event where pro-azaadi and anti-national elements from Kashmir participated," Simha said on Sunday.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists, some of whom were present at the event, alleged that a group of Kashmiri youth raised slogans claiming atrocities by the Indian army.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Justice of India Justice T.S. Thakur on Monday urged the government to pay attention to the judiciary and address its problems.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of the historic Red Fort here, he said he wondered if the Prime Minister would say something about the country's judicial system.

"Think about justice for the citizens of this country," the Chief Justice said at a function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Independence Day here.

Pointing to the delays that have crept into the justice delivery system on account of huge pendency of cases, Chief Justice Thakur said that during the British Raj a case used to be decided in 10 years time but now even that was not happening due to the huge backlog.

Pointing out that he has reached his career's pinnacle and was not going anywhere from here and hence didn't think twice before speaking, he said: "Please think how to deliver justice to the people."

Reciting couplets of acclaimed Urdu poet Allama Iqbal, Chief Justice Thakur said that flowers and at times fruits are being showered on others, and the government could spare some for the judiciary as well.

At the start of a similar Independence Day function at the Supreme Court, the knot on the Tricolour did not open when the Chief Justice tried to unfurl the national flag.

Explaining how the flag was finally unfurled, the Chief Justice said: "We took out the pole, undid the knot on the flag, refixed the pole and unfurled it."

Bar Association Vice-President Ajit Sinha earlier urged Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to consult the association while appointing judges as they too were stakeholders. Its secretary Gaurav Bhatia said judicial appointments should be made on time.

In his address as guest of honour, the Law Minister said the appointment of judges would go ahead, irrespective of whether a memorandum of procedure (MoP) was in place or not.

He said the Modi government had taken this position right at the year's beginning that absence of MoP would not come in the way of appointment of judges to higher judiciary.

On Friday, the Chief Justice urged the government to clear the appointment of judges as recommended by the Supreme Court collegium.

Real freedom would be when we will be free from poverty and exploitation, Chief Justice Thakur said, pointing out that 10 crore people lived below the poverty line in 1947 while the number at present was 40 crore Indians.

Scoffing at the Rs 26 and Rs 32 poverty line set for people living in rural and urban areas respectively, the Chief Justice said if we take a realistic position then 50 per cent of the Indians are still living in poverty.

The mere fact that one gets two meals a day is no basis for determining the poverty or below poverty line status of a person, he said.

He said the employment scenario too posed a real challenge, and recalled that 14 post-graduates were working as peons at the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh.

Recalling the journey that India had undertaken since its Independence, the Chief Justice said the country has come a long way.

"Today, we are a nuclear power and on road to be a regional power and no one can dare to look at us," he said. "We need to introspect what we have achieved and what we have lost."

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Changing their hues comes naturally to politicians. They switch parties -- and ideologies -- with bewildering ease. And as the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections draw close, they are changing colours so fast as to give chameleons tough competition!

Sample this: Swamy Prasad Maurya, a former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) general secretary and also the Leader of Opposition in the assembly, was known for his acerbic and caustic comments against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its leaders. His pinpricks hurt even the most powerful, ranging from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to party president Amit Shah. He spared no one in his efforts to please his party chief 'Behen' Mayawati.

All that changed this week as the powerful Kurmi leader walked into the saffron fold and vowed to ensure a majority BJP government in the state.

On Wednesday, at his maiden appearance at the BJP state headquarters on Vidhan Sabha Marg, the bearded Maurya eulogised Modi and Shah, whom he had, on many occasions in the past, dubbed the "devil duo", "bhukhe bhediye" (hungry for votes) and "nautankibaaz" (jokers). His "change of heart" has apparently come about because of Modi's pro-Dalit and pro-development policies.

He however fails to explain how the "merchants of hatred and masters of rioting" have suddenly come to acquire such godly virtues. An aide says "it's all rajneeti" (politics) and suggests that "one must not stick to the past".

Even the BJP strategists are refusing to comment on the embrace as it was Maurya who had not only abused the party's leaders but also spoken sacrilegiously about Hindu gods like Lakshmi and Ganesh on September 21, 2014. A case was also registered against him and the BJP had hit the streets on the issue.

For the BJP, which showed one of its senior leaders, Daya Shankar Singh, the door for making disparaging comments against BSP chief Mayawati, the rose-shower welcome for the abusive Maurya has raised many an eyebrow here.

On the same day, three Muslim legislators of the Congress switched to the BSP, claiming a similar change of heart. Mohammed Muslim, a legislator from Tiloi in Amethi, who was till now the chief whip of the party in the assembly, did a volte face after joining the BSP and called Sonia Gandhi a leader "who cannot see with her eyes and hear from the ears".

Qasim Ali, the scion of the Rampur royalty, has changed his allegiance twice in the last five years. Between 2007 ans 2012, he was with Mayawati but left her and joined the Congress on the eve of the polls to again become a legislator.

This week, he walked back into the BSP, saying his "eyes have now opened and the misunderstandings have been cleared". It took some five years for these to clear, however.

Nawazish Alam Khan, a ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator from Budhana in Muzaffarnagar, has a new ideology dawning upon him now and he has ditched Mulayam Singh Yadav for arch rival Mayawati.

He now says that he was "suffocated" in the SP and is now looking for fresh air in the BSP. It is a different matter that most leaders who have left the BSP have alleged similar suffocation as the reason for leaving.

Not long ago, old socialist hands Amar Singh and Beni Prasad Verma, looking for political relevance and rehabilitation, walked into the SP after a six-year break. During their period of exile, both leaders had hurled choicest expletives on the SP and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

From calling him a "sardar of goondaas" (leader of ruffians) to a criminal and an ISI agent who takes money from terror groups, Amar Singh and Verma went ballistic. Now back in the party and in the Rajya Sabha, the duo is once again singing paeans of the socialist 'neta ji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav).

Even the SP, which called Amar Singh a "pimp and a dalaal" is now happy calling him an "adarniya neta" (respected leader) who was sorely missed.

There have been many similar instances in the past. In the 1990s Naresh Agarwal broke away from the Congress overnight to form his Loktantrik Congress Party, extended support to Kalyan Singh and the BJP and was part of the government. He later ditched the saffron party to join the SP, then walked into the BSP and now is again a Rajya Sabha member of the SP.

Jagdambika Pal was a Congressman all through his career but joined the BJP in 2014 and is now a Lok Sabha MP.

The new generation of politicians is seemingly keeping alive the tradition of these turncoat politicians.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted at mohit.d@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.)
Wall Street's procrastination only gives opponents another reason to act. Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and other banks want the Federal Reserve to give them until 2022 to offload investments banned by the Volcker Rule. They have already had six years to do so, during which time the stock market has doubled. Asking for such a long delay may lead to unwanted consequences.
Bihar Health Minister Tej Pratap, son of Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, has come a long way since his oath-taking ceremony last year when he said "upekshit" (neglected) instead of "apekshit" (expected), earning ridicule from Opposition leaders and critics.
Slamming the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their "anti-Punjab" stance, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the people not to "blindly follow the sinister moves" of these parties as they were "inimical to the interests of the state".

Addressing a function to mark the martyrdom day of revolutionary Karnail Singh Issru, who had laid down his life during the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese, here at his native village, he alleged that the Congress and the AAP were "two sides of the same coin".

Claiming that these parties had a "proven track record" of being "anti-Punjab and anti-Sikh", Badal asked the people of the state to remain vigilant of their "nefarious" designs.

He accused the Congress of "irrelevantly meddling" in the social, political, economic and religious affairs of Punjab and alleged that successive governments of the party at the Centre had "deliberately denied" the state of Punjabi-speaking areas, its capital Chandigarh and its legitimate share of river waters.

"How can a true Punjabi forget and forgive Operation Blue Star and the killing of innocent Sikhs in the 1984 carnage," said Badal.

He accused the Congress of being the "perpetrator of a deep-rooted conspiracy" to deprive Punjab of its waters by constructing the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, adding that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation of the project to "rob the state of its waters".

"Congress leaders are now shedding crocodile tears on the issue while forgetting that the current chief of the party's state unit, Amarinder Singh, had welcomed Indira Gandhi to lay the foundation of the canal in the 1980s," alleged Badal.

Training his guns on the AAP, the Chief Minister said in the garb of Aam Aadmi, the party was nothing but a "band of fugitives and opportunists" who were vying to attain political power "at any cost".

He claimed that "this new party" had no sympathy for the people of Punjab and alleged that in the Supreme Court, the AAP government in Delhi had taken a stance contrary to the interests of the state on the SYL issue, adding that only the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) was the "true custodian" of its interests.

He said the last almost 10 years of rule of the SAD-BJP combine in the state was a testimony to the fact that it had honoured all of its promises.

"The alliance delivers whereas, the other political parties mislead by unleashing malicious propaganda," Badal said and called upon the people to let the "control of their destiny" remain in the "right hands" by ensuring a third consecutive SAD-BJP government in the state in the 2017 Assembly election.

The Chief Minister said every vote for the alliance would be one for "stability, development, peace and right governance".

"Secure the future of the younger generations by supporting the ruling alliance so that the ongoing development of the state gets a further boost," he said.

Listing the major initiatives of his government, Badal said it has supplied free electricity to farmers at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore and doubled the pension amount under various pro-poor and pro-people social security schemes.

He said his government has launched a unique scheme to provide interest-free crop loans worth Rs 50,000 to farmers.

He said in another "historic" decision, it has been decided that farmers would be provided with a health insurance cover of Rs 50,000 and an insurance of Rs 5 lakh in case of accidental death or incapacitation of the head of the family.

The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the "overwhelming" success of the Mukh Mantri Tirath Yatra scheme and claimed that the people were availing the benefits of this "first-of-its-kind" scheme in the country "enthusiastically".

Earlier, he paid floral tributes to Karnail Singh Issru.
Bihar Chief Minister on Monday announced a slew of development projects and schemed regarding the "seven resolves" adopted by his government for the next five years and said that rule of law prevailed in the state.

In his speech on 70th Independence Day, Kumar announced the launch of Student Credit Card scheme from October 2. The scheme promises Rs 4 lakh interest free loan to students for pursuing higher education.

He also announced the launch of a scheme to provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to youths in the age group of 20 to 25 for two years to help them search job.

The CM announced start of centres in all 534 blocks in the state for imparting language training and computer knowledge to youths to prepare them with better employment prospects.

Another major promise was launch of start up capital of Rs 5,000 crore to help young entrepreneurs start their ventures.

Kumar said free Wi-fi facility would be made available in all state universities and colleges from February 2017.

These announcements are part of his "seven resolves" which he had expressed on the eve of state Assembly election last year. The resolves have been adopted by the grand secular alliance government of JD(U), RJD and Congress in the state as "policy of governance" for the next five years.

Kumar said rule of law prevailed in the state and appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Expressing concern over misuse of social media triggering violence, he said, "I urge everybody to ignore provocative messages sent deliberately to foment unrest in the society... We should not become victims of such designs."



Violence erupted in Saran district last week over a youth sending some objectionable message on social media.

While the state level function was held at the historic Gandhi Maidan where the chief minister took salute from marching contingents, the occasion was celebrated enthusiastically elsewhere too.

Later, the CM visited Chilbilli Mahadalit Tola to hoist the tricolour in a village inhabited by mahadalits, poorest among dalits, at Phulwarisharif block of Patna district.

Governor Ramnath Kovind unfurled national flag at Raj Bhavan and extended warm greetings to the people on the day.

RJD President Lalu Prasad, accompanied by wife Rabri Devi and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, hoisted the tricolour at his 10 Circular Road residence in the presence of a large number of party functionaries and citizens.

On the law and order situation, the chief minister said regular review meetings were being conducted and strict instructions have been given to security forces to check crime.

He said that a "Satyagraha parisar" would be established at Mithapur locality of Patna with facilities of building, play ground, museum and of public utilities to hail centenary celebration of Champaran satyagraha launched by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule.

In addition, a Gandhi Smriti Bhavan would be set up at Bhithiharwa in West Champaran district, the spot from where the father of the nation had launch agitation against forced indigo cultivation by the Britishers.

Kumar also announced setting up a "Prakash Parva Kendra" in Patna on the occasion of 350th birth anniversary of Guru Govind Singh in January next year.

He spoke of formulating a new five year agriculture road map from 2017-22 after completion of the present one to boost farming, the mainstay of the state's economy.

The CM announced setting up a police control room and police help line for prompt redressal of complaints of citizens.

For expeditiously dealing with incidents of fire, he talked of establishing a fire brigade centre at police station level in the state.

As part of the resolves "Awsar Badhe, Aage Padhe" (Increase opportunity for pursuing further studies) under which arrangements would be made to set up institutions of higher, professional and technical studies at district and sub division level in the next four years, he added.

Kumar announced five new medical colleges at Begusarai, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, Bhojpur and Madhubani.

In addition to bringing out a new Patliputra and Purnea Universities in Patna and Purnea, a veterinary university would come up at Patna, he said.

A university would also come up at Munger, he added.

Richly decorated tableaux of different departments was displayed before the gathered masses at Gandhi Maidan.
Delhi Chief Minister on Monday said that despite having "limited powers" and "hurdles" created by the Centre, the AAP government has been able to deliver on several fronts which are being lauded across the world.

Addressing a gathering at a function here to celebrate Independence Day, Kejriwal said in the last one-and-a-half years, his government has "prepared" the people of Delhi by educating them besides making them healthy and giving skills.

He said that that despite having limited powers, they will make Delhi prosperous.

"It is people who are instrumental in the growth of a country and not any government. The government's responsibility is to make people prepare.

"We are taking historic decision in education and health sectors. 11,000 government schools have been constructed in last 65 years, but in last one year, we have constructed 8,000 new classrooms which amounts to 200 new schools.

"Several private schools increase fee arbitrarily following which parents were sad. Previous governments did not stop them (private schools) as their ministers were in their pockets because they got admission of children of theirs, relatives admission in these schools.

"But in our government's rule, I and ministers have not recommended admission of any children to any private school so far," he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister also said that even his son goes to Noida for schooling, adding "As being the Chief Minister of Delhi, I can easily get admission of my son in any private school in Delhi.

"I know if I do the same, I will not have the courage to prevent this school from increasing fee. This year, we have not allowed any school to increase school in Delhi."

He said that first ever parent-teachers meeting in government schools had great results, adding that teachers, parents share beautiful experiences

Lauding his government's works in health sector, Kejriwal said Delhi is the only state where entire treatment in government hospitals, including medicines and tests, comes for free.

"In the last one-and-a-half year, we have built 100 mohalla clinics. We have a target of constructing 1,000 such clinics by December this year. Delhi government has also done well in the health sector," he said.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Monday hit out at incumbent Mehbooba Mufti for not owning up responsibility for the prevailing situation in the valley since she took over the reins of the PDP-BJP coalition government.

"Between 2009-14 everything was my fault but as of the last 4 months nothing is @MehboobaMufti's fault (sic)," Omar wrote on Twitter.

Omar was referring to the criticism he was subjected to by Mehbooba when he was the Chief Minister and she was the leader of opposition.

Mehbooba, who made her maiden speech at an Independence Day function as chief minister, said, "Encounters have taken place in the past, will continue to take place. What was my government's fault?"



Omar created a hashtag "living in denial" to go with his tweets.

In another tweet, Omar said Mehbooba will have to find someone to blame for failing to hoist the national flag at the Independence Day function on Monday.

He was referring to the national tricolor falling off the post as Mehbooba hoisted it at Bakshi stadium here where the main Independence Day function of the state was held.

Mehbooba pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolor fall from the post and land on the ground.

"Now Mehbooba will have to find someone to blame for failing to hoist the tricolour in Srinagar since nothing is ever her fault," he said.
Twenty-one Delhi Police personnel, including a woman officer, have been conferred Police Medals for their exemplary services on the occasion of Independence Day.

Delhi Police's Special Cell members Sub-Inspector Krishan Kumar, Assistant SI Ajay Bir Singh, Head Constables Raj Kumar and Umesh Kumar have been awarded Police Medal for Gallantry.

The President's Medal for Distinguished Service was awarded to Sub-Inspector Girdhari Singh. He has been associated with investigations and arrests in several sensational cases of robbery, forgery and kidnapping.

Sub-Inspector Kaushal Pandey is the lone woman officer of Delhi Police who has been awarded President's Medal for Meritorious Service. Participating in a UN Mission in South Sudan, she was instrumental in saving lives of about 35,000 people who had taken shelter in the UN campus.

The Medals for Meritorious Service have been conferred on 16 Delhi Police officers, including Special Cell Inspectors Hridaya Bhushan and Lalit Mohan Negi who have been associated with probes and arrests in connection with terrorist activities in the national capital like attack on the Parliament and Red Fort shootout.

Ravinder Kumar Tyagi, ACP Model Town, has also been conferred the Medal for Meritorious Service. He served in Angola on a UN Mission and was awarded a medal by the world body.

Other recipients of Meritorious Service medal include Head Constable Bala Nath who has earned 92 rewards for his unblemished service and devotion to duty.

Two honorary officers of Civil Defence have also been conferred the President's Police Medals.

Chief Warden (North West) Brij Mohan Vij has received Medal for Distinguished Service while Deputy Chief Warden (North West) Pawan Kumar Bashin has received Meritorious Service medal.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Protesters threw rocks and fired shots in a second night of violence in a tense neighborhood of Milwaukee following the deadly police shooting of an armed black man.

Police dressed in riot gear moved in on the Sherman Park neighborhood around 11:00 PM yesterday (0930 IST today) to disperse an angry crowd and restore order.

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.

In Milwaukee, in the Midwest state of Wisconsin, officers at one point used an armored vehicle to rescue a shooting victim and rush the person to hospital.

A police officer was taken to hospital to be treated for an injury after protesters threw a rock that broke the windshield of a squad car.

An unspecified "projectile" was thrown at another officer, who was protected by a helmet.

One squad car was damaged by thrown bricks, rocks and glass bottles.

"Officers continue to have rocks thrown at them as they work to disburse small, disorderly groups in area around Sherman and Burleigh," police said on Twitter, adding that armored vehicles were deployed to protect officers.

"Multiple" arrests were made, it said.

Some 125 members of the Wisconsin National Guard were activated and placed on standby early yesterday to prevent a repeat of the arson, rock-throwing and shootings that occurred the previous night.

But they were not called to the areas of the latest disturbances.

On Saturday, an angry crowd of at least 200 people took to the streets, torching at least six businesses, including a BP gas station and auto parts store that were destroyed, police said.

Individuals attending the rally fired dozens of shots, apparently in the air.

Violence broke out following the fatal shooting of local man Sylville Smith, 23.

Even though Smith was said to be armed and had a lengthy police record, the shooting and its aftermath bore chilling echoes of a series of violent incidents involving law enforcement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Turkish police officers and a child were killed today in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, local officials said.

The blast hit a police control post on the highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, the local governor's office said in a statement, adding that 25 people were wounded including five police officers.

Television images showed the bombing had turned the three- storey police building to tangled rubble. Locals were also inspecting the massive trench where the ground had been blown out.

The latest bombing came after at least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks blamed on PKK militants in Turkey's southeast.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed by the PKK in attacks since the collapse of a two- year ceasefire in July last year.

The PKK has kept up attacks after the July 15 failed coup during which a rogue military faction tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power.

The government has vowed there will be no let-up in the fight against the PKK even in the wake of the coup.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984. It is proscribed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 31 people were killed today and several injured when a crowded bus skidded off the road and fell some 300 meters down the hill in central .

The incident took place as the bus with 85 passengers, heading for Kattike Deurali from Kathmandu, skidded off the road at Birta Deurali-7 in Kavre.

District Chief of the National Investigation Department Dhan Bahadur Budhathoki said 31 bodies have been recovered and the death toll may rise further.

A Army helicopter airlifted 15 injured passengers to Kathmandu for treatment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An eyewitness said that many passengers have been squeezed by the bus wreckage.

Prime Minister Prachanda directed concerned stakeholders including the government bodies to intensify rescue mission.

is mostly covered with mountains, and most roads are narrow.

Most accidents in Nepal are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and road conditions. Buses are crowded and people also travel on the roofs of buses.
At least 33 people were killed today and 43 others injured when a crowded bus skidded off the road and fell some 300 meters down the hill in central Nepal.

The incident took place as the bus with 85 passengers, heading for Kattike Deurali from Kathmandu, skidded off the road at Birta Deurali-7 in Kavre.

According to the District Police Office Kavre, 33 people were killed in the accident.

As many as 43 others have been injured in the incident, police said.

A Nepal Army helicopter airlifted 15 injured passengers to Kathmandu for treatment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An eyewitness said that many passengers have been squeezed by the bus wreckage.

Prime Minister Prachanda directed concerned stakeholders including the government bodies to intensify rescue mission.

Nepal has many mountainous areas and most roads are narrow.

Most accidents in Nepal are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and road conditions. Buses are crowded and people also travel on the roofs of buses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 37 people were killed and 43 others injured in two separate bus accidents in Nepal today.

The first incident took place when a bus with 85 passengers, heading for Kattike Deurali from Kathmandu, skidded off the road and plunged 500 metres down the road at Birta Deurali-7 in Kavre after the driver lost control of it.

According to the District Police Office Kavre, 33 people were killed in the accident.

As many as 43 others have been injured in the incident, police said.

A Nepal Army helicopter airlifted 15 injured passengers to Kathmandu for treatment, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

An eyewitness said that many passengers have been squeezed by the bus wreckage.

Prime Minister Prachanda directed concerned stakeholders including the government bodies to intensify rescue mission.

In the second accident, a passenger bus met with an accident at Siddheshwor, killing four people on the spot. The bus was heading for Bajhang district from Dhangadi.

Nepal has many mountainous areas and most roads are narrow.

Most accidents in Nepal are blamed on poorly maintained vehicles and road conditions. Buses are crowded and people also travel on the roofs of buses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 42 civilians have been killed in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official has said, 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".

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 today.

"Flags will be lowered to half-mast across the country and media scheduling will be adjusted to the situation," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today announced release of six per cent additional DA to employees and pensioners of the state government with effect from January 1 this year, which would cost Rs 330 crore more to the state exchequer annually.

Presiding over the state-level function on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day at Solan, he said the government has already released five per cent interim relief to employees and pensioners, and six per cent additional DA would be paid from October.

Singh, who unfurled the national flag and inspected the march-past at the function, listed the achievements of his government and claimed the state has made "remarkable progress" in education, health, construction of roads, and opening and upgradation of over 1,000 schools.

Twenty-four Industrial Training Institutes, two engineering colleges and 41 government degree colleges have been opened, mostly in rural areas in the last three years. The enrollment of girls in higher education has surpassed that of boys, the Chief Minister claimed.

An IIT, IIM and Fine Arts College are coming up in Una, Sirmaur and Shimla, four medical colleges at Nahan, Chamba, Hamirpur and Mandi and AIIMS at Bilaspur, he said, adding 135 health institutions have been opened and upgraded and 41,500 youth given jobs during the tenure of the present government.

Asserting that welfare of people is top on the agenda of the government, he said till date 1.27 lakh youth have benefited from Skill Development Allowance Scheme. Contractual employees and daily wagers who have completed five years and seven years of service respectively are being regularised.

Rs 667 crore has been spent under the State Food Subsidy Scheme in the last three years, and over 37 lakh people are being provided food security under 'Rajiv Ann Yojana', he added.

Independence Day was also celebrated elsewhere in the states including the districts and Himachal Pradesh High Court. On the occasion, Governor Acharya Devvrat hosted "At Home" at Raj Bhawan.

Meanwhile, presiding over the district-level Independence Day function in Dharamshala, state transport minister G S Bali announced HRTC will have Super Luxury Scania AC buses in its fleet, adding, "Such buses will be used to connect district headquarters with Shimla."



Also, all state and Central government employees will get 15 per cent concession while travelling in HRTC buses within the state, while HIV patients shall travel free of cost, he said.

"HRTC will provide taxi service in Shimla, Dharamshala, Chamba and Manali, within next two months, Bali added.

(REOPENS DES-26)



Later, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh hoisted a large National Flag atop the tallest tower in the state, measuring 121 feet, at Jawahar Park in Solan district.

The tallest tricolour was set up in the memory of a late social worker Bansi Dhar Aggarwal of the district.

The CM also laid wreath at Shaheed Samark at Chambaghat in Solan.
As India celebrates its 70th year of Independence, Google on Monday dedicated a doodle to the historic "Tryst with Destiny" speech of the country's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Nehru had delivered the historic speech in Parliament House before the Indian Constituent Assembly.

"Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now that time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom," he had said in the speech.

The doodle has 1947 written at the bottom of Parliament House to mark the year of India's Independence.

India shares its with South Korea, marking the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945 - for which Google has dedicated yet another doodle.

Last year on Independence day, Google had portrayed Gandhi's Dandi March on its doodle.

Previously, the Red Fort, various versions of the Indian flag and tricolour, Indian postage stamps and even the bird, the peacock, have been incorporated in Google's doodles for India.
Independence Day was celebrated in all states and Union territories today with chief ministers announcing development initiatives, flagging the challenges ahead and pledging to take their states forward on the path of peace and progress.

Barring Assam, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir, the celebrations, marked by unfurling of tricolour, colourful parades and other events, passed off peacefully amid tight security.

Soaked in patriotic fervour, hundreds of people took part in the events to mark 70th Independence Day in state capitals, district headquarters and other cities and towns.

In Jammu and Kashmir, a CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.

A series of five bomb explosions by suspected ULFA-Independent militants rocked upper Assam's Charaido and Tinsukia districts. In Manipur, two blasts took place in Imphal West district. There was no casualty or injury to anyone in any of the explosions.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in his Independence Day speech at Chhatrasal Stadium, made a strong pitch for statehood and attacked the Centre, alleging that it was chipping away at the elected government's power through a system which was akin to the national capital being governed by the colonial 'Government of India Act, 1935'.

He claimed the citizens of Delhi were being made to feel that the value of their votes were less as compared to other states where electors have the "right to choose governments with powers".

He said despite being left with "very less powers", his government has delivered on several fronts which were being discussed across the globe.

In Jammu and Kashmir which has been rocked by violence for over a month, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made an emotional appeal to the agitating youths not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan where there is instability and absence of safety of life and urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

She blamed the successive central leaderships, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, completing the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mehbooba faced a deeply embarrassing moment when the national tricolour fell off the post when she attempted to hoist it at Bakshi stadium. She pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolour fall from the post and land on the ground.

In Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said his



government is committed to freeing the state from foreigners, corruption, terrorism and pollution.

"We are committed to make Assam one of the top five states in the country," he said and appreciated the youths for celebrating Independence Day despite a boycott call by anti-social forces. He said his government is adopting a policy of zero-tolerance towards militancy and insurgency.

He also said the much-awaited update of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be completed by 2017.

Mizoram CM Lal Thanhawla, after unfurling the national flag, exhorted the people of the state to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of peace so that the state could be an example for others to emulate.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he would ensure peace for speedy development of the state.

"Our government shall ensure that for the sake of development, there is peace in the state and any fringe elements attempting to disrupt peace will be dealt with an iron hand," Khandu said.

He said the government would lay special emphasis on modernising the police force and equipping them with latest equipment and technology.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the tricolour at an event on Red Road. Cultural programmes were held by school children and various artistes at the venue showcasing the cultural heritage of the country.

As the colourful tableaux and marching contingents went past, a helicopter showered flower petals on people gathered to witness the celebrations.

On the occasion, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony and peace.

Hoisting the tricolour at the Assam Rifles ground, he said, "The forces, which are against communal harmony and peace are active. We have to maintain and protect the communal harmony and peace at any cost and have to be vociferous against the divisive forces."



In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state has set an ambitious target of generating 22,000 MW power by 2022 and plans to invest nearly Rs 9,000 crore in strengthening the power infrastructure in the next three years.

Highlighting the state's financial condition, Chouhan said, "It is because of able financial management that MP has remained a revenue-surplus state in the past 11 years and in last financial year, its GDP growth rate was 16.62 per cent."



On the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched yet another attack on the Narendra Modi government saying it "failed to honour the promises" made to the state and vowed to not rest until he drew the "last paisa" from the Centre.

Addressing a gathering after hoisting the national flag at Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy grounds, Naidu said, "They (Central government) are not releasing funds to bridge our revenue deficit (caused by the state bifurcation). They are not releasing funds for the Polavaram irrigation project nor are they trying to resolve the contentious issues between the two states (AP and Telangana)."



In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa asserted that her government was taking measures for development of key sectors to ensure growth and said the state's foodgrain production touched a record 130 lakh tonne last year while its higher education enrolments went up by 44.8 per cent.

She said the AIADMK government was taking measures for the development of all sectors including priority sector, industrial sector and services sector.

Addressing the people in Mumbai on 70th Independence



Day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the commencement of 34 cyber laboratories in various parts of the state as part of the government's efforts to crack down on cyber crime.

He also highlighted his government's achievements and reaffirmed its commitment to work for all-round development of the state.

In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao aid his government would maintain cordial relations with neighbouring states as well as the Centre for faster development of the state.

After unfurling the tricolour, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah termed as "shameful" the recent incidents of atrocities on Dalits, minorities and women in the country and said a movement akin to the freedom struggle needed to be launched to fight divisive forces.

In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said people should be cautious against efforts by terror outfits to convert religious beliefs into communal hatred, apparently referring to some youths from the state going missing and suspected to have joined terrorist organisation Islamic State.

"It is a time when terrorists groups are vehemently trying their best to convert spirituality and religious beliefs into communal hatred. We have to be vigilant and ensure that our children, who go to schools and places of worship, are not reaching the hideouts of terror and communal forces," he said.

In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a slew of development projects and schemed regarding the "seven resolves" adopted by his government for the next five years and said that rule of law prevailed in the state.

On the occasion, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das expressed happiness that the state is marching in tandem with the nation in its 'Vikas Yatra'.

"I feel elated that in the country's 'vikas yatra', Jharkhand is also marching in tandem, contributing an important role in the development," Das said after unfurling the tricolour at the historic Morahbadi ground.

Noting that the road to development is not easy, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said a strong will power alone can steer people of the state to the ambitious development goals set by his government.

Amid tight security, Independence Day was celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital Chandigarh. Patriotic fervour marked the occasion across the two states and Union Territory Chandigarh as flag hoisting ceremonies were held at district headquarters and educational institutes.

Independence Day was celebrated



across Odisha with gaiety and enthusiasm amid tight security today as the state government showed optimism that efforts to resolve the Mahanadi river water issue would be successful and state's rights would not be compromised.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh hoisted the national flag at Jawahar Park in Solan district.
National carrier Air India today commenced its first Dreamliner service to the United States with the launch of a flight from here to Newark via London.

As of now, Airline services all its European routes with the Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner plane.

'Air India is happy to start this new flight today. It is a dream fulfilled for the people of Ahmedabad on India's 70th Independence day. This is the third international flight introduced by Air India and we shall be launching flights to more international destinations soon," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashnwani Lohani, said after launching the flight.

Gujarat Minister for Revenue and Education, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama was the chief guest on this occasion.

The maiden AI Dreamliner flight (AI-171) to Newark took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 0500 hours, according to a release.

The new flight is expected to meet a long standing demand of more than six lakh Indians in Ahmedabad and expatriates in Newark and neighboring cities.

"This flight was eagerly awaited by the people of Gujarat and has evoked an enthusiastic response. Besides, this flight would also be instrumental in attracting people from all over the world to travel to Gujarat and vice-versa," Chudasama said.

AI-171 will operate three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. It will take off from Ahmedabad at 05:00 hours and reach London at 10:15 hours, from where it will depart at 12:30 hours and arrive at Newark at 15:00 hours.

The return flight AI172 will leave Newark at 22:30 hours and reach London at 10:15 hours next day. It will leave London at 12:30 hours and land at Ahmedabad at 02:00 hours, Air India said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An Army man was today arrested for allegedly opening fire in the air at Machabollaram market here last week, police said.

Lamba Nandeeshwar Yadav, working as Army Service (Lance Naik at 332 Medium Regiment at Ranchi) and a resident of Risalabazar in Bollaram here, had celebrated his son's first birthday at a hall in the city on August 11, they said.

"During the function, Yadav consumed liquor along with his friends and relatives. After the celebration, he along with his relatives returned home in a car and when they reached near Machabollaram market, Yadav in an intoxicated mood opened four rounds of fire in the air with his licensed pistol," a release from Cyberabad police said today.

After that he collected three empty rounds and headed home. The police subsequently seized one empty round from the spot, it said.

A case was registered with Alwal Police under relevant sections of IPC and the Arms Act against unknown persons.

As per the release, during course of the investigation, Yadav was today arrested.

Yadav had come to Hyderabad on 20 days leave from August 1. He has been working in the Army for the past 13 years. He possess a licensed 0.32" pistol, the release said.

Police seized the pistol, three used rounds and four live rounds. The accused will be produced in a court, it said.

Police also warned persons who are in illegal possession of arms to surrender their weapons immediately and asked the licensed holders not to violate license conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh today said the terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar was a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.

"Pakistan has been continuously doing such type of things and it always tries to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir and in the country. It is a desperate attempt ... Every time they face defeat...Time too their fate would be the same," Singh told reporters after an Independence Day function here.

He said Pakistan has been using terrorism to weaken India, but its "nefarious designs" would not be fulfilled.

"Terrorism is its (Pak's) instrument which it uses to weaken India but its designs would never be fulfilled," he said.

"Terrorism will devour Pakistan and would eliminate it. India is capable enough to deal with such type of acts", Singh said.

He warned Pakistan to mend its ways as it was on the "verge of disintegration".

"Pakistan is standing on the verge of disintegration, be it Baluchistan or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), people are running a movement for independence. If Pakistan does not mend its ways it will disintegrate," he added.

On the surfacing of Pakistani flags and Burhan Wani's posters in Srinagar yesterday, he said the culprits of such acts would be punished as per the law.

"This type of act is done by the anti-national elements supported by Pakistan. It's a long battle; we will never accept such attempts and those who are involved in such activities would be punished", he said.

In his Independence Day speech, the deputy CM said that attempts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere in the Jammu region also but the people foiled such nefarious designs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Authorities in central Georgia said a 67-year-old woman shot and wounded a teenager.

The Telegraph newspaper in Macon reports Delores Gibson- Council told police she encountered a group of young people about 8:30 PM on Saturday as she was driving down the street.

She said she honked her horn and a 14-year-old boy came to her door and threatened her, and she shot him in the abdomen.

The teen was listed in critical but stable condition.

Gibson-Council is charged with aggravated assault. She was being held without bond in the Bibb County jail. It wasn't immediately clear whether she had an attorney who could comment.

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office said in a release that Gibson-Council's home was burglarized earlier Saturday, and she thought the teen was involved. Investigators are looking into that.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a significant move to expand digital India programme to Chhattisgarh's Bastar division, Chief Minister Raman Singh today announced 'Bastar Net' project for strengthening mobile as well as internet connectivity across the insurgency-hit region.

"Keeping in view Bastar's geographical location, a better internet and telecom connectivity is required for the region. Under 'Bastar Net' project, optical fibre will be laid to boost the communication system in all seven districts of the division," Singh said while announcing the scheme during his address at theIndependenceDay function at the police parade grounds here.

The tribal-dominated Bastar division comprises of seven districts--Kanker, Kondagaon, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Sukma and Dantewada--spread in an area about 40,000 sq km in southern part of the state.

Under the project, a massive 832-km-long optical fibre cable will be laid at the cost of Rs 40 crore.

The network will be based on 'ring network' mechanism so that it may provide uninterrupted mobile and internet connectivity through alternative routes, the CM said.

Calling the project a 'digital highway' for Bastar, he said it will act as a catalyst in bringing about a new revolution in development of a knowledge-based society, opportunity and economy, besides enhancing the transparency, accuracy and accountability of government services.

Singh further exuded confidence that the state is heading towards a decisive battle against Naxalism.

"Left wing extremism had hampered the integrated, coordinated and inclusive development of Chhattisgarh but now we have succeeded in exposing such anti-national, anti-democratic and anti-constitutional elements. We are heading towards a conclusive battle to flush out the menace (of Naxalism)," he said.

The coordinated strategy to ensure security and development in the Naxal-affected pockets has been successful.

Recently, the Centre has decided to set up 'Bastariya



Battalion' of CRPF which will certainly fulfil the dreams of Shaheed Gaind Singh, Veer Gundadhur and Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh (freedom fighters of Chhattisgarh) who had raised voice against suppression and exploitation, Singh said.

"I hope 'Bastariya Battalion' will be a symbol of courage and bravery of Bastar youth," he said.

Youth from Bastar region will be recruited for the battalion which is likely to be set up by 2017.

Singh, speaking about the his government's target to ensure electricity in all villages of the state by 2018, said 'Saur Sujala Yojana' has commenced for the farmers of the areas where it is difficult to get electricity connection.

Under the scheme, 51 solar pumps will be installed in the next three years, he said.

Singh also announced that solar power plant of 100 MW each will soon be established in Rajnandgaon, Raigarh and Janjgir-Champa districts.

Highlighting the success under Clean India Mission, Singh said,4,311 villages of 2,432 village panchayats have been declaredopen defecation free(ODF)in the state since the inception of the 'Swachh Bharat' campaign.

The CM asserted to make six out of 27 districts in the state ODF by the end of this year.

Under the ambitious 'UjjwalaScheme' launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as many as 25 lakh poor families in the state will be provided domestic LPG connection in next two years at nominal charges of Rs 200, he said.

Similarly,underthe skill development programme, over 2.35 lakh youths were provided skill development training and the target is impart training to 4.25 lakh youths in next three years, he said.

The CM also highlighted the achievements of various schemes being run in the state.

Earlier,Chief Minister Singhunfurled the national flag andreceived guard of honour from the joint parade of state police, Chhattisgarh Armed Police, ITBP, BSF, CISF, National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme, Scout and Guide studentsat the Parade Ground here to mark India's 70th Independenceday amid tight security.

About 5,000 people, including hundreds of children, thronged the venue in the city centre to witness the colourful parade with patriotic fervour and gaiety.
BSF today gifted traditional Indian sweets to Pakistani Rangers at the Attari-Wagah border on the occasion of Independence Day.

Handing over sweets to their counterparts, BSF and Pakistani Rangers personnel looked relaxed as they hugged and shook hands with each other besides sharing pleasantries for a few minutes.

Yesterday, Pakistani Rangers had offered traditional Pakistani sweets to their Indian counterparts on the occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan.

The BSF and Pakistan Rangers also exchanged greetings and sweets at four different places along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Samba sector of J&K on India's 70th Independence day.

The two forces greeted each other and exchanged sweets in Samba, Arnia and R S Pura sectors of the IB, a BSF officer said.

Both the border guarding forces committed to maintain peace and tranquillity on the International Border (IB) in Jammu, he said.

(REOPENS at NRG 12)



Meanwhile, BSF personnel also offered sweets to Pakistani Rangers at various outposts in Rajasthan today.

Sweets were offered at the border outposts and both the forces also exchanged greetings to each other, a BSF spokesperson said.

Such exchanges enhance cooperation and harmony, he added.
Flames racing through dry brush destroyed 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 2 square miles by early yesterday, 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 moment's notice right now," said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was throwing embers and spreading rapidly because of parched conditions brought on by the state's historic drought, officials said. Large, explosive fires have torn through dried-out or hard-to-reach areas across California this summer, including a stubborn blaze near the picturesque Big Sur coastline that has burned 113 square miles since late July and destroyed nearly 60 homes.

Californians braced for heat yesterday, with high temperatures expected to soar 10 degrees above normal in the southern part of the state. Some counties in far Northern California also were warned of gusty winds and increased fire danger, officials said.

In Lake County, the fire threatened the houses of an additional 3,000 people in a subdivision, and they have been told to stay vigilant in case they need to evacuate, Blankenship said.

Danielle Colbeck, 36, saw the flames from her home Saturday and decided to get out. She told the Press Democrat newspaper in Santa Rosa that she loaded her car with her two cats and important papers and headed to a friend's house.

"When you see black smoke and flame from your driveway, you don't want to take a chance," said Colbeck, who lost her rental home and all of her belongings in the massive fire that evacuated Lower Lake last year.

The blaze killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes. It was considered California's third-most-destructive wildfire after ravaging most of rural Lake County and parts of Napa County about 90 miles north of San Francisco. A report issued this week concluded that faulting wiring in a hot tub ignited the 120-square-mile fire.

Another blaze that broke out Saturday afternoon forced the evacuation of 135 homes south of Lake Nacimiento in central California, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's office said. It burned more than 2 square miles, but no homes have been lost and it's partially contained.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Thousands of Catholic pilgrims offered up prayers for terror-scarred France during Assumption celebrations today in Lourdes, held under tight security after last month's massacre in Nice and murder of a priest.

The gathering at the shrine in the foothills of the Pyrenees is the first major Catholic event in France since priest Jacques Hamel was killed in his church on July 26.

Undeterred by the threat, an estimated 22,000 pilgrims from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia descended on the Lourdes shrine for one of the biggest dates in the Christian calendar, marking the ascent into Heaven of the Virgin Mary.

"We've come to pray for peace in the world, which seems to be in chaos," said Piet Tarappa, a businessman who was among a group of 35 Indonesians from Jakarta.

Security was tight ahead for the annual four-day pilgrimage, which culminated with an open-air mass Monday at the spot where Mary is said to have appeared to a shepherd girl in 1858.

Soldiers in fatigues with automatic rifles slung over their shoulders watched over the ceremony as a helicopter flew overhead.

In total, 500 security force members were deployed to protect the worshippers, who had their bags searched on entry to the site.

The streets around the sanctuary were closed to traffic, reflecting authorities' nervousness after the July 14 carnage during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, where a Tunisian man crushed 85 people to death with a truck.

"I think it's important that the soldiers are here just in case anything happened, but at the same time it's really important to pray for peace because so much has been going on," said 21-year-old Leila Bousbaa from Britain.

Cardinal Philippe Barbarin dedicated his homily to his country, which had been "rocked by so much suffering since January 2015 (when a satirical magazine and a Jewish grocery were attacked) and which was again cruelly hit last month."



Barbarin said his message was addressed to "all the faithful", including Jews and Muslims.

July's assaults in Nice and Hamel's church in the northern town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray shattered eight months of relative peace in France after the bloodshed at a Paris concert hall and other nightspots in November.

Local church leaders sought to rally the devout Monday, asking them to "pray for France" and light a candle for Hamel.

President Francois Hollande will meet Pope Francis on Wednesday at the Vatican, with presidential sources saying the two plan to discuss the fallout from the priest's death.

The cleric's killers -- French teens Adel Kermiche and Abdel Malik Petitjean -- claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
CBI has charge sheeted eight persons including the then Executive Engineers of Delhi Jal Board along with owner of a private company for allegedly conniving and cheating the civic body by supplying spurious and fake spare parts of sewer maintenance in the national capital causing a loss of over Rs six crore.

After completing two year probe, the agency has filed seven charge sheets in four different courts -- Rohini, Karkardooma, Tis Hazari and Saket -- as alleged fraud was spread across five sub divisions (Sub Divisions 3,4,5,6 and 7) of the Delhi Jal Board, CBI has filed separate cases as well.

To unearth the fraud, CBI teams used labours and engineers in a mammoth exercise to dig out spurious equipment from sewer lines in these sub divisions to establish allegations against the officials and criminal conspiracy.

"CBI has filed charge sheets against certain engineers of Delhi Jal Board and owner of a private company under sections of IPC and provisions of Prevention of Corruption Act in the designated courts, Delhi after thorough investigation," CBI Spokesperson R K Gaur said.

CBI has charged a Raman Gupta owner of a private company Kirti-Nagar based Metro Projects besides then Executive Engineers of Delhi Jal Board--Attar Singh, Banwari Lal, Jagdish Chand, Satish Chandra Vashishtha, Atul Kumar Arora, Kailash Chand, Gajendra Pal Singh and Jagdish Kumar Arora besides several Assistant Engineers and Junior Engineers.

It has been alleged that Gupta entered in criminal conspiracy with engineers of DJB and created a forged authorisation letter of a Mumbai-based company that he was their sole authorised dealer here.

CBI alleged that during 2009-12, work orders amounting to Rs 5.90 crore were given by Delhi Jal Board to Metro Project for pumps, gear boxes and other such material of a particular brand which was manufactured by Mumbai based company.

It is alleged that Gupta supplied duplicate and spurious products bearing brand name of products manufactured by Mumbai-based company having plant in Andheri (West).

CBI alleged that by this forgery and cheating caused a loss of Rs 40. 8 lakh to Sub-Division three, Rs 1.34 crore loss was caused to Sub-Division four, Rs 1.65 crore to Sub-Division five, Rs 1.90 crore to Sub-Division six and Rs 73.7 lakh to Sub Division seven.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Central Tibetan Administration greeted the people of India on their 70th Independence Day here today.

Officiating Sikyong (PM), Kalon Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok of Department of Religion and Culture hoisted the tricolour, marking the 70th anniversary of India's Independence at a ceremony held at the Kashag secretariat in Dharamshala.

"On this special occasion of the 70th anniversary of the independence of India, I would like to convey hearty greetings and many good wishes to all the people of India, especially to the people of Himachal Pradesh, on behalf of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetan people at large," Kalon said in his greetings at the ceremony.

The brief ceremony was attended by members of the Kashag and secretaries and senior officials of all the departments.

Sikyong Lobsang Sangay has left on a ten-day official visit to Delhi and New York starting from August 11.

"On this auspicious occasion, we are extremely grateful to the Indian government and the Indian people for their continued support, understanding and cooperation on the Tibetan issue," Kalon said.

"We have gone a long way with your kind support. We are keeping still the same spirit of keeping our religion, culture and the cause of Tibet alive. One day, we strongly believe that, with your kind support and cooperation, we will be successful in our pursuit," he said, extending heartfelt gratitude to the people and the government of India.

Following the ceremony, Finance Kalon (Minister) Karma Yeshi, Health Kalon Choekyong Wangchuk, Deputy Speaker of Tibetan Parliament Acharya Yeshi Phuntsok, Member of the Tibetan Parliament Lopoen Thupten Gyaltsen, Tibetan Settlement Officer Dawa Rinchen and Secretaries of various departments of CTA attended the official Independence Day celebrations hosted by the local Indian administrative office at the Police Ground in lower Dharamshala.

CTA is an organisation based in India with the stated goals of "rehabilitating Tibetan refugees and restoring freedom and happiness in Tibet". It is also referred to as the Tibetan Government in Exile.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China today said next month's G-20 summit will focus on boosting global economic growth and other financial issues rather than discuss contentious political matters like the disputed South China Sea.

The high-profile meeting of the world's 20 biggest economies in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 4 to 5 will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Barack Obama and other world leaders.

"This meeting, this G20 summit in Hangzhou, has as its theme economic growth," Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong told reporters here, pointing out that different countries may have their own agendas of their concerns at such gatherings.

The theme of the summit will be 'Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy'.

China has been maintaining that the South China Sea issue, which acquired a new dimension after an international tribunal struck down Beijing's claims over the area, should be resolved directly by parties concerned and not by outsiders.

The Group of 20 which was formed in 1999 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU).

Yi Gang, a vice governor of the People's Bank of China, said the Hangzhou gathering will focus on stimulating sluggish global economic growth with policies promoting inclusive trade and development of robust financial markets.

Addressing the special briefing on the upcoming summit, Ye said, "we need to instill market confidence and ensure there are no competitive devaluations but rather let the market determine exchange rates."



Besides the G-20 summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping will also host an informal meeting of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) leaders, and deliver a keynote speech on the opening ceremony of the Business 20 (B20) summit, state-run agency Xinhua reported.

Ahead of the summit, Hangzhou city is virtually being sealed off to maintain security.

Besides the world leaders, a large contingents of world media was expected to converge in Hangzhou to cover the event.

Modi, who was expected to arrive late on September 3 would leave on September 5, the last day of the summit.

While officials say his meetings on the sidelines of the summit were being worked out, Modi is expected to meet Xi, Obama and other leaders separately.

Xi is also expected to take part in the BRICS summit to be held in Goa in October.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China has shut the special accounts created for officials to anonymously deposit bribe payments in the economic powerhouse Guangdong province as part of its anti-graft drive under which thousands of officials have been punished.

The provincial discipline inspection committee, in a regulation released recently, asked officials to be "clean, and turn down any bribes, be they gifts or gift cards."



"The accounts send the wrong message - some officials and cadres may think that it is OK to accept gift cards or 'Hongbao' [the red envelope,]" an official with the committee said.

"From now on, all these accounts will be closed and any bribe payments must be returned to the bribers," he said.

Several other provinces including Guizhou, Sichuan, Gansu and Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region have also dropped the accounts, following the release of strict rules on the conduct of the Communist Party of China members after President Xi Jinping launched a massive anti-graft drive all over the country in 2013 in which thousands of officials were punished.

Starting from January this year, a revised regulation issued by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee banned officials from accepting gifts, money or gift cards.

According to the regulation, if accepting the bribe is unavoidable, the money must be handed over to the discipline inspection authority along with the real names of those involved, when the bribe is given and the location among other details, state-run Xinhua agency reported today.

Those who fail to hand in the bribes in a timely fashion will be punished accordingly, it said.

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Amid continuing standoff between the judiciary and the government, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur today expressed his disappointment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make any mention about appointment of judges in his Independence Day address.

"I heard the popular Prime Minister for one and a half hours... I expected some mention about justice also, about appointment of judges," the Chief Justice said at a function here where Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was present.

Displaying his unhappiness, Justice Thakur said, "I want to tell the Prime Minister only one thing, you remove poverty, create employment, bring schemes etc but also think about justice for the countrymen."



The comments come close on the heels of the stern message of a Supreme Court bench headed by the Chief Justice to the Centre over non-execution of the collegium's decision to transfer and appoint Chief Justices and judges in High Courts.

It had said it would not tolerate "logjam in judges' appointment" and would intervene to "fasten accountability" as justice delivery system was "collapsing".

Today, Justice Thakur said the workload of courts had increased manifold, making it difficult to deliver speedy justice.

"During the British rule, cases would be decided in even 10 years. But now the number of cases and people's expectations have risen so substantially that it is becoming difficult to achieve the objective now. That is why I have time and again requested the Prime Minister to pay attention towards this aspect," he said.

To emphasise his message, the Chief Justice recited an Urdu couplet: "Gul fenke auron par, samar bhi, E abr-e-karam, e-behr-e-sakha, kuch to idhar bhi (You gave fruits and flowers to others but O cloud of beneficence, wave of friendship, do bestow something on us too)."



While making the remarks, he said he was "bluntly" speaking the truth "without any hesitation" or "any problem" as he had reached the "peak" of his career and was not expecting anything more in life.

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Expressing concern over poor condition of the Ganga river, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said a would not be possible unless its flow is uninterrupted.

In his Independence Day address at the Gandhi Maidan where Kumar unfurled the tricolour, he said the depth of the Ganga had reduced following silt deposition in the river due to construction of the dam at Farakka.

"I always raise the issue before the Prime Minister in every meeting of Ganga River Basin Authority," Kumar said.

Stating that the poor condition of river Ganga makes him cry, Kumar reminisced his college and childhood days and said, "I was born at Bakhtiarpur in Patna district. We used to go to take bath in the Ganga. There was wonderful flow with clean water then. We used to take a bucket of water to home for drinking purposes."



Kumar asserted that he had been raising the issue of maintaining the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga without which it would be difficult to maintain a clean river.

Due to siltation in the river, water spreads to the adjoining areas in the event of a little increase in its water level, he said.

Unless and until the issue of silt management was dealt with at the level, Ganga's uninterrupted flow cannot be established, Kumar said, adding that "We cannot make it clean without ensuring its adequate flow."



Kumar said there were 16 districts in Bihar which have received less than normal rainfall so far, but several districts have been affected by floods.

Stating that most districts of Bihar were flood affected, Kumar said 37 lakh people have been affected in various districts in the current spate of floods, which was caused by heavy rainfall in Nepal.

He said Rs 133 crore have been given to carry out relief work in the affected districts.
Government's ambitious port-led development programme Sagarmala can help domestic steel sector save up to Rs 6,500 crore annually by using coastal shipping route for transportation of goods and raw materials.

Traditionally, steel plants in India are set up near the raw material source, with almost 85 per cent of the capacity following this pattern, a government report on the Sagarmala project said.

However, a robust coastal shipping network not only offers logistics cost saving, but also flexibility in sourcing raw material as well as better linkages with global markets, it reasoned.

The study analysed models of setting up large coastal clusters globally, including those of Pohang in South Korea for steel and Port Said in Egypt for fertiliser.

It estimates that if steel plants of around 40 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity are set up along the coast, it will help save an average Rs 800-1,000 per tonne on logistics costs.

"In the case of steel, for example, the savings are driven by no inland logistics for coking coal, reduction in steel transportation through coastal shipping and use of new technology (slurry pipelines) for transporting iron ore from mine to coast," the report added.

"The total cost saving from these capacities is estimated at Rs 5,500-6,500 crore per annum."



The report identified 40 mtpa capacity for setting up cement plants across the country along the coasts that will help firms save up to Rs 1,000 a tonne on logistics.

For steel clusters, the report identified Odisha, North Andhra Pradesh, North Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Coastal steel capacity can also come up close to demand centres such as Chennai/Ennore, which will receive iron-ore/pellets through coastal shipping.

In the case of cement, it identified central Andhra Pradesh and southern Gujarat clusters based on the mapping of limestone reserves.

Sagarmala is an ambitious project for port-led economic development of India's coastline.

The programme was launched last year to utilise India's 7,500-km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic locations on key international maritime trade routes.

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Congress today distanced itself from the remarks of its senior leader Salman Khurshid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day address, terming them as "his personal view".

The main opposition party, however, asked the government to raise the issue of alleged atrocities in Balochistan and PoK in bilaterals with Pakistan as also at international forums.

"Congress does not subsribe to the statement of Salman Khurshid who is a senior leader. He can have his own opinion. Our view is very, very clear. Congress party believes there are serious human rights violations in Balochistan and the voice of democratic dissent is being suppressed by Pakistani forces and agencies. Similar human rights violations are being committed by the armed forces of Pakistan in PoK which is an integral part of India.

"All such issues need to be raised and need to be sorted out. We suport the government. However what is Modi going to do for taking up these issues on a bilateral forum with Pakistan so that suppression of democratic dissent in Balochistan and PoK come to end and what he and his government are going to do about raising these issues on international forums," the head of Congress' communication department Randeep Surjewala said.

He said the nomenclature PoK means that the territory is an integral part of India and Kashmir's accession to India is an issue which was settled decades ago.

Surjewala said Pakistan had attacked and occupied a part of Jammu and Kashmir which was integral to India. "This issue needs to be sorted out and it can only be sorted out in favour of India," he said.

The Congress leader criticised the PDP-BJP government for the turmoil in Kashmir.

The PDP-BJP government's "lopsided policies and blind lust for power" were responsible for the situation in Kashmir, he alleged.

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Corsicans rallied yesterday 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 yesterday'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 yesterday, prosecutors said, adding that no arrests were made.

Yesterday 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.

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A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar today.

An unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid, triggering an encounter.

Ten security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said, adding, a CRPF commanding officer injured in the attack later succumbed to injuries.

Two militants were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides.

The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.

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Vowing to intensify their agitation at a protest rally on Independence day, the Dalit community in Gujarat on Monday said they will launch a mega rail roko stir if their demand for granting five acres of land for each family is not met by Gujarat government within one month.

As thousands of gathered in Una on the occasion of the country's 70th Independence Day where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also came under fire, their leaders sought freedom from atrocities and discrimination, amid chants of "Jai Bhim".

The tricolor was jointly unfurled by Radhika Vemula, mother of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide in Hyderabad and Balu Sarvaiya, father of one of the victims of Una dalit flogging incident, in the presence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

The week-long rally which started from Ahmedabad by Una Dalit Atachiyar Ladat Samiti (UDALS), culminated in Una, the place where some where brutally beaten by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow last month sparking outrage.

"You take cow's tail, give us land," Jignesh Mavani, a lawyer-turned politician who established the UDALS and led the march, told the huge gathering.

"We have presented our demand before the state government. If you do not accept our demand of giving five acres land to each dalit family in next one month, we will launch a rail roko agitation," Mevani said.

He also made those who were present there to take a pledge not to be in the business of skinning of cows.

Targeting Modi, Mevani said, "The sheer scale of protests had forced him to speak out on the issue. Modi did not speak a word when three youths were killed in police firing in Thangadh town in 2012, another incident of Dalit atrocity,"



Kanhaiya said the hype of Gujarat Model of development has been punctured by of the state.

"We want freedom from castesim. We will not tolerate any more atrocities on dalits anywhere in the country. Everybody has to come together to fight against such atrocities."



Radhika Vemula in her address said, "I have not got justice for my son. He had to commit suicide just because he was dalit.

But it is good to see that Dalit movement in Gujarat has forced the chief minister Anandiben Patel to resign. I have come here so that no other Dalit children face what my son had to suffer."



Muslim community members came in large numbers to support the Dalit community in their campaign. Slogans like "Dalits-Muslims bhai bhai" were heard at the gathering.

As many as seven members of Dalit community from Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluk in Gir Somnath district were on July 11 brutally assaulted by some self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow.
Thousands of Dalits on Monday took a pledge not to remove cow carcasses and to launch a rail roko stir if five acres of land for each family is not granted by government within a month even as tension broke out after an attack in which eight of them were injured.

As the 10-day long 350-km foot march from Ahmedabad culminated at the epicentre of Dalit protests here, some dalits returning after the conclusion of the rally that coincided with the 70th Independence Day were attacked by suspected upper caste people in Samter village in Una in Gir Somnath district.

Eight dalits were injured and a complaint was lodged at Una(rural) police station, police said, adding top officials were camping in the area.

Muslim community members came out in large numbers to support the Dalit community in their campaign. Slogans like "Dalits-Muslims bhai bhai" were heard at the gathering where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also came under fire.

The tricolor was jointly unfurled by Radhika Vemula, mother of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide in Hyderabad and Balu Sarvaiya, father of one of the victims of Una dalit flogging incident, in the presence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

As many as seven members of Dalit community from Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluk in Gir Somnath district were on July 11 brutally assaulted by some self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow, sparking outrage.

At the rally, Dalit leaders sought freedom from atrocities and discrimination, amid chants of "Jai Bhim".

The march under the aegis of Una Dalit Atachiyar Ladat Samiti (UDALS) started on August 6 from Ahmedabad, 350 km from here.

"You take cow's tail, give us land," Jignesh Mavani, a lawyer-turned politician who established the UDALS and led the march, told the huge gathering.

He also made those who were present there to take a pledge not to be in the business of skinning of cows and to abandon the practice of cleaning the underground drains by going down manholes.

"We have presented our demand before the state government. If you do not accept our demand of giving five acres land to each dalit family in next one month, we will launch a rail roko agitation," Mevani said.

Targeting Modi, Mevani said, "The sheer scale of protests had forced him to speak out on the issue. Modi did not speak a word when three youths were killed in police firing in Thangadh town in 2012, another incident of Dalit atrocity,"



Kanhaiya said the hype of Model of development has been punctured by dalits of the state.

"We want freedom from castesim. We will not tolerate any more atrocities on dalits anywhere in the country. Everybody has to come together to fight against such atrocities."



Radhika Vemula in her address said, "I have not got justice for my son. He had to commit suicide just because he was dalit.

"But it is good to see that Dalit movement in has forced the chief minister Anandiben Patel to resign. I have come here so that no other Dalit children face what my son had to suffer.
deaths in West Bengal since January rose to 17 with medical reports today confirming the recent death of two women due to the vector-borne disease, a senior government official said.

The death of a 32-year-old woman from Dum Dum and another woman in her mid-40s from Bongaon, both in North 24-Pargana district, was due to dengue, West Bengal Director of Services Biswaranjan Satpathy said.

So far, 17 people have died of in the state, mostly from the North 24-Parganas and Hooghly districts.

"The woman from Bongaon, who was referred to the R G Kar Hospital for treatment, died a couple of days ago while another woman passed away yesterday. Medical Reports of both of them confirmed that they died of dengue," Satpathy said.

According to the medical officer, around 77 new cases of infection were reported in the last 24 hours thus taking the number of dengue cases in the state to 2870.

Most cases were reported from Hooghly district's Serampore and North 24-Parganas district, while there were some cases in Malda, Nadia, Darjeeling, and South 24-Parganas districts, he added.
Amid continued turbulence that has rocked Kashmir valley for the last 38 days, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today made an emotional appeal to agitating youth not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan where there is instability and absence of safety of life.

She urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state and that they should not be misled by false propaganda about attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

She blamed the successive central leaderships, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, completing the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Speaking in the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she underlined that any remedy could be found only through dialogue in the "great" Indian democracy.

With regard to protests over Wani's killing in a gunbattle on July 8, Mehbooba said, "it is not that an encounter has happened in Kashmir for the first time... Children should not be indulging in agitation. They should be going to schools and colleges. It is not for children to solve big issues... Parents should also ensure that their children do not go out where their lives could be in danger."



She said "vested interests" were misleading the youth and making them a "shield" to pursue their nefarious designs, while their own kids are tucked away in safety.

"I will not talk about the separatists but about the middlemen for whom it (stone pelting) is a business. Find out where their children are while innocent kids are being used for protests," she said.

Noting that the current unrest had taken a toll on education in the valley, she asked, "What will I do with the IITs, IIMs, Law college and five medical colleges when those who had to study there have been blinded. Who is responsbile for it?"



Mehbooba said while she felt pained over the injuries and casualties among civilians, she felt equally bad for security personnel who also have been wounded in equal number just because they exercised maximum restraint.

They security forces have come to the valley from far off places like Bihar and Karnataka leaving their children and families behind just to perform their duties, she said.

At the same time, she said, "Wherever I feel anyone from forces has violated the directions for maximum restrain, action will be taken. This is not a mere statement. It will be done and you will be told about it.

"Gun will not solve the problem. Gun has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.

Emphasising that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues, she expressed hope that Modi-led government at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and econmomic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state.

"...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.

The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.

"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?



"The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?



"Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.

Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)".

The Chief Minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country.

"If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country.

"If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said.

"It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.

Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to to go with the BJP.

"But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Behari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.
Union Home Ministry has raised security concerns to the Tourism Ministry proposal to extend e-visa for conference delegates.

"The Home Ministry has raised some security concerns with the e-visa for conference. It may not get a green signal from the Home Ministry for the time being," a Tourism Ministry source said.

However, he said the online visas would soon be extended for delegates coming to India for attending meetings and exhibitions.

India has a separate category of conference visa and anybody organising a conference, especially international bodies, must get a Home Ministry clearance for the subject of the conference, the source said.

Tourism ministry had sought e-visa facility for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition (MICE) segment to boost the tourism.

As per a latest release by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), more than 11,000 large-scale meetings have been organised across the world.

Globally, the MICE segment, with a 54 per cent market share, has overtaken the traditional business trips segment.

The US, Germany, Spain, the UK and France are the top five countries in the world in organising meetings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A moderate 5.2 magnitude earthquake in Peru killed at least nine people and left 40 injured, crushing villagers under rubble and blocking roads, officials said today.

The quake knocked down about 50 homes and cut off roads and power in the southern Arequipa region.

The governor of Arequipa, Yamila Osorio said on the radio that three people were reported killed in Achoma and six in another village, Yanque.

"It was tragic. They got wounded people out as best they could," said Yanque resident John Rivera on RPP radio.

"There were no lights, no beds. The electricity has got cut off. We still have water but we don't know what will happen next."



Earthquakes are fairly common in Peru but this one hit at a shallow depth of eight kilometers yesterday night so damage could be heavy near the epicenter.

The epicenter was 10 kilometers from the city of Chivay, capital of Caylloma province, according to the Geophysical Institute of Peru.

Two aftershocks hit this morning.

The quake caused damage throughout an area of Arequipa called the Colca Valley, and several villages have been cut off.

"We felt a very strong tremor. It has caused devastation in the whole Colca valley," the mayor of Caylloma, Romulo Tinta, told RPP radio.

"We have no communication links between the surrounding villages," he added. "We are asking for heavy machinery to gain access."



Osorio called for food and clothing to be airlifted to people left homeless by the quake.

"We are taking aid to Caylloma and the other districts affected by the earthquake," Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said in a message on Twitter.

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Farmers in ten villages in the Lower Bhavani project ayacut area today hoisted black flags protesting non-release of water from the reservoir for irrigation.

Water from Lower Bhavani Project reservoir is the lifeline of farmers in Erode district and it irrigates more than 2.50 lakh acres of land.

As per schedule water would be allowed from the reservoir for wet crops for four months from August 15 and dry crops for another four months from December 15.

But this year despite farmers' request no announcement over release of water for old ayacut lands of Lower Bhavani project has been made by the government, farmers said.

Farmers in ten villages, including Pasuvapatty, Uppiliyapalayam and Ottavalasu, hoisted black lags protesting against this.

LBP farmers have already announced that they will resort to a major agitation on August 23 demanding release of water in LBP canal.

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The Gujarat government today implemented its decision of exempting small vehicles from paying toll on 27 plazas on the 12 state highways, state Minister Pradeep Sinh Jadeja said.

The vehicles include car and jeeps. Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation buses have also been exempted from paying toll tax at the said plazas, the Minister of State for Home and Energy said.

The Minister was addressing a gathering at the Vadodara-Halol state highway which has become toll free from today.

"This (decision) comes as a relief to around 86,000 vehicles passing the 12 state highways daily. The state government will bear the toll tax and it will not be collected from people," Jadeja said.

According to the Minister, the state exchequer will incur an additional expense of Rs 150 crore following this exemption.

The Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) will save Rs 20 crore per year after the tax exemption and this benefit will be passed on to consumers, he added.

The 12 state highways that have become toll-free from today are Ahmedabad-Mehsana, Vadodara-Halol, Ahmedabad-Viramgam-Maliya, Halol-Godhra-Shamlaji, Rajkot-Jamnagar-Vadinar, Himmatnagar Bypass, Kim-Mandvi Highway, Bhuj-Nakhatarana Highway, Kapadwanj-Modasa, Deesa-Gundri, Vadodara-Chhayapur and Bagodara-Bamnasore.

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The 70th Independence Day was celebrated with gaiety and patriotic fervour across Gujarat with Chief Minister Vijay Rupani hoisting the tri-colour at Morbi where the state-level celebrations were held this year.

Ministers, District Collectors, heads of educational institutions and corporates among others hoisted the tri-colour at various places to mark the Independence Day.

Rupani emphasised that his government is committed to work for the development of the state without making any distinctions on the basis of caste, community and religion.

The Chief Minister also said his government will work in the direction of the uplift of poor.

Praising Modi, Rupani said, "World is today taking note of India after our Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to them. India will very soon become a world leader."



Rupani assured residents of Morbi that Saurashtra region will soon get Narmada canal water for farmers.

He also announced the creation of an MSME industry park near Morbi and a reduction of Rs 2.07 PNG gas being supplied to the industry.

He said 65-kilometre Morbi-Rajkot two-lane will be made into a 4-lane at an investment of Rs 275 crore, and the city will get eight additional power sub-stations.

Cabinet Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama today distributed roses and sweets to cars owners when they passed through toll booths at Bagodara and Sanand near here.

He was celebrating with beneficiaries the government's recent decision to exempt smaller vehicles and state buses from paying toll tax on booths on 12 state highways.

The Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court R Subhash Reddy today hoisted the national flag at the maine entrance of the High Court.

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Noting that the issue of encroachments on NSC Bose road here remained the same, despite its previous order to remove it, the Madras High Court has directed the authorities concerned to devise a scheme to ensure that no encroachment took place again.

The First Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice TS Sivagnanam before which the contempt petition by activist 'Traffic' Ramaswamy came up on Friday, said, "The problem remains the same. The authorities take action and the persons come back. It is not possible to have a policeman for each and every citizen."



However, "the authority of Police must run, so that the persons once removed do not come back," it said.

It directed authorities to devise a scheme as to how they propose to ensure that no re-encroachment takes place and asked them to file it within four weeks.

The petitioner submitted that hawkers are re-encroaching NSC Bose road, despite the court order and submissions made by authorities that they have removed the encroachments.

"The process of re-occupying the pavements has begun, and unless it is nipped in the bud, we will have the same situation that existed prior to rehabilitation of the hawkers," Ramaswamy said.

Accepting his submissions, the bench said, "The persons currently occupying the pavements are not entitled to do so, whether they are earlier hawkers or new ones."



To ensure that the orders are complied with in letter and spirit, the judges asked the corporation to depute officers to the area so that the menace does not recur.

When the authorities produced some photos on the action taken to remove the encroachers, the petitioner produced some photographs taken by him on Friday that showed re-encroachment by hawkers, on the stretch.

After seeing them, the bench observed that the problem remained the same and asked authorities to devise a scheme and posted the matter for further hearing to September 22.

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Congress today latched onto Chief Justice of India T S Thakur's remarks regarding the Prime Minister not mentioning the issue of judges' appointment in his Independence Day speech to target Narendra Modi.

"CJI questions PM Modi for deafening silence on judicial logjam in his I-Day speech. Unprecedented yet starkly true," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.

He said the Prime Minister needed to heed to the Chief Justice's advice and not do petty politics on the issue.

"1.25 Billion Indians demand a solemn commitment to a fair justice system on I-Day Modi Ji! Please heed CJI's advice. No petty politics.

"75 names of HC judges cleared by SC stalled; Memorandum of Appointing Judges thwarted. Deliberate obstruction of justice by an obstinate PM," he said in a series of tweets.

Amid continuing standoff between the judiciary and the government, Justice Thakur expressed his disappointment that the Prime Minister did not make any mention about appointment of judges in his Independence Day address.

"I heard the popular Prime Minister for one-and-a-half hours... I expected some mention about justice also, about appointment of judges," the Chief Justice said at a function here where Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was present.

Displaying his unhappiness, Justice Thakur said, "I want to tell the Prime Minister only one thing, you remove poverty, create employment, bring schemes etc but also think about justice for the countrymen.

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Three leaders of Hong Kong's "Umbrella Revolution" avoided jail today 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 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 at Eastern Magistrates' Court.

Cheung added the three had no prior convictions, were concerned about social issues and passionate about politics.

"They turned it into action," she said.

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.

However, Human Rights Watch Monday slammed the authorities for pursuing the case at all, saying it was a "violation of their rights to peaceful expression and assembly".

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Police today arrested a hotel manager in connection with the suspected murder of a woman whose body was found on the footpath in Ripon Street area of the city on Saturday.

The body of the woman with injury marks all over her body was found on the footpath of Ripon Street and police were awaiting the autopsy report, Kolkata Police said.

A senior Kolkata Police officer said the manager of the hotel knew the victim and her male friend - the suspected murderer who had put up at his hotel.

The woman, who was in her mid-20s, is suspected to have been murdered inside the hotel room which had been rented by her male friend on Friday, he said.

"The duo used to frequent the hotel and the manager knew both of them quite well. We had questioned him in connection with the mishap but his replies were found to have discrepancies for which we arrested him," the officer said.

The manager had reportedly said during grilling that the suspect had come rushing to him saying that the woman had committed suicide by hanging herself from the ceiling.

He had also reportedly said the suspect then went out looking for a doctor. But when he did not return the manager had asked the hotel workers to dump the body on the footpath adjacent to the hotel.

Police have tracked down the woman's residence in the Jorabagan area of the city from the tattoo on her left hand and a search for the suspect has been initiated.

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Security forces today recovered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists from Chhattisgarh's insurgency-hit Bijapur district while carrying out an area domination operation in view of the Independence Day celebrations.

Theexplosive,weighing around 5 kgs, was unearthed by a team of Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) 204th battalion - an elite unit of CRPF between Sarkeguda-Tarrem villagesunder Sarkeguda police station limits, a CRPF official told PTI.

Paramilitaries had launched area domination exercise from Sarkeguda towardsTarrem, located around 450kmsaway from the state capital.

Meanwhile, they spotted theIEDplaced in a steel container beneath the ground near a culvert close to Rajpeta village, the official said, adding itwas meant to harm security personnel during their operations in the area.

The explosivewas immediately neutralised by the bomb disposal squad (BDS), he said.

Notably, security was beefed up in all the sensitive places across Chhattisgarh particularly those hit by Maoist menace in view of theIndependenceDay celebrations today.

Armed guards were deployed at all the important government establishments.

Additional security arrangements have been made at the headquarters of each of the districts of Bastar division comprising Sukma, Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Kanker and Bastar districts, a senior police official said.

Besides, patrolling was intensified in the interior forest pockets and inter-state borders to check suspicious movements, he added.

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Coimbatore District Collector, T N Hariharan today unfurled the tricolour to mark the 70th Independence day celebrations in the district.

After receiving the salute at a parade, Hariharan honoured freedom fighters by adorning shawls and distributed welfare schemes worth Rs 2.23 crore to 144 beneficiaries.

The beneficiaries, include ex-servicemen, physically disabled and persons from minority communities and also 64 persons from the district, who were given educational loans and assistance for self-employment to the tune of Rs 1.78 crore by district lead bank.

Security was tight in and around the VOC Park grounds, the venue.

An Indian Air Force band, specially flown in from Bengaluru, enthralled the locals with patriotic songs on the eve of the 70th Independence Day, during a musical concert here, last night.

The 38-member band was led by master Warrant Officer, A L Maxwell.

The concert was held under the auspices of Air Force Administrative College here, under guidance and leadership of Air Commodore Nitin Vaidya, its Commandant.

A Erode report said District Collector S Prabakar, unfurled the tricolur there.

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Addressing a meeting after unfurling the national flag, Madurai Divisional Railway Manager S K Garg expressed hope that doubling of track between Villipuram and Madurai would be competed by the end of this year.

He said 1.11 lakh additional berths had been created in madurai division by augmenting coaches on permanent and temporary basis.

Under green corridor programme, two lakh trees would be planted in Rameswaram-manamadurai section where greenery was being undertaken successfully, he added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the Tricolour as the state celebrated the 70th Independence Day today.

Banerjee unfurled the tricolour on Red Road here and received a guard of honour from the Kolkata Police and other security personnel.

On this occasion, Chief Minister's police medal for Outstanding Service was given to Sanjay Mukherjee, DG (fire service), Ajay Mukunde Ranade, IGP (South Bengal), and Vishal Garg, Joint commissioner (STF).

Chief Minister's police medal for Commendable Service was given to Subrata Mitra, DIG (Presidency Range), Amit P Javalgi, SP (Darjeeling), Mukesh, SP (Murshidabad), Shankar Shubra Chakraborty, IPS, (OSD to CMO), and Dip Narayan Goswami, DC (Special Branch).

Cultural programmes were held by school children and various artistes at the Red Road venue showcasing the cultural heritage of the country.

As the colourful tableaus and and marching contingents went past, a helicopter showered flower petals on people gathered to witness the celebrations.

After Banerjee became Chief Minister in 2011, she started the Independence Day event at the Red Road with parades and colourful programmes.

People across West Bengal today celebrated the 68th Independence Day taking out processions, organising parades and cultural programmes. The Day was also celebrated in schools and colleges, hospitals and other government and non-government institutions across the state.

The Border Security Force observed the day at the Petrapole International checkpoint which was witnessed by large number of people from both sides of International Boundary.

School children and teachers also participated in this function. As per practice on this occasion, BSF handed over fruits and sweets to Border Guard Bangladesh.

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Blaming Indian media for "stirring up" negative sentiments against China by highlighting the "divergences" in ties, a state-run Chinese daily today said press on both sides should be cautious about attempts by the West to drive a "wedge" between the two countries.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a visit to India on Friday. As a number of media outlets reported, the tour was focused on cooperation over the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits, an op-ed article in the Global Times said.

"However, quite a few Indian media started to cover the tour a week ago with the eye-catching headline 'China blocked India's NSG bid, but now wants help on South China Sea'," said the article titled 'Indian media should view Beijing-Delhi ties constructively'.

"After negative hype over Sino-Indian ties by Indian media for a long time, it is not hard to envisage that they did it again this time. Yet while they grab all the attention they want like always, they have also caused a deterioration in the Indian public's views of China," it said.

"Given the recent frictions between the two countries, including the NSG issue and New Delhi's rejection of visa extension requests for Chinese reporters, there are indeed certain puzzles left unresolved in the bilateral relationship. But they can hardly represent the big picture of Sino-Indian ties," it said.

The article, though, praised the efforts being made by both the governments to address the issues in bilateral ties.

"Thanks to the efforts of governments from both parties, the two nations have been enhancing collaboration and promoting more communications and mechanisms over bilateral, regional issues.

"Yet while the Indian government is treating its relations with Beijing rationally, the country's media and public opinion are busy stirring up negative sentiments. They tend to attach more attention to divergences while overstating contradictions between the two," it said.

"Words like 'invasion' or 'transgression' are often used by them to describe Beijing without naming sources, and the 'China threat theory' has been hyped up by them from time to time," it said.

"Clearly, the Indian media has not yet learned to see the considerable potential of the bilateral relationships with a constructive mind-set," it said.

It is important for the Indian media to remember that development and prosperity are needed by both sides and they need a stable environment for that, it said.

"The West is taking delight in driving a wedge between Beijing and New Delhi. Media from both countries should therefore be more cautious not to fall for that," it said.

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India's campaign in the Rio Olympics wrestling event got off to a disappointing start when Ravinder Khatri crashed out of the Greco-Roman 85kg category after suffering a first round loss here today.

Khatri failed to clear even one round in his category, going down tamely against Viktor Lorincz of Hungary and bowed out of the competition.

The 24-year-old grappler was thrashed 9-0 on Great Superiority by the Hungarian. Great Superiority indicates a difference of eight technical points in Greco-Roman with the loser without logging any points.

Khatri was lucky to gain an Olympic berth after his rival Kenzheev Zhanarbek of Kyrgyzstan failed a dope test in the Asian Olympic qualifier in Kazakhstan.

This is the first time that two Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers have secured Olympic quotas after the 2004 Athens Games when Mausam Khatri had made the cut.

Khatri's early elimination has left only compatriot Hardeep Singh (98kg) in fray in the Greco Roman category. Hardeep will be seen in action tomorrow.

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Soaked in patriotism, hundreds of Indians today proudly marked the country's 70th Independence Day, as the tricolour fluttered and the national anthem reverberated at Indian missions across the world.

Indians in countries like China, the US, Thailand and Singapore joined people in India to celebrate the day with recital of patriotic songs and dance performances representing the diverse ethnicity of India.

In Beijing, Indian Ambassador Vijay Gokhale hoisted the tricolour in the embassy premises at a function that was attended by members of the Indian community.

A large of number of Indian professionals besides embassy staff took part in the flag hoisting ceremony along with their families.

Gokhale also read out President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the nation followed by recital of patriotic songs.

In Shanghai, Consulate General of India Prakash Gupta hosted the celebrations. Gupta unfurled the tricolour besides reading out excerpts from the President's address. A similar celebration was held at the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou led by Consulate General Y K Sailas Thangal.

In the US, the Independence Day was celebrated on a large scale in Fremont in California and Edison in New Jersey where thousands of people attended the event amid a colorful cultural extravaganza.

In cities like Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Orlando and Minneapolis, community organisations held cultural events over the weekend to celebrate the Independence Day.

The patriotic fervour also gripped Indian missions across Southeast Asia, as hundreds of Indian nationals, ethnic Indians and India lovers gathered.

In Bangkok, Indian Ambassador Bhawant Singh Bishnoi said, "2016 has been a most significant year for our bilateral relationships".

Bishnoi, in his speech to over 500 people gathered at the embassy premises, said Thailand remains one of India's "closest" friends.

"People to people linkages are one of the most important aspects of our bilateral relationships. Central to this is the role played by the Indian community," he said and commended the significant contribution by ethnic Indians and Indian nationals to the economic and social development of Thailand.

Indian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates echoed with melodious strains of the national anthem as children and the hundreds of Indians joined to sing patriotic songs in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Yangon, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei.

In Singapore, India's High Commissioner Vijay Thakur Singh



celebrated the day, reading out President Mukherjee's Independence Day message to some 600 Indians.

Students from local Indian schools also sang patriotic songs and staged dance performances in a cultural show.

In a congratulatory message on the Independence Day of India, Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam reaffirmed strong bilateral relations and underlined that "relations between Singapore and India remain strong and will grow despite challenges in the global economy".

"As our people-to-people relations flourish, I am delighted by the excellent progress in bilateral projects and initiatives on various fronts including trade, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities development," said Tan.

In Kuala Lumpur, High Commissioner TS Tirumurti hoisted the flag at India House. About 350 people attended the ceremony that also witnessed a Carnatic singing performance.

The High Commissioner also flagged off a Malaysia- Thailand-Myanmar-India car rally by Vinayak Mission that will cover 46,000 Kms and end in Salem Tamil Nadu.

In Hanoi, around 250 members of the Indian community and friends of India attended the hoisting of the tricolour by AmbassadorP Harish, who also read out the President's address.

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Flag hoisting ceremonies were also held at Indian consulate buildings in Melbourne, Sydney andPerth apart fromIndian High Commissionin Canberra.

Extending his warm greetings, Indian High CommissionerNavdeep Singh Suri said that India was on a economic growth path and thatthe recent passage of Goods and Services Tax bill will further consolidate the nation's position in global economy.

"Our 70th Independence Day comes at a very important of time in our history. Over last two years, India has come to be recognised as the world'sfastest growing economy," Suri said.

He added thatIndian government was proactively working on several projects including 'Festival of India' initiative projectthat would help in furtherstrengthening the relations with Australia.

On Saturday, aspecial event was held at theiconic Federation Square where Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoorhoisted the tricolour along with Suri.

Meanwhile, Australian politicians also attended the celebrations.

New South Wales Premier Mike Baird said, "there are over 138,000 people of Indian heritage living in the state who make valuable contributions to our peaceful and harmonious society".

"The friendship between NSW and India continues to flourish and Indian migrants, students and visitors are welcome to the state in increasing numbers," Baird said.

In Cairo, India's Ambassador to Egypt Sanjay Bhattacharyya hoisted the national flag. Members of Indian community and Egyptian Friends of India, attended the celebrations and sang the national anthem. The function was held at the India House premises in Zamalek.

In Herzliya, about 300 Indians from all over Israel gathered to celebrate the Independence Day ahead of an expected exchange of high level bilateral visits as India and Israel celebrate the 25th year of establishment of diplomatic relations next year.

India's envoy to Israel Pavan Kapoor hoisted the national flag, calling on the Indian community in Israel to help strengthen bilateral ties.

A cultural programme followed the ceremony, including a Bhangra performance by the Indian contingent at UN Disengagement Observer Force which serves as the border between Israel and Syria.

Senior political sources here said that Israel's President Reuven Rivlin is likely to visit India by the end of this year.

"We are also hopeful that our Prime Minister would visit New Delhi and Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi would come here", they added.

There are about 80,000 Jews of Indian-origin in Israel from four different communities - Bene Israel from the Mumbai region, Cochinis from Kerala, Baghdadis from the Kolkata region and Bnei Menashe from Manipur and Mizoram.

"The massive participation by the community on such occasions shows the attachment they have for India", Noah Massil, an Indian Jewish community leader here, who is also the editor of Maiboli journal in Marathi, told
Iraqi Kurdish forces today wrapped up a two-day offensive during which they took several positions from the Islamic State group near its Mosul bastion, officials said.

The peshmerga forces had launched the assault yesterday to retake villages in the Nineveh plain between Mosul, the jihadists' last major Iraqi stronghold, and Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish region.

The Kurdish military command issued a statement naming 10 villages it said its forces retook, and said the reconquered area covered 150 square kilometres.

The head of the Kurdistan Region Security Council, Masrour Barzani, said on social media that the advance would "tighten the grip around ISIL's (IS) stronghold Mosul".

The recently retaken areas are 30 to 40 kilometres southeast of Mosul, Iraq's second city and the only major urban centre in the country that IS still controls.

The peshmerga command said 130 IS members were killed in the operation, but did not provide casualty figures for its own ranks.

A senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, had told AFP that at least seven members of the Kurdish forces were killed yesterday.

A journalist working for local satellite channel Kurdistan TV was also killed when a mortar round struck the peshmerga convoy he was travelling in yesterday.

Iraqi forces retook the jihadist bastion of Fallujah, 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, in June, and Mosul is the next major target for the myriad forces battling IS in Iraq.

The latest Kurdish advance east of Mosul 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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The Israeli army today destroyed the home a Palestinian near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, after he stabbed to death a 13-year-old Israeli-American girl in a settlement, a military spokeswoman said.

Mohammed Nasser Tarayrah, 19, broke into a house in the Kiryat Arba settlement where Hallel Yaffa Ariel was sleeping and stabbed the dual national dozens of times in her bed.

Tarayrah was killed by settlement guards after the June 30 attack.

Israel frequently destroys the homes of Palestinians who have carried out attacks.

Critics of the policy denounce it as a collective punishment, which leaves the families of attackers homeless, but the Israeli government says it discourages others who might be thinking about carrying out similar acts.

Since October, 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died in violence in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.

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Turkish police today raided three major courts in Istanbul in search of more than 170 suspects wanted over last month's attempted coup, reports said.

Police began searches of the city's main Caglayan court and courts in the districts of Gaziosmanpasa and Bakirkoy with arrest warrants for 173 prosecutors and other judicial staff working there, the Dogan agency said.

The accused are suspected of links to the US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for the June 15 failed putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It was not clear how many suspects had been detained in the raids.

According to official figures, more than 35,000 people have been detained so far in the post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulen supporters, although 11,597 of these have since been released.

Erdogan has said the purge is needed to wipe out what he calls the "virus" of Gulen from Turkish institutions. But critics have expressed alarm that its sheer scope has turned it into a witch hunt.

In a separate development, the former chief prosecutor for the eastern region of Erzurum was detained late Sunday while trying to cross into Syria.

Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named. There was no indication over why he had been heading to Syria.

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The US has said that it is for India and Pakistan to determine the pace, scope and character of any discussions on .

"Our position on has not changed. The pace, the scope, the character of any discussions in is for the two sides to determine. We support any and all positive steps that India and Pakistan can take to forge closer relations," State Department Spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau said.

"We're aware of the clashes. We remain concerned about the violence and we encourage to all sides to make efforts for finding a peaceful resolution," Trudeau said at her daily news conference yesterday.

The State Department spokesperson, however, did not respond to questions on the remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address on Monday.

"I wouldn't speak to Mr Modi's comments, that would be for him to speak to," Trudeau said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today led civil administration, police and paramilitary officials in paying tributes to CRPF commanding officer Pramod Kumar who laid down his life during an encounter with militants here.

Mehbooba laid a wreath on the coffin of Kumar who died of injuries sustained during a militant attack in Nowhatta area of the city this morning.

Nine other security personnel were injured in the gun battle which ended with the killing of two militants.

Chief Secretary B R Sharma, DGP K Rajendra Kumar, ADG CRPF Sadanand Shrivastave and other senior officers from state police, CRPF and BSF paid homage to the slain officer.

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Meanwhile, an official spokesman said the Chief Minister while expressing solidarity with the family of the slain CRPF officer, prayed for peace to the departed soul.

Strongly condemning the latest incidents of militant violence in the state, the Chief Minister said in a similar dastardly incident the militants killed a cop and a civilian in Kulgam area the other day.

She said by indulging in such violent activities , the militants are making desperate attempts to once again trigger bloodshed in Kashmir and subvert the peace efforts.

The Chief Minister called for isolating elements indulging in violence which has only brought miseries for the people in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir government today ordered the release of 28 convicted prisoners on the occasion of Independence Day.

In exercise of the powers conferred under section 34 of the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, the Governor is pleased to order that the remaining term of imprisonment on 28 prisoners shall be remitted with effect from 15 August 2016, said a statement issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department.

Among those released today is one person who was sentenced to life.

Mohammad Amin Dar, a resident of Banihal in Ramban district, was released from Central Jail Srinagar and handed over to his brother.

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Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Sanjay Kishan Kaul, today said as judiciary is a part of the three pillars of democracy, it should ensure that the public at large gets justice in a time-bound manner.

"We are part of the three pillars of the democracy. Our obligation to the society starts from cooperating with the instructionto see that the public at large is able to get justice in a time-bound manner," he said, hoisting the national flag.

"Good infrastructure and right number of judges are important aspects but I think it is time to find a out-of-the-box solution because I think we will never be able to get right number of judges in proportionate with the population. Some thought process must start to deliver justice at the earliest considering the government being the largest litigator, heavy responsibility lays on the government in this regard but what is important than any of these things is the commitment and discipline which is required."



Discipline is a must for the development of an institution, he added.

The CJ referred to the non-cooperation movement started by the father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi.

"We must keep in mind one thing the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi who was an instrument of non-cooperation, non-cooperation against a foreign rule, non-cooperation to bring out own rule, that dictum with due respect doesn't apply to our own rule. From non-cooperationit must turn to a co-operation for our rule to see development, and it is necessary that different sections of our society with difference of opinionwalk hand in hand."



"It is not everybody is in same thought, even in a small unit of family there is difference of opinion. But you learn to reconcile those opinions to carry the family forward. Similarly a nation is the larger representation of the same thing, there is difference of opinions, culture but all are bound within our nationhood. Unless we are united within ourselves it is not possible to work through the development."



Stating that country evolves into a developed society, the CJ said "as a developed nation is passing through a transmission phase; this transmission from a feudal system to a modernized system is always a little painful. Therefore we see in this process of evolution, we find some aspects which trouble us.

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Pop star Justin Bieber has slammed fans after they criticised Sofia Richie on the social media.

The 22-year-old "Love Yourself" hitmaker, who sparked dating rumours with Richie earlier this month, threatened his Instagram followers that he will make his photo-video sharing website account private, if they continue using derogatory language against Richie.

"I'm gonna make my Instagram private if you guys don't stop the hate this is getting out of hand, if you guys are really fans you wouldn't be so mean to people that I like," he wrote.

Bieber shared a series of black and white photos with the 17-year-old model on the micro-blogging site today after which his fans started trolling Richie and even called her 'gross'.

The two are currently in Japan, where Bieber has two shows



as part of his Purpose World Tour.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today appealed for calm after a flare-up with Ukraine over the annexed Crimea peninsula but warned Moscow was ready to stamp out any attempts to destabilise the region.

A simmering feud between Russia and Ukraine sparked by the Kremlin's seizure of Crimea in 2014 burst back into life on Wednesday when Russia accused Kiev of attempting armed incursions into the region.

Ukraine fiercely denied the allegations but a subsequent war of words sparked fears of a wider conflict between the two ex-Soviet neighbours.

Lavrov said Moscow remained committed to a stalled European-brokered peace plan to end fighting in two eastern regions between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels and cautioned against succumbing to "emotions".

"For now the main thing is not to give in to emotions, not to slip into taking some extreme actions but to try to stabilise the situation with restraint and concentration," Lavrov said following talks with his German counterpart Frank- Walter Steinmeier in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Lavrov, however, warned that Moscow would take "comprehensive measures to make sure any attempts to make incursions into our territory are nipped in the bud".

Russia's FSB security service said last week that one of its officers and a soldier died in clashes as Moscow thwarted "terrorist attacks" in Crimea by Ukrainian military intelligence and beat back armed assaults.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged not to let the alleged incidents go unpunished but his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko dismissed the accusations as "fantasies" aimed at giving a pretext for Moscow to ramp up its aggression.

Steinmeier said that while the details of the latest flare-up in Crimea remained unclear, Germany was concerned by the surge in tensions.

Berlin's top diplomat said he and Lavrov discussed the possibility of getting four-way peace talks with Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France back on track after Putin appeared to pull the plug on a mooted fresh round next month.

Steinmeier and Lavrov also discussed the situation in Syria, with both agreeing that a daily three-hour ceasefire pledged by Russia around the war-ravaged city of Aleppo was not sufficient. "The pause for three hours each day is not enough," Lavrov said.

He said that in order for the window to be lengthened "it was necessary to solve issues on the fight with terrorists" as Moscow fears rebels are using any respite to send in more fighters.

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In a bid to achieve its objective of improving the skewed girl child ratio in Maharashtra, the state government today relaunched its "Majhi Kanya Bhagyashri" scheme.

The scheme was relaunched at all district headquarters with the guardian ministers handing over certificates of encouragement to couples, who have registered under the scheme.

In April last year, the state government had launched the scheme, in place of the "Sukanya" scheme, initiated by the erstwhile Congress-NCP government in the state. However, it had failed to gain momentum in its implementation largely due to lack of public awareness.

This relaunched initiative is a mix of "Sukanya" scheme that was implemented in February 2014 and Centre's "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" scheme implemented the same year.

Minister Pankaja Munde, who was divested of Water Conservation portfolio in the recent cabinet reshuffle, has focused her attention on the scheme and plans to implement it on a mission mode across the state, for which she had enlisted support of her cabinet colleagues and guardian ministers.

An official in the Women and Child Development department said that the government intends to take the scheme to the village level through massive public awareness programme.

"The scheme is broadly divided into two parts. One in which the couple has gone for family planning operation after the birth of the first girl child and second category is for couples going for the family planning operation after the birth of the second girl child. However, the scheme shall not apply for couples having one boy, one girl child," the official said.

The "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" scheme was being



implemented in Beed, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Aurangabad, Washim, Kolhapur, Osmanabad, Sangli and Jalna, where the girl child ratio was skewed. As per the 2011 Census the girl child ratio was 894 to 1,000 boys.

In view of the fast approaching festive season, the government has decided to rope in Ganesh festival mandals, use traditional folk art forms, and hold conferences and seminars to spread awareness of the salient features of the scheme.

"The scheme includes giving Rs 5,000 for the first girl child born and Rs 2,500 for the second girl child born to the couple," the official said.0



The government will draw insurance of Rs 21,200 for the first and second girl child born. Both the girls will get an insurance cover of Rs 21,200 each, he added.

"Till the girl attains the age of 18 years, the parents will get Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000 per year towards her upbringing," the official said adding that after she becomes a major, the insurance sum of Rs 1 lakh shall be deposited in her name in the bank.

Considering the pressure from the in-laws for bearing a boy, if the mother undergoes a family planning operation after bearing a girl child, her in-laws will get a gold coin worth Rs 5,000, the official said.

"In order to increase the girl child ratio more than per 1,000 boys, the scheme also has envisaged a reward of Rs 5 lakh for the village as well," the official said.
Asserting that gun will not solve any problem, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister on Monday hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the state's problems which she attributed to the "mistakes" by successive central governments, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the "vested interests" who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Speaking against the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she questioned people who have been indulging in violence as she underlined that any remedy could be found through dialogue in a great democracy like India.

Emphasising that any propaganda like attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is false, she urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

"Gun will not solve the problem. Guns has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country, from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.

The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.

"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?



"The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?



"Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.

Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)."
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 today in lieu of USD 1 million bond in Jasper County and USD 300,000 bond in Newton County.

The incident began just after 5 AM 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 AM 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 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 yesterday 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 yesterday, 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 AM, 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 Saturday was an older one for a drunken driving arrest, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured tax payers that he will remove the fear of taxman hounding them by ushering in accountability and answerability.

"Middle class, upper middle class used to be hassled with I-T officers, more than police. I have to change this situation, I am working on it and will make the change happen," Modi said in his Independence Day address.

The Prime Minister said that he wishes to focus not only on the work being done by the Government, but also on its work-culture.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, Modi said that in the past honest citizens felt harassed while claiming refunds, but now the entire system has become electronic and refunds reach bank accounts within week's time.

"There was a time when ordinary, honest citizens used to give his or her income tax and used to carefully give two rupees extra so that there is no problem going ahead. But after the money came to the exchequer, then he or she used to have a hard time to get refund, they had to use contacts and it used to take months for the citizens to get their refund from the exchequer," he said.

"Today we have moved towards online refund. In a week, 2 weeks or 3 weeks refunds have started going. This is a result of measures like accountability and answerability," he added.

Seeking to eliminate corruption and promote ease of doing business, the Income Tax Department has been taking various tax payer friendly measures, including e-verification of returns, paperless email-based inquiry and e-scrutiny.

During the current fiscal, till August 1, refunds of up to Rs 5,000 have already been issued to over 11.91 lakh assesses involving a total amount of Rs 244 crore.

In order to bring in transparency, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recently published comprehensive data based on income tax returns filed for assessment year 2012-13.

For a number of technical and other reasons since 1999- 2000, India had stopped publishing detailed I-T data and stood out as an outlier amongst comparable countries.

"In order to rectify this anomaly and promote transparency, as well as to facilitate wider analysis, the government has decided to resume publication of this data but in greater scope and detail," according to Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, who co-authored a write-up on the issue with Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian.

In 2011-12, there were 2.9 crore filers of individual income tax and 5.8 lakh filers of corporate income tax.

"If we also include those whose tax was deducted at source (TDS) but didn't file the return, we estimate that there were a total of 4.4 crore individual income-tax payers and 6.5 lakh corporate-tax payers.

"Thus, 3.7% of the population and 9.1% of the workforce were part of the individual income-tax system," said Adhia and Subramanian.
Like the previous year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not disappoint children who were waiting to greet him during the celebrations of 70th Independence Day at Red Fort here today.

As he got down from the ramparts of the 17th century monument on conclusion of his address and left at around 9:13 AM, Modi halted his motorcade after it covered only a few metres to reach an enclosure from where children cheered him on.

Modi greeted and shook hands with them, breaking away from the close security cover.

Puja, a 12-year-old student from a city school, was overjoyed by the opportunity of "meeting the Prime Minister".

"I had seen on TV last year how he had reached out to some students. I was expecting him to greet us today too. But as his motorcade started moving, I thought he will not greet us. But he did, and I am feeling quite happy to have greeted him," she said.

Another student, Rajesh, was disappointed that he could not shake hands with Modi as he was seated in one of the back rows. "Nevertheless, I was happy to see him from a close distance," he said.

The children were dressed in yellow and dark blue attire and formed a figure of 70, referring to the number of years since Independence. They cheered Modi on several times during his 90-odd minute speech.

The loudest of it came when the Prime Minister referred to India's "human" reaction to Peshawar School attack and said that "each of India's school cried that day".

Nearly 150 students were killed in the December 2014 terrorist attack at Army Public School in the Pakistan city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's references to Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech were an attempt to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir.

In his reaction to Modi's references to Balochistan and Pakistan-occuped Kashmir(PoK), Sartaj Aziz, Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs, claimed this proved Pakistan's contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Aziz also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

He said Prime Minister Modi was only trying to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks, in a reference to the ongoing unrest in the Valley.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Aziz's remarks came shortly after the Indian Premier brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pellet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."



He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had dismissed Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day yesterday, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

Zehri made the remarks after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

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Madhya Pradesh has set an ambitious target of generating 22,000 MW power by 2022 and plans to invest nearly Rs 9,000 crore in strengthening the power infrastructure in the next three years.

"We are working on taking the state's energy potential to 22,000 MW by 2022 and in the next three years, we have plans to invest nearly Rs 9,000 crore in strengthening the power infrastructure in the state," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said addressing a function here on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day today.

Chouhan said said MP is already a power surplus state with availability of 17,169 MW power.

The state is providing 24-hour uninterrupted power to non-agriculture sector and is making efforts for supplying 10-hour dedicated electricity for agriculture purpose.

Referring to non-conventional energy sources, Chouhan said, at present, the state is producing 2,176 MW power from these sources.

He said that subsidised LED bulbs are being given in the state at Rs 85 each and so far 50 lakh such lamps have been made available to the people for use, resulting in power saving worth Rs 1.5 crore daily.

Highlighting the state's financial condition, Chouhan said, "It is because of able financial management that MP has remained a revenue-surplus state in the past 11 years and in last financial year, its GDP growth rate was 16.62 per cent."



On the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, he said it was a matter of pride that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Yaad Karo Qurbani' programme from Azad Nagar (Bhabhra), the birthplace of noted revolutionary leader Chandrashekhar Azad in Alirajpur district of the state.

He said a 'Shourya Smarak' in Bhopal and a memorial for tribal warrior Bhima Nayak at Dhavdabadi in Barwani district will be dedicated to the public soon.

Stressing that rural development is among the priority



sectors of the state, Chouhan said in the current financial year, the state government has constructed 5.40 lakh toilets in villages which is the highest in the country.

Indore has become the second district in the country to become open-defecation free, he said.

Referring to roads, he said in 2016-17, a total of 10,868-long km roads will be constructed and upgraded and under the Prime Minister rural road scheme, all rural settlements not connected with roads will be joined with all-weather proof roads.

In order to tackle Naxal problem in Balaghat district, the state has formed Bharat Reserve Battalion in the state to effectively deal with Left Wing Extremism.

Chouhan also highlighted the achievements of his government in health, education, industries, irrigation and agriculture sectors.

Earlier, the state armed forces presented a ceremonial guard of honour to Chouhan on the 70th Independence Day.

Reports of Independence Day being celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety were also received from various parts of the state, including Jabalpur, Gwalior and Indore.
SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today backed his brother and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav, who had threatened to resign, and made veiled criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government which is headed by his son.

In an indication of an intense feud in the ruling party's first family, Mulayam while coming out in support of Shivpal said if he left the Samajwadi Party(SP), it will get divided into factions.

Mulayam's remarks came a day after Shivpal threatened to resign alleging rampant corruption in the state government headed by Akhilesh Yadav. Assembly polls in UP are due next year.

At a flag-hoisting programme on the occasion of the Independence Day, Mulayam said that while Shivpal was working hard a conspiracy was being hatched against the minister within the SP and the government and cautioned that if he leaves the party, it will get divided into factions.

He said he had read media reports that Shivpal while expressing concern over touts and musclemen calling the shots in the state, had threatened to resign.

"Shivpal is working very hard. A few people are against him. If he quits, then the situation for the party will become bad. Half of the people will go with him," the SP supremo said.

As some party leaders attempted to prevent the issue from being talked about in the presence of the media, he said, "How does it matter? An issue that is true is true."



SP state president and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was present on the occasion.

While expressing concern over "land-grabbing", Shivpal, who was in Mainpuri, had spoken about his resignation.

He had alleged some party workers and office-bearers were involved in "wrongful acts" of "land-grabbing and harassment of the public".

"MLAs and MLCs involved in such activities will be expelled from SP. Those party workers and office-bearers involved in land grabbing and acts of deceit will be expelled," Shivpal had said yesterday.

He had said, "Government staff at police stations and tehsils are not paying heed to public grievances. SP had to face defamation because of those involved in land-grabbing and illegal acts."



Shivpal had later said in a statement that SP would not allow people to be harassed even if it requires him to resign.

"Samajwadi Party will never allow harassment of the public...Iske liye chahe mujhe istifa kyun na dena pade (for this I am even prepared to resign)...Those involved in harassment of the people have no connection with SP," he said.

Mulayam said that from next month, he would hold rallies in 18 divisions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nagaland today joined the rest of the country in celebrating 70th Independence Day, showcasing the rich and diverse tradition and culture of the 16 Naga tribes.

Addressing the main celebration at Secretariat Plaza here, Chief Minister T R Zeliang said Naga people were marching on the path of development.

Unfurling the tricolour, the chief minister highlighted some of the key achievements of the state government in several sectors.

He said that even though the economy of the state was growing faster than the national average, it should not be forgotten that an overwhelming part of this growth was financed by the central government. "There is an urgent need to increase our own revenue," he said.

The celebration throughout the state was peaceful with no Naga underground groups calling for a protest.

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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today launched yet another attack on the Narendra Modi government saying it "failed to honour the promises" made to the state and vowed to not rest until he drew the "last paisa" from the Centre.

"They (Central government) are not releasing funds to bridge our revenue deficit (caused by the state bifurcation). They are not releasing funds for the Polavaram irrigation project nor are they trying to resolve the contentious issues between the two states (AP and Telangana)," the Chief Minister said on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day.

He was addressing a gathering after hoisting the national flag and reviewing a guard of honour at the Independence Day celebrations at Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy grounds here today.

He demanded that the Centre honour its promise and grant special category status to the state and also establish a new railway zone at Visakhapatnam.

"We are constantly negotiating with the Centre for fulfillment of promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act-2014 and also release of funds promised therein. I requested Prime Minister Modi many times to support AP till it developed at par with other states. We are fighting uncompromisingly for fulfillment of all promises made by the Centre at the time of bifurcation," Chandrababu pointed out.

"I will not rest till we draw the last paisa (due to the state) from the Centre. I need people's cooperation in this regard," he added.

Despite the financial constraints, his government was doing everything for the overall development of all regions in the state, the Chief Minister said.

He reiterated the government's goal to make AP one of the top three states in the country by 2022 and the top state by 2029.

"By 2050, we should become the top in the world in attracting investments," he added.

Last year, AP recorded an economic growth rate of 10.99 per cent as against the country's 7.5 per cent, he said.

Ministers Paritala Sunitha, P R Reddy, Chief Whip Kalva Srinivasulu, district Collector Kona Sasidhar and others were also present.

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Meanwhile, AP Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister N Chinnarajappa said people should dedicate themselves for all round development of the state.

The Home Minister unfurled the Tricolour at Kakinada in East Godavari district to mark the Independence Day.

He said the state government will be provide Rs 6,800 crore worth crop loans to farmers this year in the East Godavari district.

In Rajamahendravaram, Rajamahendravaram Municipal Corporation Mayor P Rajani Sesha Sai unfurled the national flag to mark the day.
Opposition parties National Conference and Congress today opted to stay away from the Independence Day celebrations at Bakhshi stadium in view of the ongoing unrest in Kashmir Valley.

"We decided to stay away from the functions as people of Kashmir have now been caged for more than a month and there is no improvement in the situation in the valley so far," National Conference general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar told PTI.

He said the party had submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit to the valley but nothing has come out after the assurances he gave to the National Conference delegation.

"We had asked for stopping the use of pellet guns and other steps to be taken for improving the situation. The Home Minister had given assurances but nothing has happened," Sagar said.

A Congress spokesman said none of the party leaders could make it to the Bakhshi stadium due to strict curfew imposed in the city.

He said the party, however, organised a function at its headquarters at Maulana Azad road in Lal Chowk area to hoist the national flag and celebrate the Independence day.

Normal life has remained paralysed for more than a month in Kashmir 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.

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.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Prachanda today sent a special envoy to China while another such emissary was set to visit India soon as part of Nepal's bid to woo its two giant neighbours and firm up bilateral ties after the formation of the new government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara left for Beijing with an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Nepal.

This is the first high-level visit by any Nepalese official to a foreign country following the formation of the new government under the leadership of Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

Mahara's two-day visit to China is aimed at "apprising the Chinese government of the formation of the new government in Nepal and the latest political developments in the country," Foreign Ministry sources said.

Speaking to reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport here before leaving, Mahara said the main objective of his visit is to further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

"I am leaving for China to strengthen the relation with China in the changed political context following the formation of the new government. We expect China's support to build good ties between Nepal and China and Chinese political leaders to visit Nepal," he said.

"We are expecting a high level Chinese political visit to Nepal," Mahara said.

He also pledged to carry on and implement the agreements reached between the Chinese government and the former K P Oli-led government.

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, foreign minister and senior officials of China's ruling Communist Party.

Mahara and Jhabindra Aryal, a joint-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will reach Beijing via Chengdu.

Earlier, the Cabinet meeting last week had decided to send Mahara to China and another Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi to India as the Prime Minister's special emissaries.

The date of Nidhi's has not yet been fixed.

Nidhi's visit would focus on strengthening of relations between Nepal and India and President Pranab Mukherjee's Nepal visit.

The special envoy would also hold discussions with high-level officials over the cancellation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's India visit.

Prime Minister Prachanda, who is also the Maoist chief, assumed office earlier this month for his second term as Prime Minister.

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Nigeria's army said today it wants to question three suspects, including a journalist, for allegedly concealing information on the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

The announcement came just a day after Boko Haram released a new video purportedly showing some of the more than 200 girls who were seized by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014.

Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said local journalist Ahmad Salkida had been in contact with Boko Haram, as had Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil, both activists familiar with the workings of the Islamist group.

"There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram terrorists and have contacts with them," he said.

"They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us to rescue them."



Usman said the military would work with other security agencies to bring in the suspects if they fail to turn themselves in.

The mass kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram and its bloody quest to create a fundamentalist state in northeastern Nigeria.

A total of 218 girls are still missing.

Usman said the authorities wanted to talk to the suspects over the video released yesterday in which a masked man called on the government to free Boko Haram prisoners if it wants the girls to be rescued.

Salkida is said to have high-level contacts among the group's leaders and is believed to have been involved in failed talks between Boko Haram and the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The journalist said in his personal blog he would report to the authorities as soon as he returns to Nigeria, without giving his current whereabouts.

"In the coming days I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the army authorities," he said.

Salkida said he had nothing to fear because he had not done anything outside the tenets of journalism.

"Clearly, my status as a Nigerian journalist who has reported extensively, painstakingly and consistently on the Boko Haram menace in the country since 2006 is an open book known to Nigerians and the international community," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nigerian troops have thwarted a attack in the country's volatile northeast, killing 16 insurgents while 12 soldiers were wounded, an army spokesman said.

Troops "successfully repelled" the attack in the town of Kangarwa on Sunday, Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement yesterday.

The military "rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents by killing 16," he said, adding: "Unfortunately, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in action during the encounter."

A cache of arms and ammunitions were recovered from the insurgents, he said.

Usman said the military rescued five people held by the jihadists in the village of Dogon Chikun yesterday during an operation to clear the area of Islamists.

Boko Haram, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing more than 2.6 million people since 2009.

A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year has recaptured swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014.

On Sunday, released a video showing at least one of 218 schoolgirls kidnapped from Chibok more than two years ago.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today strongly contested CSO estimate of a sharp decline of about 5.88 percentage points in growth rate of Bihar, asserting that the state was marching ahead on the path of development.

The CM dismissed the estimation of the CSO of Bihar's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at 7.14 per cent in 2015-16 as against 13.02 per cent in 2014-15, a decline of 5.88 percentage point, while delivering his speech at historic Gandhi Maidan on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

Citing the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) figures, the opposition BJP and NDA partners have attacked the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar headed by Kumar.

Kumar said: "In 2005-6, when the people of Bihar for the first time gave me the opportunity to serve them, the size of annual budget was Rs 22,600 crore which increased to Rs 1.44 lakh crore in current budget for 2016-17.

"If somebody fails to see the economic development I can not help them. But, figures prove how fast the development has taken place in the state."



Likewise, he said, the plan expenditure was Rs 4,300 crore in 2005-6 which increased to Rs 53,400 crore in 2015-16 fiscal.

Revenue collection which was Rs 3,500 crore in 2005-6 rose to Rs 2,54,00 crore in 2015-16, he added.

Kumar stated that average growth rate of the state has been above 10 per cent at constant price in the last 10 years.

The Bihar Chief Minister said his government has pursued inclusive growth strategy which cared for development of everybody unlike the approach pursued at the national level which has created "island of development" but left many others lagging behind.

Kumar said his government coming up with policy of governance for the next five year from 2015-20 with focus on agriculture, human skill development, education, health and strengthening infrastructure.

He pointed to "seven resolves" adopted by his government as policy of governance for next five year which reserves 35 per cent of seats in state jobs for women among others.

The CM said it includes providing drinking water to all households at an estimated cost of Rs 8,500 crore, toilet in every home at Rs 10,800 crore and electricity to every household at an expenditure of Rs 1,900 crore.

Under attack from opposition on some stringent provisions added in the new Liquor law, Kumar invoked Mahatma Gandhi who he said wrote in "Young India" in 1928 that alcohol consumption is a bad disease which should be cured at all cost.
on Monday invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the issue, notwithstanding Indias insistence that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks.

The foreign secretary called in the Indian high commissioner this afternoon (Monday) and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan, Zakaria said.

The invitation was extended amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue.

The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the statement said.

Pakistans advisor on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys of earlier this month had agreed that Pakistan seek talks with India.

The invitation came days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed Parliament on the Kashmir issue and said that India was willing to discuss only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with Pakistan, and that the question of discussing Jammu and Kashmir with Islamabad only does not arise.

India also turned down Pakistans proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K and made it clear that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.
Hundreds of passengers at the John F Kennedy International Airport were today evacuated from at least two terminals following reports that multiple shots had been fired in one of the US' busiest airport, triggering scenes of panic and chaos.

The Port Authority, which manages the city's airports, in an initial update said police had received reports of shots fired at Terminal 8 at JFK at about 9:30 pm (local time yesterday), apparently near the departure area.

Just half an hour later, at about 10:15 pm (local time), Terminal 1 at New York's main airport was also "closed" after "additional" calls of shots fired were received.

The Port Authority said "the terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution" and there was "substantial presence" of New York Police Department at the John F Kennedy (JFK) airport and LaGuardia airports as an investigation was launched.

Hundreds of travellers were evacuated from the terminals and severalflights in and out of the airport were cancelled and diverted as a precautionarymeasure.

There were scenes of panic as authorities asked people to lie down and then asked them to evacuate.

However, after conducting a thorough search, police gave an all-"clear" and said emergency calls over shots at the airport were "unfounded".

"All terminals searched & cleared.Negative results. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired," New York Police Department Chief of Special Operations Division Chief Harry Wedin tweeted.

Wedin said in an earlier tweet that police officials from New York City and the Port Authority, which also operates and manages airports in New Jersey, were clearing the departure areas at Terminal 1 and 8 at JFK.

"There is nobody shot. It appears that no shots have been fired," he said.

A preliminary investigation also showed no indication that shots were fired.

"Preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at JFK. There are no injuries. At this time no gun shells or other evidence of shots fired has been found," the Port Authority said in a statement on its Twitter handle.

It also said that travellers should contact their carriers.

It was not immediately known if there were any injuries or arrests as part of the incident.

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A parliamentary panel has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to take up once again the proposal to grant Defence PSU status to Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) with the Department of Defence Production.

Taking note of "lack of follow-up action", the Standing Committee on IT, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur, has said the proposal needs to be "favourably considered" as it will increase the state-owned telecom company's prospects of getting more work orders.

"It appears that no follow-up action has been taken by the department on this recommendation of the committee... The committee desires that the department should once again impress the Department of Defence Production for granting of DPSU status to ITI and upgrade necessary infrastructure," the panel has said in a recent report on revival of the sick PSU.

The basic idea is that apart from taking up projects like Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON), NFS, radars, it may be able to participate in various other projects reserved for Defence PSUs.

Studies conducted by the Ministry of Defence and DRDO had found ITI capable of meeting their requirements, the report said, to buttress its point.

The committee, in its report, pointed to the huge Defence requirements of the country and said most PSUs, be it Bharat Electronics Ltd or Bharat Dynamics Ltd or Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd, are "over-flooded with demand".

The committee suggested that the Telecom Department and ITI should collaborate with Defence PSUs "to extract some work from them" and sought to be updated on the action taken.

It said a study conducted by the Ministry of Defence in 2013 had suggested that ITI could be classified as Defence PSU, and that DRDO too had echoed the view. However, the Department of Defence Production (DDP) had not favoured the proposal on the ground that it would not "facilitate" Defence orders for ITI, given that the PSUs have to compete with private players for getting contracts.

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Five Turkish police officers and two civilians were killed today in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, the government said.

The blast hit a police traffic control building on a highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, killing the seven, a Turkish official said, confirming media reports and asking not to be named.

The local governor's office earlier said in a statement that 25 people were wounded including five police officers. One of those killed was a child.

A previous toll had said six people were killed.

An AFP photographer at the scene said the bombing had turned the three-storey police building into tangled rubble with rescue workers using diggers to search the debris for corpses.

Locals were also inspecting the massive trench left in the ground by the bomb.

The latest bombing came after at least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks blamed on PKK militants in Turkey's southeast.

It also came on the day seen as marking the 32nd anniversary of the launch of the PKK's armed rebellion by radical Kurdish nationalist Marxists led by their now-jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed by the PKK in attacks since the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in July last year.

The government has responded with deadly military operations against the group in southeast Turkey as well as air raids on its strongholds in northern Iraq.

The PKK has kept up attacks after the failed coup of July 15 that sought to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which authorities blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Despite the attempted putsch, the government has vowed there will be no let-up in the fight against the PKK.

The Turkish army's hierarchy has been badly hit by a post-coup purge, with top generals accused of complicity in the plot.

There has been no suggestion that the PKK was behind the coup and Gulen is believed to have vehemently opposed peace talks with the group in the past.

But some officials have alleged the PKK has helped Gulen supporters flee the post-coup crackdown into northern Iraq or Europe, sometimes in exchange for information about the Turkish intelligence services.

Meanwhile, three soldiers serving on Imrali prison island where Ocalan has been held since his capture in 1999 have also been detained as part of the investigation into the coup, the state-run Anadolu agency said.

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Lashing out at Pakistan for glorifying terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today declared that the country will not bow before terrorism even as he said people of Baluchistan and PoK have thanked him for raising issue of atrocities against them.

In a 90-minute address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi made no reference to the situation in Kashmir valley which has been rocked by violence after the killing of Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani, but accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan, which was not directly named by him.

Attired in his trademark half sleeves kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government's work particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

The Prime Minister, who has spoken out against atrocities on dalits in the recent days, said a strong country cannot be built without a strong society which is based on social justice.

He asserted that a "tough and sensitive" approach is required to tackle the age-old social evils including castism or untouchability.

Referring to terrorism, he asked the youth of the country to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream, saying they have not achieved anything by taking the path of terror and extremism.

The Prime MInister asked the international community to



judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other's country.

"When children were killed in terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified," Modi said.

Clearly referring to the eulogising of Burhan Wani in Pakistan, he questioned what kind of policy is the one which celebrates a terrorist.

Modi, who during his speech at an all-party meeting on Kashmir on Friday last had slammed Pakistan for carrying out atrocities against people of Baluchistan and PoK, said people hailing from those areas have thanked him a lot since then and he is grateful to them.

Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tries to adopt the strategy of "reform, perform and transform" while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self- governance to good-governance is a resolve of entire nation which will need sacrifices.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations.

The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good healthcare to poor people and benefits to farmers.
Declaring that India will not bow before terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today asked the youth who have taken to violence to join the mainstream even as he brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Baluchistan and PoK, saying that they have thanked him to do so.

Though Modi did not make any reference to Kashmir valley which is witnessing violence after the killing of Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani, he accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan, which was not directly named by him.

In his 93-minute Independence Day address to the nation amidst tight security, Modi said, "From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people --the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir-- for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently."



This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence speech. The remarks also come in the backdrop of recent comments by Modi during an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Baluchistan and the areas of J&K under its illegal occupation.

The Prime Minister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other's country.

"When children were killed in terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified," Modi said.

Asserting that India will not yield to terrorism and violence, the Prime Minister asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to youth of Kashmir.

"I am telling those youths that there is time left, come back and join the mainstream. Realize your parents' aspirations. Lead a peaceful life. The path of violence has never benefited anyone," he said.

Attired in his trademark half sleeves kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government's work particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

During his address, the Prime Minister also made two



announcements - an increase of 20 per cent in the pension of freedom fighters and that medical costs of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families will be borne by the government.

Modi, who has spoken out against atrocities on Dalits in the recent days, said a strong country cannot be built without a strong society which is based on social justice. He advocated a "tough and sensitive" approach to tackle the age- old social evils including castism or untouchability.

Asserting that social harmony was the key to the nation's progress, Modi said,"What lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, saint Ramanajucharya, B R Ambedkar, all our holy scriptures saints and teachers have stressed is social unity. When society breaks, the empire disintegrates. When a society is divided into touchables and untouchables; upper and lower (castes), then such a society cannot last."



Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tries to adopt the strategy of "reform, perform and transform" while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self- governance to good-governance is a resolve of entire nation which will need sacrifices.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations. "When hope gives rise to expectations, it gives us energy to move faster towards 'Suraj' (good governance)," he added.

The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good healthcare to poor people and benefits to farmers.
Prime Minister on Monday hit out Pakistan for "glorifying" terrorists and wondered what kind of a country it was that drew inspiration from terror, an apparent reference to the eulogising of slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about situation in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.

Referring to Peshawar school attack in which more than 140 people, most of them children, were killed, the Prime Minister said India's Parliament and the country's schools and children had felt the pain as the country has strong foundation of humanity.

"But look at the other side where terrorism is being glorified. Where killing of innocents by terrorists is celebrated. What kind of terrorism-inspired life is it? What kind of government is which is inspired by terrorism? The world will need to understand the double standards," Modi said.

His comments came against the backdrop of Pakistan declaring Wani a "martyr" and organising programmes in his memory.

The Prime Minister asserted that India will not yield to terrorism and violence and asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to youth of Kashmir.

The Prime Minister presented "two pictures" before the world about the difference between "the people who are brought up on the basis of humanity and those inspired by terrorism", appealing the world to "weigh it on a balance."



"Terrorists killed innocent children in a school in Peshawar. Blood of innocent kids was spilled by terrorists. A temple of learning was bloodied. There were tears in the eyes of India's parliamentarians.

"Every school in India was crying. Every child in India was feeling the pain of kids of Peshawar. Tears did not dry up from their eyes. The child victims of terrorism in Peshawar gave us pain. It is reflective of inspiration derived from our culture. This is our humanity.

"But look at the other side," Modi said while hitting out at Pakistan, without naming it, for eulogising terrorists.

At the same time, he again raked up PoK and Baluchistan issues.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir -- for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently.

"People in distant land, which I have not even seen, people that I have not met..When those people thank the Indian Prime Minister, greet him, it is an honour for the 125 crore people of the country.

"And that is why, Today I want to thank the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir whole-heartedly," the Prime Minister said.

Chairing an all-party meeting on Kashmir on Friday last, Modi had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

The Prime Minister said though the "mother earth has been



stained with bood", those taking the path of terrorism have not achieved anything.

"I want to tell the youth that the country will never tolerate violence, this country will never tolerate terrorism... Come back and look at the dreams of your parents. Come to mainstream and live a life of peace and happiness," he said.

Talking about foreign policy, Modi said he had invited leaders of SAARC countries to the swearing in ceremony of his government in June 2014 to give a "clear message" to improve relationship.

The Prime Minister said the countries of the region are facing a major challenge of combating poverty and all of them should join hands to deal with it.

"Come and lets fight against poverty unitedly. We are ruining ourselves by fighting among our ourselves. Fight against poverty will lead us to a path of prosperity and take us out of situation of destruction," he said, in comment seen as directed at Pakistan.

"I appeal all neighbouring countries to fight against poverty," he added.

The Prime Minister also referred to resolution of the 41-year-old boundary issue with Bangladesh.

India and Bangladesh last year had last year ratified a land boundary pact to resolve rage complex issue that has lingered since independence.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit India in January next year and is likely to make a trip to Goa, a former Portuguese enclave with which he has ancestral connections.

Consul General of Portugal for Goa Rui Baceira told reporters today that the Portuguese Prime Minister will be visiting India in January 2017, with his itinerary including Goa and Bangalore.

"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January (2017). He is of Goan Indian origin. We are pleased to have him here," Baceira told reporters on the sidelines of Independence Day event here.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had in March told the State Legislative Assembly that he would invite Costa to Goa.

Goa had remained a Portuguese colony for over 400 years before it was liberated and integrated to the Indian Union in 1961.

Antonio's grandfather, Luis Afonso Maria da Costa, hailed from Goa. Though born in Mozambique, which was also a Portuguese colony, he spent most of his youth in Goa, before moving with his family to Portugal after 1961.

There were celebrations in Goa when Costa was elected the Portuguese Prime Minister last year.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi



today unfurled the national flag at the historic Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day amid loud cheers from the public.

Here are the sidelights of the ceremony held at the 17th century Mughal monument:



As soon as the Prime Minister's motorcade arrived at the venue at 7:23 AM, thousands of people from the general public and school children rose to get a glimpse of their leader with a thunderous applause. Modi got down from his armoured car and waved at the crowd.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Minister of State for Defence Rao Subhash Ramrao Bhamre along with Defence Secretary G Mohan Kumar received Modi as he arrived at the Lahore Gate.

The Prime Minister, accompanied by the General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area then proceeded towards the saluting base where combined Inter-Services and Police Guards presented general salute to the Prime Minister.

He then inspected the guard of honour contingent which consisted of one officer and 24 men each from Army, Navy, Air Force and Delhi Police. The Army contingent for the Guard is drawn from the 8th Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (Siachen).

The battalion was raised as the First Battalion Border Scouts by volunteers who took up arms in the aftermath of partition to check the multitude of Kabailies intruding into Poonch on 18 December 1947.

The PM then walked to the ramparts of the Red Fort and unfurled the tricolour at 7:30 AM sharp.

The unfurling of the tricolour was synchronised with the 21 Gun Salute fired by the valiant gunners of the elite 2281 Field Regiment (Ceremonial). The Air Force Band played National Anthem when the National Guard presented "Rashtriya Salute".

The Army Contingent for the National Flag Guard is drawn from 11th Battalion of the Jat Regiment. This is a 52-year- old battalion with a gallant past.

The Prime Minister then addressed the nation making a 90-minute long powerful speech, shunning the bullet-resistant glass enclosure for third year in a row.

People from all walks of life had queued up to



participate in the event as early as 5:00 AM. Around 10,000 seats were set aside for general public at the venue and they were filled by 7:00 AM. Security personnel had a tough time managing an enthusiastic crowd.

According to the police, about 40,000 people attended the function. There were seating arrangements for 22,000 people, including 2000 VVIPs and VIPs, 9000 for school children and 10,000 for the general public.

Throughout the speech, people kept clapping jubilantly and the public responded to every pause with a loud cheer.

Tricoloured balloons were released after the Prime Minister concluded his speech.

When Modi's motorcade was leaving the venue, children waved their caps and scarves and greeted him. As last year, the Prime Minister stopped his car and went to meet the children. He shook hands with some of them and greeted them on the occasion.

Demonstrating their excitement and patriotic zeal, children sang the national anthem with a festive fervour both at the beginning and end of the event.

Seven hundred boy cadets of the National Cadet Corps drawn from various schools of Delhi Directorate comprising Army, Navy and Air Force wings participated in the flag hoisting ceremony this year.

The cadets also sang patriotic songs and the national anthem along with the school children.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with wife Gursharan Kaur, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely, Union Minister of Food and Public Distribution Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, were some of the VVIPs present for the event.

The shutterbugs also spotted Kejriwal with his eyes closed during the Prime Minister's address.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh today voiced deep pain over the death of a CRPF commanding officer in attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir and ordered shifting the injured to Delhi by air ambulance for treatment.

"CRPF commanding officer Promod Kumar fought valiantly when attacked by terrorists in Srinagar today. I am deeply pained at his death," he said in a statement.

Saluting the CRPF officer for his valour and supreme sacrifice, the Home Minister said Kumar served the nation till his last breath.

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," he said.

The Home Minister also asked Director General of CRPF K Durga Prasad to evacuate those injured in the incident by air ambulance to Delhi for better treatment.

"I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured CRPF jawans," he said.

As the nation was celebrating its 70th Independence Day, militants attacked security personnel at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar, killing the CRPF officer and injuring nine other personnel. Two militants were also killed in retaliatory fire.

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Russia's navy today launched drills including artillery and missile fire in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the defence ministry said.

"A Russian navy attack group started tactical drills in the east of the Mediterranean Sea," the ministry said in a statement.

"During the drills the ability of the navy's forces to deal with resolving crises of a terrorist nature will be tested," it said.

Russia has previously beefed up its naval forces in the area to support its bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Two of Russia's newest Buyan-class corvettes will take part in the exercises along with vessels already stationed permanently in the area, the ministry said.

It said the gunboats are equipped with the latest long-range missile system which was used to bombard Islamic State targets in Syria last year.

The exercises are the latest in a series of manoeuvres conducted by Moscow's forces since relations with the West fell to their lowest point since the Cold War over the conflict in Ukraine.

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A South African court today handed down a 10-year prison term to a woman who kidnapped a newborn baby and raised her for 17 years before an astonishing coincidence reunited the girl with her biological family, media reported.

The kidnapping victim, who named by her birth family as Zephany Nurse, was taken from her sleeping mother at a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1997.

Her kidnapper, now 52, raised her as her own.

The girl's real identity only came to light in February 2015, when her younger biological sister began attending high school and pupils pointed out her remarkable likeness to a final-year student.

The younger girl told her parents, who met the older girl and immediately thought she could be their long-lost child.

The Nurse family had been living within a couple of kilometres of their kidnapped daughter, while celebrating her birthday every year and never giving up hope of finding her.

DNA tests confirmed that the girl was indeed the family's long lost child, leading to the arrest of the jailed woman who cannot be named to protect Zephany's true identity.

In handing down the 10-year sentence, a judge in the High Court in Cape Town said the woman's crime was premeditated and too serious not to warrant a jail term, South Africa's News24 said.

Zephany, who is now said be pregnant, was raised under a different name and has shunned the media spotlight on the case.

The teenager was sent to a place of safety after the kidnapper's arrest.

But she has opted to move back to the home in which she had lived and has not formed any bond with her biological family.

Her biological father, Morne Nurse, welcomed the sentence, saying he was looking forward to building a relationship with her daughter.

"It's actually made me tired, it's made me sick completely," he told AFP outside court.

"I couldn't sleep for nights. I couldn't even eat properly. So the way forward is to build my relationship with my daughter, and that's it".

During the trial, Zephany's biological mother, Celeste Nurse wept as she described how at the age of 18 she woke up in the maternity ward to find her three-day-old baby had vanished from her cot.

The trial attracted a lot of media attention in South Africa, with members of both families sometimes trading insults outside court.

The kidnapper was on March 10 found guilty of kidnapping, fraud, and contravening the Children's Act.

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South Korea's president today defended the proposed deployment of a US anti-missile system as an act of self-defence against North Korea, as hundreds of residents shaved their heads in protest at the plan.

Tensions have been running high on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January and followed up with a series of missile tests.

South Korea responded last month by announcing deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system - a move which sparked domestic protests as well as complaints from China.

"I urge the North Korean government to immediately stop all provocations and threats targeting South Korea as well as the development of weapons of mass destruction," said President Park Geun-Hye in a televised Liberation Day speech.

Her comments came as both Koreas celebrated the anniversary of the peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

Stressing that "true liberation" would involve reunification of the peninsula, Park said that could only happen by removing the fear of nuclear weapons, missiles and war.

She also warned the North that all attempts to provoke and intimidate the South would be counter-productive.

"The more efforts (the North) makes, the deeper the country's isolation in the international community will be and the bigger its economic problems will be," she said



The North's nuclear test in January resulted in a substantial strengthening of UN sanctions, but a defiant Pyongyang doubled down with a series of ballistic missile tests also banned by UN resolutions.

Tensions are expected to rise again when the South launches an annual joint military exercise with the United States later this month.

The planned missile shield has been condemned not only by Pyongyang but also Beijing, which views the deployment as a US move against its own national security interests and a threat to regional stability.

"The deployment of THAAD is an act of self-defence," Park said in her speech, adding that her priority as president was to "protect the lives of our people from the reckless provocations of the North".

THAAD has also hit domestic opposition, particularly from those living in the rural county of Seongju where the first battery will be installed.

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Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit India in October while President Pranab Mukherjee's trip to the city-state is also on the cards in the near future, it was announced here today.

In a congratulatory message on India's 70th Independence Day, President Tony Tan Keng Yam said he looks forward to receiving his Indian counterpart Mukherjee in Singapore in the near future.

"With fond memories of the warm hospitality extended to my delegation when I visited India last February, I look forward to receiving Your Excellency in Singapore in the near future," said Tan in the message to President Mukherjee.

In a separate congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lee said he looks forward to visiting India in October.

"I look forward to meeting you again when I visit India in October to explore new avenues of cooperation," he said.

"Singapore and India share a longstanding friendship underpinned by strong historical, commercial, cultural and kinship ties.

"The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership signed during your visit to Singapore last November is a further sign of our excellent relations," Lee said in his message to Modi.

It also provides a roadmap for cooperation in many fields: trade and investment, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities, he said, adding: "I am confident that our bilateral ties will continue to grow and deepen."



Extending heartfelt congratulations, President Tan reaffirmed strong bilateral relations.

"Relations between Singapore and India remain strong and look set to grow despite challenges in the global economy.

"As our people-to-people relations flourish, I am delighted by the excellent progress in bilateral projects and initiatives on various fronts including trade, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities development," said Tan.

The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership, together with other bilateral agreements, will create new opportunities for collaboration and elevate the bilateral relationship to a higher level, said Tan.

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Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar today called upon youngsters to take care of senior citizens and respect the "golden generation" of the society.

Speaking as chief guest after launching the Thane police's new initiative 'Kartavya' for senior citizens, Tendulkar said he learnt from his father to respect elders.

He said he is most pained whenever there is injustice meted out to the elders.

"I can never forget the guidance of seniors. If you do not have the blessings of the elders you cannot progress in your life," he said addressing a gathering.

Tendulkar said he had drawn inspiration and taken guidance from his mother, grandmother and father at all times.

He also asked the citizens not to forget those who worked towards the independence of the country.

Thane Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde and Police Commissioner Parambir Singh were among others present on the occasion.

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Floods ravaged the US state of Louisiana today, leaving six people dead and thousands more forced to flee rising waters after days of catastrophic rainstorms.

More than 20,000 people had to evacuate their homes and as many as 10,000 were living in emergency shelters, officials said, after rains pummeled much of southern Louisiana starting last Thursday evening.

Over the weekend, rain accumulations totaled more than 20 inches in five parts of the New Orleans and Baton Rouge area.

A spokeswoman for Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards, Shauna Sanford, said six people have been killed in the floods. Some 40,000 homes and business were reported without power.

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 in a statement in which he called the flooding "unprecedented" for his state.

Television images showed residential areas covered in several feet of water, with cars and homes partially submerged.

While US media reported that floodwaters had begun to recede in some areas, they were flowing into others.

National Weather Service predicted that many waterways would remain above flood stage today. The agency continued to issue flood warnings, 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 above flood level in one reading, besting a previous record flood in April 1983, the NWS said.

"Additional rainfall may fall over the flooded area with as much as half an inch up to one inch. This will aggravate the ongoing flooding and may delay water receding," the NWS said, forecasting the Amite won't fall below flood level until Wednesday morning.

The White House action makes emergency federal funding available to support rescue crews and the eventual recovery.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency today began asking those affected by the floods to apply for assistance, and officials said 11,000 people had already registered.

Officials reported that hundreds of roads, most in the southern parts of the state, were closed due to flooding.

"That's going to be the case over the next couple of days," Edwards said.

The Louisiana National Guard reported that its soldiers rescued nearly 500 people and 61 pets in just the 24 hours between Friday and Saturday - by boat, helicopter, and using high-water vehicles.

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Four Turkish police officers and two civilians were killed today in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, the government said.

The blast hit a police traffic control post on the highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, killing the six victims, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters in Ankara.

The local governor's office earlier said in a statement that 25 people were wounded including five police officers. One of those killed was a child.

An initial toll had said three people were killed.

An AFP photographer at the scene saw the bombing had turned the three-storey police building into tangled rubble with rescue workers searching the debris with diggers for corpses.

Locals were also inspecting the massive trench where the ground had been blown out by the car bomb.

The latest bombing came after at least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks blamed on PKK militants in Turkey's southeast.

It also came on the day seen as marking the 32nd anniversary of the launch of the PKK's armed rebellion by radical Kurdish nationalist Marxists led by their now jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed by the PKK in attacks since the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in July last year.

The government has responded with deadly military operations against the group in southeast Turkey as well as air raids on its strongholds in northern Iraq.

The PKK has kept up attacks after the July 15 failed coup that tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power, which authorities blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

The government has vowed there will be no let-up in the fight against the PKK even in the wake of the coup.

The Turkish army's hierarchy has been badly hit in the purge since the coup, with top generals accused of complicity in the plot.

There has been no suggestion that the PKK was behind the coup and Gulen is believed in the past to have vehemently opposed peace talks with the group.

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Haryana and Punjab Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki felt dizziness while delivering his Independence Day speech here today.

Solanki, who is also Chandigarh administrator, could read about six pages out of total seven of the speech and suddenly felt dizziness.

Immediately he was offered a glass of water and deputy Commissioner Ajit Baljit Joshi guided him to the chair for rest.

Officials said the Governor got dizzy due to hot and humid conditions and his health is stable.

He tried to conclude his speech but was unable to do so.

Earlier, the Administrator unfurled the National Flag and took salute from the various contingents of Police and NCC Cadets participating in the Independence Day Parade.

While addressing the gathering, Solanki remembered the martyrs and paid homage to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for our Independence.

Highlighting the key achievements of Chandigarh Administration, the Governor congratulated the city residents on the achievement of Capitol Complex being accredited the status of a world heritage site.

As Solanki felt giddiness during the function he took about 30 minute rest at the venue and later awarded the commendation certificates to 21 employees of the Chandigarh Administration and general public for rendering outstanding services in the field of Public services, Art and Culture, Social Services and Sports.

24 Police personnel were also conferred Administrator's Police Medal for their distinguished and meritorious services, whereas five Police personnel were awarded with the President Medal.

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Southern Naval Command today celebrated the 70thIndependence Day with a ceremonial parade reviewed by Vice Admiral A R Karve, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.

Addressing the parade, he said "the fruits of independence that we were enjoying today, are the result of great sacrifices made by our freedom fighters which ensured that India was freed of centuries of subjugation."



He also reiterated the fact that preservation of the hard earned freedom for the last 70 years was no mean task, particularly in the unstable security environment and was primarily due to the martyrs who laid down their lives both uniformed as well as civilian.

The Flag officer also highlighted the role of the armed forces in protecting the independence of the country, saying the country's armed forces were greatly respected the world over. Sixteen platoons, including four armed platoons attended the parade.

The President's colours, which was presented to the Southern Naval Command by the then President late Giani Zail Singh was also paraded accompanied by a 50 men Guard of Honour.

The Parade was commanded by Commander SN Samle.

Rear Admiral S K Grewal, Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), conducted the parade.

All the Naval ships based at Kochi were 'dressed overall' to mark the festive occasion.

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Sri Lankan police opened an investigation today into the sudden death of a top judge who became the first supreme court justice to face prosecution for sexually assaulting several women.

Justice Sarath de Abrew, who had resigned late last year, was found dead in front of his two-storey house in the Colombo suburb of Mount Lavinia, police said.

"The initial report was that he had fallen from the first floor of his house and was pronounced dead on admission to hospital," a local police official told AFP.

The officer said forensic experts were due to visit the scene, which was cordoned off.

De Abrew had been on bail since he was arrested in July last year for allegedly trying to force a 39-year-old woman to have sex with him and beating her up when she refused.

There had been several other allegations that he had also sexually abused minors, including one of his own relatives.

He was forced to resign after the influential Bar Association of Sri Lanka urged the chief justice not to allow him on the bench.

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The killer who brutally shot dead a Bangladeshi-orign imam and his assistant near a mosque here may have been settling a score in a feud between Muslims and Hispanics, according to a media report today.

The suspect may have left behind another victim who unwittingly held the clue that solved the crime, the New York Daily reported quoting police sources as saying.

The suspected killer was taken into custody last night but had not been charged or identified, it said. Police officials would not confirm whether a suspect was nabbed.

Video of the horrific on Saturday afternoon murders of mosque leader Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 65, at Liberty Ave. And 79th St. In Ozone Park showed the brazen crime to be a planned execution.

The killer had crept up behind the imam and his assistant and shot both men in the head from point blank range.

But the killer may have got sloppy in his haste after pulling the trigger and hit a bicyclist with his car, sources said.

The cyclist took down the car's license plate number and gave it to police, who began tracking down their man.

Members of an NYPD Regional Fugitive Task Force were conducting what turned out to be a "brief surveillance" of the suspect in Queens when he rammed an unmarked cop car, sources said. That's when officers nabbed him.

Investigators were questioning him today and were waiting for a warrant to check his home.

Sources pointed to an ongoing feud between Muslims and Hispanics in the neighborhood, saying the shooting may have been payback after a group of Muslims allegedly attacked some Hispanics a few weeks earlier.

Police have established is that at 1:50 pm on Saturday, the assassin quickly approached Akonjee and Uddin and shot them both in the head at close range. The double killing came just moments after prayers concluded at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque.

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations planned to announce a USD 10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Some people in the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry the killing of the Imam and his assistant could be a hate crime.

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A mayor on the French island of Corsica today became the third nationwide to announce a ban on burqinis, after the full-body Islamic swimsuit allegedly sparked violent clashes.

The Riviera resorts of Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet have also banned the garment from their beaches in recent weeks, at a highly sensitive time for relations with France's Muslim community following a series of jihadist attacks.

The new ban in the Corsican village of Sisco comes after a massive brawl on Saturday between locals and families of North African origin.

It is not entirely clear how the fight broke out, but one witness said it happened after tourists took pictures of women swimming in burqinis on the Mediterranean island.

Five people were injured and three cars were burned as the rival sides hurled stones and bottles. A hundred police officers were mobilised to break up the fight.

Prosecutors in nearby Bastia said an inquiry had been opened to determine how the clashes broke out.

Sisco mayor Pierre-Ange Vivoni said burqinis would be banned in the area from tomorrow.

The burqini issue has sparked huge controversy in France, with opponents saying the garment goes against French secular principles, but anti-racism campaigners saying that banning women from wearing it amounts to discrimination.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places.

The row comes as tensions run high following several attacks in France claimed by the Islamic State group, including last month's Nice massacre when a Tunisian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 85 people.

France has been under a state of emergency since IS members killed 130 people in Paris in November.

In Corsica, there were tense scenes yesterday as around 500 people gathered in the town of Bastia, seeking to enter the Lupino district which is home to a large North African community.

"We're going up there because this is our home," they shouted. Police blocked them from entering.

A local festival planned for August 15 has been cancelled, Vivoni said, but he told AFP this was "not for security reasons but because residents are not in the mood".

A series of incidents in Corsica have raised tensions between local Muslims and their neighbours.

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VHP leader Pravin Togadia's visit to the city to address a public meeting as part of 'Akhand Bharat Divas' was cancelled due to "security reasons", a VHP office bearer today said.

"Togadia was scheduled to address the public meeting (yesterday) and also participate in the ongoing 'Krishna Pushkarlu' in Telangana. His visit was cancelled on security grounds," Telangana state unit president of VHP Rama Raju said.

"Togadia was supposed to come from Delhi to participate in the 'Akhand Bharat' programme, however it (his trip) was cancelled due to security reasons," Raju said, adding though the programme itself took place as per the schedule.

When asked specifically about what were the "security reasons", Raju did not elaborate.

Significantly, two days ago Togadia had taken a strong exception to Prime Minister's remarks against cow vigilantes, saying by dubbing them as "anti-social" Narendra Modi had insulted them.

Modi's directive to states to create dossiers of cow vigilantes amounts to 'racial profiling' and this was "insult not only of Mother cow but also of Hindus," he had said.
VHP leader Pravin Togadia's visit to the city to address a public meeting as part of 'Akhand Bharat Divas' was cancelled due to "security reasons", a VHP office bearer said.

"Togadia was scheduled to address the public meeting and also participate in the ongoing 'Krishna Pushkarlu' in Telangana. His visit was cancelled on security grounds," Telangana state unit president of VHP Rama Raju said.

"Togadia was supposed to come from Delhi to participate in the 'Akhand Bharat' programme, however it (his trip) was cancelled due to security reasons," Raju said, adding though the programme itself took place as per the schedule.

When asked specifically about what were the "security reasons", Raju did not elaborate.

Significantly, two days ago Togadia had taken a strong exception to Prime Minister's remarks against cow vigilantes, saying by dubbing them as "anti-social" Narendra Modi had insulted them.

Modi's directive to states to create dossiers of cow vigilantes amounts to 'racial profiling' and this was "insult not only of Mother cow but also of Hindus," he had said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar today appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony and peace.

Hoisting the tri-colour at the Assam Rifles ground here, he said "the forces, which are against communal harmony and peace are active. We have to maintain and protect the communal harmony and peace at any cost and have to be vociferous against the divisive forces."



Sarkar said, it was time for self introspection that why the country, even after 70 years of independence was going backward.

"I find a clear division between the rich and poor. 10 per cent people of the country are the owner of 60-70 per cent wealth of the country and 80 per cent people are poor in our country," he said.

He said there was no difference between the previous UPA government and the present NDA government in terms of economic policy and as a result the dimension of exploitation had become more acute.

Sarkar congratulated gymnast Dipa Karmakar on her performance in Rio olympics. "She made a history for the country and made us proud. I wish her more success in future," he said.

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Turkey has summoned Sweden's ambassador after Stockholm accused Ankara of legalising sex with children, the Turkish foreign minister said today.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom had tweeted on her official account that the "Turkish decision to allow sex with children under 15 must be reversed", following a controversial ruling by the Turkish constitutional court.

"It is a scandal for a foreign minister to post such a tweet based on false or speculation," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in televised comments, adding that the Swedish ambassador to Ankara had been summoned to his ministry.

Cavusoglu blasted the "unacceptable" tweet, saying Wallstrom should have acted "responsibly".

"A foreign minister should not tell lies and should not adopt an approach accusing Turkey," Cavusoglu said. "Yes to criticism but this is a slander, a lie."



Turkey's top constitutional court in July annulled a provision punishing as "sexual abuse" all sexual acts involving children under the age of 15, responding to a petition brought by a lower court.

The court has given a six-month period for parliament to make this law.

The lower court that brought the petition was worried there was no distinction between cases of sexual acts involving a young teenager or a toddler.

The legal age of consent in Turkey remains 18 and was not affected by the ruling. But it drew a furious response from activists worried it would open the way for unpunished child sexual abuse.

Cavusoglu said the Turkish government was determined to fight child abuse and added the justice ministry was currently working on new rules.

In a war of words with Stockholm on Twitter, Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek told Wallstrom: "You are clearly misinformed. There is no such stupid thing in Turkey. Please get your facts right.

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Two Army personnel were killed when the truck they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir today.

The truck, which was on its way to Jammu from Srinagar, rolled into a deep gorge on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Digdol in Ramban district, a police officer said.

The deceased soldiers have been identified as Sepoy Deibash Kumar and Sanju Salaria, he said.

A case has been registered and probe initiated, the officer said.

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Thousands of armed security personnel today kept a hawk-eyed vigil over the capital, especially around the Red Fort and surrounding areas where Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag and delivered his Independence Day address to the nation.

Thousands of security personnel, including 5,000 men from Delhi Police, were deployed to ensure foolproof security in and around the historic Mughal fort which saw the presence of senior ministers, top bureaucrats, foreign dignitaries and common people.

A multi-layer security cover was also thrown around Rajpath where a seven-day cultural festival 'Bharat Parv' is underway. All the government buildings, including North Block and South Block, are being illuminated after sunset.

At the Red Fort, a special team of NSG snipers and commandos formed the inner layers of the security cordon while anti-aircraft guns were deployed to thwart any aerial intrusion by objects like drones and projectiles, senior police officials said.

Delhi Police had prohibited aerial activities, including para-gliding, flying UAVs and hot air balloons, across the city till October 10.

Also, police surveyed the areas in the vicinity of the Red Fort and collected details of over 9,000 people residing there. The buildings facing the monument were secured by police and paramilitary personnel.

Entry and exit gates of metro stations near the Red Fort



were closed till the Prime Minister was at the venue.

Panoramic photography was used to ensure a close watch on 605 balconies and 104 windows that open towards it. Security agencies had also marked out over 3,000 trees in the area, said the officials.

Army and NSG officials ran a special communication and command centre to keep a close watch on the proceedings of the day at the Red Fort.

Security along the route taken by the Prime Minister's cavalcade from 7 RCR to Red Fort was monitored with the help of hundreds of CCTV cameras.

Besides, 200 CCTVs and two high-mast, high-resolution cameras, managed by three control rooms, kept under observation the Red Fort premises.

Special spotters of Delhi Police and paramilitary kept an eye on parking areas. Over 60 sniffer dogs of paramilitary forces and Delhi Police were also be part of the extensive security arrangement.

Preliminary security arrangements were made in July and senior police and intelligence officials regularly updated them to weed out any shortcomings and glitches.
Greeting India on its 70th Independence Day, the US today reaffirmed its pledge to working towards ensuring freedom and justice for "all within our great democracies".

"On behalf of President (Barack) Obama and the American people, I send our best wishes to the people of the Republic of India as you celebrate your Independence Day on August 15," Secretary of State John Kerry said.

"As India celebrates Independence Day, we recommit to working to ensure freedom and justice for all within our great democracies," he said in a statement.

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the United States Congress this past June, he remarked that "the traits of freedom and liberty form a strong bond between our two democracies." It is worth remembering this today as India celebrates its independence," he said.

Celebrations were held across the US a day prior (according to their local time) in order to coincide with revelry in India, with the largest gathering reported from Fremont in California and Edison in New Jersey attended by thousands of people, with marching bands and colourful cultural extravaganza.

In cities like Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Orlando and Minneapolis community organisations held cultural events over the weekend as part of celebrations, to include unfurling of the tricolour in Washington DC by Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh and at other missions' in New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco by Indian diplomats.

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As part of efforts to foray into the mobile-based taxi aggregator segment with launch of UTOO cabs, serial entrepreneur C Sivasankaran has said the company will facilitate purchase of apartments for its 8,500 drivers.

"UTOO will buy 8,500 dwelling units each measuring 600 square ft and employ 15,000 drivers, of which 8,500 would opt for the company's apartment scheme in the next three years," he told PTI here.

"If an apartment costs Rs 30 lakh, the driver will get a loan under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme for about Rs 22 lakh from lending institutions, while the remaining will be loaned to the driver by UTOO."



The driver will start paying the EMI for the apartments, only from the eighth year onwards when he earns around Rs 60,000 a month.

Sivasankaran expects a UTOO cab driver to become "a crorepati" in 15 years. For the scheme, UTOO has sourced ready to occupy apartments in Perambur, Porur, Poonamallee areas near Chennai.

"We are planning to outsource 1.20 lakh apartments across eight cities, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi-NCR, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru under the scheme," he added.

"The total amount spent on the scheme will be Rs 28,000 crore, of which Rs 7,000 crore will be invested by UTOO in the next 18 months."



The remaining Rs 21,000 crore will be invested by banks and financial institutions, he said. UTOO will act as a "facilitator" for the drivers to procure apartments, he added.

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CPI on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi sending out message to Pakistan in his Independence Day address was "alright", but sought to know steps the Centre is going to take to restore peace in .

"The Prime Minister referred to PoK, Baluchistan (in his speech). It is alright, but what about What the government is doing to defuse tension in the Valley and to win the confidence of people and restore normalcy?" CPI secretary D Raja asked.

Raja asked Modi for his response to Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti attributing the problem in to "mistakes" committed by successive central governments starting from that of Jawaharlal Nehru.

"What is his response to Mehbooba's remark that leadership has failed? Mehbooba and the BJP are in the government (in J&K)," he questioned.

Raja targeted Modi also for "not assuring" nation during his Independence Day speech that law of the land will prevail in the country in the wake of "atrocities" on Dalits and attacks on minorities by "certain outfits".

Raja sought to tear into Modi's claim that "previous governments were besieged with allegations while his is surrounded by expectations". He claimed that there has been "atmosphere of fear" among minorities as "certain organisations" are taking law into hand and asked Modi to ensure Constitution will be upheld in the country.

"After this government came to power, there is a sense of fear, insecurity...Why minorities feel insecure? There is atmosphere of fear because of the lynching mob taking law into their hands. Why Prime Minister has not said the law of the land, Constitution will be upheld?" he asked.

On the issue of alleged Dalit atrocities, Raja said the Prime Minister should have had spoken about it again as "today was the historic moment and he was addressing the nation".

The Prime Minister had denounced the alleged attacks on Dalits twice last week.

The Rajya Sabha member hit out at the Modi also for not making any mention of his "poll promises" such as providing two crore jobs a year and "bringing back" black money.

"Prime Minister spoke on initiatives on several issues. Now the problem is he promised two crore jobs, black money, why it did not happen? After he became PM the wholesale price index has gone up. What is his answer?" he asked.
While speaking at a conference in Patna in June, economist Rothin Roy said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumars bid for total prohibition will jeopardise the states finances and warned that the health and social welfare sectors will be the first to bear the brunt of this misadventure. No samosa tax can make up for the Rs 3,000-crore revenue loss, he said.Senior bureaucrats of the state government grinned sheepishly at his prophecy, and with good reason  every word he said seems to be coming true.Earlier this month, when Kumar was rebutting the Oppositions objections over the new Prohibition Bill in the Legislative Council , his finance minister, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, was tabling a special report in the lower house of the states bicameral legislature: it was about the state of Bihars finances and it was not good.The states tax revenue in the first quarter of the current fiscal had plunged over 34 per cent  from Rs 5,733 crore collected last year to Rs 3,752 crore this year. Excise revenue nosedived from almost Rs 900 crore to just Rs 42 crore. Meanwhile, commercial tax income fell from Rs 3,666 crore to Rs 2,372 crore.The slump in tax collection has put a question mark on the state governments ability to achieve this years revenue target. The state had a target of Rs 22,000 crore in commercial tax; the collection in the first quarter was just over 10 per cent of the target. And the excise revenue was 2 per cent of the annual target of Rs 2,100 crore.State government officers are sanguine that theyll achieve the target by the end of the financial year. The condition is not at all alarming, says Development Commissioner Shishir Sinha, Usually, our revenue picks up pace around the end of the second quarter.This is the reason why the Bihar government is desperately seeking funds. Earlier this month, the state decided to raise the VAT (value added tax) rate on almost every item. It even brought real estate under the ambit of VAT: Bihar hopes all these steps to yield Rs 1,000 crore this year.As a consequence, life saving medicine and items of daily use now cost more in Bihar than its neighbouring states. Whats more excruciating is that this was the second increase in VAT in just three months.We need this money, Commercial Tax Minister Vijayendra Yadav said in the state Assembly. The Seventh Pay Commission will burden us with Rs 7,000-8,000 crore. In this condition, we have no option but to increase the tax rates.Last week, the state government further increased VAT on petrol and diesel by 1.5 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively. This is expected to yield almost Rs 270 crore for the exchequer, but is bound to have an inflationary impact on prices.The impact of the fund crunch has started to pinch people. The salaries of panchayat teachers have got delayed by more than four months. Last week, the state government did clear Rs 886 crore for payment of salaries of teachers and librarians, but it will not be credited into their accounts before next month.Last year, during the run-up to the state Assembly polls, the government did raise our salaries. However, its payment has now become irregular. Last time we got our salary was around Holi; there has not been any payment after that, says a teacher at a senior secondary school in Gaya on the condition of anonymity.Honorariums of most of the contractual workers such as ASHA workers and Vikas Mitras have been delayed for a couple of months now. Last month, the state government declined a proposal to increase allowances of newly elected panchayat representatives. In the Assembly, the government accepted that the state doesnt have money to fund this demand.The biggest victim of this fund crunch has been the social sector. According to the state government data, it failed to spend any money on welfare schemes for the backward communities during the first quarter of the current fiscal.The government recently stopped the scholarship of Rs 15,000 per year for SC/ST students pursuing technical education. A decline of more than 86 per cent has been recorded in the planned expenditure of the Minority Welfare Department.The Food and Civil Supplies Department, responsible for implementation of the Food Security Act in the state, didnt spend a single penny of its planned budget during the first quarter of the current financial year.The expenditure of the Health Department slid more than a third in the last quarter compared to the same period last year. The expenditure by the Rural Works Department, responsible for the construction of rural roads, fell more than 31 per cent.Last month, the state government approved a new industrial promotion policy, under which the Industries Department has censored several tax rebates and incentives it earlier offered to investors. Even the proposal to create a venture capital fund for budding entrepreneurs has been indefinitely postponed. We now want to focus more on improving facilities for them, says Industries Minister Jai Kumar Singh.The desperation of the state government to get more money can be understood from the fact that it is calling a special session of the state legislature on Tuesday for the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax; it hopes the new tax regime will get the state coffers more than Rs 5,000 crore, says a senior officer who doesnt want to be named.However, despite the hardships faced by the masses, the state government is making sure that the ministers dont feel the heat. Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved a plan to provide Rs 3 lakh annually to every minister to renovate or decorate his/her official residence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which will replace a raft of different central and state levies, will strengthen growth efforts and make economy more predictable.

Modi credited all political parties for passing a Constitutional amendment in the just concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament to bring a single unified value added tax system to turn the country into world's biggest single market.

"GST (Bill), which has been passed recently, will further strengthen the way we are trying to accelerate growth and make the economy predictable," he said in his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on 70th Independence Day.

All political parties need to be thanked for that, he said.

GST, he said, is a tax that will bring equitable regime and turn the country into one market.

Parliament has passed the 122nd Constitution Amendment Bill to make changes in the power of the Centre to levy taxes like excise, and those of states to collect retail sales taxes.

Proposed a decade ago, GST is viewed as potentially transformative for India's economy that could add as much as 2 percentage points to the GDP, while improving the ease of doing business and encouraging investment in manufacturing.

It is also expected to result in greater tax compliance, boosting government revenues.

GST will replace more than a dozen central and state levies, including central excise, service and sales tax as well as VAT on sale of goods and entry tax, to make movement of goods seamless across the 1.3 billion strong market.

Instead of the goods being taxed multiple times at different rates, under the new GST regime they would be taxed at point of consumption.

Modi said the series of steps taken by the government to reform regulations and law as well as change in approach towards doing business has led to appreciation of India's growth story by the World Bank, IMF, World Economic Forum and credit rating agencies.

India has made rapid improvement on the ease of doing business ranking and has emerged as a favoured destination for FDI, he said, adding that the country climbed 19 positions on the WEF ranking for logistics and infrastructure.

In an analysis, a UN organisation has predicted that India will climb to third stop from current 10th in global ranking in two years.
Hailing from the Eastern part of India, Amitav Ghosh has had numerous encounters with natural disasters. The severity of it, however, hit home when he was penning his sixth novel The Hungry Tide set in the Sundarbans. The award-winning writer's latest non-fiction book, The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, exposes the scale and repercussions of climate change. He talks at length to Sarika Malhotra about the vulnerability of the Asian region, its under-preparedness to deal with climate change, and the need to bring these issues to the fore. Edited excerpts:

Why climate change?

I have been concerned about climate change from a long time. It started with my book The Hungry Tide set in the Sundarbans, which is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and was very badly affected by cyclone Aila. Areas that were producing rice, vegetables were completely inundated by water. It takes 15-20 years to rehabilitate agricultural land that is invaded by salt water. We talk about climate change as if it is only about natural changes. These changes, in fact, profoundly impact the way human beings live. Since the cyclone, there has been a huge migration from the Sundarbans - many women have had to join the sex trade in Kolkata. Most workers in the West coast of India - Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra - are climate refugees from the East. Because of the historic drought in Bundelkhand, Delhi's flyovers are filled with refugees from Bundelkhand. Delhi's infrastructure is already strained; how will it sustain thousands of these people? As a nation, we are not prepared for the impact of climate change; the world is also not prepared. We think of climate change only in terms of natural impacts, but we will have to speak about the political and demographic impacts, too.

This huge disruption that is happening in Europe is through the migration - the whole destabilisation and unravelling of Syria started with the drought in 2008 and has profoundly destabilised not just the Middle-East but also Europe. The ramifications of these are going to keep spreading outwards. What we are seeing is a process of global destabilisation coming about. We should really try and create global systems to deal with disruptions that will arrive because of climate change.

How significant will these disruptions be?

Life-threatening, to say the least. The Pentagon has done a study that predicts by 2030 state institutions in South Asia will be close to collapsing. Very few state institutions will be able to cope with disruptions of this scale. Unfortunately, we have become so used to growth numbers - politicians giving us good news of development - that we are just not paying attention to what is happening around us. Why is it so hard for people to think about climate change? I am from the East, we are accustomed to seeing natural disasters on a great scale?sensitised to it to some degree. I have seen what Hurricane Sandy did to New York. Once you see that, you can't help but ask yourself what about Indian cities? are they at all prepared to deal with such situations? Mumbai, for instance, is extremely vulnerable...cyclonic activity is increasing in the Arabian Sea because of climate change. Unprecedented things are happening.

You talk about capitalism as a driver of climate change. Is there an option to strike a balance?

Capitalism has many versions. Japanese and Korean capitalism was founded on the idea that there are very few resources, but lots of labour? hence it was labour intensive and not resource intensive. Japanese capitalism was not based on intensifying consumerism? it was more about providing employment and welfare to people. It was very different from American capitalism. Similarly, Swiss capitalism is very different, involving use of resources wisely, while Dutch capitalism is always addressing the question of resource use.

These questions of resource use have not been addressed essentially in places where people have gone and conquered huge resource-rich continents, and created this predatory model of capitalism - basically the Anglo-American model of capitalism, which is very resource-intensive and extractive. It is now collapsing. This model of capitalism after the 1990s got enshrined as the Washington Consensus and was sold to people around the world as the only answer. However, we have to understand that it is not the only answer and cannot be for places such as India and China. We are much closer to East Asia, have enormous resource constraints and burden of population; we should be approaching this from a different direction.

In India, it is simply not viable for every family to have two cars. One of the strangest things to have happened in the last 20 years is this huge cloud of aerosols that has appeared over the subcontinent and it is spreading across the Arabian Sea. You may think it is just pollution; but it is interfering with the monsoons. As an economy, the Indian subcontinent is critically dependent on the monsoons. And the monsoons are changing because of climate change. We are looking at grim long-term projections.

So we have to look at other models of capitalism?the Swiss, German, Japanese, Dutch - how to allow people to have a good life, within smaller spaces and less-damaging environmental impacts. What is really worrisome is that ours was a culture, until recently, which hated wastage and debt. But now we are jammed with emails and calls of people who are trying sell a credit card or give a loan?pushing loans on people who do not know better. Anyone can see that this is not a sustainable model.

What is your view on the corporatisation of climate change?

It is happening all around us. People are trying to sell climate change as a business opportunity. And this is essentially what the Paris Agreement is all about. It's bringing the new liberal approach to climate change. A large part of the agreement was written by large corporations and billionaires across the globe. There is very little concern for the poor; there is no concern for economic justice; the biggest polluters of the world are no longer held responsible for the pollution. The Paris Agreement was a huge departure from the past and people don't seem to recognise that. It's an agreement similar to the big trade agreements. Look at the case of scarcity of water: the technocrat will advise to build a dam, use desalinated water, but there is a much easier answer available rather than spending endlessly on building infrastructure.
IT firm Infosys is set to take a hit after the Royal Bank of Scotland said it has cancelled its plan to separate and list a new standalone bank, Williams & Glyn (W&G), and instead will pursue other options for the divestment of this business.

The bank had awarded a five-year 300 million Euro IT contract to Infosys and IBM for W&G.

The move is likely to hit 3,000 Infosys employees and impact revenues for the year by about $40 million to $50 million, media reports said.

In 2013, Infosys won the contract to develop applications for W&G, a bank planned to be set up in the UK.

"Infosys has been a W&G program technology partner for Consulting, Application Delivery and Testing services, and subsequent to this decision, will carry out an orderly ramp-down of about 3,000 persons, primarily in India, over the next few months," Infosys said in a statement.

"RBS is a key relationship for Infosys and the company looks forward to further strengthening our strategic partnership and working with them across other strategic and transformation programmes," the Indian IT firm added.
If the Government was to tackle just one issue currently facing the Irish financial services sector it should be the Central Banks mortgage lending restrictions. This is according to 35% of Financial Brokers from around the country.



Protection specialists, Royal London undertook a survey of approximately 350 Financial Brokers nationwide to ascertain their views on whats been heralded by some as the biggest impediment to Irelands first time buyers - getting on the property ladder.



A significant number of respondents (25%) felt strongly about CGT & CAT rate issues, citing this as the issue that they would like to see the Government address.



Joe Charles of Royal London commented, "By and large Financial Brokers are satisfied that rules need to be in place, but the majority would like to see some modification depending on the buyer profile. Nobody would want to see a return to the runaway house prices and extremely easy access to credit of the boom years, but our survey shows a clear appetite for some changes to the Central Bank restrictions, with 68% of Brokers thinking this is required."

Source: www.businessworld.ie

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LOGAN  A trial date has been set for Jason K. Summers, the 30-year-old Smithfield man, accused of breaking into a LDS Church and shooting at a neighbor who confronted him.

During Mondays pretrial conference, 1st District Court Judge Thomas Willmore set a two-day jury trial for October 9 and 10. The trial is being expedited because Summers remains incarcerated at the Cache County Jail on $40,000 bail.

Defense attorney Ryan Holdaway told the court, Summers is unable to raise money for bail or find a place to live if he was able to be released.

Police arrested Summers July 7 after a man called 911, claiming he was shot at while confronting the defendant, attempting to break into a Smithfield LDS Church. He was taken into custody and arrested. Police later found a shotgun, believed to be the suspected firearm.

Summers has pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony, discharge of a firearm and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, both third-degree felonies and four misdemeanor drug charges. He could face up to life in prison.

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<p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
LOGAN  A judge has set a two-day jury trial for a North Logan man accused of causing a vehicle/ATV accident that sent two boys to the hospital last summer.

Erin Milligan stood in 1st District Court Monday morning next to his defense attorney Brad Bearnson. They told Judge Thomas Willmore they had finished their own investigation into the alleged accident but had not reached any resolution with prosecutors.

Judge Willmore set the trial for January 4 and 5 and ordered the 72-year-old Milligan to appear again in court December 12 for a final pretrial conference. The trial had been postponed previously after family members of some of the alleged victims, refused to allow defense investigators to inspect the four-wheeler, involved in the accident.

Police officers reported, the four boys were riding the ATV along a canal road in North Logan on the afternoon of July 29, 2015. As they were heading north, they came upon a Ford F-250 truck, driven by Milligan. The boys said as he got closer, he sped up, striking the ATV and pushing it into the canal, partially pinning one of the boys underneath. He and one other boy were transported to Logan Regional Hospital with internal injuries, lacerations, scrapes and an ankle injury. Both were later transported to Primary Childrens Medical Center, one by Air-Med helicopter.

Milligan has been charged with reckless endangerment, a class A misdemeanor and reckless driving, a class B misdemeanor.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
Contributed photo Members of the George West Volunteer Fire Department enjoy a hearty meal of brisket, sausage, and the trimmings at the "Heroes Behind the Badge" event in Live Oak County. Live Oak County Judge Jim Huff recognized each agency and introduces each Hero (first responder) in Live Oak and McMullen Counties.

SHARE Contributed photo The Daughters of the Republic held its monthly meeting July 30 at the board's presidents home. Contributed photo Karen Selim, president and CEO of the Coastal Bend Community Foundation, and Jack Wright, a member of the board of directors for the foundation who represents Aransas County, tour the renovated porch at the Rockport Center for the Arts. Contributed Photo The newly formed George West High School Law Enforcement Explorers presented the Colors at the Heroes Behind the Badge event July 31.

Wing restaurant contributes to national campaign

The Buffalove Foundation raised a total of $11,435.59 nationally on National Chicken Wing Day on July 29, and the Buffalo Wild Wings Corpus Christi location participated, officials said.

Buffalo Wings & Rings kicked off its Wing Month celebration on National Chicken Wing Day with its newest limited-time menu item: Nashville Hot. The celebration runs through Aug. 27.

Child support office seeks volunteers

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is asking Corpus Christi residents to volunteer at the AG's local child support field office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, officials said.

Volunteers are needed to enter data, file and assist attorneys and child support officers. The Corpus Christi child support office handles 48,000 child support cases in Aransas, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces and San Patricio counties.

Those who are interested in volunteering can call 956-992-7531 to arrange an interview.

Historic group hosts monthly meeting

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Clara Driscoll Chapter, met July 30 in the home of board president Anita Eisenhauer, officials said.

Members reviewed the scheduled keynote speakers for the 2016-17 chapter meetings. Members also discussed the District VII workshop, "Preserving the Past for the Future," to be held Oct. 1 at Oak Hills Country Club in San Antonio.

Members also discussed the DRT 125th anniversary celebration at the LBJ Ranch National Park in Stonewall. The festivities will include ranch tours, chuck wagons, music by John Arthur Martinez and more, officials said. Next year the annual DRT convention will be May 25-27 in Dallas.

Ellen Royce, education and awards chairwoman, announced the topics of this year's Texas History essay contests: fourth grade, Sam Houston; and seventh grade, Samuel Maverick. For more information on the group, email claradriscoll@drtinfo.org.

Rockport Center makes renovations

This summer Rockport Center for the Arts completed a renovation of the building's front porch. This was made possible by a grant from the Coastal Bend Community Foundation. The goal of the grant is to allow venues to expand their outreach and improve the community's quality of life, officials said.

Karen Selim, president and CEO of the Coastal Bend Community Foundation, conducted a site visit on July 28 to survey the completed renovations. The renovations included considerable work done to repair and maintain the roof above the porch, painting the porch floor and trim, installation of a new door and redesign and replanting of the flower bed in the front part of the building that faces Navigation Circle.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
Contributed rendering The Regional Transportation Authority is expected to name its new CEO at the Oct. 14 board of directors meeting.

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By Matt Woolbright of the Caller-Times

The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority may have a new CEO soon after seven months without its top official.

Directors are expected to vote on former CEO Scott Neeley's successor at the Oct. 14 board meeting at the RTA headquarters, 5658 Bear Lane, multiple board members told the Caller-Times.

There are three finalists  interim CEO Jorge Cruz-Aedo, Dianne Mendoza of San Antonio's VIA Metropolitan Transit and Thomas Drozt of Baltimore's Maryland Transit Authority  but the RTA board of directors' CEO selection committee has not met to determine which candidate they will recommend to the full board for hire.

That meeting is expected to take place just before the Oct. 14 regular meeting, said Lamont Taylor, a director on the board and member of the selection committee.

"It's important we start moving forward," board member Curtis Rock said. "And we need to have a leader solidified and finalized soon so we can move on to new things for the taxpayers and our riders."

The selection will mark the culmination of a turbulent six months at the agency that started with Neeley's unexpected resignation in May fueled by a divide between Neeley and the board over the agency's future. Two more upper-level executives resigned later in the summer to take other jobs in the Corpus Christi area, and a midlevel employee in the communications department also voluntarily left.

The board will also have two new members when the vote is taken in two weeks. Taylor was not reappointed by Nueces County commissioners Wednesday, despite his desire to continue serving on the board, and Ray Hunt did not seek reappointment to the board from the Committee of Mayors. Former transit chief Tom Niskala, who also headed up the Metropolitan Planning Organization here, was appointed to Taylor's seat.

While Rock said the turnover on the agency side is not uncommon for a business, he said it will be important for the new leader to produce a "culture change" at the company.

"I would like a CEO that can bring new ideas or at least old ideas from other agencies that we haven't done before at the RTA," Rock said. "There needs to be a willingness to innovate, and we have to figure out this whole transparency thing and how we can be more transparent to the public."

As a vice president at VIA in San Antonio, Mendoza serves as a governmental liaison and deals with diversity and community outreach efforts. Drozt is the director of bus transportation the Maryland Transit Authority and its 1,500 employees  a job he started in October 2014.

Cruz-Aedo has worked at the RTA since 2009, and he is a former assistant city manager for Corpus Christi.

Board chairwoman Vangie Chapa could not be reached for comment.

Twitter: @reportermatt
| BY Ricki Green |

Havas Worldwide has unveiled an exciting new brand campaign for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in its latest work for Defence Force Recruiting.

The campaign focuses on all the different ways we look to further ourselves in life and aims to speak directly to people with a desire to succeed, a drive to be better  and shows them how the Air Force is the perfect place to realise their ambitions.

The central theme of the campaign is based on the idea of Up, linked to the Air Forces new brand position  Theres more to achieve in the Air Force. Marketing activity will showcase the service as being aspirational yet attainable, driven by the extraordinary capabilities of its people. With the help of remarkable Air Force personnel and extraordinary aircraft, Havas has created a content series that focuses on telling the inspiring stories of personal achievements and progression.

Says Seamus Higgins and Stu Turner, joint executive creative directors, Havas Worldwide: The message of our campaign is simple and inclusive, if you have the drive and determination to succeed, the Air Force could be your way up.

Adds Higgins: We have created a breadth of content that shows a more human side to the Air Force, aimed at engaging our audience in their world. We want to inspire people to re-imagine their future and consider how the Air Force could open doors for them.

Says Kaarin Kooij, director military recruitment group captain: The campaign challenges current misperceptions around suitability for roles, career progression, lifestyle and work/life balance in the Air Force.

The multi-channel campaign will roll out nationally across TV, cinema, out-of-home and digital in the coming weeks.

Client: Australian Defence Force

Creative agency: Havas Worldwide Sydney

ECD: Seamus Higgins, Stu Turner

Art Directors: Nicole Hetherington, Mark Tallis, Stuart Alexander

Copywriters: Simon Fowler, Cameron Dowsett, Daniel Fryer

Managing Director: Dan Smith

Account Director: Charlie Read

Account Manager: Belinda Bennett

Head of Broadcast: Monique Pardavi

Planning Director: Phil Johnston

Digital Producers: Shiv Suchdeva/Angelica Scott

Design: Alex Dale

Social: Mark McKissock/Clint Crothers

Production Company: Goodoil Films

Director: JH Beetge

Executive Producer: Sam Long

Producer: Llew Griffiths

DP: Jeremy Rouse

Editor: Bernard Garry

Post: Alt VFX

Music: Jed Kurzell

Sound design: Simon Lister/Nylon Studios
| BY Ricki Green |

Designworks has appointed Daye Moffitt to the role of national strategy director Australia. Reporting to managing director Brad Doble, Moffitt will sit on the Australian leadership team and joins at an exciting time of growth and evolution at Designworks.

Says Doble: In a world of continual change, where consumers have more and more control, clients are demanding deeper understanding of todays consumers and more innovative integrated brand experience thinking and design.

Daye is a class act. Her innate ability to really understand consumers today and orchestrate a team to create beautifully simple design thinking that works, is brilliant. But its her ability to get to the heart of business issues and insights, partner with clients and manage complex challenges that is rare. Im looking forward to seeing her work closely with the teams in Sydney and Melbourne but most of all our clients.

Says Moffit: I have always been intrigued by Designworks. Their reputation and stunning work for loved brands in both Australia and New Zealand is really enviable. Everybody is talking about integrated brand experience, Designworks is doing it. In a world where a brand needs to leap off the page or screen and into the lives of its customers in real and meaningful ways, experience innovation and design has never been more important. Designworks is leading the way.

Brand experiences that are woven effortlessly within and throughout real life experiences are where the magic happens. This is where the worlds greatest brands play and Im super excited to join Brad and the talented teams in Sydney and Melbourne in helping to make that magic happen for clients brands. Im also looking forward to moving back to Kent Street and the wider WPP AUNZ family.

With 13 years experience, Moffitt joins from Principals where she was strategy director. Prior to Principals she spent 11 years at Moon Communications Group where she rose to brand strategy director. Moffitt has extensive experience working with both global and national brands from diverse sectors including finance, insurance, fashion, FMCG, retail, technology, mining, infrastructure, destination, arts and culture.
| BY Ricki Green |

EnergyAustralia has today announced the appointment of Vizeum as its new media agency taking over from incumbent media agency MediaCom.

EnergyAustralias chief customer officer, Kim Clarke said Vizeum will join iProspect and Cummins&Partners on the companys roster of media and creative agencies.

Vizeum will be responsible for strategic and tactical media planning, media buying, market analysis and performance tracking in support of EnergyAustralias customer-centric brand strategy.

Says Clarke: EnergyAustralia was comprehensively revamped in 2015 with a new executive team, a new business structure and a renewed, sharper focus on the customer. We took a fresh look at each and every part of our business and that included testing Australias pool of media agencies.

The quality of pitches we received was outstanding. It was difficult decision but ultimately Vizeum showed it understood our commitment to putting customers at the heart of everything we do.

We have some exciting plans for 2016 and we look forward to working with Vizeum to bring our customer and brand strategies to life. We think theyll be a great fit with our team and the culture we are building at EnergyAustralia.

Says David Campbell, general manager, Vizeum Melbourne: Were thrilled to be partnering with EnergyAustralia to deliver innovative, consumer-centric solutions to drive brand and bottom line growth for their business.
| BY Martin Trevaskis |

Meerkats Perth has announced the first in a number of new hires for the agency with Josh Edge (far left) being appointed as Creative Director. The appointment is the first made by new Chief Creative Officer Martin Beecroft (near left), who has taken on the role to shape the new era of Meerkats creative offering.

It comes two weeks after former co-CDs Dan Bradley and Paul Coghlan exited the agency, with Coghlan having joined JWT Perth last week..

We are incredibly excited to welcome Josh as the new Creative Director of Meerkats, said Beecroft. I have known and respected Joshs creative talent, passion for amazing work and his ability to be an incredible creative inspiration for many years. He and I have often talked about one day working together and this is the perfect start. I believe pairing Josh with our award-winning strategy team, who have been the spearheads of our best work, is going to really shake things up and result in some game-changing opportunities for both Josh and the Kats.

We are excited about the level of energy hes going to bring to the agency as a whole. Josh is the perfect fit for the demands of our clients and the diverse business problems we solve everyday. His multi-disciplinary experience is the exactly what weve been looking for and its a testament to the future plans we have for Meerkats that weve been able to attract a great talent such as Josh.

Edge leaves Longtail after 5 years as Creative Director of both the Perth and Sydney offices. During his time there, he has helped build Longtail into a national independent agency, working on brands including Lotterywest, Amnesty International Australia, ECU, St John Ambulance, Macquarie University and Kelloggs. Prior to 2011 he was Senior Copywriter at The Brand Agency, where he worked on award-winning campaigns for Curtin University, Perth Zoo, Bankwest and Drug Aware.

Ive always thought that whenever you sign up for a leadership role at an agency, you should leave the place in a better state than when you started, said Edge. Leaving Longtail after such a strong run of business wins was a tough call, but Im proud of the success and the culture that we built there. I honestly cant wait to get started on a brand new creative challenge at Meerkats, and the incredible team that theyre continuing to build there. Somebody, smarter than me, once said that there is no growth without change, and its inspiring that Martin, Gav, Mel and the team are embracing that so wholeheartedly.

Meerkats has recently restructured with the new leadership team of Gavin Bain CEO, Mel Wiese, Chief Strategy Officer and Martin Beecroft as CCO.

We are on a mission to build a creative, design and production unit to match our strong strategy, client service and technical nouse, said Bain. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a team of incredible talent. Weve had a lot of interest and Josh is the first major step to achieving the ambition we all have here.
| BY Lynchy |

Creative Director and shareholder Paul Coghlan has resigned from Perth creative agency Meerkats. He is the second senior creative to resign from the agency after co-CD Dan Bradley announced his resignation last week.

Campaign Brief understands Coghlan (left) resigned before Bradley but delayed making an announcement while the terms of his departure were finalised.

Coghlan said it was time for a new challenge: Ive had a great nine years with Meerkats. Ive created some award-winning work that Im proud of, worked with some brilliant people, been part of three CB Agency of the Year wins, and helped build the agency to where it is today. But its time to move on and Im really excited about the next chapter.

Coghlan began his career at Clemenger BBDO in Melbourne, before he made the move to WA in 2006. Following brief stints at 303 and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ, he returned to Perth and joined Meerkats in 2008.

One of Perths most highly regarded creatives of the last decade, Coghlan has been responsible for award-winning work across a number of clients, including Brownes Dairy (the recent Effie-nominated and CB Integrated Campaign of the Year Natural Silence, among others), Lotterywest, Murdoch University, and HBF as well as helping to launch P&N Bank into WA.

He was also a key contributor in winning the Brownes Dairy and Synergy accounts for the agency.
Public housing has dropped from over 13,000 in 1995 to around 10,500 in 2016 and still falling. Our ACT Labor government has been in power for most of the last 20 years and they must take responsibility. Youth suicide has been increasing steadily much in line with homelessness over those years. Community Services estimate 1800 people are technically homeless in Canberra. This is the second highest rate for a capital city in Australia and is a disgraceful statistic for the capital of Australia. Most of the spin put forward by our present government before the election will, as far as housing is concerned, be big on predictions of how well they will do and ignore how badly they have performed.
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Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
AXIS Capital Holdings continued its global reinsurance expansion with a new Dubai-based executive appointment. A Great American Insurance executive got a promotion. Lockton Companies hired a new vice president in its Kansas City, Missouri office.

***

AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd. is bringing on Christian Romieh to fill a leadership role for reinsurance business in the Middle East and North Africa. Lockton Companies named a new vice president based in Missouri.

Specifically, Romieh will be responsible for developing AXIS Accident & Healths operations in this space. Hell be based in Dubai and report to Rob Smart, senior vice president, International Reinsurance of AXIS Accident & Health.

Previously, Romieh was business development manager for broker NASCO France in Beirut, and he was general manager of TPA GlobalMed Gulf in Dubai before that.

***

Donna Carrelli has been promoted to the job of divisional vice president, Annuity Group, for Great American Insurance Group.

In taking on the new job, Carrelli will still lead the Annuity Marketing Services team, supporting annuity sales within the retail, financial institutions and educations markets. As well, Carrelli will still oversee the development and implementation of the Annuity Groups digital strategy.

She joined Great American in 1998.

***

Lockton Companies hired Robert Aschentrop as a new vice president in its Kansas City, Missouri office.

Aschentrop will be tasked with helping the privately held, independent insurance broker with boosting its growth, and also serve as a client resource. He has more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, specifically in financial analysis, auditing and budgeting, with other areas of expertise including employee benefits, strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, retirement planning and consulting.

Most recently, Aschentrop was a consultant for CBIZ, providing clients with resources and answers for their businesses (specifically in benefits), management liability insurance and risk advisory services.

Sources: AXIS Capital Holdings Ltd., Great American Insurance Group, Lockton Companies
Koenigsegg is flying out from Sweden to California for Monterey Car Week, and its bringing with it not one, but two of its enormously powerful supercars  including one variant weve never heard of before.



The new Koenigsegg Agera XS is essentially the same as the Agera RS weve already seen, which is to say its a very rare beast indeed. In fact this is the first one being delivered to the United States. And its customer wanted it to be badged XS instead of RS, for whatever reason. It also has the largest rear wing ever fitted to a Koenigsegg.

The specs are otherwise the same as the Agera RS, packing a 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 rated at 1,160 horsepower to make it the most powerful Koenigsegg this side of the One:1 the company brought to Monterey last year, and the Regera hybrid its bringing along with the Agera XS this year.

Poised to show up even the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari, the Regera packs that same 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8, but accompanied by a trio of electric motors for a combined output of 1,500 horsepower  and no pesky transmission to get in the way.

Only 80 examples will be made, but even with production rates increasing, itll still take the Swedish supercar manufacturer a long time to complete them all.

Photo Gallery
A great example of this is the scene with Pete coaxing Elliot out of his cave to be introduced to Grace, Meacham, and Natalie. We get to see him really close up in a tricky lighting situation. The dappled light through the trees had to be matched by our lighting artists while getting all of that hair to render was a challenge. I made sure that the level of detail was there in those scenes including a lot of subtle animation in the face and the movements in his whiskers and facial hair. Tiny highlights in the eyes were carefully art directed and the shaders team had to get just the right levels of translucence on the skin, shininess on his nose as well as the right balance of elements to make his teeth feel just right. All in all, it is the attention to details that makes Elliot not only hold up that close but truly come alive.

Marten Coombe, visual effects producer: As the visual effects producer on Petes Dragon, it is my job to make sure that both the client and Weta have an aligned vision throughout the production. Elliots creation was very much the product of our fantastic vfx team led by Eric Saindon. From the Art and Models team to the work of the Creatures team and Elliots 20 million hairs, everyone threw themselves into the project and its why he looks so good. The animation team led by Mike Cozens really shone on this project. You can see it in every frame of the shot of Elliot and Pete playing in the river. There is a lot of careful observation and subtle moments that show the skill and artistry involved in bringing the dragon to life.

It was really important for the audience to relate to Elliot, and to feel for him and his relationship with Pete. The animators spent long hours reviewing reference footage of all kind of animals to capture the essence of who Elliot is without relying on human characteristics. It allows the viewer to really believe in him and to never be pulled out of the story.

Creature design

Gios Johnston, head of creatures: Elliot is a unique creature  he is over seven-meters tall with emerald-green fur, and has a playful, intelligent personality that had to be expressed through his behavior and look, rather than dialogue. As the Head of Creatures, I oversaw the team from the Creatures department who collaborated to build and support the various rigs and simulation elements for Elliot: Aaron Holly, Carlos Lin, Tim Teramoto and Chris McConnachie. Producing a fictional character that believably performed alongside his human co-star was achieved through a team effort.

Weve created large dragons at Weta Digital before, most notably Smaug for The Hobbit trilogy, but wed never created a big, green, furry dragon. It was the size of Elliot, the shear amount of fur required to cover his body (20 million strands) and Petes interaction with Elliots fur that were the hardest things to get right.

We had several very close-up shots where Pete was running his hands through the fur. Making that look good and believable was definitely a challenge.

Because we needed to simulate all that fur, the turnaround time from animation publishing to shots receiving something to light took a long time. That meant we needed to be careful to make sure that the animation we were receiving was nice and clean, before we started our simulations. There are lots of flying shots in the movie and dialing in the right amount of wind for a dragon flying at very fast speeds also took some doing.

Jedrzej Wojtowicz, senior head of department: look-development: I oversee the Shader and Textures Departments and the overall development of look-development technologies and process. Textures and Shaders crew were involved from the early stages of Elliots development; in the beginning a lot of the work was more compositional in nature, working with the vfx supervisor as well as the other Departments, helping to explore the overall look of the character.

The most challenging aspects of our Elliot work were conceptual in nature: Elliot is not a real thing  he is a mixture of animals, real and fantastical; he is inspired by illustration but needs to exist as a natural, photoreal character. Elliot is also both endearing and imposing. We had to pay careful attention to the details of his huge scale and the nature of his green fur. Does a gigantic hairy dragon have hairs that are a centimeter thick or does he have a thousand times more hairs, or something in between? What different color variations of green fur look natural?

While our mission was to create a believable realistic creature, we couldnt disconnect him from his illustrative and playful past. There was exploration in a variety of areas, referencing a number of real-world animals for ideas on patterning and colouration right down to the details such as the structure and look of his irises, the feel and coloration of his skin, including the color and depth of light scattering through his wings.

At each step of developing his appearance wed find ourselves bouncing between the constraints of preserving the soft and approachable quality, maintaining his grand scale and gravitasphotorealism vs. character, structure vs. softness. While there was one Elliot, we eventually had a number of manifestations we would utilize for the different camera vantage points. We also had alternate states of the fur geometry and appearance we developed and could invoke when appropriate. For example, we spent time working towards a close up look, which pushed the visual complexity of the fur, and adding minute imperfections to the fur and tiny pieces of debris helping the audience believe that he was a large beast.

Creature building

Andreja Vuckovic, senior modeller: My role was to build a digital model of Elliot based on a digital maquette that we received from Disney. I also made displacement maps for the details all over the body, adding spikes on the back and the neck and details on the paws and claws, or fine bones structures for the wings and facial details for the lips, nose, or his broken tooth. I was involved in the character development process. There were many changes to improve the model, technically and artistically, from the concept design to the final model. Requests for those changes were coming from different departments: models, textures, creatures, art department, animation, shaders or from the vfx supervisor, and the client.

The most challenging technical and aesthetic aspect was integrating Elliots wings with his body to look functional and anatomically correct. Adding shapes without a good reason had the potential to look lumpy and odd in the final shots or may have caused an issue in simulation. I had to be sure that the wings were a good size and shape, and had good proportions and look natural when folded. The accuracy of our physically-based render model leaves little room for error and the overall look had to be astonishing.

Nick Gaul, senior modeler: I contributed by grooming and maintaining all the various grooms for Elliot through out the show. This would include anything from adding debris into the groom such as leaves and dirt, and groom variations such as a wet groom.

The super close-up shots presented a whole other challenge with the hair on Elliot. For those shots we needed to add millions more hairs to simulate all the fine interaction between the actors and Elliots hair. We couldnt possibly have that level of density on the entire groom so we would make custom grooms that accounted for higher density of hairs in the areas wed see up-close in specific areas. For this we ended up creating 28 custom grooms.

Shot production

Pete Godden, lead layout technical director: In the layout department at Weta Digital, our task is to create immersive environments and backdrops in which to frame digital characters such as Elliot. The lush forest playground that Eliot has made his home is an integral part of what makes up his rich personality. The incredibly beautiful forest and bush lands that are found only in New Zealand naturally seem magical and breathtaking, providing the perfect backdrop for our magical Dragon. We took frequent visits to nearby forest parks and referred to a vast library of photos in order to enhance location shots and, in some cases, build entirely digital sections of the environments. The director considered it of utmost importance that Eliot would be framed within a beautiful, lush natural environment, as this is integral to his character.

Ant Webb, senior paint artist; Ryan Hutchings, senior paint artist; Alice Collins, senior roto artist; Chris Templeman, senior roto artist; Hanna Stewart, senior roto artist; Gareth Thomas, senior roto artist

Our job as paint and roto artists on Petes Dragon was to remove the large green proxy, which is a stand-in for Elliot that the actors could perform with. The paint work was extremely difficult due to the Elliot proxy moving in and out of trees, fine branches and bush.

The forest was constantly moving in the wind, which made it difficult to replace parts of the background. To complete the paint work, each individual tree had to be tracked in and the movement of the branches animated. Without the great cameras and decent surveys that the Camera Department did of the trees and bush, it would have been a near impossible task.

One of the many roto tasks was to make Elliot the Dragon really live in his environment. By rotoing individual trees and shrubs, it meant the Animation Department could really immerse Elliot amongst the forest.

Mike Cozens, animation supervisor: Elliots character development began with posing and moved quickly into motion study work. We started with initial pose tests of Elliot matching a variety of animals to see how he looked in different postures. We also did posing for facial expressions in order to see how far we could push the facial expressions and still have a believable character. Elliot needed to be a believable animal but he also needed to communicate with Pete (and the audience) without being anthropomorphic. We needed his performance to be based on recognizable animal behaviors and characteristics.

Our motion study work gave us to reference to build his performance through a variety of recognizable animal characteristics so that when he needed to communicate he did so as an animal would. We were able to build a library of motion we could share amongst artists to keep his performance on model. The motion studies also allowed us to play with his huge size and understand how a creature as big as Elliot would move in a variety of circumstancesfrom delicate emotional moments to broad action beats. For example when we needed him jumping and making a big splash we used reference of an arctic fox, but changed the mechanics to move with the weight of a big creature. Alternately, when Elliot first meets Natalie we used subtle head ticks and face behaviors that mimicked a dog or a cat. We did this over and over again and carefully narrowed down the things that worked to create a specific set of characteristics that were uniquely Elliot.

Elliots flight style took a lot of development. He is a big dragon and initially we tried to make him very aerodynamic by tucking his limbs close to his body so it was believable that he could stay aloft. Unfortunately the posing wasnt working. An animator (Graham Binding) found a solution in two pieces of reference: one was the Pegasus flight from Disneys Fantasia and the other was a video of polar bears swimming under water. In both pieces of reference the animals use their limbs to swim through the water and air. When we translated that onto Elliots flight we immediately knew we had a solution. Seeing his gangly limbs swim through the air became a part of his character and allowed us to play with his awkward flight in a fun and comical style.

One of the technical challenges was keeping Elliots behavior animalistic and not becoming too human with his performance. There is a key scene at the end of the film where Elliot needs to communicate something important to Pete but we had to do this using his animal physicality and body performance. It was an interesting challenge finding behavior that communicated Elliots intention in a clear way but kept him in character as an animal.

Yann Moalic, effects TD: As an FX artist, my job is to recreate the physical phenomena that ground us in reality. On Petes Dragon I had the opportunity to immerse Elliot into the forest environment in a physically plausible way. We created plant simulations to blend Elliot into the scene and recreated a section of the forest with CG elements. This gave us the freedom to animate every single plant from the trunk to the tips of pine tree needles.

An interesting shot from the trailer I worked on is when Pete jumps from a cliff and Elliot takes him flying above the trees. Our plant dynamics are done with an in-house tool called Onodrim. This is a physical solver, so we specify the material properties of each tree (wood density; rigidity; shear; youngs modulus; internal viscosity; plasticity) using physical values. Then we use Elliots animation to generate a velocity field to control the forces applied to the plants. We get the result of the simulation almost in real time so that gives us great control.

Karl Sisson, senior matte painter: Pete discovers the magic and wonder of flight with the help of Elliot when he leaps off a cliff in free-fall and is scooped up by Elliot to soar through the clouds. Part of the excitement of flight is danger and we needed the right camera moves to show this  but having a helicopter do a barrel roll thought a narrow ravine was not an option.

VFX Supervisor Eric Saindon tasked me with creating a photorealistic virtual ravine environment, which would allow us to have a digital version of Pete and Elliot barrel roll ridiculously close to the river. The key challenge on this shot was having 3D matte painting start and end with filmed helicopter footage. Not an easy task. Trees and river walls moving in parallax along with flowing water would be required. In the end this was achieved using a mix of optical flow, photogrammetry, and straight up matte painting projection. To help bring Pete and the audience along for a ride with Elliot was a team effort and was a great joy to work on.

Nick Epstein, CG Supervisor: My team was responsible for lighting Elliot in all of the forest sequences, roughly half the film. Our work also included partially and fully digital environments such as the cave interior, tree house, river, and various areas of forest.

The biggest general challenge was the realistic integration of a huge, stylized character into very naturally lit plates. On top of our usual onset data acquisition techniques, we used naturalistic elements to light Elliots eyesthe sun breaking behind a tree canopy, firelight, and specular kicks from water or glass would all be used to emphasize Elliots emotions while still keeping him grounded in the scene.

Elliots action was mostly shot with only a model of his head as a stand-in, meaning interaction with the forest always had to be digitally created and given his size, it often meant large areas of foliage needed to be completely reconstructed. Trickier than that was the integration of Elliot with the actors, most of whom had hands, arms, and most often hair tracked, simulated, lit and digitally replaced at different points. A particular challenge was the shots of Elliot and Pete playing in the river. Most of the live-action water had to first be matched to maintain Pete and his practical interaction, then simulated against Elliot so he could be properly integrated. Finally, subtleties such as caustics and even the reflection of Pete in Elliots eyes were added. In the film, the shots go by pretty quickly but a lot of love went into them.

Ben Roberts, compositing supervisor: Our job was to integrate a giant, green fury dragon into the environment. We also had loads of set extensions to integrate into the plate photography and a ton of green screens to extract and combine with CG environments. Elliot was not the only 3D asset we had to work with though; we had to comp a large variety of plants, trees, foliage, fire, smoke, vehicles, roads, bridges, and a few animals. Matte paintings were recreated with plate photography, CG, and photographs, and used extensively in a few of the key sequences.

For Elliot we had to be careful to keep true to this performance, making sure we could still read his emotion, whilst sitting him into a green forest. You had to read him, but he also had to blend in. That in itself took a little bit of balancing to get the look right, especially given his color and contrast.

Scenes integrating Pete (Oakes Fegley), Natalie (Oona Laurence) and Elliot together took some nutting out to get the interaction and scale right, along with the lighting. Of course Oakes wasnt interacting with a dragon so tweaking the photography and CG just took some time and thought to blend it together. Some shots were so tricky that in the end, it made more sense to just replace parts of Pete and Natalie with CG, to get the interaction with Elliot just right. See if you can spot them!

We worked closely with the lighting department and our deep compositing engineer to replicate the volumetric light rays seen on set, often filled with smoke with directional lights. Elliot was lit and rendered using our regular tools, but we augmented this by using these propriety tools to create deep volumes that could be shadowed by geometry. This technique, called shadow sling, helped replicate the way the thick volumes react with light and shadow and provided a much more natural feel to our shots. We could easily deep composite these volume rays with the dragon, our forest assets, and the plate photography. We also used in-house tools to enhance and sometimes create some of the dappled lighting on Elliot, often seen under tree canopies.

Elliots invisibility effect was also a challenge. Originally, director David Lowery wanted to go with a camouflage approach where Elliot would take on the colors of his environment. This was done using modified plate projections and highly detailed c-ref passes of Elliot, but would only work if he wasnt moving too much. In the end we added to this effect by introducing a more transparent effect later in the film. Like all creative ideas, this evolved as the film progressed and Elliots performance was honed. We generated hundreds of iterations throughout this process and eventually settled on whatever worked for the shot, especially since reading Elliots performance was sometimes just as important as hiding him.
Photo: CTV

Vernon's Winter Carnival Committee is hoping to entice a big name to the February extravaganza.

Carnival chairperson Deb White has issued an invitation to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his young family. Now White is asking for the support of city council, Vernon Monashee MLA Eric Foster and North Okanagan Shuswap MP Mel Arnold.

In an email to Trudeau's office, White notes that next year's patriotic carnival theme is Carnival Celebrates Canada's 150th  the country's birthday in 2017.

The carnival has been running since 1961 and is the one of the oldest running carnivals in Canada. We are the largest carnival in Western Canada, she explains.

White also tugs at the filial heartstrings.

Did you know that in the early 1980s, the Right Honorable Pierre Trudeau visited our city and attended Vernon Winter Carnival?

White said it is the committee's understand that the prime minister will be visiting communities celebrating Canada's 150th birthday.

Vernon Winter Carnival would like to take this opportunity to invite Prime Minister Trudeau and his family to consider making Vernon, B.C. a destination during our carnival dates of Feb. 3-12th, 2017.
Crime is up in the North Okanagan.

In his quarterly report to city council, the area's top cop, Supt. Jim McNamara, points to an almost 10 per cent increase in criminal code cases from April to June, compared to the previous year.

McNamara says property crime is up 12.42 per cent and reports a spike in break and enters as well as theft from vehicles. Impaired driving investigations have increased 25 per cent over last year.

In terms of serious crime, McNamara's report is revealing.

Over the spring there have been numerous incidents of violence believed to be directly related to the local drug-trade, he states.

A number of shots fired incidents have been reported on previously, but McNamara also reveals that in April, a male victim in Coldstream sustained serious injuries during a home invasion, including having a portion of his right index finger cut off.

He had been forcibly confined and was severely assaulted by multiple suspects. During the course of the investigation, the victim was found to be in possession of a large quantity of cocaine and heroin, consistent with being a street-level drug trafficker, says McNamara. The incident is still under investigation.

McNamara says the RCMP are recommending charges in connection with a suspicious fire in the girl's washroom at AL Fortune High School in Enderby on Apr. 8. The fire resulted in $200,000 in damage. Investigation determined the fire was the result of arson and a female youth was identified, says McNamara. A report has been forwarded to Crown Counsel requesting charges of arson and mischief over $5000.
Photo: Facebook

Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is condemning what he calls "racist and hate-filled" comments on social media and other online forums that stem from a fatal shooting last week of an aboriginal man on a farm.

Wall said in a Facebook post on Sunday afternoon that the comments betray the values and character of Saskatchewan.

"There are laws that protect citizens from what this kind of hate may foment. They will be enforced," he said

Colten Boushie, 22, was shot last Tuesday after a car he was in went onto the rural property near Biggar.

A cousin of Boushie's said they were headed home to the Red Pheasant First Nation near North Battleford when they got a flat tire and needed help, but said a man on the farm smashed their window and fired shots as they tried to drive away.

A suspect, Gerald Stanley, 54, has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the case.

"None of us should be jumping to any conclusions about what happened. We should trust the RCMP to do their work," Wall says in the post.

"I call on Saskatchewan people to rise above intolerance, to be our best and to be the kind of neighbours and fellow citizens we are reputed to be."

First Nations leaders said last week that a police news release about the shooting was biased, and they called for an RCMP review of communication policies and writing guidelines.

An initial news release said people in the car had been taken into custody as part of a theft investigation.

Superintendent Rob Cameron in Regina responded that officers handled the investigation fairly and competently.

Stanley is to make his next court appearance in North Battleford on Aug. 18 to face the allegations.
Photo: CTV

Police in Ottawa shot and killed two dogs that attacked a man and woman.

Witnesses say the large dogs looked like pit bulls, but officials have not confirmed the type of dogs in the attack that happened around 11:15 a.m. Saturday in Orleans, an east Ottawa suburb.

The two dogs were spotted biting a 25-year-old womans arms. The dogs quickly dragged the terrified woman to the ground.

I woke up to a lady screaming and then cars honking like crazy, so I went outside and realized there were two huge pit bulls attacking her, resident Tina Lavoie-Deschamps told CTV Ottawa.

There was blood everywhere. It was really bad.

One neighbour used a broom and another a shovel to try and stop the dogs.

A 66-year-old man was also bitten during the attack, police say. Both victims were taken to hospital in stable condition.

The dogs eventually left the woman and ran off in separate directions. Ottawa police quickly tracked them down and shot both dogs.

The dogs were put down due to what happened, and they were still aggressive in nature when they were spotted by the officers, said Ottawa Police acting Sgt. Wayne Wilson.

- with files from CTV
Photo: Contributed

The most inefficient way to share your photos or videos with someone is with email.

Ill show you a better way. Ill also show you how to get a rogue keyboard under control.

Stop trying to email your photos. Just stop it.

Todays cameras, including the cameras in iPads and in phones, are so good that the high-resolution pictures they take generate huge files.

Even if your Internet Service Provider will let you send an email with a dozen pictures attached, theres no guarantee that your recipients ISPs will pass them through.

Slower Internet connections will stagger under the load. And as for the obvious alternative, I dont know many people who enjoy receiving a dozen emails, each with one photo attached.

And then there are videos. Not a week goes by without someone writing me saying their email tries to break a file into 40 pieces, and asking how can they stop it.

Heres how: Stop trying to email videos.

What you need to do to share photos, videos and other large files is upload them to a storage space and email the link to the file, not the file itself.

You can easily share using OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or a service like WeTransfer.

Although the steps differ slightly from product to product, the concept is the same. Upload your files.

When the upload completes, copy the link to the files and email that link to your intended recipients. Clicking on that link takes them to your shared files in the secure cloud storage.

They can view the video (or pictures, or document, or whatever youve uploaded) or download it. Either way, there are no giant files to clog up email.



Fix an unresponsive keyboard

Of the many frustrating things that can interfere with your productive day, an unresponsive keyboard is high on the list.

Pressing a key or keys makes nothing happens or the computer freezes. Sometimes the mouse doesnt work either. That is painful to troubleshoot.

But theres another type of unresponsive keyboard problem, and its far easier to fix. When you press a key nothing happens on screen, but you can hear a click with each keypress. And  the mouse (or trackpad on a laptop) works just fine.

The first time I encountered this, I tried the normal things. Rebooting the computer didnt help.

Plugging in an external keyboard didnt help either, and the clicking noise was there even when typing on the external keyboard. That was actually quite confusing.

It turns out theres a feature called Filter Keys, and by default, Windows activates it whenever you hold the right Shift key down for more than eight seconds. And that is surprisingly easy to do without realizing it, especially on a laptop.

Filter Keys is an accessibility function that tells the keyboard to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes, in order to make typing easier for users with hand tremors. A Wikipedia article explains this.

If you have hand tremors, you might want to turn it on. If not, its a good idea to turn this feature off.

In any version of Windows:

Use your mouse to get to Control Panel (In Windows 10, right-click on the Start button and click on Control Panel)

Click on Ease of Access

Click on Make the keyboard easier to use (I know. Hilarious, right?)

Clear the checkmark from the box that says Turn on Filter Keys

Click on Apply or Save/OK

If youd like that never to happen again, turn off the eight second activation:

Click on Set up Filter Keys

Clear the check mark from the box that says Turn on Filter Keys when right SHIFT is pressed for 8 seconds

Click on Save/OK

Happy Anniversary

A big Anniversary Update for Windows 10 is starting to roll out: Have you got yours yet? Did it go smoothly? Let me know!

Send email to [email protected] and share your story.

Do you need help with your computer? I'm here to help you and your home or business computer get along.

Cate Eales runs Computer Care Kelowna a mobile service helping home users and businesses get along with their computers. To arrange an appointment phone her at 250-764-7043. Cate also welcomes your comments and suggestions. Send email to [email protected].

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: CTV Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale

The governing Liberals are to announce Monday they're moving ahead with a program designed to reach out to those who are vulnerable to radicalization in order to nip in the bud suspected terrorist plots like the one in southern Ontario last week.

The Canadian Press has learned Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale will announce details of the program when he visits a centre in Montreal devoted to preventing radicalization that leads to violence.

Last week, he stressed the importance of identifying those who are open to radicalization and finding the right way to prevent situations such as the death of a man in Strathroy, Ont., who was suspected of planning a terrorist attack.

Goodale was also expected to announce the federal government will move ahead on building new immigration detention facilities. He was to visit a federal facility in Laval, near Montreal, on Monday.

A Red Cross investigation in 2014 found numerous shortcomings at facilities for immigrant detainees including overcrowding and inadequate mental health care. Newcomers are often held in provincial jails or police facilities alongside suspected gang members and violent offenders.

It also appeared the Liberal government was mindful about questions asked last week about why it was the FBI who detected the alleged terrorist plot that led to the death of Aaron Driver.

Ralph Goodale issued a statement Sunday explaining how Canadian authorities are constantly working with international allies to identify possible terrorist threats.

Last week, the RCMP fielded media questions about why it was the FBI and not the Mounties who discovered a video that led them Driver, who police said had threatened to detonate an explosive in an urban centre.

Driver died Wednesday night after a confrontation with police that saw a bomb detonated in a taxi cab. It's not known whether he died from the blast or from a police bullet.

In his statement, Goodale suggested that a free flow of information between Canadian and U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies is the norm.

"Consistent with the robust security alliance that we have with the U.S., the Americans passed that material to the RCMP," said Goodale's statement, which prominently mentioned the context of the FBI contribution.

"It's important for Canadians to know that our agencies and their global partners are monitoring potential risks and threats all the time  24-7, 365 days a year."

Last week's incident, as well as the attack on Parliament Hill in 2014, have led to an appetite among Canadians to examine current national security measures and look at how they can be improved to better protect Canadians while safeguarding civil liberties, Goodale said.

Some of that work has already started and will intensify in the fall, he said.
Photo: CTV

An 84-year-old man has been released from hospital following a Friday night attack inside his Calgary home.

Ken Czenczek says an unknown woman entered his home at around 11 p.m., grabbed a glass from a kitchen cupboard and proceeded to smash it across his face.

Czenczeks grandson Ryan, a student who lives in the home, was in the basement at the time of the attack but did not hear the intruder.

I went up to get a glass of water, said Ryan. I saw Grandpa. There was blood all over his nose, blood all over the floor.

Despite his cuts and bruises, Czenczek has returned home and says he feels OK.

Czenczek, who has lived in the area for roughly 50 years, says he has had no previous encounters with the intruder and has no idea who she is or what she wanted.

Since the invasion, Czenczeks grandson ensures the doors to the home are locked and is considering installing surveillance cameras.

- with files from CTV
Photo: The Canadian Press

A wildfire destroyed at least 10 homes and forced some 4,000 of people to flee their homes in two Northern California towns Sunday as flames jumped a road and moved into populated areas.

The fire reached Main Street in Lower Lake, a town of about 1,200 about 90 miles north of San Francisco, and burned the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several businesses as thick, black smoke loomed over the four-block strip.

Staff at a hospital in Clearlake, a neighbouring town of about 15,000, rushed to transfer 16 patients to another hospital 25 miles away while firefighters carried goats and other animals to safety as homes burned around them.

Officials confirmed 10 homes were burned, although eyewitnesses could see many more. Ironically, the Habitat for Humanity office was working to raise money to help rebuild homes destroyed by a devastating wildfire nearly a year ago.

"Emotions are still incredibly raw from the Valley Fire," said state Sen. Mike McGuire about last year's wildfire.

"I don't think any of us thought we'd be back where we are tonight," he said.

The fire broke out Saturday afternoon and grew to nearly 5 square miles as firefighters struggled to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze amid triple-digit temperatures and windy conditions.

The fire was creating its own weather pattern and shifted northward into Lower Lake in the afternoon, said Suzie Blankenship, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was throwing embers and spreading rapidly because of parched conditions brought on by the state's historic drought, officials said. Large, explosive fires have torn through dried-out or hard-to-reach areas across California this summer, including a stubborn blaze near the picturesque Big Sur coastline that has burned 113 square miles since late July and destroyed nearly 60 homes.

Lower Lake residents evacuated last year because of a wildfire that killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes.

It was considered California's third-most-destructive wildfire after ravaging most of rural Lake County and parts of Napa County. A report issued this week concluded that faulty wiring in a hot tub ignited the 120-square-mile fire.

Lt. Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriff's spokesman who was working on behalf of Cal Fire, said residents fled their homes very quickly this weekend.

"They've seen it before," Pittman told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Another blaze that broke out Saturday afternoon burned 12 homes in central California and threatened 150 more.

Spot fires caused the blaze near Lake Nacimiento, about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles, to grow from 2 to 6 square miles on Sunday, said Cal Fire spokesman Bennet Milloy.

The blaze shifted north toward the lake, prompting authorities to evacuate residents by boat.

In Southern California, forecasters warned of high fire danger due to a heat wave and gusty winds. Temperatures reached triple digits in numerous places, stoking an increased risk of wildfires across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties through at least Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
Photo: Thinkstock.com

The federal government has yet to sign infrastructure funding agreements with five provinces and two territories  agreements that are a key step before any federal cash can flow to projects underway across the country.

Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Nunavut and Northwest Territories have yet to sign funding deals.

Federal officials had expected to have agreements signed before the midway point of the summer construction season, but it has taken larger provinces longer than first thought to finalize the list of projects eligible for federal cash and negotiate the fine print of the plan, including timelines for when projects need to be completed.

For Saskatchewan, the deadline of finishing new construction or expansion projects by March 2018 has raised concerns that municipalities may rush the due diligence needed to prepare funding proposals, or may not be able to complete projects on time, said Jay Teneycke, a spokesman for Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Jim Reiter.

The delays in signing deals hasn't had a major effect on the pace of projects in provinces like Alberta, but municipal officials say there is anecdotal evidence of delays for some work while cities wait to make sure that their projects will land federal cash.

Federal officials expect deals to be done the end of the month. Six agreements have been signed so far, including with British Columbia and Quebec, two of the most lucrative.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to talk infrastructure when he visits Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island this week.

"These agreements mean hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure funding are flowing to help municipalities improve their public transit and clean water and wastewater systems, while creating jobs and supporting clean growth," said Brook Simpson, a spokesman for Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi.

The Liberals vowed during the election to increase infrastructure spending by $60 billion over the next 10 years. The first two years of the program have $6.6 billion for provinces and cities to spend on transit and water and wastewater systems.

The federal government has vowed to pick up half the tab for projects and make payments retroactive to April.

The hope is that the spending will help stimulate the economy, create employment  Statistics Canada reported the country had a net loss of 31,000 jobs in June  and pad government coffers with new tax revenue that will help bring the budget back to balance.

None of the billions the federal government wants to put into infrastructure can flow to provinces and cities without bilateral agreements.

Although each province knows how much it is getting in new transit and water infrastructure money, it has to negotiate with its cities about what projects it will put forward for federal cash.

That list needs at least 60 per cent of the funding slots filled before a funding agreement can be signed and provinces like Alberta are still in talks with their municipalities.
Photo: The Canadian Press Police approach truck of man who plowed through a crowded promenade, killing at least 84 people in Nice, France.

The jihadi employment form asked the recruits, on a scale of 1 to 3, to rate their knowledge of Islam. And the Islamic State applicants, herded into a hangar somewhere at the Syria-Turkey border, turned out to be overwhelmingly ignorant.

The extremist group could hardly have hoped for better.

At the height of Islamic State's drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical recruits included the group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, the recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered "The Quran for Dummies" and "Islam for Dummies" from Amazon to prepare for jihad abroad. Their intake process complete, they were grouped in safe houses as a stream of Islamic State imams came in to indoctrinate them, according to court testimony and interviews by The Associated Press.

"I realized that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like 'when you die, who should we call?'" said the 32-year-old European recruit, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. He said he thought he was joining a group to fight President Bashar Assad and help Syrians, not the Islamic State.

The European, whose boyish demeanour makes him appear far younger than his age, went to Syria in 2014. He said new recruits were shown IS propaganda videos on Islam, and the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom. Far from home, unschooled in religion, having severed family ties and turned over electronic devices, most were in little position to judge.

An AP analysis of thousands of leaked Islamic State documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days came with only the most basic knowledge of Islam. A little more than 3,000 of these documents included the recruit's knowledge of Shariah, the system that interprets into law verses from the Quran and "hadith"  the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

According to the documents, which were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl and shared with the AP, 70 per cent of recruits were listed as having just "basic" knowledge of Shariah  the lowest possible choice. Around 24 per cent were categorized as having an "intermediate" knowledge, with just 5 per cent considered advanced students of Islam. Five recruits were listed as having memorized the Quran.

The findings address one of the most troubling questions about IS recruitment in the United States and Europe: Are disaffected people who understand Shariah more prone to radicalization? Or are those with little knowledge of Islam more susceptible to the group's radical ideas that promote violence?

The documents suggest the latter. The group preys on this religious ignorance, allowing extremists to impose a brand of Islam constructed to suit its goal of maximum territorial expansion and carnage as soon as recruits come under its sway.

Islamic State's most notorious new supporters appear to have an equally tenuous link with religion. Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel, who killed 85 people by plowing a truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, was described by family and neighbours as indifferent to religion, volatile and prone to drinking sprees, with a bent for salsa dancing and a reported male lover.

Unlike Omar Mateen, the Orlando attacker, Bouhlel did not make a public declaration of allegiance to Islamic State, much less prove he had direct ties to extremists in the war zone. Still, the group was quick to claim both as foot soldiers.
Photo: Twitter

An overcrowded bus veered off a mountain highway in Nepal on Monday, killing at least 33 people and injuring 28 others in one of the country's deadliest bus crashes in recent years.

Injured people were brought by helicopter to Kathmandu and were being treated in two hospitals, Home Ministry official Chiranjivi Nepal said.

The bus, which was carrying local passengers to the capital, veered off Arniko highway and rolled about 150 metres. Parts of the bus, bodies and luggage were scattered on the forested slopes below the highway.

Army and police rescuers were combing the slopes near Deurali village, 80 kilometres east of the capital.

Police were still trying to determine the cause of the crash. The highway is wide enough for two vehicles to pass but has sharp turns and no guard rails.

Nepal's mountainous terrain, extreme weather and poorly maintained roads and vehicles often make for treacherous travel conditions. Much of the bus crashes in the country happen during the rainy monsoon season that begins in June and ends in September.
Photo: Contributed

BX/Swan Lake firefighters were kept busy Sunday afternoon responding to two accidents in less than 90 minutes.

The first accident happened just after 4 p.m. on Pottery Road.

Then at 5:30 p.m., crews were dispatched to Highway 97 near Swan Lake for another collision.

Fortunately, neither accident resulted in serious injuries.

It was a busy day, said Fire Chief Bill Wacey. There were no serious injuries, but the vehicles were pretty banged up.

Wacey said the drivers and occupants of the vehicles were treated on scene by BC Ambulance Service, but all declined to go to the hospital.
Photo: Sharla Pike Photography

West Kelowna firefighters will strut their stuff on the catwalk, Sept. 10.

The fourth annual Fight Fire with Fashion charity fundraiser takes place at Lions Community Hall.

All proceeds from the evening support the West Kelowna Professional Firefighters chosen charities, the Burn Fund, Boys and Girls Club, and muscular dystrophy.

Catering will be by Kelly O'Bryan's restaurant, with wines from West Kelowna's new Indigenous Winery.

Firefighters will take to the runway to show off their modeling skills for the cause.

There will also be a silent auction and a raffle for a WestJet flight for two, along with the launch of the firefighter's new calendar.

During the auction, you can literally buy the the shirts off the firefighters' backs.



Tickets are $45 per person and are only available in advance by email at [email protected] or by phone at 250-300-5655.
Photo: Alana Reinhardt

UPDATE 3:15 P.M.

Alana Reinhardt said at around 3 p.m. Monday that Bruce was in surgery and has to have his leg removed at the shoulder.

The surgery will take several hours, but should be complete by the evening.

"There was nothing left of Bruce's paw," said Reinhardt. "It was horrifying. All the bones were shattered from his elbow down."

Reinhardt said Bruce fought hard to get out of the trap and make his way home, so she could not bring herself to put the eight-month-old cat down.

Bruce will spend the night at the vet's office and hopefully come home Tuesday.

Reinhardt said she is disturbed by the events.

"We're in a residential area," she said. "There are people all around us with pets. This was an old-fashioned leg-hold trap. That would do damage to anyone. If it was a kid, it would maim them."

Despite the darkness of the situation, Reinhardt said the support from the community has been a shining light.

"Everyone has been so supportive, it has restored by faith in humanity," she said.

Alana Reinhardt is appalled someone could be so cruel.

Her eight-month-old cat, Bruce, had to be rushed to a veterinarian for emergency surgery after getting his paw caught in some sort of trap over the weekend.

Reinhardt lives on Miller Street near the Legion in Lumby and early Sunday morning she heard her cat softly meowing from her yard.

Bruce was found lying in some bushes with a mutilated paw.

He got his front paw and rear leg caught in a trap, pulled them out, and found his way home to us, said Reinhardt online, adding having to pay more than $2,000 to have Bruce's paw amputated is not her main concern.

What I am concerned about is what kind of possessed, disgusting human being is living among us in Lumby, she said. The vet said it was 100 per cent a trap due to the extent, nature and placement of his injuries.

Reinhardt is offering a $100 reward for information on whoever set the trap. People are also being urged to call police or the SPCA cruelty line at 1-855-622-7722 if they have any information.

A Go Fund Me page has also been set up to help Reinhardt cover the cost of the amputation and follow up treatments for Bruce.
Photo: Contributed

West Vancouver police say a man who came face to face with a bear managed to escape but scraped his legs as he scrambled to get away from the animal.

Const. Jamie Jeff Palmer says the unidentified man was walking along a trail at Capilano River Regional Park when he thought he'd encountered a dog.

When the man realized he was being followed by a black bear, Palmer says he made loud noises to try and scare away the animal, which continued following him.

He says the man fell while running through a forested area but his injuries did not require treatment in hospital.

Police arrived and called the conservation office to try and locate the bear.

Palmer says the fact that the bear did not have any fear of a human suggests it may have received food from people and could be dangerous.
Photo: CTV

About 45 firefighters on nine trucks battled a suspicious two-alarm blaze in Maple Ridge Sunday night.

The fire started at 8:30 p.m. and when crews arrived the blaze was already tearing through all three floors of the home, located on River Road near Best Street.

CTV Vancouver reports dozens of firefighters battled the blaze, and stopped it from spreading to a home next door. The residents of the house were out of town at the time.

It was mostly a defensive attack, based on the amount of fire that was in the building, Mark Smitton, assistant fire chief told CTV. Anytime [the fire] gets up into the roof its always a lot harder, just getting access to it.

Resident Lorne Huculak told CTV he saw smoke billowing out of the home, and ran inside to save some of his neighbours possessions.

I would hope someone would do it for us at well, but I would feel awful if I didnt do something  its just the way I was brought up, said Huculak.

"Me the three other guys were there and we started grabbing the propane and the gas, and he had a race car that we pulled out. By then it was too much for anybody else to go inside."

An investigation into the suspicious fire continues this week.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press

Vice-President Joe Biden assailed Donald Trump's ability to lead America at home and abroad on Monday, branding him as indifferent to the needs of Americans in his first campaign appearance with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Biden, who decided not to make a third presidential bid last year, said in his native city of Scranton that Trump was "totally, thoroughly unqualified" to be president, calling him a dangerous voice on national security and foreign policy.

On the economy, he said, Trump's reveling in his TV reality show tag-line, "You're fired," showed his true colours.

"He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break. It's such a bunch of malarkey," Biden told a crowd of about 3,000 at Riverfront Sports, adding: "He doesn't have a clue."

Pennsylvania has not supported a Republican in a presidential election since 1988, but is among the most-contested battleground states between Clinton and Trump, who are both vying for white working-class voters here.

Even as polls show her leading Trump, Clinton has faced lingering questions about her trustworthiness in the fallout of her use of a private email server as secretary of state and over her family's sprawling foundation. She has tried to make the case that working-class voters would fare better under her economic policies than Trump's and that her opponent would inject danger into an already unstable world.

Offering himself as a powerful character witness for Clinton, Biden portrayed the former secretary of state as the most qualified person to lead the country, singling out her foreign policy experience and passion for improving people's lives. He cited his long history with Clinton, saying he's known her for three decades, since before she was first lady in the 1990s.

"Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy then Trump and his entire team will ever understand," he said.

And he cited Clinton's gender as a powerful asset, saying electing the first female president would change the lives of American women and girls.

"Hillary Clinton is going to write the next chapter in American history," he said.

Introducing Biden, Clinton sought to sow doubts about Trump's ability to bring jobs back to blue-collar communities like Scranton, where Biden lived for the first decade of his life before moving to Delaware.

She acknowledged that many people in the audience might have friends considering voting for the Republican, but offered this advice: "Friends should not let friends vote for Trump."

Clinton and Biden spoke ahead of Trump's national security address in Ohio, questioning the business mogul's ability to represent the nation overseas.

In his speech, Trump accused Clinton of pushing policies that have opened the United States to foreign terrorists.

"Hillary Clinton wants to be America's Angela Merkel," he said, arguing that Germany's immigration policy has weakened that country's national security.

Clinton said Trump had been "all over the place" on foreign policy and had suggested sending in ground troops to fight the Islamic State group. "That is off the table as far as I'm concerned," she said.

Biden warned that Trump was unprepared to oversee nuclear codes and cited Trump's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

If Trump likes them, "He would have loved" Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953. Scholars estimate that under Stalin, more than 1 million people were executed in political purges and millions more died as a result of harsh labour and cruel treatment in the vast gulag prison camp system.

Seeking a common bond, both Democrats pointed back to their family ties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Biden, a frequent visitor, recalled the street he grew up on and credited the city with helping to mould his values. Clinton noted her grandfather worked at a Scranton lace mill factory and that her father was raised here and later attended Penn State University. The family spent summers at a family cabin in nearby Lake Winola, she said.

Biden and Clinton had been planned to campaign together here before last month's Democratic National Convention but their rally was postponed because of the deadly police shooting in Dallas. The vice-president is expected to campaign for Clinton in several battleground states where he remains popular, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
Photo: Contributed

The province is urging Victoria residents to stop abandoning rabbits at the Helmcken Interchange  or face a hefty fine.

Rabbits are being abandoned on the side of road, creating a hazard for road users and the animals.

The rabbits have multiplied, says Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. However, steps have been taken by the ministry and local volunteers to capture them.

Despite this hard work, additional rabbits are still being dropped off. This is very disappointing and means we have to put new measures in place to protect the travelling public as well as our transportation infrastructure.

The ministry plans to install signs that prohibit rabbit drop-offs and a security camera will be put in to monitor the area. Crews will also begin repairing areas damaged by rabbit burrows, including sidewalks, embankment and landscaping.

Considerable progress had been made in capturing, spaying and neutering, and transferring the rabbits that were inhabiting the area. The project was reportedly almost complete when about 20 more adult rabbits were released at the location.

There are limited financial resources to tend to the problem, and the ministry may have to consider euthanization of any new rabbits found at the interchange.

Dr. Laurie Gaines says the rescue group is happy that approximately 100 rabbit lives will be saved as a result of this project.

However, we are shocked and saddened that individuals continue to abandon rabbits at the Helmcken overpass site. Abandoning pets outdoors is an unacceptable practice. Trespassing on the median and feeding the rabbits is also unacceptable. Anyone who is feeding the rabbits needs to stop immediately so that we have the best chance of rescuing the remaining animals.

Under the Wildlife Act, releasing or abandoning animals carries possible fines of $345 per offence.
Photo: CTV - Chopper 9

Three people were sent to hospital following a collision on the Trans-Canada Highway in Chilliwack, Monday.

All three people were in stable condition, according to the BC Ambulance Service.

The crash happened about 10 a.m., closing part of the highway and tying up traffic until noon.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Google Street View

Armed men abducted multiple people from an upscale restaurant in the popular Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities said Monday.

Prosecutors in the western state of Jalisco said two SUVs carrying an unknown number of gunmen arrived around 1 a.m. at the La Leche restaurant on the city's main boulevard, which runs through the hotel zone between the old beach city and the airport.

The office said in a statement that it was still investigating. Five vehicles were abandoned at the restaurant, but it was unclear whether they belonged to any of the victims or attackers.

Mexican media reports said as many as 16 people were abducted, but authorities did not immediately confirm the number.

Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval said through his official Twitter account that such violence would not be tolerated and a search was underway for the victims and the kidnappers.

"To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual," Sandoval wrote.
Photo: Contributed

Members of the Lumby Fire Department were called to a smoldering slash pile Monday morning.

Fire Chief Tony Clayton said crews were called out at 7:30 a.m. after a man walking his dog came across the slash pile on Dutchman Forest Service Road, in the Trinity Valley area.

Clayton said the pile was smoldering when crews arrived and was around three metres square.

The fire is under investigation and while it was a few kilometres from the nearest home, Clayton said it is concerning.

It's August in the Okanagan, so it's always a concern, he said. It's getting dry in that area. We are into the 'high' fire danger rating.

Slash burning is not allowed in the summer. Only campfires are currently allowed in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan.
Krasnoselskstroymaterialy chases profits in Poland and Russia

15 August 2016

Belarus cement producer Krasnoselskstroymaterialy is optimistic that its finances will return to the black by the end of 2016, reports BelTA news agency. The enterprise will seek to boost its exports to Russia and Poland while raising its output of cement.



"We have refocussed our enterprise and penetrated new markets in Poland and Kaliningrad Oblast. When we only started to penetrate them we had to cut prices and reduce the profitability of sales. But all new contracts in Russia and Poland already have more than 11 per cent profitability," said Valentin Veretilo CEO of Krasnoselskstroymaterialy. "Therefore, by the end of the year we plan to cover losses, we will only have to pay back the loans issued to us because of the big accounts receivable."



We have preserved our positions on the markets, we are boosting export, enterprises have become more financially reliable, therefore, we will be in the black by the end of the year," said Mr Veretilo. "Our net profit from product sales made up BYR13.5bn (US$0.671m) (pre-redenomination) in June." He added, "We are also increasing the output of cement."











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LaCroix sparkling water, with its palette of colorful cans, has a tendency to convert people by simply being available.

Evidence of this can be found at several Chicago tech companies, where the drink that has become a bit of a phenomenon among millennials is often readily stocked and frequently outstrips the availability of other free beverages, like pop or juice.

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In these offices, cans and cans of LaCroix, in their signature colors  each of the roughly 20 flavors has a different aesthetic  are arranged on refrigerator shelves and sometimes artistically on desks, forming a kind of beverage rainbow.

The drink has gained an impassioned and creative following that seems to be rising as fast as carbonated bubbles.

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Tommy Werner, operations manager at SwipeSense, says he orders about five cases of LaCroix, or 60 cans, a week for the roughly 25 people in the office.

"I think that if I were to order more, they would all be consumed," said Werner, 29, adding he's also a fan of the drink because of "it's refreshing without being cloying."

Werner orders LaCroix from Instacart and says it's the only staple he orders every week and the only non-coffee drink the company stocks.

"I've heard of people coming into the office, not really hearing about LaCroix, and for some reason, coming back and getting addicted," he said. "I think there are a lot of converts."

At Sprout Social, the social media management platform, a pyramid of coral-colored pamplemousse cans (LaCroix's grapefruit flavor) about four feet high has taken a prominent place among a bevy of computer screens.

Last month at Grubhub, the marketing team put on a LaCroix Luau during its Liquidity Preference Function (the company's term for happy hour) featuring three different LaCroix-themed cocktails.

Open the fridge at the Yelp, and LaCroix cans far outnumber all other free drinks available to the roughly 700 people at its Merchandise Mart offices.

At Braintree, Ryan O' Donnell, a software developer, estimates there are about 10 different flavors of LaCroix available at work. He had never tried the carbonated drink until coming to the company two years ago.

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"I never heard of LaCroix until I started at Braintree, honestly," said O'Donnell, 29. "I didn't like carbonated water until I started working here."

He started with the blue can of LaCroix  which is unflavored  "and turned around pretty quickly on it. I started experiencing the different flavors, and I've been a fan ever since."

Carbonated water makes up just a couple of percentage points of the overall beverage market, says Adam Fleck, director of consumer equity research at Morningstar. However, Fleck points out that while consumption of beverages like pop has been dropping every year for the past decade, sales volumes of flavored carbonated waters have risen about 10 percent a year.

"It's one of the rare growth stories in carbonated beverages," Fleck says. "Consumers have shown that health and wellness is a predominant decision factor when they're thinking about what to drink."

He adds millennials, in particular, have shown a willingness for "premiumization," or paying more for health, wellness and taste, when it comes to beverages.

"The millennial generation, what we've seen in general is they're more focused on clean labeling, natural ingredients and healthy lifestyles," Fleck says. "That is generally a trend we're seeing, and I think overall, why carbonated beverages have struggled more recently, while these naturally sweetened  like LaCroix products, the bottled waters, the noncarbonated offerings  these companies have been doing much better."

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Sales of LaCroix, which is owned by National Beverage Corp., have doubled in the last two years to about $225 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, citing figures from market researcher Euromonitor International Ltd. The stock price of National Beverage Corp. has more than doubled since last August.

LaCroix does much of its marketing through social media and word of mouth.

"It's not surprising to me," says Fleck, "that you would have sort of a Millennial-focused set of companies offering these brands."

Recently, the wife of one of O'Donnell's co-workers at Braintree tweeted that all LaCroix flavors tasted the same, which prompted a responding tweet from another co-worker that he would be able to tell the difference between each LaCroix flavor. Inspired, O'Donnell challenged her assertion by setting up a blind taste test at his kitchen apartment with about 180 cans of LaCroix.

His co-worker Lila Conlee, a software developer who calls herself a lifelong LaCroix fan, won by guessing about seven of 13 flavors.

"It was an excuse to have a fun times with friends," says Conlee, 23, "and we got to prove our co-worker's wife wrong."

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They didn't rub it in her face, she adds, because "I don't think that's the spirit of LaCroix."

Erin Chan Ding is a freelance reporter.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner greets visitors to the fair while walking in the Twilight Parade at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 11, 2016, in Springfield. On Aug. 12, Rauner signed into law the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. (Seth Perlman / AP)

Illinois nannies, housekeepers and other domestic workers will be entitled to the state minimum wage and basic human rights protections come Jan. 1 under a bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Bruce Rauner.

The Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights amends four state laws to include domestic workers, who are among several groups excluded from basic labor protections and, worker advocates say, vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.

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"This is really historic because the exclusion of domestic workers from federal and state employment laws has an unfortunate history in slavery and anti-immigrant sentiment," said Wendy Pollack, founder and director of the Women's Law and Policy Project at the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, which is part of a coalition that has been pushing for domestic worker legislation for five years.

Some federal labor laws have been amended over the years to erase the exclusion of domestic workers, who are covered by federal minimum wage and overtime protections. The state law erases their exclusion from Illinois laws, which offer additional protections.

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Domestic workers now will be covered by Illinois' Minimum Wage Law, which requires workers be paid at least $8.25 an hour (more than the federal minimum of $7.25), and the One Day Rest in Seven Act, which requires employees get at least 24 hours of rest in each calendar week and a meal period of 20 minutes for every 7.5-hour shift. They also will be covered by the Illinois Human Rights Act, which protects against sexual harassment, and the Wages of Women and Minors Act, which prohibits employers from paying women and minors "an oppressive and unreasonable wage."

The bill had the support of the Illinois chapter of the Home Care Association of America, a trade group representing companies that employ caregivers.

Illinois is the seventh state to adopt domestic worker protections, according to Arise Chicago, a workers center that was part of the coalition.

The bill covers workers regularly employed at least eight hours a week in domestic jobs, a classification that excludes occasional baby sitters. It covers live-in workers, people employed by agencies and workers with a one-on-one agreement with a household.

Pollack said there is more work to be done to educate employers and workers about improving conditions for the more than 35,000 people in Illinois who cook, clean, drive and care for the children of others. Many employers "sincerely care about the workers they employ, and often think of them as part of their family, but then don't make the leap to the fact that there exists an employer-employee relationship between them," Pollack said.

For example, one big issue for domestic workers is the "job creep" that happens when they get a call from their employer asking them to stay another hour or two, without clear rules about whether they're getting paid for that time, Pollack said. Written contracts that clarify the parameters of the job could help, she said.

Magdalena Zylinska, who has worked as a house cleaner for nearly 20 years and as a nanny before that, said the law is a "little step toward a better future." While she is happy now as an independent contractor, she said she used to work for agencies that would tell house cleaners they didn't do a good job and withhold their paychecks. She took care of families' kids for years only to be told she wasn't needed anymore with nearly no notice.

A lack of guidelines in a largely unregulated industry has made it difficult for workers to know their rights. She recalled spending half a day cleaning a home in Elmwood Park when the vacuum cleaner she was using broke. She apologized and had it fixed, but her employer took $60 out of her $80 paycheck for it. She didn't know at the time that that isn't permitted.

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The importance of the new bill "wasn't really about the money but it was about respect," Zylinska said. "We make other work possible, and we really don't get recognized for that."

In-home workers are disproportionately black, Hispanic and immigrant, and more than 90 percent are women, according to a 2012 study by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. Nearly a quarter live below the poverty line and just 12 percent receive health insurance from their employer.

In another 2012 survey of more than 2,000 nannies, caregivers and house cleaners in 14 metro areas, 23 percent of respondents overall and 67 percent of live-in workers said they were paid below the state minimum wage. A fifth said they had trouble putting food on the table the previous month.

aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @alexiaer
TPG, a Texas-based private equity firm, has agreed to buy RCN Telecom Services for $1.6 billion, giving it control of one of Chicago's largest cable providers, the company announced Monday.

In a separate transaction, TPG is buying Grande Communications Networks for $650 million, combining the two regional companies into a "top 10" cable player whose most valuable asset is likely its broadband network.

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"High-speed data has become, and will remain, the essential connection for both consumers and businesses," David Trujillo, partner at TPG, said in a news release. "Both RCN and Grande are proven leaders in providing fast, affordable, and reliable data services."

Google made a minority financial investment alongside TPG in the cable acquisitions, according to a source familiar with the transaction.

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The seller in both deals is Boston-based private equity firm ABRY Partners.

TPG is partnering with Patriot Media, which currently manages both RCN and Grande. The combined networks have more than 640,000 residential and business customers nationwide, according to a TPG spokesman.

New Jersey-based RCN primarily serves Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley (Pa.) and Washington.

In the Chicago area, RCN has customers in neighborhoods from West Rogers Park to Hyde Park, and also reaches into Skokie and Evanston.

The $2.25 billion transactions are expected to close in the first quarter of 2017, according to a TPG spokesman.

TPG's acquisition comes as cord-cutting erodes the traditional cable TV model. But growth in broadband has created a bright outlook for the cable industry, according to a report published last week by research firm SNL Kagan. The report projected that broadband subscriptions will increase by more than 8 million over the next 10 years, more than offsetting slowing declines in video subscriptions.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @RobertChannick
Shaka Rawls speaks to a crowd about his plans as the new principal for Leo High School, a Catholic High School in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. (Nick Swedberg / Daily Southtown)

When the freshman class arrives at Leo Catholic High School on Wednesday, it'll be greeted by Shaka Rawls, a new principal with an impressive pedigree, beginning with a diploma of his own from Leo.

The building, though, will feel far from new  shopworn and outdated and, to hear Rawls tell it, pretty dirty.

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"We've probably got 20-year-old dust in the school," Rawls told me. "There's a lot of love in the school, but you walk into some of the rooms and you feel like you stepped into a time warp."

The all-male school on Chicago's South Side, in the Gresham neighborhood, is celebrating its 90th year at a time when the Chicago Archdiocese has been forced to close multiple schools because of dwindling enrollment.

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Leo boasts a 100 percent graduation rate, and serves as a safe space for its predominantly African-American students and their families, said Rawls, who is completing his doctorate in educational policy studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago and previously worked as an administrator at Chicago Public Schools. He graduated from Leo in 1993.

Leo High School is an all-boys Catholic school located at 7901 Sangamon St. in Chicago (Susan Moskop)

Rawls has big plans for the school, including migrating its technology onto more current platforms and preparing students to succeed once they get to college.

"A 100 percent graduation rate is awesome," he said. "My focus now is to talk about our graduation rate from college. A lot of schools are getting kids into college. I want to change the ideology to getting kids out of college."

But first, he wants to clean up the school.

On Sept. 24, Rawls and Danielle Stipe, a recent DePaul graduate and community activist, are hosting a beautification project at Leo. They're asking for volunteers to donate their time and cleaning supplies to polish the school and turn it into a more stimulating, inspiring environment.

Leo High School has made the most out of its nearly 90-year-old building at 7901 Sangamon St. in Chicago. (Susan Moskop)

"We don't have a professional cleaning crew," Rawls said. "We do have custodians, but the windows haven't been washed in the classrooms, and everything just needs a good wipe down. Sweeping, carpet cleaning  we want to spiff up the place, if you will."

Rawls sees the day as an opportunity for Chicagoans to send a message to Leo students that their education matters.

"It's a showing of community support for the education of our youth, and especially a targeted youth," he said. "African-American males are really under duress right now, and I want the community to show their support."

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Stipe, whose brother graduated from Leo, wants to provide a bright spot in a climate filled with challenges.

"This year has been very trying and most certainly heartbreaking for African-Americans, but more specifically African-American males," Stipe said. "My hope is to bring about some sense of peace by improving a place where they have to be 7 or 8 hours a day. It's not just about the quality of education a student receives, it's about the quality of the environment they are a product of day in and day out."

Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Leo High School, 7901 Sangamon St. in Chicago on Nov. 13, 2014. (Susan Moskop)

I asked Rawls what he needs most to pull off the beautification project. "Bodies and cleaning supplies," he said.

If you're interested in helping, you can reach out to Rawls directly. His phone number at Leo is 773-224-9600. ("Ask for Mr. Rawls," he said.) Or you can email him at srawls@leohighschool.org.

Or just show up. The project will kick off at 9 a.m. at Leo, 7901 S. Sangamon St. He hopes to host a similar cleanup day again in the spring.

"We've really been surviving on the ethos of Leo  the greatness of what Leo was," Rawls said. "We've had some excellent graduates, but we're still telling stories of 30 to 40 years ago."

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With some elbow grease, the school should be ready to shine for decades to come.

hstevens@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @heidistevens13

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Former State Treasurer Dan Rutherford at an Illinois Republican governor debate in Chicago in March 2014. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune)

Former state Treasurer Dan Rutherford has slipped from public view since allegations of sexual harassment by a staffer torpedoed his 2014 gubernatorial bid.

But is the 61-year-old Republican on the comeback trail?

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It sure sounds like it.

A very public party he's hosting at the Illinois State Fair on Wednesday's "Governor's Day" has politicos wondering what office he might have his eye on.

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Invitations that Rutherford sent out for the event make clear that "GOP, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Independent and those that really don't want to get involved are welcome!" and don't mention any post that Rutherford might run for.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

But Rutherford, of Chenoa, isn't short of campaign cash  he still has more than $900,000 left over from his 2014 run against Bruce Rauner  and he isn't charging an entrance fee for his party, though he is inviting sponsors to pay up to $500 a pop.

He didn't immediately return calls seeking comment Monday morning. But he likely took heart from the release in May of a report of an investigation that he commissioned into the allegations of sexual harassment made by his former staffer Edmund Michalowski.

The report, which Rutherford insisted was "independent," found that there was no evidence to support Michalowski's allegation that Rutherford made unwanted sexual advances toward him, then unfairly passed him over for promotion.

Still, a federal lawsuit brought by Michalowski is pending and would complicate any run in the near future.

In the meantime, Rutherford is enjoying himself running a travel company that organizes educational trips to Cuba. The similarities between the initials of Rutherford's Global Relations Travel Club and the firm where Rauner made his fortune, GTCR, are purely coincidental, we're sure ...

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews
Willie Sago waves to a neighbor as he sits in his front yard along Oak Avenue in southwest suburban Fairmont on Aug. 8, 2016. (Allen Cunningham / Daily Southtown)

Eva Pinnick likes to sit on her front porch in the tiny southwest suburban community of Fairmont, looking at her planters full of marigolds and petunias and listening to birds in nearby fields.

But Pinnick fears construction of a highway in front of her brick home will destroy her peace and hurt her property's value.

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"If they take this away from me, what will I have?" asked Pinnick, 83, a pastor's widow who frequently hosts gatherings with her large family, which includes 11 children and more than 100 grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

The proposed four-lane highway would cross the Des Plaines River and run along Oak Avenue through Fairmont, a community in unincorporated Will County, whose population, according to a Chicago-based poverty law group, is half African-American, 25 percent Hispanic and 25 percent white. Most residents are of low to moderate income.

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The Caton Farm-Bruce Road project, still in its initial planning phase, is intended to relieve congestion on the two-lane Ninth Street bridge over the river in downtown Lockport. It would extend about 12 miles from Caton Farm Road and U.S. 30 in Crest Hill to 159th Street and Cedar Road in Homer Glen.

The Will County Board approved the location of the road in 2009, but some Fairmont residents have complained that they did not learn about it until long after. Last month, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law sharply criticized the project in an 11-page letter to the board and the Will County Division of Transportation, demanding a review of the route selection and public participation procedures.

The center said the road will disparately harm Fairmont and benefit surrounding, predominantly white communities in the growing Lockport/Joliet area. It asks for a reevaluation of the selection of the site, and an opportunity to meet with officials from the county transportation division by Aug. 31.

Some Fairmont residents are against a proposed four-lane highway through the town's center. (Brandon Chew / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

"They didn't have a meeting in the Fairmont community until 2014, well after the decision was made," said Kate Walz, director of housing justice for the Shriver Center. She said the county's actions, if the plan goes forward, would be a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The law forbids the recipients of federal funding  which would include a county hoping to build a highway  from discriminating based on race, color or national origin.

The project is still in its first phase of planning and needs federal funding before it could be built in another seven or more years, said Lockport Township Supervisor Ron Alberico.

Ben Benson, Lockport city administrator, said he does not think the Shriver Center is being fair or accurate, and that the county has been "very transparent" in discussions about the road over the years. "There are only so many routes you can choose," Benson said.

"I personally feel it's a blessing," Benson said. "The Fairmont community will have economic development they've never had before."

Changes in community

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Residents are concerned that the proposal would take out more than a dozen homes, and leave others like Pinnick's facing either a busy highway or a sound barrier wall. They worry about children walking to school, and say a thoroughfare for trucks and other traffic would change the character of a quiet, rural area residents chose to escape from the noise, exhaust and bright lights of Chicago.

Bruce Gould, transportation director for the Will County DOT, declined to comment on the issue, saying the Shriver letter is being reviewed by the Will County state's attorney's office, the county transportation department's legal representative.

Other alternatives to the road were rejected as having a greater impact to flood plains, historic structures and housing, according to an August 2015 memorandum to the Will County DOT conducted by Civiltech Engineering, Inc. Two alternatives would have passed over a habitat for the rare Hine's emerald dragonfly.

This infuriates Chantay Dawson, who like Pinnick has a home on Oak Avenue.

A group of Fairmont community members meet to discuss problems about the plans for a new highway through Oak Avenue on Thursday, August 4, 2016, in Fairmont. (Brandon Chew / Chicago Tribune)

"You're going to remove human beings from their homes for dragonflies?" asked Dawson, slapping the table at a community meeting in early August. "So a life isn't worth a bug's life?"

Pinnick's daughter Sylvia Dotson said that the community of less than 3,000 people is tight-knit, with neighbors looking after each other over generations.

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"We want our community to stay the same," said Dotson, who noted that her mother has bronchitis that would be aggravated by truck traffic. "Our lives matter, our community matters."

Alberico said he understands that some people are having "second thoughts" about the road, but everyone agrees that another Des Plaines River bridge has been needed in the booming area for a long time. He said that the proposed road could bring a supermarket and other stores that Fairmont residents have wanted.

"It might be the best thing to come to the Fairmont area," Alberico said.

Walz pointed to other instances when minority communities were unfairly affected by road projects in violation of Title VI. Late last year, an agreement was reached between the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to help residents in a mostly black area of north Corpus Christi that would be hit by proposed highway improvements.

Fairmont has more of a voice than it used to in Will County planning: Richard House, pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, was appointed this year as the first Fairmont member of the Will County Transportation Corridor Committee.

House said that Fairmont has long been neglected and if the highway cannot be stopped, he wants other infrastructure improvements to be done first  such as fixing potholes, regular snow-shoveling and putting in curbs and sidewalks.

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"That's low-hanging fruit that should have been done years ago," House said.

The young and reckless

This may come as a surprise to exactly no one, but a new University of Illinois at Chicago Urban Transportation Center study has found that young men are more reckless than any other group when it comes to crossing at-grade CTA tracks.

The study, finalized last week, interviewed more than 200 people at seven different CTA grade- or street-level crossings on the Pink, Brown and Yellow lines. It found that respondents age 30 and younger were three times more likely to cross the tracks despite activated warning devices and signs than those older than 30.

The study also found that young males, under age 21, were more likely to cross the tracks against activated signals and warning devices if they were in a hurry.

Female respondents of all age groups were more safety conscious than males, the study found. The study also found that certain activities, such as talking on a cellphone or listening to music with ear phones on, may interfere with people knowing what's going on.

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The study recommended educational campaigns that promote environmental awareness, particularly among young males, as well as developing methods to determine the effectiveness of warning signs and devices.

mwisniewski@tribpub.com

Twitter @marywizreuters
She and older brother, Craig, grew up in a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with no air conditioning. Their father, Fraser, was a pump operator for the Chicago water department who wasn't slowed down by his multiple sclerosis. Their mother, Marian, had been a secretary at the University of Chicago. Of her upbringing, Obama said in a 2009 commencement address -- her first -- at the University of California at Merced: "My father was a blue-collar worker, as you all know. My mother stayed at home to raise me and my brother. We were the first to graduate from college in our immediate family."

The Robinsons' former apartment is at 7436 S. Euclid Ave.
Her hair braided carefully around a white bandage, 6-year-old Zariah McCray-Muhammad held onto her mother with one hand and a dozen balloons with the other as she returned home in Chatham Sunday, three days after being shot in the head.



Hours later, about six miles away, 6-year-old India Tucker just got back from the beach when two young men stepped out of a gangway, shouted a gang slogan and opened fire, according to police and her family. India was hit in the right arm, breaking a bone.



Zariah and India, both going into the first grade, were shot within three days of each other during a year that has seen at least 27 children 13 and under become victims of gun violence, according to data collected by the Tribune.



Since the beginning of June, Chicago has averaged about one child shot each week.

Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson expresses frustration at the pace of gun violence in the city. (Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

They have included a 3-year-old, two 4-year-olds, two 5-year-olds and four 6-year-olds. The 3-year-old, Devon Quinn, was paralyzed from the chest down after he was shot, allegedly by a gang member celebrating the life of a slain gang member.



Just days before Zariah and India were wounded, 10-year-old boy Tavon Tanner was shot in the back while playing with his twin sister on his porch in Lawndale. He remains in the intensive care unit with more surgery scheduled, though he is talking and walking, his family said.

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Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson blamed gang members and lenient gun laws for a level of violence the city has not seen since the late 1990s.



"They couldn't care less if it's an 80-year-old grandmother, a 5-year-old child out there," Johnson said at a news conference about weekend violence, which saw 52 people shot. "If they're looking for someone to shoot, they couldn't care less who's out there. And that's our fault because we have constantly shown them we are not going to hold them accountable.



"Little kids getting shot out there is just stupid," he added.



Zariah was playing with water balloons at her grandmother's home in the 6800 block of South Calumet Avenue on a hot afternoon last Thursday when someone started shooting. She was struck in the side of the head. Her uncle David McCray, 22, was hit in the chest and died.



The bullet that hit Zariah fractured her skull, and she underwent nearly two hours of surgery at Comer Children's Hospital on Friday, her family said. She was released Sunday afternoon, a small bump where the bullet had been.



Sitting with her mother on Monday, Zariah said she remembers looking around after hearing gunshots.



"It was a BB gun," she said.



"It wasn't a BB gun," said her mother, Gloria Strong.



"Yes, it was," Zariah said while sucking her thumb and sitting on her mother's lap.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 Gloria Strong and her daughter Zariah McCray Muhammad, 6, sit on the porch of Zariah's grandmother in Chicago. Zariah was shot in the head last week, and her uncle who she referred to as "her best friend," died in the shooting. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

On the day of the shooting, the family had planned a trip to the beach. Strong said they started throwing water balloons at each other as a relief from the smothering heat. David McCray was playing with Zariah and some of her cousins.



Strong was upstairs filling a bucket with water when she heard what sounded like fireworks. There was a pause for about five seconds and then the gunfire continued. "When it started back, it didn't stop," Strong said.



Based on what the children have told her, Strong believes the shooter knew he had hit Zariah and stopped to let her go inside before shooting again. She thinks there were as many as 36 spent shell casings in front of the home.



"I saw my uncle on the ground, he was dead on the ground," Zariah said.



Strong said she was panicked as she tried to get help for McCray, who was trying to crawl closer to the home. Her daughter calmly came up and said she was shot too. Zariah told her mother her head hurt and burned.



Since coming home, Zariah has been playing with her cousins as her mother worries that she needs to be more careful. On Monday afternoon, Zariah -- wearing a matching pink tank top and skirt, stood in a circle outside of her grandmother's home waiting for a cousin to declare who was "it" in a game of tag.



"Daddy ate a booger and it tastes like sugar," the cousin said while using her finger to touch the girls' shoes.



They began chasing each other but Zariah soon went quietly to sit on her grandmother's doorway. She cried after telling her mother that one of her cousins had bumped her head.



Many of the children who played with Zariah witnessed the shooting. Strong said her older daughter, Zahara, hasn't talked much since the shooting. McCray's 3-year-old daughter, Dejah McCray, thinks her father is in the hospital.



"We don't know what these babies are going through in their minds," Strong said.



Zariah's father, Deon McCray, was left paralyzed about five years ago during an armed robbery that happened about a block from where his daughter would be shot. David McCray had stepped up to help raise his nieces, Strong said. Zariah called her uncle her best friend.



Zariah didn't want to return to the home where the shooting happened. Strong and her daughters are staying with her mother in the Chatham neighborhood for now, but she is considering relocating her family to North Carolina where a relative lives.



"Do you want to stay?" Strong asked the girl.



Zariah shook her head no.

India Tucker, 6, was shot in the arm Aug. 14, 2016, in front of her home in the 12300 block of South Perry Avenue in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. The girl was hit in the right arm and is listed in good condition. (Family photo)

India Tucker is hoping to go home as soon as Thursday after she was shot in the arm over the weekend at 122nd Street and Perry Avenue in West Pullman, according to police.



She had spent the day at the beach with two close girlfriends, 10 and 12, and India's 31-year-old aunt, the family said. "She took them to enjoy things that they usually don't enjoy,'' said the aunt's sister, Pamela Collins, who lives where the attack occurred and has watched India all summer long.



The girls had just pulled up in front of Collins home. India was excited because they had plans to spend the rest of the evening baking cookies. India's nickname is "Cookie,'' and she loves popcorn and cookies.



India was still at the car, getting some clothes from a bag in the trunk, as the aunt and the two older girls were on the porch. Suddenly, two guys came out of a gangway next door, Collins said.



India told her family she heard one of the guys say, "GD cake" and the companion say, "These are shorties." The gunman replied, "I don't give a (expletive)" and opened fire, Collins said.



"They just walked up and started shooting,'' Collins said. "The bullets were so loud they shook my window."



India was hit in the right arm, near her elbow, and dropped the bag.





Another aunt, 31, panicked and herded the girls back into the car to get away, not knowing India had been hit. India, with her friends in the back seat, kept saying her arm was burning. The aunt then noticed the blood.



She called Collins on the cell phone and screamed: "Pam, this baby is bleeding, this baby is shot.''

The bullet was "hanging" half in and half out of her right arm, Collins said. "Some bones in her arm are shattered," she said.



The aunt drove India to Roseland Hospital but she was moved to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she was expected to undergo surgery Monday evening.



India's grandmother, who is raising her, had sent them to Collins' home for the summer "to get away from there because of violence near her home" 10 blocks farther north.



Collins described India as a smart girl who likes going to the YMCA to swim. She also loved going to the beach.



"It was a family night. I'm just tired of this shooting,'' Collins said. "They're sending a message they don't care. You could get a bullet too.



"Whoever this was, he didn't care," she added. "He was shooting at three innocent people  a young woman with three kids in the car."
A fire spread to three homes in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood overnight. Aug. 15, 2016. (CBS Chicago)

A Grand Crossing fire damaged three buildings, hurting two firefighters and forcing 11 people to be displaced early Monday, Chicago police said.

The blaze started about 1 a.m. at a vacant building in the 7600 block of South Drexel Avenue and spread to two other buildings, said Officer Ron Gaines, a police spokesman.

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Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, and 11 people were displaced by the fire, according to the Chicago Fire Department media officials.

The blaze was extinguished around 3 a.m.

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The cause is still being investigated, and no other information was immediately available.
More than 50 people were shot over another violent weekend in Chicago, a level of violence that has marked many of the summer weekends this year and has pushed the total number of people shot in the city to more than 2,600.



The number of people shot during all of last year was 2,988.



Between Friday evening and early Monday morning, at least 52 were shot and nine of them were killed, according to police. The weekend before, 49 people were shot, nine of them fatally. And the weekend before that, 52 people were shot, seven of them fatally.



The month of July saw 65 fatal shootings, the most for a July in the city since 2006. Last Monday nine people were shot to death, the deadliest day in Chicago since 2003.

The deadliest period over this past weekend was between Saturday afternoon and early Sunday when five people were killed and at least 19 others were wounded.

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Among the deaths was the son of a Chicago police officer. Arshell Dennis III, 19. He was with a 20-year-old man who was wounded outside a house in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street when someone approached and fired shots around 12:05 a.m. Sunday, police said.

Dennis, who was to return to college in New York later Sunday, was shot in the chest. He was pronounced dead at 12:45 a.m. at Little Company of Mary Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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Three people were shot to death and at least seven others were wounded on the first night of the weekend, between Friday afternoon and early Saturday.

At least 16 people were shot Sunday into early Monday. One of the victims was a 6-year-old girl who was shot in the arm around 9:10 p.m. outside her home in the 12300 block of South Perry Avenue. She was taken to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition, police said.

Chicago police Superintendent Eddie Johnson told reporters Monday morning that he spent a "good portion" of his weekend grieving with the elder Dennis, who is his friend.



In his nearly 30 years with the Police Department, Johnson said he's seen far too many parents like Dennis whose children won't be coming home.



"Quite frankly, I'm just sick of it," Johnson said at a news conference at police headquarters. "There's no other way to describe it. I'm just sick of it."



Johnson told reporters he and Officer Dennis were patrolmen together in the 1990s in the Gresham District on the South Side, and that the officer is "a good man who was raising a good kid."



"Any shooting victim in Chicago is unacceptable," said Johnson. "But this one hits home."



As he has many times, Johnson called for stricter prison sentences for repeat illegal gun offenders. Efforts over the years in Springfield to impose mandatory minimum sentences for people caught with an illegal gun have been stalled by lawmakers who felt such guidelines would disproportionately affect African-Americans and other minorities.



Without revealing specifics, Johnson said a new bill in the works in Springfield would enable judges to impose more sentences on the higher end of the range for felons convicted more than once of carrying a gun illegally.



It's unclear, however, if plea agreements would be covered.



"Any leader of the city of Chicago that thinks what we're seeing out on the streets is OK, shouldn't be a leader," Johnson said, flanked by other command staff. "Go in those neighborhoods and live there and tell me how you feel after a week.



"People are afraid of casting a large net over minority communities with holding people accountable. That's not what we're trying to do," he said. "These guys are doing this two, three, four, five times. They're clearly telling us they don't want to play by our rules."

"They absolutely don't care about the rules of society," Johnson said. "We need our judicial partners and our legislators to help us hold them accountable.



"They couldn't care less if it's an 80-year-old grandmother, a 5-year-old child out there," Johnson said. "If they're looking for someone to shoot, they couldn't care less who's out there. And that's our fault because we have constantly shown them we are not going to hold them accountable.



"Little kids getting shot out there is just stupid," he told reporters.
Michael Burrei pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from Christian Liberty Academy, where he worked as the chief technology officer. (Arlington Heights Police Department)

A former employee of an Arlington Heights Christian school has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $300,000 from the school and was sentenced to 24 months of probation.

Michael Burrei, 41, who was the chief technology officer at Christian Liberty Academy, pleaded guilty to felony theft and paid restitution of $150,000 during a hearing last week in Cook County court, according to court records.

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Burrei stole $293,000 from the school by setting up a PayPal account for its online store and then diverting funds to his personal checking account, authorities said. He was ordered to repay the remainder of the money at a rate of $3,000 per month, a figure that will increase to $7,000 per month next year, according to court records.

Burrei was initially charged with theft from a school or place of worship and operating a financial crimes enterprise when he was arrested earlier this year in Nashville, Tenn. He had relocated there in 2015 after resigning his post at the school, authorities said. In exchange for his plea and restitution, prosecutors reduced the charges against him to one count of theft.

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Authorities said that more than 100 transfers from the PayPal account into Burrei's personal account were made between August 2013 and November 2014, and that during the same period Burrei was spending heavily from his personal account, with monthly debits totaling $10,000 to $35,000.

Authorities said Burrei closed the PayPal account in late 2014 with a zero balance, without authorization by school administrators.

As part of his plea deal, Burrei was ordered to have no contact with the school or the Church of Christian Liberty.

Authorities said Burrei was being paid $125,000 per year by the school before resigning.

George Houde is a freelance reporter.
A meeting Monday morning about a "Fly Quiet" plan to distribute nighttime jet noise out of O'Hare International Airport got very noisy, with shouting and accusations of unfairness by members of a citizens' group.

Al Rapp and Don Walsh, members of Fair Allocation in Runways, or FAiR, a group that represents suburban residents and civic organizations on noise issues around O'Hare and Midway airports, became increasingly vocal during the meeting at Mount Prospect Village Hall, complaining that their concerns were not being addressed.

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Joseph Annunzio, vice-chair of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission and chair of the ad hoc "Fly Quiet" committee, repeatedly banged his gavel and called for order, and then ended the meeting when he did not get it. This angered some other citizens who had hoped to speak.

After the meeting, Walsh and Rapp continued to argue loudly with Mount Prospect Mayor and commission Chairwoman Arlene Juracek and other members of the committee. Juracek threatened to have security escort Rapp out of the building, after which he and Walsh left.

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The meeting was to review progress on the implementation of a six-month test intended to spread jet noise around the northwest suburbs and the North and Northwest sides of the city. The plan alternates which runways are used for arrivals and departures from week to week.

Monday's raucous encounter highlights the intense feelings about noise from the airport. Though residents of communities around O'Hare have complained for decades, complaints shot up dramatically in recent years after the city began shifting traffic from the older diagonal runways to new parallel east-west runways.

The nighttime noise plan makes greater use of diagonal runways, shifting noise away from the near western suburbs like Bensenville and Northwest Side city wards, and putting more roar over northwest suburbs such as Palatine and Des Plaines. Members of FAiR have said in the past  and Rapp emphasized repeatedly at the meeting  that this plan would no longer work once the diagonal runway 14R/32L is decommissioned in 2018.

"This is a configuration that is going away," Rapp said.

Juracek said in an interview after the meeting that the plan was intended to provide interim, not permanent, relief, and the meeting was to talk about the plan while 14R/32L is still in service  not about other issues.

"The FAiR group is getting more and more belligerent, and they're really hijacking the process to their own detriment," Juracek said. "They're obfuscating the ability to move forward here by making demands beyond the scope of what we're talking about."

Rapp said after the meeting he had wanted to ask questions of members of the Federal Aviation Administration, but that they left immediately after the meeting and he did not have a chance.

Walsh said that the abrupt end to the meeting was "planned."

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"They don't want us to speak," he said.

During the meeting, Aviation Department officials said that in the first five weeks since the plan was put into effect on July 6, the "Fly Quiet" plan was used for about 73 percent of the nighttime hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Sometimes the plan started later or ended earlier due to weather conditions and other issues, and sometimes runways other than the designated primary and secondary plan runways had to be used, airport officials said. Juracek said it was not expected that the plan would be implemented 100 percent of the time.

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At the meeting, Bensenville Mayor Frank Soto, whose village had been expected to benefit from the plan, said that preliminary feedback has been "very positive."

But Holly Reebie of Glenview, a teacher who came to the meeting hoping to speak and instead talked to Annunzio and reporters afterward, said that the new plan was robbing her of a good night's rest.

"I cannot go back to school on Monday teaching a roomful of special ed children with special needs on four hours and 15 minutes of sleep," she said.

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Implementation past the six-month test period will depend on the noise commission's review of test results, which will include reviewing public comments.

The airport last week started building another east-west runway, 9 Center, to be finished in 2020.

mwisniewski@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @marywizchicago
Tracey Salvatore, of Schaumburg, speaks Dec. 2 during a special District 211 board meeting at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates to consider a settlement in the case of a transgender student seeking locker room access. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

A federal judge on Monday said he's holding off on deciding whether to temporarily ban a transgender student from using the girls' locker room and restroom at a suburban high school.

A group of students and parents, who sued the federal government and Palatine-based Township High School District 211, had hoped the judge would halt the student's access to the locker room and restroom until a final decision on the lawsuit has been reached. The new school year opened Monday in District 211.

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Students and Parents for Privacy, which brought the suit in May, argued that the school district trampled students' privacy rights when it allowed a transgender student to use the girls' locker room.

Some female students "live in constant anxiety, fear and apprehension that a biological boy will walk in at any time while they use the locker rooms and showers and see them in a state of undress or naked," according to the lawsuit.

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During oral arguments Monday, attorneys for the group, as well as lawyers for the Department of Education and the school district, wrangled over the meaning and interpretation of Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination.

Lawyers for Alliance Defending Freedom and the Thomas More Society, religious legal advocacy groups which are arguing the case on behalf of the 51 families, said the Department of Education is illegally broadening the meaning of sex-based discrimination to include discrimination on the basis of gender identity. They argued "sex" should be defined by someone's biological sex.

"It would be discrimination to say, 'You don't look male enough, you don't talk male enough to use the male restrooms, so we're going to exclude you,' " Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Jeremy Tedesco said in court. "But recognizing someone as scientifically male or female is not sex discrimination."

Sheila Lieber, who is representing the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, countered that the authorities are not making new rules but rather clarifying its interpretation of federal law as it relates to gender identity.

"Title IX does not define 'sex,' and the Department of Education is not required to adhere to plaintiffs' one-dimensional definition of 'sex,' " Lieber said. "There are many forms of sexual discrimination that Congress did not have in mind when Title VII (which bans workplace discrimination) and Title IX were enacted 40 years ago."

Lieber also attacked the timing of the lawsuit, saying the district's practice of allowing transgender students to use the bathrooms matching their gender identity was in place for years, and the transgender student has been granted access to the locker room for months. She said that delay undercuts the argument that the parents and their children need an emergency injunction to immediately stop the district from allowing a transgender girl from using girls' facilities.

"They've not come up with one example of concrete harm, let alone as to why they need relief now," Lieber said.

Tedesco said the district was violating the privacy rights of girls who are not transgender by allowing a biological male to use the girls locker room. He said the district was substituting "an objective definition of sex for a subjective one."

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Sally Scott, an attorney representing the school district, said the arguments of violations of privacy were overblown. Scott said the locker room at issue has several private areas where girls can change their clothes, which students overwhelmingly are choosing not to use.

The agreement to allow the transgender student access to the locker room came after a protracted and contentious battle with federal authorities. The student, who has identified as a girl for a number of years and is referred to in court records as Student A, filed a complaint with Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in late 2013 alleging that the district discriminated against her when it denied her access to the girls' locker room. The student at the center of the case legally changed her name and gender on her passport and received hormone treatments, her family has said.

District 211 transgender students have been allowed to use the bathrooms of their identified gender and play on the sports team of that gender, school officials said. School staff also change the names, genders and pronouns of transgender students on school records.

Despite such measures, federal authorities in an unprecedented decision found District 211 in violation of Title IX. Facing the loss of millions of federal dollars and possible legal action, the district settled the complaint in December by allowing the student access to the locker room and installing privacy stalls in the locker room.

Tedesco argued that in making that accommodation to Student A, the district instead is discriminating against girls who are not transgender and has created an environment where some female students are afraid to object to this policy.

Scott rejected that rationale, arguing that discrimination must involve some overt, hostile act directed at someone because of their sex.

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"Student A is not in the girls locker room because of any animus against their sex," Scott said. "She's in there because she identifies as female."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert said at Monday's hearing in Chicago that he plans to issue a report with his recommendations to U.S. District Judge Jorge Alonso. Alonso then will issue a formal opinion on whether to grant the preliminary injunction.

Judge Gilbert did not indicate when he would complete his report but attorneys said both judges generally have moved quickly to review this issue.

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The American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which represents the transgender student, in June was granted a request to intervene in the lawsuit on behalf of three transgender students, including student A, and a nonprofit that works with schools on LGBTQ issues, the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. ACLU spokesman Ed Yohnka said the group was eager to address the "damaging rhetoric" put forth in the lawsuit by parents and students.

"The plaintiffs and their counsel have insisted on cruelly mis-gendering our client and suggesting that being transgender is a 'delusion,' " Yohnka said. "These acts are outside the mainstream of medical and scientific understanding and have a very detrimental effect on our client and other transgender students."

ACLU attorney John Knight added in a statement that excluding transgender students from the restrooms and locker rooms of their gender identities "challenges their basic identity and humanity, suggests that they should be ashamed of who they are."

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Rauner vetoed legislation that would allow for automatic voter registration when people get their drivers licenses. Aug. 15, 2016. (CBS Chicago)

Democrats and voting rights advocates cried foul Monday over Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's last-minute veto of a bill that would make voter registration automatic in time for the 2018 election, vowing to push for an override when lawmakers return to the Capitol in late November.

Rauner, who has long said he supports expanding access to the polls, cited concerns about potential voting fraud and conflicts with federal law. He vetoed the bill on the final day to act and made his announcement Friday afternoon, a time politicians typically dump controversial news as the public's attention is focused on the weekend.

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On Monday morning, Democratic state lawmakers and Cook County Clerk David Orr attempted to keep the story alive, casting the veto as a step backward for voting rights in Illinois and suggesting that Rauner was acting to protect his own political agenda.

"No offense to the governor, but I don't buy it," Orr said of Rauner's assertion that a bill that passed the General Assembly with bipartisan support was flawed and in need of changes to comply with federal law. "Experts, everybody talked about this  this had all been a big discussion. The top people in both parties discussed these things.

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"I can find no reasonable understanding of why this would be done unless you want to get into politics," Orr said.

The bill would have allowed state agencies to begin automatically registering new voters as early as January 2018, with people having the opportunity to opt out. Additionally, it would have allowed for an immediate update of the registration info of an estimated 700,000 existing voters ahead of the presidential election this fall, Orr said.

Both provisions could help expand voting access to college students, said state Rep. Carol Ammons, a Democrat who complained that students in her Urbana district have experienced two- and three-hour waits to complete the registration process.

Advocates who were negotiating with the Rauner administration on potential changes to the bill said talks broke down last week when Rauner's team insisted on pushing the start date to January 2019 and giving people a more immediate way to opt out. Rauner, who has said he'll seek a second term, would be on the ballot in November 2018.

Advocates also noted that the bill was negotiated during the spring session and had sat on Rauner's desk for two months.

"At any time, the governor could have raised his concerns with (the bill)," said Kathleen Yang-Clayton, deputy director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice, one of the groups that worked on the bill. "But instead, he waited until the eleventh hour and vetoed a good bill."

Ammons said the veto was "in line with" a "concerted effort to roll back the clock," on expanding voting rights. Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, accused the governor of hitting "the pause button to progress."

"Democracy can't wait," Collins said. "That's why we call on the governor today to work with us to move our state forward and not backward."

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The legislation was approved on the final day of the spring session in May and had overwhelming support in both chambers  enough to override Rauner if the vote totals were to hold in November. The governor, however, has had some success thwarting override attempts in the House, where Democrats have 71 members, the minimum needed for a successful override.

Rauner, meanwhile, has insisted that his reasons for vetoing the bill were rooted in concerns that it could allow for voting fraud and run afoul of federal election law. During an appearance Sunday at the Illinois State Fair, Rauner said he wants to work with lawmakers to "clean up the bill."

"I support the intention of the bill," Rauner said. "Unfortunately, the language, we believe, I believe when I read it, violates federal election law and does inadvertently, I think, create an opportunity for potential voter fraud and illegal voting. And obviously none of us want that."

Chicago Tribune's Monique Garcia contributed from Springfield.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimgeiger
The Never Trump Republicans have about had it with the Trumpkins  the apologists on Fox Non-News, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus telling us not to believe what we read (we suggest not believing Donald Trump is being audited), the anticipatory claim of cheating in Pennsylvania, where Trump trails by double digits, the ludicrous "get on message" chorus, and the supply-siders who pretend Trump is a fiscal conservative (ignoring his plans to enlarge the debt, enact protectionist barriers, etc.). It hardly matters to the Never Trump contingent whether the Trumpkins are sincere or simply playing on the ignorance and biases of their audience.

With Trump's defeat now all but inevitable, the most cartoonish of the Trumpkins have panicked and turned to blaming those who tried to warn the party and who opposed Trump from the get-go. Go figure. No, Trump's loss and the humiliation of the GOP will rest squarely on the shoulders of Trump, right-wing media shills, the soulless RNC chairman, elected Republicans too spineless to oppose him and, most of all, the primary voters who lifted him to the nomination.

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Republican politicians who cannot bear to break with Trump should save the eye-rolling and head-shaking, the empty words of despair and excuse-making. (He's gone too far. It was only a joke.) At this point the damage is done; elected Republicans who could have repudiated him when it made a difference did not. They'll be seen in a different light by many conscientious conservatives.

For the opponents of Trump  some of whom have even organized for Hillary Clinton  thoughts naturally, desperately turn to the post-Trump era. Some argue for a "purge" of the Trumpkins, while others call for kumbaya unity. The notion of a "purge," however, is misplaced. Aside from a new chairman and total housecleaning at the RNC, which is standard fare after a party blows a presidential election, the GOP is not capable of "purging" people from a voluntary organization based on self-identification and registration. Alas, there is no political desert island to which to send the Trumpkins.

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This does not mean there are no consequences for the Trumpkin cheerleaders. The party may not be able to "purge" disagreeable elements and individuals, but it can shame and shun them. (Is there really a place for an American Conservative Union that backed Trump? Maybe CPAC is past its expiration date.) There's no reason to invite to party gatherings Trumpkin enablers such as Ben Carson and Newt Gingrich to pontificate on conservative values. These are cynical hustlers who led the party into a ditch.

Republicans should consider carefully who did what during the debacle of 2016, and how, if at all, they can go about reassembling a viable center-right national party. A scalpel in this case is preferable to a machete.

The party will be badly in need of political regeneration and ideological rehab after the November elections. On the political front, elected Republicans (e.g., Sen. Jeff Sessions, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie) who actively assisted Trump are not going to be the new face of the GOP. Christie is term-limited (at least until 2021); Alabama voters should be able to find someone who better defends conservative principles and rejects anti-immigrant animus. Running mate Mike Pence's career for all intents and purposes should end with a November defeat.

Figures such as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who floundered when confronted with the Trump phenomenon may get re-elected, but are not ideally suited to repudiate the tenor and message of Trumpism. By contrast, those who resist bullying and pleading to support Trump (e.g., Sen. Ben Sasse, Sen. Tim Scott, Sen. Mike Lee, Gov. John Kasich ) should be commended and viewed with new respect.

The party would do well, as did the Democrats in the 1970s, to form an organization within the GOP akin to the Democratic Leadership Council or Coalition for a Democratic Majority, in order to steer the party back toward the center, repudiate the politics of divisiveness and introduce a new generation of leadership. For such an undertaking, Republicans who steered clear of Trump and Trumpism will be needed. In essence, the Republicans who knew enough to stay away from Trump's convention (e.g., New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez) and stars who have shown the capacity to unify their constituents under the banner of conservative reform (e.g., South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley) should now step up to lead the post-Trump GOP.

The good news is that on policy matters, House Republicans under Speaker Paul Ryan have gone a long way toward devising a conservative reform agenda aimed at the middle and working classes. Ryan, having been compromised by Trump, may not be the ideal political leader of the party, but it would be foolish to throw out the baby (reform conservatism) with the bathwater. Know-nothingism in the form of anti-free-trade and anti-immigration furor must be rejected. Repudiating policy lies and urban myths is critical but not sufficient.

The new center-right agenda must depart from the 1980s' economic handbook and fully embrace the 21st century, which is far more inclusive and socially libertarian than deep-red enclaves where Republicans predominate. On the tax front, cuts to the top individual rates are of limited economic benefit; a more cogent and politically savvy agenda would include corporate tax reform to remove cronyism and promote growth, including full expensing of investment. Instead, the party should look to payroll tax cuts to encourage hiring and work, as well as expansion of an earned-income tax credit to help poorer Americans who are willing to work.

Moreover, the party cannot consider spending cuts and tax reform as the end-all-and-be-all of economic policy. The key is increasing worker productivity, which means investing in workers and attracting the best and the brightest. Innovation in education, health care, job retraining, legal immigration and criminal justice should be the party's focus as it looks for areas where it can agree with the new president and oppose her where it cannot.

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More than the personnel and the agenda, however, the party must affirmatively reject the spirit of Trumpism  an approach to politics dismissive of facts and devoid of empathy, one that seeks to pin the downsides of globalization on foreigners. Pandering to anger, resentment, victimhood and prejudice is as immoral as it is, ultimately, ineffective. In many cases, that will require politicians and policy leaders to repudiate malicious forces  be they from alt-right websites, dumbed-down cable TV non-news or Beltway groups preaching ideological purity.

Trump's core base  white, lower-income and non-college-educated men  cannot be treated as delicate flowers, too frail to assume the responsibilities of informed citizenship and too dim to understand the demands of a highly automated economy. It is time for some tough love: If you don't have technical skills or a college degree, you're unlikely to attain a middle-class lifestyle. Immigrants and free trade are not the problem; preparation for the 21st-century economy is. In any event, you owe your fellow Americans civility and respect.

Evangelical Christians may have permanently minimized themselves as a political force in America after breaking the hypocrisy meter with endorsement of Trump. Roe v. Wade is not going to be reversed, nor is same-sex marriage going away. A Republican can win the presidential nomination with or without evangelicals.

The so-called values voters and especially their leaders (many who disgraced themselves in support of a raging narcissist, one entirely lacking in Christian virtues) would be wise to rediscover values such as respect, kindness, humility and honesty, and devote themselves to real issues  fighting poverty, alienation, addiction, etc. If they want to regain stature, they might start by demonstrating concern for their brothers and sisters and setting a good example in rhetoric and deportment.

There will be time for kumbaya unity  but after the party takes stock and takes responsibility for its grave missteps. New leaders and contrite veterans can advance a viable agenda with broader appeal. They should turn off talk radio, find real news to watch, treat hate-mongers and charlatans with disdain and reconnect with communities and civic organizations. Once they reacquaint themselves with 21st-century America as it is  not as right-wing cranks think it was or should be  they'll be better prepared for leadership.

Washington Post

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Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective.
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)

I want Arshell Dennis's death to mean something, to be a pivot point for this city, to be the moment that never seems to come.

But it won't be. I'm almost sure of that.

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The 19-year-old's death early Sunday will likely end up meaning nothing to anyone beyond those who knew and loved him. Even though he was a good kid. Even though he was the son of a Chicago police officer who puts his life on the line every day to keep this city safe. Even though the end of Arshell's life, the sudden deletion of his potential, should make us all stand up and scream, "Enough!"

I want Abner Garcia's death to mean something as well. I want that to be a pivot point for Chicago.

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But it won't be.

The 23-year-old U.S. Army veteran's death early Saturday will also vanish from the memories of all but his closest friends and family. Even though he served his country and returned here to work with at-risk youth, pursuing a criminal justice degree with an eye toward becoming a police officer who would also work to keep this city safe. Even though the end of Abner's life, the sudden deletion of his potential, should make us all stand up and scream, "Enough!"

I've searched for this pivot point for years, waited for it as vibrant young men, women and children have been gunned down over and over and over, their families left to never again feel whole.

But the shock fades fast for the rest of us and the city moves on and nothing changes.

Arshell was set to return to New York City soon, ready for his junior year at St. John's University. He was majoring in journalism.

Tribune journalists wound up writing Arshell's final chapter, describing how he was with a friend on the front porch of a home in the Wrightwood neighborhood, an area neighbors considered safe from the city's violence, when a gunman opened fire. How it may have been a case of mistaken identity.

How his father, Officer Arshell "Chico" Dennis had once worked as a patrol officer alongside current police Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

The superintendent released a statement: "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."

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Arshell's grandfather told the Tribune: "It's a deep loss, and it hurts. I wish this senseless killing would stop."

We all do. But it doesn't stop.

Abner's mother, Elizabeth Juarez, told the Tribune she wanted her son to join the military to get away from the violence in Chicago. Pause for a moment and consider what that says about this city.

Abner was in his car when a van pulled up and people started flashing gang signs. The young veteran wasn't a gang member, but someone in the van put a bullet in his head.

His grieving mother said: "This crisis came out of nowhere."

But the broader crisis, the one that never seems to pivot toward good, has been in our faces far too long. And I wonder if perhaps we're all just waiting for that pivot rather than making it happen.

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It's not coming from me. I'm a newspaper columnist, and while I've spent years writing about violence, I can't say with authority what it would take.

It's not coming from the city's violent neighborhoods, because the people there are overwhelmed. They don't have the resources. And they clearly don't have the answers.

It's not coming from the police, because they alone can't fix this.

It's not coming from the city or the state or the federal government, because if there was the will to make things better, here and in cities across the country where gun violence has a foothold, it would have happened by now.

But I have to believe there are people in Chicago, people with money and power and connections and good hearts, who could collectively muster the brain-power and resources needed to make a difference, perhaps by doing something different from all that has been tried before.

There is no single solution to what ails this city. It's a mix of economic development and policing and job training and halting the flow of guns and educating and intervening and, above all else, caring.

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So that's my question: Where are the people, the ones who have the resources and knowledge and networks, who care? Why can't they come together and organize and attack this problem?

Gather the brightest minds, approach violence from a multitude of angles, ask the rest of the city to join in, to volunteer time, to be part of something bigger than any individual. I would sign-up in a heartbeat, and I believe there's an army of others who would as well.

But leaders are needed.

I don't mean to suggest any of the city's rich or powerful are to blame for inaction. Consider this more a plea from someone who has given up on waiting for a pivot.

Someone who wants Arshell Dennis's death to mean something.

Someone who wants Abner Garcia's death to mean something.

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Someone who thinks that maybe instead of a pivot, what this city really needs is a push.

rhuppke@chicagotribune.com
Young dancers perform at the first-ever Bollywood Night Saturday in Aurora. (Linda Girardi / The Beacon-News)

Bollywood dancers and music set the stage for a special edition of Aurora's Movie in the Park Saturday night.

"Bollywood dancing is upbeat, energetic and popular in India," said Surya Kukkapalli, 17.

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Kukkapalli came with his father to see his sister perform in one of the four dance troupes that performed before a showing of a movie.

"We're spreading our culture," the Metea Valley High School senior said.

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Aurora's Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board launched the first-ever Bollywood Night to share the country's rich and diverse culture and celebrate Indian Independence Day, which is recognized worldwide Aug. 15.

"Roughly about 10,000 residents living in Aurora are of Indian Asian descent," said Gautam Bhatia, chairman of Aurora's Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board. "It is actually the fastest growing ethnic group in Aurora, primarily because of the proximity to Chicago, housing, low crime rate and good schools."

The same organization collaborates with the city in hosting a Diwali festival, which drew thousands of people in only its second year last October.

"Our mission is to share the Indian culture and encourage Indian American to integrate in the American culture  bridge the gap," Bhatia said. "An understanding of different cultures enriches one's own experience in life," Bhatia said. "At the end of the day we all have similar needs."

Saturday evening's festivities celebrated the diverse cultures of India through a variety of dances from youth ages 8 to 19 and music, as well as the country's movie industry.

The event featured a showing of "Om Shanti Om," a popular Indian film that featured movie stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

"Shah Rukh Khan is India's version of America's Tom Cruise," Bhatia said.

Families seated below the sledding hill in the park came to see local dance troupes perform to music of DJ Dhiraj Gupta and get a taste of India's cuisine as well as watch the movie.

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Vasu Pandy, 19, along with a group of friends, choreographed a Bollywood medley for the occasion.

"Bollywood dancing is fast and energizing," Pandy said. "The dancing incorporates the music and sends out good vibes to everyone."

Pandy said her parents emigrated from India to study in the United States and she is a first-generation Indian-American.

"Religion is something we grow up with," she said. "We began the piece dancing to Lord Ganesha - he is the remover of all obstacles. We like to begin in peace. We have many Gods  it all comes down to being a better person. Different regions of India have different styles of dancing, languages and dress."

The performers wore purple embroidered patiala pants with silver embellishments, a style of trousers that originate from Patiala City in the northern region of the Punjab state in India.

Pandy had a bindi in the center of her forehead, a custom in southern Asia.

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"Typically they are red dots but the girls like to wear jewels to match their outfits," she said. "Some things have changed or have been modified over time."

The Indian cuisine featured onion pakoda, deep fried onion fritters, tandoori grilled chicken kebabs, samosa potato filled pastry and Indian chai, a brewed spice tea made with milk.

"Every state has its own rituals and customs in India," said Roopa Anjanappa, a member of the Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board. "The northern and southern regions are different but everyone knows about one another's ways. It's the acceptance that puts us all together."

Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner added: "If you look at Aurora's history, it has always been a city of varied cultures."

The mayor and his wife, Marilyn, served as Peace Corp volunteers in the Solomon Islands during the 1980s.

"The different ethnicities are what make Aurora strong today. They have a great work ethic, value education and have become the fabric of America and Aurora," the mayor said. "We were the guests in the Peace Corp and learned to appreciate other cultures as part of that experience."

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Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
A 33-year-old Joliet woman died over the weekend from injuries sustained in a car crash Thursday on Aurora's Far Southeast Side.

Erin Buck, of the 4300 block of Odanahue Drive, died at 2:20 p.m. Saturday at Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora, according to a news release from the police department.

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At about 4:50 p.m. Thursday, Buck was driving her 2011 Hyundai Elantra westbound on Heggs Road when witnesses say she began to inch out from the stop sign at Route 30, according to police. Buck then suddenly pulled out in front of a Freightliner semi-truck driving northbound on Route 30. The driver, a 58-year-old man from Westville, New Jersey, braked and swerved to avoid hitting Buck's car, but the truck ended up hitting the Elantra on the driver's side, according to police.

Witnesses said the semi-truck did not appear to be speeding, Aurora police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said in an email.

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Aurora Fire Department personnel extricated Buck from her car and transported her to Rush-Copley.

The truck driver was not injured. Both he and Buck were the only occupants of their vehicles, according to police. Police say there were no outward signs of drug or alcohol use at the scene.

No citations have been issued in connection with the crash.

No autopsy will be performed, according to the Kane County coroner. The Aurora Police Traffic Division and Illinois State Police are investigating the crash.

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
An Oswego man who is a former youth instructor has pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with a minor.

Glen C. Baum, 44, of the 500 block of Heritage Drive, has agreed to a sentence of seven years in prison in exchange for a guilty plea to criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony. Kane County Circuit Judge James C. Hallock accepted the plea.

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Prosecutors stated at the plea hearing that between May 2014 and January 2015 Baum maintained a sexual relationship with the victim, who was younger than 18 years old. At the time, Baum taught high school-aged students in fire safety through a vocational career training program contracted by and taught at Kaneland Unit District 302 schools. The victim was one of Baum's students.

The charge reflects Baum's position of trust, authority or supervision over the victim, officials at the Kane County State's Attorney's Office said.

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Authorities became aware of the relationship when the victim's mother saw messages from Baum on the victim's cell phone and notified police, officials said.

According to Illinois law, Baum must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence. He receives credit for 52 days served in the Kane County jail. Baum had been free on $25,000 bond. Bond was revoked upon conviction and Baum was taken into custody.

In addition to the prison sentence Baum will be required to register as a sexual offender in accordance with the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act.

"Mr. Baum's actions undercut the faith and trust our community must have in those who teach our children, and who are required to protect them. Mr. Baum was, by law, a mandated reporter of child sexual abuse," Kane County State's Attorney Joe McMahon said.
Gabina VOA is designed to be an infotainment youth radio show broadcasting to Ethiopia and Eritrea in the Amharic language. The show brings varied perspectives on issues concerning young people in the Horn of Africa region. Gabina in the Amharic language is a front row taxi ridesymbolic of the shows content as a fun ride that takes audiences from point A to point B. Gabina VOAs main goal is Enlightening young people, introducing them to cutting-edge technological innovations, exposing them to new processes and ideas so they can be productive, informed and self-governing citizens.
Weeds fill the cracks of the building that for about 30 years housed CF Industries, Inc. (Ronnie Wachter / Pioneer Press)

Two developers who thought they had found the right location for their next project hit a dead end after the Long Grove Village Board dismissed their proposal at its first appearance.

Market Properties Group Inc. was interested in converting the building that used to be the headquarters of CF Industries Inc. into luxury apartments for young families and empty-nesters. They came to Village Hall on Aug. 9 hoping to take the first step in that process.

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But trustees, after hearing from about five angry neighbors and citing their own concerns about the concept's viability, voted Market Properties down.

"I don't think it fits our comprehensive plan or the character of our community," said Village President Angie Underwood.

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After the session, Market Properties principal Noah Gottlieb needed only one word to describe the outcome.

"Disappointed," Gottlieb said.

He and development manager Scott Grost had hoped to convert the two-story vacant building into 70 three- and four-bedroom apartments. Empty land surrounds that building, and the pair said they intended to construct a four-story building with 270 one- and two-bedroom units on one of those spaces.

A handful of neighbors came to the meeting to express concerns and opposition to the project. Janet Healy expressed concerns over recent college graduates bringing a party atmosphere to the area.

"They could all be throwing beer bottles out there and cups," she said.

Michelle Stevens said her family had recently moved to Long Grove from a dense, urban area in China, and forecast that Market Properties would turn the area into a similarly dense neighborhood.

"We're going to be right back there, and it's what we moved away from," she said. "What about our home values?"

During the meeting, Gottlieb doubted that his renters would make a garbage dump or a shanty town out of Long Grove. He said upscale but mortgage-wary Millennials would pay $2,000 for a one-bedroom and $5,000 for four.

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"There is no conceived situation in which the potential tenant in our building will be the undesirables you're envisioning," he said.

He and Grost requested the first move in the process  a referral from the Village Board to the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. The trustees killed the project by unanimously voting against the referral.

They cited the fact that Long Grove does not presently have any apartment buildings, the high contrast between the multi-acre homes in the area and the heavy population Market Properties hoped to attract, as well as the fact that they are in the process of rewriting their own comprehensive plan.

Trustee Bill Jacob pointed out Long Grove has never charged a property tax, which means Village Hall would take in no new revenue for all the residents it would have to plan for.

"We don't get any benefit out of it, yet we're probably going to have to provide services," he said. "If it were in my backyard, I'd probably be going crazy."

Twitter @RonnieAtPioneer
A Lockport man remained in the Will County jail Monday in lieu of $4 million bail after being charged in connection with the operation of a marijuana grow house in the 13000 block of Old Orchard Lane in Lockport.

Richard Sherwin, 58, faces felony charges of unlawful manufacturing of cannabis and unlawful production of cannabis plants, according to reports. He was arrested by federal Drug Enforcement Administration agents Friday.

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Sherwin appeared briefly in court Monday and pleaded not guilty. His attorney, Chuck Bretz, described Sherwin's $4 million bail as "excessive" and filed a motion to reduce the amount. Bretz will argue his motion before Will County Judge Daniel Rozak Wednesday.

Sherwin could face six to 60 years in prison if found guilty of the most serious charge, unlawful manufacturing of cannabis. The remaining charge carries a prison term of four to 30 years if convicted.

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DEA agents seized more than 250 cannabis plants with values ranging from $3,000 to $6,000, according to Special Agent Leo Hawkins, spokesman for Chicago DEA operations.

"This wasn't a small operation," Hawkins said, noting the grow house was in a residential area.

Hawkins said DEA agents worked with local law enforcement and residents in the area to make the arrest. He declined to give further details about the investigation.

Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Members of the Elgin Police Departments Explorer program, with McGruff the crime fighting dog and Officer Lisandro Ramirez, work the bean bag toss at The Boys and Girls Club of Elgins Back to School Bash and Fair. (Melanie Kalmar / Handout)

As families arrived at the Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, Len Losik looked up at the cloudy sky and hoped the weather would cooperate for the inaugural Back-to-School Bash & Fair. Behind him, children jumped in bounce houses and tossed water balloons, unfazed by the potential for rain.

Losik, chief operating officer of Boys and Girls Club of Elgin, 355 Dundee Ave., said the goal of the Saturday event was to promote the organization's after-school and summer programs and reach out to more families in the community. An admission fee included backpacks, school supply kits, haircuts and lunch catered by local restaurants. It also featured bounce houses and games, the Elgin Police Department's crime-fighting mascot McGruff, and a chance to win one of 30 new bicycles.

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The school supply kits were provided by Back 2 School Illinois, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that serves underserved children throughout the state.

The kits contain 30 core supplies that are grade-specific, said Matthew Kurtzman, CEO of Back 2 School Illinois. He started raising money for school supply kits in 2002, as a community relations project for the Currency Exchange Association of Illinois. The program became so big that he founded Back 2 School Illinois in 2010 and expanded its scope, partnering with numerous community organizations throughout the state to get school supplies to underserved children.

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"The investment that we make in education, the benefit to society is enormous," Kurtzman said. "Kids get an education, get a decent job and provide for themselves."

Scott Hershman, owner of West Suburban Currency Exchanges, in Des Plaines, was on hand to pass out backpacks and school supply kits. His company has 28 locations, from Crystal Lake to Oswego, that collect donations from customers throughout the year for Back 2 School Illinois. "Customers were extremely generous with spare change from their transactions," Hershman said, noting that last year, the company donated $40,000 and it's on track to exceed that amount this year.

Amy Kaminski brought her daughter Lili to the event, after seeing it advertised at her son's school.

"We heard about the backpacks," she said. "They can be expensive. Every little bit helps."

Aniyah Kemper, 9, had her grandmother, Octavia Kemper, hold on to her goodies while she waited in line to have her face painted.

"I get to see friends and I'm happy to be learning stuff and having fun," she said of participating in the Boys and Girls Club.

Elgin Police Officer Lisandro Ramirez brought members of the Explorer program with him to the event. Run by the Elgin Police Department, Explorer organizes young people to volunteer at community events.

"Before Explorer, I thought what will I do with my free time?" said Mayra Altamircino, 16, a student at Larkin High School. "Now I can get out in the community and meet new people.'"

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Barber Juan Acevedo Jr., founder of The 24Hours Haircut Challenge, a nonprofit organization that once a year gathers barbers together to donate time and cut hair nonstop for 24 hours at fundraising events, helped organize the free haircuts for kids. Raised by a single mother, he decided, as a child, that once he grew up and had a career, he would give back to the community.

Melanie Kalmar is a freelance reporter.
Harand Camp co-founder Sulie Harand Friedman greets a supporter at the camp's Blue and White Bash back in March 2010. Close to 400 people attended funeral services for Friedman in Skokie on Thursday, Aug. 11. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune file photo)

An estimated 400 people, many of them proud "Haranders"  the affectionate name adopted by alumni of the Harand Camp of the Theatre Arts in Evanston  turned out at a memorial service in Skokie last week to pay tribute to Sulie Harand Friedman, co-founder of the camp and its longtime leader.

Campers from different eras gathered in the Chicago Jewish Funeral Services chapel at 8851 Skokie Blvd. Thursday, Aug. 11, to share memories of Friedman, an innovator in performing arts education. Friedman, an Evanston resident, died Saturday, Aug. 6. She was 97.

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The overnight theater camp she helped establish with her sister Pearl in Elkhart Lake, Wis., in 1955 where "No Man is An Island" and "everyone is a star" became a core philosophy, helping thousands of young people develop poise and confidence over the years.

Sulie "was passionate about helping all campers  not only those performing at a high level," said speaker Jeff Pepowski, who had started as a counselor and ended up as the Camp Harand business manager in his 35 years with the camp.

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She saw camp as a place for young people "to grow socially, emotionally, using the theater as a venue," he said.

Campers bunked in cabins designated by the names of musicals, such as Brigadoon, and Carousel and South Pacific. The camp curriculum struck a balance between the arts and traditional camp activities, camp goers recalled.

For many young Jewish Chicagoans, the camp represented an important step in self development and forging relationships that would last a lifetime.

Rick Weil, one of the speakers last week, said he had seen Friedman, an accomplished performer in one-person shows of classical musicals, when his mother had dragged him to a performance when he was 9 years old, he recalled. He was "mesmerized," he said.

Then, a few days later, a man had come down his walk, lugging a 50-pound projector and toting a valise seemingly containing nearly "every paper in North America," to make a recruiting pitch, he recalled.

He "spun a tale" about the camp's attributes, Weil recalled. Star-dazed, "at the end of an hour I ended up joining the Harand Camp family."

At camp, "everyone was a star," including "the least talented, the person who had never seen a stage in their life," he said.

Mary Beth Liss, another speaker, said she attended the camp in the one-week session for adults held after the regular camp season ended.

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Actors came up from the city and occupied the cabins, she said.

During their short stay the actors rehearsed and performed a Broadway musical such as "Camelot" or "South Pacific."

"In one week we did it," she said.

Sulie "was in command  in every inch a diva," she recalled. At Liss's first rehearsal, she stood nearby, saying "all right, Miss Liss, let's see what you can do,' and I sang my heart out," Liss recalled.

Errol Pearlman, one of the original campers at the camp and also an accompanist, said he was once asked by his granddaughter, "Would you have met grandmother if you didn't go to camp?"

"I sat there for a second and said, 'Sweetheart, probably not,'" he said, speaking at the memorial service.

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Sulie "had an incredible memory" for detail of the musicals she performed. "I could never figure out how she did it," he said.

Some Haranders in the audience also spoke afterward of Sulie's influence.

Sue Masaracchia-Roberts, a Vernon Hills resident and a member of the audience at last week's memorial, remembered Harand as a "magical place."

"I was a counselor there in 1969 and 1970, and my daughters went there in 1988 and 1989," she said. "It was really a one-of-a-kind place."

"Their theme song was 'No Man Is An Island' and it was pervasive throughout the whole camp," Masaracchia-Roberts said. "Everybody was equal, everybody got along, and it was just really incredible learning experience.

Jane Waller, a Logan Square resident and social worker, attended the camp in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was part of a group which went every year, she said.

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Listening to the speakers and joining in song she realized, "I thought I learned everything I knew from my parents and early years and social work," she said. "But what I really realized today was everything I learned was from Sulie and Pearl. They were all about peace and love before we could even articulate the words."

The Harand family would sell their camp property in 1989, with the camp taking up new residence in Wayland Academy, a preparatory school in Beaver Dam, Wis., the family said. In 2005, the camp relocated to Carthage College in Kenosha.

Despite the changes, the spirit of Harand and Sulie's philosophy never changed, Pepowski said.

"Sulie positively influenced thousands of lives over the years with her determination, passion and her teaching," he said. "Her legacy at Harand Camp will live on forever."

bseidenberg@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @evanstonscribe
A Las Vegas man and woman were arrested over the weekend and charged with stealing from Apple stores in at least three states, including locations in Deer Park, Schaumburg and Oak Brook, a Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman said.

Gregory J. Ganci, 50, and Jeri E. Duncan, 36, both of Las Vegas, were arrested Saturday after the Deer Park Apple Store, 20530 N. Rand Road, contacted the Lake County Sheriff's Office about two people who matched the descriptions of people who had stolen from Apple stores in Schaumburg and Oak Brook, according to a news release from the sheriff's office on Monday.

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Lake County sheriff's deputies found Ganci and Duncan in a vehicle parked in the parking lot of Deer Park Town Center where the Apple Store is located, department spokesman Det. Christopher Covelli said.

Two stolen Apple drones were found in the vehicle, and Duncan was also in possession of heroin, according to the release.

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The two are believed to be connected to other Apple Store thefts in California and Nevada and were "known to police," Covelli said. He didn't have any further details on their criminal histories.

The thefts are not thought to be connected to those alleged to have been committed by seven New York residents charged in connection last month to "an organized criminal enterprise" targeting Apple stores in the area, including Deer Park, Covelli said.

Police said in those cases, the suspects were using stolen identities and stolen credit card numbers of victims throughout the country to make purchases.

Duncan and Ganci were both charged with felony possession of stolen property and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Duncan was also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance.

On Monday morning, Ganci tried to speak three times while being represented by a public defender during a hearing to set his bond, earning the wrath of Circuit Judge George Strickland.

"You are being disrespectful and disruptive," Strickland said. "No, knock it off. I'm not telling you again."

Strickland said he would not reduce a $75,000 bail because Ganci has multiple residences and multiple warrants out for his arrest, including from Cook and DuPage counties and a county in Florida that a prosecutor said he did not immediately have a name for.

Duncan's bail was set at $10,000, and both remained in the Lake County Jail Monday morning.

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Ganci's next court date is set for Aug. 19, and Duncan's is scheduled for Aug. 24.

emcoleman@tribpub.com

Twitter @mekcoleman
Bail for a man charged with reckless homicide in an Aug. 6 traffic collision that took the life of his former girlfriend was raised from $150,000 to $1 million during a hearing Monday after a motion by prosecutors said there could be "enhanced charges" in the case.

Marco A. Garcia-Escobar, 31, of the 1400 block of Glen Rock Avenue in Waukegan, originally had his bail set at $150,000. Last Friday, while the funeral was taking place for the victim, 23-year-old Gloria I. Moreno-Castro, prosecutors asked that his bail be raised because there was a possibility his family could raise the $15,000 bond and help him escape to Mexico.

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Assistant State's Attorney Joe Zeit said Monday that Waukegan police had learned of Garcia-Escobar's intention to flee if he made bond, and family members of the victim also heard the defendant's family members say the same thing.

In addition, Zeit said the statute on bond allows the state to request an increase if the state could be in the position to file greater or enhanced charges, which he said was the case.

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Public defender Jeff Facklam said the fact that Garcia-Escobar could not afford an attorney was one indication he could not post bond in any event.

"The indication is he has no money and family has no money. He has lived here since he was 13 years old, and he has a minimal criminal history," Facklam said, adding that the statements about Garcia-Escobar fleeing are based on hearsay.

"I think the ($150,000) bond is appropriate," Facklam said.

Circuit Judge George Strickland said the bond could be raised on the state's motion that it could potentially file new charges, and he set the new bond at $1 million.

"Oh my God, oh my God," said one of the family and friends of Moreno-Castro who attended the hearing.

Afterward, 23-year-old Jesus Zuniga of Waukegan, a cousin of Moreno-Castro, said "I think it's fair."

"But it's not going to bring Gloria back," Zuniga said. "He deserves all the charges he has. We appreciate the judge's decision and we appreciate what the judge did today."

According to Waukegan police, Moreno-Castro was riding a motorcycle driven by a 27-year-old Beach Park man when a vehicle struck the bike about 2 a.m. Aug. 6 near McAlister and Helmholtz avenues on the city's south side.

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The motorcycle driver, who was wearing a helmet, was hospitalized with serious injuries but was reported by police as expected to survive. Moreno-Castro, who was not wearing a helmet, was taken to a local hospital, where she was later declared dead, police said.

Garcia-Escobar was taken into custody at the scene and later charged with reckless homicide, aggravated reckless driving and driving without a valid license or insurance, police said.

On Friday, a funeral mass was held for Moreno-Castro at Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan, and she was buried at Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Libertyville. Moreno-Castro and Garcia-Escobar had a child together, and Moreno-Castro had another child from a previous relationship.

Before his case was called, Garcia-Escobar sat with a public defender and began to cry and was unsteady when he was ordered to get up and go back into a holding cell. He also appeared upset after his case was called and the judge's decision was made, and he was escorted back into the holding cell.

fabderholden@tribpub.com

Twitter @abderholden
The strip-mall space that housed the hardware store serving Northbrook's west side for 45 years is now likely to be filled with swimming children, and older people trying to get some exercise.

An application to use 8,500 square feet of the old store, last known as Northbrook Ace Hardware & Rental, has been filed by the Goldfish Swim School, a chain that teaches children, three months to 12 years, how to swim. Most of the rest of the hardware store's original 15,000 square feet has been claimed by Orangetheory Fitness, an exercise training operation based in downtown Wilmette.

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Goldfish, a fast-growing Michigan-based franchised firm, now has eight facilities in the Chicago area, including in Evanston and Mundelein, and claims 25 overall.

The company application, filed by the operator of the Mundelein facility, promises three lifeguards and 10 teachers in the water during peak periods.

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Both the fitness and swimming operations need Northbrook special permits, which require that they not significantly harm surrounding businesses and homes, and both seem likely to get them. Northbrook trustees July 12 sent the fitness company plans to the Northbrook Plan Commission for public hearings with their encouragement, and no criticism, and they did the same with the swimming company Aug. 9.

It's rare that projects with such strong backing at their Northbrook preliminary hearings fail to be completed, if entrepreneurs follow through. Dates for public hearings haven't yet been set.

Aug. 9, only two trustees had any question at all about the swim school. Bob Israel said the commission should ensure that the plan for pick-ups and drop-offs would be safe. Todd Heller said he just wondered what would happen if the swim school decided to move on, leaving a 75-by27 foot pool, 4-feet deep.

"You just fill it in," Village President Sandy Frum said.

That is what has happened to the 86,000-square-foot shopping center in general in recent years, with spaces filled in by a variety of uses not closely connected to shopping.

Those include the DancEd. Dance Centre, in the center since 1998, which now claims about 170 youth dance classes weekly. The studio was later joined by a martial arts center, a tutoring company, and a teaching-enrichment center for children. The latter, a firm called Noggin Builders, has been approved for a move to a Dundee Road industrial park.

Ron Gadek, who owned the hardware store from 2008 until it closed in early 2015, said then that it was tough to make "the economics of occupancy" work for his store, though sales increased each year. He merged the store with his downtown Northbrook store at 1941 Cherry Lane, leaving only one store in town.

Jack Vanrenterghem, who had owned the store for the previous 32 years, said last year that the property taxes on the store, which had risen to $70,000 annually by 2008, was one reason he sold.

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According to the Village of Northbrook, the property taxes for the same space rose to $90,000 in 2013.

Pat Lederer, chairman of the Northbrook Industrial and Commercial Development Commission, said he had been approached by Goldfish for space at his own office park. "I was intrigued by the use," he said, but he didn't complete a deal.

"There's the same landlord issue now in shopping centers, office, and industrial," he added. "You're thrilled with anybody that's going to pay rent."

ileavitt@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @IrvLeavitt
As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.
A Westville man faces a felony charge of resisting law enforcement and an assortment of misdemeanor counts after police said he allegedly battered two people at a campground before fleeing from police in his car while he was drunk, according to a police report.

Deputies with the Porter County Sheriff's Department arrested Joshua Rickey, 27, around 5:25 p.m. Saturday after stopping his car on U.S. 30 just east of Sturdy Road.

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Police transported Rickey to Valparaiso Medical Center for medical clearance and a blood draw before taking him to Porter County Jail. He faces two misdemeanor counts related to drunken driving and misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic battery in addition to the felony charge.

Officers were first dispatched shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday to Mink Lake Campground, 658 N. Calumet Ave. in Liberty Township, for a report of a disturbance between Rickey and two others.

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Police were advised Rickey allegedly left the campground in a black Ford Mustang with no rear window, no license plate and no hood before they arrived. Police said Rickey refused to stop for them on southbound Calumet Avenue and drove recklessly throughout a pursuit that continued on southbound Indiana 49, during which he nearly struck officers, the report said.

A deputy used his patrol car to bump the rear passenger side of Rickey's car so he spun out of control on U.S. 30 and crashed into a ditch.

Rickey got out of his car but police said he refused to comply with their commands so they used a stun gun to subdue him and take him into custody, the report said.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
An employee of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 988 faces a felony theft charge after police said she stole about $4,000 from the post's office Saturday morning.

The post manager contacted Valparaiso police shortly before 8:30 a.m. Saturday to say he had surveillance video of the employee, Stacey Kohanyi, 40, of the 3700 block of Harmony Court, allegedly entering the post, at 705 Roosevelt Road, around 5:30 a.m. that day and taking the money.

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The manager told police Kohanyi used a code unique to her to turn off the building's alarm, according to a police report. The video showed Kohanyi taking money off of desk and out of a cabinet before leaving the building around 5:40 a.m., the report said.

Police said they located Kohanyi at her residence, where they saw bags of money on the front seat of a car registered to her in the driveway, the report said. Kohanyi consented to a search of her car, where police also found a binder and folder with receipts from the VFW inside, the report said.

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Under questioning from police at the police station, Kohanyi admitted to the theft and told police she took the money because she was going to be fired from the VFW and they were going to withhold her paycheck, the report said.

Police transported Kohanyi to Porter County Jail.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
An uptick in a sexually transmitted disease in Northwest Indiana is keeping health professionals busy promoting safe sex, awareness and increased testing.

Teens are not using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted disease  a strange revelation in the wake of the HIV/AIDS healthcare crisis in the U.S. the last 30 years, officials said. Consequentially, syphilis cases among 15- to 25-year-olds in Lake and LaPorte counties are rising.

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"I'm a pediatrician and I talk to a lot of adolescents and syphilis is a thing they know the least about," said Roland Walker, Gary health Commissioner. "You will find adults  especially older adults  who know about syphilis. You find a lot of kids and young adults who have never heard about it."

Northwest Indiana's sexually active young adults are at high-risk for syphilis, in part, because of geography, officials say.

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Neighboring Cook County, Ill., ranks No. 2 in incidents of the disease in the United States, according the Centers for Disease Control, while downstate Marion County ranks 45th in the U.S. for syphilis. Indiana health officials blame the spread of syphilis on unprotected casual, random and anonymous sex combined with a lack of information about the disease.

While traveling recently, Walker said he "saw a great billboard and it said 'Syphilis is Serious.' But how insightful is that to the target group? If they have never heard the word syphilis, is it reaching them?"

Many people will never know they are infected unless they are tested, he said.

"Nobody is immune and the symptoms can vary and they can be hidden," Walker said. "The most important thing you can do is to have regular (STD) screens. If (young people) are unwilling to discuss (STD) with their regular doctor, the screenings are always available at the Gary Health Department."

Any person who has any form of unprotected sex can get syphilis, disease intervention specialist Velzie Fuller said.

Fuller is a state contractor posted at the Gary Health Department. She serves all cities and towns for District 1, covering Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties. Two other specialists, employed through the city, are also stationed with her.

Fuller and Walker are emphatic that everyone who engages in unprotected sex is at risk.

"We have some (clients) who are bisexual, gay or lesbian," Fuller said. "We have straight people. Anyone can catch syphilis."

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Fuller said she has had a case with a patient as young as 15 who contracted syphilis through casual sex.

"I find that dealing with the younger ones, they have a nonchalant attitude," Fuller said.

"If you (a parent) are not talking to your 13- or 14-year-old about the risk then you have already missed the boat," Walker said. "Parents have a hard time learning that. Parents say 'my child is not into those things.' The level of discussion (I have with young patients) almost invariably changes when the parent is out of the room."

The youthful nonchalance doesn't take into account medication shortages.

Walker and Fuller say teen pregnancies are important considerations in the discussion of STD including syphilis.

Fuller said she has also seen a few cases of congenital syphilis, where unborn babies caught it from their pregnant mother. Indiana law requires physicians to test all women for syphilis when they become pregnant and to retest those at high risk for infection in the last trimester.

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"If we can catch it early enough, with the proper treatment, the baby will be OK," Fuller said.

Fuller said she thinks the disease is being spread around Northwest Indiana as people travel around the region, meeting others for anonymous sexual encounters. They unknowingly come into contact with the disease and then don't realize they have it.

Northwest Indiana's location along make its citizens particularly vulnerable, if they tend to travel for sexual encounters, officials said.

"We have two major highways and a lot of drifters," Fuller said. "A lot of people are careless when they are having sex. They may have casual, random and anonymous sex in Illinois and they come back here."

That lack of awareness is helping the disease to spread in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control reported the national syphilis case rate increased 22.7 percent in women from 2013 to 2014.

Indiana cases of syphilis skyrocketed from 2014 to 2015 when 285 cases of primary and secondary syphilis and 220 cases of latent syphilis were reported, according to the CDC. In 2014 there were 168 cases of primary and secondary syphilis and 129 cases of early latent syphilis.

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Lake County accounted for 35 of the state's additional 116 cases of primary and secondary syphilis. Of those, 28 who contracted the disease were male; eight were ages 15 to 20 and eight were ages 20 to 24. LaPorte County had six cases total in 2015, but a demographic breakdown is not characterized due to the small number. By comparison, Jasper, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties had less than five cases each in each of the last three years.

Fuller, in her job with the state for three years, said she has witnessed the spike in Lake County cases.

"There's been a huge increase in 2016 over 2015 and most of the cases come out of Lake and LaPorte counties," Fuller said. "We get a lot of people that use dating sites and a lot of that is anonymous sex  for gay or straight people," said Fuller. "They are using these sites and getting STD  including syphilis."

Fuller said the only obvious solution to STD is for people to stop having sex, but, "that's not going to happen.

"A lot of people are not fully aware of the consequences of having sexually transmitted disease," she said. "If we could just get more people to use condoms. They can come here (to the Gary Health Department) and get a package of free condoms. Everyone who comes in for testing gets a package. We give them at least six to 10 and they can come in everyday to get them  there's no age limit."

She said she gives away at least 100 packages a week  maybe more.

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No one is exempt, Fuller repeated.

"STDs do not have a face and they can be asymptomatic and without being tested, you don't know," Fuller said. "I wish more people would just get tested."

Nancy Coltun Webster is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Places for information:

Sexually transmitted disease testing is available at many clinics, hospitals and Planned Parenthood locations.

For more information, contact the Gary City Health Department, 1145 W. 5th Ave., Gary, Ind. 46402 or call 219-882-5565.
Michelle Bartlett, center, and her son Jack, 8, left, and daughter Jayne, 12, shop for school supplies Saturday at Wal-Mart in Valparaiso thorough Cops and Kids, sponsored by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 165. (Amy Lavalley / Post-Tribune)

Cellphone calculator and supply lists in hand, Michelle Bartlett of Chesterton and her children Jack, 8, and Jayne, 12, went through the aisles of school supplies at the Valparaiso Wal-Mart Saturday morning, considering binders, folders and other necessities.

This was the first year Bartlett and her kids received assistance through "Cops and Kids," sponsored by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 165.

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"It's an absolute blessing," Bartlett said. "I was out of work for about a month or a month and a half and my ex-husband was out of work at the same time so there was no child support. I was in dire straits, so this was an absolute blessing."

Bartlett hadn't heard about the program before. "I don't know how we would have done this," she added.

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"Cops and Kids" has been a tradition for around 15 years, said Bill Marshall, president of the lodge, which raises the money for the back to school shopping trips each year. The lodge includes representatives from the Porter County Sheriff's Department, Indiana State Police, and other departments in the county that don't have lodges of their own.

This year, the program provided $100 vouchers for school supplies for 108 children in need, he said, adding the township trustees' offices helped them find families in need.

The Bartlett family carefully considered each item before deciding whether to purchase it. Jayne decided a messenger bag she had at home would work for a book bag while Jack picked a camouflage backpack with orange trip.

His mom did a quick calculation before the backpack went into the cart.

Her kids' lists included flash drives and large binders, "several items that are pricey," Bartlett said while Jayne considered highlighters.

"Every year you plan to get better stuff than you did last year and then it falls apart and you get upset," Jayne said.

Ty Williams, of Valparaiso, was shopping with her daughter, 14, and son, 16. While her children, students at Valparaiso High School, won't get full supply lists until the first day of school on Wednesday, they were using their vouchers to get basics they knew they would need.

Her children were selected for "Cops and Kids" through their participation in the Boys and Girls Clubs' Valparaiso unit.

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"It's really a great burden lifted," Williams said. "I can put money over to other things. It's helped me out tremendously as a single parent."

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Indiana conservation officers are investigating the possible drowning of John Lank, 29, of Lafayette, Saturday evening at Indiana Dunes State Park after the beach was closed.

Witnesses told police they noticed a person unresponsive on the beach near the water's edge and immediately called 911. Witnesses did CPR on Lank until medical personnel arrived, according to a news release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

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Lank was transported to Porter Regional Hospital for further treatment and died early Sunday, a release said.

The case is still under investigation and toxicology results are pending.

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Porter Police and the Porter Fire Department and EMS assisted at the scene.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Christopher Riske of Western Springs with the solar car he helped developed at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. (Missouri Science & Technology / HANDOUT)

They had just pulled into the checkpoint at Grant's Farm in St. Louis, Mo. Three days into the race, and Vincennes, Ind., was already in the rearview mirror, while Hot Springs, S.D., was in their sights on a roughly 1,800-mile cross country adventure fueled by the sun, batteries and a year's worth of mechanical and electrical engineering construction.

It was the first American Solar Challenge in more than six years for design team students at Missouri University of Science and Technology, including for senior Christopher Riske of Western Springs. Spanning seven states, the competition for collegiate design teams included stages and checkpoints at nine national parks and historic sites throughout the Midwest. The team with the lowest cumulative time between stages won the race.

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Despite their absence in recent years, Riske and his team not only relished in participating in this year's weeklong competition from July 30 to Aug. 6, but excelling against some of the top universities from across the country in the energy efficient showdown from Brecksville, Ohio, to Hot Springs.

Making it to day three's checkpoint in St. Louis also served as a testament to their hard work, as the city is less than two hours from the university. Riske said about 200 people stopped by to congratulate the Missouri S&T Solar Car Design Team halfway through their journey, as family, friends and spectators surrounded their car, took photos and wished them well on the rest of their adventure.

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Getting to this point wasn't easy by any means. In fact, Riske and the team almost missed the check-in point in St. Louis.

"We got there within one minute of the closing time," Riske said. "We were able to stop for 30 or 45 minutes, and if we were one minute later, then we would've had to move on. That was like the buzzer beater of the race."

Nicknamed the Solar Miner after the school's mascot, Joe Miner, Riske and his fellow classmates on the design team had spent the better part of the year designing the car, as they split construction into two groups  mechanical and electrical.

Being a mechanical engineering major, Riske helped design the battery box, the intake and exhaust, as well as the steering wheel that mimicked a Formula-One style race car. The all-carbon-fiber composite vehicle was also lined with solar panels on the hood of the car, and included buttons and controls.

Riske said they designed just about everything except for the wheels. Weighing in at about 450 pounds not counting the weight of the driver, Riske said the Solar Miner had a speed limit of 65 mph, but could get up to 90 mph.

"We were one of the only teams to build our own car for this competition," said the 22-year-old Lyons Township High School graduate.

The Solar Miner car designed by a team at the Missouri University of Science and Technology, including Western Springs resident Christopher Riske. (Missouri Science & Technology / HANDOUT)

But before the team could embark on this Midwestern journey, they had to qualify during the Formula Sun Grand Prix, which served as a safety proving ground and seeding system for the race. After three days of technical and safety inspections, teams had to spend several days racing at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pa..

"It was very stressful," Riske said. "Our car actually was running into some issues, and to qualify we needed 190 laps in two days. On the second day we had a problem, which turned out to be that our car was overcharging."

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Riske and the team were able to get passed it though, as the team qualified with five laps to spare for the American Solar Challenge. Riske said they may have been the last team to qualify, but they took fourth place out of the 12 teams that earned spots in the cross country race. Riske's designs for the battery protection system also earned a reward and recognition from the judges.

"That's something I'm especially proud of," he said.

During the race itself, Riske drove the lead vehicle in the three-car convoy made up of the lead, solar car and the chase vehicle, as Riske was in charge of making sure the road was safe ahead for the Solar Miner. Distance per day varied, but in the first few days of the competition the team was able to cover about 350 miles. As the race went on though, cloud cover intensified, and Riske said the car was only able to go about 25 mph.

"I think we went like 600 miles through Nebraska at 25 mph. That was brutal," he said with a laugh.

Christopher Riske and members of the design team with their solar car, the Solar Miner. (Missouri Science & Technology / HANDOUT)

Riske credited much of the success from this year's competition to his team, especially considering the school's absence from the race, which takes place every two years.

"Our team has gone through a slump," he said. "We had a few years where we didn't really have the members or the funding to make it out here, but this year we had a really great group of guys and we all pulled together and got it done. That's why this is extra special for us because the team really hasn't been around for a while and now we finally show up and we're racing with the best guys in the country."

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Riske said one of his main takeaways was the spirit of the competition, particularly because of his interest in energy efficient designs in all aspects mechanical.

The American Solar Challenge, he said, is not really about cars as much as it is about building a car that is light and is as energy efficient as possible.

"That's sort of where I see the future of engineering is building with energy efficiency in mind rather than going as fast and as quickly as possible," he said.

Danny Ciamprone is a freelancer reporter for Pioneer Press.

Brecksville to Hot Springs

Stage 1 (July 30-31): Having successfully qualified for the American Solar Challenge, Christopher Riske and his design team from Missouri University of Science and Technology began the race at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Brecksville, Ohio, with a checkpoint at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio. The first stage ended at Vincennes, Ind.

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Stage 2 (Aug. 1-2): After a departure from Vincennes, the team headed to Grant's Farm in St. Louis, Mo., and ended the stage near Wilson's Creek National Battlefield in Republic, Mo.

Stage 3 (Aug. 3-5): Teams headed to a checkpoint in Topeka, Kansas, followed by a journey through Nebraska that ended at the Scotts Bluff National Monument in Gering, Neb.

Stage 4 (Aug. 6): Riske and the team left Gering and finished the race in fourth place at Wind Cave National Park in Hot Springs, S.D.
Illinois is a great state. It's the Land of Lincoln, but if Honest Abe were alive today he would be most saddened by what Illinois has become. We are in the midst of a crisis. Our inner cities have been neglected, as well as our mental health facilities, programs, and our educational facilities and programs. This is all due to our poisonous and corrupt political culture, where politicians rig voting districts to ensure their own victory. They slice and dice legislative districts to dilute the voting power of Illinoisans, fixing the elections and eroding our democratic rights as Americans. We need a better process. We need the Independent Map Amendment on the ballot, which would create a nonpartisan and independent commission to take over redistricting; one that is open to the public, transparent and fair.

The Independent Map Amendment would help put Illinois back on the right track. Politicians looking to keep Independent Maps off the ballot have hired expensive lawyers to do just that, but we have the voters on our side. We have the words of the Illinois Constitution, which guarantees our right as citizens to place amendments on the ballot that deal with the structure and procedure of the General Assembly.

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Now, the Illinois Supreme Court must faithfully interpret the document they swore to defend. There is no faithful interpretation other than to reverse the lower court's political decision and give us our rights back. Let your voice be heard. For more information, visit www.mapamendment.org.

Henry Mawicke

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With the scope and penalties of Chinas social credit system being further clarified in 2021, legal and regulatory compliance has become more important than...
A visitor tries the Jianguan AR glasses at the launch of the product in Shanghai, July 9, 2016. [China Daily]

British startups gathered at the Google Campus in London on Thursday and competed head to head for a chance to fly to Shanghai and join China's growing innovation industry.

At the Shanghai International Innovation Competition-UK, eight young companies pitched to a panel of tech experts who quizzed them on their products and their viability for entry into the Chinese market. The competition plays into China's plans to transform Shanghai into a startup hub to rival those in Europe and the United States.

"Shanghai wants to become a leading innovation center - like Silicon Valley - in China. London plays that role in Europe, so we are connecting the two cities," said John Zai, CEO of Cocoon Networks, a company that bridges the Chinese and European startup communities that hosted the contest.

"The people who joined this competition see the future - they see which market will be the biggest, the market that gives them the most potential to expand, and that's China."

EVA Diagnostics, presenting their AnemiPoint device that performs at-home blood tests, took first prize. They will now fly to Shanghai Bay Valley in September and take part in the competition's global finals against local startups as well as fledgling tech companies from Singapore and South Korea. The overall winner will receive a cash prize, investment resources and three months free working space at a tech incubator in China.

"We're delighted and honored to have the opportunity to go out to China and start building partnerships and engage in the investment community out there," said Toby Basey-Fisher, CEO of EVA Diagnostics. "We see China as a very big growth opportunity for us."

The Chinese government identified entrepreneurship and innovation as key drivers for economic diversification in a 2015 development report.

"Mass entrepreneurship and innovation in itself is a major reform endeavor," Premier Li Keqiang said in March.

The government has established more than 1,600 incubators for startups across the country, and is armed with the world's biggest war chest of venture funds. Through State and enterprise funding, about $231 billion was raised in 2015 alone, and by April 2016 almost $340 billion was available for tech investment, according to consultancy Zero2IPO Group.

Jeffrey Tijssen, co-chair of the China working group at Tech London Advocates and one of the judges on the panel, said that companies like Cocoon act as important conduits for startups in Europe wishing to exploit the Chinese market.

"A lot of startups look at China as the next big frontier," said Tijssen.

Along with EVA Diagnostics, the startups that made the competition's shortlist include: Combat Medical that makes cancer-fighting thermotherapy devices and Cupris, whose clinical imaging smartphone software allows patients to remotely share diagnostic information with healthcare professionals.
A visitor looks at a painting at the Shanghai Art Fair held in Shanghai on November 11, 2015. [Xinhua]

The ongoing supply-side reform has injected a much-needed dose of reality into China's hyped-up artwork market, experts said.

Not just paintings, drawings and antiques, even ornate furniture, old fine teas, precious commodities and rare crafts are part of China's artworks.

Ren Helei, a researcher at the Center for Soft Power Studies at Peking University, said: "The supply-side structural reform provides opportunities for the artwork market in China, and it leads overly high-priced products to return to rational prices. This should be the growth trend of the market."

Last November, the government proposed supply-side reform, which aims to raise the quality of products, better allocate resources and stabilize economic growth.

Little did people realize then that the initiative will have a bearing on the artwork market in China, which has shrunk steadily in recent years.

Some precious goods that boasted irrationally high prices due to market frenzy, are now witnessing huge price drops as a result of dampened demand and fewer investments.

In 2015, the turnover of the Chinese art auction market reached 50.6 billion yuan ($7.6 billion), dropping 20 percent over the previous year.

The volume of transactions in auctioned goods also saw a retreat, according to a report by Beijing-based Art Market Monitor, which is affiliated to Shenzhen-based printing company Artron.

China's artworks have experienced a distinct decline as investors, low on confidence, turned cautious. "The business model that relied on high growth of traditional resources and significant appreciation of art assets in a short time has ended. The artwork market should seek some emerging business opportunities. It should meet the demand for contemporary aesthetics," Ren said.

Experts said in the long term, art consumption is likely to support the transformation and structural adjustment of Chinese artwork market that has been collection- and investment-oriented.

The market is also expected to get a mass dimension. Deals at art galleries, expositions and other primary markets will likely become major growth engines.

"The growth potential in art consumption has been directly reflected by the turnover at the Shanghai Art Fair last year," said Wu Fang, art director at Shanghai-based Huafu Art Space.

"The total turnover at the fair reached 141 million yuan, and the income mainly came from transactions for low-cost consumer art, with most of them priced at several thousand yuan to 30,000 yuan.

"Art consumption is expected to draw more attention, and the content and style of artworks are likely to become more modern. The methods of creating artworks and the structure of the market should also be transformed to adapt to a brand new era."

Artwork auctioneers and art collection agencies said there has been an obvious decline in auctions of traditional goods. At the same time, they saw an increase in online art consumption, with buyers being increasingly younger.

As a result of continuous expansion of the auction industry in recent years, a lot of artworks have been auctioned repeatedly. There has been a serious demand-supply imbalance in auctioned goods. Consequently, it is now difficult to find top-level artworks.

Among artworks and other precious products, those that suffered the most were neither affordable or cheap consumer arts nor rare high-end fine arts, but medium-range ordinary artworks that anyway have limited investment value.

Even among high-end collections, some segments like green tea and rosewood furniture did suffer. For example, not very long ago, some art collections and fine goods commanded extremely high prices. But they, too, came under pressure when the government's austerity drive dampened demand.

Many premium tea brands saw a constant slide in their prices. A type of the finest Pu'er by Chinese tea brand Dayi, a top-class green tea, saw its price drop from 24,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan per kg.

In the last decade, demand for rosewood furniture soared in China. The market was worth over 100 billion yuan in 2012, according to Greenpeace, a global environmental protection organization.

Yet, the furniture sector saw demand slowing in the last couple of years. Prices of rosewood furniture plunged up to 30 percent, according to the China Rosewood Association.

Similarly, prices of objects made of coconut husk, which was once considered highly precious in China, have plummeted. A bracelet with a cluster of 108 coconut husks used to sell for over 5,000 yuan. Now, it is hard to even find sales of coconut husks in the market as demand has been tepid.

Liu Shuangzhou, a professor at the law school of the Central University of Finance and Economics, said: "Consumers should consider their income levels and decide how much they should spend on artworks. Artwork consumption should be transformed from an elite consumption to a mass-based business.

"Investors should assess the risks of investing in certain artworks and fine goods, rather than assess their value. And buyers must appraise artworks themselves. All this is consistent with the concept of supply-side reform, which emphasizes that goods should be priced cost-effectively and in line with their actual value."
Employees of start-ups walk out of an incubator center in Lanzhou city, capital of Northwest China's Gansu province. Oct 10, 2015. Incubator centers have been set up these years to boost start-ups in Chengguan district of Lanzhou city. Measures including simplifying procedures for licenses application and earmarking subsidiaries have been implemented to reduce the operation cost for the companies in these centers. Up to now, about 30 incubator centers have fostered more than 1000 start-ups in the sectors encompassing e-commercial, bio-pharmaceutical, cultural and creative and internet plus industries. [Photo/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.
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President Xi Jinping will attend and chair the G20 summit to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from September 4 to 5, foreign spokesman spokesperson Lu Kang said on Monday.

The theme of the 11th G20 summit will be "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy", Lu said.

Xi will also attend an informal BRICS leaders meeting and other related events.

According to the foreign ministry, the G20 business forum will be held in Hangzhou on September 3 and 4. President Xi will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony. Leaders from some G20 members, guest countries and international organizations will attend the forum.
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Twenty-one-year-old model named Daria has been missing in Shanghai for almost 10 days. [Photo/Weibo.com]

A young Ukrainian model has been missing in Shanghai for almost 10 days, according to the Shanghai Morning Post.

The 21-year-old girl named Daria was last seen around the Oriental Pearl TV Tower between 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. on the morning of August 6, wearing a pink dress and carrying a black bag.

Daria's roommate Nancy published a missing post on social media last Friday, which was shared by large numbers of netizens and aroused wide attention.

According to Daria's friends, the girl is 1.8 meters tall with light brown hair. She has been in Shanghai for three months and is working for a local modeling agency.

Till now, the model's agent refused to disclose any more information, but confirmed that police and the Ukrainian Embassy in China are investigating the incident.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
People from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea attended a peaceful assembly in Nanjing Monday to commemorate the victory of China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

In the Nanjing Massacre Victim's Memorial Hall, in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, representatives from the three countries recited a declaration of peace in the morning.

On Dec. 13, 1937, Japanese troops began six weeks of destruction, pillage, rape and slaughter in Nanjing. More than 300,000 Chinese, including unarmed soldiers and innocent civilians, were murdered.

This year marks the 71st anniversary of the end of the war. Every year around Aug. 15, peace-loving NGOs across the world gather in the city to remember the victims.

Miyauchi Yoko, head of an anti-war NGO based in Kobe, Japan, said the hot summer weather in Nanjing reminded her of the brutality that the Chinese suffered during the war, giving her and colleagues the motivation to do everything in their power to prevent the Japanese government from taking the wrong path.
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North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region opened new international air routes on Friday to Thailand and Russia.

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

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

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

Ordos is about 300 km from the regional capital Hohhot. Its name translates into "many palaces" in Mongolian. The city, with a population of 1.94 million, has rich coal and natural gas reserves. For tourists, its major attractions include the tomb of Genghis Khan, deserts and ruins of an ancient civilization dating back almost 50,000 years.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has ordered integration of troops belonging to the former rebel force SPLA-IO into the government army.

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. [Photo/Xinhua]

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.
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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.
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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.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, where two of his cabinet members paid homage on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, drawing criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors.

Regardless of the feeling of the peoples of neighbor countries, Abe sent his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make the offering on his behalf as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The prime minister is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day in an effort to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea.

But at an annual memorial ceremony held by the Japanese government in Tokyo Monday noon, Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war.

Japanese Emperor Akihito, in contrast, stated his "deep remorse" over the past war for the second time at the national memorial service, and expressed his wish for world peace.

Meanwhile, two of Abe's newly reshuffled cabinet members paid homage to the notorious shrine on Monday, including Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister and Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Farm minister Yuji Yamamoto, however, told a press conference Monday that he visited Yasukuni on Aug. 6. Masahiro Imamura, minister for reconstruction of disaster-hit regions, visited the shrine last week.

Dozens of conservative lawmakers, including Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda and Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, also visited the shrine Monday.

Japan's new defense minister Tomomi Inada, who had regularly visited the shrine before, did not pay homage Monday as she has been on a four-day trip to Djibouti in Africa since Saturday. But an LDP lawmakers' group with Inada as president visited the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi disclosed that China will continue to firmly support people in Africa to independently resolve African issues in an African way.

He stressed that China will strongly support individual countries as well as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and other regional organizations to play the leading role in the process of peace maintenance in South Sudan.

Wang Yi made this disclosure when he jointly met the press and Foreign Minister Amina Mohamed of Kenya, Nairobi, on August 10.

In order to support the efforts of its African brothers, the Chinese side has initiated two regional meetings dedicated to promoting the South Sudan peace process, he said.

Wang Yi stated that the Chinese ambassador to South Sudan maintains regular communication with the two conflicting parties in the country and a special representative of the Chinese government has shuttled back and forth nearly 20 times between South Sudan and its neighboring countries.

The IGAD recently made positive progress in the peaceful settlement of South Sudan issues, which China is gratified with, he said.

China will continue to use its advantages and more actively coordinate and participate in the peaceful settlement of regional hotpot issues, in order to make a continued contribution to realizing peace and stability in Africa, and South Sudan in particular.

Wang Yi promised to promote environment-friendly cooperation on production capacity in a joint effort to protect African's eco-environment.

It can be recalled that China and Africa should enhance coordination and collaboration, demonstrate mutual understanding on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, firmly uphold fairness and justice and make international orders and governance systems more just and equitable.
A Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Group Co Ltd executive (center, gesticulating with his hands) introduces his company's overseas strategy to a group of Zimbabwe government officials at the company's headquarters in Qingdao, Shandong province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

Zhongsheng Group morphs from an equipment maker to world player in industrial parks, coal, nickel and ports

When Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Group Co Ltd, a firm focusing on electric projects and equipment, listed on the Shenzhen stock market in 2011, it attracted investors' attention straight away. Its more than 20 percent year-on-year growth since its founding in March 1998 was already a talking point in the State-regulated power transmission industry.

Online content categorizes the company as a maker and seller of "high-voltage reactive power equipment, compensation devices and filtering devices. Its products include capacitors, reactors and coil dischargers".

When a domestic glut in power transmission and control equipment, coupled with an economic slowdown, hit the company hard in 2012, Hengshun Zhongsheng forayed into other businesses and ventured overseas the same year. It began by building industrial parks and power plants.

All those forward-looking, almost visionary-like initiatives are beginning to bear fruit now, it seems. Profits are robust and its financials sound. Investors are chasing the company's stock again.

The company, which is based in the eastern port city of Qingdao, calls it "the strong headwind in the cold winter".

The company's profit rose from 109.5 million yuan in 2014 to 338.6 million yuan in 2015, a 209.2 percent increase year-on-year.

Jia Xiaoyu, president of Hengshun Zhongsheng, attributed the growth to the company's decision to diversify its core businesses and build itself into an overseas developer of industrial parks, coal mines, power plants and ports.

"How do you define an 'owner' of a project? I think the one that can bring you the profit is the owner, regardless of which industry it comes from," Jia told reporters two years ago. He was referring to a series of deals the company had struck in recent years.

Their range was as imaginative as it was wide, Jia said. The deals were for investing in nickel ore in Indonesia and building industrial parks in Africaall seemingly unrelated but capable of funneling gold into the company's coffers.

Perhaps, that kind of bold expansion could not have been possible without the foresight of Jia. He predicted several years ago that China's State-controlled utilities would face oversupply sooner or later as a severe and prolonged recession in the construction sector put immense pressure on the infrastructure construction sector.

"We started to think of going global in 2011 even though our profit rose more than 20 percent that year," Jia said. "Because that's when I started to feel that the power industry has less room for growth."

In 2014, Jia was looking at opportunities in Indonesia when the country banned exports of mineral ore in order to develop its own ore-processing technologies.

He decided to stock nickel ore reserves and develop a ferronickel industrial park, as the export ban was expected to drive up huge demand for nickel ore in China, a major importer of Indonesia's nickel ore.

But the company took a big leap on the back of China's "Belt and Road Initiatives", which opened up new opportunities in South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

As Beijing strengthened bilateral cooperation with Jakarta, Hengshun and two other Chinese companies teamed up to build a ferro-nickel industrial park in Indonesia, exploiting their collective experience in nickel exploration and inventory.

This also helped the companies build factories and captive power plants in industrial parks in Indonesia.

Last year, Hengshun struck a deal to build a Special EconomicZone and an industrial park in Zimbabwe to further stimulate the country's economic development and transformation.

The project is being jointly developed with China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Co Ltd and Qingdao City Construction Investment Group.

Qingdao Hengshun Zhongsheng Group's Chinese employees work together with their Indonesian colleagues in the company's industrial park in Indonesia. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

What attracted Hengshun was that foreign investors in Zimbabwe's SEZ were accorded several preferential policies and allowed to build industrial parks and factory shells to rent out to other companies.

"We started investing in the overseas market in 2011. Over the years, we've gathered much experience in industrial park investment, development, attracting business and operations," said Jia.

The company is now planning to use this business model in South Africa, Laos and Thailand.

In November 2015, Hengshun inked an agreement worth $114 million with Coal of Africa Limited, a leading miner in South Africa. Its Makhado coal project, located in Limpopo, South Africa's northernmost province, has a gross reserve of 790 million tons and a recoverable reserve of 340 million tons. The project is expected to kick off next year, and will likely yield 12.6 million tons of raw coal a year, according to Hengshun.

Lin Boqiang, head of the China Center for Energy Economic Research, which is under the aegis of Xiamen University, said that many industries in China are facing pressure from oversupply, while countries like Indonesia and Zimbabwe are in huge demand of energy and infrastructure construction.

"In terms of 'going global', most companies would take the mergers-and-acquisitions route to market share, or (they would) leverage their core businesses. But, sometimes, we need to think outside the box and look at what we are good at and what they can provide," Lin said.
In two consecutive weeks to Wednesday, more than 230 companies debuted on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations, also known as the New Third Board, China's capital market for startups.

The surge was attributed to policymakers' efforts to promote a multi-level capital market system, which is seen as essential to meet the growing financing needs of smaller enterprises.

Now, there are more than 8,220 NEEQ-listed companies. Yet, the demand-supply equation in the funding scenario remains skewed, said analysts.

Beijing-based NEEQ was launched in late 2012 to supplement the Chinese mainland's two main stock exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

According to Shanghai-based Wind Information Technology Ltd, a financial information services provider, some 2,510 companies listed on the NEEQ in the first half of this year.

If the second half keeps pace, the overall figure will likely exceed 10,000 by this year-end. They would chase the nearly 50,000 NEEQ-recognized qualified investors for funding support.

Many individual investors who wish to invest in the market do not meet the current requirement that each of them must have at least 5 million yuan ($750,900) in investable funds.

Since public funds are not allowed in the NEEQ, the number of investors has not been growing briskly, according to a research note from Lianxun Securities Ltd.

That is not all. Many NEEQ-listed companies have not been traded for weeks or months, or have not raised any funds in the past few months, showing a lack of liquidity in the market.

Yu Zunbao, an analyst with Southwest Securities Ltd, said higher turnover would boost market liquidity, but listed enterprises need to demonstrate growth potential to attract more investors.

Analysts said NEEQ's trading volume rose more than 7 percent in the past two weeks to more than 4 billion yuan. Four companies recorded deals worth more than 100 million yuan each, with Donghai Securities, a Changzhou-based small brokerage, seeing trades worth 900 million yuan in its shares.

But, between January and July, total funds raised on the NEEQ were sub-optimal at 5.83 billion yuan, or just 40 percent of companies' stated needs, suggesting market activity has been slow

This is further confirmed by the benchmark NEEQ Component Index that edged down to 1,161.9 points last Monday, the lowest year-to-date level, but recovered to around 1,200 points later last week.

A research note from Soochow Securities Ltd said lower entry barriers of the NEEQ may allow some companies with shrinking business and even loss-making companies to get listed. And any fundraising attempts by companies with invisible business operations may repel investors, it said.

The note further said there could well be "zombie enterprises" among those listed on the NEEQ. So, the bourse needs to optimize its structure for listed enterprises. Stricter policies for listing and fundraising are needed, it said.
A Chinese woman consults an Australian company representative for overseas learning and entrepreneurial information during a recent international education exhibition in Beijing. Ajing / For China Daily

Three Chinese financial technology startups have begun their three-month long residency in Australia as part of the largest cross-border incubation. Australia is seeking to become the financial technology hub of the Asia-Pacific region through their FinTech Asia program, while removing regulatory barriers and implementing other mechanisms to help drag the economy away from mining-led growth.

"FinTech Asia is all about helping bring the best that Australian FinTech has to offer (in) key markets across Asia, and likewise entice some of the key startups from those markets to Australia to support them in terms of their market entry... and leverage the Australian market as a fantastic opportunity and test market in terms of going into the Western hemisphere," the initiative's proponent, Stone & Chalk chief Alex Scandurra, said at the official welcome in Sydney early this month.

"This isn't a country versus country play. We are helping governments, regulators and key organizations across Asia to adopt best practice and to collaborate with one another by creating a FinTech superhighway across Asia."

The three startups creating cloud-based accounting software, QR-code point of sale systems for businesses servicing Chinese tourists and a "bank for entrepreneurs" that is streamlining cash management were selected via a highly competitive pitching competition at People Squared Shanghai during April's Australia Week in China.

"These Chinese startups chosen for this program have a keen global focus, and will be in a position to commercialize and enter an entirely new market with the support and expertise of the Stone & Chalk community and our program partners," Scandurra said.

Asia is fast becoming the center of the global technology revolution after investors poured $4.5 billion into financial startups in 2015, a near four-fold increase on 2014.

FinTech itself is one of the fastest growing sectors in global financial services industry, with total investments in peer-to-peer lenders, payment services companies and internet insurers rising 60 percent to $19.1 billion in 2015.

"I believe the global economic center of gravity has shifted away from places like the United States and (the United Kingdom)... to a line on the earth that runs somewhere between Shanghai and Sydney and picks up half the world's GDP, the fast growing middle class and the fast growing group of people anywhere in the world that is (embracing) technology," New South Wales state Trade Minister Stuart Ayres said.

"(The Chinese startups') contribution to this ecosystem won't just strengthen what's happening in FinTech here in Australia, but it sends an incredibly powerful message across the rest of the world that Sydney is the place to be when it comes to FinTech."

Over the next few weeks, the three Chinese startups - MEGI Software (Shanghai) Co Ltd, Royal Pay and S. Capitol - will receive ongoing support and mentoring from Stone & Chalk as well as access to their 23 domestic and international corporate partners while working alongside over 90 of Australia's leading FinTech startup companies.

Xinhua
The first freight train linking Harbin and Hamburg prepares to depart from Harbin in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, June 13, 2015. The first freight train linking Harbin and Germany's Hamburg departed from Harbin on Saturday. It runs a course of 9,820 kilometers and is expected to return to Harbin on July 11. [Photo/Xinhua]

Transcontinental cargo trains, linking China and countries along the Belt and Road routes have become an increasingly important source of wealth. Such train routes and networks, unified under the China Railway Express brand earlier this year, have expanded quickly after the Silk Road Economic Belt was launched.

With trains running more frequently between China and countries along the Belt and Road routes, loaded with goods and containers, trade volume has increased steadily.

According to industry experts, the transcontinental freight train services have been providing solutions for the international logistics industry and promoting international trade ties and economic development with countries along the route.

Now, railway lines for container trains have been successively opened up by 16 cities in China, heading down to 12 European cities including Duisburg and Hamburg in Germany and Madrid in Spain.

In 2015, China-Europe freight trains made 815 trips, with a year-on-year increase of 165 percent, according to official figures.

One of the train routes is the Yuxinou (Chongqing-Xinjiang-Europe) railway line, which starts in Chongqing and ends in Duisburg, Germany.

The railway was opened in 2011 and has seen a growing number of journeys every year since.

For example, since 2011, the number of scheduled freight trains from China to Duisburg has increased from one to eight trains per week.

Duisburg has become a gateway for Chinese products to European markets.

Another line links China's Chengdu and Suzhou with Poland's Lodz and Warsaw. The freight train service has boosted trade between China and Poland.

Officials in Lodz hoped the city, now with direct train connection with the huge market of China, will grow to become an important hub for the European economy.

Apart from direct connection between China and countries along the Belt and Road routes, transcontinental trains also bring convenience to China's neighbors, such as Japan and South Korea, to help transport their goods from Asia to Europe.

With improved railway infrastructure and new technology, the train network provides high efficiency in transcontinental transportation with cheaper cost than airfreight and faster speed than shipping by sea.

For enterprises and businessmen, the intercontinental cargo train network means new markets for their goods and services, thus an important source of wealth. The train network attracts more and more clients while new businesses flourish along the route.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, trade between China and countries along the Belt and Road routes, stood at some $995 billion in 2015, about a quarter of the national trade volume.

Still, there is huge potential with the expansion of the train network in future, experts say.

Xinhua
Female workers wait for their containers of blueberries to be weighed on the back of a truck, before they are transported, at Surrey Farms in Canada. Provided to China Daily

Tax breaks-fueled buying spree unsettles the blueberry-rich Pacific Coast market

An aging mansion sits vacant on an estate outside Vancouver, the garage overtaken by a blueberry sorter and a walk-in cooler packed with the fruit.

The owner, an investor from the Chinese mainland, leases the estate to Fred Liu at such a bargain the farmer grows blueberries in its fields even though the bottom has fallen out of the market.

As it turns out, the same wave of Chinese wealth that has fueled real estate booms in cities like New York, Sydney and San Francisco and stoked the art market worldwide also has contributed to an unexpected glut of blueberries.

Chinese investors riding a hot property market along the Pacific Coast have socked millions into a belt of protected farmland around Vancouver, long a destination for Asian immigrants, and many have taken advantage of Canadian agricultural tax breaks, agents and farmers said.

Because much of the land is restricted to farming, rents have remained stubbornly low. Veteran farmers and entrepreneurial newcomers have snapped up the cheap leases, eager to cash in on the blueberry's ascent as a super food and the promise that a trade deal with China would open the world's second-largest economy to fresh Canadian exports.

But demand has yet to meet bullish projections. Delayed trade negotiations and a surge in global blueberry production have prevented China's rising middle class from eating enough of the British Columbia bumper crop that Chinese investors helped sow.

The result: a bubble for Vancouver area farmland and a bust for berries.

Prices for rural property near Vancouver have surged - hitting, in one recent deal, 230 times the per-acre average for Canadian farmland. And blueberry prices have collapsed, dropping to less than C$1 per pound at peak season, half what some growers said they were getting a few years ago.

Norm Letnick, British Columbia's agriculture minister, said he doesn't see it as a glut, and he downplayed the sharp price drop at packing houses.

Growers may be doing better at roadside stands, he said. "Because they don't have a middle man, they might be making very good net profit."

For many farmers, that view misses the bigger picture.

"Rich people, they can buy the farms, but they don't want to do the farming," said Liu, who grows organic berries for export to Asia. "It's very, very, very cheap to lease their farmland."

But, he said, "Farmers are not getting rich."

About half the listings in recent years for smaller farms and nearly all the larger ones near Vancouver have been purchased by buyers with ties to the Chinese mainland, agents said.

Canada doesn't track the nationality of property owners, and British Columbia only began doing so in June. It reported 18 percent of sales in recent weeks in Richmond, home to one of the most well-established Chinese communities in Canada, were to unspecified foreign nationals living abroad. Chinese nationals with resident status in Canada were excluded.

The buying spree has set records. A 4.5 acre blueberry farm with no house sold late last year to a Chinese investor for C$2.58 million ($1.97 million), or C$573,000 per acre. Nationwide, farmland averages C$2,460 per acre, according to Farm Credit Canada.

The British Columbia Blueberry Council, a trade group representing hundreds of growers, said much of the interest was from Chinese business people who see berry farms as an export opportunity, much like those who have bought vineyards in recent years to export British Columbia wine to China.

Real estate agents said some Chinese nationals were looking at the redevelopment potential, viewing farms as lottery tickets that would pay out if urban sprawl one day forces officials to scrap strict prohibitions.

"They're playing the long game," said agent Michael Lu.

Others have built luxurious estate homes with an eye toward retirement and surrounded them with berries.

Reuters
A model stands beside a Ducati motorcycle during a recent motor fair in Beijing. Ducati is bringing more of its models to China. DONG NING/FOR CHINA DAILY

There are few things Laura Wu likes more than to take her Ducati 899 Panigale for a spin on the country roads outside Beijing. With five other high-performance motorcycles in her garage, the 35-year-old represents today's Chinese biker who manufacturers are clamoring to please.

With China's motorcycle market in decline, makers of superbikes, including Ducati Motor Holding SpA and Harley-Davidson Inc, are adding lighter, sleeker and less powerful models to their offering, trying to appeal to well-heeled novice riders and, especially, women.

The strategy seems to be working. Motorcycle sales in China almost doubled for Ducati and surged 74 percent for BMW AG in the first half from a year earlier, defying a 15 percent slide in all new bike sales, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The country is poised to become the second-biggest for Ducati in three years.

"We used to assume motorcycles are toys either for middle-aged paunchy men or for young street hoodies," said Wu, who often zips around Beijing on a Vespa scooter for her daily commute to work as an angel investor. "Riding a motorcycle can also be a symbol of the independence of women."

Ducati, founded in the Italian city of Bologna 90 years ago and now owned by Germany's Volkswagen AG, was keeping women and first-time motorcyclists in mind when it introduced in China the Scrambler Sixty2, which has a 399-cubic-centimeter engine, and the 1,198-cc Multistrada 1200 S this year, Marco Elli, head of Ducati China, said in an interview.

Ducati is bringing more of its models to China as biking gains popularity as a form of recreation. The government last month said it will exempt foreign motorcycle makers from ownership limits in their manufacturing operations. While more than 170 cities in the Asian nation have banned or restricted motorcycles, some smaller cities, such as Zhuhai and Langfang, have been easing regulations since 2013.

Ducati sold almost 1,000 units in the first five months of 2016, spurred by demand for Monster, Diavel and Scrambler models, Elli said, adding that he expects China to surpass Thailand this year to become Ducati's biggest market in Asia, excluding Japan.

The Scrambler will be priced at 83,800 yuan ($12,600) and target young riders, while its highest-end superbike that sells for as much as 489,000 yuan will be aimed at middle-aged bikers with higher incomes, he said.

"We understand the motorcycle culture here is growing," Elli said inside a Ducati showroom in Beijing. "The interest in riding a bike goes beyond the bans, and people who buy a bike may anyhow find a way to ride wherever it's possible."

The restrictions, coupled with a preference for cars and electric bicycles, have caused China's motorcycle market to shrink. New motorbike registrations fell to an estimated 7.6 per 1,000 people last year, from almost 13 per 1,000 people in 2009, according to market researcher Mintel Group Ltd. In contrast, per-capita registrations in India more than doubled and are predicted to be three times greater than China's by 2018, Mintel said.

A man takes photo of a Victory-branded motorcycle during an auto show in Chongqing. ZHOU HUI/FOR CHINA DAILY

China's motorcycle industry, which is estimated to be worth 380.7 billion yuan in 2016, will experience "a wave of consolidation" over the next few years, as low-scale regional manufacturers will be forced out of business by shrinking domestic demand, Euromonitor International predicted in a report in May. While a motorcycle ban in large cities has depressed sales, an "emerging and vast middle class fostered the premium motorcycle market," the market researcher said.

The country imported 234,000 motorcycles last year, 88 percent more than in 2014, according to the automobile manufacturers' association. More than half the foreign bikes were powered by 400-cc or larger engines. Harley-Davidson introduced its Street 750 model in China last year.

"The market of big-displacement motorcycles has great potential, with the living standards of Chinese people picking up quickly and the leisure demand increasing," said Wang Dong, a researcher in the association's motorcycle division. "If the motorcycle bans and restrictions can be removed, as we are urging the government to do, the market shall see a big jump."

For now, the curbs are especially hurting companies supplying the mainstream market. Motorcycle sales in China fell 31 percent last year for Yamaha Motor Co, which sells mostly smaller street bikes in the nation, and dipped 4 percent for Honda Motor Co, according to the companies.

"We don't have any plan to increase our luxury models for now," said Sanae Tanaka, a spokeswoman for Honda.

Yamaha is focusing more on India than China, and sells only a small quantity of luxury motorcycles in China, said Kenji Otsuki, a company spokesman.

Motorcycles have been perceived as pariahs on China's roads, blamed for everything from traffic snares and pollution to motor vehicle accidents and a spike in hand-bag snatches. Some cities have banned them from downtown streets and imposed restrictions on highways and main roads, while others have stopped issuing new license plates.

Beijing bike enthusiast Laura Wu had to pay as much as 85,000 yuan to put a license plate on her motorcycles. She bought the plates from other owners, as China's capital hasn't allowed registrations of new motorcycles in its downtown area since 1985.

The restrictions are effectively stoking demand for luxury motorcycles, according to Zhang Zhiyong, a Beijing-based independent analyst who writes columns for Phoenix Auto.

"Given that a plate in cities like Beijing and Shanghai can cost as much as 100,000 yuan, it naturally cultivates a group of motorcycle owners who prefer premium bikes to go with the expensive plates," Zhang said.

Bloomberg
A view of Exchange Square in Central,Hong Kong.[File photo/China Daily]

South China Morning Post reported on Monday that the launch date for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program will be announced as soon as this week and it will be officially launched in December, citing the newspaper Hong Kong Economic Journal.

According to China Daily, securities regulators of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are working closely with Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd for the launch of the long-anticipated program.

Deng Ge, a spokesman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said on August 12 that the commission has set up a special working group to lead and prepare for the stocks trading link.

"When relevant regulations and technical preparations are ready, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect will be launched this year," said Deng, without giving an exact date.

The special working group, headed by CSRC Vice-Chairman Fang Xinghai, is responsible for coordinating efforts among various departments within the commission and relevant government bodies and between the mainland and Hong Kong regulators, according to financial magazine Caixin on August 11.

In the same day, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd Chief Executive Officer Charles Li told CNBC that the stocks link is "imminent".

Li said the link is vital to bringing more tradable products to a wider marketplace in the future.

Cai Xiao contributed to the story
GUIYANG - 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, the portal reported earlier this month.
Beijing ready to offer its ideas on global economy, puts green financing on agenda

When hosting the forthcoming 11th G20 Leaders Summit, China will offer the country's ideas on how to tackle the world's lingering economic problems and rising protectionism, experts said.

President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the summit, which will be held on Sept 4 and 5 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang confirmed on Monday.

Since the last summit, held in November in Antalya, Turkey, new uncertainties about the world economy have emerged, including Britain's decision to exit the European Union.

In its most recent forecast, the International Monetary Fund lowered this year's global economic growth target to 2.9 percent from 3.1 percent, and this could be the second year in a row with global growth of less than 3 percent, Xinhua reported.

Vice-Foreign Minister Li Baodong said it is hoped that the G20, an economic governance forum first convened in 2008 amid a major global financial crisis, will shift from a focus on addressing crisis to "a governance mechanism with long-lasting effect".

When asked if China will avoid highlighting the South China Sea issue, Li said the top concern of the summit will be the growth of global trade and investment and that all parties should "stay concentrated and focus on the economy".

Although many leaders have proposed bilateral meetings with China on the summit sidelines, the schedule will be packed and Beijing is communicating with relevant parties regarding such meetings, Li added.

Jia Jinjing, an expert on macroeconomic studies at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, said the Hangzhou summit could be a turning point during which the G20 mission will shift to long-lasting governance, since more minister-level meetings have been included to expand the G20's role in navigating global growth.

"The summit will see China offering solutions in addition to its contributions made to the world economy," Jia added.

Xu Hongcai, an economist with the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said the G20 members should boost their coordination on monetary policies, as "there is a serious differentiation among the policies of the major economies in the world".

Yi Gang, a vice-governor of the People's Bank of China, told the briefing that China has introduced "green finance" as a G20 agenda topic for Hangzhou, a G20 study group for green finance has been established and a report on green financing will be presented at the summit.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, green financing and investment involve "technologies, infrastructure and companies that will be critical in the transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and resource-efficient economy".

Zhu Jiejin, an associate professor on global governance studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said China is becoming "a forerunner on boosting green finance", since the country stated in its 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) that it will establish a green finance system.

The G20 members' support for lowering financing costs for the growth of a green economy showcases increasing recognition of green financing and puts a high priority on environmental sustainability, Zhu said.

Lu, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, also said the annual informal leaders' meeting of BRICS nations  Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa  will be held on the sidelines of the summit.
A residents shows China's yuan and US dollar banknotes in Qionghai, South China's Hainan province, Jan 7, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - China's central bank saw its yuan funds outstanding for foreign exchange fall 190.5 billion yuan ($28.6 billion) 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.
Rows of new energy vehicles roll off the production line at a Chinese automaker's plant in Anhui province. Xu Congjun / For China Daily

The Chinese government is considering introducing a carbon credit regulation scheme next year as part of a detailed and practical plan to assess the efforts made by automakers towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

According to a draft regulation that was released earlier this month, carbon credit will be calculated according to the amount of reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the use of new energy vehicles manufactured in or imported to the country.

The credits should be handed in before the end of the year to the agency under the State Council, and extra credits traded on the nation's official carbon credit market, due to be rolled out in 2017.

Automakers who expect to produce more carbon emissions than agreed will be able to either purchase credits on the market. Failing to hand in the required credit after a certain buffer time, would end up with their following year's credits reduced according to the excess emissions produced. Each credit in short would incur a penalty, charged at three to five times the previous year's annual average credit price.

"This is an executable plan, which includes sanctions, to assess how carmakers are progressing with their carbon dioxide emissions reduction plans, said John Zeng, head of the Shanghai-based LMC Automotive Consulting.

He added: "The country will have a detailed and practical system to oversee the development of new energy vehicles. There is currently no assessment method or system of sanctions for automakers who fail to meet targets."

A company may earn credits by producing or importing fully electric, plug-in hybrid, fuel-cell cars, but mild hybrid cars will not earn any carbon credits. For example, the Toyota Prius, which is said to be the world's best-selling hybrid model, will not generate a single carbon credit under the government's proposed scheme.

Zeng said the draft scheme is consistent with the country's existing new energy vehicle industrial policies, and a specific calculation method would be needed.

"China is constantly encouraging fully electric, plug-in hybrid, fuel-cell vehicles, and the country's carmakers have already have expertise (in developing them)," he said.

He continued: "The carbon credit scheme should be consistent with the fuel consumption cap of 5-liters per 100 km by 2020. A conversion could be made between carbon emissions and fuel consumption."

A fine ranging from 100,000 yuan ($15,052) to as much as 1 million yuan has been proposed for automakers that report false carbon credit information.
GAC Toyota displays the powertrain system for petrol-electric hybrid cars Camry and Levin at the Beijing auto show in April. Zhang Haiyan / For China Daily

Toyota Motor Co's joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Corp aims to boost long-term sales of petrol-electric hybrid cars by offering a wide range of models.

Huang Yongqiang, vice-president of the joint venture, told China Daily that the company expects petrol-electric hybrid cars to account for up to 40 percent of its annual sales by 2020, up from less than 5 percent last year.

"We plan to introduce at least 10 new petrol-electric hybrid models in the years to 2020 covering all segments," Huang said.

This strategy ignores the fact that some of these models would not qualify for current government subsidies for new energy vehicles.

The joint venture, or GAC Toyota, now has two petrol-electric hybrid models - the mid-sized Camry and the compact Levin. In the first half of this year, combined sales of the two vehicles amounted to 13,757 units.

The company plans to boost its overall sales to 1 million cars annually by 2020 from 400,000 units last year, Huang said.

A petrol-electric hybrid car twins a conventional combustion engine with an electric motor. The combustion engine can power the car and produce electricity which can be stored in the electric motor simultaneously.

As a result, petrol-electric hybrids are much more fuel-efficient than conventional cars. For example, the Levin hybrid consumes only 4.2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers.

In addition, petrol-electric hybrid cars do not need to be charged like pure electric-powered and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Industry analysts say the government should take measures to encourage customers to buy petrol-electric hybrid cars as they are more practical than pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in terms of improving mileage and fuel efficiency in the medium term.

However, petrol-electric hybrids are unpopular in China because customers will not receive government subsidies if they buy such cars. Only pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are subsidized.

In addition, petrol-electric hybrid cars do not have priority over conventional combustion vehicles in dozens of big cities, such as Beijing and Guangzhou, which use the lucky-draw policy for providing car plates.

Huang said the company remains optimistic about the market for petrol-electric hybrid cars in the medium and long terms, because it believes customers will gradually come to recognize their advantages over conventional combustion cars as well as pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

He said the company will speed up efforts to promote petrol-electric hybrids through a slew of "circles ranging from public servants, environmental protection, fashion and technology".

The price of the 1.8-liter petrol-electric Levin is almost the same as those for comparable conventional models, Huang said.

Besides the two petrol-electric models, GAC Toyota also offers conventional versions of the Camry and Levin as well as the Highlander SUV and the Yaris subcompact.

Toyota's other tie-up in China with FAW Group Corp also makes two petrol-electric hybrid models, the Corolla and Prius. The joint venture plans to introduce several new petrol-electric cars to increase the ratio of such vehicles across all its sales to 20-30 percent in the future, the company said last year.
The promotion of standardized medical treatment in Anhui province has lowered medical costs for patients, according to the health chief of the province.

More than 20 percent of patients at 75 county-level public hospitals in Anhui in the first quarter of this year received care under the "clinical pathway management" system, which promotes standardized healthcare and reduces variability in clinical practices, Anhui Provincial Health and Family Planning Commission Director Yu Dezhi said at a news conference on Friday.

The patients' expenses decreased an average of 18.6 percent for supplementary medications and 4.28 percent for antibiotics, Yu told a news briefing organized by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the country's top health authority.

As a byproduct of the reduced costs, there were fewer disputes between patients and healthcare workers, he said.

The clinical pathway management system, which was adopted by all county-level public hospitals in Anhui province at the beginning of the year, covers 100 kinds of disease. Patients treated for these ailments receive standardized care even at different hospitals.

Certain accessory drugs and antibiotics are barred from use in these regimens.

The system will become the norm at all major public hospitals in the province by the end of the year, Yu said.

Jiang Yu, who researches China's medical reforms at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said the clinical pathway management system aims to ensure the quality of medical care while controlling expenses by cutting unnecessary medications, tests and procedures.

"The system is an innovation of Anhui province, and will be adopted nationwide," he said.

"But it has limitations. Customized treatment remains necessary for some patients."

Anhui is one of the 11 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities that have been selected to pilot a national medical reform program to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The main goals of the reform are to establish a multitiered healthcare system to alleviate the burdens on big hospitals and improve healthcare for people at the grassroots; to reform the payment system of the government's medical insurance programs; control medical expenditures; and to give the market a more important role in the healthcare sector.

Because government funding does not fully cover costs, many public hospitals in China rely largely on medication sales and fees to sustain themselves, resulting in high medical expenses for both patients and the government.
National alliance of hospitals provides wide coverage when lives are at stake

The first national alliance of hospitals providing air ambulance services took off on Sunday, covering vast regions in eight provinces with swift evacuations for people from remote rural areas to clogged city streets.

Air ambulances have become a key supplement in medical emergencies to save lives despite congestion or remote location, leading to the growth of such services in China, said Wang Jian'an, head of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

On Sunday morning, a helicopter took off from Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, and picked up a 58-year-old patient in neighboring Huzhou who needed an emergency operation. It brought the patient to a landing pad at the hospital in Hangzhou.

The round trip was brief: Within two hours, including flight time, the patient, surnamed Ding - who had suffered a heart attack - was out of surgery.

"The helicopter was so quick and convenient that it made me feel like this hospital was located in front of my house," he said.

Without the helicopter, it would likely take an ambulance more than two hours just for the return trip, instead of 30 minutes by air.

Eyeing the huge potential of air emergency services, the hospital, along with 13 other large hospitals nationwide, initiated the China Air Emergency Hospital Alliance, which is "the largest domestic alliance in the air ambulance service industry", according to Qian Siwei, head of China Air Medical Co, a major domestic provider in the field, on Sunday.

Together with the 14 large provincial hospitals, another 50 medical facilities at the city and county level in Zhejiang have joined in, improving the network in the eastern coastal province, Wang said.

Currently, 11 helicopters are part of the newly formed emergency air medical services network, able to transfer patients within a radius of 300 kilometers. A jet is also standing by, which can cover a longer distance, Qian said.

The new network covers eight provinces in eastern Zhejiang and Jiangsu, northwestern Shaanxi and Gansu, southwestern Yunnan, central Hunan and southern Hainan and Guangdong provinces, Qian said, adding that the network could also cover some islands in the South China Sea.

The helicopter can cruise at up to 300 kilometers per hour, which means a patient in Hangzhou could be reached within 7 minutes. It's also easy to land a helicopter in small flat spaces such as community squares. A helicopter can even hover when picking up a patient.

An air ambulance service doesn't come cheap. It costs as much as 30,000 yuan ($4,500) per hour, Qian said. But several insurance plans with premiums ranging from 399 yuan to 1,399 yuan, can help a patient defray the cost, he added.
A touch screen for placing online orders was installed at a store in Daxiba, Jiangxi province. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

Editor's Note:

After visiting Huichang, a county in East China's Jiangxi province, in April, China Daily made another trip in late July to discover more about the efforts the Huichang government has made to not only develop the county's economy, but also to improve its governance and cultural atmosphere.

Equipping her grocery store with an electronic touch screen for placing online orders was a good business decision for owner Hong Qinglan, a resident of Daxiba, Huichang county, Jiangxi province.

The screen, which looks like a giant smartphone standing in the store, helps shoppers browse through various goods offered by companies both locally and all around China.

Customers add the items they want to an online shopping cart, and then give the money to Hong, who places the order from her online account. The goods are then delivered to her store and customers can pick them up.

The screens are provided by e-commerce company zhc365.com, with the goal of bringing more rural residents into the world of online shopping at a time when the business model has swept urban China but has yet to expand dramatically in rural areas. Many rural residents don't know how to buy things online, and delivery services seldom reach the villages where they live.

Zhang Zuliang, manager of the Huichang branch of the company, said about 90 percent of local communities have the screens, and his branch has 12 trucks that make daily deliveries.

Hong, the store owner, said the introduction of e-shopping has benefited her business.

"Before this, I couldn't sell things such as clothes and powdered milk, as my business license doesn't cover these items," she said. "But now I can offer these things through this screen."

Yang Yunhua, a 37-year-old resident who had seldom shopped online before, said he has spent several thousand yuan online in Hong's store.

"It will cost you several yuan and some time if you take a bus to the downtown area to shop and come back. But now I only have to take a short walk to this store to choose on the screen what I want to buy," he said.

The company that developed the model is one of three e-commerce platforms whose delivery service reaches villages in Huichang county, said Xu Binfeng, deputy director of the county's e-commerce development office.

The companies are working to break through "the last kilometer" before goods arrive at the homes of rural residents. To date, the relatively small number of shipments and less developed transport infrastructure have dampened the development of delivery services to China's rural areas. But they're betting that will change with greater access to online shopping.

Online encouragement

Along with bringing in companies that make online shopping more accessible, Huichang county has come up with a series of plans and policies to develop local online businesses, including setting up an e-commerce incubator last year to foster growth.

Now 39 companies are operating in the center - among them an online food market set up by the county government in March last year. It sells 32 foods made by local companies, including dried tofu and rice noodles.

According to the data provided by Xu, the county official, the market has been visited more than 1.2 million times, and its revenue has reached 6.14 million yuan.

Xu said having the companies together in a single incubator location "helps nurture an atmosphere friendly to e-commerce".

Also helping to nurture the atmosphere are various free training programs offered by the center. This year it has presented 14 online business training courses for 738 people, of whom 125 are living in poverty.

Each course lasts seven days, with seven hours of training each day.

What's more, to encourage people to improve their financial condition by opening online stores, the county government approved a policy that provides a 5,000-yuan ($752) subsidy to young people living in poverty if their online stores have been operating for at least six months and their sales have reached 50,000 yuan.

Lan Shiyong is among those who have received the subsidy.

The 26-year-old opened two online stores selling food and leathercrafts locally after receiving a month of training at the e-commerce incubation center in November.

Lan said he learned about web page design and the operation of online stores during the training - which he said "indeed helped a lot".

Lan, whose family is poor, said he now owns three online stores that make a profit of more than 3,000 yuan a month, and he has free use of office space at the incubator center.

"My income is much better," he said, adding that he believes he can lift his family out of poverty through his online businesses.

A touch screen for placing online orders was installed at a store in Daxiba, Jiangxi province. Feng Yongbin / China Daily

(China Daily 08/15/2016 page9)
Conservation organizations have called on the Chinese government to impose a total ban on the ivory trade in the country within the next two years, and with no expiration date or financial compensation for those who would lose business.

Xu Yang, a wildlife trade specialist at the World Wildlife Fund in China, said 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," Xu said.

The WWF and TRAFFIC, an NGO that monitors the global wildlife trade, are compiling a feasibility report on banning the ivory trade in China, hoping that it will 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 within two decades," Zhou said.

At present, the trade and manufacture of registered 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 WWF China survey found that more than half of consumers don't know how to distinguish between legal and illegal ivory products.

"Despite the fact that every legal ivory carving has an identity card, many consumers don't know to ask for the card. These unclaimed cards can then be used for illegal ivory products," Xu said.

"Besides, China has a growing middle-class, people who would like to purchase ivory as a symbol of social status. The limited amount of ivory put into the legal market will not satisfy this demand."
A visitor poses in front of a painting at the exhibition that was held in Lhasa over the weekend.[Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

An exhibition of both traditional and modern-style mandala paintings opened in Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, over the weekend.

The "Heart Mandala" exhibition features the work of 14 artists, including two foreigners.

A mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol in many Dharmic religions, composed of concentric circles and squares representing the universe. In Tibetan Buddhism, it symbolizes the realm of full enlightenment.

"Many people are interested in Tibetan art, especially mandala paintings. We want to show the vigor and vitality of modern Tibetan art, as the artists in the exhibition include Tibetan, Han, and foreigners," said Sheng Liyu, co-founder of Tihho.com, a culture advocacy company that is hosting the exhibition.

The ages of the participating artists vary from 9 to 50, and the paintings on show at the exhibition are split into five categories, from traditional Thangka to Chinese painting.

Gade, one of the artists taking part, said his work is a mandala of the sun, formed using different kinds of prayer beads.

It took the 45-year-old and two of his friends two months to create the artwork, which also incorporates an ice sculpture of the Buddha that is placed in the center, atop the work.

"The ice will melt slowly, represents the changeable laws of the world," he said.

Norbu Tsering, a Tibetan artist, contributed an oil painting of a mandala that he created in 2003.

"I am happy to see different kinds of mandala paintings displayed in the gallery, and I hope more people will become interested in Tibetan modern art," said the 53-year-old.
A tsa-tsa, or miniature figurine, exhibited on Barkor Street in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, August 14, 2016.[Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

More than 300 exquisite tsa-tsas, or miniature figurines made by Tibetan Buddhists, went on display in Lhasa's Barkor Street on Sunday.

Tsa-tsa figures are votive clay images that are deposited as offerings within stupas, holy caves and monastery altars in the Himalayas and other sacred places.

Impressions in the clay are made with a metal reverse-image engraving of a hallowed deity or sacred symbol. The stamped images are then dried in the sun and in some cases fired into pottery.

The new exhibition of tsa-tsas, called "Accumulating Sand Into Stupa", is being hosted by the Tibet Artists Association and two other cultural media companies in Lhasa.

All the works on display were contributed by Zhang Ying, a national level artist who has a collection of more than 1,000 tsa-tsas.

Tsa-tsas, or miniature figurines, exhibited on Barkor Street in Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region, August 14, 2016.[Photo by Palden Nyima/chinadaily.com.cn]

The pottery and clay items came from Lhasa, Xigaze, Shannan and Ngari.

"Collecting tsa-tsas is a hobby of mine. I have had the chance to visit different Tibetan places since the 1980s when I was working in the Tibet Art Institute," said Zhang, adding that he was drawn to the figurines by both their artistry and cultural connotations.

Phuntsok Drolma, a Tibetan student from Fudan University, said she cherished the opportunity to see the exhibition.

"Tsa-tsas are not really highly valued as folk art, but they tell the story of the changes in Tibetan history and culture," she said, describing the exhibition as "a visual feast".

The tsa-tsas on display at the exhibition date from the 11th century to the 20th century.
A stone tablet with seven Chinese characters shows some soldiers starting their Long March (1934-1936) at Zhongfu village in Changting county, Longyan city, East China's Fujian province, in this Oct 19, 2014 file photo. [Photo/Xinhua]

A village in East China has turned from one that used to supply goods to revolutionary forces during war times to one that sells local farm produce online.

On Sept 30, 1934, thousands of Red Army soldiers and their officers began the Long March (1934-1936) at Zhongfu village, Changting county in Longyan city, East China's Fujian province.

During their journey, villagers at Zhongfu village provided goods and materials to help the Red Army soldiers complete the Long March and meet with other comrade-in-arms at Huining county, Southwest China's Gansu province.

Nowadays, following the trend of internet and e-commerce, locals at the revolutionary village have opened nearly 50 online outlets.

Selling the farm produce online not only broadens the market, but also avoids low selling prices, which helps increase the villagers' income. What's more, the booming e-commerce attracts local migrant workers to return home and establish their own businesses, Zhong Changyang, head of Zhongfu village, told Xinhua.

An online shop owned by villager Luo Tianling earned nearly 10 million yuan ($1.5 million), making her the sales champion in the village.

Besides, the profit margin of the online trading is higher than that of the offline trading. For example, after careful selections and packages, unit price of the passion fruits sold online is at least 20 percent higher than that of the passion fruits sold offline.

In 2015, Luo not only sold all the passion fruits planted at her family's farm, covering more than 200 mu (13.3 hectares), but also purchased the fruits grown in nearby villages and sold them nationwide online.

Besides Luo, migrant worker Xiang Lihua opened her online taobao shop selling home-made chilli sauce and ginger candy after returning home in May 2015. The online shop helped her earn a net income of more than 100,000 yuan ($15,045), which was more than twice her salary as a migrant worker.

"People who come to visit our revolutionary village will purchase local farm produce through our online shops after returning to their home. My online shop receives orders every day," Luo said to Xinhua.

Local government has also taken measures to encourage more villagers to take part in the e-commerce trend.

A local government official told Xinhua that villagers who open taobao shops do not need to pay rents for three years and are provided training free of cost. Local government not only installs network and power facilities for them without charging any fees, but also will reward the ones who show best sales report.

At present, with passion fruits and ginger candy as pivotal industries, these taobao shops at Zhongfu village have become the largest internet business incubator in the rural area of Changting county.
Shanghai's two airports have ramped up security checks as part of an anti-terrorism drive that was launched on Monday.

All passengers and their belongings must now clear anti-terrorism security before entering Shanghai Pudong International Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, according to an airport official.

The newly launched checks will focus on passengers' carry-on baggage, looking for restricted items such as knives, flammable materials, explosives and guns.

An additional 27 check points have been added in Pudong and 14 in Hongqiao, on top of the existing security check area.

The heightened security measures are being implemented as part of the nation's first anti-terrorism law, which came into effect on Jan 1.

According to article 34 of the law, security checks should be carried at all airports, railway stations, ports, metro stations, long-distance bus stations, and other high-activity areas, according to Xia Gongwei, an official from Pudong International Airport.
New York in the US is the most expensive city for international students in terms of accommodation, while the greatest number of Chinese studying overseas come from Beijing and Shanghai, according to a report.

The 2016 Overseas Student Accommodation Report, released by student.com  a global platform for students seeking accommodation overseas  found that New York, with an average weekly rent of $526, is the costliest destination for international students.

Four more US cities: San Francisco, Berkeley, La Jolla and Boston, rounded out the top five. London in the UK ranked sixth, while Sydney, Australia came in 10th.

The report only covers student accommodation prices in the UK, the US and Australia, and is based on the average listed price for properties on the student.com website.

It found that accommodation prices in the five most expensive cities remained almost unchanged year-on-year, while room prices in the UK and Australia rose sharply compared to the year previous, partly because of the arrival of large numbers of international students, including Chinese.

In 2015, more than 520,000 Chinese students went overseas and more than 300,000 of them headed to the US. The UK, which issued 71,000 student visas to China last year, is the second most popular destination for Chinese overseas students.

The vast majority come from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, according to the report.

Their top concerns when seeking lodgings overseas are safety, location, price, sunlight and potential roommates, the report said.
Huang Meihua sits in the cockpit during a training session at the Imperial Canadian Flying School. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Huang Meihua is a 19-year-old girl from Southwest China's Sichuan province who will fly from the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu to Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday.

Huang will be alone during the 16-hour journey. She will spend the next four years as an international student at the University of British Columbia pursing a bachelor's degree.

Granted a full scholarship during her freshman year at UBC, Huang will mainly take courses in the humanities department and have science as her major during her sophomore year.

Huang is a double amputee who can only move with the help of a wheelchair, as her artificial legs do not suit her very well. She has overcome problems others cannot imagine to become a genuine success story.

A magnitude-8.0 earthquake whose epicenter was in Wenchuan county in Sichuan on May 12, 2008, killed 69,226 and left 17,923 missing.

The quake buried Huang in the rubble of her primary school in Beichuan county, Sichuan province, crushing the then 11-year-old's legs. She waited helplessly in a makeshift shed without medical care.

The roads were inaccessible so a military helicopter flew Huang to Chengdu where surgeons had to amputate her legs.

"How I wished I had wings to fly to safety," she said. "It is due to this experience that I have a special feeling for pilots and flying."

After her initial recovery, Huang studied in a makeshift primary school in Beichuan, earning the highest score in all of her subjects. A year after the earthquake, she started her sixth grade at the Guangya School. She was offered a free education by headmaster Qing Guangya until her graduation from its high school in 2016.

Guangya, the first private school in China, educates students who will pursue university studies in English-speaking countries. All subjects are taught in English.

"Upon entering the school, Huang didn't understand English. During her first semester, she scored 66 out of 100 in English, but she was quick-witted and studied very hard to receive a score of 98 the following semester," her teacher Yi Jing said.

"Since that second semester, she has been a top student in her class of 20 and is very good in English, biology and chemistry. When she talks with foreign teachers, she is fluent in English," Yi said.

In December, Huang applied for a pilot training program at the Imperial Canadian Flying School when it enrolled trainees from the Guangya School.

Moved by her story and enterprising spirit, the school offered her free training in Vancouver for three weeks in March, covering all her living expenses.

"One does not need feet to fly a plane. As a straight-A student most of time, I believe I can be a pilot," Huang said.

Real flights are different from the analogue machine. After training for a certain amount of time, the trainer took Huang and another trainee to a fixed wing aircraft.
BEIJING -- China on Monday voiced "firm" opposition after two Japanese cabinet members paid homage to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

"That some Japanese cabinet members paid tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine, which honors Class-A convicted war criminals and aims to beautify aggression wars, once again proved the Japanese government's wrong attitude to the history-related issue," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said in response to a question from the press.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Lu urged the Japanese side "to squarely face and deeply reflect upon the history of aggression, deal with relative issues in a responsible and appropriate way, and work to win trust from its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete moves."
Wang Zhen (left 1 in the front row), a Red Army's military leader, took photos with Miao ethnic people in Feb, 1936. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Second Front Army was formed in the latter stage of the Long March, composed of forces from the Second Corps and the Sixth Corps. Its trek started from Sangzhi county of Central China's Hunan province in November 1935 and completed in October 1936.

Nov 1935

The Second Corps and the Six Corps led respectively by He Long and Ren Bishi started the long march from Sangzhi county, Hunan province.

Feb 8, 1936

The Second Corps and the Six Corps set up a revolutionary committee for the Chuan-Dian-Qian new Soviet area, focusing on mobilizing locals to join their forces to resist Japan's aggression and Kuomingtang's repression.

Apr 1936

The army successfully crossed Jinsha River from Lijiang, Yunnan province, to Sichuan province. Thanks to their favorable policies on religion and ethnic minorities, the troop got well-recuperated in Zhongdian county.

July 1936

The 2nd and 6th Corps and the Fourth Front Army joined forces in the Long March in Garze county, Southwest China's Sichuan province. The two and part of the forces from First Front Army formed the Second Front Army.

October 1936

The Second Front Army successfully joined forces with the First and the Fourth Front Armies in Gansu, which marked the completion of the Long March.
Xu Xiangqian, a major leader of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army. [Photo/Xinhua] March 1935

The Fourth Front Army of the Red Army started its long march from Cangxi county in Sichuan province. The main force of the front army crossed the Jialingjiang River to break the blockade of Kuomintang troops.

May 1935

Main force of the Fourth Front Army conquered the Tumen town and Maoxian county town.

June 1935

The Central Red Army, (First Front Army), arrived in Maogong, today's Xiaojin county in Sichuan, after climbing the Jiajinshan Mountain. The Fourth Front Army joined forces with the Central Red Army.

After joining forces with the Central Red Army, the Fourth Front Army was led by Zhang Guotao to go south, aiming to set up a revolutionary base area in western Sichuan province. But the front army suffered huge losses during the fights with Kuomintang troops while going south.

July 1936

The 2nd and 6th Corps and the Fourth Front Army joined forces in the Long March in Garze county, Southwest China's Sichuan province.

October 1936

The three major forces of red army, the First, Second and Fourth Front Armies joined together in Northwest China's Gansu province.
Led by Hiroshi Takahashi, it is rolling up its digital sleeves to vie with LeTV and Xiaomi

April 1 may be the day when even smart, wise people fall prey to practical jokes, but for Peking University's Japanese alumnus Hiroshi Takahashi, in his 60s, it marked the beginning of a really serious project this year: that of conquering the China tech market, potentially the world's largest, for Sony's local unit.

April 1 also signalled Takahashi's return to China, where he had worked for six years (1994 to 2000) with Sony. In fact, back then, he had helped found Sony Corp's China unit.
The First World Jilin Merchants Conference, which took place from July 27 to 29, is expected to bring benefits to both investors and local residents.

Wang Luna, head of the Hebei provincial branch of the Jilin Merchants Association, said she plans to invest in a range of projects in the tourism, energy-saving and intelligent community construction sectors.

"I hope to contribute to the development of my home province of Jilin," she said.

Ma Weidong, head of the Laos economic and trade delegation, who runs a tourism company in Laos, said he is investing 15 million yuan ($2.25 million) in the pensions industry in his hometown of Baishan city in southeastern Jilin province.

"Local elderly people will see improved services as a result of my investment," he said, adding that he also plans to work with travel agencies in the Changbai Mountain area to boost tourism.

Zhang Simin, the newly-elected chairman of the Jilin Merchants Association, called on the province's entrepreneurs to do more to facilitate local development.

"I spent my childhood, primary school and high school years in Changchun, so I feel deeply connected with my hometown," said Zhang, who is also president of the Neptunus Group, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of pharmaceuticals and biochemical drugs.

"The black soil and dense forests (of the province) have nurtured brave, kind, and adventurous people and merchants. Our association unites Jilin merchants across the world and contribute greatly to the province's economic revival," he added.

According to Jilin provincial government statistics, Jilin businesspeople have invested in all 31 of China's mainland provinces, as well as Taiwan, and Macao and Hong Kong special administrative regions. They also have businesses in at least 36 countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, France and Cuba.

China Daily

(China Daily 08/15/2016 page22)
The Stage, directed by and starring Chen Peisi (left), is the first production by the Beijing Comedy Theater.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In the past year, some visitors to the National Center for the Performing Arts have been puzzled over program schedules that list five venues, because they could only find four of them inside the giant egg-shaped structure in Beijing.

The fifth, it turns out, is a few miles to the east on the Second Ring Road. More unique than its location is its exclusive devotion to the art of comedy.

The Beijing Comedy Theater opened on July 16, 2015, with a bang.

Its first offering, The Stage, directed by and starring Chen Peisi, won such an overwhelming wave of accolades that critics called it "an instant classic".

Although the story is set in the warlords-dominated days of the early Republic of China era, it has a poignancy that reminds one of Chen's own tug of war with the establishment.

Chen, who is artistic director of the Beijing Comedy Theater, is nationally known for his TV sketch comedy.

But after a famous fallout with the all-powerful CCTV, he turned to theater and has risen to a stature that veteran stage director Chen Xinyi calls "the greatest master in the art of comedy".

To ensure that the 1,186-seat house had a good start, he even turned down an offer to appear in a reality show about comedy that is highly lucrative and high-profile.

Jiang Kun, who has been Chen Peisi's close friend since their standup years, praised him for the "calmness to be well grounded in such a hurly-burly environment".

And Chen Peisi has results to show for iton top is the "thinning physique" as he pointed out.

During the first year of operation, Beijing Comedy Theater presented 35 productions with a total of 212 performances. That included eight foreign productions.

Audience attendance reached 176,000, which translated to an average of 70 percent of capacity, a very decent showing by Chinese standards.

And box-office receipts totaled 29.6 million yuan ($4.48 million), which averaged 201 yuan per ticket, affordable to most Beijing residents and visitors.

"We are lucky that we started at the tipping point," says Chen Peisi. "To keep it going, I believe we have to rely on quality works rather than marquee names."

He is aware that his heavy involvement in programming could be a double-edged sword, propelling the venture forward with his reputation yet constraining its growth because it could be equated with his personal style of comedy.

Even though the first year is bracketed with two of his plays, including the currently running House, a comedic whodunit written and directed by Chen Peisi but not starring him, the theater has invited acclaimed works of diverse styles that have been established in other places.

They include an offering from the widely popular slapstick Mahua FunAge series and dark, thought-provoking satires like President's Invitation and The Donkey.

These shows have been sold out elsewhere, but their inclusion in this new institution could well be a hint that Lyu Xiaoping, the mastermind behind President's Invitation, which was originally a student production of a play, is "responsible for the art of comedy rather than for any government agency that oversees the house", he says.

At a forum commemorating the first anniversary of the theater, Peng Li, a poet, said that China actually does not have a comedy tradition. "We love to cry, even at the slightest prod. That's why we are flooded with cheap melodrama on television."

He and several other panelists said that the theater could position itself as a flag-bearer of Chinese comedy.

Beijing Comedy Theater is a joint operation with three partnersthe NCPA; DaDao Culture, Chen's production company; and the venue itself, which used to be called Dongfang Theater until last June. It is entering its second year with a richer mix of programs, including classics such as Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It and The Tempest.
Anshun Di Opera By Yang Fan ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2016-08-15

Guizhou's Anshun city is home to the special culture Dixi opera, also known as Di Opera. The opera dates back more than 600 years to the beginning of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The operas roots span back to when the then Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent troops to Guizhou to defend Southwest China. Soldiers from different parts brought their cultures to the region, helping create the unique Tunpu culture and Di Opera is a result.

The opera is usually performed during Spring Festival and in July of the lunar calendar when crops ripen. Farmers of the same village perform together to pray for a good harvest and good fortune.

A major part of the opera is fighting scenes, which were included as a way to remind soldiers working in agriculture during peace time to practice their fighting skills in case of war.

Performers cover their heads with cyan scarfs and wear masks on the foreheads and military uniforms around their waists. With weapons in hand, performers of the opera tell stories through song and dance.

The mask is a very important element of Di Opera. Newly-made masks are regarded simply as normal sculptures. However, once the masks go through the religious rite of opening the light, they are said to become the embodiment of deities and become divine.

Such exquisite and brightly colored masks require equally exquisite skills to produce. One man who knows this process more than most is 65-year-old An Faxiang, who has been making masks for Di Opera for more than 50 years.

Approximately 1,000 masks have been born out of Ans hands. Though the masks are different in detail, they contain one of four expressions: joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

Real life is just like the expressions on the masks. We cannot get rid of these emotions, said An.

Di Opera was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and is known as a "living fossil of drama". As an important element of local tourism, the masks are becoming popular and have been sold in other countries around the world.
Updated : 2016-08-15

By Zhang Xiaoyu (chinadaily.com.cn)

Hong Kong students surround the model of the state-of-the-art film studio with eager curiosity in Huallywood Wuxi Studios, on Aug 11. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Sixty Hong Kong students enjoying an exchange program to Jiangsu province visited Wuxi's Huallywood, a state-of-the-art film studio, on Aug 11. The students are on a trip to Jiangsu province and having spent the first part of their time in the capital, Nanjing, they are now discovering Wuxi and its surrounding area.

The students had the chance to explore the fascinating world of modern movie production at a site often labeled "China's Hollywood". Upon arrival, the visiting students became visibly excited by the impressive European-style buildings, housing part of Huallywood studios, and the expansive green landscape situated not far from Taihu Lake.

The surrounding area has been totally transformed from its days as an industrial factory and the students thoroughly enjoyed their afternoon of exploration. Led by highly informative guides who work at the studio, the students were led on a tour of old film sets, a museum dedicated to digital movie technology, and a space technology center.

Nicole, a 21-year-old student from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, expressed her excitement at spending time in such a stimulating and interesting environment. She enjoyed the multiple interactive experiences on offer at Huallywood and was interested to learn about the advanced technology used in modern films. As for the city of Wuxi, she said she appreciated the beautiful scenery, the laid back pace of life, and the city's delicious cuisine. She hopes to return to the city at somepoint in the future.

The largely teenage group will spend another five days in Wuxi to soak up the city's unique cultural atmosphere. They will visit Huaxi Village, Shanlian Village, Nanchang Street, Huishan Ancient Town and the Yixing Pottery Museum.

Co-organized by Hong Kong Future Star Federation of Students, a non-profit social group, and the government of Jiangsu province, the exchange program has sent over 3,000 university students to the Chinese mainland since 2005. The non-profit carries out these exchange programs with the hope of broadening cultural horizons and fostering strong interpersonal relationships.
Teacher Ruan Hua (R) talks with a delinquent juvenile offender in a correctional center in Hefei, East China's Anhui province, May 4, 2011. Four teachers at a local elementary school visited the center ahead of Mother's Day to talk to offenders. It was reported that most of the delinquent juveniles committed crimes because a lack of proper education and parental care.[Photo/Xinhua]

A 13-YEAR-OLD BOY in Southwest China's Sichuan province severely burnt the face of a 24-year-old woman by throwing gasoline on her and setting it alight, while trying to rob her of her cellphone. The woman was severely hurt, yet the boy did not receive any criminal penalty because of his age. It is time to lower the minimum age for criminal responsibility, comments Southern Metropolis Daily:

What happened in Sichuan is not an isolated incident. One month ago, a 13-year-old boy in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region killed three people, but the "punishment" he received was only rectification for three years in a center for juvenile delinquents. Last October, three pupils killed a female teacher, yet they received the same light penalty, as they all were under 14 when committing the crime, which is the threshold for criminal responsibility.

The Law on Protection of Minors, which says that those under the age of 14 will not face criminal charges even if they commit a serious crime, has loopholes. Some experts defend it by saying that minors are not so cruel and should be given the chance of being re-educated, but when youngsters commit crimes such as murder, This argument no longer stands.

Internationally, it is also common practice to give minors their deserved penalties when they commit severe crimes such as rape, murder, or robbery. For example, in the United States, some states treat the minors that commit certain severe crimes the same as adults and make rulings equally; some states will consider whether the delinquents are frequent criminal offenders, if they are, they will receive the same punishments as adults.

It is time for China to consider revising the Law on Protection of Minors. The law should protect all people, not just minors only, and it should not become an excuse for minors to escape punishment for their crimes. The law may actually encourage young people to commit crimes as they know they will not be subject to the same penalties as adults.
Qian Yunfei, a local TV journalist, was assaulted by a group of men in in Dezhou in East China's Shandong province on Wednesday. [A screen shot from the interview]

WHEN A FIRE BROKE OUT at an enterprise in Dezhou in East China's Shandong province on Wednesday, a local TV journalist tried to report what was happening, but said he was prevented from doing so by a group of men who assaulted him and seized his camera. The version of events given by the local police has aroused widespread doubts, and Xinhua News Agency has called for an investigation by higher authorities to find out the truth:

Who beat the journalist? The local police said it was the company's employees. But the journalist said that there were at least 20 men beating him up, and they were all wearing police uniforms.

More importantly, although the police said that they returned the camera to the journalist, he said the video of the fire and the scene of the beating had been deleted. Why was the camera in the hands of the police? Who deleted the video? These have aroused further doubts about the version of events given by the police. The higher police authorities have formed a team to investigate the incident and we hope the results of their investigation will be made public as soon as possible.

The law protects freedom of the press, and journalists have the right to report on events. Various levels of local governments are required to assist them in their work.

However, in reality, some local officials are still trapped in the old rigid mindset that "bad news will ruin the image of a city" and often prevent journalists from covering local news when something bad happens. Sometimes they even use violence for that purpose.

Such a mindset is outdated. Almost everybody has a camera on their phones and photos and video quickly spread via social networks.

Local officials' attempts to hide the truth when something bad happens is against the central leadership's call for greater transparency in governance.
Staff work at the information desk for the 2016 G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting at the Pudong Shangri-La East Shanghai hotel in Shanghai, Feb 24. [Photo/IC]

The theme of the 11th G20 Leaders' Summit, "building an innovative, invigorated, interconnected and inclusive world economy", will help China better play its role in world economic development as well as encourage it to promote its innovative mechanism to deepen the interconnectivity of and boost the global economy. China has been the main driver of world economic growth but as the host of the G20 summitscheduled for Sept 4-5 in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang provinceits global role has acquired greater importance because of the global economic slowdown and dwindling trade, and developed countries, including the United States, inability to use innovation to tide over the economic problems.

But deepening the interconnectivity of the global economy is a job easier said than done. G20 economies, both developed and developing, have their own policies and interests, which are sometimes difficult to coordinate. On one hand, developed countries try to pressure developing economies into further opening their domestic markets as well as take advantage of their capital to sway the latter's economic trend. On the other hand, while introducing foreign capital and technologies, developing countries are worried about the developed world's capital monopoly and technological control and thus tend to set certain restrictions.

Some developed countries have gone all out to sabotage established free trade rules and resorted to trade protectionism. Such practices are essentially aimed at creating a new regime of unfair trade for developing countries and replace essential unfairness with superficial fairness.

Developing countries are comparatively weak in capital and technological advancement; their only advantages are cheap labor, low environmental protection costs and relatively open intellectual property rights. But it is exactly in those areas that developed countries try to force the developing economies to raise their costs, and pressure them to import genetically modified (GM) foods, while turning a blind eye to their low-level health conditions and administrative management. In so doing, developed countries ignore the fact that ordinary people in developing countries have little knowledge of GM foods and that their administrative and commodity management is still at a relatively low level, and thus endanger their national safety and interests.

The developed world usually tends to protect its labor market and impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidy sanctions on the developing countries making it even more difficult for them to export their products. For example, the European Parliament declines to recognize China as a market economy even though that is in violation of the agreements the European Union reached with China when it joined the World Trade Organization. This practice has hurt China's exports to the EU and seriously compromised the "spirit of contract" deep-rooted in world trade.

The Hangzhou G20 summit should pay attention to all these problems and try to expand the common ground by resolving the developed and developing countries' differences and deepening the interconnectivity of the world economy.

The term "inclusive" is part of the Hangzhou summit's theme. And countries, developed or developing, big or small, can work together and promote mutual cooperation only if they have an inclusive approach. An inclusive approach will also help them to make more friends than enemies. Such an approach is not only essential for global economic cooperation, but should also become a top principle for diplomacy.

Compared with a realistic and tit-for-tat approach usually seen in Western cultures, Chinese culture has celebrated the "spirit of inclusiveness" since ancient times. So, how to make the developed countries in G20 embrace this spirit and help them realize the quintessence of China's traditional culture can be of vital importance to the success of the Hangzhou summit and maintenance of world peace. As a responsible power and the host country, China should brave all difficulties to undertake this responsibility.

The author is a professor of Japan studies at China Foreign Affairs University.
Across Loula media tour made its third stop in Qiemo county in south eastern margin of Tarim Basin on August 14. A special concert was held for the first time ever in the desert: Konghou concert. According to public information, no such concert using this instrument and on this site has been held before. Cyberspace Administration Office of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Party publicity department of Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture hosted this event together.

Konghou, an ancient plucked stringed instrument called cank in Persian and cagry in Sogdian language that has more than 2000 years of history, is said to have been brought into ancient China in around Han Dynasty. Residents living in Qiemo county have long been connected with konghou. Even before the Silk Road took shape, konghou was already an important part of their daily life.

Promoting this ancient instrument to the world means a lot both for strengthening local economys core competitiveness in tourism industry and protecting this important musical instrument.

Its also an active and innovative response from local authority to the nations One Belt One Road strategy and to revitalization of the cultural industry strategy.

In 2015, Lu Lu, vice-president of Konghou institute under the Chinese Musicians Association, guided a group of professionals to Qiemo and build long-term cooperation with local authority, a nonprofit teaching base of konghou where public can participate was built under this background. Many children have benefited by training there.

Xuxiaohua, director of Party Publicity Department of Qiemo county, said as more people get familiar with konghou and admire its beauty, they hope Konghou could be a symbol of Qiemo county. By precisely positioning the key industry we can further realize the potential of the countys economy, Xu said.

Participants rest after taking part in the concert. [Photo by Wu Zheyu/chinadaily.com.cn]

A view of konghou concert held in desert on August 14. [Photo by Wu Zheyu/chinadaily.com.cn]
Cai Meng / China Daily

There are so many exciting and world-renowned attractions to see in China, such as the Great Wall, the Palace Museum and Mount Huangshan. With 5,000 years of history and civilization, China is home to the second highest number (50) of UNESCO World Heritage Sites; only Italy (51) has more.

China's domestic tourism market has been booming over the last decade, with a 10 percent annual growth on average. Chinas top-rated, AAAAA or 5A, tourist attractions have tripled from 66 in 2007 to more than 200 at present, with three sites being stripped of their 5A rating accreditations.

The first case of cancellation of the 5A-rated accreditation was Shanhaiguan Pass, the eastern end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Great Wall in Hebei province, last October, while Chongqing municipalitys Shenlong Gorge and Hunan provinces Orange Isle lost their privilege later. The common problems found by the China National Tourism Administration at the three sites included overpricing, bad sanitation, poor facility maintenance and degraded services.

The mechanism of revoking ratings initiated by the CNTA has been widely welcomed by the public, because it explicitly indicates A-ratings are revocable, not an assurance of a once-and-for-ever privilege.

It is worth noting that the failure to promote the tourism toilet revolution launched by the CNTA in January 2015 is the soft underbelly of most tourist attractions in China. In fact, many toilets at tourist sites have been built following high standards, but since the management is not up to the same standards and most users behaviors are unhealthy and uncivil, they become dirty and quickly fall into disrepair. That could be remedied by following the ABC rule, namely architecture, behavior and cleaning. (Refer to Elegant toilet culture to boost tourism, China Daily, May 20, 2016.)

It is also worth emphasizing that a systematic and comprehensive approach is needed to develop tourism in a healthy manner. Indeed, tourism promotion and marketing campaigns can boost demand. But it is more important to first improve and strengthen the supply side  the quality infrastructure of and services rendered at tourist sites. The Chinese joke of Inside attractions is Europe, but outside is Africa is not funny but shameful. The development of scenic spots should be integrated into the master plans of local cities.

For example, despite being a small city-state, Singapore attracts tens of millions of tourists every year. Its tourism strategy focuses far beyond a single industry. Tourism in Singapore has shaped the environment, influenced conservation and heritage policies, and improved local residents quality of life. The industry has also helped boost the city-states global reputation and attractiveness as a top place to work, study and live.

It is a positive sign that Chinas 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) has clearly outlined the long-term vision for its tourism industry, which will focus on advancing the industrys overall service quality and its deeper integration into other national and regional development plans. Although these sound good on paper, the question is whether and how domestic tourist attractions will be able to meet the goals.

As the first step, tourist spots need to change their outdated mindset. Being accredited with a rating is just a starting point but not an end in itself. To match the fast pace of growing and higher demand on quality tourism in China, tourist spots should treat their any A-ratings as a motivation for further advancement, rather than a gimmick to just sell tickets at inflated prices, risking short-term gain but long-term pain.

The author is a consultant for the Institute of Water Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore.
An elk walks across a bridge in the Elk National-level Nature Reserve in Dafeng, Jiangsu province, August 14, 2016. August 14 marks the 30th anniversary of introducing 39 elks, which are endangered, from the UK to Dafeng, in Jiangsu province. Under the support of the local government and research personnel, the population of elks has reached 3223, of which the number of wild elks is 295, making the Elk National-level Nature Reserve in Dafeng the biggest elk nature reserve, as well as the largest elk gene pool, in the world. After 30 years of efforts, Elks in Dafeng have been effectively protected, boosting the balance of the wetland ecosystem and its biodiversity.[Photo by Zhou Gukai/Asianewsphoto]
Japan shall take history as mirror to achieve reconciliation with other Asian nations: civic group (Xinhua) Updated: 2016-08-15 06:54

TOKYO - "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.
Chen Jingxian and her airplane in New York. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Not everybody gets to fulfil their dreams, but 31-year-old Chen Jingxian, from a small town in Sichuan province, is well on the way to living hers - to be the first Chinese woman to circumnavigate the world.

She spoke exclusively to China Daily after her recent arrival in Paris, accompanied by her crew and an essential traveling companion, Ebony, a stuffed toy cat.

Flying in a tiny single-engined Beech Bonanza A26, Chen left Cleveland, Ohio on August 1, with stops in New York, Boston, Canada, Greenland and Iceland before reaching Paris earlier this month. After Paris she will touch down in Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, traversing Saudi Arabia to Dubai, before hopping from India via Thailand to China.

She is still applying for permission to land in China, and after a brief stop in her homeland, she plans to head for Japan and Russia before re-entering the US by way of Alaska.

That's some trip for a girl who'd never been to a big city until she went to university in Beijing at the age of 18.

It was in Beijing that she read the classic flying books such as "Wind, Sand and Stars" and "Night Flight" written by the legendary French pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who also wrote "The Little Prince" fairy tale.

Reading those books, a plan started to emerge.

"His experience made me want to know how to fly, and what is the feeling of flying around the world," Chen said.
TOKYO - Regardless of the feelings of the peoples of neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

Abe is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea, said Kyodo News.

Meanwhile, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda visited the notorious shrine on Monday morning.

Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from WWII and is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures as he addresses the nation from the historic Red Fort during Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, India, August 15, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW DELHI - India celebrated its 70th Independence Day Monday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking the opportunity to hit out at neighbouring Pakistan for "glorifying terrorists" who attack this country.

In his address to the nation from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in the national capital, Modi minced firm words at Pakistan. "They glorify terrorists who attack us. (But) India had cried with sorrow when nearly 130 children were killed in a massacre by the Taliban in Peshawar two years ago," he said.

The Prime Minister also referred to Pakistan's human rights abuses in its large province of Balochistan and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, saying that the people of those areas have thanked him for drawing attention to their troubles.

Modi's Independence Day speech came as the Indian government struggles to contain the unrest in Indian-controlled Kashmir in the wake of the killing of 22-year-old militant Burhan Wani, terror outfit Hizbul Mujahiddin's poster boy for new militancy, on July 8 by Indian security forces. More than 60 people have been killed in the violence so far.

India blames Pakistan for instigating the violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir, through terrorists sent across the border as well as its state agencies. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has eulogized Wani as a martyr and encouraged huge marches to protest against his killing.

While Pakistan observes its Independence Day on August 14, India celebrates the same a day after to commemorate the nation's independence from the British Empire on Aug 15, 1947. It's a national holiday and schools and government offices distribute sweets.
At the invitation of Premier Li Keqiang, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will start a five-day visit to China on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

She will hold meetings with China's leaders to exchange views on China-Myanmar relations and issues of common concern, and also visit cities other than Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said.

Suu Kyi's trip, the first visit by a member of Myanmar's new administration to China, will render great significance to promote a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two neighbors, Lu said.

The premier's invitation was offered on the basis that the position Suu Kyi holds ranks second in Myanmar's leadership structure after its president (U Htin Kyaw), Lu explained.

"Referring to China's protocol tradition and the state counselor's previous visits to other countries, Premier Li invited her for the visit and will preside over meetings," Lu said.
(Photo : VCG/VCG via Getty Images) Former President of the Philippines Fidel Valdez Ramos attends the BFA Golf Invitation 2011 as part of the Boao Forum For Asia at golf field of The International Conference Center of the Boao on April 14, 2011 in Boao, Hainan Province of China.

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The Philippine government is set to meet with Chinese counterparts to further dialogue relative to the South China Sea dispute.



This was the result of the informal meeting of former Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos and foreign affairs chief of China's top legislature Fu Ying and China's National Institute of South China Seas Studies president Wu Shicun in Hong Kong.



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It can be noted that the friendship between the two countries have been reportedly "jeopardized" following the arbitration case on the South China Sea dispute initiated by the Philippines' immediate past President Benigno S. Aquino III.



As reported by China Daily, the Philippine's special envoy has sat down with his "old friends" somewhere with a "friendly atmosphere.



"The informal discussions focused on the need to engage in further talks to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions to pave the way for overall cooperation for the benefit of both their peoples and the region," a statement released after the talks read.



For his part, deputy head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies Li Guoqiang said that "Through the visit of Ramos, the Philippines is expected to hear China's voice and understand Beijing's concerns over South China Sea issues, to improve bilateral ties."



Meanwhile, GMA News reported that former Philippine interior secretary Rafael Alunan, who was with Ramos during the meeting in Hong Kong, shared that both sides agreed about "encouraging track two or think-tank exchanges... where we will be discussing contentious issues."



"That would relieve us [of] the burden of discussing contentious issues because we have another group doing that while we explore ways and means on how to move our relations forward," Alunan added about the most recent South China Sea dispute talks between the two countries.







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Tagschina, Philippines, South China Sea Dispute, south china sea news
(Photo : Getty Images) A satellite image of the Senkaku Islands located in the East of China on April 01, 2016 in Japan.

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China has sent fighter jets to the disputed Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea on several occasions since May, with one of them coming within 50km of Japan's territorial airspace around the islets, according to a Japanese government official.



Tokyo scrambled its Air Self-Defence Force (ASDF) after the Chinese aircraft came close to violating Japanese airspace, according to the government source, who described the move as "abnormal," according to the South China Morning Post.



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China and Japan have been involved in a territorial dispute over the uninhabited islands in the East China Sea, which Japan refers to as the Senkaku Islands. The source added that China has sent military aircrafts to the disputed islets more than three times since late May.



Between April and June, Japan scrambled fighters as a countermeasure for approaching Chinese aircrafts a record 199 times, as opposed to 198 times in the previous quarter, according to Japan's Defence Ministry.



Earlier this month, the ministry released a white paper criticizing China's activities in the disputed waters as "a high-handed, unilateral action to change the status quo."



Tokyo has also protested against the presence of Chinese naval vessels that have sailed in close proximity to or entered the disputed waters of the East China Sea, including a contiguous zone around the Diaoyu islands.



As previously reported, Japan's foreign ministry expressed its concerns in an official statement to Beijing after nearly 230 coast guard ships and fishing vessels were seen in the waters of the disputed East China Sea islets.



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Tagschina, Japan, Fighter Jets, East China Sea, East China Sea dispute, Senkaku Islands, Diaoyu Islands, Chinese fighter jets
(Photo : Getty Images) Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to historical Yasukuni Shrine on Monday to mark the anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat, Reuters reported.



"This was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide to Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who presented the offering.



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Visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by Japan's top politician often enrages China and South Korea, who see it as a symbol of Japan's wartime atrocities. Both countries allege that the shrine honors Japanese soldiers, some of whom are convicted war criminals.



Last month, China was also irked by the appointment of nationalist defense minister Tomomi Inada, who firmly believes in amending Japan's post-war pacifist constitution. After her appointment, Inada ducked a question on the infamous Nanjing massacre, which infuriating China.



Inada is one of the regular visitors to Yasukuni Shrine. However, Inada may not able to visit the shrine this time, as she would be visiting troops in Djibouti.



China and Japan's diplomatic relation has been haunted by the painful legacy of World War 2, with China accusing Tokyo of not acknowledging its wartime crimes. The bilateral relationship between both nations has been equally affected by maritime disputes in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.



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(Photo : Twitter/DalaiLama) A top Chinese official claims that foreign forces are trying to 'influence' the Tibetan Buddhism religion.

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China has warned that foreign forces are trying to "influence" the Tibetan Buddhism religion.



A senior Chinese official urged Tibetan monks to stay away from the influence of foreign forces, which are attempting to destabilize the Tibetan autonomous region. The official did not reveal the identity of 'foreign forces.'



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Yu Zhengsheng, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), urged Tibetan monks to carry forward their "patriotic traditions" and guide their followers in the region to safeguard national and ethnic unity. He also called on Chinese authorities to protect the religious freedom of all ethnic groups.



"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," Yu said during his visit to the Galden Jampaling Monastery last Friday, according to Xinhua.



Critics have accused China of interfering in Tibet's religious affairs. Tibetan groups recently accused Beijing of demolishing Larung Gar monastery - the largest Buddhist education institute in Tibet. Located in Ganze Tibetan Autonomous Region in Sichuan province, the Larun Gar Monastery is considered one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist study centers in the world. The Chinese government, however, dismissed the allegations saying that the demolition drive is part of renovation work.



Tibetan spiritual and political leader Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and set up a government-in-exile in the northern Indian city of Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh. He has been in exile since. Beijing considers the Dalai Lama a separatist.



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Tagschina, Tibet, Buddhism, Dalai Lama, Tibetan
(Photo : Getty Images) Japan is planning to deploy new land-to-sea missiles to disputed islands in the East China Sea.

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Japan is adopting a more aggressive stance in the East China Sea with a new plan to deploy new land-to-sea missiles to the disputed islands.



Japanese media reported that Tokyo has decided to deploy the new land-to-sea missiles to increase its maritime defense capabilities in the wake of China's growing "aggression" in the region.



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"In light of China's repeated acts of provocation around the Senkaku Islands, Japan aims to increase deterrence with improved long-range strike capability," Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.



The new missiles, with a range of 300 kilometers, will be deployed on islands such as Miyako in 2023. Japan aims to protect its territorial waters around the disputed Senkaku Islands with the help of the new missile.



Chinese state media has slammed Japan's decision to deploy missiles to the islands.



"If Japan wants to make trouble with China on the latter's path to the Pacific, then it shouldn't make a fuss about the fact that China will limit Japan's waterways in the South China Sea," Global Times said in a strong-worded editorial. "Japan shouldn't use double standards between the militarization of the Miyako Islands and the militarization of the Nansha Islands."



Japan has been engaged in a bitter maritime dispute with China over the East China Sea. Tokyo is also supporting the Philippines in its dispute with China over territories in the South China Sea. The Japanese government last week announced that it would provide two patrol vessels and a surveillance aircraft to the Philippines.



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TagsJapan, china, East China Sea, Miyako, Senkaku Islands
(Photo : Russian Aerospace Forces) Russian PAK FA stealth fighter.

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Russia is ordering an initial run of only 12 of its much hyped Sukhoi PAK FA fifth-generation stealth fighter, a sign it has doubts about spending hundreds of billions of dollars on the most expensive plane in its history when its economy has been in recession for the past 18 months.



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Media reports say the Russian Aerospace Forces is expected to sign a contract for an initial batch of a dozen of the stealth fighters with JSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) this year. UAC is the state-owned firm that will manufacture the jet. Delivery of this initial lot is expected to begin in 2017.



Established only on Aug. 1, 2015, the Russian Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno-Kosmicheskiye Sily) consist of three sub-branches: the Air Force; Air Defense Troops and Space Forces.



PAK FA remains controversial because the cost of the six prototype T-50 aircraft built so far exceeds $50 million per jet, according to Russian sources. American analysts claim the cost per plane is actually $100 million.



Despite the hefty price tag for the PAK FA, Russian defense sources were quoted as saying last June the T-50 has "reached a stage where it's combat capable and ready for mass production and for use by the Russian Aerospace Forces."



The fate of future orders for the PAK FA, however, will depend on the outcome of what's being described as interesting debates on whether Russia really does need a very expensive stealth fighter like the PAK FA when the country might not be able to pay for it. Russia will probably need over a hundred of these fighters and foreign orders (which are uncertain) to drive down the cost per plane.



Opponents of the PAK FA claim the Russian fourth generation fighter, the Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E, has the enhanced combat capabilities that make it capable of holding its own against American stealth fighters such as the F-35 and the F-22 Raptor.



Russian military analysts have kept harping on their belief the Su-35S can outmaneuver both American aircraft due to its thrust vectoring engines. The Su-35S can also detect them using an infrared search and track system that can identify American stealth jets out to 80 km. It's also faster and has greater range than both American jets.



Another negative for the PAK FA are its engines. The PAK FA and its prototype, the T-50, are powered by a pair of Saturn Izdeliye 117 afterburning turbofan engines developed for the Su-35S.



The Izdeliye 117 is intended as an interim engine for the PAK FA and its production engine, the Izdeliye 30, is expected to come off the production line only between 2025 and 2027. That means the PAK FA will become woefully underpowered compared to the American stealth fighters until 2025 at the earliest.



These shortcomings of the PAK FA are the main reasons the Russian Aerospace Forces has taken a wait-and-see approach towards the new jet.



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TagsRussia, PAK FA, Russian Aerospace Forces, JSC United Aircraft Corporation, Sukhoi Su-35S Flanker-E
(Photo : Getty Images) China is attempting to prevent any discussions of the South China Sea dispute at the upcoming G20 Summit in Hangzhou next month.

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China will seek to keep the focus of the upcoming G20 Summit purely on economic issues with no scope for any possible discussion about the contentious South China Sea dispute, Bloomberg reported.



When asked if China will allow discussions about South China Sea issue during the upcoming G20 summit, Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong said G20 leaders must not allow other topics to distract them, adding that the summit is purely about global economic governance, trade, and investment.



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The leaders of the world's 20 largest economies will assemble in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 4 and 5 to discuss a range of global economic issues. The summit is set to take place amid the prolonged economic recession and the ongoing slowdown in Chinese economy.



Beijing fears that the US and its allies will use the G20 summit as a platform to raise up the South China Sea issue. China is hesitant about such a move, given that it is already under pressure after an international tribunal court dismissed its claim over disputed maritime territory.



Earlier this year, G7 leaders defied China's stern warning by including the South China Sea dispute in the final statement of their summit. The G7 statement was criticized by China.



Meanwhile, China is apparently garnering support to counter any possible move by the US and its allies during the G20 Summit. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who concluded three-day tour to India on Sunday, requested New Delhi's support on the issue.



According to sources, Wang requested that Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj does not join the US-led bloc in raising the South China Sea issue at the G20 summit.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Nepals new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has sent a special envoy to woo China.

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Nepal's new Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Monday sent a special envoy to China to ensure that recent bonhomie between the two countries remains unaffected despite ongoing political turmoil in Nepal, Reuters reported.



The special envoy, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, is Nepal's deputy premier in charge of finance and is a well-known Chinese expert. Mahara will carry Nepal Prime Minister's message that his new government is keen on taking forward the cordial relationship developed by his processor K.P. Oli.



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Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is popularly known as Prachanda, through his message has also assured China that Katmandu remains committed to a slew of infrastructure deals signed between his predecessor and the Chinese leadership.



"There is no doubt that the new government will continue all positive agreements signed by the previous government," Mahara told Reuters. Mahara added that he is carrying the invitation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari for her counterpart Xi Jinping to visit the Himalayan country later this year.



Foreign experts said that slew of infrastructure deals signed by previous government signified Nepal's growing closeness towards China, which came at the cost Nepal's relationship with its traditional ally India.



Nepal will Send Another Envoy to India This Week



According to official sources, Nepal's Prime Minister Prachanda will send another special envoy, Bimelandra Nidhi, to New Delhi this week. Nidhi will assure the Indian government that close ties with Beijing would not come at the cost of Nepal's decade-long friendship with New Delhi.



The relationship between Nepal and India has been tense following Katmandu's refusal to accommodate India's concern in its newly adopted constitution, triggering deadly riots by the minority Madhesis community in Southern Nepal.



Officials in the Indian government are also miffed with Nepal's recent overtures towards China. India fears that this recent bonhomie will give China a strong foothold in one of its most important neighboring countries.



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TagsNepal, china, China and Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepal and India
(Photo : Getty Images) Chinese students

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The science and technology progress plan published recently by the State Council plans to increase the proportion of scientifically-literate citizens nationwide to 10 percent by 2020 from 6.2 percent in 2015.



Currently, the proportion of scientifically-literate citizens in China is on the low side compared to many developed countries in the West. Scientific literacy in the United States stood at 28 percent in 2008 and was 35 percent in Sweden in 2005.



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In contrast, China's scientific literacy nationwide was only 6.2 percent in 2015. This percentage, however, was almost double that in 2010 when it came to 3.27 percent, said the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST).



Major cities fared better, said CAST. Scientific literacy in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin was 18.7 percent, 17.5 percent and 12 percent, respectively. These results, however, were similar to levels in the U.S. and Europe at the end of the 20th century.



The plan targets youngsters, farmers, migrant workers and public servants as the key groups in the science promotion campaign.



"It is time to educate scientific and technological minds," said Li Zhimin, director of the Science and Technology Development Center under the Ministry of Education.



He noted that science-related websites, digital museums, and digital libraries should all play their part in the campaign. Li also pointed out efforts to draw more private funds to the cause.



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



A CAST survey found that over 53 percent of Chinese obtain scientific knowledge online. This figure rises to over 91 percent for those with a better scientific understanding. With an online population of 710 million, the Internet is now the preferred channel for Chinese to obtain science information.



Aside from boosting scientific knowledge among more ordinary Chinese, especially those in the countryside, scientific understanding also requires citizens to have the relevant thinking ability.



"For example, when an earthquake or an emergency happens, people need to have the basic ability to save themselves or others," said Qiu Chengli, an official with the science popularization section of the Ministry of Science and Technology.



Last April, Beijing issued national standards to measure Chinese citizens' scientific understanding.



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



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Tagsscientifically-literate citizens, china, State Council, China Association for Science and Technology
(Photo : MIT) Artificial Intelligence

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The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched a program that will create the technology to make new generations of artificial intelligence (AI) systems "explainable."



DARPA'S Explainable AI (XAI) program aims to create new machine learning methods to produce more explainable models and combine them with explanation techniques. And why the need to understand AI?



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That's because explainable AI -- especially explainable machine learning -- will be essential if future American warfighters are to understand, appropriately trust and effectively manage an emerging generation of AI "partners" such as battlefield robots and machines.



XAI is vital because continued advances in AI promise to produce autonomous systems that will perceive, learn, decide and act on their own. The effectiveness of these AI systems, however, is limited by the machine's current inability to explain their decisions and actions to human users.



The XAI program aims to create a suite of machine learning techniques that will produce more explainable models, while maintaining a high level of learning performance (prediction accuracy). It will also enable human users to understand, trust and manage the emerging generation of AI partners.



XAI will give rise to new machine-learning systems with the ability to explain their rationale, characterize their strengths and weaknesses and convey an understanding of how they will behave in the future.



The strategy for achieving that goal is to develop new or modified machine-learning techniques that will produce more explainable models. These models will be combined with state-of-the-art human-computer interface techniques capable of translating models into understandable and useful explanation dialogues for the end user.



DARPA's strategy is to pursue a variety of techniques to generate a portfolio of methods that will provide future developers with a range of design options covering the "performance-versus-explainability" trade space.



XAI will focus the development of multiple systems on addressing challenges problems in two areas: machine learning problems to classify events of interest in heterogeneous, multimedia data and machine learning problems to construct decision policies for an autonomous system to perform a variety of simulated missions.



At the end of the program, the final delivery will be a toolkit library consisting of machine learning and human-computer interface software modules that can be used to develop future explainable AI systems. These toolkits will be available for further refinement and transition into defense or commercial applications.



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TagsDefense Advanced Research Projects Agenc, DARPA, Explainable AI (XAI) program, explainable machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, AI
(Photo : PLA) The Guangzhou Military Region Special Forces Unit.

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China intends to expand the role of the People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces in the face of relentless international terrorism.



The People's Liberation Army Daily, the official newspaper of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said its Special Forces should play a greater role in protecting China's national overseas interests such as the supply lines from the country's foreign oil sources. It also said the Special Forces should also be more involved in counterterrorism operations abroad.



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Despite this news, it's still uncertain Beijing will embark on this course of action.



"I want to stress that China has not yet officially announced that it will be sending its Special Forces to protect the country's overseas interests," said Yang Mian, professor of international relations at the Communication University of China in Beijing, one of China's top public universities.



"The Special Forces are a new operational unit, and China's current actions are focused on reinforcing its potential for possible real combat operations."



China's most high profile public use of its Special Forces occurred when it embarked the commando team "Sea Dragon" of the People's Liberation Army Navy aboard three Chinese warships in protecting and escorting commercial ships against Somali pirates in December 2008.



Sea Dragon later took part in anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Eden for over 300 days and also helped evacuate Chinese citizens from civil war-hit Yemen.



On the other hand, Vladimir Yevseyev, head of the Eurasian Integration and SCO Development Department at the Institute of CIS Countries, described the suggestion in the People's Liberation Army Daily as Beijing's reply to the rising tide of international terrorism.



"The Chinese Special Forces may act in some Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, as well as in Afghanistan ... By resolving international terrorism-related problems, China will simultaneously uphold its national interests there," said Yevseyev.



China is estimated to have 14,000 men in its Special Forces units distributed among 13 military regions and other special units.



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Tagschina, People's Liberation Army Special Operations Forces, special forces, People's Liberation Army Navy, People's Liberation Army Daily
A man was stabbed by his son in an incident that occurred while the two men were attending a church service in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

According to ChristianToday.com, the knife attack occurred at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church at around 10:45 a.m.

The two men involved in the attack were reportedly not members of the church, but were visiting from Arkansas.

Police called the stabbing, an isolated incident between father and son.

Twenty-one-year-old Ethan Buckley reportedly stabbed his father multiple times after his father began trying to get him to pray at the churchs altar.

Witnesses of the attack described a bloody scene, confirming the victim was stabbed multiple times on different areas of his body.

After the attack, churchgoers gathered outside the church to support each other.

"It's scary, but in today's society this can happen anyway. I felt like the Lord was protecting us," said Alicia Bell, a churchgoer who witnessed the attack.

It is not known if the victim, who has remained unidentified, is in stable condition.

Publication date: August 15, 2016
A Roman Catholic archbishop is calling on Christians in Oklahoma City to counter a satanist event with prayer.

A satanic ritual is being planned for August 15. There will be a black mass and participants in the event plan to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary with sulfur, menstrual blood, and ashes from burned pages of the Quran.

Archbishop Paul Coakley is urging Christians to join a prayer event that will be held at the same time as the satanist event.

"In response to this blasphemous event, and the many other acts of hatred and violence happening in our world in recent weeks, I am encouraging the faithful and people of good will to pray together for healing and peace, and for the Lord to watch over our community and protect us from evil and its many destructive and violent manifestations," Coakley told the Catholic News Agency.

The prayer walk will take place at 6 p.m. on August 15 at the Jesus Wept statue at Saint Josephs Old Cathedral and will end at the United Methodist First Church where a prayer service will be held.

Coakley also asked for prayer for the organizer of the satanic event:

"I also ask that we pray for the conversion of this man and for all who have not yet come to know the Lord of Life, he said.

Coakley said he hopes the local government will not discriminate against Christianity, even though they did not take action to stop the planned desecration of the statue.

Publication date: August 15, 2016
As the Zika virus spreads, pro-life advocates are pushing back against those who are in support of aborting babies who may be affected with the disease.

There have now been documented cases of Zika in the U.S., specifically in Florida. ChristianToday.com reports that some are using Zika as a reason to promote abortion since a Zika-affected child will be born severely handicapped.

Pro-lifers, however, disagree.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is a prominent voice in the campaign against aborting Zika-affected babies.

"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.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life advocacy group, agrees with Rubios position.

Dannenfelser stated that Zika should not be used as a springboard for a search-and-destroy mission against disabled babies.

"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.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: August 15, 2016
Tucked behind a light industrial area of self-storage warehouses and auto-parts stores is a small encampment of homeless people who live in tents along the banks of a creek.

Few people know or care about this encampment, or an estimated 150 others scattered all over this Silicon Valley capital of 1 million people. But every so often, a beat-up 1985 RV called the Mercy Mobile pulls up along a dead-end curb and a motley crew of homeless advocates bearing water, food, or clothes and shoes hops out.

Leading the pack is Pastor Scott Wagers, a former body builder and trainer who has dedicated the last 25 years of his life ministering to the homeless.

Hey man, you doin OK? he asks a homeless man waiting to see what the Mercy Mobile might distribute one Saturday in late June. Wagers gives him a bottle of water, some energy bars and his card and encourages him to get in touch.

Text me and let me know if youre getting swept up or somethings going down, he says.

Among the homeless at the encampment that day are James Tripper Turner, a Canadian native who has been homeless for years and makes a living collecting aluminum cans for cash, and Ajanae, a transgender woman from Somalia whose family has disowned her.

Unlike most brick-and-mortar ministries that require the homeless to come to them, Wagers meets the homeless on their turf. He doesnt urge them to seek shelter or get counseling or even come to Jesus. He simply inquires about their well-being and lets them know hes there to help.

His larger goal is to get his community  one of the countrys wealthiest  to face up to a gnawing problem: more than 4,000 people in San Jose with no place to call home.

Every chance he gets, the 50-year-old Disciples of Christ minister brings people with him on his rounds, whether its fellow clergy, interested scholars, students or business executives.

Whats driving me is the human crisis, says Wagers. People are living under overpasses and going to the bathroom outside in one of the richest nations of the world. The church has to be a witness.

Like a prophet crying out in the wilderness, Wagers is dogged in his pursuit of justice for the homeless.

California has the highest percentage of homeless people living in unsheltered locations, according to a 2015 homeless study by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

San Jose tops the list of the states cities with homeless people living outdoors, about 70 percent.

We dont have winter, so people are able stay outside, acknowledges Ray Bramson, division manager for the San Jose housing department.

Santa Clara County, where San Jose is located, also has the nations highest median household income; nearly half its residents earn more than $100,000 a year, mostly at high-tech companies such as Adobe, Cisco and eBay, which are headquartered in the city. (Google is nearby in Mountain View and Facebook is in Menlo Park.)

San Joses median home price was $980,000 last year. And 16 percent of its residents are among the nations top earners.

The disparity created by the tech industry has created an acute housing crisis for people on the lower end of the income spectrum who cannot find affordable housing in a city where renting a single room in an apartment might cost between $800 and $1,500 a month.

For years, homeless people took refuge in the Jungle, a 68-acre homeless camp along Coyote Creek that had the dubious distinction of being the nations largest homeless encampment.

Wagers used to visit the Jungles 300 homeless residents until the city evicted them and barricaded the area two years ago.

Video produced before the Jungle was closed in 2014. Courtesy of Erika Najarro via YouTube

After that, he bought the RV for $5,500 and together with homeless advocate Robert Aguirre, a former resident of the Jungle and a onetime engineer, began driving it from one encampment to the next.

They avoid downtown, where services to the homeless are more plentiful, and instead drive to remote areas where 20 people typically live along a creek bed below street level, obscured by cottonwood trees, shrubs and other vegetation.

Wagers and Aguirre rail against the sweeps  the city refers to them as abatement activities  that have come to define homeless living in the San Jose area.

The drill is all too familiar: As soon as too many homeless people congregate in one area, the city will drive them out  forcing people to trek to a new location, in the process losing many of their possessions. (The city maintains the abatements are needed to avoid environmental hazards or public safety concerns.)

The homeless are like refugees, moving from spot to spot, Wagers says. Nobody wants them anywhere.

The roving ministry takes in donations from churches, nonprofits and individuals.

Those, say Wagers and Aguirre, are easy to come by.

I can fill the RV three or four times a day if I wanted, says Aguirre. People will donate food, water, hygiene kits. We need to get people to understand theres a financial need.

That financial need is steep. The longer people live outside, the more likely they are to show up in emergency rooms, in the county jail or in need of acute psychiatric treatment.

A recent study showed that persistently homeless people cost the county $13,661 per person per year. But frequent users of medical and other public services can average $100,000 a year.

The citys government recognizes the problem. In November it will ask residents to approve a $950 million bond to pay for the construction of housing, the vast majority for the homeless.

Meanwhile, various church ministries are pitching in.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph allows homeless people to use its address as a way to receive mail.

Grace Baptist Church allows homeless people to shower, do laundry and lounge indoors in its downtown sanctuary. Last winter, it got a permit to house 15 homeless people overnight for 35 days. This year, the congregation won permission from the city to house 30 people for 90 of the winters coldest nights.

What were doing, honestly, is putting a Band-Aid on things, says the Rev. Liliana Da Valle, pastor of Grace Baptist Church. Were feeding people today but saying, Sorry. Tomorrow we may not be able to.

Wagers is more blunt in pinning the blame. He has few kind words for tech executives such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook or Tim Cook of Apple.

Their policies create an environment of survival of the fittest, says Wagers. The people who built the valley cant afford to live here anymore.

In Silicon Valley, the theory that tax incentives for powerful tech companies will trickle down into middle-class wealth has not played out.

Companies such as Apple are not averse to charitable giving. They, and other tech giants, are often willing to match employee donations to an ever-expanding group of nonprofits, for example.

But they have yet to fully realize the problems theyve created for middle- and lower-middle-class families.

Companies need to open their eyes and take responsibility for pushing people into homelessness, says Da Valle. Asking for their charity is not enough.

The behemoths may be slowly awakening to the reality. Last month, Facebook agreed to construct 1,500 new housing units, of which 15 percent will be reserved for low- and middle-income residents, regardless of whether they work at Facebook.

Thats just a drop in the bucket. But its a start.

Meanwhile, Wagers will continue his Mercy Mobile rounds.

Hes committed to giving the most politically powerless class of people in America a voice.

Im not a socialist or a capitalist, Wagers says. Im a Christian. And this is shocking to me. Whats our role as Christians? What you did to the least of these you did to me.

Reporting for this article was supported by the Living Religions Consultation at Santa Clara University with funding from the Wabash Center for Teaching Religion & Theology and a Hackworth grant from the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics.

Courtesy: Religion News Service

Publication date: August 15, 2016
Health officials on Aug. 11 announced two new cases of polio after no sign of the virus in Nigeria for more than two years. The West African country stood only a few months away from hitting the three-year mark that would have officially made the entire continent polio-free.



The virus has paralyzed two children in Borno states council areas of Gwoza and Jere, Nigerias health minister confirmed. Extremist group Boko Haram once inhabited the region in northern Nigeria, and the cases have raised concern among health officials for the need to increase monitoring and health services to the once secluded and still volatile area.



It has set us back, said health minister Isaac Adewole. We are drawing out an emergency plan, and in the next 48 hours, we are dispatching a team there and we are going to start immunization.



Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects young children and can only be prevented by immunization. The World Health Organization said it is cooperating with the Nigerian government and other partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to carry out immunization campaigns and strengthen early detection surveillance.



Reaching these children requires vaccinating populations as they move in and out of inaccessible areas and using local-level groups and organizations, such as religious institutions and community-based organizations, to negotiate access for vaccination teams, the World Health Organization said in a statement.



Nigerias northeast remained largely inaccessible for several years due to Boko Harams insurgency. Security officials recently recovered a swath of territory from the terror group, but the areas remain partially sealed off, and people have limited access to modern health care. Last month, the United Nations suspended aid to some of the newly liberated parts of Borno state due to continued sporadic terror attacks. The extremist group ambushed a humanitarian convoy and killed three civilians, including a UNICEF worker.



We were expecting nutrition and other problems, Adewole said. But we did not expect that there would be polio.



Nigerias last polio case occurred in Kano state on July 24, 2014. The two-year period marks the longest the country has ever gone without a case of the virus. It also highlights the global success in eradicating the virus. In 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of the worlds polio cases. This year, only 21 cases have been reported globally, compared to 36 at the same time last year.

Courtesy: WORLD News Service

Publication date: August 15, 2016
A memorial service for pastor and author of the best-selling book series 'Left Behind' Tim LaHaye took place on August 12. The service, which was called a 'Celebration of Life,' was held at Shadow Community Church in San Diego, CA.

He passed away at the age of 90 on July 25. His family, including his wife Beverly who formed the conservative Christian group 'Concerned Women of America,' four children, nine grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren came together for the service which was also attended by church leader David Jeremiah and 'Left Behind' co-author Jerry Jenkins.

LaHaye ministered to churches in South Carolina and Minnesota in his early years as a pastor, but later he moved on to California where he led Scott Memorial Baptist Church, which expanded to three locations including Shadow Mountain Community Church.

He retired from the church in 1981 after which he undertook fictional and non-fictional writing on subjects ranging from family life, will of God, to the biblical perspective of marriage and sex.

His 16-book "Left Behind" series was inspired from the eulogy which he heard at his father's funeral, who died when LaHaye was 9 years old.

"This is not the end of Frank LaHaye," he recalled the minister saying. "Because he accepted Jesus, the day will come when the Lord will shout from heaven and descend, and the dead in Christ will rise first and then we'll be caught up together to meet him in the air."

"All of a sudden, there was hope in my heart I'd see my father again," he told Christian Science Monitor in a 2004 interview.

Jenkins said that though he is happy that LaHaye went to be with the Lord, the separation from him left a "void" in his soul.

"Thrilled as I am that he is where he has always wanted to be, his departure leaves a void in my soul I don't expect to fill until I see him again," Jenkins said.

"The Tim LaHaye I got to know had a pastor's heart and lived to share his faith," he continued. "He listened to and cared about everyone, regardless of age, gender, or social standing."

Senior pastor at Shadow Mountain Community Church, David Jeremiah, said that meeting LaHaye would always be an inspirational experience.

"I would leave always wanting to do better," he shared.

"Almost every conversation I had with him ended with his praying with me and for me. We shared long lunches together talking about ministry and praying for our nation," Jeremiah said.
The federal government declared a major disaster in in Louisiana. Three people have died in the floods and one person is reported missing, while about 20,000 were rescued over the weekend.

The parishes included Tangipahoa, Iberia, West Feliciana, St. Helena, East Baton, Lafayette and Livingston, from where emergency crews worked through Saturday and Sunday nights to rescue thousands of stranded people and hundreds of pets.

About 2,000 members of the National Guard are helping in the rescue operations using high water vehicles.

"We haven't been rescuing people. We've been rescuing subdivisions," Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard said. "It has not stopped at all today."

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told reporters that people were rescued, "Not just from their homes but from their vehicles.. some people, not just from their vehicles, they've been clinging to trees and other things like this in swift-moving floodwaters."

Edwards and his family had to abandon the governor's mansion after water filled their basement, cutting off their electricity.

"The simple fact is we are breaking records," Edwards said.

The governor wrote a letter to President Barack Obama informing him that rivers in Louisiana have exceeded the flood stage, and in some areas crossed the 500-year flood levels.

His request for federal assistance in emergency operations was granted, and a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) official toured the affected parishes to gauge the extent of disaster in the state.

"We are thankful for the federal government's quick response to our request for an emergency declaration," Edwards said in a statement.

"We have record levels of flooding along rivers and creeks. And because these are record floods, we don't know how wide the water is going to get in those areas," he said. "This is unprecedented, so we don't have records that we can go back and see who all's going to be impacted."

Over 200 roads are closed in the state, and the state government offices in 27 south Louisiana parishes will be closed on August 15, according to state authorities.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), who was one of the lawmakers to write letters to Obama in support of governor Edwards request, released a statement, saying: "As people continue to be evacuated, we must do everything to help. We recognize the heroism of Louisiana citizens offering their boats, ATVs and other resources to those in need. We are already planning how to help families recover after the flood waters recede. This is a tragedy, but as we learned from North Louisiana, we shall recover."
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
In 2008, the death of a Hindu leader led to the worst case of anti-Christian violence in Indias history.

About 100 Christians were killed, 300 churches attacked, 6,000 Christian homes damaged, and 50,000 people displaced when Hindu fundamentalists blamed Christians for the murder of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. The violence took place in the Kandhamal district of the eastern coastal state of Odisha.

(The same state made the news on Christmas Eve the year before for another string of attacks connected to Saraswati, and in 1999 when Hindu radicals burned missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons to death as they slept in their Jeep. In 2008, fundamentalists announced their intention to destroy all of the Christians living there.)

This month, Indias Supreme Court ordered the Odisha government to reinvestigate the trials of perpetrators where acquittals were not justified on facts. Of the 827 criminal cases registered, 315 were not pursued, and ...

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Local Resident has a Vision for the Homeless Community of Tulsa

Contact: Lori Bell, Liberty Resource Group, 918-760-2039, lori@libertyresoucegroup.com

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 15, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Sarah Thomas, who is a monthly partner of the ministry, CfaN, has a vision for the homeless community of Tulsa to attend the Reinhard Bonnke Gospel Crusade in Oklahoma City. (For more information on how to become a partner of the ministry please click here ). Sarah has chartered a bus and plans to fill that bus to capacity to take 55 homeless people to the crusade. In addition to "The Good News Bus" ride, the attendees will also receive a free meal for the journey there. Sarah is currently in the process of raising funds to make this vision possible. To give toward or get more information about "The Good News Bus," visit www.gofundme.com/2dqzmqs

Who: Sarah Thomas together with the ministry, Christ for all Nations (CfaN)

What: Local Glenpool resident, Sarah Thomas, needs funding to charter a bus to feed and take 55 homeless people to the Reinhard Bonnke Gospel Crusade in Oklahoma City.

When: August 20th and 21st, 2016

Where: From Tulsa to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda, and the ministry, CfaN, are excited to receive Oklahoma City guests at the upcoming Gospel Crusade. Attendees of the crusade can anticipate two nights of powerful messages as well as praise and worship. Worship will be led by Jonathan Stockstill and Bethany Worship, and there will be performances by Ingrid Rosario and NBC's The Voice contestant, Brian Nhira.

This live event will begin at 6 PM on Saturday, August 20th and on Sunday, August 21st. The doors will open at 5:00 PM.

The crusade is free to attend and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

Online registration is encouraged but not mandatory.

For all conference details, visit gospelcrusade.org/oklahoma

About Reinhard Bonnke

Over a 50-year span, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke has spoken to nearly 100 million people and has seen millions commit their lives to Christ through his ministry, Christ for all Nations (CfaN). CfaN has recorded more than an astounding 75 million documented decisions to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Evangelist Bonnke is best-known for his great Gospel Crusades across the continent of Africa, and now Evangelist Bonnke has a vision to see America saved.
home US Texas & other states request court halt Obama transgender policy

Texas and a dozen other states have asked a U.S. judge to block Obama administration guidance to public schools that transgender students must be allowed to use bathrooms of their choice, saying it usurps the authority of school districts nationwide.

But at a hearing in Fort Worth in a lawsuit filed by the states against the U.S. government, Justice Department lawyer Benjamin Berwick urged U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor to dismiss the injunction request because the federal guidelines issued in May were non-binding with no legal consequences.

Berwick also said the primarily Republican-governed states objecting had failed to show the guidelines would harm them.

"These documents state explicitly that they do not have the force of law," Berwick told O'Connor.

The guidance issued by the Justice Department and Education Department said public schools must allow transgender students to use bathrooms that correspond with their gender identity, as opposed to their birth gender, or face the loss of federal funds.

Following milestone achievements in gay rights including same-sex marriage becoming legal nationwide in 2015, transgender rights have become an increasingly contentious issue in the United States. The use of public bathrooms has been a key element in the controversy.

The administration's directive enraged conservatives who say federal civil rights protections encompass biological sex, not gender identity.

Austin Nimocks, a lawyer who represented the Texas attorney general's office, said the federal recommendations already are being enforced, placing billions of dollars in federal funding for education at risk for states that do not comply.

Nimocks called the guidelines rules that were foisted upon the states and said their reach "extends across the country, to every school district, without exception." Nimocks asked the judge for a ruling encompassing schools nationwide as soon as possible, saying students are returning to schools in a matter of days.

O'Connor, an appointee of Republican President George W. Bush, peppered Berwick with questions about whether the guidelines were rules that could force states to overhaul their policies regarding bathrooms.

The other states in the Texas-led suit are Alabama, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, Maine, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Utah, Georgia, Mississippi and Kentucky. Ten other states have also separately sued over the guidelines.

The federal government in its May letter sent to school districts nationwide that while its guidance carried no legal weight, they must not discriminate against students, including based on their gender identity.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Aug. 3 said a Virginia school board may temporarily block a student who was born a girl from using the boys' bathroom while a legal fight over transgender rights proceeds on appeal.

A federal judge on Aug. 1 heard arguments over whether to stop North Carolina from enforcing its law barring transgender people from using bathrooms aligned with their gender identity in government buildings and public schools. No decision has been issued. North Carolina also has sued the federal government to block the guidelines.
Australia: Church stormed by anti-Islam protestors

A church was stormed by anti-Islam protestors in Australia on Sunday as part of a "racist stunt" against support for Muslims and multiculturalism.

A service at Gosford Anglican Church on the Central Coast of New South Wales was interrupted after a group of around 10 wearing mock Muslim outfits and pretending to pray Islamic prayers. Local police are investigating the incident.

The Party for Freedom posted videos and photos of the demonstration online and said it was a protest at the church's support for Islamic leaders and multiculturalism. Father Rod Bower said his congregation were "traumatised" after the protest.

"They were shocked," he told Australia's public broacaster ABC.

"I worked out who it was fairly quickly," he said adding the protest was "simply because we support the Muslim community, we try and build bridges." The church is known for promoting pro-immigration messages in services and on its public billboards.

"To come into sacred space, to violate that space as Christians were celebrating the ultimate act of love ... to bring hate into that space is a deep violation. It just galvanises our conviction," said Bower.

The far-right group have ties to the anti-immigration One Nation party, which has four seats in Australia's Senate and is run by Senator Pauline Hanson. They warned Bower's congregation not to promote Islam.

"We want to share Islam with you, this is the future," one of the protesters said in the footage.

"This is cultural diversity, mate. The rich tapestry of Islam that we'd like to share with Father Rod, and the congregation, and the social justice agenda we hear all the time."

The One Nation party has since denied any official affiliation to the Party for Freedom which has about 450 members and ambitions to register as a political party.
Bishop warns of different form of Islamic aggression in Nigeria that persecutes Christians

When we hear of Islamic aggression, we often immediately think of large extremist groups like the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Boko Haram. In Nigeria, however, Islamic aggression is taking on a different form, and a Roman Catholic bishop has raised concern that this is worsening the persecution of the nearly half a million Christians in the African nation.

In an interview with Vatican Radio, Bishop Charles Hammawa, who heads the Diocese of Jalingolocated in the eastern part of the Nigeria's so-called "Middle Belt"lamented how "suspiciously persistent" attacks by well-armed Muslim Fulani herdsmen are causing Christian farmers to lose their land.

Hammawa said this land-grabbing scheme is most probably a new way for Muslims to take control of more land in Nigeria.

"That is my suspicion  that jihad is taking a new course. It looks like a problem between herdsmen and farmers. In the past, things would settle down after a clash. But I have seen cases of herdsmen not just letting their cattle graze but taking over the land  and Muslim from the north coming in to settle there," the bishop told Vatican Radio.

"It appears to be a strategy to deliberately populate areas with Muslims and, by the sheer weight of superior numbers, influence political decision-making in the region," he added.

The Roman Catholic bishop also wonders where Muslim herdsmen get their weapons for the past three years when this scheme has been going on.

"It's also suspicious that the herdsmen have access to sophisticated weaponry. There appears to be some financing of the Fulani aggression, which has left numerous dead, destroyed many communities and displaced thousands of people," Hammawa said.

He added that Muslims in the area seemed bent on using this scheme to gain more followers.

"Both faiths are committed to gaining new followers. The difference lies in the approach. Christianity uses persuasion through preaching. For Islam, it can be the case of a kind of coercion  the understanding that if you want to get anywhere in government, you have to be a Muslim," Hammawa explained.
Brian Houston's granddaughter gets visit from Selena Gomez on her birthday, but some churchgoers left unimpressed

Hillsong senior pastor Brian Houston was so thrilled when his granddaughter Willow got to spend some time with "Hands to Myself" songstress Selena Gomez during her birthday celebration that he posted a captioned image of the event on his social media accounts.

On his Facebook page, Houston shared a photo of Gomez hugging his granddaughter. "My beautiful grand daughter turned 6 this week and to make her birthday very special, Selena Gomez was in Australia to say hi. So cool," he wrote..

Gomez was in Sydney last Tuesday for the Australia leg of her worldwide Revival tour.

However, instead of feeling impressed by the image posted by Houston, some people apparently did not like it, voicing particular disapproval of Gomez. One even called Houston a "false prophet."

There was also a debate on the comments section about Gomez's purported Christianity. Some people said she should use her popularity and talent to promote worship songs instead of secular music.

However, a fan named Gabby wrote, "God bless Selena Gomez, and we hope you give your heart to Jesus and [lend your] singing to Hillsong."

When Hillsong Church opened its doors to Gomez and many other celebrities such as Justin Bieber over two years ago, Houston spoke up in behalf of them when judgmental churchgoers voiced their grievances.

"She is just one of many, many sinners we welcome every Sunday. Even slanderers like you!" Houston wrote on his Twitter account (@BrianCHouston).

Gomez made Hillsong proud after she joined the Christian group. She even made a surprise appearance during Hillsong Church's Young & Free Revival Concert in Los Angeles several months back where she sang an original worship song for the first time.

Gomez sang "Nobody," telling worshippers: "Tonight is more than a concert, it's more than Hillsong, it's more than me coming on stage and singing a song for you. It's about a relationship that is greater than anything, guaranteed."
Can Joe Biden calm the religious and political storm in the Balkans?

US Vice President Joe Biden visits this week a small nation in Europe that has done more than most to find space for belief and tolerance.

Biden, a devout Catholic, is going to Kosovo and then Serbia, and he will find that in the Western Balkans religious politics are as passionate and important as anywhere in the world.

In the Balkans, the Muslim Ottomans, Orthodox Russians, and Christian Austrian-Hungarian and German imperial powers squabbled for centuries leaving behind after 1945 an artificial construct  Yugoslavia  nominally atheistic and which collapsed the moment communism ended and a wily Catholic-born Croat wheeler-dealer, Tito, was replaced by a ultra-nationalist Serb, Milosevic, of Orthodox faith who in less than a decade saw eight nations remove themselves from rule by Belgrade.

Two nations  Slovenia and Croatia both with strong Catholic traditions  have made it into the EU. The others, including Orthodox Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia along with Muslim Kosovo and the mixed community that is Bosnia, are still waiting in the queue to join fully the European family of nations.

The mid-wife of this spring-time of new Balkan nations was the United States and especially Joe Biden who condemned the Milosevic doctrine of Serb supremacism and in the US Senate and then as Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee insisted that Serb ultra-nationalism should not prevail.

The medieval style siege of Sarajevo followed by the Serb massacre at Srebnenica in 1995 and then the ethnic cleansing of 850,000 Kosovans four years later who fled for the hills or over borders rather than risk Serb genocidalists, changed public opinion. But Biden was already the global spokesperson for supporting freedom from Serb rule in the West Balkans even if the political-judicial structures set up in the new nations were pitifully ill-equipped for the task.

He got first hand reports from his son, Beau Biden, like his father a Delaware lawyer who served in the army and spent a year in Kosovo in 2001 training lawyers and judges. Biden junior came home to rise in state politics with every chance of making a national political career when he suddenly died from brain cancer in 2015. His mother had been killed in a car accident in 1972 when Joe Biden was elected at age 30 to be the youngest ever senator in America.

Many politicians have family tragedies to live with but for Vice President Biden to lose wife and then son seems an unfair curse from fate.

In Kosovo, Biden will unveil a stretch of a highway named after his son and meet Kosovo's leader, President Hashim Thaci, a convinced Americanophile. Thaci has just returned from the Rio Olympics where he saw the Kosovan Majilinda Kolmendi win a gold medal for judo.

Thaci like most Kosovans is a moderate Muslim. The nation's capital has its mosques but also young women wearing the shortest mini-skirts in Europe and the great Peja beer, one of the finest brewed in Europe, together with Kosovo wines that suggests that Islam in Kosovo is tolerant and modern.

Thaci was leader of the Kosovan Liberation Army but made sure it protected all Orthodox churches and monasteries during the 1998-1999 war of liberation. Unlike the Serb military and death squads who claimed they were protecting the Orthodox faith from Muslims, Thaci, who was educated in Switzerland, insisted that no imam or any expression of Islam should be part of his movement.

He has cooperated closely with US and European intelligence and police agencies to stamp down hard on any efforts to set up Islamist preaching cells or recruit young Kosovans for jihad.

The biggest faith building in Kosovo is the giant Mother Teresa cathedral in Pristina and Thaci and other Kosovan leaders regularly visit Rome to be received at the Vatican. Thaci thinks he has Catholic ancestors and Biden will not be short of churches or chapels of his faith on his visit.

Each summer Kosovo hosts a major inter-faith conference for the entire region and Serb Orthodox monks, English Anglicans, imams and Jewish rabbis spend a weekend sorting out their problems in the Kosovo mountainside.

Winning an Olympic gold medal should be a good moment for Kosovo but just as the tiny nation was celebrating its Olympic glory the prime minister of Serbia, Alksander Vucic, stood up in the Belgrade Parliament and referred to Kosovo as a "southern Serbian province." Earlier in the year the president of Serbia, Tomislave Nikolic, refused to join all other Balkans leaders at Thaci's inauguration as president by stating that Kosovo "did not exist as an independent state."

Biden travels to Serbia after Kosovo and will encounter the surreal nature of Balkan politics in which countries pretend that their neighbours do not exist. The two Orthodox EU states, Greece and Cyprus, also refuse to recognise Kosovo's existence in part out of solidarity with their Orthodox cousins in Belgrade.

Can Biden knock any sense into his Serbs hosts? Unlikely. Bismarck famously said that the Balkans were not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier. Today as the West Balkan route from Greece to northern Europe of so many refugees and economic migrants as well as Islamist ideologues is well travelled one would think Europe might get its Balkans act together and lean on Belgrade to stop playing pretend games and accept that Kosovo is no more going to return to rule by Serbs than Ireland was ready to return to rule by the English after 1921.

So far, Serbia has not managed to win a single Rio medal and the sight of the Kosovan team boasting a gold is now doubt galling in Belgrade. Vladimir Putin backs Belgrade against Joe Biden and the US support for Kosovo. But Biden's visit is a reminder that the West Balkans is Europe's unfinished business and if the EU cannot sort out its own backyards how can it claim to be a serious geo-political player?

And when Biden retires are there US politicians ready to invest time and commitment in helping the West Balkans?

Denis MacShane is a former Minister for Europe who travels regularly to the Balkans.
Christians asked to pray hard to counter planned Satanic activity in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma City in the United States, a battle between good and evil is taking place, literally.

A local Roman Catholic archbishop has called on Christians in Oklahoma to pray hard to counter a planned black mass and an additional Satanic ritual timed to mock a Marian fest and even desecrate an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In a report by the Catholic News Agency, Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City also urged Christians to gather at a Unity Prayer Service and Walk on August 15 at 6 p.m. The event will begin at the Jesus Wept Statue of Saint Joseph's Old Cathedral and end at the United Methodist First Church for a Christian prayer service.

"In response to this blasphemous event, and the many other acts of hatred and violence happening in our world in recent weeks, I am encouraging the faithful and people of good will to pray together for healing and peace, and for the Lord to watch over our community and protect us from evil and its many destructive and violent manifestations," Coakley told CNA.

"I also ask that we pray for the conversion of this man and for all who have not yet come to know the Lord of Life," the archbishop added.

The Roman Catholic official also lamented how Oklahoma City's local government has refused to stop the activity of a group called Church of Ahriman, which plans to desecrate a statue of the Virgin Mary by covering it with sulfur, menstrual blood and ashes from burned pages of the Quran. The event was timed for August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"As the local government has refused to interfere with this abhorrent blasphemous worship that is being publicly sanctioned in our community, we trust that our government  local, state and federal  will reaffirm its commitment to protect the religious liberty of Christians and other believers as well," Coakley explained.

"Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, let us pray together for healing and peace in our country and our world," he added.
Egypt: Christians ignore protest ban, claim they are treated as 'second class citizens'

A group of Egyptian Christians took part in a rare protest in downtown Cairo on Saturday, saying that they are being treated as second class citizens in the Muslim-majority country and calling on the Government to defend their rights.

Despite a draconian ban on protests in Egypt, some three dozen protesters held signs demanding rights in disputes between Muslims and Christians.

"I am an Egyptian citizen above all," Michael Armanious, a Christian demonstrator told AP. "We pay taxes, we serve in the army, we are dealing with all the same economic problems in Egypt with the rest of our countrymen, why should we have fewer rights?"

The protest was dispersed by police after an hour.

It came after a string of attacks against Christians, especially in the Minya region, home to a relatively high proportion of Coptic Christians.

Last month, police arrested 15 people after an arson attack on homes belonging to Coptic Christians in an Upper Egyptian village.

Days before that, the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of Minya, Anba Makarios called on police to enforce the law protecting citizens from sectarian violence, saying that attacks are taking place at an average of one every 10 days.

On July 5, an Orthodox Christian nun from Mar Girgis Monastery in Old Cairo was killed after reportedly being hit by a stray bullet on the Cairo-Alexandria Highway.

June saw the assault on homes of Christian families in the village of Karm el Loofy, the burning of a kindergarten run by Christians in Minya, and the murder on June 30 of Rafael Moussa, a Coptic Orthodox priest of the church of St George.

In May, also in Minya, a 70-year-old Christian woman  said to be the mother of a man who was allegedly romantically involved with a Muslim woman  was stripped naked by a mob of 300 Muslims and paraded through the streets of her village.

Tensions between Christians and Muslims have intensified in the country since the Arab Spring of 2011.

The worst single incident came in February 2015, with the beheadings by Islamic State of 21 Egyptian Christian migrant workers.

Egypt has an estimated population of 9 million Christians. Mostly Orthodox Copts, they account for about 10 per cent of Egypt's population, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim.
Greece: Shocking reports of children being sexually abused in refugee camps

Young children are being groomed and sexually assaulted and women are afraid of sexual attacks in government-run refugee camps in Greece, according to reports.

One volunteer at the Softex camp on the edge of Thessaloniki told The Observer that a seven-year-old Iraqi girl was attacked by a man from a 'mafia' group operating in the camp.

"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," the volunteer said.

"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 is now planning to return to Iraq rather than settle in Europe.

Aid groups working in the Softex camp confirmed that they had seen a rise in sexual violence.

"It's really hard for the unaccompanied minors  16- and 17-year-olds  to survive. It's the survival of the fittest in there. In the evening and night it's impossible to find them [children] because they are hiding in the tents," said Anna Chiara Nava of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Thessaloniki.

"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 admitted sexual violence is "an issue when it comes to Softex and others."

"UNHCR has been raising concerns about this, specifically about this issue [sexual violence], saying that we don't think it will be safe for women and for children," it told The Observer. "We've raised the issue of security again and again. This is a problem; it's under discussion."

The reports follow findings from Unicef that sexual violence and forced prostitution is a constant threat for children in refugee camps in Northern France.

Some young women have exchanged sex for the promise of passage to the UK, researchers said, and children must pay an "entry fee" before they are even allowed to live in the camps. Unaccompanied minors are forced into labour if they can't afford to pay.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the refugee taskforce, said the latest allegations should "shame us all".

"The UK government needs to urgently wake up to its responsibility," she added.

Cooper referred to the Dubs amendment passed by MPs earlier this year, under which unaccompanied refugee minors in Europe can now legally be relocated to the UK. "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," she said.
Hong Kong: Baptist ministers, Cardinals and Christian students at the forefront of protests for free democracy

Baptist ministers, Catholic cardinals and Christian students are at the forefront of protests for free democracy in Hong Kong.

Among the founders of the 'Occupy Central with Love and Peace' movement is Baptist minister Rev Chu Yiu-ming, who has fought for true democracy in Hong Kong for more than 30 years.

Ahead of the demonstrations, Chu told the South China Morning Post that he is prepared to "pay the price" for a free and fair electoral process.

"I am already 70 years old...I come out just in the hope of clearing some obstacles and paving a smoother road for our next generation, so that they can have an easier life," he said.

Tens of thousands of people have flooded the streets of Hong Kong in protest against the Chinese government's insistence on screening political candidates to ensure their allegiance to the CCP.

It was hoped that open elections would be held in 2017, but a motion ruling against this was passed in August.

Many locals believe contradicts Beijing's promise to one day allow Hong Kong "universal suffrage".

A mass, peaceful campaign already organised by Occupy Central was brought forward after university students began a class boycott and demonstrations were held outside Hong Kong's main government compound in Tamar Park on September 22.

These demonstrations have continued, attracting the support of tens of thousands, and police yesterday began using tear gas, pepper spray and riot gear in an attempt to dispel the protestors.

A large delegation of high school students have now also joined the demonstrations.17-year-old Joshua Wong, a Christian, is the leader of the student activist Scholarism movement, which has in the past successfully campaigned against a CCP-guided curriculum entitled "National and Moral Education".

Wong reportedly mobilised around 1,200 students to join the protests on Friday, and was himself arrested over the weekend along with two leaders from the Federation of Students.

Though dubbed an "extremist" by state-run media, Wong was released without charge on Sunday.

"You have to see every battle as possibly the final battle  only then will you have the determination to fight [for democracy]," he told CNN last week.

According to the South China Morning Post, opinions are split between Hong Kong's major Christian churches, however.

During an address to protestors last Wednesday, Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, the former Catholic Bishop of Hong Kong who has been described as a key figure within the Occupy Central movement, said every Catholic in Hong Kong "has the right and duty to get involved" in politics.

"Though it may be in different degrees of participation," he added.

Protestant theologian Rose Wu also told demonstrators that "the crucifixion of Jesus is political in meaning," and encouraged them to speak up for democracy and political freedom.

However, Anglican Archbishop Paul Kwong appeared to implore Christians to keep out of political debates during a sermon in July.

He questioned why people "speak up so much" when Jesus himself was silent on the cross.

The Archbishop was later forced to clarify that Jesus' silence in itself was a "peaceful, tolerating, accepting voice of love," though he also insisted that those wishing to protest should do so legally.

Professor of politics at City University in Hong Kong, Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, told UCA News that the proportion of Christians supporting the pro-democracy movement is high as they want freedom from the religious restrictions imposed by the Chinese central government.

"Those who have Christian beliefs have a stronger distrust of the Communist Party of China because they are certainly an atheist party, of course. And I would say that Christians, by definition, certainly they accord a higher priority to spiritual things than material things," Cheng said.

"Christians in Hong Kong, they see that economic development has not brought more religious tolerance in China, so despite economic development, despite improvement in living standards and opening to the external world, tolerance of Christianity especially has not been improving, in fact in the recent two years persecution has strengthened," he added.

Social media users have begun sharing a picture of a yellow ribbon to encourage prayer for those involved in the protests.
Joshua Wong: Christian activist who took on the Chinese government sentenced in Hong Kong

The teenage Christian leader of Hong Kong's pro-democracy 'Umbrella' movement, which protested against Beijing's grip on the city's electoral system, has said he does not regret his involvement after being handed a community service sentence.

Joshua Wong, 19, faced up to five years in jail for mobilising thousands of students in 2014 to demonstrate against the Chinese government's insistence on screening political candidates in Hong Kong to ensure their allegiance to the Communist party.

A court on Monday sentenced Wong and two other student leaders for their role in organising a peaceful-sit in that led to a 79-day protest.

Wong received a community service order of 80 hours, while Nathan Law will serve 120 hours, both for "unlawful assembly". Alex Chow was given a three week sentence with one year suspension for "incitement".

Wong said on Twitter that he did not regret his involvement.

I was given 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly. I will not regret for my commitment in the Umbrella Movement.  Joshua Wong Chi-fung (@joshuawongcf) August 15, 2016

Wong  who was raised in a Christian family  told Christian Today last year that his faith has strengthened his determination to fight for justice. When he was a boy, his father took him to visit poor communities in Hong Kong, and instilled in him a passion to advocate on behalf of the vulnerable.

"The Bible teaches us that we need to fight for justice, and Christians bear the responsibility to be salt and light in society," he said. "We have more obligation and a more important role in the world other than being just a normal citizen in society who wants to earn money."

All three sentences violate the young men's right "to peaceful expression and assembly", Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Monday, urging Hong Kong to revoke the convictions.

"In sentencing these students, Hong Kong authorities' behavior increasingly resembles that of their counterparts in Beijing," said Sophie Richardson, China director at HRW.

"Leading peaceful protests is no crime, and the charges against the three should be dropped."

HRW warned that there have been an increasing number of arrests and prosecutions against protestors in Hong Kong, some under the Public Order Ordinance which has been criticised by the UN Human Rights Committee for possibly "facilitat[ing] excessive restrictions" to basic rights.

Under the law, processions with more than 30 people and assemblies with more than 50 must receive advance permission from the government.

Richardson said the prosecution of Wong, Law and Chow "should unnerve anyone who cares about the fate of basic rights in Hong Kong".

"Hong Kong's future depends on authorities devoting their energies to upholding  not reducing  civil and political rights," she added.
Judge not or you will be judged: Marco Rubio warns Christians over treatment of gay people

The conservative Republican Marco Rubio has told an evangelical conference in Florida not to judge the gay community and said that Christians have failed to represent Jesus when they have alienated homosexuals.

The Florida senator, who remains opposed to same-sex marriage, said to the America Renewal Project: "Do not judge, or you will be judged". He added: "Abandoning judgment and loving our LGBT neighbours is not a betrayal of what the Bible teaches, it is a fulfilment of it".

Rubio's speech on Friday came 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, targeted gay people. Rubio has said that he changed his mind about stepping down as senator in the wake of the shooting. There is a Republican primary for the seat at the end of this month, which Rubio is expected to win comfortably.

Rubio began his speech with a reaffirmation of his traditional position on marriage. "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," he said. "I continue to support the traditional definition of marriage."

The senior Republican said he believed "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."

He defended "the right of Americans to no be forced to violate the teachings of their faith in this matter," adding: "This intolerance in the name of tolerance is hypocrisy."

However, Rubio then went on: "I must also speak to you about the rhetoric and actions of some of us who believe in traditional marriage too. 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." This meant "you have to listen to them, you have to understand their perspective, their hopes and their dreams and their fears and their pain."

Rubio said that some in the gay community were alienated by Christian voices. "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," he 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 marginalised and to the forgotten of his time."
Kentucky: Churchgoer stabbed multiple times during Sunday service

A churchgoer was stabbed in a knife attack during a Sunday service in Kentucky yesterday, in what police are calling an "isolated incident between father and son".

Local police in Bowling Green, Kentucky, said 21-year-old Ethan Buckley has been charged with assault, first-degree domestic violence after his father was stabbed at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church at around 10.45am on August 14.

According to members of the congregation, the two were visiting the church from Arkansas and are not members.

"It's an isolated incident between father and son," a police department spokesman, Rick Bessette, said, according to the Bowling Green Daily News.

"Members of the congregation along with the on-site security were able to detain him until police arrived."

WBKO-TV reports that witnesses "described a bloody scene, confirming the victim was stabbed multiple times on different areas of his body".

Reporter Whitney Davis said on Twitter "Witnesses say it appeared the son began stabbing his father when the father began trying to get him to pray at the altar".

21-year-old Ethan Buckley of Bowling Green is charged with Assault, 1st Degree Domestic Violence. pic.twitter.com/gLUl2NHlem  Whitney Davis (@WDavis_WBKO) August 14, 2016

Bowling Green Daily News said that churchgoers cried and hugged outside the church following the incident.

"It's scary, but in today's society this can happen anyway. I felt like the Lord was protecting us," Alicia Bell, who witnessed the attack, told a reporter.

"I'm glad that my family and I are OK, and I'm praying for anybody that was hurt."

"It's a lost and fallen world we live in," churchgoer Brent Duvall added, who also witnessed the attack. "It shouldn't surprise us."

The condition of the victim, who has not been named, is unknown.
Lead theft puts churches in financial difficulty and distracts from mission

Four historic churches around Leicester have become the latest target of roofing lead thieves within the past fortnight, in what appears to be a spike in the crime across the UK in recent weeks.

The churches, some of which date back to the 12th Century, are in the Melton, Market Harborough and Oakham areas and were all raided in six days from Thursday, 4 August.

The latest churches to be targeted are St Mary's in Manton, near Rutland Water; All Saints, in Lubenham, near Market Harborough; St Edmund's, in Egleton, near Rutland Water, and St Mary's at Wyfordby, near Melton.

The Lubenham and Wyfordby churches are in the Diocese of Leicester, while the others are in the Peterborough Diocese.

The thefts come after two men were arrested on suspicion of stealing lead from a church roof in Liverpool. Police were called after two men were spotted on the roof of St James' Church on Mill Lane, West Derby.

And in Birmingham, a 20-year-old man was arrested on 31 July, for stealing lead from the roof of St Mary's Church in Cratfield in December last year.

Following a number of similar thefts across Leicestershire and Rutland in recent years, Leicestershire Police and local church figures urged the public to be on the look-out for suspicious behaviour.

The Archdeacon of Leicester, Tim Stratford said: "I am very sad that once again churches have been targeted by thieves stealing lead from the roof. Despite our best efforts, which include roof alarms, Smartwater, and advice about security awareness, four churches in a relatively small area have lost parts of their roof...This is not a victimless crime. Insurance does not cover the replacement and small, local communities often cannot afford the repairs. We appeal to everyone to be alert for vans parked near churches, frequently looking as though they are working professionally."

Tim Alban-Jones, the Peterborough Diocese Bishop's Chaplain said: "The loss of lead from church roofs is always a major blow to a parish. It has a hugely disproportionate effect on the life of a parish church as the cost of replacing the lead is always far higher than the value of the stolen lead, and it takes time and energy away from the mission of the church."

Meanwhile, in Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland, thieves last week targeted St. Paul's Church of Scotland church for the fifth time in recent years. The latest theft follows one in 2012, two in February 2013 and another one in November 2014.

This raises the issue of the rules from Historic England that mean church roofs must be replaced by lead 'like-for-like'. The Church of England said that some churches can appeal against the rules. But critics argue that the rule is counter-productive, leading to repeated thefts from the same church roofs.

A spokesperson for Historic England condemned the thefts but defended the 'like-for-like' rule, telling Christian Today: "The theft of metal from church roofs is an irresponsible and disheartening crime, attacking the spiritual, communal and architectural backbone of our villages, towns and cities. We sympathise with those who look after churches and are faced with such vandalism. There is no question that protecting the church from the elements should be the priority in these situations. There are good reasons why our guidance recommends like-for-like replacement - lead is very durable and performs extremely well as a roofing material. Also, it can easily be repaired and much of it comes from recycled sources."

The Historic England spokesperson emphasised that churches can change to an alternative material for their roofs under certain circumstances. "Our guidance makes it very clear that Historic England will consider supporting the replacement of stolen lead with an alternative material after one incidence of theft if it is satisfied that security measures are unlikely to prevent further attacks, and if the proposed alternative material is suitable in terms of technical performance and appearance," the spokesperson said.

The guidance says: "Every case is assessed on its merits but we appreciate that there will be instances when a change of material will be appropriate. After a theft, in some situations, a durable replacement such as terne coated stainless steel or tiles, might be the most prudent way to repair the building."

A Church of England spokesperson told Christian Today: "The key point is that lead is the best roofing material and replacement is the default, but where there is a great risk of repeated theft, alternatives might be considered."

The Archdeacon of Leicester added: "Whilst there are many roofing materials in use today, lead has an important place in the history of our buildings. For this reason there is an expectation among statutory agencies and planning authorities that historic buildings with lead roofs will be re-roofed with the same material as the need arises. At present this expectation among the regulators of historic buildings prevents the church from replacing lead with similar looking materials less attractive to thieves, such as terne coated steel, unless it can make a special argument on a case-by case basis. This is possible where there have been repeated thefts from a particular building but it is not something that can be agreed for most churches."
Revelation 1: What was the purpose of John's vision of Christ?

It is one of the world's most iconic images. Anyone attending the Olympics and visiting Rio in Brazil, cannot miss it. Built in 1931, designed by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa and the French sculptor Paul Landowski, the art deco sculpture of Christ the Redeemer overlooks the city of Rio de Janeiro with outstretched arms. It's an impressive sight. And for many people that's all that Jesus is  a statue. A long dead teacher whose teachings live on in much of the collective ethics of humanity. Jesus is cool, and dead, although his followers who are very much alive, leave a lot to be desired!

The reality that the Revelation of John reveals is something very different. He makes a spectacular claim, which if true, changes the whole world. There are many claims that don't really matter  even if they are extraordinary. There may or may not be a monster in Loch Ness, but it's not going to change or affect your life in any real way if there is. But this claim is different. It's the one claim that turns the universe upside down. It is the ultimate game changer.

In response to Christopher Hitchens' God is not Great, I wrote Magnificent Obsession, trying to explain why Jesus is great. After it was published an atheist friend came round to the house and wanted to talk about it. "Extraordinary", she said, "I can't believe that you actually believe that". I was curious as to which of the facts about Jesus she was so nonplussed about. "You really believe that Jesus is alive today! If that were true it would change absolutely everything". She was spot on. In fact an atheist who is incredulous at the Resurrection of Christ often has a better understanding than a nominal Christian who repeats the creed without being astounded by it.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

This is what John teaches in Revelation 1:4-18. It is a foundational doctrine of the Christian church. It is the message that the Apostles took everywhere in the book of Acts. It is the ultimate apologetic. Jesus is alive. If you can read/say these words without a sense of awe and wonder, then you haven't really got them.

But here is the real problem. It's not enough that we know and assent to something intellectually, doctrinally. We need to know. We need to experience. We need to feel. Jesus is not just a Facebook friend. He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother. In the words of the song 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in his wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace.

But how? How do I look full in his wonderful face? To put it bluntly, his face is not here. We don't have a photo. We don't even know what he looked like! It is interesting that there is no description of Jesus in the Bible.

We need the real presence of Christ. In Scots we have a phrase, 'it's better felt than telt'. But how does Christ reveal himself? How can we know? How can we feel? Although the felt presence of Christ is something we want, the problem is how we get there. What happened to John in this first chapter of Revelation gives us some pointers.

John was as he tells us, on the island of Patmos, suffering, enduring, wondering what was going on, what was happening in the world and church and to him. And then this extraordinary thing happened. On the first day of the week, he was 'in the Spirit'. There is a pointer straightaway. If you want to see Christ you need both his day and his Spirit. The Lord's Day is the first day of the week. For the Christian church it replaced the Jewish Sabbath (the Saturday) and became the day of rest, re-creation and public worship. One of the problems that we have as Christians today is that we have lost the fourth commandment and we have forgotten that the Sabbath was made for man, not vice versa. It is a day that God gives us to seek him. I know that there are many self-proclaimed supersaints for whom 'every day is the Lord's Day', but for us lesser mortals it's great to have one day in the week as a 'holy day', where collectively with his people we are 'in the Spirit'.

 There is hardly a verse in the book of Revelation that is not linked directly or indirectly with parts of the Old Testament 

We need a vision of Christ. We don't know what Jesus looked like and this does not give us a description. John saw a man in a robe and a golden sash, with hair white as wool/snow, eyes like blazing fire, feet like burnished bronze, a voice like the sound of rushing waters, having the seven stars in his right hand, a sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth and his face shining like the sun. This is not a photofit picture of Christ. Like much of Revelation it is a vision, which is meant to tell us what Christ is like, not what he looks like.

And here is another key to understanding the whole book. You need to know the Old Testament. Daniel 7 and 10, Ezekiel 43 and Isaiah 6 will help you with these verses. There is hardly a verse in the book of Revelation that is not linked directly or indirectly with parts of the Old Testament. It is a basic principle of understanding the Bible; interpret Scripture with Scripture  which you can't do if you don't know Scripture.

The point about John's vision of Christ is that its purpose is to reveal the glory of Christ, who is the glory of God. Hebrews 1:3: 'The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.' But this does not have the effect of making us come over all warm and fuzzy. It is stunning. John, whose knowledge of Christ as his best friend on this earth was second to none, was overwhelmed by this revelation. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 'Awesome' is one of those awesome words which the devil has killed by overuse. As I write I have just been sent an e-mail promising me 'awesome' deals. These 'deals' may be as irritating as the people who constantly say 'awesome'. Chocolate chip ice cream is not 'awesome'. You are not 'awesome'. Christ alone is awesome. He alone inspires the kind of awe that makes us fall at his feet as though dead.

And then he places his right hand on us. And he speaks. Don't be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One. I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Sometimes we think that if only we could have been around with Jesus when he was teaching, raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out demons, it would have been so much easier to have faith and to know him. And yet you can be with someone and not know them. John had a far greater revelation of Jesus on the island of Patmos, than he did on the shores of Galilee. We can too. The living Christ speaking to our hearts is the most awesome thing on earth. Far too many of us behave as though Christ were dead and we are the living ones  whereas if we experienced the living Christ we would realise how dead we are and how He is eternal Life.

 The living Christ speaking to our hearts is the most awesome thing on earth 

There is a somewhat cliched and ultimately superficial view of Christianity that thinks that once we are 'born again', have made a commitment, we now know Christ and there is nothing more to know. We speak so glibly. "I came to know Jesus"  as though it were merely an experience in the past, which sadly for many it is. But not for the Apostle Paul who towards the end of his life wrote 'I want to know Christyes, to know the power of his Resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the Resurrection from the dead'. (Philippians 3:10-11). He had planted many of the churches in the world, written a great deal of the New Testament and yet still at the end of his life, he wants to know Christ!

A living Christ is so much better than even the most wonderful 90ft statue. It's time to resurrect the teaching about the Resurrection. If Christ is alive; if Christ holds the keys of death and Hades, then what does John, or any of us have to be afraid of?

Those of us who follow him; who worship him and acknowledge him in this life, have nothing to fear. We are loved, freed, forgiven and guaranteed our own resurrection. We only have our lives to live here on this earth in wonder, love and praise. Awesome!

But for those who don't know or acknowledge him, there is a real problem (and opportunity). The problem is that shutting your eyes to Christ does not mean that he does not exist or that he will go away. The existence of Christ is not dependent on your belief or lack thereof. John tells us that Jesus is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all peoples will mourn on earth because of him. When Christ returns there will be no atheists demanding proof of his existence! Every knee will bow. That is the day of judgement.

The opportunity? That's now. This is the day when Christ is calling people from all over the world to new life and giving them the right to become the children of God. Jesus never refuses anyone who comes to him. Those who seek him find him. He is there and he is not silent. He gives the Spirit to those who ask. And he never says no. Maybe it's time you asked? This is the day of salvation.

David Robertson is the moderator of the Free Church of Scotland and director of Solas CPC, Dundee. Follow him on Twitter @theweeflea.
Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) release date, specs: New Galaxy A to come out soon?

It seems that aside from new top-tier flagships, Samsung will also be adding another iteration to its mid-range lineup, as the supposed 2016 edition of the Galaxy A8 leaks online.

According to SamMobile, the specs of what seems to be the Samsung Galaxy A8 2016 has been leaked once again, prior to a previous list published by benchmarking site GFXBench. What is interesting to note is that in the latest supposed list, the purported 2016 Galaxy A8 already has its Bluetooth certification. This may mean that the new iteration is bound to come out soon.

In the new specs, the still-unnamed Samsung mid-ranger with serial code SM-A810F features an Exynos 7420 chipset, paired with 3GB of RAM. Should this prove true, the upcoming Galaxy A8 (2016), although a mid-range lineup addition, is expected to have flagship-level performance. The Exynos 7420 chipset is known to be one of the flagship processors for the South Korea-based tech giant, as the chipset is previously featured in flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy Note 5.

Other specs remain the same, such as a 5.7-inch display, 32GB of onboard storage, and Android 6.0.1 right out of the box. In addition, the 2016 Samsung Galaxy A8 is supposed to come out with a 16MP main shooter and a 5MP selfie camera.

As to when Samsung will unveil the new mid-range lineup addition, it is expected to come out before the year ends. The 2016 Samsung Galaxy A8 is bound to be an "in-between" release for the company. Since Samsung has just launched a new flagship lineup, the Galaxy Note 7, it is expected of the Galaxy A8 2016 to debut just before the purported early 2017 release of another flagship lineup, the Samsung Galaxy S8 series.
Terror suspect affirms ISIS cells already in Mexico: Preparing to strike southern U.S.?

A terrorist suspect in U.S. government custody has affirmed that the Islamic State (ISIS) has "sleeper cells" in Mexico presumably preparing to infiltrate the United States and conduct terrorist strikes, according to the conservative group Judicial Watch.

The report appears to corroborate an article in the Italian website il Giornali in April in which an ISIS leader reportedly made the same claim, boasting that he could get a group of men into the United States "and kill thousands of people in Texas or Arizona within hours," CBN News reports.

The il Giornali article claims that the ISIS is working with Mexican drug cartels. If true, the cartels could easily transport ISIS fighters and weapons across the border to launch a deadly attack on the United States, according to CBN News.

Sheik Mahmood Omar Khabir, the ISIS leader, claimed that he was training thousands of men to fight from an ISIS base on the U.S.-Mexico border near Ciudad Juarez, just a few miles from El Paso.

The existence of the ISIS base has apparently been confirmed by Erick Jamal Hendricks, the 35-year-old terrorist suspect who was arrested and charged in Ohio last week.

The Justice Department has charged Hendricks with conspiring to provide ISIS with material support, stating that the suspect created a sleeper terrorist cell with at least 10 members. Hendricks tried to "recruit people to train together and conduct terrorist attacks in the United States," according to the government's criminal complaint.

Earlier this year, Judicial Watch revealed that the ISIS has already set up camps just a few miles from El Paso, Texas in an area just west of Ciudad Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.

Despite the evidence provided by high-level law enforcement, intelligence and military sources on both sides of the border on the existence of Islamic terrorist cells operating in Mexico, the Obama administration has publicly denied it, according to Judicial Watch.

The group says it has also verified that Mexican drug cartels are smuggling foreigners from countries with terrorist links to areas in a rural Texas town.
Theresa May sidelines role of faith minister

The government position of faith minister has been quietly minimised in an ongoing trend of minimising the prominence of religion in senior roles.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth is the new minister with responsibilities for "faith and integration" after Theresa May became Prime Minister in July.

But far from being a senior government position, Bourne is a junior minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Alongside his responsibilities for religion, he also oversees community cohesion, race equality, troubled families, domestic refuges, travellers policy and is in charge of the Syrian Refugees Programme.

But as well as a minister in DCLG, Bourne's time is split with the Wales Office where he is also Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales. A former leader of the Welsh Conservatives, his brief covers responsibilities for energy, environment, defence, local government, localism, education and law and order in Wales.

The thinly spread junior minister symbolises a trend away from placing the faith "brief" with a senior government figure.

Baroness Warsi was Minister for Faith and Communities between September 2012 and August 2014. As a senior government figure Warsi could sit in on Cabinet meetings through her role as Minister of State in the Foreign Office, something not available to Lord Bourne or his predecessor Baroness Williams of Trafford.

Warsi pledged to put faith back at the "heart of government" and promised to be part of "the most pro-faith government in the world".

After she resigned the role was given to Eric Pickles, then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who also attended Cabinet. He said: "It's a job I take very seriously, but it's also a source of constant inspiration when I see time and again the contribution of faith to Britain today."

But with the removal of Pickles from government after the 2015 general election, the role of minister for faith was handed to Lady Williams, then junior minister in DCLG.

Now the position has been minimised further with it being handed to a junior minister with split responsibilities.

A spokeswoman for DCLG told Christian Today: "The government remains committed to both faith and integration.

"That has clearly been shown by Lord Bourne, who just weeks into the role has already met with dozens of faith communities to celebrate their contributions and discuss their concerns."
Tight security as thousands of pilgrims flock to Lourdes in France

Thousands of Catholics made a pilgrimage to the French shrine of Lourdes today to mark the Feast of the Assumption amid tight security following the murder last month of a priest in Normandy.

Groups from across Europe, the Middle East and Asia gathered in the sanctuary in the foothills of the Pyrenees in south-west France celebrating the ascent into Heaven of the Virgin Mary, in the first major Catholic event in France since Jacques Hamel was killed by two men supporting Islamic State.

"We've come to pray for peace in the world, which seems to be in chaos," Piet Tarappa, an Indonesian businessman who came from Jakarta with 35 other pilgrims and a bishop, told the news agency AFP.

Lionel Ambroise, a 29-year-old French engineer living in Brussels, told AFP that he had come to "reflect on the world and France in particular, which is going through a crisis."

There was a heavy presence of armed security for the ceremony, which culminated with an open-air Mass at the spot where Mary is said to have appeared to a shepherd girl in 1858.

AFP reported that soldiers in fatigues with automatic rifles were guarding the pilgrims as a helicopter flew overhead. Some 500 security personnel were deployed to protect the crowd of up to 25,000 worshippers expected at the Mass.

On arrival, pilgrims had their bags searched on entry to the site, where bomb disposal experts with sniffer dogs were on standby.

Following the truck massacre in Nice on 14 July, the streets around the sanctuary were sealed off to traffic.

The French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin dedicated his homily to his country, which had been "rocked by so much suffering since January 2015 [when the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish grocery were attacked] and which was again cruelly hit last month."

Barbarin said his message was addressed to "all the faithful", including Muslims and Jews.

"It's important to show that life goes on," one of the pilgrimage coordinators, Matthieu Guignard, told AFP. "It's not because a few fanatics try to sow fear that we should abandon our faith, our beliefs, our way of living."

Around six million people per year come to Lourdes, making it one of the biggest sites of Catholic pilgrimage in the world.

Sick and disabled people especially flock to the shrine and bathe in a spring in the cave where Saint Bernadette said she saw Mary, believing the water to have healing properties.
UKIP's Christian candidate quits leadership race

Jonathan Arnott has quit the race to be leader of UKIP.

The Christian MEP for the North East of England said he was withdrawing because the best he could hope for was second place. The 35-year-old's resignation means there are five candidates left in the fight to replace Nigel Farage.

Arnott said: "There is no prize for a silver medal in a leadership contest".

Announcing his withdrawal he added: "We are in the process of electing a new leader of the UK's third political party.

"This should not be taken lightly, and the only reason for standing is for a candidate to believe that they can meaningfully aim to win the ballot."

The Christian candidate's campaign started well when Paul Nuttall, UKIP's deputy chair, backed him shortly after its launch. But Arnott has struggled to gather momentum and said he wished the next leader well without deciding who to support.

His campaign had been about party unity and internal reform, he said, adding UKIP must become a grown-up unit capable of taking on the big issues.

"I want to see a UKIP which isn't frightened to talk about the economy, a UKIP which will discuss the future of our NHS, a UKIP which champions excellence in education which goes far beyond grammar schools, a UKIP which has at its core a belief in people power and direct democracy, and a UKIP which will declare war on the crime which blights so many working-class communities.

"I want to see a UKIP which is more professional in taking the fight to our opposition in the target seats."

The five remaining candidates are Bill Etheridge and Diane James, both MEPs, as well as councillor Lisa Duffy and activists Phillip Broughton and Elizabeth Jones.

James is considered the favourite but is yet to formerly launch her campaign and her rivals have said this is because she is on holiday.
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Hours after presenting the victor for Mexico's Miss Sinaloa beauty queen contest, the man who placed the crown on the winner's head had been shot dead.

Hugo Ruben Castellanos Jimenez was abducted Aug. 7 by masked gunmen and executed by a single shot to the back of the head.

The motive for the crime is still not yet known, but authorities in Mexico do not discount the possible links between beauty pageants and cartels. The connection may seem unlikely, but it would not be the first time that beauty queens have been linked to drug traffickers.

READ MORE: 13 tons of cocaine linked to Sinaloa cartel found inside barrels of hot sauce

Four years earlier, the winner of a beauty contest was killed in a shootout between drug traffickers and soldiers. Maria Susana Flores Gamez, crowned 2012 Women of Sinaloa, exited a vehicle with a gun in her hand, and was shot dead along with two other gunmen. At the time, it was the fourth documented case of a pageant contestant becoming involved with Mexican cartels.

Even Mexico's most infamous drug kingpin, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, fell in love with his wife after he saw her at a beauty pageant. She was 17 at the time. The multi-billionaire married her on the day she turned 18.

The phenomenon is so well documented, it inspired the 2011 film "Miss Bala."

READ MORE: Five dead and six injured after cartel uses social media to warn of imminent violence

Javier Valdez, the author of a book about beauty queens and cartels, "Miss Narco," says these are reoccurring stories.

"For a lot of these young women, it is easy to get involved with organized crime, in a country that doesn't offer many opportunities for young people," Valdez told the Guardian.

"I once wrote about a girl I knew of who was desperate to get a narco boyfriend," he said. "She practically took out a classified ad saying 'Looking for a Narco.' "

Nery Cordova, an author and professor on narco-culture in Sinaloa, asked, "Do you want beauty queens who are not involved in the state's dominant industry? Look for them in heaven."

Above: Click through to learn about one of Mexico's most brutal cartels.
Surveillance cameras have captured illegal dumping in dozens of neighborhoods in Houston, leading to charges against the suspects.

The cameras were placed in January at a total of 25 sites in five Houston City Council districts where illegal dumping has become commonplace, said Alan Bernstein, a special assistant in the office of Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.
Police have released more details after a 4-year old boy died Monday when a sport utility vehicle hit him as he walked in a southwest Houston neighborhood.

The incident happened about 7:20 a.m. at 6600 Tarnef near De Moss, according to the Houston Police Department.
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A suspected drunk driver has been accused in a fatal crash that left a 27-year-old woman dead Sunday in west Houston.

Orlando Alexis Fortoso, 25, is charged with intoxication manslaughter in the wreck that occurred about 3 a.m. at 2700 South Gessner near Westheimer, according to the Houston Police Department.

Police said Fortoso was driving a white Toyota Camry northbound on South Gessner when he failed to maintain a single lane, veered onto the median, overcorrected and hit a sign on the opposite side of the road.

One of two women in the car was thrown out of the backseat. That woman, whose name has not been released, died at the scene.

Field sobriety tests determined Fortoso was intoxicated at the time of the crash. He was later arrested and charged in the case.
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Fewer Texas public schools failed to meet the state's academic standards this year, providing some solace to educators following months of problems related to the high-stakes standardized exams.

The setbacks included glitches during online testing in March, the misreporting of scores to the wrong campus or district at first, and weak answer documents that tore easily and caused concern that bubbled-in responses could be misread.

Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath has criticized the state's new testing vendor, Educational Testing Services, but apparently felt confident enough that the issues were resolved to release the annual school ratings Monday.

READ MORE: The average pay teachers can expect in Houston-area school districts

The data show that across Texas, 467 schools, or 5.7 percent of those rated, failed to meet the state's standards for 2016, earning the label of "improvement required." Last year, 7.5 percent of schools fell short.

The Houston Independent School District also fared better than last year, though it still had 40 schools, or 15 percent, that failed to meet the standards. HISD had 58 schools, or 21 percent, rated "improvement required" last year.

Schools and districts that repeatedly fall short of the standards can face sanctions, including state takeover.

The ratings are based mostly on students' scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exams.

The Houston region's superintendents had asked Morath in June to abandon the school accountability ratings this year following the testing problems.

READ MORE: The best high schools in Texas for 2016, according to Newsweek

Carla Stevens, Houston ISD's assistant superintendent of research and accountability, said last week that she remained concerned about the accuracy of the testing information.

"I'm suspect of the data still," Stevens said. "I'm not convinced ETS has gotten us all the correct data."

Testing problems aside, HISD officials made a concerted effort to improve academic performance last school year following several years of stagnant STAAR scores. Then-Superintendent Terry Grier hired two new chiefs, Jason Bernal and Grenita Lathan, to oversee the district's lowest-performing campuses.

Of the 58 HISD schools rated "improvement required" last year, 31 were rated "met standard" this year. However, about a dozen new schools landed on the "improvement required" list.

The accountability system is essentially a pass-fail scheme, with schools and districts rated either "met standard" or "improvement required." They are rated on four categories, or indices.

READ MORE: Memes help teachers cope with going back to school for the fall semester

The "student achievement" index measures passing rates on STAAR exams  60 percent across all grades and subjects was the standard this year. The "student progress index" measures the annual improvement of each student on STAAR. The rating system gives districts and schools credit for meeting either of those two indices. For example, even if fewer than 60 percent of students passed, schools would get credit if students met the state's progress standard.

On the third index, called "closing performance gaps," schools and districts are judged on the results of their low-income students and on the two demographic groups that fared the worst the prior year.

Schools also are held accountable for the percentage of students scoring high enough on STAAR to be considered on track to be college-ready. In addition, high schools are evaluated on their graduation rates and other factors such as the percentage of students taking career-training courses.

The rating system could be considered tougher this year. The math scores of elementary and middle school students are included after a reprieve in 2015 following new curriculum standards. In addition, results of special-education students taking alternative exams or receiving accommodations also count.
Not long after he had put his Nazi past behind him and turned his thoughts to more peaceful pursuits, rocket engineer Wernher von Braun laid out a plan for the future of the American space program, sensible enough for any politician and simple enough to write on a napkin.

First, put a real person up there to prove that we could, and that he can remain alive. Then invent a reusable sort of space plane - nothing fancy, just a means of getting to and from Earth orbit at reasonable cost. Next build a large and permanently inhabited space station, finally using that as a factory of sorts to construct more robust vehicles to take us to the moon, Mars and wherever else we felt the urge to go.

The plan was no secret. Colliers magazine published a series of articles in the early 1950s with carefully drawn illustrations of what the various bits of hardware would look like. The premise was that spacefaring was a matter of when, not if, and that all manner of bases and spacecraft lay just over the horizon.

Certainly no one imagined then that von Braun's functional "ferry," the modest plane-like vehicle that would run back and forth to space, would end up as a 30-year endeavor that would summarize human space exploration for a generation and consume more than $200 billion of the agency's budget.

More Information timeline April 12, 1981 The first reusable spacecraft lifts off at Kennedy Space Center. The Space Transportation System program names its first shuttle Columbia. June 18, 1983 America's first female astronaut, Sally Ride, gets her wings aboard the Challenger. Aug. 30, 1983Fighter pilot and aerospace engineer Guy Bluford becomes the first black American in space. Feb. 7, 1984 Astronaut Bruce McCandless becomes the first human satellite, moving about 300 untethered feet from the Space Shuttle Challenger. Jan. 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after liftoff, killing all seven crew members, including the first teacher in space. NASA's self-prescribed moratorium on flight keeps the shuttle fleet grounded for nearly three years. April 24, 1990 Discovery deploys the Hubble Space Telescope. Dec. 12, 1998 First U.S. assembly flight for the International Space Station takes off with module known as Unity. July 23, 1999 Eileen Collins, the first female shuttle pilot, gets another footnote in history, becoming the first female shuttle commander. Feb. 1, 2003 Seven astronauts perish when the Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up minutes before its scheduled landing. July 21, 2011 NASA retires the space shuttle program after Atlantis rolls into the Kennedy Space Center. See More Collapse

While the shuttle fleet was housed in Florida, its spiritual home was Houston, where those who flew on it and worked in it lived. Once the shuttle was aloft, Johnson Space Center was its connection to the world. The sum of human space knowledge may have been more enriched by the robotic probes assembled in California and sent throughout the solar system, but the key human element bore a familiar Texas twang, just as in the Apollo days. The astronauts and the thousands of contractors who indirectly supported their efforts were friends and neighbors. The nickname Space City was no PR catchphrase but a meaningful description of a real thing.

By most any measure the iconic Space Shuttle was an impressive achievement, instilling pride as it blasted into blue skies with a booming orange tail and amazement when its lifting body design allowed it to glide back to a runway for a perfect soft landing. The crude metallic rendering of von Braun's space plane paled next to the black-and-white orbiter as it rolled to a stop at Kennedy Space Center.

But functional as it was, the shuttle eventually took the wind out of NASA's sails, never managing to defeat the twin demons of cost and complexity. Each of its 135 launches was a costly venture, and two of them ended tragically, with the loss of 14 lives.

The Challenger accident, which occurred on a crisp winter morning in 1986, stunned a nation that had come to regard shuttle flights as routine - so routine that television networks no longer carried live broadcasts of the launches, so routine that one of its crew members was not a scientist or military aviator but a teacher, whose presence was to be used to promote human space flight as a worthy endeavor that would teach us much in coming years. The image of a smiling and waving Christa McAuliffe haunted all who saw the shuttle as emblematic of American technical strength and sense of purpose.

The reasons for the accident were painstakingly determined, but in no way did the tragedy diminish government commitment to the program. However, when Columbia perished high above Texas on its return entry in February 2003, the critiques of continuing to fly aging crafts began to flourish. More and more was the shuttle program's relevance questioned.

At the very least, the shuttle program kept human beings "out there." Maybe not very far compared to the robotic machines NASA sent to distant planets, but somewhere. Which helped give Americans a sense that the Grand Vision was not completely dead.

Retired in 2011, the shuttle did much of what was asked of it while employing tens of thousands of engineers and support personnel. It lifted more than 600 astronauts and 3 million pounds of cargo into orbit. It served as a unique research lab. It also was used to take the Hubble Space Telescope to its appointed spot. And when Hubble turned out to have a problem with its optics, the shuttle took up new parts and a crew trained to install them, saving American astronomy's greatest achievement.

In its earlier days, the space shuttle delivered satellites, fixed satellites and even retrieved satellites. But at about $1.5 billion per launch, it was no surprise that satellite companies soon figured that it made more sense to launch their products on conventional rockets. The loss of the Challenger in 1986 was another reason to use expendables, as its primary payload was a satellite.

The decision to build the International Space Station gave the shuttle a new lease on life. Granted, the station looked nothing like von Braun and previous NASA leaders had once imagined. It turned out to be an end in itself, a place for research, not construction or embarkation.

Nobody had exactly wanted the shuttle as the space agency's premier program. Former Administrator Thomas O. Paine had great ambitions following the Apollo moon landings, including a variety of space bases and a mission to Mars. Political reality then stepped in, with President Richard Nixon deciding to go with what he saw as the least ambitious and expensive of his options, other than calling a halt to the human side of the space program.

With the space race now dead and Congressional interest on the wane, the shuttle was a child of compromise. Former late congressman and cabinet member Les Aspin, often a critic of NASA's spending habits and vision, said the shuttle's original role as a piece of a large scheme was lost as its supporters wanted to give it something to do beyond send out robotic probes. No shuttle meant a lower budget.

"What was once creating an agency to further a program becomes creating a program - any program - that will further the agency," Aspin once said. "The space shuttle filled such a need."

The shuttle survived even as much of the Grand Vision was scrapped. It was sold as a convenient means to space, safer and cheaper. Dozens of flights a year were anticipated. There were projections that said it might even prove profitable, simply by flying it more.

But figuring out how to get it up and down intact proved harder than anyone thought, including von Braun. NASA never got the funding it needed to build the fully reusable, two-stage vehicle that was always desired, so designers scaled back. Military requirements forced more changes, then the military lost interest.

Part Two of the Grand Vision took about 10 years to complete, with Columbia launching in 1981. It was supposed to make space flight routine. It did not, but it did bring that day closer.

"People endlessly debate this stuff," Roger Launius, space history curator at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, said on the eve of the last shuttle flight. "You can make a case on both sides."

The shuttle played a critical role in building the space station, traveling there 36 times. Critics said, only half-jokingly, the true purpose of the station was to give the shuttle something to do. Fair or not, once the station was finished, the program's days were numbered. The fleet of orbiters was prepared for one more destination - a museum.
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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.
AUSTIN - Texas officials have wasted little time advancing new anti-abortion policies after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned state law for building what it deemed to be unconstitutional barriers to abortion.

Since the high court opinion decimated parts of the Texas' abortion law in late June, Gov. Greg Abbott's administration has unveiled a new fetal burial policy, published revisions of a mandatory pre-abortion brochure that medical experts say inserts inaccuracies and granted $1.6 million to a group run by an anti-abortion advocate.

"Unfortunately, it's not business as usual. Some of these things happen because of timing, but some of it is a change in culture at the agency," said Blake Rocap, legislative counsel for NARAL Pro-Choice Texas.

Abortion policy, a traditional hot button across the U.S., is usually crafted by state-elected officials who write laws every two years. However, the governor's office said these are pressing issues that cannot wait until the legislature returns in 2017.

More for you Change in state law hides rise in 2nd trimester abortions

"Gov. Abbott believes that defending the sanctity and dignity of human life is worthy of immediate action," said Ciara Matthews, the governor's spokeswoman.

Abortion-rights advocates say proposed changes are begging to be litigated. After the three-year fight that rose to the nation's highest court, however, they say they are in no rush to file suit.

Between pending changes mandating fetal tissue cremation or burial and contested edits to a "Women's Right to Know" handout, more than 21,000 reactionary comments have flooded state agencies. The comments have yet to be broken down by pro and con.

All of those comments came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state's 2013 requirements that facilities adhere to costly standards of ambulatory surgical centers and require doctors performing abortion to gain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, calling them unconstitutional barriers to abortion.

Status of abortion clinics in Texas Two dozen clinics that shut down soon after the passage of the rules also are likely to try to reopen following Monday's U.S. Supreme Court decision, although it may take months or years, due to start-up costs, licensing requirements and uncertainly about the Legislature's next move. View the status of clinics below. Source: Texas Department of State Health Services | Note: ASCs are Ambulatory Surgery Centers, which are licensed through DSHS to provide abortion services | Created by Rachael Gleason

The Supreme Court opinion infuriated anti-abortion advocates who are now brainstorming laws to introduce when the Legislature returns next year.

Some 20 clinics have closed since the now-unconstitutional law went into effect, and the number of abortions reported in Texas dropped 14 percent to 54,902. Shuttered abortion clinics would have to reapply for permits and find new staff to reopen their doors and abortion providers said they have yet to hear of any willing to reopen.

'Your baby'

The day after the high court struck down Texas' state law, the state proposed formal changes to its Women's Right to Know brochure, a 24-page handout each woman is required to have in-hand 24-hours prior to undergoing an abortion.

State lawmakers mandated providers give the booklet to patients undergoing abortions in 2003, and the content has remained unchanged since.

This year's revisions came after reviewing medical research, said Carrie Williams, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of State Health Services. However, the pamphlet maintains medical information that science has debunked, such as any link between abortion and breast cancer. Among the changes, the new version refers to the embryo and fetus as "your baby" 62 times, up from four references in the current version in sections about choosing pregnancy.

The state clearly favors childbirth over abortion and should be able to promote that viewpoint in its policies and brochure, said Joe Pojman, executive director of Texas Alliance for Life, a leading anti-abortion group. "It's not supposed to be a peer-reviewed paper in a medical journal," he said. "It's for people that are under great stress and need to know their options."

'Misleading' women

The Informed Consent Project, based out of Rutgers University's Department of Political Science, evaluated informed consent packets from 23 states for medical accuracy. It found 30 percent of statements in Texas' proposed revision were inaccurate, with 45 percent of statements about the first trimester faulty. Some medically accurate statements from the original document were deleted and inaccurate statements were added, the research found.

"When you're requiring doctors to hand women a brochure that 45 percent of the statements that apply to the women are inaccurate, that brochure is clearly not informing her choice. It's misleading her," said Trisha Trigilio, Houston-based staff lawyer for the ACLU of Texas who declined to say whether the organization planned to litigate.

Days after the proposed revisions came out, state officials began moving forward with the second policy change: the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on July 1 quietly revealed plans to require fetal remains, regardless of gestational age, be given a burial or cremation. The remains are now treated as medical waste and are often incinerated, although state law allows disposal through sanitary sewers. Most Texas abortions happen within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy when the fetus is typically smaller than a lime.

Requiring fetal tissue be buried affirms the dignity of all life, according to the governor's office. The move is part of the governor's LIFE Initiative to protect the unborn, eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood and improve and expand adoption services, according to Matthews, his spokeswoman.

The policy as written would also apply to fetal tissue from miscarriages, although it is unclear whether that inclusion will make it into the final policy.

Estimates for the cost of cremation and burial vary, although the basic fee for funeral services is $2,000, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Texas, adding a significant cost for abortion providers to absorb or pass on to patients.

Calling foul

The governor's office, which took credit for pushing the agency to write the policy, said the unveiling of the proposed rule had nothing to do with the timing of the Supreme Court's opinion. The governor had pushed the commission for months to write that rule, his office said, but was not involved in the crafting or the timing of it.

"I cannot speak strongly enough that there is nothing to read into the timing," Matthews said. "This has been a conversation that has been ongoing with HHSC since the beginning of the year. It just happened to be that the Supreme Court came out with their decision around the time when the governor and HHSC were concluding what the proposed rule changes were going to look like, so there's nothing to read into that at all."

Last week, the HHSC awarded a $1.6 million contract to a nonprofit group run by a well-known anti-abortion advocate to provide women's healthcare. The Heidi Group is shifting its attention from advocacy to health care, said Carol Everett, the group's founder and CEO. Pro-abortion groups are calling foul, asking the state auditor to investigate whether the grant was improperly awarded to the group.

More obstacles

With an administration and state laws that stand in steadfast opposition to abortion, critics fear the changes will further damage a woman's ability to obtain an abortion, whether by higher costs associated with cremating their fetus or in wading through coercion in the state-sponsored information.

Abortion providers and the ACLU have declined to say whether they plan to file litigation to challenge the proposed policy changes. Neither the burial rule nor the pamphlet's edits have gone into effect as the state wades through thousands of comments. Final decisions on both proposals are expected in the coming months.

"It was a victory for reproductive rights advocates," Trigilio said of this summer's high court opinion, "but our reaction was also, we're going to have to continue to fight and Texas has made that clear."
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Both sides of Julian Pesina's double life were closing in on his secrets.

Pesina was a police officer in Balcones Heights, a small city of 3,000 people near San Antonio, Texas. But he also claimed allegiance to the Mexican Mafia, a notorious gang known for extortion and precision executions.

Pesina sold drugs for the Texas Mexican Mafia and paid a weekly tax, or "dime," for his tattoo parlor, according to court documents. Hidden beneath his police uniform, Pesina was covered with illustrious gang tattoos.

READ MORE: Mexican Mafia member pleads guilty in cop's killing

In 2014, federal investigators were probing Pesina's ties to the ruthless, violent gang and getting close to making an arrest that could send him to prison for years. But Texas Mexican Mafia members, who learned of his police job from Facebook, sentenced Pesina to death instead.

Jerry "Spooks" Idrogo was ordered to execute him.

According to court documents, Idrogo, a sergeant in the Texas Mexican Mafia, selected two men to help kill Pesina; one was an aspiring gang member, the other was in bad standing with the Texas Mexican Mafia and hoped to redeem himself with a kill.

On May 4, 2014, Idrogo called Pesina, saying he was in a hurry and wanted to pick up the "dime" outside Pesina's tattoo parlor, Notorious Ink.

READ MORE: Feds say killing of Balcones Heights cop was caught on video

When Pesina walked up to the car to pay Idrogo, the other gang members rushed around the building, wearing masks.

One carried a shotgun. The other clutched a pistol.

Pesina was shot and killed in the street - though the gunmen waited until Pesina had paid his 10 percent tax before opening fire, according to federal investigators.

Video of Pesina's execution was captured on a pole-mounted camera FBI agents had set up to watch his business and build their case, according to the San Antonio Express-News. FBI sources told the newspaper they had planned to arrest Pesina within a week when he was killed in cold blood.

READ MORE: Reputed Mexican Mafia hit man charged in cop's slaying

On Friday, Idrogo pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to participate in a "Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization."

As part of the plea, Idrogo admitted he was was responsible for Pesina's slaying and the death of another man, Texas Mexican Mafia member Billy Padilla, who was executed in 2013 "for failing to turn over drug proceeds to the organization," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas.

When he's sentenced in November, Idrogo faces life in federal prison.

The Mexican Mafia - also known as "La Eme," Spanish for "the M," and as "Mexikanemi" - has existed for more than 60 years, according to an Associated Press story on a gang sweep in 2007.

READ MORE: FBI confirms it was filming slain Balcones Heights police officer as part of drug investigation

The organization "was formed by Mexican-American inmates in a Northern California prison in the 1950s as a front against racist attacks," the AP noted. "It has since fanned out across the state prison system and to Mexican and U.S. streets."

"Authorities say the self-proclaimed "gang of all gangs" has cowed a who's who of the state's deadliest gangs - including Aryan Brotherhood and 18th Street - into paying taxes in their turf ...

" 'La Eme' hits gangs who refuse the arrangement with a so-called 'green light,' making them a target for retaliation by the gang and its allies.The gang's Texas offshoot gained power in the 1980s, according to court documents."

Behind bars, gang members trafficked drugs and banded together for protection. When members were released, they expanded the enterprise - and the violence - to the streets.

READ MORE: Feds say Texas Mexican Mafia killed drug-dealing cop

Many Texas Mexican Mafia members were from San Antonio, which became the branch headquarters. Members could join only if they were asked by a "sponsor" or a "padrino."

To gain membership, inductees had to commit a criminal act- including the murder of an enemy.

And according to the Mexican Mafia's constitution, cooperation with law enforcement was punishable by death.

Pesina's execution in 2014 - with a shotgun and pistol - was a textbook example of a Mexican Mafia hit, according to Tony Rafael, the pen name of the author of a book about the gang.

READ MORE: Affidavit: Man lured Balcones Heights cop to his death

"The smaller weapon is used to pin down or debilitate the target," Rafael told The Washington Post. "And then they finish them off with the rifle."

Rafael said it's not uncommon to find civil servants among the mafia's ranks.

One of the gang's strengths, he said, is its ability to coerce people and even other gangs into working to benefit "La Eme."

"They're very, very good of manipulating people," Rafael said. "They've had female corrections officers and manipulated them into literally marrying them. Prior to marrying them, these (officers) smuggled food and drugs into the jail.

READ MORE: Balcones Heights officer warned chief of Pesina's gang-related tattoos

"They've corrupted social workers to do their bidding for them, and occasionally police officers too. They'll find a weak spot. They'll befriend you, try to figure out what makes you tick. If you're short of cash, they'll get you cash. If it's drugs, they'll get you drugs. If it's women, they'll get you that too. They're excellent, excellent manipulators."

The gang only has about 300 "made" members in the United States, Rafael said.

But the Mexican Mafia's number swells into the thousands when you count those who work with "La Eme" in the hopes of becoming "carnales," or brothers, he said.

In a 2015 Texas Gang Threat Assessment, the state's Department of Safety estimated there were 4,700 Texas Mexican Mafia members and associates, organized into clearly defined ranks.

READ MORE: Off-duty Balcones Heights officer fatally shot

The gang has a paramilitary model, with a distinction between ranks.

Idrogo, a sergeant, was on one of the lowest rungs, just above a soldier.

Senior leaders are able to issue orders to subordinates, according to the assessment, which classifies the Mexican Mafia as a Tier 1 gang.

"These groups pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, high levels of transnational criminal activity, level of violence, and overall statewide presence," the assessment said.

Sending gang leaders to prison isn't enough to stymie the gang, Rafael said. Once imprisoned, the highest ranking members relay messages to subordinates outside using cellphones, smuggled notes and even family visitors.

Their spirit of cooperation has been extended to Mexican drug cartels in the last decade, said Rafael, whose book argues that the the Mexican Mafia could be "the most dangerous gang in America."

Rafael said because the Mexican Mafia has a stranglehold on the prison systems in California and Texas, street gangs, drug dealers and unaffiliated criminals are intimidated into working with them in and out of prison.

"They run virtually every street gang in California," he said. "Any kid growing up 14, 15, 16 years old knows that if he's going to continue capering [committing crimes], he better make his peace with the Mafia well before he ends up in prison. He needs people that respect him, people that will protect him. They tell them 'You do what we tell you when you're on the street, we'll take care of you in prison.'"
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AUSTIN -- A state Senate committee called Monday for changes in Texas law to prevent cities from thwarting or blocking citizen petition drives, a key issue for conservative and tea party groups in Houston and other areas.

At a morning meeting of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee, members made it clear they support changes to ensure that ballot language is not deceptive or misleading and to keep cities from using outside law firms already doing city business to drag out legal proceedings against citizen petitioners.

Texas' approximately 300 home-rule cities have cautioned against making changes to the current process or tipping the laws too far in favor of citizen groups, because that could take away local control from the current process in favor of state mandates.

Much of the testimony centered on petition drives and ballot fights in Houston, from a controversial drainage-fee levied more than decade ago to the passage and repeal of an equal-rights ordinance.

Sens. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, said current rules should not be allowed to thwart citizen petition requests coming up for local vote in a clear form.

"We need honest elections, we need honest language . . . we owe it to the people we work for to make it clear," Campbell said.

Austin lawyer Andy Taylor, who fought the City of Houston before the Texas Supreme Court on ballot issues such as equal-rights ordinances and drainage fees for Houston property owners, told the committee how citizens who have had to go to court on their petition drives have had to pay hefty legal fees -- even though they won the legal battle.

Other problems cited by witnesses include petition signatures being invalidated in questionable ways, and cities using outside attorneys to increase the costs to citizen petitioners in a move that discourages them from pursuing an action the city leadership opposes.

"We've all heard you can't beat City Hall, but I wish the legislature would do something to change that," Taylor said.

Bettencourt said the use of outside attorneys that do other city work should be stopped. "I submit very strongly that this needs to be outlawed across the state," he said.

Committee Chairman Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, said the goal of any changes proposed in state law will be to better protect citizens in petitioning local government and to ensure that ballot language is clear and understandable.

"One thing is for certain, all of us want fairness and cordial treatment," Lucio said. "In the end, we are going to come together and make sure we do the right thing."
Sarah Robles, who moved to League City to train for Rio, took the bronze in the women's over 75-kilogram weightlifting.

Robles totaled 286 kilograms for her best lifts in the two-part competition (snatch and clean and jerk).
-- WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Baylor sexual assault victims met with skepticism, little assistance from university, by the Houston Chronicles Jenny Dial Creech

I just wanted to die, she told the Houston Chronicle, describing the moment. I didn't want to feel anything, to see anyone, to feel the pain I was feeling and the guilt I was feeling. It was clear no one cared about me anyway. What was the point?

During the review, the counselor didn't ask for the identity of the woman's attacker, according to the victim. She didn't ask her if she called the police, nor did she ask if someone was watching over her or if she felt she was still in danger.

The counselor, the former student said, gave her a few pamphlets - one on surviving sexual assault, one on how alcohol can affect judgment, one with a list of phone numbers and websites for other Baylor campus resources, like academic affairs.

When I got up and went there that morning, I did believe I was doing the right thing by trying to get help, the woman recalled. When I left  I was just more confused and hurt.

-- Is Texas' requirement of an acting governor an unnecessary political relic? by the San Antonio Express-NewsPeggy Fikac

"You absolutely need the provision," said Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, who as Senate president pro tem has been acting governor more than seven days under Abbott and noted that two executions took place under his watch. "Even in this day and age of technology - and we can get the governor back to the state very quickly - you still need someone in the position."

-- Political battles cloud congressional fight over Zika funding, by the Houston Chronicles Kevin Diaz

Adding to the sense of urgency has been a long, hot summer. There have been 99 Zika cases in Texas, 30 of them in Harris County. All are travel related, like that of the newborn girl in Harris County whose death a few weeks ago was revealed by public health officials Tuesday. It was the first infant death in the U.S. involving the mosquito-borne virus.

>> Texas leaders double back with anti-abortion proposals, by the Chronicles Andrea Zelinksi

>> 10 Texas School Names Honoring Confederates Have Changed. At Least 24 Haven't. By The Texas TribunesIsabelle Taft

-- Vaccine exemptions on the rise among Texas students, by the Chrons Todd Ackerman

"The trend is going in the wrong direction," said Anna C. Dragsbaek, president and CEO of The Immunization Partnership, a pro-vaccine group. "It's time for the community to step up and take action on this very troubling trend."

** ICYMI: Texas Take: The Podcast- Donald Trump holds it in the road, sort of, as Hillary Clinton answers new questions

SPEED READ

At 90, Schwartz still fighting for Texas beaches, Houston Chronicle

Cornyn urges focus on November election, Dallas Morning News

Oil plant fire that injured 7 under investigation, Houston Chronicle

Texas school districts come up short despite funding boost for pre-K, Austin American-Statesman

Judge Doesn't Rule in Texas' Lawsuit Over Transgender Protections, The Texas Tribune

In wake of Lockhart balloon crash, a legal battle looms, Austin American-Statesman

For trans kids, back-to-school a cause for concern, San Antonio Express-News

Jackpots, court challenges found at Indian gaming center in East Texas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Huffman: Open carry law has had 'little or no effect' on law enforcement, Houston Chronicle

Library experts archive items from Dallas police memorial, AP

CAPITOL DAYBOOK:

House

1:00 p.m.  State Affairs [JHR 140]

Senate

9:00 a.m.  Intergovernmental Relations [E 1.012 (Hearing Room) ]

1:00 p.m.  Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs (Canceled) [ E 1.012 (Hearing Room)]

RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE

>> ICMYI: Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Donald Trumps Campaign Chief, by The New York Times

-- RNC considers cutting cash to Trump, Politico

-- Trump to lay out plan for combating radical Islamic terrorism, by CNNs Jeremy Diamond

In Ohio, the Republican presidential nominee will lay out proposals to combat ISIS and prevent terrorist attacks in the US, including banning individuals from countries with heavy terrorist footprints where the US government cannot adequately vet visa applicants and increasing cooperation with willing Middle Eastern allies, a senior Trump campaign official said.

-- Hillary Clintons Edge in a Donald Trump-Centric Race Has Liberals Wary, by The New York Times Matt Flegenheimer

Secretary Clintons decision to aggressively court Mitt Romneys base has her looking more and more like Mitt Romney every day, said Benjamin T. Jealous, a former N.A.A.C.P. president who initially supported Mr. Sanders. Thats not a good thing.

-- MUST READ: For millennial voters, the Clinton vs. Trump choice feels like a joke, by The Washington Post

Wes Sumrell, 32, who enlisted in the military after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and now works as a longshoreman in Norfolk, Va., said he plans to vote for Trump. But his enthusiasm is tempered by what he sees as the moguls unrealistic promises.

Hes doing the same thing Obama did  building people up to think he can do all these things, Sumrell said. But the nature of the position is that you cant satisfy everyone. I dont think hell be the savior he claims to be.

Im not going to vote. Im just not, said Dustin McKindsey, 26, a handyman in Madison, Wis. This is the first time Ive felt that way. . . . A choice between two stones thatll sink.

>> Warning of election fraud, Trump sparks fear that his backers may intimidate minority voters, Los Angeles Times

-- Former Bush official supporting Clinton: Trump could be economic 'disaster,' CNN
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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Warriors end season with win over Rebels SIOUX RAPIDS - The Alta-Aurelia football team traveled to face Sioux Central for their final game of the season and...

Cherokee takes down Generals to finish season CHEROKEE - The Cherokee football team hosted Sibley-Ocheyedan on Friday and won 35-28 to finish out their season. The...
Not long after taking over as editor of the Des Moines Register in 2014, Amalie Nash told CJR that she was determined to uphold the papers longstanding tradition of standing up for public records.

So now, as she prepares to leave the Register after being promoted to the new position of West Region executive editor for Gannett, its fitting that the paper has just won a meaningful battle on the open-records front. The state of Iowa announced last week that it would no longer allow companies to unilaterally redact information from the public copies of bids for government contracts. The move was the result of a 2015 story by Register reporter Jason Clayworth that first revealed the practice, and a subsequent complaint Clayworth filed with the Iowa Public Information Board.

Its the latest in a series of open-records victories during Nashs tenure, during which the paper has filed numerous complaints with the Public Information Board and multiple lawsuits to gain access to public records. But Nash is the first to admit that the paper has lost some battles in the fight for transparency too, and even the wins can amount to just holding the line.

I would love to say weve made a lot of progress, Nash says. We certainly have in many cases.  We continue to claw and claw. Unfortunately, it does continue to be more of a defensive battle.

Indeed, the fight over better access to bids for state contracts was a defensive one. According to Clayworth, it was only in recent years that the state started to allow companies to choose what to redact from public view in their bids.

In the process of reporting on the states newly privatized Medicaid system, Clayworth sought records of public bids and discovered that would-be contractors were being allowed to redact whole pages and sections of documents. Redaction is permitted to protect trade secrets, but the missing material included company mission statements, executive summaries, even the names of executives.

Life of a journalist: Last year I received hundreds of pages just like this: @FreedomofPress https://t.co/IHCyXYTFDg pic.twitter.com/0OLk6rab3o Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project  Jason Clayworth (@JasonClayworth) August 10, 2016

That Medicaid plan was highly controversial, he says. For there not to be complete transparency in the process is ridiculous.

Last year, after Clayworth reported on the redacted bids and asked for an advisory opinion from the Iowa Public Information Board to resolve the issue, the administration of Gov. Terry Branstad said that it was reevaluating the policy. Last week, Branstads office announced that companies bidding on state contracts will no longer be allowed to unilaterally choose what to redact from public view; now, they will have to individually request any redactions they feel are needed to protect trade secrets, and they must cite specific provisions in law to justify each one. Fewer redactions should lead to stronger oversight by the media and the public of the bidding process.

In his effort to get the state to shift course, Clayworth had at least two factors working in his favor. One was the existence of the public information board, an agency that was created by the legislature in 2012 and charged with resolving open-records disputes out of court. Iowa is one of just a few states in which such a board has enforcement powers.

Another motivating factor for Clayworth was the knowledge that Nash, and the Registers legal team if necessary, would have his back.

Clayworth, who has been at the paper for 18 years, says Nash brought a more aggressive approach to transparency issues, noting that she spearheaded two open-records lawsuits soon after arriving in 2014.

We hadnt filed a lawsuit for a number of years before she got here, he says. I dont believe those would have been filed without her.

Herb Strentz, a longtime transparency advocate and former director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, is more measured in his praise. Strentz has been critical of the Register under the Gannett regime, arguing that the paper has never fully regained the commitment to open government that it had under the longtime leadership of the Cowles family, which owned the paper until 1985.

But, he says, Happily, Amalie has picked up some of that stuff that has gone by the wayside. Strentz said he sees reason to hope that Amalie has gotten the paper back on track.

One of the 2014 lawsuits spearheaded by Nash, for a story also reported by Clayworth, ended in a settlement in which the state released videos and other records related to the death of an inmate in a Taser incident. The Register has also been successful in efforts to open up a hearing in a high-profile sex-abuse case and access meeting records for a nonprofit casino facing an IRS audit.

But not all the transparency fights have led to wins. The second 2014 lawsuit, in which the paper filed suit against the public information board in seeking video footage of alleged abuse at a juvenile home, ended in a court ruling against the Register.

And then there are the ongoing, multi-front struggles that seem to have no end in sight. Nash says she is concerned about access to police investigation records, which have become increasingly inaccessible in recent years as some Iowa law enforcement agencies rely on a narrow reading of the law. Access to investigative records will be the subject of the Registers third annual transparency roundtable, in September.

If you look at whats going on with policing in our nation, the idea that these law enforcement agencies dont have to turn over anything is just wrong, Nash says.

The issue has come to the fore in the case of an accidental police shooting in Burlington, Iowa, for which the Burlington Hawk Eye is seeking access to body-cam video. The Register is not directly involved in the case, but Register attorney Michael Giudicessi has been representing the Hawk Eye, and Nash and Clayworth have followed the case closely. The same interpretation of the law that police are using to bottle up body-cam footage in Burlington, they say, is also frustrating the Registers attempt to gain access to investigative files for other, lower-profile storieseven blocking access to such basic information as case-file numbers.

The Register has lobbied for a legislative fix that would open up investigative records to public view, Nash says, but that effort has been blocked in the statehouse so far, and it remains unclear whether the Burlington case, set to be heard in October, will help resolve the issue.

As she prepares to leave the Register, Nash says she plans to make transparency issues a priority in her new role as well. But she knows her new job will probably not give her the opportunity to take such an active part in open-records fights.

I will miss that aspect of it, she says. Its one of the things that keep me most motivated. I will miss the day-to-day decision-making.

For the time being, with her start date and even her new location not yet set, she is still at the Register, still serving as vice president of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council. And even if the push for public records often remains an uphill battle, Clayworth says theres no question that Nash has revitalized a culture of fighting for transparency at the Register.

From my perspective, thats her legacy.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Deron Lee is CJRs correspondent for Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. A writer and copy editor who has spent nine years with the National Journal Group, he has also contributed to The Hotline and the Lawrence Journal-World. He lives in the Kansas City area. Follow him on Twitter at @deron_lee.
The waters are shallow and lifeguards are seemingly everywhere at the proliferating number of waterparks around the U.S. But the death over the weekend of a Kansas state lawmakers 10-year-old son on a waterslide billed as the worlds largest is the latest example that dangers lurk in the appealing slides and wave pools.

State Rep. Scott Schwab and his wife say their son, Caleb Thomas Schwab, died Sunday at the Schlitterbahn Waterpark in Kansas City. It opened in 2010, one of five waterparks operated by the New Braunfels, Texas-based corporation, Schlitterbahn Waterparks & Resorts. One of its most popular attractions, 168-foot-tall Verruckt, which means insane in German, opened in 2014.

The Kansas City park remained closed as the investigation into what caused the death on the waterslide continued.

About 1,300 waterparks operated in North America a year ago, up about 30 percent from a decade ago, according to the trade group World Waterpark Association. Those parks attracted about 85 million people in 2015, compared to about 73 million in 2004. A growing segment of the industry has been municipal-run waterparks, as cities and counties look to boost revenue from what their flat-water pools deliver.

Water Park Safety/Regulations

No figures are available for overall waterpark injuries, but the Red Cross cited U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates when it launched updated training efforts last year for lifeguards who work at waterparks. Those showed more than 4,200 people a year taken to emergency rooms to be treated for scrapes, concussions, broken limbs, spinal injuries and other such injuries suffered on public waterslides. Those numbers do not include other waterpark injuries or those who need lifeguard assistance without a hospital trip.

Drownings also occur. In July 2015, one drowning and at least three near-drownings were reported at U.S. waterparks.

As the parks proliferate, concern has grown about the risks present even when most of the water is shallower than 3 feet  people who arent good swimmers, especially young children, mixed with the unexpected hit of waves and falls that can lead to concussions or even drownings.

The Red Cross last year added training and certification specifically for extreme shallow water rescue. The Aquatic Attraction Lifeguarding course includes techniques for handling and removing people from water that is generally 3 feet deep or less, which can be different than in deep-water pools, and first-aid training emphasizing care for head, neck and spinal injuries. About 2,100 people took the courses last year, according to the Red Cross.

Regulations of water parks vary by state, but Kansas statutes leave it to its Department of Labor to adopt rules and regulations relating to certification and inspection of rides, adding that an amusement ride at a permanent location shall be self-inspected by a qualified inspector at least every 12 months.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
U.S. businesses focused on addressing crisis management in the event of an on premise terrorist attack may be leaving their information systems vulnerable to a cyber attack.

According to The Global Risks Report 2016, compiled through a strategic partnership between Marsh & McLennan Companies and Zurich Insurance Group, cyber attacks are expected to be the top tech risk most likely to occur in the US, and according to the World Economic Forums 2016 Global Risk Report, terrorism is one of the top three risk concerns for companies doing business here.

Defining what constitutes cyber terrorism can be difficult, said Matthew McCabe, senior vice president of Marshs Cyber Practice, who spoke during a recent New Reality of Risk webcast on managing terrorism risk hosted by Marsh.

Under U.S. law, generally speaking, there are three major elements to a terrorists act. First, its an act that is violent or potentially jeopardizes human life. Second, the act will violate criminal law in the United Statesand third, the act is motivated by some ideological basis, McCabe said.

He explained that a hacker from Kosovo was charged with accessing personal information of more than a thousand U.S. service members and federal employees and releasing the information to a terrorist group.

The Justice Department confirmed that this was the first case which a hacker has been prosecuted in the U.S. on terrorism charges. Physical consequence is not prerequisite for an act of terrorism, McCabe said.

Disruption of a computer system is enough to constitute cyber terrorism, according to some cyber insurance policies.

If you look for the definition of cyber terrorism under a cyber insurance policy, the standard changes significantly. Instead of a violent or potentially life threatening act, cyber policy generally applies to disruptive activities against a computer system, McCabe said.

That is a much broader standard. Acts that might fall into the definition of cyber terrorism under an insurance policy may not meet the federal definition of terrorism.

He provided the example of the Syrian Electronic Army, who identified themselves as a non affiliated group of computer hackers who want to attack and support Syrians current leadership. McCabe said they have denied any relationship with the Syrian government, preferring to identify themselves as just a group of hackers.

The SEA has been known to deface websites and media outlets in the U.S., UK, France and elsewhere. Often this type of attack is referred to as the hacking of a network, which is an underlying crime, but its not violent or deadly in its purpose, McCabe explained.

Its unlikely that that type of an attack would qualify as terrorism under the federal law, but it could qualify as cyber terrorism under an insurance policy, he said.

Cyber War Versus Cyber Terrorism

I would say right out of the box that cyber war is proving more difficult to define than cyber terrorism, McCabe explained. Right now, theres proposed legislation is the senate that would require the Department of Defense to provide a definition of cyber warfare. Under the lawacts of war or hostile activities typically require certain characteristics. One, the actor would be a foreign sovereign nation, or at least exhibit characteristics of a sovereign nation. Two, there should be a degree of severity to it and, perhaps as a rule of thumb, and the act should be severe enough that it could require kinetic response of traditional warfare.

McCabe explained that not all war exclusions are created equally. He suggested businesses should be particularly vigilant for language that would apply the exclusion to any act of a foreign nation state.

We know that there are nation states already involved in cyber attacks against private companies and other broad language, McCabe said.

According to McCabe, the bottom line is that cyber terrorism causes and cyber insurance policies are meant to clarify that a broad range of events will be covered regardless of motive or ideological purpose. A motive on why a hacker targeted a company should be completely irrelevant to your coverage. The more crucial point for insurers is theapplication of the war exclusion should depend on who conducted the attack and the severity of the attack. Potentially, a cyber terrorism cause can be used to narrow that exclusion.

Protecting Against Cyber Terrorism

According to McCabe, companies can remain cyber resilient by utilizing catastrophic scenarios.

Planning should include anticipating the effects or response for an enterprise event, where a network is disabled, McCabe said. This may also include a systemic event that more broadly targets critical infrastructure.

Questions to ask include:

Have the most vital cyber assets been identified and is there a higher level of protection for those assets?

Does your organization have relationships within its sector and also with federal authorities to share information on cyber threats so that malicious activity can be detected more quickly?

Is there a cyber incident response plan in place and has that response plan been practiced?

Does your incident response planning account for supply chain risk that might result from the failure of vendor or a critical infrastructure?

How resilient is your company to a cyber attack? If you lose your network to a cyber attack, have redundancies been built in? Do you have an expected recovery period for bringing your systems back online?

Has insurance, in terms of limits and retention and coverage of terms and conditions, been reviewed?

If the organizations most important cyber assets have been compromised what is the effect on core operations and the financial impact?

In addition, McCabe suggested businesses explore the value of a Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act (SAFETY) certification. He said the SAFETY Act allows companies to submit to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) products and services designed for security purposes.

DHS assess the effectiveness of the technologies and designates SAFETY Act protections to successful applicants. Designations under the SAFETY Acts will limit the legal damages resulting from a potential terrorist event, thereby shielding the approved organization from greater liability, McCabe said.

Modeling Cyber Terrorism

One method for modeling catastrophic risk is by security, according to McCabe, which relies on a simple equation.

risk = your vulnerabilities x your threats x your consequences

He said that calculating risk begins with identifying a companys most valuable cyber assets. It may be owned by the organization or provided by a vendor. Next, he said, an organization should assess vulnerabilities to critical assets.

This is the impetus behind the development of the next cyber security framework pursuant to a presidential order, McCabe said.

Organizations should be aware of the potential threats against those assets and share that information, he said.

Last year, this need for greater information sharing on cyber threats, spurred Congress and the White House to collaborate on federal legislation designed to promote the sharing of cyber threat indicators, McCabe said. The overall consensus is that cyber as a pervasive and escalating risk will not be solved within our lifetime. Bad actors are not only increasing in sophistication, but there is a dangerous trend that bad actors can fight their capabilities on the black market often referred to as the Dark Web.

According to Charlene Chia, a senior risk consultant with AIR Worldwide, the risk modeling firm is developing a cyber model for release in 2018. Currently, the firm has a set of cyber deterministic scenarios that are available for companies that wish to get a handle on their cyber risk right away.

This is actually free to download from our website. Up to this point, our focus has been on traditional cyber risk such as data fast blackout and denial of cyber attacks, explained Chia. This primarily results in financial losses or business interruption. If cyber terrorism were treated in the same way to traditional terrorism, then it would include cyber attacks such as attacks that cause physical property damagethe disruption of infrastructure such as a large power grid, monetary systems as well as dams.

Chia agreed that it is a difficult peril to model because there havent been many cyber terrorist attacks in the U.S. to date.
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio - Taste the sweet life: The Geauga Fresh Farmers' Market features local sweet corn 10-11:30 a.m. Aug. 20. Free samples of corn and toppings will be available. Favorite toppings from the past six years include garlic butter, sour cream and peppercorn and a sweet and tangy topping.

Troy Township farmer Bryan Briggs at the Geauga Fresh Farmers Market in South Russell.

The market is open 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through October, rain or shine with seasonal produce, bakery, eggs, meat, maple syrup, honey and other products. The market is held in the South Russell Village Hall parking lot at the corner of Chillicothe Road and Bell Street.

Popcorn artists wanted: The Valley Art Center and The Popcorn Shop in Chagrin Falls are seeking an original work of art to represent the essence of the village for a special edition popcorn tin. In addition to bragging rights, the winning artist will have a short bio on the tin and receive a cash prize of $250.

The contest runs through Sept. 27, and the winner will be announced Oct.1. Submitted artwork should be formatted as a square or rectangle of any size that will reproduce well at a 6-inch height. The Popcorn Shop will own the winning design and retain all reproduction rights.

Interested artists should submit digital images of up to three works on the VAC website. The entry fee for submission of up to three entries is $10 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds go directly to VAC's events and programming.

The duo is also holding an ongoing children's coloring contest for ages 10 and under. Entry sheets are available at both the art center at 155 Bell St. and the Popcorn Shop on Main Street at the corner of Bell Street. Winners receive a kid's ice cream cone.

Contact the Popcorn Shop at 440-247-6577, and the art center at 440-247-7507, or valleyartcenter.org.

Walk the red carpet: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre will present its first Audrey DeVere Legacy Theatre Awards 6:45 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Main Stage Theater, 40 River St. in Chagrin Falls.

Otherwise known as 'The Audrey Awards,' the event will recognize actors, directors, staff, board members, and others who keep the community, volunteer-run theatre district going into its 87th season.

Plans include a red carpet reception with champagne and hors d'oeuvres before the 7:30 p.m. ceremony with music and comedy bits along with the awards. Following the ceremony, a reception will be held. Wine and beer will be available at a cash bar. Attendees are encouraged to wear black tie apparel. Tickets are $15. Contact 440-247-7507 or cvlt.org.

If these walls could talk: Geauga Park District and Geauga Veterans' Services Commission are hosting an exhibition of The Wall That Heals Sept. 8 - 11 at the Geauga County Fairgrounds. Created by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, the nationally touring exhibit features a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C..

It is approximately 250 feet in length, chevron-shaped and complete with the 58,249 names of those killed or missing in action from the conflict. Accompanying the wall is also a mobile education center, with digital displays that tell the story of the Vietnam War era and the memorial. Admission is free.

The fairgrounds are located at 14373 North Cheshire Street in Burton.

Cub Scout signup night: If your son is about to enter school in first through fifth grade, cub scouting may be the activity he will benefit the most from and learn lifelong skills. Activities are fun and they teach good behavior in addition to skills. Pack 241 is holding a sign-up night 6 p.m. Aug. 30 at the St. Joan of Arc campsite, located behind the school. Contact Mar Vogley at mark@dentistryatwinbury.com or cubpack241.org.

Back to school: Although it's nearing time to return to the books, The College of Wooster in Ohio released it's spring semester Dean's List this week. Named are Amineh AlBashaireh and Elizabeth Obi of Solon, Samuel Gardner and Megan Murphy of Chagrin Falls. To qualify students had to achieve a grade point average of 3.65 or above at the Ohio school.

To post your events and milestones, contact Rusek at jcooperrusek@gmail.com.
AKRON, Ohio -- An Akron man is charged in federal court with shooting a woman three times in the head and leaving her in Cuyahoga Valley National Park over the July 4 weekend.

Dezay Ely, 27, shot Ayauna Bush, 18, in the head on July 3, according to an affidavit filed by FBI agent Christopher Fassler. Hikers found Bush that morning, lying in the fetal position in a field along the Valley Bridle Trail, a horse trail that runs north-south through the park.

Doctors placed Bush, whose identity was previously withheld by the FBI, in a medically-induced coma. FBI agents and park rangers were able to interview her last week. While rendered blind from the shooting, she was still able to identify Ely as the shooter, the affidavit says.

The affidavit does not give a motive for the shooting. Bush told investigators that Ely got upset with her the night before.

Ely, who also is known as "Scrap," faces charges of attempted murder and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Such charges are usually brought in state court, but were brought in federal court because the shooting happened in a national park.

Ely made his first court appearance Friday in front of Magistrate Judge Kathleen Burke. He is scheduled to be back in court Aug. 19 for preliminary and detention hearings.

He has been in custody at least since mid-July, being held on a post-release control violation on previous convictions for aggravated robbery, involuntary manslaughter and carrying a concealed weapon.

Debra Migdal, Ely's federal public defender, declined to comment.

According to the affidavit:

Bush had no identification when the hikers found her. One of Bush's family members called park rangers on July 4 and said Bush had been missing for several days.

Agents found that Dezay Ely and his brother, Michael "Kilo" Ely, were connected to Bush on a social-media website.

Two bikers later told investigators that they heard gunshots while traveling along Akon-Peninsula Road. They saw a car pull onto Akron-Peninsula Road and head south. They both gave descriptions of those inside the car that matched Dezay Ely and the driver.

Agents tried to interview Dezay Ely July 12 in the Summit County Jail. He declined to talk.

When the victim recovered enough to speak with investigators, she told them she had spent the night at Michael Ely's house in Akron.

Bush told agents that Dezay Ely got upset with her the night before and he called another man named "Ray" to pick them up.

Bush went along and while in the car, Dezay Ely said he wanted to test a pistol he recently purchased.

She said when they arrived at the field, Ray stayed in the car and she and Dezay Ely got out. Dezay Ely shot the gun a couple times and said it jammed. When she looked over at him, he started shooting her.

She said she saw Dezay Ely run away and heard the car drive off. She tried to stand a couple of times but kept falling. She said to herself "forget it, I'm about to die" before closing her eyes.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.
East Cleveland Three

A judge on Monday dismissed a murder case against three East Cleveland men convicted in 1995, Eugene Johnson, Derrick Wheatt and Laurese Glover.

(John Harper, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge will not hold another trial for three East Cleveland men who spent two decades in prison.

Cuyahoga Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo dismissed a 1996 murder case Monday against Eugene Johnson, Derrick Wheatt and Laurese Glover.

The case was scheduled to go to trial Monday, but Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty asked Russo to dismiss the case after the 8th District Court of Appeals upheld Russo's 2015 decision to overturn the convictions.

"This isn't about one side or another winning, this is about the Constitution winning, this is about justice winning," Russo said, then turned to the three men. "You are free to go."

The three men hugged and fought back tears as friends and family clapped in the back of the courtroom. Even the judge herself mingled with some of the family in the courtroom after the case had been dismissed.

"Now that I'm home, it doesn't feel like it's been that long," Johnson said. "But looking back, it was a long, long road. For 20 years my whole mode of operating was was fighting, just fighting to be here."

No other suspects have been charged in the death of Clifton Hudson, who was fatally shot on Strathmore Avenue in October 1995.

The prosecutor can refile charges if additional evidence is found in the killing of Clifton Hudson, but Assistant Prosecutor Brian Radigan told the judge that the state does not plan to refile charges against the three men. McGinty said that time has "eroded" the state's case.

Russo overturned the conviction in 2015 after two new witnesses disputed the evidence presented in the 1996 trial. A primary witness in the case, Tamika Harris, who was 14 years old at the time of the trial, retracted some of her testimony.

Lawyers for the three men also presented a letter from an assistant prosecuting attorney, Carmen Marino, that instructed the East Cleveland Police Department to conceal police reports. Those reports led defense attorneys to witnesses that had exculpatory accounts of the shooting.

If you wish to discuss or comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments section.
Federal courthouse cleveland

Allen Miles, a traveling minister from Arkansas, was sentenced Monday to 13 years, three months in federal prison for his role in a tax scam.

(Plain Dealer file photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A judge on Monday sentenced a traveling minister from Arkansas to 13 years, three months in federal prison for his role in a scheme to steal people's identities and hundreds of thousands of dollars in ill-gotten tax refunds.

Allen Miles, 58, was found guilty by a jury in April of 14 felony charges, including conspiracy, wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He helped file false tax income tax returns with the names and identifying information of low-income people. In all, they filed 2,750 false returns and received $4.8 million in refunds.

Miles received $240,000.

Miles denied any knowledge of the scheme before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent handed down his sentence. He said his only role was to obtain names, and that others committed the actual fraud.

Nugent said that with the amount of money coming in, "you had to know it wasn't on the up and up."

The judge ordered the U.S. Marshals Service to immediately take Miles into custody. He ordered him to pay $3.9 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.

Prosecutors said Miles and his cohorts told people that they needed their personal information to apply for what they called a "government stimulus program." Miles also recruited ministers and church leaders in other states to obtain personal identification information from congregants.

He split the tax refunds between himself and the people he worked with, according to an investigation by the IRS. Most of the criminal conduct occurred in Canton, which is the reason it was charged in northern Ohio.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Henderson said the victims trusted Miles because they thought he was a man of God, and that he abused that trust.

Miles said the blame should be placed on others. He apologized to Nugent, but said "I just wanted you to understand I had no knowledge."

Miles' attorney indicated that he would be appealing his convictions.

Ve Sayavong and Zinara Highsmith, who were also charged in the conspiracy, previously pleaded guilty to federal charges. Prosecutors said for each refund, Miles took $125 and Highsmith and others split $275.

Both testified against Miles during the trial. Sayavong was sentenced in May to 33 months in prison. Highsmith was sentenced Monday to 42 months.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the 1970s, Devo preached an anti-Darwinian de-evolution concept that saw man evolving backward. Well, they were right.

It's 2016 and the 1970s all over again in the land that spawned the men with the wacky hats and yellow jumpsuits.

At 7 p.m. Monday, the Rock & Roll of Fame will host "It's a Beautiful World: Devo and the Subversive Politics of Rock." The talk, in the museum's Foster Theater, will feature the Akron group's co-founder Gerald Casale looking back at the band's iconoclastic sound and style.

The talk is free. Doors open at 6:30. For tickets, go to tickets.rockhall.com/public/show.asp. For more info, go to rockhall.com/its-beautiful-world-devo-and-subversive-politics-rock-presentation-theo-cateforis.

Egads, there's more...

This weekend, DEVOtional 2016 will hit the Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Road, Cleveland.

The two-day event - Friday and Saturday -- features movies and music dedicated to the robotic rock band that parlayed anti-Darwinism into a pop phenomenon. Special guests include Casale and Robert "Bob 1" Mothersbaugh.

DEVOtional 2016 also rolls out a bunch of bands: SPUDBOYS, the Fantastic Plastics, DEVOmatix, Ultrabunny, Eric Nassau, Ken the Magic Corner God, Lieutenant Dance, We Are Not Men, XPosed 4Heads and Massive Hotdog Recall.

Admission for Day One is a pay-what-you-want deal. Day Two is $35. The Friday portion begins at 7 p.m. Saturday is an all-day soiree, running from 10:30 a.m. until the bar closes.

For tickets, go to beachlandballroom.com or call 216-383-1124. For a complete schedule and more info, go to http://devo-obsesso.com/html/news_pgs/devotional2016-promo.html.

The onslaught of DEVOlution continues deep into August at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the Akron Art Museum. Both museums are exhibiting "Mark Mothersbaugh: Myopia" through Aug. 28.

The touring show features drawings on small paper cards, digitally manipulated photos, cartoon-like images printed on rugs and Orchestrions that play music.

MOCA Cleveland is located at 11400 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. For more info, go to http://mocacleveland.org/exhibitions/mark-mothersbaugh-myopia or call 216-421-8671.

The Akron Art Museum is located 1 S. High St., Akron. For more info, go to akronartmuseum.org to call 330-376-9186, ext. 214.

Last Saturday, the Akron museum hosted an illuminating talk with Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh on the band's early days and (de)evolution that focused on its iconic videos.

"We would come up with a song based on an image," said Casale, referring to Devo's early emphasis on visuals. "We would combine things like kitsch from television with ideas from serious art films."

In spirit, however, many of the concepts sprang straight out of the Kent State University art scene and Akron, which unveiled a mural dedicated to the band in 2015.

"Satisfaction" was set at The Strand, a legendary downtown Akron theater. Many of the band's videos were shot at Mothersbaugh's parents' house. Meanwhile, a regular character in Devo's videos - General Boy -- was played by the Mothersbaughs' father, Robert Sr.

"We were early progenitors of ironic humor," said Mark Mothersbaugh. "Everything was tongue-in-cheek."

"We were a band of not-ready-for-prime-time players," added Casale. "We were like 'The Little Rascals.' "
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland man was arrested Saturday in connection with the fatal shooting of a 27-year-old man inside a nightclub.

Raymond Holloway, 27, is charged with aggravated murder in the April 17 slaying of Paris Moore inside the Honey DO Club.

He is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday. Holloway was the U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Fugitive of the Week starting July 25.

Holloway is accused of fatally shooting the 27-year-old Euclid man inside the club on East 123rd Street and St. Clair Avenue.

Holloway fired at least 15 shots inside the bar. Moore was found 30 minutes after the shooting, lying in the street more than three miles away from the club.

A Good Samaritan picked Moore up at East 55th Street and St. Clair Avenue and drove him to MetroHealth. Moore died hours later after several emergency surgeries, according to police. He died of a gunshot wound to the stomach, according to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner.

Both Holloway and Moore have past connections to violence.

Holloway was sentenced in 2010 to four years on probation for felonious assault.

Holloway's brother, Wayne Holloway, was slain last year when shots were fired during a melee at St. Clair Avenue and East 66th Street.

Moore was released from prison in November after serving seven years for involuntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty in 2009, along with several other people in the brutal 2007 beating death of 41-year-old Charles Gooden Jr. on East 117th Street.
MEDINA, Ohio -- Property values in Medina have increased about eight percent over the past three years, which will mean an estimated two percent hike in real estate taxes next year.

"The tax implications should be minimal," said Medina County Auditor Michael Kovack said Monday. "The average homeowner is looking at a tax increase of two percent or less."

Kovack said the new property values for 2016, based on a three-year valuation that examined property sales, showed an increase of about eight percent across the county.

"The auditor's office will not be able to estimate property taxes on the new values until late December, after the November ballot elections and until the state provides the local tax rates," the news release said. "In general, without any new levies, an increase of value of approximately 10 percent results in a tax increase of approximately two percent."

Since most of the county homeowners have had an eight percent valuation increase, the tax hike for them is expected to be less than two percent.

Property owners in the western portion of the county will begin receiving value change notices this week. The rest of the property owners in the county will get notices in coming weeks.

Property owners in Brunswick will receive theirs next week and Medina area property owners will get their notices the week of August 29. Wadsworth property owners will receive their valuation notices the first week of September.

There is also a special tab, "2016 Property Value Update," on the auditor's website, www.medinacountyauditor.org, where property owners can find answers to their questions.

"We highly recommend that people use the website to bring any questions or concerns to our attention," Kovack said in the news release. "This will be the most expeditious way for us to provide input on their questions."

In addition, there will be 10 informal hearings across the county:

Aug. 31 -- Chatham Township Community Center

Sept. 7 and 8 -- Brunswick Library

Sept. 14 and 28 -- Wadsworth Library

Sept. 20, 21, 22, 27 and 29 -- Medina County Administration Building
GROTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- A commercial semi-truck failed to stop Sunday as traffic slowed in a construction zone on the Ohio Turnpike, plowing into nine vehicles, killing a young child, the Ohio Highway Patrol reports.

Troopers did not release the name or age of the girl, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Seven other persons injured were taken to hospitals in Toledo and Sandusky, some by helicopter.

The crash occurred at about 2:16 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the turnpike, west of the Ohio 250 exit for Sandusky. It was in a construction zone that had funneled traffic to individual lanes separated by concrete barriers.

Troopers report traffic had slowed down and the Volvo commercial truck struck nine separate vehicles, including a pickup truck, SUVs and other cars.

Traffic was affected for hours by the crash, which closed all lanes heading east until 5 p.m., and reduced traffic westbound to one lane. Backups on the eastbound lanes of the turnpike continued until about 8 p.m. as the scene was cleared and troopers investigated.

The name of the truck driver has not been released, but possible charges will be referred to the Erie County Prosecutor's Office. It's unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors.
Secret ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Donald Trump's campaign manager from the administration of former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Paul Manafort, who joined Trump's presidential campaign in March, was a former consultant for the Party of Regions  Yanukovych's now-defunct pro-Russian political party. But the reported payments, from 2007 to 2012, may be part of an illegal off-the-books system, the Times said.

In a statement Monday, Manafort called the report "unfounded, silly and nonsensical." He added that he had never taken an "off-the-books cash payment" nor worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.


Lonmin is one of the world's biggest platinum producers and its stock is listed on the U.K.'s FTSE 250 index. Thirty-four miners at its main Marikana mine in South Africa were killed by the national police in August 2012 after violent strikes over pay. The shootings provoked national outrage and a government inquiry that found that squalid living conditions had contributed to the strike.

Workers at Lonmin mines in South Africa still live in the "truly appalling" conditions that were a major factor behind the fatal strikes four years ago, human rights organization Amnesty International said on Monday.

In a report on Monday, Amnesty International said many of the approximately 20,000 miners still lived in bleak informal settlements, despite a legally binding commitment from Lonmin to build more houses.



"The catastrophic events of August 2012 should have been a decisive wake-up call to Lonmin that it must address these truly appalling living conditions. The company's failure to improve employees' housing is baffling and irresponsible in the extreme. Lonmin is aware that dire housing contributed to the unrest four years ago that ultimately led to the death of dozens of miners," Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International's director for Southern Africa, said in a news statement accompanying the report.

Lonmin has failed to meet its commitment to provide 5,500 houses for workers, Amnesty said. It called for the South African Ministry of Mineral Resources to investigate and consider sanctioning the company.

"Lonmin is not the only mining company in South Africa that is failing its workforce on adequate housing. But it is unique in that what can only be described as a shattering wake-up call has been ignored," Amnesty's report said.

It cited a Lonmin worker describing his living conditions:

"We have many instances where we run out of water, we have many instances where we have no electricity and this can go on for days where we are without water or electricity. That is not normal at all. Even the back houses (toilets) we use are terrible, there are always flies about that get into your shack," the unnamed miner said.

In a letter responding to Amnesty's accusations, Lonmin admitted that around 13,500 miners  many of whom are migrants from South Africa's poorer neighboring countries  still had no formal accommodation.

The company said it had allocated 100 million rand ($7.4 million) each year for housing since 2012  but added this might be "reconsidered" given "current economic constraints." It said it was encouraging employees to purchase stand-alone houses and had renovated all of its 2,684 workers' hostels.

Amnesty accused the company of misleading shareholders about the situation.

"Lonmin has repeatedly made false and misleading statements to shareholders and stakeholders in its reporting on the housing situation at Marikana," the report said.

"Shareholders and stakeholders were told that employees wanted to buy houses when they did not; that financial agreement was in place that was never concluded; that more than 1,000 houses were built when the houses in question date back to the 1990s; and that the company lacked serviced land."
This commentary originally appeared on The Hill.

Hillary Clinton shouldn't start preparing her inaugural address just yet.

There are plenty of things that could trip up her campaign between now and Election Day, even if polls increasingly suggest she is on track to beat Donald Trump in a landslide.



Clinton has a significant advantage in recent polls both nationally and across battleground states. New polls from NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist on Friday put her in a dominant position in states that would be close in a normal election year. In Virginia and Colorado, for instance, Clinton led by 13 and 14 points, respectively.



But those polls came after a brutal stretch for Trump, and the race could tighten significantly heading into the fall.

Still, given the electoral map, Trump probably needs some larger development to change the trajectory of the race. Here are five scenarios that could improve Trump's chances.
Total 529 savings plan assets rose to an estimated $242.7 billion as of June 30, reflecting a 3.4 percent increase from a year ago, according to financial research firm Strategic Insight. (See chart below.)

As presidential candidates debate the merits of debt-free college , assets in 529 college savings plans grew to record levels.

Assets in 529 plans, which offer tax-advantaged investments to pay for qualified education expenses, should rise as the Standard & Poor's 500 index hits new highs, however, the average 529 account balance would not cover one year of in-state expenses at a public, four-year college.

The median 529 plan account balance was $14,005 in the second quarter, Strategic Insight reports, up from $13,067 the same period last year.

The College Board estimated students at a four-year, public university paid an average of $19,550 during the past academic year for tuition, fees, room and board.

The 529 college savings plans, which are sponsored by state governments, have been around for almost 20 years. Yet three out of four investors don't know what a 529 plan is, according to a recent survey by investment firm Edward Jones.

Sallie Mae, the largest private student lender, found that only 16 percent of parents used 529 plans or other college savings vehicles for the 2015-16 academic year, down from 17 percent a year ago.

"Student loan debt is front-and-center in the presidential election. This will make more parents aware of how 529 plans can help them save for college," said Paul Curley, director of college-savings research at Strategic Insight.
Stop the presses  or, at least, please, run them more efficiently. That's the message more media companies may soon be hearing from activist investors looking to make a quick buck.

Monday's news that Jana Partners took a stake in Time Inc . sent the magazine company's stock more than 5 percent higher in early trading. But the stock is still down more than 7 percent so far this year.

Some say hedge funds' interest in media stocks could proliferate in months ahead. The market clearly took note of Jana's stake in Time, as other print media companies' shares rose in trading Monday.

"Undervalued and out-of-favor media stocks where the underlying assets have intrinsic value are becoming more attractive candidates for activists," said Steven Wolosky, a partner of Olshan Frome Wolosky in New York, which represents activist investors who take on big companies looking for balance sheet upgrades and other changes.
Amazon.com logo on an Apple iPhone Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Amazon sent a buzz around Finland last week as it sought out tech stars and, in the process, boosted the country's start-up scene. The U.S. online giant last week hosted recruitment events in the Finnish tech hubs of Tampere, and Espoo  Nokia 's home town.



"Amazon's presence in Finland willdraw more global attention to here, and thus create more possibilities for start-upsglobally," Juuso Pesola, CEO of Internet of Things start-up The Button Corporation told CNBC via e-mail. "I think it is only a positive thing," he added. This is not the first time Amazon has recruited in Finland; it established an office in Espoo in late 2015 to support its cloud computing business. Several of the tech experts CNBC contacted suggested that Finland's gaming innovation could be a key area of interest for Amazon, as well as its positive reputation for hardware development. Marianne Vikkula, CEO of Slush, the biggest tech conference in Finland, was pleased at Amazon's increasing interest in the region's tech talent. She said, "I think everyone isreally happy about Amazon being interested in the region. It is just another addition indicating that there is 'something happening in the Nordics.'" Finland has an enormous workforce of cloud, radio and software engineers, many of whom were involved Microsoft and Nokia's now declining presence in the country, which has involved massive job cuts.
Trump's harsh rhetoric and unconventional proposals on combating extremism and limiting acceptance of refugees to the United States helped him stand out in a crowded GOP primary field. But so far, Trump has failed to craft a consistent foreign policy as his poll numbers slide in the general election tilt with Clinton.

Trump also criticized his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama , claiming they "unleashed ISIS" with their policies in Iraq and Syria when Clinton was secretary of state. He stayed on the attack, but was more subdued, after he received backlash last week for repeatedly claiming Obama founded ISIS. Trump later said his "sarcasm" was misinterpreted.

"We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people," Trump said at Youngstown State University in Ohio, a key state in November's election.

Stirring concerns about terror attacks both domestic and abroad, the Republican presidential nominee cast himself as qualified to "halt the spread" of extremism. He highlighted his plans to hit the Islamic State terror group with military and cyber efforts, stressing in particular his proposals to screen people coming to the U.S.

Subdued and speaking deliberately and slowly, Donald Trump on Monday expanded on his plans to curb immigration in response to terrorism, calling for a new "ideological screening test" to vet people coming to the United States.

On Monday, Trump positioned the fight against ISIS as an ideological battle akin to the Cold War. He called for cyber warfare to hit propaganda efforts online and "extreme, extreme vetting" of immigrants.



Trump said he aims to screen out ISIS sympathizers, people who support bigotry or people who believe Sharia law should supplant American law. It is unclear how those traits would be tested or if the policy would be deemed constitutional.

"In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats that we face today. I call it extreme vetting," Trump said.

He also pledged to create a "commission on radical Islam" to "identify and explain" factors that lead to radicalization and craft standards for local police to root out extremism. In a shift, Trump also said he wanted to work with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance he previously called obsolete, to root out terrorism.

Some Republican officials and Trump advisors have said the billionaire developer could make up the ground against Clinton if keeps to his policy message. He tried to do so with a scripted economic speech last week, only to shift the attention shortly after by appearing to suggest gun owners could take action to prevent Clinton from appointing Supreme Court justices. He later said he was only calling on them to organize as a voting bloc.

Though he stayed on script Monday, it remains to be seen how long Trump can hold to a prescribed policy discussion. In a CNBC interview Thursday, Trump said he would try to win with his off-the-cuff style. Tweeting this weekend in response to a New York Times story that discussed advisors wanting him to stay on message, Trump contended it would be "dishonest to supporters" for him to change.

Trump's previous proposals on preventing terrorism by extremists embody the pugnacious style that marked his unlikely climb to the GOP nomination. Last year, he suggested a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States until U.S. officials can better screen travelers.

He later shifted amid widespread criticism, saying he wants to limit immigration from countries with ties to terrorism. On Monday, Trump reiterated that pledge, saying he would work with the State Department to potentially suspend immigration from "some of the most dangerous, volatile regions" where screening may not be adequate.

Experts have said both policies could prove extremely difficult to enforce and may not be effective, as many recent U.S. terror attacks were carried out by people born in the U.S.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Clinton and Obama for supporting the admittance of refugees from Syria, where ISIS has a presence. He has raised eyebrows by saying he wants to bring back waterboarding, a form of torture, and by suggesting the U.S. needs to "take out" terrorists' families as well as the extremists themselves.

In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll this month, Clinton and Trump garnered equal support for their ability to handle terrorism. At a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania earlier Monday, Clinton claimed Trump has been "all over the place" on ISIS policy and lacked a concrete strategy.

She said she would strike "local sanctuaries" from the air and aid local forces fighting ISIS. She also called to fight radicalization efforts on social media and other platforms.
Frank Bienewald | Getty Images

Daylight saving time has outlived its usefulness, and the twice-yearly shift in time is a health hazard and hardship for people as well as bad for business, according to a California lawmaker who wants to put the issue before state voters.

"We looked into this daylight saving time issue and found there's an increase in industrial-related accidents, heart attack rates and also other health hazards," said Democratic state Assemblymember Kansen Chu of San Jose in an interview Friday. Chu sponsored Assembly Bill 385 in an attempt to let Californians decide whether to "spring ahead" or stay on standard time year-round like residents in Hawaii and much of Arizona. The bill advanced in a state Senate committee Thursday and could get voted on by the full Senate floor as early as this week.

Time hangover

The lawmaker said he heard from ticked-off people of all ages who did not like the time changing and its effects. For example, Chu said older constituents said it "took days for them to be able to adjust to the new time schedule," while young parents said it was "a little bit of a hardship on them to put their kids to bed an hour earlier." On Thursday, the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations advanced the measure in a vote of 6-to-1. The measure still must get approved by the Assembly and the governor to get on the statewide ballot. Governor Jerry Brown's office declined comment for this story.

Daylight saving time was adopted in the Golden State after voters passed an initiative in 1949. The U.S. originally adopted the practice during World War I as part of a national effort to conserve fuel, and then Congress resumed it during World War II.

'Out of sync' with business

"I felt it's about time to review this policy, or this practice, and let current Californians weigh in on this 70-year-old policy," said Chu. "Hawaii doesn't have the switching back and forth. Neither does Arizona." Chu, whose district includes portions of Silicon Valley, said the time shift has global business implications, as well. "Being the United States gateway to many of the Asian countries, switching back and forth actually puts us out of sync with a lot of our business partners across the Pacific," he said.

In recent years, lawmakers in at least a dozen states have looked to shift their time zones or leave daylight saving time, which is part of the national Uniform Time Act of 1966. As of 2007, daylight saving time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

Wasted energy
Billionaires Carl Icahn and Mark Cuban are butting heads on social media over Donald Trump.



On Monday, Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, called out Icahn for continuing to invest in companies despite corporate regulations that Icahn had described as "strangulating."

@mcuban: @Carl_C_Icahn sure hasnt stopped you from investing in companies Carl , has it ? Regs can improve, no doubt, but trump plan is a disaster

Last week, Icahn criticized Hillary Clinton following the Democratic presidential nominee's speech for failing to address "strangulation regulations." The chairman of Icahn Enterprises said Clinton's speech was a "mishmash of contradictions."

Icahn defended himself saying that regulations have lowered corporate productivity and competitiveness. These regulations discourage investors from making capital investments, he argued.

@Carl_C_Icahn: @mcuban Cap spending is way down b/c companies r worried about onerous regs - which is diminishing productivity & our ability to compete

@Carl_C_Icahn: @mcuban it sure has stopped me and thousands of others from making capital investments in companies.

Cuban has been bashing Trump for months. At a rally for Clinton and her running mate, Tim Kaine, the billionaire said "hello" to the GOP nominee in Russian. On Monday, Cuban tweeted that although he likes Icahn, he isn't afraid to call him out for being "wrong about Trump."

@mcuban: @RobertBryan4 @BWJones @_zruss @Carl_C_Icahn I like Carl. Doesn't mean I won't give him shit when he is wrong . And he is wrong about Trump

Last month, Icahn told CNBC that he thinks Trump is "right on" about the economy. Icahn has continued to reiterate his support for the GOP nominee, despite gaffes such as Trump's comments about a Mexican-American judge.

Disclosure: CNBC owns the exclusive off-network cable rights to "Shark Tank," which features Mark Cuban as a judge.


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Concerns over the state of the Chinese economy have started to loom again as the country's shares hit a seven-month high Monday on speculation of more stimulus from the Chinese central bank. The country's blue-chip CSI 300 jumped 3.3 percent Monday, lifting sentiment across Asian stocks. While investors have heard nothing from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) officially, analysts are starting to predict that more easing could come soon. "The Chinese bourses do not reflect the real economy much. Instead, they are driven by expectations of central bank policy and sheer speculation, much more than more mature equity markets," Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, told CNBC via email. He explained that hopes for additional stimulus are driving the upturn. "The ups and downs of Chinese markets mean little for the economic outlook. While China is in a difficult transition, it still has all policy means available to avoid a hard landing for the time being. The PBOC will likely add some stimulus in coming months."



China published weaker-than-expected investment, lending, retail spending and factory output data on Friday. This after a raft of poor numbers this month started to concern investors of a Chinese slowdown.. "This ongoing slowdown is pushing speculation of more monetary stimulus higher," Christophe Barraud, chief economist at U.S-based financial services firm Market Securities told CNBC via email. "However, the PBOC prefers using more-targeted easing measures such as liquidity injections - by choosing whether or not to roll over funds as they come due - rather than using conventional tools such as RRR (reserve requirement ratio), rate cuts. I believe that the PBOC will keep a low profile until the yuan is officially included in the International Monetary Fund's special drawing rights (SDR), expected to be in October."



China and the IMF

SDRs are an international reserve asset created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member countries' official reserves. The value of the SDR is currently based on four major currencies: The U.S. dollar, the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound. The Chinese renminbi (yuan) will join the SDR basket of reserve currencies on October 1, 2016. But China's relationship with the IMF has not been smooth sailing. The IMF recently warned that Chinese's economic growth will decline for the next five years and will fall below 6 percent in 2020. In a report released last week, the IMF said China was struggling with slower private investment and weak external demand. Saker Nusseibeh, chief executive officer at Hermes Investment Management told CNBC Monday that the Chinese government may not do something immediately on the IMF warning, but will be working to improve the imbalance, particularly in the regional banks in the near future. "They know they have a problem in the regional banks and they want to control it without actually displeasing those people who are benefitting from the credit boom. In other words they don't want to slow down the economy too much, they don't want to service too much. They know they have a problem at hand and they want to deal with it slowly," he said. Hermes' Nusseibah added that the PBOC "might" take more aggressive action and highlighted the housing market in China is a problem. "I think people are buying more flats than being built. On the other hand, the PBOC wants to ensure the economy doesn't slow down. So as a balance they will probably try to do something in the next few weeks."



Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock connect

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Meanwhile, some analysts have pointed to China's rally also being fuelled by renewed hopes for the launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock connect in 2016. Local media reports have cited that this scheme would be launched officially in December and would allow investors from both regions to buy each other's stocks. "China A-shares have strengthened in August, with the potential launch of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Connect driving the latest move up," Daryl Liew, head of portfolio management at Reyl Singapore told CNBC via email. "China A-shares have de-rated significantly from the peak levels a year ago and are currently trading at reasonable levels at a forward PE (profit-to-earnings ratio) of 12.5x, in the middle of its 5-year range. With many equity markets trading at relatively expensive valuations, China's stock market is looking rather attractive," he added.



Debt concerns remain

But while the stock market might remain attractive, concerns about the larger economy continue to loom. China has been struggling with its debt-ridden regional banks for a long time now. According to an analysis of China's 765 regional banks by UBS Global Research, the recapitalization and bailouts have started and have made unexpected progress. "Our research suggests that 2015 was the first year since the early 2000s that sizable banks were bailed out," Jason Bedford, analyst at UBS explained in a research note Thursday, adding that the process is still at a very early stage and that bad debt accumulation is significant and still rising. UBS' Bedford also noted that the write-offs and disposal of bad assets in Chinese banks have risen three-fold since 2013.


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Faculty and staff at some of the nation's most prestigious universities are the latest to sue their employers over high fees for retirement plans.

Plaintiffs' attorneys recently filed lawsuits against Yale, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, New York University, Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, the University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University and Emory University.

The eight complaints hit upon a common claim in litigation over retirement plans: Participants are paying excessively high fees for investments, record keeping and administration services. But there's a new twist: The suits against the colleges largely center on high fees in 403(b) plans, which are retirement plans for nonprofit organizations, not the more common 401(k) plans that companies offer. "Nonprofits with 403(b) plans are under somewhat different laws from 401(k) plans, but the fiduciary duty to put participants' interests first and work for their sole benefit is the same," said attorney Jerry Schlichter, whose St. Louis firm Schlichter Bogard & Denton is representing the plaintiffs in all of the cases.



The complaints are new enough that some schools say they haven't been served yet. The universities are challenging the claims. "Johns Hopkins University offers its employees a generous and carefully managed benefits program, including for retirement," Hopkins spokeswoman Tracey Reeves wrote by email.

A legacy of high fees

As of the first quarter of 2016, these 403(b) plans accounted for $876 billion in assets, compared with $4.75 trillion in 401(k) plans, according to the Investment Company Institute. The 403(b) plans offered by nonprofits, school districts and hospitals have a reputation for high costs and complexity. "Without question, the 403(b) market was the Wild West," said Alexander Assaley, managing principal of AFS 401(k) Retirement Services, a retirement plan consulting firm. "There were lots of contracts within a plan, lots of restrictive clauses and surrender charges." High fees are rampant in 403(b) plans that use annuities, advisors say.

"The fund fees could cost more than 1 percent, and the insurance component could be over 1 percent," said Anthony Isola, a certified financial planner at Ritholtz Wealth Management in New York. A January survey from benefits consultant Aon Hewitt, which was cited by the plaintiffs in the university lawsuits, found that 403(b) plans' mutual funds had an asset-weighted average fee of 0.97 percent while fees on variable and fixed annuities were an average of 2.25 percent and 1.15 percent, respectively.

The plans Aon studied often offer investors more than 30 investment options. This hurts employees because they can be baffled by the breadth of choices, according to Aon. Indeed, some 403(b) plans of the universities being sued by their employees provided an array of investing options. For example, Johns Hopkins' 403(b) plan offered 440 different mutual funds and insurance products, according to the complaint.

When the time comes to roll out of the 403(b), either because of retirement or a career change, participants who are holding annuities potentially will have to pay more fees.

Dollars kept in an annuity are subject to a surrender period, which can be as long as 10 years, and the calendar restarts for any new money that you add to the contract. If you remove any of the cash before the surrender period ends, those funds will be subject to fees.

What can you do?

If you are in a costly 403(b) plan, consider stashing money in a Roth IRA, especially if your employer offers a pension. You will owe income taxes on Roth IRA contributions, but distributions and contributions you take in retirement will be tax-free. "I suggest clients use a Roth IRA over a 403(b)," said Dave Grant, a certified financial planner at Finance for Teachers. "It might cost a little more in taxes now, but tax diversification is more important in retirement."
Sahm Adrangi CNBC

A crash, some coke and now this hedge-funder's driver's license is on ice. Sahm Adrangi, founder and chief investment officer of Kerrisdale Capital, was reportedly arrested early Saturday on charges of drunken driving and cocaine possession after a two-car smashup in the Hamptons.

The 35-year-old Yale grad reportedly was behind the wheel of a 2015 BMW convertible at 3 a.m on Montauk Highway in Amangansett, New York, when it crashed into an SUV going in the other direction. The East Hampton Star, which first reported the arrest, said Adrangi and the unidentified woman who was driving the Ford SUV told police that the other had crossed over the double-yellow line before they collided. Adrangi, who was also given a speeding citation in addition to the DUI and cocaine-related charges, had his license suspended by an East Hampton justice Saturday morning because of his refusal to take a breath test after the crash, the paper reported. He was released after posting $1,000 bail.
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New York's new downtown is starting to take shape. Nearly 15 years after the devastating Sept. 11 attacks, the World Trade Center mall will officially reopen Tuesday. Fifty to 60 of the center's 113 tenants will be open for business at noon, with the remainder cutting the ribbon on their shops before the holiday season. Tenants include Apple , Victoria's Secret , H&M , Under Armour and Lacoste.

The Smythson of Bond Street store at Westfield World Trade Center. Krystina Gustafson | CNBC

Westfield invested $1.4 billion in the redevelopment, and retail construction began in November 2014. The center, whose first shops were originally slated to open last year, includes 365,000 square feet of retail space and is fully leased. Westfield expects the World Trade Center site to generate $1 billion in annual sales. "We're really excited to be downtown," said Ruby Victor, head of marketing for Smythson of Bond Street. The London-based luxury label is hoping its World Trade Center store will raise awareness for its brand in the U.S. The company currently has a flagship store on a stretch of Madison Avenue that's popular with international travelers and other tourists. "It's a different customer downtown," she said.

Digital signage in a corridor at Westfield World Trade Center. Krystina Gustafson | CNBC

Indeed, 232,152 New Yorkers work for the private sector in downtown Manhattan, according to the Alliance for Downtown New York. Though that's roughly 35,000 fewer than mid-2001, it's the largest amount since the end of that year. The mix of these workers has changed since the Sept. 11 attacks, as media and technology companies have moved into the area. In addition to office workers, some 60,000 residents live in the area, compared with 22,900 in 2000, according to the downtown alliance. The median household income for these residents is $134,756, according to 2014 data, up 14 percent from 2000. Tourism will also play a role. Nearly 15 million travelers are expected to visit the area in 2017 to see the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and the 1 World Trade Center Observatory. "A lot of people are coming here every day," said Marine Jegard, public relations manager for Aldo footwear company. "It's the location of the future." As such, the Canadian brand is launching a new piece of connected technology in its store, which allows shoppers to request a pair of shoes straight from the Aldo app. The feature will launch in 25 additional stores later this week and will eventually be found chainwide.

The central shopping area at Westfield World Trade Center. Krystina Gustafson | CNBC
Ivanka Trump and Wendi Deng Murdoch went sightseeing in Dubrovnik, Croatia, according to an Instagram post uploaded to the account of the GOP presidential nominee's daughter.

Donald Trump's daughter has previously shared a photo of Murdoch, calling her a "remarkable woman" and "one of those friends that inspires you to work hard, be better and laugh louder."

Their friendship comes to light at a time when her father's ties to the Kremlin have drawn a few raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, US Weekly reported that the ex-wife of media mogul Rupert Murdoch was dating Vladimir Putin. In July, Wendi Murdoch denied the rumor to Vogue, saying she has never met the Russian president.

On Monday, The New York Times reported that Putin's main ally in Ukraine earmarked $12.7 million in secret cash payments to Paul Manafort, now Trump's campaign chairman, from 2007 to 2012. In a statement Monday, Manafort called the report "unfounded, silly and nonsensical." He added that he had never taken an "off-the-books cash payment" nor worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia. system.

Last month, the Republican presidential nominee said Trump hopes Russia finds emails deleted by Hillary Clinton from her time as secretary of state.
Watchmaker Richard Mille is known for pushing the limits  of engineering, design and price  selling the world's most expensive watches with an average retail price of $185,000.

But now Mille has reached a new extreme. It's a piece of graffiti made for your wrist, priced at $800,000. And it's already sold out.

The watch is called the 68-01, and it's a collaboration with the famed French graffiti artist Cyril Phan, also known as "Kongo." The artist is used to working on a giant scale, painting bridges, walls and vans with his famous bright colors and cartoonish tag. For the 68-01, he had to paint each of the hundreds of tiny parts inside a tourbillon watch the size of a postage stamp.

It took more than a year just to develop the paint and special airbrushes used to color the parts, since the paint had to be thin and light enough not to inhibit the microscopic movements.

"I wanted to create a cultural shock, a shock between two different universes," Mille told CNBC at his lab in Switzerland. "He's always doing very big pieces and we are doing very small. It's the shock between the artistic world and the technical world. It's the best of technique and the best of art."

When they first discussed the idea, Phan proposed just painting the face of the watch. Mille rejected the idea, directing him to paint all of the internal parts, which are visible through the watch crystal. Since many of the parts move, the colors also change throughout the day.

"When they are turning the scenery is changing. The design is never the same. But it has to be a message  so there is a mixture of colors but there is also the artist message in each watch."
Donald Trump talks with journalists during a rally against the Iran nuclear deal, West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, September 9, 2015. Getty Images

Few conventions in political campaign coverage are as straightforward and unassailable as quoting a public figure verbatim. After all, how can there be any doubt when you are putting down the exact words someone says?

And yet, as with many other parameters of the process, Donald Trump has complicated this, too.

The rhetorical challenges of Trump are not just those of substance  or the lack thereof, but of syntax  and the lack thereof.

His unscripted speaking style, with its spasmodic, self-interrupting sentence structure, has increasingly come to overwhelm the human brains and tape recorders attempting to quote him.

Trump is, simply put, a transcriptionist's worst nightmare: severely unintelligible, and yet, incredibly important to understand.

Given how dramatically recent polls have turned on his controversial public utterances, it is not hyperbolic to say that the very fate of the nation, indeed human civilization, appears destined to come down to one man's application of the English language  and the public's comprehension of it. It has turned the rote job of transcribing into a high-stakes calling.

You wonder what is going on

Say nothing of the greater struggle journalists have pinning him down on what he means: The first big test is getting the source material right.

"Almost every time we have done a transcript of him there is something in there that makes you wonder what is going on," said Elizabeth Pennell, president of ASC Services, which produces verbatim political transcripts for Congressional Quarterly and many of the news networks (but not CNBC).

Trump's menace to semantics exemplified in the initial dust-up of his "Second Amendment people" comments last week, when he seemed to suggest gun-rights supporters may want to assassinate Hillary Clinton to prevent her judicial appointments. Even before the media attempted to measure how out-of-bounds this latest inflammatory remark was  and before Trump eventually claimed it to be "sarcastic"  the question was where to put the periods and commas in a quote that defied both campaign and grammar norms. Because that can matter.

"Trump is a very sloppy speaker," said Pennell. "He is very hard to transcribe and because what he says can be such a bombshell and so badly parsed by the consuming public and the media, you just got to take so much more care. Because everybody out there is literally hanging on every word he says in a way I have never seen happen before in a race."

Trump's crimes against clarity are multifarious: He often speaks in long, run-on sentences, with frequent asides. He pauses after subordinate clauses. He frequently quotes people saying things that aren't actual quotes. And he repeats words and phrases, sometimes with slight variations, in the same sentence.

To untangle the jumble, his stenographers are increasingly reliant on a punctuation known as the "em dash" (), which are used to separate parentheticals within the same sentence. Philip Rucker, The Washington Post's national political correspondent, said that among reporters covering Trump, he has become known as the "em-dash candidate."

For comparison, Pennell provided CNBC.com transcripts her company did for speeches Trump and Clinton delivered last Wednesday. Trump's remarks to a crowd in Abingdon, Virginia, produced 9,345 words and 157 em dashes. Clinton's transcript from a campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, clocked in at a much shorter 2,251 words, with only eight em dashes. However, unlike with the words themselves, punctuation is often a matter of interpretation: Is a certain pause conveyed best by a comma or a dash?

The New York Times and The Washington Post used em dashes in quoting Trump's Second Amendment comment, but in different places; The Associated Press stuck with commas.

In any case, everyone is spending a lot more time listening to tapes.

Pennell estimates it takes her transcriptionists twice as long to transcribe a Trump speech as it does for Clinton  and additional safeguards have been in place for the GOP nominee.

"Basically, you can't do Trump in real time," said Pennell. "Trump is a team approach  with a secondary editor acting as secondary review point, and there is a lot that can be lost in the mix."

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses the audience during a campaign event at Trask Coliseum on August 9, 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina. Getty Images

Rucker, who conducted a 50-minute interview with Trump earlier this month, said journalists following the GOP nominee have been forced to pay attention to every word he is saying when he speaks. In 2012, when Rucker was covering Mitt Romney's campaign, he said, "you could sit through the rallies and something he said was something you already heard before and you didn't have to keep up with it so carefully."

That's journalistic malpractice with Trump, who routinely creates headlines with his parenthetical asides  and subsequently quibbles with the quotes or the paraphrases that result.

This dynamic has prompted mainstream news outlets  particularly print to publish transcripts of Trump interviews in conjunction with their interviews. The New York Times, which twice interviewed Trump this year on foreign policy, published "edited" transcripts of each, but did not release the tape recording of the interview. (Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy told CNBC.com: "We only edited out 'off the record' comments and it was never a consideration to post the audio." She declined to explain why.)

Earlier this month, in a podcast interview with former CBS anchor Bob Schieffer, Times reporter David Sanger, who conducted the Trump interviews with colleague Maggie Haberman, said his paper decided to publish transcripts to protect itself from charges it had mischaracterized the Republican nominee.

"That's because we're in a situation and a political atmosphere right now where you get a lot of people saying, 'Oh, you know, the liberal media took Mr. Trump out of context or asked a trick question or whatever, " Sanger said. "I think these days in things as important as presidential interviews it is important that we do that."

In the transcripts, the Times kept its punctuating to a minimum: It used just 61 em dashes in its first interview with Trump, which took place over two telephone calls on March 25. In its second interview on July 21, which was shorter, there were 41 em dashes. (Sanger and the Times' politics editor, Carolyn Ryan, did not respond to requests for comment. In an email, Haberman declined to comment.) In March, The Washington Post produced a transcript and the audio of its editorial board's in-person interview with Trump. Even before the meeting, much thought had gone into how the paper would reproduce the written exchange. It assigned 10 Post journalists to break up the transcribing work and tasked James Downie, digital opinions editor, to oversee the final product.

Downie told CNBC.com he was "nervous" from the start, particularly with what to do in the event Trump innocently misspoke. Fortunately, Downie said, no such incident occurred, but the endeavor of merely conveying Trump's speaking style was a uniquely difficult deadline assignment.

"It was very much unlike any other transcription I have been a part of," Downie said. After pulling together the various chunks his reporters transcribed, Downie relistened to the entire audio. Ultimately, the transcript resulted in 81 em dashes and 57 ellipses. The other big question Downie grappled over was how to capture the extra-verbal aspects of the interview, without overly editorializing it. He ultimately decided to interject in two places: once, when Trump was pointing to a Washington Post columnist while speaking, and at another point, when he was relaying an anecdote that included an expletive. The transcript noted that Trump said it "in a hushed voice."

"He tried to mouth it as much as possible," Downie recalled. "In both cases, I think it helped [the] reader and made it a more accurate transcript."

But all this meta-analysis can numb the media's mind after a while.

The tedium of fine-parsing Trumpspeak can at times find reporters and pundits dumping block-quotes of Trump speeches under headlines with the phrase "word salad."

At other times, the media has taken to mock-crowd sourcing the syntax of Trump's sentences. During a live podcast show in July, the hosts of Slate's Political Gabfest attempted to diagram a Trump sentence from a speech he gave in South Carolina. Conceding defeat, they later turned to their online followers for assistance.

Inarticulate or savvily obtuse?

But the levity shouldn't obscure the severity of the work.

"The problem with transcripts is if you get something wrong, you can create an incident," said Catherine Hagman, a former transcription team leader at Federal News Service.

In 2005, a controversy erupted over the transcript of a White House press briefing, when President George W. Bush's press secretary, Scott McClellan, was asked about the Scooter Libby trial. Federal News Services, which transcribed White House briefings at the time, quoted McClellan as having said "that's accurate" when asked if former Bush advisor Karl Rove had a conversation with a covert CIA officer. The White House later challenged that McClellan had said the opposite and insisted that the official transcript be changed. FNS, after reviewing the tape, stood by its draft.

In 2008, an FNS transcript of the congressional testimony of Gen. Burwell Bell, then commander of U.S. Forces in the Korean Peninsula, caused tension with South Korea. Bell was quoted as saying that the key U.S. ally would pay $10 billion to relocate U.S. troops in the country, when it had actually agreed to only pay half that much. Afterward, Bell and the Pentagon insisted that he was misquoted. FNS again stood by the accuracy of its transcription, but acknowledged that the words may not have conveyed the proper context.

Throughout this campaign, Trump has routinely claimed that he has been misquoted or taken out of context by a media he argues is treating him unfairly.

At the same time, there's an ongoing press debate as to whether quoting Trump verbatim conveys him most accurately. This debate divides, in part, between those who think Trump is merely inarticulate, and those who think he's being savvily obtuse.

It is very new terrain where some of the deficiencies in coverage is not with bias or agenda, but the literal technical challenge. Angelo Carusone, Media Matters executive vice president and in-house Trump cryptologist.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton is looking to drive job growth by increasing the size of the government, Donald Trump advisor John McNabb told CNBC on Monday.

"In centralized planning, like the Soviet Union and actually with China today, [governments] do create jobs. The party runs the country," said McNabb, a member of the Trump Leadership Council, an independent group of business leaders designed to advise the GOP nominee on policy issues.

"But in this country ... governments don't create jobs," said McNabb, a board member of oil giant Continental Resources . "A government can create more bureaucracy. And that's the only way they create jobs." McNabb just retired as chairman and CEO Willbros Group , a specialty energy infrastructure contractor.

Small businesses drive job growth in the U.S., but the regulatory burden imposed on companies by Presidential Barack Obama have hurt the economy, McNabb said on "Squawk Box." Trump is "waking up America," he argued.

Last week on the program, Trump told CNBC regulations are "making it virtually impossible to start new businesses, and a lot of old businesses are being hurt very badly." Trump singled out Obamacare as "devastating businesses."
Paul Manafort, advisor to Donald Trump, is seen on the floor of the Quicken Loans Arena at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, July 19, 2016.

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump's campaign chairman, spent decades advising Republican presidential candidates, but it's his time between campaigns which is making uncomfortable headlines at the moment.

Before joining Trump's presidential campaign in March this year, Manafort had worked as a consultant for the Party of Regions, the political party led by ex-Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych. He was also an advisor on the U.S. presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole.

On Sunday, a New York Times report claimed that secret ledgers showed $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Manafort from the Yanukovych administration. Manafort called the report "unfounded, silly and nonsensical" in a statement Monday morning. He added that he had never taken an "off-the-books cash payment" or worked for the governments of either Ukraine or Russia.

Corey Lewandowski, who was replaced by Manafort as Trump's campaign manager in June, tweeted a link to the article with no comment on Sunday night  which helped increase speculation of division in the Trump camp.

Tweet 1

On Saturday, Trump railed against NYT reporters as "dishonest people" over a story about divisions in his campaign, and threatened to revoke their credentials to cover the campaign.

Yanukovych was ousted in 2014, the first in a series of events which threatened to destabilize the region which included the occupation of the Crimea region of Ukraine by pro-Russian separatist forces.

Manafort's well-documented role as an advisor to a Ukrainian administration regarded as pro-Russian has already raised eyebrows, particularly given comments by Trump lauding Putin's leadership, dismissing the U.S.'s commitments to smaller NATO members, and his call for Russia to hack opponent Hillary Clinton's missing emails.

"The question is what more info the Ukrainian authorities have on Manafort's time in Ukraine, and how damaging any of this is for the Trump campaign," Timothy Ash, head of CEEMEA desk strategy at Nomura, wrote in a research note on Monday.
SCRANTON, Pennsylvania  Donald Trump's charge that President Barack Obama was one of the founders of ISIS is making American troops less safe around the world, Vice President Joe Biden said here Monday.

Speaking at a rally in this city to promote Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Biden lashed out at Trump. The vice president said that his late son, Beau, who served in Iraq, would have been endangered by the remarks that Trump made during a rally and repeated on CNBC last Thursday.

"I can say without hesitation, no major party nominee in the history of the United States of America was no less prepared to deal with your national security than Donald Trump," Biden said.

Biden pointed out that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah used Trump's accusation to criticize U.S. policy.
Close to two-thirds of Apple's sales are from iPhones, and Cook said that's a privilege, not a problem for the company, even though growth in the smartphone industry has been flat as of late. But Cook insists that if you're in it for the "long haul, this is the best market on earth." In fact, he's sure that smartphones will be the only consumer product where the ration of people-to-product will be one-to-one. And as artificial intelligence progresses, Cook said, iPhones will become even more essential.

But Cook did talk about a lot of other things Apple is working on, from taking the reins from Steve Jobs to what comes after the iPhone to who he turns to for advice.

Apple CEO Tim Cook sat down with The Washington Post for a sprawling interview  almost 10,000 words!  and he didn't even talk about the self-driving car project Apple is supposedly not working on.

"The global market for smartphones is 1.4 billion," Cook told The Washington Post. "Over time, I'm convinced every person in the world will have a smartphone. That may take a while, and they won't all have iPhones. But it is the greatest market on earth from a consumer electronics point of view."

"AI will make this product even more essential to you. It will become even a better assistant than it is today. So where you probably aren't leaving home without it today  you're really going to be connected to it in the future. That level of performance is going to skyrocket. And there is nothing that's going to replace it in the short term or in the intermediate term either."

On pleasing investors:



It turns out that Cook isn't fazed by analysts who say the better days of iPhones are behind Apple. That's mostly, he said, because analysts have always doubted the company.

"They were saying it in 2007  'this stupid iPhone, whoever dreamed up this thing?' Then they were saying that we peaked in 2010, then it was 2011. We got to $60 billion [in revenue], and they said you can't grow anymore from this. Well, last year we were $230 billion. And, yes, we're coming down some this year. Every year isn't an up, you know. I've heard all of it before."



But investors looking for a short-term return get impatient. While Cook said the company welcomes all types of investors, he makes it clear that the company is focused on the long-term. And the investors who stick around end up going home with a good chunk of change, he said.



" I think for investors that are focused on the long term, if you look at how we've done in the past five years, our total shareholder return is over 100 percent. That's a pretty good number. And I think most people that have been in the stock for that period of time are probably pretty happy."



On succeeding Steve Jobs:

When he took over as Apple's CEO, Cook expected that his predecessor, Steve Jobs, would be around for a while as a chairman and advisor. He said he convinced himself that Jobs would bounce back, "because he always did." Cook wasn't prepared to lose him so quickly. But he also isn't trying to replace him.

"To me, Steve's not replaceable. By anyone. [Voice softens] He was an original of a species. I never viewed that was my role. I think it would have been a treacherous thing if I would have tried to do it. When I first took the job as CEO, I actually thought that Steve would be here for a long time. Because he was going to be chairman, work a bit less after he came back up the health curve. So I went into it with one thought, and then weeks later  six weeks later, whatever "



On being outspoken on social issues:

Cook gave companies that choose not to be outspoken about particular social issues a pass, saying, "Maybe they have compelling reasons to be silent." But, given Apple's mission to empower people through its products, it isn't a company that can have a CEO that sits on the sidelines.

It's part of why Cook decided to write an op-ed about being gay for The Washington Post. According to Cook, he would receive letters from kids who were pushed out from their families, or faced other obstacles as a result of being openly gay.



"I thought it would minimally say you can do pretty good in this world and be gay," Cook said. "That it's not a limiter. It's okay to be. That it's okay to be honest about it."



According to Cook, he thought about what to write in the op-ed for one year before publishing it. And he reached out to television newsman Anderson Cooper for advice, because he admired how Cooper himself came out as a gay man.



"I wanted it to be in a business [publication]. That's what I know, that's who I am. There was a lot of work there. I visited people. I talked to Anderson Cooper at length  multiple times. Because I thought that the way that he handled his announcement was really classy. I was getting advice from people who I thought were really great people who had really deeply thought about it."



On who he reaches out to for advice:

Who does the CEO of a company like Apple turn to for advice? Warren Buffett, and former President Bill Clinton, apparently.

"When I was going through [the question of] what should we do on returning cash to shareholders, I thought who could really give us great advice here? Who wouldn't have a bias? So I called up Warren Buffett. I thought he's the natural person, and so I try to go through that process on everyone. That doesn't mean I always do what they say. "



For advice on how to face Congress during the 2013 investigation of Apple's tax practices, Cook turned to former president Clinton and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein.

On Apple's public battle with the FBI:



When the FBI asked Apple to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, the first question the company asked itself was: Could they build a tool to unlock it? In a few days, the team at Apple, led by SVP of software engineering Craig Federighi, determined that they could technically build a tool to unlock the phone. Then it became a question of ethics.

It boiled down to whether the unlocking technology could be leaked.



"We thought, you know, that depends on whether we could contain it or not. Other people were involved in this, too  deep security experts and so forth, and it was apparent from those discussions that we couldn't be assured. The risk of what happens if it got out, we felt, could be incredibly terrible for public safety."



Cook said the cards were stacked against Apple, and the company was worried that, for the public, the question was a matter of security versus privacy.



"It became clear that the trade-off, so to speak, was essentially putting hundreds of millions of people at risk for a phone that may or may not have anything on it, and that likely didn't, because of other things that we knew about. We thought this actually is a clear decision. A hard one, but a clear one. Then it became more of a matter of how do we explain this. Because this is not easy. You can imagine. You just hear: locked phone. Terrorist. People dead. Why aren't you unlocking this?"



As for how the debacle changed Cook's point of view on the government's role:

"Honestly? I was shocked that they would even ask for this. That was the thing that was so disappointing that I think everybody lost in the whole thing. There are 200-plus other countries in the world. Zero of them had ever asked this."

On mistakes:

Maps, apparently, was a big mistake.

"Today we have a product we're proud of. [But] we had the self-honesty to admit this wasn't our finest hour and the courage to choose another way of doing it. That's important. It's the only way an organization learns. The classic big-company mistake is to not admit their mistake. They double down on them."

And, so was hiring former Dixons CEO John Browett to replace Ron Johnson as the SVP of retail, who left the company after six months.

"That was clearly a screw-up. I'm not saying anything bad about him. He didn't fit here culturally is a good way to describe it. We all talked to him, and I made the final decision, and it was wrong. We fairly quickly recognized it and made a change. And I'm proud we did that."



On successors:

Cook said he is already looking for someone he could appoint to take over if something ever went wrong. In fact, he talks about who might succeed him at the end of every board meeting.

"We have the good discipline to do that. Then my role is to make sure that the board has great candidates to pick from internally. And I take that role extremely seriously. Look around at the great people I get to work with  there's some really just superb talent in the company."



On artificial intelligence:

In response to a question on how he would "catch up" with Google , Amazon and Facebook's AI efforts, Cook said: 1) we're not behind, and 2) Siri.

Siri has been around since 2011, and it's only getting smarter, Cook said. Siri's predictive capabilities are getting better, and now that Apple has opened Siri up to third-party-developers the feature's capabilities are being broadened.

"But there are other things in there, like if you're typing in mail, the prediction capability of the next word or next phrase that you will use has just  Siri has gotten a lot smarter about that. I've been using it for a while, but if you haven't used it you should try it. The ability to recognize faces in photos and put those into the modern equivalent of a photo album  we call this product Memories."



Cook said he isn't worried about privacy issues when it comes to AI, because "talented people" are on it.

"There's a new technology called differential privacy which essentially looks at large data sets to predict user behaviors and requests without going to the precise individual, which might violate privacy."

On the "secret" Apple car project:



"We've always viewed that people love surprises. We don't have enough anymore in our lives."



 By Johana Bhuiyan, Recode.net.



CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.


A lab researcher at the Gingko Bioworks lab in Boston. Photo: Richard TK Hawke | Ginkgo Bioworks

Not all start-ups are built on the internet. Boston-based Ginkgo Bioworks, for one, is creating new bacteria, and is now working on a vaccine to protect people from the "bad" bacteria that causes ailments like antibiotic-resistant infections and traveler's diarrhea. An illness like Traveler's diarrhea might be just a pesky annoyance to some, but to the U.S. Department of Defense it's a significant problem. It can severely hamper soldiers' field operations, and thus the DOD has given Ginko $1.75 million to make a vaccine, said Patrick Boyle, head of design at Ginkgo Bioworks. "You take 100,000 people and move them to new country, a significant percentage of that group will get sick with traveler's diarrhea," said Boyle. "That happens to be a disease that is a disruption of your gut microbiome by bad bacteria."



Ginkgo's probiotic vaccine  currently in the very early stages of development  will vaccinate bacteria that live in the human gut, which houses more than a trillion organisms. In doing so, it will provide immunity against diseases and ailments not covered by traditional vaccines. (Traditional vaccines address the immune system.)

Within the next year, the company will evaluate whether it has the right proof of concept to begin testing whether it would work in mice, for example.

The DOD's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has given Ginkgo a total of $5 million for various projects. The company, which is a CNBC 2016 Disruptor 50, has also gotten grants from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the Small Business Innovation Research program. Private investors, who have given the company $154 million, include Allen & Co., Baillie Gifford and Cascade Investment Group.

A lab researcher at the Gingko Bioworks lab in Boston. Photo: Richard TK Hawke | Ginkgo Bioworks

"A lot of the hard basic biology that we are doing as far as this DARPA work, helps us to find better ways to engineer microbes in general," said Boyle. "All the markets we are in and looking at are markets that are accessed by engineering microbes to do something."

Gingko also has commercial customers, including French fragrance maker Robertet , and Japanese flavor company Ajinomoto . Other partnerships cover cosmetics, nutritional ingredients, beverage, agriculture and specialty enzymes. The company plans to announce new partnerships by early September.

"What we are really interested [in] is making the process of engineering microbes more predictable," he said. "That's why we get excited about these very hard, different types of projects  it allows us to discover some fundamental biology that helps us make that product more predictable."

For example, in developing a very precise bacterial vaccine, Ginkgo is also developing ways to create very precise bacterial sensors, said Boyle. Electronic devices, like smartphones and smartwatches, rely on sensors to do things like track the number of stairs the user has climbed or monitor heart rate.

Employees convene on couches at the Gingko Bioworks lab in Boston. Photo: Richard TK Hawke | Ginkgo Bioworks

"Biological sensors are likely to add capabilities to the sensors that are embedded in a lot of the electronic devices," said Boyle. "To sense and respond to changes in your environment." As such, a more sophisticated smartphone of the future could incorporate biological sensors to deliver new smart services and features. Bioremediation  the introduction of microorganisms to clean up pollutants  is another area of opportunity, said Boyle. Though using bacteria to clean up toxic soil sounds very different than delivering a vaccine, biologically, the process happens to use many of the same mechanisms, said Boyle.
Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have announced their visions for the American economy.



Clinton will raise taxes. Trump will cut taxes. Clinton will increase regulation. Trump will decrease regulation. Clinton has vowed to kill the coal industry. Trump will leverage America's energy resources to create new jobs and growth.

On trade, Clinton will keep exporting our factories and jobs. Donald Trump will renegotiate every bad trade deal the Clintons have ever gotten us into.

The saddest fact here is that Hillary Clinton doesn't know the difference between a good trade deal and a bad one. Exhibit A is the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR).

In her economic speech in Detroit, Clinton bragged that she voted against the one multilateral trade deal that came before the Senate while she was there. That was indeed CAFTA-DR, a multilateral deal involving the U.S. along with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.

Here's what Clinton did not confess to: She was wrong to oppose CAFTA-DR. In 2014, we had a favorable trade in goods balance with the CAFTA-DR countries of $2.7 billion. By 2015, that jumped to $5 billion. This pattern continued in the first half of 2016 with a surplus of $2.4 billion.

Now what about the very poorly negotiated trade deals Hillary Clinton did support? Take NAFTA, which she lobbied for and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, signed in 1993. At the time, our trade in goods with Mexico was roughly in balance, with a small surplus of $1.7 billion. Today, we run a trade deficit in goods of roughly $60 billion  an astonishing leap.



Moreover, in a typical short-circuit of the truth, Bill Clinton promised us a 200,000 net job gain from NAFTA. Instead, we've lost over 850,00 jobs, according to research by the Economic Policy Institute. Yet, in her book, "Living History", Hillary Clinton described NAFTA as "reaping the benefits, not the burdens, of globalization." That may be true for Mexico and Canada but certainly not for the USA.

NAFTA is hardly a bad trade deal outlier in the Clinton oeuvre. As Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton helped draft the South Korea Bilateral Agreement, describing it as "cutting edge." She was right. It cut 75,000 American jobs, according to the EPI, rather than the 70,000 gain promised by the White House. Meanwhile, our trade deficit with South Korea has doubled.

Hillary Clinton also promised as senator to create 200,000 new jobs in upstate New York and wound up with a net deficit of 31,000 jobs during her first term, according to the Labor Department. Do you get the picture?

In fact, the only trade surplus the Clintons seem to be able to run is in accepting money from big business and foreign corporate interests, while fielding requests for White House and State Department favors  and likely giving them out. And this is the Democratic Party's nominee.
Posting and sharing photos online seems innocuous, but you could be inadvertently leaking sensitive business and personal information, according to experts.

Virtually all smartphones can track you through what is known as geotagging, adding location data from satellites. If you leave your phone's location services on, this information is added to your photos by default. The tag stays with the picture even after it's shared online, allowing you to be tracked.

Chris Hadnagy, CEO of Social-Engineer, a cybersecurity consulting company, showed CNBC how easy the process is. He used a common tool found in most Macs  called Preview  to gain the GPS coordinates from a picture he found online.

"I just take  those coordinates, and you pop them into something like Google Maps," said Hadnagy, who trains law enforcement and businesses on the dangers of location sharing.

Once in Google maps, Hadnagy found the city, neighborhood and exact house the picture was taken in.
Hello everybody,



I am struggling with the decision how to design my application. Let me describe my problem:



The application has a navigation on the left and the region to display the according view to the right.

It shall load projects and those projects can be of type A, B or C. The navigation is the same for all types, but some of the views differ.



My plan was for all type depending items in the navigation to have a general view which offers a region and the modules A, B and C which all provide a view for that region. During the loading of the project depending on its type the module / library A, B or C is loaded while the other library is unloaded. But I found out it is not supported to unload modules (only complete AppDomains).



I am developing in C# using VS 2010 and Prism 4.0.

Anyone has an idea how to best solve this issue? Is creating and unloading a temporary AppDomain really the best solution?







Each library checks if it is applicable for the current type and sets the view's visibility accordingly.



This does not really make me happy as I have to load all assemblies, but it is the best solution I can think of right now.







If a better solution comes to mind later (as it often does), you have the option to go back and re-factor if it makes a difference. That's typical of software; when that gnawing feeling stops, you know you are "optimal".







App.xaml - get the arguments passed into the start up exe and pass them to the main window VM.



MainVM has a reference to the main view (I know breaks the MVVM model) and the logon DLL. It gets the URL for the logon view from the DLL code>@"pack://application:,,,/LogonDLLName;component/Views/Logon.xaml and puts it into the frame in the main window.



It subscribes to the LoadCompleted method of the view to get the datacontext of the Logon view. And the PropertyChanged event in the Logon DLL VM.



PropertyChanged gets the content from the logon event and proceeds with the application.



As I said this is a PITA but it does work and we can relatively easily use the same logon DLL for all the applications. I hesitate to put this out there as I'm bloody certain there is a better way to do it.

Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

RAH



this article[^] with some clever work with the AppResources to register your views with "on-demand", replacing view references as necessary.

This space for rent



I have been posting about my SignalR project and about how I have been unable to connect to the SignalR server component on my server.



Here is a simple Sample SignalR Chat APp.



Run the app, start the server. Then open an additional Client and you'll see that it works fine.



I have then copied the server project's files to my Server, opened a port, disabled the firewall, and attempted to connect.



Depending on the things I try, I get different error messages, all telling me in some way that it could not find the server, or timed out, etc.



At this point I'm really desperate. I MUST get a SignalR server working on my Server. I'd be willing to pay to get help.



If anyone know how to do this, please help.



Thanks

If it's not broken, fix it until it is



What i'm doing wrong?

Basic binding to Combobox ItemsSource.



What I have tried:

C# C# public partial class MainWindow : Window { ObservableCollection<string> _items = new ObservableCollection<string> { " a1" , " a2" }; public ObservableCollection<string> Items { get { return _items; } set { _items = value ; } } public MainWindow() { InitializeComponent(); var aa = a1; } } XAML <StackPanel> <ComboBox Name= " a1" ItemsSource= " {Binding Items}" > </ ComboBox > </ StackPanel >



C# DataContext = this ; That should do it.

This space for rent







modified 11-Aug-16 0:55am.





This space for rent





Never underestimate the power of human stupidity

RAH



C# I have searched the internet and can ' t find an answer to my question. In one of my WPF XMAL pages which is a Views I am using a GridView to load and binding values for each DisplayMemberBinding row. What I need to do is raise a row selected event but the GridView does not contain that event. How do I create a row selected event for the WPF GridView?



GridView[^]? That can only be used as a view mode for a ListView[^], which does have a SelectionChanged event[^].





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







SelectionChangedEventArgs[^] has both AddedItems[^] and RemovedItems[^] properties, which will let you determine which new items were selected, or which items were deselected.



Alternatively, you could use the SelectedItems[^], SelectedItem[^], SelectedValue[^] or SelectedIndex[^] properties to retrieve the currently selected item(s).





"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined."

- Homer







Hi,



I'm coding a little application for my company, the idea is very simple:



I would like to copy a directory from a server location to a local folder and I want to show the progress by using a progress bar.



I already integrated the copy of the directory by using this code:



C# using System; using System.IO; class DirectoryCopyExample { static void Main() { DirectoryCopy( " ." , @" .\temp" , true ); } private static void DirectoryCopy( string sourceDirName, string destDirName, bool copySubDirs) { DirectoryInfo dir = new DirectoryInfo(sourceDirName); if (!dir.Exists) { throw new DirectoryNotFoundException( " Source directory does not exist or could not be found: " + sourceDirName); } DirectoryInfo[] dirs = dir.GetDirectories(); if (!Directory.Exists(destDirName)) { Directory.CreateDirectory(destDirName); } FileInfo[] files = dir.GetFiles(); foreach (FileInfo file in files) { string temppath = Path.Combine(destDirName, file.Name); file.CopyTo(temppath, false ); } if (copySubDirs) { foreach (DirectoryInfo subdir in dirs) { string temppath = Path.Combine(destDirName, subdir.Name); DirectoryCopy(subdir.FullName, temppath, copySubDirs); } } } }



For the integration of the progress bar according to the number of files/sizes I can't find anything



Can someone help me with this?



Thank you!



Member 12674678 wrote: For the integration of the progress bar according to the number of files/sizes I can't find anything Where did you look? Google has lots of suggestions: wpf progress bar - Google Search[^].







C# using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.ComponentModel; using System.Data; using System.Drawing; using System.Linq; using System.Text; using System.Windows.Forms; using System.IO; namespace copynestedfolderformapplication { public partial class Form1 : Form { int maxbytes = 0 ; int copied = 0 ; int total= 0 ; public Form1() { InitializeComponent(); } private void copybtn_Click( object sender, EventArgs e) { Copy1( @" F:\Posts" , @" G:\copydata" ); MessageBox.Show( " Done" ); } public void Copy1( string sourceDirectory, string targetDirectory) { DirectoryInfo diSource = new DirectoryInfo(sourceDirectory); DirectoryInfo diTarget = new DirectoryInfo(targetDirectory); GetSize(diSource, diTarget); maxbytes = maxbytes / 1024 ; progressBar1.Maximum = maxbytes; CopyAll(diSource, diTarget); } public void CopyAll(DirectoryInfo source, DirectoryInfo target) { if (Directory.Exists(target.FullName) == false ) { Directory.CreateDirectory(target.FullName); } foreach (FileInfo fi in source.GetFiles()) { fi.CopyTo(Path.Combine(target.ToString(), fi.Name), true ); total += ( int )fi.Length; copied += ( int )fi.Length; copied /= 1024 ; progressBar1.Step =copied; progressBar1.PerformStep(); label1.Text = (total/1048576).ToString() + " MB of " + (maxbytes/1024).ToString() + " MB copied" ; label1.Refresh(); } foreach (DirectoryInfo diSourceSubDir in source.GetDirectories()) { DirectoryInfo nextTargetSubDir = target.CreateSubdirectory(diSourceSubDir.Name); CopyAll(diSourceSubDir, nextTargetSubDir); } } public void GetSize(DirectoryInfo source, DirectoryInfo target) { if (Directory.Exists(target.FullName) == false ) { Directory.CreateDirectory(target.FullName); } foreach (FileInfo fi in source.GetFiles()) { maxbytes += ( int )fi.Length; } foreach (DirectoryInfo diSourceSubDir in source.GetDirectories()) { DirectoryInfo nextTargetSubDir = target.CreateSubdirectory(diSourceSubDir.Name); GetSize(diSourceSubDir, nextTargetSubDir); } } } }



where do i need to include the Backgroundworker in this code?





This space for rent





This space for rent


At $14,400 (including 20 percent buyers fee) a rare American Bank Note Co. stock certificate issued in New York and dated May 15, 1868, was the top seller in the Archives International July 26 auction in Fort Lee, N.J.

At $14,400 (including 20 percent buyers fee) a rare American Bank Note Co. stock certificate issued in New York and dated May 15, 1868, was the top seller in the Archives International July 26 auction in Fort Lee, N.J.

The certificate, good for 14 shares, was described as issued and punch canceled. It is black on red with a black border. At its center is Liberty with an eagle and flag superimposed over a U.S. shield. Busts of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington are in upper left and right corners. It was issued to George Sturgis and signed by John Gavit as president of the company.

The other lot breaking the $10,000 barrier, albeit by $200 before the addition of the buyers fee, was a rare 1914 Russo-Asiatic Bank $5 note issued by its branch in Shanghai. The note has Cyrillic and Chinese characters on one side and English and Chinese ones on the other. Common to each side are a pair of dragons. It bears a grade assigned by Paper Money Guaranty of Very Fine 30, and is one of only two in the grading services census.

Connect with Coin World:

The next Archives International sale will be on Sept. 26 in Fort Lee.

What is American Bank Note Co.?

Collecting Paper columnist Wendell Wolka discussed the history of American Bank Note Co. in a recent column:

Most paper money collectors are familiar with the formation of the American Bank Note Co. in 1858.

Seven of the nations most prominent security printers decided to merge and form the nations largest firm dedicated to this business. It would be interesting to speculate whether this merger would have survived todays antitrust laws.

The few remaining stragglers did a merger of their own two years later and formed the National Bank Note Co.

The stock in the new American Bank Note Co. was apportioned to the seven founding firms based upon a number of factors such as the amount of business that each controlled, business contacts, and so forth. Rawdon, Wright, Hatch & Edson held the largest percentage of shares (23.9 percent) while the smallest number of shares (2 percent of the shares issued) went to Gavit & Co. of Albany, N.Y.
The Bank of Thailand announced on Aug. 2 the nations second commemorative bank note for its royal family in a matter of months.

The Bank of Thailand announced on Aug. 2 the nations second commemorative bank note for its royal family in a matter of months. It issued 20 million 500-baht notes Aug. 11 in honor of Queen Sirikits seventh cycle or 84th birthday celebration.

In June, Thailand introduced a 70-baht note to commemorate the 70th anniversary of King Bhumibol Adulyadejs accession to the throne.

Connect with Coin World:

The face of the new note is similar in all respects to the current 500-baht note, equivalent to $14, with its portrait of the king. The difference is on the back, which is dedicated to the queen. At the center is a portrait of her in a Thai Boromphiman costume. Other design elements include an image of the royal family, the queen inspecting products manufactured in royally sponsored projects, and the flowers named after her, which are a Queen Sirikit Cattleya and Queen Sirikit Rose.

The notes are distributed through at all commercial and state-owned banks and also through 10,000 ATMs that have been affixed with a sticker saying the machine has the commemorative bank notes.

Guides to Thailand explain that in Thai culture, special occasions such as birthdays are celebrated in 12-year cycles linked to the animals of the zodiac, where each year is symbolized by a different animal. The end of one 12-year cycle and the start of another one is celebrated because it brings one back to their birth-year animal.

About the earlier note

The Bank of Thailand on June 9 issued 20 million 70-baht (the equivalent of about $2 in U.S. funds) commemorative bank notes celebrating the 70th anniversary of the reign of Thailands much-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who is also known as Rama IX. The notes were sold to the public for 100 baht each with part of the additional proceeds from each sale designated for presentation to the king. When they went on sale, people lined up at the offices of at least a half dozen banks. Buyers were limited to two notes each, yet despite the very high amount printed, the entire issue sold out within hours.

The face of the note depicts the king in the uniform of the supreme commander of the Armed Forces wearing several decorations. The reverse shows a younger version of him in full regalia holding the Sword of Victory and standing in front of the throne.
I am an undergraduate summer 2016 reporter with an emphasis in arts & culture journalism. When I'm not being a student, you can catch me hiking, making music or trying new food. Feel free to shoot me an email at jjhwy6@mail.missouri.edu.

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Quade: Abortion investigation suggests government being 'weaponized'

The timing of the investigation suggests that the state is using its power to retaliate against citizens, Quade said.
Columbus Arts Festival 2022 Patron Party

Arts backers and community leaders gathered June 10, 2022, for the Columbus Arts Festivals Patron Party, which raised more than $34,000.
SHARE The towering building at at 100 North Main in downtown Memphis is one of the prominent features of the city's skyline and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (Brandon Dill/Special to The Commercial Appeal)

By Wayne Risher of The Commercial Appeal

Shelby County Environmental Court is moving toward ordering a city-organized cleanup to clear fire hazards from 100 North Main after growing weary of building owners' inaction.

Referee John Cameron on Monday asked to see the city's cleanup plans before he makes a final decision.

Cameron expressed grave doubts that owners have the financial means to render the city's tallest skyscraper safe for firefighters.

Owners have been asking for delays while they pursue $60-$70 million in financing to cover conversion of the empty tower into apartments and commercial.

"I seems fairly clear to me the owners of this building do not have the money at this point to get the job done," Cameron said.

Cameron also assessed more fines against the owners, who previously owed just under $10,000 in fines. The additional fines bring the total to about $41,000.

Cameron noted the unprecedented scale of the undertaking, which apparently would include fixing electrical problems and clearing flammables and other debris from the 38-story building.

The city's derelict property program is typically limited to mowing overgrown lots or tearing down blighted houses and assessing the costs to property owners through tax liens.

City and antiblight lawyers asked for court action after a lawyer for building owners said they didn't have a cleanup plan.

Larry Weissman, lawyer for IMH Memphis LLC, suggested a 30- to 60-day postponement so owners can hire a contractor for interior demolition.

Cameron said, "I'm very disappointed we haven't gotten a schedule, and I suspect you are, too."

"I would love for them to get $70 million tomorrow to get this done," Cameron said. "I am left doubtful of that because I'm not seeing anything happen."

IMH Memphis bought 100 North Main last August from a group led by Memphis-born businessman Isaac Thomas. Thomas bought the building from a longtime owner in 2013 and emptied it of office tenants in 2014, but a redevelopment plan never moved forward.

IMH Memphis principal contact, Eli Freiden, another Memphis-born businessman, has been involved in ownership of a Tampa retirement community that is being sued by Florida insurance regulators because of financial problems.
Activist Frank Gottie, left, discusses his court case with his attorney, John Keith Perry, outside of the Shelby County Criminal Justice Center on Monday. (Yolanda Jones/The Commercial Appeal)

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By Yolanda Jones of The Commercial Appeal

Anti-gun violence activist Frank Gottie appeared briefly in court Monday on charges stemming from an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend over the weekend.

His hearing was reset for Tuesday when his attorney John Keith Perry says Gottie looks forward to proving his innocence. Perry added that Gottie plans to attend a protest at Graceland later Monday.

Perry said he is not sure if his client is being targeted.

"As far as the motive behind it or any sort of conspiracy that I'm not aware of one way or the other, but I do feel that those things that he is facing, he looks forward to the day, like any other American citizen, of going before the court and his accuser and addressing those at the appropriate time," Perry said.

Perry added, "There is absolutely no proof that he did anything to violate the protective order at all. An accusation is nothing more than that."

Gottie, whose real name is Frank Gibson, was released from jail Saturday after posting $25,000 bond on the charges.

Gottie is charged with aggravated assault and five misdemeanors: domestic assault-offensive contact, resisting official detention, theft of property $500 or less, driving while license suspended/revoked, and violating bail conditions-domestic violence.

The charges stem from an incident Friday night. Police were called to the 200 block of Kolmar in southwest Memphis and were told by a woman that Gottie had taken the battery out of her car. The woman told officers that she tried to stop Gottie, but he pushed her down in the driveway and drove off, according to an arrest affidavit.

Gottie then returned to the home and officers attempted to arrest him, but he became "uncooperative and irate," police said.

The affidavit also states Gottie "had other bystanders trying to film the suspect in action" and while on the scene he "continued to scream and intimidate the victim."

The woman told officers she has an order of protection against Gottie and several reports on file against him, but "he refused to be served," according to the affidavit.

Gottie is also charged with aggravated assault for another domestic dispute from April. He will be in court Tuesday on both charges.
July 7, 2016 - Del Gill addresses Michael Pope, the Shelby County Democratic Party chairman, during a SCDP meeting at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) headquarters Thursday evening. (Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal)

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By Ryan Poe of The Commercial Appeal

Bryan Carson, former Shelby County Democratic Party chairman, is still a bona fide Democrat despite an "invalid" vote by the SCDP executive committee last week, according to state Democratic Party chair Mary Mancini

Mancini said the resolution declaring Carson "not fit" to seek office on the Democratic ticket and not a "bona fide Democrat" circumvented the process laid out in state party bylaws for officially revoking Democratic credentials. The party's vote follows internal strife in the SCDP over how to handle bookkeeping errors during Carson's tenure that some members say amounts to his embezzling more than $25,000.

She said Democratic bona fides  which are necessary to have "Democrat" next to a candidate's name on a ballot  can only be revoked if the person is a candidate and if they haven't voted in three of the previous five Democratic primary elections. Neither applies to Carson, she said.

"Until he's on the ballot, there's no grounds for a challenge, for his bona fides as a Democrat to be taken away," Mancini said.

The bottom line: The resolution "just doesn't mean anything," she said.

"Mary Mancini can go straight to hell," said Del Gill, who was elected Thursday as second vice chair, the party's No. 3 position. "She's quite disrespectful to the largest Democratic Party in the state  and the blackest."

Gill, who sponsored the resolution Thursday, said the action was a pre-emptive measure to let Carson know the party will challenge him if he seeks public office in the future, even though the resolution is worded as revoking his bona fides.

More than a year of bad blood between some members of the party and Carson contributed to the 14-5 adoption of the resolution. The party in June approved a separate resolution to seek criminal charges against Carson, after which Gill filed an embezzlement complaint against Carson with Memphis police.

Carson denies the allegations. He resigned in February 2015 after admitting lax bookkeeping practices, and personally paid off hundreds of dollars in bank overdraft fees and contributed $2,000 to the party.

Despite that vote, SCDP chairman Michael Pope agreed to a $6,000 settlement with Carson later that month, to be paid in monthly installments of $100, at the direction of Mancini. Gill and other members of the local party objected to Pope signing the settlement without his executive committee's approval and to Mancini's involvement.

Reached over the weekend, Gill said there was no rule against the party saying whatever it wanted to say in a resolution, and Mancini again crossed the line by trying to say the resolution was out of order.

But Mancini said some members of the local party needed reminding that state party rules take precedence.

"The reality is, they exist through and as a part of the Tennessee Democratic Party," she said.

Mancini, as she has done in the past, rebuked the party for focusing on Carson instead of on electing Democrats.

"I think the party should go forward," she said. "We have one of the most important elections coming up, an opportunity in Tennessee we haven't seen in a while for Democrats."
Aug. 12, 2016 - Al Lewis speaks with reporters outside City Hall about plans to protest at Graceland. His wife Catherine Lewis is at center and Theryn C. Bond, another member of the protest group, is at right. (photo by Daniel Connolly)



By Katie Fretland and Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Protesters are calling for a disruptive but nonviolent demonstration at Graceland at 6 p.m. Monday, the same evening that thousands of fans from around the world are expected to arrive for an annual candlelight vigil that marks the death of Elvis Presley.

The Memphis Coalition of Concerned Citizens, which has protested against the killings of black people by police across the country, posted "no justice, no Elvis" to social media and called the planned protest Operation Blue Suede Shoes.

"Why Graceland?" one of the group's members, Al Lewis, said at a news conference outside Memphis City Hall on Friday. "Because Graceland represents the tremendous disparity of what works for a few and what doesn't work for the many."

Lewis was joined by his wife Catherine Lewis and other speakers. They emphasized economic issues such as high poverty rates, low wages, the use of temp agencies, and local governments' PILOT tax break program for businesses.

Lewis, 62, described himself as a retired organizer with a postal service union. He said the Concerned Citizens group is leaderless, but associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.

Lewis wouldn't describe what exactly the protesters planned to do at Graceland. "The intention is to demonstrate," Lewis said.

A protest July 10 shut down the Hernando DeSoto bridge on Interstate 40 for several hours, catching city leaders by surprise. Days later, demonstrators blocked Elvis Presley Boulevard outside Graceland, a major tourist draw and source of revenue for the city. Some demonstrators were detained and cited.

In a flyer calling to "shut down Graceland" the coalition posted that Memphians are "broke, over policed and under educated."

On Facebook, the coalition posted that it has "no issue with Elvis nor his fans."

"Our issue is with the money hoarders in this city who make millions and pay poverty wages to their workers," the coalition posted. "Memphis is consistently at the top of the list of poorest cities in the United States of America."

The coalition has called for a financial audit of spending in the city's budget to determine how much is spent with African-American businesses, as well as police cultural sensitivity training and more spending for youth in communities with low income and high crime.

Members of the group said they recently met with Mayor Jim Strickland but he didn't give them enough time or sufficiently address their concerns.

City spokeswoman Ursula Madden said the mayor had met with the group for more than an hour and that his administration was committed to more talks in the future. "And that doesn't necessarily mean a sit-down with Mayor Strickland because his time is extremely challenged, but it does mean that we're working on a system that we can have broader conversations within the community."

Kevin Kern, director of public relations for Elvis Presley Enterprises, said in a statement that Graceland is "actively working with local law enforcement agencies, as it does every year, to ensure the public's safety and security."

"We look forward to welcoming the world to our city and showcasing the hospitality that Memphis is known for around the globe," he said.

Memphis police Lt. Karen Rudolph said police are monitoring the area.

"We always have additional officers in the area during this week's annual events," she said.
SHARE (Associated Press)

By Ariana Sawyer, USA TODAY NETWORK  TENNESSEE,

For police officers, an internet rant could cost three days' pay. Forwarding a music video critical of the department to a television station could cost 10.

Law enforcement do not enjoy the same level of free speech protection civilians make use of every day on social media and can be punished for expressing themselves on politically charged topics such as racism and immigration.

And with racial tensions high across a nation in the midst of a contentious and polarizing presidential campaign, where videos of fatal officer-involved shootings of unarmed black people appear in news feeds, officers are under more public scrutiny than ever. Recent cases in Tennessee showcase the pitfalls officers face on social media.

"The public is watching the police, and they can't be perceived as coddling or excusing hate speech by their employees," said Eugene O'Donnell, a former New York Police officer and prosecutor and now a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "The landscape is littered with people who've lost their job over social media."

Last month, one Metro Nashville police officer was temporarily decommissioned after posting a comment on Facebook referencing the fatal police-involved shooting in Falcon Heights, Minn. Another was decommissioned for changing his profile photo to an iconic 1960s Black Panthers image.

In Memphis, two officers were suspended and remain under investigation over posts on Snapchat of what appeared to be a white person pointing a gun at a cartoon image of a black child running through a home.

Speech about racism is almost always a matter of public concern  protected speech as far as the U.S. Constitution is concerned  except when such speech interferes with a law enforcement organization's ability to operate, said David Hudson, a First Amendment Center research attorney at Vanderbilt University's John Seigenthaler Center.

"When your job is to handle people of various races, that's a problem," Hudson said.

Hudson said he's seen a recent uptick in the number of cases in which officers have been disciplined for social media activity.

He said that although government employees still maintain some First Amendment protections, police departments are given wide leeway to discipline officers who "somehow interfere with the operation of the agency."

Even creating a GoFundMe page for victims of domestic violence can be against the rules, as Memphis police officer and former "Police Women of Memphis" star Virginia Awkward found out in October 2014.

According to documents obtained by The Tennessean, Awkward and her then-girlfriend set up the GoFundMe account after Awkward responded to a domestic assault call, returning the next day while off-duty to take the victims  a mother and her infant child  shopping because they lacked basic essentials.

The officer and civilian raised more than $1,000 for the two after Awkward identified herself as an officer with the Memphis Police Department and solicited funds and goods on Facebook and GoFundMe. But that was done without the approval of the director of police, according to Memphis police records.

Awkward was punished with two written reprimands and one day's suspension without pay, costing her about $150.

A review of the social media policies for the police departments in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville and Murfreesboro shows the departments prohibit their officers from posting anything that could be seen as speaking on behalf of their employers without permission. And from the longest  15 pages in Murfreesboro  to the shortest  six sentences in Chattanooga  the policies make clear that the reputation of the department is what's at stake.

In Memphis, if an officer's social media content "could be perceived as having an adverse effect upon agency morale, discipline, operation of the agency or safety of department personnel," it becomes a punishable offense.

More than half of the 16 Memphis officers disciplined for their social media activity in the past five years expressed little to no understanding of the social media policy, first implemented there in 2010, according to Memphis police documents.

"The thrust of it is, if you wrap yourself in police business online, you better be careful what you say because most agencies are going to protect their standing in the community," O'Donnell said.

But O'Donnell said the social media policies and public scrutiny can have damaging effects on police that go beyond protecting a department's reputation in the community.

He said the policies can be used to silent dissent within police departments, chill free speech and further isolate officers who already feel treated more like a number than people.

For example, Memphis police officer Meekos Evans was suspended for 10 days for forwarding a music video by a local rapper called "F---k MPD" to media in 2013 to raise awareness of the video's negative portrayal by others of the Memphis Police Department, according to the statement of charges against the officer.

Hudson said the courts usually side with the employer in these type of cases.

O'Donnell said that can have down sides.

"I resent the fact that cops have no right to speak," O'Donnell said. "They come against a lot of really difficult things, but we're saying to them, 'You can't talk about that.'"
By Linda A. Moore and Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Ambulance provider American Medical Response has notified Shelby County government it is not making money under the current $1.7 million annual contract and given the county until Aug. 31 to pay more or end the agreement.

Officials with Colorado-based AMR sent a letter to county fire Chief Alvin Benson last month detailing the proposed changes. It was not immediately clear how the proposed changes would affect fire fees or ambulance service for the areas that are part of the contract: unincorporated Shelby County and Arlington, Lakeland and Millington.

Those figures are dependent on how the county proceeds with the service.

AMR has proposed three options: first, creating a hybridized service paying AMR an additional $2.2 million per year and requiring the Shelby County Fire Department to staff two ambulances and make calls; second, increasing the contract by $2.8 million per year; third, terminating the agreement after 120 days, allowing the county to bid the contract again.

"I don't know what we're going to do yet. We've got 'til the end of the month, and we're looking at options," said Harvey Kennedy, county chief administrative officer.

He has also not ruled out the county providing ambulance service  buying the necessary equipment and hiring trained personnel.

Adding to the dilemma, the demand comes more than a month after the county adopted the 2017 budget.

"That makes it a little more difficult, there's no doubt about that. But we will deal with it. I just don't know how yet," Kennedy said.

The county entered into a five-year contract with AMR in 2013, ending a 15-year relationship with Rural/Metro, which has since been acquired by AMR.

Collierville has a separate contract with AMR and there's no indication it's going to change. Bartlett and Germantown provide ambulance service directly through their respective city budgets.

Officials with AMR wrote that they have to renegotiate the contract because revenue is falling short.

"At this time, we have not found a solution that bridges the gap and so an amendment to the existing contract is a necessary step," company representative Kim Warth wrote in a statement Monday.

One group that will review the situation is the Emergency Medical Review Oversight Committee, or EMROC, which consists of officials with Shelby County and municipalities under the ambulance contract, said the chairman of the committee, Millington Fire Chief Gary Graves.

The committee will meet at a date to be determined and make a recommendation to the governing boards of Arlington, Lakeland and Millington.

After that, the respective municipal boards will tell EMROC how they'd like to proceed, and EMROC will give a report to the Shelby County government. Finally, the matter will go to the Shelby County Commission, he said.

"We're gonna continue one way or the other," Graves said. "There will continue to be quality (emergency) service for all of our respective communities."

County Commissioner Mark Billingsley, chairman of the law enforcement, fire, corrections and courts committee, said he has not been advised of the issue with the AMR contract.

But Billingsley notes he pushed for Germantown to take over its ambulance service while an alderman in the suburb and sees nothing wrong with the county doing the same.

"I think Germantown has done an extraordinary job with ambulance service so I would be open-minded with the county doing the same," Billingsley said. "However, a lot of due diligence and homework would have to be done, I think, for the county to consider that."

What has worked for Germantown, which established its own service in 2013, is that residents who use it are able to pay the bill, he said.
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Frank Kizer

Bartlett

We must now make the best choice between two presidential candidates despite their shortcomings and the obfuscation and partisanship of the media. We must choose a president from two people who normally wouldnt get our vote for the proverbial dogcatcher.

On the one hand, we have Donald Trump, who violates the rules of common decency by insults and childish squabbles and assaults the honor of innocent people, even to making insulting remarks about their looks.

On the other hand, we have an enigma inside a puzzle. Over the past 20 years Hillary Clinton has been accused of lying, deserting public servants in great peril, consorting with those who reject our deeply held beliefs, and exposing highly classified information to our adversaries.

Recently, personal biases and ideologies have played much too large a part in the choice of a president. The last two presidencies have left us wounded by wars, shackled by a weak economy and infected with divisiveness and extremism. Making our country great again may require that we, ourselves, shoulder much of that responsibility.

We need to put aside selfish interests, prejudices and emotional responses and reject the siren calls of politicians pushing our hot buttons. We need to adopt the spirit of ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country and apply it to our cities and our neighborhoods as well.
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By Catherine Rampell

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, there's a good reason neither presidential candidate has proposed a comprehensive, credible plan for how to help these workers.

It's 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.

Clinton's economic package, as laid out in her Thursday speech, is rich in these kinds of programs; Trump's 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. It's certainly not impossible to teach an old dog new tricks, so to speak, but retraining a worker who's a decade from retirement may not be the best use of public funds (or that worker's time)  especially because rampant ageism makes it harder for older workers to find jobs in new fields even when they do get training.

Trump's 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  coal's most important competitor  at much lower costs.

Trump's 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 didn't believe those forecasts, a bump in manufacturing, which Clinton now promises as well, seems unlikely to help already-laid-off manufacturing workers much.

That's 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 won't 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 they're 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. There's an opportunity here for someone to offer a thoughtful solution.

Catherine Rampell's email address is crampell@washpost.com.
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By Clarence Page

When you've dug yourself into a hole, as the saying goes, stop digging. Most people are smart enough to follow that advice. They aren't Donald Trump.

In the two weeks after their parties' conventions, the Republican presidential nominee has been digging himself into a hole, falling badly behind his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in the polls  and he keeps digging.

At a rally near Fort Lauderdale Wednesday, for example, he came up with a new piece of nonsense that President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Clinton "founded" the Islamic State, or ISIS, our No. 1 jihadi enemy these days.

Like a small child who has discovered a new word, Trump was too delighted by the phrase to stop repeating it in his rambling rap, at least a half-dozen times. Count 'em.

"In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama," he said. "ISIS is honoring President Obama! He is the founder of ISIS! He's the founder of ISIS, OK? He's the founder! He founded ISIS, and I would say the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton. Co-founder, crooked Hillary Clinton. And that's what it's about."

Or, at best, getting a rise out of a crowd seems to be what Trump is all about. His audience erupted into cheers and chants of "Lock her up" as Trump smiled and engaged in what appears to be his favorite activity: basking in applause.

Trump appears to have abandoned the widely held belief that he needs to pivot to a more presidential-acting Trump. Since the GOP's Cleveland convention, he has picked fights with party elders and with Gold Star parents. He has invited Russian spies to penetrate Clinton's emails and joked in a way that sounded like he was inviting "Second Amendment people" (i.e., gun enthusiasts) to assassinate a president who didn't agree with them.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried to throw a lifeline to Trump on the Islamic State issue. In an on-air interview, Hewitt suggested the wealthy developer meant to say that the policies of the Obama administration led to the rise of the Islamic State when Clinton was secretary of state.

"I know what you meant," said Hewitt "You meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace."

But Trump refused to hit that softball. "No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS," he 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."

But never mind. Early Friday Trump tweeted that his accusation was only "sarcasm." Shame on us for taking him seriously.

Trump may be having fun, but his unpredictability has cost him. Two weeks after the conventions, Trump's narrow convention bump was gone. He was trailing Clinton by more than six points in Real Clear Politics' daily average of the most recent nationwide polls.

And in interviews he even acknowledged the possibility that he could lose, a major concession for a man who promised "so much winning" that we would grow tired of all the winning.

Yet even after his advisers suggested he had achieved a new level of discipline in delivering his economic address on Monday in Detroit, Trump insisted he would not change his strange ways.

"At the end, it's either going to work," he said in a CNBC interview, "or I'm going to, you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice, long vacation."

Maybe that's his problem. Maybe he needs a rest. Or maybe he never expected his presidential campaign, which seemed to start as another of his brand-building projects, to get this far.

Now he sounds perplexed that the childish name-calling that boosted his primary campaign ("Crooked Hillary," ''Crazy Bernie" Sanders ...) falls flat in his general election campaign. What will he blame on Obama and Clinton next? Earthquakes? Hurricanes? The Zika virus?

At last, the man who proudly declared "I'm so tired of this politically correct crap" to a cheering crowd in South Carolina last September may be learning the hard way that manners still do matter in politics. You can't insult your way to the White House, Jeb Bush told Trump in a primary debate, but Trump is still trying.

Meanwhile, Trump's supporters criticize news media for bias against Trump. They weren't saying that when Trump was winning. In fact, Clinton's scandals would be getting a lot more attention, rightly or wrongly, if Trump didn't keep stealing the spotlight.

E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@tribune.com.
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By Leonid Bershidsky

A top Bavarian domestic intelligence official has made tabloid headlines by saying there are "hit squads" and "sleeper cells" among the refugees who have recently arrived in Germany  something right-wing populists have been maintaining all along. Yet the true "sleeper cells" have been here for decades, and that explains why, as Germany and other European countries step up anti-terror efforts, there is a strong resistance to unnecessary harshness.

On Thursday, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere presented his proposals on increasing security in the face of an increased terror threat  something the public has demanded since a recent series of attacks, three of them by refugees and two inspired by Islamic State. The measures include stripping dual-nationals of German citizenship if they go off to fight in Syria, making the "promotion of terrorism" a criminal offense, speeding up deportation for immigrants who provide false information about their identity and adding several thousand intelligence and police personnel.

They emphatically do not include a ban on the burka  the full Islamic veil  demanded by the conservative wing of de Maziere's and Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union party. Nor do they ban dual nationality altogether, something the conservatives have also demanded.

De Maiziere also stressed the need for more language training and better social services for refugees.

If that doesn't sound like an adequate reaction to "hit squads" and "sleeper cells," it's worth considering that de Maiziere's proposals are in line with what governments are doing in other European countries with big immigrant communities. Austria, for example, enacted laws against "promoting terrorism" last year. It began stripping "foreign fighters" of citizenship in 2014. Belgium, Denmark, France and Germany have been refusing to issue passports, and withholding existing ones, from potential "foreign fighters." All these countries have added terrorism-related offenses to their criminal codes and in some cases increased punishment for existing ones. France is considering cutting off foreign funding for mosques.

But nobody's doing anything tougher than that, such as restricting Islamic practices, deporting immigrants for the slightest offenses or banning dual citizenship. Even stripping people of their nationality for fighting with Islamic State is not a shoo-in: In France, such a legislative measure has failed.

Nor are there proposals for harsh immigration restrictions along the lines of Donald Trump's anti-Muslim proposals or challenging vetting procedures. Instead, there are attempts at outreach  such as telephone lines for the parents of radicalizing youths in Austria, France the Netherlands and, soon, in Belgium and Denmark, or a Dutch program of getting imams to discourage radicalization. Governments are thinking along the lines of reintegration and deradicalization, no matter how lecturing young jihadis about the error of their ways may sound to the supporters of Europe's popular right-wing parties. They are not talking about building their own Guantanamos; they'd rather pay for more language lessons and train teachers to spot signs of trouble among school students.

This can be, and often is, read as a sign of weakness. Indeed, countries without large immigrant communities and with little history of Islamist terrorism, such as Bulgaria and Hungary, have been tougher than western European nations, building border walls or passing tougher anti-terror laws that erode press freedoms and the presumption of innocence. Western European leaders who talk about constitutional limits to such activities, such as French President Francois Hollande, are criticized as wimpy, and they do worse in polls as a consequence.

It would be easy for politicians to go the whole hog on security and reap political points. Hollande certainly needs them, and if he drove a hard line, the French, for whom security is now the number one worry, would probably reward him. For Merkel, whose support is down to 2005 levels while the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party has gained in the polls, it wouldn't be much of a flip to get tougher on crime committed by immigrants: She is, after all, the leader of a conservative party. And yet the leaders aren't doing things that could boost their popularity and steal nativist thunder. Are they so clueless and so helpless?

Hardly. A recent study of European "foreign fighters" by the International Center for Counter-Terrorism in the Hague, which collected data from most EU members, says this:

Most foreign fighters originate from urban neighborhoods where many FF apparently grew up together, suggesting that offline, face-to-face contact is still very important, at least in the final stages of the radicalization process toward violent extremism and recruitment for the violent jihad.

The radicals and terrorists are often bred by the ghettos, their inadequate schools, their climate of despair, the prisons they feed. The tougher and more dangerous a country's poor districts, where many immigrants settle upon arrival, the better the radicals know how to kill. That would partially explain the higher casualty rate of terror attacks in France and Belgium than in Germany or in Scandinavian countries, where the bad areas can be depressing but far less violent than, say, France's infamous banlieues.

Tougher security measures and more discrimination against Muslims who, thanks to powerful terror organizations such as Islamic State, already face a high radicalization risk, could worsen the climate in the poor urban areas and produce more rather than less successful terror attacks. So western European governments focus on soft prevention  outreach, more focus on integrations and community cohesion  and a tougher response to actual crimes rather than on making life harder for potential recruits. Newcomers to depressed neighborhoods, whatever their original intentions, cannot achieve much unless they find local support, active or silent. That is not something that can be resolved with tighter security measures, and measures such as a burka ban can only make things worse.

European authorities are learning to watch, listen and talk to potential radicals so that the potential is never realized; they are also concerned about reducing the ghetto tension. That's not weakness. It's the smart thing to do.

Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg View contributor, is a Berlin-based writer.
More than 7,000 people jammed Ellis Auditorium in Memphis on May 15, 1956, to stomp, shudder, shriek and sigh as a young Elvis Presley writhed his way through a rock and roll repertoire. Presley was the blockbuster of Bob Neal's Cotton Picking Jamboree, a feature of Cotton Carnival opening night. Presley was born on Jan 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. (The Commercial Appeal files.

By Thomas Bailey Jr. of The Commercial Appeal

TUPELO, Miss.  Theres some buzz here over last months official opening of the $11.5 million Elvis Presley Birthplace Trail.

Nearly 60 years ago, another kind of buzz had Elvis, his parents and their Tupelo host family looking quizzically at each other around a dinner table.

Turns out that the new 1.4-mile trail and the dinner incident in 1956 are related.

One reflects Tupelos latest effort to make the most of its seminal bond with Elvis Presley.

The other involved Tupelos first attempt to re-connect with Elvis eight years after the impoverished Presleys fled for opportunities in Memphis.

Joe Bitsy Savery, now 82, recalls the extraordinary dinner in his parents stately home on Tupelos leafy Belledeer Drive.

The meal took place between Elviss two performances  one in the afternoon and the other at night  at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on Sept. 26, 1956.

Elvis interrupted the filming of his first motion picture  Love Me Tender  in Hollywood to accept an invitation from Saverys father, James M. Ikey Savery, to perform at the fair.

Ikey Savery not only owned an insurance company, brick- and tile-making business and interest in a farm, he was the long-time president of Tupelos annual fair.

Through his fair-association connections, Ikey Savery knew Elviss agent, Col. Tom Parker.

Following the afternoon performance, Elviss white Lincoln pulled up in front of the Saverys big house. His parents Vernon and Gladys arrived in a separate car, Bitsy Savery recalls.

Bitsy had his own connection with Elvis; they had attended Milam Junior High together in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Bitsy never claimed to be close friends with Elvis, just a friendly acquaintance.

Economically, the Saverys and Presleys inhabited different worlds when the Presleys lived in Tupelo.

The Saverys big Belledeer house featured such amenities as a swimming pool and library. But the Presleys not only were renters in Tupelo, they continually moved from house to house, often among the poorest neighborhoods.

Ikey may have been keenly sensitive to the differences, and took pains to ensure neither he nor his family did or said anything that might embarrass their newly rich guests.

But Ikey had another quality, Bitsy says of his late father.

He loved Elvis Presley. He loved entertainers. He had a little Col. Parker in him, too, I guess. He loved the show people who came to the fair. He got along with them. He had a lot of respect for them. He wanted everything to be for them, Bitsy says.

The dinner and red-carpet treatment the Saverys offered the Presleys, Bitsy recalls, was not for us. It was not for Tupelo. It was for the Presley family.

So when it came time to eat the candied ham and sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, none in the Savery family uttered a word when Gladys Presley sat in the wrong seat.

Elvis mom took the seat at one end of the table, opposite Ikey at the other end.

Gladys went all the way around to the other end of the table and sat where my mother (Beulah) usually sat, Bitsy recalls.

And my daddy told (Beulah), Dont say anything, thats fine, thats fine.

Dont even suggest to Gladys that she might like to sit by Elvis, Ikey cautioned. Just agree with anything they do, you know, Bitsy says.

We didnt have any problems for a few minutes, he says with a smile.

But then for no apparent reason a faint but strange buzzing noise interrupted the dinner for the nine diners who also included Bitsys wife Anna Katherine and Bitsys brother Mitchell and Mitchells wife, Joan.

You could hear it even though the (kitchen) door was closed, Savery recallss.

Ikey knew the sounds source. Without explanation, he politely excused himself, left the dining room, entered the kitchen and ripped from the wall the wire that powered the buzzer designed to summon the kitchen help into the dining room.

The Saverys had installed the buzzer button where it could not be seen: On the floor under the dining table and within reach of whomever sits in Beulah Saverys chair. Called a butterfly switch, the metal device looks more like a flower with six petals.

And when Gladys sat down, she didnt sit exactly like Mother did, Bitsy says. She just put her foot on that buzzer and it started...

Im not sure (the Presleys) heard it as bad. (But) you could hear it even though the (kitchen) door was closed. Everybody looked at everybody.

Dad just got out and said Excuse me and walked right out that door. And I did not know until later exactly what had taken place, but he slammed the door and the buzzer quit.

Later, the woman who worked in the kitchen for the family told Bitsy that his dad just reached and grabbed those wires and just ripped it out.

And it never was hooked up again. Ever.

The old Savery home was eventually sold outside the family and wound up being demolished. But Bitsy Savery salvaged the butterfly switch that Gladys Presley inadvertently pressed.

He showed it to a reporter while visiting for the first time Tupelos Fair Park, a development of civic, residential and commercial buildings where the old fairgrounds once were.

The new Elvis Presley Birthplace Trail  essentially an enhanced East Main Street  runs in front of Fair Park.

The lush landscaping including willow oaks and pin oaks, bike lanes, sidewalks, brick pavers, benches, pedestrian signals, and period lighting fixtures make driving, walking or pedaling the 1.4 miles between downtown and Elvis Birthplace Park more appealing for the 80,000 tourists a year as well as the locals.

It really makes a nice connection from Downtown, says Debbie Brangenberg, director of the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association.

This is a gateway to our community. Usually, the true Elvis fan will go to the birthplace and come Downtown to Tupelo Hardware, she says of the business where Elvis bought his first guitar.

Asked if Tupelo officials really expect tourists and others to walk between Downtown and the birthplace, Brangenberg replies, They already were walking.

There was a cow path. The grass was beaten down where people were already walking.
The vast majority of the worlds electronics -- its servers, PCs, mobile phones -- are now manufactured in China. This means any inadvertent escalation over the on-going South China Sea territorial dispute could do more than raise geopolitical tensions.

It could easily disrupt electronics manufacturing for the world.

About 84% of the worlds electronics are made in Asia, and about 85% of those goods are made in China, said Michael Palma, an analyst at IDC. All that product flows through the South China Sea, said Palma.

China is claiming much of the South China Sea as its own territory after building artificial islands in the Spratly archipelago -- and it's ignoring a recent international tribunal ruling against its territorial claims, further stirring regional tensions.

The South China Sea dispute is indeed a serious security issue of global significance because it has the potential to lead the world into war, said Linda Lim, a professor of strategy at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and a China and Southeast Asia expert.

Headlines about military activities in the region appear frequently. Just this month, Vietnam moved rocket launchers within striking distance of Chinas military positions. Recent photographs show new aircraft hangerson Chinas islands that are believed to be for fighter aircraft.

Businesses, so far, have been sanguine about these developments, because they dont think it will happen (armed conflict), because the consequences would be so dire for all all sides, said Lim. With respect to the electronics supply chain, it binds the various Asian nations and the U.S. together. So [it] actually acts as a constraint on the security situation by making it less likely that potential antagonists will engage in conflict with each other because all will lose."

Ravi Ramamurti, a professor and director of the Center for Emerging Markets at Northeastern University, said if there were a U.S. military confrontation, the shipment of goods out of Asian factories could be suspended indefinitely, which would be particularly catastrophic for companies that sole-source out of Asia.

The risk of disruption may be more of a Black Swan -- a low-probability, high-impact event for which there is no reasonable way to prepare. Shifting manufacturing to another part of the globe, or even reshoring it to the U.S., would be a multi-year, expensive undertaking.

Electronics makers could begin to build plants outside of Asia, in Mexico and Eastern Europe, said IDCs Palma. Some argue that automation and robotics could help return electronics manufacturing to the U.S. But China is shifting to robotics as well.

Businesses are watching the territorial dispute, but not yet reacting. "I don't think it's a major concern at this point -- people recognize that [they] need to keep an eye on it, but no dramatic changes in strategy," said Sean Monahan, a partner with consulting firm A.T. Kearney in the Operations and Performance Transformation Practice.

But if something were to happen -- a miscalculation, a mistake by a sea captain, a rocket launch -- the consequences could be severe.

It is estimated that $5.3 trillion in trade passes through the South China Sea, with the U.S. accounting for more than a trillion of it, said Srini Sitaraman, associate professor in Clark Universitys political science department.

The economic repercussions of a large-scale naval conflict in the region are not only worrisome because of its escalatory impact, but the economic consequences could be severe and could potentially halt our way of life as it works right now, said Sitaraman.

If something escalated in the South China Sea, a lot of companies are at significant risk," said Gary LaPoint, professor of supply chain practice at Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. "But so is China, because China gets a lot their business from us."
Where will Apple be in five years time? Thats a difficult question to answer, but the company's CEO, Tim Cook, dropped a few hints recently. We may not be able to see the whole picture, but we get a sense of its future plans.

Partnerships

Apple has got a lot better at partnerships. Speaking to the Washington Post, Cook notes the company is collaborating much better with key partners, particularly in the enterprise. This slightly more open approach is visible elsewhere, from the companys environmental and labor reports to its effort to open up to a wider tranche of media and more. Its reasonable to assume that Apple across the next five years will continue to expand its network of partnerships, if only that it cant be disappointed at the actions of the small number of key allies it used to maintain. I dont think Apple wants to get burned that way again.

Pokemons

Cook called the hit Nintendo game Pokemons when he referred to it during his recent fiscal call, but that cant hide the huge heap of cash being generated by the title. And nor does it occlude the potential of VR and AR across multiple industries. Is Apple planning something? Of course.

In fact, Cook sees it as a core technology, admitting the company is doing a lot of work on it. So what is a core technology? Company watchers may remember Rendezvous and iSync, both of which have become fundamental technologies, opening up things like Continuity, iCloud Photos and more. When Cook calls AR core I dont imagine hes focusing on creating AR solution, he imagining AR at the center of Apples ecosystems. And Apples been working on core technologies that could become part of that for a very long time.

Intel inside

No, not that Intel, Im talking artificial intelligence. I realize its popular to pretend Apple has only just begun working with A.I., but Cook  and history  prove this wrong. Let me take exception to your question. Your question seems to imply that were behind, he told the Washington Post. Weve been using A.I. for a long time, he told Fast Company.

Cooks correct. Apple now has almost a decade working with these technologies. It introduced Genius recommendations back in 2008. When thinking about new technologies the company follows the old Steve Jobs adage, Real artists ship. Technology roadmaps mean nothing. Shipping engagingly useful products that meet a need means everything.

Processing power

The majority of iPhone users are already running 64-bit processors. Do you really think Apple has put all that effort into developing those chips and the graphics and OS software that lives on them so it can look good in some pointless specs shoot-out? Its about sewing the seeds for a platform evolution. No one else can match this. Over time, Im convinced every person in the world will have a smartphone, said Cook. Our goal has never been to make the most. Its always been to make the best. However, as mobile device processors are so quickly matching those used in desktops, how long will Apple remain dependent on other processor suppliers?

Services

Apples iCloud, App Store, AppleCare, Apple Pay, Apple Music, iTunes, iBooks and other services already contribute 12 percent of Apple revenue. Cook clearly thinks this is going to grow. "I expect it to be huge," he told Fast Company. It is already expected to be the size of a Fortune 100 company by next year.

Developing markets

With 41 retail stores in China and plans in place to launch more in India, emerging economies are part of the companys future plans. Next years introduction of 4G networks across India (where fixed line infrastructure is relatively scarce) will unlock the market for connected devices there. Cooks consistent  he noted the importance of 4G for India in May.

Tomorrows world

Cook comes in for criticism for his commitment to social responsibility and a focus on core company values. Some say these commitments dont reconcile with the needs of company investors, but theyre wrong. To survive and to retain the talent to survive in a connected age demands brands like Apple operate through a much wider lens than just the figures on the balance sheet. As we enter the Age of Ideals, people will expect brands to go further. Not just to make idealistic gestures, but to act on them, said Gareth Ellis, Planning Partner at Ogilvy & Mather. Cooks not the only CEO seeing this transformation, here is what Virgin boss, Richard Branson Tweeted this morning:

The brands that will thrive in coming years are the ones that have a purpose beyond profit: https://t.co/2AY3h8tZQW pic.twitter.com/SGHG77skeX  Richard Branson (@richardbranson) August 15, 2016

The public is tired of cynicism. The world is changing. Values are important. The popular mood supports Cooks position. Get out the stock.

Aha

Apple is the only company that can take hardware, software and services and integrate those into an experience thats an aha for the customer, said Cook. You can take that and apply to markets that were not in today.

Thats why each core technology supports and influences development of the other, and with Apple R&D spend at an all time high it will be interesting to see which core technologies the company introduces next.

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Google Fiber is reportedly hoping to rely on wireless technology instead of fiber-optic cables in about 12 major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas, where it has planned faster internet service.

Google's parent company Alphabet has also suspended Google Fiber gigabit speed projects in San Jose, Calif., and Portland, Ore., according to unnamed sources in a Wall Street Journal report.

Google Fiber officials could not be reached to comment on the report. The report also said that Google Fiber is also hoping to boost its high-speed internet expansion by leasing existing fiber or asking cities or power companies to build the networks, instead of Google Fiber building its own.

If Google Fiber plans to rely widely on wireless technology to offer fast internet, it would be a sound move that could improve its competitive edge against traditional internet service providers.

So far, Google Fiber has reached six metro areas, starting first in the Kansas City area in late 2012. The process has cost hundreds of millions of dollars, analysts estimated, owing to the expensive process of digging up streets and properties in front of homes and businesses to lay fiber.

At its inception, many analysts thought Alphabet only created Google Fiber to push more fast internet expansion by traditional providers like Comcast, AT&T and Verizon.

At first, we didnt think Google Fiber was going to be a real business and, rather, was just a way for Google to tweak internet service providers like AT&T, Verizon, Comcast and Time Warner Cable into rolling out ultrafast internet service, said independent analyst Jeff Kagan on Monday. That was the beginning of the ultra-fast internet race.

Google Fiber has not said how many customers it has in Kansas City or elsewhere. Its Google Fiber official blog continues to tout recent improvements in its service, including the most recent blog from July 12 indicating three new small business internet plans, including one for $250 a month for 1 Gbps upload and download speeds with no data caps.

Small businesses in Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City; Provo, Utah; Austin, Texas, and Nashville are eligible for the three plans.

The likelihood that Google Fiber would rely on wireless instead of fiber-optic cable where possible should come as no surprise, analysts said. Other ISPs have either rolled out or have plans to deploy smaller cellular equipment for shorter distances to connect homes and businesses to the nearest high-speed fiber optic cable. Sometimes that wireless link could be a short distance of less than 100 feet from a building to a street or a longer distance of a few blocks. There are a wide variety of so-called small cell outdoor devices already on the market, some of them called picocells that can be as small as a shoebox and light enough to hang on a light pole, utility pole or even on a bus stop shelter.

As wireless has grown and changed traditional telecom, it is also changing traditional internet connectivity, Kagan said. Wireless internet connectivity looks like it might be very big over the next several years.

Kagan said AT&T Gigapower is leading Google Fiber in citywide fast internet fiber rollouts, but wireless could help Google pick up the pace and match AT&T.

This latest reported move by Google toward wireless may mean we are starting to see a real horse-race beginning, Kagan said. It could let Google move into more cities, more quickly.

Speed of deployment with wireless could be the vital ingredient to keep Google Fiber competitive.

Wireless has a lot of advantages, including the speed at which it can be installed at an individual home, office or apartment building versus having to do a cable drop to each premise, said Gartner analyst Bill Menezes.

That means fewer truck rolls, and the service provider can ship the customer premise receiver with self-installation software, instead of doing an on-site install, cutting the [capital and operating expenses], Menezes added.

However, Menezes said Googles testing of the effectiveness and speed of wireless technology will be crucial. If Google decides to rely on wireless technology that uses a higher frequency, it will transit over a short distance and have poor in-building penetration, he said. In turn, that could mean more outdoor antennas, possibly one affixed to every premise that Google Fiber would want to serve.

Google and other companies are also testing the use of unlicensed spectrum. That effort seems to be the linchpin, because if Google Fiber had to pay to acquire large amounts of spectrum in licensed frequencies, that would seem to eat up a lot of the capex savings of going wireless versus installing fiber to the home, Menezes said.

In April, Google began testing wireless connections in Kansas City in the 3.5 GHz spectrum, which is called the innovation band by federal officials. That test is expected to last up to 18 months.

A previous attempt, in the 1990s, to offer wireless cable under a plan called a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service wasnt successful, as was the rollout of WiMax, a technology that relies partly on microwave transmissions and was fostered primarily by Sprint and Clearwire in the U.S. Sprint killed the WiMax network in early 2016.

The enabling wireless technology has improved significantly since those failures, but were still waiting for someone to do this successfully at a large scale in the marketplace, Menezes said.
With Google apparently working to develop a new operating system, speculation is centered on whether the company is looking to play a big role in running the Internet of Things (IoT).

"The important thing is that this could be Google's bid to supply the OS that runs Internet of Things-type systems," said Dan Olds, an analyst with OrionX, a technology analyst firm. "This could be an OS to run on sensors that, for example, check on fertilizer levels in farmers' fields or voice recognition features for fitness products. The array of possibilities in these devices is endless and they all need some sort of operating system."

Speculation about what Google is up to arose late last week and focused on whether the company is looking to either add to its OS family of Android and Chrome or to begin to replace them.

According to a report from Android Police, which spotted Google's extremely cryptic and basic description of Fuchsia on the project's GitHub page the new operating system's kernel, called Magenta, is designed to be used on everything from tiny embedded devices to laptops.

Google declined to provide any details about the project.

What's known so far is that Fuchsia is an open source project that does not appear to be related to either Android or Chrome, despite speculation that it could be developed to replace them.

Some analysts think Google is working on a new OS to get in on the ground floor of IoT, which is continuing to grow and evolve.

Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst, said it's likely that Fuchsia will be used for something different than Android and Chrome. "I believe they're going to have a different operating system for the IoT," he said. "This could be it."

However, Judith Hurwitz, an analyst with Hurwitz & Associates, sees Fuchsia as more of an experiment for Google than a real project with a specific road map and business goal.

"I think that right now it is a laboratory research project," she added. "It definitely makes sense for Google to experiment with emerging technologies.... Google does a lot of research that isn't tied to a specific product."

Olds, though, thinks that Google sees IoT as a potentially big money maker.

"This is going to be a huge market," he said. "Right now, most of these devices are typically based on Linux operating system variants, but Google could be looking to change that.... If the OS delivers and gets a following, it could conceivably become the OS of choice for millions or even billions of devices small and large.

"I think the sweet spot is in IoT."
As of this month the right to buy has been abolished for council tenants in Scotland. The latest stats from the Scottish Government say:

There were 1,609 sales of local authority dwellings in the year to end December 2015, up 0.6% on the 1,599 in the year to end December 2014.

No doubt some more will have got in under the wire this year. They will have just managed to scrabble together the deposit before the deadline kicked in on August 1st. So for a few more Scots the dream of owning the home they live in will have become a reality  albeit the discounts were less generous than those available in England. But they are the last in line. 450,000 have been bought in Scotland since 1979. For those families that is a policy that has meant real Scottish independence  the independence from the state that home ownership represents. So its the end of an old song as the Earl of Seafield would say.

Robert and Joan Sturgeon seized that chance for independence in May 1984 in their pebbledash house in the former mining village of Dreghorn in Ayrshire; they managed to stump up the 8,400 required. It was certainly a canny move  the property is now worth around 150,000. They are still living there. But their daughter Nicola, the Scottish First Minister, has moved out. She now lives with her husband in their 228,000 house in Glasgow.

So well done to the Sturgeons. A family showing impeccable Thatcherite credentials of aspiration. The difficulty is that having climbed the ladder, Nicola has been determined to kick the ladder away for her fellow Scots.

I am pleased that the Scottish Conservatives favour reintroducing the right to buy for council tenants. (Although it is disappointing that they oppose the right to buy for housing association tenants).

Naturally the Scottish Labour Party oppose the right to buy  although they are increasingly becoming a political irrelevance. When it comes to Wales, however, Labours effort to thwart aspiration still has clout. Already the discount has been halved from 16,000 to 8,000. Now it is proposed that it be abolished altogether.

Carwyn Jones, the First Minister of Wales, says:

We must safeguard our social housing stock  this bill will seek to protect that stock from further reductions.

The mentality is flawed for two reasons. Firstly, just because the ownership of property is transferred from the state to the people who live in it does not mean the property is lost. It still exists. Secondly, there is a requirement in England for the proceeds from sales to deliver replacement properties within a three year period  and this requirement is generally being met or exceeded. Where a Council fails then central Government takes the money and ensures the new homes are delivered. So while Jones might claim to be a pragmatist, he is exposed as an ideologue.

We sometimes hear socialist politicians lamenting the great difficulty many have in being able to afford to buy. But the measure of their sincerity is whether they come up with policies to allow more people to meet his challenge. Or whether, instead, they choose to make it harder. Both the SNP in Scotland and Labour in Wales are slamming the door in the face of those trying to buy their homes.
An injured undergoing treatment in Rajula

The four Dalit boys who were attacked in Una

Cops entering the bus to escort the Dalit family, others

An atmosphere of unprecedented tension and fear prevails among the local Dalits, who participated in a major protest rally organized by the Ahmedabad-based Una Dalit Atyachar Ladat Samiti under the leadership of Jignesh Mevani. Those who had come to participate in the rally were violently attacked about 12 kilometres from Una, where the rally took place on August 15. Despite massive police force deployed to guard the rally, people returning from Una were randomly attacked, especially near Santej village, situated about 12 kilometres from Una. The dominant caste people blocked the highway, attacking vehicles carrying Dalit protesters. During the attack, several persons were injured, two of them seriously. They were hospitalized for treatment in two towns, Rajula and Mahua.At least two cars were said to have been torched torched and several others attacked near Santej, where a curfew remains in force. It is the same village from where the culprits who flogged the four Dalit youths, belonging to the Rohit (chamar) sub-caste in Una on July 11, come.The rally in Una was held to protest the flogging by cow vigilantes suspecting the Dalit youths were involved in cow slaughter. Belonging to Mota Samadhiyala village, the Dalit boys were manually skinning dead cattle, a hierarchical caste occupation. The flogging incident went viral on social media, creating a huge uproar across the country.The attack on Dalits in the aftermath of the rally in Una forced many them to return back to the town to seek police protection. At least four FIRs of attacks were filed. There were reports that tyres were lying burnt all over the national highway leading to Rajula and Mahuva. One of the cars carrying Dalits was fired upon, said Mujahid Nafis, an activist, who was present at the police station.The main leaders of the rally, particularly Mevani and his young colleague Pratik Sinha, had already left Una to by car when the news about the attack started pouring in. In a Facebook post, Mevani said, there was all round attack on Dalits, that police had failed to do its job, and that "everybody should maintain peace."In a state of terror, the Dalit participants, amidst misgivings about absence of their leaders, wanted that the police arrest those involved in stone pelting  which had begun two days ahead of the rally  and they should be immediately provided with police protection, so that they could return home.A Mevani supporter, Dr Jayesh Chavda, said on Facebook that Dalits should stop criticizing rally leaders for having deserted them. "We were very much there at Una police station trying to create all the police arrangements for those waiting to go back. Those saying that leaders had deserted them are doing disservice to the cause."Gandhian activist, Nita Mahadev, who had gone to Una for attending the rally, said, the car in which she and other colleagues traveled was stopped, and after a few queries, was allowed to leave. "However, I suspect, the car which came immediately thereafter must have been attacked", she added.Among those whose car was attacked included members of the Dalit family, four of whose boys were flogged in Una on July 11. The car in which they were traveling to their village, Mota Samadhiaya, was stopped in between, but the driver reversed it before it could be violently attacked.Head of the family, Balubai Sarvaiya and others, who felt threatened, sought police protection to escort them back to their villages after violence broke out on the highway. Fearing attack on their house, they also insisted, they should be provided with permanent police post.However, the police did not take any decision till orders came from the top to help them out late in the evening at around 7 pm. The family members were supported by at least 500 others, seeking police protection to the Savraiya family, Nafis said, adding, Finally, under pressure, the police acted. The family was given protection and were sent back in a bus along with a few other Dalits.Meanwhile, some men and women belonging to the dominant Darbar community, involved in the arson, were arrested and locked up in the Una police station. It is difficult to say how long will the cops, which seemed reluctant provide protection, would aid the victims. They are living in a state of fear and are uncertain about their future, Nafis said.
Will does, and each of his five mugshots captures him in the throes of a mental health crisis -- the result of his unfortunate decision to go off the medication that kept his visual hallucinations at bay. Under the influence of out-of-whack brain chemicals (and, at one point, shrooms), he believed he'd entered the afterlife, where personal property and consequences had been abolished. The fallout was a felony possession charge, as well as a few counts each of theft and trespassing.

IPGGutenbergUKLtd/iStock

Your standard "Briefly disconnected from reality" special.

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"I was only vaguely aware that I was being arrested," he says. "The first thing that I thought of when I arrived at the jail was that I was in a time machine." Finally, someone thought to offer him a trip to the hospital instead. After completing treatment, he had all of his charges dismissed in recognition of the fact that he had been completely untethered from reality for a bit. He put the whole thing behind him and went about getting his shit together. So he's free to move on with his life, right?

Not quite.

One night, Will decided to Google himself before he started looking for work. What he found, over and over again, were his mugshots. Not just a few snaps that could be mistaken for normal selfies, either. In total, there were about 30 different websites that displayed his photos and charges 74 times. All from that same crazy, forgotten week ... and not a single site noted that the charges had been dropped.
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Cloud News

How Private Is Your Public Cloud? Stacking Up Google, Microsoft And AWS Data Privacy

Sarah Kuranda

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The battle over data privacy isn't being fought on the mobile phone or in the data center, it's being fought in the cloud.

2016 has brought concerns over data privacy to an all-time high, driven in large part by a drawn-out debate early in the year between Apple and the FBI over an encrypted iPhone, new regulations brought forth in Europe, and lingering concerns about the National Security Agency and government access to personal information exposed by Edward Snowden.

"Without question, it's the No. 1 concern with moving to the cloud," said JD Sherry, vice president of cloud security at Denver-based solution provider Optiv Security.

That barrier is a key concern for companies' bottom line, as the shift to the cloud is expected to drive $1 trillion in direct or indirect spending over the next five years, according to research firm Gartner. Similarly, research firm IDC predicts that more than half of IT infrastructure spending will be in the cloud by 2020.

[Q&A: 'Future Crimes' Author On How To Keep Customer Data Private In The Public Cloud]

Allen Falcon, CEO of Westborough, Mass.-based solution provider Cumulus Global, said security or privacy comes up in every discussion he has with customers about migrating to the cloud, sometimes brought up by the customers themselves, sometimes by Cumulus Global.

Customer concerns about privacy and security are getting easier to overcome with education, but "not fast enough," he said.

Those concerns extend all the way up to the largest of enterprise customers, according to Charles Radi, vice president and principal cloud architect at Cloud Technology Partners, a Boston-based cloud solution provider serving the enterprise market.

"We're dealing with [privacy] issues for pretty much every single customer," Radi said. "It's a topic that always comes up." Radi said Cloud Technology Partners' enterprise customers have particular concerns around government access, privacy regulations, and transitioning security tools from on-premise to the cloud.

Driving a lot of that concern is confusion, said Vic Winkler, independent security consultant and author of "Securing The Cloud."

"It's very difficult to have a well-thought-out perspective on these topics in cybersecurity today because it's a confusing soup of disinformation and different points of view," Winkler said in an interview with CRN. "Cloud service providers are really being challenged in terms of how they ameliorate these concerns in customers in order to grow their businesses. And, they have to if they want to grow their business."

But how well-founded are those concerns when it comes to data privacy in the public cloud? If you ask the major cloud providers themselves, they say: not very.

"This is your data. This is not our data. As a general matter of principle, we design our systems and our processes to make sure that data is treated as yours and not as ours," said Neal Suggs, vice president and deputy general counsel at Microsoft, Redmond, Wash. "Microsoft runs on trust."

Suggs said data usage, control and privacy together make up one of the four pillars on which Microsoft has built its cloud strategy, along with data security, compliance and transparency. Those pillars extend from the design of the company's systems, the processes in place, encryption technologies, an audit process and a culture that "respects that customer-generated content is the customers' content and not our right to use without our customers' consent."

Jennifer Lin, director of product management for cloud security and networking for Google Cloud Platform, echoed that sentiment, saying security and data privacy is one of the top three priorities that comes up when customers consider moving to the cloud. As a result, she said it is "increasingly becoming a major differentiator for how [Google is] thinking about things."

"User data is user data, and we want to make sure we protect users' data.  We have to earn their trust. We have to show them that we do not access customer data. I think we've been very clear on that not only with our public-facing website, but also in how we define migration to the cloud," Lin said.

Amazon Web Services did not make an executive available to be interviewed for this story.

Terms Of Service: Agree Or Disagree?

The issue of privacy plays out primarily in the privacy policies and Terms of Service agreements customers have with cloud providers, said Marc Goodman, global security adviser, futurist and author of "Future Crimes." Those Terms of Service vary greatly from provider to provider, he said, particularly if a business is using a free service versus a paid version.

Paid versions of cloud solutions by Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and other big companies tend to make it "very clear" that the user owns the data, not the cloud provider. That is not true for free cloud services, such as Google's Gmail and Google Drive, he said.

"If you're not paying for it, you're not the customer, you're the product," Goodman said. "Businesses large and small need to look at the so-called free services they're using and the Terms of Service.  I have read and agreed to the Terms of Service' is the biggest lie on the internet," Goodman said.

For example, in Google's Data Processing Amendment, which outlines the Mountain View, Calif.-based company's policies for data stored through its Google Apps services, including Google For Work solutions sold by solution providers, the company specifies it will not use customer data for any purpose outside the instructions provided by the customer, including for advertising purposes.

Microsoft and Seattle-based Amazon Web Services have similar language in their own privacy policies and Terms of Service agreements, which were reviewed by CRN.

This contrasts starkly with Google's Privacy Policy for consumer Google Accounts, for example, in which the company says it collects information about services use, device-specific information and location information for a variety of reasons, including improving services, developing new ones, and offering users "more relevant search results and ads."

Does that mean businesses using paid services are scot-free when it comes public cloud privacy and security concerns? Not at all.

While a customer might have fully vetted its cloud provider, the reality is "there are companies who are using the cloud that know it, and there are companies who are using the cloud and don't know it," Goodman said.

A primary example of that is employees who circumnavigate company-sanctioned solutions and instead use personaloften freecloud services that are easier to provision, said Goodman.

According to Gartner, 95 percent of cloud security failures will end up being the customer's fault by 2020. Many will fail to uphold their end of the shared responsibility model of cloud security, where the customer itself is responsible for securing the data and the cloud provider is responsible for securing the infrastructure.

"Your data could be stored in your employees' cloud without you even knowing it.  Even though you're using Box or AWSgreat companies with great Terms of Servicenow your employees have taken your confidential quarterly reports, your customer leads, the [intellectual property] of the product you're about to bring to market, and stored it in a cloud provider who, by your employees storing it, has been granted all kinds of rights and access," Goodman said.

For solution providers, this is a real-life concern. Cumulus Global's Falcon, for one, said he has seen countless examples of this with his own customers, including companies that lost data or realized after the fact that they were in breach of compliance regulations. For example, one client's employee was using a personal version of a file-sharing service. When the employee left the company, the customer then had no access to its corporate data, which the employee had stored on his personal cloud account, Falcon said.

Another client's employee was using the consumer version of Dropbox, which had recently been hit by a data breach. The employee was using the same password for both his Dropbox account and his work email. Falcon said a hacker then used that password to log on to the corporate email account to send email malware to all of the employee's contacts.

In yet another example, one client had an employee using a personal file-sharing service that was shared with members of her family on the same account. The employee's children deleted all sorts of sensitive company documents. These incidents are just a few examples of many, Falcon said.

"Our advice to clients is don't use the free service if there is a business-class option, and they shouldn't use the consumer service, whether or not it is free," Falcon said.

As a solution provider, Falcon said it is his job to give customers the best information and recommendations possible to help them make decisions around data privacy. That includes assessing business requirements, information access, policies, regulatory requirements, ongoing monitoring and management, and more, he said.

Most businesses choose to follow Cumulus Global's recommendations around data privacy, according to Falcon. However, he has encountered some customers that would rather risk data privacy by using free consumer-grade services than pay for business-class services. Cumulus Global has walked away from customers who refuse to invest in solutions with sound data privacy standards, especially when it involves regulatory concerns, he said.

"It can create a liability. Our view is your business should be worth enough for you to pay for the business-grade tools," Falcon said.

Public Fights, Private Information

Privacy tensions between the public and private sectors, in particular, were front and center this year, starting with a very public fight between Apple and the FBI over the privacy of an encrypted iPhone used by a terrorist involved in the San Bernardino shooting last year. The FBI ultimately hacked into the iPhone rather than continuing to pursue legal options to compel Apple to unlock the device.

More recently, Microsoft in June scored a key victory related to government access to customer emails stored in data centers outside the U.S. In the case, which Microsoft won in a 3-0 decision in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, Microsoft challenged a warrant seeking emails stored on one of the company's servers in Dublin, Ireland, saying it would set a dangerous precedent for law enforcement to gain access to American emails stored abroad.

Optiv's Sherry called the privacy ruling a "huge win for cloud computing," saying government access to public cloud information is a "big challenge" that acts as a speed bump for clients contemplating a move to the cloud. That is especially true for global clients, he said.

Microsoft, in particular, has taken a strong stand on cloud privacy issues. In April, the company filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice, suing for the right to tell its customers when the government wants access to their data.

Those concerns are very real, with Microsoft reporting it has received 5,624 federal warrants in the past 18 months, 2,576 coming with gag orders.

In its most recent Transparency Report, Google said it received 12,523 requests for data from July to December 2015 in the U.S., producing the data in 79 percent of cases.

Amazon said it received 813 subpoenas, 25 search warrants, 13 court orders and between zero and 249 national security requests for data between January and May 31, 2015.

In the April lawsuit, Microsoft said it is taking a strong stand on the issue because privacy concerns about unannounced government access to data in the cloud "undermine confidence in the privacy of the cloud and have impaired Microsoft's right to be transparent with its customers." At the heart of the issue is customer trust that Microsoft will remain a "steward" of data, rather than the owner of it, Microsoft's Suggs said. Microsoft

will continue to fight for transparency around government access to customer data in the cloud, as trust is key to the viability of its business model, he said, comparing it to the trust customers have in banks that their money will be both safe and available when needed.

"We believe at the core of our mission is that sense of trust, and if we can't gain that trust we can't grow our business. That's the focus for us," Suggs said.

All three major cloud vendors have specific language in their privacy policies addressing government access and professing they will only allow it when legally necessary and will work to notify customers of the request as soon as possible, unless legally prohibited from doing so.

This issue of blind subpoenas of data in the public cloud is the "biggest concern" by enterprise customers, Cloud Technology Partners' Radi said. He said his customers' legal departments work to build specific language into cloud provider contracts to protect them from blind subpoenas of data. Solution providers can help put certain controls in place to prevent the cloud provider from being able to access the data, he said. For example, Cloud Technology Partners recommends encrypting all data in the cloud and managing the encryption keys on-premise, instead of with the cloud provider.

Governments are also taking a more significant role in starting to regulate data privacy in the cloud. The European Union recently rolled out the General Data Protection Regulation, which updates standards around how data is protected and shared between countries. The regulations state that companies must inform individuals about why their data is being collected and provide a way to get access to their data. It also prevents data from being kept permanently and requires a data protection officer for large amounts of data. Cloud providers are also subject to these regulations, which take effect in May 2018.

Privacy Challenges Open The Door To Opportunity For Partners

With confusion comes opportunity, especially when it comes to navigating data privacy and regulatory concerns around the cloud, Doug Cahill, senior analyst covering cloud security at the Enterprise Strategy Group, said. Companies are increasingly more aware that they have a problem when it comes to data privacy, but don't know how to start solving it, a factor Cahill called the "cloud security readiness gap."

"I think companies are fairly self-aware that there is a problem, and this is why it's a great opportunity for the channel," Cahill said. "Partners who have the ability to help customers do that can then strategically help customers incorporate security from the beginning on their journey to the cloud."

Solution providers are in a prime position to provide that guidance, he said. "That's a role best served by partners that understand that world, that understand both the compliance business of data protection security but also are indexed on cloud technologies," he said.

That's important because companies are already looking to fast-track their adoption of the cloud, Cloud Technology Partners' Radi said. Businesses are starting to move large amounts of customer data, confidential data and personally identifiable information data to the cloud, he said. It's up to solution providers to help them do so in a way that meets their security and privacy needs, he said.

Providing user education and training are also key roles partners have to play, author Goodman said. That will prove especially important in turning concern and awareness into action, he said.

"People don't even know the questions to ask their outsourced IT folks so people need to get much more sophisticated about that.  Training is key at the board level, it is key at the C-suite level and it is key for all of your employees," he said.

Sherry agreed, saying that solution providers like Optiv play a key "trusted adviser" role as companies look to navigate their journey to the cloud, standing "shoulder to shoulder with them" through design, consulting, vendor partnerships and advanced cloud security capabilities.

That position as a trusted adviser is critical, Sherry said, as he predicts cloud will grow with "seismic activity" over the next six to 18 months. Where companies are still lagging, he said, is around security and data privacy.

"Ultimately, we're trying to encourage our clients to trust us as the trusted security adviser with that journey to the cloud," Sherry said.
Another cruise ship may be set for its debut in China as the MSC Splendida could make its way to become the second MSC ship in the Chinese market in 2018, helping to offset newbuild capacity growth in the Mediterranean.

The 3,900-passenger ship would add more significant capacity to the Chinese market, sailing alongside the 1,560-passenger Lirica, which has been in Shanghai since April 2016.

The Splendida is currently deployed through March 2018, when it will finish a winter season out of Dubai and then is scheduled to head east, according to port bookings in the region  which show the megaship in Asia for the summer.

The 137,969-ton ship could arrive in China as early as April 27, 2018, according to Cruise Industry News estimates.

Currently, MSC has a two-year agreement with CAISSA Touristic Group, a major tour operator in China, with the MSC Lirica. CAISSA essentially charters the ship, overseeing stateroom sales and marketing. The agreement expires in 2018.
Pakistans National Assembly has passed a cybercrime bill that provides for censorship of the internet and could also be misused by the vagueness of some of its provisions.

Section 34 of the new Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act gives authorities the power to remove or block access to a variety of content.

It provides for such action in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court or commission of or incitement to an offence under this Act,  according to a copy of the bill on the website of the Digital Rights Foundation.

The bill would also set penalties that would be disproportionate to the infractions and could serve, in practice, to stifle the right to freedom of expression, said Nighat Dad, executive director of the foundation, in a statement.

Some of the terms and definitions in the the bill, such as those for cyberstalking, have been defined loosely, and can be interpreted extremely broadly, the foundation said.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, had in December voiced his concern about the vagueness of the bill's provisions that provide limited guidance as to what would be prohibited under the law and impose excessive restrictions that would criminalize legitimate forms of expression.

The bill would also set penalties that would be out of proportion to the infractions, he added.

The legislation was passed earlier by the country's Senate. It now needs the assent of the President to become law, which is seen as a formality.
HEI Hotels & Resorts has reported a possible compromise of payment card information at its point-of-sale terminals, the latest in a string of attacks on such systems at hotels, hospitals and retailers.

The company, which manages close to 60 Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and InterContinental properties, said it appears that malicious software was installed on the payment processing systems at certain properties, with the aim of harvesting the card data as it was routed through the systems.

The compromise may have possibly affected the personal information of some hotel customers who made payment card purchases at point-of-sale terminals, such as food and beverage outlets, at certain HEI managed properties.

HEI in Norwalk, Connecticut, did not specify how many people were likely to have been affected. The data compromised may have included payment card data, including name, payment card account number, card expiration date, and verification code, it said.

We believe that the malware may have accessed payment card information in real-time as it was being inputted into our systems, HEI said in a separate FAQ. It added that it does not store data like credit or debit card numbers of customers, or collect card personal identification numbers or social security numbers on its own systems.

The chain said it would not be contacting customers it thinks could be affected as it does not collect or maintain sufficient information to locate and contact potentially affected customers.

It said it would cooperate with investigations by federal law enforcement.

HEI spokesman Chris Daly said the company is working with credit card processors to obtain the exact number of unique card holders impacted. "Due to guests paying in multiple outlets during a stay or even visiting multiple times, or visiting multiple locations managed by HEI, an exact number is difficult to calculate. Furthermore, HEI does not store credit card details," he wrote in an email.

The attacks at 20 properties were from March 2015 to June 2016.

Omni Hotels & Resorts in Dallas, Texas reported last month that malware hit point-of-sale systems at some of its properties, with an eye to pilfering payment card information. Hyatt Hotels, Target, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Neiman Marcus have also reported data breaches through their point-of-sale systems.
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WESTPORT  Town police are set to begin carrying a treatment that stops and reverses drug overdoses.

Each squad car will be equipped with Narcan  a nasal spray of the drug naloxone  starting in September, Lt. David Farrell said. Officers will be trained to administer the treatment, which has saved the lives and prevented brain damage of numerous victims overdosing on opioids.

Opioids include heroin, fentanyl, morphine and oxycodone, among other controlled substances.

Police believed it was important they have the treatment as first responders and chose to purchase Narcan because they saw the need. Farrell said Westport has seen overdoses rise in the last year.

Its to save lives, he said. Unfortunately people are doing drugs  but when they do them they arent setting out to die.

Westport EMS responders already carry Narcan and have used it to stop about nine overdoses in the past year, EMS Deputy Director Marc Hartog said.

Naloxone helps to reverse the effect of opioids on the central nervous system, allowing a victim to breathe again after an overdose has caused their breathing to slow or stop, according to Hartog.

The more first responders that we have out there with Narcan, the better the chance of reversing the opiate effect quickly and getting patients breathing on their own so they dont have any lingering neurological or other effects as a result of the overdose, he said.

EMS responders have been successful using Narcan, but police are usually on patrol and at a scene first in a situation where minutes count, Farrell said. Even a minute without breathing can cause long-term damage, according to Hartog.

The town has been fortunate the heroin epidemic across the United States has not had a severe impact in Westport, Hartog added. He called the purchase of Narcan for police a proactive effort.

We dont think for a minute that Westport is immune to things happening other places, he said.

Brian Boyle, assistant special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for Connecticut and Rhode Island, said heroin overdoses began to rise nationally about two to three years ago and have grown at an enormous rate. In part the rise in overdoses is due to stronger heroin and an increase in the drug fentanyl coming into the country, he said, so users do not know the strength of drugs they are buying.

While Boyle said past epidemics of cocaine and crack use tended to cluster in inner cities, the heroin epidemic has also impacted wealthier suburban communities like Westport.

Heroin is really all over. It affects all walks of life, he said. Westport is no different than any other town or city.

One overdose death was recorded in 2015 with an injury location of Westport, according to statistics from the state chief medical examiners website. The 46-year-old woman died of an accidental overdose from a mixture of fentanyl, heroin and lorazepam last March.

The chief medical examiners office is projecting 832 overdose deaths in Connecticut for 2016, a rise from the 729 overdose deaths recorded in 2015. Heroin, morphine and codeine involvement in overdoses has risen while fentanyl involvement has spiked, rising from 75 in 2014 to an expected 332 this year.

Westport police also announced the addition of a third police dog last week. German Shepherd Atlas will be certified for patrol as well as narcotics detection.

Adding a third dog is, in part, an effort to keep drugs from getting to potential users, Farrell said. While police will look to make arrests, they hope to stop suppliers and the flow of drugs to someone who could overdose.

Police Chief Foti Koskinas has a long-term goal of eventually having a dog on every shift, according to Farrell. That staffing would require about four to five dogs.

Boyle said the DEA has used Westport K9s for long-term investigations since the agency has no dogs of its own.

We rely heavily on these police departments for their support, he said. We have a great relationship with Westport police and rely on their support in a lot of cases. So them adding a dog is great for us.

Connecticut passed a law this year that requires municipalities to train and equip first responders with naloxone. An Act Concerning Opioids and Access to Overdose Reversal Drugs also dictates that municipalities must revise their emergency medical services plans to include the naloxone requirement by Oct. 1 of this year.

Narcan does no harm if given to someone not actually experiencing an overdose, according to Adapt Pharmas website.

Lweiss@hearstmediact.com; @LauraEWeiss16
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
Opinion Wordle

The next day I woke to find myself in a WhatsApp group titled Quordle is Awesome!! A small group of three. There was no getting out of it now.
Notorious ambulance-chasing lawyer Phil Shiner has made a fat living out of hounding British soldiers

For more than a decade, notorious ambulance-chasing lawyer Phil Shiner has made a fat living out of hounding British soldiers over spurious claims that they mistreated civilians while serving in Iraq.

He pocketed nearly 4million in legal aid from this grubby trade, pursuing a staggering 1,200 dubious allegations of criminality against our servicemen and women  making their lives a misery in the process.

So the news that his company  Public Interest Lawyers  has gone out of business is a cause for celebration, not just within the military but to anyone who believes in justice.

It means soldiers who are still the subject of claims can at last sleep easily and others no longer have to fear being falsely accused.

The closure follows a review of PILs shameful role in the Al-Sweady war crimes inquiry, which took five years and cost 31million. The inquiry chairman, former High Court judge Sir Thayne Forbes, said allegations made by PIL clients that they were abused by British soldiers were deliberate and calculated lies.

As a result, Mr Shiner was stripped of the right to claim legal aid, without which his firm crumbled.

This is a victory for the Mail, which first exposed PILs shabby methods  including using local agents in Iraq to drum up business  and has long campaigned to bring an end to Mr Shiners shameless fleecing of the taxpayer to finance these witch-hunts.

This is a victory for the Mail, which first exposed PILs shabby methods  including using local agents in Iraq to drum up business (file picture)

Of course, society demands the highest moral standards from its armed forces and anyone failing to uphold them must be punished. But making false accusations of torture and even murder against men and women who risk all in defence of their country is simply beneath contempt.

Quite rightly, Mr Shiners case has now been passed to the National Crime Agency for investigation. If it can be proved he encouraged bogus claims  and therefore claimed public money under false pretences  he should be subjected to the full force of the law.

A tax on family values

Former chancellor George Osborne

When George Osborne announced in 2007 that the Tories would increase the inheritance tax threshold to 1million, he and then Opposition leader David Cameron were stunned by the positive reaction.

Their fortunes soared overnight, with one poll showing 62 per cent in favour of the measure. Gordon Brown was so panicked that he abandoned plans for a snap general election.

But fast forward nine years and the promise still hasnt been kept. Even worse, the Treasury take from inheritance tax has almost doubled since 2010, a reflection of soaring property values. What was intended as a tax on the very wealthy now routinely hits the middle classes.

The desire to pass something down to ones children is a fundamental human aspiration, so much so that even those who wouldnt benefit from the threshold rise support it as being fair.

If she wants to experience the same surge of approval as Mr Osborne did in 2007, Theresa May should honour his pledge  in full and without delay.
The most compelling stories are the hardest to believe. Take, for example, that reported last Tuesday about a 24-year-old Bolivian, Cesar Saucedo.

He was filmed at Madrids Adolfo Suarez airport leaping from a disengaged jet bridge onto the ground, bag in hand and, after landing safely from the 10ft drop, running across the Tarmac to catch his departing Ryanair flight to the Canary Islands. Then, according to the report, the plane stopped mid-taxi in order to let Mr Saucedo on to his flight to Gran Canaria.

Saucedo was filmed at Madrids Adolfo Suarez airport leaping from a disengaged jet bridge onto the ground

That last bit I really didnt believe: it is not imaginable that Ryanair, notoriously unwilling to indulge errant passengers, would have done anything to help Mr Saucedo. Anyway, industry-wide security rules do not allow the crew of commercial airliners to stop and open their doors to anyone who seems to want to hitch a lift.

It turns out I was right not to believe that part of the story.

Three days later it was clarified that the Ryanair plane chased across the runway by Mr Saucedo was not his flight to the Canary Islands.

That one was still waiting at another gate, having been delayed by an hour. So, after staff explained matters to the panting Bolivian, he had time to change out of his sweat-soaked T-shirt and still get on his correct flight.

Three days later it was clarified that the Ryanair plane chased across the runway by Mr Saucedo was not his flight to the Canary Islands

His brother-in-law, Juan Diana, told MailOnline: The funny thing, if you can call it that, is that the only reason Cesar did it was because he thought he was about to miss his flight  and ran like mad towards a plane that wasnt his. He didnt do anything wrong. Its just like when you miss a bus and go running after it.

Now, you might think that was still pretty crazy: how could anyone behave like that, especially in the age of tight airport security, when any erratic behaviour by a passenger could cause alarmed officials to take extreme measures?

I, however, find it easy to understand the Bolivians behaviour. I find it so easy to understand because I have done something very similar. I am ashamed of it now, but at the time it seemed somehow necessary.

Two years ago, I was travelling to Glasgow in order to gain material for a piece on the Scottish independence referendum for this very paper. I had just a day set aside, with various meetings scheduled. So I already began to fret when, on the taxi-ride to Gatwick, we became ensnared in a monumental traffic jam.

After about 20 minutes of crawling at tortoise speed, the driver said the only way I would have a chance to catch my flight is if he veered off to Haywards Heath railway station and I caught one of the frequent trains from there to Gatwick.

This, of course, was before the RMT union began creating havoc on that Southern Rail route, so I waited for only a few minutes before the train arrived.

Still, I was cutting it fine, and was told at check-in to run through to the security scanning area as there was little time before the scheduled departure time of my flight.

Cesar Saucedo, 24, was filmed sprinting across the tarmac as he desperately tried to flag down a plane

That done, I ran to the gate  53, I thought they said it was  but when I got to it, no one was there: neither waiting passengers nor airline staff.

As far as I knew, there was still about half an hour before departure. I could not believe that they had not waited for this particular passenger before closing the flight.

So I pulled aside the flimsy barrier at the passport desk and headed to the doors at the end of the waiting area.

When I pushed at them, they wouldnt budge. Then I noticed a little red button to the side of the doors, surrounded by glass: written on it was the legend push or break in case of emergency.

As far as I was concerned, this was an emergency. I did as suggested. The doors opened and, ignoring the deafening sound of the alarm that had begun screaming immediately I punched the red button, ran towards the plane I could see ahead of me.

Once there, a surprise awaited: the plane was a vast Jumbo, not the relatively small aircraft used on the Glasgow flight. And, a bigger surprise: the plane was completely deserted. Not a soul was in it.

I stood there for a moment or two, the silence punctured only by the distant wailing of the alarm I had set off.

Then as I turned out of the aircraft I saw two men running towards me, with grim expressions on their faces. Security staff.

Wisely (in this, at least), I neither turned nor moved towards them. They had some questions to ask, one of which was: what the hell did I think I was doing boarding a plane to Vietnam, which was hours away from departure?

Then, having demanded to see my passport, they asked me a series of questions surrounding my identity.

The one I deserved was: What sort of idiot are you, exactly?

Instead, in answer to their only slightly less pointed questions, I managed to persuade them that I was a journalist on the way (he hoped) to Glasgow.

Fortunately, I had in my briefcase printed-out emails from some of those I was planning to meet in Glasgow. On my mobile phone I called one  and put him on to the bigger of the two security officials, to verify that I had been telling the truth.

The smaller official then told me I had clearly misheard the gate number given to me at the initial check-in, and that next time I should try reading the screens with departure details.

Here, however, is where my experience matches that of Cesar Saucedo, even though  not being a 24-year-old  I would never have attempted leaping from a disengaged jet bridge and running after a taxiing aircraft: it turned out that my flight to Glasgow had been delayed by an hour.

So, with their sense of humour mercifully intact, the two security officials escorted me to the correct gate for my flight. There I found all the passengers waiting patiently, not suspecting that they were being joined by a maniac.

But perhaps Mr Saucedo and I are not so unusual: fear of missing a flight does cause otherwise reasonable people to behave crazily. Well, thats my story, anyway.

Isn't it OK to talk about the UK?

Ive had enough of hearing from hyperventilating Olympics commentators about yet another success for Team GB.

Not so much because I dont want to join in the enthusiasm for our athletes medal-winning exploits, but because we are the United Kingdom, not just Great Britain.

Bronze medal-winning British synchronised diving pair, Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow

The latter consists of England, Scotland and Wales. The United Kingdom comprises those nations and Northern Ireland. Accordingly, there are a number of Northern Ireland athletes in our 366-strong squad. Dont they count?

This editing out was all too manifest in the media coverage of the bronze medal-winning British synchronised diving pair, Tom Daley and Daniel Goodfellow (pictured). For some reason, the much less well-known Goodfellow was cropped out of many of the national newspapers pictures marking the pairs triumph, just showing Daley celebrating, mysteriously alone.

Goodfellows family originates from Coleraine, in Northern Ireland, and his relatives were, understandably, not too pleased that their triumphant lad  Daniel is just 19  was all but ignored by the media on the mainland.

Still, I suspect Goodfellow would have been treated similarly even if we called our team by its proper name. Perhaps someone at the BBC might do so, if only as a gesture.

Alexis Jay OBE who has been announced as the new chairwoman of the inquiry

And so a fourth chairwoman has been found to lead the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse  Alexis Jay. The previous three were (in reverse order of capitulation) Lowell Goddard, Elizabeth Butler-Sloss and Fiona Woolf.

Why should all four be women? Hasnt this unhappy selection ignored at least half the talent available to head such an inquiry?

The reason can be seen in the complaint by the victims group WhiteFlowers that former social worker Jay has a conflict of interest because social services so badly failed abuse survivors. On this logic, any man would have a conflict of interest as abusers are overwhelmingly male.
First, Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming wagged his finger at Theresa May over her refusal to sign off the 18 billion Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

'I hope the UK will keep its door open to China,' he wrote in the Financial Times.

Then Lord Mandelson, the former Trade Secretary and long-standing cheerleader for China, intervened in what looks like a carefully co-ordinated campaign by Beijing, which is a huge investor in Hinkley.

'We can't be too fussy who we do trade with,' said Mandelson, who's never been fussy who he works with as long as he's paid.

Eight years later, British pigs' trotters are still not for sale in China despite a deal in 2008

But what about the quid pro quo? Is China open for business from the UK? Little noticed last month was an exchange of letters between food minister George Eustice and Tory MP Nigel Adams, who wants to know what's happened to a much-trumpeted deal to sell pigs' trotters to China.

Eustice wrote: 'The UK Agriculture, Food And Drink Counsellor in Beijing meets with the Chinese Certification And Accreditation Administration (CNCA) on a regular basis to raise the importance of reaching agreement on the export of pigs' trotters to China.

'The most recent meeting took place in July, where agreement was reached on some additional information required by CNCA on which Defra is working as a priority.'

Some priority! The contract, worth a paltry 20 million compared to 18 billion for Hinkley, was signed in 2008 by Gordon Brown on a trade mission to China.

Eight years later, British pigs' trotters are still not for sale in China.

A cheeky request

Heartening news of Theresa May's sangfroid. Campaigning with Norwich North MP Chloe Smith in 2013, they knocked on a door in a quiet suburban street. The door was thrown open by an irritated man who was stark naked. 'Undeterred,' reports the Eastern Daily Press 'the politicians asked if they could leave a Conservative poster, to which he laughed and said: 'No, you can't.'

Theresa May and Tory MPs have enjoyed some interesting experiences door-knocking

Corbyn, Master of Disaster

As expected, Comrade Corbyn comfortably won the leadership vote of his Islington North constituency party by a 266 to 100 margin.

But one of those who voted against Corbyn and for the challenger Owen Smith was Neale Coleman, Corbyns head of policy until January when he quit over a series of disagreements with other senior members of the backroom team. Refusing to support his former boss, Coleman warned bleakly that if Corbyn led Labour into the next General Election it would be defeated to the same level as 1931.

Students of history will know that 1931 was an electoral disaster for the party  Labour won only 52 seats.

Picture the scene...

A group of enthusiasts turns up at Merthyr Tydfil to see their all-conquering hero. They crowd into the hall and whoop and cheer the warm-up act.

When it is announced that Jeremy Corbyn is just minutes away from taking to the stage, the cheering stops and the group walks out en masse. They thought they were going to see downmarket daytime TV presenter Jeremy Kyle.

Smith goes fishing and catches some Tories

Owen Smith on the fishing trail in Berkshire with Tory MP Charles Walker (left) and Richard Benyon (right) has attracted comment from supporters of Jeremy Corbyn

This will do wonders for Owen Smith as he tries to overthrow Comrade Corbyn.

The photo of a fishing trip to the River Pang in Berkshire shows Smith sandwiched between Tory MP Charles Walker (left) and Richard Benyon (right), the richest MP at Westminster. Not much socialism there, tweeted one Corbynista.

The fact it was an all-party Parliamentary trip wont stop class war trolls from having a cheap dig.

US Embassy congestion bill takes a toll

No wonder the U.S. embassy owes so much in unpaid congestion charges in London (the latest figure last month was 10.6 million). There are 631 cars registered with the embassy, almost triple the second-highest number, the Chinese embassy.
A mom has hit back at department store staff who told her she had to breastfeed in the bathroom.

Wittney Hope, from Tennessee, was shopping at American chain Dillard's in her hometown of Chattanooga when her daughter needed to be fed.

After being told by a staff member that she could breastfeed in a secluded part of the store, Ms Hope was then instructed that she had to go to the bathroom instead.

As she left, she spotted a large poster of a woman in a bra advertising lingerie.

Furious, she decided to feed her child in front of the poster and snapped a picture to show the irony of being told to go to the bathroom when advertising in the store showed a woman's breasts.

Double standards: Wittney Hope (above was told to breastfeed her daughter in the bathroom but saw a large poster of a woman in a bra in the same store

'Pissed off Mommy': The mom posted about the incident on the store's Facebook page because she was so angry

After making a formal complaint to the store manager, the mother headed home and posted the photo to the Dillard's Facebook page with a long post about what happened.

'I mean seriously the lady's face is not even in this,' Ms Hope wrote. 'Why is it acceptable for a giant picture of BOOBS to be on the wall but I can not feed my child?'

She signed off the post with 'Sincerely, Pissed off Mommy who will never be shopping at Dillards again.'

Ms Hope's post resonated with a number of people on social media, including many fellow mothers, who commented on the post to support her.

Solidarity: Many people commented on the Facebook post supporting Ms Hope and giving suggestions for places where women are welcome to breastfeed

Apology: Dillard's said they had been in touch with Ms Hope

Angry: Ms Hope asked why she could not feed her child but advertisments of women in bras were all over the store

Wittney Hale, pictured with her baby, was told she couldn't breastfeed in Dillard's department store unless she did it in the restroom

'Can we all meet up at a specific time and just feed our babies in front of this lady?' Keshia McGlone Peterson asked. 'If my kids have to walk past half naked women every time I walk into that mall, then I can feed my baby.'

Dillard's responded to Ms Hope's post, commenting that they support mothers who are breastfeeding.

'We respect the right of mothers to nurse their children wherever they feel comfortable in doing so,' the store said.

'Upon becoming aware of this situation, our store manager immediately reached out to our customer and apologized. Our associates have been reminded of our breastfeeding policy.'
Most women approaching 60 would balk at the very idea of wearing a bikini, let alone posing for a photograph in one.

Yet admittedly most women dont have the lean limbs, pert bosom and line-free face that actress Sharon Stone showed off in a recent holiday snap.

Stepping out of the swimming pool at her Los Angeles home with wet hair and a huge smile, the 58-year-old could have passed for a woman half her age.

So just how does the Basic Instinct star manage to look quite so good?

Stepping out of the swimming pool at her Los Angeles home with wet hair and a huge smile, 58-year-old Sharon Stone could have passed for a woman half her age

THE PERFECT POSE

She may seem relaxed and as if shes been caught unawares while wading out of the pool, but this pose is a carefully constructed image of perfection.

Shes using every trick in the book, says posing expert Lisa Welham, who teaches models how to work the camera. Her body is not straight on to the camera. As soon as you stand straight, you look exactly as wide as you are.

Instead, Sharon has angled herself 45 degrees away from the camera, which automatically makes hips and waists look slimmer.

Shes also twisted her shoulders towards the camera which gives her more of an hourglass look - making your shoulders look wider has a tapering effect on the waist.

The way the actress is holding her arms is also crucial to the overall effect.

Shes cleverly keeping her arms away from her body, says Lisa. The minute you put them down, any body fat spreads and makes you look bigger than you are. Keeping them away also elongates the arms, making them look slimmer.

Shes cleverly keeping her arms away from her body. The minute you put them down, any body fat spreads and makes you look bigger than you are. Keeping them away also elongates the arms, making them look slimmer

Sharon has also lifted her chin up an inch - if she was looking straight on, her neck would look shorter while lifting your chin makes your neck look longer and thinner.

This works in conjunction with the camera angle - the picture is taken from above. Always take a photo from a slight height if you want to look slimmer. At normal height, you look wider.

And keep your spine straight and your shoulders down as Sharon has done. If you slouch, your tummy and waist will look bigger and any excess fat will show. Straightening your spine gives your waist a tighter look.

The only thing I would have done differently in this photo is bend the leg closest to the camera instead of the back leg. This would have elongated her thigh, given her a perkier bottom and been an even better shot.

MINIMAL HAIR AND MAKE UP

If her pose was studied, then her hair and make-up (or rather lack of it) certainly wasnt.

Its hard to tell, but it doesnt look as if shes got any make-up on, says beauty expert Alice Theobald. She looks incredible. It helps that shes got very well-shaped eyebrows - a good eyebrow shape can give you a mini face-lift and hers do.

Shes also smiling, which lifts the face - it plumps out cheeks and turns the corners of the mouth upwards, which are both signs of youth.

The youthful star looks dewy and fresh as she wears subtle or no make-up and has well-defined brows

The actress has escaped the curse of many older women who find their eyebrows thin significantly as they age.

Perhaps it helps that she was born with naturally thick ones - photographs taken at the beginning of her career show the actress with huge caterpillar brows.

Even so, there are very few 50-something women who could look good with wet hair slicked back off their faces.

59 The age at which women feel most confident in a bikini Advertisement

Whether you look good like this depends on your face shape and, more importantly, your features, says Alice.

Strong features are best to carry this off. But Sharon has quite a large forehead, so if I was styling her, Id loosen her hair up at the front and give her a bit of a fringe to soften it.

But swept back at the sides suits her. It makes her face look wider rather than longer.

NIPPED, TUCKED AND BOOSTED?

With a perfect body and not a wrinkle in sight, has Sharon Stone succumbed to the surgeons knife?

She says not, but admits turning to injectable treatments such as fillers to hold back time.

I cant tell you how many doctors try to sell me a facelift, she has said. Ive even gone as far as having someone talk me into it, but when I looked at pictures of myself, I thought: What are they going to lift? 

There was, however, a brief flirtation with lip injections - something that she says she did only once because it gave her a trout pout.

Sharon gets facial fillers - plumping injections that restore youthful volume and smooth lines - and one plastic surgeon believes she had Botox in the Nineties film Total Recall (pictured)

But she does have facial fillers - plumping injections that restore youthful volume and smooth lines.

Its so common now, she told Harpers Bazaar magazine last year. And its far better than having your face cut apart and ending up looking like you got sucked into a wind tunnel.

Plastic surgeon Adrian Richards, clinical director of The Private Clinic, says thats the typical attitude of celebrities nowadays. She looks good but she looks like a lady in her 50s, he says.

Normally these people have gentle treatments rather than surgery to help them look good - facial peels, very small amounts of fillers, quality skincare products. These slow down the ageing process rather than making them look radically different.

He believes the actress, who rose to fame in the Nineties with the film Total Recall, may also have had Botox because there are no frown lines between her eyebrows, which is unusual in a woman of her age.

STUNNING SWIMWEAR

Sharon Stones never been shy about flashing the flesh - who can forget the infamous leg-crossing scene in Basic Instinct? - but by 58 most women have switched to a one-piece swimsuit.

But why would you when you have a figure like this? asks celebrity stylist Kate Barbour.

Instead shes chosen a bikini that shows off and enhances her curves. The good thing about a triangle bikini is that it lifts and supports your bust, creating a great shape.

Sharon Stones never been shy about flashing the flesh - who can forget the infamous leg-crossing scene in Basic Instinct? - and she also choose flattering bikinis with a halterneck style

And this halter-neck style flatters broad shoulders like Sharons as it elongates the neck.

'Side-tie bottoms are a great choice for someone with a good figure - they lengthen the leg, dont cut off the hips and the ties mean the sides wont dig in and create the dreaded bikini bulge - the swimwear equivalent of muffin top.

And the monochrome giraffe print is classic so can be worn for many seasons to come.

Side-tie bikini bottoms are a great choice for someone with a good figure - they lengthen the leg, dont cut off the hips and the ties mean the sides wont dig in and create the dreaded bikini bulge

It works well with most skin tones and can be styled with other colours if you want to wear a sarong.

DAPPLED LIGHTING

Even the natural lighting in this photograph is working to Sharons benefit.

Harsh sunlight straight onto the face isnt flattering, says former model turned photographer Rose Quinn.

But here the light is coming from the side - it looks as if its coming through the leaves of a tree and gently dappling her body.

Its highlighting certain parts of her - the decolletage and waist - while the back of her leg and left arm are in shadow, which is slimming.

The picture is also bleached out, which means you dont see any lines on the face. And it looks as if its been taken on an iPhone because theres no high details. The better quality the camera, the more flaws you will see.

FIGHTING FIT

Her body is most likely to be the result of good genetics and careful upkeep rather than the surgeons knife.

Shes an ectomorph shape, which means shes naturally tall, slim, small busted and long limbed, like Jerry Hall and Joanna Lumley, says Dr Richards.

Ectomorphs tend to stay that way throughout their lives quite easily  they have naturally low body fat.

Sharon has an ectomorph shape, which means shes naturally tall, slim, small busted and long limbed, like Joanna Lumley

But that fabulous figure (shes 5ft 9in and weighs nine stone) isnt just a result of good genes  Sharon freely admits she had to work hard to maintain it.

She practised pilates for years until she hit 50 and the twin challenges of the menopause and ageing, both of which slow the metabolism, meant that she had to try harder to stay in shape.

Ive found that since I hit 50, Ive felt I needed more muscle tone, she says. So I joined a gym and I do weights. I really like it.

Like most Hollywood stars, she has a personal trainer and goes to the gym four or five times a week for up to an hour at a time.

Ectomorphs - like Jerry Hall - tend to stay that way throughout their lives quite easily and they have naturally low body fat

But she also tries to stave off boredom by doing different types of exercise including yoga, stretching and dancing.

That saying - Dance like nobody is watching - I do that, she says. I dance hard until I sweat. Its good for the mind and the body.

Then there are two Power Plate sessions a week at her home where she stands and exercises on a machine as it vibrates rapidly (25 to 50 times a second). Its meant to provide an effective fat-burning workout.

And if she feels shes putting on weight, she walks up the stairs instead of getting the lift and parks further away from wherever shes going.

MOISTURISE FOR FLAWLESS SKIN

The 58-year-old says her smooth skin is thanks to following her mothers advice to moisturise twice every day and use soap only sparingly on her face.

She uses Mac wipes to remove her make-up and Shiseido cleansing water before bed each night.

She also slathers on high-factor sunblock every day to negate the ageing effects of the LA sun.

CLEAN EATING

Despite her fabulous figure, Sharon doesnt nibble on just a lettuce leaf when she goes out for dinner.

I like porterhouse steak and rib-eyes, she says. This works for me because I have very low cholesterol and low blood pressure. I also eat fish and cheese.

She teams her meat with fresh vegetables, but not onions or garlic, and avoids caffeine. treat is a few squares of dark chocolate, which she carries everywhere with her

I like clean food prepared as simply as possible. I used to love wine, but I dont drink at all anymore.

I think, at a certain point, its better for women not to have any alcohol because it can make your face, breasts and midsection get very bloated.

She teams her meat with fresh vegetables, but not onions or garlic, and avoids caffeine, instead drinking herbal cleansing tea.
Chef Angela Hartnett, 47, started working for Gordon Ramsay in 1994.

In 2008 she opened the Michelin-starred Murano, in Mayfair, followed by other highly successful ventures, including Hartnett Holder & Co restaurant and cookery school at Lime Wood Hotel in the New Forest.

After graduating from the polytechnic, I started working in kitchens around Cambridge.

Id been working in a pub, then in a brasserie where we served club sandwiches, soup and chilli con carne on a Friday night.

Chef Angela Hartnett, 47, started working for Gordon Ramsay in 1994. In 2008 she opened the Michelin-starred Murano, in Mayfair

I went to Barbados and that was a real eye-opener, getting to grips with ordering and staffing. When I came back, I had a choice - stay in Cambridge or move to London.

I decided to try my hand in London and wrote loads of letters to restaurants - by hand, there was no email back then.

I had replies from a few and offers to do trial days. One was in Gordon Ramsays kitchen at his first restaurant, Aubergine.

I had replies from a few and offers to do trial days. One was in Gordon Ramsays kitchen at his first restaurant, Aubergine. In 1994 chefs didnt get the sort of publicity they do now, but Gordon was the man of the moment

In 1994 chefs didnt get the sort of publicity they do now, but Gordon was the man of the moment.

There were features on him in the papers, and everyone was talking about Aubergine, even though it had only just opened.

So the fact that he, the most exciting chef in London, believed in me was the lightbulb moment that made me realise I could do this, that I could be a chef - and in a bigger way than Id ever dreamed.

The fact that Gordon, the most exciting chef in London, believed in me was the lightbulb moment that made me realise I could do this, that I could be a chef - and in a bigger way than Id ever dreamed

Id always thought Id open a little local restaurant with whoever my boyfriend was at the time, but working with Gordon changed all that.

Obviously I didnt realise it was going to be that hard - 7am until gone midnight most days - and Id not had the traditional grounding many chefs had.

Id never been to catering college, Id never made a souffle or a terrine, certainly not the way Gordon made them, but I learnt quickly and I learnt a lot.

Now Ive got a Michelin star, a book and some very nice restaurants. If I hadnt worked for Gordon, I think it would have been a very different life.
For youngsters who spend much of the childhood going in and out of hospital, there's often not much to smile about.

But one charity is doing it's bit to help these kids channel their inner superhero.

Capes 4 Kids was founded in the dining room of Heather Foggett, a mother-of-two from Queanbeyan, New South Wales, in mid-2014.

And now, more than two years on, her simple idea has helped thousands of sick children across Australia feel like they can take on the world.

Up for the fight! These young children are wearing some of the 12,500 capes created by Capes 4 Kids, a charity started by mother-of-two Heather Foggett to bring a smile to the face of sick children

Heroes in their own right: Heather Foggett (pictured front, middle) came up with the idea for the charity while sitting at her dining table in mid-2014. In the two years since she has brought a smile to the face of thousands of sick kids

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Ms Foggett said the initial idea was to simply make capes and give them to local hospitals and children.

But that idea expanded quickly and now more than 12,500 capes have been made.

'Within a few months Capes 4 Kids became a registered charity,' Ms Foggett said.

'A few weeks later Capes was national and within a few months we were sending capes to every childrens hospital in the country.'

But it's not only hospitals where the Australian made capes are being distributed, with other foundations such as Ronald McDonald House also receiving the capes.

More than 1,000 volunteers of all ages make the capes, something Ms Foggett said brought a smile to the faces of the little fighters.

Little superhero! Capes 4 Kids has more than 1,000 volunteers across the country and makes the capes out of new fabrics as well as second-hand pillow cases or doona covers

Happy heroes: What started as a small idea in her home in Queanbeyan, NSW, blossomed into a national charity very quickly and has since brought happiness to thousands of sick kids in hospitals around Australia

Helping hand: Incredibly, all of the 1,000 volunteers who make capes for the charity do so out of their own pocket

'We pride ourselves on being able to bring a smile to our young crusaders and helping them to embrace their inner strength,' she said.

'Kids cannot get enough of super heroes, those "caped crusaders" who make the world a safer place.

'Play is essential for happiness and successful coping, and Capes 4 Kids can magically turn a child into a superhero and we all know how powerful and brave they are.'

Made out of everything from new fabrics to second-hand pillow cases and doona covers, all capes made are paid for by those making them.

Smiles all round: Ms Foggett said the capes helped to make sick youngsters feel as though they were superheroes and to help them through their ordeal

Fighting sickness: 'Play is essential for happiness and successful coping, and Capes 4 Kids can magically turn a child into a superhero and we all know how powerful and brave they are,' Ms Foggett told Daily Mail Australia

With capes being sent to every state and territory across Australia, the charity's success is in no small part thanks to Ms Foggett's hard work.

And in in 2015 she received due recognition by being named the New South Wales adult volunteer of the year.

But while she, her volunteers and school children who help out are an integral part of the charity, the founder knows the charity is about much more.
Pair said they're surprised by coincidence and their babies look similar

Twin sisters now have another birthday in common after giving birth just hours apart - defying million-to-one odds.

Natalie and Leanne Paulson, 21, from Branston, Leicester, both welcomed their first child just hours - and beds - apart, despite Natalie's due date not being until a week later.

The non-identical sisters, who are both care assistants and gave birth at Leicester Royal Infirmary, were just yards away from each other as they went into labour.

Twin sisters Leanne (left) and Natalie (right), 21, from Leicester, not only found out they were pregnant on the same day, but also went into labour and gave birth within hours of each other on the same ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary

Leanne, who was a week late, gave birth to an 8lb 8oz baby boy named Carter at 6.17pm, whilst sister Natalie welcomed a little girl at 12.02am named Mila-Rose, who weighed 8lb 2oz.

Natalie, who lives with her partner, electrician Daniel Morgan, 28, said: 'Leanne went into labour on my due date.

'I knew it would be close but I never imagined we would be in rooms next to each other giving birth. The nurses couldn't believe it.

'It was an amazing experience because we've always shared everything.

Natalie welcomed a little girl at 12.02am named Mila-Rose, who weighed 8lb 2oz

Leanne, who was a week late, gave birth to an 8lb 8oz baby boy named Carter at 6.17pm

Baby Carter (left) with cousin Mila-Rose (right). Natalie and Leanne Paulson, 21, were due to have their first children over a week apart. But when Leanne went into labour a week later, she was taken to the same ward as her sister

'We ended up in the same room afterwards and I was holding her baby and she was holding mine.

'They even look quite similar.

'It's lovely that our children will grow up knowing they were born just a few hours apart. It's a strange coincidence but me and Leanne are used to doing most things together.'

Leanne, who lives with her partner, plumber Robert Walker, 23, added: 'I thought I'd be late going into labour but never that we'd go in on the same day.'

In April, identical twins Tina Hammond and Louise Huckerby, 23, defied similar odds to give birth to their babies just hours apart in the same ward at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The twins, who are not identical despite looking similar, were even given rooms next to each other at Leicester Royal Infirmary

Left: Leanne in hospital with partner Robert and baby Carter. Right: Natalie in hospital with partner Dan and baby Mila-Rose

Meanwhile, over the pond last month, identical twin sisters miraculously gave birth on the same day, at the same time, in their respective time zones.

Sarah Mariuz and Leah Rodgers, 35, both delivered their babies at 1:18am, with Leah's son Reid Joseph born first in Denver, Colorado, on Mountain time. Then, an hour later, Sarah welcomed a daughter, Samantha Lynne, in La Jolla, California, on Pacific time.

The babies were both the first children for each of the twins, who had due dates of just four dates apart.

Speaking to Today.com, the women both insisted that the timing of the pregnancies were definitely not planned.

The twins defied million-to-one odds to give birth to their babies on the same ward in the same hospital - just hours apart

'It's lovely that our children will grow up knowing they were born just a few hours apart. It's a strange coincidence but me and Leanne are used to doing most things together,' they say. Left: Natalie pictured with baby Mila-Rose. Right: Leanne pictured with baby Carter

However, they said, they weren't particularly surprised by the fantastic coincidence.

'We've always lived in separate places, but all of us - we have two sisters - are very close in age and very close,' Rodgers said. 'But certainly there's another connection at the twin level.'

The pair also discovered their respective pregnancies around the same time, and, of course, both decided to reveal their news to one another at Thanksgiving.

They added: 'We ended up in the same room afterwards and I was holding her baby and she was holding mine. They even look quite similar'
She may have shot to fame over 20 years ago but Kate Moss proves that true beauty never fades as she lends her good looks to pal Charlotte Tilbury's new beauty campaign.

Dressed in a golden gown, the 42-year- old catwalk queen looks in her element as she joins a male model on the dancefloor in the new shoot.

The mother-of-one, who is dating 29-year-old Count Nikolai von Bismarck, shows off her best moves as she spins around on the dancefloor with her male companion.

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Kate Moss gets up close and personal with a male model on the dancefloor in a steamy new beauty campaign video to launch her pal Charlotte Tilbury's new fragrance

Kate has been snapped up as the face of her best friend and make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury's debut fragrance.

Kate stars in a futuristic campaign as the face of Scent of A Dream, Charlotte's floral-chypre fragrance.

Speaking about her latest offering, beauty guru Charlotte said: I have been mixing my own Secret Scent for years and have been fascinated by the idea that ones perfume can attract others and also change the energy frequency of the people and environment around you.

'I believe you can use Scent of a Dream to create an emotional pathway with someone elses energy centres: their brain, heart and sex receptors, igniting the senses. You can directly alter their state of mind and body through this scent. It sparks a subliminal key to attraction.

The mother-of-one, who is dating 29-year-old Count Nikolai von Bismarck, proves she can still get the party started as she shows off her best moves as she spins around on the dancefloor

Kate proves that true beauty never fades as she lends her good looks to the campaign

Discussing using Kate as the face, she explained: This is Kate as youve never seen her before. Bewitching, beguiling, and entrancing. Kate on a true soul level, encompasses everything that is ethereal and powerful about this perfume.

'I have known Kate for 25 years now, and have had so many incredible experiences with her she gets me, and she gets the scent! She instinctively knew how to convey on camera the way that this scent is a portal for love, light, power, positivity and sex.

'She is the ultimate modern day icon, and I knew she would have the aura and the abandon that I needed to communicate the magic of Scent of a Dream!

Kate added: Charlotte and I have always had this instant, naughty chemistry  We danced side by side together during the shoot. Charlotte has this electric passion and energy for life  shes a bit magical. It felt totally natural to do her first fragrance campaign together!

Kate has been snapped up as the face of her best friend and make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury's, left, debut fragrance

Proving that her career is stronger than ever, Kate is the face of her best friend and make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury's debut fragrance

Kate, 42, looks incredible as she lends her good looks to Rimmel's latest campaign, too

As well as Charlotte's campaign, Kate landed another campaign for Rimmel - the brand she's been working with for an impressive fifteen years.

The supermodel, who is currently dating 29-year-old Count Nikolai von Bismarck, displayed her flawless, youthful skin and honed physique as she poses for the camera.

The catwalk stalwart recently celebrated her 15th year as the face of the British beauty giant, which recently also enlisted Kate's best pal Cara Delevingne as an ambassador.

As well as lending her good looks to these two new campaigns, Kate has been spending plenty of time with her toyboy lover.

The smitten couple recently went on a city break, which came just days before they both attended the premiere of Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in London this month.

Kate stars in the film as herself alongside Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley, and the flick has since received rave reviews.

Kate and Nikolai are believed to have started dating last autumn, when the edgy photographer was pictured leaving her North London home one weekend.

The 42-year-old catwalk stalwart proves she's still got it as she rocks a plunging black blazer on the set of her latest modelling gig

Nikolai has been the perfect remedy for Kate who split from The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince, to whom she was married for four years, last July.

Meanwhile, Kate has a daughter Lila Grace, 13, with ex-partner, publisher Jefferson Hack.

The author and journalist recently said that maintaining his relationship with the mother of his child was one of the proudest things in his life, when he gave a rare interview about their modern family.

Speaking to The Sunday Times' magazine, Jefferson said: 'My relationship with [Lila Grace] and her mum, Kate, is the thing Im most proud of. That is life with a capital L.'
However, she insists she loves her job and finds helping brides rewarding

She's been to more than 50 nuptials and says she 'hates' weddings

Jen Glantz, 28, charges from $199 to over $1,000 for her services

It's the last thing you'd expect to hear from someone who has made her career in weddings, but this 'professional bridesmaid' insists she doesn't even like them.

Jen Glantz, a 28-year-old based in New York, spoke to Times2 about the pitfalls of the industry, admitting that while she loves her job: 'I didn't get into this business because I like weddings. I hate weddings.'

Surprisingly, Miss Glantz - who has hired herself out at more than 50 ceremonies and charges anywhere from $199 (154) to $1,000 (774) a go - estimates that 90 percent of her brides wish they'd eloped, describing it as 'not the happiest time of their lives'.

Jen Glantz, the 28-year-old professional bridesmaid from New York, admits 'I hate weddings'

Miss Glantz, a former copywriter at a tech firm, started her business two years ago having developed a reputation among her friends as being particularly 'calm and collected' on the big day.

She had already been a bridesmaid 12 times before she launched Bridesmaid for Hire, but she has never been a bride herself.

Nor does the businesswoman, who is currently in a relationship, want a traditional ceremony when the time comes. Why?

All the stress often isn't worth it, she reckons, pointing to pressure from social media for brides to pull off an over-expensive, faff-ridden spectacles.

And, having been party to countless occasions on which newlyweds have argued on their wedding day, she's cynical about love in general.

'This job has made me realise there's no such thing as a soulmate,' she says. 'It's about finding a person who will put up with you and you'll put up with them. Maybe that's true love.'

Miss Glantz has hired herself out at more than 50 ceremonies and charges anywhere from $199 (154) to $1,000 (774) a go

While weddings as a concept might not particularly please her, it's clear that Miss Glantz loves what she does and is very good at it

While she has a boyfriend (pictured) Jen has never married, nor does she want a traditional ceremony when the time comes

While weddings as a concept might not be her thing, it's clear that Miss Glantz - who never drinks on the job - loves what she does and is very good at it.

Speaking previously to Daily Mail Online about the specifics of her job, Miss Glantz says she can be hired as a 'virtual' or 'undercover' bridesmaid, acting as a sort of wedding planner.

As an 'Ultimate Bridesmaid', she'll plan as well as show up on the big day while working behind the scenes.

The businesswoman helps brides plan their weddings and will even walk down the aisle and pose for pictures

Last year, she attended two weddings in a single weekend, flying first to Michigan for Saturday night nuptials and then to New Jersey for a Sunday ceremony

And with the 'Bridesmaid by Your Side' package, she'll actively participate, joining in for photos, toasts, and schmoozing with extended family.

According to Miss Glantz, all brides have a different reason for hiring her as a bridesmaid: they may need to compensate for extra groomsmen, or they've fallen out of touch with friends.

When other people at the wedding ask how we know each other, I stay very vague!

But only some of them are upfront to their other guests about hiring the help. For two recent weddings - one in Michigan, and the other taking place the next day over 600 miles away in New Jersey - backstories had to be made up.

'When other people at the wedding ask how we know each other, I stay very vague!' she said.

Miss Glantz offers support to all of her brides (including this one), either working behind-the-scenes or wearing a bridesmaid dress and walking down the aisle

To make it to her second wedding in one weekend, Miss Glantz had to go to a Michigan airport at 3am and attend the wedding the next day on just two hours of sleep

That Friday, Glantz was preparing for the first of two weddings for the weekend. This bride had hired her and two other bridesmaids a full year before, and she and Miss Glantz had talked on a monthly basis to get to know each other better.

'She hired us because she did not have a lot of close friends, which at first might seem strange to anyone else, but I understand that,' Miss Glantz said, noting that this woman held a job, attended school, and had a kid.

'Sometimes we get to a certain age where our close friends drift away from us. They get married or have kids or live so completely far away that they are unable to be there for us. Thats what happened with this bride.'

She went on: 'She was looking for a team of women who love people and weddings to keep her confident and energized before the wedding and on the day of.'

Miss Glantz arrived from New York to Michigan and headed to the venue to meet the rest of the wedding party, before attending the rehearsal dinner.

Miss Glantz (right) also works with other professional bridesmaids, so brides can hire more than one for their big day

Miss Glantz said that at one wedding, the DJ surprised her five minutes before the reception to tell her she'd be giving a speech

On Saturday, they woke up bright and early to get ready with the bride before the ceremony began. There, Miss Glantz stood up to read a bible verse in front of the 150 guests before joining the bride in a limo on the way to the reception  where she was in for her first major curve ball of the weekend.

'The DJ approached me before the reception and said I was going to be giving a speech in five minutes,' she recalled. 'I didnt know I was going to be doing that, so I ran to the bathroom and jotted down a few lines on a napkin.'

It was the DJ's mistake  Miss Glantz and the bride had originally agreed that she wouldn't give a speech  but she handled it with aplomb. She spoke from the heart  after all, she had gotten to know the bride over the course of the past year - and the newlywed was thrilled with the performance.

When her flight from the first wedding to the second was delayed, she did her hair in the airport bathroom

Miss Glantz owns more formal dresses than most women wear in a lifetime

The party went on and Miss Glantz danced the night away. But she didn't then get to crash and go to bed when it was all over.

Rather, she had to be at the airport at 3am to catch a flight to Philadelphia, where she'd then drive to New Jersey.

This is when the second curve ball came. Her flight to Philly was delayed two hours, and Miss Glantz admits she began panicking.

'I knew I wouldnt have time before wedding number two to shower, so I went to the airport bathroom, plugged my curling iron in, sprayed my hair with dry shampoo and hairspray and got to work doing my hair in the airport bathroom before boarding my flight,' she said.

Despite her hectic schedule, Miss Glantz says she loves what she does and has fun getting to know each of the brides leading up to their weddings

She's also had the opportunity to see different details at a slew of different weddings, from floral arrangements to desserts

She added that she isn't 'faking' a relationship with brides, she gets to know them beforehand

Luckily, she did make it, meeting up with the second bridesmaid that the bride had also hired from Miss Glantz's company back in February. Together, they headed to the bride's suite to finish up and hair and make-up before taking a limo to the church and walking down the aisle.

This classy affair had 250 guests and, Miss Glantz admits she was worried about keeping up enough motivation to dance all evening and bring positive vibes to the party.

'I was running on two hours of sleep from the night before and my whole body ached from dancing at wedding number one,' she said. 'But I had a rush of sudden energy. I kicked off my four-inch Guess heels and spent a good hour on the dance floor.

'I was nervous that by wedding number two, Id be a exhausted and feeling sick. But I felt wonderful.
She is 35 weeks pregnant and still performing stunts on her pole

She may be on the brink of giving birth but Tabitha Vincent, 23, can still hold herself upside down and fling herself around a pole.

The first-time mother-to-be  who is expecting a little girl with boyfriend Jade Tawhai, 23  has even said she wants to pole dance during labour.

Tabitha, who is 35 weeks pregnant, believes that performing pole dancing through labour will take her mind off the contractions.

On the brink of giving birth at 35 weeks pregnant, Tabitha Vincent, 23, can still hold herself upside down and fling herself around a pole

'I saw a video go viral of a lady pole dancing to bring on her labour and thought I'd love to do the same thing,' said Tabitha, a pole-dancing instructor from Perth, Western Australia.

'I have a pole at home, so if I have time during my labour I'll definitely have a little play on it.

'If nothing else, it'll keep my mind off the contractions.'

Tabitha, who has been with Jade for two-and-a-half years, first took up pole-dancing in 2012 after pals recommended she try a class.

Though skeptical at first, she quickly became addicted, attending sessions twice a week.

Before long, she even had her own pole installed at home, which she'd practice on three times a week.

The first-time mother-to-be  who is expecting a little girl with boyfriend Jade Tawhai, 23  has even said she wants to pole dance during labour

Tabitha with partner Jade Tawhai. Tabitha, who has been with Jade for two-and-a-half years, first took up pole-dancing in 2012 after pals recommended she try a class

Tabitha at 33 weeks pregnant. Though skeptical at first, she quickly became addicted, attending sessions twice a week

Before long, she even had her own pole installed at home, which she'd practise on three times a week

Six months before she fell pregnant, she also landed a job as an instructor. She had to tell her employer sooner than most because of the figure-hugging clothes she wears to teach

Six months before she fell pregnant, she also landed a job as an instructor.

'I hadn't been teaching for very long when I found out I was pregnant. Obviously, with the outfits I wear to teach, there's no hiding my bump, so I had to tell my employer a lot sooner than most,' said Tabitha. 'They've been really supportive though.

'I also told my students, as I didn't want them to think I was just gaining weight when I was meant to be teaching them something to keep them fit.'

She also told her pole students as she didn't want to think that she was gaining weight when she was teaching an exercise class

Tabitha at 12 weeks pregnant. At first, Tabitha worried about whether continuing to dance would put her unborn baby at risk

At first, Tabitha worried about whether continuing to dance would put her unborn baby at risk.

But midwives reassured her that, because her body was used to that sort of exercise, it was safe.

'I post a lot of photos, and have had a few negative comments asking whether my body and baby can handle what I'm doing,' said Tabitha.

Midwives reassured her that, because her body was used to that sort of exercise, it was safe

'I try not to pay attention to them. I think the people posting are just ill-informed.

'Obviously, my baby's health is the most important thing to me and I'd never do anything to jeopardise that.

'Mostly, people are just impressed that I can still do these moves so far into my pregnancy.'

Though Tabitha has had to cut back on some of the more extreme moves, she is still taking to the pole twice a week.

Tabitha posts a lot of photos of pole dancing during her pregnancy and had a few negative comments asking whether her body and baby can handle what she's doing

She believes that keeping up the pole dancing has helped her avoid some of the typical side effects of pregnancy, such as back pain and morning sickness

She believes that keeping it up has helped her avoid some of the typical side effects of pregnancy, such as back pain and morning sickness.

She also hopes it will help her body bounce back quicker following the birth of her daughter.

'I'm still capable of doing most of my old moves, but I've had to adapt a few as my bump gets in the way,' she said.

She hopes it will help her body bounce back quicker following the birth of her daughter

She's found dancing to be the same as it normally is, apart from having to adapt some of the moves to avoid her bump

'Also, when I go upside down I can get dizzy a lot quicker due to my increased blood volume because of the pregnancy.

'If everything goes well and I have a straightforward, natural delivery, I'm hoping to be back on the pole as soon as possible.
It's not long ago in the scheme of things, but go back in history 70 years and things looked remarkably different for women.

As these alarming ads from between the 30s and 70s show, no-holds-barred sexism was just an everyday way of life.

And it's not just females who drew the short straw, patronising vibes aimed at ethnic minorities were also used to sell products; everything from ties and paint to beer and coffee.

This bizarre comic, courtesy of Co-Le Sales Company, is selling a booklet entitled 'Why You Should Beat Your Wife', written by an 'eminent practitioner of this manly art' (date unknown)

One particularity shocking ad, date unknown, asks: 'Do you still beat your wife?' before going to suggest 'maybe you should never have stopped'.

The bizarre comic, courtesy of Illinois-based Co-Le Sales Company, appears to be selling a booklet entitled 'Why You Should Beat Your Wife', written by an 'eminent practitioner of this manly art'.

Another, this time an ad which ran in 1952 for Van Heusens Oxford shirt line, claimed that '4 out of 5 men want Oxfords', the odd one out being what looks to be a Native American.

One Caucasian blonde bears the caption, 'college and alumni tradition!', while the tribal dressed man reads, 'rumor has it that even he would gladly swap his boars teeth for a Van Heusen Oxford!'

This ad which ran in 1952 for Van Heusens Oxford shirt line claimed '4 out of 5 men want Oxfords', the odd one out being what looks to be a Native American

In 1935, American paint manufacturer Elliott sold its white veneer paint with an image of a dark-skinned child being painted white, with the caption: 'See how it covers over black.'

What a pity to see lovely girls losing out because they are careless about perspiration odor in underthings?

And in 1936, a Lux detergent ad featured three women who 'want husbands' and reads: 'Isn't it natural for every girl to want popularity, romance, a devoted husband?

'What a pity, then, to see lovely girls like those above losing out because they are careless about perspiration odor in underthings? They themselves criticize it in others, without ever suspecting they are guilty!'

While not overtly offensive in its day, this 1933 ad for 'fattening tonic' comes off - as the product proclaims itself to be - as tasteless now

In 1935, American paint manufacturer Elliott sold it's white veneer paint with an image of a dark-skinned child being painted white, with the caption: 'See how it covers over black.'

Unlike Parker here, marketers today are far more careful about how they promote unisex products made for girls

Another ad, date unknown, attempts to make a bottle of milk alluring by picturing it with a young pageant girl, along with the caption: 'Thank goodness for little girls.'

It includes a description of little girls as being 'smooth skinned' and 'nicely curved'.

Other slogan examples range from the leery - 'so the harder a wife works, the cuter she looks!' to violent; with one being spanked for not purchasing the right coffee, and an under-performing secretary captioned, 'Is it always illegal to KILL a woman?'

This detergent ad from 1936 reads, 'Isn't it natural for every girl to want popularity, romance, a devoted husband? What a pity, then, to see lovely girls like those above losing out because they are careless about perspiration odor in underthings?'

Quite apart from the fact that milk as hardly a 'good health drink', the description of little girls as being 'smooth skinned' and 'nicely curved' is flat-out creepy

A 1947 Pitney Bowes Postage Meter ad which jokes about murder (left) and a naked women in a 1974 Playboy ad for Weyenberg Massagic shoes (right)

Then there the well-meaning ads that, only with the benefit of modern knowledge, look utterly ridiculous.

Soft drinks brands including 7up once advertised the supposed health benefits of sugary drinks for toddlers; when slogans including 'Why we have the youngest customers in the business' and 'For a better start in life, start Cola earlier!'

Other notable examples include the marketing of asbestos, a cancerous mineral once used to 'protect buildings', and cigarettes, with Camel once proclaiming 'More doctors smoke Camels than any other'.

'Gosh, honey, you seem to thrive on cooking, cleaning and dusting', exclaims the man in this 1930s Kellog's PEP vitamins ad

A 1951 Van Heusen tie ad (left) and one for Del Monte Ketchup in 1953, which advertises a lid that a woman can open 'without a husband'

An ad for Schlitz from 1952 which makes a mockery of a woman's cooking skills - but thank goodness the beer is ok

Don't buy the wrong coffee! This 1952 advert for Chase & Sanborn is light-hearted, but would shock many today

These 1950s adverts promoted sugary drinks for toddlers, asking, 'How soon is too soon? Not soon enough'

The 1960s campaign for Tipalet cigarettes shows a wide-eyed beauty in low-cut top, seemingly enamoured with the smoke
He may have just won his third consecutive gold medal for the 100-metre sprint, but this woman insists Usain Bolt has got nothing on her.

Internet prankster Brad Holmes, 24, from, Southampton, filmed his fiancee Jenny Davies making the bold claim that she could cover the distance in just seven seconds.

In the Facebook video, which has been viewed almost 1 million times in less than 24 hours, the pair are seen arguing about how quickly Jenny could do the sprint.

Brad, who has more than 1.6 million Facebook followers, pictured with his fiancee Jenny

Much to her partner's amusement, Jenny, 22, insists she could easily smash the Jamaican athlete's word record of 9.58 seconds.

'You can't do that Jen. How the hell can you run 100m in seven seconds?' asks an incredulous Brad.

However Jenny remains defiant, demonstrating how long she believes a metre is - a distance closer to a 30 cm ruler.

'How the hell can you not?' she blasts. A metre's *that* long, yeah, and you need to run a hundred of them?

'I reckon I will be able to do in seven and a half seconds. Why can't I?'

When informed that the current world record is closer to ten seconds, she responds: 'Well then, they've got slow people running it.'

In the Facebook video, which has been viewed almost 1 million times in less than 24 hours, the pair are seen arguing about how quickly Jenny (pictured) could do the 100m sprint

Much to her partner's amusement, Jenny, 22, insists she could easily smash Usain Bolt's word record of 9.58 seconds, claiming the Olympian athletes 'can't be that fast'

As her fiance continues to tease her, she exclaims: 'You're stressing me out now!'

She adds: 'I watched (the Olympics) and I looked at the races and thought, "I could do that. I could do it faster than that."'

However Jenny ends up outsmarting her exasperated fiance when he claims there is no 'overall winner' in the Olympics - appearing to forget about the medals table - although she appears confused over who ends up carrying the flame.

As Jenny's fiance continues to tease her, she exclaims: 'You're stressing me out now!'

Fans were left less than impressed by Jenny's latest effort, with some labelling her 'thick'. Stephanie Jade Whittaker commented: 'How do u deal with jen on a daily basis?'

She screams: 'The winning country picks up the flame, and then when they take it home and they run around their country with it to celebrate their win of the Olympics.

'I've seen it because it happened. The flame was in Portsmouth because England had won it before.'

Brad, who has more than 1.6 million Facebook followers, made headlines last month after he filmed Jenny explaining how a summer's day can't have been that hot - as it had reached just 30 degrees out of a possible 360 degrees - confusing plane angles with degrees Celsius.

Despite her partner's doubts, Jenny remains defiant, demonstrating how long she believes a metre is - a distance closer to a 30 cm ruler (pictured)

Jenny insists: 'The winning country picks up the flame, and then when they take it home and they run around their country with it to celebrate their win of the Olympics'

Fans were left less than impressed by Jenny's latest effort, with some labelling her 'thick'.

Stephanie Jade Whittaker commented: 'How do u deal with jen on a daily basis she seems like a lovely girl and I think ur an amazing couple but god don't u get headaches like every day lol (sic.)'
Tiffany Trump and her mother Marla Maples have headed south to spend some quality time with friends and family in the 52-year-old's home state of Georgia.

The proud mom took to Instagram on Sunday afternoon to share a photo of herself posed with her 22-year-old daughter, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in May.

'So good coming home! Thank you #Georgia #southernlife #southernfamily me & my girl @TiffanyTrump #farmlife with lifetime friends [sic],' Marla captioned the image, which sees her and Tiffany posed in front of a body of water that appears to be a lake.

Heading south: Marla Maples, 52, and her daughter Tiffany Trump, 22, are enjoying a quiet vacation in her home state of Georgia

Marla, who grew up in Dalton, Georgia, looks relaxed in a low-cut white and blue jumpsuit that is cropped at the ankles and highlights her slender figure.

Meanwhile, Tiffany is showing off her tan in a short floral dress that she paired with matching maroon flats. Although she grew up with her mom in California, Tiffany looks right at home in the south.

Marla and her daughter both left their blonde hair loose around their shoulders, and Tiffany also took to Instagram over the weekend to share a picture of the scenic view, including the mall red barn they posed in front of.

Look of love: Last week, college grad Tiffany was busy splashing around in a pool with her boyfriend Ross Mechanic

Rest and relaxation: A few days ago, Marla was enjoying a yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico

Tiffany, who has four half-siblings, is Donald Trump's only child with his second-wife, Marla, whom he divorced in 1999.

Before they ventured to Georgia together, Marla and and Tiffany were on their own separate summer vacations.

While Marla was on a relaxing yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico, last week, Tiffany was enjoying some fun in the sun with her boyfriend Ross Mechanic.

Home sweet home: Tiffany also took to Instagram on Sunday to share a scenic photo of the barn and lake they posed in front of

Support system: Marla and 21-year-old Ross traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, last month to support Tiffany during her speech at the Republican National Convention

Loving beau: Despite coming from a family of Democrats, Ross happily posed with Tiffany throughout the RNC

Tiffany's 21-year-old beau shared a photo of himself playing in the pool with his love, who is all smiles as they hold on to a shark-shaped raft.

Ross, who still has one year left at the University of Pennsylvania, seems to be dedicated to spending as much time as possible with his girlfriend since she left the Philadelphia campus for good this summer.

Although Ross comes from a family of Democrats, he happily attended the Republican National Convention with Tiffany last month.

Marla was unbelievably proud of her daughter, who gave a heartfelt speech about her 70-year-old father at the RNC.

Family obligations: Tiffany, who is pictured at the RNC with her father Donald and her half-sister Ivanka, has been busy campaigning for the Republican presidential nominee

Luxurious getaway: While Tiffany is in Georgia with her mom, Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner are touring Croatia

During the convention, Marla posted a snapshot of her and Ross posed with Tiffany backstage after she addressed the crowd.

'Just before I did my happy proud mamma dance! Backstage w/ @TiffanyTrump after she rocked her speech with grace and that amazing smile,' she captioned the image.

And while Tiffany is on a quiet vacation with her mom in Georgia, her half-sister Ivanka Trump, 34, is touring Croatia with her husband Jared Kushner, 35.
A lifelong brunette, Russian beauty Irina Shayk admitted to learning that blondes have more fun on the set of her latest photoshoot.

The 30-year-old appears on the cover of Vogue Russia this month but looks almost unrecognizable thanks to a cascade of beach blonde curls.

She models the lighter look inside the magazine's pages, too, proving that she's drop-dead gorgeous no matter the color of her locks.

Who's that girl? Irina Shayk poses on the cover of Vogue Russia

On a whim: The 30-year-old knockout dyed her hair blonde especially for the occasion

Kind of a big deal: She was shot by famed photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot for the September issue

Sexy snap: Posting this image on Insgram, she joked that blondes have more fun

'It's such a honor to be on the September Vogue cover of my home country,' the supermodel said in a statement. 'I shot with Mert and Marcus in LA, so it was truly a dream team and once-in-a-lifetime experience.

'After over 10 years in the industry it's a milestone in my career I will never forget, plus my mom and family can read the entire magazine!

Inside, she poses seductively in a leopard print Bottega Veneta robe, an LBD and a choker, and a fuzzy sweater.

So excited! Irina said it was an honor to get the September issue of her home country's edition of Vogue

Totally pumped: Irina, pictured wearing Dior and Anthony Vaccarello, said the shoot was a once-in-a-lifetime experience

Grateful: The star, pictured wearing Emanuel Ungaro, Intimissimi, and Isabel Marant, added that this was a major milestone in her decade-long career

In a particularly steamy shot, she exposes a whole lot of leg while lying on a ping pong table as two Speedo-clad men with six-packs attempt to play.

'When u learn that #blondeshavemorefun,' she joked on Instagram of finding herself in the enviable scenario, surrounded by hunky, nearly-nude dudes.

Much as she liked the new 'do, though, it doesn't seem like she felt it was a keeper. According to the magazine, hairstylist Shay Ashual dyed her hair especially for the shoot  meaning the model really committed to the color instead of opting for a wig.

Male attention: Irina, who posed with several sexy male models, is currently dating actor Bradley Cooper

She has also covered the Spanish, Brazilian, Mexican, and Turkish editions of Vogue

Commitment: Her locks were dyed blonde by hairstylist Shay Ashual

Around the world: The glamorous shoot took place in Los Angeles

Natural: Irina, who is pictured this past weekend, seems to have immediately dyed her hair back to brown

Afterward, though, she immediately went back to brown, and was pictured with dark locks as recently as this weekend.

While this is her first time on the cover of her home country's cover of Vogue, Irina is actually a Vogue cover veteran.
However, the college student said he is proud of his decision, and he is looking forward to giving blood

Jay, who is just coming out of a relationship that started in March, admitted that he has been tempted to break his vow

A 21-year-old gay man is abstaining from sex for an entire year so he can finally donate blood.

Jay Franzone, a senior at Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, is forgoing all sexual activity until January 2017 in order to raise awareness for the 'crazy' and 'archaic' FDA policy that prohibits sexually-active gay and bisexual men from donating blood.

'For me, I have friends who are always like, "Oh I want to go to the Himalayas," or, "I want to go climb Mt. Everest." And I want to give blood,' he explained during a Facebook Live interview with the Huffington Post.

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Taking a stand: Jay Franzone, 21, from Boston, is abstaining from sex for entire year so he can donate blood

Under Federal Drug Administration policy, which was revised in December, gay and bisexual men must abstain from sexual contact with other men for 12 months before they can donate blood.

'The FDAs definition of sexual contact is oral, anal or vaginal sex, so its so overly-inclusive based on what we know HIV to be transmitted through,' he said. 'And so most high school gay people, they can never donate blood and they cant go to Six Flags and get the free ticket.

'And so its that stigma there but its also then you cant give blood. You cant save lives and it kind of hurts.'

Before the policy was amended, there was a lifetime ban on men who have had sex with other men from donating blood, a guideline that was implemented at the start of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.



Looking for change: The senior at Lasell College in Massachusetts is raising awareness for the 'crazy' policy that stops sexually-active gay and bisexual men from donating blood

'Once youre infected, you can get a result in 10 days and thats fully accurate with nucleic acid testing so were testing for the DNA of the virus,' Jay argued of the ban.

'Before in the 80s, it took months, 56 days, for an HIV test to come back. So looking at the science and also realizing this is about risk. This isnt about sexual orientation.'

The college student, who is slated to graduate with a degree in political communications this fall, was single when he decided to abstain from sex. However, his decision to refrain from sexual activity as a college student quickly became more difficult.

The director of communications the the National Gay Blood Drive started dating someone in March, and the conversation about his abstinence came up after they attended at TED Talk about health care together.

Difficulties: Although Jay was single when he first vowed to stay abstinent, he found himself in a new relationship in March, which made it difficult to refrain from sex at times

Jay explained that he was 'fully supportive and really encouraging' of his plan, telling him that he 'should keep doing this'.

Although he had his then-boyfriend's support, he admitted it was a struggle for him to stay the course after his beau treated him to a romantic dinner overlooking the Boston skyline on his 21st birthday.

'Normally on a birthday, turning 21, you are going to have sex no matter what your gender or sexual orientation,' he said.

Jay revealed that he also thought about breaking his vow when his relationship had hit a rough patch after he spent most of his summer in California.

Advocate: Jay is pictured with Vice President Joe Biden in April

Growing apart: Jay said his then-boyfriend was extremely supportive, but they recently broke up after he spent much of the summer in California

'Knowing that my relationship is kind of in the toilet, you know, I was asking myself, "I have already been public with my abstinence. Do I go and have sex with him," he admitted. 'But what does that mean our relationship is based on? And so do I try to rewrite it by having sex? And when you think about it, that's not something you want.'

Jay publicly announced his vow to stay abstinent and donate blood after a gunman killed 49 people and wounded 53 others during a massacre at an LGBT night club in Orlando, Florida, in June.

'Its like a terrible irony that our communitys hit and then we cant give blood to help them,' Jay said of the FDA guideline.

Although he and his boyfriend eventually broke up, Jay doesn't regret abstaining from sex because it allowed them to really get to know each other, and he hopes to have a similar experiences when dating in the future.
They said they are delighted with the resulting picture which has been a source of amusement for friends and family

Hands to its mouth and munching on a snack this squirrel appears unperturbed by the romantic proceedings going on behind him.

Meanwhile, Kelin Flanagan and Spencer Taubner seem to be unaware of the photobombing critter as they engage in a passionate kiss on a rock in the Canadian Rockies.

The couple, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, said they are delighted with the result of their engagement photo shoot, adding that the squirrel has been a source of amusement for friends and family.

Oblivious: A mischievous squirrel photobombed an engagement picture by stopping for a snack in front of the camera as engaged couple Kelin Flanagan and Spencer Taubner kissed

Nature lovers: The couple from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, pictured, went to the Rockies for their engagement photo shoot

The couple had planned to hike to Helen Lake, but when bad weather hit Banff National Park, Alberta, they decided to take some pictures in a rocky area close to the trail when they spotted two squirrels.

'We started to get all set up and we noticed at least two of these squirrels running around,' Kelin told BuzzFeed News.

She added: 'Spencer and I were really focused on taking a nice romantic photo when one squirrel popped his head up.'

Kelin said the squirrel was 'very expressive', adding that although they appear focused on romance in the picture, they 'couldn't stop laughing'.

In love: The couple, pictured in another picture from their engagement shoot, are getting married next month

Uninvited: The couple were kissing on a rock when a squirrel got in front of the camera

Musical: They met ten years ago when they were in a Celtic band at college

The photobomb and the temperamental weather were not the couple's only close calls with nature during their photo shoot. Kelin said she also took a tumble into a lake.

The couple, who are getting married on September 10, met ten years ago when they were in a Celtic band at college.

The pictures were taken by Marcin and Dorota Karpowicz of BDFK Photography, who confirmed the picture was genuine.
Aldi  the UKs leading discount chain  is well known for its cheap continental cheeses, award-winning wines and spirits and cut price fruit and veg but shoppers could be in for an even bigger bargain as they launch their range of low cost baking gadgets and gizmos.

With a professional style mixer retailing at 69.99, compared to the 400 KitchenAid branded equivalent; an innovative family pie maker at 19.99 and swanky silicon utensils and candy coloured bakeware from just 1.99, Aldi is clearly hoping to cash in on baking fever sweeping the country in time for the new series of Great British Bake Off.

But does the budget bakeware cut the mustard? Or will baking enthusiasts be left with a distinctly soggy bottom thanks to their cheap pie machine?

We asked FEMAIL writer and Bake Off fan Joanne Gould, 31, from North London, to give the new range a whirl.

Aldi is clearly hoping to cash in on baking fever sweeping the country in time for the new series of Great British Bake Off by releasing a thrifty range of baking utensils. We asked Joanne Gould, 31, from North London, to give the new range a whirl

Im glued to the Great British Bake Off every year, so when I heard Aldi had some snazzy new appliances coming out, I was keen to try them.

Although Im not a bad cook, my baking leaves an awful lot to be desired, so I was definitely hoping that some new equipment would help give my bread, cakes and pies a little of that Paul Hollywood sparkle.

First up, I tried the new 19.99 Family Pie Maker. Its essentially a heated press and works in the same way as a toasted sandwich maker or waffle machine (which they also have in the new range).

I read the instructions and heated up the machine for the required time (about 15 minutes) whilst I got to work with my pastry. Theres a few nice recipes in the accompanying leaflet, but I made one of my failsafes for testing purposes and cheated by buying trusty Jus-Roll light puff pastry. Even Jamie Oliver doesnt make his own puff pastry, so I feel completely vindicated.

The instructions call for you to use the handy pie cutter to size your pastry perfectly  a larger base and a smaller lid. This alone is invaluable and I would pay good money for a pastry cutter like this as the pastry tucks into the concave base like a dream with no overlap or pesky folds inside.

Next, you pop your cooled pie filling into the base. Id made a steak, stilton and Guinness filling the previous day. Finally, the lid is placed on top and given a little eggwash for shine. The whole process takes minutes, then you simply lock the machine into place and wait 15 minutes.

Joanne made one of of her failsafe pies using the 19.99 maker for testing purposes and cheated by buying trusty Jus-Roll light puff pastry - but was impressed with the results

Speaking about the appliance, she said: 'I would pay good money for a pastry cutter like this as the pastry tucks into the concave base like a dream with no overlap or pesky folds inside'

There are tempting smells emanating from the kitchen, and after the allotted time I take a peak.

Im thrilled with the result, which is perfectly golden evenly cooked pastry and a very sturdy, perfect looking pie that comes away from the non-stick plates with no problem at all. It is easily lifted onto a serving dish and slices well.

Usually if I make a pie, I skimp on the bottom and just make a pastry lid as I tend not to be bothered with blind baking the base, but with this machine there is absolutely no excuse and it makes a proper pie.

Everything is well-cooked and there is definitely no soggy bottom to be found: just crisp, buttery layers of pastry and a steaming hot meaty filling. Im sold and I hope Im allowed to keep this PR sample!

Next, the 69.99 Classic Stand Mixer. Im lucky enough to own a KitchenAid, so this will really be put through its paces - despite the brand saying it is more suited for beginners rather than kitchen whizzes - and I plan to test each of the attachments it comes with. Theres a whisk, a dough hook and a beater, so I get going with the whisk part first.

With a professional style mixer retailing at 69.99, compared to the 400 KitchenAid branded equivalent; an innovative family pie maker at 19.99 and swanky silicon utensils and candy coloured bakeware from just 1.99, Aldi is clearly hoping to cash in on baking fever sweeping the country in time for the new series of Great British Bake Off

The machine certainly looks the part, with a pleasing retro design and a pearlescent cream finish with chrome controls and a stainless steel bowl. Theres also a handy detachable splash guard, which proves invaluable when working with runny mixtures that tend to go all over my kitchen walls and worktops.

Im making aioli, the Spanish style garlic mayonnaise, to test the whisk and it happily stops the oil whizzing all over the place.

If making by hand, aioli and other mayonnaise style recipes take a fair bit of whisking and have a propensity to split if the oil isnt added to the egg yolks slowly and carefully enough, but in this machine it takes under a minute to make a satisfactory result using low speeds on the six speed control (you can also pulse it).

The heavier pieces of garlic are just out of reach of the whisk right at the base of the mixing bowl, but it still mixes it all pretty well. A win.

The pie maker is essentially a heated press and works in the same way as a toasted sandwich maker or waffle machine (which they also have in the new range)

The instructions call for you to use the handy pie cutter to size your pastry perfectly  a larger base and a smaller lid. Joanne said: 'This alone is invaluable and I would pay good money for a pastry cutter like this as the pastry tucks into the concave base like a dream with no overlap or pesky folds inside'

Joanne was thrilled with the result, which she described as perfectly golden evenly cooked pastry and a very sturdy, perfect looking pie that comes away from the non-stick plates with no problem at all

Now, the bread hook attachment. Im making a basic bread dough of flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil and combine them all in the mixing bowl before setting the machine to work on a medium setting for a few minutes.

The mixture comes together remarkably quickly and there is no sticky residue around the bowl, just a good, elastic dough mixture. Very good and saves a lot of elbow grease.

Lastly, I try the beater to make a cake batter. Usually Id make this by hand as my toddler loves helping to mix and my cakes tend to be sponge based or brownies, which wont put this machine through its paces; I need a trickier recipe.

After consulting a far more accomplished baker friend, I settle on a malt loaf as she advises that the high fruit content and presence of sticky ingredients - like malt extract or treacle (I used treacle) - can be a devil to combine evenly.

I chuck everything (eggs, tea, muscovado, baking powder, bicarb, flour, 300g dried fruit and 175g treacle) into the bowl and hope for the best. Its a thick, stiff, mixture, but the beater does a pretty good job of bringing it all together.

Lastly, Joanne tries the beater to make a cake batter. She said: 'Usually Id make this by hand as my toddler loves helping to mix and my cakes tend to be sponge based or brownies, which wont put this machine through its paces; I need a trickier recipe'

Joanne used the mixer to make a malt loaf as her friend advises that the high fruit content and presence of sticky ingredients - like malt extract or treacle (I used treacle) - can be a devil to combine evenly - she was delighted with the results

I have to stop the mixer and manually scrape the sides down with one of the new Aldi spatulas a couple of times, but other than that Im pleased with the result. It all goes into a loaf tin and then the oven for its time of reckoning and an hour later, I think even Mary Berry would be impressed with the rise and the even fruit distribution in the loaf.

To summarise, Id happily have both appliances in my kitchen. I think the pie machine is absolute genius and a godsend for busy families who still want to cook from scratch (well, with pre-made pastry!) and eat well. And the price is very good.
A young mother has been forced to defend her parenting skills because strangers constantly think her daughter's skin condition is due to a burns injury.

Danni Latham, 21, from Walsall, West Midlands, was devastated when midwives explained her baby girl had no skin on her hands or feet.

Isla, now two, was diagnosed at eight weeks old with Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) - a rare skin condition that leaves large blisters all over her body.

But Miss Latham says she has been verbally attacked by strangers who believe her daughter's skin condition is due to negligence.

Baby Isla was diagnosed at eight weeks old with Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) - a rare skin condition that leaves blisters all over the body

Danni Latham, from Walsall, West Mids, has found herself being verbally attacked by strangers who believe her skin condition is burn since she was born in 2014

The full-time mother said: 'People have stopped me in the street and asked "what have you done to her? Has she not worn suncream? She looks burnt?" It's so hurtful.

'We have been battling every parent's worst nightmare, baffled doctors, no cure and cruel taunts from disapproving strangers.'

Isla was given just weeks to live by doctors, with 40 per cent of children dying within a year of birth.

Doctors warned she was missing a layer from her skin which protects it, causing any friction to trigger a blister.

Miss Latham discharged her daughter after six days of being born due to frustration at doctors not knowing anything about EB.

Isla was diagnosed with a milder form of the condition eight weeks later.

Miss Latham now has to clean, cream and dress her daughter's blisters every morning and night to prevent infection. Isla was given just weeks to live as 40 per cent of children with the condition die within a year of birth

Doctors warned Isla was missing a layer from her skin which protects it, causing any friction to trigger a blister

Isla was diagnosed with EB Simplex - a milder form of the condition - at just eight weeks old. Miss Latham said: 'I was heartbroken when my baby was born with no skin on her hands or feet but her skin went from bad to worse'

She now has to clean, cream and dress her daughter's blisters every morning and night to avoid infections.

Sometimes Miss Latham even wakes up in the middle of the night to pop some blisters while her daughter is asleep.

She said: 'I was heartbroken when my baby was born with no skin on her hands or feet but her skin went from bad to worse.

WHAT IS EPIDERMOLYSIS BULLOSA? Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a general term used to describe a group of rare inherited skin disorders that cause the skin to become very fragile. Any trauma or friction to the skin can cause painful blisters. In most cases, the symptoms of EB are obvious from birth. It is caused by faulty genes inherited from one or both parents. There are many cases when both parents are carriers of the faulty gene without realising it. EB is rare. Just one in every 17,000 children has it. There is no cure for EB so the treatment aims at preventing blisters becoming infected. Advertisement

'When I was told there was no cure for my daughter's skin condition, I was beyond devastated.

'Just hours after she was born her body was turning into one big blister. I cried and begged them to help her.

'I will always do my best by Isla and although me and my family have had a tough few years, I won't allow it to get us down.'

Children with the condition are sometimes known as 'butterfly children' as they are very delicate to touch.

Isla is currently undergoing tests to determine why she has EB - but her family know it's genetic.

Miss Latham is now raising money for her daughter to receive treatment from Irwin McLean, a professor of human genetics at the University of Dundee, to give her daughter the best possible future.

She said: 'I have travelled across the UK to seek private health care and visit leading specialists but in order for Isla to lead a normal life there needs to be a breakthrough in treatment for research EB.

'I want to help to try and find my girl and all the other innocent children something that may just help the day to day pain and nightmare of this condition.'

But despite being in daily pain, Isla loves nothing more than playing with her toys, wearing fancy dress and having her friends over.

However, her mother is worried about her starting school in two years time - but she is confident her daughter will make friends.

She is sharing her story in a desperate attempt to raise awareness for the condition and to increase funds for others with the condition.

To support Miss Latham visit:https://www.gofundme.com/2hskvks

Despite being in daily pain, Isla loves nothing more than playing with her toys, wearing fancy dress and having her friends over. However, her mother is worried about her starting school in two years time
Designed to reduce damage to heart muscle and brain caused by attack

Technique works by reducing temperature internally from 36C to 32C

A father-of-two who had a heart attack has become the first person in the UK to undergo a revolutionary procedure dubbed 'the baked Alaska'.

Steve Jaggers had a heart attack on July 6 - despite considering himself fit and healthy.

Like many patients, he underwent surgery to have a stent fitted to open up the blocked artery.

But the 50-year-old was also given a new treatment to reduce the damage to his heart muscle - and the risk of heart failure.

The technique involves cooling the body temperature to minimise swelling and damage caused to the heart muscle following a heart attack.

Known as therapeutic hypothermia, it reduces the body temperature reduced from a 'normal' 36.5C to 32C.

How Steve Jaggers underwent the 'baked Alaska' procedure after his heart attack

Father-of-two Steve Jaggers was taken to hospital suffering a heart attack. He became the first patient in the UK to undergo the new procedure, which quickly cools the body from the inside 'like a baked Alaska,' to minimise the damage from an attack

The method works the same way as a cold compress on a bruised arm  except the cooling takes place inside the body.

Specifically, the new technique is designed to stop damage caused by the rapid reflow of blood after a blockage in an artery is removed.

It involves surgeons inserting a catheter with balloon into the main vein that runs through the body - the inferior vena cava.

A cool liquid is then transferred into the balloon which cools the body down from the inside, far faster than other external techniques such as cooling blankets.

During the procedure, Mr Jaggers was wrapped in warm blankets to stop him from shivering while his temperature was gradually reduced.

He remained conscious throughout the procedure at The Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, based at Basildon Hospital.

The specialist unit at Basildon Hospital, pictured here operating on Mr Jaggers, is taking part in a worldwide trial using the new cooling technique

Speaking about it, the home maintenance worker said: 'It was such a strange sensation, I don't know how to explain it.

'Inside I was cold. I felt like I was shivering inside, but I wasn't showing it.

'It didn't feel like me. It was a bit of an out of body experience. It was weird but nice.'

Mr Jaggers was taken to Basildon Hospital and underwent the pioneering treatment after suffering a heart attack on July 6

Within 18 minutes of being admitted to theatre, Mr Jaggers' temperature was 32.5C and at its lowest was 31.7 degrees.

Dr Thomas Keeble, consultant cardiologist, explained: 'By cooling the patient before we open the artery, we can protect the heart and significantly reduce the amount of heart damage.

'It's essential to do this quickly - we cool them from the inside but keep their outside warm, much like a baked Alaska.'

After the surgery Mr Jaggers was warmed up by one degree an hour to ensure the blood did not rush back into the affected tissue and cause unnecessary damage.

'It felt like being abroad in the sun, where you get hotter and hotter,' he said.

'I felt like my insides were being warmed from the outside. It seemed to take ages.

'Now I feel completely fine. It's like nothing has happened to me.
Tap water is being tested as a way to clean out and heal foot wounds that are common in diabetes.

Researchers say that when electricity is passed through tap water, it turns it into a cheap antiseptic solution that cleans out dead tissue, bacteria and debris that can hinder the wound healing process.

This electrolysed water is being tested in a trial run by NHS Lanarkshire of 200 patients with diabetes.

Around four million people are expected to have type 2 diabetes within a decade.

Tap water is being tested as a way to clean out foot wounds, which are common in diabetes

Patients often develop ulcers or open wounds that dont heal because of poor circulation, a complication of the condition.

These foot ulcers and wounds can fail to heal for months and sometimes years. Unchecked and untreated, they can become infected, which can lead to the tissue in the surrounding area dying and, ultimately, the limb may need to be amputated.

Every year, around 5,000 people in the UK undergo an amputation as a result of diabetes.

Treatments for foot ulcers include wound debridement, where dead tissue and bacteria in the wound are manually removed and then the wound dressed.

However, one problem is that wounds can often become infected with bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics.

The new approach, developed by UK company Aqualution, involves passing an electric current through a mixture of tap water and salt for a couple of minutes. Research has shown this turns the water into an acidic solution that has antiseptic properties.

Foot woundscan often become infected with bacteria that are resistant to normal antibiotics

This water is thought to offer a two-pronged approach: physically removing the debris and bacteria during the washing process and killing bacteria.

CAN YOU TREAT FOOT SORES WITH A STEM CELL JAB? A jab of stem cells may also help treat hard-to-heal foot wounds. A jab of stem cells could potentially help treat hard-to-heal foot wounds Around 250 patients are taking part in a trial at the Southern Medical University, China, where they will have stem cells  cells that have the ability to become any kind of cell in the body  taken from their bone marrow, processed, and injected into and around their wounds. Researchers carrying out the trial, believe that the cells will boost levels of blood cells, speeding up wound healing. Advertisement

One of the ways in which it is thought to work against bacteria is through a process called electroporation.

The low levels of electrical activity in the water create holes or pores in the membrane of the bacteria cell, which breaks down the walls of the cells and kills them.

In the new trial at Hairmyres Hospital in Lanarkshire, doctors will wash out 200 patients foot wounds with electrolysed water or use a conventional healing gel  they will then monitor how the wound heals for three months. Researchers say they have run a pilot study that produced encouraging results.

Commenting on the development, Stella Vig, a consultant vascular surgeon at Croydon University Hospital, says: This is an interesting concept where something as simple and cheap as tap water could make such a difference to the world of wound healing. Electrified water may well change the way these bacteria behave.
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Dementia patients are being left in healthcare black spots, an official report will say today.

In a postcode lottery, standards vary hugely from area to area. Elderly sufferers can go a year without their needs being assessed.

Emergency admission rates are three times higher in some regions than in others  suggesting problems are spotted too late.

And huge numbers are being forced to die in hospital, away from the comfort and security of home.

The shortcomings are exposed by the first NHS atlas of treatment standards.

Click on the interactive map below to see how your area fares

Caroline Abrahams, of Age UK, said it revealed that care was patchy to say the least.

This is an unacceptable postcode lottery of care, she added. We must continue efforts to improve access and quality of care for the growing number of us living with dementia.

In some areas help is really good, but elsewhere services are frankly not up to scratch, with only a few people receiving at least an annual review of their care following diagnosis.

The findings are even more worrying against the backdrop of a rise in dementia cases.

Around 850,000 Britons live with dementia, but the number is predicted to soar to one million by 2025 and two million by 2050.

NHS guidelines say every patient should have a face-to-face meeting at least once a year to have their care plan reviewed.

The atlas shows that fewer than 50 per cent of dementia patients in Somerset receive this. Yet in North East Lincolnshire 86 per cent of patients are seen within the timeframe.

Major variations are seen in emergency hospital admissions. In Bradford, 6,000 dementia patients were admitted for every 100,000 people over the age of 65 in 2014/15, the highest rate in the country.

In Croydon, which had the lowest rate, the figure was just 1,840 per 100,000.

A similar gulf is seen in the numbers who die in their own home.

Around 850,000 Britons live with dementia, but the number is predicted to soar to one million by 2025 and two million by 2050

About two thirds of Britons would prefer to spend their final days there, surrounded by loved-ones and their belongings.

But in the borough of Newham in East London, only 34 per cent do so, compared with 83 per cent in central Cheshire.

George McNamara, of the Alzheimers Society, said: Everyone with a dementia diagnosis must have a meaningful care plan that specifically meets their needs.

Far too often people with dementia are being let down by a system that doesnt provide for them, denying them access to vital care and support that could significantly improve quality of life.

The atlas exposes varied care, with some areas reporting much higher numbers of emergency hospital admissions.

Hospitals are frightening and unsettling places for people with dementia, so we need to do all we can do reduce unnecessary and potentially harmful admissions.

Additionally, in some parts of the country, people with dementia were much less likely to have had their care reviewed in the last 12 months than in others  something which is extremely important given that dementia is a progressive condition and a persons needs become more severe over time.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will publish the atlas online today.

He said: People living with dementia deserve the best possible care  and this new dementia atlas is designed to drive improvements across the country.

By publishing the current levels of care, we are shining a spotlight on areas where there is still work to be done, while highlighting where we can learn from best practice.

Experts have long called for a far more transparent system by which patients can judge the quality of care in their area.

CAREY MULLIGAN TELLS OF GRANDMOTHER'S STRUGGLE Carey Mulligan is a global ambassador to promote awareness of the illness From her grandmothers struggle to use a knife and fork to her changing moods, Carey Mulligan and her family have adapted to ensure she is treated with dignity and respect following her dementia diagnosis. Yesterday the award- winning star urged others to do the same as she was unveiled as a global ambassador to promote awareness of the illness. She said: My Nan has dementia and I have experienced first-hand how devastating it can be. It affects everyone differently and its so important that everyone affected by the condition is treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. At the moment there is not nearly enough awareness and as a global society we have a duty to change that. The first step involves educating people and breaking down stigma  not just on our doorstep but across the world. Great Gatsby star Miss Mulligan, 31, also said some in society were largely ignorant when confronted with a dementia sufferer and that there needed to be more education on the subject. She said: I remember a couple of years ago being in a queue at a tube station and seeing an elderly woman trying to use a paper ticket at an Oyster gate. There were ten people in front of me and in the end people just peeled around her while she continued to struggle. It was so evident to me she had dementia but that people werent aware. In her role as Global Dementia Friends Ambassador Mulligan will work with the Department of Health and Alzheimers Society to take their work global. Miss Mulligans grandmother Margaret Booth, once a gifted piano player and a geography teacher, had Alzheimers diagnosed more than ten years ago, when in her mid-70s. Advertisement

They welcomed the new atlas  but said hospitals must go further.

Mr McNamara said: Its currently easier to find out about your hospitals finances than the quality of dementia care they provide.

To make hospitals more transparent and accountable, we are calling for them to publish an annual statement on dementia care  this would include the number of readmissions and length of stay.

He added: We would like to see this level of detailed information featured in the atlas so we know where to focus efforts to improve standards.

According to a survey of over-50s conducted last year by Saga, 68 per cent of people in Britain fear that they will develop dementia, surpassing the 9 per cent who are frightened about getting cancer.
A member of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), has accused the Narendra Modi government of double standards over cow protection in India.

In a letter sent to 3,500 gaushalas (cow pens), board member NG Jayasimha said the NDA government is making damaging cuts to the financial grant used for up-keep of facilities, and the prevention of cattle-smuggling.

Jayasimha wrote in a letter accessed by Mail Today: The government has only made political capital out of the issue of cow protection, while in reality it has only encouraged elements who pretend to be gau-rakshakhs".

A member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, has accused the Narendra Modi government of double standards over its commitment to cow protection

The letter will embarrass the NDA government which is facing criticism over recent incidents of self-styled gau-rakshaks (cow protectors) delivering street justice to alleged cattle smugglers.

According to the letter - the total financial grant to the board stood at Rs 1,200.74 crore in 2014-15, but was cut to Rs 784.85 crore in 2015-16.

AWBI board member NG Jayasimha has said the NDA government is making damaging cuts to the financial grant used for up-keep of facilities and the prevention of cattle-smuggling

The letter also cited that monetary support to the board had been on the decline under UPA rule too.

In 2011-12, when the grant was Rs 2,177.58 crore, it was then reduced to Rs 1,606.43 crore in 2012-13.

The following year the amount was again cut to Rs 1,299.8 crore.

Action

The letter alleged that money for the up-keep of cows pens was also reduced in the past two years, from Rs 480.77 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 141.03 crore in 2015-16.

Jayasimha also told Mail Today that trafficking of cows has continued unabated.

He said the board members visited Bangladesh after Home Minister Rajnath Singhs claimed of have ended cow smuggling across the border.

Instead the members found a consistent stream of cows coming from India to slaughterhouses in Bangladesh.

We found only 10-12 per cent increase in cost of beef in Bangladesh, which meant that cows were still being smuggled in large numbers. The story was same in Bhutan and Vietnam, he said.

About 90 per cent of the financial aid given to the board is used in the up-keep and construction of gaushalas across the country.

Jayasimha said the board had expected a slew of measures for the welfare of cows after the Modi government came to power.

Most of the financial aid given to the board is used in the up-keep and construction of gaushalas across the country

We hoped that the BJP government will give special priority to the conservation of cows, and special assistance to gaushalas committed towards saving old and stray cows from falling victim to butchers.

"But the government has been working in the opposite direction, the letter said.

The board member accused the Centre of having failed to protect cows as lakhs of cows are being sold to butchers daily, while gaushala representatives are being given false promises at national symposiums.

Reaction

Environment ministry officials told Mail Today that the member had erred by going behind the governments back and writing to gaushalas directly.

This is not done on part of the board. We will initiate action against the member and issue show-cause notice to him and the board very soon, a high-ranking ministry official told Mail Today, requesting anonymity.

In a related development, Ashok Thakur, the government nominee in the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED), demanded action against Jayasimha for trying to portray the BJP regime as anti-cow.
Delhi's leading hospitals have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes in the rainy season, exposing thousands of doctors and patients to the deadly dengue bug.

As resident doctors fall ill, cases of dengue and malaria are reported to be on the rise in campuses of AIIMS, Safdarjung hospital and Lady Harding medical college (LHMC).

According to sources, more than 100 resident doctors at AIIMS and their families have fallen prey to high fever, chickungunya or dengue so far this season.

Leading hospitals in Delhi have become a breeding ground for mosquitoes in the rainy season, exposing thousands of patients to the deadly dengue bug. According to sources, 100 doctors have fallen ill

Delhi had reported its second dengue death on Friday, with 38-year-old Nazesh falling victim to the vector-borne disease.

The first death was reported on July 21 when a 17-year-old girl passed at Lok Nayak hospital on July 21.

The national capital has so far reported 171 cases of dengue, a five-year high.

Dengue is a debilitating viral disease of the tropics, transmitted by mosquitoes that causes sudden fever and acute pains in the joints

In 2015, a total of 119 cases of dengue were reported in Delhi.

Dr Vijay Kumar, president, Residents Doctor Association (RDA), AIIMS told Mail Today: We are left with no other option, and are moving to private hospital for the treatment. Nothing is being done to tackle the situation at the campus. The resident doctors are also not getting beds".

The countrys premier institute has been facing acute shortage of doctors with only seven senior resident doctors left in the emergency department of the hospital.

Dengue is commonly spread by mosquitoes that multiply after heavy rainfall

There is an acute shortage of doctors in the emergency ward. At present, there are only seven senior resident doctors who are managing the work for more than 1,000 patients.

"There are posts for 20 doctors in the department. We are equally helpless and cannot work in this situation, said a senior doctor from AIIMS requesting anonymity.

The AIIMS administration, on the other hand has scheduled an interview to fill vacant positions in the coming months.

There is an interview scheduled soon and after due processes we will definitely fill in all the vacant posts, said Dr DK Sharma, medical superintendent, AIIMS.

Not only AIIMS, but medical staff at other hospitals like Safdarjung, LHMC and RML are also falling ill.

A senior doctor from LHMC told Mail Today: Four-five doctors in our campus have been diagnosed with chickungunya and many more have dengue symptoms. There is a lot of construction work going on in the hospital premises which has been left in middle".

The Delhi government has also prepared a list of high-risk areas in Delhi that includes many government hospitals like Babu Jagjivan Ram hospital, AIIMS, Safdarjung hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and the National Chest Institute.

All these areas have been identified under the sites which need special care. We are conducting regular awareness programmes and are insisting on continuous fumigation in these areas.

"We are focusing more on preventive measures this year, said Dr SM Raheja, additional director general of health services (ADGHS), Delhi government.
Ex-commando Havildar Hangpan Dada will be posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra after serving his country valiantly in the Naugam Sector of Kupwara district, Jammu and Kashmir.

The Ashoka Chakra is India's highest peacetime military decoration, awarded for valor, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the battlefield

On May 26, 2016, Havildar Hangpan Dada died in combat after fighting with grit and valour, killing four militants before making the supreme sacrifice.

Ex-commando Havildar Hangpan Dada will be posthumously awarded the Ashok Chakra after serving his country valiantly in the Naugam Sector of Jammu and Kashmir

When terrorists managed to break through an Army control point at Naugam Sector in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, Dada's section was tasked to chase and apprehend the retreating terrorists, his citation read.

Displaying ingenuity and understanding of the territory, the ex-commando moved with incredible speed through the in-hospitable, high-altitude terrain.

His brave actions blocked the militant's escape route and in the ensuing firefight, when his section was pinned down by heavy fire, he moved to a flank and closed in, saving the lives of his comrades, his citation read.

The gallantry awards approved by the President, who is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, include just one Ashok Chakra, 14 Shaurya Chakras, 63 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals and two Vayu Sena Medals.

A total of 948 central and state forces police personnel were also awarded gallantry and other service medals on the eve of Independence Day.

Displaying ingenuity and understanding of the territory, Dada is said to have moved with incredible speed through the in-hospitable, high-altitude terrain (file pic)

The top honour of Presidents Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) has been given to three Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel for thwarting terrorist attacks at Indian Consulates at Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad in Afghanistan early this year.
President Pranab Mukherjee has said that recent attacks on Dalits and minorities go against India's national ethos.

In his address to the nation on the eve of Indias 70th Independence Day, the President warned against the pursuit of a divisive political agenda.

The President also made it clear that democracy was not just about exercising the periodic election of government.

In his address to the nation on the eve of Indias 70th Independence Day the President slammed forces of intolerance and said that recent attacks on Dalits are an aberration of India's national ethos

In his fifth address to the nation since assuming office, the President asked authorities and Institutions of State Power to adhere to the Maryada (dignity) in the duties.

President Mukherjee added: 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.

Activists from Dalit Shoshan Mukti Manch protest against the increasing atrocities on dalits

The President said the collective wisdom of our society gave him the confidence that such forces will remain marginalised, and Indias remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted.

He said India will grow as one and that those excluded will have to be included in the development process.

The hurt and the alienated have to be brought back into the mainstream, he added.

Making a plea for promoting scientific temper and questioning unscientific beliefs, Mukherjee 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, he said.

The West Bengal Youth Congress raise awareness of Dalit student, Rohit Vemula's suicide

Mukherjee said Indias focus in foreign policy will remain on peaceful co-existence and harnessing technology and resources for its economic development.
Independence Day celebrations at the Supreme Court on Monday began on a dramatic note when the Tricolour being hoisted by Chief Justice of India (CJI) TS Thakur fell down as the law minister and other top judges looked on.

The pole was uprooted, the flag fastened to the rope, and it was hoisted again amid a rerun of the national anthem.

Chief Justice TS Thakur used the flag mishap as an illustration of his resolve to improve the country's judicial system - despite the Government's failure to prioritise it

But minutes later, the CJI used the episode to lash out at the Modi government and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in particular for not sparing a thought for the justice delivery system. He also blasted the delays in appointing judges and an intense standoff over a mechanism to fill vacancies in courts.

He said: Ravi Shankar Prasad ji gaanth ke pakke hein. Lekin agar yeh gaanth ke pakke hain toh hum bhi gaanth ke kachchey nahi hain. Gaanth hamari bhi pakki hai jo humne aaj dikha bhi diya. Jhanda gira lekin humne dandey ko phir se ukhad key jhanda baandha aur phir se use laharaya. ("Ravi Shankar Prasad is adamant. But if that is so, we too are adamant and steadfast in our resolve. We demonstrated it today. The flag fell off, but we uprooted the pole, tied the flag to it and hoisted it again. That is our resolve), Thakur said amid thunderous applause.

The hard-hitting remarks came days after the Chief Justice of India slammed the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre for trying to bring the entire judicial system to a grinding halt by delaying judges appointments - and warned that the Supreme Court may be forced to intervene on the issue by passing orders.

The Tricolour being hoisted by Chief Justice TS Thakur suddenly fell down (centre), and the national anthem had to be played again

Millions of cases are pending in Indias courts, draining litigants of resources and showing the urgent need for more judges and judicial reforms.

Thakur said this year that the country needs to double the number of judges from its current strength of 21,000 to about 40,000.

The CJI pointed out that he will speak bluntly both inside and outside the court as he knows he has reached the peak of his career, and from here he does not have anywhere else to go.

I have no hesitation in saying anything. You may make roads, schools, hospitals, but please also do say something about justice delivery to people. I heard the speech of the PM for an hour and also that of the law minister. I thought they will say something about justice delivery and appointment of judges. Cases are piling up as there arent a sufficient number of judges. But it seems the government is not bothered.

You claim you have given so much to the other sectors. Throw something towards us also, CJI Thakur said, ending a 20-minute speech which earned him a standing ovation.

Deep differences persist between the collegium headed by the CJI and the Centre over the memorandum of procedure (MOP) for the appointment of SC and HC judges being drafted by the government.

CJI Thakur's 20-minute speech earned him a standing ovation

The apex court last year struck down a new law that replaced the system of judges appointing judges with a panel in which the executive was to have a say in judicial appointments, saying it eroded judicial independence.

The collegium also feels that most clauses in the MOP being drafted by the government are not in harmony with the independent functioning of the judiciary.

"The collegium has cleared 75 names of high court judges (for transfer/ appointment) but they have not been approved, the CJI said in open court on Friday while hearing a PIL on the issue.

I don't know why, where these files are stuck. Why there is mistrust. Judges who have been transferred by the collegium have not been transferred. We don't want all this."

On April 25, during the national conference of state chief justices and chief ministers, an emotional Thakur launched an unprecedented attack on the present and previous governments for blaming the judiciary for the backlog of cases, which has hit an alarming 3.14 crore, while doing nothing to increase the number of judges and courts despite repeated pleas from the judiciary.

Speaking before the CJI, Law Minister Prasad said his government was committed to the cause of judicial independence and very soon a memorandum of procedure will be finalised after harmonious consultation with the collegium.
A CRPF Commanding Officer (CO) was killed and nine security force personnel were wounded on Monday, after armed militants attacked Jammu and Kashmir Police and paramilitary forces in old Srinagar on Independence Day.

The two militants were killed after a four-hour-long gunfight.

The attack was carried out amid a complete curfew and tight security arrangements across the Valley, which has been witnessing large-scale protests for over a month now.

CRPF Commanding Officer Pramod Kumar served in Kashmir, Assam, Jammu, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. He is survived by his wife and a seven-year-old daughter

Last time the militants carried out such an attack on Independence Day was in 2005.

This morning (Monday), militants fired upon police and CRPF deployment at Nowhatta Chowk. In the militant firing, nine security force personnel, including Commanding Officer of CRPF 49 Bn Promod Kumar and a police constable, were injured, a police spokesman said.

He said all the injured were shifted to hospital for treatment where the CO, Pramod Kumar, succumbed to his injuries.

The spokesman said the militants entered a building after the attack which was immediately cordoned off.

An encounter ensued in which two militants were killed. Their identity is being ascertained. Two AK rifles and eight magazines with ammunition have been recovered from the encounter site, the spokesman said.

Indian paramilitary soldiers exit the building in which militants were holed up after a gunfight in the Nowhatta area of downtown of Srinagar

According to a CRPF official, the paramilitary personnel came under militant attack. He said the forces retaliated and the militants escaped to a nearby building and took position there.

The official said the Commanding Officer rushed to the area along with the Quick Reaction Team. The CRPF official said the CO was killed in the gunfight between the security forces and the militants.

Police sources said the militants had carried out the attack in a planned manner. They said the militants escaped towards an abandoned house and took up position there.

Paramilitary soldiers in position near the building where the militants retreated

Sources said that once the security forces assembled near the house the militants opened fire, injuring the CO and other security personnel.

In a different incident, the Army said it foiled an infiltration attempt in Uri sector, around 90 km northwest of Srinagar.

The army said the troops noticed some suspicious movements along the LoC on Monday morning and launched the attack to stop the infiltration.
Two women lose their lives every five days over dowry disputes, according to shocking Delhi Police data for the period from January to July 31 this year.

The figures underscore an unpalatable truth about the social evil that hides behind the happy images of big fat Indian weddings.

According to the statistics, there has been a 15-20 per cent surge in cases of "dowry deaths" as well as cruelty by husbands and in-laws this year.

Last year, the police had registered 2,001 dowry-related cases, but this year the figure reached 2,369 in the same period.

Delhi Police registered 92 dowry deaths up until July 31 this year, including murders and the suicides of women reportedly tortured and harassed by their in-laws or husbands.

Last year, police registered 2,001 dowry-related cases, but this year the figure reached 2,369 in the same period.

Delhi Police have applied the Dowry Prohibition Act in 13 cases this year. The outlawed custom sees the brides family give items such as jewellery, clothes, cars, and money to the groom and his parents to ensure she is taken care of in her new home.

The recent trend shows that dowry demands from the grooms family generally start after the marriage, resulting in mental and physical harassment that can lead to suicide or even the murder of the bride.

The city has multiple organisations, wings of police, government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on the dowry issue and counselling women at various levels.

A special commissioner-rank official has been appointed and every police station has a dedicated phone number for such complaints.

A senior Delhi Police official associated with crimes against women told Mail Today: We are analysing the reasons for the sudden rise in such cases related to dowry.

"This year there is an almost 18 per cent rise in dowry-related cases. Also, deaths due to dowry have increased more than 20 per cent, which is an alarming figure. This year, we have seen higher suicide rates due to dowry as well.

With the rise in dowry-related crimes, almost a fifth of female prisoners in the citys Tihar Jail are accused in such cases under sections 498A and 406 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In the prison, a part of jail number 6 is famous as the Saas-Nanad (Mother-in-law and sister-in-law) barracks. This wing holds only women accused in dowry harassment cases, which largely consists of mothers and sisters-in-law.
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In his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made reference to the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit, and Balochistan, stating that people from there have thanked him for focusing attention on their plight.

And shortly afterwards, Pakistan invited India for talks on Kashmir on Monday.

The move has already been rejected by New Delhi, which insists a dialogue can only take place on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the Red Fort in New Delhi. The PM used his speech to condemn Pakistan for "celebrating the killing of innocents".

An Indian man takes a selfie with Indian Border Security Force soldiers near the border gates between India and Pakistan on the occasion of India's 70th Independence Day

People in distant land, which I have not even seen, people that I have not met... when those people thank the Indian Prime Minister, greet him, it is an honour for the 125 crore people of the country. And that is why, today I want to thank the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir whole-heartedly, Modi said in his Independence Day speech.

The PM also lashed out at Pakistan for glorifying terrorists.

Pakistan foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks.

Pakistans Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry has invited his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar for talks on Kashmir

The Foreign Secretary called in the Indian High Commissioner on Monday and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between the nations, Zakaria said.

The invitation to initiate a dialogue comes amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue.

The letter highlights the international obligation of both India and Pakistan to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the statement said.

Pakistans advisor on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys had agreed earlier this month that Pakistan should seek talks with India.

The invite came days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed Parliament on the Kashmir issue and said that India was willing to discuss only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with Pakistan, and that the question of discussing Jammu and Kashmir with Islamabad just does not arise.

India also virtually turned down Pakistans proposal to invite India for a dialogue on J&K, and made clear that it would only talk about contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.

People fill Rajpath with a sea of colour and light to celebrate Independence Day in New Delhi

Indian students take part in a cultural program during Independence Day celebrations in Bangalore

Schoolchildren dressed in yellow and blue uniforms sit in formation to form the number 70 at the Red Fort in New Delhi

Meanwhile, referring to the Peshawar school attack in which more than 140 people, most of them children, were killed, the Prime Minister said Indias Parliament and the countrys schools and children had felt the pain as the country has a strong foundation of humanity.

But look at the other side where terrorism is being glorified. Where killing of innocents by terrorists is celebrated. What kind of terrorism-inspired life is it?

What kind of government is inspired by terrorism? The world will need to understand the double standards, Modi said.

After the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani, a young Kashmiri man, Pakistan declared him a martyr and organised events in his memory.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi was addressing the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was attending the event, started trending on social media as pictures of him with his eyes shut went viral.

The AAP supremo - who returned from a meditation centre this week after spending 10 days in Dharamshala - was caught on camera with his eyes shut.

Defending him, Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra attacked Modi by saying his speech was the most boring ever.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was caught on camera with his eyes closed during the PM's Independence Day speech

If at all Olympics had a medal for the most boring public speech then Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have received gold, said Mishra.

Senior AAP leader Ashutosh pointed out that other cabinet ministers were also seen napping during the Prime Ministers speech. He raised questions over why no one was talking about Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar, who were spotted with their eyes shut.

He shared a picture showing both ministers with their eyes closed.

Why Media only targeting Kejriwal? Three cabinet ministers Jaitley/Parrikar/Anant Kumar sleeping during PMs speech, media not showing ? he wrote on Twitter.

Eagle-eyed Twitter uses posted pictures of Cabinet ministers Arun Jaitley and Manohar Parrikar (circled) appearing to nap during the PM's big moment

Referring to a picture in which cameras caught the moment, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said it seems that Modis speech was really boring.

An hour later, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal compared the current situation of Delhi with that of the pre-independence era and demanded full statehood for Delhi as he questioned the power of the state's voters.

See this picture. 3 cabinet ministers Jaitley/Parrikar/Anant Kumar sleeping during PM's speech, media not showing ? https://t.co/zcrT2PIbE3  ashutosh (@ashutosh83B) August 15, 2016

Kejriwal claimed that the Centre was chipping away at the elected governments power through a system which was akin to the national Capital being governed by the colonial Government of India Act, 1935.

He claimed that residents of Delhi were being made to feel that the value of their votes was less compared to other states, where electors have the right to choose governments with their voting powers.

People are angry. Why is the value of a Delhi citizens vote less than that of citizens belonging to states like Chhattishgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha? In other states, the value of an electors votes is 100, but in Delhi, it is 20. Are the people of Delhi less patriotic? Kejriwal questioned during his Independence Day speech at Chatrasal stadium.

Kejriwal salutes at Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi on Independence Day

Hitting out at the central government, he said that under the Government of India Act 1935, people had the right to choose their representatives, but the British had the powers to run the government.

At present, the Centre has established the system of the the Raj-era law in Delhi.

In Delhi, people can select the Chief Minister, MLAs and form the government, but they dont have the power to govern with full rights. Are we half citizens? Despite Delhiites paying their taxes, I cant understand why the democratic rights are being taken away from the people of Delhi, Kejriwal said.

He said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would continue to fight for full statehood and would go to any extent for the purpose.

He also said that goons in the high echelons of the government hinder the progressive works of Delhi.
As the nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day, examining its achievements and challenges, the Niti Aayog has proposed a plan to overcome one of the key challenges facing India: a lack of equitable and affordable healthcare facilities for millions of poor Indians.

Since it comes from a public-funded body chaired by the Prime Minister himself, one would have assumed the plan would address the need for doctors capable of serving the poor and rural areas.

But what the Aayog has recommended in its latest report on reforming medical education is only likely to please profit-makers in the private sector.

Public medical colleges maintain the quality of education and have students from diverse backgrounds

It wants the government to permit for-profit medical colleges as a solution to Indias health woes.

Not just this, the commission says there should be no cap on the fees charged by the private colleges.

The report dashes whatever hopes the poor have from the state-run health system in India.

In one stroke, the committee headed by the Aayog vice-chairman and three IAS officers has undone all the hard work done by health experts as well as parliamentary committees in recent years.

The Aayog has suggested a supremely weak regulatory system, and has even carved a role for itself in appointing medical regulators.

If accepted, these recommendations could send Indias health system into a spiral of high cost care for the majority of people.

At present, only not-for-profit organisations like trusts and societies are permitted to establish medical colleges.

Over the years, this system has become corrupt with the practice of capitation fees and sale of medical seats for amounts as high as Rs 1 crore.

The Aayogs weird logic is that the current ban on for-profit institutions has not prevented private institutions from extracting profits - so why not make profit legal and let private companies float medical colleges and make money?

Not just this, the panel says, there should be no cap on the fees such medical education companies can charge as a fee cap would discourage entry of private colleges, thereby undermining the objective of rapid expansion of medical education.

Several empirical studies have documented the negative impact of existing private medical colleges.

Private medical colleges are disproportionately concentrated in some states in the south and the west; students who go there come from affluent families and most end up in corporate hospitals to recover the investments they make.

All this means a high cost of service and care for people in need.

The situation would worsen when for-profit companies are allowed to run medical colleges. The first movers in this game could be corporate hospitals themselves.

Will a doctor graduating from a corporate medical college ever be willing to work in a public health facility - be it urban or rural - or do research?

Will such a doctor even be aware of Indias health problems and disease profile?

It is ironic that at a time when America is debating the demerits of corporate universities thanks to the candidature of Donald Trump - who runs for-profit Trump University - India, with its diverse health needs, is contemplating private medical education companies.

The next thing could be for-profit engineering colleges and universities teaching humanities.

Celebrating science education

A new experiment in innovative science education is now 10 years old.

The first of the six Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) established in Pune has completed a decade of operation.

Other IISERs are in Bhopal, Mohali, Pune, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Tirupati.

The first of the six Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research established in Pune has completed a decade

It was an initiative focused on research-intensive learning, and integrates humanities with natural and life sciences, said LS Sashidhara, a Professor of Biology at the Pune institute.

He was speaking at a symposium on the contribution of science and technology to independent India organised this week.

While innovative centres like IISER have excelled, science education in mainstream universities is an area of concern.

This is because of historical focus on scientific research laboratories at the cost of science teaching in universities.

There are many Indian states which do not have a single Fellow of a national science academy, if we take fellowship of an academy as a benchmark for excellence, added Ram Ramaswamy, president of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore.

Time of infection matters

How our bodies react to new infections can depend on the time of the viral attack, a new study suggests.

Viruses depend on the material in human cells to replicate and make us ill.

Since every cell in the body has its own clock, the progress of a viral infection could depend on when the attack takes place.

Night shift workers are more prone to infections

To test this, researchers at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, compared mice infected with herpes virus at different times of the day.

They found that virus replication in those mice infected at the very start of the day was 10 times greater than in mice infected 10 hours into the day.

The time of day of infection can have a major influence on how susceptible we are to the disease. It means infection at the wrong time of day could cause a much more severe acute infection, says Akhilesh B Reddy, one of the authors of the study, which was published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

When scientists disrupted the body clock in mice, they found that the timing of infection no longer mattered - viral replication was always high.
We awoke on August 14, Pakistans Independence Day, to the familiar news of shelling in the Poonch sector of Jammu & Kashmir.

This is routine. The Indian Army is prepared for it, and answers effectively - as I came to know way back in 1978 as a young Flying Officer.

In those days, flying commitments for the Army brass were done by the Indian Air Force (IAF). I was in Jammu, and we got an urgent task late at night to take the Army commander of the Northern Command early next morning to a post called Nangi Tekri, just south of Poonch.

PM Modi addressing the nation from the Red Fort on India's Independence Day

Commitment

I do not know what it looks like now, but then it was bald - really bald - and hence the name, meaning Nangi Tekri (Bald Top).

But why has that Nangi Tekri commitment stuck in my memory? Because there upfront, where the adversary was situated just across the river, I saw a piece of generalship that taught me a lifelong lesson.

Nangi Tekri had a company of Gurkha Battalion manning the post that juts into the Pakistan-held area like a bulge. The Pakistanis had ambushed a small patrol party and killed a Captain a few days back near the river. Worse, they had not allowed the Gurkhas to pick up his body and would resort to heavy fire, including at night, to prevent the recovery.

We flew in the Army commander Lt Gen SP Malhotra (not the one who later became the Army chief) to the post. On landing, he walked straight into a closed-door briefing, after which he had a look at the ambush spot which was way inside our territory.

One could see the anger in his eyes, and before leaving he took aside the Subedar Major (SM)  the senior-most non-commissioned soldier.

The SM of a battalion represents the jawans and plays a decisive role in maintaining its morale. I happened to be within earshot.

The Army commander said: SM saab kya jawab dena hai (What do you have to say?) The diminutive Gurkha SM looked up at the tall Army commander and said: Sahab, aap hum se prashan mat poochna (Sir, dont ask us questions).

The Army commander said: Theek hai. Izzat ka sawal hai; ek ke badle teen hone chahiye (Okay, its a question of prestige. There should be three for one).

And a few days later, thats what happened. Nangi Tekri was a quiet sector thereafter for many months.

Honour

As the nation celebrates its 70th Independence Day on August 15, the armed forces re-dedicate themselves to service of the nation.

The president has honoured our brave soldiers, including an Ashok Chakra and 14 Shaurya Chakras  eight of them posthumous.

President Pranab Mukherjee (front) salutes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti with Indian Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha (right), Naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba (second right) and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag (left)

One can only marvel at the bravery of our jawans. While every inch of our territory is sacred, it is especially true in Jammu & Kashmir where our western neighbour has always been an irritant. Let there be no doubt in its mind that the Indian armed forces mean business, as I saw in Nangi Tekri almost four decades ago.

The guard is up, and the glove of peace that India extends has at its core a strong capability and resolve.

There never was any doubt about the capability, but Indias peace overtures, including the surprise initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to Pakistan, may have been wrongly read as a sign of a weak Indian national resolve.

PM Modi has cleared this doubt with his reference from the ramparts of the Red Fort to Pakistans sensitivities in Balochistan, Gilgit, and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK). This subtle statement is a game-changing punch which shows a more aggressive track of Indian diplomacy comes to the fore if Indias hand of friendship is misunderstood.

Meaning

It has a much deeper meaning, and will be read and analysed with interest in Beijing too. China has committed a lot of political capital in the China Pakistan Economic Corridor project which will pass through Balochistan and POK, and any instability in the two regions would seriously jeopardise its plans.

So, where do India-Pakistan politics go from here? One can see foreign embassies transmitting their assessments back home and one can expect statements in the coming days requesting both sides to exercise moderation and engage in dialogue with each other.

But there is a question: why should the onus of talks and making peace be an albatross hanging around Indias neck alone? It is time that Pakistans bluff was called by the international community and the desire to escalate the relationship towards fruitful talks placed on its shoulders.

The word escalation seems to have acquired a new meaning this Independence Day.

Meanwhile, sleep well countrymen - the Indian jawan is on guard. Happy Independence Day! Jai Hind!
Lifetime Isa: Savers torn between putting aside money for a home or retirement will be able to do both

The launch of Lifetime Isas should be delayed beyond April 2017 because the Government hasn't yet nailed down details of its plan to help young people save simultaneously for a home and retirement, according to top pension firms.

Savers torn between these two important life goals were promised help with both by former Chancellor George Osborne in last Spring's Budget.

But critics, including former Pensions Minister Ros Altmann, fear people who open Lifetime Isas will lose out on employer pension contributions and end up poorer in old age as a result.

Now big pension companies, which stress they are in favour of the new-style Isas for savers aged under 40, are calling for a postponement of the launch because they haven't received enough details to forge ahead.

Aegon announced it has put plans on hold until it hears more from the Treasury and regulators, while Fidelity wants a delay until HMRC can support monthly rather than annual bonus payouts to savers, saying: 'The industry is pretty unanimous that this is a more effective way of paying the bonus.'

The Government's plan is to add a cash bonus worth up to 1,000 a year to every 4,000 saved into a Lifetime Isa.

You will need to be aged 18-40 to open one, and you can only touch the money to buy a home, or else face a stiff penalty on any withdrawals before you hit the age of 60. See below for details of how the product will work.

Why are pension firms calling for a delay to Lifetime Isa launch?

'As we want the Lifetime Isa to be a success, we would prefer that its launch is delayed until providers receive more detail on the product and how it is to be implemented,' said a Standard Life spokesperson.

THE LIFETIME ISA AND PENSION TAX RELIEF The Lifetime Isa was broadly welcomed as an innovative new savings product when announced in March, although some finance experts voiced concern that it could be a Trojan horse for axing pension tax relief and introducing Pension Isas for all. At present, everyone saves into a pension from untaxed income because the Government pays tax relief at the 20 per cent, 40 per cent or 45 per cent income tax rates, at a cost of some 34billion a year. Pensioners then pay income tax on withdrawals in retirement. However, under a Pensions Isa people would have to save out of taxed income, and then trust the Government not to wallop them with tax again when they reach retirement. Ex-Chancellor George Osborne is thought to have ditched a radical Budget plan to slash the pension tax relief bill - either by launching a Pensions Isa or imposing a flat rate for all earners - for fear of a backlash from voters ahead of the Brexit referendum. It's still up in the air whether new Chancellor Philip Hammond will decide to reform pension tax relief in future.

'In addition to receiving full requirements from Her Majesty's Treasury and HMRC, we feel engagement with the Financial Conduct Authority on how the product will be regulated is essential to the successful launch of the product.

'At present we do not feel there is sufficient time to properly do this and launch next April.'

Standard Life added that Lifetime Isa would be 'a useful addition to the suite of savings options available to people alongside pensions which will remain the best long-term savings option for the vast majority of people given the employer contribution and tax relief from government.'

Richard Parkin, head of pensions at Fidelity International, said his company 'does not believe that the Lifetime Isa should be scrapped'.

'However, we believe that there is a good case for delaying the launch of the Lifetime Isa until HMRC is able to support monthly payments of the government bonus.

'The industry is pretty unanimous that this is a more effective way of paying the bonus and there seems little merit in launching the product with annual bonuses and then having to do further work on administration systems and communication materials in 12 to 18 months time.

'There is a suggestion that the new Government may want to revisit the issue of pensions tax relief [see the box above] and if this is the case then we think that everything should be looked at in one go. As a result, we would urge that the Lifetime Isa is delayed in order to avoid a piecemeal implementation.

Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon said: 'We have undertaken some initial planning regarding launching a Lifetime Isa but as we still do not have any of the final details, we have put our plans on hold.

'We had expected to have full details by June/July. Any final decision on whether to offer will depend on the details. We are in favour of the Lifetime Isa being kept simple, with no borrowing facility and contributions capped at the annual limit of 4,000 which attracts the Government bonus.'

'With no details from the Treasury and with the FCA still to consult on how it will regulate the product and how it is sold, which is likely to take three months, it is looking increasingly unlikely that we or other providers will be able to research, design and deliver a product by next April.

Government help: A cash bonus worth up to 1,000 a year will be added to every 4,000 saved into a Lifetime Isa

'Our original plans included offering the Lifetime Isa as part of our workplace proposition, with employers being able to offer this as part of a workplace benefits package. This would not have allowed employers themselves to contribute.

'We strongly believe workplace pensions with employer contributions are a better way of employees saving for retirement than a Lifetime Isa. However, saving into a Lifetime Isa on top of a workplace pension, including for a first house deposit could be a suitable part of a workplace employee benefits package.'

The Treasury was asked for comment but did not respond before publication. However, it reportedly said it would confirm full details of the Lifetime Isa this Autumn.

Ben Gaukrodger, manager for savings policy at pensions industry group the Association of British Insurers, said: 'The industry supports the Lifetime Isa as a vehicle to help people save, in addition to a workplace pension.

'We are working with the Government on its implementation to ensure that the product can be launched as intended for the benefit of savers. Obviously, the simpler the product rules, the more choice consumers will have in terms of available products.'

Why are some pension experts critical of the Lifetime Isa?

Former Pensions Minister Baroness Altmann, who left the Government following the Brexit vote this summer, recently wrote in The Times that she feared the Lifetime Isa was a mistake.

She warned that if people did not trust a future Government to keep their withdrawals tax-free, they would not pay so much in.

'It would also be disastrous if younger people opted out of a workplace pension to pay into a lifetime Isa. They would lose the contribution from their employer and the other long-term advantages of a pension,' she wrote.

Meanwhile, research carried for insurance firm Zurich found 44 per cent of people eligible to take out a Lifetime Isa would use it for retirement, compared just 14 per cent for a first home.

The survey also revealed that as many as a third of people could also be tempted to access their money in a Lifetime Isa early, despite a 5 per cent penalty - a move that could leave them short of money in later life.

Employer help: Auto enrolment initiative means all employers must contribute to workers' pensions, but they won't pay into your Lifetime Isa (Source: Pensions Advisory Service_

Zurich found 14 per cent of people would be willing to dip into a Lifetime Isa early, with a further 22 per cent unsure. Asked why they might make withdrawals, 15 per cent said they would raid their pot for general living expenses; 6 per cent would use it to buy luxuries like holidays and electrical goods; 26 per cent would support children with university fees or a home deposit; and 27 per cent would pay off debts.

'If used as the sole savings vehicle, the Lifetime Isa could undermine the UKs long-term savings culture,' said Anne Torry, Zurichs head of UK life.

'The worry is that young people will treat it as a piggy bank pension, which they can dip into when they need extra cash.'

Meanwhile, like all the Help to Buy schemes, the Lifetime Isa could push up property prices. Keeping prices artificially high makes renting and buying more costly for everyone, and encourages people scrambling to get on the housing ladder to take on outsize mortgages they might be unable to repay.

HOW WILL LIFETIME ISAS WORK? * A cash bonus worth up to 1,000 a year will be added to every 4,000 saved into a Lifetime Isa after it is launched in April 2017. * You need to be aged 18-40 to open one, and you can only touch the money to buy a home, or else face a stiff penalty on any withdrawals before you hit the age of 60. * You can keep your money in cash, or put it into stocks or investment funds, as with other Isas. * Your savings and the bonus can be used towards a deposit on a first home worth up to 450,000 - and the deal allows two first-time buyers to both earn bonuses then pool their resources to buy a home. * All savers aged under 40 will be able to open a Lifetime Isa, even those who already own a home and are saving into a pension. * You can carry on earning bonuses until you are aged 50, and continue saving after that without bonuses. After 50, you can transfer your pot between providers or change your investment portfolio if you wish. * The overall annual Isa allowance is being hiked from 15,240 to 20,000 in April 2017, with the new Lifetime Isa pot falling under this umbrella. * You can only take out one Lifetime Isa a year, but you can take them out with different providers in other years. This will allow you to keep your savings under the 75,000 level, and qualify for a payout from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if an Isa provider goes bust. * Those with a Help to Buy Isa can transfer those savings into a Lifetime Isa when they are launched in 2017, or continue saving into both. However, you can only use the bonus from one to buy a house. The Help to Buy Isa will be axed in November 2019. * You can cash in at any time before you turn 60, but you lose the bonus and any interest or growth on this, plus savers doing this will have to pay a 5 per cent charge. * In addition to withdrawing your money from the Lifetime Isa to buy a home, you can also do so without penalty if you fall terminally ill. Read more here about Lifetime Isas.




The son of a Chicago police officer is the latest victim of the city's gun violence.

Police say 19-year-old Arshell 'Trey' Dennis III was shot in the chest as he sat with a friend on a porch outside of his family home around midnight in the Wrightwood neighborhood early Sunday and pronounced dead at the hospital, reports The Sun Times.

The 20-year-old man with him was also was shot and hospitalized in serious condition.

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Arshell 'Trey' Dennis III (right), 19, and a St. John's University journalism student and son of Police Officer Arshell 'Chico' Dennis was killed randomly in Chicago this weekend - the city has seen a particularly bloody weekend with nine people killed and 30 wounded

The two were at Dennis's family home in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street.

Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says the deceased's father, Police Officer Arshell 'Chico' Dennis, worked patrol with Superintendent Eddie Johnson.

The victim was one of nine victims killed across the city this so far this weekend, along with 30 wounded, according to CBS Chicago.

Trey Dennis was a 'good kid' with a 'promising future as a journalist' said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson, who works with Dennis' father

The younger Arshell was set to begin his junior year as a journalism major 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.'

The family said they were planning to bring Trey to the airport so he could go back to college on the day he was killed.

The journalism student was killed while sitting on the porch of his family's house on the 2900 block of West 82nd Street (above)

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.

'Our family is deeply saddened this by tragic and senseless shooting, a statement from the Dennis family said, according to The Sun Times.

'The loss of our son is stunning and painful. Trey was smart, funny, and the light of our lives.'
Judges overseeing domestic violence cases will be taught how to use language that avoids sexism and minimising the victim's experience.

A report found that judges were using victim-blaming terms such as 'yummy mummy complex' in a case where a woman became a meticulous housekeeper after being under the psychological control of her abuser.

Judges were also describing relationships as 'happy' and 'normal' despite evidence of domestic violence forming part of their remarks in sentencing, the latest report of the NSW Domestic Violence Death Review Team found.

Judges overseeing domestic violence cases will be taught how to avoid victim-blaming language (stock image)

The report found that members of the judiciary described stalking behaviours as the abuser 'making a nuisance of himself' and used mutualising language such as 'volatile' or 'stormy' relationship despite a long history of violence against the victim.

It was revealed that variations of the remarks were evident in a number of cases, and 'served to minimise perpetrator accountability for violent behaviours.'

The terminology was used by judges delivering sentences in the NSW Supreme Court and the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.

The review team are consulting with the NSW Judicial Commission to develop ways in which judges and magistrates discuss domestic violence, 'particularly in the context of remarks on sentences, and within the coronial jurisdiction.'

A report found that judges were using sexist terms such as 'yummy mummy complex' (stock image)

In a case where there was clear evidence that a domestic violence abuser killed his son as a result of his dissolving marriage, judges remarked that there was 'no evidence' or 'plausible explanation' to indicate why a homicide happened.

A judge also described a domestic violence abuser as being in a state of 'jealous anger' when he set his girlfriend on fire, the report found.

'This language minimises perpetrator accountability and minimises the abuser's intentionally harmful behaviours,' the review team noted.

The report found that members of the judiciary described stalking behaviours as the abuser 'making a nuisance of himself' and used mutualising language despite a violent history
Federal officials say Justin Beebe of Vermont was killed when the tree fell on him Saturday afternoon while his crew battled the blaze in the eastern part of the state

A firefighter has died after being hit by a falling tree while battling to bring a wildfire in Nevada under control.

Federal officials say Justin Beebe of Vermont was killed when the tree fell on him Saturday afternoon while his crew battled the blaze in the eastern part of the state.

His age was not immediately known.

Officials with the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and Great Basin National Park are expected to work on the investigation.

Beebe was in his first year as a member of the Lolo Hotshots based in Montana.

He was working on a fire that was sparked by lightning on August 8.

There are 434 people fighting the fire, which is now 59 percent contained.

Earlier this month wildfires were burning in seven Western states, from California to Nevada, according to CBS.

Evacuations were ordered in Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming and firefighters were trying to stop a Washington fire from reaching a dense woodland.

About 800 firefighters were battling a series of fires that threatened a town near Pyramid Lake, north of Reno.

Earlier this month wildfires were burning in seven Western states, from California (pictured) to Nevada, according to CBS

Thirty home owners were warned in Cottonwood Creek and Fish Springs Ranch they would receive 30 minutes notice to evacuate if required.

Fire destroyed a further six houses and mobile homes at Hardscrabble Ranch, according to Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal officials.

Another rampaging wildfire that descended on a small Northern California town over the weekend destroyed more than 100 homes and businesses, authorities said today, as crews fought to save more dwellings from the flames.
One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson has questioned why the Australian Taxation Office was wasting money installing squat toilets in its new Melbourne office - and whether the staff would be able to do their jobs properly if they can't even use a western toilet.

The ATO installed two squat toilets in their new Box Hill office because more than one in five of their staff now come from a non-English speaking background - and because they have had issues in the Canberra headquarters with staff squatting on western toilets.

Australian Services Union taxation branch secretary Jeff Lapidos said signs were put up in Canberra to demonstrate the proper way to use the toilet after complaints at least one female staff member was squatting on toilet seats.

'One woman didnt know how to use the conventional toilet correctly and was squatting on the seat,' he said.

'She would often leave a mess behind, and there were many complaints about it.'

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The Senator says ATO employees should find taxes more confusing than western toilets. She is pictured here demonstrating a squat in her video posted to Facebook

Australian Services Union taxation branch secretary Jeff Lapidos said signs like the one above were installed in the Canberra head office to combat an issue with some employees squatting on top of the toilet seats (stock image)

Squat toilets have been installed for employees of the Australian Taxation Office in the new Box Hill building. Pictured is one of the new toilets, complete with hand-held bidet

'Because it wasnt possible to identify who it was, the ATO put posters on the doors of all the toilet cubicles to try and correct her understanding.

'That worked after a while, but I think it made them realise they ought to install the toilets. '

Ms Hanson used a video posted to more than 150,000 followers to express her outrage at the decision.

'The ATO have put in squat toilets because over 20 per cent of its staff are from non-English speaking backgrounds,' she said.

The new federal senator explained what a squat toilet was, even doing a squat herself to demonstrate, as she shook her head in disbelief.

'It's totally confusing,' she said. 'If they don't know how to use a toilet here in Australia, then what the hell is going on?

'I know what's more confusing. It's definitely not using a toilet - it's doing our taxes.'

One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson said she found the decision 'totally confusing', as she spoke to the camera holding a sign similar to the ones placed on the back of cubicle doors in the ATO Canberra office

The Queensland Senator shared a video with her 150,000 'fans' on Facebook, who overwhelmingly agreed with her stance

An ATO spokesperson said the toilets were installed to 'cater for the different needs of our employees'.

They said more than one in five workers at the tax office are from a non-English speaking background.

The move has been embraced by Hass Dellal, executive director of the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

Comments on Ms Hanson's Facebook video overwhelmingly agreed with the Senator, though Mr Lapidos indicated the toilets could become more common over time.

The union representative stressed that the toilets were not completely replacing western toilets, and were for a small minority of the staff.

'I presume the tax office will continue putting them in new buildings, but its only going to be a small proportion of toilets.'

'To suggest that all tax officers dont know how to use toilets is inconsiderate, unfair and offensive.'
Shadow Attorney-General has appealed for Clegg's bail to be revoked

A man who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a girl who was raped and pimped out by her father has been released on bail and lives just 60 metres away from a school.

The Director of Public Prosecutions and Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett have been slammed by the state opposition after Ryan Trevor Clegg, 42, was released, ABC News reported.

Clegg, a member of the alleged 'evil eight' pedophile ring, was charged with four counts of sexual penetration of a child who was pimped out by her father on the internet when she was aged between 11 and 13, indecent dealings and possessing child pornography.

Ryan Trevor Clegg, 42, runs from court in Perth in a hooded jumper after pleading guilty to charges of child sex abuse

A Perth father who repeatedly raped his own daughter and pimped her out to other men, including Christian pastor David Volmer (pictured), as part of a pedophile ring has been jailed for more than 22 years

'It's beyond comprehension how this person who has admitted to raping a young girl is out on bail,' Shadow Attorney-General John Quigley told the ABC.

Clegg was released on bail to live in North Fremantle, west of Perth, and has sparked concern from local residents.

He was one of eight men charged following an investigation into the alleged ring last year.

One resident, who did not want to be identified, said schools were not told Clegg would be living nearby.

'Neither the primary school nor the early learning centre were notified,' she said.

Clegg was one of seven men, including Mark Wesley Liggins, 47, (pictured) was charged last year after an investigation

Mr Quigly said he understood one of the conditions of Clegg's bail is he not be within 100 metres of a school.

'I've just stepped out the distance between where he's residing and the nearest school, a child care centre, which is 60 metres,' he said.

The Shadow Attorney-General has appealed for Clegg's bail to be revoked.
Officers believe it could help

It has long proved invaluable to police in cracking the gravest crimes, both old and new alike.

Now a council is looking to deploy DNA testing against a different kind of criminal  fly-tippers.

Birmingham City Councils waste enforcement unit is investigating the potential benefit DNA could offer in helping to identify the owners of commonly dumped items such as mattresses, fridges and furniture.

Birmingham City Councils waste enforcement unit is investigating the potential benefit DNA could offer (file photo)

Managers at the Labour-run authority believe the technique could help the cash-strapped council cut the 800,000-a-year cost of cleaning up after fly-tipping.

During one patrol earlier this month, the waste enforcement unit found a bag of cannabis, a wig, a shower base and nine fridges  with their valuable metal motors stripped out for scrap  dumped amongst other rubbish in three fly-tipping hotspots in the city.

The units boss Tony Quigley said that the tried and tested methods of sifting through bin bags for evidence go so far and they have some success in the courts, there is a demand for stronger evidence.

He added: We are always open to using technology. We do not know if the DNA testing will work but are looking at it. We have to prove beyond any reasonable doubt who is responsible and this is worth a try.

The unit has ten CCTV cameras HD quality and with automatic number plate recognition facility, costing 14,000 each, targeting various hot spots, but in a city the size of Birmingham these are only able to cover the worst areas.

Covert surveillance is occasionally used, but only after being granted a special court order.

The 13 strong group visit fly-tipping hotspots weekly, shifting through the rubbish, talking to residents and businesses and gathering evidence with a view to prosecuting those responsible.

Birmingham City Council (pictured, its offices) believe the new DNA technique could save the 800,000 sum spent on clearing up fly-tipping

But out of 467 cases investigated last year  a fraction of the total recorded number of fly-tipping incidents - less than a third led to further action against the culprit.

Fly-tipping is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act (1990, with offenders liable to pay a fine of up to 50,000 and/or five years imprisonment. If the case goes to Crown Court, fines are unlimited.

Mr Quigley said the burden of proof is on the city council so they need cast iron evidence, such as CCTV footage clearly identifying the vehicle or individual involved or a signed witness statement from residents which they are prepared to stand by in court.

He said: Too many people do not want to know. We need people to come forward. An anonymous tip is a lead, but we need to have evidence of who has committed the fly-tipping. We cannot presume or assume.

According to Government audited figures, fly-tipping has been falling slowly in Birmingham, from 16,186 incidents in 2013/14 to 12,348 in the last year (file photo)

According to Government audited figures, fly-tipping has been falling slowly in the city, from 16,186 incidents in 2013/14 to 12,348 in the last year.

Birmingham is not the first authority to look at using DNA to tackle environmental crime.

Anglesey Councils waste management section teamed up with North Wales Police in 2014 to use blood and saliva analysis to help catch fly-tippers.
A police chief told officers to arrest first and investigate later when dealing with rape cases, it emerged yesterday.

Lynne Owens, the head of the National Crime Agency appointed despite concerns about her performance, overhauled sex crime investigations when she was chief constable of Surrey Police.

She announced the change during a period of heavy criticism of her forces handling of rape, domestic abuse and child protection cases.

Lynne Owens, now head of the National Crime Agency, is under scrutiny of a policy change for sex crime probes when she worked in Surrey

She was accused of moral cowardice and of blaming others for a litany of failures by Kevin Hurley, who was Surreys police and crime commissioner.

Details of Mrs Owenss arrest first policy were revealed at a meeting of senior police staff called by Mr Hurley to address shortcomings in the force.

Minutes of the meeting say: The chief constable was keen to ensure officers were robustly pursuing offenders.

Officers tended to receive an allegation, then wait to make an arrest after gathering evidence. They needed to change this and make an arrest first and then gather the evidence.

GIRL'S 50 SHADES SEX LIFE A girl who falsely accused her father of rape based her allegations on the plot of EL Jamess erotic novel Fifty Shades Of Grey. The teenager had claimed he raped her eight times over six years. But on the third day of the trial, when defence barrister Cathy McCulloch asked her about the similarities between her allegations and passages from the book, the girl said she had got all the ideas from Fifty Shades Of Grey. Questioned by the prosecutor, she admitted the allegations were untrue and the judge directed the jury to acquit the father. Mrs McCulloch wrote on her blog after the trial: She had made the whole thing up because she was angry with her father and wanted to teach him a lesson. Advertisement

The deputy chief constable at the time, Nick Ephgrave, who now leads the force, told the meeting in September last year that the tactics had raised the rape detection rate from 6 per cent to 15.8 per cent in a year.

But critics said the arrest first policy can make it harder to sift through evidence properly.

A senior police source said: Once an officer arrests someone the clock starts ticking because police can hold a suspect for only 24 hours before they have release them.

They can apply for an extension but even that might not be long enough to examine phone or computer records.

Policing should be robust if it needs to be, but the decision to arrest should be taken with a degree of circumspection.

A 49-year-old arrested by Surrey Police over claims he had raped his former partner said the policy had a catastrophic effect on him when he spent four weeks on bail before being told he would not be charged.

There was not a shred of evidence in my case. This approach is out of control, he told The Sunday Times.

Mrs Owens said: Every case was taken on its merits, though, and both those things weighed

It means anyone can turn up in a police station, make an allegation and you will be arrested.

Mrs Owens, director-general of the NCA since January, said her comments were made in the context of reviews, when we were not always getting the balance right between making an early arrest to support the safeguarding of victims and where we were waiting for all the evidence to have been gathered before making an arrest.

She added: Every case was taken on its merits, though, and both those things weighed.

Surrey Police said: Early arrests may be necessary in order to secure and preserve evidence relating to the offence which could be interfered with or disposed of.

The investigator would also take into account the risk posed by the alleged offender to the victim or other persons.
Fourteen people have been arrested over a methamphetamines trafficking ring after mass raids in Melbourne.

Police searched 12 properties on Monday morning in the south-east metropolitan region as part of a 10-month investigation.

A suspected manufacturing laboratory was found in Industrial Drive, Braeside and the critical incident response team had to force entry into a Hampton Park property.

Police searched 12 properties on Monday morning in the south-east metropolitan region as part of a 10-month investigation

Investigators executed simultaneous search warrants at 13 residential and industrial properties at Chelsea, Aspendale, Springvale South, Notting Hill, Dandenong, Cheltenham, Seaford, Frankston and Mordialloc.

Police at this stage have seized a substantial amount of methamphetamine, other drugs including heroin and cannabis, a significant quantity of cash, an imitation firearm, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.

Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Rix said the operation is significant within the region and will disrupt the flow of methamphetamine on to the streets.

'Make no mistake, the arrests today have dismantled an organised crime syndicate which until now has profited from our community,' Sgt Rix said.

Fourteen people have been arrested over a methamphetamines trafficking ring after mass raids in Melbourne, Victoria

'What we have seen is the syndicate traffic drugs for stolen property and steal from our communities; this is not good enough and the arrests show the commitment of our members to get these people off our streets.

'Unfortunately the demand for these types of illicit substances continues to grow, so those who use and buy need to know they are contributing to organised crime.'

The investigation continues.
British Airways has started serving a fun-size chocolate bar instead of a second meal on some long-haul flights.

The airlines cut to its food service means it will no longer provide two meals to economy travellers on flights under eight-and-a-half hours.

The apparent cost-cutting measures also apply to journeys of less than seven hours for premium economy passengers.

British Airways has changed its policy for in-flight meals on some long-haul flights, replacing a second meal with a mini chocolate bar

The reduced menu was introduced last month and came after reports the airline was going to charge for its meals.

Instead of two full meals passengers will get only one, and might have to make do with snacks if they get hungrier later in the flight.

One traveller given a mini chocolate bar on a 500 flight from Heathrow to New York last month complained it was an insult.

The choices of alcohol and complimentary snacks will not be affected, a BA spokesman said.

Many flights from the UK to the east coast of America, including New York, take between seven and eight hours, while the journey from Britain to Toronto and Montreal in Canada is around seven hours.

Spaniard Alex Cruz, 50, took over as chief executive and chairman of BA in April this year, having started his career with American Airlines 1995.

The airline said: We regularly review our catering to ensure we are investing where it matters most to our customers

Parent company International Airlines Group reported total profits after tax of 2.5 billion for the year ending December 2015, and the group saw a 65 per cent rise in annual profits this year.

A BA spokesman said: 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.
Over 2,700 registered sex offenders from Australia have been allowed to travel overseas in the past five years, Australian Federal Police data has revealed.

The figures, obtained by Fairfax media, revealed 753 of the offenders were from Victoria and 250 travelled to the Philippines in 2014 alone.

New senator Derryn Hinch addressed the Melbourne Press Club on August 5, saying he would 'push' the Immigration Minister to 'pull their passports'.

Over 2,700 registered sex offenders from Australia have been allowed to travel overseas in the past five years, Australian Federal Police data has revealed (stock image)

New senator Derryn Hinch addressed the Melbourne Press Club on August 5 (pictured), saying he would 'push' the Immigration Minister to 'pull their passports'

'They do it for bankrupts. Why not for convicted paedophiles?' Hinch said.

'Now they're not going there for the sun, they're going there for the sons and daughters'.

Previous police data showed parts of Southeast Asia are popular for Australian child sex offenders, The Age reported.

Last year, Melbourne man Peter Gerard Scully, 51, was jailed for allegedly masterminding a paedophile ring in the Philippines.

He was charged with sexually abusing 11 children, the youngest of whom was only 18 months old, and killing another young girl.

The father-of-two slipped out of Melbourne after being accused of 117 fraud and deception offences and fled to Manila in 2011 where he allegedly established a lucrative business live-streaming videos in a 'pay for view' scheme of children being tortured.

Last year, Melbourne man Peter Gerard Scully, 51, was jailed for allegedly masterminding a paedophile ring in the Philippines

Scully (right) was charged with sexually abusing 11 children, the youngest of whom was only 18 months old, and killing another young girl

'Now they're not going there for the sun, they're going there for the sons and daughters,' Hinch said

Videos seized in the Philippines last year, including one called 'The Destruction of Daisy'.

It allegedly showed a 13-year-old girl being forced to perform 'horrific' acts of whipping and torture with a baby aged one and toddler aged five, according to investigators.

If choosing to travel abroad, registered sex offenders are required to inform police of their plans, but authorities do not have the power to stop them travelling.

The AFP said the onus is on the country the offender is choosing as their destination.

'These notifications can result in the person being refused entry into the destination country,' an AFP spokesman said

Scully slipped out of Melbourne after being accused of 117 fraud and deception offences and fled to Manila in 2011
NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione demanded that senior officers removed a hostage video from the internet during the Sydney siege.

In an email to senior staff sent around 12pm on the night of the siege, Mr Scipione said the video should be 'pulled down from YouTube immediately'.

The email emerged as NSW's top police officers made their long-awaited appearance at the inquest into the bungled siege.

Mr Scipione and deputy commissioner Cath Burn have denied giving any guidance or advice during the 17-hour standoff.

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NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione sent an email to staff around midnight on the siege. He has denied giving any guidance during the bungled operation

Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy (pictured) was quizzed about the email when he fronted the siege inquest on Monday

'Let's move to have it pulled down from YouTube immediately. I'll leave it to you and others,' Mr Scipione said in his email, which included a link to the clip, the inquest heard.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Jeff Loy, who was among the few officers to receive the email, was quizzed about it while giving evidence on Monday morning.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Jason Downing, put to Mr Loy that pulling the video down was an operational decision because it could have frustrated gunman Man Haron Monis and have potential consequences for hostages.

'Did it strike you as unusual that the police commissioner was making the request?' Mr Downing asked.

Mr Loy said moves were already afoot to take the video down and he didn't consider that Mr Scipione was intruding.

'At the time I didn't make the connection that the commissioner would have been interfering,' Mr Loy told the inquest.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn will face the inquest later today

Sydney siege gunman Man Monis (pictured) killed two hostages before he was shot during the siege

Mr Loy was managing the emergency response to the December 2014 siege, and acting as a conduit between the police operations commander and State Crisis Centre, but told the coroner he played no role in strategic or operational decisions.

Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn and Mr Scipione are due to follow him into the witness box at the inquest.

Each of the police chiefs have denied giving any key operational guidance, directions or advice during the stand-off.

NSW Coroner Michael Barnes is trying to find out whether any of the trio inappropriately intruded - or failed to interfere when they ought to have - during the siege which ended with the death of two hostages along with the gunman.
Lord Lucan (pictured) will appear on screen for the first time with ITV airing his compelling family videos

Before going on the run after the murder of his childrens nanny, the 7th Earl of Lucan was known as such a dashing thrill-seeker that he was considered for the role of James Bond by 007 producer Cubby Broccoli.

Forty-two years later, Lord Lucan will appear on screen for the first time as his reclusive wife, Veronica, is to hand over cine-film to the makers of a fascinating new documentary.

I can disclose that she is in talks with ITV. Veronica is really excited, as it will be an opportunity for her to tell the world for the first time what marriage to Lucan was like and what actually happened on the night of the murder, a source tells me.

She also wants to put paid to all the ridiculous myths and rumours that have spread. She is mindful that she is getting older.

Veronica, 79, became the Dowager Lady Lucan earlier this year after a death certificate was issued for her husband, enabling their son, George, to inherit the family title.

She has always refused to co-operate with the stream of authors and film-makers seeking to tell the tale of her husbands disappearance, but I revealed back in April that she had secretly written her memoirs. She is now in talks with a publisher.

Professional gambler Lord Lucky Lucan bludgeoned his childrens nanny, Sandra Rivett, 29, to death with a length of lead piping in the basement of the familys Belgravia townhouse after apparently mistaking her for his wife.

Lady Lucan was injured in the frenzied attack and later identified her husband  who had moved out after a series of increasingly acrimonious rows  as her assailant.

Lady Veronica Lucan (pictured), is to hand over cine-film to the makers of a fascinating new documentary that will offer her perspective on the night of the murder of the family's nanny

After the attack, Lord Lucan drove to a friends house in East Sussex in a borrowed car, which was later found abandoned with bloodstains inside. The mystery of his whereabouts provoked decades of speculation.

The programme, expected to be broadcast next year, will also feature previously unseen photographs from Lady Lucans archive.

She has been estranged from her three children since George chose to live with his aunt and uncle, Bill and Christina Shand-Kydd, as a teenager.

ITV made a drama in 2013 about the case, called Lucan, which starred Rory Kinnear as the peer, but neither Veronica nor her children assisted with the production, which claimed that the murderer was not the peer, but a hired assassin.

Richard Benyon is said to be Parliaments richest MP with an fortune of 110 million

In Theresa May's new-look Tory party, it seems the worst thing you can be called is an Old Etonian.

Richard Benyon, who is said to be Parliaments richest MP with an estimated fortune of 110 million, has taken grave offence after a constituent in Newbury wrongly claimed in a letter to the local paper that he had attended Eton College.

I thought 25 years of politics had made me immune to any slur or calumny, fumes Benyon. But the assertion that he went to Eton nearly made me choke on my cornflakes.

Not only was I educated in my constituency but, by getting elected, I reduced the number of Old Etonians in Parliament.

Benyon, who actually went to 35,280-per-year Bradfield College, adds: Perhaps it is a modern form of prejudice to assume I went to that seat of learning. To misquote Ali G: Is it coz I iz posh?

Perish the thought.

Terry Wogan returns to BBC HQ

Wogan's name lives on at Television Centre. Sir Terry died in January, but his sons, Mark and Alan, are planning to open a branch of their pizza chain, Homeslice, in the BBCs former building in Londons White City.

I have very fond memories of going there as a child, Mark tells me of the doughnut-shaped landmark, which is being transformed into flats, offices and restaurants. I think it completes a nice circle, and were very excited about going in.
Says furniture should be made with fire resistant filling and padding

Former civil servant Terry Edge said consumers are being misled

Key test is said to be no longer a guarantee that the product is safe

Fire tests used to demonstrate the safety of sofas and beds are inadequate with the result lives are being put at risk, it is claimed.

The key test, which involves putting a lit match against the fabric, is said to be no guarantee a product is safe.

Terry Edge, a former civil servant who led an official review into fire safety in 2014, said consumers are being misled.

Fire tests used to demonstrate the safety of sofas and beds are inadequate with the result lives are being put at risk, it is claimed

Its scandalous that the government knows the match test does not work and consumers are being misled into believing their furniture is fire-resistant. I consider lives are being lost, he said.

Currently, manufacturers can use foam fillings for furniture which are a fire risk provided they are covered with a fabric that is treated with chemical flame retardants that can cope with being exposed to a lit match.

Mr Edge says a new safety regime should be based around requirements that furniture is made with fire resistant filling and padding.

These would be safer for families and reduce the need for the use of chemical flame retardants which may themselves be harmful to health.

The improved safety regime has still to be implemented after the flame-retardant industry lobbied against changes.

Mr Edge told the Sunday Times that the match test conducted on fabrics in a laboratory setting did not accurately replicate the finished product, which was often more flammable.

He claimed there are about 50 deaths a year from items covered by the regulations and thinks some could be avoided.

The key test, which involves putting a lit match against the fabric, is said to be no guarantee a product is safe. File picture

Mr Edge claims there has been an undue delay in implementing what he insists are important safety improvements.

Ikea, which is one of the UKs biggest furniture suppliers, has also raised doubts about the match test in a letter to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

A rise in fire deaths in the 1960s and 1970s was attributed to the popularity of foam-filled furniture that caught alight quickly and emitted toxic gases in a blaze.

The 1988 Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations, which included the match test, have been credited with a decline in fire deaths. There were 263 fire fatalities in 2014-15.

The Furniture Industry Research Association said government research estimated that the 1988 fire rules had saved 54 lives a year. It said the match test was an effective predictor of the fire performance of most fabrics.
The mother of an autistic girl has made a desperate appeal to find her daughter's favourite shirt, which she has worn for five years straight after falling in love with its pattern and colours on her first day of school.

Deborah Skouson had low expectations when she wrote a humble request to her 500-odd Facebook friends asking if anyone could help her out.

After all, Target had long since stopped making the frilly pink shirt decorated with purple flowers, and she had already bought out the supply available on eBay.

Utah mother Deborah Skouson made a desperate appeal on Facebook to find an identical replacement for her autistic daughter Cami's favourite Target t-shirt

Ms Skouson explained that Cami refused to wear any shirt other than the specific frilly pink shirt decorated with flowers, which Target had long since stopped stocking

'Okay friends and family, I need your help! As most of you know, my daughter Cami has autism. For the past 4-5 years, she has been fixated on THIS shirt,' she wrote online.

'She got her first one in kindergarten 5 years ago, and we have found 4 more since then, mostly on eBay. Her current one is almost unwearable.'

'This is where you come in. We need another 'pink flower shirt', so will you please share this post or even just the photo?'

To her shock, the post struck a chord with the public, sparking a widespread display of generosity and support as total strangers searched for the rare t-shirt.

Over 5,000 shares later, Ms Skouson had received 80 identical flower shirts shipped to her home in Utah, with hundreds of strangers willing to send more.

Her Facebook post quickly went viral, with over 5,000 shares and hundreds of comments (pictured is Cami wearing the shirt on her first day of school)

Total strangers were moved by the post and offered to help out, including this woman with a son of her own battling a tricky mental condition

A woman from Germany was next to weigh in, offering to ship over the shirt as soon as she found out Ms Skouson's address

Other strangers offered to order create a similar version of the t-shirt, or sew a quilt out of the old t-shirts that no longer fit Cami

A family member named Jill was the first to jump in with good news.

'The lady says it's free for you. She has a son with sensory processing disorder so she can relate to you,' she excitedly wrote to Ms Skouson.

'I'm so overwhelmed by all the love. I don't even know this person!'

The lady says it's free for you. She has a son with sensory processing disorder so she can relate to you

A woman from German was next to weigh in, a mutual friend of Ms Skouson's sister with a size 7/8 of the pink flower shirt she was more than happy to send over.

As the message spread, total strangers soon started popping up, some offering to sew homemade versions with similar designs and others suggesting alternatives.

'If you can find the material and the pattern for it I can make it for you,' wrote Alexyia.

Another woman named Marcia said she would be happy to make a quilt out of little Cami's old flower t-shirts she had since outgrown.

Cami, who struggles with communication, is pictured in first grade wearing her second pair of the same t-shirt that she fell in love with in kindergarten

Gina said she was happy to send over the t-shirt as her two daughters had outgrown theirs

Ms Skouson told Daily Mail Australia she was totally 'overwhelmed' with the response.

'I was hoping for a few extra shirts we could use for backup. As of right now, we are up to 80 shirts, with more messages coming in,' she said.

'I have been brought to tears many times over the past week, and it's because so many strangers have reached out to my little girl with love.'

I have been brought to tears many times over the past week, and it's because so many strangers have reached out to my little girl with love

She said Cami, who struggles with communication, had fallen in love with the shirt after being photographed wearing it on her first day of kindergarten.

'She loved looking at those pictures any time I would let her, and still does,' Ms Skouson explained.

'She started wearing the shirt more and more towards the end of her kindergarten year, and just became attached to it. She's drawn to the pattern, and she loves the color fuschia.'
Just a month after Donald Trump came under fire for using an anti-Hillary Clinton ad that featured the Star of David, the GOP presidential candidate has done it again.

Trump was at a rally in Sunrise, Florida on Thursday when he held up a graphic purporting to show the figures certain Middle Eastern countries had donated to the Clinton Foundation.

It claimed countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE received weapons deals from the State Department after donating millions of dollars.

Donald Trump was at a rally in Sunrise, Florida on Thursday when he held up an anti-Hillary Clinton graphic that had been taken from a right-wing conspiracy website

The original image had been tweeted by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who has publicly endorsed Trump for president

BuzzFeed News reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn was the first to point out that Duke had promoted the graphic, which originated on the site Before It's News

But it was soon revealed the graphic had been ripped from a conspiracy website with only one change made - the removal of a Star of David next to Clinton's face.

The original image had been tweeted by former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, who has publicly endorsed Trump.

And it appears the graphic originated from Before It's News, whose most-read articles include 'Jesus Statue Opens its Eyes Startling Congregation Caught Live on Video' and 'Seventy-Two Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation in Boston!'

BuzzFeed News reporter Nathaniel Meyersohn was the first to reveal where the graphic came from, according to New York Daily News.

But Jason Miller, a Trump campaign senior communications adviser, refused to specifically comment on the graphic.

Miller claimed he hadn't seen the chart when he was asked about its origins on CNN and said most of Trump's signs are 'produced within our policy department'.

Trump has not yet commented on the sign but if recent history is any indication, he isn't likely to.

But Jason Miller, a Trump campaign senior communications adviser, refused to specifically comment on the graphic and said most charts are made by the campaign

The controversy comes just a month after Trump used an anti-Hillary Clinton ad featuring the Star of David that originated on a neo-Nazi message board, then photoshopped it

The GOP presidential nominee came under fire in July when he tweeted out an image of Clinton with a backdrop of dollar bills and the phrase 'The most corrupt candidate ever!' inside a Star of David.

It was soon revealed that the image had originated from a neo-Nazi message board.

But Trump's social media team merely took down the tweet and replaced it with a photoshopped version that featured a circle instead of a star.

Trump later defended the ad, saying his campaign never should have taken it down because it was 'just a star', claiming it looked like a 'sheriff's star'.

The controversy comes on the heels of Trump's most recent attack on what he called the 'disgusting and corrupt media' he believes is holding him back.

Trump's attack came after the New York Times published an article claiming his advisers had recently tried to rein in his 'incendiary' behavior.

The article, published Saturday, claims that Ivanka Trump, her husband and Trump's political team held an intervention on June 20 - and that he agreed to change his tune, but fell back into old habits.

Now the article was met with vitriol by the candidate, who described the newspaper as 'failing' and its remarks as 'false' Sunday, and blasted the wider media as 'corrupt'.

The controversy comes on the heels of Trump's attack on the New York Times after the paper claimed that his advisers held an intervention to tame his fiery persona

The paper claimed that Trump's daughter, Ivanka, and her husband, Jared Kushner (both pictured), had helped form the intervention, allegedly held June 20

The article, titled 'Inside the Failing Mission to Tame Trump's Tongue,' cites four unnamed insiders as saying that Trump was forced into the intervention in June.

It says the group - which also included Chris Christie and Trumps campaign chairman Paul Manafort - demanded that he start using a teleprompter and 'end his freestyle digressions and insults.'

And, the article claims, he agreed - but followed that up with popularity-killing attacks on the parents of a slain Muslim US soldier and the alleged incitement of the assassination of Hillary Clinton.

But on Sunday morning the Republican candidate took to Twitter to denounce the article - and wider media.

The Republican candidate claimed that the media was responsible for his recent slump in the polls, which has been attributed to his attacks on a US soldier's parents

'The failing @nytimes talks about anonymous sources and meetings that never happened,' the candidate fumed. 'Their reporting is fiction. The media protects Hillary!'

He continued: '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.'

He then turned his glare to the wider media, accusing 'bias' of stripping him of a 20 per cent lead on Hillary Clinton.

'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%.'

'My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.'

Four hours later, Trump returned to the topic, ranting that the media is 'protecting' Clinton, whom he described as 'not a talented person or politician.'

'I am not only fighing Crooked Hillary, I am fighting the dishonest and corrupt media and her government protection process,' he fumed. 'People get it!'

He added: 'It is not "freedom of the press" when newspapers are allowed to say and write whatever they want even if it is completely false!'

Trump began ranting again four hours later, saying that Clinton was being 'protected by the media,' whom he described as 'dishonest'

Dismissing the media marks a dramatic change for Trump, who has previously been happy to appear on camera and in print, and has boasted about his ubiquity.

In June, Trump boasted to Bloomberg that he didn't need to worry about raising money because it was so easy for him to get media appearances.

Explaining why he had stepped down from a planned $1billion fundraising goal, he said: ' Theres no reason to raise that. I just dont think I need nearly as much money as other people need because I get so much publicity.

'I get so many invitations to be on television. I get so many interviews, if I want them.'

At a rally in Connecticut Saturday, Trump told supporters that the New York Times was run by 'the most dishonest people' and that he might revoke their press access

Trump had railed against The New York Times the day before his Twitter rants, at a rally in the deep blue state of Connecticut, telling supporters that he might revoke its press access.

'These are the most dishonest people,' Trump said. 'Maybe well start thinking about taking their press credentials away from them.'

He was referring to the credentials that allow reporters access to press-only areas at his campaign events.

Trump has already banned other outlets, including The Washington Post.

As well as its remarks about the intervention, The New York Times article also says that Trump has continued to ignore the advice of those around him, telling them that he has a better understanding of polls and boasting about the size of his crowds.

Trump also told his Connecticut audience that he believed Barack Obama had founded ISIS

But privately, the article claims, he has become 'sullen and erratic,' complaining that he should not have listened to demands to tone down his rhetoric.

'He broods about his souring relationship with the news media, calling Mr. Manafort several times a day to talk about specific stories,' the article claims.

It also claims that 20 Republicans who are close to, or in communication with Trump describe him as 'exhausted, frustrated and still bewildered by fine points of the political process and why his incendiary approach seems to be sputtering.'

Intervention or no, Trump continued his form for headline-catching remarks at his Connecticut rally, when he repeated a much-derided claim that Barack Obama founded ISIS.

'Its the opinion of myself and a lot of people that he was the founder,' he said, repeating a remark that has been denied by those on both sides of the aisle.
the woman when she tried to seek alternative transport home

The Uber she was in broke down and the male driver tried to fix it

She was making her way home to

A woman was punched in the face before her phone was stolen as she tried to make her way home in an Uber.

Police are investigating after a 19-year-old woman was assaulted at Robina, on the Gold Coast in Queensland, in the early hours of Monday morning.

The woman and two of her friends caught the ride sharing service from Surfers Paradise Boulevard at about 1.30am and asked to go to Robina, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Police are investigating after a 19-year-old woman was assaulted at Robina (pictured), on the Gold Coast in Queensland, in the early hours of Monday morning

A woman was punched in the face before her phone was stolen as she tried to make her way home in an Uber (stock image)

Her two friends were dropped off along the way.

The male Uber driver also had a woman in the car with him, the publication reported.

The car was forced to pull over on Cheltenham Drive at Robina after experiencing a mechanical problem.

The 19-year-old woman said she would get alternative transport home as the driver and his female friend tried to fix the Silver SUV.

As the woman walked to a bus stop the female passenger in the car started to verbally abuse her before punching her in the face and stealing her phone.

Police said the woman suffered a bruised nose.

The investigation is ongoing.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Uber for comment.

As the woman walked to a bus stop the female passenger in the car started to verbally abuse her before punching her in the face and stealing her phone (stock image)
A transgender girl, 16, began her transition when she was just 11-years-old to stop developing masculine features through puberty.

Georgie Stone said she would have killed herself if her voice broke, but beat the biological clock when she became the youngest person in Australia to be granted pubertal suppression.

The 16-year-old from Melbourne said the treatment saves lives, she told ABC's Australian Story.

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Transgender girl Georgie Stone (pictured), 16, was 11-years-old when she began transitioning

'I would have killed myself if my voice had broken. It would have meant people could no longer take me on face value,' Georgie said.

She said the court system was expensive, inaccessible and wasted time.

Georgie and her family looked for a pro-bono lawyer while her father Greg considered going overseas to buy hormones illegally on the black market  which can be a dangerous option.

But for many, it's worth the risk.

'If Georgie went through puberty, it would have been terrible, we would have failed,' Mr Stone said.

'If Georgie went through puberty, it would have been terrible, we would have failed,' Mr Stone said (the Melbourne girl is pictured with her family)

About five years after the Family Court granted her competent to consent to treatment, Georgie is campaigning to make it easier to access for transgender teens and children.

Australia is the only country in the world to grant children treatment access in a court.

After her own win, Georgie and her parents - Mr Stone and her mother Rebekah Robertson - appealed the court's jurisdiction, and had a partial victory in 2013.

To access stage one treatment, known as puberty blockers, children are no longer required to go to court.

Children must still go to the Family Court for the second stage of treatment, irreversible gender-affirming hormones.

'I would have killed myself if my voice had broken. It would have meant people could no longer take me on face value,' Georgie said (pictured as a young child)

Georgie was the youngest person in Australia to be granted pubertal suppression when she was 11 (pictured as a young child)

Georgie is pictured as a young child with short hair and a skirt on

Georgie said she feels like she has the chance to help people.

'I'm hoping after seeing my story they [politicians] can see a happy, free 16-year-old who come out the other side,' Georgie said.

'We all know that transgender children are more at risk of suicide and self-harm between the time of coming out and then accessing treatment.

'The Family Court is expensive and often delays mean that teenagers cannot get into court before it's too late and they hit puberty.'

Many doctors agree they are better equipped to determine, along with the person and their family, whether treatment is the best option.

The Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital has had 200 new referrals this year to the Gender Service, ABC reported.

Australian Story: About a Girl  airs Monday at 8pm on ABC.
Runners have gathered to remember a New York City woman who was found dead a week ago after she went for a run near her mother's Massachusetts home.

Family, friends and community members met Sunday night in Princeton, a rural town west of Boston, for a three-mile run in honor of Vanessa Marcotte.

The 27-year-old Google account manager was found dead last Sunday night hours after she went for a run near her mother's Princeton home.

She was found raped, murdered, and burned.

Appalling: Vanessa Marcotte was murdered while out on a run near her mother's Princeton home

Homecoming: The 27-year-old was visiting with her mother (pictured right) in Princeton when she went for a jog and was murdered, raped, and burned, possibly to destroy DNA

Investigators believe she was attacked by a man and may have injured him in a struggle and thinking he left behind DNA may have tried to burn the evidence.

Authorities say they've received hundreds of tips but don't have any suspects. They're urging residents in the area to remain vigilant.

Police reportedly found foreign DNA on Marcotte, and have identified a person of interest, reports The Inquistor, but are not releasing any names.

That person is only described as someone with knowledge of the park where Vanessa Marcotte was found dead, says the outlet.

It is unclear if this is the same person who caused police to seize surveillance footage after learning of a mysterious bruised and cut man who appeared at a resort near the murder scene.

The man appeared along with a woman at Wachusett Mountain Resort on Sunday afternoon - shortly after the 27-year-old was murdered.

The mountain resort's base lodge is less than a ten-minute drive from Brooks Station Road and the woodland in which Marcotte's body was found on Sunday evening.

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Bizarre encounter: A couple who arrived at the Wachusett Mountain resort claimed the man had been injured in a motorcycle accident. Staff who remembered told police about the couple and officers seized CCTV footage of them

Police believe she was murdered between 1pm and 3pm on Sunday, and that she fought back against her attacker - meaning he was likely to have been bruised and cut.

Speaking to Daily Mail Online, Princeton's Wachusett Mountain general manager David Crowley, 60, said: 'We have been asked to provide some footage which we're doing.'

Crowley went onto explain: 'A man and woman appeared at the resort around 2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon and said that they had been in a motorcycle crash, or had somehow come off the motorcycle.

'They claimed that the ambulance driver had told them to go up to the resort because we were open to clean up which seemed odd to my employee who recounted the incident.

'She said she didn't see any sign of an ambulance and it seemed strange to her that anyone would have given that advice if that's really what happened.'

According to the employee, the man's arms were, 'all cut and scraped up'.

The employee has reported the unsettling encounter to police investigating the horrific killing that took place on Sunday afternoon.

Vanished: The Boston University graduate left her mother's house to go jogging shortly before 1pm on Sunday.

Last sighting: Police have appealed for anybody who may have seen a vehicle traveling along, or parked on, Brooks Station Road during that time to come forward. It was here that there was the last known sighting of Marcotte

At a press conference on Thursday Worcester district attorney Joseph D Early Jr said that the Boston University graduate, who was home visiting her mother at the weekend, struggled with her attacker probably leaving him scratched, scraped and bruised.

The DA appealed for anyone seeing a man with fresh injuries of that nature earlier this week to call the State Police tip line.

Law enforcement has now narrowed the scope of their inquiries to between 1pm and 3pm on Sunday afternoon. They were previously looking at the hours between 1pm and 4pm.

They have also appealed for anybody who may have seen a vehicle traveling along, or parked on, Brooks Station Road during that time to come forward.

On Tuesday her father issued a heartfelt plea asking people to pray for justice for his daughter and that that perpetrator of this horrendous crime be caught.

Speaking to Daily Mail Online from his home in Leominster, where Vanessa was raised, John Marcotte said: 'How can anything ever be all right again when your only child has been horribly murdered?'

He said: 'I'd ask people to pray that whoever did this is caught. She was the best kid in the world. Graduated top of her class.'

It is now four days since Vanessa's body was discovered  naked and burned  in woodland barely half a mile from her mother, Rossana's, home in the quiet Massachusetts town. She had gone out for an afternoon jog and never returned.

Barely 24 hours earlier her father saw her for what would be the last time.

He recalled: 'I was with her. We went out to eat at the Chop House on Saturday night. After that, the next day, she was dead.'

Trembling with emotion Mr Marcotte said that there was nobody in his daughter's life who would wish to harm her though admitted that this was 'part of the investigation.'

According to her father, Vanessa didn't have a serious boyfriend instead, he said: 'She was 100 per cent into her job. She graduated top of her class at BU. She knew how smart she was.'

Mr Marcotte explained that Vanessa had recently got a new manager at Google and was 'excited' about her future with the company she loved.

Mr Marcotte was returning home after being with law enforcement, he explained, since 4 o'clock this morning.

He said: 'I haven't even had a shower or anything. I've been at the police station since 4 o'clock this morning.'

He expressed gratitude to law enforcement saying: 'If you could understand what the State Police have told us there's not one negative note [about Vanessa].

Promising career: The Boston University graduate had worked as an account manager at Google in New York City for nearly two years

'They're going above and beyond what they have to to find this person. They've been in constant contact with us, the District Attorney, everybody, constantly.

'They've kept us in the loop and offered all sorts of assistance.'

Meanwhile the small community of Princeton, MA, is trying to make sense of the act of violence that has shaken all who live there.

At a candlelight vigil held on Tuesday evening in the town's First Congregational Church Pastor Linda Michel led hymns and prayers and conveyed a message of profound thanks from Vanessa's grieving mother, Rossana, 58.

Mrs Marcotte was too grief stricken to attend but sent a message saying how thankful she was to law enforcement and to the community supporting the family, reeling with anguish at how violently Vanessa was taken from them.

Members of the local fire service and police stood guard outside the white clapboard church allowing those close to the family and those simply moved to attend 'space' to grieve and pray together.

Some wept as they held candles aloft and prayed for a light in this the town and the family's darkest hour.

Police have not released details of how Vanessa died but a source told Fox25 in Boston that she was sexually assaulted and set on fire with burns to her hands, head and feet.
The president of Kyrgyzstan claims women can become radicalised by wearing Islamic dress.

When speaking about a government-backed campaign aimed at getting women out of veils, Almazbek Atambayev said the country's women had been 'wearing miniskirts since the 1950s, and they never thought about wearing an explosive belt'.

'You can wear even tarpaulin boots on your head, but do not organise bombings. This is not religion. Let them wear even miniskirts but there must not be any blasts,' he said, according to the BBC.

Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev said the country's women had been 'wearing miniskirts since the 1950s, and they never thought about wearing an explosive belt'

Mr Atambayev, who is the leader of a country where 80 per cent of the population identify as Muslim, also said donning Islamic dress was not in line with traditional Kyrgyz culture and was a possibly a sign of danger.

He said terrorists were 'insane people' and clothes had the potential to 'change one's thoughts'.

'When we were searching for prisoners who had escaped a detention centre, [former interior minister] Melis Turganbayev... said that they had been eavesdropping on telephone conversations of wives and mistresses of criminals,' he said.

'Their wives and mistresses wore sacks on their heads and they wanted to organise bombings.'

Mr Atambayev's government has been met with criticism recently over controversial banners that have been erected across the country which are encouraging women not to wear Islamic clothing.

The advertisement features photos of women wearing the traditional dress of Kyrgyzstan and women covered with burkas and niqabs.

Mr Atambayev also said donning Islamic dress, including the burka (pictured is a stock image), was not in line with traditional Kyrgyz culture

The words, 'Poor people! Where are we heading to?', is written in white writing on a red strip under the photos.

The government-funded banners have outraged the Muslim community.
Helen Skelton will not return to the small screen at the Olympics, but she will become a regular face on the BBC after becoming the star of their Rio coverage.

The former Blue Peter presenter caused a stir with her risque fashion choices when she presented swimming events at the Olympics, receiving both praise and criticism on Twitter.

The 33-year-old mother-of-one controversial short skirt showed off her legs and became one of the top-trending topics on Twitter on the first day of action in Rio, and she followed up the look with some other daring numbers.

Helen Skelton will not return to the small screen at the Olympics, but she will become a regular face on the BBC after becoming the star of their Rio coverage

Rising star: Skelton has been the big draw of the BBC's Olympics coverage

Upset: Skelton is said to be distressed over the publication of topless photos of her

Star: But the presenter is said to be distressed at the emerge of the pictures of her sunbathing on holiday in France from 2001

Since the swimming events finished, she has not been seen on TV and it was not clear whether she would be making an appearance further down the line.

MailOnline understands that Skelton has 'more things in the pipleline' with the BBC.

The source said: 'She has a new prime time BBC series in the pipeline but it's a secret project.

'Countryfile is still ongoing. She has a couple more things in the pipeline but nothing else signed off right now.

'She is also the face of Karrimor and is doing a new in store campaign.'

Her Rio outfits were 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.

Signing off: Skelton posted this picture on Instagram, writing: 'Team swimming signing off! Thanks for the memories @teamgb privilege to watch xx'

The former Blue Peter presenter (right) caused a stir with her risque fashion choices when she presented swimming events at the Olympics, receiving both praise and criticism on Twitter

Yesterday, she was said to be distressed after topless photos surfaced of her sunbathing when she was 17

The broadcaster returned to TV in more familiar attire last night for the pre-recorded show - wrapped from head to toe in sturdy outdoor clothing for a bracing hike across the Pennine Way in the Peak District.

She was 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.

Yesterday, she was said to be distressed after topless photos surfaced of her sunbathing when she was 17.

Outfits: The former Blue Peter presenter's racy outfits have been almost as hotly discussed as the action in the pool

Leaked video footage reportedly shows Helen Skelton sunbathing topless aged 17. Pictured, the presenter watches Olympics swimming events with Rebecca Adlington yesterday

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.

Skelton is said to be upset that the photos were published in a Sunday newspaper without her permission.
insemination is crucial to save the endangered wombat

Northern hairy-nosed wombats could be saved from extinction if scientists are able to perform the world's first artificial insemination.

Queensland scientists have developed a method to monitor hormones in the southern hairy-nosed wombat in hopes to assist the northern species, ABC News reported.

University of Queensland associate professor Stephen Johnston said they hope to achieve successful artificial insemination within the next year.

A group of Queensland scientists believe it is just one year away from performing the world's first ever artificial insemination for the critically-endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat

A baby wombat is nursed at the Safe Haven Australian Animal Care and Education in central Queensland, where the study is being conducted

But it depends if they can determine when the females are on heat or oestrus - the cycle of heightened sexual activity and fertility.

The team is conducting their study at Safe Haven Australian Animal Care and Education at Mount Larcom in central Queensland, where they are doing blood tests on six wombats.

The wombats are given an injection to stimulate production of the cortisol hormone, which is then measured in the blood and urine of three males and three females.

But the scientists hope to measure the marsupial's hormone levels with non-invasive methods in the future, a challenge due to the heftiness of wombats, which can weigh up to 40 kilograms.

A wombat giving birth: The key to performing artificial insemination, a feat the team hopes to achieve within the next year, is to pinpoint when the females are on heat or oestrus

The wombats are given an injection to stimulate production of the cortisol hormone, which is then measured in the blood and urine

The work follows that done with koalas, after they were successfully artificially inseminated, resulting in more than 30 pregnancies.

The northern hairy-nosed wombat is the largest of the three Australian wombat species.

It is critically-endangered due to competition for pasture from cattle and sheep, natural disasters, diseases, wild predators, and a small population size.

But the scientists hope to measure the marsupial's hormone levels with non-invasive methods in the future, a challenge due to the heftiness of wombats
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 extremist organizations.

In a speech the Republican presidential nominee will deliver on Monday in Ohio, Trump will argue that the country needs to work with anyone that shares that mission, regardless of other ideological and strategic disagreements.

Any country that wants to work with the U.S. to defeat 'radical Islamic terrorism' will be a U.S. ally, he is expected to say.

'Mr. Trump's speech will explain that while we can't choose our friends, we must always recognize our enemies,' Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said Sunday.

Safe in my hands: Trump will argue in favor of giving him the White House because he will make the U.S. secure from ISIS and outline how he plans to change immigration rules

On the eve of the speech, the Clinton campaign slammed Trump's campaign manager for ties to Russia and pro-Kremlin interests, an apparent reference to a New York Times story published Sunday night.

The story alleges Paul Manafort received $12.7 million from Ukraine's former pro-Russia president and his political party for consultant work over a five-year period.

The newspaper says Manafort's lawyer denied his client received any such payments.

Trump on Monday is also expected to outline a new immigration policy proposal under which the U.S. would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Trump's unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American.

Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard.

'As he laid out in his Orlando remarks, Mr. Trump will describe the need to temporarily suspend visa issuances to geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism and where adequate checks and background vetting cannot occur,' Miller said.

Trump is also 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, gender equality and gay rights.

Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism.

The candidate is also expected to call in the speech for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the nation is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and top U.S. government officials have warned of the dangers of using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

While Trump has been criticized in the past for failing to lay out specific policy solutions, aides say that Monday's speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in the weeks ahead, they said.

In his sights: Trump is to blame Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for enacting policies which he claims have allowed ISIS to spread

Trump is also expected to spend significant time going after President Barack Obama and Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for enacting policies he argues allowed the Islamic State group to spread.

Obama has made ending nation building a central part of his foreign policy argument for years.

'Mr. Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many,' Miller said Sunday in an email.

The speech comes as Trump has struggled to stay on message.
Ms Trinne says she knocked on door and rang doorbell for 30 minutes

His then-wife and mother of his children has filed a complaint with police

A mother whose son was stabbed to death by her mentally ill husband says police ignored her frantic calls outside a station on the morning the pair went missing.

Julia Trinne told the Advertiser she banged on the doors of the Adelaide station and rang the doorbell for over 30 minutes, but was only brought inside for an interview at 8am on July 8, 2014, when the station had officially opened.

She had no idea that her then-husband David Janzow, who suffers from bipolar disorder, had slipped into a psychosis and stabbed their four-year-old son, Luca.

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Julia Trinne (right) has filed an official complaint against SA Police after they allegedly ignored her frantic calls outside a station on the morning her four-year-old son Luca (centre) was stabbed to death by her mentally ill husband (left)

Ms Trinne said she banged on the doors of the Adelaide police station and rang the doorbell for over 30 minutes, but was only let in when the station officially opened

She had no idea that her then-husband David Janzow, who suffers from bipolar disorder, had slipped into a psychosis and stabbed their son (pictured together)

'I could see people in the station but they would not open the doors because it was not opening time,' Ms Trinne told the Advertiser.

'I understand protocols but when it is obvious something major is wrong you would think surely they would be able to realise this and act.'

The grieving mother has since lodged a formal complaint with South Australia Police, alleging there was a complete 'lack of ... professional action.'

'I had tears streaming down my face, and at one point even crouched down in the corner of the station and was very distressed with, what I believe, was a lack of empathy and lack of professional and appropriate action,' she told The Advertiser.

South Australia Police declined to comment on the matter and

Ms Trinne said Janzow adored their son and never anticipated that he could harm him until she received a phone call saying Luca was in hospital and may not wake up

The 38-year-old, from Adelaide, was charged with murder in July last year, but a Supreme Court judge found him not guilty by reason of mental incompetence

In an interview with The Project earlier this year, Ms Trinne said her ex-husband was not 'in his right mind and would have never harmed their innocent four-year-old if he had gotten help.

'I feel such sadness for Dave. I know that the person he is without his illness would never ever have done what he did,' she said.

She said Janzow, who is now locked up in a secure mental health facility, is tortured by his actions and deeply regrets not seeking out help before it was too late.

'He feels a tremendous amount of regret especially around the fact that he didn't talk more, and that he was battling so much without really letting on to even his doctors,' she said.

They found he was suffering from psychotic symptoms in addition to depression and was unaware that his conduct was wrong

The 38-year-old was charged with murder in July last year, but a Supreme Court judge found him not guilty by reason of mental incompetence as he was suffering from psychotic symptoms in addition to depression and was unaware that his conduct was wrong.

His psychiatrist Craig Raeside said Janzow feared Luca was developing bipolar and was on his way to becoming a 'psychopath', echoing the words he used to describe himself to police and paramedics he confessed to while still covered in his son's blood.

Ms Trinne said she has felt anger towards Janzow, but knows he was 'not in his right mind' and holding on to the rage and resentment would never bring Luca back.

'So it is a very challenging position to be in because the person that I loved the most, as my husband, did the most horrific thing imaginable to one of our boys.'



Ms Trinne said she has felt anger towards Janzow, but knows he was 'not in his right mind' and holding on to the rage and resentment would never bring Luca back (pictured Janzow's arrest)

'So it is a very challenging position to be in because the person that I loved the most, as my husband, did the most horrific thing imaginable to one of our boys,' Ms Trinne said




Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett said photo shows 'without question' Smith had a gun in hand

Officers wore body cameras and Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A Flynn said the cop feared for his life

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As family, friends and supporters gathered at a vigil held for the 23-year-old armed man who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer, some said they hope the officer will be charged.

Outrage and anger spread over Milwaukee on Saturday night as at least six businesses and one police car was set ablaze following the shooting death of Sylville K Smith after a traffic stop. Seven squad cars were damaged and two bus shelters were thrown into the streets.

During a vigil held for Smith on Sunday evening, his older sister, 24-year-old Kimberly Neal encouraged peace in Milwaukee and called for the officer who shot her brother to be prosecuted.

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Family and friends of Sylville Smith gathered Sunday evening in the area where he was shot and killed. Smith's older sister 24-year-old Kimberly Neal (center), spoke at the vigil and encouraged peace. She also called for the officer who shot her brother to be prosecuted

Neal (left) said that she just hopes her family gets justice and wants prosecutors to file charges against the officer, who is also black

Supporters surrounded her as she held balloons on the spot where her brother was killed. When she was asked about the violence on Saturday night, Neal said: 'People stuck together and they are trying to stand up,' for their rights

Smith's younger sister, Sherelle Smith, 22, spoke of her heartache and pain over the loss of her brother. She said: 'I can't get him back. Never. That's pain.' She said her brother carried a gun because he was scared and needed to protect himself, not because he was violent. Pictured are supporters during the vigil held Sunday

Several people gathered at the area where Sylville Smith was killed and lit candles, held balloons and brought out signs calling for 'respect and love' as well as peace

She asked the crowd for donations for his burial and said that she just hopes her family gets justice and wants prosecutors to file charges against the officer, who is also black.

Supporters surrounded her as she held balloons on the spot where her brother was killed.

When she was asked about the violence on Saturday night, Neal said: 'People stuck together and they are trying to stand up,' for their rights.

'At the end of the day, acting out aint gonna solve it. Aint gonna solve nothing for Sylville. The city went crazy [Saturday] night over Syville. We tired of it. We tired,' Neal told FOX 6.

Smith's younger sister, Sherelle Smith, 22, told the Journal-Sentinel that her brother carried a gun because he was scared and needed to protect himself, not because he was violent.

'I lost my brother. I cant get him back. Never. Never. Thats pain. I cant look him in the eye no more, Smith told FOX 6.

An unidentified family member of Smith's lights candles and puts them down along the fence where Smith lay on the ground after having been shot Saturday

Neal (left) asked the crowd at the vigil for donations for her brother's burial

She said he was known around the neighborhood for his style and dance moves.

'He was a ladies' man. That's the worst thing about him,' she said.

After the vigil, protesters went across the street to the ruins of the BP gas station that was destroyed in the violence and began singing hymns.

Officials first identified Sylville Smith as the man who was shot by the 24-year-old officer on Sunday.

Authorities said Smith had been previously charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety for his involvement in a shooting last year, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentine l .

During a press conference Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett said a photo shows 'without question' Smith had a gun in his hand .

Barrett said that Smith had 'more firepower than the officer', and his handgun was loaded with 23 rounds, which he refused to drop when ordered by police .

Officials first identified Sylville Smith (pictured) as the man who was shot by the 24-year-old officer on Sunday

Authorities said Smith (left and right) had been previously charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety for his involvement in a shooting last year. During a press conference Milwaukee mayor Tom Barrett said a photo shows 'without question' Smith had a gun in his hand

'I got out of jail two months ago, but Ive been going back and forth in jail and they see those things so Id like to apologize to my kids because this is the role model they look up to,' Patrick Smith (pictured) told FOX 6

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward A Flynn said officers wore body cameras as they approached the vehicle, which they found suspicious, and within 20 to 25 seconds Smith, who had a lengthy rap sheet, was dead.

Flynn said he wasn't sure what prompted the stop, but said Smith's car was 'behaving suspiciously'.

He also said that he would like the body cam video to be released as soon as possible, following due process.

Flynn said he believes his officer feared for his life before shooting Smith.

Smith's father, Patrick Smith, said he blames himself for his son's death.

'When they see the wrong role model, this is what you get.

'Being on the street, doing things of the street life: Entertaining, drug dealing and pimping and theyre looking at their dad like "hes doing all these things".

'I got out of jail two months ago, but Ive been going back and forth in jail and they see those things so Id like to apologize to my kids because this is the role model they look up to.

'Now somebody got killed reaching for his wallet, but now they can say he got a gun on him and they reached for it. And thats justifiable ,' Patrick Smith told FOX 6.

According to the Journal-Sentinel, Smith received the two charges following a shooting last year, but the details of that shooting were not immediately clear.

The charges were later dismissed.

From jail Smith called his girlfriend and asked her to pressure a victim into recanting their previous statement, according to the Journal-Sentinel.

Smith (pictured) had previously been charged with first-degree recklessly endangering safety for his involvement in a shooting last year but the charges were dropped

'When they get this letter, this (expletive) gone, then my case should be out of here,' Smith said in one call to his girlfriend.

Smith made several calls asking his girlfriend to stay on top of the victim. The victim later filed a statement recanting their previous identification of Smith as the perpetrator.

Despite the recorded phone calls prosecutors dropped the charges.

It is unclear why this decision was made.

Most of Smith's other charges were mostly for non-violent misdemeanors including speeding, retail theft and THC possession, the New York Daily News reported.

Smith's father Patrick Smith said: 'I dont know when were gonna start moving. Ive gotta start with my kids and we gotta change our ways, to be better role models.

'And we gotta change ourselves. Weve gotta talk to them, put some sense into them.

'They targeting us, but we know about it so theres no reason to keep saying its their fault.'

Violent protests erupted in Milwaukee after more than 100 people gathered in a standoff with police following the shooting. Pictured are burned cars in the parking lot of the BP gas station from Saturday night's riots

Sheriff David Clarke said Sunday that a repeat of the previous night's violence on the city's north side cannot be allowed and asked governor Scott Walker for assistance

Mildred Haynes, Smiths mother, said she has been told very little about the death of her son, who was father to a two-year-old boy.

'My son is gone due to the police killing my son. I am lost,' Haynes said.

Haynes said her son had recently gotten his concealed carry license because he had been shot twice and robbed four times, the Journal-Sentinel reported.

During one robbery he was stripped of all of his clothing.

She said she doesn't think Smith pulled a gun on police but she does think he might have run from the officer and tried to hide.

Smith's godmother, Katherine Mahmoud, told the Journal Sentinel: ' I'm not going to say he was an angel. He was out here living his life.'

She said that the family had nothing to do with the overnight riots and they're 'not very happy about it'.

On Sunday, the Milwaukee County sheriff asked for help from the National Guard after violence broke out in Milwaukee in response to police shooting Smith.

Sheriff David Clarke said Sunday that a repeat of the previous night's violence on the city's north side cannot be allowed.

He says he has consulted with Governor Scott Walker. Clarke added that Smith had been arrested 13 times during a news conference Sunday.

'He's got a bunch of drug arrests here, robbery, use of force,' Clarke said.

A spokesman for Walker hasn't responded to an email seeking comment.

Police and city leaders have said they have the resources to handle the situation.

A local citizen helps with the clean up effort at the BP gas station on Sunday after rioters clashed with the Milwaukee Police Department

Community members and volunteers help clean up the damage to a few local business in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

People survey the damage done to a local bank as broken widows, destroyed by rioters the previous night, are boarded up

Owners of the BP gas station destroyed in the riots survey the damage done to the location as police cordon off the area

Several owners of the gas station come together to review the decimated BP building, which was ransacked and destroyed

Violent protests erupted in Milwaukee after more than 100 people gathered in a standoff with police following the shooting of Smith after a traffic stop and foot chase on Saturday.

Police said Smith was armed with a handgun, but Assistant Chief Bill Jessup told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it wasn't immediately clear whether the man had pointed a gun or fired at the officer.

They described Smith as a suspect, but didn't say what led to the traffic stop.

The violence exploded near North Sherman Boulevard and West Burleigh Street after the traffic stop about a block away, on the 3200 block of North 44th Street.

Some people in the crowd wore riot gear as they stood in the standoff with police, several hours after the shooting, according to the Journal-Sentinel.

A 24-year-old cop shot and killed Smith after a traffic stop and foot chase earlier in the day. Pictured is a squad car that was set on fire

The police department tweeted that one officer was taken to a hospital after he was struck by a brick thrown through his squad car window

Police also tweeted that a gas station had been set on fire. They said firefighters couldn't extinguish the blaze because gunshots were being fired

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.

Several other vehicles were also set on fire. A total of seven squad cars were damaged.

The police department tweeted that one officer was taken to a hospital after he was struck by a brick thrown through his squad car window.

Police also tweeted that a BP gas station had been set on fire.

Initially firefighters were unable to extinguish the blaze because gunshots were being fired.

A total of four buildings were set on fire, including the gas station, according to WISN .

A BP gas station (pictured) had been set on fire during the violent protests in Milwaukee

An overturned bus shelter lies on the ground after dozens of people protested following the shooting of the 23-year-old man

An O'Reilly's auto parts store and a beauty supply store called Jet Beauty among the buildings set ablaze.

The BMO Harris Bank was also set on fire as smoke billowed from its windows.

By late Saturday night, fires were also reported at a neighborhood supermarket and a liquor store.

The station also reported that several stores had been looted.

The shooting that sparked the tensions occurred about 3.30pm after officers stopped a car with two people inside.

Police Capt Mark Stanmeyer said in a news release that the two people in the car got out and ran and the officers chased them.

He said Smith, who was one of the people fleeing, was armed with a handgun and was shot by an officer during the pursuit. He said the man died at the scene.

Stanmeyer said he had an arrest record, and that the handgun he carried had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

A total of four buildings had been set on fire, including the gas station

An O'Reilly's auto parts store, and a beauty supply store called Jet Beauty were the other two buildings set on fire. Firefighters are pictured putting out the fire at the auto parts store

Several stores within an 11-block range had also been looted

The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer's name wasn't immediately released.

He has been with the Milwaukee department six years, three as an officer.

Police also have the video from the body camera that the officer was wearing at the time of the shooting.

Investigators will review the body camera footage along with footage from nearby surveillance cameras where the incident occurred.

During the unrest a 16-year-old was shot and injured, four officers were injured, including a female officer who was hit by concrete and suffered a concussion, Flynn said Sunday.
He does not appear to contact an ambulance or try to give her first aid

The man accuses the woman of abusing drugs and alcohol in the clip

The vile video was viewed online 14,000 times before it was removed

A man who filmed himself spray painting, kicking and verbally abusing a vulnerable woman he found laying unconscious on the street has been slammed after posting a 'dehumanising' video of the shocking encounter online.

The man, from Melbourne, accused the unconscious woman of abusing drugs and alcohol before he started to spray her hand and face with black paint while going on a profanity-laden rant about her weight and assumed sexual preferences.

'Probably been on the oxycontins and the grog all bloody night,' he said, calling the woman a 'disgrace'.

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A man filmed himself spray painting, kicking and verbally abusing an unconscious woman

'Excuse me miss do you like f***ing penis in your a**?

'Well she must like penis in her a** because she is not saying anything.'

The man said he was painting the woman to help her blend into her surroundings so she did not 'scare the kids' before he kicked her in the behind.

'Kids this is what you do when you see a big f***ing lard on the ground like this - wake it up, give her a kick in the f***ing a**.'

He then called the woman a 'pill popping addict', kicked her again and tried to film her behind, inappropriately drawing attention to the colour of her underwear.

'Look at the booty and sporting herself a pair of purple f***ing knickers,' he said

'She's been dolled up for someone,' he added.

The man leans over and sprays the woman's hand with black paint

The man can then be seen kicking the woman from behind and pushing her with his foot

The grainy footage was uploaded to Facebook on Sunday where it was viewed more than 14,000 times before it was deleted on Monday after an online campaign shamed the man for sharing the 'graphic, sadistic and illegal' clip.

The feminist commentator Clementine Ford shared the video and labelled it a 'repulsive example of misogyny and dehumanisation.'

'The language he uses here is violent, degrading and abusive. He needs to be reported to the police for assault. And the people laughing at his antics - especially the women - should all be ashamed of themselves,' she wrote.

Hundreds of social media users backed the Sydney-based columnist, with many commenting that they had reported the video to Facebook and the police.

'I sincerely hope he is charged with assault & the message gets across to his 'fan club' that he is an idiot and this behaviour will not go unpunished!' one woman wrote.

The feminist commentator Clementine Ford shared the video and hundreds of social media users backed the columnist, with many saying they reported the video to the police

'She could have been drugged, she could have been attacked, she could have a medical condition, or any number of other things. This man is disgusting,' said another.

The man commented on the video explaining that the woman was alive and said it was 'lucky' she got up or he would have 'towed her behind the car'.

He also said there was another video that he considered a 'little disturbing' where he 'used her mouth as an ashtray'.

The man commented on the video explaining that the woman was alive and said it was 'lucky' she got up or he would have 'towed her behind the car'

A spokesperson from Victoria Police said it was difficult to investigate the incident as it is not known where or when the video was taken.

'Police have been made aware of footage depicting an unconscious woman being kicked by a passer-by.

'The post has been deleted from a social media site and as such we are now unable to view it.

'Unless police can identify the people involved, the date and the location this type of incident is difficult to investigate. '
He was sentenced to at

A man who gave a young female friend ecstasy tablets at a music festival that later killed her has been granted bail.

Daniel Dung Huynh, from Punchbowl, in Sydney's west was sentenced to at least six months jail by magistrate Michelle Goodwin at Burwood Local Court on Monday but his lawyers immediately appealed and successfully applied for conditional bail.

The 26-year-old had pleaded guilty to two counts of supplying a prohibited drug after school friend and pharmacist Sylvia Choi, 25, became unwell near a stage and died in hospital hours after last November's Stereosonic festival at Sydney Olympic Park.

Sydney man Daniel Dung Huynh, 26, who gave pharmacist Sylvia Choi (pictured), 25, fatal ecstasy tablets at Stereosonic music festival in November has been granted conditional bail

Supplier: Daniel Huynh, 26, pleaded guilty two counts of supplying prohibited drugs (pictured in December last year)

A man who gave a young female friend ecstasy tablets at a music festival that later killed her has been granted bail (stock image)

She had been sold a pill and a capsule but warned by Huynh to only take half.

He also recommended that if any member of the group was caught and questioned by police at the festival, they should 'deny, deny, deny', according to a statement of police facts.

Huynh was the source of the party drug that killed Ms Choi and handed the MDMA over to her boyfriend Samuel Song at a steakhouse in Sydney's west the night before the festival, the court heard.

About 5pm at the festival, Ms Choi took an MDMA tablet and later complained she was 'not feeling my high'.

Later that evening, Mr Song saw Ms Choi drinking from a water bottle which she said had 'stuff' in it.

About 8.40pm he noticed his girlfriend was unsteady on her feet and stumbling.

She was rushed to hospital but doctors were unable to revive her.

On Monday Huynh's defence barrister Carolyn Davenport SC said he wasn't a drug dealer and had arranged the ecstasy pills and capsules for his friends as it was 'his turn'.

Huynh (pictured in December last year) was the source of the party drug that killed Ms Choi and handed the MDMA over to her boyfriend Samuel Song the night before the festival

Huynh was the source of the party drug that killed Ms Choi (pictured) and handed the MDMA over to her boyfriend Samuel Song at a steakhouse in Sydney's west the night before the festival

Huynh, she said, wasn't being sentenced over the death of his friend.

'As tragic as her death was he is to be sentenced on the fact that he supplied her with a small amount of drugs,' Ms Davenport told the court.

'There is no doubt that as a result of his actions on that day he will pay a penalty for the rest of his life.'

She asked the court to impose a non-custodial or suspended sentence and the crown prosecutor agreed this course was 'open to the court'.

Ms Choi's employer, Blooms The Chemist, said the team was in 'disbelief' following her death- Pictured is the pharmacy at Westfield Miranda

About 5pm at the festival, Ms Choi took an MDMA tablet and later complained she was 'not feeling my high' (stock image)

Magistrate Goodwin, however, disagreed and said the only appropriate sentence was jail.

'(Drug) supply is supply,' she said.

'These offences are far too prevalent in the community.'

As part of Huynh's bail, he has to post a $10,000 surety, report to police three times a week and live at his family home at Punchbowl.
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At least one person was shot as police moved in to disperse nearly 150 protesters during a second night of riots in Milwaukee following the death of a 23-year-old man who was shot by an officer.

The crowd of protesters marched through the neighborhood where Sylville Smith was killed by a 24-year-old officer Saturday afternoon.

Some two dozen officers in riot gear confronted the protesters who blocked an intersection near where Smith was fatally shot.

Police moved in to try to disperse the crowd and warned of arrests after protesters threw bottles and rocks at police.

Authorities said one person was shot and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim and take the person to a hospital.

An officer was also injured and taken to the hospital after a thrown rock broke the windshield of a squad car near Sherman Boulevard and Burleigh Avenue, the Milwaukee Police Department tweeted.

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A crowd of at least 150 people marched through the neighborhood where a 23-year-old Milwaukee man was killed by an officer. Police said one person (pictured) was shot and taken to the hospital

Dozens of officers (pictured) in riot gear were prepared for another night of protests after Saturday's violence marred the city's north side following the fatal shooting of Sylville Smith by a police officer

The death of Sylville Smith (left and right) who was shot and killed by an officer sparked violent riots in Milwaukee Saturday night

As police arrived on the scene some protesters threw bottles and rocks before shots were reportedly fired

Police have tweeted five locations where they said shots were fired. A car fire was also reported at 45th and Hadley, the department tweeted around 2am. Protesters are pictured marching toward police lines

Police have tweeted five locations where they said shots were fired.

A car fire was also reported at 45th and Hadley, the department tweeted around 2am. The tweet said the Milwaukee Police Department and Fire Department were 'en route'.

Officers made multiple arrests in the area of Sherman and Burleigh, but it's unclear how many people were taken into custody.

Protesters were walking around on a main thoroughfare around 9.30pm but there was no sign of the violence that plagued the city earlier Sunday night.

The crowd was at a location near where rioting took place on Saturday night and circled back to a park to block an intersection.

Most protesters had dispersed after a vigil was held for Smith.

Some teenagers were reportedly driving up and down the street, shouting and honking.

An officer was also injured and taken to the hospital after a thrown rock broke the windshield (pictured) of a squad car near Sherman Boulevard and Burleigh Avenue

Officers said they used an armored truck (pictured) to retrieve the injured victim and take the person to a hospital

The victim (pictured sitting on the ground) who was shot was cared for by another person as he waited to be taken to the hospital by police

Most protesters had dispersed after a vigil was held for Smith, but some teenagers were driving up and down the street, shouting and honking. Pictured are police rushing the injured man into a vehicle after getting pelted by rocks during the protest

The crowd was at a location near where rioting took place on Saturday night and circled back to a park to block an intersection

Police had maintained a low key presence near businesses that were destroyed by fires on Saturday.

About a dozen officers guarded the BP gas station, while others stood in the shadows at a nearby park.

Mayor Tom Barrett had said earlier that no curfew had been imposed Sunday.

Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker says he would like to see the police bodycam video of the shooting of Smith released soon, as long as making it public would not impede an ongoing investigation.

Walker told WISN TV Sunday that transparency could help calm the situation.

He says it is important for the public to know that an independent investigation is being conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.

President Obama, who is on vacation at Martha's Vineyard where he was seen playing golf yesterday, has not yet commented on the shooting or subsequent unrest.

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel issued a statement Sunday saying that his department would 'work expeditiously to ensure a thorough and transparent gathering of the facts'.

Gov Walker put Wisconsin's National Guard on standby, and 125 Guard members reported to local armories to prepare for further instructions. The police department tweeted that the National Guard hadn't been deployed in Sunday night's protests. Pictured are burnt out cars in the parking lot of the BP gas station that was set ablaze Saturday

Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel issued a statement Sunday saying that his department would 'work expeditiously to ensure a thorough and transparent gathering of the facts'

Earlier in the day, police Chief Edward Flynn said 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.'

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 has been on the force for three years, according to the department. He's been placed on administrative duty.

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.

Gov Walker put Wisconsin's National Guard on standby, and 125 Guard members reported to local armories to prepare for further instructions.

About a dozen officers guarded a BP gas station (pictured) on Sunday night that had been destroyed Saturday

An overturned bus shelter lies on the ground after dozens of people protested following the fatal shooting of Smith

A 24-year-old cop shot and killed Smith after a traffic stop and foot chase earlier in the day. Pictured is a squad car that was set on fire

The police department tweeted that one officer was taken to a hospital after he was struck by a brick thrown through his squad car window

A BMO Harris Bank (pictured) was among the six businesses that were set ablaze during Saturday's riots

Milwaukee police tweeted late Sunday that the National Guard had not been deployed.

Six businesses were burned in the unrest earlier in the weekend along with one police car and 17 people were arrested, Flynn said.

A BP gas station, an O'Reilly's auto parts store, a beauty supply store called Jet Beauty and BMO Harris Bank were among the businesses set ablaze Saturday.

By late Saturday night, fires were also reported at a neighborhood supermarket and a liquor store.

Several stores had also been looted.

Four officers were hurt from flying concrete and glass, although all of them had been released from hospital.

One female officer who was hit by concrete suffered a concussion.

Seven squad cars were damaged and two bus shelters were thrown into the streets.

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.

Family and friends of Smith gathered Sunday evening in the area where he was shot and killed. Smith's older sister 24-year-old Kimberly Neal (center), spoke at the vigil and encouraged peace. She also called for the officer who shot her brother to be prosecuted

An unidentified family member of Smith's lights candles and puts them down along the fence where Smith lay on the ground after having been shot Saturday

Online court records showed a range of charges against Smith, many of them misdemeanors.

Smith's sister, Kimberly Neal, 24, said the family wants prosecutors to charge the officer who shot him.

Neal spoke at a vigil held for her brother as supporters surrounded her hours before Sunday night's riots erupted.

When 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.
Leaked ISIS documents have shown that 70 percent of recruits have hardly any knowledge of Islam and that some even had to read 'Islam for Dummies' or 'The Koran for Dummies' to learn about the religion.

An analysis of recruitment forms from the terror group has revealed that many of its militants do not even have a basic knowledge of the Koran or hadith - the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The documents were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl and shared with the Associated Press.

Recruits have ordered 'The Koran for Dummies' and 'Islam for Dummies' from Amazon to prepare for jihad abroad

Leaked ISIS documents have shown that 70 percent of recruits have hardly any knowledge of Islam and that some even had to read 'The Koran for Dummies' to learn about the religion. Pictured are recruits in Raqqa

And out of 3,000 recruits, they showed that only 24 percent of recruits had an 'intermediate knowledge' of Islam with just five percent considered 'advanced students' of the religion.

Only five recruits overall were listed as having memorised the Koran.

At the height of the ISIS drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical recruits included a group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, a recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered 'The Koran for Dummies' and 'Islam for Dummies' from Amazon to prepare for jihad abroad.

Their intake process complete, they were grouped in safe houses as a stream of ISIS imams came in to indoctrinate them, according to court testimony.

The 32-year-old European recruit, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'I realised that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like "when you die, who should we call?'''

He added he thought he was joining a group to fight President Bashar Assad and help Syrians, not the Islamic State.

Out of 3,000 recruits, documents showed that only 24 percent of recruits had an 'intermediate knowledge' of Islam with just five percent considered 'advanced students' of the religion

The former recruit said new recruits were shown ISIS propaganda videos on Islam, and the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom.

The terror group's most notorious new supporters appear to have an equally tenuous link with religion.

Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel, who killed 85 people by plowing a truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, was described by family and neighbors as indifferent to religion, volatile and prone to drinking sprees, with a love for salsa dancing and a reported male lover.

A former ISIS member from Europe said new recruits were shown ISIS propaganda videos on Islam, and the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom

Other recruits include 10 young men from the eastern French city of Strasbourg, all recruited by a man named Mourad Fares.

One of them, Karim Mohammad-Aggad, described bar hopping in Germany with Fares. He told investigators that ISIS recruiters used 'smooth talk' to persuade him.

He'd travelled with his younger brother and friends to Syria in late 2013. Two died in Syria, and within a few months, seven returned to France and were arrested.

Mohammad-Aggad's brother, 23-year-old Foued, returned to Paris and was one of the three men who stormed the Bataclan in a night of attacks November 13 that killed 130 people.

Mohammed-Aggad told a court, before being sentenced to nine years in prison, said: 'My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure.

'Islam was used to trap me like a wolf.'

ISIS data shows Karim and his brother Foued were among eight in the Strasbourg group listed as having 'basic' knowledge of Sharia.

Expressing a common sentiment shared by many Europeans of North African descent, Mohammed-Aggad told the court he felt like an immigrant in Algeria and 'a dirty Arab' in France.

After just a few months in Syria, he said he left ISIS because he was treated by the extremists as an 'apostate'  someone who had renounced his religion.

Foued Mohammed-Aggad, a Frenchman who was among the Islamic State fighters to attack Paris on November 13, 2015. His brother says he had previously shown no interest in religion

When pressed by the judge on his knowledge of Shariah and how ISIS implements it, Mohammad-Aggad, a former gas station attendant, appeared dumbfounded, saying repeatedly: 'I don't have the knowledge to answer the question.'

One of his co-defendants, Radouane Taher, was also pressed by the judge on whether beheadings carried out by the ISIS group conformed to Islamic law.

He couldn't say for sure, answering: 'I don't have the credentials.'

The trial of longtime friends Mohammed Ahmed and Yusuf Sarwar, from the British city of Birmingham, revealed the 22-year-olds had ordered 'The Koran for Dummies' and 'Islam for Dummies' books in preparation for their trip to join extremists in Syria.

They were arrested on their return to Britain and convicted in 2014 of terrorism offenses.

Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer with extensive experience with Midle East extremist organisations, said some people claim allegiance to ISIS out of religious belief, but that most who join, including those from the West, are people 'reaching for a sense of belonging, a sense of notoriety, a sense of excitement.'

Mohamed Lahouaiyej Bouhlel, who killed 85 people by plowing a truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, France, was described by family and neighbors as indifferent to religion

Those who truly crave religious immersion would go to Al-Azhar in Cairo, he added, referring to the thousand-year-old seat of learning for Shariah and Koranic studies.

Meanwhile Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan said a close look at the group's top commanders shows that many had no religious credentials but, instead, they once held senior positions under Saddam Hussein's secular Baathist government.

Mr Ramadan teaches Islamic Studies at Oxford and has written numerous books on Islam and the integration of Muslims in Europe.

He says Muslim scholars must demonstrate that what ISIS teaches is wrong.
President Barack Obama declared Louisiana was in a state of disaster on Sunday after a historic flood left at least five people dead, with emergency crews working to rescue thousands more.

Governor John Bel Edwards said more than 10,000 people are now in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana.

More than a foot of rain fell overnight on Friday - in a deluge estimated to occur once every 500 years, according to the Pacific Standard.

In shocking photos showing the devastation, caskets that had washed up from a graveyard floated down the street in Denham Springs, Louisiana.

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In shocking photos showing historic floods in Louisiana, caskets that had washed up from a graveyard floated down the street in Denham Springs

President Barack Obama issued a declaration of disaster on Sunday for Louisiana, where at least five people have died

Governor John Bel Edwards said more than 10,000 people are now in shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana

The 'unprecedented' flooding devastated Louisiana, where three months' worth of rain fell overnight on Friday

Four people were reported dead, with another body recovered later on Sunday from a flooded vehicle in East Baton Rouge Parish

Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records, earlier Sunday.

A woman's body was later 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.

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was 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, jumped into the brown water and pulled the woman to safety.

After the woman pleaded with him to save her dog, Phung went underwater and resurfaced with the animal.

But things could get worse since the National Weather Service forecasts heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding.

The National Weather Service forecasts heavy rain through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding (pictured, residents before they were evacuated by Louisiana Army National Guard)

Edwards warned: 'Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down' (pictured, a stranded car on Interstate 12 in Livingston Parish)

Obama's declaration of disaster allows federal aid to reach the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa, hit hardest by the floods

Emergency officials said they were still working on strategies to rescue an undetermined number of people trapped by the waters

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full

The Ochsner Medical Center in Baton Rouge has evacuated about 40 patients and is expected to evacuate another 10-15 (pictured, cars backed up on a flooded road)

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference.

'Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down,' Edwards said, calling the flooding unprecedented.

Obama issued the disaster declaration after speaking with Edwards, making federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa, hit hardest by the floods.

Edwards said in a statement that other parishes could be added to the list.

Emergency officials still were working on strategies to rescue an undetermined number of people trapped by the waters.

'We're very much still in the search and rescue mode,' said James Waskcom, director of the state's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full.

A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways.

Robert and Gwen Arceneaux left their house on Sunday and reached a shelter through a National Guard truck. But Robert is in need of medication for his lung cancer

Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods

Helicopters also were transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters

Some 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts

Authorities worked tirelessly to save people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12 (pictured). The governor later said on Twitter that everyone had been rescued

Robert and Gwen Arceneaux gathered up their dogs and a few bags of belongings and fled out the back door of their house after enduring a sleepless night as they watched the floodwater creep into their home.

They eventually waded 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.

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.

About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods. Helicopters also were transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters.
Soaring temps in the eastern US will continue to plague the Northeast and are set to make heat waves for the rest of the week with some relief coming end of week.

At least three 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, reports NJ.com.

The National Weather Service issued excessive heat alerts through to early next week for Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and the Baltimore-Washington D.C. area.

Temperatures will dip slightly in most areas, especially after mid-week.

Sweltering NYC residents crowd the beaches - above, they head into the refreshing waters of Coney Island Beach

A woman cools off in the fountain of Washington Square Park on August 11 in NYC

Washington DC has been suffering temps in heat index 100s and a man shields himself with an umbrella from the white hot sun

A man airs out his shirt after skateboarding in Columbus Circle during the heatwave weekend in New York City

Two deaths on Saturday were attributed to the heat and a third death was announced on Sunday.

The latest victim was a 59-year-old man who suffered from diabetes and congestive heart failure. The heat index, which combines heat and humidity, in Philly reached 97 degrees on Sunday, according to the Weather Channel.

A boy cools off in the fountain at Washington Square Park over the scorching weekend in NYC

Temps for the eastern shoreline will continue in the mid-90s for most of the week, feeling like the 100s with the humidity

Heat alerts have been issues for several areas near Washington DC and Raleigh for Monday

A young man cools down by squeezing the fountain in Columbus Circle, NYC on August 12

The weather is expected to cool down slightly in New York City, according to the weather channel, in the next ten days, dipping into low-90s and high-80s from the high-90s. Philadelphia will continue to be in the mid-90s for the early part of the week, dipping slightly to the low-90s and high-80s end of the week.

Washington DC will dip slightly from 100 degrees to the mid-90s early week to the high 80s end of week.

The heat index runs an 8 or 9 out of 10 for the entire week for most of the Eastern seaboard.

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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.

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

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
Hundreds of people have gathered for the funeral of the New York imam and his assistant who were executed in broad daylight.

Huge crowds lined the streets as the bodies of father-of-four Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old assistant Thara Uddin were carried in procession - just 48 hours after they were brutally gunned down in the middle of a Queens street after walking home from their mosque.

Mourners knelt down on the street to pay their respects to the slain religious leader and his friend as police hinted that their deaths may have been the result of a targeted attack.

Cops have revealed the imam executed a $1,000 on him - but the suspect did not steal the money.

Police found the wad of cash in Akonjee's pocket when they saw his bloodied, lifeless body lying in the middle of a street in Ozone Park.

The local Islamic community described the double murder as a 'hate crime'. There are claims of a neighborhood row between Muslims and Hispanics or a parking dispute may have led to the brutal slayings, but cops have refused to comment on the motive.

A 35-year-old man from Ozone Park was detained around 11pm Sunday after a cyclist was run over then a police car was rammed, but NYPD sources have confirmed to Daily Mail Online he is only being interviewed in connection with the slayings and is not a suspect in the shooting.

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Imam, Maulama Akonjee, 55, (left), and his assistant Thara Uddin, 64, (right), were executed in broad daylight as they left a mosque in Queens, New York, on Saturday. A person of interest is being questioned over the brazen crime

The body of slain Imam Maulama Akonjee arrives at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in Ozone Park in New York before funeral prayers. It has been 48 hours since they were brutally gunned down in the middle of the street - but police have still made no arrests

An aerial photo shows a huge crowd gathered alongside the hearse during the funeral procession in Ozone Park, Queens

The bodies of Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his 64-year-old assistant Thara Uddin lie in front of the crowds during the emotional funeral prayers

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio spoke at the funeral on Monday, vowing to bring the killer to justice and increased protection at mosques in the city.

As the two caskets lay in front of the hundreds of mourners, he said: 'They were examples of goodness and righteousness. They were examples of peace and understanding.

'New York City is a better place and a stronger place because of our Muslim communities.

'An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us and we stand shoulder to shoulder.'

The killer remains on the run and police have issued a sketch of the suspect along with CCTV of the moment both the Imam and his assistant were gunned down in the street.

Police have not revealed a motive behind the crime or elaborated on the relationship between the suspect and the two victims but have suggested that the daylight execution was not a random attack and the killer knew his victims' schedule.

It came as:

Police released a sketch of a bearded man wearing glasses who they believe is the gunman

Surveillance footage was released of the horrifying moment the pair were gunned down in the street

Police hinted the Imam was carrying up to $1,000 in cash but it was not stolen

Cops refused to be drawn on a motive for the execution but suggested the shooter knew the Imam and his schedule, and that the attack was not random

They refused to elaborate on why a man who ran over a cyclist was being questioned over a double murder

The NYPD has not ruled out that the slayings were a hate crime - but have not elaborated on the motive

There are claims the murder may have been the settling of a dispute between Hispanics and Muslims in the neighborhood

A religious leader from the community leads a mass prayer over one of the coffins of the slain men as the crowds demanded that the killer be brought to justice

A crowd of community members pray next to the coffins as they gather for the funeral service of Imam Maulama Akonjee. Police are still searching for the gunman who murdered him and his assistant on Saturday

A young family member of one of the victims joins hundreds of area Muslims while holding a mass prayer for Imam Maulama Akonjee and his assistant, Thara Uddin

Mourners knelt down on the street to pay their respects to the slain religious leader and his friend as police hinted that their deaths may have been the result of a targeted attack

Members of the imam's family held the coffin as it was taken into the mosque as part of the emotional procession

Pallbearers remove the body of slain Akonjee as it arrives at the mosque with the streets lined with devastated members of the community

Residents of the Queens neighborhood left furious by the murder pray as the coffin is driven to the mosque

People continued to march in protest after the mass prayers. Local Muslims have decried the killing as a hate crime and are demanding justice for what happened

The man who was arrested - an as yet unidentified 35-year-old - was taken into custody in Brooklyn on Sunday night when he was arrested for an unrelated incident.

He was tracked through an old-model Chevy Trailblazer - similar to the one spotted at the crime scene - after a cyclist said he had been knocked over by the vehicle.

The cyclist took down the vehicle's license plate number and handed it to police, according to the New York Daily News.

The NYPD Regional Fugitive Task Force were conducting 'brief surveillance' of the man when he rammed an unmarked cop car, sources said.

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. He is not believed to man who has been taken into custody

Surveillance footage captured the moment the Imam was shot and killed in Queens, New York, while walking home from a mosque with his assistant. The gunman can be seen approaching the pair on the side of the street in the grainy footage

Huge crowds gathered around and listened to speakers as they paid their respects to Akonjee and Thara Uddin

The mourners faced the tent set up to host the funeral procession on Monday afternoon in the sweltering New York heat

He was then arrested and was still being questioned at 11.50am on Monday morning.

Police are now said to be waiting for a warrant to search his home but have confirmed that the man, who is being held in Brooklyn's 75th precinct, is not yet being considered a suspect in the murder.

The NYPD would not elaborate on the details of why he was being linked to the crime and why he had been arrested. Nor would they reveal if he had any relationship with the slain Imam and his assistant.

The Daily News has reported that the men being shot in the head could have been the result of a feud between Muslims and Hispanics.

There may have been heightened tensions over parking in recent weeks, and the killer may have been settling a dispute.

But the allegations have not been confirmed by police.

Mayor Bill De Blasio made a speech during the funeral prayers as he urged the community they were doing everything they could to catch the killer

DeBlasio also said the NYPD would be offering more protections at mosques as he spoke

Protesters file onto the street with signs reading 'We Want Justice' during the funeral procession in Queens, New York

Men stopped in the middle of a parking lot to pray for the two slain men

The suspect, who fled the scene on foot, is still at large as police continue the hunt for the man. Sandals being worn by the imam and his assistant are seen at the scene on Saturday

Akonjee and Uddin were shot dead just a block away from the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque, in Queens, after attending prayers on Saturday

The arrest comes after the surveillance footage emerged of the two men being ambushed by the shooter. Police also released a sketch of the suspect.

In the video the suspect, wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts, attacks then runs off and leaves two men dying in the street.

The sketch depicts a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

Authorities say the shooter approached the religious leaders from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque shortly before 2pm Saturday.

The suspect then fled south on 79th Street with the gun still in his hand.

Police sources have said the Imam had $1,000 in cash on him, but it was not stolen.

Several members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community spoke during the rally calling the shootings a 'hate crime'

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

Both men suffered gunshot wounds to the back of the head and were rushed to a Jamaica hospital in critical condition.

Imam Akonjee was pronounced dead at the hospital while his assistant died hours later.

Akonjee was described as a revered religious leader. He came to Queens from Bangladesh a little less than two years ago.

One of his five sons, Niam Akonjee, 23, told the New York Post: 'My father only wanted peace.

Mayor Bill de Blasio dispatched aides to the area to assure community members that the crime was being taken seriously.

'I want whoever did this to come forward for justice. That is all we ask, for justice and to know why he killed my father.'

Shortly after the shooting on Saturday, 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.'

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'.

'He just goes to the mosque, prays and goes home.'

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.'

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.

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

'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.'

Police have said there is no indication the two were targeted because of their faith.

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.
A teenage boy with Asperger's Syndrome who allegedly discussed knifing people in the 'worst... massacre since Port Arthur' on Facebook will remain behind bars following a ruling this week.

The day after the Orlando nightclub killings, the 17-year-old boy allegedly posted a map to Facebook showing four possible targets for an attack in the Sydney CBD - with a court hearing police were deployed in large numbers to protect them.

The boy, who is facing a terror charge, allegedly said the victims of the American massacre deserved it and it was 'my turn for retribution', prosecutors told the NSW Supreme Court during a bail application last month.

Supporters and lawyers leave the NSW Supreme Court building on Monday

Prosecutors allege the boy wrote Facebook he would 'whip out my blade and start slashing every man and woman, even a child around me' and would be 'happy' with 25 to 50 victims.

The teenager said 'it's going to happen tomorrow morning, 10-11am AEST'.

The remarks caught the attention of police who 'deployed to the possible target locations in large numbers', Justice Robert Beech-Jones said last month, before arresting the teen at his home.

Two of the targets were marked 'most likely' on his map, the court was told, while two were 'least likely'.

The boy was arrested on June 14 and charged with a terror offence, as well as intention to commit a serious offence by telecommunications service.

Speaking to police in an interview, the boy said he did not intend to carry out the threats, which prosecutors said he made to make a statement about the mistreatment of persons with mental illness.

'I could never hurt anybody, not in my life,' the court heard him say. 'Its not part of who I am, but yeah, I can be a troublemaker and I like to stir things up really badly, but I have to admit what I done last night was just not all right.'

The boy, who cannot be named, was arrested by police on June 14

In the weeks before the alleged comments the teenager is also alleged to have discussed a suicidal knife attack on people in the city or commuting on the train.

I can get a real long sharp knife and just cut up and kill as many people that I can under a minute,' the court heard he wrote on Facebook in late May this year.

'If I were to do this it would be the most far worst bloody massacre ever to happen in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre.'

In one of the boy's Facebook posts read out by Justice Beech-Jones during a bail application last month, the court heard the teen discuss stabbing people in what 'would be the most far worst bloody massacre ever to happen in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre'

He was denied bail despite his father promising to put their $650,000 family home up as surety and the judge describing the prosecutions case as weak.

Members of his family wept after a court refused an appeal for bail to an appeal's court on Monday, with the panel of judges noting he had searched online 'how to make a firebomb'.

His defence lawyers showed evidence from psychiatrists saying his condition had 'stabilised'.

The lawyers argued he would have to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet if freed on bail.

But prosecutors said even though no knife had been found on him, 'Any kitchen or any house in Australia has knives that are capable of inflicting fatal wounds'.

His defence lawyer submitted testimonials to the court from mental health professionals which showed his condition had 'stabilised'.

Chief Judge Clifton Hoeben said it was 'too early' to make a judgment given the severity of the boy's threats. He said the bail matter would be reviewed in three months time.
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Gold medal winning swimmer Kyle Chalmers is not sure who is enjoying his new-found fame more - him or his grandparents.

Chalmers endeared himself to the nation when he beat out a number of big name stars including reigning Olympic champion Nathan Adrian and the fastest man in the world this year and world record holder Cameron McEvoy to claim the 100m freestyle gold .

But that night his grandparents Malcolm and Julie Bagnell also caught the nation's attention when a video was posted to Facebook showing them celebrating their grandson's monumental victory.

'To see that video on Facebook go viral was incredible ... I actually haven't been able to speak to them since I won because they've been busy with media requests ... and people wanting to catch up and celebrate with them,' Chalmers told Triple M Adelaide.

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Gold medal winning swimmer Kyle Chalmers has claimed that his grandparent were now bigger stars then him after a video of the pair posted to social media went viral.

The video shows the pair sitting in their Adelaide home watching Kyle swim and at the beginning of the race Malcolm shouts 'come on Kyle' while Julie sits quietly with her hands tightly clenched together.

As Kyle touches the wall in first place Malcolm claps and jumps up to grab his wife who is now crying with joy, the pair share a kiss before Malcolm returns to his seat to let what just happened sink in.

Malcolm sheds a little tear before taking off his glasses to clean the lenses - returning them to watch the replay.

Chalmers grandparents Malcolm (left) and Julie Bagnell (right) became famous after a video that was posted to social media went viral

Chalmers celebrates winning his first Olympic gold medal by draping an Australian flag around his shoulders

In the video Julie sits quitely with her hands tightly clenched together

As for what he had planned now that his games were finished, the 18-year-old said that he hoped to meet a few of his idols.

'The next eight days I'll be trying to meet as many celebrities as possible around the village and get a few photos with them,' he said.

Chalmers may be inundated with a few requests of his own.

Chalmers looks up at the results after his gold medal winning swim

Chalmers raises his arm in celebration after claiming a shock gold medal
A man found guilty of murdering his stepdaughter by plunging a knife into her chest has told a Queensland court he can prove he is innocent.

Raymond John Mead, 52, was found guilty earlier this month of murdering 23-year-old Sherelle Locke.

Ms Locke was watching TV with her mother in February 2014 in Boronia Heights, south of Brisbane.

Marlene Locke, mother of murdered woman Sherelle Locke, holds a cross with a photo of her daughter as she arrives at the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Monday

Raymond John Mead, 52, was found guilty earlier this month of murdering his 23-year-old stepdaughter Sherelle Locke (pictured)

Mead represented himself at a Brisbane Supreme Court hearing on Monday after his lawyers withdrew.

He told Justice Ann Lyons: 'I can actually prove now beyond any doubt that I am innocent of this charge'.

Last month the Brisbane Supreme Court heard that Mead admitted to stabbing Ms Locke at her mother's home, but claimed he fell and accidentally plunged the knife into her chest.

The court heard that Mead had been drinking heavily the day he pinned down Ms Locke and stabbed her.

Ms Locke was watching TV with her mother (centre) in February 2014 in Boronia Heights, south of Brisbane

Ms Locke, who left behind three young children, told her friend Mead had been drinking heavily and had been abusing her and her mother just minutes before she was killed

Prosecutor Jodie Woolridge told the jury that Mead detested Ms Locke and openly blamed her for the ongoing problems in his marriage.

Ms Locke, who left behind three young children, told her friend Mead had been drinking and had been abusing her and her mother.

Mead had earlier attempted to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter but that was not accepted by the prosecution.

He will be sentenced later this month.

Mead (pictured) told a Brisbane court that he can prove his innocence beyond any doubt
This is the mountain lion that snatched a four-year-old girl from an Idaho campsite and left her covered in scratches and bite marks.

Kelsi Butt was camping with her family near the Green Canyon Hot Springs in Newdale when the lion grabbed her and tried to carry the girl away.

Her quick-thinking family were able to rescue Kelsi from the mountain lion's grasp and five hours later the cat was shot dead.

Kelsi had been on an extended family camping reunion trip on Friday night when her mother Kera first spotted the mountain lion.

This mountain lion was euthanized after she snatched a four-year-old girl from an Idaho campsite and left her covered in scratches and bite marks

The 93 pounds cougar grabbed the 36 pounds girl on Friday night at the Green Canyon Hot Springs in Newdale

But the group didn't think much of it, thinking Kera had mistook the cat for a wolf or other animal.

'We were kind of teasing her a little bit and saying there's no way she saw a cat,' Keli's father, Israel Butt, told East Idaho News.

'We walked over to where she thought she saw it and nothing was there so we went back to eating dinner.'

The children finished their food and prepared to head to a nearby creek to play, and that's when Kera heard one Kelsi's cousins scream 'I see it!'

'I knew she saw the mountain lion,' Kera said. 'But I didn't know it was attacking Kelsi.'

Kera and another relative didn't think twice as they immediately ran to fend off the cougar.

The mountain lion weighed 93 pounds and Kelsi 36 pounds, according to a blog post written by Kelsi's grandmother.

Kelsi Butt and was left with bite marks (pictured) on her back, leg, upper thigh and arm

Kelsi (pictured after the attack)was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment and received antibiotics and a rabies shot

The animal 'dropped Kelsi, turned her over and pounced on her with both paws,' the grandmother wrote.

Kera said the mountain lion bit Kelsi on the side and tried to pick her up and drag the girl with her mouth.

'It didn't have a good hold, so it put its paws on her to get a better grip,' she added.

The cougar let go once it realized Kelsi's family was coming for her.

Claw marks covered her back, leg, upper thigh and arm. Kelsi was sobbing as she told her mother she hurt 'everywhere'.

Kelsi was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, where she received antibiotics and a rabies shot.

As bad as the scratches looked, Kera knew her daughter was going to be okay.

'I had this overwhelming feeling that she was fine,' the mother-of-three said.

'I just had this comfort that she was okay and I felt like angels were there protecting her.'

The family has since rallied around Kelsi, nicknaming her Puma Princess to help lift her spirits as she 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."'

Kelsi was camping with her siblings and cousins on an extended family reunion trip

The family has since rallied around Kelsi, nicknaming her Puma Princess to help lift her spirits as she recovers from her injuries

As Kelsi received treatment, both officers from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Madison County Sheriff's office descended on the campsite.

There they found Kelsi's grandfather, who was standing guard with a shotgun.

Hound dogs brought in by the officers forced the female cougar up a tree, and she was then shot and killed by sheriff deputies.

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.

'It could have gone the other way so easily', he said.

'She could have been gone and we would have never seen her. You really have to keep your eyes open when you're out camping'.

Kelsi was able to return to the campsite to finish her family reunion, and even made it to church on Sunday so she could show her friends her 'battle wounds'.
A man has shared a shocking video of his grandmother's home in ruins after thieves broke in and stole valuables, including a collection of gemstones from her late husband.

Shawn Woolacott's grandmother, Mary Lowe, 92, returned home to find her house, in Boggabilla, a rural town on the New South Wales and Queensland border completely ransacked after she was targeted in a theft last week.

Ms Lowe's furniture was upturned, medicine cabinets rifled through and her treasured belongings were left strewn on the ground - with Mr Woolacott posting the video to highlight 'how disgraceful the crime is in this once nice little town'.

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Shawn Woolacott's grandmother, Mary Lowe, 92, returned home to find her house, in Boggabilla completely ransacked after she was targeted in a theft last week

The distressed grandson first paces through the dinning room, showing each cupboard emptied and the horrific mess left on the floor.

The tour continues with Mr Woolacott showing the emptied draws and paperwork tossed haphazardly on the floor making it impossible for Ms Lowe to navigate.

'Normally everything is in its place, everything is neat and tidy, as a 92 year old woman would need.'

'Everything shes ever owned gutted and on the ground - it is madness.'

Mr Woolacott then records the spare bedroom which he said had been 'absolutely ransacked', before moving on to the lounge room where a safe was broken into.

The distressed grandson first paces through the dinning room, showing each cupboard emptied and the horrific mess left on the floor

The tour continues with Mr Woolacott showing the emptied draws and paperwork tossed haphazardly on the floor making it impossible for Ms Lowe to navigate

Ms Lowe's furniture was upturned, medicine cabinets rifled through and her treasured belongings were left strewn on the ground

Mr Woolacott (pictured) said he was disappointed to see the charming town he grew up in turn into a hotbed of crime

'These reasons plus many more are why this small community has turned into an unliveable township,' he said

'Who has time to do all this? It's disgusting.'

'Theyve busted the safe, got into a suitcase full of gemstones that my late grandfather has kept over the years  even gone through the couch for something different.'

Mr Woolacott said he was disappointed to see the charming town he grew up in turn into a hotbed of crime.

'Boggabilla was once a small town with a vibrant main street including a post office, greengrocer, butchers, furniture store, etc,' he wrote on Youtube.

'Theyve busted the safe, got into a suitcase (pictured) full of gemstones that my late grandfather has kept over the years  even gone through the couch for something different'

Boggabilla is located on the New South Wales and Queensland border, west of Byron Bay

'These days there's nothing but boarded up windows, 10 foot high barbed wire fences, youth sitting on every corner searching for something to do, graffiti and so on.

'These reasons plus many more are why this small community has turned into an unliveable township.'
Police in the German city of Cologne are hunting two fugitives after a man was left fighting for his life after an axe and gun attack in the early hours of Monday morning.

Authorities said it was too early to say if there was an Islamic terrorist motive behind the incident in the city's old town.

Residents described 'heavy' gunfire in Flandrischenstrasse near to the centre of the city which became the focus of anti-refugee sentiment following the mass sexual assault of hundreds of women by gangs of marauding immigrant men on New Year's Eve last year.

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A police officer secures evidence at Flandrische Strasse in downtown of Cologne after an axe and gun attack

Residents described 'heavy' gunfire in Flandrischenstrasse near to the centre of the city which became the focus of anti-refugee sentiment

Police received several emergency calls about 4am after locals reported a group of four people in dispute with another man.

Axes were used by more than one person and one of three injured is in a critical condition. The other two suffered light wounds.

Police said that when the more seriously wounded man tried to run he was shot at but the bullets only hit his car.

One person has been injured after an axe and gun attack in the German city of Cologne, pictured, which saw the victim fleeing in a car as the attackers opened fire

He managed to get behind the wheel and drive away but was stopped by police a few hundred yards away. All four tyres were shot out and bullets had hit the bodywork.

Interpol have been alerted to be on the lookout for the two men wanted in connection with the incident.
A diplomat was arrested on suspicion of beating his wife after she uncovered his affair by using his fingerprint to unlock his phone as he slept, it has been reported.

The alleged victim is said to have waited until her husband fell asleep and then pressed his thumb on the 'home' button, unlocking the device.

The man, who is understood to be a Foreign Office official, allegedly stuck his wife after she challenged him on the messages she found.

The man, who is understood to be a Foreign Office official, allegedly stuck his wife after she challenged him on the messages she found. Pictured, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

A source told Mike Sullivan at the Sun: 'He was caught with his trousers down and is no James Bond type.'

The Metropolitan Police said detectives were called to a London hospital on the afternoon of July 16 after an allegation of domestic assault was made.

The alleged victim claimed to have been assaulted at a central London flat in the early hours of that day.

The woman is said to have waited until her husband fell asleep and then pressed his thumb on the 'home' button, unlocking the device. Pictured, an iPhone with fingerprint technology

Detectives from a community support unit, which specialises in allegations of domestic abuse, are now investigating the incident.

A spokesman said detectives arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of actual bodily harm on August 1.

He was bailed and will return to police in September.
Fugitives charged with murder, drug trafficking and sexual assault have been named in Australias most wanted criminals list.

The list names nineteen of the countrys most dangerous free men who are being targeted by police in a dedicated fugitive hunt.

Some of the fugitives on the list have been evading the law for more than two decades.

Crime Stoppers has compiled a list of 19 wanted people, including 58-year-old Graham Potter (pictured) who is wanted over his alleged involvement in a homicide

Samuel McGovern (pictured) is alleged to have been involved in the ongoing supply of prohibited drugs, primarily ice and heroin

Police have been hunting for Victorias James Mahoney since 1988 in connection with the sexual assault of two 13-year-old boys.

Mahoney allegedly lured the boys back to his house with the promise of girls, before he sexually assaulted both of them.

Although police charged him with the assaults, Mahoney never showed up to court and police have not seen him since.

Graham Gene Potter, the notorious head and fingers killer, has been on the run since he was released on bail in 2008 and currently has a $100,000 bounty on his head.

Potter is a notorious gangland figure who murdered shop assistant Kim Barry in 1980 before cutting off her head and fingers.

He was re-arrested on drugs charges after his release from bail and fled police custody fearing for his life after he began informing on local mafia figures.

Dane Moore (pictured) was allegedly involved in a number of assaults at Port Macquarie, New South Wales

Darren Rispen (pictured) was charged with 26 offences by New South Wales Police, mainly relating to drugs and directing a crime group

Queensland Police charged Nicholas Byrne (pictured) for committing offences against a child. Byrne pleaded guilty to these charges, but later failed to appear for sentencing

In 1988 Victoria Police alleged that James Mahoney (pictured) lured two 13-year-old boys to his home, with the promise that girls were there

Accused drug lord Darren Rispen has been charged with 26 offences related to drug trafficking and criminal enterprise.

He was allegedly one of the biggest drug pushers in Sydney with connections to international crime syndicates.

Rispen has been on the run since he skipped custody in 2015 after posted $500,000 in bail money.

Police allege that Thuc Van Chu was involved in the cultivation of narcotic plants with an estimated value between $700,000 and $800,000

Lullo Pata (pictured) is wanted by Victoria police for a string of sexual assaults committed last year

Robert Cairns (pictured) was convicted for a number of serious offences such as aggravated burglary, weapons offences, threats to kill and serious assaults. His current whereabouts are unknown

Lullo Pata is wanted by Victoria police for a string of sexual assaults committed last year.

Pata disappeared after he was served a summons to face 13 charges of sexual assault.

He never showed up to court and police believe he has since fled interstate.
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'The Wire' actor Wendell Pierce has lost his home in Baton Rouge has been hit by the devastating Louisiana floods - 11 years after his childhood home in New Orleans was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina hit.

The 52-year-old, who recently starred as Clarence Thomas in HBO's Confirmation, shared the news on Twitter on Sunday - saying it reminded him of the generosity shown to his family after their home in Pontchartrain Park in 2005.

'My neighbors & I have flooded in Baton Rouge,' he said. 'I am reminded of the generosity given to my family during Katrina. Now we will care for you.'

Pierce also connected with a fellow Louisiana native, whose home had also fallen victim to the flooding.

'Anything you need,my brother, I'll be there for you and the good people of Star Hill LA. We take care of each other in Louisiana,' he wrote in response to Rod Dreher.

Speaking about damaged family heirlooms, Pierce wrote: 'In our darkest hours @roddreher faith and family is all we have and need.'

He added: 'You will find heirlooms @roddreher that will have been changed in a way that brings new meaning to them. Inanimate objects brought to life.'

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Actor Wendell Pierce (above) has lost his home in Baton Rouge has been hit by the devastating Louisiana floods

The 52-year-old, who recently starred as Clarence Thomas in HBO's Confirmation, shared the news on Twitter on Sunday

He also shared phone numbers for the American Red Cross in Louisiana and the Baton Rouge Food Bank urging his followers to 'help the people of Louisiana.'

A noticeably shaken Pierce was too upset to speak when approached by TMZ, saying: 'I lost my home. It's a private pain.'

Pierce's spokesman did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

After Hurricane Katrina, Pierce worked to rebuild his neighborhood in New Orleans, investing time and money to restore it.

He's now lost his Baton Rouge home in the devastating floods that have left at least seven dead and more than 10,000 people homeless.

On Monday, a body has been pulled from floodwaters in Baton Rouge, Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, confirmed.

Hicks said a volunteer patrolling in his boat found the victim in front of the Greenwell Springs Library.

Sheriff's units on boats in the area responded and confirmed the discovery. She says the manner of death and identification will come from the coroner's office.

State officials who had been tracking storm-related deaths could not immediately confirm the death was tied to the flooding.

Meanwhile, thousands of people have been forced into emergency shelters and more than 20,000 people have been rescued across south Louisiana after the historic storm.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards says the widespread flooding across south Louisiana has 'presented tremendous challenges,' but he is proud of the state's response.

Pierce urged his followers to 'help the people of Louisiana' and spoke to a fellow Louisiana native who also lost his home

It comes 11 years after Pierce lost his childhood home in New Orleans was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina hit. Above, Pierce with his family outside his parents' home

Pierce lost his childhood home in Pontchartrain Park, New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Above, flood damage from Katrina in New Orleans from August 2005

Ann Chapman from the Louisiana State Animal Response Team carries a dog she helped rescue from flood waters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday

Record-breaking rains pelted Louisiana over the weekend leaving the city with historic levels of flooding that have caused at least seven deaths and damaged thousands of homes. Above, a sign along a flooded road in Baton Rouge

An unearthed casket is seen floating in flood waters in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on Monday

As he visited hard-hit areas in the Lafayette region of south central Louisiana on Monday, Edwards said that he's impressed how Louisiana residents have been working together and 'taking care of their own.'

The governor urged people to remain patient and wait to enter flood-damaged areas only after roadways are safe to travel on.

He also stressed that Louisiana is still 'saving lives' and in 'the response phase' of the flooding disaster.

Edwards added: 'We're doing search and rescue right now in many parishes. As the floodwaters move south and the rivers are cresting further and further south, you have additional areas that are being brought into play.'

Earlier on Monday, he said that officials 'won't know the death toll for sure for several more days.'

On Sunday, President Barack Obama signed a disaster declaration for the state, granting federal aid for the rescue efforts.

And it appears the danger has not yet passed.

Richard Schafer navigates a boat containing three others past a flooded home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday

Kris New marks flood damaged pews outside the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday

Tracy Thornton walks to his house through a flooded neighborhood in Baton Rouge as floods ravaged the area

People walk through a flooded neighborhood in Baton Rouge. Floods have left at least seven dead and thousands more have been forced to flee rising waters after days of catastrophic rainstorms

Kris New marks flood damaged pews outside the Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Monday

While the torrential downpours have stopped, rivers and creeks in many areas were still way above flood stage.

'It's not over,' Edwards warned. 'The water's going to rise in many areas. It's no time to let the guard down.'

Across southern Louisiana, residents scrambled to get to safety as heavy rain in some areas came close to 2 feet over a 48-hour period.

More than a foot of rain fell overnight on Friday - in a deluge estimated to occur once every 500 years, according to the Pacific Standard.

In shocking photos showing the devastation, caskets that had washed up from a graveyard floated down the street in Denham Springs, Louisiana.

A woman's body was later recovered by divers from inside a flooded vehicle in East Baton Rouge Parish.

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.

At least seven people have died in the devastating Louisiana floods which has left more than 10,000 people homeless (pictured is a Louisiana Army National Guard dump truck loaded with flood victims which tilted after going off road on Sunday evening, the truck was able to back up and continue to safety)

Another National Guard dump truck was not so lucky after it drove off the road and was completely submerged in flood waters on Sunday

Richard Rossi and his 4-year-old great grandson Justice wade through water in search of higher ground after their home took in water in St. Amant, Louisiana on Monday

Displaced flood victims are unloaded on dry ground after being rescued from the Hebron Baptist Church on Monday morning

Kevin Richmond (left) and Barbara Manuel and her two children Elliott, eight, (center) and Emily, five, (right) are rescued by members of the Louisiana Army National Guard on Sunday

Louisiana resident Danielle Blount, feeds her three-month-old baby Ember while they wait to be evacuated on Sunday

In shocking photos showing historic floods in Louisiana, caskets that had washed up from a graveyard floated down the street in Denham Springs

Another casket is seen floating in flood waters in Ascension Parish in Louisiana on Monday morning

In one dramatic rescue Saturday, two men on a boat pulled a woman from a car that was 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, jumped into the brown water and pulled the woman to safety.

Emergency officials still were working on strategies to rescue an undetermined number of people trapped by the waters.

'We're very much still in the search and rescue mode,' said James Waskcom, director of the state's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full.

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 on Saturday

Emergency crews in flood-devastated Louisiana have rescued more than 20,000 people after catastrophic inundations that left at least seven dead (residents pictured fleeing with the National Guard on Sunday)

Flood victims line up to load into dump trucks of the Louisiana Army National Guard at the Hebron Baptist Church in Denham Springs on Sunday evening. Around 200 people were taken to the church by the fire department on Friday and Saturday then became stranded as flood waters continued to rise

A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways.

'Everybody got caught off-guard,' said Anthony 'Ace' Cox, who started a Facebook group to help collect information about where people were stranded. 'It was an absolute act of God. We're talking about places that have literally never flooded before.'

Cox lives in New Orleans but his parents live in Central, a town hit hard by the rising water. His parents evacuated to his grandparents' house in Baton Rouge, but that area started taking on water so they evacuated again to a hotel in Baton Rouge.

He is worried his parent's home may not be habitable for months.

National Guard soldiers in high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters helped rescue people alongside Good Samaritans.

Jared Serigne of St. Bernard Parish said he helped organize volunteer efforts involving roughly 70 experienced boaters who helped hundreds from flooded communities such as Monticello, St. Amant and Port Vincent.

He criticized the government's response, saying officials were slow clear roadways and to provide access to potential boat launch points that could be used by volunteers.

Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard have joined the rescue efforts (pictured helping a couple from their boat)

Louisiana residents clamber on an Army National Guard after becoming stranded by rising floodwater near Walker

Sgt. Brad Stone of the Louisiana Army National Guard gave safety instructions to the group who had been stranded by rising floodwater Sunday

Families, clutching their children and what possessions they could carry, are unloaded from a Louisiana Army National Guard at a rally point after they were rescued from rising floodwater near Walker

People arrive at the rally point, where they will be evacuated to safety by the Louisiana Army National Guard

Danielle Blount carries her three-month-old baby Ember to a truck from the Louisiana Army National Guard as they evacuate the area near Walker

Serigne, a TV producer of an outdoors show and marketing director for a marine equipment business, said government agencies should do more to coordinate with volunteers.

'You've got all of these people who hunt and fish who have more experience than the average first-responder,' he said.

The Louisiana State Police started allowing people to reclaim cars left behind on a portion of Interstate 12 that had to be shut down because of the flooding. Motorists had in some instances been stranded overnight awaiting rescue.

Vehicles that were out of gas, stalled or unclaimed were being towed Monday to the shoulder to help clear the interstate.

From the air, homes looked more like little islands surrounded by flooded fields. Streets descended into impassable pools of water and shopping centers were inundated with only roofs of cars peeking above the water.

From the ground it was just as catastrophic.

A colorful little home near Holden is surrounded by rising flood waters after heavy rains hit the region

Motorists on Highway 190 drive through deep water through Holden, Louisiana, yesterday after heavy rains inundated the region

A pet dog sits aboard a boat outside a flood damaged homes in Highland Ridge Subdivision in Youngsville

People arrive by boat at the roadside where members of the Louisiana Army National Guard are leading the rescue efforts

Drivers tried to navigate treacherous roads where the water lapped at the side or covered the asphalt in a running stream.

The slow-moving, low-pressure system moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned that there's still a danger of more rain and fresh floods, as swollen rivers drain toward the Gulf of Mexico.

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.

He said the Baton Rouge area could see up to a half-inch of rain Monday.

The Comite River just east of Baton Rouge dropped nearly 2 feet by Monday from the 34-feet over the weekend. Flood stage is 20 feet. The Amite River at Denham Springs was at 43.5 feet Monday after reaching 46.2 feet. Flood stage is 29 feet.

The federal government declared a major disaster, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston.

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.

Noel Michael, a school teacher, and her husband Deryl, a retired Marine, spent Saturday piling sandbags around their home in the Livingston Parish town of Walker but it became fruitless.

'It was like a water fall,' she said.

Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School and Hammond High Magnet School lie utterly flooded by the heavy rains Saturday

A boat motors between flooded homes in Hammond on Saturday as the water level is predicted to rise

Areas of North Baton Rouge lay under several feet of water on Saturday after the historic storm

They escaped in her husband's pickup  he was behind the wheel and she was on the hood  helping navigate.

They took refuge at her parents' house in Livingston. But they didn't rest long.

On Monday morning they were at one of a chain of area grocery stores run by family friends  helping clean up and re-stock shelves while managers called suppliers and warehouses, hoping trucks could get to them to replenish meat, poultry and milk while flood-weary residents lined up outside.

'My husband and I just said, you know, we can sit here and cry or we can help cleanup,' Noel said in a telephone interview, her voice breaking. 'We're able-bodied. This can get our mind off things.'

Robert and Gwen Arceneaux gathered up their dogs and a few bags of belongings and fled out the back door of their house after enduring a sleepless night as they watched the floodwater creep into their home.

They eventually waded 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.

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
It is not the first tattoo fail to be posted online from unhappy customers

has asked for her

A woman who asked for a tattoo of a bear on her shoulder was shocked to discover the artist had drawn an animal which she says resembles a pig.

The woman, from Bundaberg in Queensland, went to a parlour with her sister to get matching tattoos.

She asked for her money back after the siblings were less than impressed with their permanent markings.

A Queensland woman asked for a tattoo like the above of a bear on her shoulder

But she was shocked to discover the artist had drawn an animal which she says resembles a pig (pictured)

'It was meant to be a bear and looks like a pig,' she said on Facebook, according to The Sunshine Coast Daily.

'My sister's and I tattoo don't even look anything alike and were meant to be ''matching'' tattoos.'

'When asking for our money back they refused and told us we asked for them to look that way,' she said.

The Queensland sisters aren't the first dissatisfied tattoo parlour customers.

Another woman had the phrase 'my mom is my angle' scrawled across her skin

'It's get better' is another tattoo fail posted online

This man has what can only be described as a portrait of a male genitalia printed on his forearm

One woman had the phrase 'my mom is my angle' scrawled across her skin, presumably meant to be 'angel', a celestial being, rather than 'angle', a geometric term.

One optimistic man had is arm branded with 'It's get better', while another has a thong tattooed on his back poking out from above his trouser-line.

Another has what can only be described as a portrait of a male genitalia printed on his forearm.

It is unknown if any of the tattoo recipients have any 'regerts' about their choices.

It is unclear if this man has any 'regerts' about his choice of tattoo
George Low, 22, from Dartford, Kent, was knifed in the neck along with his friend, just hours before he was due to fly home from Ayia Napa

A former British bar manager known as 'Gorgeous George' was stabbed to death in Ayia Napa after he tried to stand up for an English girl who was being harassed by men, it was claimed last night.

Brave George Low, 22, from Dartford, Kent, was knifed in the neck along with his friend just hours before he was due to fly home.

He suffered fatal neck injuries after allegedly confronting two men while clubbing on a night out at the famous Cyprus holiday resort.

His friend Ben Parker, also 22, was stabbed four times in the back and is expected to make a full recovery.

Mr Low, a 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.

He allegedly stepped in after getting into an argument with 'locals' and reportedly told them 'That's enough' when they 'disrespected' an English girl during the night out.

An unnamed friend told The Sun: ' George got into an argument with some locals.

'These Cypriot guys were disrespecting and harassing an English girl, apparently.

'George and his mates stepped in and said, "That's enough". There were two guys who took off and they returned 20 minutes later with a knife. It all happened so suddenly.'

Mr Low is believed to have been on the last day of his holiday in Cyprus when he was knifed along with his friend

His devastated mother Helen Low, 47, received a phone call from her son's friend in the early hours of yesterday morning and couldn't believe he had been killed.

Speaking from the family home in Dartford, Mrs Low said: '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.

'He was not a fighter he just wanted to enjoy life.'

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

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.

Mr Low 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, a community carer, added: '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.

'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.

George's mother Helen Low, 47, received a phone call from George's friend and couldn't believe her beloved son had been killed

'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.

'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.

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.

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, 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!!'

Lewis Taylor added: '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.
Scientists are worried that the deadly disease smallpox could return because permafrost is melting close to where hundreds of infected bodies were buried.

During the 1890s, a major epidemic of smallpox occurred in a town near the Kolyma River in eastern Siberia, Russia.

Up to 40 per cent of the population died and their bodies were quickly buried under the permafrost soil.

But today, in some parts of Siberia the thawing is three times greater than usual due to climate change and the Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks.

Scientists took samples from an old cattle grave to try and find out if the spores are still there

Experts are warning that the deadly disease smallpox could re-emerge from old Siberian graveyards

And experts are warning that the disease could re-emerge after the bodies of the victims are exposed due to the melting.

Scientists also fear smallpox - a disease which has been eradicated around the world - could make a return following the outbreak of deadly anthrax in the Yamal peninsula last month.

One child was was killed, 24 others suffered from infections and more than 2,300 reindeer were perished.

The anthrax infection is believed to have spread after the thawing of reindeer or human graves, but now scientists warn the same process could release smallpox.

The warning comes as the video game The Division - which is about a smallpox breakout in Manhattan, New York - came out earlier this year.

Scientists inspected the area in the Yamal peninsula where the outbreak of deadly anthrax killed one child last month

Experts attended the scene in Yamal to try and disinfect the area where the anthrax outbreak took place

Boris Kershengolts, deputy director for research at the Institute for Biological Problems of the Cryolithozone in Yakutsk, confirmed that the disease could return.

He said: 'Can these processes repeat themselves? Of course they can.

'Back in the 1890s, a major epidemic of smallpox occurred - there was a town where up to 40 per cent of the population died.

'Naturally, the bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost soil, on the bank of the Kolyma River.

'Now, a little more than 100 years later, Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks.'

Virus experts from the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences have visited the graves, said Professor Sergey Netesov, of Novosibirsk State University.

The corpses they studied bore sores that looked like those smallpox might cause, he told video conference called in the wake of the anthrax outbreak.

While the virus itself was not found, some fragments of its DNA were noted, reported The Siberian Times.

The town of Zashiversk (pictured) was completely depopulated by 1898 after a smallpox epidemic

An old cemetery was created for those who lost their lives because of the outbreak in Yakutsk

Professor Netesov said: 'This type of research should go on. Examining deeper burials might help clear up the situation.'

The tsarist Arctic fortress town of Zashiversk, totally abandoned in 1898 after repeated smallpox outbreaks, is one example of a site where graves could pose a modern threat.

Viktor Maleyev, deputy chief of Russia's Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, also warned that there are many other dangers lurking in shallow Arctic graves apart from anthrax and smallpox.

Scientists are discovering new 'giant viruses' in woolly mammoths, the carcasses of which are appearing as warmer weather melts ice and permafrost.

He said: 'Their pathology has not been proven, we must continue to study them.

'I think climate change will bring us many surprises. I don't want to scare anyone, but we should be ready.'

Hundreds of Russian chemical and bio-warfare troops are deployed to destroy the infected reindeer remains on Yamal.

A mass vaccination programme has been instituted to protect reindeer from the infection.

Boris Kershengolts (pictured), deputy director for research at the Institute for Biological Problems of the Cryolithozone, confirmed that the disease could return

Professor Sergey Netesov, (pictured) of Novosibirsk State University, has visited the graves

The warning from scientists comes as the video game The Division (pictured) - which is about a smallpox breakout in Manhattan - came out earlier this year.

Another expert warned that the melting in northern Siberia is far greater than expected this summer.

The deputy director of the Permafrost Studies Institute, Mikhail Grigoriev, said: 'Melting may loosen the soil rather quickly, so the probability is high that old cattle graves may come to the surface.

'Some graves dug in the past may be just three meters deep, covered by a very thin layer of soil.
A woman has been congratulated for her bravery after confronting a man who was robbing her neighbour's property, and filming it on her phone.

The footage was posted on the Crime Watch Logan Facebook page on Sunday by Tash Connors, after her neighbour filmed the man on Grayson Street at Yarrabilba in Logan with a bag of Ms Connors' property.

'I don't know what you doing but I've got you on camera now and if they were your friends over there... dude I'm already sending this to the cops,' the neighbour is heard saying as she approached the man at the side of the house.

'I don't live here f***wit I'm visiting somebody,' she is heard saying, before telling the man to put the stolen property down and she will let him go.

The man does what she says and is seen putting down an armful of stuff wrapped up in a white sheet in the laneway beside the house, while arguing with the neighbour that he is trying to find his lighter.

As he heads of she saying to him 'I wouldn't be going next door as there's people home'.

Ms Connors alleges the man in the video also stole her partner's Kawasaki KX450 motorbike from the garage of her home on Grayson Street in June.

The burglar is captured on film by a woman as he is leaving her neighbour's property with the stolen goods wrapped in a white sheet

Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia they charged a 50-year-old woman, a 42-year-old man and a 33-year-old man with breaking and entering and unlawful use of a motor vehicle, over the incident in June.

The woman appeared in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on July 6 and was released on bail. She had her bail enlarged and will reappear in court on August 24.

The 42-year-old man was bailed and will reappear in the same court on August 24.

The 33-year-old man was also released on bail and will appear in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on August 30.
Babu Omowale, a Peoples New Black Panther Party leader, declared 'this is war' in response to the protests in Milwaukee

A leading New Black Panther figure has declared 'this is war' in response to the violent protests in Milwaukee at the weekend.

Babu Omowale, the national minister of defense for the Peoples New Black Panther Party, said there is a 'war against black people' as 'we're the ones being murdered'.

His comments came as a second night of riots erupted following the death of 23-year-old Sylville Smith, who was shot by an officer.

At least one person was shot during the protests as police moved in to disperse nearly 150 protesters, while a cop was also injured.

Omowale suggested the violent protests were protected by the Second Amendment.

Speaking on Aaron Klein Investigative Radio, he said: 'What you see is people lashing out and fighting against the system.

'As it is said in the Second Amendment, you know. So this is not new. The people in this country have always defended themselves against tyranny. So I cant liken this to a civil war.

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His comments came as a second night of riots erupted following the death of 23-year-old Sylville Smith, who was shot by an officer

At least one person was shot during the protests as police moved in to disperse nearly 150 protesters, while a cop was also injured

Omowale said there is a 'war against black people' as 'we're the ones being murdered'. Pictured are a line of dozens of officers in riot gear on Sunday night

'Is it a war? Yes, it is. Its a war against black people because were the ones being murdered. Were the ones being killed. So theres been a war against us. But is it a civil war? I cant say that thats the case.'

He added that the death of Sylville Smith was yet another example of black men 'being murdered' and the 'same old that is happening around the country'.

Omowale is the co-founder of the Huey P. Newton Gun Club, a coalition focused on self-defense and named after a co-founder of the Black Panther Party.

The club provides armed patrols and training exercises and takes people from poor, minority communities to local gun ranges.

As police arrived on the scene some protesters threw bottles and rocks before shots were reportedly fired

Omowale suggested the violent protests were protected by the Second Amendment. A dozen officers guarded a BP gas station (pictured) on Sunday night

The Peoples New Black Panther Party was founded two years ago as an off-shoot of the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense, a militant black separatist group that has been described as a hate group 'whose leaders have encouraged violence against whites, Jews, and law enforcement officers'.

It is understood that Micah Xavier Johnson, who shot dead five cops at Dallas Black Lives Matter protest in July, went to several Peoples New Black Panther Party meetings.

While the groups refer to the Black Panther Party, which was set up in 1966 and advocated violent protest, they are not affiliated with the original group.

The death of Sylville Smith (left and right) who was shot by an officer sparked the riots
Theresa May is facing fresh demands to overhaul the House of Lords in the wake of the row over David Cameron's resignation honours.

Baroness Smith of Basildon, the Labour leader in the upper chamber, insisted changes can no longer be avoided.

The former prime minister sparked fury when he dished out 'golden goodbye' gongs to a string of aides and Tory donors.

There are now around 800 members of the House of Lords, making it the second largest legislative chamber in the world

Among dozens of awards, Mr Cameron created 13 Tory life peers, giving the Tories 207 - one more than Labour.

Tory treasurer Andrew Fraser, and Downing Street aides Gabby Bertin, Liz Sugg and Camilla Cavendish were all given peerages.

Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said last week that he wanted his Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee to probe Mr Cameron's honours when Parliament returns from its summer break.

The cross-party committee could summon the ex-PM as a witness and subject him to a public grilling as part of any inquiry.

Jeremy Corbyn has also been criticised over his decision to hand a peerage to Shami Chakrabarti, who had carried out a controversial review into antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The rows have cast the spotlight once again on the state of the Lords, which with around 800 members is now the second largest legislative assembly in the world.

Only the Chinese National People's Congress is bigger.

Each peer can claim up to 300 tax free for every sitting day they attend.

Lady Smith today renewed demands for a 'constitutional convention' that would 'ultimately reform the Lords whilst maintaining both the scrutiny of government and the primacy of the House of Commons'.

Writing in The Times, she stressed that joining the Lords should be 'seen as a job of work rather than an honour'.

Pointing to the conclusions of a 2014 inquiry by Labour peers on reforming the upper chamber, she proposes 'scrapping hereditary by-elections and the ceremonial wearing of robes . . . a significant reduction in the size of the house and a threshold attendance level with consequences for individuals who failed to make the grade'.

Lady Smith said there had to be an open debate on how reform of the Lords can be achieved.

'Some will argue for an elected or part-elected house, others for wholesale abolition or replacing the Lords with, for example, a smaller, leaner second chamber, or a senate,' she said.
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The UK is set to bask in warm weather this week despite missing out on a heatwave after a 'Spanish plume' of warm air was blown off course.

Thousands have made their way to the country's beaches to make the most of the warmer conditions - despite warnings that a shark is on the prowl off the Cornish coast.

The warnings came after the body of a dolphin was found on Portreath beach, Cornwall. The headless carcass had huge teeth marks and puncture wounds, leading to concerns a large predator was lurking in the water.

The beaches are likely to be full for most of the week despite forecasters predicting temperatures in the thirties for Brits this week due to hot air coming in from the continent.

Instead, the UK will have to settle for temperatures around the 27C mark after wind arrives from the south east as opposed to the expected southern direction, dropping the mercury a few degrees across the country.

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Corinne Evans enjoys the sun and surf in Newquay, Cornwall, as Britain prepares itself for a few days of hot weather

Youngsters enjoy the sea in the warm weather on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex, as Britons are set to bask in a three-day sunny spell

Girls apply sun cream on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex, as Britons are set to bask in a three-day sunny spell as the mercury rises well above average for the time of year

People take to the water to cool down and escape the sun's rays at the popular Fistral beach in Newquay, Cornwall

SHARK WARNING: HEADLESS BODY OF DOLPHIN WASHES UP ON CORNWALL SHORE The headless carcass of a dolphin which washed up on Portreath beach in Cornwall had huge teeth marks and puncture wounds (pictured) Fears are growing that a huge shark could be patrolling off a British beach after the teeth shredded body of a dolphin was found. The gruesome find was made on Portreath beach, Cornwall by Charlotte Thomson. The headless carcass had huge teeth marks and puncture wounds. Ms Thomson said: 'We woke up this morning and noticed an animal on the beach not moving so went to have a look to see if we could save it but soon realised it was a baby dolphin that had been attacked by something huge. 'Its head had been bitten off and there were puncture marks with huge teeth marks about two inches long and its head and dorsal fin ripped off. Wonder what is out there in the sea that did this? Just so sad.' It's not the first evidence of shark attacks off Cornwall. Last October a wildlife cruise operator was stunned to spot an injured dolphin of the Cornish coast with a huge bite taken out of it. Ross Wheeler, of AK Wildlife Cruises, spotted the common dolphin swimming in the pod with a huge chunk missing from its back seemingly bitten off by a large predator. Ms Thomson added her fiance Joey Auger felt the culprit for the latest attack could even be killer whales. She added: 'Joey thinks it could have been an orca or something as they've been seen off the Cornish coast.' Advertisement

Corinne Evans joins others on the beach in Newquay as temperatures are set to hit upwards of 26C through to Wednesday

Sunbathers took the chance to top up their tans, with health officials warning people to be safe in hot conditions

Youngsters enjoy the warm weather at Warleigh Weir near Bath, Somerset, as they take a walk in the water to cool down

The week is getting off to a warm start with most of the UK forecast enjoying some summer sun before lower temperatures later on

Beautiful weather hits Cambridge as many take to the river on punts or just soak up the sun on their lunch break

The Victorian cliff lift transports visitors to the golden sands and pier on Saltburn Beach on the North Sea coast

Families are flocking to the country's beaches today, such as that in Weston-Super-Mare, to enjoy the warm weather

Holidaymakers set up their spots on the beach in Newquay, despite warnings about a shark on the prowl in Cornwall

Met Office forecaster Emma Boorman told MailOnline: 'Forecasts from the middle of last week suggested it was going to be hotter, possibly in the low thirties.

'It was being pushed up from Spain towards the UK by a southern air flow but subtle suggestions in the wind direction have changed that.

'I think we can still expect temperatures in the high twenties,' she added. 'Monday is likely going to be around the 25C to 26C mark, with the possibility of it reaching a degree higher.

'Over both Tuesday and going into Wednesday the temperature could go up to 28C so it is going to feel very warm.

'As we head into Thursday and Friday we can see the the more typical Atlantic influence, as cooler wind from the Atlantic sea blows in from the west and south west, bringing temperatures down again.'

Despite staying warm, the weather is set to turn thundery as of Wednesday evening for parts of the UK, with outbreaks of rain - some heavy - expected to hit the west.

Sheila and Lilian Thompson enjoy the warm weather on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex as sun worshipers flocked to the country's open spaces

A young boy watches as kite surfers make the most of favourable conditions on Dollymount strand, Dublin

Tourists are seen taking photos and using selfie sticks as they enjoy a punt on a canal in Cambridge today

Warning sunseekers to be careful when out and about in hot weather, St John Ambulance advised people to keep in the shade where possible, stay hydrated and wear sun cream

One woman takes a break in the sun on a beach in Somerset as the temperature creeps closer to 28C through the early part of the week

People enjoy the warm weather in Alexandra Park, London, as the capital enjoys temperatures as high as anywhere in the country today

Cyclists and walkers enjoy the scenic village of Worth Matravers in the afternoons sunshine in picturesque Dorset

It could prove to hot for some, with health authorities urging people to stay safe and remain vigilant in the warm conditions

A forecast from the Met Office for Monday shows temperatures ranging up to 26C for much of the south, including London

A woman relaxes in the shade while observing the sunny conditions on the Weston-Super-Mare sea front in Somerset

The UK will have to settle for temperatures around the 27C mark after wind arrives from the south east as opposed to the expected southern direction, dropping the mercury a few degrees across the country

A cyclist rides to the end of the pier as the sun rises behind clouds in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, as Britain prepares for hot conditions this week

Despite staying warm, the weather is set to turn thundery as of Wednesday evening for parts of the UK, with outbreaks of rain - some heavy - expected to hit the west (pictured is Warleigh Weir near Bath)

A family takes a break while next to the Aldheim's Radar Monument in the afternoon sunshine in Dorset

Meteorologist Alex Burkill said: 'It will still be above average for the time of year. It will definitely feel like summer, perhaps just not as hot as we thought it would be.

Warning sunseekers to be careful when out and about in hot weather, St John Ambulance advised people to keep in the shade where possible, stay hydrated and wear sun cream.

Training officer Clive James said: 'The classic signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are dizziness and headache - if you're suffering from either, find somewhere cool and drink plenty of fluids. If your symptoms don't get any better and you're concerned, seek medical attention.'

Mr Burkill reassured those concerned about problems trying to sleep through muggy nights.

He said: 'It is likely to be quite chilly overnight, with temperatures falling to single figures in some places. It could be around 3C or 4C (39F) in parts of Scotland.'

The hot weather returns as research shows more than half of people say sticky conditions are preventing them from sleeping, while nearly a third claim their productivity at work goes down due to a lack of concentration.

The stunning view and deep blue sea is seen stretching across the Jurassic Coastline from St Aldheims Head in Dorset

Forecasters had predicted temperatures in the low thirties for Brits this week due to hot air coming in from the continent. Pictured is Bournemouth Pier

A beautiful start to the day in Bournemouth is caught by a drone as the rising sun is shown over the pier this morning

Observing the dawn breaking across the Vale of York, a dog walker takes in the breath-taking view from the 18th century Oliver Duckett folly, near Richmond, North Yorkshire

Forecasters had predicted temperatures in the low thirties for Brits this week due to hot air coming in from the continent, but wind arriving from the south east as opposed to the expected southern direction has dropped the expected mercury

A thin blanket of mist hangs over low lying fields close to the village of Gilling West near Richmond, North Yorkshire

Dawn breaks over the industrial landscape of Teesside this morning, where flare stacks and cooling towers are silhouetted against the glowing horizon

A further 16 per cent even become hot-headed as the heat makes them angry and frustrated, suggested data compiled by TopCashback.co.uk.

It is thought that uncomfortable summer days are costing Brits up to 713 as they attempt to keep cool.

Looking for instant solutions to the hot weather, Brits reach for items such as plug-in electric fans, cooling sprays and ice packs.
A seamstress who kidnapped a three-day-old baby and raised her as her own for nearly 18 years was today jailed for ten years for 'causing so much harm' to the girl and her devastated birth parents.

The 51-year-old woman had 'betrayed and lied' to the stolen child, the judge told her in a stinging rebuke, before he sent her to the cells.

Outside court, the kidnapper's relatives and the birth family of the girl - who has become known as South Africa's Madeleine McCann - came close to blows following the short, but tense hearing in Cape Town.

The story of how the girl named Zephany by her birth parents, Morne and Celeste, was snatched from her sleeping mother's arms in April 1997, has gripped South Africa for almost two decades.

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Zephany's biological parents, Morne and Celeste Nurse, embraced each other after the woman who kidnapped their daughter was jailed for 10 years today

The biological father of Zephany Nurse Morne Nurse (pictured) spoke today after his daughter's kidnapper was jailed

Celeste was photographed leaving the high court in Cape Town today, when a 51-year-old was jailed for kidnapping her daughter

Zephany, pictured as a baby, was stolen from Groote Schuur hospital in Cape Town, in April 1997

The incredible turn of events that led to her recovery 18 months ago, seemed to be the happy ending everyone had hoped for.

After losing Zephany when she was just three days old, Morne and Celeste never gave up hope that she was alive  throwing parties every year on her birthday to keep her memory alive, which were widely covered in the media.

But it was not until last year when their 13 year old daughter, Cassidy, told them about her new, older friend at school with whom she felt an inexplicable bond, that Morne became convinced that his long lost daughter had finally been found.

Cassidy said her new friend bore a striking resemblance to her and her parents and DNA tests later confirmed the teenager was Zephany.

In fact, the teenager  now 18  was living just a few streets away from the Nurse family.

The 51-year-old defendant was pictured arriving in court in March before she was found guilty of kidnapping Zephany Nurse

Mr Nurse (pictured in the middle) was surrounded by friends and family who attended the hearing in Cape Town today

Zephany Nurse was snatched from her hospital cot in the maternity ward in Cape Town in 1997 and spent the next 18 years being brought up by another family

Celeste Nurse left the Cape Town High court today after attending the sentencing of the woman who was been convicted of kidnapping her daughter

Like the kidnapper's husband - whom she believed to be her father - she had no idea of her true identity.

Today Judge John Hlope condemned the kidnapper, who cannot be identified, for failing to return the stolen child to her distraught birth parents and showing 'no remorse' for the appalling deception against her own and Zephany's family.

He told the packed court: 'You had all the opportunity in the world to return to the child.

'Year in and year out, the parents marked the birthday and made the event public and there was wide publicity.

'There is no way you did no know that this was their child, but you decided to keep her anyway.'

The defendant (pictured in March) said she had unexpectedly been handed a newborn at a busy train station by a mystery woman

During her trial for kidnapping and fraud, the woman denied she had taken the baby and told the court she had suffered a string of miscarriages and heartbreak before meeting a mysterious woman called 'Sylvia' at a hospital in Cape Town, who later sold her a baby at a busy train station.

To date, she denies she had dressed in a nurse's uniform in order to snatch tiny Zephany from her mother's arms.

An earlier attempt to take another newborn at the Groote Schuur hospital had been foiled by the mother, the court heard.

Although the reunion between Zephany and her parents was initially celebrated as a 'dream come true' for both sides, relations between them have since soured.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline earlier this year, Morne, an electrical sales rep, described feeling as if his daughter had been 'kidnapped all over again' after the teenager cut off her birth family in support for the woman who had raised her.

Today, after the 12 minute hearing, asked if he thought the jailing of the kidnapper would help heal their relationship, he said: 'She's my daughter, she has my DNA, I don't know what will happen.

'It's up to her. I am just glad it is all over, she [the kidnapper] deserves what happened to her.'

Celeste was not in court to see the woman jailed - she has stayed away from court for much of the proceedings, and clearly found it distressing giving evidence against the kidnapper who took her child, and broke down on a number of occasions.

Celeste Nurse, the biological mother of Zephany Nurse, embraced a family member after the sentencing hearing on Monday

The loyal husband of the kidnapper  who told court he had no inkling that the beloved girl was not his own - blew kisses down from the public gallery to his wife, wearing a black coat, and wept as she descended into the cells beneath the court room.

Asked by MailOnline if Zephany  who is known by the name given to her by her kidnapper  was aware of the woman's fate, he replied: 'I am going to have to phone her now and tell her.'

Zephany gave evidence behind closed doors during the kidnapper's sentencing hearing and was reportedly supportive of the woman, to whom she remains close.

Outside court, family confirmed to MailOnline newspaper reports that the 18 year old is now expecting her own child.

The court previously heard that the seamstress claimed she hid a miscarriage from her husband and had bought the baby for 50 at a train station from a woman who promised to help her with an adoption.

Her lies meant her betrayed husband brought the baby up as his own, unbeknown to him his wife's dark secret.

But her web of lies came crashing down when she was convicted of kidnap and led down to the cells.

Zephra Nurse, Zephany's grandmother, was pictured leaving the court in Cape Town, South Africa, in March

The Nurse family celebrated Zephany's birthday each year in her absence, in the hope that one day she might return to them

One of the 17 birthday cakes made for the Nurse family's beloved daughter, featuring her picture

The family worked hard to make sure people don't forget about their missing daughter over the years, including a big appeal in 2010 in the local newspaper the Cape Argus, but no one ever came forward

Speaking to MailOnline in March earlier this year, she said: 'I'm not sorry I took her when the woman handed her over that day. I will always be in her life if she wants me.

'To me, I will always be her mother. I am sorry she found out the way she did. I am sorry for what the Nurse family has been through and I am happy they found her, I am proud of her.'

Although they have been reunited with their long lost daughter, the reunion between the family appears to have been fraught.

In March, the kidnapper's husband, a 52-year-old electrician, was left 'broken' last year when he discovered his beloved 'daughter' was not his.

He told MailOnline how the teenager remained 'close' to him and his wife, despite the defendant's appalling deceit.

He said: 'She has abandoned the Nurses as a result of what has happened.

'The main thing is that all of us should act like adults and put this child first.

Zephany - pictured here as a baby with a family member - grew up just a few streets away from her biological parents in Lavender Hill, a poor suburb of Cape Town

The family only have a few photos of Zephany taken before she was snatched. She is pictured here with her uncle Abraham Nurse in Hospital on April 29, 1997

'She is the most important person in this situation. Whatever happens now, she won't be made to stay away from us, that is her choice, she is an adult.'

Giving evidence at her trial at the Western Cape High Court, the defendant admitted she had deceived her husband and 'child' for almost two decades, choosing not to tell them the truth until she was arrested by police last year.

She had miscarried a baby in December in 1996, she told the court, but decided not to tell her family or friends.

In his testimony, her biological father Morne told the court how he had solved South Africa's most famous missing person mystery after the couple's daughter Cassidy, now 16, struck up a friendship with a girl at school, in January last year.

After seeing a remarkable resemblance between the older girl to his two other children, Mr Nurse began to suspect that the teenager was his missing daughter and launched his own investigation.

He gently quizzed the then 17-year-old about her date of birth and other family details and downloaded a picture of the girl's 'mother' from her Facebook page, which he sent to an eye witness who had helped police at the time of the kidnapping.

Convinced that the teenager was in fact his own long lost child, he approached the police who interviewed the defendant and carried out DNA tests, which confirmed the father's suspicions.

KIDNAPPER: 'I WILL ALWAYS BE IN HER LIFE IF SHE WANTS ME' As she prepared to hear her fate, the kidnapper gave an impromptu interview to MailOnline at a busy coffee shop opposite court, insisting that she would 'always be the girl's mother'. 'I'm not sorry I took her when the woman handed her over that day,' she said. 'I will always be in her life if she wants me. 'To me, I will always be her mother. I am sorry she found out the way she did. I am sorry for what the Nurse family has been through and I am happy they found her, I am proud of her.' The woman, who was banned under the terms of her bail conditions from having contact with the girl, added: 'I miss making food and clothes for her, we used to go shopping together. I miss her a lot. 'I used to do everything for her, it is hard not to be able to do that now. I am not afraid of losing her, we give her love. 'She was raised well, she had everything a child wanted. Whatever decision she makes, we will still be in her life.' The accused's husband, a gentle, quietly-spoken electrician sitting next to his wife, revealed their 'daughter' is still living with him and is standing by the woman who raised her. 'She is strong, but I am also worried about her,' he said. 'I want her to have a relationship with her birth parents, I can't stand in the way of that, we both want that.' Asked if he forgave his wife for lying to him for so long, he said: 'I still feel the same for my wife, I have all the love still for her. My family is split up now, my wife can't be with us. 'Our daughter wants her mother to come home, to be a family again. She has forgiven her and still thinks of her as her mother.' He revealed that following a row some months ago, the teenager had not had contact with her biological parents. 'She is not having any contact with them. She had a tiff with them and just blocked them out, I don't want to say any more than that.' During the trial, the atmosphere between the two families and their supporters in the public gallery was fraught. Outside court, Morne Nurse had dismissed the kidnapper's husband as 'an idiot' for not realising his wife had deceived him. But the defendant's husband refused to hit back. 'We are family, we are fathers, we are examples to our children,' he added. 'We must respect each other as grown ups, our children look up to me. 'Really, I had no idea that she wasn't my child. People used to tell me she looked like me and I thought she was mine.' Advertisement

The accused was picked out from an identity parade last year by Shireen Piet, a patient on the maternity ward in April 1997, who told how she had caught the defendant attempting to snatch her own newborn baby.

Mrs Piet had helped create a photo-fit of the defendant at the time of Zephany's disappearance that bears a striking resemblance to her.

At the time of her arrest, the accused claimed she had given birth to her daughter at a mobile maternity unit, but changed her story once DNA results revealed they could not be related.

Rejecting her testimony to the court in March, Judge Hlope told the accused: 'One does not have to be rocket scientist to know that you don't buy a child.

'Human beings are not bought, you don't buy a child in South Africa. Your story is a fairytale and this court rejects it with the contempt it deserves.'

In addition to being found guilty of kidnapping, the accused was convicted of fraud relating to an application for a birth certificate for the stolen child in order to get her into school.
A 52-year-old woman has been arrested and is being interviewed at a Melbourne police station but no charges have been laid against her yet.

Victorian MP Jane Garrett was walking along Elgin Street, in Melbourne's city centre at about 4.15pm on Monday when a woman allegedly grabbed her hair.

The woman is alleged to have then tried to push her through a plate-glass window near Shaw Davey Slum Pub before fleeing on foot when bystanders came to help Ms Garrett.

Victorian member of parliament, Jane Garrett (stock), has allegedly been attacked while walking down the street

It has believed that the woman was known to Ms Garrett - who has taken out an intervention order against her in the past, Herald Sun reported.

A 'shocked' Mr Garrett told the newspaper: 'I'm grateful for the outstanding professionalism of the police.

'I'm in shock. It was very frightening,' she added.

CCTV footage of the incident has been captured by Shaw Davey Slum Pub and will be part of an investigation into the alleged attack.

Earlier in the day it has been revealed that someone had tried to smash a window in the Brunswick MP's office an incident which was reported to parliament, reported Herald Sun.

The woman suspected of the attack has been known to Ms Garrett for several years dating back to her time on Yarra Council.

It is believed a female attacker tried to grab Ms Garret's (stock) hair and push her through a glass window pane

Police arrived at the Shaw Davey Slum Pub at about 6.15pm on Monday to question customers and staff about the incident.

Both Liberal MP Margaret Fitzherbert and Greens MP Ellen Sandell showed their support over social media and tweeted how 'horrified' they were to hear about the attack.

Ms Fitzherbert said: 'I'm horrified by reports that @Jane_GarrettMP has been attacked today. Hope she is ok and her assailant is caught. #springst.'

Ms Sandell said: 'Just heard the terrible news that @Jane_GarrettMP has been assaulted in Carlton. Hope she is okay. My thoughts are with her + her family.'

Ms Garret (pictured) is understood to be shaken from the incident but not seriously injured. Police are currently searching for her alleged attacker

Earlier a police spokeswoman said a 43-year-old woman was walking on Drummond Street, at the intersection of Elgin Street, when she was assaulted by a woman at about 4.15pm.

The female offender ran off and the victim sustained minor injuries.

Recently Ms Garrett resigned from the Victorian Cabinet after a dispute over a Country Fire Authority enterprise bargaining agreement.

Ms Garrett was first elected as the Brunswick MP in 2010 and again in 2014. The local MP was both born and raised in the area.
Six people have been put to death by Isis  by being immersed in boiling vats of tar, its been reported.

The gruesome act was carried out in public at an Isis command centre in al-Shora in Iraq, with the aim of inciting fear among the citizens.

The six, from Mosul, were accused by Isis of being spies for the Iraqi government.

Six people have been put to death by Isis (pictured)  by being immersed in boiling vats of tar, its been reported

A source told Iraqi News: Isis executed six persons in Mosul for collaborating with Nineveh Operations Command. The death sentence was issued [by an] Isis Sharia Court.

The six persons were placed inside tanks containing boiling tar and the execution was carried out in one of Isis headquarters at al-Shora. The execution took place with an aim of inciting fear among the citizens.

The grotesque act follows evidence being revealed that Isis has been using mustard gas on the front line in Iraq.

Troops fighting against the terror group have been left with appalling injuries  including agonising blisters on their skin and badly damaged lungs  in a frightening echo of warfare in the trenches on the Western Front.

The grotesque act follows evidence being revealed that Isis has been using mustard gas on the front line in Iraq

Without any regard for the international ban on the chemical weapon, IS has used the lethal gas repeatedly against Kurdish forces who are battling to drive out the jihadis.

The terror group  which has killed hundreds of victims in repeated attacks in France and against other targets in the West  is fighting a last-ditch battle to hold on to the dwindling area it controls in Iraq and Syria.

Nearly 100 Kurdish soldiers have been injured in mustard gas attacks, which are now taking place as often as twice a week, according to doctors speaking publicly for the first time.

The Mail on Sunday interviewed victims of the weapons, which are banned by the United Nations.
A new attack has been threatened against French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo after its latest issue carried a cartoon mocking Muslims at the beach.

It depicted two Muslims, a male and a female, running naked on the sand with the caption The reform of Islam: Muslims loosen up. It was a comment on the fact that burkas have been banned from the beaches in Cannes in the wake of the Nice terrorist attack.

The issue was published last Wednesday and the threat made via the magazines Facebook page.

A new attack has been threatened against French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo after its latest issue carried a cartoon mocking Muslims at the beach

The magazine has reported the matter to the police, according to Le Parisien.

An attack on the Charlie Hebdo newsroom killed 12 people on January 7, 2015. Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula claimed responsibility, saying it was in revenge for the newspaper's depictions of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Paris prosecutor's office revealed that around a dozen written death threats were posted in July and August on the paper's Facebook page.

A separate complaint was opened for other written threats against the newspaper in June.

The massacre in January was carried out by brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi.

A show of solidarity with Charlie Hebdo after several staff members were murdered in the magazine's Paris headquarters. The banner reads 'We are all Charlie'

It prompted the hashtag 'Je Suis Charlie' as an act of solidarity against the shooting, which also saw two million people take part in a protest march in Paris days after the attack.

The offices of the same magazine were burnt down in a petrol attack in 2011 after running a magazine cover of the Prophet Mohammed as a cartoon character.

In April the magazine was branded bigoted and racist after it stated that the fear of being labelled Islamophobic is 'aiding terrorists'.
Jailed: Sophie Burton, 25, pictured outside Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, earlier this month

A mother has been jailed after she drove into a pedestrian while three times over the drink-drive limit.

Trainee teacher Sophie Burton, 25, had a four-year-old boy in the back seat when she got behind the wheel of the car after downing a bottle of Prosecco.

She crashed her Ford Focus into Ahmed Rezgui, 56, who was standing by his car outside a takeaway on the A6 in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Mr Rezgui, a chef, was left with severe brain damage following the crash on January 15.

Burton sobbed as she was jailed for two years and four months at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drink-driving.

The court heard how on the night of the crash, Burton, of Stockport, had set off to confront her boyfriend at his home while feeling 'angry and upset'.

She did not appear to slow down as she travelled towards Mr Rezgui, it was heard.

Burton struck the victim, a father of four, before ploughing into his car. The four-year-old passenger was uninjured in the crash.

Michael Morley, prosecuting, said the police officer who attended the scene could see that Burton was drunk.

The driver, who was training to teach children with special needs, also 'smelled of alcohol' and was 'unsteady on her feet'.

She initially told police she 'only had a drink of Prosecco and that was an hour ago' but later admitted to drinking an entire bottle, the court heard.

She registered 97 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.

Burton sobbed as she was jailed at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court, pictured

Mr Rezgui was taken to hospital and continues to struggle with 'significant' brain injuries.

The court heard that he has had to learn how to use the telephone again and is only now regaining the ability to recognise sentences.

Sentencing Burton, Judge Mark Savill said her 'wholly irrational' decision to drive and 'selfish conduct' had ruined lives.

He said: 'Nothing justified you getting into that car to drive. No one else was to blame for this accident other than you.'

The judge added that doctors said Mr Rezgui was likely to be 'severely neurologically impaired' for the rest of his life.

Burton crashed her Ford Focus into Ahmed Rezgui, 56, who was stood by his car outside a takeaway on the A6 in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Pictured, the road where she crashed

Nicholas Flanagan, defending Burton, said she didn't plan to drive but received a phone call which caused her 'great angst and concern'. He added she has now taken steps to stop drinking and had shown 'extreme remorse'.

Burton, who was suspended but later resigned from teaching at a school after the crash, was also banned from driving for four years.

After the hearing, Mr Rezgui, said he has forgiven Burton.

He said: 'My life will never be the same again. You change after an accident, I have become more anxious. My brain doesn't work like it used to.

'I have forgiven though. She has prison, that part is finished now I can focus on my own life. I miss being able to walk normally without a stick. But going to work is what I miss most, maybe I can go back next year.'

His wife Janet, 57, said the sentence was 'closure', adding, 'this part has finished for us. Anger and bitterness can ruin your life so at least we can move on.
It comes one month after Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel's terrorist attack

The abandoned bag was discovered in the Air France boarding area

Passengers left Terminal 2 in Nice airport after package was found

Passengers were this morning forced to leave Nice airport after a 'suspicious package' was discovered, according to witnesses.

The abandoned bag was discovered in the Air France boarding area and Terminal 2 was quickly evacuated.

Two other 'suspicious' packages were found earlier in the same terminal, reports local news site Nice Martin.

The airport is just three miles from the famous promenade where truck terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel used a hired lorry to kill at least 84 people.

Police set up a cordon and vehicles were not allowed to enter the airport this morning

Revellers had gathered on the Promenade des Anglais to celebrate Bastille Day on July 14 when the 31 year old, drove the lorry into crowds.

And this morning, a rmed police cordoned off parts of the airport and vehicles were not permitted to drive through while officers carried out checks.

Reports on social media described officers clearing the building after an 'explosive alarm' was heard.

Officers have now removed the items from the airport and the terminal has reopened.
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A bizarre new therapy which sees children with autism developing emotional and social bonds by riding on the backs of buffalo claims to have helped hundreds of youngsters.

The one-of-a-kind therapy is the only known autism program to use buffalo and sees children seated on the large creatures and led around a field.

The Buffalo Therapy Project was pioneered by the Thai Army in Lopburi in central Thailand and has grown from just a handful of people to dozens involved weekly.

A bizarre new therapy which sees children with autism developing emotional and social bonds by riding on the backs of buffalo (pictured) claims to have helped hundreds of youngsters in Thailand

The one-of-a-kind therapy is the only known autism program to use buffalos (pictured) and sees children seated on the large creatures and led around a field

A series of ten pictures show children sitting on the back of buffalos while members of the Thai army help them around the yard.

They are first given art and music classes with the soldiers, before being taken on a buffalo ride for an hour.

Soldiers help them interact and play games while riding the buffalo, which include mini races.

A typical treatment can take up to 20 hours of riding buffalo spread out over several weeks with doctors checking the progress along the way.

General Kajonsak Jonpeng (doub-corr), who organises the scheme with other soldiers, said that many people are 'scared' of buffalo but the children with autism are often 'attracted to them'.

'They become friends, and like the contact. Parents say they have never seen this before with their sons or daughters.

The Buffalo Therapy Project was pioneered by the Thai Army (pictured) in Lopburi in central Thailand and has grown from just a handful of people to dozens involved weekly

A series of ten pictures shows children sitting on the back of buffalo (pictured) while members of the Thai army help them around the yard playing games and intitating mock races

'We see children change from being emotionless and tense to having smiles and laughter on their face.'

Because the buffalo are friendly animals and like the kids the children are able to enjoy themselves when riding on top of them explained General Kajonsak Jonpeng.

'It's a magical moment to see the thrill, adrenaline and joy on their faces.'

Equine therapy, which uses horses for children with autism, has become a popular alternative treatment in recent years, with a number of specialist centres around the world.

But the Buffalo Therapy Project is a milestone in autism therapy and the only one to use the creature to help treat children with the condition which causes them difficulty in communicating and forming relationships.

The project started when a soldier who had rescued buffalo from farms and markets needed to find a use for them.

'It's a magical moment to see the thrill, adrenaline and joy on their faces': Because the buffalo are friendly animals and like the kids the children are able to enjoy themselves when riding on top of them (pictured)

The idea for the buffalo therapy (pictured) stemmed from equine therapy, which uses horses for children with autism, and has become a popular alternative treatment in Thailand

The soldiers had heard of similar treatments using dolphins and horses and believed that buffalo would have similar benefits.

After several positive trial runs they decided to continue the program and now see children referred from schools, doctors and hospitals across Thailand.

The treatment also has people from Myanmar and Cambodia recommended through word-of-mouth.

General Kajonsak Jonpeng added: 'The autistic children that have ridden buffalo have all shown improvements in their character, their mood and their confidence.

Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, said this was the first time that buffalo had been used to treat children with autism and said the organisation 'welcome the development of new initiatives'.

She said: 'Research shows that pets can lower stress levels in some families, and we also know many autistic people and families who say they've really benefited from being around animals.

The project was born when soldiers who had rescued buffalo (pictured) from farms and markets needed to find a use for them. Helping children with autism and using the friendly creatures seemed to serve a common goal

Autism, a condition which affects an individual's social and emotional abilities, is tested during buffalo therapy. Those who are acutely sensitive to noise or touch will benefit the most from these type of animal therapies

'But autism affects everyone differently so this won't benefit all autistic people and may be overwhelming for some, particularly those who are acutely sensitive to noise or touch.

'We haven't comes across buffalo therapy before but have heard from families who have benefitted from interacting with or riding horses.

'We welcome the development of new initiatives that have a positive impact on autistic people and their families.

'However, without any evidence there's no reason to think that buffalo therapy might be any better than other forms of support involving animals.'

'We would also advise anyone thinking of animal therapy, or indeed considering any form of intervention or support, to seek out reliable and robust information before making any decisions.'

Carol Povey, Director of the National Autistic Society's Centre for Autism, said this was the first time that buffalo had been used to treat children with autism and said the organisation'welcome the development of new initiatives'
Pastor Larry McGovern is accused of sending a photo of his genitals to a man

A Catholic priest in Northern California has been accused of sending a photo of his genitals to an employee at his church and firing the married man when he complained.

A lawsuit filed by the parishioner, who was contracted to clean the fountains and swimming pool at Stockton's Church of the Presentation, claimed he was sexually harassed by Pastor Larry McGovern.

The parishioner said he was sent a text message with a sexually explicit photo in July, and the sexting claims have plunged the local diocese into another scandal.

The man claimed the 73-year-old priest wrote in another text message after the photo was sent: 'Oops, sorry about that. The curse of the Internet. Shame on me. What is my penance?'

'It's extremely disturbing that the person who is head of this parish would be sending text with photographs of his exposed genitals,' said attorney Vince Finaldi, who represents the parishioner, in an interview with FOX 40. 'Somebody who's engaging in that type of conduct has very, very serious credibility issues and issues with judgment.'

John Manly, an attorney who also represents the plaintiff, claimed McGovern would sunbathe and make flirtatious comments while the man, who is in his 40s, cleaned the pool.

'Laying around in a Speedo, making our client very uncomfortable,' Manly told CBS News. 'Our client's a married man. This is his pastor.'

The man who filed the lawsuit cleaned the pool at Church of the Presentation in Stockton

The parishioner claimed he confronted the priest about the photo and reported the matter to police, and was later fired as retaliation.

The Diocese of Stockton said it has placed McGovern on administrative leave pending an investigation.

Police referred the case to the San Joaquin District Attorney's office.

The man who filed the lawsuit wants McGovern, who served as vicar general of the Diocese of Stockton, to be removed from his post as head of the church and its school.

'If any principal or any school administrator sent a picture of their penis to a parent, they should be fired, not the other way around,' Manly said.

'That person has no business being in a parish and head of a school where there are numerous young children walking around every day,' said Finaldi.

The man's lawyers said McGovern was a key witness in sexual harassment lawsuits against Father Oliver O'Grady and Father Michael Kelly.

The Diocese of Stockton filed for bankruptcy protection in 2014, citing $14 million in judgments, the attorneys said.
A South Carolina teacher is accused of driving under the influence after police say she crashed into a patrol car, injuring a police officer.

Wendy Ellen Burnett, 24, was charged with a felony DUI following the crash on Interstate 26 in North Charleston on Saturday morning, court records say.

She crashed into North Charleston police officer Andrew Turner's vehicle, which in turn struck him as he was making a traffic stop, South Carolina Highway Patrol spokesman Cpl. Judd Jones said.

Wendy Ellen Burnett (pictured) was charged with a felony DUI following the crash on Interstate 26 on Saturday which injured officer Andrew Turner (right)

Turner, 32, who has been with the police department for eight years, was hospitalized with serious injuries, Tri-County Fraternal Order of Police President John Blackmon said.

He has since been released and is in a good condition, Fox News reports.

In a statement, Turner said: 'The road to recovery is going to be long and difficult, but I look forward to overcoming the obstacles that lie ahead and getting back out there to serve the community that I love.'

Blackmon added that Turner missed his five-year-old daughter's birthday party on Saturday because of the crash.

Burnett has been placed on paid administrative leave from her job as a geometry teacher at North Charleston High School (above, file photo)

'Now, he wont be able to go to her kindergarten, first day of kindergarten on Monday. Families sacrifice a lot,' he said, according to Fox.

Meanwhile, Burnett has been placed on paid administrative leave from her job as a geometry teacher at North Charleston High School as the case is investigated.
The ex-husband of a British beautician who was forced to marry him has allegedly confessed to throttling her with a scarf, police sources in Pakistan said today.

Samia Shahid, 28, from Bradford, suffered a 7.5ins gash to her neck in her ancestral Punjab village, but her family insisted she died of a heart attack last month.

Her first husband from an arranged marriage, cousin Mohammed Shakil, has been arrested on suspicion of murder and has now allegedly admitted he strangled her, the BBC has said.

Ms Shahid's father Mohammad Shahid, is now being held as an accessory to murder. Both men appeared in court in Pakistan on Saturday.

Suspect: Samia is pictured at her first wedding to cousin Mohammed Shakeel - who has now allegedly confessed to her murder

Shocking: Samia Shahid's dead body (left) shows a 7.5 inch red mark on her neck, and police say she was murdered while visiting her family in Pakistan

Ms Shahid was allegedly hunted by her family since 2014 after she ran away from the cousin she had been forced to marry.

Heartbreak: Samia with her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam, who were forced into hiding because of threats in 2014

Her second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam believes she was killed because of her marriage to him in an 'honour killing'.

He says she was lured to Pakistan by false claims her father was ill and murdered in her bed.

Her family said she died of a heart attack or a severe asthma attack and had her buried.

Abu Bakar Khuda Bux, the investigator heading the team, said today the woman's father, Mohammad Shahid, and her former husband, Mohammad Shakeel, were prime suspects in the case.

The two were formally arrested over the weekend, although the police have been questioning them for several days, Bux said.

'All the evidence we have is leading to their involvement in the murder,' he said. 'We are collecting more evidence before we sent the case to court.'

According to two police officers, the ex-husband has confessed to the killing and has described to his interrogators how he used his ex-wife's scarf to strangle her.

The officers, who are involved in the probe, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media before the case goes to court.

Bux declined to comment on the purported confessions, saying the investigation is not yet finished.

Arrested: Ms Shahid's father Mohammed, whom Samia had been visiting in Pakistan, has been arrested by detectives investigating the 28-year-old beauty therapist's death

Grief: Syed Mukhtar Kazam, pictured, said he wanted to release the shocking photograph to prove that she had been strangled and was the victim of an honour killing. He married Samia in Leeds in 2014

Her husband released a shocking picture showing a 7.5 inch red mark around Samia's neck, which her husband said proves she was strangled.

The beautician, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, also has saliva and blood oozing from her mouth and nostrils.

Mr Kazam, 30, told MailOnline: 'I am releasing this picture of my wife's dead body because I want the world to know that she didn't die of natural causes. She was murdered.

'The police told the media and everybody here that the body did not have any visible marks on it.

'Well, this proves that it did. What sort of heart attack leaves a bruise like that? It is obviously murder. Her family killed her because they weren't happy that she had married me.'

Police said the latest forensic report had confirmed Shahid did not die of natural causes.

Initially police had said there was no sign of foul play and allowed her to be buried in a Punjabi graveyard.

The post mortem report said Ms Shahid suffered 'marks of violence' in the form of a 'reddish brown bruise' around her throat and was found dead with 'froth coming from her mouth'.

Samia was forced into hiding with second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam - who insists she was murdered by her family because they disapproved of their union.

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.

Marriage: Samia's second husband Syed Mukhtar Kazam claims she was killed by her family because they refused to accept their marriage. He said he was made to feel like an outsider

Grave: Samia's relatives reportedly said she died from a heart or asthma attack and buried her in the village (pictured). But her local MP wants her body exhumed if necessary

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'.

Mr Kazmi said that when relatives found out he would help dissolve her first marriage and help with a second they said they would harm him, he claims.

He was allegedly told by one relative: 'Our daughter is missing from home and you know where she is. The issue will be resolved but you will have to pay a high price for your role'.
A passenger plane full of Manchester City staff had to be hurriedly evacuated on the runway at Manchester Airport today after the cabin suddenly filled with smoke.

The Bucharest-bound flight, which had a host of Man City workers on board including former player Mike Summerbee, was just moments from take-off when the drama unfolded.

Passengers described being ordered to 'leave your stuff' and told 'go, go, go' after smoke reportedly poured out into the cabin as the plane taxied down the runway.

The Bucharest-bound flight, which had a host of Man City workers on board including former player Mike Summerbee, was just moments from take-off when the drama unfolded at Manchester Airport this morning. Passengers said the cabin filled with smoke on the runway

Firefighters and police raced out to the tarmac and the plane was thoroughly inspected by aircraft engineers.

A Manchester Airport spokesman said: 'After reports of an air conditioning fault, passengers on the Carpatair charter flight to Bucharest were disembarked back to the terminal as a precaution.'

A spokesman for the fire service said firefighters and their equipment were on standby but added that the smoke had not appeared to be anything serious.

He said: 'One of the cabin crew saw some smoke. Everyone has disembarked the plane now.

'Staff from Manchester City were on board the plane.

'It was nothing serious, nobody has been injured or hurt.'

Manchester City ambassador and former footballer Mike Summerbe (pictured) was said to be among those on the Bucharest-bound flight which was evacuated at around 11am today

Journalist Stuart Brennan, who was among those evacuated from the flight, said he was informed there was a problem with the air conditioning unit on the plane.

He said: 'Captain tells us it was water vapour and dust - not smoke  from the air con. Says it was better to be safe than sorry.'

The plane was a chartered flight to Bucharest with Romanian airline Carpatair.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to the incident at 11.05am, but it turned out to be a 'false alarm'.

He added: 'We stood on standby while the airport fire service investigated along with aircraft engineers.

'Condensation from the air conditioning unit was mistaken for smoke in the cabin.'

The Manchester City backroom staff are heading over to Bucharest for the team's Champions League play-off first leg against Steaua Bucharest tomorrow night.
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This lioness must have been hungry after she showed her deadly skill by bringing down not one but two wildebeest.

The savvy hunter patiently stalked a herd before launching a surprise attack which startled the helpless animals.

She wrestled the first wildebeest to the ground and at one point even ended up in the air during the brutal battle.

British photographer Andy Howe, 55, documented the moment while leading a photographic tour in Kenya.

Mr Howe, from Bedfordshire, said: 'The lioness split the wildebeest herd, managing to corner one and kill it almost instantly. Something must have spooked the herd from the river and they ran up the hill, and that was when she went for another one. She killed that one too.'

The lioness waited patiently before she sprinted over to the wildebeest and launched a vicious attack using her sharp teeth

The wildebeest tried to escape by running away but the lioness managed to hold on to the animal using its strength

At one point, the lioness ended up off the ground as she tussled with the wildebeest as it desperately tried to get away

But the lioness used her front legs to grab the wildebeest and pull it towards her as she jumped through the air

She then pulled the wildebeest towards her using her teeth and giant front legs during the tense battle in Kenya

The lioness eventually managed to bring the wildebeest towards her by pulling her down while laying on its back

The hungry lioness was then seen laying down and began to eat the wildebeest after catching it for its lunch in Kenya

While it was laying next to the wildebeest it had just caught, she became distracted and turned around to see that more were nearby

But the lioness wasn't happy with catching just one wildebeest as it quickly got up and approached others who were standing just behind her
Local teens came to tourist's aid after bathers objected to photograph

Comes after clash when tourist took picture of women wearing them

The French island of Corsica has banned women from wearing burqinis

The French island of Corsica has banned burqinis following a violent clash between North Africans and locals which saw a man harpooned for taking a picture of women wearing the garments.

The French Riviera resorts of Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet have already banned the Islamic swimsuits, at a time when relations with France's Muslim community is sensitive following a series of jihadi attacks.

And today Sisco mayor Pierre-Ange Vivoni said burqinis would be banned on the island from tomorrow.

Officials in Corsica say they are banning the burkini after a violent clash was sparked after a man tried to take pictures of the woman wearing the garment

It comes after hatchets and harpoons were thrown in the beach brawl that broke out after a tourist was seen taking pictures of women wearing burkinis in Corsica.

When the bathers objected to the images, 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Mr 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.'

Prosecutors in nearby Bastia said an inquiry had been opened to determine how the clashes broke out.

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

The burqini issue has sparked huge controversy in France, with opponents saying the garment goes against French secular principles, but anti-racism campaigners saying that banning women from wearing it amounts to discrimination.

Islamic dress has long been a hot-button issue in France, where the full-face veil is banned in public places.

The row also comes as tensions run high following several attacks in France claimed by the Islamic State group, including last month's Nice massacre when a Tunisian ploughed a truck into crowds celebrating Bastille Day, killing 85 people.

France has been under a state of emergency since ISIS members killed 130 people in Paris in November.

A series of incidents in Corsica have raised tensions between local Muslims and their neighbours.

In December, protesters vandalised a Muslim prayer hall and trashed copies of the Koran after an assault on firefighters that was blamed on youths of Arab origin.

Women will not be allowed to wear the swimsuits on the beaches of Cannes ( pictured, the glamorous French resort)

Last month Corsican lawmakers called on the French state to close down radical mosques on the island, 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".

The burqini ban in Cannes won court backing on Saturday, with a judge ruling that it goes against secularism, a founding principle of the French republic.
A thug who fled the UK after stamping on a teenage girl's head so hard he smashed her skull and left a footprint on her face has been jailed.

Francisco Batista, 23, launched the sickening attack on Roxiey Grinnell after she asked him to leave a party at her flat in Evesham, Worcestershire.

He hurled Miss Grinnell, who was just 17 at the time, to the floor before stamping on her head like he was trying to 'pop a balloon'.

Francisco Batista, 23, (pictured left) launched the sickening attack on Roxiey Grinnell (right) who was just 17 at the time, after she asked him to leave a party at her flat in Evesham

Miss Grinnell, who was left with a footprint mark on her face and a heavy nose bleed, reported the assault to police.

Tests showed she had a fractured skull and she underwent a two-hour operation where surgeons realigned her bones and held them together with wire mesh.

Portuguese national Batista fled the UK after the attack on March 17, 2013, and went on the run to the Netherlands.

But he was arrested after three years on the run after a chance encounter on the high street in Evesham, Worcestershire.

Batista, of Evesham, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm and was jailed for two years at Worcester Crown Court.

Speaking after she bravely decided to face Batista at court, Miss Grinnell, who is now 21, said she is still suffering in pain three years after the attack.

She added: 'It's excruciating to brush my hair or wash it.

Miss Grinnell, who was left with a footprint mark on her face and a heavy nose bleed, suffered a fractured skull and was forced to undergo a two-hour operation

'He's a disgusting, cowardly thug. He doesn't even want to understand how much I have suffered.

'I think he's vile and evil and I want other people to know what he's like.

'He acts like he's a goody two shoes, like he's an angel. But when he drinks he switches. He's never even said sorry.

'The barrister didn't ever say Batista was remorseful, nothing like that.

'I don't understand how he was allowed to re-enter the country without being arrested.

'There was a warrant out for his arrest but he just swanned in and out at will.

'I still believe there should have been some kind of red flag any time he entered an airport. He had no problem getting in and out of the country.'

Miss Grinnell was having a party with six friends, including Batista, at her flat in Evesham when troubled flared.

Batista had already broken a light but then laughed in her face when she asked him to leave after he threw her 'shy and withdrawn' friend on a bed.

Miss Grinnell, who now lives in Redditch, Worcsetershire added: 'I was pushing him towards the door and telling him to get out.

Portuguese national Batista fled the UK after the attack on March 17, 2013, and went on the run to the Netherlands

'As soon as I got him out it was as if he just flipped.

'He grabbed hold of me and pushed me to the ground in my hallway. I was on the floor with my back against the wall and trying to get up.

'Then he just stamped on my head in the way you try and pop a balloon.

'The surgeon told me if he had gone back for another kick or punch I would have been brain damaged or dead.

'You could actually see the footprint on my face.'

The vicious assault has left Miss Grinnell with a deformed forehead and she has also lost the sense of smell in one nostril.

The attack even cost her a job at Tesco because she panicked when approached by customers as a result of psychological scars.

Batista was eventually arrested when PC Paul Buffery spotted him in Evesham High Street after he returned from the Netherlands.

The West Mercia Police officer said: 'Batista was extremely intoxicated at the time of the offence which ended with a cowardly attack on a 17-year-old female causing quite substantial injuries, which still affect her to this day.

Batista was also handed a further nine month sentence for a burglary at Bubbles laundrette in Evesham on May 18 this year

'It was only by pure luck that life-threatening injuries were not inflicted. Alcohol is no defence and offenders will be brought to justice.

'I spotted Batista on the High Street as I realised he was outstanding for this offence whereby he was arrested for the warrant and placed before the court.

'I think this case goes to show that West Mercia will fully support victims throughout

the arrest and court process and offer all the support that we can as well as me personally as a police officer towards a vulnerable victim.'

Batista was also handed a further nine month sentence for a burglary at Bubbles laundrette in Evesham on May 18 this year.
Boris Johnson is running Whitehall this week while Theresa May is on holiday, Downing Street has said.

But the Foreign Secretary has been ridiculed by Labour for not knowing how to use his spell at the helm of government after it emerged he has no public engagements planned.

The week as 'duty' minister marks a high point in Mr Johnson's recent political rollercoaster ride.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is the most senior minister on duty in Whitehall this week

The former London mayor emerged victorious as the biggest beast campaigning for a Brexit vote in the referendum.

He then saw his hopes of taking over from David Cameron torpedoed when ally Michael Gove betrayed him and launched his own abortive Tory leadership bid.

But Mr Johnson's fortunes revived when Theresa May surprised many by appointing him to one of the great offices of state last month.

Mr Gove, by contrast, was humiliatingly ejected from ministerial office.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister confirmed that Mr Johnson is the most senior minister on duty while Mrs May is on a hill-walking break in Switzerland.

The premier and the Foreign Secretary - who is believed to have been embroiled in a turf war with new International Trade Secretary Liam Fox - are not thought to have spoken on the phone.

Mr Johnson takes over from Chancellor Philip Hammond, who was minding the shop last week.

However, Number 10 stressed that Mrs May remains in charge of the Government even though she was out of the country.

'The Prime Minister is very much in charge and is constantly kept abreast of what is going on,' the spokesman said.

Foreign Office sources confirmed that Mr Johnson was only expected to have internal meetings this week, and did not have public engagements scheduled.

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said: 'Very few people could have imagined a short time ago that Boris Johnson would be in temporary charge of the country this week, including Mr Johnson himself.

'Perhaps that explains why he apparently has nothing to do, despite occupying one of the great offices of state.

'Many will suspect that, like his old school chum David Cameron, Mr Johnson craves high office but doesn't really know what to do with it when he achieves it.'

Official photographs of the premier's holiday suggested it is rather different to those of her predecessor.

Mr Cameron and wife Samantha were regularly snapped dressed in summer wear, enjoying a drink in a beach-side cafe as they relaxed in sunnier climes.

The former London mayor has a long history of colourful photo opportunities, including inadvertently flattening a child during a visit to Tokyo last year (left)

Mr Johnson (pictured with Tory MP Zac Goldsmith) saw his dreams of taking over from David Cameron torpedoed when Brexit ally Michael Gove betrayed him

The Mays, however, looked ready for action as they headed out into a forest using hiking poles and wearing similar walking trousers, boots, polo shirts and rucksacks.

The Prime Minister said she and her husband ''discovered the joys'' of walking in the country ''quite by chance''.

In a piece for the Telegraph in August 2007, she said: ''We first visited the country about 25 years ago but spent most of the time in Lucerne.

''On a return trip, we decided to go walking, enjoyed it and gradually began doing more adventurous hikes.

Theresa May and her husband Philip are hiking in the Swiss Alps for their summer holiday

Mrs May's choice of break is in stark contrast to that of predecessor David Cameron, who revelled in seaside breaks

''We have been going back ever since and have walked all over the country.''

Mrs May said her two favourite areas are Zermatt and the Bernese Oberland, which are both ''fantastic for walking''.

She added: ''If you're a keen walker, Switzerland is a wonderful summer destination: the views are spectacular, the air is clear and you can get some peace and quiet.''

During a recent visit to Berlin, her first overseas trip as premier, Mrs May gave German Chancellor Angela Merkel two books about hiking to reflect their shared passion for the hobby.
The father of Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer two days after his daughter gave birth.

Rafael Rafi Refaeli was allegedly involved in a physical and verbal confrontation with officers when they arrived at his house in the Sharon region of Israel on Saturday to deal with a noise complaint.

A female officer arrived and attempted to gain access to the property, where a party was taking place and loud music was being played, but was physically stopped from doing so by Mr Refaeli, it was reported.

Rafael Rafi Refaeli (left) with his daughter (right), supermodel Bar Refaeli. He was arrested over an alleged assault on a police officer on Saturday

Back-up was called and Mr Refaeli and a friend became verbally and physically aggressive with the officers, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Both Mr Refaeli and his friend were arrested and questioned, before being released on Sunday.

Mr Refaeli was placed on house arrest and will appear at Lod District Court on Monday afternoon.

Bar with her father at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills in 2014

Officers have confiscated CCTV footage of the incident.

Bar gave birth to a healthy baby girl last week at Tel Aviv's Ichilov hospital.

The baby - weighing just seven pounds even - has been named Liv.

The 31-year-old is married to Adi Ezra, and they both thanked hospital, staff and doctors for their help delivering her daughter, according to Israel's Chanel Two news.

A regular on the 100 sexiest women lists, the model previously dated Leonardo DiCaprio.
A teenager suspected of being part of a notorious Melbourne gang has pleaded guilty to several home invasions which resulted in residents being beaten, robbed and forced to perform sexual acts.

The suspected Apex gang member pleaded guilty to crimes committed on April 23 including two aggravated burglaries - in which a Brighton East man was bashed with a metal bar.

Police had tried to pursue the offenders, who stole the man's $100,000 BMW but the pursuit was called off, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard, reported Fairfax.

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A teenager suspected of being part of the notorious Apex gang has pleaded guilty to several home invasions which resulted in residents being beaten, robbed and mocked, Melbourne Magistrates Court (stock) heard

Later that same morning, a group of international students were robbed of their mobile phones in Ormond while two of the terrified students were mocked and ordered to perform sexual acts.

The teenager who pleaded guilty on Monday admitted to police that he had heard a co-accused person order the students to perform the sexual act, a court heard last month.

One Apex member spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia (pictured) late last month and said the gang was about 'standing up, and making a name for themselves'

The teenager has been remanded in custody to appear before the County Court in October.

WHO ARE THE APEX GANG? The group originated in, Dandenong, about 30 kilometres south-west of Melbourne

The members are primarily from a Sudanese refugee background

The gang have been involved in a string of carjackings and home invasions in the Melbourne area

They are responsible for the Moomba riots in March

Parents of members are so worried they are sending them back to Africa

They were not named after the Dandenong street, Apex Advertisement

The Apex gang has been linked with a number of car thefts and petty crime after they came to attention following a violent rampage during the Moomba Festival earlier this year.

Apex is made up predominantly of boys and men of African background, mostly Sudanese and also Somali.

Gang leaders are believed to specifically target young boys to give them a better chance of avoiding prosecution if apprehended.

One Apex member spoke exclusively to Daily Mail Australia late last month and said the gang was about 'standing up, and making a name for themselves'.

Despite popular belief the Apex member, who did not wish to be named, said that the name 'Apex' has nothing to do with the street in Dandenong (stock)
A holidaymaker died of a stomach bug after claiming he saw staff at his all-inclusive hotel handling cooked and raw meat without washing their hands.

Ted Jackson, 63, was staying with his wife Susan at the Hotel Playa Pesquero on the north coast of Cuba when they both started to suffer stomach cramps.

He was seen by a doctor and then taken to a surgery but died due to severe dehydration and stomach inflammation.

Mrs Jackson is now taking legal action against holiday company Thomas Cook over what she says was poor hygiene at the hotel and the 'dilapidated' local clinic where her husband was taken.

Ted Jackson, pictured with his wife Susan, died after contracting a stomach bug in Cuba

The 61-year-old, who is registered blind, said: 'Our whole family has been left absolutely heartbroken following Ted's sudden death.

'Not only have I lost my husband of 41 years, I've been left without the person I have relied on every day to help me cope with my poor eyesight.

The couple, from Newport, Gwent, travelled to the four star Cuban hotel in January this year, and housewife Susan fell ill first, suffering with diarrhoea and stomach cramps during the first week.

Ted began to suffer the same symptoms and was treated by the doctor at the hotel before he got worse and was placed on a drip and was given medication.

The pair were then transferred by ambulance to a local clinic, which Susan said was dilapidated and did not have the equipment needed to treat Ted properly.

Later that afternoon Ted was rushed to hospital and given oxygen and placed on a drip, before he was transferred to intensive care.

Later Susan was told he had suffered a heart attack and he died in the early hours of the next day after suffering two more heart attacks on February 2.

His cause of death was recorded a hypovolemic shock, diarrhoea and acute infective gastroenteritis.

Mrs Jackson is angry at the poor hygiene at the hotel and her husband's medical treatment

Mother-of-one Mrs Jackson said Ted had told her he saw kitchen staff handled raw and cooked meats without gloves on or washing their hands.

She said birds were seen in the area food was being served and food in the hotel was sometimes served lukewarm.

Mrs Jackson added: 'There really are no words for how upset and angry I am.

'It has been incredibly hard to come to terms with what happened and how quickly Ted deteriorated while we were on holiday and I am not sure this is something I will ever get over.

'Our whole family has been left absolutely heartbroken following Ted's sudden death.

'I want to know how this came to happen and how what many people believe is a trivial illness had such an impact on Ted and the lives of me and my family.

'I want answers from Thomas Cook about the concerns I have with the hotel and also answers about the way holidaymakers are treated at hotels it sends its customers to.'

The couple were on holiday at the Hotel Playa Pesquero on the north coast of Cuba

Mrs Jackson has instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the cause of his illness.

International personal injury lawyer Clare Pearson said: 'Sadly this case illustrates all too clearly the serious complications gastric illnesses can have for some victims, as well as their families and friends.

'Susan has informed us of a number of serious concerns both of them had about the standards of the hotel, which she believes caused Ted's initial illness.

'We have launched our own investigations into this tragic loss of life and we hope the tour operator Thomas Cook will do everything they possibly can to provide answers to Susan's questions as well as reassurance.'

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: 'We would like to express our sincere condolences to Mrs Jackson and her family for their sad loss. Nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of our customers and we are deeply saddened by Mr Jackson's death.
An aunt and grandmother have been arrested after an 11-month-old girl was left roasting in a hot car in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday.

Authorities in Pennsylvania detained Katia Hernandez, 19, and Patricia Diaz, 40, for child endangerment.

An off-duty police officer rescued the girl as summer temperatures reached uncomfortably high levels meaning the inside of the vehicle topped 115 degrees.

The duo told police that they forgot the baby in the back seat during a trip to a Target store.

The 11-month-old girl forgotten in a sweltering hot car is held by her grandfather after his ex-wife and granddaughter were arrested by police for child endangerment

Authorities in Bensalem, a sleepy suburb just outside of Philadelphia, said that the toddler was in the car for nearly 15 minutes when a passerby, an off-duty cop, noticed her.

At that point, the officer used a lock-opening device to break into the car and rescue the child.

You can't forget your dog or cat in the car, Bensalems director of public safety, Fred Harran, told WPI-TV. How do you forget your child?

Hernandez and Diaz did not make bail and remained in jail.

The girls mother was alerted to the incident. She arrived to the scene and took her daughter to the hospital for precautionary measures.

The child's grandfather also went to the scene and told abc6 that he believes his daughter and ex-wife made a terrible mistake.

If this Philadelphia officer wasn't there today and the other folks, there's no doubt this baby would not have made her one-year-old birthday, Harran said.

Fred Harran, the director of public safety in Bensalem, Pa., told WPI-TV that the child would have died had the off-duty Philadelphia cop not taken action when he did

If forgotten in cars, the risk of children suffering from heatstroke is especially high.

If the outside air temperature is 90 degrees, it would take just 10 minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach 109 degrees. In 20 minutes, the temperature would climb to 119 degrees. In 30 minutes, it would reach 124 degrees. In an hour, the temperature would hit 133 degrees.

On average, 37 children die every year from heatstroke suffered as a result of being left in a car, according to KidsAndCars.org.

The combination of high temperatures and stifling humidity has made it particularly dangerous to be outside for extended periods.

The blistering heat wave has so far killed at least two and triggered heat warnings across the Northeast as temperatures soar into the 100s.

The incident took place in the parking lot of the Target branch in the Neshaminy Mall of Bensalem, Pa., just northeast of Philadelphia

Child heatstroke is an all-too-common occurrent in the US. If the outside air temperature is 90 degrees, it would take just 10 minutes for the inside of a vehicle to reach 109 degrees

At least three 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. All three involved cases in which the victims had pre-existing medical conditions.

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.

On Saturday, Washington, D.C. hit highs of 114 degrees - the first time the city has passed the 100-degree point since July 2012.

At least three people - all with pre-existing medical conditions - have died during the heatwave that has gripped the Northeast United States in recent days

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.
Three teenage girls were shot in downtown Louisville following an argument at a club, authorities in Kentucky say.

One 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds were shot early Sunday morning after attending an event at Club 116 in Louisville, according to Louisville Metro Police.

Club 116 was hosting a 16th birthday party on Saturday night, which was a teen-friendly event, the club owner told WLKY.

The owner said there were no problems during the party and that everyone was patted down before entering.

One 15-year-old and two 14-year-olds were shot early Sunday morning after attending an event at Club 116 (pictured on Monday) in Louisville, Kentucky, according to police

Club 116 was hosting a 16th birthday party on Saturday night, which was a teen-friendly event (pictured, Sunday morning)

The shooting happened while the girls were in a car on the way home.

Police have no information about who attacked the three teens and the girls have not been identified but are recovering from the attack.

A community activist met with one of the 14-year-olds who was shot twice during the altercation.

The owner said there were no problems during the party and that everyone was patted down before entering (pictured at different event)

The girls, who have not been identified, were shot while being driven home from the event after an altercation at the club

Christopher 2x said the teen was shaken up by the incident.

'Basically she's concerned about her cousin, who was also unfortunately injured.

She's 14 years old and then another 15-year-old friend of theirs,' 2x told WLKY.

The club often hosts teen night and teen-friendly events, according to 2x.

'They were down at the club on Main Street, which creates teen club events or allows teen club events. Thats 116. It seems like they were having fun just like everybody else,' 2x told WHAS.

Officials say the teenagers left the club, but were followed by the suspects who fired at the victims' vehicle.

The girls believe they were followed. After being shot, the man driving them rushed them to a hospital

2x said the girls were riding in a car when someone shot at them and the man driving them home rushed all three to the hospital.

The incident happened around 2.30am.

'They were shaken from the incident, you know, like she described to me, it's painful

'This is becoming, for some, a normal part of their world, which shouldn't be a normal part of their world,' 2x said.

Police say the injuries are non-life-threatening and all three teenagers were taken to the hospital.

All three were taken to Kosair Children's Hospital where they were treated for their injuries. The two 14-year-olds have been released from the hospital and the 15-year-old might need surgery on her wrist but is expected to recover

Both 14-year-old victims were discharged and released from the hospital.

The 15-year-old might need surgery on her wrist but will recover.
A nude man who was high on crystal meth and cocaine was arrested after he climbed and spat blood in the face of a police officer in California.

Jose Luis Garcia, 30, was charged with battery on a peace officer and being under the influence of drugs, Oxnard Police Department said.

Officers responded to the 1900 block of West Fifth Street in Oxnard on Saturday morning after getting a report about a naked man loitering near a local Boys & Girls Club.

Naked and unafraid: Jose Luis Garcia, 30, is seen sitting naked in a tree in Oxnard, California, during a standoff with police officers Saturday

Upon seeing the cops, Garcia allegedly began hurling rocks at them and then climbed a tree in a nearby park.

A short video recorded by the officers, and later posted on the Oxnard Police Departments Facebook page, shows Garcia standing on a tree branch and screaming at the top of his lungs.

The officers used tattoos visible on the mans body to identify him; a subsequent records check revealed that Garcia had two misdemeanor warrants and was on probation for a DUI, battery against a peace officer and resisting a peace officer with threats of violence.

The responding officers spent several minutes trying to talk Garcia down from the tree so they could take him into custody.

In a video recorded by police, Garcia is heard screaming at the top of his lungs from his perch in a tree. Police say Garcia hurled rocks at officers and also spat blood

According to an Oxnard PD press release, the 30-year-old suspect was behaving erratically' and admitted to taking meth and cocaine earlier in the day.

Several minutes later, Garcia fell out of the tree and was arrested.

As Garcia was being apprehended, he spat blood into the face of an officer from a cut inside his mouth caused by a seed pod that he had been chewing, according to police,

After being medically cleared by doctors, the suspect was booked into the Ventura County Jail on $37,500 bail.
Hillary Clinton has opened up a 30 point lead over Donald Trump in a state they both call home.

She now gets the support of 57 percent of registered New York voters, while Trump receives 27 percent support, according to a new Siena College poll.

In a four-way race with Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein added in, Clinton bests Trump by 25 points.

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Hillary Clinton has a whopping 30 point lead in the state she represented in the U.S. Senate over Donald Trump, a lifelong New Yorker

Hillary Clinton is besting Donald Trump by 30 points in a two-way race between the presidential candidates

Clinton receives 50 percent of support from registered voters, while Trump receives 25 percent, Johnson gets 9 percent and Stein captures 6 percent if the election was held today.

While Clinton's lead isn't totally shocking, as New York is known for its liberal leanings and she represented the state in the U.S. Senate, what's surprising is that only half of the state's Republicans are backing Trump  who grew up in New York City and whose real estate empire dots the Manhattan skyline.

'While Clinton has 81 percent of Democrats in the head-to-head, and 75 percent in the four-way contest, Trump only garners the support of 55 and 52 percent of Republicans,' pointed out Siena College's pollster Steven Greenberg in a release.

Looking back at past Republican nominees, in 2008 Arizona Sen. John McCain had the support of 69 percent of New York's Republicans. And four years ago former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had the support of 65 percent of the state's GOP voters, according to Politico.

By 40 points, New York voters say Clinton is more qualified to be Commander in Chief.

By 32 points voters give her an edge when it comes to working effectively with Congress.

Clinton even beats Trump in the category of being 'honest and trustworthy' by a margin of 16 points.

On the flip side of that question, 60 percent of those polled say Clinton is not honest, though Trump does even worse at 69 percent.

On six key issues, voters sided more heavily with Clinton than with Trump when they were asked whose policies were more in line with their views.

Voters believed Clinton would be better at addressing tensions between the police and communities of color.

She would also be better at handling healthcare, creating jobs, addressing global trade, keeping the homeland safe from terror and developing a comprehensive immigration policy, voters said.

Adding salt to the wound, New Yorkers also overwhelmingly favored Bill Clinton over Melania Trump when they were asked who they preferred as first spouse.

Seventy-one percent of the states's voters could see Clinton doing a better job as first gentleman, while 21 percent said the same thing of Melania Trump for first lady.

'Despite Trump's claims to carry New York, the Empire State seems firmly planted on the blue side of the map, as Clinton holds a commanding 30-point lead in a head-to-head matchup and a similarly strong 25-point, two-to-one lead in a four-way matchup,' Greenberg said.
Warning: Paediatrician Dr Susanna Hart, pictured, wrote to other specialists at world renowned hospitals in 2010 raising concerns the children were at risk but their mother was not arrested until 2013

A mother who forced her children to have a decade of unnecessary surgery in a 375,000 benefits scam was jailed today as it emerged she could have been stopped three years earlier.

Paediatrician Dr Susanna Hart wrote to other specialists at world renowned hospitals in 2010 raising concerns the children were at risk but their mother was not arrested until 2013.

The 49-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, tricked doctors into believing her children were suffering from a host of serious health conditions for more than a decade.

Her lies led to her young son and daughter having painful and unwarranted treatments, including having gastrostomy tubes fitted to their stomachs.

Her son had an irreversible operation to reduce his stomach capacity by 20 per cent and he was kept in nappies until he was nearly eight.

And her daughter was fed twice a day via a tube at school despite being able to eat normally.

She even accused the children of being liars when they denied they were unwell.

Jailing her for seven years and six months Judge Elizabeth Smaller said she had 'robbed' her children of normal lives in the pursuit of money.

She said: 'Most people seek nothing but pleasure from their children and most people wish their children most of all good health.

'You sought to make your children a problem to medicalise their needs, to dramatise their lives in a way that could not fail to have some impact upon them when the truth was your children had nothing like such severe illnesses at all.'

Cruel: A mother who forced her children to have a decade of unnecessary surgery in a 375,000 benefits scam was jailed today at Croydon Crown Court

She made sure her daughter was fed through a tube at school twice a day in a humiliating and disruptive affair despite her eating regularly at home.

Judge Smaller said: 'She missed out on ordinary life and being an ordinary child'.

Mrs Justice Smaller also praised Dr Hart for raising the alarm but criticised the many doctors who ignored her.

'Dr Hart sounded an alarm bell about this mother in May 2010 writing to those doctors to whom these children had been referred in the most esteemed teaching hospitals in this capital, only to find herself inadequately supported, and as she says - rebuffed.

'Eminent though those doctors are and at the forefront of medicine in their respective fields - with only one exception, what none of them did was pick up the phone and speak to Dr Hart.

'Dr Hart - viewing herself as merely a humble general paediatrician who deferred to those specialists - felt unsupported in 2010 and unable to bring about any intervention in this family.

'It is a matter of regret that such qualified and experienced medical professionals at world renowned hospitals did not maintain better channels of communication.

'However busy and knowledgeable they are in their field they might all with hindsight have agreed that they could have learned much about this defendant from speaking to Dr Hart and each other.

The General Medical Council is now investigating the case.

Their mother inflicted cruelty on her children swindle the taxpayer out of one of the largest benefits overpayments in history.

The woman, from Croydon, south London, 'lied at every opportunity' by telling medics her children suffered from autism, asthma, urology and gastric conditions.

She even encouraged her son to show symptoms of autism, resisted nursery staff's attempts to toilet train him and made him take steroids for asthma despite showing no signs of wheezing at school.

The mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was today jailed for seven-and-a-half years at Croydon Crown Court.

Andrew Evans, prosecuting, said: 'So serious the degree of financial loss.... makes this case one of the largest benefits overpayments attributable to a single claimant which the Department for Work and Pensions has recorded.'

The mother broke down in tears as she was jailed in front of up to ten members of family.

The mother once took her son to the doctors dressed all in yellow as he clutched a yellow balloon, telling them he was showing obsessive behaviour linked to autism.

The judge said: 'You would tell those parents in the presence of that child that it was the child that was the liar.'

The pair, who are now being fostered, both had various risky operations under general anaesthetic.

The trial was shown evidence that the children were eating normally on trips to McDonald's and Toby Carvery.

Judge Smaller added: 'I'm of the view that your continued representational fraud was with the intention of obtaining the highest possible levels of discomfiture benefits.

'I'm also of the view that the sympathy and attention you got for being a struggling mother of such ill children was also a very considerable draw for your offending.'

Evil: The suffering she put her children through helped her claim hundreds of thousands of pounds in benefits reserved for parents of severely disabled children needing financial help (file picture)

She jailed her for all 15 counts for seven-and-a-half years to run concurrently.

Stephen Moses QC, in mitigation, said the mother suffered from depression, anxiety issues and from personality disorders.

He said: 'She was otherwise a good mother to those children.'

Detectives from the Met Police's Sexual Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command raided her home and found a hoard of unused prescription drugs and feeding equipment that costed the NHS around 145,870.

The mother and her partner were arrested that day, in May 2013, on suspicion of neglect and child cruelty.

The CPS did not bring charges against the father.

She was wrongly paid 87,424.25 in Disability Living Allowance by faking the children's illnesses between October 2003 and February 2014.

And despite living with her partner who made up to 38,000 a year she falsely claimed Income Support, bringing the total up to 375,198.02.

She was found guilty of four counts of child cruelty, seven counts of making a false representation, two counts of obtaining money by false representation and two counts of fraud by false representation.

Anne Longfield, children's commissioner for England, said: 'This was a sickening deception - it's hard to imagine how a mother could put greed before the health and well-being of her children in such a horrific way, resulting in them having highly invasive and unnecessary surgery.
Nine Iraqi asylum seekers have been arrested in Austria on suspicion of drugging and gang raping a German tourist on New Year's Day.

Police in Vienna confirmed that the men aged between 21 and 47 were detained and all were either granted asylum in Austria or applying for it.

The nine men are alleged to have taken the woman from Vienna's downtown Schwedenplatz station and then assaulted her in an apartment where two of the suspects lived.

Nine Iraqi asylum seekers have been arrested in Austria on suspicion of drugging and gang raping a German tourist on New Year's Day after taking her from the Schwedenplatz station in Vienna, pictured

The woman was in town visiting a friend but had become separated from her during the New Year's celebrations.

Police say the female victim, who had been drinking, suspects she was drugged as she has no recollection of being taken to the apartment.

Officers are now using DNA evidence and video surveillance to build their case.

All nine of the men deny the accusations.

Prosecutors are now applying to a court to have the men held as they continue their investigation.

Monday was a holiday in Austria and prosecutors' office phones went unanswered.

Austria was one of the main routes through which hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers traveled into Europe last year.

The influx eventually prompted the government to set limits on asylum applications that sparked a series of border closures, shutting down the Balkan route used by many migrants.

The woman was in town visiting a friend but had become separated from her in the station, pictured, during the New Year's celebrations

News of the arrest comes after a rising number of sex attacks by migrant gangs across Europe at the turn of the year.

Police in Germany investigated more than 100 reported cases of assault in Cologne and several other cities around the country.

It then prompted Finland and Sweden to warn of the threat of sex attacks while police in Vienna advised women not to go outside alone.
Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton received more than 20,000 letters from strangers in the wake of the death of her nine-week-old daughter Azaria in Alice Springs in 1980.

Many of the letters are sick, twisted, abusive and doubtful of her innocence in her daughter's disappearance and some contain death threats, reported Perth Now.

In one letter written by a former police officer, it outlines how he thought she was guilty and describes how he had no compassion for her and was glad when she was jailed.

Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton (pictured with daughter Azaria) received more than 20,000 letters from strangers in the wake of the death of her nine-week-old daughter in Alice Springs in 1980

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton (pictured in 2012) was jailed for the murder of Azaria with her husband Michael Chamberlain, but was acquitted in 1988

'I even got first-hand knowledge from a Northern Territory policeman you were shonky as s***. Please excuse my language,' he wrote.

In another letter Ms Chamberlain-Creighton is accused of being guilty because of the clothes she wore.

One in particular accused her of not being the picture of a grieving mother, despite her telling the ABC in the weeks after her daughter's death that she preferred to cry in private.

In a case that divided Australia, Ms Chamberlain-Creighton claimed Azaria had been taken by a dingo, after she found her daughter missing from their tent during a family camping trip at Uluru in the Northern Territory.

Ms Chamberlain-Creighton was originally sentenced for life in jail with her husband Michael Chamberlain over Azaria's death, but was acquitted in 1988 and cleared in a fourth and final inquest in 2012.

The letters reveal varying opinions on Ms Chamberlain-Creighton, and whether or not people thought she was guilty of killing her daughter.

Mr and Mrs Chamberlain are pictured when they were happily married. The couple split three years after they were acquitted of their daughter Azaria's murder

Mr Chamberlain (pictured) reportedly has no contact with Ms Chamberlain-Creighton. In a fourth inquest into the case in 2012 the coroner ruled a dingo took Azaria from the family's campsite

Despite being sent many negative letters, she also received some of support, including from children apologising for their parent's behaviour.

One letter said: 'We know you're not guilty because I looked at a photo of you with Azaria.'

The letters also reveal support, rumours, conspiracy theories and apologies in relation to the baby's death and Ms Chamberlain-Creighton's wrongful sentence.

The tens-of-thousands of letters are filed in blue manila folders and stamped with a post-it note summarising what each one contains, with the most interesting ones marked with an asterisk.

The collection is stored in 199 boxes at the National Library of Australia.

The letters will feature in an exhibition called 'Letters to Lindy' from 2-10 September at the University of Sydney's Seymour Centre.
Vice President Joe Biden eviscerated Donald Trump at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton today, saying the Republican's 'shame has no limits' and his claims about the Obama administration founding ISIS are 'outrageous.'

'He's even showered praise on Saddam Hussein one of the vilest dictators of the 20th century,' Biden said.

Making reference to Joseph Stalin, the deceased Soviet dictator who ruled his country with an iron fist in the era of Communism, Biden said of Trump, 'He would have loved Stalin.'

'Look, he likes autocrats, he wields the politics of fear and intolerance,' Biden said.

Biden also brought up Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump's suggestion that the foreign government hack Clinton's email.

'Even if he is joking, which he is not, even if he is joking, what an outrageous thing to say,' a flabbergasted Biden hollered.

The vice president said Trump is not only unfit for office - he has 'no clue' what it takes to lead the country and shouldn't have access to the nation's nuclear arsenal.

'He is not qualified to know the code!' the former U.S. senator shouted.

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Vice President Joe Biden eviscerated Donald Trump at a rally in support of Hillary Clinton today, saying the Republican's 'shame has no limits'

EVERYBODY SAY SCRANTON: Biden received a hero's welcome today as he campaigned in his childhood hometown for Hillary Clinton

The vice president said Trump is not only unfit for office - he has 'no clue' what it takes to lead the country. 'He is not qualified to know the code!' the former U.S. senator shouted

'Joe, I hope you know how much, not just Scranton, but America, loves you and your family,' she said, to wild applause from the audience today

'It's good to be home,' Joe Biden told the Scranton, Pennsylvania crowd before taking Hillary Clinton to see his boyhood home

After the campaign rally, Vice President Joe Biden took Hillary Clinton to his Scranton, Pennsylvania childhood home

The two Democrats spoke to Anne Kearns, the Scranton, Pennsylvania resident who lives in Joe Biden's childhood home

Vice President Joe Biden, rocking his aviator sunglasses, gave Hillary Clinton a tour of the Scranton he remembered as a boy

A number of neighbors came out to see Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton return home to Scranton, Pennsylvania

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden's families both have roots in the Pennsylvania town and Clinton often tells stories about a summer she spent in Scranton growing up

Hillary Clinton hugs Anne Kearns, who now owns the home that Vice President Joe Biden grew up in

Anne Kearns, the owner of the house Vice President Joe Biden grew up in, embraces Hillary Clinton in her front yard

Biden, a former chairman of the Senate's Foreign Affairs Committee, said Trump's ideas are 'not only profoundly wrong, they're very dangerous and they're very un-American.'

'They reveal a profound ignorance of our Constitution, it's a recipe for playing in the hands ... of terrorists and their propaganda.'

The vice president will embark on a trip tonight to Eastern Europe to meet with nations that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

'You know one of the reasons I'm going?' Biden said of his trip to Serbia and Kosovo, formerly regions within Yugoslavia.

It is to 'reassure those who are members of NATO in the Baltic states that we mean what we say. We mean what we say in this sacred alliance of 60 years. Because they're worried.'

On the campaign trail Trump has been dismissive of NATO and floated the idea that other nations should pay more if their leaders ant the United States' help.

Vice President Joe Biden acknowledged onstage today that he's headed to Serbia and Kosovo to reassure NATO allies the United States would keep its word

Both Hillary Clinton (left) and Vice President Joe Biden (right) pegged Donald Trump as irresponsible, especially on foreign affairs

Hillary Clinton (right) and Joe Biden (left) made their first joint appearance together for her campaign today. The original was cancelled in the aftermath of the Dallas police shooting

'If I'm elected this fall I'm going to ask Joe to continue the important work he's begun to help us fight and defeat cancer,' Hillary Clinton promised from Scranton today

The vice president brought up Trump's claim that Russia will not move to occupy Ukraine. He doesn't understand Russia is already in Crimea, Biden said.

'This guy's shame has no limits he's even gone so far as to ask Putin and Russia to conduct cyber attacks against the United States of America.'

Trump began insisting last week that President Barack Obama founded the radical Islamic terrorist group that is ransacking the Middle East because he authorized the United States' withdraw from Iraq.

'You know that's an outrageous statement, but let me tell you why it's a dangerous statement,' Biden said today. 'Why as he might say, "the bad guys are listening."'

The head of Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist organization that's funded by Iran, repeated Trump's claim on Sunday.

'If my son were still in Iraq and I said to all those who were the threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks. It's gone up a couple clicks,' Biden said.

The vice president brought up Trump's claim that Russia will not move to occupy Ukraine. He doesn't understand Russia is already in Crimea, Biden said. Trump is pictured above giving a national security speech this afternoon in Ohio

Trump said of the battle against ISIS in a foreign policy address later in the afternoon in which he reiterated his belief that the United States ought to be coordinating military operations with the Russians in Iraq and Syria.

'I also believe that we can find common ground with Russia in the fight against ISIS. Wouldnt that be a good thing?' Trump said. 'They do have much at stake in the outcome in Syria. Their own battles with Islamic terrorism just as bad as ours.'

Russia is allied with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. As part of a peace agreement between militants and the government that the United States is helping to negotiate, Assad would have to vacate the presidency.

The Obama administration and regional powers say they will not work with Russia as long as Putin supports Assad, who has used chemical weapons on his own people.

Clinton said today in her remarks, 'You gotta ask yourself, "Is Trump up to he job?" He's 'all over the place' on ISIS, the former secretary of state charged.

Trump wants to send ground troops into Iraq to take on the extremists. 'Well that is off the table as far as I am concerned,' she said.

'Sometimes' Trump says he won't reveal his plans to defeat the enemy because he says he doesn't want to ruin the element of surprise. They're 'secret,' she said.

Vice President Joe Biden (right) and his late son Beau Biden (left) in 2009 in Iraq. Beau Biden died of cancer last year and Hillary Clinton praised him at today's rally

'And then it turns out the secret is he has no plan!'

Biden received a hero's welcome today as he campaigned in his childhood hometown for Clinton.

She told an adoring audience 'no matter how far he travels he never forgets where he's from' and said 'wherever he goes he's always the same guy - a fighter for towns who need a champion like Scranton.'

'As many of you know, his wonderful son Beau  a great father, a great public servant, a great human being  passed away last year, so this is personal to Joe Biden.'

She said, 'He knows it's personal to a lot of families, that's why he's fighting so hard to make a difference, and if I'm elected this fall I'm going to ask Joe to continue the important work he's begun to help us fight and defeat cancer.'

Clinton complimented Biden and 'his wonderful wife Jill on having raised their children and grandchildren 'with those same values.'

'So Joe, I hope you know how much, not just Scranton, but America, loves you and your family,' she said, to wild applause from the audience.

The VP said as he took the microphone, 'It's good to be home,' even bringing Clinton with him to his childhood house after the two spoke at the campaign rally.

Hillary Clinton will make her first appearance on the campaign trail today with Vice President Joe Biden. They are seen here this morning at the Scranton airport. 'Hello, my dear,' she told the VP, embracing him

The location has special meaning for both Democrats - Clinton's father Hugh Rodham also grew up in the Pennsylvania town

The location has special meaning for both Democrats - Clinton's father Hugh Rodham also grew up in the Pennsylvania town.

The former first lady often makes reference to the summers she spent in Scranton visiting her grandfather, who worked in a lace mill here, and she told supporters today that was also christened here.

It was their second try at the endorsement event. The first time around it was cancelled hours beforehand after gunshots rained down on a group of Texas law enforcement officers policing a black lives matter protest, killing five.

The vice president spoke second and argued that Clinton is the best candidate to protect the country and bring economic prosperity to the middle class.

Biden said Clinton is the candidate in the race who understands the challenges facing the people in the kind of neighborhoods he and wife Jill grew up in.

'If you worry about your job, getting decent pay, if you worry about your children's education, if you'r taking care of an elderly parent after losing the other one, then there's only one person in this election who will possibly help you and that is Hillary Clinton,' he said.

The retiring politician said Clinton, one of his 2008 rivals for the Democratic nomination for the presidency, 'understands the hopes and the aspirations' of Americans in towns like Scranton and Claymont, Delaware, the town his family moved to when his father fell on hard times during Biden's childhood.

'I trust the people where the feeling starts in their gut, moves to their heart and then is articulated by a great mind,' Biden said of Clinton.

A group of Clinton supporters play cards as they wait in line before a rally where the Democratic presidential candidate will campaign today with Biden

The former Senate colleagues have known each other for 30 years.

'Everybody has known from day one how smart, how bright, Hillary is,' he said of her today. 'Everybody knows how tough she is.

'But what I don't think everybody knows enough about - it may be the difference between the Irish Catholic and the Methodist piece here - we wear everything on our sleeve. I don't think they fully understand how passionate she is about what she does. '

Biden played up the historic nature of her candidacy as well with one of his trademark audience interactions.

'She understands what it means for these beautiful young girls  and I'm being serious now  these three beautiful little girls I'm looking at now,' Biden said, motioning to a trio of women in the audience. 'What it will mean to them when it's President Hillary Rodham Clinton.'

'It will change their lives. It will change their lives,' Biden continued. 'It will prove that my daughter and granddaughters can do anything my sons and grandson can do, that's what it will mean.'

Clinton continued to promote her economic agenda in Scranton and contrasted her priorities with Trump's.

The Democratic White House hopeful again discussed Trump's tax plan, it said, and what she is calling the 'Trump Loophole' - a proposal he is offering to cut corporate rates that Clinton says will benefit only to the wealthy.

Clinton tried to goad Trump into releasing his tax returns on Friday by making her and husband Bill's 2015 income documents public.

The tax forms confirmed that the former first couple were still millionaires. They brought in a combined $10.5 million in 2015.

Their income was cut in half from the previous year, as Hillary stopped giving paid speeches midway through 2015 when she shifted her focus to her presidential bid.

A Donald Trump decorated 18 wheeled truck is seen outside the Riverfront Sports athletic facility where Biden and Clinton are campaigning today

The paperwork produced by the Clintons showed the government taking roughly a third of the money the couple earned last year at a rate of 34.2 percent, according to Reuters.

Clinton's running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, and his wife, Anne Holton, also made their returns from the past decade public.

Trump's No. 2, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, says he will put out his taxes soon.

Billionaire Trump is actively refusing to share his financials because he says he is being audited.

CNN's Jake Tapper pointed out Sunday on State of the Union that Trump could give the public a glimpse into his bank account by putting out his 2008 documents as they are no longer under audit from the government.

'What do you not want the public to see?' he asked Trump's campaign chief, Paul Manafort.

Manafort shot back, 'There is nothing that doesn't want the public to see. Mr. Trump's position has been clear from the beginning. He's under audit. When the audit is completed, he will release his returns.

'By the way, in Mrs. Clinton's returns, you saw a lot of income coming from donors to the Clinton Foundation and people who benefit from her State Department term as well. I haven't seen any stories on that yet.'

The Clintons earned $5.3 million in 2015 from public speeches. Hillary Clinton received an additional $3 million in royalties from the publisher of her 2014 book, Hard Choices, that covers her four years working at the State Department.

Another $1.6 million went to Bill Clinton for consulting work for two international education funds that have also donated to the Clinton Foundation, a Politifact review of Manafort's claims stated.

Today Clinton hit Trump on the topic and her campaign noted that every modern Oval Office candidate has made the documents public, including Richard Nixon when he was also under audit.

Polling has Clinton up by double digits in Pennsylvania, where she is campaigning today and tomorrow. But she is only a few points ahead in border state Ohio.
Theresa May is 'very pleased' a legal firm that spent a decade hounding British troops is to shut down, Downing Street has said.

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.

The development will also increase pressure for the Iraq Historical Allegations Team (IHAT) to drop many of the 1,500 cases it is investigating.

A British soldier escapes his Warrior armoured vehicle after it was petrol-bombed in Basra during the Iraq War (file photo)

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.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said today that Mrs May was 'very much pleased' by the news.

'We made a manifesto commitment to addressing the kind of spurious claims that companies like PIL were pursuing,' the spokesman said.

'The closure of PIL shows we are making progress on that and tackling those types of firms head on to make sure that we deliver the right outcome for our armed forces who show such brave dedication in the most difficult of circumstances.'

Number 10 made clear that Mrs May wanted to push ahead with a 'suite' of measures to give troops extra protection that were planned under David Cameron, including banning foreigners from claiming legal aid unless they have lived in the UK for 12 months.

Prime Minister Theresa May is 'very much pleased' with the news that PIL is to close

The spokesman said 'good progress' was being made with the package, which would help weed out 'bogus claims'.

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.

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.

The development is a victory for the Daily Mail, which has exposed the tactics of the ambulance-chasing solicitors (file photo)

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.

Phil Shiner, who ran PIL, may now face charges following an investigation

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.

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.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the result was the 'right outcome'

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.

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.
Peru Two drugs mule Michaella McCollum stayed up partying into the early hours to celebrate her return home to Northern Ireland after three years in a South America prison.

The 23-year-old drug smuggler from Co. Tyrone arrived into Dublin Airport at around 10pm on Saturday night on a flight from London Gatwick after departing Peru on Friday.

However, instead of heading home for an early night, she stayed up partying with friends and family until about 3am.

The Irish Sun claims she was given a heros welcome at the family home in Dungannon to celebrate her release from jail over attempted cocaine smuggling.

Visitors are said to have stayed until around 3am, when they were seen staggering out of the family home, and she was not seen until the following morning.

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

Wearing a grey jumper with a hood covering the back of her head, McCollum was seen leaving her family home at around 9.30am on Sunday and getting into a car.

It comes as she settles back into life in Northern Ireland following her imprisonment in Peru for the last three years.

McCollum was arrested in Lima Airport in August 2013 along with Scottish woman Melissa Reid, with 1.75 million worth of cocaine.

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 I'm not a bad person,' she said, speaking from Peru. 'I want to demonstrate that I'm a good person and to do something good. Obviously I regret the harm that I've done and so much suffering that I've 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 I'm not.
A cat owner has been jailed for three months after posting a photograph of his pet making a Nazi salute on the internet.

The 38-year-old man uploaded a collection of Nazi-inspired photographs to his Facebook page, including one of his cat making a 'Heil Hitler' salute.

He admitted posting around 20 pictures on social media during a two year period and many of the images alluded to gassing people.

The 38-year-old man was jailed after he uploaded a photograph of his cat making a Nazi salute (Adolf Hitler pictured in 1934)

One was a photograph of his cat wearing a military hat appearing to do the infamous salute Hitler made when he was in power.

Police searched his home near Salzburg, Austria, and also discovered a number of clothes which had Nazi symbols on them, German-language news site Oberosterreichische Nachrichten reports.

Some items had the number '88' on them - a reference to 'HH' or 'Heil Hitler'.

The defendant apologised in court but was jailed under the Nazi Prohibition Act for 18 months - 15 months of which are suspended.

One of the photographs in his collection of Nazi-themed photographs included one of his cat making the salute (stock photograph)

The act was introduced following World War II and made it illegal to make pro-Nazi statements.
ordered police to carry out executions and urged citizens to kill drug users and dealers

Nearly 1,000 people killed by police or vigilantes since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power

More gruesome images emerge of suspected drug dealers lying dead in the streets of the Philippines

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More gruesome images have emerged of suspected drug dealers lying dead in the streets of Manila as the Philippine government intensifies its brutal war on narcotics.

Nearly 1,000 people have been killed by police or vigilantes since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power and embarked on a bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

Pictures emerged on Monday of slain drug dealers and users on the streets of Manila, investigators taking photographs of the corpses and placing them into body bags.

A police investigator takes pictures of the corpse of a suspected drug pusher and victim of a vigilante-style execution with his hands tied and head wrapped with tape on a street in Manila

The corpse of a suspected drug pusher lies outside a house after he was shot dead following a police operation at a slum area in Manila

Police investigators find an empty bullet shell next to the corpse of a suspected drug pusher after he was shot dead following an encounter with police

Duterte has publicly named hundreds of politicians, military and police personnel, and other influential people allegedly involved in the drug trade and has ordered them to surrender or be hunted down.

The president won a landslide election victory in May, a victory that was largely based 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.

The latest images emerge after a man was pictured 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.

Nearly 1,000 people have been killed by police or vigilantes since President Rodrigo Duterte came to power and embarked on a bloody campaign against illegal drugs

Workers from a funeral parlour load into an ambulance a corpse collected from the Paranaque city jail, where a grenade blast killed 10 inmates, 8 of whom were awaiting trial for drug-related cases

Duterte has made it clear he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations

Graphic images show a suspected drug dealer lying dead in the streets of Philippine capital Manila after he resisted arrest

President Duterte has made it clear he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his merciless orders.

The continuing bloodshed in the Philippines has begun to inflame diplomatic tensions, with the US embassy warning the Duterte government military aid allotted to the country 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 man lying bloodied and motionless on the streets of Manila after he reportedly fought back during a drug bust operation

Mr Duterte said he would pardon police if they were charged with human rights violations for carrying out his orders

Two women cry in grief after armed assailants in a motorcycle shot their loved one in a main thoroughfare on July 23, in Manila

A Philippine foreign department statement said that 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.

'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.'

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

A young alleged drug dealer pictured in July with his hands and feet bound and his head wrapped in tape besides a road
Fifty years of marital bliss was encapsulated in one tear-jerking moment.

Harvey Wosika, 92, was caught on camera serenading his wife, Mildred, 90, and the heart-warming footage was uploaded to Facebook and went viral last week.

With about 150 family and friends in attendance, Harvey kneeled before his wife, held her hand, and sang to her Let Me Call You Sweetheart, the Bing Crosby classic.

Moments before Harvey Wosika (right) began singing to his wife of 50 years, Mildred (left), he asked his daughter to take his phone and begin recording

'There wasnt a dry eye in the place', Wosika's granddaughter, Lisa Epperly told Tulsa television station KTUL . 'This is what love looks like'

While Harvey, a retired air force officer, was away in the military, his wife was at home caring for their large family

Just moments before, he handed his phone to his daughter so that she could capture the moment on video.

It was then posted to the Facebook account of Lisa Epperly, his granddaughter.

So far the video has garnered over 12,000 views.

Epperly told FOX59 that the romantic gesture brought many guests to tears.

He is just full of surprises, Mildred gushed.

In 50 years of marriage, Mildred and Harvey Wosika have 11 children, 35 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren

The happy couple of Newkirk, Oklahoma, have 11 children, 35 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.

Epperly said that her grandfather believes the marriage remains strong because he is always careful to respond, Yes, honey to his wife.

'There wasnt a dry eye in the place', Epperly told Tulsa television station KTUL . 'This is what love looks like.'

Harvey is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He enlisted in the military at age 17 just after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and fought in the Pacific theater

He later joined the air force and retired after 20 years in the service.

While Harvey was away in the military, his wife was at home caring for their family.
Employers have also been using it, illegally, to screen during recruitment

Also claims more than half of those had admitted to being gang members

The watchlist names 42 'gang members' aged less than 12 months old

But a recent audit of CalGang revealed some major flaws in the system

Database created for law enforcement to gain longer sentences for gang crimes and tie people to gang injunctions

The state of California is tracking 42 'gang members' who are less than one year old.

CalGang is a database for law enforcement which attempts to gather the name of every known gangster and gang affiliate in the state, CBS News reports.

Founded in 2003, the purpose of the watchlist was to support longer sentences for those involved in gang activity, tie individuals to gang injunctions and even disqualify families with links to gangsters from public housing.

But a recent audit of CalGang, which has around 40,000 entries, revealed some major flaws in the system.

The Criminal Intelligence System lists 42 'gang members' aged less than 12 months old.

The state of California is tracking 42 'gang members' who are less than one year old (stock image)

Not only does it list babies as gangsters, but it states that 28 of those 'admit to being members' of gangs - which is even more surprisingly as most children that age are struggling to say 'mama' and 'dadda'.

The worrying revelation suggests there could be many other innocent parties unfairly listed as gang members on the database.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, who prompted the audit, said it raised questions about how CalGang was being run.

'Probably people are pretty shocked about just how deep the problems are in the CalGang system in terms of lack of transparency, lack of consistency in terms of how the standards are used,' Weber said.

Although state-funded, the database is overseen by an executive board and advisory committee of local law enforcement officials.

Without a statutory authority, it has almost no oversight or requirement for public transparency.

'Our review uncovered numerous examples demonstrating weaknesses in the user agencies' approaches for entering information into CalGang,' auditors wrote according to the LA Times.

Auditors are now calling for an overhaul of the system and it to be overseen by state Department of Justice.

CalGang is a database for law enforcement which attempts to gather the name of every known gangster and gang affiliate in the state (stock image)

The audit also found that people were being added to the list with little evidence of their ties to a certain gang.

And once on the database, it is very hard for someone to get off it - even if they can prove their innocence.

A snapshot review found that 13 per cent of people on the list were included 'inappropriately.'

Auditors also found more than 600 people still listed even though their files should have been removed because the database hadnt updated their files within five years.

Some record were not scheduled to be removed for another century.

This became an even bigger problem when auditors found that employers were accessing CalGang, illegally, as a screening tool for recruitment.

CalGang has a disproportionate number of minorities listed - 64.9 per cent Latino and 20.5 per cent black.

There was also an issue with parents not being notified when their children were added.

A law, introduced in 2013, states that parents or guardians must be advised if their child was put on the database. But the audit found clear examples that this was not the case for many juveniles.

Local civil rights leaders say they have long known that the database is 'full of inaccuracies', adding that CalGang violates people's rights.
Child safety officers were just one kilometre away from Mason Lee as he lay dying at his stepfather's house, court documents allege.

The Queensland toddler's mother Anne Maree Lee, 21, allegedly told the officers - who visited her three days before he died - that he was staying at the home of his stepfather William Andrew O'Sullivan.

Lee, O'Sullivan and 17-year-old Ryan Robert Barry Hodson are facing manslaughter charges over the child's death, who would have turned two-years-old on Monday, the Courier Mail reports.

The toddler died from a ruptured intestine and was found in a home in Caboolture on June 11.

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Child safety officers were just 1km away from Queenslad toddler Mason Lee (pictured) as he lay dying at his stepfather's house, court documents allege

The toddler's mother claims the safety officers who visited her home, were going to O'Sullivan's property after.

Hodson 's girlfriend, Shelia Low, alleged that officers had been at Lee's Compass St home on the Tuesday or Wednesday before the toddler's death, Brisbane Supreme Court heard in a witness statement.

'I asked about Mason and she said that they hadn't seen him as he was with Will (O'Sullivan). She was told that Child Safety were going to try to see Mason at Will's,' the court heard.

Caboolture Magistrates' Court previously heard Hodson refused on multiple occasions to get the child medical attention, telling one person who said the toddler needed a doctor to 'f*** your mouth up, it's not our business, it's not our problem'.

He is also said to have told another person he wouldn't take Mason to see a doctor because he 'wasn't his child'.

He is also said to have been present when the toddler was taken to McDonalds at 3am, days before he died on June 7.

Officers are alleged to have visited the home of Queensland toddler's mother Anne Maree Lee, 21, (pictured) three days before he died

Hodson is heard directing the toddler on a neighbour's CCTV footage, after returning home with the fast food, saying 'Come on c***, you walk like a spastic.'

'Hurry up and grab your f***ing bottle. Mason, get here if you want your f***ing bottle,' he's alleged to have said.

Hodson was granted bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday after the Department of Public Prosecutions could not justify why he should be kept in custody until a prospective trial.

Crown prosecutor Sam Bain had argued Hodson was at risk of not appearing at future courts dates as he had told an informant at the Caboolture Watchhouse he planned to move to NSW to avoid the charge.

But Justice David Jackson noted Hodson's age and the possible harm of keeping a young person in custody until at least the second half of 2017.

'(Hodson) is, when all is said and done, a 17-year-old young man,' Justice Jackson said.

Mr Bain said Hodson was also at risk of interfering with witnesses including his girlfriend who has given evidence she told Hodson that Mason looked unwell and needed help.

But Justice Jackson found there was no significant risk if conditions were put in place to stop Hodson from talking to her.

Justice Jackson also questioned the DPP's assumption that Hodson would be safer in custody given a prisoner had been recently attacked in Queensland.

Mason Jet Lee (pictured) was found dead at his stepfather's home in Caboolture, north of Brisbane, in the early hours of June 11, covered with horrific injuries

Daniel Morcombe's killer Brett Peter Cowan, who must serve at least 15 more years behind bars for boy's murder, was taken to hospital last week after an inmate reportedly threw boiling water over him.

Hodson will live with his mother in Brisbane's north and be required to report to police three times a week.

This is the second time Hodson had applied for bail in two weeks.

Ryan Dodson (pictured), 17, has been granted bail after applying for the second time in two weeks. He told the court he was 'petrified' of going to jail and feared being assaulted

When Hodson made his initial application for bail, the court heard he had refused to get medical help for Mason on numerous occasions, telling one person who had suggested a doctor 'f*** your mouth up, it's not our business, it's not our problem'.

While there were no allegations Hodson had physically abused Mason, he showed 'no care, compassion or consideration in any way'.

Earlier in the week police prosecutor Aaron Murray said the teenager should remain in jail for his own protection.

The boy's stepfather William Andrew O'Sullivan (pictured) has also been charged

In Supreme Court documents ahead of his bail application on Friday, Hodson wrote: 'I am petrified of going to jail.'

'I am informed and verily (sic) believe that there have been Facebook messages that people are waiting to assault me in jail.'

Hodson was at the Brisbane Correctional Centre at Wacol, and asked to return to his parent's house in Morayfield, where he said he was living at the time of Mason's death.

This contradicts police claims he was living at the house in Caboolture.

Court documents revealed Hodson said he knew nothing about rearing children and was never Mason's carer.

While there were no allegations Hodson had physically abused Mason (pictured right with mother Anne Maree Lee on the left), he showed 'no care, compassion or consideration in any way'

The Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services department told the Courier Mail that they were unable to comment on a matter before the courts.

'This case is being reviewed by an independent, expert panel, which will make recommendations back to government on any improvements that can be made,' a spokesman told the publication.

'The Minister for Child Safety has already committed to implementing the recommendations.'
which relies on income from tourists, particularly in Bali

banned in province of Papua and in Surabaya in Java

Indonesia is considering a new law that could put a ban on producing, distributing and consuming alcohol right across the southeast Asian nation.

The bill, which looks at prohibiting drinks with more than one per cent of alcohol, has reportedly been introduced by two Islamic political parties - the United Development Party and the Prosperous Justice Party, reported Perth Now.

The bill in question is reportedly being debated in Indonesia's House of Representatives, but the proposed ban may include exceptions for travellers, customary activities and religious rituals.

Indonesia is considering a new law that could put a ban on producing, distributing and consuming alcohol right across the southeast Asian nation. Stock image

The bill in question is being debated in Indonesia's House of Representatives, but the proposed ban may include exceptions for travellers, customary activities and religious rituals. Pictured is Potato Head Beach Club in Seminyak, Bali

Indonesia already has two areas that have complete alcohol bans - the province of Papua and more recently the port city of Surabaya in Java, where the Jakarta Post reported an alcohol ban was introduced in May.

The proposed nation-wide alcohol ban is said to have caused an uproar in Indonesia's tourism and hospitality industry, which heavily relies on visitors from countries such as Australia as their main source of income.

Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association head Hariyadi Sukamdani told the Jakarta Post: 'If the bill is passed, our business will be done'.

Indonesia already has two areas that have complete alcohol bans - the province of Papua and more recently the port city of Surabaya in Java

The proposed nation-wide alcohol ban is said to have caused an uproar in Indonesia's tourism and hospitality industry, which heavily relies on visitors as their main source of income. Pictured is La Plancha Beach Bar and Restaurant in Seminyak, Bali

'The tourists ... drink alcohol all the time. It will be very inconvenient for them if they cant find alcohol,' he said.

Indonesia banned the sale of alcohol at mini markets in 2015, but a report from the Sydney Morning Herald revealed that following this there was a 58 per cent increase in illegal alcohol sales, which included oplosan (Indonesian bootleg liquor) and other homemade drinks.

However, Indonesia Institute president Ross Taylor told Perth Now that banning alcohol in Indonesia had support.

'Theres a lot of people in Indonesia right now taking the view - and they might not be wrong - that if you look at the Western world, and what alcohol is doing to young people, we dont want that in Indonesia and we want to ban alcohol,' Mr Taylor said.

'But in Bali, especially, theres a very strong feeling that its the last thing youd want to do, because if tourists cant have a beer or wine on the beach, the potential consequences for tourism are going to be very severe indeed.'
An army veteran has been arrested for flying the US flag upside down in protest against an oil pipeline that will run past his house.

Homer Martz, from Somers, Iowa, hung up the flag beneath a Chinese flag at his home in anger at the pipeline, which he believes tramples on his rights.

He has been charged with desecrating the US flag and could face a fine or jail of up to 30 days if convicted.

Homer Martz, from Somers, Iowa, was arrested for flying the US flag upside down in protest against an oil pipeline that will run past his house (file photo)

Martz told The Fort Dodge Messenger two Calhoun County sheriffs came to his door after taking down his flags and told him it was an offence.

He argued that they should not have taken them down - as they had 'trespassed' and put them back up, at which point he was arrested.

The veteran said he was unaware that it was an offense to hang the flag upside down.

Martz fears a pipeline being built by a Texan-based firm will break the water line from his well or cause it to freeze.

Martz fears the pipeline will break the water line to his home in Somers, Calhoun County (stock picture)

He said the decision to go ahead with the pipeline was an assault on his rights, writing on a sign on the flagpole: 'In China there is no freedom, no protesting, no due process. In Iowa? In America?'

Speaking about serving in the army, he described how he was spat on when he was in his uniform in the 1970s and 'cussed at' by protestors.

He said: ' I said, that's their rights. I've never infringed on their rights.

'But you know, freedom of speech, freedom to protest - people can burn the American flag. It's legal. That's the Supreme Court.'

At least 40 states still have laws in place against desecrating the US flag.
Lawsuit also states that medical staff should have been on hand

Claim club shouldn't have served alcohol to her as she was intoxicated

But Harbeck choked on hers and suffered irreparable brain damage

Female participants were required to get on their knees in front of men holding the dogs near their groin to compete to eat it the fastest

An Albuquerque family are suing a nightclub after a woman choked to death during a corn dog eating contest while drunk.

Debra Harbeck, 56, was competing in the contest which required women to get on their knees in front of men holding corn dogs near their groins, according to the lawsuit.

The winner was whoever could eat the corn dog the fastest.

But the mother-of-one had choked on the corn dog during the competition and while bar patrons attempted to perform the Heimlich maneuver and CPR, she suffered irreparable brain damage while waiting for the paramedics.

Debra Harbeck, 56, (center, with her daughter, right) is pictured outside Fire and Ice nightclub on the evening of the tragedy, died after choking during a corn dog eating contest

She was rushed to hospital but died the following day on January 28 - the day of her daughter's birthday - after being taken off life support, Albuquerque Journal reports.

'My dad wanted to wait to pull the plug until midnight of my birthday so that she wouldn't die on my birthday,' her daughter Jessie said.

'I told him my one birthday wish was for her to not suffer. I knew she was in pain, and I didn't want her suffering anymore.'

The Harbecks had been out celebrating Jessie's birthday when the tragedy occurred. Jessie described her close bond with her mother who she called her 'best friend.'

Debra Harbeck, 56, (pictured with her daughter) was competing in the contest which required women to get on their knees in front of men holding corn dogs near their groins, when she suffered irreparable brain damage

The Harbecks had been out celebrating Jessie's birthday at Fire and Ice (previously Lucky's Lounge, pictuerd) when the tragedy occurred

Now the family are suing Fire and Ice nightclub in Albuquerque, claiming that bar staff should have refused to serve Harbeck after she became intoxicated.

The lawsuit states that she was served 'three double shots & four double gin and tonics,' the suit says. She had a blood alcohol content of nearly double the legal driving limit in New Mexico of 0.08 per cent.

'Quite honestly, they did not cut her off,' Jessie said. 'She was pretty intoxicated when I got there. The bar did not take the initiative to get her to stop drinking.'

They should also have prevented her from taking part in the eating challenge, the claim.

The suit also states that the club should have had medical personnel on hand for the contest.

Lawyer Gene Chavez, who filed the lawsuit for the Harbecks, said many places that hosted eating competitions had medical staff on hand for precisely these kinds of emergencies.

The family are now suing as they say medical staff should have been on hand for any eating contest while Harbeck was served alcohol while intoxicated

The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Santa Fe District Court, names parent company PKG Investments LLC, as well as Anodyne Corp., which was leasing its liquor license to PKG, and Hinkle Investments LLC, which owns the property Fire and Ice was leasing.

Fire and Ice itself has since closed down.

PKG Investments LLC did not respond to reporters' requests for comment.

Harbeck, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, leaves behind her only child Jessie and husband Anthony, a retired firefighter.

Her February obituary notice said: 'Debbie built her life around her family and friends and her deep compassion for others, love and strength will be greatly missed. '
Hillary Clinton's campaign website removed a pledge to believe all sexual assault victims earlier this year after historic rape allegations against her husband re-emerged.

On January 29, her website's page on campus sexual assault said victims have 'a right to be believed, and we're with you.' On February 4, that quote was gone.

The alteration came after the re-emergence of 73-year-old Juanita Broaddrick's claim that Bill Clinton had raped her in 1978 and Hillary had threatened her to keep quiet, BuzzFeed reported Monday.

Allegation: Juanita Broaddrick (left) claims that then-Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton (right) raped her in 1978, and that wife Hillary (also right) threatened her in order to keep her quiet

Pledge: Up until January 29, 2016 Hillary Clinton's official website (pictured: a version from that date) featured a quote in which she said rape victims have 'the right to be believed'

Silenced: After February 4 - and as Broaddrick's claims began to dominate the press - that was replaced with a shorter version (pictured) which removed the right to be believed

The Internet Archive Wayback Machine, which stores old versions of webpages for posterity, shows a quote attributed to Hillary Clinton on her site's campus sex assault page on January 29.

'I want to send a message to every survivor of sexual assault: Dont let anyone silence your voice. You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed, and were with you.'

But on a version of the page from February 4, that last sentence is completely missing. As of Monday the shorter quote is still on the page.

That change occurred at the same time as Broaddrick's historic rape allegations - which she had made decades before - were back in the media spotlight, and she herself was tweeting about her claims.

On January 5 Broaddrick tweeted 'Was dreading seeing my abuser on tv campaign trail for enabler wife......but his physical appearance reflects ghosts of past are catching up.'

And on January 6, she said: 'I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me and Hillary tried to silence me. I am now 73....it never goes away.'

That same day she came out in support of Donald Trump in an interview with The Hill.

Ghosts of the past: Broaddrick made this tweet, about seeing her 'abuser' and his 'enabler' wife, on January 5, just weeks before the Hillary Clinton page was altered

Allegation: Broaddrick made this tweet on January 6, the same day she announced that she was supporting Donald Trump for president. Bill Clinton denied the claims in 1999

Broaddrick, a former nursing home administrator, claims that Bill Clinton, then 31, raped her in 1978, in a hotel where a nursing seminar was being held.

She had previously met him while campaigning for him as Arkansas attorney general, and says she had arranged to get coffee with him to talk business.

At the last second, she says, he asked if he could meet her in her hotel room, where he bit her lip so hard she bled, raped her on the bed and left.

She also says that she bumped into Hillary Clinton shortly after at a political rally, and that Clinton shook her hand and thanked her for everything she had done.

Bill Clinton was 'the main person that regulated my business and my income,' Broaddrick told BuzzFeed, and so the remark felt like a threat to her.

The former President denied Broaddrick's claim through his lawyer in 1999, and has never been charged.

Historic: This photo from 1978 shows Clinton, then 31, and Broaddrick, then 35, at her nursing home. She says the then-Arkansas governor raped her in a hotel that year

The 73-year-old signed up to Twitter in 2009, but aside from three brief messages about her daily life she remained silent on the website until September 2015.

On the 14th of that month Hillary Clinton tweeted: 'To every survivor of sexual assault...You have the right to be heard. You have the right to be believed. We're with you.'

The following day, Broaddrick made her first tweet in six and a half years: 'Thoroughly disgusting--Hillary's comments on rape. Shame on you, Hillary, shame on you!!'

Believed: Hillary Clinton made this tweet about how sexual assault survivors have the right to be believed on September 14, 2015

'Disgusting': Broaddrick made this - her first tweet since 2009 - the following day. She believes Hillary Clinton threatened her into staying quiet shortly after the alleged rape

She then began a twitter campaign to bring her claims back into the spotlight, also making media appearances and performing interviews.

The re-emergence of Broaddrick's claim was joined by those of Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey, both of whom accused him of sexually inappropriate conduct in the 1990s.

In May Clinton was asked in a New Hampshire appearance: 'You say that all rape victims should be believed, but would you say that about Juanita Broaddrick, Kathleen Willey, and/or Paula Jones?'
Acupuncture: Chisato Fukushima was seen running at Rio 2016 today with the patches

The plasters on this sprinters chest might suggests shes been in quite a lot of pain, but she claims they help her feel like she is soaking in a hot spring.

Chisato Fukushima of Japan was seen running at Rio 2016 this morning with the patches which are supposed to stimulate acupuncture points.

The 28-year-old wore the EK-6000 tape, developed at her trainers bone-setting clinic in Japan, while competing in round one of the womens 200 metres.

Speaking to Japanese newspaper The Asahi Shimbun about the plasters last month, Fukushima said: It feels good.

'It feels like I am soaking in a hot spring, and I can feel the range of motion in the joints of my body expand.

Fukushima, who is the Japanese record holder in the women's 100m and 200m, is said to use the plasters to improve how her internal organs function.

Fukushima (left) competes against Sheniqua Ferguson of the Bahamas in the women's 200m

Fukushima wore the EK-6000 tape, developed at her trainers bone-setting clinic in Japan

Today Fukushima ran the 200m in 23.21 seconds in Rio, giving her a rank of 38 out of 72 competitors  outside of a top-24 finish required to make the semi-finals

Talented: Fukushima is the Japanese record holder in the women's 100m and 200m

Today she ran the 200m in 23.21 seconds in Rio, giving her a rank of 38 out of 72 competitors  outside of a top-24 finish required to make the semi-finals.
A woman whose husband saved her from a rip current off a beach in Miami has paid tribute to her 'hero' and has revealed their belongings were stolen during the horrific ordeal.

Kendra Smith and 34-year-old Sherrod Whittington, from Fort Myers, were playing in the waves at Miami Beach Sunday when they were swept away by the current at around 2pm. He told lifeguards to save her first.

'I was trying to hold onto him, he was trying to hold onto me,' Smith told Wink News. 'In some kind of wave, he lost his grasp and then he got me back again, he found me again.'

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Hero: Sherrod Whittington, from Fort Myers, saved his wife's life before drowning in waters off Miami Beach

Kendra Smith (pictured) and 34-year-old Sherrod Whittington were swept away by the current

Courtesy WSVN

The current was particularly strong at the time, and swimmers were warned of the risk after lifeguards placed a red flag on the beach.

As lifeguards were busy removing swimmers from the water, they pulled the Whittingtons body out.

He was not breathing and was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Smith, who had been married to Whittington for just two years, said: 'He did the most amazing thing in the world that he gave his life for me... Im going to honor him until the day I die because of that Hell always be my hero.'

She told Wink News some of their belongings, including their credit cards, were stolen during the tragic incident.

Rip currents kill an estimated 100 swimmers every year in the United States. They also account for some 80 per cent of beach rescues.

They are powerful, narrow channels of fast-moving water that usually affect the coastal areas as well as the Great Lakes, according to the National Ocean Service.

Rescuers move Sherrod Whittington into an emergency vehicle to be taken to hospital

Rip currents are estimated to move at eight feet per second, which is even faster than an Olympic swimmer.

Experts say that swimmers make the mistake of fighting the rip current by swimming against it, wearing them out and draining them of energy needed to avoid drowning.

Instead, swimmers should float with the rip current, which will take them a bit further from shore momentarily but will not pull them under.

A Miami Beach resident, James Quinlas, told WSVN television that vacationers from out of town are at a disadvantage since they are not accustomed to the intensity of the rip currents.

'We get currents like these from time to time so, you know, you take care', he said.

The incident occurred in Miami Beach, which is widely regarded as one of the most visited beach resorts in the country

The couple went into the ocean at around 2pm Sunday. Pictured above, Miami Beach

'But I could see if youre out of town, maybe that would be something that you wouldnt be familiar with'.

'Its devastating,' said Jessica Roeder, a native of Indiana who is vacationing in Miami Beach. 'Youre trying to help your wife out, and you end up dying.'
Police say a Kentucky man accused of stabbing his father at a church service told officers that he was 'moved by the message' before the attack.

The Bowling Green Daily News quotes an arrest citation released Monday as saying that 21-year-old Ethan Buckley told police he'd had thoughts of killing his father and that he stabbed David Buckley with a pocket knife.

The attack happened Sunday at a Baptist church in Bowling Green, about 70 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee.

Ethan A Buckley was arrested for allegedly stabbing his own father during a morning church service in Bowling Green, Kentucky on Sunday. He appeared in court Monday

Ethan Buckley entered a not guilty plea on a charge of Assault, First Degree Domestic Violence. His bond was set at $500,000

The officer who completed the report says that Ethan Buckley admitted to having thoughts of killing his father when he stabbed him with a pocket knife.

The officer also documented that Buckley confessed that he tried to cut his father's jugular vein so that the attack would be painless.

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 entered a not guilty plea on a charge of Assault and First Degree Domestic Violence. His bond was set at $500,000.

Church members gather outside Hillvue Heights Baptist Church, in Bowling Green, Kentucky after a man allegedly stabbed his father during services

In a strange twist, Buckley was reportedly punched in the face at work and wrote a Facebook post on Saturday denouncing violence

Bowling Green Police spokesman Ronnie Ward said 40-year-old David Buckley was alive on Monday. His condition wasn't clear.

The citation didn't say what Ethan Buckley meant when he said he was 'moved by the message.'

A judge set a $500,000 bond on Monday and ordered that Ethan Buckley be appointed a public defender.

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.

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.

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!'

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 on Sunday. The victim was taken to a hospital where his condition wasn't immediately known

Bowling Green Police Sgt. Shawn Helbig walks to his vehicle on Sunday after a man allegedly stabbed his father during services at Hillvue Heights Church

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.
Police in Florida say when a Port St Lucie man spurned his girlfriends amorous advances, things between the couple took a violent turn.

Jennifer Furguson, 34, was arrested Wednesday morning for allegedly kicking her live-in boyfriend of two years, Christopher Bodden, in the face several times during a lovers' quarrel.

According to an arrest affidavit, it all started at 6.30am when Furguson approached Bodden, 32, seeking to have sex with him after a night of drinking, but was rejected.

Hell hath no fury... Jennifer Furguson (left), 34, was charged with battery after allegedly kicking her boyfriend, Christopher Bodden (right), in the face for refusing sex

Lovers' quarrel: Bodden said his better half became 'upset' when he rejected her amorous advances after a night of drinking

The arrest document, cited by The Smoking Gun, states that the scorned woman became upset and proceeded to kick him in the face while he was laying on the bed.

Officers who were called to the couple's home in the 3100 block of Southwest Cathedral Street in Port St Lucie noted that Bodden had 'significant swelling to his right cheek and redness to his left cheek bone.'

The affidavit states that the enraged woman did not stop there, kicking a wall several times and causing damage to the drywall.

Bodden told police Furguson then got down on her knees and slammed her head against the wall 'very hard.

Police observed that Bodden suffered facial injuries at the hands of Ms Furguson, whom he has been dating for two years

Venting her rage: According to an arrest affidavit, in her wrath Ms Furguson slammed her head agaisnt the wall after kicking it

Furguson, who goes by her boyfriends last name on Facebook, was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge and booked into jail on $500 bond.

She is scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on August 25.
News of the new bunkers comes from U.S. intelligence sources who spoke with the Washington Free Beacon

The Russian military has begun construction on a large number of underground nuclear command bunkers

In yet another troubling sign for America's tense relations with Russia, U.S. intelligence officials say Putin has began construction on new nuclear-proof underground bunkers.

Russia began building 'dozens' of underground bunkers across the country several years ago, the Washington Free Beacon reported citing US officials.

The U.S. and Russia have been working together to get rid of their nuclear weapons since the end of the Cold War, but the revelation coupled with Russia's recent surge in missile production suggests they are preparing for conflict.

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U.S. intelligence officials say authorities in Russia are building new underground bunkers to survive a nuclear war. Above, a Cold War-era nuclear missile silo in Saratov, Russia

'Russia is getting ready for a big war which they assume will go nuclear, with them launching the first attacks,' Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon nuclear policy official told the Free Beacon. 'We are not serious about preparing for a big war, much less a nuclear war.'

Few details about the new nuclear bunkers have been released, but Russian state-run media says they are being built in Moscow as part of a new national security strategy.

Russia built several similar underground bunkers during and right after the Cold War both in Moscow and in the Ural Mountains.

Russia's new nuclear defense strategy is reportedly costing the country billions, and there are questions about whether some of that money may have come from U.S. aid.

Military experts say the U.S. may respond to the new threat by developing deep-penetrating nuclear weapons that would reach the depths of the new bunkers.

Russia began building 'dozens' of underground bunkers across the country several years ago, US officials are thought to have said (file photo of test launch in Russia in 1998)

The news of the new bunkers comes as one senior Army official issued a warning about Russia's 'alarming' nuclear rhetoric.

'It is clear that Russia is modernizing its strategic forces,' Army General Curtis Scaparrotti said recently.

'Russian doctrine states that tactical nuclear weapons may be used in a conventional response scenario.
Amber Heard has included a horrifying photo of Johnny Depp's finger after he allegedly cut off the tip during a fit of rage in court papers filed in her domestic abuse case against the actor.

TMZ reports that the incident occurred last March while Depp was in Australia and 'drunk and high on ecstasy.'

He had been speaking with Heard on the phone while she was filming The Danish Girl in London when they began to fight and he threw the phone at some glass, causing the injury.

The court papers claim that Depp then took his bloody finger and dipped it in blue paint before using the mixture of the two liquids to write 'STARRING,' 'Billy Bob, ' and 'Easy Amber' on the wall.

'Billy Bob' is Billy Bob Thornton claims Heard, who had starred in the 2008 film The Informers with the actress and then London Fields, which will be released later this year.

Depp was reportedly accusing Heard, 30, of having an affair with the 61-year-old actor during the fight, which occurred in his Australian villa while he was filming the latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean.

The photos of the injured finger and writing in the blood and paint mixture have been entered as exhibits in the case.

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Rough: An alleged photo of Johnny Depp's finger after he cut off the tip has been included in Amber Heard's court filing against the actor

Allegations: Heard claims that Depp cut off the tip in a fit of rage and then used his blood to write words on the wall accusing her of having an affair (above)

Heading home: The actor was forced to return to the United States after the injury (above in April after he returned to Australia with Heard), which delayed production on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales four weeks

New look: Depp's finger after it was repaired using skin from his hand (above in July)

Heard is also claiming in court papers that Depp did not have the finger treated until almost 24 hours after he sliced off the top of the digit, and that doctors had to use a flap of skin from his hand to fashion a new tip.

In photos taken a month after the incident when the pair returned to Australia, Depp and Heard are seen getting off a private jet with his finger wrapped in a scarf.

The Gold Coast Bulletin reported the incident at the time it occurred and the reporter later said that one of Depp's bodyguards offered to pay them if they revealed their source.

They said the injury happened after a 'wild weekend bender' at the Coomera mansion owned by Australian motorbike racer Mick Doohan where the couple had been staying during the film's production.

The injury shut down production on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales for four weeks as Depp traveled back to the states to have what was described as an on-set injury treated by doctors.

The film, which initially had a massive production budget of $250million, reportedly went over by $70million, costing $320million in the end.

Heard also states in the filing that she never had a sexual relationship with Thornton, and claims that Depp frequently accused her of sleeping with other men during their relationship.

Thornton would have been recently married at the time to wife Connie Angland, who he began dating back in 2003 after ending his marriage to actress Angelina Jolie.

He began dating Jolie while he was still in a relationship with Laura Dern, who he was engaged to at the time.

Thornton told TMZ that any claims he and Heard had an affair are 'completely false.'

Injury: Johnny Depp is pictured leaving Brisbane Airport on a private jet on March 11, 2015 (right), and arriving at the same airport on April 21, 2015 (left). His hand was bandaged on both occasions

Scar: Johnny Depp's scar can be seen in this picture taken on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California

The Oscar-winning actor has been married six times.

The case is set to go to trial on Wednesday, and over the weekend Heard sat for seven hours giving her deposition.

Heard reportedly detailed the abuse she suffered at the hands of Depp in the presence of her lawyer and her estranged husband's counsel.

A new settlement offer was presented the following day but both sides have yet to agree on a financial figure and terms of the agreement.

TMZ reports that Depp is willing to hand over $8million, a figure that Heard feels is too low.

She is also requesting a joint statement be released in which Depp admits to committing domestic abuse on May 21, something he reportedly refuses to do because he claims he did not touch Heard that evening despite what she states in court papers.

Heard has also hired new representation in the form of Pierce O'Donnell, who recently represented Manuela Herzer in her unsuccessful lawsuit against the estate of Sumner Redstone.

He was successful however when representing Shelly Sterling in her suit against her estranged husband Donald's mistress V. Stiviano.

At around the same time Heard was being deposed on Saturday, a video appeared on TMZ of Depp slamming cabinets while downing a large amount of red wine.

Co-stars: Also starring in a small role in Heard and Thornton's film is Depp himself (Heard left and Thornton right on the set of London Fields)

Film work: Thornton and Heard will star together in the film London Fields (film still above), which is set for release later this year

Marrying man: Thornton had just married his sixth wife Connie Angland (left in 2015) when he began filming with Heard. He started dating Angland after his divorce from Angelina Jolie (right in 2000)

Heard filmed the incident, which ended with Depp lunging at her to rip away her phone when he realized she was recording him on the device.

After the damning footage was posted, Heard issued a statement denying she leaked the video.

'I am not responsible for the release of the video. It was not what I wanted and I am doing what I can to force the media to take it off the internet,' said Heard in a statement to E! News.

'I underestimated the toll that this difficult few months have taken on me, emotionally and physically, and the efforts made by the media to intimidate and discredit me.

'It is for that reason, and my desire to make the healthiest choice for myself, and hopefully for Johnny, that I am attempting to resolve this matter in the most private way possible.'

Sources close to Depp meanwhile claim the footage was 'heavily edited.'

That video has also been entered as an exhibit in the case by Heard.

Keeping it bandaged: Depp still had a band-aid on his finger in late August of last year (above), five months after the injury

Depp is expected to call his former partner and the mother of his two children Vanessa Paradis if the case does make it to trial later this week.

Depp and Heard were married in 2014 and she filed papers asking for a divorce in May after 15 months of marriage.

The couple did not have a prenuptial agreement which entitles her to half the money he made over the course of their relationship, which looks to be somewhere between $20 and $30million.

Heard, 30, had also asked a judge for spousal support and her legal fees to be covered during the divorce, but that was rejected by the court.

Heard is currently hard at work on her biggest role to date as Mera, the queen of the sea and Aquaman's love interest, in the upcoming Justice League and Aquaman movies.

Depp, whose latest film Alice Through the Looking Glass under-performed at the domestic box office, has just one more film project coming out this year, London Fields.

He has an uncredited role in that film, which stars Heard and Thornton.

Viral video: On Saturday, footage appeared on TMZ of Depp slamming cabinets (above)

Sip it up: Depp was also seen pouring himself a large glass of red wine and drinking it down (above)

Heard alleged in her May court filinh that an 'inebriated and high' Depp had grabbed her cellphone, 'wound up his arm like a baseball pitcher and threw the cell phone at me striking my cheek and eye with great force' during a dispute.

She stated in the filing that Depp continued to attack her even after throwing the phone, claiming:'He then forcibly pulled back my hair as I attempted to stand up from the sofa.

'Johnny continued screaming at me, pulling my hair, striking me and violently grabbing my face.'

She said the attack only ended when a friend, who Heard had texted asking for help, arrived to their Broadway condominium.

Depp left the property - but not before he picked up a magnum bottle of champagne and used it as a baseball bat to 'smash everything he could,' the documents state.
Russia has been secretly building underground nuclear command bunkers as the United States admitted the country's nuclear use doctrine was 'alarming', it has been reported.

Bunkers said to be in the dozens had been built in Moscow and around the country over the past several years, U.S. intelligence officials reportedly said.

Meanwhile, a former Pentagon security official has revealed he believes Moscow is preparing for nuclear war given its recent rhetoric on its security strategy.

Russian is expanding its underground nuclear command bunkers, according to a United States Defence chief who believes the country's nuclear use doctrine is 'alarming'. Pictured is the Tagansky Protected Command Point nuclear bunker in Moscow

The Tagansky nuclear bunker in Moscow was a secret when it was built during the Cold War

The bunker building is the latest sign Moscow was moving ahead with a major strategic forces modernization program, The Washington Free Beacon reports.

It comes after U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command, reportedly spoke about the Russian nuclear issue confronting the world at a conference sponsored by the U.S. Strategic Command.

'It is clear that Russia is modernizing its strategic forces,' he reportedly said.

'Russian doctrine states that tactical nuclear weapons may be used in a conventional response scenario.

'This is alarming and it underscores why our country's nuclear forces and NATO's continues to be a vital component of our deterrence.'

The comments come after several reports showing Russian was building new bombers, submarines and missiles as it expands its strategic nuclear forces.

In spring, a State Department report on activities under a new arms treaty was said to have revealed Moscow had added 153 strategic nuclear warheads.

The Free Beacon reported the increase in warheads was because of the deployment of new SS-27 Mod 2 intercontinental ballistic missiles with multiple warheads and SS-N-32 submarine-launched missiles.

U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of U.S. European Command, said: 'It is clear that Russia is modernizing its strategic forces'

In a separate report released by the National Institute for Public Policy, the reason for the expansion is to promote a fear of Moscow.

According to former Pentagon nuclear policy official, Mark Schneider, now with the National Institute for Public Policy, Moscow was preparing for nuclear war after its new national security strategy revealed late last year had flagged a boost to civil defenses against any nuclear attack.

'Russia is getting ready for a big war which they assume will go nuclear, with them launching the first attacks,' Schneider told The Free Beacon.
Donald Trump called for a relentless war against 'Islamic terrorism' that would involve a total effort by the government, while working with any country that shares the overarching goal and keeping out those who believe in 'bigotry or hatred.'

Part of the effort would involve 'extreme vetting' of migrants seeking to come to the U.S. from abroad.

Trump said Hillary Clinton 'wants to be Americas Angela Merkel, and you know what a disaster this massive immigration has been to Germany and the people of Germany.'

He also said Clinton 'lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS.'

'All actions should be oriented around this goal and any country which shares this goal will be our ally  very important,' Trump told a select crowd at Youngstown State University in Ohio. In a speech meant to reveal a total commitment to battle the groups that have carried out brutal terror attacks while also refocusing his own campaign.

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Donald Trump called for deploying military, cyber, and financial warfare to destroy ISIS in a foreign policy speech in Ohio Monday

Support networks for terror will be ' stripped out and removed one by one, viciously if necessary,' according to Trump.

Repeatedly repeating the phrase 'radical Islamic terrorism'  which he faults President Obama and Hillary Clinton for not saying, Trump called for 'new and even stronger sanctions.'

'Military, cyber and financial warfare will all be necessary to dismantle Islamic Terrorism. But we must use ideological warfare as well,' Trump said.

Trump, who has been slammed by foreign policy leaders for taking on alliances such as NATO, called for a broad alliance under an overarching theme his team labeled 'realism.'

'We cannot always choose our friends but we can never fail to recognize our enemies,' Trump said.

He accused ISIS of waging ' campaign of absolute and total genocide. We cannot let this evil continue.'

Trump said Hillary Clinton ''lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS'

Trump is traveling with former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who compared the Clinton Foundation to a mob-type organization

Trump's latest immigration plan would screen out those with 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S.

Hillary Clinton gave Trump's speech a stinging review

Trump began his remarks by running through a litany of attacks, often employing grisly language as he ticked off those killed and wounded and the 'unbelievable, awful things' done to victims like a French priest slain at the pulpit in Normandy.

'France is suffering gravely and the tourism industry is being massively affected in a most negative way,' Trump said after describing the Paris attacks.

'I call it extreme vetting. I call it extreme  extreme  vetting,' Trump said. 'Our country has enough problems. We don't need more, and these are problems like we've never had before.'

He continued: 'We will have to temporarily suspend immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism  not for us. Not for us.'

Also unwelcome would be those with 'hostile attitudes' toward the U.S. and those who believe in 'bigotry or hatred.'

'In addition to screening out all members or sympathizers of terrorist groups, we must also screen out any who have hostile attitudes towards our country or its principles  or who believe that Sharia law should supplant American law.'

'Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted for immigration into the country,' Trump said.

'In addition to screening out all members or sympathizers of terrorist groups, we must also screen out any who have hostile attitudes towards our country or its principles  or who believe that Sharia law should supplant American law,' Trump said.

'Only those who we expect to flourish in our country  and to embrace a tolerant American society  should be issued immigrant visas.'

Trump called for 'common ground' with Russia in the campaign against ISIS. He used a teleprompter to deliver lengthy remarks

Trump's coalition would include Russia  a country currently under U.S. sanctions and sometime at odds with U.S. policy in Syria. Trump has taken heat on the campaign trail for speaking approvingly of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

'I also believe that we can find common ground with Russia in the fight against ISIS. Wouldn't that be a good thing?' Trump said, to applause from the crowd.

Trump said one of his first acts as president would be a 'Commission on Islamic Terrorism,' which he said would include input from reformist voices.

'The goal of the commission will be to identify and explain to the American public the core convictions and beliefs of Radical Islam, to identify the warning signs of radicalization, and to expose the networks in our society that support radicalization,' Trump said.

He once again hammered Clinton and Barack Obama for failing to use the phrase 'Radial Islamic terrorism.'

'Anyone who cannot name our enemy, is not fit to lead this country. Anyone who cannot condemn the hatred, oppression and violence of Radical Islam lacks the moral clarity to serve as our President,' Trump said.

And he backed off his rhetoric that Obama and Clinton 'founded' ISIS.

'The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton,' he said, using more nuanced language.

Trump touted what he said was his early opposition to the Iraq war.

'In the old days when we won a war, to the victor belonged the spoils. Instead all we got from Iraq and our adventures in the Middle east was death destruction and tremendous financial loss,' he said.

'I said 'keep the oil, keep the oil, keep the oil, don't let somebody else get it,''

He offered some unexpected praise for NATO, a group he criticized and rattled when he said he would't jump to defend those who don't pay their share.

'Since my comments they have changed their policy and now have a new division focused on terror threat. Very good. Very very good,' he said.

Earlier, former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani blasted Clinton and her husband for influence peddling with a mix of speaking fees and charity endorsements.

'She's made millions and millions and millions of dollars and her husband  you know what his name is  by turning the State Department into a pay-to-the-Clinton-Foundation to play-with-the-State Department racketeering enterprise,' said Giuliani.

'That is what the Clinton Foundation is  it's a racketeer, influenced corrupt organization,' said Giuliani, a former prosecutor.

Hillary Clinton's advisor Jake Sullivan issued a statement ripping the latest immigration of his immigration plan.

'This so-called policy cannot be taken seriously. How can Trump put this forward with a straight face when he opposes marriage equality and selected as his running mate the man who signed an anti-LGBT law in Indiana? It's a cynical ploy to escape scrutiny of his outrageous proposal to ban an entire religion from our country and no one should fall for it,' said Sullivan.

Trump is facing increasing pressure from his staff to tighten up his message after a series of controversies and a drop in many swing state polls.

Monday's speech, in a battleground state critical for any victorious Republican, was intended to shift the debate onto more comfortable ground.

Trump pushed back hard Sunday against a New York Times report that advisors staged an 'intervention' to try to get him to stay on message.

'I have always been the same person-remain true to self. The media wants me to change but it would be very dishonest to supporters to do so!' Trump wrote.

According to a Trump campaign conference call Sunday night, immigrants seeking to come to the U.S. from nations with ties to terrorism would have to fill out a questionaire that would delve into the applicants' views on 'tolerance' and 'pluralism.'

DON'T EVER CHANGE: Trump said on Sunday it would be 'dishonest' for him to change the way he campaigns to fit media preferences

The campaign also cast the speech as laying out a policy of 'foreign policy realism.'

'Mr. Trump's speech will explain that while we can't choose our friends, we must always recognize our enemies,' said advisor Stephen Miller.

On Sunday, the New York Times published a story stating that campaign chairman Paul Manafort got $12.7 million in illegal payments from the entities tied to Ukraine's former pro-Russian president for political consulting work in that country over a five-year period.

Manafort responded in a statement: 'The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly and nonsensical.' He continued: ' I have never received a single 'off-the-books cash payment' as falsely 'reported' by the New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.'

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort blasted a New York Times report that he got illegal cash payments from the former Ukranian president's political party 'unfounded, silly and nonsensical'

Trump has made a tough campaign against ISIS a part of his stump speech going back to the primaries.

Campaigning in Florida August 10, he took his comments to a new level when he called President Obama the 'founder' of ISIS and said Hillary Clinton is the 'cofounder.'

Trump is back in the Rust Belt after campaigning in Erie, Pennsylvania on Friday, where he said he was being sarcastic when he called President Obama the 'founder' of ISIS

' ISIS is honoring President Obama,' Trump said. 'He is the founder of ISIS. He is the founder of ISIS, okay? He is the founder. He founded ISIS. And I would say the cofounder would be crooked Hillary Clinton.'

Trump later said he was being 'sarcastic' after getting pushback for the comment.

Trump was back in Ohio after polls showed Hillary Clinton carving out a narrow lead. She leads Trump by 45 to 42 per cent in the latest RealClearPolitics average, and led him by 5 points in the latest NBC / Wall Street Journal poll in the state.

A new report in Politico criticized Trump's ground operation in critical battlegrounds as being made up of 'B team' hires.

Trump came out for temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. in 2015, then said after the Orlando shootings that it would apply to countries with a history of terrorism agains the U.S.
One of Scotland's best known farmers died of asphyxiation after falling into a grain storage tank, a sheriff has ruled.

Bruce Ferguson, who left a 3m fortune and had rubbed shoulders with royalty and top politicians, died on his farm in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in March last year.

Mr Ferguson, the former president of the Turriff Show, an annual two-day celebration of agriculture and the food industry, was found dead by his son Andrew at the family's farm.

Bruce Ferguson, who rubbed shoulders with the Queen, died tragically on his farm in Turriff, Aberdeenshire, in March last year

He was one of Scotland's best known farmers and escorted the Queen around the event for its 150th anniversary.

The 61-year-old met Her Majesty when he drove her around the showground in front of 28,000 people.

A fatal accident inquiry was held into his death at Banff Sheriff Court. Sheriff Philip Mann has now ruled he died of asphyxiation due to submersion in the barley grain container.

However, the sheriff said how Mr Ferguson came to fall into the container will remain a mystery as there were no witnesses to the accident.

In a written ruling, Sheriff Mann said: 'Mr Ferguson had been engaged in preparing some 30 tonnes of barley to fulfil an order.

'This was an automated process involving the grain being dried in a machine before being passed along a conveyor belt and being deposited into a series of ventilation bins.

'Directly above the bins were roof rafters which would become covered in grain during the process and which would require to be swept for general tidiness and to prevent contamination.

'Mr Ferguson had not been seen for some time after setting off to attend to the above process. A search was conducted by his son, Andrew Ferguson, and his lifeless body was discovered submerged in grain in one of the storage containers.

Mr Ferguson died of asphyxiation after falling into a grain storage tank, a sheriff has ruled

'It is not possible for anyone to say how Mr Ferguson came to be submerged in grain within the storage container.

'All that can be said is that he fell into the container by unknown means and had been unable to free himself, resulting in his death by asphyxiation.'

Sheriff Mann said that Mr Ferguson had suffered a stroke in 2014 but a post mortem examination of his body revealed no natural disease that might have contributed to his death.

He said he was unable to make determinations on measures which could have prevented the death because the cause of the fall was unknown.

Mr Ferguson was voted in as president for the 150th anniversary because of his dedication and hard work and organised the royal visit of 2014 himself.

His recently published will revealed he amassed a 2,963,186 estate by the time of his death in March last year.

He ordered the estate be shared by his wife Kate and his son Andrew and daughter Elizabeth.

The bulk of his fortune was made up of his valuable farmland but he also had 5000 in personal items and 70,000 in cash and shares.

Following his untimely death tributes were paid to him by politicians and leading figures in the farming community.

Former first minister Alex Salmond, the MSP for Aberdeenshire East, said his death was a 'real blow'.

Mr Ferguson, the former president of the Turriff Show, an annual two-day celebration of agriculture and the food industry, was found dead by his son Andrew at the family's farm

He said: 'I knew Bruce well. He's done such extraordinary work as the president of the Turriff Show and, like the rest of the committee, has made it the premier agricultural show in the country at the present moment.

'It's really sad to hear of the death of someone who has contributed so much and, obviously, people across the north-east are going to send their best regards and condolences to Bruce's family.'

Mr Ferguson was also a member of the Turriff Rotary Club and was club secretary of the local curling club.

He grew up in the town and attended the local academy, where he became school captain.

He was an architect by profession - winning the medal for best student at Strathclyde University - and won a scholarship to study rural aesthetics.
Noak served in the NYPD for 27 years, from 1982-2009

It's not yet clear what the argument was about

Their father, however, died after turning the gun on himself

Aaron Noak, 22, and Irvin Noak III, 30, were left in critical condition

Irvin Noak, 61, shot his sons after a family argument on Sunday

A retired NYPD officer shot his two adult sons then killed himself after an argument at a party in their Long Island home, police have said.

Irvin Noak, a 61-year-old former detective, was arguing with relatives at his home on Sunday when his sons Irvin Noak III, 30, and Aaron, 22, intervened.

Noak then walked to his bedroom, retrieved a gun and shot the two men before turning it on himself, New York Daily News reported.

Shooter: Former NYPD detective Irvin Noak (pictured) shot his two sons and then himself at a party in their Long Island Home Sunday night. The incident occurred after an argument

Alive: Noak died, but sons Irvin Noak III (left) and Aaron Noak (right) are both in critical condition in hospital. They intervened in a family argument. No one else was injured

Emergency services rushed to the Bellport home on 1906 Fox Glove Circle after the 11:10pm shooting.

They took all three men to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in East Patchogue.

Noak was pronounced dead there, while his sons remain in critical condition. No one else was injured in the shooting.

It is not immediately clear what the argument was about.

Both Irvin Noak III and Aaron Noak lived at the Bellport property with their father.

Noak himself worked for the NYPD for 27 years, from 1982-2009, when he retired.

If you need to speak to a counselor, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1 (800) 273-8255.
At least 64 people have been killed in Democratic Republic of Congo - hacked to death in attacks carried out by suspected rebels, it has been reported.

In what the government described as a massacre in revenge for military operations in the area, the machete attacks happened in the town of Beni in North Kivu on Saturday night but local officials believe the mounting death toll could eventually reach 75.

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.

People argue as a woman is transported to the local hospital in Beni on Monday during scenes of tension following a wave of unrest and violence in the region

People gather around a truck transporting the victims' bodies on Monday

DRC troops have reportedly blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group known to operate bases inside neighbouring DRC.

Reagen Kyaviro told Al Jazeera he survived the massacre after the attackers had turned up outside of his house.

'The guy in front turned his weapon on me,' he said.

'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.'

Army spokesman Mak Hazukay earlier 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'.

A man reacts outside his burned hut in Beni on Monday following the violence

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.

A heart-shaped patch of grass is shown in front of a burned-down hut following a mass-killing machete attack

'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.

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.

Residents regroup towards the city centre of the town of Beni on Monday, leaving outlying neighbourhoods, following a mass-killing machete attack

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).
and ammunition in mid-July a day after his wife called police for a domestic dispute

New details emerged today about the murder-suicide of a Pennsylvania family, including how the husband bought a gun a day after his wife called police telling them she was scared of him.

The Berks County district attorney says that three weeks later, Mark Short Sr, 40, used the .38-caliber handgun to kill his wife of 16 years, Megan Short, 33, and their three children, Liana, eight, Mark Jr, five, Willow, two.

The kids were found dead alongside their parents August 6 in the family's home in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

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New details: Mark Short, 44 (right), bought a handgun used in the August 6 murder-suicide that claimed the lives of his family a day after his wife, Megan Short (left), 33, called police telling them she was scared of her husband of 16 years

Police discovered the family members dead of gunshot wounds in the living room after a relative expressed concern that Megan Short had not shown for a lunch date. A dog also was found dead.

Investigators found a one-page handwritten murder-suicide note and a handgun near Mark Short, but collected forensic evidence and performed an autopsy before ruling him the shooter.

According to police, Short appeared to have written the letter after he killed his family and acknowledged having bought the gun and using it to commit the murders.

District Attorney John Adams said the couple had been having domestic issues, and during a July 18 call to the house after a domestic dispute, police informed Megan Short how to seek a protection from abuse order.

The prosecutor said when officers responded to the Shorts' home, Mark was not there. His wife told them she was scared of him, reported Philly.com.

Authorities said the following day, Mark Short went to a Lancaster County gun store and purchased a handgun and bullets that he used in the shootings a few weeks later. Megan Short never sought a protection order.

Mark, Megan and children Willow (left), Liana (center) and Mark (right), died in an apparent tragic domestic incident, authorities have said

The day before the murders, Mr Short took his children to the HersheyPark amusement park without his wife as part of a family day sponsored by his employer.

Adams said authorities could not speculate on a motive that prompted Mark Short to kill his family, but said he and his wife were in the middle of ending their marriage after 16 years, separating houses and that he'd been demoted in his job as a loan officer at the start of August.

'I don't know that we know specifically as to why this relationship had disintegrated. We don't have any answers to that,' Adams said. 'Suffice it to say based upon our investigation ... we can tell you he was going through a breakup of a marriage and he was emotional about that, but that's all we can tell you.'

Megan had publicly mentioned plans to leave her husband, saying he had abused her for 16 years, a woman close to Megan told the Reading Eagle.

Willow (pictured), the family's youngest child, survived a heart transplant two years before she was killed along with her parents and two siblings on Saturday, August 6

Angie Burke, who lived on the same street as the Short family, posted a link to a story about domestic abuse, titled: 'He didn't hit me. It was still abuse' on Facebook.

In the story, published by the Washington Post, author Leigh Stein recounts her experience at the hands of an emotionally abusive boyfriend.

Short commented on Burke's Facebook page on July 23: 'It really does a number on your mental health for sure,' according to Burke.

She then wrote: 'This is why I am leaving my marriage Angie. 16 years,' the Reading Eagle reported.

The family appeared happy in Facebook photos (the father and children pictured above) and a neighbor said: 'I never would have suspected there were any issues'

Burke showed screen grabs from the conversation to the newspaper, in which Megan mentioned having found a rental.

Short then posted on Facebook about a week ago, asking for people to help her move out of her home on August 6, Burke said.

Burke knew Short after both attended neighborhood events such as Christmas and Halloween parties, and both kept in touch via Facebook.

District Attorney John Adams called the fatal shooting of all family members 'an apparent tragic domestic incident' last week.

The family's youngest child, Willow, had received a pioneering heart transplant when she was just six days old in 2014.

The apparent murder suicide happened at the family's home (above) in the Brookfield Manor subdivision in Berks County

Authorities discovered the grisly scene in the small town in Berks County on Winding Brook Drive in the Brookfield Manor subdivision, according to ABC 6.

The killings happened on August 6 and the bodies of the parents and three children were discovered around 3pm in the living room.

Police went to the home to check on the welfare of the family after receiving a call from a relative concerned that the woman had not shown up for a lunch date.

Authorities found a handgun near one of the adults but did not say which one or who they believe was the shooter. A dog also was found dead.

A handwritten note that 'appeared to be a 'murder-suicide' note' was found in the family's Sinking Spring home on the afternoon of August 6, District Attorney John Adams said.

The district attorney's office said the married couple had been having 'domestic issues.'

'This is an apparent tragic domestic incident,' Adams said on Sunday. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families at this difficult time.'

The Berks County District Attorney's office is leading an investigation into the deaths with assistance from police from Sinking Spring and Spring Township.

Willow (pictured as a baby) had a heart transplant when she was just six days old. Her family had been featured in news articles about her condition

The family had previously been featured in articles in The Reading Eagle and The New York Times about Willow's condition, and their difficulties obtaining anti-rejection medication for her.

Megan often wrote about the struggles her family faced with getting the drug on a Facebook page for The Waiting List, an organ donation advocacy group.

A story published in October 2014 in The Reading Eagle detailed Willow's heart journey from her birth on May 6, 2014 at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Willow was five months old at the time and had undergone the heart transplant. Her condition was improving.

She had suffered from a variation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital birth defect, according to the newspaper.

During her mother's pregnancy, her parents learned their daughter's heart was not fully formed and could not pump blood efficiently, threatening her life.

Her mother (pictured above holding Willow for the first time post-transplant) often wrote about the struggles her family faced with getting anti-rejection drugs

When Willow was three days old, she underwent her first open-heart surgery as doctors worked to repair her left ventricle and redirect her circulation.

During surgery, doctors found a tunnel defect and following the procedure, she bled so much she required 16 blood transfusions.

She was placed on a heart-and-lung bypass machine and was added to the National Transplant List, with her survival depending on a donation of another baby's heart.

The parents were told there could be a three-to-six month wait and prepared for their baby girl to not survive the wait.

However, another heart became available three days later and Willow went into surgery six days after her birth.

The transplant was described as a 'remarkable success' and by May 29, Willow's heart was working so well doctors removed her from oxygen.

She was released on June 26, 2014, according to The Reading Eagle.

At the time of her transplant, Willow was one of just three infants to have a heart transplant that year at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia by July 31, 2014.

American doctors have successfully performed infant heart transplants since the mid-1980s, however the procedures are rare, the newspaper reported.

In 2014, only 64 babies under the age of one had received a heart transplant through July 31, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

Nearly a year after Willow's transplant, Megan wrote a post on The Waiting List of one of her memories.

'Willow's first wail was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard, but it didn't take long before she was intubated within hours of her birth and I could no longer hear her voice,' the mother-of-three wrote.

'It was so difficult to see her upset. But not be able to hear her cry, it was heartbreaking.

'After her transplant, doctors were able to remove the breathing tube.

'Hearing her voice and seeing her face without all the tape is one of my favorite memories.'

Willow (pictured above celebrating her second birthday on May 6) had suffered from a variation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital birth defect

Earlier posts on the Facebook page detail Willow's condition from some of her anti-rejection levels being too high to battling pneumonia, viruses, fevers and infections.

Other posts gave updates celebrating time would go by without Willow having any hospitalizations or cardiology visits.

In a July 2015 story published in The New York Times, it detailed the family's struggle with getting medication for Willow.

At the time of the story was published, Megan was 32 years old and Willow was a year old.

The article talked about how Willow could not afford to miss a single dose of a drug she took daily to prevent her body from rejecting her recently transplanted heart.

However, it noted that due to rules from the family's drug plan and the pharmacy, the mother could not order a refill until Willow's monthly supply was three-quarters gone.

But to process a refill, the article said it took about seven days which was risky because it was hard to know whether a new shipment would arrive before the old one ran out.

'You just feel like every month, you're hoping that they don't mess it up,' Short told the newspaper, which went on to focus on the concept of a 'specialty pharmacy.'

The newspaper described the concept as 'a new breed of drug dispensary that has arisen to handle the exploding number of medicines that cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and are used to treat complex or rare diseases.'

The story included a photo of the family as they released balloons that May to celebrate the first anniversary of Willow's heart transplant.

In one December Facebook post, Mark (pictured with his wife and their three children) wrote that his wife was 'still the most beautiful girl' he had ever met

Along with documenting her experience with having a child with a heart transplant, Megan also described her struggles with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The mother wrote in a blog post in April about how having a child born with a severe congenital heart defect was the most significant shift of her life.

She wrote: 'I was so focused on learning everything I could to keep my child alive and to minimize the impact on my other children that I didn't see the full impact that it had on me.'

She described her anxieties over being able to care for her child without doctors and nurses by her side at home and getting used to giving Willow 15 different medicines around the clock.

She also said she suffered from 'anxiety and nightmares' triggered by smells, hallways or even the beeping sound of a phone.

'I remember sitting up at night just watching her sleep because I was terrified that I placed her NG tube in her lungs and was slowly drowning her,' she wrote.

'I then isolated myself from the world worried that any little germ would kill her.'

Megan (pictured right in September 2014 with the rest of the family) also described her struggles with post traumatic stress disorder

The mother noted she experienced 'survivor's guilt' when children with similar problems from other families passed away.

However, she said with time things got easier as she became more confident in the medical aspect of caring for Willow, but noted the trauma never goes away.

She described having nightmares and triggering events, noting it took her nearly two years to recognized how she was impacted by these experiences.

'I don't think PTSD ever truly goes away but, with therapy, medication, and the right support, I have begun to loosen its grip on me,' she wrote.

'As I work on my own mental healing, I wanted to share my experience so that other heart parents know they are not alone.'

According to The Reading Eagle, the couple had been advocates for organ donation since 2012.

Following the deaths on August 6, a neighbor told The Reading Eagle they 'never would've suspected there were any issues.'
Vanderbilt University is to pay more than a million dollars to remove an inscription containing the word 'Confederate' from one of its campus dorms.

The private university, based in Nashville, Tennessee, has referred to the 83-year-old Confederate Memorial Hall simply as 'Memorial Hall' since 2002.

But now it wants to literally have that change set in stone - and is having to pay a hefty sum to avoid a court case.

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Written in stone: Vanderbilt University must pay $1.2 million to United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) to change the name of its 'Confederate Memorial Hall'

The university tried to change the name in 2002, but was sued by the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which paid $55,000 to help construct the building in 1933.

That figure is now equivalent to $1.2million in modern money.

Under the agreement announcement Monday, Vanderbilt will pay $1.2million, to the organization's Tennessee chapter.

In exchange, the chapter will relinquish its naming rights to the building.

Chancellor Nicholas S Zeppos told Vanderbilt News that the name had to be changed for the university to progress.

'The name is discordant with our own work under the founding charge of Cornelius Vanderbilt, to find union and healing after the bloodshed of the Civil War,' he said.

'The project of Vanderbilt, much like the project of America, reveals that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."'

Vanderbilt says the money will come from anonymous donors specifically for this purpose, and that no institutional funds will be used to reimburse the donation.
He didn't enter a plea and is being held at the Naval Consolidated Brig

He then allegedly sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious

held a pillow over the victim's face, tried to strangle her with his hands and banged her head against the floor

A Navy sailor in Virginia is facing serious charges after he allegedly raped and tried to kill a fellow sailor.

Seaman Recruit Xavier Johnson was arraigned in military court on Monday in Portsmouth on charges of attempting to kill and raping a fellow sailor.

Johnson allegedly held a pillow over the victim's face, tried to strangle her with his hands and banged her head against the floor before he sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious last September, The Virginian-Pilot reported.

He was also charged by the military with threatening the woman and obstructing justice by trying to persuade her to recant her initial statement and blame her injuries on falling downstairs.

Seaman Recruit Xavier Johnson was arraigned in military court on Monday on charges of attempting to kill and raping a fellow sailor. He is assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (above)

Johnson, who is assigned to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, did not enter a plea. He's being held at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Chesapeake.

Originally from Tennessee, Johnson has been jailed since being charged in civilian court with assaulting a different woman in Norfolk in April.

According to the newspaper, prosecutors charged him with 'aggravated assault by means likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm for wrapping his hands around the civilian's neck on April 13.'

Johnson is no longer aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (above) and is being held at the Naval Consolidated Brig in Chesapeake

In addition, he also allegedly tried to suffocate this woman on April 27 by holding a comforter over her face.

Prosecutors say that during this second incident, Johnson hit the civilian's face, bit her arm and ripped her hair out.

No trial date has been set.

He became an aviation boatswain's mate after joining the Navy in January 2015.
Police hunting suspect ask anyone with information to get in touch

The brazen thief then returned the next day to steal even more items

Suspect made of with hundreds of dollars worth of products from store

He said: 'I have full-blown AIDs - don't try and stop me, or I'll stick you'

But when an employee confronted him, he was

Police are hunting for a man who threatened to stab drug store staff with a syringe full of HIV-infected blood during two separate robberies.

Employees at the Duane Reade on East 52nd Street in Manhattan, New York, had spotted the suspect attempting to leave the store without paying for dozens of toiletries on Saturday morning, DNA Info reports.

But when a member of staff tried to confront the thief, the man pulled out a syringe and threatened to stab anyone who came near him, the NYPD said.

Police are hunting for a man who threatened to stab drug store staff at a Manhattan Duane Reade (pictured) with a syringe full of HIV-infected blood during two separate robberies

'I have full-blown AIDS- don't try and stop me, or I'll stick you,' he threatened the employee, police said.

The suspect fled with eight Aveeno lotions worth $122 and 35 shampoos and conditioners worth $318.

But the brazen thief returned to the same store the following day.

The man grabbed 16 toothbrushes, worth $144, four Colgate toothpaste tubes worth $24 and 25 Pantene shampoo bottles worth $300.

He also picked up another 16 Aveeno lotions worth $206.

Several Duane Reade employees tried to stop him but once again, he threatened: ' Try to stop me and I'm going to stab you with a syringe.

'I have full-blown AIDS,' he added before fleeing, according to police.

Police could not confirm whether it was the same suspect in both thefts where a total of $1,114 worth of goods were taken.

hen a member of staff tried to confront the thief, the man pulled out a syringe and threatened to stab anyone who came near him, the NYPD said (stock image)

Officers are hunting for the suspect but have not yet made any arrests.

It is not the first time that someone has threatened someone with a HIV-infected syringe during a robbery.

Last May, a Florida man robbed an Uber driver by pulling out a syringe and threatening to infect him with HIV, police say.

Sebastian Lora had been parked up waiting for a passenger outside a 7-Eleven in Boca Raton, Palm Beach in Florida when he says a man got into his car and told him to drive.

He told police that 30-year-old Matthew Steven Francis had pulled out a syringe and threatened to inject him with HIV if he did not follow his orders.

The terrified Uber driver began driving until, eventually, Francis ordered him to pull over.

When Lora stopped the car, he says the suspect demanded he hand over his phone and wallet before Francis fled.

The driver called the police after the harrowing incident at around 11pm on Saturday evening and officers discovered Francis a short time later walking nearby with a syringe in one pocket and a Lora's wallet in the other.
Police are hunting a man accused of attacking another man with a crowbar before stealing his luxury car, who they believe is linked to the notorious Apex gang.

The victim, 23, was driving his 2015 Audi sedan on Wattletree Road in Malvern in Melbourne's south-east on June 22 when his car was 'nudged from behind'.

Just after 2am the driver pulled up at a set of traffic lights, while the BMW that had hit him parked in front of him.

Victoria Police are hunting a man over a carjacking they believe was linked to the notorious Apex gang in Melbourne

As the driver of the Audi was inspecting the damage to his car, the offender jumped out of his vehicle and demanded the car keys.

When the victim refused, the man police are hunting pulled a crow bar from under his shirt and hit the driver in the chest with the weapon.

The 23-year-old then gave his keys to the offender, who drove his Audi away with the BMW following.

The stolen vehicle was located burnt out on King William Street in Broadmeadows on 10 July.

The stolen vehicle was located burnt out on King William Street in Broadmeadows (pictured) on July 10

Apex gang members are typically of Sudanese descent (pictured)

The offender is perceived to be of Caucasian appearance with a solid build and was wearing a dark hoodie.

Operation Cosmas - who were set up to investigate a spate robberies and carjackings - is investigating the incident.

Although the Apex gang members are typically of Sudanese descent, one of the founders told Daily Mail Australia earlier this month the wider group now has people of all different origins - except 'Aussies'.

'They're Sudanese, Islanders, Afghan, Asian and some white guys too,' he said.
Eighteen seconds. That is all it took for James Porritt's (right) world to be irrevocably changed in a way that he still struggles to comprehend. That is the timeframe in which the 42-year-old business consultant was savagely attacked in the packed carriage of a London Underground train by a man wielding a machete who had picked him entirely at random. 'This is not a terror attack,' the assailant told terrified onlookers. 'I want only him.' What followed next was an onslaught of extraordinary savagery: as James tried to flee for his life, the attacker - 35-year-old Ricky Morgan (left and inset)- hunted him down, slashing at his head, hands, elbow and legs. That James survived at all is little short of a miracle: the few seconds of security footage from the incident released to the public show scenes akin to a horror film. 'When I saw the footage, all I could think was how the hell I walked away from it,' says James today. 'I know I'm lucky to be alive.' The impact has nonetheless been catastrophic: alongside bone-deep cuts to his head and shin, James's right and once dominant hand was so severely injured that it is of little use now. 'I can't dress myself, I have to eat from a bowl with my left hand, I've had to give up my driving licence and I am now registered disabled,' he says quietly. 'I can't even hold my girlfriend's hand as it hurts too much. All the basic things I used to take for granted I can no longer do.'
Canadian was jailed for over six years after admitting the child offences

To prove status on forum he sent the officer indecent images of children

Glen Schulz was sentenced to over eight years in prison at Maidstone Crown Court

A Canadian pervert was jailed after travelling 5,000 miles to have sex with two young children in the UK.

Glen Schulz was snared in a police sting after he flew from his native Vancouver to meet a 'father' in order to arrange the sick acts.

He was arrested on arrival at Gatwick Airport as he walked into a trap set up by Kent Police's child exploitation team.

Schulz, 38, admitted arranging the commission of a child sex offence and distributing child sex abuse images and was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison at Maidstone Crown Court.

Prosecutor Alex Rooke said Schulz had been convicted in Canada of child sex abuse image offences involving pseudo images of mannequins and latex models of children which were being abused as if they were real.

In the latest offence, an officer posed as a father of two girls aged five and eight in an internet chatroom and Schulz responded.

He said he was willing to travel to have 'fun' with the children, and to cement his 'real' status he also sent images of children, one as young as two, being abused.

Mr Rooke said: 'He detailed in graphic and salacious detail what he wished to do with these small girls.'

Schulz arrived on the morning of May 21 this year and was met by the 'father'. When arrested, he claimed he was in the country only to meet a friend.

Schulz was arrested on arrival at Gatwick Airport as he walked into a trap set up by Kent Police's child exploitation team

But Mr Rooke said: 'There was a significant degree of planning and a considerable amount of determination to get to the perverted goal in mind.'

Passing sentence, Judge Jeremy Carey said Schulz had come to the UK 'for one purpose and one purpose only', which was sexual contact with children.

He said: 'That is what you believed and hoped very much would happen.

'These offences plainly are very serious indeed.

Passing sentence at Maidstone Crown Court (pictured), Judge Jeremy Carey said Schulz had come to the UK 'for one purpose and one purpose only', to have sexual contact with children

'The very uttering of these various matters should revolt any right-minded person listening to these sentencing remarks. I doubt whether it revolts you.

'I have no hesitation in reaching the conclusion you are a dangerous offender.'

Under the extended sentence for public protection Schulz will be on licence for a further two years.
shared a video of her surfing on a Minnesota lake

Kolby Fahlsing, 32, continued to wakesurf throughout her

A very pregnant Minnesota woman was caught on video wakesurfing while nearly a week overdue with her baby boy.

Kolby Fahlsing recently shared a video of herself wakesurfing on Instagram that has more than 14,000 views.

In the video, Fahlsing wakesurfs behind a boat on Centerville Lake and flashes a hang loose gesture.

Kolby Fahlsing (pictured) was caught on video wakesurfing while a little over nine months pregnant

The 32-year-old (left and right) made wakesurfing while pregnant look like a piece of cake as she glided back and forth with ease

The 32-year-old made wakesurfing while pregnant look like a piece of cake as she glided back and forth with ease.

On her Instagram account Fahlsing wrote: 'Come out little one. We have had our fun but we want to meet you.'

She added that she hoped 'maybe wakesurfing will get things going'.

And five days later, Fahlsing, who owns a bridal boutique, gave birth to her son, Wilder, the Star Tribune reported.

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends that a healthy pregnant woman continue an exercise program she did before the pregnancy.

Physical activity does not increase your risk of miscarriage, low birth weight, or early delivery, the website says.

In the video, Fahlsing wakesurfs behind a boat on Centerville Lake as she flashed a 'hang loose' gesture

On her Instagram account Fahlsing wrote: 'Come out little one. We have had our fun but we want to meet you.' She added that she hoped 'maybe wakesurfing will get things going'

And five days later, Fahlsing, who owns a bridal boutique, gave birth to her son, Wilder (pictured)

Fahlsing told the Tribune that she got approval to wakesurf from her doctor. But others disliked the idea of a pregnant woman wakesurfing.

She told the Tribune: 'I hate all the limitations people put on pregnant women.

'There's this expectation that pregnant women are fragile and should be sitting at home waiting for things to happen.'

Fahlsing said she was wakesurfing at only nine miles per hour.

And if she would have fallen it would have been the equivalent to jumping into a lake.
Armed men abducted up to a dozen members of a rival crime gang who were celebrating at an upscale restaurant in the popular Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities said.

Two SUVs carrying five gunmen arrived at the La Leche restaurant on the citys main boulevard, which runs through the hotel zone between the old beach city and the airport, at around 1am on Monday.

They kidnapped between 10 and 12 people, but left behind their valuables and five cars.

Witnesses reported that four women in the targeted group were not taken by the gunmen, Jalisco state prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer said at a news conference on Monday.

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Two SUVs carrying five gunmen arrived at the La Leche restaurant in Puerto Vallarta at around 1am Monday and kidnapped up to 12 members of a rival gang. Above, an armed officer stands guard outside the restaurant on Monday

Almaguer said authorities were looking for those women.

He added that a preliminary indication indicated that everyone involved  the kidnappers and their captives  were members of criminal organizations.

They were not tourists or residents who work in legal activities, he said. They were people tied to a criminal group, we can very clearly presume.

He said authorities believe they know which groups were involved, but declined to name them.

However, he said all of the people abducted were from the western states of Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco.

Some of the kidnapped had been vacationing in Puerto Vallerta for a week, he added.

A Jalisco police vehicle is seen at the entrance of La Leche restaurant on Monday

The upscale restaurant in Puerto Vallarta was closed on Monday after the kidnapping

Authorities found lots of drinks and luxury items inside the restaurant.

Five vehicles were also abandoned at the restaurants, including one with Jalisco license plates, but a false registration.

Obviously, those who acted (the kidnappers)  we presume with the information we have  also belonged to a criminal group that acted against members of another criminal group they located here in Puerto Vallarta, Almaguer said.

Jalisco Governor Aristoteles Sandoval said on Twitter that such violence would not be tolerated and a search was underway for the victims and the kidnappers.

Authorities found lots of drinks and luxury items inside the restaurant (above, file photo)

Puerto Vallarta, in Jalisco state, is one of Mexico's top vacation destinations. File photo

To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual, Sandoval wrote.

Puerto Vallarta, in the state of Jalisco, is one of Mexico's top vacation destinations, luring all-inclusive tourists and high-end sunseekers to its beaches.

The state is also home to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which has become one of the country's most powerful drug gangs in recent years and the dominant criminal force there.
Investigators are preparing to throw out the vast majority of remaining claims against British troops accused of abuses in Iraq.

It follows news that the disgraced legal firm at the centre of the allegations is to shut down within weeks.

A 145-strong team of taxpayer-funded officers has so far spent six years investigating 176 cases of alleged criminality by UK soldiers in Iraq  leading to not a single prosecution.

Sergeant Kevin Williams, with partner Rachel Lord, was wrongly accused of murder while a soldier in Iraq in 2003. He was cleared by two military inquiries and a murder trial after he shot an Iraqi who tried to grab his gun in 2003. Despite this, he was still investigated by the the Iraq Historical Allegations Team

This is despite hundreds of troops being hounded on their doorsteps and on military bases.

There are now 1492 cases left  most of which were submitted to the Iraq Historical Allegations Team (IHAT) by Phil Shiners firm Public Interest Lawyers (PIL).

But last night it emerged many of them are now likely to be thrown out after Mr Shiners firm closes for good.

The Mail revealed yesterday that the firm  which has been stripped of its right to claim legal aid  is to shut at the end of the month. PIL is also facing an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

That means hundreds of the cases that the firm referred to IHAT will now be reviewed and may be dropped.

In a statement last night, the allegations team said: In light of the legal aid agencys decision and PILs closure IHAT is now considering very carefully whether this has any bearing on the credibility or otherwise of the remaining cases.

In a further victory for hounded soldiers yesterday it emerged that Theresa May could also introduce a new system of penalties to clobber firms who impose untold stress on UK servicemen by lodging bogus claims.

These could be financial penalties or possible jail terms.

To prevent future cases flooding in, proposals are also being drawn up by No10 for a new residency test for getting legal aid.

Only people who have been living here for 12 months would be entitled to apply  stopping Iraqis and others making claims from abroad. IHAT was set up in March 2010 and was originally budgeted to cost 7.5million.

But as a flood of cases were submitted by PIL, the projected cost soared to 57million by the end of 2019. Even though it has effectively been halted, its cost to taxpayers from 2010 to the end of the 2015/16 financial year is already 29.5million.

Williams on duty serving as a soldier in Iraq where he was wrongly accused of murder

Over six years, investigators were forced to sift through over 3367 cases, many of which were found to have been duplicates or lacking any evidence. Around 1,400 of these cases were submitted by PIL.

Astonishingly, of the 176 cases concluded so far, only one has had a result: a 3,000 fine and referral for disciplinary action. There have been no prosecutions.

Many cases echo that of Sergeant Kevin Williams, cleared by two military inquiries and a murder trial after he shot an Iraqi who tried to grab his gun in 2003.

Despite this, he was still investigated by IHAT.

PIL  which will close on August 31  is currently under investigation by the NCA over claims Iraqi civilians were bribed to bring abuse claims against British soldiers.

It is also claimed the firm used legal aid to fund an agent called Mazin Younis who drummed up business in Iraq.

Last night the Daily Mail tracked down the agent, who moved from Iraq to Manchester in 1984, and now runs a translation service.

He denied touting for business, adding: They would just ring me up and ask me to speak to people.

On top of the criminal investigations, Mr Shiner is facing a secret disciplinary tribunal over his role in the witch-hunt against troops.

Prime Minister Theresa May was said to be very much pleased at the closure of PIL.

Her official spokesman said: We made a manifesto commitment to addressing these types of spurious claims that companies like PIL are pursuing. The closure of PIL shows that we are making progress.

Campaign group UK Veterans  One Voice, said: This means that troops and veterans can get on with their lives without the constant fear of been hounded with false allegations.'
As a child Doreen Pechey dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer but knew better than to ask her parents for lessons because money was too tight.

But Mrs Pechey, now 71, never gave up on her dream and she is currently celebrating becoming the oldest ballerina in Britain after passing the Royal Academy of Dances Grade 6 exam.

The semi-retired electrical engineer began taking classes ten years ago after visiting her niece in Canada, who works as a ballet dancing teacher.

As a child Doreen Pechey dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer but knew better than to ask her parents for lessons because money was too tight

Since then she has dropped from a dress size 20 to 12 and says she is more flexible than ever, despite having knee replacement surgery two years ago.

She said: I was really pleased I had passed as I had worked hard and was surprised when I was told I was oldest to ever get that far in the exams.

Growing up in Southend-on-Sea in the 1950s, Mrs Pechey told how she used to save up to see the ballet when it came to the towns theatre, along with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

But she darent ask her father, who worked as a painter and decorator, for ballet lessons because she knew he would have moved heaven and earth to make it happen.

She said: We did country dancing when I was at primary school.

I knew from a young age ballet lessons werent the sort of thing people like us could have afforded.

In the 50s there wasnt a lot of money around. I knew not to think about asking.

But Mrs Pechey, now 71, never gave up on her dream and she is currently celebrating becoming the oldest ballerina in Britain after passing the Royal Academy of Dances Grade 6 exam

We knew from friends it wasnt just the ballet lessons which were the cost, it was the costumes when you did a performance.

Mrs Pechey, who lives in Goring-on-Thames Oxon, passed her Grade 6 exam in July and had to prove to the examiners that she could perform a number difficult moves to their exacting standards.

The Royal Academy of Dance acknowledged Mrs Pecheys achievement on Facebook and said: Huge congratulations to Doreen Pechey, an RAD Affiliate Member.

Mrs Pechey also dreams of going en-pointe and plans to pass her Grade 7 and Grade 8 exams.

She said: Im just en pointe but only on the barre and strictly supervised.

All little girls want to go en pointe - just because Im 71 doesnt mean Im not a little girl.

Mrs Pechey trains three times a week with Monica Cleaver and has had a barre installed in her kitchen so she can practice at home for up to 30 minutes a day.

The semi-retired electrical engineer began taking classes ten years ago after visiting her niece in Canada, who works as a ballet dancing teacher. Here she poses with her certificate

Mrs Pechey originally attended adult-only classes but realised early on that they were not challenging enough and now trains alongside half a dozen teenagers.

She said: They just sort of accept me - it seems we are too interested in learning ballet to take too much notice of each other.

She also revealed that her fitness has improved and her husband Bill Pechey, 68, was delighted with her new trimmer figure.

She said: I have gone down from a size 20 to a size 12. My shape has changed totally, Im fitter, Im more flexible. My posture has improved and by dancing on stage my confidence has grown.

I have got better balance than a lot of people that are younger than me, and Im stronger too.

I try to do two minutes standing on one leg each day when I clean my teeth but often something else distracts me.

She added: People always say Im determined - you set me on a track and I keep going.

Mrs Pechey has made such impressive progress that she even performed on the stage at Readings Hexagon Theatre in Coppelia and danced with the prince in Swan Lake in 2010.
'America's mayor Rudy Giuliani left out the seminal terror attack that rocked the nation and launched his national political career when he said there was no successful 'radical Islamic terrorist attack' in the eight years before President Obama took office.

Giuliani, who regularly invokes 9/11 and made it a centerpiece of his failed 2008 presidential campaign, was blasting Obama for failing to call out 'radical Islamic' terrorism and for allowing ISIS to take root.

'By the way, under those eight years, before Obama came along, we didnt have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States. They all started when Clinton and Obama got into office,' Obama told a small crowd in advance of what was billed as a major foreign policy address by Donald Trump.

Oops: Giuliani said there were no radical Islamic terror attacks in the eight years before President Obama took office, but left out the defining Sept. 11th attacks

Giuliani toured the site of the attack September 12 along with then-governor George Pataki and then-senator Hillary Clinton

The comment was all the more bizarre because Giuliani regularly invokes the attacks, as he did moments before.

'We dont want this war  they do,' he said.

'During the time of September 11th when we went through the worst foreign attack in our history since the war of 1812. Remember, we didnt start this war, they did. We dont want this war. They do,' he said.

'And they didnt start it even in 2001. They attacked the World Trade Center in 1993 and they attacked it under the ideology of radical Islamic extremism.'

It wasn't even his only flub. Giuliani was introducing Indiana governor Mike Pence, but accidentally sounded like he was lauding Ohio governor John Kasich, who is so at odds with Trump that he skipped the GOP convention in Cleveland.

AT LEAST IT DOES HAVE A BIG TEN SCHOOL: Giuliani was introducing Indiana Governor Mike Pence  but goofed when he momentarily thought he was speaking to an Indiana crowd rather than one in Ohio

Giuliani's comment drew ridicule online

Giuliani, an experienced politician, was traveling along with newcomer Trump, but made a few missteps Monday

Trying to hail Pence to the Ohio crowd, he said: 'Hes also been in business and you know better than I do what a great governor he is of your state, what hes done for your state, how hes improved it and helped it and left it in tremendous condition,' he said as he realized his error.

'So I am, I am uh  what he did for the state of Indiana  excuse me. Were going there next. Youngstown, Ohio. I love Youngstown Ohio,' he concluded.

Rudy made light of his own misstep at the end of his remarks, when he said: 'So all of you in Ohio, which is a state that I also love very much, you gotta support Mike, you gotta support Donald.'

He also took the chance to go after Clinton hard on foreign policy. 'This is the world that Hillary Clinton created for us on all those thousands of miles of trips which amounted to a much worse world than the one she was given,' he said.

'Shes made millions and millions and millions of dollars and her husband  you know what his name is  by turning the State Department into a pay-to-the-Clinton-Foundation to play-with-the- Department racketeering enterprise,' he continued.

The former prosecutor continued: 'You know what a racketeering enterprise is? Its a racketeering influenced corrupt organization. That is what the Clinton Foundation is  its a racketeer, influenced corrupt organization put together for the enrichment of the Clintons and selling America out to Russian oligarchs, to money launderers and to crooks all over the world.'

He blasted Bill Clinton for his paid speeches, including one to UBS bank. '$1.2 million dollars to give one speech? I mean hes a good speaker but $1.2 million?' Giuliani said.

Like Clinton, Giuliani cashed in after leaving office, former the successful Giuliani Partners venture.
This is the shocking moment a jewellery thief flees a store with an expensive gold necklace after a worker hands it to him to try on.

A security camera captured the man talking with the saleswoman at the shop in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan province, China.

He shows an interest in an expensive gold necklace and asks the store worker whether he would be able to try it on.

The man is seen taking an interest in a gold necklace before the saleswoman hands it to him

Removing the jewellery from the glass cabinet, the woman hands it to the man to take a closer look.

But after bringing it up to his neck, he quickly turns around and sprints out of the shop with it in his hands.

The saleswoman reacts by jumping over the counter and attempting to give chase after the man has fled the store.

Meanwhile other people in the shop look around to see what is going on as the woman quickly runs out the door.

The man pretends to try on the expensive piece of gold jewellery and puts it around his neck

The man turns around and runs towards the door with the necklace before leaving the shop

The short video concludes with more sales assistants heading to the front of the shop to help their colleague.

The incident was reported to the police after the CCTV camera captured a clear look at the suspect's face.

Officers eventually caught up with the man, who is now in custody ahead of an impending court appearance.
Tempers are rising in America, along with the temperatures.

Two decades ago, the issue of climate change wasn't as contentious.

The leading U.S. Senate proponent of taking action on global warming was Republican John McCain. George W. Bush wasn't as zealous on the issue as his Democratic opponent for president in 2000, Al Gore, but he, too, talked of regulating carbon dioxide.

Then the Earth got even hotter , repeatedly breaking temperature records.

But instead of drawing closer together, politicians polarized.

This image provided by the National Weather Service shows temperatures in the continental United States during a heat wave on Friday, July 22, 2016. The weather service outlook for the following three months shows above normal temperatures across the country. (National Weather Service via AP)

WHAT AMERICA THINKS 17 percent of Americans, the fastest-growing group, are alarmed by climate change and want action now, based on surveys by Yale and George Mason University. Another 28 percent are concerned, thinking it's a man-made threat, but somewhat distant in time and place. Twenty-seven percent are cautious, still on the fence, and 11 percent are doubtful. An often-vocal 10 percent are dismissive, rejecting the concept of warming and the science. And about 7 percent are disengaged, not even paying attention because they've got more pressing needs. Advertisement

Democrats (and scientists) became more convinced that global warming was a real, man-made threat .

But Republicans and Tea Party activists became more convinced that it was  to quote the repeated tweets of presidential nominee Donald Trump  a 'hoax.'

A Republican senator tossed a snowball on the Senate floor for his proof.

When it comes to science, there's more than climate that divides America's leaders and people.

The mainstream scientific establishment accepts evolution as a reality, as well as the general safety of vaccinations and genetically modified food.

But some political leaders and portions of the public don't believe any of that.

It's not a liberal versus conservative issue, especially when it comes to vaccinations, which are doubted by some activists on both ends of the political spectrum.

But nothing beats climate change for divisiveness.

'It's more politically polarizing than abortion,' says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.

'It's more politically polarizing than gay marriage.'

Leiserowitz says 17 percent of Americans, the fastest-growing group, are alarmed by climate change and want action now, based on surveys by Yale and George Mason University.

Another 28 percent are concerned, thinking it's a man-made threat, but somewhat distant in time and place.

Twenty-seven percent are cautious, still on the fence, and 11 percent are doubtful. An often-vocal 10 percent are dismissive, rejecting the concept of warming and the science. And about 7 percent are disengaged, not even paying attention because they've got more pressing needs.

So while the largest group is at least concerned with climate change, significant segments are not. And sometimes those segments mix in one family.

Rick and Julie Joyner of Fort Mill, South Carolina, are founders of MorningStar ministries.

Most of the people they associate with reject climate change.

Their 31-year-old daughter, Anna Jane, is a climate change activist.

Rick Joyner, 66, would visit New York with other evangelicals to meet with Trump and then hear a completely different world view from his daughter.

As part of a documentary a few years ago, Anna Jane introduced Rick to scientists who made the case for climate change.

It did not work. He labels himself more skeptical than before.

'They're both stubborn and equally entrenched in their positions,' says Julie, who is often in the middle. 'It doesn't get ugly too often.'

RISING GLOBAL CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Concentration | WeatherDB Advertisement

Recall the 20th century, with its race to the moon, advances in medicine and information technology, and 'this incredibly strong belief in the promise of science,' says Matthew Nisbet, a communications professor at Northeastern University.

People in the 1960s 'had faith in science, had hope in science. Most people thought science was responsible for improving their daily lives,' says Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences. So some scientists look back at that era with nostalgia, she says.

That's because now, Nisbet says, 'we see partisan polarization or ideological polarization' and the implications of science 'are intuitively recognized as threatening to one side and their world view.'

Yale psychology and law professor Dan Kahan argues, however, that public divides on science have existed for decades. He notes that some issues that formerly divided us no longer do, such as the dangers of cigarettes, after a public health campaign eroded the social acceptability of smoking.

The split with science is most visible and strident when it comes to climate change because the nature of the global problem requires communal joint action, and 'for conservatives that's especially difficult to accept,' Nisbet says.

President George W. Bush waves as he is followed by members of his cabinet after he spoke on global warming, in the Rose Garden of the White House. Two decades ago, the leading U.S. Senate proponent of taking action on global warming was Republican John McCain. Bush wasn't as zealous on the issue as his Democratic opponent for president in 2000, Al Gore, but he, too, talked of regulating carbon dioxide.

Climate change is more about tribalism, or who we identify with politically and socially, Nisbet and other experts say.

Liberals believe in global warming, conservatives don't.

Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political science professor and GOP consultant, helped South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis run for the U.S. House (successfully) and the Senate (unsuccessfully).

They'd meet monthly at Inglis' home for Bible study, and were in agreement that global warming wasn't an issue and probably was not real.

'I said climate change was nonsense, Al Gore's imagination,' Inglis says.

After seeing the effects of warming first-hand in Antarctica and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Inglis changed his mind  and was overwhelmingly defeated in a GOP primary in 2010. Woodard helped run the campaign that beat him and hasn't been to his former friend's home for about a decade.

'I was seen as crossing to the other side, as helping the Al Gore tribe, and that could not be forgiven,' Inglis says.

Woodward responds that the new Bob Inglis didn't fit South Carolina.

'If you want to talk climate change, you need to go up to New York and Boston to do that. You don't talk that down here,' he says. 'Conservatives just don't believe. They think it's like Martians.'

Judy Curry, a Georgia Tech atmospheric scientist and self-described climate gadfly, has experienced ostracism from the other side.

She repeatedly clashed with former colleagues after she publicly doubted the extent of global warming and criticized the way mainstream scientists operate. Now she says, no one will even look at her for other jobs in academia.

'What's wrong with disagreement? People disagree. You listen or you don't,' Curry says. 'This polarization comes down to being intolerant on disagreement.'

WHAT CHANGED? In 1997, then-Vice President Gore helped broker an international treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, to reduce heat-trapping gases from the burning of coal, oil and gas. The U.S. later withdrew from the treaty. 'And at that moment' says Leiserowitz, 'the two parties begin to divide. They begin to split and go farther and farther and farther apart until we reach today's environment where climate change is now one of the most polarized issues in America.' The election of Barack Obama and the Tea Party revolt made the schism even bigger, he says. Stanford University's Jon Krosnick agrees that things changed around 1997, but he thinks Americans are fairly united  it's just they don't realize it. Krosnick's surveys show that nearly 90 percent of Democrats, 80 percent of independents and 70 percent of Republicans believe the increase in world's temperature over the past century was mostly or partly caused by humans. His studies show fairly consistent numbers, except for a drop in Republicans to 50 percent in 2011 that since has returned to 70 percent. A bigger split in Stanford surveys indicates that while about 90 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of independents believe global warming will be a serious or very serious problem for the United States, barely half of Republicans feel that way. To illustrate how the issue plays out in all sorts of ways, let's take lobster scientist Diane Cowan in Friendship, Maine, who expresses dismay. 'I am definitely bearing witness to climate change,' Cowan says. 'I read about climate change. I knew sea level was rising but I saw it and, until it impacted me directly, I didn't feel it the same way.' Scientist Oliver Grah measures the speed of a melt water stream from Sholes Glacier on one of the slopes on Mount Baker in Washington. Glaciers on this and other mountains in the North Cascades are thinning and retreating. Dozens of scientific measurements show Earth is warming. Since 1997, the world has warmed by 0.44 degrees (0.25 degrees Celsius) and 51 monthly or annual global heat records were broken, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Republican Jodi Crosson, a 55-year-old single mother and production and sales manager in Bexley, Ohio, thinks global warming is a serious problem because she's felt the wrath of extreme weather and rising heat. But to her, it's not quite as big an issue as the economy. And then there's Ken Martig Jr. An engineer and business owner in Allyn, Washington, he paid little attention to global warming until he learned that one proposed solution involved regulations and taxes. Now he doesn't think climate change is man-made or a major worry. 'If you put it down to one word today, it's a trust issue,' the 73-year-old Martig says. 'Do you really know for a fact that it's burning of the (fossil) fuels that are creating these greenhouse gases' that are causing the world to warm? Scott Tiller, a 59-year-old underground coal miner in West Virginia, has seen mine after mine close, and he agrees with Martig. 'I think we've been treated unfairly and kind of looked down upon as polluters,' Tiller says. 'They say the climate is changing, but are we doing it? Or is it just a natural thing that the Earth does?' Advertisement

Overwhelmingly, scientists who study the issue say it is man-made and a real problem.

Using basic physics and chemistry and computer simulations, scientists have repeatedly calculated how much extra warming is coming from natural forces and how much comes from humans.

The scientists and their peer-reviewed research blame human activity, for the most part.

Dozens of scientific measurements show Earth is warming. Since 1997, the world has warmed by 0.44 degrees (0.25 degrees Celsius) and 51 monthly or annual global heat records were broken, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Arctic sea ice, ice sheets and glaciers are melting faster.

The seas have risen and hot water has been killing coral in record numbers.

Scientists have connected man-made climate change to extreme weather, including deadly heat waves, droughts and flood-inducing downpours. Allergies, asthma and pest-borne diseases are worsening public health problems, with experts blaming climate change.

Scientists keep acting as if they just do a better job showing data or teaching, then people can understand that climate change is a problem  and that's just not the way people work, says Yale's Kahan.

He points to polling showing that if you ask people if scientists are sure global warming is real, man-made and a threat, they'll say yes.

'They know that scientists say we're screwed,' Kahan says. 'But it's not what activates them.'

Twice in the last seven years, scientific societies sent group letters to Congress explaining that warming is real, man-made threat.

'I honestly believe that low science literacy allows people to fall for things that make no sense,' says University of Georgia meteorology professor Marshall Shepherd. 'For example, when it is cold or a snowy day, I may get a comment like 'There is 20 inches of global warming in my yard.' While that is a cute, snarky comment, it really illustrates a lack of understanding of weather versus climate.'

Kahan says the most ardent doubters of climate change are also among the best-educated groups on the science  along with the most ardent believers. They are driven by ideology, he says.

So instead of spouting statistics, 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.'

Disagreement is OK, says her father, Rick.

'True unity is not a unity in conformity, but a unity in diversity,' he says. 'We look at differences as an opportunity to learn, not to divide.'

FILE - In this July 11, 2012 file photo, a farmer holds a piece of his drought- and heat-stricken corn while chopping it down for feed in Nashville, Ill. Scientists have connected man-made climate change to extreme weather, including deadly heat waves, droughts and flood-inducing downpours. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
Elon Musk's SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket on a floating drone ship at sea on Sunday morning.

The company's eighth launch this year was part of its ongoing effort to re-use costly rocket parts instead of discarding them into the ocean.

It is the fourth time SpaceX has vertically landed a Falcon 9 rocket on a floating platform at sea. The company has also landed another rocket safely on land.

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SpaceX has successfully landed its fourth rocket on a floating barge (pictured). The company now hopes to reuse one of its recovered rockets for the first time later this year

FALCON 9'S LAUNCH The rocket launched under a dark night sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the early hours of Sunday morning. Less than three minutes into the flight, the rocket's main stage separated as planned. Around six minutes later, the first stage landed on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship. The vertical landing on the reconverted deck barge in the Atlantic Ocean was especially challenging because a Japanese satellite called 'JCSAT-16' had to be carried into a highly elliptical orbit some 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the Earth's equator. Advertisement

The rocket launched under a dark night sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Less than three minutes into the flight, the rocket's main stage separated as planned.

Around six minutes later, the first stage landed on the 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship.

The vertical landing on the reconverted deck barge in the Atlantic Ocean was especially challenging because a Japanese satellite called 'JCSAT-16' had to be carried into a highly elliptical orbit some 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the Earth's equator.

Prior to the mission, SpaceX said: 'The first stage will be subject to extreme velocities and re-entry heating, making a successful landing challenging.'

The Falcon 9 rocket (pictured on the launch pad in Cape Canaveral) launched under a dark night sky from Cape Canaveral, Florida in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In May, the fourth Falcon 9 launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite and landed safely, marking the company's fourth successfully landing

First stage landing confirmed on the droneship. Second stage & JCSAT-16 continuing to orbit https://t.co/tdni5406Hi pic.twitter.com/h6llIXSVu7  SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 14, 2016

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.

The company is hoping to reuse one of these rockets for the first time by October 2016.

Elon Musk has said that he wants to revolutionise the launch industry by making rocket components reusable.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has said that he wants to revolutionise the launch industry by making rocket components reusable.

This move would take the firm, and the aerospace industry as a whole, another step closer towards reusable rockets becoming commonplace.

This could make deep space travel cheaper, helping pave the way for a viable manned mission to Mars.

The company plans to start offering a service to send payloads to Mars as early as 2018, with prices starting at 42 million ($62 million) for the Falcon 9 rocket.

In June this year Elon Musk announced the same Falcon 9 rocket, which launched the Thaicom 8 communications satellite, was back in the hangar with the three other first stages that had also made it safely back on the ground. All four pictured in the hangar
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The maiden flight of the world's longest aircraft has been postponed at the last minute.

The Airlander 10 - part plane, part airship - was due to take off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday but a 'technical issue' meant they had to abort the test for safety reasons.

The aircraft can only fly in daylight for a test flight and it was feared the flight would not have been completed before dark by the time the issue was resolved, an organiser said.

The Airlander 10 - part plane, part airship - was due to take off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire on Sunday but a 'technical issue' meant they had to abort the test for safety reasons

The aircraft can only fly in daylight for a test flight and it was feared the flight would not have been completed before dark by the time the issue was resolved, an organiser said

It is not known when another attempt at a test flight will be made.

The enormous aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is around 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets.

Its developers say it can travel at up to 90 mph (148 kph) and stay aloft for up to two weeks.

It was first developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but it fell foul of defence cutbacks.

British firm Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) launched a campaign to return the Airlander 10 to the skies in May 2015.

The huge aircraft will be able to stay airborne for around five days during manned flights.

HAV claims it could be used for a variety of functions such as surveillance, communications, delivering aid and even passenger travel.

Speaking on Sunday before the technical hitch, McGlennan said he was confident airships have a strong future, despite their public image as a failed 20th-century aviation experiment.

The enormous aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is around 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets

It was first developed for the US government as a long-endurance surveillance aircraft but it fell foul of defence cutbacks

'It's a disruptive capability,' he said, likening it to the electric car - a technology finally making a long-elusive breakthrough into mass use thanks to Elon Musk's Tesla.

'Something that disruptive, it's always long, and it's always a winding road.'

The vast aircraft is based at Cardington airfield, where the first British airships were built during and after World War I.

The program was abandoned after a 1930 crash that killed almost 50 people, including Britain's air minister.

That and other accidents including the fiery 1937 crash in New Jersey of the Hindenburg, which killed 35, dashed the dream of the airship as a mode of transportation for decades.

Unlike hydrogen, the gas used in the Hindenburg, helium is not flammable.

The vast aircraft, nicknamed 'The Flying Bum', is based at Cardington airfield, where the first British airships were built during and after World War I
Of all the 100 billion stars in our universe, the one closest to us might just be one that supports alien life, if reports of a new discovery are to be believed.

A newly-spotted planet in our galactic neighbourhood might have the right conditions for life, according to reports.

Scientists spotted the planet, which is believed to be 'Earth-like', orbiting the star Proxima Centauri, the nearest stellar neighbour to our sun.

Scientists are preparing to unveil a new planet in our galactic neighbourhood which is 'believed to be Earth-like' and orbits its star at a distance that could favour life. The exoplanet orbits a well-investigated star called Proxima Centauri (pictured)

The researchers are due to unveil the discovery later this month and apparently believe it orbits its star at a distance that could favour life - the so-called habitable zone, claims German weeklyDer Spiegel.

WHAT IS THE HABITABLE ZONE AROUND A STAR? The 'habitable zone' is an area around a star in which an orbiting planet's surface could hold liquid water. It is sometimes called the Goldilocks Zone because the conditions need to be just right. The boundaries of the habitable zone are critical. If a planet is too close to its star, it will experience a runaway greenhouse gas effect, like Venus. But if it's too far, any water will freeze, as is seen on Mars. Advertisement

Proxima Centauri is part of the Alpha Centauri star system just 4.2 light years from our own solar system.

According to Der Spiegel, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) will announce the finding at the end of August.

ESO spokesman Richard Hook said he is aware of the report, but refused to confirm or deny it.

'We are not making any comment,' he said.

Proxima Centauri is is the closest star to our own. A planet orbiting the star would be the closest exoplanet to Earth.

Discovered in 1915, Proxima Centauri is one of three stars in the Alpha Centauri system, a constellation mainly visible from the southern hemisphere.

The planet is thought to be in the star's 'habitable zone' - an area around a star in which an orbiting planet's surface could hold liquid water.

The planet is thought to be in the star's 'habitable zone' - an area around a star in which an orbiting planet's surface could hold liquid water. Artist's illustration of an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of its host star, pictured

'The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface - an important requirement for the emergence of life,' said the magazine, quoting anonymous sources.

'Never before have scientists discovered a second Earth that is so close by,' it said.

According to Der Spiegel's unnamed source, whom they claim was involved with the La Silla team that made the find, this latest discovery was the result of intensive work.

'Finding small celestial bodies is a lot of hard work,' the source was quoted as saying. 'We were moving at the technically feasible limit of measurement.'

Kepler-186f, seen here in an artist's rendering and discovered in 2014 by a team of astronomers including Professor Stephen Kane, is one of more than 200 'exoplanets' that researchers say lie within the 'habitable zone' of their stars and could potentially have life

For over a century, astronomers have known about Proxima Centauri and believed it is part of a trinary star system, along with Alpha Centauri A and B.

'The discovery of possible planet around Proxima Centauri is very exciting,' Professor Phillip Lubin, from the University of California, Santa Barbara, told Universe Today.

'It makes the case of visiting nearby stellar systems even more compelling, though we know there are many exoplanets around other nearby stars and it is very likely that the Alpha Centauri system will also have planets.'

Located just 0.237 light years from the binary pair, this low-mass red dwarf star is also 0.12 light years closer to Earth, making it the closest star system to our own.

The report gave no further details.

Nasa has announced the discovery of new planets in the past, but most of those worlds were either too hot or too cold to host water in liquid form, or were made of gas, like our Jupiter and Neptune, rather than of rock, like Earth or Mars.

Last year, the US space agency unveiled an exoplanet that it described as Earth's 'closest-twin'.

Named Kepler 452b, the planet is about 60 per cent larger than Earth and could have active volcanoes, oceans, sunshine like ours, twice as much gravity and a year that lasts 385 days.

But at a distance of 1,400 light-years away, humankind has little hope of reaching this Earth-twin any time soon.

In comparison, the exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri, if confirmed, is just 4.24 light-years away.

This is a mere stepping stone in relation to the scale of the universe but still too far away for humans to reach in present-generation chemical rockets.
A copper brooch that could be up to 2,000-years-old has been discovered close to a site linked to the legendary King Arthur.

The piece of jewellery is thought to date back to the Romano-British period while the country was under Roman rule.

Some reports have even suggested it could have even belonged to King Arthur's wife Guinevere, but archaeologists say it is unlikely to have belonged to the queen.

A copper brooch has been discovered in Cornwall close to a site linked to the legendary King Arthur. But an archaeologist working with the brooch has told MailOnline the jewellery is not rare, and is too old to be linked to the queen

It is thought the precious brooch was dropped by a wealthy noble woman as she walked through the area.

WHO WAS KING ARTHUR? The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries. What is known is that during his reign as king he had to defend the land against Saxon invaders. He first appears in historical documents from the early 9th century, but much of what we know of the legendary king comes from the writings of Geoffrey Monmouth, who penned his history of Arthur in the 1100s. Links with the Holy Grail first appear in French accounts of the king, written circa 1180. Many historians agree that while the king was a genuine historical figure in early Britain, he could in fact be a composite of multiple people from an age of poor record keeping. Source: History.co.uk Advertisement

Archaeologists stumbled across the piece of jewellery that is understood to be the first physical proof that the area was home to the rich and powerful during the time during excavations.

The brooch was found in a field known as Chapelfield, where developers are seeking planning permission to build 14 houses.

According to a public report by Cornwall council, the brooch 'is a rare and significant find, suggestive of a reasonably "well-healed" Romano-British farmstead settlement.'

The Romano-British period dates from the Roman conquest in AD 43 to when the Romans left in AD 410.

The brooch was discovered in St Mabyn, Cornwall, less than a mile from a hill fort which has previously been suggested might have been the site of King Arthur's Camelot.

'Its location within the upper fill of the eastern enclosure ditch suggests that the piece represents accidental loss, perhaps as a result of it having been broken in antiquity' the report says.

But others do not agree the brooch is rare.

'It is a penannular brooch dating from the Romano-British period,' Andrew Young, from the Cornwall Archaeology Unit told MailOnline.

He said the conditions in which it was buried mean it will not have been well-preserved.

'Such brooches are by no means unusual, although in Cornwall the acid soils mean that survival of metal objects such as this is rather patchy.'

The Romano-British brooch was discovered in a field at St Mabyn, Cornwall, less than a mile from a hill fort which has previously been suggested might have been Arthur's Camelot

'It is a penannular brooch dating from the Romano-British period,' Andrew Young, from the Cornwall Archaeology Unit told MailOnline. He said the conditions in which it was buried mean it will not have been well-preserved

Pit from the south, showing in situ stones. The acid soils mean metal objects often corrode

The brooch was photographed while in the soil and sent to the Royal Cornwall Museum to be prepared and conserved.

'Once it has been cleaned and conserved it will be photographed again,' Mr Young told MailOnline.

Some reports had suggested the brooch might have belonged to the legendary King Arthur's wife Guinevere, but Mr Young does not believe it could.

The facts around the real King Arthur are mired in myth and folklore, but historians believe he ruled Britain from the late 5th and early 6th centuries.

'I should also point out that it is earlier than the legendary King Arthur by several hundred years,' Mr Young said.

Some reports had suggested the brooch might have belonged to the legendary King Arthur's wife Guinevere, but archaeologist Mr Andrew Young does not believe it could. Guinevere, as depicted by Henry Justice Ford, pictured

Its location within the upper fill of the eastern enclosure ditch suggests that the piece represents accidental loss, perhaps as a result of it having been broken in antiquity, a public report says
A black hole is often thought of as something so dense that nothing, not even light, can escape.

Although their name suggests otherwise, black holes are not completely black  instead they emit incredibly weak particles as a kind of quantum radiation.

Now this quantum effect, known as Hawking radiation, has been seen in the laboratory for the first time.

A black hole is often thought of as something so dense that nothing, not even light, can escape. Although their name suggests otherwise, black holes are not completely black  instead they emit incredibly weak particles as a kind of quantum radiation

WHAT IS HAWKING RADIATION? In 1974, Stephen Hawking suggested black holes cannot be completely black, and instead quantum effects mean radiation escapes from their boundaries. Hawking's theory states black holes should have the ability to thermally create and emit sub-atomic particles,known as Hawking radiation, until they are completely depleted of their energy. In his 1974 announcement, Hawking explained how the strong gravitational field around a black hole can affect the production of matching pairs of particles and anti-particles, as is happening all the time in empty space, according to quantum theory. If the particles are created just outside the event horizon of a black hole, then it is possible the positive member of the pair may escape - observed as thermal radiation emitting from the black hole - while the negative particle may fall back into the black hole. Advertisement

In 1974, Stephen Hawking suggested black holes cannot be completely black, and instead quantum effects mean radiation escapes from their boundaries.

Hawking's theory states black holes should have the ability to thermally create and emit sub-atomic particles, known as Hawking radiation, until they are completely depleted of their energy.

In his 1974 announcement, Hawking explained how the strong gravitational field around a black hole can affect the production of matching pairs of particles and anti-particles, as is happening all the time in empty space, according to quantum theory.

If the particles are created just outside the event horizon of a black hole, then it is possible the positive member of the pair may escape - observed as thermal radiation emitting from the black hole - while the negative particle may fall back into the black hole.

Professor Jeff Steinhauer from the Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa demonstrated the effect in a paper that has been published today in the journal Nature Physics.

Professor Jeff Steinhauer (pictured) made a kind of black hole for sound instead of light, using a long tube with an event horizon for sound particles. He has shown these phonos are each one of a pair of correlated phonons, proving the quantum effects of Hawking radiation

WHAT IS A BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE ? In a black hole the event horizon is the well-defined surface or edge, after which no light can escape because the escape velocity is faster than the speed of light. Using a material called a Bose-Einstein condensate, Professor Steinhauer created the same conditions but for sound. Physicists know that when quantum particles condense, they lose their individuality. Their different energy levels collapse into a single macroscopic quantum state, causing them to behave like clones and form a 'super particle' or wave known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC). In 1995 scientists made a BEC when they cooled a cloud of rubidium and sodium atoms to within a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. The first BEC had unique properties which will help scientists probe the basic behaviour of matter. The achievement earned the researchers a Nobel Prize. Advertisement

On one side of the barrier the particles inside were flowing faster than the speed of sound, so no sound particles, or phonons, would be able to escape past the line marked 'Horizon', while on the other the phonons were free to move - like light around a black hole

In 1974, Stephen Hawking (shown) suggested black holes cannot be completely black, and instead quantum effects mean radiation escapes from their boundaries. Hawking's theory states black holes should have the ability to thermally create and emit sub-atomic particles

WHAT ARE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES? Supermassive black holes are incredibly dense areas in the centre of galaxies with masses that can be billions of times that of the sun. They act as intense sources of gravity which hoover up dust and gas around them. Their intense gravitational pull is thought to be what stars in galaxies orbit around - making them part of the glue that holds galaxies together. How they are formed is still poorly understood. Astronomers believe they may form when a large cloud of gas up to 100,000 times biggger than the sun, collapses into a black hole. Many of these black hole seeds then merge to form much larger supermassive black holes. Alternatively, a supermassive black hole seed could come from a giant star, about 100 times the sun's mass, that ultimately forms into a black hole after it runs out of fuel and collapses. Advertisement

He made a kind of black hole for sound instead of light, using a long tube with an event horizon for sound particles called phonons.

In 2014 Professor Steinhauer saw phonons were created at random on the horizon.

Now in his latest results, Professor Steinhauer has shown these phonons are each one of a pair of correlated phonons, proving the quantum effects of Hawking radiation.

In a black hole the event horizon is the well-defined surface or edge, after which no light can escape because the escape velocity is faster than the speed of light.

Using a material called a Bose-Einstein condensate, Professor Steinhauer created the same conditions but for sound.

During experiments two years ago he found the energy that makes up sound waves did in fact 'leak' out of the black hole, as Hawking predicted.

Now he has gone one step further and shown this energy behaves in a quantum manner.

On one side of the barrier the particles inside were flowing faster than the speed of sound, so no sound particles, or phonons, would be able to escape.

The most recent study suggests information and everything else is not vaporised in a black hole. Instead it slowly leaks out during the later stages of the hole's evaporation, according to the theory of Hawking radiation

WHAT THE STUDY HAS FOUND In 2014 Professor Steinhauer saw phonons were created at random on the horizon. Now in his latest results, Professor Steinhauer has shown these phonos are each one of a pair of correlated phonons, proving the quantum effects of the Hawking radiation. By running the experiment 4,600 times, which meant it was on continuously for six days, Professor Steinhauer could observe the phonons as they are created. He found as he saw one a certain distance from the horizon in one direction, its pair would be the same distance away in the other. This happened enough times for him to confidently say the phonons are correlated, and that he has been able to see the quantum effects of Hawking radiation in the lab for the first time. Advertisement

Imagine you were swimming upstream but the current was flowing in the opposite direction, faster than you were swimming, Professor Steinhauer told MailOnline.

The phonons cant reach the point marked horizon, he said.

By running the experiment 4,600 times, which meant it was on continuously for six days, Professor Steinhauer could observe the phonons as they are created.

He found as he saw one a certain distance from the horizon in one direction, its pair would be the same distance away in the other.

This happened enough times for him to confidently say the phonons are correlated, and that he has been able to see the quantum effects of Hawking radiation in the lab for the first time.

This is important because the idea that particles escaping the black hole are quantum entangled with a partner particle being pulled into the black hole is a crucial signature of Hawking radiation - and it had not been seen before now.
First Elio cars set to be delivered to

It might look like a bizarre toy car with stablisers, but the Elio could soon be taking over roads across the US.

The three-wheeled $7,000 vehicle seats two passengers and goes 0 to 60 mph in 9.6 seconds.

It is the same length as a Honda Fit, but half the weight at 1,250lbs (570kg), allowing it to do 84 miles to the gallon.

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The Elio, a three-wheeled prototype vehicle rolls in traffic in Royal Oak, Mich. Autocycles have three wheels 'typically, two in the back and one in the front. They also have steering wheels, foot pedals and are sometimes enclosed. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

ELIO STATS Fuel-injected, 3 cyl., .9 liter, liquid-cooled, automotive engine Regular Unleaded Fuel Top speed over 100 MPH 0-60 speed in 9.6 seconds Overall Length: 160.5 Advertisement

Elio Motors hopes to disrupt the American transportation industry with its low-cost, highly fuel efficient vehicle, much like Volkswagen did with the Beetle in 1968.

The Beetle's $1,699 sticker price from 1968 is $11,767.92 in 2016 dollars.

'Volkswagen entered the market in 1968 with an extraordinary vehicle at an incredible price and shook up the industry,' said Elio Motors Founder and CEO, Paul Elio.

'We are on the path to launching an extraordinary vehicle, as well, but are setting an even more aggressive and affordable price, and doing so in a way that will create American jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, be better for the environment and strengthen American manufacturing.'

Elio Motors hopes to disrupt the American transportation industry with its low-cost, highly fuel efficient vehicle, much like Volkswagen did with the Beetle in 1968.

Establishing a base price will allow the company's non-refundable reservation holders to lock in their purchase price until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations.

It also allows Elio Motors to accept binding purchase commitments from non-refundable reservation holders.

Revised guidelines recently published by the Department of Energy (DOE) in June 2016 now specify that start-up companies need to further demonstrate market acceptance through firm sales commitments.

'We have developed more than $350 million in pre-production sales with over 56,000 reservations, with the vast majority being non-refundable,' said Elio.

The car only has one door, on the left side, which shaves a few hundred pounds off the manufacturing costs, claims the firm.

The car only has one door, on the left side, which shaves a few hundred pounds off the manufacturing costs, claims the firm.

Because Elio Motors has applied for a $185 million Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan from the DOE, the company is now seeking the necessary binding purchase commitments to meet the recent change in loan criteria.

Establishing a base price will allow the company's non-refundable reservation holders to lock in their purchase price until the company reaches 65,000 total reservations.

As an extra incentive for the non-refundable reservation holders, the company will lock in the vehicle price at an even lower $7,000* base price for those that make a binding commitment to purchase within the first 65,000 reservations.

Phoenix-based Elio Motors is now planning to unleash the car on the US market next year, claiming it is the ideal vehicle for commuters.

The company plans to start making the cars next autumn at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Because it has three wheels - two in front and one in the rear - the Elio is classified as a motorcycle by the US government.

More than 27,000 people have reserved a model, and the firm hopes to make 250,000 cars a year by 2016.

That's close to the number Mazda sells in the US.

Because it has three wheels - two in front and one in the rear - the Elio is classified as a motorcycle by the US government.

The Elio's two seats sit front and back instead of side-by-side, so the driver is positioned in the centre with the passenger directly behind.

But Elio Motors founder Paul Elio said the vehicle has all the safety features of a car, such as an anti-lock brakes, front and side air bags and a steel cage that surrounds the occupants.

However, drivers won't be required to wear helmets or have motorcycle licenses.

The Elio's two seats sit front and back instead of side-by-side, so the driver is positioned in the centre with the passenger directly behind.

That arrangement, plus the low seating position - the Elio is just 4.5ft (54 inches) tall - and the lack of power steering, are said to take a little getting used to.

But test drivers claim it feels just like any other small car.

That's partly because its two front wheels stick out by a foot on both sides, aiding balance and preventing the vehicle from tipping.

The Elio has a three-cylinder, 0.9-litre engine and a top speed of more than 100 mph (160 km/h).

It gets an estimated 84 mpg on the highway, and 49 mpg in city driving.

Elio keeps the costs down in several ways.

The car only has one door, on the left side, which shaves a few hundred pounds off the manufacturing costs, claims the firm.

It mixes the compact size of the Smart car with the stability and manoeuverability of the Can-Am Spyder cycle.

The Elio has a three-cylinder, 0.9-litre engine and a top speed of more than 100 mph (160 km/h).

It will be offered in two configurations - with a manual or automatic transmission - and it has standard air conditioning, power windows and door locks and an AM/FM radio.

Germany's Daimler also promised to revolutionise American commutes with the Smart car, but that hasn't panned out, claims Karl Brauer, a senior analyst with Kelley Blue Book. Smart sold just 9,264 cars in the US last year.

The Smart has a starting price of $13,270 (7,900) for a gas-powered car and gets 38 mpg on the motorway- not enough savings or fuel economy to justify sacrificing comfort in the tiny car.

But, Mr Brauer said, the equation might work in the Elio.

WHAT IS THE ELIO? What is it? Because it has three wheels, the Elio is classified as a motorcycle by the US government. How many people does it fit? Two. It has a driver's seat and a passenger seat directly behind that. There is only one door, on the left-hand side. How much power does it have? Elio Motors said the vehicle can go 100 mph (160 km/h) more with its 55-horsepower engine. It goes from 0-60 mph in 9.6 seconds. What is the fuel economy? Elio Motors estimates the Elio will get 84 miles per gallon on the motorway, and 49 mpg in the city. Elio Motors plans to set up stores in 60 US markets. It has an agreement with Pep Boys, the auto repair chain, to service the cars. Where will it be built? The company plans to make the vehicles at a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, starting in autumn next year. Advertisement

'If it really gets 84 mpg and doesn't drive terribly, it would justify the compromises you're making in size and comfort,' he said.

Elio will also save money by selling the cars directly through its own retailers and not through franchised dealers, similar to electric car maker Tesla Motors.

Mr Elio, a one-time stockbroker and New York City cab driver, said he dreamed as a kid that he would one day own a car company called Elio Motors.

'As I matured I decided that was as likely as playing in the NFL,' Elio told The Associated Press.

IS IT LEGAL? It's more than a motorcycle and less than a car. It's an autocycle. And states are wrestling with how best to regulate this new type of vehicle. Rhode Island has joined dozens of other states in enacting rules classifying the autocycle and allowing drivers to operate one without a motorcycle license or endorsement. Maryland also has new rules that it began publicizing Monday. Autocycles have three wheels, typically two in the back and one in the front. They also have steering wheels, foot pedals and are sometimes enclosed. Some are designed for fun and others for fuel efficiency; they range in price from $6,800 to as much as $65,000. Advertisement

But he did earn an engineering degree at General Motors Institute - now Kettering University - and started his own company engineering products like children's car seats.

Mr Elio said so far, reservation holders are older, more affluent buyers who will use the Elio as a second or third car for commuting.

'It's an `and' purchase for a lot of folks,' he said. 'So keep your SUV or your minivan or your large sedan, and when you're driving back and forth to work all by yourself, take the Elio'

Eventually, though, he believes the car will appeal to students as well as used-car drivers who want something newer and more reliable.
A deadly plant disease is threatening to wipe out bananas within just five years.

Scientists are desperately trying to find a remedy for the 'Sigatoka complex' before bananas as we know them become extinct.

Now, researchers have discovered why it is so effective at killing - it is actually three fungal diseases in one.

The Cavendish banana plants all originated from one plant and so as clones, they all have the same genotype  and that is a recipe for disaster.

BANANA FACTS The banana is one of the world's top five staple foods. About 100 million tons of bananas are produced annually in nearly 120 countries. In the Americas and Europe, 'banana' usually refers to soft, sweet, dessert bananas, particularly those of the Cavendish group, which are the main exports from banana-growing countries. The Cavendish banana plants all originated from one plant and so as clones, they all have the same genotype  and that is a recipe for disaster. Advertisement

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and in the Netherlands found three fungal diseases have evolved into a lethal threat to the world's bananas.

In the Americas and Europe, 'banana' usually refers to soft, sweet, dessert bananas, particularly those of the Cavendish group, which are the main exports from banana-growing countries.

The Cavendish banana plants all originated from one plant and so as clones, they all have the same genotype  and that is a recipe for disaster.

The discovery, reported in the online journal PLOS Genetics, could help find a cure.

'We have demonstrated that two of the three most serious banana fungal diseases have become more virulent by increasing their ability to manipulate the banana's metabolic pathways and make use of its nutrients,' said UC Davis plant pathologist Ioannis Stergiopoulos, who led the effort to sequence two of the fungal genomes.

Scientists are desperately trying to find a remedy for the 'Sigatoka complex' before bananas as we know them become extinct.

'This parallel change in metabolism of the pathogen and the host plant has been overlooked until now and may represent a 'molecular fingerprint' of the adaption process,' he said.

'It is really a wake-up call to the research community to look at similar mechanisms between pathogens and their plant hosts.'

The banana is one of the world's top five staple foods.

About 100 million tons of bananas are produced annually in nearly 120 countries.

A TRIPLE WHAMMY FUNGUS The Sigatoka complex's three fungal diseases  yellow Sigatoka (Pseudocercospora musae), eumusae leaf spot (Pseudocercospora eumusae) and black Sigatoka (Pseudocercospora figiensis)  emerged as destructive pathogens in just the last century. Eumusae leaf spot and black Sigatoka are now the most devastating, with black Sigatoka posing the greatest constraint to banana production worldwide. Eumusae leaf spot and black Sigatoka are now the most devastating, with black Sigatoka posing the greatest constraint to banana production worldwide. The constant threat of the disease requires farmers to make 50 fungicide applications to their banana crops each year to control the disease. Advertisement

But the fruit suffers from an 'image problem,' giving consumers the appearance that it is and always will be readily available, said Stergiopoulos.

It's an image problem that he fears could prove fatal to the entire banana industry in the very near future.

In reality, the global banana industry could be wiped out in just five to 10 years by fast-advancing fungal diseases.

And that would prove devastating to millions of small-scale farmers who depend on the fruit for food, fiber and income.

Already, Sigatoka  a three-fungus disease complex  reduces banana yields by 40 percent.

In reality, the global banana industry could be wiped out in just five to 10 years by fast-advancing fungal diseases.

'Thirty to 35 percent of banana production cost is in fungicide applications,' Stergiopoulos said.

'Because many farmers can't afford the fungicide, they grow bananas of lesser quality, which bring them less income.'

And for those growers who can afford fungicide, the applications pose environmental and human-health risks.

To make matters worse, all commercial 'dessert' bananas  those most commonly found in grocery stores  are of the Cavendish variety.

And unlike a tomato or green bean, which are grown from seeds, bananas are grown from shoot cuttings.

'The Cavendish banana plants all originated from one plant and so as clones, they all have the same genotype  and that is a recipe for disaster,' Stergiopoulos said, noting that a disease capable of killing one plant could kill them all.

Stergiopoulos and colleagues sequenced the genomes of eumusae leaf spot and black Sigatoka, comparing their findings with the previously sequenced yellow Sigatoka genome sequence.

They discovered that this complex of diseases has become lethal to banana plants not just by shutting down the plant's immune system but also by adapting the metabolism of the fungi to match that of the host plants.

As a result, the attacking fungi can produce enzymes that break down the plant's cell walls. This allows the fungi to feed on the plant's sugars and other carbohydrates.
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An ambitious mission that will visit a comet and pluck a boulder from its surface to create an orbiting base for astronauts has been given the final go-ahead.

A robot shipwill pluck a large boulder off an asteroid and sling it aroundthe moon, becoming a destination to prepare for futurehuman missions to Mars, the U.S. space agency has revealed.

The so-called Asteroid Redirect Mission is estimated to costabout $1.4 billion not including launch costs and is targetedfor liftoff in December 2021.

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In the Spacecraft Structures Lab at NASA's Langley Research Center, the Asteroid Redirect Mission robotic contact and restraint system is prototyped and tested. A robot ship will pluck a large boulder off an asteroid and drag it into orbit around the moon, becoming a 'testbed' for future human missions to Mars, the U.S. space agency has revealed.

Following a key program review, Nasa has approved the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) to proceed to the next phase of design and development for the mission's robotic segment.

ARM is a two-part mission that will integrate robotic and crewed spacecraft operations in the proving ground of deep space to demonstrate key capabilities needed for NASA's journey to Mars.

The crewed segment, targeted for launch in 2026, remains in an early mission concept phase, or pre-formulation.

'This is an exciting milestone for the Asteroid Redirect Mission,' said NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot.

'Not only is ARM leveraging agency-wide capabilities, it will test a number of new technologies already in development.'

The robotic component of the ARM will demonstrate the world's most advanced and most efficient solar electric propulsion system as it travels to a near-Earth asteroid (NEA).

NEAs are asteroids that are fewer than 121 million miles (1.3 AU) from the sun at the closest point in their orbit.

Nasa plans to pick up a boulder from a large asteroid (shown) using a robotic ship

It will then be taken to lunar orbit, where it would be studied by astronauts

Although the target asteroid is not expected to be officially selected until 2020, NASA is using 2008 EV5 as the reference asteroid while the search continues for potential alternates.

Before beginning its trip to lunar orbit, the ARM spacecraft will demonstrate a widely supported asteroid deflection technique called a gravity tractor.

The spacecraft plus the mass of the captured boulder will create a small gravitational attraction to alter the orbit of the large asteroid.

After collecting a multi-ton boulder from the asteroid, the robotic spacecraft will slowly redirect the boulder to an orbit around the moon, using the moon's gravity for an assist, where NASA plans to conduct a series of proving ground missions in the 2020s.

There, astronauts will be able to select, extract, collect, and return samples from the multi-ton asteroid mass, and conduct other human-robotic and spacecraft operations in the proving ground that will validate concepts for NASA's journey to Mars.

SAVING EARTH FROM DISASTER WITH THE ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION Various techniques for deflecting a potentially hazardous asteroid could be tested on Arm to enable planetary defense capabilities. These techniques include Ion Beam Deflection, Enhanced Gravity Tractor, and kinetic impactors. In Ion Beam Deflection, the plumes from the thrusters would be directed towards the asteroid to gently push on its surface over a wide area. A thruster firing in the opposite direction would be needed to keep the spacecraft at a constant distance from the asteroid. The Ion Beam Deflection approach is independent of the size of the asteroid, and it could be demonstrated on either mission option. In the Enhanced Gravity Tractor approach, the spacecraft would first pick up a boulder from the asteroid's surface as in mission Option B. The spacecraft with the collected boulder would then orbit in a circular halo around the asteroid's velocity vector. The mass of the boulder coupled with the mass of the spacecraft would increase the gravitational attraction between the spacecraft and the asteroid. By flying the spacecraft in close formation with the asteroid for several months the very small gravitational forces would produce a measurable change in the asteroid's trajectory. A kinetic impactor could also be launched as a secondary payload with the spacecraft or on a separate launch vehicle, and it would collide with the target asteroid at high velocity while the spacecraft observed the impact. Advertisement

Nasa also considered bagging a smaller asteroid andrelocating the entire body into a high orbit around the moon.

After extensive studies, Nasa opted to collect and move aboulder, a mission that will cost about $100 million more, butwhich better prepares the agency for the ultimate goal oflanding astronauts on Mars.

'They're the kind of things that we know we're going to needwhen we go to another planetary body,' NASA AssociateAdministrator Robert Lightfoot told reporters on a conferencecall.

NASA plans to study the asteroid for about a year and testdeflection techniques that one day may be necessary to saveEarth from a potentially catastrophic collision.

An asteroid orcomet smashed into the planet about 65 million years ago,leading to climate changes that killed off dinosaurs and mostother life on Earth then.

Earlier this year, NASA updated the target launch date for the robotic mission to December 2021 in order to incorporate acquisition of the industry robotic spacecraft development into the project schedule.

So far, NASA has three candidate asteroids, but does notexpect to make a decision about where to fly before 2019.

The mission involves flying a robotic spacecraft, powered bysolar electric propulsion, to an asteroid for an extensivesurvey.

Once a target boulder was selected, the probe wouldhover down toward the surface and deploy a pair of robot arms tograb hold of a 6.5- to 13-foot (2- to 4 meter) wide boulder.

HOW NASA WILL USE AN ASTEROID AS A STEPPING STONE TO MARS The mission involves astronauts making the journey to their captive space rock by hitching a ride on the next-generation Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle. After the Orion and the asteroid are attached, the astronauts take a spacewalk to the captured object. Once the Orion docks with the remote-operated asteroid capture device, the crew performs a spacewalk that sees them climb almost the length of the conjoined vehicles to an exposed section of the asteroid they take photos of and scoop samples from, the video shows. After the mission is complete, Orion returns to Earth on the same path it journeyed out on, loops around the moon included, and splashes down in an ocean - likely the Pacific - 10 days later. The mission is seen as an important step towards eventually sending humans to Mars and returning them safely. Advertisement

'I'm going to have multiple targets ... We can assess whichone we want to go after and I then have three- to five tries toget it, or I can move on to a different one,' Lightfoot said.

The captured boulder, which would remain attached to theprobe, would then be nudged into an orbit circling high aroundthe moon, a maneuver expected to take about six years.

The probe would include a docking ring so a NASA Orionspaceship, carrying two astronauts, could reach the asteroid, amission targeted for around 2025.

Nasa's ultimate goal is to send humans to Mars, and they say the Asteroid Redirect Mission (Arm) will be an important stepping stone towards getting there.

A number of new spaceflight capabilities will be tested in the 2020s as part of the mission, which will involve redirecting an asteroid to orbit the moon and sending humans to explore it.

Nasa plans to launch an Arm robotic spacecraft to rendezvous with, capture and redirect an asteroid by the end of this decade.

The spacecraft will redirect it to a stable orbit around the moon called a 'Distant Retrograde Orbit' - one that orbits the moon very widely, coming quite close before extending out much further away.

Astronauts aboard Nasa's Orion spacecraft, launched from the upcoming Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, will then explore the asteroid in the mid-2020s at the furthest point in its controlled orbit around the moon.

Within the papers, authors explain the current work taking place across the country to examine options for these robotic and crewed missions.

This includes advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) - one of the critical technologies needed to send larger payloads into deep space and to the Mars system.

Astronauts aboard Nasa's Orion spacecraft, launched from the upcoming Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, will then explore the asteroid in the mid-2020s at the furthest point in its controlled orbit around the moon

SEP - or ion propulsion - creates thrust powered by solar arrays, which transforms sunlight into electromagnetic fields that accelerate and expel charged atoms (ions).

This is a very efficient way to power a spacecraft and significantly cuts down on the amount of fuel a spacecraft needs to carry, which can be heavy and expensive to launch from Earth.

Current studies at Nasa detailed in the papers are examining ways SEP will be used to power the Arm robotic mission.

Nasa was also working on a mission concept that would fully enclose a large asteroid using an inflatable system and the other would capture a smaller boulder from of a much larger asteroid using robotic arms.

The Arm crewed mission, in which astronauts will explore the redirected asteroid around the moon, provides unique opportunities to test human spaceflight capabilities as well.

The papers detail current work underway at Nasa to upgrade spacesuits in preparation for the first spacewalks in deep space since the 1960s and farther from Earth than ever before.

Concepts for new hardware to dock the crewed and uncrewed spacecraft together are also in development.

This will allow the crew aboard Orion to attach to the Arm robotic spacecraft and study the asteroid.

This could be later used to connect Orion with a deep space habitat or 'stepping stone' on its way to Mars, or even station cargo and fuel depots in strategic places such as lunar orbit.

CHOOSING AN ASTEROID An asteroid named Itokawa photographed by the Hayabusa probe. The agency plans to announce the specific asteroid selected for the mission no earlier than 2019, approximately a year before launching the robotic spacecraft. NASA has identified three valid candidates for the mission so far: Itokawa, Bennu and 2008 EV5. A target asteroid such as 2008 EV5 is particularly appealing to the scientific, exploration, and industrial communities because it is a primitive, C-type (carbonaceous) asteroid, believed to be rich in volatiles, water, and organic compounds. The ability to extract core samples from the captured boulder will allow us to evaluate how its composition varies with depth and could unlock clues to the origins of our solar system. Astronaut sampling and potential commercial activities could indicate the value of C-type asteroids for commercial mining purposes, which in turn could have significant impacts on how deep space missions are designed in the future. Before an asteroid is considered a valid candidate for the mission, scientists must first determine its characteristics, in addition to size, such as rotation, shape and precise orbit. Advertisement

Astronauts returning home with samples from Mars will hold a treasure trove of research scientists will study to unlock new knowledge about Mars and the solar system's history.

As well as this, returning asteroid samples will help Nasa develop tools and techniques for future space exploration.

This early experience with raw materials could also help advance our ability to make use of natural resources in space.

Rocky bodies like asteroids and our moon could hold enough oxygen and hydrogen to create breathable air, drinkable water or even components for rocket fuel.

There also is growing interest in the commercial space industry to potentially mine asteroids for resources in the future.
Researchers analysing a nuclear experiment believe they may have spotted a previously unknown subatomic particle that is evidence of a fifth fundamental force of nature.

Theoretical physicists at the University of California say their find, dubbed the 'X Boson' could 'completely change our understanding of the universe' if confirmed.

It comes just weeks after researchers at the Large Hadron Collider admitted readings they had thought could have been an intriguing new particle has turned out just to be a 'statistical burp'.

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The new research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, analysed a mid-2015 study by experimental physicists in Hungary searching for 'dark photons.' It comes just weeks after researchers at the Large Hadron Collider admitted readings they had thought could have been an intriguing new particle has turned out just to be a 'statistical burp'.

The new research, published in the journal Physical Review Letters, analysed a mid-2015 study by experimental nuclear physicists at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences who were searching for 'dark photons,' particles that would signify unseen dark matter, which physicists say makes up about 85 percent of the universe's mass.

The Hungarians' work uncovered a radioactive decay anomaly that points to the existence of a light particle just 30 times heavier than an electron.

'The experimentalists weren't able to claim that it was a new force,' Feng said.

'They simply saw an excess of events that indicated a new particle, but it was not clear to them whether it was a matter particle or a force-carrying particle.'

The UCI group studied the Hungarian researchers' data as well as all other previous experiments in this area and showed that the evidence strongly disfavors both matter particles and dark photons.

They proposed a new theory, however, that synthesizes all existing data and determined that the discovery could indicate a fifth fundamental force.

'If true, it's revolutionary,' said Jonathan Feng, professor of physics & astronomy at UCI.

'For decades, we've known of four fundamental forces: gravitation, electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces.

'If confirmed by further experiments, this discovery of a possible fifth force would completely change our understanding of the universe, with consequences for the unification of forces and dark matter.'

THE STANDARD MODEL OF PARTICLE PHYSICS The Standard Model says everything in the universe is made from the most basic building blocks called fundamental particles, that are governed by four forces: gravity, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear. The forces work over different ranges and have different strengths. This new particle, if it exists, would not fit into the description given by the Standard Model and so would lead to a whole new area of particle physics. Some have suggested it might even lead to the discovery of a fifth fundamental force. This development was exciting because the Standard Model has left some questions unanswered for years, so scientists are keen to break free of it and find new theories. It can't explain gravity, for example, because it is incompatible with our best explanation of how gravity works - general relativity, nor does it explain dark matter particles. The quantum theory used to describe the small particles in the world, and the general theory of relativity used to describe the larger objects world, are also difficult to reconcile. Nobody has managed to make the two mathematically compatible in the context of the Standard Model. According to the Big Bang theory, matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts at the start of the universe and so they should have annihilated each other totally in the first second or so of the universe's existence. This means the cosmos should be full of light and little else. But because it isn't there must have been a subtle difference in the physics of matter and anti-matter that has left the universe with a surplus of matter and that makes up the stars we see, the planet we live on and ourselves. But the observations seen so far are not enough to confirm the existence of a particle. Advertisement

Their initial analysis was published in late April on the public arXiv online server, and a follow-up paper amplifying the conclusions of the first work was released last week on the same website.

The UCI work demonstrates that instead of being a dark photon, the particle may be a 'protophobic X boson.'

While the normal electric force acts on electrons and protons, this newfound boson interacts only with electrons and neutrons  and at an extremely limited range.

Analysis co-author Timothy Tait, professor of physics & astronomy, said, 'There's no other boson that we've observed that has this same characteristic. Sometimes we also just call it the 'X boson,' where 'X' means unknown.'

However, they admit further experiments are crucial.

When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. The measurements saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV, about six times heavier than the Higgs boson, something that has not been predicted by the current theory describing particle physics

THE ELUSIVE PARTICLE Two of the detectors at the Large Hadron Collider - ATLAS and CMS - were searching for new kinds of physics by counting particle decays that ended up in two photons. Measuring photons is a way of detecting new and unknown events because photons are easy to detect and physicists know what to expect in terms of results from background events. When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. The measurements saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV, making the potential particle six times heavier than the Higgs boson. If it turns out to be real, and not just a blip in the measurements, this would be a huge discovery. 'It would be something completely beyond the Standard Model, and the tip of an iceberg of a large new set of particles, if it exists!', the researchers said. Advertisement

'The particle is not very heavy, and laboratories have had the energies required to make it since the '50s and '60s,' he said.

'But the reason it's been hard to find is that its interactions are very feeble.

That said, because the new particle is so light, there are many experimental groups working in small labs around the world that can follow up the initial claims, now that they know where to look.'

Like many scientific breakthroughs, this one opens entirely new fields of inquiry.

One direction that intrigues Feng is the possibility that this potential fifth force might be joined to the electromagnetic and strong and weak nuclear forces as 'manifestations of one grander, more fundamental force.'

Citing physicists' understanding of the standard model, Feng speculated that there may also be a separate dark sector with its own matter and forces.

'It's possible that these two sectors talk to each other and interact with one another through somewhat veiled but fundamental interactions,' he said.

'This dark sector force may manifest itself as this protophobic force we're seeing as a result of the Hungarian experiment.

'In a broader sense, it fits in with our original research to understand the nature of dark matter.'

Last December, researchers at the European Center for Nuclear Research saw two readings of what could have been a new particle that might have upended the existing main physics theory.

The same centre in 2012 discovered the Higgs boson or 'God particle.'

The early unconfirmed new particle readings in December set the physics world abuzz.

Scientists poured over the more data from high-speed atom crashes while theorists tried to figure out what it all means.

At a Chicago physics conference Friday, Tiziano Camporesi, a CERN chief scientific spokesman, said more data show that what they saw was nothing, just a random statistical fluctuation.

The first signs of a particle heavier than the Higgs boson was seen at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) back in December

Unexplained by current models, its existence might lead to the discovery of a whole new set of particles and possibly even a fifth fundamental force.

But the first results were not enough to confirm the particle exists, and now a second run of tests have failed to find this mysterious particle, MailOnline has learned.

In data produced last December at the LHC in Geneva, two separate measurements found what looked like a particle six time heavier than the Higgs boson.

The detectors saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV. When particles decay into photons they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared. This means the particle that decayed into them would have been about six times heavier than the Higgs boson

'We should have enough data by mid-July to either confirm the result or place serious doubt on its existence,' Professor James Olsen, CMS physics coordinator and a physicist at Princeton, told MailOnline in June.

Scientists have now gathered the evidence ahead of the International Conference on High Energy Physics (ICHEP) that will begin next week in Chicago.

A theoretical physicist working at CERN in Geneva told MailOnline the official results will be revealed at the end of next week.

But the source said the signal has not been confirmed by experiments starting from April this year.

Two of the detectors, ATLAS and CMS, were searching for new physics by counting particle decays that ended up in two photons.

Measuring photons is a good method for detecting new physics because photons are easy to detect and physicists know what to expect in terms of results from background events.

They both separately saw photons with a combined energy of 750 GeV.

When particles decay into photons, they release energy equivalent to their mass multiplied by the speed of light squared.

We're all familiar with Einstein's most famous equation, and this observation is it in action. This means the particle that produced these photons is an as yet unknown with this exact amount of energy in the form of its mass.

'It weighs about 750 GeV, corresponding to about six times heavier than the Higgs boson, and almost 800 times heavier than the proton,' said Ellis.

But some scientists were skeptical all along.

'I don't see any statistically significant bump/signal/particle in last year's data,' Patrick Janot from the CERN physics department told MailOnline.

'When you do 1000+ analyses, it would be totally unnatural - and actually suspicious - not to see one with a 3 sigma excess.

'The new data might confirm, or not, my impression. Either way, it'll be announced at CERN shortly before the ICHEP conference.'

This new particle, if it existed, was not predicted by the Standard Model, so would open up physicists to a whole new unexplored world and could lead to the discovery of a new set of particles.

In December last year the two observations, in the ATLAS and CMS detectors, hinted at a new particle six times heavier than the Higgs boson. The LHC will start making more collisions next month, April 2016, and experts can expect confirmation or refutation in the summer

Finding a particle like this would be exciting because the Standard Model has left some questions unanswered for years, so scientists are keen to break free of it and find new theories.

It can't explain gravity, for example, because it is incompatible with our best explanation of how gravity works - general relativity, nor does it explain dark matter particles.

A separate study published today offered a different explanation to these 750GeV signals.

'This was a very surprising announcement and a puzzle at the same time, because the lifetime and mass of the particle could reveal something else beyond simply one extra particle, if it turns out to be a real signal,' said Professor Kyoungchul Kong, associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas.

'Yet we do not claim this as a discovery, and we need more data.'

The group suggested instead of a single particle decaying to produce the 750GeV signal, the researchers suggest there is a series of different particles.

'Every explanation of the 750 GeV excess needs a new particle. Most models assume one around 750 GeV.'

Rather than basing his theory on the existence of a 'resonance' particle with a straightforwardly corresponding mass to trigger the 750 GeV signal, Professor Kong's paper proposes a sequence of particlesat different masses, without one at 750 GeV.

Other researchers at CERN told MailOnline the idea could be proven or dispelled with further tests.

'This theory is rather speculative, and personally I would not pay it much attention,' one physicist said. 'To the extent that it does not predict a narrow peak, it could be tested.'

Professor Janot told MailOnline 'their explanation is as interesting as many others,' but added further tests could tell whether the theory is correct.
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As their neon lights blinkered enticingly across the highway, motels offered the Baby Boomer generation a symbol of fun in an era of civil tension and political change.

Embracing the freedom of the road that early automobiles offered, American holidaymakers in the 1960s could enjoy weekend escapes in glamorous accommodation that boasted swimming pools, diners and even gyms.

Illustrating the modcons and comforts of the age, a postcard of a motel interior reveals an early television as the centre piece of a brown bedroom decorated with pops of citrus-coloured bed sheets and trendy chairs.

In dazzling vintage images, in which Don Draper would not look out of place, motel guests can be seen lounging by the pool in bathing suits and high-waist swim shorts. And a formally dressed hotel audience are captured watching a dance performance from girls dressed in Hawaiian style grass skirts.

Popularised by Elvis Presley and greater airline connectivity, Hawaii and tiki-culture heavily-influenced the tourism industry of the age and the islands were the most desirable destination in the United States to vacation.

Driven by their kitsch appeal, some holidaymakers are now trying to revive the faded motel industry which has dwindled in popularity in recent years. These vibrant snapshots offer a glimpse back in time to the glory days of motels.

A young couple walks past the Aloha Motel (left) and two women in bathing suits play shuffleboard in the Cavalier Motel courtyard (right)

Motel guests lounging by the pool in bathing suits and high-waist swim shorts at Belvedere Manor circa 1960

A family eats breakfast together while on vacation at the Grand Motel in Myrtle Beach in 1960. Their wooden clad room offers beachside views and is decorated with trendy geometric patterned curtains

Illustrating the modcons and comforts of the age, this postcard of the interior of Hyatt Chalet Motel from 1964 reveals an early TV as the centre piece of a brown bedroom decorated with pops of citrus-coloured bed sheets and chairs

Guests at the Hawaiian Village Resort enjoying a hula dance in the hotel's lounge. Popularised by Elvis Presley and greater airline connectivity, Hawaii and tiki-culture heavily-influenced the tourism industry of the age and the islands were the most desirable destination in the United States to vacation

Healthy holiday: Guests working out in the South Winds Motel gym with a fitness trainer, a bike and weights

Idyllic roadside hubs: Holidaymakers relax by a pool under a large neon sign at the Town and Country Motel circa 1960

Diner-style eatery: This kitsch coffee shop has seats upholstered in green and yellow leather at the Twin Tower Motel in Pocomoke, Maryland

Beacon on the highway: A neon sign invites guests to the Park Plaza Motel. Vintage autos are parked at the entrance

These vibrant snapshots offer a glimpse back in time to the glory days of motels. Above is the Town and Country Motel
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A New York-based design firm has envisioned a 360ft superyacht with a superstructure made of one-way glass.

The concept yacht, called Halcyon, would have the bells and whistles that billionaire owners have come to love and expect, but it would stand out from everything else on the water thanks to its unique shell.

On-board amenities would include his-and-hers saunas in the owner's suite, and two glass-bottom swimming pools, two infinity hot tubs, a casino and spa that everyone would be able to access.

The concept yacht, called Halcyon, would have the bells and whistles that billionaires have come to love and expect

The 360ft superyacht would have two glass-bottom swimming pools which would be connected by a waterfall

An on-board garage has enough space to store tenders, an ICON plane or a mini submarine, said Gill Schmid Design

The superstructure comprises floor-to-ceiling undulated glazing to provide maximum privacy for the owner and guests

Designed for a private client by Gill Schmid Design, Halcyon explores the possibilities of using glass and glazing with a superstructure comprising floor-to-ceiling undulated glazing (a combination of white glass and reflective glass) to provide maximum privacy for the owner and guests.

The one-way glass would be transparent from the inside and opaque from the outside, with a monochrome effect.

Halcyon would have two glass-bottom swimming pools - one on the main deck and on the upper deck - which would be connected by a waterfall which flows through a rectangular opening.

The design calls for louvered 'gill' glass doors on the main deck to create a deep inside and outside space around the main pool.

The one-way glass would be transparent from the inside and opaque from the outside, with a monochrome effect

The superyacht would accommodate 18 passengers in an owner's suite, two VIP suites and six guest suites

On-board amenities would include his-and-hers saunas in the owner's suite and two infinity hot tubs

In addition to the owner's suite, the superyacht would have six guest and two VIP suites, allowing it to accommodate 18 people. It would also have quarters for 37 crew.

Other features include a front-facing formal dining area with panoramic views, a lounge and cocktail bar and retractable front-facing glass facade on the observatory deck, which has a helipad.

If a second helicopter has to land on the vessel, there is a retractable touch-and-go landing pad on the main deck between the two Jacuzzis.

Other features include a front-facing formal dining area with panoramic views, and a lounge and cocktail bar

The superyacht has a retractable front-facing glass facade on the observatory deck, which has a helipad

When they're not sunning themselves on the exterior decks, guests could pass the time in a casino, spa or gym

An on-board garage has enough space to store tenders, an ICON plane or a mini submarine, said Gill Schmid Design.

The firm was founded by architects Alistair Gill, from the UK, and Veronika Schmid, who has split her time between Austria, Germany and the US.
She's been confident of winning Richie Strahan's heart since she first walked into the Bachelor mansion.

But after the roller coaster Keira Maguire has been on since it was revealed she was born into a polygamous cult, she is wishing she never signed up.

'Joining The Bachelor was always a dream for Keira, but now she's telling people the show has totally ruined her life,' an anonymous friend told NW magazine.

'It totally ruined her life': Keira Maguire has reportedly told friends being on The Bachelor has ruined her life after revelations of her life in a cult

This is despite the blonde applying to go on the show not once but twice.

In fact Richie wasn't even the first leading man to catch her eye, as it is revealed she applied for the first season, starring Tim Robards.

The 29-year-old was said to be 'on to it like a rash' as soon as the show came to Australia, having been a big fan of the American version.

Once she saw The Bachelorette, however, she knew who she wanted: 'I was like, "please don't win, Richie, I want you!" '

'I was on it like a rash': A big fan of the U.S. version, Keira applied for the first season starring Tim Robards (left) but was after Richie Strahan (right) since seeing him on The Bachelorette

Meanwhile, the 'villain' of the show has struggled with competing with 21 other women for Richie's affections.

'I was unprepared for what I was in for. I didn't really think about the fact that I was going and competing against all these girls - everyone had strong personalities,' she told TV Week.

The Lara Bingle lookalike also admitted she 'felt alone at times' and 'didn't know who to trust'.

Dark past: The Bachelor star Keira broke down in tears when she revealed she did not know who her mother was until she was five because of her upbringing in a cult

It seems she made some friends though, as former rivals including Aimee Psellos, Sasha Zhuravlyova, Georgia Tripos, Laura Williams and Tolyna Baan have rallied around her since her teary appearance on The Project last week.

She has appeared much more chirpy this week, having boozy nights out with friends and this morning posing in a sexy high-cut red one-piece swimsuit.

In her interview with Carrie Bickmore, she revealed she did not know who her mother was until she was five because of her upbringing in a cult.

Second thoughts: Her regrets come despite it being a longstanding dream of hers to be on The Bachelor

Keira said she kept the truth of how she was raised in the polygamous sect - headed by her convicted paedophile father Alistah Laishkochav - secret from producers.

She said she did not tell people - even boyfriends - about her unusual childhood with 63 siblings because she feared she would be judged.

'I didn't know who my mum was until I was five. It sounds strange, but it just is what it is,' Keira told the show.

'I didn't even have birthdays. I think I had my first birthday when I was seven. For other people, it might be really sad. But it's not, because it's my story.'

Revelation: Keira's mother, Michelle, fled the group with her six children in 1993 when Keira was just five-years-old

Keira was born at the cult's Bells Beach commune 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.

Footage taken in 1992, which showed Michelle defending her decision to live as part of Laishkochav's harem, was aired on A Current Affair on last week.

Fighting back tears, Keira said: 'My mum would be devastated that they're showing this again.

Secret: The reality TV starlet, 29, kept the truth of how she was raised in the sect - headed by her convicted paedophile father Alistah Laishkochav - secret from producers

'When I saw my mum on TV, it was very confronting. That really upset me. I knew she didn't want to be there.

'She was the same age I am today when I saw her there. That was very confronting.'

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.

Depraved: Alistah (pictured), who was at the head of the polygamous cult where Bachelor star Keira was raised, boasted about his ability to satisfy five women a night

The outspoken star said she always knew she was 'different', but was too scared to open up about her past.

'I kind of knew that I was different. I didn't want to tell people because I didn't want to be judged.

'Even in relationships with guys, I never opened up about it because I didn't want them to judge me because I'm not normal.'

Her biggest secret: The social media star kept her extended family hidden from The Bachelor's producers

Keira told Daily Mail Australia that she has never had a relationship with Laishkochav and said the depraved cult leader does not define who she is as a person.

'My mother removed my family from that environment when I was five years old, over 25 years ago,' she said.

'I was brought up by my mother and grandmother in Brisbane in a loving, caring and compassionate household.

Cult leader: Bachelor star Keira Maguire's father Alistah (pictured) was jailed for 20 child sex offences and had 64 children with nine wives

'I had a wonderful childhood and I am extremely grateful to both my mother and grandmother for the upbringing which they provided me and my siblings.

'Although I have since met and reunited with my family, I have never had a relationship with Alistah Laishkochav.

' Alistah Laishkochav is not relevant to who I am nor does he define me.'

'He does not define me': Keira said she never had a relationship with her cult leader father
Margot Robbie, 26, may have recently dismissed claims that she has secretly tied the knot with boyfriend British film director Tom Ackerley.

But according to Woman's Day, a friend insists: 'It is well known within their friendship group that they got married - people refer to them as husband and wife.

'Their own friends talk about it to other people. They did it on the down-low, without many people around them,' they added.

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Not just yet: Margot Robbie has dismissed claims that she has secretly tied the knot with boyfriend Tom Ackerley by insisting she is too busy to get married

Tied the knot: According to friends, Margot Robbie, 26, is definitely married: 'people refer to them as husband and wife'

The couple sparked rumours of a secret marriage after they were seen wearing matching gold bands while Margot filmed Suicide Squad in Toronto last June.

Another source also claimed to the magazine: 'They don't like to court publicity and they kept the early days of their relationship quiet too.'

The actress's mother Sarie Kessler, 60, told Daily Mail Australia earlier in August: 'Margot would have said something if she had.'

Speaking from her home near Dalby, in Queensland, the physiotherapist added: 'She loves Tom, he's the one, he's the man in her life, he's a gorgeous and delightful person.

Busted: Margot Robbie looked to be wearing a ring on her wedding finger as she appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in June

Did he put a ring on it? The couple sent the rumour mill into overdrive earlier this year when they were seen sporting identical gold bands on their wedding fingers

'I got drunk and she got lucky!' The film director previously joked he only started dating Margot because he was drunk at the time

In demand: Margot insists her busy schedule has left her with no time to even think about getting engaged and settling down

'They were friends and met while she was living in London, five friends together rented a house in Clapham, they loved it,' she said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted a representative of Margot for comment in response to the recent claims.

Margot met Tom on the set of the World War II drama Suite Francaise in 2013, and she admits he changed her mind about relationships.

She previously told Vogue: '(Before we met) I was the ultimate single gal. The idea of relationships made me want to vomit. And then this crept up on me.

Smitten: Margot, 26, met the assistant director on the set of the World War II drama Suite Francaise in 2013

'We were friends for so long. I was always in love with him, but I thought, 'Oh, he would never love me back. Don't make it weird, Margot. Don't be stupid and tell him that you like him.'

'And then it happened, and I was like, 'Of course we're together. This makes so much sense, the way nothing has ever made sense before.''

Although she now splits her time between Los Angeles and London, Margot recently insisted she would love to move back to her Gold Coast hometown in Queensland if she was to have a family.

Speaking on Australian chat show The Project, she said: 'Yes, the kids will be in Australia.'

And she admitted Tom would be happy to relocate if necessary in the future, adding: 'He loves Australia. He's like, 'I don't know why anyone leaves Australia!''
Her ex-fiance Scott Disick was pictured partying at a Sin City nightclub on Friday.

Kourtney Kardashian held her head up high as she took her three children to church on Sunday to Zoe Church's services at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles.

The 37-year-old had her hands full too and was spotted carrying son Reign while keeping an eye on her other son Mason and daughter Penelope who followed close behind.

Keeping the faith: On Sunday, Kourtney Kardashian was spotted taking her three children to Zoe Church services at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star managed to look glamorous in pink-rimmed sunglasses with a pale pink dress.

Given her destination, no cleavage was in evidence, but the outfit was cut high enough to flash her bronzed, well-maintained legs.

She accessorised the ensemble with a black leather Hermes bag and a gleaming gold bracelet, posh touches that clashed with her black and white Converse trainers and unassuming black choker.

For much of the trip, she cradled one-year-old Reign in her arm. The third child of her tempestuous relationship with Scott Disick was born in December 2014, sharing a birthday with his eldest sibling.

Holding her head up: The 37-year-old was every bit the doting mom two days after former fiance Scott Disick was pictured partying at a Las Vegas nightclub

Doting mom: Kourtney carried Reign while keeping a close eye on Mason and Penelope

No Scott: The star's baby daddy Scott Disick was not seen accompanying her or his kids to church on Sunday

Mason had been born in 2009, his Beverly Hills delivery immortalised on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

The only female presence in the Kardashian-Disick brood arrived three years later. Penelope Scotland celebrated her fourth birthday last month.

Apparently not one to spend his weekends attending services at an Art Deco former cinema, the children's father has been out of town.

On Friday, the 33-year-old flew into Las Vegas to co-host a bash at 1 Oak with DJ Ikon - as well as to imbibe a bit himself. His VIP table bore a bottle of vodka and a clutch of Red Bull cans.

Like mother, like daughter: Kourtney and Penelope were both wearing pretty pink dresses

Bringing up baby: Kourtney's youngest child, one-year-old Reign, was born a little over half a year before his parents' most recent breakup

Before he arrived at The Mirage's swanky nightclub, he'd posted a black and white Instagram photo of himself staring out the window of his private jet. His caption read, 'Vegas I'm home! @1oaklv just landed let's get this place ready for action.'

Sin City may not technically be his place of residence, but it is certainly a frequent stop. Only two weeks prior, on July 29th, he and DJ Ikon had thrown another knees-up at 1 Oak. Disick had hosted an evening there solo in June.

The nightclub, which has recently featured such acts as Mariah Carey and Amber Rose, was also the site of the Eastport native's most recent birthday celebration, which he held there on Memorial Day.

Division of labour: Whilst Kardashian's weekend plans included church, her former partner's involved a Friday trip to Las Vegas to co-host an evening at 1 Oak with DJ Ikon

She must be used to this: The mom-of-three managed to juggle the attentions of all three children

VIP treatment: Scott was pictured holding a drink and getting rowdy next to a VIP table on which stood a bottle of vodka and Red Bulls on Friday at 1 Oak Nightclub in Las Vegas

Though he skipped Sunday church with his progeny, the father of three didn't abandon the theme entirely, having long referred to himself as the Lord - including in his Instagram handle @letthelordbewithyou.

The title became official in 2012, when on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians he travelled to London and reputedly bought himself the honourific.

The Instagram record of his most recent Vegas trip was strewn with references to the title.

Misty, watercolour memories: Kim Kardashian's elder sister met the father of her children in 2006 in the company of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis

In one photo, he turned away from the camera to reveal the word 'Lord' scrawled across the back of his black hoodie. Buxom, scantily clad women held aloft signs spelling the word out. His caption: 'No caption needed'.

Disick has been stag for over a year now. He and Kardashian had been an on-again-off-again-item since meeting in 2006 in the glittering company of Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis. Their most recent split occurred last July, though they remain collaborative co-parents.
As a lover of the ocean and the outdoors, The Bachelor's Keira Maguire is often seen wearing a swimsuit.

So it's unsurprising the bubbly blonde felt confident during a recent bikini shoot.

The 29-year-old showed off her toned figure as she slipped into a red halterneck one-piece for the magazine spread.

Red hot: The Bachelor's Keira Maguire showed off her toned figure as she stripped down to a red one-piece for a recent photo shoot

Meanwhile, on Monday, it emerged that since it was revealed she was born into a polygamous cult, Keira wished she never signed up.

'Joining The Bachelor was always a dream for Keira, but now she's telling people the show has totally ruined her life,' an anonymous friend told NW magazine.

And it seems that Richie wasn't even the first leading man to catch her eye, as she has revealed she applied for the first season, starring Tim Robards.

Keira was said to be 'on to it like a rash' as soon as the show came to Australia, having been a big fan of the American version.

Emotional: The boozy night out came after she broke down in tears recounting her years in a bizarre polygamous cult in a TV interview on Wednesday

Once she saw The Bachelorette, however, she knew who she wanted: 'I was like, "please don't win, Richie, I want you!" '

On top of the personal drama, the 'villain' of the show has struggled with competing with 21 other women for Richie's affections.

'I was unprepared for what I was in for. I didn't really think about the fact that I was going and competing against all these girls - everyone had strong personalities,' she told TV Week.

Sisters! She got another diner to take a photo of them posing at their table raising their glasses, captioning it my babes followed by a heart symbol

As will surprise no regular watcher of the show, the Lara Bingle lookalike admitted she 'felt alone at times' and 'didn't know who to trust'.

It seems she made some friends though, as former rivals including Aimee Psellos, Sasha Zhuravlyova, Georgia Tripos, Laura Williams and Tolyna Baan have rallied around her since her teary appearance on The Project last week.

She has appeared much more chirpy this week, having boozy nights out with friends and this morning posing in a sexy high-cut red one-piece swimsuit.

'Reunion': Keira kicked back with Georgia Tripos and Sasha Zhuravlyova, along with eliminated Bachelorettes Laura Williams, Aimee Psellos and Tolyna Baan in Melbourne on Tuesday

In the interview with Carrie Bickmore she revealed she did not know who her mother was until she was five because of her upbringing in a cult.

Keira said she kept the truth of how she was raised in the polygamous sect - headed by her convicted paedophile father Alistah Laishkochav - secret from producers.

She said she did not tell people - even boyfriends - about her unusual childhood with 63 siblings because she feared she would be judged.

'I didn't know who my mum was until I was five. It sounds strange, but it just is what it is,' Keira told the show.

'I didn't even have birthdays. I think I had my first birthday when I was seven. For other people, it might be really sad. But it's not, because it's my story.'

Keira was born at the cult's Bells Beach commune in Victoria which was controlled by self-styled messiah Laishkochav - who had 64 children with nine wives.

Close pals: Russian beauty Sasha, 31, later shared another snap of herself cosying up to Keira, where she gushed: 'Bachelor Besties! Sooooo good to have this babe in town!'

But her mother, Michelle, fled the group with her six children in 1993 when Keira was just five-years-old.

Footage taken in 1992, which showed Michelle defending her decision to live as part of Laishkochav's harem, was aired on A Current Affair on last week.

Fighting back tears, Keira said: 'My mum would be devastated that they're showing this again.

When I saw my mum on TV, it was very confronting. That really upset me. I knew she didn't want to be there.

'She was the same age I am today when I saw her there. That was very confronting.'

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.

'I kind of knew that I was different. I didn't want to tell people because I didn't want to be judged.

'Even in relationships with guys, I never opened up about it because I didn't want them to judge me because I'm not normal.'
What better day to wear your birthday suit.

Halle Berry celebrated turning 50 on Saturday by showing off her ageless body on Instagram.

The demi-centenarian stunner wore a completely see-through sheer white lace cloak and nothing else for the fabulous photo.

Birthday suit: Halle Berry celebrated turning 50 on Saturday by showing off her ageless body on Instagram

'With open arms I welcome 50... I'm so blessed to be here!,' she wrote.

With arms extended and eyes closed, only the light and the serendipitous folds in the flowing cloak protect the X-Men star's modesty.

Her tousled brown locks with their natural crimp blows gently around her, almost obscuring her statuesque face.

Nevertheless the smile of a 50-year-old woman who knows she looks closer to 25 is still just about visible.

Witchcraft: Even on her most laid back day, the mom-of-two looks barely out of her twenties

It's not just externally that the the actress defies age; less than three years ago she gave birth to a healthy baby boy - Maceo - at the age of 47.

She split from his father, French actor Olivier Martinez, last year after five years together, two of them married.

She also has an eight-year-old daughter, Nahla Ariela, with French Canadian model Gabriel Aubry.

The Oscar winner has recently been filming her new movie, Kingsman: The Golden Circle in London, which is scheduled for release on June 16, 2017.

She can also be seen on the big screen in Kidnap, due out December 2, playing a mother who will stop at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.

It was also announced during the summer that Daniel Craig was in talks to star with Halle, a former Bond girl, in an upcoming film about the LA Riots, titled Kings.
She has just wrapped a movie, the love of her life turned 30 and her friends tied the knot so this star has plenty to celebrate this weekend.

Amy Schumer went straight from filming duties to bridesmaid duties on Saturday.

The 35-year-old comedian took on the very serious job of bridesmaid with her boyfriend Ben Hanisch by her side.

Party time: Amy Schumer went straight from filming duties to bridesmaid duties on Saturday as she and boyfriend Ben Hanisch helped Tara Miller and Rusty Fitton celebrate their wedding in Chicago

The star was the right-hand lady to her friend Tara Miller as she married Rusty Fitton at Chicago's The Glen Club on Saturday.

Posting a picture of herself and her boyfriend with the happy couple, Amy looked like she was having a blast.

The star captioned the snap: 'Congratulations to @tara_alana and @rustolleum in the best wedding ever. Very proud to be a bmaid.'

The bride shared a similar picture, but in colour, revealing the event was a double celebration - it was also Amy's beau's birthday.

Double celebration: It was also Ben's 30th birthday so there was double the reason to party

Couldn't stop her: Amy went straight from Hawaii to Chicago having been in the island state filming her latest flick, which does not yet have a name

The newly Mrs. Fitton wrote: 'Happy 30th birthday to one of our bestest friends @benhanisch.'

Amy went straight from Hawaii to Chicago having been in the island state filming her latest flick, which does not yet have a name.

The funny lady managed to convince Goldie Hawn to come out of retirement for the film.

The movie, directed by Jonathan Levine, is slated to be released next May 12.

Big names: The funny lady managed to convince Goldie Hawn to come out of retirement for the film




Dan Ewing announced his split with wife Marni three months ago after four years of marriage.

And on Monday, the father-of-one revealed he blames himself for their separation.

Appearing on KIIS FM's Kyle & Jackie O Show, the 31-year-old admitted: 'I was a grumpy old fool and I was really hard to deal with.'

Hard times: Dan Ewing has admitted he blames himself for his split with wife Marni

The Home And Away star explained his relationship with Marni, who he shares son Archer, two with, started to collapse while they were living in the Unites States as he chased his acting dreams.

'We were in the States and I wasnt having a good time...I was just unhappy,' Dan said.

'I never said "hey you guys dont make me happy." but by being unhappy with myself, I was unhappy with them.'

Over: The 31-year-old admitted: 'I was a grumpy old fool and I was really hard to deal with'

The actor insisted 'neither of us cheated on each other' and explained his behaviour towards his family was 'the biggest regret of my life'.

'I regret not appreciating what I had. I was so concentrated on what I was going to do next and my ego and just being a typical idiot.

'I well and truly didnt appreciate what I had,' Dan added while explaining the separation has been a 'positive' learning experience for him.

Broken: The Home And Away actor insisted 'neither of us cheated on each other' and explained his behaviour towards his family was 'the biggest regret of my life'

'It is the biggest regret of my life and I would take it back in a heartbeat. But the sad part is that it has made me a much better man and father.

The father-of-one went on to gush about his estranged wife, crediting her for the success he has had on Australian television screens.

'We are still co-parenting...and I wouldnt be able to do the films or TV projects if it wasnt for Marni.

Behaviour: Dan said: 'It is the biggest regret of my life and I would take it back in a heartbeat. But the sad part is that it has made me a much better man and father'

'She is an incredible woman and I love her with all my heart.'

In May, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed Dan and Marni split after a source close to the pair revealed they had called time on their marriage months earlier.

Despite ending their romance the source insisted the pair remained on good terms.

Thoughtful: The father-of-one went on to gush about his estranged wife, saying: 'She is an incredible woman and I love her with all my heart'

The news of the split comes nearly two years after the former couple welcomed their first and only child.

In 2011, Dan was charged with assaulting his then-fiancee during a dispute at their Northern Beaches home.

According to an article published in the Sunday Telegraph at the time, police allegedly found Marni in a 'distressed' state-of-mind with 'superficial injuries to her arm'.

A statement released by the Local Area Police stated: 'A Sydney man will appear in court later this month charged with assaulting his girlfriend at their northern beaches home.

Close: Despite ending their romance the source insisted the pair remained on good terms

'At 10.45pm on Tuesday December 6, police from Manly responded to a domestic altercation at an apartment at Sydney Rd, Fairlight.

'Upon arrival officers found a 28-year-old woman in a distressed state suffering superficial injuries to her arm.

'A 26-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Manly police station where he was charged with common assault.'

The charges were later dropped by police.
Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed that her wedding day was 'one of the worst days of his life'.

The Luton-born mother-of-three was 19 when she entered into an arranged marriage with husband Abdal, just six months after they first met.

And while the couple now enjoy a loving and supportive relationship, the mother-of-three revealed that their married life did not get off to a happy start.

In a searingly honest interview as part of her new two-part BBC documentary, The Chronicles of Nadiya, the 31-year-old said she 'cried through the whole thing'.

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Love and support: Nadiya with her husband Abdal, whom she married in an arranged ceremony aged 19. The mother-of-three revealed the day was 'one of the worst of her life'

Culinary exploration: The new series (pictured) sees the reigning Bake Off champion travel from her birthplace in Luton to her family's ancestral home in a village in rural Bangladesh

Family: Nadiya with her father Jamir in a shot from the new two-part documentary

The new series sees the reigning Bake Off champion travel from her birthplace in Luton to her family's ancestral home in a village in rural Bangladesh - exploring local cuisine along the way.

It was the wedding of a distant cousin, Jasmine, that brought up the sad memories of her own big day, according to The Daily Mirror.

She says: 'I have to say my wedding day was one of the worst days of my life.

'One of the unspoken rules is as a bride you have to behave submissively and look downcast.'

And it seems the whole of her big day passed without her smiling once, as she felt uncomfortable with putting on a 'show'.

'I was an emotional wreck and I cried through the whole thing,' explained Nadiya. 'I didnt smile very much.'

Bring husband to work day !! pic.twitter.com/5WiJgn87bF  Nadiya Jamir Hussain (@BegumNadiya) June 15, 2016

Vibrant: Nadiya will introduce viewers to the flavours of her family's ancestral home

The culinary writer added she though it was 'bizarre' for people to make a bride feel that she should be 'unhappy' on her wedding day.

But fortunately her marriage to Abdal had a happy ending as the couple have gone on to find love and enjoy a successful marriage.

Speaking to the Daily Mail's Sebastian Shakespeare in June, Nadiya said of the couple's union: 'Marriage isn't easy, especially when you don't know each other very well. We got married six months after meeting.

Accomplished: Nadiya was selected to bake a cake for the Queen's 90th birthday, pictured

Reliving the big day: Nadiya baked the wedding cake she never had on the Great British Bake Off. Pictured, the moment she beat Tamal Ray and Ian Cumming (left) to win

Lasting love: The wedding cake that Nadiya baked in the final round of the TV competition

'There were definitely times when I could have said: "I'm done. I'm not enjoying this any more." But we've always been very happy. We're one of the lucky ones.'

She also revealed earlier this year that she and Abdal were considering tying the knot in Britain, 11 years after they first wed.

She said: 'Were married Islamically but weve never done the proper vows here. So were talking about making it all "official". Its a great excuse for a party.'
He has a passion for bringing together all types of talent.

And on Saturday, Joseph Gordon-Levitt struck chords again - literally - as he jammed out on a drum set in the middle of a subway.

The 35-year-old actor posted the video to his Facebook page, urging others to do the same, as part of his Everyday, Spectacular project for his HitRecord production company.

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Underground rockstar: Joseph Gordon-Levitt posted a video on Saturday of him jamming out on the drums in the middle of the Subway station in light of his new project, Everyday Spectacular

Dressed in a slick, black-and-white suit, the Don Jon actor set up his his blue swanky drum set in the middle of the station.

He was seen playing the instrument on top of a bright red mat, which matched the logo of his HitRecord company.

While only a few passersby seemed to notice it was the actor, the rest appeared busy commuting to their next stop as Joseph rocked out to the music, adding a bit of shouting as he played.

Suit-and-tie: Dressed in a handsome attire, the 35-year-old actor played some tunes for the commuters, who appeared to not notice the actor

One commuter towards the end even said he resembled Pee-wee Herman.

The self-taught drummer posted the video to his 6 million followers on Facebook with the caption: 'I played the drums (in a subway) for our 'Everyday, Spectacular' project - now, where are all you musicians gonna play your instruments? #LGxHR.'

Adding: 'Do you play Bass, Percussion, Horns - or any other kind of musical instrument? I'm looking for musicians (and vocalists, too!) to perform on this track w/ me.'

Everyday, Spectacular: As part of his production company, HitRecord, Joseph has partnered with LG to urge others to post their talent, whether it is singing, dancing, or performing, as part of a huge collaborative project

Founded in 2004, HitRecord has partnered with LG once again on a new project, which Joseph explained on his website is making 'a spectacular moment' out of an everyday situation whether it is dancing, singing, or playing music.

In the end, the goal is to have 'a big, vibrant, beautiful, spectacular collaborative piece of art.'

The 300 Days of Summer actor added that his company will also send out LG devices to members of the community to film, though anyone and everyone is encouraged.

Take part! The 50/50 actor tweeted out his project saying: 'I asked you guys to play music in public. For my part I played drums in a subway'

Hit Record! The father-of-one has been active with his production company - since he founded it in 2004 - to encourage anyone and everyone to showcase their talents

This project marks one of the many ongoing collaborations the creative actor has under his company, including writing challenges.

Along with keeping busy with his production company and his nearly one-year-old son with wife Tasha McCauley, the 50/50 actor will star in the upcoming Oliver Stone-directed biopic, Snowden.
This star knows how to come out Victorious when taking on Florida's heat.

Victoria Justice took a minimal approach dressing as she attended an event in Miami on Saturday.

The 23-year-old beat the heat as she partied it up at Soap & Glory's Beauty Boudoir at Mack-a-poolooza Festival.

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Beating the heat: Victoria Justice took a minimal approach dressing in Miami on Saturday at Soap & Glory's Beauty Boudoir at Mack-a-poolooza Festival

The Rocky Horror Picture Show star knows a thing or two about Florida's hot temperatures having being born in nearby Hollywood, Florida, so rocked a crop look to the beauty event.

The actress stepped out at the party at Fontainebleau Miami Beach wearing a white crocheted triangle halter top which was perfect for staying cool and showing off her toned tum.

The Nickelodeon star paired the stomach-baring top with a knee-length distressed denim skirt from Australian label One Teaspoon.

She then accessorized the look with a straw hat with beaded band and a pair of extremely tall tan suede platforms from chain store Aldo.

Not an inch to pinch: The actress stepped out at the party at Fontainebleau Miami Beach wearing a white crocheted triangle halter top which was perfect for staying cool and showing off her toned tum

Ab-tastic: The Nickelodeon star (pictured iwth a pal) paired the stomach-baring top with a knee-length distressed denim skirt from Australian label One Teaspoon

Added extras: She accessorized the look with a straw hat with beaded band and a pair of extremely tall tan suede platforms from chain store Aldo

Victoria obviously liked what she saw at the makeup event, stopping to try out one of the brand's lipsticks.

The actress is not doubt glad to have a chance to kick up her platform heels for a little bit as she has been very busy preparing for next next big role.

Victoria is playing Janet Weiss in the Rocky Horror Picture Show remake.

The film which also stars Laverne Cox is set to hit television screens in October.
Australian Survivor contestant, El Rowland, has already gone through some personal battles of her own.

Before signing up for the show, the 33-year-old army corporal and charity worker suffered from postnatal depression four years ago, after the birth of her son Darcy.

'It was life-changing. I went to a really, really dark place and was having silent panic attacks.' El revealed to Woman's Day.

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Tormented: Australian Survivor Contestant, El, 33, reveals she has suffered from post natal depression and has gone to 'A really, really dark place.'

'I got put on anti-depressants and everything got worse before it got better. I felt completely stripped of my identity,' she confessed.

El, who has split from her husband since has dedicated her life to helping others. The single-mum has now founded two charities and has been nominated for Australian of the Year in April.

She has represented the armed forces to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and describes herself as a free spirit who is finely balanced between a dainty girl and a tough, fit warrior.

Her move to the show was her opportunity to go to the next stage in her life.

Supermum: El poses for a pic with her four-year-old son Darcy

In good faith: The single mum, who has split from her husband since has dedicated her life to helping others. She has now founded two charities and has been nominated for Australian of the Year in April

'I thrive on new goals and challenges and I wanted to prove to myself I could do it. Post natal depression will always leave a scar but I feel stronger than ever and I'm in a really good place,' the contestant admits.

The new Australian Survivor airs on Channel 10 and El will compete with 23 other contestants marooned in Samoa for 55 days. The winner takes home a prize of $500,000.

The brunette beauty hopes her army training and her inner strength will prove as an asset on the show.

In the army: The charity worker has represented the armed forces to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
It's been a very big year for House Husband star Gyton Grantley.

On a professional front, he has left the popular series to chase the bright lights of Hollywood and on a personal front, he became both a husband and a father.

The latter was a little earlier than expected with the 36-year-old announcing on Monday the arrival of his first child, telling fans Rocco "Rocky" James Grantley arrived five weeks premature.

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Early arrival! Gyton Grantley shared news of his son's birth with a sweet snap posted to Instagram on Monday, revealing little Rocco arrived five weeks earlier than planned

Alongside a beautiful black-and-white photo of the actor holding his newborn son's tiny hand, he detailed that his wife, Alex Ortuso, gave birth last Wednesday.

The actor also told his 12,000 followers: 'I [got] quite a shock but all is well and he is growing like a champion! It's a whole new world. Cant wait!'

Ahead of their impending arrival, the couple have been sharing photos on social media, with Gyton jokingly captioning a bikini photo of his wife as: 'My wife has got to lay off the parppadelle!'

The couple married in April in a secret ceremony surrounded by family and friends in Byron Bay.

It was there the pair announced they were also expecting their first child.

'Stunning night': The House Husbands star and his wife Alex Ortuso made their red carpet debut since announcing their pregnancy at the opera in Melbourne in April

'My wife has got to lay off the parppadelle!' The couple excitedly shared progress photos with fans on social media

They later shared the news in Woman's Day before the newlyweds made their red carpet debut since their pregnancy announcement at Opera Australia's La Boheme in Melbourne.

Alex's burgeoning baby bump was hard to miss miss as the brunette beauty donned a clinging knee-length khaki dress and seemed comfortable in heels.

While Gyton looked dapper in a tuxedo and tenderly placed his hand over Alex's belly.

Posting a photo from the red carpet to Instagram after their night out on the town, the actor gushed: 'Stunning night with my stunning wife!'

The post was met with many messages of congratulations for the couple of over five years.

A day to celebrate: The House Husband's star and his wife revealed they were expecting their first child together to family and friends during their nuptial celebrations in April

Loved-up: The couple married in an intimate ceremony in Byron Bay after over five years of dating

When revealing their news in the magazine, Alex revealed, 'We are both so excited to be welcoming a baby in September'.

The 30-year-old teacher went on to gush with excitement about the couple's latest addition before explaining her actor husband was still in shock with 'how small they [babies] are'.

'I don't think he's ever seen a baby,' she laughed to the publication.

But that wasn't the only secret they kept from their close family and friends during their wedding day.

'I don't think he's ever seen a baby': Alex laughed in an interview with Woman's Day about her actor hubby's lack of experience with babies

The pair also announced that they had said their 'I dos' weeks beforehand during a visit to a registry in Melbourne.

'We had a small ceremony in Melbourne, so this second wedding was about sharing it with all our friends and family,' Gyton explained.

Despite it being the pair's second time reading out their vows, the actor admitted to shedding a tear once he saw Alex walk down the aisle in her custom-made Fiona Claire dress.

Full of surprises: The couple also revealed on the day that they had said their 'I dos' weeks beforehand during a visit to a registry in Melbourne

'I started to tear up, but I brushed them away because Alex told me she wasn't going to marry a princess,' he laughed.

While the couple went above and beyond to celebrate their relationship for the second time, Gyton's co-star and close friend Julia Morris received the honour to be the pair's 'unofficial' celebrant.

Fellow House Husband star's Darren McMullen, Gary Sweet, Rhys Muldoon and American actress Crystal Reed were part of the 170 guests who attended the special day.

Spotlight: Gyton's co-star and close friend Julia Morris received the honour to be the pair's 'unofficial' celebrant on their big day (pictured here with fellow House Husband's star Gary Sweet who was a guest)

Gyton dropped to one knee and popped the question while the pair were on holidays in Burano, Italy, last year.

The pair first met at the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland in 2010 and immediately hit it off, spending the whole day together before going their separate ways.

A few months later, Gyton landed his role in the Nine Network drama and moved to Melbourne to begin filming and wound up moving into the same street as Alex.
If it involves wonderful food, pampering treatments and more, Jennifer Lopez might be inclined to make a beeline.

The 47-year-old entertainer looked ready for a day of beautiful fun as she hit up the annual InStyle Day Of Indulgence event in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Jennifer looked regal and hip in a blue denim Majorelle jumpsuit featuring a zippered front and short sleeves along with flaring trousers that fluttered to the tops of her golden shoes.

Beauty day: Jennifer Lopez indulged in a day of pampering at InStyle Day Of Indulgence event in LA's Brentwood area on Sunday

The American Idol was seen arriving to the afternoon party hosted by film and television producer Jennifer Klein with a fresh face.

She carried a large soft bag that gave her one-tone outfit an interesting contrast.

Jennifer wore her brown hair pulled up tight into a bun on top of her head, which seemed to make her curving cheekbones stand out.

Results: The 47-year-old singer-actress was shining as she emerged a while later

Denim darling: Jennifer looked comfortably chic in a denim jumpsuit from label Majorelle available on Revolve with golden heels

Fit and flare: The star's becomingly blue jumpsuit fit her snugly around the waistline but flared out to her heels

Perfection: Jennifer's face was perfectly made up with red lipstick and bronzer

She was seen a little while later leaving with what looked like a goodie bag filled with precious lotions and potions and other skin care products.

Jennifer wasn't the only one indulging in what Day Of Indulgence had to offer.

Olivia Munn strut her long toned legs across the street towards the private residence while clad in a clingy black patterned skirt and little white blouse and high heels.

Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars was a pretty lady in a little black dress and black ankle-strapped flats.

Walk this way: Olivia Munn stopped traffic in her mini skirt and heels as she made her way to the party

Lovely to look at: Pretty Little Liars' Lucy Hale was looking pretty fantastic in her LBD while Melissa Benoist was ladylike in a Madewell denim skirt with white sleeveless blouse

Navy belle: Elizabeth Olsen was looking comfortably cool in a loosely fitting navy long dress

Super girl: Amy Adams got her fill at the party judging by the bags she was carrying

Coral hues: Shay Mitchell exuded elegance in a coral-printed maxi dress with leg-baring split while Isla Fisher was a bright sight in her pleated frock

Melissa Benoist was ladylike in a blue denim pencil-style skirt with white sleeveless blouse.

Elizabeth Olsen was also among the stars who just had to be there, looking comfortably cool in a loosely fitting navy long dress.

Amy Adams, who showed off a patterned dress and beige sandals, got her fill at the party judging by the bags she was carrying.

Petals: Haley Bennett glided by in a black and white petal-patterned dress with ballet flats

Happy go lucky: Anna Faris could barely contain her excitement as she arrived to the bash

They got some too: Game Of Thrones beauty Sophie Turner came away with some treasures and Lea Michele did too judging by that wide smile

No Scandal here: Kerry Washington looked gorgeous in a ruffled off-the-shoulder jumpusuit

Siren call: Katharine McPhee hit a high note in her classy black dress and laced stilettos

Isla Fisher was a bright sight in her pleated frock while Shay Mitchell exuded elegance in a coral-printed maxi dress with leg-baring split.

Haley Bennett glided by in a black and white petal-patterned dress with ballet flats.

Anna Faris could barely contain her excitement as she arrived to the bash.

Game Of Thrones beauty Sophie Turner came away with some treasures, looking lovely in a blue dress with black crop top exposed.

Don't be late: Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard didn't want to miss the fun happening at the event hosted once again by film and TV producer Jennifer Klein

She's ripped: Rachel Roy was the essence of cool in her trendy ripped jeans and long flowing white coat

Scream Queens star Lea Michele did too judging by that wide smile on her face as she left carrying a large white bag.

Lea carried on her stylish trend in blush-coloured trousers, white top and denim jacket.

Kerry Washington looked gorgeous in a ruffled off-the-shoulder jumpsuit.

Mom is here: Mom star Allison Janney took time out on Sunday to hit up the star-packed bash

Katharine McPhee hit a high note in her classy black dress and laced stilettos.

Bryce Dallas Howard didn't want to miss the fun happening at the event, and looked chic in a green top over a lacy skirt.

Rachel Roy was the essence of cool in her trendy ripped jeans and long flowing white coat.
There's nothing she likes better than to hit the town with the girls.

While many Hollywood stars like to be seen frequenting late night hotspots, Denise Richards prefers the company of her three gorgeous daughters.

The 45-year-old was spotted out shopping in Malibu on Sunday with Sam, Lola and Eloise.

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Hot mom: Denise Richards showed off her svelte frame as she took her three daughters shopping in Malibu

The actress showed off her svelte frame in a pair of denim cutoff shorts and a grey tank top, finishing her beachy look with shades and flip-flops.

Her girls are all obviously fans of their mom's style, opting for similar outfits, but with each adding their own personalised touches.

Denise shares 12-year-old Sam J and 11-year-old Lola Rose with their father Charlie Sheen; five-year-old Eloise she adopted from birth as a single parent after she split from Sheen.

laid back: The actress showed off her svelte frame in a pair of denim cutoff shorts and a grey tank top, finishing her beachy look with shades and flip-flops

Denise and Charlie tied the knot in June 2002, and Denise filed for divorce while pregnant with Sam.

The couple reconciled but later broke up once again and finalised their divorce in 2006.

Although Denise has yet to publicly comment on Charlie's revelation in November that he is HIV positive, reports have claimed she was aware 'for a number of years'.

Copycats: Her girls are all obviously fans of their mom's style, opting for similar outfits, but with each adding their own personalised touches

Richards shot to fame in the late 1990s, Starring in Starship Troopers, Wild Things, Drop Dead Gorgeous and The World Is Not Enough one after another.

After a quieter few years, the actress has a busy schedule ahead, with the release of American Satan opposite Malcom McDowell later this year.

While in 2017 she has Altitude, The Anatomy Of A Murder and Adi Shankar's Gods and Secrets all lined up for release.
She's been busy promoting her new ABC comedy series Speechless.

But on Sunday, Minnie Driver decided to make room for some down time as she spent her Sunday with boyfriend Neville Wakefield in Malibu, California.

The couple - who have been dating for six months - were seen cuddling up together and slathering sunscreen on each other as they relaxed at the posh beach.

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Whatcha looking at? Minnie Driver and boyfriend Neville Wakefield spent their Sunday in Malibu sunbathing on the beach together

The 46-year-old actress showed off her natural appearance in a make-up free look as her brunette tresses were styled in loose waves.

Minnie opted for a white, half-sleeve shirt, adorned with blue patterns along the front, and paired it with coral-colored orange shorts, showcasing her toned pins.

As the day went on, the pretty brunette slipped them off, displaying a blue-and-white striped bottom bikini.

Touchy feeling: The Good Will Hunting actress wore striped bikini bottoms as the pair relaxed in the sun

Helping hand: The 46-year-old rubbed some sunscreen on her writer beau

Sunday Funday: The couple shared some laughs with other beach goers

The Good Will Hunting actress was seen embracing Neville's shoulder as he sat shirtless, flaunting his muscular body.

The 52-year-old sported grey-blue swimming shorts and reflective sunglasses to block from the sun.

The couple first made their romantic public appearance at New York Fashion Week in February 2015.

Neville - a writer and well-known art curator - has two teenage sons, Atticus and Jackson, with his ex-wife and former Vogue fashion editor Camilla Nickerson. The couple split in 2004 after 10 years of marriage.

Minnie raises her six-year-old son Henry with former boyfriend and television writer, Timothy J Lea.

Take the call: The Speechless star wore a white T-shirt, adorned with blue patterns, and a blue-and-white striped bikini

Minnie and Neville were also joined by friends Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane as the group grabbed lunch in Malibu.

The About a Boy actress donned a different outfit for her outing as she wore a low-cut, red and white flowy dress accompanied with a large red purse.

Rebecca and Eric - who both sported casual outfits - have been married since 2004 and are parents to five-year-old Billie and four-year-old Georgia.
She was seen snapping at 60 Minutes reporter Allison Langdon for questioning the timing of her cancer diagnosis in a preview on Sunday.

But Roxy Jackenko isn't letting the confronting interview affect her Hong Kong holiday with her children.

The 36-year-old PR maven was seen enjoying a cruise with her four-year-old daughter Pixie and two-year-old son Hunter Curtis on Monday.

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Family fun! Roxy Jacenko brushed off the recent 60 Minutes interview as she continued to enjoy her getaway with her children

A photo taken of Roxy and her two kids was posted on Hunter's popular Instagram account along with the caption: 'Today I am thankful I am a competent swimmer. If this ferry manages to make the crossing we will be lucky.'

All three were in high spirits as they smiled for the camera with the waters of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour behind them.

Hunter was sporting a green-and-black striped bib while his sister was dressed in a bejewelled T-shirt and denim shorts.

Cute! Pixie, four, and Hunter, two looked adorable as they enjoyed a cruise on the Hong Kong harbour

Another snap shared on Pixie's account to her 110,000 followers showed the tiny siblings cracking a huge smile as they posed for the camera.

Her ginger locks were pulled back into a ponytail and she was sporting a blue bow from her collection, Pixie's Bows.

Roxy - who is set to undergo radiation therapy to treat breast cancer - is currently enjoying a well-deserved break with her kids.

Cheeky: Little Hunter was beaming as he donned a green-and-black striped bib for the cruise

It also marks the family's first overseas trip without Roxy's husband Oliver, who was found guilty of insider trading in June.

On Sunday night, Roxy appeared in a 60 Minutes promo ahead of her interview, which is set to air next week.

Things got heated when presenter Allison Langdon questioned the PR boss about 'cynicism' surrounding her cancer news.

Defiant: PR queen Roxy hit back at 60 Minutes presenter Allison Langdon after the journalist suggested there was 'cynicism' over her breast cancer diagnosis

Heated exchange: Her outburst came after Allison told Roxy many 'normal' people questioned the timing of her cancer battle

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.

'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.'
Sonja Morgan revealed on Watch What Happens Live on Sunday that she's done dating younger men, while Teresa Giudice offered up prison sex secrets.

The 52-year-old star of The Real Housewives Of New York City, who underwent a procedure to tighten and lubricate her private parts, opened up about her love life and joked that her 'rejuvenated' vagina was not being put to the test.

'It's kind of an oxymoron,' Sonja quipped. 'I had the thing resurfaced and it's not getting too much action because I stopped seeing younger guys.

Dating change: Sonja Morgan revealed that she's stopped dating younger men during an appearance on Sunday on Watch What Happens Live

'When you date guys your age, the three date rule goes out the window. You don't really move so fast with guys your age because that's a more serious thing. I have a reputation to maintain,' Sonja said.

Sonja spoke about her change in dating strategy while appearing on the Bravo chat show alongside Teresa Giudice, 44, of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey.

Sonja, meanwhile, said she was still upset with old flame Thomas D'Agostino Jr. for dating her friends Ramona and Luann.

She explained: 'I'm still mad at Tom. He's my friend. I'm entitled to be a little mad at him. We've known each other for 10 years and we're good friends. He's not 'fessing up to the whole truth.'

While Sonja spoke about her dating situation, Teresa was asked about the 11-month prison sentence she served after committing fraud.

Asked why she regularly referred to prison as 'camp', she explained: 'Where I was it was called Danbury Prison Camp and I don't like the word prison.

Sex secrets: Teresa Giudice also shared prison sex secrets on the Bravo chat show

'I wasn't in a cell, there were no bars and I wasn't caged in. It really looked like a camp. That's the facility where I was,' Teresa said.

Asked whether she thought the word 'camp' downplayed the severity of her situation, she protested: 'I've been away from my kids for 11 and a half months so nobody should even ask me that.'

Teresa said her husband Joe, who is currently serving his prison sentence, was 'doing great' before quickly adding 'as well as expected'.

In the clubhouse: Chat show host Andy Cohen welcomed Teresa and Sonja into the Bravo clubhouse

The mother-of-four revealed she visits Joe every week and nodded when asked if he had lost weight behind bars.

'He looks like you,' she told host Andy Cohen.

The Housewives star told Andy that she and Joe had paid back all the money they owed.

Paid off: Teresa told Andy that she and husband Joe had paid off the money they owed the government

When asked how they were able to keep their house, she said: 'Thank god I'm working, Joe is working.'

The conversation turned more light-hearted when Sonja was asked to fire some questions at Teresa about her time in prison.

Asked whether her yoga instructor ever hit on her, Teresa insisted: 'They weren't allowed to touch us.'

Having fun: Sonja and Teresa lightened the mood with a game of Spill The SexTea!

Good question: Andy appeared shocked at some of Teresa's answers

She said there was 'strictly scissoring' in prison rather than dating and added that the top places to go for some privacy were 'the woods, in the bathroom stalls and in the middle of the night in their beds'.

Teresa remained tight-lipped, however, when asked about her feud with family members Rosie Pierri and Kathy Wakile.

When one viewer suggested the women had been good to her family while she was away, she said: 'You only saw what they showed on the cameras. Let's just leave it at that.'

Behind the bar: John Quinones of What Would You Do? was behind the bar

She's an expert! Sonja nailed every answer in the Name That Meat quiz

Got it right: The RHONY star explained that she knew her meats due to living in Italy

Reality stars: Teresa and Sonja represented their Housewives franchises

Asked what happened, she said: 'They're my family so I don't really want to talk about them.'

When Sonja was asked why she was more upset with Luann for dating Tom than she was with Ramona, she said: 'Ramona didn't know that I was seeing Tom because, as I was saying, we were adults doing what adults do when we're in between boyfriends, girlfriends, marriages or whatever. She had no idea.

'When I found out, I said to Tom 'I can't see you any more, you're seeing Ramona.' She was really excited. I was just a lover.'

Watch What Happens Live went on summer break and will return on September 6.

Model time: Sonja showed off a black dress from her Sonja Morgan New York collection
She's known for her incredible sense of style - and Isla Fisher looked incredible on Sunday when she attended the Day of Indulgence fashion event.

The former Home And Away star looked summery as she headed out in Brentwood, California, wearing a coral midi dress which suited her perfectly.

The sleeveless number had semi-sheer lace panels running down the front and a pleated lower section which sat just above her knee.

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Cor-al blimey: She's known for her incredible sense of style - and Isla Fisher looked incredible on Sunday when she attended the Day of Indulgence fashion event

Bright thing: The sleeveless number had semi-sheer lace panels running down the front and a pleated lower section which sat just above her knee

Carrying a host of shopping bags in her hand, the flame-haired beauty hid her eyes behind a $159 pair of TOMS 'Sherry Crystal Harlan' sunglasses.

Her locks cascaded down past her shoulders and she added some extra inches to her height with a pair of strappy sandals.

It's been a busy time for Isla, who has just finished work on two new movies, Nocturnal Animals and Keeping Up With The Joneses.

Working the look: Carrying a host of shopping bags in her hand, the flame-haired beauty hid her eyes behind a $159 pair of TOMS 'Sherry Crystal Harlan' sunglasses

She's in demand: It's been a busy time for Isla, who has just finished work on two new movies, Nocturnal Animals and Keeping Up With The Joneses

Nocturnal Animals tells the story of an art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.

While the latter revolves around a suburban couple who become embroiled in an international espionage plot when they discover that their seemingly perfect new neighbors are government spies.

Earlier this month, Isla enjoyed a family holiday in the South Of France with her husband Sacha Baron Cohen and their children Olive, eight, Elula, five, and 16-month-old son, Montgomery.

While there was no sign of Sacha at the airport, the holiday was a family affair, with the Hollywood couple invited to stay on U2 frontman Bono's luxury yacht with their children during the getaway.

The trip follows Isla's recent promotional tour for her new children's book, Marge In Charge.

Isla previously told The Bookseller: 'Now that I have children of my own I see the joy and magic in their everyday lives and books are a crucial part of this. I hope together we can introduce Marge to as many family bedtimes as possible.

Isla first met English funnyman Sacha in 2002 at a party in Sydney and got engaged two years later, before marrying in 2010 in Paris.
He's become a huge hit in America his hosting gig on The Late Late Show was incredibly well-received.

And James Corden, 37, told Ross King about his incredible success during a segment on the Lorraine show, giving full credit to his wife, Julia Carey.

He said: 'All credit to my wife, who agreed to move when our daughter [Carey] was five weeks old and our son [Max] was three.

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Gushing: James Corden has praised his wife Julia Carey for agreeing to move to America with him for his work, during an interview with Ross King on Lorraine on Monday

He said: 'All credit to my wife, who agreed to move when our daughter [Carey] was five weeks old and our son [Max] was three'

'It was a massive undertaking. I work so hard in the week and then at the weekend, you click your fingers and it's like you are in the South Of France.

'Luckily it's our life for the foreseeable future or until I get sacked.'

James said that sometimes, when he's in the studio about to film, he can't quite believe how far he has come.

Success story: James said that sometimes, when he's in the studio about to film, he can't quite believe how far he has come

He said: 'You do think, "Where am I? What the hell am I doing?"'

It's on him: He also talked about an unreal evening which saw him having dinner with Bono, Sean Penn, Charlize Theron and Colin Farrell - Sean footed the bill

He said: 'You do think, "Where am I? What the hell am I doing?"'

He also talked about an unreal evening which saw him having dinner with Bono, Sean Penn, Charlize Theron and Colin Farrell.

'I sat there and thought, OK, this didn't used to happen.'

Ross asked James who footed the bill for the extravagant evening.

'It was Sean Penn,' he replied. 'I was like, "thanks Sean. You didn't have to do that. I'll er, get the next one,"' while giggling.

Now there's a memory: James also credited Mariah Carey's people for the success of his segment Carpool Karaoke, which has seen the likes of, Michelle Obama and Justin Bieber join him in his car to sing a few jingles

James also credited Mariah Carey's people for the success of his segment Carpool Karaoke, which has seen the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Michelle Obama and Justin Bieber join him in his car to sing a few jingles.

'We suggested it to her people and luckily the lady there just got it and said she would do it the next Tuesday which was great.'
She gave birth just two weeks ago.

But Luisa Zissman has already bounced back to her pre-pregnancy figure, and proudly showed off her results on Instagram on Monday.

Taking to the social network, the 29-year-old mother-of-two shared a snap of herself in underwear just before giving birth, alongside a snap of her in a bra and jeans this week- a day after revealing she had removed all snaps of her kids from social media.

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Astounding: Luisa Zissman has already bounced back to her pre-pregnancy figure, and proudly showed off her results on Instagram on Monday

Flaunting her incredible washboard stomach, the former Apprentice star wrote: '2 weeks ago vs this morning. Surprised at how quickly my stomach has gone down. I gained 2st with this pregnancy & have 7lbs to lose now.

'With Dixie I gained 4st! having been very fit before I got pregnant was a massive bonus in my recovery I think. Skin is still loose & can't wait to tone up but on the whole pretty pleased with how belly is looking.

'Have no core strength which I realised after trying to ride my horse last week. I did NO exercise throughout my pregnancy due to my hips & pelvis being in agony, and I ate well but didn't deny myself anything.

What a transformation: Luisa Zissman looked remarkably different just two weeks after giving birth to Indigo Esme

'As soon as doc signs me off I'll be following @kayla_itsines programme to get fit, doing Pilates & yoga and of course my beloved horse riding. Will share my progress here with the other mummas who are interested to see. #postnatal #postpartumbody (sic)'.

And the previous day Luisa took the decision to remove all pictures of her two young children from her social network pages.

Taking to Instagram she posed a screengrab of her notes, writing: 'Just wanted to say thanks to those that were lovely & wrote nice comments on my pic of Dixie. I have now deleted that pic and most others of her and have taken the decision to no longer share photos of Dixie on social media.

'When both my girls are old enough they can have their own social media accounts but until then I will protect their privacy and not share anymore.'

'I will protect their privacy: The previous day Luisa took the decision to remove all pictures of her two young children from her social network pages

Her decision comes after she previously expressed her desire to raise her family away from the spotlight, as well as admitting that her husband didn't approve of her sharing pictures of the kids.

Luisa, who is also mother to six-year-old Dixie from her previous marriage and shares new baby Indigo with husband of one year Andrew Collins, admitted she was in a lot of pain from breastfeeding.

She posted an Instagram selfie of her breasts covered in cabbage leaves and iced towels as she got used to feeding again.

Sharing the photo on her Instagram last Sunday, Luisa wrote: 'Cabbage leafs and iced towels in plastic bags, the glamorous life of motherhood. Regretting that boob job right about now. #engorged #massivemelons.(sic)'

'Cabbage leafs and iced towels in plastic bags, the glamorous life of motherhood. Regretting that boob job right about now. #engorged #massivemelons.(sic)' Luisa wrote last Sunday

'She's here! Born Tuesday 2nd August at 9.21pm weighing a very healthy 8.1lbs (where was she hiding in my little bump?!) Luisa announced on IG

Luisa and second husband Andrew Collins welcomed baby Indigo at London's Portland Hospital last Tuesday.

And like many new mothers' experience, the former Celebrity Big Brother star is finding the first few days of nursing rather painful.

She announced Indigo's birth a week and a half ago with a photo of the baby's hand, writing: 'She's here! Born Tuesday 2nd August at 9.21pm weighing a very healthy 8.1lbs (where was she hiding in my little bump?!).

'Daddy won't let me post any pics of her so this is all you'll get, but she's perfect in every way.

Mingling with Rylan Clark: Luisa, who is also mother to six-year-old Dixie from her previous marriage and shares new baby Indigo with husband of one year Andrew Collins

'I had a perfect hypnobirth in water, she was born very quickly after a 1hr labour with no pain relief. I love giving birth!! It's the most amazing thing ever!

'Finally home from hospital & enjoying being a family of 4! Oh and her name: Indigo Esme Collins.'

Luisa revealed in April she was pregnant with her first child with Andrew, who she wed at the Chateau de la Napoule, a waterside castle on the French Riviera in July 2015.

The pair, who share a 17 year age gap, started dating in late 2013 - a few months after she found fame on The Apprentice - with Andrew proposing with a 1.5million Boodles ring in Paris in October 2014.

She remains on good terms with her first husband Oliver - founder of Totally Fitness - who she split from in 2012 following three years of marriage after he allegedly cheated on her.
He's rumored to be the only ex to have been left alive by Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco.

But Charles Cosby is not interested in that claim to fame being a part of HBO's upcoming biopic of the 'Cocaine Godmother,' starring Jennifer Lopez.

TMZ has reported that Charles is planning to sue the network if there are any references to him in the upcoming film.

Not a fan: Charles Cosby, ex of infamous drug lord Griselda Blanco, (pictured) has threatened to sue HBO if he is mentioned in their upcoming biopic of the 'Cocaine Godmother'

Charles is reportedly also not a fan of Jennifer, calling the Selena star 'unconvincing with no street cred.'

Griselda's ex has previously narrated the movie Cocaine Cowboys 2, which is a documentary about the drug lord's life.

He also has his own project in the works, a movie that he is producing about the notorious killer called Hustle.

Leading lady: The notorious drug lord's ex is also not fond of Jennifer Lopez, set to play Griselda, whom he reportedly called 'unconvincing with no street cred'

In addition to her hand in the drug trade in the 1970s and 1980s, Griselda is tied to hundreds of murders, including the deaths of every man she has ever dated, except for Charles.

Griselda was shot dead in Medellin, Colombia, on September 3, 2012, at age 69.

'Ive been fascinated by the life of this corrupt and complicated woman for many years,' Jennifer had said of playing the most powerful female cartel member of all time, according to Variety.

Telling her story: Charles is also reportedly working on his own film - called Hustle - about Griselda, who is tied to hundreds of murders, including the deaths of every man she has ever dated, except for him

'The idea of teaming with HBO felt like the perfect fit for finally bringing Griseldas story to life,' she had added.

In addition to starring, Jennifer will be executive producing the upcoming film along with her Nuyorican Productions.

The mother-of-two was also an executive producer on her NBC drama Shades of Blue, Freeform's The Fosters, and her 2015 film The Boy Next Door.

Keeping busy: Jennifer, who will also be executive producing the project, seemed excited about the new role as she posted the news to social media

She will also be executive producing the recently announced new reality dance competition World of Dance for NBC.
They met in 2014 when they played love interests in the film, Escobar: Paradise Lost.

And it appears that Josh Hutcherson has found his true paradise in girlfriend Claudia Traisac.

On Sunday, the 23-year-old actor was beaming from ear-to-ear as his ladylove rubbed his head during a coffee run in Hollywood.

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Happy: On Sunday, Josh Hutcherson, 23, was beaming from ear-to-ear as girlfriend Claudia Traisac rubbed his head during a coffee run in Hollywood

For their day out, Josh was casually dressed in a band T-shirt, skinny jeans and distressed dress shoes.

Claudia, 23, was prepped for summer in a black, velvet halter top, tucked into a pair of denim shorts.

The Spanish actress completed her look with a pair of lace-up sandals and minimal accessories.

Low-key: For their day out, Josh was casually dressed in a band T-shirt, skinny jeans and distressed dress shoes

The happy duo were no doubt enjoying their time together, which could be a rarity if his film schedule proves anything.

The Hunger Games star has been keeping busy since his days in the adventure drama serious.

Josh has two films set to hit theaters this year: The Masterpiece and In Dubious Battle.

Hot-weather attire: Claudia was prepped for summer in a black, velvet halter top, tucked into a pair of denim shorts

Josh will star along frat-humour actors Seth Rogan, Zac Efron and James Franco in a film about the behind-the-scenes making of a movie, The Room.

Then, the actor will join James again, alongside Selena Gomez, Bryan Cranston and Ashley Greene in In Dubious Battle, about the labour movement in California.

In 2017, he'll join Dwayne Johnson in Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon and James yet again in the drama, The Long Home.
She's known for her stylish catwalk displays as one of the top British models.

But Daisy Lowe displayed her jaw-dropping curves as she swapped the runway for the streets of London's Primrose Hill on Monday afternoon.

Flashing her bright blue bra as she strolled around, the model, 27, looked stylish in a low-cut blue and white gingham summer dress for her low-key day out.

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Check her out! Daisy Lowe displayed her jaw-dropping curves as she swapped the runway for the streets of London's Primrose Hill on Monday afternoon

Gorgeous in gingham: Flashing her bright blue bra as she strolled around, the model, 27, looked stylish in a low-cut blue and white gingham summer dress for her low-key day out

Featuring a black tie around the middle to accentuate her slim waist, Daisy's dress was also slashed up the front to reveal her toned legs.

Unbuttoning the frock to below her chest, the brunette beauty revealed a blue Triumph lace bralet underneath, giving a cheeky flash her ample cleavage.

Still maintaining a touch of her usual grungy style, Daisy paired the feminine ensemble with some sporty black high-top Converse trainers.

Daisy completed her look with a delicate shoulder bag made from black and blue sequins, adding a hint of glamour to the dressed-down outfit.

What a pair! Unbuttoning the frock to below her chest, Daisy revealed a saucy bright blue lace bralet underneath, cheekily flashing her assets

Summer chic: With the frock flowing loosely all the way to the knee, the model tied a black ribbon belt around her middle to emphasise her waist

Accessorising with some classic gold hoops and a pair of aviator sunglasses, the daughter of Pearl Lowe and Gavin Rossdale looked casually chic as she headed out for the day.

Venturing to Primrose Hill without beloved pet pooch Monty in tow, Daisy was spotted browsing a florist, before leaving the establishment with two large lilac bouquets in hand.

Daisy looked in good spirits as she went about her business, despite having returned from idyllic family holiday to Greek island Paxos on Sunday.

Touch of sparkle! Adding a hint of glamour, Daisy completed her look with a delicate shoulder bag made completely from black and blue sequins

Flower power: Daisy was spotted browsing a florist, before leaving the establishment with two large lilac bouquets in hand

Daisy, who is not one to regularly display her bikini body, put on a rare raunchy display on Instagram while away, stripping to her swimwear for her followers in a racy selfie.

The 27-year-old, who is dating Darius Campbell, slipped on a leopard print two-piece from Agent Provocateur on Sunday, featuring retro high-waisted bottoms.

Wearing her hair in a side plait, the stunner put on a busty display in the gorgeous two-piece as she held her phone up in the mirror.

Kitty kat: Daisy looked incredible in her leopard print bikini as she enjoyed the last day of her family holiday on Sunday

She captioned the image with the words: 'Last day in a bikini selfie.'

The model also shared some pictures of some very scenic views, writing: 'Summer summer summertime.'

Joining her on holiday was her little half-sister Betty Goffey's, who she shared an adorable Instagram snap with on Thursday.

Betty already has a Marc Jacobs campaign under her belt at the tender age of 10.

Joking that the pair were 'twinning' - in spite of their 17-year age gap - the model, looked the spitting image of her mini-me sibling as they pouted away and posed in matching outfits.

'Sister sister': Daisy, 27, looked the spitting image of her mini-me little sister Betty Goffey, 10, as they posed in matching outfits for a fun, pouty selfie on Thursday

Daisy wrote alongside the fun holiday snap: 'Sister sister #twinning @ocean_bubble by our magic mumma @pearllowe.'

The identical sisters both wore a casual white tee and blue jeans while speeding away on a boat as the snap was taken.

With their locks billowing in the wind, the duo wore matching aviators while striking a fierce shot at the camera.

It's evident that Betty - Pearl Lowe's daughter from her marriage to Supergrass drummer Danny Goffey - has a knack for fashion.

After the youngster modelled Marc Jacob's AW15 adult clothing collection last year, Pearl defended her decision to let Betty take centre stage.

Stylish family: Daisy and Betty pictured with their mother, Pearl Lowe, at an event in London back in May 2015

Speaking to Sunday Times Style Magazine: 'In this case, the campaign featured an eclectic group of characters rather than professional models - Danny and I would never allow her to take part in a campaign that was in any way provocative.

She added: 'The odd dress-up day is fine with me, so long as she tidies her room, does her homework, doesnt miss school and it doesnt let her little head get big.

However, she does wish for her young daughter to steer in another direction.

Pearl said: 'Im secretly hoping that Betty might pursue another career path [to acting], but in the meantime, she has made a little money, which Danny and I have squirreled away for the day she does announce she wants to go to medical school.'

Meanwhile, Daisy - Pearl's daughter of rocker Gavin Rossdale- has carved out quite the career in the modelling industry.

'The odd dress-up day is fine with me': After the youngster modelled Marc Jacob's AW15 adult clothing collection last year, Pearl defended her decision to let Betty take centre stage

Earlier this month, Daisy happily confirmed her new romance with the musician Darius Campbell, just weeks after her relationship with the late Peaches Geldof's ex-husband Thomas Cohen, 26, came to an end.

When asked about whether she was still single, she said: 'No, I'm not single and, yes, he's a lovely guy.'

'I used to be such a Saffy [from Ab Fab]. Even in my early twenties, all I wanted was to settle down and have a family, but now it's time to get out there, follow my dreams and have some fun.'

The confirmation comes after rumours of a romance between the pair began to swirl in early June, having been spotted walking arm-in-arm together in London.
He's due to arrive in Australia to begin a pricey speaking tour next week.

But on Monday, Jean-Claude Van Damme missed his scheduled flight to Sydney from Hong Kong, where he's currently busy filming a sequel to his 1989 classic Kickboxer.

The 55-year-old's flight farce comes just two weeks after he stormed out of an interview with breakfast morning show Sunrise.

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Ready for take off? Jean-Claude Van Damme missed a flight to Sydney on Monday

Despite being unable to make it to the plane, Daily Telegraph reports that Van Damme will still make it to Australia in time for his two-date speaking tour next Wednesday.

The action hero was on Sunrise late last month to promote the event when he became disgruntled with questions about his Street Fighter co-star Kylie Minogue and stormed out of the interview.

After refusing to answer, the Hollywood relic complained about 'sweating' and feeling 'rough' before taking off his microphone and going to the bathroom.

Drama: The 55-year-old's flight problem comes just two weeks after he stormed out of an interview on morning show Sunrise

The Belgian-born actor also asked 'What the f*** is going on with Australia?' in the bizarre Sunrise segment promoting his speaking dates in Sydney and Melbourne.

At the start of the interview, Jean-Claude seemed upset with people 'talking behind the cameras' about his 'sweating and everything.'

He then reacted to questions about Kylie, saying: 'Yeah, I like Kylie, I like everybody. Can I please come to Australia and talk to you? Sorry guys, I cannot do this anymore.

'What the f*** is going on with Australia?' he said during the meltdown

'Those questions, the press have been asking me the same questions for the past 25 years. I'm coming to Australia to maybe do something different with the audience.'

'You are talking to a guy who's very rough, you know?' he continued. 'Let me talk, let me talk please.

'Those questions, the press have been asking me the same questions for the past 25 years. I'm coming to Australia to maybe do something different with the audience.

'Those interview you are giving me on TV right now, they are very boring,' he added. 'The question are very boring.

'Yeah, I like Kylie, I like everybody:' JCVD was annoyed because he was being questioned about Kylie Minogue, who he once claimed to have had an affair with

Flashback: Jean-Claude and Kylie met while filming the campy 1994 B-movie Street Fighter

'It's difficult for me to answer the question so I sweat, I don't feel good, because they are boring.

'Next question? You have something interesting to ask me?' he asked.

An Evening with Jean-Claude Van Damme will be held in Sydney on Wednesday and Melbourne on Sunday.
Actor Sam Neill has accused the NSW government of sucking the life out of Sydney with the controversial lockout laws and ban on greyhound racing.

The Jurassic Park star described the once-thriving Kings Cross as the 'saddest place he's ever been' and said the city has become 'pointless' without nightlife.

He took aim at NSW Premier Mike Baird's divisive moves during a Tropfest film festival press conference at Parramatta Park on Monday.

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Taking a stand: Actor Sam Neill has accused the NSW government of sucking the life out of Sydney with the controversial lockout laws and ban on greyhound racing

'Sydney (in the 1970s) seemed to me to be the most vibrant place in the world and I think a lot of that vibrancy has been sucked out of the place,' he told reporters.

'I particularly lament this lockout which has taken the guts out of the nightlife of Sydney. And Sydney without nightlife is kind of a pointless place.'

The Hollywood heavyweight said that every city needs a vibrant nightlife hub like Kings Cross in the same way that London needs a Soho.

Soapbox: The Jurassic Park star described the once-thriving Kings Cross as the 'saddest place he's ever been' and said the city has become 'pointless' without nightlife

Hitting out: He took aim at NSW Premier Mike Baird's (left) divisive moves during a Tropfest film festival press conference at Parramatta Park on Monday

He slammed the crackdown on late night drinking, saying that it had left Sydney like a ghost town.

'Instead of making the streets safe, they've just stopped the streets,' he was quoted as saying in Sydney Morning Herald.

Thousands of people have protested about the policy - which stipulates that patrons who leave bars or clubs after 1.30am will not be allowed to re-enter.

Fampus friends: Australian filmmaker and Tropfest board member George Miller (left) was seen chatting to the Hollywood star at the event

The actor's outburst came at a conference to announce that Tropfest film festival will move from Centennial Park to Cattle Paddocks in Western Sydney.

Sam also spoke out against the ban on greyhound racing in NSW, calling instead for reform to make it more humane.

'I really think that just shutting down the dogs is a crime. It's a very valuable part of working class culture,' he said. 'Instead of cleaning up the dogs ... they're killing the dogs.'

He also pointed out that thousands of jobs will be lost.

Following his speech, he took to Twitter to clarify a number of his points.

Change needed: Sam also spoke out against the ban on greyhound racing in NSW, calling instead for reform to make it more humane

'Today spoke in favour of Greyhound Racing cleaning up their act , but against a ban,' he wrote.

'I am absolutely against abuse of animals, and any such owners should face prosecution - but ban ALL racing - no.'

Last month, Mr Baird announced he would put an end to greyhound racing by July next year.
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She's been enjoying a sunsoaked holiday on Italy's picturesque island of Sicily with husband Jay Z and their little girl Blue Ivy.

And Beyonce looked every inch the superstar as she left her luxury mega yacht on Sunday and headed for dinner in Nerano by speedboat with her husband.

The 34-year-old Sorry hitmaker put on a head-turning display in a plunging golden silk dress, slashed extra high on the thigh.

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Golden bey! Beyonce looked every inch the superstar as she left her luxury mega yacht on Sunday and headed for dinner in Nerano by speedboat with her husband

Featuring a multi-strap halterneck she showed off her ample cleavage, and the floor-length number gave more than a hint of her toned tanned legs.

Shielding herself against the windy journey, the mother-of-one wrapped a bright turquoise wrap around her top half as she took the trip from her luxury yacht to the trendy restaurant.

Shielding her eyes with metallic sunglasses, she accessorised with large hoop earrings, a delicate bodychain, bracelets and rings.

Whipping through the waves! The 34-year-old Sorry hitmaker put on a head-turning display in a plunging golden silk dress, slashed extra high on the thigh

Life of luxury! She's been enjoying a sunsoaked holiday on Italy's picturesque island of Sicily with husband Jay Z and their little girl Blue Ivy

Hot stuff! Featuring a multi-strap halterneck she showed off her ample cleavage, and the floor-length number gave more than a hint of her toned tanned legs

Wrap up! Shielding herself against the windy journey, the mother-of-one wrapped a bright turquoise wrap around her top half as she took the trip from her luxury yacht to the trendy restaurant

Couple's time: Tying up her trademark blonde hair into a curly half ponytail, the natural beauty looked stunning as she chatted with her 46-year-old husband of eight years

Smart: Jay Z looked smart in a fitted navy shirt and black trousers as he laughed along with his wife

Tying up her trademark blonde hair into a curly half ponytail, the natural beauty looked stunning as she chatted with her 46-year-old husband of eight years.

Jay Z looked smart in a fitted navy shirt and black trousers as he laughed along with his wife.

Having arrived at the restaurant, they ascended the pretty stone winding stairs.

VIP treatment: The friendly couple had an entourage at hand during their short trip to the restaurant

Windy: Beyonce laughed as she enjoyed the windy journey as Jay kept an eye on her assets

Disembarking: Shielding her eyes with metallic sunglasses, she accessorised with large hoop earrings, a delicate bodychain, bracelets and rings

Ladies first! Having arrived at the restaurant, they ascended the pretty stone winding stairs

Golden girl: The star walked barefoot towards the restaurant as her husband followed suit

A hand: Wearing flip flops, the former Destiny's Child star made her way to the restaurant

Awaiting them was a candle-lit ocean-view table on the raised restaurant terrace, covered by white curtains for privacy.

Earlier in the day they were seen enjoying a grand lunch aboard their yacht with four-year-old Blue Ivy and friends.

Earlier this year, Beyonce spoke about the special bond she and her daughter share.

She told Garage magazine: 'Out of everything I've accomplished, my proudest moment, hands-down, was when I gave birth to my daughter, Blue.'

Date night: The duo dressed up for their romantic night out- and brought a pal along

Table for two: Awaiting them was a candle-lit ocean-view table on the raised restaurant terrace, covered by white curtains for privacy

Yacht life! Earlier in the day they were seen enjoying a grand lunch aboard their yacht with four-year-old Blue Ivy and friends

Luxurious: The beautiful yacht featured a winding staircase and multiple tables and sofas

Family affair: While Jay Z chatted with his friend, Beyonce and Blue Ivy worked on a masterpiece together

Cutie: Blue Ivy looekd adorable with her hair in french plaits and wearing a little blue dress

Improvising: Blue sat on the table as she worked on a special masterpiece

The blonde beauty and her family have been enjoying some down time after wrapping up the European leg of her Formation World Tour.

Last week, they were spotted exploring Lipari, Sicily and also enjoyed a family dinner in Nerano, near Naples.

Beyonce's tour heads back to the US next month, as she continues to promote her latest album Lemonade.

Ocean views: Their open air accommodation had stunning views of the surrounding blue sea

Family time: Beyonce held her only daughter as Jay Z chatted with his pal at another table

Smile! Proud dad Jay took a snap of the little lady in his life as she posed obligingly
Bella Thorne has split from her boyfriend Gregg Sulkin.

The 18-year-old actress marked her one-year anniversary with the 24-year-old actor in May.

'After much thought and soul-searching, we have made the difficult decision to end our relationship,' they said in a joint statement to People.

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'Our schedules made seeing each other difficult': Bella Thorne has split from her boyfriend Gregg Sulkin, 24, according to People (pictured April 1)

'We will always love each other and have a deep respect for one another, as we have each grown to be better people because of our time together.'

'Our schedules made seeing each other difficult, and we decided that for now this would be best,' they concluded.

The twosome had been friends for six years when things turned romantic last summer.

Single: Thorne posted this snap just after announcing her split from the English actor on Monday

Loved up: The former Disney Channel stars were known for their public PDAs and social media professions of love

Thorne first hit the red carpet with Sulkin at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada last June 2015, confirming rumours that the pair were an item.

The former Disney Channel stars were known for their public PDAs and social media professions of love.

As the strawberry blonde beauty celebrated her birthday last October, Sulkin took to Instagram to gush over his beloved.

Boasting beau: Sulkin took to Instagram last October to wish Thorne a happy 18th birthday and gushed about his girlfriend

Happier times: The pair were not shy about packing on the PDA while partying in Palm Springs at the Coachella music festival in April

'Happy 18th Birthday to my beautiful and incredible princess. You are such a wonderful, Kind, generous, loving person and you are insanely important to me,' he boasted.

'Thank you for being that special person in my life that I always wish I could have and for being the best girlfriend on the planet. You have never failed to make me smile or laugh and I hope this year brings you everything you wish for.'

The pair were also not shy about packing on the PDA while partying in Palm Springs at the Coachella music festival in April.
She has been practically washing that man out of her hair on a sun-soaked holiday across Europe after her love split.

And Lindsay Lohan continued to show her ex-fiance what he's missing as she posed for a sexy beach selfie on Monday.

The actress turned temptress while lying seductively on on he rocky coastline as she continues her Sardinian holiday.

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Rocking it! Lindsay Lohan continued to show her ex-fiance what he's missing as she posed for a sexy beach selfie on Monday

Lindsay, 30, showed off her turquoise string bikini as she struck the pose while being perfectly lit by the end of day sunshine.

It comes a day after she literally made waves when she dive-bombed from a private yacht.

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.

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.

Splash! Lindsay Lohan was literally creating waves when she dive-bombed from a private yacht in Sardinia on Sunday afternoon

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

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.

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.
Dakota Fanning embodied the latest athleisure trend on Monday as she stepped out on the busy streets of New York City.

The 22-year-old actress opted for a fitted black tank top and cropped patterned leggings while listening to music jams from her phone.

Dakota - who is romancing British model Jamie Strachan - showed off her every bit of her svelte figure.

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Cool and casual: Dakota Fanning cut a svelte figure in an all-black fitted outfit as she walked through the streets of New York City on Monday

The War Of The Worlds actress accessorized her casual and cool outfit by tying a black-and-white sweatshirt around her tiny waist and donned a large black crossbody purse.

She also wore layered bracelets around her wrist and multiple rings as well as a gold, cross necklace.

The icing of the outfit, however, was Dakota's cat-eye KREWE sunglasses, tinted in a magenta and pink color, as it brightened up her all-black outfit and covered her make-up free face.

Her sandy blonde hair - which she told Glamour magazine that she's been trying to avoid cutting - remained long and wavy along the side of her face.

What's on the playlist? The 22-year-old actress zoned out the hustle and bustle of the city by playing her own tunes from her phone

Fashionable and fit: The War Of The World actress wore a tight black tank top and paired it with patterned black leggings, a sweatshirt tied around the waist, and grey trainers

On the go: The blonde beauty wore her long locks down and wavy along the side of her face

The I Am Sam actress recently shared an Instagram to her 650k followers on Sunday of her paddling out on the open lake.

With four movies releasing this year and two in production, it is no surprise to see the child-born actress releasing some stress with nature.

The busy beauty will star in Viena And The Fantomes, Please Stand By, American Pastoral and Brimstone - which will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

The elder sister of Elle Fanning will also star in the 2017 film, The Bell Jar, alongside Kirsten Dunst.

Lake life: Dakota shared this post on her Instagram on Sunday as she paddled in a two-piece bikini out on the lake

Colorful: The I Am Sam star kept it cool in a pair of color-tinted sunglasses that brightened up her all-black outfit

Having started her acting career at age seven, Dakota has never left the spotlight.

Telling Glamour: 'Having grown up in it, its made me more confident and have a thicker skin. You can't lose yourself. You have to stay true to your true friends and your family.'
Amy Schumer has teamed up with Annie Leibovitz once again for her latest provocative photo shoot.

The 35-year-old gave fans a glimpse of one of the daring images which will appear in the new issue of Vanity Fair on her Instagram page.

The photo, clearly inspired by Amsterdam's Red Light District, shows Amy standing in a box lit with red neon lights.

Photo by @annieleibovitz_ in @vanityfair this month A photo posted by @amyschumer on Aug 15, 2016 at 11:15am PDT

The comedian can be seen leaving little to the imagination in a plunging black bodysuit, which is belted at her waist, and matching thigh-high PVC boots.

Annie has previously shot Amy's cover shoots for Vogue and Vanity Fair earlier this year.

Amy was transformed into a Hollywood pin-up for her Vanity Fair shoot, and for one of the images she was wearing nothing but a top.

She told the magazine at the time: 'I begged Annie to photograph me with no underwear on in just a T-shirt. It was one of the most meaningful moments of my life.'

Teaming up again: Amy Schumer has joined forces with Annie Leibovitz for her latest photo shoot for Vanity Fair. The photographer was behind the comedian's May cover for the magazine

The Tranwreck star was also photographed sipping coffee on a stool in just a pair of knickers for Annie's 2016 Pirelli calendar.

Out on Tuesday: Amy is promoting her new book The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo

In January, the famed photographer told CNN with a laugh: 'I think I forced her to put the underpants on, because she would have done it completely, you know, in the nude. She's really smart. She knows what she's doing.'

Amy recently wrapped a mother-daughter movie with Goldie Hawn and is currently promoting her new book, a collection of essays titled The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo, which hits the shelves on Tuesday.

According to the Chicago Tribune, at one point in the book she describes meeting her boyfriend Ben Hanisch on a dating app.

While the Inside Amy Schumer star doesn't reveal the name of the app in question, it seems she and the furniture designer found each other over Raya, which describes itself as 'a private network for people in creative industries'.

Amy previously denied they met over dating app Bumble, tweeting in January: 'Please let the record show I have never in my life been on bumble.'

Finding love: The 35-year-old reveals in the collection of essays that she met boyfriend Ben Hanisch over a dating app. They are seen here together at the Met Gala in May

Still going strong: Amy brought the furniture designer as her date to her friend's wedding over the weekend, for which she was a bridesmaid

The pair went public with their relationship earlier this year and over the weekend, Ben was Amy's date at her friend's wedding, for which she was a bridesmaid.

Meanwhile, Meryl Streep revealed last week during an interview with The Huffington Post that she wants Amy to play her in a biopic.

The 67-year-old responded, 'Amy Schumer, of course,' when asked who she'd pick for the role, and after reading about Meryl's answer, Amy tweeted: 'Holy s**t.'
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As a child she wanted to be either a vet or a professional horse-rider.

And while that idea got shelved in favour of life as a world famous super model, Kendall Jenner's love of riding hasn't left her.

The beauty indulged her childhood passion for horses with a ride along a sandy beach while on vacation in Turks and Caicos last week.

Eau de Kendall: Looking like a scene from a movie - or perhaps a perfume advert - there was no mistaking Kendall Jenner for a beginner as she confidently took the reigns of her steed while on a ride in Turks and Caicos

Knows her stuff: Having ridden from the stables to the beach - along with a large group of friends - Kendall guided her animal into the ocean, getting her feet wet as she did so

Instagram worthy: The beauty and her friends rode along a sandy beach while on vacation in Turks and Caicos last week

Looking like a scene from a movie - or perhaps a perfume advert - there was no mistaking Kendall for a beginner as she confidently took the reigns of her steed.

Having ridden from the stables to the beach - along with a large group of friends - Kendall guided her animal into the ocean, getting her feet wet as she did so.

While it was clear Kendall was fully in charge of her horse, she wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion.

She's a natural: As a child Kendall wanted to be either a vet or a professional horse-rider

Not riding atttire: In place of jodhpurs and boots, she wore a tiny boob tube and mini denim shorts

In place of jodhpurs and boots, she wore a tiny boob tube and mini denim shorts.

Despite her relaxed attire, Kendall is serious about riding, as she revealed in an interview with Harper's Bazaar back in June.

'Ive always loved animals,' she told the magazine.

Animal magic: Despite her relaxed attire, Kendall is serious about riding

Beats surfing: Kendall guides her steed through the ocean, completely confident on horseback

Snap happy: Phone in hand, Kendall takes a picture of the view

'I rode horses for 10 and a half years, so I thought I was going to be a professional horseback rider and then a vet. I used to play these vet video games.'

Joining Kendall on the ride was fellow model Hailey Baldwin, who wore a bikini top, and a clutch of other friends.

The group were visiting the island nation of Turks and Caicos to mark the 19th birthday of Kendall's sister Kylie.

Fun with friends: Fellow model Hailey Baldwin was also on horseback

Losing up: Hailey had unbuttoned her shorts before climbing on her horse

And they certainly seemed to be having the holiday of a lifetime, as they enjoyed all the delights their beach resort had to offer, from riding on jet skis to strapping on jet packs to glide over the azure water.

But it was back to reality with a bump for Kendall, after she returned home from vacation.

Police were called to her home on Sunday after an alleged stalker was discovered in her driveway.

Is this the way, Kendall? Jenner chats to a friend, as they ride to the ocean

Let me help: Her pal, who was on a much smaller animal, needed Kendall's help controlling her horse

TMZ reports that the model called the police when she arrived at her Hollywood Hills home and the man followed her as she drove through the gates.

The man was arrested for stalking and there was also reportedly already a warrant out for his arrest.

Kendall bought the home just two months ago from John Krasinski and Emily Blunt.

Horsing around: Kendall wore a pair of round specs for her ride, and large hoop earrings

Kitted out: A useful fanny pack (aka a bum bag) contained the model's equipment

Neigh! It seemed Kendall's ride was friendly with the other animals

She splashed out $6.5million on the stunning property, which features six bedrooms, five bathrooms and a private swimming pool.

Kendall paid $450,000 below the original asking price for the 4,800-square-foot contemporary-style home.

It is situated on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, nestled in the hills above the iconic Chateau Marmont Hotel, and the luxurious living space comes complete with hard wood floors, exposed brick walls, and a rooftop patio.

Despite her young age, this is Kendall's second property purchase, after she bought a two-bedroom condo in 2014 for $1.39 million

Flashing her underwear: Hailey gives a glimpse of her toned stomach by unbuttoning her shorts

Up she goes: The beauty clambers onto her ride

Hope she's got her sunscreen! Hailey's skin was exposed by hr skimpy choice of clothing
Pretty Woman vet Julia Roberts is still a Hollywood siren, even at the age of 48.

But on Monday the movie queen had her sex appeal put under wraps as she filmed a scene with Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay for her upcoming drama Wonder, which has been shooting in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

The brunette beauty had her famous wild locks pulled back to a prim updo complete with side braids and she wore a conservative blue dress with a dowdy maroon cardigan that succeeding in hiding her impressive curves to play devoted mom Isabel Pullman.

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Not the look we're used to: Julia Roberts hid her wild curls in this prim updo and covered her curves in a conservative dress to shoot a scene in Vancouver, BC, Canada for the film Wonder on Monday

Her co-stars: The 48-year-old siren was also with Owen Wilson and Jacob Tremblay

Roberts didn't get much help from her footwear either. The Oscar winner had on bizarre-looking brown leather shoes that looked like boots from the inside and flats from the outside.

The movie goddess carried a purse and wore no jewelry except a gemstone ring.

The mother of three held the hand of actor Jacob Tremblay, who had on a motorcycle helmet, striped shirt, blue jacket, jeans and lace-up leather shoes. He plays her son in the film.

Rolling: A camera man could be seen in the background as Owen talked

Still a stunner: Even though her hairstyle and clothes were understated, her beautiful facial features were still on display with flattering makeup

And also with the two was actor Owen Wilson, 47, dressed in a grey suit, purple polka dot tie and blue sneakers that had one foot untied. He plays Julia's husband.

The Wedding Crashers vet wore his blonde locks longer than usual, giving him a Malibu surfer look.

All three appeared to be in a somber mood as they walked on a sidewalk with lush trees behind them.

A nice chat: The Oscar winner perked up when talking to Wilson, whose back was turned to the camera

There's that $20m smile! The brunette flashed her megawatt smile during some downtime

Easy going kind of gal: The Mystic Pizza vet held the hand of a male crew member

Later Roberts was seen smiling as she talked to an assistant and then was more animated when conversing with Wilson.

Owen then took a minute out of filming to take a cell phone call. It looked as if he had something important to get across as he did not smile but seemed very focused.

Later Owen was seen walking with Jacob outside a school on Halloween. The kids were seen dressed in their costumes. Tremblay's character chose a scream mask to hide his face and a black cloak. He was then seen running with dad chasing after him.

Wonder is a drama based on a novel by RJ Palacio about a young boy born with a facial deformity.

Blonder than ever: Wilson was dressed in a grey suit, blue shirt and purple tie

Don't you know who I am? It looked as if he had something important to get across as he did not smile but seemed very focused while on a cell phone call

Fresh off a comedy: The Hollywood funny man last shot Zoolander 2 with Ben Stiller

When he joins a new school he goes out of his way to prove he is just another ordinary kid and what people see on the outside has nothing to do with what he is on the inside.

Tremblay - best know for the indie Room - plays the child, Auggie Pullman, with the deformity. and Julia and Owen are his parents.

Many Patinkin stars as Mr Tushman and Izabela Vidovic is Via Pullman.

A chase: Later Owen was seen walking with Jacob outside a school on Halloween. The kids were seen dressed in their costumes. Tremblay's character chose a scream mask to hide his face and a black cloak

Stop! The actor struggled to keep up with his little one

Trenched: Here the Wedding Crashers vet had on a beige trench coat with tortoise shell buttons and no pockets

Stephen Chbosky directs the film, which is expected to hit theaters on April 7, 2017.

Palacios book has sold more than 2 million copies since it was published in 2012 by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Julia has worked steadily in the past few years, co-starring with Nicole Kidman on the thriller Secret In Their Eyes and then the comedy Mother's Day with Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson.

Prettier than ever: Roberts looked every inch the Hollywood movie star in this floor length gown at the Money Monster premiere at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in May

The latter film was an emotional one for Julia as it was the last time she was directed by her Pretty Woman helmer Garry Marshall.

Her most recent film was Money Monster with George Clooney, who she worked with on the Oceans Eleven films.
Kim Kardashian has revealed that she has injections in her bottom - but it's just to help her psoriasis.

The 35-year-old, who also told fans she wants to get anti-aging laser surgery on her hands next, explained that she believes rumours she has had butt implants began when she was photographed after having the treatment.

During a live-stream on her subscription based app and website kimkardashianwest.com on Monday, Kim said her mother Kris Jenner first suspected she had psoriasis when she saw a rash on her daughter's legs.

'It's a little unknown fact': Kim Kardashian (pictured last week) has confessed she gets injections in her bottom - but just to treat her psoriasis

'I went to go get a cortisone shot in my butt,' Kim recalled. 'I lived right behind Kitson [the boutique in Los Angeles]. One of my neighbours was a dermatologist at Cedars.

'I go in there and hes like, "Theres a one in a billion chance that you will get a huge indent in your butt." Of course I get a huge indent on my butt.'

Kim explained that she was photographed on two separate occasions where the indent on her derriere was visible.

'There is a picture of me in Miami wearing an electric blue dress, and another picture of me walking down Robertson,' she said. 'You see the indent. And I think thats when the rumours started, "Shes had implants."'

'You can see the indent': The reality star believes rumours of butt implants began after she was seen with an indent on her derriere following a cortisone injection (seen here)

Ouch: Kim (shown here on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians) gets injections for psoriasis 'every few years' but says in general she has 'learned to live' with the condition

Kim revealed she still gets the injections, and had one recently.

'Every few years I get a cortisone shot. And its so funny,' she said. 'I just got one as my psoriasis was so bad in Vegas.

Ouch: She revealed a painful-looking rash on her legs at an event last month

'That's a little unknown fact of me  I have to get cortisone shots every few years.'

Kim, who said her mother occasionally deals with psoriasis too, told fans that she has 'learned to live with' the condition and that it 'doesn't bother' her too much.

Psoriasis, which can be treated but does not have a cure, is a skin disorder in which cells multiply up to 10 times faster than normal and build up to form itchy, dry patches and scales.

During the live-stream, she also confessed that she thinks her hands are starting to look old.

Kim revealed she plans to get laser treatment from her family's beloved cosmetic surgeon Dr. Simon Ourian - the man behind Kylie Jenner's famous pout.

'I'm a huge laser fan': Kim also told fans she wants Dr. Simon Ourian (whose office she is seen visiting on Saturday) to give her laser surgery on her hands because she thinks they look old

'He said he can do this thing, it just like tightens your hands and preps them for later,' she shared.

'How do you guys feel about that? Youd have bright red hands for a few days. Im a huge laser fan.'

Kim filmed the live-stream while on set of a photo shoot on Monday, for which she wore a 32-inch long black wig which fell to the beginning of her thighs.

Catching up with her admirers: The 35-year-old did a live-stream on her subscription based app and website from the set of a photo shoot

Channelling Rapunzel: Kim wore a 32-inch long wig while getting her make-up done

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star posed in the mirror while showing off the long locks and sporting a beige bra and high-waisted leggings.

Kim, who has three-year-old North and eight-month-old Saint with her husband Kanye West - said her daughter loved the curly 'do she had to model.

'I FaceTimed North with all my curly hair and she was like, "I want curly hair like you mama!" And she started pulling out her bun,' Kim shared.
Jackie 'O' Henderson has come out swinging in defence of her friend Roxy Jacenko.

The radio personality defended the PR queen in a social media post on Monday after a promo clip for an upcoming interview on 60 Minutes was released.

After reporter Allison Langdon questioned the 36-year-old over the timing of her breast cancer diagnosis announcement, Jackie took to Instagram to ask: 'Seriously??? Since when do we get to choose the timing of cancer?'

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'Since when do we get to choose the timing of cancer?': Jackie 'O' Henderson took to Instagram on Monday to defend her friend Roxy Jacenko over questions about the timing of her cancer diagnosis announcement in an upcoming 60 Minutes report

'I wouldn't call those people normal by any means,' the 41-year-old added.

Roxy responded simply with a love heart emoji in the comments section of the post.

However, some of Jackie's 88,000 Instagram followers weren't shy about voicing their thoughts over the issue.

Some supported the popular personality's comments, with one saying: 'Exactly. Ridiculous and sooo cold hearted'.

While another pulled up the radio personality, touching on her background as a journalist to show empathy for the line of questioning.

'Come on Jackie the reason you're a bit riled up is because Roxy is your friend but if it was a normal celebrity guest in your show you would've wanted these questions thrown out there either by you or Kyle. As an interviewer you should see it from Alison's point of view,' they wrote within a lengthier comment.

'Seriously???' The radio personality appeared shocked by reporter Allison Langdon's line of questioning before one of her followers pointed out she would have likely done the same

Sending love: The 36-year-old responded simply with a love-heart emoji in the comments section

Defiant: In the promo clip Roxy hits back at the journalist after suggestions there was 'cynicism' over her breast cancer diagnosis

In the promo clip, Allison is seen asking about the 'cynicism' among 'normal people' over the timing of her illness announcement, shortly after her husband's insider trading conviction.

The defiant mother-of-two hit back at the reporter's line of questioning snapping '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.

'Well they're not normal Alison, change your friends,' Roxy said.

Fiery: Roxy snapped at 60 Minutes presenter Allison Langdon (pictured) to 'change your friends'

Heated exchange: Her outburst came after Allison told Roxy many 'normal' people questioned the timing of her cancer battle

'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.'

The founder of Sweaty Betty PR 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.

Battle: In the 60 Minutes clip, Roxy was seen being pushed through a ward on a hospital bed

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

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.

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.

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
Robles wins first US lifting medal in 16 years

Sarah Robles, who spent a two-year doping ban working odd jobs in American department stores including Macy's, won the United States' first Olympic weightlifting medal in 16 years.

Robles claimed bronze in the women's +75kg, behind Chinese goldRobles wins first US lifting medal in 16 years medallist Meng Suping, just over a year after returning to competitive action following her suspension for taking anabolic steroids.

The 28-year-old lifted a combined total of 286kg to become the first American since the Sydney 2000 Games to step on the weightlifting podium as North Korea's Kim Kuk-Hyang took silver.

USA's Sarah Elizabeth Robles competes during the Women's weightlifting +75kg event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Robles faced opposition from other American weightlifters who have opposed her inclusion in US weightlifting teams since she returned from her ban in August 2015.

"There's been opposition here and there. I knew going into the squad that I was going to have to be like teflon," she told reporters afterwards.

"Sometimes you read negative comments about yourself that aren't nice but I know what I'm about and I know work hard and I know that I'm a good an honest person.

"I knew that as soon as I was eligible to compete again I would have to hit the ground running," Robles added.

Asked what she did during her ban she answered: "I got a job like a grown up.

"I was basically training and working three jobs. I worked as a receiving person at Home Depot, I worked as a sign changer at Macy's, I was a receptionist at a veterinary hospital.

"I was doing a lot of little things all over the place," explained Robles, who now receives funding and trains full-time as a weightlifter.

Robles snatched 126 and lifted 160 in the clean and jerk. Tara Nott and Cheryl Haworth won America's last Olympic weightlifting medals.

"I'm so glad to be included in this select few," said Robles.

Meng, who only got called up to the Chinese team at the last minute, lifted a combined total of 307kg, to finish just 1kg ahead of North Korean Kim.

The 27-year-old Meng's first-place finish was China's fifth weightlifting gold medal of Rio 2016 and they are set to top the medals table for the fifth year running.

"I did my duty for my country and for my team," said Meng.

She lifted 130kg in the snatch and 177kg with her final clean and jerk to push a devastated Kim into second place.

"I was sad that I couldn't make gold said," said a tearful Kim who refused to answer more than one question.

The North Korean served a doping ban from November 2012 to November 2014.
Harvard tops Chinese ranking of best universities

Universities from mainland China broke into the global top 100 in an annual ranking for the first time on Monday, but Harvard remained number one for the 14th consecutive year.

China's prestigious Tsinghua University was 58th, beating elite Peking University in 71st place, in the "Academic Ranking of World Universities" compiled by the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy.

The National University of Singapore also entered the top 100 for the first time, tying for 83rd, it said.

In the 'Academic Ranking of World Universities' compiled by the independent Shanghai Ranking Consultancy, Harvard remains number one institution for the 14th consecutive year Darren McCollester (Getty/AFP/File)

For the top 10, Stanford maintained second place but MIT dropped from third to fifth, with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Cambridge each moving up one spot to take third and fourth.

The Shanghai Ranking is consistently largely static at its top levels, and this year nine of the top 20 were in unchanged positions, and another nine moved by only one place.

The biggest change was by Britain's Oxford University, which climbed three spots from 10th to seventh.

Princeton University was sixth again, with another three US institutions -- the California Institute of Technology, Columbia University and the University of Chicago in places eight to 10.

The ranking, which was launched in 2003, has generated controversy in the past for what critics say is stressing science over the humanities in its grading.

According to the statement the rankings use "objective indicators" including the number of staff and alumni winning Nobel Prizes and Fields Medals, and articles published in the journals of "Nature" and "Science", according to a statement.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the University of Tokyo was top at number 20 overall.
Jailed Egypt photographer says he's been 'forgotten'

Shouting to make himself heard from the soundproof glass dock during a break in his trial, Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abdel Shakour said he feels he has been "forgotten" in prison.

Three years ago, Abdel Shakour -- known as Shawkan -- had been covering the police dispersal of an Islamist protest camp in Cairo when he was arrested, and he has been in jail ever since.

August 14, 2013 was the bloodiest day in Egypt's modern history, and one of the deadliest in the region since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abdel Shakour, known as Shawkan, gestures from inside a soundproof glass dock, during his trial in Cairo on August 9, 2016 Khaled Desouki (AFP)

Hundreds of Islamists supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi, toppled by the military in July that year, were mowed down by police in clashes. About 10 policemen were killed.

Three years later, thousands of Islamists remain in prison after a wide-ranging crackdown that has extended to leftists and even journalists like Shawkan.

Shawkan had been photographing the carnage that day for the Demotix photo agency when he was arrested. Three journalists, including Sky News cameraman Michael Deane, were shot dead in the violence.

The photographer spent months in pre-trial detention before he was put on trial along with hundreds of other defendants over the protest.

"I feel like I've been forgotten in prison," Shawkan, 29, told an AFP reporter during a break at a recent court session, yelling through the glass barrier to make himself heard.

"I feel despair, and powerless. Time is flying by while I'm in jail."

He is imprisoned in a poorly ventilated cell which becomes scorching hot in summer.

"My hope diminishes every day," he said, adding that he missed being able to look at the sky.

Sitting on his bed back home, next to a framed picture of her son, Shawkan's mother Reda Mahrous said she has trouble getting to sleep.

"I feel oppression and injustice," she said, wearing a green bracelet that her son made her in prison.

"Every day I make his bed, and wait for a knock on the door to see him before me. But it never happens."

- 'No evidence' -

Shawkan and his 738 co-defendants are accused of involvement in the killings of policemen and resisting the authorities during the protest dispersal.

If convicted, they will face the death penalty.

"There is no evidence against him. To the contrary, there is evidence proving he was working as a freelance photographer," said his lawyer Karim Abdel Rady.

The photographer has won two awards this year, including one from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"I wanted to be happy but I couldn't. Give me my freedom and take the prize," Shawkan said.

He suffers from Hepatitis C, which is common in Egypt, and his family says he needs treatment that is not available in prison.

Shawkan was detained as part of a crackdown against Egyptian journalists, rights activists say.

His co-defendant Abdullah Elshamy, a journalist with Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, was released and left the country after a long hunger strike.

Rights groups say President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government has tried to repress all opposition since the former army chief led the overthrow of Morsi.

Fears of restrictions on press freedoms heightened after the head of the Journalists' Syndicate and two aides were put on trial for harbouring wanted men -- including a reporter -- in the union's headquarters.

They had been sought by police for alleged involvement in April protests against a deal to give Saudi Arabia two islands.

"It's the worst era for someone to be a journalist in Egypt," said Sherif Mansour, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Egypt provoked international condemnation when it arrested three Al-Jazeera reporters, including an Australian and a Canadian, in late 2013 and put them on trial.

They were sentenced to jail terms but were later pardoned by Sisi after a lengthy international campaign, and have since left the country.
Japan's Abe forgoes visit to war shrine, sends offering

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine Monday -- the 71st anniversary of Japan's defeat in World War II -- but avoided visiting in an apparent nod to China and South Korea.

Yasukuni Shrine honours millions of mostly Japanese war dead, as well as senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after the war.

The indigenous Shinto religious shrine has for decades been a flashpoint for criticism by countries that suffered from Japan's colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo honours millions of mostly Japanese war dead, as well as senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File)

Abe visited in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, a pilgrimage that sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and earned a diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States, which said it was "disappointed" by the action.

He and other nationalists say the shrine is merely a place to remember fallen soldiers and compare it to burial grounds such as Arlington National Cemetery in the US.

But he has since refrained from going and reactions by China and South Korea to Yasukuni visits by Cabinet ministers and lawmakers, while remaining critical, have become less intense.

Abe sent the offering Monday as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party -- not as prime minister -- in an apparent bid to lessen any criticism.

Speaking to reporters, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a party aide to Abe who made the donation on his behalf, said it came from Abe's own money.

"Personally, I offered my condolences to the spirits of the war dead who fought for the country," he told reporters on a muggy morning in Tokyo amid the sound of chirping cicadas.

"We should carry on the path of a peaceful country and should never initiate war."

Yasukuni Shrine also confirmed the donation.

Koichi Hagiuda, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, visited the shrine as did Gen Nakatani, the former defence minister.

But Tomomi Inada, Abe's hawkish new defence chief who has been a frequent visitor to the shrine in past years, was on an official visit to Djibouti.

Speculation had been intense over whether she would visit, but the overseas trip appeared to provide a convenient way to avoid angering China and South Korea.

Japanese media reported that Sanae Takaichi, a right-leaning member of Abe's Cabinet, was expected to visit sometime during the day.

An official annual ceremony commemorating the end of the war will take place later Monday inside a Tokyo arena and be attended by Abe as well as Emperor Akihito.
South Korea defends missile shield as residents shave heads

South Korea's president Monday defended the proposed deployment of a US anti-missile system as an act of self-defence against North Korea, as hundreds of residents shaved their heads in protest at the plan.

Tensions have been running high on the divided Korean peninsula since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January and followed up with a series of missile tests.

South Korea responded last month by announcing deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system -- a move which sparked domestic protests as well as complaints from China.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye warned Pyongyang that all attempts to provoke and intimidate the South would be counter-productive Yonhap (Yonhap/AFP/File)

"I urge the North Korean government to immediately stop all provocations and threats targeting South Korea as well as the development of weapons of mass destruction," said President Park Geun-Hye in a televised Liberation Day speech.

Her comments came as both Koreas celebrated the anniversary of the peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

Stressing that "true liberation" would involve reunification of the peninsula, Park said that could only happen by removing the fear of nuclear weapons, missiles and war.

She also warned the North that all attempts to provoke and intimidate the South would be counter-productive.

"The more efforts (the North) makes, the deeper the country's isolation in the international community will be and the bigger its economic problems will be," she said

The North's nuclear test in January resulted in a substantial strengthening of UN sanctions, but a defiant Pyongyang doubled down with a series of ballistic missile tests also banned by UN resolutions.

Tensions are expected to rise again when the South launches an annual joint military exercise with the United States later this month.

The planned missile shield has been condemned not only by Pyongyang but also Beijing, which views the deployment as a US move against its own national security interests and a threat to regional stability.

"The deployment of THAAD is an act of self-defence," Park said in her speech, adding that her priority as president was to "protect the lives of our people from the reckless provocations of the North".

THAAD has also hit domestic opposition, particularly from those living in the rural county of Seongju where the first battery will be installed.

Residents say the system's powerful radar will pose health and environmental hazards and argue that its presence will make them a target.

On Monday more than 900 Seongju residents had their heads shaved, a symbol of protest and determination.

"We need to show our determination in order to stop THAAD!" the protesters chanted as men and women, some in tears, had their heads shaved at a local park.

Some opposition lawmakers have sided with the residents and called for the deployment to be scrapped, a stance criticised by Park.

"I believe that such a matter ... should not be the subject of a political fight," she said.

"If there is any other way to protect our people and the country, one should propose an alternative," Park added.

Factfile on the THAAD missile defence system -, - (AFP Graphic)
New York police seeking killer of imam, assistant

A New York neighborhood teetered on edge as it struggled to pinpoint the motives behind a gunman's fatal daytime attack on an imam and his assistant near their mosque.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot at point-blank range just before 2 pm (1800 GMT) Saturday in the Ozone Park neighborhood in the borough of Queens, police said.

The motive is unknown and no arrests have been made, the authorities said.

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)

"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.

Security video footage of the brazen attack shows the gunman approach the two men from behind at the corner of Liberty Avenue and 79th Street, a few blocks from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque.

The victims, dressed in traditional Muslim garb, reportedly left the mosque following Saturday afternoon prayers.

After the attack witnesses saw the gunman flee the scene with a gun, police said, adding that the 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.

Akonjee was carrying more than $1,000, police said, but noted 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 and the investigation is ongoing, police said.

- Hate crime? -

The culturally diverse, working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

The mayor's office said the New York Police Department was exploring all potential motives, including the possibility of a hate crime.

"While we do not yet know the motivation for the murders, we do know that our Muslim communities are in the perpetual crosshairs of bigotry," Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement.

"Our city was stung by violence that devastated a congregation and unsettled a community. When religious leaders are targeted, we all bear the pain those in Ozone Park feel most personally today."

Muslim community representatives condemned what they described as a toxic climate of hatred.

"Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Masjid Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn.

"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 under the tracks of an elevated metro line late Saturday, 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 added: "When a religious leader is killed in broad daylight on the streets of Queens, we must come together as a community and demand justice!"

CAIR announced plans to give a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on the attacker that could lead to his arrest and help determine a motive.

"We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime," said the group's executive director Nihad Awad.

CAIR plans to hold a funeral prayer service for the slain men on Monday.

Last year, hate crimes against Muslims and mosques tripled across the country following extremist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, according to The New York Times.

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)

A New York Police Department sketch of the man suspected of gunning down the leader of a mosque and his associate on August 13, 2016 in Queens

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)
Demands grow for inquiry into Australia refugee abuse

Australia was on Monday facing growing opposition demands for an inquiry into its treatment of asylum-seekers on remote Pacific islands after further allegations emerged of abuse against refugees.

Photographs published in Australian media on the weekend showed two bloodied Afghan men after they were allegedly attacked with an iron bar by locals on Papua New Guinea's Manus Island.

The graphic images follow the leaking last week of some 2,000 incident reports filled in by workers on the second island to which Australia sends asylum-seekers arriving by boat, Nauru, detailing abuse suffered by asylum-seekers.

An injured Afghan refugee from the Manus Island detention centre is carried into the back of a vehicle after he was allegedly attacked by a group of Papua New Guinean men whilst out on a day release, on August 10, 2016 Matthew Abbott (GETUP/AFP/File)

"We're seeing more and more disturbing reports coming out from Nauru," opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten said Monday.

"Just because people are in detention doesn't mean that they have to be mistreated and it doesn't mean that they should be kept in indefinite detention," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"That's why Labor is leading the push to have a Senate inquiry."

Shorten said he still supported the offshore processing of asylum-seekers on Nauru and in PNG to dissuade others from making the dangerous journey to Australia, but that refugees should not be left to languish in Pacific camps indefinitely.

The leaked documents, which allege that asylum-seekers on Nauru, including children, suffer violence, sexual assault and degrading treatment, have prompted the United Nations to repeat calls for offshore processing to end.

"The allegations contained in the documents must be systematically and properly investigated and those responsible held accountable," said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.

New Zealand's Labour opposition has also weighed into the debate, with David Shearer describing the policy as unsustainable.

"It's almost like Australia has lost its moral compass in terms of where it's going," he said.

The Nauru reports published by The Guardian allege incidents such as guards threatening a boy with death and only allowing a young woman a longer shower in return for sexual favours.

Mental stress caused by prolonged detention was deemed to be the cause of alleged cases of self-harm, including a woman trying to hang herself and a girl sewing her lips together.

Some 442 people remain on tiny Nauru today and almost double that number on Manus.

In the latest incident, two Afghan men were reportedly attacked last week as they walked to a beach. The assault stopped when a local man intervened but one of the Afghans, who was bleeding from the head, later collapsed.

Australia's immigration detention -, - (AFP Graphic)

An Afghan refugee from the Manus Island detention centre shows his injuries after he was allegedly attacked by a group of Papua New Guinean men whilst out on a day release, on August 10, 2016 Matthew Abbott (GETUP/AFP/File)
Japan, S. Korea strike conciliatory note on war anniversary

Tokyo and Seoul struck a conciliatory note Monday on the anniversary of the end of World War II, with South Korea's president calling for a "future-oriented" relationship and Japan's prime minister denouncing the "horrors of war".

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine but again avoided visiting it, in an apparent nod to China and South Korea.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, meanwhile, called for a "future-oriented" relationship with Tokyo even as a group of Seoul lawmakers sparked official anger in Japan by visiting islets claimed by both nations.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) bows to an altar beside Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during the official annual memorial service for war victims, in Tokyo, on August 15, 2016 Toru Yamanaka (AFP)

August 15 is an emotional date in both countries, remembered in Japan as the day in 1945 when wartime Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender. In South Korea it is marked as the day Japan's harsh 35-year occupation of the Korean peninsula came to an end.

China, which was partially occupied by Japan from the early 1930s to 1945, marks the end of the war on September 3.

A frequent flashpoint for nationalist tensions is Yasukuni Shrine, which honours millions of war dead including senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after the conflict's end.

Abe visited in December 2013, sparking fury in Beijing and Seoul and earning a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

He has since refrained and reactions by China and South Korea to visits by cabinet ministers and lawmakers, while still critical, have become less intense.

Separately, Abe and Emperor Akihito both reiterated Japan's commitment to peace at an official ceremony to commemorate the war dead.

"We shall never again repeat the horrors of war," Abe said.

Akihito expressed similar sentiments.

"Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated," he said.

- 'Extremely regrettable' -

China's official Xinhua news agency in a commentary said Abe's comments missed the mark as he "failed again to offer a sincere apology for the country's wartime aggression in Asia".

Park, however, stressed the need to look forward in her nationally televised speech in Seoul.

"We should newly define relations with Japan to forge future-oriented ties," she said.

But her remarks coincided with the visit by 10 lawmakers to the Dokdo islets where they met South Korean security personnel based there.

South Korea has long controlled the islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) which are known in Japanese as Takeshima, but Tokyo has never renounced its claim.

"We absolutely cannot accept this," top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters in Tokyo, calling it "extremely regrettable".

Abe and Park are scheduled to visit China early next month for a Group of 20 summit hosted by President Xi Jinping, while Japan is due to host a trilateral leaders' meeting later this year.

Abe sent the offering to Yasukuni as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party rather than as prime minister in an apparent attempt to lessen criticism.

A total of 67 members of Japan's parliament -- 59 from Abe's ruling LDP -- visited the shrine en masse in the morning.

Tomomi Inada, Abe's hawkish new defence minister who has been a frequent visitor to Yasukuni in past years, was on an official visit to Djibouti.

But two members of Abe's cabinet showed up at the shrine in the afternoon.

"I don't think the way a country commemorates people who died for their country should be a diplomatic issue," Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister, told reporters.

A Shinto priest greets Japanese lawmakers visiting the controversial Yasukuni shrine on the 71st anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, in Tokyo, on August 15, 2016 Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP)

A man wearing a mask of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe kneels down in a mock apology during an anti-Japan rally to mark the 71st anniversary of South Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, in Seoul, on August 15, 2016 Jung Yeon-Je (AFP)
Israel destroys home of Palestinian who stabbed girl in bed: army

The Israeli army on Monday destroyed the home of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, after he killed a 13-year-old girl as she slept in her bed, a military spokeswoman said.

Mohammed Nasser Tarayra, 19, broke into a house in the Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron in the southern West Bank on June 30.

He stabbed American-Israeli Hallel Yaffa Ariel dozens of times while she slept, before being shot dead by settlement guards.

Relatives of late Mohammed Nasser Tarayrah, a Palestinian attacker who stabbed to death an Israeli-US girl in a Jewish settlement, inspect Tarayrah's home after the Israeli army destroyed it on August 15, 2016 Hazem Bader (AFP)

A video posted by the army online Monday showed dozens of troops laying charges in the building in the dead of night before carrying out a controlled explosion.

Israel frequently destroys the homes of Palestinians who have carried out attacks.

Critics of the policy denounce it as a collective punishment, which leaves the families of attackers homeless, but the Israeli government says it discourages others who might be thinking about carrying out similar acts.

Since October, 219 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have died in violence in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jerusalem, according to an AFP tally.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, Israeli authorities say.
Indonesia airlines cleared to fly to US

Indonesian airlines have been cleared to fly to the United States after regulators there scrapped a nearly decade-long ban imposed for safety reasons, an official said Monday.

US transport officials said in a letter Indonesia's aviation sector had met international standards and its safety rating had accordingly been upgraded.

"Today all Indonesian airlines can fly to the United States," director general of civil aviation, Suprasetyo, told reporters.

Indonesian carriers were banned from flying to the US in 2007 over safety concerns Romeo Gacad (AFP/File)

"This will have a very positive impact on our aviation sector and public trust."

Indonesian carriers were banned from flying to the US in 2007 after the Federal Aviation Administration downgraded their safety rating.

The European Union also imposed restrictions the same year although these have since been lifted. A few airlines, including Garuda and the Indonesian branch of Malaysia-based AirAsia, now fly to Europe.

The restrictions followed a series of accidents including fatal crashes by state-owned Garuda.

Crashes have continued since 2007, including the loss of 162 lives aboard an AirAsia flight in late 2014.

But in a letter to the transport ministry, the FAA said Indonesia's efforts to improve its oversight system had resulted in "positive findings" during a safety assessment earlier this year.

Suprasetyo, who goes by one name, said several Indonesian airlines had expressed interest in flying to the US, but Garuda already had enough planes and crew to begin services.

The airline is expected to start direct flights to the US next year, expanding its long-haul international network which includes destinations like London and Amsterdam.
Zambia's Lungu re-elected president as rival cries foul

Zambia's incumbent president Edgar Lungu was declared the winner of a closely-fought election on Monday but the victory was immediately challenged by his main rival.

Election commission chief Esau Chulu announced Lungu was "duly elected" after releasing the final results from Thursday's election, which put the president ahead of his main rival Hakainde Hichilema by 2.5 percent or around 200,000 votes.

"We are going to take up this matter legally," Jack Mwiimbu, legal specialist for the opposition United Party for National Development (UPND), told reporters after the results were announced.

Incumbent Zambian President Edward Lungu (C) during his closing campaign rally in Lusaka on August 10, 2016 Gianluigi Guercia (AFP/File)

"We have overwhelming evidence of manipulations in the figures."

But the ruling Patriotic Front's (PF) secretary general Davis Chama, who popped several bottles of Champagne at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre where the results were announced, laughed off allegations of vote rigging.

"Those are cry-babies who always complain each time there is an election. We have taught them a lesson and this is the end of the UPND," said Chama.

Lungu's supporters poured out into the streets sporting party paraphernalia to celebrate the win.

The weeks running up to the election were tense and clashes between PF and UPND supporters left at least three people dead. But election day was largely peaceful.

Lungu polled over 50.35 percent or 1.86 million votes against Hichilema's 47.63 percent or 1.66 million, according to the results released four days after the vote.

Hichilema on Sunday charged that unexplained delays in releasing the results were a clear sign of fraud to produce a win for Lungu's PF.

The electoral commission had initially said the results would be announced within 48 hours of the close of voting.

"Clearly this is rigging an election, with the collusion of managers at the Electoral Commission of Zambia or commissioners," said the wealthy businessman, who was making his fifth bid for the presidency.

The United National Independence Party (UNIP) which was set up by the southern African country's founding president, Kenneth Kaunda, also said it would also challenge the results.

UNIP, which is now led by Kaunda's son Tilyenji, performed dismally, taking seventh position in the nine party race.

- Weeks of clashes -

The results took some by analysts by surprise.

"Given the current state of the economy. I didn't expect (Lungu) to win. He hasn't done well in the area of governance of and restoring confidence in the economy," said Oliver Saasa, a political and economic analyst.

Copper-rich Zambia is usually known for its relative stability, despite the clashes in the run-up to the vote.

However commentators said post election violence was unlikely.

"I would be surprised to see violence breaking out, if it happens it would be isolated case, just like we saw during the campaign period. Zambians are generally peaceful," said Saasa.

The United States congratulated Lungu on his victory and called on all candidates "show leadership in respecting the official results".

It urged the public to use the law to seek any redress.

But Washington also noted concerns by international election observers of "increased violence and restrictions on freedom of press and assembly" in the runup to the vote.

"We hope that the government will address these concerns in the context of future elections to strengthen Zambian democracy," State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau added.

During Thursday's vote, Zambia's electorate had also cast ballots in parliamentary and municipal elections as well as in a constitutional referendum.

Lungu has been in office for just 19 months after he took power in a snap election following the death in office of president Michael Sata, again beating Hichilema by a tiny margin.

He has now been re-elected for a full five-year term.

Zambia, a British colony until 1964, recorded GDP growth of 3.6 percent last year -- its slowest rate since 1998.

The falling price of copper, the country's key export, has badly damaged the economy with thousands of jobs lost in mining and inflation soaring to over 20 percent.

Zambia: country profile

Zambian Electoral Commission officers register and count votes under torchlight, at a polling station in Lusaka on August 11, 2016 Gianluigi Guercia (AFP/File)
South African woman jailed for baby kidnapping

A South African court on Monday jailed a woman for 10 years for kidnapping a newborn baby and raising her as her own, before an astonishing coincidence reunited the girl with her biological family.

The baby girl, named Zephany Nurse by her birth family, was taken from her sleeping mother at a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town in 1997.

Her kidnapper, now 52, raised her for 17 years in a case that has attracted huge media interest in South Africa.

South Africa's High Court ordered the media to conceal the identity of the 52-year-old woman in order to protect the 19-year-old victim of the kidnapping in 1997

The girl's real identity only came to light in February 2015, when her younger biological sister began attending high school and pupils pointed out her remarkable likeness to a final-year student.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for the kidnapper, who cannot be named to protect her victim's identity.

"She gets 10 years' direct imprisonment. We are happy with that," said Ntabazalila.

"You cannot go out and steal a child and expect that the society will accept that, or the courts will accept that, or the general public will accept that," he added.

"It's wrong, it's a crime."

The Nurse family had been living within a couple of kilometres of their kidnapped daughter, while celebrating her birthday every year and never giving up hope of finding her.

Once their other daughter told her parents that another pupil at school looked just like her, they went to meet the older girl and immediately thought she could be their long-lost child.

DNA tests confirmed she was indeed Zephany, leading to the arrest of the woman who had claimed for nearly two decades to be her mother.

Handing down the 10-year sentence, a High Court judge in Cape Town said the woman's crime was premeditated and too serious not to warrant jail time, South Africa's News24 said.

- Dad wants time to bond -

Zephany, who is now pregnant, was raised under a different name and has shunned the media spotlight on the case.

The teenager was sent to a place of safety after the kidnapper's arrest.

But she has opted to move back to the home where she lived before, and has not formed any bond with her biological family.

Her biological father, Morne Nurse, welcomed the sentence, saying he was looking forward to building a relationship with his daughter.

"It's actually made me tired, it's made me sick completely," he told AFP outside court.

"I couldn't sleep for nights. I couldn't even eat properly. So the way forward is to build my relationship with my daughter, and that's it."

During the trial Zephany's biological mother, Celeste Nurse, wept as she described how at the age of 18 she woke up in the maternity ward to find her three-day-old baby had vanished from her cot.

Members of both families have sometimes traded bitter insults outside court, at hearings that have attracted heavy media attention.

The kidnapper was on March 10 found guilty of kidnapping, fraud, and contravening the Children's Act.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained in her testimony that she had not been at Groote Schuur Hospital on the day the baby was kidnapped.

She testified that she had been given the baby by a woman who had been giving her fertility treatment after she had a miscarriage in 1997.

Zephany's grandmother Zephra Nurse said the outcome of the case would "tell people to stop abducting and kidnapping children", and confirmed that her granddaughter was pregnant.

Celeste Nurse, biological mother of Zephany Nurse, leaves Cape Town High Court after attending the sentencing of her daughter's kidnapper, on August 15, 2016 Rodger Bosch (AFP)

The biological father of Zephany Nurse, Morne Nurse (C) speaks to the media outside Cape Town High Court on August 15, 2016 Rodger Bosch (AFP)
Nearly 1mn South Sudan refugees face dire conditions, says UN

Nearly a million refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in South Sudan, most of them women and children, are suffering dire conditions in camps across the region, the UN said on Monday.

Refugee agency UNHCR said arrivals in Uganda alone had peaked at "more than 8,000 in one day" last month after an outbreak of fresh fighting in the capital of neighbouring South Sudan.

Ninety per cent of new arrivals were women and children, the UN added.

A woman and child sit inside a make-shift camp in Uganda, which borders war-torn South Sudan, on July 16, 2016 Isaac Kasamani (AFP/File)

"With refugees fleeing South Sudan in their thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations," UNHCR said in a statement.

"Already there are some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily."

Despite a peace agreement signed nearly a year ago by the government and the rebels, fighting has continued and the country's crisis has worsened.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since civil war resumed in December 2013.

Towns have been razed in fighting characterised by rape, murder and the deployment of child soldiers.

Food shortages are common with nearly five million needing emergency rations, while some parts of the country are on the brink of famine, and the economy is in free fall.

Citing the example of a new 100,000 capacity camp at Yumbe, in Uganda, UNHCR said it urgently needs more money to "speed up the relocation of more than 45,000 refugees out of overstretched and severely congested reception and transit centres."

"With so many people living in such close proximity, the potential for disease outbreak is high," the agency said.

UNHCR said it had only received a fifth of the $609 million (545 million euros) it needed to cater to nearly one million South Sudanese refugees in six countries in the region, as well as the roughly 1.6 million uprooted and living in displacement camps inside the strife-torn country.

Refugee agency UNHCR said arrivals in Uganda alone had peaked at "more than 8,000 in one day" last month after an outbreak of fresh fighting in the capital of neighbouring South Sudan Isaac Kasamani (AFP)
Nigerian journalist wanted over Chibok girls

Nigeria's army said Monday it wants to question three suspects, including a journalist, for allegedly concealing information on the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.

The announcement came just a day after Boko Haram released a new video purportedly showing some of the more than 200 girls who were seized by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria in April 2014.

Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said local journalist Ahmad Salkida had been in contact with Boko Haram, as had Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil, both activists familiar with the workings of the Islamist group.

A masked gunman stands in front of a group of girls in a Boko Haram video released on August 14, 2016 purporting to show the Chibok hostages

"There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram terrorists and have contacts with them," he said.

"They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok girls and other abducted persons to enable us to rescue them."

Usman said the military would work with other security agencies to bring in the suspects if they fail to turn themselves in.

The mass kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram and its bloody quest to create a fundamentalist state in northeastern Nigeria.

A total of 218 girls are still missing.

Usman said the authorities wanted to talk to the suspects over the video released on Sunday in which a masked man called on the government to free Boko Haram prisoners if it wants the girls to be rescued.

Salkida is said to have high-level contacts among the group's leaders and is believed to have been involved in failed talks between Boko Haram and the government of former president Goodluck Jonathan.

The journalist said in his personal blog he would report to the authorities as soon as he returns to Nigeria, without giving his current whereabouts.

"In the coming days I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the army authorities," he said.

- 'Personal sacrifices for Chibok girls' -

Salkida said he had nothing to fear because he had not done anything outside the tenets of journalism.

"Clearly, my status as a Nigerian journalist who has reported extensively, painstakingly and consistently on the Boko Haram menace in the country since 2006 is an open book known to Nigerians and the international community," he said.

"I made personal sacrifices for the release of our Chibok daughters."

Sunday's video showed a group of about 40 girls in Islamic dress sitting or standing around a masked man armed with an assault rifle.

The man said some of the girls had been killed in air strikes by Nigerian armed forces, which have been intensifying their campaign against the jihadist group.

It was the latest release from Boko Haram's embattled chief Abubakar Shekau, who earlier this month denied claims he has been replaced as leader.

Throughout last year the military announced the rescue of hundreds of people, most of them women and children, who have been kidnapped by the Islamists.

But the missing schoolgirls were not among them, despite several unconfirmed sightings.

Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency has left some 20,000 people dead and forced at least 2.6 million others to flee their homes.

The kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in April 2014 provoked global outrage and brought unprecedented attention to Boko Haram Pius Utomi Ekpei (AFP/File)
Six killed in Mozambique rebel attack, police say

Six people have been killed in an attack by Renamo rebels in Mozambique, police said Monday, the latest in a string of violent skirmishes between opposition fighters and government forces.

Two unidentified survivors claimed that government troops had staged the attack, but police laid the blame squarely on rebels.

"Armed men from Renamo ambushed a vehicle on Friday, firing at it until it caught fire," police spokesman Daniel Macuacua told AFP.

Renamo, which waged a 16-year civil war in Mozambique that ended in 1992, has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party Lionel Healing (AFP/File)

"Six people were burnt to death." All the victims were civilians, though their identities have not been released.

"We are still looking for any potential survivors who may have escaped," Macuacua added.

- 'Lined up and shot' -

But two survivors told the country's independent television channel STV on condition of anonymity, that the government troops were behind the attack.

One claimed police stopped them, checked their identities and drove them into the forest. They were eight farm produce sellers, two of them Bangladeshis.

"They put the Mozambicans in a line and shot them down one by one. Then I was grabbed by the coat but I managed to get out of it and escaped (unharmed)," said the survivor, of Bangladesh origin.

The second survivor said they were taken out to the bush where they were shot "one by and one" as they stepped out of the car.

The man also a Bangladesh, claimed that he jumped out of car, was shot but "hid in the bush," he told STV from a local hospital.

Renamo, which waged a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992, has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since independence 40 years ago.

Since 2013, tensions have risen and Renamo fighters have again taken up arms in a battle that it says is against a Frelimo elite who have enriched themselves at the expense of the country.

- Uptick in violence -

Peace talks are under way, but authorities blame the stand-off for an uptick in violent attacks in northern and central parts of Mozambique.

In May, 13 bodies were found in the restive centre of the country where security forces and Renamo rebels have frequently clashed, while the Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH) claimed at least 83 summary executions had been reported since the start of the year.

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama has been living in hiding since October 2015 after he escaped two attacks against his convoy.

He claims government troops are continuously attacking his stronghold in Gorongosa in central Mozambique, in an attempt to lure him out or kill him.
Thousands flee homes due to California fires

A northern California wildfire grew rapidly over the weekend, destroying homes and forcing 4,000 residents to flee, authorities said.

As of late Sunday, the so-called Clayton Fire was burning through 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares), with 1,044 personnel fighting the blaze, according to state firefighting agency Cal Fire.

At least 10 homes and businesses have been destroyed since the fire broke out around 5:00 pm on Saturday (0000 GMT Sunday).

A firefighter battles the flames in Placerita Canyon in southern California, where one of the state's many recent wildfires erupted this summer David McNew (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File)

Only five percent of the blaze, located more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of San Francisco, has been contained.

"The recent sustained, high temperatures around the state and historic statewide drought have made an ideal environment for dangerous fire conditions throughout California," the California Office of Emergency Services said in a statement.

"The terrain is grassy oak woodland with heavy brush and has created difficult firefighting conditions," it added.

The agency obtained a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help local authorities gather the necessary resources to fight the fire.

"The fire is burning aggressively towards the north, crossing Morgan Valley Road and Cache Creek, and is impacting the communities of Lower Lake and Clearlake," Cal Fire said.

"The fire behavior remains intense. Structures are threatened and currently mandatory evacuations are in place," it added, noting that it was challenging to access the terrain.

The community is still reeling from last year's devastating Valley Fire that killed four people, destroyed more than 1,300 homes and burned through more than 76,000 acres.

"We are going to recover and Lake County is going to come back strong," state senator Mike McGuire told a community meeting and press conference.

"Emotions are still incredibly raw from the Valley Fire," he added, noting that mental health professionals were being sent to the area.

The fire is only one of several burning throughout the most populous US state.

Further south, the deadly Soberanes fire has killed one bulldozer operator, injured three and burned through more than 72,500 acres.

More than 4,100 personnel are fighting that blaze north of Big Sur, one of the region's most popular tourist draws with its sharp cliffs rising above the Pacific Ocean.

Authorities blame that inferno, which has destroyed 57 homes and 11 outbuildings, on an illegal campfire. It is now 60 percent contained.

California fires Jonathan Jacobsen (AFP)
South Sudan president considers new, stronger UN force

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said Monday he was not opposed to the deployment of a strengthened UN force but expressed "very serious concerns" over the internationally-backed plan.

The comments come as the UN faces renewed criticism over repeated failures to protect civilians, including foreign aid workers.

In a speech at the opening of parliament, Kiir said more time and further negotiations were needed before the deployment of a new contingent with a stronger mandate.

South Sudan President Salva Kiir said more time and further negotiations were needed before the deployment of a new UN peacekeeping contingent with a stronger mandate Charles Atiki Lomodong (AFP/File)

"We need to be engaged in a discourse and exchange ideas on what is the best way forward, rather than be presented with a fait accompli from outsiders," Kiir said in the capital Juba.

On Friday, the UN Security Council approved a US-drafted resolution backed by regional bloc IGAD to strengthen the 12,000-person peacekeeping mission, known as UNMISS, with 4,000 additional troops drawn from regional armies and equipped with a more aggressive mandate.

But it also threatened an arms embargo if South Sudan throws up barriers to its deployment.

The latest allegations about UN failings emerged on Monday in a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report which said peacekeepers did nothing as women were raped, civilians murdered and foreign aid workers targeted during a flareup last month in which hundreds were killed in Juba.

In one incident, government soldiers rampaged through a hotel compound "where they killed a prominent journalist, raped or gang raped several international and national staff of (aid) organisations, and destroyed, and extensively looted property," the group said.

During the hours-long assault the UN "did not respond to direct calls for protection by aid workers at the... compound, a kilometre (half a mile) from their base," HRW said.

- 'Sovereignty first' -

The hope is that a strengthened UN force might prevent a repeat of such atrocities.

Kiir said he was "not instinctively or automatically" against the UN-mandated force.

But he insisted that sovereignty came first, winning cheers from the assembled MPs in a parliament dominated by his loyalists.

"We welcome assistance, we are attentive to advice. But assistance requires dialogue, it should not turn into an imposition that becomes an intervention, in which our sovereignty is compromised and our ability to govern effectively diminishes," Kiir said.

South Sudan's civil war began in December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. The fighting has split the country along ethnic lines and driven it to the brink of collapse.

A peace deal signed between the government and rebels almost a year ago has so far failed to end the conflict and last month, Juba was rocked by several days of heavy fighting between Kiir's forces and those loyal to Machar.

- One country, two armies -

In a statement Monday, Machar's supporters said the UN resolution creates "a conducive security environment that will facilitate the smooth implementation" of the peace deal.

But the statement also highlighted entrenched suspicions, describing the recent fighting as a "return to armed conflict" and accusing Kiir of engineering the "overthrow" of the unity government which was formed in April.

In other remarks, Kiir -- a former guerrilla commander -- also promised to reform the military and make it "completely subordinate to the authority of a civilian government."

Without offering any details about how the opposing factions might be reconciled, Kiir promised to create a single national army by May 2016.

"The unnatural reality of one country and two armies coexisting side by side is dysfunctional and already proven to be disastrous as we witnessed during July's tragic events," he said.

Kiir also promised to investigate alleged abuses by soldiers and called for more international financial assistance to help rebuild the economy.

- A million flee -

Nearly a million refugees have now fled the brutal conflict and are suffering dire conditions in camps across the region, refugee agency UNHCR said on Monday.

"With refugees fleeing South Sudan in their thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations," the UNHCR said in a statement.

"Already there are some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily."

It has only received a fifth of the $609 million (545 million euros) it needs for operations helping refugees now scattered across six countries, as well as the 1.6 million internally displaced, it added.

South Sudan AFP (AFP)

The 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, has faced criticism for failing to stem the latest bloodshed or fully protect civilians during the fighting Ashraf Shazly (AFP/File)
Saudi soldiers get Yemen war bonus from king

Saudi soldiers on the front lines of the war in Yemen are getting a month's extra salary from King Salman, official media said as combat claimed another trooper's life.

The handout comes after an escalation of the 17-month-old war following the suspension of peace talks between Yemeni rebels and the internationally recognised government.

King Salman "has ordered paying a month's salary to active participants at the front lines" of the Yemen operation, which began in March last year, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Sunday.

Saudi soldiers fire shells towards Yemen from a post close to the Saudi-Yemeni border, on April 13, 2015 Fayez Nureldine (AFP)

"The order covers employees of the ministries of interior, defence, and the National Guard," it said, without giving the total cost of the bonus.

It comes as the kingdom battles a projected $87-billion (80-billion-euros) deficit in 2016 after oil revenues collapsed by more than half over the past two years.

In April, Saudi Arabia announced its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to diversify the oil-dependent economy.

Dozens of Saudi troops have died along the border or on the Yemeni battlefield since the kingdom launched coalition operations there.

Border Guards Corporal Mishari al-Shahrani on Monday morning became the latest Saudi casualty, the Interior Ministry said.

On the front line in Saudi Arabia's Asir border zone, he was killed during an exchange of fire with Huthis shooting from Yemen, the ministry said.

The Saudi-led coalition acted in support of Yemen's government against Shiite Huthi rebels and their allies who overran much of the country.

Coalition jets struck targets around Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa for the first time in three months last week.

The raids came after increased ceasefire violations by the rebels and suspension of the United Nations-brokered talks in Kuwait, the coalition said.

In late July, 12 Saudi soldiers were killed in border clashes during the most serious fighting in months along the frontier.
Dubai hands death sentence to child killer: report

A Dubai court Monday sentenced to death a Jordanian man convicted of raping and killing an eight-year-old boy in a crime that shocked public opinion in the United Arab Emirates, media reported.

The Dubai court of first instance convicted 49-year-old Nidal Eisa Abdullah of kidnapping Obaida Sedqi from his father's garage on May 20 before raping and killing the boy, the local Gulf News daily said.

He was also ordered to pay 21,000 dirhams ($5,700) to the victim's parents, the newspaper said.

Although the law in the United Arab Emirates includes capital punishment, executions are rare in the Muslim Gulf country

Abdullah had admitted he raped and murdered the boy, also Jordanian, but denied kidnapping the victim, the Dubai daily said.

The defendant, who became publicly referred to as "Obaida's killer", claimed that the boy "had willingly sat with him in the car", it added.

According to Gulf News, Abdullah is said to have "lured the eight-year-old to his car by offering to buy him a scooter" before having forced sex with the boy and then strangling him.

But during one of the hearings, Abdullah told the court that he had mental problems.

"I was not conscious or awake and do not remember what happened that day," the daily quoted him as saying.

By law, the death sentence will automatically be appealed.

Although the law in the United Arab Emirates includes capital punishment, executions are rare in the Muslim Gulf country, where death sentences are typically commuted to life in prison.

But the country in July last year put to death by a firing squad an Emirati woman convicted of the jihadist-inspired murder of a US school teacher in a shopping mall toilet.
Ban condemns Yemen school raid

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has condemned air strikes that killed 10 children at a school in a rebel-held area of Yemen, calling for a swift investigation.

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 the town of Haydan in Saada province.

But the Saudi-led coalition of Arab states battling Huthi rebels denied targeting the school, saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

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)

Ban "condemns the attack, reported to have been an airstrike," a UN statement read Sunday.

"The secretary-general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen."

The rebels posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead children wrapped in blankets. But coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri sent AFP pictures of Huthi children carrying rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

Ban "calls for a swift investigation of this tragic event and urges the parties to take all necessary measures to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and human rights and do everything in their power to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," his office said.
51 killed in DR Congo machete attack: NGOs

Civil society groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday said the number of people hacked to death in the restive east this weekend has risen to 51.

"Our team on the ground has counted 51 bodies slain with machetes," said Teddy Kataliko, a member of a local alliance of NGOs and unions working in the troubled town of Beni.

Local mayor Edmond Masumbuko on Sunday said 42 people had died in Saturday night's mass killing in Beni; the government in Kinshasa had earlier put the death toll at 36.

Despite efforts by the international community and the Congolese authorities, the restive east has remained mired in violence since the end of the second Congolese war (1998-2003) Alain Wandimoyi (AFP/File)

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said the civil society groups' toll was "impossible to objectively verify".

Saturday night's attack was the latest in a string of killings that have left more than 650 people dead in and around Beni since 2014.

The army has blamed the attack on 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.

The killings sparked rage among local residents who accused the government of failing to protect them.

Some of the victims' families refused to take their relatives' bodies to the morgue, Kataliko told AFP.

"They decided to hold private funerals and refused to allow the government to bury them, because it could not guarantee their security while they were still alive," he added.

All shops were shut in Beni on Monday and the streets plunged into silence for the first of three days of national mourning.

- Kabila visit -

The attack took place just three days after a visit by President Joseph Kabila to the area.

On Monday Kabila was in the regional capital Goma for a meeting of security officials, and he was later due to visit Beni.

Army spokesman Mak Hakuzay told AFP that military units deployed in the area would be given new uniforms, because ADF rebels "have infiltrated" an area under the Congolese armed forces' control.

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).

A report published in March by the Congo Research Group at New York University, which looked into the massacres around Beni, claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.
Bolt eyes 200m record in race to immortality

Usain Bolt believes a new 200m world record is a possibility as he embarks on the next leg of his race for immortality at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday.

The world's fastest man electrified Rio on Sunday by romping to a third consecutive gold in the 100m, the first leg of his bid for an amazing "triple triple."

Bolt, who is desperate to better his 2009 world best of 19.19sec, said a new record could be on the cards as he geared up Tuesday's opening round of the 200.

Usain Bolt believes a new 200m world record is a possibility as he embarks on the next leg of his race for immortality at the Rio Olivier Morin (AFP)

"I think if I can get a good night's rest after the semi-finals, it's possible," Bolt said.

"I'm going to leave it all on the track and do the best I possibly can," he added.

Bolt has repeatedly said he wants to be the first man to dip under 19 seconds for the 200m.

That goal will probably remain elusive in Rio -- Bolt's fastest time for the 200m this year is 19.89sec, set in London last month.

Four men have run quicker over the distance this season, with LaShawn Merritt of the United States leading the times with a best of 19.74sec, set at the US Olympic trials in Eugene on July 8.

Justin Gatlin, silver medallist in Sunday's 100m, is second fastest, clocking 19.75 last month.

The closest Bolt has come to his 2009 record is the 19.32sec he clocked in winning the gold at the London Olympics in 2012.

Nevertheless, the Jamaican's knack of achieving the improbable means it would be unwise to definitively bet against him.

Bolt says achieving his "triple triple" -- three consecutive Olympic golds in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m -- will make him immortal.

"Somebody said if I win these three gold medals I would be immortal and I kind of liked it. So I'm going to run with that one," he said.

Even with Sunday's 100m title in the bag, Bolt insisted he would regard his Olympics as a failure if he does not add to his collection of seven gold medals.

"I came here to win three gold medals, I came here to prove myself as one of the greats," Bolt said.

"If by any chance it doesn't happen, I'm going to feel sad because I didn't do what I wanted to accomplish.

"I wanted to set myself apart from everybody else and this is the Olympics, I have to do it."
Suspected New York imam killer charged with murder

New York police charged a suspect with the double murder of a New York imam and his friend, in a brutal slaying that sent shock waves through US Muslim communities.

Oscar Morel, a 35-year-old Brooklyn man,was charged with two counts of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, NYPD detective Hubert Reyes told AFP.

Fearful Muslim New Yorkers have demanded stepped-up security and justice as hundreds of mourners attended the two men's funeral service in the borough of Queens.

Community members gather during funeral prayers for Imam Maulama Akonjee and his friend Thara Uddin on August 15, 2016 in New York Kena Betancur (AFP)

Maulama Akonjee, 55, who migrated to the United States from Bangladesh, and his friend, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon in the Ozone Park neighborhood.

Morel was taken into custody on Sunday, the NYPD told AFP.

Following his detention, he was charged with a hit-and-run that took place three miles (about five kilometers) away from the double murder and the assault of a police officer, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told a news conference.

The murder charges were added later Monday after police recovered a gun and clothing from his house that were similar to those believed used by the shooter, US media reported.

Morel was known to have been in the area of the double murder eight minutes before the homicide and took off directly afterward, Boyce said.

Police said Morel was from East New York, a troubled area of Brooklyn, and was believed to have a job in a warehouse.

Authorities had earlier said hate crime was being investigated as a possible motive -- as demanded by Muslim elders -- but did not provide any information on the suspect's motives Monday evening.

The New York Daily News quoted police sources as saying the killer may have been settling a score in a feud between Muslims and Hispanics, suggestions that have been dismissed by members of the Muslim community.

"We want justice, we want justice, we want justice," chanted Muslim elders at a chaotic news conference before Monday's funeral.

- Xenophobic statements -

The Council on American-Islamic Relations had offered a $10,000 reward for any information that could lead to an arrest or conviction.

Community leaders, clearly rattled by rising Islamophobia, slammed "xenophobic statements" made against Muslims in speeches by "politicians and candidates seeking the highest office in the land" -- a clear reference to Donald Trump.

Trump, the New York billionaire and Republican nominee, used a keynote address Monday to demand ideological screening tests for immigrants, saying immigrants and their children had been responsible for a string of extremist attacks in America.

One speaker at the pre-funeral conference demanded security cameras be erected outside mosques and for the street where the two men were shot to be renamed in their honor.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who paid his respects with other elected officials, promised extra police would protect mosques and Muslim communities, saying the entire city stood shoulder-to-shoulder with those in mourning.

"We know there are voices all over this country who are spewing hate, trying to create division, trying to turn one American against another," de Blasio said.

"We're not going to let them continue to encourage acts of hatred."

The working class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

Akonjee had been carrying more than $1,000, but the attacker did not take the money, police said.

Funeral prayers are held for slain Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin outside of the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque on August 15, 2016 in New York Kena Betancur (AFP)

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio speaks during funeral prayers for Imam Maulama Akonjee and Thara Uddin on August 15, 2016 in New York Kena Betancur (AFP)
Ethiopia police block anti-government protests

A massive deployment of police in Ethiopia's restive Oromo and Amhara regions prevented fresh anti-government protests over the weekend, an opposition leader said Monday.

"The situation is very tense," said Beyene Petros, chairperson of MEDREK, an opposition coalition.

"The army, the federal police and plain clothes policemen are heavily deployed. They beat (the protesters). They chase them. They even go house to house threatening the parents."

Demonstrations began popping up in Ethiopia in November 2015 in the Oromia region, which surrounds the capital, due to a government plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa Lea-Lisa Westerhoff (AFP/File)

Small-scale protests were however reported over the weekend in at least three locations in Amhara region in the north and one in the central Oromo region. Last week, simultaneous protests were held for the first time in Oromo and Amhara regions, home to Ethiopia's two biggest ethnic groups.

They were violently suppressed by security forces who opened fire on crowds in several places leaving at least a hundred dead, according to rights group Amnesty International.

Further rallies are expected in the coming days but the traditional, weak opposition parties claim to have little control over a protest movement they say is coordinated by youth activists using social media.

"People are coming out spontaneously. Political parties are bypassed," said Petros. "We're just watching and try to advise both sides so the damage will be minimised."

Ethiopian opposition parties have been decimated by the arrests of leaders and members in recent years, often under a broadly-applied anti-terrorism law.

The ruling EPRDF coalition -- in power for a quarter of a century -- won every parliamentary seat in last year's elections, triggering a wave of angry protests, according to Petros.

"This has enraged the population who has given up on EPRDF when it comes to bringing about a democratic system in this country," he said.

"We are challenging the ruling party to open the political space."
Egypt bus collision north of Cairo kills 17

Seventeen people were killed on Monday when two buses collided north of Cairo, the Egyptian health ministry said in a statement.

Another 16 people were injured in the accident, including three who needed to be transported to intensive care.

The collision took place about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, in Daqahliya province.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where many of the country's roads are not well-maintained and regulations are laxly enforced Khaled Desouki (AFP/File)

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where many of the country's roads are not well-maintained and regulations are laxly enforced.
Casualties as air strikes hit north Yemen hospital

Saudi-led coalition air strikes on Monday hit a hospital in a rebel-held province of northwestern Yemen and caused casualties, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.

MSF "confirms that Abs hospital (in Hajja province) was targeted by air strikes today at 15:45 Yemen time (1245 GMT)", the Paris-based relief agency tweeted. "Number of deaths and casualties still unknown."

MSF spokeswoman Malak Shaher confirmed the incident and told AFP the agency has had a team at the public hospital in the coastal town since 2015.

The Saudi-led coalition first launched air strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in March 2015 Mohammed Huwais (AFP/File)

"Medical teams still attending wounded" after the air strikes, MSF tweeted.

Residents in Abs also said that coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.

But AFP could not immediately obtain a specific toll.

The strikes come less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in air strikes on a Koranic school in Saada, another rebel-held province in Yemen's north.

The coalition denied targeting a school, instead saying it bombed a camp at which Iran-backed rebels train underage soldiers.

The Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, began its campaign of air strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies on March 26, 2015.

Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdom's side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.

Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.
Ruth Jebet wins first Olympic gold for Bahrain in steeplechase

Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet produced an astonishing piece of front running to win Bahrain's first Olympic gold when she claimed the women's 3000m steeplechase on Monday.

Jebet timed an Asian record of 8min 59.75sec, missing out on the world record by less than a second.

Reigning world champion Hyvin Kiyeng Jepkemoi of Kenya took silver in 9:07.12, with American Emma Coburn claiming bronze (9:07.63).

Bahrain's Ruth Jebet celebrates as she crosses the finish line to win the women's 3000m steeplechase final in Rio on August 15, 2016 Olivier Morin (AFP)

"I'm happy to be a gold medallist, it was my first attempt to have a medal and I'm happy," said Jebet.

"Today it was too hot for the athletes, it was not easy to run a good time but I tried my best and the track is good.

"Yesterday I saw the new record in the 400m (by Wayde van Niekerk) and in the 10,000m also a new world record so I thought why not a world record for me."

Chebet said Bahraini team officials had been confident she could medal.

"It's the first gold medal for Bahrain," she said.

"They saw how I ran in the Diamond League and how I did there, and they told me when I was coming that 'we're sure of you, you're going to have a medal'."

US champion Coburn set the early pace before Jebet, who transferred her allegiance to Bahrain from her native Kenya in February 2013, surged with five laps to run of the seven-and-a-half lap race.

As temperatures hit 35 degrees Celsius (95F), her pace immediately split the field, Jepkemoi and fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech just about staying in touch, with Coburn in fourth.

Jebet, the former world junior champion who is the second-fastest woman ever and only the second to run the event in less than nine minutes, maintained her punishing pace as the bell rang for the final lap.

Chepkoech fell off as Coburn moved up in her own battle for silver with Jepkemoi.

Ahead of them, Jebet pushed for Russian Gulnara Galkina's world record of 8:58.81, just failing in her quest as she landed the Gulf state of Bahrain its first Olympic gold.

Bahrain's Morocco-born Rashid Ramzi was initially awarded gold in the men's 1500m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but he was stripped of that after testing positive for doping.

Silver medallist Jepkemoi was left delighted after the testing run.

"I am so happy," she said. "I never thought this would be a reality.

"The last two laps were really hard. I just tried to stay strong and see if I could catch her. I hate looking back during races and I resisted doing that."

Coburn's day was also a special one as she became the first American to medal in the 3000m steeplechase.

"The last four or five laps were tough. I just kept on telling myself to keep on chipping away at the gap and once I got my position, all I wanted was to hold it," Coburn said.

"It wasn't until the last 400 or 600 metres when I realised that I had it and just couldn't lose it."

Barhain's Ruth Jebet in action in the women's 3000m steeplechase final in Rio on August 15, 2016 Johannes Eisele (AFP)
At least 11 killed in coalition air raid on Yemen hospital: MSF

An Arab coalition air raid hit a Yemeni hospital on Monday, killing at least 11 people and injuring more than 19, just 48 hours after strikes that killed children, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said.

MSF said a blast "partially destroyed" a hospital at Abs, located in the rebel-held province of Hajja, in the fourth attack on one of its facilities in less than a year.

The United States and Amnesty International separately condemned the attack.

This handout picture from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on August 15, 2016, shows a hospital destroyed by an air strike in Abs, Yemen

Nine people were killed in the explosion, including one MSF staff member, while two more patients died while being transferred to another clinic.

"Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members, was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients," Teresa Sancristoval, of MSF's Emergency Unit in Yemen, said in a statement.

The GPS coordinates of the hospital "were repeatedly shared with all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition, and its location was well-known," the statement added.

The coalition has been battling Iran-backed rebels since March 2015 in support of Yemen's government, after the insurgents seized Sanaa before moving into other parts of the country.

Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged "shortcomings" in two out of eight cases it has investigated of UN-condemned air strikes on civilian targets in Yemen.

On Monday, it promised to probe another attack that MSF said killed 10 children over the weekend at a school in the rebel-held northern province of Saada.

- 'Unacceptable' -

Sancristoval said that nothing "seems to be done to make parties involved in the conflict in Yemen respect medical staff and patients.

"Without action, these public gestures are meaningless for today's victims. Either intentional or a result of a negligence, this is unacceptable."

Residents in Abs said coalition jets, which have been striking rebel military targets in the town for several days, hit the hospital and caused casualties.

Rebel sources said the coalition struck a first-aid building beside the facility.

One of the fatalities was an MSF electrician, while a doctor and a nurse who were both severely injured also worked for the charity, Sancristoval told AFP by phone from Barcelona, Spain.

"It's a rural hospital which was full when the raid occurred, although it is difficult to estimate how many," she said.

"The hospital was partially destroyed. We can't work in it without major repairs."

Abs is adjacent to the town of Harad, on the border with Saudi Arabia, and from where rebels have repeatedly shelled areas on the kingdom's side of the frontier, causing both civilian and military deaths.

A border guard corporal became the latest Saudi casualty Monday, the interior ministry said in Riyadh.

Harad itself is seeing fierce fighting and is frequently a target of heavy coalition air strikes.

- 'Unlawful attacks' -

Pro-government military sources, who are fighting alongside coalition forces in Harad, said military vehicles had taken rebel casualties to the Abs hospital before Monday's air strikes.

In Washington, the State Department said it was "deeply concerned by a reported airstrike" and called on "all parties to cease hostilities immediately," but did not specifically point to the Saudi-led coalition.

London-based watchdog Amnesty International described the bombardment as "a deplorable act that... appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals, highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life."

The raid comes less than 48 hours after MSF accused the coalition of killing 10 children in Saturday's strikes on a Koranic school in Saada.

The coalition denied targeting a school, saying instead that it bombed a camp where rebels train underage soldiers.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon condemned that attack and called for a swift investigation.

"The secretary general notes with dismay that civilians, including children, continue to bear the brunt of increased fighting and military operations in Yemen," a UN statement said.

Hours later, a 14-member investigative team made up of several coalition states and Yemen, promised to conduct an "independent" probe into the allegations.

The team has already investigated claims of attacks on a residential area, hospitals, markets, a wedding and World Food Programme (WFP) 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 as a hideout.

The coalition had announced earlier it would allow humanitarian flights into Sanaa's international airport from Monday, after a closure of several days as hostilities flared around the rebel-held capital.

It had been closed since last Tuesday, when the coalition resumed air strikes around Sanaa following the breakdown of UN-brokered peace talks between the Yemeni government and rebels.

The UN says that more than 6,400 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Yemen since last March.

Map of Yemen locating the northern city of Abs, where MSF says air strikes hit a hospital
Israel minister bans soldiers from volunteering with migrant children

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman has prohibited soldiers from volunteering in their free time with children of migrants who are illegally in the country, sparking fierce debate Monday.

Human rights organisations, leftwing opposition politicians and some media condemned the decision as racist, while rightwing supporters said the soldiers should instead help disadvantaged Israelis.

Commanders of some units in the army, one of Israel's most important institutions, encourage their troops to carry out educational or fun initiatives with the children of African migrants, including in public parks in south Tel Aviv where many can be found.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Jerusalem on June 2, 2016 Abir Sultan (Pool/AFP/File)

Ultra-nationalist Lieberman, however, in recent days ordered the army to curtail such activities.

"Lieberman's directive derives from the belief that IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers should take part in activities that are widely agreed upon and not at the heart of public debate, especially when the activity is among a population that is not here legally," a spokesman explained.

"The minister thinks that... IDF soldiers should follow the principle that 'charity begins at home' and help Holocaust survivors, people in need, the elderly," Lieberman's spokesman told AFP.

"Soldiers must primarily help the needy" Israelis, deputy defence minister Eli Ben-Dahan, a member of the religious nationalist Jewish Home party, told Israeli radio.

Nava Boker, a parliamentarian from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party, said "the role of soldiers is to defend the country's inhabitants."

But Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai responded on army radio that the country could "under no circumstances ignore the plight of children living among us."

And former defence minister Amir Peretz of Labour suggested Lieberman should "read a few things about how the Jewish tradition compels us to treat foreigners".

For the leftist daily Haaretz, Lieberman had set "a new record for racism, abominable morals and cruelty".

According to the interior ministry, Israel is home to some 41,000 asylum seekers from Africa.
Russia 'close' to joining forces with US on Aleppo: minister

Russia is close to joining forces with the United States around Syria's ravaged second city of Aleppo, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in comments aired Monday.

"Step by step we are getting closer to the situation in which -- and I'm only speaking about Aleppo here -- we will be able to begin battling together so that there is peace on this territory," Shoigu told Rossiya 24 television.

In the interview conducted on Saturday but shown only Monday, Shoigu said Moscow is in close negotiations regarding the city, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control.

Opposition fighters drive a tank in the Al-Huweiz area on southern outskirts of Aleppo as they battle to break the government seige on the northen Syrian city on August 2, 2016 Omar haj kadour (AFP)

Shoigu said Moscow and Washington are still deeply at odds over the situation in Aleppo, accusing rebels of holding civilians hostage and waging brutal suicide bombings.

"In the eastern part of Aleppo, people are hostages," he said, accusing the rebels of planting bombs along escape routes established by Russia and of staging executions.

He blasted accusations that Moscow has imposed a blockade on rebel-held areas, calling them "untrue" and "propaganda".

He said suicide attacks by rebels have included loading an armoured vehicle with explosives and welding it shut.

"That's moderate opposition? Who is this?" he said.

"There are many issues there that we are yet to decide on with our American colleagues," he said of Aleppo. "We are now in a very active stage of negotiations with American colleagues."

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (R) shake hands during a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin wall Natalia Kolesnikova (AFP)
Aleppo one of 'most devastating urban conflicts': Red Cross

The battle for Syria's ravaged second city Aleppo is one of the worst urban conflicts ever fought, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said Monday.

"This is beyond doubt one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times," Peter Maurer said in a statement, decrying the "immense" human suffering.

The divided city of Aleppo has been rocked by escalating violence, with hundreds of people killed, untold numbers injured and tens of thousands trapped without aid, Maurer pointed out.

A man waits as Syrian civil defence workers look for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building following reported air strikes on July 17, 2016 in Aleppo Thaer Mohammed (AFP/File)

"No one and nowhere is safe. Shell-fire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear," the ICRC chief said.

"Children have been traumatised. The scale of the suffering is immense," he added.

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.

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 violence has severely damaged the city's infrastructure, cutting or significantly reducing access to water and electricity across the city, the ICRC stressed.

"Besides the direct threat posed by the fighting, the lack of essential services such as water and electricity, poses an immediate and dramatic risk for up to two million people, who have great difficulty in accessing basic medical care," Maurer warned.

ICRC said that it and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent had begun trucking drinking water as an emergency measure.

"The human cost of the fighting in Aleppo is simply too high," Maurer said.

"We urge all parties to stop the destruction and indiscriminate attacks, and stop the killing," he said.

The ICRC called on all sides to allow aid agencies to reach civilians in all parts of the city, and said regular halts in the fighting was needed to allow in aid and to repair essential services.

The United Nations has also repeatedly insisted that regular 48-hour pauses in the fighting is needed to bring desperately needed aid into Aleppo.

A Syrian man walks past destroyed buildings on May 2, 2016, in Aleppo's Bab al-Hadid neighbourhood Karam al-Masri (AFP/File)
Zambia's Lungu: 'ordinary' but tough on opponents

Zambia's newly re-elected president, Edgar Lungu, likes to portray himself as a man of the people, but observers see a sharp edge that he reserves for rivals and critics.

Lungu, 59, a trained military officer and lawyer, defeated his main opponent and erstwhile colleague Hakainde Hichilema by around 2.5 percent of the vote in a fiercely-fought contest.

The Patriotic Front leader cut his political teeth as a little-known lawmaker at the United Party for National Development (UPND), the party led by Hichilema. Lungu quit the UPND in 2001.

Incumbent Zambian President Edgar Lungu addresses tens of thousands of supporters on May 21, 2016 in Lusaka Dawood Salim (AFP/File)

He came into power in 2015, after the death in office of his predecessor Michael Sata.

He has used his short stint in office to present himself as the rightful heir to Sata, who enjoyed widespread popularity. He describes himself as an "ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings."

"Although he has demonstrated some humbleness, he is not really liked across the country but remains popular within his party," said political analyst Oliver Saasa.

"Lungu is fairly harsh in dealing with those who appear to be against him, that has come up on a few occasions," Saasa said.

"That is not the way a president is supposed to present himself."

His tough stance against critical independent media coincided with the closure of The Post newspaper in July.

On the campaign trail, in warning to political rival and activists, he told a meeting in the key election battleground of Copperbelt province: "If they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace."

An opposition leader was earlier this month was charged with defamation for comments he made against Lungu almost a year ago, when he accused him of partying at the taxpayers expense.

On social issues, Lungu revealed a conservative side after the arrest of two Zambian gay men in 2013.

"Those advocating gay rights should go to hell," he said. "That issue is foreign to this country."

Born in 1956 in Chadiza in eastern Zambia, Lungu is from the minority Nsenga ethnic group, but he often describes himself as a non-tribal Zambian from an unexceptional background.

Lungu graduated with a law degree from the University of Zambia in 1981 and also underwent training as a military officer.

When the PF first came to power in 2011, he became home affairs minister.

After two previous presidents of Zambia died in office, his health has been in focus.

Lungu suffers from recurring achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, and was flown to South Africa for treatment last year after collapsing in public.

He is married with six children, and is now a grandfather.

President Edgar Lungu's supporters celebrate after the announcement of Lungu as the presidential race winner on August 15, 2016 in Lusaka Dawood Salim (AFP)
Ri Se-Gwang had tears in his eyes as he stood to attention on the Rio podium on Monday giving a military-style salute as North Korea's national anthem blasted out after his gold in the men's vault.

The 21-year-old gymnast from Pyongyang crushed his rivals with the hardest combination of two jumps to add Olympic gold to his two world titles on the apparatus.

Ri is North Korea's third gymnast to win an Olympic gold and the first on the vault. Hong Un-Jong, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, finished fourth in the women's vault final on Sunday.

Ri is North Korea's third gymnast to win an Olympic gold and the first on the vault. Hong Un-Jong, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist, finished fourth in the women's vault final on Sunday.

The latest North Korean star gushed with the lavish praise for his country and its leader Kim Jong-Un that nearly all North Korean athletes use when on the world stage.

The latest North Korean star gushed with the lavish praise for his country and its leader Kim Jong-Un that nearly all North Korean athletes use when on the world stage.

"I was filled with a lot of emotions and joy because I feel I was able to bring a sense of victory and courage to our leader," he said.

"It does not mean anything to me. It is a gift that I present to my country."

"This gold medal is joy for my country," continued Ri.

South Korea's Yang Hak-Seon won in London 2012 but did not defend his title.

"I had the confidence that I could win. With that confidence I came to Brazil," Ri said.

Ri Se Gwang has added the men's vault Olympic title to his two world champion titles on the apparatus Thomas Coex (AFP)

"I think I was able to come to where I am thanks to the great support and encouragement from my coach and from my teammate.

"I wanted to win this gold medal for all the love I have received from my country."

Ri scored 15.691 points to take the title ahead of Russian Denis Abliazin (15.516) who also took silver in London 2012.

The Russian even performed a vault named after his North Korean rival Ri.

It was the third medal in Rio for Abliazin, who won team silver and bronze on the rings.

Ri Se Gwang competes in the men's vault final in Rio on August 15, 2016 Thomas Coex (AFP)

Japan's Kenzo Shirai snatched bronze ahead of Romanian veteran Marian Dragulescu.

Both scored 15.499 points with Shirai achieving a higher execution score.

"My number-one objective was to win the team gold medal," said Shirai. "So this (bronze medal) doesn't change the fact that that (team gold medal) was the happiest moment for me."

"I was really close to getting a medal. I am happy about this experience and qualifying for the final. I am proud of myself," said Dragulescu, 35, who hit a vault named after hisself.
Malawi again denies bail to man paid for sex with 100 girls

A Malawian man accused of sleeping with 100 girls and women in a series of ritual cleansing acts, on Monday failed in his second bid to be freed on bail.

Prosecutor Christopher Botoman opposed the bail request for Eric Aniva over fears that he could "intimidate and influence" witnesses not to testify in court.

Given the "nature and seriousness of the offence and the severity of the punishment if convicted" it would "not be in the interest of justice to release the accused on bail."

A Malawi court denied bail for the second time to Eric Avina, an HIV-positive man who is facing charges of having sex with more than 100 adolescent girls as part of initiation rites into womanhood Eldson Chagara (AFP)

The prosecution also said the 45-year-old -- who has said he is infected with the AIDS virus -- was likely to jump bail and cross the border into Mozambique.

But Aniva, whose first bid to secure bail was earlier this month, rejected the idea, saying he was "not scared" to face trial.

Malawi, which has one of the highest HIV infections in the world, criminalises sex with a person under the age of 16.

If found guilty of underage sex, Aniva could be imprisoned for life.

The little-known local practice of having sex with adolescent girls to mark their passage to womanhood is performed in southern Malawi by men known as "hyenas" at the behest of a girl's parents after her first menstruation.

The ritual is believed to train girls to become good wives and protect them from disease, or misfortune could fall on their families or their village.

Aniva is said to have slept with at least 104 women and girls, some as young as 12, in a ritual that lasts three days. He said each family paid him a fee of between $4 and $7.

His two wives were both present at the court house.

"We want him back home. We are suffering because we have no food," his 25-year-old wife Fanny told AFP.

"When he is around, we don't suffer because he is a man and he finds means to bring food to the house."

His second wife, Sophia, said he had long abandoned the "hyena" business.
West African bloc announces Guinea-Bissau troop pullout

West African troops who have provided security to the unstable west African state of Guinea-Bissau will pull out within a year, a top official for the ECOWAS regional bloc said Monday.

The troops were deployed in May 2012 following one of the nation's many coups and have since served with a mandate to protect public figures and institutions.

"That's four years now. The contingent cannot stay in Guinea-Bissau forever. It's costing us a lot, and more and more often the head of state has asked me to organise the demobilisation," said Marcel Alain De Souza, the head of the ECOWAS Commission.

President of the Economic Community of West African States Marcel Alain de Souza, pictured on June 4, 2016, said that the organization is working to end the stay of West African troops deployed there since May 2012 in one more year

"That's what we are working on, to extend our stay for a year so that the security situation can be reinforced," he added after leaving a meeting with Prime Minister Baciro Dja.

De Souza added that the ECOWAS contingent would concentrate its efforts on training up the tiny state's own armed forces.

"In the next six months, we are going to train men capable of replacing ECOMIB who will then be able to progressively pull out," he said, referring to the ECOWAS military mission.

De Souza had already said Sunday there was "no miracle" for the country's political and economic crises as he made an official visit, saying a country could not be "perpetually in crisis".

Guinea-Bissau is in the throes of a protracted power struggle, which dates back to the sacking of ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) leader Domingos Simoes Pereira in August 2015.

President Jose Mario Vaz named Dja as his choice for premier in June 2016 and a powerful faction of the party have protested the decision ever since.
Gaza merchants protest Israel travel bans

Palestinian businessmen staged a protest Monday at a crossing between Gaza and the Jewish state over what they said was Israel's mass cancellation of travel permits that was suffocating trade.

Palestinians accuse the Jewish state of having scrapped hundreds of travel documents allowing them to enter Israel and the West Bank as well as other countries for trade.

The permits are crucial to the economy of the impoverished Gaza Strip, on the brink of collapse after a 10-year Israeli blockade, according to the World Bank and United Nations.

Palestinian businessmen hold banners during a demonstration after Israel suspended their permits to cross to Israel on August 15, 2016 in Beit Hanun Mahmud Hams (AFP)

Israel says the blockade is necessary to prevent the Islamist movement Hamas, which runs the strip, from rebuilding its military forces and positions.

COGAT, the defence ministry body responsible for implementing government policies in the Palestinian territories, refused to comment on Monday.

But an Israeli official confirmed to AFP: "There are currently 1,600 trading permits, compared to 2,800 in the same period in 2015."

Walid al-Hosary, chairman of the Gaza chamber of commerce, said that "more than 1,500 permits and more than 160 authorisation cards for merchants and businessmen have been withdrawn."

Israel had cited "security reasons", he told the demonstrators at the Erez crossing.

Also, "the entry into the Gaza Strip of many of the necessary raw materials and goods for the industrial sector have also been prevented," he said.

"We also call for more neutrality in the private sector and for it not to be mixed in any political decisions, because traders, businessmen and industrialists do not have anything to do with political matters," Hosary said.

Wedged between Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean, the Gaza Strip is home to about 1.9 million Palestinians.
Biden, stumping for Clinton, trashes Trump

Vice President Joe Biden on Monday hit the 2016 campaign trail with Hillary Clinton for the first time, trashing Donald Trump as unqualified for the White House and accusing him of endangering the lives of US troops.

In the former coal mining town of Scranton, where Biden grew up in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania, the vice president said Clinton was the only choice for Americans who know what it's like to struggle.

Biden's folksy demeanor and ability to connect with working-class voters is considered an asset for Clinton -- particularly among blue collar white male voters who lean towards Trump, her Republican rival.

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, August 15, 2016, in Scranton, Pennsylvania Dominick Reuter (AFP)

"No major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump," said Biden, who served as a US senator for 36 years.

"This man is totally, thoroughly, unqualified to be president of the United States of America," he added.

The Republican nominee has made a big play for Pennsylvania, which has voted Democratic in the last six presidential elections.

But a series of unforced errors have handed Clinton a wide lead in the polls. In Pennsylvania, she is up an average of 9.2 percentage points at 49.2 percent to 40 percent for Trump, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Trump's accusation that Obama and Clinton created the so-called Islamic State extremist group had imperiled the lives of US troops, Biden said.

"If my son were still in Iraq and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple of clicks," he said.

- Country less safe -

"Ladies and gentlemen, does he have any idea of the adverse consequences these comments have on our allies, our friends and the physical safety of our troops? Trump is already making our country less safe," he said.

The people of Scranton and towns like it "deserve someone who's with them and they deserve someone who's made of the same stuff. That's Hillary Clinton," said the man who built his political career on his blue collar credentials.

Clinton also has ties to the town. Her father was born and buried in Scranton, and Clinton was christened there as a child.

Repeating from his much-praised speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, Biden rubbished Trump's claim to understand the middle class.

"To repeat myself, it's a bunch of malarkey," he said. "This guy doesn't care about the middle class... He doesn't have a clue. He really doesn't."

Clinton and Biden have had a lengthy rivalry despite both having served in Obama's cabinet.

Last year, Biden seriously contemplated another presidential run, but he ultimately decided not to following the death of his son Beau.

In a scathing opinion piece, The Wall Street Journal called on Trump to get his act together or drop out in favor of his running mate.

"He needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be president -- or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence," the conservative-leaning newspaper wrote.
Trump vows 'Cold War' terror fight, immigrant controls

Donald Trump laid out a US blueprint for defeating global terrorism in partnership with NATO and Middle East allies, demanding extreme restrictions on immigration and likening the fight to the Cold War.

The Republican nominee, who is tanking in the polls following weeks of self-inflicted disasters, made his pitch to be a security strongman as the Democratic vice president accused him of imperiling the lives of Americans.

"We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism just as we have defeated every threat we faced at every age," said Trump in Ohio, a battleground state considered essential to winning the US presidential election.

Republican candidate for President Donald Trump holds a campaign event at the Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University on August 15, 2016 in Youngstown, Ohio Jeff Swensen (Getty/AFP)

His foreign policy address marked the latest attempt by the Trump campaign to get their maverick candidate back on message as his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton surges ahead in the polls.

Watering down his highly contested assertion that Barack Obama and Clinton created the so-called Islamic State extremist group, Trump said IS was "the direct result of policy decisions" made by the president and former secretary of state, referencing chaos in Iraq and Libya.

He claimed the extremist group, which is the target of US-led air strikes and Special Forces operations in Iraq and Syria, was "fully operational" in 18 countries and had "aspiring branches in six more."

The real-estate tycoon and former reality TV star promised to end the US policy of "nation building" and called for a "new approach" in partnership with foreign allies to "halt the spread of radical Islam."

Trump vowed to work "very closely" with NATO, sidestepping previous criticism of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization after saying that a Trump presidency would not automatically leap to members' defense.

- Temporary suspension -

"I have previously said NATO was obsolete because it failed to deal adequately with terrorism. Since my comments, they have changed their policy and now have a new division focused on terror threats, very good," he said.

Trump said he believed the United States could find "common ground with Russia" in the fight against the IS group -- a claim bound to do little to silence critics who accuse him of being soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He said his administration would "aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS," another name for IS, and be a "friend to all moderate Muslim reformers in the Middle East."

At home he demanded new immigration screening, saying that the perpetrators of a series of attacks in the United States -- including the September 11, 2001, hijackings, the 2013 Boston bombings and the recent mass shooting in an Orlando nightclub -- involved "immigrants or the children of immigrants."

"We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people," he ventured, promising to temporarily suspend immigration from "the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world" that export terrorism.

"In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. I call it extreme vetting."

On the home front he also proposed setting up a "commission on radical Islam" which would include "reformist voices in the Muslim community" to root out jihadist networks and stop radicalization of young Americans.

The Clinton campaign responded by stating that any policy submitting immigrants to ideological tests was a "ploy."

"This so-called 'policy' cannot be taken seriously." Clinton senior policy advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

"How can Trump put this forward with a straight face when he opposes marriage equality and selected as his running mate the man who signed an anti-LGBT law in Indiana? It's a cynical ploy to escape scrutiny of his outrageous proposal to ban an entire religion from our country and no one should fall for it," he said.

- Manafort allegations -

But Vice President Joe Biden, who on Monday hit the 2016 campaign trail with Clinton for the first time, trashed Trump as unqualified for the White House and accused him of endangering the lives of US troops.

Biden's folksy demeanor and ability to connect with working-class voters is considered an asset for Clinton particularly among blue-collar white male voters who lean toward her Republican rival.

"No major party nominee in the history of the United States of America has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump," Biden said.

Trump's accusation that Obama and Clinton created the Islamic State group had imperiled the lives of US troops, Biden said.

"If my son were still in Iraq and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple of clicks," he said.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that corruption investigators in Ukraine say an illegal, off-the-books payment network earmarked $12.7 million in cash payments in 2007-2012 for Paul Manafort, now Trump's campaign chairman.

Manafort denied any wrongdoing, saying he had "never received a single 'off-the books cash payment,'" or worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.

Republican Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence introduces his running mate, Republican candidate for President Donald Trump, at a campaign event at the Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University on August 15, 2016 in Youngstown, Ohio Jeff Swensen (Getty/AFP/File)
Biles's five gold bid ends as Wevers takes beam title

Simone Biles's bid for a record five women's gymnastics gold medals in Rio ended Monday when the US star was beaten into third place on the beam by Sanne Wevers of the Netherlands.

Biles -- a gold medallist in the team, all-around and vault -- fought to stay on the apparatus during her routine, scoring just 14.733 points.

It was the first time the 19-year-old has been beaten in a final since 2013.

Netherlands' Sanne Wevers competes in the women's balance beam event final of the Artistic Gymnastics at the Olympic Arena during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 15, 2016 Toshifumi Kitamura (AFP)

Wevers, 24, surged to gold with 15.466 points ahead of American Lauren Hernandez, who won silver with 15.333.

Despite getting off to a strong start the 1.45m (4ft 9ins) Biles put her hands down on the beam after landing a front somersault.

"Everyone would love to have a bronze at an Olympics. I'm just disappointed with my routine. I don't really know what happened," said the Texan.

In Rio, Biles had become the first American woman to win three gold at the same Games, and admitted that the reaction to her successes back home had been overwhelming.

"It's scary and exciting and a little bit overwhelming," she said.

Wevers took to the beam immediately after Biles and knew what she had to do after finishing runner-up to the American at the worlds last year.

"I knew that I needed to go all out, to do my highest difficulty. But after I saw her I said 'maybe play it safe'.

"To do the performance of my life and to do it at an the Olympics is unbelievable."

Biles still has a chance for a record-equalling fourth gold in Tuesday's floor final.

Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina (1956), Czech Vera Caslavska (1968) and Romanian Ecaterina Szabo (1984), have all also won four gold medals at the same Olympics.

"I still have the floor to come. I'm a little tired. The floor always pumps me up," said the ten-time world champion.

Earlier North Korea's Ri Se-Gwang won Olympic gold on the men's vault with Greece's Eleftherios Petrounias taking the rings title.

The 21-year-old Ri, who had been poker-faced during the execution of his two vaults, had tears in his eyes as he stood to attention on top of the podium giving a military-style salute as the national anthem played.

Russia's Denis Abliazin won silver for his second consecutive Games medal on vault after London 2012.

It was his third medal in Rio after silver in the team with Russia and rings bronze.

Japan's Kenzo Shirai snatched bronze ahead of Romanian veteran Marian Dragulescu. Both scored 15.499 points on vault with Shirai achieving a higher execution score.

'Lord of the rings' Petrounias added Olympic gold to his world title.

The 25-year-old gave a powerful display of control and strength to earn an unbeatable 16.000 points.

Reigning Olympic champion Arthur Zanetti of Brazil had to settle for silver with 15.766.

(From L) Silver medallist US gymnast Lauren Hernandez, gold medallist Netherlands' Sanne Wevers and bronze medallist US gymnast Simone Biles on the podium of women's balance beam event final of Artistic Gymnastics during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Thomas Coex (AFP)
Nigerian troops repel Boko Haram attack: spokesman

Nigerian troops have thwarted a Boko Haram attack in the country's volatile northeast, killing 16 insurgents while 12 soldiers were wounded, an army spokesman said Monday.

Troops "successfully repelled" the Boko Haram attack in the town of Kangarwa on Sunday, Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement.

The military "rose to the occasion and dealt a decisive blow on the insurgents by killing 16," he said, adding: "Unfortunately, an officer and 11 soldiers were wounded in action during the encounter."

A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year has recaptured swathes of territory lost to Boko Haram in 2014 Issouf Sanogo (AFP/File)

A cache of arms and ammunitions were recovered from the insurgents, he said.

Usman said the military rescued five people held by the jihadists in the village of Dogon Chikun early Monday during an operation to clear the area of Islamists.

Boko Haram, which seeks to impose strict Islamic law in northern Nigeria, has been blamed for some 20,000 deaths and displacing more than 2.6 million people since 2009.

A counter-offensive spearheaded by Nigeria since January last year has recaptured swathes of territory lost to the Islamist militants in 2014.
US finds evidence of criminality in VW probe: report

Federal investigators probing Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating scandal have uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The Justice Department is now negotiating a settlement which may involve significant financial penalties for the company, the newspaper said.

The German automaker has worked swiftly to put the emissions scandal behind it, reaching multi-billion-dollar civil settlements with most US states and offering to compensate owners and fix deficient automobiles.

Volkswagen has worked swiftly to put the emissions scandal behind it, reaching multi-billion-dollar civil settlements with most US states and offering to compensate owners and fix deficient automobiles John MacDougall (AFP/File)

But, with the possibility of criminal sanctions, Monday's news added a grave new dimension to the company's travails.

Prosecutors had yet to decide on specific charges, according to the Journal.

It said the department is weighing the alternatives of requiring a guilty plea from the company, or offering it a deferred prosecution agreement, which would require certain corrective behaviour by the company over time after which charges would be dropped.

A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment on the report.

In a statement, Volkswagen said talks were continuing with federal and state authorities, including the Justice Department.

"Volkswagen is committed to earning back the trust of our customers, dealers, regulators and the American public."

The company admitted last year to installing cheating devices on nearly 600,000 diesel-powered vehicles in the US and as many as 11 million worldwide.

Cars were configured to reduce harmful nitrogen oxide emissions during official pollution tests, while allowing emissions of up to 40 times the legal limit during actual driving.

The company, which also markets Audi and Porsche vehicles, settled civil cases in June over cheat devices on 2.0 liter cars in an agreement valued at $14.7 billion.

It still needs to settle complaints about its 3.0 liter diesel cars.

Lawsuits filed last month by the attorneys general of New York and Massachusetts implicated senior company executives in the emissions cheating, suggesting a current and former CEO may have been aware of it.
Texas resident is infected with Zika after Miami trip

A person in Texas has contracted Zika after traveling to a part of Miami where local mosquitoes are spreading the virus, which can cause birth defects, officials said Monday.

"This is the first Texas case to be linked to travel within the continental United States," said the Texas Department of State Health Services.

"Health officials linked this case to Miami travel after closely evaluating travel dates, symptom onset date and known local transmission of Zika virus in Miami."

Miami-Dade mosquito control worker Carlos Vargas points to the Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae at a home in Miami, Florida, on June 8, 2016 Rhona Wise (AFP/File)

The unidentified person had "recently traveled to an area of Miami with local Zika transmission" and "has tested positive for the virus."

Upon returning to Texas, the traveler "sought testing after becoming ill."

Florida has tallied 30 cases of locally transmitted Zika since July, marking the first cases of the virus spreading locally on US soil.

"We still believe local transmissions are only occurring in an area that is less than one square mile in Wynwood" -- a neighborhood north of downtown Miami -- Florida Governor Rick Scott said on Monday.

The Florida Department of Health is nevertheless also investigating four areas in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties where local transmissions of Zika may have occurred.

Zika, which can be transmitted via sexual contact or mosquito bites, has spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean region since 2015.

The virus is blamed for a surge in cases of babies born with the brain and skull defect known as microcephaly.

Suspected Zika-related birth defects have been reported so far in 15 countries or territories, according to the World Health Organization.

As many as four in five of those infected may notice no symptoms at all. Those who do often report fever, rash and body pain.

Until now Texas has now only reported travel-associated cases of Zika, and said it would also classify the Miami case as linked to travel.
Three married couples died when a small aircraft flying from Florida to Oxford, Mississippi, developed engine problems and crashed on Sunday morning while trying to land in Alabama, authorities said.

Dr Michael Perry and his wife Kim, 42, Dr Austin Poole, 41, and his wife Angie, and Dr Jason Farese, 41, and and his wife Dr Lea, 40, were travelling back to Oxford from a dental conference when the crash happened.

Dr Perry, Dr Pool and the Fareses were all dentists.

Dr Austin and Angie Poole (pictured left) and Dr Michael and Kim Perry died in the small plane crash on Sunday morning

Dr Jason Farese and and his wife Dr Lea (pictured) were travelling back to Oxford from a dental conference with the Pooles and the Perrys when the crash happened

Friends, family and the Oxford community remembered the three couples, who have 11 children between them, in tributes.

Jay Hughes, who represents District 12 in the Mississippi House of Representatives, wrote on Facebook: 'Tragedy strikes our little town: Oxford has lost three wonderful couples in a plane crash while returning from a dental convention in Florida.

'It is a stark reminder of how precious life and every moment is. It is also a reminder that we are just a big, little town, with many close connections.'

He added: 'Events like this should remind us of perspective. Please pray for them, and the little orphans each of them left behind.'

The Perrys, who are survived by three children, were the kind of people who cared for a widow and her nine children they'd never met, the Tennessean reports.

Kim Perry was a nurse practitioner at Ole Miss and was remembered as being 'terrific,' the Oxford Eagle reports.

Dr Farese was a former Vanderbilt baseball player and met his wife in dental school. They leave behind three children.

Dr Poole often offered discounts to people he knew may not be able to pay their bills in full, according to the paper, and his wife was 'cheerful and friendly.'

He and his wife are survived by five children.

Authorities work the scene of a plane crash at a park along Robert Cardinal Airport Road across from the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Northport, Alabama

The couples died after the pilot issued a distress signal around 11.10am, and the aircraft went down moments later short of a runway at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport, Northport Mayor Bobby Herndon said.

Firefighters made it to the site within three minutes of the crash but were unable to save any of the six people on board, Herndon said, during a joint news conference with Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.

'They did everything they could,' he said.

A statement from the Federal Aviation Administration said the Piper PA-31 departed from Kissimmee Gateway Airport and went down in trees while approaching the Tuscaloosa airport.

The small plane developed engine problems and crashed on Sunday morning while trying to land in Alabama, authorities said.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash, which occurred on Sunday morning

Tuscaloosa police Lt. Teena Richardson said the aircraft had a final destination of Oxford but developed engine problems.

It wasn't immediately clearly whether the stop in Tuscaloosa was planned before the engine trouble occurred, she said.

FAA records showed the twin-engine aircraft was manufactured in 1984.

Authorities did not immediately identify the victims, but their names were released by family and friends.

But online aircraft records showed the aircraft was registered to a private airplane charter company which shares an address with a dental office in Oxford, the home of the University of Mississippi.
Appeal denied for daughter disinherited from father's will

HADDONFIELD, N.J. (AP)  A New Jersey woman who claims her father wrongly disinherited her because of her romantic relationship with a Jewish man has lost another round in her legal fight to set aside the will.

A New Jersey appellate court recently upheld a lower court ruling that found Kenneth Jameson did nothing illegal when he specified that his only surviving child, Stacy Wolin, should not get anything from his estate. Jameson contended that his daughter had not returned "the love, care and concern which I lavished" on her and instead "acted toward me with selfishness, manipulation, cruelty and with abusiveness."

Jameson was 81 when he died in April 2014. The Haddonfield man left his estate to a nonprofit that serves people with developmental disabilities.

Wolin claims the will, drafted in 1987, should be set aside because her father's decision stemmed from religious bias. She contended that her father's actions violated the state's bias laws and that the will's "fabricated" criticism of her was libelous.

Wolin said her parents disowned her because she refused to end a relationship with a Jewish student at her college who she eventually married.

In the ruling issued Friday, the appellate court noted that state anti-discrimination laws don't outlaw disinheritances based on alleged religious biases.

Even though a will may be "contrary to the principles of justice and humanity (and) its provisions may be shockingly unnatural and unfair," the appellate panel said courts are required to uphold wills if the person drafting the document was competent and of sufficient age.

Attorneys for both sides declined comment.

___
Honolulu mayor race heads to runoff election

HONOLULU (AP)  A runoff election will decide Honolulu's mayoral race after the incumbent and challenger did not garner the majority vote needed to win.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell came in first place at 44.6 percent of the vote. Former U.S. Rep. Charles Djou took a close second with 43.7 percent of votes cast.

The two candidates are headed for a Nov. 8 runoff election to lead the government of the state's largest city and capitol.

"We only started this campaign two months ago with absolutely no money," Djou told KHON-TV. "We took on the incumbent mayor who outspent us by a six, seven-to-one margin. He had his whole administration, his whole machine behind him here, and yet here we are, toe-to-toe with the mayor  and that speaks volumes about the incredible hard work all of my volunteers have done."

Former Mayor Peter Carlisle took 9.4 percent of the vote.

"Oh, it's finished. It's over," Carlisle said according to Hawaii News Now. "The campaign was interesting. I did not want to be a typical politician."

Caldwell has been facing criticism over the city's rail project. Costs have climbed billions higher than originally estimated, and Djou opposes a tax extension to fund the difference.

Caldwell attributes the price increases to economics and court delays.

"My thoughts are to keep working really hard," Caldwell told KHON-TV. "I think it's doing more of the same and getting our message out, staying positive, and talking about all the issues."
South Africa marks mine shootings, workers still in squalor

MARIKANA, South Africa (AP)  Mine worker Mziseni Zotyatha lives in a neat, one-room metal shack with plastic sheeting stretched above his bed to keep out the rain. He must go elsewhere for running water and a toilet.

"I can't come here with my wife and children and expect them to live with me like this," says Zotyatha, 34, a father of three who works at the Marikana platinum mine owned by the British firm Lonmin. "I work hard. I deserve to stay in a better place."

Four years after South African police shot dead 34 striking Marikana miners driven to fury by poor wages and living conditions, Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, says Amnesty International in a report published Monday.

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, Ntutuzelo Vukani sits outside his two-room metal shack, in Marikana, South Africa. His shack houses five people and is held together with nails hammered through rusting bottle caps where there is an outdoor tap and a pit latrine toilet. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 mine workers driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

Instead, Lonmin has built just three houses, says Amnesty.

About 13,500 employees "are still in need of formal accommodation," Lonmin confirmed in an Aug. 1 letter to the rights group.

Squalid housing settlements without sewer systems or other basic services are a problem for mine workers across South Africa, whose economy was built on the mining industry and its black, often migrant, labor.

That such poor living conditions remain at the scene of the country's deadliest strike in decades spotlights how little has improved since the 1994 end of apartheid, the system of racial discrimination.

Lonmin is in breach of its legal agreement with the South African government to improve housing at the mine, says the Amnesty report which asks why the government hasn't enforced the deal or revoked Lonmin's mining license.

"The challenges are huge," a Lonmin spokeswoman, Sue Vey, said in an email to The Associated Press. "This is not an undertaking that any mining company can do successfully on its own."

A small white cross on a rocky hill marks the site where the striking Marikana miners were killed on Aug. 16, 2012. At a dusty bus stop nearby, campaign posters from recent municipal elections are starting to fade. "Spacious Homes," one promises.

The miners walk daily between the platinum mine, ringed by razor wire, and their tiny houses pieced together from corrugated metal.

For decades, workers once lived in crowded, same-sex hostels that produced some of the most determined opposition to apartheid. Lonmin houses about 3,000 workers in renovated hostels, according to Amnesty. But that still leaves thousands of workers without adequate housing.

Some Marikana workers got tired of waiting for new homes and built their own.

The two-room metal shack of Ntutuzelo Vukani, 44, is held together with nails hammered through rusting bottle caps. The roof leaks. There's an outdoor tap, a pit latrine toilet and electricity from an impromptu connection. Five people live there.

Hundreds of homes in the community, connected by dirt paths, are in similar shape.

"We were promised homes, but things are still the same," said Vukani in his native Xhosa language. He said he came to Marikana to escape poverty but did not succeed. He wants a brick house with an indoor toilet and electricity, so he can live a "soft" life.

A government-appointed commission of inquiry that investigated the Marikana shootings found that Lonmin had contributed to the labor unrest by not addressing the housing shortage.

Amnesty International says the problem remains acute. It says Lonmin promised in 2006 to build 5,500 houses for workers but never did, building only three for show. South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources, which oversees such agreements, did not respond to a request for comment to Amnesty's findings.

"The catastrophic events of August 2012 should have been a decisive wake-up call to Lonmin that it must address these truly appalling living conditions," said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty's southern Africa regional director. "The company's failure to improve employees' housing is baffling and irresponsible in the extreme."

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, women with chickens walk along a dirt paths to their homes among hundreds of shacks which house mineworkers, in Marikana South Africa. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 miners driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, mine worker Mziseni Zotyatha sits on his bed in his neat, one-room metal shack with plastic sheeting stretched above his bed to keep out the rain, in Marikana, South Africa. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 mine workers driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, a man hawks his wares among hundreds of shacks connected by dirt paths which house mineworkers, in Marikana, South Africa. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 miners driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, a woman heads to an outside pit latrine toilet where she shares a shack housing five people, in Marikana, South Africa. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 mine workers driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, workers construct a stage with scaffolding in Marikana South Africa to commemorate the fourth anniversary where striking Marikana miners were killed on Aug. 16, 2012. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 mine workers driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)

In this photo taken Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 miners make their way past a dusty bus stop where campaign posters from recent municipal elections are starting to fade, in Marikana South Africa. Four years after South African police shot dead 34 mine workers driven to fury by poor living conditions, the British mining company Lonmin has failed to provide the homes it promised for several thousand workers, Amnesty International says. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell)
Abe avoids Yasukuni Shrine as Japan marks World War II's end

TOKYO (AP)  Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stayed away Monday from a Tokyo shrine that honors convicted war criminals among the nation's war dead, a bid to avoid controversy with neighboring countries on the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II.

Abe instead sent a gift of money and religious ornaments to Yasukuni Shrine. His visit to the shrine in December 2013 drew sharp rebukes from China and South Korea, which see Yasukuni as a symbol of Japan's wartime militarism and consider the visits an attempt to whitewash the country's wartime aggression.

Abe's government is reportedly trying to arrange a meeting between him and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a G-20 summit in China next month.

A Japanese veteran, left, and his follower clad in outdated military costumes pose for worshippers taking their photos at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

At an official memorial ceremony later Monday, Abe reiterated his pledge not to let the tragedy of war be repeated, but neither mentioned Japan's wartime actions in Asia nor apologized to its victims.

He also did not do so in his three previous speeches at the annual event, though he did touch on some of Japan's wartime actions last year during a speech in Washington and in a separate statement for the 70th anniversary of the war's end.

Emperor Akihito reiterated his "feelings of deep remorse," a phrase he used last year for the first time, capturing media attention because of the contrast between his words and Abe's.

Akihito, 82, spoke after observing a moment of silence in his first public appearance outside the palace since he indicated his wish to abdicate in a video message last week.

Abe also visited the Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery for unidentified soldiers on his way to the memorial ceremony at the nearby Budokan hall.

In a sign of lingering bitter feelings in Asia over Japan's wartime actions, a group of South Korean lawmakers picked the day to land on small disputed islands in the Sea of Japan to celebrate their country's liberation from Japanese colonization. The islands are controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Tokyo.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga reiterated Japan's claim to the islands and said the lawmakers' action was "unacceptable and extremely regrettable." He said Tokyo had protested to Seoul.

In Nanjing, China, Chinese and South Korea representatives gathered at a memorial hall for victims of Japan's notorious 1937 Nanking Massacre to commemorate victory in what China calls the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

There was mixed reaction in South Korea, where President Park Geun-hye focused on future relations with Japan, while the Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concerns and regret" over visits to Yasukuni by others in Abe's government.

At least four Cabinet ministers have visited Yasukuni since early August, two of them on Monday.

Abe's special aide Yasutoshi Nishimura, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker, told reporters that he offered a donation from Abe to the shrine along with the religious ornaments and prayed on his behalf.

Hidehisa Otsuji, head of a group of lawmakers from various parties who routinely visit Yasukuni, told reporters that Abe's absence would be understood by the war dead "if it's a judgment based on national interest."

Separately, a group of conservative members of parliament chaired by Tomomi Inada, a recently appointed defense minister known for downplaying Japan's wartime atrocities, also visited the shrine.

Inada is a regular at Yasukuni during ceremonial occasions but is currently out of the country.

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Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Chris Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this report.

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Follow Mari Yamaguchi at twitter.com/mariyamaguchi

Find her work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/mari-yamaguchi

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This story has been corrected to show that Abe visited shrine in 2013 instead of 2012.

Japan's Emperor Akihito, accompanied by Empress Michiko, bows during a national memorial service at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked Monday the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Japanese lawmakers visit the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo to offer prayers to the war dead Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

Bereaved family members arrive for a national memorial ceremony for the war dead at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked Monday the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II.(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers a speech during a national memorial service at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked Monday the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)

South Korea lawmakers gives three cheers for their country during a ceremony to celebrate Korean Liberation Day from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 after landing on the disputed islands called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Yonhap via AP)

South Korea lawmakers arrive to hold a ceremony to celebrate Korean Liberation Day from Japanese colonial rule in 1945 on the disputed islands called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Yonhap via AP)

Japan's Emperor Akihito, second from left, accompanied by Empress Michiko, delivers his remarks during a memorial service at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Japan marked Monday the 71st anniversary of the end of World War II. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama)
The 'golden boy' Schooling mobbed on return to Singapore

SINGAPORE (AP)  It was a photo taken with Michael Phelps that inspired Joseph Schooling to Olympic gold. So when he was mobbed by fans on his return to Singapore, he made sure he posed for a few.

Hundreds packed Singapore's Changi Airport as the 21-year-old Schooling returned from Rio de Janeiro with an Olympic gold medal around his neck on Monday. He beat his idol in the 100-meter butterfly to deliver the first ever Olympic gold medal for the city-state of 5.54 million.

"Definitely the highlight of my life," he told the crowd. "Thank you everyone for coming. This (gold) is not for me. This is for everyone. Thank you guys."

Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling, front right, poses for a photo with people at the Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Schooling won gold medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly and made history by winning the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Schooling, who attends the University of Texas, will spend four days celebrating in events in Singapore, including an open-top parade.

Sim Siew Png arrived at the airport seven hours early in the hopes of seeing his hero.

"I wanted to see the golden boy," the 17-year-old Sim said as he clutched a pair of red swimming trunks that he hoped to get autographed. "Watching the moment live on television left me excited and happy. My family was screaming."

Sim was recalling Saturday's showdown in Rio where Schooling built a big lead and won in an Olympic record of 50.39 seconds. Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, South Africa's Chad le Chlos and Laszlo Cseh of Hungary shared a three-way tie for silver.

Schooling's father, Colin, did not travel to Rio but said he'd dreamed of the Singapore anthem being sung in the Olympic stadium.

"They did it this time," he said. "That made my day.

"I got a feeling that Michael gave him some words of praises. I'm glad my son also showed respect. That goes well with me," he said. "Now we have to aim for the world record."

Schooling spent more than an hour thanking his supporters Monday, signing autographs and posing for photos with fans as people screamed and chanted his name.

Schooling was just a 13-year-old kid in 2008 when Phelps showed up to train at his club in Singapore ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

While other kids rushed at Phelps wanting photos, Schooling was frozen. He couldn't believe his swimming idol was in front of him. Eventually, he mustered the courage to ask for a picture, too.

"A lot of this is because of Michael," Schooling said after his victory. "He's the reason why I want to be a better swimmer."

Schooling is already inspiring young Singaporeans.

"I came to support him because he's friendly, approachable and very nice to little children," Judy Eng said, recounting how her nine-year-old son was on the receiving end of one such swimming pep talk.

Not only is Schooling a good role model, he's also a little wealthier now too.

By winning his country's first Olympic gold, Schooling earned a bonus of $1 million Singapore dollars or nearly US$750,000.

Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling is surrounded by media and people on his arrival at the Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Schooling won gold medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly and made history by winning the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling, center, is surrounded by media and people on his arrival at the Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Schooling won gold medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly and made history by winning the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)

Media and people crowd as Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling arrives at the Singapore Changi Airport in Singapore Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Schooling won gold medal in the men's 100-meter butterfly and made history by winning the country's first gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (AP Photo/Yong Teck Lim)
The Hispanic man charged with the first-degree murder of an imam and his assistant 'was out of control' and cursing wildly after the murders, said a cyclist he is accused of hitting with his car 10 minutes after the double shooting.

Oscar Morel, 35, appeared in Queens Criminal Court in New York on Tuesday afternoon in handcuffs as he was formally charged with killing Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin in Queens on Saturday.

Police believe that Morel hit a cyclist in his SUV minutes after shooting dead the imam and his assistant in broad daylight.

Cyclist David Hunter told the New York Post that he was hit by Morel after he sped off from an altercation with another motorist: 'He had such craziness and anger. He looked like a madman.'

Mr Hunter, a 52-year-old fashion designer from Brooklyn, said Morel got involved in a dispute with another driver: 'He kept cursing at the guy, saying f*** you, f*** this.'

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Oscar Morel makes his first appearance in Queens Criminal Court, New York, charged with murdering an imam and his friend as they walked from a mosque on Saturday

Morel was wearing the same khaki porter's uniform he had on when he was arrested in connection with the killing on Sunday night

His first time in front of a judge came a short time after police released this picture of the .38 caliber Taurus revolver they believed was used to kill Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin. Investigators later confirmed they had identified the gun as the one used to kill the imam and his friend

Mr Hunter says Morel then swerved around the driver, crashed into him and knocked him off his bike, leaving him unconscious.

Morel was charged on Monday night with two counts of second-degree murder after police searched inside a wall and found a handgun and clothes matching those seen on the gunman in surveillance video of the execution-style slaying.

On Tuesday morning, the District Attorney's office said Morel would be charged with first-degree murder. He was arraigned shortly after the NYPD released a picture of the gun they believed he used to kill the pair in broad daylight as they walked back from their mosque on Saturday.

Investigators later confirmed they had identified the gun as the one used to kill the imam and his friend.

'This was a most horrendous and despicable act that can only be described as a cold-blooded, premeditated assassination,' Assistant District Attorney Peter McCormack told the court, while Morel's defense lawyer said his client was innocent.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, (left), and his assistant Thara Uddin, 64, (right), were executed in broad daylight as they left a mosque in Queens, New York, on Saturday

On Tuesday, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown upgraded the charges against against Morel from second to first-degree murder - suggesting the slaying was planned.

Brown added that the motive behind the shooting is still unclear - but they are looking into the possibility it was a hate crime.

Police are also investigating whether he was hired as a hitman to settle a dispute in his neighborhood.

Morel's brother Alvin has said the suspect had 'hatred' toward Muslims after 9/11, but insisted he was now just a 'good guy'.

Alvin told the New York Post his brother was furious after the attack on the Twin Towers - but insisted it was only 'temporary'.

He said: 'The only time we ever felt anything was 9/11,' Alvin Morel said. 'We felt that same anger. We all had a hatred.'

The alleged gunman worked as a porter at The New School, a private university in New York, since 2013 and was brought up in a Catholic family. He also had a girlfriend but lived alone in a basement apartment.

Morel (pictured in court Tuesday) was held without bail and will remain in custody until the beginning of the trial

District Attorney Brown said on Tuesday afternoon: 'The defendant is accused of the murder of a highly respected and beloved religious leader and his friend as they walked home from an afternoon prayer service.

'Their deaths are a devastating loss to their families and the community that they served as men of peace.

'I want to extend my deepest sympathy to the families of Imam Maulana Akonjee and Thara Uddin and assure them that the law enforcement community will work tirelessly to insure that justice is done in this case.'

Saif Akonjee, son of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee, is surrounded by reporters as he arrives at Queens Criminal Court for Morel's arraignment

He carried placards reading 'we demand justice'. They were carried during protests in the neighborhood shortly after the killings

Morel (pictured) is walked by detectives from the 107th precinct in Queens on Monday night after being arrested and charged with killing the pair

He was wearing a khaki janitor uniform with New York's The New School logo on his chest as he was walked out of the 107th precinct

He added: 'While the motivation for this violent act is still unclear and continues to be investigated, one of the possible motives being explored is whether this was a hate crime.

'Crimes motivated by bias or hate are deplorable and can never be tolerated.

'Regardless, however, whether a hate crime was committed in this case, the crime will be vigorously prosecuted and we will seek the most serious penalties that our law allows.

'Indeed, the defendant is being charged with murder in the first degree, which is based upon the intentional killing of two individuals during the same transaction, and which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.'

After Morel's arrest, more information about him and the shooting were revealed:

Morel, 35, is Hispanic, went to Catholic school and worked as a private university porter

He has been charged with first-degree murder and was arraigned at Queens Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon

A first-degree murder charge means prosecutors feel the killing was pre-meditated and intentional

Morel told police he was in the area at the time of the slaying and admitted he was the man in the surveillance video - but said he didn't shoot anyone

The NYPD have said: 'We strongly believe this is the individual'

They expressed confidence after detectives found a gun and clothes similar stuffed into the wall of Morel's home

His brother said he had animosity towards Muslims after 9/11, but it had subsided

Alvin Morel also said his brother was a 'good guy' and was in disbelief at what happened

Muslims in the community where the imam and his assistant were killed say they have been harassed

Residents in the Bangladeshi-Muslim community in Queens and Brooklyn have described harassment in recent months by people who shouted anti-Muslim epithets.

But Morel's brother said: 'We're Catholic-school kids  we don't do this.'

He also added on Facebook: 'I cant believe what has happened. I don't believe whats injustice. GOD help my brother mother father and my self.'

Morel's brother Alvin (pictured) said: 'The only time we ever felt anything was 9/11,' Alvin Morel said. 'We felt that same anger. We all had a hatred'

Alvin (pictured) expressed his shock after the charges were announced saying: 'I can't believe what has happened'

On Monday night, Alvin took to Facebook after his brother was charged with the double murder and expressed his disbelief

Morel was taken into custody late Sunday night, police said. Initially he was not arrested in connection with the execution-style killing.

But he was then charged after police continued to question him.

On surveillance video the killer can be seen fleeing the area of the shooting in a black GMC Trailblazer right after Akonjee and Uddin were shot in the head.

Morel faces a count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Morel, 35, of Brooklyn, faced upgraded charges on Monday after police said they recovered a revolver at his home (pictured left)

Morel's landlord Amado Baptista, 59, told the New York Daily News that he had moved in seven months ago.

'He had a girlfriend, but he lives alone, he was always very nice. He told me he works cleaning in a school.'

Alvin Morel also told the New York Daily News that their mother had cancer.

Alvin Morel (pictured left and right) said: 'We're Catholic-school kids  we don't do this' and insisted his brother was 'a good guy'

Oscar and Alvin's mother Ana Morel is pictured above. Alvin said in an interview that she currently has cancer

Police previously released this sketch of the gunman who they said was responsible for the shootings, picturing a man with a beard and glasses

Morel's arrest was announced just hours after about 1,000 people gathered under tents to praise Akonjee, 55, and Uddin, 64, in an Islamic funeral service where emotions ran high.

The ceremony featured several speakers who said they believed the victims were targeted because of their religion. Some members of the congregation shouted, 'Justice!' periodically throughout the service.

After the ceremony, part of the crowd marched to the spot a few blocks away where the shooting took place.

Mayor Bill de Blasio told those gathered that the entire city was 'mourning with you.'

The arrested man can be seen on video surveillance fleeing the area of the shooting just after Akonjee and Uddin were shot. Pictured, sandals being worn by the imam and his assistant are seen at the scene on Saturday

Thousands gathered on Monday to pray in front of the caskets of Akonjee (draped in green) and Uddin (draped in beige) during an Islamic funeral service

A crowd of community members prayed on Monday next to the coffins as they gather for the funeral service of Akonjee and Uddin

Huge crowds gathered around and listened to speakers as they paid their respects to Akonjee and Uddin on Monday

Mourners knelt down on the street to pay their respects to the slain religious leader and his friend

A young family member of one of the victims joins hundreds of area Muslims while holding a mass prayer for Akonjee and his assistant Uddin
Six people have been arrested in Milwaukee after another night of protests following the police shooting of a black man.

Sylville Smith, 23, was shot dead by a cop on Saturday after he allegedly turned and raised his gun towards an officer as he fled following a traffic stop.

The city has been rocked by rioting since the shooting, with business burned down and police officers assaulted by furious demonstrators, but tensions appeared to have eased last night.

There were 'heated' clashes early in the evening, police said, but most teenagers respected a strict curfew that saw youths banned from the streets after 10pm.

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Six people have been arrested in Milwaukee after another night of protests following the police shooting of a black man. Pictured, a protester in Milwaukee

One of the six protesters arrested yesterday in Milwaukee is cuffed and put in the back of a police van

Sylville Smith, 23, was shot dead by a cop on Saturday after he allegedly turned and raised his gun towards an officer as he fled following a traffic stop

'We think we are in, comparatively speaking, a positive place,' Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn said shortly after the curfew began.

Flynn said the calm seemed to be linked to the arrests that were made earlier in the night after officers flooded the streets.

Smith was shot dead on Saturday as he turned towards an officer and raised his gun, according to police.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said police bodycam footage showed 'without question' that Smith had a gun in his hand, however this video has not been released.

Barrett said Smith had 'more firepower than the officer' and his handgun - which he is said to have refused to drop - was loaded with 23 rounds.

Flynn said that his officers had pulled over Smith after they noticed the driver was 'behaving suspiciously'.

There were 'heated' clashes early in the evening, police said, but most teenagers respected a strict 10pm curfew. Pictured, a protester talks to police

There were fiercer protests earlier in the week as demonstrators marched through the neighborhood where Smith was shot

The Milwaukee mayor and police chief said body camera footage shows Smith (pictured) was armed at the time of his death

Police wore their body cameras as they approached the vehicle and within 20 to 25 seconds Smith, who had a lengthy rap sheet, was dead.

After watching the officer's body camera footage, Flynn said Smith had run '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.

Flynn said his 24-year-old officer, who is black, feared for his life before shooting Smith, who was also black. The police officer's identity has not been released.

Dozens of officers (pictured) in riot gear were prepared for another night of protests on Sunday after Saturday's violence marred the city's north side

Police arrived on the scene Sunday as some protesters threw bottles and rocks before shots were reportedly fired

The shooting led to a first night of violence in which gunshots were fired, six businesses were torched and 17 people were arrested.

Police reported four officers were injured and police cars were damaged before calm was restored.

On Sunday night, when police in riot gear faced off with protesters throwing bottles and bricks, four officers were hurt and one person suffered a gunshot wound, police said.

Three police squad cars were damaged and 14 people were arrested, authorities said.

Late on Monday afternoon, dozens of police, some in riot gear, cordoned off Sherman Park, the center of the neighborhood where the weekend shooting and subsequent disturbances took place.

Police Chief Flynn said the violence was 'quite frankly, unanticipated' and the curfew was a last resort.

Flynn said it was 'an error in narrative to assume' that because police shot someone that the shooting will be controversial 'so let's have a riot.'

The National Guard had to be brought in to try and quell the unrest on Sunday night as protesters rallied in the streets (pictured)

Cecil Brewer, 67, who owns an apartment house directly across from the intersection where protesters burned a gas station on Saturday night and hurled rocks at police on Sunday night, said the rioting was all but inevitable.

'There's so much anger in these kids,' Brewer said. The shooting 'was like a spark in a powder keg. It doesn't matter to them if what the authorities are saying is true'.

DeShawn Corprue, 31, who lives behind the burned-out BP station, said nothing that police released about Smith's death would have stopped the weekend's unrest.

'People are just so angry,' he said.

Flynn blamed a Chicago chapter of the Revolutionary Communist Party for coming to town and inciting Sunday's violence.
Israeli troops demolish home of Palestinian killer's family

JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli military says troops have demolished the home of the family of a Palestinian who stabbed an Israeli teenage girl to death.

It says the home of 17-year-old Mohammed Tarayreh's family in the West Bank town of Bani Naim near Hebron was demolished early Monday.

Tarayreh stabbed 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel to death while she slept in her bed in the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement in late June. Tarayreh was killed at the scene.

It was one of the most brutal attacks in the nearly yearlong wave of Palestinian assaults that killed 34 Israelis. Ariel, a dual Israeli-American citizen, was the youngest victim. About 200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly attackers.
An underwater webcam is captivating the internet with video footage of a mysterious species of whale.

The camera is attached to the underside of a boat in a remote estuary in Canada's Hudson Bay which spends four hours a day motoring around the waters.

It is helping scientists to obtain new details about beluga whales that gather around Hudson Bay each summer.

An underwater webcam fixed on the bottom of a boat cruising Hudson Bay in Canada is providing viewers with rare glimpses of mysterious beluga whales. The footage (pictured) is also helping scienitsts unravel the social behaviour of this normally elusive species

The white whales, which resemble oversized dolphins and live around the Arctic, nuzzle and clown around for the camera.

'USELESS' WHALE HIP BONES ARE CRUCIAL FOR SEX It has long been thought that the hip bones of whales and dolphins are essentially useless. But scientists have now discovered that in fact the opposite is true and that they are very important for mating in the species. Experts also believe that their shape and size even influences how sexually attractive a cetacean is. Both whales and dolphins have pelvic bones, which are evolutionary remnants from when their ancestors walked on land more than 40 million years ago. Common wisdom has long held that those bones are simply vestigial - slowly withering away like tailbones on humans. The researchers wrote in the journal Evolution, the muscles that control a cetacean's highly flexible penis, attach directly to its pelvic bones. The scientist theorised that the pelvic bones could affect the level of control over the penis that an individual cetacean has, perhaps offering an evolutionary advantage. To test their idea, they examined hundreds of pelvic bones and used a 3D scanner to make digital models of the curved bones in order to gain an unprecedented level of detail about their shape and size, as well as to compare them. They then gathered data about testis size relative to the mass of whales. In the natural world, more 'promiscuous' species where females mate with many males, create a more competitive mating environment and the males develop larger testes as a way of attracting females. Advertisement

They often test the lens with their teeth and blow bubbles at it. Sometimes they swim upside down for a better view.

It is this that researchers Dr Stephen Petersen, head of conservation and research for Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park Zoo, and his wife, biologist Dr Meg Hainstock, are looking for.

Only when the whales turn upside down can the researchers determine their sex, which they need as they study the animals' social structure and behavior.

'As far as I know, there's no other investigation of beluga from under the water on this scale,' Dr Petersen said.

'A lot of the stuff that's been done before is from observers on top of the water. It doesn't really give us a good sense  belugas don't spend a lot of time on top of the water.'

When the whales first come into view in the underwarter webcam they appear to be glowing green orbs.

Then the orbs come into focus, revealing some of the more than 3,000 beluga whales that gather in the waters in and around Hudson Bay each summer.

The webcam's viewers across the globe are now helping the researchers.

Its creators  Bozeman, Montana-based Polar Bears International and Explore.org, a project of the Annenberg Foundation  included a 'snapshot' feature that allows viewers to take still shots of the feed.

Dr Petersen and Dr Hainstock hope the result will be a trove of photographs of individual whales that will help them catalog the population as they try to answer questions about the animals' behavior.

For example, why do certain whales of a similar age and sex consistently gather at certain times or locations?

What function do Hudson Bay's estuaries serve for these animals? Do beluga whales have a matriarchal social structure?

There are an estimated 3,000 beluga whales that come to Hudson Bay in the summer but scientists know very little about what they do when they are there. Images and footage captured by the camera (pictured) is revealing more about their social structure

The beluga whales often swim upside down (pictured), allowing researchers to work out which of the them are male and female, along with study how they interact. The scientists hope to unravel the social behaviour of these poorly-studied whales

Do certain whale groups' low numbers have a long-term effect on the rest of the population, such as the case with the population in Alaska's Cook Inlet, which is struggling as compared to the healthy Hudson Bay population?

Explore.org and Polar Bears International have used similar crowdsourcing technology to monitor polar bears' annual migration in Hudson Bay.

Researchers hope years of viewers taking snapshots will provide them with images that can help assess the bears' health and reproductive rates.

Other scientists are increasingly using crowdsourcing to raise money for research or perform tasks that would be too costly or time-consuming to be performed by a team of researchers.

One of the most well-known projects is by the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, whose software has been downloaded by millions of users and allows researchers to use the data-processing power of those computers in the institute's search for alien life in space.

'In general, there is a growing interest in using citizen science projects to raise awareness and support scientific research,' said Krista Wright, executive director of Polar Bears International.

For the beluga whale project, Dr Petersen said viewers are instructed on how to identify males from females, and are then asked to take snapshots when the whales flip over and their sex is in view of the camera.

One some occassions the whales get a little too close and investigate the camera with their teeth (pictured) or blow bubbles at it. The underwater camera is revealing their playful side

The photographs are tagged male or female and uploaded to a database that will help identify individual whales and their locations.

Operators switched on the cameras July 15 and have since averaged about 2,500 viewers a day, according to Explore.org spokesman Mike Gasbara.

The researchers hope that after this season ends in August, they will have a catalog of individual whales that can be tracked in subsequent years, along with the locations where different groups are gathering to find if any patterns emerge.

Understanding the beluga whales is important because their ecosystem soon may be altered with the effects of climate change, Mr Gasbara said.

Less Arctic ice could bring threats to the beluga in the form of killer whales and increased boat traffic and pollution, he said.

'I think because we're right at the beginning of this, any information that we get on social structure is going to be informative for other locations,' Dr Petersen said.

Footage from the underwater camera and another on deck are streamed live over the internet, giving the public a chance to watch these creatures as they inteact (pictured)

Back on the surface in Canada's Hudson Bay, ghostlike humps emerge as more whales are drawn to the 10-foot inflatable boat piloted by Hayley Shephard.

She pilots the vessel slowly around the estuary for four hours a day over the short northern summer, sometimes narrating her observations to web viewers.

'It's important to know that we ultimately are visitors and we are in their territory,' Shepherd said.

'Them approaching the boat, following the boat  it's all their doing. We don't need to run up to them and ride along.'

Occasionally, one of the whales will slap the water with its tail and soak her.
Unexploded bombs extend Yemen war's deadly toll

HASN FAJ ATTAN, Yemen (AP)  Screams rang out through the hilltop village outside Yemen's capital after 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi set off a bomb he had found in a field, perhaps thinking it was a toy.

He became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the country's ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The conflict has killed more than 9,000 people, displaced 2.4 million, and destroyed much of the already limited infrastructure in the Arab world's poorest country. U.N.-backed peace talks held in Kuwait collapsed earlier this month.

In this July, 24, 2016 photo, Nasser al-Salmi, left, buries his 10-year-old son Youssef, who was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it near his family's house, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. Youssef became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the countrys ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. The village lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal and Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions, including bombs dropped by Saudi-led warplanes in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and in the Houthis' northern heartland.

They say most of the deaths to date have been caused by the Saudi-led airstrikes, and blame the United States and Britain for supplying weapons and providing logistical support for the bombings.

Amnesty International said its researchers found thousands of unexploded munitions in northern Yemen following a 10-day tour of the region earlier this year.

"The lives and livelihoods of civilians, including young children, continue to be on the line in Yemen," said Lama Fakih, an adviser at Amnesty. "They cannot live in safety until contaminated areas in and around their homes and fields are identified and cleared."

Amnesty said 16 Yemeni civilians, including nine children, were wounded or killed by cluster munitions between July 2015 and April 2016. Such munitions scatter small, explosive balls across a wide area. In Yemen and in other conflict zones, children have been known to stumble upon undetonated balls or mistake them for toys, resulting in deaths long after the fighting has ended.

The July 20 blast that killed Youssef and wounded a 13-year-old friend took place inside Hasn Faj Attan village, which lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal. Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015, blanketing the skies over the rebel-held capital with thick black smoke and smashing the windows of high-rise buildings.

Several mud-brick houses in Hasn Faj Attan were buried under a hail of rocks and explosives. More than 80 soldiers were killed, and at least 12 villagers were wounded.

Youssef's father, Nasser al-Salmi, said the warplanes came one after another, raining missiles and bombs over the entrance to the base. Another villager, Ahmed Garadi, who was struck in the head by a rock, recalled how "houses toppled and people screamed for help."

Yemen's ill-equipped demining agency began clearing work in April in the northern cities of Saada and Hajja but had to stop after three of its members were killed in an explosion, Amnesty said.

Some 40 trucks were sent to cart away explosives from in and around Hasn Faj Attan earlier this year. The U.N.'s de-mining coordinator for Yemen, Ahmed Allawi, told The Associated Press that up to 7,800 pieces of unexploded munitions were retrieved from the area, including from Youssef's village.

The mine-clearers missed the small, metal ball that Youssef picked up and then smashed with a rock as his friends watched. The boy survived on life support for five days, but the doctors could not save him.

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Associated Press writer Maggie Michael in Cairo contributed to this report.

In this July, 24, 2016 photo, mourners pray over the body of 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi, who was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it near his family's house, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. The village lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal and Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015. The U.N.s de-mining coordinator for Yemen, Ahmed Allawi, told The Associated Press that up to 7,800 pieces of unexploded munitions were retrieved from the area, including from Youssefs village. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 24, 2016 photo, mourners carry the body of Youssef al-Salmi, 10, who was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it near his family's house in Hasn Faj Attan village, in the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. He became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the countrys ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 24, 2016 photo, mourners carry the body of 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi, who was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it near his family's house, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. He became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the countrys ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

This July, 25, 2016 photo, shows Bassam al-Habary, 13, who was injured when a bomb exploded killing his friend, 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. Al-Salmi, became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the countrys ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 25, 2016 photo, a woman cries after talking about her nephew, 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi, who was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it near his family's house, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. The countrys ongoing civil war pits Saudi and U.S.-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions, including bombs dropped by Saudi-led warplanes in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and in the Houthis northern heartland. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 25, 2016 photo, Nasser al-Salmi, whose 10-year-old son Youssef was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it, displays fragments from munitions near his family's house in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. The village lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal and Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 25, 2016 photo, Nasser al-Salmi, right, whose 10-year-old Youssef, was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it, gathers with his family inside his house in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. The village lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal and Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions, including bombs dropped by Saudi-led warplanes in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and in the Houthis northern heartland. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

In this July, 25, 2016 photo, children carry water on their heads, near where 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi was killed when a bomb exploded while he was playing with it, in Hasn Faj Attan village, on the mountainous outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen. The village lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal and Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015. Rights groups and U.N. agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)
The Latest: Police Chief: Some arrests made but city calm

MILWAUKEE (AP)  The Latest on violence in Milwaukee following the shooting of a man by police (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn says six arrests have been made so far this evening but there have been no reports of property damage or violence.

Police move in on a crowd throwing rocks at police in Milwaukee, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Shots rang out during unrest after a police shooting that killed a man Saturday. Police said one person was shot at a Milwaukee protest on Sunday and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim and take the person to a hospital, as tense skirmishes erupted for a second night following the police shooting of a black man. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

At a news conference, Flynn said there were some "confrontations that were heated" earlier in the evening and arrests were made, which seemed to calm the situation.

Since then, he said the amount of vehicle traffic and the number of people on the streets has declined.

He described the situation in the city as improved compared with Sunday night.

He and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said they are hopeful the city will have a peaceful night after a weekend of unrest following the police shooting of a black man.

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5:50 p.m.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has issued a proclamation applying the city's curfew for teenagers to 17-year-olds.

The curfew earlier applied to teenagers up to and including 16-year-olds. Barrett also moved the summer curfew one hour earlier, to 10 p.m., and warned it would be enforced more tightly after violence that has marred the city's north side following the fatal police shooting of a black man.

Barrett has repeatedly asked parents and guardians to keep their children away from the Sherman Park neighborhood.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke has also ordered that Sherman Park, near the center of the violence, be closed at 6 p.m. rather than its usual 10 p.m.

The fatal shooting Saturday of a black man by a black policeman is under investigation by the state.

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3:30 p.m.

Milwaukee is moving up its curfew for teenagers following violence on the city's north side after the police-involved shooting of a black man.

Mayor Tom Barrett says the city will more strictly enforce the ordinance at 10 p.m. The city's usual summer curfew for teenagers younger than 17 has been 11 p.m.

Barrett has urged parents and guardians to keep their children home and away from the Sherman Park neighborhood where the violence Saturday night left six businesses burned. An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded Sunday night.

Saturday's violence came a few hours after a black officer shot a black man whom police say was fleeing a traffic stop and was carrying a handgun. The shooting is being investigated by the state.

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12:40 p.m.

Milwaukee's police chief says an 18-year-old man suffered a single gunshot wound to the neck during unrest on the city's north side, but that his life is not in danger.

The man, whose name has not been released, was shot late Sunday during a demonstration to protest the killing of a black man by a police officer a day earlier.

Police have said officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured man and take him to a hospital. Police did not say who shot him, but that they are looking for suspects.

Chief Ed Flynn said at a news conference Monday that the man does "not appear to be in danger."

Flynn also said that officers came under fire Sunday but that no officers returned fire.

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12:35 p.m.

Milwaukee's mayor says a 10 p.m. curfew on teenagers will from now on be strictly enforced.

Mayor Tom Barrett said at a news conference Monday that youths and parents should take note that all teenagers must be off the streets by 10 p.m. He did not say what would happen to teens who are found outside in Milwaukee past the curfew deadline.

The clampdown follows two nights of violent unrest in protest following the fatal shooting of a black man by police on the city's north side.

Police Chief Ed Flynn says 11 men and three women, all from Milwaukee, were arrested Sunday for state disorderly conduct.

Barrett also praised pastors and community group leaders who are engaged in trying to keep the peace, saying they are making the situation better.

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12:25 p.m.

City leaders have called on members of Milwaukee's faith community to continue to help to calm the unrest that's damaged a north side neighborhood following the police shooting of a black man.

Police Chief Edward Flynn said members of Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope and other representatives of the faith community have gone to the neighborhood to try to tamp down violence.

Flynn says he believes they have made a difference, resulting in less destruction Sunday night than the previous night. The chief says there were 14 arrests for disorderly conduct. He says seven law enforcement officers were hurt by rocks and other objects thrown at them or their squads Sunday.

He says the police department's ShotSpotter technology detected 30 gunshots in the neighborhood overnight.

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12:00 p.m.

Milwaukee's mayor and police chief say outsiders are fomenting the unrest that has wreaked havoc in a north side neighborhood for two nights since a black man was fatally shot by a black officer.

At a news conference Monday, Mayor Tom Barrett said those outsiders are trying to damage a great neighborhood, where he lived for 11 years. Barrett says he's concerned about the economic damage being done to the Sherman Park neighborhood.

Police Chief Edward Flynn says the fatal shooting of Sylville Smith on Saturday was a flashpoint for underlying tensions. The chief says many people outside the neighborhood are using that for their own agendas.

Flynn says three Milwaukee officers and four Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies were struck by glass or rocks in Sunday night's unrest.

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9:35 a.m.

The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office says four deputies were hurt when demonstrators clashed with law enforcement for a second night in a Milwaukee neighborhood.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Fran McLaughlin says the deputies were hit by concrete or rocks and that two of them haven't returned to duty.

Two dozen officers in riot gear on Sunday 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.

Police say an 18-year-old Milwaukee man was shot and seriously injured during the unrest Sunday. Officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve him and take him to a hospital. Police haven't said who shot the man, but that they continue to look for suspects.

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6:40 a.m.

Police say an 18-year-old Milwaukee man was seriously injured when he was shot during a late night protest over the police killing of a black man.

Authorities said Monday that the man was shot during a second night of unrest in the Sherman Park neighborhood on Milwaukee's north side. Officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured man and take him to a hospital. There has been no update on his condition.

Police say they are seeking suspects in the shooting.

About two dozen officers in riot gear confronted protesters who were throwing rocks and other objects at police near where Sylville Smith was killed Saturday. There was no repeat of the widespread destruction of property that marred Saturday night's unrest.

Police Chief Edward Flynn said Smith was shot after he turned toward an officer with a gun in his hand.

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1:30 a.m.

Police say they are making multiple arrests in Milwaukee after a second night of unrest over the police killing of a black man.

The arrests follow skirmishes between protesters and police but without the widespread destruction of property that marked the first night after the man's death.

Protesters earlier threw rocks and other objects at officers and police say shots were fired in a handful of locations. One person was injured by gunfire.

The number of arrests was not immediately known.

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1 a.m.

Police say one person was shot at a Milwaukee protest on Sunday evening and officers used an armored vehicle to retrieve the injured victim during a second night of unrest over the police shooting of a black man.

But there was no repeat of the widespread destruction of property.

Some two dozen officers in riot gear confronted a group who were throwing rocks and other objects at police near where the black man was fatally shot a day earlier. Police moved in to try to disperse the crowd.

Police Chief Edward Flynn said the man whose death touched off Saturday night's rioting, Sylville Smith, was shot after he turned toward an officer with a gun in his hand.

Patrick Smith, right, the father, and Sha Stinson, aunt of a man killed by police, console each other near a burnt gas station in Milwaukee on 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. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via AP)
Afghan official: Bomb attack targets army in Kabul, wounds 2

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)  An Afghan official says at least two people have been wounded in a bombing that targeted the Afghan military in the capital, Kabul.

Monday's attack took place at a main square near the U.S. Embassy and the country's Supreme Court.

Faredoon Obiadi, chief of the police's criminal investigations department, says an army officer is one of the two wounded.

Afghan security personnel inspect the site of an explosion near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Faredoon Obiadi, chief of criminal investigation department of Kabul police said Monday that the target of the attack was an army officer who is among wounded. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

He says a so-called sticky bomb was attached to a military vehicle and caused the explosion. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan.

Separately, authorities on Monday confirmed the Taliban have overrun a police headquarters in the Dahna-e-Ghori district in northern Baghlan province.

There was no immediate word on casualties in Baghlan. The Taliban are claiming they killed and captured "many" policemen.
Pence walks fine line as Trump translator, damage controller

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP)  It's been one potentially disastrous comment after another from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump  but you wouldn't know it watching his running mate.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is the Trump campaign's happy warrior, delighting in telling cheering audiences that Trump won't "tiptoe around" the rules of political correctness. He's deliberately avoided or, when pressed, tried to do damage control on most of Trump's recent eyebrow-raising remarks.

"The media's talking today about another controversy over semantics," Pence told a crowd last Thursday in La Crosse, Wisconsin, following a spate of campaign coverage about Trump's claim that President Barack Obama is "the founder of ISIS," an acronym for the Islamic State extremist group.

In this Aug. 8, 2016, photo, Republican vice presidential candidate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence speaks during a campaign stop in Council Bluffs, Iowa. It's been one potentially disastrous misstep after another for Donald Trump this week but you wouldn't know it watching Pence. Trump's running mate is the campaign's happy warrior, avoiding addressing each new eyebrow raising comment the businessman makes while delighting in telling cheering audiences that Trump won't "tiptoe around" the rules of political correctness. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Part sunny sidekick, part Trump translator, Pence is betting his political future on endearing himself to the slice of Republican primary voters who propelled the businessman to the GOP nomination. At the same time, he's trying to stay true to the conservative values he's held since former President Ronald Reagan's "morning in America" optimism lured the one-time Democrat over to the Republican Party in the 1980s.

It's a strategy with risks.

"He is walking a tight rope and there's no safety net," said Republican Indiana state Rep. Dave Ober, who is both a vocal Pence supporter and outspoken in his distaste for Trump. "He's had to put together a message of their hopes and dreams for the country if they are elected, while also trying to Band-Aid over some of the mistakes that are being made by Donald at the top of the ticket."

Over the last year-and-a-half, Pence's approval rating as Indiana's governor sunk, largely due to his support for conservative social issues which drew negative attention to the state. His selection as Trump's running mate plucked him away from a difficult re-election he had no assurance of winning. Now, should Trump lose the White House, Pence will likely be seen favorably by the businessman's most faithful supporters who are expected to be a key voting bloc in the 2020 GOP primary. He plays directly to them on the stump.

"(Trump's) a fighter, he's a winner, and until recently it seemed like he was out there fighting all on his own," Pence said, punctuating each of the last four words for emphasis, crafting himself as the man who rescued Trump from walking down a lonely road.

GOP strategist and former Pence spokesman Robert Vane says it's no surprise Pence is devoutly on-message because the "the first rule of being a VP candidate is 'do no harm.'"

"Donald Trump chose Mike Pence based on a series of strengths," Vane said. "And Gov. Pence is famous for his message discipline."

Still, there are times where the two are on different pages.

Trump, for example, has refused to publicly release his taxes, bucking a longstanding tradition. Pence ducked the issue until his Democratic vice presidential rival Sen. Tim Kaine, of Virginia, last week released years' worth of tax records. Now Pence has changed tack, suggesting in an interview with WABC in New York that his own taxes could soon be released and adding they would be a "a quick read."

When news anchors pressed Pence last week about Trump's "founder of ISIS" comments, and remarks that "Second Amendment people"  people advocating for the right to carry guns  could do something to protest Hillary Clinton's Supreme Court selection, Pence did his best to downplay or rationalize both controversies.

"Of course not, no," he told a Philadelphia reporter when asked whether Trump's Second Amendment remarks sought to incite violence. "Donald Trump is urging people around this country to act in a manner consistent with their convictions in the course of this election, and people who cherish the Second Amendment have a very clear choice in this election."

The two men talk strategy almost daily, but Pence is the far more disciplined. In his roughly 30-minute stump speech, Pence defends his new boss, brushes over the latest Trump-related news item, then trains his sights squarely on Clinton, a target Trump hasn't seemed able to stay on.

But while Pence is more on-message, few voters are around to see it. Pence attracted crowds of less than 300 last week at stops in Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, compared to the thousands who show up to see Trump daily.

Curt Smith, a longtime friend and former GOP congressional aide who now runs the conservative Indiana Family Institute think tank, says Pence has performed well, despite the challenges of being Trump's running mate.

"If he handles himself well, if he continues to make a valuable contribution to the ticket, his future will take care of itself and he will be a top ticket contender," Smith said.

Indeed, Pence is using Midwestern modesty to make his support for Trump crystal clear.

As a rowdy Milwaukee crowd began chanting, "Pence, Pence, Pence," at a Thursday night rally, the Indiana governor offered a different suggestion: "Let's try Trump, Trump, Trump!"

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Slodysko reported from Indianapolis.

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Follow Kathleen Ronayne on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/kronayne
Turkey: We need defense cooperation with non-NATO countries

BERLIN (AP)  Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara needs defense cooperation with countries outside NATO because some Western partners are unwilling to sell his nation equipment or exchange information.

Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted Monday as telling German daily Bild that Turkey is "one of NATO's biggest supporters." He dismissed speculation that Turkey could ultimately leave the Western alliance, saying the idea is being raised "by anti-Turkish circles, not by us."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week visited Russia on his first foreign trip since a failed military coup on July 15.
WHY IT MATTERS: North Korea

WASHINGTON (AP)  THE ISSUE: Pariah state North Korea could soon be capable of targeting America with nuclear weapons. Economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation have failed to halt its progress. What can the U.S. do to stop the authoritarian government from building up a nuclear arsenal that threatens the United States and its allies in Asia?

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WHERE THEY STAND

FILE - In this June 23, 2016, file photo, people watch a TV news channel airing an image of North Korea's ballistic missile launch published in North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea. North Korea could soon be capable of targeting America with nuclear weapons. What can the U.S. do to stop it? Diplomacy and economic sanctions have not worked so far. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says the U.S. can put more pressure on China to rein in its North Korean ally. Democrat Hillary Clinton wants the world to intensify sanctions as the Obama administration did with Iran, a course that eventually opened the way for a deal to contain its nuclear program.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

Republican Donald Trump says the U.S. can put more pressure on China to rein in its unpredictable North Korean ally. He has suggested that Japan and South Korea could get nuclear weapons to defend themselves rather than depend on the U.S. military. But he's also ready to meet the North Korean leader. Democrat Hillary Clinton isn't contemplating a face-to-face with Kim Jong Un, who has met no other foreign leader. She wants the international community to intensify sanctions on North Korea as the Obama administration did with Iran, which eventually opened the way for a deal to contain its nuclear program.

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WHY IT MATTERS

Unlike Iran, North Korea already has the bomb. It has conducted four underground nuclear test explosions since 2006. The most recent test was in January, when it claimed to have detonated a hydrogen bomb  a much more powerful device than in the previous tests  although the U.S. government doubts that claim.

North Korea is also working on ways to deliver nuclear weapons. After five failures, it successfully test-launched in June a ballistic missile that puts U.S. military bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam within reach. North Korea has displayed an intercontinental missile that could potentially hit the mainland U.S., although it has not yet been flight-tested. It could take several more years to perfect that missile, which can be moved by road, making it harder to destroy pre-emptively. The U.S. military has said North Korea may by now have developed a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on such a missile.

The U.S. keeps 28,500 troops based in neighboring South Korea as a deterrent force, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended without a formal peace treaty. North Korea is unlikely to launch a nuclear attack on the U.S. or its allies, a move that would invite its own destruction. But, mindful of the fate of ousted dictators in Iraq and Libya who gave up nuclear weapons programs, Kim is clinging to his. He views atomic weapons as a security guarantee for his oppressive regime. That is the main obstacle to resuming negotiations in which the North could win much-needed aid in exchange for disarming.

International attitudes to North Korea are hardening. The nuclear test in January triggered the toughest sanctions yet, restricting the North's access to foreign currency and weapons technology, but it remains to be seen how aggressively China enforces them. In a sign of how seriously the U.S. takes the emerging North Korean threat, it is investing in missile interceptors in Alaska and California to combat it. U.S. experts estimate that North Korea has 13 to 21 nuclear weapons, and could have as many as 100 by 2020. That's about 20 weapons fewer than what India is estimated to have in its arsenal today.

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Obama's environmental legacy: Some 24 national monuments

WASHINGTON (AP)  The race is on to win President Barack Obama's attention as he puts some final touches on his environmental legacy.

Conservation groups, American Indian tribes and federal lawmakers are urging his administration to preserve millions of acres as national monuments. Such a designation often prevents new drilling and mining on public lands, or the construction of new roads and utility lines.

The flurry of activity is creating enthusiasm  and tensions  in several parts of the country.

FILE - In this July 10, 2015, file photo, President Barack Obama, center, talks about the designation of three new national monuments; Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and the Basin and Range in Nevada, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. Behind him from left are Victor Knox, associate director of park planning, facilities and lands of the National Park Service; April Slayton, chief of public affairs and chief spokesperson of the National Park Service; Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell; U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell; Randy Moore, Forest Service; and Bureau of Land Management director Neil Kornze. The race is on to win Obamas attention as he puts some final touches on his environmental legacy. Conservation groups, American Indian tribes and lawmakers are pushing him to preserve millions of acres as national monuments. That designation often prevents new drilling and mining on public lands, or the construction of new roads and utility lines. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

Efforts are underway in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Maine and elsewhere to get Obama to designate new national monuments. Proponents aren't just focused on land. They're also looking to greater protections for vast swaths of ocean bottom off the coasts of New England, California and Hawaii.

Obama has created or expanded 24 national monuments during his seven-and-a-half-year tenure, the most of any president. Almost nobody thinks he's done yet. Environmental groups are urging him to go big as he leaves office.

"What he's done in terms of protection has been good, but what he does next is how we measure whether his legacy is great or not," said Sharon Buccino of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Proponents of the various monument proposals know that the next administration will have other immediate priorities. Some presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, never exercised their powers to designate national monuments through the 1906 Antiquities Act. The proponents recognize the window of opportunity could be closing for several years.

They're also aware that Obama's immediate predecessors, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, waited almost exclusively until their final months in office to designate national monuments, so there is a chance Obama will become even more active.

That's disconcerting for many members in Congress, particularly Republicans, who say the Antiquities Act wasn't designed to bolster a president's legacy.

"Presidents are starting to abuse this authority as they leave the office. If they actually tried to do this on the first day so that Congress had some ability to respond to it, and the people did, I'd be more comfortable about what their motives are," said GOP Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.

Christy Goldfuss, managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, won't discuss specific national monument possibilities, but said Obama "certainly feels we have more to do to protect this planet from climate change, so we'll see how this plays out."

Bishop said lawmakers would work with the administration on additional protections for some public lands, but environmental groups and others are less willing to compromise knowing they can go to the president to get a national monument designation.

"It actually impedes the ability of bringing everyone together knowing the president has this power to create a monument whenever he wants to," Bishop said.

Goldfuss said the administration works to get extensive local feedback before making any monument determination. She and others such as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack feed the president information, but in the end, it's his decision.

"It is all about taking the long view here and recognizing there are things of importance to future generations, and the president is in a good spot to make that determination," Goldfuss said.

Bishop's state is home to perhaps the most talked about effort, the proposed Bears Ears National Monument.

Utah's Republican-dominated Legislature overwhelming voted for a resolution opposing the monument. Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said a monument designation would bring more visitors but not necessarily more resources, leading to an increase in vandalism and environmental degradation.

Bishop wants instead additional protections for about 1.4 million acres of the Bears Ears area and opening up other lands for gas and oil exploration and recreation.

Matt Keller, the national monuments campaign director for the Wilderness Society, said he believes the prospects for a monument designation in Bears Ears are promising. Jewell's fact-finding trip to the region last month shows the administration is serious about protecting the thousands of artifacts and rock carvings documenting how Native Americans lived through the centuries.

"A big priority for them is protecting lands that are inclusive of diverse populations and tell the story of the American people a little more broadly," Keller said.

FILE - In this June 22, 2016, file photo, the "House on Fire" ruins are shown in Mule Canyon, near Blanding, Utah. These Anasazi ruins are found along a canyon hiking path in a dry river bed. They are one of an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites within a 1.9-million acre area of Utah's red rock country that a coalition of American Indian tribes and environmentalists want President Barack Obama to designate as a national monument to ensure protections of lands considered sacred. The race is on to win Obamas attention as he puts some final touches on his environmental legacy. Conservation groups, American Indian tribes and lawmakers are pushing him to preserve millions of acres as national monuments. That designation often prevents new drilling and mining on public lands, or the construction of new roads and utility lines. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
Syrian troops repel rebels southwest of Aleppo

BEIRUT (AP)  Syrian troops repelled a rebel advance near Aleppo on Monday, forcing opposition forces to retreat from positions they seized a day earlier as heavy fighting continued in the country's largest city.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meanwhile said Moscow and Washington, which back opposite sides in the civil war, are edging closer to an agreement to defuse the fighting in the contested city.

"Step by step, we are nearing an arrangement, I'm talking exclusively about Aleppo, that would allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory," he said in remarks carried by Rossiya 24 television.

In this frame grab from video provided by the Russian Defence Ministry Press Service, Russian long range bomber Tu-22M3 flies during a strike above an undisclosed location in Syria on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2015. ( Russian Defence Ministry press service photo via AP)

Russia has been launching airstrikes in support of President Bashar Assad's forces for nearly a year, and Syrian and Russian warplanes have stepped up their raids in recent days in Aleppo and the rebel-held Idlib province nearby.

The Islamic State group meanwhile claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that struck a bus transporting rebels through a border crossing between Syria's opposition-held Idlib province and Turkey late Sunday, killing more than 30 fighters.

The Atmeh border post is one of several crossings Syrian rebels use to bring in fighters and supplies. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the death toll from the bombing rose to 32.

A coalition of insurgent groups led by Syria's rebranded al-Qaida branch launched an assault on government positions in Aleppo on Sunday. Fath al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, recently changed its name and said it was severing ties with the global terror network in an apparent attempt to evade Russian and U.S.-led airstrikes.

Russia and the U.S. have been discussing closer coordination in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on which militant groups should be targeted.

Fighting in Aleppo, once Syria's commercial capital, has intensified in recent weeks. Rebels captured the eastern part of the city in 2012 and have been locked in a brutal stalemate with government forces since then.

The rebel assault on Sunday targeted army positions at a cement factory southwest of Aleppo. But opposition activists and militant websites said Monday that the insurgents retreated following a massive government counterattack.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, said at least 35 rebels were killed in the fighting.

A Syrian military official said the Syrian air force launched "precise airstrikes on groupings and movements of terrorist groups south and west of Aleppo" that resulted in the death of dozens of "terrorists." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Syrian government describes all armed groups fighting to topple Assad as terrorists.

On Monday, the International Committee for the Red Cross called the battle for Aleppo "one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times."

"No one and nowhere is safe. Shell-fire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear," ICRC president Peter Maurer said in a statement from Geneva.

The aid group urged combatants to agree to regular humanitarian pauses to restore essential services and deliver relief.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman on Monday called on Russia to exert its "great influence on the Syrian president" to alleviate the suffering in Aleppo, and criticized Moscow's offer of a daily truce in the city.

Spokesman Steffen Seibert said Russia's promise of three-hour cease-fires to allow humanitarian aid into Aleppo "is meant to sound like a concession, but is actually cynicism, since everyone knows that this time is nowhere near enough to really restore supplies to desperate people."

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Turkey says failed coup was decades in the making

ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkish investigators call it the ultimate long game.

In 1986, the Turkish military expelled dozens of cadets suspected of loyalty to a young Muslim cleric named Fethullah Gulen, seen as a potential threat to the country's strict secular rule. Officials, a magazine reported at the time, said an alleged recruiter had told the students to work their way through the ranks and wait for instructions that would come in a few decades.

Fast forward 30 years to July 15, when renegade officers staged a failed coup and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating it. Gulen, now based in Pennsylvania, denies any involvement, but a rising tide of allegations challenges the moderate image promoted by his Islamist movement and casts it as a cover for secret designs on Turkish power that included efforts to infiltrate state institutions decades ago.

FILE - In this file photo dated Sunday July, 2016, Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen speaks to members of the media at his compound, in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating the failed military coup attempt in Turkey, by placing his followers into positions of power decades ago. Gulen denies any involvement. (AP Photo/Chris Post, FILE)

In the 1970s, when Turkey was run by a military-backed, secular government, the group seemed like a conventional religious movement that attracted young, middle-class recruits through a successful network of schools and dormitories.

Gulen, who had been associated with Islamic mysticism, promoted a message of tolerance and charity along with Turkish patriotism. His group  known as Hizmet, Turkish for "service"  raised money through donations from individuals and businesses. By the early 1990s, it was expanding into other countries with a network of schools, burnishing an international reputation as an advocate of interfaith harmony.

The movement's benevolent message initially enabled its followers to dodge the harshest persecution of Turkey's secular rulers. But as it grew in influence, the government began to view the movement with suspicion.

Authorities alleged its supervisors  known as "brothers"  helped followers cheat on exams to land government jobs. Once they were in place, according to Hanefi Avci, a former national police chief who investigated the group, they "acted in a coordinated effort to promote and protect one another and eliminate opponents."

The group enjoyed wide influence in schools, the news media and police forces in an expanding power base, and authorities began to crack down on pieces of the movement such as the 1986 purge of military cadets.

Authorities point to Gulen's own words as evidence of his designs. In comments recorded in the 1980s, Gulen referred to crackdowns on Islamists in Syria and Egypt and told a group of followers to bide their time, saying: "You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centers."

Gulen, who later said those remarks were misinterpreted, moved to the United States in the late 1990s while facing trial on charges of plotting to overthrow Turkey's government. His movement continued to grow, and eventually helped to topple the staunchly secular leaders who had been so wary of it.

In 2002 elections, Gulen's followers supported the candidacy of the former Istanbul mayor, who himself had been jailed for several months by secular authorities and won with the backing of a pious Muslim class that had been sidelined to decades.

His name was Erdogan.

Erdogan insists he put up with the Gulenists as a practical matter: He needed all the help he could get to defeat the secularists.

"We tolerated them for the sake of the widespread aid, education and solidarity activities  inside and outside of the country  that they seemed to be conducting," he said this month. "We tolerated them because they said 'Allah.'"

The military leadership remained unconvinced. Ilker Basbug, who was Turkey's military chief from 2008 to 2010, said in a recent interview with CNN Turk television that he warned Erdogan about the threat from Gulen's backers in the military, which had stopped purging suspected Islamists.

"Today this threat is to us, tomorrow it's to you," he says he told Erdogan.

According to Basbug, Erdogan responded: "My commander, you are exaggerating."

After he retired, Basbug was jailed on charges of plotting to overthrow the state, one of hundreds of people associated with the old secular order who were targeted by alleged Gulen sympathizers in the police and judiciary. Avci, the former national police chief who had written a book about the alleged threat from Gulen's supporters, was also imprisoned.

Erdogan initially supported some of the investigations, but he eventually disowned them amid revelations of forged evidence and other irregularities.

Meanwhile, the Turkish leader's alliance with Gulen was unraveling as he sought to dismantle what he described as a "parallel state" in the police and other institutions. In what Erdogan later described as an attempted coup, prosecutors believed to be loyal to Gulen launched a high-profile corruption probe in December 2013, embarrassing the government.

Tensions rose further in 2014, when Erdogan switched from prime minister to president in a move seen by critics as a bid to amass even more power.

Finally, on July 15, elements of the military rose up. They occupied airports, bridges and military bases, took the military chief hostage and accused the government of eroding democracy and the rule of law. Rival forces clashed, and Erdogan supporters took to the streets in support of their president. Some protesters were cut down by gunfire from mutinous soldiers, but by morning it was clear that the coup had failed. In all, 272 people were dead.

Erdogan was quick to point the finger: He said the coup was the work of Gulenists. Gulen condemned the coup, although he conceded that some of his sympathizers might have been involved.

"You can think about many motivations of people who staged this coup. They could be sympathizers of the opposition party. They could be sympathizers of the nationalist party. It could be anything," Gulen told reporters at his Pennsylvania compound the day after the coup.

Yet he still had harsh words for Erdogan, whom he called an authoritarian figure, and his government. He said it has shown "no tolerance for any movement, any group, any organization that is not under their total control."

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Torchia reported from Johannesburg. He was The Associated Press' bureau chief in Turkey from 2007-13, and covered the aftermath of the attempted coup last month.

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Follow Christopher Torchia on Twitter at www.twitter.com/torchiachris

FILE - In this file photo dated early morning Saturday, July 16, 2016, a tank moves into position as Turkish people clamber onto it, attempting to stop the military coup, in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating the failed military coup attempt in Turkey, by placing his followers into positions of power including the military, decades ago. Gulen denies any involvement. (AP Photo)
South African sentenced to 10 years for newborn kidnapping

JOHANNESBURG (AP)  A South African woman who kidnapped a newborn nearly two decades ago from a hospital and raised the girl as her own was sentenced Monday to 10 years in jail.

Judge John Hlophe in Cape Town announced the sentence, telling the 52-year-old convicted kidnapper that she had caused "immense" pain to the biological parents whose baby was taken from them, the African News Agency reported.

Publicly, the young woman who was kidnapped as a baby is known as Zephany Nurse, the name given to her by her biological parents and used in the media in the years since her disappearance. After she was found, the girl chose to continue using the name given to her by the kidnapper. To protect her privacy, a judge ordered that her adopted name and the name of her kidnapper not be used by the media.

Morne, left, and Celeste Nurse, the biological parents of the South African born kidnapped child Zephany Nurse, embrace each other after court proceedings in Cape Town , South Africa, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. A South African woman who kidnapped a newborn nearly two decades ago from a hospital and raised the girl as her own was sentenced Monday to 10 years in jail. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)

Judge Hlophe criticized the kidnapper for sticking to her story that she had bought the baby from a woman who told her that the biological parents did not want the child.

"At the very least, one would expect you to apologize, but you chose not to," the African News Agency quoted Hlophe as saying.

The family of the convicted kidnapper blew kisses to her as she was led to a holding cell after the sentencing, according to the agency. It also reported a confrontation between the kidnapper's family and Zephany Nurse's biological family outside the courthouse.

"She belongs to us," said Chantall Berry, Zephany Nurse's aunt. "She has our DNA. Her DNA will never change."

Zephany Nurse was reunited last year with her biological parents, Morne and Celeste Nurse, after the couple's second daughter befriended a girl at school who looked remarkably like her. A police investigation and DNA tests showed that the two girls were sisters and that the new friend was the Nurse's missing child.

Zephany Nurse's biological parents were in court for the sentencing Monday, but their daughter was not. Zephany Nurse has not been allowed contact with the convicted kidnapper but has been living with the kidnapper's husband, who she thought was her biological father, according to South African media reports.
17-year-old girl still critical after Swiss train attack

BERLIN (AP)  A 17-year-old girl remained in life-threatening condition Monday after a man attacked her and other passengers on a Swiss train with a knife and burning liquid, police said.

Seven people including the suspect were wounded in the Saturday afternoon attack. On Sunday, the 27-year-old assailant and a 34-year-old woman he had attacked died of their injuries.

Police in Switzerland's St. Gallen canton (state) said the youngest victim, a six-year-old girl, has stabilized and is no longer in a life-threatening condition.

The train station Salez - Sennwald photographed in Salez, Switzerland, on Sunday Aug. 14, 2016. 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. (Gian Ehrenzeller/Keystone via AP)

Police were unable to interrogate the attacker, identified only as a Swiss citizen from a neighboring canton. They are still trying to determine the motive behind the attack, which took place as the train neared the Swiss town of Salez, close to the border with Liechtenstein.

Swiss media reported, without citing sources, that the attacker had been living for around three years in Liechtenstein.
Istanbul police detain 136 courthouse staff in coup probe

ISTANBUL (AP)  Police teams on Monday apprehended 136 personnel in operations conducted at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said the Istanbul chief public prosecutor's office had issued detention orders for 173 personnel working at Istanbul's Caglayan, Bakirkoy and Gaziosmanpasa courthouses. Of those, 136 were detained in Monday's raids.

The operations are part of the government's investigation into the movement led by U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara alleges Gulen was responsible for the violent coup attempt that left over 270 people dead. Gulen denies any involvement.

A woman enters a courthouse as a police fence is on display outside the building in Istanbul, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Turkey's state-run news agency says police teams are conducting operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Police entered the courthouses Monday morning to detain the suspects and conduct searches of their offices and computers, while other teams were searching their homes.

Four courthouse personnel were detained last week as part of the same investigation.

Detention orders commanded by the Istanbul chief public prosecutor's office were later issued for 17 more personnel at Istanbul's Buyukcekmece Courthouse, Anadolu reported Monday evening.

The government has launched a massive crackdown on alleged supporters of the Gulen movement, raising concerns among Western allies and human rights groups. More than 35,000 people have been detained for questioning while tens of thousands of others have been dismissed from government jobs, including in the judiciary, media, education, health care, military and local government.

Following a cabinet meeting in Ankara Monday afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus announced a set of new government decrees targeting suspected Gulen supporters who have been dismissed from government jobs, including stripping some of them of their titles.

"A list compiled from various departments including the foreign ministry, coast guard, national police and Turkish armed forces will be published in today's governmental decree and those Gulen members named in the list will lose their qualification as public servants," said Kurtulmus, adding those named will also lose the right to use their professional titles.

Authorities are currently investigating whether members affiliated with the Gulen movement stole the answers to the 2010 Public Service Placement Exam and distributed them to fellow members. Kurtulmus said that those who are determined by authorities to have used the stolen answers to become public servants will also be dismissed.

One public prosecutor who had been dismissed following the coup was apprehended by security forces in southeast Turkey as he allegedly tried to illegally sneak into Syria.

Ekrem Beyaztas, a public prosecutor in the eastern province of Erzurum who was the subject of a detention order, was caught Sunday night along the Syrian border in the southeastern province of Kilis, according to a statement released by the local governor's office and confirmed by a Turkish official.

A woman passes a picture of the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim for the 15th anniversary of AKP party as the sign reads ''The people's voice, Turkey's party, it's now fifteen years old'' in Istanbul, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Turkey's state-run news agency says police teams are conducting operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Vehicles pass the Valens Aqueduct with a banner reading ''We are the nation, we won't let Turkey fall to coups and terrorism'' in Istanbul, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Turkey's state-run news agency says police teams are conducting operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

People leave from a courthouse in Istanbul, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Turkey's state-run news agency says police teams are conducting operations at three Istanbul courthouses as part of an investigation into the July 15 abortive coup. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
Father, ex-husband arrested in UK-Pakistani woman's killing

ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistani police have arrested the father and ex-husband of a British woman of Pakistani origin who was killed last month in what authorities suspect was an "honor killing," a top investigator said Monday.

Samia Shahid's family buried her, claiming she had died of natural causes. But after her husband raised the alarm, the police reopened the case and later concluded the 28-year-old was strangled to death.

Abu Bakar Khuda Bux, the investigator heading the team, told The Associated Press that the woman's father, Mohammad Shahid, and her former husband, Mohammad Shakeel, were prime suspects in the case.

The two were formally arrested on Sunday, although the police have been questioning them for several days, Bux said.

"All the evidence we have is leading to their involvement in the murder," he said. "We are collecting more evidence before we sent the case to court."

After her death, Shahid's second husband, Mukhtar Kazim, accused the family of luring her back to Pakistan from Dubai, where the couple lived, on the pretext of her father's illness. His statements prompted the investigation and Pakistani police eventually declared the case a murder.

According to two police officers, the ex-husband has confessed to the killing and has described to his interrogators how he used his ex-wife's scarf to strangle her. The officers, who are involved in the probe, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details with the media before the case goes to court.

Bux declined to comment on the purported confessions, saying the investigation is not yet finished.

After she married the first time, Shahid lived in Pakistan for a brief period before moving back to England where she got a divorce in 2014. Her family had lived Bradford since 1950s.
Authorities in south Georgia say a man accused of fatally shooting a police officer has been arrested.

The Telfair County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on its website that 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds was in custody.

The website of the Nassau County Sheriff's Office in Florida says Deeds was booked into jail just before 3am Monday.

Royheem Delshawn Deeds (left), 24, was arrested early Monday morning in Nassau County, Florida, two days after allegedly shooting dead 31-year-old Georgia cop Tim Smith (right)

Nassau County, Florida is nearly a three-hour drive from Telfair County, Georgia.

Authorities say Deeds killed Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith about 9:30pm Saturday in a residential area of that city, which is about 60 miles southeast of Macon.

Authorities say the 31-year-old Smith was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered Deeds, exited his patrol car and was shot.

Smith was not wearing a protective vest at the time or a body camera.

Deeds fled the scene while Smith was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

The sheriff's office statement did not provide any additional details on the arrest, and it wasn't immediately clear whether Deeds has an attorney.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation initially offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Deeds' arrest.

Authorities say Deeds (pictured) killed Smith around 9:30pm on Saturday, after Smith received a call of a suspicious person in a residential neighborhood

Smith leaves behind three children, a stepson and a fiancee (Chelsea Clark, right). He had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011

Smith had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011 and was a father of three - two sons and a daughter. His fiancee Chelsea Clark also had another son from a prior relationship who he was a stepfather to.

'We were engaged. We were trying to get on our feet before getting married,' Clark told CNN of her boyfriend of two years.
Diseases rising among Syrians stranded at Jordan border berm

AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  A doctor monitoring the plight of 75,000 Syrians stranded on the sealed border with Jordan says she's been told infectious diseases are spreading among them.

Natalie Thurtle of the international aid group Doctors Without Borders said Monday that refugees with some medical training have told her they see about 30 cases a day of jaundice, likely a symptom of hepatitis.

Thurtle says that's an increase from one a week before Jordan closed the border in June. She says diarrhea and respiratory problems are also common.

The closure, a response to a cross-border attack by Islamic State extremists, cut off two desert camps from medical and other aid, except for a one-off food delivery last week and occasional water shipments.
33 missing Turkish Cypriots laid to rest after 42 years

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP)  The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkey's 1974 invasion of ethnically divided Cyprus were laid to rest Monday, two years after being discovered down a mineshaft.

Gulden Plumer Kucuk, the Turkish Cypriot member of the Committee on Missing Persons, told The Associated Press the mass burial in Taskent village in the island's breakaway Turkish Cypriot north came exactly 42 years after they were killed by Greek Cypriots. The remains of 45 other people who had also been aboard the busses were buried in the village in 2014.

There are numerous accounts of mass killings of civilians in Cyprus by both Greek Cypriots and Turks, especially during the invasion that split the island.

A relative of a missing person mourns over a coffin with his remains, during a funeral service in Taskent village, in the Turkish Cypriot breakaway northern part of the ethnically-divided island of Cyprus, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkeys 1974 invasion of Cyprus have been laid to rest after they were discovered down a mineshaft four decades later. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Some 1,500 Greek Cypriots and 500 Turkish Cypriots disappeared during the invasion, as well as in armed clashes between the two communities during the mid-1960s.

According to official figures, the remains of 1,000 missing persons have been unearthed. Some 680 people have so far been identified, but 200 Turkish Cypriots and around 800 Greek Cypriots remain missing.

Kucuk said a spokesman told those gathered at the burial Monday that relatives are glad the dead now rest in peace and that they can hear their families' prayers nearby instead of the heavy trucks driving over their earlier mass grave.

Kucuk said the bodies had been moved after a lone survivor told United Nations officials of the killings. The remains were found decades later.

Progress has been made in the search for those who are still missing inside areas controlled by the over 35,000 troops Turkey still maintains in the breakaway north, Kucuk said. But she said some of the missing may never been found.

"We have to be honest that some burial places have been lost because of construction that has taken place over the decades," Kucuk said.

Officials from both sides have appealed to those with knowledge of possible burial sites to provide information anonymously as many relatives are dying without ever being told the exact circumstances of the disappearance of their loved ones.

Relatives of a missing person mourn over a coffin with his remains, during a funeral service in Taskent village, in the Turkish Cypriot breakaway northern part of the ethnically-divided island of Cyprus, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkeys 1974 invasion of Cyprus have been laid to rest after they were discovered down a mineshaft four decades later. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

A relative of a missing person mourns over a coffin with his remains, during a funeral service in Taskent village, in the Turkish Cypriot breakaway northern part of the ethnically-divided island of Cyprus, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkeys 1974 invasion of Cyprus have been laid to rest after they were discovered down a mineshaft four decades later. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

Turkish Soldiers carry the coffins with the remains of 33 Turkish Cypriots missing persons who where killed on 1974, during a funeral service in Taskent village, in the Turkish Cypriot breakaway northern part of the ethnically-divided island of Cyprus, on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The remains of 33 Turkish Cypriot villagers who were shot and killed after being taken off two buses during Turkeys 1974 invasion of Cyprus have been laid to rest after they were discovered down a mineshaft four decades later. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)
Merkel spokesman criticizes Russia for Aleppo food crisis

BERLIN (AP)  German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman is calling on Russia to exert its "great influence on the Syrian president" to alleviate suffering in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Spokesman Steffen Seibert also criticized Moscow's offer of a daily three-hour cease-fire in Aleppo.

Seibert said Monday that Merkel is concerned about the people in Aleppo and has received a direct appeal from a Syrian doctor, Hamza al-Khatib, who called on her to help end the bombing of civilians.

German chancellor Angela Merkel meets party officials at the headquarters of her Christian Democrats in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

The Russian military is fighting alongside Syrian government forces besieging the northern city.
Authorities in Georgia say woman shot and wounded a teenager

MACON, Ga. (AP)  Authorities in central Georgia say a 67-year-old woman shot and wounded a teenager.

The Telegraph newspaper in Macon reports (http://bit.ly/2aU6B8w ) Delores Gibson-Council told police she encountered a group of young people about 8:30 p.m. Saturday as she was driving down the street. She said she honked her horn and a 14-year-old boy came to her door and threatened her, and she shot him in the abdomen.

The teen was listed in critical but stable condition.

Gibson-Council is charged with aggravated assault. She was being held without bond in the Bibb County jail. It wasn't immediately clear whether she had an attorney who could comment.

The Bibb County Sheriff's Office said in a release that Gibson-Council's home was burglarized earlier Saturday, and she thought the teen was involved. Investigators are looking into that.

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The Latest: Imam shooting suspect arrested on murder charges

NEW YORK (AP)  The Latest on the fatal shootings of a New York City mosque leader and his associate (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

A man suspected in the fatal shooting of an imam and his friend as they left a mosque in New York City has been arrested on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.

Thousands gather to pray at caskets of Imam Maulama Akonjee, draped in green top, and Thara Uddin in a municipal parking lot, Monday Aug. 15, 2016, in New York. Both were shot in the head as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens as they left afternoon prayers Saturday. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Charges against 35-year-old Oscar Morel, of Brooklyn, were upgraded on Monday after police say they recovered a revolver at his home and clothes similar to that being worn in surveillance video that shows the gunman.

Morel was arrested on Sunday after police say he hit a bicyclist 10 minutes after Saturday's shooting in Queens. It wasn't immediately clear if he has an attorney who can comment on the charges.

Authorities have not said what prompted the daytime shooting of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.

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8:30 p.m.

Police say they've recovered a revolver from the home of a man being questioned in connection to the killing of a New York imam and his friend.

Police said Monday night they also found clothing in the man's home similar to that being worn in a surveillance video that shows the gunman.

The 36-year-old man is being held on charges he struck a bicyclist 10 minutes after Saturday's shooting in Queens near a mosque.

Authorities don't know what prompted the brazen daytime shooting of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.

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6:30 p.m.

Police say they're fairly certain they've arrested a man who killed a New York imam and his friend.

The NYPD's chief of detective tells reporters on Monday the 36-year-old man is being held on charges he struck a bicyclist 10 minutes after the shooting.

Robert Boyce didn't release the man's name. He hasn't been charged in the double slaying.

But Boyce says surveillance footage shows the man speeding away from the scene of the Saturday shooting near a Queens mosque in a black GMC Trailblazer.

He says 10 minutes later, that car also struck a bicyclist 3 miles away in Brooklyn.

Detectives arrested the man Sunday night in the hit-and-run accident.

Authorities don't know what prompted the daytime shooting of Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.

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4 p.m.

Passions ran hot at a funeral service for a slain imam and his friend who were shot by an unidentified gunman near their mosque.

About 1,000 people, including New York City's mayor, gathered Monday for the prayer service for Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.

The motive of the gunman remains unknown, but the ceremony featured several speakers who said they believed the victims were targeted because of their religion.

Some members of the congregation shouted, "Justice!" periodically throughout the service.

After the ceremony, part of the crowd marched to the spot a few blocks away where the shooting took place.

Police investigating the slayings have detained a man as part of an attempt to identify a vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting.

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2:30 p.m.

The funeral for Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin is being held in a municipal parking lot, about six blocks from the crime scene.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the service Monday that Muslims make New York better and stronger. The crowd applauded when he said that whoever committed the crime would be brought to justice. He also said the community will get extra police protection.

Emotions ran high. Some people shouted for justice as a man spoke at the podium.

Authorities said earlier Monday that investigators had detained and questioned a man as part of an attempt to identify a vehicle seen leaving the scene of the shooting.

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11:55 a.m.

New York City police detectives investigating the slayings of an imam and his associate have detained and questioned a man as part of an attempt to identify a vehicle seen after the shooting.

Authorities say surveillance footage showed the car leaving the scene of Saturday's shooting in Queens.

Investigators said Monday that the car matched the description of one involved in an unsolved hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn. The man was taken into custody Sunday night in connection with that crash.

New York Police Department spokesman Stephen Davis says the man is in custody on an unrelated incident and there have been no arrests related to the shooting.

Islamic funeral prayers are to be held Monday for Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.

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7:50 a.m.

The elder son of one of the two men shot outside a New York City mosque says his father was planning to travel to Bangladesh later this month to visit his ailing mother.

Police say 55-year-old Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin were shot near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers on Saturday.

Akonjee's son, Foyez Uddin, who isn't related to the other victim, tells The Associated Press in Bangladesh that his father and mother had booked flights for Aug. 31 to visit the elder man's mother. The son says the family is discussing funeral plans.

He says his family "cannot believe he is no more," calling the loss "irreparable."

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1:20 a.m.

A Muslim advocacy group is announcing a reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman who killed a New York City mosque leader and his associate.

Police say 55-year-old Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin were shot near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers on Saturday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations will announce on Monday a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Police say they have not yet determined a motive for the killings, but some in the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

Muslim community members will gather in Brooklyn on Monday to hold Islamic funeral prayers for the two men.

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This story has been corrected to show the spelling of the imam's title as Maulana, not Maulama, per new information from the mayor's office and a family member.

In this Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, photo, people gather near a crime scene for a demonstration 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 Saturday. 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 before 2 p.m. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

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 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)

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)

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)

A young woman looks over the area from the steps of an elevated train station 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)
Thai bombings draw attention to forgotten war in south

BANGKOK (AP)  It happens with horrifying frequency in southern Thailand, a country much of the world associates with pristine beaches and alluring, sapphire blue seas: a bomb goes off. Victims are maimed or killed. Security forces comb through blood-spattered wreckage and debris.

On Thursday and Friday, 11 more bombs rattled seven Thai provinces, killing four people and wounding dozens more. But this time was different: the targets were not in the country's three southernmost provinces, where a bitter war waged by Muslim separatists has flared for more than a decade.

Instead, they shook towns filled with tourists further north, places like Hua Hin, where 11 foreigners were injured, most by a small explosive device that detonated in a narrow alley filled with bars, restaurants and massage parlors.

FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 file, investigators work at the scene of an explosion in the resort town of Hua Hin, 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Bangkok, Thailand. Thai authorities said Monday, Aug. 15, they are investigating whether bombings last week at several popular tourist destinations were related to long-term separatist violence in the country's far south, backing away from assertions that partisan politics were behind them. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer, File)

Ethnic Malay insurgents launched their armed bid for greater autonomy in Thailand's so-called "deep south" in 2004. But more than 6,700 dead and 12,000 wounded later, the struggle seems more forgotten than ever  a reality illustrated by a flood of weekend media coverage that dwarfed the usual trickle of reporting about the far-southern conflict.

"Sadly, people get used to violence. The media gets bored with it. The story becomes mundane," said Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, an independent analyst and expert on the insurgency.

If it turns out insurgents were responsible for last week's bombings, it would mark a dangerous new expansion of the low-level war that has plagued the mostly Buddhist country's southern border region with Malaysia.

It could also prove a dangerous incentive to carry out more violence.

With few exceptions, the militants have so far avoided attacking known tourist destinations because "they didn't want to be seen as a terrorist group," Rungrawee said. "But that could change if attacks like this prove effective" by attracting more attention to the war or pushing the government to make concessions at peace talks, she said.

While there has been no claim of responsibility and authorities have yet to blame any specific group, police investigators and analysts say the latest violence bears striking similarities to the methods used by the separatist militants who have traditionally limited operations to the Muslim-dominated provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.

The attacks Thursday and Friday took place in seven locations south of Bangkok, including the island of Phuket. The bombs were small and appeared designed to shock rather than induce mass casualties, and left no immediate major impact on Thailand's lucrative tourist industry.

Asked Monday about the possibility that insurgents orchestrated the latest violence, police commissioner Chakthip Chaijinda reiterated words spoken by other top officials over the weekend, saying "there are similarities in bomb-making methods and the equipment."

Authorities say some of the homemade bombs were triggered remotely by cellphones  a tactic used by insurgents. Some of the phones, recovered by police, were reportedly purchased in Malaysia, into which Thai militants are known to cross with ease.

Malaysian police chief Khalif Abu Bakar confirmed Thai authorities have reached out, and officials on his side of the border were searching for those who purchased and sold the phones.

The war in the south flared 12 years ago after security forces shot dead seven Thai Muslims during an anti-government protest in Tak Bai in Narathiwat province, and hauled away 78 others packed so tightly they died of asphyxiation.

Muslims in the south say they don't feel like full members of Thailand's majority Buddhist society and complain of discrimination, rights abuses and arbitrary detention. The provinces in the south once belonged to a Malay sultanate which Thailand annexed in 1902.

The insurgents are split into several factions, the strongest of which is the Patani-Malay National Revolutionary Front, or BRN. The groups' leadership, organizational structure and membership are secretive, so much so that Rungrawee said some recruits who have taken part in attacks were not even aware of which faction they belonged to.

The government of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra began peace talks with separatists in 2013, although there was some doubt about whether the leaders attending fully represented insurgents on the ground. Yingluck's government was toppled in a coup a year later, and the junta that rules Thailand has continued the effort.

Talks, however, have gotten bogged down in such basic parameters as identifying the insurgents. Thailand's government insists on referring to them simply as "people with different opinions from the state," a position the militants reject.

John Blaxland, a senior fellow at Australian National University, said he believed militants could have launched last week's bombings to increase their bargaining power at the negotiating table.

"If my theory is correct, the message is: 'We want you to make more concessions in the south of Thailand,'" Blaxland said. "They figure that the message is better heard through actions."

Pongphisoot Busbarat, a lecturer at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, said if the militants were responsible for the bombings, they could be trying "to show that the hawkish approach adopted by the military is not acceptable."

Thailand's military junta has shown little tolerance for dissent since it overthrew a democratically elected government two years ago. Critical opinions are suppressed and critics are regularly whisked away to army bases for questioning.

On Aug. 7, the government held a successful referendum on a new constitution that will cement the military's powerful hand in politics for years to come.

In the week leading to the vote, insurgents registered their clear opposition to the charter by spray-painting the words "Referendum X" and "Constitution X" onto roads, street signs and schools across the south. Significantly, they did so in Thai, rather than the Malay script commonly used in the south.

They also carried out more than 50 bombings during the first week of August alone.

All were in the south; few made headlines.

On Monday morning, two motorcycle-riding soldiers were wounded in Narathiwat by another roadside bomb, police said. Explosive experts who arrived at the scene detonated a second bomb they believe was intended for those who rushed to the injured troops' aid.

__

Associated Press journalists Natnicha Chuwiruch and Vicky Ge Huang contributed to this report.
An 86-year-old Massachusetts grandmother was left screaming for help after staff at a dialysis center left her behind when they closed up for the day.

Maureen Perry of Wilmington was taken from her rehab clinic to the Fresenius Dialysis Center in Methuen on Saturday, but never came back.

'We were really concerned,' granddaughter Erica Crosby told NECN. '(We asked) "How is she not back yet? Usually her dialysis ends after four hours and it's seven hours later.'"

Abandoned: This is how Maureen Perry, 86, looked after being abandoned for hours in a closed dialysis center Saturday. Photo was taken after family spotted her through a window

Rescue: After finding the retiree her family called the fire department. She was stranded for three hours after staff closed the Massachusetts center for the day, thinking patients had left

Erica and her mom then drove to the dialysis clinic, where they looked through a window and found the distraught woman still there waiting.

But relief at finding the elder alive was tainted by the sadness of her surroundings.

'I cried,' Crosby recalled. 'It's just horrible. No one wants to see anyone go through that, never mind someone elderly and already weak.'

And things were even more distressing for Perry.

'Once she realized she was alone, she got really really scared and she didn't know how long she was going to be there for,' Crosby explained.

'She said she screamed out and said, "Is anyone here? Am I alone?' and crickets.'

Crying: Erica Crosby (pictured right, with Perry) said she cried to see her grandmother trapped. Fresenius Dialysis Center said it 'deeply regretted' the incident

Firefighters were called in to rescue the octogenarian just before 4pm. She was taken back to the rehab facility where doctors checked up on her.

Crosby says someone needs to be held accountable for the incident.

On Monday the center released a statement saying it 'deeply regretted' the incident, and that an employee 'did not see any patients in the treatment room and mistakenly believed that all of our patients had left the facility'.

A spokesman for the center also promised that safeguards had been added to make sure an incident such as this one would not happen again.
Searchers find crashed Thai army helicopter, 5 bodies

BANGKOK (AP)  Searchers in Thailand found the wreckage of a missing army helicopter on Monday along with the bodies of the five people on board, officials said.

Contact with the UH-72 helicopter was lost Sunday as it was flying over the northern provinces of Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai. The crash is suspected to have been caused by low visibility due to heavy storms, typical of Thailand's monsoon season.

The commander at the Kawila army base in Chiang Mai, Maj. Gen. Kosol Prathumchart, said the wreckage was found in a heavily forested area on Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain. He confirmed the death of an infantry division commander who was aboard with a four-man crew.

The helicopter disappeared as it was returning from a flood relief operation in Mae Hong Son.
North Carolina shooting victim's family hires lawyer

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  The family of a black North Carolina man shot to death in a neighborhood confrontation in Raleigh has hired the lawyer representing two other black men who were killed by white police officers.

State Rep. Justin Bamberg of South Carolina says he is representing relatives of Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas.

Thomas was killed Aug. 7 when a white man living two doors down from a neighborhood party called police to complain of "hoodlums" and then fired a shotgun from his garage. Chad Cameron Copley is charged with murder.

Bamberg also is representing the family of Alton Sterling. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, man was killed last month after he scuffled with two police officers outside a convenience store.
A cloud of pink fire retardant descended in northern California after a blaze broke out on Sunday causing $10million in damages.

James McCauley returned to his home in Lower Lake on Monday and wept as he stood over his prized marijuana plants, which had been destroyed by the pink coating.

On Monday evening, Damin Anthony Pashilk, 40, was arrested on 17 counts of arson after the fire tore through more than 175 homes and businesses in the small town about 100 miles north of San Francisco.

A cloud of pink fire retardant descended in northern California after a blaze broke out on Sunday causing $10million in damages

James McCauley returned to his home in Lower Lake on Monday after traversing a creek by boat and foot for a half mile to reach the property

Pictured, a truck and several bushes of marijuana plants covered in fire retardant near the remains of McCauley's bruned out house

'Mr. Pashilk committed a horrific crime and we will seek prosecution to the fullest extent of the law,' Ken Pimlott of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said.

'My thoughts continue to be with the people of Lake County during this difficult time,' he added.

The blaze, exacerbated by high winds, spread to more than six square miles, causing what Pimlott estimated was more than $10 million in damages.

Damin Anthony Pashilk, 40, was arrested on 17 counts of arson

Thousands of people fled the area and many families have been left homeless as a result.

Firefighters couldn't protect all of the historic Main Street and flames burned local businesses, an old firehouse and the Habitat for Humanity office.

The organization was raising money to help rebuild homes in nearby communities torched last year.

The fire rages on, with just five percent of it contained although officials said no other structures were under direct threat.

The blaze, exacerbated by high winds, spread to more than six square miles, causing what Pimlott estimated was more than $10 million in damages

Thousands of people fled the area and many families have been left homeless as a result. Pictured, Tyrol Martin of the US Forest Service at work

A firefighter rescues a goat from a burning house as flames envelope a Lower Lake property on Sunday

A five-year drought has sapped the vegetation of moisture, and forecasts predicting temperatures in the high 90s may only exacerbate the fire.

Lower Lake had not seen a devastating fire for several generations, but last year, three major blazes from July through September blackened towns and mountainous wildland within a few miles to the east and south of town.

Between the four blazes, more than 1,400 of the 36,000 housing units in all Lake County have been destroyed.

Businesses were reduced to little more than charred foundations that were still smoldering on Monday.

All that remained of many homes was burnt patio furniture and appliances, and burned out cars in the driveways.

But no injuries have been reported.

Lower Lake is largely a working class town with just 1,300 residents, most of whom are drawn by its rustic charm and low housing prices compared to the Bay Area.

Between the four blazes over the last year, more than 1,400 of the 36,000 housing units in all Lake County have been destroyed

A five-year drought has sapped the vegetation of moisture, and forecasts predicting temperatures in the high 90s may only exacerbate the fire

The fire rages on, with just five percent of it contained although officials said no other structures were under direct threat. Pictured, Reisha Spitler and her dog Boss amidst the ruins

A destroyed bicycle lays amid the rubble of a burned property

The fire tore through more than 175 homes and businesses in the small town about 100 miles north of San Francisco.
Tourists learn alongside locals on guide-training safaris

MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY, Kenya (AP)  It's not just a safari. It's a master class in the untamed world, a behind-the-scenes education with experts who are the talking Google gods of wildlife.

That's what it's like on safaris that let tourists learn alongside locals who are training to be guides.

The guides, members of Kenya's Maasai tribe, spend three weeks on a training mission traversing East Africa's Maasai Mara region under the tutelage of senior guiding experts. And tourists can come along for the Land Cruiser rides.

This March 7, 2016 photo shows a zebra as seen on a safari in Tanzania's Serengeti region. The safari gives tourists the opportunity to learn about animals and the landscape alongside locals who are training to be guides. The expedition teaches participants to become attuned to the sights and sounds of nature, rather than just going along for the ride and the photo opportunities. (Charmaine Noronha via AP)

The three-week expedition, called Pyramids of Life, moves from Kenya's Mara North Conservancy, which borders the country's famous Masa Mara region, to Tanzania's northern and southern Serengeti. But unlike other safaris I've been on, this one is not just about drive-by photo opportunities. It's about learning to become attuned to the sights and sounds of nature so you're able to predict and identify what may be moving about in the plains.

On a typical safari, you're rushed off from place to place to make sure you bag photos of all the Big 5 game  lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino. But on this trip, instead, you immerse yourself for hours watching incredible scenes unfold.

As we wound our way through the plains each day under the heat of a penetrating sun, we saw lions mating, impalas galloping by, hungry hippos and giraffes on the hunt for water. We witnessed a wildebeest giving birth and saw her newborn calf stumble to gain its footing, falling and rising several times in those first few moments of life. Then, as the mother began sauntering off to join thousands of other wildebeests in a migrating herd, we were stunned to see the newborn running too.

We also saw a warthog torn to pieces by a lion. In the quiet of the night, the sound of the big cat's teeth crushing the wild pig's bones sent shivers down my spine.

Topi antelopes stood guard on mounds of dirt to warn others of impending danger. Zebras used their tails to swish insects off their pals. We even learned about creatures I'd never heard of, like the hyrax, a small rodent-like animal that we were told is actually related to elephants.

Pyramids of Life is offered by Alex Walker's Serian tour company. Walker says when he first started in the business 20 years ago, he used to conduct 45-day safaris. "Back in the day, you really got to know the landscape and understand the animals," Walker said. "Your newspaper was reading the sounds of animals and birds to indicate what was happening in the bush. It was like a chess game, trying to work out where things were."

Today, most game drives have been condensed to one or two days out in the plains. "The idea of safari has been compacted into photos and soundbites," Walker said. The idea behind the Pyramids of Life tour is "to bring that real-life-connect-the-dots back. We want to teach you to read the plains."

Serian's Maasai guides know the bush, having grown up here, but they have "differing levels of knowledge." The training allows them to share what they know with each other and with the guests, and provide an overlay of information about what they're seeing. "It's about reconnecting with nature and allowing for the time to take it all in," Walker said.

We also watched as the guides and their trainers developed relationships, sharing information, giggling at mistakes and patting each other on the shoulder when they learned something new. And we partook in a walking safari to learn the ways of the Maasai. We were shown plants used for healing, others used as deodorant. At one point, they showed us how to make fire with sticks and how they once hunted with a bow and arrow.

"I like being a guide because I can spend time in the bush, showing others my land. You're an ambassador to them. On this safari you get to learn about everything by seeing things happen right in front of you. We share our knowledge with guests, while learning at the same time, it's great! I started in the kitchen as a cook but now, here I am, getting to tell others about things I'm interested in, such as birds," said Maasai guide Mark Taga.

"Being a guide makes me so happy," said another guide, Judy Koya. "I knew when I was a child that I wanted this to be my office."

At night, we congregated around a fire, discussing the wonders of the day.

"Imagine this was how field trips were conducted when you were a kid in school," said co-safari guide trainer Clint Schipper. "You'd never want to leave."

As he spoke, a bonfire burned in front of me, a starry sky glittered above and my mind filled with images of the hippos, crocodiles and cheetah we'd seen that day. The night surrounded us with a cacophony of sounds  insects buzzing, birds calling. Schipper was right: This was the ultimate school field trip, and I didn't ever want to leave.

___

If You Go...

PYRAMIDS OF LIFE: Program offered annually for three weeks in March, though guests can sign up for shorter periods; http://serian.com/we-call-it-home/masai-mara-kenya/serian-the-original/

This March 6, 2016 photo shows lions as seen on a safari in Kenya's Tanzania's Serengeti region. The safari gives tourists the opportunity to learn about animals and the landscape alongside locals who are training to be guides. The expedition teaches participants to become attuned to the sights and sounds of nature, rather than just going along for the ride and the photo opportunities. (Charmaine Noronha via AP)

This March 7, 2016 photo shows Judy Koya, a member of Kenya's Maasai tribe on a training mission in Kenya's Maasai Mara region. The Maasai group was participating in a program to brush up on their skills as safari guides. The program also allows tourists to learn alongside them so that the visitors are not just riding along for photo opportunities, but are instead actively learning to tune into the sights and sounds of the natural world. (Charmaine Noronha via AP)

This March 11, 2016 photo shows a cheetah in a field which was spotted on a safari in Tanzania's Serengeti region. The safari gives tourists the opportunity to learn about animals and the landscape alongside locals who are training to be guides. The expedition teaches participants to become attuned to the sights and sounds of nature, rather than just going along for the ride and the photo opportunities. (Charmaine Noronha via AP)
Serbia tries to stem continued Balkan migrant flow

ZAJECAR, Serbia (AP)  Over 2,000 migrants were prevented from crossing from Bulgaria and 24 people smugglers were caught in less than a month in an effort to curb the influx of people seeking to reach the European Union through the Balkans, Serbian border guards said Monday.

Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants have been arriving through illegal routes, mostly guided by people smugglers and often attacked and robbed by locals. Most of the migrants want to cross further north to Hungary before continuing to wealthier EU states.

Serbia's military spokesman Jovan Krivokapic said that 2,275 people  mostly Syrians, Afghans and Pakistanis  have been turned back since the joint patrols were introduced on July 22. He said 454 migrants who were caught inside Serbia were transferred to refugee centers.

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

"They are trying to cross over mountain passes, through thick forests, along river beds by using the smugglers," Krivokapic told The Associated Press.

He said that the smugglers increasingly use minors to help the migrants over the border  an attempt to evade harsher prison sentences leveled against mature offenders.

"Criminal charges have been filed against most of the smugglers and they are in police custody," Krivokapic said. "They are mostly Serbian citizens."

Balkan nations closed their borders to migrants in March. Last year, over 1 million people crossed the Balkans as they fled wars and poverty in their home countries. After the closure, the numbers of those still attempting the route have dropped from thousands a day to hundreds.

Serbian army soldiers listen to instructions before patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian police officer observes border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Members of the Serbian security force sit in an APC as they check a security camera while monitoring a stretch of the Serbian border with Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers listen to instructions before patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian police officer observes border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Members of the Serbian security force sit in an APC as they check a security camera while monitoring a stretch of the Serbian border with Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian army soldiers and border police officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Serbian officers patrol near the border between Serbia and Bulgaria, not far from the border crossing Vrska Cuka, some 250 km (155 miles) southeast of Belgrade, Serbia, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Serbia has recently deployed joint army and police patrols on its border with Bulgaria where migrants are crossing the border, mostly guided by people smugglers.(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Man charged in Georgia officer killing caught in car trunk

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP)  A man charged in the weekend slaying of a police officer in rural Georgia was arrested early Monday in Florida, where sheriff's deputies found the suspect hiding in the trunk of his sister's car.

Authorities in Georgia say 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds fatally shot Eastman Patrol Officer Timothy Smith on Saturday night. Smith had responded to a 911 call of a suspicious person armed with a gun in a residential area of the rural city about 60 miles southeast of Macon.

"Our hearts are just broken," Lewis Smith, the father of the slain officer, said in a phone interview Monday, which would have been his son's 31st birthday.

This undated photo provided by the Nassau County Sheriff's Office in Florida, shows the booking photo of 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds. Authorities say Deeds killed Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in a residential area of that city, which is about 60 miles southeast of Macon, Ga. (Nassau County Sheriff's Office via AP)

"More than likely, Timothy would always give people the benefit of the doubt and try to warn them, just tell them to move on, you're scaring the neighbors a little bit," Lewis Smith said, adding that he hopes prosecutors seek the death penalty for Deeds. "This guy just executed Timothy."

Meanwhile, an aunt of Deeds' described him as "a good person" and said his arrest was "a plum shock."

"If he did that, I'm pretty sure he's sorry," said Annie Lee Harris, who acknowledged her nephew, has had legal problems in the past. "Yes, he has been in trouble, but not to the extent of taking somebody's life."

Harris said her family felt deeply sorry for the slain officer's loved ones.

Deputies in Nassau County, Florida, apprehended Deeds during a traffic stop about 1 a.m., said Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper.

Deeds was awaiting transport back to Georgia on Monday from the jail in Nassau County, located on the Georgia-Florida line about 160 miles from the scene of the shooting.

Leeper said his department received a tip overnight from U.S. marshals saying Deeds might be traveling in a gold Nissan Altima headed for Gainesville, Florida. He said one his deputies spotted the car early Monday traveling south on U.S. 1.

Deeds' sister, 22-year-old Franshawn Deeds, was driving the car and had one passenger, 32-year-old Jamil Marquis Mitchell, in the front seat beside her, the sheriff said.

"After the driver and passenger were detained, a search of the car revealed Royheem Deeds was hiding in the trunk of the vehicle," Leeper said.

Deeds' sister and Mitchell were charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, Leeper said. He said all three had waived extradition back to Georgia. It was not immediately known if any of them had defense attorneys who could comment on the case.

Authorities released few details about the events that led to the shooting.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman Scott Dutton said Monday that a citizen of Eastman called 911 to report a suspicious person armed with a gun. Smith arrived on the scene about 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

"He pulls up, he sees who he thinks the call was about and starts to talk to him," Dutton said. "And things happened really quick."

Smith was shot once in the torso. He wasn't wearing body armor, Dutton said, though he had been issued an armored vest.

It's unclear how authorities identified Deeds as a suspect. Smith wasn't wearing a body camera, Dutton said, but he had a dash camera mounted on his patrol car. The officer had also been talking on his radio. Smith was white. Deeds is black.

Dutton said there was no evidence the officer had been lured into an ambush by a bogus call for assistance.

"It was a legitimate call," Dutton said. "A citizen had reported suspicious activity, which is what (the officer) encountered."

Smith had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011. He was also a father of three children  two young boys and a 5-month-old daughter  and was engaged to be married.

Smith followed his own father, an officer of 29 years, into law enforcement.

"I call him a country boy with a badge," Lewis Smith said of his son. "He worked seven days a week to provide for his family. There was no such thing as going out and partying or anything like that."

In addition to his full-time police job in Eastman, Smith worked part-time as an officer for the tiny city of Glenwood about 30 miles away. With a population of 730 people, Glenwood employs only two full-time police officers  Chief Randy Rigdon and Lewis Smith, the slain officer's father.

Rigdon said Monday that Tim Smith also worked for him as a part-time officer, just a day or two each week when he wasn't on duty in Eastman.

"He was a quiet, humble guy," Rigdon said. "But he was stern in his abilities to keep the weak from being oppressed. He took his job seriously."

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This story has been corrected to show the slain officer's age was 30, instead of 31.
Image of Asia: Children enact scene from India's history

In this photo by Aijaz Rahi, schoolchildren enact a scene of India's history during Independence Day celebrations in Bangalore, India. The country celebrated Monday's anniversary of the end of British rule in 1947 with cultural and military parades, colorful festivals and political speeches. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, the 17th-century sandstone structure built by the Mughal emperors who ruled much of modern-day India before the British arrived. Modi said in his speech that India would not bow to extremism and called for young people to turn away from violence.
Slovenia has often been confused in the past with another small central European state, Slovakia.

But since Donald Trump joined the presidential race in the US, his wife and potential first lady Melania Trump have come into public limelight, along with the country where she was born and raised.

'Whatever you think of Melania, she put Slovenia on the map of the world,' said Janez Bosnjak, a Ljubljana resident.

Slovenia, which has become one of Europe's hottest nature destinations after splitting from Yugoslavia in 1991, is privileged to have both an opening onto the Adriatic Sea as well as chunks of the Alps.

It is also known for tasty wines and food specialties such as Kranjska klobasa, a juicy pork sausage, or struklji, a traditional Slovene pastry with various fillings.

Donald Trump is pictured with his wife Melania Trump in April 2016. Since he joined the presidential race in the US, his wife and potential first lady have come into public limelight, along with Slovenia, the country where she was born and raised

Tourists and residents walk over Tromostovje bridges in downtown Ljubljana, Slovenia

Over the past 20 years since Melanija Knavs, who changed her name to Melania Knauss, left Slovenia and married Donald Trump after pursuing an international modeling career, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place into a lively and picturesque city

When Melanija Knavs drove around Ljubljana in a fluffy skirt on a metallic blue Vespa with her boyfriend in the late 1980s, the Slovenian capital was a sleepy town that offered little excitement to rare visitors.

Over the past two decades since she left her native Slovenia, became a model known as Melania Knauss and married American billionaire Donald Trump, Ljubljana has turned from a gray and drab place with almost no nightlife, into a lively and picturesque city filled with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs packed with foreigners.

The heart of the city has been closed to traffic, though, so Mrs. Trump would no longer be able to ride by scooter to her favorite cafe, then called the Horse's Tail, near Tromostovje  the charming stone triple bridge in the heart of the city decorated with small dragon-like statues.

She would also hardly recognize the renovated downtown since she last visited.

The city is dominated by a majestic castle on a hill by the river Ljubljana that splits the town into two.

At night, the castle is lit bright green, the city's traditional color.

A boat cruise along the river reveals spectacular architecture while street artists play music and perform for visitors.

The city's center on the banks of the river offers romantic dining and other excellent culinary offerings, including an open kitchen on Fridays when chefs prepare international dishes on makeshift stands that serve as an open-air market the other days of the week.

A group of tourists drink beers not far from a bridge in downtown Ljubljana

Padlocks left by couples hang at a bridge in downtown Ljubljana

Souvenirs are pictured offered for sale in Ljubljana. The city is dominated by a majestic castle on a hill by the river Ljubljana that splits the town into two

Born in the hilly industrial town of Sevnica in 1970 when Slovenia was part of Communist Yugoslavia, Mrs. Trump's early life has come under media scrutiny  especially after her official biography had her graduating from the Ljubljana university.

Rok Bogataj, who knew her when they studied at the Faculty of Architecture, said she regularly attended lectures but did not graduate.

'I had an impression that she had serious ambitions to finish her studies, but one day she simply disappeared. We heard that she decided to become a fashion model and that she went to Milano,' Bogataj said.

In this undated photo provided by Diana Kosar a childhood friend, Melanija Knavs, now known as Melania Trump, second from right, poses with her friends during a birthday celebration in Sevnica, Slovenia

Melanija Knavs, now known as Melania Trump, third from right, poses with her elementary school class during a school excursion somewhere in Slovenia in this image

For tourists, Ljubljana is the perfect jumping-off point for daily trips to other attractions.

The city is the eco-friendly European Green Capital for 2016, and it's located in central Slovenia.

The country, which has 2million people, offers an abundance of contrasting landscapes and cultures and is proud of being the only country in the world with the word 'love' in its name.

More than 2.4million tourists visited in 2014, according to international arrivals statistics cited by the World Bank, more than triple the number who visited in 1995.

A church is seen on the shore of Lake Bled. It was at the lakeside Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled where Melanija Knavs introduced Donald Trump to her parents during their brief visit to Slovenia in July 2002, two years before they engaged

In Portoroz (pictured) in 1992, Melanija Knavs got a big break when Slovenia's women's magazine Jana staged its Look of the Year contest. She took second place, which gave her the invitation to cast for an international modeling agency in Milan

Tourists are pictured walking on the seafront in Portoroz. Slovenia is privileged to have both an opening onto the Adriatic Sea as well as chunks of the Alps

One must-see destination northwest of Ljubljana is Lake Bled where emerald-green waters create a spectacular landscape, with a lush, tiny island and a church tower peeking out of evergreens surrounded by the rocky Julian Alps.

It was at lakeside Grand Hotel Toplice in Bled where Mrs. Trump introduced Donald Trump to her parents during their brief visit to Slovenia in July 2002, two years before they engaged.

It is believed that it was the last time that the former model visited her native country.

Not far from Bled are the seaside towns of Piran, called the Venice of Slovenia because of the colorful Venetian gothic mansions, and Portoroz, a French-Riviera style resort with luxurious hotels lining along a sandy beach.

It was in Portoroz in 1992 where Mrs. Trump got a big break in her modeling career when Slovenia's women magazine Jana staged its 'Look of the Year' contest.

She took the second place that gave her the invitation to cast for an international modeling agency in Milan.
The Latest: Man arrested for starting California blaze

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. (AP)  The Latest on wildfires burning in California (all times local):

8:10 p.m.

Authorities say a 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of starting the blaze that destroyed more than 175 homes, business and other structures in a Northern California community.

James McCauley wades through waist-high water near the burned-out remains of his residence in Lower Lake, Calif., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. McCauley traversed a creek by boat and foot for a half mile to reach the property. (AP Photo/Josh Edelson)

Lake County Sheriff Brian Martin said Damin Anthony Pashilk of Clearlake, California was arrested Monday on 17 counts of arson and is in jail.

Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott says the blaze has caused over $10 million in damages and left dozens of families homeless.

Officials made the announcement at a news conference but didn't take questions or give any other details on Pashilk.

7:30 p.m.

A fire official says a blaze that destroyed more than 175 homes, businesses and other structures in a Northern California community grew very little Monday afternoon but firefighters are struggling to contain it.

Cal Fire Incident Commander Barry Biermann says the blaze in Lower Lake about 90 miles north of San Francisco grew 50 acres away from homes and into an area scorched by a wildfire last year.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said the fast-moving wildfire was more than six square miles and just 5 percent contained Monday night.

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5:45 p.m.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for two major wildfires burning in Lake and San Luis Obispo counties.

The declaration issued Monday frees up state resources and temporarily sets aside regulations for fighting the fire and the recovery.

The fire in Lake County has destroyed at least 175 structures, many of them homes and businesses in the town of Lower Lake.

The blaze in San Luis Obispo County, about 180 miles northwest of Los Angeles, has destroyed 12 structures and injured two people. It grew to nearly 7 square miles and forced authorities to evacuate residents by boat when it shifted toward Lake Nacimiento on Sunday.

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5:15 p.m.

Lisa Corrine Wilsey and her husband are nervously waiting to find out if their Lake County home was spared by the wildfire raging through the area.

Wilsey said they saw an ominous smoke plume rising above their home in Lower Lake's rolling hills before they fled. She's nearly positive the home has burned to the ground along with the neighboring winery.

"It's emotionally turbulent. At times I'm in tears, at other times I'm making jokes like, 'I really did hate that green couch in the living room,' " she said.

The Wilseys' home was saved by firefighters last week from a 45-acre wildfire that came within two blocks. Crews got that blaze under control within a day. But she and her husband believe they weren't so fortunate this time.

Wilsey said they're already planning to rebuild, even though the fate of their home remains uncertain.

"We're safe, and we have each other. We can replace everything else," she said.

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2:40 p.m.

Vet and animal rescue groups have set up an evacuation center for animals hurt or left homeless in the blaze rampaging through California's wildfire weary Lake County.

Vets from a veterinary hospital in nearby Middletown, the scene last year's deadly wildfire, helped stabilize a mini horse suffering from smoke inhalation and burns to its nose and rear. Veterinarian Jeffery Smith of Middletown Animal Hospital says the horse, named Lightning Gekas, had difficulty breathing and was taken to the University of California, Davis' veterinary school for further treatment.

He said the horse was remarkably docile and friendly, especially considering the treatment it was undergoing.

Smith said people had more warning with this fire than the last, so he's hopeful fewer animals were hurt or killed in the flames.

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2 p.m.

As winds pick up, a destructive, fast-moving California wildfire has spread to more than six square miles.

Officials said Monday the blaze has destroyed at least 100 homes in the Lower Lake area about 90 miles north of San Francisco.

It has also burned the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several businesses. Another 1,500 homes and other structures are threatened.

No one has been injured.

The blaze is one of 11 large wildfires in the state, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought have raised the fire danger.

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11:55 a.m.

Mary and Bobby Henderson and their children had just 10 minutes to get what they could and get out of the house Sunday afternoon as they fled a wildfire in Northern California that's burned more than 100 homes.

They are still unsure of the shape of their house. It holds sentimental value to them too because the 3-bedroom place was big enough to allow them to last year adopt their three daughters.

The family is currently staying with friends. Six of their goats are also with friends but 10 remain missing.

One of the first things Mary Henderson grabbed was a tote bag filled with her late son's childhood books, blanket and other keepsakes. The 18-year-old took his life last year.

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9:25 a.m.

A fast-moving wildfire has destroyed at least 175 structures, including a historic firehouse and an antiques store, in a Northern California town.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant didn't have the breakdown of the number of homes, businesses and other buildings destroyed by the fire, which broke out Saturday and spans nearly 5 square miles.

He said earlier Monday that more than 100 homes burned down. No injuries have been reported, but pets have died as flames swept into Lower Lake, a small town about 90 miles north of San Francisco.

At least 1,500 structures are threatened after the fire burned the post office, a winery and a Habitat for Humanity office.

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7:10 a.m.

A fast-moving Northern California wildfire has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced thousands to flee an area where drought conditions and high temperatures are making firefighting difficult.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlant said Monday that the fire in Lower Lake, about 90 miles north of San Francisco, has scorched nearly 5 square miles.

No injuries have been reported.

The flames jumped a road Sunday and moved into the town of 1,200 that's still recovering from a devastating wildfire nearly a year ago.

Of the 175, at least 100 are homes. The fire has also burned the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several businesses. Another 1,500 homes continue to be threatened.
Tesla: Removal of 'Autopilot' from Chinese site a mistake

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP)  Tesla said Monday that the term "Autopilot" was mistakenly removed from the electric car maker's website for China, but it has been restored.

The company said it did revise some language on the site to make it clearer to drivers that Autopilot is a driver-assist system and not a self-driving system.

Tesla has been under pressure to stop using the term Autopilot in the U.S. following the death of an Ohio tech company owner in a Florida crash involving the system. Last week, a driver in Beijing relying on Autopilot mode sideswiped a car parked on the side of the road. Tesla says the driver's hands weren't detected on the steering wheel during the crash. The company says drivers using Autopilot must keep their hands on the wheel and be ready to take over.

FILE - In this April 25, 2016, file photo, visitors look at a Tesla Model S electric car on display at the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition in Beijing. Tesla said August 15, 2016, that the removal of the term autopilot from its website for China was a mistake and the term is being restored. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)

Revisions to the language on websites have been under way for weeks to address "discrepancies across languages," the Palo Alto, California, company said in a statement. The timing had nothing to do with current events or articles, and Tesla has no plans to remove any references to Autopilot from any website, spokeswoman Khobi Brooklyn said.

Tesla's Autopilot system uses cameras, radar and computers to detect objects and automatically brake if the car is about to hit something. It also can steer the car to keep it centered in its lane. The company says that before Autopilot can be used, drivers must acknowledge that it's an "assist feature."

In July, Consumer Reports magazine said the company should drop the name because it gives car owners too much trust in their car's ability to drive itself.

The influential magazine also said that Tesla should disconnect the automatic steering system until it's updated to make sure a driver's hands are on the wheel at all times. Tesla's system currently warns drivers after a few minutes of their hands being off the wheel.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, has settled a lawsuit by six men who said church leaders concealed sex abuse allegations against a former priest.

The victims settled for $1.2million. Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian said Monday that the men were childhood victims of the Rev. James Vallely decades ago.

Vallely died in 1997 at age 75 in Florida. The lawsuits were filed in November by men from Maine, New Hampshire and New York.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, Maine, has settled a lawsuit by six men who said church leaders concealed sex abuse allegations against a former priest, the Rev. James Vallely

The Boston Globe reported the men accused the diocese of covering up abuse by Vallely. They alleged Vallely sexually abused them as children from 1958 to 1977.

Some victims were as young as 8 years old when the abuse started, reported the Portland Press Herald.

Garabedian, who has represented dozens of sex abuse victims and was played by Stanley Tucci in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight, has said the Portland diocese had knowledge of multiple accusations but didn't remove Vallely from ministry.

The plaintiffs were represented by Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian, who said the Portland diocese failed to remove Vallely from ministry

Garabedian said church leaders could have removed Vallely from ministry but instead chose to transfer him to another parish 'where children were placed at risk of further sexual abuse by a serial pedophile priest.'

'We have another instance of the diocese hiding the truth for the sake of its appearance and monetary concerns,' Garabedian was quoted as saying by the Press Herald.

The real-life attorney was played by Stanley Tucci in the 2015 Oscar-winning film Spotlight, which followed a team of Boston Globe reporters as they uncover a massive child molestation scandal that rocked the city's Catholic Archdiocese.

A spokesman for the Portland diocese said in a statement that it hopes the settlement 'brings a measure of peace to the people involved,' though it will not address the charges directly.
The Latest: Suspect's aunt says officer death a 'plum shock'

EASTMAN, Ga. (AP)  The Latest on the killing of a police officer in Eastman, Georgia (all times local):

4:55 p.m.

The aunt of a 24-year-old man accused of killing a Georgia police officer says the charges against her nephew are "a plum shock."

FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Eastman Police Department shows Patrol Officer Tim Smith. Authorities say 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds has been arrested and is accused of killing Smith, 31, about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016, in a residential area of McRae, Ga., which is about 60 miles southeast of Macon. (Courtesy of Eastman Police Department via AP, File)

Royheem Deeds was arrested Monday in Florida on murder charges in the Saturday slaying of Eastman Patrol Officer Timothy Smith.

Annie Lee Harris, one of Deeds' aunts, said in a phone interview her nephew has previously had legal problems, "but not to the extent of taking somebody's life."

Harris offered condolences to the slain officer's family. She described her nephew as a good person and said: "If he did that, I'm pretty sure he's sorry."

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3:50 p.m.

The father of a slain Georgia police officer says his son was a "country boy with a badge" who never mistreated anyone.

Eastman Patrol Officer Timothy Smith was killed Saturday night while responding to call of a suspicious person with a gun. His father, Glenwood police officer Lewis Smith, said in a phone interview Monday his family's "hearts are just broken."

Lewis Smith said his son worked seven days per week to care for his two young boys and a 5-month-old daughter. He said his son was engaged to be married.

Deputies in Florida early Monday arrested 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds on a murder warrant in the officer's death. Lewis Smith said he hopes prosecutors seek the death penalty for Deeds.

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3 p.m.

A slain Georgia police officer wasn't wearing body armor when he was fatally shot while responding to a report of a suspicious person armed with a gun.

Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokesman Scott Dutton said Monday Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith had been issued an armored vest, but he wasn't wearing it when he was shot once in the torso Saturday night.

Dutton confirmed 30-year-old Smith had been dispatched on a call about a suspicious person with a gun in a residential area of the rural city.

Authorities have charged 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds with the officer's murder. Deputies in Nassau County, Florida, arrested Deeds early Monday during a traffic stop in which they found him hiding in the trunk of his sister's car.

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2 p.m.

A police chief who employed a slain Georgia officer part-time says he was a "quiet, humble guy" who followed his father into law enforcement.

Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith was fatally shot Saturday night after responding to a call about a suspicious person. A suspect, 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds, was arrested early Monday during a traffic stop in northern Florida.

Randy Rigdon, police chief of the tiny Georgia city of Glenwood, said Monday that 30-year-old Smith worked part-time for his department when he wasn't on duty in Eastman. Besides Rigdon, the town's only full-time officer is Smith's father, Lewis Smith.

Rigdon said the younger Smith may have been quiet, but he was "stern in his abilities to keep the weak from being oppressed."

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10:35 a.m.

A Florida sheriff says a man charged with killing a Georgia police officer over the weekend was arrested after deputies found the suspect hiding in the trunk of his sister's car.

Twenty-four-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds was apprehended about 1 a.m. Monday during a traffic stop in Nassau County, Florida. He is charged with murder in the Saturday shooting of 30-year-old Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said U.S. marshals alerted his department overnight that Deeds might be traveling in a gold Nissan Altima headed for Gainesville, Florida. A deputy spotted the car early Monday and stopped it.

The sheriff says Deeds' sister, 22-year-old Franshawn Deeds, was driving with one passenger, 32-year-old Jamil Marquis Mitchell. Leeper says deputies searched the car and found Royheem Deeds in the trunk.

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This story has been corrected to show the age of the slain officer was 30, instead of 31.

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7:30 a.m.

Authorities in south Georgia say a man accused of fatally shooting a police officer has been arrested.

The Telfair County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on its website that 24-year-old Royheem Delshawn Deeds was in custody. The website of the Nassau County Sheriff's Office in Florida says Deeds was booked into jail just before 3 a.m. Monday.

Authorities say Deeds killed Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a residential area of that city, which is about 60 miles southeast of Macon.

Authorities say the 30-year-old Smith was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered Deeds, exited his patrol car and was shot.

The sheriff's office statement did not provide any additional details on the arrest, and it wasn't immediately clear whether Deeds has an attorney.

Smith had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011 and was a father of three.

Smith was white, and Deeds is black.

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This story has been corrected to show the age of the slain officer was 30, instead of 31.
Advisers charged in tribe's marijuana resort enter pleas

FLANDREAU, S.D. (AP)  Two consultants who helped a Native American tribe plan the nation's first marijuana resort entered opposing pleas Monday to drug offenses, with the attorney for the man who pleaded not guilty arguing outside of court that South Dakota's top prosecutor is proceeding under a "legal fiction."

Jonathan Hunt, who oversaw the first crop for the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, pleaded guilty to a drug conspiracy count in the city of Flandreau, which is adjacent to the tribe's reservation where the ambitious "adult playground" never took off. Eric Hagen, the CEO of the Colorado-based consulting firm Monarch America, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess, possession and attempt to possess more than 10 pounds of marijuana.

The charges were filed Aug. 3, eight months after tribal leaders destroyed the marijuana crop, fearing a federal raid, and walking away from the headline-grabbing scheme that they estimated would have yielded up to $2 million in monthly profits.

FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2015, file photo, consultant Jonathan Hunt checks seedlings growing in the new marijuana growing facility on the Flandreau Santee Sioux Reservation in Flandreau, S.D. Hunt, one of two consultants who worked with the Native American tribe on its plans to open the nation's first marijuana resort, pleaded guilty Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, to a drug offense stemming from his role in the operation, including ordering pot seeds that were shipped surreptitiously from the Netherlands to the reservation last year. (AP Photo/Jay Pickthorn, File)

Hagen's attorney, Mike Butler, spoke publicly for the first time Monday, blasting Attorney General Marty Jackley for charging his client because he "couldn't go after the tribe."

"I am yet unaware of any evidence, any evidence, that my client possessed even a gram of marijuana," Butler said outside the courtroom. "...The marijuana belonged to the Santee Sioux Tribe. They paid for it. They had legal ownership of it at all times. Mr. Hagen never had possession, actual or constructive, of the marijuana alleged in this case."

Butler said he will call tribal officials to testify in court.

Hunt and his attorney declined to comment to The Associated Press on Monday. Hunt is to be sentenced Dec. 19, though the date could change depending on Hagen's case. The prosecution recommended probation.

The tribe's attorney, Seth Pearman, said tribal officials are not commenting on the cases at the moment. No tribal officials are charged.

Court documents say Hunt ordered 55 different strains of marijuana seeds from a company in the Netherlands that were put in CD cases and sewn into shirts and shipped to the tribe's office in August 2015. Authorities say Hunt and others planted about 30 strains in September and October at the greenhouse on the reservation.

Authorities allege that Hagen conspired to possess, possessed and attempted to possess the marijuana plants that were being grown at the greenhouse.

The Santee Sioux began to explore growing marijuana after the Justice Department outlined a new policy in 2014 clearing the way for Indian tribes to grow and sell marijuana under the same conditions as some states that have legalized pot. When tribal leaders initially touted their plan to open the resort, Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe president Anthony Reider said they wanted it to be "an adult playground."

The ambitious plans included a smoking lounge with a nightclub, bar and food service and, eventually, an outdoor music venue. Tribal officials planned to use the money for community services and to provide income to tribal members.

But weeks after the growing operation took off, the crop was burned in batches  about 600 plants in all  after federal officials signaled a potential raid.

Jackley warned against the idea from the outset, saying changes in tribal law to permit the operation wouldn't protect non-tribal members. Hunt is not a member of any recognized tribe in the U.S.

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The Latest: Lawyer says Kane will make job decision soon

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP)  The Latest on the perjury and obstruction trial of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane (all times local):

10 p.m.

Defense lawyers for Pennsylvania's convicted attorney general say she'll decide within days whether to resign from office before her term expires in January.

FILE - In this Friday, Aug. 12, 2016 file photo, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane takes a morning break during the fifth day of her trial at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Norristown, Pa. Jurors could soon start deliberating in the perjury and obstruction trial of Kane. Closing arguments are set for Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Dan Gleiter/ PennLive.com via AP, Poo, Filel)

Lawyer Gerald Shargel calls the guilty verdict on all nine counts against Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Kane in a perjury case "a crushing blow" but vows to appeal.

Shargel says Kane's defense was compromised by a ruling that barred discussion of her investigation of offensive emails found on state computers. Kane insists the charges were payback for her attack on an "old-boys network" in state government.

Trial prosecutor Michelle Henry says the crimes committed by the state's top law enforcement officer are "a disgrace."

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf says Kane should resign now.

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9:40 p.m.

Pennsylvania's governor is renewing his call for the state's attorney general to resign now that she's been convicted of all nine charges against her in a perjury and obstruction case related to a grand jury leak.

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf calls it a "sad day" for Pennsylvania after Monday night's verdict. He says "there should be no question" that Democrat Kathleen Kane should resign immediately.

Kane is the first Democrat and first woman elected to the office. She has vowed to appeal.

Jurors agreed with prosecutors Kane leaked information about a 2009 grand jury probe to embarrass a rival prosecutor.

Kane doesn't have to resign immediately. She's not running for a second term. A new attorney general will be elected in November and sworn in Jan. 17.

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9:20 p.m.

A judge overseeing the perjury trial of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane says she will jail Kane if she sees any sign of witness retaliation following Kane's felony perjury conviction.

The judge also suggested Kane may be a flight risk and ordered her to surrender her passport Monday night.

The judge says it concerns her Kane left her office in chaos to go to Haiti for a week with her sister and other office employees. She says Kane left no one "watching the store."

Kane remains on personal recognizance bail pending a sentence expected within 90 days.

A defense lawyer has vowed to appeal.

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8:50 p.m.

Pennsylvania's attorney general has been convicted of all nine counts in a perjury and obstruction case related to a grand jury leak.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane showed little emotion as jurors announced their verdict late Monday.

The jurors agreed the first-term Democrat leaked information about a 2009 grand jury probe to embarrass a rival prosecutor.

Prosecutors say Kane orchestrated a cover-up of the leak and lied to a grand jury about it.

Two former top aides testified against Kane and said they helped get the documents to the reporter.

Kane did not testify or put on any defense witnesses. Her lawyers say she is the victim of an "old-boys network" that shared pornography on state government computers.

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8:30 p.m.

A jury has reached a verdict in the perjury and obstruction trial of Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.

Jurors reached the verdict Monday night and were expected to announce it soon after.

The first-term Democrat is accused of leaking information about a 2009 grand jury probe to embarrass a rival prosecutor.

Prosecutors say Kane wanted revenge for a critical article she suspected him of planting. They say she then orchestrated a cover-up of the leak and lied to a grand jury about it.

Two former top aides testified against her, saying they helped get the documents into the reporter's hands.

Kane didn't testify or put on any defense witnesses. Her lawyers say she's the victim of an "old-boys network" that shared pornography on state government computers.

Kane didn't run for re-election.

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6 p.m.

Jurors deliberating criminal charges against Pennsylvania's attorney general have asked to review her grand jury testimony as they weigh perjury and false-swearing charges against her.

The jurors began reviewing the case against Democrat Kathleen Kane on Monday after hearing closing arguments. They appear poised to keep working through the evening.

The panel has asked the judge to repeat the definitions of official oppression, obstruction by a government official and criminal conspiracy.

Kane is accused of leaking secret grand jury files and lying about it under oath. She denies wrongdoing.

Kane is the first Democrat and first woman elected to the office. She didn't testify but has said she's being targeted because she tried to address an old-boys network in state government.

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4 p.m.

A jury has begun deliberations in the perjury and obstruction trial of Pennsylvania's attorney general.

The jury got the case Monday afternoon.

First-term Democrat Kathleen Kane is accused of leaking secret criminal files to the press to embarrass a rival prosecutor who dropped the case. Authorities say she also lied when she was called to testify before a grand jury.

Two former confidants testified against Kane. One said he conspired with her to leak the material and create a cover story.

Kane's lawyers question their credibility, but Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele noted that she picked them to be her top aides.

The 50-year-old Kane had never before held office. She faces up to seven years in prison on the felony perjury charge. The other charges are misdemeanors.

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1:15 p.m.

Prosecutors wrapping up a perjury and obstruction trial against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane say she abused her power when she leaked secret criminal files to exact revenge.

They told jurors Monday in closing arguments that Kane passed the files through two former top aides to get them to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Chief deputy Adrian King and consultant Josh Morrow testified against Kane. Morrow says he conspired with Kane to frame King for the leak.

And he acknowledges he lied to a grand jury about it. He was granted immunity for his testimony.

The defense says King and Morrow can't be trusted.

Kane is accused of perjury, obstruction, conspiracy and other charges.

The first-term Democrat didn't run for re-election and leaves office in January.

___

11:20 a.m.

Pennsylvania's attorney general blames her former top aides for the leak of grand jury material that embarrassed a rival.

The defense is giving closing arguments Monday in Kathleen Kane's perjury and obstruction trial in suburban Philadelphia.

Defense lawyer Seth Farber says Kane felt the public should know her predecessor had failed to prosecute a case involving an NAACP official.

But he says she did not authorize the leak of secret criminal files.

Farber says top deputy Adrian King went beyond his authority to get the files to a reporter through Kane's political consultant.

Kane could be sent to prison for up to seven years if convicted of felony perjury. She didn't testify or call any witnesses.

The governor's office says Kane could remain in office if convicted while she appeals.

___

1 a.m.

Jurors could soon start deliberating in the perjury and obstruction trial of Pennsylvania's attorney general.

Kathleen Kane has decided not to testify or call any defense witnesses.

The first-term Democrat is accused of leaking secret grand jury files to a newspaper to embarrass a rival prosecutor and lying about it under oath.

Her former campaign manager says he conspired with her on a cover story to frame her chief deputy.

The consultant, Josh Morrow, admits lying to the grand jury and received immunity for his testimony last week.

Witnesses say Kane was incensed about a news story that questioned her decision to drop a statehouse bribery probe. They say she blamed prosecutor Frank Fina and sought revenge by leaking a story about him.
Indonesian energy minister dismissed for dual citizenship

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo dismissed a recently appointed Cabinet minister on Monday for holding dual citizenship.

Arcandra Tahar, who became minister of energy and mineral resources last month, was sacked following questions about his citizenship status.

Under Indonesian law, Cabinet ministers must hold Indonesian citizenship.

State Secretary Pratikno announced that Jokowi made the decision after obtaining information about Tahar's citizenship.

"Responding to public questions regarding the citizenship status of Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arcandra Tahar, and after receiving information from various sources, the president decided to dismiss with honor Arcandra Tahar from his position," said Pratikno, who uses one name.

He said Jokowi appointed Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan as acting energy and mineral resources minister until a new one is named.

Tahar, 45, spent more than 20 years in the United States and reportedly has both U.S. and Indonesian passports. He entered Indonesia using the Indonesian one when he was summoned home by Jokowi to take the post.

He was one of nine new ministers appointed by Jokowi in his second Cabinet reshuffle in July.
Mississippi town mourns deaths of 3 couples in plane crash

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)  Three married couples killed in the crash of a small airplane in Alabama all lived in the university town of Oxford, Mississippi, where city flags were lowered Monday as residents grappled with the loss of so many lives at one time.

"I don't even know what to say," said Oxford Mayor George "Pat" Patterson.

Friends, relatives and officials identified the dead as dentists Jason Farese and Lea Farese; dentist Michael Perry and his wife, Kim Perry, a nurse practitioner at the University of Mississippi; and dentist Austin Poole and his wife, Angie Poole. The three couples were parents of 11 children total.

Authorities work the scene of a plane crash at a park along Robert Cardinal Airport Road across from the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in Northport, Ala., Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. Authorities said several people are dead following the crash of a small airplane near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Erin Nelson/The Tuscaloosa News via AP)

The Oxford Eagle reported that the plane went down while the six were returning home to the city of 19,000 following a dental seminar in central Florida.

"It's just a sad day," said Patterson, who knew all the victims. "The families were invested with their time and talents in the community."

The Federal Aviation Administration said a twin-engine Piper carrying the six left Kissimmee, Florida, and crashed while trying to land in Tuscaloosa on Sunday morning. Police there said the aircraft had engine problems, but further details were not available.

It wasn't clear whether a stop was planned in Alabama before the trouble occurred.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Heidi Kemner, speaking Monday to reporters during a briefing on the crash, said she had located the pilot's log book and would try to locate aircraft maintenance records.

Jason Farese was a private pilot first certified in 2004, and the plane was registered to a company that shares an address with his Oxford dental office, FAA records showed. The practice's website said both Jason and Lea Farese were graduates of the Ole Miss dentistry school and had three children.

Michael Perry also attended the Mississippi dentistry school and served as a mentor to first- and second-year dental students. Kim Perry was certified as a women's and family nurse practitioner and had worked for the university's student health center since 2007. The couple had three children.

The parents of five children, Austin and Angie Poole lived in Oxford. He commuted about 60 miles to a dental office in Clarksdale, where Mayor Bill Luckett, an attorney, said he had known the couple for years.

"Austin and Angie have both been clients of mine as a lawyer and have been friends of mine," Luckett told WREG-TV. Luckett also was related to Jason Farese by a previous marriage.
Police find no evidence of any gunshots before mall stampede

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  Police say they've found no evidence of any gunfire and can't explain what kind of loud noise led people to flee in fright from a busy North Carolina shopping mall.

Eight people were hospitalized after being trampled in the rush to escape from what were reported as gunshots inside Raleigh's Crabtree Valley Mall on Saturday.

Raleigh police say they've interviewed all known witnesses to the incident and can't find any indication that a gun was fired and can't explain what caused the loud noise that people reported. No one suffered gunshot wounds and no shell casings were left behind by fired bullets.

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)

Video posted on social media sites shows dozens of people running toward mall exit doors as numerous screams were heard.

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)
Dozens injured as fireworks prompt panic on French Riviera

PARIS (AP)  Authorities say fireworks in a French Riviera resort town appear to have prompted a panic that led to dozens of injuries as people scrambled to flee.

Residents are on edge around the country after a string of deadly attacks, including the Bastille Day truck rampage in Nice last month that killed 85 people after a fireworks show.

About 20 kilometers (12 miles) down the coast from Nice, loud sounds that apparently came from small-scale fireworks sent restaurant-goers fleeing in alarm Sunday.

The local administration reported Monday that about 40 people were injured in the melee.

Nice-Matin newspaper quoted witnesses who described confusion and fears of a new attack.
Jury seated for Arkansas judge after son's death in hot car

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP)  A jury was seated Monday in the trial an Arkansas judge charged with negligent homicide after his 18-month-old son died after being left in a hot car last summer.

A jury of six men and six women with one male alternate was seated in the trial for Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore, who pleaded not guilty in March in the heat-related death of his son, Thomas.

Jury selection began at 8:30 a.m. Monday and a jury was seated at 5:45 p.m. The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday.

FILE - In this March 11, 2016, file photo, Garland County circuit court Judge Wade Naramore, right, accompanied by his wife, Ashley, head into the Garland County Court House in Hot Springs, Ark., for his arraignment on charges stemming from the hot car death of the couple's 18-month old son, Thomas, in 2015. Jury selection in his trial began Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (Richard Rasmussen/The Sentinel-Record via AP, File)

Naramore faces up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine in the July 2015 death of his son. His lawyer has said the boy's death was "a tragedy but not a crime."

Because of pretrial publicity, clerks summoned a larger number of potential jurors than usual Monday. Up to 180 potential jurors could have been called before Special Judge John Langston.

A number of people in the jury pool said they either know Naramore or some of the witnesses who could be called. Others said they aren't sure they could be impartial, and at least one was dismissed for a medical condition.

Naramore stopped hearing cases after his courtroom after son's death, with special judges stepping in to hear cases. Local court officials stepped aside from the case, requiring that a special prosecutor another special judge come in.

Naramore's lawyers on Monday asked that jurors not be shown autopsy photos, saying they weren't pertinent to the case. The toddler was found unresponsive July 24, 2015, when temperatures reached the upper 90s and the heat index approached 105.
Biden: Trump is 'thoroughly unqualified' for presidency

SCRANTON, Pa. (AP)  Vice President Joe Biden assailed Donald Trump's ability to lead America at home and abroad on Monday, branding him as indifferent to the needs of Americans in his first campaign appearance with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Biden, who decided not to make a third presidential bid last year, said in his native city of Scranton that Trump was "totally, thoroughly unqualified" to be president, calling him a dangerous voice on national security and foreign policy.

On the economy, he said, Trump's reveling in his TV reality show tag-line, "You're fired," showed his true colors.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden hold hands in the air during a campaign rally, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

"He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break. It's such a bunch of malarkey," Biden told a crowd of about 3,000 at Riverfront Sports, adding: "He doesn't have a clue."

Pennsylvania has not supported a Republican in a presidential election since 1988, but is among the most-contested battleground states between Clinton and Trump, who are both vying for white working-class voters here.

Even as polls show her leading Trump, Clinton has faced lingering questions about her trustworthiness in the fallout of her use of a private email server as secretary of state and over her family's sprawling foundation. She has tried to make the case that working-class voters would fare better under her economic policies than Trump's and that her opponent would inject danger into an already unstable world.

Offering himself as a character witness for Clinton, Biden portrayed the former secretary of state as the most qualified person to lead the country, singling out her foreign policy experience and passion for improving people's lives. He cited his long history with Clinton, saying he's known her for three decades, since before she was first lady in the 1990s.

"Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy then Trump and his entire team will ever understand," he said.

And he cited Clinton's gender as a powerful asset, saying electing the first female president would change the lives of American women and girls.

"Hillary Clinton is going to write the next chapter in American history," he said.

Introducing Biden, Clinton sought to sow doubts about Trump's ability to bring jobs back to blue-collar communities like Scranton, where Biden lived for the first decade of his life before moving to Delaware.

She acknowledged that many people in the audience might have friends considering voting for the Republican, but offered this advice: "Friends should not let friends vote for Trump."

Clinton and Biden spoke ahead of Trump's national security address in Ohio, questioning the business mogul's ability to represent the nation overseas.

In his speech, Trump accused Clinton of pushing policies that have opened the United States to foreign terrorists.

"Hillary Clinton wants to be America's Angela Merkel," he said, arguing that Germany's immigration policy has weakened that country's national security.

Clinton said Trump had been "all over the place" on foreign policy and had suggested sending in ground troops to fight the Islamic State group. "That is off the table as far as I'm concerned," she said.

Biden warned that Trump was unprepared to oversee nuclear codes and cited Trump's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

If Trump likes them, "He would have loved" Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953. Scholars estimate that under Stalin, more than 1 million people were executed in political purges and millions more died as a result of harsh labor and cruel treatment in the vast gulag prison camp system.

Citing a common bond, both Democrats pointed back to their family ties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Biden, a frequent visitor, recalled the street he grew up on and later took Clinton for a quick visit to his old house. Clinton noted her grandfather worked at a Scranton lace mill factory and that her father was raised here and later attended Penn State University. The family spent summers at a family cabin in nearby Lake Winola, she said.

Biden and Clinton had planned to campaign together here before last month's Democratic National Convention but their rally was postponed because of the deadly police shooting in Dallas. The vice president is expected to campaign for Clinton in several battleground states where he remains popular, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Florida.

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On Twitter, follow Ken Thomas at http://twitter.com/KThomasDC

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton greets Vice President Joe Biden on the tarmac at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport in Avoca, Pa., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, before traveling together to a campaign event in Scranton, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
MEXICO CITY (AP)  Armed men abducted 10 to 12 presumed members of a crime gang who appeared to be celebrating at an upscale restaurant in the popular Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta, authorities said Monday.

Jalisco state prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer said at a news conference that preliminary results of the investigation indicated that all involved  kidnappers and kidnapped  were members of criminal organizations.

"They were not tourists or residents who work in legal activities," Almaguer said. "They were people tied to a criminal group we can very clearly presume."

The entrance of the restaurant "La Leche" stands closed after armed men abducted as many as 16 people who were dining in the upscale restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Jalisco state prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer said in a news conference that preliminary results of the investigation indicate that all involved, kidnappers and kidnapped, were members of criminal organizations. (AP Photo/David Diaz)

He said authorities believe they know which groups were involved, but declined to name them.

The Jalisco New Generation cartel has become the dominant criminal force in the state. It has battled the powerful Sinaloa cartel for supremacy in other parts of the country, such as Baja California Sur.

Almaguer said two SUVs carrying five gunmen arrived around 1 a.m. at La Leche restaurant on the city's main boulevard, which runs through the hotel zone between the old beach city and the airport.

Witnesses reported that four women in the targeted group were not taken by the gunmen, he said. He said authorities were looking for those women.

All of those abducted were from the western states of Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco, Almaguer said.

He said some of those abducted had been vacationing in Puerto Vallarta for a week and authorities found lots of drinks and luxury items inside the restaurant. Five vehicles were abandoned at the restaurant, among them one with Jalisco license plates, but a false registration.

"Obviously, those who acted (the kidnappers)  we presume with the information we have  also belonged to a criminal group that acted against members of another criminal group they located here in Puerto Vallarta," Almaguer said.

Mexico City-based security analyst Alejandro Hope said that without knowing who was taken, it was impossible to say what the fallout could be.

He recalled some violence last year in Puerto Vallarta but said the city had been quiet recently. He added that while Jalisco New Generation controls the area, it would be possible for another group to enter the city.

Hope also called it odd that a group of alleged cartel members would be taken without a shot being fired.

"It's a bit surprising that in effect they were drug traffickers but didn't have any security," Hope said.

Jalisco Gov. Aristoteles Sandoval said through his official Twitter account that such violence would not be tolerated and that a search was underway for the victims and the kidnappers.

"To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual," Sandoval wrote.

The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board said in a statement that it deeply regretted what it termed an "isolated" incident and stressed that no tourists were involved.
4 killed in Virginia plane crash to be remembered in Indiana

FAIRLAND, Ind. (AP)  An Indiana high school is planning a celebration of life for four community members who died in a small plane crash that killed all six people on board in Virginia.

Tuesday's event in the gymnasium of Triton Central High School in Fairland will honor Lisa Borinstein, 52, and two of her children, 19-year-old Luke and 15-year-old Emma, as well as Maren Timmermann, 15, an exchange student from Berlin, Germany.

Luke Borinstein was a graduate of the suburban Indianapolis high school, Emma was a sophomore, and Maren was a junior.

Grief counselors were at the school on Monday. Northwestern Consolidated School District Superintendent Chris Hoke described Triton Central as a close-knit community that would rally around the families.

"The full breadth of our school campus and resources will be made available to the families and our community, as we begin the healing process together," he said.

Hoke said teachers talked to students Monday about the plane crash.

"Of all the lessons that they will teach today, certainly, and maybe in their careers, the lesson they will teach today to our students is how you handle events like this is the most important," he said. "They've taken that to heart."
Final Riviera casino tower due for implosion on Vegas Strip

LAS VEGAS (AP)  The last tower of the iconic Riviera Hotel and Casino is about to be reduced to rubble during an overnight implosion on the Las Vegas Strip.

The demolition of the Monte Carlo tower is planned for 2 a.m. Tuesday, bringing an end to the Strip's first high-rise and one of Vegas' most famous casinos.

Unlike the previous implosion, there won't be a designated viewing area this time.

FILE - In this June 14, 2016, file photo, the Monaco Tower at the Riviera Hotel and Casino crumbles to the ground during a controlled demolition in Las Vegas. The last tower of the iconic Riviera Hotel and Casino is due to be reduced to rubble during an overnight implosion early Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, on the Las Vegas Strip. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

A series of explosions took down the taller, 24-story Monaco tower in June, which was celebrated as an organized spectacle. That event was carried out with flair, complete with a viewing area, local dignitaries and fireworks.

The 2,075-room property closed in May 2015 after 60 years hosting headliners from Liberace to Dean Martin on the northern end of the Strip.

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority now owns the property and is spending $42 million to level the 13-building site.

The tourism agency bought the entire 26 acres last year for $182.5 million, plus $8.5 million in related transaction costs, with plans to expand its Las Vegas Convention Center. The expansion is expected to be completed in January.

Once known as a classic mob joint, "The Riv" was also used in three of the most famous movies ever filmed in Las Vegas, including the Rat Pack's original 1960 "Ocean's 11," the 1971 James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever" and 1995's "Casino."
IOC reprimands Egyptian who wouldn't shake Israeli's hand

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)  An Egyptian athlete who refused to shake his Israeli opponent's hand after their judo bout has been reprimanded and sent home from the Rio Olympics, officials said Monday.

The International Olympic Committee said Islam El Shehaby received a "severe reprimand" for his behavior following his first-round heavyweight bout loss to Or Sasson on Friday.

When Sasson extended his hand, El Shehaby backed away and shook his head, injecting Middle Eastern politics into the Rio Olympics. The referee called the 34-year-old El Shehaby back to the mat and obliged to him to bow; he gave a quick nod and was loudly booed as he exited.

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2016 photo, Egypt's Islam El Shehaby reacts after losing to Israel's Or Sasson in the men's over 100-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. El Shehaby who refused to shake his Israeli opponent's hand after their judo bout has been reprimanded and sent home from the Rio Olympics, officials said Monday, Aug. 15. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

Judo opponents typically bow or shake hands at the beginning and end of a match as a sign of respect.

El Shehaby, an ultraconservative Salafi Muslim, had come under pressure from Islamist-leaning and nationalist voices in Egypt before the Rio Games to withdraw, but competed anyway.

The IOC, which set up a disciplinary commission to investigate the incident, said the Egyptian's conduct "was contrary to the rules of fair play and against the spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympic values."

The Egyptian Olympic Committee also "strongly condemned" El Shehaby's actions "and has sent him home," the IOC said.

The IOC also asked the Egyptian committee to make sure that all its athletes "receive proper education on the Olympic values before coming to the Olympic Games."

Immediately after the bout, the Egyptian Olympic committee had called it a "personal action" by El Shehaby, adding that he had been "alerted before the match to abide by all the rules and to have sporting spirt during his match with the Israeli player."

Sasson, who lost in the semifinals but later won a bronze medal, had said he was not surprised by El Shehaby's actions because his coaches had warned him he might be refused a handshake. "This was his decision," he said.

Similar incidents have happened before at judo competitions between Israelis and Arabs.
Procession for fallen officer travels across New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  A procession for a police officer fatally shot during a traffic stop in a small New Mexico village crossed the state Monday as the officer's body was transported along a 225-mile route, and dozens lined stretches of a major highway to pay their respects.

The body of Jose Chavez, 33, was being transported south to his hometown of Las Cruces. The procession began in Albuquerque, where the fallen officer's body was taken over the weekend for an autopsy at the state Office of the Medical Examiner.

Near a stretch of the highway that runs close to the Albuquerque airport, cars pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and people waved American flags.

Albuquerque firefighters salute as law enforcement officers escort the body of a New Mexico police officer who was shot and killed during a traffic stop as the procession leaves Albuquerque, N.M., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Firefighters and police officers were preparing for a cross-state procession in which fellow law enforcement officers were to escort the body of Jose Chavez, 33, who was shot and killed last week during a traffic stop in the small New Mexico village of Hatch. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)

The motorcade was expected to travel through several towns along Interstate 25, including Hatch, where Chavez was gunned down on Friday. The village, famous for growing green chile, is home to fewer than 2,000 people, according to most recent U.S. Census figures. It lies 190 miles south of Albuquerque.

"It's hard to believe it happened in such a small, little town," said Oscar Munoz, 36, as he stood at a highway overpass in Albuquerque awaiting the motorcade to approach. "I guess violence is spreading all over."

Munoz, who grew up in Hatch and lives in Albuquerque, said he was shocked by the shooting. Victor Lovato, who works as a security guard and also lined the overpass, called it senseless.

Funeral services for Chavez are scheduled for Sunday in Las Cruces at New Mexico State University's Pan American Center.

Chavez, a two-year veteran of the Hatch Police Department, was shot in the neck after pulling over two Ohio murder suspects. He was airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died.

It remains unclear whether the officer, a father of two children, knew the men were wanted in Ohio, where Ross County Sheriff's officials said the men, Jesse Hanes and James Nelson, are accused in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe. The town is about 60 miles south of Columbus.

The Ohio sheriff's office announced three days after the killing that warrants had been issued for the men's arrest.

On Friday, New Mexico authorities said Hanes, who is 38, reached through a window and shot Chavez as the officer stood outside the front passenger's window.

Nelson and hitchhiker Tony Jones were in the vehicle when Hanes opened fire, authorities said. Both Nelson and Jones are facing drug charges after they were taken into custody Friday.

Nelson, who a Dona Ana County Sheriff's spokeswoman says was arrested on a charge of being a fugitive on an outstanding warrant, was ordered held on a no-bond hold during a court hearing Monday. The bond for Jones, who authorities say had a suitcase Friday with methamphetamine in it, was set at $75,000.

Jones and Nelson are not charged in Chavez's death. It was not known Monday, whether they or Hanes, had retained attorneys.

A fellow officer who arrived to assist Chavez just as he was shot reported seeing him with paperwork and appearing to draw his service weapon before smoke filled the air and Chavez fell to the ground.

The suspects fled, with Hanes shooting and wounding another another man at a rest stop as he stole his car, authorities said. Sheriff's deputies eventually were able to stop Hanes by using a tire-deflating device.

He was hospitalized for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the thigh, authorities said, and he has not yet been booked on charges stemming from Friday's shooting.

A spokesman for Dona Ana County District Attorney Mark D'Antonio confirmed Monday that Hanes would be charged with first-degree murder.

D'Antonio called the attack cowardly and one of the worst he has seen in his career. He said his office is coordinating with the state attorney general and federal authorities on the case.

In this Oct. 31, 2013, photo released by Dona Ana County Sheriff shows officer Jose Chavez at his graduation ceremony from our Law Enforcement Academy in Las Cruces, N.M. Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was gunned down during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died. Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down. (Dona Ana County Sheriff via AP)

In this Oct. 31, 2013 photo released by Dona Ana County Sheriff shows officer Jose Chavez at his graduation ceremony from our Law Enforcement Academy in Las Cruces, N.M. Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was gunned down during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016. Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died. Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down. (Dona Ana County Sheriff via AP)

A large American flag is hoisted by firefighters between two ladder trucks in Albuquerque, N.M., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Firefighters and police officers were preparing for a cross-state procession in which fellow law enforcement officers were to escort the body of Jose Chavez, 33, who was shot and killed last week during a traffic stop in the small New Mexico village of Hatch. (AP Photo/Russell Contreras)
Judge dismisses convictions of 3 men imprisoned for 20 years

CLEVELAND (AP)  A judge on Monday tossed out murder convictions for three men who spent 20 years in prison in a case that started unraveling when attorneys learned a top county prosecutor deliberately hid witness statements casting doubt on their guilt.

The men, Laurese Glover, Derrick Wheatt and Eugene Johnson, were convicted as teenagers in January 1996 for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Clifton Hudson in East Cleveland but denied killing him. Johnson and Wheatt received sentences of 18 year to life, and Glover was sentenced to 15 years to life.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo released the men from prison in March 2015 and, for a second time, ordered a new trial after attorneys for the Ohio Innocence Project found a letter written by first assistant county prosecutor Carmen Marino in 1998 telling East Cleveland police to withhold the investigative file from attorneys filing an appeal of the convictions.

Marino's letter instead directed police to send the file to him. The judge, during the March 2015 hearing, called Marino's letter a "deliberate, willful and malicious suppression" of evidence.

The file contained reports with witness statements that identified someone other than Johnson as Hudson's killer in February 1995. Glover and Wheatt were charged with murder because they were seen in a vehicle along with Johnson near where Hudson was fatally shot.

East Cleveland police turned the case file and the Marino letter over to the Innocence Project in late 2013.

A spokesman for the Cuyahoga County prosecutor's office said Monday that it would be too difficult to retry the case after the prosecution's only eyewitness during the 1996 trial, a 14-year-old girl, recanted her trial testimony in 2004. That's when the judge first ordered a new trial for the men, which an appeals court overturned when prosecutors objected. The 8th District Court of Appeals in Cleveland upheld the judge's more recent trial order earlier this year.

Court documents show the girl initially told police she didn't get a good look at the man who shot Hudson. The next day, however, she identified Johnson from a photo lineup, and during a 1996 trial she testified he killed Hudson.

The investigative file contained statements from two brothers, ages 8 and 9, who said they saw the shooter emerge from a post office parking lot and not from the nearby Ford Bronco with Johnson, Wheatt and Glover inside. The file also includes a report about threats made against Hudson and his brother before the shooting that might have aided the men's defense.

Cleveland attorney Carmen Naso, who worked with the Innocence Project to exonerate Glover, Wheatt and Johnson, called Monday a "glorious day for the legal justice system."

The men should be eligible to receive payments from a state wrongful-conviction fund, Naso said.
The Latest: Man faces first-degree murder in officer death

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  The Latest on the cross-state motorcade procession for a fallen New Mexico police officer (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Authorities say an Ohio fugitive will be charged with first-degree murder in the death of a New Mexico police officer.

In this Oct. 31, 2013, photo released by Dona Ana County Sheriff shows officer Jose Chavez at his graduation ceremony from our Law Enforcement Academy in Las Cruces, N.M. Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez, 33, was gunned down during a traffic stop Friday, Aug. 12, 2016.Chavez was shot in the neck and airlifted to University Medical Center in El Paso, Texas, where he later died. Authorities don't yet know why a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile and not much more pulled over two Ohio murder suspects before being gunned down. (Dona Ana County Sheriff via AP)

A spokesman for Dona Ana District Attorney Mark D'Antonio confirmed the pending charge Monday for 38-year-old suspect Jesse Hanes, who authorities say is being treated for a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the thigh.

He remains hospitalized and has not yet been booked on charges stemming from the shooting Friday of Hatch Police Department Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop.

Hanes and 36-year-old James Nelson are wanted in Ohio in the July 25 shooting death of a 62-year-old man just outside Chillicothe.

New Mexico authorities have filed drug charges against Nelson, who authorities say was in the vehicle with Hanes when Chavez was shot.

Nelson is not charged in Chavez's death.

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2:40 p.m.

A hitchhiker who authorities say jumped into a car with two Ohio fugitives before one of them fatally shot a New Mexico police officer has been arraigned on drug charges.

Tony Jones made his first appearance Monday in a Las Cruces court, where his bond was set at $75,000. Jones was taken into custody Friday after the shooting death of Officer Jose Chavez in Hatch.

Jones, who is 44, has not been implicated in the shooting.

Authorities say one of the fugitives reached through a window and shot Chavez, who was standing on the passenger's side of the car.

A Dona Ana County sheriff's spokeswoman says the drug charges were filed against Jones after officers obtained a search warrant over the weekend and found a large amount of methamphetamine in a suitcase that Jones had with him Friday.

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2:05 p.m.

Dozens of people have begun gathering in Albuquerque to pay their respects to a police officer who was shot and killed in a small New Mexico village.

Authorities say the body of 33-year-old Jose Chavez will be transported Monday to his hometown of Las Cruces from Albuquerque, where the fallen officer's body was taken over the weekend for an autopsy at the state Office of the Medical Examiner.

The procession was set to begin at 2 p.m., with a motorcade traveling along Interstate 25.

Near a stretch of the highway that runs close to the Albuquerque airport, cars pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and people held up American flags. The group also included members of law enforcement agencies and fire crews.

Don Underwood, of Albuquerque, says he teared up when he heard about Chavez's death on the news.

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9 a.m.

Law enforcement agencies from around the state are scheduled Monday to participate in a procession for a Hatch police officer killed Friday during a traffic stop.

Las Cruces police said the body of Jose Chavez was transported to Albuquerque for autopsy and will return to his hometown of Las Cruces on Monday.

Funeral services are scheduled for later this week.

Officials say law enforcement agencies, fire departments and others along Interstate 25, from Albuquerque and Las Cruces, will join in the procession as the motorcade approaches.

Chavez, a New Mexico police officer in a small village famous for its green chile, was gunned down after pulling over two Ohio murder suspects.

Police have arrested 38-year-old Jesse Hanes and 36-year-old James Nelson in connection with the shooting.
Delaware AG won't appeal court rejection of death penalty

DOVER, Del. (AP)  Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn said Monday that he will not appeal a state Supreme Court decision declaring the state's death penalty law unconstitutional, but that he believes the ruling cannot be applied retroactively to the 13 men currently on death row.

In a statement released by his office, the Democratic attorney general said he decided not to appeal the Aug. 2 ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In a 148-page opinion, a majority of Delaware Supreme Court justices said the law violates the U.S. Constitution because it allows a judge to sentence a person to death independently of a jury's recommendation.

The ruling also found fault with parts of the law that allow a judge to find the existence of one or more aggravating circumstances weighing in favor of the death penalty, and because it does not require jurors to be unanimous in deciding whether any aggravating circumstances exist.

The justices said the law is also flawed because it allows the judge, not the jury, to make the crucial final determination on whether aggravating circumstances outweigh mitigating factors, thus mandating a death sentence. That determination, the court said, must be made unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt by the jury.

Denn concluded that even if the U.S. Supreme Court reversed the split opinion on federal constitutional grounds, Delaware's Supreme Court would ultimately invalidate the death penalty law based on the state constitution.

"The Delaware Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that the Delaware constitution provides rights to a jury trial that are independent of and in some instances more expansive than those provided by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution," the statement reads. "Litigating and appealing these issues  a process that would likely take years before issues of both federal and state constitutional law were resolved  would likely not only bring about the same result, but would also deny the families of victims sentencing finality."

At the same time, Denn reiterated that he would support an amendment to the existing law requiring a unanimous jury verdict in order to impose a death sentence. His agency also said it would argue that the Supreme Court decision does not retroactively apply to current death row inmates.

"It sounds like the state is going to continue to fight those cases, and they're entitled to do so, but there's a fight on the other side of that argument," said Santino Ceccotti, a public defender who successfully argued to the Delaware justices that the existing law is unconstitutional.

Ceccotti said the men currently on death row would have to challenge their sentences in federal court over the issue of retroactivity.

"In due time, that issue will be resolved," he said.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have said they plan to introduce legislation to revise Delaware's death penalty law in light of the court ruling, but it's unclear whether they have enough support in the General Assembly.
The Latest: Oregon man hit with 4 counts aggravated murder

BEND, Oregon (AP)  The Latest on the case of a man accused of killing a woman in Oregon then kidnapping another woman and taking her to California (all times local):

1:45 p.m.

A man held in jail in California in relation to crimes there has now been charged with four counts of aggravated murder in central Oregon following the killing of a young woman.

FILE--In this July 29, 2016, file photo, Edwin Lara, a security guard at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Ore., waits in court in Yreka, Calif., for his arraignment. The murder of Kaylee Sawyer, from Bend, Ore., followed by a string of other crimes leading from Oregon through California allegedly committed by Lara has the scenic mountain town or Bend, Ore., deeply shaken. (Greg Barnette/The Record Searchlight via AP, file)

Court documents say Edwin Lara, who had already been charged with murder in the death of Kaylee Sawyer, is now charged with the elevated counts.

The indictment says Lara "did unlawfully and intentionally attempt to commit the crime of Sexual Abuse" in the attack on Sawyer, 23, of Bend, Oregon.

The Deschutes County District Attorney says a conviction for aggravated murder carries a maximum penalty of death.

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8:47 a.m.

Many people in a scenic Oregon mountain town are reeling after a man who worked in law enforcement was accused of killing a woman, kidnapping another and taking her to California to carry out other crimes.

Edwin Lara was a public safety officer at Central Oregon Community College in Bend. His wife was a police officer.

After the killing and kidnapping, police say Lara shot a man and then stole a car with three people still inside. He's accused of leading authorities on a high-speed chase on a freeway before being arrested.

Lara's attorneys said they cannot comment, citing a judge's order prohibiting those involved in the case from talking publicly about it.

Aimee Metcalf, assistant director of college relations, says, "This is such a hit on so many levels."
Colorado voters to consider suicide drugs for terminally ill

DENVER (AP)  Colorado voters this fall will decide whether terminally ill people should be allowed to receive prescriptions for drugs to end their own lives.

The "Medical Aid in Dying" measure was certified Monday as having enough petition signatures to make ballots this fall.

Five other states have some law allowing the terminally ill to end their lives.

Oregon passed the first right-to-die law in 1998, followed by Washington, Vermont and, last year, California. Montana's state Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that doctors could use a patient's request for life-ending medication as a defense against any criminal charges.

Colorado's version would require two physicians to agree that a person is terminally ill and has six months or less to live, is at least 18, and is mentally competent.

Similar measures have twice failed in the Colorado Legislature. Lawmakers from both parties said that the law could facilitate suicide in cases where a diagnosis may be wrong.

The suicide measure becomes the third citizen petition to make Colorado ballots. Voters will also decide a universal health care measure and a higher minimum wage.

The secretary of state is reviewing petitions for several more ballot measures, including a higher tobacco tax, a plan to replace presidential caucuses with presidential preference primaries, and two measures to change regulations on oil and gas drilling. Another pending measure would make it harder to put a ballot measure to voters, requiring more geographic diversity in the 98,000 or so signatures to put a proposal before voters.

Supporters of Colorado's suicide measure had raised about $4.4 million by Aug. 1, according to state filings. Opponents including the Colorado Catholic Conference had not reported any fundraising by Aug. 1.

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Trump gets his Mideast history wrong

WASHINGTON (AP)  Donald Trump on Monday painted the Middle East as an oasis of stability before Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state, arguing that she and President Barack Obama "launched" the Islamic State group onto the world.

In trying to outline how he would defeat the threat, Trump himself launched several other false claims.

He said Clinton and Obama sought to install a democracy in Libya and pushed for immediate change in leadership in Syria, accusing the pair of embarking on a "nation-building" strategy that few Republicans would ascribe to Obama's intervention-averse administration.

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

In contrast, he advocated his own vision for U.S. foreign policy that included the suggestion of a U.S. takeover of Iraq's oil reserves.

A look at some of Trump's comments and how they adhered to the facts:

TRUMP: "President Obama and Hillary Clinton should have never attempted to build a democracy in Libya, to push for immediate regime change in Syria or to support the overthrow of Mubarak in Egypt."

THE FACTS: Trump seems to be confusing Obama and Clinton's limited interventions, and sometimes non-interventions, with President George W. Bush's post-9/11 regime-change efforts.

When the U.S. led a coalition to bomb Libya in March 2011, it was sold as a humanitarian intervention. Obama vowed not to deploy U.S. troops on the ground and focused primarily on protecting Libyan civilians from dictator Moammar Gadhafi's military forces. He didn't promise a stable democracy there, like Bush did in invading Iraq.

Five months into Syria's conflict, Obama urged President Bashar Assad to step aside. But Obama did very little to realize such a result, to the great dismay of his GOP critics and even some in his own administration.

To this day, the United States maintains its call for a Syria without Assad, even as it works with the Syrian leader's closest partners to try to engineer a unity government that would keep Assad in power, perhaps indefinitely.

While Trump is right that Libya, Syria and Egypt appeared more stable seven years ago, his analysis leaves out the simmering resentment for autocratic governments that would bubble over during the 2011 Arab Spring. That cannot be ascribed to Obama and Clinton.

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TRUMP on Clinton's role in the Libya campaign: "With one episode of bad judgment after another, Hillary Clinton's policies launched ISIS onto the world stage."

THE FACTS: The U.S.-led military campaign in Libya created a security vacuum and political chaos. But it took three years before IS emerged in Iraq and Syria, and there is no connection between those developments.

The group has its roots in a militant organization known as al-Qaida in Iraq, which found haven in Syria after being nearly decimated in Iraq in 2007-2009.

Some experts say the instability in Libya opened a door for the Islamic State to spread to North Africa, particularly after it suffered heavy losses in Syria and Iraq in 2015-16. But the group is facing severe setbacks there, too.

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TRUMP on the Iraq war: "I have been clear for a long time that we should not have gone in. But I have been just as clear in saying what a catastrophic mistake Hillary Clinton and President Obama made with the reckless way in which they pulled out."

THE FACTS: Trump did publicly say he wanted U.S. troops out years earlier than Obama pulled them out.

He said in March 2007 the U.S. should declare victory and withdraw troops because Iraq was going to get further bogged down in civil strife.

He said the U.S. was "keeping a lid" on the situation by being there, but that when the U.S. leaves, "it's all going to blow up" so the U.S. might as well leave "because you just are wasting time."

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TRUMP: "I have long said that we should have kept the oil in Iraq ... In the old days, when we won a war, to the victor belonged the spoils."

THE FACTS: While Trump argues against nation-building, he seems to be suggesting the U.S. should have seized Iraq and its natural resources as an American colony. He ignores the fact that Iraq is a sovereign country and the U.S. at no point threatened to take possession of the country.

Trump says he would have used the money from oil sales to pay for the care of wounded soldiers. But the mission would require a permanent occupation, or at least until the oil runs out, and a large presence of American soldiers to guard sometimes isolated oil fields and infrastructure.

Trump's claim that the U.S. has taken "spoils" in previous wars also raises questions.

After major wars, the 240-year-old United States has tended to pour money and aid back into countries it has fought to help re-establish governments and services.

The U.S. still has troops in Germany and Japan, with the permission of those nations, but it did not take possession of their oil or other natural resources.

To achieve Trump's stated goal of destroying Islamic State militants' revenue stream, the U.S. has bombed oil facilities in Iraq. The bombing was designed to render the oil facilities inoperable, but not destroy them, with the notion that Iraq could rebuild its own economy with their oil when the conflict ended.

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TRUMP: "Anyone who cannot name our enemy is not fit to lead our country. Anyone who cannot condemn the hatred, oppression and violence of radical Islam lacks the moral clarity to serve as our president."

THE FACTS: Obama doesn't use the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism," but he condemns the group harshly and regularly. He has characterized IS fighters as "thugs," ''thieves" and terrorists.

Obama says he doesn't want to connect the group to the religion of Islam. Doing so, he says, would unnecessarily anger Arab allies fighting the group, alienate Muslims at home and validate the claims of the enemy. "ISIL is not 'Islamic.' he has said, using his preferred acronym for the group.

Trump's actual opponent in the presidential race, Clinton, is more comfortable with such terminology.

She has used the terms "radical jihadism" and "radical Islamism."

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TRUMP on one of the San Bernardino shooters: "She wanted to support very openly jihad online... A neighbor saw suspicious behavior, bombs on the floor and other things, but didn't warn authorities because they said they didn't want to be accused of racial profiling."

THE FACTS: There is no such evidence.

Jarrod Burguan, the city's police chief, says no one reported knowing anything about what husband-and-wife shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik had been plotting, even after the Dec. 2, 2015, terror attack that killed 14 people at a luncheon for county government employees.

Instead, some neighbors told investigators after the attack that they had general concerns about people "who looked a little different" in the neighborhood and didn't feel it was appropriate to say anything.

That's a far cry from seeing bombs on the floor or identifying other suspicious behavior.

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TRUMP: "I had previously said that NATO was obsolete because it failed to deal adequately with terrorism. Since my comments, they have changed their policy and now have a new division focused on terror threats.

THE FACTS: NATO established a Defense Against Terrorism program in 2004, long before Trump ran for president. And its latest efforts in Iraq were already under discussion when Trump criticized the alliance in March.

Trump's comments reflected a broader frustration of the U.S. and others that NATO members weren't playing an active role against IS in Iraq and Syria.

At a July summit, the alliance agreed to contribute aircraft and conduct training in Iraq. It also has stepped up intelligence coordination. No one has cited Trump as a motivation for such decisions.

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TRUMP: The Islamic State "has a new base of operations" in Libya.

THE FACTS: Islamic State militants have tried to establish such a base in the city of Sirte. But a U.S.-supported military offensive in Libya this year has all but driven the group out of its former headquarters there.

U.S. officials estimated at one point as many as 6,000 extremists in the North African country. Latest estimates put only a "couple hundred" IS militants left in Sirte. Libyan officials say the city is 70 percent liberated and IS militants are cornered in a few locations.

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Maine town residents seeking to join neighboring town

RAYMOND, Maine (AP)  A group of Maine residents say they're dissatisfied with their town's leadership and are seeking to secede.

The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/2b71G7W ) reports that some residents of the town of Gray want to secede and become a part of the town of Raymond. It would require signatures from homeowners, a referendum and the support of the Maine Legislature.

Little Sebago Lake separates their neighborhood from Gray and many are unhappy with its leaders and higher property tax rate. They also say residents get all their services from Raymond.

If The Gray Secession Committee succeeds, a chunk of valuable lakefront property would shift to Raymond.

Gray Town Council Chairman Matthew Sturgis says his preference, and likely the council's, is to keep Gray intact.

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Giuliani, backing Trump, appears to briefly forget 9/11

NEW YORK (AP)  Rudolph Giuliani, promoting Donald Trump's national security plan, said Monday that in the "eight years before (President Barack) Obama came along, we didn't have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States." That's an apparent omission of the largest terror attack in United States history.

Giuliani was mayor of New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 and in the hours after the World Trade Center fell, while then-President George W. Bush was largely unseen, he became the face of American grief and determination. His brave and graceful performance in the weeks after the towers' collapse earned him the nickname "America's mayor" and he was soon launched into national political stardom, his name synonymous with the response to the attacks. That made his comments Monday all the more puzzling.

"Under those eight years, before Obama came along, we didn't have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States. They all started when Clinton and Obama got into office," Giuliani said ahead of Trump's speech on national security.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks before Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Youngstown, Ohio, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The eyebrow-raising comments, which were immediately lampooned on social media, were a far cry from Giuliani's usual speeches, which are often peppered with references to the resolve New Yorkers displayed after the attacks. In fact, his discussions of the attacks were so common that Vice President Joe Biden once said of him there were "only three things he mentions in a sentence: A noun, a verb and 9/11."

Jake Menges, a spokesman for the former mayor, told The Associated Press on Monday evening that Giuliani was referring to a lack of major attacks during the remainder of Bush's term.

Earlier in his speech the former mayor made several mentions to the 2001 attack.

"Remember: We didn't start this war; they did. We don't want this war; they do. And they didn't start it even in 2001. They attacked the World Trade Center in 1993," Giuliani said minutes before his apparent gaffe.

Though Giuliani governed the nation's largest city as a moderate Republican, who moved much further to the right when he welcomed Bush to New York for the 2004 Republican National Convention and as he mounted an ill-fated 2008 presidential bid. He has fashioned himself as a sharp critic of Obama as well as Hillary Clinton, whom Giuliani was to run against for the U.S. Senate in 2000 before bowing out after a cancer diagnosis.

But while Giuliani has never publicly blamed Bush for the 2001 attacks, Donald Trump on several occasions during this year's Republican primary made a point of saying that the attacks happened "during the reign of George Bush."

"You always have to look to the person at the top," Trump said in October. "Do I blame George Bush? I only say that he was the president at the time, and you know, you could say the buck stops here."

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Former Ohio Congressman LaTourette remembered as 'fighter'

CLEVELAND (AP)  Former Ohio Congressman Steve LaTourette has been remembered for his work for his constituents as a lawmaker and prosecutor during a memorial service at a Cleveland church.

LaTourette died Aug. 3 at his home in McLean, Virginia, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 62.

At Monday's memorial, state lawmaker Sarah LaTourette recalled how her father often stopped to speak with constituents while at a grocery store or restaurant. Congressman Pat Tiberi (TEE'-bayr-ee) called his colleague "a fighter for the little guy."

Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, center, talks with Dennis Kucinich after the memorial service for former Ohio Congressman Steve LaTourette at the University Circle United Methodist Church Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio. LaTourette died Aug. 3, 2016, after a battle with leukemia. (Gus Chan /The Plain Dealer via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT; NO SALES

LaTourette represented Ohio's 19th Congressional District and then the 14th Congressional District from 1995 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party but was generally regarded as a moderate. When he announced his retirement, LaTourette said he was sick of the partisanship that had taken over Congress.

Tim Ryan and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge talk after the memorial service for former Ohio Congressman Steve LaTourette at the University Circle United Methodist Church Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in Cleveland, Oio. LaTourette died Aug. 3, 2016, after a battle with leukemia. (Gus Chan /The Plain Dealer via AP)
'Act of God': Ruinous flooding catches Louisiana off guard

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  An act of God is how some are describing it, a catastrophic 48-hour torrent of rain that sent thousands of people in Louisiana scrambling for safety and left many wondering how a region accustomed to hurricanes could get caught off guard so badly.

At least seven people have been killed and more than 20,000 have had to be rescued since Friday in some of the worst flooding the state has ever seen.

A seventh body was pulled from floodwaters Monday, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. A volunteer patrolling in his boat found the body, and sheriff's units confirmed the discovery. The coroner's office said the man in his 50s died of accidental drowning.

An American flag hangs in the water next to a for sale sign in flood waters in Walker, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Flood waters continued to cause problems throughout the area. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

As of Monday, the rain had mostly stopped, but rivers and creeks in many areas were still dangerously bloated and new places were getting hit by flooding. In areas south of Baton Rouge, people were filling sandbags, protecting their houses and bracing for the worst as the water worked its way south. In Ascension Parish officials said some small towns have already been swamped by floods.

More than 11,000 people were staying in shelters, with a movie studio and a civic center that usually hosts concerts and ballets pressed into service.

"It was an absolute act of God. We're talking about places that have literally never flooded before," said Anthony "Ace" Cox, 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.

Forecasters said one reason was the sheer, almost off-the-charts intensity of the storm and the difficulty of predicting how bad it would be.

Meteorologist Ken Graham of the National Weather Service's office in Slidell said forecasters alerted people days in advance of the storms. The forecasts Thursday were for 8 inches of rain, with higher totals expected in some areas.

But Graham emphasized that forecasting exactly how much rain is going to fall and where is nearly impossible. "It's one thing to say we're getting set up for a lot of rain. It's another thing to say where is this going to be," he said.

Some areas, such as the town of Zachary, received more than 2 feet of rain in a 48-hour period that ended Saturday morning. Another hard-hit area, Livingston, got nearly 22 inches over the same stretch.

Graham said the odds of that much rain were 1 in 500 in some places, and 1 in 1,000 in others.

Those rainfalls sent river levels in the region to historic highs  in some cases shattering the old records mostly set during the 1983 floods.

Unlike in a hurricane, when shelters are established well in advance by parish governments and the Red Cross when the threat becomes obvious, shelters for those driven from their homes by the flooding were set up more haphazardly by parish officials.

As the scope of the disaster became clear, churches, schools and other places opened their doors to take evacuees. Shelters filled up so fast that some people had to sleep on the floor Saturday night because not enough cots had arrived. And some shelters had to shut down when they, too, started to take on water.

Marc and Crystal Matherne and their three children loaded up their cars with their three dogs and drove out of their flooded Baton Rouge neighborhood Sunday before the water got too deep to pass.

After a night in the shelter, Marc Matherne planned to head back to see if he could help stranded neighbors. His wife said she felt pangs of "survivor guilt," knowing that their home was probably still dry while so many neighbors had flood damage.

"I want to blame somebody because of all the hurt that's going on, but I don't know if anybody knew" how bad the flooding would be, she said. "It just seemed like a normal event for us, but it wasn't."

Volunteers have been dropping off supplies and food like jambalaya or red beans and rice at shelters. They have also been going out in boats  locally referred to as the "Cajun Navy"  to rescue people, supplementing the efforts of National Guardsmen, state officials and Coast Guardsmen in high-water vehicles, boats and helicopters.

Gov. John Bel Edwards defended the state's response, saying the unprecedented flooding had "presented tremendous challenges for everyone."

"But I'm very proud of the effort that we're making. More than anything else, I'm proud that Louisianians are taking care of their own and people are being neighbors to one another," he said, stressing that search and rescue operations were still ongoing.

Jared Serigne of St. Bernard Parish said he helped organize volunteer efforts involving roughly 70 experienced boaters who helped hundreds of people from flooded communities. He criticized government officials for closing roads, a move that prevented boats from reaching launch areas.

"You've got all of these people who hunt and fish who have more experience than the average first responder," he said.

But going out on the water carries dangers, too.

Lt. Davis Madere of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, who spent days rescuing people and their animals, said the floodwaters are a potential minefield of submerged vehicles, fences and mailboxes that can trip up boats.

Above the water, he said, snakes trying to escape the deluge have been spotted in trees, and rescuers must be careful of power lines that are close overhead because the water is so high.

National Guard Col. Ed Bush said parish officials want the volunteer rescuers to coordinate more with the authorities overseeing the rescue effort.

"What they're trying to do is prevent overzealous people from getting stuck themselves. We've had a couple of examples of that," Bush said.

The slow-moving, low-pressure system moved into Texas, but the National Weather Service warned there is still a danger of new flooding, as the water works its way toward the Gulf of Mexico.

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Santana reported from New Orleans. Kevin McGill and Bill Fuller in New Orleans contributed to this report.

Motorists try to navigate deep water flowing over a road in Walker, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Although some flood waters have receded roads continue to be difficult to pass with private vehicles. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

The Louisiana National Guard transports people out of flood hit areas around Walker , La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Although some flood waters have receded roads continue to be difficult to pass with private vehicles. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

The Louisiana National Guard transports people out of flood hit areas around Walker , La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Although some flood waters have receded roads continue to be difficult to pass with private vehicles. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Residents take pets and belonging out of their homes in the flood hit areas around Walker, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Families displaced by flooding are unloaded on dry ground after being rescued from the Hebron Baptist Church by the Louisiana Army National Guard in Walker, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. About 200 people were taken to the church by the fire department on Friday and Saturday then became stranded as flood waters continued to rise. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, a Louisiana Army National Guard dump truck loaded with flood victims tilts after driving slightly off the road after rescuing people from the Hebron Baptist Church in Denham Springs, La. The truck was able to back up and continue to safety. About 200 people were taken to the church by the fire department on Friday and Saturday then became stranded as flood waters continued to rise. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photoo, displaced flood victims line up to load into dump trucks of the Louisiana Army National Guard at the Hebron Baptist Church in Denham Springs, La. About 200 people were taken to the church by the fire department on Friday and Saturday then became stranded as flood waters continued to rise. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, a Louisiana Army National Guard dump truck that drove off the road is submerged in flood waters near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, displaced flood victims line up to load into dump trucks of the Louisiana Army National Guard at the Hebron Baptist Church in Denham Springs, La. About 200 people were taken to the church by the fire department on Friday and Saturday then became stranded as flood waters continued to rise. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, a girl takes her pony for a walk on the dry road where homes were flooded near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

In tis Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, flood victims are rescued by emergency responders from near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Eli Turnage, 14, right, helps Thomas Creel load his groceries at the Carter's Supermarket in Livingston, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The store opened for the first time today since flooding started in the region. Turnage is volunteering at the supermarket to keep himself busy after his home was destroyed from the flooding. The Creel family was stocking up before returning to their flood damaged home. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

People wait to enter Carter's Supermarket where only one checkout counter is operating in Livingston, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The store opened for the first time today since flooding started in the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Eli Turnage, 14, left, helps the Creel family, from left to right, Addison, Jessica, Brantley, and Thomas with their groceries in the parking lot of Carter's Supermarket in Livingston, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Turnage is volunteering at the supermarket to keep himself busy after his home was destroyed from the flooding. The Creel family was stocking up before returning to their flood damaged home. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Eli Turnage, 14, center, hands out water to people waiting in line at the Carter's Supermarket in Livingston, La., as flood water starts to subside in the region, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The store opened for the first time today since flooding started in the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
By the numbers: A look at flooding that ravaged Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  A look at the deadly flooding that has ravaged Louisiana:

 7: The number of storm-related deaths since rain began falling Friday.

 More than 20,000: The number of people who have had to be rescued from their homes as floodwaters rose.

In this Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, a Louisiana Army National Guard dump truck that drove off the road is submerged in flood waters near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region, (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

 More than 11,000: The number of people staying in shelters.

 More than 2,000: The number of evacuees staying at a large film studio complex that has been turned into a makeshift shelter.

 More than 500: The number of pets rescued.

 48 hours: The amount of time a torrent of rain fell across parts of south Louisiana.

 More than 2 feet: The amount of rain that fell in two days in the town of Zachary, Louisiana.

 8 inches: The amount of rain initially forecast on Thursday, with some higher totals possible in some areas.

 12 percent: The portion of homes in hard-hit Baton Rouge covered by flood insurance; in Lafayette, which has also been hammered, the number is 14 percent.

In tis Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016 photo, flood victims are rescued by emergency responders from near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)

Eli Turnage, 14, right, helps Thomas Creel load his groceries at the Carter's Supermarket in Livingston, La., Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. The store opened for the first time today since flooding started in the region. Turnage is volunteering at the supermarket to keep himself busy after his home was destroyed from the flooding. The Creel family was stocking up before returning to their flood damaged home. (AP Photo/Max Becherer)
Police: weights in water park death within limits

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP)  Police say combined weights for a 10-year-old boy and two other people riding a raft with him at a water park when he was killed were within the ride's limits.

Caleb Schwab died August 7 while riding the 168-foot "Verruckt" at Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City, Kansas. Riders are weighed to ensure each raft carries between 400 pounds and 550 pounds.

Police Monday released a report showing one rider at 140 pounds, another at 170, and an unclear weight for Caleb. He would have to weigh 90 pounds to make the trio's weight reach 400 pounds.
Employers looking for personality as much as exam results, study finds

Business leaders are increasingly looking for "soft" skills and personality as well as academic achievements when hiring workers, a new study shows.

Research among 1,750 businessmen and women found that more than half were interested in whether a candidate had done any volunteering work.

British Gas said its survey revealed that a third of employers look at someone's social media profile to gauge their personality before meeting them in person.

Employers look at candidates' personality and social media profile as well as their academic results, a study has found

Most believed jobseekers should focus on soft skills such as communication, as much as academic grades.

Claire Miles, managing director for customer operations at British Gas, said: "Whilst good exam results can boost opportunities for young people, our survey highlights that employers are also looking for evidence of soft skills and personality before making a final decision on whom to hire.
Prosecco sales soar as Britons develop a thirst for sparkling wines

Britain's growing thirst for prosecco and cava has created an 80% rise in sparkling wine sales in the last five years, according to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures.

Around 17.6 million gallons of the sparkling wines were sold in 2011/12, and that has shot to an estimated 31.6 million gallons in 2015/16, according to accountancy group UHY Hacker Young.

The majority of sparkling wine is imported from established wine-producing nations such as France, Spain and Italy - but more is now being made at home.

Britons drank 31.6 million gallons of sparkling wine in 2015/16

In 2015 there were 37 new wine producers and vineyards who opened in England, reflecting the growing recognition of home-grown produce.

An English 2010 sparkling vintage which appeared on fine wine trading platform Liv-ex for the first time was hailed as a "landmark moment" in early August.

James Simmonds, a partner at Hacker Young, said the new figures were a "great boost" for English producers who had shown their products to be a "viable alternative".

He said: "Not only is the growing success of English sparkling wine encouraging more to come to the market but more established names are now looking to expand into new stages of growth.

"Vineyards provide businesses with numerous opportunities to diversify and offer additional services such as shops, cafes, wine-tastings, events and weddings as well as producing wine.

"These add-ons can be effective ways for new producers to supplement their income whilst waiting for their wine to mature.

"It's uncertain what will happen after Brexit to UK imports of prosecco and Champagne, but what is clear is that no matter what happens English sparkling wine is already a viable alternative."
Detained British-Iranian woman caught up in political game - husband

The suggestion a British-Iranian mother being detained in Iran may have been involved in a plot to overthrow the regime is "nonsense", her husband has said.

Charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, 37, from Hampstead, north-west London, was arrested at Imam Khomeini airport in April as she was trying to return to Britain after a holiday visiting family with her two-year-old daughter Gabriella.

Speaking on their seventh wedding anniversary, her husband Richard Ratcliffe told the BBC the accusations were false.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe with her daughter Gabriella

He said: "The idea that anyone with a baby could be busy overthrowing the regime is obviously nonsense."

He added: "There is definitely a political game going on between different parts of the Iranian government and the Iranian regime, so the revolutionary guard versus the government, and she's caught up in that.

"There have been various attempts by the Iranian government to improve relations with the West and this is almost as provocative as possible to stop that happening."

Earlier in August Prime Minister Theresa May urged the president of Iran to resolve the case during a phone call.
Man held in Portugal over Rikki Neave death returned to the UK

A man arrested in Portugal in connection with the murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave more than two decades ago has been returned to the UK.

The 35-year-old man, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was arrested by local officers in Lisbon. After a court appearance in Portugal on August 4 2016 he was extradited to the UK, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Rikki was found strangled in woodland near his home in Peterborough in November 1994.

A 35-year-old man has been held in connection with the murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave in 1994

The man was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant on suspicion of breaching his licence and has been taken to Bedford prison to be dealt with by the probation service.
Law firm's closure hailed by defence secretary after soldier allegations

The closure of Iraq War law firm Public Interest Lawyers is "the right outcome for our armed forces", Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said.

The firm, which submitted hundreds of allegations of misconduct and unlawful killing by British troops, is to cease operation at the end of August, weeks after being stripped of legal aid funding.

PIL represented complainants in the 31 million Al-Sweady inquiry and was criticised when its 2014 report concluded that allegations of war crimes following a 2004 battle in southern Iraq were based on "deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility".

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon thinks the firm's closure is right outcome for armed forces.

At the start of August it was announced the firm would no longer receive public funding after the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) ruled it had breached contractual requirements. It took the decision after reviewing information submitted by the firm, following a Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) investigation.

Mr Fallon said: "This is the right outcome for our armed forces, who show bravery and dedication in difficult circumstances.

"For too long, we've 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."

An employee of the law firm who answered the intercom at its office in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter said no one was available to speak to the media, instead referring inquiries to a press spokesman.

The long-running Al-Sweady inquiry concluded in its final report that the conduct of some soldiers towards detainees breached the Geneva convention.

But it was highly critical of the claims it was initially set up to investigate - that Iraqi detainees had been murdered, mutilated and tortured following the Battle of Danny Boy on May 14 2004 near Al Amarah in southern Iraq.

It found that British forces responded to a deadly ambush by insurgents with "exemplary courage, resolution and professionalism".

And it suggested that some of the detainees - all described as members or supporters of the Mahdi Army insurgent group - consciously lied about the most serious allegations to discredit the British armed forces.

Lawyers representing the alleged victims' families had already admitted during the public inquiry that there was no evidence of unlawful killing.

But they stood by claims that detainees were mistreated at Camp Abu Naji (CAN), near Majar-al-Kabir in southern Iraq, on the night of May 14/15, and later at Shaibah Logistics Base.

Prime Minister Theresa May was said to be "very much pleased" at the closure of the firm.

"We made a manifesto commitment to addressing these types of spurious claims that companies like PIL are pursuing," a No 10 spokesman said.

"The closure of PIL shows that we are making progress on that, tackling these types of firms head on to make sure we get the right outcome for our armed forces who show such bravery in the most difficult of circumstances."
Pep Guardiola: Yaya Toure left out because of lack of intensity

Pep Guardiola has admitted he did not feel Yaya Toure could deliver the intensity required for Manchester City's start to the season.

The new City manager sparked speculation over the midfielder's future by leaving him out of his matchday squad for Saturday's season-opening Premier League win over Sunderland.

Guardiola may now have added further fuel to that by leaving 33-year-old Toure out of the travelling party for the first leg of City's Champions League play-off at Steaua Bucharest on Tuesday.

Yaya Toure has been left out by Manchester City for a second successive game

Guardiola, who was Barcelona coach when the Catalans sold Toure to City in 2010, said: "He is a player for us and he is training amazing, but I was not sure if he was going to play, and so I prefer it if he stays there training good in Manchester.

"We travelled with two young guys and for the selection I prefer it to be the young guys than Yaya Toure.

"I prefer it if he stays there training and focuses on the next game. I have a lot of respect of him, for his career and quality, but for the first days - against Sunderland - we were looking for a more intensive game. That is why he didn't play, the only reason why."

Guardiola also made headlines at the weekend by dropping long-time City and England number one Joe Hart to the bench.

The reason he gave was that he wanted his goalkeeper to play with his feet more and he felt Willy Caballero, who returned for pre-season training ahead of Hart, was more attuned to the situation.

Questions are now being asked over Hart's future at the club. The 29-year-old has travelled to the Romanian capital but it remains to be seen whether he is restored to the side.

City have been linked with other goalkeepers, with Barcelona's number two Claudio Bravo being the latest, but Guardiola was unable to discuss any such reports.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference at the Arena Nationala. Guardiola said: "I think it is not the moment to talk about players who are not in Manchester City. They are players for another club.

"I am not going to talk, one day before one of the most important games of the season, about transfers."

Guardiola, however, is pleased how Hart has dealt with the situation.

He said: "Since I am manager of Manchester City, from the time we were together with Joe, it was perfect - his behaviour, his training sessions, on the pitch, off the pitch. He is a big professional."

City laboured to victory over Sunderland but some of Guardiola's ideas were eye-catching and he is convinced his approach will come good.

He said: "We are optimistic to at the end of playing the football I want, playing as good as possible. After that the result is coming.

"The first target is to try to play good for our fans who go to the stadium and they can say, 'Wow, I like how the team plays'. That is how I would like to feel."

Victory for City in the two-legged tie against Steaua would take them into the group stage.

Guardiola said: "I saw enough games about Steaua. I have a lot of respect about how they play and how they do and we are going to try to score goals because in the Champions League, scoring goals away is so, so important."

City's press conference was also John Stones' first since his 47.5million move from Everton last week.
Cost cuts ease pain of Maersk's gloomy shipping forecast

By Ole Mikkelsen

COPENHAGEN, Aug 12 (Reuters) - A.P. Moller-Maersk's progress in cutting costs reassured investors on Friday after the Danish shipping and oil giant reported a sharp decline in quarterly profit and its new chief executive confirmed that earnings would fall this year.

The Copenhagen-based company fired its CEO in June and replaced him with Soren Skou, head of its Maersk Line container business, indicating it could split it into separate companies and sell off part of the group, including its oil division.

Skou, a company veteran who has to respond to a shipping industry recession and tough oil markets, is expected to present the results of a strategy review in late September.

Maersk Oil is seen as a prime candidate for sale. In 2018, it will produce only half of what it does today after losing a major contract to operate Qatar's largest offshore oilfield.

"Therefore we see less strategic rationale for having Maersk Oil in the Maersk Group going forward," analyst Espen Landmark Fjermestad from Fearnley Securies said.

The group is fighting to remain the world's largest container shipping carrier as a wave of mergers and acquisitions, particularly in Asia, creates new challengers.

Earnings figures illustrated the problems faced by Skou, who has been with the company for three decades.

Maersk's net profit fell 90 percent to $101 million in April to June, amid significantly lower container freight rates. It maintained a forecast for underlying profit this year to be significantly below last year's $3.1 billion.

Although Skou called the results unsatisfactory, Maersk shares were 3.2 percent higher by 1150 GMT as investors focused on its progress in reducing costs and the fact that the oil business performed better than expected.

"Cost reductions and operational optimizations...made a significant contribution to mitigating the impact of the negative market conditions," Skou said in a statement.

Lower costs were mainly the result of 40 percent lower fuel prices, improved fleet utilisation and greater efficiencies.

MAERSK LINE MAKES LOSS

Maersk Line, the group's biggest business unit, reported a loss of $151 million while expectations had been for a loss of $67 million.

"Maersk Line has reduced costs by 15 percent but it has not been enough to match a drop of 24 percent in freight rates," Skou said.

Maersk Line has decided to stop services to and from 10 ports in China to help to reduce costs.

Maersk is not alone in struggling with the industry downturn. German container shipping group Hapag-Lloyd said on Wednesday it made a first-half operating loss of 39.7 million euros ($44.2 million) as disappointing freight rates hurt its business.

Around 150 container vessels are expected to be scrapped in 2016, but that will not be enough for an industry battling over- capacity, low demand and falling rates, consultancy firm Drewry said in July.

Container shippers' poor results have sparked consolidation.

"We believe consolidation is positive for the industry and we do think there is a change that the industry will significantly consolidate over the next decade," Skou said.

He underscored that Maersk Lines will protect its market share which is estimated to be around 15 percent.
Islamic State says bus blast killed 50 fighters at Syria-Turkey crossing

BEIRUT, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Islamic State claimed a suicide bombing on a bus in Syria near the Atmeh border crossing with Turkey late on Sunday that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said killed at least 32 people.

The bus was carrying fighters from foreign-backed rebel factions, local rebel sources said.

Islamic State militant claimed responsibility for the attack in an online statement on Sunday, saying the blast killed 50 fighters from the Failaq al-Sham and the Nour al-Din al-Zinki Movement groups.

The statement said the rebels were from U.S.-backed groups who were travelling to fight Islamic State in northern Aleppo province.

Pictures circulating on social media showed the burnt-out remains of a bus and medics treating wounded people.

Turkey's CNN Turk television reported that the explosion occurred at the entrance to the Atmeh refugee camp in Syria, near the frontier crossing, citing local sources.

The Observatory said it had received reports that two Turkish soldiers had been killed in the attack. Turkish officials were not immediately available for comment.
Can Singapore's labour crunch spark a robot revolution?

By Aradhana Aravindan and Marius Zaharia

SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Sherine Toh says her best days at work are when none of the 600-or-so staff at Singapore's Tung Lok Restaurants quits, though such days are rare.

The Chinese restaurant group is one of the thousands of businesses struggling with a labour crunch caused by foreign worker curbs, that threaten the city-state's already feeble growth rates.

"It has gotten much more tougher compared to the old days, five years back," said Toh, who has at least 20 vacancies to fill at any one time as head of human resources. The group closed some outlets because of the shortage.

The city's restaurants, hotels and retailers have become the biggest casualties of the labour crunch since Singapore accelerated restrictions on foreign workers in 2011 as political disquiet about immigration grew. But its highly-educated locals largely shun the late hours and unglamorous work.

To address the constraints, Singapore is pushing businesses to look to non-human solutions for their human resource challenges, including greater use of automation and robotics.

At Chilli Padi Nonya Cafe near a leafy university enclave, a tray-wielding robot roams the eatery, offering to collect plates from patrons in a childlike voice. Navigating its way through customers, it delivers the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

While tech powerhouses such as Japan, the U.S. and Germany invest billions in robotics to compete commercially in the emerging sector, Singapore's robots push is driven by a much more urgent need: the survival of some labour-strapped small and medium sized businesses may depend on them.

In the food and beverage industry, 90 percent of the businesses face the shortage and about a third are "really struggling," according to its lobby group.

"There is an increasing number of businesses that are up for sale," said Lim Rui Shan, executive director at the Restaurant Association of Singapore, which represents 2,200 outlets. "Some of them just shut down."

To encourage adoption, Singapore this year announced plans to spend S$450 million ($333 million) over three years to fund robot development and deployment.

Andrew Khaw, Infocomm Development Authority's senior director of productivity growth through information and communications technology, admits the take-up of robots is slower than he would like.

But he says the lack of manpower is a new operating reality businesses now need to accept.

"It's a bit of 'let's see who blinks first'. As far as the government is concerned, we can't go back on this policy," Khaw said.

Service robots can be found in Singapore - in hospitals and restaurants, as waiters or cleaners - but are less ubiquitous than might be expected for the aggressively tech-oriented economy.

James Xia, director at Unitech Mechatronics, which built the busboy robot Chilli Padi uses, sees export potential in his product but says development outlays mean commercialisation is slow.

Xia thinks more upfront government grants, rather than the current post-project reimbursements, could accelerate development.

Another firm, Aitech Robotics and Automation, has developed a tea-lady robot that delivers food and drinks throughout a seven-storey building to workers in their offices.

But the company's business development manager, Eric Lee, says orders are slow and doesn't expect to make any money on the showcase robot.

Weak capital expenditure amid the global economic slowdown has made it difficult for a virtuous robot development cycle to rev up in Singapore.

"In a hypothetical situation where there were no foreign manpower curbs, then (domestic) growth may have been a little bit higher," said Selena Ling, head of treasury research for OCBC.

For now, manpower is just one of many economic challenges: Singapore cut its 2016 growth forecast this month after revising down its second-quarter growth as the service sector contracted.
Japan PM Abe sends ritual offering to Yasukuni shrine for war dead

TOKYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a shrine for war dead on Monday, the anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat, but did not visit the shrine seen in China and South Korea as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime militarism, an aide said.

Visits to Yasukuni Shrine by top Japanese politicians outrage China and South Korea because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, along with war dead.
Oil prices edge up on potential producer action to prop up market

By Henning Gloystein

SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged up early on Monday and have risen more than 10 percent since the start of the month as speculation intensifies about potential producer action to support prices in an oversupplied market.

International Brent crude oil futures were trading at $47.10 per barrel at 0018 GMT, up 13 cents from their last settlement, and over 10 percent above the last close in July.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $44.65 a barrel, up 16 cents from their last close.

"Oil posted another ... gain as speculation of potential production freezes by OPEC picked up pace. Saudi Arabia signalled that it is prepared to discuss stabilising the markets at informal OPEC discussions next month," ANZ bank said on Monday.

"This was despite another strong rise in drilling activity in the U.S. ... Baker Hughes data showed the number of rigs operating in the U.S. rose by 15 last week to 396," it added.

After falling sharply from over 1,600 in 2014, before the price rout started, to a low of just 316 in late May, the U.S. oil rig count has steadily risen since then as U.S. producers have adjusted to lower prices.
South Korea expresses regret as Japan leaders pay tribute to wartime shrine

By Kento Sahara and Nobuhiro Kubo

TOKYO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - South Korea expressed deep regret and China's state-run news agency called on Tokyo to repent its wartime past on Monday after dozens of Japanese lawmakers visited a shrine for war dead, which Seoul and Beijing see as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime militarism, on the anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering but did not go to the Yasukuni Shrine. Visits to the shrine outrage Beijing and Seoul because it honours 14 Japanese leaders convicted by an Allied tribunal as war criminals, along with war dead.

Ties between China and Japan, Asia's two largest economies, have been strained in recent days after a growing number of government ships sailed near disputed East China Sea islets.

Territory disputes and historical issues also periodically chill relations between Japan and South Korea.

"(We) express deep concern and regret that responsible political leaders ... are again paying tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine that glorifies the history of the war of aggression," South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

China's Xinhua news agency urged Japan to repent its wartime past or risk steering the country down a dangerous path.

"It's in the interests of both Japan and its neighbouring countries for the former military power to truly reflect upon its past wrongs," Xinhua said in a commentary.

Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013, sending ritual offerings instead.

"He told me to come and my visit was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide in Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who gave the offering in Abe's name as LDP president rather than premier.

New Defence Minister Tomomi Inada, who has been accused by China of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two, was visiting troops in Djibouti and unable able to go to the shrine as she has in the past.

Emperor Akihito, at a ceremony honouring victims of the war, expressed "deep remorse" over the conflict fought in the name of his father, Hirohito. He first used the phrase at the memorial service last year - the 70th anniversary of the war's end - in what some saw it as a subtle rebuke to Abe, who favours a less apologetic tone.

"Reflecting on our past with a feeling of deep remorse, I earnestly hope the ravages of war will never be repeated," said Akihito, 82. The emperor hinted in a rare video address last week at wanting to abdicate in a few years.

Abe vowed at the same ceremony that Japan would work for world peace.
Oil extends rally to 5-week highs on talk of producer action

By Barani Krishnan

NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Oil prices hit five-week highs on Monday, gaining 10 percent or more in a three-day rally as speculation intensified over potential producer action to support prices amid a crude glut.

Data from market intelligence firm Genscape estimating a draw of more than 350,000 barrels at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for U.S. crude futures last week added to the bullish sentiment, said traders who saw the data.

Separately, a Reuters poll indicated total U.S. crude inventories may have fallen too last week.

Brent crude settled up $1.38, or 2.9 percent, at $48.35 a barrel. Minutes after the close, it extended gains, reaching $48.46, its highest since July 12. Brent has gained about 10 percent cumulatively in the past three sessions, its most in such a stretch since May. Since the start of August, it has risen nearly 14 percent.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.25, or 2.8 percent, to settle at $45.74 a barrel. It also rallied post-settlement to $45.87, its highest since July 21. WTI has gained 10 percent on the month.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak bolstered hopes on Monday that oil producing nations could take action to stabilise prices.

The market started to rally on Thursday after Saudi energy minister said non-members and members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) are to meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum, which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria from Sept. 26-28.

"While we see very little possibility of an actualization of curtailed OPEC output, there will likely be enough chatter during the next five to six weeks to deter selling in allowing WTI to gravitate at around the $45 area, at least through the second half of this month," said Jim Ritterbusch of Chicago-based oil markets consultancy Ritterbusch & Associates.

Other analysts were sceptical that the rally would continue.

"In our view, a renewed price correction cannot be ruled out if market participants start focusing on the supply side again, for the latest drilling activity figures in the U.S. cast doubts that the oversupply is really being eroded," Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch said in a note.

There are also doubts that Saudi Arabia and other major OPEC members such as Iran will put aside a market share battle in order to prop up prices.

New York-based crude cargo tracker Clipperdata said exports by OPEC's big six - Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq and UAE - total 3.3 million barrels per day (bpd), or nearly 22 percent, more from their 2015 start of 18.5 million bpd.

"It seems prudent to point out the contrast betwixt actions versus words," said Clipperdata analyst Matt Smith said, referring to OPEC.

On the demand side, the world's three biggest economies - the United States, China and Japan - all published downbeat economic data between Friday and Monday that could spell erosion in oil demand.
Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export f'cast to 4.75 mln T -newspaper

HANOI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Vietnam's rice exports could fall 27 percent in 2016 from last year to 4.75 million tonnes, the lowest since 2008, said a state-run newspaper.

It cited the Vietnam Food Association as revising down its forecast for the second time this year.

A lack of demand from key markets in Asia and Africa, along with Thailand's sales from state stockpiles would drive the fall, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an official at the Ho Chi Minh City-based association as saying.
Vietnam cuts 2016 rice export forecast to 4.75 mln T - newspaper

HANOI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Vietnam's rice exports could fall 27 percent in 2016 from last year to 4.75 million tonnes, the lowest since 2008, due to less overseas demand and rising supplies from Thailand, a state-run newspaper said on Monday.

It cited the Vietnam Food Association as revising down its forecast for the second time this year, from 5.7 million tonnes as projected in June.

A lack of demand from key markets in Asia and Africa, along with Thailand's sales from state stockpiles would drive the fall, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an official at the Ho Chi Minh City-based association.

Officials at the association could not be reached for comments.

"Buyers will pay attention to Vietnamese rice only if prices fall significantly, while the adjustment of the annual export forecast does not raise any interest," said a trader at a foreign firm in Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam's 5-percent broken summer-autumn rice eased to $350-$353 a tonne on Monday, free-on-board basis, from $355 last week, but overall demand remained week, traders said.

The association now projects rice exports in the second half of 2016 at 2.1 million tonnes, after first-half shipments have dropped 2 percent in the year-ago period to 2.65 million tonnes, the newspaper said.

The projected annual volume excludes sales across the land border to top buyer China, the report said.

Vietnam is the world's third-largest rice exporter after India and Thailand.
Hong Kong student leaders avoid jail time for 2014 democracy protest

HONG KONG, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A Hong Kong court sentenced teenaged democracy activist Joshua Wong on Monday to 80 hours of community service for unlawful assembly related to demonstrations that paralysed key parts of the Chinese-ruled city in 2014.

Wong, 19, was among a small group of activists who had stormed into a fenced-off area in front of government headquarters called Civic Square, sparking a night-long standoff with police before they were arrested.

The incident helped trigger the massive "Umbrella Movement" that paralysed major roads in Hong Kong for nearly three months in a push for full democracy. The protests were one of the boldest populist political challenges to Beijing's Communist Party leaders in decades.
Disaster declared for Louisiana floods that have killed five

By Byrn Stole

BATON ROUGE, La., Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration on Sunday for flood-ravaged Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by unprecedented flooding.

Governor John Bel Edwards said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state. The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference.

"Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down," Edwards said, calling the flooding unprecedented.

Obama issued the disaster declaration after speaking with Edwards, the White House said in a statement.

The initial declaration makes federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa. Edwards said in a statement that other parishes could be added to the list.

Edwards told a later news conference that more than 20,000 people had been rescued from flood waters in southern Louisiana.

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full. A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways.

About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods. Helicopters were also transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters.

Some 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts.

Even as the state grappled with high waters, the National Weather Service forecast heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding.

A flash flood watch was in place until Monday morning for Houston, where rains killed at least eight people in late April.

At least five people had died in Louisiana from the high water. Ronda Durbin, a spokeswoman for Tangipahoa Parish, said by telephone that searchers on Sunday recovered the body of a man reported swept away on Friday.

The body of a woman was also recovered from a submerged vehicle in the parish, she said.

On Saturday, the body of a woman was recovered from the Tickfaw River, in St. Helena Parish northeast of Baton Rouge, after a car in which she was riding was swept away.

A 54-year-old man in Greensburg in the northern part of the state died when his vehicle was swept off the road, state police said.

The body of a 68-year-old man was recovered on Friday near Baker after he drowned, said William "Beau" Clark, the coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Palm oil buyers hold off mending ties with Malaysia plantation giant

By Emily Chow

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Leading global buyers of palm oil are holding off on mending business ties with Malaysian plantation giant IOI Group despite an industry watchdog's decision to reinstate the producer's green certification.

The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) in April withdrew IOI's 'sustainability certification' after allegations the company had illegally chopped down rainforests in Indonesia and planted palm crops on peatland.

But earlier this month, it said IOI, one of the world's leading palm producers and traders, had satisfied conditions for the suspension to be lifted, a move that has sparked sharp criticism from environmental groups.

Palm oil, used in everything from chocolate to cosmetics, has become one of the world's fastest expanding crops, but the industry has been facing intense pressure over deforestation and methods used to clear land. That has driven many buyers to demand certification of environmentally sound behaviour.

Food companies Nestle, Kellogg, Mars Inc and Hersheys, along with healthcare product makers Johnson & Johnson and Reckitt Benckiser told Reuters they had no immediate plans to return to business with IOI despite the latest step by RSPO.

Procter and Gamble told Reuters it had ended its relationship with IOI, while Unilever said it was looking into the watchdog's decision.

"(We will not change our approach until) we see IOI's upgraded policies enacted, with improvements verified on the ground by an independent group of experts," Nestle said in an emailed statement.

IOI officials in Kuala Lumpur said the company remained committed to "engagement with all its stakeholders" and would be "working hard to re-engage with them in the coming weeks and months".

"Our focus will now be on the implementation of our commitments, and progress reports detailing delivery against them will be made public on a quarterly basis," said Surina Ismail, its group head of sustainability.

Meanwhile, major palm oil trader Cargill Ltd said it was sticking to its decision to suspend business with IOI. Rita Aspen, regional director of corporate affairs for Asia Pacific, said the company would "review IOI's sustainability policy ... before taking further action".

Environmental groups such as Greenpeace called RSPO's decision to lift IOI's suspension premature and counter-productive, and urged companies to put on hold buying from IOI.

RSPO, a body of consumers, green groups and plantation firms, said its decision to lift the suspension was recommended by its independent complaints panel, and that it stood by "the integrity of the panel" and its conclusions.

IOI is one of the RSPO's founding members.

"It sends the message that the RSPO is more concerned about helping a founding member regain its customers than ensuring its standards are upheld," said Greenpeace Indonesia forest campaigner Annisa Rahmawati.

Around 90 percent of the world's palm oil crop grows in Malaysia and Indonesia.

RSPO previously said the suspension would be reinstated if IOI fails to follow through on an action plan to correct environmental shortfalls.
JP Morgan sticks with "overweight" recommendation on UK shares

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - JP Morgan has kept its "overweight" recommendation on UK equities, arguing that relatively high dividend yields, sterling weakness and the possibility of further rate cuts from the Bank of England should support the market.

"We reiterate our 'Overweight' call on UK equities that we initiated early this year," JP Morgan equity strategist Mislav Matejka said in a research note.

"UK is a defensive market with the highest dividend yield out of main regions, at 3.9 percent. UK 10-year yields have fallen almost 150 basis points year-to-date, and BoE is likely to cut further," he said, adding that a slump in sterling after June's Brexit vote would also help the FTSE 100's exporters.
Thailand detains several people for questioning over deadly blasts

By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Aukkarapon Niyomyat

BANGKOK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Thailand's army said on Monday it had detained several people for questioning over a wave of deadly bombings in some of the country's best known-beach resorts that killed four people and wounded dozens, including tourists.

Last week's blasts came days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that paves the way for an election at the end of 2017.

No group has claimed responsibility, although police and the government have ruled out ties to foreign groups, linking the bombings to an unspecified domestic issue.

Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the predominantly Buddhist country.

Several people are being held at army facilities, but none have been charged, military government spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree told Reuters.

"Ever since the incident on August 11, the army has used Article 44 to summon people who the state think can give useful information," Winthai said.

The legislation gives the military government absolute power to take any steps needed to protect the public peace and detain people for up to seven days without a court warrant.

"They were sent to various army camps," added Winthai, who declined to say how many were detained, although rights groups fear the number runs into the dozens. "Nobody has been charged so far."

On Sunday, a deputy national police chief said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details.

Police on Sunday said they had arrested one person for arson but did not elaborate.

Over the weekend authorities defused at least five explosive devices that had failed to detonate.

Three bombs went off in the Muslim-majority province of Yala late on Sunday, but nobody was injured, police said.

Defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan said last week's blasts were "definitely" not related to the southern insurgency, although some involved might have come from the region.

"It is definitely not an extension of the deep south insurgency," Prawit told reporters on Monday. "But it is possible they could have been hired from there."

For more than a decade, Thailand has been divided between populist political forces, led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the royalist and military establishment.

They accuse Thaksin, toppled in a 2006 coup, of corruption and nepotism, charges he rejects. His sister Yingluck, who took power after a 2011 election win, was ousted in a 2014 coup.
Australia's Aura Energy to float shares in London by end September

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Australian uranium miner Aura Energy Ltd plans to list shares on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange by the end of September and aims to raise 2.85 million pounds (US$3.7 mln), it said on Monday.

The company is already listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with a market capitalisation of A$9.6 million at the close on Friday and said in a statement it would issue new shares in London.

It will use the proceeds from the London listing to fund a potential Mauritania project, which is in the process of a feasibility study that is expected to finish in late 2017, and to develop its mine in Sweden.

Spot prices of uranium, used to make fuel for nuclear power production, have been depressed since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, which led Japan to shut down its reactors and created high stockpiles globally.

Demand is now growing rapidly, however, with China in particular aggressively building reactors, and uranium markets are expected to face a supply shortage by the end of the decade.

Aura Energy's Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Reeve said there was little new investment in the uranium sector and that the expected supply deficit presented an opportunity.

"The market opportunity for the next generation of uranium production projects is clearly evident and the long-term uranium growth fundamentals are highly positive," he said in a statement.

The world's largest uranium producers such as Areva SA and Cameco Corp have said they will hold off on expansion and exploration projects due to low prices, despite forecasts for a supply shortfall.
Germany urges Russia and Ukraine to ease tension over Crimea, keep talking

By Andrew Osborn and Polina Devitt

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Germany's foreign minister urged Russia and Ukraine on Monday to reduce tensions over Crimea and stick to the troubled Minsk peace accords as a way of ending hostilities in eastern Ukraine.

The minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he was worried about rising tensions between Moscow and Kiev after President Vladimir Putin last week accused Ukraine of using terrorist tactics to try to provoke a new conflict over annexed Crimea. Ukraine flatly denied this.

Putin said at the time that there was no point in holding a new round of talks about the troubled peace process in eastern Ukraine on the sidelines of a G20 summit in China next month, stoking speculation Moscow might be preparing to abandon the Minsk process.

But Steinmeier, at a news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the city of Yekaterinburg, said that even though the Minsk deal had stalled in places it should remain the focus of the peace process despite the alleged plot around Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

"In recent days there has been a spike in tensions around Crimea and that has worried us," said Steinmeier, in comments translated from German into Russian by state TV.

"The main thing is that the situation doesn't get out of control. We call on everyone to de-escalate."

Russia has repeatedly accused Ukraine of not honouring its obligations under the Minsk peace accords. Ukraine says Moscow is the one stirring trouble in eastern Ukraine by backing pro-Russian separatists there. Moscow denies this.

Lavrov said Russia would play its part in ensuring the Minsk accords were honoured.

"We analysed the prospects for a possible revival of talks in the Normandy format," Lavrov said, referring to negotiations around the Minsk deal which Putin has said were not worth having for the time being.

"I don't think we're now in a situation when someone is interested in cutting diplomatic ties (between Russia and Ukraine)," said Lavrov. "That's an extreme measure and it seems to me that the main thing is not to give into emotions or extreme scenarios, but to act with restraint and focus on stabilising the situation."

Lavrov made clear Russia was not ready to drop allegations that it had caught Ukrainian saboteurs planning a bombing campaign against Crimea.

"We have additional material to what has been shown on TV, incontrovertible evidence that it was sabotage, long planned by Ukrainian military intelligence, to destabilise Russian Crimea," said Lavrov.
Senegal floods expose need for community warning, preparation

By Momar Niang

KAFFRINE, Senegal, Aug 15 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Little is left in the house where Fati Camara lived with her four children, after it was hit by heavy rains last month.

"This is the fourth time we've faced floods since we moved here 10 years ago," said Camara, drying her tears with a pink and white shawl.

Her fridge, which brought her a daily income selling ice cream, was washed away after 175 mm (6.89 inches) of rain fell in Kaffrine in central Senegal on July 24 - a record for the beginning of the rainy season.

"Usually we can drain the water and return two or three days later, but this time we were unable to save anything," Camara told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Water has devastated the Diamaguene district, leaving entire streets flooded and houses ripped open.

Salimata Ndao's life has also changed radically.

"We have a house with 10 rooms - three of which are in ruins, with the rest mostly flooded," she said in a resigned tone, lamenting the loss of 80 kg (176 lb) of millet and 20 kg of groundnut seeds.

Ndao, her husband and their nine children found refuge in Kaffrine School 6, along with around 10 other families.

"UNPRECEDENTED" FLOODS

According to Kaffrine Mayor Abdoulaye Wilane, at least 1,500 households were struck by the floods in what he described as an "extreme and unprecedented phenomenon".

Nestled in a river basin, the city regularly falls prey to floods that until now mostly hit the poorer districts of Diamageune and Kaffrine 2. These, Wilane explained, are located in "flood-prone areas, without sewage or drainage systems".

In Kouthia Thiambene, 30 km (18.6 miles) from Kaffrine, 200 mm of rain fell on July 24. Village chief Moth Goune Samb cannot remember having experienced anything so severe, despite his advanced age.

"We were completely powerless - so much so that all we could do was abandon our homes and gather on the village square," he said.

In a place where agriculture is the main source of income, farmers saw their fields engulfed by sand.

"The fields were inundated, producing a kind of muddy paste that stopped seeds germinating - that's weeks of work for nothing," Alioune N'Diaye said calmly, walking through his field where huge cracks testify to the latest floods.

Nearly 100 clay huts were destroyed and tonnes of millet and other crops, as well as seeds, were swept away by flood waters.

SOUNDING THE ALARM

The extreme weather that battered Kaffrine and its surroundings took everyone by surprise, including the Met Office, said locals.

A few of those affected, including Ndao, received a weather forecast through the regional agricultural service. But they said the information lacked detail, giving no indication of the quantity or duration of the rainfall.

Diabel N'Diaye, an agricultural meteorologist at the National Agency of Civil Aviation and Meteorology, admitted an alarm was not issued "because we lack adequate equipment to predict the quantity of rainfall".

Kaffrine, which does not have a weather station, gets alerts via text messages sent to the regional agricultural service, which acts as a relay to the population, starting with farmers, N'Diaye explained.

"We don't yet have a system that allows us to alert the whole population, and that is perhaps the first thing we should try to address," he said.

Idy Niang, who heads a local branch of the environment ministry, said it was vital to equip meteorological services better, so they have adequate and reliable rainfall information.

RESILIENCE IN ACTION

Meanwhile, in Kaffrine and surrounding areas, grassroots organisations are devising their own solutions to build resilience to climate extremes.

Papa Souleymane Coulibaly, programme assistant at development agency IED Afrique, said it has selected 22 projects as part of the Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED) programme, backed by the British government.

The initiative, which focuses on directing funds for climate action to the local level, chooses activities that help communities adapt to climate change. They receive training to build skills and find resources to put their ideas into practice.

Fily Traore leads a group of 100 women in Femmes Forestieres (Forest Women), a local organisation benefiting from BRACED funding, who are working to make reforestation a priority.

"Deforestation has led to the disappearance of several kinds of fruit trees, which our project aims to restore," she said. Deforestation caused by bushfires exacerbates the impact of flooding, she added.

In Keur Mbouki village, climate resilience is also about reforestation. According to Seynabou N'Diaye, the main economic activity of salt harvesting harms the environment by contaminating the soil.

N'Diaye, who runs a women's organisation, aims to remedy this by planting salt-tolerant plants in Kaffrine, also with BRACED support.
PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - AUG 15

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

VEDOMOSTI

www.vedomosti.ru

- Russia's Security Council on Thursday discussed ways to strengthen security in Crimea but did not decide on specific measures to respond to alleged Ukrainian incursions into the annexed region, the daily writes.

- Sergei Ivanov, who last week resigned as Putin's chief of staff, is the sixth official from the Russian leader's circle to leave his post in the past year, the daily says, adding that it is becoming more difficult to govern old elites.

- Every prospective parliamentary candidate supported by former YUKOS owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been officially registered to contest upcoming parliamentary elections with just one exception, the daily writes.

KOMMERSANT

www.kommersant.ru

- The FSB security service has published an order obliging Internet providers to hand over the keys to decrypt users' emails if necessary. The order follows on from a new anti-terror law, named after its author Irina Yarovaya, the daily says.

- Police have filed a criminal case against a group of at least seven bankers and businessmen suspected of illegally spiriting about $46 billion out of Russia, the daily writes.

ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA

www.rg.ru

- The Eurasian Economic Union of the ex-Soviet republics of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia is on the threshold of reaching agreement on a joint Customs Code, the daily says, citing Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

- Russia's airlines want to stop accepting passengers' baggage for free and are asking the transport ministry to back restrictions on hand luggage as well.

IZVESTIA

www.izvestia.ru

- The Association of Russian Internet retailers has worked out draft amendments to Russia's tax code which would oblige foreign online retailers to pay VAT in Russia. The document has been sent to the anti-monopoly agency to review by September, the daily says.

KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA

www.kp.ru

- A local court in the Siberian town of Khanty-Mansiisk has ruled that a dead citizen's 35 million rouble ($545,860.04)debt should be paid by his 14-year-old relative.
Russia: We're ready to supply more proof of Ukrainian Crimea incursions

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russia is ready to provide the West with more evidence about armed Ukrainian incursions into the contested peninsula of Crimea, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday.

Russia accused Ukraine last week of planning terrorist attacks in Crimea to provoke a new conflict over the region Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine flatly denied that.

Lavrov said in televised comments on Monday after talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier that Moscow could supply more evidence of what it has said was a long-planned Ukrainian plot to destabilise Crimea.

But in more conciliatory comments, Lavrov said he did not think anyone was interested in cutting diplomatic ties between Russia and Ukraine yet.
"Smoke" at Singapore station caused by air-conditioning leak

SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A leak of refrigerant gas from a train's air-conditioning system caused what looked like smoke to billow from an underground station in central Singapore on Monday, train operator SMRT said.

There were no injuries, police said.

Videos on social media showed commuters rushing out of a train at the Tanjong Pagar station, covering their noses to protect themselves from grey gas. Some of them were seen taking pictures on their phones.

The gas triggered alarm after Indonesian police arrested six suspected Islamist militants on Aug. 5 on suspicion of plotting an attack on Singapore.

Margaret Teo, head of corporate marketing and communications for train operator SMRT Corporation Ltd, said there had been a leak of Freon gas.

"The discharge of Freon into the tunnel reduced visibility at parts of the station when the platform screen doors were opened for passengers to exit the train," Teo said in an e-mailed statement.
One wounded in Cologne attack; no sign of terrorism -police

BERLIN, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A man was seriously wounded in an attack in Cologne city centre in the early hours of Monday, police and the public prosecutor's office said, adding that there were no signs of a terrorist motive.

The 34-year-old was taken to hospital with stab wounds and head injuries, police and prosecutors said in a statement. Eyewitnesses said several people were involved in an argument.

Police, who received emergency calls around 3.45 a.m. (0145 GMT), found traces of blood and shattered glass at the scene and said they were investigating whether several spent gun cartridges they found were also linked to the incident.

There has been a spate of indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Germany in recent weeks, including two claimed by the Islamic State group and a mass shooting in Munich by a deranged 18-year-old that was also initially seen as terrorism-related.

Police and prosecutors said the reason for the Cologne attack was not yet known.
Turkey has threatened to scrap a multi-billion euro deal that would control the flow of illegal migrants unless the European Union grants its citizens visa-free travel by October.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told German newspaper Bild that Turkey must receive something in return if it is going to implement a deal that works in the EU's favour.

Visa-free access to the EU was promised in the migrant control deal but it has been delayed due to a dispute over Turkey's anti-terror legislation and the crackdown following July's failed coup attempt.

Refugees wait after they were prevented from sailing to Greece from Turkey (file photo)

In the interview with Bild, Cavusoglu addressed whether hundreds of thousands of refugees in Turkey would head to Europe if the EU did not grant visa-free travel.

He said: 'I don't want to talk about the worst case scenario - talks with the EU are continuing but it's clear that we either apply all treaties at the same time or we put them all aside.'

Cavusoglu said treaties laid out that all Turks would get visa freedom in October, adding: 'It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothing in return.'

A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the interview directly but said the EU continued to work together with Turkey in all areas of cooperation.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey could walk away from the deal (file photo)

The ultimatum coincides with rising tension between Turkey and the West over the failed coup, which left more than 200 people dead and thousands injured - many of them civilians.

Europe and the US have expressed concerns over the scope of a sweeping crackdown against those accused of supporting the attempted coup.

Tens of thousands of people have been detained or dismissed or suspended from their jobs in sectors such as the civil service, military, health care and judiciary.

Western governments are concerned the crackdown could affect stability in Turkey, a NATO member, and suspect President Tayyip Erdogan is using the purges as an excuse to quash dissent.

After the failed coup, European Commissioner Gunther Oettinger ruled out visa-free travel this year.

Brussels wants Turkey to soften its anti-terrorism law, but Ankara says it cannot many any changes due to security threats including Islamic State militants in neighbouring Syria and Kurdish militants in its mainly Kurdish southeast.

Selim Yenel, Turkey's ambassador to the EU, said last week that efforts were continuing to find a compromise with the EU on visa liberalisation and he thought it would be possible to handle this in 2016.

Since the coup, more than 35,000 people have been detained, of whom 17,000 have been placed under formal arrest, and tens of thousands more suspended.

Turkish authorities blame the failed putsch on US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers, and have called for him to be detained and extradited.

Sweden said this month it will not deport failed asylum-seekers from Turkey who have 'reliable connections' to an attempted coup.

Amid rising tension with the West, Turkey has sought to normalise relations with Russia, sparking fears in the West that Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin might use a rapprochement to exert pressure on Washington and the EU and stir tensions within NATO.

Asked if Turkey would leave NATO, Cavusoglu told Bild that while Turkey remained one of the biggest supporters of the 28-nation Western alliance, it was also looking at other options.

He said: 'But it's clear that we also need to cooperate with other partners on buying and selling weapon systems because some NATO partners refuse to allow us to sell air defence systems for example or to exchange information.'

Over the weekend, Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Ankara over what it said it was an 'indecent report' about Turkey on a news ticker at Vienna airport.

'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.

In a statement, Turkey's foreign ministry said it was 'regrettable' that an international airport at the heart of Europe was used as 'a tool ... in spreading such irresponsible, twisted and inaccurate messages'.

It said the publication of such 'slandering' news reports were encouraged by recent comments from Austrian politicians.
Russia's Lavrov says Syrian militants using ceasefires to regroup

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained on Monday that Syrian militants had used temporary ceasefires in fighting in and around Aleppo to regroup and rearm.

Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he realised that brief daily ceasefires in place now to allow aid to enter and civilians to leave were not sufficient.
Iraq parliament approves cabinet overhaul, bolstering PM Abadi

By Maher Chmaytelli

BAGHDAD, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament approved the appointment of Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, former head of the main state oil firm, as oil minister in a cabinet overhaul on Monday that bolsters Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's leadership.

Luaibi, who led the South Oil Company that produces most of the OPEC nation's crude, was one of six candidates Abadi nominated to fill vacant ministerial jobs.

Parliament approved five of them, state television said, rejecting only Abadi's pick for trade minister.

The vote eases a political crisis that broke out in February over anti-graft reforms sought by Abadi, and consolidates his position ahead of a battle planned for later this year to recapture Mosul, the largest city under Islamic State control.

U.S. envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition Brett McGurk welcomed the approval of the five ministers, saying in a tweet that parliament's endorsement had overcome months of deadlock.

Demonstrations by supporters of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in support of anti-graft reforms turned violent in May, after influential political groups blocked Abadi's plan.

The premier announced in February his intention to overhaul the cabinet by appointing independent technocrats as ministers to loosen a political patronage system that breeds graft.

Five of the 22 government ministers resigned following his announcement, followed by a sixth, the interior minister, after a massive bombing in central Baghdad in July. Abadi has yet to propose a new interior minister.

The whereabouts of a seventh, former trade minister Milas Mohammed Abdul Kareem, are unknown after authorities investigating alleged corruption issued an arrest warrant for him in October. Abdul Kareem has said the allegations were not based on solid evidence.

The other ministers refused to budge, with the support of influential political groups who thrive on the patronage system that allows them to amass wealth and influence.

DEFENCE MINISTER UNDER PRESSURE

Abadi could also suffer a setback should parliament withdraw confidence from Khaled al-Obeidi, the defence minister he wants to keep for the sake of maintaining momentum against Islamic State.

Parliament voted on Monday to reject explanations given by Obeidi after they grilled him earlier this month on allegations of corruption involving weapons contracts.

The vote doesn't mean the removal of Obeidi as another vote will be required in parliament to demand his resignation, according to Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.

During his Aug. 1 appearance before parliament, Obeidi responded by accusing Jabouri and five other MPs of corruption. An Iraqi court last week cleared Jabouri of those charges, citing lack of evidence

Thirteen years after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Iraq ranks 161st out of 168 nations in Transparency International's Corruption Index.

It still suffers electricity and water cuts, as well as shortages of schools and hospitals, while existing facilities and infrastructure suffer widespread neglect and mismanagement.

Corruption continued to eat away at state resources even after they sharply declined when oil prices collapsed two years ago, and despite the rising costs of the war on Islamic State.

Luaibi, the new oil minister, was on a previous list of ministerial candidates, blocked by parliament in April.

In his first comments after being sworn in, he said a solution to the Iraqi government's conflict over oil with the Kurdish self-ruled region was possible.

"There are solutions to the existing problems between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government about the oil file," he told Baghdad-based Sumaria TV.

The conflict centres on the Kurdish region's crude oil exports which Baghdad wants to bring under its control.

OPEC's second-largest producer after Saudi Arabia, Iraq produces about 4.6 million barrels of crude oil per day, most of it from the southern region overseen by South Oil Company.

About 500,000 barrels per day are exported from the Kurdish region independently from Baghdad.
U.N.'s Ban condemns Yemen school attack, coalition says Houthi facility targeted

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned an air strike on a school in northern Yemen that killed 10 children and called for an investigation, while the Saudi-led coalition said the attack had targeted a training facility run by the Houthi group.

Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said 28 other children were wounded in Saturday's attack on the school in the Saada province. The United Nations Children's Fund said the facility was a religious school in Juma'a Bin Fadil village in the province's Haydan district.

Dozens of air strikes have hit civilian facilities in Yemen since a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia began military operations in March 2015 to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power and roll back gains by the Iran-allied Houthis.

A spokesman for Ban said he condemned the attack and urged parties "to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law and human rights and do everything in their power to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure."

A spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition did not respond to requests by Reuters for a comment on the reports. But Saudi media quoted General Ahmed al-Assiri as telling media that the coalition had targeted a centre used by the Houthi militias as a training camp.

The coalition accuses the Houthis of recruiting children to fight in the conflict that has claimed more than 6,400 people, half of them civilians, according to U.N. figures and displaced 2.5 million people.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen after the Houthis advanced on Aden in 2015, forcing Hadi and his government to flee the country.

The coalition and Hadi's forces have made some gains, driving the Houthis out of a few cities but have so far failed to achieve a victory against the group.
Brexit vote to have "limited" economic impact on Germany - Bundesbank

FRANKFURT, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Britain's vote to leave the European Union should have limited immediate economic impact on Germany, the country's central bank said on Monday, noting the mood among enterpreneurs remained positive.

The Bundesbank expects the German economy to have continued to expand over the summer, underpinned by exports, industrial production, construction and consumer spending.

"Against the background of an intense public debate about the economic effects of the announced exit of the United Kingdom from the EU, German companies' positive expectations have so far only been modestly dampened," the Bundesbank said in its monthly report.

"This supports the view that the economic consequences of the Brexit vote for Germany will be limited, at least in the short term."

Germany's gross domestic product grew by 0.4 percent in the three months to June, data showed last week.
EUROPE POWER-Spot up on tighter nuclear, end of holiday

FRANKFURT, Aug 15 (Reuters) - European spot power rose on Monday on expectations for higher demand after the Assumption Day holiday in many parts of the region, tight wind supply and some nuclear outages.

"These factors override more solar and thermal supply," one trader said.

The Assumption Day holidy ends by Tuesday, pushing up consumption while a period of sunny weather is expected to be accompanied by slow wind speeds, curbing production.

German baseload for Tuesday delivery was up 2.8 euros from Monday's 30.25 euros ($33.78) per megawatt-hour (MWh) while the equivalent French contract was up 5.3 euros at 30.3 euros.

In the nuclear sector in Germany, the Grohnde reactor is due to restart on Aug. 15 and gradually resume full load thereafter.

In Switzerland, some 71 percent of the country's total nuclear capacity is offline now that the Muehleberg reactor has shut for annual maintenance as planned.

France saw a drop of 4.2 percentage points in nuclear availability to 64.3 percent of the potential maximum compared with Friday.

German wind power production will be below 2 gigawatts (GW) a day throughout this working week, compared with 6 GW recorded on Friday, Thomson Reuters data showed.

Solar output will more than treble to 7 GW on Tuesday compared with Friday levels and remain around 6 to 7 GW this week.

Combined demand in Germany and France will rise by 9.3 GW on Tuesday to 100 GW, owing to the holiday effect.

Forward power prices edged higher, driven by firmer oil and coal but slack trading in fuel markets around the region limited gains.

German baseload power for delivery next year, nudged 5 cents up to 27 euros/MWh, but was down from an earlier session high of 27.3 euros, the highest level in two weeks.

The equivalent French contract was in a 32.35 to 32.5 euros bid-ask range, having last closed at 32.50 euros.

Oil prices rose to their highest levels this month as speculation intensified about potential producer action to support prices.

European coal for 2017 delivery was up 1.5 percent, narrowly above the $60 level at $60.1 a tonne.

Front-year EU carbon allowances prices were flat at 4.9 euros per tonne.

In eastern European power, the Czech year-ahead position was untraded after a 27.8 euros/MWh close, while the day-ahead price was 1.65 euros up at 31.25 euros.
Only special Russian decree could bar Rosneft from Bashneft sale -ministry letter

LONDON/MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russia's Economy Ministry has advised Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev he would have to issue an unprecedented special decree if he wants to bar state-controlled oil major Rosneft from the privatisation of a mid-sized energy group, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

The planned auction of a 50 percent stake in state-owned oil producer Bashneft later this year will pit some of Russia's most powerful businessmen, executives and officials against each other if Rosneft and other state-controlled groups are allowed to participate.

The sale is designed to plug holes in the government budget caused by a slump in oil prices and Western sanctions imposed over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

However, the interest shown by Rosneft, whose head Igor Sechin is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, has drawn criticism from some government officials who have said this would essentially involve the state transferring assets from one firm to another.

Rosneft argues its involvement would boost competition and the price the government can fetch for Bashneft.

Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and some other officials have opposed the idea of allowing Rosneft to take part but Putin - who holds the ultimate say-so over such major decisions in Russia - has so far stayed silent on the subject.

Rosneft has said it is considering a bid for Bashneft, which produces around 20 million tonnes of oil a year. If it goes head, Sechin is likely to be up against Vagit Alekperov, one of Russia's richest men whose private group Lukoil is interested in buying all of the company.

In its letter to Medvedev, dated Aug. 10, the Economy Ministry said the government has no legal grounds for stopping state-controlled groups such as Rosneft from bidding.

"It is possible to set additional criteria to limit the participation in the transaction of entities directly or indirectly controlled by the state ... based only on a separate decree by the government," it said.

The economy ministry was not immediately available for comment.

HOTLY-C0NTESTED AUCTION

The letter gave no indication of Medvedev's views on the issue. But if such a decree were issued, it would be a setback for Sechin and would leave Lukoil, Rosneft's main rival, as the main contender to buy Bashneft.

Lukoil has said it would not overpay for the company, whose market capitalisation is around $10 billion. Lukoil says it values the firm at no more than $4.0-$4.5 billion.

If the government decided against issuing such an order, it would turn the Bashneft privatisation into one of Russia's most hotly contested auctions of the past decade and could allow Sechin to expand his giant firm further.

Russia also plans to sell a minority stake of 19.5 percent in Rosneft to reduce its budget deficit.

Sechin argues that Rosneft's participation would increase competition at the Bashneft auction. Rosneft became the world's largest listed oil producer by output in 2013 when it acquired Anglo-Russian oil company TNK-BP for $55 billion.

The economy ministry's letter to Medvedev cites a letter from Sechin to the ministry from Aug. 5 as saying that if Rosneft were banned from the privatisation it could see its shares fall and possibly draw law suits from its minority shareholders.

Sechin also argues that if Rosneft were allowed to purchase Bashneft, it would create synergies of around 160 billion roubles ($2.5 billion) and result in higher revenues for the government when the Rosneft stake is sold.

Rosneft declined to comment.

Russia appointed state-controlled bank VTB Capital as its agent to sell Bashneft. VTB has invited around 10 potential bidders including state-controlled Gazprom, Tatneft and the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
Austria arrests two after arson attack on Turkish cultural centre

VIENNA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Two suspects have been arrested in connection with an attempt to set fire to a Turkish cultural centre in the northern Austrian town of Wels, police said on Monday, at a time of heightened tension between Vienna and Ankara.

The attack took place in early morning and the suspects, whom police declined to identify, were arrested immediately.

Turks are one of Austria's biggest immigrant communities, with more than 100,000 Turkish nationals registered in the country of 8.7 million people.

Wels, which has roughly 60,000 inhabitants, is also Austria's biggest town to have a mayor from the anti-immigration Freedom Party.

"An incendiary device was thrown through a pane of glass into the centre's premises. The incendiary device extinguished by itself and there was barely any property damage," a provincial police spokesman said, suggesting the device was a petrol bomb.

Austria has been sharply critical of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's clampdown on supporters of a U.S.-based cleric whom he blames for last month's failed coup attempt.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has accused Erdogan of failing to adhere to democratic standards and suggested that the European Union should end accession talks with Turkey.
Sri Lanka arrests son of former leader Rajapaksa

COLOMBO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Sri Lankan financial crime police arrested the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said, the latest legal difficulty for the once-powerful family.

Sri Lanka's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, faces pressure to act on allegations of corruption dating back to the Rajapaksa era, especially from civil society organisations who backed his successful bid to oust Rajapaksa last year.

The son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a member of parliament, had been questioned by officers from the Financial Crimes Investigations Division investigating some money he had invested in two companies, the lawyer said.

"He was arrested by police under the anti-money laundering act. He will be produced before a court in a while," lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatta told Reuters.

Neither Namal Rajapaksa nor family members were immediately available for comment but they have in the past all publicly denied wrongdoing.

It was the second time he had been arrested.

In July, he was arrested in connection with a separate case on suspicion of misappropriating of funds in a $650-million apartment project and was released on bail after seven days in detention on remand.

Namal's uncle, the former president's brother, Basil Rajapaksa, who headed the economic development ministry, has also been arrested three times - twice over suspicion of misuse of anti-poverty funds and a once over suspicion of laundering money.

He too has denied any wrongdoing.

Since he took power in January 2015 after winning a presidential election, President Sirisena has launched a series of investigations into deals cleared by his predecessor and several members of his family.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was president for a decade until January 2015 and is now an opposition legislator.

He is popular among ethnic majority Sinhala Buddhists who credit him with ending a 26-year-war against ethnic minority Tamil separatist rebels in 2009.
Thailand avoids linking bloody insurgency to tourist site blasts

By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Andrew R.C. Marshall

BANGKOK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Within hours of last week's deadly bomb and arson attacks in Thailand, police and senior officials publicly ruled out any link to foreign militants and insisted the perpetrators, as yet unidentified, were homegrown.

But they also doubted the involvement of Thailand's most violent homegrown militants: the Malay-Muslim insurgents fighting a bloody separatist war in the country's three southernmost provinces, where similar bombings are grimly routine.

The official denial was unsurprising, said security experts. Admitting that southern insurgents could be involved in last week's attacks would have serious economic and security implications for Thailand.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the wave of bombings on Thursday and Friday that killed four people and wounded dozens, including foreign tourists.

But some security experts have noted that southern insurgent groups have a track record for carrying out coordinated bombing attacks.

Since 2004, a low-intensity but brutal war between government troops and insurgents has killed more than 6,500 people in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat that border Malaysia.

Most people there are ethnic Malay Muslims, who for decades have chafed under the rule of Buddhist-dominated governments in faraway Bangkok.

Last week's attacks had "nothing to do with the southern insurgency," Colonel Yuthanam Phetmuang, a spokesman for the military's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) told Reuters.

Yuthanam denied the police were too quick to reach this conclusion, insisting it was based on "evidence collected and experience". He declined to elaborate further.

POLITICAL MOTIVATIONS

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, also Thailand's defence minister, told reporters on Monday the attacks were "definitely not an extension" of the southern insurgency, but said the perpetrators "could have been hired from there".

Security experts told Reuters that southern insurgents should remain the chief suspects, and questioned the government's political motivations for so hastily ruling them out.

Admitting the possible involvement of insurgents would mean that violence, once largely contained in the south, was "spreading to other parts of the country," said Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, an independent analyst who has written two books on the conflict.

"This could have a potentially huge economic impact," she said.

If perpetrated by the insurgents, the attacks constituted the biggest and deadliest campaign yet outside their traditional area of operations, she said.

It could also indicate that security operations in the south had "seriously failed," despite the military taking complete control after seizing power in a 2014 coup, she added.

Rungrawee stressed that the involvement of southern militants in the recent attacks "remains a hypothesis".

NEW CONSTITUTION

The attacks came days after Thailand voted to accept a new constitution that paves the way for an election in 2017 and, say critics, enshrines the military's already considerable power.

Thailand's deputy national police chief on Sunday said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details.

Police on Monday said they had arrested one man for arson.

Suspicion over the attacks has also fallen on forces loyal to former populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled in a 2006 coup. His sister, Yingluck, who took power after a winning a general election in 2011, was ousted in a 2014 coup.

His "red shirt" supporters denied they were behind the attacks. Security experts have said the involvement of the group, which is intensely monitored by the military, is highly unlikely.

Most Thais voters accepted the military's constitution, but those in the three southern provinces overwhelmingly rejected it.

Analyst Rungrawee said this reflected deep local resentment of the Thai military and government.

TOURISTS TARGETED BEFORE

Violent incidents, including roadside bombings and shootings, take place almost daily in the southern border provinces

But they have spiked considerably so far this month, with 88 incidents of violence just in the first 10 days of August in the three southern provinces and neighbouring Songkhla province, according to Deep South Watch (DSW), a Pattani-based group which monitors the conflict.

This compared with 32 incidents in all of August 2015, the lowest level of violence for 12 years.

Southern insurgents have targeted tourist sites before. Thirteen people were killed and more than 300 wounded in March 2012 when multiple bombs went off in Yala and Hat Yai, a bustling commercial centre north of the three southern provinces popular with Malaysian visitors.

Peace talks between the Thai government and a handful of insurgent groups began in 2013 under the civilian government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, but have stalled since the military overthrew her.

Hardliners from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (National Revolutionary Front, or BRN) have largely rejected the negotiations.
Several wounded in explosion in Turkey's southeast - sources

DIYARBAKIR, Aug 15 (Reuters) - An explosion rocked an area outside Turkey's largest southeastern city of Diyarbakir on Monday, security sources said, and Dogan news agency reported that several people were wounded.

Ambulances were rushed to the scene, Dogan said. The area where the explosion hit is on a road between Diyarbakir and the district of Bismil, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) east, the security sources said.
Six people killed in PKK car bombing in Turkey's southeast -deputy PM

By Seyhmus Cakan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A car bomb killed six people including four police officers and a child outside a police station in southeastern Turkey on Monday, according to senior government officials who blamed the attack on Kurdish militants.

Twenty-one people, some of the police officers, were wounded in the bombing on a busy road between the city of Diyarbakir, the region's largest, and the district of Bismil, Deputy Prime Ministers Numan Kurtulmus said.

The blast blew out the police station's windows and left the building's twisted metal frame exposed through the concrete and its roof partially collapsed, footage on CNN Turk television showed. There was also a crater in the ground outside.

The dead included a civilian adult and a child of one of the police officers killed.

Turkey's southeast has suffered some of the most intense fighting in decades since a ceasefire between the Turkish state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) collapsed in July 2015.

Monday marks the anniversary of the PKK taking up arms against the state 32 years ago. The group, which wants autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union and United States.

The PKK launched its insurgency with simultaneous attacks on security forces in the southeastern towns of Eruh and Semdinli on Aug. 15, 1984. More than 40,000 people - militants, security forces and civilians - have been killed since.
Turkey expects Syrian Kurdish forces to withdraw after Manbij operation -minister

ANKARA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Turkey expects Syrian Kurdish YPG forces to withdraw east of the Euphrates river after they and other U.S.-backed forces seized control of the Syrian town of Manbij from Islamic State fighters, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Monday.
New York man charged in slaying of Muslim imam, assistant

By Chris Prentice

NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A New York man was charged on Monday with second-degree murder in the deaths of a New York Muslim imam and his assistant, who were gunned down at the weekend, a police spokesman said.

The charges against Oscar Morel, 35, of Brooklyn, came just hours after hundreds of mourners gathered for the outdoor funeral of the two men. The killings in the borough of Queens had shocked the neighborhood's Bangladeshi community.

Morel was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, the police spokesman said.

He also was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The spokesman did not disclose any possible motive for the shooting.

Morel had been questioned by police following his arrest on charges related to a hit-and-run traffic accident on Saturday, the day of the shootings.

Akonjee and Uddin were shot in the head at close range after Saturday prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in Queens' Ozone Park section.

Police told a briefing before the charges were announced that a suspect being questioned was an Hispanic man from Brooklyn.

Police said there was still no known connection between the man being questioned and the murder victims.

"We believe because of the evidence we have acquired thus far that ... this is the individual," New York City Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said when asked if he could reassure the rattled community.

Speaker after speaker at the funeral had implored authorities to investigate the murders as hate crimes and to step up efforts to protect mosques and parts of the city like Ozone Park where many Muslims live and work.

"We want justice," Badrul Kahn, founder of the Al-Furqan mosque, shouted to the crowd in the service's opening speech.

"We want justice," responded the mourners, most of them men dressed in Islamic garb.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, addressing the funeral, promised the city would bolster the police presence in the neighborhood even though the motive behind the killings was still unclear.

Police had said earlier that there was no evidence the men were targeted because of their faith but nothing was being ruled out.
Firecrackers spark stampede in French seaside town

PARIS, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Firecrackers sparked panic in a Mediterranean seaside town late on Sunday, sending a stampede of people fleeing what they feared was a gun attack, injuring dozens, French media reported.

Just a month after an attack in nearby Nice in which 85 people were killed by a truck deliberately driven into a crowd, locals and tourists in Juan-les-Pins mistook the loud bangs for gunfire and 41 were injured in the rush to get away.

Photos and video posted online showed overturned tables outside cafes that would have been full of people enjoying an evening drink in the upscale beach resort. Le Parisien newspaper reported the firecrackers had been thrown from a passing car.

Eyewitness video showed people rushing and yelling and pictures showed the injured on stretchers, with ambulances at the scene, lights flashing.

The Alpes Maritimes fire brigade said on its Facebook page that 21 people had been treated and discharged from hospital and the remaining 20 would be released soon.

Around France, people are on edge, security is tight and several events have been cancelled following a string of attacks over the past two years.

The government has maintained a state of emergency put in place after 130 people were killed in Islamist attacks in Paris in November.
OPEC deal a tough task, as oil output freeze expectations rise

By Rania El Gamal and Alex Lawler

DUBAI/LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - OPEC will probably revive talks on freezing oil output levels when it meets non-OPEC nations next month as top exporter Saudi Arabia appears to want higher prices, according to OPEC sources, although Iran, Iraq and Russia present obstacles to a deal.

Riyadh sharply raised expectations for a global production deal between on Thursday when Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said Saudi Arabia will work with OPEC and non-OPEC members to help stabilise oil markets.

"The comments by the Saudi energy minister give a positive indication that they are willing to go for a freeze deal but the question remains: on what level?" said an OPEC source from a key Middle Eastern producer.

"Will the freeze be at January levels? And what about Iran?And then there is Nigeria, which has lost a lot of production since January," the source added.

Only days after Falih's remarks, Energy Minister Alexander Novak was quoted as saying Russia is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, adding that the door is still open for more discussions on output freeze, if needed.

Saudi Arabia, together with Russia and the United States a rival for the position of the world's top oil producer, boosted output to 10.67 million barrels per day in July from 10.2 million in January, when the freeze idea first emerged.

Since 2014, Saudi Arabia, OPEC's de facto leader, has been raising output to drive higher cost producers out of the market and win back share from rivals such as the United States, where output soared on the back of the high oil price of the past decade.

As a result, oil prices collapsed to $27 per barrel in January from as high as $115 in mid-2014, capping output of the United States but also hitting hard Saudi Arabia's budget and resulting in a record fiscal deficit for Riyadh.

A previous attempt to freeze output at January levels to support prices collapsed in April after Saudi Arabia said it wanted all producers, including regional rival Iran, to join the initiative.

Tehran argues it needs to regain market share lost during years of Western sanctions, which have been only softened in January.

Over the past few months, Iran, OPEC's third biggest producer, has boosted output close to pre-sanctions levels and has repeatedly signalled it has no plans to join the freeze initiative.

"I do not see any real chance," a source familiar with Iranian oil thinking said on Saturday in reference to the prospect of a freeze deal in September.

OPEC members will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria on Sept. 26-28.

"However, if prices go down further, some OPEC members will try to send positive signals to the market to keep prices at least at current levels," the source added.

IRAQ OUTPUT GAINS

Iranian oil minister Bijan Zanganeh said in parliament last week he wanted to take the country's output to 4.6 million bpd within 5 years - much above the current 3.6 million bpd and pre-sanction levels of 3.8-4.0 million bpd.

But since the collapse of freeze talks in April, Iran is no longer the only obstacle to the deal.

Iraq, OPEC's second largest producer, which in April was saying it would support the deal, has since agreed with oil majors on new contract terms to develop its massive fields, which will allow output to rise further next year by up to 350,000 bpd.

Nigeria and Libya could present further complicating factors, delegates said. Nigeria's output hit its lowest in over two decades this year due to attacks on oil sites and Libya is pumping a fraction of the pre-conflict level - raising the question of what level they should limit supplies at.

While Nigeria supported April's freeze initiative, Libya declined to join the talks.

Russia, which back in April was ready to freeze production in the first coordinated action with OPEC since 2001, also signalled it was no longer very keen on a dialogue and would continue boosting output.

Its output currently hovers near an all time high of 10.85 and Russian officials expect it to edge up further next year.

And even Saudi Arabia itself has raised its output to record levels in July, which Falih has explained was due to rising seasonal domestic demand and customers asking for more oil worldwide.

These increases arise as countries which usually do not join any global actions such as North American producers are expected to add more barrels. The International Energy Agency expects non-OPEC output to rise by 300,000 bpd next year after a decline of 900,000 bpd in 2015 as North American output stabilises.

Hence, persuading countries such as Iran, Iraq and Russia to return to output controls will be a difficult task for Riyadh but a worst option would be to raise expectations of a deal that doesn't happen, like in April.
Zambia's opposition rejects presidential election result

LUSAKA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Zambia's main opposition party has rejected the result of a presidential election awarded to incumbent President Edgar Lungu on Monday, claiming the electoral commission colluded to rig the vote against its candidate Hakainde Hichilema.

"We have evidence to the effect that the votes for Hakainde Hichilema have been deliberately reduced in collusion with the Electoral Commission of Zambia," the United Party for National Development's lawyer Jack Mwiimbu told journalists.
Magnitude 5.3 quake in southern Peru kills at least 4

LIMA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A 5.3 magnitude earthquake in southern Peru killed at least four people and injured more than two dozen, authorities said on Monday.

At least 40 houses were destroyed by the Sunday quake, the country's National Civil Defense Institute said on Monday.

The quake, in the Caylloma province of the copper-producing region Arequipa, struck 8 kilometers (5 miles) deep at 9:58 p.m. local time (0258 GMT) on Sunday, the Geophysical Institute of Peru said.
Russia says close to starting joint military action with USA in Aleppo - RIA

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are close to starting joint military action against militants in the Syrian city of Aleppo, the RIA news agency on Monday cited Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

"We are now in a very active phase of negotiations with our American colleagues," Shoigu was cited as saying.
Russia's Lavrov says Syrian militants using ceasefires to regroup

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that Syrian rebels had used temporary ceasefires in and around Aleppo to regroup and rearm.

Lavrov, speaking at a news conference in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said he realised that brief daily ceasefires in place now to allow aid to enter and civilians to leave were not sufficient.

But he said it was difficult to make the ceasefires longer for the moment because of the risk of militants using them to regroup and rearm, something he said they had done in the past.

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said the hardships faced by people in Aleppo could not be alleviated by announcing three-hour ceasefires.

"It's supposed to sound like a concession but it's actually cynicism, because everybody knows that this amount of time is nowhere near sufficient to actually build up supplies for the desperate people there," he told a government news conference.

He said the killing in Aleppo had to stop and the city needed to receive food and medical items without hindrance.

Seibert said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia, an ally of Assad against rebels in Syria's five-year-old civil war, were largely responsible for the situation in the city:

"It's primarily their decision whether there will be further deaths or whether the people there get help and hope after months of suffering."
Chad president appoints new ministers to tackle security, economic woes

By Madjiasra Nako

N'DJAMENA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Chad's president has appointed new ministers of defense, finance and oil, in a bid to address persistent insecurity and improve its faltering economy.

Bichara Issa Djadallah was named defense minister, according to statement on the presidency's website. He returns to a post he held in 2008 when the country faced rebel attacks from its eastern border with Sudan.

Mbogo Ngabo Seli, a former official with the Bank of Central African States, was named finance minister, and Bechir Madet, a lawyer with close ties to the president, became head of the oil ministry.

President Idriss Deby made the appointments after he was inaugurated last week for his fifth term in office.

Prime Minister Pahimi Padacke Alber and the rest of the government kept their posts.

The International Monetary Fund expects Chad's economy to contract by 1.1 percent this year because of the weak oil market and regional insecurity. The country produces more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day and has been hit by low crude prices.

The 64-year-old Deby, who won a lopsided first-round victory in an April election, has become an important ally of the West in the fight against Islamist militants in west Africa .

A former French colony, Chad hosts the headquarters of France's regional anti-militant operation, known as Barkhane, and its 3,000 troops.

Chad's army, one of the region's strongest, now plays a key role in efforts to combat neighbouring Nigeria's Boko Haram, an Islamic State affiliate. It also confronts attacks by the group on its own soil.

More than 100,000 people in Chad do not have enough to eat, because of being forced to flee and disruptions to commerce, according to aid agencies.
Russia says close to joint military action with US in Aleppo - agencies

By Lidia Kelly

MOSCOW, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Russia and the United States are close to starting joint military action against militants in Syria's Aleppo, Russian news agencies on Monday quoted Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

Fighting for control of the divided city of some 2 million people has intensified in recent weeks and there have been some gains for rebel groups battling Syrian government forces .

Russia backs Syrian President Bashar al Assad in the five-year-old Syria conflict, while the United States wants to see Assad step down. But both are participating in talks to try to find a political solution to end the civil war.

Senior Russian and U.S. military officials have held Geneva negotiations on Aleppo and on restoring an overall ceasefire, U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said last Thursday.

"We are now in a very active phase of negotiations with our American colleagues," the RIA news agency cited Shoigu as saying. "We are moving step by step closer to a plan - and I'm only talking about Aleppo here - that would really allow us to start fighting together to bring peace so that people can return to their homes in this troubled land."

Asked about Shoigu's remarks, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters in Washington: "We have seen the reports and have nothing to announce ... We remain in close contact (with Russian officials)."

Trudeau said the United States continued to push for a broader cessation of Syria hostilities accord with Russia.

The battle for Aleppo is "one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times," Peter Maurer, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said on Monday.

"No one and nowhere is safe. Shellfire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear. Children have been traumatized. The scale of the suffering is immense," Maurer said in a statement.

The ICRC reiterated its call on all warring parties to allow humanitarian agencies to deliver supplies to civilians in desperate need of food and clean water across Aleppo.

Russia has delivered aid to Aleppo and is helping to rebuild damaged water pumping stations, Shoigu said. About 700,000 people are still living in Aleppo and residents in the eastern part of the city were "hostages of armed groups", he added.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Syrian militants had used a temporary ceasefire around Aleppo to regroup.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia should play a more active role in helping to resolve the Syria crisis.

"(They should) sit down at the table and negotiate," Bogdanov told RIA news agency, saying he would meet representatives of the Syrian opposition in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Aug. 16.
E.ON to compensate UK customers after gas meter mix-up

By Nerijus Adomaitis

Aug 15 (Reuters) - British gas suppliers may have to compensate hundreds of their customers who were overcharged because of a mix-up involving metric and imperial measurements, with one having paid too much for 15 years.

German utility E.ON, the first utility to admit the mistake, said it would compensate around 350 residential and business consumers in Britain. The company confirmed there was one example which had gone on for 15 years, but said most involved shorter periods.

"Each case is being dealt with on an individual basis," E.ON spokesman Scott Somerville said, declining to say how much the problems would cost the company.

Rivals Scottish Power, EDF Energy and SSE also indicated that small numbers of their customers could have been affected.

"It was generally because customers with a metric meter had been registered as having an imperial meter or vice versa," E.ON said in a statement.

"This mistake meant ...customers either being overcharged or undercharged."

The errors further dent the image of the supply industry after a two-year investigation found that providers have overcharged customers because of uncompetitive standard energy tariffs.

E.ON said it would compensate around 350 customers in full and pay interest. About 250 households who had been undercharged would not be asked to pay anything.

"It's good to see that E.ON is doing the right and fair thing, by coming forward and compensating its affected customers, and other suppliers should follow suit," said Margot James, the minister responsible for small business.

UK energy market regulator Ofgem said the number of customers affected was "very small". Ofgem has asked other gas suppliers to check their systems and to report back by the end of the week.

There were around 21 million domestic gas consumers in Britain in March, and E.ON had 11 percent retail market share, Ofgem's data showed.

"It's an industry wide issue," said an official at one British utility.

Scottish Power, owned by Spain's Iberdrola, said the company believed about 100 customers out of 2.2 million could be affected.

"We are now in the process of directly contacting these customers, and ensuring that any overpayments can be corrected," a spokesman for the utility said.

French-owned EDF Energy, another gas supplier, said it has been working with Ofgem and the industry to agree a consistent approach to resolve the issue "for the very small number of affected gas customers".
Give us EU visa freedom in October or abandon migrant deal, Turkey says

By Michelle Martin and Humeyra Pamuk

BERLIN/ISTANBUL, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Turkey could walk away from its promise to stem the flow of illegal migrants to Europe if the European Union fails to grant Turks visa-free travel to the bloc in October, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a German newspaper.

His comments in Bild's Monday edition coincide with rising tensions between Ankara and the West that have been exacerbated by the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15. Turkey is incensed by what it sees as an insensitive response from Western allies to the failed putsch, in which 240 people were killed.

Long wary of Turkey's ambitions to join the EU, Europe has been alarmed by the crackdown since the coup, fearing President Tayyip Erdogan is using purges to quash dissent. The unease has relations between Turkey and Austria and Sweden. Ankara has summoned diplomats from both countries to protest what it says are false reports about changes to its child abuse laws.

Asked whether hundreds of thousands of refugees in Turkey would head to Europe if the EU did not grant Turks visa freedom from October, Cavusoglu told Bild: "I don't want to talk about the worst case scenario - talks with the EU are continuing but it's clear that we either apply all treaties at the same time or we put them all aside."

Visa-free access to the EU - the main reward for Ankara's collaboration in choking off an influx of migrants into Europe - has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, as well as the post-coup crackdown.

Brussels wants Turkey to soften the anti-terrorism law. Ankara says it cannot do so, given multiple security threats which include Islamic State militants in neighbouring Syria and Kurdish militants in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast.

European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has said he does not see the EU granting Turks visa-free travel this year due to Ankara's crackdown, which has included the round-up of more than 35,000 over alleged involvement in the coup.

Cavusoglu said the migration deal with the EU stipulated that all Turks would get visa freedom in October, adding: "It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothing in return."

A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the interview directly but said the EU continued to work together with Turkey in all areas of cooperation.

SWEDEN, AUSTRIA

Since the coup, more than 17,000 people have been placed under formal arrest, and tens of thousands more suspended from their jobs. Turkish authorities blame the failed putsch on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers. Gulen denies involvement and has condemned the coup attempt.

Cavusoglu told reporters that the Ankara government had summoned Sweden's ambassador to protest at comments from Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, a day after it hauled in Austria's charge d'affaires.

"(The) Turkish decision to allow sex with children under 15 must be reversed. Children need more protection, not less, against violence, sex abuse," Wallstrom wrote on her official Twitter account.

Cavusoglu dismissed her comments as "the result of racism and anti-Islam sentiment in Europe ... It is a scandal for a foreign minister to tweet something like this based on false rumours. It is worrying that this campaign of lies, which started in Austria, has spread to Sweden."

Her comments were in reference to a decision by Turkey's constitutional court last month to remove a provision in the penal code which identifies all sexual acts against children under the age of 15 as "sexual abuse".

A Turkish official said the claim that sexual abuse of children under 15 would now go unpunished was "completely baseless" and that new legislation would go into effect before the court ruling does to plug any legal loopholes.

On Sunday, Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires to protest at a headline on an electronic news ticker at the airport in Vienna that allegedly read, "Turkey allows sex with children under the age of 15". Austrian officials played down the matter as one of freedom of the press.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said the publication of such "slandering" news reports were encouraged by recent comments from Austrian politicians.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern has said the EU should end accession talks with Turkey, prompting Cavusoglu to refer to Austria as the "capital of radical racism". On Monday, Kern said that if the EU broke off accession talks with Turkey, this should not impact the migrant deal.
Republicans seek Trump presidency votes in Israel

By Ori Lewis

JERUSALEM, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Israeli branch of the U.S. Republican party began a campaign on Monday to get American voters living in Israel to cast absentee ballots in favour of Donald Trump.

According to the Israeli chapter of the Republican party, around 300,000 Americans are eligible to vote in the November presidential elections. They live in Israel or in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Marc Zell, the head of Republicans Overseas Israel branch, said the campaign aimed to rekindle interest in U.S. politics among second- and third-generation citizens, many of whom have children who will be eligible to vote for the first time.

"We want to try to attract new voters who perhaps in the past had no special interest in voting in the U.S. elections," Zell told Reuters.

Tzvika Brot, who is heading the campaign, estimated that about three-quarters of American-Israelis would support the Republican party.

A Democratic party representative in Israel disputed that estimate, telling Israel Radio the majority of Israeli and U.S. Jewish voters had always preferred the Democrats.

A poll of Jewish Israelis conducted in May found 40 percent of respondents backed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and 31 percent supported Trump. The poll didn't specify whether those who responded were eligible to vote in the U.S. election.

The pro-Trump drive opened at a shopping mall in the central Israeli town of Modiin and will focus on areas with high concentrations of American-Israelis. Brot said he hoped the new votes being sought might help tip the balance in swing states.

Trump, who has accused the administration of President Barack Obama of lacklustre support for Israel, won his party's nomination for the presidency last month. He has rejected last year's nuclear deal with Iran and called for more investment in missile defence in Europe.

His views, including a vow to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and a proposal to impose a temporary ban on Muslims seeking to enter the country, have polarized the Republican party and caused widespread consternation.
MIDEAST STOCKS-Gulf markets diverge, Egypt settles at 14-month high

By Celine Aswad

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Stock markets in Dubai, Qatar and Egypt climbed to multi-month highs on Monday but Saudi Arabia was dragged lower by banking shares vulnerable to economic pressures due to low oil prices.

Dubai's index rose 1.0 percent to end at 3,602 points, just below technical resistance at its April peak of 3,605 points, as trading volume more than doubled from Sunday, a positive technical signal. Any break of resistance would point up to the October peak of 3,740 points.

Emaar Properties added 1.4 percent to 7.44 dirhams, taking its gains over the last week to 7.8 percent. The stock confirmed a break of resistance on the October peak of 7.01 dirhams, triggering a major reverse head & shoulders pattern formed by the highs and lows since August 2015 and pointing up in the very long term to around 9.75 dirhams.

The Gulf's only listed exchange, Dubai Financial Market , gained 3.8 percent in its heaviest trade since May 3.

But builder Drake & Scull, the most heavily traded stock, dropped 3.7 percent after reporting a second-quarter net loss attributable to owners of the parent of 207.6 million dirhams ($56.6 million), versus a profit of 10.3 million dirhams a year earlier. EFG Hermes had forecast a quarterly loss of 11.4 million dirhams.

In Abu Dhabi, the index climbed 0.7 percent with main support from large-cap bank shares. National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Union National Bank each added 1.2 percent.

Qatar's index recouped early losses to close 0.7 percent higher at a fresh nine-month peak of 11,128 points as most blue chips gained. Islamic lender Masraf Al Rayan added 1.5 percent and Ooredoo climbed 2.5 percent.

The index is now up 6.6 percent year-to-date as international funds have flowed into Qatari equities. But some shares, such as Qatar National Bank, which edged down 0.2 percent to 158.00 riyals on Monday, are now considered fairly valued. According to Thomson Reuters data, the mean target price of 10 analysts for QNB is 158.71 riyals.

EGYPT, SAUDI ARABIA

Cairo's main index rose 1.2 percent to a 14-month closing high of 8,454 points. Arabian Cement jumped 4.1 percent in unusually heavy trade. The stock is owned to a large degree by international funds including Morgan Stanley Investment Management and Ashburton.

Commercial International Bank, another stock favoured by foreign investors, rose 3.2 percent, taking its gains over the last week to 5.2 percent.

The market's index has advanced 2.0 percent since Egypt announced on Thursday that it had reached preliminary agreement on a three-year, $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

GB Auto, which rose 1.6 percent on Sunday after posting strong second-quarter earnings, dropped 2.4 percent on Monday.

In Saudi Arabia, the index failed to hold onto early gains and closed 0.3 percent lower as banking shares weighed on the bourse; heavyweight National Commercial Bank fell 0.5 percent.

Some analysts are concerned about the financial difficulties of major construction firm Saudi Oger, which could pressure suppliers around the sector and the banks which lend to them; financial website Maaal quoted unnamed economists as saying 300 billion riyals ($80 billion) of debt could be vulnerable.

Investors are also concerned by the pressures on liquidity at banks due to low oil prices. After King Salman on Sunday ordered a month's extra pay for Saudi military and security personnel actively involved in military operations in Yemen, the central bank issued a statement on Monday saying this would not compromise the banking system in any way.

But the petrochemical sector was resilient after this week's rise in oil prices, with the sub-index adding 0.2 percent as Brent oil futures traded over $47 a barrel.

MONDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

SAUDI ARABIA

* The index fell 0.3 percent to 6,358 points.

DUBAI

* The index gained 1.0 percent to 3,602 points.

ABU DHABI

* The index rose 0.7 percent to 4,560 points.

EGYPT

* The index added 1.2 percent to 8,454 points.

QATAR

* The index gained 0.7 percent to 11,128 points.

KUWAIT

* The index edged down 0.1 percent to 5,492 points.

OMAN

* The index edged down 0.1 percent to 5,907 points.

BAHRAIN

* The index added 0.1 percent to 1,159 points.
Air strike on Yemen hospital kills at least seven - residents, officials

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a hospital in Yemen's northern Hajja province on Monday, residents and local officials said, killing at least seven people and wounding 13.

A Reuters witness at the scene of the attack in the Abs district said medics could not immediately evacuate the wounded because war planes continued to fly over the area and first responders feared more bombings.
Austria arrests nine Iraqis over gang rape of German woman

VIENNA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Nine Iraqi asylum seekers and refugees have been arrested over the alleged gang rape of a 28-year-old German woman in Vienna on New Year's Day, Austrian police said on Monday, a case likely to fuel public debate over immigration and crime.

Austria has not seen scenes like those in the German city of Cologne on New Year's Eve, when hundreds of women told police they had been groped, attacked and robbed by mobs of men.

But immigrants have been accused of isolated sexual and other attacks committed in Austria, which has helped harden public opinion against an open-door policy towards migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and elsewhere, as the Cologne episode did in Germany.

The far-right Freedom Party, which is running first in opinion polls, has seized on cases in which immigrants have been accused of crimes to press for stricter immigration policies. Immigration is likely to be a central theme in the re-run of a presidential election on Oct. 2.

The nine Iraqi men arrested in Vienna and two other provinces over the weekend are aged between 21 and 47 years and deny any wrongdoing, a police spokesman said. All have either applied for, or been granted, asylum.

They are accused of assaulting the German woman, who was visiting a friend in Vienna, in an apartment where two of the men were staying.

"The presumed perpetrators are likely to have taken advantage of the female victim's high level of inebriation," the Vienna police said in a statement.

The woman, from the northern German state of Lower Saxony, was celebrating at a square in central Vienna and does not remember what happened between about 2 a.m. and when she woke in the apartment around 6 a.m., the police spokesman said.
Air strike on MSF hospital in Yemen kills at least 11 -aid group

DUBAI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A Saudi-led coalition air strike hit a hospital operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres in northern Yemen on Monday, killing at least 11 people and wounding 19, the aid group said.

A Reuters witness at the scene of the attack in the Abs district of Hajja province said medics could not immediately evacuate the wounded because war planes continued to fly over the area and emergency workers feared more bombings.

"The location of the hospital was well known, and the hospital's GPS coordinates were repeatedly shared with all parties to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition," the aid group also known as Doctors Without Borders, said in a statement.

It said one of its staff members was among those killed when an aerial bomb hit the hospital compound, also killing 10 patients.

"This is the fourth attack against an MSF facility in less than 12 months," the statement said.

"Even with the recent United Nations resolution calling for an end to attacks on medical facilities and high-level declarations of commitment to international humanitarian law, nothing seems to be done to make parties involved in the conflict in Yemen to respect medical staff and patients."

A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another air attack hit what MSF described as a school in neighbouring Saada province on Saturday, killing 10 children. The coalition said the bombing had targeted a training facility run by Yemen's dominant Houthi movement.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the air strike on Sunday and called for a investigation, which the coalition said it would conduct, according to a statement sent to Reuters.

Dozens of air strikes have hit civilians in Yemen since a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia began military operations in March 2015 to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power and roll back gains by the Iran-allied Houthis.

The Houthis and their allies in the General People's Congress (GPC) party headed by powerful ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh set up a ruling council this month to run the parts of the country they control.

In its first decree on Monday, the council declared itself the "highest authority in the state (which) exercises all the powers vested in the president."
South Sudan's president says will consider U.N. troops

By Denis Dumo

JUBA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - South Sudan will consider a United Nations plan to send in troops and stop the country's episode of violence, President Salva Kiir said on Monday, confirming a softer stance towards a U.N. vote to send in extra troops.

The U.N. Security Council authorised an extra 4,000 troops on Friday, something Kiir's spokesman immediately said the government would oppose. On Sunday, however, the information minister said the proposal would be considered.

"There are people who are accusing the transitional government of refusing and fighting the U.N. ... this is not accurate," Kiir said at a ceremony to reopen parliament.

"The transitional government has not met to declare its final position. Deliberations will come later on a final position," he said, without saying when the government might make a decision.

The U.N. decision was a reaction to days of fierce fighting in Juba, the country's capital last month. The violence raised fears of a slide back into civil war in the world's youngest nation, which gained independence in 2011.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said it had uncovered evidence of cold-blooded execution of civilians, including a journalist, by security forces during last month's fighting. The group also found evidence of civilians being raped by soldiers in the chaos of the fighting, it said on Monday.

The U.N. made similar accusations against the military earlier this month.

HRW criticised the U.N. for failing to impose a "long overdue arms embargo", calling for asset freezes and travel bans on those who carried out abuses. "The continued supply of arms only helps fuel the abuses on a larger scale," said Daniel Bekele, the group's Africa director.

Ateny Wek Ateny, the president's spokesman, said he could not comment since he was still going through the report.

Earlier, Kiir had said in his speech to parliament they were investigating reports of sexual assaults, calling them unacceptable.

At least two civilians and a soldier were killed in fighting southwest of the capital on Saturday between Kiir's forces and troops loyal to his former deputy, Riek Machar. Each side blamed the other for starting the violence.

The extra U.N. troops, described as a protection force that has the backing of African nations, will fall under the command of UNMISS, the existing 12,000-strong U.N. mission.

The U.N. resolution threatens South Sudan with an arms embargo if it does not cooperate.

Kiir said the government had serious concerns about the U.N. decision but was willing to discuss them to find the best way of "achieving our mutual interests".

Political differences between Kiir and Machar first erupted into conflict in late 2013. A peace deal ended the civil war in August 2015, but sporadic fighting continued.
Bangladesh police name third prime suspect in July cafe attack

By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Bangladeshi authorities named a third prime suspect on Monday in their investigation into the July 1 attack at a Dhaka cafe in which 20 hostages were killed, most of them foreigners.

Mohammed Saiful Islam from Dhaka's counterterrorism police said Nurul Islam Marjan, a commander from the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, had been identified on information from several different sources.

"We got this details and now we are verifying these information," Saiful, a senior officer, told Reuters.

Police have accused JMB of several attacks over the past 18 months that have ratcheted up fears about militancy. JMB says it is affiliated to Islamic State but the government insists Islamic State has no presence in Bangladesh.

On Thursday, police arrested five members of an Islamist militant group who, they said, were planning suicide attacks in the capital and counterterrorism chief, Monirul Islam, said the third prime suspect had been identified.

Police officers had swooped on a cell on Thursday in the outskirts of Dhaka and said the suspects, including four would-be bombers and a bomb-maker, had been sent to the capital to bolster the JMB's attack capability.

They were all from the northern part of Bangladesh.

Marjan had disappeared from his family's village in the northern Pabna district, 160 km (100 miles) from Dhaka, eight months ago and was studying Arabic at Chittagong University, police said. His father has been detained, they said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the cafe attack and, while the government has dismissed the claim, security experts say the scale and sophistication of the assault suggest links to trans-national networks.

Police say Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen and the prime suspect, is still at large in Dhaka. Analysts say Islamic State identified him in April as its national commander.
Sudan ceasefire talks collapse after less than a week

KHARTOUM, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Talks to secure a lasting ceasefire in Sudan's three warring regions under a road map for peace have collapsed less than a week after they began, the government's chief negotiator said on Monday.

Rebels have been fighting the Sudanese army in the southern regions of Kordofan and Blue Nile since 2011, when South Sudan declared independence. Conflict in Darfur, in the west, began in 2003 when mainly non-Arab tribes took up arms against the Arab-led government based in the capital Khartoum.

Last week, rebel and opposition groups agreed to a road map for ceasefire talks and political reconciliation brokered by the African Union and already accepted by the government - the first such agreement since the fighting began in the south of Sudan. Ceasefire talks began immediately after.

"Peace talks failed because of the lack of seriousness of the armed movements to reach a ceasefire agreement ... they are warlords invested in war," Ibrahim Mahmoud, the government's lead negotiator, said at Khartoum airport after returning from the peace talks in Addis Ababa.

"The main reason the negotiations broke down was the rebels' deal-breaking request that, following the ceasefire, humanitarian aid be delivered by airlift to rebel areas in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile from Ethiopia, South Sudan and Kenya. This was wholly rejected by the government delegation."

A spokesman for the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-North) said the talks had failed because "the government didn't want peace ... we put forward major concessions but the government remained set on its positions and was unwilling to concede anything".

He said the rebels had requested that some of the aid come from outside of Sudan to deny the government the ability to cut it off as it had on previous occasions in Darfur.

The road map sets out a process for reaching a permanent ceasefire and provides for a national dialogue between the government and both political and armed opposition groups. It also included provisions for immediate humanitarian assistance.

The signatories included two of the most prominent rebel groups -- the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the SPLM-North -- as well as the largest political opposition group, the Umma Party.

The Sudan Liberation Movement, a major rebel force in Darfur, and the Sudanese Communist Party refused to sign.
Bournemouth sign Ireland defender Wilson from Stoke

Aug 15 (Reuters) - Bounemouth have signed Ireland utility player Marc Wilson from fellow Premier League team Stoke City on a two-year deal, the south-coast club said on Monday.

The 28-year-old, who can play in defence or midfield, spent two loan spells at Bournemouth in 2007 when they were in the third tier and has signed for an undisclosed fee.

"I enjoyed my years at Stoke but I spoke with the manager Mark Hughes and we both agreed it was time to move on - I am excited now to start a new chapter in my career," Wilson told the club's website (www.afcb.co.uk).

"I didn't come to AFC Bournemouth to play in a team that's going to get relegated. I see a lot of positives in this team," he added. "The aim must be to finish better than we did last season - that would be a very good stepping stone."
Flooding disaster that killed seven in Louisiana now menaces Texas

By Bryn Stole

LIVINGSTON, La., Aug 15 (Reuters) - Overwhelmed rivers in much of southern Louisiana receded slowly from record levels on Monday while crews in boats searched for more people stranded in inundated homes after three days of torrential rains that killed seven people.

While the threat of flash flooding moved west into Texas, more than 11,000 Louisianans have signed up for disaster assistance. Many are waiting for the flood waters to drain away so they can determine what can be salvaged from their sodden homes and businesses.

Emergency crews already have rescued more than 20,000 people and continued to search for more after a storm dumped more than 2 feet (61 cm) of rain in three days.

Aerial photographs on Sunday showed houses inundated in mud-colored water with only their roofs visible while the bridge over the Amite River around Port Vincent, Louisiana, was almost underwater. People had become trapped overnight in their cars when the water rose on Saturday over parts of a major interstate around Baton Rouge.

While some rivers were receding on Monday, others downstream were still cresting.

"The water started rising three or four days ago and it's still coming up right now," said Lonnie Wells, 59, as he stood on flooded state highway in French Settlement, a town in southern Livingston Parish.

Wells said he would try to ride out the floods with his chickens, rabbits, goats and dogs, although neighbors urged him to flag down a passing Louisiana National Guard truck to get out.

The Louisiana flooding, which prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to issue a disaster declaration, resulted in seven deaths, National Weather Service meteorologist Jennifer McNatt said. Four occurred when people drove vehicles into high waters.

"IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE"

The flood waters were expected to linger.

"It is going to take a while for that water to make its way out," McNatt, who is based in Fort Worth, Texas, said in a telephone interview.

Rivers in Louisiana crested at record levels in multiple places, with the Amite River reaching 46.2 feet (14 meters) in Denham Springs, 5 feet (1.5 meters) higher than a 1983 record, McNatt said.

In flood-ravaged Livingston Parish, scores of people woke up on Monday in packed emergency shelters, sprawled out wherever they could find room. Emergency rescuers worked through the night to bring to safety people who were still stranded in roads in the middle of subdivisions, surrounded by flood water.

Pierre and Barbara Pitard, both 76, had just minutes to leave their home in Denham Springs as the water rose rapidly. The couple fled first to a neighbor's two-story house before moving on to a Walmart, a gas station and a community center. They were finally rescued by boat and carried to safety on Saturday night, the vessel rocking as it hit submerged pickup trucks on streets inundated by water.

Pierre Pitard accepted the damage to his home but fretted about the scope of the state's devastation.

"It's already under water," he said of his house. "I'm worried about how you go about getting it fixed because you've got thousands of people now with the exact same problems."

Some 11,000 people already have registered with the federal government's disaster assistance website, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards said in a Twitter post on Monday morning.
Canada will not reopen bomb analysis center closed in April

TORONTO, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said on Monday it will not reopen its bomb analysis center that was closed in April, rejecting a call to do so from a national law enforcement advocacy group that warned of a growing "threat of terrorism."

The Canadian Association of Police Governance passed a resolution in favor of the bomb center, which analyzed bomb data and how to handle explosives, on Sunday at its annual general meeting.

The resolution was passed less than a week after an alleged Islamic State supporter detonated an explosive device and was killed in a police raid in Strathroy, a town in southwestern Ontario.

Harold Pfleiderer, a spokesman for the RCMP, which ran the Canadian Bomb Data Centre (CBDC), called it a "small program" and said an external panel deemed it to be of low importance compared with other police operations.

"As stewards of public funds, we routinely review our programs to measure their effectiveness and value-for-money in keeping Canadians safe," Pfleiderer said in an email.

The center also provided assistance and coordination to police forces dealing with bombs and explosives, according to the RCMP.

Sunday's resolution argued that the center's responsibilities now fall to individual police forces, which do not have the same level of coordination and expertise.

Pfleiderer said the explosive disposal community in Canada is small and its members maintain regular contact.

"Some of the core services formerly provided by the CBDC will be absorbed into other areas of the RCMP," he added.

Terrorism offences in Canada more than doubled last year to 173 alleged incidents, up from 76 in 2014, according to July data from Statistics Canada, citing police information.
Libya's U.N.-backed government appoints panel to run $67 bln wealth fund

TRIPOLI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Libya's U.N.-backed government said on Monday it was appointing a five-member caretaker committee to run the country's $67 billion sovereign wealth fund.

The Government of National Accord said in a statement that the committee should not dispose of Libyan Investment Authority assets and should protect the fund's rights and follow all legal cases it is involved in.

The committee will be led by Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed, the statement said. It did not list either of two rival chairmen of the fund among the committee's members.
Later this month, we are told, textile minister Smriti Irani will be celebrating the festival of Raksha Bandhan with soldiers in India's highest, perhaps most brutal battleground: Siachen.

As the armed forces begin to occupy a central motif in public discourse on patriotism, national honour, and more importantly, the moral betrayal that dissent against the BJP government is, honouring the supremely courageous men who protect their brothers and sisters on the nation-state's fault lines is far from problematic.

It would be impossible not to note that the same culture that sires misogyny is the social terrain of Hindutva.

Yet, in so far as the nation is performed through patriarchal violence, it is. Indeed, the systematic normalisation of employing the signifier of Raksha Bandhan as a promise of the nation's cherished men to protect their sisters is not nearly as trivial as many consider - it captures the lived experience of nationalism, as also the phallocentric economy invariably implicit in the idea of nation.

History today projects the national movement, or the struggle for India's independence from centuries of colonial exploitation, as a unified development, as a discourse which brought together even the most vulnerable sections of Indian society to somehow forego their experience of domination by and through the elites who claimed to represent them.

The emergence of nationalism, then, was largely anti-colonial and cohesive towards the resistance of the former, even exhibiting a semblance of egalitarianism. It is only recently that historians and intellectuals have begun to ask the uncomfortable question: could the lived experience of the nation be radically different for the subaltern?

If so, can they ever truly be represented without being spoken for? This essay, of course, is not the appropriate setting to address these complicated questions, but acknowledge the significance of its conclusions.

Writing on the nation, its fragments, and its women, Partha Chatterjee eloquently argues: "The difficulty which faces historians here is that by working from the conventional archives of political history, women appear in the history of nationalism only in a "contributive" role.

All one can assert here is that women also took part in the nationalist struggle, but one cannot identify any autonomous subjectivity of women and from that standpoint question the manner in which the hegemonic claims of nationalist culture were themselves fashioned."

Clearly, in the phraseology of Simone de Beauvoir, men constitute the "transcendent Subject", and women, the "immanent Other". Both the subject and the other are masculine mainstays of a phallocentric economy that achieves its objective through the exclusion and marginalisation of the feminine altogether.

Further, in the context of gender, nation, and the intertwined history of the two, how does one begin to grapple with the infamous Partition?

While it is now known that the independence of India and Pakistan was built over the corpses and tremendous sense of loss that characterised the largest mass-migration in human history, discourse owes much to Urvashi Butalia's magnificent attempt to "engender" the Partition: The Other Side of Silence.

Documented in Butalia's rich prose is the lived experience of the Partition for women across regions and religions - the experience of abduction, murder, countless incidents of rape, and honour killings.

Of particular significance to any argument on the thoroughly gendered nature of the nation is the experience of "recovering" women. Instituted in India as the central recovery operation, the rationale of "recovering" women was to rescue abducted Hindu and Sikh women from Pakistan, and vice versa.

This operation, whilst seemingly noble, called upon publicly active feminists as Anis Kidwai to aid rehabilitation. It was much later, in fact, that the forcible nature of such recovery operations was revealed - having experienced one tumultuous upheaval, the abducted women formed new kinship ties, and it was therefore doubly agonising for them to be rescued into families that would no longer accept them.

A variety of "solutions" were suggested that could be employed to teach Pakistan a lesson, one among which was to withhold Pakistani women. The dialectic of nationalism, if one does listen to the zealous chorus of its performance, routinely posits the female body as a site of patriarchal violence, as a political instrument to negotiate enmity, and finally, as a destructible surface to build masculinist discourse.

It is, I believe, only in this context that one can truly begin to place Smriti Irani and the semiotics of gendered nationalism, particularly Hindu(tva) nationalism. Throughout Irani's controversial tenure as Human Resource Minister, she faced virulent critique, much of which was overtly misogynistic. She was constantly vilified for being an "actress", shamed for her body, asked by a Congress MP to do thumkas, called Narendra Modi's second wife, among many other such comments.

Yet, it would be impossible not to note that the same culture that sires such misogyny is the social terrain of Hindutva. The cultural idiom of Bharat Mata that is now imperative for any self-respecting nationalist to reiterate, celebrate, and force others to accept is a product of politics premised on a fundamental otherness of women in the making of the nation.

Bharat Mata is not a mere woman - she is, in Aurobindo Ghosh's words, the cities, mountains, rivers, and jungles of Akhand Bharat. She is its physical body, a living mother to be worshipped with nine-fold bhakti.

In so far as a woman partakes in the national experiment as a mother, wife, or sister, she is the "pure" Hindu woman to be respected, sometimes even revered, and most importantly, to be protected. Smriti Irani can thus be Rohith Vemula's mother, and he can be her "child".
This Independence Day, I want to tell a story to my fellow Indians.

Sadly, this is a true story and not a very pleasant one. But then life is not pleasant for many people anyway.

I left Kashmir around a decade ago in search of better educational opportunities and a better career in medicine.

I have, since then, settled in Delhi with my family. Delhi feels like home now and we have made many wonderful friends, and now Kashmir is a second home and Delhi feels like a first home. Heat and humidity notwithstanding.

But this is not my story, or how I'm doing so well in the national capital as a doctor. This is the story of a woman Saleema (name changed).

Like most Kashmiris, we have a house in Srinagar, which is at most times uninhabited.

So we let an extremely poor widow, Saleema, and her four schoolgoing children live there.

No one is allowed to walk on the streets and most of the mohallas are sealed shut by concertina wires.

It actually benefits us both; I have someone to guard my house while we are away and Saleema gets rent-free accommodation and schooling for her children.

After her husband died due to pneumonia a few years ago, she does house-cleaning to earn money.

Saleema has a son, Shahid, who suffers from congenital epilepsy; it's a medical disorder associated with recurrent sudden seizures and loss of consciousness which, if untreated, can cause permanent brain damage.

It's unfortunately not a curable disease and to prevent the seizures, he has to take four types of medicines every day, otherwise he gets the fits, which last for a few minutes and make him lose consciousness and pass stool and urine involuntarily in his clothes, often making him bite his tongue so hard that he bleeds for days.

But he was controlled on medicines for years, which his mother used to provide without fail.

Even though the drugs are expensive, the poor woman always made it a point to give him the drugs every day, month after month, year after year.

All this changed on July 8, 2016, when Indian troops in a major success managed to kill Burhan Muzaffar Wani in an encounter.

Probably the government failed to gauge how the Kashmiris would react, probably Kashmiris were fed up of the political uncertainty and saw Wani as a hero.

Whatever the reasons.

The entire Kashmir Valley erupted in grief and anger as people came out in tens of thousands to mourn his death.

The government predictably cracked down hard on the violent protesters and clamped a Valley-wide curfew.

Since then, as the whole world knows, more than 50 protesters have been killed, hundreds blinded, permanently, by the now infamous pellet guns and thousand injured, including policemen, in the clashes.

What the whole world does not know is that Shahid's medicine stock got finished in the first week of curfew only.

The curfew, I hear, is so strict that even ambulances ferrying the sick and injured are turned back routinely and in some cases damaged.

No one is allowed to walk on the streets and most of the mohallas are sealed shut by concertina wires.

Saleema, once she realised that the medicine supply was running low, tried many times to reach, in vain, some chemist shop to buy Shahid's medicine - only to be turned back and threatened by the security forces enforcing the curfew.

Again and again she tried, but was sent back by the policemen citing orders.

Once, when she managed to pass the cordon by begging and pleading with the policemen, she reached the shop only to tragically realise that it had been forced to close down by the stone-pelting gangs enforcing the Hurriyat bandh.

In desperation, she then walked about 7km on deserted dangerous roads, amid teargas and stone-pelting mobs, to finally reach the main hospital pharmacy at Karan Nagar. She was again turned back, as the drug supply hadn't reached from Jammu, and told rudely that all drugs were in short supply.

She just cried and cried and wept for her sick son. The wail of her cries drowned in the sharp retort of a bursting teargas grenade.

As a week passed without medicines, Shahid had his first major epileptic fit in years and soiled his clothes by involuntarily defecating.

For the next one week, the attacks came daily and lasted longer, for an hour now. Her son has stopped eating food and only takes sugar water through clenched teeth.

He lies in his bed in fever, semi-conscious, as she nurses him tirelessly.

After two weeks of misery, Saleema has finally managed to get the medicine from a pharmacy 10km away, but had to buy them at three times the printed cost, which she can scarce afford. Now she has no money to feed her three other children.

The neighbours helped, of course, and her son is a little better now but still very sick and needs hospitalisation.

Luckily, Shahid didn't die.

Last week, when the suspended phone service was restored for a few hours, she managed to tell me the story of her miserable life under the curfew and hartal, between deep sobs of a heartbroken mother.

I don't want to go into the politics of the whole affair.

Saleema doesn't know what is India or Pakistan or even Kashmir.

Her life revolves around her four children, she doesn't understand nationalism or separatism.

For her, both the Hurriyat separatists and the government are oppressors.

She is unable to make a clear distinction between the marauding stone-pelters and the policemen who caged her like an animal for five weeks behind concertina wire walls.

This Independence Day, when we all celebrate with pomp and pride our 69th year of freedom, when we hear our politicians give lofty speeches and wave huge flags and chant Bharat mata ki jai, there is a woman in Kashmir braving collective punishment, and thousands like her who don't even know whether they are Indian or Pakistani or Kashmiri or Swedish; or the difference between them.

Who have no idea what is democracy or theocracy or a dictatorship.

But who are citizens of this great country nevertheless.

The democracy that we enjoy and take pride in has failed them completely.

They will not be celebrating independence. They will just be praying for the curfew to be lifted.
Every August 15, the country suddenly turns into a nation. A feeling of unity and oneness is on lavish display in almost every walk of life. Schools and colleges get ready for manufactured patriotism, cultural programmes of our glorious past take over our television sets and a wave of national optimism about the future becomes an all pervasive affair.

The naysayers or critics are anyway a miniscule minority to create any rupture in our march toward greatness. One parivar though seems to be critical of our idea of freedom itself. No, it is not the much maligned Marxists, but an emerging, evocative voice of the Patanjali parivar, spearheaded by Baba Ramdev.

In the 21st century, Baba Ramdev gives a hilarious spin to the very idea of economic freedom in his new advertisements.

The first thing that catches your attention in the newspapers these days is the page-long advertisement of Amazon or Flipkart offering humungous discounts.

The other, more glaring thing that our focus shifts to, are Baba Ramdev's Patanjali advertisements trying to desperately win over prospective buyers for their "home-made, original, unadulterated" items.

One particular ad that you often see is the one that makes an overt and direct claim to make India "economically independent". The larger idea being that Indians did achieve political freedom, but economic freedom remains a distant dream. In fact, one of the first proponents of this idea was BR Ambedkar. However, he saw it, most importantly, in conjunction with the other equally vital component of "social freedom".

In the 21st century, Baba Ramdev gives a hilarious spin to the very idea of economic freedom in his new advertisements.

"Bring home Patanjali products and get India economic freedom" is featured in big letters with the words "Patanjali" and "freedom" in bold. To make it more dramatic, the ad quotes the freedom fighter Ramprasad Bismil, ludicrously out of context, to drive home its point of severing India's dependence from the profit sucking multinational companies and making India great again.

(The choice of words is drastically similar to the intensely problematic campaign slogan of Donald Trump.)

"Mera ho man Swadeshi, Mera ho tan Swadeshi, mar javo toh bhi mera hove kafan swadeshi" is purportedly invoked to make people realise how we should take pride and work towards making India a self-reliant Bharat!

Another usual culprit, the East India Company, is castigated for having looted Bharat and being a precursor to the modern, money minting MNCs. This is followed up by a strong urge to pay heed to the sacrifices of our freedom fighters by religiously working to realise "their" Swadeshi goal.

Firstly, Ramdev Baba still seems to be living in the "idea" of the glorious past and not in the actual present. A modern, rapidly urbanising India can never think of being self-reliant. In fact, knowingly or unknowingly, all our day-to-day activities are shaped by certain elements of globalisation.

The interconnectedness of the Indian life has been a historical fact. Right from the Indus Valley civilisation, the much glorified Bharat was never a place which thrived on its own resources. Dependency has always been the norm rather than the exception. Patanjali products create a false belief of past greatness.

Secondly, the idea of giving up on sundry items coming from outside is a nightmarish thought to an average, middle class, globalised human being.

From our electronic gadgets to the food we eat, everything has been connected to the tools of globalisation and has a distinct historical memory in terms of origin. If the place was the source of early civilisations, it equally owes a huge debt to the outside world for making our lives what they are today.

With the Patanjali logic, we need to start wearing Khadi, start eating shuddh desi products (if there are any) and discard shampoos, toothpastes, soaps et al as they continue to colonise our minds.

But on the other hand, to get colonised by hyper-nationalised sloganeering is tantamount to strengthening the bonds of our nation! Mr Modi of all people should be a worried man as it is a direct confrontation with his dream scheme "Make in India" and the insistence on relying on the incoming FDI as the panacea for all evils.

MNCs plough out the profits to their already developed states. There is no gainsaying the fact that they indeed do so. However, the Patanjali Parivar is no group of altruistic workers puffing up the coffers of the government for the social benefits of the marginalised. Neither are other domestic business groups where the obvious motive is to earn profit.

The Patanjali idea is no more than a neoliberal concept couched in the deceptive language of upholding Swadeshi. It is a garish brand, not a social service. The simple idea is, an average Indian is a no holds barred consumer. More money entails more demand and thereby leads to a craving for multiple varieties of a single product.

With all the problems that accompany this neoliberal tilt, our lifestyles have embraced an irretrievable consuming habit that is on the constant look out to try out new things.

The Patanjali idea of self-sufficiency, and the reinforcing of swadeshi is a gross misfit in our inevitable transition toward being a part of interconnected communities, trade, economies, lifestyles and ideas.

Having willingly embraced the economic reforms in 1991, the floodgates were opened precisely for sustaining the economic freedom which Baba Ramdev is alluding to. The difference being, his idea of a pro-business world was an evanescent period in the 1980s whose logical culmination was the pro-private tilt toward the end of the same decade.

What Baba Ramdev's philosophy does is it even makes a case for a return to that period, one that is now widely critiqued as a "crisis of governability". (Kohli )

In the name of economic freedom, asking Indians to internalise a strict, nativist form of life and domestic companies to ascertain their freedom by ploughing out profits for themselves - tinged with a regressive clamouring for patriotism - is a deeply flawed premise.
Situated on a busy thoroughfare close to the Pantheon and the Jardin du Luxembourg is a cosy and comfortable restaurant called Kokonor. Its patrons include loyal locals and tourists who, looking to savour culinary fare beyond the ubiquitous crepe or croissant, are led to its doors by the 4.5 star Yelp rating.

As I walked in, grinning ochre masks, vivid Tangkha paintings and multi-coloured red, saffron and green brocade drapery bore silent testimony to the pride and unmistakably Tibetan provenance of the owner of Kokonor, Nyi Ma Jun.

As I settled down to peruse the menu - a wide offering of familiar and new Tibetan dishes (a Mongolian section in the mains is conspicuous) - the next table's plat chauffant (sizzler) arrives, gurgling a waft of tenderised beef in a spicy sauce.

I place an order of pork momos, the chef's special chicken and a piece of steamed Tibetan bread (Go re). A sociable man, Nyi Ma was easy in his role as a host, making sure to connect with all his customers; regulars or first-timers, and I was no exception to this rule. So as I ordered and ate, Nyi Ma sat down next to me and started chatting.

Guessing correctly, he began speaking with me in strained Hindi, then attempted some English, and seemed relieved when I attempted to speak in French.

The rest of our conversation continued in French, with the odd English or Hindi word from time to time, and with Google image search results when all three languages failed. It is through this patchwork of tongues that his incredible history emerged.

* * *

A political activist opposing the communists in his youth, Nyi Ma would help refugees from Tibet escape into India via Nepal, arranging the logistics of ferrying, including paying off the Nepalese authorities to look the other way and not report movements to the Chinese.

He eventually fled Tibet in 1987, arriving first in India where he spent his time between Dharamsala, the seat of the Dalai Lama, and Delhi, and eventually made his way to Paris in 1988, via Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore.

During his brief time in India he worked closely with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan refugee community.

Apart from looking after the community, helping them get access to the right paperwork to enable their stay in India, he also conducted some surveillance work for the Tibetans - to see if any of the refugees were maintaining contact with the communist regime in China. He also briefly worked in a restaurant in Majnu ka Tila - Delhi's Tibetan neighbourhood since the first wave of refugees arrived in India following the 1959 uprising.

Nyi Ma claims that he was the first Tibetan political refugee in France who arrived directly from Tibet (the earlier brief stint in India notwithstanding). Earlier Tibetan political refugees in France had been allowed in after they had spent substantial time in India as refugees.

Practical considerations dictated his move to France, rather than continuing to stay on in India. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to Tibet in the foreseeable future, and India, despite hosting thousands of refugees, did not offer longer term citizenship rights. France, on the other hand, allowed him the possibility of making the country his home.

Now a French national, Nyi Ma continues to visit India - Dharamsala and New Delhi every few years to pay his respects to the Dalai Lama and to reconnect with the community. His parents and siblings are in Tibet and he has no expectation of meeting them anytime soon.

Yet they often speak on the phone and chat online, always ensuring they don't say anything controversial - Dalai Lama, independence, and the like - to invite the scrutiny, and the wrath of the Chinese authorities.

After doing a number of odd jobs in Paris, Nyi Ma finally set up Kokonor in 1996. His inability to speak French well made it very difficult for him to land a stable and secure job. Starting a Tibetan restaurant was the obvious option, and since 1996, there has been no looking back. I asked him if setting up Kokonor was also because of any passion for cooking.

Not really, he said, hastening to add that he still developed the original recipes and ensured they served authentic Tibetan food. He is now joined by his partner, a Mongolian lady whom he met in Paris and with whom he has three children, in running the restaurant.

He also told me of a child he has from his partner back when he was in Nepal. He found out about his then partner being pregnant only a few years after the birth of their son. Mother and son have now migrated to Germany, and are in occasional contact with Nyi Ma.

* * *

Nyi Ma is very proud of serving authentic Tibetan food at Kokonor, with a strong adherence to the traditions of the Amdo region in Tibet to which he belongs. His wife's Mongolian influence is restricted to the few dishes I spotted in the menu earlier on. The clientele includes both, the quartier (neighbourhood regulars), and foreign tourists - the English, Americans, Canadians, occasionally Indians, and also Chinese.

Did he have to adapt the recipes over time to suit the Parisian, or more international tastes of his customers? A little bit, he confesses. For example, for the red chilli sauce, the essential accompaniment to momos as we know them in India, he doesn't use the hottest chillies. But that apart, the French seem to like Tibetan food as is, without much fuss.

Unlike Indians, he chuckles. In India, he recalls how Tibetan food has been adapted to accommodate local tastes: adding more "curry" items, making dishes hot and spicy, replacing beef and pork momos with chicken.

He also shows me a distinct Indian influence the first page of the menu: under "Soupes" is listed Dal avec viande - dal (lentils in Hindi) with meat. I enquire if the curry dishes on the menu are also an Indian influence. He thinks carefully and replies that while the recipes are authentic Tibetan, the word curry helps connect with many customers - including the French - who then immediately know what to expect.

I fish for any trade secrets he'd be happy to part with. Sensing my love for momos, he tells me that chives, a Chinese culinary influence, bring a very strong flavour to momos. But while preparing the filling, one should take care not to mix them in early on. First mix the meat, onions, spices and salt, and add the chives only before filling the mix into the rolled out dough. Otherwise, he warns, the stuffing will get all watery if the chives mix with the salt for long. He also adds that the best red chilli sauce has to be made with peanut oil.

* * *

Nyi Ma tells me about his current level of involvement with the Tibetan movement. While he is no longer very active, he's in touch with people who are. There is a huge underground movement, in Tibet, he says. The news of self-immolations doesn't reach the world, but he knows of them.

He is part of a secret chat group, where only known and trusted people are added by existing members. No one signs in or discloses their real names, sticking to aliases instead. But he knows who the people behind a few IDs are, he says with a smile.

These chat groups on online platforms - each of which may include hundreds of people, serve as media to exchange information ranging from news of demonstrations and their subsequent "consequences", and videos of the Dalai Lama's spiritual messages to news report clippings (from Chinese, American, even Norwegian channels) and Tibetan songs. Someone even recently added the entire video of Dhoom 3 the 2013 Bollywood hit, he tells me.

I ask if he felt the Tibetan movement is dying down, internationally and back home. He disagreed, saying that young people in Tibet are as committed to independence as earlier generations.

"They know more, they read more. Moreover, even the young Chinese are better informed these days." He tells me that when visiting Chinese students come into the restaurant (and many do), they often wonder why he displays a photograph of the Dalai Lama. He explains that the Dalai Lama is not only their political, but also their spiritual leader. This opens up debates on the position of Tibet vis-a-vis China and he finds that over the years, Chinese students have become a lot more aware and open-minded.

Sympathetic too? He smiles and swiftly shakes his head to indicate a "no". He recounts an incident when a Chinese diplomat stationed in Paris came to his restaurant on the recommendation of a visiting Chinese student who had been there earlier and praised the food in front of the diplomat. Not expecting to be greeted by the photograph of the Dalai Lama (somewhat naively of him, I thought), the diplomat got into a long debate with Nyi Ma on why he is sullying the image of China, why is he supporting the political rebel, and so on.

Nyi Ma stuck to his guns, defended his political position, and reminded the diplomat that he was a political refugee. That was the first and the last time that any other Chinese diplomat visited Kokonor. Such confrontations must infuriate him, I suggest.

He replies that these are nothing compared to what people in Tibet go through. As a young man it used to anger him when authorities barged into people's homes and destroyed pictures of the Dalai Lama. Now, he says, he has a different perspective. Destroying the Dalai Lama's photos over the years has not reduced the respect and regard he commands among the Tibetans. That, he believes, is true respect, unlike the kind which is feigned out of fear.

I probe about what he thinks of India's attitude to the Tibetans. His eyes widen with amazement. "They saved our lives, so many of us. We will always be grateful to the Indians." But has the Indian political support for Tibet not diminished over time, I persist. Do the Tibetans feel "un peu decu" (a bit disappointed/ let down), by India? He gives me a half-smile, and says, "But we can't say that."
 Third Thursday at the Lodge at Old Trail lecture series hosts Mary Cail, author of Alzheimers: A Crash Course for Friends and Relatives, speaking about ways to support friends with Alzheimers and their caregivers, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at 330 Claremont Lane in Crozet. (434) 823-9100.

 The National Park Services 100th anniversary celebration features Kevin Donleavy telling stories about the slaves and Irish Immigrants who built the 17 miles of railroad that ran from Crozet to Waynesboro from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Humpback Rocks Farm at Milepost 5.8 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. (540) 943-4716.

 Chamber of Commerce Business Diversity Council hosts Del. David J. Toscano presenting Whats Happening in the Virginia General Assembly? from 12:30 to 2 p.m. Aug. 25 at Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center 233 Fourth St. NW. (434) 295-3141.
A 4-year-old boy was taken to the hospital after a pallet of bottled water fell on him at a Sam's Club store over the weekend, a Colonial Heights fire official said Monday.

The accident happened about 3 p.m. Sunday at the store at 725 South Park Blvd., Battalion Chief John Anderson said.

The water was bottled in what appear to be gallon jugs, according to photos from the scene shared on social media. Fire officials do not know what caused the jugs to fall, Anderson said.

The boy and his father were able to make their way to the front of the store, where they were met by paramedics, Anderson said.

The boy was taken to Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg. His injuries were not life-threatening, Anderson said.

A Southside Regional spokeswoman could not say Monday whether the boy was still hospitalized.

Tara Raddohl, senior director of corporate communications for Wal-Mart, which owns Sam's Club, said by email that the company is in contact with the family and is reviewing its procedures.

Were incredibly saddened a young child was recently injured in one of our clubs. Our team in the club responded quickly, and were staying in touch with the family," she said. "We are doing all we can to help as he recovers.

"We immediately started looking into what caused the incident. Once we fully understand what happened, if we find we need to do something differently, well do it."
This hasnt been a good year for celebrities. Just ask fans of David Bowie, Prince or Muhammad Ali  the latter of whom lived near Charlottesville for a while.

Weve also lost two Virginians whose impact ranged far from their mountain homes  Earl Hamner, the creator of The Waltons, who grew up in Nelson County; and music legend Ralph Stanley.

Now, alas, theres a third: The Vinton-born actor David Huddleston who passed away earlier this month at age 85. Huddleston also had Central Virginia ties.

Even if you dont recognize the name, you probably recognize his work  as the title character in The Big Lebowski or the mayor in Blazing Saddles.

Some actors blaze upon the scene like, well, shooting stars  and fade away just as quickly. Huddleston was not one of those. He was a character actor, meaning he was rarely the star but made his living in small, but memorable, parts. Even his famous role in Blazing Saddles didnt come until he was 44. He was 60 when he was nominated for an Emmy for his role as Grandpa Arnold in the TV series The Wonder Years. He was 68 when he starred in The Big Lebowski opposite Jeff Bridges and John Goodman. His name wasnt even on the theatrical poster. Yet when his earthly role closed, social media lit up in mourning.

Huddlestons career is a testimony to hard work and perseverance, two things society could surely benefit from.

His mother handed him scripts to perform at church pageants and before civic groups to earn donations, The New York Times reported. He got his first laugh at age 4 and liked it. A lot.

He graduated from what was then Montvale High School, went to Fork Union Military Academy in Fluvanna County and, eventually, into service in the U.S. Air Force.

His early trajectory was similar to many aspiring actors: Unemployment. He drove a cab. He waited tables. Then he got a part in a touring production of The Music Man and he went on to work consistently for more than five decades, sometimes as a funny man, sometimes not.

Huddlestons resume sounds like a roll call of American popular culture  including appearing on The Waltons.

Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Mary Tyler Moore Show,

Charlies Angels, Hawaii Five-O, Sanford and Son, Walker, Texas Ranger, The Gilmore Girls, Star Trek: The Next Generation, West Wing. He was in all those, and more.

He also appeared in films with Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne.

But most of all, he loved live theater  where the audience response was immediate.

In the early 1990s, there was talk of building a theater at Smith Mountain Lake, and naming it after Huddleston. Nothing ever came of that.

Its not too late to name something after him, though.

Adapted from The Roanoke Times.
As another fiscal year wraps up, so does some of the work of the Germanna-Wilderness Area Plan Steering Committee, the group created to plan long-term for the Route 3 corridor. But, a new year means new tasks for the committee, including looking at the infrastructure, transportation and land use and design standards necessary to make their visions a reality.

Developing the Germanna-Wilderness Area Plan (GWAP) has been a more than three-year process including public input sessions and countless planning meetings.

It all began with a field trip of county stakeholders and officials traveling to other well-planned Virginia communities. The plan, adopted last July by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, was divided into eight geographically-based sub-areas, with plans for each, including the existing conditions and natural features of each subarea, the 50-year vision and future conditions of the eight subareas as well as maps to illustrate the lands current zoning, constraints and future usage.

Over the past year, the steering committee has continued to meet to discuss infrastructure, historic and cultural assets, planning and zoning and land use and economic development. Currently, its focused on long-term water and sewer availability in the largest development area in the plan.

Earlier this summer, the board of supervisors unanimously adopted the Orange County Economic Development Incentive Policy, local incentives established to induce commercial investment. According to Orange County Economic Development Director Tommy Miller, "the availability of an improved list of incentives will help streamline future investment inquiries for potential business investors and further enhance the making potential for Orange County as a place to do business."

Of the eight sub-areas, Wilderness Run, located across Route 3 from Lake of the Woods, is the largest undeveloped area in the plan. At 3,252 gross acres, the area currently includes general commercial and industrial land and limited residential developments. Orange County Administrator Bryan David said the majority of the land is zoned agricultural.

"If we were going to position the county to have a competitive advantage to attract business investments, to create jobs and to expand the tax base, this property of all the subareas lent itself just because of its location," said David.

The area is located north of Rt. 3 along the countys eastern boundary and would allow the county the greatest potential for economic development given its size and location, he added. Draft designs for the subarea include a corporate campus, town center, mixed-use planned development and several residential areas.

"Weve had some legitimate, bona fide developers interested in that part of Rt. 3," David said. "But the challenge is that while water service is there, sewer service is not. So, one of the things the steering committee is going to start looking at is how to master plan water and sewer service to serve that area."

The steering committee has also been working with historical preservationist and local newspaper columnist Zann Nelson of History Quest. Nelson, of Reva, is preparing a GWAP historic and cultural resources inventory assessment.

The analysis would help the county better understand all of the historical and cultural assets in the Germanna-Wilderness area, as well as their significance, David explained. He said it is important to conduct this examination at this time so the steering committee could have the information as it moves forward and understand which areas are more historically significant and worthy of preservation.

David said Nelson has found some areas are worth protecting and preserving and some others, that in her opinion, arent significant enough to have some type of cultural preservation or interpretation done.

Nelson is expected to present her findings to the board of supervisors in the early fall.

The steering committee will also be working with a transportation engineer to review the transportation background data and what the future (50 year horizon) of the roads will be. David said a major concern of the committee is ensuring roads, especially Route 3, remain as free-flowing as they are now.

The committee will next meet in August with a focus on transportation.

Documents discussed by the steering committee, including the GWAP itself, can be found on the county website: http://orangecountyva.gov/.
The state government is expecting creation of 65.8 lakh new jobs in the I-T sector, including e-commerce, in five years if the Centres ITIR project comes through.

Hyderabad: E-commerce companies which together could generate about 10 lakh jobs are expected to come up in the state in five years.

The state government is expecting creation of 65.8 lakh new jobs in the I-T sector, including e-commerce, in five years if the Centres ITIR project comes through. Of these, there will be 15.4 lakh direct jobs in the I-T sector and 50.4 lakh indirect jobs.

I-T secretary Jayesh Ranjan said about 15 per cent of all expected I-T jobs would be generated in this sector.

Senior vice-president Vennum Anil Reddy of the Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry pointed out that jobs in the I-T sector required technical knowledge but jobs in the e-commerce sector would require skills on the particular subject and communication.

Non-technical jobs will be generated by the e-commerce sector. An unemployed Intermediate pass-out with good English can get a chance in the e-commerce sector, he said.

Mr B.V.R.Mohan Reddy, ex-chairman of Nasscom, the National Association of Software and Services Companies, told this newspaper that the e-commerce sector would generate jobs from production to delivery of a product. TS has good scope for the e-commerce industry. The state has good infrastructure and industry friendly policies, he said.

The TS government has prepared a draft retail policy for the e-commerce industry which is awaiting the CMs approval. It would treat the e-commerce sector as an industry and provide all the incentives that the industrial sector enjoys.
Currently, PR activities of the bank are managed by a Mumbai-based firm.

State Bank of India (SBI) has invited applications for empanelment of a new public relations (PR) agency on retainership basis to assist in reorienting the bank's corporate communication strategy.

"The bank has decided to empanel a new PR agency for the bank on retainership basis for 3 years," SBI said in a notice.

According to the Request for Proposal (RFP), the last date for the receipt of proposal is August 31 and the date of opening of the bid is September 2.

Currently, PR activities of the bank are managed by a Mumbai-based firm.

Besides external communications, the agency will assist the bank in publishing internal house journals or magazines, employee communications and other similar tasks.
New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to take up once again the proposal to grant Defence PSU status to Indian Telephone Industries (ITI) with the Department of Defence Production.

Taking note of "lack of follow-up action," the Standing Committee on IT, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur, has said the proposal needs to be "favourably considered" as it will increase the state-owned telecom company's prospects of getting more work orders.

"It appears that no follow-up action has been taken by the department on this recommendation of the committee... The committee desires that the department should once again impress the Department of Defence Production for granting of DPSU status to ITI and upgrade necessary infrastructure," the panel has said in a recent report on revival of the sick PSU.

The basic idea is that apart from taking up projects like Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON), NFS, radars, it may be able to participate in various other projects reserved for Defence PSUs.

Studies conducted by the Ministry of Defence and DRDO had found ITI capable of meeting their requirements, the report said, to buttress its point. The committee, in its report, pointed to the huge Defence requirements of the country and said most PSUs, be it Bharat Electronics Ltd or Bharat Dynamics Ltd or Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd, are "over-flooded with demand".

The committee suggested that the Telecom Department and ITI should collaborate with Defence PSUs "to extract some work from them" and sought to be updated on the action taken.

It said a study conducted by the Ministry of Defence in 2013 had suggested that ITI could be classified as Defence PSU, and that DRDO too had echoed the view.

However, the Department of Defence Production (DDP) had not favoured the proposal on the ground that it would not "facilitate" Defence orders for ITI, given that the PSUs have to compete with private players for getting contracts.
The price formula for this was fixed 13 years back and the rate went out of sync when global energy prices slumped last year.

New Delhi: India will save as much as Rs 20,000 crore as it has renegotiated a long-term gas import deal with Qatar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on August 15. India buys 7.5 million tons a year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum from Qatar. The price formula for this was fixed 13 years back and the rate went out of sync when global energy prices slumped last year.

"We are dependent on other nations to meet our requirement of energy and petroleum (oil) supplies. And so long-term agreements have been entered into to get assured quantity at a pre-determined price," Modi said in his Independence Day address to the nation from the Red Fort.

In the changed world economic scenario, the Qatar LNG price posed a huge burden on Indian economy, he said, adding that India used its foreign policy to reopen the price.

"What was Qatar's right and we were bound to pay, we managed to get Qatar to renegotiate...to make possible something which was impossible," he said.

India will save Rs 20,000 crore by renegotiating the LNG price lower, Modi said.

"They (Qatar) were entitled to take Rs 20,000 crore (as per the long-term signed contract) but our diplomatic ties ensured that we renegotiate the terms."

RasGas of Qatar supplies LNG to India under a 25-year long term contract since 2004. The price of imported LNG under this agreement had been linked to crude oil (Japanese Customs Cleared Crude or JCC) and had a concept of floor and ceiling indexed to last 5-year average.

The rate thus arrived at was higher than the LNG available in the spot or current market in 2015. Petronet LNG Ltd, the firm that buys LNG from Qatar, sought renegotiation of the deal and RasGas agreed to modify the pricing formula to link it with last 3-month average rate of Brent crude oil.

While Modi said the revision in price formula would help save Rs 20,000 crore, Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had recently told Parliament in a written question that at the revised formula, the country will save Rs 8,000 crore over the remainder of the contract, that is up to 2028.

State-owned GAIL, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) hold 12.5 per cent each in Petronet.
The central board of direct taxes recently published the draft rules for determining the gains booked by individual shareholders from buyback of shares by unlisted companies for tax purposes.

Mumbai: The proposed guidelines on taxing buyback of shares in unlisted companies are likely to spell trouble for multimillion dollar secondary market deals in the startup space.

These transactions, involving early stage investors and private equity players, may lead to higher tax outgo, as the new rules do not recognise step-up pricing in secondary deals in the unlisted companies for tax tabulation of buyback gain.

The central board of direct taxes (CBDT) recently published the draft rules for determining the gains booked by individual shareholders from buyback of shares by unlisted companies for tax purposes.

For tax calculation, the draft rules termed capital gains in buybacks as distributed income and defined it as the profit made by a shareholder when a company buys back shares at a price over and above the amount at which it issued those shares in the first instance.

Under section 115QA of the Income-Tax Act, an additional tax of 20 per cent is levied on the distributed income arising out of buyback of unlisted shares by a company.

According to experts the new rules do not recognise the secondary transactions between investors in unlisted companies.

Secondary deals in unlisted space is quite active with over $8 billion worth of such transactions recorded last financial year, involving investors such as private equity, sovereign funds and venture funds.

To put things in perspective, for instance, suppose a company issues shares to investor A at Rs 100 and after a few years investor A sells these shares to investor B at Rs 200.

And later the company comes out with a buyback offer at Rs 300 in which investor B subscribes and makes a capital gain of Rs 100. Under the proposed tax rules investor B would be liable to 20 per cent on Rs 200, as the under the new rule capital gain is calculated at the original price of shares issued by the company i.e. Rs 100. This is because the new rule does not recoginise step-up price in secondary deals.

Every time the shares exchange hands in the secondary market, their step-up price would be ignored in such computation.

Experts said the proposed rules suggest that in order to tax gain in buyback offers, the taxman will compute the difference between the consideration paid by the company for the shares being bought back and the amount received by a company at the time of issue of the shares. Here, it does not recognise the change in price, when shares change hands among investors. Because of this anomaly, the net returns of a large number of investors will be hit.

This anomaly in the rules will put investors in the secondary transaction at a disadvantage. The whole startup space works on a model where early stage investors exits by selling out to private equity or venture funds through secondary transactions. The step-up price should be taken into consideration when gains are calculated and the government should make the necessary change when issuing the final rules, said Riaz Thingna, partner at Grant Thornton India.

Companies have commonly used dividend and buyback of shares to pay distributable reserves to their shareholders. While payment of dividend is subject to dividend distribution tax (DDT) payable by the company paying the dividend, buy-back of shares is chargeable to tax as capital gains (CG) in the hands of the shareholder.

As a tax planning measure, some companies opt to buy back shares at a premium (rather than pay dividends). This makes it attractive, especially in the case of foreign investors from treaty countries such as Mauritius and Singapore. Premium on buy-back was treated as capital gains and these treaties provided for capital gains exemption. Thus, the companies were exempt from DDT and the shareholder, from CG tax.

Since the government appeared to be losing revenue on account of the adoption of this tax planning methodology by a few investors, it amended the tax laws in 2013 to introduce a 20 per cent tax on unlisted companies, in order to tax the difference between the consideration paid by the company for the shares being bought back and the amount received by a company at the time of issue of the shares.

However, the law had certain ambiguities around the mechanism for the calculation of such income. And CBDT recently issued draft rules for public consultation, enlisting the various scenarios for the computation of the amount received by a company.

While in most cases, this amount would be the issue price of the shares being bought back, the rules also clarify that the amount to be considered in cases of amalgamation, demurer and bonus issue. These rules are expected to be finalised soon.

The buyback tax is an anti-avoidance provision. The government has recently renegotiated the India-Mauritius tax treaty, taking away the capital gains tax exemption. Other treaties will probably meet a similar fate. Since this provision has lived its utility, the government should now consider giving it a peaceful burial, said Suresh Swamy, partner (financial services) at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

(This story originally appeared on Finance Chronicle)
Telecom operators want that completion certificate should be given for new buildings by the authorities only on the on provision of common telecom infrastructure.

New Delhi: Telecom operators want that completion certificate should be given for new buildings by the authorities only on the on provision of common telecom infrastructure.

It is only after completion certificate is given that owners can get their properties registered. Telecom operators said that they should be given legal rights to use the common telecom infrastructure within a building and its premises free of charge just as other essential services like water and electricity.

Telecom network infrastructure should be accorded the same status as other essential services like electricity and water thereby mandating the builders and developers to include telecom infrastructure planning as a part of their basic deliverables to consumers, said Bharti Airtel in a communication to Trai.

Vodafone said that building bye-laws should be amended to enable in-building access to telecom service providers (TSPs) and should also cover protection of in-building telecom infrastructure from any damage. All existing and new buildings (including buildings undergoing re-development), should mandatory provision for common telecom infrastructure facilities from the network access point. This should be required to be included by the builder while applying for completion certificate, said Vodafone.

It said that national building code/building bye-laws should reserve legal rights of all TSPs to access the common infrastructure facilities to install telecommunications equipment, cables and relevant facilities to provide seamless telecom services to consumers for improved in-building connectivity and prohibit any exclusive access to public buildings.

Idea Cellular said that in-building solutions telecom Infrastructure such as ducts, conduits and space should be defined as a basic amenity, at par with water supply, electricity and gas connection, for any new building approved.

The company said that it is critical that public places such as airports, railway stations, metro stations, interstate bus terminals, high rise or underground public parking among others should not be allowed to treat in-building solutions provisioning as a means of revenue generation.
Hyderabad: The IT/ ITES, food processing and pharma sectors remain the top-three job creating sectors in Telangana state. These alone contributed half of the total jobs created in the private sector since January 2015.

The state attracted 2,332 new industries and units since January 2015, creating 1.58 lakh jobs. These three sectors accounted for nearly 70,000 jobs.

Though only five new units have come up in the IT/ITES sector, they provided employment for 22,300 people, thus becoming one of the single largest job creator.

The food processing sector emerging as top job creator in Telangana has come as a surprise to the government. It is competing with IT/ITES sector in attracting investments and providing jobs.

While the IT/ITES sector attracted investments worth `2,648 crore, providing employment to 22,300 people, the food processing sector attracted `2,165 crore investments and provided jobs to 22,692 people. Since January 2015, about 350 new food processing units have come up.

The pharma and chemical sector, which has been a major job creator for decades, continued its dominance attracting 174 new units worth `4,069 crore and provided jobs to 20,200 people.

The power sector too has emerged as a major job creator attracting the highest investments of Rs 21,856 crore and creating 10,133 jobs in 87 units.

Food processing and power sectors are the next big things in Telangana, both in terms of attracting investments and creating jobs because of the importance being given by the Telangana government to these sectors. With several new power projects in the pipeline, in the state and across the country, power equipment manufacturers are making a beeline to set up their units and are opting for Telangana as a preferred destination due to business-friendly initiatives of the government. Food processing sector has been helping create jobs in rural areas, said industries minister K.T. Rama Rao.

He said the government was now focusing on creating more employment in textile, aerospace and defence, plastic and rubber and cement sectors.

Ranga Reddy tops state in job offering

Ranga Reddy has topped among all districts in Telangana state in job creation with most of the new industries and units coming up on the citys outskirts in RR district due to availability of government land. Hyderabad district, meanwhile, stood at the bottom as no new units came up due to non-availability of land.

Districts surrounding Hyderabad, namely Medak, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda, also contributed to higher job creation due to proximity to the city, indicating that industrial development and job creation was concentrated around Hyderabad.

While 2,332 new units were set up in Telangana since January 1, 2015, creating employment for 1.58 lakh, Ranga Reddy district accounted for 553 units and 79,507 jobs.

In contrast, Hyderabad district got only nine new units, which provided jobs to just 245 people. No other district in the state came closer to RR in job creation.

Only Medak and Mahabubnagar districts provided a decent number of jobs after RR. Medak attracted 403 new units, which provided employment to 27,318, followed by Mahabubnagar, which got 245 units and 24,860 jobs.

Of the remaining districts, only Khammam and Karimnagar could provide over 5,000 jobs. The other districts havent dome much in terms of attracting investments or providing jobs.
Sshivada, who was well appreciated for her role in Zero, is back on the radar with the film Vallavanukku Vallavan starring Bobby Simhaa in the lead role. I think I am choosy when it comes to selecting films, and thats why I havent done much after Nedunchaalai. Also, I was getting only performance-based roles but I wanted to be part of a mass film, and Simhaas film fits the bill, Sshivada starts.

Talking about the experience of acting with Simhaa, she says, Initially, I was a bit anxious to pair up with a National Award winner, but he turned out to be simple and helpful. Sometimes, you need your co-stars to be encouraging, and he does that well.

When queried about her role in the film, the actress says that she is playing a village girl in the film  Her name is Azhagi and she is a pucca Tamil ponnu. However, she is both bold and paavam at the same time, she laughs.

After Vallavanukku Vallavan, she will next be seen in Kalaiyarasans yet-untitled film. When probed about her role in the thriller, Sshivada refused firmly to reveal anything about her role  If I reveal my role then it is as good as revealing the whole story of the film. It is something I have never done before in my career.

Produced by CV Kumar and directed by debutant Rohin, the upcoming thriller also has Janani Iyer in a lead role.

The actress, who is married to Malayalam actor Murali Krishnan, says, I should thank my in-laws and my husband for being supportive in my ventures. Since he is an actor, he understands pretty well. I should say I am able to manage both my lives well, she grins and signs off.
There was stiff competition for the Tamil release rights of SS Rajamoulis Baahubali  The Conclusion, the second instalment of the filmmakers blockbuster. Now we hear that it is SN Rajarajan of K. Productions, who has bagged the rights, thanks to his collaboration with Rana Daggubati.

Speaking about how he bagged Baahubalis rights, Rajarajan reveals, Yes, it was to some extent through Ranas connection that I got the Baahubali 2 release rights in Tamil and also TN rights for the Telugu release  as well as the overseas rights for Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.

Though he was unwilling to disclose the price paid for the fantasy film, he went on to say, I paid a huge price; more than the market standard. But I cant reveal the amount since it was a combination deal.

The producers debut venture is a big budget bilingual titled Madaithirandhu in Tamil and 1945 in Tollywood. The ensemble cast of the movie includes Rana, Sathyaraj, Regina Cassandra, Nasser, and Karunas. About Madaithirandhu, directed by Sathyasiva, which commences shooting in Kerala on August 19, he says, It is a period film set in 1945 and is about Subhash Chandra Boses involvement in the Indian Independence.
Kamal Haasan, who suffered a fall last month, has been forced to take a long break from acting. Unfortunately, it seems like he will need two more months to recover completely.

The accident has put him off his schedule for three months. My foot is healing. The pain has reduced considerably. I am better and back at home. I will be welcoming visitors from Monday. Doctors were worried about the possibility of an infection after surgery and hence, the curfew. Now that the stitches are off, I can meet my friends, says the actor.

The shooting of his movie Shabash Naidu, remains suspended. I wont be returning to acting any time soon. Im still walking with support. I need to be able to walk without support or an obvious limp. I guess Ill need two months to recover fully.

The accident, which broke Kamal Haasans leg, could have been fatal. I fell from my favourite corner of my office which I had been using to brood in for years. It was at a height of 18 feet. It caved in, just like that, he says, explaining that the floor under him collapsed.

It was so silly. As silly as Amitabh Bachchan burning his hand during Diwali. After surviving Myasthenia gravis and a near-fatal injury during the shooting of Coolie, he was incapacitated by a firecracker, that left him with a bad injury.

Haasan considers himself lucky. It could have been much worse. After the fall, I was bleeding profusely. I couldve bled to death. Luckily, there was someone in the office with me at the time.
London: 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 Ms 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 Ms 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.
In the ongoing Rio Olympics, Michael Phelps has hogged the limelight not just for increasing his total number of gold medals to a whopping 23, but also because of the appearance of strange red marks on his body. Though people were initially unaware of what it was, it was later learnt that he had undergone a deep tissue massage known as cupping. Not only Phelps, but a few other athletes as well as Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow have been spotted earlier, having tried out the holistic practice!

So, what is the reason behind the sudden craze for this traditional Chinese treatment and can it be undergone by people other than celebs too? We talk to experts to get more insight on this.

Though many of us might be unaware, there are a few cupping therapy centres in Chennai. Dr. N. Saravanan, chief doctor of Priyam Clinic, where cupping is done, explains, The therapy originated in Arabian countries. There are two types of cupping  dry cupping and wet cupping. As the latter is not scientifically proven  in our clinic, we only treat patients through dry cupping. Since this involves artificial inflammation, the neuron transmitters are triggered and the person who undergoes this instantly becomes active  this is why Phelps might have undergone this.

Michael Phelps during his cupping therapy.

As far as the process goes, glass cups are generally used for the therapeutic treatment. They are fitted with a valve that is attached to a hand-operated pump, allowing the therapist to suck out air. As cups are generally placed in a particular place in the body for about 10 to 15 minutes, the skin will redden because of the congestion in blood flow. Later, the cup is removed from the skin by pressing the skin on one side, allowing some air to enter and thus equalise the pressure.

But, contrary to common misconceptions, the doctor tells us that cupping can be done to non-athletes too. Ever since the news about this therapy went viral, I have been reading lots of false claims that it only benefits athletes. That is totally wrong. Cupping is one of the best ways to treat chronic illness like asthma. So, it is not necessary that only athletes can undergo this therapy, he says, adding, Given all this, I still think that there is a lack of awareness about cupping in Chennai. Not even one percent of people know about it. This therapy is very effective because it has got no side effects.

AV Jayaveena, who is the daughter of Tamil actor Thalaivasal Vijay, is a prominent swimmer. The girl, who won a Gold medal at the 2015 National Games in Kerala, opines, Though I still dont know about cupping in depth, I feel that putting in 100 percent effort is more necessary than such therapies. In fact, Phelps had constantly been winning even before such treatments, right? There should be a valid reason why he would have undergone cupping. Maybe I would try the therapy sometime  but I still think, as an athlete, the amount of hard work is what will set you apart from the rest!
One thing that has become synonymous with any celebration or significant event for netizens is the Google doodle which makes the celebrations even more memorable.

Today India is celebrating Independence Day, and as always Google decided to bring back memories of the freedom struggle. It created a doodle which describes Jawaharlal Nehrus historic speech on the eve of Independence.

The speech signifies the end of a century long movement for independence, and the efforts of countless people who tirelessly worked to free India from British imperialism.

Jawaharlal Nehru said before the Constituent Assembly that, Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now that time comes when we shall redeem our pledge, not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially. At the stroke of todays midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.

Google has been creating doodles about the national bird peacock, different versions of the tricolour and postage stamps on Independence Day for the past several years. It also had a doodle with landmarks from the ruins of Mohenjodaro on Pakistans Independence Day on August 14th.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police team investigating the ATM fraud case suspects that the Romanian gang behind the crime has collected details of over 300 accounts and hence more complaints will come up in the coming days. As of now, the team has got more than 40 complaints involving a sum of Rs 8 lakh.

"All customers who might have been looted by the Romanian gang need not have received an SMS alert, police sources said. Moreover, the Althara branch ATM of SBI was widely used by migrant workers. They need not notice SMS alerts of withdrawal. Hence the chances of more complaints surfacing could not be ruled out.

Meanwhile, the police has intensified efforts to get Interpol issue notice against the fifth person in the gang, identified as Cozni. He was suspected to have fled to Turkey. Police sources discount the theory based on CCTV visuals that the person who withdrew cash using a fake card from an ATM in Mumbai after the arrest of Gabriel Marian Iliewas an Indian and say they suspect it was none other than Cozni.

"Gabriel, who is now in police custody, stated that it was Cozni, said the sources. The image of Cozni recovered from his passport copy available with emigration authorities resembled the one on the CCTV visuals." The police team is likely to take Gabriel to Mumbai on Monday for collecting evidence. He was taken to various locations, including the hotels in the city where he stayed, on Sunday.
Hyderabad: Nayeemuddin had used several former Maoists in Telangana for his illegal activities. Nayeem used to send them to businessmen in Nalgonda to threaten and collect money. His gang also used to collect hafta from rich traders and realtors in the district, revealed the gangsters former classmate S. Ramakrishna, a businessman from Bhongir.

Mr Ramakrishna said that Nayeem had sent a former Maoist to extort money from him. Nayeems gang also brutally killed Ramakrishnas brother over a land dispute. After my brother was killed, I met Nayeem. He said that my brother was intervening in a dispute, he added. Nayeem had also threatened to kill Mr Ramakrishnas family and extorted Rs 12 lakh. "Nayeem used to send people to extort money. He threatened to kill all men in our family and took Rs 50 lakh from my cousin, he said.

SIT gets calls from abroad:

The SIT has received three calls from Nayeemuddins victims abroad. Two calls came from NRIs in the Gulf and one from an NRI settled in the US. The complainants alleged that Nayeem had called them and threatened to kill their families before gabbing their lands. The SIT has asked the victims to provide evidence and to file a formal complaint. So far 150 calls have been received by the SIT in connection with Nayeems case.

Meanwhile, the SIT has received a photo of Nayeem partying with an additional SP in a famous hotel in the city. It is suspected that the cop had helped Nayeem to carry out his illegal activities. The probe team has got some evidence on a TRS MLC's connections with the gangster. The team has also got evidence about a DSP, who had worked in the State Intelligence Bureau, helping Nayeem on various occasions.

The SIT has been probing four major aspects of the case. While one team is focusing on cracking down on Nayeem's associates and family members, another team is concentrating on verifying the illegal assets of Nayeem. Another team is investigating the murders carried out by Nayeem's gang, while the fourth team is investigating human trafficking and other illegal activities.

1 more Nayeem pal nabbed:

The Special Investig-ation Team on Monday arrested one more associate of renegade Naxal Nayeemuddin in connection with the ongoing investigation into his crimes. Mohammed Sameeruddin, 26, a native of Nalgonda, was arrested from Vanasthalipuram. Police officials said that Sameeruddin was a close associate of the gangster and had been named accused number 6 in the First Information Report.

He will be produced in court on Tuesday, police said Earlier, the police had raided a den of Nayeem at Injapur in Vanasthalipuram in the city and recovered three firearms and Rs 38.5 lakh.
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government will spend Rs 1,000 crore per annum on energy efficiency activities in the state with financial support from Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Government of India undertaking.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the energy sector programmes on the eve of Independence Day celebrations and set targets to the officials. He directed them to utilise Krishna Pushkaralu to create awareness about energy saving and jot down a list of tips for people to save power and use energy efficient electrical appliances at homes.

The officials said the state government was taking several initiatives to realise the vision of the Chief Minister to make AP among the top three states in the country by 2022 and lead all others in the country by 2029.

As part of achieving this endeavour, the government is laying special focus on energy efficiency and energy conservation (EE&EC) activities that will lay the platform for a sustainable power sector, ultimately leading to an overall economic development in the state.

Save Power

For the first time, the state government has also decided to include energy efficiency programmes and their benefits in the Independence Day speech of the Chief Minister. Energy Department principal secretary Ajay Jain, who participated in the review meeting on the arrangements for the 70th Independence Day celebrations along with Chief Ministers Office principal secretary Sai Prasad and APTransco CMD K. Vijayanand issued instructions to the officials to utilise Krishna Pushkaralu to create awareness about energy efficiency programmes.

AP State Energy Conservation Mission CEO A. Chandra Sekhara Reddy said the benefits of energy efficiency programmes being taken up by the government such as distribution of LED bulbs to domestic consumers, installation of LED street lights in all the 110 urban local bodies and distribution of five-star rated fans would be made popular at the Pushkaralu. The CM also directed the officials to disseminate information on the tips to be followed by consumers to save energy.
Rahul hoisted the national flag at the party headquarters here for the first time since he took over as the Congress Vice President three years ago. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of recent attacks on Dalits, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said freedom can never be for the few and asked Indians to aspire for a country where ideas are not "crushed violently" by the forces of hate and mediocrity.

"When the forces of darkness threaten this liberty for some of us, as we saw in recent times, we must remember that freedom can never be for the few -- it has to be for everyone. Every human being in India has the right to dignity and the freedom to live and express themselves freely," he said in a message on Independence Day.

Gandhi said Indians are honour-bound to aspire to a country where nobody lives in fear and "where ideas flow freely and are not crushed violently by the forces of hate and mediocrity. We must insist and fight for this truth, at all times."

Rahul hoisted the national flag at the party headquarters here for the first time since he took over as the Congress Vice President three years ago.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who usually hoists the tricolour at the party office, was on Sunday discharged from a private hospital.

Senior party leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, A K Antony, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma were present on the occasion.

Rahul said the generation which earned us the hard earned freedom is no longer with us but the Constitution is their precious gift.

"It embodies the values, principles and ideals for which they fought, values they hoped would guide our brave young country. Now it is up to us."

Rahul's remarks come against the backdrop of attacks on Dalits as also on Muslims by cow vigilantes in the recent past.
Srinagar: Urging the Pakistan government to come forward for talks, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said be it guns from India or across the border, it cannot get them justice.

"You can come for discussion. If this can't give us any solution, then no gun can get us justice, be it our guns or guns of the militants. The fault is not with the people of Jammu and Kashmir nor is it with India...the problem has been with the leadership of the state over the years," Mehbooba said after unfurling the tri-colour on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

She said Prophet Mohammad has said that Muslims should give due respect even if an enemy comes to their homes but Pakistan did not do so when Singh went there. "I appeal to leadership of India and Pakistan that there has been enough bloodshed now. Now River Jhelum has no capacity to soak more blood. Please come together," she said.

Read: Tricolour falls during hoisting by Mehbooba Mufti, probe ordered

Mehbooba told Pakistan: "If you love Jammu and Kashmir, then let us remove the borders between this Kashmir and that Kashmir without hurting the integrity of either of the country. Let us make Jammu and Kashmir model of development, cooperation and peace in SAARC region."

She alleged that the entire national leadership from Jawaharlal Nehru's time till today is responsible for the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. "Encounters have taken place in the past and will continue to take place. But I don't understand what is my government's fault. I promise that action will be taken against the police and security forces, who went against my directions," she added.

Mufti expressed hope that Modi-led government at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and economic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state.

"...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.

The Chief Minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country. "If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country.

"If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said.

"It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.

Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to go with the BJP.

"But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Behari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.

She lashed out at Pakistan for not giving good welcome to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who visited there for a SAARC conference earlier this month and said an opportunity to resume talks with India had been missed.

"PM Modi went to Pakistan in December (last year) and then Pathankot happened. Despite some militant organisations openly supporting the unrest in Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh went to Pakistan for SAARC Conference where some countries even went unrepresented.

"May be the objective was to start a dialogue that could lead to somewhere but I wonder why Pakistan let this opportunity go!" she said.

Meanwhile, in a deeply embarrassing moment for Mehbooba, the national tricolor fell off the post as she hoisted it.

Mehbooba, who was hoisting the national flag as Chief Minister for the first time, pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolor fall from the post and land on the ground.

Amid the embarrassing situation, two personnel from the security detail of the Chief Minister held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute to the flag.

As Mehbooba left the stage for inspecting the contingents of the police and paramilitary forces, the security staff at the Bakshi Stadium hurriedly set the flag right and hoisted it atop the post.

The celebrations were being held just seven KMS away from Nowhatta, where six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured and 1 killed in an attack by the terrorists earlier in the day.

Many parts of Srinagar, including the Nowhatta area, have been under curfew since the security forces shot dead Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani earlier on July 8.

More than 50 people have died and thousands have been injured in clashes between the protesters and security forces since then.
The SIT has also found one more house of Nayeem located in Alkapuri. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The SIT is probing the lands illegally acquired by gangster Nayeemuddin in the last two decades. Fresh allegations of the gangster encroaching and grabbing lands have surfaced in the last two days. Police is also investigating the murder of a Chartered Accountant, who was killed by Nayeem's gang in Ranga Reddy district earlier.

The SIT has also found one more house of Nayeem located in Alkapuri. The house was searched based on the confession of Nayeem's driver G. Samuel.

The SIT is investigating acres of land in Shamshabad, Nanakramguda, Pahadishareef, Vikarabad, Neredmet and Adibatla, which were controlled by the gangster.

Nayeem had allegedly grabbed six acres from a 10 acre plot owned by a Tollywood actress in Nanakramguda. A 33-acre piece of land in Pahadi Shareef and a 15 acre plot and a farmhouse in Vikarabad also were allegedly grabbed by Nayeem. The 10 acre plot and buildings in Shamshabad have also come under scrutiny.

It is suspected that Nayeem got the lands at Pahadi Shareef and Vikarabad with the help of two politicians and some senior police officers. Meanwhile, the SIT has received 14 more calls from Nayeems victims on Sunday. Several victims of Nayeem have approached police stations across the city. The SIT will be compiling the cases. A victim named Mallamma of Adibhatla said that Nayeem had killed her husband and her son after encroaching their 28 acre farm.
A 350-kilometre march undertaken to protest the flogging has attracted thousands of Dalits every day. (Photo: Facebook)

Una (Gujarat): Radhika Vemula, the mother of Rohith Vemula, the PhD who committed suicide at the University of Hyderabad campus in January, unfurled the national flag on the grounds of a large state-run school in Una, Gujarat.

The protest gathering at Una is the culmination of a 10-day march that saw people join from all corners of India to mark their protest against rising atrocities on Dalits.

There have been large-scale Dalit protests in Gujarat over the last few days, after four Dalits were tied to a car, stripped and flogged for allegedly killing a cow last month.

A 350-kilometre march undertaken to protest the flogging has attracted thousands of Dalits every day.

On Monday, a leader of the movement said that Dalit people will launch a rail blockade in a month if the state government doesnt accept their demands that include five acres of land for every member of the community.

We demand a discussion on land allotment for Dalits in the Gujarat assembly on August 22-23, said lawyer-turned-activist Jignesh Mewani, according to reports.

Mewani added that if Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel could go to jail for seven months, he was ready to be imprisoned for 27.

The march was also attended by Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, who addressed the crowd.

"You have exposed the Gujarat model of development," Kumar said to the crowd.

"We want freedom from casteism. We will not tolerate any more atrocities on Dalits anywhere in the country. Everybody has to come together to fight against such atrocities."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state has been shaken by the incidents and Dalit agitations. This is being cited as one of the prime reasons why Anandiben Patel resigned from the Chief Ministers post earlier this month.

Muslim community members came in large numbers to support the Dalit community in their campaign. Slogans like "Dalits-Muslims bhai bhai" were heard at the gathering.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Monday delivered the Independence Day address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, has reached Gujarat to pay respects to to Swaminarayan sect's spiritual head Pramukh Swami, who died on Saturday evening.
Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government is committed to resolve the situation where people are scared of the Income Tax authorities, particularly among middle class families, assuring that he will bring change.

"We want to change the situation where people are scared of income tax authorities, particularly among middle class families. We have to change this situation and I will change it. I want to change the lives of common people, I am committed to it," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing the nation on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

Asserting that renewable energy is a focus area for the government, Prime Minister Modi said that before the BJP-led NDA government, they used to lay 30,000-35,000 km in transmission lines in a year, but today their government lays 50,000 km in transmission lines per year.

He said today, in all the major government hospitals, online registration is available and medical records are also available online.

"There was a time when government was surrounded by allegations but now the government is surrounded by expectations. There was a time when getting a passport was a tedious process and needed strong references. We have changed this. Now, one can avail passport in a week, have eased processes. We have to give speed to our work," he added.

Prime Minister Modi said in the last 60 years, 14 crore people were given gas connections, while the present government provided gas connections to over four crore people in 60 weeks.

"We have connected 70 crore Indians to Aadhaar and social security schemes. We are working to bring in social change. In such a short span of time we have built two crore toilets.over 70,000 villages are free from open-defecation," he added.

The Prime Minister asserted that his government has taken forward the work of village roads which was started under former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

"Earlier, we used to make 70-75 kms of roads in a day. Today we make over 100 kms in a day. We have found 9,000 lower ranks in which there will not be any interviews, there will not be any need of references and middlemen. These appointments are being done on merit. Today the citizen is not happy with just the announcement of projects, the unveiling of plans. She / He want to see the actual work being done on the ground," he added.

Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort on the 70th Independence Day.

It is the third time that he is addressing the nation on August 15 as Prime Minister.

Before beginning his speech, he unfurled the national flag at the Red Fort.

The Prime Minister was received by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar and General Officer Commanding (GOC) Delhi area Lt. General Vijay Singh.

He inspected the Guard of Honour in the company of Wing Commander K. Srinivas.
Lucknow: In an indication that all is not well within the party, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday came out in support of his brother and Cabinet Minister Shivpal Yadav, saying if he left SP, it will get divided into factions.

His remarks came a day after Shivpal threatened to resign alleging rampant corruption in the Uttar Pradesh government headed by Mulayam's son Akhilesh Yadav. Assembly polls in UP are due next year.

At a flag-hoisting programme on the occasion of Independence Day, Mulayam said that a conspiracy was being hatched against Shivpal within SP and if he leaves the party, it will get divided into factions.

He said he had read media reports that Shivpal while expressing concern over touts and musclemen calling the shots in the state, had threatened to resign.

"Shivpal is working very hard. A few people are against him. If he quits, then the sitiation for the party will become bad. Half of the people will go with him," the SP supreme said.

As some party leaders attempted to prevent the issue from being talked about in the presence of the media, he said, "How does it matter? An issue that is true is true."

SP state president and UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav was present on the occasion.

Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav, father and son, have not been on the same page over Shivpal Yadav, who wants to merge Mukhtar Ansaris notorious Quami Ekta Dal (QED) with Samajwadi Party.

In June, Akhilesh Yadav prevailed over his father in preventing the merger of SP with QED.

But an NDTV report said that now, Mulayam Singh Yadav may forge ahead with the merger because Mukhtar Ansari's criminal credentials are outweighed by his ability to drive more Muslim supporters to the Samajwadi Party. In deference to the Chief Minister's objections, Ansari may not be allowed to run for election, though his two brothers are likely to be sanctioned as candidates.

While expressing concern over "land-grabbing", Shivpal, who was in Mainpuri, had spoken about his resignation.

He had alleged some party workers and office-bearers were involved in "wrongful acts" of "land-grabbing and harassment of the public".

"MLAs and MLCs involved in such activities will be expelled from SP. Those party workers and office-bearers involved in land grabbing and acts of deceit will be expelled," Shivpal had said on Monday.

He had said, "Government staff at police stations and tehsils are not paying heed to public grievances. SP had to face defamation because of those involved in land-grabbing and illegal acts."

Shivpal had later said in an statement that SP would not allow people to be harassed even if it requires him to resign.

"Samajwadi Party will never allow harassment of the public...Iske liye chahe mujhe istifa kyun na dena pade (for this I am even prepared to resign)...Those involved in harassment of the people have no connection with SP," he said.

Mulayam said that from next month, he would hold rallies in 18 divisions.
Police said another accused named in the FIR was still at large and efforts were being made to arrest him. (Representational Image: PTI)

Mumbai: An Islamic preacher, arrested in Kerala for his alleged links with terror outfit ISIS, was on Sunday night 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 ISIS, 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 Indian Penal Code.

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.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced a slew of development projects and schemed regarding the "seven resolves" adopted by his government for the next five years and said that rule of law prevailed in the state.

In his speech on 70th Independence Day, Kumar announced the launch of Student Credit Card scheme from October 2. The scheme promises Rs four lakh interest free loan to students for pursuing higher education.

He also announced the launch of a scheme to provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to youths in the age group of 20 to 25 for two years to help them search job.

The CM announced start of centres in all 534 blocks in the state for imparting language training and computer knowledge to youths to prepare them with better employment prospects.

Another major promise was launch of start up capital of Rs 5,000 crore to help young entrepreneurs start their ventures.

Kumar said free Wi-fi facility would be made available in all state universities and colleges from February 2017.

These announcements are part of his "seven resolves" which he had expressed on the eve of state Assembly election last year. The resolves have been adopted by the grand secular alliance government of JD(U), RJD and Congress in the state as "policy of governance" for the next five years.

Kumar said rule of law prevailed in the state and appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Expressing concern over misuse of social media triggering violence, he said, "I urge everybody to ignore provocative messages sent deliberately to foment unrest in the society. We should not become victims of such designs."

Violence erupted in Saran district last week over a youth sending some objectionable message on social media.

While the state level function was held at the historic Gandhi Maidan where the chief minister took salute from marching contingents, the occasion was celebrated enthusiastically elsewhere too.

Later, the CM visited Chilbilli Mahadalit Tola to hoist the tricolour in a village inhabited by mahadalits, poorest among dalits, at Phulwarisharif block of Patna district.

Governor Ramnath Kovind unfurled national flag at Raj Bhavan and extended warm greetings to the people on the day.

RJD President Lalu Prasad, accompanied by wife Rabri Devi and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, hoisted the tricolour at his 10 Circular Road residence in the presence of a large number of party functionaries and citizens.
New Delhi: Asserting that he has reached the peak of his career and was not afraid to speak his mind, Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Monday expressed his disappointment at Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day address. Thakur said he was hoping that Modi would mention appointment of judges in his speech.

The CJI, who hoisted the tri-colour at the Supreme Court lawn, called on the Prime Minister to take action for the sake of justice for people, who had great expectation from Indias legal system.

I was hoping that there would be talks about justice, about the appointment of judges. These days, cases are piling up and so are peoples expectations, which is making things difficult. Which is why I have time and again made this request that attention be given to this matter as well, he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that he admired the CJIs concern for justice. I really really admire CJIs courage, conviction and his concern for justice, he said in a tweet.

On Friday, the Supreme Court had slammed Modi-led government, accusing it of sitting over judges appointments.

The CJI had sought a reply from Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi over the delay in appointment of judges as recommended by the collegium. Slamming the government over the delay, he said, Dont force us to pass orders to remove logjam.

The apex court asserted that time has come to take judicial note of appointments and transfers, which have not been made despite the collegiums clearance eight months ago.

Regarding the collegium, the apex court stated that 75 names of High Court judges have been cleared, but have not been approved.

The vacancies in High Courts have increased to 43 percent when the pendency in high courts has reached to four million cases. If the government has any objection on the names, it should be sent back to the collegiums with relevant matter, but the process cant be stalled, the court observed.
Those serving a jail term of more than 7 years and up to 10 years would get remission for nine months. (Representational Image)

Chandigarh: The Punjab government decided to accord one-time reduction of sentences to prisoners imprisoned for up to 20 years on the occasion of the Independence Day on Monday.

State Jail Minister Sohan Singh Thandal said those undergoing imprisonment for more than 10 years and up to 20 years have been granted one-time remission of sentence for a year.

Similarly, those serving a jail term of more than 7 years and up to 10 years would get remission for nine months and those who have been jailed for more than 5 years and up to 7 years would get 6 months.

In case a person has been sentenced to more than 3 years and up to 5 years in jail, he would get remission for three months. A remission for a month has been accorded to those undergoing a sentence of less than 3 years.

Thandal said only those prisoners who are confined in jails on August 15 have been granted remission.

He said in case a person has been sentenced to imprisonment for 10 years or for a period exceeding 5 years but not more than 10 years, the conduct of the person for the last five would also be taken into consideration before granting him remission.

If a person is on parole or furlough, remission would be granted only if he surrenders in the jail before the expiry of period of parole.

The minister said no remission will be granted to those convicted for a serious offences and in the cases being probed by the CBI.

Conditions imposed for granting one-time remission of sentence to prisoners, with regard to the nature of the crime committed, have been clarified in the notification issued by the state government's Department of Home (Jails) on August 12, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks from the rampart of the Red Fort on India's Independence Day, in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: On the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the governments resolve is to turn Swaraj (self-rule) into Surajya (good rule), adding that it resolved to fulfil the dream of Ek Bharat, Sresth Bharat.

Today on this special day, I convey my greetings to 125 crore Indians and the Indian community living overseas. May this energy guide the nation to scale newer heights of progress in the years to come. We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, countless people who sacrificed their lives so that we attain Swarajya, Prime Minister said while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi.

Modi said India's age is not 70 years, but the journey post colonial rule for a better India is 70-year old.

From the Vedas to Vivekananda, we have a long history. India is an ancient country with a rich cultural heritage. It is because of our great freedom fighters who laid their live that we are independent, he added.

He said it was an opportunity to renew and resolve the energy to take the country to new heights. Yes, we face several problems. But we are capable to overcome them. The onus is on 125 crore people of India to convert this 'Swaraj' (self-rule) into 'Surajya' (good rule), he added.

The Prime Minister said it is easy to keep account of the work done by the government, but it is difficult to have in-depth knowledge of those initiatives. From panchayat to Parliament and from village head to the Prime Ministereverybody should understand their responsibilities. Today, more than Karya, I want to talk about Karya Sanskriti on the government, he added.

He said the meaning of Surajya is a qualitative and positive change in the lives of the citizen of India. Today I am not talking only about Niyati (policies), but also about Neeyat (intentions). 'Surajya' means a government should be sensitive towards the common man, weaker sections. For this, one needs to give importance to good governance, accountability and transparency in any government is paramount, he added.

The Prime Minister was received by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Dr. Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary G. Mohan Kumar and General Officer Commanding (GOC) Delhi area Lt General Vijay Singh.

He inspected the Guard of Honour in the company of Wing Commander K. Srinivas after which he unfurled the national flag.
Chennai: Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar took a dig at Pakistan on the issue of terrorism and its handling of Balochistan and said Pakistan was the only country that bombed its own citizens.

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. And when they talk about Kashmir, the way they deal with Pak-occupied-Kashmir and Balochistan.its the only country which had to bomb its own citizens with fighter planes in the North East Frontier Area, he said.

Speaking at a panel discussion organised by Chinmaya Mission here on Saturday night, on the relevance of Bhagavad Gita for soldiers, with former Army General V. P. Malik at Geeta Mahotsav, Mr Parrikar said the Gita emphasised that you fight for a right cause and you dont fight for the sake of it. Our northern neighbour fights a war for winning a warThe Gita gave a totally different version, he quipped.

Former Army chief Malik said Gita teaches one to face problems in a realistic manner. Though the Gita has a lot of messages for everyone, it is something special to the soldiers. I wish everyone, irrespective of the religion read Gita and learn something from it, he added. Knowledge, according to Chinmaya Mission Acharya Swami Mitrananda, comes with detachment which would eradicate fear from the peoples minds.
New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday voiced deep pain over the death of a CRPF commanding officer in attack by militants in Jammu and Kashmir and ordered shifting the injured to Delhi by air ambulance for treatment.

"CRPF commanding officer Promod Kumar fought valiantly when attacked by terrorists in Srinagar today. I am deeply pained at his death," he said in a statement.

Saluting the CRPF officer for his valour and supreme sacrifice, the Home Minister said Kumar served the nation till his last breath.

"I offer my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family," he said.

The Home Minister also asked Director General of CRPF K Durga Prasad to evacuate those injured in the incident by air ambulance to Delhi for better treatment.

"I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured CRPF jawans," he said.

As the nation was celebrating its 70th Independence Day, militants attacked security personnel at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar, killing the CRPF officer and injuring nine other personnel. Two militants were also killed in retaliatory fire.

Promod Kumar, who originally hailed from Bakhtiyarpur in Bihar, had joined CRPF in 1998.

Kumar was posted to Srinagar in April, 2014 and was promoted to the rank of Commandant recently, the CRPF said in a release.

Known among his colleagues as a gallant officer, he was amiable and an empathetic leader to his men.

Kumar had served in Kashmir, Tripura, Assam, Jammu, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh.

An officer with high operational acumen, he was awarded the DG?s Commendation Disc in 2015 and the DGs Commendation Certificate in 2011 and 2014.

He was on deputation to the elite Special Protection Group between 2011 and 2013.

Kumar is survived by his wife Neha, seven year old daughter, Aarna, and 63 year old father.

The mortal remains of the officer is being transported by a special aircraft from Srinagar to Jamtara in Jharkhand, where his family has settled now, for the last rites which would be performed tomorrow, the release said.
New Delhi/Islamabad: 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 on Sunday that it was not yet clear whether Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would be attending.

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 Mr 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.
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said his government would maintain cordial relations with neighbouring states as well as the Centre for faster development of the state.

Addressing the gathering at Independence Day celebrations after unfurling the tri-colour at historic Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Rao said measures taken in this direction have shown results.

"From the day I assumed charge as Chief Minister, I made it clear that Telangana will maintain friendly relations with all its neighbouring states. Towards that spirit, the government's efforts have yielded good results," he said, adding "On irrigation and Energy sector, we have been able to have tie ups with Maharashtra, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh."

Power purchase agreement for 1,000 MW has been finalised with Chhattisgarh and the power will become available to Telangana in next four months, he said.

Rao said that because of the policies followed by the previous governments (during united Andhra Pradesh), the irrigation projects on Godavari river are mired in disputes with neighbouring states and did not make headway.

He pointed out that "Now, with our sustained efforts we have been able to take strides towards signing agreements on irrigation projects with Maharashtra. It is an important step in the interest of the state."

On the other hand, Telangana has also strengthened relations with Karnataka and as a result Karnataka has come forward to complete work of RDS Project which will ensure water to Mahabubnagar district.

"Ours is a newly formed state and in order to ensure speedy development, the Government would maintain cordial relationship with the Centre as well as the neighbouring states. We will protect the interests of the state without compromising on policies," Rao said.

Rao announced that the process of creation of new districts is on and they will come into being from Dasara festival as gift to the public.

The government is taking steps to provide irrigation water to one crore acres across the state, he said. The government, Rao said has given special focus on agriculture sector which according to him, had been neglected during united Andhra Pradesh.

Priority has been given on micro irrigation by the government and drip irrigation has been provided on highly subsidised rates, he said, adding that his government has allotted Rs 300 crore besides Rs 1,000 crore from Nabard to bring 1.26 lakh acres under drip irrigation during this year.

Speaking on the warehousing capacities in the state, Rao said his government has undertaken steps to construct 330 godowns with combined capacity of 17.07 lakh tonnes and out of this construction of 100 godowns is ready while the remaining would be completed in next two months.

He said the government, under the new industrial policy-(TS-IPASS) accorded sanctions for setting up 2,303 industries in the state involving an investment outlay of Rs 46,000 crore. It is estimated that these industries would provide employment opportunities to 1.75 lakh people.
Security forces take position near the site of a gunbattle in Srinagar. (Photo: PTI)

Srinagar: A CRPF officer and five militants were killed while several others were injured when militants attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar on Monday, even as the rest of the country celebrated India's 70th Independence Day.

An unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid, triggering an encounter.

Policemen run to take position near the site of the gunbattle in Srinagar. (Photo: PTI)

The CRPF was fighting the terrorists in a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir police. The fierce gun battle lasted for hours and ended on Monday afternoon 2 pm.

Ten security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said, adding, a CRPF commanding officer injured in the attack later succumbed to injuries.

Meanwhile, two militants were killed as Army foiled infiltration bid in Uri sector of north Kashmir.
Hyderabad: Rowdy sheeter Dakkuri Babu attempted to kill local Congress leader D. Yadgiri at Bowenpally here on Saturday because the politician had failed to pay him his commission in a land settlement deal. The commission was worth several lakhs of rupees, police said.

The North zone police has formed special teams to hunt down Babu, who was earlier involved in two murders and two dacoity attempts in the city, and his associate, who fired at Mr Yadgiri when he was coming out his house on Saturday. Sources said that a suspect was already in police custody.

The duo allegedly shot at Mr Yadgiri thrice; two bullets grazed him while the third one did not hit him. Mr Yadgiri succeeded in grabbing the firearm and escaping into a local hospital.

Mr Yadgiri and the suspect Babu were quite close to each other, and Mr Yadgiri owed him a great deal of money as per their deal. Mr Yadgiri refused to pay up what was due. We suspect that Mr Yadgiris attitude angered Babu who decided to eliminate him, said a senior official from the North Zone police.

Babu was earlier arrested in two murder cases, a few property offences and attempts at dacoity.

The Alwal police had also opened a rowdy sheet on him, said the official.

Mr Yadgiri, who is undergoing treatment at a private hospital after the attack, sought police protection since he feared for his life. I am not a controversial person and I do not have enmity towards anyone. Someone has hatched a plan to kill me. Police should find and arrest the person, he said.

Mr Yadgiri claimed that his acquaintances son-in-law had come to demand money from him. Police should investigate that, he said. He told newsmen that he was not involved in any illegal activities and that he did not owe anybody any money.
Normal life remained paralysed for the 38th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July. (Photo: HU Naqash/ DC)

Srinagar: One youth was killed and another critically injured on Monday in fresh clashes between protestors and security forces in Kashmir, taking the death toll to 58, even as curfew remained in force in some parts of Kashmir while a CRPF officer was killed and nine other security personnel injured as militants attacked them in Srinagar.

A youth injured in clashes between protestors and security forces at Batamaloo in the city was brought to SMHS hospital with "grievous injuries", a police official said.

The doctors declared him "brought dead", he said adding efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

In another incident in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district, one youth was critically injured after being hit by a tear smoke shell in the head, the official said.

Earlier, a youth injured during clashes last week succumbed at a hospital here this morning.

Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, who was injured during clashes between protestors and security forces in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district on August 12, succumbed at SKIMS hospital here, a police official said.

Bhat had sustained injury to his head.

"Curfew remained in force in five police station areas of old city and Hazratbal zone in Srinagar district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order," the police official said.

He said restrictions on the movement of the people were in force in rest of the valley.

Stringent security arrangements were put in place for the Independence Day celebrations but militants struck in Nowhatta area of the city, killing a CRPF officer and injuring nine other security personnel.

Two militants were also shot dead in the encounter which began around 7.30 in the morning.

Internet and mobile services across the valley remained suspended as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

While broadband services were snapped on Saturday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late in the night on the same day.

While all mobile phone services used to be shut during the Independence day celebrations over the past 10 years, BSNL mobiles were working on Monday.

"Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges," the official said.

Normal life remained paralysed for the 38th 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.
Hyderabad: Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan of the Hyderabad High Court said on Monday that hardly 10 per cent of the Indian population was using the judicial process to have their disputes resolved and their grievances addressed. Speaking at the High Court after hoisting the national Flag on the Independence Day, Justice Ranganathan said the primary obligation of the Bar and Bench was to provide access to justice to those who need it the most, and ensure its speedy delivery.

Justice Ranganathan said, Reasons for the inordinate delay in the justice delivery system are many, and today is not the day when we should analyse the faults both within and outside. We must, however, remember that hardly 10 per cent of the Indian population makes use of judicial process to have their disputes resolved, and that a majority of our people are wary and sceptical of invoking the judicial mechanism to protect and enforce rights conferred on them the Constitution and laws.

The ACJ said, Our inability to empathise with the downtrodden in our mindless pursuit of wealth has only increased their sense of alienation. He opined that providing greater representation to the deprived sections of society would not necessarily result in a dilution of the standards of excellence which the Bench and Bar must both strive to achieve.

Advocates-General of Telangana and AP, K. Ramakrishna Reddy and Dammalapati Srinivas, preside-nts of the Bar Associations of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, C. Nageswara Rao and Gandra Mohan Rao, spoke. The ACJ felicitated senior advocates P. Balakrishna Murthy, K. Pratap Reddy, B.V. Subbaiah, Battula Venkateswara Rao, A. Pulla Reddy, E. Man-ohar, K.V. Satyanarayana, K.V. Subramanya Narasu, C. Ananda Rao, T. Bali Reddy and Koka Raghava Rao.
BENGALURU: The Bengaluru Police have slapped sedition charges against the Amnesty International India in connection with the anti-Indian and anti-Indian Army slogans shouted during an event organised by the NGO at United Theological College on Millers Road on Saturday evening.

In the FIR, the representatives of the Amnesty International India have been named as accused number one, while others (not known) have been booked as accused number two.

The police have invoked Section 142 (being member of unlawful assembly), 143 (punishment for a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), and 149 (unlawful assembly with common object) of the Indian Penal Code.

The police said that the FIR was filed after taking legal opinion and analysing the video footage provided by the complainant. We registered the FIR on Monday. Representatives of the Amnesty International India and participants will be questioned as part of the probe, a senior police official said.

On Saturday, Amnesty International India had organised the event Broken Families and towards the end of the event, some of the participants had allegedly shouted anti-Indian and anti-Indian Army slogans.
After a major controversy over the alignment of Storm Water Drains (SWD), the citizens of Doddabommasandra are questioning the validity of the massive demolitions of structures sitting on the SWD.

The BBMPs demolition drive has come under fire. First of all the maps are not fully reliable. Majorly, the principle of inter-connected lakes is established in them. But the actual paths of the kaluves between the lakes are not all available as the maps were made individually for villages. Are officials bulldozing in the absence of valid maps? Why doesnt BBMP touch the big fish? These are the questions haunting citizens.

After a major controversy over the alignment of Storm Water Drains (SWD), the citizens of Doddabommasandra are questioning the validity of the massive demolitions of structures sitting on the SWD. Are tax-paying citizens supposed to quietly accept the razing of unauthorized structures without valid documents and without proper reasons, question citizens.

Read | Guest column: Who will bell the cat?

Following a petition by N. Siddalingaiah to direct the officials of the revenue department to furnish the details of the revenue survey, the personnel of the revenue department pleaded that the documents containing these details have been damaged and soiled. On June 13, they also said that it was not possible to retrieve them and that they needed to make a fresh survey, for which they sought an additional six months.

The BBMP authorities have demolished structures on storm water drains, but what about the roads that are constructed over the drains? A concrete road was built on the drain near Gali Anjaneya Temple and in front of Garuda mall. Will the BBMP demolish it? Are they not encroachments?

Bommasandra residents

Interestingly, within two months, the demolition drive has been taken up by the BBMP, said an advocate B. M. Santosh. However, from August 10 itself, bulldozers swooped down on a war footing to raze structures on drains. This has raised questions over authenticity of the BBMPs drive. Has the government misled the high court by saying they need time to prepare survey details, questioned Mr. Santosh.

After hearing the authorities of the revenue department, the high court justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri granted a deadline of six months to them to prepare the details.

Just two months ago, the revenue department and state government did not have survey details of the village identifying the drain, plain land and other physical features. A point to note is that no survey of drains took place in the last two months, so how could the department go ahead with demolition sans survey details, he asked.

It appears that either the high court direction was not considered seriously in preparing the survey records or details have been prepared hastily and demolition too has been taken up as per their whims and fancies, playing with the lives of gullible people, he added.

When contacted, BBMP commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said that whatever structures were demolished were built on SWD and the BBMP had documents to prove it. Encroachments, he said, have been cleared as per the high court directive and provisions in KMC Act.

Small fry targeted, big guns go unscathed

After the hue and cry raised by the public and members of the anticorruption forum  We the People of Bengaluru (WPB) -- against the BBMP demolition drive, the BBMP seems to have got itself more organized and announced and marked the encroachments and survey numbers. But it still hasnt touched the big fish, that is, the malls and commercial structures built on drains. Nor do any plans show on the BBMP website either. Going after major encroachers or structures is a real challenge for the BBMP.

The maps are not fully reliable. Of course, their broad features are alright, and the principle of inter-connected lakes is established in them. But the actual paths of the kaluves between the lakes are not at all available as the maps were made individually for villages. The maps include estimated paths of water drains and not actual paths.

Ashwin Mahesh, Urban Planner

Which is why the BBMP would prefer to target poor and small occupants as they are voiceless. The moment they touch the big uns they know the latter will approach the court and expose the wrongdoings of the officers. The civic body may want to target them, but not immediately, said Ashwin Mahesh, urban planner.

Their maps are not fully reliable. Of course, their broad features are alright, and the principle of inter-connected lakes is established in them. But the actual paths of the kaluves between the lakes are not all available as the maps were made individually for villages. The maps include estimated paths of water drains and not actual paths. This makes the demolitions easy to challenge in court, he said.

The system of kaluves is designed to transport excess water away from the lakes out of the city. But how much is considered excess -- if the lakes were properly and regularly dredged, they would have higher holding capacity and not overflow as much. If water from the large lakes is used in local water supply schemes, the overflow could be directed to practical use instead, he added.

The accumulated errors of the past have left us with no 'correct' options. What we can do today is simply to choose between a number of sub-optimal choices. And at least then, implement this choice properly and assiduously, he suggested.
New Delhi: The rift between the judiciary and the NDA government continued with the Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur directly taking on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not making even a mention about the delay in judicial appointments in his I-Day address.

Earlier, the PM in his speech said too many laws create confusion for the government, the judiciary and the common man and his government has embarked upon an exercise to clean up laws that create hurdles.

The CJI was upset that even the Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who spoke earlier at the Supreme Court function, did not say anything about filling up of vacancies but only spoke in general terms.

The CJIs disappointment was seized upon by the opposition parties with the Congress saying the PM should heed the advice of the top judge.

The Congress also said Justice Thakur's remarks on the prime minister's speech were unprecedented yet starkly true while Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal admired the CJI for his courage
Una: Vowing to intensify their agitation at a protest rally on Independence Day, the Dalit community in Gujarat on Monday said they will launch a mega rail roko stir if their demand for granting five acres of land for each family is not met by Gujarat government within one month.

As thousands of Dalits gathered in Una on the occasion of the countrys 70th Independence Day where Prime Minister Narendra Modi also came under fire, their leaders sought freedom from atrocities and discrimination, amid chants of Jai Bhim.

The Tricolour was jointly unfurled by Radhika Vemula, mother of dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide in Hyderabad and Balu Sarvaiya, father of one of the victims of Una Dalit flogging incident, in the presence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.

The week-long rally which started from Ahmedabad by Una Dalit Atachiyar Ladat Samiti, culminated in Una, the place where some Dalits where brutally beaten by cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow last month sparking outrage.

You take cows tail, give us land, Jignesh Mavani, a lawyer-turned politician who established the UDALS and led the march, told the huge gathering.

We have presented our demand before the state government. If you do not accept our demand of giving five acres land to each Dalit family in next one month, we will launch a rail roko agitation, Mevani said. He also made those who were present there to take a pledge not to be in the business of skinning of cows.

Targeting Modi, Mevani said, The sheer scale of protests had forced him to speak out on the issue. Modi did not speak a word when three youths were killed in police firing in Thangadh town in 2012, another incident of Dalit atrocity, Kanhaiya said the hype of Gujarat Model of development has been punctured by Dalits of the state.

We want freedom from castesim. We will not tolerate any more atrocities on Dalits anywhere in the country. Everybody has to come together to fight against such atrocities.

Radhika Vemula in her address said, I have not got justice for my son. He had to commit suicide just because he was Dalit. But it is good to see that Dalit movement in Gujarat has forced the chief minister Anandiben Patel to resign. I have come here so that no other Dalit children face what my son had to suffer.

Muslim community members came in large numbers to support the Dalit community in their campaign. As many as seven members of Dalit community from Mota Samadhiyala village in Una taluk in Gir Somnath district were on July 11 brutally assaulted by some self-styled cow vigilantes for skinning a dead cow.
The two groups, one headed by Dr Putta Srinivas with Dr Ravi Shekar as general secretary, and the other by Dr Ramesh and Dr P. Praveen claim they have been elected. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: Two National Flags were hoisted by rival groups of the Telangana Government Doctors Association on Independence Day, each claiming they represented the body.

The two groups, one headed by Dr Putta Srinivas with Dr Ravi Shekar as general secretary, and the other by Dr Ramesh and Dr P. Praveen claim they have been elected.

Dr P. Praveen of the Dr Ramesh group claimed they have an order from the High Court stating that they represent the association. He said his group hoisted the flag first at the building allotted to doctors. Dr P. Srinivas and Dr Shekar came along with the police and stated that they are the rightful representatives and must be allowed to hoist the flag. We were shocked.

After heated arguments between the two groups, Sultan Bazaar police said everyone had a right to hoist the flag on Independence Day, and allowed the other group to hoist the flag.

Government doctors from ENT Hospital, OGH, Koti Maternity Hospital and other staff were present during the fracas.

A senior doctor said that the Dr Srinivas had got elected, and the Dr Ramesh group had contested against it. The order of the court has to be implemented by the government. Till that is done, it cant be considered official. But no one is ready to wait, he said.

Dr Srinivas and Dr Ramesh were not available for comment. The row between the two groups had reached health minster Dr C. Laxma Reddy.

A senior doctor said the two groups were quarrelling over primary membership, governance, role of office-bearers and the manner in which the funds are being utilised.

Both the groups are indulging in their own ego wars and no one is interested in working for the association, another doctor said.
Bhopal: The Jain temples in Bhopal city on Monday decided to bar entry of women devotees, wearing jeans and tops.

Announcing dress code for both woman and men devotees to enter the Jain temples in the city, Digambar Jain panchayat president Ramesh Choudhury said the women wearing jeans and tops or any transparent clothes would be denied entry into the shrines.

The women devotees should dress decently while visiting the temples, he said. Similarly, the panchayat also announced dress code for men. According to the rule, men should wear kurta, pyjama or simple pant, shirt while visiting the Jain temples in the city.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday warned of stringent action against anti-social elements in the state. The government is committed to maintaining law and order. We are taking firm action against anti-social elements. The results are before your eyes, he said, in an indirect reference to the encounter-killing of gangster Nayeem.

He also spoke about the formation of new districts on Dasara, signing of an MoU with Mahar-ashtra over river water sharing and construction of irrigation projects across river Godavari, providing Krishna-Godavari waters to all villages by March 2018 and 1,000 MW power for Telangana from Chhattisgarh within four months. Mr Rao addressed the state after unfurling the national Flag on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day at Golconda Fort. Cabinet ministers, legislators, MPs and others attended the ceremony.

Mr Rao said that the performance of Telan-gana state police had vastly improved and had got the highest number of national police medals including a Shaurya Chakra for the first time after the formation of Telangana  to Nalgonda Counter Intelligence constable K. Srinivasulu  besides two gallantry aw-ards and 38 police medals. Referring to his focus on Bangaru Telangana and those opposed to this, the Chief Minister alleged that some forces were trying to stall development but the government would overcome it with public support.

Speaking about TS-iPASS, Mr Rao said that the government had come up with the best industrial policy. Permissions had been given for 2,303 new industries, which pumped in Rs 46,000 crore worth of investments and created employment for 1.75 lakh people in the state, the Chief Minister said. The information technology sector has achieved 13.26 per cent growth rate. It (this growth) is now number one in the country. Last financial year, the IT sector had achieved Rs 75,000 crore software exports. Hyderabad is now a world-recognised IT hub. The 2018 World Congress of Information Technology meet will be held in Hyderabad, he added.

The Chief Minister also said that out of the governments promise of creating one lakh jobs during its five year term, 37,000 jobs had been created so far. He also spoke of the massive Telangana Ku Haritha Haram programme that will see 46 crore saplings planted this year and 230 crore in the next three years. When I hoisted the Tricolour at the Golconda Fort for the first time after formation of Telangana, the state was a two-and-a-half month old baby. Step by step, it has crossed the childhood in a short period of two years, the Chief Minister said while greeting people on the occasion of Krishna Pushkaralu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation during the 70th Independence Day main function at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Giving a clarion call to reform, perform and transform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third Independence Day said that the Government has to be sensitive, responsible, accountable, transparent and efficient to complete the journey from Swarajya (self-governance) to Suraj (good governance).

He announced a 20-per cent hike in the pension for freedom fighters and said museums would be built in several states to glorify the role of lesser-known people from tribal communities who contributed for the freedom struggle.

Coming up with innovative campaigns has been Mr Modi's forte during Independence Day speeches. While in his first ever address two years back, Mr Modi had given a call for Swachch Bharat Abhiyan, in his second Independence Day speech last year, he had announced the Start-Up India Stand-Up India campaign.

On Monday Mr Modi also announced that medical expenses of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families will be borne by the government. Commenting on the attacks on the recent attacks on Dalits and Muslims by the fringe Hindutva elements. Social evils will have to be dealt with sternly and with sensitivity as survival of the society is impossible if there is no social unity.

The Prime Minister said, the Government is taking steps to increase the pension for freedom fighters by 20 per cent. So those who are receiving Rs 25,000, will now get Rs 30,000. This is a small act of reverence on my behalf.

Hitting out at the previous UPA government, Mr Modi said his Government is surrounded by expectations as against the previous regime which was surrounded by allegations.

He stressed on delivery and implementation of programmes, saying mere announcements or budgetary allocations no longer satisfy people.

Listing an example of increased efficiency under his government, Mr Modi said the process of issuing passports, which used to take 4 to 6 months, now takes only a couple of weeks and the need of recommendations has been done away with.

In 2015-16 alone, we issued 1.75 crore passports, he said. He said the NDA government has tried to complete projects which were initiated during the tenure of the previous government.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the nation during the 70th Independence Day main function at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Signalling a major shift in Indias foreign policy and hitting back at Pakistan which had dedicated its Independence Day on Sunday to the independence of Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, possibly the first-time ever an Indian Prime Minister has referred to the restive Pakistani province from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Mr Modis move is a clear signal that India will not fight shy of playing the Baloch card to counter Pakistans Kashmir card.

Pakistan immediately retaliated by claiming that this proved its contention that India has been fomenting terrorism in the province, an allegation which has always been contemptuously dismissed by India as baseless and absurd.

Will never bow to terror: PM

By thanking the people of Balochistan and also Gilgit and other parts of PoK for sending their greetings to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to highlight the rampant discontent in these areas against human rights violations by the Pakistani security forces.

In a veiled reference to Pakistans support for terrorism, Mr Modi said that while India mourned the horrific massacre in the Peshawar school terror attack, terrorists were being glorified elsewhere.

Apart from seeking to draw attention to the sorry plight of the Baloch people, India is also seeking to draw attention to the widespread discontent and recent protests in PoK including Gilgit and Baltistan.

Saying India would never bow before terrorism, Mr Modi also attacked Maoism, saying innocents were being killed and appealed to extremists to join the mainstream.

From the Red Fort, I want to send special greetings and thank some people. In the past few days, the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the way they have profusely thanked me, areas which I have not even seen, those whom I have never met, those sitting far away are sending their greetings to the Prime Minister of India, it is an honour to the 125 crore people of India. So I want to thank the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK, the Prime Minister said.

Asserting that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Ministers adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Mr Modis I-Day speech, claimed that Mr Modi was only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, only proves Pakistans contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan, Mr Aziz was quoted by news agencies as saying in a Foreign Office statement from Islamabad.
New Delhi: Pakistan continued its provocation on Monday, with its foreign secretary calling in the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad and handing over a letter formally inviting Indian foreign secretary S. Jaishankar for talks on the Kashmir issue.

India had virtually dismissed a suggestion to this effect from the Pakistani PMs adviser on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz two days ago, saying the focus should be on terrorism. Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said that Indian HC Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation.

Pakistan says talks obligatory

The foreign secretary called in the Indian High Commissioner on Monday afternoon and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan. The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries, India and Pakistan, to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the statement by the Pakistan foreign ministry said.

Lashing out at India in a fresh diatribe on Monday, Mr Aziz said, India, though a large country, does not automatically become a great country and went on to accuse New Delhi of unleashing brute force in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved through bullets.

In response to an earlier statement by Mr Aziz on August 12, that Pakistan would invite India for a dialogue on J&K, the MEA official spokesperson in New Delhi had said on Saturday, India would welcome a dialogue on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations.
Hyderabad: Top national honour Shaurya Chakra went this time to exceptionally brave Telangana state Counter-Intelligence cop Kukadapu Srinivasulu who held a most-wanted terror suspect in his hands for two hours even while struggling through a stab injury and the intestine coming out of his abdomen.

The brave act took place in Bengaluru on January 23 this year. The TS cop is among a list of 12 - mostly from the Indian Army and two policemen including one from Nagaland  who received the highest peacetime gallantry medal on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day on Monday. Police constable K. Srinivasulu working with TS Counter-Intelligence cell nabbed terror suspect Alem Jeb Afridi of Gujarat.

Intel cop showed dedication

Top national honour Shaurya Chakra went this time to exceptionally brave Telangana state Counter-Intelligence cop Kukadapu Srinivasulu who held a most-wanted terror suspect in his hands for two hours even being injured.

The terrorist, Alem Jeb Afridi, was on the list of most wanted of the National Investigation Agency, the CBI and several states. He was caught by the Counter-Intelligence cell of TS in Bengaluru in a raid. Afridi alias Mohammed Rafiq alias Jaweed, son of Maskur Ahamed, was wanted in several blast cases including the Bengaluru church blast.

As per the police case, on December 28 in 2014, at about 8.30 pm, Afridi along with others caused an IED blast in front of the Coconut Grove Bar and Restaurant on Church Street killing one dead and injuring three. Since then, he had been absconding.

A TS intelligence official said, Based on a tip-off, TS Counter-Intelligence cell including constable Sriniva-sulu and three other policemen knocked at the hideout of Afridi. The terror suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed Srinivasulu as he was trying to arrest him.

Srinivasulu is a native of Nalgonda. Narrating the experience, he said: As Afridi stabbed me, my intestine came out. With one hand, I took a piece of cloth and towel and tied it to my abdomen. We held him till reinforcement teams came. I rushed to a hospital only after he was hand-cuffed.

Mr Srinivasulu remained in a hospital in Bengaluru for 20 days, followed by bedrest at home for a few more weeks. Mr Srinivasulu says he had grown up with a passion to be in the police.

I am proud of getting the Shaurya Chakra. The police department of TS has given me an opportunity to serve the nation and I will continue the work with dedication. The three other cops who were part of the team received Police Medals for Gallantry.
Hyderabad: TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday challenged the state government to disprove facts mentioned in his Powerpoint presentation on the irrigation sector on August 17. The TPCC chief said that he would prove that foodgrain production had fallen under the TRS government when compared to the previous Congress. I am going to prove that the claim of Chief Minister K. Chandras-ekhar Rao that he would provide irrigation to one crore acres is bogus, his re-designing and re-engineering of irrigation projects is going to cost Telangana state heavily, causing serious damage to the irrigation sector, he said.

Demanding that land should be acquired for any project only under the the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlem-ent Act, 2013 and not through orders like GO 123 and 124. He said the Congress was organising a farmers meet at Adilabad on Tuesday which will come out with a charter of demands for the welfare of farmers, including total waiver of crop loans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on the 70th Independence Day function from the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: For the third year in a row, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to deliver his Independence Day address from an open air podium instead of from behind a bullet proof glass.

Overruling strong objections from his security detail, Modi had shunned the bullet-proof enclosure to "connect directly" with people during his maiden Independence Day speech as PM from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort in 2014. He had decided to opt out of the enclosure last year as well.

After Indira Gandhi's assassination, the bullet-proof glass had become a tradition and all Prime Ministers since then had addressed the nation from behind the glass.

The bullet-resistant enclosure first came up on Republic Day in 1985 when Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister. It became a permanent fixture until VP Singh opted for a half enclosure for the Independence Day in 1990. The screen was raised body-high again the next year for PM PV Narasimha Rao.

Attired in his trademark half-sleeves kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government's work particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

The most awaited moment for children who had gathered at the venue since 6 am came when Modi broke the protocol again and walked through the area where they were seated.
Chennai: Describing India as a tripod of secularism Governor K. Rosaiah urged the people to strive to make India a great nation. Conveying his greetings and best wishes to all the citizens on the joyous occasion of our nations Independence, the Governor said in his message on the eve of Independence Day,

Our nation is a tripod of secularism. It is a fusion of diverse tradition. We are interwoven into an inseparable and inviolable bond of brotherhood. Let us on the anniversary of our nations independence pledge to strengthen the foundations of mutual understanding and resolve to work with deep dedication in our mission to make India a great nation.

In her message, Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said, All of us should work tirelessly for the growth of our motherland. Such initiative, she said, 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 the independence won by our freedom fighters should be nurtured and that she has been implementing several schemes for the benefit of freedom fighters and their heirs.

Honouring the services of freedom fighters for the country, the government headed by me hiked their monthly pension from Rs 10,000 to Rs 11,000 and pension to their heirs from Rs 5,000 to Rs 5,500, she said.

The special monthly pension to the families of Veerapandiya Kattabomman, Marudhu Brothers, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai and Muthuramalinga Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi was hiked from Rs 4,500 to Rs 5,000. Also, the medical allowance to the families of freedom fighters were increased from Rs 100 to Rs 500, she added.

On Monday, the CM would unfurl the national Tricolour on the ramparts of the historic Fort St George where the State Secretariat is situated and deliver a special address on the occasion.

In his message, the Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan said all sections of the people should join the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in national development.
It would be a violation of diplomatic propriety if Abdul Basit is still in this country as Pakistans high commissioner when this appears in print. Indian responses to Pakistani developments are not always logical or mature but this is one situation where only firm and prompt action can ensure the dialogue between the two countries is maintained at a civilised level and not allowed to descend into squabbling recrimination. Mr Basit had earlier been summoned to the external affairs ministry over Pakistans continued support to cross-border terrorism in Kashmir. But that offence was by his government, not him personally. In this instance, he grossly violated the propriety that must guide the conduct of ambassadors who are also respectable men in private life.

There are many precedents for invoking Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for less than Mr Basits speech on his countrys independence day. If any Indians were present on the occasion, the only honourable course for them would have been to stage a dignified walkout. This instance of diplomatic misconduct must be treated in isolation from the gamut of provocations that compound the disputes and differences that have always divided India and Pakistan. It should not be linked to Pakistani shooting in Poonch. Or to alleged Pakistani exports of terrorism, illicit weapons, narcotics and fake currency. Nor should

Mr Basits outrageous explosion be seen as justifying support of either Balochis who celebrated their independence day on August 11 or of those Kashmiris who no longer wish to live under the yoke of the so-called Azad Kashmir regime. The tussle between India and Pakistan is fought at political, military and diplomatic levels. They must not be confused. Yet, confusion has marked the relationship from the very beginning when, for instance, Jawaharlal Nehru objected to Britain pressuring the Sultan of Mucat and Oman to transfer Gwadar to Pakistan. Presumably, Nehru would not have objected to Britain pressuring Portugal to transfer Goa to India. Similarly, anyone who complains about the mix of political legerdemain and force majeure used to bring the Khan of Kalat to heel and thereby secure Balochistan should pause to consider Indian strategy in Hyderabad and elsewhere.

In many respects, India and Pakistan, Siamese twins in their nationhood, are mirror images of each other. Sanctimonious denunciations by either may be tinged with guilty self-recognition. Humayun Khan, one of Mr Basits far more sophisticated predecessors who went on to become Pakistans foreign secretary, told me once that although he strongly denied every single Indian charge, even if they had been true they would have been justified after Bangladesh. So, Nawaz Sharifs vow to liberate Jammu and Kashmir is par for the course. There is no reason to gloat he is doing so only because his political base is fragmented and he needs to unite the country behind him.

Nor is there any consolation in the thought that the high commissioner must have received his orders from Pakistans military and not political authorities. New Delhi was right to give a dusty answer to the impertinent offer of supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. But that wont stop such fun and games. Every Pakistani leader will forever continue to be seen trying to put the k back into Pakistan. That is the permanent political challenge no Indian Prime Minister can hope to escape. But a certain decorum must be maintained. The immediate problem is ambassadorial insolence for which there can be two main explanations. Either Mr Basit is too ignorant of international diplomatic norms to understand the gravity of his misdemeanour or he was being deliberately offensive to provoke an angry Indian reaction.

Allowance may also have to be made for two supplementary factors. Indo-Pakistani exchanges are so often peppered with informal nonsense that Mr Basit may have thought anything goes. The other factor  and I hesitate to mention this  is that Pakistani politicians have traditionally been more crude than their Indian counterparts, witness the late Zulfiqar Ali Bhuttos abusive outbursts. But Indian politicians now seem to be catching up. New Delhi must insist that diplomats behave like diplomats, not street toughs, agents provocateurs or fifth columnists. Other governments have done so before.

Bolivias first indigenous Indian President, Evo Morales, sent Philip Goldberg, the American ambassador, packing for hob-nobbing with Ruben Costas, governor of Santa Cruz, Bolivias predominantly white richest province which threatened secession. Mr Morales may also have remembered that in 1903 the US encouraged some Colombians to secede and create the new state of Panama in return for the Panama Canal. Serbia expelled the Montenegrin, Macedonian and Malaysian ambassadors when their countries recognised Muslim breakaway Kosovos independence.

Expulsion can be on a grand scale. When Saudi Arabias ambassador to Romania, Abdulrahman I. Al Rassi, refused to answer charges of sexually abusing and murdering a 25-year-old Romanian medical student who worked in his embassy as a secretary, the entire legation staff was given 48 hours to leave the country. The diplomatic ballet between Belarus and the European Union meant the latter withdrawing all EU ambassadors after Belarus expelled two of them, as well as banning 200 Belarusian judicial and law-enforcement officials.

It was all within the law. Article 9 of the Vienna Convention empowers the host government to declare a diplomat persona non grata at any time and without having to explain its decision. Unless he is recalled, the host country can strip him of his diplomatic rank. Of course, Pakistan will make a hero of any expelled envoy. Even Delhi society will probably lionise him. But South Block must not flinch from doing its duty to save the diplomatic dialogue from deteriorating to the level of the bazaar and the bustee.
O captain, my captain, our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weathered every wrack, the prize we sought is won

 Walt Whitman

Walt Whitmans lines, written in 1865 eulogising Abraham Lincoln after his assassination, would have found much resonance on August 15, 1947 in an India rejoicing in Independence at the stroke of the midnight hour. But in those fateful days, Indias own Abraham Lincoln hour was yet to arrive, a fatal moment that finally did come on January 30, 1948, with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi at his evening prayer meeting in the heart of Lutyens New Delhi. The developing narrative thereafter has been the story of India that is Bharat, emerging for the first time in recorded history as a Republic, sovereign, democratic and secular, a contemporary epic which is still in the writing and August 15, in the 70th year of our Independence, is perhaps an appropriate moment to pause, reflect, introspect and look back at the fearful trip to nationhood that India has traversed in the 69 years since 1947.

Make no mistake, the road to nationhood has been rough and unhewn, the journey turbulent, punctuated by wars and conflict  four full-fledged wars against Pakistan, a short, sharp border war against China, one singularly ill-advised military intervention in Sri Lanka, along with an almost interminable series of internal small wars of consolidation within the country. The Ship of State,  India that is Bharat  has successfully weathered every rack since 1947 and triumphed against all odds. But in the immediate here and now of Indepe-ndence Day 2016, multiple challenges have reappeared in quick sequence  from jihadi separatists at Burhan Wanis funeral in Tral, Jammu and Kashmir, to the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland firing indiscriminately at a cro-wded haat at Balajan Tinali in Assam.

But perhaps the most ominous challenge of all comes from cow vigilantes mercilessly assaulting other dalits and cattle transporters. It appears that we, the people of India, seem to have made up our collective minds to self destruct, a crazy kamikaze ride from which the nation will have to be saved at all costs. The battle lines are blurred and multifarious. They stretch over multiple fronts: the military, cultural, socio-economic and ideological. Lurking demons from the past taken to be vanquished, lately seem to have resurrected themselves.

But as was said of the Indian Armys stand against the onslaught of M48 Patton tanks at the battle at Chhamb in 1965  they shall not pass. However, it can be cautiously asserted that the state of the nation is generally tending towards the positive. From Khar-dungla to Kanyakumari, Imphal and Itanagar, the dharmayuddha for the idea of India seems to be winning out, as demonstrated most recently during the passage of the GST Bill in Parliament. Another good news is that Irom Sharmila decided to give up her fast against the continuing imposition of AFSPA in Manipur. She says she will contest elections to achieve her objective.

This is because, it is now universally accepted that India is just too big to fail. But while complimenting Ms Sharmila on her decision, a word of caution  azaadi is not an option, whether in Kashmir, Manipur, or anywhere else. She must also remember that AFSPA is a necessary legislation, if the presence of Army and paramilitary forces operating in aid to civil authority are required to contain political unrest. Indeed, the fastest method of repeal AFSPA is to improve the political situation to an extent that military and paramilitary forces can be withdrawn from the state. And finally, the words of Robert Frost, often quoted by our first PM Jawaharlal Nehru

But I have promises to keep,

and miles to go before I sleep
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for 90 minutes from the Red Fort to mark our 70th Independence Day on Monday, but much of it was his trademark dressing up of government programmes in bright colours. Toward the end, however, he deviated massively from the humdrum when he reminded Pakistan of human rights violations and suppression of political rights in Balochistan, Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, and said that people from these regions had publicly thanked him for raising their concerns.

While references to PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan  which are parts of the pre-1947 princely state of Jammu and Kashmir  have been made earlier from the highest levels, Balochistan was a surprise, and experts are bound to wonder whether this wouldnt make Pakistans false campaign that India was abetting terrorism in Balochistan, even more shrill. These mentions were not without irony. Even as the PM was addressing the nation, for the first time in decades, armed militants engaged in guerrilla-style firing on the CRPF at Nowhatta, a locality of old Srinagar. An officer has been killed and nine force personnel injured. And right after Mr Modi finished speaking, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti arraigned the Centre for the Valleys troubles and for creating tensions after she raised the national flag in Srinagar.

The politics of things appears completely out of kilter as in his speech Mr Modi said little that might be construed to be intended to assuage feelings in the Kashmir Valley where a large number of people have been killed and injured in firing by the security forces in response to stone-pelting by the populace. In his speech, the PM did not address the unconscionable violence against dalits in his home state of Gujarat, and elsewhere in the country, of which there has been a spurt lately. His silence in the face of attacks against the minorities has also been noteworthy.

But on the Independence Day, he dilated on the need for social and communal harmony, which he said was an age-old tradition of India. Even as he did so, in Gujarat, thousands of dalits drawn from across India marched from the state capital Ahmedabad to Una near the coast, where dalits were flogged by cow vigilantes for skinning dead cattle last month. The PM spoke about legal reform, but after the Red Fort speech, the Chief Justice of India said he was disappointed as he had hoped to hear the PM say something about raising judicial strength in the country to ensure timely delivery of justice.
As India celebrates its 70th Independence Day, the pervasiveness and perniciousness of the caste system in all its discriminatory manifestations stands out. A citizenry fractured into dalits and non-dalits, the higher caste and the lower caste, and the forward and backward, tells us a lot about what the nation and its legal system has not been able to achieve in the seven decades since our tryst with destiny. On the one hand, the law has failed to provide the protection it was meant to, and we might ask if the legal system has reached its limits to contain caste-based discrimination. Could this have turned out better had the reservation based on social identity been introduced in the higher judiciary?

There are many who would not agree, not the least because the legal system has failed equally to address the issues of growing violence against women and the poor in general. Social change requires something more than the law. Intellectuals may have diverse opinions on the role of the legal system, but on the ground almost all victims of caste discrimination echo the simple fact that the law has not been able to kindle a ray of hope in their battered lives. The state for them is alien, not theirs. It has taken me years to understand the unshakable and growing faith that the poor and the marginalised repose in fate and destiny; that gives them more hope when all the state and legal system offers them is despair. It is a common practice for many courts to suggest to the victims of caste atrocities the possibility of an amicable settlement at the commencement of a trial in total disregard of the spirit of law.

At a training programme to sensitise sessions judges handling cases of atrocities, where I was invited as a speaker at the National Judicial Academy, I heard a senior judge say: Actually, we do not need law in this country. If everyone walked on the path of the Vedas and the Puranas, there would be justice. In one case that dates back two decades, the police had wrongfully confined a dalit youth over a stolen bicycle found in his possession in Gujarat. The youth had actually purchased it for Rs 200. What followed was inhuman torture. The youth was unable to stand. I had filed a petition on behalf of my organisation seeking arrest of the police in the Gujarat high hourt. The high court was very disturbed to see the photographs of injuries on the deceased and sought to know from the public prosecutor defending the police as to what action would the state have taken had the police been the victim?

The prosecutors reply was unforgettable: The law differs from person to person. I was less surprised to see the prosecutor continuing in office, but was definitely surprised to see him elevated to the bench in the next few months, as the honorable justice of a high court. I was equally surprised by a dalit medical professional who had noted injuries on the body of the victim and the history of police atrocity but who, while testifying before the court, said that his remarks on the case papers were a slip of the pen. The entire legal system, non-dalits and dalits, failed the dalits in this case. We have not progressed much and the political ferment that is rising now has short-term triggers but deeper roots.

The recent incident of public flogging of dalit youth by the cow vigilantes near the police station and in the presence of the police in Una taluka of Gir Somnath district, Gujarat, is one of many such cases where the police has either been the mute spectator or the conspirator. The recent rapid rise of private armies and vigilante groups taking the law in their hands is a direct result of police inaction. The Chief Minister promised speedy justice to the victims at Una, as was done in the earlier incident of Thangadh in Gujarats Surendranagar district where the police had shot and killed two youth. The state has filed a summary report with an interesting new finding: the guns had fired accidentally!

The failure to get legal justice, the nexus between the state and the perpetrators of the crime having political patronage and the widening gap between those who have and those who dont affect the minds of the dalit youth in ways we do not yet fully understand. How do all these add up for our dalit youth in a connected, globalised environment, where they are also continuously exposed to the unruly scenes on the streets of Kashmir, or the bombings in West Asia or the gun violence in America? What remains clear is that the state has been unable to act on caste-based discrimination, let alone taking strong steps to root it out.

According to a study by a grassroots dalit organisation titled Understanding Untouchability to measure the prevalence of 98 forms of caste discrimination in Gujarat showed that in as many as 54 per cent of village public schools, dalit children are seated separately during the mid-day meal. In which direction will these children go and what hope can they carry when they grow up over the next five to 10 years? Will education hold any hope for social transformation or will it become one more avenue of frustrating despair?

With all the criticism that is being heaped upon the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, we must accept that had it radically taken up the mission of cleaning Hinduism of the evils of caste system such as untouchability, it would not have grown to its present status. The earlier Christian church too cooperated with the caste system to spread itself by converting brahmins into Christians and, showing contempt towards the untouchables. Unfortunately, India has been walking on the path of becoming a confederation of castes. There seem to be limited options for dalits in India to achieve their independence. They have to create their own avenues of hope within their segregation. As we stand today, reservation offers them a special status but not an equal status. It will take a lot to change this.
Kashmir is the northernmost geographical region of South Asia. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range. The name Kashmir derives from the Sanskrit Kashyapmeru. The Greeks knew it as Kaspeiria. Herodotus called it Kaspatyros. Emperor Ashoka, who called it Shrinagari, founded the capital near present day Srinagar. The ruins of this Ashokan city still stand. Kashmir evolved with a strong Buddhist tradition, but Buddhism, like in the rest of India, drowned in the wave of Hindu revivalism initiated by Adi Shankaracharya in the 9th century AD.Muslim rule was ushered in by Shamsuddin Shah Mir (1339-42), a courtier in the court of King Udayanadeva who seized the throne after his death. The Mughals took control in 1586 during the rule of Jalaluddin Akbar.

The region came under the control of the Durrani Empire in Kabul from 1753 to 1819 when the Sikhs took over. In 1846, the treachery of Gulab Singh, a Dogra general and governor of Jammu, was repaid when the British gave him Jammu for it and further turned over the Kashmir Valley to him for `75 lakhs. These treaties formed the so-called princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and Gulab Singh became its first Maharaja. This was also the first time J&K became one administrative entity. As governor of Jammu, Gulab Singh had also captured Ladakh and Baltistan. His son Ranbir Singh added Hunza, Gilgit and Nagar to the kingdom. Thus, a composite state of disparate regions, religions and ethnicities was formed. This is reflected in the present day demographics. The Kashmir Valley of about 6.9 million people is 96.4 per cent Muslim with Hindus and Buddhists accounting for just 3.6 per cent. Jammu which has a population of 5.4 million is 62.6 per cent Hindu and 33.5 per cent Muslims, mostly concentrated in Poonch.

Ladakh has a population of just 30 lakhs with its 46.4 per cent of Shia Muslims concentrated in Kargil, 40 per cent Buddhist concentrated around Leh and 12.1 per cent Hindus. Pakistan-occupied Kashmir areas including Gilgit-Baltistan are almost 100 per cent Muslim. The total population now of J&K is 12,541,30, PoK is 2,580,000 and Gilgit-Baltistan is 870,347. The purpose of elaborating on this is two-fold. Historically, all the regions of J&K are part of the present narrative of Indias composite history. Despite its preponderant Muslim population the history of people of the Kashmir Valley is intertwined with all the different local histories of the many nationalities of present-day India, which is also home to the worlds second-largest Muslim population.

There is no separate Kashmir story as there is for Afghanistan or Nepal. It was always a part of the Indian main and except for a brief rule from Kabul. There is no cause or case for a separate Kashmir, like the Tibetans may have or the Palestinians have. The second point here is that the Kashmiris are a distinct ethnic group with little of no historical or social affinities, except Islam, with those of the other regions of the erstwhile princely state of J&K. This J&K, with or without PoK, is an artificial entity of recent origin. J&K is not the only princely state that acceded to India without some early hesitations and a bit of acrimony. The maharaja of Jodhpur was an early ditherer who even contemplated acceding to Pakistan till sanity prevailed. The story of Junagadh is well known. Hyderabad, Indias biggest princely state and an inheritor of varied traditions including the Sathavahanas, Kakatiyas, Bahmanis and Mughals was, like J&K, stitched together with three large and distinct regions. If J&K had to be rescued by the Indian Army from tribal raiders from present-day Pakistan and encouraged and provisioned by the new state of Pakistan, Hyderabad, surrounded on all sides by former British Indian Presidencies, had to be taken by the Indian Army from the dithering Asaf Jah ruler and his coterie of Muslim nobles and proselytising rabble.

But look at how differently these one time princely states were dealt with. Jodhpur is now part of Rajasthan and the princely line are now hoteliers. Junagadh went to Gujarat via Saurashtra and is now better known for its growing population of Asiatic lions, which are now deemed to be symbols of Gujarati pride (asmita). Hyderabad was dismembered into three parts and parcelled off to Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh in 1956. The present Nizam lives in a two-bedroom apartment in Istanbul. In the new India, old states got subsumed and new states were created. All the many regions of the erstwhile princely state of J&K, whether in India or under the control of Pakistan have by and large settled down under their new national identities, except the Kashmir Valley. It is now Indias seemingly intractable problem. It has festered for over 67 years. Did we miss something?

Like Malda, Kishenganj, Hyderabad and Malapuram parliamentary constituencies, Anantnag, Srinagar and Baramulla are the only Muslim majority constituencies in India. There are no nationality issues in any of the former. Independent India is a nation of many nationalities and for the first time with power vested with the people by a lively democracy. More than being a nation bound together by shared history, shared culture and shared ethnicity, it is bound together by shared aspirations assured by a Constitution, written by our founding fathers that shared an idealism and nationalism forged by shared experience.

It is amply clear that many if not most people in the Kashmir Valley do not share the aspirations, which bind the rest of us together. But history does not offer them any basis for a distinct and independent identity either. On the other hand, the narrative of Kashmirs recent history has taken a distinct course different from the rest of the country. This India must recognise. In these past 68 years, India has made a hash of managing Kashmir either by placation or by iron hand. Pakistan controlled territory has also been a springboard for terrorists and separatists who think of Kashmir as the unfinished business of Partition. They dont seem to realise that the business of Pakistan too is near finishing. Its majority seceded in 1971. Balochistan that accounts for three-fifths of the landmass too wants out. Sind also wants out. The Mohajirs from India centered in Karachi are now not so sure as their fathers were about being in Pakistan. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is barely governed.

The Kashmiris are too intelligent, educated and self-centered not to know that Pakistan is not a future in their interests. Nor is it in their future. The Indian state has now to offer something tangible to satisfy most aspirations in Kashmir, and we are talking only about Kashmir. J&K is an artificial and recent construct. Its long past its use-by date. We must also accept that reunification with the PoK part of it is neither desirable nor feasible. Historically, culturally, ethnically and linguistically Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir have as much in common as Tamil Nadu has with Punjab or Assam with Gujarat. The destinies of the people of Jammu and Ladakh have to be delinked from Kashmir. Nor are they exactly happy to be dominated by Kashmir.

India must then seek to accommodate Kashmir with an autonomy that will satisfy the aspirations nurtured by this long period of revolt. With accession to Pakistan or a complete independence not options, an acceptable via media must be and can be found. The breakthrough for that must happen in the minds of the rest of India. Heavens are not going to fall, if Kashmir becomes an autonomous region within India. The extent of autonomy then becomes the only matter for discussion. We can afford to be generous. But is India ready for it?
A Falcon 9 rocket blasts off with the JCSAT 16 communications satellite at 1:26 a.m. on Sunday

Early on Sunday, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully put JCSAT-16, a Japanese satellite, in the orbit. This was followed by a landing of the former on a barge stationed 400 miles near Cape Canaveral.

The Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 1:26 a.m. The purpose of this mission was to carry out a geosynchronous communications satellite for Japan's direct broadcast satellite service, SKY Perfect. 10 minutes after the lift-off, the first stage of Falcon 9 deployment was initiated.

The landing was perfectly planned, thereby; making it the first successful landing since the failed attempt earlier this year. Success in recovering the rockets is crucial to SpaceX as they are consciously seeking towards cutting costs by reusing the rockets. Currently, the first stage of the rocket is discarded. However, SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk said that they plan to re-launch the used rockets in September or October.

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WordPress websites are sprawled all over the internet especially given our huge market that consumes CMS products. Considering the weak nature of most of these websites, it becomes extremely easy for crooks to hack into their respective installations via outdated plugins, third-party themes or weak admin passwords.

"The attacker hopes you will focus on the theme files (i.e. header.php, footer.php) and the files in the root of the WordPress install (i.e. index.php, wp-load.php)," Sucuri's Luke Leal explains the crook's decision to modify this particular file.

Globally distributed security company, Sucuri revealed a new method of inserting SEO spam on hacked WordPress primarily used by hackers to attack their targets.

These websites are essentially hacked uploading the the /wp-includes/load.php file, one of WordPress' core files on the website. After which, hackers use these websites as bots in DDoS attacks, as command and control servers for criminal operations, as malware download sites, to host malvertising and to hijack SEO results. They achieve the last by forcing hacked websites to load content thats otherwise hidden by default. In one such case, Sucuri discovered a business portal showing pornographic content in its Google search results description.

"At this point, I would like to mention that manually auditing your website files for modifications would be very exhaustive and this is why we recommend using file monitoring," Leal advises other site admins.

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The killings sparked rage among local residents who accused the government of failing to protect them. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Goma: Civil society groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday said the number of people hacked to death in the restive east this weekend has risen to 51.

"Our team on the ground has counted 51 bodies slain with machetes," said Teddy Kataliko, a member of a local alliance of NGOs and unions working in the troubled town of Beni.

Local Mayor Edmond Masumbuko on Sunday said 42 people had died in Saturday night's mass killing in Beni; the government in Kinshasa had earlier put the death toll at 36.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said the civil society groups' toll was "impossible to objectively verify".

Saturday night's attack was the latest in a string of killings that have left more than 650 people dead in and around Beni since 2014.

The army has blamed the attack on 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.

The killings sparked rage among local residents who accused the government of failing to protect them.

Some of the victims' families refused to take their relatives' bodies to the morgue, Kataliko told AFP.

"They decided to hold private funerals and refused to allow the government to bury them, because it could not guarantee their security while they were still alive," he added.

All shops were shut in Beni on Monday and the streets plunged into silence for the first of three days of national mourning.

Kabila visit

The attack took place just three days after a visit by President Joseph Kabila to the area.

On Monday Kabila was in the regional capital Goma for a meeting of security officials, and he was later due to visit Beni.

Army spokesman Mak Hakuzay told AFP that military units deployed in the area would be given new uniforms, because ADF rebels "have infiltrated" an area under the Congolese armed forces' control.

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).

A report published in March by the Congo Research Group at New York University, which looked into the massacres around Beni, claimed that soldiers from the regular army had also participated in the killings.
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. (Representational image/Pixabay)

Houston: 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. Authorities have not yet confirmed a cause of death but said the woman allegedly told an acquaintance that she had drowned the children.

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

When the man asked about her kids, she calmly said she had killed them, Smith said.

"She was so matter of fact about it he didn't think she was serious. He thought she was joking," Smith said. "He continued to help her pack."

Smith said the man eventually realized something was wrong when he asked again and got the same answer. He then drove the woman toward a nearby police precinct and flagged down an officer, Smith said.

The mother apparently tried burying the children at first but put them under a neighbor's house when that proved too difficult, Smith said.

Authorities were not immediately aware of the woman having any history of mental health problems, Smith said. He said police had been to the home before but for "nothing major."

In 2001, Houston mother Andrea Yates drowned her five children ranging in age from 7 years to 6 months in the bathtub of her family's home. She was eventually found not guilty by reason of insanity in July 2006 and sent to a state mental hospital.
Trump is also expected to outline a new immigration policy proposal under which the US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings. (Photo: AP)

Jersey City, New Jersey: 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.

In a speech the Republican presidential nominee will deliver on Monday in Ohio, Trump will argue that the country needs to work with anyone that shares that mission, regardless of other ideological and strategic disagreements. Any country that wants to work with the U.S. to defeat "radical Islamic terrorism" will be a U.S. ally, he is expected to say.

"Mr. Trump's speech will explain that while we can't choose our friends, we must always recognize our enemies," Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said Sunday.

On the eve of the speech, the Clinton campaign slammed Trump's campaign manager for ties to Russia and pro-Kremlin interests, an apparent reference to a New York Times story published Sunday night. The story alleges Paul Manafort received $12.7 million from Ukraine's former pro-Russia president and his political party for consultant work over a five-year period. The newspaper says Manafort's lawyer denied his client received any such payments.

Trump on Monday is also expected to outline a new immigration policy proposal under which the US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Trump's unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country - a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American. Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard.

"As he laid out in his Orlando remarks, Mr. Trump will describe the need to temporarily suspend visa issuances to geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism and where adequate checks and background vetting cannot occur," Miller said.

Trump is also 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, gender equality and gay rights. Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism.

The candidate is also expected to call in the speech for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the nation is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Trump's Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and top U.S. government officials have warned of the dangers of using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

While Trump has been criticized in the past for failing to lay out specific policy solutions, aides say that Monday's speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in the weeks ahead, they said.

Trump is also expected to spend significant time going after President Barack Obama and Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for enacting policies he argues allowed the Islamic State group to spread. Obama has made ending nation building a central part of his foreign policy argument for years.

"Mr. Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many," Miller said Sunday in an email, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

The speech comes as Trump has struggled to stay on message. Last week, an economic policy speech he delivered calling for lower corporate taxes and rolling back federal regulations was overshadowed by a series of provocative statements, including falsely declaring that Obama was the "founder" of the Islamic State group.

Trump's allies said Sunday they're confident that this time, the billionaire developer will stay on track.

"Stay tuned, it's very early in this campaign. This coming Monday, you're going to see a vision for confronting radical Islamic terrorism," his vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence, said on Fox News Sunday.

Trump and his top advisers, meanwhile, have blamed the media for failing to focus on his proposals.

"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 Sunday.
Police on Sunday released a sketch of a suspect, asking for public assistance in identifying the adult male with a medium complexion, last seen wearing a dark colored shirt and blue shorts. (Photo: AP)

New York: New York police were questioning a suspect on Monday in connection with the double murder of an imam and his assistant near their mosque in Queens.

Maulama Akonjee, 55, who migrated to the United States from Bangladesh, and his assistant, 64-year-old Thara Uddin, were shot dead in broad daylight on Saturday afternoon in the Ozone Park neighbourhood.

"An individual in custody for an unrelated incident has been questioned," a police spokesman told AFP. So far, no arrests have been made in connection with the murders, the spokesman said.

Police on Sunday released a sketch of a suspect, asking for public assistance in identifying the "adult male with a medium complexion, last seen wearing a dark colored shirt and blue shorts."

The sketch showed a man wearing glasses with a beard and moustache, and a high forehead with his hair combed back.

Funeral prayers are due to be held for Akonjee and Uddin on Monday afternoon.

Police say so far nothing indicates that the two men were targeted because of their faith, but members of the Muslim community have called the attack a hate crime.

They point to growing Islamophobia fueled by a series of terror attacks in the United States and abroad, as well as hostile statements by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The working-class area where the victims were killed, on the border between Queens and Brooklyn, is home to many Muslim families from Bangladesh.

Akonjee had been carrying more than $1,000, but the attacker did not take the money, police said.
Passengers at the immigration control while police look for an active shooter at JFK International airport in New York on Monday. (Photo: AFP)

New York: Unfounded reports of shots fired at New Yorks main airport triggered scenes of panic, evacuations and huge flight delays late on Monday. There was no immediate confirmation of injuries or arrests, but Port Authority (PAPD) police evacuated at least two terminals at John F. Kennedy International Airport as a precaution, and gave the all clear shortly after midnight. Spokesman Joe Pentangelo said Port Authority police had received an ultimately unfounded call about shots fired.

A ground stop was in place until 12:30 am (0430 GMT) for security reasons, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Around that time, New York Police Department (NYPD) Special Operations Division Chief Harry Wedin said all terminals had been searched and cleared. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired, he added on Twitter.

Panic spread quickly through the crowd as police ordered people to lie on the ground, then evacuated them through corridors leading outside to the tarmac. Get down on the ground! Down, down! police officers yelled. At other times, they ordered: Move, move, move! Frightened children cried as people fled to safety.

A German traveler, who only gave her name as Gisela, said a policeman told her There is an active shooter, run. Police prohibited travelers from making phone calls or taking photographs. One man was arrested for trying to capture images of the chaotic scenes.
Women, and particularly children, are at the risk of sexual attack, said an aid organisation. (Photo: AP/Representational Image)

Athens: In yet another case of sexual assault involving the migrant population, a report by human rights groups has revealed that children as young as seven are sexually assaulted by male gangs in refugee camps set up in Greece.

The rights group said that the camps are so unsafe that the children are terrified to leave their tents at night and are even scared to go to toilet once it gets dark.

Women, and particularly children, are at the risk of sexual attack, said an aid organisation.

According to a report in The Guardian, a volunteer at the Softex camp in Greece said that a Iraqi family was forced to leave a camp after their 7-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted.

"The girl was lured by a man and taken to a tent where he offered her his mobile phone to play video games. He then zipped up the tent from inside. The girl came back later with scratch marks on her arms and neck," said the volunteer.

The victim later described how she was sexually abused by the man. The incident has scarred a seven-year-old child for life, the volunteer added.

This comes in the wake of the brutal gangrape of another 7-year-old girl at a refugee centre in Hamburg, Germany in March.

Another incident involving an Iraqi migrant raping a 10-year-old in an Austrian swimming pool had also become controversial. The migrant, who works as a taxi driver, had claimed that it was a case of sexual emergency.

Reports have also emerged that young migrant boys are being brutally raped by the local gangs in and near Calaise, France. Several cases of sexual assaults on children have muddled the already raging debate on migrant crisis.
Berlin: Turkey could walk away from its promise to stem the flow of illegal migrants to Europe if the European Union fails to grant Turks visa-free travel to the bloc in October, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a German newspaper.

His comments in Bild's Monday edition coincide with rising tension between Ankara and the West following the July 15 failed coup attempt. Turkey is incensed by what it sees as an insensitive response from Western allies to the failed putsch in which 240 people, many of them civilians, were killed.

Europe and the United States have been worried by the crackdown following the coup. Some Western governments are concerned this could affect stability in the NATO member and suspect that President Tayyip Erdogan is using the purges as an excuse to quash dissent.

Asked whether hundreds of thousands of refugees in Turkey would head to Europe if the EU did not grant Turks visa freedom from October, Cavusoglu told Bild: "I don't want to talk about the worst case scenario - talks with the EU are continuing but it's clear that we either apply all treaties at the same time or we put them all aside."

Visa-free access to the EU - the main reward for Ankara's collaboration in choking off an influx of migrants into Europe - has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation, as well as Ankara's crackdown.

Brussels wants Turkey to soften the anti-terrorism law, which Ankara says it cannot change, given multiple security threats which include Islamic State militants in neighbouring Syria and Kurdish militants in its mainly Kurdish southeast.

European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has said he does not see the EU granting Turks visa-free travel this year due to Ankara's crackdown after the failed military coup.

Cavusoglu said treaties laid out that all Turks would get visa freedom in October, adding, "It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothing in return." A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the interview directly but said the EU continued to work together with Turkey in all areas of cooperation.

Thousands detained

Selim Yenel, Turkey's ambassador to the EU, said last week that efforts were continuing to find a compromise with the EU on visa liberalisation and he thought it would be possible to handle this in 2016.

Since the coup, more than 35,000 people have been detained, of whom 17,000 have been placed under formal arrest, and tens of thousands more suspended. Turkish authorities blame the failed putsch on U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his followers.

Amid rising tension with the West, Turkey has sought to normalise relations with Russia, sparking fears in the West that Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin might use a rapprochement to exert pressure on Washington and the EU and stir tensions within NATO.

Asked if Turkey would leave NATO, Cavusoglu told Bild that while Turkey remained one of the biggest supporters of the 28-nation Western alliance, it was also looking at other options.

"But it's clear that we also need to cooperate with other partners on buying and selling weapon systems because some NATO partners refuse to allow us to sell air defence systems for example or to exchange information," he said.

Over the weekend, Turkey summoned Austria's charge d'affaires in Ankara over what it said it was an "indecent report" about Turkey on a news ticker at Vienna airport. "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.

In a statement, Turkey's foreign ministry said it was "regrettable" that an international airport at the heart of Europe was used as "a tool in spreading such irresponsible, twisted and inaccurate messages".

It said the publication of such "slandering" news reports were encouraged by recent comments from Austrian politicians. Cavusoglu this month referred to Austria as the "capital of radical racism" after Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern suggested ending EU accession talks with Turkey.
An AP analysis of thousands of leaked Islamic State documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days knew little about Islam. (Photo: AP)

Paris: The jihadi employment form asked the new recruits to rate their knowledge of Islam on a scale of one to three. And the Islamic State group applicants, herded into a hangar somewhere at the Syria-Turkey border, turned out to be overwhelmingly deemed ignorant. The extremist group could hardly have hoped for better.

At the height of the Islamic State group's drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical followers included the group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, the recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered "The Koran for Dummies" from Amazon to prepare for jihad in Syria. They were grouped in safe houses as a stream of Islamic State group imams filled in the gaps, according to court testimony and interviews by The Associated Press.

"I realized that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like 'when you die, who should we call?'" said the 32-year-old European convert, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

He went to Syria in 2014 and said new recruits were shown IS propaganda videos on Islam, and that the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom. Far from home and unschooled in religion, most of the recruits were in little position to judge.

An AP analysis of thousands of leaked Islamic State documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days knew little about Islam.

According to the documents, which were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl and shared with AP, 70 percent of recruits were listed as having just "basic" knowledge of Shariah - the lowest possible choice. Around 24 percent were categorized as having an "intermediate" knowledge, and just 5 percent were considered advanced students of Islam.

The group preys on this ignorance, because it allows extremists to impose an interpretation of Islam constructed to suit its goal of maximum territorial expansion and carnage as soon as recruits come under its sway.

Among the documents were forms for nine of the 10 young men from the eastern French city of Strasbourg recruited - like the European convert - by a man named Mourad Fares. One of them, Karim Mohammad-Aggad, described going barhopping with Fares. He told investigators that IS recruiters used "smooth talk" to persuade him.

He traveled with his younger brother and friends to Syria in late 2013. Seven of them returned to France within a few months and were arrested. Two died in Syria, while his 23-year-old brother, Foued, returned as one of the men who stormed the Bataclan on Nov. 13 2015, in a night of attacks killed 130 people in Paris.

"My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure," Karim Mohammad-Aggad told the court before he was sentenced to nine years in prison. "Islam was used to trap me like a wolf," he said, according to court documents.

When pressed by the judge on his knowledge of Shariah, Islamic law, and how IS implements it, Mohammad-Aggad appeared dumbfounded, saying repeatedly: "I don't have the knowledge to answer the question."

One of his co-defendants, Radouane Taher, was also asked by the judge about whether beheadings conformed to Islamic law.

He couldn't say for sure, answering: "I don't have the authority."

Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer with experience with Mideast extremist organizations, said most who claim allegiance to IS are "reaching for a sense of belonging, a sense of notoriety, a sense of excitement."

"Religion is an afterthought," said Skinner, who now works for the Soufan Group security consultancy.

Those who truly crave religious immersion would go to Al-Azhar in Cairo, he added, referring to the thousand-year-old seat of learning for Shariah and Quranic studies among Sunni Muslims.

The Soufan Group has said the IS group's most active supporters often grapple with questions of identity and lack the knowledge about Islam to challenge its ideologues.

Take Mohammed Ahmed and Yusuf Sarwar, friends from the British city of Birmingham who joined IS. They were arrested after returning to Britain, and their 2014 trial revealed they had ordered "The Koran for Dummies" and "Islam for Dummies" books in preparation for their trip to Syria.

Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan says that a look at top IS commanders shows that many are not accredited scholars, but instead once held senior positions under Saddam Hussein's secular Baathist government.

Ramadan, who teaches Islamic Studies at Oxford University and has written numerous books on Islam and the integration of Muslims in Europe, says Islamic scholars must challenge the radical discourse of groups such as IS.

"These are people distorting the message, not being equipped religiously speaking," Ramadan said. "Muslims around the world have the duty to respond to this in a very articulated way."
Police search for traces at the location of an incident in Cologne. (Photo: AP)

Cologne: A man was seriously wounded in an attack in Cologne city center in the early hours of Monday, police and the public prosecutor's office said, adding that there were no signs of a terrorist motive.

The 34-year-old was taken to hospital with stab wounds and head injuries, police and prosecutors said in a statement. Eyewitnesses said several people were involved in an argument.

Police, who received emergency calls around 3.45 a.m. (0145 GMT), found traces of blood and shattered glass at the scene and said they were investigating whether several spent gun cartridges they found were also linked to the incident.

There has been a spate of indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Germany in recent weeks, including two claimed by the Islamic State group and a mass shooting in Munich by a deranged 18-year-old that was also initially seen as terrorism-related.

Police and prosecutors said the reason for the Cologne attack was not yet known.

They said eyewitnesses reported seeing several cars speeding away and that a number of people were taken in for questioning. Police also secured two vehicles suspected of being linked to the attack.
Moscow: Russia is close to joining forces with the United States around Syria's ravaged second city of Aleppo, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in comments aired Monday.

"Step by step we are getting closer to the situation in which -- and I'm only speaking about Aleppo here -- we will be able to begin battling together so that there is peace on this territory," Shoigu told Rossiya 24 television.

In the interview conducted on Saturday but shown only Monday, Shoigu said Moscow is in close negotiations regarding the city, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control.

Shoigu said Moscow and Washington are still deeply at odds over the situation in Aleppo, accusing rebels of holding civilians hostage and waging brutal suicide bombings.

"In the eastern part of Aleppo, people are hostages," he said, accusing the rebels of planting bombs along escape routes established by Russia and of staging executions.

He blasted accusations that Moscow has imposed a blockade on rebel-held areas, calling them "untrue" and "propaganda".

He said suicide attacks by rebels have included loading an armoured vehicle with explosives and welding it shut.

"That's moderate opposition? Who is this?" he said.

"There are many issues there that we are yet to decide on with our American colleagues," he said of Aleppo. "We are now in a very active stage of negotiations with American colleagues."
Gulen said he would hand himself over to Turkish authorities only if an independent international investigative body first found him guilty. (Photo: AFP)

Ankara: 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 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 on Saturday that US Vice President Joe Biden would visit Turkey on Aug. 24, the first trip by a high-ranking US official since the abortive coup.

Yildirim said a US 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.

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, EU

There is concern among Turkey's NATO allies as well as the European Union, which it aspires to join, that Erdogan - in power the prime minister or president since 2002 - might be using the purge to eliminate dissent.

Such perceptions have angered senior Turkish officials, who say that Western critics appear to be more concern about the security response than the coup itself.

Still, the scope of the security sweep now appears to be worrying even some in the ruling, Islamist-rooted AK Party.

"Even if the shock absorber of a car breaks down, they say someone with (the Gulenists) has done this," Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes told CNN Turk.

"(Such an approach) would make this a witchhunt....and would weaken the gravity of what happened on July 15," said Turkes, a former member of the nationalist opposition who switched to AK.

Erdogan's critics say he and the AKP he founded allowed Gulen's followers to rise to important posts within the state apparatus and relied on them to help curb the power of the military, which had ousted four governments since 1960 for posing what it saw as an Islamist threat to the secular order.

The troubled relationship between Gulen's movement and Erdogan and the AKP he founded burst into the open with a corruption scandal in late December 2013 that fingered members of Erdogan's inner circle. Erdogan cast the allegations as an manoeuvre orchestrated by Gulen's followers to undermine him.

Speaking to Reuters on Saturday in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Selahattin Demirtas, head of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition, said Erdogan had allowed Gulen's followers to tighten their hold within state bodies.

"Gulenists have been organising within various state institutions ... within the last 35-40 years but they had their golden years by all means (after) AKP took the helm (in 2002)," Demirtas said in an interview.

"Until the last three years, staff positions within the state were presented to them openly with the support and encouragement of the AKP. These positions were given to them; and this wasn't done covertly. They didn't get these positions by tricking the AK Party. This was an obvious alliance."
The prayer extended to the soldiers and police officers patrolling the train station, town center and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th-century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary. (Photo: AP)

Lourdes: Watched over by French soldiers and police, Catholic pilgrims from around the world prayed together for healing and peace Monday at a grotto shrine in Lourdes where exceptional security greeted the spiritual travelers due to recent extremist attacks.

A helicopter circled overhead as thousands of visitors bearing candles and banners streamed toward the celebrated grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

A special prayer was held for France and for the more than 200 people killed by "the blind violence of terrorism" in Islamic extremist attacks over the past year and a half, including a priest whose throat was slit last month.

The prayer extended to the soldiers and police officers patrolling the train station, town center and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th-century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.

The site in southern France near the Spanish border annually draws pilgrims of all kinds, including sick and disabled believers hoping for a cure from the famed spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

Crowds gathered throughout the day at a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus' mother Mary ascended into heaven.

French authorities already had been planning extra security for the holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe - notably one July 26 in northwest France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priest's throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

The prayer for France extended to victims of extremism in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, and persecuted Christians everywhere.

"It is all of humanity that is being trampled," The Rev. Fabien Lejeusne said, urging believers "to build bridges, and not walls."

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this year's pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been dropped amid security fears.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks, and authorities funneled visitors through three access points, reduced from past years.

Roads were closed to allow pedestrians to reach the site unhindered. Vehicle attacks are a new concern after a driver rammed his truck into Bastille Day revelers in Nice last month, killing 85.

Petronella Davis of London, 62, called the security measures "a good thing," but added, "I don't feel any less safe than I used to."

Gloria Munoz Fernandez, a 68-year-old pilgrim from Madrid, said, "If you believe in God you don't need this sort of protection; however, for me it (the army) is a good protection, it helps you to be more at ease."

Nearly 300 extra forces were brought to Lourdes - including mobile intervention teams, soldiers, bomb squads and canine units - to help local forces, raising the overall security presence to more than 500.

The Catholic Church has recognized dozens of miracles at Lourdes since villager Bernadette Soubirous said she had visions of Mary while gathering stones in the grotto in 1858.

Among those leading ceremonies at the Lourdes festivities is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a top French church official who faced accusations this year of covering up for pedophile priests. He denies wrongdoing.

French President Francois Hollande marked Assumption - a national holiday in a country that is officially secular but traditionally Roman Catholic - by announcing a trip to see Pope Francis on Wednesday. They are expected to discuss the church attack and bilateral relations.
Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Istanbul: Turkish police on Monday raided four major courts in Istanbul in search of 190 suspects wanted over last month's attempted coup, state media said.

In total, 136 of the wanted prosecutors and other judicial staff working at the courts have been detained, the official Anadolu news agency said.

They are suspected of links to US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen who Ankara blames for the putsch against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of July 15.

According to official figures, more than 35,000 people have been detained so far in the post-coup crackdown against alleged Gulen supporters, although almost 11,600 have since been released.

Erdogan has said the purge is needed to wipe out what he calls the "virus" of Gulen from Turkish institutions. But critics have expressed alarm that its sheer scope has turned it into a witch hunt.

In a separate development, the former chief prosecutor for the eastern region of Erzurum was detained late Sunday while trying to cross into Syria.

Ekrem Beyaztas was caught by border guards just south of the Turkish town of Kilis, a Turkish official said, asking not to be named. There was no indication over why he had been heading to Syria.
Last week, a wave of PKK attacks targeting Turkish police and soldiers in the mainly Kurdish southeast region, including Diyarbakir, killed at least 12 people. (Photo: Representational Image/AP)

Ankara: Kurdish rebels detonated a car bomb at a police station in southeast Turkey on Monday, killing four police officers and two civilians, Turkey's deputy prime minister said. At least 21 other people were wounded.

The attack targeted a traffic-police station on a highway linking the city of Diyarbakir and the town of Batman, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The explosion tore a large crater on the highway and television footage showed a three-story building that appeared to have been gutted by the blast.

Officials blamed the attack on the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters that a child - the offspring of one of the police officers - was among the dead.

Clashes between the PKK and Turkey's security forces resumed last year after a tenuous cease-fire collapsed. The PKK has frequently targeted police or military with roadside explosives or car bombs.

Last week, a wave of PKK attacks targeting Turkish police and soldiers in the mainly Kurdish southeast region, including Diyarbakir, killed at least 12 people. PKK commander Cemil Bayik had threatened increased attacks on police last week, in comments carried by Kurdish and Turkish media.

Monday's attack came on the day the PKK marks the start of its armed campaign in 1984 when there were attacks on paramilitary police forces in the two southeastern towns of Eruh and Semdinli.

Since hostilities with the PKK resumed last year, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed, according to the Anadolu Agency. Human rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also died.

Turkey and its allies consider the PKK a terrorist organization.
Karachi: The Chief Minister of Pakistan's restive Balochistan has dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri made the remarks on Sunday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic.

They love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.

Prime Minister Modi also made a mention of atrocities committed by Pakistan in Balochistan in his Indepence Day speech on Monday.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir -- for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," he said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.
Hundreds of people followed the Bangladeshi leaders in paying tribute, and recalling the horror when 32 people were killed as a group of rogue soldiers staged a coup in 1975. (Photo: AP)

Dhaka: Bangladesh on Monday fondly remembered Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his 41st death anniversary with the President and the Prime Minister paying floral tributes to the Father of the Nation.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -Sheikh Mujib's daughter - paid their tributes and offered wreaths on the portrait of 'Bangabandhu' at his Dhanmandi residence followed by a state salute by an army contingent. Hamid and Hasina later visited Sheikh Mujibur's shrine at southwestern Tungipara village.

Hundreds of people followed the Bangladeshi leaders in paying tribute, and recalling the horror when 32 people were killed as a group of rogue soldiers staged a coup in 1975. It was one the bloodiest political assassinations in the world.

The day is observed at the state level as the National Mourning Day in memory of the victims of the military coup. The national flag was lowered to half-mast at government and other buildings in the country.

Sheikh Mujib - fondly called 'Bangabandhu' (friend of Bengal) - was killed in the predawn raid at his Dhanmandi house along with his wife, three sons, two daughters in-law and several presidential aides and Awami League leaders.

His two daughters - Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, and Sheikh Rehana - escaped the bloodbath as they were in Germany.

"This brutality was a rare occurrence not only in the history of the Bangalee nation but also in the history of the world," President Hamid said in a statement.

Hasina in a statement said: "I pray to the Almighty Allah for the peace of the souls of the martyrs of the 15th August."

Unrest followed the carnage, and then deputy army chief general Ziaur Rahman emerged as the strongman of Bangladesh.

The regimes that took over protected the killers by enacting an indemnity law and rewarded several of the coup plotters with diplomatic posting abroad.

As the Awami league returning to power in a landmark election in 1996 after 21 years of political wilderness, Awami League scrapped the indemnity law and initiated a process of delayed trial of the perpetrators of the carnage.
Afghan police gather at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Representational Image, Photo: AP)

Kabul, Afghanistan: An Afghan official says at least two people have been wounded in a bombing that targeted the Afghan military in the capital, Kabul.

Monday's attack took place at a main square near the US Embassy and the country's Supreme Court.

Faredoon Obiadi, chief of the police's criminal investigations department, says an army officer is one of the two wounded.

He says a so-called sticky bomb was attached to a military vehicle and caused the explosion. No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the Taliban have stepped up attacks across Afghanistan.

Separately, authorities on Monday confirmed the Taliban have overrun a police headquarters in the Dahna-e-Ghori district in northern Baghlan province.

There was no immediate word on casualties in Baghlan. The Taliban are claiming they killed and captured "many" policemen.
Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan on Monday claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modi's Independence Day speech, said the Premier was only trying to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Read: Modi first Prime Minister to speak for us, we thank him: Baloch activists

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in hisIndependence Day speech today.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.

Read: Nervous Pakistan talks to separatists after India speaks of atrocities on Baloch

Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of "RAW's active service Naval Officer" Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz claimed.

"These events have nothing to do with terrorism. It is an indigenous movement for self determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council," he said. He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark.

Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.

Aziz's remarks came after Pakistan formally invited India for talks on Kashmir, a move already rejected by New Delhi which had insisted it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehrihad dismissed Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Zehri made the remarks on Sunday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic, they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.

Zehri said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan as only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.
Kathmandu: Prime Minister Prachanda on Monday sent a special envoy to China while another such emissary was set to visit India soon as part of Nepal's bid to woo its two giant neighbours and firm up bilateral ties after the formation of the new government.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara left for Beijing with an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Nepal.

Speaking to reporters at the Tribhuvan International Airport here before leaving, Mahara said the main objective of his visit is to further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries.

"I am leaving for China to strengthen the relation with China in the changed political context following the formation of the new government. We expect China's support to build good ties between Nepal and China and Chinese political leaders to visit Nepal," he was quoted as saying by My Republica.

Mahara also pledged to carry on and implement the agreements reached between the Chinese government and the former K P Oli-led government.

The Deputy Prime Minister is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart, foreign minister and senior officials of China's ruling Communist Party.

Mahara and Jhabindra Aryal, a joint-secretary at Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will reach Beijing via Chengdu.

Earlier, the Cabinet meeting last week had decided to send Mahara to China and another Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi to India as the Prime Minister's special emissaries.

Nidhi's visit would focus on strengthening of relations between Nepal and India and President Pranab Mukherjee's Nepal visit.

The special envoy would also hold discussions with high-level officials over the cancellation of Nepalese President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's India visit.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', who is also the Maoist chief, assumed office earlier this month for his second term as Prime Minister.
India has virtually turned down Pakistan's proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K. (Photo: Representational Image/PTI)

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the "international obligation" of both the countries to resolve the issue, notwithstanding India's insistence that it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks.

"The Foreign Secretary called in the Indian High Commissioner this afternoon (15 August 2016) and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan," Zakaria said.

Read: Pakistan seeks talks with India on Kashmir: Sartaj Aziz

The invitation was extended amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue.

"The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries, India and Pakistan, to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions," the statement said.

Pakistan's advisor on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys of Pakistan earlier this month had agreed that Pakistan seek talks with India.

Read: Talks with Pakistan only on PoK, says Rajnath Singh

The invite came days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed Parliament on the Kashmir issue and said that India was willing to discuss only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with Pakistan, and that the question of discussing Jammu and Kashmir with Islamabad just does not arise.

India also virtually turned down Pakistan's proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K and made it clear that it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues in Indo-Pak relations.
A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar today.

An unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid, triggering an encounter.



Ten security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said, adding, a CRPF commanding officer injured in the attack later succumbed to injuries.



Two militants were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides.



The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.



The militants entered in a building which was immediately cordoned off, a police spokesman said.



"The identity of the militants is being ascertained. Two AK rifles, eight magazines with ammunition have been recovered from the encounter site," he said.



The CRPF said the Commanding Officer of CRPF 49 Battalion Promod Kumar was leading from the front and was hit on his upper neck during the gunfire exchange with militants.



He was later taken to the 92 Base Hospital of the army in Srinagar where he succumbed to his injuries.



Kumar was posted to Srinagar in April 2014 and was recently promoted as a commandant. He hailed from Patna in Bihar.



The officer's family is at present living in Kamtara in Jharkhand. He is survived by his wife and a 7-year-old daughter.



Kumar had been thrice decorated with the CRPF Director General's commendation in 2015, 2014 and 2011. He has earlier served in the Special Protection Group for 3 years.

His funeral will take place tomorrow in his village Mihijam in Kamtara.
Lashing out at Pakistan for glorifying terrorists, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today declared that the country will not bow before terrorism even as he said people of Baluchistan and PoK have thanked him for raising issue of atrocities against them.





In a 90-minute address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi made no reference to the situation in Kashmir valley which has been rocked by violence after the killing of Hizbul Commander Burhan Wani, but accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan, which was not directly named by him.



Attired in his trademark half sleeves kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his government's work particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.



The Prime Minister, who has spoken out against atrocities on dalits in the recent days, said a strong country cannot be built without a strong society which is based on social justice.



He asserted that a "tough and sensitive" approach is required to tackle the age-old social evils including castism or untouchability.



Referring to terrorism, he asked the youth of the country to shun the path of violence and join the mainstream, saying they have not achieved anything by taking the path of terror and extremism.





The Prime MInister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each other's country.



"When children were killed in terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified," Modi said.



Clearly referring to the eulogising of Burhan Wani in Pakistan, he questioned what kind of policy is the one which celebrates a terrorist.



Modi, who during his speech at an all-party meeting on Kashmir on Friday last had slammed Pakistan for carrying out atrocities against people of Baluchistan and PoK, said people hailing from those areas have thanked him a lot since then and he is grateful to them.



Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tries to adopt the strategy of "reform, perform and transform" while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self- governance to good-governance is a resolve of entire nation which will need sacrifices.



Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations.



The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good healthcare to poor people and benefits to farmers.



During his address, the Prime Minister also made two announcements - an increase of 20 per cent in the pension of freedom fighters and that medical costs of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families will be borne by the government.



Though he did not make a direct reference to violence against dalits, Modi asserted that survival of the society was impossible if there was no social unity and asked the countrymen to work for social equality and justice.



Asserting that social harmony was the key to the nation's progress, he said,"What lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, saint Ramanajucharya, B R Ambedkar, all our holy scriptures saints and teachers have stressed is social unity. When society breaks, the empire disintegrates. When a society is divided into touchables and untouchables; upper and lower (castes), then such a society cannot last," he said.



He also advocated a "tough and sensitive" approach to deal with age-old social ills.






Congress today launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.





"PoK is our right. Our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK," Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.



This would give an "additional handle" to Pakistan to target India as "we don't speak about atrocities in neighbouring countries", he told reporters at the Congress headquarters here.



Disapproving the "wild pronouncements about Balochistan", he said the government should ensure that its borders are secured and people are safe.



"I do not know who advised the Prime Minister for raising Balochistan... It will dilute our claim on PoK. It will given additional handle...to interfere in our internal affairs."

Suggesting that Modi should learn from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on foreign policy, Khurshid said, "Balochistan is a different kettle altogether. We have no business (there)."



He said the problem with Modi, who speaks of "56-inch chest", was that he "talks too much and does very little. "In modern times, we have to act with brains".



Khurshid said the address of Modi was not like a Prime Minister addressing the nation on a national day but as a politician during an election campaign.



In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.


Amid continued turbulence that has rocked Kashmir valley for the last 38 days, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today made an emotional appeal to agitating youth not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.





In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan where there is instability and absence of safety of life.



She urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state and that they should not be misled by false propaganda about attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.



She blamed the successive central leaderships, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, completing the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.



Speaking in the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she underlined that any remedy could be found only through dialogue in the "great" Indian democracy.



With regard to protests over Wani's killing in a gunbattle on July 8, Mehbooba said, "it is not that an encounter has happened in Kashmir for the first time... Children should not be indulging in agitation. They should be going to schools and colleges. It is not for children to solve big issues... Parents should also ensure that their children do not go out where their lives could be in danger."



She said "vested interests" were misleading the youth and making them a "shield" to pursue their nefarious designs, while their own kids are tucked away in safety.



"I will not talk about the separatists but about the middlemen for whom it (stone pelting) is a business. Find out where their children are while innocent kids are being used for protests," she said.



Noting that the current unrest had taken a toll on education in the valley, she asked, "What will I do with the IITs, IIMs, Law college and five medical colleges when those who had to study there have been blinded. Who is responsbile for it?"



Mehbooba said while she felt pained over the injuries and casualties among civilians, she felt equally bad for security personnel who also have been wounded in equal number just because they exercised maximum restraint.



They security forces have come to the valley from far off places like Bihar and Karnataka leaving their children and families behind just to perform their duties, she said.



At the same time, she said, "Wherever I feel anyone from forces has violated the directions for maximum restrain, action will be taken. This is not a mere statement. It will be done and you will be told about it."



"Gun will not solve the problem. Gun has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.



Emphasising that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues, she expressed hope that Modi-led government at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and econmomic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state.



"...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.



"People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.



The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.



"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?



"The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?

"Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.



Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)".

The Chief Minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country.



"If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country.

"If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said.



"It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.



Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to to go with the BJP.



"But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Behari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.


In a bid to prevent people from defecating in open, administration in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur district has decided to use drones, a first in the state.





According to officials in Kanpur, drones would be used to identify those defecating in the open in the district, especially in the rural areas.



Senior district officials also conducted a trial of the drone at a village near the Kanpur town. Sources said that the trial was successful.



Many people were seen defecating in open fields, said a senior district official.

He said that the offenders were let off with a warning.



According to the officials, the first-time offenders would be let off after some warning.

If someone commits the act the second time then the village pradhan (panchayat chief) will impose fines on them, the official said.



He said strict action would be taken against those committing the act for the third time.

'The objective is to prevent people from defecating in the open, he added.



Sources said Kanpur was the first district in the state to use drone for the purpose. It may be implemented in other parts of the state if it succeeded in curbing the menace here, the official said.



Earlier also in some districts, officials had adopted novel measures to check open defecation.



In some districts, the officials warned that those found defecating in the open would be publicly shammed.



Open defecation continues to be a big problem in the state and despite efforts by the government and voluntary organisations. A large number of people, including women, especially in the rural areas, still follow the age-old practice.




A second year and final year student of BCom from Kirori Mal College were arrested for robbery and snatching in East Delhi's Shakarpur during a picket checking. There was a third person, a school student who ran away.





They were active snatchers in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Khurja. All were preparing simultaneously for Civil Services exam as well.



On August 13, during a picket checking at Vikas Marg police were checking the vehicles going towards ITO. Where, Sachin and Nasruddin came towards the picket on a scooty but turned back in wrong side with a distance to 10-15 metres when they saw police.



Chased by police

On seeing this, police chased them and caught them before they could escape. On their search, four mobile phones recovered from their possession.



They also stole the scooty they were on, which was found to be stolen from Madhu Vihar.



Sachin and Nasruddin disclosed that they snatched mobile phones and stole motor vehicles for to maintain a high standard of living and for their expensive hobbies.



Their partner who ran away, Vivek was also helping them. He is a Class 12 pass out.

Till now, the three had stolen one Scooty and four mobiles phones.



Police said all accused have a good reputation in their locality and neighbours could not believe that they could commit such crime.


A pregnant woman was allegedly pushed from the second floor of her house by her in-laws for dowry in Northeast Delhis Karawal Nagar. The husband is arrested.





Puja Devi, 20, broke her spine as she fell down. She is in a critical condition in GTB hospital.



Police has filed a case for attempt to murder under section 307 and harassing her for dowry under section 498A of the Indian Penal Code.



The rest of the family has fled and police is in search for them.



On August 10, Puja fell down from the second floor of her house. When she screamed no one from her home responded. But some neighbours heard her crying in pain and informed police.



She was unable to speak for two days, after which her statement was recorded for sub-divisional magistrate inquiry.



According to Pujas complaint, her in-laws, including her father-in-law, mother-in-law and sister-in-law were harassing her to get cash and gold from her maternal home since the time she came to the house.



She was often beaten for the same reason.



All of them were present and also helped each other to push her from the second floor.

Pujas got married to Manoj last year on December 15.






A police official involved in the investigation said that a First Information Report has been registered and investigations will proceed.





The FIR has been registered under IPC sections-- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), he said.





A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of whom were youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.





The event was organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College here.





Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had yesterday said the intention and background of those involved will be investigated.





ABVP activists, who staged a protest yesterday against the event calling it "anti-national", had also filed a complaint with the police along with a CD containing video recording of the event.





Holding that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for "victims of human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International India in a statement had said towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azadi' (freedom).





Noting that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Amnesty had said it, however, considers that the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.





Meanwhile, Amnesty International India, in a statement today said "The event involved discussions with families from Kashmir, who were featured in a 2015 report, who had travelled to Bengaluru to narrate their personal stories of grief and loss."



The NGO, however, said, it has "not yet received" a copy of the FIR. "Merely organising an event to defend constitutional values is now being branded 'anti-India' and criminalised," said Aakar Patel, Executive Director, Amnesty International India.





"The police were invited and present at the event. The filing of a complaint against us now, and the registration of a case of sedition, shows a lack of belief in fundamental rights and freedoms in India.



"Among those who spoke at the event were the family of Shahzad Ahmad Khan, one of the men killed in the Macchil extrajudicial execution, where five Army personnel were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment," it said in the statement.



The Bengaluru Police was informed about the event well in advance. Amnesty International India also invited representation from the Kashmiri Pandit community in Bengaluru at the event to speak about the "human rights violations" faced by members of the community, it said.



"Towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azadi' (freedom)," the NGO said.

An FIR was today registered against Amnesty International India in connection with alleged raising of "independence" slogans by "pro-freedom" Kashmiris who entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing Indian Army.
Some of the important factors in a photo-worthy red-orange sunset after a storm include timing, cloud patterns, the scattering of sunlight, and air quality in the lower atmosphere, according to the Storm Prediction Center of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA.



Most thunderstorms occur in the late afternoon or the evening, close to sunset, when radiant heating and atmospheric instability have reached their peaks. In the aftermath of such a storm, mid-level and high clouds may be left behind, especially cirrus and altocumulus clouds that are ideal as a canvas for painting by the suns last rays.



Water-filled clouds in the lower atmosphere will have been depleted by the storm. Those last rays are mostly red or orange because the longer path that light takes through the atmosphere as the suns angle becomes ever lower means that the wavelengths of other colours have been scattered away.



Contrary to popular belief, clean air scrubbed by a storm lets more red rays reach the viewer than dirty air would. Dust and smog at low levels would scatter the light too much for an ideal sunset.



How sunflowers follow the sun, day after day



At dawn, whole fields of sunflowers stand at attention, all facing east, and begin their romance with the rising sun. Young flowers follow its light through the day, looking up, then over and westward, catching one final glance as the sun disappears over the horizon.



Its not love. Its heliotropism, and how sunflowers do it has been a mystery. But researchers have discovered that the sunflowers internal clock and ability to detect light work together, turning on genes related to growth at just the right time to allow the stems to bend with the arc of the sun. The stems of fully grown plants do not bend, and the flowers always face east  apparently warming up early to attract pollinators, the researchers concluded.



Joanna Klein



Biggest salamanders of North America



Take a two-foot-long muscle with a skeleton and coat it in multiple layers of snot. Now squish the muscle down so its flat. Add four short legs, 18 toes, a big, wide mouth and beady eyes. Forget about eyelids. Stretch skin along the slimy muscle and wrinkle it on the sides. This is how it will breathe. Now stick Frankenphibian under a big rock in a stream and leave it alone. Youve just made an adult eastern hellbender, the biggest salamander in North America.



Eastern hellbenders once thrived in waters along the Appalachians, from New York to Georgia and as far west as Missouri. But the population has been in a long decline. Sediment from farmland and developments fills in gaps between river stones, some experts theorise, displacing larvae from their homes.



This month, 255 of these strange creatures, raised to young adults from eggs, will be set free in Ohio by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and its partners. Its a lot of attention for an amphibian with an unflattering nickname: the snot otter.

Joanna Klein




Today was a very sad day. This morning we went to Blue Magic, a popular dive spot in Indonesia, famous for spotting grey reef sharks and oceanic mantas. When we drop down around 14-16 metres, I see a dead shark on the bottom. I thought it was just a dead shark, but then I went closer and realised it was a finned shark, all fins were gone. This was a Facebook post written by diver Fredrick Jacobsen when he accidentally found a dead shark in the bottom of the ocean in Indonesia in December 2015.



For the diver, this was a shocking find. However, for a team of conservationists who have been monitoring and studying the fate of sharks in the waters of the world for some time now, this was no idle incident. It was yet another proof that sharks were in danger, and their biggest enemies were humans. For years, humans have hunted sharks of all kinds for their fins. Once their fins are brutally sliced off, their mutilated (yet alive) bodies are thrown back into the water, left to die a painful death.



A report published by TRAFFIC, the international wildlife trade monitoring agency, found Indonesia to be the top ranking nation when it came to shark finning  the act of slicing the fins of live sharks. The second name in this ill-famed list was that of India, a country that despite not being a top shark-eating nation is still a top shark-hunter.



As per the TRAFFIC report, the top 20 shark catchers in descending order are Indonesia, India, Spain, Taiwan, Argentina, Mexico, United States of America, Malaysia, Pakistan, Brazil, Japan, France, New Zealand, Thailand, Portugal, Nigeria, Islamic Republic of Iran, Sri Lanka, Republic of Korea and Yemen, who between them, account for nearly 80% of the total shark catch reported globally, with Indonesia and India alone responsible for over 20% of global catches between 2002 and 2011.



Profitable catch

Indian coastal waters are home to 88 species of shark, which include the rare whale shark, Pondicherry shark, Ganges River shark and the speartooth shark. All these sharks are protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, which means the hunting, exploitation and trade of the species is strictly banned.



And yet, most Indian fishermen catch sharks for their meat and the finning industry that proves much more lucrative with exports to China. A single fin can fetch them thousands of dollars thanks to the hugely popular shark fin soup. Though illegal in most countries, shark fin soup is sold upwards of $100 per bowl even today. From boosting sexual potency to enhancing skin quality, the health benefits woven around this exotic dish makes for a tempting treat. The cartilaginous rays from the sharks fins add almost no flavour to the concoction. However, demand for the fins exists and so does the exotic and illegal trade.



Between 2000 to 2011, Indonesia caught an average of 1,09,000 metric tonnes of sharks every year, followed by India at 74,000 metric tonnes. Experts from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) say that shark finning in India has turned from an incidental to a targeted occupation. The transformation occurred only during the 1990s due to increasing demand in the international market, which has caused serious concerns about the sustainability of these catches. Mechanised trawl nets, gills nets and line gear operations contribute to maximum exploitation, reads the report on shark finning.



Sharks are not a popular animal. Thanks to the negative image created of the species on popular media like films and televisions, they are regarded as one of the deadliest animals of the world and are feared more than loved. However, of the 100 odd cases of shark attacking humans in a year, 100 million of them are killed by humans annually. The contrasting rate of mortality is ample proof of which species is in greater danger between the two.



Additionally, the death of one shark begins a chain of events that disrupts many food chains, food webs and ecosystems of the ocean world. As the top predators of the marine world, sharks keep a check on the population of other marine animals like fish, eel, turtles etc. As the rate of maturity and reproduction is very slow in sharks, one adult shark killed today, can virtually wipe out the entire population of the species in matter of few years or even months.



Take the case of the whale shark. These gentle giants of the marine ecosystem are the biggest fishes in the world. The largest of the species ever measured was 40 feet in length, though there are incidences of seeing even bigger ones. Recently, alarmed by the serious decline in the number of whales sharks globally, the International Union For Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uplisted the species from vulnerable to endangered in the Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN said that the number of whale sharks had halved over the last 75 years and if things continued at the same pace, the world would lose the biggest fish forever.



All is not lost

In 2013, the Indian government banned shark finning on its shores adopting the fins naturally attached policy. Any fishermen caught with shark fins now risks upto seven years of imprisonment. Organisations like the Wildlife Trust of India along with the Gujarat Forest Department have also been actively promoting awareness regarding whale sharks through their educational and tagging campaigns.



It is believed that post the ban, shark finning on Indian shores has reduced. As per a report, in India, shark-fin exports in the first 10 months of fiscal year 201415 reached only 66 tonnes, compared with 122 tonnes in 201314. Some experts believe this is because of the decline in demand in mainland China thanks to aggressive anti-shark fin campaigning. Online petitions and street protests have also pushed a growing number of airlines, including national carrier Garuda Indonesia Airways and Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific Airways, to stop transporting shark fins.



According to Vardhan Patankar, a marine biologist and researcher in the Andaman Islands, while fishermen in India once earned $75-$100 per kg for the shark fins, the rate has now gone down drastically to around $35-$45 per kg. This has made them look for more lucrative catches like grouper fishes.



Sporting large jaws dotted with innumerable needle-sharp triangular teeth, sharks have come to represent an image of a fearsome, dreadful beast. And yet, it is really the image of a mutilated shark, with all fins cut off, bloody, battered and struggling to stay alive that we need to see to understand what we humans are capable of doing to them. What we also need to see often is the special place sharks have as saviours of the marine ecosystem. Perhaps only then, sharks will get the respect they deserve.
Russia is close to joining forces with the United States around Syria's ravaged second city of Aleppo, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said in comments aired today.





"Step by step we are getting closer to the situation in which -- and I'm only speaking about Aleppo here -- we will be able to begin battling together so that there is peace on this territory," Shoigu told Rossiya 24 television.



In the interview conducted on Saturday but shown only today, Shoigu said Moscow is in close negotiations regarding the city, where Russian planes and regime forces are battling rebels for control.



Shoigu said Moscow and Washington are still deeply at odds over the situation in Aleppo, accusing rebels of holding civilians hostage and waging brutal suicide bombings.



"In the eastern part of Aleppo, people are hostages," he said, accusing the rebels of planting bombs along escape routes established by Russia and of staging executions.



He blasted accusations that Moscow has imposed a blockade on rebel-held areas, calling them "untrue" and "propaganda". He said suicide attacks by rebels have included loading an armoured vehicle with explosives and welding it shut. "That's moderate opposition? Who is this?" he said.



"There are many issues there that we are yet to decide on with our American colleagues," he said of Aleppo. "We are now in a very active stage of negotiations with American colleagues."
An audit report by former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai found major systemic deficiencies in managing the huge wealth of Kerala's famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, including loss of 769 gold pots weighing 776 kg and valued at Rs 186 crore.





The temple did not have the system of ascertaining weight and purity of gold and silver articles before handing them over to contractors for melting and purification for ornamentation, it noted.



There was also no system of maintaining inventory of precious articles of gold, silver and other metals, it added.



The former CAG was asked by the Supreme Court on April 24, 2014 to conduct a special audit of the temple, known for its huge treasures. He found that 30% of the gold sent for melting and purification was lost in the process. The report submitted by him to the apex court in March this year found no system of periodic physical verification of the precious items in the temple.



It stated, The present administrative structure in the temple is weak. It has been created on ad hoc need and, hence, is neither comprehensive nor effective.



It recommended forming a seven-member administrative committee headed by a retired all-India rank service officer, not below the rank of secretary, as chairman for able governance.



Such a committee, also comprising Travancore royal family and thantry (priest), would supervise all temple activities and pass annual budget as well. It also suggested better accounting as the lack of it proved a major administrative lacuna.



The report also favoured ensuring better facilities for the devotees and construction of guestrooms, restrooms, dormitory and toilets, besides adequate security in the temple.
Tensions are rising in Asia as China takes steps to assert its control over the waters of South China Sea after its claims were rejected by an international tribunal at The Hague last month. Chinas Defence Minister Chang Wanquan has called for a peoples war at sea to push back against threats to Chinese claims. In a speech last week, he warned of maritime security threats and called for increased preparations for what he termed a peoples war at sea in order to safeguard sovereignty.



More significantly, China is also changing its laws to arrest and jail anyone caught fishing in waters Beijing considers its own, even though many of those waters are precisely the bits that are disputed among Chinas neighbours in the South China Sea. Last week, Chinas Supreme Court said people caught illegally fishing in Chinese waters could be jailed for up to a year, issuing a judicial interpretation defining those waters as including the countrys exclusive economic zones.



Over the past week, all three Chinese naval fleets have taken to the sea to practice for a sudden, cruel, and short conflict. Beijing has also begun to fly bomber and fighter aircraft near disputed islands in the South China Sea. It has also announced that it would hold joint naval drills in the waters with Russia in September, terming the drills routine and not directed at any third party. A group of new photographs have revealed the construction of several reinforced aircraft hangars at Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs, all land formations built up by China in recent months, on which the Chinese have also built runways.



Chinas neighbours too arent keeping quiet. Reports have emerged of Vietnam secretly fortifying several of its islands in the disputed South China Sea with new mobile rocket launchers capable of striking China's runways and military installations across the vital trade route.



Japan filed a protest with Beijing over recently discovered radar equipment China secretly installed in a gas exploration platform close to disputed waters in the East China Sea. Japan is concerned that the radar could be a signal that China will begin using gas exploration platforms as military outposts. The protest came on the same day an armada of 13 Chinese Coast Guard ships sailed into waters just outside what Japan considers its territorial waters in the East China Sea.



South Korea is now willing to share the US Terminal High Altitude Air Defence (THAAD) systems radar data on North Korean missile launches with Japan. The move is a sign of growing relations between South Korea and Japan, who have historically tense relations dating back to the Japan's occupation of Korea during the Second World War. It would also be a culmination of some of China's worst fears, as the move would bring South Korea closer into a trilateral alliance involving the US and Japan.



China loudly protested South Korea's decision to welcome THAAD system in the country following repeated ballistic missile threats from North Korea. Beijing has complained that the THAAD radars could reach into Chinese territory.



The US is also responding at both diplomatic and military levels. The USS Benfold, a US Navy guided missile destroyer, docked at the northern Chinese port of Qingdao, becoming the first visit by an American warship since Beijings claims to the South China Sea were ripped apart in the Hague.



Ahead of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India, Chinese state media warned New Delhi to avoid unnecessary entanglement with China over the South China Sea debate if India wishes to create a good atmosphere for economic cooperation. Terming that India and China are partners, not rivals, state-run Xinhua news agency has also suggested that the door for India's admission into the NSG is "not tightly" closed and New Delhi should "fully comprehend" Beijing's concerns over the disputed South China Sea.



High-level visit

Wang Yi's visit was the first high-level visit between the two countries after China blocked India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid at the plenary meeting of the 48-nation grouping in June on the grounds that it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). During his visit, Wang said it was up to India to decide on what position it wishes to take vis-a-vis the ongoing issue.



Wang's visit also came just days after Chinese troops "transgressed" the border on land and by air in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand last month. The India-China bilateral trade which totalled around $70 billion last year tilted heavily in favour of Beijing with over $46 billion trade deficit.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in China to attend the G20 summit in Hangzhou next month. Following the ruling by an international tribunal last month which rejected Beijing's claims over much of the disputed sea area, China is campaigning against the issue to be raised in the Summit saying it is a matter to be resolved between parties concerned and outsider has no role. Chinese president Xi Jinping will also visit Goa for the coming BRICS summit scheduled for October.



India will have to carefully assess the implications of the rapidly evolving maritime order in Asia for its own interests and engage with Beijing accordingly. The stakes of what happens in the waters around the South China Sea are as high for India as they are for the regional states.



Global maritime order is under stress and China has done little to assuage concerns about its growing assertiveness. Regional states as well as India should now focus on making sure that China does not upend he regional balance of power to everyones disadvantage.



(The writer is Professor of International Relations, Kings College London)
A youth was killed in fresh clashes in Srinagar, while another succumbed to his injuries in the hospital as violence, strike and curfew continued unabated in Kashmir Valley for the 38th day on Monday.





Reports said a youth was killed when security forces opened fire on protesters in the volatile Batamaloo area in Srinagar on Monday evening. The clashes between the protesters and forces were going on in the area till late in the evening.



Earlier, a teenager from north Kashmirs Bandipora district, who had received pellet injuries in his head on August 13, died at tertiary care hospital SKIMS in Srinagar.



With this, the death toll in ongoing Kashmir unrest, which erupted after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8, has reached 60. More than 6,500 civilians have been injured in action by the security forces during the period with hundreds of them losing eyesight and others maimed for life due to firearm injuries.



Reports of violence were also pouring in from south Kashmirs Anantnag district. A youth, who was hit by a teargas shell on his head during the clashes, was admitted to SKIMS in a critical condition. More than 18 protesters were injured in Tral and Shopian towns of south Kashmir, reports added.



In Srinagar, despite strict curfew imposed by authorities, protesters clashed with security forces in which several people were injured. A police spokesman in a statement claimed the law and order situation remained peaceful in most parts of Kashmir Valley.
A CRPF officer and two militants were killed when ultras attacked a police station in the volatile Nowhatta area of old city Srinagar on Monday.





The police said nine security personnel, including commanding officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) 49 Battalion Promod Kumar, were injured when three heavily armed militants attacked their patrol party near the Naqshband Sahib shrine in Nowhatta. The historical Jama Masjid is a few hundred metres from the site of the attack.



A police spokesman said that after the initial assault, the militants hid in a nearby building and exchanged fire with security forces for several hours, during which two ultras were killed.



He said Kumar, who was shifted to hospital, succumbed to his injuries. The other injured were hospitalised, and one is said to be in a critical condition.



While the police did not identify the two slain militants, sources told DH that they were Pakistanis. One of the militants managed to escape from the security cordon, while two were neutralised, the source said.



The police have recovered two AK rifles and eight magazines with ammunition from the encounter site.



The slain CRPF officer, who hailed from Patna, was posted at Srinagar in April 2014 and was recently promoted as a commandant. He had been decorated with the CRPF director generals commendation in 2011, 2014 and 2015. Kumar had also served in the Special Protection Group for three years.



The incident took place after a prolonged lull in downtown Srinagar. In March 2013, a fidayeen had stormed a CRPF camp in Bemina area on the outskirts of Srinagar, killing five troopers and injuring 10.



The attack came at a time when Kashmir has been witnessing violent protests following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. As many as 59 people have been killed and over 5,000 others injured in the clashes.



Infiltrators killed



In another incident, the army killed five militants and foiled an infiltration bid in Uri sector of north Kashmirs Baramulla district on Sunday night.



Soldiers spotted a group of militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector this (Monday) morning. The militants opened fire, triggering a gunfight. Five militants were killed, an army official said. He said the identities of the militants were yet to be established.
In yet another case of sacrilege of the Quran in Punjabs Sangrur district, pages torn out of the holy book were found in a mosque on Monday.





The imam of the mosque was the first to notice the torn pages, following which he informed the village elders. This is the second such incident in the district.



On June 25, a similar incident had taken place in Malerkotla in Sangrur district and Punjab Police had made Delhi AAP MLA Naresh Yadav an accused in the case. Malerkotla is a Muslim-dominated area. On Monday, the police rushed to the area and advised people to exercise restraint and calm. Investigation in underway to identify the accused, police officials said.



The incumbent SAD-BJP regime in Punjab has maintained that such incidents are a conspiracy to disturb the peace and harmony in the state, set to go to polls in less than six months.



Last year, there were a series of incidents of the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab, which led to violent protests. This year, incidents of sacrilege of the Quran have aggravated the situation.
Backing the Chief Justice of India, the Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delaying the appointment of senior judges merely to have a captive judiciary.





The courageous CJI has lodged serious protests. As many as 70 judicial appointments cleared by the collegium have been delayed on the pretext of revising the Memorandum of Procedure, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said.



Surjewala charged that the appointments of judges were being delayed as the prime minister desired to have a captive judiciary.
A few days after RJD vice-president and former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh criticised Nitish Kumar for bringing in the draconian prohibition law in Bihar, former chief minister Jagannath Mishra appealed to the governor to refuse his assent to the proposed law.





Mishra urged Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind to invoke Article 200 of the Constitution and refuse his assent to the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill, 2016, on the ground that it is cruel, curtailed personal liberty, and promoted hatred towards law and extortion by enforcement officials.



In a memorandum submitted to the highest constitutional authority in the state, Mishra said that the new provisions violated the Indian Penal Code and criminal jurisprudence by bringing in a new theory by which people would be punished for crimes committed by others, thereby making criminals out of innocent families, communities and companies.



Mishra, who had served as chief minister thrice and once as a Union minister, wrote to the governor: You will agree that whenever personal liberty is curtailed, it leads to an increase in incidents of suppression and injustice. You are well versed with the Constitution, hence I request you to hold assent to the bill under Article 200 of the Constitution in the public interest or reserve it for presidential assent.



Mishra further pointed out that in such a situation, the president, under Article 201 of the Constitution, can decide whether assent should be given or not to such a bill.



The controversial prohibition bill in Bihar is under sharp criticism ever since the provision was inserted that all members of a family, above the age of 18 years, would be jailed if liquor is found in the house.
The members of the Dalit community on Independence Day threatened to intensify their agitation by launching a massive rail roko stir if their 10-point demands are not met by the state government within a month.





A decision to this effect was taken on Monday at Una, the epicenter of atrocities committed against Dalit youths for skinning a dead cow. As many as 20,000 members from the Dalit community from across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Maharashtra gathered to celebrate Indias 70th Independence Day at Una on completion of over a week-long Dalit Asmita Rally.



You take cows tail, give us land, Jignesh Mavani, a lawyer-turned politician who set-up the Una Dalit Atachiyar Ladat Samiti and led the 350-km week-long march, said in his address to the gathering.



This is elaan-e-jung (battle cry). If they fail to do so (not accept demand for five acres land for each Dalit family), we will block rail routes. If a Patidar leader (Hardik Patel) can go to jail for nine months over demands of his community, I am ready to go for 27 months, Mavani said. He also made Dalits present at the venue take oath against the traditional business of skinning cows.



This was oft repeated at the gatherings in towns and villages covered during the yatra, where Dalits would pledge not to continue with the occupation of disposing the dead cattle.



On July 11, some youths from Mota Samadhiyala village in Gir Somnath District were paraded half naked and floggled in public at Una town by self- appointed cow protection vigilantes.
The first-ever International Furniture and Home Decor Fair concluded yesterday. Held at Gurugram, the four-day fair that started on August 12 showcased a wide range of designer furniture, carpets, lamp shades, fancy lights, modular kitchen, office furniture and other decorative items. However, the main focus of the event was on wooden furniture.





Covering an area of 2,700 sqm, the event saw participation of more than 42 companies from Indian states like Rajasthan, Kerela and Uttar Pradesh and from countries like Sri Lanka, Russia, Italy, Egypt, Myanmaar, Thailand, South Africa.



Delhi-based entrepreneur Saroj Mehta, who visited the fair to buy furniture for her office, says, I was in search of some a fresh and unique look for my newly-constructed office. And I was quite impressed by the collection. There were so many Indian and imported options under one roof. I especially loved Indonesias national pavilion which had the most vibrant pieces.



We aim to introduce the style and charm of international home decor to the people of India. It is a platform for domestic manufacturers to be at par with the new technology of production, design and perfection through an eco-friendly manufacturing, says Anil Mehta, chairman, ANM Exhibitions, organiser of the show. ANM Exhibitions has been organising international exhibitions in countries like South Africa, Holland, Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Myanmar and other CIS countries including Russia.



He adds, We had been trying to organise this fair since long. But as this kind of event is a collective event, it took us a little long to execute. The response we have got is amazing. Due to Independence Day, the footfall was little less than expected but despite that we did good business.



The event also saw discussions held on issues related to furniture and woodworking industries. Cultural shows like Rang Punjab Da, fashion shows and other activities were also held during the fair.The fair will travel to Ludhiana next.




To quote (author) Jodi Picoult, says Sara Wadhwa, photographs provide proof that once, even if just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect. And after a look at the 17-year-olds solo exhibition Cynosure, which is currently on display in the city, these words echo in your ears.



Talking about her stint with photography, the student of Delhi Public School, RK Puram, says it all began when she was in the third grade. My school took my class for a trip to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. When I came back, I had more pictures of the Taj and the many visitors, than I did of my friends and myself. This probably marks the beginning of my journey with photography, she tells Metrolife.



So, with photography becoming the centre of her attention, her cynosure, over the past few years, she decided to showcase her best clicks to the public. But the idea for a show struck her when she was in Goa a few weeks ago. There, UdayREP, a charitable trust dedicated to improving the lives of school children in rural India, took me to a few schools, one of which was for children with special needs. Cynosure, apart from being my debut exhibition, is about raising funds for a speech therapy room in this school, she says.



She adds that the word cynosure seemed to capture how important raising these funds is for her, she says talking about the title of her debut show. Moreover, she says, it sounds like a fusion of the words cyan and azure, both shades of blue, which is a calming colour and is one of my favourites.



Comprising about 80 images clicked over a period of four years  from 2012 to the summer of 2016, the exhibition showcases pictures from various destinations in India and abroad. Some of the places include Kashmir, Kerala, Goa, Rajasthan, Banaras, Sarnath, Thailand, Turkey, New York, California, among others.



As this is my first exhibition, I have explored a variety of subjects. The images displayed include landscapes, portraits and pictures of flora and fauna. The theme, cynosure, ties all these images together. All the images selected for the show are among the best I have clicked. They are all images of subjects that attracted my attention, and most have a story behind them, she says.



Of these, shares Wadhwa, the series of pictures depicting the dance of a peacock took her the longest to shoot. This is because I had to wait for the peacock to display its feathers, she says. The young photographer shares that she likes clicking portraits the most as she gets a glimpse into the life and personality of her subjects. Wherever I travel, the sights, sounds and smells help me understand people and their culture as well as their emotions. The simplest way to convey my mental thoughts and notes is via photography, she says.



All proceeds from the photo exhibition will go towards the Gujrati Samaj Educational Trust through UdayREP. The exhibition is on display at Convention Centre Foyer at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, until August 19, from 11 am to 7 pm.




Female riders and drivers, think twice before showing sympathy to women who beg holding babies in their arms. You may end up being robbed in broad daylight.





Police have been grappling with such incidents over the last few days, especially on Tumakuru Road in northern Bengaluru.



Take the case of Sheetal (name changed), who is a software developer at a private firm. Riding a motorcycle on the evening of August 4, she was at Nagasandra junction waiting for the traffic signal to turn green. A woman with a baby in her arms approached her asking for alms.



Even before Sheetal could decide on entertaining her, the woman appeared to be fainting. Sheetal reacted quickly and tried to hold the baby in her arms. Just then, a woman, along with some men, rushed to them. Before Sheetal could figure out what happened, they snatched her sling bag that had cash and a gold chain and fled the spot. The woman with the baby also disappeared in no time.



Speaking to Deccan Herald, Sheetal said she had witnessed something similar a few days ago. Local shopkeepers came up to me and also recalled witnessing similar incidents. They said that most victims often walk away depressed after losing their valuables and dont go to police, she said. We cannot blame the police for not acting because they do not get complaints.



A senior police officer said another incident had happened in Peenya on August 4. A woman was about to board a bus and another female with a baby came up to her and acted like she was falling off the bus while boarding it. When the victim helped her hold the baby, another woman came and snatched her wallet that contained a gold chain and cash. Their total value was Rs 40,000. Such similar incidents are certainly on the rise, he said.



Police recently arrested a gang of women and men from Hosur that robbed people with a similar modus operandi. To prevent such crimes, a team of police personnel, including women staff, is patrolling traffic junctions and bus stands at Peenya and the surrounding areas. There are a few suspects and we will question them, the officer said. They are committing crimes in the guise of begging. This needs attention.



Police have asked the public to be careful and avoid strangers. Usually people feel pity for women with babies and try to help them. They should remain alert and not entertain strangers. Police patrol cars will also make announcements, asking the public to beware of strangers.
Here is good news for nature enthusiasts as the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is contemplating introduction of high-end buses to Nandi Hills from Bengaluru.





Soon, a traffic survey would be carried out on this route to assess the load factor. Besides this, a technical assessment will also be done to ascertain whether the bus could ply on the hill route without any hurdles.



KSRTC presently operates a Sarige Bus (ordinary) to Nandi Hills. However, with visitors demanding a luxury service, the countrys largest road transport utility is contemplating introducing high-end buses.



If the technical report and traffic survey are favourable, enthusiasts would be able to travel in luxury buses to enjoy the sunrise and sunset at the tourist spot, which has been receiving a good footfall. Officials will also take a call on the number of buses to be introduced, timings of the trips and fare, among other details later.



Rajender Kumar Kataria, managing director of KSRTC, told Deccan Herald that a similar service has been introduced to Biligiri Ranganatha Temple in Chamarajanagar district as only government buses are allowed to operate there.



He added that a technical survey is necessary since luxury buses are longer than the normal Sarige buses (ordinary) and may not find it easy to negotiate curves on Nandi Hills. Based on the outcome of the report, a decision will be taken on operating the buses. Nandi Hills is around 60 km from the city.



The hill attracts huge crowds in the early mornings during winters as they come here to enjoy the view of the mist. The crowd is more on weekends. Aditya, who has been to Nandi Hills with his friends, said travelling on high-end buses will be cheaper and safer than driving ones own vehicle.
The Bangalore Eco Team and Whitefield Rising (WR) have launched a campaign to turn elected representatives Green Ambassadors. As part of the drive, the peoples representatives have to take a pledge on not using plastic at their party meets.





A month into the drive has seen five corporators and two MLAs vowing to adopt eco-friendly methods at the political events they take part. Instead, they are encouraged to use eco-friendly banners and flex boards and also promote segregation of waste at their respective offices.



Yagnalakshmi Ramachandralu, a volunteer from the Bangalore Eco team and WR said that banners of political parties all across the city prompted them to launch the initiative.



Initially, we started the campaign at Mahadevapura zone where five out of eight corporators from the zone took the pledge. Now, the drive has made its way to Bytarayanapura constituency where a corporator and an MLA have come forward to turn Green Ambassadors. Our aim is to reach all the 198 corporators and 28 MLAs in the city, Ramachandrulu said, adding that there has been a positive change in the people in keeping the city clean.



However, the volunteers for the campaign said that the workers of political parties and supporters of elected representatives were unaware of the ban on plastic and the eco-friendly alternatives. They said that they have suggested the political leaders to educate their cadres in this regard.



Most of the posters during a party event are put up by the supporters of the elected representatives. So, if the leaders follow the green path, the workers will surely follow the same, Allen Joseph, a volunteer said.



The elected representatives who have turned Green Ambassadors are: Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda (Byatarayanapura); MLA Aravind Limbavali (Mahadevapura); corporators S Muniswamy (Kadugodi), Shwetha Vijayakumar (Doddanekkundi), Ramesh (Marathahalli), S Udaykumar (Hagadur), Pushpa Manjunath (Varthur) and Manjunath Babu (Byatarayanapura).
The Yeshwantpur police station turned into a war zone with BJP and Congress party workers protesting against each other on Monday. It all started with a fight that erupted between BJP corporator from JP Park, Mamatha Vasudev, and Congress leader Sunanda K.





The two had a face-off in SBM Colony, JP Park, around 9 am. The corporators husband Vasudev said that while inspecting road works in the locality, Mamatha found that workers were not using wet mix to lay the road. When she asked the workers to use wet mix, Sunanda, who had lost to Mamatha in the BBMP elections, intervened.



She told us that the project is being taken up under the MLAs fund and we cannot question the workers, Vasudev told Deccan Herald.



Vasudev claimed that Sunanda and her supporter Rajareddy abused Mamatha, provoking BJP workers. She (Sunanda) has been interfering in ward works and creating disturbance, he suggested. Sunanda denied that she abused the corporator. She said she had in fact questioned the poor quality of road work like any other citizen.



Vasudev and his wife went on to lodge a complaint at the Yeshwantpur police station. Sunanda also filed a complaint there.



Mamatha and Sunanda were later admitted to hospital for ill health. Mamatha, who was admitted to M S Ramaiah hospital, was discharged late in the evening. The local Rajarajeshwari Nagar MLA Munirathna of the Congress said he was yet to get full details of the incident.
Parking at the 12 metro stations in the city will not be free anymore. The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has awarded contracts to agencies for collecting parking fee for a period of up to two years.





The annual contract licence fee and 5% escalation the subsequent year will fetch BMRCL Rs 2.55 crore.



Besides Peenya, Baiyappanahalli, Dasarahalli, Yeshwantpur, Soap Factory and Mahalakshmi metro stations, BMRCL has introduced the pay-and-park system at Swami Vivekananda Road, Nagasandra, Jalahalli, Magadi Road, Hosahalli and Mysuru Road stations, a senior official said.



The Mysuru Road station has the largest parking space spread over 11,499 square metres, while Dasarahalli and Jalahalli metro stations have the least space with 230 square metres.



BMRCL will generate Rs 1.27 crore as licence fee every year from the Mysuru Road station alone, where 1,700 two-wheelers and 300 four-wheelers can be parked at a time. The contract is already operational at nine stations and land-levelling is under way at Yeshwantpur and Mahalakshmi stations.



Contractor agreement for the 1,500 square-metre parking lot at the Magadi Road metro station is yet to be signed, the official said. We will soon float a tender for a similar project at the Sir M Visvesvaraya station, City Railway station and Peenya Industry station, he added.



BMRCL has fixed a uniform parking fee at all the metro stations  Rs 30 (four-wheelers) and Rs 15 (two-wheelers) for the first four hours and Rs 10 and Rs 5, respectively, for the subsequent hour.



The maximum fee for a full-day parking will be Rs 60 for cars and Rs 30 for two-wheelers. Bicycles are charged Re 1 per hour and a maximum of Rs 10 per day. There is a separate charge for light commercial vehicles with a minimum fee of Rs 75 to a maximum of Rs 150.



Meanwhile, a few commuters have opined that increasing the number of BMTC feeder services in the surrounding areas to connect the nearest metro station would encourage commuters to use public transport instead of taking their vehicles up to the stations.
The city police on Monday booked Amnesty International India on sedition charges for organising an event that highlighted rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.





An FIR was registered based on a complaint by Jayaprakash of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Bengaluru.



Amnesty said that it has not yet received a copy of the FIR. Merely organising an event to defend constitutional values is now being branded anti-India and criminalised, said Aakar Patel, executive director of Amnesty.



According to the complaint, anti-national and pro-Pakistan slogans were raised during the Broken Families event, which was an interactive session with the families of Kashmiri youth killed in fake encounters.



The police registered an FIR against Amnesty representatives and unnamed others for organising the event on August 13 at the United Theological College premises. The FIR doesnt include the college. The police have begun the probe, Additional Commissioner of Police (West) K S R Charan Reddy told DH.



Besides being charged under IPC 124 A (sedition), they have been booked under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 159 (persons disturbing public peace by fighting in a public place).
Chief Justice of India T S Thakur on Monday expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modi making no reference to the stalled judicial appointments in his speech on Independence Day.





Today, we heard our popular prime minister for 90 minutes... I was hoping he (Modi) will speak about issues plaguing the justice delivery system. However, he did not. I request the government to pay attention to our judiciary, especially the appointment of judges, the CJI said.



You should remove poverty, please do it; give people employment, work for the unity of the country...there are many schemes for it, but also think about delivering justice to the people of the country, JusticeThakur said, speaking at the Independence Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association.



Days after threatening the government with judicial interference if it delayed appointing judges, Justice Thakur said he heard the prime ministers speech and also the law minister, but they said nothing about the appointment of judges.



During the British era, a case could be decided in 10 years, that is not happening now. The number of cases has risen so much and the peoples expectations have also grown much. It has become very difficult now. Now, even 100 years is not enough to decide cases. Thats why I have repeatedly requested the government to pay attention to the appointment of judges, he said.



Without mincing words, the CJI said, I think I have reached the peak of my career, so I dont hesitate in saying what I feel.



Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, however, said the government would go ahead with the appointment of judges irrespective of whether the new Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) was in place or not. The Union government is yet to finalise the MoP, the guidelines for appointment of judges, following the judiciarys objections over certain points.
In his Independence Day address to the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitied Pakistan for glorifying terrorism.





He said the people of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Gilgit and Balochistan had welcomed his latest move to expose Islamabad for rights violations.



Modi also appealed for social harmony within the country in the light of the recent incidents of atrocities against Dalits by cow vigilante groups and requested the youth who have taken up guns to join the Maoists to return to the mainstream.



Referring to the terror attack on a school in Pakistans Peshawar, which was loudly condemned in India, and the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in Kashmir, which was officially protested and moaned across the border, Modi drew a distinction between India  which he said was raised under the influence of humanism  and Pakistan, which he charged rewards terrorism.



...Terrorism is being glorified. When innocent people are killed in terrorist attacks, there are celebrations. What kind of life is this which is inspired by terrorism? How are governments formed through the inspiration of terrorism? The world will understand this difference clearly. That is enough for me, Modi said in his third Independence Day speech.



Going beyond his statement that his government should reach out to the expats of Balochistan and PoK to inform the world about the atrocities Pakistan was committing against its own people, Modi became the first prime minister to rake up the issue from the ramparts of the Red Fort to send a stern warning to Pakistan on cross-border terror.



...I want to greet and express my thanks to some people. In the past few days, the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have thanked me, have expressed gratitude, and expressed good wishes for me, he said.



During his 90-minute speech, Modi gave a sector-wise report card, including on foreign policy, economy, internal security, railways and roads, as he narrated his governments achievements and pitched it against the performance of the previous UPA regime.



Modi said, Today, the government is not surrounded by charges and allegations, but by expectations.



He also made two announcements  to raise the pension of freedom fighters by 20% and to foot medical bills of up to Rs 1 lakh for below poverty line families. Modi insisted that economic prosperity carried no meaning if it was not accompanied by social justice.
Tension is brewing in the Jamia Millia Islamia with a team of Delhi Police personnel, comprising central intelligence officials, carrying out raids and searches in the boys hostels on Saturday.





Up in arms against the police raid, the students have launched an indefinite protest on the campus, blaming the university administration for the police action.



The students, who have been agitating since the day the police raided the university hostels, took out a protest march on campus on Monday afternoon, vowing to continue with their protest until they reclaim their freedom, while the varsity administration organised events to celebrate Independence Day.



Our first question is: why is Jamia is only place where police should conduct a raid ahead of Independence Day? Is it just because it is a minority institution? We cant be kept under constant surveillance and made scapegoats for anti-minority propaganda, said one of the students.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the Centre was taking away the powers of the elected government, which is similar to how the country was run under the colonial Government of India Act, 1935.





Demanding full statehood for Delhi, Kejriwal on the occasion of Independence Day said the elected government here does not have the right to take independent decisions.



Under the Government of India Act 1935, citizens had the right to choose their representatives, but Britishers had powers to run the government. Currently, the Centre has established the system of Raj-era law in Delhi, Kejriwal told the audience at Chattrasal stadium on Monday.



The chief minister questioned if the votes of Delhiites were less important than the citizens of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Haryana who elect their governments to power.



If the value of their votes amount to 100 points, then the value of Delhiites vote equal to less than 20 points. Are they less patriotic than the people of other citizens? The people of Delhi pay taxes as well and their democratic rights should be valued, he said.



Kejriwal added the people of Delhi were angry the way the Centre was creating hurdles the elected government to function.



Despite the powers of the AAP government being taken away in the past one and a half years, the Delhi government has established a model of development in education and health in the world, claimed Kejriwal.



The developmental work undertaken by the government in education, health and skill development is being discussed in Europe and China. Earlier, the government schools were a sham. The ministers of the earlier governments were running the private schools in Delhi. The condition deteriorated every day. What our government has achieved in the last one and a half years is historic.



Highlighting the achievements of the government, the chief minister said the AAP government has put an end to the mafia system in the educational system in the city and created 8,000 new classrooms in government schools and checked overcharging by private schools.



Kejriwal announced the decision of the Delhi Government to increase the minimum wages in the capital. The minimum wages of unskilled labour would be increased from Rs 9,500 to Rs 14,000, semi-skilled labour from Rs 10,600 to Rs 15,500.
A Parliamentary panel has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to push for defence PSU status for Indian Telephone Industries (ITI), with the Department of Defence Production (DDP).



Taking note of lack of follow-up action, the Standing Committee on IT, chaired by BJP MP Anurag Singh Thakur, has said that the proposal needs to be favourably considered, as it will increase the state-owned telecom companys prospects of getting more work orders.



It appears that no follow-up action has been taken by the department on this recommendation of the committee... The committee desires that the department should once again impress the Department of Defence Production for granting of DPSU status to ITI, and upgrade necessary infrastructure, the panel has said in a recent report on revival of the sick PSU.



The basic idea is that apart from taking up projects like Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON), NFS, and radars, it may be able to participate in various other projects reserved for Defence PSUs.



Studies conducted by the Ministry of Defence and DRDO had found ITI to be capable of meeting their requirements, the report said, to buttress its point.



The committee, in its report, pointed to the huge Defence requirements of the country, and said that most PSUs, be it Bharat Electronics, or Bharat Dynamics, or Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, are over-flooded with demand.



The committee suggested that the Telecom Department and ITI should collaborate with Defence PSUs to extract some work from them, and sought to be updated on the action taken.



It said that a study conducted by the Ministry of Defence in 2013, had suggested that ITI could be classified as Defence PSU, and that DRDO too had echoed the view. However, the DDP had not favoured the proposal on the ground that it would not facilitate Defence orders for ITI, given that the PSUs have to compete with private players for getting contracts.


The India-Pakistan ties are set for fresh brinkmanship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirming his stand on Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during his 90-minute Independence Day speech.





This is the first time in recent memory any Indian PM has spoken from the Red Fort about Balochistan and PoK in the same breath. The talk of Indias help for Balochistan, however, is not new.



In 2009, Balochistan had figured for the first time in a joint statement that India and Pakistan issued after the then prime minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani met on the sidelines of a Non-Aligned Movement summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.



It had recorded that when Singh reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, Prime Minister Gilani mentioned that Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas.



That statement sparked a huge political row in India as Gilanis allegations regarding Indias role in Balochistan were seen to be legitimised by the document.The first thing Gilani did on his return to Islamabad from Sharm el-Sheikh was to accuse India of interference in Balochistan.



Since then, Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of supporting insurgents in Balochistan, where it has been facing a long separatist struggle, much to the chagrin of India.



Balochistan has had a similar history to Kashmir where the Maharajah had dithered in signing the Instrument of Accession with India till Pakistan invaded the Valley. In 1947, the Khan of Kalat, the ruler of Balochistan, had dragged his feet on signing the legally necessary Document of Accession. Pakistani troops moved into the region in March 1948 and took control, using brutal force several times since then.



When Modi came to power, some Pakistani military officials had warned that India might use the ethnic-nationalist insurgency in Balochistan in a tit-for-tat campaign against Pakistans proxy war in Kashmir.



So far, Pakistans first response to Modis latest speech has come in the form of a fresh invite to India for talks on the Kashmir issue, which New Delhi has already rejected outright two days ago.



New Delhi had made it clear on Saturday itself that a dialogue can be had only on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations, which is mainly cross-border terrorism and the support for anti-India groups by the establishment in that country.



Diplomats are tight-lipped about the immediate fallout of the PMs new stand and on whether it will lead to a more direct confrontation. Many officials believe that it is essentially to send a strong response to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs statement of July 22 that we are waiting for the day (when) Kashmir becomes (a part of) Pakistan.



A week prior to that, Sharif had declared Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani, who was gunned down by Indian security forces on July 8, a martyr of the independence movement.



Chairing a special meeting of his Cabinet in Lahore to discuss the situation in the Kashmir Valley, he had said Pakistan will observe July 19 as Black Day to express their solidarity with the people of Kashmir.



On August 14, at a function in the Pakistani embassy, Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said his country was dedicating its Independence Day to Kashmirs freedom.
Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday said that the government had decided to release more prisoners based on good conduct next year.



The benefit of premature release based on good conduct should be given to all eligible prisoners. Those who are innocent and those really deserving should get the benefit. The government has decided to consider more prisoners for premature release next year, the minister said, while speaking on the occasion of the release of 120 prisoners at Central Prisons, Parappana Agrahara.



India is the only country where continuous efforts are made for freedom of prisoners based on good conduct. However, some people misused this, committed crime again and were jailed.



Those who have been released should lead a crime-free life, he said. The government has already discussed measures for the welfare of prisoners, in association with the social welfare department, the Devaraj Urs Board and other organisations working for womens welfare, he said.



Each of the 120 prisoners are reformed. Two women prisoners were released based on good conduct on January 26, 2016.



However, they returned to the prison as they were not accepted by society. The prisoners should not worry about any stigma after they are released. The attitude of the society might be different, but the prisoners should focus on leading a meaningful life, he said.


The Bengaluru police have booked unnamed representatives of Amnesty International India for sedition over an event on human rights abuses in Kashmir held at the United Theological College (UTC) here on August 13.



The FIR, registered at the JC Nagar police station on Monday afternoon, invokes section 124 (A) of the IPC that deals with sedition which is punishable with up to life imprisonment. Police also invoked sections 142, 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 153A (stoking enmity) and 149 (common intent). The case follows a written complaint given by Jayaprakash, organising secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Bengaluru, on August 13.



Jayaprakash claimed that anti-India slogans were raised at Broken Families, an interaction with families of Kashmiri youths killed in fake encounters. In the complaint, he claimed that Sindhuja Iyengar, professor of political science at a private university in Bengaluru, journalist Seema Mustafa and rapper Roushan Illahi, popularly known as M C Kash, gave anti-India speeches and sang an anti-India song.



They supported Pakistans spy agency Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and backed terrorists and wanted Kashmir to be part of Pakistan. Jayaprakash also claimed that they attacked ABVP workers when they attempted to prevent such activities.

Following the FIR, police are questioning those who attended the event. A clear picture will emerge only after we question the organisers and the audience, a senior police officer told Deccan Herald.



Police will obtain details of the event from the organisers, check the CCTV footage, videographs and photographs. The UTC administrative board members would also be questioned, he added.



Meanwhile, the UTC management clarified that it was in no way connected with the event. The UTC administrative board members, staff and students were not part of the event. The UTC had just rented its premises, J R John Samuel Raj, principal, UTC, said in a statement. The UTC is a 103-year-old institution and was never involved in activities that affect unity and integrity of the country. The UTC works hard for secular values of the country, he added.



ABVP activists had stormed into the venue and objected to what they said were comments against the Indian Army. Police detained around 30 ABVP activists and later let them off. They held an overnight protest outside the college seeking action against the organisers and those who made anti-India comments.



Reacting to the FIR, Amnesty International India executive director Aakar Patel said, Merely organising an event to defend Constitutional values is now being branded anti-India and criminalised. Indias archaic sedition law has been used to harass and persecute activists and others for their peaceful exercise of their right to free expression. The police were present at the event. The filing of a complaint against us now, and the registration of a case of sedition, shows a lack of belief in fundamental rights and freedoms in India.



The NGO also invited representation from Kashmiri Pandits in Bengaluru to speak about human rights violations faced by members of the community. Towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for Azaadi (freedom). The AII does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Patel said.


Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, who is also in charge of the district, struggled to complete his Independence Day speech after he experienced giddiness during the 70th Independence Day celebrations organised by the district administration at the DAR grounds here on Monday.



He paused abruptly while reading out the last paragraph from the printed copy of the speech prepared by the district administration. This triggered tension among the gathering for a few minutes. The minister looked tired.



Noticing this, the ministers escort personnel, Deputy Commissioner V P Ikkeri and a few others held his hand to make sure that he did not fall down.



Later, he was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He recovered within an hour and was discharged in the evening. Doctors advised the minister rest for a day.



Gopal, senior physician, at Sahyadri Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, told reporters after examining the minister that his blood pressure and sugar levels were normal.



There is no problem related to his heart and his condition is stable. Travel and exertion for the past three days has resulted in fatigue, he said.



After a couple of hours at the intensive care unit, Thimmappa himself told reporters, Now I am fine. There is no problem. I am admitted for check-up.
The state government plans to distribute an additional one kilogram of free rice and one kilogram of tur dal at concessional rates to below poverty line (BPL) cardholders.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made this announcement while addressing a gathering during the 70th Independence Day celebration at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Grounds in Bengaluru on Monday.



Presently, the government is providing five kg of food grains per person free of cost under the Anna Bhagya scheme. This includes three kg of rice and two kg of wheat/ ragi/jowar.



Karnataka is also bringing in a protein component under the public distribution system scheme for the first time by introducing tur dal. Food and Civil Supplies Minister U T Khader told Deccan Herald that tur dal would be sold at a subsidised rate of Rs 30 a kg.



Additional burden

Khader said supplying free rice would cost the exchequer around Rs 1,450 crore annually. With the introduction of the coupon system and Aadhaar seeding, the government will save nearly 40,000 metric tonnes of rice per month. Karnataka will request the Centre to sell the surplus rice back to the state at a subsidised rate of Rs 8 or Rs 8.50 per kg. If the Centre agrees to the proposal, the expenditure will then come down to around Rs 240 crore annually, he said.



By subsidising tur dal, the government will incur an expenditure of Rs 360 crore annually. The decision to distribute more rice and sell subsidised tur dal follows demands made by BPL families, he said.


By Andrew Mambondiyani

28 July 2016 (mongabay.com)  Lyben Minyizeyas homestead in Chisumbanje in eastern Zimbabwe resembles a dumpsite for disused tractors and other agricultural equipment. The broken and rusty machinery reminds him of the good old farming days. In this farming community near the border with Mozambique, it is sizzling hot in summer. Baobab, acacia, and mopani trees are sparsely scattered around the area, part of Manicaland provinces lowveld grassland ecosystem. Until recently, Chisumbanje had thriving cotton and maize farms that sustained many households. During harvesting time each year trucks carrying bales of cotton shuttled between Chisumbanje and ginneries in the city of Mutare 230 kilometers to the north. But the cotton trucks have been replaced by trucks ferrying sugarcane and ethanol, and some of the cotton fields have been turned into sugarcane plantations to feed a giant ethanol plant that became operational in 2011. Since then the livelihood of local people, already thin, has become dire. Community members offer a litany of complaints against Green Fuel, the company that owns the plant. They say the company has grabbed land and displaced families without compensation, polluted water supplies, impounded livestock, and failed to pay its workers. Things have gotten so bad, they allege, that some women have been forced to exchange sex for access to land. The villagers plight has been worsened by the current El Nino-induced drought wreaking havoc on the country, which has killed most of their livestock, wiping out their main remaining source of income. I lost my land to Green Fuel. And my source of income is long gone. I am no longer able to send my children to school and feed my family, Minyizeya told Mongabay. Green Fuel is a joint venture between two private Zimbabwean companies, Macdom Investments and Rating Investments, and the Zimbabwean governments agricultural development arm, the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA). The project is comprised of more than 9,000 hectares (34 square miles) of sugarcane fields and an ethanol plant forecast to cost approximately $600 million upon completion in 2020. With the capacity to produce up to 120 million liters of ethanol per year and 18 megawatts of electricity, according to the state newspaper The Herald, it is reportedly one of the biggest ethanol projects in Africa and the only one in Zimbabwe. [more]
Iot in healthcare and education

Given the potential of technology in building a better nation, the solutions it can offer are limitless. I have always been amazed by the role technology can play in bringing about change. However, I view technology as more of an enabler as opposed to supplanting governance. With the advent of a digital era, India is keen on seeking solutions to real-world problems that require less political wrangling. A digital transformation is already underway  Cloud and IoT solutions have already been adopted by various organisations. Since technology plays a pivotal role in facilitating change, it must be used to channelise the Governments efforts in the right direction.

The two major sectors where technology will certainly make headway are healthcare and education. IoT-enabled tools and devices make for easy remote access to both the patient as well as the healthcare provider. This is of key importance to critical health conditions such as cardiac care, diabetes, or cancer, to name a few. Solutions that track and report the outbreak of diseases can reduce the response time from weeks to just a few minutes.

In terms of education, we need to be able to provide education to all irrespective of ones social standing. This can only be achieved by adopting the welfare model in education, which is possible by scaling up technology to meet that end.

Technology can break barriers, provide key skills and training, and make people feel empowered.



Harish Kohli

MD, Acer India

Developing new skillsets

Banking will continue to drive mobility and digitisation, whilst combining with an ecosystem of e-commerce companies. But are these technology advancements that India needs? A key problem we need to solve for is education. A significant reason for the growth that India saw from 1991 onwards is because of the growth in professional services, especially in IT/ ITeS. It is ironic how this sector is now challenged in keeping pace with fast emerging digital innovations. New skillsets need to be taught at grassroot levels and curriculums need to be adapted for India to continue to retain its numero uno position in this sector. One cannot dismiss the concerns of privacy, security and cybercrime either. In a BCG survey across 13,570 consumers across 21 countries, Indians ranked as the most concerned, with 44% fearing their private data would be made public and 40% fearing it would be stolen. We need a more modernised legal framework to stay in step with rapidly emerging technological standards.



Rajiv Gupta

Head, Technology Advantage Practice, BCG India

Financial inclusion

The country has huge challenges, but within these challenges lie huge opportunities. Use of technology is the only way to address challenges such as eradication of poverty, improving literacy, improving agricultural yield, reducing traffic congestion, providing healthcare to all, etc. As per the Global Findex 2014 report, India has 21% of the worlds unbanked adults. The high penetration and adoption of telecom services provides a practical solution for financial inclusion. Services like M-Pesa and Airtel Money are popular in developing countries like Kenya and expected to be successful in India. Smartphones provide new opportunities for mobile-wallet players UID project and smartcards will boost the efficiency of payment for pensions, subsidies, NREGApayments and KYC based authentications.



Hemant Joshi

Partner, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP

Sanitation and high speed internet

In India, sanitation and safe drinking water in urban and rural areas are two big concerns for the government. The current use of technologies to purify water is restricted to chemical treatments and water purifiers, but with the use of nanotechnology solutions, we can make it cheaper and provide improved water filters to all. Nanotechnology-based filters use non-scaled membranes which are made of graphite materials used in pencils; and are way cheaper than conventional methods. Sanitation is one of the most prominent issues in India. Nanotechnology makes it possible to create waterless toilets to treat waste and banish smell. These are based on innovative technology in which toilets use the rotating mechanism to move waste into holding chambers containing nano-elements and water can be eliminated as vapour. Also for successful implementation of digital projects initiated in the country, it is imperative to find a quick fix solution to improve the coverage of internet. India cant be truly digital till we have ubiquitous connectivity. Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a technology that can become mainstream, to improve internet speed, as it provides a basic medium i.e. LED bulb acting as routers and ordinary light being used as a medium instead of radio waves enabling high speed data usage.



Akhilesh Tuteja

Partner and Head - IT Advisory Services, KPMG in India

Accessible technology

At Intel India, we believe that creating technology relevance is the biggest challenge in a vast country like India. The governments vision of Digital India also relies heavily on the premise of bridging the digital divide, wherein every citizen is digitally connected and understands how technology can positively impact their lives. To make this possible, we need to build platforms and solutions that bring relevant content, ease of access, and connectivity, especially to non-urban citizens in the country. Taking technology to the grassroots and empowering every citizen to educate, innovate, and express themselves, will be fundamental in achieving inclusive and sustainable growth for India. We believe that public private collaboration will make this empowerment possible, which is why Intel Indias endeavour is to build an ecosystem that makes technology accessible and affordable for citizens.



Sandeep Aurora

Director, Marketing & Market Development - Intel South Asia

Consistent power supply

With technology taking centre stage in our lives, the world is moving towards internet of things and machine to machine interaction. India still dons the hat of having the slowest internet connectivity in Asia-Pacific as per the latest report by Akamai. This is indeed the biggest impediment not only to us as manufacturers but to the consumer as well. One is unable to fully utilize innovative technologies in any product due to weak/no internet availability. So there is an urgent need to boost the internet connectivity and to ensure a fair distribution of internet across country. This will also help the brands to enhance their after sales services as well.

Another area that needs immediate attention is inconsistent power supply, especially in rural India. The consumers find it very difficult to opt for products that are heavily dependent on steady power supply. To overcome this, it is important that companies go that extra mile to install components that can endure such conditions and withstand power issues. Government too should invest in alternate technologies for power generation like Solar and Wind which will help meet the excess demand for electricity and ensure continuous power supply. Further the government should also invest in building the infrastructure so that the industry flourishes.



Akshay Dhoot

Head of Technology & Innovations, Videocon

Harnessing the content explosion

We are consuming hundreds of petabytes of data every month on our telecom networks for watching videos (and yes we all still face problems completing a phone call without a drop). Now imagine, what life will be when there is truly world-class 4G network (and we know that is really round the corner). And then we talk 100 Mbps+ Fiber-to- the-home networks (given that most of us struggle with between 2-5 Mbps lines currently, we cannot really think of that world yet  but that too is near).

Technology doesnt only allow users to access Audio or Video Streaming platforms (like Netflix, Youtube, Pandora or VOOT), it also helps create a whole new media consumption ecosystem and build reach globally at lightening speed. We share content trailers, we play Shazam songs and we stream when we want, where we want.

Backed by easy access to broadband and smartphones, digital media is heralding in a content explosion. Content creation is now democratised  we are all creators, distributors and consumers at the same time. Now, lets not mistake that to mean that anyone with a smartphone can replace the experienced content creators in traditional media. Not at all!

However, it does mean that the barriers to distribute content have been taken away by the internet and cheaper tools are available to create  hence there are more creators who need not be always backed by big studios, TV stations or music companies. That keeps everyone on their toes and trying to innovate at all times. There has been no better time as a user to get this quality and variety of content and no better time to be a creator  all backed by technology.



Gaurav Gandhi

COO, Viacom18 Digital Ventures

Privacy and security

The minute any individual or organisation (be it private or public) gets on the internet, we no longer are part of any geographical jurisdiction. We all become Internet Citizens. So, wherever in the world you are operating your device from, you are susceptible to cyberattack or cybercrime. We at Kaspersky, believe that the Public-Private Partnership is very important to tackle this menace. Government bodies should use technology and threat intelligence from leading IT Security organisations, who have a global perspective to tackle the ever increasing threats.

In India, the adoption of devices under the Internet of Things (IoT), or as we call them Connected Devices is increasing rapidly. At this stage it has become very important for users to be aware that the chance of them being attacked or compromised is higher. Going forward, we at Kaspersky believe that this is going to be a bigger problem if we do not use security technology to address it at the planning stage itself. This is why we urge manufacturing companies to consider security at the planning stage when they develop any smart technology. This will help protect all of us users, and make us more prepared for such eventualities as our smart devices being controlled by cybercriminals.



Altaf Halde

Managing Director - South Asia, Kaspersky Lab

Avoid information clutter

While the industry has made significant & consistent efforts to optimise communication channels across India, there is still a need, as well as scope for increasing awareness around the clutter of everyone trying to reach everyone. As we evolve to a more connected society, one can easily compare the similarities in the nature of ever-increasing traffic on roads and highways to that of the traffic on our growing telecom and data networks. It is now more important than ever for people to find ways to optimise their time by avoiding unwanted communication wherever possible by using readily available technology. India is using smartphones to reshape the way we communicate and engage with various communities.



Kari Krishnamurthy

Vice President, Growth and Partnerships, Asia & Country Manager, India at Truecaller

Enabling people with special needs

People with special needs are often the ones who need our love and attention the most. As the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets grow, the number and complexity of mobile websites and apps has increased. Mobile devices have also become more accessible to many users with disabilities. While all mobile content should be accessible to the widest possible audience, including people with disabilities, to date, accessibility standards have focused on particular areas of mobile phone use only.

There are studies which suggest that digital devices such as smartphones and tablets can go a long way in helping people with intellectual disabilities face up to the stigma of their condition. By using apps to create videos that explain their life experiences, they can become more self-empowered while demonstrating and teaching their skills to peers. There are innumerable ways in which people with disabilities can be helped to lead just as much a normal and fulfilling life as a fully-abled person. Technology has progressed to an extent wherein now smartphones have specially been developed for people with complex medical conditions including spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), cerebral palsy or other disabilities that affects the use of hands and arms.



Vikas Agarwal

General Manager, India, OnePlus

Innovate agriculture

Given the importance of the agriculture sector, a key technology, which could revolutionise yield of even farmers with small land holdings, is the Israeli Technology of farming. Only 20% of the land area in Israel is naturally arable, but the country yet manages to meet 95% of its own food requirements. Another report suggested that agricultural production in Israel rose 26% between 1999 and 2009, while the number of farmers dropped from 23,500 to 17,000. Farmers have also grown more with less water, using 12% less water to grow 26% more produce. This is quite significant and if assimilated well, would be a game changer for a country like India. Diverse technologies like vertical farming, drip irrigation and soil solarisation need to be brought into the country so farmers can produce better yield while maximising profits.

Technology has a significant role to play in the future of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of ailments in a country like India. Usage of nanotechnology in cancer treatment has the potential to do better drug targeting leading to maximum impact. As per a report by Goldman Sachs, deployment of IoT in the healthcare industry could result in nearly $305 billion in savings for the industry in the near future. The most interesting outlook, which has been foreseen, is a connected bathroom. With the power of the Internet, the consumer could be more empowered to gain access to greater knowledge as to their current state of health leading to advance diagnosis and improved prevention. The technology and the Bill of Materials for such a deployment may not be prohibitive, but will have a key impact on early diagnosis of household occupants as a whole.



Guru Ganesan

President & MD, ARM India

Increasing accountability

In the education space, there are ongoing efforts to digitise the education system by conducting exams, announcing results, allocating seats, etc online. However, the method of teaching and learning needs a radical change at primary and middle schools to enable the future generation to thrive in the digital world. A method has to evolve to make the best use of the digital content on the internet by changing the thought process of teachers. The problem cant be solved by installing electronic boards and projectors inside the classroom; it cant be solved by teaching Word and Excel to teachers. There is a need to create the capability of teaching by consuming online resources, adapt digital collaboration for learning purposes, motivate students thoughts to go beyond physical boundaries of school/campus etc.

While it is great to rollout wonderful projects of Central and State governments for rural sectors, putting them into practice has been a challenge because accountability is not driven at the level of elected members and government servants at village panchayats. The Panchayat Raj bill has made way for empowerment but implementation has failed to hold people responsible. Technology can come to the rescue in driving the accountability at the last mile. A simple dashboard of all projects in every panchayat should be broadcast regularly to citizens via local TV channels without any manual intervention. These status dashboards can be created by collating the data from variety of departments, applying digital analytics techniques and then utilising broadband to broadcast.

Rural healthcare is completely broken, not only from the point of view of care as a service but also from tracking health statistics. Technology intervention can happen on both fronts. In my opinion, the problem cant be solved by Telemedicine. The method to remotely access the regular physician/health practitioner/nurse is the need for day-to-day health issues versus the access to specialists/surgeons. The method can utilise multimedia, mobile and broadband as underlying technologies along with simple but innovative access controls in the hands of the rural citizen. Tracking of health statistics can be solved by tapping established cloud technologies.



Rudramuni B

Executive Director and Head of Dell India R&D

Solving unemployment by empowering the youth

Unemployment, inadequate Education and Healthcare facilities are three core problems that challenge India. Today we have millions who dont have access to basic education and healthcare facilities. No amount of brick and mortar work can solve these problems and India does not have time to wait for years. We need technological intervention such as Digital Transformation where cloud based e-classrooms can provide quality education to thousands of students in the most remot areas of India. Similar attempts can be launched in Healthcare sector where E-health centres can provide medical assistance to people living in far flung areas. HP has been running virtual classrooms and E-Healthcare centres across India and we are proud to say that it has delivered very good results and we have been able to solve real life problems of thousands. To solve the problem of unemployment, vocational training through future classrooms can be a game changer. Today 800 million youth are looking for opportunities to unleash their energy and creativity for the growth of the country and it is high time we adopt technological solutions that can take vocational training to masses in no time and create a strong skilled workforce to drive Indias GDP growth in double digits.



Ketan Patel

Director, Personal Systems Business, HP Inc

Bridging the rural-urban divide by boosting connectivity across hinterlands

There are very few problems that technology cannot address. From harnessing solar energy to resource utilisation to tackling ground-level challenges like clean water, patient monitoring, quality education for all and battling everyday city problems  technology as an enabler and a tool is ushering a big change. However, one needs to carefully weigh how accessible this tool is and how it can equip us better in India. Is the technology infrastructure adequate to address the challenges?

Ambitious strides under the umbrella of Digital India bear fruition only when the core of India  the villages receive a technology overhaul. Parts of India still remain under the shadow of disconnectivity. Though India is the second largest and fastest growing mobile market, internet connectivity is minimal. Because of low internet penetration in the rural areas, a large portion of Indias society fails to reap benefits of the opportunities available online. Having said that, a number of recent initiatives have ushered in a paradigm shift.

Rural mobile Internet users grew by a staggering 93% in the last calendar year, yet only 9% of the hinterland has access to technology, as per a nationwide survey done by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International. In comparison to this, 53% of urban areas had mobile Internet connectivity and grew at 71% during the same period, thereby highlighting the urban-rural divide in the country. There has been a significant difference in mobile Internet usage behaviour as well. While urban India utilises technology for multifarious reasons, fully understanding its benefits, the rural population is yet to explore its full potential. For instance, the urban crowd will resort to mobile Internet for banking and transactions, but the rural community is still apprehensive.

While the benefits of technology are myriad across verticals to solve problems, we are positive that it will become a driving force for Indias foundation  the villages  and soon be at par with global counterparts with respect to its absolute adoption.



Rahul Agarwal

MD, Lenovo India

This article was first published in August 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e-magazine app for Android and iOS. You could also buy Digit's previous issues here.
They say necessity is the mother of invention. Maybe invention is too strong a word here, but due to various historical, geopolitical, and demographic reasons  not to mention problems unique to India itself  our country has often had to take the road less travelled towards smart solutions designed to overcome critical challenges. And technology has always been at the forefront of these initiatives.

While youll read about other aspects of Indias technology journey and stalwarts who were instrumental in making their mark and leaving a lasting legacy of their work through innovations in technology elsewhere in these indepandence special stories, this particular article is dedicated to highlight some of our nations ingenious achievements. Either alone, or in close partnership with a handful of international partners, how India tried to find a way to get things done. To go beyond call of duty, at times, even when completely isolated in an increasingly globalized world. Against all odds, contrary to popular opinion, through technology we not only got by, but actually flourished. This is that story.

Thorium-based nuclear reactors

In a world thats rapidly hurtling towards a mass energy crisis, renewable energy remains a pipedream thats only in its infancy. According to a report from the Central Electricity Authority, only 2 per cent of Indias electricity is generated from nuclear power (the cleanest source of non-renewable energy), whereas coal dependency constitutes a whopping 61 per cent thereby adversely affecting our climate and ecology. We have rightly identified the need to increase our nuclear power output, and leading the charge on indigenously developing thorium-based reactors.

Why is this a big deal? Simply put, getting nuclear power isnt as easy as generating electricity by burning coal. Nuclear energy is derived from sensitive radioactive elements such as uranium, plutonium, thorium, etc., and importing technology and radioactive material either needs inter-governmental bilateral trade treaties or access to the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group)  a list of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation by controlling and restricting the export of nuclear material and technologies. Since India isnt inside the NSG, we arent allowed to buy nuclear material from countries that are part of the NSG. And for whatever naturally occurring uranium and plutonium we have, weve been importing reactors built by other nations (Canada, Russia, US, etc.), which come with international safeguards.

To find an ingenious solution to this problem, Indias embarked on a path of nuclear self-reliance. We dont have huge deposits of uranium, but we have the largest reserve of thorium in the world, and were developing thorium-based reactors which are completely unique and home-grown.

The long-term objective of attaining self-sustainable nuclear energy starts with developing an advanced heavy-water thorium cycle. There are three stages of achieving this, by treating the thorium in different reactors. Weve successfully completed two stages of this objective, and soon to implement stage three of the program where Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs) will drive thorium-plutonium fuel to the U-233 stage which will enable a self-sustainable fissile material. We are also creating Molten Salt Breeder Reactors (MSBR) meant for large-scale deployment of thorium-based nuclear power plants all around the country.

Currently, nuclear power only contributes 5780 MW of 303,118 MW, and its expected to grow to 6,700 MW (by nearly 1,000 MW) by the end of this year itself. By not having to import both the nuclear material and the power plants needed to generate electricity, thorium-based nuclear energy generation is going to help the country save billions of dollars which can be spent on other critical nation building projects. Of course, all this wouldnt be possible without the application of technology in an innovative way.

Generic drugs

A thorn in the side of big, global pharmaceutical companies from the US, Europe and other established market, Indias generic drug manufacturing industry is like a beacon not only for the country but similar nations from around the world. Were the home of affordable medicine for not only most African and South East Asian countries, but also established markets such as the US and UK where the cost of medicare is excruciatingly high. How do we manage to do this? Why does an antiretroviral HIV drug that costs $10,000 in the US cost less than $100 when produced by an Indian pharmaceutical firm?

The answer to these questions lies 40-50 years ago when India started exporting APIs or active pharmaceutical ingredients for throwaway prices. After getting a foothold in lucrative global pharmaceutical markets, Indian pharma firms started researching new ways of indigenously producing US alternatives of FDA-approved drugs and medicine for cheaper, but with no loss in quality or potency. The Indian government is committed to driving the Indian generic drugs industry by giving subsidised loans and grants for conducting advanced collaborative research in this space, too.

The Indian governments Department of Science and Technology supports and promotes research in all types of medicinal drugs, including setting up of facilities. In terms of R&D, it can aid at any stage in the innovation chain of new drug development; innovative technology for known drugs where India has a competitive advantage; conducting clinical studies and development of new formulations and standardisation of traditional formulations of generic drugs. While US and Europe are trying hard to restrict the sale of Indian generic drugs in competing markets, theres no stopping us just yet.

Plastic roads

Effective waste management is a challenge in most corners of the world, but nowhere is the problem more compounded than in India. As per a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) survey, 60 cities of the country generate an estimated 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste per day, while more than 6,000 tonnes remain uncollected and littered, according to a TOI article published last year. However, to overcome this problem, innovative solutions are being designed. One of these is to breakdown plastic into small pellets, mix it with tar and use it in the construction of long-lasting roads and highways. No kidding!

This practice of constructing road made of tar and plastic isnt new. CPCB had undertaken a project in collaboration with Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, to lay down polymer coated roads during 2002-2006. The frugal invention of using discarded, low-grade plastic polymer and mix it with tar to improve the quality of roads is credited to Dr R Vasudevan, a chemistry professor and dean at the Thiagarajar College of Engineering. The method of sprinkling shredded plastic on top of hot tar and coating the tiny gravel stones with a thin layer of plastic was patented in 2006. The plastic tar roads had not developed any potholes, rutting, raveling or edge flaw, even after more than four years of age, concluded a CPCB report. This ingenious indigenous innovation is documented here.

Not only is this process of plastic-mixed tar road beneficial for the environment by reducing landfill, its longer lasting and requires less maintenance than conventional tar roads, and saves between 8 and 50 percent of construction costs. No wonder India now has over 30,000 km of plastic roads, over half of which are present in Tamil Nadu alone. Theyre mainly used for constructing rural roads at this point, but cities such as Jamshedpur, Chennai and Mumbai are also experimenting with them.

Indian Navy

A substantial amount of Indias defence equipment  fighter planes, warships, submarines  are either fully bought or jointly developed between two participating countries. Currently, the most interesting indigenous defence project underway within the Indian Armed Forces is that of the Indian Navys development of a Kamorta-class ship, an anti-submarine warfare corvette. Its been widely reported as the most Made in India class of ships in our navy, ever  as much as 90% of the ship is designed, built and manufactured in India. Two out of the four commissioned ships are already in Indian waters, and two more are expected to come through soon  one at the end of 2016 and another in 2017.

A lot of the credit for the development of the Kamorta-class corvettes should go the Indian Navys Directorate of Indigenisation, the department responsible for drawing up the plans, tendering contracts, and launching the ships fully decked with offensive and defensive naval systems onboard. For more information, do check out this link.

Last word

Of course, theres a lot of other indigenous innovation happening in India, thanks to technologys ingenious applications. ISROs GSLV Mk III cryogenic launcher is another case in point, completely developed in India, ready to launch not just satellites in space, but very soon placing Indians in orbit. All of us here at Digit celebrate all the indigenous tech innovation pioneers in the country!

This article was first published in August 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e-magazine app for Android and iOS. You could also buy Digit's previous issues here.
India becomes first Asian nation to reach Marsorbit, joins elite global space club. ISRO sets Record, Launches PSLV-C34 with 20 satellites. At a stroke, PSLV C-34 lobs 20 satellites into orbit.

These are just a few of the headlines from leading newspapers around the globe, praising ISRO for some of the many remarkable feats it has achieved in recent times.

From being the first space research agency of a newborn nation to becoming the first nation in the world to reach Marsin its first attempt, to launching 20 satellites (including 17 foreign payloads) in 26 minutes with its indigenously developed launcher, ISRO has come a long way since its inception more than 50 years ago.

Recently, PSLV-C34( Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) was successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 22nd June this year. Carrying a total of 20 satellites, the primary payload of the launch vehicle was Cartksat-2C along with 19 other satellites including one for a Google company called Terra Bella and the rest from US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia. The first of its kind mission made this the 3rd biggest launch in the world, only behind NASA and the Russian Space Agency.

After successfully reaching the Moon and Mars, ISRO has its eyes set on its next set of targets. Read on to find out what ISRO has planned out for its future

What the Future holds?

From developing an indigenous scrambler jet engine that will let a launch vehicle carry more than 20 satellites, to landing a rover on Marsand the moon, and also sending another satellite to the nearby Venus, ISRO has lots of innovative plans lined up. Here is a comprehensive list of all the projects it has been working on including its latest launch vehicles, satellites and other space exploration programmes.

Launch vehicles:

Reusable Launch Vehicle - Unlike normal launch vehicles which are expendable, a Reusable Launch Vehicle is, well, reusable and can be used to launch a payload into space more than once. The Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology demonstrator is a prototype being developed by ISRO which is going to be developed into a fully functional Launch Vehicle by the year 2030.The indigenously developed launch vehicle, designed by a team of 750 engineers, has already completed its first successful test flight on 23rd May where it flew for a total of 770 seconds reaching a maximum altitude of 65 Kilometres before safely landing back on earth. The technology, if successful,will bring down the overall payload delivery cost drastically by almost 80%.

Scramjet Engine- Unlike conventional launchers which carry liquid oxygen or an oxidiser to fire the engine, a scramjet engine inhales air from the atmosphere and uses its oxygen to burn the fuel. Use of scramjet engine leads to faster and cheaper rockets compared to the traditional liquid or cryogenic engines. ISRO has been working on developing its own scramjet engine for quite some time now, and a small model by them is going to be tested this month. Once developed, the engine will help put satellites and launch vehicles at significantly lower costs bringing down the overall cost of space exploration.

GSLV MK III/ LVM 3 - GSLV Mark 3 or more commonly known as the LVM 3, is a satellite launcher being developed by ISRO that will make India completely self-reliant in launching satellites, capable of placing 4 tonne class Geosynchronous satellites into orbit. Powered by an indigenously developed Cryogenic engine, the launcher will be used to launch various satellites in the geostationary orbit and will also be used to launch the first Indian crew vehicle in the future.



The GSLV MARK III launcher aims to slowly phase out all the other space launchers being used

Satellite launches:

GSAT9 - The latest addition to the indigenously developed GSAT (Geosynchronous satellites) family of satellites, the GSAT 9 is a multi band observation and communication satellite slated for a launch before the end of this year. The 2.3 tonne satellite will carry two payloads, a 12 Ku band transponder, and the GAGAN system that will aims to provide GPS services to Indian Security forces and the Air traffic Control Organisation. The GAGAN (GPS Aided Augmented Navigation) system cost around Rs. 7.74 billion. And has been under development since 2008. A joint project being developed by Airport Authority of India and the Indian Space Research Organisation, the system will help pilots flying over the Indian airspace to navigate within an accuracy of 3 m. The system will also aid in the study of Ionosphere over the Indian region.

GSAT11 - Another of Indias communication satellite, the GSAT-11 has a launch date set fot the year 2017. The 4.5 tonne satellite, weighing twice as much as the heaviest Indian satellite in orbit, will most likely be launched aboard the new GSLV-Mark III and carry a payload consisting of 40 high power Ku, Ka band transponders that are currently being built at the Space Application Center in Ahmedabad. The satellites main aim is to provide advanced telecom and DTH services in India. Capable of transmitting data at a speed of 10 Gigabytes per second, the satellite will take care of the entire countrys communication and broadcasting needs and is a big step for India.

NISAR - A joint project by NASA and ISRO, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) system aims to co-develop and launch a first of its kind radar imaging satellite that will use dial frequency. The payload will consist of two Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR), the L-band SAR provided by NASA and the S band SAR made by ISRO. The mission aims to measure some of the most complex phenomenon happening on the earths surface including natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunamis along with insights on the evolution and state of Earths crust and information about the ongoing climate change crisis.

Other Space Exploration missions:

Chandrayan-2 - The successor to Chandrayaan-1, Indias first lunar exploration mission which propelled Indias space programme into international limelight, the Chandrayaan-2 is being developed by ISRO and is slated for a launch by the year 2018 using the newly developed heavy lift launcher GSLV Mark III. The 2nd lunar exploration mission, is going to include a lunar orbiter along with a a lander and rover. Initially, both the lander and rover for the mission were supposed to be developed by Russia, but when the Soviets stated their inability to provide them by 2015, the deadline of the agreed timeframe, Indian scientist took it upon themselves to develop them in-house. The design of the lander has been successfully completed bt the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad while the Rover is being designed by ISRO at IIT kanpur facilities, making it a completely homegrown mission. The orbiter will be carrying a variety of payloads for which it will include a number of scientific instruments. The main aim of the mission is to develop advanced lander and rover technologies and set the basis for future projects such as the Mangalyaan-2 which will see India landing a Rover/lander on Mars.



Chandrayaan 2 aims to land a rover on moon this time

Mangalyaan 2 - Indias much talked about Mars Orbiter Mission was probably one of its most successful ones helping it set a number of records including making India the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit, the fourth nation in the world to reach Marsorbit, first nation in the world to do so in its first attempt and the most important of all, the least expensive Marsmission to date. Mangalyaan 2 is the successor mission which aims to land a rover and lander on Mars alongside another orbiter. The Mangalyaan 2 will be built as a joint venture between India and France, and a letter of intent has already been signed by ISRO and CNES. The Mangalyaan 2 will be completed by the year 2020 and will use GSLV III, the same heavy lift launcher that will be used for the Chandrayaan.



The highly successful Mangalyaan mission was the cheapest Mars orbital mission till date. ISRO would be looking to repeat the success story with its next mars mission

Venus Orbiter Mission - A proposed mission to study the atmosphere of Venus, the Venus orbiter mission was slated for launch somewhere between 2017-2020, if funded. There hasnt been any major updates regarding the mission, but it is safe to assume that India will keep on increasing its interplanetary exploration capabilities and will follow up the Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan-2 mission with a trip to Venus.

Solar Exploration Programme- NASA and ESA are the only two space agencies to have successfully placed a satellite at the Langarian Point L1 near the Sun. Indias solar mission aims to change that with Aditya-L1. The probe, which weighs around 400 kgs, was originally set for a launch in the year 2012 but due to complex and extensive work required in fabricating a satellite capable of standing the extremities of outer space at such a close distance to the Sun, the launch was postponed to 2020. The main aim of Aditya 1 is to study Coronal Mass Ejection and the Coronal magnetic fields which might have a significant impact on the unsolved problem of heating of the corona (the upper atmosphere of the sun is a million degrees celsius hot, while the lower atmospheres temperature measures at 6000 C) that has been bothering scientists for a long time now. The spacecraft will be carrying more than 7 payloads, each consisting of various scientific instruments to measure quite a few things including the variation and composition of solar winds.

Space capsule recovery experiment II - A follow up to the successful Space Capsule Recovery-1 mission which was successfully completed in the year 2007, the SRE-2 aims to develop a fully recoverable capsule, and perform a number of experiments on Microbiology, Powder Metallurgy and agriculture in microgravity. The spacecraft will also be carrying an isothermal furnace capable of handling temperatures upto 1000C in outer space.

Manned Space programme - Sending people out in the space isnt as easy as they make it look like in your favorite sci-fi movie. Sending humans out in the space requires significantly advanced technology and billions of dollars in budget. Currently ISRO doesnt have any human rated launch vehicle but the race is on. ISRO is currently working on a 3 ton orbital vehicle spaceship that is capable of carrying a 2 member crew to space and return after a couple of days. ISRO plans to set up a training centre in Bangalore specifically to train Indian Astronauts or Vyomanauts (vyoma means space) and also is building a third launch pad at the Satish Dawan Space centre specifically for launching manned space vehicles. But the road is a long and tough one and there havent been many updates from ISRO regarding the expected date of launch. Though, if all goes according to plan we will see an Indian in space somewhere in the next decade, making India only the 4th nation in the world, after China, USSR and USA, to successfully carry out a manned mission indigenously.



Rakesh Sharma and Kalpana Chawla are the only 2 Indian astronauts to have gone out into space

To conclude, even though ISRO is one of the youngest space organisations, its achievements are highly commendable and has earned it global repute. It has many interesting projects and innovative ideas, and turning them into reality requires a lot of hard work, time and money. ISRO cant be compared to NASA and other such organisations, partly because of the head start they have had and partly, because their aim is different. While NASA, European Space Agency and Russian Space Agency work on a variety of domains, ISROs main focus is on creating various utilitarian technologies like weather and geographic satellites and launching probes. ISRO has come a long way and its a long road ahead. ISRO has a pool of some of the smartest and most dedicated individuals in the world. Who knows, maybe Indian space agency finds life in our solar system is the next headline we read.

This article was first published in August 2016 issue of Digit magazine. To read Digit's articles first, subscribe here or download the Digit e-magazine app for Android and iOS. You could also buy Digit's previous issues here.
Tanzania-focused coal-to-power project developer Edenville Energy updated the market on the latest developments with regard to the project on Monday.

The AIM-traded firm said that on 10 August 2016 the Tanzanian Ministry of Energy and Minerals announced a directive banning the importation of coal into Tanzania, and said it understands the ban is effective immediately.

It said the directive, as explained by the ministry, is in order to utilise and stimulate the production of coal from within Tanzania, enabling the country's resources to be brought into commercial production and the potential of the local coal industry to be more fully developed.

The Tanzanian government also indicated they wanted to promote more investment in the Tanzanian coal sector as it has significant potential to expand to provide both coal for energy and other uses such as cement production.

Edenville welcomes the government's proactive approach to moving projects from exploration to production and wishes to clarify its position on this significant policy development in Tanzania, the board said in a statement.

The Rukwa Coal to Power Project remains the company's core focus, and we are continuing to move forward through its stages of development accordingly.

The Project is planned to encompass a mine mouth power plant of in excess of 100MW, the board explained.

It said it hopes to have significant updates on the status of the project shortly, and is currently advancing various work streams alongside discussions with government authorities and potential partners.

However, the ban on imports of coal has created a significant near term opportunity for coal sales throughout Tanzania, and the company is reviewing its options to contribute to this production accordingly.

Edenville, through its Tanzanian subsidiary, holds a mining licence over its Mkomolo deposit and can also source coal from primary mining licences in the nearby Namwele deposit, where mining has previously occurred.

The project also holds a valid Environmental Impact Assessment Certificate from the National Environment Management Council, the board confirmed.

[We are] therefore well placed to rapidly instigate coal production subject to the project's economic viability.

As preparation, the company has already requested and received several quotations for mining and associated infrastructure work at the project site, the board explained.

It is currently reviewing those, along with talking to other possible contractors and suppliers for the project.

We have also revised our bulk sample programme to target additional areas that may have suitability for near term supply of coal.

Suitable areas are currently being stripped to expose coal to be taken for testing, [and] we are discussing with various potential customers their future requirements.

The project is well placed geographically, Edenville said, to take advantage of the potential in Tanzania and the surrounding countries.

It is close to the newly surfaced B8 north-to-south highway, a supply of labour and services at Sumbawanga, the Zambian border and Lake Tanganyika which offers transport options to distribute coal in the region.

To the south, rail transport exists that can take coal towards the eastern seaboard of the country.

We will continue to update our shareholders as the new coal supply environment in Tanzania evolves in parallel with the development of the project.
Credit Suisse hiked its target price for G4S shares as the company de-leveraged, thus reducing the risks surrounding its balance sheet.

That process was transferring value within the security services outsourcer's enterprise value from its debt to its shareholders' equity, analysts Andy Grobler, Karl Green and Daniel Hobden said in a research report sent to clients on 15 August.

It should also allow the company to maintain its dividend pay-out and -all else equal- lead to lower financing costs in the form of a reduction in its so-called 'cost of equity', they added, with the latter leading a re-rating of the shares.

"The improved cash flow and balance sheet provides greater confidence that management can both achieve its target of reducing leverage to 2.5x or lower in the next 12-18months and maintain the dividend. As concerns around the balance sheet abate we see scope for the cost of equity to fall further and, as a consequence, the share price to re-rate."

During the first six months of 2016 the company's operating free cash flow jumped 52% and net debt as a proportion of operating profits (EBITDA) declined from 3.3 (at year-end) to 3.2, earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation grew 8.2% and the actuarial pension deficit fell significantly, the broker explained.

As a result of all of the above they incerased their target price from 210p to 275p, pointing out that on a relative basis the shares were changing hands at a 7% discount versus the market - compared to a historic average premium of 8%.

On their estimates the dividend would be cash covered from 2016 onwards.

Until the company's full-year numbers in March 2017 the Swiss broker was expecting further news-flow regarding the firm's asset disposal programme.

The recommendation on the stock was kept at 'outperform'.
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Who Is Robert Costa and Is He Married, Who Is His Wife? Robert Costa is a political analyst for NBC News and MSNBC who is regarded as being part of Americas next generation of journalists. The University of Notre Dame graduate, who is of Italian/Portuguese descent, has been lauded for his fresh political perspectives in an industry full of old heads. In addition to his work listed above, Costa ...

Team Valor Pokemon Go  7 Key Facts You Need To Know Team Valor Pokemon Go  The craze of the new game Pokemon Go is one that took the gaming world by storm sending teenagers and adults alike into a frenzy and one of its teams Team Valor, has proven to be instrumental in making it so. Before the game was created, Pokemon was a cartoon ...

Sheryl Underwood  Husband, Family & Net Worth She is known for her trademark smile which can be described as the brightest and broadest smile ever seen on planet earth. She is none other than Sheryl Underwood the comedian, actress, and TV host whose funny wits has left America in great awe. Although Sheryl has risen to become an important personality in the industry, ...

Team Mystic Pokemon Go: 7 Facts You Need To Know And Signs You Are One Team Mystic of the break out game Pokemon Go is a team that is full of sass and chivalry. With an enchanting monicker, Team Mystic stands out from the rest of its counterparts and deserves to take the crown as champion in the Pokemon gaming-verse. To be a member of this exceptional team of Pokemon battle ...

Exploring Guy Beahms Dr Disrespect Persona, Wife and Why He was Banned Permanently From Twitch Guy Beahm who is popularly known by his online alias  Dr DisRespect, is an award-winning Twitch.tv streamer. He has leveraged on the Twitch platform to become an internet personality that is quite widely known. His online success is just more proof that anyone who is good at what they do can attain celebrity status ...

Critical Facts About Lee Ann McAdoo  The Infowars Anchor Lee Ann Mcadoo is a conservative journalist and television host whose interests in conspiracies and astrology has established her as a famous American reporter. Often referred to as Wonder Woman, McAdoo is a reporter who works for InfoWars.com, a controversial right-wing website run by radio show host, Alex Jones. Who Is Lee Ann McAdoo? Lee Ann McAdoo was born on 7 ...

Millie Weaver  Age, Husband & Infowars Career Millie Weaver is an American model, journalist, political activist, and social commentator. The young and beautiful journalist rose to fame working as a reporter for a controversial right-wing website InfoWars.com. Also known as Millennial Millie, Weaver is a social media influencer with over 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel and over 35,000 followers on Twitter. Who Is Millie Weaver and What Is ...

Is Jessica Tarlov Married? What Are Her Height & Weight? Jessica Tarlov is an American political consultant, strategist, and analyst whose influential and regular TV presence has made a popular figure. A good example of beauty with brains, Tarlov has appeared on various TV networks, mostly the FOX News Network where she is known for her liberal views on political analysis and insights. She is also the senior director ...

Who Is Kelly Rebecca Nichols  Alex Jones Ex-Wife? Kelly Rebecca Nichols is the ex-wife of controversial American radio show host, Alex Jones. She got nationwide attention following her divorce and subsequent custody battle with her estranged husband. Nichols, who worked with PETAs public relations department, was herself no stranger to controversies as she was involved in several publicity stunts of the non-profit animal rights ...

Who Is Bree Morgan  Cole Sprouse Ex-Girlfriend And What Is She Up To Now? Although Bree Morgan became famous through the Instagram, she also sapped some dose of popularity from Disneys sweetheart, Cole Sprouse of the Sprouse brothers. She is not only an Instagram star but also a YouTube vlogger whose popularity has long exceeded the ordinary level. Bree is conspicuously prominent on the internet and has her digital savviness ...

Does Vanna White Have Husband or Children, What Is Her Net Worth / Salary? For over three decades, Vanna White has been a household name, famous as the co-host and letter turner of the iconic NBC game show Wheel of Fortune. The talented and beautiful television personality is also an actress with several TV series and films to her credit. Since making her Wheel of Fortune debut in 1982, she has become one ...

Liz Wheeler  Biography, Husband & Net Worth Liz Wheeler is the kind of girl who sets the room on fire whenever she comes around. In this situation, however, she sets our screens on fire each time she appears as the host of One America News Tipping Point. She is, therefore, a presenter, publisher, consultant and a member of the Board of Zoning ...

Betty White  Net Worth, Children & Husband The entertainment industry will remain indebted to personalities like Betty White who brought something extra to the table and kept the world entertained for donkey years. The comedienne, actress, and writer graced the big screens in the early 50s as a show host and has been a delight since then. She is the queen of ...

Is Bill Nye (The Science Guy) Dead or Alive, What Are His Net Worth & Education? Everyone will always remember Bill Nye as the Science Guy. Besides his TV show Bill Nye the Science Guy, he is well-known for his Netflix show Bill Nye Saves the World which started airing in 2017 as well as his appearances in many famous media projects as a science educator. The star studied mechanical engineering ...

Is Cesar Millan Dead, Who Is The Wife & What Is His Net Worth? Cesar Millan is the famous dog whisperer who often stirs up mixed emotions. The Mexican-American is precisely speaking, a dog behaviorist; he has been in the game for over 25 years. His Emmy-nominated television series, Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan further pushed his method and tactics into the limelight. The series was produced from 2004 ...

Is Thomas Sanders Gay and Does He Have A Boyfriend? By the time Vine was shut down in January 2017, Thomas Sanders was already popular within and beyond the internet community for his heavy involvements on the online video hosting platform. After the tragic shutdown of Vine impacted on the growing career of the multi-talented personality, he immediately switched over to YouTube where he continued to upload ...

Is Shepard Smith Gay, Who Is The Boyfriend & What Is His Net Worth? There are only a few media personalities who are as bold and confident as Shepard Smith. Apart from his impressive stint at Fox News Channel which includes but not limited to his classic news delivery, upfront stance on virtually every issue and much more; he loves his job as much as he loves his personality. Smith ...

Is Milo Yiannopoulos Gay? His Husband and Net Worth Milo Yiannopoulos is a popular writer, journalist, polemicist, public speaker, and political commentator who is also known as the founder of The Kernel, an online blog. He has been said to be among the list of 100 weird and influential people in the United Kingdom. He appeared on this list as a result of personal beliefs and ...

Does Ryan Seacrest Have A Wife Or Girlfriend, What Is His Net Worth? From radio to television, Ryan Seacrest is a household name and a force to be reckoned with in showbiz. The radio personality, television host, and producer is best recognized as the host of the popular TV talent search contest American Idol. Heres how the media personality who always knew what his lifes ambition was and diligently pursued ...

Is Anderson Cooper Gay, Who is The Boyfriend or Husband? For many, the thought of becoming a millionaire by writing and talking about other people appears unachievable but this is the reality of the prominent American journalist Anderson Cooper who gathered millions of dollars for conducting accurate political analysis and other vital reports on TV. He is the main anchor of the CNN news show Anderson ...

Is David Muir Gay or Does He Have A Wife, What Is His Salary? David Muir is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who works for the ABC broadcast-television network and anchors the ABC World News Tonight with David Muir program while also co-anchoring the magazine program 20/20. The Ithaca College graduate, whose show has become the most-watched newscast in America, has covered stories from all across America and the world; reporting ...

Joel Osteen  Divorce Rumors, Net Worth & Family Members Joel Osteen is an American Televangelist, Senior Pastor of Lakewood Church based in Houston, Texas, a husband and a father of two. He is an author of many books, seven of which are New York Times Best Sellers and his televised sermons capture more than 7 million viewers per week and 20 million every month ...

Who Is Todd Chrisley? What To Know About His Children, Gay Rumors & Net Worth Premiered on the USA network in 2014, Chrisley Knows Best is one of the most watched family reality TV shows in the U.S. The series which is currently in its sixth season is centered around U.S real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his family. The show reveals Todd the patriarch of the Chrisley family as a strict dad who rules ...

Who Is Shannon Bream Of Fox News? Her Husband, Children & Net Worth Shannon Bream who hosts the iconic primetime program started her journalism career in the late 1990s debuting as the evening and late-night news reporter for the CBS affiliate, WBTV. The beauty from America currently works for the Fox News Channel and she is best known for anchoring the primetime program. She also hosts Americas News ...

Is Troye Sivan Gay, Who Is His Boyfriend and What Is His Net Worth? Troye Sivan is an Australian singer and songwriter best known for songs like Happy Little Pill, Youth, Heaven (with Betty Who) and The Boyfriend Tag (with Tyler Oakley) which have all garnered him different awards and ranked on the Billboard Charts. Sivan, who was born in South Africa but now resides in the United States, is ...

Did iDubbbz Have Cancer, Is He Gay and Who Is His Girlfriend Now? iDubbbz is one YouTuber who has made a career out of courting controversy. Renowned for his absurdist channels and comedy video series, the Los Angeles based personality is the owner of two channels, iDubbzTV, and iDubbzTV2, as well as the brains behind comedy video series such as Content Cop, Kickstarter Crap, Gaming News Crap, and ...

Inside Greg Gutfelds Love Story With Wife Elena Moussa and Why Fans Thought He Was Gay Greg Gutfeld is a seasoned American television producer whose career in the media industry has spanned over a decade. He is a man of many talents who makes extra income through comedy, journalism, and editorial works. Gutfeld regularly appears on Fox News Channel as a panellist and co-host of the political talk show The Five ...

Works That Made Bo Burnham A Household Name and How Much He Is Worth Now One of YouTubes first viral stars and the worlds most exciting young comedian, Bo Burnham, has always amazed critics and comedy aficionados alike. Often regarded as the Justin Bieber of comedy, thanks to his fresh looks, floppy blond hair and hoodies, he has a multi-faceted career bigger than many comedians twice his age. It wouldnt ...

Is Louie Anderson Gay And What Is His Net Worth? Louie Anderson has one of the most abstract faces in the industry and equally knows how to use it to his advantage. He is not only a stand-up comedian but also an actor and television host who is known for his distinctive comic wits. Some of his notable projects include Family Feud, where he was ...

Is Don Lemon of CNN Gay, Who is His Partner and What Is His Salary? Don Lemon has risen to become one of the most recognizable faces on CNN over the past few years. The fiery journalist, who anchors CNN Tonight with Don Lemon, is liked and somewhat disliked for his strong and candid opinions on a variety of matters that do not just include politics but also race, significantly, matters that ...

Is Rachel Maddow Gay, Who is the Wife and How Much Does She Earn in Salary? Rachel Maddow is an award-winning American journalist, political commentator, and television news anchor. She is best known for hosting the popular nightly TV show The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. Prior to this, she hosted a talk radio program on Air America Radio from 2005 to 2010. As of now, the TV sensation co-anchors MSNBCs ...

Demystifying Pokimane  Her Real Name, Ethnicity & Boyfriend Like most social media celebrities in this digital era, Pokimane Thicc is one of those stars who took advantage of the internet to make a name for herself. Given the unlimited potentials which the social media space offers, many people have been instantly propelled to fame just by posting creative online contents. Not only has ...

A Breakdown of Kris Jenners Net Worth, Sources Of Income and Relationships Over The Years Standing outside and looking in, Kris Jenner looks like the oil that greases the wheels of the entire Kardashian/Jenner machine. She has been dubbed a momager and rightfully so because she seems to have had a part to play in the trajectory of each and every one of her daughters individually and the Kardashian brand ...

Pursuits That Brought Liza Koshys Fame To its Zenith and Her Love Life Since David Dobrik Liza Koshy is an American actress who has leveraged YouTube as a platform to promote her comedy while also serving as a television host on occasions. She is talented and funny and has gathered a lot of fans from around the world. Koshy started on Vine in high school and was able to get millions of ...

Alex Aiono Biography  Inside The Life Of The American Singer Not everyone who started from the streets has attained the heights where Alex Aiono is currently. His story could be referred to as the perfect definition of rising from Grass to Grace. He came into the limelight after he started out as a YouTuber, singer, and producer. One fascinating thing about the young YouTuber is ...

Virginia Vallejo Biography And Her Love Story With Pablo Escobar Virginia Vallejo can be referred to as one of the oldest whistleblowers in history after her involvement with Pablo Escobar which made her famous. Over the years, many questions have been raised about her relationship with the drug lord and why she endangered her life to be with him despite his notorious acts. The death ...

Princess Love Bio  Ethnicity, Real Name & Parents For many people, Princess Love is simply Ray Js wife but there is so much more to this feisty lady than meets the eye. She is a star in her own right and has many feathers on her cap. Princess Love is a reality TV star, a model, video vixen, and fashion designer. She and her ...

Who is Papa Franku Also Known As Filthy Frank or Joji, Where is He Now? The social media as we all know today has given people the opportunity to be creative and innovative and at the same time, make something of themselves. YouTube is one of the known social platforms we have today that makes it possible for people to express their God-given talents and post videos they created to ...

Who Is Molly Qerim, How Did She Become a Famous Sports Anchor and Who Is Her Husband? Molly Qerim is an American sports anchor popularly known for moderating First Take, a highly rated sports talk show, on ESPN. Prior to joining ESPN, Qerim hosted Fantasy Live and NFL AM on NFL Network. It is quite obvious that the widely acclaimed television personality is in a class of her own when it comes ...

Safiya Nygaard  Height, Parents & Net Worth Safiya Nygaard is an American YouTuber, writer, content producer, and director who is popular for posting makeup, beauty and fashion videos on YouTube. Her videos regularly top at least one million views, thanks to her lively character as well as her willingness to experiment with outrageous outfits and different beauty products. Here are the things to ...

The Rigors of Sunlen Serfatys Career Journey Until CNN and Fun Facts About Her Personal Life CNN correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty is an Emmy Award-winning journalist known for covering a broad range of breaking news stories, national news, and Washington politics. She has been able to garner widespread recognition for herself which even goes beyond the sphere of her work. Her profile also increased with the extensive work she did in covering ...

Demystifying Jazz Jennings Real Name, Boyfriend & Family Of One The Youngest Transgenders Jazz Jennings is an unusual personality who became famous as a transgender activist and was recorded as the youngest documented public figure to be seen as transgender. She is also a YouTube personality and spokesmodel for brands, her fans, and other transgenders. She fought for acceptance in her high school with her super supportive family for over ...

Inside Fred Armisens Life  Ethnicity, Romantic Relationships and Gay Rumors Fred Armisen is an award-winning American comedian, he is also a writer, an actor as well as a musician. He was a cast member of the legendary comedy show, Saturday Night Live for 13 years and also one of the brains behind the successful satirical show Portlandia. Find out more about this incredibly talented guy ...

Ed and Lorraine Warren Biography: Cases, Kids, and Family Life Have you ever woken up with fear you could not explain, or felt a strange presence that made the hair at your nape rise or even experienced strange occurrences around you? Well, these were some of the promptings that made the well-known paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren delve into trying to explain the ideas ...

Truth About Tony Romos Wife, Kids and Life Since His NFL Retirement Tony Romo grew from the field as a quarterback to the screens as an American Football Analyst. He was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the richest football league in the world (NFL) before retiring. As a junior, he was honored as an All-Ohio Conference Member, an Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and ...

Who is Brittany Venti, The Controversial Game Streamer and YouTuber? In recent times, many people live stream themselves playing video games. This has become a popular pastime on the internet and many highly skilled gamers have become internet celebrities through this means. However, some of them rather than becoming renowned for their gaming skills and great commentary, have become controversial and infamous. A good example ...

Rob Dyrdeks Family: His Kids And Relationship With Wife Bryiana Noelle Flores A multi-talented star and an elite pro skateboarder, Rob Dyrdeks success story began at a remarkably young age. Yet another proof that schooling doesnt always correlate with success, Rob has established himself not just as a phenomenal sportsman but also as a successful entrepreneur. Besides perfecting his skill as a natural talent on the board, ...

xChocobars  Biography and Everything You Should Know About Her Having distinguished herself and recorded massive successes in an industry notably dominated by men, it is very safe to say that Xchocobars deserves all the attention and cash she makes from her career. A household name on Twitch (a smart live streaming video platform), the online-gamer is popularly known for streaming classic games such as Stardew ...

Everything To Know About Mary Padian, Her Boyfriend and Net Worth Mary Padian is a famous American television reality personality best known for her involvements on the Reality show Storage Wars. She also has her own shop called Mary finds where she displays her antique collections. Since her childhood, Padian has been a creative learner. At the time, she used to create new items out of reusable ones and ...

Betsy Woodruffs Family Life: Is She Married or Related To Bob Woodruff? An old name in the world of journalism, Betsy Woodruff has warmed her way into the hearts of many with her impressive talents. Through hard work, Woodruff has carved a niche for herself in a very competitive field. Betsy has strong family and work values and is also an advocate for equal opportunities for everyone ...

Matpat (Matthew Patrick)  Wife, Height & Net Worth As far as internet business is concerned, Matpat remains one of the most dynamic and seasoned figures. He boasts a wealth of experience that has helped him in growing his business from one level of greatness to another. Like most successful people, MatPat started out small but today, he makes millions of dollars from his ...

Facts About Ricegum  His Girlfriend, Real Name & Net Worth Ricegum is an online gamer and YouTube sensation who ditched college; took advantage of the digital era, and made a name for himself on the internet. Though he began as a gaming YouTuber, Ricegum soon gained recognition as a controversial internet star following his many diss tracks. Here is everything you need to know about the youngster ...

Joy Taylor Once Married MLBs Richard Giannotti  Inside Look At Her Love Life and Family The erosion of the sexist idea that women have no business in sports broadcasting created a host of women celebrities who attained fame outside of modeling and acting. One of them, Joy Taylor, a radio personality and TV host for Fox Sports 1, has been in the industry since 2009, becoming one of the most ...

What To Know About Conan OBriens Wife, Kids & Family Today The name Conan OBrien is one that jumps right at you almost immediately you start talking about the most popular television hosts in the USA and this is no surprise because the man behind that name has risen to become one of the most admired men in the business. Known for hosting the late-night talk ...

David Letterman  Net Worth, Wife & Son In all of American, one man whose face has been seen frequently by late night TV talk show lovers is none but David Letterman. The comedian and TV show veteran has been hosting late night talk shows for more than three decades. His Late Night with David Letterman show began on February 1st, 1982 aired ...

Demystifying Sssniperwolfs Family Background And The Boyfriends Shes Had Since she launched her eponymously named channel in 2013, Sssniperwolf has been on the rise when it comes to video game influencers. She is one of the biggest names in the online gaming subgenre of YouTube videos. Real name Lia Shelesh, she started with Call of Duty: Black Ops II but has diversified with other ...

Lester Holt  Wife, Family & Net Worth Lester Holt is a multiple award-winning journalist, newscaster, reporter, and actor who has worked for notable media houses like WCBS TV, CBS, MSNBC and among others. His remarkable feat in journalism has endeared him to the hearts of many and earned him some awards and recognitions. Read on to get acquainted with his biography, ethnicity, ...

What Is Louis C.K. Doing Now, Where Are His Family And How Much Is His Net Worth? It is not easy to make it in comedy. It takes more than a funny bone and the ability to elicit a few giggles from a listening audience. For all the complexities that go into making a successful career in comedy, Louis C.K, the Washington D.C-born comedian, did it. For years, he was at the ...

The Progression of Hoda Kotbs Career, Her Ancestry and Family Life Hoda Kotb gained fame as a television host and news anchor for NBC. She anchors the shows signature show Today, and it has been an excellent vehicle for her skills in front of a camera. Kotb has won several awards, including Daytime Emmys and Peabody Awards. Simply put, she is one of the most successful ...

Jerry Seinfelds Family: All About The Amazing Comedians Wife and Kids Apparently one of the highly important entertainers in America, Jerry Seinfeld is a man of many talents. A very funny man, he is considered to be one of the most successful comedians in the USA who has been in the business as a professional rib-cracker for more than 40 years. As an actor, he has ...

The Rigors Of Sarah Silvermans Rise To Prominence And Rundown Of The Men She Has Dated A comedian, writer, and actress, Sarah Silvermans art and craft is as unique as you would ever find. Her poignant use of comedy to discuss social issues such as race, sexism, politics, and religion has gained her an impressive following. As unorthodox as her style is, so is her life experiences. She previously suffered from epiglottitis ...

Who Is Hannibal Buress, Does He Have A Wife or Girlfriend & Why Was He Arrested? Making people laugh when they are tense or not in the mood is a tough order and to ply the trade, it must indeed take some guts and expertise, this is what the humor maker, Hannibal Buress has been able to achieve and sustain after his inital teething process. The African-American is a screen writer, stand-up ...

The Success of John Mulaneys Career Efforts Since His Work On Saturday Night Live and Facts About His Wife John Mulaney had been working as a professional comedian for years before Saturday Night Live changed his status for life and like many who are now his fans, you probably did not know of him then. However, that changed when he joined the sketch comedy show in 2008. Since then, he has been one of ...

Jeff Dunham  Wife, Children and Net Worth Ventriloquism is a very subtle method of making an inanimate object (like a puppet, doll or dummy) appear to be saying words which are actually coming from the person (holding the inanimate object). In effect, the individual throws his/her voice to the puppet and can even appear to be having a conversation with it. Not ...

Ellen DeGeneres  Net Worth, Wife  Portia de Rossi & Parents Ellen DeGeneres is an American female standup comedian who has proven that whatever a man can do, a woman can also do. Since her journey as a standup comedian started in 1981, she has held swirl as one of the finest comedians America and the world at large has seen. She is often referred to ...

Revisiting Joan Rivers Death  The Daughter, Husband & Net Worth She Left Behind Joan Rivers was a renowned American comedian, TV host, writer, and actress. Her brand of comedy consisted of scathing one-liners and no individual or topic is spared. She hosted her own talk shows in the 80s and 90s and was a pioneer for women in stand up comedy. She was the first woman to host a late night ...

The Struggles of Margaret Chos Childhood, How It Influenced Her Career Growth and Love Life Margaret Cho is best described as a comic star who knows how to maneuver everything related to life into a rib-cracking joke. She is also known to criticize every social and political problem, especially those involving race and sexuality. Apart from her talents as a comic actress, she does amazingly well as a singer and ...

Where Is Eric Bolling Today? Who Is His Son & What Is His Net Worth? Eric Bolling who was once a notable figure on Fox News, is an American TV personality, an author, and versatile Journalist. As a political and financial analyst/commentator, he anchored discussions bothering on finance for Fox Business Channel. Here is everything there is to know about his career, family, and allegations that led to his exit ...

Who Is Chelsea Handler and Does She Have A Husband or Boyfriend? Chelsea Handler is one of Americas top female comedians. She is also an actress, writer, television host, producer, and activist. She is known to be very outspoken even with things that are very personal. In separate interviews with The New York Times, Handler revealed that she had an abortion twice when she was 16. She has authored five books ...

How Did Laura Lee Achieve Fame, How Much is She Worth and Who is Her Husband? Laura Lee is a popular American YouTuber, make-up artist and beauty blogger. From posting videos of her makeup routines on Instagram, Lee has transformed into a beauty influencer and a YouTube sensation. Today, her YouTube Channel has over 630 million views and 4.5 million subscribers. Asides having millions of followers across all social media platforms, ...

Madison Gesiotto Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Measurements Madison Gesiotto is no ordinary woman; although she excelled in quite a number of pageants and competitions while she was in school, it is her views on politics and issues in America that has made her name known to most people. She possesses beauty and intelligence in a seemingly equal measure and has been able ...

Who Is Lil Tay? Parents, Brother, Sister, Age, Net Worth, Ethnicity Child stardom is nothing new in the entertainment world. With the advent of social media, we have seen more stars made from the internet than ever before, and Lil Tay is one of them. Her uploaded rap videos trademark is cursing, swearing, cash-throwing, and use of obscene languages. Her fame went wild after she dropped ...

What To Know About Tig Notaros Wife, Kids and Family Today Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comic star, writer, actress, and radio analyst. Since she started her career in 2001, she has become one of Americas best comedians, particularly when it comes to observational comedy. One prominent aspect of her routine involves her family, which includes a wife and two children. Interestingly, Tig Notaro is part ...

Who Is Chantel Jeffries? What To Know About Her Age, Ethnicity & Net Worth Chantel Jeffries is a lady of many talents. Beyond being celebrated as a DJ, she has fared well as a model, an actress, musician, and as an artist. She first rose to fame on Instagram where she has a large following. However, in recent times, she has hit the spotlight for her rumored relationships with some ...

Is Ellen DeGeneres Married, Who Is The Brother  Vance DeGeneres and Family Members? Ellen DeGeneres is one of a kind celebrity in todays world as she has used her wealth for the greater good for many people. She has served a host of famous awards shows like the Grammy, Primetime Emmy and Academy Awards. Moreso, she is probably one of the most decorated entertainment personalities around the world and ...

Carli Bybel Bio  Height, Boyfriend & Net Worth Video blogging is now on the rise and YouTube is the place where most of it happens. If you are a lady who cares about her looks or a guy who likes to help his woman out with her looks, then one person whose name rings a bell when it comes to giving beauty tips ...

Who Is Lexy Panterra? What To Know About Her Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth Lexy Panterra is one of the YouTube personalities whose breakout came through the Twerk dance videos she posted on her social media handles and YouTube which has so far generated over 13 million views for her. From there on, she created her LexTwerkOut workout program in 2014. She is sure very talented as she as moved ...

Who Is AnneMunition? What Is Her Ethnicity & Does She Have A Girlfriend or Boyfriend? AnneMunition is a professional gamer and content creator of American origin. She is one of the most sought-after streamers on Twitch  a popular online platform for watching and streaming videos, especially video games. AnneMunition has almost half a million followers on Twitch and her channel has accumulated at least 13 million views. Her favorite games ...

Norm MacDonald  Former Wife, Son & Net Worth Recently, 59-year-old former Saturday Night Live stand-up comic Norm MacDonald caused a not-so-funny stir when he expressed his personal opinion about the #MeToo movement speaking in defense of Louis CK and Roseanne Barr. Following the backlash of his actions, he is diligently doing damage control for his questionable opinion by posting a public apology on ...

Inside Iliza Shlesingers Life With Husband and How Much She is Worth Now Witty, spontaneous, and truly humorous, Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian who is clearly proving that the stereotypical claim that women are not really funny is not only incredibly wrong but completely outrageous. Having been in the game for more than 10 years, Shlesinger has grown bigger with each step, stunning fans with her incredible ...

Who Is Nessa Diab? Details of her Parents, Ethnicity & Relationship With Colin Kaepernick Nessa Diab has gained more fame as the girlfriend of different footballers than in her career. She is currently with the popular National Football League (NFL) player, Colin Kaepernick, and has stood by his side during his most trying times. Also known for her mononym, Nessa, she recently engaged in a tweet battle with the ...

Samantha Bee  Inside the Life of Full Frontal Comedian and Presenter We have over the decades seen various brands of humor and personalities who have walked the ropes. One of the formidable forces in the world of comedy is no other than the iconic Samantha Bee of the Daily Show who now runs her own television show on TBS channel. She is a Canadian-American political commentator, ...

What Happened To Jessica Williamss Boyfriend And Which Are Her Best Works? Jessica Williams is a woman who has a lot of feathers in her cap  and keeps acquiring more. The former senior political correspondent of the comic Daily Show, who is also a comedian and actress whose recent movie appearance include starring as a playwright just recovering from a recent split with her boyfriend, Damon, and ...

Who is Nicole Byer? Here are 5 Facts You Need To Know About The Comedian Nicole Byer, an American comedian, actress, and writer, made a name for herself after she played supporting roles on MTVs prank show Ladylike and the reality show Girl Code. The latter was a series that featured comedians who analyzed in minute details, all the issues that young women deal with daily, from period to dating, to weird friendship dynamics and questions about sex. Currently, ...

A Closer Look At Bart Kwans Ethnicity, Height & Personal Life Bart Kwan is one of few Asians who is known for being successful in the comic industry at an international level. His fame broke out after the YouTube channel which he created with his close pal Joe Jo garnered up massive followings. The talented duo has been running the channel since 2007 and their success ...

Heres How VanossGaming Achieved Fame Online, His Worth and Other Facts About The Gamer For many years, the decision to drop out of college to pursue an online career was considered to be foolish and self-destructive by conventional wisdom. It was no different when Evan Fong, popularly known as VanossGaming, dropped out of college to pursue a YouTube career. However, that radical move paid off, and he stands shoulder to ...

Desi Perkins  Ethnicity, Net Worth & Husband YouTube is littered with videos of makeup tutorials by different people but if you are interested in learning how to do your makeup like a pro, there is just one person on that platform who you must follow. She is none other than Desi Perkins! She is a popular make-up artist, Instagram star, and vlogger. Desi, ...

The Phases of Casey Neistats Pursuits and His Love Story With Candice Pool YouTuber, vlogger, filmmaker, and creator extraordinaire; these are just a few hats that Casey Neistat wears and the story of how he got here is incredible. A native of Connecticut, Neistat started out by making refreshingly-authentic short films and videos that featured content that was based on everyday life and called attention to serious issues. He ...

Connor Franta  Inside The Life of American YouTuber YouTube has produced a lot of young celebrities in modern times and Connor Franta happens to be one of them. Apart from being a YouTuber, the young American is also an entrepreneur, entertainer, and writer. His journey to fame began almost a decade ago when he started a self-named YouTube channel where he uploads content ranging ...

Rhett and Link  Bio, Who are Their Wives, Net Worth and Family Facts Rhett and Link refer to an American comedy duo who are very popular on YouTube. They are known for their comic songs, viral commercials, skits and the daily show, Good Mythical Morning. Good Mythical Morning is the most watched daily show online, averaging 100 million views in a month. The show has featured guests such ...

A Walk Through The Maze of Ryan Higas Career Pursuits And Relationship With Arden Cho Ryan Higa is not only celebrated as a YouTube star, but he is also famed for appearing on television screens as an actor and comedian. Nigahiga, his Youtube channel, has gathered over 20 million subscribers and billions of views with his different comic acts, short films, and music videos uploads. With the rise in his career, ...

What to Know About The Shows That Made Craig Ferguson a Star and His Family Ties Rising to the top of your profession can sometimes be a hard and difficult process. It requires days and nights of working consistently hard to be better than what you were yesterday. It requires not giving up when all of your experiences seem to be pushing you to quit. It is because of these challenges ...

David Dobrik Married Liza Koshy for One Month  Inside His Family and Relationships David Dobrik is a YouTube sensation who has garnered fame not just for his vlogs but his love life too. Given his career as a YouTuber, his channel is one place where he shares his romantic escapades. With a cute boyish look like his, this Slovakian young man is definitely a good catch, and not ...

Merrell Twins Bio  Ethnicity, Parents & Boyfriend One of the beautiful things about modern life is social media. As rudimentary as it might seem, it could turn out to be the greatest thing that would be invented in the next 50 years because of its impact on human life. Very few tools have revolutionized human behavior and culture as much as social ...

Who Is Bunny Meyer, Is She Married & What Is Her Net Worth? Bunny Meyer is a YouTube celebrity who has amassed over 8.8 million subscribers with 1.5 million viewers on her channel. She is popularly known as Grav3yardgirl and is one of the highest-paid YouTubers in the world. She initially started out as a fashion designer and later chose the path of a YouTuber. Grav3yardgirl has used her knowledge on fashion, makeup, ...

Ninja  Inside The Life of The American YouTuber and Internet Personality Ninja is a talented video game player known for his mastery of Fortnite and other seemingly difficult games he plays with ease. The video gamer made a career out of what is ordinarily the hobby of many people and has since then amassed a huge online following. Find out about him here, including the controversies that ...

What Is Eva Gutowskis True Sexuality and How Did She Rise So Fast As an Influencer? Ever since Eva Gutowski joined YouTube in 2011, it has been an interesting journey for her, moving from one milestone to the other. Backed by an army of young women and teenage girl fans known as Evanators, she has risen to become one of the most-talked-about personalities in the digital stratosphere. She has also leveraged ...

Emma Chamberlain Biography  Age, Height & Net Worth Before now, people in the entertainment industry could only achieve popularity after many years of dedication and hard work but since social media came into the scene, massive success and overnight popularity became possible. That is the story of Emma Chamberlain who encountered fame as a fifteen-year-old. Emma is one of the many young people who became ...

Anna Akana  Ethnicity, Boyfriend & Net Worth There is a new crop of YouTubers known by their different contents with a very strong uniqueness that stands every one of them out, some upload video games, some fashion while some others have comedy video contents to showcase on their channels. Anna Akana has used her platform to showcase her comedy contents to the ...

Revealing Truths About Lilly Singhs Ethnic Background, Family and Her Relationship With Yousef Erakat Lilly Singh is an Indian-Canadian YouTube personality, actress, and comedian also known as Superwoman. She kicked off her YouTube career in 2010 with the launch of her channel IISuperwomanII and followed it up with a vlog channel in 2011. This paved the way for her fame and success which led to a world tour. The ...

Who Is Andrea Constand, Is She Married and What Is Her Connection With Bill Cosby? Many people got sexually molested but could not voice out due to the stigma victims suffer and what will become of them thereafter. Very few of the victims danm every consequence to seek justice and bring the perpetrator to the book, like Andrea Constand. She never got any media buzz, not until her friend cum molester; ...

Who Is Lazarbeam (Lannan Eacott)? Here Are Facts You Need To Know Lannan Eacott became a person of interest after his YouTube channel, LazarBeam pulled him to the limelight. Initially, he started with uploads of Madden Challenge videos before deciding to build his own channel in January 2015. Within the space of three years, his YouTube channel had gathered over 7 million loyal subscribers. Today, he has not ...

Puzzling Facts About Wengies YouTube Success and More About Her Fiance Among the many YouTubers who have succeeded in winning the hearts of millions of people is Wengie. She is a Chinese-Australian YouTube personality, vlogger, singer, and voice actress. Wengie is famous for a lot of things, from her simple life hacks, DIYs, craft ideas to fun experiments, tricks and pranks. Her content portfolio also includes hair tutorials, diet & fitness tips, lookbooks, ...

Is Jeffree Star A Billionaire and How Much Does He Make On YouTube? If looks can be deceptive then theres no other person who proves this maxim better than Jeffree Star. A quick look at Stars pictures would likely leave you wondering whether or not to tag him a male or female. But who says being controversial has to be a curse? For Star, his looks have caught ...

The Place of Rosanna Pansinos Career Hats In Her Rise To Fame and Facts About Her Personal Life There are a few phrases that could summarize Rosanna Pansinos rise to fame. None of them can do it better than the famous axiom, no knowledge is lost. Her popularity YouTube comes out of her foray into other professions, specifically acting. Although acting now occupies one of the major professional hats in Rosannas resume, it was ...

Muselk (Elliott Watkins) Biography  Age, Girlfriend and Net Worth The new and best in-thing in terms of career is video gaming and we have over time seen young men and women make massive income from an activity that was purportedly designed to serve as a hobby or a relaxation activity. One of such individuals is the Australian-born YouTube Celebrity and Twitch streamer, Muselk, whose ...

PopularMMOs Biography: 5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know We have over the years seen social media millionaires, especially on the YouTube social platform. These celebrities cum millionaires have made names for themselves after carving out niches on the internet, and a typical example of one of such exciting media personality on the YouTube is American Minecraft gamer and YouTube star, PopularMMOs whose channel ...

Jason Nash Once Married Marney Hochman  What To Know About His Ex-Wife and Kids The now-defunct video-sharing app Vine was the path that led Jason Nash to fame. With it, he built an audience of over two million followers, which he parlayed into a significant YouTube career. That move has seen him become one of the most popular personalities on the internet, with the cash income to go with ...

Where Does Dantdm Live? What Do We Know About His Net Worth, Wife and Brother? Most parents buy video games for their kids to occupy their time leisure, while other parents frown at their kids when they play video games. Despite the disparity, every parent would be proud of their child if he/she eventually turns a celebrity or millionaire through playing video games like Dantdm. Biography of Dantdm Dantdm was born Daniel ...

LaurDIY  Biography: 5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTuber LaurDIY is the YouTube channel of Lauren Riihimaki which she created on December 1, 2011, when she was still a college undergrad with the sole aim of giving Do It Yourself (DIY) as well as practical fashion and beauty tips to her followers. She has used the channel to establish herself as a YouTube personality ...

Lachlan Ross Power  Bio And Family Life Of Australian The YouTube Star It is amazing the varied sources of income that the internet has made possible in this day and age. Internet fame can get its holder a whole lot of monetary and social benefits, but it must be noted that it does not come easy or cheap. For those who desire fame, content is the sacrifice ...

Alfie Deyes  Bio and Net Worth: Everything You Need To Know Alfie Deyes is one internet personality you definitely would like to know about. He boasts of over 10 million subscribers on three of his YouTube channels and has three bestseller books to his name. He is probably the most renowned young personality on YouTube today and his vlogging empire continues to grow by the day. ...

Colleen Ballingers Love Story With Husband Erik Stocklin and How Much She Is Worth Now Colleen Ballinger is an American comedian and YouTuber who is a very funny, adventurous, and highly talented woman. She is also an actress, singer, and writer. Collen is widely known for her work on YouTube where she posts content on her channel, Miranda Sings. The comedian has gained many subscribers over the years and has ...

Who Are The Dude Perfect Members and How Much Are They Worth? Entertainment in the 21st century can be digested in many forms and with platforms like YouTube, the creators and purveyors of entertainment have been democratized. Today, one of the most popular platforms to exhibit ones creative talents is YouTube, even though there are other platforms like Twitter, Facebook, who suffer in comparison to YouTube because ...

Who Is Rudy Mancuso, What Is His Earning Power and What Do We Know About His Girlfriend? Rudy Mancuso started his internet journey on Vine. He would later transition to YouTube where he solidified his place among the internets most beloved comedic creators. He is now regarded as one of the renowned internet personalities in the world, with a presence in mainstream TV and film projects like Comedy Centrals Drunk History and ...

Vsauce (Michael Stevens) Biography and Net Worth: All You Need To Know The advent of YouTube and the internet as a whole revolutionized how human beings consume information. With each passing year, the percentage of learning that is done in a traditional classroom decrease as a seismic shift to internet-based learning happens in our education industry. From open courses online to YouTube classes and videos, there are ...

How did Jake Paul Make His YouTube Big Break and Who is His Wife? One of the most interesting Social Media personalities of the 21st century is the young and popular Jake Paul whose elder brother is the famed Vine star, Logan Paul. Jake has utilized the power of the internet to bring himself to the limelight with a channel named JakePaulProductions that has amassed up to six billion ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About Reaction Time (Tal Fishman)  The American YouTuber Before 2015, the leading meaning of reaction time was the amount of time it takes to respond to a stimulus, until Tal Fishman started his channel, Reaction Time on YouTube and the dominant meaning changed. Today, a google search of Reaction Time would deliver Tal Fishmans videos and YouTube channel link with a few physics ...

Grace Helbig  Net Worth, Boyfriend and Family Life of The YouTuber Grace Helbig is an American internet personality, comedian, actress, and writer. She became popular due to her daily vlog series, DailyGrace, which ran on My Damn Channel from 2008 to 2013. Helbig is also popular for her own indie series on YouTube, ItsGrace, which she launched in 2014. Her vlogs which feature random stuff such as ...

Mark Wiens Bio  Ethnicity, Wife and Parents Food is a great way to connect with people. We all love to eat, if not for the pleasure of food, the satisfaction of quenching hunger, and the very process of providing and sharing that food is part of the strongest bonds that bind humanity together. Maybe it is our historical connection to food, where ...

Is Filthy Frank Dead, What Happened To Him and How Much Is He Worth? As George Kusunoki Miller, he was a nobody. However, as Filthy Frank, George was one of the most famous internet personalities on the planet. The Filthy Frank Show, a sketch series on his YouTube channel, TVFilthyFrank, was one of the platforms most influential creations. He is the reason a crazy dance song, Harlem Shake, made it ...

CaptainSparklez Bio  Net Worth, House and Cars of The Famous YouTuber Sometimes, what society wants from its citizens is quite different from what the citizens want for themselves. This is evident in the life and career of video blogger and American YouTube personality, Jordan Maron famous for his YouTube channel CaptainSparklez. He dropped out of school after discovering his talent in playing an online game called Minecraft. ...

Who is Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg)? Here are Facts You Must Know Canadian Youtube personality, Simply Nailogical (Cristine Rotenberg) originally started out polishing and designing nails even before it became a trendy culture in the social media. Simply Nailogica started out her showbiz career in her early days as a child actress, acting in commercials for game and toy companies. Aside from acting, she is blogger, vlogger, specializing ...

5 Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Huda Beauty In the world of entrepreneurship, it is interesting when an individual has a mentor who he/she looks up to, this yield more productivity on the part of the individual. The iconic and rich American beautician and makeup artist Huda Kattan nicknamed Heida is the founder of the Huda Beauty blog which is number one Instagram beauty blog ...

Is Dino MasterChef Gay? Details About His Ethnicity, Girlfriend, Where He Is Now Food, for the better part of the early years of human life, was nothing more than what we needed for survival. There was no artistry or curation to the method of cooking. The scarcity of food left no room for artistic expression until we figured out agriculture and we could make as much as we ...

Who Is Gabbie Hanna And How Did She Become Famous? As the world shifts to digital media and depends more and more on streaming services for its news and entertainment content, YouTubers have become one of the leading creators in the new media world. Their understanding of the online audience: how to create, maintain, and increase followers, are all handy skills that have primed them ...

Jacksepticeye  Height, Girlfriend & Net Worth Jacksepticeye is a YouTuber and actor who gained popularity with a series of gaming videos he uploads on his channel to the delight of millions of his subscribers. He is Known primarily for his comic video game series titled Lets Play and his vlogs. His channel was formerly ranked 46th in the list of most subscribed ...

Chris Heria Personal Details: About His Wife, Height & Ethnicity Background In this generation, keeping fit has become one of the major criteria for being hale and hearty. In fact, most occupations these days are majorly concerned with ones body mass, weight and looks. Unlike the past where most people have to register in a gym to keep fit, social media has made it quite easy ...

Everything You Need To Know About Game Grumps Gaming is becoming incredibly popular on YouTube these days with game vloggers make millions of dollars out of them yearly. One of the most popular up-coming gaming YouTube channels is Game Grumps. The Lets Play series was created in 2012 and celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 18th, 2017. In six years of its existence, the ...

Daithi De Nogla Biography, Girlfriend and Net Worth YouTube has created an avenue for many to make wealth and become famous from the comfort of their homes while having fun. Many have built a career out of the platform, uploading numerous videos that have earned them the admiration of viewers across the globe. For Daithi De Nogla, he is loved for his humorous commentary on ...

Does Phoebe Robinson Have A Boyfriend or Husband and What Do We Know About Her Family? Phoebe Robinson is a New York-based comedian, writer, and actress. She is best known as the co-creator and co-host of the WNYC Studios podcast 2 Dope Queens. Just like some other female comedians, she never had any original plans of becoming a stand-up comedian even though, according to her, she took a class on a whim at Carolines on Broadway. After ...

Who Are Lex and Alana from Listed Sisters? What Is Their Ethnicity & Is the Show Cancelled? America is a country built on diversity. Everywhere you look all over the country, a countless number of immigrants or children of immigrants have become an integral part of the fabric of the country. From entertainment to business, immigrants are creating a niche for themselves and climbing to the summit of their respective professions. One ...

Riveting Facts About Danielle Lombard And What She Is Best Known For The American entertainment industry is one that provides many avenues for aspiring hopefuls to express their talents and become famous. From films to television shows and game shows, there is no shortage of ways for men and women who desire fame to pursue and earn it in the United States of America. Another tested medium ...

Unearthing New Details About The YouTube Success And Personal Life of Alex Burriss of Wassabi Productions Wildly hilarious and truly audacious, Alex Wassabi is an American YouTuber who has become a very popular face on the video-sharing platform after having garnered millions of subscribers over the years by keeping people glued to his channel with his witty parody video releases. If you have always loved parody videos, there is every chance ...

Everything You Need To Know About H2O Delirious H2O Delirious whose full birth name is reported to be Jonathan Gormon Dennis has successfully kept himself mystified by hiding his face behind the masks leaving his loyal fans speculating who he really is for many years. The American YouTube star is easily identified by the Jason Mask Style with make-up which he wears on his ...

Who Is HolaSoyGerman and What Happened To Him? German Garmendia has certainly seen it all when it comes to internet success. His channels, HolaSoyGerman and JuegaGerman are in the top twenty most subscribed channel on YouTube. The Chilean YouTuber found a way to tap into one of the worlds greatest inventions and make a living from it. He has been able to build ...

Who Are Glenn Becks Family, What Is His Net Worth And What Happened To Him? The American political commentary space is filled with different personalities. A few of them, through their rhetoric, charisma, and resources have been able to build a large following of men and women who listen to them for insight and direction for various political and social issues in the United States. For Conservatives, the story is ...

Following Charissa Thompsons Rise Through The Ranks Of Sports Casting and All About Her Boyfriend Superstar TV host and sportscaster, Charissa Thompson, has been hailed as one of the highest-profile women journalists in America, and the reason is there for all to see. She has worked for popular establishments such as Versus, Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, GSN, and Big Ten Network. She currently hosts the popular pre-game show, Fox NFL Kickoff, ...

Is Chris Kattan Gay or Does He Have A Wife? What Is His Net Worth? Chris Kattan is a popular American comedian and actor. He has appeared in several comic movies and TV series such as The Middle, A Night at the Roxbury and Bunnicula. Kattan is, however, most popular for his six-year stint as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. During his time on the legendary show, he ...

Everything You Should Know About the Rise of Insta Star Claire Abbott and Why She Gave It All Up A lot of young Americans have shot into the limelight for uploading different kinds of videos on YouTube. Some of these young stars include Connor Franta, Desi Perkins, Emma Chamberlain, the Dolan Twins (Ethan and Grayson), and Claire Abbott. The latter became a social media celebrity for uploading sexy bikini pictures of herself on social media. Apart from ...

5 Facts You Need To Know About The YouTube Channel  h3h3Productions H3h3Productions is a YouTube channel that specializes on Comic responses or reactions of other contents or trendy stories. The celebrity couple that created the channel has over time racked up sizable views for their commentaries and contents. Even though they had their own fair share of copyright cases, thankfully they scored an unprecedented victory in all ...

Lilypichu Bio  Height, Brother and Love Story With Albert SleightlyMusical Chang Like most popular internet celebrities, Lilypichu is one of those Twitch streamers who spend their lives on camera. From daydreaming about the possibility of becoming a full-time professional streamer, she grew to live out her dreams on the popular live streaming platform where people play games, make crafts, and showcase their day-to-day activities. Given the rise of ...

KSI  What To Know About His Girlfriend, Brother  Deji Olatunji & Net Worth Assuredly, when Internet inventors Vint Cerf and Bob Khan created the technological masterpiece, they probably did not know how massive the creation will be harnessed by many for different purposes including as a platform for earning money through content creation. One of such person who smiles to the bank regularly today for spending time creating ...

The Interesting Progression and Highlights of Carrie Keagans Career as a Host and Actress Carrie Keagan has garnered huge fame through her various stints on television. She is not just your regular TV host but one with a difference. Keagan has hosted several high profile events and TV shows, including VH1s Big Morning Buzz Live and Fox News Channels Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. However, not many know she ...

The Gist On Elise Jordans Marriages And Her Rise To Prominence Political commentaries tend to be boring when it is handled by someone who does not have a knack for it. However, when you see the likes of Elise Jordan run the same commentary, you will have a lot of reasons to look forward to watching her again as the journalist is well-versed in the field ...

What Is Timmy Thick Best Known For and How Successful Is The Star? Thanks to the internet, many people whose talents would have ordinarily gone unnoticed have become famous. A very good example of this modern-day internet celebrity is Timmy Thick, an American social media star. He became popular on Instagram due to his penchant for posting raunchy pictures of himself. He also often posted videos of himself ...

What Does Heather Storm Do For a Living and Who Is She Dating? Reality Television is a great way to make a name for oneself as well as amass a fortune. Heather Storm can attest to this as she is one of those who have made a name and earned a lot from reality TV. She made her name appearing on shows like Car Fanatics, Awesome Autos, and, ...

Matt Carriker Biography  Net Worth, Wife & Height Unlike your regular veterinary doctor next door, Matt Carriker chose to spice up his noble profession with the unusual. Though he is known to many as a medical practitioner, Carriker is better renowned as a YouTube star and an animal lover. Having recorded huge successes on his various YouTube channels, the vet doctors name and ...

Jillian Mele of Fox News Career Achievements, Husband & Measurements There are quite a good number of presenters on radio and television who listeners and viewers may never wish to miss any of their shows because of their sensational golden voice, beauty or the special way or artistry they anchor their shows. Jillian Mele is one of such. She has been at the top of ...

Who is Gillian Turner of Fox News? Her Fiance or Husband and Net Worth Gillian Turner is well-known as a news correspondent for Fox News Channel but before she became a TV personality, she built an intimidating resume working for different institutions, including the American government. She served in different capacities at the White House National Security Council during the administration of former US Presidents  George W. Bush and Barack Obama. ...

Gloria Govan Bio  Age, Ethnicity & Height Even as Gloria Govan is famous as an American actress, author, a TV host, and reality television star, shes more popular as the wife of the former NBA player, Matt Barnes. She became known after appearing on the Florida version of the reality television series, Basketball Wives and later, Basketball Wives: LA  after Matt was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Sadly, ...

Michael Fishmans Interesting Start as an Actor and Why He Divorced His Wife of Many Years When one door closes, another one opens. As silly as that axiom may seem, it is the story of the resurgence of Michael Fishman, who plays D.J Conner on the popular show, Roseanne. Having played the character for several years as a child actor into his teenage years; when the show originally ended, Michael did ...

Who Is October Gonzalez  Tony Gonzalezs Wife? All You Need To Know October Gonzalez is a popular American TV host and media personality. Additionally, she is also a model. Gonzalez has hosted several TV shows such as Beat Shazam, Entertainment Tonight, and Rachel Ray. She has also featured in several reality TV shows. Gonzalezs fame is not just due to her profession but also because of her ...

Who Is Tony Berlin  Harris Faulkners Husband: His Children and Family Facts Tony Berlin is a popular American media guru. He has variously worked as a reporter, anchor, and producer for some of the biggest TV networks in America. They include CNN, CBS, NBC, and ABC (where he hosted the popular Good Morning America). Berlin has now diversified into public relations and owns his own PR firm. ...

The Progression of Gianna Tobonis Journalism Career and Details About Her Marriage to Kyle Buckley Gianna Toboni may not be your ideal newscaster but her unusual reporting is what made her a household name. The American journalist is renowned for her hard-hitting and authentic reportage. A motivator and activist for total press freedom, Gianna loves to explore pervasive cultural issues. Not only does this unique and ambitious journalist call for all ...

Dog The Bounty Hunters Family Including Details of His Late Wife and Kids Popularly known as Dog, a name which he got from the television series, Dog The Bounty Hunter, Duane Chapman, an American bounty hunter, and one-time bail bondsman, went from being convicted for a felony to being a reality TV star. He was brought to the limelight following the capture of the convicted criminal, Andrew Luster in 2003 and this eventually made ...

Vicky Karayiannis, Chris Cornells Wifes Bio, Children and Family The world of showbiz is made up of different people who serve different roles, and function in a variety of capacities, and one of the most important people are those in the background. Publicists are undoubtedly one of these background people yet they are vital to the life and fame of most of our favorite ...

Joe Rogan Has A Step-Daughter and 2 Other Kids With Wife Jessica Ditzel  Meet His Family Joe Rogan is a popular American stand-up comedian and TV host. His journey to stardom began in the late 80s and has seen him host several shows, the most popular is the game show titled Fear Factor. The exciting show dares contestants to face some of their greatest fears and embark on challenging stunts. The ...

Josh Gates and Wife Hallie Gnatovich Have 2 Kids But Who Has the Higher Net Worth? Best known for his explorations and adventures, Josh Gates, is a television presenter with a voracious appetite for seeing the world and the beauties in it. Some of that beauty, however, is in his home, in the form of two children he shares with his wife, Hallie Gnatovich. Not excluded is their marriage which has lasted ...

Holly Sonders Wiki, Plastic Surgery & Why She Divorced Her Husband  Erik Kuselias After trying everything within her capacity to have a low key wedding, Holly Sonders was drawn to the public because of her husbands controversy at his workplace. Well, the two are rumored to be divorced but the article below will give more light on how true these rumors are. Meanwhile, Holly Sonders is yet to ...

Nadeska Alexis Bio  Age, Boyfriend & Net Worth Journalism is one diverse profession that allows the practitioners to choose their area of specialty, build a career on it by reporting the truth and facts which in the long run will distinguish them as deserving commendation and recognition among their peers. Some choose to specialize in political journalism, while to others it is sports ...

Media Platforms Charlamagne Tha God Has Explored and All The Controversies He Has Courted Charlamagne Tha God is an American on-air personality, radio presenter, and more recently, author. He is popularly known as a co-host on New York radios nationally syndicated show, The Breakfast Club, a program he has been hosting alongside DJ Envy and Angela Yee since 2010. However, his early years had no connection to his current career ...

A Look At Jimmy Fallons Net Worth and Family Including His Wife & Kids Sometimes, a childs passion for something is a pointer to what he/she would become in the future. As a child, Jimmy Fallon was literally obsessed with watching the late-night comedy program, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Then, his parents would tape the clean parts for him to watch and later, he and his sister would re-enact sketches from the ...

Kay Adams Biography  Does The Sportscaster Have A Husband or Boyfriend? When you hear the phrase sports enthusiast, women are hardly the first group that comes to mind. Well, thats changing pretty fast. Especially with the rise of female sports analysts and broadcasters like Kay Adams who is famed for knowing more about sports than most men do. And why not, shes paid handsomely for it ...

Ben Shapiros Family  Meet His Wife, Kids and Sister Who is Popular for the Wrong Reasons A multi-talented man, Ben Shapiro is a man of controversial nature, an attribute that has made him an unusual public figure. An intellectual whose career path was clearly defined even before he became a man, the Jewish conservative commentator has always had his way with words. He became popular by sharing his critical and often ...

QVC Shawn Killinger Bio  Husband, Net Worth & Facts To Know Shawn Killinger is a prominent TV personality who has worked her way to the top. Though not initially a journalist by training, she defied the odds and today has established herself as a household name, as well as, worked alongside some industry legends. More than just being a reporter, newscaster, and anchor, heres all you ...

Liv Lo  Dissecting the Ethnicity, Parents and Personal Life of Henry Goldings Wife While many are aware that Liv Lo is the better half to Crazy Rich Asians star Henry Golding, only a few understand why his beautiful wife appears increasingly endearing to fans. A former model turned TV personality, and fitness star, Liv has an impressive resume which when combined with that of her statuesque spouse is considered a perfect ...

Stpeach Age, Husband and Other Facts About The Twitch Streamer Lisa Vannatta, famously known by her online alias, STPeach is a Canadian video game streamer cum vlogger who has garnered fame through her appearances on different video-sharing/social networking platforms such as Youtube, Instagram, Twitch, Reddit, and Twitter. The beautiful lady got her career to a start in August 2015 when she joined the live streaming video platform, Twitch. She rose to ...

Insights into Seth Meyers Wife, Family and What His Net Worth Is Celebrities are mostly remembered and known for the work they do. For Seth Meyers, his career as a comedian, writer, actor, TV host, and producer is his biggest identifier. He was on Saturday Night Live SNL show as a head writer and cast member for more than ten years during which he built a reputation ...

Who Is Jessica Gadsden  Age, Net Worth & All About Charlamagne tha Gods Wife Jessica Gadsden is an American fitness coach as well as a personal trainer. She is better known as the spouse of popular American media personality, Charlamagne Tha God. Charlamange Tha God is a well-known TV and radio personality in the U.S. He has featured in several shows (both on the radio and TV) and is ...

Who Is Collins Tuohy  Michael Ohers sister ? Her Wedding, Husband & Net Worth Collins Tuohy is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, blogger, and social media personality. She is also better known as the adoptive sister of NFL player, Michael Oher, whose life story inspired the Hollywood blockbuster The Blind Side. The Blind Side tells the true life story of Oher who grew up in an impoverished background consisting of a ...

Eye-Popping Facts About The Personal Life And Career Success Of Sportscaster Heidi Watney Heidi Watney is a media personality who has created a niche for herself as a sportscaster. Starting out as a radio presenter, the brilliant young lady has gone on to work for several prominent sports networks, and currently, she is with the MLB. The sportscaster is also known to have been an avid sports lady right ...

Marty Lagina Bio  Siblings (Martina and Rick Lagina), Net Worth and Wife Marty Lagina is an American engineer and businessman who has risen to fame as a reality TV star. This is thanks to his involvement in the adventure TV series, The Curse of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island is a long-running TV series which airs on the history channel. The show aims to solve ...

Is Jordan Schlansky Just A Character or a Real Life Person and What Does He Do? The world of late-night television is an interesting one. Shows during that time are geared towards giving viewers comedic relief from a long day at work through interviews and comedy sketches. The often charismatic host of this show requires the balancing talent of a producer whose primary job is to deliver great episodes. It is ...

Heres How Wealthy Jimmy Kimmel Is From All The Phases of His Career, Marriages and Sons Health Jimmy Kimmel is a renowned late-night talk show host known for his charm, wit, and the A-list guests he features on his show. As the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! On ABC, Jimmy has been serving comedy to television viewers for years which played a pivotal role in launching him into mainstream fame and enabled ...

Natasha Bertrand Biography  Is She Married? Who Is the Husband & What Is Her Age? Natasha Bertrand is not just a young prominent journalist but a first-rate investigative reporter. With her natural beauty and smile, Natashas sharp, insightful political commentary also makes her a thorough reporter. Her sound political perspective and coverage in the country have made her a force to be reckoned with in the profession. Renowned for her ...

What Happened to Shane Kilcher? His Injury Update, Net Worth and More Shane Kilcher is well-known thanks to the Discovery Channel series Alaska: The Last Frontier. It is a show that documents the daily lives of the extended Kilcher family, people who live without plumbing or modern heating. The episodes follow their routines as they rely on hunting and farming for their nutritional needs as well as ...

Is Stephanie Gosk Gay or Lesbian, Who is the Wife or Partner  Jenna Wolfe? In August 2013, NBCs Today viewers were greeted with two shocking news. Today weekend anchor, Jenna Wolfe, announced that she was as a lesbian, introducing her partner as NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, and said the two are expecting their first child. A long time has passed since then and certainly, a lot of things ...

Nikki Mudarris  Bio and Net Worth: 5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know Nikki Mudarris, also known as Miss Nikki Baby, is a reality television star, model and fashionista. Shes best known for VH1s reality TV series Love & Hip-Hop: Hollywood. Her entrepreneurial skills enable her to create and run a successful lingerie line Nude by Nikki. Not only that, but Nikki has also successfully run the Las ...

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Russia is open to an accord to freeze its output of oil, the countrys top-tanking oil official said.

We are cooperating in the framework of consultations regarding the oil market with OPEC countries and producers from outside the organisation, and are determined to continue dialogue to achieve market stability, Russian energy minister Alexander Novak said, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Monday, according to Reuters.

"We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time."

His comments came ahead of the International Energy Forum which was to be celebrated on 26-28 September, in Algeria.

OPEC member countries were expected to hold informal discussions on the possibility of agreeing to an oil output freeze at the venue.

In remarks to the Saudi Press Agency on 14 August, Saudi Arabias Minister of Energy, Khalid Al-Falih said: We are going to have a ministerial meeting of IEF in Algeria next month, and there is an opportunity for OPEC and major exporting non-OPEC ministers to meet and discuss the market situation, including any possible action that may be required to stabilize the market.

"[...] With Iran at or near its short-term capacity [a deal to freeze output] is not out of the question," analysts at SocGen said in a research note sent to clients.

Nevertheless, an agreement would only serve to bolster sentiment, they added, because Russia, Iraq and Iran were "maxed out or close to it" and Saudi output would diminish anyhow following its seasonal peak in Summer.

"So a freeze would not have any impact on actual crude supply."

As of 11:15 BST front month Brent crude oil futures were edging 0.255% higher to $47.09 per barrel.
Aura Energy was seeking to list on Londons junior market, with admission expected in the third quarter of 2016.

The uranium development company was focused on developing projects in Africa and Europe towards production.

In particular, in the near-to-mid term it was devoting its energies towards developing its 49Mlbs Tiris uranium project in Mauritania, with a feasibility study due to be completed by late 2017.

Funds raised from the placing would contribute towards the costs of finalising the feasibility study for Tiris and to fund general working capital, the company said in a statement.

Work was also progressing on its longer-term 803Mlbs Haggan uranium project in Sweden.

Auras directors expected there would be increased demand for uranium and price growth as a result of forecasts for the nuclear energy supply deficit to increase, such as those made in March 2016 by the World Nuclear Association.

Peter Reeve, Executive Chairman of Aura, commented: We believe the market opportunity for the next generation of uranium production projects is evident and the long-term uranium growth fundamentals are highly positive.

There has been little new investment into the uranium sector, yet the worlds energy needs are growing exponentially and we believe the resultant supply deficit in nuclear energy is significant. Aura intends to help balance this potential supply deficit by developing uranium projects for the nuclear energy sector.

Opportunities in gold, lithium and soda ash in Mauritania were also being explored, with the company having already applied for the pertinent licenses.

We believe these assets, coupled with our clear strategy of phased development and low capital costs to allow early cashflow generation, and a management team with extensive resource experience, sets Aura apart from other uranium exploration and development companies on the market, the company said.

Windsor, Victoria-based Aura Energy was already listed on Australias ASX with a market capitalisation of AUD$9.02m as of the close of trading on 15 August.

WH Ireland was to act as its nominated adviser and sole broker.


Bovis Homes posted its results for the six months to 30 June on Monday, with an 18% jump in revenue to 412.8m, from 350.7m a year ago.

The FTSE 250 firms housing gross profit jumped 19% to 100.3m, while its operating profit grew 18% to 63.9m.

Operating profit margins remained stable at 15.5%.

Bovis reported profit before tax of 61.7m - up 15% - while basic earnings per share grew 14% to 36.5p.

Its board declared a dividend of 15p per share - up 9% on last years 13.7p interim dividend - while posting a return of 18.1% on capital employed, up from 15.5%.

Net debt at 30 June was 8m, significantly down from 59m at the same time last year.

We have delivered a record number of homes in the first half of 2016 which has driven strong profit growth, improved returns and a 9% increase in the interim dividend, said Bovis Homes chief executive David Ritchie.

Our forward sales position means we are well placed to continue this strong performance through the remainder of the year.

Ritchie said that while it was too early to judge the impact of the EU referendum and the Bank of England's monetary policy response on the UK housing market, the underlying market fundamentals for UK housing remain positive.

We have been pleased with the resilient level of interest shown by potential home buyers contacting us.

Our robust balance sheet, with debt lower than last year, means that we are well positioned to continue to take advantage of prime land opportunities at potentially higher returns, Ritchie said.

Overall, we remain confident in our strategy to deliver long-term growth in shareholder returns.
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Louisiana Federal Disaster Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families

Published: 2016-08-15 - Updated: 2016-09-24

Author: FEMA | Contact: www.fema.gov

Peer-Reviewed Publication: N/A

Jump to: Main Digest | Publications

Synopsis: Federal disaster aid available to State of Louisiana to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in area affected by severe storms and flooding. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Louisiana to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning August 11, 2016, and continuing.

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Main Digest

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Louisiana to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning August 11, 2016, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to the state and eligible tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of the severe storms and flooding in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Gerard M. Stolar has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Stolar said additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's disaster declaration issued for the State of Louisiana.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)

Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)

Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)

Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Assistance for the State, Tribal, and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance, including Direct Federal Assistance, is available to state and eligible tribal and local governments on a cost-sharing basis (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal, and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for state, tribal, and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.

Disabled World is an independent disability community established in 2004 to provide disability news and information to people with disabilities, seniors, their family and/or carers. See our homepage for informative news, reviews, sports, stories and how-tos. You can also connect with us on Twitter and Facebook or learn more about Disabled World on our about us page.

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Lost water in Donegal is running at 37 per cent according to the most recent figures from Irish Water.

Figures just released to the end of March this year show that almost 2,000 leaks have been identified in homes in Donegal while 203 householders in the county have benefited from Irish Waters First Fix Free scheme.

Irish Water is urging more householders to avail of the free service which was launched in early 2015 across all metering regions in Donegal and throughout the country.

Nationally, water leakage is estimated at 47 per cent, according to figures based on the national metering programme.

To the end of March, 75,974 properties were identified with customer side leaks, 1,955 of which have been found in Donegal.

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.

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 Donegal who are availing of First Fix Free while encouraging greater uptake of the scheme.

Almost 30,000 customers have already contacted Irish Water to avail of a free leak investigation including 465 in Donegal. 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 28 households in Donegal have had leaks fixed for free, but there is much more work to do and we need Donegal customers to get in touch by telephoning LoCall 1850 278 278 or through our website water.ie.
Gardai in Letterkenny are investigating two serious incidents in which a man was stabbed and another was threatened with a meat cleaver.

In one incident a male shop assistant had a meat cleaver held to his neck by a man who stole cash from the Checkout Express store in Oldtown at 5.55 pm on Sunday.

The man forced a female shop assistant to hand over cash before he fled.

A passing Garda detective saw a man with his face concealed and carrying an implement leave the store. The garda purused him up Lower Main Street on foot.

The man was arrested at Riverside Apartments.

A shopping bag containing cash and a meat cleaver were recovered.

A 23-year-old man with a Letterkenny address, but who is understood to be from outside the county, is is due to appear in court today in Longford charged with possession of knives and robbery.

Gardai are also appealing for information about an incident in which a man was stabbed at a house at the Ard Lonan estate in the Long Lane area of the town at 10.30 pm.

A spokeswoman at Letterkenny Garda Station said a 44-year-old man was taken to Letterkenny University Hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
A special Mass will be held in the old chapel at Derrybeg next week to mark the tragic day 136 years earlier when floodwaters filled the church during Mass, leaving five parishioners dead.

At 3pm on Monday, August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, Dr. Ro Oirmh. Padraig O Baoighill, PP, will celebrate Mass in the old chapel in memory of the five people who were drowned and the congregation present on the day.

Father O Baoighill said there has not been a Mass in the building since August 15th, 1972, when the current St. Marys Church, built nearby on higher ground, was officially opened.

On the 15th of August in 1880, a disaster took place in the old chapel as the parish priest, Canon James McFadden, was celebrating Mass.

The morning was hot and pleasant as parishioners came to Derrybeg for Mass from as far as Cnoc Fola at one end of the parish and Thorr at the other. There was only one other church in the parish, Sacred Heart in Dunlewey, so the crowd would have been large.

Heavy downfall

At the time, a stream conveyed in a culvert ran beneath the church floor. During Mass a heavy downpour of rain filled the stream to overflowing, and in a short period of time, water began pouring into the church.

There was panic as floodwaters began to rise, but there are many stories of outstanding heroism by members of the congregation. Ladders brought to the church were used to get people out safely through windows; others were moved to the galleries.

Still, five members of the congregation drowned in the flood. The youngest to have perished was 13-year-old altar server Seamus O Fearraigh of Stranacorkra, Derrybeg. The others who were drowned in the tragedy were Grace McGarvey, Carrick, Derrybeg; Conal Boyle, Inishmaan Island; and Enri O Gallchobhair and Neil Doherty, both of Magheraclogher, Bunbeg.

In more recent years, a youth club and library had been housed in the old chapel. However, the building has not been in use since 2009, when a freak storm again left it flooded.

There are pieces from the old chapel preserved within St. Marys: The old baptismal font, pieces of which Father O Baoill had restored, is on display; and part of an altar from the old chapel is on the churchs back wall.
Described as a dedicated environmentalist, Michel de Bustros started planting vines on his familys Kefraya estate in the 1950s. They would be the foundation of what would, in 1978, become Chateau Kefraya, one of Lebanons most acclaimed wines.

Starting a winery, three years into a civil war, was a brave decision. Bustross persistence and entrepreneurial daring enabled him to sustain the business, through conflict and occupation. In 1982 the winery was occupied and its French winemaker taken.

De Bustros was determined to highlight the quality of the Bekaa Valleys terroir. Eschewing New World fashion, he insisted on blending his wines, all of which were made from grapes grown on his own 300ha estate in the western Bekaa village of Kefraya.

In 1996 he created the Comte de M, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah aged up to 18 months in new French oak barrels. The wine caught the attention of Robert Parker, who awarded the 1996 vintage 91 points, a first for any Lebanese wine, describing it as an amazing accomplishment in Lebanon.

Michel was a warrior and a visionary, said Lebanese wine writer Michael Karam. He never took no for an answer and refused to surrender even when his vines were caught in the crossfire of conflict. Lebanon has lost a giant of a man, one whose refusal to concede an inch of ground for his principles was tempered by gentleness and compassion.
Robots will plug largest electric ferries into recharging points

The worlds largest battery-powered ferries, due to enter service next year between Denmark and Sweden, will be plugged automatically into recharging points at either end of their 4km crossing by industrial robots. The aim is to reduce connection times and thus maximise charging times.

The Tycho Brahe and Aurora ferries, operated by HH Ferries, are being converted from their existing diesel engine operation to battery power, as part of a SEK300m ($23.6m) project, which is being funded partly by a SEK120m ($14.2m) grant from the EU. The EU funding, from the Inea innovation agency, was a precondition for HH Ferries decision to proceed with the project. HH says that the project will halve its emissions compared to the existing diesel operation.

The two ferries will operate completely on battery power on the crossing between Helsingr in Denmark and Helsingborg in Sweden, carrying more than 7.4 million passengers and 1.9 million vehicles annually. The ferries combined battery capacity of 8,320kWh will be the equivalent of 10,700 car batteries.

The robotic charging systems at either end of the crossing will operated using 3D laser scanners and wireless communications between ship and shore. When the vessel is 4m from the shore, hatches will open automatically on the ship and in the building housing the ABB IRB 7600 robot. During the last 400mm of the ferrys approach, the robot will reach out and pull the low-voltage and 11kV cables from the ship and plug them into connectors on the shore.

HH Ferries' Techo Brahe ferry is one of two vessels being converted from diesel to battery power

The ferries will operate around the clock, departing every 15 minutes. The change to electric power will not affect their 20-minute crossing times, or their time in port.

As well as supplying the robots, ABB is providing the complete power and propulsion systems for the ferries, including their batteries, an energy storage control system, and an onboard DC grid technology.

HH Ferries will assess the operation of the two electric ferries before deciding whether to convert its other vessels to battery power.
Harry and Marian opened the first ever restaurant in Carlingford over 30 years ago and currently own The Oystercatcher Bistro in Carlingfords Market Square.

Harry and Marian opened the first ever restaurant in Carlingford over 30 years ago and currently own The Oystercatcher Bistro in Carlingfords Market Square.

Their recent venture is their new 7x3ft tuc-tuc named Nelly, which can travel to any venue for function, company or wedding days.

Harry Jordan spoke to the Democrat about the new addition to the business.

Nelly comes fully fitted with a water boiler, fridge, hot plates and soup tureens.

This enables us to serve the world famous Carlingford oysters, Carlingford chowder, dressed crab, and our savoury soups,

It is great for company functions as the livery on the sides is magnetic and can be replaced with a company name or logo.

It is also perfect to take along to festivals and events that are happening on the streets.

Harry spent a year and a half looking for Nelly before finally sourcing her to Holland.

Tuc-tucs arent common over here but they are very popular in India and China. She only has a 50cc engine and goes up to 20 MPH.

I have her fitted with a mini iPod as well though and can play traditional music on that.

Harry wanted to empahsise that Nelly is more than a gimmick, she acts as an extension of Carlingford and brings the taste of Carlingford, further afield.

She is proving to be very popular already and Ive had a few bookings for different events.

Nobody in Ireland has one but Id say they will start to become popular.

People stop on the street stop to take photos and it is a tourist attraction already by itself.

For more information or to book Nelly for an event or function then you can contact Harry or Marian on 0429373989 or 0877785199.

Or you can email theoystercatcher@eircom.net
Vitens Evides International (VEI) celebrated the successful implementation of an EU funded capacity building project in the Oromia region (Ethiopia) with a closing seminar on 7 July 2016.

As a result of the four-year project the revenue of the beneficiary water utilities in Adama and Bishoftu has increased by more than 50 percent. Non-Revenue Water is reduced by more than 7 percent, while collection efficiencies rose to 99 percent and water supply coverage has increased significantly.

Management training of the staff of the water utilities at Bishoftu, Ethiopia.

Pro-poor focal persons

For both utilities a business plan and a financial model and management information system have been developed for both water utilities.

Part of the business plans, was the assignment of two pro-poor focal persons. These persons have worked out pro-poor investment policies and strategies in close consultation with the GIS experts of the two towns.

A VEI HRM expert has given training to a total of 25 management staff from Adama and Bishoftu, learning about leadership, communication and team building.

A new computer network including server was set up, and software for customer service, billing, collection and financial system was introduced. An intensive workshop and pilot work on the GIS was made with both Adama and Bishoftu staff.

Closing seminar looking back on the achievements of the project and the importance of capacitiy building in general.

Importance of capacity building

On opening of the seminar, Ethiopian Ministry of water irrigation and electricity, Mr. Asmamaw, mentioned that capacity building is crucial for Ethiopian water utilities in order to manage their infrastructure in a sustainable way. He also stressed that water resources must be protected from any contamination and appreciated the consortium partners for the successful implementation of the project.

Pollution hotspots

In the afternoon, Mrs. Andrea Swenne of Dutch water authority Vallei & Veluwe, showed the results of capacity building in the field of water resources monitoring.

Together with Oromia Water, energy and minerals bureau, a water quality monitoring network for the upper Awash River was set up.

The result of two years of monitoring showed many hotspots of water pollution due to industrial and human discharges. The seriousness of the pollution have led to the formation of an institutional platform consisting of regional and national authorities that are currently developing an action plan to reduce discharges.

Replication by other water utilities

The best practices of the capacity building project in Adama and Bishoftu are now being replicated at more than 27 utilities in the Oromia region.

The project Partnership for Capacity Building for Sustainable infrastructure development and Water resource protection in Oromia region, Ethiopia was funded by the EU Water Facility Fund.

This news item was originally published on the website of Vitens-Evides International.

Read also on this website

 Stockholm World Water Week: Towards sustainable water services, 25 August 2015

 VEI extends water operator partnership with Lilongwe water board, Malawi, 17 July 2015

 DWASA and Vitens Evides International intensify cooperation on water supply and urban dredging in Bangladesh, 15 February 2015

 World Bank wants Vitens Evides International to extend partnership Mombasa water utility, Kenya, 28 October 2014



More information

Vitens Evides International

Utrecht, the Netherlands

+31 88 884 7991

www.vitensevidesinternational.com
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has pressed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue guidelines for prescribing opioids to treat acute pain.

Now, she's hoping President Barack Obama will take action.

In a letter sent to Obama Monday, Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a West Virginia Republican, urged the president to push for the development of guidelines that medical professionals would consult when prescribing opioids to treat acute pain.

The CDC has published guidelines for how physicians should prescribe opioids for chronic pain treatment. But similar recommendations aren't in place for how the drugs should be used to treat acute pain, whether it's for an individual with a broken bone or someone who had a wisdom tooth removed.

Gillibrand and Capito wrote in their letter to President Obama that preventing the overprescribing of opioids is "a key component to combating the opioid epidemic."

"By developing and publishing a comprehensive guideline for prescribing opioids for the treatment of acute pain, we can minimize the initial exposure to opioid medications and further limit diversion of opioid prescriptions, which can have positive downstream effects on combating opioid abuse," the senators wrote.

Gillibrand and Capito first called on the CDC to publish guidelines for prescribing opioids to treat acute pain in February. It wasn't long before the senators introduced legislation that would require the agency to establish such rules.

The bill was added as an amendment to the Mental Health Reform Act, which a Senate committee approved in March. The senators hope that the measure passes the Senate, but congressional action isn't needed for the CDC to establish guidelines on using opioids for acute pain treatment.

"Similar to CDC's development of the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and the other ways in which your administration has taken initiative to use administrative authority to address the opioid epidemic, we encourage your administration to use its authority to develop and publish comprehensive guidelines for prescribing opioids for the treatment of acute pain," the senators wrote.

Here is the full letter Gillibrand and Capito sent to Obama:

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for your commitment to addressing the opioid epidemic currently gripping our nation. We were encouraged by the new initiatives that your administration announced on July 6, 2016. These efforts will help to reduce opioid abuse and enhance access to much-needed care for individuals with opioid use disorders.

We are writing today to bring your attention to another critical area related to opioid abuse: the prescription of opioids in the treatment of acute pain. It is widely known that part of the opioid epidemic can be attributed to an overabundance of opioid prescriptions written by health care providers, and substantial research exists linking the use of opioids for chronic pain with opioid addiction. As there are now more than 2 million Americans suffering from an opioid use disorder, it is critical that prescribers thoughtfully and responsibly prescribe these powerful narcotics. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (Guideline) to provide recommendations to primary health care providers regarding prescribing opioid pain medication to treat chronic pain in adults.

However, not all individuals with opioid use disorders began misusing opioids after receiving a prescription for chronic pain. For many, their difficulties with opioid addiction began after receiving an opioid prescription for acute pain. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that 64% of surveyed dentists preferred prescribing hydrocodone with acetaminophen for patients to use as needed after a wisdom tooth removala procedure common in young adulthoodfor an average of 20 pills per prescription. These researchers recognized that a 20-pill prescription may be more than necessary, and that writing prescriptions for larger numbers of pills, when only a few pills will suffice, may cause patients to misuse the remaining pills. One example of misuse is diverting or giving away pills to another person. Indeed, countless studies have shown that some teenagers divert these excess pills to their friends. Moreover, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that adolescents who abuse opioids are more likely to receive these medications from a friend or family member.

Another recent study utilizing data from NIDA found that teenagers who received an opioid prescription by Grade 12 were 33% more likely to abuse opioids after high school. Perhaps most striking, these researchers found the risk for opioid abuse was even higher among teenagers who reported little to no previous use of illicit substances. For these teenagers, this opioid prescription may be their first introduction to addictive substances. That it is prescribed by a physician may create the notion that the substance is safe, leading to misuse of the substance.

Overprescribing of opioids for acute pain is therefore potentially problematic in two ways. First, individuals with acute pain, particularly those who have not had previous exposure to any illicit substances, may be at heightened risk to abuse or become addicted to these substances in the future. This trend may be particularly relevant for younger patients. Second, as the research has shown, these prescriptions contribute to the available supply of opioids and are frequently and inappropriately diverted to others. More research on opioid prescriptions for acute pain and its relation to illicit opioid use would further illuminate these potential paths to addiction.

The Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (Guideline) includes a recommendation related to the prescription of opioids in the treatment of acute pain. However, this recommendation is buried among eleven other recommendations within the frame of a guideline related to prescribing opioids in the treatment of chronic pain. In fact, the Guideline says, Some of the recommendations might be relevant for acute care settings or other specialists, such as emergency physicians or dentists, but use in these settings or by other specialists is not the focus of this guideline. The Guideline then refers readers to other sources for prescribing recommendations within acute care settings and in dental practice. However, each of these other sources are limited in scope and do not provide the comprehensive approach that CDC was able to bring to bear with the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. Further, the Guideline is intended to be used only with regard to adult patient populations, whereas adolescents in particular may be particularly vulnerable to exposure to opioids through a prescription to treat acute pain or the diversion to others of such a prescription.

Earlier this year, we introduced S.2567, the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act, which would require the CDC to issue guidelines for prescribing opioids for the treatment of acute pain. This bill was included in the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, which the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions passed unanimously in March 2016. While we are hopeful that the Senate takes up and passes the Preventing Overprescribing for Pain Act this year as part of the Mental Health Reform Act of 2016, this bill does not need to pass in order for the CDC to develop and publish guidelines for prescribing of opioids for the treatment of acute pain. Similar to CDCs development of the Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and the other ways in which your administration has taken initiative to use administrative authority to address the opioid epidemic, we encourage your administration to use its authority to develop and publish comprehensive guidelines for prescribing opioids for the treatment of acute pain.
In a country that is pushing for innovation, and an economy that seems to be a perfect incubator for new start-ups, why do so many new businesses fail? I have first-hand experience of the highs and lows of building a fast growing business in Australia, and the main thing I have learnt is to be ruthless. Ruthless with your time, ruthless with your energy and ruthless with your focus.

At the end of the day the focus of every business should be creating value. What kind of value? The kind people will pay for. Why? Not simply to make money, but having someone pay for something is a true sign of value  and something that gives a lot of clarity to you as a founder when youre building an innovative solution to a problem.

With my current company, GiggedIn, were using technology to revolutionise how people interact with live music. The goal of our subscription service is to make going to gigs a regular part of the weekly routines of millions of Australians. For me to make that dream come true, I have to choose which top three (out of hundreds of things) I need to focus on this month, this week and today.

I have found the best filter in order to prioritise whats really important, is to think  is what I am focused on right now something that will drive revenue for the business?

This is important because it forces you to adapt your product, clarifies your focus and drives your teams energy into creating something thats going to be of value to your end customer. So for us, were always thinking about improving the experience for fans, and improving how efficiently we reach new people.

The earlier the stage your business is at, the more important focusing on revenue generating activities is. In fact, a lack of sales is the number one reason businesses fail, so I would suggest that at least 80% of your time needs to be spent on sales and marketing (with the exception of capital raising if thats relevant to you). So if youre early in the journey, especially if youre in ideation of MVP (minimum viable product) stage, make sure youre thinking about how you can quickly focus on generating your first few dollars.

Metrics

Once youve achieved that, its important is to take the time to understand your metrics. Especially if youre looking to raise capital at some point, its particularly important to understand the levers that will drive a sustainable business. Two really important things to consider when building any business is your CAC (Cost to Acquire a Customer) and your LTV (Lifetime Value of that customer).

Make sure that for every dollar you spend on marketing and acquiring a new customer, you will yield a lifetime value in excess of that dollar. In other words, make sure you make more from customers than you spend. In its simplest terms, you need to demonstrate that CAC < LTV.

The bigger the spread, the better you are. So if you wanted to improve LTV for example, how could you make more from your customers? Can you create more value so they buy more things? Can you get them to stick around for longer? Do you need to increase prices? If you wanted to reduce your CAC, have you tested all different marketing channels? Have you tried changing your copy around or playing with new offers? How about a referral program?

Ready to Scale?

Once youve figured out the golden formula now think about growing quickly. A huge mistake start-ups make is premature scaling. Scaling too early before getting your CAC/LTV numbers looking healthy, or scaling before having sufficient processes in the business, can lead to short term success, but big problems later down the line.

For example, if you spend heavily on marketing but youre acquiring at a high CAC, its expensive and there is lots of wastage. If youve figured out your marketing and acquisition strategy but you dont have the processes in place to sustain that growth, its going to be expensive and energy draining to fix a broken system whilst growing quickly later on.

So overall, I would say that speed of execution is critical, but make sure you approach it in a focused way and understand whats important for the stage your business is in now. The earlier the business, the more you need to focus on getting that first revenue in. Then think about how you can tweak your model so it will make sense in the long term. And finally, spend a bit of time cleaning up your backyard before you think about increasing your scale because once you start to grow, you dont want anything slowing you down.

About the author
What if we could start putting superannuation to better use? The internet has changed the way we view and treat money. Paypal pioneered the idea of sharing money online, while services like ApplePay allow consumers to ditch their wallets for good.

Yet when it comes to superannuation, we may be leaving some benefits on the table. Certainly were better off with super  millennials who contribute to their super today will have the comfort of knowing they wont be burdened financially in retirement.

But at the same time, it would be fair to say that young people are a little disconnected from their super. Many know it exists, but not how it works. Most dont even know their balance, or care a great deal at this stage of their lives, truth be told.

And the bottom line is that it doesnt matter how effective a financial instrument might be for creating wealth, if that financial instrument simply isnt actually used to effect.

So what if there was a way to put this particular financial instrument to better use  a use that made more sense according to the entrepreneurial approach of the growing millennial generation?

A new way to build wealth

Young Australians as a whole may not yet be interested in saving money for their retirement. But they have been found to be interested in innovation and creating new ideas.

Its no surprise that the brightest and most successful entrepreneurs on the planet are young people  and Australias ideas boom needs more young people who are willing to take a risk and create something great.

Despite this, most young people have limited access to business funding. They usually dont have the connections necessary to pitch sophisticated investors, and banks usually wont lend to them because they dont have a house to put up as collateral.

So, what if Australia could combine super and entrepreneurship by allowing millennials to tap into their superannuation in order to start a business?

Super for businesses

It isnt such a far-fetched idea. Our politicians have already discussed the idea of letting young people tap into their superannuation to borrow for a home.

So why not broaden the scope of this proposal to include starting a business? This could encourage young people to put their money into an investment that could generate not just wealth, but new, skilled jobs  a definite positive for the wider economy.

Young people looking to break into the start-up ecosystem are seeing more competition than ever before. Even attempting to gain funding is almost a full-time job, and the lower barrier to entry for anyone looking to start a business means competition is fiercer than ever before.

Imagine a young person finishing university. They would already have a few years worth of superannuation savings, even if it were as little as a couple of thousand dollars. Instead of immediately looking for a job, why not take that small amount of money and use it to buy the tools to help them start their journey as an entrepreneur?

After all, startup costs are lower than they ever have been. Digital tools like web hosting, ecommerce platforms, analytics tools, marketing pipelines, online advertising, and even application development are now much cheaper. You can even learn to code for free and release a digital product on your own, if need be. Getting a massive loan isnt necessary when even just a couple of thousand dollars may be enough to get you up and running.

The government has created co-contribution efforts before. It could possibly do so again to encourage entrepreneurship and the ideas boom, perhaps by replacing some of the money taken out to start a business venture.

We also need to consider that young people today are going to live much longer than people who are retiring today. Taking a few thousand dollars out of retirement savings could easily be put back in within a year or so. In fact, this could potentially be a requirement of the policy.

Although we tend to tinker around the edges of superannuation, its never been given a massive reform. Perhaps now is the time. In order to transform the economy, we need to be able to be nimble and agile. Locking money away doesnt do that.

Lets change Australias future by allowing young people to access superannuation to start a business. They might not all succeed  but even a handful of success stories could drive growth and positive change throughout Australia.

About the author

Clayton Howes is the CEO of digital consumer finance firm MoneyMe. Hes an expert in personal finance as well as small business and start-ups.
New York State United Teachers, the state's powerful teachers union, had a choice to make in the 51st Senate District race.

The labor group could support a Democrat, Army veteran Jermaine Bagnall-Graham, or endorse state Sen. Jim Seward, a Republican who serves on the Senate Education Committee.

NYSUT endorsed Democrats in other contests. But in the 51st District, the union sided with Seward, R-Milford, in his bid for a 16th term.

"Education is the foundation for our future," Seward said in a statement Sunday. "I have consistently worked to ensure our teachers have the tools they need to help students succeed in the classroom and in life."

Seward cited his work to eliminate the gap elimination adjustment, a controversial school funding formula that disproportionately affected high-need school districts. He's also visited schools in his district to learn more about the issues affecting educators, parents and students.

Along with his membership on the Senate Education Committee, he serves on the Senate Higher Education Committee. He said that position has enabled him to become an advocate for the State University of New York system.

Seward has supported efforts to increase funding for the state's Tuition Assistance Program and expanding the 529 College Savings Program.

"New York's SUNY schools and community colleges rival any college system in the nation," he said. "Our professors and faculty members are accomplished, caring individuals who constantly challenge their students to reach their full potential and perpetual campus improvements provide optimal learning facilities that attract the best and the brightest.

"Moving forward, the state must continue to support innovation and growth on our SUNY campuses while ensuring students and their families can afford the cost of a college education."

Seward will run on the Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party lines in the 51st District race. Bagnall-Graham will appear on the Democratic and Women's Equality ballot lines.

The 51st Senate District includes all or parts of nine counties, including six towns in southern Cayuga County.
New York voters view Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as qualified to be commander-in-chief.

The same can't be said for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

According to a new Siena Research Institute poll, 62 percent of voters, including 38 percent of GOP respondents, said Clinton is qualified to serve as commander-in-chief if she's elected president. Only one-quarter of voters said Trump is qualified.

Among Republicans, 49 percent answered "yes" when asked if Trump was qualified to be commander-in-chief. Forty-six percent responded "no."

Clinton also tops Trump on the question of who will be more effective working with Congress to move America forward, according to Siena pollster Steve Greenberg.

"By far larger margins, voters say Clinton is more qualified to be commander in chief than Trump, 66 to 26 percent, and will be more effective in working with Congress to move America forward, 63 to 31 percent," Greenberg said. "On both, a strong majority of independents  and more than one-third of Republicans  side with Clinton."

Most voters  60 percent  said Clinton would be effective working with Congress. Only 31 percent of respondents said "yes" when asked if Trump would be effective working with the legislative branch.

The poll was conducted Aug. 7-10. The survey of 717 registered voters has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent.
On Sunday, August 14th, the Coordinated Campaign which is the joint effort of the Hillary for American campaign, the Michigan Democratic Party, the Michigan House Democrats, the Washtenaw County Democratic Party, the Ann Arbor Democratic Party, and the Western Washtenaw Democrats, opened the first office in Washtenaw County. Located at 5060 Jackson Road, its a sweet location that has ample parking, easy access from the highway, and is on a bus route.

How sweet is it? This sweet:

The Office Opening Party was promoted by the local Democratic organizations, by HFA emails, calls by volunteers in the 12th Congressional District, and most importantly by phone calls from Coordinated Campaign staff and volunteers. By show time, over 400 people had RSVPed and, by the looks of the crowd, nearly all of them showed up. We ran out of parking. We ran out of overflow parking. We ran out of overflow overflow parking. And still people kept coming.

Washtenaw County turned out big for Sen. Sanders in the primary where he got just over 55% of the vote. However, there is clearly no issue with enthusiasm among Democrats in this area for Sec. Clinton and there appears to be, in fact, pent up energy to hit the doors and hit the phones to start talking to voters about the choice before them.

This sort of energy and enthusiasm will pay dividends down ticket, as well, of course. Michigan Democrats need to pick up only nine seats to take back control of the House. The 52nd House District here is one that is considered leaning Republican but Democrat Gretchen Driskell has held it for two cycles. Donna Lasinski won the primary there to replace Driskell who has a real shot at sending the odious tea partier Tim Walberg into permanent retirement in the 7th Congressional District. There is also a closely-watched County Commission seat that is being challenged by the local organizer for the Sanders campaign, Michelle Deatrick. Most of these campaigns will be working out of this office over the next couple of months.

In 2008, the Obama campaign got a huge shot in the arm when John McCain picked Sarah Palin as his running mate. The following weekend, our canvasses were filled with outraged women who were offended that someone that unqualified was chosen in a crass attempt to pander for their vote. This cycle, its clear that Trumps offensive, bigoted, inappropriate rhetoric is having a similar but much more amplified impact.



Congresswoman Debbie Dingell addresses the crowd, photo by Anne C. Savage



Photo by Anne C. Savage

As I walked around the crowded room listening to the speeches, I came across this young lady in the back, making a beautifully elaborate sign for the office. Perhaps shell run for president one day. Now that Hillary Clinton has shattered that glass ceiling with her historic candidacy, that has become just as possible for her as it would be for any boy.
Delta Air Lines reportedly canceled 300 flights Tuesday morning, a day after a mammoth outage that forced it to temporarily ground thousands of flights worldwide and ultimately cancel more than 400 of them.

Although an update posted at 10:00 p.m. ET Monday night warned that there would be more than 100 flight cancellations and roughly 200 delays Tuesday morning, the actual numbers appeared considerably worse.

The disruption began with a power outage that took place around 2:30 a.m. on Monday at the airlines Atlanta headquarters, according to Delta and Georgia Power.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian apologized to customers later Monday in a video message taped live from the airlines operations and customer center, saying the carrier was engaged in an all hands on deck effort to restore service.

Mea Culpa

I apologize for the challenges this has created for you with your travel experience, Bastian said in his video message.The Delta team is working very, very hard to restore and get these systems back as quickly as possible.

The company instituted system-wide waivers, he added, which would allow customers to rebook their flights or get refunds without penalty. Those waivers were available through Delta.com and the companys reservations agents.

The airline was investigating the cause of the outage, Delta spokesperson Traci Messier told TechNewsWorld on Monday, noting that it had not yet discovered the exact cause.

A hack may have been responsible, early media reports suggested, but that hypothesis remains unconfirmed.

Georgia Power responded to the outage, which appeared to be related to Delta equipment that interconnects with Georgia Power, which serves more than 2.4 million customers in the state, according to spokesperson John Kraft.

The utilitys other customers were not impacted by any power problems, he said, adding that Delta has been a great customer of Georgia Power for a long time.

Delta issued a number of updates on Twitter and its corporate website, noting that there were lag times on the flight arrival and departure screens at the airport and on its reservations site and mobile app.

Mondays failure was one of a very few major outages at Delta in many years, according to Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group.

Delta generally has a strong record with handling technology issues, he noted.

Clearly something extraordinary happened today, Harteveldt told TechNewsWorld on Monday. What Im curious about is why the backup systems didnt kick in to make sure the flights werent canceled.

Delta responded admirably to the outage, which appeared to be limited to departure control systems, he said. The airline was able to get flights from Europe and Asia back on track and also was able to maintain its mobile app and website functionality.

Southwests Meltdown

The Delta outage followed by about three weeks an hour-long outage at Southwest Airlines, which was due to the failure of a notebook-sized router that didnt know it had failed, said Melanie Jones, a spokesperson for Southwest.

So it broke, but did not trip a backup, she told TechNewsWorld. It kept bringing traffic into itself for processing.

That outage, which caused the cancellation of 2,300 flights, required Southwest to reboot all of its systems, which took hours to complete.

Southwest Airlines responded to its outage like the Keystone Cops, according to Atmosphere Research Groups Harteveldt, who said it was embarrassing to watch.

Southwest had failed to make necessary upgrades in technology, he maintained.

Two major unions at Southwest called for the ouster of CEO Gary Kelly after that outage. However, the company pushed back, criticizing the statement as a negotiating tactic.

Southwest has taken action to shore up its technological defenses, according to spokesperson Jones.

First, we have developed a backup procedure for this router brown out condition, should it ever recur. The router in question is an older model, and we will soon have upgraded all routers that will be more reliable and not subject to a brown out, she explained.

Beyond addressing the immediate problem, Southwest will continue on our journey of updating, enhancing, replacing and modernizing our software, systems and technologies, said Jones.

We are also replacing, upgrading and modernizing our entire primary data center, currently housed in Dallas across the street from TOPS, she added.

Thats the place where we store and run our vast array of computers that provide the systems we use to support our customers every day, Jones said. We have a complete remote data center as a backup to our primary data center, and we run redundant systems and networks even in our primary data center.

Delta has made healthy investments in its technology over the years, Harteveldt said.

The airline two years ago signed an agreement with Travelport to reacquire its data and intellectual property rights, which are critical for passenger service and flight operations.

The agreement made Delta the only major carrier to have direct control over those systems, the company said.

Under that agreement, Travelport continued to host the Delta platform of its Atlanta data center.

Delta previously was the owner of the Worldspan global distribution center, which Travelport acquired in 2007. GDS systems historically have been used by travel agencies to book reservations for airline flights, hotels, car rentals and cruises.
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When the town of Owasco began the work of engraving pavers with Owasco veterans' names in 2015, we had no idea that the list for both men and women who have served our country from Owasco in World War II to the present date would reach the unbelievable total of 719 names!

Last May, we dedicated the Veterans Memorial Park with a beautiful ceremony, including a roll call of the nearly 200 names on the pavers installed in the park. The support of the Auburn and Owasco fire departments, the city of Auburn, Woodsmen of the World and our highway department was much appreciated. All of their individual contributions and participation made the ceremony memorable and possible.

The date has been set for the dedication of phase two of the additional names installed at the park. We have chosen 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, as the date and time of this final Veterans Memorial Park ceremony. We ask the residents and the public to review the names of all our honored veterans on the town of Owasco website at cayugacounty.us/towns/h-p/owasco. We regret that at this years ceremony, we cannot conduct a roll call. It would take too long to read the names. Instead, we will provide the attending guests a program listing all the names, and the additional listing on the town website.

If your name is on the list, or a family member or friend, I personally invite you and yours to attend this years dedication. Please save the date! We also invite you to walk around the park on Route 38A, adjacent to Firehouse No. 1, and find your familys name on your individual paver. The town highway department, under the direction of Bob Bruno, will be installing the pavers from now until the phase two dedication ceremony Sept. 16. The setting is truly serene and patriotic. One of the 500 pavers to be installed is that of Robert Shaw, our former Owasco town clerk who recently passed away on Thursday, Aug. 4. We have tried diligently not to overlook anyone.

Maj. Gen. John P. Herrling has consented to be our featured speaker. He grew up at 191 Owasco Road. He graduated in the class of 1955 at East High School with Councilman Rich Knaul and me. We are honored to have him come back home to help us complete our Owasco Veterans Memorial Park. He was chosen by President Bill Clinton to oversee the World War II Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. John lives in Virginia with his wife, Marlene, and is presently overseeing another veterans memorial there.

The invitations to other dignitaries and honored guests will go out this week. We hope they will be able to attend and say a few words, also.

I have saved these remarks I clipped from The Citizen. I do not know if this was a staff reporter or an editor who expressed these words, but it best sums up the gratitude the town Of Owasco has for all of its veterans:

Since 1775, when our first wartime casualty was recorded, almost 1.2 million people have laid down their lives for our country. This year is the 150th anniversary of end of the Civil War. Americas bloodiest conflict. About 500,000 Union and Confederate soldiers died in the war between the states.

Out of that conflict came Decoration Day, later called Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor our war dead. Families and volunteers take the weekend to remember their sacrifice by clearing the weeds around their graves and planting small flags.

As we honor these fallen, however, we should thank those veterans and active soldiers still with us. Too soon, many of them, particularly those who fought in World War II, will pass away. A central New York team is working to capture their stories for the archives of the Library of Congress before theyre gone.

Lets recognize their service while we can. Offer a handshake, share a conversation and say a hearty thank you for their service.

In closing, I thank the town of Owasco for saying this thank you to our veterans by the installation of this memorial park.
By Jon Queally

Were under attack, said author and climate campaigner Bill McKibben, and the only way to defeat the enemy is to declare a global war against the destructive practices that threaten the worlds imperiled ecosystems and human civilization as we know it.

Defeating the Nazis required more than brave soldiers, wrote Bill McKibben in a new piece published Monday. It required a wholesale industrial retooling. Andrew Colin Beck/The New Republic

In a new piece published Monday in The New Republic, the co-founder of the global climate action group 350.org said there is simply no more time to waste and that a full-scale mobilization, like the one orchestrated by the U.S. government during World War II, is now necessary if the adversaryhuman-caused global warming and the climate change that resultsis to be vanquished.

World War III is well and truly underway, McKibben wrote. And we are losing.

With the introductory paragraphs reading like a battlefield assessment in which melting ice sheets, firestorms and historic floods represent the movements of enemy forces, McKibben offered a rebuke to the inaction of world leaders who have refused to acknowledge the scale of the attack:

For years, our leaders chose to ignore the warnings of our best scientists and top military strategists. Global warming, they told us, was beginning a stealth campaign that would lay waste to vast stretches of the planet, uprooting and killing millions of innocent civilians. But instead of paying heed and taking obvious precautions, we chose to strengthen the enemy with our endless combustion; a billion explosions of a billion pistons inside a billion cylinders have fueled a global threat as lethal as the mushroom-shaped nuclear explosions we long feared. Carbon and methane now represent the deadliest enemy of all time, the first force fully capable of harrying, scattering, and impoverishing our entire civilization.

Its not that global warming is like a world war. It is a world war. And we are losing.

Were used to war as metaphor: the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on cancer. Usually this is just a rhetorical device, a way of saying, We need to focus our attention and marshal our forces to fix something we dont like. But this is no metaphor. By most of the ways we measure wars, climate change is the real deal: Carbon and methane are seizing physical territory, sowing havoc and panic, racking up casualties, and even destabilizing governments. (Over the past few years, record-setting droughts have helped undermine the brutal strongman of Syria and fuel the rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria.) Its not that global warming is like a world war. It is a world war. Its first victims, ironically, are those who have done the least to cause the crisis. But its a world war aimed at us all. And if we lose, we will be as decimated and helpless as the losers in every conflictexcept that this time, there will be no winners, and no end to the planetwide occupation that follows.

Though McKibben has become known for marshaling his research and literary skills to inform and inspire the climate movement, he is not alone in pushing the theme of wartime mobilization.

In 2013, environmental journalist David Roberts, then writing for Grist, wrote how the metaphor of wartime mobilization gets used a lot but recognized it as an apt way to describe what will ultimately be necessary. More than three years later, following the Paris climate deal signed earlier this year and amid a torrent of increasingly ominous climate studies, the stakes are only that much higher.

Language appears to be failing us, said Russell Greene, a DNC platform committee member and leading climate activist for the Progressive Democrats of America and People Demanding Action, last month. What is urgent? When is immediately? We have lost touch. We are living in the age of consequences. We can no longer pretend otherwise. With our every action and non-action we leave our imprint on generations. There is no time left for gradualism. That window has passed. This is a climate emergencythe moment to make a stand for the future. For each other. For our children.

McKibben argueddespite the fossil fuel industrys orchestrated effort to suppress or dismiss the scientific consensusthat there is no longer room for denial or delay.

With an eye toward the U.S. presidential outcome this fall and an unknown congressional makeup for the next administration, McKibben laments the loss of Bernie Sanders in the primary, bemoans the prospect of President Donald Trump, and indicates how Hillary Clintonthough the likely winnermay not willingly embrace the profound counter-assault needed to fight the unrelenting physics of carbon, methane and other greenhouse gases. He wrote:

The next president doesnt have to wait for a climate equivalent of Pearl Harbor to galvanize Congress. Much of what we need to do canand mustbe accomplished immediately, through the same use of executive action that FDR relied on to lay the groundwork for a wider mobilization. The president could immediately put a halt to drilling and mining on public lands and waters, which contain at least half of all the untapped carbon left in America. She could slow the build-out of the natural gas system simply by correcting the outmoded way the EPA calculates the warming effect of methane, just as Obama reined in coal-fired power plants. She could tell her various commissioners to put a stop to the federal practice of rubber-stamping new fossil fuel projects, rejecting those that would significantly exacerbate global warming. She could instruct every federal agency to buy all their power from green sources and rely exclusively on plug-in cars, creating new markets overnight. She could set a price on carbon for her agencies to follow internally, even without the congressional action that probably wont be forthcoming. And just as FDR brought in experts from the private sector to plan for the defense build-out, she could get the blueprints for a full-scale climate mobilization in place even as she rallies the political will to make them plausible. Without the same urgency and foresight displayed by FDRwithout immediate executive actionwe will lose this war.

As with every war, notes McKibben, victory is not assured. Weve waited so long to fight back in this war that total victory is impossible, and total defeat cant be ruled out, he said.

But despite the enormous stakes and troubling odds, he continues, it is no longer an option to choose half measures against the enemy humanity now faces: The question is not, are we in a world war? The question is, will we fight back? And if we do, can we actually defeat an enemy as powerful and inexorable as the laws of physics?
A New Jersey native and mother of two has set off on a two-month paddling journey from Chicago to New Orleans to raise awareness about water quality issues.

Extreme distance paddler and clean water activist Margo Pellegrino. The Big Apple 2 The Big Easy Facebook

Blue Frontier Ocean Explorer Margo Pellegrino set off via the Sanitary Canal on her 20-foot outrigger canoe on Aug. 10 from the Lincoln Park Boathouse in Chicago.

This downstream-upstream challenge will first take her from the Windy City into the Mississippi. Then, shell traverse upstream on the Illinois River into Kentucky Lake and onto the Tennessee River and the Tenn-Tom Waterway. From Mobile, Alabama, she will paddle into the Mobile Bay and head west into New Orleans.

This adventure for our water, our rivers, our ocean, our bays/estuaries has begun, she wrote about Day 1 of her 8-week trip. It certainly wont be an earth shattering movement, wont rock the world, but its very much another drop in the ocean of worker bees striving to make our watery world a better place. Its what I can do, so with the help of many many hands along the way, prayers from friends and family, Im doing it.

To underscore how epic the voyage will be, traveling the 927 miles to New Orleans from Chicago by car would take at least 13 hours of straight driving.

The CHI2NOLA route Google Maps

Incredibly, Pellegrinos current trip is actually the second leg of her two-year The Big Apple to The Big Easy journey. For the past three summers in a row, Pellegrino has paddled extreme distances from one city to another. In 2015, she paddled from New York City to Chicago via the Hudson River, the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. In 2014, she paddled from Trenton to Newark.

To date, the ocean activist has paddled more than 5,000 miles of the nations coast. For her current campaign, she has helped Blue Frontier raise roughly $11,500 towards a $30,000 target to go towards conservation efforts.

According to Blue Frontier, Pellegrino and her logistics and communications crew are hoping to raise public awareness to problems affecting our waterways. Along the way to her destination, Pellegrino and her team will be holding a number of community events so people can learn why clean water, and the people whose jobs and health depend on it, should be a nationwide issue. You can see tentative landing dates here.

Margos paddle is OUR paddle, Blue Frontier states on its website. Together we can educate the public and our elected officials, and show them that there is a growing constituency for our waterfrom our watersheds into our rivers, lakes, and bays, to our ocean.

Pellegrino is passionate about water quality issues such as run-off, the threat of single use plastics and how rising sea levels and intense rain affects riverfront/coastal communities.

In a blog post, Pellegrino also highlighted why clean water and healthy coastlines and riverfronts must be a 2016 election issue:

In order to help our ailing ocean, please help me make water and climate change an election year priority. We need an honest debate and serious attention to these issues, as the consequences are nipping at our heels. To do any less is a dereliction of duty to protect the people and property of this great nation. We need to know now, before we cast those ballots, how our future president will address these crisis level issues.

The adventurer took time during her epic paddle to answer some of EcoWatchs questions via email.

Q. In terms of training, what do you have to do to prepare for such a long journey?

A. I try to paddle as much as possible, run, bike, anything, theoretically anyway, though I have to admit, my training was a little lean going into this. Fortunately, I also paddle with the Philadelphia Outrigger Canoe Club so I made sure I made as many team practices as I could.

Q. Have you ever felt deterred by crazy weather or other obstacles along the way? What keeps you motivated to keep paddling?

A. Conditions have shut me out on occasion, but once Im started from point A Im pretty determined to get to point B. So far Im going into my fifth day of paddling, and am just happy Ive been able to stay on target with the distances and destinations. Friday with the storms and rains and two locks in a big miles day was a definite challenge, but Im pretty focused on the schedule. I think sticking to a schedule helps build momentum and enthusiasm for this crazy way to bring attention to the plight of our nations water-our rivers and our ocean. I also want to stick to a schedule so I can get home in two months! You do miss the family, after all, and my son is going to start high school. Im a little sad about missing his first month, but at least we can call.

Q. Have you always been an extreme distance paddler/When did you start? How did you get involved in it?

A. No, but Ive always like paddling for longer than many of my friends. One of whom bit me on the arm when I refused to turn around our aluminum canoe to go home. That was in high school. But serious long distances I havent done before, not before 07 when I paddled from Miami to Maine.

Q. What are some must-have items that you bring with you on your extreme paddling trips?

A. Water, food, are pretty basic. But GPS, VHF (marine radio), waterproof cell phone, iPhone in waterproof case, SPOT tracker, water shoes, reflective vest, emergency repair stuff, compass, light, spare paddle, sunblock. Oh yes, and of course a sense of adventure, flexibilityclearly the ability to go with the flowand curiosity are crucial.

Q. Was there a particular aha moment where you became passionate about water issues?

Ive always been aware of water issues. I grew up hearing about Love Canal, reading Rachel Carsons Silent Spring and have kept fresh water fish. I get tinge need for clean water. You can collapse your tank if you have too many fish and you dont change the water. When my father died in 04 and we were helping my mom clear out some of his stuff, I stumbled across an article in, I forget which science mag, about our collapsing ocean. That combined with David Helvargs 50 Ways to Save the Ocean, jump started my activism. How can you not try to do all you can do to help fix things? Theres no unknowing. And when you KNOW about a problem, then the next step is to DO something. So Im trying in this crazy way, to get folks to see the problem, and put pressure on their elected officials and agency heads to DO something.

Q. In your own words, can you explain to me why this election year is especially important in terms of water and environmental issues?

A. It is off the charts how important this election year is. Our nations water is in crisis. Look at Flint. That disaster to save money and switch Flints water source to the corrosive water of the Flint River is case in point. The DIRTY WATER accelerated and exacerbated the problem we have everywhere of lead in our pipes. On this paddle, I cant tell you how many times I WISHED I could hop in the water to cool off. This is my hottest paddle ever, but I didnt dare hop in for those first few days. And, the simply despicable, inexcusable unsanitary Canal out of Chicago blows my mind. How anyone finds that acceptable is beyond me. Our nations water is in crisis, from our drying rivers like the Rio Grande to our ailing coastal waters and our ocean, we have got to do something. Aging sewer plants, agricultural run-off, polluting industry, plastic pollution  it all needs to be addressed.

We need to be asking our elected officials about where they stand on our nations water, both salty and fresh because this impacts everyones lives and businesses. Clean water is an economic driver. The Outdoor Industry says that outdoor recreation brings in $646 billion a year.

Q. Who are your environmental heroes (and why)?

A. David Helvarg, president and founder of Blue Frontier, is one. Hes gotten the grassroots active wth his Blue Vision Summit. He jump started the seaweed rebellion by helping smaller groups network and more effectively come together to maximize their voice. Sylvia Earle, Jacques Cousteau and my local friend Joel Fogel of Water Watch International who has been nonstop since the 70s and before are up there as well.

Q. Wheres the most memorable place youve paddled and what made it so special?

A. The Pacific Northwest. Something about its heavinessthere is definitely somethings primal, connected to our ocean and Earth, mysteriously spiritual, wild, I dont know. But I love that place  Washington, Oregon and Northern California. You can be a wild human animal there. You hafta rely on your intuition out on those waters. My other favorite place is South Jerseyour own lost coast of the Delaware Bayshore and our back bat marshy areas like Motts Creek (which has a GREAT little bar except they hafta use all disposable stuff because of their septic).

Q. How do you practice an environmentally friendly lifestyle?

A. Hahaha  only have beer at Motts Creek Inn! Or bring your own utensils but theres probably some stupid New Jersey reg about that  But seriously, use LESS and BUY LESS of everything. Get OUT more, especially to your local waterways/ocean. And hopefully its clean water you have access to.

Q. What is an easy way for people to help out with your cause? If theres one thing you wish you could tell people about your current campaign what would it be

A. Sign my petition, sign up for David Helvargs Blue Notes at Bluefront.org, try to use as little plastic as possible, get OUT and play in some body of water, and consider making a donation and/or hosting me and Chelsea, my logistics manager/ground team, if we happen to be coming in your neck of the woods.

You can track Pellegrinos current whereabouts here or on social media with the hashtag #CHI2NOLA.
By Nika Knight

Experiments involving genetically engineered animals have nearly tripled in Germany in the past 10 years, driven by a burgeoning global industry that involves inventing and patenting genetically altered species for scientific research, says a new study commissioned by Germanys Green Party and conducted by the research group Testbiotech.

A GMO mouse with a gene related to hair growth removed from its genome, at left, next to a mouse with an unaltered genome. Wikimedia Commons

The massive increase in animal testing in the genetics field is unacceptable, Nicole Maisch, the Green Partys parliamentary spokesperson for the protection of animals and consumer policy, told the newspaper Der Westen.

Particularly when the experiments usefulness from a medical standpoint is extremely questionable or when the trials have revealed themselves to be unsuccessful, Maisch said, we must not allow any more animals to be tortured.

The study, which was released Wednesday and shared with Suddeutsche Zeitung and newspapers owned by Germanys Funke Mediengruppe, found that nearly 950,000 animals were subjected to experiments in Germany in 2013 alone and a full third of those involved genetically modified animals.

The genomes of mice, rats and fish are being tinkered with the most, reports Suddeutsche Zeitung, but rabbits and pigs are popular choices, too.

Moreover, Suddeutsche Zeitung notes:

In contrast to conventional animal testing, the research on genetically manipulated animals is especially deadly, says Silke Strittmatter of the organization Doctors Against Animal Experiments: We can safely assume that up to 54 animals die for the creation of a single genetically modified animal. To achieve the desired outcome, scientists must experiment with many variations, which in many cases involves breeding multiple generations and then killing them. In this fashion, the number of genetically altered animals is increasing, despite the fact that in the last two years, for the first time the number of animals used for traditional experimental trials has fallen.

A race to patent and profit from genetically modified species is driving the growing global market for such creatures, observes the German newspaper: Researchers patent altered animals, such as knockout mice and sign license deals with corporations, which in turn aggressively market the animals to laboratoriesas custom-manipulated rodents, for example.

The newspaper continues:

In the USA, biotech corporations market patented animals aggressively. [Study author Christoph] Then describes a downright price war. Patents for new genetic engineering techniques then lead to more animal trials. In recent years, patent applications were even submitted for genetically modified primates and great apesand some of those were approved. It is for this reason that the speaker for the Green faction on genetic engineering, Harald Ebner, is calling for a Europe-wide ban on patents on living things.

Ebner also told Suddeutsche Zeitung that he fears so-called free trade deals such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) will lead to the worldwide dispersal of products from genetically modified animals.

The newspaper observes that meat and other products from genetically modified animals cannot be sold in Germany. [] In other countries, however, among other things scientists are experimenting with altering the ingredients of milk by changing the genes of cows. For such experiments, embryos must be genetically altered and then implanted in a surrogate. The Testbiotech study notes that these experiments often involve pain and suffering, as such laboratory animals are frequently killed in order to remove cells or the genetically modified embryo.

It seems other countries have reason to worry, as the U.S. government continues to fight for pro-GMO legislation. Indeed, when President Obama last week signed into law a corporate-friendly GMO labeling bill, he scratched out the laws of Vermont, Connecticut and Maine that required the labeling of genetically engineered foods, reports AlterNet.

He also nullified the [GMO] seed labeling laws in Vermont and Virginia that allowed farmers to choose what seeds they wanted to buy and plant, the progressive outlet observes, adding that for good measure he preempted Alaskas law requiring the labeling of any [GMO] fish or fish product, passed to protect the states vital fisheries from contamination by recently approved genetically engineered salmon.
The Oregon legislature just put another nail in the coffin of the coal era.

On Friday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed into law one of the most ambitious and sweeping pieces of energy legislation in the countrys history, one which will eradicate the use of coal for electricity generation entirely within two decades.

The Boardman Coal Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Boardman, Oregon. The plant is the only remaining coal powered plant in Oregon. Ted Timmons / Wikimedia

The pioneering law makes Oregon the first state in the nation to legislate a ban on coal for the electric supply, while also mandating that utilities provide half of their electricity from new renewable sources by 2040.

Add those new renewables to Oregons existing hydropower resources and, in less than 25 years, the states electric sector will be between 70 and 90 percent carbon-free, one of the cleanest energy portfolios in the country.

Currently, coal supplies roughly 30 percent of the states electricity.

Knowing how important it is to Oregonians to act on climate change, a wide range of stakeholders came to the table around Oregonians investments in coal and renewable energy, said Gov. Kate Brown. Working together, they found a path to best equip our state with the energy resource mix of the future. Now, Oregon will be less reliant on fossil fuels and shift our focus to clean energy. Im proud to sign a bill that moves Oregon forward, together with the shared values of current and future generations.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, surrounded by those who will benefit the most, signs the Clean Energy and Coal Transition Plan into law. Photo credit: RenewOR

In Blue Oregon, Nick Abraham of Oil Check Northwest described this remarkable coalition of groups that came together to push for the law, an alliance that included ratepayer advocates, green groups and the utilities themselves.

CUB believes that this a big victory for utility customers. Coal is a huge financial risk and we are mitigating this risk by moving away from coal and investing in clean energy instead, said Bob Jenks, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Oregon, the ratepayer advocacy group.

Still, the legislation was fought tooth and nail by clean energy opponents in the state senate, particularly Republican Ted Ferrioli (who, according to Abraham, takes tens of thousand from oil, gas and coal companies every year). But, again, the utilities impacted by the law support the measure.

Our company has been reducing reliance on coal generation and expanding our renewable energy portfolio for the past 10 years as market forces, regulation and evolving customer preference continue to drive change in the way electricity is generated and delivered, stated Stefan Bird, president and CEO of Pacific Power. This landmark legislation allows us to effectively manage Oregons transition to a clean energy future in a manner that protects customers from cost impacts, ensures grid reliability and allows us to meet all of our responsibilities to the communities we serve.

This sentiment was echoed by Jim Piro, president and CEO of Portland General Electric, the states largest electric utility.

The path forward was forged through a collaborative process where we all tried to balance stakeholder needs, said Piro in a statement. We look forward to working with the Public Utility Commission and all of our stakeholders to implement this policy in a way that benefits the environment, manages price impacts for our customers and ensures that the reliability of the electric grid is not compromised.

Clean energy advocates who fought for passage of the bill are celebrating. Oregon had a clear choice to make: do we want to power our homes with coal or with clean energy? Today it is clear we chose clean, said Oregon Environmental Council Executive Director Andrea Durbin in a press release. Kissing coal goodbye and doubling renewable energy will give Oregon some of the cleanest power in the country, delivers clean energy for all Oregon families and re-establishes our state as a leader in green.

It will also effectively clean up the grid in neighboring states. Because of how the utilities procure their power, the impacts of the law will be felt throughout the whole northwest, as Noah Long and Angus Duncan explain on NRDCs Switchboard:

Although one-third of Oregons electricity today comes from coal-fired plants, the only in-state facility was already slated to retire by 2020. However, the two affected utilities supply power to Oregon from coal facilities they own in Utah, Wyoming and Montana. By ending Oregons investments, the market for dirty energy will shrinkwhich should speed the retirement of those aging plants.

At the same time, the law doubles the amount of energy from new renewable resources that Pacific Power and Portland General Electric must provide to their Oregon customers. Therefore, the utilities will be obliged to look first to wind, solar and other clean energy sourcesand not new base-load natural gas turbinesto replace those aged coal plants.

Many state and national clean energy advocates have upheld the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Plan as a precedent setting model for other states to follow.

This landmark climate legislation puts Oregon on a bold new course, said Kristen Sheeran, Oregon director of Climate Solutions. Moving away from coal and oil toward clean, renewable electricity raises the bar for clean energy in other states.

Indeed, no other state has yet legislated an end to coal-powered electricity. (Though Hawaii and Vermont do boast electric grids that already operate free of coal).

The renewable energy standards that the transition plan mandates put Oregon amongst the small handful of states that have renewable standards of 50 percent of more. Hawaii, again a leader, will require a full 100 percent by 2045; California and New York now both require 50 percent within 25 years; Massachusetts is demanding a 1 percent annual increase indefinitely, until it reaches the full electric portfolio.

Now, given the states mandate to scrap coal from its electric mix, if the thin green line of Cascadia activists can continue to block coal exports from the states ports, Oregon can effectively bid adieu to coal entirely.

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Science and Politics Clash as Humanity Nears Climate Change Tipping Point
By John R. Platt

Oregon may have a reputation for rainy weather, but the outlook for the renewable energy there is definitely sunny.

Earlier this year the state passed legislation that requires utilities to stop generating electricity from coal by 2030. At the time, one of Oregons two main energy utilities, Pacific Power, predicted that the switch to renewables would come with a fairly high cost, hitting customers with a rate increase of 0.8 percent per year through 2030. Thats a cumulative increase of about 12 percent over the next 14 years.

The cost savings come not only from solar energys increasing efficiency and falling prices for the technology output but from the volume of development. Oregon Department of Transportation

Since then, however, things have changed. After the legislation passed, Pacific Power put out a request for bids for renewable energy projects and developers came back with prices much lower than expected.

How low? Try 0.1 percent through the year 2028. Thats not per year, like the previous estimate. Its the projected rate increase for the entire time period.

That amounts to a 10-cent rate increase for every current $100 in electricity costs.

What happened? When we did our initial analysis of this, we didnt have the latest prices from the markets, said Pacific Power spokesperson Ry Schwark. We went out in the market and found that there is such an amount of renewable energy coming online in the next couple of years that we were basically able to move our coal-free compliance date up two years to 2028, without much of a rate impact on consumers, he said.

Schwark said the company is preparing contracts with 12 new renewable energy projectsincluding 11 big solar farms and one wind arraythat will come online over the next year and a half. Ten of those sites are in Oregon. (Pacific Power also does business in Washington state and California, although most of its customers are in rural Oregon).

The cost savings come not only from solar energys increasing efficiency and falling prices for the technology output but from the volume of development. There are such an amount of renewables coming online across the network that we can get really competitive prices, Schwark said.

Schwark declined to comment on how much Pacific Power will spend to acquire the renewable energy, but data provided by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) showed how much more affordable solar has become over the past few years. Weve seen reported power purchase agreement prices for utilities to buy power from new utility-scale solar projects on the order of $40 to $50 per megawatt hour, which is competitive with electricity generated from existing coal and natural gas plants, said Alex Hobson, a spokesperson for the Washington, DCbased trade group.

At these prices and as utilities grow more comfortable with the operating characteristics of solar plants, solar will make up an increasingly large share of Americas energy portfolio, Hobson said. Thats already happening: SEIAs list of major solar projects catalogs more than 3,300 megawatts worth of utility-scale solar projects that are under construction across the U.S. Another 53,000 megawatts worth of projects are in development.

Schwark said this is just the first step and that Pacific Power expects to make additional renewable acquisitions as prices continue to fall. That will be necessary, because the coal-free regulations in Oregon also require the state to obtain 50 percent of its energy from renewables by 2040. There are more things well need to do over the next 20 years to meet that, but as an initial step this is quite a positive one, he said.

John R. Platt covers the environment, technology, philanthropy and more for Scientific American, Conservation, Lion and other publications.

This article was reposted with permission from our media associate TakePart.
(Photo:  Peter Williams / WCC)Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of the See of St. Mark and leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church visited to the World Council of Churches on Sept. 1 2014.

Egyptian Christians have staged a protest in Cairo demanding the government uphold their rights, saying they are being treated as second-class citizens in North African country where Muslims are the majority.

Sectarian violence and the regulation of church construction are some of the key issues that provoked the rare protests by Egyptian Christians at the High Court in Cairo on Aug. 13, Assyrian International News Agency reports.

The rally drew a small crowd of around who chanted "Save your Coptic brothers," as they resisted security attempts to make them leave.

The protestors braved Egypt's severe protests' ban at the courthouse in the capital, holding up signs, calling for their legal rights to be upheld in disputes between Muslims and Christians.

"I am an Egyptian citizen above all," said Michael Armanious, a Christian demonstrator, The Associated Press reported.

"We pay taxes, we serve in the army, we are dealing with all the same economic problems in Egypt with the rest of our countrymen, why should we have fewer rights?" he said, in a sea of roadblocks and police, who made the crowd disperse after an hour.

Among the participants, Magda Tharwat, a member of the independent Egyptian Union for Human Rights, told Daily News Egypt that a proposed law on the construction of churches is restrictive and a source of inequality between Muslim and Christian citizens.

"Why should there be a law on constructing churches and not on mosques?" Tharwat asked.

"Restrictions on churches include its definition as a fenced place of worship, upon which governors have the authority to license with the obscure involvement of the National Security apparatus."

CABARET LICENSES

Copts struggle to secure convenient places of worship, while authorities easily issue licenses for cabarets, said Tharwat. Churches are no source of "incitement to violence," she added.

"We demand citizens' equality," she said.

The Egyptians Against Religious Discrimination group called the rally and included both Muslims and Christians.

"The past weeks witnessed a significant increase [of sectarian violence] in some governorates, especially the governorate of Minya, amid a setback in law enforcement and the negligence of the police and prosecution to protect Coptic citizens," the group said on its Facebook page.

Christians account for about ten percent of Egypt's 91 million people and they sided overwhelmingly with Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi when he overthrew an Islamist president in 2013, paving his way to the presidency.

Some Christians have, however, recently expressed concerns that their live have not improved under the former general, despite his promises.

In the southern Egyptian village of Naj al-Nassara residents watched in horror as their Archangel Mikhail Coptic Church burned to the ground, USA Today reports.

"We heard deafening sounds of explosions and crackling as the interior of the church gave way," said Salim Qamhi, a farmer in Naj al-Nassara. "The fire had eaten up everything  the wooden sanctuary, the icons, the pews and the books."

The fire came mid-July came along with a series attacks that have alarmed the country's Coptic Christians. The Coptic Christians are one of the oldest Christian communities in the world.

"The incidents we heard about are very painful," Egypt's Coptic Pope Tawadros II recently told an Egyptian parliamentary committee. "I'm patient and enduring, but there have been incidents that warn of danger."




Khabir actually brags in an Italian newspaper article published last week that the border region is so open that he could get in with a handful of men, and kill thousands of people in Texas or in Arizona in the space of a few hours.



Today Judicial Watch confirmed reports that ISIS is operating in Mexico.

Judicial Watch reported, via Free Republic:




Federal Court win for Dick Smiths OzEmite





The Australian Federal Court has allowed businessman Dick Smith to continue selling his OzEmite yeast extract spread.

The decision, handed down on Friday 12 April 2016, found that Smiths company Dick Smith Investments was able to retain its OzEmite trade mark on the trade marks register.

Trade Marks Office decision

The ruling by the Federal Court reversed a 2014 decision by the Australian Trade Marks Office, which found in favour of a South Australian maker of another yeast extract spread with a similar sounding brand, called AussieMite.

OzEmite was registered as a trade mark by Dick Smith Investments in 1999. In 2011, the makers of AussieMite applied to have OzEmite removed from the trade marks register, alleging that it had not been used for any of the registered goods for at least three years.

In the earlier ruling, the delegate of the Registrar of the Trade Marks Office found that no OzEmite products had not been sold until 2012, and that there were no circumstances that acted as obstacles to the use of the trade mark during this time. Accordingly, the Trade Marks Office had ordered that OzEmite be removed from the register.

Federal Court reversal in favour of Dick Smith Investments

However, the Federal Court reversed the Trade Marks Office actions.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Katzmann, the Federal Court held that OzEmite could remain on the register.

It was found that the trade mark had in fact been used before any OzEmite-branded products were sold on the market in 2012.

Comments by Dick Smith Investments

In the lead-up to the case, a letter from Dick Smith Investments to the maker of AussieMite was published on the Dick Smith Foods website, complaining about the need to spend money on legal cases.

According to a recent ABC news report, Dick Smith said the legal costs for his company had exceeded $500,000. All profits from the sale of OzEmite were being directed to charities.

OzEmite background

Smith originally developed OzEmite as an Australian-made alternative to Vegemite, which is owned by American company Kraft.

Smith states on the Dick Smith Foods website that it took years to perfect the taste. Additionally, purpose-grown corn yeast had to be sourced because existing suppliers had contracts with American suppliers. He said this explained any perceived inactivity once the trade mark was registered in 1999.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is standing by the actions of a Highway Patrol trooper accused of pointing his gun at a 7-year-old girl during a traffic stop near Williams.

And it all started with a stolen license plate.

Tonight, I was arrested at gunpoint by an Arizona highway patrol officer who threatened to shoot me in the back (twice) in front of my 7-year-old daughter, San Francisco resident Ken Walton posted on Facebook at approximately 1 a.m. Friday.

While a spokesperson for DPS acknowledged Waltons anger was understandable, he also called the mans claims exaggerated and his anger misdirected.

The bottom line is, our trooper did everything correctly, said DPS Capt. Damon Cecil.

Walton and his daughter spent Thursday traveling on eastbound Interstate 40 on the way to the Grand Canyon in a car they had rented in Las Vegas. According to DPS, the rental company had reported the front license plate stolen at an earlier date but never replaced the back plate as it was supposed to.

When Highway Patrol Trooper Oton Villegas ran the rental cars license plate through the FBIs National Crime Information Center database, it came up as stolen even though it wasnt. The trooper called for backup and tailed Walton for a few miles until he exited I-40 in Williams.

Mr. Walton pulled off the freeway, at which time our trooper had to  basically was forced into having to  make a traffic stop, Cecil said.

Walton said he figured he had a broken taillight so he rolled down his window and waited. Cecil, on the other hand, said the trooper was ordering Walton to turn off the car. He then approached the vehicle on the passenger side with his gun drawn.

Because he was alone and this was a high-risk situation, of course he had his gun drawn, Cecil said. He was getting no compliance and no response from Mr. Walton to his commands to shut off the vehicle.

It was not immediately clear why the trooper did not wait for backup.

We probably wouldnt have wanted him to approach the vehicle like that, especially by himself, but he felt he needed to do it to expedite the matter, to resolve it as quickly as possible, Cecil said.

Walton said the trooper tapped his gun on the rear passenger side window inches from where his daughter was sitting and yelled at him to roll down the front passenger window. DPS said what Walton heard was the troopers wedding ring, not a gun.

Thats where their stories really diverge.

My daughter rolled down her window and I explained that we were in a rental car, that we had no weapons, and I was having trouble figuring out how to roll down the front passenger window from my driver's side door, Walton said on Facebook.

According to Walton, the officer kept yelling.

My daughter panicked and tried to get out of her booster seat to reach forward to roll down the front window, and the officer screamed at her not to move as he pointed his pistol at her, Walton said.

DPS tells a different story. According to them, the officer did not know the little girl was in the car.

His daughter, who was actually, I believe, lying down or at least reclined in the front seat, popped up, Cecil said. Our trooper, so she wasnt in the line of his gun, told her to lay back down, which she did.

Walton said he got the front passenger side window down and followed the troopers orders to exit the vehicle with his hands up. The trooper walked over and said to face away from him.

Then, as I had my hands in the air, he yelled, at the top of his lungs, in a voice I will never forget, as my daughter looked on in terror, Get your hands away from your waist or I'll blow two holes through your back right now! Walton said.

DPS maintains Walton reached for his waistband. Walton said his hands were in the air the whole time.

I've heard stories of police yelling out false things like this before they unjustifiably attack someone as a way to justify the attack, and I thought this was what was happening to me, Walton said.

Cecil called that suggestion patently ridiculous.

We dont go out wanting to shoot people and if that was truly the intent of our trooper, why wouldnt he have just done it? Cecil said.

There is no video footage that would allow an outside party to see what really happened. Cecil said there was no dash camera in the vehicle and the trooper was not equipped with a body camera.

After backup officers arrived and Walton was in the back of a patrol vehicle in handcuffs, the trooper learned the license plate on the rental car wasnt stolen, after all.

Some of the officers tried to comfort Waltons daughter, who he described as traumatized.

Walton said he is considering taking legal action.

Cecil said the DPS trooper is not the one he should be mad at.

It was a horrible situation that didnt need to happen and, thankfully, it didnt turn tragic, Cecil said. Honestly, if things were done right when that stolen license plate was reported and the rental company had replaced the license plates for that vehicle as they should have, this would have never happened.

Walton did not respond to requests for comment.
September sentence for money laundering trio

A trio from Peel who've admitted moving the proceeds of crime into bank accounts held in Liverpool will be sentenced next month.

51-year-old Beverley Taylor, 24-year-old Jamie Griffin and 20-year-old Meghan Griffin will appear before the Court of General Gaol Delivery on September 20th.

The family trio has previously admitted removing almost 40,000 between June 2014 and December last year.

Social enquiry reports have been requested before they're sentenced - they've been bailed in the meantime.
PHOENIX -- Over the objections of a tribe, the state Court of Appeals has allowed a non-Indian family to adopt the child of a Native American mother.

In a unanimous decision, the judges said the trial court correctly considered all the issues, including the interests of the child who had been with the adoptive family as a foster child since a week after she was born.

The ruling was hailed by the Goldwater Institute which has been trying for years to void the Indian Child Welfare Act which generally requires the fate of children with Indian blood to be determined by tribal courts.

"The law creates a separate and unequal system for children of Native American ancestry,'' said Adi Dynan, an attorney for the organization which had interceded in the case.

Conversely, Stephen R. Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, decried the ruling and groups like the Goldwater Institute which "continue to prey on vulnerable Indian families by attacking the ICWA.''

But a closer examination of the ruling and the facts of this case suggest it is not as broad as either side claims. Instead, it turns on the fact that, for whatever reason, the tribe did not act quickly enough to preserve its claim of jurisdiction over the child.

The case involves a girl, not identified, who was born in 2014. At the time of her birth both she and her biological mother tested positive for amphetamines and opiates.

About a week later the Department of Child Safety placed her with foster parents where she has been ever since.

DCS eventually sought to terminate the parental rights of both the mother, who did not live on the reservation, and the father, who was never identified. As required under federal law, the Gila River community was notified of the move but did not object, resulting in the parents losing their legal rights.

At a subsequent hearing, the trial judge found the foster parents were an adoptive placement meeting all of the child's needs. That included a willingness to honor her heritage, including making arrangements to ensure her continued exposure to tribal culture.

Of note is that the tribe had not provided an alternative placement with a tribal member.

Only later did the tribe seek to transfer the case to tribal court, a move the state judge denied. The tribe appealed, saying that guidelines of the Bureau of Indian Affairs say a change in placement is not a valid reason to deny transfer.

But appellate Judge Lawrence Winthrop, writing for the unanimous three-judge panel, said he reads the Indian Child Welfare Act as not allowing transfer to tribal court after parental rights have been terminated.

Put another way, the court said the tribe waited too long to act.

Winthrop acknowledged the breadth of ICWA, a law Congress enacted in 1978 amid concerns that a large number of Native American children were being placed with non-Indian families. He noted, for example, the law says that any state court proceeding involving the foster placement of termination of parental rights of an Indian child must be transferred to the tribe at the request of the tribe or the parents.

But Winthrop pointed out that mandate is only "where parental rights have not been terminated.'' And in this case, he said, the tribe did not seek to have the case moved until after the trial court had terminated those rights.

In his prepared statement, Lewis does not address the legal underpinnings for the appellate court ruling. Instead he noted that the mother's other three children were placed with tribal families.

"The net effect ... if upheld will be to tear a small child away from her siblings and from her Akimel O'otham heritage,'' he said. "Our community believes this is not at all in the best interets of the child, nor does it present the intent of the Indian Child Welfare Act.''

He said tribal lawyers are weighing legal options.

Dynar, for his part, saw the ruling as a needed victory over the scope of the ICWA, even though the appellate court based its ruling on the statute.

"Federal law forbids racial discrimination in all adoption cases but contains one exception: Indian children,'' he said, saying the ICWA allows a tribe's objections to trump the ability of a state court to determine what placement is in the best interests of the child.

"But it's important to remember: All Indian children are citizens of the United States, entitled to constitutional protections,'' he said.

The Goldwater Institute last year filed its own lawsuit in federal court seeking void provisions of the law.
An officer from Franklin, Ohio did not respond to an emergency call, but he might very well have saved the life of a 7-year-old boy. After hearing of a boy who was trying to peddle in front of a drug store in the area, Officer Steve Dunham took it upon himself to do a little investigation.

What he found, as the officer later said, "broke his heart."

A 7-year-old boy, whose name has been withheld to protect his identity, is trying to sell his teddy bear for some money. According to the officer, the child told him that he had not eaten for days. The child was also barefoot.

"It broke my heart. He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadn't eaten in several days," Officer Dunham said.

The police officer then took the child to a Subway, where they had a meal.

Upon further investigation, however, police officers were appalled at the child's living conditions. The boy's house, where the 7-year-old and his four other brothers lived in with their parents, was in horrible condition.

There were bottles of alcohol everywhere, the stench of cat urine was in the air, and food was rotting in the fridge. There were also dirty dishes all around the house, which looked like they had not been cleaned for weeks, possibly longer.

Authorities opted to remove the children from the home. They had also filed five counts of child endangerment each.

What was rather remarkable, however, was that the child's mother, Tammi Bethel, took it upon herself to voice out her frustrations in social media. Posting on the official Facebook page of the Franklin Police, the mother threatened to sue the authorities.

According to Bethel, the mess in the house happened because her children had friends over. She also asserted that her kids are doing fine, and that she has recently spent $2,000 on their clothes and shoes. Bethel, however, did admit that her son was barefoot on the day the police found him. Nevertheless, she stated that there was nothing wrong with that, either.

"My son has always had fresh kicks! As a matter of fact I bought all of them steph currys at the beginning of summer. Wth is wrong with being barefoot in the summer time? I know tons of ppl that go barefoot and it hasn't killed them yet," she wrote.

Unsurprisingly, the mother's reaction to the police officers' intervention has been widely criticized by netizens, with many stating that Bethel should have bought house supplies and food before spending $2,000 on clothes and shoes. Others were even more stern, stating that the kids should not be allowed to return to the house anymore, considering the neglect that they faced.
A 30-year-old woman from Houston, Texas, has been arrested and charged with capital murder after she confessed to murdering her two children, a 7-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter, on Sunday.

Upon investigation of the police, it was found that the two children, whose names have not been released, were dead under a neighbor's house. Their mother, Sheborah Thomas, admitted to drowning the children in a bathtub last Friday.

What was particularly chilling was the way the crime was brought to the attention of local authorities. Thomas was seen moving out of her house by a man from the neighborhood, who spotted the mother throwing trash in a field. She then asked the man if he could help her move her things from her house.

As the man was helping her with her things, Thomas said something so unbelievable, the man who was helping her initially thought that was telling a very bad joke. She told the man that she had drowned her children.

Local Police spokesperson Kese Smith described how the mother nonchalantly confessed her crime to the man.

"She was so matter-of-fact about it, he didn't think she was serious. He thought she was joking. He continued to help her pack," Smith said.

After a while, however, the man who was helping Smith began to feel something very wrong. As they were driving away from Thomas' house, the man decided to head to the closest police barracks, flagging down an officer and reporting what the woman had said.

When the officers investigated, they were quite shocked to find that the woman was completely right when she admitted that her two children were dead. The man who reported Smith further stated to the police officers that she attempted to bury her children. When this proved too difficult, though, Thomas simply opted to hide her children's bodies under her neighbor's house.

Police have stated that Thomas does not have any previous records of mental issues.
It looks like well get an even closer look at Love & Hip Hop Atlanta star Joseline Hernandezs pregnancy drama with Stevie J after she announced she is expecting on the VH1 series earlier this month.

Hernandez, who is slated to be welcoming her first child later this year, has scored her own special that will feature her delivering the baby on camera, she revealed to TMZ. Cameras are slated to start running in Hernandezs reported hometown of Miami, Fl. pretty soon.

It might be safe to say that it will also feature some of the issues she and her alleged husband Stevie J experience as the due date draws near; especially since Stevie has denied that the child is his to begin with.

In their latest drama, the two saw one another in court over the weekend after Stevie requested to have a judge order Hernandez to steer clear of Stevie through a restraining order. The judge sided with Hernandez and shut down Stevies case considering nothing physical or violent has happened between them.

TMZ caught up with Hernandez as she was leaving the courthouse.

She played coy when asked who the father of her child is and clapped it up for her lawyers who helped her be vindicated.

Were really happy about this win. Me and my baby are super healthy and super happy so Youll get to see Joseline Hernandez delivering the baby.

She also confirmed she will be returning to Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.

See it all below.



Be sure to keep up with Enstars for the latest on your favorite celebrities.
Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, who is also an ex-IAS officer and a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has insulted and condemned de-notified tribes by tweeting on 2 August: Ex-criminal tribes are known to be very cruel. They are hardcore professionals in committing crimes. Rarely caught and/or convicted.

Tribal and nomadic communities were labelled criminals by the British government in the colonial era. They did not fare much better under the Indian government in independent India.
Nuclear weapons policyissues relating to deterrence and disarmamenthas been discussed this summer in various fora and generated significant media and public interest. The diverging views on the value, role and risks of nuclear weapons, and the increasing polarisation among those promoting nuclear deterrence postures and disarmament, have been evidenced in a number of recent developments. The 2016 NATO Warsaw Summit issued its communique and reaffirmed the value of nuclear weapons and the role of nuclear deterrence for the alliance. On 18 July, the UKs House of Commons debated and voted overwhelming in favour (with a majority of 355 votes) of the replacement of the submarines (SSBNs) for the UKs Trident nuclear system. During the debate, many MPs reaffirmed the continued need for nuclear weapons as an ultimate insurance policy in the face of uncertainty, and reaffirmed the value of nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence for the UKs security.

The third session of the open-ended working group (OEWG) to take forward nuclear disarmament negotiations began on Friday, 5 August. The participants are discussing (and some attempting to suppress) starting negotiations on a ban on nuclear weapons as early as 2017. In the U.S., the outgoing Obama administration is rumoured to be aiming to push disarmament priorities including a UNSC resolution on nuclear testing, whilst one of the Presidential candidates is inadvertently reinvigorating media interest and expert discussion on nuclear doctrine and command and control issues.

OEWG: towards a ban on nuclear weapons?

While the NATO Warsaw Summit and the UK Trident vote reaffirmed that nuclear deterrence remains for some states a valued construct and basis for underlying defence and security doctrines, proponents of the humanitarian initiative, are proposing to initiate negotiations of a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons. The support base of the humanitarian initiative see no legitimate role for nuclear weapons in security and defence policy and who argue that nuclear weapons should never be used again, under any circumstances. Note the contrast to the view held by NATO member states who collectively reaffirmed in the Warsaw Summit Communique that the circumstances in which NATO might have to use nuclear weapons are extremely remote. The divide between extremely remote and never, under any circumstances remains fundamental.

In Geneva, the third (and final) session of the 2016 open-ended working group (OEWG) to take forward nuclear disarmament negotiations kicked-off last week. The participants (importantly, no nuclear-armed states are present) will discuss and aim to agree on a version of the Chairs report which should reflect a balanced summary of discussions from the February and May sessions of the OEWG. The paragraphs of the Chairs draft report which have and will be particularly contested by participants of the OEWG are paras 58 and 59which notably are two of only three paragraphs on conclusions and agreed recommendations. These paragraphs include reference to the support of a majority of states participating in the OEWG for the need to elaborate concrete effective legal measures and to convene a conference in 2017 to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. In a working paper to the May session of the OEWG, a group of 10 cross-grouping and cross-regional states, specifically called for a conference in 2017 to start this negotiation process.

The momentum being consolidated in the OEWG, builds on the humanitarian pledge, a voluntary unilateral commitment taken by states to fill the legal gap vis-a-vis nuclear weapons and aim to stigmatize and launch negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. The pledge, now supported by 127 states, originated as a unilateral effort by the Austrian government at the conclusion of the 2014 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.

Many of the states under nuclear extended deterrence who highlight as equally important the security and humanitarian considerations in debate on nuclear weapons, have rebranded their collective disarmament pathway recommendations as the progressive approach to a world free of nuclear weapons. These progressiveswhich includes many NATO states plus Australia and Japanare promoting the pragmatic building block approach to progress on nuclear disarmament in the OEWG (as they did in the 2015 NPT review cycle). With no nuclear weapons possessors participating in the OEWG, these nuclear umbrella states, are also bearing the pressure of defending the role and value of nuclear weapons for security and defence doctrines. The progressives are being accused by some participants of obstructing efforts of the adoption of a balanced report, but also of desperately filibustering during the first day of the August OEWG session.

Exactly what text or provisions a ban will constitute in an eventual conference in 2017 is yet unspecified by the proponents of such a legal instrument. How a non-inclusive negotiation of a normative and legal measure will actually impact and affect nuclear policy and defence doctrines of nuclear weapons possessors (and their allies)including perhaps more worryingly the DPRK (a regime defiant of international law and norms)also remains a challenging question. Despite optimism by proponents of the negotiation of a ban, it could be argued that the dislodging of deeply entrenched postures and institutional strategic cultures vis-a-vis the value and role of nuclear weapons wont happen in the short-term, even if a normative and legal ban is attained in 2017 by a group of like-minded NNWS. Agreement within existing enclaves could lead to consolidated statements, but without a broader inclusivity, it remains doubtful that such efforts will effect actual policy change.

The evolving momentum and consolidation for the negotiation of a legal instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons beyond the 2016 OEWG will continue to fascinate observers of multilateral nuclear diplomacy. The emerging divisions and contradictions within the support base for the humanitarian initiative and the momentum for the ban negotiation should be illuminating to follow. Of particular interest are those traditional champions of disarmament such as Switzerland and New Zealandwho have not endorsed the humanitarian pledge but are not under extended nuclear deterrence arrangements. Noteworthy, Iranwhich has previously signed the humanitarian pledgejoined the progressives in the August session of the OEWG, questioning the paragraph on the start of negotiations for a nuclear a ban. Such inconsistent actions may allude to policy incoherence or ambivalence and put into question the merit and value of a state endorsing the humanitarian pledge.

U.S. nuclear policy: Prague Agenda legacy and the Trump card

While the disarmament enclave in Geneva deliberate the draft report of the OEWG, in Washington D.C. media reports indicate that President Obama is planning on consolidating his legacy vis-a-vis his 2009 Prague Agenda visions before he leaves office. These rumored policy actions include: a doctrinal shift to the adoption of a no-first-use policy; an extension of New START; and a UNSC resolution on nuclear testing. Some members of the Senate are also weighing in on the rumored presidential review of nuclear policy, encouraging the adoption of a no-first-use policy, among other actions concerning the Pentagons modernization plans for the U.S. arsenal.

The efforts by President Obama to push forward a politically-binding UNSC resolution on nuclear testing which would call on states no to test and support the CTBTs objectives can be the low-hanging fruit. As explained by the Arms Control Association, the proposed UNSC resolution would be politically-binding but not legally-binding, and would serve to reinforce the global norm against testing. It would not interfere or cede with the Senates constitutional role on advice or consent of the CTBT, as had been argued by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). The CTBT was signed by President Clinton in 1996, but has yet to enter into force due to pending ratifications by Annex II states. The Obama administrations efforts to highlight and reinforce the testing taboo on the 20th year of the CTBTs existence would be a positive boost and high-level reaffirmation of the non-testing norm and aim to elevate the issue on the international agenda of policy priorities.

Although other suggested actions, including a change in nuclear doctrine, would be favorably received in the disarmament communityand may improve atmospherics in the 2020 NPT review cyclethe last minute moves such as an announcement of a no-first-use policy by the Obama administration could be rapidly overturned by its successor administration. The U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has reportedly expressed she would be personally concerned if the US implemented a formal no-first-use policy for nuclear weapons.

To complete the picture of U.S. situation, Mr Trumps alleged comments on nuclear weapons policy and use have generated interest in command and control issues surrounding nuclear weapons in the U.S. The experts have generated timely analysis of no first use and U.S. deterrence policy. A useful and informative timeline explaining launch on attack policy has been posted on the NTI website.

After busy summer, the autumn of reflection?

To what extent the deep and growing polarisation that exists between nuclear disarmament and deterrence enclaves within the broader nuclear policy community can be bridged, remains an open question. Whether the appetite exists at this time for bridging effortsparticularly with the growing momentum (formalised through the OEWG) to convene a conference in 2017 to negotiate a ban instrument on nuclear weaponsis more doubtful. It would behove states and analysts to engage in timely and constructive discussions on what viable alternative and options for maintaining strategic stability (as well as providing security assurances and insurance against uncertainties)beyond the contested reliance on nuclear weaponsexist. This is particularly prudent in light of emerging technologies, which may offer both challenges and alternatives to strategic stability based on nuclear deterrence. Left unbridged, the polarised views on the role and value of nuclear weapons wont bring positive contributions towards reducing the risk of nuclear weapons use and a secure world free of nuclear weapons.

The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or any of its members. The ELNs aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europes capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security challenges of our time.
I have been in the UK for about a year and a half now and am wondering about my next application. To meet the financial requirement my husband and I are combining incomes. He makes 16,000 salaried per year (paid 4 weekly). I have a part time job and am paid hourly. Each month (before tax) we earn 1600+ but after tax it is around 1450.

My question is, are we now below the financial requirment because (after tax) we don't make 1550 per month. Or will they look at our pre-tax earnings and see we are above 18,600 requirement?



I am really worried that we will be rejected because we don't earn 1550 a month after tax. We have a small child which is why I work part time. Do I need to get another job?



Thank you for any help!
Can anyone recommend a place in Al Quoz that offers a simple annual car service? The car is a 6 year old Peugeot and the service light has come on so just needs a once over by a company that is not going to rip me off! I have just called 4 places after doing a simple google search and the phone got passed around about 5 times after my question "how much do you charge for an annual car service on a Peugeot please?" In typical Dubai style I did not get a single bit of sense out of anyone.
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Yes, a British TV set will work in Spain.



If you want to watch British TV channels you will need a good internet connection. The simplest way is to buy an IPTV box, which plugs into the TV. There are lots of other threads about how to do this. It will cost you about 20 a month for a subscription but you will get all the British TV channels.



If you don't want to pay, if you have a smart TV you can download an app called FilmOn, which is free. Or you can download it to a phone or tablet and connect to your TV via a cable or a device called a Chromecast.



I'm pretty sure Marbella will have fibre-optic wifi so you should get a good download speed. Spain's biggest provider is Movistar but Orange is another big player. You'll see their offices all over the place when you get here.



The Spanish equivalent of Freeview is TDT. You just need an aerial. Most of the channels are in Spanish, of course. But you can select Original Language and see movies, series etc in English, assuming they were originally made in English.
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For decades, the Witte Museum has had a terse relationship with the citys Mexican-American population. Whether its leadership has been aware of it or not, Latinos havent always felt welcome there, nor have they felt included in the breadth of its interest.

In the same way, some of the citys Latino cultural leaders have felt city coffers have favored the Witte at the expense of those institutions that have most served the citys majority Latino population.

However frayed those relationships remain, whats true is that the 90-year-old Witte took a major step past all that by choosing an exhibition for its new Mays Family Center that suggests a new mindset.

At least we can hope.

Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed, Mundos Ocultos Revelados, which ends its run Sept. 5, is a magnificent exhibition of Mesoamerican culture, archaeology and world history thats at least as meaningful to South Texans, if not more so, than ancient Egypt, Rome or Greece.

Unlike those mature fields of study, where new insights are slowing, the study of Maya hieroglyphs is in its infancy and in need of new generations of scholars, like the kids who have come to see Maya.

Only in the past two decades, experts say, 90 percent of Maya inscriptions on monuments to kings and queens have been deciphered.

Bryan Bayles, the Wittes curator of anthropology and health, can hardly contain his excitement about these hieroglyphs. Were understanding words that were silent for a long time.

The Maya have had that effect on Bayles since his days as a UT art history major, when a class with the late Mayanist Linda Schele changed the course of his life. Today, Bayles studies the practices of Mayan healers and midwives.

If nothing else, the exhibition has taught us an important lesson  that the Maya didnt die. They remain in Mexico and Central America and speak 30 distinct Mayan languages. Some still use the Mayan calendar.

Ultimately, the Witte hopes Maya ignites new generations of scholars, and that Texas remains a leader in Maya scholarship. Its not all archaeology, either.

Bayles says its world history with the study of ancient kings and queens and their royal descendants that ruled large city-states in Mesoamerica. They built large reservoirs to store water, which they revered as sacred; and grew enough to feed tens of thousands of people and built intricate road systems that connected populations and promoted trade.

Theres a lot of continuity and interconnections in South Texas, in particular with the Mesoamerican world, he says. Their cultural traditions have influenced us in South Texas, especially in our Mexican-American culture, which has roots in the Mayan world.

Theres the centrality of maize, beans and squash in the cuisine, and chocolate, but also the folkways traditions and the rich heritage in science and technology, he says. They were brilliant astronomers able to predict eclipse cycles and the appearance of stars and planets.

Before their hieroglyphs were understood, many scholars believed the Maya were peaceful stargazers and astronomers. Turns out, theyre just like the rest of humanity. While British kings beheaded wives and Romans watched brutal fights to the death for sport, Mayan kings watched ball games that ended in human sacrifice.

Mayans also were political creatures who got into conflicts, fought over resources and aided the environments decline by deforestation.

All this was another reason the Witte was excited about bringing Maya to San Antonio, Bayles says. Its a natural history museum thats devoted to the interconnections between the environment and the living landscape and human relationships with landscape.

You get a sense of that as you leave the Mays Family Center and take in its connection to the San Antonio River. Its unmistakable and not by accident. We want to highlight that the Witte is entering a new era, he says, that its on the forefront of ongoing discoveries in natural history, science and Texas heritage.

Heres another reason San Antonio might see a change from within the Witte. Visitor surveys show that Maya: Hidden Worlds Revealed has received the highest reviews of any exhibition it has ever hosted.
Midwest spinach production explained in detail

Learn how spinach performs in the Midwest and seasonal considerations in a new publication from ISU.
Certis fungicide product, Takumi SC, (cyflufenamid), has been granted an Extension of Authorisation for Minor Use (EAMU) to allow applications to be made on strawberry crops.

Selchuk Kurtev, Certis IPM Manager, explains the importance of this development for the soft fruit industry.

"Strawberries represent almost 50% of the value of all UK grown fruit, and are therefore one of the most important, high value, home-grown fruit crops for the country.

"However, a big challenge faced by the sector relates to a high proportion of the most favoured strawberry cultivators being highly susceptible to powdery mildew.

"There are several active ingredients growers currently have access to for the control of such disease outbreaks.

"But, the long strawberry harvest season and the potential loss of some staple actives pose a big concern to powdery mildew control going forward," says Mr Kurtev.

Takumi SC is a fully registered plant protection product formulated to provide translaminar and vapour action, helping it move through the leaf enhancing overall protection.

"When used within a programme with other mildew products, with different modes of action, there is the opportunity to apply Takumi SC twice to target mildew.

"There is also the added advantage that Takumi SC only has a three day harvest interval, and can be used as a preventative or curative option by altering the concentration of the product used," he says.

The EAMU approval states that for use of Takumi SC on strawberry crops, the maximum individual dose is 150ml/Ha.

Growers can make a maximum of two applications per crop, per year, providing a seven day interval is left between applications.
The Tenant Farmers Association has welcomed the Governments announcement that it will continue to support the current level of funding coming through the Common Agricultural Policy until 2020.

TFA Chairman, Stephen Wyrill, said the announcement will provide an "important breathing space" for farm businesses up-and-down the country as they prepare for life outside the European Union.

"It will also provide sufficient space for the dialogue and thinking that will need to occur about what should be put in place of the current EU regimes in respect of agriculture, rural development and agri-environment beyond Brexit," Mr Wyrill said.

Tenant Farmers Associations National Chairman, Stephen Wyrill

"The TFA has produced its strategy for agricultural policy in a post-EU Britain about which it is liaising with Government ministers and civil servants."

"The Governments announcement also provides an important assurance to the farming community that its intention is not to leave the industry high and dry as we leave the European Union.

'Better reflecting and respecting'

"The CAP has had many critics both within and outside of Government.

"However now we have the chance to put together a package of measures that better reflects our country and respects devolution," said Mr Wyrill.

The TFA has joined with a group of environmental and farming organisations in pressing the Treasury to come forward with an early announcement about new agri-environment agreements, applications for which are due to be submitted within the next few weeks.

"We would have appreciated an extension in the deadlines for applications for agri-environment schemes given the uncertainty surrounding this years new applications which will have delayed many from taking forward discussions about schemes they might be interested in developing.

"However, the fact that we are still able to sign up to new schemes is good news and will be widely appreciated," said Mr Wyrill.

The Tenant Farmers Association is an organisation which represents the interests of tenant farmers.
An East Yorkshire poultry producer showed its caring side when it sponsored a global humanitarian charity for a major fundraiser in London recently.

Middleton-on-the-Wolds-based poultry business, T.Soanes & Son, was chosen as a sponsor by Action Against Hunger, the official charity partner to Taste of London festival.

Chicken from family business's flock was made into burgers that were sold to raise money in Action Against Hunger's 5 Star Burger Restaurant during the five-day festival held in Regent's Park that attracted 50,000 visitors.

Tom Kingston, T.Soanes & Son sales manager, said they were contacted by a staff member from the charity with two weeks to go before the festival.

"We were really pleased to be asked to sponsor Action Against Hunger at the Taste of London festival and be part of a fantastic restaurant festival known for a high quality food.

"The charity got in touch to thank us for our donation and we hope that everyone who had a chance to taste one of the chicken burgers enjoyed their meal, all in aid of charity.

"I think it's good to give something back to those who have less than us and we believe this is an excellent project to be involved with."

200kg of chicken thigh meat

T.Soanes & Son provided around 200 kilos of chicken thigh meat to volunteer chefs who turned them into burgers made to a recipe especially created for the festival by chef Shaun Searley.

Searley is head chef at acclaimed Farringdon restaurant, The Quality Chophouse and his entire creation consisted of a buttermilk fried chicken burger, smoked bacon mayonnaise and beef tomato with crispy chicken skin.

The chicken burger was one of five burgers designed by five chefs served at the event that sold for 5 each.

Action Against Hunger food campaigns officer Zawadi Phillimore said: "Taste is an incredible festival with a vibrant atmosphere, featuring only the best in foodie delights.

"Action Against Hunger is proud to have been partnered with Taste of London for 10 years now.

"We are glad to be able to work with people who love food, to raise funds to support those who have no food.

"It is thanks to our incredible supporters in the food industry, such as T.Soanes & Son, that we are able to continue our lifesaving work."

Action Against Hunger works in almost 50 countries, reaching 14.9 million people a year and has raised over 150,000 for its programmes around the world through this collaboration with Taste of London.
The NFU is today launching its options paper giving its members the chance to voice what they think is needed for post-Brexit British agriculture.

This marks the start of the official consultation period - the largest consultation in a generation - which has around 50 meetings being held across the country for members to attend and discuss the options with NFU officeholders and policy advisers.

The consultation period will end on 14 September 2016  the day the NFU will hold its Back British Farming Day to promote dynamic British food and farming to MPs.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said the vote to leave the European Union means that food security "must drive a new, bold ambition" for UK farmers and growers.

"This is a historic opportunity, which as NFU Officeholders working on our members behalves, we are determined to seize," Mr Raymond said.

"Were already seeing farmers joining the NFU to participate in the biggest consultation weve ever held on the industrys future.

"Were expecting thousands of NFU members to grasp both hands the opportunity to share their views.

"The integrity of British produce has never been greater"

"This is the chance to shape the future for our industry for all future generations of British farmers and growers.

'Bedrock of a vibrant supply chain'

"We all know that farming already makes a huge contribution to the nation; it is the bedrock for a vibrant supply chain and essential for our food and drink industry, worth 108 billion to the economy.

"Its now vital that we help shape a new vision for an agricultural policy which ensures a dynamic, profitable and productive future for farming and growing.

"We, as farmers and growers, produce high quality food to world leading standards while also caring for a thriving environment.

"And the British public has made it clear in survey after survey that they are hugely supportive and that fully aware of the contribution we make to the economy and the environment.

"On top of this, they would like to see more British food produced at home. The integrity of British produce has never been greater.

Creating a domestic agricultural policy

The NFU President said the nation's vision is for a future policy which "enables farmings contribution to Britain grow."

"Where our farmers are able to compete with the rest of the world and are able to access the latest technologies to allow us to be ever more resilient, competitive and profitable," Mr Raymond said.

"Where public goods farmers provide include not just the environment but also renewable energy, education, health and nutrition, to name but a few.

"Nobody should be under any illusions that Brexit will happen in a matter of months.

"The process of leaving the EU and of creating a domestic agricultural policy will take time and thats why the NFU has taken the opportunity to carry out this robust consultation.

"We want to ensure that when we present our vision for a new policy we can clearly demonstrate that this is what farmers and growers from all sectors and in all areas want and need.

"Brexit is about building bridges, building the industrys influence."
Herbicides tested in the trial included pre-seeding treatments of Diuron, TriflurX (trifluralin), Dual Gold (s-metolachlor) and Terbyne Xtreme (terbuthylazine); Glean (chlorsulfuron) at two to three leaf stage, Aptitude (metribuzin and carfentrazone), MCPA amine, MCPA LVE, Paradigm (halauxifen and florasulam), Lontrel (chlopyralid) at three to four leaf stage and Amicide Advance 700 (2,4-D) at five to six leaf stage.
"I have worked on compaction for many years in England but when I got to WA it felt too hard; the farms were too big, the views were too different and people went round and round in the paddocks and I thought "it's not going to happen"."
As hurricanes worsen, can Lumbee Tribe learn to live with water?

The Native American tribe was saved by the swamp. Now, like so many people in the South, flooding threatens to drive them away.
An activated fire alarm brought the Beatrice Police and Fire departments to the Beatrice Public Library on Saturday evening, but instead of a fire officers found excrement smeared on the walls.

The excrement was left on the walls of the bathroom and various entry areas of the building. Others acts of vandalism were reported as well.

Upon entry, officers discovered a discharged fire extinguisher with yellow powder across the entire entry room, human feces on a statue, and purposefully clogged toilets and sinks in the restrooms with standing water.

Fire extinguisher discharge was also found in the basement of the library.

To actively smear feces on places, I cant even comprehend somebody doing something like this, Lamkin said. Its been a long time since weve had an idiocy act like this.

Lamkin said security footage from the library showed four people -- two adults, a juvenile male and juvenile female -- using an unlocked door to gain entry to the building.

Using the security footage, officers were able to identify one of the individuals and promptly visited their home, where all four suspects were found.

Only two of the individuals were charged with vandalism. Lamkin said after entering, one of the adults and the juvenile female "chose to correct their lapse in judgment," quickly left, and thus were not charged with a crime.

The adult male, 18-year-old Noah Dewane, was charged with first degree criminal trespassing, third degree criminal mischief and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to Lamkin. He appeared in Gage County Court Monday morning, where his bond was set at $5,000 with a 10 percent deposit. His next hearing is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Police did not identify the 14-year-old juvenile male. He was charged with criminal mischief, criminal trespassing and assault on a police officer, and was transported to Omaha.

The timing of the vandalism could hardly have been worse for Beatrice Public Library, which was hosting a weekend of special activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its current building.

Despite the vandalism, Library Director Laureen Riedesel said the celebrations stayed on schedule. She said the library had better than a normal day on Sunday and gave kudos to the city's Public Properties Department for being so efficient in the cleanup.
The DOJs Yates Memo is nearly a year old. The anti-corruption and compliance communities are still wondering what impact it will have on individual responsibility for white collar crimes. That in turn has brought more interest about past prison sentences for FCPA offenses and what future defendants might expect when sentenced.

Although there is significant data available to the public about past prison sentences, it hasnt (to my knowledge) been compiled in a way that may be useful to readers of the FCPA Blog.

So, thanks to invaluable research assistance from Samantha Block (a student at GW Law), weve created a list of the ten longest FCPA-related prison sentences.

When compiling the list, there were a surprising number of decisions to make and to some extent, the list is interpretive. Others might use different criteria and come up with a different list of the longest FCPA-related prison sentences.

For example, most of the defendants on this list were also convicted of other offenses, such as conspiracy, money laundering, Travel Act violations, obstruction, export act offenses, and so on.

Because federal defendants are typically sentenced at one time on all counts theyre convicted of, it is often difficult or even impossible to separate their prison time for individual criminal counts, such as FCPA offenses.

* * *

How does that translate into this list?

Joel Esquenazi and Carlos Rodriguez, for example, who appear at number 1 and number 4 on the list, were both convicted of and sentenced on seven substantive FCPA counts and one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and commit wire fraud, one count of money laundering conspiracy, and 12 counts of money laundering.

William Jefferson, the former nine-term congressman whos number 2 on the list, was convicted and sentenced on one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and eleven other corruption charges. He was acquitted of the single substantive FCPA charge he faced.

Charles Jumet, number 3 on our list, was charged with an FCPA conspiracy and making false statements to federal investigators. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on the single FCPA conspiracy count.

Herbert Steindler  tied at number 4 on our list and sentenced back in 1994  pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. He was charged with six counts of FCPA anti-bribery violations, one count of violating the FCPA books and records provisions, 16 counts of mail fraud, six counts of wire fraud, and 57 counts of money laundering.

Douglas Murphy and David Kay  numbers 5 and 9 on our list, were both convicted of twelve counts of violating the FCPA, and charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Shu Quan-Sheng is number 6 on our list. He pleaded guilty to one count of violating the FCPA and two counts of violating the Arms Export Control Act.

Benito Chinea and Joseph DeMeneses, tied for number 7, both pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA and the Travel Act.

Jorge Granados, number 8, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. He had been indicted on 19 counts, including conspiracy, money laundering, and violations of the FCPA.

John Webster Warwick, tied at number 9, was Charles Jumets co-defendant. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Jose Alejandro Hurtado, tied for number 10, pleaded guilty to six counts of conspiracy and substantive violations of the FCPA, the Travel Act, and money laundering laws.

Faheem Mousa Salem, also tied for number 10, pleaded guilty to violating the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA.

___



One FCPA defendant made the list with his original sentence but dropped out due to later sentence reductions. Albert Jack Stanley was originally sentenced to 84 months in prison. His sentence was later reduced to 30 months because of his cooperation.

Two defendants received long prison sentences in cases related to FCPA offenses but werent charged under the FCPA because they were bribe takers and not payers. Jean Rene Duperval received 108 months in 2012 and Asem Elgawhary received 42 months in 2015.

* * *

The Ten Longest FCPA-Related Prison Sentences

1. Joel Esquenazi: 180 months (2011)

2. William Jefferson: 156 months (2009)

3. Charles Paul Edward Jumet: 87 months (2010)

4. Carlos Rodriguez: 84 months (2011)

4. Herbert Steindler: 84 months (1994)

5. Douglas Murphy: 63 months (2005)

6. Shu Quan-Sheng: 51 months (2009)

7. Benito Chinea: 48 months (2015)

7. Joseph Demeneses: 48 months (2015)

8. Jorge Granados: 46 months (2011)

9. David Kay: 37 months (2005)

9. John Webster Warwick: 37 months (2010)

10. Jose Alejandro Hurtado: 36 months (2015)

10. Faheem Mousa Salam: 36 months (2007)

_____

Jessica Tillipman is a Senior Editor of the FCPA Blog and Assistant Dean at The George Washington University Law School. You can follow her on Twitter at @jtillipman.

The author is grateful for the assistance of Samantha Block, a second-year law student at The George Washington University Law School, in researching this post.


Christopher Walken once spent Christmas with James Bond.

Christopher Walken

The actor played villain Max Zorin in 007 film 'A View to a Kill' - released in 1985 - opposite Sir Roger Moore and the cast had to shoot scenes over the festive period in Switzerland.

Moore has a home in the European country and generously invited Walken and other cast members to spend the holiday with him and his family, an experience the American screen icon will never forget.

In an interview with Metro newspaper, he said: "Roger Moore is a wonderful man. We were shooting over Christmas and he invited me to his home in Switzerland. It was James Bond and the villain hanging out together over Christmas."

Walken and Bond actor Moore starred in the movie with Grace Jones - who portrayed Zorin's lover and henchwoman.

The 'Deer Hunter' actor admits he and Grace developed a close friendship during filming, which took place in London, England, French capital Paris, Iceland and the US as well as Switzerland.

Although he hasn't caught up with Grace for a little while he still considers her a good pal.

Walken, 73, said: "I haven't seen Grace for a while but I was very fond of her. We spent a lot of time together; the shoot was five months and I got to know her very well."
Four classically liberal professors and an economist named Adam Smith walk into a room. No, this isn't the beginning of a bad joke; it was the first event of the Classical Liberals in the Carolinas conference held last week at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte.The annual conference, now in its third year, was conceived by Adam C. Smith, an assistant professor of economics and director of the Center for Free Market Studies at Johnson and Wales. It offers opportunities for libertarian and right-of-center scholars to discuss important regional issues while building a stronger state-based network.This year, Smith assembled a group of professors to address a hot button topic: free speech on campus. How did we arrive at this era of trigger warnings, microaggressions, and ideological conformity on campus? And what can professors and university officials do to establish respect for open expression and the marketplace of ideas?The panel, sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies, was led by University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Donald Downs, who was joined by C. Bradley Thompson of Clemson University, Zagros Madjd-Sadjadi of Winston-Salem State University, and James Otteson of Wake Forest University.Thompson, a political science professor and the executive director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism, said that indoctrination is a major reason why there seems to be so much hostility to principles of free speech on campus.Particularly troublesome, he said, is the reemergence of 1960s-style "struggle sessions" in which people are made to publicly confess their "sins." Thompson cited a recent case from North Carolina's Guilford College in which students demanded that each week, one white professor be required to publicly denounce his or her "white privilege."Madjd-Sadjadi, professor of economics and master of healthcare administration program coordinator at Winston-Salem State, said that lack of viewpoint diversity also has contributed to the current anti-free speech climate:he said.The moderator, Donald Downs, added that there has been a major shift in the source of censorship on campus. Prior to the 1990s, he said, censorship typically came from campus authorities in a top-down manner. But today, the majority of illiberal behavior on campus comes from students themselves.All of the panelists had plenty of advice for fellow faculty on how to approach the issues of indoctrination, censorship, lack of viewpoint diversity, and student-led illiberalism.For example, Otteson read from a personal blog post in which he imagined what would be page one of an enlightened college's handbook. The opening page would include the following pledge:We will continually and robustly exercise the freedom to investigate and examine new ideas, to review our prejudices and settled beliefs critically and regularly, and to confront, in good faith, lines of thought with which we are unfamiliar or even uncomfortable.Otteson, an active advocate for free speech at Wake Forest, has called for the private university to adopt the Chicago Principles, which mirror the language of the above pledge. So far, he's seen at least some success; the university's provost is considering creating a faculty task force on free speech and the president addressed the issue in a letter to alumni, saying,Thompson has a different strategy to promote free speech on campus, which he refers to as the "Clemson Approach." In the fall 2015 semester, a student petition called for professors to publicly endorse a list of demands, including one that sought to criminally prosecute "defamatory" speech (which actually meant any speech that offends "progressive" sensibilities). After gaining 110 faculty signatures, the student group took out a full-page ad in the student newspaper, planning to publish the list and its signatories. Thompson decided to write a response co-signed with two other faculty members.Titled "An Open Letter to Clemson Students," the response was published on the adjacent page of the very same issue.the letter said.According to Thompson, a debate on the merits of free speech played out on the pages of the student newspaper for the next two months. In the end, Thompson said, the pro-speech studentsBut Downs doubts whether faculty-led charges against censorship will have much staying power.he said.In terms of building such "infrastructure," Winston-Salem State University appears to be making ground. Thanks to the efforts of Madjd-Sadjadi, the school became both the first university in the South and the first historically black college to adopt the Chicago Principles. Inside the classroom, Madjd-Sadjadi says critical thinking is vital, and that professors can and should explain freedom of inquiry to their students and encourage them to question every assumption made in the classroom.Madjd-Sadjadi also urged faculty to get involved in campus committees, specifically ones which will likely consider speech policies. He explained that the committees that often pass problematic speech policies only have one or two faculty representatives, but that the administration treats them as representative of the entire faculty. A policy supported by the single faculty member becomes a policy supported by the faculty itself.he said.Thompson closed the panel session with a challenge to faculty members:While the efforts of a single professor or even small group of professors may not be enough to rekindle freedom of speech and freedom of thought on every campus, they're certainly a welcome counter to higher education's current status quo. If last week's conference was any indication, the battle to win over hearts and minds in this crucial area is well underway.
Alexander Skarsgard is set to join forces with Michael Pena for War on Everyone and the brand new trailer for the film has been released.

War On Everyone

War On Everyone marks the return of John Michael McDonagh to the director's chair in what is the third feature film of his career.

The filmmaker has already brought us movies such as The Guard and Calvary and it is great to see him back. As well as being in the director's chair, McDonagh has also penned the screenplay for the new comedy.

Skarsgard and Pena are two terrific actors and they take on the central roles of Terry Monroe and Bob Bolano, two corrupt cops. And you can see them in action in this great new trailer. Take a look:

The director has assembled a great cast list as Theo James, Tessa Thompson, Caleb Landry Jones, and Paul Reiser star alongside Skarsgard and Pena.

The movie has been met well on the festival circuit so far this year and is set to be one of the most outrageous cop comedy movies of the year. I have to say, it is a film that I am really looking forward to.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, Terry Monroe (Skarsgard) and Bob Bolano (Pena) are two corrupt cops who set out to blackmail and frame every criminal unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Things take a sinister turn, however, when they try to intimidate someone who is more dangerous than they are. Or is he?

McDonagh is famed for creating off-beat comedies and interesting characters and I cannot wait to see what he, Skarsgard and Pena deliver with War On Everyone.

War On Everyone is released 7th October.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Mollie King has already sold over five million records across the world as part of girl group The Saturdays, and now she's gearing up for the release of her debut solo single 'Back To You', which fans will be able to buy from Friday, August 19.

Mollie King

Released via Island Records, the song will be accompanied by a stunning music video, shot by Fifty Shades of Grey and Salmon Fishing in the Yemen director Lisa Gunning.

Written by King herself alongside Rob Persuad and producers The Blueprint, the track is an electropop dream with a synth-heavy chorus, where Mollie questions her constant return to a relationship she knows isn't right for her.

Chatting about the track, King says: "It's a very personal song to me. A lot of my writing inspiration has come from what I've been through over the last couple of years."

Chatting about her solo material despite being such a big part of a huge girl group, she explains: "In a band it's sometimes difficult to write about personal experiences because there's a lot of members.

"My solo material is the kind of music that I love, stylistically this is me and I'm saying things that I want to say."

You can check out a teaser for the song and its music video below:

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Princess Charlotte is set to join her parents on a trip to Canada.

Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William

The 15-month-old royal and her three-year-old royal brother will join Prince William and his wife Duchess of Cambridge on the tour of North America next month, which will be her first trip overseas since she was born in May last year.

And it is believed the family vacation will be tailored to suit the children's needs.

A source close to the family told US Weekly: "There will be parts of the itinerary designed to include the children.

"The climate will be comfortable and a lot of outdoor activities will be part of the trip ... plenty of outdoor moments and visits to endangered places of nature."

The family of four as well as their team, including babysitter Maria, hair stylist Amanda Cook Tucker, will accompany the family on their trip.

The group will board a first class commercial flight to the city of Vancouver at the end of next month where they will reside for one week.

Although this is Charlotte's first experience travelling abroad, it is not for George who accompanied his parents on their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2014.

And the family are "delighted" to be visiting Canada again, after they travelled to the country five years ago.

A source explained: "The Duke and Duchess are delighted to be returning to Canada. They hold very happy memories from their visit in 2011 -- their first overseas tour as a married couple. They are really looking forward to seeing other parts of this beautiful country and having the opportunity to meet many more Canadians along the way."

The family will be welcomed by the Governor General of Canada David Johnston and his wife, who have revealed they are also "delighted" to greet the royals.

He said: "[My wife] Sharon and I will be delighted to welcome Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Canada. Their royal tour will take them to the beautiful province of British Columbia and the scenic territory of Yukon. Once again, our true Canadian pride and spirit will shine and be at the very heart of this visit so they can feel at home."
It was announced over the weekend that Samantha Womack would be leaving her role as Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders after playing the character for almost 10 years on the BBC One soap.

Samantha Womack as Ronnie / Credit: BBC

Taking to her Twitter account, the star wrote: "Thank you SO much for all your kind words about me leaving EE, it's so humbling to know you loved Ronnie as much as I did! Very grateful Xxx".

Involved in a pair of murders, having gone through trauma as a child after being raped by her father and tragically losing her son, James, it's not been an easy road for the Mitchell family member, with Albert Square providing obstacles for her to overcome at every turn.

Ronnie will be remaining in the soap until next year, with an explosive and dramatic storyline bringing her exit to the small screen.

We'll be sad to see her go, having seen Ronnie through so many incredible storylines - but which four other characters and actors do we wish had never left?

1) Pam St. Clement as Pat Butcher (1986-2012)

Qutting the show after 25 incredible years, Pam St. Clement gave the writers free rein as to what to do with her character, Pat Butcher. Despite reprising her role to say goodbye to the character next on our list earlier this year, there's no way Pat could ever return to EastEnders full-time following her well-documented on-screen death. Stranger things have happened in the land of soap, but as much as we may want to see her back, it wouldn't make sense or do the character or show justice if she miraculously returned. Pat and her earrings may be gone from the small screen, but they'll always be in our soap-loving hearts!

2) Barbara Windsor as Peggy Mitchell (1994-2010, 2013-16)

Though it was a woman by the name of Jo Warne that originally played Peggy Mitchell, it was Barbara Windsor who truly put her stamp on the character and forged an incredible legacy for the Walford matriarch. Her final storyline saw cancer return to her breasts, with the news making huge waves across the Square. With the disease spreading to her brain and being noted as terminal, Peggy asked her son Phil to help her die, but when Grant was called back to London by Sharon, they decide she should live out her days as naturally as possible. Despite that, Peggy holds firm and makes the decision to take her own life, wanting to be known as a strong woman and not a frail one who died in her bed. Taking a lethal overdose, she died in her sleep and left her family, and the nation, devastated. We'll forever miss Peggy, and her brilliant 'Get outta my pub!'

3) Ricky Norwood as Fatboy (2010-15)

It was a shame to see Ricky Norwood cut from the show under such unconventional circumstances. Having been caught (literally) with his pants down on webcam, smoking illegal substances, it was announced that the actor would be leaving the BBC soap at the end of his contract in 2015. Leaving on Christmas Eve, the character of Fatboy was killed off-screen in the next episode, leaving fans devastated and setting up petitions to bring the character back. Dying in a case of mistaken identity and not even being able to give a performance before the doomed exit must have been gut-wrenching for Norwood - but the fact his death took place off-screen and we never saw a proper body means that he could make a return at some point in the future. Perhaps his stint on the current series of Celebrity Big Brother will help secure him the return we've all wanted since his departure.

4) Nina Wadia as Zainab Masood (2007-13)

Oh, Zainab. The shining comedic star in a soap full of tragedy and distress. Though she may have initially been bigoted and ignorant in her views, she was a brilliant funnel for some comic relief in times of trouble. It wasn't all laughs for her though, as she also tackled some incredibly topical storylines. Her son Syed came out as gay and she went through the difficulties a practicing Muslim would face in accepting her son and his relationship with another man. She was also manipulated and violently assaulted by Yusef before his death, before she decided that the streets of Albert Square had become too much for her, moving to Pakistan. Though she hasn't been the best mother to her children, it would be awesome to see her make a big return to EastEnders. She'll always be known as one of the soap's funniest characters and to see her back hitting some great one liners out of the park would be fantastic.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 08/14/16 -- JLL (NYSE: JLL) has acquired PDM International, a leading interior design practice with a 20-year track record across Asia Pacific.

With more than 180 professional staff, PDM delivers innovative and creative design and construction solutions for office, retail, hospitality, residential and leisure real estate projects. The acquisition is the latest example of JLL's disciplined acquisition strategy which, since the start of 2015, has seen JLL announce or close more than 40 margin-accretive transactions with a combined value of approximately $1.2 billion.

"This is an exciting move for JLL, adding to our already strong Project and Development Services offering in Asia Pacific," says Jordi Martin, CEO, Corporate Solutions Asia Pacific, JLL. "PDM's expertise in design and construction is an ideal complement to our existing project management and construction management capabilities. This acquisition will enable JLL to deliver end-to-end, multi-disciplinary fit-out solutions across the region."

Marcus Foley, co-founder of PDM International, says: "We are thrilled to be joining the JLL family. Our expertise and geographic footprint as a company is a great fit with what JLL already offers and we are looking forward to working together to expand the business across Asia Pacific."

PDM's design and construct expertise will complement JLL's Project Management and Construction Management capabilities. With the addition of PDM, JLL will be able to provide design and construct services in 19 cities, with the addition of Beijing, Shanghai, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul, and continue to provide project management in 27 cities across Asia Pacific.

"We're delighted to bring the talent and entrepreneurship of PDM co-founders Marcus Foley, Dennis Lim and their team into the JLL fold and are confident that they will help us to accelerate the growth of our Project and Development Services business across Asia Pacific," adds Mr. Martin.

Mr. Foley and Mr. Lim will report to Albert Ovidi, COO, Asia Pacific, JLL, as well as Mr. Martin.

PDM services that will be incorporated into the JLL business include building analysis, feasibility studies, space planning, project brief development, concept design, 3D renderings and animations, sustainable design development, construction documentation, furniture and storage evaluation, construction and site management, FFE (Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment) specification, procurement and turnkey construction solutions.

About JLL

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a professional services and investment management firm offering specialized real estate services to clients seeking increased value by owning, occupying and investing in real estate. A Fortune 500 company with annual fee revenue of $5.2 billion and gross revenue of $6.0 billion, JLL has more than 280 corporate offices, operates in more than 80 countries and has a global workforce of more than 60,000. On behalf of its clients, the firm provides management and real estate outsourcing services for a property portfolio of 4.0 billion square feet, or 372 million square meters, and completed $138 billion in sales, acquisitions and finance transactions in 2015. Its investment management business, LaSalle Investment Management, has $59.1 billion of real estate assets under management. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit www.jll.com.

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Contact:

Eva Sogbanmu

Phone: +65 8376 3109

Email: Eva.Sogbanmu@ap.jll.com




NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - August 14, 2016) - Renowned New York City-based investor Jacob Frydman has recently commented on the unprecedented numbers of Manhattan's office leases reaching a two-year high described by the Savills Studley Report, and the driving forces behind them. The regular guest-analyst on television programs such as Bloomberg TV and Fox News specializes in emerging market trends, and has conducted real estate transactions totaling over $2 billion.

During 2016's second quarter, leasing activity reached an eight-quarter high of 8.0 million square feet (msf). Boosted by several large transactions in Grand Central, and a consistently strong Midtown South market, the record quarter marked only the second time in two years that over 5.0 msf were leased. Jacob Frydman remarked that Manhattan's office sector has not only rebounded from its crash of 2008, but that it is actually performing better than it had prior to.

Grand Central experienced five major transactions, including three of the top four in Manhattan, which totaled over 1.0 msf leased. A deal with NYU's Langone Medical Center was the largest of these; the center acquired an office space with almost 400,000 sf on East 41 st Street. Midtown South exceeded a long-term quarterly average of over 1.0 msf for the tenth time in twelve quarters, proving to be the city's most consistent market. The district has had nearly 500,000 sf of sublet space added, a sign of its willingness to adapt to small and innovative technology, advertising, media and information (TAMI) tenants.

Vacancy rates fell across the board with an average rate of 8.8%, and Midtown South reporting the lowest rate of 6.3%, remaining one of the tightest Central Business Districts in America. Driving competition was the TAMI sector, as these tenants accounted for 41% of new leases acquired over 10,000 sf. As a result of the persistent demand for 20,000 to 50,000 sf spaces, Cushman & Wakefield's second quarter statistics reported a June average rent price of $72.99 per square foot (psf), the highest since September of 2008.

At 13.6 msf leased during the first six months, 2016's brisk start is well above historical averages, and New York continues to be one of the nation's leading cities in employment growth. Jacob Frydman expects tenants to continue to push demand, and believes the market is fundamentally strong enough to produce activity that surpasses 2012 and 2013 levels, both benchmark years.

Over his 30-year career, Jacob Frydman has become a recognized authority in the real estate investment industry. His impressive experiences with structuring, financing, and executing highly complex real estate transactions have led him to acquire over five million square feet of property amounting over $2 billion. He often discusses business, law, and ethics at Columbia University and in the Master's Lecturer series at New York Law School. An avid philanthropist who cares greatly for his Jewish community, Frydman also supports many charitable committees, including The Chabad of Dutchess County and The Brem Foundation.

Jacob Frydman -- Blog -- JacobFrydmanNews.com: http://JacobFrydmanNews.com

Jacob Frydman -- Comments on Mixed-Use Real Estate Zoning: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/jacob-frydman-comments-mixed-real-032725072.html

Jacob Frydman -- Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/jacob-frydman

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Contact Information:

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CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The New Zealand dollar weakened against the other major currencies in the Asian session on Monday. The NZ dollar fell to a 1-week low of 72.61 against the yen, a 6-day low of 1.5567 against the euro and a 5-day low of 0.7165 against the U.S. dollar, from last week's closing quotes of 72.82, 1.5493 and 0.7189, respectively. Against the Australian dollar, the kiwi edged down to 1.0661 from Friday's closing value of 1.0614. If the kiwi extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 69.00 against the yen, 1.59 against the euro, 0.69 against the greenback and 1.08 against the aussie. 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.
NOT FOR RELEASE, DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA OR JAPAN OR ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO MIGHT CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION.

This announcement is an advertisement and not an admission document or a prospectus. It does not constitute an offer of securities for sale or subscription in any jurisdiction. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities referred to in this announcement except in compliance with applicable securities laws on the basis of information in the final version of the pre-admission announcement (the "Pre-Admission Announcement") to be published by Aura Energy Limited in due course in connection with the proposed placing (the "Placing") and admission of its ordinary shares, and to be issued ordinary shares (the "Shares") to trading on AIM, a market of the London Stock Exchange plc (the "London Stock Exchange"). The Financial promotion number is FP303.

15 August 2016

AURA ENERGY LIMITED

("Aura" or the "Company")

INTENTION TO FLOAT ON AIM

Aura Energy Limited, an ASX listed uranium development company focused on developing projects in Africa and Europe towards production, announces its intention to seek admission of its Shares to trading on AIM, a market of the London Stock Exchange ("Admission"). WH Ireland Limited is acting as Nominated Advisor and Sole Broker to the Company in relation to Admission.

Aura has a simple development approach as it looks to build itself into a cash-generative uranium producer in the near to mid term. Its immediate growth strategy is focused on development of its 49Mlbs Tiris uranium project in Mauritania ("Tiris"), a Feasibility Study of which is currently underway and expected to be completed in late 2017. The Company is also advancing its longer-term 803Mlbs Haggan uranium project in Sweden ("Haggan"). In addition, the Company is exploring opportunities in gold, lithium and soda ash in Mauritania.

Placing Highlights

The Directors intend that the Placing funds will be used to contribute towards the costs of progressing the Tiris Feasibility Study towards completion in 2017, general working capital, and costs of placing and admission.

Admission expected to occur in Q3 2016.

Company Key Strengths

100% ownership of a portfolio of the following prospective uranium projects where scoping studies (1) indicate:

Tiris, Mauritania : shallow open-pit mining project with a 49Mlbs U 3 0 8 Indicated and Inferred Resource, 94% recovery rates and simple processing allowing a potential 500% grade uplift, C1 Cash costs of US$30 /lb U?O? and low-capex costs of US$45m and an MOU signed with a Chinese engineering group for project and equipment financing.

Haggan, Sweden : a 803Mlbs U 3 0 8 Indicated and Inferred Resource, C1 Cash costs US$13.50 /lb U?O? (including associated metal credits) and US$537m capital cost. The information was prepared and first disclosed under the JORC Code 2004. It has not been updated since to comply with the JORC Code 2012 on the basis that the information has not materially changed since it was last reported.

Summaries of the relevant Scoping Studies are available on the Company's website (www.auraenergy.com.au).

Uranium market opportunity: the directors believe there will be increased uranium demand and price growth due to the increasing nuclear energy supply deficit (World Nuclear Association, March 2016 ).

Additional exploration upside: The Company has applied for Mauritanian gold, soda ash and lithium exploration permits.

Management has extensive resource experience.

The directors intend to use the proposed Placing proceeds to move the Tiris' Feasibility Study towards completion in 2017 and for associated corporate costs.

(1) A scoping study is an order-of-magnitude technical and economic study of the potential viability of Mineral Resources. The studies were completed by both management and consultants. The outcomes of the studies were then verified by Tenova Mining (Tiris project) and RMDSTED (Haggan project).

Peter Reeve, Executive Chairman of Aura, commented: "We are looking to dual list on AIM, an attractive marketplace for us given our European and African focus, at a transformational time of Aura Energy's development as we continue to position ourselves as a leading uranium developer, advancing our projects towards high-margin, profitable production in the near to medium term.

"We believe the market opportunity for the next generation of uranium production projects is evident and the long-term uranium growth fundamentals are highly positive. There has been little new investment into the uranium sector, yet the world's energy needs are growing exponentially and we believe the resultant supply deficit in nuclear energy is significant. Aura intends to help balance this potential supply deficit by developing uranium projects for the nuclear energy sector.

"Aura has an attractive proposition with a low-capex, near-term 49 Mlbs U 3 O 8 production asset in Mauritania (Tiris) and a exciting project in Sweden (Haggan). At Tiris, a Feasibility Study is in progress and expected to be completed in late 2017 with mine construction following, subject to funding. In addition the Company has applied for gold, lithium and soda ash permits in Mauritania which, with our in-country knowledge and resources, we believe will add further shareholder value.

"We believe these assets, coupled with our clear strategy of phased development and low capital costs to allow early cashflow generation, and a management team with extensive resource experience, sets Aura apart from other uranium exploration and development companies on the market."

The Directors of Aura believe that an AIM Admission will assist the Group by enhancing its market profile. The Directors also believe that this increased profile and status should assist the Company by improving its ability to advance its mineral exploration, develop its projects, attract funding and where appropriate, attract joint venture partners. In particular, the Directors consider that Admission will facilitate future investment in the Company by European investors, and anticipate it will encourage the recruitment of additional high quality, experienced local staff.

The Directors intend that the Placing funds will be used to contribute towards the costs of progressing the Tiris Feasibility Study towards completion in 2017, general working capital, and costs of placing and admission.

For more information please visit www.auraenergy.com.au or contact the following :

Aura Energy Limited

Peter Reeve(CEO and Chairman) Telephone: +61 (3) 9516 6500 WH IrelandLimited

Adrian Hadden

Katy Mitchell

James Bavister Telephone:+44 (0) 207220 1666 Yellow Jersey PR Pty Limited

Felicity Winkles

Joe Burgess Telephone:

+44 (0) 7748 843 871

+44 (0) 7769 325 254

Additional Information:

Board of Directors

Peter Reeve, Executive Chairman

Peter Reeve has been involved in the Australian resources industry for approximately 25 years and, as a professional metallurgist, has held positions with Rio Tinto, Shell-Billiton, Newcrest Mining and Normet Consulting. For seven years Peter worked at JB Were as a Resource Specialist Fund Manager and a Resource Corporate Finance Director. He has been a management consultant in South Africa and was involved in an African iron ore start-up.

Peter was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ivanhoe Australia, which he co-founded with Robert Friedland, and was a Director of both EXCO Resources and Emmerson Resources.

Peter's specialisation is the development of company strategy and the commercialisation of projects, and alignment with the global investment community and international resource corporations.

Dr Bob Beeson BSc (Hons), PhD, Non-Executive Officer

Dr. Bob Beeson is a professional geologist with over 35 years' experience in mineral exploration and development. He has held senior management positions with Billiton Australia, Acacia Resources, North Limited and New Hampton Goldfields and has extensive experience in leading and managing teams in many regions of the world. He was Managing Director of Aura Energy Ltd since its listing in 2006 and in 2015 vacated the position and is now Non-Executive Director. He is also a Non-Executive Director of Drake Resources Limited.

Highlights of Dr. Beeson's specific uranium exploration experience include:

Led major geochemical exploration programmes for sediment-hosted and magmatic uranium deposits throughout South Africa ;

; Specialist geochemist in a multi-national team in the Middle East ;

; Conducted major review and targeting programme of the Alligator Rivers Uranium field for Mobil Energy Minerals; and

Led Aura's team that has made greenfields uranium discoveries in Sweden , West Africa and Western Australia .

Brett Fraser FCPA, F.Fin, B.Bus, Non-Executive Director

Mr Fraser is a qualified accountant with more than 29 years' experience in the mining, finance and securities industry Mr Fraser is an experienced company executive having served as a director and been involved in governance, negotiation, finance, development, forensic accounting and operation for a number of private and ASX listed companies. As the founder or officer of businesses in mining, securities trading, the beverage industry, media, leisure health and corporate finance Mr Fraser has extensive knowledge and skills in company operations. Mr Fraser is the Non-Executive Chairman of Blina Minerals, Non-Executive Chairman of Drake Resources Limited, former Chairman of Doray Minerals Ltd and the Securities Institute Education, WA chapter, and also a former director of Gage Roads Brewing Co and Brainytoys Limited. Mr Fraser holds a Bachelor of Business degree, is a Fellow of Certified Practising Accountants, is a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia and has completed post graduate studies in finance and marketing.

Julian Perkins MSc, DIC, ACSM, FAusIMM, MAICD, Non-Executive Director

Julian Perkins has over 40 years' experience in the global minerals industry. He has held senior technical management positions in Australia for AngloGold Ashanti Ltd, Acacia Resources Ltd, Shell Australia, and prior to that for Billiton International Metals (part of the Shell Group) in the Netherlands. He has degrees in mining and metallurgical engineering, with operational experience in underground mining in South Africa and the metallurgical operations at Nchanga on the Zambian Copperbelt. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Mr Perkins has extensive experience in research and development. He was head of the mineral processing department at the Arnhem metals research centre of Shell Research in the Netherlands for three years. In Australia he was Chairman of the Board of Parker Centre Ltd, which managed the A J Parker Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Hydrometallurgy from 2006 to 2012, having been a director prior to that. He has also been a director on the boards of the Cooperative Research Centre for Mining and the Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research. He designed and managed the early metallurgical testwork and flowsheet design for both of Aura's projects. He has been a non-executive director of Aura Energy Limited since 2011.

Senior Management

Neil Clifford BSc (Hons), MSc, Country Manager Mauritania

Neil Clifford is a geologist with extensive and successful experience in international minerals discovery and deposit evaluation. He has played key roles in the discovery of at least nine major mineral deposits in Australia, South America and Africa, for a variety of commodities including gold, uranium, copper and tin. These discoveries have included 20 million ounces of gold and seven have subsequently become mines. He played the lead role in the discovery of Aura's Tiris uranium deposits in Mauritania. He has held senior management positions in Australia and in Europe including roles as Exploration Manager with Billiton, Acacia Resources, and AngloGold. He has been involved in West Africa since 2005.

John Madden, Company Secretary

John started his career with Rio Tinto Limited (formerly CRA Limited) and held a number of positions in accounting, planning, business analysis and taxation as well as the acquisitions group. Between 1996 and 2000, John was the Manager-Finance for Rio Tinto at the Grasberg copper-gold project in West Papua. On leaving Rio Tinto in 2000, John worked in Papua New Guinea for three years on the Hidden Valley/Wafi gold projects feasibility studies and for five years on the Tampakan copper-gold project in the Philippines where he was the General Manager-Commercial & Company Secretary for Indophil NL.

John has provided strategic and commercial advice as well as specialist financial modelling services to OK Tedi Mining Limited, Intrepid Mines Limited, the Australian Iron Ore Joint Venture and Mesa Minerals Limited from 2008 to 2011.

John has extensive commercial and legal experience in Francophone Africa as heco-founded Indian Pacific Resources Limited, a Madagascar-based iron ore explorer and served as an executive officer from 2011 to 2015.

Competent Person's Statement

The Competent Person for the Tiris Metallurgical Testwork is Dr Will Goodall.

The information in the report to which this statement is attached that relates to the testwork is based on information compiled by Dr Will Goodall. Dr Goodall has sufficient experience that is relevant to the testwork program and to the activity which he is undertaking. This qualifies Dr Goodall as a Competent Personas defined in the 2012 edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Goodall is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Dr Goodall consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Competent Persons for Haggan Resource

Mr. Simon Gatehouse takes responsibility for estimation of uranium and associated metals in the Haggan Resource. This work was completed while Mr. Gatehouse was a consultant geologist, and a fulltime staff member of H&S. He is a competent person in the meaning of JORC having had a minimum of five years relevant experience in exploration and estimation of uranium and other metal resources in many parts of the world. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Mr. Gatehouse consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Dr Robert Beeson has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking. This qualifies Dr Beeson as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Robert Beeson consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Dr Beeson is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. Dr Beeson takes responsibility for the requirement of "reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction" for the reporting of Haggan Resources at the quoted cut-off grades.

The information was prepared and first disclosed under the JORC Code 2004. It has not been updated since to comply with the JORC Code 2012 on the basis that the information has not materially changed since it was last reported

Competent Persons for Tiris Resource

The Competent Person for the Tiris Resource estimation and classification is Mr Oliver Mapeto from Coffey Mining.

The Competent Person for the drill hole data and data quality is Dr Robert Beeson from Aura Energy.

The information in the report to which this statement is attached that relates to the Mineral Resource and is based on information compiled by Oliver Mapeto. Oliver Mapeto has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking. The qualifies Mr Mapeto as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 edition of the " Australian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves' Mr Mapeto is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and was employed by Coffey Mining Pty Ltd. Mr Mapeto consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Dr Robert Beeson has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking. This qualifies Dr Beeson as a Competent Person as defined in the 2004 edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Robert Beeson consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears. Dr Beeson is a member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists.

The information was prepared and first disclosed under the JORC Code 2004. It has not been updated since to comply with the JORC Code 2012 on the basis that the information has not materially changed since it was last reported

Forward-looking statements

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, 'forward-looking statements'. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms 'believes', 'estimates', 'anticipates', 'expects', 'intends', 'plans', 'may', 'will' or 'should' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this announcement are forward-looking statements. They appear in a number of places throughout this announcement and include statements regarding the Directors' or the Company's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, its operating results, financial condition, prospects, growth, expansion plans, strategies, the industry in which the Company operates and the general economic outlook.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and therefore are based on current beliefs and expectations about future events. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company's actual operating results and financial condition, and the development of the industry in which it operates may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. In addition, even if the Group's operating results, financial condition and liquidity, and the development of the industry in which the Company operates are consistent with the forward- looking statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. Accordingly, prospective investors should not rely on these forward-looking statements.

These forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company's expectations with regard thereto, any new information or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements are based, unless required to do so by law or any appropriate regulatory authority.

Important notice

This announcement, which constitutes a financial promotion for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and which has been prepared by, and is the sole responsibility of, the Company, has been approved solely for the purposes of section 21(2)(b) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 by WH Ireland Limited of 24 Martin Lane, London EC4R 0DR. WH Ireland Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

This announcement does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of section 85 of Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA"), has not been drawn up in accordance with the Prospectus Rules and does not constitute an offer of transferable securities to the public within the meaning of FSMA or otherwise.

Important information

Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be made or transmitted into the United States of America (including its territories or possessions, any state of the United States of America and the District of Columbia) (the "United States"), or distributed, directly or indirectly, in the United States. Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken or transmitted directly or indirectly into Canada, The Republic of South Africa or Japan or to any persons in any of those jurisdictions, except in compliance with applicable securities laws. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States, Canadian, South African or Japanese securities laws. The distribution of this announcement in other jurisdictions may be restricted by law and persons into whose possession this announcement comes should inform themselves about, and observe, any such restrictions. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States, Australia, Canada, The Republic of South Africa or Japan or in any jurisdiction to whom or in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful.

The securities to which this announcement relates have not been, and will not be, registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or with any regulatory authority or under any applicable securities laws of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered or sold within the United States unless registered under the Securities Act or pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in compliance with applicable state laws. There will be no public offer of the securities in the United States.

The securities referred to herein have not been registered under the applicable securities laws of Canada, The Republic of South Africa or Japan and, subject to certain exceptions, may not be offered or sold within Canada, The Republic of South Africa or Japan or to any national, resident or citizen of Canada, The Republic of South Africa or Japan.

The securities to which this announcement relates have not been approved or disapproved by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, any state securities commission in the United States or any United States regulatory authority, nor have any of the foregoing authorities passed upon or endorsed the merits of the offering of the securities or the accuracy of adequacy of this announcement. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offence in the United States.

In any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended including by Directive 2010/73/EU (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive"), this announcement is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Member State within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive.

This announcement is an advertisement. Investors should not subscribe for or purchase any securities referred to in this announcement except in compliance with applicable securities laws on the basis of information in the final version of the Pre-Admission Announcement to be published by the Company in due course in connection with the placing of its Shares and the proposed admission of its Shares to trading on AIM, a market of the London Stock Exchange.

Any purchase of Shares in the proposed Placing should be made solely on the basis of the information contained in the Pre-Admission Announcement, which contains detailed information about the Company and its management, as well as financial statements. Before purchasing any Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks that are set out in the Pre-Admission Announcement. The information in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. This announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any Shares or any other securities nor shall it (or any part of it) or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract therefor.

This announcement does not constitute a recommendation concerning the Placing. The price and value of securities and any income from them can go down as well as up. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. When you sell your investment you may get back less than you originally invested. Information in this announcement or any of the documents relating to the Placing and Admission cannot be relied upon as a guide to future performance. There is no guarantee that Admission will occur and you should not base your financial decisions on the Company's intentions in relation to Admission at this stage. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the Placing for the entity concerned.

WH Ireland Limited ("WHI"), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else in connection with the Placing and Admission, and will not regard any other person as its customer or be responsible to any other person for providing the protections afforded to its customers, nor for providing advice in relation to the Placing, Admission or any other transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement. WHI's responsibilities as the Company's nominated adviser under the 'AIM Rules for Companies' and the 'AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers' are owed solely to London Stock Exchange and are not owed to the Company or to any Director or to any other person in respect of such person's decision to acquire Shares in the Company in reliance on any part of this announcement. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is made by the Company or WHI as to any of the contents of this announcement, including its accuracy, completeness or for any other statement made or purported to be made by it or on behalf of it, the Company, the Directors or any other person, in connection with the Placing and Admission, and nothing in this announcement shall be relied upon as a promise or representation in this respect, whether as to the past or the future (without limiting the statutory rights of any person to whom this announcement is issued). WHI does not accept any liability whatsoever for the accuracy of any information or opinions contained in this announcement or for the omission of any material information from this announcement for which the Company and the Directors are solely responsible.

Certain figures contained in this announcement, including financial information, may have been subject to rounding adjustments. Accordingly, in certain instances, the sum or percentage change of the numbers contained in this announcement may not conform exactly to the total figure given.
DHS gives Somali refugees tours of airports restricted security areas

President Barack Obama's Homeland Security Department provided unvetted Somali Muslims tours of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport including its so-called restricted area. The Minnesota airport is in the top 20 in terms of passenger traffic.



The group of Somali men had "complained to Obama's U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about being harassed and profiled," according to investigative reporter Christine Williams at Jihad Watch. They even admitted they had no proof of these actions by the airport security force and the police, but they claimed they felt they were being singled out.



Johnson caved even though just two years ago, three Somali "refugees" with ties to either the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and/or Al-Shabaab were arrested after it was discovered they conspired to travel overseas and fight with the terrorist organizations. All three had security clearances for jobs at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that allowed them to go into areas travelers were not allowed, Fox 9 reported.



President Barack Obama's Homeland Security Department provided unvetted Somali Muslims tours of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport including its so-called restricted area. The Minnesota airport is in the top 20 in terms of passenger traffic.



The group of Somali men had "complained to Obama's U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson about being harassed and profiled," according to investigative reporter Christine Williams at Jihad Watch. They even admitted they had no proof of these actions by the airport security force and the police, but they claimed they felt they were being singled out.



Johnson caved even though just two years ago, three Somali "refugees" with ties to either the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and/or Al-Shabaab were arrested after it was discovered they conspired to travel overseas and fight with the terrorist organizations. All three had security clearances for jobs at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport that allowed them to go into areas travelers were not allowed, Fox 9 reported.



Her writings have appeared in many publications including: the Middle East Quarterly, FrontPage Magazine, U.S.A. Today Online, Wall Street online and the Gatestone Institute in New York where she is on the Board of Governors. She is also currently working on a book project exploring Muslim Reform and is on the Board of Advisors for the Canadian moderate Muslim organization Muslims Facing Tomorrow. Her probe discovered that these so-called "special security tours" are not available to other groups. Following the tour, Somali participants participate in a round-table with local Somali leaders to get their feedback for "modifications to practices that would allow for operations to be more culturally sensitive."



"This entire program is a travesty and a show of weakness by the United States leadership. It's political correctness reaching the level of absurdity not before seen. It's also why this country needs a change in leadership," said former counter-terrorism unit member and police officer Stanley McNaughton. "Hillary Clinton will only carry on this weak-kneed approach to fighting terrorism and protecting Americans. And that is what will get us into a large-scale war with the Islamic world," he added.



In her report, Miss Williams provided information about the growing Somali community in Minnesota: "The FBI and Congress have launched probes into the radicalization of the Somali American community in Minnesota. Al Shabaab recruits young men in local mosques and ships them off to train and fight in Somalia. Last fall the area's largest newspaper published a story confirming that Minnesota leads the nation in the number of people who have left or sought to leave the country to fight with terrorists aligned with ISIL or ISIS."



The round-table events and airport tours were organized by Abdirizak Farah, who is listed by the Homeland Security Department as a Senior Policy Adviser. According to Williams, Farah's salary jumped from $89,033 to $130,453 in five years. "It's incredible! An adviser, which is a fancy term for part-timer, is making a salary many Americans only dream of making just to show how politically correct Obama and his flunkies are," said Stanley McNaughton.




LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Gambling company William Hill Plc (WMH.L) on Monday announced that its Board has unanimously rejected the revised takeover proposal from 888 Holdings plc (888.L) and Rank Group plc (RNK.L) -Consortium, as it continues to substantially undervalue William Hill. The company said its Board continues to see no merit in engaging with the Consortium.



William Hill confirmed that it has received an unsolicited non-binding highly conditional revised proposal on August 14 from the Consortium regarding a potential combination of the three companies.



The Revised Proposal comprises 199 pence in cash and 0.860 BidCo shares per William Hill share, and would result in William Hill shareholders owning 48.8% of the combined group.



William Hill noted that with the exception of its shareholders' proposed ownership of the combined group, none of the other key terms of the Revised Proposal have changed from the original proposal of August 8.



The latest proposal equates to an estimated value of 352 pence per share, while the Consortium's previous proposal has an estimated value of 339 pence per share on the same basis. The Revised Proposal represents a premium of only 12% to the William Hill share price of 314 pence on July 22, being the last trading day prior to the announcement of a possible offer by the Consortium.



William Hill said it continues to believe that the Revised Proposal is highly opportunistic and does not reflect the inherent value of the Group.



Under the Revised Proposal, William Hill shareholders continue to be offered a substantial proportion of their consideration in highly leveraged BidCo shares. The company said it is directly relevant that the Board of William Hill continues to believe that a combination of William Hill with 888 and Rank will not enhance William Hill's strategic positioning or deliver superior value for shareholders compared against William Hill's strategy.



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Kaufland Group announces that following a rigorous selection process, it has signed a substantial contract with Displaydata for the supply of Electronic Shelf Edge Labels (ESLs) to its stores across Europe.

About Kaufland Group

Kaufland Group operates more than 650 hypermarkets in Germany. The company's headquarters is located in Neckarsulm, Baden-Wurttemberg. Kaufland offers its customers a wide range of goods with up to 60,000 products. The focus is on freshness: fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meat and sausage, cheese and fish in self-service as well as over the counter. Customers can choose between many brand-name and attractive private label products. The product range also contains a great variety of regional quality products. In addition, Kaufland offers household goods, electrical appliances, textiles, stationeries, toys, seasonal products and weekly special offers.

About Displaydata

Displaydata is the leader in the design and supply of dynamic digital display solutions incorporating fully graphic electronic shelf labels (ESLs). We help retailers optimise revenues and margins by improving the customer experience at the shelf-edge, where most purchasing decisions are made.

Displaydata's ESLs, with the option of integrated Bluetooth Low Energy beacons, enable retailers to control and drive in-store pricing and promotions with speed, agility and consistency. Fully graphic and available in three colours, the ESLs can display product, price, promotion, stock levels, social reviews, currency details and much more. Displaydata's ESLs are part of an architecture designed in partnership with retailers to be enterprise ready. The trusted platform is simple to install and needs the least amount of in-store hardware of any vendor. The wireless network is secure and the robust software enables the centralised management of any number of ESLs, across any number of stores.

For more information, please visit: www.displaydata.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005261/en/

Contacts:

Displaydata

Paul Milner, +44 (0)1344 292 114

Marketing Director

paul.milner@displaydata.com
Best-in-class companies across Africa to be recognised at Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Business frontrunners are preparing to gather at Frost & Sullivan's 2016 Growth, Innovation & Leadership (GIL) Awards Banquet on Thursday, 18 August 2016. The highly anticipated excellence awards ceremony will be held at the Cape Town's Table Bay Hotel in conjunction with the GIL: Digital Transformation, The Strategic Imperative Congress. The ceremony will celebrate exceptional companies, strategies, processes, and executives.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160810/397126

The event will commence with a networking reception followed by a formal black-tie dinner. The keynote presentation will be made by Locomute's Chief Operations Officer, Vuyisile Majola. Locomute is Africa's first car sharing network, committed to meaningfully contributing to African communities, the economy, and the environment. Later in the evening, recipients will celebrate their success and network with fellow industry game changers, while also enjoying the backdrop of the beautiful Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.

Frost & Sullivan's Best Practices Awards recognise companies across a range of regional and global markets for superior leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Frost & Sullivan's industry analyst team benchmarks market participants and measures their performance through independent, primary interviews, and secondary industry research in order to evaluate and identify best practices.

For more information, please email Samantha Park at samantha.park@frost.com. You can connect with Frost & Sullivan on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, SlideShare, and LinkedIn, for the latest news and updates. Also, we invite you to join the conversation using FrostAwards.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.

Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.

The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation, and implementation.

provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation, and implementation. The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices, as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.

For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?

Contact Us: Start the discussion



Join Us: Join our community

Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing"

Register: Gain access to visionary innovation

Contact:

Samantha Park

P: 210.247.2426

F: 210.348.1003

E: samantha.park@frost.com




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.


15 August 2016 HARBOURVEST GLOBAL PRIVATE EQUITY ESTIMATED NET ASSET VALUE INCREASES 1% DURING JULY * ESTIMATED NAV INCREASES TO $17.36 (13.12) PER SHARE * $8 MILLION RECEIVED IN REALISATIONS AND $19 MILLION INVESTED DURING THE MONTH * $1.1 BILLION INVESTMENT PIPELINE OF FUTURE COMMITMENTS * BORROWING REMAINS AT ZERO, AND HVPE HOLDS $169 MILLION OF CASH ON ITS BALANCE SHEET



HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited ('HVPE' or the 'Company'), a closed- end investment company, today announces its estimated Net Asset Value ('NAV') at 31 July 2016.



HVPE provides a complete private equity solution for public investors, managing the portfolio through four phases of the private equity cycle to create value: Commitments, Investment, Growth, and Realisation. Commitments



The Company did not make any new HarbourVest fund commitments during July. HVPE's existing HarbourVest fund commitments continued to make new investments.



HVPE's Investment Pipeline (unfunded commitments) of $1.12 billion decreased on a net basis by $18.9 million during July based on capital funded and foreign currency movement. Investment During July, HVPE invested $19.1 million primarily in HarbourVest global and international fund-of-funds and a global co-investment fund. Growth



At 31 July 2016, HVPE's estimated Net Asset Value (NAV) per share is $17.36 (13.12), a $0.13 and 0.18 increase from the 30 June 2016 estimate of $17.23 (12.94). This change resulted mainly from increasing valuations for publicly- traded holdings and positive foreign currency movement, and were partially offset by operating expenses. The GBP/USD rate as of 31 July 2016 was 1.323, while the rate as of 30 June 2016 was 1.3311.



Realisation



HVPE received $8.4 million in realisations from HarbourVest U.S. and international fund-of-funds during July. During the month, there were a total of 37 liquidity events across HVPE's underlying portfolio.



Balance Sheet and Credit Facility



HVPE has no drawings on its credit facility. At 31 July 2016, HVPE's cash ($169.0 million) and available credit ($500.0 million) total $669.0 million. Additional detail about HVPE's NAV and investment diversification can be found on HVPE's website, in the Monthly Update for 31 July 2016. Enquiries:



HarbourVest



Richard Hickman Tel: +44 (0) 20 7399 9847 rhickman@harbourvest.com



Laura Thaxter Tel: +1 (617) 348 3695 lthaxter@harbourvest.com



FleishmanHillard Fishburn



Henry Adams Tel: +44 (0) 20 8618 2975 henry.adams@fhflondon.co.uk Simon Anderson Tel: +44 (0) 20 8618 2804 HVPE@fhflondon.co.uk



Notes to Editors:



About HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited: HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited ('HVPE') is a Guernsey-incorporated closed-end investment company which has a dual listing on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam. HVPE is registered as an investment institution with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets. HVPE is designed to offer shareholders long-term capital appreciation by investing in a private equity portfolio diversified by geography, by stage of investment, by vintage year, and by industry. It invests in and alongside HarbourVest-managed funds which focus on primary fund commitments, secondary investments, and direct co- investments in operating companies. HVPE is advised by HarbourVest Advisers L.P., an affiliate of HarbourVest Partners, LLC.



About HarbourVest Partners, LLC: HarbourVest is an independent, global private markets investment specialist with more than 30 years of experience and $39 billion in assets under management. The Firm's powerful global platform offers clients investment opportunities through primary fund investments, secondary investments, and direct co-investments in commingled funds or separately managed accounts. HarbourVest has more than 340 employees, including more than 90 investment professionals across Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This global team has committed more than $30 billion to newly- formed funds, completed over $13 billion in secondary purchases, and invested $5 billion directly in operating companies. Partnering with HarbourVest, clients have access to customized solutions, longstanding relationships, actionable insights, and proven results.



This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in any jurisdiction and should not be relied upon in connection with any decision to subscribe for or acquire any Shares. In particular, this announcement does not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of an offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe for, any securities in the United States or to US Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended ('US Persons')). Neither this announcement nor any copy of it may be taken, released, published or distributed, directly or indirectly to US Persons or in or into the United States (including its territories and possessions), Canada, Australia or Japan, or any jurisdiction where such action would be unlawful. Accordingly, recipients represent that they are able to receive this announcement without contravention of any applicable legal or regulatory restrictions in the jurisdiction in which they reside or conduct business. No recipient may distribute, or make available, this announcement (directly or indirectly) to any other person. Recipients of this announcement should inform themselves about and observe any applicable legal requirements in their jurisdictions.



The Shares have not been and will not be registered under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act') or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States and, accordingly, may not be offered, sold, resold, transferred, delivered or distributed, directly or indirectly, within the United States or to US Persons. In addition, the Company is not registered under the US Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 'Investment Company Act') and shareholders of the Company will not have the protections of that act. There will be no public offer of the Shares in the United States or to US Persons.



This announcement has been prepared by the Company and its investment manager, HarbourVest Advisers L.P. (the 'Investment Manager'). No liability whatsoever (whether in negligence or otherwise) arising directly or indirectly from the use of this announcement is accepted and no representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is or will be made by the Company, the Investment Manager or any of their respective directors, officers, employees, advisers, representatives or other agents ('Agents') for any information or any of the opinions contained herein or for any errors, omissions or misstatements. None of the Investment Manager nor any of their respective Agents makes or has been authorised to make any representation or warranties (express or implied) in relation to the Company or as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of this announcement, or any other written or oral statement provided. In particular, no representation or warranty is given as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on any projections, targets, estimates or forecasts contained in this announcement and nothing in this announcement is or should be relied on as a promise or representation as to the future.



Other than as required by applicable laws, the Company gives no undertaking to update this announcement or any additional information, or to correct any inaccuracies in it which may become apparent and the distribution of this announcement. The information contained in this announcement is given at the date of its publication and is subject to updating, revision and amendment. The contents of this announcement have not been approved by any competent regulatory or supervisory authority.



This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, 'forward looking statements'. These forward looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology, including the terms 'believes', 'projects', 'estimates', 'anticipates', 'expects', 'intends', 'plans', 'goal', 'target', 'aim', 'may', 'will', 'would', 'could', 'should' or 'continue' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward looking statements include all matters that are not historical facts and include statements regarding the intentions, beliefs or current expectations of the Company. By their nature, forward looking statements involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future and may be beyond the Company's ability to control or predict. Forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. More detailed information on the potential factors which could affect the financial results of the Company is contained in the Company's public filings and reports.



HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited is registered with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets as a collective investment scheme which may offer participations in The Netherlands pursuant to article 2:66 of the Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht). All investments are subject to risk. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. Prospective investors are advised to seek expert legal, financial, tax and other professional advice before making any investment decision. The value of investments may fluctuate. Results achieved in the past are no guarantee of future results.



This announcement is issued by the Company, which is registered with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and whose registered address is Ground Floor Dorey Court Admiral Park St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 2HT.



 2016 HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited. All rights reserved.



This announcement is distributed by GlobeNewswire on behalf of GlobeNewswire clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: (i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and (ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.



Source: HarbourVest Global Private Equity Limited via GlobeNewswire [HUG#2035156]



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CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Sylogist Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: SYZ) ("Sylogist" or the "Company"), a provider of enterprise information management solutions to public and private sector customers, is pleased to announce its unaudited financial results for the third quarter of the 2016 fiscal year, ended June 30, 2016.

Q3 2016 Highlights: (Comparisons are to Q3 2015, unless otherwise noted)

-- Revenues were $9.6 million, up 45% (42% organic, 3% currency related). -- Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $4 million, and increase of 62%, or $0.17 per fully diluted share, up 75%. -- Cash from operating activities (before non-cash changes in working capital) was $3.7 million, up 62%. -- Adjusted Earnings(1) were $3 million ($0.13 per share), a 24% increase and a per share increase of 34%. -- Cash as at June 30, 2016 totalled $31.1 million. Sylogist has no debt. -- Quarterly dividend increased to $0.07 to be paid on September 15th. -- There are currently 22,874,362 Sylogist shares outstanding.

9 Months 2016 Highlights: (Comparisons are to 2015, unless otherwise noted)

-- Revenues were $27.8 million, up 41% (34% organic, 7% currency related). -- Adjusted EBITDA(1) was $11.3 million, an increase of 50%, or $0.48 per fully diluted share, up 59%. -- Cash from operating activities (before non-cash changes in working capital) was $10.1 million, up 39%. -- Adjusted Earnings(1) were $8.8 million ($0.37 per share), an 20% increase and a per share increase of 27%.

Jim Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, commented that: "Revenue growth was up 41% for the first 9 months of the year, over our fiscal 2015 results. Revenues and Adjusted EBITDA were materially higher than the previous periods, both in gross and per share terms. The Company's Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) Revenue and Adjusted EBITDA for the period ended June 30, 2016 were $35.4 million and $13.8 million ($0.58 per share), respectively.

While we have experienced tremendous operational growth, we are particularly pleased with the scale of the opportunities we have been awarded. For example, in December 2015, we announced the $2 Million first phase of a multi-phase project for one of the world's largest charitable organizations. That phase was successfully completed in June 2016 and this month we have commenced phase two. Large projects provide meaningful, long-term recurring revenue streams that bolster the foundation of our business.

We continue to allocate capital to product improvements and new development, driven by customer requirements and market opportunities. Our Bellamy Software division recently introduced new and comprehensive budgeting and asset management systems for the public sector with very positive reviews. Serenic Software recently released, with great customer acceptance, the 2016 version of its flagship Navigator product suite. Navigator is also being enhanced with the addition of the Bellamy Analytics and Reporting platforms, providing customers with improved access to information and timely decision-making knowledge.

Post Q3, we signed a global agreement with Microsoft to advance our public sector products' reach, initially in the North American mid-market segment. This agreement changes the scale our business can achieve and brings the brand value of Microsoft and their "Cloud First" strategy to the mid-market ERP public sector stage. With our proven track record in public sector financial systems, achieved through over 1,000 Serenic and Bellamy implementations, we envision a promising future.

With continued strong financial performance, the board of directors of Sylogist has approved an increase in the quarterly to $0.07. The eligible dividend will be paid on September 15th, 2016 to shareholders of record on August 31st, 2016".

Other Q3 2016 Highlights:

-- Adjusted Working Capital(1) (net of deferred revenue) was $32 million or $1.39 per share at June 30, 2016. -- Combined tax pools at the end of the third quarter were approximately $31 million (CDN). -- The Company paid regular dividends to shareholders totaling $1.5 million during the third quarter. All dividends paid by Sylogist to holders of Common Shares in the capital of the Company will be treated as eligible dividends pursuant to the Income Tax Act (Canada). -- During the quarter, the Company repurchased 245,700 of its common shares at an average price of $9.89 for a total cost of $2.4 million.

About Sylogist

Sylogist is a technology innovation company which, through strategic acquisitions, investments and operations management, provides intellectual property solutions to a wide range of public and private sector customers. It is an industry-leading publisher of mission-critical software products that satisfy the unique and sophisticated functionality requirements of public sector entities, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies. Sylogist delivers highly scalable, multi-language, multi-currency software solutions which serve the needs of an international clientele.

(1)Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Earnings and Adjusted Working Capital are non-GAAP financial measures: Adjusted EBITDA is defined as: profit for the period before stock based compensation, foreign exchange gains or losses, interest expense, bargain purchase price on acquisition, income taxes, acquisition-related costs, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted Working Capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities adjusted for deferred revenue. Adjusted Earnings is defined as Profit for the period adjusted for certain non-cash expenses (income), such as amortization of intangible assets, stock based compensation, deferred income taxes as well as foreign exchange gains or losses and certain other expenses (income).

Full financial statements together with Management's Discussion and Analysis are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Company's stock is traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SYZ. Information about Sylogist can be found at http://www.sylogist.com.

This press release is not for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws and regulations. These statements typically use words such as expect, believe, estimate, project, anticipate, plan, may, should, could and would, or the negative of these terms, variations thereof or similar terminology. By their very nature, forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific in nature. It is therefore possible that the beliefs and plans and other forward-looking expectations expressed herein will not be achieved or will prove inaccurate. Although Sylogist believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it provides no assurance that these expectations will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements with respect to Sylogist's key investments, its key relationships and its products potentially reaching broader markets. Material assumptions and factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include Sylogist's ability to attract customers and realize on its investments. Although Sylogist believes that the material assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur. Sylogist disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release

Contacts:

Sylogist Ltd.

Jim Wilson, President and CEO

(403) 266-4808



Sylogist Ltd.

Brian Grassby, Vice President, Finance and CFO

(403) 266-4808




Praxbind (idarucizumab) is the specific reversal agent for the oral anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran) 1,2

Praxbind is already available in over 5,000 hospitals worldwide and is approved in over 35 countries 3

RE-VECTO will provide insights into thediverse types of situations in which reversal of an anticoagulant is performed in clinical practice

Boehringer Ingelheim today announces its global RE-VECTO program for Praxbind (idarucizumab), the specific reversal agent for Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate).1,2 Praxbind is approved to reverse the anticoagulant effects of Pradaxa in rare critical care situations such as prior to emergency surgery or an urgent intervention, or in cases of life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding.1,2 The emergency situations in which Praxbind may be used can vary greatly, ranging from a severe car accident to a ruptured appendix. Data captured in RE-VECTO will help better understand the actual usage of the reversal agent in the clinical practice setting.4

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005531/en/

"Praxbind received its first approval in the US nearly a year ago and is now widely available in the US, the EU and several other countries worldwide," said Professor Jorg Kreuzer, Vice President Medicine, Therapeutic Area Cardiovascular, Boehringer Ingelheim. "By their nature, every emergency situation is unique. We have already seen this in our RE-VERSE AD clinical study, which could enrol all adult patients taking Pradaxa in need of reversal, and captured a broad variety of patients and situations. RE-VECTO is an additional program designed to further our understanding of the different situations in which Praxbind is used in clinical practice. This will ultimately help improve care for patients treated with Pradaxa in the rare event that reversal is needed."

The data for RE-VECTO will be captured through hospital pharmacies where Praxbind is dispensed.5 The data collected will include anonymous information about the types of patients and situations in which Praxbind was utilised.5 The data gathered from RE-VECTO will help shape future information and education on Praxbind to healthcare providers and patients.

Praxbind is the first and only specific non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) reversal agent approved for use in emergency situations when immediate reversal of the anticoagulant effect of Pradaxa is required.1,2 The efficacy and safety of idarucizumab continues to be evaluated in RE-VERSE AD a Phase III global clinical trial.6 It is designed to evaluate the types of patients and real-world situations healthcare professionals may see in emergency settings.7,8 The broad inclusion criteria ensure that even the most severely ill or injured patients (e.g. patients with sepsis or a severe intracranial haemorrhage), who require urgent reversal of dabigatran, may be enrolled in the study.7,8,9Results from an interim analysis of RE-VERSE AD showed that idarucizumab immediately reversed the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran even in critically ill and high-risk patients in emergency situations.7

This press release is issued from our Corporate Headquarters in Ingelheim, Germany and is intended to provide information about our global business. Please be aware that information relating to the approval status and labels of approved products may vary from country to country, and a country-specific press release on this topic may have been issued in the countries where we do business.

~ENDS~

Please click on the link below for 'Notes to Editors and References':

http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/press-release/boehringer-ingelheim-launches-re-vecto-global-program

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005531/en/

Contacts:

Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH

Friederike Middeke

Phone: +49 6132 77 141575

Fax: +49 6132 77 6601

E-mail: press@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Boehringer

or

More information

www.boehringer-ingelheim.com
DUBLIN, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The report forecasts the global pneumococcal vaccine market to grow at a CAGR of 13.69% during the period 2016-2020.

Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: Emergence of protein-based combination pneumococcal vaccines will be a key trend for market growth. There is an increasing number of new pneumococcal protein-based vaccines, which are undergoing clinical trial evaluations.

These protein-based vaccines consist of serotype-independent subunit vaccines containing purified proteins and antigens that are expressed by recombinant bacteria. These vaccines will avoid the problems of serotype replacement by directly targeting proteins that are highly preserved among many pneumococcal serotypes.

According to the report, availability of global action plans for pneumonia vaccines will be a key driver for market growth. A consultation was held in Geneva in 2006, where WHO, in collaboration with vaccine manufacturers, public health organizations, academic experts, and funding agencies from developed and developing countries, developed the global action plan for pneumococcal vaccine. The plan was intended to combat the global shortage of pneumococcal vaccine.

It is a comprehensive strategy focused on increasing the use of the vaccine, and increasing its production capacity and R&D. WHO is working to promote the use of pneumonia vaccines by encouraging its member states to develop a policy for pneumonia vaccination.

Questions Answered:

What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Companies Mentioned:

Pfizer

Sanofi

Merck

GSK

Abera

AstraZeneca

Baxter

Beijing Minhai Biotechnology

Biken

Biogen

Celgene

Eli Lilly

Genentech

Genocea Biosciences

ImmunoBiology

Lupin

Nuron Biotech

Panacea Biotec

S K Chemicals

Serum Institute of India

Sinovac

Valneva Austria

Report Structure:

PART 01: Executive summary

PART 02: Scope of the report

PART 03: Market research methodology

PART 04: Introduction

PART 05: Pneumococcal vaccine: Overview

PART 06: Market landscape

PART 07: Geographical segmentation

PART 08: Market drivers

PART 09: Impact of drivers

PART 10: Market challenges

PART 11: Impact of drivers and challenges

PART 12: Market trends

PART 13: Vendor landscape

PART 14: Appendix

PART 15: About the Author

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/h2xxqb/global

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Callinex Mines Inc. (the "Company" or "Callinex") (TSX VENTURE: CNX)(OTCQX: CLLXF) is pleased to announce that it has completed the previously announced transactions to acquire a 100% ownership stake in the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") deposits located in Eastern Canada (See News Releases dated May 14 and 16, 2016). These projects host a large inventory of zinc and precious metal-rich mineral resources within established Canadian mining jurisdictions. Advanced stage assets such as these position Callinex to benefit from rising zinc prices, which has been one of the top performing metals in 2016 based on a supply-demand deficit that is expected to widen even further.

The newly acquired VMS projects host a total Indicated mineral resources containing 468 million pounds of zinc, 4.6 million ounces of silver and 95 million pounds of lead, and total Inferred mineral resources containing 861 million pounds of zinc, 484,000 ounces of gold and 11.5 million ounces of silver, 146 million pounds of copper and 75 million pounds of lead. See "Table 1 - Total Mineral Resources" below for further details of the Indicated mineral resources and Inferred mineral resources.

Additionally, Callinex has engaged Tetra Tech Inc. to prepare updated technical reports for the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack VMS deposits in accordance with section 4.2(7)(c) of National Instrument 43-101. It is anticipated that these technical reports will be filed on SEDAR before September 30, 2016.

Point Leamington VMS Project, Newfoundland, Canada

As part of Callinex's due diligence process, its technical team identified an opportunity to materially increase metallurgical recovery of gold at the project, which represents a significant portion of the deposit that has an inferred mineral resource of approximately 484,000 ounces of gold in addition to zinc, copper, silver and lead (see Table 1 below). Relatively recent metallurgical advancements that will be investigated include the creation of an arsenopyrite concentrate that could contain significant gold mineralization.

Callinex plans to conduct metallurgical testing in calendar Q4 2016 to further define the relationship between gold and arsenopyrite, as indicated by previous test work completed during the 1980s. If this relationship is confirmed in significant quantities, then Callinex will proceed with additional metallurgical testing which could provide the basis for future economic studies.

Previous tests completed by Noranda, based on representative samples of the deposit, indicate a strong correlation between elevated gold and arsenic levels. A recently completed study of drill hole samples that were assayed for gold and arsenic showed that 90% of all gold intercepts containing over 0.80 g/t gold levels also had arsenic levels over 0.22%, which was the basic maximum limit obtained during the historic assaying program.

Callinex anticipates this metallurgical test work will further refine the anticipated recovery rate for zinc, which had previously been estimated to be up to 85% resulting in a concentrate grading approximately 50% zinc. Several advancements have been made to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of fine grinding techniques, which may increase the average recovery rate for the contained metals.

Additionally, Callinex has been reviewing its proprietary exploration database including over 2,400 line-kilometers of modern airborne electromagnetic survey data in order to increase the land position along strike from the deposit and in nearby areas with similar geological setting as the Point Leamington deposit. It is anticipated that newly staked and/or acquired claims will also cover untested geophysical anomalies within prospective geological units.

Nash Creek VMS Project, New Brunswick, Canada

Callinex has engaged Tetra Tech Inc. to provide an updated resource estimate on the Nash Creek Project that incorporates new data, including over 4,500 density measurements to further understand the specific gravity and overall size of the deposit. It is anticipated that the total tonnes and contained metal within Indicated mineral resources should increase based on this new data.

Additional metallurgical work is planned to evaluate the potential for Dense Media Separation ("DMS"). Initial metallurgical testing indicated high recoveries for zinc, lead and silver relative to a typical VMS deposit and that the coarse grained nature of mineralization is potentially favorable for a low-cost processing operation. DMS is a well-known technology that is designed to significantly increase the grade by reducing waste rock.

The technical team has also been evaluating and ranking drilling targets that have the potential to materially increase the size of the Hickey and Hayes Zones that form the bulk of the known Nash Creek deposit. In particular, the higher grade and southernmost Hayes Zone deposit, appears to remain open to the south. Of prime exploration interest is a 1,200m wide, mostly untested gap in the drill coverage between the higher grade Hayes Zone and the prospective Central Zn/Pb-mineralized Zone located due east of the Hayes Zone. Only four drill holes have been completed to date on the Central Zone.

Superjack VMS Project, New Brunswick, Canada

The Superjack Project is known to host three VMS deposits (the A, B and C Zones) all of which remain open at depth. The largest deposit is the A Zone which has been drilled over an approximate 250m strike length down to a vertical depth of 450m. The deepest holes drilled to define the A Zone contain high-grade mineralization, including drill hole NP11-54 which intersected 5.88m of 5.48% Zn, 2.34% Pb, 0.41% Cu, 0.52g/t Au and 73.74 g/t Ag and hole NP11-39 which intersected 2.55m of 14.97% Zn, 1.38% Pb, 0.27% Cu, 0.03 g/t Au and 32.53 g/t Ag. Eastern Geophysics was contracted to complete two borehole geophysical surveys and the results are currently being interpreted to evaluate the potential for mineralization continuing at depth. Based on favorable results, Callinex plans to complete at least two holes to test the down-dip continuation for high-grade mineralization.

Additionally, both B and C Zones appear to be relatively open along strike and at depth and have never been evaluated with the use of borehole geophysical tehcnology. A 3D gravity inversion model completed by Callinex's technical team exhibits a strong correlation to the known massive sulphide mineralization and indicates these zones have depth potential. There are a few interesting near-surface gravity targets along strike from the A, B and C Zones and are associated with coincident lead-zinc soil anomalies that have not been drill tested to date.

The Superjack Project is considered a highly prospective exploration project based on the significant VMS mineralization already identified from previous drilling. The Superjack deposit is hosted in the same favourable stratigraphic package as the recently closed and nearby, world-class Brunswick #12 VMS orebody, which is located approximately 15km to the northeast. The Brunswick #12 VMS mine was one of the largest underground zinc mines in the world.

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by James Pickell, P.Geo, a Consultant to the Callinex, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Pickell has reviewed the Technical Report and Resource Estimate for Point Leamington prepared by Tetra Tech and has also reviewed the Superjack and Nash Creek Technical Reports and Resource Estimates prepared by Tetra Tech and Wardrop.

Zinc Market Overview

Since 2013 approximately 10% of global mine supply has been reduced leading to a supply-demand deficit. As a result, the price of zinc has risen over 40% this year as above ground inventories continue to decline and smelter treatment costs have also dropped significantly.

Goldman Sachs estimates that the global zinc shortage is expected to more than triple by 2017. In addition, above ground stockpiles of zinc on the London Metal Exchange have decreased by more than 50% since 2013. Goldman Sachs recently stated that zinc has the most favorable supply-side fundamentals of any metal.Zinc demand is projected to modestly increase over the years ahead based largely on planned infrastructure spending globally. In particular, Chinese consumption related to infrastructure spending has significantly increased in 2016 and is expected to continue.

The combination of declining supply and increasing demand has led to the vast majority of analysts forecasting higher zinc prices in the next 12 to 24 months. Leading research firm Wood Mackenzie estimates that a price of $1.60 is necessary to incentivize sufficient new production to keep pace with demand.

Table 1: Total Mineral Resources(2)(3)(4)(5)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated Mineral Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut-off Zn Pb Ag Au Cu Project (Zn Eq). Tonnes (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nash Creek 2.0 7,807,900 2.72 0.55 18.26 n/a n/a ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 7,807,900 2.72 0.55 18.26 n/a n/a ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred Mineral Resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cut-off Zn Pb Ag Au Cu Project (Zn Eq). Tonnes (%) (%) (g/t) (g/t) (%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Point Leamington 4.0 14,093,000 1.86 0.02 17.12 1.07 0.42 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Superjack 1.5 3,211,015 3.01 0.78 29.45 n/a 0.27 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nash Creek 2.0 1,211,700 2.66 0.52 18.00 n/a n/a ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 18,515,715 2.11 0.18 19.32 0.81 0.37 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes:

1. CIM definition standards were followed for the resource estimates. 2. Mineral Resources that are not mineral reserves do not have economic viability. 3. The quantity and grade of reported inferred resources in this estimation are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred resources as an indicated or measured mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in upgrading them to an indicated or measured mineral resource category. 4. The Point Leamington resource models used Inverse Distance grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model with mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids. A base cutoff grade of 4.0 % ZnEq was used for reporting resources. Zinc Equivalent (ZnEq) calculated using $0.94/lb for Zinc, $1.00/lb for Lead, $3.69/lb for Copper, $1380 /oz Au for gold and $22.73/oz Ag for silver and metallurgical recoveries and net smelter returns are assumed to be 100%. 5. Estimation of the Nash Creek resources included the interpolation methods of nearest neighbour (NN), inverse distance squared (ID2) and ordinary kriging (OK). The resource estimate was prepared by Tetra Tech using Datamine Studio 3 (v.3.20.6420.0) software. The methods were validated by a comparison of global statistics and a visual review of coded block grades. 6. The Nash Creek resource estimate was completed using a 2.0% zinc equivalent (ZNEQ) cut-off grade for both the Northern Hickey Zone and the Southern Hayes Zone. The metal prices were based on four-year moving averages (September 2004 to September 2008) taken from a database maintained by Wardrop. 7. See news releases dated May 14, 2016 and May 16, 2016.

About Callinex Mines Inc.

Callinex Mines Inc. is focused on discovering and developing copper and zinc rich mines within prolific Canadian VMS mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively exploring its Pine Bay Project, located in the Flin Flon mining district of Manitoba, which hosts significant historic VMS deposits that are within close proximity to a processing facility. The larger project portfolio hosts three significant zinc rich mineral resources including the Point Leamington, Nash Creek and Superjack Projects located in Eastern Canada.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the ability to complete contemplated work programs and the timing and amount of expenditures. Callinex does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Contacts:

Callinex Mines Inc.

Max Porterfield

President and Chief Executive Officer

(604) 605-0885

info@callinex.ca

www.callinex.ca




Voucher Leopard has officially launched their online presence within the voucher code market and are looking for UK dominance. The site offers the most up to date discounts and coupon codes enabling consumers to shop online for their favourite brands at a discounted price.

The sites mission statement is to be the UK's leading coupon and voucher site initially while offering its consumers the most relevant, accurate and updated daily discounts codes which are entered manually and automatically.

The market as ever is shifting towards a consumer dominant market, retailers are continually competing to take a percentage of the retail market which is promoting the coupon sector and VoucherLeopard.co.uk is passing on those discounts to its growing audience.

The site maintains its importance of being easy to navigate, its functionality allows the consumer to search a retailer's code and its competitors code allowing the shopper to acquire the best offer available on the market, its simplicity and accuracy is what drives the sites success.

Voucher Leopard already boasts of partners such as Curry's, Waitrose, Groupon and Argos but to name a few and with exclusive codes available only to Voucher Leopard it is clear why its online presence is fast becoming the preferred choice of many online shoppers

More information can be found at http://www.voucherleopard.co.uk/

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005789/en/

Contacts:

VL Discounts Ltd

Matthew Rigby

01273 930025

info@voucherleopard.co.uk

http://www.voucherleopard.co.uk
Fuzzy blues rockers Staticland on tap



Jeff Angells Staticland, Sunday, 8 p.m., Sept. 11. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10.

With an unexpected, indefinite hole in their schedule, Jeff Angell, along with key collaborator Benjamin Anderson, were offered the opportunity to expand on the sound they had defined in their previous bands. They recruited Post Stardom Depression drummer Joshua Fant, entered a rehearsal room in Seattle and started, as Angell calls it, "putting in the time."

The songs came together quickly, and before they knew it, they had conceived a thrilling batch of new material that succeed in capturing the spontaneity and excitement of people who are passionate about making music and that have the experience to do it well. The songs swing and shuffle savagely. They are dynamic and diverse, while each stands as an achievement on its own.

Monsters of Rock tribute coming up

Saturday, Sept. 24, 9 p.m. Tickets for the age-21-plus show are $10.

Billings band Kicking Karma leads this special rock show.

Lil Smokies to make Billings return

Thursday, Oct. 13, 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

With their roots submerged in the thick buttery mud of traditional bluegrass, the Lil Smokies have sonically blossomed into a leading player in the progressive acoustic sphere, creating a new and wholly unique, melody driven sound of their own. The quintet from Missoula has been hard at work, writing, touring and playing to an ever-growing fan base for the past six years. The fruits of their labor recently culminating with their win this year at the 2015 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition.

In October 2014, they were nominated by the Internal Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) for Momentum Band of the Year and in 2013 they won The Northwest String Summit Band Competition. With a unique blend of traditional bluegrass, newgrass, innumerable unique originals, sheer raw energy and exquisite musicianship, the Lil Smokies weave seamlessly through genres, leaving behind melodies youll be singing to yourself for days and a jaw youll have to pick up off the floor.

Dead Larry back to play free show

Thursday, Oct. 20, 9 p.m. For ages 21 and over.

Dead Larrys powerful blend of high energy rock, dance and funk shakes the foundation of modern music. From rock driven sea shanties to pulsating dance beats. From Beatlesque harmonies to spine-chilling screams. From shake-yo-booty funk jams to orchestral themes of space and time travel. Dead Larry is one thing: Original. The band was formed in a basement in high school, and after nearly 10 years of writing, touring and chasing the dream they have a grown to be one of the most prominent independent rock bands coming out of the Midwest.

Brothers Gow plan November stop

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 8 p.m. The age-21-plus show is free.

The San Diego-based quintet Brothers Gow combines rock, funk, jazz and reggae influences with thoughtful lyrics, deep grooves and an ear for improvisation that keeps each show fresh and unique. This well-seasoned band started off in Flagstaff, Ariz., and since moving to Southern California they have developed a more dynamic sound, adding strong vocal harmonies and complex arrangements to their guitar-driven rock.

Minnesota troubadour Parr to perform

Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 p.m. Tickets for the age-21-plus show are $7.

An easily confused and very shy individual, Charlie Parr has been traveling around singing his songs ever since leaving Austin, Minn., in the 1980s in search of folk legend Spider John Koerner, whom he found about 100 miles north at the Viking Bar one Sunday night. The experience changed his life, made him more or less unemployable, and brings us to now: 13 recordings, 250 shows a year or more, 200,000 miles on a well broken-in Kia, and a nasty fear of heights.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Pangolin Diamonds Corp. (TSX VENTURE: PAN) (the "Company" or "Pangolin") is pleased to announce that Gareth Penny has been elected to the board of directors (the "Board") of Pangolin to hold the position of non-executive Chairman of the Board.

Mr. Penny has worked in various forms of mining over the past three decades. For 22 years, Mr. Penny was with De Beers and Anglo American, the last five of which he was Group CEO of De Beers. Mr. Penny is currently non-Executive Chairman of MMC Norilsk Nickel, a world leader in nickel and palladium production and a leading producer of platinum and copper. Mr. Penny also currently acts as non-Executive Director and RemCo Chairman of Julius Bar Holding Limited, a listed Swiss bank focused on wealth management.

During his tenure with De Beers, Mr. Penny was instrumental in reshaping not only the world's largest diamond company, but also the diamond industry. Mr. Penny was the prime architect in the change to the De Beers business model, which replaced over 100 years of supply-side management in the rough diamond business with demand-driven initiatives that have generated significant value creation for De Beers and the diamond industry.

Mr. Penny has had exposure across the diamond pipeline, spending time with geologists in the field, overseeing the development of new mining projects in Botswana, South Africa and Canada, managing mining operations in various countries, raising funds, and sorting, valuing and marketing diamonds. Mr. Penny has also been heavily involved in reputational and governance enhancements in the diamond industry.

"We are very pleased to have Mr. Penny join the Board of Pangolin. His lifetime industry experience and proven leadership and operational skills, coupled with his extensive international business management expertise, will be invaluable additions to our Board," commented Dr. Leon Daniels, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Mr. Penny's position on the Board is subject to the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").

In connection with today's appointment, options to purchase up to 2,000,000 common shares ("Options") were granted to Mr. Penny pursuant to the Company's stock option plan (the "Plan"). The Options are subject to vesting provisions in accordance with the Plan and are exercisable at a price of $0.15 per share for a period of five years.

Closing of Private Placement

The Company is also pleased to announce the closing of a non-brokered private placement financing for aggregate gross proceeds of $560,794 (the "Offering"). Proceeds of the Offering will be used to continue the exploration program, inclusive of drilling, at the Company's priority Malatswae project during 2016. In addition, the proceeds of the Offering will provide working capital to the Company in order to further its exploration commitments at its other 100% owned diamond projects in Botswana.

The Offering consisted of 5,607,944 units of the Company ("Unit") at a price of $0.10 per Unit, with each Unit consisting of one common share in the capital of the Company ("Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one Common Share at a price of $0.15 for a period of sixty (60) months from the date hereof. Insiders of Pangolin participated in an aggregate amount of $94,000 representing 16.7% of the total Offering.

The financing was facilitated by Aberdeen Gould Capital Markets Ltd. ("Aberdeen"), a Toronto based exempt market dealer. In consideration for the services of Aberdeen, the Company paid a cash commission of $3,500 and issued 35,000 compensation warrants ("Compensation Warrants") to Aberdeen, with each Compensation Warrant entitling Aberdeen to purchase one Unit for a period of two years from the date hereof ton the same terms and pricing of the Units.

The Offering is subject to the final acceptance of the TSXV, and all securities issued pursuant to the Offering are subject to a four month and one-day hold period in compliance with Canadian securities laws.

About Pangolin Diamonds Corp. and Our Social Connections

For more information on Pangolin Diamonds Corp., please visit our website at http://pangolindiamonds.com

Follow us on Twitter @pangolindiamond and Facebook at Pangolin Diamonds Corp

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

Pangolin Diamonds Corp.

Scott Young

Investor Relations

+1.705.888.2756

syoung@pangolindiamonds.com



Pangolin Diamonds Corp.

Graham C. Warren

Chief Financial Officer

+1.416.594.0473

+1.416.594.1630 (FAX)

gwarren@pangolindiamonds.com




Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc

15 August 2016

Publication of Final Terms

The following Final Terms are available for viewing:

Final Terms dated 12 August 2016 (the "2025 Notes Final Terms") relating to the issue by Shell International Finance B.V. of 1,250,000,000 0.375 per cent. Guaranteed Notes due 15 February 2025 (the "2025 Notes") pursuant to the Multi-Currency Debt Securities Programme

Final Terms dated 12 August 2016 (the "2028 Notes Final Terms") relating to the issue by Shell International Finance B.V. of 1,000,000,000 0.750 per cent. Guaranteed Notes due 15 August 2028 (the "2028 Notes") pursuant to the Multi-Currency Debt Securities Programme

The 2025 Notes Final Terms contain the final terms of the 2025 Notes and the 2028 Notes Final Terms contain the final terms of the 2028 Notes. Each Final Terms must be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum dated 9 August 2016 (the "Information Memorandum"). The Information Memorandum constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended. Full information on Shell International Finance B.V. (as Issuer) and Royal Dutch Shell plc (as Guarantor) and the offer of the 2025 Notes and the 2028 Notes is only available on the basis of the combination of the Information Memorandum and the relevant Final Terms.

The Final Terms have been filed with the UK Listing Authority. To view the Final Terms, please paste the following URL into the address bar of your browser.

2025 Notes Final Terms

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

2028 Notes Final Terms

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

The Final Terms have also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

Enquiries:

Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44 (0)207 934 5550

Shell Investor Relations

Europe: + 31 70 377 3996

United States: +1 713 241 1042

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Information Memorandum may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Information Memorandum) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Information Memorandum is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Information Memorandum, you must ascertain from the Information Memorandum whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

This publication does not constitute an offering of the securities described in the Information Memorandum for sale in the United States. This is not for distribution in the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any relevant securities laws of any state of the United States and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

Your right to access this service is conditional upon complying with the above requirement.
TSX-V:ELY

VANCOUVER, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") (TSX-V: ELY, OTC: ELYGF) is pleased to announce its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nevada Select Royalty, Inc. ("Nevada Select") has executed a purchase agreement (the "Agreement") for the sale of its 100% owned Mina Gold property located in Mineral County, Nevada to Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) ("Gold Resource") for US$1,000,000. Nevada Select will retain a net smelter royalty ("NSR") of separate and varying percentages on various claims on the Mina Gold property. Closing of the Agreement (the "Closing"), which is subject to Securities Exchange Commission approval, is expected to be on or about August 19, 2016.

Terms of the Agreement include:

a total sale price of US$1,000,000 to be paid, at Closing, as follows: US$150,000 cash as a one-time advance royalty payment; US$850,000 in Gold Resource restricted common stock, which equated to 130,000 shares issued at the closing price on August 12, 2016 of $6.53 per share;

to be paid, at Closing, as follows: Nevada Select will retain various NSR's on the Mina Gold property;

Gold Resource will receive Mina Gold property deeds at Closing, and will own 100% of all 48 claims.

Terms of the NSR retained by Nevada Select include:

a 3% NSR on five patented claims;

a 2% NSR on thirty-nine unpatented claims, staked by Nevada Select;

a 1.5% NSR on four unpatented claims, purchased by Nevada Select with existing .5% NSR;

a 2% NSR on additional unpatented claims staked by Gold Resource within a one-mile area of interest;

Gold Resource has the option to buy-down 1% of the NSR on the patented claims for US$1,000,000 ;

; Gold Resource has the option to buy-down .5% of the NSR on all unpatented claims for US$500,000 .

The Mina Gold property covers an area of approximately 825 acres consisting of 43 unpatented claims and five patented claims in central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt located in Mineral County, approximately seven miles northeast of Gold Resources' Gold Mesa property. Gold mineralization at Mina Gold is hosted by epithermal quartz veins occurring along fault zones in volcanic host rock outcropping at the surface.

Trey Wasser, President and CEO of Ely Gold stated, "We are extremely pleased to complete our second transaction with Gold Resource and we hope to continue this partnership as they expand their Nevada operations. The Mina Gold project is an exemplary demonstration of Ely Gold's new business model of acquisition and packaging of properties while retaining NSRs. Our team skill-sets for project development allow us to generate new exciting properties and attract quality mining partners. We anticipate making further sales and accretive acquisitions to add to our current platform in Nevada"

Nevada Select has successfully consolidated the Mina gold property by completing the following transactions:

purchased eight unpatented claims from Nevada Eagle LLC "NEL" (refer to press release dated May 4, 2016 );

); under the terms of the NEL purchase, the Company negotiated a property exchange with Timberline Resources Corp. for the five Mina patented claims;

staked 35 additional claims in April 2016 ;

; negotiated the termination of the underlying 2% NSR with Till Capital (refer to news release dated August 12, 2016 );

); acquired and organized a large historical data base.

Jerry Baughman, President of Nevada Select, commented, "Our Mina Gold project is an excellent example of how we are able to quickly consolidate claims and generate fresh properties that have not seen exploration in the current mining cycle. Our ability to acquire properties through acquisition and staking, coupled with Ely Gold's capacity to secure capital financing, puts Nevada Select in a unique position to offer 100% ownership to our partners while securing and retaining royalties. We look forward to updating our shareholders with additional Nevada-based transactions in the near future.

About Ely Gold

Ely Gold is focused on developing recurring cash flow streams through the acquisition, consolidation, enhancement, and resale of highly prospective, un-encumbered North American precious metals properties. Ely's property development efforts maximize each property's potential for acquisition, while reserving significant royalty interests. Additional information about Ely Gold is available at the Company's website, atwww.elygoldinc.com

Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo, is director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Kenwood has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements concerning Ely Gold and Mineral's acquisition, development, and marketing of North American precious metal resource properties and the Company's intent to sell or option portfolio properties, while reserving any royalties. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect.

Although Ely Gold and Minerals' believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with geological, geometrical and geophysical interpretation and analysis, the ability of the Company to obtain financing, equipment, supplies and qualified personnel necessary to carry on exploration, exploitation or acquisition of properties and the general risks and uncertainties involved in mineral exploration and analysis.

The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.



trey@elygoldinc.com, 972-803-3087; ir@elygoldinc.com, 647 964 0292




CALGARY, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Peyto Exploration & Development Corp. ("Peyto") (TSX: PEY) is excited to celebrate the culmination of $2 billion in dividend payments to shareholders by confirming the monthly dividend with respect to August 2016. The monthly dividend of $0.11 per common share is to be paid on September 15, 2016, for shareholders of record on August 31, 2016. The ex-dividend date is August 29, 2016.

Including this August dividend, a total of $16.53/share has been paid out of the Company's cumulative earnings of $2.1 billion. These cumulative earnings are the result of 18 years of profitable capital investment which has totalled $5 billion.

Dividends paid by Peyto to Canadian residents are eligible dividends for Canadian income tax purposes.

Shareholders and interested investors are encouraged to visit the Peyto website at www.peyto.com to learn more about what makes Peyto one of North America's most exciting energy companies. The website also includes the President's monthly report, which discusses various topics chosen by the President and includes estimates of monthly capital expenditures and production.

Certain information set forth in this document, including management's assessment of Peyto's future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond these parties' control, including the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, currency fluctuations, imprecision of reserve estimates, environmental risks, competition from other industry participants, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, stock market volatility and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Peyto's actual results, performance or achievement could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements and, accordingly, no assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that Peyto will derive therefrom. The Toronto Stock Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein.

Contacts:

Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

Darren Gee

President and Chief Executive Officer

(403) 237-8911

(403) 451-4100 (FAX)




Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2016) - Diamond Fields International Ltd. (TSXV: DFI) ("DFI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a conditional Purchase Agreement with Pala Investments Limited ("Pala") and Austral Resources Limited ("Austral") for the purchase of the Beravina Zircon deposit (the "Deposit") in Madagascar (the "Agreement"), subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Pala and Austral collectively own 100% of the issued shares of Action Mining Limited ("Action"), a Mauritius company and the parent company of the Madagascar entity holding the license to the Deposit. Under the terms of the Agreement, DFI, through its wholly owned subsidiary Kimberley Overseas, will acquire 100% of the issued shares of Action. In consideration therefor, DFI has agreed (a) to pay Pala US$300,000 (Cdn$391,878) cash and issue 3,265,650 common shares at a deemed price of Cdn$0.02 per share; and (b) pay Austral US$60,420 (Cdn$78,924) cash.

Beravina is a pegmatite hosted hard rock zircon deposit located approximately 325 kilometers west-northwest of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The Deposit is characterized by a small surface footprint, with the mineralized pegmatite describing a steeply dipping cone-shaped structure. A historical independent JORC compliant geological resource estimate on the property undertaken by Badger Mining and Consulting (Pty) Ltd. in 2012 estimated an indicated resource of 1.8mt at 29.5% zircon, open at depth. While the estimate was a consideration in the decision to acquire the deposit, the Company cautions that it is historical in nature and the Company is not treating such resources as a current resource under NI 43-101. Investors are further cautioned that a qualified person has not yet completed sufficient work to be able to verify the historical resources, and therefore they should not be relied upon. Limited metallurgical work undertaken to date indicates that the zircon ore can be liberated and concentrated by crushing and gravity separation.

The geological and technical information in this press release has been compiled and reviewed by Mr. Ian Ransome B.Sc. (Hons) Geology, Pri. Sci. Nat. Mr. Ransome is a director of DFI, and is a registered geological scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and is thus a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

DIAMOND FIELDS INTERNATIONAL LTD.

SIGNED: "Sybrand van der Spuy"

Sybrand van der Spuy, Chief Executive Officer

Contact: Earl Young at +1 214 566 3709

Website: www.diamondfields.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors identified in Diamond Fields' periodic filings with Canadian Securities Regulators. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Diamond Fields does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law.
KINGSTON, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness will hold a brief media availability at Collins Bay Institution before hosting a town hall meeting to consult Canadians on the feasibility of re-establishing agribusiness operations in Kingston correctional institutions.

August 16, 2016 Please arrive by 4:15 p.m. EDT Collins Bay Institution 1455 Bath Rd., Kingston, Ontario Interested media are asked to contact CSC Media Relations to register by 10:00 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016. Parking available at the northeast side of the institution. Media will be met in the parking lot and directed to the location where the Minister will take questions. Media availability to begin at 4:45 p.m.

Contacts:

Scott Bardsley

Office of the Minister of Public Safety and

Emergency Preparedness

Scott.Bardsley@parl.gc.ca



Media Relations

Correctional Service Canada

613-992-7711

media@csc-scc.gc.ca




ST. PAUL, MN -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- ATRM Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: ATRM) ("ATRM" or the "Company") today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2016 and its outlook for the remainder of fiscal year 2016.

Company Operations:

The modular construction business based in South Paris, Maine and operated by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, KBS Builders, Inc. ("KBS"), represents ATRM's primary operations.

Second Quarter 2016 Results:

Net sales were approximately $5.9 million in Q2 2016, compared to $6.8 million in Q2 2015. Residential sales declined to $5.0 million in Q2 2016 compared with $6.3 million in Q2 2015. Commercial sales increased to $0.9 million in Q2 2016 from $0.5 million in Q2 2015. Residential and commercial sales represented 85% and 15%, respectively, of total net sales in Q2 2016 compared with 93% and 7%, respectively, of total net sales in Q2 2015. The decrease in residential sales over the prior-year period was due to lower production levels. The Company only operated its South Paris, Maine factory until its order backlog was sufficient to re-open its second factory nearby in Waterford, Maine, which had been closed for the slower winter months. Commercial sales in Q2 2016 included $0.7 million for a multi-tenant building that was completed in June 2016. This successful commercial project was consistent with the Company's previously announced strategy to reduce or eliminate the site-related work (electrical, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, etc. work done on site) it performs on commercial projects. The Company continues to believe this strategy will improve profit margins and reduce risk on commercial projects in the future. This strategic transition is complete and the Company expects commercial sales will increase during the remainder of fiscal year 2016.

Total costs and expenses decreased to $6.6 million in Q2 2016 compared with $7.7 million in Q2 2015:

Cost of sales decreased to $5.4 million in Q2 2016 from $6.6 million in Q2 2015, due primarily to the decrease in overall sales. Cost of sales in Q2 2016 was high relative to net sales due to inefficiencies of the lower sales volume and costs incurred related to bringing the Company's Waterford factory back up to full production level in anticipation of the peak building season. This was partially offset by higher margins on the commercial project completed in Q2 2016 typically associated with similar commercial projects.





Selling, general and administrative expenses was approximately $1.2 million in Q2 2016 as compared with $1.1 million in Q2 2015. This slight increase was the result of higher share-based compensation expense related to the restricted stock grant in June 2015, with three months of expense in 2016 versus only one month in 2015.





Operating loss amounted to approximately ($0.7 million) in Q2 2016 compared with approximately ($0.9 million) in Q2 2015.

Interest expense amounted to approximately $0.4 million in each of Q2 2016 and Q2 2015.

During Q2 2015, the Company recorded a settlement gain of approximately $3.7 million as the result of the settlement agreement with the primary seller of KBS whereby, among other things, the principal amount on the seller's note was reduced from $5.5 million to $2.5 million and the forgiveness of all then-accrued interest related to the note. There was no similar gain for the same period of 2016.

Overall net loss in Q2 2016 was approximately ($1.1 million), or ($0.49) per share, compared with net income of approximately $2.4 million, or $1.95 per diluted share, in Q2 2015. Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding was approximately 2,223,000 shares in Q2 2016 and 1,205,000 shares in Q2 2015. The increase in outstanding shares resulted primarily from the completion of a common stock rights offering in September 2015.

Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2016:

Cash and cash equivalents amounted to approximately $315,000 at June 30, 2016 compared with approximately $624,000 at December 31, 2015.

As previously announced, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement with Gerber Finance Inc. in February 2016, providing KBS with a credit facility with borrowing availability of up to $4.0 million. The outstanding balance under the line of credit amounted to approximately $3.3 million (net of deferred financing costs) at June 30, 2016.

The Company's total long-term debt decreased to $9.8 million at June 30, 2016 compared to $11.4 million at December 31, 2015. In February 2016, the Company used $1.0 million of the proceeds from the Gerber Finance line of credit to reduce its debt owing to LSVI.

Management Comments:

"We are very pleased with the success of our recently completed commercial project, which contributed to a strong end to the second quarter," said Dan Koch, ATRM's president and chief executive officer. "This type of project validates our new strategy with respect to commercial projects. On the other hand, we were disappointed in the pace of the spring ramp-up in our residential business which caused us to delay the opening of our Waterford facility. This contributed to our lower than expected residential sales."

"We will continue to implement our commercial business strategy," Mr. Koch added. "As previously reported, we took on fewer commercial projects during 2014 and 2015 while we completed the 'legacy' commercial projects we had assumed at the time of the KBS acquisition in April 2014 and implemented necessary management, operational, and contractual improvements to resume these complex projects. We recently completed the service work on the 'legacy' projects and have booked new commercial business with project scopes and terms that are more favorable to KBS. The most recently completed commercial project is an example which we would like to repeat. We believe that these types of projects will be a key component to growing overall sales for KBS."

"We are optimistic about the remainder of fiscal year 2016," Mr. Koch continued. "We are confident in our ability to deliver quality to our customers. With the 'legacy' project problems behind us and the strides we have made in improving operational efficiencies and controlling costs, we feel we are positioned well for a strong second half. Both factories are now fully operational, we have a strong backlog of approximately $8.1 million as of June 30th and our builders continue to forecast a busy remainder of the building season and through the end of the year. We will continue to follow our strategy with respect to new commercial business and opportunistically bring on those commercial projects which add value to the Company."

"We have also added new residential builders and expect to continue to grow residential sales during the remainder of 2016. We expect total sales and our bottom line performance to improve through the end of the year. We continue to believe KBS is capable of generating annual revenues of $40 million and operating profit margins of 5-10%. Our goal is to reach the lower end of this profit margin range by the end of fiscal year 2016."

About ATRM Holdings, Inc.

ATRM Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: ATRM), through its wholly-owned subsidiaries KBS Builders, Inc. and Maine Modular Haulers, Inc., manufactures modular housing units for commercial and residential applications. ATRM is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, with facilities in South Paris and Waterford, Maine. ATRM's website is www.atrmholdings.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements", as such term is used within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These "forward-looking statements" are not based on historical fact and involve assessments of certain risks, developments, and uncertainties in the Company's business looking to the future. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend", "continue", or "believe", or the negatives or other variations of these terms or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements may include projections, forecasts, or estimates of future performance and developments. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions and assessments that the Company believes to be reasonable as of the date hereof. Whether those assumptions and assessments will be realized will be determined by future factors, developments, and events, which are difficult to predict and may be beyond the Company's control. Actual results, factors, developments, and events may differ materially from those the Company assumed and assessed. Risks, uncertainties, contingencies, and developments, including those discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause the Company's future operating results to differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statement. There can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statement, projection, forecast or estimate contained can be realized or that actual returns, results, or business prospects will not differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments.

ATRM Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) (in thousands, except per share data) Three months ended Six months ended June 30, June 30, ------------------ ------------------ 2016 2015 2016 2015 -------- -------- -------- -------- Net sales $ 5,901 $ 6,800 $ 10,952 $ 13,601 Costs and expenses: Cost of sales 5,406 6,620 10,840 13,502 Selling, general and administrative expenses 1,160 1,113 2,187 2,130 -------- -------- -------- -------- Total costs and expenses 6,566 7,733 13,027 15,632 -------- -------- -------- -------- Operating loss (665) (933) (2,075) (2,031) Other income (expense): Interest expense (423) (402) (724) (789) Change in fair value of contingent earn-out 1 -- 2 -- Settlement gain -- 3,687 -- 3,687 -------- -------- -------- -------- Income (loss) from operations before income taxes (1,087) 2,352 (2,797) 867 Income tax (expense) (1) (2) (5) (2) -------- -------- -------- -------- Net income (loss) $ (1,088) $ 2,350 $ (2,802) $ 865 ======== ======== ======== ======== Income (loss) per share: Basic $ (0.49) $ 1.98 $ (1.27) $ 0.73 Diluted $ (0.49) $ 1.95 $ (1.27) $ 0.72 Weighted average common shares outstanding: Basic 2,223 1,186 2,214 1,186 Diluted 2,223 1,205 2,214 1,196 ATRM Holdings, Inc. Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (in thousands, except per share data) ASSETS June 30, December 31, 2016 2015 ------------- ------------- Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 315 $ 624 Accounts receivable, net 2,319 2,563 Costs and estimated profit in excess of billings 1,173 472 Inventories 1,163 1,241 Fair value of contingent earn-out, current 363 329 Other current assets 163 173 ------------- ------------- Total current assets 5,496 5,402 ------------- ------------- Property, plant and equipment, net 4,210 4,452 Fair value of contingent earn-out, noncurrent 380 548 Goodwill 1,733 1,733 Intangible assets, net 1,254 1,355 ------------- ------------- Total assets $ 13,073 $ 13,490 ============= ============= LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT Current liabilities: Note payable - revolving line of credit $ 3,337 $ -- Current portion of long-term debt 1,145 1,105 Trade accounts payable 4,185 3,491 Billings in excess of costs and estimated profit 696 765 Accrued compensation 285 104 Other accrued liabilities 1,679 1,984 ------------- ------------- Total current liabilities 11,327 7,449 ------------- ------------- Long-term debt, less current portion 8,640 10,252 Deferred income taxes 17 13 Commitments and contingencies Shareholders' deficit: Common stock, $.001 par value; 3,000,000 shares authorized; 2,266,219 and 2,206,219 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively 2 2 Additional paid-in capital 69,540 69,425 Accumulated deficit (76,453) (73,651) ------------- ------------- Total shareholders' deficit (6,911) (4,224) ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- Total liabilities and shareholders' deficit $ 13,073 $ 13,490 ============= =============

Contact:

Stephen A. Clark

ATRM Holdings, Inc.

(651) 704-1800




Burlington, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 15, 2016) - Green Swan Capital Corp. (TSXV: GSW) ("Green Swan") announces the latest strong results from its ongoing work program at its 100%-owned Sudbury cobalt asset, the Copper Prince.

Significant cobalt values exceeding 0.07% cobalt are seen in two of three tested areas, and all areas are elevated in gold (see chart below). Said Green Swan's CEO Peter M. Clausi, "The work program is on schedule and on budget, with tremendous results to date. We're eager to get to this autumn's diamond drill program."

Geology



In the southern four claims, the Sudbury Breccia is observed to the west and east of the Nipissing Gabbro, and is cross-cutting and subparallel to metasediments that strike north-eastward. The Main Zone in the north and the Blue Pit in the east are separated by approximately 330m within metasediments with a local Sudbury Breccia vein network around the Blue Pit.

Historic work by third parties on the 260 hectare property concentrated on three areas, namely, the Main Zone, the Blue Pit, and Ed's Watering Hole ('EWH') in the south. EWH is roughly 1.2 km south of the Blue Pit. Ed's Watering Hole appears to occur in altered rock (skarn) at the contact between Nipissing Mafic (Gabbro) sills and dykes (2.22 Ga), and the metasediments of the Huronian Supergroup, Hough Lake Group and Mississage Formation (2.2 to 2.45Ga), and is associated with a 30-centimetre quartz vein.

A map showing the location of the property, its close proximity to Glencore plc's smelter and key data points can be seen at Green Swan's website at http://www.greenswancapital.com/map-of-copper-prince.html. The map does not show Green Swan's recently acquired claims in the area.

Results

Green Swan previously released results from chip and grab samples (press release of June 20, 2016) in which it announced cobalt values of up to 4.5%, gold values up to 15g/Au/t and nickel values up to 1.6%. Subsequently a reconnaissance group of 20 samples (both chip and grab) were collected from these three areas to test and confirm past results for cobalt, gold, nickel, copper and precious metals. The results from that 20-sample group are presented below:

Area Cobalt Gold Nickel Copper Sulfur (# of samples) % ppm % % %











Main Zone (4) 0.32 -0.78 0.48-3.80 0.01-0.29 0.15-0.41 9.04-35.9 Blue Pit (7) NSR 0.27-4.58 NSR 0.33-1.67 0.5-2.28 EWH (9) 0.01-1.32 Up to 2.99 0.02-0.39 Up to 0.35 0.08-16.0

Notes: 1) All zones are open in all directions. 2) PGM's have No Significant Results.

Glencore plc's Resources and Reserves Report, 2015 states its "proved ore reserves" has an average grade of 0.03% in the Sudbury Mines (page 29). Two of Green Swan's three tested areas are hosting cobalt values at surface that are well above that average. It appears from Green Swan's limited sampling to date that the cobalt in the Main and EWH areas may be positively correlated with nickel and negatively with copper.

Status and Next Steps

As set out in Green Swan's press release of August 9, 2016, an excavator carried out power stripping in the EWH area, on selected outcrops, pits and trenches. The excavator partially uncovered several new quartz pods or veins (yet to be determined) east of EWH and on the west side of newly-exposed outcrops leading into the Blue Pit. Follow-up work will be required on these old pit areas. The excavator is now offsite, as scheduled. Pictures of the excavator and the clearing process can be found in Green Swan's twitter feed at https://twitter.com/GreenSwanCap.

The results to date strongly support Green Swan's exploration strategy to carry out further washing, mapping and channel sampling, and to then execute a short diamond drill program in November, 2016, focussing on the area around Ed's Watering Hole. Green Swan has the cash on hand to complete this drill program. Upon completion of the drill program, Green Swan expects to receive a grant under the JEAP program, in an amount to be determined. Green Swan expresses its thanks to the Ontario Prospectors Association, the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, and the Ministry of Northern Development & Mines for their support.

Scot Halladay, P.Geo., Consulting Geologist (HGCS), a Qualified Person (Q.P.) under National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical data presented in this press release. HGCS conducts a quality control program for all of its exploration work, to ensure best practices in the industry from field work to reporting. Mr. Halladay has supervised the work programs on the Copper Prince property, visited the property on several occasions, examined outcrops, and trenched areas, reviewed results with management, and reviewed both AGAT's analytical and quality control results. The samples referred to in this release were analyzed with the same mining package as described in the June 20, 2016 press release, at AGAT Laboratories. AGAT Laboratories is a highly specialized, Canadian-based company that provides analytical laboratory services to the mining industry worldwide, with over 30 years of experience and over 1,000 employees Canada-wide.

About Green Swan Capital Corp.

Green Swan Capital Corp. is a Canadian mining company with a proven leadership team, targeting cobalt in Ontario. Green Swan is well-poised to deliver real value to its shareholders.



Forward Looking Statements

This news release may include statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Green Swan cautions that actual performance will be affected by a number of factors, many of which are beyond its control. Future events and results may vary substantially from what Green Swan currently foresees. Discussion of the various factors that may affect future results is contained in Green Swan's recent filings, available on SEDAR. Green Swan assumes no liability for repeating or referring to any facts, statements, releases, data or reports disseminated by any other issuer. Any reference to any other issuer should be cross-checked for accuracy and context by the reader. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Green Swan Capital Corp.

"Peter M. Clausi"

Peter M. Clausi

President, CEO and Director

For Further Information:

Peter M. Clausi

pclausi@greenswancapital.ca

1-905-681-1925 x2

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Students unconvinced that courses prepare them for the workplace

LONDON, Aug. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Concerns about whether university prepares graduates for the world of work is casting doubt over the value for money it provides students, new research suggests.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121101/SF04201LOGO

The study from Canvas, the virtual learning environment (VLE) for academic institutions and companies worldwide, reveals that just one in three (30%) current undergraduates believe they are getting their money's worth from their degree course, and with university tuition fees set to rise next year, the figure falls to just a fifth (21%) among sixth-formers who are considering their next move.

The research shows that students believe higher education curricula should be equipping them for the world of work but universities are falling short of expectations. The study finds that less than a third (31%) of undergraduates believe their studies are relevant to the workplace, and one in four (23%) says their current course is doing little to prepare them for work.

This is far from the expectations of sixth-formers who want to come out of their degrees ready for work. The majority (55%) of students are looking for courses developed in close partnership with employers, and even more of them (80%) want the ability to collaborate with employers directly. The research highlights just how important getting a job upon graduation is when choosing a university, with two fifths (41%) citing "employability" as a crucial factor in their decision.

Kenny Nicholl, Director of Higher Education at Canvas, said: "Too many current and future undergraduates feel that they're not being prepared for employment, and as a result few believe their degree provides value for money. It is up to universities to bridge this gap by ensuring students have the skills and knowledge to thrive in the modern workforce. This means being tech-savvy and able to embrace continuous learning."

As technology becomes more central to the learning experience, helping students to work flexibly, hone investigative problem-solving skills, and connect easily with teachers and peers, universities are expected to provide the latest equipment and programmes. And technology is prevalent; most students (58%) said that computers are widely available for them to use, and almost half (47%) said they have regular access to virtual learning environments, meaning they can learn anytime, anywhere, just as they would do in the real world-helping them to prepare for an increasingly digital workforce.

Today's sixth-formers also see the content they create at university as having the power to impact their personal development and support a lifelong learning approach, where education doesn't stop at graduation. A quarter (24%) expect to take content created at university with them, and put to use at work. However, the research suggests that technology enabling greater "ease of portability" is lagging in some universities, with fewer than one in ten (9%) undergraduates saying they will actually be able to reuse their content.

Kenny Nicholl continues: "Putting technology at the heart of university life helps students learn the skills that employers need. Technology like Canvas helps move teaching away from rote inside the classroom toward a collaborative and interactive learning environment, where knowledge is applied to real situations, and investigative skills are developed. Empowering students to take control of their own learning breeds a new generation of student-more enthused, engaged and accountable, and ready to make an impact in the working world. In a competitive market, the universities that embrace change with new technologies and demonstrate how they can make their students 'employable' are likely to attract the best students."

Notes to Editors

The research was conducted online by Atomic Market Research among 501 sixth form students and 503 undergraduate students in June 2016. The respondents are representative of gender, age and location.

1. Source: Jisc, Technology for Employability, November 2015

For further information please contact:

Third City

Cathy Farmer / Rachel Finlay / Nathalie Lindenhall

E: Instructure@thirdcity.co.uk

D: +44 (0)20 3657 9773

M: +44 (0)7805 754904 / +44 (0)7957 073302 / +44 (0)7850 339727

About Instructure, the creator of Canvas

Instructure, Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximise the potential of people through technology, Instructure enables organisations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of instructors and learners at more than 2,000 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world. Learn more about the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment at www.Instructure.com and http://www.CanvasVLE.co.uk.

Copyright  2016, Instructure, Inc. All rights reserved. Instructure, Canvas and the Bridge logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.
Yellowstone County's expected new commissioner has withdrawn from her state Senate race and said she will resign her Senate District 25 seat sometime this week so she can be appointed to the county commission.

Montana Secretary of State spokeswoman Emily Dean said on Monday that Sen. Robyn Driscoll withdrew from the SD 25 race on Friday.

Driscoll, who represented Senate District 25, withdrew from the race to take a new post as Yellowstone County commissioner. Senate District 25 includes downtown and central Billings.

Monday is the deadline for withdrawing as a candidate from the ballot. The local Democrats have until Aug. 24 to name a replacement candidate to the general election ballot.

Driscoll said on Monday that she has not yet resigned her senate seat but expects to do so sometime this week because she cannot hold two elected offices at the same time.

Driscoll served 12 years in the House before being elected to the Senate, where her first, four-year term expired at the end of this year.

The Yellowstone County Democratic Central Committee will hold a special nominating convention on Thursday evening to replace Driscoll on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Commissioners John Ostlund and Jim Reno, both Republicans, last week agreed to appoint Driscoll to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Bill Kennedy, a Democrat. Driscoll is to be sworn into office on Aug. 30.

Kennedy resigned effective Aug. 1 to become executive director of the Montana State University Billings Foundation.

Kelly McCarthy, chair of the local Democrats, said in a news release the special convention will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Teamsters Hall, 437 Kuhlman Drive. McCarthy has appointed Wanda Grinde as secretary of the convention. The public is invited, he said.

For further information, contact McCarthy at 406-839-0071 or kelly@bigskytech.net.
Outfittery, a Berlin, Germany-based curated shopping startup, raised $22m in funding.

The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from U-Start Club and existing investors Holtzbrinck Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Northzone Capital, and Mangrove Capital Partners.

The company will use the funds to continue to expand international operations.

Co-founded in 2012 by Anna Alex, Julia Bosch, and Tobias Nendel, Outfittery operates a personal shopping platform for men to buy clothing from top brands via experts and a dedicated customer service.

Each customer is served and advised personally by a stylist who will put together two to three individual outfits regarding his needs after a first online contact and a personal phone call. The outfits are sent out in a black and white box with a chic suitcase look.

The company, which is also backed by High-Tech Grunderfonds, RI Digital Ventures, VC Fonds Kreativwirtschaft Berlin (managed by IBB), has 300 employees including 150 stylists serving approx. 300k men, mianly in the age between 30 and 50 years.

FinSMEs

15/08/2016
GrubMarket, a San Francisco, CA-based organic food delivery platform, raised $20m in Series B funding.

Backers included Riverhead Capital, Sound Ventures, Global Founders Capital, GGV Capital, Danhua Capital, Fosun Group, Fabrice Grinda and Gang Wang.

The company intends to use the funds to expand its marketing efforts and then continue to expand operations.

Led by CEO Mike Xu, GrubMarket provides an app that allows users to shop for farmers market goods, organic food and natural products. The app currently offers over 7,000 vegan, gluten free or non-GMO products including fresh produce, snacks, drinks, healthy & beauty, home goods and more. With orders over $35, deliveries are free.

FinSMEs

15/08/2016
Zubr Capital, a Minsk, Belarus-based private equity firm, has closed a new fund, raising $50m.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is the anchor investor of Zubr Capital Fund I (ZCFI) with a contribution amounting to $12.5m, which may be increased within the coming year.

The fund plans to make long-term investments for a period of up to 10 years. The portfolio will comprise 5-7 companies, with a focus on developing companies in the IT sector, producing consumer goods with high export potential, as well as retail companies.

Founded in 2010 and led by Oleg Khusaenov, CEO, the firm has altready invested in Atlant Telecom, AtlantConsult, MTBank and SoftClub.

FinSMEs

15/08/2016
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said that despite having "limited powers" and "hurdles" created by the Centre, the AAP government has been able to deliver on several fronts which are being lauded across the world.

Addressing a gathering at a function to celebrate Independence Day, Kejriwal said in the last one-and-a-half years, his government has "prepared" the people of Delhi by educating them besides making them healthy and giving skills.

He said that despite having limited powers, they will make Delhi prosperous. "It is people who are instrumental in the growth of a country and not any government. The government's responsibility is to make people prepare. "We are taking historic decision in education and health sectors. 11000 government schools have been constructed in last 65 years, but in last one year, we have constructed 8,000 new classrooms which amounts to 200 new schools.

"Several private schools increase fee arbitrarily following which parents were sad. Previous governments did not stop them (private schools) as their ministers were in their pockets because they got admission of children of theirs, relatives admission in these schools.

"But in our government's rule, I and ministers have not recommended admission of any children to any private school so far," he said. The Delhi Chief Minister also said that even his son goes to Noida for schooling, adding "As being the Chief Minister of Delhi, I can easily get admission of my son in any private school in Delhi.

"I know if I do the same, I will not have the courage to prevent this school from increasing fee. This year, we have not allowed any school to increase fees in Delhi."

He said that first ever parent-teachers meeting in government schools had great results, adding that teachers, parents share beautiful experiences Lauding his government's works in health sector, Kejriwal said Delhi is the only state where entire treatment in government hospitals, including medicines and tests, comes for free.

"In the last one-and-a-half year, we have built 100 mohalla clinics. We have a target of constructing 1,000 such clinics by December this year. Delhi government has also done well in the health sector," he said.
Glendives back to school spirit is a little dampened this year.

Repairs after a basement flood at Jefferson Elementary School, the districts K-2 school, will push back the beginning of school about a dozen days for the youngest students in the Eastern Montana town. About 50,000 gallons filled the schools basement on July 25, wreaking havoc on the electrical system. The school is still without power.

It was like a giant cook pot, Glendive Superintendent Ross Farber said.

For an undetermined reason, the power never shut off and somehow created an open circuit with the flood, superheating the water. Farber got a 3 a.m. call that the schools heat sensors were going off.

The wire was blistering because it was so hot, Jefferson principal Stephen Schreibeis said.

Officials suspect a water main into the school well failed, and the pump never shut off.

Officials are hopeful they can meet a new Sept. 6 start date for Jefferson while other schools begin Aug. 24, but they're also realistic. Plumbers and electricians are in the school as much as teachers. Any electrical system connected to the basement needs to be checked.

Every time they get into something, they see more issues, Schreibeis said.

The district fixed some old pipes in the basement last year, but the water main that failed wasnt considered an immediate priority. It would have likely been part of building maintenance projects that would have been funded by a roughly $28 million elementary bond put up for a vote in May.

The bond, along with a smaller high school bond, was resoundingly voted down.

Late start

Officials debated whether to start school late or squeeze students into other buildings. The state requires 720 hours of instruction for K-2 students, and last year Jefferson had 920, with slightly more planned for this year.

Instead of shuffling teachers and students, district officials decided to wait, although if repairs continue to drag out theyll reconsider.

Teachers were still preparing classrooms Wednesday, even though theyre planning for an uncertain start date.

Veteran first-grade teacher Cindi Mahan said that she hasnt had to deal with a similar situation in all my years teaching.

Part of the challenge for educators is trying to fit instruction into a shorter schedule than last year.

Well probably restructure rather than cut out, she said. You just roll with it.

Fellow first-grade teacher Amy Ree said that students probably wont spend as much time reviewing last years material early on in the year.

But instruction for young students is more than academic. Kindergartners are taught how to interact with other students and behave in a classroom. In addition to the correct answers to questions, students have to be taught how and when to raise their hand.

Building those expectations wont change, Ree said.

The first day of school is going to be just like it wouldve been Aug. 24, she said.

Timing

In some ways, this was a terrible year for a school-shuttering mess. Glendive is switching to PowerSchool, a new enrollment, grade recording and record keeping system. Its also moving to standards-based grading, a system that examines student progress in relation to specific state standards instead of a more summative letter grade.

Secretary Susan Miller worked by the bare-bulbed glare of construction lamps plugged into a power source Wednesday. Shes been shuttling files to the high school where she can work on a computer. In addition to adapting to PowerSchool, she creates new files for kindergartners.

We do what we've got to do, she said.

Schreibeis, in his second year as principal, hoped to implement some new plans after having a year to settle in at the school. Instead, he estimated that dealing with cleanup and repairs has taken up 90 percent of his time this summer.

The community has helped pitch in to accommodate families affected by the late start, he said, with day cares extending care windows.

The community is so supportive of things, he said. They just pitch in.

The late start has created some confusion among students; the start date remains Aug. 24 for other Glendive schools.

Infrastructure struggles

The silver lining, Farber said, is that the flood didnt happen during the school year. In addition to displacing students, if the boiler had been running, it likely would have exploded.

The spring elementary bond would have added between $186 and $248 in taxes each on the average $140,000 Glendive home. But even if the bond had passed, the pipe system wouldnt have been replaced before the July flood.

We didnt realize something like this was going to happen, Farber said. If the district had, it would have likely tried to tap emergency reserves.

Regular maintenance is a struggle for schools across Montana. When the Legislature defended the Quality Schools Grant Program  a competitive system many districts were already unsatisfied with  schools are largely reliant on their residents voting to raise their property taxes to support projects.

Glendive does have an active building reserve levy, which raises about $100,000 for the high school and $200,000 for the elementary schools each year, specifically for infrastructure projects. Insurance will cover most of the flood repair costs, but not everything. Funds to make up the difference will come from the building reserve fund.

But that means that other projects, like new school security buzz-in systems and roof repairs, are now on hold.

Farber and Schreibeis are measured in their criticism of state infrastructure funding.

I think they could do a better job, Farber said, standing next to a puddle of water in the Jefferson basement.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech is being touted as the longest Independence Day speech in history. Modi broke his own record from last year, The Times of India reported, when he made a speech that in turn reportedly broke a record held by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

Rahul hoisted the national flag at the party headquarters here for the first time since he took over as the Congress vice-president three years ago.

Gandhi said Indians are honour-bound to aspire to a country where nobody lives in fear and "where ideas flow freely and are not crushed violently by the forces of hate and mediocrity. We must insist and fight for this truth, at all times."

"When the forces of darkness threaten this liberty for some of us, as we saw in recent times, we must remember that freedom can never be for the few  it has to be for everyone. Every human being in India has the right to dignity and the freedom to live and express themselves freely," he said in a message on Independence Day.

Against the backdrop of recent attacks on Dalits, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today said freedom can never be for the few and asked Indians to aspire for a country where ideas are not "crushed violently" by the forces of hate and mediocrity.

When forces of darkness threaten this liberty for some of us, we must remember that freedom can never be for the few: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul's remarks come against the backdrop of attacks on Dalits as also on Muslims by cow vigilantes in the recent past.

"It embodies the values, principles and ideals for which they fought, values they hoped would guide our brave young country. Now it is up to us."

Rahul said the generation which earned us the hard earned freedom is no longer with us but the Constitution is their precious gift.

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the "vested interests" who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Asserting that gun will not solve any problem, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the state's problems which she attributed to the "mistakes" by successive central governments, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.

"Gun will not solve the problm. Guns has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.

Emphasising that any propaganda like attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is false, she urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

Speaking against the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she questioned people who have been indulging in violence as she underlined that any remedy could be found through dialogue in a great democracy like India.

Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)".

"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes? The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake? Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of Jammu and Kashmir in it," she said.

The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.

India celebrates the 70th Independence Day at Red Fort in New Delhi. Check out the photos here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech is being touted as the longest Independence Day speech in history. Modi broke his own record from last year, The Times of India reported, when he made a speech that in turn reportedly broke a record held by former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

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 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.

With inputs from PTI
Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday strongly contested CSO estimate of a sharp decline of about 5.88 percentage points in the growth rate of Bihar, asserting that the state was marching ahead on the path of development.

The CM dismissed the estimation of the CSO of Bihar's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at 7.14 percent in 2015-16 as against 13.02 percent in 2014-15, a decline of 5.88 percentage point, while delivering his speech at historic Gandhi Maidan on the occasion of 70th Independence Day.

Citing the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) figures, the opposition BJP and NDA partners have attacked the Grand Secular Alliance government in Bihar headed by Kumar.

Kumar said: "In 2005-6, when the people of Bihar for the first time gave me the opportunity to serve them, the size of annual budget was Rs 22,600 crore which increased to Rs 1.44 lakh crore in current budget for 2016-17.

"If somebody fails to see the economic development I can not help them. But, figures prove how fast the development has taken place in the state."

Likewise, he said, the plan expenditure was Rs 4,300 crore in 2005-6 which increased to Rs 53,400 crore in 2015-16 fiscal.

Revenue collection which was Rs 3,500 crore in 2005-6 rose to Rs 2,54,00 crore in 2015-16, he added.

Kumar stated that average growth rate of the state has been above 10 percent at constant price in the last 10 years.

The Bihar Chief Minister said his government has pursued inclusive growth strategy which cared for development of everybody unlike the approach pursued at the national level which has created "island of development" but left many others lagging behind.

Kumar said his government coming up with policy of governance for the next five year from 2015-20 with focus on agriculture, human skill development, education, health and strengthening infrastructure.

He pointed to "seven resolves" adopted by his government as policy of governance for next five year which reserves 35 per cent of seats in state jobs for women among others.

The CM said it includes providing drinking water to all households at an estimated cost of Rs 8,500 crore, toilet in every home at Rs 10,800 crore and electricity to every household at an expenditure of Rs 1,900 crore.

Under attack from opposition on some stringent provisions added in the new Liquor law, Kumar invoked Mahatma Gandhi who he said wrote in "Young India" in 1928 that alcohol consumption is a bad disease which should be cured at all cost.
In the Nowhatta terror attack in Srinagar, a CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight despite the strict curfew in the Kashmir Valley in view of terror threats on India's Independence Day.

Reports of five CRPF jawans and one policeman getting injured in the Nowhatta district of Srinagar, after three terrorists attacked security forces in Srinagar, came in on the morning of India's 70th Independence day. Police reinforcements were rushed in as the exchange of fire continued.

Nowhatta(Srinagar) terror attack UPDATE: Two terrorists killed, operation continues

UPDATE: Two CRPF jawans injured after terrorists attack security forces in Srinagar, exchange of fire continues  ANI (@ANI_news) August 15, 2016

"Militants attacked a CRPF post," a police official had told IANS.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area.

Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack. They have been shifted to a hospital.

Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta - close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar. "Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house," a police officer told IANS.

Security forces had cordoned off the area, as was reported by NDTV.

The incident took place at around 8.45 am, after the local police assisted by the Army, launched a cordon and search operation at Nowhatta area following information about the presence of terrorists in the area, according to News18.

As per the reports, the jawans were attacked by terrorists right after the cordon was established.

"Terrorists' movement was reported from the area. We began a search operation and came in contact with the terrorists, leading to exchange of fire," police sources said.

Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on 8 July sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day. The main official function was held at Bakhshi stadium near Lal Chowk in Srinagar amid tight security. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering.

Meanwhile, two other terrorists were killed by the army on Monday morning, in the Uri sector along The Line of Control, foiling their infiltration attempt, as reported by ANI.

On Sunday, the ceasefire that had been peacefully observed for four months was violated, as Pakistan Army fired at two places, shelling mortars. Indian troops retaliated to this firing, as reported by DNA.
Immunization rates held steady for Montana students after a 2015 school immunization law took effect, according to a report on the laws implementation. But a newly required chickenpox shot wasnt administered quite as often as other shots, especially among high schoolers.

The Department of Health and Human Services report shows a snapshot of immunization levels submitted by schools last winter. Communicable Disease Control and Prevention Bureau Chief Jim Murphy said that he suspected immunization levels continued to increase as more students were vaccinated throughout the school year.

Some schools, especially in urban areas, struggled to adapt to the new regulations. School District 2 allowed students to attend school no matter whether they had vaccinations, as more than 2,000 students didnt have required shots in September.

Superintendent Terry Bouck argued that the district couldnt sign off on the academic impacts of that many students missing school  SD2 allows students to miss only 10 days per semester  and that the laws implementation forced schools to adapt quickly, especially as Billings dealt with a regional vaccine shortage that fall.

State officials allowed districts to determine their own course, but SD2 will require students to have their shots to attend school this year. In June, Bouck said about 500 students didn't have required shots. Murphy said he didn't know of any district that wouldn't be requiring the shots for attendance.

The new report shows that high school students had the most trouble getting on the right side of the new law; 89.5 percent of freshman had one or two doses of the chicken pox vaccine, and only 85.2 percent of seniors. Grades K-8 had vaccination levels above 93 percent for chicken pox.

As older students graduate, it's likely that overall immunization rates will go up as younger students, who are more likely to be vaccinated, replace the high schoolers, Murphy said.

While the report doesnt contain school-level data, Murphy said that urban schools with large enrollments had more trouble adjusting than smaller rural schools.

Its more challenging if youve got a thousand kids than 20 kids, he said.

About 95 percent of public schools and 62 percent of private schools reported data. While the law requires all schools, including preschools, to report, Murphy said that officials would take a proactive approach to get schools to report in the future.

Were not going to assess penalties or anything like that, he said. To be honest, thats not what we do. We try to work with them to get the data in.

Montana doesnt compile a comprehensive list of private schools or preschools at the state or county level, which creates challenges in collecting information from those institutions, Murphy said. A handful of schools on reservations also didn't submit information, citing tribal sovereignty, he said, and some schools had technical problems.

When you're dealing with 800 schools, you kind of expect that youre going to run into some glitches, he said.

Religious and medical exemptions for one or more vaccines also crept up, continuing a trend that started before the new law was passed. Medical exemptions were less than 1 percent for most counties and statewide. Statewide religious exemptions for public school students were 2.9 percent and 8.6 percent for private school students.

Statewide rates have risen each year since the 2011-12 school year for religious exemptions, especially for private school students. The 2011-12 private school rate was 3.4 percent.

County rates on religious exemptions varied widely for both groups.

Montana's most populated counties typically had relatively low levels, like 1.3 percent for Yellowstone County and 3.1 percent for Gallatin County. But more rural areas, particularly in northwest Montana, were hotbeds for religious exemptions.

Lincoln County had 10.8 percent of students exempt, with 9.5 percent for Sanders County and 9.8 for Ravalli County. Flathead County had the highest rate for a more populous county, with 7.2 percent.

Areas north of Billings also had relatively high exemption rates; 7.3 percent for Petroleum County, 6.2 percent for Musselshell County and 5.5 percent for Golden Valley County.

The report did not analyze herd immunity on a school-by-school level. About 85 percent of students in a school need to be vaccinated to ensure large-group protection.

A Gazette analysis last year found that several schools were below herd immunity benchmarks, potentially leaving students at risk of disease like measles and whooping cough.
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
In the early decades of the 20th Century, at the height of the non-cooperation movement, in a series of letters and articles, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi publicly aired their differences about the direction and methods of the anti-colonial struggle. At one level, the differences between the poet and one of the leading lights of the national movement were philosophical. At another, they pertained to the basic direction of the movement itself  particularly, its emotive call to boycott foreign goods and textiles and Gandhis commitment to popularising the charkha.

Penned between 1915-1941 and condensed in the book Mahatma and the Poet (compiled and edited by historian Sabyasachi Bhattacharya), the vigorous debates between these two men have come to acquire special relevance in our present context, when the question of nationalism has, once again, emerged full force on the centre-stage of Indian political life. Whether we talk about Kashmir, cows, or the National Flag, it appears as if for the past few months, little else has animated conversation in the country. From vigilante groups to right-wing politicians and left-liberal dissidents, everyone has been debating the merits and demerits of nationalism as an ideology.

If the definition of nationalism was a simpler matter when India was struggling to liberate itself from the British Raj, the idea has been rendered immeasurably more complex given the rise and strengthening of sub-nationalisms across India since Independence. Critics of the status quo are often branded anti-nationalist because it is a convenient shorthand for raising public sentiment against a group or an individual. These are perhaps the times when we need to remember most that there has never been one definition of nationalism; and that all definitions have been critiqued and contested  even during the hallowed period when we fought against British colonialism.

Were Tagore alive today, the poet would probably have not measured up to the current governments idea of a good nationalist. His ideas about nationalism  even when India was engaged in a war of liberation  were layered and complex, rejecting simplistic definitions. Tagore asked whether nationalism generates an inward-looking and closed political culture. Or does it enrich itself by opening doors and windows to the world of ideas? What are the limits of nationalism? Is there any value higher than freely exercising ones intellect and mind?

These questions are as relevant today as they were in Tagores time. The poet and the Mahatma passionately debated their respective points of view. They disagreed on fundamental issues, but did so with respect and humility. Even a trenchant argument surfacing now and then could not take away the mutual respect Tagore and Gandhi shared for each other; perhaps more so because of their intellectual disagreement. Underlining the friendship between them, in his introduction to the aforementioned book, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya writes: There were many striking contrasts between these two personalities. Yet, they found some common chord and began a friendship which lasted till Tagores death in 1941. As early as February 1915, we find Tagore referring to Gandhi as Mahatma and Gandhi readily adopted the form of addressing Tagore as Gurudev.

Tagore differed with Gandhi on his call for burning foreign cloth and boycotting government schools and colleges. He was skeptical of the charkha, of an isolationist culture and of the failure to acknowledge a wider sweep of humanity. Criticising the basic tenets of non-cooperation in the Calcutta Journal Modern Review (May 1921), Tagore wrote that the idea of non-cooperation is political ascetism. Our students are bringing their offering of sacrifices to what? Not to fuller education but to non-education. He articulated his serious difference of opinion about the great injury and injustice done to the boys who were tempted into abandoning their careers.

In Prabasi, a Bengali journal, Tagores criticised what he perceived to be Gandhis isolation and argued: From now onward, any nation which takes an isolated view of its own country will run counter to the spirit of the New Age, and know no peace. From now onward, the anxiety that each country has for its own safety must embrace the welfare of the world.

Tagores critical assessment of nationalism  even under conditions of colonialism  shows that different and even contradictory ideas of nationalism can and must exist. No monolithic diktat should police our thoughts about a country. Responding to Gandhi in 1925, the poet claimed that all this time, just as business has implied antagonism so has politics been concerned with the self-interest of a pugnacious nationalism. The forging of arms and of false documents has been its main activity. The burden of competitive armaments has been increasing apace, with no end to it in sight, no peace for the world in prospect.

He elaborated on some of these ideas in essays, writing, for instance, about the pitfalls of nationalism as a blind ideological force: India has never had a real sense of nationalism. Even though from childhood I had been taught that the idolatry of the Nation is almost better than reverence for God and humanity, I believe I have outgrown that teaching, and it is my conviction that my countrymen will gain truly their India by fighting against that education which teaches them that a country is greater than the ideals of humanity.

At a time when everyone from Gandhi to Veer Savarkar has become a symbol of an increasingly aggressive form of nationalism, we could look towards Tagore  who, after all, is also the author of our National Anthem. As many scholars have pointed out, Tagore recognised something essential that escapes our political leaders and nationalist ideologues today: That nationalism itself is a foreign concept produced in 19th Century Europe and exported to the rest of the world. If we define our nationalism in accordance with this idea then we will always care more for invisible borders than the lives of real people.
In strict legal and logical parlance, emotions are renegade, the anti-thesis of reason. But more often than not, their discreet expression is political. It will be nearly impossible to find apt description for Chief Justice TS Thakurs frequent bouts of emotional expressions against the government these days.

But there is nothing discreet about his latest salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately after his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort. It is overtly political. In less than an hour of the speech, Chief Justice Thakur expressed his disapproval of Modis speech as he felt the content fell far short of his expectation.

That was as swift a condemnation as that of any political party, if not swifter. Chief Justice Thakur apparently expected Modi to dwell at length on pending appointments to the higher judiciary  an issue on which he pulled up the government in the strongest ever terms within his court room and warned of consequences. Coming from the head of the Indian judiciary, an institution which is fiercely independent and guided by strict constitutional norms  or norms derived from its own interpretation of the Constitution as in the case of appointments to the higher judiciary  the statement is quite strange, rather unprecedented for stepping out of judicial boundaries.

Predictably, Chief Justice Thakur got support from Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

I really really admire CJI's courage, conviction and his concern for justice  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 15, 2016

CJI questions PM Modi for deafening silence on judicial logjam in his I-Day speech. Unprecedented yet starkly true. https://t.co/r74nHULI8d  Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 15, 2016

1.25 Billion Indians demand a solemn commitment to a fair justice system on I-Day Modi Ji!Please heed CJI's advice. No petty politics.  Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 15, 2016

75 names of HC judges cleared by SC stalled; Memorandum of Appointing Judges thwarted. Deliberate obstruction of justice by an obstinate PM.  Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 15, 2016

This raises a pertinent question  does the office of the Chief Justice of India need to be seen from this political prism? As Loksatta Party leader Jayaprakash Narayan pointed out, Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court and the judiciary must learn to exercise restraint and it is not the judiciary's remit to comment on a prime ministers political speech.

CJI, SC & judiciary must learn to exercise restraint.They don't have to comment on PM's address or geopolitics. https://t.co/yWFpqG78AV  Jayaprakash Narayan (@JP_LOKSATTA) August 15, 2016

Of course, nothing would do better disservice to the institution of the apex court than the use of the CJIs utterances to settle score in politics. It would be naive to believe that Chief Justice Thakurs statement showing his indignation after the PMs speech was a rant of a frustrated head of the Indian judiciary.

For, this is not the first time this has happened. For instance, in a conference of top judges of India, he broke down, wiped his tears and requested Modi, who was sharing the dais, to clear the files pertaining to the appointments to the higher judiciary.

The sight of Chief Justice of India's apex court breaking down in front of the head of executive was quite incongruent to the earlier conduct of the Supreme Court which struck down the NJAC Act unanimously passed by Parliament and ratified by state assemblies. No politician or legislator broke down, though many of them complained about the authority of Parliament being eroded.

The burden of Chief Justice Thakur's argument is that this government is sitting on appointments of judges which is leading to huge pile up of cases in courts. But facts tell a more nuanced story. Nearly 2.5 crore cases are pending in the lower judiciary which is not only understaffed but has also been working under serious resource crunch. However, Chief Justice Thakurs concern largely pertains to the higher judiciary where nearly a crore cases are pending for resolution.

Obviously, these cases have not piled up in the past two years of the Modi government. Similarly, it has never been the case that the previous governments responded with alacrity to fill vacancies in the higher judiciary.

While it is well known that the government and the apex court are sparring over the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) for appointments the higher judiciary, what is not well known is the tiff between the judiciary and the executive over certain appointments of judges recommended by the collegium. In an article in Firstpost, Shishir Tripathi has pointed out the growing influence of judicial dynasties in grabbing judgeship. This is a serious issue which needs to be resolved in the most transparent manner to restore the credibility of the higher judiciary. However, the manner in which the case has been progressing seems to reflect that the judiciary is least interested in making the appointment of judges transparent and open to peoples scrutiny.

In this context, Chief Justice Thakurs emotional conduct is unlikely to cut ice with the people who are the worst victims of prevalent corruption and malevolence in the lower judiciary. Ironically, he is seen to be locking horns with the executive on an issue limited to appointment of judges in the higher judiciary.

In peoples perception, there are lingering doubts over the manner in which judges are appointed to the higher judiciary. The CJI could have turned the tables against the government if he had insisted on carrying out a radical judicial reform to make lower and higher judiciary more transparent and accountable. But that was not the burden of his song.

That's the reason why his latest run-in  the second publicly known  with the government in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular acquires the nature of political brinkmanship which is not good sign for the judiciary.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday announced a slew of development projects and schemed regarding the "seven resolves" adopted by his government for the next five years and said that rule of law prevailed in the state.

In his speech on 70th Independence Day, Kumar announced the launch of Student Credit Card scheme from 2 October . The scheme promises Rs four lakh interest free loan to students for pursuing higher education.

He also announced the launch of a scheme to provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 per month to youths in the age group of 20 to 25 for two years to help them search job.

The CM announced start of centres in all 534 blocks in the state for imparting language training and computer knowledge to youths to prepare them with better employment prospects.

Another major promise was launch of start up capital of Rs 5,000 crore to help young entrepreneurs start their ventures.

Kumar said free Wi-fi facility would be made available in all state universities and colleges from February 2017.

These announcements are part of his "seven resolves" which he had expressed on the eve of state Assembly election last year. The resolves have been adopted by the grand secular alliance government of JD(U), RJD and Congress in the state as "policy of governance" for the next five years.

Kumar said rule of law prevailed in the state and appealed to the people to maintain peace and communal harmony.

Expressing concern over misuse of social media triggering violence, he said, "I urge everybody to ignore provocative messages sent deliberately to foment unrest in the society... We should not become victims of such designs."

Violence erupted in Saran district last week over a youth sending some objectionable message on social media.

While the state level function was held at the historic Gandhi Maidan where the chief minister took salute from marching contingents, the occasion was celebrated enthusiastically elsewhere too.

Later, the CM visited Chilbilli Mahadalit Tola to hoist the tricolour in a village inhabited by mahadalits, poorest among dalits, at Phulwarisharif block of Patna district.

Governor Ramnath Kovind unfurled national flag at Raj Bhavan and extended warm greetings to the people on the day.

RJD President Lalu Prasad, accompanied by wife Rabri Devi and Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav, hoisted the tricolour at his 10 Circular Road residence in the presence of a large number of party functionaries and citizens.
Given its potential prime ministerial candidate is a lightning rod for liberals and opponents are counting on him to gain minority community votes, was it the wisest decision by the BJP to induct in its ranks Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy?

The BJP completed its merger yesterday and the Janata Party chief, possibly their only known face, was predictably happy with the union.

Swamy spent Sunday on Twitter accepting congratulatory messages, denying that he ever had a rift with Atal Bihari Vajpayee and claiming that the BJP was the true successor to the Jayaprakash Narayan movement of the 1970s.

"I am very pleased that the President of BJP and the leaders of BJP have welcomed me into BJP as a part of the merger process," he said.

The merger would make sense to the right wing groups that support the BJP. Swamy has an association with the RSS and Jan Sanghthat stretches back to the 1970s and has waxed and waned over the decades. In more recent times he has been a loud and critical voice of dissent against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, despite at one time being the best of friends with Rajiv. However, it his tirades against the Muslim community, whether in speech or written word, that are extremely controversial even at the best of times.

Sample a recent interview with India Today in which he explains how to ensure the electoral victory in the next national elections:

"India is 80 per cent Hindu. If we rally the Hindu vote and wean away 7 per cent of the Muslim population to our side, we will win the elections. There are sharp divisions in the community. The Shias, Barelvis and Ahmadis are already aligned with the BJP. There's nothing called a consolidated Muslim vote-bank. Look at the brutal persecution of Shias in Pakistan. The strategy should be clear. Unite the Hindus under one flag and divide the Muslims."

There have already been voices suggesting that for a party grappling with the lack of ability to convince the minorities that it cares about them, picking Swamy and more importantly allowing him to speak may be a liability.

https://twitter.com/dhume01/status/366800684986810369

Dhume said it may even be a better idea for the BJP to merge with erstwhile Karnataka leader BS Yeddyurappa where upsides were more in number than downsides.

The Janata Party president brings with him little more in an electoral battlefield than his gift of gab and an innate ability to get under the skin of the Congress. He could ensure that the core right wing constituency of the BJP remains stoutly behind it. But for the BJP that isn't really a problem, they already have Modi to do that for them and with comments like being a 'Hindu nationalist' he's already doing it.

If the party is attempting to atone for its treatment of Swamy in the 1980s and attempt to present a more neutral face, the merger with Swamy is one that may bring more liabilities than the BJP might care for. But if the party is aiming to polarise voters, get in its ranks a critic then Swamy's steadfastness on issues might help in the media race.

Politically too, it is unlikely that Swamy will ensure any vote share impact in Tamil Nadu. In the final analysis it seems more like Swamy will benefit more from the BJP, than the other way around.
Jack Haney just wants 10 more weeks.

On Aug. 31, he and other medical marijuana providers will drop all but three of their registered cardholders under a new Montana law that takes effect that day.

On Nov. 8, voters will decide whether to revert back to the current law, which has no restriction on the number of people providers can serve. Haney views the 10 weeks in between is an interim period with significant changes for both his business and his patients.

Theres no way that these people are going to be able to set up their grow, find seeds or clones and be able to have a crop before we vote, he said.

Other providers are shutting their doors ahead of the August deadline as the number of dispensaries in Montana continues its downward slide. And while the new law marks a sea change in the states rollercoaster medical marijuana industry, the November vote in its wake could bring another.

Nick Frentsos said hell be shutting down his Lockwood dispensary, Bloom Montana. After opening a year ago, Bloom now serves more than 100 patients across half of the state, Frentsos said.

He said that he wouldnt be able to keep a storefront open with just three customers.

Its a financial decision to shut our doors, and that financial decision is affected by the legal limits of the new law, Frentsos said. If we could provide for maybe 12 people, then it might be reasonable to stay open. But thats not the case.

The incoming law passed in 2011, but a five-year legal challenge postponed certain parts. The most hotly contested provisions were the three-patient limit and an automatic state review of doctors who recommend the drug to more than 25 patients.

The law passed the Montana Legislature as SB 423, and it was designed to slow a booming medical marijuana trade.

There were concerns about the number of shops popping up in Montana cities after the number of registered cardholders ballooned to more than 30,000. Others worried that people with minor ailments were getting access to marijuana for primarily recreational purposes.

Jeff Essmann, who was a Republican state senator at the time, carried the bill. He said in 2011 that the intent was to return to what the voters intended  a small program for truly ill individuals.

Now a ballot initiative, I-182, has been approved for the fall ballot. Sponsored by the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, the measure will remove the provisions brought by SB 423.

I-182 would also add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of approved ailments for medical marijuana treatment and require product testing.

Even while the law sat in legal limbo, the number of providers dropped 89 percent since the programs peak in June 2011, according to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. Thats a drop from 4,650 to 487 as of July 2016.

A large number of the remaining providers could leave the program ahead of Aug. 31. Providers needed to register their three patients under the new law by Aug. 1, otherwise the health department assumes they will no longer operate.

About 35 percent of remaining providers didnt register or have requested to be removed from the program, according to health department spokesman Jon Ebelt.

It can be a big change for patients who get dropped by their providers, as well. Their choice is to grow their own marijuana, which is legal under the law, or to stock up and wait for November.

Growing medical-grade marijuana can be costly, time-consuming and difficult for people with serious medical conditions.

Its not the easiest plant to grow, especially because a lot of us grow indoors, Frentsos said. Its rather expensive.

Jason Smith, who co-owns Montana Advanced Caregivers in Billings, said that he has patients who might be able to grow on their own but arent able to because many landlords wont allow it on rental property.

Smith is also hoping that a legal push might bridge those 10 weeks. In the meantime, hes staying in business and already registered his three patients. His business has served hundreds.

Were not going to give it up for nothing, he said. Were continuing to rent right through it.

Proponents are hoping that implementation of the law will be held off yet again through court action. The Montana Cannabis Industry Association, of which Haney is a board member, has requested Lewis and Clark County District Judge James Reynolds to order a stay on the law.

Reynolds made the same move back in 2011 when the MTCIA challenged SB 423.

Among those speaking out for 10 more weeks is Bob Ream, a former Democratic Montana legislator and professor emeritus of wildlife biology. Hes also a stage IV cancer patient.

In July, Montana newspapers carried his letter, in which he shared his challenges with illness and his experience with medical marijuana. He wrote that a three-patient limit would put too many providers out of business, cutting off access to patients like himself.

After shutting down his business, Frentsos said that he may try to provide for three patients himself. In the meantime, he said that most hopes are pinned on the November vote.

Its so important at the local level, he said. And thats become very evident with this whole medical marijuana deal.

At a glance: Montana's medical marijuana program

As of July 2016, there were 13,170 registered medical marijuana cardholders in Montana. Here are the five counties with the highest concentrations.

At the program's peak, about 31 percent of cardholders were older than 50. Today, that number has grown to make a near-even split.

People in Montana can register for medical marijuana with conditions like multiple sclerosis, cancer and HIV/AIDS. But the concern was that people who wanted recreational marijuana were registering with mild ailments, commonly under the "chronic pain" category. A court brief from Attorney General Tim Fox's office called them "more amorphous" symptoms.

In June 2011, 73 percent of cardholders registered for "severe or chronic pain." While there are many causes for chronic pain, a majority still registers under that category today.

There were 4,650 registered medical marijuana providers in June 2011. There were 487 as of July 2016, and the number is still shrinking. However, there are more cardholders today who have not registered with an outside provider than in 2011.

See how the numbers have changed since June 2011, when there were 30,522 cardholders and 4,650 providers statewide. This map shows the figures by county.
Quite a lot of things happened on Sunday when Pakistan celebrated its 70th Independence Day. While there was a lot of celebration involved, a lot of bitter remarks against India and even against Pakistan itself were made.

Perhaps the most provocative statement came from Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit who said that Pakistan's Independence Day this year was dedicated to Kashmir's 'azaadi'.

"Struggle for independence will continue till Kashmir gets freedom. Sacrifice of the people of Kashmir will not go in vain," Basit had said during the Independence Day celebrations at the Pakistan embassy in New Delhi.

Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif also said that this year's Independence Day was dedicated to the freedom of Kashmir. "I dedicate this years 14 August to the freedom of Kashmir. I dedicate it to those people of Kashmir, who bravely faced the state oppression but kept the spirit of freedom alive," 24News quoted him as saying.

He also expressed grief over the attack in Quetta. "The pain of Quettas martyrs is still fresh. Today, we are also remembering those martyrs, who sacrificed their lives to protect this independence," the report further quoted him as saying.

Sharif also said that the 'spirit of independence' in Jammu and Kashmir in India was as its peak.

He also said that the "spirit of 1965 was still alive with full vigour, when Pakistani armed forces and the people confronted the enemy."

According to Radio Pakistan, the country's Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir urged the United Nations to implement its resolution to come up with a solution to the Kashmir dispute "as per the aspirations of the Kashmiris".

Another news report by Geo TV said that people in India's Jammu and Kashmir flouted curfew and other restrictions to celebrate Pakistan's Independence Day by staging pro-Pakistan rallies and hoisting Pakistani flags in the area.

It was also a day marked by some violence. While Pakistani news reports said that India resorted to "unprovoked firing" across the Line of Control, Indian news reports said that it was Pakistan which had violated the ceasefire.

However, it was not just India which was the target of bitter remarks on Pakistan's Independence Day. An editorial in The News International, a Pakistani newspaper, also said that despite 70 years of independence, Pakistan's democracy remained fragile, unlike in India.

"As we celebrate independence, we must also remember that democracy in Pakistan remains fragile," the editorial said.

"We have around us political mayhem with growing discord between major political parties and the inevitable sense of instability that this brings," the editorial wrote.

"We only need to look across the border to see how a stable political system has remained in place," it added, in a clear reference to India.

The editorial also expressed concern over the quality of life in Pakistan.

"Our living conditions are not a source of much joy, with only a minority having access to clean water. The majority of deaths due to illness in the country are caused due to unsafe water and there are millions of people across the country who have never visited a health professional through their lives."

However, celebrations also took place across the nation. According to The Nation, special prayers were offered for the prosperity of the country. The celebrations began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in all federating units.

Flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held in provincial capitals, district headquarters and at public sector and private institutions. Change of guard ceremonies were held at the mausoleums of the Quaid-e-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) in Karachi and philosopher poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore.

The main ceremony took place at the Convention Centre in Islamabad where Pakistani president Mamnoon Hussain and Nawaz Sharif hoisted the Pakistani national flag. According to The Hindu, Hussain talked about internal challenges facing the country and the importance of militancy. However, he also touched upon the topic of Kashmir.

"Pakistan cannot forget Kashmiris and would continue to support them to get right of self-determination in light of the UN resolution," the report quoted him as saying.

Soldiers from India and Pakistan also exchanged sweets at the Atari-Wagah border.

(With inputs from agencies)
If the underachieving Montana economy and the fact that we are ranked 49th in wages is a priority for you, then theres only one choice for governor: Greg Gianforte. This is not a partisan appeal; lets look at the data on www.leg.mt.gov.

Under Gov. Steve Bullocks watch, government expenses increased an astounding 20.6 percent during his term. This is even more worrisome when you are reminded that 45 percent of that budget is funded by the federal government which is 18.6 trillion in debt. As a dad with two young children, I get funny looks when I ask friends if their family income has increased 20.6 percent over Bullock's term. The question remains: how has this huge increase in government spending helped Montana families pay the bills?

Bullocks high expenses mean we have two options: increase taxes on families or cut spending. Bullock has not cut spending, vetoing three bills that would have relieved small business. He also vetoed two infrastructure bills and has overseen the loss of hundreds natural resource jobs lost during his tenure.

Gianforte is best positioned to lead the Montana economy into the 21st Century. He is a proven job creator and has my support.

Jon Knokey

Bozeman
Moscow: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday appealed for calm after a flare-up with Ukraine over the annexed Crimea peninsula but warned Moscow was ready to stamp out any attempts to destabilise the region.

A simmering feud between Russia and Ukraine sparked by the Kremlin's seizure of Crimea in 2014 burst back into life on Wednesday when Russia accused Kiev of attempting armed incursions into the region.

Ukraine fiercely denied the allegations but a subsequent war of words sparked fears of a wider conflict between the two ex-Soviet neighbours.

Lavrov said Moscow remained committed to a stalled European-brokered peace plan to end fighting in two eastern regions between Kiev and pro-Russian rebels and cautioned against succumbing to "emotions".

"For now the main thing is not to give in to emotions, not to slip into taking some extreme actions but to try to stabilise the situation with restraint and concentration,"

Lavrov said following talks with his German counterpart Frank- Walter Steinmeier in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Lavrov, however, warned that Moscow would take "comprehensive measures to make sure any attempts to make incursions into our territory are nipped in the bud".

Russia's FSB security service said last week that one of its officers and a soldier died in clashes as Moscow thwarted "terrorist attacks" in Crimea by Ukrainian military intelligence and beat back armed assaults.

Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged not to let the alleged incidents go unpunished but his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko dismissed the accusations as "fantasies" aimed at giving a pretext for Moscow to ramp up its aggression.

Steinmeier said that while the details of the latest flare-up in Crimea remained unclear, Germany was concerned by the surge in tensions.

Berlin's top diplomat said he and Lavrov discussed the possibility of getting four-way peace talks with Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France back on track after Putin appeared to pull the plug on a mooted fresh round next month.

Steinmeier and Lavrov also discussed the situation in Syria, with both agreeing that a daily three-hour ceasefire pledged by Russia around the war-ravaged city of Aleppo was not sufficient. "The pause for three hours each day is not enough," Lavrov said.

He said that in order for the window to be lengthened "it was necessary to solve issues on the fight with terrorists" as Moscow fears rebels are using any respite to send in more fighters.
The usual suspects, including Indian and western mainstream media, have been vociferous in alleging Indian human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the killing of terrorist Burhan Wani and the subsequent rioting and stone-throwing. There were theatrical exaggerations on the use of pellet guns (without considering what would happen if real bullets were used instead). In general, they succeeded in embarrassing the Indian government.

But that may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory for the separatists and their friends. Among other things, there was a PR disaster (from the ISPR point of view) created by Hafiz Saeed, founder of the banned terrorist outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa, who expressed open admiration for the Indian National Congress and for Barkha Dutt, a journalist.

But more than that, the Indian government seems to have realised that being Mr Nice Guy is not earning it any medals, and that maybe its time to turn the plate around and try something slightly more robust. After all, samam and danam on a large scale have not worked with the Pakistanis (eg the Indus Water Treaty which is severely skewed in Pakistans favour) or Muslim Kashmiris (10 percent of all Government of India expenditure goes to Jammu and Kashmir and it has the lowest poverty rate in the country).

Time for some bhedam and the threat of a little dandam, perhaps. And where can this be? The most obvious friend that Pakistan has is China (and less obviously, the US). Its best not to tangle with Washington, but Beijing is clearly New Delhis now and future enemy, so there should be spokes put into the Pakistan-China axis, by any means possible.

The Chinese are investing a great deal in their corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Balochistan to Gwadar. And that is the most obvious target. India has maintained a hands-off approach despite the ongoing Baloch genocide since 1948. Balochistan accounts for almost half of Pakistans land area, and the Khan of Kalat was tricked and invaded by Pakistan, whereas his people had no particular wish to be part of it, according to Kanchan Gupta in The Daily Mail.

Attacked with helicopter gunships and heavy weapons, large numbers of Balochis have been getting killed ever since. This is a dirty little secret that Pakistan has kept quiet about. And unless they succeed in wiping out the Balochis, the Chinese dream of Gwadar dominating the Straits of Hormuz will not materialise. Since the Pakistanis will do anything the Chinese want, they will therefore complete a genocide of the Baloch. That is, unless India intervenes and supports the Baloch wholeheartedly.

The very first signs of Indian resolve on this issue came on 13 August when Prime Minister Narendra Modi minced no words in saying that 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 juxtaposition of Balochistan and PoK is a significant warning, suggesting that India will no longer stand by and watch the genocide unfold.

There have also been protests in PoK (and Gilgit-Baltistan) about the rough rule of the Punjabi army elites and the fact that the Chinese corridor through their land is not benefiting them. The data substantiates that they are worse off than Jammu and Kashmir in many, if not most respects, and have less power to remonstrate with the government, considering the administrative structures are unusual (not states). Modis statement that PoK is ours should give Pakistanis pause.

The third shoe to fall was the statement by the Ministry of External Affairs on 14 August in reaction to a sly Pakistani offer to send supplies to Jammu and Kashmir. MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted the following:

Our response to yet another communique by Pakistan Foreign Ministry pic.twitter.com/kMeSNgr7VM  Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) August 14, 2016

Now, this is highly unusual. The Indian side usually errs on the side of being polite to a fault. But to bluntly and categorically state that Pakistans exports are international terrorism, cross-border infiltrators, weapons, narcotics and fake currency is the diplomatic equivalent of a slap on the face. The fact that India has done this, speaks volumes.

Typically, this sort of blunt, unpleasant talk is the forte of the Chinese. Apparently it takes very little to enrage the Chinese, and they get both their diplomats and their captive media such as Global Times to speak extremely rudely. A recent instance was the reaction to the South China Sea complaint being upheld by the Hague arbitrator.

The apparent fact that the honeymoon is over suggests a welcome rethinking by the foreign policy apparatus. There is nothing to be gained by treating Pakistan with kid gloves. Treat it with the contempt it deserves. In game theory, this is tit for tat, which India has never used before, and it, in fact, is the best strategy.

Seventy years late, but it is good if this is a new beginning on Independence Day.
As an engaged Montanan, I have come to expect a certain level of genuineness and honesty from our state's representatives. Rep. Ryan Zinke has failed this test yet again and voted against hard-working Montanans when he backed a plan enabling dark money to continue flowing into our campaigns.

The resolution at hand is an attempt to further solidify the terrible SCOTUS Citizens United ruling by letting special interest groups and foreign governments anonymously donate unlimited amounts of cash to U.S. political campaigns. H.R. 5053 allows dark money groups to remain cloaked in secrecy, which will hurt hard-working Americans and benefit special interest groups. They will continue to hide their donations and influence our elections  the exact opposite of our Montana values. While I am disappointed in the Zinke's actions, I am hardly surprised. He has a history of voting for Republican special interests, and has his own super PAC, allowing unlimited amounts of special interest money to go toward his campaign.

Zinke does not represent me, or the best interests of Montana. This is why I support Denise Juneau. She is fair-minded, a straight-shooter, and someone who will advocate for Montana values in Washington. She will put Montana issues first again, and bring independent thinking back into focus. She will get things done for Montanas people, land and economy.

I am voting for Juneau because I know she is running a candid campaign; is trustworthy, and will put Montana first when representing us in Washington. I urge you to advocate for Montana with a vote for Denise Juneau in November

Michael J. Kello

Butte
2000 - 2022   24 .-   .       focus-news.net,                 () .                  24 .                 24      .       .       24 .
With retail's earnings season now upon us, this is an excellent time to compare two of the biggest heavyweights in the industry -- Home Depot, Inc. (HD 2.61%) and Target, Inc. (TGT 0.37%).

In recent years, Home Depot has been one of the best-performing stocks in retail, riding a bullish wave in the building materials and home improvement sector. Target, on the other hand, has confronted many of the problems plaguing other brick-and-mortar retailers, such as the rise of Amazon.com and e-commerce and concerns that the country is "overstored." As the chart below shows, Home Depot has been the clear winner over the past five years.

However, past performance is not an indicator of future results, as they say. Let's take a look what each of these companies has to offer investors today.

Building shareholder value

The leading home improvement retailer has boomed in recent years thanks to a growing housing market, which has led it and rival Lowe's to more than quadruple in the last five years. Home improvement retail offers the benefit of being protected from the growth of Amazon and e-commerce, as building materials are often big and heavy and cannot be delivered through the mail.

Unlike most retailers, Home Depot has also resisted opening new stores in recent years, choosing instead to add new services to current locations, invest in its e-commerce platform, and buy back stock. Home Depot has essentially the same store count it did 2008, at 2,274, when the housing crisis was in full force.

Revenue has grown 30% since the recession as same-store sales and e-commerce growth have gone almost directly to the bottom line. Looking ahead, Home Depot is targeting revenue growth from $88 billion last year to $101 billion in 2018, and operating margin improvement from 13% to 14.5%. As a result, operating profits should grow at a compound rate of 9%, which should deliver healthy EPS growth when the company's share buyback program is factored in.

Returning to Tar-zhet

While Home Depot's same-store sales growth has been consistently strong recently, Target's growth has been more muted, with the company growing 2.1% last year and 2.3% in the first quarter of 2016. The retailer has suffered from poor management decisions in the past, including entering Canada, which it pulled out of in 2015 at a cost of $5.4 billion. The company also allowed Amazon to run its website for 10 years until 2011, a misguided partnership that gave its rival crucial data and left Target with a late start in building its own e-commerce platform.

Since Brian Cornell became CEO in 2014, the company has refocused itself, pulling out of Canada, doubling down on e-commerce with a $25 free-shipping minimum, and leaning on "signature" segments, which includes baby, children, design and style, and wellness. The strategy is key for Target to distinguish itself from an increasingly competitive field, especially with Amazon's rapid growth, and Wal-Mart's efforts to spruce up its stores with higher wages and other investments.

That strategy has paid off, as comparable sales grew triple the companywide metric in the company's most recent report. Profit growth, meanwhile, was solid, as adjusted EPS increased just 11% last year.

And the survey says...

Target appears to be on track with its new strategy under Cornell -- the company delivered e-commerce growth above 25% last year. The stock is also nearly twice as cheap as Home Depot's on a P/E basis, as Target trades at a P/E of less than 14.

Still, Home Depot has the much better track record of the two, and a clear plan to deliver earnings growth. Though a slowdown in the housing sector would present a setback to the company, Target still seems to face more challenges. While both companies have what it takes to beat the market in the coming years, Home Depot is the better bet of the two.
Shake Shack (SHAK 5.32%) stock dipped 6.2% Thursday following the release of its second-quarter earnings report.

Investors were turned off by weaker-than-expected same-store sales growth, as sales at Shacks open 24 months or longer increased just 4.5%, below expectations of 4.9% and down from 12.9% in the year-ago period and 9.9% in the first quarter.

The company had been forecasting decelerating comparable sales, projecting growth of 4% to 5% for the full year, but investors were disappointed as the stock's pricey valuation carries high expectations.

In Shake Shack's case, however, there are a number of reasons why same-store sales may not be the best barometer of the stock's value.

Always a bumpy ride

The comparable-sales figure is often seen as a clear indicator of a retail or restaurant company's performance, because it strips out the impact of new locations and acquisitions. But at restaurants especially, the figure tends to be volatile and is therefore not the best indicator of future performance.

Comparable sales can change from quarter to quarter due to competitive offers, consumer trends, the company's own pricing and marketing, or any number of other factors. Chipotle's management has noted that comparable sales at its stores tend to move in three-year cycles with double-digit growth every three years, though they are not sure why.

Lapping a strong performance the year before, as Shake Shack is doing, is also difficult. It's rare to see restaurants deliver double-digit growth in back-to-back years, especially at high-volume restaurants like Shake Shack as capacity constraints are often already stretched during peak hours.

The comparable base is still small

For most restaurant chains, the comparable base encompasses the vast majority of its locations. That isn't true at Shake Shack. Because of an extended honeymoon period, the company waits two years to include new stores in the comparable base, so only 23 out of 51 company-operated restaurants -- less than half -- were included in last quarter's report. The company also has 44 licensed establishments.

Management has repeatedly stressed that the same-store sales figure is not the best gauge of the company's performance. On the recent call, CEO Randy Garutti said, "If you're only looking at the strength of our same-Shack sales, which have been extraordinary, you'd be missing the real story of our industry-leading AUVs [average unit volumes] and Shack-level operating margins."

On that account, the company's performance was outstanding with record restaurant-level operating margins of 30.8%. Average weekly sales, which include all company-operated restaurants, held steady in the quarter at $102,000. That's a good sign as management has predicted that number, which more than doubles most of its competitors, would eventually fall as the chain spreads out across the country, away from its New York base where operating levels are stronger.

New stores are coming even faster

With the company already delivering annual average unit volumes of $5 million, expectations of same-store sales growth should be reasonable. It's important to remember that Shake Shack's growth will come primarily from new store openings. The company increased its guidance on new-store openings for the year to 18 company-operated locations, up from a previous forecast of 16. Management said it will add at least 18 next year as its real estate pipeline becomes stronger. The burger chain also announced a partnership to license new locations in airports to HMSHost, which should offer a long runway for growth in that valuable space.

With average unit volumes of $5 million and operating margins at 30%, the average Shake Shack contributes $1.5 million annually to the bottom line, compared to an industry mark of less than $500,000. That makes new store openings especially potent for increasing profits, and management is optimistic about its real estate pipeline, saying that its reputation gets it access to premium locations that others don't have.

So while Shake Shack's comparable sales won't break through the roof every quarter, even this quarter, it bested most competitors as the industry warns of a "restaurant recession." Nonetheless, investors should be happy with the accelerating store openings, increasing margins, and strong operating results. The stock's valuation may take a couple of years to grow into, but with its continued expansion, per-share profits could hit $1 by 2018.
Getting engaged is no doubt a reason to celebrate, but once the excitement wears off, many couples face the oft-dreaded task of saving for a wedding. These days, the average cost of a U.S. wedding is roughly $30,000, though in some parts of the country, it's considerably more. Take Connecticut, for example, where the average wedding costs close to $44,000, or Massachusetts, where the average wedding comes in at just under $40,000. And if you live in or near a major city, you might be looking at double those figures. The average Manhattan wedding, for instance, costs a whopping $88,000.

If those numbers are enough to make you book the next flight out to Vegas and elope, worry not: Saving for a wedding is often a matter of careful planning and prioritizing. Here are four ways to do it.

1. Come up with a budget

Your first step in saving for a wedding involves coming up with a realistic budget. Start by looking at venues, meeting with vendors, and collecting pricing info. Next, break down your costs by category (such as venue, photographer, band, florist, and so forth), and prioritize the categories that are most important to you. If, for example, you care more about your band than your photographer, you can leave yourself room to spend extra money on music as opposed to pictures.

Once you have all of your numbers, add up your anticipated costs to come up with a grand total. Don't forget to include smaller expenses that might add up, like tips for your wait staff and transportation to and from your wedding. If that figure is one you can afford based on parent contributions and your current and anticipated savings, you're all set. If not, you'll need to work backwards toward an amount you can swing. Otherwise, you risk taking on wedding debt, which is not a great way to start off a marriage.

2. Establish a savings timeline

The average U.S. engagement lasts 14 months, which gives you a fair amount of time to save money for the big day. That said, it's important to map out a savings timeline to ensure you stay on track. If, for example, you have a year to save for your wedding, your estimated costs total $30,000, and you only have $15,000 coming from savings or parental gifts, you'll need to save $1,250 a month, on average, until your wedding date arrives.

Furthermore, you should create a schedule of when you need to pay your vendors so you're not caught off guard down the line. You might, for example, need to give your band a deposit three months before the wedding and pay the balance shortly after the fact. In other words, even if your wedding is a year away, you may not have a full 12 months to save up all the money you'll need to pay for it.

3. Look for extra sources of income

If saving a chunk of your salary will only get you so far in financing your wedding, your next move should be to seek out additional sources of income. You could try selling some unwanted furniture, electronics, or collectibles to bring in extra cash. Another option is to take on a side job to generate more income. While the extra work might be a lot to juggle, it's something you'd conceivably only need to do for a limited time.

4. Take advantage of discounts and lower-cost alternatives

If you're willing to compromise on certain aspects of your wedding, you could wind up slashing your costs significantly. Some venues, for example, charge less for weeknight weddings than they do for weekend events, while others charge less during what's considered the off-season. If you have 150 guests and can knock your cost per head down from $100 to $90 by postponing your wedding for a month, or getting married on a Thursday evening, you'll save $1,500.

You also have the option to bypass certain vendors to cut costs. Have a friend take a video rather than pay a videographer, or skip the fancy limo and ask your bridesmaids and groomsmen for a ride. Finally, sending out electronic invites versus paper ones could easily save you close to $1,000, and you might have an easier time tracking responses to boot.

No matter what steps you take to save for your wedding, the key is to avoid overspending and starting your marriage off in the red. An estimated one-third of couples go into debt to pay for their weddings, and at a time when you're supposed to be enjoying the newlywed phase, you don't need that burden weighing you down.
A 20-year-old man is in custody after a bomb threat at Cody High School on Friday prompted evacuations.

Trey Randolph, of Cody, is held in Park County Detention Center on suspicion of making terrorist threats and telephone calls communicating threat of bodily injury or death, according to a news release from Cody Police Department.

Just before 1 p.m. Friday a Cody High School student reported Facebook posts referencing a bomb inside the school. Cody Police Departments bomb team responded to the building and about 70 students and staff members were evacuated. Officers swept the school and determined the area was safe.

The release said Randolph was identified as a suspect and arrested on Friday at about 3:45 p.m. The incident remains under investigation.
As if we needed anymore convincing, TransCanada Corporation (TRP -1.40%) is very serious about the Mexican oil and gas industry. In yet another move into the country, TransCanada announced a joint project with Sierra Oil and Gas to build oil and gas storage and transportation infrastructure. Here are the details of the latest investment and how TransCanada's bullish view of Mexico could help deliver consistent long-term returns.

The latest venture

The $800-million proposal between TransCanada and Sierra would deliver refined petroleum products to central Mexico. The company holds a 50% interest in the venture. The infrastructure includes a marine terminal near Tuxpan, a 165-mile pipeline, and an inland storage and distribution hub. The pipeline will have a capacity of 100,000 barrels per day, and the distribution hub will provide connectivity to the surrounding market.

Perhaps more importantly, the newest pipeline will parallel the recently awarded Tuxpan-Tula natural gas pipeline, providing synergistic opportunities to cut costs such as utilizing the "right-of-way" access permits. Additionally, it expands TransCanada's growing footprint Mexico in order to capture more of the oil and gas import market Mexico requires.

This new infrastructure shows that TransCanada is intent on pursuing opportunities to capitalize on Mexico's need to import 55% of its petroleum needs. In addition to the two pipelines mentioned above, the company's growing footprint also includes the recently awarded Sur de Texas to Tuxpan Pipeline and the Tula-Villa de Reyes natural gas pipeline. Although it has not signaled intentions for additional deals, TransCanada has positioned itself to benefit from Mexico's growing oil and gas consumption, which is expected to grow by 50% by 2025.

How it will benefit

TransCanada will benefit from its bets on Mexico in three ways.

First, the three previously awarded pipelines are supported by 25-year contracts, ensuring long-term returns. They are expected to come online in 2018, giving the company solid growth prospects down the road. The latest storage and pipeline infrastructure, although unconfirmed, will likely begin initial operations in 2018 as well.

Second, TransCanada is leveraging its interests in its Mexican assets -- as well as monetizing its U.S. Northeast power assets -- to purchase additional infrastructure elsewhere. For example, it recently purchased the Columbia Pipeline Group for $13 billion, significantly expanding its footprint in the eastern U.S. To fund the acquisition, TransCanada announced that it would sell minority stakes in its Mexican pipeline projects. Although this will cut into its returns from Mexico, it allows TransCanada to take advantage of the growing Mexican petroleum demand as well as already established infrastructure to expand its footprint.

And third, by adding another pipeline into its Mexico portfolio -- and utilizing those assets to expand into additional markets -- TransCanada is strengthening its assets through diversification. The majority of TransCanada's assets are in Canada and the U.S., but it now has over $5 billion worth of investments in Mexico. The value of diversification is that if one market begins to struggle, the company now has a new sources of long-term revenue. This puts it in a great position to ensure long-term returns.

Investor takeaway

TransCanada has placed great emphasis on asset expansion over the past year, and it has now made another move to capitalize on the growing oil and gas market in Mexico. TransCanada will not see returns from several of these projects until 2018 at the earliest, but selling off minority stakes will help it pay for its Columbia purchase that will provide short-term cash. The company's bullish view of Mexico is well defended by 25-year contracts, and the expanded diversification should hopefully help build cash flow stability in the long term.
Less than two months after introducing searchable stickers, Twitter wants to monetize the feature via a new partnership with Pepsi, the global launch partner for Twitter's Promoted Stickers.

Tweeters in Argentina, Canada, Egypt, India, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the US can look for Pepsi-branded tags in the app's library.

The social network last month completed its rollout of the new sticker feature, allowing iOS and Android users to jazz up their photos with graphic lightning bolts, snowmen, cacti, watermelon, sunglasses, and other emoji.

Before posting a photo, tap the smiley-face icon at the bottom of the screen to reveal a library of stickers ranging from animals and food to technology, flags, and weather.

Like hashtags, Twitter stickers aim to make it easy for people to explore a topic of interest or join a global conversation. Any public tweet containing a sticker is searchable; just tap on an emblem to call up a timeline of messages from people around the world using the same stamp.

"Now, people around the world can all share their universal passion for Pepsi and make the brand come alive in a powerful new way on Twitter," social network COO Adam Bain said in a statement.

As part of today's launch, Pepsi will share nearly 50 custom stickers associated with its global PepsiMoji campaign. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture with Pepsi stickers can really spark a conversation," said Brad Jakeman, president of PepsiCo Global Beverage Group.

Brands looking to interact with Twitter users are invited to design four to eight stickers to act as visual hashtags. Companies can then track their use across the platform.

Rival social networks like Snapchat and Facebook, meanwhile, have offered stickers for a while. And some users are less than thrilled with Twitter's new addition, pointing out that the social network should have first made good on another recent promiseto stop counting photos toward the 140-character limit. Others suggested the company should focus its efforts on more important changes, like letting users edit tweets.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
Apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger might soon face tougher regulations in Europe.

As Reuters and the Financial Times report, the European Commission wants to extend traditional telecom rules to companies offering calls and messages over the Web, like Microsoft's Skype.

"The Commission is indeed working on an update of EU telecoms rules under its Digital Single Market strategy," Nathalie Vandystadt, a spokesperson for the EU's Digital Single Market, said in a statement. "The upcoming reform of the EU telecoms framework should incentivize and leverage more private investment in next-generation networks, provide regulatory predictability and the right conditions for all operators to invest.

"The Commission is looking into to what extent people can consider OTT services like WhatsApp and Skype to be functional substitutes for services provided by traditional telecoms operators, and is considering whether [the] scope of the current EU rules needs to be adapted, to ensure adequate levels of consumer protection and ensure that regulation does not distort competition."

She added that "this does not necessarily mean treating all communications services the same for all purposes." The plan will be presented in September.

Popular carriers like Deutsche Telekom AG, Telefonica SA, Vodafone, and Orange have lobbied the EU to repeal certain laws governing telecoms. Otherwise, they argue, the EU should at least broaden its rules to cover Internet-based services.

The EU's current "ePrivacy Directive," which applies to telecom firms, requires companies to protect users' communications and ensure network security, Reuters says. It also bars carriers from storing customer location and traffic data.

Facebook has rolled out end-to-end encryption for WhatsApp and Messenger, which it says could be compromised under the EU's plan. They tell Reuters that individual organizations would "no longer be able to guarantee the security and confidentiality of the communication through encryption," because governments can take control in the name of national security.

"Therefore, any expansion of the current ePD (ePrivacy Directive) should not have the undesired consequence of undermining the very privacy it is seeking to protect," Facebook told Reuters.

Facebook and WhatsApp declined to comment to PCMag; Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the FT, the rules would apply to services that require users to dial a phone number; Skype-to-Skype calls would not be included.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:45 p.m. ET with comment from the EU.

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.
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Image source: Altria Group.

Tobacco giant Altria Group (NYSE: MO) has successfully overcome numerous challenges in its history, including threats from litigation, government regulation, and consumer advocacy groups. Even as cigarette smoking has become less popular and volumes of cigarette sales have generally declined, Altria has used the pricing power of its key Marlboro brand to generate higher net income over time. Coming into its second-quarter financial report, Altria investors expected more of the same from the tobacco maker, and although some were concerned with a decline in its top line, solid earnings performance showed that Altria is still making progress in its profitability. Let's take a closer look at Altria and what it said in its most recent report.

A mixed performance from Altria

Altria's second-quarter results didn't give investors everything they had hoped to see. Total revenue fell 1.4% to $6.52 billion, and sales net of excise taxes weighed in at $4.88 billion, which was substantially less than the $5.01 billion consensus forecast among those following the stock. Net income, however, jumped 14% to $1.65 billion, and after accounting for certain extraordinary items, adjusted earnings of $0.81 per share came in $0.01 better than most investors had expected.

Taking a closer look at Altria's businesses, the key smokeable products segment took an even more substantial hit than the company overall. Revenue net of excise taxes dropped 1.1%, and it took higher pricing to overcome the decline in sales and produce gains in adjusted operating-company income of about 4.5%. Even so, that growth rate represented only about half the pace of its previous quarter's growth, and a massive 5% plunge in cigarette volume to 31.5 billion showed the pressure that Marlboro and Altria's other premium cigarette brands have been under lately. Overall market share for the cigarette group remained unchanged at 51.4%, but Marlboro lost a tenth of a percentage point as discount brands picked up the slack. Altria's cigar market share continued its decline, falling more than a full percentage point to 26.7%.

The smokeless products segment, on the other hand, continued its winning ways. Revenue net of excise tax was up more than 9%, and that produced adjusted operating company income growth of almost 14%. Domestic shipment volume climbed 4.3%, and Copenhagen in particular managed to produce double-digit percentage growth that singlehandedly overcame weakness from Skoal and other products. Market share rose to nearly 56%, with Copenhagen and Skoal making up the lion's share of Altria's exposure to the market.

Finally, Altria's wine business posted mixed results. Revenue climbed 6%, but acquisition costs held back reported operating company income. On an adjusted basis, however, operating company income rose 6% as well, and volume rose 3% to 2.12 million cases.

CEO Marty Barrington kept his comments simple about Altria's performance. "Our core tobacco companies performed extremely well," Barrington said, "behind solid performance from their leading premium brands." The CEO also noted the dividends that the company has paid to shareholders, emphasizing the attractive income that Altria has produced historically.

What's ahead for Altria?

Altria also made a minor boost to its guidance for the full 2016 year. It now expects adjusted earnings to come in between $3.01 and $3.07 per share, which is a penny or two higher than its previous guidance for the year indicated.

However, a lot depends on the long-standing effort of Anheuser-Busch InBev to acquire SABMiller, in which Altria holds a substantial stake. Altria noted that the beer maker has gotten regulatory approval in nearly two dozen jurisdictions, and the increase to Anheuser-Busch's buyout offer in late July will hopefully dispel concerns that the decline in the British pound following the U.K. Brexit vote has unfairly reduced the true value of the pound-denominated cash offer that most SABMiller shareholders will receive. Altria expects to have two directors on the beer giant's board after the merger, and that could lead to interesting discussions about the future direction of Anheuser-Busch InBev and Altria's role in it.

Investors weren't entirely comfortable with the poor sales performance, sending Altria shares down almost 2% immediately after the report's release. For the most part, however, Altria has continued to do well in promoting its growth even in the face of adverse trends. As long as it can keep finding ways to grow its bottom line, Altria should maintain the long-term upward trend in its share price.

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.

Dan Caplinger 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.
Shark Tank Just Revealed a Trillion-Dollar Idea Motley Fool Founders Issue New Stock Buy Alert Metric Q2 2016 Q2 2015 Change Revenue $163 million $153 million 7% Earnings per share $0.04 $0.04 N/A Net income $1.9 million $1.9 million N/A

Data source: Ameresco.

As mentioned above, profits came in flat over last year's quarter, primarily because of $2 million in restructuring charges related to Canadian operations. Adjusting for those charges, which inflatedsales, general, and administrative expenses to $27.1 million versus $25.8 million last year, and Ameresco's earnings would have been $3.9 million, or $0.08 per share.

And while it's probably not a good idea to ignore these one-time charges -- after all, Ameresco's struggling Canadian segment has cost the company more than $5 million in losses and restructuring charges over the past two years -- parsing these costs out of operating results can give investors a clearer picture of how the business is performing as a whole.

Ameresco's backlog also continues to expand. At the end of the quarter, the company reported $1.12 billion in awarded but not yet contracted projects, up 18% from last year, and $435.1 million in fully contracted projects, up 9%. That gives Ameresco $1.55 billion in total backlog, a 9% increase from last year. The company also has $157 million in projects it is developing, such as renewable energy generation projects,that it will either maintain ownership of to generate long-term cash flows, or sell after completion.

Latest on SunEdison and Canadian segment

The company has made some major changes in its Canadian operations in recent quarters, following an ugly 2015
Owners of Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE: RBA) stock are having a bad month.

Last week, the world's largest auctioneer of used industrial equipment reported Q2 2016 revenues of $159 million, which was short of analysts' $161 million consensus. Profits missed the forecast $0.44 by $0.07, coming in at just $0.37 -- and Ritchie Bros. stock has fallen 14% since then.

But could it be time for a turnaround?

According to one analyst, Cleveland-based KeyBanc Capital Markets, that is exactly what we're looking at in Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers today -- an opportunity to buy the world's preeminent industrial auctioneer at a discount, and ahead of news of a turnaround. But is KeyBanc right about that?

Here are three things you need to know.

Ritchie Bros. stock fell hard last week, but KeyBanc thinks investors can ride it right back up. Image source: Getty Images.

1. A chance at a 21% profit

Up until today, KeyBanc had maintained only a "sector weight" rating on Ritchie Bros. stock, which had been trading near its 52-week high. But with the stock now 14% cheaper than it cost just seven days ago, KeyBanc thinks the pullback offers investors an opportunity to profit.

Upgrading the shares to overweight, KeyBanc assigned Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers stock a $34 price target. That's not even as expensive as the stock's highest price in the past year -- but if it gets there, it could lift the stock 21% higher from today's price.

2. This, too, shall pass

Sales and earnings were both below forecast in Q2. But quoted on StreetInsider.com this morning, KeyBanc says the problems that Ritchie Bros. encountered last quarter are "transitory." Specifically, Ritchie Bros. CEO Ravi Saligram highlighted"a sudden decline in equipment pricing globally in June -- across various sectors -- that was driven by an imbalance between demand and supply, increasing competitive pressures."

Looking just a little ways into the future, KeyBanc spies "potential non-res construction cyclical weakness that seems imminent." If it's right about that, then investors could soon see even more equipment going on market, which would mean more business for Ritchie Bros.

3. And really, things aren't that bad already

That sounds like good news for Ritchie Bros. But honestly, while investors were disappointed by the twin sales and earnings misses last week, Ritchie Bros' business didn't do half bad in Q2. Sales, while light from analysts' perspective, were still up 2% year over year. And the company reported "record" gross auction proceeds for both Q2 and for the first half of the year, with $1.3 billion and $2.3 billion in equipment value, respectively, going under the hammer so far.

Given all this, KeyBanc feels that investors overreacted to the bad news, and argues that "the recent pullback [has created] an opportunistic entry point" to buy Ritchie Bros. stock, and calls the stock's valuation "attractive."

But is it, really?

The most important thing: Valuation

I must admit that I have my doubts. Valued on trailing earnings, Ritchie Bros. stock currently costs 21.9 times earnings, which, objectively speaking, doesn't look cheap on the surface. The stock pays a 2.2% dividend yield, and according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, most analysts believe Ritchie Bros. is capable of growing earnings at only about 11% annually over the next five years.

That all adds up to a total expected return on the stock (earnings growth, plus dividend yield) of 13.2%, for a stock trading at 21.9 times earnings -- a total return ratio of about 1.66, versus the sub-1.0 ratio value investors ordinarily seek.

And believe it or not, the story gets worse. Over the past 12 months, Ritchie Bros. generated only $101 million in positive cash from operations, which is far less than the $136 million in GAAP net income it reported. Once you subtract out capital expenditures, free cash flow at the company drops to an anemic $78 million, or barely $0.57 in real cash profit for every $1 in reported profits."

Long story short, with a poor total return ratio, and a price-to-free-cash-flow ratio that I now estimate at north of 38 (again, on a growth rate of just 11%), Ritchie Bros. Auctioneer stock still looks dreadfully overpriced to me. Even after its 14% drop, I wouldn't touch it with a 100-foot crane.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

Fool contributorRich Smithdoes not own shares of, nor is he short, any company named above. You can find him onMotley Fool CAPS, publicly pontificating under the handleTMFDitty, where he's currently ranked No. 301 out of more than 75,000 rated members.

The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Euro Pacific Capital Economist, and former British Parliament member, John Browne weighed in on reports Brexit may be delayed to late 2019.

It is a very serious and complex issue involving the unwinding of some 50% of Britains distorted trade towards the European Union and it will require very lengthy negotiations and a lot of time so I think [British Prime Minister] Theresa May is quite correct to play the ball long and to allow time for cool heads to prevail, Browne told the FOX Business Networks Sandra Smith.

Browne explained how British trade was impacted by being a part of the European Union.

Britain has to negotiate within the European Unions negotiations worldwide, of which it has one twenty-eighth of a vote, in other words one in 28 nations, he said.

Browne said Brexit will greatly benefit Britains economy.

Now, under Brexit, Britains going to be free to negotiate with places like the United States, Japan, China, three of the largest economies in the world in which the European Union does not have a trade agreement yet. So its going to be greatly to the benefit of Britain over and above democracy, freedom and common law which are the three fundamental reasons why Britain broke from Europe, he said.

But he said it shouldnt be rushed.

I think markets are going to be much happier with a slow, gradual movement than a sudden shocks, and the sudden shocks would be greatly to the disadvantage of the United Kingdom and the European Union, he said.

And, he said, there is another reason to proceed cautiously: time heals all wounds.

At the moment, the Italians and the French are out for revenge. Theyre trying to squeeze Britain hard and everything, which is unrealistic. Merkel is much more realistic and says look, weve got to negotiate a deal thats a win-win for both sides so we both have an amicable deal. Now with the anger and revenge thats been stirred up already, one has to allow that to die down, he said.
Image source: Getty Images.

What: Shares of Bill Barrett (NYSE: BBG) spiked on Monday and were up 10% at 2:45 p.m. EDT.

So what: Fueling today's surge was Bill Barrett's decision to restart its drilling operations in the DJ Basin. Thanks to a combination of cost reductions and higher oil and gas prices, Bill Barrett believes that it can now earn a competitive return on wells drilled in the region at current prices. Because of that, it plans to drill 12 wells in the area by the end of the year. However, those wells won't start producing until early next year.

The company expects to fund this development by spending at the high end of its 2016 capex budget range of $75 million to $100 million. That said, it still projects to be cash flow positive this year even after spending at the upper end of its capex range, which allows it to preserve its liquidity position while building momentum for 2017.

Bill Barrett joins a growing list of producers that are making investment decisions geared toward 2017. Leading North American driller Devon Energy (NYSE: DVN), for example, recently added $200 million to its capex budget to accelerate drilling in its Delaware Basin and STACK plays. That said, the incremental capital won't deliver any additional production for Devon Energy until 2017 because of the time it takes to drill and complete wells. While those wells can earn solid returns at current prices, Devon's hope is that these wells will come on line into an improving oil price environment.

Now what: Bill Barrett's decision to restart its DJ Basin drilling program shows the progress it made in reducing costs because those wells are now economical to drill at current prices. Furthermore, it positions the company to capture the upside of what will hopefully be a much stronger oil market in 2017 when these wells come on line.

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.

Matt DiLallo has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Devon Energy. 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.
GM president Dan Ammann (center) with Lyft co-founders Logan Green (left) and John Zimmer (right). GM took a 9% stake in Lyft in January. Ammann sits on the ride-hailing company's board. Image source: General Motors.

General Motors (NYSE: GM) recently expressed interest in acquiring the ride-hailing company Lyft outright, according to a new report, going so far as to name a price. But Lyft declined and decided to raise a new round of funding instead.

If the report is accurate, it suggests that GM's aggressive moves to ensure that it remains a major player in the auto industry's ongoing transformation may be even more aggressive than investors have realized.

What the report said

The report (subscription required), which was published late on Friday by the influential technology site The Information, indicates that GM went as far as mentioning a price it was willing to pay. But the publication was unable to learn the amount, and said that it wasn't clear which company initiated the discussions or how far they went. Neither GM nor Lyft had any comment on the report.

What we know about GM's relationship with Lyft

GM already owns a 9% stake in Lyft. GM invested $500 million in Lyft in January, in a funding round that valued Lyft at $5.5 billion. As part of the deal, GM president Dan Ammann joined Lyft's board of directors.

Since the investment, GM and Lyft have begun working together on a series of initiatives. The most visible so far is a program called "Express Drive," which allows new Lyft drivers who don't have a suitable car to rent a GM vehicle at an affordable rate that is partially subsidized by Lyft.

There are more ambitious plans in the works. In May, unnamed Lyft executives told The Wall Street Journal that GM and Lyft will team up to test a fleet of self-driving taxis on public roads in a U.S. city within a year. GM didn't deny the report, and electric Chevrolet Bolts equipped with self-driving hardware have since been spotted openly testing in San Francisco.

The current relationship seems to be working well for both GM and Lyft

For Lyft, the advantages of a relationship with one of the world's largest automakers are obvious, especially given GM's current aggressive focus on future tech. For GM, the relationship with Lyft has been seen as a learning opportunity for the General, a way for GM to increase the visibility of its latest products in urban markets (where it has historically been weak), and a partnership for testing advanced technology like self-driving cars -- and the electric Bolt itself, which was designed with urban ride-hailing service in mind.

But GM is getting all of that now with its 9% stake in Lyft. In GM's second-quarter earnings call last month, CEO Mary Barra said the company's alliance with Lyft "is accomplishing everything we set out for it to do," a view echoed by other executives who have said that GM is very happy with how its relationship with Lyft is working out.

Did Lyft or GM start the conversation?

The Wall Street Journal reported in June that Lyft had retained Qatalyst Partners, a specialist investment bank known for helping technology companies find buyers, and that the bankers were talking to automakers including GM.

At the time, I thought that Lyft was probably exploring the idea of finding a deep-pocketed acquisition partner to help fund its ongoing battle with larger rival Uber for market share in the United States.

That may have been exactly what was happening. It's very possible that GM responded to the bank's inquiries by saying "We'd pay X for Lyft," and that that's the basis of The Information's report.

It's also possible that GM made its offer before then, and that Lyft's response included hiring the bank to explore the market and help it set a price.

If things are fine now, why buy Lyft outright?

GM CFO Chuck Stevens has noted that the $500 million that GM spent on its current Lyft stake is a big investment by GM's standards. GM does have a $20 billion cash reserve, but that's intended to fund product development through a deep recession. It's not an acquisition fund.

It's possible that GM might have offered a deal that didn't require a significant chunk of its cash. GM's deal to buy San Francisco self-driving start-up Cruise Automation had been rumored to be a billion-dollar deal, but actually cost GM a relatively modest $291 million in cash at closing. GM paid the remainder of the purchase price, $290.4 million, in newly issued GM common stock. It's possible that GM offered stock, or a mix of cash and stock, for Lyft as well.

Still, even with stock, it's hard to see GM spending the $5 billion or more that it would take to acquire Lyft (and the billions more it would take to fund and build out money-losing Lyft over the long term) unless the deal was creatively structured.

Or unless GM felt it needed to buy Lyft in order to protect its partnership. Was another automaker interested in buying Lyft? Might that have forced GM's hand?

No matter what, it's an interesting development. We'll see how it plays out.

A secret billion-dollar stock opportunity The world's biggest tech company forgot to show you something, but a few Wall Street analysts and the Fool didn't miss a beat: There's a small company that's powering their brand-new gadgets and the coming revolution in technology. And we think its stock price has nearly unlimited room to run for early in-the-know investors! To be one of them, just click here.

John Rosevear owns shares of General Motors. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to wreck Main Street again.

Thats how Hillary phrased her pot shot at Wall Street during her speech at the Democratic National Convention last month.

Yet what we are learning, via newly released tax returns, is that Hillary and Bill Clinton are a couple that continue to be influenced by corporate America. Indeed, after reviewing their 2015 tax returns, it showed yet another year of the Clintons being in the pocket of big business despite their vows to protect those on Main Street.

Lets start with the Democratic Partys standard-bearer, Hillary Clinton. In 2015 she made approximately $1.4 million in speaking fees. The tax returns cite the Harry Walker Agency as the sponsor for her speeches but what they dont reflect are the companies that paid her to speak. Clinton spoke at six events throughout 2015 including the American Camping Association: $260,000, tinePublic Inc., a Canadian promotions company, twice for a total of $524,000, the Canadian Imperial Bank for $150,000, the Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women for $225,500 and eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) for $315,000.

None of the 2015 totals include the hundreds of thousands of dollars she received for past speaking engagements at the top Wall Street banks of Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS).

However, what the speaking fees do show is that Hillary Clinton is eager to reap the financial benefit that comes from corporate America despite her anti-business rhetoric on the campaign trail.

The groups, mentioned here, who paid Mrs. Clinton in 2015 for speaking engagements, did not return calls from FOX Business for comment at the time of publication.

And it doesnt get any better for her husband. In 2015, former President Bill Clinton was paid approximately $5.25 million in speaking fees and took in about $1.6 million in consulting fees. Its unclear who paid Mr. Clinton to speak at their events but what the tax returns do reveal is clues as to how he was paid; in consulting fees. According to an AP article written in May 2015, Clintons consulting firm, WJC LLC, located in Chappaqua, New York, was used as a pass through in order to funnel consulting payments to the former president. It turns out, the consulting firm, with no apparent employees, was still in service in 2015. The 2015 taxes show that $1 million of the consulting fees were through Laureate Education, a global operator of for-profit colleges, and the rest came from GEMS Education, a Dubai-based company that runs preschool and K-12 programs. From 2010 through 2015, Bill Clinton made $25 million in consulting and had his best year in 2014 with an income of $6 million.

Bill Clintons past with Laureate is murky at best. As an Honorary Chancellor of Laureate, Mr. Clinton brought in over $17.5 million and it was all paid through his consulting firm. FOX Business reached out to Laureate to try to understand how they paid their former honorary chancellor, and a spokesperson via email said, In 2010, former U.S. President Bill Clinton signed a five-year contract to serve as the Laureate networks Honorary Chancellor. He advised the network on issues like social responsibility, youth leadership and civic engagement, while also speaking to students, faculty and staff worldwide.

After careful review of Mr. Clintons taxes from 2010 through 2015, his consulting payments were based on a per annum system and, depending on how much consulting Mr. Clinton did for Laureate, he would get paid a different amount each year. For instance, in 2014 he finished the year with $4.2 million from Laureate as their consultant. In contrast, in 2011 he was paid $2.4 million for his services. Sources close to Laureate confirmed to FOX Business that the payments were only part of his compensation for his five-year term in 2015 and did not deny that the former president was given different payments each year depending on how often he was called upon to advise the for-profit college company.
A leading New York restaurateur and Food Network personality is being treated like chopped liver by her former lawyer.

Donatella Arpaia Stewart, a regular on Food Network shows like Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef is accused of ignoring $27,000 in legal bills with the law firm Akabas & Sproule between 2009 and 2014.

In plaintiffs humble opinion, such a fine, accomplished and successful individual should pay her just debts, the complaint snarks.

Arpaia has owned some of the citys top foodie spots since the late 1990s, including Bellini, davidburke & donatella, Anthos and Mia Dona.

Mr. Akabas has a very high opinion of Ms. Arpaia and feels certain these invoices just slipped through the cracks, his attorney, David Bamberger, told The Post of the Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit.

Arpaia did not respond to a request for comment.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post's Page Six.
The Memphis Coalition of Concerned Citizens, including Black Lives Matter protesters and others groups, announced their plan to "Shut Down Graceland."

Protest leaders say the mass demonstration is planned for 6:00 PM Monday. They said they specifically chose Graceland because it is Elvis Week and they know it will raise awareness.

Leaders say they also chose Graceland because "it demonstrates one of Memphis's most common forms of financial inequality and because the site has ties to...the death of unarmed teen Darrius Stewart."

Memphis officer Connor Schilling said Stewart had attacked him before the officer fired shots. A grand jury declined to indict Schilling.

If carried out, the Elvis Week demonstration will be the third high-profile protest in the area by Black Lives Matter and other groups in the last month. Most recently in front of Graceland, where some protesters were detained for blocking traffic.

At the time, activists said they wanted their demands met by the city, which they admitted would take time.

Mayor Jim Strickland just responded this week to questions from the first community meeting. Community leader Frank Gottie is skeptical of the timing.

"They had 30 days to respond, but they responded right before Elvis Week," said Gottie. "Elvis Week must be really important, because I got a lot of phone calls. Homeland security and everybody. [They said] don't go to Elvis more than 20 deep, you can't go there. But how they going to say that when it's welcome to the public?"

Click for more from Fox 13.
Medical professionals are warning against using a DIY whitening trend that involves smearing a charcoal-derived black mixture on teeth. The method, which dentists say may lead to enamel deterioration and tooth erosion, became an online sensation this month after YouTube user Mama Natural posted a video that details its execution began striking fire online. As of Monday morning, it had amassed more than 1.5 million views.

In the video the host Genevieve brushes her teeth with the supplement for three to five minutes before rinsing and proclaiming she then had seemingly whiter teeth. She said the product can be purchased in capsule form in health food stores or online.

This stuff is highly absorbent some of the most absorbent material on the planet, Genevieve said in the video. In fact, hospitals have it on hand in case someone comes in with a poisoning because it can absorb that stuff and safely remove it from the body. The same reasoning works for our teeth. It absorbs bacteria, toxins and staining, and makes them whiter as a result.

But while the cosmetic result of the method may hold true for some users, the long-term internal effect may harm other peoples teeth, dentists say. The American Dental Association has currently not evaluated or approved any charcoal teeth whitening products. A spokesman for the organization previously told Prevention the product is concerning because its abrasiveness isnt known.

Dr. Susan Maples, a Michigan-based dentist and ortho speaker who authored Blabber Mouth!: 77 Secrets Only Your Mouth Can Tell You to Live a Healthier, Happier, Sexier Life, told FoxNews.com there isnt enough evidence available to know whether the supplement is beneficial and that it may be dangerous.

I worry about the long-term effects of a video like this, Maples said. Teeth are the only part of the ectoderm that does not replenish or heal itself once its gone, its gone. You can color your hair, you can pierce your skin, damage your nail, shave an eyebrow all of that comes back.

Maples said the difference between using an approved dental tool, whether at home or at the dentists office, and a DIY remedy like charcoal lies in their approaches.

For example, approved products seep through the enamel and into the inner layer of the tooth called the dentin, which influences tooth color. Users and dentists dont know how severe the charcoal supplement may be, so it may leave teeth stained or blotchy. The trendy product may also leave tooth enamel susceptible to deterioration and erosion, which can lead to sensitivity and cavities.

When you lose enamel, teeth get sensitive and darker in color because youre close to the part of the tooth that has the depth of the color, Maples said. Since you cant grow it back, the only thing you can do is cover it up with restoration.

To avoid these risks, Maples recommended patients who are interested in whitening their teeth opt instead for formally tested dental procedures or at-home whitening trays provided by their dentist.

My fear with the charcoal is people will do it periodically just to do it, she said, and over time, well see too much erosion.
Seniors who get behind the wheel soon after starting to use narcotic pain relievers have twice the risk of getting into a serious car crash as their peers who use non-opioid painkillers, Swedish researchers say.

Senior drivers who'd been using opioid painkillers regularly for several months also had higher odds of getting into accidents, but not as high as the new users did, according to Joel Monarrez-Espino of Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and colleagues.

Their study included 4,445 drivers between the ages of 50 and 80 who had been involved in a single car crash between 2005 and 2009 in which at least one person suffered an injury that required medical care, plus more than 17,000 similar drivers who had not been in crashes.

As reported in the journal Age and Aging, study participants were considered new to opioid painkillers if they had been given a prescription within one month before the crash. Regular users were those given at least three prescriptions in the last six months, with at least one prescription within a month of the crash.

"New, but also frequent opioid analgesic use, resulted in an increased probability of single vehicle crashes," the research team wrote.

Specifically, the risk was 100 percent higher for the new opioid users, and 60 to 70 percent higher for the regular users, compared to the risk in people of the same age taking one or two non-opioid painkillers.

"While more epidemiologic evidence is needed, patients could be advised to refrain from driving when using opioid analgesics," the authors wrote.

They did not respond to a request for comment.

Whether the "regular users" in this study had a lower risk because their bodies were accustomed to the opioids is hard to know, said Dr. Thomas Meuser, a specialist in aging at the University of Missouri who was not involved with the study.

"The study doesn't show if the participants took their medications consistently," Meuser told Reuters Health by phone.

"Another reason for the drop in risk (among regular users) could be that some stopped or reduced taking their medications due to side effects, even though they continued being prescribed," said Meuser.

Paul Atchley, who studies the human brain, vision and attention to driving at the University of Kansas, told Reuters Health the findings should serve as a wake-up call for doctors to have better conversations with their patients about the true risks of taking these medications.

"Driving is the riskiest thing we do on a daily basis," said Atchley, who wasn't involved in the study.

"We need to understand what's at risk, so that we as drivers can make better choices," he said.

"What's unique about this study isn't just painkiller use, but the pattern of use," Atchley pointed out.

The risk of being injured or killed in a car crash increases with age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Meuser noted that older adults generally have more diagnoses and take more medications than younger adults. "There's always a risk for side effects for someone taking five or more medications," he said. "Side effects that affect the brain and nervous system are especially worrisome for older drivers."

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2aJXtXs Age and Aging, online July 26, 2016.
A Cause for Claws Thrift Store (701-751-5828)  Seeks volunteers to sort, test, repair and set up store displays. All profits support a low-cost spay and neuter clinic.

Abused Adult Resource Center (701-222-8370)  Volunteers advocates needed to help answer the crisis calls in the evenings and on weekends. An advocates role is to listen, offer support and give options. Free training provided.

AID Inc. (701-663-2122 or 701-663-1274)  Adults to sort clothing, sort other donations, pricing, cashiering, cleaning, organizing, hanging clothes, sorting, testing and repairing electrical items and other various tasks.

American Cancer Society (701-433-7582)  Volunteer drivers for Road to Recovery Program.

American Red Cross (701-223-6700)  Disaster and Health and Safety Services to teach CPR/first aid courses, aid in disaster response locally and nationwide, training provided. Adults and youth 16 and older.

Arc of Bismarck (701-222-1854)  Work in the thrift store.

Baptist Health Care Center (701-223-3040)  Assist residents with clinic appointments, activities, meals, chapel on Sunday and bingo.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (701-222-0797)  Be a mentor for youth.

Bismarck-Mandan Chapter of SCORE (701-328-5861)  Volunteer management counselors to provide free and confidential mentoring and counseling for those who wish to start a small business. Call or stop by the office at the Bank of North Dakota building on Memorial Highway.

Buckstop Junction/Missouri Valley Historical Society (701-250-8575)  Conduct tours of historic buildings, help with The Shoppe, building or grounds maintenance, general office work, Corn Feed/Old Settlers Day, publicity or adopt a building.

Burleigh County Senior Adult Program (701-255-4648)  Deliver meals to homebound elderly individuals and assist as nutrition servers, gift shop attendants, Wii bowling scorekeeper and answering phones.

Central Dakota Humane Society (701-667-2020)  Provide companionship, exercise and socialization to the dogs and cats; assist with basic animal care; assist with special events.

Charles Hall Youth Services (701-255-2773, ext. 303)  Volunteer mentors needed to commit to supporting, guiding and mentoring at-risk youth. Mentors serve as positive role models, teaching youth healthy and safe ways to have fun and to meet positive academic, career and personal goals. Mentors must be minimum of 21 years of age. Training provided.

CHI St. Alexius Health (701-530-7159)  Deliver mail and flowers, escort patients, help with the gift shop.

CHI St. Alexius Home Health & Hospice (701-530-4500)  Share your time, energy and compassion while enriching your own life and lives of others. Help with a variety of activities such as companionship, errands, respite care, administrative and bereavement support. Volunteers who are a veteran, can play an instrument for music therapy and/or perform pet therapy are particularly needed.

Community Action (701-258-2240)  Help in the donation center and the food pantry.

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Dakota Zoo (701-223-7543)  Accepting applications for adult volunteers to provide animal conservation programs and animal handling for educational programs. Training provided. Also looking for general volunteers for light building and repair projects. Carpentry, mechanical and fencing skills are a plus but not needed.

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Good Samaritan Society (701-323-3274)  Volunteers needed.

Lutheran Social Services Senior Companions (701-838-7800)  Seniors 55 and older who are healthy, active and interested in helping their older neighbors.

Make-A-Wish (701-280-9474)  Help with upcoming special events.

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Mandan Golden Age Services (701-663-6528)  Pick up prepared meals at Mandan Senior Center and deliver them to the homes of the elderly.

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Mental Health America of North Dakota (701-255-3692)  Help with data entry, various office duties.

Neighbors Network Program (701-323-4277)  Volunteers with pickups to help move donated furniture items to clients homes.

New Song Church (701-258-5683)  Janitorial and light maintenance work. For details, email erickson.e.michael@gmail.com.

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Public Health Emergency Volunteer Reserve Corps/Medical Reserve Corps (701-328-1334)  Accepting registration of volunteers to assist with public health emergencies. Medical and non-medical volunteers needed. Choose to help only in own county, in the surrounding counties, statewide or anywhere in the U.S. Register at www.ndhealth.gov/EPR/volunteer.

RSVP+ Central North Dakota (701-258-5436)  RSVP+ will connect volunteers of all ages to a variety of volunteer opportunities throughout the community.

Ruth Meiers House (701-222-2108)  Sorting donations, stocking food pantry shelves, dining room servers, childrens learning center aides, baby boutique program assistants and special event help. More information: www.ruthmeiers.org.

St. Vincents Care Center (701-323-1974)  Entertainers for background music for Sunday social events.

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Sanford Health Hospice (701-323-8400)  Volunteers needed to assist terminally ill patients. Assistance commonly includes visiting, reading and taking walks; child care assistance; bereavement support; and administrative/clerical work. Orientation, training and support provided.

Seeds of Hope store (701-222-8370)  Greeters, price clothes, stock and straighten shelves, Diggers Delight and more. Creative people needed for designing gift baskets and store displays.

Tracys Sanctuary House (701-258-5889)  Perform daily housekeeping tasks, answer phones, stock kitchen and food pantry.

Volunteer Care Givers for the Elderly (701-223-9290)  Assist with transportation, yardwork, light housekeeping, respite care, errands and shopping and other companionship activities with the elderly.

Welcome House Inc. (701-391-5184)  Assist with food pantry, kitchen and front desk.
The Palmetto State is unlikely to have an outbreak of Zika virus, health officials said, while acknowledging that its only a matter of time before mosquitoes with the virus show up in the state.

Will it eventually reach South Carolina? The answer is probably, Robert Ball, a former state epidemiologist who now teaches at the Medical University of South Carolina, told The State. But it would be a small number of cases, and maybe a cluster. I wouldnt (say) an epidemic or outbreak.

Top state health experts noted that South Carolinas cool winter climate and past experience with mosquito-borne threats including dengue fever and chikungunya also make them believe the state will dodge a significant Zika outbreak.

The state is home to approximately 60 mosquitoes, only two of which are known to carry the Zika virus and are not common in many areas of the state, The State reported. Most of these two mosquitoes live around Charleston, making it possible that a few cases may show up in the Lowcountry area, a S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control spokesperson told The State.

South Carolina has confirmed 31 travel-related cases of Zika and one sexually transmitted case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 1,962 people have been infected with Zika, 22 of which were sexually transmitted. On Friday, the U.S. declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico, which has had a total of 10,690 cases.
The U.S. government on Friday declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico as a result of a Zika epidemic.

The declaration allows the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to award grants, access emergency funds and temporarily appoint personnel where needed, among other things.

"This administration is committed to meeting the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico with the necessary urgency," Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a department statement. Burwell traveled to the U.S. territory in late April to evaluate its response to the outbreak.

A department spokesman did not immediately return a message seeking comment on what immediate steps the agency may take.

The announcement came hours after Puerto Rico reported 1,914 new cases in the past week, for a total of 10,690 since the first one was reported in December.

The mosquito-borne virus has infected 1,035 pregnant women, which is a concern to authorities because Zika has been tied to a severe birth defect known as microcephaly. More than 100 pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico who have given birth have had healthy babies, officials said.

Puerto Rico reported the first microcephaly case acquired on U.S. soil in May, involving a dead fetus that a woman turned over to health authorities. Since then no microcephaly cases have been reported, but federal officials say it is only a matter of time.

Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said he had asked federal officials to declare a public health emergency and thanked them for their support.

"Zika poses a hidden threat to future generations of Puerto Ricans, and I feel the responsibility to do everything in my power to fight the spread of it," he said.

Garcia recently authorized the use of Bti, an organic larvicide, to fight the spread of Zika after rejecting aerial spraying with the insecticide naled as proposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Puerto Rico Health Secretary Ana Rius said 90 people have been hospitalized because of Zika. Officials also say 30 people have been diagnosed with a temporary paralysis condition known as Guillain-Barre that has been linked to Zika.

Health authorities say they believe the number of Zika cases is much higher because eight of 10 people show no symptoms and many don't go to the doctor.

The emergency was declared one day after the U.S. surgeon general visited Puerto Rico and said he expected 25 percent of Puerto Rico's nearly 3.5 million people will be infected with Zika by year's end.
It was a weekend of violent unrest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A rampaging mob burned businesses and battled with police.

The rioting started after a black police officer shot and killed a black suspect. The bad guy had a gun - and when he refused to drop his weapon the officer opened fire.

Click here to join Todds American Dispatch: a must-read for Conservatives!

The mob took to the streets - causing all sorts of mayhem. A number of buildings were set ablaze - including a gas station.

Five police officers were hurt - one hit by a brick.

White people were also purportedly targeted. A number of websites, including Fox Nation, posted video - showing some protesters trying to hunt down white motorists.

"They beating up all the white people," one eyewitness said on the video.

We cannot confirm if any were in fact injured.

The Mainstream Media has ignored that part of the story.

One protester told a reporter that "rich people got all this money" and they're not giving them some.

So the mob basically want us to get a job, work 60 hours a week, get a pay check and then turn the money over to them. Is that what they want?

What happened in Milwaukee -- has happened before - in places like Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland.

Professional race agitators once again fomented unrest and pouring gasoline on smoldering rage.

How does burning down your neighborhood advance your cause?

How does throwing bricks at police officers make you safer?

There are real problems facing urban America - but they cannot be resolved through violence. Frankly, I believe they can only be resolved in the church house -- and by repairing and restoring broken families.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke addressed that very issue during a press conference.

"People have to find a more socially acceptable way to deal with their frustration, their anger and resentment," he said. "We cannot have the social upheaval - the chaos that we saw (Saturday) night that frightens good, law-abiding people in those neighborhoods."

Sheriff Clarke is a good man who is not afraid to speak the truth - no matter how politically incorrect it may be. And he's absolutely right -- we must have law and order.

One of the protesters told a reporter they wanted more economic opportunities. Well - they can start by not burning down the economic opportunities they already have.
Last Week in Review

Both Candidates Offered Muddled Messages: Trump began Monday with an economic speech in Detroit, delivered from a teleprompter. Generally well received, he offered an outline of his jobs agenda and showed uncharacteristic poise when interrupted by protesters.

But the rest of the week was dominated by less useful issues, the result of his impromptu comments. Tuesday, Trump forecast Clintons election would shift the balance on the Supreme Court saying, If she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. He paused, and then continued, Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I dont know. His campaign dealt with the firestorm by explaining he was talking about gun rights supporters turning out to vote in record numbers to defeat Clinton. But at best, his language was imprecise and at worst, reprehensible.

Then Wednesday, he told a Florida rally, Look at the way they covered that story yesterday. Was that disgusting? The media is incredibly dishonest...almost as crooked as crooked Hillary Clinton. What swing voter is going to be won by that argument? Surprise! The press doesnt favor the Republican presidential candidate.

At a Fort Lauderdale rally that same day, Trump accused President Obama and Clinton of co-founding the Islamic State. By Friday, he backed down, saying he was being sarcastic. But sarcasm rarely travels well in campaigns. Trump would have been on strong ground had he said the Obama-Clinton decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq created a vacuum that ISIS had violently filled with the establishment of a radical Islamic caliphate that threatened U.S. interests and U.S. allies, including Israel.

Clinton had a marginally better week, though she sustained less damage because Trump failed to direct sustained fire at her and she adroitly explained away one mistake. That was allowing the father of the terrorist who killed 49 in a gay nightclub in Orlando in June to be seated behind Clinton at a Florida rally. The campaign immediately acknowledged he should not have been there and condemned his sons violent act.

Clinton tried mimicking Trump by delivering her economic vision Thursday, also in Detroit, after previewing it the day before in Iowa. Both were pedestrian, unexciting, and very much status quo with its centerpiece an emphasis on infrastructure that is easy to mock as Obama Stimulus 2.0. She also called for a public-private federal infrastructure bank, seeded with taxpayer dollars. This can be depicted as more crony capitalism, ala Solyndra. Alas, none of this was fodder for The Donalds appearances. It might have been a much different week had he spent it explaining his approach and grabbing every opportunity for contrast she provided.

Both Candidates Displayed Weakness: Trumps over-the-top impromptu remarks and the absence of a sustained attack on his issue of the week -- the economy -- have unsettled swing voters who want to support him, further diminished Republican support and aided Clintons rise in the polls.

Most problematic, Trump refuses to acknowledge he needs to change, dismissing radio host Hugh Hewitts suggestion Thursday that he temper his language in charging Obama founded ISIS. The media, Trump said, wouldnt talk about your language and they do talk about my language. Trump, however, is wrong. The media would still report the charge, only more people would accept it if it werent so outrageous. Still, Trump tweeted Sunday that he would not change course: I am who I am.

Clinton has critical weaknesses, too. Tuesdays release of emails from the Clinton Foundation to State Department staffers in a civil lawsuit show Foundation officials pushed for the appointment of a Wall Street banker and Foundation donor and pressed for the State Department to intercede on behalf of a convicted money launderer to set up a meeting with a Lebanese government official. This left the appearance of quid-pro-quo for donors after Clinton had promised in her confirmation hearings to keep her distance from the Clinton Foundation.

Trumps Poll Decline Continued: The release of a raft of national and state polls last week showed Clintons favorables improving and Trumps unfavorables rising. The result is she has risen modestly since before the national conventions while he has declined, giving her a healthy national lead of 6.8 percent in the RealClearPolitics poll. He is underwater in most battleground states (albeit narrowly in some instances). He trails in North Carolina, which would leave him below Mitt Romneys Electoral College total of 206 if the election were held today. Trump also is barely ahead in Georgia and Arizona, which Romney carried handily.

Has Trump bottomed out or near to it? It depends on whether he has a good week and another the week following or not. Hes getting close to a real danger zone: no candidate behind by this amount on Labor Day has gone on to win.

Does Trump Want Voters To Think He Expects to Lose? Thats the impression left by Trumps talk last week about the disgusting and corrupt media and saying the only way we can losePennsylvania is if cheating goes on. Of course the media is not on Trumps side. And declaring he can only lose the election if it is rigged is so incendiary a charge that the press will make it the days headline. But whos persuaded to change from undecided or leaning Clinton to Trump because of it? It comes across less as an argument to vote for Trump than an excuse for losing the race.
Ukraine has put its troops on high alert; some think Russia may be preparing to invade its western neighbor. What would the U.S. do? If history is any guide: nothing.

While the media has ominously suggested that Donald Trump is in cahoots with Vladimir Putin, it is President Obama who has allowed the Russian strongman to become the power broker in the Middle East. It is thanks to Obama that Putin enjoys 82 percent approval ratings at home, amid collapsing incomes and widespread food shortages. As The New York Times wrote today, Russias stoking of tensions in Ukraine allows Russia to continue asserting itself as a global power, even though its economy is smaller than Australias.

Though President Obama joined the EU in imposing sanctions and warned Vladimir Putin of impending isolation after the seizure of Crimea, the Russian leader has continued to thumb his nose at the U.S. Recently, for instance, despite stern U.S. warnings, Moscow began delivery of an S-300 air defense system to Iran  a system that could in the future be used to protect nuclear sites.

It isnt the first time that Putin has embarrassed Obama. From harboring former NSA worker and WikiLeaks activist Edward Snowden to reportedly orchestrating the email leaks which revealed corruption at the DNC, the former KGB operative has repeatedly provoked the president, knowing that he has, weirdly, the upper hand. President Obama has needed Putins help on two fronts critical to his approval ratings and his legacy: fighting ISIS and allowing the Iran nuke deal to go forward.

That, however, has been ignored by a media frenzy over Trumps supposed links to the Russian bully. This preposterous story line emerged after Trump said at a rally, Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, referring to those communications that Hillary Clinton deleted from her personal server. Emails that, for the record, should not have been destroyed and that she lied about.

The narrative is that by expressing admiration for Vladimir Putins leadership ability and because he has had meager business activities in Russia, Trump might somehow cede power to the former KGB operative if he became president. The charge is almost comical, given how Obama has done just that.

Obama suffered an off-mike gaffe in 2012 when he passed a message to Vladimir Putin through then-president Dmitry Medvedev, assuring him that on missile defense After my election I have more flexibility. Medvedev replies, "I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir."

In those words Obama signaled that post-election he might abandon plans for a European missile defense system, which was meant to defend against Iranian nukes. In reality, he has done just that. Early on he had scrapped plans to install 10 Interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar network in the Czech Republic. A substitute program, meant to be more efficient and strategically superior, was expected to be installed by 2018. It has been indefinitely postponed, due to Russian objections.

Meanwhile, in 2013 Obama waffled when President Assad in Syria used sarin gas against his own people -- a line that our president had warned him not to cross. When the Syrian dictator did cross it, Obama flinched. Instead of attacking Syria, Obama turned the mess over to Putin to resolve. This was a remarkable decision, which became even more costly in 2014 when, bolstered by his newfound alliance with Obama, Putin invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea.

After Russias invasion of Crimea, Obama promised that, If Russia continues on its present coursethe isolation will deepen, the sanctions increase and there will be more consequences for the Russian economy. The reality? Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov 20 times in the next twelve months and visited Moscow twice to meet with Valdimir Putin, just to be sure he wasnt getting too lonely.

Obama could not afford to isolate Putin, because he was losing the fight against ISIS and his approval ratings were plummeting. Obama had permitted an offensive against the terrorist organization but so hobbled the military that bombing sorties returned home with 75 percent of their munitions on board, for fear of civilian casualties. ISIS thrived and grew, spawning attacks around the world, so Obama allowed Putin to take over the battle.

In March, The Guardian reported that Russian airstrikes had killed 2,000 Syrian civilians, including children, in the prior six months. Moscows attacks targeted not just ISIS, but also hit U.S.-trained and U.S.-allied opponents of Assad. ISIS-held territory began to shrink, and Obamas approval ratings rose.

What could have limited Putins aggression? One approach would have been an all-out effort to break Europes dependence on Russian natural gas. The U.S. is drowning in natural gas; we could become a major exporter of LNG to our European allies, and loosen the chokehold that Russia has on the EU. This, however, would bolster the fortunes of our energy producers -- an outcome anathema to the Obama White House.

Putin is flying high, overcoming a shrinking economy and widespread international opprobrium. He has manipulated President Obama into giving him an important seat at the table. He doesnt need Trump.
In the annals of American criminals, John Hinckley Jr. ranks as one of the most heinous.

Technically, he committed no crimes. But that makes him no less violent and despicable than, say, O. J. Simpson.

It was bad enough that Hinckley escaped punishment for his actions when he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in his attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan in 1981. Now, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman of Washington has compounded the injustice by ordering Hinckley released from a government psychiatric hospital.

Youre a free man, Mr. Hinckley. Have a nice day.

Lets not forget what he did.

On March 30, 1981, Hinckley was lying-in-wait outside the Washington Hilton Hotel armed with a fully loaded .22 caliber Rohm RG-14 revolver with exploding Devastator bullets. As President Reagan emerged, Hinckley fired six shots in rapid succession. Police officer Thomas Delahanty and Secret Service agent Timothy McCarthy were shot in the back and chest, respectively. Press Secretary James Brady was shot in the head, critically wounded. He suffered severe brain damage.

Hinckleys final bullet ricocheted off the Presidents waiting limousine, penetrating his chest and lodging a mere fraction of an inch from his heart. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, perilously close to death. After two hours of surgery, the bullet was removed and the Presidents life was saved.

It was pure luck that that Hinckleys bullet stopped just shy of tearing into President Reagans heart. The course of history might well have changed dramatically had Hinckley succeeded.

The case against Hinckley was clear and strong. But Hinckley, like O. J. Simpson, was armed with money. Specifically, his parents oil wealth. They hired a top criminal defense team that argued insanity. Which, considering the evidence, should have been a joke.

But back in 1982, the legal framework of the insanity defense favored the accused. Once invoked, the burden shifted to the prosecution to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hinckley wasnot insane. It was completely backwards and inimical to common sense. Nevertheless, it should have made no difference because the evidence of sanity was obvious and overwhelming.

Of course, the defense retained experts who opined that Hinckley suffered from schizophrenia and other mental disorders that were so severe he did not understand right from wrong. That is the legal standard and the pointy-headed shrinks bought into it hook, line and sinker. In my experience as a defense lawyer, you can buy an expert to say just about anything. So, no surprise there.

And, yes prosecutors hired their own experts who said just the opposite. But the evidence of Hinckleys sanity transcended the experts. He left an extensive paper trail proving his elaborate planning and premeditation to commit murder. He penned letters and notes outlining his intended design to kill the President. He admitted its wrongfulness. His actions were both clear-headed and deliberate. Hinckleys planning was careful and cautious. Cold and calculating. The very definition of sanity.

Did Hinckley suffer from a mental illness and/or personality disorder? Maybe. Was it severe and debilitating? Not for a minute. Did he understand right from wrong? Unmistakably.

But juries are easily misled, manipulated and fooled by skilled defense attorneys. They are sometimes naive and gullible. Just ask O. J. Simpson. Or Michael Jackson, were he alive. They know that justice can be subverted. The scales are not balanced.

And that is precisely what happened on June 21, 1982 when the jury returned its verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity on all 13 criminal charges. Hinckley dodged prison and took up residency at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Setting Hinckley free is dictated by federal statute, 18 U.S. Code, Section 4243 (d):

A person found not guilty by reason of insanity has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that his release would not create a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person due to a present mental disease or defect.

So, the fundamental question is whether Hinckley poses a substantial risk of harm. It requires a subjective judgment by Judge Paul L. Friedman, who was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton. Importantly, the law allows the judge enormous latitude and discretion.

He can listen to the experts. But really how reliable are they? After all, at trial several declared Hinckley unquestionably insane, while others said he was certainly not. Get the picture? They dont know. At best, they are merely guessing. Or hoping.

More revealing, perhaps, is how Hinckley has behaved during his time at St. Elizabeths. Lets review. He exchanged letters with serial killer Ted Bundy. He sought the address of mass murderer, Charles Manson. He continued his obsession over actress Jodi Foster, smuggling her photos and other materials into his room. In 2009, prosecutors objected to supervised visits to his mothers home because, they argued, Hinckley still posed a danger to others and had unhealthy and inappropriate thoughts about women.

As recently as 4 years ago, the Department of Justice opposed Hinckleys release, repeating its belief that he presented a serious threat to the public. DOJ argued that Hinckley was known to deceive his doctors. What a surprise. Hinckley eventually caught on and wised up. He began to behave. Or at least he pretended to. But is it the same phony act that allowed him to fool a jury?

In attempting to divine whether Hinckley will try to kill or harm again, we should consider relevant statistics. They are instructive.

On the low end, a study by the Pew Center on The States found that 43 percent of convicted felons find themselves back behind bars within 3 years after their release. The number jumps by 20 percent for those with mental illness. On the high end, a report by the federal governments Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 77 percent of released prisoners were arrested again within 5 years. The B-J-S report seems more comprehensive and reliable.

So, from a statistical point of view, it is probable or likely that Hinckley will harm someone again. Not good. And when you consider that an estimated 1,600 people are murdered each year by individuals with mental illness, it is truly frightening.

And yet, Judge Friedman assures us that Hinckleys doctors are persuaded that his psychotic symptoms, delusional thinking or violent tendencies are in remission. We are supposed to be comforted by that? Look up remission in any medical treatise and youll learn it can be a temporary decrease in the manifestation of a disease.

For all we know, Hinckleys remission could be fleeting. What if he stops taking his prescribed medication? He could turn violent and deadly in an instant. How would the judge or law enforcement know? Answer: they would not. There are numerous cases of people like Hinckley who have repeated their crimes after abandoning their meds.

Judge Friedman, in his 103 page opinion, seems to accept as faith the doctors conclusion that their patient presents no danger to himself or to others in the reasonable future. As opposed to what? The unreasonable future? What does that even mean? Now? Tomorrow? Next week or next month? It is the kind of vacuous language psychiatrists are addicted to using. And it is utterly meaningless when lives are in jeopardy.

There are some actions which are so evil, the perpetrator should never be set free. Under any circumstances. This case is one of them.

Judge Friedman had the discretion and power to keep John Hinckley Jr. locked up. His decision to set him free seems more than reckless.

It is a dangerous gamble with human life.
New Jersey may be expanding infertility coverage to lesbians following a federal lawsuit brought by a same-sex couple.

Though New Jersey law requires insurance companies cover expenses considered medically necessary as part of infertility treatment, it defines infertility in a way that excludes lesbian couples. Under state law, infertility is defined as the result of failure to conceive after a certain period of unprotected sex for women younger than 35 or after one year for women older than 35.

However, Erin Krupa was denied insurance coverage for infertility treatments when trying to have a baby because she was unable to show that she couldn't get pregnant by having sex with a man.

Krupa then incurred $25,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses for infertility treatments, leading her and her wife Marianne Krupa to file a federal lawsuit.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
Chris Matthews was outraged when Donald Trump said Hillary Clinton and President Obama were the founder(s) of ISIS, but two years ago, the NBC newsman offered up his own theory as to who created the terrorist group -- Dick Cheney.



Late last week, the Hardball host cited an Associated Press fact check article that disputed Trumps claim, at least on a literal basis.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this," Matthews said.

It is possible Matthews forgot the words he spoke on Sept. 10, 2014, when he followed an address by President Obama detailing plans to bomb ISIS with some advice for the commander-in-chief. The Media Research Centers Newsbusters website was there to remind him.

"Please do not listen to (former Vice President) Dick Cheney," Matthews said. "He's the one that created Al Qaeda by taking over the holy land in Saudi Arabia. He's the one that de-Baathicized [sic] the Iraqi government. He created ISIS, and he's coming back again with more advice."

Trump took heat from Democrats and the media for calling Clinton and Obama founders in blaming their policies for a Middle East vacuum that allowed the terrorist group to arise. Trumps surrogates were forced to explain that the GOP presidential nominee did not mean Clinton and Obama filled out paperwork for a terror startup.

No, he was not saying that President Obama personally went to the Middle East and filled out the paperwork that incorporated ISIS. That's obviously not what he's saying," Trump campaign spokeswoman Katrina Pierson told MSNBC on Friday. "But what he is saying is that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had the intel that they needed to make decisions, particularly arming the rebels in Syria, which turned out to be ISIS, and as Gen. Flynn reports, they ignored that willingly and created ISIS."

Ratings challenged @CNN reports so seriously that I call President Obama (and Clinton) "the founder" of ISIS, & MVP. THEY DON'T GET SARCASM?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2016

Trump himself doubled down initially and said he meant exactly what he said. But on Friday, he made clear that he and Pierson were on the same page.

"When I said that Obama -- and of course Im being sarcastic, Trump said at a rally in Erie, Pa., Friday. And they know that. Because after I said that, I said hes the MVP.

"So I said, the founder of ISIS. Obviously Im being sarcastic," he continued. "Then, then -- but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you."

ISIS roots are in a terroist group formed in 1999 called Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad, which was formed as the Iraqi franchise of Al Qaeda. But it split from the 9/11 terror group and began calling itself Islamic State in June 2014. Critics of the Obama administration policies say the rapid pullout of U.S. troops following defeat of the Iraqi insurgency gave ISIS room to grow into the worlds most feared terrorist group.

Well, the Associated Press, called Trump's claims patently false. ISIS was formed as the local Al Qaeda franchise in Iraq after the invasion. Its founding preceded this president's tenure, as well as Hillary Clinton's time as secretary of state.

Matthews stayed outraged as he asked NBC reporter Hallie Jackson: "Hallie, you're a reader of this guy. Help me read him. Why is he pushing this founder of ISIS, not even the explanation (conservative interviewer) Hugh Hewitt tried to help him with. No, founded, literally founded ISIS. Why does he insist on that?"

As opposed to Chris, who said Cheney "created" ISIS, which is so much different than "founded." [?] Both Trump and Matthews are rhetorically reckless, but the liberal media are only outraged by one half.

Click for more from Newsbusters
Hillary Clinton is enlisting undocumented Dreamers into a new voter registration drive aimed at signing up sympathetic voters with warnings that Donald Trumps immigration plans could result in their deportation  though the Dreamers themselves cannot legally vote.

Clinton's national voter registration program, called "Mi Sueno, Tu Voto/My Dream, Your Vote," was announced Sunday, on the four-year anniversary of the 2012 order that temporarily shielded from deportation some young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.

The 730,000 young people known as Dreamers are prohibited from voting. However, they remain a powerful political organizing force, and the Clinton campaign hopes to use them to convince Latino and other households to go to the polls for the Democratic nominee.

Organizers will remind voters that a Trump presidency would end the Dreamer program, according to the campaign, which is already at risk after a June Supreme Court effectively killed Obama's efforts to give legal status to some of the 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.

The program is part of an aggressive effort by Clinton's campaign to woo the record 27.3 million Latinos eligible to vote in 2016. Polling shows Trump doing worse with Latino voters than any GOP presidential candidate since 1996. Much of the new effort will focus on battleground states including Colorado, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida, where Latinos and other immigrants make up an important part of the voting base.

Though Obama's campaign had no formal organization program for Dreamers, door-knocking by those young immigrants, who have lived and attended school in the U.S., helped mobilize many Latino voters who could vote.

Clinton believes she can harness their power in a more formal way, particularly given her opponent. Trump's immigration rhetoric has sparked outrage and fear within the Latino community, though the Republican nominee says it's critical that the country start rigorously enforcing its immigration laws.

He's promised to revoke Obama's executive orders within the first 100 days of his presidency, calling them the "most unconstitutional actions ever undertaken by a president."

Clinton has made revamping the country's immigration system a key plank of her presidential campaign. She has said she will introduce legislation during her first 100 days in office, vowed to restore and expand Obama's programs, close private sector detention centers and to "take a very hard look at the deportation policies" now in force.

Last month, she called on Latino voters to help stop what she called GOP rival Donald Trump's efforts to "fan the flames of racial division."

The following is the full Clinton campaign statement on the latest program, per The Washington Examiner:

On DACA's Four- Year Anniversary, Hillary for America Launches National Voter Registration Program, "Mi Sueno, Tu Voto"

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 deportation  so we've 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 campaign's 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 Trump's hateful and dangerous agenda, highlighting his pledge to eliminate DACA and deport millions of DREAMers and immigrant families.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Some of the FBI files on the agencys investigation into Hillary Clintons use of a private server exclusively for government business while serving as secretary of state could be given to a House oversight committee as early as this week, a congressional source confirmed with Fox News on Sunday.

The matter has been progressing since early July, when a formal request was made by Congress for the file -- the remaining block appears to rest within the Justice Department.

The FBI, after interviewing Clinton last month, concluded its investigation of Clinton's use of a private server, confirming publicly that 113 classified emails were sent and received by Clinton, as well as 2,000 that were classified after the fact.

FBI Director James Comey said investigators found at least three emails that contained classified markings, adding that the Democratic presidential nominee was "extremely careless." However, he did not recommend criminal charges, and the Justice Department closed the case.

While Clinton has insisted nothing was marked classified at the time, the investigation found otherwise, with the emails containing a portion marking (C for confidential, the lowest level of classification). Fox News first reported that some of the emails were marked classified in June.

The House Oversight Committee questioned Comey for over five hours in July after he said no reasonable prosecutor would pursue criminal charges.

The Oversight Committee has formally asked if Clinton committed perjury during her Benghazi testimony in October 2015, because her statements to Congress appear to conflict with the FBI's findings. Clinton has maintained she was truthful in her FBI interview.

Fox News is told that the FBI and Justice Department have confirmed the receipt of the committees request.

Congressional investigators -- led by House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah -- have been aggressively seeking the entire file, including a summary of Clintons interview, known as a "302."

However, the document is considered highly classified, because Clinton's FBI session included questions on the 22 top secret emails that are too damaging to national security to make public.

Note that, it is standard for FBI interviews not to be recorded, so there is no transcript, but agents take extensive notes and they form the basis for the written report known as the "302."

The possible release of the file to congressional investigators was first reported by CNN.
In Bismarck, kindergartners are tested seven times a year. In Mandan, they take five test.

Some of the assessments are short  one to two minutes long that require students read a passage or complete several math questions. And while students statewide spend, on average, less than 1 percent of their classroom time testing, the number and time spent on tests is still concerning, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler said.

Many schools are administering more tests than required under state and federal law. In addition to mandated tests, local school districts are administering their own array of standardized assessments, something the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction would like to cut back on.

I think theres been a lot of piling on over the last 15 years," Baesler said, conceding that she's seen this happen in school districts she's worked for -- Bismarck and Mandan.

Baesler says as schools find new and better assessments, they add them to the list and don't do away with old ones.

"(Assessments) provide good feedback, but weve gotten to a point where I think there is some opportunity for us to reduce the amount of time that we have our students spend on testing, and the amount of tests that our students are asked to sit for," she said.

According to a 2015 Department of Public Instruction statewide survey of school districts on the number of locally administered assessments in grades K-12, the majority of local testing takes place in grades K-5. In Bismarck, from kindergarten to grade 5 a student will take 41 tests. That same student will be tested 30 times in Mandan.

All schools administer the Smarter Balanced online assessment, the standardized test North Dakota has chosen to fulfill the federal testing requirement, every year in grades 3, 8 and 11 on English and math. Students in grades 4,8 and 11 also take a separate standardized science test.

Most schools also give one state-mandated test, called the Measures of Academic Progress test or another DPI approved assessment. But some give it more than once a year, which is not required.

In an effort to downsize, DPI is providing an optional evaluation for school districts to determine whether they could reduce or streamline standardized tests. The agency also is offering a pilot program training schools to evaluate whether they have balanced assessment systems.

Staying vigilant

At Bismarck Public Schools, the data from the districts assessments is reviewed constantly, said Ryan Townsend, the district's director of curriculum, instruction, assessment and teacher development.

One way educators use it is in professional learning communities, sitting down together if one classroom is struggling with a particular concept, while another classroom of the same grade level is doing better.

It depends on what the data points us to and where we can improve," Townsend said. AIMSweb, (MAP), ACT Aspire, those are assessments that mean a lot to our teachers, and we use that data, we do."

But school administrators and Baesler agree: if you're not using the data properly, one test is too many.

Just through our constant vigilance, we want to make sure that were not over testing, but there isnt a magic number either," Townsend said.

Hes pleased with what Bismarck has done to streamline assessments but thinks more could be done.

This (evaluation) is the first step in us getting some pilot districts to begin this work, and we hope that it grows," Baesler said.

Testing in the oil field

In Watford City, kindergarten students are tested 47 times a year but the district doesn't spend any more time on the tests than any other school district. Students there in the heart of the oil patch spend 0.94 percent of their time each year on locally administered assessments.

What we know about Watford City is they have a lot of students moving in and out. So for their school district, they have decided its very important that we do a lot of quick, short check-ins with our kids," Baesler said.

The tests are generated by testing companies, and are called AIMSweb and STAR. The data is often used to group students properly in classrooms and to make sure students are at grade level, said Steve Holen, superintendent for Watford City schools.

Were as excited at the elementary (school) as weve been in a long time because were seeing some of the progress and the outcome of some of these intervention-type things to make sure were doing and meeting the needs of these kids as they come in," Holen said. If we use the data and its really benefiting kids to know where theyre at, I dont think its been a negative in that sense."

Holen still said hed be open to doing DPIs evaluation, which could help his district and others make their own determinations on which tests are necessary and which arent.

Not less, better

Mandan is only doing one more testing time than what's required.

Its not just about cutting down on testing, its about doing it better," said Perry Just, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for Mandan Public Schools. Nine times out of 10, guess what happens? When you do better testing you do less of it.

For the past two years, the school district has made several efforts to streamline tests, making a switch from doing the MAP test at the high school level to doing ACT Aspire, a test offered in grades 9 and 10 that helps predict an ACT score in 11th grade. Eighty percent of Mandan students go on to college, so the ACT test matters more to them, Just said.

It wasnt a matter of too much testing as a much as better testing," Just said, adding that, because Mandan has already cut back, the district does not feel it necessary to participate in DPIs assessment.
Donald Trumps outspoken campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, fired back Monday at The New York Times over an in-depth story looking into his work in Ukrainian politics -- which claimed secret ledgers seemed to show more than $12 million in cash earmarked to him from a pro-Russian party.

The story has fueled Clinton campaign claims about Trump's "pro-Kremlin" ties ahead of a major foreign policy address by the Republican nominee. But Manafort accused the Times of bungling the facts.

Once again, the New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report, Manafort said in a written statement.

The New York Times story claimed handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Manafort from ex-President Viktor Yanukovychs pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012.

The document was found by investigators from Ukraines newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators reportedly say the payment was part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.

Manafort strongly denied receiving any such off-the-book payments  calling the accusation unfounded, silly and nonsensical  and denied ever doing work for the government of Ukraine and Russia. He has worked on political campaigns there but maintains they were not government-sanctioned.

The simplest answer is the truth: I am a campaign professional. It is well known that I do work in the United States and have done work on overseas campaigns as well, Manafort said.

Manafort maintained all of the political payments directed to me were for my entire political team: campaign staff (local and international), polling and research, election integrity and television advertising. 

The New York Times story also claimed Manafort positioned himself to profit from business deals that benefited from connections he had gained through his political consulting.

One of those involved a network of offshore companies that investigators and independent journalists in Ukraine claim was used for money laundering.

Documents show Manafort continued to work in Ukraine, helping allies of Yanukovychs fallen government form a political bloc that opposed the new pro-Western administration, the New York Times reported. The Times, though, said Manafort is not the target of a separate "inquiry" into offshore companies.

Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton was quick to seize on the Times report.

We have learned of more troubling connections between Donald Trumps team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine, Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a written statement. Given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records, Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manaforts and all other campaign employees and advisers ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trumps employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them.

The report comes as Trump is scheduled to give a major foreign policy address Monday afternoon in Ohio.

Two weeks ago, Trumps foreign policy knowledge was tested when he told ABC News that if he were president, Vladimir Putin would not be going into Ukraine  ignoring the fact that Putin had already annexed Crimea.

Corey Lewandowski, Trumps previous campaign manager now working as a CNN commentator, also tweeted out a link to the New York Timess piece Sunday night.

Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Donald Trumps Campaign Chief https://t.co/7bh7iIHHaY  Corey Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) August 15, 2016

On Monday, asked why he shared the piece, Lewandowski said on CNN he was trying to making a point about an anti-Trump bias in the media.

The media is now focusing on a private person who had a private business model, which no one says theres anything illegal about what he did, Lewandowski said.

Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.
Wyoming lawmakers could end up inheriting the wind if they raise the state's unprecedented tax on breezes.

Thats what the Wyoming Legislature determined four years ago when it became the first state to impose a tax on revenue from wind energy, in a decision that has reaped the state about $15 million. Now the state is considering raising the tax in a maneuver critics say could put the industry in jeopardy.

Some blame the blowback from Wyomings move for the fact no wind farms have been built there since 2012, according to the Los Angeles Times. Cash-strapped state officials are already eyeing a massive wind farm proposal which would supply power to 1 million homes in California and the Southwest, and preparing to raise the tax.

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, Bill Miller, chief executive of the Power Co. of Wyoming, which is planning the wind farm, told the Times. I just shake my head and say, Zero.

Miller said the state could be taxing this project out of existence.

It is not clear how high a wind-generation tax could go in Wyoming. The current rate is $1 per megawatt-hour produced, an amount that can power about 650 homes. The Legislature is considering two proposals to raise the tax, but neither explicitly states the amount by which it would rise. One would force the wind companies to pass federal subsidies on to ratepayers.

Wyoming, a conservative state that is also the biggest U.S. producer of coal, is trying to stem a yawning budget gap, created at least in part, by declining revenue from fossil fuels. Many blame the declining coal industrys fortunes on the Obama administration, and Miller and others believe lawmakers are taking their anger at federal policies out on clean energy.

Supporters of the tax increase believe the company should pay for the opportunity to build the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project, and for potentially marring the horizon of a state known for wide, open spaces.

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, state Sen. Cale Case, a Republican and an economist, told the LA Times. This tiny reflection of the impacts back here, I think its just kind of a fair trade.

California, the primary potential customer for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project, intends to get half its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Wyoming officials believe a tax on wind generated within their borders can be rightly passed on to Gold State ratepayers. California itself does not tax wind generation, but only gets about 6 percent of its juice from wind turbines, according to the Times.

Miller and other wind-power supporters have begun a lobbying effort to stop a tax increase. Ray Peterson, a contractor hoping to get work on the project, told the Legislatures revenue committee in a letter that taxing energy  no matter what kind  makes no sense.

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.

Click for more from the Los Angeles Times
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, in what was billed as a major foreign policy address, on Monday backed off past threats to withdraw from the NATO alliance -- saying that if he's elected, the U.S. will work with the 28-member bloc to defeat the Islamic State.

During his speech in Youngstown, Ohio, Trump called for working "very closely with NATO," describing radical Islamic terrorism as the dominant global threat and one that must be confronted at all levels.

In doing so, Trump acknowledged having previously described NATO as "obsolete" for not dealing adequately with terrorism.

"Since my comments, they have changed their policy," Trump said, calling this apparent development "very, very good."

Trump's latest NATO comments indeed mark a turnaround from warnings that if he's president, the U.S. might not come to the aid of alliance members if they are attacked by Russia or another country. Those remarks, made earlier this summer, drew heavy criticism from not only from Democrats and Republicans but also from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

I will not interfere with the U.S. election campaign, but what I can do is say what matters for NATO. Solidarity among allies is a key value for NATO, Stoltenberg said.

Part of the NATO treaty established in 1949 requires that if one member nation is attacked, all the other nations must come to that countrys defense.

Trump also on Monday called for an American policy shift, vowing to focus resources on stopping the spread of radical Islam.

If I become president, the era of nation-building will be brought to a very swift and decisive end, Trump said.

The Republican presidential nominee noted he opposed the Iraq war more than a decade ago, while blaming what he called the "disastrous" decisions of President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his 2016 rival, for the spread of radical Islamic terror.

We cannot let this evil continue, Trump said of the radical Islam threat.

During his speech Trump proposed extreme vetting of Muslim immigrants and visitors to the United States, vowing once more to block those who sympathize with extremist groups or don't embrace American values. He said the policy would first require a temporary halt in immigration from dangerous regions of the world.

"We can never choose our friends, but we can never fail to recognize our enemies, Trump said.

Ahead of Trump's address, Clinton and Vice President Joe Biden vigorously challenged the Republican nominee's preparedness to be commander in chief. Biden called Trump's views "dangerous" and "un-American" and warned that Trump's false assertions last week about President Obama founding the Islamic State could be used by extremists to target American service members in Iraq.

"The threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks," he said.

While Trump has been harshly critical of Obama's handling of the threat posed by the Islamic State, his own policies for defeating the group remain vague.

His most specific prescriptions Monday centered on changing U.S. immigration policy to keep potential attackers from entering the country.

Trump's campaign aides said a new ideological test for admission to the United States would vet applicants for their stance on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. The government would use questionnaires, social media, interviews with friends and family or other means to determine if applicants support American values like tolerance and pluralism. The U.S. would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

Trump did not clarify how U.S. officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting. Nor did the campaign say whether additional screenings would apply to the millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars visiting the United States each year.

Trump also slammed Clinton, saying she lacks the "mental and physical stamina" to take on ISIS.

He said destroying the terror group would be the centerpiece of his foreign policy and he would partner with any countries that share that goal -- specifically singling out Russia as a nation the U.S. could have a better relationship with.

The Republican nominee's foreign policy address comes during a rocky stretch for his campaign. He's struggled to stay on message and has consistently overshadowed his policy rollouts, including an economic speech last week, with provocative statements, including his comments falsely declaring that Obama was the "founder" of the Islamic State.

Trump spent much of the speech building a case that Obama and Clinton are to blame for the creation of the terror group that has roiled the Middle East and carried out attacks in the West. He specifically highlighted the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in late 2011, arguing the move created a vacuum for terror groups to thrive.

Reiterating a favorite criticism of Republicans, Trump also panned the Obama administration for not using the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism" to describe sympathizers.

Obama, Clinton and top U.S. officials have warned against using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

Trump's immigration proposals were the latest version of a policy that began with his unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country -- a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American. Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard, vowing to "suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats."

That proposal raised numerous questions that the campaign never clarified, including whether it would apply to citizens of countries like France, Israel, or Ireland, which have suffered recent and past attacks. Trump had promised to release his list of "terror countries" soon. But aides say the campaign needs access to unreleased Department of Homeland Security data to assess exactly where the most serious threats lie.

Clinton pre-empted Trumps speech at a rally earlier Monday with Vice President Biden in Scranton, Pa., where she claimed Trump often has no plan when it comes to foreign affairs. She also criticized him, before he softened his rhetoric on NATO, for past comments questioning Americas NATO commitments, accusing him of discussing walking away from our European allies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, ousted last month from her perch atop the Democratic Party, is fighting to hold onto her House seat and now is facing criticism for scheduling a weekend debate with a surging challenger that few voters may have actually seen -- while indicating she won't face him again before their Aug. 30 primary.

In the South Florida race, even the local Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sun-Sentinel took a shot at Wasserman Schultz for setting debate terms that resulted in the incumbent facing off against primary challenger Tim Canova early Sunday morning.

The 8 a.m. start time fuels the argument that Wasserman Schultz only wants to hold debates at inconvenient hours with limited viewership, the opinion piece said, noting she also helped arrange Saturday-night debates during the presidential primaries that were seen as aiding Hillary Clinton.

If the congresswoman has her way, Sunday's congressional debate will be the last opportunity for voters to see the candidates square off. Canova proposed a second and third debate, but Wasserman Schultz seemed to decline, citing their primary being just two weeks away, on August 30.

Canova, though, has enjoyed a surge of support thanks in part to the endorsement of ex-presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. Hes hauled in nearly $3 million so far  most of it from out of state -- and has been the only one of the two candidates running polished political ads on Miami-Fort Lauderdale TV, hammering the incumbent for allegedly being tied to corporate donors and interests.

Time will tell whether his message resonates: Early voting begins Monday in Miami-Dade County, ahead of the Aug. 30 primary for the 23rd Congressional District seat.

The two candidates traded charges at their debate Sunday morning, with Wasserman Schultz accusing 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 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton -- 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.

The candidates also battled Sunday over the Obama administrations Iran nuclear deal, which lifts economic sanctions in exchange for Tehran curtailing efforts to make a nuclear weapon -- a deal critics call 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.

Canova also tried to suggest that Wasserman Schultz did not support increasing Social Security benefits, in a district with a large retiree population. Wasserman said she repeatedly has used my vote and my voice to increase benefits.

Its unclear whether the debate, or the Sanders-fueled donations, will make the difference for Canova. The Canova campaign touted polling released at the end of the Democratic National Convention showed him trailing by 8 points, 46-38 percent.

This was after she stepped down at the DNC amid a scandal over leaked emails.



But Wasserman Schultz is not taking any chances, bringing in heavyweights like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. In some ways, the race is reminiscent of the Sanders-Clinton race.

"This race has a lot of parallels with the national Democratic primary in that you have a moderate candidate competing against a more progressive candidate, said Brian Fonseca, director of the Florida International University Institute for Public Policy. Just look at the endorsements of Wasserman Schultz and Tim Canova. Backing Wasserman Schultz is Clinton, Obama and Biden. And backing Tim Canova is Bernie Sanders."

Fox News Phil Keating contributed to this report.
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.
A 3,000-year-old skeleton has been discovered at an altar dedicated to Zeus at Mount Lykaion in Greece, and archaeologists say the new finding may be the remains of a human sacrifice offered to the Greek god.

The discovery was announced Wednesday (Aug. 10) in a statement from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Education and Religious Affairs.

Archaeologists from the Mt. Lykaion Excavation and Survey Project excavated the skeleton, which appears to be that of a male teenager, this summer. Mount Lykaion is known to be the site of a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus, the ancient Greek god of sky and thunder. [The 7 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth]

Since 2007, these researchers have been excavating a massive "ash altar" containing the remains of drinking cups, animal and human figurines, vases, coins, and a vast quantity of burnt animal offerings, most of which come from sheep and goats.

"Several ancient literary sources mention rumors that human sacrifice took place at the altar, but up until a few weeks ago, there has been no trace whatsoever of human bones discovered at the site," excavation leader David Gilman Romano, a professor of Greek archaeology at the University of Arizona, told the Associated Press.

The ancient writer Pausanias (A.D. 110-180) told of a legend he heard of a king named Lycaon who was turned into a wolf while sacrificing a child.

"Lycaon brought a human baby to the altar of (Zeus) and sacrificed it, pouring out its blood upon the altar, and according to the legend, immediately after the sacrifice, he was changed from a man to a wolf," Pausanias wrote in a book on the geography of Greece (translation from a "Description of Greece with an English Translation" by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, Harvard University Press, 1918).

Archaeologists told the Associated Press that they don't know whether the teenager they found was sacrificed and that much of the altar has yet to be excavated.

"Whether it's a sacrifice or not, this is a sacrificial altar ... so it's not a place where you would bury an individual. It's not a cemetery," Romano told the news agency, adding that the upper part of the teenager's skull is missing.

Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
With distinct tubular eyes and a natural glow, two species of bioluminescent deep-sea fish nicknamed "barreleyes" have been identified.

The newly described species are part of the family Opisthoproctidae. Barreleye fish are not well-described, due to the rareness and fragility of specimens, the researchers said.

These fish are "one of the most peculiar and unknown fish groups in the deep-sea pelagic realm, with only 19 morphologically disparate species," the scientists wrote in their new study. [Bioluminescent: A Glow in the Dark Gallery]

However, the scientists were able to determine the two newfound species through comparisons of pigment patterns on the fish's "sole." This organ, found along the belly of some bioluminescent species, controls the light emitted from a different, internal organ. These two organs give the fish their glowing properties.

"The entire external surface of the sole is covered with large, thin scales showing gradually increasing pigmentation toward the distal parts, thereby functioning as a light screen when the reflector is contracted (no light emission) or expanded (light passes through the thin, transparent parts of the scales)," the researchers wrote in the study.

The fish scales' pigment patterns show variation among species. The researchers took four specimens of a sole-bearing barreleye caught during recent research cruises near American Samoa and New Zealand and compared them to long-preserved specimens caught near the mid-Atlantic ridge and Australia. In doing so, the scientists found three different pigment patterns, suggesting three distinct species.

Differences in mitochondrial DNA, the genetic material of the structure within cells that generates energy, supported this conclusion. This revealed that two of the specimen were, in fact, two previously unknown species in the resurrected genus Monacoa  a formerly removed genus name because only two sole-bearing fish were known, rendering the distinction trivial. The newfound species, M. niger and M. griseus, are found only in the Pacific, whereas the previously known species can be found only in the Atlantic, according to the study.

The researchers suggested that the light emitted via the sole may be used as a communication system, as well as for camouflage when the fish are in waters where sunlight penetrates.

"This new study on the deep sea has shown unknown biodiversity in a group of fishes previously considered teratological [abnormal] variations of other species," Jan Poulsen, lead author of the study, said in a statement. "The different species of mirrorbelly-tube eyes can only be distinguished on pigmentation patterns that also constitute a newly discovered communication system in deep-sea fishes."

The new findings were published Aug. 10 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Original article on Live Science. Copyright 2016 LiveScience, a Purch company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
It's been a year since two treasure hunters claimed to have found a Nazi gold train buried under Poland and yet no Nazi gold train has actually been produced.

That isn't stopping a team of 35 people, who plan to resume the hunt Monday, Deutsche Welle reports. Last August, Piotr Koper and Andreas Richter said they used radar to find a 320-foot train buried in a tunnel nearly 30 feet underground near the city of Walbrzych.

Their announcement made international headlines and brought an influx of treasure hunters to the area. But since then no scientific evidence the train even exists has ever been produced, according to AFP.

Geologists studying the area last December said they were "100% sure" there was no buried train, though a tunnel was a possibility. That's good enough for Andrzej Gaik, spokesperson for the new hunt: "Thatll also be a success. The train could be hidden in it." The hunt, led by Koper and Richter, is scheduled to start Monday with a geo-radar sweep.

The digging of three 18-foot holes will follow on Tuesday, and "it should all be clear [as to whether the train is there] by Thursday," says Gaik.

DPA reports the armored train was supposedly used by the Nazis in an attempt to smuggle valuables out of Poland as the Soviet army arrived.

It's rumored to contain jewels, gold, and art, though Koper and Richter suspect it mostly holds weapons. (This man thinks he knows where the "world's most valuable piece of lost art," taken by the Nazis, is hidden.)

This article originally appeared on Newser: Treasure Hunters to Finally Find That Nazi Gold Train. Maybe

More From Newser
It's too easy to buy guns illegally online. Due to the growth of online gun sales, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has established a new team to investigate online gun sales, especially those made via the dark web, as reported on CNN.

The ATF has shut down gun traffickers in Kansas and Alabama who were operating dealerships on the dark web that sold firearms made by Glock, Beretta, Uzi, Highpoint, and Walther, among others, to buyers around the world. According to a teenager who bought a handgun and other weapons materials on the dark web (and who is now serving a life sentence after being found guilty for plotting mass murder), buying a Glock online was "just like buying a bar of chocolate."

The gun dealers selling on the dark web, the internet's notorious underbelly, were of course not out in the open. In order for buyers to find and communicate with the gun dealers, they had to use Tor software to browse the dark web, also called deep web or darknet. But the ATF agents found them anyway.

The dark web isn't just a place to buy and sell guns. Carnegie Mellon University's Nicolas Christin said that dark web illegal gun sales comprise less than 3 percent of the illegal trading that takes place there, according to Fast Company. According to Christin, most of trade is in illegal drugs. However, guns are sold via the dark web, as well as child porn, stolen social security and credit card data, and other identity theft data.

The ATF is focused on stopping illegal firearms and ammunition sales online. The agency has allocated $4 million to that effort and will hire 200 new agents to track sales, reports Fast Company. The ATF's Internet Investigations Center, staffed by federal agents, full-on tech specialists, and attorneys, uses the latest technology to identify and provide "actionable intelligence" to ATF field agents.

In other words, the inside agents, legal experts, and techies find the evidence needed to make legal arrests or further an investigation. The field agents take that evidence and either bust, infiltrate, turn, or further investigate suspects, to either gather more evidence or to work their way farther up the supply chain.
Sister Jobita Thachuthara George is an unlikely barista.

A year ago, she moved to Mandan from southern India to work with the Spirit of Life Church as a Carmelite sister. Today, she lives out her vocation by serving espressos at the Jocutla coffee truck, a project of the church's Mother Teresa Ministry.

"Come taste and see the goodness of the Lord," she is known to cry out to the uncaffeinated guests.

Dressed in her habit, the sister dispenses coffee and the word of God.

"When they see me as a sister, they share their happiness and sadness," she said.

The truck serves gourmet, organic coffee drinks from a distributor in Mexico. Profits from the 2-month-old business support the food pantry and homeless outreach efforts of the church.

"It's a little more ambitious than just asking for help," Monsignor Chad Gion said. "We want to run this like a business. The charity side is what goes on in the church."

The truck got its start about a year ago when Cheryl Hansen, the business manager at Spirit of Life, met Mayela Assad, a young coffee producer from Mexico. Assad had come to Mandan to escape violence at home, and a mutual friend introduced them.

Assad wanted to bring her coffee to America, and Hansen saw an opportunity for the church.

At first, they had trouble understanding each other. Assad spoke little English; Hansen spoke no Spanish. Each is learning, though they still use a translator for business discussions.

"It just sort of evolved," Hansen said.

The coffee is grown along the Gulf of Mexico in the Veracruz region; all of the beans are grown organically and hand-picked. Assad recently won top honors for her brews at a competition in Europe.

Assad is temporarily back in Mexico, but while she was in the United States, she trained the monsignor and the sister on how to make the coffee just right.

"There is definitely a correct way to do it and a lot of incorrect ways to do it," Gion laughed as he demonstrated the proper way to press espresso.

Assad described the response to her product in Mandan as "fabulous." Many people have quickly become regular customers.

In October, the church will open a year-round operation at the new strip mall in Lincoln. Employees and volunteers will serve coffee and food at the new location. There will be seating for at least 50 people and a room for meetings and events.

Lance Hagen, the mall's developer, said it will be a good fit for Lincoln, which lacks a coffee shop or deli.

"We need something like that," Hagen said.

After expenses, all of the profits will support the Mother Teresa Outreach program of the church, Hansen said. These include a food pantry, a daily hot meal and rental assistance for the homeless or needy. Profits will also go toward the transitional housing unit the church is opening at the old junior high school in Mandan.

Hansen said the coffee truck has already made about $5,000.

Hansen said she wants to use the coffee shop as a place for job training of people who receive help from the ministry.

"The whole process is driven by mission," she said. "It gives us even more incentive, since the outcomes we generate can go on to help so many more people."
A shadowy hacker who uses the name Guccifer 2.0 was briefly suspended from Twitter this weekend following the latest dump of information stolen in cyberattacks on Democratic organizations.

A blog post Friday by Guccifer 2.0 on the WordPress site contained the private email addresses and cell phone numbers of nearly 200 current and former Democratic members of Congress. In the post Guccifer 2.0 said that the information was taken from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) server. WordPress removed the content, noting that it received a valid complaint regarding the publication of private information.

On Saturday House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that she received obscene and sick calls, voicemails and texts after the details were posted online.

Amid the uproar over the dump, WikiLeaks tweeted Saturday that the Twitter account @GUCCIFER_2 had been suspended, and accused Twitter of censorship.

"@Guccifer_2" has account completely censored by Twitter after publishing some files from Democratic campaign, it tweeted.

"@Guccifer_2" has account completely censored by Twitter after publishing some files from Democratic campaign #DCCC pic.twitter.com/a3CQLlNczg  WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 13, 2016

However, the @GUCCIFER_2 account was up and running again on Sunday. Here I am! They'll have to try much harder to block me! it tweeted.

Twitter has not yet responded to a request for comment on this story from FoxNews.com.

Guccifer 2.0, which may also be a hacking group, has vowed to use WikiLeaks to publish the DCCC information removed by WordPress.

I'll send the major trove of the #DCCC materials and emails to #wikileaks keep following... tweeted @GUCCIFER_2 on Friday.

#Guccifer2 I'll send the major trove of the #DCCC materials and emails to #wikileaks

keep following...  GUCCIFER 2.0 (@GUCCIFER_2) August 13, 2016

Guccifer 2.0 had already claimed responsibility for a major hack of the Democratic National Committees computers earlier this year. Experts have been looking for clues about the mysterious self-described hacker, and suspicions still linger that the Russian government played a role in the hack.

Additional files were posted to Guccifer 2.0s blog Monday, which the hacker describes as DCCC internal docs on primaries in Florida.

As previously noted, the DCCC has been the target of a cybersecurity incident, and we are cooperating with federal law enforcement in their ongoing investigation, explained DCCC National Press Secretary Meredith Kelly, in a statement emailed to FoxNews.com. We are aware of reports that documents claimed to be from our network have been released and are investigating their authenticity.



The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
Indonesia is considering a new law that would ban the production, distribution and consumption of alcohol across the country, including in Bali.

And while booze makers and sellers warn the move would crush Balis tourism industry, it may also fuel sly-grogging on the island  a deadly problem that claims tourists among its victims.

A bill to ban the sale, distribution and consumption of drinks containing more than one per cent of alcohol was introduced by two Islamicist parties, the United Development Party and the Prosperous Justice Party, and is being deliberated by Indonesias House of Representatives.

If passed, the law would be the first of its kind in Muslim-majority Indonesia.

There may be some exceptions to the booze ban for travellers, customary activities and religious rituals.

But the introduction of the bill has sparked uproar within Indonesias tourism and hospitality industries, which warn tourism would be crippled if the law was passed.

If the bill is passed, our business will be done, Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association head Hariyadi Sukamdani told the Jakarta Post.

The tourists ... drink alcohol all the time. It will be very inconvenient for them if they cant find alcohol.

Indonesia has already made moves to restrict the availability of alcohol. Last year it outlawed the sale of alcohol in mini marts, despite an outcry from tourism and alcohol industries. Hariyadi said that alone had struck a blow to tourism, and travellers were already complaining about how difficult it was to find booze.

No matter how beautiful the country is, if they cant find alcohol, they wont want to come here, Hariyadi said.

In a desperate bid for compromise in the wake of the booze-ban bill, liquor sellers have begged the Indonesian government to consider tougher monitoring and control on the sale of alcohol, rather than full-blown prohibition.

Liquor sellers in West Java held an emergency meeting last week to discuss the new bill.

One woman, who said she made a living on selling beers, told the Post: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.

Others have complained about raids on sellers who had liquor licenses that were difficult to obtain.

Indonesias beverage importers also warned their already ailing industry would be crippled if the law was passed.

Imported liquor contributes to up to 10 per cent of Indonesias liquor consumption and as many as 17 beverage importers and distributors are expected to collapse in the wake of a booze ban.

Representatives for Indonesias tourism and hospitality industries warn prohibition would merely cause sales in bootlegged booze to skyrocket, with potentially deadly consequences.

Due in part to the increasing cost of importing liquor, Bali has seen a rise in the sale of home-brewed drinks laced with methanol, which have been linked to the deaths and serious illness of tourists, including Australians, on the party island.

Last month, Perth woman Jen Neilson was rushed to intensive care in a Bali hospital with suspected methanol poisoning after a night of drinking.

On New Years Eve in 2013, Perth teenager Liam Davies died after drinking alcohol cut with methanol in a Lombok bar. Perth woman Tess Mettam went blind for two days after drinking two cocktails at a Kuta Bar in December 2013, while Newcastle teenager Jackson Tuckwell also went blind after being poisoned while celebrating Schoolies in Bali in 2014.

Recycled water bottles to be used to store bootlegged arak. A traditional drink, arak is a clear, rice-based spirit but batches cut with methanol can have disastrous effects.Source:News Corp Australia

The family of British backpacker Cheznye Emmons, who died in Bali from methanol poisoning, raised $20,000 to print and distribute educational posters around Indonesia warning revellers of the dangers of alcoholic drinks with potentially lethal amounts of methanol.

Dangerous levels of methanol in cheap drinks served throughout Bali has prompted the Australian Government to warn tourists to consider the risks of alcoholic drinks and avoid homemade brews.

Cases have usually involved local spirits and spirit-based drinks, such as cocktails, but supposed brand name alcohol can also be adulterated, the governments Smartraveller website warns, adding that adulterated arak  a traditional rice-based spirit  was also linked to a number of tourist deaths, as well as a huge number of Indonesians every year.

Association of Beverage Importers and Distributors chairman Agus Silaban told the Jakarta Post last week the proposed law would trigger rampant liquor smuggling practices and the illegal distribution of bootleg liquor.

The nations beer sellers have argued that their product should be exempted from the ban as beer was not linked with poisoning cases.

Indonesia Institute president Ross Taylor told news.com.au moves to ban booze in Indonesia did have support, and not just from religious groups.

Aussie teenagers party at the Bounty Nightclub in Kuta. Picture: Nathan EdwardsSource:News Corp Australia

Theres a lot of people in Indonesia right now taking the view  and they might not be wrong  that if you look at the Western world, and what alcohol is doing to young people, we dont want that in Indonesia and we want to ban alcohol, he said.

Theres a lot of discussion in Indonesian society about the damage [alcohol] does to the wider community. The problem, of course, is if you ban it, you then create this enormous black market and it causes a whole lot of other problems.

But in Bali, especially, theres a very strong feeling that its the last thing youd want to do, because if tourists cant have a beer or wine on the beach, the potential consequences for tourism are going to be very severe indeed.

Mr Taylor said a nationwide booze ban was unlikely but he wouldnt be surprised if it went ahead in provinces with more hard line governments, such as East Java and North Sumatra.

In my view, I think that nationally, the bill won't get up. I dont think in the Indonesian government theres enough support for it, he said.

Moderation is a better way to go because they need tourists to go to Indonesia and tourists having a glass of wine or a Bintang [Beer] wont do any harm.

What I dont feel that confident about is what will happen to individual provinces. Then its going to depend on where you are. In the more conservative provinces, not only might you see these bans coming in, some are actually going ahead with them now.

What has to prevail in Indonesia is some kind of comprise, which only the Indonesians can do, where some provinces will do this, but then the national government will come in and say there will be some exempt zones, such as Bali.
Its strictly against the law to go swimming in the polluted canals of Venice, but every now and then a tourist jumps in anyway-- just to cool off in the scorching heat of summer.

Venice also has laws that ban men wandering around bare-chested, families eating packed lunches in St. Marks Square and the feeding of pigeons.

When in Venice, they say, do as the Venetians do.

But just before midnight on Friday, a New Zealand man, reportedly under the influence of too much alcohol, didnt. As crowds strolled across the citys celebrated 425-year-old Rialto Bridge, he jumped off the stone span  and missed.

Instead of hitting the water, he landed on a water taxi passing under the bridge, smashing the boats windshield, scattering glass and injuring the driver as well as himself.

And now Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro has seen enough. On Saturday, he tweeted out a plea to the city's lawmakers to enact stricter policies when it comes to tourist shenanigans-- including jail time.

Insisto: Poteri speciali alla Citta per l'ordine pubblico. Borseggiatori, imbrattatori, ubriachi! Una notte di cella https://t.co/8bIkWkGnTe  Luigi Brugnaro (@LuigiBrugnaro) August 13, 2016

I insist on [introducing] special powers to the city to uphold public order, Brugnaro wrote on the favorite outlet of politicians, Twitter. Pickpockets, vandals, drunks! A night in the cells.

The unidentified 49-year-old jumper, who spends most of the year in St. Tropez on the Cote dAzur, was taken to the hospital and treated for fractures and severe trauma, The Telegraph reported.

Officials, who were conducting tests to determine if he was under the effect of alcohol or drugs, said he was in serious but stable condition.

His condition is unlikely to improve once hes released. He faces charges of endangering public transport.

But will harsher punishments really deter visitors from traveling to The Floating City? At least 2 million tourists visit Venice every year, according to The International Business Times.

The Rialto Bridge, the oldest of the four bridges that cross Venices Grand Canal, was built in 1591 and is one of the most popular spots in the city. It is currently undergoing cleaning and restoration.
Authorities say a Forest Service firefighter has died after being hit by a tree while battling a wildfire in Nevada.

Federal officials say Justin Beebe of Vermont was killed when the tree fell on him Saturday afternoon while his hotshot crew battled the blaze in the eastern part of the state. His age wasn't immediately known.

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and Great Basin National Park are expected to work on the investigation.

Beebe was in his first year as a member of the Lolo Hotshots based in Montana.

He was working on a fire that was sparked by lightning on Aug. 8. There are 434 people fighting the fire, which is now 59 percent contained.
An Iowa man was arrested Thursday and was charged with desecrating the U.S. flag after hanging it upside down beneath a Chinese flag in protest at his home.

The Fort Dodge Messenger reported that Homer Martz, an Army veteran, of Somers, put up the flag to protest an oil pipeline being built without his consent next to a well that supplies water to his home. Martz said he was arrested by Calhoun County sheriffs at around 11 a.m.

"They said, 'You can't do this. We have a statute.' I said I'm sorry but you shouldn't have took them down," Martz told The Messenger. "So I walked back out and put them back up, and they arrested me."

Calhoun County Attorney Tina Meth-Farrington said that Martz faces simple misdemeanor and if convicted he could get a fine and at least 30 days in jail for a desecration charge.

Martz said he didnt know he was breaking the law. According to Iowa code 718A, Martz was charged with a misdemeanor because he tried to "publicly mutilate, deface, defile or defy, trample upon, cast contempt upon, satirize, deride or burlesque, either by words or act, such flag, standard, color, ensign, shield, or other insignia of the United States, or flag, ensign, great seal, or other insignia of this state.

The paper reported that if authorities fail to enforce the law, they could be removed from office.

"If they had asked me to take them down, and showed me the statute, I would have taken them down," he said. "But in my book, they trespassed by taking the flags down."

Martz protested the construction of an oil pipeline that he being built by the Texas-based company Dakota Access and will cross into Iowa. The company was granted the right to use eminent domain to take the land from landowners. The line will pass between Martzs home and well and he fears construction will break his waterline.

Dakota Access told the paper that they will fix the line if its damaged during construction.

Martz said his rights were trampled on.

"I'm a soldier," he added. "When I walked to the airport in the '70s with my dress uniform on, I was spit on. I stood in front of people that were protesting, and I've been cussed at. And like I said, that's their rights. I've never infringed on their rights.

"But you know, freedom of speech, freedom to protest - people can burn the American flag," Martz said. "It's legal. That's the Supreme Court."

Click for more from The Fort Dodge Messenger.
As Father Josiah Trenham prepared to read the Gospel, several parishioners discreetly scooped up their babies, retreated up the aisles of St. Andrew Orthodox Church and out into the spring air, so as not to allow the crying of little ones to disturb the divine liturgy.

The time-honored tradition was shattered when a car passed by the Riverside, Calif., church, slowing down as the front passenger leaned out of his window and bellowed menacingly through a bullhorn, according to witnesses.

Allahu Akbar! the unidentified man repeated several times as the unnerved parents drew their infants close and exchanged worried glances.

Witnesses were able to give Riverside police a description of the green Honda Civic, but not of the three occupants. Some told police they believed one or more of the men may have been taking photographs, according to Officer Ryan Railsback. Although Trenham insisted multiple congregants heard the Arabic phrase, Railsback noted no mention of it was in the police report.

Whatever the case, no law was broken  even if an unmistakable message was sent and received.

Be calm and to keep a special vigilance over the property and our children while we are at church, Trenham wrote in an email to parishioners in which he recounted the disturbing event. Pray that these provocative young men might repent of their intimidation and be saved.

Trenham told FoxNews.com last week the situation remains tense and tenuous, and said the church now has security officers on hand for all regular services.

"It is a deep sorrow to live this way in the 'new America, he said.

The incident took place on April 12, some four months after a terror attack left 14 dead in nearby San Bernardino, and just over three months before a French priest was killed by ISIS-linked jihadists in his church. The events, whether far or near, underscore a grim new reality for pastors such as Trenham: Instead of offering sanctuary from evil, churches could in fact be attractive targets for terror.

"Many churches are now hiring self-defense instructors for classes or security guards that include off-duty police," said Ryan Mauro, a professor of Homeland Security at Liberty University and national security analyst for the Clarion Project. "If you are an Islamist terrorist seeking self-glory, executing a priest will bring you more attention than executing an average civilian."

While no lethal terror attacks have occurred inside a U.S. church to date, experts like Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, notes the threat tally is growing.

"I'm pretty sure there will be attacks in the future, King said. Until [radical Islam is defeated], we can expect Christians, including in the West, to rationally tighten security measures and try to protect themselves from attack."

In February, Khial Abu-Rayyan, 21, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., was arrested after he told an undercover FBI agent he was preparing to "shoot up" a major church near his home on behalf of ISIS. A month earlier, the Rev. Roger Spradlin of Valley Baptist Church  one of the biggest congregations in Bakersfield, Calif.  told attendees that they had received a threat written in Arabic.

"Undercover officers were then placed during worship services, Valley Baptist spokesman Dave Kalahar said. The FBI continues to investigate along with the local task force."

Last September, an Islamic man clad in combat gear was charged with making a terrorist threat after entering Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, in Bullard, Tex., and claiming that God had instructed him to kill Christians and "other infidels." A year earlier, police were called to Saint Bartholomew's Catholic Church in Columbus, Ind., after the house of worship was vandalized with the word "Infidels!" along with a Koranic verse sanctioning death for nonbelievers. Similar graffiti was found that same night at nearby Lakeview Church of Christ and East Columbus Christian Church.

St. Bartholomew Pastor Clem Davis said he doesnt know if the threat was legitimate, but said little can be done to harden a target whose mission is to welcome all.

"I don't know that there is any real protection against the 'lone wolf' mentality, not without infringing on everybody's freedoms," Davis said. "We don't have metal detectors, people go in and out. Churches are family-orientated, public, tax-supported spaces; so they may appeal to some as a target."

Synagogues have faced increasing threats in recent years, too. Earlier this year, the FBI disrupted a plot by a Muslim convert to blow up the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, in Aventura, Fla. A 2014 audit by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that anti-Semitic incidents rose 21 percent across the country that year.

Eastern Orthodox Christians, who in many cases suffered persecution at the hands of radical Muslims in their Middle Eastern homelands, believe they may be singled out because of their heritage. Mass at St. Andrew typically attracts up to 400 worshippers with roots in Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Russia and Greece.

"We have guards now; we never used to have guards, said St. Andrew attendee Solomon Saddi, a Syrian-American Christian. They keep an eye on everyone and talk to the faces that aren't familiar," he continued, referring to the aftermath of the April incident. "It is a very dangerous time for us even in America."

In San Diego's Iraqi-Christian community, known as Chaldeans, many local churches have had to dip into their collection baskets to hire security.

"There is a concern over attacks," said a parishioner at St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Church. "Everyone knows that a church, especially like St. Peter, is a risk. But everyone tries not to let their fear get in the way of their faith."

The July 26 murder of the Rev. Jacques Hamel, in the Normandy town of St.-Etienne-du-Rouvray sent shock waves around the world, and signaled to U.S. law enforcement that it could happen here, said Horace Frank, assistant commanding officer of the Counter-Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau of the Los Angeles Police Department.

"We see things happen in other countries and worry about them happening here," Frank said. "You always have to be worried about copycats. That's why we focus on prevention, trying to look ahead."

Franks division works with Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh groups to discuss such topics as terrorist reporting, suspicious activity and active shooter training.

"We reach out to churches and they reach out to us. You have to be aware, you have to be vigilant," Frank said. "It's a concern not just in Christian communities, but all faith communities."

Jamie Brennan contributed to this report
A beta stage allows companies to introduce a product or service into the world. Both the creator and users understand and accept that the release may contain flaws. The creator makes tweaks as necessary without upsetting anyone. A startups first few years are similar to beta testing, and this unique phase of operation may hold some lessons for us all.

Turn beta from a stage into a way of doing business.

Were living and working during the age of startups. Companies are conceived, created and can become successful in a matter of years. Really successful startups are known as unicorns, and theyre valued at $1 million or more within their first few years of doing business. Some of the most well-known unicorns include industry disruptors, such as Uber and Airbnb.

Companies like these are different from the average enterprise and the historical concept of a Fortune 500 company because they make a major change in their respective industries. Startups change the concept of business organizations and the way consumers interact with the brand. As new disruptions continue to take hold, businesses must rethink their existing business models. To remain competitive, they need to think like a startup.

Related: 7 Habits of Highly-Effective Entrepreneurs

Going beta does represent a potential risk. If you start moving faster and encouraging innovation, youll make missteps. Rather than seeing this as a weakness, view it as a potential strength. The ability to correct mistakes, bounce back, and keep moving forward is what sets successful companies apart from the competition.

It's what I call dragons - established companies that leverage a startup mentality to innovate its way to profitability.

Sow these beta roots to encourage success in your organization.

To transform beta from a timeframe into a philosophy, businesses must drop rigid hierarchies and barriers to collaboration. Here are six ways to develop a strong beta mentality within your organization.

1. Get on the same page with your customers.

Use the data insights that marketers preach about so heavily. Find solutions to your markets problems instead of creating solutions first and trying to make them fit. Regardless of size, treat your business as a mom-and-pop shop. Build rapport with the folks, who write your checks.

Related: Brain Break: Forget About Unicorns. Check Out This Blue Lobster.

2. Empower employees.

In a startup, everyone is invested in creation, innovation and success. Foster a culture in which employees feel free to speak openly; try new things; and connect with each other.

Workers, who feel respected and supported, can become strategic partners instead of mere laborers. Companies, such as Google, support employees who want to take time out of their days to try something new on a whim. Encourage employees to use their creativity to find innovative solutions for your business. Then everybody wins.

3. Embrace critical feedback.

Dont sweep critical feedback under the rug. Ignore overly negative statements, but take the message to heart. Was there any truth to the feedback? If so, how can your business improve? Some people are just being mean, but most feedback contains a grain of truth. Find it; use it; and move on.

Related: Macy's to Shut 100 Stores in Turnaround Push

4. Drop hierarchical pretenses.

At the end of the day, some people have more say than others. However, youll do yourself a disservice if you cant keep an open mind, and work with others. Even Steve Jobs was ousted from his own company once, and it turned out to be an inspiring turning point in his career. In his famous Stanford commencement speech, he described it as a way to start over and feel the excitement of being a beginner again.

5. Take chances, and move fast.

Find a way to streamline the approval's process. Create an opportunity phone tree, or empower more people to make meaningful decisions. Do whatever you need to do to enact change before your customers move on to a competitor.

6. Communicate.

Communication allows makes all of the other steps work. The more you avoid closed doors and hushed conversations, the greater the opportunity you'll have to discover insights, and move in a new direction.

Reinvention and adaptability are the keys to embracing a beta mindset. Put down some beta roots to find your competitive edge, and reinvigorate your organization.
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.
A Tennessee man accused of fatally shooting his 11-year-old daughter in a suburb north of Nashville has been released on bond.

News outlets report 29-year-old Timothy Batts' bond was lowered Friday from $1 million to $500,000. He posted bond that night.

Batts was arrested last week on reckless homicide, tampering with evidence, false reporting and other charges in connection with the shooting death of Timea Lashay Batts.

Police say Timothy Batts told detectives that he shot his daughter thinking she was an intruder after she came home from school.

He originally told police that his daughter had told him she had been shot after school. She later died at the hospital.

Since Timea Batts' death, her family has been asking for her father's release, saying the shooting was an accident.
A day at the beach took a tragic turn when, officials said, a man visiting from Fort Myers, Florida got caught in a rip current on Miami Beach while trying to render aid to his wife.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue responded to a 911 call about the incident on the beach, just after 2 p.m. Sunday.

According to investigators, the 34-year-old victim and his wife were swimming along the shore when the rip currents picked up. The man tried to help his wife when she began to drown, but moments later, he was swept away.

Cellphone video captured the chaotic moments the man was pulled from the water unresponsive as beachgoers crowded around and stared in disbelief. By the time rescue crews arrived, he was unconscious and not breathing.

Paramedics administered CPR as the man was rushed to Mount Sinai Medical Center, but they were unable to resuscitate him. He was pronounced dead on arrival.

The victims wife was not hurt. Officials have not released the mans name.

Click for more from WSVN.
Vendors at the North Dakota State Fair said sales dipped slightly this year as attendance dropped by 4 percent.

"The less people that are there, the less people in the building, the less people spending money," said Marissa Iverson, who owns Exceptionally Nuts.

Iverson said her sales of almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds dropped a bit after climbing over the past few years.

Likewise, Bonnie Ripplinger said she sold fewer vehicle covers, a higher-ticket item than nuts.

"The less trucks in the Bakken mean a little less business for us," Ripplinger said.

Fair manager Renae Korslien said 293,123 people attended the Minot event this year, down from 305,093 last year. Attendance peaked in 2013 and has declined a bit each year since.

"Were pretty pleased with the 4 percent," said Korslien, who cited the state's struggling economy. "We were really afraid it might be more."

The fair remained a success for many of those who rely on it as a marketing event.

Al Mueller, the owner of Home Sweet Home, a gift shop specializing in Pride of Dakota products in Minot, said he got eight to 10 new leads at the fair, including people who want to stock his products in their stores.

He also tested a new spicy cracker on the fair-goers; people tended to like it, a sign he should market it more widely.

It's a great place to gauge response, said Mueller.

The fair, which featured musical acts, including Kenny Chesney, KISS and Fall Out Boy, ended its nine-day run on July 31.
To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to be a bit of a soothsayer, able to see the future and to predict what your customers will want before they know they want it. After all, entrepreneurs are known to be the masters of innovations, right?

Steve Jobs had that skill. Bill Gates has it, too. But as simple as it sounds, it takes a little guidance to figure out which way the winds of change are blowing, especially if you are a rookie.

Apps for entrepreneurs.

Right now, its blowing toward apps. How? Lots of jobs available these days are location independent. There are literally hundreds of legitimate home-based jobs any entrepreneur can do easily. And every tech savvy entrepreneur already knows that you can do your business effectively with nothing but a smart phone.

Related: How to Start a Business with No Money from your Smart Phone

Yeah, all those extraordinary capabilities you think entrepreneurs possess? They don't do it alone! Besides having an amazing team to support their day-to-day endeavors, they also use cutting-edge apps to bring their A-game.

Apps are fast becoming everything to an entrepreneur. From scheduling and holding meetings with the aid of cyber assistants, to messaging and preparing PowerPoint slides, there is an app tailored for your businesss needs, and to help you achieve your goals faster.

Apps to manage your business.

Technology has made it easier for entrepreneurs to accomplish routine tasks, manage time more efficiently, get the latest tech news, and keep track of responsibilities in a more orderly fashion.

One of the best things about being an entrepreneur is that you get to choose everything; location, working hours and working tools. Hence, with the growing number of productivity apps available, you can work from an office desk if you so desire, from a hotel lobby, a passenger terminal, a beach or coffee shop.

Related: Use These 24 Tools to Run Your Business From Anywhere in the World

In fact, apps have enabled some entrepreneurs to be more productive, thanks in part to a sense of urgency and almost no shortage of Wi-Fi connectivity. Many entrepreneurs are enjoying this groove as they live their dreams, traveling, meeting people, and doing business.

There are many apps and resources which are hugely popular worldwide, such as Uber, AirBnB, WhatsApp, Yelp, Showbox, and Trip Advisor. However, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Apps to move the money.

In the arena of business apps that handle payment, there is Venmo which processed more than $1 billion in mobile payments in February 2016. Theres also Google Wallet and Apple Pay, among others, which have made transactions as easy as a few clicks. The apps that handle video virtual meetings mean that you dont need to be in any particular location to do business deals.

"Results are everything. We are now in a global economy and the increased leverage with technology leaves almost no room for second place," says Stephen Molloy, author of How Apps are Changing the World.

Stephen Molloy is one of the innovators in app development, having made over 38 successful apps. This is one man who knows apps and has virtually lived his life by them. He designs apps and uses their efficient procedures in his business, to make him super-productive.

Hes rarely ever too busy for anything that allows him to work on his projects, to travel and to develop apps, making it look almost effortless.

Related: 21 Apps to Boost Productivity, Accountability and Success

Apps to circle the globe.

Having successfully embarked on a whirlwind, one-month round trip with just the aid of the apps on his iPhone, Molloy went from Sydney to Santiago to Bogota to Santa Marta to Cartagena to Medellin to Fort Lauderdale to Cancun to Los Angeles, all without slowing down on productivity. I personally call him a successful digital nomad.

Like Molloy, you too can utilize apps to automate your business and to systemize your businesses, as well.

Times have truly improved, and its vital for any business to quickly acclimatize to new technological developments. A majority of smart, forward-thinking entrepreneurs are taking advantage of these mobile apps phenomenon to further improve their business.

Apps and the startup.

Just because you're a sole proprietor or run a small start-up doesn't mean you can't have executive-level support literally at your fingertips. There's an app for just about anything, including making your entrepreneurial pursuits just a little bit more manageable.

Many of these apps range in price from free to very reasonable. Opting out of entrepreneur-centric apps is like turning down an offer for free work from a contractor. You wouldn't do that, so please make sure you don't have an empty Smartphone desktop or a tablet filled with games and music only.
A man accused of killing a Georgia police officer over the weekend was arrested in Florida Monday after deputies found the suspect hiding in the trunk of his sister's car.

Royheem Delshawn Deeds, 24, was identified as the suspect accused of killing Eastman police officer Tim Smith on Saturday. Smith was shot and killed when responding to a report of a suspicious person.

Authorities said Deeds was arrested in Nassau County in North Florida. Sheriff Bill Leeper said U.S. marshals alerted his department overnight that Deeds might be traveling in a gold Nissan Altima headed for Gainesville, Florida. A deputy spotted the car early Monday and stopped it.

The sheriff says Deeds' sister, 22-year-old Franshawn Deeds, was driving with one passenger, 32-year-old Jamil Marquis Mitchell. Leeper says deputies searched the car and found Royheem Deeds in the trunk.

The Telfair Sheriffs Office said he was currently being held in Florida and awaits extradition, Fox 5 Atlanta reported.

Special agent Scott Whitley of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation told the Associated Press on Sunday that Smith was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered the suspect, exited his patrol car and was shot at around 9:30 p.m. The suspect ran off.

Smith, 31, had joined the Eastman Police Department in 2011. He is survived by three children.

Authorities have said that Deeds will face murder charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Fox 5 Atlanta.
Police questioned a man Sunday evening in connection with the shooting death of a New York City imam and his associate, but officials told Fox News that man is not considered a suspect in the murders.

The man was brought in for questioning on an unrelated matter and queried about the imam's death, authorities said. That unnamed man remained in custody Monday morning in connection with the unidentified unrelated matter.

Police told Fox News there had been no arrests in the imam murder case as of Monday morning.



Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and his associate Thara Uddin, 64, were killed near the Al-Furquan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens as they left afternoon prayers on Saturday in their traditional religious garb. Both men were shot in the head.

Surveillance video shows the gunman pumping rounds into the two men in Ozone Park at around 2 p.m. Police sources told The New York Post that they believe the murderer knew the imam and knew his schedule.

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 have yet to establish a motive for the shooting.

Deputy Inspector Henry Sautner said Saturday 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. Akonjee's son, 21-year-old Naim Akonjee, said it wasn't uncommon for his father to carry that amount of money.

Naim said his father first worked as an imam in the Bronx before working at two mosques in Queens.

"He always wants peace," Naim said of his father through tears. "Why did they kill my father?"

Fox News' Laura Ingle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from The New York Post.
A U.S. Navy T-45C training jet crashed late Sunday night outside Kingsville, Texas. Both pilots managed to eject safely and were being treated at a local hospital, according to a statement from Naval Air Station Kingsville.

It marks the third crash of a Navy or Marine Corps jet within the last three weeks.

On July 28, a Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet crashed outside Twentynine Palms, California killing Maj. Sterling Norton, 36, from Santa Cruz, California.

On August 2, another F/A-18C Hornet from the same squadron, VMFA-232 based in Miramar, Calif. crashed outside Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. Crews rushed the pilot to the hospital.

A third jet from VMFA-232 crashed in October in England killing Maj. Taj Sareen, 34, of Hillsborough, California.

In April, Fox News reported that an astonishing 70% of U.S. Marine Corps F-18 Hornet jets can't fly.

Naval Air Station Kingsville is located outside Corpus Christi, Texas and is one of the primary locations for Navy and Marine Corps jet training. The air station trains 50% of Navy and Marine Corps tactical pilots each year, according to fightersweep.com.

The crash outside Kingsville unfolded at 9:20 p.m. CT Sunday night. The aircraft was part of Training Squadron (VT) 21 and was taking part in a routine training mission before it crashed, according to the Navy statement.

The Navy is withholding the names of both pilots for now and the cause of the crash is under investigation.

In late May, two Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets crashed off the coast of North Carolina, but all four crewmembers were rescued after ejecting over the Atlantic Ocean.
When Georgia college students go back to school this fall, they will be allowed to carry guns on campus - stun guns, that is.

Gov. Nathan Deal recently signed a bill that will allow anyone over 18 to carry stun guns on campus for self-defense. The law was seen as a compromise between Second Amendment advocates who sought the right to carry guns on campus and those opposed, including Deal.

Students and employees at all of Georgias public colleges and universities will be allowed to carry the weapons at the 29 institutions associated with the University System of Georgia and another 22 associated with the Technical College System of Georgia.

"From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed," Deal said in a statement when he struck down the campus carry bill and approved the stun gun bill. "To depart from such time-honored protections should require overwhelming justification. I do not find that such justification exists."

The veto of a bill allowing firearms on campus ignited a contentious debate in the statehouse with opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. Many critics of the bill argued that no training is required to receive a license.

The Campus Carry Bill's sponsor, Rep. Rick Jasperse, said the bill would make great strides in promoting safety on Georgia's college and university campuses. Other states, such as Texas and Utah, have enacted similar legislation.

The stun gun law, referred to by some local pols as campus carry lite seems to be a compromiseand one that students can live with. The weapons, some of which can be used to prod a target at close range and others which fire an electrically-charged projectile to momentarily disable, are much more accessible and can be effective for self-defense.

According to local reports, sales of stun guns and electroshock weaponry has surged since the bill was passed in the Peach State.

We had to place a large order, because they were selling out," Eric Wallace manager of Adventure Outdoors, a hunting and camping supply store in Smyrna, told WSB-TV. "More people are coming in and buying these. A lot of fathers are buying them for their daughters and ladies who go to Georgia State, Kennesaw State, UGA and Georgia Tech.

Students appear to support the law.

I think its an excellent idea. Its a non-lethal solution, Kennesaw State University student Aaron Leix told the news station. Kind of a compromise for campus carry and I think its going to make our campus a lot safer.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A North Carolina man says he's getting close to giving up on his home in Raleigh after it was hit by a driver for the sixth time.

Raleigh man fed up after home hit for 6th time by carhttps://t.co/bsv1WnoBSH pic.twitter.com/9xF8l6Iq6D  ABC11 EyewitnessNews (@ABC11_WTVD) August 15, 2016

WTVD-TV reports Sunday that Carlo Bernarte says he's fed up with the half-dozen crashes since he and his family moved in 2004. A drunken driver hit the home in October and later died.

Authorities confirm that a car crashed through a wall and into Bernarte's property about 5 a.m. Saturday.

Bernarte says his insurance company canceled his homeowner's policy over the crashes. He says city engineers have told him extending a nearby guardrail would be a safety issue because it could block the line of sight for drivers leaving the neighborhood.

He says he plans on moving his family as soon as he can.
Three married couples killed in the crash of a small airplane in Alabama all lived in the university town of Oxford, Mississippi, where city flags were lowered Monday as residents grappled with the loss of so many lives at one time.

Jason and Lea Farese, Michael and Kimberly Perry and Austin and Angie Poole. https://t.co/GpevgYl1og pic.twitter.com/MZwJdWiDSt  carol robinson (@RobinsonCarol) August 14, 2016

"I don't even know what to say," said Oxford Mayor George "Pat" Patterson.

Friends, relatives and officials identified the dead as dentists Jason Farese and Lea Farese; dentist Michael Perry and his wife, Kim Perry, a nurse practitioner at the University of Mississippi; and dentist Austin Poole and his wife, Angie Poole. The three couples were parents of 11 children total.

The Oxford Eagle reported that the plane went down while the six were returning home to the city of 19,000 following a dental seminar in central Florida.

"It's just a sad day," said Patterson, who knew all the victims. "The families were invested with their time and talents in the community."

The Federal Aviation Administration said a twin-engine Piper carrying the six left Kissimmee, Florida, and crashed while trying to land in Tuscaloosa on Sunday morning. Police there said the aircraft had engine problems, but further details were not available.

It wasn't clear whether a stop was planned in Alabama before the trouble occurred.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Heidi Kemner, speaking Monday to reporters during a briefing on the crash, said she had located the pilot's log book and would try to locate aircraft maintenance records.

Jason Farese was a private pilot first certified in 2004, and the plane was registered to a company that shares an address with his Oxford dental office, FAA records showed. The practice's website said both Jason and Lea Farese were graduates of the Ole Miss dentistry school and had three children.

Michael Perry also attended the Mississippi dentistry school and served as a mentor to first- and second-year dental students. Kim Perry was certified as a women's and family nurse practitioner and had worked for the university's student health center since 2007. The couple had three children.

The parents of five children, Austin and Angie Poole lived in Oxford. He commuted about 60 miles to a dental office in Clarksdale, where Mayor Bill Luckett, an attorney, said he had known the couple for years.

"Austin and Angie have both been clients of mine as a lawyer and have been friends of mine," Luckett told WREG-TV. Luckett also was related to Jason Farese by a previous marriage.
A top Wisconsin law enforcement official blames progressive policies for the behavior of violent protesters in Milwaukee who took to the streets after Saturdays police shooting of an armed black man.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said on Fox News' America's Newsroom Monday that the growth of the welfare state encourages the destructive behavior seen on Saturday and Sunday nights. Officials said 11 police officers were injured, two civilians were shot, six businesses were burned and several patrol cars were damaged as angry residents gathered to demonstrate two nights in a row in the wake of Sylville K. Smiths death.

These progressive policies have hit the black community like a nuclear blast, and until we reverse this government dependency, thats what creates all of this  and encourages it, by the way, Clarke said.

Clarke said an intact family and the ability to self-criticize could help curb such destructive behavior. But he said those values are being trampled by progressive ideology.

He added, This dangerous ideology that has been very destructive on the black community, until we push backthis things only going to get worse.

At a news conference Monday, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said outsiders were trying to damage a great neighborhood where he lived for 11 years. Barrett said he was concerned about the economic damage being done to the Sherman Park neighborhood.

Police Chief Edward Flynn said the shooting of Smith on Saturday was a flashpoint for underlying tensions. The chief said many people outside the neighborhood were using that for their own agendas.

Flynn said three Milwaukee officers and four Milwaukee County sheriff's deputies were struck by glass or rocks in Sunday night's unrest.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Russia's defense minister said Monday that Moscow and Washington were edging closer to an agreement that would help defuse the crisis in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo -- and the State Department did not deny it.

"We have seen reports of the Russian Defense Ministers comments. We have nothing to announce at this time. We speak regularly with Russian officials about ways to strengthen the Cessation of Hostilities, improve humanitarian access and bring about the conditions necessary to find a political solution to this conflict," State Dept. spokesperson Elizabeth Trudeau said.

The Russian defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, said on Rossiya 24 television that "step by step, we are nearing an arrangement, I'm talking exclusively about Aleppo, that would allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory, that long-suffering land so that people could return to their homes."

He added that Russian representatives are "in a very active stage of talks with our American colleagues."

When asked about Shoigu's comments during a State Dept. briefing, Trudeau responded, "I have no information to share," and "Nothing to announce at this time."

Fighting for Aleppo, once Syria's commercial capital and its largest city, has become the focal point of the nation's civil war, now in its sixth year.

Russia and the United States have been discussing greater coordination in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on what militant groups could be targeted.

Russia has criticized what it describes as U.S. reluctance to persuade the Syrian opposition groups it supports to withdraw from areas controlled by the group formerly known as the Nusra Front, the Al Qaeda branch in Syria.

Shoigu said in the TV interview that extremists in Syria are often positioned near groups that the U.S. considers moderate.

The Nusra Front has rebranded itself and now goes under the name of Fath al-Sham, an apparent attempt to evade Russian and U.S.-led airstrikes targeting militants. Russian and U.S. analysts have dismissed the name change as window-dressing.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Iraqi Kurdish forces say they have retaken five villages east of the Islamic State-held city of Mosul in an operation launched early Sunday.

U.S.-backed Kurdish forces known as peshmerga aim to "clear several more villages" in "one of many shaping operations" that will increase pressure on the extremist group, the Kurdish region's Security Council said in a statement.

Peshmerga Brig. Gen. Dedewan Khurshid Tofiq described the operation outside Mosul as "ongoing." Rudaw, a local television network, showed footage of smoke rising from a village in the distance as armored vehicles pushed across a field.

The council's statement said the area cleared is about 20 square miles. It said the U.S.-led coalition is supporting the operation with airstrikes, one of which destroyed a car bomb.

Iraq's Health Ministry meanwhile said a fire which swept through the maternity ward of a hospital in Baghdad last week was a "crime" and not an accident, without providing further details. The blaze in the capital's Yarmouk hospital killed 13 people, according to the ministry's statement.

Also on Sunday, Iraqi President Fuad Masoum approved the death sentences of 36 men sentenced to hang over the June 2014 massacre of hundreds of military recruits based near the central city of Tikrit. The Islamic State group massacred the soldiers and buried them in mass graves during its lightning advance across Iraq that summer.

Iraqi forces have made steady progress against the extremists in recent months, and Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, is the group's last remaining urban stronghold in the country.
Starwood Expands Its Presence in Saudi Arabia with New Sheraton in Makkah

Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba Marks Starwoods Seventh Property in the Rapidly Growing Market

MAKKAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - August 15, 2016 - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced its further expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the signing of a new Sheraton in the holy city of Makkah. Owned by Altayyar Travel Group Holding Company (TDWL: ALTAYYAR AB), Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The hotel is located close to the new expansion of the mosque and will provide guests with special access and views of the holy Haram.

Makkah has been a particular focus for Starwood growth, with Sheraton being one of three brands to make its entrance into the market in the next year, said Michael Wale, President, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Europe, Africa and Middle East. The property will offer pilgrims the Sheraton brands renowned world-class service and a comfortable hospitality experience in the holy city.

Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba will feature 414 rooms and branded service apartments, all outfitted with the Sheraton brands signature amenities and services, including its premium sleep experience. The hotel will also offer four dining experiences, as well as ample meeting and events space.

Saudi Arabia remains one of our strongest growth markets in the region and we are on track to more than double our presence in the country in the next three years, Neil George, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Africa and Middle East. With the growth of religious travel into Saudi Arabia, there continues to be a strong demand for hotels within the holy city and Starwood is in an enviable position with a pipeline of more than 3,000 new rooms in addition to 1,200 existing rooms in this market.

Abdullah Aldawood, CEO of Altayyar Travel Group said, We believe the location of this hotel together with a strong brand name like Sheraton makes for a winning combination for our first branded hotel in the holy city. We are confident in Starwoods ability to provide the finest of its globally recognized services under the Sheraton brand to pilgrims.

Altayyar Travel Group has recently taken a strategic direction to integrate and expand its business into the hospitality sector, and to build a solid portfolio complementing its current business of travel-related services and e-commerce.

Aldawood added, We are committed to modernization across all of our business units to ensure sustained growth through integrating the hospitality aspect and innovation in our existing travel related businesses.

Starwood operates more than 50 hotels and resorts across the Middle East under eight of the companys ten distinct lifestyle brands, including: The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W, Le Meridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. The company is on track to operate 100 hotels in the region by 2020.

For more information, please visit: www.sheraton.com.

About Sheraton Hotels & Resorts

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, the largest and most global brand of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., makes it easy for guests to explore, relax and enjoy the possibilities of travel through smart solutions and effortless experiences at more than 440 hotels in more than 72 countries around the world. The brand is currently in the midst of implementing Sheraton 2020, a 10 point plan designed to make Sheraton the global hotel brand of choice, everywhere. Sheraton recently launched Where Actions Speak Louder, a multi-channel, multi-million dollar advertising campaign that highlights the brands ongoing enhancements to its guest experience, including new products and partnerships, and a renewed focus on service. With work well underway, the brand has already rolled out a variety of initiatives under Sheraton 2020, including Paired, a new imaginative lobby bar menu; the richest SPG promotion in the brands history; and Sheraton Grand, a new premier tier that recognizes exceptional Sheraton hotels and resorts. To learn more, visit www.sheraton.com. Stay connected to Sheraton: @sheratonhotels on Twitter and Instagram and facebook.com/Sheraton.

SOURCE Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Media Contacts:

Chandan Belani

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

Regional Director of Communications, Middle East

Tel: 9714 307 9919

Chandan.Belani@starwoodhotels.com

Talal Alhathal

Altayyar Travel Group

Head of Investor Relations

Tel: 966 11 4633667 Ext:1011

M: 966 505432999

talal.alhathal@altayyargroup.com

###

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GRAND FORKS  Internet retail giant Amazon has proposed paying more than $845,000 to terminate its lease at a city-owned building in west Grand Forks.

The Seattle-based company had been occupying about 29,000 square feet of the building at 1400 S. 48th St. in the Grand Forks Industrial Park since September 2011. But Amazon notified the city in April that it was exercising its right to terminate the lease after September 2018, according to a city staff memo published ahead of todays Grand Forks Growth Fund Committee meeting.

Amazon moved to a home-based staffing model for its Grand Forks customer service operations earlier this year.

But both the city and Amazon want to terminate the lease earlier than 2018, according to a lease termination agreement the Growth Fund Committee will consider today. That agreement stipulates that within 30 days of the early termination date of Sept. 14, Amazon will pay the city $845,279.82, which shall satisfy any and all of (Amazons) payment obligations under the lease.

The money represents advance payment of about 90 percent of the total rent that would have been paid in 24 installments, as well as payment in full of the outstanding principal balance of a fit-up loan, according to the city staff memo.

Amazons April notice also said it would work with the city to re-lease the space.

Re-lease opportunities were pursued at that time but no proposal has resulted, the memo states. City staff is continuing to seek a tenant for the space, according to the memo.

Amazon said in early March it would offer its 100-plus customer service employees in Grand Forks the option to work from home.

"It truly is basically the same role just with the flexibility of working from home," company spokeswoman Ashley Robinson said at the time.

The change is not expected to result in workforce reductions or affect Amazons seller support operations at the city-owned facility at 1550 S. 48th St., according to the city memo.
Veterinary/Animal Vaccines Market Reaching at CAGR of 5.8% to 2021

The veterinary/animal vaccines market is to reach USD 7.68 billion by 2021 at CAGR of 5.8% from 2016 to 2021 led by companion animal vaccines due to the increasing number of zoonotic diseases in the human population and the growing number of pet owners worldwide.

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The veterinary/animal vaccines market is to reach USD 7.68 billion by 2021 at CAGR of 5.8% from 2016 to 2021 led by companion animal vaccines due to the increasing number of zoonotic diseases in the human population and the growing number of pet owners worldwide.

Complete report on global veterinary/animal vaccines market across 188 pages, profiling 10 companies and supported with 144 tables and 73 figures is now available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/animalveterinary-vaccines-market-products-livestock-bovine-companion-canine-poultry-equine-diseases-rabies-distemper-foot-mouth-gumboro-avian-influenza-strangles-technology-live-market-report.html .

In this market, primary investment opportunities are in emerging and immature markets such as the Middle East, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Turkey, China, and India; these are lucrative markets for veterinary vaccines, owing to favorable government initiatives.

The report segments the veterinary/animal vaccines market on the basis of products, diseases, technologies, and region. On basis of products, the veterinary vaccines market is categorized into companion animal vaccines, livestock vaccines, poultry vaccines, porcine vaccines, equine vaccines, aquaculture vaccines, and other animal vaccines. In this market, companion animal vaccines form the fastest-growing product segment, due to the increasing number of zoonotic diseases in the human population and the growing number of pet owners worldwide.

The major animal vaccine production technologies include live attenuated vaccines, inactivated vaccines, subunit vaccines, toxoid vaccines, conjugate vaccines, recombinant vaccines, and DNA vaccines. The DNA vaccines segment is expected to account for the highest growth of the veterinary vaccines market in 2016, due to innovations in technology and increased public awareness about animal vaccination.

New and innovative product launches and collaboration were the dominant strategies adopted by companies in veterinary/animal vaccines market.

This research report focuses on qualitative data, market size, and the growth of various segments and sub segments, competitive landscape, and company profiles. The qualitative data covers various levels of industry analysis such as market dynamics (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and threats). The report also offers market sizes and data on the growth of various segments in the industry. It focuses on emerging and high-growth segments, high-growth regions, and government initiatives. The competitive landscape covers growth strategies adopted by industry players in the last three years. Company profiles comprise basic views on key players in the veterinary vaccines market and their product portfolios, developments, and strategies adopted. The above-mentioned market research data, current market size, and forecast of future trends will help key players and new entrants to make the necessary decisions regarding product offerings, geographical focus, changes in approach, R&D investments for innovations in pr

oducts and technologies, and levels of output in order to remain successful.

Key players operating in the veterinary/animal vaccines market are Zoetis Inc. (Pfizer) (U.S.), Merck Animal Health (U.S.), Merial Inc. (France), Boehringer Ingelheim (Germany), Bayer Animal Health (Germany), Elanco Animal Health (U.S.), Ceva Animal Health (France), Heska Corporation (U.S.), and Virbac Inc. (France). Request a discount on Veterinary/Animal Vaccines Market Product (Porcine, (Companion-Canine), (Livestock-Bovine), Poultry, Aquaculture), Diseases (Rabies, FMD, Swine Influenza, Strangles, Furunculous), Technology (DNA, Recombinant, Inactivated, Conjugate) - Forecast to 2021 research report available at http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount?rname=113081 .

From an insight perspective, this research report focuses on various levels of analysis--industry analysis (industry trends) and company profiles, which together comprise and discuss basic views on the competitive landscape; emerging and high-growth segments of the veterinary vaccines market; high-growth regions; and market drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

On a related note, another research on Vaccines Market Forecasts to 2021 says, the vaccines market is expected to reach USD48.03 billion by 2021 from USD 32.24 billion in 2016 at a CAGR of 8.3%. Geographically, the vaccines market is dominated by North America, followed by Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). The major factors contributing to the growth of the vaccines market include high prevalence of diseases; rising government and nongovernment funding for vaccine development, and increasing focus on immunization programs. Companies like Astellas Pharma Inc., CSL Limited, Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, plc., Johnson & Johnson, MedImmune, LLC, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Inc., Sanofi Pasteur and Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. have been profiled in this 158 pages research report available http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/vaccine-market-by-technology-types-trend-analysis-by-various-classes-live-attenuated-subunit-toxoid-conjugate-dna-recombinant-vector-synthetic-dentritic-vaccines-and-by-indications-i-market-report.html .

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RnRMarketResearch.com is your single source for all market research needs. Our database includes 500,000+ market research reports from over 100+ leading global publishers & in-depth market research studies of over 5000 micro markets.

For more information, please visit http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com

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Source: http://marketersmedia.com/veterinaryanimal-vaccines-market-reaching-at-cagr-of-5-8-to-2021/127682

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Kissimmee Man Arrested Alongside 5 Others During Cocaine Drug Bust, Drug Rehab Orlando Comments

( August 14, 2016 ) Orlando, Florida -- A Kissimmee man was arrested along with 5 others after a drug bust in Philadelphia. Authorities reported finding 511 pounds of cocaine in a Philadelphia warehouse, having a worth of $23 million. The individuals arrested were taking part in a drug ring. This ring was reported to be smuggling cocaine to the United States from both Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Jose Morales, the Kissimmee man arrested, was the only one among the other suspects from Florida. Drug Rehab Orlando asserts that these arrests ensure that the spread of drugs will be stopped or hindered with the arrest of these individuals. The arrests of those taking part in illegal drug activity will allow communities to stay free from drug use. The danger of drugs spreading throughout a region is removed with drug busts like these. In this specific situation, Pennsylvania investigators were able to effectively remove the defendants and their threat to impose drug use in their community.

An associate of Drug Rehab Orlando comments:

"The arrest of these six individuals allows the region to be safe from drug use. By removing the defendants from the community, their threat of growing drug use in this area was also removed. With the arrest of drug smugglers from the streets, the threat of drugs in the community was addressed and the promotion of abstinence from drug use will grow in the community. This also allows people of a community to feel safer from the threat of drug use."

About Drug Rehab Orlando 82801:

Drug Rehab Orlando is a treatment facility that offers treatment for alcoholism in Orlando and is a drug treatment facility in Orlando. This facility allows a client to improve their health and promotes sobriety. By providing inpatient and outpatient care, therapy, and other addiction recovery resources, a client is able to successfully reach and maintain their sobriety.

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It was around 3 a.m. Sunday when Bryan Good was alerted that his downtown Grand Forks house was on fire.

I had guys beating on the outside of the house, yelling, he said. They woke me up  yelled, Youre on fire. So I just got my family out.

The fire at 217 N. 6th St. is one of several that occurred early Sunday morning considered suspicious by Grand Forks police. The others involved debris in the alleyway in the 300 block of North Sixth Street and a Dumpster in the alleyway in the 200 block of North Sixth Street.

In a news release, police said there were no injuries were reported from any of the fires.

The fire at 217 N. Sixth St. damaged the building, but police said the extent of the damage is not known. It appeared the fire started on the backside of the house, which faces an alleyway.

Its not like the whole place is burnt up as far as I know or can tell, Good said.

The American Red Cross was on the scene of the house fire providing assistance to the family of four that lives there. A Grand Forks police officer and Fire Department official were also there around 9:30 a.m. Sunday.

Police are actively investigating the fires. Anyone with information about the fires or who witnessed anything suspicious is asked to contact police at (701) 787-8000.
Sydney's Dux College Now Accepting 2017 Enrolments

Dux College, the Sydney tutoring institution with teaching locations in Bondi Junction and Parramatta are now accepting enrolments for 2017.

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Dux College's year 12 tutoring programs prepare students for their assessments and exams throughout their final HSC year. All syllabus content is covered comprehensively, with a strong focus on exam technique, giving students the best chance at achieving a band 6 / E4 result and maximising their ATAR.

Dux College gives students the best possible start towards obtaining their HSC. They offer small class sizes of around 5 to 8 students in each of their weekly two-hour lessons. Tutors are fully accessible to parents to get updates about their child's progress. A report for each enrolled subject is also given at the end of each term detailing the student's progress.

Mr Hong Li, Founder of Dux College said, "Term 4 starts on 8th October 2016 which is the start of the HSC course for class of 2017. Enrolling early for the 2017 academic year is recommended and students can call or fill out a free trial form to secure their position." He went on to say, "Students can also enroll for the remainder of Term 3 which ends on 25th September 2016. Students do a full course revision of all HSC content and polish up exam technique and how to structure responses for different types of exam questions."

The Dux College class tutor covers theory, example questions and relevant exam techniques. Classes are highly interactive and even the shyest students participate in class discussions. Small class size also allows individual attention to be given to each student. Tutors are very aware of each individual student's progress, strengths, weaknesses and can communicate this with parents when requested.

Dux College tutors are among the top of New South Wales, are excellent at breaking down complex concepts into smaller manageable parts for students and can show how to structure exam responses to gain full marks.

To learn more about Dux College and HSC Tutoring visit the website here: http://dc.edu.au

About Dux College

Dux College is a Sydney, New South Wales, Australia based results-driven HSC tutoring institution with teaching locations in Bondi Junction and Parramatta.

The College offers HSC Chemistry Tutoring, as well as Math, Science, Physics, English, Biology and HSC Economics tutoring programs for years 9, 10, 11 and 12.

Tutoring programs follow the syllabus closely and provide a comprehensive understanding of the theory, skills and techniques to succeed in HSC. Whether to raise assessment ranks at school, or see significant improvements in exam results, Dux College can help achieve these desired outcomes.

For more information, please visit http://dc.edu.au/

Contact Info:

Name: Dux College

Organization: Dux College

Address: Ground Floor, 30 Cowper St, Parramatta, NSW Australia 2150

Phone: +61 2 8007 6824

Release ID: 127801

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Professional Grade Bikini Hard Wax Esthetician Supplies Site Launched

A new site has been launched by Milan Skincare for its newly introduced product into the US, Milan Hard Body Wax, a professional quality spa grade wax to be available only from estheticians.

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Milan Skincare has launched a new site in conjunction with its new product Milan Hard Body Wax, a professional quality wax to be available only from estheticians. For more information about Milan Hard Body Wax, visit the following website: https://www.milanskincare.com/esthetician-supplies/hard-wax/.

Milan Hard Body Wax is a new spa product on the US market, with a solid reputation for quality in spas across Europe and Asia, and is a stripless, hard wax made from predominantly beeswax, hand selected from European suppliers. As the main ingredient is pure beeswax it means that the wax has a low melting point, making it a low irritant and ideal for hair removal on those with sensitive skins. The Milan Hard Body Wax cans contain 22 percent or more wax compared to wax products by other companies, yielding 17.1 ounces per can instead of the average 14 ounces.

The recent approval by the FDA for the US market means that the European professional quality, spa-grade Milan Hard Body Wax will now be available to the local market, although the company is limiting sales only via estheticians and waxing salon professionals, listed on the website. It's Esthetician Partner Program offers a partnership with Milan Hard Body Wax, including a marketing plan and assistance with online marketing to generate leads and traffic to the partners' sites. Interested parties can sign up for the Esthetician Partner Program via the website.

Milan Hard Body Wax is ideal for all forms of hair removal from any part of the body, but is particularly suited to difficult areas such as: bikini and Brazilian waxing, leg waxing, back waxing, arm and armpit waxing, facial waxing, ear and nose waxing. It's ideally suited to anyone requiring smooth, hair free skin for weeks at a time as the hair is banished until the new growth cycle kicks in, including people in the modeling industry, bikini and swimsuit modeling, bodybuilders, cyclists, swimmers, runners, sprinters and other sportspeople.

In addition to the Esthetician Partner Program that encourages salons to stock the hard body wax product, Milan Skincare also offers an Institution Contribution Program. The program recognizes the importance and efforts of the training institutes, and aims to partner with qualified esthetic training institutions by offering them the Milan Hard Body Wax product at wholesale costs, in exchange for the training instructors and students using the product in the classrooms. Institutes can sign up via the website.

For more information, please visit https://www.milanskincare.com/esthetician-supplies/hard-wax/

Contact Info:

Name: Donald Cox

Organization: Milan Skincare



Release ID: 127810

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WiFi Digital Marketing Tool To Grow Customer Base Site Launched

WiFi Social Power has launched a new website of its service to small and local businesses, that demonstrates how its clients can take advantage of the free WiFi they provide to gain loyal customers and improve business results.

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New website, WiFi Social Power, demonstrates how its clients can utilize their free WiFi to gain loyal customers and increase business.

For more information about WiFi Social Power's services, visit the website: http://WiFisocialpower.com.

WiFi Social Power says that an overwhelming 79 percent of shoppers surveyed say they would be swayed by the availability of free WiFi, allowing that to determine where they shop. The WiFi Social Power website is dedicated to providing information about social powered WiFi services and the benefits it can bring to small and local businesses.

WiFi Social Power specializes in the set up of social powered WiFi hotspots that can generate leads instantly, helping its customers sell more products and services and expand their business as a result. More information on the new site shows in detail how this works.

The WiFi Social Power company says that businesses cannot afford to overlook the benefits of free WiFi, as almost two thirds of mobile consumers make restaurant choices based on the availability of WiFi, 80 percent of mobile consumers are influenced by in store WiFi availability and 82 percent of mobile consumers take the opportunity to use wireless Internet on a smartphone, laptop or tablet. The new site demonstrates this in more detail.

WiFi Social Power configures a WiFi service to function as an automated lead generation mechanism, so its clients can gain valuable marketing data by engaging with customers on social media and turning these customers into fans, as well as running competitions, events, promotions and special offers to its customers in real time.

Clients of WiFi Social Power benefit from: having their free WiFi configured to automated lead generation; having their own branded, customized landing page promoting their business, products and services; having the ability to connect with their own customers on social media; setting a prescribed limit of free WiFi for each customer so all users can enjoy the service; obtaining in depth analytics and reporting and using the data to build a customer profile; and providing loyalty offers each time the customer logs on.

The process is explained in detail on the new website, and WiFi Social Power also offers three pricing plans for different levels of service: starter package; small business (its most popular service); and an advanced package.

For more information, please visit http://WiFisocialpower.com

Contact Info:

Name: Roy Revill

Organization: RY Enterprises



Release ID: 125679

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McCoy's Plumbing Announces Record Growth During Previous Year

McCoy's Plumbing located in Tyler Texas has seen a record growth in business over the last year. The firm credits prompt and friendly service by skilled professionals as the reason for their expansion.

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McCoy's Plumbing and owner Cliff McCoy are pleased to announce that this past year has been one of record growth of the business. The plumbers in Tyler Texas have been offering top quality services and affordable prices to area residents since 1988. The firm is a provider of exceptional services and can guarantee all new construction workmanship. They offer a full range of plumbing and drain cleaning services. The services include repair, installation, and replacement, as well as new construction and remodeling services.

The category of plumbing services includes everything from solving leaky pipes to the installation or service of water heaters. The Smith County TX area has been the base of operations, thanks to a commitment to customer service and satisfaction. Around the clock, service is available to clients since plumbing emergencies don't always happen during normal business hours. The professionals respond quickly with the necessary tools and supplies to complete the repairs accurately.

Plumbing services are necessary for new construction, as well as remodels and re-piping. The team of professionals offers camera inspections and sewer and drain services. When repairs or installations of a water heater is required, the technicians have the skills and experience to handle the task efficiently. They also provide garbage disposal repairs and installations.

Full-service sewer and drain repair services include video pipe inspections, clogged drain repairs, sewer line solutions and drain cleaning. The professionals use modern drain cleaning and technology to ensure unbeatable service and results which can be trusted.

New construction projects include new gas or water lines, fixtures, and drains. Remodeling projects may require designs of plumbing for the remodel or addition. The professionals provide premium quality products and top tier workmanship to ensure peace of mind for customers without breaking the budget. The firm is licensed and insured for customer protection and peace of mind.

For more information, please visit http://mccoysplumbing.com

Contact Info:

Name: Cliff McCoy

Organization: McCoy's Plumbing

Address: 13085 County Rd 192 Tyler TX 75703

Phone: (903) 592-6294

Source: http://www.mccoysplumbing.com/tyler-tx-plumbing-services.html

Release ID: 127832

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Don't Be So Sensitive: Maple Holistics Releases Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin

Maple Holistics has announced the release of their new Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin. Designed to fulfill the needs of shavers with sensitive skin, the shaving cream is available for purchase now through the Maple Holistics website or at Amazon.com.

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A sigh of relief can be breathed by anyone suffering from sensitive skin and looking for an accommodating shaving cream. Maple Holistics has announced the introduction and release of their new Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin. This shaving cream is intended to solve one of the most stubborn and lamented skin problems faced by both women and men. Dry skin can be a major inconvenience and problem for men and women alike, especially when dealing with shaving. This new release from Maple Holistics is all-natural and made with ingredients that target and heal dry skin, offering a soothing and easy shaving experience. Maple Holistics Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin is available for purchase now at the Maple Holistics website as well as at Amazon.com.

Maple Holistics Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin contains no silicone or sulfate ingredients. The Shaving Cream is cruelty-free, paraben-free, made in the USA, contains no artificial colors or harmful ingredients, and is packaged in environmentally friendly, BPA-free bottles.

Maple Holistics Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin is pure, natural and unscented shaving cream and contains oatmeal, aloe and sandalwood to nourish and moisturize the skin throughout the shaving process. It is uniquely formulated without harsh foaming agents and irritating chemicals for sensitive, delicate skin to reduce the harshness of shaving and soothe the skin's surface. A number of different shaving cream brands have come under fire for being unfriendly to sensitive skin - Maple Holistics new Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin seeks to provide a sensitive skin-friendly option for consumers.

The release of Maple Holistics Natural Shaving Cream for Sensitive Skin follows the successful launches of a number of Maple Holistics all-natural personal care products. Maple Holistics shaving cream makes up one part of its multi-faceted line of natural personal care products which boast the purest and highest quality ingredients used in each product, maximizing the therapeutic potential for each specific area of health.

About the Company

Maple Holistics provides industry leading all-natural hair, body, skin, and food products. The company offers a natural, holistic range of premium products which can enhance hygiene, health and daily living. Company products are made in the USA.

For more information, please visit https://www.mapleholistics.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Nate M

Organization: Maple Holistics



Release ID: 127541

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MJ Christensen Diamonds at Boca Park to host fifth annual "Diamond Dig" to benefit Dress for Success Southern Nevada, Sept. 8

One lucky person will also have the chance to win the grand prize of a 34-inch rose gold necklace with 54 ctw white and black topaz stations valued at $2,415.

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On Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m., MJ Christensen Diamonds will once again host a

"Diamond Dig" to benefit Dress for Success Southern Nevada, the local nonprofit that empowers women to achieve economic independence.

At this much anticipated annual event that is free to the public, guests will be invited to purchase "scoops" from a sandbox, giving them the opportunity to uncover and win gemstones that correspond to great prizes, such as spa packages, a designer handbag, dining certificates and more. One lucky person

will also have the chance to win the grand prize of a 34-inch rose gold necklace with 54 ctw white and black topaz stations valued at $2,415.

WHAT: Diamond Dig benefiting Dress for Success Southern Nevada

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.

WHERE: MJ Christensen Diamonds at Boca Park, 8980 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, Nev., 89117

WHO: Admission is free to the public.

RSVP at rsvp@mjcdiamonds.com or call 702-952-2300.

With hors d'oeuvres and wine, the evening will be a fun night pairing beautiful jewelry with a great

cause. In addition, 10 percent of the proceeds from purchases made that night at the store will benefit

Dress for Success Southern Nevada. Special guests include former Dress for Success Southern Nevada

clients who will discuss how the organization changed their lives and Jennifer Lier as Marilyn Monroe.

About Dress for Success Southern Nevada

Founded in 2009, Dress for Success Southern Nevada is the local affiliate of the international non-profit that empowers women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. Dress for Success Southern Nevada has helped over 3,500 women work towards self-sufficiency in the Las Vegas valley through its various programs and provided more than 3,000 career outfits to qualifying women. In 2015, the organization suited more than 700 women in Southern Nevada, setting a record for the highest number of women assisted in a single year since the organization began. Visit www.dressforsuccesssouthernnevada.org for more information.

About MJ Christensen Diamonds

Nevada's oldest and most trusted diamond and designer jewelry retailer. MJ offers the highest quality certified diamonds, engagement rings and fine jewelry. Since 1939, MJ Christensen Diamonds are fully committed to principles of honesty, integrity, craftsmanship, excellence in guest service, and most importantly, relationship building. While we carry an unparalleled selection of exclusive designer brands and responsibly sourced diamonds, what drives us each day is a genuine love for our communities. The Consumer Research Institute has recognized MJ Christensen Diamonds as America's Top Engagement and Wedding Ring Stores. Honored with the Silver State Award for Best Jeweler 2015 and 2016, MJ continues to serve and educate their guests. Please browse the website at www.mjchristensen.com.

For more information, please visit http://mjchristensen.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Cherryl Kaopua, Faiss Foley Warren

Organization: MJ Christensen Diamonds

Address: Boca Park, 8980 W. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas, Nev., 89117

Phone: 702-952-2300.

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/mj-christensen-diamonds-at-boca-park-to-host-fifth-annual-diamond-dig-to-benefit-dress-for-success-southern-nevada-sept-8/127875

Release ID: 127875

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Robert Savage DDS Publishes New Information On The Importance Of Preventative Dentistry

Robert Savage DDS has created a new page of its website dedicated to outlining the many benefits of preventative dentistry and the need for regular check-ups.

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Dental procedures tend to scare a great many people, because they often imagine the worst excesses like root canals and teeth removals. These kind of extreme measures have seen great advances, making the more accessible and less painful than ever. But even better are the advances in preventative care. Robert Savage DDS is a committed dentist Redwood City can call their own, and he has recently published new information on his practice website about the benefits of preventative dentistry, and what can be done to avoid the most painful and taxing of procedures from ever having to be performed.

The article explains in detail how catching problems early can reduce the amount of time in the dentist's chair, the amount of pain and discomfort, and the amount of money spent on dental care by simply having regular check-ups as little as twice a year.

Their dentists Redwood City offers expert diagnostic exams, careful evaluation of digital X-rays, professional cleaning with specialized equipment, and detailed findings. This enables them to identify potential problems at the earliest possible instance, and apply conservative treatments to prevent or effectively mitigate cavities, preventing decay.

The article also gives advice to individuals on their own daily dental care regimes, the importance of these, and how they can effectively help to prevent the build-up of damaging plaque, bacteria and other problems, making the dentist's job easier and their insurance bill lower.

A spokesperson for Robert Savage DDS explained, "It has always been said that prevention is better than cure, and this is nowhere truer than it is in dentistry. Robert Savage DDS, with just two visits a year, can help people keep on top of their dental health and prevent the need for the more intense procedures. We hope our clients find this article informative and inspiring."

About Robert Savage DDS: Dr. Savage earned his doctor of dental surgery degree at Northwestern School of Dentistry and completed his prosthodontic residency at the University of California-San Francisco. After finishing his residency program he worked as an assistant clinical professor, teaching prosthodontics at UCSF while maintaining a private practice in the East Bay. Dr. Savage is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Dental Association, the American College of Prosthodontists, and the Academy of Osseointegration.

For more information, please visit http://www.redwoodcityfamilydentistry.com/

Contact Info:

Name: Dr. Robert Savage, D.D.S.

Email: info@RedwoodCityFamilyDentistry.com

Organization: Redwood City Family Dentistry

Phone: 650.367.8833

Source: http://marketersmedia.com/robert-savage-dds-publishes-new-information-on-the-importance-of-preventative-dentistry/127899

Release ID: 127899

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A former government official of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation accused of accepting bribes and kickbacks from a construction contractor has pleaded guilty to federal charges in North Dakota. Randall Phelan was an elected representative of the governing body of the Three Affiliated Tribes from the end of 2012 to the middle of 2020. Investigators say Phelan used his official position to help the contractors business by awarding contracts, fabricating bids and managing fraudulent invoices. His trial had been scheduled to begin Tuesday. Phelan and two others were originally charged with receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars from the bribery scheme on the oil-rich Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. The contractor has pleaded guilty to bribery.
HM Revenue and Customs has proposed changing the way landlords pay tax, in a bid to make the system simpler.

Its proposals would mean unincorporated property businesses would be taxed on the cash basis for trading income, rather than using the accruals accounting basis.

Since 2013 some small businesses have been able to use the cash basis for calculating their profits for tax and HMRC said it now wants to extend this.

In a consultation paper, the government department said using the cash basis would make sure tax would not be paid on profits before the cash associated with those profits has actually been received, providing landlords with more certainty over their cash flow positions.

Provisional data received from the first year of the trading income cash basis suggests that there has been a positive response, with around 1.1m small businesses opting to use the trading income cash basis, read the document.

The government is keen to build on the success and popularity of the trading income cash basis, to make it easier for individual landlords (or those in partnership with other individuals) to calculate their taxable income.

It suggested that compared to the accruals accounting basis, calculating profit for tax using the cash basis requires fewer adjustments and therefore makes it simpler to prepare.

A simpler reporting framework makes it easier for landlords to provide information and get a real-time overview of their tax affairs.

HMRC stated a significant proportion of individuals who currently complete annual tax returns operate unincorporated property businesses.

Nearly two-thirds of these businesses have just one property, with all but a small minority having five or fewer. They may be operated by individuals who do not even consider themselves as being in business, the consultation added.

At the moment, property businesses must use the same accountancy rules as most other businesses when they work out their profits.

The accruals basis recognises income earned and the expenses incurred in earning that income in a period, whether or not the amounts have actually been received or paid.

HMRC estimates more than 2.5m property businesses could benefit from having the option to use the cash basis.

According to the tax office, this move would generate an extra 25m for the exchequer, although this would arise only because of some taxes being paid earlier than they otherwise would be.
Industry stakeholders have questioned why the mortgage market is trailing behind other parts of financial services on data sharing, which could dramatically speed up transactions for brokers and their clients.

EDM Mortgage Support Services predicted it will take the UK mortgage industry two years to be sharing digital information effectively.

In May, the Queens Speech included promises to encourage switching providers under the Digital Economy Bill, with banks and building societies forced to sign up to a seven day time limit on mortgage switching, much like rules in place for bank accounts.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders took issue with these unnecessary steps, pointing out they come alongside a similar call for input from the Financial Conduct Authority, looking at mortgage market competition.

EDMs managing director Joe Pepper branded said from a competitive point of view, if all organisations can agree to share non-sensitive information and non-customer-specific data, the technology already exists today to achieve the target.

By bringing the process online and making progress on cases available to all parties, including intermediaries, it becomes a reassuring process which can help ensure brokers and clients understand where they are and secure transactions, he said.

Data sharing will happen organically as the industry moves to meet the competitive challenges of some of the current industry front runners, Mr Pepper said.

But seven-day switching will only happen with a government mandate, as it will require change to processes which currently hold up the overall service for the benefit of a few vested interests at the detriment to the wider market, he claimed.

We would need to find common ground that alleviates the operational pressure on all stakeholders. Daniel Hegarty

Henry Woodcock, principal mortgage consultant at Iress, said lenders and brokers have tried to connect the mortgage market from point of sale through to provider to reduce time, friction and costs to deliver an improved customer service experience.

There are still a number of disconnects in the intermediary mortgage market, he said.

The smart technology thats evolving will be able to connect incumbent systems and processes, removing multiple logins and data duplication, to deliver a decision in principle and submit an application without the broker having to leave their desktop CRM system, Mr Woodcock said.

The last time an industry wide initiative was mooted, to enable mortgage brokers to trade electronically with lenders, was back in 1998.

The CML planned for a single, industry-owned electronic trading platform, backed by 20 lenders. This did not progress however, as there were concerns around whether it could result in controlled access to lenders.

To date there has been no significant push from the regulator or the government to centralise onto a single connnection point between brokers with lenders. The FCA has been making steps to open the mortgage market to technology, including looking at barriers to innovation in digital and mobile solutions.

Daniel Hegarty, chief executive and founder of digital broker Habito, said it hasnt happened for a few reasons.
If you havent heard about Harlequin Property, or think its one of those esoteric investments only rogues sold and nothing to do with you, its time to think again.

Ive been banging the drum about Harlequin since January 2013, when I first revealed some self-invested personal pension providers had suspended dealings (too late), with what at that time was thought to be a 200m unregulated overseas property investment in trouble.

That estimate is now 400m, according to lawyers acting for investors. The compensation bill paid out by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for bad advice is already at 100m; a cost met by adviser levy payers.

But the FSCS only pays out up to 50,000. Many investors put a lot more than that into the Harlequin scheme, which was supposed to build luxury villas in the Caribbean properties that never materialised, even before a recent warrant was issued for chairman David Ames arrest last month.

So far advisers have borne the brunt of the criticism for mis-selling Harlequin. But it looks like the spotlight will now fall on Sipp providers.

Lawyers acting for investors are likely to argue the 2013 guidance from the FCA to Sipp providers is sufficient to build the case that the standards for enhanced due diligence related to non-mainstream investments were not met in the case of Harlequin, and others.

This has the potential to send shockwaves through the sector.

On the horizon, people who lost more than the 50,000 they claimed from the FSCS over poor advice to invest in Harlequin are building up a secondary line of claims against their Sipp providers.

No less than five well-known names have significant exposure to Harlequin. Two, Im told, do not have the requisite professional indemnity insurance to cover the likely claims.

People close to the matter are saying this could bust all of the exposed providers  causing a massive headache for any adviser with clients using those providers, whether in Harlequin or not, and 200m of claims to fall on the FSCS to be paid for the Sipp providers left standing.

This could be a serious hit, at a time when some Sipp providers are already struggling to get enough cash together to meet the incoming higher capital adequacy requirements in September, though the need for them to do that may be what saves them.

Alternatively, half a dozen Sipp providers could go to the wall  if Harlequin doesnt tip them over, the successful pursuit of them for losses related to that investment could then spill over into other costly claims about other troubled investments.

We are looking at a Keydata-like scenario - a many headed hydra - unless investors are just told tough luck, which seems unlikely.

I believe the regulator thinks it has pushed the issue under the carpet by taking action against a few advisers like Tailormade, which sold Harlequin by the bucket load.
If the past few months has taught us anything, its to expect the unexpected.

Nobody, not even Nigel Farage, truly believed VoteLeave would win, and even more of a surprise was the UKs 0.6 per cent expansion in GDP in the months leading up to the vote.

The trouble is that every twist and turn in politics has a knock-on effect on the world of finance.

We had a recent case in point, with MEPs coming out against European Commission rules aimed at protecting retail investors.

A consequence of this could be a potential delay in the implementation of the Packaged Retail and Insurance Investment Products  more commonly referred to as Priips  which aims to help retail investors better understand the complex risks associated with financial markets.

From investment product providers to life companies, fund managers and stockbrokers, Priips impacts a vast array of financial firms.

The problem is that while this MEP revolt is no doubt underpinned by good intentions, it only serves to create further uncertainty for those affected by Priips. This is unlikely to be the last political spanner thrown into the regulatory works

The industry already has enough on its plate waiting results from the ESMA Level 3 Q&A projected in September, without considering further speculation around delays.

The reality is that firms cannot wait for the Q&A results or rely on the MEPs forcing a delay, they need to start making their own assumptions on Priips based on what they know today.

Firstly, we know firms will need to provide Key Information Documents (KID) to investors. There will also be a need to treat all historical Priips as potentially in scope.

If the manufacturer is still showing the offer price on an exchange, then a KID will need to be made available. However, if there is no offer price, manufacturers will need consider if this is deemed out of scope.

There is also the small matter of Mifid II. Scheduled to be implemented in 2018, firms will need to connect a number of dots between Mifid II and Priips; the main one relating to costs.

Under Mifid II, information about all costs and charges will have to be aggregated  all in an attempt to help them deliver more transparency around ROI to the client.

Under Priips, the KID will partially capture these costs, including for entry and exit, and on-going costs relating to portfolio transactions.

Events are surely likely to create another layer of uncertainty. But this is unlikely to be the last political spanner thrown into the regulatory works.

Considering that restructuring business models to meet regulatory requirements is a tough enough task as it is, the key for firms affected is to seek out further opportunities for cross industry collaboration.

Only through further industry collaboration can firms prepare themselves for the challenges ahead  regardless of what the next political move may be.
Towards the end of July, research was published suggesting almost half (46 per cent) of over 45s see property as a key part of retirement incoming planning.

Less than a week later, a new survey surfaced claiming that 74 per cent of homeowners dont want to use their property as a means of funding their retirement.

So how do we unravel these seemingly contradictory claims? The confusion is perhaps best explained by misguided presuppositions among the researchers responsible.

The two surveys seem to imply that people approaching retirement fall into two distinct camps: those planning to use their property lock, stock and barrel for retirement income purposes; and those who plan to leave their housing equity untouched.

The reality, of course, is far more nuanced. Since the introduction of pension freedoms in April 2015, weve seen retirees taking a holistic approach to retirement income. It makes sense that property is used in retirement to supplement income from cash savings

Releasing equity from their properties yes, but coupling that with annuities as well as investments that provide a more flexible income.

Earlier this year, The Pensions Advisory Service revealed that the average pension pot size among those they receive enquiries from is around 45,000, while the average UK house price hit 215,000 in the second quarter, rising to 450,000 in London.

So it makes sense that property is used in retirement to supplement income from cash savings.

That doesnt mean the placing of all eggs in one property-shaped basket, but rather using property equity as a key piece in a larger retirement income jigsaw.

The majority of UK retirees are asset-rich, cash-poor. As such, equity release is a sensible option for those who want to make the most of their properties in retirement.

We also know the motivations for using equity release are changing all the time. Weve seen substantial increases in the proportions citing home improvements, holidays, gifting to family members, purchasing cars and helping first time buyers as reasons for doing so.

For these reasons, I believe equity release will no doubt continue its rise in popularity as it cements itself in the retirement finance mainstream.

Alice Watson is head of marketing at Retirement Advantage Equity Release
Darren Philp, director of policy and market engagement at The Peoples Pension has said the pensions dashboard will not be a panacea to engaging consumers with pensions, but it is a step in the right direction.

Speaking at a recent conference held in London he said: It will change the way we do pensions in the UK.

It will change the way we interact with our customers and if it is done right, it wont be the panacea that leads to better engagement but it will certainly help.

Mr Philp said the industry needs to take an interest because if it does not act, then the government will determine the way it looks, adding the private sector innovation that is driving this is the way forward.

He listed a number of ideal goals for the dashboard which were: that it was built for the saver, that it was not for commercial gain or profit, that it has independent, non-conflicted governance, that it was run by a quasi-governmental body and that it was funded by a fair and equitable levy.

On the same topic, Mr Philp said when it comes to pensions the industry has been too focused on disclosure and giving people all of their information, as opposed to thinking about communications from the savers perspective and talking to them in a language they understand.

Its difficult to be simple, transparent, technically correct and to meet your legal responsibilities and thats something that we are all as schemes and as providers grappling with.

Thats what we need to focus on and we need to make things simple for people. We need to be transparent but also we need to make sure we are talking in their language not of the industry but of the consumer.

Elsewhere, Mr Philp said the industry is facing a big challenge when it comes to small pots, with the Department for Work and Pensions estimating that by 2050 there will be over 50 million small stranded pots.

Thats a massive cost for the industry and we know people are moving around jobs more than ever before. I think I saw an estimate that the average person will have 11 jobs in their lifetime.

Potentially thats a lot of pensions and a lot of pension pots so we need to think about how we make it easy for the customer to get that information and for us thats the dashboard.
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Story Highlights 48% of Americans approve of Obama's handling of foreign affairs

Approval of his performance on the economy is steady, at 48%

Americans most approving of work in education, race relations

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nearly half of Americans (48%) approve of President Barack Obama's handling of foreign affairs in August, up markedly from 39% in February. The latest rating is the highest since November 2012 (49%), just days before Obama was re-elected.

With just five months left in Obama's presidency, Americans are as likely to approve (48%) as to disapprove (48%) of his performance on foreign affairs. Obama's second-term approval ratings on the issue have been fairly weak, averaging 39% as the administration has struggled to deal with a number of international challenges such as the rise of the Islamic State group, tense relations with Russia and the conflict in Syria. Obama averaged a higher 50% approval rating on foreign affairs during his first term. His second-term average on foreign affairs is among the lowest Gallup has measured for presidents since Ronald Reagan. Only George W. Bush had a lower rating on foreign affairs in a presidential term, at 38%.

Obama's latest foreign affairs rating was recorded in an Aug. 3-7 Gallup poll, after he rebuffed allegations that his administration paid Iran $400 million in cash in exchange for hostages. More recently, the Republican nominee for president alleged that Obama is the founder of the Islamic State.

Obama's Approval Rating on the Economy at Seven-Year High

Americans' approval of Obama's handling of foreign affairs now matches his 48% approval on the economy, which has been steadily climbing over the past year. The recent low of 33% came just before the 2014 midterm elections that saw Obama's own party lose control of the Senate. But this figure has since steadily improved so that his rating is now at a seven-year high.

Obama's second-term average approval rating on the economy (40%) is about the same as his first-term average of 41% -- as well as the second-term average for President George W. Bush (41%).

These are historically low ratings, with George H.W. Bush (35%) being the only president to have scored a lower average on this issue over the past nine presidential terms.

Approval Up on President's Handling of Most Issues

Americans have been more approving of Obama's overall job performance than his handling of specific issues, as has been the case for most presidents since Reagan. Obama's overall approval rating of 52% in this August's poll is at least one percentage point higher than his rating for any of the seven issues Gallup asked about.

Of the seven issues included in the current poll, Obama rates best on education and race relations, both at 51%. However, Gallup has found withering hopefulness among Americans on the latter issue. His 48% ratings on the economy and foreign affairs are not far behind, while his approval on terrorism (45%) and immigration (44%) lag a bit further. He fares worst on gun policy, with 37% approval.

Since August 2015, Obama's approval ratings on most issues have improved, nearly matching the five-point increase in his overall job approval between the two polls.

Though Obama's approval rating on gun policy was not measured last year, his rating has not improved from two polls conducted in 2013, when he received 40% and 42% approval.

Ratings of Obama's Handling of Issues, August 2015 vs. August 2016 % Approve August 2015 August 2016 % % Overall job approval 47 52 Education 44 51 Race relations 46 51 Foreign affairs 39 48 The economy 41 48 Terrorism 41 45 Immigration 36 44 Gun policy -- 37 Gallup

Bottom Line

As Obama's presidency nears its end and his overall job approval rating remains above the majority level, Americans' views of his handling of a variety of issues are improving as well. Americans' higher ratings of his performance on key issues reflect neither personal nor historical highs, but they do compare favorably with his ratings on these issues over the past seven-and-a-half years. His approval ratings on the economy and foreign affairs currently rank above the best since his first term.

His presidency is not yet over, however, and Obama's performance on these issues is a constant talking point for both presidential nominees -- one who seeks to tie her record to his, and another who ridicules Obama's performance on most issues. Regardless of who succeeds him, Obama's ratings as he departs from the White House will serve as a benchmark for the next president.

Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics.

Survey Methods

Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Aug. 3-7, 2016, with a random sample of 1,032 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All reported margins of sampling error include computed design effects for weighting.

Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 60% cellphone respondents and 40% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellular telephone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods.

View complete question responses and trends.

Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works.
'Dance Moms' 2016 News & Update: Fans Still Fighting Over Chloe Lukasiak and Maddie Ziegler

It's no secret that Chloe Lukasiak and Maddie Ziegler are each other's biggest rivals in "Dance Moms." Although it's just a healthy competition for the two young dancers, it appears that "Dance Moms" terror dance teacher Abby Lee Miller and the fans are taking it way too seriously.

READ: Chloe Lukasiak 2016 News & Update: 'Dance Moms' Alum Still Friends With Maddie Ziegler?

In the previous Game N Guide article, "Dance Moms" fans are expressing their love and support for their favorite dancer, but at the same time bashing the other one. Clearly, the Chloe Lukasiak and Maddie Ziegler "who's better" dilemma is still far from over.

A Maddie Ziegler fan suggests that Chloe Lukasiak has maintained her relevance only because she's always pitted against Maddie Ziegler. "Maddie really doesn't care or worried about what Chloe is doing but it seems like those behind Chloe are more concern with what Maddie got going on," the "Dance Moms" fan said. "It's rare if not never would you see Maddie talk about Chloe in interviews that she does but can't say the same for Chloe."

READ: 'Dance Moms' Season 7 Air Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Is Jojo Siwa Still a Part of Show And ALDC?

A Chloe Lukasiak fan quickly fought back by pointing out that Chloe Lukasiak was actually the first one who wanted to write a book and not Maddie Ziegler. "Maddie writing a book is not going to be taken seriously since she's basically a 3rd grade drop out. Never has she ever claimed to be a reader or writer. Thats Chloe lol," the "Dance Moms" fan shared. "This is just some plot to beat Chloe who announced last year she was writing a book. But Chloe will actually pen hers."

READ: Mackenzie Ziegler 2016 News & Update: 'Dance Moms' Alum Dating Nickelodeon Star?

Do you think "Dance Moms" fans and Chloe Lukasiak and Maddie Ziegler fans are taking things too personal? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
Dance Moms Season 7 Air Date, Spoilers, News & Update: Nia Sioux To Exit The Show After Maddie Ziegler? JoJo Siwa Stays?

While "Dance Moms" season 6 lost Maddie Ziegler, there are rumors that Nia Sioux will not appear in season 7. While this could be devastating news, another fan-favorite JoJo Siwa is also rumored to leave "Dance Moms" season 7 right after Sioux.

Nia Sioux To Leave 'Dance Moms' Season 7

After Maddie Ziegler's dramatic exit, a recent interview confirms that another dancer will not appear in "Dance Moms" season 7. An interview with OK! Magazine seemed to confirm that Nia Sioux will not perform next season.

Sioux shared that she received a lot of offers and projects outside "Dance Moms" season 7. "I have a lot right now that's in the works, a lot of doors that are opening and I just want to take advantage of all the opportunities," she was quoted saying.

While her words don't exactly confirm her exit from "Dance Moms" season 7, she heavily hinted otherwise. It appears that most of the original cast will no longer be seen in "Dance Moms" season 7. In fact, Bustle mentioned that the new cast members will be the center stage next season.

JoJo Siwa Stays For 'Dance Moms' Season 7

Meanwhile, an exclusive interview with Enstars revealed JoJo Siwa's future plans for the show. Siwa said that she already performed some requirements needed to be included in "Dance Moms" season 7. It seems that Siwa won't follow the Ziegler's sisters and leave the show.

The rumors of JoJo Siwa leaving the show started when Abby Lee Miller posted a photo of Siwa on Instagram with a caption that seemed to suggest that it's going to be Siwa's last season. Turns out, the phrase "last season" was just taken out of context.

While "Dance Mom" season 7 looks promising, without the Ziegler sisters, Chloe Luasiak and Nia Sioux, will the show survive? Sound off in the comments below. Check out OK! Magazine's interview with Nia Sioux below.
During the long debate we've had in Corvallis over how best to deal with homelessness, we've somehow managed to lose sight of a couple of blunt facts:

Here's one: This community needs to offer shelter to homeless people during weather conditions that present a threat to their safety and lives.

Here's another one: Winter weather is just a few months away in Corvallis. And, as of this writing, the community cannot say for certain if we will have such shelter available when the weather changes.

Which is why Corvallis Mayor Biff Traber and Benton County Commissioner Anne Schuster, the two local officials who oversee the work of the local Housing Opportunities Actions Council, are searching for possible new locations for an inclement weather shelter that could be ready for operation this season. (The Housing Opportunities Action Council includes about 20 agencies and organizations and coordinates efforts to ease homelessness in Benton County.)

The idea on the table now, Traber and Schuster said last week in an interview with the Gazette-Times, is that the inclement shelter only would be open during weather conditions that were hazardous; it might, for example, only be open when temperatures were projected to fall into the mid-30s, but details need to be worked out. (A homeless shelter in Lebanon runs under roughly the same conditions.)

Now, of course, we already have a cold weather shelter for men on Fourth Street in downtown Corvallis that's open nightly from Nov. 1 to the end of March. But that shelter, run by Corvallis Housing First, has generated considerable controversy and is the target of a lawsuit filed by Charles Ringo, a downtown business owner.

Housing First has signaled its desire to focus more on permanent housing solutions, such as its successful Partners Place apartment complex, but it wants to be sure that some sort of shelter is in place. Meanwhile, another community organization, Community Outreach Inc., has signaled its willingness to expand the services it offers to the homeless, but Traber said the organization is not interested in operating out of the Fourth Street location.

If everything falls apart, Traber and Schuster said, some sort of cold-weather shelter will open in the Fourth Street location this winter. But the two officials are hoping to find another location in which to open an inclement-weather shelter  and they are keenly aware that time is running short.

By Traber's rough calculations, a space of about 1,000 square feet likely would do the job, although more space would be an added bonus, and could allow room to offer additional services to the shelter's clientele.

So this becomes the urgent question Traber is asking: "If anyone has space just sitting empty from November to April, would they work with us?"

If you think you might have the answer to that question, Traber wants to hear from you  and the mayor promises that the city will help work on issues with feasibility, permits, codes and the like. It could be, he said, that someone might propose a location that's unsuitable for whatever reason, and the city can help make that determination as well.

Meanwhile, Traber and Schuster say they see some hopeful signs: The Housing Opportunities Action Council is starting to get its legs under it, they say. Traber says Community Outreach and Corvallis Housing First, which have occasionally been at odds in the past, are talking to each other. That's all good.

But as this community works to untangle the complexities that go with homelessness, we need to first answer a basic question: When the rain falls and the winds howl, where can the neediest among us seek shelter? Until we can answer that, everything else needs to be on hold.
Article

Protecting the worlds oceans  an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy

The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs.
Xiaomi, Foxconn to set up two more units in India News oi -GizBot Bureau

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Friday said it is looking to set up two more manufacturing facilities in India through its Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group.

Manu Jain, Xiaomi's India Chief, said they are in talks with various state governments for finalising the land and other issues for the plants. In August last year, Xiaomi, together with Foxconn, started assembling phones locally in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

SEE ALSO: Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Dual Curved Edge Screen Leaks: This is How the Phone Might Look Like [PICS]

"We have not finalised the locations for the facility yet. We are talking to multiple governments to see where we should be setting up (the plants). The factories are owned and operated by Foxconn, but dedicatedly (make production) for us. It is not a joint venture.

We have some sort of financial arrangement between us," Jain said. Jain said the company may also launch air purifiers in India before the beginning of winter season. "We think that it is a category which is about to take off.

We are trying to bring that this year. The perfect time to launch is before winter, because that is when fog combines with smoke and becomes smog," he said. Xiaomi, which presently registers 90 per cent of its sales from online channel in India, is planning to double offline presence over the next few months.

SEE ALSO: 6 Myths Related to Smartphone Usage AT NIGHT Debunked

Xiaomi recently launched Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime in the country priced at Rs 6,999 and Rs 8,999, respectively. The phones will be initially available at Mi.com and Flipkart. The handset maker sells over one million phones a quarter in the country.

Source PTI

Best Mobiles in India

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Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIL in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 14, 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 five strikes in Syria:

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed eight ISIL oil tankers and two ISIL oil fields.

-- Near Manbij, a strike destroyed an ISIL front-end loader.

-- Near Mara, two strikes damaged three ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Rocket artillery and bomber and fighter aircraft conducted six strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL headquarters and a large ISIL tactical unit and destroyed eight ISIL fighting positions, four ISIL assembly areas, three ISIL command and control nodes, an ISIL-used observation post, an ISIL rocket rail, an ISIL vehicle, an ISIL vehicle-borne bomb and an ISIL supply cache.

-- Near Ramadi, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two separate ISIL fighting positions and three ISIL vehicles.

-- Sultan Abdallah, two strikes destroyed seven ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position, suppressed two ISIL mortar positions and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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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Taliban attacks kill nearly a dozen Afghan police officers

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 3:31PM

Nearly a dozen Afghan police officers have been killed and several others injured in a series of attacks by the Taliban militants in the country's troubled north and east, local security officials say.

In the first incident, at least two police officers were killed and nine others were wounded in a militant attack on a district police headquarters in the eastern province of Nuristan during the early hours of Sunday, said General Akramudin Sareh, the provincial police chief. The general said about a dozen militants were also killed in the battle in Waygul district as "Afghan security forces repelled a huge attack."

The provincial police chief also confirmed that sporadic gun battles are ongoing across Nuristan, which is a remote, mountainous and largely impassable region bordering Pakistan.

Separately, nine policemen lost their lives when Taliban militants launched a series of attacks on checkpoints in the northern province of Baghlan on Saturday night.

General Noor Habib Gulbahari, the Baghlan police chief, confirmed that the militants attacked three police checkpoints in Baghlan-e-Markazi district. Gulbahari said five militants were killed and three wounded in the ensuing gun battles.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, has claimed responsibility for the deadly raids against the Afghan security forces.

Taliban militants frequently attack police checkpoints to seize vehicles, weapons and ammunition. The militants have stepped up assaults in various regions of Afghanistan in recent months.

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Boko Haram releases new video of kidnapped girls

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:17PM

The Takfiri Boko Haram militants have released a new video purportedly showing some of the girls who they kidnapped from the Nigerian town of Chibok in 2014.

In the footage released on Sunday, one of the militants claims that some of the girls are still alive, and the others were killed in airstrikes by the Nigerian air force on the Boko Haram compound.

"They should know that their children are still in our hands," said a Boko Haram militant who appeared before rows of the schoolgirls in the 11-minute video, adding, "Some of them have died as a result of aerial bombardment."

"There is a number of the girls, about 40 of them, that have been married," the man said.

The militant whose face was covered by a turban in the video also called for the release of his comrades in exchange for the freedom of the girls.

The militants abducted 276 girls from their secondary school in the northeastern town in April 2014. Fifty-seven of the girls managed to escape, but nearly 220 others are still missing and international efforts to spot and rescue them have so far failed.

Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's leader, had earlier said he would "marry them off" or sell them as "slaves."

The Takfiri terrorist group has killed and kidnapped a large number of civilians, including women, over the past few years.

It was the third such video released by the militants since the kidnapping took place.

Last year, Amnesty International said at least 2,000 women and girls had been kidnapped by Boko Haram in Nigeria since the beginning of 2014, and many of them had been forced into sexual slavery or combat.

An estimated 20,000 people have been killed and more than two million others made homeless since the beginning of the bloody Boko Haram militancy in Nigeria in 2009.

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2 civilians, soldier killed in South Sudan clashes

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 8:46AM

Three people have died in clashes between government forces and militants backing the opposition in South Sudan.

Steven Lodu Onseimo, the information minister for Yei region, where the Saturday clashes took place, said the deceased included two civilians and a soldier.

Witnesses had reported heavy gunfire around Yei, which lies on a road linking the capital, Juba, with neighboring Uganda.

The road passing Yei is a main thoroughfare for refugees fleeing the country to Uganda.

The government and opposition each blamed the other side for instigating the violence.

Onseimo, the information minister of Yei, said the opposition forces "ambushed" a government convoy.

However, opposition spokesman James Gatdet claimed, "Our forces have managed to close the Juba-Yei road. Our forces destroyed the government's convoy that attacked our forces in the area."

Meanwhile, the United Nations Security Council, on Friday, authorized the deployment of a 4,000-strong protection force to support the existing 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission to South Sudan following an escalation of violence there in July.

The UNSC also authorized its forces to exert "all necessary means" to protect the UN personnel and installations there.

The Juba government, run by President Salva Kiir, is opposed to an increased number of UN peacekeepers in the county, describing it as a UN bid to take over South Sudan.

Regional states, however, have backed sending extra UN troops to South Sudan in a bid to quell the conflict and prevent further escalation and a spillover of violence.

More than two million South Sudanese have been displaced by more than two years of conflict, and many have fled to nearby states.

South Sudan plunged into conflict in 2013 after deadly disputes arose between President Kiir and his former deputy and current rebel leader, Riek Machar.

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Bahrainis hold demonstration in solidarity with Sheikh Qassim

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 5:39AM

Bahraini people have staged another mass rally to express their support for distinguished Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, who recently had his citizenship removed by the regime in Manama.

On Sunday morning, protesters took to the streets close to the residence of the 79-year-old cleric, who is the spiritual leader of Bahrain's main opposition bloc al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, in the northwestern village of Diraz.

They carried national Bahraini flags and the portraits of Sheikh Qassim, chanting slogans in condemnation of the ruling Al Khalifah dynasty.

Similar demonstrations were held in the al-Bilad al-Qadeem suburb of Manama, Sitra Island, south of the capital, as well as the Sar residential area west of Manama late on Saturday.

Clashes erupted between Bahraini protesters and regime forces in Sitra, though there were no immediate reports of casualties and detentions.

Later on Sunday, Bahraini demonstrators are scheduled to hold another rally in support of Sheikh Qassim at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) on Sunday in Diraz, situated about 12 kilometers (7 miles) west of the capital, Manama.

Last month, the public prosecutor in Bahrain said a cleric will go on trial in August on charges of "illegal fund collections and money laundering," without providing an exact date.

The head of public prosecution, Ahmed al-Dosari, did not provide the name of the defendant, but a source familiar with the case said the cleric was Sheikh Qassim. The distinguished religious figure has vehemently dismissed the charges leveled against him.

However, reports on Sunday said the public prosecutor had postponed the hearing to September 15.

Bahraini authorities stripped Sheikh Qassim of his nationality in late June. They later dissolved al-Wefaq as well as the Islamic Enlightenment Institution, founded by Sheikh Qassim, besides the opposition al-Risala Islamic Association.

Anti-regime protesters have staged numerous demonstrations in Bahrain on an almost daily basis since February 14, 2011, calling on the Al Khalifah regime to relinquish power.

Troops from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates  themselves repressive Arab regimes  were deployed to the country in March that year to assist the Manama government in its crackdown on peaceful and pro-democracy rallies.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of others injured or arrested in Manama's crackdown on the anti-regime activists.

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Suspected Shi'ite Insurgent Group On Trial In Azerbaijan

August 14, 2016

by Liz Fuller

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.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/caucasus- report-azerbaijan-shiite-trial-link- extremism-to-opposition/27920594.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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Pentagon 'Sinking' Millions of Dollars Into Spies-for-Hire to Work in Syria

Sputnik News

17:28 14.08.2016(updated 17:59 14.08.2016)

It appears that Pentagon has publicly acknowledged that private intelligence contractors are now battling on the ground in Syria along with the US troops, providing "intelligence analysis services"; a fact noticed by the US-based news website The Daily Beast.

The website noticed "an eye-catching" announcement on the official website of the US Department of Defense.

Every day at 5 pm the Pentagon releases a list of that day's contracts worth more than $7 million.

The list of announcements for July 27 under the Release No: CR-143-16 has only two contracts in the Army section, one of which says that "Six3 Intelligence Solutions Inc., McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $ 9,578,964 modification (P00001) to contract W564KV-16-C-0058 for intelligence analysis services."

What is even more notable, "[The] work will be performed in Germany, Italy, and Syria, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2017. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $6,370,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Kaiserslautern, Germany APO AE, is the contracting activity."

Six3 Intelligence Solutions is a private intelligence company recently acquired by CACI International.

The company provides strategic solutions to the United States government agencies in the intelligence, defense, and civilian communities.

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 Department's 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 University's 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.

However Andrei Frolov, from the Russian Center of Strategies and Technologies, says it could be just "bureaucratic tricks."

"Starting with the war in Afghanistan (from 2001), Pentagon and CIA has been more often shifting the responsibilities on people affiliated with these structures but at the same time not employed with the law-enforcement agencies," he told Russian news website Svobodnaya Pressa.

This is just bureaucratic sleight of hand: while the number of employees within the agency is reduced, the employees are simply transferred to another company and continue being paid under other schemes.

Secondly, he notes, the attraction of private contractors does not bear any political risks: one can always claim that the contractors have voluntarily undertaken such a risky job.

Thirdly, the employees recruited for the announced "intelligence analysis services" are doing nothing serious but perform some minor job, relieving it from the actual employees.

So far, there has been no mention of private contractors going inside Syria with US troops, but military contracting and special operations experts said it is safe to assume that Six3 isn't the first, The Daily Beast finally states.

 Sputnik

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Yemeni Army Expels Al-Qaeda Extremists From Capital of Abyan Governorate

Sputnik News

16:18 14.08.2016

Yemeni government's forces carried out intensive fights against radicals from al-Qaeda group and liberated Zinjibar town, the capital of Abyan Southern Governorate, according to local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Yemeni government forces liberated Zinjibar town, the capital of Abyan Southern Governorate, from al-Qaeda militants, local media reported on Sunday.

According to Sky News Arabia, government's forces carried out intensive fights against radicals from al-Qaeda group, outlawed in Russia and numerous countries, and prompted them to retreat. The operation was backed by Air Forces of the Arab coalition headed by Saudi Arabia.

Zinjibar was under al-Qaeda's control twice since the military conflict in Yemen began. In May 2016, the Yemeni forces managed to free the town from militants, but terrorists managed to regain control.

Since 2014, Yemen has been engulfed in a military conflict between the government forces and the Houthis, which is the country's 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.

 Sputnik

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Afghan Officials See Foreign Fighters Playing Key Role in Helmand Fighting

By Noor Zahid August 14, 2016

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 VOA's 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 group's 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.

Afghanistan's 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.

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New 'Proof of Life' Video Shows Dozens of Kidnapped Chibok Girls

By Chika Oduah August 14, 2016

Nigeria's government says it is reaching out to Boko Haram after a new video surfaced online Sunday showing as many as 50 of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped in 2014. The militant group says several girls have died, and they are demanding a prisoner swap for the rest.

The 11-minute video, posted on YouTube early Sunday, shows a masked man wearing military camouflage with dozens of weary-looking young women wearing headscarves, sitting and standing behind him.

In Hausa, the man in the video calls for the Nigerian government to "release the people that they are holding in Abuja, Lagos and Maiduguri."

It is a demand that Boko Haram has made before; activists say for the sake of the Chibok girls it is time for the Nigerian government to negotiate.

The man in the video holds up a microphone to one of the young women to ask where she is from.

VOA spoke to the girl's mother, Esther Yakubu, who through tears said this is her daughter, Dorcas, though in the video the girl answers with another name given to her by her captors. Dorcas was 15 years old in April 2014 when she was taken with nearly 300 other girls from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria.

Dorcas echoes Boko Haram's demand to release its members in exchange for her freedom and that of her fellow abductees.

Olatunji Olanrewaju, one of the leaders in the Bring Back Our Girls group, which started in the Nigerian capital of Abuja before spreading around the world via social media, called the video "blackmail," but says it also creates a moment for dialogue.

"The fact that they are still alive means that we should open a channel of negotiation with them," Olanrewaju told VOA. "If we get the girls out of the way, maybe the government can go all out after them. We are not opposed to negotiations because we're seeing negotiations all over the world."

About 218 of the 276 girls kidnapped from a remote school in northeastern Nigeria remain missing despite more than two years of efforts by the Nigerian government to find them, and worldwide outrage at their abduction.

Through last year, the Nigerian military announced the rescue of hundreds of people who had been kidnapped by Boko Haram, but despite occasional reports to the contrary, the Chibok girls were not among them. For the parents of the missing Chibok girls, this video brings mixed emotions of sadness and relief that some of the girls are still alive.

But the video ends with graphic images of bloody corpses. The man says these bodies are Chibok girls who were killed by Nigerian airstrikes.

Nigerian human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe is based in Washington, where he has been lobbying U.S lawmakers to not forget the Chibok girls.

"The bigger question is Boko Haram has again showed a proof of life video, why is not the government negotiating? I think that the group that can show a proof of life video is the group that should be talked to. That is what proof of life videos are supposed to be."

Nigerian presidential spokesman Femi Adesina confirmed to VOA Sunday the government has seen the video and has reached out to Boko Haram, but said officials are being cautious.

President Muhammadu Buhari has previously said he is open talking to Boko Haram through a credible Boko Haram leader.

The video was the latest released by embattled Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who has denied claims he has been replaced as the leader of the extremist group. Boko Haram is in the middle of a leadership crisis, which erupted in public last week after Islamic State announced Abu Musab al-Barnawi replaced Shekau.

In the past few days, the two men have posted strong statements condemning each other.

How this power struggle affects the possibility of negotiations may be just one of many challenges to bringing the Chibok girls home.

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PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Singing River Health System leaders on Monday presented their proposed 2017 budget to the Jackson County Board of Supervisors.

While the hospital is operating on a reasonably good level at this moment, it still has a long way to go, according to SRHS Chief Executive Officer Kevin Holland.

Holland outlined issues SRHS continues to face such as declining revenue, shrinking patient volume, lack of government funding and Mississippi's lack of expansion of Medicaid.

"These challenges are not unique to us," Holland said. "These are all healthcare systems in 2017. The environment we are operating in continues to be very challenging, along with the fact that the state did not expand Medicaid. which means we still have a very large number of uninsured patients in our community."

Jackson County, according to Holland, has the fourth highest level of uninsured patients in the state of Mississippi. Because of the lack of insured patients, reimbursements from different payer sources continue to decline. This makes things tough for all healthcare systems in 2017, Holland said.

Chief Operating Officer Lee Bond presented the logistics of the 2017 budget, saying the goals for 2017 are to reduce the operating expenses by $25 million, address the reductions in staff, retention and recruitment, and to renegotiate contracts for better terms, along with providing quality care to patients.

The hospital lost $34 million in 2014 and barely broke even in 2015. This year, according to Bond, the goal is to be just over $5 million.

With the proposed budget for 2017, Bond called it the "rebuilding year" and says the best days of Singing River are ahead of it he hoped.

With new board members, Bond cited issues from the previous administration that landed the hospital in the proverbial hole it found itself in. A "man-made Katrina," as Bond called it, caused an $88 million accounting issue due to a lack of funding toward the retirees' pension fund. Infrastructure also was an issue costing the hospital capital.

The 2017 budget highlights a net one percent increase on total patient revenue. By 2021, there is an expected 15 percent reduction in that area.

Chief Financial Officer Brian Argo presented the major portions of the proposed budget, specifically revenue.

Increase in retail pharmacy contracts with regional pharmacies in other communities provide medications, which was discussed in the budget. According to Argo, those funds were cut by $1.2 million.

Another item that saw a reduction in funds dealt with ambulatory surgery centers - that reduction is estimated at $355,000 of revenue. The total change in projected revenue is $2 million increase.

Budget salary costs are expected to be about $6.3 million more, much of which is which is tied to increasing new services in cancer treatment.

Board President Melton Harris brought up the lack of raises for hospital employees over the last four years. Harris asked for a comparison as to how SRHS is doing compared to other systems in southeastern region.

"There is a national labor shortage of nurses nationwide," Holland said. "The supply of nurses in the economy tends to ebb and flow over time and it has hit our area as well, but when you look at the challenges we have had over the last two years, coupled with the fact we haven't given raises due to our financial challenges, we're in a more difficult position today than we have been in a long time. Every percent increase we enhance our wages is about a $1.3 million increase on our operating budget."

The next item of importance not only to the hospital, but to the community is the pension due to hospital retirees. Holland vowed the hospital would hold up its end of the bargain to the retirees.

"We've worked hard to come up with a plan we believe will allow us to sustain our mission in the community and also fund the pension plan as best we possibly can," Holland said.

"We've made a strong commitment over a 30-year period to fund the plan and it is our intent to fund our obligation with the recent settlement agreement announced in court. We're going to work diligently to keep our end of the agreement held up and that is our intent."
Protesters Demand Philippines President Not Honor Marcos with State Burial

By VOA News August 14, 2016

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.

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Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL in Iraq, Syria

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 15, 2016  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Syria:

-- Near Albu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIL oil wellhead and ISIL-used oil equipment.

-- Near Ayn Isa, two strikes struck an ISIL staging area and an ISIL weapons storage facility.

-- Near Mara, two strikes destroyed an ISIL fighting position and damaged four separate ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Tal Abyad, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed four ISIL vehicles.

Strikes in Iraq

Fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted seven strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government:

-- Near Mosul, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL improvised explosive device assembly area; destroyed an ISIL vehicle, six ISIL assembly areas, two ISIL command and control nodes and one ISIL vehicle bomb; suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position; and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Qayyarah, two strikes struck a large ISIL tactical unit; destroyed two ISIL vehicles, five ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL mortar system, an ISIL rocket rail, four ISIL rocket systems, three ISIL assembly areas, an ISIL command-and-control node and an ISIL heavy machine gun; disabled an ISIL vehicle bomb; and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, a strike destroyed an ISIL headquarters.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

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Estonia Mulls Russian Proposal to Discuss Air Security Issues

Sputnik News

02:51 15.08.2016

Estonian Defense Ministry has not yet worked out its position regarding the Russian invitation to discuss air security issues, Deputy Head of the Estonian Defense Ministry's Strategic Communications Department, Artur Jugaste said Sunday.

TALLINN (Sputnik)  On August 1, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said that the Russian Defense Ministry is ready for military consultations with all neighboring countries to avoid incidents on sea and air. He noted readiness to conduct joint incident prevention work on the basis of bilateral agreements, as well as consultations with the defense ministries of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Sweden and Finland to address mutual concerns related to military activities in the border areas.

"Estonia has not yet established its position on this issue. We have received the proposal. We are now conducting a thorough analysis. Undoubtedly, we will conduct the negotiations with our NATO allies, as well as with Finland and Sweden. That is, [to find out] how they refer to the subject. After that, we will formulate our position and will give our response to Russia," Jugaste told the Estonian public broadcaster (ERR).

On August 4, Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas said his country will not negotiate with Russia on cooperation in the defense field, as it should discuss such an issue with its allies,

In July, Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto's proposal to develop aviation security measures in the Baltic region.

 Sputnik

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Officials: No Evidence of IS Presence in Southern Afghanistan

By Ayaz Gul August 15, 2016

Local officials and foreign military commanders in Afghanistan have played down concerns Islamic State is expanding activities beyond its traditional strongholds in the east.

They insist the recent killing of the local leader of IS in an American drone strike and gains by Afghan forces against the Syrian-based terrorist group have cornered the militants in parts of eastern Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, which border Pakistan.

The nearly 2,600-kilometer porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is blamed for militant and other illegal movements on both sides. Pakistani officials have lately intensified efforts to build new monitoring structures along the frontier but insist it is humanly not possible to plug the entire rugged mountainous boundary.

IS launched its regional operations from the remote district of Achin in Nangarhar in early 2015 before expanding to surrounding districts. It appointed a local militant commander, Hafiz Saeed Khan, as the chief of its so-called Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K) province, consisting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran.

But residents and politicians in southern Zabul province, which also borders Pakistan, have lately reported the presence of IS in two volatile districts, Khak-e-Afghan and Deh Chopan.

According to Atta Mohammad Haqbayan, the director of the provincial council, IS has established recruitment and training camps. He insisted the attention of the Afghan government has been drawn to the emerging threat, but no action has been taken so far to evict the militants.

However, the spokesman for the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, would not confirm the presence of IS in Zabul.

"We have not seen evidence of an IS-K presence in Zabul and believe IS-K is still primarily in two districts of southern Nangarhar, with a very small presence in Kunar," Cleveland told VOA.

Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal, agreed and told VOA that "Daesh only concentrated on Nangarhar." He used an Arabic acronym for IS.

Khan killed

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed last week that IS chief Khan, a former Pakistan Taliban leader, was killed in a July 26 drone strike against his hideout in Nangarhar's Achin district, the main IS base in the country. Local officials said 30 other militants were also killed in the drone strike.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, recently revealed that IS' Afghan branch has direct links with the main group in Syria and Iraq.

IS established bases in Achin to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing the militants with a continuous supply of fighters, according to the Pentagon.

"They certainly [were] given a major blow both by [the] elimination of their leaders and also the loss of a big number of their fighters, as well as territory," asserted Ambassador Zakhilwal when asked about the possible impact of Khan's death on the terrorist group.

U.S. military officials believe that 70 percent of the militants in IS ranks come from the extremist Pakistani Taliban who fled to Afghanistan two years ago when the Pakistan military launched a counterterrorism offensive against Taliban strongholds in the tribal districts near the Afghan border.

Afghan authorities allege IS fighters receive fighters and weapons from across the Pakistani border.

Porous border

The National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar warned Monday that the Middle Eastern group would be able to expand and prolong terrorist activities in the region if it manages to find sanctuaries in Pakistan.

His spokesman Tawab Ghorzang confirmed to VOA Atmar's reported remarks in which the advisor also claimed the killing of around a dozen IS leaders in counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, including Khan.

Initially, the U.S. military estimated the number of IS fighters in Afghanistan at around 3,000 and they were active in six to eight districts in Nangarhar.

But intensification of U.S. drone strikes and operations by Afghan forces since the beginning of this year have killed hundreds of IS fighters, significantly reduced their number and confined them to remote parts of two districts, including Achin.

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At Least 20 Killed When Saudi-led Airstrike Hits MSF Hospital in Northern Yemen

By Edward Yeranian August 15, 2016

In Yemen, an airstrike has hit a hospital run by the French medical charity Doctors Without Borders. A Yemeni official says more than 20 people were killed in the strike which he said was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

Amateur video shown by pro-Houthi Yemeni media showed part of the rudimentary two-story Abs Hospital complex on fire and a number of bodies lying in the courtyard of the facility.

Hilal Soufi, deputy governor of Hajjah province, said human remains were strewn around the facility. He said it was the only working hospital in the area and that it served four or five other adjacent regions.

Doctors Without Borders indicated on its website that the airstrike took place Monday, noting that MSF has supported the Abs Hospital since July 2015.

A witness told the Reuters news agency that it was difficult for medics to evacuate the wounded from the hospital since Saudi-coalition warplanes were still flying overhead.

Saudi-coalition officials have not yet commented. Other Saudi-coalition airstrikes were reported in northern Yemen overnight.

The coalition began its air campaign in March 2015 in support of Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, whose government had been driven from the capital by Houthi rebels.

Rights groups have blamed both sides in the conflict of abuses.

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Marcos and the Road to Martial Law, 1965-72

In the presidential election of 1965, the Nacionalista candidate, Ferdinand E. Marcos (1917-90), triumphed over Macapagal. Marcos dominated the political scene for the next two decades, first as an elected president in 1965 and 1969, and then as a virtual dictator after his 1972 proclamation of martial law. He was born in llocos Norte Province at the northwestern tip of Luzon, a traditionally poor and clannish region. He was a brilliant law student, who successfully argued before the Philippine Supreme Court in the late 1930s for a reversal of a murder conviction against him (he had been convicted of shooting a political rival of his father).

During World War II, Marcos served in the Battle of Bataan and then claimed to have led a guerrilla unit, the Maharlikas. Like many other aspects of his life, Marcos's war record, and the large number of United States and Philippine military medals that he claimed (at one time including the Congressional Medal of Honor), came under embarrassing scrutiny during the last years of his presidency. His stories of wartime gallantry, which were inflated by the media into a personality cult during his years in power, enthralled not only Filipino voters but also American presidents and members of Congress.

In 1949 Marcos gained a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives; he became a senator in 1959. His 1954 marriage to former beauty queen Imelda Romualdez provided him with a photogenic partner and skilled campaigner. She also had family connections with the powerful Romualdez political dynasty of Leyte in the Visayas.

During his first term as president, Marcos initiated ambitious public works projects--roads, bridges, schools, health centers, irrigation facilities, and urban beautification projects--that improved the quality of life and also provided generous pork barrel benefits for his friends. Massive spending on public works was, politically, a cost-free policy not only because the pork barrel won him loyal allies but also because both local elites and ordinary people viewed a new civic center or bridge as a benefit. By contrast, a land reform program--part of Marcos's platform as it had been that of Macapagal and his predecessors--would alienate the politically all-powerful landowner elite and thus was never forcefully implemented.

Marcos lobbied rigorously for economic and military aid from the United States but resisted pressure from President Lyndon Johnson to become significantly involved in the Second Indochina War. Marcos's contribution to the war was limited to a 2,000- member Philippine Civic Action Group sent to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) between 1966 and 1969. The Philippines became one of the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), established in 1967. Disputes with fellow ASEAN member Malaysia over Sabah in northeast Borneo, however, continued, and it was discovered, after an army mutiny and murder of Muslim troops in 1968, that the Philippine army was training a special unit to infiltrate Sabah.

Although Marcos was elected to a second term as president in 1969--the first president of the independent Philippines to gain a second term--the atmosphere of optimism that characterized his first years in power was largely dissipated. Economic growth slowed. Ordinary Filipinos, especially in urban areas, noted a deteriorating quality of life reflected in spiraling crime rates and random violence. Communist insurgency, particularly the activity of the Huks--had degenerated into gangsterism during the late 1950s, but the Communist Party of the Philippines-Marxist Leninist, usually referred to as the CPP, was "reestablished" in 1968 along Maoist lines in Tarlac Province north of Manila, leaving only a small remnant of the orgiinal PKP. The CPP's military arm, the New People's Army (NPA), soon spread from Tarlac to other parts of the archipelago. On Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago, violence between Muslims and Christians, the latter often recent government-sponsored immigrants from the north, was on the rise. In 1969 the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was organized on Malaysian soil. The MNLF conducted an insurrection supported by Malaysia and certain Islamic states in the Middle East, including Libya.

The carefully crafted "Camelot" atmosphere of Marcos's first inauguration, in which he cast himself in the role of John F. Kennedy with Imelda as his Jackie, gave way in 1970 to general dissatisfaction with what had been one of the most dishonest elections in Philippine history and fears that Marcos might engineer change in the 1935 constitution to maintain himself in power. On January 30, 1970, the "Battle of Mendiola," named after a street in front of the Malacanang Palace, the presidential mansion, pitted student demonstrators, who tried to storm the palace, against riot police and resulted in many injuries.

Random bombings, officially attributed to communists but probably set by government agents provocateurs, occurred in Manila and other large cities. Most of these only destroyed property, but grenade explosions in the Plaza Miranda in Manila during an opposition Liberal Party rally on August 21, 1971, killed 9 people and wounded 100 (8 of the wounded were Liberal Party candidates for the Senate). Although it has never been conclusively shown who was responsible for the bombing, Marcos blamed leftists and suspended habeas corpus--a prelude to martial law. But evidence subsequently pointed, again, to government involvement.

Government and opposition political leaders agreed that the country's constitution, American-authored during the colonial period, should be replaced by a new document to serve as the basis for thorough-going reform of the political system. In 1967 a bill was passed providing for a constitutional convention, and three years later, delegates to the convention were elected. It first met in June 1971.

The 1935 constitution limited the president to two terms. Opposition delegates, fearing that a proposed parliamentary system would allow Marcos to maintain himself in power indefinitely, prevailed on the convention to adopt a provision in September 1971 banning Marcos and members of his family from holding the position of head of state or government under whatever arrangement was finally established. But Marcos succeeded, through the use of bribes and intimidation, in having the ban nullified the following summer. Even if Marcos had been able to contest a third presidential term in 1973, however, both the 1971 mid-term elections and subsequent public opinion polls indicated that he or a designated successor--Minister of National Defense Juan Ponce Enrile or the increasingly ambitious Imelda Marcos--would likely be defeated by his arch-rival, Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino.

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Thai Police Say They Know Who Was Behind Recent Deadly Bombings

By VOA News August 14, 2016

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.

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Shenzhou-11 manned spaceship reaches launch ground

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:56, August 14, 2016

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.

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Media: South Korea will pay a price if it does not give up THAAD deployment

People's Daily Online

(People's Daily Online) 17:10, August 15, 2016

Dissenting voices have been on the rise since Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Amid protests from the South Korean public, some South Korean media outlets worried about possible "revenge" from China, while others tried to label China as a bully. But analysts pointed out that it is unquestionably South Korea that incited this storm, and South Korea will also be the one to pay a long-term and expensive price if it does not give up the plan.

On Aug. 14, more than 10,000 South Korean citizens gathered at Seoul Plaza to stage a protest against the deployment of the THAAD system. Protesters believe that the deployment will lead to a new arms race and a severely damaged South Korean economy.

Compared with the protesters, local media seems more concerned about China's possible counteractions, though a number of local media outlets have also speculated about the possible impact of THAAD on South Korea's economy. According to the major South Korean newspaper Kukmin Ilbo, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea has decreased by 3.7 percent in August. Analysts believe that South Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD system plays a role in this drop.

The newspaper also said that some Chinese-oriented vendors at tourist sites have complained about a decline in their sales. Tourist industry insiders predict that the number of the Chinese tourists is expected to drop further still.

From Aug. 16, all South Korean tourist agencies applying for group visas through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center are required to submit original passports. South Korean media has viewed this as an antagonistic move on China's part, since only copies of passports were required in the past. Chun Yungwoo, a senior adviser with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Dong-A Ilbo that "China would definitely fail to intimidate [South Korea] through its retaliatory measures."

However, these speculations by the South Korean media are simply meant to create an inaccurate image of China as a bully that picks on the weak, said Cui Zhiying, a researcher with the Center for Asia-Pacific studies at Tongji University.

The THAAD system, as a weapon that threatens China's security, definitely has the potential to damage China-South Korea relations. But the damage may not take the form of governmental sanctions. After all, the THAAD system will destabilize the region, and nobody wants to visit unstable places, Cui added.

The Taiwan newspaper Want Daily commented on Aug. 14 that China-South Korea relations are now facing a crisis. South Korean objectors believe that these broken relations are too high a price to pay for a defense system that does not even protect the capital. The deployment will also push the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula out of reach, closing the door on reconciliation.

Many experts have advised South Korea to avoid taking sides between the U.S. and China. Yoon Young-kwan, the former foreign minister of South Korea, holds that the country is now relying on the U.S. and China for its security and economy respectively; therefore, it has to avoid a choice between the two countries.

Cui said that South Korea and the U.S. should be aware that the THAAD system would trigger an arms race as well as a confrontation in northeast Asia. However, there is better path forward. Both the U.S. and South Korea will soon elect new presidents, and these new governments may have a different attitude toward the issue. However, if the deployment moves forward, China will be forced to stage a confrontation.

The U.S. website Daily NK said in an article that China-South Korea relations are experiencing more than a rough patch. The THAAD issue is not likely to disappear any time soon, so the honeymoon between the two countries is over, said the article, adding that it's time for both governments to re-examine each other from the perspective of realpolitik.

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North Korea Threatens US With Nuclear Strike at 'Slightest Provocation'

Sputnik News

05:25 14.08.2016

Pyongyang accused Washington of an attempt to invade the North Korea on Saturday and has threatened the United States with a nuclear strike at "the slightest provocation," local media reported on Saturday.

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.

Pyongyang's agency reported on Wednesday that the United States intend to make a plan of actions for a surprise nuclear attack under the upcoming drills.

Pyongyang has repeatedly claimed that the joint military drills are a rehearsal for a real attack on North Korea. The United States and South Korea, in their turn, insisted that the exercises are aimed at training defensive skills for combating emerging threat from the North.

 Sputnik

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Black bears are the worlds most sought after hunting trophy, by far surpassing any other in terms of global trade. A sad fate for these powerful yet typically very gentle creatures. Photo by C MacDonald/iStockphoto

2.6K shares







Ive been devoted to animal protection for 30 years, and while Ive seen extraordinary cases of heroism and sacrifice, Ive also seen so many unconscionable acts of crueltyso much pain and disregard for the value of life. While I often think Ive seen everything, there are times when I see a level and expression of malice that Ive not witnessed ever before.

Thats the reaction I had when I watched an American trophy hunter, from Columbus, Ohio, engage in a stunningly unethical trophy hunt for a black bear in Albertaa three-faceted act of evil. Josh Bowmar, 26, baited the animal, even though baiting is widely frowned upon by any self-respecting hunter as unfair and is outlawed for bear hunting in the vast majority of U.S. states. He conducted the hunt during the spring, when mothers are nursing dependent cubs; if the hunter shoots a lactating mother, the trophy hunter dooms the entire family group. And worst of alland the distinguishing feature of this incidentthe hunter used a homemade seven-foot-long spear to impale this poor creature, who was just trying to get a snack at the bait site.

The worst part of the spectacle, which Bowmar and his wife recorded as some sort of audio-visual mementoin part by attaching a GoPro camera to his homemade spearwas the awful scream of the bear. But what was also shocking was the breathless celebration of the hunter, acting as if he had really gotten somewhere in life and achieved something no one had done before. Hes probably rightvery few people have ever engaged in depravity and evil quite like he did. Hes so deeply disconnected from the suffering of an innocent creature that he felt free to yell and prance with joy as the life was spilling out of this innocent animal.

Now the mans face is all over global medianot because anybody thinks he did something special, but because he is a sociopath. Hes this years version of Walter Palmerwho, before he killed a lion after luring him from a national park, had been arrested for the unethical killing of a black bear in Wisconsin. Black bears are the worlds most sought after hunting trophy, by far surpassing any other in terms of global trade. A sad fate for these powerful yet typically very gentle creatures.

Many hunters will denounce Bowmar for damaging the reputation of sport hunting. But it appears that there will be no serious legal consequences for what he did.

Cases like this remind us that we must strengthen the law. Our attitudes toward animals evolve for the better, and there is more antipathy for acts of cruelty like the one from Alberta. At one time, cockfighting and dogfighting were legal. Then we got our act together as a society and forbade these practices as depraved, archaic, and inhumane.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service recently adopted a series of rules to prohibit unethical hunting and killing practices on 100 million acres of national wildlife refuges and national preserves in Alaska. Their rules, which still have some holes in them, are a triumph. Yet Alaskas congressional delegation is screaming bloody murder that theres a federal overreach, and we are going to face an epic battle in Congress to preserve the rulemakings and prevent them from being overturned.

But how can any self-respecting person tolerate aerial hunting of grizzly bears, the killing of wolves and their pups in their dens, and the baiting of grizzly bears the sorts of practices that the federal government has banned on the most important federal lands in Alaska. These are the very definition of appalling actsright in line with what Josh Bowmar and Walter Palmer did. We shouldnt need a picture (Walter Palmer) or a video (Josh Bowmar) to remind us of evil conduct. Certain things are just beyond the pale. We know plenty right now. These despicable acts should have no apologists, and no lawful practitioners.
India Accuses Pakistan of Ceasefire Violations First Time in 4 Months

Sputnik News

11:14 14.08.2016(updated 11:25 14.08.2016)

According to local media reports, India accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire in Kashmir for the first time in four month.

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 Ministry's 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.

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.

In July, relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated again amid a new surge of clashes in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir with protesters demanding more autonomy or even independence for the region. In late July, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a statement claiming that Kashmir would one day join Pakistan, which was strongly condemned by New Delhi.

 Sputnik

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India Ready for Dialogue With Pakistan, Demands to Stop Supporting Terrorists

Sputnik News

10:20 14.08.2016(updated 16:47 14.08.2016)

Ministry of External Affairs spokesman said that India welcomes dialogue with Pakistan but demands that Islamabad put an end to its support of terrorist organizations.

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, Pakistan's prime minister's 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.

In July, relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated again amid a new surge of clashes in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir with protesters demanding more autonomy or even independence for the region. In late July, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made a statement claiming that Kashmir would one day join Pakistan, which was strongly condemned by New Delhi.

 Sputnik

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Kurdish Peshmerga forces liberate 6 villages east of Mosul

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 9:50AM

Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces have liberated five villages near Mosul from Takfiri Daesh militants as army troops and allied fighters are battling to drive the terrorists out of the militant-held northern city.

Peshmerga launched an operation in Khazar region east of Mosul at around 5:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) on Sunday, and managed to establish full control over the villages of Tal Hamid, Qarqasha, Abzakh and Dasht Takh following fierce exchanges of gunfire with Daesh militants, Kurdish-language Rudaw television network reported.

The report added that two vehicles rigged with explosives were destroyed during the operations. It, however, stopped short of specifying casualties on the ranks of Daesh Takfiris and Kurdish forces.

Kurdish sources, requesting anonymity, said Peshmerga troopers are poised to recapture at least 11 villages from Daesh during Sunday's offensive.

Having suffered severe blows on the battleground near Mosul, Daesh terrorists have stepped up their acts of terror against civilians and security forces there.

In another development on Saturday, Iraqi media quoted Amir Wasiq, a senior police official in Nineveh Province, as saying that Daesh militants executed 60 ex-officers for cooperating with Iraqi intelligence services in an area south of Mosul.

Mosul fell into the hands of the Takfiri terrorists in June 2014 when they launched an offensive in Iraq.

Hisham al-Hashimi, a consultant to the Baghdad government on the anti-Daesh campaign, recently said a large-scale offensive for the liberation of Mosul was slated for late September.

Last week, Defense Minister Khalid al-Obeidi said high-ranking Daesh militant commanders and their families had sold their belongings and fled Mosul as Iraqi forces were closing in on the city.

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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Japan to develop new missiles, deploy them near disputed territory: Report

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:14AM

Japan is to develop new land-to-sea missiles and deploy them on its remote southern islands, local media say, as tensions with China increase over disputed territories.

Tokyo plans to deploy the missiles on islands such as Miyako in the Okinawa Prefecture, the top-selling Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said on Sunday without citing sources.

"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 said.

The Senkaku islands are located in the East China Sea and are disputed by China, which has its own name for them, Diaoyu.

The weapons planned to be developed by Japan, which reportedly will have a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles), will cover the disputed island chain, according to the report.

The paper added that the deployment is expected by 2023.

Japanese officials have recently repeatedly complained of what they refer to as "intrusions" by Chinese ships into the territorial waters of the rocky islands.

China is also involved in territorial disputes with other countries in the South China Sea.

The territorial dispute has at times led to interference by other countries, the US in particular.

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Forces loyal to Libya's GNA tighten noose around Daesh in Sirte

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 3:57PM

Forces loyal to Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) tightened the noose around the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in Sirte Sunday as they continue to push the militants out of their stronghold in the country.

The GNA forces, armed with machine guns and light weapons, closed in on the residential district three, where the terrorists have fled.

The forces also seized fresh ground in the residential district two along with a radio station, employed by Daesh to broadcast Takfiri propaganda.

The pro-government forces achieved a major breakthrough against terrorists on August 10, when they recaptured the Ouagadougou conference center, used by Daesh as a command center.

Sirte's mayor, Mokhtar Khalifa, said on August 11 that "70 percent" of the city had been liberated.

Colonel Mohammed al-Ghasri, the official spokesman for Sirte military operations, said on the same day that Daesh no longer had the military strength to resist Libyan forces in the city after the capture of Ouagadougou conference center.

Forces allied with the UN-backed GNA began the offensive against the terror group in May to retake the city, which lies some 450 kilometers (280 miles) east of the capital, Tripoli.

The pro-government forces entered the city in June, but their advance was slowed down as Daesh hit back with sniper fire, car bombs and counterattacks.

According to medical sources in the city of Misrata, where the operation's command center is based, over 300 people have been killed in the clashes and some 1,800 others have been injured.

Foreign forces from several Western countries, including the United States, France and Britain, are also in Libya in a purported fight against the Takfiri militants.

In February, a US airstrike targeted a Daesh training camp near Sabratha, west of the Libyan capital, leaving about 50 people dead. The GNA has denounced the presence of foreign troops, saying it violates Libya's sovereignty.

Libya has been struggling to contain Takfiri terrorists, who have been expanding their presence in the country following the overthrow and death of longtime dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, in 2011.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the country, Daesh took control of Sirte in June 2015, nearly four months after it declared presence in the city.

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Seoul to Increase Number of Hyunmoo Missiles to Counter Pyongyang Nuclear Threat

Sputnik News

13:17 14.08.2016(updated 13:21 14.08.2016)

South Korea plans to increase the number of ballistic missiles to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile threats, according to local media.

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.

Hyunmoo missiles 2A and 2B have maximum ranges of 186 miles and 310 miles respectively.

In October 2012, South Korea and the United States reached an agreement to extend the maximum range of Seoul's ballistic missiles. In July, South Korea and the United States announced that they had agreed to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the South Korean Seongju County amid increased tensions on the peninsula over North Korea's nuclear and missile program.

 Sputnik

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Russian Air Force Gets New Anti-Stealth Fighter Jets and Multi-Purpose Aircraft

Sputnik News

21:48 14.08.2016(updated 02:42 15.08.2016)

The Russian Defense Ministry reports that since the beginning of the year the Russian Aerospace Forces have received over 30 new advanced aircraft along with over 30,000 units of aircraft weapons.

On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a statement regarding upgrades to the Russian Aerospace Forces fleet as Moscow looks to enhance its military to contend with an environment of growing security challenges ranging from increased hostility from the West in addition to regional dangers from Ukrainian saboteurs in Crimea.

"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."

Russia's newest fighter jets including the Su-35S, Su-30M, and multi-purpose Su-34 along with the country's most lethal combat helicopters including the Mi-8AMTSh, Mi-28N and Ka-52 were provided to the air regiments according to the statement.

The Su-35S has been heralded by defense analysts for its enhanced combat capabilities against stealth fighter jets such as the F-22A Raptor. The Su-35S is equipped with an infra-red search and track system (IRST) with a 50 mile (80km) detection range capable of identifying stealth aircraft like the vaunted stealth F-22 Raptor which cannot be traced with conventional radar systems.

The supersonic Su-35S reaches a top speed of Mach 2.26 (1734MPH or 2791kmh), but despite its extreme speed the fighter jet has superior maneuverability compared to Western aircraft due to the system's thrust vectoring.

The additional Su-30M air superiority fighter jets will also be a much welcomed by the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces' for its high speed but nearly unparalleled range and ability to land or takeoff in varied terrains. The Su-30M is the same aircraft that Russia and India are working on a joint project to modify in order to allow the system to carry and eject BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. The air-frames durable core enables it to serve as a launch vehicle for these much more deadly missiles.

The Russian Defense Ministry went on to say, "In the framework of the state defense order, the delivery of around 40,000 units of weapons to the Aerospace Defense Forces is planned for this year."

 Sputnik

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Russia's $300 Bln Plan to Modernize Army by 2020 Still on Target

Sputnik News

17:38 14.08.2016(updated 18:10 14.08.2016)

Russian Defense Minister said that Russia strictly sticks to the plan on rearmament and development of its army.

VLADIVOSTOK (Sputnik)  Russia strictly sticks to the plan on rearmament and development of its army, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday.

"For five years we have been following the well-thought plan on development and rearmament of the armed forces. These plans were coordinated with all manufacturers and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. And now, the rearmament, retraining of military personnel and re-equipment are ongoing.We strictly stick to the plan," he told the Rossiya-1 broadcaster.

Russia is currently implementing a large-scale rearmament program, announced in 2010, to modernize 70 percent of its military hardware by 2020. The total modernization program cost is estimated to reach about 20 trillion rubles (some $291 billion at the current exchange rates).

Western countries should stop "stirring up hysteria" intimidating its own population and understand that Russia is ready and open for dialogue, Russian Defense Minister said.

"What are we opposing? We say there is a balance. If you use the current situation, stirring up the hysteria to refill your budget so that the plants get additional profit  that is your issue But I would like to say: stop intimidating your population We want our colleagues to stop at some point and understand that we are open and ready for dialogue," Shoigu told Rossiya-1 TV-channel.

Relations between Russia and western countries deteriorated in 2014 after eruption of the Ukrainian crisis.

The United States, European Union and some of their allies have introduced several rounds of anti-Russia sanctions since Crimea reunified with Russia in 2014, and accused Moscow of meddling in the Ukrainian conflict. Russia has repeatedly refuted the accusations, and warned that the sanctions are counterproductive and undermine regional and global stability.

 Sputnik

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51 civilians killed in fresh shelling, airstrikes in Syria's Aleppo

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 11:27, August 14, 2016

DAMASCUS, Aug. 13 -- 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.

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Russia warplanes pound Daesh positions in eastern Syria

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 10:12AM

Russian fighter jets have carried out fresh airstrikes on Daesh positions near the eastern Syrian city of Dayr al-Zawr, inflicting heavy damage on the Takfiri terrorist group.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that six Russian Tupolev Tu-22M3 bombers conducted the "concentrated" air raids against Daesh targets to the southwest, east and northeast of the city on Sunday.

The aerial attacks wiped out two militant command posts, six arms depots, vehicles and "a large number" of Daesh militants, the statement added

Daesh controls large parts of Dayr al-Zawr city as well as most of the province with the same name and has engaged in clashes with the Syrian army forces for control of a key military airbase there.

On September 30, 2015, Russia began air campaign against Daesh and other terrorist groups upon a request by the Damascus government.

Last month, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hailed the Russian air campaign in support of the Syrian army, saying it has helped the Syrian soldiers advance against the Takfiri elements operating in the Arab country.

Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies.

The Takfiri militants operating in the Middle Eastern state have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the Syrian army has managed to liberate several areas.

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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Syrian Army Repelling Attacks in North-Western Aleppo

Sputnik News

21:13 14.08.2016

Groups of terrorists have been carrying out attacks on Syria's government forces in the north-western Aleppo, which Damascus troops continue to thwart, a RIA Novosti correspondent said Sunday.

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 Aleppo's 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.

Russia formed seven round-the-clock humanitarian corridors across Aleppo this month to allow safe passage for civilians and militants wishing to lay down arms.

On Thursday, a three-hour humanitarian window with a total halt in hostilities opened in Aleppo, and would be in effect every day from 10 a.m. (7:00 GMT) until 1 p.m. (10:00 GMT) local time.

 Sputnik

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Russian Hmeymim Base Crucial to Combat Jihadists on Syrian Outskirts

Sputnik News

17:56 14.08.2016(updated 19:17 14.08.2016)

Russian air base Hmeymim in Syria is necessary to fight against militants' positions on country's distant outskirts, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday.

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.

 Sputnik

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US-Backed Syrian Fighters Targeting New IS-Held Town

By Lou Lorscheider August 14, 2016

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.

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Over 81,000 sacked, suspended over failed coup: Turkey PM

Iran Press TV

Sun Aug 14, 2016 7:53AM

The Turkish prime minister says more than 81,000 people have been dismissed or suspended from work over suspected links to US-based opposition cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the failed mid-July coup.

Binali Yildirim told reporters at Cankaya Palace in the capital, Ankara, on Saturday that a total of 76,597 people have been suspended and another 4,897 dismissed so far in the government's post-coup crackdown.

He said over 3,000 military personnel, judges and civil servants are among those sacked, adding that Turkish authorities are trying to separate those directly involved in the putsch from those caught up in the mayhem "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."

The Turkish prime minister also criticized Western media outlets for "siding with coup plotters and offering them suggestions."

"Instead of saying 'Turkey defeated the coup plotters and democracy won,' they said 'They [coup plotters] would have been successful if they hadn't done this and that,' discussing the mistakes of those behind the coup," Yildirim said.

Yildirim further stressed that Ankara will not compromise on its demands concerning Gulen's extradition, stating that there is no solution but to put him on trial.

Turkish Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz said on Thursday that authorities had revoked the work permits of 27,424 people in the education sector as part of the post-putsch measures.

"These personnel will not be allowed to work in public or private education institutions again," Yilmaz pointed out.

A faction of the Turkish military declared itself in charge of the country on the night of July 15. Renegade military personnel made use of battle tanks and helicopters to fight loyalists of the incumbent government on Ankara streets and those of the most populous city of Istanbul.

The coup attempt was suppressed as people turned out on the streets to support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party.

At least 246 people were killed and more than 2,100 others sustained injuries in the coup attempt.

Gulen has condemned the coup attempt and denied any involvement in the violence.

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Russia ready to show more proof of Ukraine incursion: Lavrov

Iran Press TV

Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:36AM

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Russia is ready to provide the West with more evidence about armed Ukrainian incursions into the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea.

In televised comments on Monday, Lavrov said that Moscow could supply more evidence of what it has said was a long-planned Ukrainian plot to destabilize Crimea.

Moscow accused Kiev last week of planning terrorist attacks in Crimea to provoke a new conflict over the region which seceded from Ukraine and reintegrated into Russia in 2014.

Lavrov repeated those claims after talks with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg but also extended an olive branch to Ukraine.

Lavrov said he did not think anyone was interested in cutting diplomatic ties between Russia and Ukraine yet.

Steinmeier said all sides should refrain from doing anything that would escalate the already tense situation.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of "practicing terror."

"This is very alarming news. In fact, our security services prevented an incursion into the territory by a sabotage-reconnaissance group from Ukraine's Defense Ministry," Putin said.

He later held a meeting with his security chiefs to discuss "additional measures for ensuring security for citizens and essential infrastructure in Crimea."

Russia's Federal Security Service said it had thwarted an incursion by the Ukrainian military into Crimea, saying two Russians were killed in the incident.

People in Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea voted for rejoining the Russian Federation in a referendum in March 2014. The move angered the West which branded it as Moscow's annexation of the territory.

The United States and its allies in Europe accuse Moscow of having a hand in the conflict in eastern Ukraine where residents seek secession.

The crisis in eastern Ukraine has left nearly 9,500 people dead and over 21,000 others injured, according to the United Nations. Sporadic fighting between Kiev troops and pro-Russia forces continues to claim more lives despite a ceasefire.

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In Ukraine, Attacks On Journalists Chill Media Landscape

August 15, 2016

by Christopher Miller

KYIV -- At a bustling Kyiv intersection lined with storefronts selling coffee and pastries, a pile of red roses surrounds a black-and-white photograph of Pavel Sheremet, an intrepid journalist who was killed by a car bomb here on July 20.

The simple, solemn memorial to Sheremet is also a symbol of a wave of attacks on journalists -- online and in the streets -- that has raised stark questions about power, patriotism, and the freedom of speech in Ukraine, and clouded the country's chances for normalcy.

In a nation struggling with economic troubles and Russian aggression, media professionals suspect they are being targeted in a far-reaching campaign of abuse whose perpetrators, like Sheremet's unidentified killers, have so far acted with total impunity.

Journalists who have challenged the authorities, veered from the government's narrative on the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the east, or reported from separatist-held territories have found themselves in the crosshairs of coordinated online attacks carried out by hypernationalist trolls and bots -- attacks that in some cases have been supported, at least verbally, by high-ranking government and security officials.

The barrage of criticism has inspired public contempt for journalists as well as hacks and leaks of their personal data, including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and passport information, and their correspondence with sources. Some journalists have faced death threats and physical assaults.

The day before Sheremet died -- when a bomb blast hit the car he was driving to work -- a journalist was stabbed three times in a Kyiv park and another was beaten on the street five days later.

According to the Kyiv-based Institute of Mass Information (IMI), a media watchdog that tracks attacks on reporters in Ukraine, the Prosecutor-General's Office logged 113 criminal offenses -- including physical attacks, damage to property, and obstruction of activities -- committed against journalists in the first half of 2016.

For a quarter-century, muckraking journalists in Ukraine have faced harassment, intimidation, and worse from powerful people in government and business. The media landscape is still scarred by the grisly killing of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, whose headless corpse was found in a forest outside Kyiv after he disappeared in 2000.

The Kyiv Post newspaper has compiled a list of more than 50 Ukrainian journalists who have been killed or who died under suspicious circumstances since the country gained independence in the Soviet collapse of 1991. Others have gone missing, been beaten, or threatened with violence.

The new wave of attacks presents a crucial test for Ukraine in the wake of the "Euromaidan" protests that drove Viktor Yanukovych, a president compromised by corruption allegations and strong Kremlin influence, from power in 2014.

How the government handles it, observers and insiders say, will play a powerful role in determining whether Ukraine will tread a path toward greater democracy and Western integration or slide back into authoritarianism and crony capitalism.

That second route would leave it all the more vulnerable to pressure from Russia, which has destabilized Ukraine by seizing the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and supporting separatists in a war that has killed more than 9,500 people in the eastern Donbas region since that April.

So far, it doesn't look promising.

Resigning in frustration and anger on August 3, Deputy Information Policy Minister Tetyana Popova condemned what she called the government's lack of will to investigate abuse against journalists and defend freedom of speech.

"I do not support attacks on journalists and attacks on freedom of speech by political organizations and individual political officials," Popova wrote on Facebook. "I cannot tolerate the absence of a proper reaction to these kinds of attacks."

The assaults that bookended Sheremet's assassination occurred in broad daylight in the country's capital, but nobody has been prosecuted for them -- or even arrested.

The same goes for his killing. A flurry of details about the mechanics of the attack and theories about a motive in the hours afterward have given way to something close to silence from law enforcement, and there is little sign that a solution is imminent.

Colleagues view the fact that a high-ranking police official who reportedly assigned surveillance to Sheremet weeks before his death has been allowed to enjoy a long summer vacation before being questioned by investigators as evidence that Ukraine's leaders are not taking the case seriously. As of August 15, the official had not returned to Kyiv to be questioned.

What many journalists find more disturbing is the ambivalent, sometimes supportive stance the Ukrainian authorities have taken toward a newer brand of attacks on journalists -- one that is thriving in the Internet age.

Oksana Romanyuk, the director of IMI and Ukraine representative for Reporters Without Borders, told RFE/RL that authorities still account for some of the attacks against journalists. But this year, she says, she has noticed a startling shift: Most threats and attacks, including those online, have been carried out by civilians.

She said that "71 attacks against journalists, two-thirds of the total so far in 2016, have been committed by private persons, 50 by officials, and six by law enforcement."

The attackers are tech-savvy hackers, Internet trolls, and in a growing number of cases media employees known as "patriotic journalists," who align themselves with the state.

Members of this group tend to display unconditional support for what they see as Ukraine's interests, view issues such as the war in eastern Ukraine though a filter of black and white and good and evil, and suspect a Russian-orchestrated conspiracy behind anyone even remotely critical of Ukraine.

"This is a new phenomenon," said Katya Gorchinskaya, chief executive officer of the Kyiv-based Hromadske.TV, told RFE/RL. "The particular split [among journalists], as well as an alliance of 'patriotic citizens' and government, is new."

Hromadske.TV has experienced the movement's harassment firsthand. Earlier this month, the online public TV company, created at the start of the Euromaidan protests in 2013, found itself the subject of a well-organized online attack carried out by an army of trolls and bots after it published a video report that showed fighting in the flash-point eastern town of Avdiyivka that authorities complained gave away Ukrainian military positions.

"Though we don't know who commissioned the attack, we do know that their position was strongly pro-government," Gorchinskaya wrote in an op-ed for The Guardian in July.

Those who stand up against the attacks themselves often face threats and criticism.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Popova said that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities  and what she termed their lack of action in prosecuting those who attack journalists -- "sow hatred and encourage others to indulge in similar attacks."

"There are many politicians in the government who do not understand the importance thatjournalists and free speech play in democracy," she said.

Popova continues to serve in the ministry until parliament can vote to approve her resignation. She said she hopes it will be done before the end of August.

Her resignation was a rebellion against the government's "silent approval of violence and trolling of journalists," Gorchinskaya said.

From 'I-Army' To Myrotvorets

Romanyuk said she noticed a spike in such trolling of journalists following the creation in February 2015 of a Ukrainian "Internet army" headed by Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets, a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko who once worked at Channel 5, a TV news company controlled by Poroshenko.

"Each of your information messages is a bullet in your enemy's conscience," read the website of the ministry's 'i-army,' which said its goal was countering Russia's formidable propaganda machine.

It invited "patriotic" Ukrainian Internet users to submit their names and e-mail addresses to join other "information warriors." Weekly e-mails were then sent to the "i-army" with information about stories and reporters it disagreed with and what must be done to counter them. For instance, if a reporter used the term "rebel" to describe Russia-backed separatists or "civil war" to describe the conflict, members were urged to hound the publication and the reporter on their social-media accounts. For the "i-army," the preferred terms are "terrorists" and "Russia's war."

Romanyuk says the "i-army" seems to have paved the way for the more serious trolling and cyberattacks against journalists that began last May, when a Ukrainian nationalist website called Myrotvorets, or Peacemaker, hacked and published the personal data of more than 5,000 Ukrainian and foreign reporters and fixers who applied for press passes issued by separatists who hold territory in the Donetsk region and branded them "terrorist collaborators." The information was gleaned during a hack of the separatists' servers.

There is widespread suspicion that the hack was conducted by employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, or perhaps by close allies contracted by the organization. Myrotvorets is said to be directed by an elusive Ukrainian who goes by the name Roman Zaytsev. Zaytsev's Facebook page, on which his face is masked, lists his occupation as director of the site and his past occupation as "department head" at the SBU.

Zaytsev did not respond to requests for comment, which were addressed to the Facebook page. In a written statement to RFE/RL, SBU chief of staff Oleksandr Tkachuk said that "the Security Service of Ukraine has no relation to the creation of the website Myrotvorets, and it is not cooperating with persons associated with its operation."

Tkachuk added that nobody named Roman Zaytsev is or was an "employe[e] or officer or an adviser" in the SBU. The SBU's position, he said, is that the Myrotvorets site "summarizes information on the Internet that is in the public domain, namely information voluntarily submitted to open and socially oriented public resources," and therefore has operated legally.

In fact, however, much of the information Myrotvorets published was not shared publicly on social media; it was shared privately over e-mail. And documents included in the leak, such as passports, had not been made public by the journalists.

Rights groups and international observers warned of the danger of reprisals stemming from the leaks.

"Such irresponsible comments and actions jeopardize the safety of journalists and human rights defenders and violate their right to privacy," Human Rights Watch said in an August 10 report.

Sure enough, in the days and weeks following the leaks, many journalists whose names appeared on the Myrotvorets list received death threats from anonymous social-media users or via text message from unidentified numbers. Dozens of journalists faced a barrage of negative comments on Facebook and Twitter.

Far from denouncing the distribution of personal data and the rhetoric used to describe journalists named in the leaks, some high-ranking officials and politicians have backed Myrotvorets. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov branded the journalists on the list as "liberal-separatists." Anton Herashchenko, an Avakov adviser and lawmaker from the People's Front -- part of the ruling coalition in parliament led by Poroshenko's party -- told his more than 100,000 followers on Facebook that they were "traitors" and "terrorist collaborators."

Poroshenko did condemn the Myrotvorets leak -- but not until several weeks later, when he was pushed to respond during his annual press conference in June. And he added a caveat that echoed the position of Myrotvorets itself: Journalists should not write "negative articles" about Ukraine.

For Romanyuk, Poroshenko's remarks were too little, too late. And they have not put an end to the leaks or the threats.

On August 4 came a second leak of journalists' data. It included private information about many dozens of journalists, including those from foreign media outlets such as the Associated Press, Al-Jazeera, the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and RFE/RL.

It was also swiftly followed by a salvo of fresh criticism, with Ukrainian nationalists and officials quickly voicing their support and echoing previous sentiments that journalists reporting on the war from separatist-controlled territory were "collaborating with terrorists."

One such critical remark came from Roman Donik, a volunteer who supplies soldiers with equipment and who issued a warning to journalists on the day of the second leak.

"If you don't cleanse your profession yourselves, it will be cleaned up by kicking your face in," Donik wrote on Facebook. "And, yes, I see nothing seditious in the fact that journalists have been beaten, especially if they've received accreditation in [separatist-controlled Donetsk]. It's a professional hazard, like how a sanitation worker smells like shit."

The latest leak is purported to have come from Tatyana Yegorova, a disgruntled former administrator of the Donetsk separatists' security service who posted a link to a Dropbox folder containing the documents on Twitter. However, observers see the hand of Myrotvorets in the leak, particularly because the types of documents and details released resemble those in the first leak.

Many e-mails included in the second leak come from journalists asking Yegorova to provide them press passes to work in separatist-held parts of Donetsk region. These credentials have been required since the start of the war and are necessary for reporters to navigate through checkpoints and work on both sides of the front lines.

Accreditation with separatists is no guarantee of protection; in fact, many journalists who have received such credentials have been subjected to abductions, detentions, and interrogations.

Who's Behind Myrotvorets?

Zaytsev is believed to be a figurehead, and who exactly is behind Myrotvorets remains unclear. There has been much speculation that Herashchenko directs the site's operations and that a group of nationalist volunteers carry out its daily activities while online supporters promote their work. Asked in an interview with RFE/RL whether Myrotvorets is his brainchild, Herashchenko winked, chuckled, and replied: "No."

The group operates in the shadows, its website does not have a masthead, and it never attaches a byline to its published articles or leaks, making it difficult to know who is in its ranks. But a document obtained by RFE/RL and examined by IMI has shined some light on that. The Google Sheets document indicates that Myrotvorets is getting professional assistance from a murky Kyiv-based public relations company called Internet Business Promotions, which is run by a man named Ihor Savchuk. Savchuk's Facebook profile shows him dressed in camouflage and holding a rifle, and his timeline is filled with supportive words for Myrotvorets and links to the site.

Among the many services offered by Internet Business Promotions is "reputation building using online mediasocial networks and the blogosphere," as well as "crisis PR" for the "neutralization of negative information." That could translate as online trolling.

Savchuk did not respond to RFE/RL's requests for comment on Facebook, though the messages were received. Asked whether he knows Savchuk personally, Herashchenko said that he "has made his acquaintance" but did not elaborate.

RFE/RL came across the document linking Internet Business Promotions with Myrotvorets on June 15, when a blogger named Myroslav Oleshko published a plea on Facebook for "patriotic citizens" to help with Myrotvorets' work and boasting about having obtained leaked data from Russia-backed separatists in the Luhansk region.

Oleshko's post included a Google Sheets attachment with some of the information. The properties of the attachment, when viewed on a mobile device, showed its creator to be a user called ihor108 with the email address ihor108@gmail.com. A Google search quickly connected that e-mail address with Savchuk and another Internet marketing company headed by him.

'Patriotic Journalism'

To Popova, the rise of "patriotic journalism" is at least as chilling as the leaks. It's a dangerous trend, she said, that is "leading to a narrowing of the space for freedom of expression, and it's a real threat to the health and lives of journalists."

But others are embracing it, creating a rift that critics of the practice say puts journalists, and the future of Ukraine, at risk.

"Journalists should never write something that would harm their country," said a reporter who asked that she not be named because she did not want to be viewed as speaking for her company, a media outlet owned by influential tycoon Viktor Pinchuk.

In practice, that means the kind of hard-hitting reporting some believe can help Ukraine shed Russian influence and thrive -- by minimizing corruption, misrule, and the abuse of power -- is considered by others to be out of bounds, and even treasonous.

Yevhen Fedchenko, who has influenced generations of Ukrainian reporters as director of the Kyiv Mohyla School of Journalism and founded the website StopFake.org, which exposes Russian disinformation, said that the trend of "patriotic journalism" is worrying.

'Only The Start'

But he also said that it is not hackers, nationalist trolls, or the authorities who are "responsible" for the fallout from the Myrotvorets leaks but rather the journalists who have been targeted, arguing that they brought attention to the site.

"Before journalists publicized the leak, nobody really knew about Myrotvorets. Then media started saying they were gathering signatures to prosecute Myrotvorets," Fedchenko told RFE/RL.

In fact, it was not journalists who first drew attention to Myrotvorets but Herashchenko, who posted a message on Facebook about "traitor" journalists who "collaborate with terrorists" and linked to the leak on the Myrotvorets site. Journalists picked up the story only later, after the harassment began.

As for the recent spate of physical assaults on journalists, Fedchenko said: "What is happening today [to journalists] seems minor and inconsequential, blown out of proportion and pushed by many journalists because it is really more about self-importance and self-aggrandizement rather than pursuing journalism for the sake of journalism."

For Romanyuk, this highlights what she sees as widening divide within Ukraine's media community. "There is no solidarity or common values right now," she said.

Gorchinskaya, the Hromadske.TV CEO, said that the authorities' approach has made things worse.

"The government remains silent, and silent endorsement -- and sometimes open endorsement -- gives society the message that it's normal to call journalists traitors and threaten them," she said.

The online abuse has continued, and Herashchenko predicted it won't subside anytime soon.

"My feeling is that this is only the start and soon many more leaks and information will be revealed," he said.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine- attacks-on-journalists-media-landscape- press-freedom/27923284.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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Alan Burkitt-Gray speaks to Don MacNeil, chief operating officer of GTT, about its company restructuring after coming out of Chapter 11 and its strategic roadmap for the next 12 months.
LOUISVILLE, Ky., Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareSource is sponsoring community events throughout the Commonwealth to help Kentuckians have a safe and happy end to summer. Representatives from CareSource, a non-profit health plan with a 27-year history, will be attending community events across the state to share information about the importance of finding health care coverage that's right for each individual and family.



Catch CareSource at:

Kentucky State Fair  Aug. 18-28 - Kentucky Exposition Center, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, KY 40209

CareSource hopes to meet you at the fair this summer. Stop by the CareSource booth in Health Horizons, located in the South wing. Visit kystatefair.org for details.



Red , White & Boom Music Festival  Sept. 2-4  Whitaker Bank Ballpark, Lexington

Visit CareSource at the First Aid Tent and receive a complimentary Suncare Kit, while supplies last. Find out more and buy tickets at redwhiteandboom.com.

WorldFest  Sept 2-5  Belvedere, 5th and Main Streets, Louisville

CareSource is thrilled to sponsor one of the region's largest international festivals. Stop by and learn about your options for the upcoming open enrollment for 2017 health insurance. Find out more about WorldFest at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/city-events/worldfest.

About CareSource

CareSource is a nonprofit health plan nationally recognized for leading the managed care industry in providing member-centric health care coverage. Founded in 1989, CareSource is one of the nation's largest Medicaid managed care plans. Today CareSource offers a lifetime of health coverage to more than 1.5 million members across four states including offerings on the Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare Advantage plans.

Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, CareSource has a workforce of 2,900 employees located across the region. CareSource is living its mission to make a lasting difference in its members' lives by improving their health and well-being. CareSource understands the challenges consumers face navigating the health system and works to put health care in reach for those it serves.

For more, visit caresource.com, follow @caresource on Twitter, or like CareSource on Facebook.
An early morning crash involving three vehicles  including a preschool bus  sent one person to the hospital Monday.

A Honda Civic struck a Pittsylvania County Community Action Head Start pre-school bus and crashed head-on into a Chevrolet pickup truck at 8:30 a.m. Monday on Callands Road about two miles east of Chatham, according to the Virginia State Police.

The Civic, driven by Cody Steven Fry, 23, of Danville, was headed east at a high rate of speed when it collided into the side of the bus, which was making a left turn. The Civic then crashed head on into the pickup driven by Aaron Cole Truman, 23, of Martinsville, state police said. The bus was driven by Shirley Royal Bradner, 71, of Gretna.

Bus aide Ella Whittle, 66, of Chatham, was flown from the scene to Roanoke Memorial Hospital for injuries received in the crash.

Pittsylvania County Community Action Executive Director Evelina Ross said she was notified of the accident around 8:45 a.m. and drove to the scene. She said the six students on the bus were treated at Centra Gretna Medical Center as a precaution and all six were released.

Virginia State Police charged Fry with both reckless driving and driving suspended.

Neither of the other two drivers was injured. All three drivers were wearing seatbelts.

We were extremely blessed that our driver followed procedure, Ross said. No children were hurt. We took all the precautionary measures that we could for the health and safety of the children.

Ross said all students parents were notified about the accident.

A Virginia State Police Crash Reconstruction Team is assisting with the investigation. The accident is being investigated by Trooper E.W. Dillard.
To the editor:

I saw the story, Kaine: Voter ID ruling boosts Clintons chances, (Aug. 8, page A2). Vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine said that the recent court rulings against voter photo ID laws would help Hillary Clinton.

I can understand that.

It means in those states  and the states without voter ID laws  that dead people now can vote for Democrats. And we well know dead people always vote Democratic.

The Democrats would not let you in their convention without a photo ID. There was even a fence put up around the convention site. What is this country coming to? We cant put a fence on the southern border, but can fence in the convention site? No photo ID to vote, but you better have one if you want to go to the convention.

Hillary Clinton is the most corrupt person to run for president that I know of. Even when shown a soundbite as she saw on Chris Wallaces Fox News Sunday, she said that FBI Director agreed with her. This lady has told so many lies she does not know how to tell the truth.

Ever since she married Bill Clinton, their main goal has been to obtain as much money as possible no matter how it was obtained.

I saw a movie last weekend called Hillarys America. In the movie, it was told how the Democrats have deceived the people of this nation for 160-plus years. I learned from that movie that not one Republican owned a slave, that a Democrat founded the Ku Klux Klan, Republican Senators and Representatives provided some of the votes to pass the Civil Rights legislation, the Voter Rights Act and other laws that Democrats take credit for.

Everyone should see this movie. I highly recommend it.

We heard Aug. 4 the Obama administration paid $400 million to Iran for the release of four American hostages held illegally by that nation. Understand that while we were trying to negotiate a nuclear treaty with Iran nothing was said about these hostages. While the value of this money amounted to $400 million, the money used was foreign currency and flown to Iran in an unmarked plane in the dead of night. The presidents press secretary called this transparent. Now I realize that this was money that had been confiscated during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. President Jimmy Carter confiscated this money and was held after the Shah of Iran was booted out of office and Iranian mobs overran our embassy and captured 52 Americans and held them for 444 days.

Going back to the sending of this money, giving this money back gave the impression that we paid a ransom for those hostages, which has always been against the policy of the United States. This sends the wrong message because it will encourage other terrorist nations to kidnap Americans and hold them for ransom.

This whole administration is so very corrupt we cant trust anything they report.

WILLIAM F. HENDERSON

Danville
I thought the way they handled it was horrible, Kieth Darling, a former server at the Danville Ruby Tuesday restaurant, said, referring to the abrupt closure of the restaurant Friday.

Darling said staff was notified on Thursday that they needed to attend a meeting at 9 a.m. Friday. When he arrived, two representatives from the corporate office introduced themselves and told them the news.

They sat us down and said, As of today, 95 locations  including this one  are no longer in business, Darling said.

Darling said he began working at the restaurant in May and felt things were going well, with business picking up in recent weeks, and that the restaurant was well run.

The restaurant continued to hire new staff during the summer, with at least one new server starting just days before the announcement, Darling said.

Nobody was given any kind of a notice, Darling said. Im not worried about me, but some of the others, theyve got kids and families to feed.

Darling said they were told there were a few openings at the Eden, North Carolina, location, and some employees would be able to help with cleaning up the building and moving equipment out. Two long-time staff members, who had been at the Danville location for 11-13 years, were let go with two weeks of severance pay, and the manager was told there were no positions open within company to transfer.

Anyone who didnt get the notice about the meeting was greeted by the same sign the restaurants customers saw Friday, telling them the business had closed and inviting them to visit the Eden location, Darling said.

As much as he enjoyed working at Ruby Tuesday, Darling said, he felt the closure was pretty quick and was concerned for his fellow employees. He said he has already found a job at another Danville restaurant.

Ruby Tuesday opened its restaurant in Danville in 2003. According to the companys website, financial results for the past year, particularly the last quarter, showed declining revenues and a decision was announced Thursday that about 95 underperforming restaurants would close.

Another Danville restaurant  That Burrito Spot, in Market Square Shopping Center  also closed its doors recently.

Unlike Ruby Tuesday, this was a small, locally-owned restaurant that had been in business just over a year.

Owner Richard Warren said the restaurant suffered slow sales, which he blamed largely on location.

There just wasnt enough traffic, Warren said, adding that he felt it was also a mistake to model it after big-city restaurants that cater to people looking for a quick lunch or take out menus. People wanted to sit for an hour or two and we had limited seating.

That limited seating  room for 16 in the dining area  also had a lot to do with closing the restaurant, Warren said.

The location just didnt support what I needed to sell, Warren said.

He does not plan to reopen in another location at this time, saying he doesnt have the capital to invest in another restaurant.

Warren was philosophical about the restaurant, noting that, Everything happens for a reason, and said he was already working at another job.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA / TheNewswire / August 15, 2016 - Telson Resources Inc. (TSX Venture - TSN) ("Telson" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained the services of Renmark Financial Communications Inc. ("Renmark") to support Telson's investor relations activities. Renmark is one of the largest retail investor relations firms in Canada, offering a wide range of integrated investor and financial communications services.

Renmark has been engaged for a 6-month period beginning September 1, 2016, which period will be extended on a month-to-month basis unless terminated by either party. In consideration of the services to be provided, the Company has agreed to pay a monthly retainer of $5,000 for the period covered by this agreement. Renmark does not have any direct or indirect interest in Telson or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest.

About Telson Resources

Telson Resources Inc. is a Canadian based resource company focused on the exploration and development of its advanced stage Tahuehueto gold-silver project in northwestern Durango State, Mexico. The 7,492-hectare property consists of 28 mining concessions covering at least 12 mineralized zones hosted within a structurally controlled epithermal system that has been traced for more than 6 km. Tahuehueto lies within the prolific Sierra Madre Mineral Belt, which hosts a series of historic and producing mines and most of Mexico's active exploration and development projects. The project is situated approximately 100 km southwest of Endeavour Silver's silver mine in the Guanacevi region, and about 25 km north of Great Panther's silver mine at Topia.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(signed) "Ralph Shearing"

_______________________________

Ralph Shearing, President

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

WARNING: The Company relies upon litigation protection for "forward-looking" statements. This News Release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of up-coming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law.



Contact

Glen Sandwell, Communication Manager

ir@telsonresources.com

Tel: +1 (604) 684-8071

Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
VANCOUVER, Aug 15, 2016 - Millennial Lithium Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ML) ("Millennial" or the "Company") - In the Company's news release dated July 19, 2016, the Company indicated that it was not, at that time, disclosing the location of certain mineral property concessions (the "Properties") it was acquiring under an agreement (the "Agreement") with certain vendors (the "Vendors").The Company is now in a position to disclose the location of the Properties.The Properties are known as the Pastos Grandes Project and are located in the Los Andes Department, in the Central portion of the Puna Block of Salta Province, northwestern Argentina. The Properties acquired from the Vendors are comprised of four (4) mineral property concessions: Jorge Eduardo (File No. 18693), Neptali II (File No. 18403), El Milagrano (File No. 17588) and Norte Argentino (File No. 18550). The Properties together cover a surface area of 1,221 hectares.

In addition, the Company wishes to announce that it has recently completed application to the provincial mining authority of Salta Province, for 3 additional mineral concessions adjacent to the Pastos Grandes Project. These additional mineral concessions cover an additional surface area of 4,236 hectares.

The Company's financing (the "Financing") announced on July 19, 2016 has been increased to a maximum of 7.5 million units at 65 cents for proceeds of $4,875,000. Proceeds of the Financing will be used to fund the Company's obligations under the Agreement including payments totaling USD$2,000,000 to purchase the Pastos Grandes Project, required exploration expenditures of USD$1,600,000 and associated costs of the acquisition.

The finder's fee (the "Finder's Fee") announced on July 19, 2016, payable to Synergy Capital Pty Ltd. (the "Finder") in connection with the Agreement, is as follows:

5% of the cash compensation paid to the Vendors under the Agreement will be paid to the Finder in cash (being 5% of USD$2,200,000 or USD$110,000); and 5% of the value of the share compensation paid to the Vendors under the Agreement will be paid to the Finder in shares of the Company.

The Finder's Fee is payable in tranches as payments are made to the Vendors. The timing of these payments was disclosed in the news release of July 19, 2016.

The Agreement, the Finder's Fee and the Financing are all subject TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Trading in the Company's shares has been halted until: (i) initial Exchange review of an NI 43-101 report on the Properties and of the Agreement; and (ii) disclosure of the location of the Properties. The Agreement and the NI 43-101 report have been submitted for initial review to the Exchange and the location of the Properties is disclosed in this news release.

Millennial Lithium Corp.

Graham Harris, Chairman, Director







NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.



"This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements."







Contact



Millennial Lithium Corp.

Investor Relations

604-662-8184

604-602-1606

info@millenniallithium.com

www.millenniallithium.com


Vancouver, August 15, 2016 - Nevada Clean Magnesium Inc. (TSXV: NVM; Frankfurt-M1V; OTC Pink Sheets: MLYFF) (The "Company") today announced that the TSX Venture Exchange has granted a 30 day extension for the non-brokered private placement of unsecured convertible notes.

The accumulated total from the two tranches has collectively raised $250,000; no finder's fees were paid in connection with the financing.

About the Financing

The Principal Amount of the Convertible Note will bear interest at 20% per annum, and any accrued but unpaid interest, will mature on the date that is one (1) year following the Closing Date (the "Maturity Date"). Each Convertible Note will be convertible into common shares (each, a "Share") of the Company at a price of $0.05 per Share and any accrued but unpaid interest thereon will be convertible into Shares at the price per Share which is the greater of (i) $0.05 and (ii) the Market Price (as defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange")) on the date of a conversion notice.

In connection with the private placement, the Company may, subject to regulatory acceptance, pay a finder's fee to certain arm's-length parties on the proceeds raised.

The securities issued will be subject to a 4 month hold period from the date of issue of, as the case may be, the Convertible Notes, or the Shares. The completion of the private placement and payment of any commission and fees remains subject to the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the Exchange.

Proceeds of the non-brokered private placement will be used for working capital.

About Nevada Clean Magnesium, Inc.

Nevada Clean Magnesium is focused on becoming a major U.S. producer and distributor of primary, high grade, low cost magnesium metal extracted from its 100% owned Tami-Mosi property located in North Central Nevada. Based on the Company's NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment Report published in September 2011 and amended in July 2014, the Tami-Mosi Project has an inferred resource of 412 million tonnes with an average grade of 12.3% Mg for a contained metal content of 111 billion pounds of magnesium using a 12% cut-off grade contained within a high purity dolomite block. For more information, please visit www.nevadacmi.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this news release include that we will conduct and close a private placement and that we can become a a major U.S. producer and distributor of primary, high grade, low cost magnesium metal. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors, including the Company's dolomite reserves may not be mined because of technical, regulatory, financing or other obstacles, the market price for magnesium may make our resources uneconomic, we may not be able hire and retain skilled employees, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. We may not be able to close with interested investors on our intended private placement because of perceived risks or market conditions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release.

To Reach Nevada Clean Magnesium Please Contact:

Edward Lee, CEO at (604) 210-9862

For additional information please visit our website at http://www.nevadacmi.com or view our profile at http://www.sedar.com.

You may also follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Copyright (c) 2016 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.


VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2016 / Diamond Fields International Ltd. (TSXV: DFI) ("DFI" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a conditional Purchase Agreement with Pala Investments Limited ("Pala") and Austral Resources Limited ("Austral") for the purchase of the Beravina Zircon deposit (the "Deposit") in Madagascar (the "Agreement"), subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange.

Pala and Austral collectively own 100% of the issued shares of Action Mining Limited ("Action"), a Mauritius company and the parent company of the Madagascar entity holding the license to the Deposit. Under the terms of the Agreement, DFI, through its wholly owned subsidiary Kimberley Overseas, will acquire 100% of the issued shares of Action. In consideration therefor, DFI has agreed (a) to pay Pala US$300,000 (Cdn$391,878) cash and issue 3,265,650 common shares at a deemed price of Cdn$0.02 per share; and (b) pay Austral US$60,420 (Cdn$78,924) cash.

Beravina is a pegmatite hosted hard rock zircon deposit located approximately 325 kilometers west-northwest of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The Deposit is characterized by a small surface footprint, with the mineralized pegmatite describing a steeply dipping cone-shaped structure. A historical independent JORC compliant geological resource estimate on the property undertaken by Badger Mining and Consulting (Pty) Ltd. in 2012 estimated an indicated resource of 1.8mt at 29.5% zircon, open at depth. While the estimate was a consideration in the decision to acquire the deposit, the Company cautions that it is historical in nature and the Company is not treating such resources as a current resource under NI 43-101. Investors are further cautioned that a qualified person has not yet completed sufficient work to be able to verify the historical resources, and therefore they should not be relied upon. Limited metallurgical work undertaken to date indicates that the zircon ore can be liberated and concentrated by crushing and gravity separation.

The geological and technical information in this press release has been compiled and reviewed by Mr. Ian Ransome B.Sc. (Hons) Geology, Pri. Sci. Nat. Mr. Ransome is a director of DFI, and is a registered geological scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), and is thus a Qualified Person under NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators.

DIAMOND FIELDS INTERNATIONAL LTD.

SIGNED: "Sybrand van der Spuy"

Sybrand van der Spuy, Chief Executive Officer

Contact: Earl Young at +1 214 566 3709

Website: www.diamondfields.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

Statements in this release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors identified in Diamond Fields' periodic filings with Canadian Securities Regulators. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Diamond Fields does not assume the obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as otherwise required by law.

SOURCE: Diamond Fields International Ltd.
Call them gastropubs if you absolutely have to, but do we really have to? And while we're on the subject, can we agree that the pubs we actually want to eat in should still actually feel like a pub at heart, and respect all that is good and great about pies and steaks? Good, because that's how we feel too.

The Age restaurant reviewer Gemima Cody has done the hard yards so that you can drink your beer, soak up a good pub vibe, and eat well too.

Loretta the smoker has moved into pub terroir. Photo: Supplied

Bluebonnet Barbecue & Loretta's

Chris Terlikar has moved his impressive American barbecue skills into the old Fitzroy Star and some gun bartenders have moved in alongside. Prime brisket, mac and cheese and a good Manhattan, together at last.

32 St Georges Road South, Fitzroy North, 03 9972 1815, bluebonnetbbq.com.au

Town Hall Hotel's selection of cured meats. Photo: Wayne Taylor

Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel

Sean Donovan can't help making pubs excellent. Currently he's in Fitzroy, plying you with charcuterie, oysters and champagne in a greenhouse-ish courtyard, and then doubling down with Mediterranean cauliflower wonders and butcher's cut steaks in a dining room furnished with bugles.

166 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, 03 9416 5055, fitzroytownhallhotel.com.au

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Quality Victorian meat is on the menu (and in the burger) at The Grosvenor in St Kilda East. Photo: Simon Shiff The Grosvenor

On the fast and furious end, chef Paul Tyas' $15 blister-based wood fired pizza make this huge operation the area's go-to boozer. You can also get intimidating burgers from the burger bar offshoot, or order a whole suckling pig for a group party.

10 Brighton Road, St Kilda East, 03 9531 1542, grosvenorhotel.com.au

Acorn-fed ham and burrata at Lamaro's Bodega. Photo: Wayne Taylor Lamaro's Bodega Witness the pig above the door then get some on your plate. The folk from Greenvale Farm pork have an interest in this South Melbourne pub, which turns out Carlton Draught and Spanish croquettes in the bar, then all things charcoal-grilled from octopus to heirloom carrots and prosciutto approaching jamon de Iberico in the bistro. 273279 Cecil Street, South Melbourne, 03 9690 3737, lamarosbodega.com.au Leonard's House of Love

This hot mess of retro excellence  vintage TV sets, shagpile and a taxidermy mongoose wrestling a cobra  bangs out easy American cocktails, craft beers and damn good frankenfood by chef Nick Stanton from vegan buns to a cheeseburger-stuffed chicken.

3 Wilson Street, South Yarra, 0428 066 778

Buratta with heirloom tomatoes at the Fitzroy Town Hall Hotel. Photo: Josh Robenstone

The Lincoln

It's proof that Australian pubs can have roots and wings too. This is goose liver parfait, cauliflower and pomegranate salads and serious wines in a cleaned-up but classic shell. Like the drinks list? They do bottleshop sales.

91 Cardigan Street, Carlton, 03 9347 4666, hotellincoln.com.au

Marquis of Lorne

It's the best make-under of the past two years  three still distinctly pubbish levels with a party bar on the roof, a fire on the ground floor and a fresh bistro doing charred hanger steaks instead of suspiciously cheap sirloins, oysters you trust and salads with all the superfoods.

411 George Street, Fitzroy, 03 9417 5001, marquisoflorne.com.au

The Palace Hotel

Aside from having a dog as a publican and one of the most on-it craft beer programs in the city, the counter meals are never lily-gilded. If it's curry, it's spice-fragrant and banged in a bowl. Occasionally, they pull out the grill for courtyard meat parties.

505 City Road, South Melbourne, 03 9682 3177, thepalacehotel.net.au

A negroni on the bar of Lamaro's Bodega in South Melbourne. Photo: Wayne Taylor

The Railway Hotel

It's a full-on fine dining adventure upstairs at Highline, but they're as serious about the Brit-ish bar menu, where you can get a whole stuffed chicken for $25 with extra gravy and dinner rolls or a ploughman's with all their own smallgoods.

29 Chapel Street, Windsor, 03 9510 4050, therailway.com.au

Milk and honey dessert at Highline at the Railway Hotel, Windsor. Photo: Supplied

Woodlands Hotel

This craft beer hub in Coburg is worth visiting for the flocked thrones, giant toy soldiers and jungle courtyard alone, but the curries on Wednesday nights ($15 including a pot) are worth a trip on the 19 tram.

8488 Sydney Road, Coburg, 03 9384 1122, thewoodlandshotel.com.au

The Age Good Food Guide 2017 is on sale in newsagents and bookstores, with all book purchases receiving free access to the new Good Food app.
Associated Press file Afghan police walk past Islamic State militant flags on a wall Aug. 1, 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.

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By Mirwais Khan And Lynne OOonnell, Associated Press

KANDAHAR, 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, 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.

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 airstrikes.

Last 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.
Associated Press Photos Members of the Louisiana Army National Guard rescue people from rising floodwaters Sunday near Walker, La., after heavy rains inundated the region.

SHARE 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) A vehicle is submerged in floodwaters Sunday in Youngsville, La. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people had been rescued so far. He declared a state of emergency Saturday, calling the floods "unprecedented" and "historic." Trucks attempt to drive through a flooded intersection in Youngsville, La., Sunday, Aug 14, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that at least 7,000 people had been rescued so far. He declared a state of emergency Saturday, calling the floods iunprecedentedi and ihistoric. i (Scott Clause/The Layfayette Advertiser via AP) In this image released by the Louisiana National Guard (LANG), soldiers with the Louisiana National Guard help two women and a dog out of the back of a high-water vehicle on Airline Road in Baton Rouge, La., after being rescued in Millerville, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. The LANG has rescued more than 3,400 people and 400 pets during search and rescue operations since operations began 48 hours ago. (1st Lt. Gomez/U.S. Army National Guard via AP)

By Michael Kunzelman And Max Becherer, Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La.  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. 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.

"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.

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 still are rising.

Approximately 18,000 people have been rescued from East Baton Rouge and Livingston Parishes, said Maj. Doug Cain. Those were two of the hardest-hit areas.

The federal government declared a major disaster in the state, specifically in the parishes of Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards 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 Sunday.

Four people have been reported dead, said Devin George, the state registrar for vital records. The death toll rose Sunday when a man's body was found washed up on a riverbank in Tangipahoa 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 rescued people from cars stranded on a miles-long stretch of Interstate 12.

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.

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 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.
Tim Henderson/The Pew Charitable Trusts Mayor Christopher Louras with a sign promoting the volunteer group that is preparing to welcome Syrian refugees to Rutland, Vt.

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By Tim Henderson, Stateline.org (TNS)

RUTLAND, Vt.  Mayor Christopher Louras sees trouble ahead for this small city of about 16,000 at the foot of the Green Mountains.

"It's a strong, vibrant community but unless we do something to stem the population decline, we're going to be in big, big trouble," Louras said. "And it's not just Rutland. Rutland is a microcosm of the state and small towns around the country."

But the mayor sees a quick fix. He's asked Vermont's resettlement agency to send refugees to Rutland, and says they would help fill vacant housing and entry-level jobs to keep the economy moving.

It's an approach small towns from Montana to Georgia are increasingly considering as they grapple with shrinking and aging populations.

The mayors of Central Falls, R.I.; Clarkston, Ga.; and Haledon, N.J., joined big-city mayors last year in signing a letter saying they had accepted Syrian refugees and would take more. And as some governors and members of Congress called for a halt to the arrival of refugees from Syria, the mayors of Normal, Urbana and Evanston in Ill.; Socorro, Texas; and Clearfield City, Utah, signed a letter that noted "the importance of continuing to welcome refugees to our country and to our cities."

Few refugees have resettled in Montana since 1991. But with Missoula Mayor John Engen's support, a branch of the International Rescue Committee opened its doors and the group has arranged to help settle 100 Congolese refugees, who are expected to start arriving this month.

The decision to seek refugees, especially Muslims from Syria, can be a political lightning rod. The mayor of Sandpoint, Idaho  population 7,800  proposed welcoming Syrian refugees when he was sworn in, in January, but withdrew the idea the same month after raucous protests.

But there's a growing sense among local officials, especially in small towns, that refugees have something to offer the economy, said Eskinder Negash, a former director of the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

"Every time a refugee rents an apartment, every time a refugee shops for food, there's some income coming in for the city and going into the tax base," said Negash, now a senior vice president of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a network of groups that help resettle refugees around the country. "There's a new realization that refugees can be an economic engine for some of these small communities."

Small towns and rural areas across the U.S. have been losing population since 2010, though the losses have shrunk to 4,000 a year in 2015 from an average of 33,000 a year earlier in the decade, according to a May report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But in many areas, refugees have helped to offset or reverse the losses.

About 350 refugees settled in Fargo, N.D., last year, mostly from Somalia, Iraq and Bhutan. And they have contributed to strong population and economic growth, said Fargo's mayor, Dr. Tim Mahoney.

"Our refugees have come in and brought a lot to our community," Mahoney said. "They opened a mosque, and people came in and said, 'Oh, this is just like a Lutheran social. There's food.'"

The refugees also made the city more diverse, Mahoney said, with the nonwhite population growing from 2 to 11 percent since 2002.

"Our priority is to be a welcoming city and continue to grow in that manner," Mahoney said.

In Clarkston, Mayor Ted Terry, a Democrat, said you can read the history of world conflict in the city's refugee population. There are Vietnamese, many now elderly, who came in the wake of the Vietnam War; Ethiopians, Eritreans, Somalis, Sudanese, Bosnians, Bhutanese and Burmese, who started arriving in the '90s; more recent arrivals from Afghanistan and Iraq; and Syrians, who began to arrive last year. Many of the refugees have found jobs in chicken plants, where Mexican immigrants used to work.
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In the wake of an unexpected federal appeals court decision, a Texas federal judge on Wednesday eased the restrictions of the state's onerous voter identification law for this year's election.

But despite Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos' acceptance of the compromise 2016 plan worked out by the state, the Justice Department and minority rights groups  and despite several other favorable decisions affecting Texas and other states  the battle against Republican efforts to tighten voting laws is hardly over.

In Texas, the 2016 plan will allow someone without a photo ID to vote by signing an affidavit that he or she is a U.S. citizen and presenting proof of residence, such as a paycheck, bank statement or utility bill. But it won't keep state officials from pressing to preserve the 2011 law requiring photo ID, including appealing the 5th Circuit's ruling against it to the Supreme Court.

And don't underestimate the resilience of groups backing tighter voting curbs in the name of preventing largely 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-uninformed statements, raising the prospect of an election "rigged" by widespread voter fraud.

In what many saw as a possible excuse if he loses in November, Trump told The Washington Post, "If the election is rigged, I would not be surprised." He cited "the voter ID situation," adding, "We may have people vote 10 times." And on Tuesday, he praised the North Carolina voter ID law that courts have rejected.

Though he provided no evidence, Trump will soon be able to cite a forthcoming book by the president of the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton, which alleges Justice Department efforts to block voting curbs could instead trigger widespread voter fraud.

This counterattack comes as federal courts are showing increasing resistance to the post-2008 GOP-led effort to curb voting in the name of preventing fraud, despite the slim evidence that fraud is a serious problem.

In recent weeks, separate rulings by two appeals courts  the 5th Circuit dominated by conservative judges and the 4th Circuit controlled by liberals  rejected the strict voter ID laws passed by Texas and North Carolina, confounding expectations of contrary verdicts requiring a Supreme Court resolution.

That may yet happen, though the death of Justice Antonin Scalia has left the court split 4-4 on many issues and unable to provide much legal guidance.

But the Supreme Court split may change next year, presuming the next president wins Senate confirmation of a justice to fill the court's vacant ninth seat. A Hillary Clinton nominee could provide a majority to overturn the 2008 decision legalizing state voter ID laws, a decision whose recent skeptics include the appeals court judge whose decision the high court upheld.

In the North Carolina case, a 4th Circuit panel ruled out both the state's voter ID law and other restrictions that reduced early voting days and limited the kinds of documents voters could use to identify themselves. 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.

Carl P. Leubsdorf is the former Washington bureau chief of the Dallas Morning News. Contat him at carl.p.leubsdorf@gmail.com.
needed a big idea. Like other places around the country, it struggles with a large homeless population, and local leaders were determined to do something about it. So last year when the county received $16 million in grant funding from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department, officials there wanted a plan that would really have a lasting effect.We were thinking, How do we make a collective impact on homelessness? says Nick Macchione, director of the countys health and human services agency. The problem, he says, was that homeless people didnt just need housing. They also frequently needed to be connected with other health and human services programs in order to thrive. But trying to coordinate those programs was a challenge. We were working with many well-meaning housing providers who didnt understand how Medicaid works, he says. And vice-versa, there was stuff related to housing that I had to learn. And all of us just want to help the same people, who all happen to be our clients.The county had already launched a program that sought to coordinate housing, health and rehabilitation services specifically for chronically homeless people suffering from mental illness. Officials began toying with the idea of expanding that approach to combine all their efforts related to housing and the array of other programs that touch the lives of low-income residents.The plan? A merger. As of July 1, San Diego officially merged those services into a new Health, Housing and Human Services Department. The underlying philosophy, says Macchione, who heads the new superagency, is simple: No home, no health.San Diego is the largest jurisdiction to pull off this kind of merger in recent years, but its far from the only one. Governments in much of the country are looking at the idea. And as they consider it, they are bound to ponder the experiences of the real pioneer in this effort: Boulder County, Colo.In 2009, Boulder became the first county in the nation to merge its housing and human services functions into one single agency. In doing so, Boulder put itself among the vanguard of places that were beginning to focus on the social determinants of health -- the idea that its fruitless to address community health without also tying in things like food security, transportation access, rehabilitation services and employment. We know that poverty equals poor health outcomes, says Frank Alexander, director of Boulder Countys Housing and Human Services department. If you dont connect housing with public health, youre never going to benefit from the social determinants framework.As more places around the country experiment with a whole person approach to housing and human services, Boulder provides a blueprint for what can work -- and a warning about what pitfalls to avoid. Its never easy to merge programs, let alone entire departments. Balancing multiple priorities and funding streams can be problematic. But as the field of human services coalesces around a focus on the social determinants of health, more cities and counties will be exploring the same question: Just how linked are homes and health?Boulder County, with the city of Boulder at its heart, is well known for its quirky vibe. Bikes can outnumber cars on downtown streets, and Tibetan handicraft boutiques seem as common as coffee houses. Its a laid-back livability thats made Boulder a prime draw for new residents in recent years. As a result, housing prices have shot up. Average rents in the county have risen 50 percent since 2011, and the median home value has jumped 32 percent since 2010. The annual income needed to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Boulder is $49,280, but the median income for renters sits at about $37,000.In the early 2000s, Alexander became concerned about the devastating effect of housing costs. As the county housing authority director at the time, he could see the housing crisis of 2008 on the horizon. The recession wasnt here yet, he says, but you could practically smell it coming. There was stress in the air.Meanwhile, community needs assessments suggested something Boulder officials likely already knew: For people who needed the housing departments services, the countys other services systems were too complicated and challenging to navigate. The county, says Alexander, was really experiencing this new phenomenon of suburbanization of poverty. We have a lot of people dealing with job loss, income loss, housing instability. All of these economic factors begged for a new department that could address all of these issues.Alexander began thinking of how the county might address its residents needs in a different way. He wanted to create a one-stop shop where people could get all the public benefits they need in one place, with housing as the foundation for a healthy life.A few factors converged to make the department merger a reality. First, the countys social services director was retiring, which meant that Alexander could leverage that leadership opening to start a conversation about reorganization. Second, as county leaders began to see the full weight of the recession, they were more willing to talk about an organizational transition, particularly one that could potentially cut costs while more efficiently delivering services to residents in need. In January 2009, Boulder County merged its housing authority and social services department into a single agency.One of the biggest immediate benefits was a technological one: data integration. Every public benefits program -- including Section 8, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) -- has its own unique set of qualifications. By merging departments, Boulder also merged that information into a single database. Now, about seven years after the merger, the department says it has about 80 to 90 percent of a clients information housed in the unified database, and its working on data sharing and other partnerships with local community organizations that give them a more holistic picture of a family in need. Weve had to take the hood off each of these systems, and [now] we have a better picture of the client that is being served, says Jason McRoy, director of business operations and support for Boulder County HHS. We can see where they are and if theres a gap or something being missed that would benefit them.This integration of data has been instrumental in building Kestrel, a 192-unit affordable housing development set to open next spring in the Boulder County town of Louisville. The team working on the project was able to see the services already available within the town, as well as the makeup of the community, in order to decide what sort of programs and services would best benefit residents of the new development.For example, as soon as struggling families are settled in at Kestrel, theyll have the option to enroll in the five-year Family Self-Sufficiency program that helps families meet specified goals. That goal can range from no longer needing SNAP benefits to becoming homeowners. Family self-sufficiency programs are hardly unique to Boulder -- its a federally funded program -- but the county offers residents resources that help them move toward their goals, such as financial literacy classes, homeownership training courses and career development workshops. And because of the merged department, the county can pinpoint which programs Kestrel residents want the most and offer that help literally at their doorstep.But Boulders transition wasnt seamless. Merging departments during the worst economic downturn in recent history meant cutbacks and additional headaches. Thanks to a lack of funding, the new agency had to close an office building, freeze hiring and cut positions. A total of 35 positions were ultimately cut, out of a department of about 500 employees. Morale was low, and Alexander, the director, continually had to reassure residents that the merger had been a good idea, one that would help deliver services better.Then the department had a chance to prove its mettle. In 2010, Boulder County suffered a damaging wildfire, followed in 2013 by a flood that destroyed more than a billion dollars of property. For the HHS department, they were defining events. We set up a disaster assistance center, where people could register for FEMA, get clothes, get food, find housing and get connected to mental health providers, says Sarah Buss, the housing and emergency services coordinator for the department. It would have been a very different situation if we had just been a housing authority or social services department.on housing and other services is an idea thats beginning to take hold across the country. In the years since Boulders merger, a handful of other counties have taken steps to coordinate their housing and human services efforts. Pennsylvanias Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh, and Olmsted County, Minn., which includes the city of Rochester, have both consulted with Boulder on how to create a stronger delivery system with housing and human services departments, although neither of those counties has formally merged those departments.The city of Spokane, Wash., did merge its housing and social services departments in 2012. But its had a rockier ride than Boulder. Officials in Spokane say the merger has led to a 10 percent decrease in operating costs because of previously overlapping programs. But two different audits in the two years following the merger pointed to a mishandling of grant money. There were growing pains on the administrative level, and we had some work we had to do because of it, says Jonathan Mallahan, director of community and neighborhood services for Spokane. But now, I think our department is strong. Spokane is a midsized city where homelessness is starting to go down -- other cities in Washington cant say that -- and I think thats because of our merger.The potential for mishandling funds is only one potential pitfall of mergers like this, says Tracy Wareing Evans, the executive director of the American Public Human Services Association. Another, she says, is deciding what to prioritize. Historically, governments set up standalone housing authorities precisely to ensure the issue of housing remained a high priority, with no conflicts of interest. In a merged department, those priorities arent as clear-cut, she says. If youre housing and human services, can one overshadow the other? Will your dollars get allocated equally?Its too soon to call these types of full-scale mergers a nationwide trend, Wareing Evans says. One big reason for that, she says, is that federal funding for public benefits programs is still split among multiple different agencies. The federal government is very siloed in how it gives money. So in order for this to be a widespread trend, I think there would have to be some structural change at the federal level.Nonetheless, she says, the conversation about human services increasingly includes the issue of housing -- and thats a good thing. I think its more about people looking at the social determinants of health, and really trying to get to the basics of how people can be their healthiest self, she says. And housing is such a key part of that. Can you be a productive student in school if you dont have a home?In the seven years since the Boulder merger, the county has embraced a new mindset about the connectedness of social programs. Weve got child protective services workers who now feel comfortable sharing something with a housing case manager, who previously might have been viewed as the enemy because they were looking to kick someone out, says Buss, the Boulder housing and emergency services coordinator. That sort of evolution has occurred because of our shared mission.In San Diego, Macchione hopes for a similar shift in the way his county approaches these issues. Change can be scary, but we have to march forward and try something new, he says, adding that he considers Boulders achievement an inspiration to us all.When you move to a more collaborative [approach], youre going to see more value there. Youre going to come up with solutions you would have never thought of before.And he knows that this kind of culture change takes time. He was working in San Diego in 1997 when the county first formed the Health and Human Services Department, itself a merger of six previously separate county programs. It took about a decade to create a common culture there, he says, and there were plenty of lessons learned.
Vo: When did you two first meet?

Karen Quinlan: Its difficult to pinpoint an exact moment. In 2008, Jen Hawkins wore a fabulous Maticevski to our celebrated exhibition from the Victoria and Albert Museums The Golden Age of Couture, and I suspect this is when I first crossed paths with Toni. The conversation about an exhibition occurred on the runway of a Melbourne Fashion Festival show in 2013!

Toni Maticevski: Was it 2012 or 2013? I cant actually remember either! But yes, it was around the time I did that custom gown for Jen, which later made an appearance in our fall 2009 collection in New York, and then a custom version for Abbie Cornish, which she wore to Cannes in 2009. I actually cant remember if we were introduced or not.

V: Fashion exhibitions took some time to get their foothold in the art museum world, but are now so successful. Why do you think that is? What fashion exhibitions have you seen over the years? How have they informed the Maticevski exhibition experience?

KQ: I think that art museums had a collective revelation in the late 20th century and realised the importance of fashion beyond frivolity and indeed functionality, and recognised fashion design as mirroring the values held by society, providing inspiration for future generations. Once some successes occurred within the industry, it just took off.

My first taste of being part of this world occurred when I was working at the NGV in the early 90s, and I have remained fairly addicted ever since. I have always been mindful of the fact that such exhibitions dont necessarily bring in those hotly desired visitor numbers. However, if gallery directors are confident and cognisant with the science behind these specialised displays, they will undoubtedly get it right.

I saw Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in London and left feeling overwhelmed by how outrageously brilliant it was. How could any museum do better than that? I saw the Mets latest exhibition just a few days ago  Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology  and yes, it only gets better!

As a gallery director I see exhibition after exhibition and they all have an impact and provide ideas and new thought processes. With contemporary artists, l like to provide a blank canvas and allow them to dictate to a large extent the design and shape of the display. We are blessed to have the beautiful Bendigo Art Gallery to offer Toni. The individual exhibits for Dark Wonderland have been selected with our backdrop as key to the overall exhibition design.

To be honest, everything we display at Bendigo is part of a visual language offered by the gallery and Dark Wonderland will be an installation, a journey and place of contemplation. And thats where the success is for me.

TM: I think that fashion as exhibition has been elevated beyond the context of art. There is definitely a cultural connection to things, there is emotion and desire, there is a real sense of wonder, and I love the idea that fashion doesnt need to be described in its inspiration because everyone can find what they love or loath or are intrigued by and even not understand why they like something. I remember going to the NGV and seeing Balenciaga before I even knew who Balenciaga was. It was completely transformed by thinking about the art and craft of fashion and its transformative nature.

With an art exhibition, its a totally different thing for me. I end up absorbed or sometimes not, in the place it takes me, its connection to the artist. Fashion for me at least has a deeper connection because I can articulate the cut, the woman who wore it, the place she was photographed in it, how it was constructed, the detail, the embellishment, the colour, the romance.

I think to put these all on an equal level is difficult: each art form has a personal response. I can stare at a photograph for days or a painting or Francis Bacon until I am completely transfixed, appreciating all the above points too. I guess it always comes back to what connection one feels with the object and if it can transport them.

V: Karen, you wear Maticevski clothing. Why are you drawn to his designs?

KQ: I am not a tall model, but size and height isnt an issue when you wear Maticevski. When a woman walks into a room in one of his creations she is immediately recognisable because the designs are unique. Sounds like a contradiction right? But we all yearn for uniqueness on the red carpet of life, so the Maticevski allure for me personally lives somewhere in there.

V: Toni, how do your designs work for a woman like Karen, women that arent models?

TM: Ha! I agree there. I think it is about feeling oneself transformed and enhanced by fashion. I hear so many times how over time when someone wears something of mine they feel different, transformed and the best version of themselves. The confidence it sometimes takes to wear a statement piece is more about the confidence that it imbues in the wearer. I cant explain it any other way. With Karen she is petite and fine, and sometimes that can be tricky to get away with volume and structure. But Ive never thought of it, as Karen puts it, about uniqueness and the red carpet of life.

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Lawyers cannot provide legal services to establish, operate, or help someone do business with a medical marijuana business in Ohio, even though the state is about to legalize its use, according to an Ohio Supreme Court board.That's because marijuana is still banned under federal law, according to an advisory opinion released last week by the Supreme Court's Board of Professional Conduct.The board also asserted that any lawyer who uses medical marijuana personally or owns or is employed by a dispensary may face possible federal prosecution, and such activity "may adversely reflect on a lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness, and overall fitness to practice law."Attorneys are allowed to explain Ohio's medical marijuana law and give advice about the legality and consequences of operating under it and federal law, according to the advisory opinion.
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker put the National Guard on alert Sunday as Milwaukee grappled with the shooting of a 23-year-old black man by a police officer, an event that prompted fiery riots and gave rise to soul-searching among residents in one of the nation's most segregated cities, even as details of the man's death remained murky.More than 150 police officers swarmed the small neighborhood of Sherman Park, the site of this weekend's unrest, as protesters and mourners gathered through the evening Sunday amid the charred facades left from the night before. Firetrucks circled streets, ready to extinguish any new blazes, as protesters rallied in front of a police precinct and next to a park.Late Sunday night, two people were shot and taken to a hospital as protesters clashed with police. A police officer was taken to the hospital after a rock smashed through the officer's car. Another car was set on fire before being extinguished. Periodic shots rang throughout the night until around 1:30 a.m., when police retreated as protesters began to disperse. Police made several arrests.The news of Sylville Smith's death had spread on social media Saturday, prompting angry residents to set fire to a gas station and bank and throw bricks at police. At the makeshift candlelight vigil Sunday near where Smith died, family and community members shouted over one another about the devastating loss and the way protesters responded to it."I don't care if he had a gun," Kimberly Neal, Smith's sister, said in tears. Police say Smith was armed, wouldn't let go of his gun after a traffic stop and ran from police."I don't care if the guy was black," shouted a friend of Smith's, referring to the news that it was a black officer who shot him."Stop burning everything!" Neal shouted. A man responded, "Why?"A neighborhood resident asked, "If police say they have a body cam video, why don't they release it?"The sequence of events began on Saturday afternoon when police pulled over what they described as a "suspicious vehicle." According to police, two men in it ran in different directions from an officer. One was armed and would not let go of his gun after being ordered to do so, police said, and was shot twice, in the chest and arm. The shots proved fatal.The other man was arrested.The chase and shooting happened in under a minute.Walker said in a statement on Sunday that he wanted video from the officer's body camera to be released quickly and said that the incident was being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice.By Saturday evening, angry crowds had gathered and marched outside the police station in Sherman Park, on the main strip of Fond Du Lac Avenue, by businesses including a BP gas station and beauty salon that were set afire. Rioting quieted by early morning, and community volunteer groups came later in the morning to clean up.But city leaders, residents and police, who said they had received threats, were on edge again by Sunday night.Smith's death touched a nerve in a city with a history of racial tension and in a state where both the incarceration rate of black men and the income gap between blacks and whites exceed the national average. The 2014 shooting of Dontre Hamilton -- a black man who fought with an officer who had roused him from a park bench -- led to protests but no charges for the officer, who was fired for improperly escalating the situation. The U.S. Department of Justice is in the midst of a voluntary review of the city's police department.As in cities that experienced civil unrest over police shootings before, including Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, the events in Milwaukee, which has a population of 600,000, have torn open tension between police and residents.The shooting also came during a particularly violent 24 hours in the city, where five people were killed in three non-officer-involved shootings between Friday night and Saturday morning. Police reported that they were investigating another unrelated homicide Sunday afternoon."This isn't new. This isn't just my brother," Neal, Smith's sister, said at an emotional vigil Sunday. Shootings have "been happening again and again."She pleaded for peace, even as she said his death was unjustified.Speaking to reporters over the weekend, Alderman Khalif Rainey, whose district includes the site of the violence, said that the burning and other violent reactions were not justified but that he understood residents' frustrations. Black residents are "tired of living under this oppression," he said, adding that "nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wis., that have to be rectified."Last month, violence also hit Sherman Park, where 100 residents threw rocks and bottles at police officers, a public bus and the same gas station that burned over the weekend. The neighborhood, once a destination for middle-class and upper-middle-class black residents, has been hit hard over the years as factories have closed in the city, and it has lagged in recovering from the Great Recession.Brian Rothgery, an activist and former campaign volunteer who has done political canvassing in the neighborhood where unrest broke out, described the scene Saturday night as "tense and unpredictable.""I don't know if you would call it a protest. People were pissed and wanted to smash stuff," said Rothgery, 39, who heard of the commotion from friends and social media before leaving his home in Riverwest, about 45 blocks from the rioting, to observe."We spent 2 1/2 hours crisscrossing the neighborhood, watching the fires," said Rothgery, who is white. "This is the heart of the black city, and it's been hit so hard with deindustrialization, unemployment and institutionalized racism."Police said gunshots by protestors prevented officials from putting out fires at the businesses on Saturday. One officer was hospitalized after being hit in the head with a brick thrown through the window of a squad car, police said, and three other officers were reported injured. Two police cars were totaled and four were damaged. Six businesses, including the hair salon and an auto parts store, were damaged.People in the crowd also chased off journalists with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, shoving and punching one of them, the newspaper reported. At least one car was burned.Milwaukee's police union said that it was outraged by the response to the shooting and that police officials granted its request to have officers ride in pairs. The union portrayed the man killed in the shooting as a hardened criminal, releasing a video with case numbers of Smith's court history."Leadership must denounce violent riotous behavior! There can be no appropriateness in rationalizing terrorist-like actions," the Milwaukee Police Assn. said in a statement. "The thugs that caused this are certainly terrorists and must be held accountable."Smith had been in regular contact with police over the years, according to public records, including at least 32 mostly minor citations since 2010. The majority were traffic violations, including driving without insurance, not wearing a seat belt, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. Last year, Smith was charged in a shooting with "recklessly endangering safety" and witness intimidation. Both charges were dismissed. Another case for shoplifting was also dismissed.Maina Fetaw, a 21-year-old journalism student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, found herself in the neighborhood Saturday because she was worried about her friends who live there."The feeling was a lot of anger and frustration," said Fetaw, who is black and lives a few miles from the area where violence broke out. "I saw tears and pain and confusion. Many chanting 'black power' or 'black lives matter.' Many people, many of the ones I knew personally, were angry about another death by the hands of police."On Sunday morning, residents, clergy members and activists gathered to hold prayer circles where fires had burned the night before and to clean up the streets.The Coalition for Justice, a group that formed in the wake of Hamilton's death, put out a call for the cleanup and said the violence had burst open after years of black residents' frustration over inequalities."What happened last night was a revolt and an uproar, not just a disturbance. The media have no problem to classify us at thugs but have been reluctant to call a spade a spade," the group said. "The people are angry. The people are fed up, and the people are demanding their freedom."Dozens of protesters had gathered separately Sunday afternoon and evening on the street near the BP gas station that was set ablaze the previous night, as well as outside the District 7 police station in Sherman Park, chanting, "Black lives matter!"Small vigils and protests of dozens of people, many peaceful, continued into the night. Several local and outside groups, including a Moorish organization, Black Panthers and church pamphleteers, converged in the streets, saying they were there to protest. Shots were heard throughout the night as some protestors faced off with police on streets around the neighborhood. Several threw rocks or bricks at officers and were arrested. Others were arrested for not dispersing after police announced that they were part of an "unlawful assembly."About 10:45 p.m., police clashed with protesters near Sherman Park as protesters blocked a street and threw rocks at officers. One person was shot and taken to a hospital, police said. At around 12:15 a.m., an officer was taken to the hospital from an injury after a rock went through his car window, and an 18-year-old boy was later taken to the hospital after being shot hit by what appeared to be a stray bullet, police said. A car in the neighborhood was set ablaze for at least 15 minutes before fire officials put it out after 1 a.m.The weekend had shocked residents, who have become accustomed to news of violence but not of riots or arson. What happened over the weekend was "unlike anything I have seen in my adult life in this city," Mayor Tom Barrett said. "I hope I never see it again."
On Friday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey departed Brisbane for an official visit to Mt Isa.

In the afternoon, at the Mt Isa City Council office, His Excellency and Mrs de Jersey received a briefing on local issues from Council representatives and met staff.

Following, at Buchanan Park, Mt Isa, His Excellency toured the Mt Isa Mines Rotary Rodeo site, and then later in the evening, with Mrs de Jersey, returned to officially open the 2016 Rodeo and address guests.
On Saturday, in the morning, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC and Mrs Kaye de Jersey visited the Outback at Isa Centre, toured operations and met staff, and then, in the afternoon, returned to Brisbane.
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(TNS)  NORWALK, Conn.  A freshly-launched mobile application for Connecticut residents will put emergency alerts and preparation tips right at your fingertips.Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced on Tuesday the launch of the app, known as CT Prepares, which will provide information and alerts in emergency situations as well as help state residents to prepare in advance of an emergency.CT Prepares can be downloaded to most smartphones, and incorporates and integrates text messaging, email, and social networking, allowing residents to communicate with family members during an emergency. Real-Time notifications including emergency news, state office closings, and public safety messages can be sent directly to the device, providing up-to-the-minute information for residents.We are constantly planning and constantly preparing to remain one step ahead of potential emergency situations. This is yet another tool in our goal to be as resilient as we can be as a state, Malloy said. As we have seen in past storms and emergency situations, communication is critical. The CT Prepares app will no doubt help us in that effort by providing residents with critical information during emergencies. I encourage residents to download this app to their mobile devices.Features of the app include:With just a keystroke, anyone can download the CT Prepares app to their mobile devices and in a matter of a minute, be better prepared for any disaster or emergency they may face, said Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) Commissioner Dora Schriro. And thats especially important as we approach the height of this years hurricane season in Connecticut.The app can be downloaded for free from the iTunes Apple Store for Apple devices and Google Play for Android devices by searching the keyword CT Prepares. It was developed jointly by DESPP and Connecticut Interactive.
(TNS)  TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.  Two Grand Traverse County information technology staffers toiled for years to keep an aging, but vital computer system running on hundreds of desktops in county and Traverse City government departments.Those staffers' recent resignations prompted a scramble by county, city and Traverse City Light & Power officials who fear that system  AS/400  could crash and leave departments unable to take bills, run receipts or look up records.TCL&P Executive Director Tim Arends said there's effectively no one left with AS/400 experience."So, we feel extremely vulnerable," he said.Grand Traverse County IT staff provide services within county government, as well as for Traverse City and Traverse City Light & Power. Officials from all three entities met this week to craft backup plan in case there's a problem with the AS/400 infrastructure.Arends also proposed that TCL&P staff take over IT services for the city  a proposal to which city officials haven't responded.County Administrator Tom Menzel acknowledged other officials are "sensitive" about the issue, but he said current IT staff should be able to handle problems. He said the larger issue is that the county became reliant on an computer system first developed in the 1980s."It shows me a lack of critical investment in infrastructure in the organization thats kept it years behind," he said.It's a problem that threatens to spill over into city government and TCL&P, thanks to recent turmoil within the county. A spate of experienced county employees tendered resignations or transferred to other departments amid controversial benefit cuts and organizational changes.Longtime county IT Director Don Sheehan and Mike Reed, an IT programmer, both resigned after a critical IT audit. Both Sheehan and Reed helped oversee the AS/400 system. They couldn't be reached for comment.County Clerk Bonnie Scheele said AS/400 programs are used extensively in her vital records office. She said there are backup copies her staff can pull by hand or else hand type if the system crashes. But clerk's staff won't be able to make receipts, she said.Story continues below video"Almost all departments use AS/400," she said. "When it comes down, it kind of comes to a standstill."Arends similarly said TCL&P staff rely on those programs to send bills, receive payments and help with customers' calls. He fears a crash would leave his staff unable to do their jobs."The customer service reps wont be able to look at their accounts to answer their questions," he said.County officials contracted a Toledo, Ohio, technology firm to help with AS/400 following Sheehan's and Reed's departures. Traverse City Manager Marty Colburn said the meeting this week covered a backup plan in case the system crashed "on site."He called that a "1 percent" chance."The county does have some staff that are qualified in their specific areas, but this is meant to be a redundancy," he said.Arends said TCL&P officials will contract Sheehan and Reed to handle AS/400 issues. He said they'll also help draft a transition plan for moving the city's IT services from the county to TCL&P."Whether that occurs or doesnt occur, we need a plan in place," he said.Menzel said that decision, if made, would be "counterproductive." He said county officials are searching for a new IT director, but won't rush into that decision.Officials also need to look into a "major infrastructure investment," he said."We definitely, definitely need to get out of this AS/400 system that is 25 years old," he said.
(TNS)  PORTSMOUTH, N.H.  You can eat, drink and practice yoga in Portsmouth by paying with the electronic currency Bitcoin, thanks in large part to Steven Zeiler, a city resident, financial software developer and "Bitcoin evangelist."The 26-year-old technology professional said he's been paid in Bitcoin and shops online with Bitcoin, but was frustrated with an inability to use it at local businesses. A Bikram yoga practitioner, he asked Sarah Curry, owner of the local Bikram Yoga studio on Islington Street, if she'd accept payment from him in Bitcoin and she said yes. In May, Zeiler filmed a video of Curry adhering a sticker to the front door of the yoga studio announcing the "cryptocurrency" is now accepted there."I work with the number one banking technology in cyrptospace, so I'm always working on expanding the Bitcoin technology," Zeiler said. "I have a lot of friends on the Seacoast who use it and I want people near me to accept it."Zeiler's latest convert is Street restaurant in Portsmouth, which also now accepts payment by Bitcoin. Street employee Jim Karlotski said Zeiler was dining in the Islington Street restaurant one evening when he asked about hosting a meeting for Bitcoin enthusiasts. Karlotski said the 15 to 20 new customers for the meeting would mean hundreds of dollars in new revenue for the restaurant, but he was told payment would have to be in Bitcoins."We already use iPads for our point of sale system, so they recommended a few apps to ease the process along and eventually we settled on Bitcoin Checkout by BitPay," he said. "Imagine if you had a customer coming from Japan and paying in yen. They would hand you a credit card, the bank would automatically convert the yen into U.S. dollars, and the end result would be the same as if they paid with a U.S. credit card. The process with BitPay is very similar, except with a cellphone camera and a QR code instead of a credit card. The customer pays for the service with Bitcoins, the BitPay company converts it at the current exchange rate, and U.S. dollars are deposited into your bank account."Karlotski said setup took about a half hour "and now we have the structure to accept Bitcoins in the future.""At the end of the day, it's really just business and another way to attract customers and keep them happy," he said.Zeiler said he uses purse.io to purchase anything from Amazon with Bitcoin and usually gets a 20 percent discount doing it. Online retailer Overstock.com accepts Bitcoin, Microsoft will accept Bitcoin payment for games, and gift cards are available for purchase with Bitcoin that can then be used to buy with from retailers currently not accepting Bitcoin.Joshua Cyr, a Portsmouth city councilor and director of Alpha Loft, was an early adopter of Bitcoin and in 2014 hosted The Bitcoin Symposium at The Music Hall, with "a few other enthusiasts," as part of the Digital Portsmouth series. For business owners accepting Bitcoin, Cyr said, they might choose to hold onto it, "or they might process it into cash at the end of the day.""There's really no downside to accepting (Bitcoin) if converting to cash via a service," he said. "It's just being flexible."
(TNS) -- The company that supplies fingerprint-identification systems to the FBI, the Defense Department and drivers-license agencies in most U.S. states is based in France and describes its technology as French in origin.But in a lawsuit newly unsealed in federal court in San Jose, plaintiffs identified as two former company executives say the technology was actually developed by a Russian firm, is used by Russias security agency, and could be sabotaged in the event of a crisis.It is conceivable, the suit said, that the software contains a back door that would enable the Russian government to override fingerprint identification devices in such strategic places (as) the Pentagon, the CIA, the NSA (National Security Agency) and other secure areas, and gain unauthorized entry.A confidential, 25-year agreement between the French and Russian companies, signed in 2008, includes a declaration by the Russian firm, Papillon ZAO, that its software does not contain any undisclosed back door or other disabling mechanism. But the lawsuit said the declaration has not been independently verified, by either the French firm or any government agency.That might not matter for routine uses of fingerprint-identification technology, like issuing replacement drivers licenses. But federal agencies also use the technology for more sensitive purposes, like allowing only people with clearances and a matching print on file to gain access to secure areas. Such protections could be bypassed if the technology were hacked.The national security implications are significant, attorney Daniel Bartley of Campbell said in the lawsuit.The suit said the French firm, Morpho, and its parent company, Safran Group, also based in France, made surreptitious sales of more than $1 billion in Russian technology to federal, state and local governments in the United States between 2009 and 2015.Morphos website describes the company as the acknowledged expert in identification systems, and says it supplies technology to the FBI, the Defense and State departments, the Transportation Security Administration, and more than half of all state and local government agencies in the United States.Bartley described his two clients as whistle-blowers and very credible. One, Philippe Desbois, is a former chief executive officer of Morphos Russian affiliate and was Safrans financial representative in Russia until mid-2014, the suit said. It said the second plaintiff, Vincent Hascoet, was deputy director of an affiliated company, PowerJet, in Moscow from July 2012 through May 2014, and was fired after complaining of corruption. Both are French citizens who live in Russia.Their suit says Morpho and Safran defrauded the U.S. government and the state of California by falsely claiming their technology as French rather than Russian, violating antitrust laws and presenting false claims for payment. It invokes laws allowing private citizens to collect a portion of any resulting damages, and seeks court orders making the companies ineligible for contracts with the U.S. or the state. It was filed in San Jose because Morpho has an office there.The allegations havent won any public support from the federal or state governments. Bartley said he presented his evidence to the U.S. Justice Department and the California attorney generals office in a private meeting in July 2015, and both agencies declined to intervene in the case. Bartley also said the federal and state governments, and the governments of many U.S. allies, continue to use Morpho products.In a statement denouncing the suit, Safran Groups U.S. affiliate said the government agencies exercised due diligence in deciding not to intervene.The suit contains inflammatory and baseless allegations and lacks merit, Safran U.S. said Thursday. As the leader of the biometric industry for over 42 years, we take the defense of our reputation and security matters about products and solutions very seriously. We are confident that we will successfully defend the case.Bartley called the statement evasive because it did not address the central claim that the technology in Safran and Morpho products is actually Russian. The attorney, who has filed many such suits for different clients, said the federal government seldom chooses to intervene, but hes puzzled by officials apparently calm response to these allegations.Its hard for me to understand why something like this wouldnt have resulted in swift action and alarm bells going off in Washington, Bartley said.The Justice Department declined to comment on the suit.
Children who rely on school lunch programs have a higher likelihood of becoming overweight , possibly due to the food served through those federally-funded programs, according to a new report by researchers at Virginia Tech.

The report found that children in the South, Northeast and rural America who rely on school breakfast and lunch programs for one-third to one-half of their daily meals are especially susceptible to becoming overweight.

The report focused on data from 1998 to 2007, before the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which mandated healthier school meals beginning with the 2012-13 school year. However, many students were critical of the healthy changes to school meals and were unwilling to eat some of the food. As my colleague Evie Blad reported in 2014, a pair of surveys found that some students have slowly come around to the healthier meals , which require schools to serve more fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Still, educators and school staff members reported in the surveys that students continue to throw away parts of their lunch, and overall, participation in the school meal program has been declining for years.

Researcher Wen You said the report shows a need for school meal programs to include food that is nutritious and appetizing to children.

The question now is what to do in order to not just fill bellies, but make sure those children consume healthy and nutritious food -- or at least not contribute to the obesity epidemic, You said in a press release.

Children in rural America are the top users of food assistance programs according to a 2014 report. Rural families may lack access to healthy foods or live far from grocery stores and are increasingly living in poverty. Between 1999 and 2013, the rural child poverty rate increased by 7 percentage points.

Research shows that rural children are more likely than their urban peers to suffer from a range of health issues, like obesity, asthma, or diabetes, which has been partly attributed to a lack of healthy and affordable foods in rural areas.

This post has been updated to include the timeframe of the report.
Railroaded 'Making a Murderer' Teen Freed by Federal Judge

For anyone watching 'Making a Murder,' from seasoned attorneys to your average layperson, it was fairly obvious what happened to Brendan Dassey, nephew of the documentary's subject Steven Avery. An impressionable and possibly mentally impaired teen was hauled into a police station and bolstered, berated, and badgered in turns until he confessed to a gruesome murder. (This followed similar treatment from his own attorney.) And it was also apparent to viewers, as it must have been to the officers interviewing him, that Dassey's confession failed to match the facts of the case.

Today, a federal judge agreed, saying that Dassey's constitutional rights had been violated by both his attorney and police investigators, overturned his conviction, and ordered him to be released, ten years after his conviction.

A Defendant Alone

U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin pulled no punches in his 91-page opinion, heaping scorn upon Dassey's first attorney, Len Kachinsky, as well as police interrogators who questioned Dassey. Over a 48-hour period, Dassey was interrogated four times -- including three times in just 24 hours -- all without legal representation, and most without a parent, or other adult present. (For those who didn't see the documentary, prior to the police interrogation, Kachinsky urged Dassey to confess to him, then passed on that information to officers.) Judge Duffin wrote:

Although it probably does not need to be stated, it will be: Kachinsky's conduct was inexcusable both tactically and ethically. It is one thing for an attorney to point out to a client how deep of a hole the client is in. But to assist the prosecution in digging that hole deeper is an affront to the principles of justice that underlie a defense attorney's vital role in the adversarial system.

As for the officers that interrogated Dassey and misled him as to the evidence in the case as well as the consequences of his confession:

These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey's age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey's confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. The Wisconsin Court of Appeals' decision to the contrary was an unreasonable application of clearly established federal law.

A Wrong Righted

Dassey's conviction in Teresa Halbach's murder was based entirely on his confession. In light of the constitutional violations involved in securing that confession, Judge Duffin reversed Dassey's conviction and ordered him to be released from the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, Wisconsin. Prosecutors will have 90 days to decide if they would like to retry Dassey.

The ruling is certainly welcome news to Dassey, and to many who have been critical of his prosecution. He has now spent ten years in custody since he was first arrested in March 2006, at just 16 years old.

Related Resources:
Len Kachinsky Takes Some Credit for Getting Dassey's Conviction Overturned

When 'Making a Murderer' was released last December, Wisconsin attorney Len Kachinsky soon became one of America's least favorite lawyers. The wildly popular Netflix documentary told the story of the prosecution of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey for the murder of Teresa Halbach. The treatment that Brendan Dassey, then a learning disabled 16-year-old, made for some of the documentary's most troubling scenes -- including scenes of Dassey's lawyer, Len Kachinsky, pressuring Dassey to confess and leaving him to be questioned alone.

Now, ten years after he was imprisoned, and just a few months after "Making a Murderer" brought renewed national attention to his case, Brendan Dassey's conviction has been overturned. In a 91-page opinion, a federal judge in Wisconsin threw out Dassey's conviction, going so far as to describe Kachinsky's misconduct as "indefensible." But Kachinsky has a defense. Indeed, he takes some credit for getting Brandon Dassey's conviction overthrown in the first place.

A Confession Forced, in Part, by His Lawyer

It's not a stretch to say that Brendan Dassey was railroaded into confessing to Teresa Halbach's murder. "Making a Murderer" depicts Kachinsky pressuring Dassey to confess, then leaving him alone to be grilled by investigators -- in one case, facing interrogation three times in a single day, without a lawyer or anyone else to represent his interests or explain the consequences of his confession. This followed Kachinsky kicking off his defense of Dassey by publicly declaring that his client was "morally and legally responsible" for the murder.

Such actions lead U.S. Magistrate Judge William Duffin to repeatedly condemn Kachinsky's conduct representing Dassey -- though he found that such misconduct was not grounds for overturning the conviction. (The conviction, instead, was undone by repeated "false promises" given by investigators which rendered Dassey's confession involuntary.) Judge Duffin writes:

Although it probably does not need to be stated, it will be: Kachinsky's conduct was inexcusable both tactically and ethically. It is one thing for an attorney to point out to a client how deep of a hole the client is in. But to assist the prosecution in digging that hole deeper is an affront to the principles of justice that underlie a defense attorney's vital role in the adversarial system.

Actually, I'm The Reason He Got Off

Kachinsky, however, takes a different view of his work. In a statement to Bustle, the attorney says that his lawyering is the reason Dassey could be going free:

Magistrate Judge Duffin reversed Dassey's conviction on the suppression issue I litigated before leaving the case. I preserved that issue for appeal so that his future attorneys might raise it like they did. Even though Dassey and I parted ways on how he should proceed, I did my job and enabled Dassey's future attorneys to do theirs. The next step will probably be up to the 7th Circuit as the State will likely appeal.

The state has 90 days to decide whether it will retry Dassey or allow him to go free.

Related Resources:
Its no secret that what you eat every day has a direct impact on your digestive system  and that some foods (hello, greasy takeout!) can make your belly feel worse than others. But certain foods have superpowers in the gut ...
RALEIGH  North Carolina officials asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to keep a voter identification requirement and 10 days of early voting for the November election, even after a lower appeals court ruled these changes illegally restricted voting by blacks.

Republican Gov. Pat McCrory said his lawyers and those for other officials, including some hired by GOP legislative leaders who championed the 2013 law, asked the court to delay enforcement of last month's ruling by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The delay would occur while attorneys draft an appeal for the justices to consider the inherent issues in the case more deeply.

The ruling struck down the photo ID mandate and returned early voting to 17 days.

The attorneys wrote that altering the voter laws would create voter confusion weeks before the election in North Carolina, a presidential battleground state with races for governor and U.S. Senate also on the ballot. The voter ID requirement already was used in this year's primary elections.

"North Carolina should not be forced to scramble mere months before the general election to rejigger settled election plans at the 4th Circuit's command," the state's attorneys wrote to Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts receives such appeals for North Carolina matters.

A three-judge panel of the 4th Circuit already refused to delay their July 29 ruling, which found the Republican-led General Assembly enacted the law with intentional discrimination in mind. The court ruled the changes targeted black voters more likely to support Democrats.

McCrory has said the ruling is factually wrong and maligned the state, adding that requiring photo ID makes common sense and protects the integrity of elections at a time when people must show IDs all the time.

"The 4th Circuit's ruling is just plain wrong and we cannot allow it to stand," McCrory said in a release.

The appeals judges pointed out attorneys defending the law provided no evidence of anyone charged with committing in-person voter fraud. The legislature received racial data before the law passed about usage of the practices that were ultimately offered, according to the 4th Circuit ruling that overturned a trial court decision.

The new provisions "target African Americans with almost surgical precision," said the 4th Circuit ruling, which also struck down provisions eliminating same-day registration during the early voting period and the counting of Election Day ballots cast by a person outside of their home precinct.

The state's attorneys said Monday black voter turnout increased in 2014, the first year some of the changes took place. Voter ID also allows people having trouble obtaining a qualified form of ID to vote by providing other information.

"Neither the state nor its residents should be forced to suffer the additional indignity of being prohibited from carrying out the general election under laws that have so far proven to expand minority access to the franchise," the lawyers wrote.

Groups who sued to overturn the law and their allies have said it's time Republicans quit fighting in court they've spent millions of dollars in outside legal fees  and ensure counties have enough money to meet the expected high turnout at their polls.

Not participating in the Supreme Court request is Attorney General Roy Cooper, a Democrat challenging McCrory in November. He said his office would no longer defend the voter ID law after the 4th Circuit decision.

While a majority of states require some voter identification, federal courts have recently been pushing back on tougher standards approved by Republican-controlled legislature. The U.S. Justice Department actively fought voter ID mandates in North Carolina and Texas.
Tony Fullman is one of the only people that we know to have been targeted by Prism, the NSA's signature mass-surveillance tool: he's a Fijian-born expatriate with New Zealand citizenship, and had his passport seized and his name added to terrorism watchlists after the NSA helped their New Zealand counterparts spy on him, intercepting his bank statements, Facebook posts, Gmail messages, recorded phone conversations, and more.

Fullman is one of the organisers of "thumbs up for democracy," a peaceful online campaign that questions the legitimacy of Frank Bainimarama, an authoritarian military dictator who seized control of Fiji in a coup. An internal NZ investigation revealed that the New Zealand government mistook a group of NZ-based Fijian pro-democracy activists for terrorists and illegally spied on 88 of them between 2003 and 2012, including Fullman.

Fullman was naturalised into NZ citizenship after moving there when he was 21, and worked for 20 years as a civil servant in the tax department, while volunteering at a soup-kitchen and completing two Master's degrees (one in public management, the other in IT). He moved back to Fiji in 2009 to run the country's water authority.

But Fullman left the country in 2011, when the leaders of the military government targeted a childhood friend of him, and then, when the friend went into exile, fell under suspicion for helping him escape.

Fullman moved to Australia in 2012, just as the NZ security services were formulating their mistaken belief that Fijian expats in NZ were plotting the violent overthrow of the Bainimarama regime. Working with the NSA, the NZ police convinced Australian authorities to raid Fullman in Australia, seizing his computers and passport. Then the NZ government cancelled his passport. Chris Tremain, then-Minister of Internal Affairs for New Zealand, stated that "I have good reason to believe that  you are involved in planning violent action intended to force a change of Government in a foreign state; and you intend to engage in, or facilitate, an act of terrorism overseas" because of secret communications provided by NZ's Security Intelligence Service (provided by the NSA through Prism).

Included in the NSA dossier on Fullman was the amount of money he spent at his local coffee-shop, a photo of his car along with its precise location, emails about a birthday party, and information about human rights abuses in Fiji. There was no evidence of any terror plot.

Once Fullman initiated court action against the NZ government, the minister reversed himself, writing that there were "no longer national security concerns" about him and his passport would be reissued "without requiring an application for a replacement, or payment of a fee."

Years later, Fullman is still harassed when he flies, and has trouble looking for work because his name is so publicly associated with terrorism.



Four days after the raids on Fullman and his fellow campaigners, New Zealand foreign minister Murray McCully traveled to Fiji for trade talks. Fullman believes that the timing was no coincidence  and that the raids targeting the pro-democracy group were used by the New Zealand government as a bargaining chip to curry favor with the Bainimarama regime. "The minister can go to Fiji and say, 'look we saved you, let's be friends again, let's start talking about how we can help each other again'," Fullman says. "It was part of the frame up." No charges were ever brought against any of the Fiji campaigners, yet the ramifications of the case are still felt. Fullman says he gets pulled out of airline queues for security searches every time he travels, and he has had trouble finding work since news reports following the raids in 2012 linked him to a Fiji assassination plan. He told The Intercept that he was never notified that his private communications had been monitored by New Zealand with the help of American counterparts at the NSA  possibly illegally  nor did he ever receive an apology or compensation for his treatment. As he recalls the saga, there is no anger in Fullman's voice, only disappointment. Since the affair, he has not felt like returning to live in New Zealand and plans to stay in Australia for the foreseeable future. "To be betrayed by your own country, it's really hard," he says, letting out a sigh. "It puts a sour taste in your mouth."



In Bungled Spying Operation, NSA Targeted Pro-Democracy Campaigner [Ryan Gallagher and Nicky Hager/The Intercept]
In response to the letter decrying left-leaning views of the News & Record (N&R is too liberal for areas constituency, Aug. 7): Get over it.

I, for one, dont agree that a paper has to reflect (supposed) local philosophy; why should it? I also think that Greensboro may be more progressive than the writer believes. There are 3,600 online papers in the U.S., and theres a right-wing paper right here in Greensboro. Surely you can find something, somewhere, to agree with.

Dont like Susan Ladds column? Then either skip it or refute it with an argument that makes sense; dont just stamp your feet. If the local lefty slant makes your head hurt, get your wallet out and start your own paper; at least start a blog.

And why are you reading just one paper, anyway?

And editors  can we take a break on this discussion for a while? Surely there are more important issues (dinosaurs on the Ark, for instance), that need our attention.

Bill Payne

Summerfield
I note with amazement that U.S. Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C. District 6) called for the resignation of Attorney General Roy Cooper (D) due to his refusal to defend North Carolinas voter ID law. This law, in addition to recent redistrictings that were enacted, has been struck down by federal courts as violating the U.S. Constitution.

Article VI, Section 7 of the N.C. Constitution requires that all elected state executive officers and legislators swear an oath that I will support and maintain the constitution and laws of the United States, and the constitution and laws of North Carolina not inconsistent therewith. ...

It appears to me that defending this law would require Cooper to violate his oath of office.

Further, I suggest to Walker that it would be far more appropriate to call for the resignation of all North Carolina legislators who voted in favor of these laws, as well as the governor who either signed them or allowed them to go into effect without his signature.

These actions by our legislature and governor can have no purpose other than to suppress minority voting or trample on minority rights that are constitutionally guaranteed to all U.S. citizens.

Lawrence Brenowitz

Greensboro
Alexander Soule / Hearst Connecticut Media

As it expands coast-to-coast from its Westchester roots, the Shade Store is readying to open its next location not three miles away from its headquarters showroom in Port Chester, N.Y.

The Shade Store is moving into the former Crumbs cupcake shop near the base of West Putnam Avenue, the retailers second Connecticut location after one in Westport. Crumbs closed its Greenwich bakery in July 2014, shortly after the company filed for bankruptcy protection from creditors.
GREENWICH  Thomas Byrne, the moderator of the Greenwich RTM, will give a presentation on town government on Aug. 24.

Byrne will discuss the role of the Representative Town Meeting at the Retired Mens Association of Greenwich.

The mens club will meet at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church at 1 West Putnam Avenue.

Heres the announcement of the upcoming event:

Tom Byrne, current RTM Moderator, will discuss the history of the RTM and debunk some oft-repeated myths about the RTM. He will explain how residents can become members, how the RTM organizes itself and educates its members about the matters to come before it, and he will talk about some of the current issues being dealt with by the RTM. Mr. Byrne will also offer his perspective on the question whether the size of the RTM contributes to having good government in Town.

Mr. Byrne is a graduate of Yale and Stanford Law School. He was a trial lawyer for 15 years and has taught physics in high school for the past 20 years. He lives with his wife, Megan, in Old Greenwich. His four children attended Greenwich public schools. In his spare time, he chases state high points.
GREENWICH - Dawn Fortunato, a land use delegate for the Representative Town Meeting, has filed an appeal against the Planning and Zoning Commissions approval of the Armstrong Court housing project.

Fortunato, of Byram, claims the commission, in granting approval to the project, ignored local, state and federal safety law violations.

Theres a laundry list of things that have been overlooked, Fortunato said. We cant go on like this.

The Greenwich Housing Authority in July approved a project to build six new buildings and renovate six existing buildings at Armstrong Court in Byram. Armstrong Court is made up of affordable housing units financed by the state of Connecticut.

The appeal, filed on July 27 in state Superior Court in Stamford, says the Commission overlooked serious negative health impacts that could affect the most vulnerable citizens. The town disagrees.

Fortunato and her colleague, Michael Finkbeiner, members of the grassroots Concerned Citizens of Greenwich, said the decision to put low-income housing on land with contaminated soil violates Bill Clinton-era federal regulations concerning environmental justice.

The appeal also says the commission ignored town requirements for calculations of how tall the buildings are and how many stories they contain, did not include a mandated tree preservation plan and did not adequately account for the strain on parking the additions will cause.

The end goal, Fortunato said, is to get the town to acknowledge the significant levels of lead and arsenic that soil tests done by Fortunato and Finkbeiner have found in the soil.

The towns own tests did not back up Fortunato and Finkbeiners results, which officials said were not taken from soil on the site of the proposed work. Finkbeiner, who tested the soil without town permission, has been banned from the property.

Im hoping to achieve the cleanup of the area, Fortunato said. I would like them to build smart, on clean conditions.

Planning and Zoning Director Katie DeLuca declined to comment on pending litigation.

The Planning and Zoning Commission gave its approval of the project at the July 6 meeting, where Tony Johnson, Executive Director of the Greenwich Housing Authority, voiced criticism of Finkbeiner and Fortunatos efforts to prevent the approval.

This project thats proposed to you has nothing at all to do with the issues raised by Fortunato and Finkbeiner, Johnson said to the commission. We certainly do resent the fact that he (Finkbeiner) is using the Housing Authority to accomplish what he thinks is a noble cause.

Fortunato claimed testing done by the town that showed no harm to residents was flawed and incomplete.

The towns experts disagreed.

The site itself is in comportment with the criteria established by the states Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at the highest standard possible which is for residential use, said John Tesei, the attorney representing the Housing Authority, at an earlier meeting.

Teseis claim was backed up by Andrew Zlotnick from the civic and environmental engineering firm of Fuss and ONeill, which is a consultant to the Housing Authority on the project. He said samples were taken from eight locations on the property at depths between two and eight feet in June 2015. Pesticides and PCBs were found at the site but below the levels where the state demands remediation.

The soil does not appear to be contaminated above the Residential Direct Exposure Criteria," the report stated.

All these locations meet the criteria so it does not require remediation, Zlotnick said.

Fortunato, who lives near Armstrong Court, will be representing herself in the appeal process. She is seeking a reversal of the building approval the Planning and Zoning Commission gave to Armstrong Court.

Fortunato and Finkbeiner said they believe toxins in the soil can be traced back to Holly Hill, the towns former dump and location of an incinerator once used to burn trash. They said the old ash, which is still onsite, flows in to Toms Brook and down on to the Armstrong Court property, where it seeps in to the soil.

Toms Brook does not show up on the site plan that is part of the application, Fortunato said.

The Commission has until August 23 to file a written statement of appearance to the Superior Court District of Connecticut in Stamford.

pfrissell@hearstmediact.com; @PeregrineFriss
UK Labour General Secretary Iain McNichol has succeeded in disenfranchising 150,000 party members in the upcoming leadership election, having spent the party's money on an appeal of a High Court ruling saying that the dirty trick that yanked the voting rights of hundreds of thousands of new members, presumed to support Jeremy Corbyn, the besieged, left-wing leader of the party.

But the New Statesman's Stephen Bush doesn't think it matters: the old-line party rank-and-file, including many trade-union members, have become Corbyn supporters (possibly out of respect for his platform, possibly out of disgust with the party grandees' long-knifed attacks on a leader who was elected by a wider margin than any other leader in party history).

According to an anonymous Labour politician, the anti-Corbyn strategy to date has been "we have to call him a c**t every day until he f****s off." But if Corbyn retains his position in a Labour-wide vote that excludes all those alleged entry-ists from the Green Party or even Tories (as some of the wilder unsourced fantasies have it), the party establishment's position will be untenable  it will be absolutely indisputable that they are the ones out of step with the party, not Corbyn and not the rank and file.



Since then, a lot has happened. More than 150,000 people have paid 25 to vote in the Labour leadership race. By my estimation, having spoken to more local party officials than is healthy, around a third of the 25ers are party members who fell foul of the cut-off date, but the rest are the great "known unknowns" of the contest. The GMB and Unison, following consultative ballots, have endorsed Owen Smith and Jeremy Corbyn, respectively. Pro-Corbyn candidates swept the board among the membership section in the party's NEC elections. And 275 constituency Labour parties have made supporting nominations, on which metric Corbyn leads Smith by 234 to 41. Crucially, those nominations have only included the votes of party members who joined before the 2016 cut-off. It is hard to draw up a metric by which Corbyn is not winning. He is winning in constituency parties that nominate via all-members-meetings. He is winning in constituency parties that nominate via delegates. He is winning in held seats. He is winning in Tory seats. He is winning in constituencies that nominated Yvette Cooper, Liz Kendall, and especially those that nominated Andy Burnham. There is no part of the Labour party where he is not winning, though he is doing slightly less well in Scotland and London, and very well in Merseyside.



The High Court's judgment won't stop Jeremy Corbyn winning

[Stephen Bush/New Statesman]





(via Naked Capitalism)

(Image: Jeremy Corbyn PMQs 001, David Holt, CC-BY)
Richard, in the kitchen of his restaurant Citronelle, in 2006. Photo: Allison Dinner for The Washington Post via Getty Images

In 1995, molten chocolate cake was the dessert. Copycat chefs around the world hoped to lay claim to the great creation. Yet Michel Richard, the famed French chef who made his name as a pastry expert, was already a few steps ahead. During an appearance on Julia Childs show, Richard demonstrated his recipe for hot chocolate truffles, which happened to be both molten and frozen. He also baked a genoise inside an ordinary steel bowl. A seasoned pastry chef might balk at the technique, but in the segment, Richard forges on. As he spreads icing on a flimsy sheet of plastic wrap to coat the cakes surface, you think, Theres no way thats going to work. But Richard, who in fact invented the recipe on the spot, finally unveils a gorgeous, shimmering dome. He starts dusting cocoa, and its obvious that he knew from the start how beautifully it would turn out. Im a good chef, he says. My mothers proud of me. Insofar as a public-television cooking segment can be riveting, this is it. And it shows Richard  one of the countrys most cheerful, inventive chefs  at his peak.

There are many reasons why the chef and restaurateur, who died on Saturday at the age of 68 from complications of a stroke, could cook anything he wanted. But his famed exuberance was at odds with the vast, early sadness of his childhood in Brittany, which included an abusive father who disappeared when Richard  the second oldest of five children  was just 6. Richards mother was forced into grueling shifts at a nearby factory manufacturing faux silk, and Richard seemed destined to work at a local bronze foundry, which left him covered in ash at the age of 14. But Richard also began cooking for his siblings when he was just 9, something that ended up completely changing his life.

I think thats why he was so happy in the kitchen, says Ruth Reichl, the author and former Gourmet editor who once put Richard on the magazines cover. It was the one place where he didnt doubt himself, as a chef. He was completely confident when he was behind the stove.

Richards path to restaurants was uneven. When he was an apprentice patissier, he joined the army at 18, and was deployed to the Rive Gauche in 1968 to curb student protests. That, in turn, led Richard to a brief, untenable artists life in Montmartre. (If a painting sold, Richard blew the profits on alcohol.)

Eventually, the young chef landed in front of pastry legend Gaston Lenotre, who handpicked him to help open a restaurant in New York City in 1974. Lenotres deluxe midtown flagship  his first shop in America  was to be huge: It would turn out 24,000 croissants an hour, while a crack team of cooks would master obscure terrines and dough-encased sausages. Alas. It didnt work. The shop closed on Bastille Day 1975.

Rather than return home, Richard stayed. Inspired by trips to Kentucky Fried Chicken, the chef embraced Americas burgeoning culinary prospects  much the same way Jacques Pepin found acclaim working at Howard Johnsons. Richard opened a pastry shop in Santa Fes La Fonda Hotel. There, he attracted the attention of restaurant publicist Joan Luther, who had so much inestimable power that she decided where the Vanderbilts and Reagans ate in Hollywood. Luther convinced Richard to relocate. He arrived in Los Angeles in 1976 with a young cook named David Bouley, whom he had given his first job in New Mexico.

Profits gave Richard enough money to return to Europe and dine at the places he had never been able to afford. The chef soaked in the zenith of nouvelle cuisine, and, back in L.A., he hosted elaborate after-hours dinners of full-fledged savory food at his pastry shop.

He was one of the last people I knew who could really pull sugar; he was really classically trained, says Reichl. When he opened Citrus [in Los Angeles, in 1987] people would say, Hes a pastry chef, what does he know about cooking? But then you went there, and he did the most inventive food, with extraordinary technical ability. I went back and looked at my first review and I remembered that wonder. Like, Oh my God, how did he even think of this?

Not all visitors to the Melrose Avenue establishment agreed, revealing Richards mercurial side. Russ Parsons wrote a lackluster review, and the chef all but charged him with a knife. Are you trying to kill me? Ill kill you! yelled Richard. Eventually, perhaps unsurprisingly, the pair bonded over food and became close friends.

Richard expanded to the Bay Area and Philadelphia. There was an outpost of Citrus in Tokyo, and in 1993 Richard debuted Citronelle in Georgetown. Central Michel Richard, a later expansion that remains open, appealed to dignitaries and lobbyists alike on Pennsylvania Avenue, and spawned a Las Vegas outpost. He eventually threw a giant 80th-birthday party for Julia Child. A battalion of cooks stuffed 500 portions of foie gras inside prunes that had soaked in Armagnac for two weeks, and chefs took the Concorde from Paris for the blowout; one attendee told the Times that Paul Bocuse had been seen poaching himself in a hotel swimming pool in the aftermath.

I am completely saddened by the news of a great chef & close friend's passing. Michel Richard will be remembered with love & admiration.  Thomas Keller (@Chef_Keller) August 13, 2016

Richard was a chefs chef. Thomas Keller was a fan. Anthony Bourdain said he was far and away one of the greatest. To peers, however, Richards abiding tolerance for astronomical food costs  such as pay $60 a pound for haricot verts  also seemed at odds with his desire to expand, when most chefs want to mitigate financial risk. But the exquisite products fed his kitchens intense creativity: Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes were minced until they looked uncannily like beef tartare. What appeared to be a hard-boiled egg was really fresh mozzarella stretched around a sphere of yellow tomatoes. Soft-scrambled eggs nestled in a shell with a caviar topper were actually scallops in disguise.

The chefs restless imagination produced a riff on foie gras pate made with chicken livers and other bargain-basement ingredients that was richer and more profoundly flavored than the real thing. Richard pounded cuttlefish into schnitzel, and flat-packed classic creme brulee inside Napoleons. When he wrapped shrimp and swordfish in the shredded phyllo dough known as kataifi and fried the parcels into a straw-colored porcupines, knockoffs more or less instantly began appearing on menus around the world. He would just invent dishes at the spur of the moment, Reichl says. He was never really happy unless he was in the kitchen.

Richard did expand into New York, when Villard Michel Richard opened in late 2013. It seemed doomed to be a big-box misfire from the get-go, unable to shake off the residual gold-leaf outdated pomp of its predecessors. When it opened, little of the chefs trademark inventiveness was on display, while fine-dining signifiers  rare Wagyu, endangered tuna, seared foie gras  were out in full force. Reviews ranged from mediocre to bad, and it closed. Meanwhile, though, his Pomme Palais  a swanky, red-striped patisserie that Richard himself once described as modern, fresh, and ripe like a strawberry  remains open, and its something of an homage to the original Lenotre that brought Richard to New York in the first place. It doesnt turn out 24,000 croissants an hour, but its a place that captures Richards irrepressible charm and ongoing sense of wonder with food.I ask every ingredient, Richard writes in his 2006 cookbook Happy in the Kitchen, What dont I know about you?
Jagermeister at Amor y Amargo, a highly respected cocktail destination in New York. Photo: Paul Wagtouicz

Everyone has a Jagermeister story, often a bit fuzzy, usually youthful, almost always regrettable. Downed as a shot, or dropped into a glass of Red Bull, Jagermeister is what you drank before you knew how to drink. Not so long ago, when it was still trendy for upscale bars to print house rules, nearly every list boasted the same lofty commandment: No Jagermeister.

Well, no more. Jagermeister has become the darling of bartenders and knowledgable drinkers alike. It is the sly wink of the cocktail sophisticate, the faux-guilty pleasure of the nostalgia chaser, a go-to curveball order, or  really  just something thats better than Fernet. More surprisingly, its also showing up in lots of cocktails.

Lana Gailani, a bartender at Seamstress on the Upper East Side and Holiday Cocktail Lounge in the East Village, first realized that Jager should be taken seriously when she tried it mixed with some grapefruit juice. I realized it was another tool in the box, like anything else. At Seamstress, bartenders serve a Rio Grande Sour  Jager with cachaca, egg white, and simple syrup  for a spicy, vaguely Latin take on the sour.

Top bartenders all over the country are rediscovering Jagermeister. This summer it shows up on cocktail lists at spots like San Franciscos Dirty Habit  where they serve up a mix of Jager, cognac, coconut, sesame, and togarashi  and the Kansas City speakeasy Manifesto, as well as Liberty in Seattle, Acacia in Pittsburgh, and the Bit House Saloon in Portland, Oregon, just to name a few. Its even finding its way into cocktails in Germany itself, where Thelonious Bar in Berlin makes a popular cocktail called the No Quarter: a mix of Jagermeister, rum, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters.

At Amor y Amargo, the cozy bar in New Yorks East Village that specializes in bitters, beverage director Sother Teague offers two Jager cocktails. The Precision Timepiece actually uses Jager to temper the cocktails bitterness, pairing it with the Italian amaro Montenegro, along with Aperol and bitters. In the Roman Holiday, Amor y Amargo head bartender Lindsay Matteson brings out Jagers brighter but also more astringent qualities by pairing it with two types of vermouth, grappa, and a shake of citrus bitters. Its on my bar, top shelf center, says Teague. I love it up there. I have a light shining right on it.

What happened? How did Jager go from reviled frat-house favorite to beloved bartender must-have? As spirits go, Jagermeister is actually pretty young. The Jager that youre familiar with was first sold in 1935 in Germany, when Curt Mast took over his fathers wholesale wine business. (Compare that to something like Chartreuse, a French bitter liqueur thats been around since at least the 16th Century.) Mast was an avid hunter and envisioned something to drink in a ritualized toast at the beginning and end of the hunt. He concocted a bitter, sweet, herbaceous liqueur made from 56 separate ingredients including cardamom, orange peel, star anise, ginger, and cinnamon. Jagermeister, which translates to master hunter, was born.

For a long time, the company was worried  and for good reason  that Americans just wouldnt like what it was selling. Compared to Europe, American drinkers have historically had no patience for bitter drinks. So, as soon as it started showing up on American shelves, the German makers were doing what they could to temper its bitter flavor. Until recently, all Jagermeister bottles sold in North America, and only in North America, came with a big, block-letter label on the front: SERVE COLD  KEEP ON ICE. More recently, the company developed and promoted a special table-top machine that chills bottles to sub-freezing temperatures, so all those shot-takers wouldnt even have to taste what they were gulping down.

Now, however, bitter is back. The Negroni craze of a few years ago opened a kind of bitter floodgate, and drinkers everywhere enjoy Aperol and Campari spritzes, Fernet, and Italian amari of every description. Its the era of the aperitif and digestif, and Jagers marketing team seems to have gotten the memo. The serve cold label on the bottle is now much smaller, and since 2013 its migrated from the front of the bottle to the back. Sales for the brand are up in the U.S. for the first time in years, and its expanding globally at a fast clip. (Meanwhile, the frat set increasingly reaches for Fireball over Jager.)

And its showing up in lots of cocktails because Jager  with its herbaceous, bitter-syrupy flavor  is actually one of the more versatile liqueurs out there. Teague says he can swap it into plenty of drinks. I can substitute the sugar in my old-fashioned with Jagermeister, or substitute the bitters in my old-fashioned with Jagermeister, or both. Fifty-fifty rye whiskey and Jagermeister over ice and Im done. Boom. Thats delicious.

Its not all stark, sophisticated drinks, either. At the Third Man, in the East Village, bartender Christian Daly pushes a cocktail called Bill Murrays Son, a sweet, thick, almost-dessert-like cocktail of vanilla syrup, lemon juice, heavy cream, a shot of Jager, and an egg white, dusted with ground dark chocolate.

In other words, Jager is still fun. Its a sign of the times: The culture has shifted, and the kind of disdain that gave rise to house rules is out in favor of a more inclusive drinking world. Its the same attitude thats seen vodka make a big comeback at bars where it was once scorned, and has even seen some bartenders invent upgraded versions of drinks like the espresso martini. What is cool, as far as bars and bartenders go, is to like what you like and to not worry about it so much. Every bartender Grub spoke to said the same thing: Nothing is off limits anymore. Except maybe Fireball.
Her special elixir for longevity.

Mildred Bowers has a tip for people angling to reach the advanced age of 103, which is how old shell turn later this month: Embrace beer. The South Carolina resident says a four oclock cold one at her assisted-living facility is a critical part of her daily routine, although it took some convincing with the nurses when she threw the idea out there. They said, But you know what? Well ask the doctor, she tells Live 5 News, so immediately he said yes.

103-year old woman celebrates birthday with a beerhttps://t.co/eW4duAd4v9 pic.twitter.com/Elzby8K0c1  WIS News 10 (@wis10) August 13, 2016

Now nobody can take away Bowerss daily beer. Shes merely following doctors orders  and just look at her anyway. Her skins still great, and shes apparently sharp as a tack (Thats the big thing that a lot of people my age dont have at my age is a good mind, she observes). As her friend explains, Doctor said it was good for her and obviously it is, still kicking.


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As a kid, my two favorite things in Mad magazine were the Fold-In and Spy vs Spy (which I pronounced "spyvisspy"). It was a wordless one-page comic about two oddly pointy faced spies, one dressed in black and the other dressed in white. Other than their different colored outfits, they behaved identically. They hated each other and created elaborate Rube Goldberg type machines to try to kill each other. Sometimes their machines worked, often, they'd backfire. They were tricky but usually too clever for their own good.

Atlas Obscura has an excellent article about Antonio Prohias, the creator of Spy vs Spy.

In New York, Prohias took work in a factory during the day, while working up his illustration portfolio at night. Taking inspiration from his supposed spy status, Prohias altered the look of El Hombre Siniestro, and gave him a counterpart, creating what we now know as Spy vs. Spy. In 1960, just months after moving to the city, Prohias, along with his daughter Marta who acted as an interpreter, walked unannounced into the offices of MAD Magazine. The editors were skeptical of the artist, but his silly spy gags won them over, and he had sold three of the strips to the magazine before leaving that day.

Spy Vs Spy: An Explosive Celebration, by Antonio Prohias and Peter Kuper, is an excellent book about Spy Vs Spy, with lots of sample strips.
Published on 2016/08/14 | Source

Quick hookup smartphone apps are conquering once-prudish Korea.

Advertisement

There are more than 200 Korean-language hookup apps available on Google Play, and millions of people use them. One called Amanda, short for "I don't meet just anyone" in Korean, has accumulated 1 million users all by itself.

The apps recommend potential partners at random based on distance, appearance, education and even religion. Christian Date, for example, promises chaste encounters by requiring users to input their church, pastor, date of baptism, volunteer activities and favorite Bible passage.

More than 20 apps cater to the gay community.

Users are drawn by the discreet nature of the enterprise. One 24-year-old university student said, "I'd like to meet a graduate from a top university and I feel awkward asking my friends to set me up with someone like that. Some blind-dating apps display the academic information of other applicants, so I can just pick one".

The low cost of the apps also makes them preferable to expensive matchmakers for those looking for serious relationships. Most dating apps are free to sign up and charge only a small amount per match.

Some are free for all, others discriminate. Sky People is free for women, but men can only sign up if they went to prestigious universities or are lawyers, doctors or work for major conglomerates, which has to be certified.

Amanda, meanwhile, practices a dubious form of mob justice by requiring photos to be rated by other users before an applicant can join.

There are also concerns that users are vulnerable to criminals of one kind or another due to the weak ID verification. In June, a 31-year-old man was arrested on charges of defrauding seven women of W310 million after posing as a wealthy businessman on dating apps (US$1=W1,105). In fact he was an old lag with a rap sheet as long as his arm.
Paul Manafort, the campaign chairman of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, received $12.7m in secret cash payments as a consultant for Ukraine's ruling political party, according to a ledger seen by the New York Times.

And Mr. Manafort's presence remains elsewhere here in the capital, where government investigators examining secret records have found his name, as well as companies he sought business with, as they try to untangle a corrupt network they say was used to loot Ukrainian assets and influence elections during the administration of Mr. Manafort's main client, former President Viktor F. Yanukovych. Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych's pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine's newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.

Trump, himself a millionaire, has been vocally and some say oddly solicitous toward Russia and its strongman leader, Vladimir Putin.

Manafort is plainly denying the NYT's report, or at least the part of it where he pockets $12.7m. With his ties to one of Putin's stickier tentacles exposed, though, rival candidate Hillary Clinton is becoming more forceful about demanding answers.
Pictured from left to right are: Dr. Brian L. Meyer, PTSD-SUD Specialist at H.H. McGuire VA Medical Center; Third Circuit Judge Greg K. Nakamura; Third Circuit Chief Judge and Presiding Judge of the Veterans Treatment Court Ronald Ibarra; Scott Swain, Justice for Vets Division Director; David Pelletier, J.D., Project Director for the Veterans Treatment Court Planning Initiative at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP); and Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, Hawaii Supreme Court at the Big Island Veterans Treatment Court Conference held today at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel.

Judiciary Hosts Hawaiis First Veterans Treatment Court Conference

From Hawaii Judiciary, August 12, 2016

The Big Island Veterans Treatment Court of the Third Circuit hosted the states first Big Island Veterans Treatment Court Conference on August 12, 2016, for professionals who work with veterans suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and substance use disorders (SUDs). Judges, law enforcement officials, probation officers, attorneys, researchers, and substance abuse treatment providers came to learn about the latest evidence-based best practices for effectively dealing with veterans struggling to readjust to life outside the military.

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrably higher rates of co-occurring PTSD, traumatic brain injury, pain, and SUDs, than the general population. Often, these issues are compounded by family strife, unemployment, and homelessness, ultimately leading to incarceration.

The conference focused, in part, on the unique work that Hawaiis Big Island and Oahu Veterans Treatment Courts, and similar programs across the country, are doing to help restore veterans health, families and futures, while also saving taxpayer dollars.

A 2016 study published by the Community Mental Health Journal found that veterans who participate in veterans treatment courts experience significant improvement in housing, relationships and social connection, overall functioning and well-being, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and mental and emotional health.

At the conference, national and local speakers provided information and training on the latest findings in effectively working with veterans and improving the success of Veterans Treatment Court programs.

Sixteen veterans have enrolled in the Hilo and Kona Veterans Treatment Courts since the programs inception in November 2014. The Veterans Treatment Court program continues to grow, on both Oahu and the Big Island, as an increasing number of attorneys submit applications for their clients to participate in the program.

Id like to thank the Friends of Big Island Drug Court, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, the Big Island Drug and Veterans Courts, the Hawaii State Bar Association, Hawaii County Bar Association, West Hawaii Bar Association, and the County of Hawaii Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for their sponsorship of our first Big Island Veterans Treatment Court Conference, said Chief Judge of the Third Circuit and Presiding Judge of the Veterans Treatment Court, Ronald Ibarra. Their support is mission-critical in our efforts to help veterans and their families recover and regain their chance at a successful future.

For more information on the Hawaii State Judiciarys Veterans Treatment Court program, visit: www.courts.state.hi.us/special_projects/veterans_court.
By Jesse Wood

The Boone Town Council will meet on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. inside the Council Chambers on Blowing Rock Road. Agenda items include a public hearing on proposed revisions to the towns panhandling ordinance; a request for conveyance of property near Junaluska water tank for a small workforce housing project; property rezoning request on U.S 421; and a resolution honoring retiring police office Mike Foley.

See agenda and packet info here.

Panhandling

The Boone Town Council is holding a public hearing on Thursday regarding proposed revisions to the towns ordinance regulating panhandling. The hearing is scheduled for 5:35 p.m.

The changes will strengthen the business community by mitigating aggressive panhandling in the town. These changes include establishing specific times and locations where panhandling will be prohibited, including where citizens are most vulnerable, according to a memo from Town Manager John Ward to council members.

The panhandling ordinance was initially adopted in 2004 to address aggressive panhandling. At last months council meeting, Boone Police Department Capt. Andy LeBeau said that the department deals with panhandling issues on a general basis through related trespassing, intoxication and harassment matters.

See list of prohibited acts and click here to view the entirety of whats proposed.

Water and Sewer Requests on George Wilson Road

James H. Hodges Jr. is requesting water and sewer services for properties located at 687 and 711 George Wilson Road, where ServePro Restoration Services, Tsuga Canopies, LLC and Metal Machine Hobby/Workshop operate.

Charter Communications is also requesting water and sewer services 739 George Wilson Road for a signal-processing center.

Workforce Housing Project at Junaluska?

On behalf of Watauga Community Housing Trust, LLC, Scott Eggers is requesting the Boone Town Council to grant a commitment letter for the conveyance of property adjacent to the towns Junaluska water tower for the development of a small workforce housing project. The group plans to work with Junaluska neighbors by holding community meetings.

The commitment will facilitate the ability to seek funding and garner resources for a detailed plan to return to the Town for a formal deed transfer request, according to a WCHT letter to council. The Watauga Community Housing Trust, LLC has completed basic site planning, to the extent that the Northwest Regional Housing Authority could financially assist in order to meet with Town of Boone Planning staff for review. After positive feedback and additional meetings with Mr. John Ward, we have determined this request to be the next step.

Rezoning of Property at 1846 U.S. 421 South

Scott Porter with Hampton Property LLC is seeking to rezone a portion of property from R3 multi-family and RA residential/agriculture to B3 General Business. He is also seeking to rezone a portion of property under the same pin number to Conditional District R2 with a site-specific development for an architecturally integrated subdivision of 20 lots to be used for either single family dwelling or duplex (one duplex per lot).

The Boone Town Council will consider sending these cases to the Sept. 26 public hearing. Click here to see where property is located exactly.

Resolution Honoring Retiring Police Officer Mike Foley

Boone Police Department Master Officer Edgar Michael Foley is retiring Aug. 31 after serving as a leader in the Boone Police Department in an exemplary fashion, according to the draft resolution.

Foley served 16 years with the Holly Hills Police Department in Florida before joining the Boone Police Department for another 18 years. Foleys beat was downtown Boone.

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Historically, the robot has been used almost exclusively for prostate cancer surgery by urologists. Currently, there are very few general surgeons like us who perform robotic resections on rectal cancer, Qureshi continued. In fact, however, general surgeons have been sceptical about the prediction from experts in the field that the number of general surgeons wishing to have access to a robot will increase significantly as they develop an understanding of what is possible and as new evidence starts to appear in medical literature.

The symposium drew many of the worlds leading authorities in this field to Poole Hospital, which has recently named as the European epicentre for robotic colorectal surgery. Qureshi: This means Da Vinci recognise the quality in Poole and have appointed us as their preferred epicentre or Centre of Excellence in Europe for robotic colorectal surgery, meaning any surgeon in the UK and Europe approaching Da Vinci wanting exposure to robotic surgery will be directed to our unit for observerships. Those surgeons who already have access to a robotic system, but are finding it difficult to start operating, or are unable to progress, will also be directed to Poole to attend Master classes that we run.

The Da Vinci robot used for the surgery provides high definition 3-D images with sophisticated instruments, allowing for greater precision, which in turn deliver significant benefits for patients in the short and long term, such as reduced trauma to the body, reduced post-operative pain, shorter hospital stay and faster recovery. It has been designed to improve upon conventional laparoscopy, in which the surgeon operates while standing, using hand-held, long-shafted instruments, which have no mechanical wrists. In contrast, the Da Vinci Systems design allows the surgeon to operate from a seated position at the console, with eyes and hands positioned in line with the instruments and using controls at the console to move the instruments and camera. Surgeons can also sit at dual consoles and remotely work collaboratively to assist one another.
Intended as a discussion group, the blog has evolved to be more of a reading list of current issues affecting our county, its government and people. All reasonable comments and submissions welcomed. Email us at: bill.pysson@gmail.com REMEMBER: To view our sister blog for education issues: www.district100watchdog.blogspot.com
(HedgeCo.Net) The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged a stockbroker and his friend with participating in an insider trading scheme to profit in advance of two major announcements out of a pharmaceutical company.

The SEC alleges that Paul T. Rampoldi coordinated the insider trading with two other brokers at his firm as well as a then-IT executive at Ardea Biosciences. The Ardea employee tipped one of the brokers ahead of the companys announcement of an agreement to license a cancer drug and later tipped him in advance of its acquisition by AstraZeneca PLC. The SEC charged the other two brokers and the Ardea employee last year.

According to the SECs complaint filed in federal court in San Diego today against Rampoldi and William Scott Blythe III, they made approximately $90,000 in illicit profits by trading ahead of those announcements based on nonpublic information that flowed to them through one of the fellow brokers who learned it from the other after he was tipped by the IT executive. It was decided that in order to evade detection by the compliance department at the brokerage firm where Rampoldi and the others worked, Blythe would fund the purchase of Ardea call option contracts in a brokerage account he held at a different brokerage firm, and they would subsequently divide the profits among them.

As a stockbroker, Rampoldi should have known better than to allegedly trade on tips about significant corporate events before they were announced, said Sharon B. Binger, Director of the SECs Philadelphia Regional Office. We further allege that Rampoldi and Blythe tried to evade detection by hiding their trading elsewhere, but to no avail.

In a parallel action, the U. S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of California today brought criminal charges against Rampoldi and Blythe.

The SECs complaint charges Rampoldi and Blythe with violating Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5. The SEC seeks permanent injunctions as well as disgorgement, interest, and penalties.
J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.
A violent armed robber has been sent back to prison after threatening to shoot a security guard and rape his children.

Father-of-two Clive Kavanagh (48) - a liver transplant recipient - made the sickening threats after punching Ilac shopping centre security guard Mark Spillane.

Kavanagh, who previously spent seven years in jail for his part in an armed raid on a jewellers, also kicked a second security guard after he was confronted over damaging a display TV.

Security supervisor Mr Spillane told Dublin District Court he was in the Ilac Centre last December 8 when the manager of Argos reported that someone had tried to take a TV off a wall, resulting in 593 worth of damage.

The security guard then spotted Kavanagh coming from the Gadget Geek store next door carrying a bag while a shop assistant followed him.

Transplant

The court heard Mr Spillane took the bag off Kavanagh and held him by the "scruff of the collar".

Kavanagh, who has 68 convictions, then punched the security guard in the face, knocking off his glasses.

"He was making threats, saying he was going to rape my children, shoot me and burn my house down," said Mr Spillane. "I feared for my safety."

Mr Spillane's colleague, Thomas Collins, came to help but he also was assaulted.

Kavanagh kicked Mr Collins in the head and also tried to burn his hand with a lighter.

He said Kavanagh kicked him on the top of the head and then threw sweets at Mr Spillane.

The violent criminal claimed in evidence that all he had done was press the button on the TV and it did not come off the wall.

He said that when he left the store, he was grabbed by the throat and a scuffle ensued.

The north-inner city criminal claimed that if he hit anyone it was in self-defence as he was being punched.

Kavanagh was handed a four-month sentence by Judge Hugh O'Donnell, who said he was "clearly a very violent man".

The judge found him guilty of criminal damage and two counts of assault and set bail terms in the event of an appeal.

Kavanagh was previously sent to prison following an armed raid at a high-end jewellery shop in 2009. He, his nephew Glen Kavanagh, of Dunne Street Flats, and Michael Martin, of Upper Oriel Street, were arrested after the raid was foiled by the owner and passers-by.

The three pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2011 to robbery and possession of a firearm at Dawson Jewellers on Dawson Street, Dublin, on November 9, 2009.

Kavanagh - of Portland Row, Dublin 1 - had been supposed to hold open the security door store for his accomplices.

However, he let the door close behind him, leaving his accomplices to wait outside until another customer came into the store.

Fled

A staff member, who spotted two men enter the shop shortly after with scarves over their faces, ran into the back and raised the alarm.

Another quick-thinking staff member realised a robbery was about to happen and ran out into the street and alerted a passer-by who called the gardai.

Martin then took out a loaded shotgun, but fled after he was confronted by store owner Ken McDonagh.

He wrestled the weapon from Martin as Kavanagh cowered behind a female customer, using her as a "human shield".

Martin was held outside by passers-by and all three men were arrested at the scene.

Judge Tony Hunt jailed Kavanagh for seven years but suspended the final three years after taking into account the lesser role he had played in the robbery and his ill health.

The court heard at the time that Kavanagh was abusing drugs and alcohol and developed a serious illness. He had the liver transplant in May 2008.
A cocaine-smuggling jailbird friend of drugs mule Michaella McCollum urged the Irishwoman to "enjoy lost time with family" as she returned home.

The 23-year-old flew in to Dublin on Saturday night after travelling from Lima via London. She was arrested in Lima Airport in 2013.

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McCollum spent less than three years in prison for trying to smuggle 11kg of cocaine with Glaswegian Melissa Reid.

She was ordered to spend the next six years of her sentence on parole in Lima, but last week she was given permission to return home.

DUP MLA Maurice Morrow criticised her homecoming, saying it resembled the case of a "minor celebrity".

In recent months McCollum was pictured living it up in the Peruvian capital with Dutch coc- aine smuggler Kaouthar Essafi, who she befriended in prison.

Essafi posted a message on Facebook on Saturday that read: "Enjoy ur lost time with ur family.

"Leave ur past behind and start a new chapter using all the experiences u have learned from. See u soon in Europe."

McCollum marked her return to her Co Tyrone home last night with a quiet celebration with her family and friends.

Although there was no red carpet or welcome home banner to mark her first time at home in three years, she was joined by those who have supported her at her mother Nora's home in Dungannon.

After her plane touched down in Dublin, she was whisked to the North with two women, believed to be her mother and sister.

Red and green balloons could be seen dotted throughout the kitchen of the house for the celebrations after McCollum's three years in jail.

Neighbours said they were not aware of her impending arrival until a number of cars started to arrive at the house.

Parked

One local resident, who did not want to be named, said the homecoming continued into the night.

"There was an unusual amount of cars parked outside the house. While I didn't see Michaella, I saw a few of her family members," said the resident.

"They definitely seemed to be having a party and I heard it was for her.

"I'm sure she will be welcomed back by her friends and family, but I'm not sure about everyone else."

McCollum walked through the arrivals area of Dublin Airport alone and did not talk to waiting reporters and photographers as she dragged two suitcases behind her.

Hours before she landed in Dublin, the former dancer and photography student posted pictures on Instagram as she prepared for her long journey home.
Irish badminton star Scott Evans is a step closer to his dream of an Olympic medal as he moves into the knock-out stages today.

"Last 16 of the @Olympics and I've plenty more in me. Let's keep it going. Thank you everyone for all your support," tweeted Evans after his match.

The Dundrum man landed a place in the last-16 after a 2-1 victory over Brazilian Ygor Coelho de Oliveira - and whipped off his shirt after the victory, the image quickly going viral

Scott's mum Cheryl travelled to Rio, along with her husband Martin (60), and said she was hugely proud of her son.

Praise

"We are having a wonderful time here," she told the Herald.

She also praised brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan, who took silver in the double sculls rowing event on Friday. "All the Irish inspire each other," she added. "They are always supportive of each other. It's such a nice relationship."
Kevin and Margo Greaney hold a photo their late brother, Michael, and his wife, Valerie.

An independent inquiry into the HSE's handling of psychiatric treatment for a man who perpetrated a murder-suicide has been demanded by his devastated family.

The Greaney family told the Herald they are convinced that the deaths of Michael Greaney (53) and his wife and the stabbing of his daughter in 2014 could have been avoided if the Naval Service veteran had received longer residential psychiatric care the previous year.

Escape

They said they are still awaiting answers as to how Mr Greaney spent only six weeks in residential psychiatric care after trying to kill a teenager and then take his own life in 2013.

Mr Greaney fatally stabbed his wife, Valerie; stabbed his eldest daughter, Michelle (21); and then took his own life on December 28, 2014, at the family home on O'Neill Place in Cobh, Co Cork.

Michelle managed to escape and survived her injuries.

The family claimed they have been treated "with contempt" by the HSE over the past two years.

Mr Greaney was admitted to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum under the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act in May 2013.

However, he was released from full-time residential care after six weeks and spent the next 18 months effectively being treated in the community.

After his death, the HSE immediately launched a full review of Mr Greaney's care, but his family said their treatment as part of the review process has been "frustrating, confusing and insulting".

His younger brother Kevin said: "I have absolutely no doubt that Michael's death and the tragedy that happened was a direct result of the chronic under-funding of Ireland's mental health system for years."

The family was promised the HSE mental care review would take three months and that a coroner's inquest would be expedited on compassionate grounds.

Scandal

"The Console charity scandal was the final straw for us. That's why we're speaking out about the under-funding of mental health services and the fact that the last government could propose cutting mental health budgets by 12m," Kevin added.

The HSE said its inquiry is continuing.

"The draft report of the HSE systems analysis investigation into the care provided to this patient is currently being prepared," a spokesperson said.
Ireland's leading cancer charity has joined the tributes to Professor Aongus Curran, who tragically lost his life over the weekend.

Prof Curran, a pioneering doctor for head and neck cancers, has been remembered as a "deeply kind" and "caring" medical professional by many of his colleagues and associates.

John McCormack, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, said Prof Curran's death was "a tragic loss for cancer patients and the cancer community in Ireland".

Renowned Prof Curran is renowned for his work at St Vincent's Hospital, where he is credited with setting up its Rapid Access Clinic for patients with suspicious neck lumps.

The St Vincent's Healthcare Group (SVHG) said its board, management and staff were "shocked and saddened" at his death.

"Professor Curran was a valued member of the SVHG team who worked tirelessly for his patients," the statement said.

"A deeply kind and caring man, he was an excellent role model for all staff and in particular for his students, with whom he generously shared his knowledge and experience," it added.

The healthcare group highlighted Prof Curran's "national and international reputation" in cancer treatment, labelling him as "one of Ireland's leading cancer specialists".

"His tragic death has deprived Ireland of an exceptional medical professional and educator," the statement continued.

"It was our privilege to have worked with and known him. He will be sadly missed by all of us at St Vincent's Healthcare Group. Our thoughts are especially with his family at this very sad time," it added.
World Rugby: August 15, 2016 - Fiji produced a sevens masterclass to overwhelm Great Britain 43-7 in the men's sevens gold medal match at the Deodoro Stadium and write their names into the history books as their country's first ever Olympic medallists.



The HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions lived up to their billing as favourites to claim the first men's rugby Olympic medals in 92 years with tries from captain Osea Kolinisau, Jerry Tuwai, Jasa Veremalua, Leone Nakarawa, Vatemo Ravouvou, Josua Tuisova and Viliame Mata securing the victory.

The Flying Fijians had the crowd of more than 10,000 - including the Fiji Prime MInister Frank Bainimarama - on the edge of their seats with a scintillating display of rugby befitting the first men's sevens Olympic champions.

Fiji and Great Britain were joined on the podium by South Africa, who proved too strong for surprise semi-finalists Japan with Rosko Specman scoring a hat-trick in a 54-14 victory by the Blitzboks.

In the other play-off matches on the final day, New Zealand beat Argentina for fifth place, France overcame Australia for seventh place with USA beating Spain to ninth and Kenya finishing with a win over hosts Brazil to claim 11th.

READ THE REACTION FROM DAY THREE >>

VIEW THE MENS SEVENS RESULTS >>

With chants of Fiji, Fiji, Fiji ringing out around the Deodoro Stadium it was the series champions who struck first, Leone Nakarawa and Semi Kunatani keeping the ball alive in the tackle and working it wide for captain Osea Kolinisau to score the opening try.

A second try quickly followed when Samisoni Viriviri broke through a tackle and fed Jerry Tuwai outside him for an easy run-in. It could have been three, but Nakarawa lost the ball a metre out in a tackle by Team GB captain Tom Mitchell.

The Flying Fijians then profited from two errors as first Team GB turned over the ball and Jasa Veremalua finished off the counter-attack and then Dan Norton failed to claim the restart and Nakarawa charged away for try number four.

It got even better for Fiji when Vatemo Ravouvou broke through a tackle and raced away for a fifth try of a first half in which Team GB were barely able to get their hands on the ball and blown away to trail 29-0 at the break.

There was no let up from the Fijians despite their dominance on the scoreboard and another turnover saw Veremalua break through and then selflessly pass back to Josua Tuisova to get his name on the scoreboard on an historic night for Fijian rugby.

Dan Norton ensured there would be no whitewash for Team GB, but it was fitting that the series champions had the final say in an emphatic victory with Viliame Mata adjudged to have grounded the ball late on to ensure the celebrations were even louder in the stadium and across the Pacific island nation.

BRONZE MEDAL MATCH

South Africa ended Japans dream of a bronze medal ending to their fairy tale run at the Olympic Games with an emphatic 54-14 defeat of Japan having punished any error with a run-in try from distance.

Juan de Jongh broke through the defence for the opening try and then, within a minute of Japan losing the impressive Teruya Goto to injury, his try celebration partner Rosko Specman added a second for South Africa.

Japan delighted their supporters with a try from Yusaku Kuwazuru, but Specman raced away again to give South Africa a commanding 21-7 lead at half-time. Japan hit back quickly after the break with a great run from Kazuhiro Goya, but once more South Africa had a response, through Cecil Afrika.

Africa added a second try and South Africa put the gloss on the victory with further tries for Justin Geldud, Specman  to complete his hat-trick  and Cheslin Kolbe. Japan, though, will return home as heroes after finishing an historic fourth with world champions New Zealand among their scalps.

FIFTH PLACE PLAY-OFF

New Zealand salvaged fifth place  and avoided losing four matches in the competition, something they have never done on the series  with a 17-14 defeat of Argentina.

Akira Ioane raced away for the only try of the first half and then Gillies Kaka stepped his way through the defence and gifted Tim Mikkelson a try with a pass in the in-goal area. It was the turn of the younger Ioane brother then with Rieko dancing his way to New Zealands third try.

Los Pumas Sevens had fought back from 21-0 to beat Australia in their last match, but there was to be no repeat performance despite late tries by Juan Imhoff and Matias Moroni.

SEVENTH PLACE PLAY-OFF

Henry Hutchison, the rookie of the year from the series, gave Australia the perfect start with an early try, but they then missed not one but two scoring opportunities, first Ed Jenkins making a double movement to get over the line and then Tom Cusack losing the ball inches from the line.

They were made to pay for those wasted opportunities as France captain Terry Bouhraoua, who scored a hat-trick against Australia in the first ever mens Olympic sevens match, scored late in the first half and then veteran Julien Candelon scored after the break.

Captain Jenkins did score a second try for Australia with 40 seconds remaining but James Stannard was unable to add the conversion and Les Bleus held on for a 12-5 victory and seventh place overall.

SESSION FIVE REVIEW

SEMI-FINALS

Fiji made the perfect start when Vatemo Ravouvou broke round the side of the Japanese defence for the opening try, but he turned villain with a yellow card and Japan made the most of their man advantage with Teruya Goto powering over to tie the scores at 5-5.

An acrobatic dive from powerhouse Josua Tuisova ensured Fiji went into half-time ahead at 10-5 and they increased that advantage with tries by Semi Kunatani and Jerry Tuwai, the latter with Lomano Lemeki in the sin-bin for Japan.

Japan, the surprise package of the competition, battled to the finish but couldnt deny Fiji a 20-5 win.

South Africa had lost their speedster Seabelo Senatla to injury, but in his absence Rosko Specman was showing his own pace by bursting through the Great Britain defence at will early on. It was a great flick of the floor by Phil Snyman that gave Kyle Brown a run-in for the only try of the first half.

The Blitzboks lead lasted less than minute as Team GB worked the ball wide and Dan Norton stepped inside Dylan Sage to race clear and under the posts, captain Mitchell crucially adding the conversion for a 7-5 lead.

Neither side were able to find another score so it was Great Britain celebrating at the final whistle.

FIFTH PLACE SEMI-FINALS

New Zealand have never lost four matches in a single tournament on the series and they avoided doing so on the Olympic stage only after second-half tries from brothers Akira and Rieko Ioane and Regan Wares second of the match secured a 24-19 win over France.

Ware had opened the scoring only for two tries by Stephen Parez to give Les Bleus a 12-5 half-time lead. The second half belonged to New Zealand, though, with France only able to manage a consolation try with time up through Sacha Valleau, a sevens gold medallist at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing two years ago.

The second semi-final was only decided in added time after Argentina staged a remarkable comeback from 21-0 down to beat Australia 26-21, Matias Moroni scoring the winning try just as he had to snatch victory against the USA on day one.

A brace of tries from Tom Cusack and another from Con Foley had put Australia in the driving seat, but Argentina captain Gaston Revol scored a try with time up in the first to give his side hope. Revol scored again early in the second and Moroni cut the deficit to two before his match-winning try.

NINTH PLACE PLAY-OFF

The USA had lost one of their speedsters Perry Baker to a calf injury after day two, but that just gave Carlin Isles more time on the pitch and the former sprinter responded with two run-ins from long-range.

Spain had scored the opening try through Pablo Fontes, a late injury replacement for Pablo Feijoo for the final day, but Isles and Danny Barrett put the Eagles Sevens ahead. Spain pulled it back to 12-12 through Angel Lopezs try but further scores for Maka Unufe and Isles wrapped up the 24-12 victory.

11TH PLACE PLAY-OFF

Kenya had hopes of a medal when they arrived in Rio, not playing off for 11th place play-off but they ensured they finished their Olympic campaign with a first victory, Billy Odhiambo scoring a hat-trick in a 24-0 defeat of hosts Brazil.

Willy Ambaka was the other try scorer for Kenya as the hosts appeared to run out of steam. Brazil did think they had scored a try at the death through captain Lucas Duque, but the pass from his brother Moises was forward to the dismay of the home fans in the crowd.

Tell us what you thought of the men's sevens competition at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Join the conversation @WorldRugby7s using #Rugby7
Some of Dublin's biggest retailers have banded together to oppose one of the city's main thoroughfares becoming pedestrianised.

Arnotts, Brown Thomas and the Jervis and Ilac shopping centres are among dozens of retailers who have formed a new "single-issue" lobby group to fight plans to create a civic plaza in front of Trinity College and ban cars from College Green and the surrounding area.

The new group, the Dublin City Traders' Alliance (DCTA), is warning that jobs could be lost if the traffic restrictions are approved.

Interests

The group is fronted by Noel Smyth, a solicitor who runs Fitzwilliam Real Estate Capital which owns several city centre properties including the Arnotts car park.

Other members are also known to have commercial interests in car parks in the city centre.

Mr Smyth told the Herald his group had no interest in picking a fight with Dublin City Council (DCC) "just because they wouldn't let cars into the city".

"We accept that there is a need for proper traffic management, but to achieve that you need a proper plan and we don't have faith in the current one," he said.

"Our main concern is that thousands of jobs could be lost if you continue to allow leakage out of the city to retailers in the suburbs.

"This issue needs to be addressed in a proper fashion, and that's what we're calling for - a new plan that looks at transport, congestion, retail together and that includes input from those who will be most affected by it.

"We've no interest in rowing with the DCC, we want to work with them to create a development plan that works for everyone in the city."

Asked about their involvement with DCTA by the Herald, Brown Thomas and a spokesperson for the Jervis shopping centre declined to comment.

Former Lord Mayor Christy Burke said the DCTA had valid concerns.
A Dublin paramedic based in Syria has spoken of the horror he has seen in the battle against Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East.

Calvin James (38) has spent the past five months in Syria where he regularly has to cope with the aftermath of suicide bombings, gun attacks and roadside explosions.

He was on the scene last month when two suicide bombings killed 60 people.

Detonate

Days later, another terrorist tried to detonate a vest primed with explosives, but it failed to go off.

Mr James is among a group of 30 paramedics working in an area of the Rojava region which has only 70 doctors and a handful of ambulances serving three million people.

"As far as I'm aware, I'm the only Irish person in the region," he said. "I've been to Syria and Iraq several times. When the civil war broke out and IS came to be, I couldn't stay at home and watch it any more."

Mr James, who worked as a social worker in Ireland, said he went to Syria to offer his help in any way he could.

"When I got out there, there were enough ambulances but not enough personnel and they were really short-staffed," he said.

"They started training me up as a paramedic, which might sound a bit daft but they don't have the people."

Mr James is now based in Manbij City, which was previously 80pc controlled by IS. It is the terror group's third-most important city after Raqqa in Syria and Mosul in Iraq.

"There's a lot of casualties and a lot of dead out there at the moment, it's like a meat grinder," he said.

Targeting

"There have been several cars bombs, several suicide bombings targeting police and military. When something like this happens you either go to the scene to help in any way you can or go to the hospital.

"You don't really have time to process anything out here. Around three weeks ago several friends got wounded but not many have died. The more time you spend out here you do get desensitised."
U2 band members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr are among investors who have taken a legal action over alleged defects at a luxury apartment complex in south Dublin.

Residents of The Cubes complex have also hit out at alleged defects in their homes that could cost millions to fix. They claim they are facing problems including mould and damp.

People living in the Beacon South Quarter, in Sandyford, told the Herald how serious issues developed in recent years.

It comes as it emerged 200 investors have launched a High Court action over alleged defects at the apartments.

U2's Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jnr are among the investors to have begun the action, it has been reported. A total of 15 defendants have been named, including Laing O'Rourke Ireland, PJ Hegarty & Sons and John Paul Construction.

One woman said she had been living in the apartment for around eight years, but the problems only set in recently.

Bathroom

"I have problems with the bathroom with damp and now there's mould growing. There's also problems around the windows and with the ventilation," said the woman, who didn't wish to be named. "I know that a number of other residents have had it looked at, but I don't know what's happening," she said.

Another woman said she lives with her children in the apartment and she was concerned with the conditions.

"There is a problem with the ventilation, there's very noticeable marking on the walls and the air feels damp, which I'm concerned about with the kids.

"There's also a problem with the light, the way the apartment was built, we get almost no natural sun light," she said.

"These were supposed to be built to the highest standard, I can't believe we are having these problems," she added.

According to the woman, specialists had been sent to asses problems with the apartment.

"That was a while ago, but I don't know what's happened since," she said.

Tenants

Some of the residents said they were tenants with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council or the Circle Voluntary Housing Association, others owned the apartments or were renting.

The council was named as one of the prosecuting parties in the case against the developers.

Calls to the management company of the complex were not returned last night and the council could not be contacted. The Cubes are located in blocks as part of a large apartment complex, developed by Paddy Shovlin's Landmark Developments around 2007.

Many of the apartments were sold off the plans, with the most expensive fetching 1.1m. At the time they were hailed as luxury residences designed around a courtyard. In some cases, the apartments were built with two balconies. However, residents have complained that some of these balconies are now leaking.

There are more than 600 apartments in the development. Not all are affected by the problems.
News / National

by Thobekile Zhou

The Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) has been rapped for being wasteful during by-elections by printing excessive ballot papers amid continued decline in voter turnout.The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) on Monday released its Mazowe North by-election report saying ZEC "should analyse the current voting trends and turnout"."ZESN has observed that in most constituencies where by-elections have been held, less than half of the printed ballot papers are used on polling day."This unnecessarily increases the cost of running the elections as ZEC bases the number of printed ballot papers on the overall number of registered voters in the constituency including those registered in 2013 since ZEC has been using two voters' rolls in the by-elections including in Mazowe North" said ZESN in a report seen by Bulawayo24.com."For example at Mvurwi community Hall in Ward 28 of the 2200 ballot papers issued only 523 were used, at Umvukwesi Primary School 800 ballot papers were availed and only 180 were used and at Goteka Primary School 619 of 1,700 ballot papers were used."Given the low turnout that has been characterising by-elections ZEC should analyse the current voting trends and turnout in determining the continued use of two rolls vis a vis number of ballot papers issued and other voting stationery being used to print ballot papers and supplementary roll in order to reduce the costs of running the by-elections".ZESN said appreciates that ZEC uses a threshold method in assigning voters to specific polling stations in the polling station based voting system."Assuming that a maximum threshold of 1,500 voters was used in the Mazowe North by-election most of the polling stations where ZESN observed ZEC issued ballot papers below the threshold. However, at Mvurwi Community Hall 2,200 ballot papers were issued which translates to 46.7% more and at Holy Rosary 20% over the maximum threshold were issued. ZEC did not publicise the total number of ballot papers printed for the Mazowe North by-election."However, the internationally accepted threshold for ballot papers printed is between 5-10% as noted in the AUEOM Report on the 2013 harmonised elections,".
DAMASCUS, Va.  Its not easy to pull the wool over the eyes of a few local high school students who spent their summer vacation preparing lambs for competitions.

Any way they look at it, training show sheep is hard work.

Eight agriculture students from Holston High School reaped the rewards of their labors when they showed their own market lambs at Rich Valley Fair last week, one of five shows they plan to attend this season.

According to agriculture instructor Sarah Scyphers, Holston High School is the only school in Washington County, Virginia, that offers a sheep showmanship student team.

Even though the group of FFA [Future Farmers of America] students did not bring home ribbons or trophies, the experience taught them a lot.

Katlyn Odum, a senior, said it was her first time showing sheep.

Its been a great experience, and Id like to show again after graduation, she said.

I learned its good to keep your eye on the judge, and to stay calm. If you get excited, your lamb will too. Showing sheep has taught me how to be a strong leader and its given me more social skills. You make friends with people who share the same interest, said Odum.

Sophomore Chesney Milhorne agreed that patience with the animals is key to a successful competition.

The sheep are very sweet, and its very exciting to have my own lamb, she said. Ive also learned teamwork is so important at the shows and be willing to help other team members.

The FFA member said she eventually wants to show pigs and cattle.

Other Holston High School students on the team are Chasity Odum, Hunter Trent, Johnny Rouse, Kate Cullop, KayLeigh Heath and Allie Collins.

Scyphers said the idea to show sheep started when her students expressed an interest last season before construction of a barn on school property was completed.

The barn serves as a teaching tool for students who dont have livestock at home and lack experience caring for the animals. Students who want to show market lambs also have a place where they can care for their animals during the summer.

To help her students learn about showmanship, Scyphers allowed them to show sheep from her farm last season.

It was a great learning experience for students to get their feet wet and see how a show works, said Scyphers. They loved it so much, they wanted to show again.

This spring, eight of her students were given opportunities to purchase show-quality sheep from a local farmer at affordable prices.

Students come together as a group at least two times each week during the summer to exercise their lambs, wash, shear, deworm, vaccinate, trim their hooves, and identify some medical conditions. All are taught by Scyphers, who raised and showed sheep as an FFA member when she was a young student.

Scyphers insisted the project be student-run.

I have not fed the sheep one time. The students take turns feeding and providing water for the sheep each day of the week. My students learn responsibility and important life lessons. Sometimes, that means a lot more than the blue ribbons or prize money, she said.

Last week, they got to see how things are done at a show instead of just hearing me tell them. All of them came away learning new things. They have room to improve and they have a plan in place. Weve added an extra day of practice because they want to get better. It takes a while to learn the skills. They have worked super hard and they are working even harder now that they have seen how its done.

Scyphers said showmanship is an important part of the shows. Individuals are judged on how well they make their lambs look.

You can have a less than superior lamb but still win a showmanship contest because you present the lamb the best way possible.

They learned how to put forth a better showmanship package by setting the lambs legs so they appear more muscular.

The goal is to learn your lambs best features and magnify those features, she said.

Scyphers said her students are learning to communicate well with judges during showmanship classes.

For example, they need to know information such as what they are feeding their lambs, and how much they feed each day, she added.

The students also competed in market lamb classes, which judge lambs on muscle, leanness, and frame.

The group of students will participate in four more show this season. On Aug. 12, they travel to Newport Agricultural Fair in Giles County, Virginia; on Friday, they will be at the Bland County Fair; on Sept. 10, they go to the Russell County Fair; and on Sept. 17, the students compete at the Washington County Fair.

Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com.
WASHINGTONWhen youre on maternity leave  with full pay from your employer  you probably dont expect a mortgage lender to reject your loan application because your income doesnt count since you havent yet returned to your job.

Yet thats what a woman in Philadelphia says she experienced when she and her husband sought financing to complete renovations on a house in the city. And shes hardly alone. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the agency that handles federal fair housing complaints, there have been in excess of 200 cases alleging maternity-related discrimination against women seeking home mortgages in the past six years.

Some of the lenders in past cases that have gone to settlement involve companies prominent in banking and mortgages, including Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Bank of America, PNC Mortgage and MGIC, the mortgage insurer. In all agreements, the accused companies denied wrongdoing.

Under the Fair Housing Act, enacted in 1968, it is unlawful to discriminate in real estate transactions, including mortgage lending, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or familial status. That means lenders cannot deny  or delay  a loan simply because an applicant is on maternity leave but is otherwise qualified.

In the Philadelphia womans case, which resulted in a conciliation agreement July 29 with Citizens Bank, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania, the problem was that her pay stubs contained the wording short term disability, she told me. That troubled an underwriter at the bank, who suspected that she might not be planning to return to her job full time, she said. This was despite the fact that she and her employer were both willing to provide a letter specifying her date of return to work to allay any concerns. Without her income being counted in the application, the bank concluded that she and her husband would not be able to qualify for the financing they requested. The woman, whose name was redacted from the agreement, requested that she not be identified when I interviewed her.

Im getting full pay on maternity leave, she said she explained to the loan officer. This is not 1950 and you shouldnt be penalizing me! Citizens, which is the 13th largest retail bank in the country, according to its website, denied discriminating against the woman but agreed to make payments totaling $115,000 -- $40,000 to her and $75,000 to an unnamed fair housing advocacy group. The bank also agreed to conduct fair lending compliance sessions with its staff and to adopt a parental leave policy.

In a statement, Citizens said we follow fair lending practices and are committed to ensuring equal access and consideration for all customers plus providing ongoing training for colleagues. The bank ultimately came through with the financing requested by the woman and her husband, but only after she had returned to her job, she said. By then, she had filed a complaint with HUD.

Shanna L. Smith, president and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance, says there needs to be much better training for [lenders] about how to deal with interrupted income for loan closings when a woman is pregnant and [on] paid maternity leave. In one case brought by Smiths group and now pending at HUD, a loan originator in Arkansas told an applicant that even though she was on paid maternity leave, she would have to be back at work for the loan to close," according to Smith.

Curiously, interrupted income situations dont seem to be a problem for lenders when it is a factory or seasonal male worker, Smith said. But for a pregnant woman, the treatment too often is different  underwriters dont seem to be able to calculate qualifying incomes properly. This is especially so, said Smith, when loan originators or underwriters have been with the bank a long time, and are still operating on rules from past decades that required women to return to work before a mortgage could go to closing.

Though discrimination like this is relatively uncommon  given the large numbers of applications by pregnant women or those on maternity leave that are funded without a hitch  it still occurs. If you or someone you know encounters it, contact HUDs fair lending office at 800-669-9777.

As the mortgage applicant in Philadelphia put it so well, this is no longer the 1950s. Federal law requires fair treatment of anyone on maternity or parental leave. Banks need to get it.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

Zimbabwe People First interim leader Joice Mujuru has been labeled as an MDC-T concubine.On Saturday, Mujuru made a surprise appearance at an MDC-T Gweru demonstration sparking speculation of a coalition to topple President Robert Mugabe.However, the state controlled Herald on Monday said Mujuru was a 'concubine" who had played into MDC-T politics."Not only does Mai Mujuru share a platform with Tsvangirai in Gweru she is captured with an open hand, to suggest that she has become a political concubine of MDC-T," said an unnamed source."She is not the one who absorbed MDC-T because that open hand summarises the politics of opposition".The Herald unnamed sources further claimed that Mujuru is advancing interests of her late husband General Solomon Mujuru who " had several meetings with the MDC-T leader and agreed on a scheme of taking over"."Even at the funeral of General (Mujuru), we had a very awkward situation where MDC-T people were part and parcel of the mourners which is quite unusual. That stemmed from the interaction that was taking place behind the scenes involving the General or some of his aides and Mr Tsvangirai but also underpinned with Western interests.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Activist clergyman Evan Mawarire - who waged a valiant social media campaign to press President Robert Mugabe and his ruling Zanu-PF to arrest the country's deepening rot, and who has now been forced to relocate to the United States of America - has split public opinion in a seriously divided Zimbabwe about whether he is a hero or a coward.The popular Baptist preacher led the infectious and highly resonant #ThisFlag campaign which galvanised fed up Zimbabweans to agitate for change, before panicking authorities descended on him like a tonne of bricks, forcing him into exile - first in neighbouring South Africa, and now in the US where he has been given long term refuge.So prominent in the country's body politic had Mawarire become before he fled out of the country that Forbes magazine even called him the Martin Luther King of Zimbabwe - likening him to the gifted and internationally-acclaimed American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.Some of his adoring local followers also affectionately refereed to him as "Captain Zimbabwe", as he inspired and fired the imagination of long-suffering ordinary citizens who began to dream about finally being capable of forcing the country's much-criticised rulers to change their errant ways.But as has too often been the case over the past 36 years of Zimbabwe's independence, the dream proved to be too good to be true, as the cleric was soon put in the slammer, before being hounded out of the country after the jittery Zanu-PF government launched a thuggish crackdown against all dissenting voices.And with his establishment detractors now looking to profit from his exile, and maliciously painting him as a coward, many analysts who spoke to the Daily News On Sunday yesterday said it would be "wholly wrong" to overlook both his bravery and the achievements of his #ThisFlag campaign."Maybe he did not anticipate the kind of pressure that was going to come from the campaign, and his arrest may have been a shock to him."He has a right to be where he feels safe but it's unfortunate that he will not be present to see the developments of what he started."People have different giftings from God and God places them at positions to fulfil those gifts. Maybe Mawarire's gift was simply to popularise the idea. It's his right to decide what he wants to do next."You also need to understand that Pastor Evan has never been in politics and he came in, created and brought in a new ideology."Some of us would not have even managed that. I don't think he has betrayed anyone. People have different roles and stretching beyond that would break him," outspoken Harare Bishop Ancelimo Magaya said.Last month, Mawarire helped to organise arguably the biggest general strike to have been mounted in the history of the country, with hundreds of thousands of fed up Zimbabweans heeding his call to stay away from work.Human rights expert, Dewa Mavhinga, also paid tribute to Mawarire and said the cleric had inspired Zimbabweans to fight for their rights."We must never underestimate the creativity and capacity of the Zimbabwe regime when it comes to repression and the politics of fear. Mawarire is a simple pastor who took to social media to vent his frustrations at an insensitive government and in the process spoke what was in the hearts and minds of millions of Zimbabweans."Expectedly, the regime mobilised an entire machinery of repression to come against a man with no political or activism background, who has two small children and a pregnant wife."It is easy to engage in armchair politics and criticise Mawarire but my view is that the struggle must continue in key institutions, including civil society, churches, trade unions and opposition political parties," Mavhinga - a senior human rights researcher with New-York-based Human Rights Watch - said.After organising last months's "shutdown", Mugabe himself was so miffed by the popularity of his #ThisFlag campaign that he threatened Mawarire during the burial of his long time aide, Charles Utete, at the national Heroes Acre."I don't even know him (Mawarire), and those who believe in that way of living, well, are not part of us in thinking. They are not part of us as we try to live together."If they don't want to live with us they should go to those countries that are sponsoring them."I don't know if he's a man of religion. A man of religion will speak the biblical truth. First Corinthians, what does it say? Love one another. So beware these men of God. Not all of them are true preachers of the Bible. I don't know whether they are serving God. Well, we spell God (as) G.O.D, they spell in reverse (DOG)," the nonagenarian thundered then."No one is indispensable to the struggle, as it is not one man's responsibility but one that everyone must embrace. Yes, the disappointment with his move is palpable and has deflated some of the momentum, but the cause is not lost."After what he roused and achieved in a short space of time, I would have preferred he stayed. However, the decision to speak out was one he took independently and with no intention to spawn a movement."I am certain that the changed circumstances demanded reflection from the ruling elite's part and the truth is no one except him knows what pushed him and informed his decision to leave the country," analyst McDonald Lewanika said.In the meantime, Mawarire has posted a video on YouTube in which he urges Zimbabweans to continue with the fight, vowing to spread his campaign even as he is domiciled in the US."As we go forward, let us remind each other that our movement is not about one person This not about one personality."Our strength is not in one person or one movement ... don't stop protesting against government's poor governance. I am meeting up with citizens in the diaspora, I am going to the USA, while I assess my next move."But don't stop, don't depend on Mawarire. Depend on you. This is what the strength of the movement is about," Mawarire said.
More women, juveniles help drive need for more space at the jail
News / Regional

by Staff reporter

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai and former Vice President Joice Mujuru sent fresh shivers down the spines of President Robert Mugabe and other panicking Zanu-PF bigwigs yesterday when they publicly flaunted their readiness to join forces against the ruling party ahead of Zimbabwe's eagerly-anticipated 2018 national elections.In a move that political analysts described as "very significant", Mujuru - now leader of the Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) - held hands and also joined Tsvangirai during another massive demonstration in Gweru that was organised by the former prime minister in the government of national unity's MDC."This public show of solidarity was very significant. You know, perception is especially powerful in politics both in terms of symbolism and numbers, and this Gweru tango between the two leaders ticked all the right boxes. If I were in Zanu-PF I would be very worried," analyst Shepherd Mntungwa told the Daily News on Sunday.And in a reciprocal development that was also variously described as "historic", Mujuru - who was hounded out Zanu-PF in December 2014 on untested allegations of plotting to oust and assassinate Mugabe - was later joined by the MDC top brass at her own rally in the same city.Thousands of MDC and ZPF supporters, as well as passers-by in the Midlands capital, cheered and treated both opposition heavyweights like they were rock stars."Today is a historic day to us. It is the day the MDC and ZPF are coming together to fight for our space. We want the people of Zimbabwe to work as one and not be divided. Today we found a way of working together to deal with the issues that are affecting us."The MDC and ZPF are like puppies of the same litter but which take different days to start seeing. The MDC was the first to see Mugabe's problems, so you cannot accuse me of having failed to realise them when the MDC did," Mujuru told the ecstatic gathered crowds.Describing yesterday's scenes as heart warming' Tsvangirai - who recently announced that he was suffering from cancer of the colon - showered praises on Mujuru for joining the MDC in its protest."Did anyone ever dream of Mujuru becoming a part of the opposition? I want to congratulate her together with the ZPF leadership for seeing it necessary for us to have this joint programme. It's not by accident that the MDC and ZPF are here together."I know that there will be a lot of talk, especially from Mugabe because he is afraid of the people, and by the end of the day he will even be afraid of leading Zimbabwe. We in the MDC respect Mujuru for the contribution she has made to this country. Mujuru is not the enemy," Tsvangirai said.Analysts say a united opposition fighting with one purpose can finally bring to an end Mugabe's long rule, especially at a time that the increasingly frail nonagenarian is fighting to keep his warring Zanu-PF united.Mugabe was recently dumped by war veterans who have since announced that they will not be campaigning for him in 2018 because he is allegedly a hard sell'.The war veterans have been one of Mugabe's strongest pillars and have waged brutal campaigns against the MDC over the past 17 years to keep Zanu-PF and its leader in power.A few weeks ago, Tsvangirai also reiterated his willingness to work with Mujuru and ZPF, saying the enemies of the people who needed to be booted out of power were Mugabe and Zanu-PF.Speaking in an interview with the Daily News on Sunday then, he warmly welcomed Mujuru to "the side of the people", adding that the formal entrance into politics of ZPF would serve as an additional arsenal to long-suffering Zimbabweans in their quest to dislodge Mugabe and Zanu-PF from power.The battle-hardened MDC leader and former prime minister in the government of national unity said the "sad reality and incontrovertible truth" was that Mugabe and Zanu-PF were the "singular negative catalyst" behind Zimbabwe's political and economic crises of the past 36 years.In that light, he added, all the people and organisations who believed in a democratic and better Zimbabwe, and who were prepared to put their "bodies and souls on the line in the fight against the Zanu-PF kleptocracy" were for the people and therefore allies "in the struggle"."For me, they (Mujuru and ZPF) are definitely not the enemy. They appeal to a certain constituency and are part of the opposition now. They are certainly not the problem."The problem is, and has always been Zanu-PF. So, in terms of accepting  their role and space in the struggle, there is no issue there. I see nothing wrong with them," Tsvangirai said.The MDC president spoke then after Mujuru had officially launched her party in Harare, where she also openly expressed her willingness to work with other opposition parties in the fight for democracy in Zimbabwe.Picking up on the partnership theme, which has sent Zanu-PF into panic mode ahead of the 2018 elections, Tsvangirai said it was clear that the MDC shared many beliefs with ZPF on critical issues such as democracy and respect for property rights.However, the indefatigable former trade unionist cautioned that there was a significant hurdle that opposition parties, Mujuru's ZPF included, had to deal with - even if they worked together and won elections - and this related to how to transfer power."There are many State institutions that continue to be abused to thwart the people's will. Whether it's Morgan Tsvangirai or Amai Mujuru, or anybody else, we have to force conditions, conditions that will allow for the mandate of the people to be observed."The fact is that Mugabe has always sustained his power through military means and pillars. And this is not likely to stop anytime soon. On the other hand, we know and have never said that the military is an enemy of the people. We have always said people must be professional and that they must respect the Constitution."If the Constitution were to be observed in both letter and spirit, I can tell you that Zanu-PF will not last one more day in power. If we were able to beat them in 2008 as we did, in 2018 they will be chicken feed," a confident Tsvangirai said.In an earlier interview with the Daily News on Sunday's sister paper, the Daily News, Mujuru also spoke about the country's uneven political playing field, but suggested that she had the capacity to reach out to the critical security sector that is led by her liberation struggle comrades.Analysts also say Mujuru, whose liberation struggle nom de guerre was Teurai Ropa (Spill Blood), and whose husband Solomon was the first black post-independence army commander, could provide the much-needed bridge that opposition parties have been missing to ensure the smooth transfer of power if they win elections again.However, they warn that without a broad coalition involving all the major opposition players, Zanu-PF would use "its usual thuggish and foul methods" to retain power in 2018.In 2008, her late husband - Rex, the revered liberation struggle icon and Zimbabwe's first black military commander, was accused by Mugabe and other Zanu-PF bigwigs of having engineered the 92-year-old's stunning electoral defeat to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai in that poll.
Opinion / Columnist

There has been a lot of lively discussion amongst Zimbabweans on #Tajamuka /Sesijikile, #ThisFlag and the direction or lack of direction of the nation's struggle for meaningful political change, especially on whether or not Pastor Evan Mawarire did the right thing is leaving Zimbabwe. The discussions have failed to establish whether or not there was any substance in Pastor Mawarire's message; if there is no substance in the message (I argue that there was none), then who cares what happens to the message or the messenger!"We watched the whole movement in amazement as it gained momentum, watching all the videos daily and praying earnestly for Zimbabwe. That is how heavily involved my husband and I became in the #This Flag movement," confessed Jean Gasho.See "Open letter to #ThisFlag Pastor after calling Zimbabwean HATERS", Bulawayo 24 Opinion."What first attracted me to This Flag was your humility, passion and eloquence. I remember saying often to my husband that "truly this man is a man of God". . I thought well, God has surely chosen you to deliver the people of Zimbabwe from bondage, especially those back home."This is the thing about Zimbabweans; we are easily bowled over especially with empty slogans no matter how nonsensical and self-contradictory they might be. Who can forget Zanu PF's "People's Choice!" or MDC's "Party of excellence!" Yet the one is expect in rigging elections thus denying the people the choice whilst the other failed to implement even one democratic reform although that was the very thing the people had risked life and limp for them to do, respectively."Tajamuka! / Sesijikile!" (We are enlightened! We are free!) "Hatichatya!" (We are no longer afraid!) are the new slogans that swept Jean and many other off their feet! There is nothing substantive in all Pastor Mawarire's video to suggest he understood Zimbabwe's problems and will "deliver the people bondage!" Nothing.Indeed Pastor Mawarire's naivety left one cold. He demanded that Mugabe must "fire corrupt ministers" for example. This would have made sense in the early 1980s but not now after 36 years of this corrupt and tyrannical dictatorship. Surely it should be clear that it is no longer a matter of corrupt ministers but rather a corrupt and tyrannical regime and we should be demanding democratic reforms and free and fair elections. We need to fire the whole regime and have failed to do so because Mugabe has become an expert at rigging elections.How can Mawarire deliver us from bondage when he clearly has no clue what is wrong! We are in this political and economic mess precisely because we thought Mugabe would lead us to the Promised Land and he landed us in this hell-on-earth instead. We elected Tsvangirai convinced he would deliver us from this hell and he sold-out. So if Mawarire is just another clueless Mugabe or Tsvangirai, full of rhetoric and no substance, what difference will it have made if he stayed in Zimbabwe or left the country?"However fast-forward four weeks later, I haven't got a clue as to what's happening anymore. Each time I watch your recent videos I feel confused and somewhat betrayed. I feel like you are a different man to the man you were before you fled Zimbabwe. Your style and tone of talking has changed, the humility I once saw in you I don't see it anymore," complained Gasho."I don't hear you say hatichatya (we are not afraid anymore). What puzzles me the most is that since you left Zimbabwe, you started saying This Flag movement was never about one person. With all the respect, YOU Evan Mawarire started this movement. You are the face and founder of it. You are the leader of it."In his article, "Evan Mawarire where are you?" Vince Musewe put more meat to the bone on this theme."Leadership to me is being in a position to face the same risk and taking the same bold steps that you may expect those who follow you to mirror. I think that Evan would have been more effective here in Zimbabwe on the battle front than posting videos from outside the country. Leaving was a mistake," wrote Musewe."We must therefore not downplay the reality that Zimbabweans need to be led on the ground and Evan has certainly let them down on that score. The dangerous if not naive response by him can't be to say we are all leaders, that is a myth and self-serving. Of course he had his valid reasons for leaving and we must respect that, but he certainly has could have communicated better-another critical leadership trait."What Musewe has not said is that Mugabe and Tsvangirai has, in their time, stayed and led the nation from the front and look where they have landed us into! We certainly do NOT "need to be led" into a mess.Actually, the reality is that as a nation we have shown that we are very easily bowled over with rhetoric and empty and nonsensical slogans and thus end up electing corrupt and incompetent leaders. We are so naive and gullible, we even recycle leaders with a proven track record of failure! We have to learn to pay attention to detail because only then can we separate the competent and visionary leaders, the wholesome grain, we desperately need from the corrupt and incompetent, chuff.We are in this hell-hole because for the last 36 years we have looked for the easy downhill solutions to freedom, liberty and national prosperity. Each downhill solution has taken us deeper and deeper into the hole and, like it or not, the way out has become harder and harder. #Tajamuka , etc. have all offered easy downhill solutions which is way they have appealed to so many Zimbabweans. If we keep repeating the same mistake of going downhill to get out of a hole, following corrupt and incompetent leaders who are offering no solution; "Tajamuka pakudiyi!" (We are wiser in what way!)The GNU offered the best opportunity since independence to dismantle the Zanu PF dictatorship; the chance was wasted because MDC leaders did not have a clue what the democratic reforms needed were and so did the electorate. The country's worsening economic meltdown has put a lot of pressure on Zanu PF to accept meaningful political change but unless we, the people, know what reforms must be implemented; this chance too will be wasted.What we need is to demand the implementation of all the democratic reforms followed by the holding of free, fair and credible elections! Nothing else matters. We can have millions marching every day in every city and town in Zimbabwe scream at the top of their voices "TAJAMUKA!" "SESIJIKILE!" "HATICHATYI" "WE ARE WISER!" to no avail. I can teach a parrot to do that!-------------Nomusa Garikai
Opinion / Columnist

I was amazed by a screaming headline in the Southern Times that cried, 'Apartheid around the corner', in an apparent desperate bid to make excuses for South Africa's African National Congress (ANC)'s dismal performance - in the recent municipal elections - against the Democratic Alliance (DA).The DA - which the ANC has been pathetically trying to portray as a 'White' party, and a vestige of apartheid - shocked it by garnering crucial victories in major municipalities, including the capital Tshwane Metropolitan.This free fall of Africa's so-called 'liberation' movements - so-called since they have done anything, but liberate the people, as they have proven no better than the erstwhile colonial/apartheid masters in their repression of the very people they claimed to have 'liberated' - has been witnessed in other, mainly Southern African countries, such as, Zimbabwe.Nevertheless, who is to blame for the downfall of these 'liberation' movements?Is it some conspiracy by the erstwhile colonial/apartheid masters?Are they plotting and scheming to ensure that colonialism and apartheid returns?Only the erstwhile colonial/apartheid masters know for sure whether they want to make a comeback, albeit through proxies, or not - but one thing is crystal clear, they do not have to scheme anything, as these 'liberation' movements have already done most of the work of self-destruction.These 'liberation' movements have only themselves to blame for their demise.A quick look at the major 'liberation' movements of SA and Zimbabwe, which have both lost support, shows a clear pattern.When these 'liberators' got into power, they completely forgot the people they allegedly 'freed'.In South Africa (SA) and Zimbabwe, the powers-that-be sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.Can the erstwhile colonial/apartheid masters be blamed for our 'liberators'' pillaging these countries' resources for their own aggrandisement, whilst the vast majority of the people continue to wallow in poverty?In SA and Zimbabwe, institutionalised corruption became the trend, as multi-millionaires were created overnight through 'tenderpreneurship' - whereby, senior government officials and their connections, corruptly secure government tenders, as well as dubious 'Black Economic Empowerment' programmes.Similarly, mineral resources, for instance, diamonds, have been corruptly sold, such that, the Zimbabwe government can not even account for more than US$15 billion.In both these countries, senior government officials are wealthy beyond words, yet the majority of their nationals can not even afford one decent meal a day, and do not have any accommodation worthy of a human being.The SA President Jacob Zuma is embroiled in massive corruption over the 'upgrades' at his home - something he could so easily have afforded to do at his own expense, but decided to further burden the already burdened taxpayers.Most, if not all, of the senior government officials, in these two countries, live in houses that can easily rival those of the richest people on earth - whilst, the majority live in shacks, and other subhuman conditions.There have been reports of senior SA government officials demanding to be accommodated in the most expensive penthouses and hotels - actually, Zimbabwe's Vice President Phelekezela Mpoko has lived in the most expensive hotel in the country for over a year.In Zimbabwe, whilst hospitals and schools do not have any medication - resulting directly in needless deaths due to, otherwise, easily treatable ailments, and a hugely compromised education system - those in power go overseas for the best and most expensive medical care, and education.In Zimbabwe, over 4 million people face starvation, yet billions of dollars can not be accounted for.Instead of the government being empathetic, they are arrogant enough to ask those starving people if it is the government's fault that it did not rain.Additionally, those 'liberation' governments have implemented economic policies that are nothing but chaotic - resulting in massive company closures, unemployment and retrenchments, lack of cash in the economy, and so many others ills.In both SA and Zimbabwe, unemployment has reached record highs, whereby university graduates have been reduced to street vendors.Those still in employment receive a wage that makes a mockery of any human being.How else are investors supposed to react when a government embarks on a land reform programme, whereby a bunch of 'liberation' war veterans runs amok violently seizing farms?Can anyone invest in a country whose government demands a 51% shareholding in a company they made no input, especially if that 51% largely benefits the powers-that-be and hardly trickles down to the ordinary folk?Added to this already dismal situation, is the repression of the people by some of these 'liberation' movements.The Zimbabwe government has been known, since independence, for massacring, and brutalising its own people - resulting in nearly 50,000 deaths of innocent civilians.The police is unleashed on peaceful demonstrators, who met out the most brutal repression, and activists abducted, or arrested on tramped up charges.The people in these countries see all this, and feel the pain of such gross economic and political injustices.They do not need to be told by some so-called 'apartheid' media, or foreign embassies.Actually, such suggestions that the people of these countries are so idiotic, that they can not see for themselves the injustices they are being subjected to by their governments, is not only an insult, but arrogance of the highest order.In fact, such an attitude does not help the cause of those in power, as it further alienates them from the people.How are the ordinary people supposed to react?What do these 'liberation' movements expect the people to do?Quite frankly, most people who have lived through colonialism and apartheid feel that those days could have been far much better.Although, they were subjugated politically, they were, at least, better off economically than they are today - where they are oppressed both economically and politically.Furthermore, the youth - who never experienced colonialism and apartheid - just want a better life, and anything is better than what they have at the moment.As such, whether what is on offer on the ballot paper as an alternative is a 'White' party or not, they will vote for them.The people of SA and Zimbabwe have suffered enough.The politics of fear-mongering about the return of colonialism or apartheid does not work anymore, because, today, these 'monster' systems of governance appear very appealing.In the case of the DA, they have already proven themselves as very competent in the regions they control, so why should the people of SA not vote for them.They have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are far from being an apartheid party, as such, accusing such a party of being for 'apartheid', merely based on the vast 'White' membership, is blatantly racist.It is time that these 'liberation' movements truly transformed themselves into liberation movements - not the oppressors that they have proved to be.So far, they have proven that 'independence' was nothing more than a mere change of the oppressor's colour - as the lot of the ordinary people never change much, but has actually worsened.These 'liberation' movements should seriously and honestly look themselves in the mirror, and acknowledge that they shot themselves in the foot - and they can not continue to blame the erstwhile colonial powers for their own failures. Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice activist and commentator, writer, and journalist. He writes in his personal capacity, and welcomes any feedback. Please feel free to WhatsApp/call: +263782283975, or email: tendaiandtinta.mbofana@gmail.com. Follow on Twitter: @Tendai_Mbofana
Part sunny sidekick, part Trump translator, Pence is betting his political future on endearing himself to the slice of Republican primary voters who propelled the businessman to the GOP nomination. At the same time, he's trying to stay true to the conservative values he's held since former President Ronald Reagan's "morning in America" optimism lured the one-time Democrat over to the Republican Party in the 1980s.



It's a strategy with risks.



"He is walking a tight rope and there's no safety net," said Republican Indiana state Rep. Dave Ober, who is both a vocal Pence supporter and outspoken in his distaste for Trump. "He's had to put together a message of their hopes and dreams for the country if they are elected, while also trying to Band-Aid over some of the mistakes that are being made by Donald at the top of the ticket."



Over the last year-and-a-half, Pence's approval rating as Indiana's governor sunk, largely due to his support for conservative social issues which drew negative attention to the state. His selection as Trump's running mate plucked him away from a difficult re-election he had no assurance of winning. Now, should Trump lose the White House, Pence will likely be seen favorably by the businessman's most faithful supporters who are expected to be a key voting bloc in the 2020 GOP primary. He plays directly to them on the stump.



"(Trump's) a fighter, he's a winner, and until recently it seemed like he was out there fighting all on his own," Pence said, punctuating each of the last four words for emphasis, crafting himself as the man who rescued Trump from walking down a lonely road.



GOP strategist and former Pence spokesman Robert Vane says it's no surprise Pence is devoutly on-message because the "the first rule of being a VP candidate is 'do no harm.'"



"Donald Trump chose Mike Pence based on a series of strengths," Vane said. "And Gov. Pence is famous for his message discipline."



Still, there are times where the two are on different pages.



Trump, for example, has refused to publicly release his taxes, bucking a longstanding tradition. Pence ducked the issue until his Democratic vice presidential rival Sen. Tim Kaine, of Virginia, last week released years' worth of tax records. Now Pence has changed tack, suggesting in an interview with WABC in New York that his own taxes could soon be released and adding they would be a "a quick read."



When news anchors pressed Pence last week about Trump's "founder of ISIS" comments, and remarks that "Second Amendment people"  people advocating for the right to carry guns  could do something to protest Hillary Clinton's Supreme Court selection, Pence did his best to downplay or rationalize both controversies.



"Of course not, no," he told a Philadelphia reporter when asked whether Trump's Second Amendment remarks sought to incite violence. "Donald Trump is urging people around this country to act in a manner consistent with their convictions in the course of this election, and people who cherish the Second Amendment have a very clear choice in this election."

All he has to do is shovel up whatever animal turds fell fell to the pavement during the parade. Some, like the elephants may be big but a good shovel should do it. What do you give Mike Pence when he has to clean up the shitbombs Donald Trump is always flinging about?It appears you just give him his own shitbombs smaller, more polished than his master's and hopefully more palatable to the boobs listening.
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- T. S. Eliot

Thoughts After Lambeth

"The World is trying the experiment of attempting to form a civilized but non-Christian mentality. The experiment will fail; but we must be very patient in awaiting its collapse; meanwhile redeeming the time: so that the Faith may be preserved alive through the dark ages before us; to renew and rebuild civilization, and save the World from suicide."
About

Hinduism Today Magazine is a nonprofit educational activity of Himalayan Academy with the following purposes: 1. To foster Hindu solidarity as a unity in diversity among all sects and lineages; 2. To inform and inspire Hindus worldwide and people interested in Hinduism; 3. To dispel myths, illusions and misinformation about Hinduism; 4. To protect, preserve and promote the sacred Vedas and the Hindu religion; 5. To nurture and monitor the ongoing spiritual Hindu renaissance; 6. To publish a resource for Hindu leaders and educators who promote Sanatana Dharma.
After a day of relative quiet, violence returned to the Kashmir Valley on Independence Day, when militants killed a CRPF officer and injured some troopers. Not since 2010 has Kashmir had a worse background to Independence Day than this year, with India-Pakistan relations are turning frostier almost each day. Following the killing of Burhan Wani, the militant commander of the Hizdul Mujahideen, the Valley went into a period of bloody unrest, which snuffed out about 40 young lives. On August 14, there were reports of the hoisting of the Pakistani flag at several places, giving enough provocation to the security forces to fire at the separatists. However, the forces observed restraint this time. While this will not deter the extremists among the separatists in their work, the moderates will have less reason to complain about the high-handedness of the strong arm of the law.

Read: Tricolour falls during CM Muftis I-Day event in Srinagar, probe ordered

Looking at the pattern of violence in the Kashmir Valley, there is now little doubt that the impetus is coming from Pakistan. Hence a period of lull in militancy does not mean sustained peace. It can only mean that groups causing violence are regrouping and reorganizing themselves before the next strike. And as the main source of violence is on the other side of the border, little headway can be made by talking to the separatists in the Valley in terms of controlling violence. Whatever the pretence the Hurriyat chooses to keep up, it cannot stop violence even if it wishes to. So to put an end to the killings, India and Pakistan have no option but to talk.

Read: Days after Indias rejection, Pakistan offers talks on Kashmir again

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Baloch political leaders and activists have warmly welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent statements on Balochistan. Islamabad has repeatedly accused New Delhi, albeit with no evidence, of involvement in Balochistan where the Baloch people have been fighting for decades to regain their independent status from Pakistan.

Pakistan has brutally crushed the Baloch rebellion by resorting to arbitrary arrests, torture and murder of thousands of Baloch activists, students, journalists and young professionals. The Baloch, on their part, have been campaigning for years to draw the attention and support of foreign governments, including that of India, to intervene and offer a hand of support to the Baloch facing what an American journalist once described as a slow-motion genocide at the hands of Pakistani forces.

Modis intervention is a significant development for supporters of the Baloch freedom movement. While some say this might be intended to divert attention from the ongoing situation in Kashmir, it still has political and strategic significance. The Baloch leaders have said time and again that they are open to receiving support from any foreign government willing to come to their rescue.

Ironically, Pakistan passionately calls for the right to self-determination for the people of Kashmir but it vehemently refuses to recognise the same right for the Baloch people, who too have a legitimate historical claim to nationhood. The Baloch need international support to turn the tide of injustice because, as Amnesty International has reported, weapons provided to Pakistan to fight Islamic extremists have been diverted to fight the secular and democratic Baloch.

Likewise, Pakistan has accelerated military operations in Balochistan in recent times to guard Chinas exploitative plans to usurp the Baloch natural and coastal resources. The Baloch fervidly oppose the Chinese investment in Balochistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as they believe it will benefit the Punjabi-dominated Pakistani military establishment and convert them into a minority in their homeland.

Read | Why PM Modis Balochistan barb changes the India-Pakistan game

The Baloch movement is entirely home-grown. It will significantly move forward if it receives official support from the government of India. However, the survival of this movement does not solely depend on foreign assistance, which is what makes it a dynamic resistance movement.

The Baloch will most likely continue their struggle regardless of foreign assistance. Thus, India must not use the Balochistan conflict solely to settle scores with Pakistan. As the worlds largest democracy, India has a moral obligation to speak for the secular, democratic and progressive Baloch people.

What distinguishes Kashmir from Balochistan is the absence of United Nations resolutions. The Baloch want India to present their case at international platforms such as the UN and use its soft skills to develop the capacity of Baloch political parties, activists, media, think tanks and non-profits so that they are able to advance their mission and inform the world about the Baloch conflict.

Prime Minister Modi is right that the people of Balochistan have thanked him for his stance but he must also remain cognisant of the implications and consequences of his statements. His remarks will now provide Islamabad a strong reason to increase military deployment, arrests and murder of the Baloch.

Balochistan is already a militarised province where even the Pakistani media cannot report independently and foreign correspondents, human rights groups and international relief organisations are consistently discouraged and barred from entering the conflict-stricken region.

Read | What Baloch dissidents have to say about Modis comments on Pak atrocities

In todays information age, most Pakistanis dont know what is going on in Balochistan because of a complete blackout of the news from the region and collusion between the army and so-called national media.

Alarmingly, Islamabad has already prepared for this day by giving a free hand to the Jamaat-ud-Dawah, the relief wing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, should India increase its support to Baloch insurgents. The JuD has significantly increased its presence in Balochistan under the disguise of providing relief and assistance to the people of Balochistan while its head, Hafiz Saeed, frequently travels to Balochistan, preaches and promotes his anti-India, jihadi message.

This approach has twofold benefits for Islamabad. One, it inculcates radical Islamic ideas in the minds of hitherto secular Baloch youth and secondly, it promotes anti-India, anti-West sentiments. Unfortunately, Islamic extremists are still as effective a tool for the Pakistani establishment as they were back in 1970s during the East Pakistan crisis.

We need to wait and see if the Modi government will include support for Balochistan as a part of its foreign policy or if it will just use Balochistan as a card to embarrass and intimidate Pakistan. Adopting support for the Baloch as a policy of the Indian government will undoubtedly change the landscape of regional politics and security.

Malik Siraj Akbar, based in Washington DC, is the President and CEO of the Balochistan Institute, a Baloch think-tank Twitter: @MalikSirajAkbar
It was a long speech, perhaps the longest delivered by a prime minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort. But the short of it was  the big message got subsumed in the maze of statistics in Narendra Modis governance narrative.

The PM dilated considerably on issues relating to farmers, the poor, the middle classes and the security forces. Thats understandable! Hes midway through his tenure; bracing up for a series of assembly polls.

What didnt make sense was the footnote treatment Modi gave to societal discords and the cauldron thats Kashmir. His outreach to the Valleys alienated youth to make them shun violence, join the national mainstream, was prefaced by the statist no compromise and zero-tolerance for terrorism. The human touch needed to be warmer.

The PMs diffidence was surprising. A moment earlier, he had said a strong society alone could make India strong. Well have to rise above societal banes; get out of situations of conflict, he surmised.

Those he named for ameliorative justice included Dalit, peidit, soushit aur wanchit. If expanded, the theme wouldve lent gravitas to the speech thatll now be remembered for references to Balochistan, PoK, Gilgit and Baltistan.

Theres a view the mention of Balochistan, over which India has no territorial claim, could be shown as vindication of the Pakistani charge of an Indian hand in the troubled province. On the flip side, New Delhis stance can knock off the moral high ground Islamabad is seeking by hyping up human rights violations in the Valley.

Denial of civil liberties is a leitmotif that runs through Balochistan, PoK and Gilgit-Baltistan. Its a formidable short-run counter to Pakistans propaganda of excesses on our side of Kashmir. But its tactical value will be lost without a robust political reach-out in the Valley.

On governance, the figures Modi flaunted to show his regime as better than the UPA would require double-checking. Theres often a mismatch between statistics and delivery on the ground.

The PMs claims of better performance were a critique at once of the Congress. But he did not transgress the limits of adversarial politics: There once was a government besieged by allegations; were besieged by popular aspirations

His narrative of the freedom struggle included Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. Of the Sangh icons, he invoked Deendayal Upadhyaya and the concerns he had for the last man my government is striving to serve.

Government is a continuum, reasoned Modi while dwelling on the UPA schemes he has carried forward. Its early days still to conclude whether all that signified an entente consequent to the GST breakthrough? But one felt it tangibly till the PM meandered away, shifting from one issue to another, missing the logical flow that embellished his earlier I-Day speeches.

At his oratorical best in the opening passages of the 94-minute address, he linked mythology/ancient history with modern India: From Vedas to Vivekananda, from Upanishads to Upgrah, from Bhim to Bhimrao.India isnt 70 years old. Thats only the length of our journey after Independence.


When Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the gratitude of the people of Balochistan and Gilgit, and nodded at their struggles in his Independence Day speech on Monday, he ended a long period of shadow-boxing in India-Pakistan ties.

This is a game-changer, but its consequences are not clear just yet.

Modis reference to Gilgit is significant but can be understood. There is an Indian parliamentary resolution that all of Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. It is, as the strategic analyst Manoj Joshi noted, based on a simple principle - In a dispute, express your maximal position, rather than the one you will compromise on. India has, in the past, responded to reports of the presence of Chinese soldiers and workers in the region. National security adviser Ajit Doval, in 2015, spoke of Indias 106-km long border with Afghanistan - which was a reference to Gilgit-Baltistan border.

The real shift is Balochistan.

To understand the leap, let us go back to Sharm-el-Sheikh in 2009. After a meeting between the Indian and Pakistani PMs, a joint statement said that Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas.

Note the context. Pakistan has repeatedly accused India of supporting insurgents in Balochistan, where it has been facing a long separatist struggle. Islamabad has specifically claimed that Indian diplomats and spies in Afghanistan keep in touch and finance these militants. For Pakistan, it served three ends - it was able to pass off an internal domestic issue into an externally-backed conspiracy; it lobbied with the West to keep India out of the Afghanistan equation with this accusation; and when India pointed to its role in Kashmir, it had a ready-made response on how India is intervening in its internal affairs.

Delhi has always refuted and rubbished the allegations, and asked for proof, which Islamabad was unable to offer convincingly.

It was for this reason that the 2009 statement provoked a huge domestic backlash in India. The opposition, as well as sections of the ruling Congress, saw Sharm-el-Sheikh as a sellout. India was viewed as almost admitting that it has a role in Balochistan. Parliament erupted, and questions were asked why a reference to Balochistan was included in a joint statement. This eroded Indias moral high ground. The government back-tracked and Manmohan Singhs negotiating hand with Pakistan weakened, almost irreversibly, to the extent that he could not even visit the country despite his deep desire to do so.

Now, look at what Modi has done.

He has, in some senses, embraced the perception pushed by Pakistan, converted it from an accusation to a possible lever, and claimed a role for India in Balochistan.

The thinking is clear - if Pakistan can use internal Indian vulnerabilities (read Kashmir), India can use internal Pakistani vulnerabilities. If Pakistan can internationalise what India considers its problem, India can internationalise what Pakistan thinks falls solely within in its remit. If Pakistan can build a domestic political opinion on human rights excesses in Kashmir, India can build a domestic political opinion on human rights excesses in Balochistan. If Pakistan can cultivate a Kashmiri separatist constituency within India, India can cultivate a separatist Baloch constituency in Pakistan.

There is a big difference so far.

Pakistan has offered tangible financial, moral, political support to Kashmiri separatists. It has, as India says, exported terror. Whether Indian support will remain confined to a few utterances, or whether it will grow to more tangible forms, is to be seen. What these forms take will be as crucial to Indias reputation. This will also be a test of Indian commitment and give us a sense of whether Modis statement is merely rhetorical or there is more to it.

Needless to say, the form of Indian support will determine the Pakistani reaction and the subsequent geopolitical games. There is an additional subtext to it. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will pass through both Balochistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. Modis statement is meant as much for Beijing as for Islamabad. It will not remain quiet as India ups its game in Balochistan.

Whats, as significant as the statement, is the occasion on which it was made. If it was merely a tactical manoeuvre, India could have left it to a mid-level diplomat, or an official foreign ministry statement or even a pronouncement by a cabinet minister. The fact that Indias Prime Minister has spoken of Balochistan - and from the ramparts of the Red Fort - signifies a level of political sanction and commitment that has not been seen so far on the issue. It also means that once Delhi has taken the plunge, it cannot hop out at will.

A new game is about to commence.

Read| Baloch dissidents welcome Modis comments on Pakistani atrocities
Are you an ardent fan of Batman, Superman, Thor or X-Men? Do you doodle and make comic strips in your notebook  between work or during free time, but dont know how to find an audience for it? MakeBeliefComix, ComicMaster, ToonDo and WittyComics are some do-it-yourself (D-I-Y) web comic platforms that let you create and publish comic strips or even comic books online, with readymade characters, backgrounds, props and speech bubbles.

Making a comic strip from scratch is a tiresome and time-taking process, says Chai Gake Law, advertising professional and co-founder of Comic Strippers, where she and her husband create customised comic books for clients, out of their own pictures. These DIY platforms are excellent medium for people who want immediate results, within a limited time period. One can use them for gifting or simply to publish online.

In the recent times Indian web comics have become widely popular and works such as Abhijeet Kinis Angry Maushi, Aarthi Parthasarthys Royal Existentials, Sahil Rizwans Vigil Idiot have mass following on social media platforms. These days everybody has a say and they want others to listen to it, says Aazar Anis, creator of Bombay Hectic, which is a sequence of stories told through pictures clicked with mobile camera. If you are funny, witty and have something worthwhile to say, visual medium is the best way to do it. And if there is a readymade platform, what better than that?

So, if you have a story in mind, get started. Apart from regular tools, platforms like ToonDo has a doodle option that allows you to draw free hand to create your own characters, upload your own picture, experiment with shapes and change colour of the clothes. Meera Sapra, a 32-year-old marketing professional from Delhi runs a web comic called LifesAComicStrip. I wanted to share funny instances of my everyday life and started my comic blog using ToonDo. It is a great platform for beginners as well as enthusiasts who want to seriously explore storytelling through comic characters.

Although they are quite user-friendly, we give you hands down on some of the most popular DIY web comic platforms.

ToonDoo

USP: It has a pen tool, which lets you doodle and create your own characters. It also lets you cutomise colour of the clothes, intensity of a smile, shape of the nose and so on.

How it works: The page opens with an option to choose the format of your panel. Once you settle with your panel size and length, you can either choose from a list of characters, props, backgrounds, or upload pictures from the extreme right panel. Once done, it gives you an option to publish it in public.

Creation of web comics, in recent times, has evolved towards appealing to adult audience, as many of them are based on a satirical or pointing-out-the-obvious take on life, says Meera Sapra, whose comic blog LifesAComicStrip is made using the ToonDo platform.

Witty Comics

USP: It has a wide range of backgrounds to choose from, including exotic locales and monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Greek islands, pagodas, pyramids and so on.

How it works: One of the simplest websites, it has three vertical categories  scene, characters and words  where you can weave in your story and create a funny situation. Web comics are a super easy way for cynics like me to well, stick it to...whomsoever it may concern, says Mumbai-based Penaaz Damania, 23, a copywriter at an ad agency and a fan of WittyComics. You might think drawing is the first thing you need to know for a comic, but, if its pre-made you get to focus more on what to say, rather than, is my characters nose a L or a C. So, if youre looking for a way to voice your thoughts, in a smart and creative way on sites susceptible to high trolling, go for a web comic, its your voice on top of a cartoon character. And if youve got a bunch of things to say, you could make your own series too. All you need is a thought and the spirit to share and enjoy it,

Comic Master

USP: This website opens as a book and has papers clipped on to a book where you can choose characters, backgrounds and special effects. You need to drag the elements on the page on your right hand side. You can adjust the sizes, bring elements to the fore and undo changes, if needed.

Much can be said in too little words through comics. At the same time and in most cases, cartoonists have the liberty to take on sensitive and controversial issues under the garb of humor and sarcasm, says Anshul Maheshwari of web comic BrainStuck, which deals with everyday situations based on management and technology. DIY platforms make the process of creating cartoons more approachable. People with ideas can immediately try it out in a template to and publish it.

Strip Generator

USP: Unlike other DIY platforms, this involves minimal line cartoons in black and white. It also has video tutorials on how to use it and embed it in your blog or Youtube.

How it works: If you are one of those who are good with words and expressions and want that to be the point of focus, this website is for you. You can begin by choosing the frames, move on to choose characters, play with several speech bubbles and once done, can save your work or publish online. It also lets you embed your cartoon in your blog or publish it on YouTube. These websites are good for beginners and people who want to try out web comics. It can help understanding sequence, says Aarthi Parthasarthy of Royal Existential, a weekly webcomic series that uses Indian vintage art and imagery to tell stories of historical (and contemporary) angst.
Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Parineeti Chopra and Aditya Roy Kapur have been touring the US since the beginning of the month. They have been regaling their fans across five cities with their performances.

A few days back, reports claimed that Priyanka Chopra, who is Parineetis cousin, was also set to join the group for the tours finale. This rumour sent the Bajirao Mastani stars fans into a tizzy. But it turns out that these reports were not true.

Priyanka, who is shooting in New York for her American show Quantico, clarified that she isnt part of the tour. She said on Twitter, There seems to be a mistake. Im NOT performing at the dream team concert. Will definitely try to b there to cheer on (sic).

There seems to be a mistake.I'm NOT performing at the dream team concert.Will definitely try to b there to cheer on https://t.co/cS1RIkDpUb  PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) August 13, 2016

Read: Priyanka Chopra celebrated her birthday working

Read: Parineeti, Alia, Katrina enthral Houston fans

Not only does the actor have a huge schedule of her television show to wrap up, but she also has to attend the premiere of the series second season next month. Priyanka is also working on her maiden Hollywood film, which is based on the hit TV series Baywatch. A source says, She has a packed schedule, but she plans to make it to the finale of the tour in New York. She would love to meet the gang and catch up with them.

Watch Katrina Kaif dance to Dhoom Machale from Dhoom 3:

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Actor Ali Fazal, who will work with British actor Dame Judi Dench in Stephen Frears next movie, was so stunned by the offer, that he asked the producer to repeat herself thrice when she called to give the news.

I was sitting in a restaurant when I saw a UK number flash on my phone. I went to the loo because I couldnt find any other quiet place. It was the producer and she told me that I have been selected for the film. I made the producer say it thrice. I was so ecstatic about it and got a kick every time she said it, says Fazal.

Read: When Ali Fazal flew with his football team from Shillong to Goa

The film is based on author Shrabani Basus book Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queens Closet Confidant.

The 29-year-old actor touched Denchs feet when he met her.

When I was entering the hall, I saw Judi from the window. I went inside, touched her feet and kissed her hand.

Actor Dame Judi Dench will play the role of a queen in the film. (AP)

Ali Fazal says though he is a fan, but is not nervous about working with the veteran actor. Acting is one place where I am not nervous. Once the camera is on, it is all about getting it right. Its not mine or her movie, its the whole teams. The whole atmosphere needs to be right and I will aim at doing it in the right way.

Shooting starts in September in Delhi and Agra.

Follow @htshowbiz for more.

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Besides being celebrated Bollywood stars, Sonam Kapoor and Akshay Kumar are also true patriots. Earlier this year, they took their love for India a step ahead on the silver screen, by doing films such as Neerja (based on the late Pan Am flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who saved the lives of 359 people after the plane was hijacked in 1986) and Airlift (based on the worlds biggest civil evacuation of Indians based in Kuwait during the Iraq-Kuwait war in 1990), respectively. In fact, Sonam bagged the Best Actress award for Neerja at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (Australia) on Saturday (August 13).

While Sonam feels that freedom is a right as well as a privilege, Akshay hopes to see India progress like many western countries, while still holding on to our cultural values. Despite being two of the busiest actors around, Akshay and Sonam readily agreed to pose exclusively for HT, and talk about their love for India as they celebrate its 70th Independence Day.

Akshay Kumar feels Independence isnt only about living in a free country; its about the freedom of speech, and also being heard. (Aalok Soni/Hindustan Times)

What is your idea of independence?

Sonam: Nelson Mandela (the late ex-President of South Africa) had said, For to be free is not merely to cast off ones chains, but to live in a way that enhances freedom of others. I strongly believe that freedom is a right. But, at the same time, it is also a privilege that needs to be respected and used effectively for the betterment of our country.

Akshay: Independence, for me, isnt only about living in a free country; its about the freedom of speech, and also being heard. Its about knowing that my sister is treated with the same dignity and respect like me, and having equality between men, women and children. Its also about having the luxury and the opportunity to be who I dare to be in this world, where nothing stands in my way. Independence is a powerful reality, but what I fear the most is how much people take it for granted. Thats why I feel we all should respect every inch of our country.

Akshay Kumar at his House in Juhu, Mumbai, India, on August 11, 2016.

Read: I am very proud to be an Indian: Akshay Kumar

Where do you see India heading in the next decade or so?

Akshay: I hope to see it progress like many western countries, while still holding on to our cultural values. We are a force to be reckoned with, but only if we join all our energies into making India the country it deserves to become. I hope India becomes a nation that every individual in the country is proud of.

Sonam: As a proud Indian, I hope that we give up our apathetic nature and strive towards making our country more progressive and creative. I hope we enter the first world (smiles).

Is there anything that you want India to be free from?

Sonam: Yes, I sincerely hope our country gets rid of the tendency to label people. I hope there is absolute freedom and tolerance. There should be no sexism, homophobia, xenophobia and bigotry left in our nation.

Sonam Kapoor says she feels a sense of pride when she hears or sings the National Anthem. (Aalok Soni/Hindustan Times)

Akshay: I hope India becomes free from gender inequality, cast and racial inequality, religious misconducts and child abuse, to name a few things. I hope to wake up one day and hear that every child has equal opportunities, and that every athlete gets a chance to represent India. I want our country to be free from problems such as poverty, malnutrition and unsanitary surroundings.

Read: Encouragement brings a change, says Sonam Kapoor

How do you spend Independence Day every year?

Akshay: My wife (Twinkle Khanna) and I always try to attend our childrens (son Aarav Bhatia and daughter Nitara Khanna Bhatia) flag hoisting ceremony at their school. Then we spend the day together as a family  a proud Indian family (smiles).

Sonam: In school (Arya Vidya Mandir, Juhu), when we used to hoist the flag and sing the National Anthem, it used to give me a sense of pride of being an Indian. I feel that even today when I hear or sing the National Anthem.

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While some stars believe in learning on the job, there are a few who go the extra mile to hone their craft. National Award-winner Raj Kummar Rao falls in the second category. He makes it a point to attend acting classes whenever he gets some time off.

Raj Kummar, who has starred in films such as Kai Po Che (2013) and CityLights (2014), among others, attended a 10-day acting workshop in the city last month. As soon as he got to know about the sessions, he enrolled for them. He enjoyed the workshop a lot, says a source.

Read: Raj Kummar Raos 200-day shooting schedule is all work and no play

Read: Delhi boy Rajkummar Raos acting skills helped him make it to DU

Apparently, the actor attends such workshops every six months. He also joined an acting course in London, UK, recently. When contacted, Raj Kummar said, Learning is a never-ending process. Acting is so vast. There is a lot to grasp and explore. I want to be a curious student forever.

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As we celebrate Independence Day, remember Kailash Chand Maurya. Just as Delhi was trying to find answers to why it was so heartless to have left a man to die on a busy road, the 50-year-old suffered a heart attack on Saturday morning but couldnt make it to the hospital  barely a 15-minute drive otherwise  because a part of the Capital was shut down for the security drill.

For Delhi, there couldnt have been a more unfortunate start to the festive weekend.

Protecting the Capital on national days when Indias top leaders and foreign dignitaries attend public events is one of the biggest challenges for the Delhi Police. In a city that has seen political assassinations and an attack on Parliament, concerns about VIP security are not unjustified. So the security agencies frequently shut down arterial roads, buildings, offices, shops, even roadside shacks for long hours.

For Independence Day, traffic is blocked in a large part of the walled city, on the Ring Road and a bridge across the Yamuna. For the Republic Day, the ordeal starts a week ahead of 26 January when India Gate is sealed off for full rehearsals. Any public event attended by VIPs attracts similar blockades. Even routine VIP movements can create a mess. Each time a motorcade passes by, traffic lights are switched off and commuters are made to wait. It gets worse when Delhi hosts international dignitaries.

Read: Independence Day restrictions hold up traffic, heart patient dies

The Saturday incident was not the first such tragedy in Delhi. Last year, unable to reach the hospital due to restrictions for India-Africa summit, a woman delivered her baby in an auto-rickshaw. In 2010, an east Delhi resident died on the way to a hospital because the ambulance carrying him was caught in a jam caused by the PMs motorcade. Few remember Martin Massey who was beaten up for straying onto a VIP route in 1995.

Preventing people from commuting violates the right to liberty and the right to free movement  Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution  argued Supreme Court lawyer Harish Salve in a letter to the police commissioner in 2012. The city is wracked by unbearable pollution as it is. The conduct of the force in blocking traffic is grossly adding to this pollution, he said. Soon, a parliamentary panel asked Delhi Police to streamline traffic, recommending predetermined routes for VIP movements and use of FM radio and electronic display boards to warn people about diversions.

To be fair, the police do announce traffic advisories in newspapers and the social media, if they have information in advance. But managing the outermost ring of VIP security, they are usually the last to be told about such movements. While there is no excuse for refusing access in an emergency, cops alone cannot be held responsible for all they do is follow the Blue Book and orders. The onus lies with our political leadership.

Read: Approach road to Delhi airport to get vehicle scanners

As the shadow of terror extends globally, security overdrive has become an international phenomenon. While no state can afford to take chances with VIP security, this deepening culture of fear undermines the very idea of democratic freedom that the global community is struggling to uphold in these troubled times.

Physical security measures are as important as credible intelligence inputs. But that calls for more investment in building secure infrastructure instead of relying on stock archaic measures such as blocking busy arterial roads. Beyond the occasional tragedies, just think about the routine loss of man-hours.

Across the world, VIPs are taking to the skies to free up city roads. The government should consider setting up helipads wherever possible to cut down road travel by VIPs. For example, one at Rajghat  a must on every VIP itinerary  would be a wise investment. Likewise, building venues complete with helipads outside the Capital for hosting international summits can safely ferry VIPs without bringing the city to a standstill.

More than ever before, today democratic rights come at a steep price and every citizen must shoulder her burden of inconvenience. But no security imperative can justify a medically unattended death, or childbirth, on the Capitals road in twenty-first century India.

We can do better. Happy 70th Independence Day!

shivani.singh@hindustantimes.com

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NEW DELHI: On the eve of Indias 70th Independence Day, President Pranab Mukherjee warned against the rise of divisive and intolerant forces ugly head, in what can be seen as a message for the parties in power. NEW DELHI: On the eve of Indias 70th Independence Day, President Pranab Mukherjee warned against the rise of divisive and intolerant forces ugly head, in what can be seen as a message for the parties in power.

Mukherjee asked for firm measures to deal with attacks on weaker sections of society amid allegations of increasing victimisation of Dalits and minorities, often by fringe elements of the ruling establishment.

In these four years, I saw with 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.

Mukherjee stressed on the need for authorities to uphold the spirit and maryada of the Constitution. A host of incidents including attacks on churches, rise of cow vigilantes, a Muslims lynching on the suspicion that he was storing beef and the suicide of Dalit student Rohit Vemulla had raised political storms with the ruling BJP coming under criticism.

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..., he said.
MUMBAI: Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, is being treated for chicken pox within the jail premises and will be taken to JJ hospital only if needed, said an official from the prison department.

A doctor from Sir JJ hospital has examined her and administered medicines, said jail superintendent CA Indurkar.

Indurkar also said that no other inmate had suffered from chicken pox in the jail.

A doctor from JJ Hopspital is treating her (Indrani) inside the jail. We will take her to the hospital if needed. No one else has caught the virus. She told us that she was playing with a child of an inmate who had the pox. The girl was later taken to a hospital with her mother for treatment from where the duo managed to escape, said Indurkar.

This is the second time that Indrani has fallen sick. Last time she had lost consciousness after allegedly overdosing on medicines and was rushed to JJ hospital. She was sent back to the prison after her health improved.

On April 24, 2012, Peter Mukerjeas wife Indrani, Khanna and Rai had allegedly strangulated Indranis daughter Sheena Bora, and later disposed of her body in a thickly forested area in Gagode village of Raigad district.

The murder came to because Indrani was allegedly discontent with her daughters love affair.

The crime came to light after the arrest of Indranis driver, Rai, in an Arms Act case. Indrani was arrested on August 25 last year. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested her husband, Peter.
NEW DELHI: Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) wrote to Delhi Police on Sunday demanding action against cops who allegedly entered the premises without their permission, a day after students protested against what they termed as a police raid.

However, the university said Saturdays checking was not a raid by the police or the Intelligence Bureau.

Taking exception to the plainclothes Delhi Police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without per mission, the university authorities have written to the Delhi Police demanding suitable action against the erring personnel, the University said in an official statement.

Police said it was a routine check ahead of Independence Day on Monday.

On Sunday, students from JMI and other universities protested, alleging that Delhi Police conducted surprise checks in their hostels.

In a statement the students said ,We believe that theseroutine police visits are actually part and parcel of the stereotyping of the University in particular and the Jamia locality in general.

It further said, Its shameful that the administration allowed the police to enter the University premises without properly asking for the grounds for such a visit ... we students cant be kept under constant surveillance and made scapegoats for anti-minority propaganda.

In a separate appeal to the students, the dean of students welfare, Tasneem Meenai, said that no raid was conducted in the Hall of Residence for Boys by police or Intelligence Bureau.

She said that deputy commissioner of police (southeast) was requested to take suitable action against the defaulting police personnel and appealed to the students to maintain calm on the campus. We should work constructively to protect the image of the university, she said.

JMI chief proctor, Mehtab Alam, wrote to the DCP (south-east), urging him to identify the cops involved in the incident and take suitable action against them. He also said that police staff should be advised to follow the chief proctors instructions on the university campus.
SRINAGAR/NEW DELHI: 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.

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 tear-gas 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.

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 Sharif s 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.
NEW DELHI: 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 threefour months. Police suspect, Vivek has been involved for a longer time. Vivek, is the son of a retired Uttar Pradesh head constable.
LUCKNOW: The monsoon damaged last week the Uttar Pradesh junior social welfare ministers biggest asset, a mud-and-thatch family home in his native village.

A smaller hut nearby survived the torrential rain and minister Banshidhar Bauddhs entire family  his wife, five sons, three daughters-in-law, and their children  is now putting up there.

Fortunately, we were not in the house when it collapsed, said the 58-year-old farmer-politician, the poorest among 403 MLAs and 80 parliamentarians of Indias most-populous state.

Bauddh of the ruling Samajwadi Party has been a member of the legislative assembly since 2014 when he won the Balah constituency by-election. Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav inducted him into the cabinet in October 2015, but Bauddhs assets did not change, except that his position brings a salary of about Rs 75,000 a month. Thats an incredible record in a country where most politicians declare wealth worth crores of rupees.

His election affidavit said he did not own any jewellery, and his cash and bank savings amounted to Rs 58,000. He did not have a PAN card. His wife had Rs 4,750 in cash and silver jewellery worth Rs 63,000. To top it all, he had an agriculture loan of Rs 1.25 lakh.

The loan has been paid off, he said, with the triumphant expression of a man happy wit his modest means, who doesnt own a car and was not eligible to pay income tax before he became an MLA.

I now have an official car which is better than my motorcycle.

He continues to live in the hut in Tedia, an obscure village surrounded by forests in Bahraich district, and grows crops in his six-acre farm with his sons. Not that he shuns his official and political duties. He could be found in Lucknow when the assembly is in session and for official work that his post demands.

My area is extremely backward. More than 45km is covered by forests and there is not a single college in a 50km radius, he said on Sunday.

He has prepared a list of 70 houses that collapsed this rainy season in his constituency .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.

The self-literate man never went to school, and worked as a chowkidar and ran a roadside kiosk to repair bicycle punctures to supplement the family income whenever crops failed.

He married off his two daughters last June in a simple ceremony in his village, 230km from the state capital. The chief minister turned up at the wedding.

Bauddh joined the Samajwa di Party shortly before the 2014 by-poll, in which he secured 52% of the votes. He was with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) earlier. The Samajwadi Party is likely to choose him again to contest the 2017 assembly elections.

Lack of basic infrastructure puts further strain on the arrival of vegetables, resulting in more wastage during peak time of production and because of their perishable nature producers have to sell immediately.

In general, producers do not gain when prices increase, the report pointed out. It outlined the need for building cold storage facilities in production centres, suggesting the government should improve infrastructure facilities by encouraging public-private partnership initiatives.

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NEW DELHI: They opened their home to the Delhi Police every year but when Kailash Chandra Mouryas family needed them the most, the police turned them away.

Mouryas family alleged that he died on his way to hospital after police did not allow them to take the usual route forcing them to take a long detour to reach hospital due to traffic restrictions on account of Independence Day celebrations.

Our house was the first two-storey houses in the area and for many years, police officials would come here on Independence Day. They sit in the balcony to keep an eye on the route as Lal Qila is visible from here, said Vimlesh Mourya, the eldest son of the victim. The family lives on the Main Pushta Road, Kailash Nagar near Gandhi Nagar.

The family alleged they were stopped at the end of Geeta Colony flyover and also on Vikas Marg while going towards Lok Nayak Hospital at Delhi Gate.

However, Vimlesh said that despite their anger towards the police, the family will welcome them this year too. I am angry but maybe I will let them come this year also. We serve them tea, help them every year but when we needed polices help most we didnt get it, he said.

Mourya suffered from a heart attack on Saturday morning after which his family took an auto-rickshaw as ambulance services said they will take at least half an hour to reach them.

We didnt wait for ambulance... Our family was crying, requesting them to allow us but we were forced to travel to DND and Ashram to reach the hospital, said Arvind Kumar, victims son.

Kumar said that doctors declared his father brought dead.

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NEW DELHI: A day after Yamuna touched the danger mark in Delhi, the water has started to recede.

At 6.30 pm on Sunday, the level was recorded at 204.67 metres. The danger level is 204.83 metres.

There have been heavy rains in Uttarakhand, where the river originates from and Haryana, which it passes through before reaching Delhi, over the past week. Haryana was forced to release more water than it usually does, pushing the water up to the danger mark.

The river touched 204.9 metres on Sunday morning but started falling after that.

According to water minister Kapil Mishra, close to 60 people were rescued between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Thirty people and one buffalo living on the floodplains in Burari were evacuated by the teams of the Flood and Irrigation Department. Ten rescue teams with divers patrolled the area.

Quick response vehicles, divers, boats and disaster management teams were all on duty all night. The situation is under control and there is no need to panic. The water is receding, Mishra said.

Haryana is not planning to release more water to Delhi than it usually does. Things are under control and we are monitoring the situation, he said.

The iron bridge (Loha Pul) was closed on Saturday as a precautionary measure. 15 trains were cancelled and 100 diverted.

In 1978, the water level in Yamuna touched 207.49 metres  the highest ever. That year water entered houses in Adarsh Nagar, Model town and Mukerjee Nagar.
NEW DELHI: Popular video-sharing platform YouTube cannot host any content that violates Indian laws, the Delhi high court has said.

The order came from a bench of justice S Muralidhar on Tata Skys plea for removal of videos from YouTube on how to crack the encryption of set top boxes.

The court said there could be complaints regarding some material on the website of YouTube which by their very nature require it to act immediately without insisting on the complainant to demonstrate that the complaint is within the online platforms rules for action.

In an interim order, the high court on August 27 directed the video-sharing website to remove the content objected to by Tata Sky, a leading direct-to-home television channel service provider.

YouTube said in court on Wednesday it had complied with the order and removed the URLs of objectionable videos.

Had Tata Sky not been unclear about the kind of violation that took place, YouTube may have acted even more promptly to remove the offending content, the website said.

Since YouTube had already removed the offending URLs and promised to act immediately on such complaints, the court disposed of Tata Skys petition.

Tata Sky contended that under the rules the website was obliged to act promptly once it was clear that the offending videos were illegal.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Monday a nearly 50% increase in minimum wages for the Capitals workforce, underscoring his governments push for economic parity in a growing rich-poor divide.

He urged his counterparts and the Prime Minister to revise wages across India, saying policies that take care of only the super-rich wont work and governments should take care of the poor.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments proposal is to raise the minimum wage of an unskilled person from Rs 9,568 to Rs 14,052. Besides, wages for semi-skilled and skilled people will increase from Rs 10,582 to Rs 15,471 and from Rs 11,622 to 17,033.

In an industrial unit, a mechanic and welder would be classified skilled, his helper would be semi-skilled, while an ordinary labourer would be called unskilled, a government official said.

The chief minister made the announcement at an Independence-Day event in north Delhis Chhatrasal Stadium, saying his cabinet will clear the proposal this week.

Those who have less in life should have more in law. The AAP government works for all  rich, poor, middle-class. But it focuses more on the middle-class and poor, and works the most for the poor, Kejriwal said.

All commercial establishments and industry under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act, 1954, will have to implement the revised rates. But the benefit is unlikely to reach domestic helps and workers in unorganised home units, which are not within the laws ambit.

Kejriwals announcement was expected as an empowered committee constituted by his government in April recommended last week a hike in minimum wages across board.

Traders and industrialists are unhappy with the wage revision, arguing that they might lose business to satellite cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon because of costlier labour in New Delhi.

Kejriwal allayed their fears after labour minister Gopal Rai informed him on Friday about the possible impacts of a wage revision.

The chief minister said more money in the pockets of poor will strengthen the economy.

In the existing economic model, the super-rich have become richer and the poor has become poorer. Now, the governments will have to take the responsibility of making targeted policies for people living on the margins.
Shruti*, a Class 7 student of a government school, came back home bleeding after the plaster and building material fell on her head from the ceiling of her classroom.

Students of Government Boys Senior Secondary School no. 2 in north-west Delhis Mubarakpur Dabas shifted to the newly-constructed two-floor building six months ago. The school runs in double shift  girls in the morning and boys in the evening.

However, just a few months after construction was completed, plaster from the walls and ceiling of the building has started falling and the building looks like it was constructed several decades ago.

When HT visited the school, there were stones lying on the floor, which the school management committee members said, had fallen from the ceiling and wall. In some classrooms, the desks, chairs and the floor were covered in sand and dust.

This has happened because poor quality construction material was used. The safety of thousands of students is at stake, said Surender Hooda, school management committee (SMC) member.

There are around 1,800 students in the morning shift and 1,500 in the evening. The school has 40 classrooms.

The principal of the evening shift said that a complaint has been sent to the government and repair has started.

It concerns the safety of our children so we have asked the government for necessary action. This building was built by the public works department, said Lal Singh, principal of the school.

Education director Saumya Gupta said that the PWD should answer why the building is in such a bad state. The head of the school has been given the power to start the repair work and told that the children should be kept away, said Gupta.

However a senior PWD official said he will not be able to comment on the matter due to lack of details.

It took three years to build the school. Even earlier, when it was being built, four rooms had collapsed and the work was re-started after a lot of problems, said Hooda.

The new school building was built at an estimated cost of `4.5 crore.

The school is located close to the main road so when heavy vehicles pass by, the building shakes, said Javed Akhlaqi, the vice-chairman of the school SMC.

(*Name of the student has been changed to protect identity)

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Very few 13-year-olds get to talk to a prime minister. Karishma Kashyap and Naina, class 8 students from Sarvodaya School, had that special moment on Monday.

He came to us and said hi. We greeted the Prime Minister. How cool is that? I will always remember this day, said Karishma, dressed in a yellow shirt, pants and cap.

They were among the students in yellow-and-blue, who Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopped out of his car, to meet.

Even the ones who didnt get to meet him cant stop talking about him. PM Modi said that children should not take the wrong path and go towards terrorism and violence. Instead, they should focus on fulfilling the dreams of their parents. It made me want to work hard and become a doctor or an engineer like my mother says, said Sambhav Jain, a class 7 student from Jain Senior Secondary School in Daryaganj.

Read more: Modi targets Pak rights abuse in Balochistan, PoK in I-Day speech

But children are not the only ones excited. People flocked from different parts of the country to hear Modi address the nation from the Red Fort.

Mahantesh Bajantri, 30, a UPSC aspirant, got his parents to Delhi from Belgaum in Karnataka, to see the event they had only seen on television. I came to Delhi to prepare for UPSC and I decided to get my parents here for the event. They have never seen a political address before, so they were very excited, he said.

Ankita Tiwari, 25, a fashion designer from Dehradun, Uttarakhand had been planning to attend the event for the past six years. I did my graduation from Delhi and since then have wanted to be back for Independence Day. I decided to finally come and see it this year, she said.

Read more: Did PM Modis speech put Kejriwal to sleep? Sisodia thinks so

The hot sun and the long speech, however, drained some peoples enthusiasm. Halfway through the PMs speech, seats started emptying out.

Sanaa, 23, who travelled to Delhi from Kanpur to see the Independence Day event up close, left before it ended. I watch the Independence Day and the Republic Day events on TV every year and came to Delhi his year to see the actual event, she said.

When Modis speech did not end by 8.30am, she and her friend bowed out. I really wanted to sing the national anthem at the end, but it has become really hot and the speech just didnt end, said Sanaa, who goes by one name.

Prateek Gupta and Rohit Kapoor, who work with a telecom company in Gurgaon, were turned away as they were carrying cell phones, which were banned at the venue due to security reasons.

They sat under a tree near the first barricade to watch the event on a big screen but left 30 minutes into the speech when the heat became unbearable.

A government official, who did not want to be named, left the venue 20 minutes after the start of the 94-minutes speech. A circular was issued making it mandatory for us to attend and though we all are proud of the celebration, it is better to watch it on TV, he said.

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Reform, perform, transform was perhaps a new slogan imparted to us this Independence Day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort for the third time since he assumed office. But the listing of achievements, as is the wont of all prime ministers, was overshadowed by a departure in rhetoric when he spoke of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and how the people in these regions had thanked him in recent times. While he was not clear on what exactly the expressions of gratitude were about, he seemed to be referring to the allegations of human rights violations by Pakistan in that region.

Read | Why PM Modis Balochistan barb changes the India-Pakistan game

In recent time, Gilgit-Baltistan had seen huge protests against a crackdown by Pakistani security forces and one in Balochistan against what Pakistani authorities termed an insurgency. The raising of this thorny issue has both merits and demerits for India. In the first place, it must be asked whether India can involve itself in the movements in these areas where the population has been very restive and opposes the diktats of Islamabad and oppression by the army. India is not the only party which has a vested interest in the area, Iran has a long contiguous border with it, the Taliban has been active there and the China-Pakistan economic corridor passes through this region. In a way, it could be said that India is raising Baloch hopes of help in gaining independence or autonomy which it has been seeking without really taking into account its limitations. It is not a responsibility that India can, and perhaps should, take up at this juncture. The obvious advantages in raising this is that India is not letting Pakistan get away with internationalising the Kashmir issue at several multilateral forums. But in a way, this goes against the grain of India wanting to be de-hyphenated in all respects from Pakistan. But now that the PM has mentioned this, Pakistan can be expected to up the ante in its efforts to make the Kashmir issue even more the central focus of its utterances on the international stage.

Read | What Baloch dissidents have to say about Modis comments on Pakatrocities

While it is no\t secret that Pakistan is investing substantially in men and material in the Kashmir unrest, India seems unable and unwilling to do so in Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK. The prime minister is no doubt disappointed by the fact that even though he took several conciliatory steps, Pakistans response has been found wanting. But, it must be understood by those who feel that the India is signalling a change in policy  this is natural given that the PM raised this in the Independence Day address  that there is little India can do on the ground that will change things in the regions in Pakistan. A change in policy must always be backed by the appropriate action and this seems unlikely in this case. It must also be debated whether beyond scoring brownie points, this is a path which India wants to pursue in the long run.

Read | Clownish talk: Pak Twitterati react to Modis Balochistan remark
A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight near a famous Sufi shrine in downtown Srinagar on Monday, police said, as the country celebrated 70th Independence Day.

Eight security personnel were injured, one of them critically, as the militants opened fire at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol at around 8 in the morning near the Naqshband Sahib shrine in the citys Nowhatta area. The historic Jama Masjid is close to the site of the attack.

The attack was specific to Independence day. Why else would they choose this time and day? Information has been coming to us regarding the presence of militants. The deployment was very heavy but they (the militants) succeeded, inspector general, CRPF, Atul Karwal told HT, adding that the militants looked non-local.

Separatists had called for August 15 to be observed as a black day and the security forces were out in full force. Taking no chances, the CRPF deployed its troops an hour earlier, at 5.30 am, but the two militants who opened fire on the paramilitary personnel had been hiding in the area overnight.

The first bullet was fired at 8:05 am and the battle continued for over four hours.

Both militants were killed but their identity is yet to ascertained, Kashmirs inspector general of police Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani said. Two AK-47s and several Chinese grenades were recovered from the encounter site, police said.

A policeman takes position outside the encounter site. (Waseem Andrabi / HT Photo)

In the line of fire

CRPF spokesperson Bhavesh Choudhary identified the deceased officer as Pramod Kumar. Eight of the injured are also from the paramilitary force while a Jammu and Kashmir police officer, who was shot in the head, is battling for his life.

According to a CRPF statement, its troops came under fire and grenade attack at four places in Srinagar  at Nowhatta Chowk, Gojwara Chowk, Bata Gali and Khaniyar Chowk. On receiving information, commandant Pramod Kumar rushed to the spot and managed to eliminate two attackers but sustained gunshot wounds in the upper neck.

He was rushed to the base hospital in Srinagar in a state of coma, but succumbed to injuries a little later.

Pramod Kumar, originally from Bakhtiyarpur village in Patna, was a directly appointed officer (in January 1998) of the force. He was promoted to the rank of commandant a few weeks back, on July 12, and was awaiting a new posting after promotion. He also served in the Special Protection Group, which guards the Prime Minister and ex-PMs, between 2011 and 2013.

He is survived by his wife, Neha, seven-year-old daughter Aarna and 63-year-old father. His body is being flown to Jamtara in Bihar in a special aircraft for last rites.

Kashmir watchers said it was after more than a decade that militants had attacked security forces in the old city. An encounter took place in old city recently but it was based on a specific information that cordon was laid and two militants were killed, said a police official.

In the recent attack, militants struck even as chief minister Mehbooba Mufti in her first Independence Day speech said guns would not solve any problem.

In an emotional appeal to youth, Mufti cautioned them against being led by vested interests and prevent Kashmir from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Inflitration bid

In a separate incident, five militants were gunned down while trying to sneak into India from Pakistan, the army said. The infiltration bid was made along the line of control (LoC) in the Uri sector in northern Kashmir.

A large weapons cache was recovered from the infiltrators.

Security has been a worry in Nowhatta, which has been the centre of protests that have rocked the Valley for more than a month. Most incidents of stone-pelting in Srinagar have been reported from this old city area lined with several mosques and shrines.

Kashmir is under curfew after the encounter death of a militant on July 8 triggered a wave of protests. Fifty-eight people have died and thousands injured in clashes with troops.

Source said forces were on an alert about possible militant attacks in the Valley, where security was stepped to ensure a peaceful Independence Day.

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Farmers in Gujarat are planning huge rallies across communities and districts to protest what they see as an existential threat after President Pranab Mukherjees assent last week to the Gujarat land acquisition bill, which in one stroke made many lose ancestral lands they held for generations.

The state government has attempted to bring the same anti-farmer laws through the back door  of the Raj Bhavan, Jayesh Patel, president of the Gujarat Khedut Samaj, the apex body representing farmers organisations in the state, told Hindustan Times.

Patel was referring to the central land acquisition amendment bill of the National Democratic Alliance government that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi derailed with his suit-boot ki sarkar jibe.

Like the national bill, the Gujarat bill has a provision wherein farmers holding lands near coastal areas, highways and railways can no longer claim ownership to them  these lands are deemed as acquired by the government for development and industry.

What are these farmers to do? Die without a single protest? a furious Hemant Fitter, a former spokesperson of Keshubhai Patels Gujarat Parivartan Party, says. We will get no compensation for these lands  in national (or the states ) interest. Very soon there will be no green land in Gujarat at all.

Sagar Rabari, the secretary of the Khedut Samaj, minces no words.

If the government of Gujarat does not immediately withdraw the bill (slated to come into effect on Monday), farmers across castes and religions will unite to oppose it and the results will not be in the interest of the government or the society at large, Rabari says.

Read | At Una rally attended by Kanhaiya, Dalits warn of fresh protests

The anger has been simmering beneath the surface for months, if not years, and the latest bill is only the last straw that seems to have broken the camels back. For not only does this bill do away with the safeguards of consent and social impact assessment that are provided for in the United Progressive Alliances Land Acquisition Bill of 2013 that the Centre failed to amend, Gujarats farmers are also under the additional burdens of earlier state acts.

Gujarats 2009 Special Investment Region Act, aimed at creating industrial hubs, authorised the government to acquire land from farmers without notice or compensation.

Jayesh Patel says the Irrigation Act of 2013 is much more burdensome. It established a volumetric system of water distribution to farmers whereby, Patel alleges, farmers are firstly not supplied adequate water and if they draw water from their own rivers through lift irrigation or canalisation they are immediately arrested for depleting the water supply to industry.

Excessive commitment to capitalism in Gujarat is systematically destroying farmers and making criminals out of them. I do not think any other state treats its farmers so despicably. Farmers are simply dying and at this rate soon Gujarat will be left with no agriculture at all, Patel says.

The pity, Fitter says, is south Gujarat is still lush and green and produces some of the finest wheat, cotton, groundnuts, rice and other cash crops. Farmers are being crushed under the weight of industry and capitalism. Our green fields will soon be a concrete jungle at this rate, he says.

Rabari says, At the root of all the social churning in the country today is the issue of agriculture, farmers, farming and ultimately land ownership. If farmers interests are neglected there will be huge consequences.

There is a formal support to this planned agitation by Hardik Patels Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, the OBC Ekta Manch and the Dalit Adhikar Sangathan, which just concluded a march from Ahmedabad to Una in Gir Somnath district where four Dalits were brutally assaulted for skinning a dead cow, apart from the Gujarat Khedut Samaj.

All these organisations have issued a joint statement, warning of a major unrest in the state.

Read | Dalits head for Una to attend mega rally against atrocities

In 2014, farmers from south Gujarat tasted some limited success in forcing a rollback by the state government when they jammed the Surat-Mumbai highway in April that year with a 15-km queue of tractors and refused to cede way to traffic on the busy highway.

Under the Gujarat tenancy and land ceiling acts, 42 villages near the coastal region were to be completely taken over for a proposed port. The peaceful jamming of the highway unnerved the government enough to roll back its decision and return the lands to the farmers.

We had decided then that we would die before we gave up or gave in. The situation is the same now. We will die but before that, we will fight, Maganbhai Patel, a farmer from Ambetha village in Surat district whose lands were among those forcibly acquired, says.

The Gujarat model may come unstuck for the third time since last Augusts Patidar and last months Dalit uprisings.

They only want to talk of a golden Gujarat. But beneath the golden surface, the green Gujarat is turning to dust, farmers are committing suicide in large numbers. They are selling their land in distress. They have nowhere to go, says Jayesh Patel.

Kishor Desai studied accountancy but now tills his fathers land out of commitment to the family tradition. But now he is determined his sons will not settle on the land. In any case, at the rate government is going with regard to farmers. I do not think there will be any land left for them by the time they grow up. I am going to educate my sons to become working professionals.

The Khedut Samaj is now undertaking an exercise to formally organise farmers district by district and educate them about their woes that are plenty  lack of adequate electricity, diversion of water to industry, no agricultural subsidies and low procurement prices.

One presumes that the farmers would be aware of these perils but Patel says their lack of education is such that they treat these issues as fate and need to be informed that these are man  or rather the government-made perils  that are contributing to their distress. The agitation will begin next week after the Raksha Bandhan holidays are over.

Patel has a crisp answer when he is asked if the divergent ideologies, as well the contradictions of various castes and religions, of the four organisations that have joined hands, will pose a problem. Beyond ideology, there is something called survival. That very survival is at stake in a regime that is crushing farmers under the weight of industry and capitalism. Survival is now our new ideology.

The new chief minister, Vijay Rupani, then, has a tough road ahead of him.

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Cyberabad police on Monday arrested another associate of Naxal-turned-gangster Mohammed Nayeemuddin, who was killed in an alleged encounter earlier this month.

Acting on credible information, Vansthalipuram police arrested Mohd Sameeruddin, an associate of Nayeem, this evening, Cyberabad East police commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat said.

Over the past one week, Telangana police have arrested several persons including relatives of Nayeemuddin and his associates and seized land-related documents and weapons.

Nayeemuddin alias Nayeem alias Balanna (45), native of Bhongir town in Nalgonda district, was wanted in a string of cases including the murder of an IPS officer in 1993. He was killed in an alleged exchange of fire with police in Shadnagar town of Mahabubnagar district of the state on August 8.

Police had tracked him down while investigating an extortion case.

The police had also seized over Rs 2 crore in cash, 1.93 kg of gold, 10 gelatin sticks, four pistols and several documents related to land transactions from his house.
Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav backed his brother Shivpal on Monday in a growing feud within Uttar Pradeshs ruling family, and made a veiled attack on his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for allegedly humiliating his sibling.

Mulayams rap came a day after Shivpal Singh Yadav, a senior minister in the Akhilesh government, threatened to quit over allegations of land grab by some party leaders and ministers.

While he (Shivpal) is busy doing his job honestly and efficiently, a conspiracy is afoot against him and responsible people in the government are humiliating him, Mulayam said during a function at the party headquarters to mark the Independence Day.

But if Shivpal quits, the party will go to winds, Mulayam said in the clearest indication yet that he will go with Shivpal in case of a split in the party --- which most believe is unlikely with assembly polls due early next year.

Sources pointed out that Shivpals threat was only about quitting his post, but Mulayams tough talks were apparently aimed at sending out a message to Akhilesh and others in the government to stop needling Shivpal.

Mulayam also said Shivpal, the SPs in-charge in the state, had offered to quit twice in the past but backtracked on his insistence.

Akhilesh, who was present during the function, initially tried to smile away Mulayams jab but was visibly embarrassed when the attack became more direct. Akhilesh, however, did not speak at the function on the controversy over his uncle.

On Sunday, Shivpal said in Mainpuri that party leaders engaged in land and plot grabbing activities while officers just did not listen to him.

I will be left with no other option but resign if things continue like this, he warned.

Akhilesh had earlier refused to merge a party floated by jailed gangster Mukhtar Ansari with the SP, a proposal floated by Shivpal. Akhilesh had put his foot down saying we dont want such people in the party.

Shivpal is considered Mulayams right-hand man who helped expand and strengthen the party in the state in its early years.

Within hours of Mulayams backing, Shivpal spoke in Etawah and reiterated his threat.

I will submit a list of corrupt ministers and officers to the chief minister and if action is not taken against them, I will resign from the government, he said.

The opposition, on the other hand, asked Maulayam to take action instead of reiterating the same things again and again.

Why does not Mulayam Singh take action against party workers and ministers who he knows are engaged in illegal activities, BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

Mulayam was only trying to save his CM son by trying to throw his weight around his younger brother, Pathak added.

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Dalit people in Gujarat will launch a rail blockade in a month if the state government doesnt accept their demands that include five acres of land for every member of the community, a leader of the movement said on Monday.

The comments came at a gathering of thousands of people in Gujarats Una town after a 350-kilometre march undertaken to protest the flogging of four Dalit men by alleged cow-protection vigilantes.

We demand a discussion on land allotment for Dalits in the Gujarat assembly on August 22-23, said lawyer-turned-activist Jignesh Mewani to thunderous applause.

JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar addresing audience at Dalit mahasabha, Una. @htTweets pic.twitter.com/6gvw3LL0Vb  Danish Raza  (@razadanish) August 15, 2016

At Dalit mahasbha, Jignesh Mevani appeals to Muslims, tribals, traders, women, students to join agitation @htTweets pic.twitter.com/QMEAyT339U  Danish Raza  (@razadanish) August 15, 2016

If Hardik Patel can go to jail for seven months, I will go for 27. The agitation will only intensify, he added, referring to violent protests for quotas last year by influential Patidars in Gujarat. The leader of the protests, Hardik Patel, is currently out on bail after being jailed on sedition charges.

The meeting in Una was also attended by Radhika Vemula, the mother of PhD student Rohith Vemula, whose suicide in January at the University of Hyderabad sparked a nationwide debate on caste discrimination. India belongs to all, not one caste or religion, she said.

The protest gathering at Una is the culmination of a 10-day march that saw people join from all corners of India to mark their protest against rising atrocities on Dalits. The state-wide demonstrations have also shaken the BJP government and apparently forced out former chief minister Anandiben Patel.

Congratulations to Dalits of Gujarat for forcing Anandiben to resign as CM, Radhika Vemula said.
A Class 11 girl in Uttar Pradeshs Bareilly has alleged that she was abducted and gangraped by six men for over a month, police have said.

She was recovered from the house of one of the alleged accused in Subhashnagar area of Bareilly on Sunday.

The girl was recovered following an intelligence input and on a complaint of the family members. We have registered an FIR for rape and have started an investigation, deputy inspector general of police (Bareilly region) Ashutosh Kumar said.

We have arrested one Babu Hasan, owner of the house where the girl was found and are on the lookout for the remaining accused, he added.

According to police, the girl has alleged that she was abducted on July 13 when she was returning home from school. She was kept in captivity and gangraped by Hasan and five other men.

The accused use to administer her drugs and were allegedly planning to sell her for Rs 3 lakh, the officer said.

Police have identified all the accused.

However, Babu Hasan has denied the allegations and claimed that he had a consensual relationship with the girl and they were planning to get married.

Reportedly, the family members of the girl have also lodged a complaint against one of their relatives accusing them of the incident.

We have sent a team to record the statement of the relatives and to summon them to Bareilly for investigation, said the officer

The girl was sent for a medical examination and police are waiting for the report.

We will add further charges against the accused based on the medical report, the officer said.

Last month, a gang of highway robbers raped a 13-year-old girl and her 35-year-old mother at gunpoint on NH-91 when they were travelling with their family from Noida to Shahjahanpur.
A photograph of a BJP legislator greeting his supporters with an inverted national flag in the backdrop went viral on Monday even as the MLA, Subhash Phaldesai, claims that the image was photoshopped by mischievous elements.

The photograph went viral on the social media, especially on Whatsapp, after Independence Day celebrations in the state.

I have received many calls about it. The photo was taken after the Independence Day function in Sanguem and merged with another photo of the inverted flag by mischievous elements, Phaldesai told IANS.

This is a case of two photos being merged and photoshopped together, he said.


Congress launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, accusing him of ruining Indias case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.

PoK is our right. Our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK, Congress leader and former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said.

This would give an additional handle to Pakistan to target India as we dont speak about atrocities in neighbouring countries, he told reporters at the Congress headquarters in Delhi.

Disapproving the wild pronouncements about Balochistan, he said the government should ensure that its borders are secured and people are safe.

I do not know who advised the Prime Minister for raising Balochistan... It will dilute our claim on PoK. It will given additional handle...to interfere in our internal affairs.

Suggesting that Modi should learn from former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on foreign policy, Khurshid said, Balochistan is a different kettle altogether. We have no business (there).

He said the problem with Modi, who speaks of 56-inch chest, was that he talks too much and does very little. In modern times, we have to act with brains.

Khurshid said the address of Modi was not like a Prime Minister addressing the nation on a national day but as a politician during an election campaign.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.
A 16-year-old boy fell into a 80-feet-deep well in the city on Monday, police said.

The boy, studying in the 12th class, was going home after Independence Day celebrations at his school when he accidentally fell into the well that is used for agriculture purposes, police said.

On information, police rushed to the spot along with Fire and Rescue Personnel, who immediately launched rescue operations.

The search is continuing, police added.
Dominant-caste mobs allegedly attacked scores of Dalits on their way back from a mega gathering in south Gujarats Una town on Monday afternoon, triggering tensions in the area.

A group of Dalits who had come to Una from Haryana were allegedly assaulted by at Samter village by men from the dominant Durbar caste, sources said.

The mother and brother of Rohith Vemula  a PhD scholar whose January suicide sparked nationwide protests  also narrowly escaped an assault on the Una-Somnath highway, 20 kilometres from the venue of the protest, Rohiths brother Raja Vemula told HT.

They were surrounded by a mob at an eatery on the highway but managed to get into their car and speed off, he added.

We are not able to go home. All our brothers and sisters who had come to support us are being attacked, said Balubhai Sarvaiya, one of the victims of the July 8 thrashing who had come to Una for the meeting.

Similar reports of attacks were reported from other parts of the district.

#ChaloUna Balubhai, victim of UnaAttack,speaks to HT,says unable to return home after protest @htTweets pic.twitter.com/NKP3FAI4AR  Sudipto Mondal (@mondalsudipto) August 15, 2016

Thousands of Dalits had poured in from all over India for a meeting to mark their protest against caste discrimination and the flogging of four men from the community by alleged cow-protection vigilantes on July 8. They were on their way back home after the meeting on Monday afternoon, when the assaults were reported.

Many people took shelter in the local police station and demanded protection from the forces to go back home. HT tried to enter the local police station to get a comment but was stopped at the entrance. Lawyer-turned-activist Jignesh Mewani and other organisers of the meeting confirmed at least two attacks and were negotiating with the police.

The meeting at Una was the culmination of a 10-day, 350-kilometre march that has galvanized the Dalit community in the state. The thrashing of July 8 was recorded on video, which went viral and sparked widespread protests across Gujarat.

Many Dalits demanded their rights and swore off occupations such as skinning of cows that theyre forced to do. They have also demanded five acres of land for every member of the community. Experts say these demands and the political assertion have angered the dominant-castes, who feel short-changed.
At least 10 people were injured and vehicles were torched when a mob attacked a group of Dalits returning from Una in Gir-Somnath district on Monday after attending a flag hoisting ceremony to mark the end their 10-day Azadi Kooch (freedom march).

The incident reportedly occurred on the Una-Bhavnahar highway near Sametar village. It is the same village from where 13 of 36 accused have been arrested for flogging a Dalit family at Mota Samadhiyala village when they were skinning a dead cow on July 11.

Pradeepsinh Jadeja, minister of state for home, however, denied reports of any violence but confirmed that the road leading to Sametar village has been blocked by locals. Senior police officers are on the spot and are trying to convince people who have blocked the road to go back. There has been no report of violence so far.

They (attackers) greeted us with Jai Bhim slogan. When we responded with the same, we were attacked. I had a narrow escape but my cousin Ashok was badly injured, said Mavji Sarviya, who had come to participate in the culmination rally. The march had started from Ahmedabad on August 5.

My two-wheeler was torched. One Qualis car was also attacked and damaged. Police brought us back to Una but they did not file FIR. They have accepted a complaint, added Sarviya.

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Pakistani foreign secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry invited his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on Monday to visit Islamabad for a dialogue on Kashmir, which New Delhi has already rejected outright.

The invitation letter was handed to high commissioner Gautam Bambawale, two days after Sartaj Aziz, the foreign affairs adviser to Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, said his country has planned to invite the Indian foreign secretary for peace talks on Kashmir.

The letter highlights the international obligation of both countries, India and Pakistan, to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, said a statement from the Pakistani foreign office.

New Delhi rejected the Pakistani talks plan on Saturday, saying a dialogue can be had only on contemporary and relevant issues in India-Pakistan relations, especially cross-border terrorism.

Read: Grateful to Balochistan, PoK for support: Modi rakes up Pak abuses

Islamabad has been long accused of training and pushing militants into India, and supporting terrorists such as Lashar-e-Taiba founder Hafiz Saeed, the Pakistan-based lynchpin of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008.

The letter came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his stand on Balochistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) during his 90-minute Independence Day speech.

Modi said last week the time has come to expose Pakistani atrocities in Balochistan and PoK, in a tit-for-tat response to Islamabads tirade over protests in Kashmir after the killing of a militant leader a month ago. More than 50 people have died and thousands were wounded in the unrest.

He repeated his tough stand on Pakistan in his August 15 address, expressing his gratitude to the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, and PoK for the way they wholeheartedly thanked me.

This was the first time an Indian Prime Minister mentioned the Pakistan-controlled restive areas during his Independence Day speech.

Balochistan chief minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri dismissed Modis remarks that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there, reports PTI.

He said there was no fight for freedom in Balochistan, and only a few misguided youth were involved in militancy and anti-peace activities in the province.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been on a downswing after the Pathankot airbase attack in January, in which seven soldiers and four Pakistan-based terrorists were killed. Foreign secretaries of the two nations were scheduled to resume talks in mid-January, but the meeting was postponed after the attack.

Hostilities between the neighbours escalated in the month since security forces gunned down Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in Kashmir on July 8, which triggered a wave of protests in the state.

Pakistani flags were hoisted in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday, the neighbouring countrys Independence Day. High commissioner Abdul Basit dedicated the occasion to Kashmirs freedom, deepening tension between the two countries.

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The Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort will take place amid extraordinary security on Monday, as paragliders and drone detectors will be used for the first time to keep a close watch on the proceedings.

Over 12,000 police officers and several companies of paramilitary forces will descend in and around the monument, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort at around 7.30 in the morning to mark the 70th Independence Day.

Adequate security arrangements have been for the Independence Day celebrations and other national celebrations in New Delhi, especially at the Rajpath and other adjoining areas, deputy commissioner of police Jatin Narwal told ANI. We also have also provided fool-proof security for the ongoing Bharat Parv from August 12-18, along the Rajpath.

We have installed frisking booths and anti-sabotage checkpoints at various places. We are trying to ensure that people enjoy the events by keeping all the security arrangements intact, he added.

The police will also deploy spotters special commandos equipped with fully automatic assault rifles and high-tech gadgets.

A special team of 400 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.

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. 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.

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.

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.

In addition, 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 has also been beefed up and police patrolling intensified across the country, especially in the border districts, in the view of the celebrations. Bomb-disposal squads will be deployed at the main function venues in every state.

(With inputs from agencies)
Peace in Jammu and Kashmir is more important than prosperity or development, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday, expressing hope that all political parties come together to find a solution to the current unrest that has claimed 58 lives.

In a recorded speech telecast on Doordarshan early on Monday morning, Mehbooba said while the rest of India celebrated Independence Day, Kashmir was struggling with difficult times, a reference to the violence that has gripped the Valley for the past month.

People have lost their lives, hundreds including woman and children have been injured, she said. When I witness the condition of our youth, I feel the IITs and IIMs are useless.

Mehbooba said that a dialogue between India and Pakistan had to be a continuous process and not a way to divert attention from issues temporarily.

Dialogue should be used for lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir. We hope that the debates will be followed by concrete political and economic initiatives, the chief minister said. Later in the day, she also delivered an Independence Day address in Srinagars Bakshi Stadium.

She said former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took some steps that were followed up by PM Narendra Modi when he went to Pakistan. She said steps were taken in the past as well but without any follow-up.

My governments endeavour is to start a meaningful initiative so that there is no repeat of situations like today every five or ten years, she said. The reason to form the current government was the same, Mehbooba added.

I understand your pain and difficulty and that was the reason I used to go from village to village to ensure that people come out of fear of killings, arrests and uncertainity, she said.

Meanwhile, governor NN Vohra extended his Independence Day greetings by highlighting that restoration of peace and normalcy should be the first and most immediate priority in the state. He urged the leaders of all the mainstream political parties in the state to ensure against delay in commencing a purposeful dialogue to vigorously pursue a sustained political initiative in Jammu and Kashmir, with the support of New Delhi as has already been assured.

The political leadership is facing a momentous challenge of taking every required initiative to reach out and win the hearts and minds of our youth and that this endeavour must be very strongly supported by the entire administrative machinery in the state, Vohra said.

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Did Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech put Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to sleep?

Yes. If you go by the tweet that was sent out by Kejriwals deputy Manish Sisodia after the state broadcaster Doordarshan tweeted a picture of the chief minister with his eyes shut.

It seems Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech was very boring, the Delhi deputy CM tweeted. The message was retweeted by Kejriwal, who was sitting among the audience at the Red Fort next to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Modis third address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort ran close to 100 minutes in which he presented a report card of his government, highlighting its achievements and promising growth.

Sporting a red, pink and yellow turban and dressed in his trademark half-sleeved white kurta, Modi called for unity and took aim at supporters of terrorism. In a marked departure, he even talked about Pakistans troubled province of Balochistan.

Kejriwal has been at loggerheads with the Centre over transfers, control of police and routing of files. The two sides are locked in legal battles as well. Recently, the high court ruled that the lieutenant governor, who represents the Centre, had the final word on administrative control of Delhi, dealing a blow to the Kejriwal government.

Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party accuses L-G Najeeb Jung of being partisan and trying to destabilise the government at the Centres behest.

(With agency inputs)

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From behind her veil, a 28-year-old Muslim woman cannot but stay fixated on the tumult engulfing Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh, just 40 kilometres away from her home, and remember her own ordeal last year.

As politicians throng Bulandshahr to express solidarity with a mother-daughter duo allegedly way laid and gang raped last month, the woman living near Simbhaoli of Hapur district finds the unfolding script eerily similar to that of hers.

Gangraped allegedly by two local residents in December 2015, the 28-year-old mother of four was pitchforked to media headlines after an insensitive village panchayat heaped further insults on her.

Some elders got together and ordered that she drop the charge once the suspects compensate her by paying Rs 50,000.

The ruling shocked everyone and the resultant outrage brought frenzied mediapeople to her doorstep. It made the authorities shake off their customary stupor and lodge a FIR. The two suspects were promptly thrown behind bars.

Then everyone lost interest, laments the woman, holding her head in despair. The accused got bail some months later and are free again.

The case is in the courts, negotiating the notorious red tape associated with Indias judicial system. Having dropped off the headlines, the woman has now been left to fight a lonely battle that she does not expect to win. Ab kya hoga... ha me in case ladna padega( what will happen now? I will have to fight the case), she says.

Her biggest problem is she does not have the money to feed her family, let alone pay the legal fees. Aap andar jake dekho ki hamare ghar me kya hai... kuch nahi hai (you go inside and see for yourself what we have in our house. You will see nothing), she says, pointing to her ramshackle home.

Hailing from Buxar in Bihar, the woman got married early to a man who earns Rs 400 a day at best as a wood cutter. The money barely provides for the children. Then there is also an ailing father-in-law to be looked after.

Dikkat paise ki hai... court case ki hai (The problem is in arranging the finances to contest the case), the woman points out.

Living in the same village where the suspects came from, the couple faces other odds. Any visitor to her house sets off gossip in the village. They also have not been able to get a ration card since local influential elders dont cooperate.

The couple says even their relatives make fun of their plight. Mazaak udate hain (They ridicule us), complains the woman. With no friends and more foes, the woman has withdrawn into a virtual shell. Since the incident, I dont even go out to the local shop.

The rape survivor finds herself more under siege, from a hostile neighbourhood and dismal circumstances.

This is first of a three-part series

The alleged gangrape of a mother and her daughter at Bulandshahr in UP has put the focus back on crimes against women in the countrys most populous state. HT revisits some cases that are yet to see closure.

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An FIR was registered against Amnesty International India on Monday in connection with alleged raising of independence slogans by pro-freedom Kashmiris who entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing the Indian Army.

A police official involved in the investigation said that a First Information Report has been registered and investigation will proceed.

The FIR has been registered under IPC sections -- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), he said.

A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some pro-freedom Kashmiris, most of whom were youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing the Indian Army.

The event was organised by Amnesty International India at United Theological College here.

Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara had yesterday said the intention and background of those involved will be investigated.

ABVP activists, who staged a protest against the event on Sunday and called it anti-national, had also filed a complaint with the police along with a CD containing video recording of the event.

Holding that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for victims of human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International India in a statement had said towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for azadi (freedom).

Noting that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Amnesty had said it considers that the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.
When Madukkarai Maharaj, an 18-year-old elephant, died after being captured and kept at the Varagaliar Elephant Camp at Tamil Nadu Annamalai on June 21, 2016, tributes poured in from conservationists, who claimed that the animal had never caused much trouble to humans.

The tusker was captured by the forest department for allegedly entering human habitation and damaging crops for over three years. Maharaj received a heart-rending farewell, and his death stoked the debate again whether the animal would have survived if he hadnt been captured. Luckily, this time, there was actual evidence to settle the argument.

The postmortem reports attributed the elephants death to multiple fractures. But how did the fractures take place? Did the attempt to capture him cause his death? Wildlife forensic scientists are working to answer these questions. Even the question of whether or not he was stressed was determined with the help of wildlife forensics. And playing animal CSI, determining the unknown from the known, was Indias Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology  the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (CCMB, LaCONES) located in Hyderabad.

In such cases, one can take a look at the cortisol hormones found in faecal matter and determine the level of stress the animal was undergoing. It would definitely have helped more to analyse the stress level when the animal was alive so that it could have survived. Once it has died, we can only generate a report and leave it at that, Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan, senior principal scientist at CCMB-LaCONES, said.

The CCMB-LaCONES project is a biotechnology lab working towards conservation of endangered wildlife species of the country. From providing technological support in the field of wildlife forensics to disease diagnostics, the lab has been efficiently supporting conservation of Indias wildlife since 2000. The lab has investigated over 1,330 cases of wildlife-related crimes. From the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau to the customs department to the forest department, everyone looks for support of the CCMB-LaCONES for solving cases of suspicious animal deaths, illegal trafficking, poaching and other such wildlife crimes.

Read | Illegal wildlife trade thriving on e-portals: Environment minister

For instance, in cases where protected wildlife has been killed and cooked, the poachers may protest innocence by saying that it is not an endangered species.

One of the earliest cases solved by the lab was of an Indian Peafowl killing in Mahabubnagar, Andhra Pradesh. Suspecting that a wildlife crime had occurred, the district forest officer asked for samples of cooked meat, remnants of offal, and a wooden block that was used for chopping the bird to be seized. Attempts were made by the poachers to mislead the investigation by providing samples of cooked and raw chicken. But DNA samples retrieved from the wooden block showed that peafowl had, indeed, been slaughtered, proving the forest departments case.

In 2000, Saki, a 13-month old Royal Bengal tigress in Nehru Zoological Park, was brutally killed and skinned. When a suspect in possession of tiger skin and claws was arrested, the biological samples were analysed to see if they matched with that of Sakis. It did. To put the nail in the poachers coffin, samples of Sakis biological parents and siblings were also analysed.

The CCMB-LaCONES project is a biotechnology lab working towards conservation of endangered wildlife species. (Picture courtesy: Official website CCMB-LaCONES)

In the tragic case of Madukkarai Maharaj, an entire carcass was available to retrieve samples for the forensic tests, but the job is often done just as efficiently with tiny samples, scientists from CCMB-LACONES said. Even a scrap from a utensil in which meat was cooked is enough to determine the species of the animal.

Hair, blood, tusks, meat, remains from the mouth, fecal samples, an axe with which the animal was slaughtered, a rope which was used to bind the animal and so on  the tiniest of biological components can be a sample enough for our Universal Primer technology to isolate the DNA and determine the species, Dr Rakesh K Mishra, director of CCMB, said.

Sometimes it may be too late to prevent animal killings or trafficking, but forensic evidence can be crucial in nabbing criminals and preventing further crimes. Even a finished product like an artefact made out of an elephants tusk or a leather purse that isnt chemically processed can serve as a sample for forensic scientists. For instance, a couple of years ago, the flying squad of the forest department in Keralas Kannur division retrieved three polythene packets containing dry crystals from a hotel room. They were dried snake venom samples, later found to be of the Indian Cobra. On the basis of the report, a case was booked against the accused.

Read | Rescuers scramble to save animals in flooded wildlife parks of Bihar, Assam

On another occasion, the deputy conservator of forests, Bannerghatta National Park, seized a sample of snake wine from a bar in Bengaluru. Snake wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by infusing whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. Its primarily consumed in China, Vietnam and southeast Asia. The denatured venom is believed to be good for virility and stop hair loss by snake-wine lovers. When the lab did a DNA sequencing, they were able to establish that the wine actually contained an Indo-Chinese spitting cobra.

But it isnt only the government that uses the labs services: it also accepts private requests. If one wants to get a sample of meat from a restaurant analysed to ascertain the species, the lab will provide the report for a fee. We do offer services to the private sector too. But, this is done after carefully assessing whether it might lead to misuse of the reports generated by us, Mishra said. This is to ensure that it isnt a poacher ring thats trying to use the services of the lab. Even in the cases of wildlife crime, we dont get involved in the trial of the cases to ensure that there is no conflict of interest of any kind, he added. This is to ensure that no lobbying impacts their final report on the matter.

The lab invented and patented a technology called Universal Primer back in 2001 to identify biological samples. Once a sample is received, the DNA is isolated from the tissues. The DNA is then amplified so that there is a sufficient amount to conduct the various tests. The DNA sequence is then analysed and compared with the available database. It is a fairly simple technology and even high-school students isolate DNA during the workshops we conduct for schools. Mishra explained.

The labs patented technology can be used to fetch minute information, like what kind of food an animal has eaten, but it does have some limitations. It is largely helpful to monitor terrestrial animals. Collecting faecal or tissue samples of birds and aquatic animals isnt so easy.

Although the Universal Primer technology is primarily used in wildlife forensics, it serves a multitude of purpose, including monitoring migration, distribution of population and census of endangered species. Mishra recalls a case they helped solve around a decade ago. An Indian Air Force base was facing bird-collisions frequently, and the fighter planes would often have blood droplets or remains of birds stuck to them. However, there was no sign of bird habitation inside the base.

Read | NDA cleared more projects in wildlife habitats in 2 yrs than UPA did in 5 years

The lab came to the rescue. First, they retrieved the samples of the bird remains and identified them as that of house swifts. There were no birds in the base but the collisions happened just outside. This helped the Indian Air Force solve a long-standing mystery, and they sought technical support for similar cases of collisions with bats, Rock Pigeons and Black Kites. The solution usually involved chopping of fruit-bearing trees or having radars put up to identify rare birds.

Most often it is wildlife crime cases for which the forest department reaches out to the CCMB lab. However, there are at times conservation efforts taken up in collaboration by multiple government organisations. One such effort was the breeding of mouse deer in Nehru Zoological Park of Hyderabad, B Lakshman, the forest range officer of Mannanur region, said. An endangered species, this animal had disappeared from the Mannanur Forest region couple of years ago. The Central Zoo Authority of India and CCMB-LaCONES worked in collaboration in this project for the conservation of Mouse Deer. And in April this year, an enclosure was sanctioned to relocate the Mouse Deer, which were bred in Hyderabad, Lakshman said.

CCMB wants to develop a way to tag endangered animals using the Universal Primer technique. (Official website: CCMB-LaCONES)

CCMB also regularly monitors the outbreak of diseases in several species of monkeys. The tedious job demands that field assistants go around collecting faecal samples of monkeys near human habitation. The samples need to be preserved and cant be contaminated. There are days when a field assistant waits near a tree for a monkey to expel some body waste. Thats no easy job. There are other ways to do the same job, but we do this because we dont need to sedate an animal or capture it or control it, because thats what conservation is all about, Mishra, the labs director, said.

It needs highly dedicated and motivated individuals to be able to work in wildlife forensics, senior scientists point out. Its long hours on all counts, and for the field staff, it can be weeks at a stretch in the forests. There are times when the staff of CCMB-LaCONES has to wait for a year just to collect a sample.

Sadly, the brightest minds [in India] dont come to science, Mishra said. Apart from the difficulty that the job  technological expertise included  entails, there are external factors that may ruin weeks of efforts to generate a report. Poorly preserved samples is one such factor, a principal scientist with CCMB-LaCONES said.

Very often, we receive tissues preserved in formaldehyde [from forest officials and/or the judiciary]. It is such a commonly available compound. Nothing can be retrieved from those samples and the report cant be generated. Many cases are not booked, and when it is booked, the lack of proper preservation ruins everything. At least 30% of the cases we receive fail to yield DNA for the same reason, Vasudevan said. Only when the samples are correctly preserved can the lab begin its slow process. It takes anywhere between four days to six weeks to generate a report.

Most often, the delay in generating a report is because of non-technical issues like non-payment of charges by the government agencies. It might look like an absurd reason, but it is a part of the procedure. All we can do is send mails and wait for replies, Vasudevan added.

Apart from wildlife conservation, the lab plans to extend the usage of the Universal Primer technique to plants, to make it easier to classify them. Once accomplished, this will have quite an important role to play in nutrition-related plant products, they opine.

If a firm claims that a product has plant products of a specific species, we will soon be able to tell you if it genuine or garbage. Estimating food quality will become easier. This will take a while because it is easier to use the technique for animals, Dr Mishra explained. This can help detect food adulteration, or verify the composition of herbal products and so on.

Another idea is to develop a way to tag endangered animals using this technology, which could for instance help curb poaching to a large degree by knowing the extent of the area an animal travels in and improving its security provisions.

One can use machines [like GPS-enabled tracking collars] to follow animals in real-time, but it is not a sensible approach. It requires interfering with their habitat or even catching them, Dr Mishra pointed out.

A view of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology  the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (CCMB, LaCONES) located in Hyderabad. (Picture courtesy: Official website)

All the tests are done at the lab located in Hyderabad, and the job isnt outsourced to anyone else. In forensics, the quality of the report determines how the case goes. We dont let anyone touch the samples, Mishra said.

A recent development has, however, raised a few concerns. Dr Mishra said that in June, the cabinet gave the nod for the signing of anMoU between India and the US to bring their wildlife forensics expertise into the country and to improve cooperation.

However, scientists at CCMB state that the lab is more than self-sufficient on all fronts. I have no bias towards technology, but we are concerned about both the interests of the nation and of the lab. Since CCMB is one of the constituent national laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) India, we have sent a letter to them about the same. We have been assured that our interests will be protected, Mishra said.

Read | People offer to adopt rhino calves orphaned in Assam floods

Way back in 2006, Therion International, which a Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Forensics laboratory located in New York used the Universal Primer technology in a case which was called the Florida Fish Scandal  sale of cheap seafood as exotic varieties. India has 14 patents in nine countries, and the technology has been used and appreciated internationally, including in the United States.

India is an undoubted leader in this field. In fact, we can provide help to the other countries more efficiently, Mishra said. While the lab doesnt seem thrilled by the MoU, they are looking forward to a new bill related to wildlife conservation which will be tabled in the next session of Parliament. It is a more comprehensive bill, which deals with DNA-related uses and misuse. We are doing fine in terms of laws related to conservation. There is scope and this bill will fill the gaps, Mishra informed.

The work done by CCMB-LaCONES largely goes unnoticed unless a wildlife crime is widely reported and the help of the lab is sought. In 2014, the lab submitted research that the elephants used in processions are highly stressed, for instance. It is a sad state. We need to be connected to the public because they are our employers. CCMB has plans to make the lab more accessible to the public using social media platforms, Mishra said.

In September every year, the CCMB campus is thrown open to the public. At least 5,000 people visit the lab and get acquainted with the work done there. Taking time off from their hectic schedules, the scientists conduct workshops for schools on a regular basis wherein high school students conduct experiments along with a team from the lab. When students see things firsthand, such as how the heart of a fish beats, they learn better, say the scientists.

Research papers in professional journals are a necessity, but for us to stay motivated, we need to be in touch with the young and curious minds, Mishra said. We need them more than they need us.

For now, the lab is working for an elephant that needs their version of justice. In a couple of weeks, CCMB-LaCONES will release its verdict on the tragic events that led to the death of Madukkarai Maharaj.

(This story has been published in arrangement with GRIST Media)
From a Maoist to a police informer to a dreaded gangster who amassed thousands of crores, Mohammad Nayeemuddin had come a long way before being eliminated in an encounter in Mahbubnagar district in Telangana last week.

His unexpected death is creating ripples in police and political circles as the Telangana government-constituted SIT is bringing out skeletons from his cupboard.

The police department is now admitting that Nayeemuddin alias Nayeem was used as an informer on Maoists, who have more or less been wiped out from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

We did use Nayeem as our informer to tackle Naxalites in those days, former director-general of police V Dinesh Reddy said, adding that it was a common practice to extract information from surrendered Maoists.

Sriram Tiwari, another retired IPS officer, said he met Nayeem three or four times when I was heading the Special Intelligence Bureau between 1997 and 2000.

He was a very emotional guy and used to say that he would achieve something in his life. But never did we expect him to turn into a gangster, Tiwari said.

Nayeems connections with the police apparently go beyond informing on Maoists. Apart from using him to eliminate Maoists like Eedanna, civil liberties leaders like Azam Ali and Purushottam, and Left activist Belli Lalitha, police had allegedly allowed him to grow into a mafia kingpin who indulged in extortions, settled land disputes and dealt in real estate.

It is an open secret in the department that Nayeem had gifted several valuable properties, including farm houses, lands and apartments, to several top police officials in the last 10 years. But, it is very difficult to prove the underhand dealings between Nayeem and the top cops, a senior official in the home department told HT.

The recovery of two AK-47s from Nayeems Puppalguda residence on the outskirts of Hyderabad, besides SLRs, pistols and country-made guns from the residences of his followers came as a shocker to investigators.

Preliminary investigation has revealed that Nayeem had obtained one AK-47 from police sources in Chhattisgarh and another from Maharasthra, the official said.

The SIT is said to be interrogating ACP-ranked police officials who had worked in Nalgonda and Hyderabad and are suspected to have had links with Nayeem.

The team is learnt to have fallen upon vital clues of Nayeems network in Maharasthra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Goa. Authorities found his hideouts in Goa and arrested his followers a couple of days back.

Besides police, Nayeem is said to have links with several political leaders belonging to various parties.

TDP minister Uma Madhava Reddy came to light prominently, but she dismissed the allegations and asked the government to go for a judicial probe.

The widow of former AP home minister A Madhava Reddy, who was killed by Maoists in 1999 has alleged that some of Nayeems followers are now in ruling TRS in Telangana.

Sources said in the last one year, Nayeem had started targeting TRS leaders, including some MLAs from Nalgonda district and tried to extort money from them.

He even planned to eliminate an MLA and made threatening calls to a minister from Karimnagar district. This proved to be his nemesis. Having obviously gotten the green signal from the top, the police killed him in an encounter, the sources said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Pakistan on Monday, raking up alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, becoming the first prime minister to mention the troubled regions in an Independence Day address.

The mention of the regions is in line with the governments recent decision to raise rights violations to hit back at Pakistan for allegedly stoking unrest in the Valley. Modi had said the time had come to expose the plight of people and atrocities committed by Pakistan.

I want to tell all that I got tremendous response from people belonging to Balochistan, Gilgit, and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The way they have complimented me (for the stand in the all-party meeting), I am grateful to them, the PM said amid thunderous applause.

I have never seen these people. I have never seen these places. But they have thanked me, Modi said, highlighting the discontent of these regions against Pakistan.

But the prime minister steered clear of mentioning Kashmir, where at least 58 people have died and 2,000 injured in a month-long spell of violence sparked by the killing of a militant leader. His decision to omit Kashmir was seen as an attempt to not highlight the simmering anger in the Valley, where many areas are still under curfew.

He mentioned how India was devastated to hear about the killing of students in an army school in Peshawar by terrorists, referring to an incident where Taliban gunmen massacred 132 children in an army school in December 2014.

He then drew a parallel between the incident which brought tears in Parliament and every corner of India, and how Pakistan tried to eulogise a terrorist.

We are shocked to see this mentality of trying to glorify terrorism, said Modi.

Modi didnt name Pakistan but mentioned how he tried to bring the neighbouring countries together to fight poverty. In a clear message to Islamabad, Modi said, There have been only losses in fighting against each other. Lets fight poverty together.

Read: Want to change lives of common people, says Modi in I-Day speech

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As an encounter raged between militants and security personnel in curfew-bound Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday unfurled the tricolour and asserted that guns were not the solution to the Kashmir crisis.

In her maiden Independence Day address, the states first woman chief minister also hoped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would complete the process started by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the issues.

Mehboobas comments came against the backdrop of more than a month-long unrest in the Valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani. More than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured in violent clashes between security forces and civilians.

A youth from Tangmarg, Riyaz Ahmad (18) succumbed to injuries sustained during a clash last week, at Srinagars SKIMS hospital, taking the death toll in the ongoing crisis to 59.

In a strong speech, Mehbooba observed that while the entire country was celebrating Independence Day, Kashmir has been burning for more than a month, and asserted that guns  whether on the states side or in the militants hands  were not the solution.

Kashmir is not that which fires the gun or takes to violence. Kashmir is paradise on Earth, she said, and expressed pain at the many deaths and injuries caused in the recent clashes.

Even as she was speaking, an encounter raged between militants and security personnel in which a CRPF commandant and two militants were reportedly killed. Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack at Nowhatta here and have been shifted to a hospital.

In an embarrassing moment, the national tricolour fell off the post as Mehbooba was hoisting it at the Bakshi stadium here. Two personnel from the security detail of the chief minister held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute to the flag. Police has started an inquiry into the matter, sources said.

Several security personnel, in plainclothes, were among the attendees, which included ministers, government officials, PDP workers and police officers. NC and Congress leaders boycotted the function at Bakshi stadium, while a BJP spokesperson said that its members were participating in a separate function in Jammu.

In her speech, which was a mix of Urdu and Kashmiri, Mehbooba promised that security forces would be made accountable for the excesses committed by them. Hum uska hisab lenge (we will make them accountable), she said, while conceding that encounters are bound to happen when militants fire upon security forces.

Recalling the relationship between her father and former chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Vajpayee and how the latter had tried to ease the sufferings of Kashmiris, she hoped that Modi would complete the process started by Vajpayee.

Referring to her Mufti Sayeeds rule in 2002, she said top separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik were given a free hand to find solutions to the Kashmir conflict.

Stating that the problem was not between the people of Kashmir and India, Mehbooba blamed the political processes and the leadership in Delhi and Srinagar for the crisis.

The problem is not between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people of India. Its with the leadership, she said.

The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?

Talking about the plight of children caught in conflict, the chief minister said they are being exploited by vested interests and made an emotional appeal to the youths not to be misled by those who want to keep the Valley burning.

She said her and her party has been taking efforts to remove any fear that the common Kashmiri has, whether it be of the militants gun, the crackdown, the white gypsy or a search operation.

Mehbooba also spoke about the improved relationship between the two Kashmirs  Pakistan occupied and India administered  and mentioned about an extended south Asian dream wherein countries like Nepal or Sri Lanka would contribute to the development of Kashmir.

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Sarangpur (Gujarat)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects on Monday to Pramukh Swami, the religious head of the Swaminarayan sect, saying he has lost a fatherly figure.

Recalling his close association with Pramukh Swami, who passed away on Saturday, Modi called him his father as he was twice overcome by emotions during his 20-odd minute long speech made at a temple where Swamis mortal remains have been kept.

Many of you might have lost a guru, but I have lost a father, Modi said, as he paused for nearly a minute to overcome the swell of emotions.

Calling him a combination of grandeur and divinity, the Prime Minister said he knew Pramukh Swami from the time when he was not a public figure and showered praise on him for bringing about reforms in the saint culture.

The mortal remains of the head of Bochasanvasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan (BAPS) Swaminarayan Sanstha, Pramukh Swami Maharaj have been kept at the temple till August 17 to enable devotees and citizens to get a final glimpse.

Modi also paid floral tributes to the departed soul.

Recalling a few instances of his close association with Pramukh Swami, Modi said Swami once asked him to address a gathering of saints of the Swaminarayan sect at a temple in Ahmedabad upon which hed express his surprise, saying what were they (saints) going to gain from him.

When I said this to Pramukh Swami, he said, no, the saints should know about the social reality as they have to work to take the society in the right direction, Modi added.

The Prime Minister also recalled Yogiji Maharaj, who initiated Pramukh Swami into Swaminarayan sect, and said the latter established an example on how a disciple should be.

We have known Pramukh Swami as a guru. But looking at him, one also understands how a disciple should be, Modi said, as he recounted an instance of how Pramukh Swami fulfilled the desire of his guru by constructing the Akshardham temple on the bank of Yamuna river in Delhi.

Long back, while strolling on Yamuna river bank, Yogiji expressed desire to Pramukh Swami to have a temple constructed on Yamuna bank. It was a desire informally expressed. After he passed away, as a disciple, Pramukh Swami constructed Akshardham to fulfil his desire, Modi said.

Modi said after he became the (Gujarat) chief minister, Pramukh Swami would ask him for the videos of his speeches which hed listen and call him up to say that you should not have used these words (referring to certain words used in his speeches).

(Pramukh Swami) taught me things that even my political guru did not teach me, the Prime Minister said.

Modi said Swami also knew a lot of things about him through intuition, as he recalled an instance of being called by him to Akshardham temple in Delhi during the time of its construction.

The Prime Minister said Pramukh Swami knew he had no money in his pocket and asked a disciple Brahmbihari Swami to pay him the money.

I actually had no money in my pocket at that time, he said.

Modi further recalled how he received a call from Pramukh Swami -- and his mother -- in 1992 when he was at Srinagar airport in Jammu and Kashmir after unfurling a tricolour amidst tense situation at Lal Chowk.

The Prime Minister further said, Swamiji assured Swaminarayan will do all good. I was amazed in receiving his call and his caring words amidst such tension. The other call that I had received that day was of my mother.

Modi also remembered how two years ago he managed to persuade Swamiji to take food when he received a call from his disciples that he had given up on eating and his health was deteriorating.

He accepted my request and I was told that he has started taking food. Such was the bond that we shared, the Prime Minister added.

He always demanded grandeur and did not compromise on it. But as a saint he was divine, Modi said.

Modi said some time back, he talked to him over telephone even when he was not able to speak properly.

The Prime Minister said his words must have consoled him.

Modi also said how former President A P J Abdul Kalam termed him as a main element in the direction of achieving the vision of 2020.

He (Swami) may not be with us today, but his presence will be felt by us all. We will continue to uphold the tradition set by him, said the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, thousand of devotees of Pramukh Swami Maharaj continued to throng Sarangpur for a glimpse of his mortal remains from across Gujarat.

Swami will be cremated here on Wednesday.
The army has recommended replacing pellet guns used by paramilitary forces and state police for crowd control in Kashmir with less lethal weapons such as sound cannons, pepper shotguns and chilli grenades.

Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda said on Monday the recommendation was made to a Centre-appointed committee reviewing the use of pellet guns during month-long protests across Kashmir after the killing of a militant leader there.

Pellets have wounded thousands of protesters, especially children, and many of them were blinded for life, triggering outrage over the use of the weapon touted as non-lethal.

Alternative non-lethal weapons are available to disperse crowds during demonstrations. The panel sought our inputs and we have suggested sonic weapons, pepper ammo and chilli grenades could be less harmful. The government is looking at these options, said Hooda, the senior-most military commander in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sonic cannons, used by law-enforcement agencies worldwide, emit ultra-high frequency blasts that trigger ear-splitting sound to disperse mobs. Pepper guns fire plastic shells packed with pepper that explode on contact causing severe eye, nose and throat irritation.

Chilli grenades, developed by Indias military scientists, can cause more intense physical discomfort than pepper guns. A concentrate from one of the worlds hottest chillis, bhut jolokia or Naga chilli endemic to the Northeast, is used in these grenades.

Large parts of Kashmir have been under curfew since militant leader Burhan Wanis killing on July 8. Hooda has ordered the deployment of more than 4,000 additional soldiers to hotspots in southern Kashmir to control the situation.

He said the unrest was being kept alive deliberately by internal and external elements, meaning separatists and Pakistan. Theres anger among the youth, we cant deny that. But the elements dont want to see the state return to peace.

Hooda blamed Pakistan for pushing militants into Kashmir to fuel the unrest.

Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have openly supported the protests. They will support it with terrorist activities, he said. The common man is suffering.
In sync with the objective of conveying his message to a national audience, lawyer-turned-activist Jignesh Mevani chose to speak in Hindi at the Dalit Mahasabha in Una on Monday.

This marked the culmination of the 10-day Dalit Asmita Yatra (Dalit march for self respect) that began in Ahmedabad on August 5.

His 15-minute speech left the gathering of around 15,000 members of the Dalit community charged. The crowd responded with a thunderous applause when Mevani summarised the ongoing unrest in Gujarat as a slap to the Right-wing.

Mevani, the convenor of the Una Dalit Atyachar Ladai Samiti, has been at the forefront of Dalit protests in Gujarat that were prompted by the flogging of Dalit youth in Una talukas Mota Samidhayala village over skinning a dead cow.

At the public gathering, Dalits took an oath not to remove animal carcasses, the traditional job of thousands of Dalits across the country.

During the yatra, Mevani regularly made attempts to seek support of the minority. He told HT that Dalits, according to him, have to take Muslims along if they want the government to take them seriously.

At Mondays gathering he continued his pitch to Muslims and highlighted inter-caste issues in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country. If I had two sisters, I would want one to get married to a valmiki (scheduled caste) and the other to a Muslim, he said.

Members of the Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind were present at the event.

Leaders of the Dalit movement in Gujarat have been emphasising that theirs is an inclusive movement. Mevani signalled this at the mahasabha when he appealed to tribals, trade unions and students to join him in future protests.

The gathering boosted the morale of agitators who have announced a rail blockade after a month if their demands are not met, but the latter half of the mahasabha did not go according to script.

JNUSU leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is out on bail, was originally not supposed to address the audience but did on public demand. Kumar raised the azaadi slogan, enthralling the audience.

Right after Rohith Vemulas mother Radhika Vemula concluded her speech, the organisers left the venue. There was confusion among the audience on whether the event was over or not. Jignesh Mevani later told HT that some local leaders were at the stage and were trying to speak from the dais against the wish of the organisers. The movement is apolitical and we did not wish to be seen with members of any political party, he said.

After the event, around 100 members of the Dalit community left the venue for the Una police station, demanding protection on the way back to their villages. They said they did not feel safe while crossing Samter village, where members of the predominant Darbar caste were constantly pressuring them not to attend the public meeting in Una.

They have been threatening us. They did not want us to attend the mahasabha, said Kishorbhai Dhakra of Rajula village. At least 10 men from Samter are currently behind bars for thrashing the Dalit men.

Kishorbhai and other people left for their villages after police accepted their demand of providing protection and establishing police pickets in their villages.

There were reports of Darbar community members attacking a bike rally of Dalit youth on Saturday. Members of the rally left the Mota Samadhiyala village after meeting Una victims and were crossing Samter village on Rajula Somnath highway when they were attacked.

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Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan claimed on Monday that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly fomenting terrorism in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

Pakistan prime ministers adviser on foreign affairs, Sartaj Aziz said Modi was trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, only proves Pakistans contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan, Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Azizs remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech on Monday.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently, Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by an Indian prime minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz claimed that Indias involvement was confirmed by the public confession of RAWs active service Naval Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz said.

These events have nothing to do with terrorism. It is an indigenous movement for self determination, a right promised to the Kashmiris by the UN Security Council, he said.

He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark.

Aziz said India is a large country, in fact, the second (seventh) largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth.

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at Pakistan  without naming the neighbour -- on Monday for glorifying terrorists and succumbing to a life influenced by terrorism.

Delivering a speech from the Red Fort on Indias 70th Independence Day, Modi also touched upon Balochistan and Gilgit, where Pakistani forces have been accused of using excessive force.

The mention of the two troubled areas is in line with the governments recent decision to raise rights violations to hit back at Pakistan for stoking unrest in the Valley.

The decision was taken at an all-party meeting called to review the situation in Kashmir, where at least 58 people have died since protests broke out against the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8.

As it happened: Need to fight against social evils to make India strong, says PM on I-Day

India cried after schoolchildern in Peshawar (in Pakistan) were killed in a terror attack, Modi said, referring to the Taliban gunmen massacring 132 children in an army school in December 2014.

But on the other side, there is an effort to glorify terrorists, the PM said, presenting a contrasting picture.

His remarks are being viewed as a response to Pakistans support for Wani, who was hailed as a martyr by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The people of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) have thanked me a lot in the past few days. I am grateful to them, Modi said, reacting to Baloch leaders call for help.

Resource-rich Balochistan, which supplies much of the natural gas to textile industry in Pakistans Punjab, has been battling waves of insurgency by Baloch nationalists since 1948.

Modi also requested the youth who have taken up guns to return to the mainstream. There is no place for violence in our society. Unity in diversity: this is our strength, he said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Pakistan over alleged human rights abuses in Balochistan, Gilgit and occupied Kashmir, signalling an aggressive shift in Indias foreign policy during a fiery Independence Day speech targeting the neighbouring country.

The broadside at Pakistan was the high point of his 94-minute speech and part of the governments attempts to counter Islamabads ploy of raising in international forums alleged human rights abuses by Indian security forces in Kashmir. At least 58 people have died and 2,000 injured in the Valley in a month-long spell of violence sparked by the killing of a militant leader in July.

I want to specially thank some special people from the Red Fort. In the last few days, people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir had conveyed good wishes and gratitude to me, Modi said in his address from the ramparts of the 17th century Red Fort, a tradition started by Jawaharlal Nehrus historic tryst with destiny speech in 1947.

India and Pakistan, both born out of independence from Britain, celebrated their 70th Independence Day a day apart.

I have never seen these lands or met them. But when they congratulate (the) Indian Prime Minister, they congratulate our 1.25 crore people. And this is why I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir.

Read | Why PM Modis Balochistan barb changes the India-Pakistan game

In a sharp retort, Pakistans foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz said Modi was only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in the Indian-occupied Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The Congress also said that by raking up Balochistan, Modi was ruining Indias case on PoK.

PoK is our...entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistanwe are going to ruin our own case on PoK, former external affairs minister Salman Khurshid said.

Modi did not mention Kashmir where many areas are still under curfew. India has accused the western neighbour of stoking unrest in the Valley.

During an all-party meeting on Kashmir last week Modi said the time has come to expose Islamabads brutalities on its own people in the three restive areas where Pakistans security forces are accused of carrying out extra-judicial killings in crackdowns on dissidents.

Read | Clownish talk: Pak Twitterati react to Modis Balochistan remark

What kind of life is this, inspired by terrorism? What kind of government set-up is it that is inspired by terrorism? asked Modi.

The world will know about it and thats sufficient for me, said Modi, the first Indian PM to raise in an Independence Day speech rights abuses by Pakistani security forces in these areas.

He mentioned how India was devastated to hear about the killing of students in an army school in Peshawar.

It brought tears in Parliament and every corner of India. This is our culture of humanity. On the other side, killing of innocents by terrorists are celebrated by a government inspired by terrorism, said Modi who sported a red, pink and yellow turban.

Read | Its a record: Modis I-Day address longest by an Indian PM in last 15 years

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Differences seem to have cropped up between former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Navjot Singh Sidhu and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the terms of his joining the party and campaigning for it in the Punjab assembly elections. AAP sources said Sidhu, who was to join the party on August 14, is still in talks with its leader Arvind Kejriwal.

Sources in the AAPs highest decision making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), said Sidhu met Kejriwal in Delhi on August 13 but a final decision on his date of joining is yet to be taken. While a section of leaders said only the date has to be decided between the two sides, others said there is no agreement on the roles Sidhu and his BJP legislator wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu will be given in the party. The two did not answer phones or messages.

A source said the party is not willing to make an announcement regarding Sidhus role at the time of his joining nor commit anything to Sidhu and his wife. The Sidhus are camping in Delhi till August 18 and expected to meet AAP leaders for another round of talks, sources close to them confirmed.

Sidhu was never a chief ministerial candidate for us. That was propaganda spread by our rivals in Punjab to derail the process. He has been in talks with the party for a long time now, a senior leader said.

He said Sidhu would only campaign for the party and not contest. Another AAP leader said the party is unrelenting on bending its rule of only one ticket per family for the Sidhus.

AAPs Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh refused to divulge what is going on. You will be informed at the right time. It is meaningless to talk about what was discussed between them (Kejriwal and Sidhu) till a date (for joining) has been finalised.

Sources said the party wants him to join later this week but the Sidhu couple has been asking for a later date. Navjot Kaur Sidhu is a chief parliamentary secretary in Punjabs Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government but has been severely critical of the SAD in her recent interviews and social media posts.

In a statement last week, the Amritsar MLA said her husband would not join the Congress because they see no difference between the Badal family or Capt Amarinder Singh, who is leading the Congress charge.

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Nearly a million refugees fleeing the brutal conflict in South Sudan, most of them women and children, are suffering dire conditions in camps across the region, the UN said on Monday.

Refugee agency UNHCR said arrivals in Uganda alone had peaked at more than 8,000 in one day last month after an outbreak of fresh fighting in the capital of neighbouring South Sudan.

Ninety per cent of new arrivals were women and children, the UN added.

With refugees fleeing South Sudan in their thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations, UNHCR said in a statement.

Already there are some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily.

Despite a peace agreement signed nearly a year ago by the government and the rebels, fighting has continued and the countrys crisis has worsened.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since civil war resumed in December 2013.

Towns have been razed in fighting characterised by rape, murder and the deployment of child soldiers.

Food shortages are common with nearly five million needing emergency rations, while some parts of the country are on the brink of famine, and the economy is in free fall.

Citing the example of a new 100,000 capacity camp at Yumbe, in Uganda, UNHCR said it urgently needs more money to speed up the relocation of more than 45,000 refugees out of overstretched and severely congested reception and transit centres.

With so many people living in such close proximity, the potential for disease outbreak is high, the agency said.

UNHCR said it had only received a fifth of the $609 million (545 million euros) it needed to cater to nearly one million South Sudanese refugees in six countries in the region, as well as the roughly 1.6 million uprooted and living in displacement camps inside the strife-torn country.
New Delhi: Chief Justice of India TS Thakur was disappointed on Monday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to mention stalled judicial appointments in his Independence Day speech, a crisis the nations top judge believes is crippling the courts.

Thakur urged the government at the Supreme Court Bar Associations August 15 event to pay attention to the judiciary, especially appointment of judges.

I was hoping he will speak about issues plaguing the justice delivery system. However, he did not, said the CJI, who has threatened to pass orders if the Centre didnt clear the logjam.

Later in the evening, the chief justice met the Prime Minister at the Presidents Independence Day at home function. They chatted for 20 minutes at Rashtrapati Bhavan, sharing their thoughts with hearty laughter.

Thakurs remarks after Modis Red Fort address to the nation followed law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad assurance that the government was committed to the cause of judicial independence.

Our government is led by senior ministers who fought against the Emergency. Our government feels that effective judicial delivery is integral to good governance and appointment is part of it, Prasad said.

He promised to quicken the process and hoped the top courts collegium will work as a team.

But Thakur appeared unimpressed, saying if the government remained stubborn, so would the judiciary.

During the British era, a verdict in a case used to come out in 10 years. However, today, even 100 years are not enough due to a lack of judges, the CJI said.

Peoples aspirations are increasing and a large number of cases is being filed. But, there are no judges.

Thakur lashed out at the government on Friday for allegedly stalling the appointment of high court judges.

If this logjam goes on, well be forced to judicially interfere with the government. We will ask for every file sent to you by the collegiums. You have logjammed the entire process, he told attorney general Mukul Rohatgi.

The chief justice recited lines from Urdu poet Allama Iqbal to stress his point: Gul fenke auron par, samar bhi, E abr-e-karam, e-behr-e-sakha, kuch to idhar bhi (You gave fruits and flowers to others but O cloud of beneficence, wave of friendship, do bestow something on us too).

I have reached the peak of my career and from here I have nowhere to go. So I will not hesitate to say anything, he said.

Indias 24 high courts have nearly four million cases pending before them while another 30 million cases clog trial courts. But clearing this backlog is considered virtually impossible with the current strength of judges  in the high courts, 478 posts out a sanctioned strength of 1,056 remain vacant.

Even in the top court that was originally set up in 1951 to oversee 1,215 cases by eight judges, now 31 judges have to decide on a staggering 60,000 cases annually. The CJI has said in the past that the country needed to double the number of judges from its current strength of 21,000.

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Chief Justice of India TS Thakurs unusual comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech has brought the wrangling between the government and judiciary over judicial appointments out in the open.

Addressing an Independence Day function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, the CJI said: I was hoping he (Modi) will speak about issues plaguing the justice delivery system. However, he did not. I request the government to pay attention to our judiciary, especially appointment of judges.

Coming barely three days after the CJI threatened to pass judicial orders if the government didnt clear the logjam over judges appointments soon, the comments point to the widening gap between the two sides over the prickly issue.

Justice Thakur had made a rare emotional appeal to PM Modi in April to double the number of judges to handle an avalanche of cases and criticized the Centre and state governments for unfairly putting the onus on the judiciary to clear the burgeoning backlog.

On the face of it, the showdown appears to be over the selection of judges. But the real issue lies in the growing imbalance in separation of power. The government sees it as an instance of judicial overreach. Ever since the judiciary arrogated to itself all powers to appoint judges through a judicial coup in 1993, the executive  irrespective of ideology of the party in power  has been trying to restore the balance.

Political leaders have openly criticized the collegium as an extra-constitutional system under which judges appoint judges under complete secrecy. Thats why Parliament unanimously passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act to create a six-member panel headed by CJI with two senior most SC judges, Law Minister and two eminent persons as its members to appoint judges.

But the SC declared the NJAC Act unconstitutional and revived an admittedly opaque collegium system. Even after another round of hearings on making the collegium transparent, the SC left it to the government to draft Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) resulting into the current logjam. Had the SC clearly laid down guidelines to make the collegium transparent, the present stalemate could have been avoided.

Read: SCs NJAC verdict sets stage for judiciary-legislature face-off

Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan told HT. The collegium system lacks transparency inasmuch as even the names of proposed appointees are not disclosed. Secondly, there are no criteria on the basis of which someone can be selected for appointment as a judge.

He said: The issues of MoP and transparency were argued before the constitution bench. It would have been better if they (SC) had laid down the procedure to make the collegium system transparent, rather than leaving it to the government.

As the judiciary and the government spar over selection of judges, the cases keep on piling up. According to official figures, Indias 24 high courts have nearly four million cases pending before them while 478 out of 1,056 sanctioned posts remain vacant. Around 30 million cases await disposal in trial courts where 4,432 out of 20,502 sanctioned posts of judges were yet to be filled. The SC too has only 28 judges against the sanctioned strength of 31 judges to tackle around 60,000 cases.

The Indian judicial system is one of the largest in the world. But, according to a 2012 National Court Management Systems report, although the number of judges increased six-fold in the last three decades, the number of cases shot up 12-fold.

Even by conservative estimates, the number of cases reaching courts will touch 15 crore requiring at least 75,000 judges in the next three decades, the report said.

There are other factors also that contribute to the pile-up of cases. The infrastructure available for courts - particularly lower courts - is inadequate, besides serious shortage of judges. Many courts function from rented buildings, while nearly 7,000 proposals for building courthouses were still awaiting state governments clearance.

Despite the Law Commission, parliamentary standing committee and the Supreme Court saying that the judge-population ratio in India should have 50 judges per one million people, the ratio continues to be abysmally low at 13 judges per one million people.

Nothing has moved since 1987 when the Law Commission had recommended increase in the number of judges from then 10 judges to 50 judges per one million people, CJI Thakur had said.

According Law Commissions 120th report submitted to the government in 1987, countries such as the US, England, Canada and Australia had a much better judge-population ratio of 107, 50.9, 75.2 and 41.5 way back in the 1980s.

As a result of poor judge-population ratio, even if judges work at a frantic pace, they may never be able to clear the backlog. This situation remains like this despite judges across the court system handling 2,600 cases each annually and together clearing 20 million cases, the CJI had pointed out.

The current stalemate has only worsened the situation.

The judicial coup happened in the 1990s when coalition politics and corruption cases made the political class too vulnerable to assert. But with the BJP enjoying an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha, its only natural for the government to attempt to regain the lost ground for the executive and restore the balance in separation of power envisaged under the Constitution.

PM Modi had in April said his government was ready to discuss the issues to find a way out. If both sides dont resolve the stalemate at the earliest, they can do it only at the cost of their credibility.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has broken his own record, again.

On Monday morning, he was at his eloquent best when delivering his third Independence Day address, going past his own record of 86 minutes, which he had set last year.

In his 94-minute speech on Monday, Modi listed the achievements of his government, blasted Pakistan for glorifying terrorists, spoke at length about eliminating social discrimination, and also took a dig at the UPA government for delay in decision-making.

His first Red Fort speech in 2014 was 65 minutes long and the duration has only increased since then.

Going by the records, Modis Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on Monday was the longest ever Independence Day address by an Indian Prime Minister in the last 15 years.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who delivered 10 speeches over his long tenure at the helm, rarely crossed the 50-minute mark in his customary speech. On two occasions, in 2005 and 2006, Singh delivered speeches that lasted 50 minutes. On remaining eight occasions, his speech ranged from 32 to 45 minutes.

Modis party colleague and the first BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee rarely spoke beyond 30-35 minutes. On August 2002, he delivered a speech that lasted 25 minutes, while in 2003 he gave a 30-minute address from the historic 17th century Mughal monument.

Graphics: Vignesh Radhakrishnan
One youth, identified as Yasir Sheikh, 23, from Batmaloo area in Srinagar was killed when security forces opened fire on protesters in the area on Monday.

Medical superintendent of Srinagars SMHS hospital Dr Nazir Choudhary told HT that the youth was brought to the hospital with a bullet injury.

This was the second death in the day, taking the toll in the ongoing crisis to at least 60. Earlier in the day, a youth from Tangmarg, 18-year-old Riyaz Ahmad succumbed to injuries sustained during a clash last week, at Srinagars SKIMS hospital.

Batamaloo remained extremely tense on Monday evening as the body was brought back to the youths home.

In another incident, a 10-year-old boy, Irfan Ahmad, was hit by a tear gas shell when security personnel were trying to disperse a procession in Bijbehara in south Kashmirs Anantnag district.

The districts chief medical officer Dr Fazil Kochak confirmed the case to HT and said the boy was shifted to Srinagars SMHS hospital for treatment.

Earlier in the day, a CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight near a famous Sufi shrine in downtown Srinagar as the country celebrated its 70th Independence Day. Eight security personnel were injured, one of them critically, as the militants opened fire at a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) patrol at around 8 am.

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As the nation soaked in patriotic fervour celebrated its 70th Independence Day on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir was rattled by fresh militant violence, which claimed three lives, including that of a CRPF officer, and explosions shattered the brittle calm in Assam and Manipur.

The Kashmir Valley, in the grip of violence for nearly 40 days now, saw militants mount a morning assault on security forces in downtown Srinagar, resulting in the death of the commanding officer of CRPFs 49th Battalion Pramod Kumar and two militants.

Kumar, thrice decorated with CRPFs director generals commendation, had also served in the Special Protection Group for three years.

Two blasts rocked Manipur capital Imphal an hour before the official Independence Day celebrations were to start, but no casualties were reported. Several militant organisations have called for a boycott of Independence Day celebrations in the state often rocked by insurgent violence.

A series of five bomb explosions by suspected ULFA-Independent militants rocked upper Assams Charaido and Tinsukia districts on Monday morning but there were no casualties.

With the Kashmir Valley caught in a welter of violence since the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti made an emotional appeal to the agitating youths not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the Valley burning and maintained that dialogue was the only way forward to resolve issues.

In her maiden Independence Day address as chief minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan, where there is instability and absence of safety of life, and urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace in and progress of the state.

She blamed the successive central governments, starting from the one led by Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, taking the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to its logical end.

Mehbooba faced a deeply embarrassing moment when the Tricolour fell off the post when she attempted to hoist it at Bakshi stadium. She pulled the string attached to the post only to see the flag fall from the post and land on the ground.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned to policy paralysis, the bugbear for the previous government, to target the Congress-led UPA in his Independence Day speech even as he praised all parties for paving the way for the goods and services tax.

Modi avoided adverse comments about the UPA government in his third address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, but his remarks that his government didnt believe in delaying decisions was read by many as a reference to the accusations of policy paralysis that the Manmohan Singh government faced in its last years.

And once he started citing examples, it was clear he was comparing the two governments.

Hum cheezo ko taalne me bishwas nehi karte. Hum talna nehi, takraana jante hain (we dont believe in delaying things, we believe in taking things head on), the PM said as millions tuned in to watch him on television.

Modi then talked about his governments decision to declassify files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. There was a long-pending demand to open the files on Netaji. But a decision was avoided. I have opened those files.

The Centre in January started making public files related to Bose, a move that was expected to shed more light on the mysterious disappearance of the freedom fighter in 1945 after an air crash in Taiwan.

Read | Want to change lives of common people, says Modi in I-Day speech

Modi also mentioned the delay in the implementation of the land boundary agreement between India and Bangladesh, a reference to the legislation to redraw the countrys boundary on the east to resolve the long-standing issue of conclaves.

During our time, the bill was passed unanimously in both Houses of Parliament, he said.

The real estate bill, which aims to regulate the booming sector, was the third example Modi cited to draw comparison with the previous government.

Though conceived by the UPA, the bill that will protect homebuyers interests was passed earlier this year.

If someone goes to buy flats, they are given nicely printed book. Obviously, the common man doesnt understand the technical details. He books a property but then waits endlessly for its delivery. We have solved his problem, Modi said.

Read more | Modis Independence Day speech: Here are the top quotes

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The US on Monday greeted India on its 70th Independence Day and pledged to work towards freedom and justice for all within our great democracies.

On behalf of President (Barack) Obama and the American people, I send our best wishes to the people of the Republic of India as you celebrate your Independence Day on August 15, Secretary of State John Kerry said.

As India celebrates Independence Day, we recommit to working to ensure freedom and justice for all within our great democracies, he said in a statement.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the United States Congress this past June, he remarked that the traits of freedom and liberty form a strong bond between our two democracies. It is worth remembering this today as India celebrates its independence, he said.

Celebrations were held across the US a day prior (according to their local time) in order to coincide with revelry in India, with the largest gathering reported from Fremont in California and Edison in New Jersey attended by thousands of people, with marching bands and colourful cultural extravaganza.

In cities like Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Orlando and Minneapolis community organisations held cultural events over the weekend as part of celebrations, to include unfurling of the tricolour in Washington DC by Indian Ambassador to the US Arun K Singh and at other missions in New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco by Indian diplomats.
The BJP workers tied a thread on each others wrists, binding them to the party. The ritual also aimed at making the workers responsible in spreading the good work done by the BJP-led governments in the state and the Centre.

This is being seen an alternative to Shiv Bandhan started by the Sena where its workers tie a saffron thread to their wrists in a symbolic way to show their commitment to the party. It is also being conceived as a move to keep the morale of its party workers high before the civic and zilla parishad polls scheduled next year.

According to BJP leader Prasad Lad who conceived the idea, the BJP planned the ritual along the lines of Raksha Bandhan, where a brother is bound by his sister. Similarly, party workers would be bound to BJP and it would be their responsibility to fulfill the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, said Lad. The workers have now been given the task to spread awareness of the various initiatives taken by the BJP-led governments for the common people, he added.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the project and expressed confidence that Atal Bandhan, named after former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, would unify the workers and spread the partys message to the remotest part of India.

Political analysts, however, have described such events as gimmicks. This is the classic case of gimmicks where symbolic events are being iconised. People are more interested in governance than in such events, said Prakash Bal, eminent political commentator.

The BJP, which has played a second fiddle to the Sena for 25 years, is now rearing to go alone and make a mark in the civic and zilla parishad polls scheduled in 2017.
The CCTV surveillance network in Mumbai will be fully operational by the end of October, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday.

Speaking at the launch of 42 cyber laboratories across the state on Monday, the CM said Nagpur and Pune will get similar networks soon. Maharashtra has proved to be the first state to launch Criminal Tracking Network System which has connected all the police stations digitally. Citizens in Pune are now able to lodge their complaints online, he said.

The state government now plans to train 1,000 police personnel and officers to combat cybercrimes. With cyber labs in every district, the state hopes the detection and conviction rate of all crimes will increase.

While Fadnavis launched the cyber laboratory at World Trade Centre in Mumbai, guardian ministers of 34 districts inaugurated the labs in their respective districts simultaneously. Moreover, nine police commissionerates in charge of big cities, too, are equipped with laboratories.

The state plans to create labs for the anti-corruption bureau (ACB), anti-terrorism squad (ATS), crime investigation department (CID), railway commissionerate and the state intellegence bureau.

At a time when the country is marching towards digital India, cities and villages are getting smarter. We are set to digitize 500 gram panchayats. While the government is prepared to maximize its use of technology, criminals too are adopting newer ways to commit the crime. The laboratory network will offer cyber security to private institutions, including banks, Fadnavis said.

The state plans to spend Rs900 crore on the laboratories with state-of-the art technology. District-level cyber laboratories, which have been set up at a cost of Rs25 lakh each in the initial stage, will help the police procure forensic evidence. The laboratories will have facilities for CDR analysis, disc and mobile forensic, social media analysis, video-audio forensic, among others.

Currently, the state has laboratories in Mumbai and Pune. Getting reports from these labs take months. The district laboratories will do it within hours. This will help them in detecting cases of theft and crimes related to women, said a home department official.

Maharashtra gets 42 cyber laboratories

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday inaugurated the cyber project at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai, making 42 cyber laboratories across the state operational to keep a check on cybercrimes and provide the much-needed technical help in investigation.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Fadnavis said, With the inauguration of the cyber project, the Maharashtra police will be able to tackle the rising menace of cybercrime. The project was completed within the deadline thanks to Brijesh Singh, IG (cyber). We are the first to implement the crime and criminal tracking network & systems (CCTNS), which will connect all police stations.

We are trying to bring Mumbai, Nagpur and Pune under CCTV surveillance. Now, people can file complaints online in Pune. We are making improvements to forensic labs, he said.

Singh said, These labs will provide us with the much-needed technical capability such as tracking locations, transactions and CDR analytics for investigation. This is the first phase. While we have added indigenous tools for now, in a few months, we will get world-class tools.

Satish Mathur, director general of police, said, Cyber labs will help us in monitoring the social media. The aim is to prevent law and order problems arising out of social media posts and rumours spread on the Internet.

KP Bakshi, additional chief secretary, home, said, We will also provide cyber labs to the anti-terrorism squad and crime branch.

Appreciating the initiative, a senior police officer from Thane said, Seven police officers and 13 police constables will man the 13 workstations. Such a initiative was desperately needed. There has been a rise in cases of cybercrime in Thane. This might check its spread.
Dipa Karmakar has been experiencing a lot of new things over the past weekthe adulation and attention she is receiving from the whole nation is something she is not used to, having come up from obscurity, fighting the odds.

On Sunday, she narrowly missed out on a medal in the vault competition at the gymnastics venue in Rio. But the fourth place finish is no small deed considering the difficult and lonely journey she has taken to reach there.

Dipa wanted that medal so badly, giving her all and more for it. She knew that an Olympic medal would change the plight of so many Dipa Karmakars back home, those whose talent and potential gets lost in the political and administrative cesspool that is Indian sport.

Dipa is very upset she missed out though it is not visible on her ever-smiling face.

Medal is secondary, the spirit she displayed is special and that was acknowledged on twitterscape.

Abhinav Bindra was one of the first to congratulate the young champion. Dipa Karmakar you are my hero , tweeted the Beijing Olympics gold medallist.

@idipakarmakar Every once in a while, someone inspires us to be more. Today, that is you Dipa. Well done. We stand with you. #Respect  Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) August 14, 2016

@idipakarmakar You gave us more than you can imagine. Hope. Inspiration. Unity. You are a credit to the nation and make us incredibly proud.  Papa CJ (@PapaCJ) August 14, 2016

@idipakarmakar @BandraTimes we are super proud of you .... rejoice in your hard work and amazing dedication ... you do us proud girl!  Diandra Soares (@diandrasoares13) August 15, 2016

#DipaKarmakar in a country where sportspersons travel economy, while managers travel business, you faired so well.  harish iyer (@hiyer) August 14, 2016

Most touching tweet iv read.. God bless u Dipa.. N sorry.. V couldn't make it possible for you.. Pls forgive us! https://t.co/lZZnBX04IY  Farah Khan (@TheFarahKhan) August 15, 2016

Dipa Karmakar you are my hero !  Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) August 14, 2016

Wat a performance by #DeepaKarmakar  u make India proud   Vijender Singh (@boxervijender) August 14, 2016

Thank u #DipaKarmakar fr getting us united at midnight cheering fr Gymnastics,in a country with no infrastructure for this sport.Super Proud  Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) August 14, 2016
Indias Kidambi Srikanth entered the quarterfinals of the mens singles badminton event after ekeing out a hard-fought win over World No 5 Jan Jorgensen of Denmark at the Rio Olympics on Monday.

Coming into the match with a 1-2 head-to-head record, Srikanth dished out an aggressive performance to defeat Jorgensen 21-19, 21-19 in a 42-minute battle to keep himself in contention.

He thus joined Parupalli Kashyap, who was the first Indian mens singles player to reach the quarterfinals of the Olympics at the London Games in 2012.

The 23-year-old Guntur lad, ranked 11th in the world, will next take on two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan on Wednesday.

In a battle between equals, Jorgensen moved to a 3-1 lead in the first game before Srikanth turned the tables reaching 4-3. The duo engaged in a fierce battle of supremacy and moved neck and neck before Srikanth managed to enter the break with a 11-9 advantage.

Srikanth opened up a narrow 17-14 lead at one stage. His sharp returns earned him a lot of points even as the Dane kept breathing down his neck with some angled strokes which the Indian found difficult to negotiate.

At 18-17, an aggressive rally ended with Srikanth placing the shuttle away from Jorgensen but he hit long next before getting to game point with a cross court smash, which Jorgensen could not reach.

Jorgensen saved one when Srikanth made a bad judgement and left the shuttle. However, he sealed it next with another powerful cross court smash.

Srikanth carried on the momentum into the second game and dictated the tempo of the fast-paced rallies to reach 8-4 at one stage. The Indian, however, lost a few points with his backhand returns going to the net.

The Danish shuttler also came up with some spectacular smashes and some brilliant net play to make it 10-9. At the break, Srikanth managed a 11-10 lead after a precise return, which landed just inside the line.

Jorgensen grabbed a few points to make it 13-13 before making Srikanth run across the court with his angled returns to lead 15-13.

Jorgensen soon started dominating by changing the pace of the rallies too frequently and producing some sharp returns to trouble the Indian and reached 17-14.

But Srikanth soon clawed back with three points before the duo moved to 18-18. The Indian won a parallel rally with Jorgensen going to net and then Srikanth produced a sharp smash to reach match point. He left the shuttle once again at the baseline before coming up with another smash to seal his place in the quarterfinals.
Well-known Tamil lyricist Na Muthukumar, aged 41, died in Chennai on Sunday due to jaundice, sources close to his family said.

Muthukumar had won two National awards for his songs Ananda Yazhai Meetukiral and Azhage Azhage in Tamil movies Thanga Meengal and Saivam, respectively.

Born at Kancheepuram near here, he aspired to be a film director early in his career and had worked as an assistant to filmmaker Balu Mahendra.

Read: Veteran Tamil producer Panchu Arunachalam dies at 76

He shot to fame with Devadayayai Kanden in Dhanush starrer Kadal Konden (2003) and his songs including Kanpesum Varthaigal in 7G Rainbow Colony (2004) and Veyilodu Vilayadi from Veyil (2006) are very popular.

Film director Seeman introduced him as a lyricist in his movie Veera Nadai in 2000.

Watch Ananda Yazhai Meetukiral here:

Muthukumar has penned lyrics for over 1000 films and had authored a novel Silk City.

Expressing grief over the death, DMK chief Karunanidhi said he was shocked by the passing away of the young lyricist.

BJP state unit president, Tamilisai Soundararajan visited Muthukumars house and placed a wreath.

Speaking to reporters, she praised him and his work.

Watch to Muthukumars song Azhage Azhage from Saivam here:

Celebrities from the Tamil film industry queued up at Muthukumars residence here to pay their last respects.

Filmmaker turned chief of Nam Tamizhar Katchi Seeman said he was shocked by the death.

Actor Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to condole Muthukumars death.

Na Muthukumar died at 41. An important Tamil poet who also wrote for cinema. If he lived a little hed have made the above intro redundant, he posted.

Read: Veteran Tamil scriptwriter-director Vietnam Veedu Sundaram dies

Na Muthukumar died at 41. An important Tamil poet who also wrote for cinema. If he lived a little he'd have made the above intro redundant  Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) August 14, 2016

Miss you my friend. Thanks for the words you left behind in print. Hope you enjoyed life half as much as we are going to enjoy your poems.

Miss you my friend. Thanks for the words you left behind in print. Hope you enjoyed life half as much as we are going to enjoy your poems  Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) August 14, 2016

Actor Dhanush tweeted, Rest in peace na.muthukumar. Very shocked and saddened. Strength to the family.

Rest in peace na.muthukumar. Very shocked and saddened. Strength to the family.  Dhanush (@dhanushkraja) August 14, 2016

Filmmaker AR Murugadoss said, Its really shocking... No words.

Noted music composer Devi Sri Prasad said, He gave beautiful lyrics for many of my Tamil Songs! Cant believe this news!. May God giv Strength to his family.

Read: Panchu Arunachalams death a huge loss to Tamil industry, say celebs

OMG!Shocked by d sudden demise of Dear Na.Muthukumar..1 of d Most Amazing Lyricists of our times!! R.I.P Sir  pic.twitter.com/njKo6BhvuF  DEVI SRI PRASAD (@ThisIsDSP) August 14, 2016

He gav Beautiful lyrics 4 many of my Tamil Songs! Cant believe this news!

May God giv Strength to his family!:(( pic.twitter.com/ueosdEJTYI  DEVI SRI PRASAD (@ThisIsDSP) August 14, 2016

When I sing a tune, he used to spontaneously giv me the lyrics on spot!! A great Talent!! A deep loss for Tamil Films.

Music composer and actor GV Prakash Kumar said, Cant believe this #namuthukumar is no more... Hes written more than 200 songs in my films A huge loss. May god give strength to his family.

Actress Tamannaah Bhatia wrote, You will be missed! RIP to this great soul, my prayers with his family #Namuthukumar. Just cant believe this.

U will be missed !!! RIP to this great soul , my prayers with his family #Namuthukumar . Just can't believe this . pic.twitter.com/KRDeDFfepb  Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) August 14, 2016

Muthukumar is survived by wife and two children.

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Fresh from a US holiday, superstar Rajinikanth will be back on the sets of upcoming Tamil sci-fi action drama 2.o later this month. He has been out of action for nearly two months.

Rajinikanth sir is fully fit and he plans to join the sets later this month. The producers had a courtesy meeting with him at his residence over the weekend. He had told them that he feels much better now and can join the team soon, said a source close to the superstar.

Read: Kabali review | Its a clash between signature styles of Rajinikanth, Ranjith

Rajinikanth was on a month-long US trip with his daughter Aishwarya, and returned to India on July 24.

Read: 50% of Rajinikanths 2.o is over, tweets filmmaker Shankar

As part of his vacation, the Enthiran actor is rumoured to have attended a detoxification programme. It is also reported that he underwent a surgery, but nothing is confirmed. The superstar spent some time in Satchidananda Ashram in Virginia.

Read: Why Rajinikanth can, but wont endorse brands

In filmmaker S Shankar-directed 2.o, a sequel to 2010 blockbuster film Enthiran, he returns as scientist Vaseegaran.

2.o, which is being made on a budget of Rs 350 crore, also stars Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as the antagonist, apart from Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey and Adil Hussain.

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Donald Trump on Monday will call for a new ideological test for admission to the United States, vetting applicants on their stance on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. The policy would represent a significant shift in how the US manages entry into the country.

In a speech in swing state Ohio, Trump will also call for foreign policy realism and an end to nation-building if elected president. And hell argue that the United States needs to work with anyone who shares the mission of destroying the Islamic State group and other extremist organizations, regardless of other disagreements.

Mr. Trumps speech will explain that while we cant choose our friends, we must always recognise our enemies, Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said.

The Republican nominees foreign policy address comes during a rocky stretch for his campaign. Hes struggled to stay on message and has consistently overshadowed his policy roll-outs, including an economic speech last week, with provocative statements, including falsely declaring that President Barack Obama was the founder of the Islamic State.

Democrat Hillary Clinton has spent the summer hammering Trump as unfit to serve as commander in chief. Shes been bolstered by a steady stream of Republican national security experts who argue the billionaire businessman lacks the temperament and knowledge of world affairs to be president.

Clinton is focusing on domestic themes Monday as she campaigns in Pennsylvania with vice-president Joe Biden.

Trump is expected to spend significant time in his speech going after Obama and Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for policies he argues allowed the Islamic State group to spread.

Trump is expected to say that any country that wants to work with the US to defeat radical Islamic terrorism will be a US ally  though aides did not specify which countries that position refers to. Hell also call for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the US is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Obama, Clinton and top US officials have warned against using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants hands.

Mr. Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of ISIS and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many, Miller said Sunday in an email, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

Under Trumps new immigration policy, the government would use questionnaires, social media, interviews with friends and family or other means to determine if applicants support American values like tolerance and pluralism. The US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It is unclear how US officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting. The campaign has yet to say whether additional screenings would apply to the millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars visiting the United States each year.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Trumps unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticised across party lines as un-American. Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard, vowing to suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats.

That proposal raised numerous questions that the campaign never clarified, including whether it would apply to citizens of countries like France, Israel, or Ireland, which have suffered recent and past attacks. Trump had promised to release his list of terror countries soon. But now, aides say, the campaign needs access to un-released Department of Homeland Security data to assess exactly where the most serious threats lie.

While Trump has been criticised for failing to lay out detailed policies, aides say Mondays speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in coming weeks, they said.

Seeking to beat back criticism of his struggling campaign, Trump and his top advisers have blamed the media for failing to focus on his proposals.

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 on Sunday.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is slated to lay out his strategy on Monday for defeating the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist organisations.

He will also lay out proposals to prevent terrorist attacks in the US, including banning individuals from countries where Washington cannot adequately vet visa applicants, and increasing cooperation with willing Middle Eastern allies, CNN quoted a senior Trump campaign official as saying.

Trump is also set to make clear that the US will abandon any ambitions for nation-building or spreading democracy in the Middle East.

The official contended that this would strengthen Americas ability to engage Middle Eastern allies in the fight against the IS.

Trumps expected call to work with Muslim allies comes against a backdrop of fierce criticism and condemnation of the Republican candidate from Muslims in the US and abroad since December, when he proposed a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the US.

Beyond his immigration ban, Trump has also been criticized for suggesting that President Barack Obama is linked to radical Islamic terrorism, proposing surveillance of US mosques and proclaiming that he believes Islam hates us.

Trumps speech will come as his campaign has faced sagging poll numbers in key swing states in recent weeks, as he has swung from one controversy to the next, CNN added.
The British may have introduced railways in India, where the rapidly improving network is one of the worlds largest, but things are not exactly the same in UK: strikes, steep prices and congestion have irked many commuters, who are now calling for its nationalisation.

So much so that when Indian-origin stand-up Nish Kumar used humour in a Monday article to cut through the complex issues and claimed that British trains were worse than Indian ones, many agreed, but some were thrown off-track.

When I was growing up, and periodically going to India to visit my grandmother, my classmates would often ask me about the trains. There was an exotic fascination with people sitting on top of the carriages.

Well, just to clear this up, British trains are now worse than Indian trains. Even if you sat on the roof, at least you get a seat, he wrote in The Guardian, provoking nearly 1,000 comments from readers comparing their experience of travelling in India, Britain and elsewhere.

The introduction of railways in India in 1853 is often cited as part of the good that British rule purportedly did in India, but critics have insisted that it was introduced mainly to facilitate revenue extraction rather than to transport natives across the subcontinent.

Today, Britain is reputed to have the highest train fares in Europe. Unless booked days in advance at a discounted price, travelling by train by purchasing a ticket on the day of travel can be costlier than travelling by air - as many Indian tourists realise.

If you want to travel from London to Manchester, and have not booked a ticket, be prepared to sell a kidney or stay at home. Frequent train travellers have to plan ahead, booking months in advance to avoid massive fares, Kumar wrote.

One of the private companies running trains, Southern Rail, went on a five-day strike earlier this month, prompting renewed calls for nationalisation of Britains rail network. It is a cause espoused by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, winning him increasing supporters.

Kumar, who is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, added: Nationalisation might seem like the preserve of old-fashioned, duffel-coat-wearing, Red-Flag-singing socialists, but it also appears to be economically efficient.

Labour adopted renationalisation as a policy at its 2015 autumn conference, and Jeremy Corbyn is trying to make this a key platform in his plans to be the next prime minister. Corbyn might be on to a winner here. Time will tell. Anyway, I had better head off  Ive got to start booking some train tickets for October 2025.

British rail was privatised by the John Major government, when the infrastructure, maintenance and ownership of trains were each sold off to private companies in a process that lasted three years from 1994. It led to more investment, but also higher fares over the years.

Passionate comments on Kumars article included good, bad and ugly experiences of Britons travelling on Indian trains, but many agreed that commuting by rail in Britain is anything but a pleasure any more.

Some objected to Kumar's assumption in the article that Indian trains are bad, and pointed out the improvements and investments in recent years. Others insisted there was scope for improvement and rail travel in India would certainly be better than that in Britain in a decade.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modis remarks on Pakistan being made to answer for atrocities in Balochistan have been welcomed by a section of dissident Baloch leaders, including Europe-based Brahumdagh Khan Bugti.

Bugti, the grandson of legendary Baloch leader Akbar Bugti, who was killed in a 2006 military operation, said Modis comments were very encouraging.

We appreciate the statement of PM of India. Worlds largest democracy n being a responsible neighbor, India shd intervene in Balochistan.  Brahumdagh Bugti (@BBugti) August 12, 2016

Pakistan demands self-determination and self-rule of Kashmiris and at the same time, they are crushing the same demands of Baloch people by force. This not only exposes the double standards of Pakistan but also their evil designs to disrupt the peace and stability in the region, Bugti said in a video statement posted on Facebook.

Speaking at a meeting of all political parties in New Delhi on Friday, Modi said: Pakistan forgets that it bombs its own citizens using fighter planes. The time has come when Pakistan shall have to answer to the world for the atrocities committed by it against people in Baluchistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Modis comments were widely seen as a riposte to Pakistans adoption of a hardline stance on the Kashmir issue. In recent days, Pakistan has sought to repeatedly internationalise the Kashmir issue and spoken about sending medical and other aide to people in Jammu and Kashmir affected by a wave of unrest following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.

Bugti, the most senior Baloch leader to publicly react to Modis comments so far, said India should not rake up Balochistan as a retaliatory reaction or counter strategy just because Pakistans destructive role in Kashmir and its direct involvement in terrorist attacks in India such as Mumbai and Pathankot has been a very well exposed fact.

He said it should be a sincere intention of the Indian people to support their oppressed Baloch brothers and sisters and should also be a very serious part of the foreign policy of the Indian government.

International political scene is changing very fast in the favour of Baloch peopleWe hope that the Indian government, Indian media and whole Indian nation will not only raise their voices for Baloch nation but also strive to help practically the Baloch independence movement, he added.

Bugti said the Baloch and the oppressed people of the world still remember and respect the decision of the Indian government when India intervened and came to the rescue of the Bengali people from Pakistani brutality in the 1970s.

World Baloch Womens Forum president Naila Baloch and Baloch National Movement (UK) spokesman Hammal Haider Baloch have also thanked Modi.

Naila Baloch said the people of Balochistan are suffering and hope Modi will raise this issue at the UN. Hammal Baloch said this was the first time ever that an Indian prime minister has expressed his wish to support Baloch people, and this is a very crucial decision taken by the Indian government.

The Baloch people share common interests with India as they are secular and believe in democratic principles, said Hammal Baloch.

However, Balochistan chief minister Sanaullah Zehri rebuffed the Indian premiers statement that the people of the province are being oppressed because of a crackdown on insurgency. He also said the situation in Balochistan could not be compared to that in Jammu and Kashmir.

The government and people f vehemently reject Modis statement on the situation in the province, Zehri was quoted as saying by Pakistani media.

Resource-rich Balochistan is Pakistans largest but most sparsely populated province. A low level insurgency in the province intensified after the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a military operation ordered by former military dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2006.

Several Baloch leaders, including Brahumdagh Bugti, fled Pakistan and took refuge abroad, mostly in Europe.

Pakistani authorities have intensified a crackdown on Baloch dissidents and hundreds of mutilated and bullet-riddled bodies have been found dumped in the province in recent years. It is believed that most of these men were tortured and killed by security agencies.

Besides several Baloch armed groups with demands ranging from independence to greater autonomy, the province has also been rocked by sectarian strife. Hundreds of Hazara Shias have been killed in suicide attacks and bombings carried out by groups such as the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

Read| Grateful to Balochistan, PoK for support: Modi rakes up Pak abuses
Pakistani Twitterati reacted with outrage and dismay to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis reference to alleged rights abuses in Balochistan, Gilgit and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, saying on Monday it would further add to tensions between the two sides.

Modi became the first Indian premier to mention the troubled regions in an Independence Day address when he spoke from the ramparts of the Red Fort. This was in line with the governments decision to raise rights violations to hit back at Pakistan for allegedly stoking unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Well-known broadcaster Murtaza Solangi, a former head of Radio Pakistan, tweeted people in India and Pakistan could forget peace till the next elections in both countries. After Modi mentioning Balochistan today, there is no hope. #WarMongersWon, he said. Solangi said in another tweet that a stalemate with India would be a personal loss for Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as he ran his election campaign on peace with India.

Forget India-Pak peace till next elections in India and Pakistan. After Modi mentioning Balochistan today, there is no hope. #WarMongersWon  Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) 15 August 2016

Columnist and broadcaster Farrukh Pitafi tweeted that it was clownish talk by Modi to compare Kashmir and Balochistan as he seemed to be oblivious of context. Pitafi added in another tweet that Modis comments did a great disservice to the Baloch peoples movement for empowerment.

Clownish talk by Modi comparing Kashmir&Balochistan oblivious of context. I m no apologist for any1. But India has no locus standi in B'stan  Farrukh K. Pitafi (@FarrukhKPitafi) 15 August 2016

Top Pakistani politicians active on Twitter, including Pakistan Peoples Party leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan were yet to react to Modis speech.

Maiza Hameed, a spokesperson for the ruling PLM-N party, reacted to Modis remarks by tweeting that Kashmir has been an international issue right from 1947, and that a new generation of Kashmiri youth had been flagging rights violations.

#Kashmir is an int issue right frm1947new generation of kashmiri#youth is flashing continuous humanrights violations pic.twitter.com/yTdLoGYfGv  Maiza Hameed (@MaizaHameed) 15 August 2016

A tweet by the Baloch Republican Party, one of the main militant groups fighting for an independence Balochistan, said: Want to thank PM Modi for highlighting the Balochistan issue internationally.

We welcome Indian PM statement on Balochistan - BRP Representative Abdul Nawaz Bugti https://t.co/3FSERfeP0Y  BRP   (@BRP_MediaCell) 12 August 2016

Ashraf Sherjan of the Baloch Republican Party, part of a number of parties and groups that are fighting for independence, said in a tweet that Indian support helps bring international attention to the issue.

Pakistan is a terrorist state & Forcefully occupied #Balochistan We want a freedom #PakCornered #IndiaForBalochistan pic.twitter.com/nGJ9yt93Bt  Ashraf Sherjan BRP (@a_sherjanbrp) 13 August 2016

The Baloch National Movement, one of the few parties that are part of the political set up in Balochistan, tweeted BNM appreciates @narendramodis stand on HR violations in Balochistan. We hope other civilized countries also wake up against these issues.

Baloch leader Allah Nazar Baloch, who is spearheading the insurgency in the province, welcomed Modis remarks but added: If #India had supported us, Then situations of #Balochistan would totally be different.

Allah Nazar Baloch has repeatedly clarified the insurgency in Balochistan is home-grown and does not receive support from India.

Baloch activist Karima Baloch said in her tweet: #India and the world must encounter Pakistan on the war crimes it is committing in #Balochistan. It is a genocide going on.

We the Baloch have not lost hope. It is time for India and the world to help get justice and freedom to #Balochistan.  Karima Baloch (@KarimaBaloch) 12 August 2016

But another Baloch leader, who asked not to be named, said equating the situation in Jammu and Kashmir with Balochistan was unfair. He said the number of innocent people killed in Balochistan was much higher and the insurgency the government is fighting has been in place for much longer than the current violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Read| What Baloch dissidents have to say about Modis comments on Pak atrocities

Read| Why PM Modis Balochistan barb changes the India-Pakistan game
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 on Saturday and continued on 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 faction, part of the rebel alliance, said it had begun a new offensive to liberate the regime-held area of Zahra on Aleppos western outskirts.

The Britain-based Observatory and opposition fighters said a car bomb exploded in Zahra on 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.

Read | Islamic State losses mount with liberation of Syrian town

It said Sundays 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 on Saturday, the Observatory said.

Aleppo, Syrias 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.

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 Syrias conflict.

Read | Syria: 18 killed in Aleppo as airstrikes hit hospital, market

Alliance fighters late on 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 2,50,000 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 on Sunday said six long-range bombers from Russia had struck around Deir Ezzor, a stronghold of the Islamic State (IS) 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 Syrias conflict, a complex and multi-front war that has killed more than 2,90,000 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.

Read | IS fighters free hundreds of civilians hostages in north Syria

On Sunday, the SDF said they had established a military council to push IS fighters out of Al-Bab, the alliances 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 Quwayders 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.
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.

In a speech the Republican presidential nominee will deliver on Monday in Ohio, Trump will argue that the country needs to work with anyone that shares that mission, regardless of other ideological and strategic disagreements. Any country that wants to work with the US to defeat radical Islamic terrorism will be a US ally, he is expected to say.

Read | America first: Trump thunders, accepts Republican presidential nomination

Mr Trumps speech will explain that while we cant choose our friends, we must always recognize our enemies, Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said Sunday.

Read | Trump says his foreign policy will be about America First

On the eve of the speech, the Clinton campaign slammed Trumps campaign manager for ties to Russia and pro-Kremlin interests, an apparent reference to a New York Times story published Sunday night. The story alleges Paul Manafort received $12.7 million from Ukraines former pro-Russia president and his political party for consultant work over a five-year period. The newspaper says Manaforts lawyer denied his client received any such payments.

Trump on Monday is also expected to outline a new immigration policy proposal under which the US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Trumps unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country  a religious test that was criticized across party lines as un-American. Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Trump introduced a new standard.

Read | Preparing for a less friendly America and president Trump

As he laid out in his Orlando remarks, Mr Trump will describe the need to temporarily suspend visa issuances to geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism and where adequate checks and background vetting cannot occur, Miller said.

Trump is also expected to propose creating a new, ideological test for admission to the country that would assess a candidates stances on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. Through questionnaires, searching social media, interviewing friends and family or other means, applicants would be vetted to see whether they support American values like tolerance and pluralism.

The candidate is also expected to call in the speech for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the nation is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Read | My Muslim friends think ban idea is fantastic: Donald Trump

Trumps Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and top US government officials have warned of the dangers of using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants hands.

While Trump has been criticized in the past for failing to lay out specific policy solutions, aides say that Mondays speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in the weeks ahead, they said.
In the latest legal difficulty for Sri Lankas once-powerful family, financial crime police arrested the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said.

Sri Lankas new president, Maithripala Sirisena, is facing pressure to act on allegations of corruption dating back to the Rajapaksa era, especially from civil society organisations that backed his successful bid to oust Rajapaksa last year.

The son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a member of parliament, had been questioned by officers from the Financial Crimes Investigations Division investigating the trails of money he invested in two companies, the lawyer said.

He was arrested by police under the anti-money laundering act, lawyer Premanath C Dolawatta told Reuters.

He later appeared in court and was remanded for a week, Dolawatta said.

Neither Namal Rajapaksa nor his family members were immediately available for comment but they have in the past all publicly denied wrongdoing.

It is the second time he has been arrested.

In July, he was arrested in connection with a separate case on suspicion of misappropriating of funds in a $650-million apartment project and was released on bail after seven days in detention on remand.

Namals uncle, the former presidents brother, Basil Rajapaksa, who headed the economic development ministry, has also been arrested three times  twice over suspicion of misuse of anti-poverty funds and a once over suspicion of laundering money.

Since he took power in January 2015, President Sirisena has launched a series of investigations into deals cleared by his predecessor and several members of his family.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was president for a decade until January 2015 and is now an opposition legislator.

He is popular among ethnic majority Sinhala Buddhists who credit him with ending a 26-year war against ethnic minority Tamil separatist rebels in 2009.

He is trying to rally opposition to the government.
The Indian media is stirring up negative sentiments about China at a time when both countries are focused on expanding collaboration, Chinese state media said on Monday, adding that damaging reports were impacting the Communist countrys image across the border.

Referring to a news report published in an English newspaper in India last week, state-controlled tabloid, Global Times said the eye-catching headline gave the wrong impression about foreign minister Wang Yis visit to India.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a visit to India on Friday. As a number of media outlets reported, the tour was focused on cooperation over the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits. However, quite a few Indian media started to cover the tour a week ago with the eye-catching headline China blocked India's NSG bid, but now wants help on South China Sea, the editorial said.

It said there was no need for Beijing to beg a favour from India on any issue.

Over the years, bilateral joint works are unfolding in a variety of fields such as international trade, environmental protection, infrastructure projects, and anti-terrorism, as well as energy security. Such cooperation will benefit both, the commentary said.

An official statement issued in New Delhi had specifically mentioned that the South China Sea dispute wasnt discussed during meetings Wang had with Indian officials.

China is embroiled in claims and counter-claims over the ownership of islands in the South China Sea with several countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan.

India, though not a direct party to the disputes, has maintained that freedom of navigation should be maintained throughout the South China Sea maritime region.

Clearly, the Indian media has not yet learned to see the considerable potential of the bilateral relationships with a constructive mindset, the editorial added, It is important for the Indian media to remember that development and prosperity are needed by both sides and they need a stable environment for that.

The Global Times editorial further said: Given the recent frictions between the two countries, including the NSG issue and New Delhi's rejection of visa extension requests for Chinese reporters, there are indeed certain puzzles left unresolved in the bilateral relationship. But they can hardly represent the big picture of Sino-Indian ties.

It added that though Indias government was treating its relations with Beijing rationally, the country's media was trying to mislead public opinion.

They (the media) tend to attach more attention to divergences while overstating contradictions between the two. Words like invasion or transgression are often used by them to describe Beijing without naming sources, and the China threat theory has been hyped up by them from time to time.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine Monday, the 71st anniversary of Japans defeat in World War II, but avoided visiting, in an apparent nod to China and South Korea.

Yasukuni Shrine honours millions of mostly Japanese war dead, as well as senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after the war.

The indigenous Shinto religious shrine has for decades been a flashpoint for criticism by countries that suffered from Japans colonialism and aggression in the first half of the 20th century.

Abe visited in December 2013 to mark his first year in power, a pilgrimage that sparked fury in Beijing and Seoul and earned a diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States, which said it was disappointed by the action.

A Shinto priest (R) suggests a group of lawmakers take a sip of sake during a ritual after prayers at Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two in Tokyo, Japan. (Reuters Photo)

He and other nationalists say the shrine is merely a place to remember fallen soldiers and compare it to burial grounds such as Arlington National Cemetery in the US.

But he has since refrained from going and reactions by China and South Korea to Yasukuni visits by Cabinet ministers and lawmakers, while remaining critical, have become less intense.

Abe sent the offering on Monday as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party  not as prime minister  in an apparent bid to lessen any criticism.

Speaking to reporters, Yasutoshi Nishimura, a party aide to Abe who made the donation on his behalf, said it came from Abes own money.

Personally, I offered my condolences to the spirits of the war dead who fought for the country, he told reporters on a muggy morning in Tokyo amid the sound of chirping cicadas.

We should carry on the path of a peaceful country and should never initiate war.

Yasukuni Shrine also confirmed the donation.

Japan's Emperor Akihito, accompanied by Empress Michiko, bows during a national memorial service at Nippon Budokan martial arts hall in Tokyo, on Monday. (AP Photo)

A Japanese veteran (L) and followers clad in outdated military costumes pose for worshippers taking their photos at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo. (AP Photo)

Koichi Hagiuda, deputy chief Cabinet secretary, visited the shrine as did Gen Nakatani, the former defence minister.

But Tomomi Inada, Abes hawkish new defence chief who has been a frequent visitor to the shrine in past years, was on an official visit to Djibouti.

Speculation had been intense over whether she would visit, but the overseas trip appeared to provide a convenient way to avoid angering China and South Korea.

Japanese media reported that Sanae Takaichi, a right-leaning member of Abes Cabinet, was expected to visit sometime during the day.

An official annual ceremony commemorating the end of the war will take place later today inside a Tokyo arena and be attended by Abe as well as Emperor Akihito.
Tokyo and Seoul struck a conciliatory note Monday on the anniversary of the end of World War II, with South Koreas president calling for a future-oriented relationship and Japans prime minister denouncing the horrors of war.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual donation to a controversial Tokyo war shrine but again avoided visiting it, in an apparent nod to China and South Korea.

South Korean President Park Geun-Hye, meanwhile, called for a future-oriented relationship with Tokyo even as a group of Seoul lawmakers sparked official anger in Japan by visiting islets claimed by both nations.

August 15 is an emotional date in both countries, remembered in Japan as the day in 1945 when wartime Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender. In South Korea it is marked as the day Japans harsh 35-year occupation of the Korean peninsula came to an end.

China, which was partially occupied by Japan from the early 1930s to 1945, marks the end of the war on September 3.

A frequent flashpoint for nationalist tensions is Yasukuni Shrine, which honours millions of war dead including senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes after the conflicts end.

Abe visited in December 2013, sparking fury in Beijing and Seoul and earning a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

He has since refrained and reactions by China and South Korea to visits by cabinet ministers and lawmakers, while still critical, have become less intense.

Separately, Abe and Emperor Akihito both reiterated Japans commitment to peace at an official ceremony to commemorate the war dead.

We shall never again repeat the horrors of war, Abe said.

Akihito expressed similar sentiments.

Reflecting on our past and bearing in mind the feelings of deep remorse, I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never be repeated, he said.

- Extremely regrettable -

Chinas official Xinhua news agency in a commentary said Abes comments missed the mark as he failed again to offer a sincere apology for the countrys wartime aggression in Asia.

Park, however, stressed the need to look forward in her nationally televised speech in Seoul.

We should newly define relations with Japan to forge future-oriented ties, she said.

But her remarks coincided with the visit by 10 lawmakers to the Dokdo islets where they met South Korean security personnel based there.

South Korea has long controlled the islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) which are known in Japanese as Takeshima, but Tokyo has never renounced its claim.

We absolutely cannot accept this, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters in Tokyo, calling it extremely regrettable.

Abe and Park are scheduled to visit China early next month for a Group of 20 summit hosted by President Xi Jinping, while Japan is due to host a trilateral leaders meeting later this year.

Abe sent the offering to Yasukuni as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party rather than as prime minister in an apparent attempt to lessen criticism.

A total of 67 members of Japans parliament -- 59 from Abes ruling LDP -- visited the shrine en masse in the morning.

Tomomi Inada, Abes hawkish new defence minister who has been a frequent visitor to Yasukuni in past years, was on an official visit to Djibouti.

But two members of Abes cabinet showed up at the shrine in the afternoon.

I dont think the way a country commemorates people who died for their country should be a diplomatic issue, Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister, told reporters.
The killing of a Bangladeshi-origin imam and his assistant near a mosque in New York might be the result of a feud between Muslims and Hispanics, according to a media report on Monday.

The suspect may have left behind another victim who held the clue that solved the crime, the New York Daily News quoted police sources as saying.

The suspected killer was taken into custody on Sunday night but had not been charged or identified, it said. Police officials would not confirm whether a suspect was nabbed.

Video of the horrific on Saturday afternoon murders of mosque leader Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 65, at Liberty Ave and 79th Street in Ozone Park showed the brazen crime to be a planned execution.

The killer had crept up behind the imam and his assistant and shot both men in the head from point-blank range.

But the killer might have got sloppy in his haste after pulling the trigger and hit a bicyclist with his car, sources said.

The cyclist took down the cars license plate number and gave it to police, who began tracking down their man.

Members of an NYPD Regional Fugitive Task Force were conducting what turned out to be a brief surveillance of the suspect in Queens when he rammed an unmarked cop car, sources said. Thats when officers nabbed him.

Investigators questioned him on Monday, awaiting a warrant to check his home.

Sources pointed to an ongoing feud between Muslims and Hispanics in the neighbourhood, saying the shooting may have been payback after a group of Muslims allegedly attacked some Hispanics a few weeks earlier.

Police have established that at 1:50 pm on Saturday, the assassin quickly approached Akonjee and Uddin and shot them both in the head at close range. The double killing came just moments after prayers concluded at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque.

Meanwhile, the Council on American-Islamic Relations planned to announce a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Some people in the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry the killing of the imam and his assistant could be a hate crime.
South Korean president Park Geun-Hye on Monday urged North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapon programme and defended the deployment of a US anti-missile system in the face of repeated provocations by Pyongyang.

Tensions have been running high on the divided Korean peninsula ever since the North carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, and are expected to spike again when the South launches an annual joint military exercise with the United States later this month.

Read | Kerry says North Korea should learn from Iran, stop making nuclear arms

I urge the North Korean government to immediately stop all provocations and threats targeting South Korea as well as the development of weapons of mass destruction, Park said.

Her comments came as both Koreas celebrated the anniversary of the liberation of the peninsula from Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

Stressing that true liberation would involve reunification of the divided Korean peninsula, Park said that could only happen by removing the fear of nuclear weapons, missiles and war.

Read | N Korea test fires missile in Japans waters; sparks tensions in US, S Korea too

She also warned Pyongyang that all attempts to provoke and intimidate the South would be counter-productive.

The more efforts (the North) makes, the deeper the countrys isolation in the international community will be and the bigger its economic problems will be, she said in a televised Liberation Day speech.

The Norths nuclear test in January resulted in a substantial strengthening of UN sanctions, but a defiant Pyongyang doubled down with a series of ballistic missile tests also banned by UN resolutions.

South Korea responded last month by announcing the deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to counter the Norths missile threat.

The move was not only condemned by Pyongyang but also Beijing which views the deployment as a US move against its own national security interests and a threat to regional stability.

Read | N Korea: US has crossed red line, warns of vicious showdown

The deployment of THAAD is an act of self defense, Park stressed in her speech, adding that her priority as president was to protect the lives of our people from the reckless provocations of the North.

THAAD has also been the subject of domestic protests, particularly by those living in the rural South Korean county of Seongju where the first battery will be installed.

Residents say the systems powerful radar poses health and environmental hazards and argue that its presence will make them a key military target.

Some opposition lawmakers have actively sided with the residents and called for the deployment to be scrapped  a stance criticised by Park.

I believe that such a matter ... should not be the subject of a political fight, she said.

If there is any other way to protect our people and the country, one should propose an alternative, she added.

Read more | US missile system in South Korea will harm Chinas security: Beijing
Sri Lankan financial crime police arrested the eldest son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday on suspicion of laundering money, his lawyer said, the latest legal difficulty for the once-powerful family.

Sri Lankas new president, Maithripala Sirisena, faces pressure to act on allegations of corruption dating back to the Rajapaksa era, especially from civil society organisations who backed his successful bid to oust Rajapaksa last year.

The son, Namal Rajapaksa, who is also a member of parliament, had been questioned by officers from the Financial Crimes Investigations Division investigating some money he had invested in two companies, the lawyer said.

He was arrested by police under the anti-money laundering act, lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatta told Reuters.

He later appeared in court and was remanded for a week, Dolawatta said.

Neither Namal Rajapaksa nor family members were immediately available for comment but they have in the past all publicly denied wrongdoing.

It was the second time he had been arrested.

In July, he was arrested in connection with a separate case on suspicion of misappropriating of funds in a $650-million apartment project and was released on bail after seven days in detention on remand.

Namals uncle, the former presidents brother, Basil Rajapaksa, who headed the economic development ministry, has also been arrested three times - twice over suspicion of misuse of anti-poverty funds and a once over suspicion of laundering money.

He too has denied any wrongdoing.

Since he took power in January 2015 after winning a presidential election, President Sirisena has launched a series of investigations into deals cleared by his predecessor and several members of his family.

Mahinda Rajapaksa was president for a decade until January 2015 and is now an opposition legislator.

He is popular among ethnic majority Sinhala Buddhists who credit him with ending a 26-year-war against ethnic minority Tamil separatist rebels in 2009.

He is trying to rally opposition to the government.


Thailands army said on Monday it had detained several people for questioning over a wave of deadly bombings in some of the countrys best known-beach resorts that killed four people and wounded dozens, including tourists.

Last weeks blasts came days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution that paves the way for an election at the end of 2017.

No group has claimed responsibility, although police and the government have ruled out ties to foreign groups, linking the bombings to an unspecified domestic issue.

Analysts say suspicion would inevitably fall on enemies of the junta aggrieved by the referendum results, or insurgents from Muslim-majority provinces in the south of the predominantly Buddhist country.

Several people are being held at army facilities, but none have been charged, military government spokesperson Colonel Winthai Suvaree told Reuters.

Ever since the incident on August 11, the army has used Article 44 to summon people who the state think can give useful information, Winthai said.

The legislation gives the military government absolute power to take any steps needed to protect the public peace and detain people for up to seven days without a court warrant.

They were sent to various army camps, added Winthai, who declined to say how many were detained, although rights groups fear the number runs into the dozens. Nobody has been charged so far.

On Sunday, a deputy national police chief said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details.

Police on Sunday said they had arrested one person for arson but did not elaborate.

Over the weekend authorities defused at least five explosive devices that had failed to detonate.

Three bombs went off in the Muslim-majority province of Yala late on Sunday, but nobody was injured, police said.

Defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan said last weeks blasts were definitely not related to the southern insurgency, although some involved might have come from the region.

It is definitely not an extension of the deep south insurgency, Prawit told reporters on Monday. But it is possible they could have been hired from there.

For more than a decade, Thailand has been divided between populist political forces, led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the royalist and military establishment.

They accuse Thaksin, toppled in a 2006 coup, of corruption and nepotism, charges he rejects. His sister Yingluck, who took power after a 2011 election win, was ousted in a 2014 coup.

Fears that Yingluck and Thaksin could be blamed for orchestrating last weeks attacks prompted a denial by their party.
Fresh explosions rocked Thailands deep south, seriously wounding one soldier on Monday -- days after a spate of bomb and arson attacks struck multiple tourist resort towns.

Last weeks attacks have heightened concerns Thailands long-running but local southern Islamist insurgency may have spread after years of stalled peace talks -- a suggestion the kingdoms junta has been keen to deny.

A string of overnight attacks have highlighted how the insurgency continues to rage in the three Muslim majority provinces bordering Malaysia.

One soldier was seriously injured from a bomb buried under the road on Monday morning, Police captain Wiroge Boonkae, from Bacho police station in southern Narathiwat province, told AFP.

Police said a further three blasts struck neighbouring Yala province, though no injuries were reported.

The area, which was annexed a century ago by Thailand, has been battered by 12 years of violence between the Buddhist-majority state and shadowy Muslim rebels seeking greater autonomy.

Near-daily shootings and roadside bombs have left more than 6,500 dead since 2004, most of them civilians.

But the violence has largely remained local with militants loathe to spark international outrage by targeting Western tourists.

Last weeks attacks hit tourist resort towns further north -- a highly unusual assault in a country where foreign visitors are rarely caught up in political violence.

The attacks bore many hallmarks of the southern insurgents, who never claim their operations, including coordinated multiple strikes and the type of devices used.

Four people died and scores were wounded, including many European tourists.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree but Thai authorities have ruled out international terrorism and say the culprits are local saboteurs.

But they have dismissed any suggestion southern insurgents were behind the attacks.

It is not right to say it is an extension of the deep south insurgency, deputy junta chief General Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters on Monday.

Thai soldiers watch as a forensic unit inspects the scene of an attack following two roadside bomb blasts at four separate locations by suspected separatist militants in the Bacho district of Thailand. (AFP Photo)

With southern insurgents ruled out by the junta, official suspicion has fallen on militants within the so-called Red Shirt movement loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Red Shirts have denied any suggestion of involvement and accused the junta of using the bomb blasts to roll out a fresh crackdown against them.

Analysts have been cautious about the capability of militant Red Shirts to carry out such a sophisticated attack.

Away from the deep south, Thailand 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 ousted democratically-elected governments run by the Shinawatra clan.

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 bombings in top tourist destinations threaten a vital source of income for tropical Thailand.

The sector accounts for at least 10% of an economy the military government has struggled to revive.
Kurdish rebels detonated a car bomb at a police station in southeast Turkey on Monday, killing four police officers and two civilians, Turkeys deputy prime minister said. At least 21 other people were wounded.

The attack targeted a traffic-police station on a highway linking the city of Diyarbakir and the town of Batman, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The explosion tore a large crater on the highway and television footage showed a three-story building that appeared to have been gutted by the blast.

Officials blamed the attack on the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK. Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told reporters that a child  the offspring of one of the police officers  was among the dead.

Clashes between the PKK and Turkeys security forces resumed last year after a tenuous cease-fire collapsed. The PKK has frequently targeted police or military with roadside explosives or car bombs.

Last week, a wave of PKK attacks targeting Turkish police and soldiers in the mainly Kurdish southeast region, including Diyarbakir, killed at least 12 people. PKK commander Cemil Bayik had threatened increased attacks on police last week, in comments carried by Kurdish and Turkish media.

Mondays attack came on the day the PKK marks the start of its armed campaign in 1984 when there were attacks on paramilitary police forces in the two southeastern towns of Eruh and Semdinli.

Since hostilities with the PKK resumed last year, more than 600 Turkish security personnel and thousands of PKK militants have been killed, according to the Anadolu Agency. Human rights groups say hundreds of civilians have also died.

Turkey and its allies consider the PKK a terrorist organization.
The US drone strike that killed the Islamic States commander for Afghanistan and Pakistan was the latest blow to the Middle East-led movements ambitions to expand into a region where the long-established Taliban remain the dominant Islamist force.

Islamic State (IS) 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 US drone, Washington confirmed late on 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.

Read | Islamic State resilient in Afghanistan despite leaders death

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 ISs 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 its still relevant by taking credit for something it didnt do, said Michael Kugelman, South Asia analyst for the Woodrow Wilson Center, a US-based think tank.

Shifting loyalties?

Two years ago, Islamic State was the worlds 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 (JA), in fact, at one point swore allegiance to Islamic States 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 August 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 States 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-Baghdadis 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.

Read | Jihad 2.0: How Islamic State has changed global terrorism

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 US 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 States 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 Centers 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 wont find many enticing options at home. This prompts them to make the trip to the Middle East to join ISIS, Kugelman said. By contrast, in Pakistan and Afghanistan the newly radicalised in search of an affiliation dont need to gravitate to ISIS because they already have so many other options.
Screams rang out through the hilltop village outside Yemens capital after 10-year-old Youssef al-Salmi set off a bomb he had found in a field, perhaps thinking it was a toy.

He became the latest of several Yemeni civilians to be killed by unexploded ordnance from the countrys ongoing civil war, which pits Saudi and US-backed government forces against Shiite Houthi rebels.

The conflict has killed more than 9,000 people, displaced 2.4 million, and destroyed much of the already limited infrastructure in the Arab worlds poorest country. UN-backed peace talks held in Kuwait collapsed earlier this month.

Rights groups and UN agencies have expressed concern that even if the fighting is brought to an end, the country will still grapple with a brutal legacy of unexploded munitions, including bombs dropped by Saudi-led warplanes in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and in the Houthis northern heartland.

They say most of the deaths to date have been caused by the Saudi-led airstrikes, and blame the United States and Britain for supplying weapons and providing logistical support for the bombings.

Amnesty International said its researchers found thousands of unexploded munitions in northern Yemen following a 10-day tour of the region earlier this year.

The lives and livelihoods of civilians, including young children, continue to be on the line in Yemen, said Lama Fakih, an adviser at Amnesty. They cannot live in safety until contaminated areas in and around their homes and fields are identified and cleared.

Amnesty said 16 Yemeni civilians, including nine children, were wounded or killed by cluster munitions between July 2015 and April 2016. Such munitions scatter small, explosive balls across a wide area. In Yemen and in other conflict zones, children have been known to stumble upon undetonated balls or mistake them for toys, resulting in deaths long after the fighting has ended.

The July 20 blast that killed Youssef and wounded a 13-year-old friend took place inside Hasn Faj Attan village, which lies near a military base that housed a vast arsenal. Saudi-led airstrikes on the base caused a series of powerful explosions in April 2015, blanketing the skies over the rebel-held capital with thick black smoke and smashing the windows of high-rise buildings.

Several mud-brick houses in Hasn Faj Attan were buried under a hail of rocks and explosives. More than 80 soldiers were killed, and at least 12 villagers were wounded.

Youssefs father, Nasser al-Salmi, said the warplanes came one after another, raining missiles and bombs over the entrance to the base. Another villager, Ahmed Garadi, who was struck in the head by a rock, recalled how houses toppled and people screamed for help.

Yemens ill-equipped demining agency began clearing work in April in the northern cities of Saada and Hajja but had to stop after three of its members were killed in an explosion, Amnesty said.

Some 40 trucks were sent to cart away explosives from in and around Hasn Faj Attan earlier this year. The U.N.s de-mining coordinator for Yemen, Ahmed Allawi, told The Associated Press that up to 7,800 pieces of unexploded munitions were retrieved from the area, including from Youssefs village.

The mine-clearers missed the small, metal ball that Youssef picked up and then smashed with a rock as his friends watched. The boy survived on life support for five days, but the doctors could not save him.


The jihadi employment form asked the new recruits to rate their knowledge of Islam on a scale of one to three. And the Islamic State group applicants, herded into a hangar somewhere at the Syria-Turkey border, turned out to be overwhelmingly deemed ignorant. The extremist group could hardly have hoped for better.

At the height of the Islamic State groups drive for foot soldiers in 2013 and 2014, typical followers included the group of Frenchmen who went bar-hopping with their recruiter back home, the recent European convert who now hesitantly describes himself as gay, and two Britons who ordered The Koran for Dummies from Amazon to prepare for jihad in Syria. They were grouped in safe houses as a stream of Islamic State group imams filled in the gaps, according to court testimony and interviews by The Associated Press.

I realized that I was in the wrong place when they began to ask me questions on these forms like when you die, who should we call? said the 32-year-old European convert, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

He went to Syria in 2014 and said new recruits were shown IS propaganda videos on Islam, and that the visiting imams repeatedly praised martyrdom. Far from home and unschooled in religion, most of the recruits were in little position to judge.

An AP analysis of thousands of leaked Islamic State documents reveals most of its recruits from its earliest days knew little about Islam.

According to the documents, which were acquired by the Syrian opposition site Zaman al-Wasl and shared with AP, 70 percent of recruits were listed as having just basic knowledge of Shariah  the lowest possible choice. Around 24 percent were categorized as having an intermediate knowledge, and just 5 percent were considered advanced students of Islam.

This undated file image posted on an extremist website on January 14, 2014, shows fighters from the Islamic State group marching in Raqqa, Syria. (AP)

The group preys on this ignorance, because it allows extremists to impose an interpretation of Islam constructed to suit its goal of maximum territorial expansion and carnage as soon as recruits come under its sway.

Among the documents were forms for nine of the 10 young men from the eastern French city of Strasbourg recruited  like the European convert  by a man named Mourad Fares. One of them, Karim Mohammad-Aggad, described going barhopping with Fares. He told investigators that IS recruiters used smooth talk to persuade him.

He traveled with his younger brother and friends to Syria in late 2013. Seven of them returned to France within a few months and were arrested. Two died in Syria, while his 23-year-old brother, Foued, returned as one of the men who stormed the Bataclan on Nov. 13 2015, in a night of attacks killed 130 people in Paris.

My religious beliefs had nothing to do with my departure, Karim Mohammad-Aggad told the court before he was sentenced to nine years in prison. Islam was used to trap me like a wolf, he said, according to court documents.

When pressed by the judge on his knowledge of Shariah, Islamic law, and how IS implements it, Mohammad-Aggad appeared dumbfounded, saying repeatedly: I dont have the knowledge to answer the question.

One of his co-defendants, Radouane Taher, was also asked by the judge about whether beheadings conformed to Islamic law.

He couldnt say for sure, answering: I dont have the authority.

Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer with experience with Mideast extremist organizations, said most who claim allegiance to IS are reaching for a sense of belonging, a sense of notoriety, a sense of excitement.

Religion is an afterthought, said Skinner, who now works for the Soufan Group security consultancy.

Those who truly crave religious immersion would go to Al-Azhar in Cairo, he added, referring to the thousand-year-old seat of learning for Shariah and Quranic studies among Sunni Muslims.

The Soufan Group has said the IS groups most active supporters often grapple with questions of identity and lack the knowledge about Islam to challenge its ideologues.

Take Mohammed Ahmed and Yusuf Sarwar, friends from the British city of Birmingham who joined IS. They were arrested after returning to Britain, and their 2014 trial revealed they had ordered The Koran for Dummies and Islam for Dummies books in preparation for their trip to Syria.

Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan says that a look at top IS commanders shows that many are not accredited scholars, but instead once held senior positions under Saddam Husseins secular Baathist government.

Ramadan, who teaches Islamic Studies at Oxford University and has written numerous books on Islam and the integration of Muslims in Europe, says Islamic scholars must challenge the radical discourse of groups such as IS.

These are people distorting the message, not being equipped religiously speaking, Ramadan said. Muslims around the world have the duty to respond to this in a very articulated way.
ABUQASH, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: 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 a 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, statistics show. Mean most celebrations are extravagant, 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 scarf or a rosary. A wedding can cost up to $30,000, and even a poor family may shell out $10,000.
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 strikes, which began on Saturday and were continuing on Sunday, killed at least 45 civilians in Aleppo and west of the city and 22 more in neighbouring Idlib province, a monitoring group said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes were targeting areas held by the Army of Conquest, an alliance of rebel, Islamist and jihadist forces that has mounted a major offensive to seize Aleppo.

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, the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

An AFP correspondent in Aleppo said the strikes were especially intense around the southern district of Ramussa, seized by rebel fighters earlier this month. Nine other civilians were killed in rebel shelling of regime-held western Aleppo on Saturday, the Observatory said.

Aleppo, Syrias former economic hub, has been divided between a rebel-held east and regime-controlled west since mid-2012.
TOKYO: 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 on 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 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 Chinas repeated acts of provocation around the Senkaku islands, Japan aims to increase deterrence with improved long-range strike capability, the newspaper stated.
LONDON : 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...earning 18 VCs.

Rear Admiral Graeme Mackay, the armed forces Hindu network champion, said Hindus serving in the armed forces continue the tradition of their predecessors in serving their country.

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MILWAUKEE: 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 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, , Ferguson, Missouri, New York and Oakland have broken out in recent years over police shootings of civilians.
Building a strong manager and management team is an obstacle you'll constantly face. If this isn't something you've been focusing on, put it on your radar now.

Management Goals.

A major goal for your business should be to develop a team around you that enables it to function while you're not there. Preferably to function while you are away for extended amounts of time.

Building a management team takes an enormous amount of effort and understanding from you. It also takes the same amount effort and understanding for new managers who face a different set of problems.

Being a New Manager.

I was first hired by a well know corporation as an assistant general manager for their Houston region. I had the academic knowledge and was immediately respected by others at the management level and above.

But after completing my six weeks of training, I was having trouble gaining respect from my employees.

You see, in a restaurant, reading and memorizing a recipe or procedure means nothing if you don't understand the physical and logistical demands of executing those on a large scale.

Simply put: You have to earn respect.

A hands-on leadership style makes a definite difference in this industry.

Today, I'll quickly give some pointers on how to establish respect and credibility as a new manager.

1. Listen to your staff.

As I got to know my employees at the corporate restaurant, I found they needed someone who understood their plight. Managers working for a corporation are constantly pushed to meet budgets, deadlines, etc. They may have the best intentions, but sometimes they can forget about their team.

In independent restaurants, I found that employees perceived not being listened to as a sign of a disrespectful and uncaring owner.

Employees may not show it all the time, but most of them generally care about their job. They need to feel they're making a difference. They need to see the difference they're making.

Set and keep a scheduled time to listen to employee feedback and then...

2. Be consistent.

Make sure your deliver what you promise. You can't say yes to everyone. That leads to spreading yourself thin, which leads to you letting people down.

"No" can be a valid answer.

3. Be fair.

So, if you're going to say "No," be fair about it. Don't play favoritism.

Also, do what you say you'll do; whether it's to reward or punish. Make sure you're fair on both across the board. Avoid special treatment. Recognize good work and individuality, but don't make one reward more exciting (or a punishment more harsh) than another.

4. Work alongside your employees.

You cannot lead from the back, from a distance, or from a position of authority. Set the example by "showing" your team what to do. Not by "telling" them.

Especially during your busy times/rush. You have to be 100 percent willing to jump in and help (or to defend) an employee.

5. Communicate clearly.

The service and hospitality industry is busy, physical, flowing work.

There is rarely a time to sit and chat, much less explain things in detail. Any instructions you give need to be delivered clearly, concisely, and most likely while something else is going on.

6. Be humble.

If you make a mistake and an employee points it out, celebrate their knowledge instead of looking at it as disrespectful.

Also, this should be a "gimme", but I see owners and managers still doing this. Do not embarrass or make your employees look bad in public.

"If they don't look good, you don't look good."

7. Trust yourself.

Show trust and confidence in your team. But also remember you were put in a position of leadership because you deserve it. Whether you worked harder or whether you have the most experience, just remember you're the leader for a reason.

What are some leadership qualities you've developed? Leave me a comment.

I'd love to learn from you!
Two years ago, in Think with Google's report The 2014 Traveler's Road to Decision, Google called video "the new frontier" for hotel marketing, yet many hoteliers have been slow to include video in their marketing mix.

While still images and the written word definitely have their place in hospitality marketing, video has unique benefits that are especially effective for marketing in the travel industry.

Why use video

Video is quickly claiming a massive amount of internet traffic (L2inc estimates that by 2020, nearly 80% of all internet traffic will be driven by video) and travel-related videos are getting their fair share of this traffic. In 2014, Google found that in a six-month period, 35% of leisure travellers and 56% of business travellers engaged in travel-related video activities.

People watch video throughout the decision-making process

Deciding to travel usually involves several stages: someone needs to decide that travelling is worth the money and time it will cost them, then they need to decide where to travel and what kind of trip it will be, then they need to decide where they will stay when they get to their destination, and what kinds of activities they will participate in when they get there.

People planning on travelling watch video during all phases of this decision-making process, so it is a perfect medium to reach a large number of prospective guests throughout the sales funnel. Of people planning trips that watched travel-related video content:

66% watched videos when thinking about taking a trip

52% watched videos when thinking about what type of trip they would like to take

65% watched videos when choosing a destination

54% watched videos when deciding which accommodation to stay at, and

63% watched videos when looking for ideas for activities at a destination1

Video is easy to consume

Psychologists have estimated that the human brain processes videos about 60 000 times faster than it processes written words. Our ever-decreasing concentration spans, busy lives, and natural predisposition to choose the option that takes the least cognitive effort mean that video is an excellent way to convey content in a format that people are willing to consume. 2014 research by Brightcove confirms this, with 76% of consumers stating that they prefer to consume brand information via video.

Video content inspires an emotional connection

There are many reasons why people decide to travel, but travel is seldom undertaken for purely rational reasons, and emotions play a large part in the decision-making process. Therefore, connecting emotionally with prospective guests is vital to the success of hospitality marketing efforts.

To inspire an emotional connection, there is nothing like making a person feel as if they are "actually there," and this is exactly what happens when one watches a video. Scientists believe that this is due to the effect that watching a video has on "mirror neurons" in our brains.

Mirror neurons are a type of neuron that doesn't just become active when we perform an action or express an emotion ourselves, but also fires when we watch another person perform an action or express an emotion. This means that a person watching a video of someone getting a relaxing massage at your spa, for instance, will experience a similar feeling.

People trust video content

While people generally trust owned media (anything that a brand has produced itself) far less than they trust earned media and user generated content (online reviews, candid traveller photographs and social media posts) and they trust paid media (advertising) the least, video content seems to be somewhat immune to this rule. Nielsen research published in 2015 found that almost half of their respondents completely or somewhat trust video advertisements online.

How to craft a your video strategy

Choose your platform and tailor your content

Different video-sharing platforms reach different audiences and some styles of video suit some platforms more than others, so it is worth thinking carefully about which platform(s) you will release your videos on. Here are the two top options:

YouTube

When one thinks of online videos, often the first platform that comes to mind is YouTube, and with good reason  YouTube has over a billion users world-wide, which accounts for almost a third of all internet users.

YouTube allows anyone to create a free account and upload a video. Because videos on YouTube range from a few seconds to several hours in length, and production quality varies from professionally produced cinematic trailers to unedited videos captured on smartphones, YouTube videos don't really need to be tailored to fit the platform.

However, one of the features that makes YouTube so popular is the simplicity of the embedding function that allows you to display a YouTube video on an external site. If you are planning on embedding your YouTube videos elsewhere, you should tailor your videos to those platforms.

Facebook

Facebook's native (hosted by the platform itself) video feature is fairly new, but it is already making waves on the social media giant  more than 100-million hours of video are viewed on Facebook every day. Facebook is a great place to share videos because they can be shared easily within the platform, and have the capacity to reach a large number of Facebook users. Additionally, many people have observed that native Facebook videos seem to enjoy better organic reach than YouTube videos shared on Facebook.

Because the default settings for Facebook videos are to play immediately as a person scrolls, and to be muted, it works well to tailor your videos specifically for Facebook. Pay attention to striking visual content, and if there is spoken content, you should include subtitles.

Because your video will play automatically as a user scrolls past it, the first few seconds of a Facebook video are vital. A Nielsen study found that 47% of the value of Facebook videos was delivered in the first three seconds, and a full 74% was delivered in the first ten. Don't waste those precious seconds with protracted introductions  get in there and tell your story.

Produce inspiring content

While using video as a marketing tool is effective because people trust it more than other types of owned media, you should also be careful not to go for a "hard sell" approach to video content creation. People watch video content when they want to be entertained, and your videos should do just that by presenting your audience with beautiful, well thought out stories.

Although people deciding which hotel to stay at want to know what amenities your hotel has, for instance, video is not the place to tell them and this kind of information is better left to text.

Remember mobile

Around 50% of YouTube video views take place on mobile devices, and YouTube isn't the only place people watch video. Mobile devices are fast becoming people's primary screens and the first place for you to catch their attention, so make sure your videos are suitable for viewing on a mobile phone or tablet. According to a study by Ooyala, 63% of videos viewed on mobile devices are shorter than 10 minutes, so keep your videos short, sweet and punchy.

Tell a story

This doesn't mean you need to create a full length feature film (remember the 10-minute sweet spot) but video content should follow some kind of narrative. For example, one video from South African Tourism follows a two day journey, and the "story" is conveyed by the inclusion of imagery of travelling along different roads and the sunset and sunrise.

That is not to say, however, that going all out and doing a real story won't work. Marriot Hotel's French Kiss movie has attracted over six million views on YouTube (and counting).

GuestRevu helps hoteliers worldwide to listen to, learn and earn from their guests by enabling them to leverage the power of guest intelligence to build lasting loyalty and drive revenue. GuestRevu's mission is to give hoteliers tools they can use every day to develop a guest-centric culture in their hotels, enhance guest experience, optimise operations, and ultimately, to drive revenue using online surveys and reputation management. With their headquarters in the UK, GuestRevu is a TripAdvisor Platinum Review Collection Partner. For more information please visit www.guestrevu.com

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The rising trend of Chinese investment in the U.S. real estate market dates back to 2010, just as the nation's economy was pulling out of the recession. The impact of Chinese investment in U.S. residential and commercial propertiesincluding hotelshas become increasingly pronounced every year since. [1]

Hotel and Hotel Portfolio Investment out of China

The following tables show major single-asset transactions made by Chinese investors in the last five years. The two transactions in New York, one of which was recorded at approximately $1.4 million per room and the other at over $2 million per room, especially caught the attention of the industry.

Chinese Investment Trends in U.S. Hotel Real Estate | By Li Chen and Kirsten Z. Smiley Photo by HVS

Chinese investors have recently started to invest in hotel portfolios, as well. In February 2016, Hersha Hospitality Trust sold a 70% majority interest in seven Manhattan hotels to Chinese investment firm Cindat Capital Management for a total purchase price of $571.4 million. In March 2016, The Blackstone Group agreed to sell Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc. to China's Anbang Insurance for approximately $6.5 billion. In April 2016, HNA Tourism Group announced its plan to acquire Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group; HNA had already acquired a 15% stake in Red Lion Hotels Corp in 2015.

Motivations

The last decade has brought a surge of Chinese visitors to the U.S., an impetus for Chinese investment in hotels in U.S. gateway cities. According to the National Travel and Tourism Office, 2.19 million Chinese visitors traveled to the U.S. in 2014, a 21% increase over the prior year; these visitors contributed over $2.3 billion in travel spending. Moreover, U.S. inbound travel from China is expected to continue to grow, and Chinese investors have been focusing on acquiring mid-scale hotels to capture the demand from the country's middle-class.

Chinese Investment Trends in U.S. Hotel Real Estate | By Li Chen and Kirsten Z. Smiley Photo by HVS

Concerns about the market slowdown in China and the devaluation of the Yuan led Chinese investors to seek a safer investment environment or a better return. According to the Asia Society, "Chinese investors are attracted to U.S. markets given [the higher] return potential, array of investment opportunities, economic and property market stability, strong foundation of property rights, and the sheer size and maturity of the market." According to the Rosen Consulting Group (RCG), Chinese commercial real estate acquisitions in the U.S. totaled $17.1 billion from 2010 to 2015. Hotel investments totaled $3.7 billion, or 21% of the total commercial real estate acquisitions.

A growing number of Chinese individual investors are using EB-5, an immigration program, as a vehicle to invest in U.S. hotel developments. The EB-5 regional center program has become an effective tool for fostering investment and creating jobs within the U.S. In the wake of the economic downturn,

the EB-5 program has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional financing. According to the State Department, over 80% of visas issued through the EB-5 program are from China. Investors who use this investment tool are heavily motivated by the opportunity for U.S. residency and its associated benefits of educational opportunities and higher quality of life.

The EB-5 program has continued to be an alternative financing tool for commercial real estate development as construction-loan qualification requirements become more restricting. On December 16, 2015, the EB-5 visa program was officially extended through September 30, 2016, as part of the omnibus spending bill reached by Congress.

Institutional investors are attracted to the potential returns on a hotel project, along with the opportunity to expand their presence in the U.S. These institutional investors include insurance companies, such as Anbang and Sunshine Insurance, as well as some of the largest Chinese real estate developers and operating companies, including Greenland Group, Wanda Group, and Oceanwide.

The following details some recent Chinese investments in U.S. hotels.

Shanghai Greenland purchased the Metropolis site in Los Angeles, California, in early 2014. The first phase of the mixed-use development will include a 38-story residential tower and the 350-room, 18-story Hotel Indigo. This phase is slated for completion in late 2016. Wanda Vista Tower Chicago, approved in November 2015,is expected to offer over 400 residences and a luxury Wanda Vista Hotel; the project is planned to be complete by 2020. Wanda's One Beverly Hills is also a hotel/residential mixed-use development; the project is anticipated to include a 134-room luxury boutique hotel, 193 residences, and new public gardens and open space. Oceanwide Plaza in Downtown Los Angeles will include a 49-story building with a mall and a 183-room luxury hotel, as well as two 40-story residential towers. The project is under construction and is expected to be complete in September 2018. Oceanwide Center in San Francisco is another mixed-use development, consisting of two towers. One tower is planned to feature a 169-room hotel and approximately 150 residential units; the taller tower will rise 34 stories and is planned to include 1,010,000 square feet of office space and approximately 110 residential units. The site was acquired in early 2015. If completed as proposed, the 905-foot tower would become San Francisco's second-tallest building after Salesforce Tower, which is under construction and is expected to open in 2018. In New York, Oceanwide purchased a site near the South Street Seaport in August 2015; the company also plans to invest in a mixed-use development. Additionally, in West Oahu, Oceanwide purchased a site in late 2015 and has plans to develop a 150-room luxury hotel and 150 condominiums.

Lastly, hotel investment helps diversify Chinese investors' portfolios. Although Chinese investors have invested in all types of commercial real estate, office properties, multi-family properties, and hotel assets register the higher volumes in transactions. The buyers for hotels include private equities, tourism companies, real estate firms, construction companies, and institutional investors.

Trends

Private and institutional Chinese investors have learned to work with local professionals, hire local people for their projects, and become increasingly knowledgeable about the local market and hotel transactions in the U.S.

HVS research has uncovered the following trends, which have become predominant in Chinese investment over the past several years.

While gateway cities are attractive to the majority of Chinese investors, major cities such as Dallas, Chicago, and Seattle have drawn recent attention because of their strong performance growth. According to STR, the Dallas market realized 10.0% RevPAR growth in 2015, reaching $69.81; the Chicago market realized 6.9% RevPAR growth in 2015, reaching $99.88; and RevPAR in the Seattle market grew 8.8% in 2015, reaching $113.14. Nevertheless, Chinese investors have less experience or presence in these markets versus the gateway cities; therefore, investments in the non-gateway markets have been cautious, with few hotel transactions and hotel developments yet to emerge. Chinese construction companies, already active in U.S. hotel markets, show potential for increased investment in future years. Shanghai Construction Group America (SCGA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Shanghai Construction Group (SCG). The group developed the Hyatt Place Flushing in 2014 and purchased the Hyatt Regency in Garden Grove, California, in late 2015. Two Fulton Square/SCG Plaza II in New York, which is under construction, will include two residential towers, an office tower, and a boutique hotel. China Communications Construction Group bought a development site in Miami's Brickell neighborhood in late 2014. The development plan has not been finalized; reportedly, the plancould ultimately comprise a mixed-use project with condominium, hotel, and office elements. China has permitted insurance companies to invest in real estate overseas since 2012, although they are only allowed to invest up to 15% of their total assets in international markets. Sunshine Insurance and Anbang both purchased trophy hotels in the U.S. in 2015; furthermore, Anbang announced plans to acquire Strategic Hotels for $6.5 billion in 2016. An article published by Cushman & Wakefield indicated that the current investment holding of all Chinese insurers totals $13.4 billion, or 0.8% of total assets. Overseas investments are estimated to be half of this. By this measure, there exists tremendous room for Chinese insurers to ramp up investment overseas, with the U.S. a preferred destination. China has reformed the approvals and registrations process for outward foreign investments in recent years, which has boosted investment activity across the board. In late 2015, China's State Council announced its approval of the Qualified Domestic Individual Investor program (referred to as "QDII2"), which allows individuals from six cities, including Shanghai, to invest directly in overseas assets like stocks, bonds and real estate. Additional structural reforms and loosened restrictions on capital outflow are expected in the near future. This should further boost Chinese investment in U.S real estate, where hospitality assets have come increasingly to the forefront in recent years. In December 2015, President Barack Obama signed a new law that allows foreign pensions to buy as much as 10% of a U.S. publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) without triggering Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA) liability; investment limits previously stood at 5%. The new law potentially opens the door even wider for overseas investors.

Conclusion

Will the recent trend of Chinese investment be a repeat of Japanese investment in U.S. real estate in the early 1990s? While there are some similarities between the two cycles of investment, there are also distinctions. For one, individual Chinese investors are more conservative in buying in at reasonable prices and express a cautious interest in learning how to maintain real estate in the U.S. Furthermore, Chinese institutional investors have demonstrated an investment approach that values capital preservation and long-term business goals.

There have also been concerns about whether the investments from China are sustainable given the slowing Chinese economy. But it should be emphasized again that Chinese companies are looking at U.S. real estate as a stable way to diversify outside their own economy. Chinese buyers continue to invest heavily in U.S. real estate, especially in gateway markets in New York and California. Hence, the wave of Chinese investment in U.S. real estate appears anything but negligible or short-lived.

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On the first day of March in 2011, I received a phone call from a reporter from a local paper to let me know that the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in King's Cross was going to open its doors to the public soon and he asked me if I could write a feature on this iconic building for his newspaper. I was in Mumbai when I picked up the call, travelling in an auto-rickshaw outside the Victoria Terminus now known as CST - a building that bore an uncanny resemblance to the one housing the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel except that it was made of sandstone whereas the one in London was made of bricks. I'd like to have been back in London to tour the building that had intrigued me for years whenever I visited the British Library. I didn't know the reason for it being left empty. The clock tower of this Victorian Gothic building actually dwarfed that of the recently-built British Library.

It was Robert the Concierge who told me one day that the landmark building at King's Cross was going to be restored and would open as a 'Renaissance' hotel. It could take years of painstaking work, he said, to bring this building, which was originally built as the Midland Grand Hotel during the golden age of the railways, back to its former glory. The name King's Cross invoked images of a grungy part of London before the regeneration of the area started 20 years ago. An acquaintance of mine from Punjab liked to drop the possessive and called it King Cross. When I cycled through the back roads of King's Cross for the first time and saw the rusty giant gasholders, it was like drifting into an industrial wasteland. I shunned the area until the British Library moved to Euston Road from Great Russell Street in 1999 and I often visited one of its reading rooms.

The first high-speed train arrived in 2007 when the Eurostar moved from Waterloo to St Pancras Station. In 2008 the Guardian newspaper moved its office from 119 Farringdon Road to a swanky new glass building in the area and King's Cross became the biggest transport hub in Europe. I often went to St Pancras station to meet a friend for coffee who commuted on a high-speed train to Kent; and I once attended the wedding of another friend in the Town Hall in Judd Street. I visited the Town Hall again when my son was born to get a birth certificate for him and sat with a registrar of births, a good-natured Bengali lady, in an office overlooking the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.

When Robert broke the news of the new Renaissance Hotel to be opened in King's Cross, the landmark building in Midland Road looked somewhat spooky. Whenever I took a Eurostar train from St Pancras during the next few years, I found a lot of construction work going on around the building while it was being restored to open more than a century and a half after it was purpose-built as a hotel. I passed by the hotel many times after it opened, noticing a doorman in a bowler hat and waistcoat standing outside, but couldn't find an excuse to go inside. I found myself closer to the hotel while standing in the Arcade of St Pancras Station and caught sight of the enormous bronze statue known as The Lovers plus a gilded Dent clock. Sometimes someone would break into a tune on the piano in the Arcade, causing brisk walkers to come to a halt during their daily commute.

I had wondered what the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel looked like from the inside until quite recently when I happened to meet its new GM, Anne Legrand, by chance in our hotel and she suggested that I pay a visit. I cycled through Camden as usual to get there and saw the futuristic new building of the Francis Crick Institute standing tall in Midland Road before I reached the British Library, which is hosting a Shakespeare in Ten Acts exhibition until September.

I locked my bike in a rack outside the British Library and walked up the driveway of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel to be welcomed by the doorman in his bowler hat and waistcoat. A white Rolls Royce parked in the forecourt had 'WISHS X' as its number plate. But walking into the lobby of the hotel was like travelling back in time. I was transported to an era when Queen Victoria was the Empress of India. There is a hall behind the Reception known as Booking Office, which has been turned into a bar and restaurant. Anne Legrand had very kindly asked one of her staff, Maria, to show me around. She took me through the Booking Office and through a door at the back that opened directly into St Pancras station where a Eurostar train was standing at the platform. It was surreal to see a high-speed train  a marvel of modern engineering  in front of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, which was built when trains were powered by steam engines. My host also showed me the ladies' smoking room which must have caused a scandal during Victorian times when you couldn't even mention the word 'trousers' in front of a lady.

George Gilbert Scott, son of a clergyman, had designed the Midland Grand Hotel like a cathedral. There are images of seven Christian virtues painted on the wall at the top of its spiralling staircase and when you lower your gaze from the landing it induces vertigo. I was shown a room named after Queen Victoria. It has a very high ceiling and one of the walls is painted in emerald green. It's a most spacious room, as befits a Queen.

The St Pancras Hotel is aptly named 'Renaissance', since its opening has played a role in the rebirth of King's Cross. I can imagine guests arriving in the horse-drawn vehicles known as Hansom cabs when it was called the Midland Grand Hotel. Today travellers can enjoy afternoon tea in the Hansom Lounge of St Pancras Renaissance Hotel. It has two identical miniature statues of The Lovers on display in a Perspex box.

Iqbal Ahmed

London Marriott Regents Park

0044 7939 3428 00

Marriott
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Ellen Wilson, HSMAI Washington DC Chapter managing director, said attendees will learn the importance of understanding future demand and open pricing in the Washington market, where general and international visitation is trending up, but the pace of new reservations and group reservations is weakening, suggesting a need to drive local demand.

The annual State of the Industry event for area hospitality industry professionals this Thursday, sponsored by The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association Internationals Washington, D.C., chapter at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, will focus on revenue strategies in a changing market.

Ellen Wilson, HSMAI Washington DC Chapter managing director, said attendees will learn the importance of understanding future demand and open pricing in the Washington market, where general and international visitation is trending up, but the pace of new reservations and group reservations is weakening, suggesting a need to drive local demand.

This event is focused on helping area hospitality sales and marketing professionals prepare their plans and budget for 2017, she said.

Executives from TravelClick, B.F. Saul Company, Duetto Research and Destination DC will discuss the state of the lodging industry and outlook from a regional, national and global perspective. The facts, figures and insights they present will be designed to help area hospitality sales and marketing professionals develop plans and budgets for the coming year.

Presenters will include Mark Carrier, B.F. Saul Company Hospitality Group president; John Hach, TravelClick senior industry analyst; Chris Knothe, Duetto Research senior solutions engineer; and Carol Motley, Destination DC director of convention sales. The moderator will be Barry Biggar, president & CEO of the Fairfax Convention & Visitors Corporation (Visit Fairfax), who received an HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds award this year.

Registration and a networking reception will begin at 4 p.m., followed by the program at 5:15 p.m. (Click HERE to register.) Limited parking will be available at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel at 999 Ninth St. N.W., Washington.

About Our Speakers







Barry Biggar, Visit Fairfax

Barry Biggar was named president & CEO of Visit Fairfax in August 2008 after more than five years as president & CEO of the Bryan-College Station Texas Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Prior to that he was vice president of sales & marketing for VisitLEX, the convention and visitors bureau in Lexington, Kentucky, for four years aftrer serving the Calgary Convention & Visitors Bureau in Alberta, Canada, for seven years in positions of increasing responsibility, culminating as a senior vice president responsible for sales, marketing and research.

Earlier in his career, he worked for two of Calgarys most recognized hotels and in retail sales and banking.

Biggar earned a degree in commerce at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, and a diploma in hotel and restaurant management at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in Calgary. He is a Certified Destination Management Executive.

He has served on the board of the Destination Marketing Association International, is a past chair and founding chair of DMAIs Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, former chair of Education for DMAI and past board chairman of the Destination and Travel Foundation.

Biggar is past chairman of the Texas Tourism Advisory Council, past board member of the Texas Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus and is active on state, regional and national organizations, boards and task forces related to the tourism industry.

Earlier this year, he was honored with an HSMAI Top 25 Extraordinary Minds award during the organizations 2016 Adrian Awards gala in New York.

Mark Carrier, B.F. Saul

As senior officer of the B. F. Saul Company Hospitality Group, Mark Carrier's leadership responsibilities include strategic direction, overall operational leadership, acquisition and development of properties, long-term financial and capital planning and the development and implementation of corporate policies, procedures and management systems. He represents the company in relation to lenders, franchisors, clients, governmental agencies and industry associations.



Carrier joined the B. F. Saul Company following graduation in 1980 from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, Ithaca, New York. He progressed to his current senior position following a career of growing responsibility with the organization that included on-site management, regional responsibilities as well as development and acquisition of hotels.



He is a past chairman of the IHG Owners Association, the global franchise owners association of Intercontinental Hotels Group, serves on Marriott's Distribution Advisory Committee, Emerging Technology Advisory Group and SpringHill Suites Marketing Council. He also is a member of the Hilton Worldwide Distribution Advisory Council.

Carrier this year is vice chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. He also is a member of its Governmental Affairs Committee and formerly served on its Strategic Planning Committee and Funding Group and Search Committee.

He is a member of the Fairfax County's Economic Advisory Council, the Dulles Corridor Rail Association Board of Directors and chairman of the Tyson's Partnership, all in Virginia. He also is chairman emeritus of Visit Fairfax, the county's tourism promotion organization and a member of the Cornell Hotel Society and Cornell Real Estate Council.



In 2013, Carrier accepted the Kemmons Wilson Service Award from the IHG Owners Association in recognition of contributions to the industry and fellow owners. He was honored as the Virginia Hotelier of the Year in 2013 by the Virginia Hotel and Travel Association.

He earned the Certified Hotel Administration designation from the American Hotel & Lodging Associations Educational Institute.

John Hach, TravelClick

John Hach, a 37-year veteran of the travel industry, joined TravelClick in 2004, where his responsibilities currently include industry analysis, media strategy and strategic client engagement and consultation. Previously, he served the company as senior vice president of its full-service Digital Agency.

Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing for Cendant Corporations Travel Link division. From 1999 to 2002, he served Galileo International as vice president of business development, vice president of global marketing and sales programs and vice president of corporate/consumer sales and marketing. He was division vice president of The Hertz Corporation from 1979 to 1999.

He earned a bachelor of science degree at Chicago State University. Business Travel Executive magazine recognized him as a Travel Technology Visionary in 2000 and was honored by the Global Business Travel Association as Allied Member of the Year in 2003.

Chris Knothe, Duetto

Chris Knothe, a 15-year hospitality veteran who has spent half his career in revenue management, is a HSMAI Certified Revenue Management Executive. He formerly was director of revenue for Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces at The Pierre Hotel in New York, where he helped achieve 15 percent year-over-year revenue growth. From 2012-2013, he was corporate director of revenue management for Greenwich Hospitality Group, served as a consultant for Tugu Hotels in Sri Lanka in 2012 and was director of revenue for and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts at The Carlyle in New York from 2008 to 2012.

Knothe is a graduate of the Hotel & Restaurant Management School in Hamburg, Germany, and earned an executive master of business administration degree at Cornell Universitys Johnson Graduate School of Management.

Carol Motley, Destination DC

Carol Motley, a 22-year industry veteran, helps plan and administer sales policies and programs designed to foster and promote hotel patronage on behalf of Destination DC, the lead organization that manages and markets the nations capital as a premier global convention, tourism and special-events destination.

From 2011 to 2015, she was senior national account executive for Visit Orlando  the official tourism association for the most visited destination in the United States  responsible for strategically selling the Orange County Convention Center to accounts in the Washington, Maryland and Virginia markets.

From 2005 to 2011, Motley was senior sales manager for the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, where she managed all citywide business. Earlier in her career, she was director of sales for the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau and national sales manager for the Baltimore Convention Center.

Motley, a Washington native, earned a bachelor of arts degree at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. She is a member of Professional Convention Management Association and American Society of Association Executives.

The event is sponsored by the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, TravelClick, RDR PR LLC, B.F. Saul Company, Duetto Research and Destination DC.

About HSMAI Washington DC Chapter

HSMAI Washington DC Chapter is an affiliate of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, an individual membership organization based in McLean, Virginia, composed of more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. HSMAI is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners and is the industry's leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing and optimize revenue through programs including HSMAI's MEET, Adrian Awards and Revenue Optimization Conference. Click here to join HSMAI. For more information, go to www.hsmaidc.org.

CONTACT:

Rich Roberts

RDR PR LLC

rich@rdrpr.com

717-685-4142
Best Western Premier Tides Hotel in Orange Beach, Alabama

The hotel, which is owned and managed by Innisfree Hotels, is a boutique style, intimate beachfront property facing the Gulf of Mexico with 86 guestrooms, each appointed in modern, stylish decor with a nod to the natural wonders of Coastal Alabama.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts continues its growth of the Best Western Premier brand with the debut of the Best Western Premier Tides Hotel in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The Best Western Premier Tides Hotel is welcoming visitors to a fresh new experience in the Gulfside resort town of Orange Beach, Alabama. The hotel, which is owned and managed by Innisfree Hotels, is a boutique style, intimate beachfront property facing the Gulf of Mexico with 86 guestrooms, each appointed in modern, stylish decor with a nod to the natural wonders of Coastal Alabama. Driftwood and shades of blue are cornerstones of the hotel design, which features grand views of the Gulf of Mexico from its beautiful 4th floor lobby.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts is proud to welcome the Best Western Premier Tides Hotel, said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President of Brand Management for Best Western Hotels & Resorts. On the heels of Best Westerns brand refresh, the debut of this beautiful, upscale resort showcases our brands variety of hotel offerings and provides guests an exceptional lodging option when traveling to Orange Beach, Alabama.

The hotel offers guests the perfect blend of unique Southern hospitality and all of the comforts of home with its wide-range of amenities. Guests will enjoy a beachfront heated pool and hot tub, Gulf front balconies, free Rocket-Fast Wi-Fi, a 24-hour fitness center, a guest laundry room and full complimentary hot breakfast, which offers a variety of food choices and healthy options. A Grab and Go Deli is also available for guests who want to take a lunch with them so that they dont have to leave the beach. For business travelers, a business center is centrally located in the lobby and includes printing and faxing capabilities to meet guests connectivity needs.

The hotel also brings the Southern charm of Orange Beach to the hotel so that guests dont have to travel far to be immersed in their unique surroundings. Guests are welcome to enjoy free beach cruiser rentals, community grills, a fire pit, and on-site activities for adults and children including kayaking, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding and hobie cat rides.

The Best Western Premier flag has given us the opportunity to offer high quality accommodations with authentic, local charm, said Julian MacQueen, Innisfrees founder and CEO. This is more than a hotel. Its an experience, and were eager to see how guests respond.
This December, Jordan Brand will be retroing the Space Jam Air Jordan 11, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Space Jam. The iconic black and blue Air Jordan 11s last released back in 2009.

However, unlike the previous 11s before it, the 2016 Space Jam colorway will feature the rare #45 on the heel in place of the familiar #23. Whats more, the 2016 edition feature a higher, OG cut on the patent leather and Nike Air branding on the insole.

Truth is, whether these have a #45, a #23, or a #73.8 stamped on the heel it wont prevent any sneakerheads from flocking to retailers this December for their pair of Space Jams.

These remastered kicks will carry a price tag of $220 when they drop on December 10th, which is earlier than originally expected.

Again, we dont think that steep price tag will deter any potential buyers.

Space Jam 11
Is there one? Brendan J. Byrnes excellent new documentary Bobby Sands: 66 Days venerates the republican legend. But questions still hang over the legacy of the IRA, who carried out the most successful terrorist campaign the modern world has seen  at least before ISIS, that is.

In Brendan J. Byrnes new documentary Bobby Sands: 66 Days, the unmistakable voice of Margaret Thatcher rings out, issuing the declaration that sounded the death knell for ten republican prisoners.

There is no such thing as political murder, political bombing or political violence, Thatcher insisted. There is only criminal murder, criminal bombing, criminal violence. There will be no political status!

Thatchers unyielding proclamation was part of a speech, given in Stormont, Belfast on March 5, 1981.

It was the then British Prime Ministers response to the Irish republican prisoners who had gone on hunger strike, first in 1980 and again in 1981. They were protesting about the withdrawal of the Special Category Status, which  pre-dating Thatcher  had been afforded to paramilitary prisoners.

Bobby Sands, the 27 year old leader of the hunger strikers in Long Kesh prison, was elected as an MP during the strike. He died just four days after Thatchers speech, having refused food for 66 days  hence the title of the film.

Combining archive footage and expert commentary with extracts from Bobby Sands journals, Byrne tells the story of the 1981 Irish hunger strike, offering a unique insight into how Thatchers stance hugely increased support for Sinn Fein across Ireland. But Bobby Sands: 66 Days does more than that. Byrnes film also raises thought-provoking questions about martyrdom  and, by implication at least, how these same concepts are deployed, arguably in very different ways, by modern terrorists.

DOOMED PURSUIT

Bobby Sands was just 18 when he joined the Provisional IRA in 1972. Apparently a passionate, if somewhat ineffective, participant in violent attacks, raids and bombings, by the age of 19, he had been arrested and convicted, for the possession of four hand-guns, and received a five year sentence. Released in April 1976, he planned the bombing of a furniture company in Dunmurry; there was a shoot-out with the RUC, and Sands and his four accomplices were captured. He was found guilty and given a 14 year sentence.

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In prison, he and fellow IRA members were initially accorded political prisoner status, affording them certain privileges, including access to books on history and political theory. Personally, Sands was developing intellectually and politically. He read voraciously and spent his time discussing politics and tactics with his fellow inmates. As he read, he became aware of different forms of protest  including the use of the hunger strike as a political weapon.

There were Biblical examples. And British suffragettes had also utilised the technique in the early 20th Century. But there was also a long tradition of hunger strikes in the IRA, including by 1916 leader Thomas Ashe, who died during a hunger strike in September 1917, demanding Prisoner of War status; by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Terence MacSwiney, who died in 1920, while imprisoned in Brixton; and latterly, by Frank Stagg, who died in Englands Wakefield prion in 1976, after a 62 day fast.

However you view either the ethics or indeed the politics of actions of this kind, Sands eventual decision to go on hunger strike was a considered one. Brendan Byrnes documentary is clear that Sands did not have a death wish, and that his actions were in the best sense politically motivated. Byrnes thesis is, rather, that, in a position of powerlessness, Sands was willing to use the only tool completely under his control  his life  in what turned out to be a doomed pursuit of his personal political goals.

THE IRA AND ISIS

The depiction of Bobby Sands in the documentary is ultimately a flattering one. He was an idealist. He believed that the cause he was fighting for was worth the risk that he took with his own life. When he died, a singular figure was lost in circumstances that were desperately tragic and moving. But there is another question that arises from a documentary on this theme, being released in 2016. And it has nothing to do with the centenary of the 1916 rising.

There are those who feel that, as the most successful exponents of guerilla warfare, the IRA laid the foundations for the latter-day activities of Islamist extremists. So, given that they embarked on the ultimate political act of self-sacrifice in the name of the cause they espoused, how different were the actions of the ten hunger strikers who died in the early 1980s from those of modern Islamist suicide bombers?

Inescapably, there is in common the idea of martyrdom: of the individual or the self being sacrificed in the pursuit of a political and military objective. But, looking at the picture painted by Byrne, there are key differences too.

The documentary shows that Sands repeatedly refuted the idea of martyrdom; though he was aware of the growing media attention and his potential place in history, Byrne argues that he had no interest in either narcissism or vanity. Instead, he was driven by an old fashioned, almost Victorian sense of duty.

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There are other differences too. Suicide bombing and self-immolation are immediate and explosive political actions. In contrast, a hunger strike offers time for contemplation, in theory on both sides, providing audiences  meaning the public  with a lengthy, visceral and emotional spectacle of suffering, around which their views can be shaped or refined. The only immediate suffering being imposed is on the hunger strikers themselves (and, of course, those who know and love or support them). The time it takes  in Bobby Sands case 66 days  allows at least the possibility of transformation or negotiation, whether in time to save the hunger striker or not.

This is very different from the actions of modern suicide bombers, including members of al-Qaeda and ISIS, who specifically set out not only to harm and kill innocent people, but who offer no option of an alternative ending and no space for negotiation.

Byrnes documentary highlights other distinctions. The IRA campaign had specific demands and a focused goal. In contrast, the self-destructive acts of modern suicide bombers are accompanied by vague, all-consuming demands for the destruction of any way of life other than that of the Islamist caliphate ISIS has declared.

There are, however, times when the lineage between the IRA and ISIS seems uncomfortably close. The Provisionals did carry out a very significant number of atrocities in which civilians were killed. Their bombing campaign began in 1972, and generally  unlike ISIS  warnings were issued in advance. But not always adequately. And sometimes not at all.

On Bloody Friday, 21 July 1972, 22 bombs were detonated in Belfast by the Provisional IRA, killing nine people and injuring 130. And it went on from there. Six Protestant civilians were killed in Coleraine, on June 12, 1973. 12 civilians were killed and 30 injured in the La Mon restaurant bombing, in the townland of Gransha, near Belfast, on 17 February, 1978. Three policemen and three civilians were killed and 90 were injured by a car bomb placed outside Harrods department store in London, on 17 December, 1983. And in Eniskillen, in Co. Fermanagh, 11 civilians were killed and 63 injured by an IRA bomb, on Remembrance Day, 8 November, 1987.

Those five incidents are just a few among the many grisly events in a campaign that killed thousands in the North of Ireland. And yet you can still see a thread of difference which might just immunise the IRA from accusations that they  more than the Bader-Meinhoff group in Germany or the ETA in the Basque region or any other group  created the template for modern Islamist terrorism.

EVIL GENIE

With their random acts of violence and terror, ISIS-inspired terrorists aim is to be as destructive as possible  and to hell with the consequences. This, on the face of it at least, is very different to the philosophy of hunger strikers like Bobby Sands and Terence MacSwiney. The latter famously declared It is not those who can inflict the most but who can suffer the most who will win. It is a different mind-set.

Unlike Bobby Sands, modern suicide bombers crave to be considered martyrs  both for the cultural infamy it brings and the belief in a divine reward.

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In August 2015, a Pakistani man, who had been arrested for an attempted suicide bombing, spoke to India TV. Only those are innocent, who are taking part in the Jihad in Miranshah, he said. We have no repentance, no sorrow for killing. If our leader orders us to kill two people and hundreds are killed in this process, even then we will do. And there was more. 72 virgins are waiting for me in heaven, he boasted, a self-serving interpretation of Islamic scripture which is also invoked by militant groups like ISIS.

It is said that one of the great tragedies of history is that it is destined to repeat itself. But when it comes to terrorism and suicidal protest, the tragedy is instead that, over the past thirty years, it has taken on a meaning more appalling and destructive than we  or the IRA  could ever have imagined.

The question that lingers, even after Brendan J. Byrnes fine and nuanced exculpation, is this: do members of the IRA, and of Sinn Fein, ever wake up in a cold sweat realising that they were the ones who allowed the genie out of the bottle; and that ISIS are merely following in their wake, encouraging an evil genie to do his worst?
The Golden Girl of the London games is beaten in her first fight

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Death of Star Wars actor triggers outpouring of support over Twitter

Tributes poured in over the weekend after the passing of Kenny Baker, the man who portrayed R2-D2 in Star Wars.

The actor died aged 81 after a long illness. Baker played the role of the lovable droid throughout the entire Star Wars series, and acted as a consultant for The Force Awakens, released last year. His other acting credits include Flash Gordon, Labyrinth, and Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits.

There was an outpouring of support over Twitter from co-stars and fans alike. Director George Lucas described Baker as "a real gentleman", while Mark Hamill, the actor for Luke Skywalker, called him a "life-long friend".

Baker was a father of two. His wife, Eileen, died in 1993.

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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Taraji P. Henson almost backed out of writing her autobiography because she was reluctant to expose herself to scrutiny.

She could have bypassed a starring role in a film about NASA's unsung female mathematicians because of her taxing work as the formidable Cookie on Fox's "Empire."

But the actress gathered her will and did both. The results are "Around the Way Girl," to be published Oct. 11, and the January theatrical release of "Hidden Figures," in which she plays Katherine Johnson, one of the real-life African-American women who were a critical part of the space program.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Henson discussed the projects as she awaits the Sept. 21 return of "Empire" and what's ahead for Cookie and her "Empire" family after last season's cliffhanger ending. In it, her ex-husband and sparring partner, Lucious (Terrence Howard), married Anika (Grace Gealey) - who might or might not have survived a brawl with Rhonda (Kaitlin Doubleday). The questions and answers were edited for clarity and brevity.

Q: Let's talk about the upcoming autobiography.

A: I am exposing myself and it is just very, very scary, and there were a couple times where I almost backed out, where I'm just going to write them their check and say, "I just don't want to do it." And it was my beautiful makeup artist, Ashunta Sheriff, who re-calibrated me and focused on me on why I decided to write the book. People find my life inspiring. And, as an artist, that's what you should do: inspire people. ...

A little around-the-way girl from the hood was able to dream because of all the people who came before me, and weren't afraid to dream and weren't afraid to go out and do it: the Lucille Balls, the Bette Davises, the Phylicia Rashads, the Debbie Allens, the Diahann Carrolls. The list goes on and on. If I didn't have them to look at, who knows that I could even dream, or make them come true?

Q: Like those women in NASA in "Hidden Figures"?

A: Well, I'm no mathematician, but I play one. (Laughs.) It's a movie based on these incredible women who helped our men get to space. Who knew that? Who knew that women had anything to do with men getting to the moon? Who knew?

You see all the footage, all the documentaries, and you just see a room full of smoking men. So then I find out about these women and I redo my research and I'm like, "OK, where's the woman? I know I'm going to see her. Because now I know they exist." That bothered me and I made it my mission to do this film. ... And it was the hardest thing I ever had to do, because I'm used to supporting movies. I've never carried a show and then went on to carrying a film. That was hard but worth it for Katherine Johnson's story.

Q: So is this a case of a body in motion staying in motion?

A: You have to strike while the iron is hot. People are interested. And this is the moment every artist prays about. Look, I grew up in an era where women were done at 40. Meryl Streep thought she was done at 40. And just watching her trajectory gave me hope.

Edie Falco from "The Sopranos," she didn't hit until she was 36. That's hope. Men can do it. They can go bald, have a big stomach and never fix their teeth, and they'll work forever because they'll hire some next young, hot (actress). But you see what's happening is that we 40-year-olds are giving those 20-year-olds a run for their money.

So you can get a mature woman who is still hot and play opposite these big leading-men roles. ... And not only that, I'm interested in work that's going to be talked about long after I'm gone, and challenging and pushing myself. And so when that role comes, I can't turn it down. Why walk away from an incredible role like Katherine Johnson? Why? Because I'm tired? I don't have time to be tired. ... We are just getting started.
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The Friday Morning Continuing Education series kicking off this fall at University of Houston-Clear Lake is offered through the university's School of Human Sciences and Humanities.

It will be introduced through a mixer from 9-11 a.m., Aug. 26, at the university's Patio Cafe, Bayou Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston.

From vampires to astronauts, the Civil War to the Amazon, each session in the Friday Morning Continuing Education series will offer a choice of topics presented by expert speakers, said Director of the UHCL Foreign Language Program and Continuing Education Programs Christine Paul, who is organizing the series.

"People want these classes to expand their consciousness and awareness," she said. "We want to build a community of people who establish relationships in an academic framework.

Membership for the fall series of Friday Morning Continuing Education costs $26 plus an additional $18 course fee for each individual session participants select to attend.

In addition to access to the courses and course materials, membership also grants borrowing privileges at Alfred R. Neumann library, discounts at the UHCL bookstore and other benefits designed to enhance the educational experience.

Offerings in the new Friday Morning Continuing Education series are based on responses to surveys about the types of events that community friends want, said Paul.

Of the 256 respondents to a survey distributed about continuing education opportunities in general, Paul said 86 percent wanted continuing education opportunities on campus.

Friday Morning Continuing Education is the latest in continuing education offerings from the university. Earlier this spring, UHCL's School of Human Sciences and Humanities hosted its first Administrative and Office Professionals Summit, a successful event also coordinated through Paul's office, and showed office professionals from throughout the Houston area ways for improving communication, efficiency and productivity in the workplace. The summit is already set to be held again in 2017.

For a full schedule of upcoming Friday Morning Continuing Education sessions or to register, visit www.uhcl.edu/continuing-education or call 281-283-3033.

Church to host 'Back to School Bash'

First Presbyterian Church in Alvin at 302 South Johnson St. will host a "Back to School Bash" at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, including waterslides, popcorn, cotton candy, snow-cones, prizes, food, and many more things to help families get ready for "Back To School."

Art School for Children announces next session

Registration is open at University of Houston-Clear Lake's Art School for Children and Young Adults, with classes beginning Sept. 17.

Costs range from $100-$140, depending on the topic, and a $10 discount will be applied to registrations received by Sept. 10. To learn more, visit www.uhcl.edu/ArtSchoolforChildren.

UHCL fall registration underway

Students can register for fall 2016 classes at University of Houston-Clear Lake until 5 p.m. Aug. 19.

Late registration will be available Aug. 20-29 for an additional fee.

Fall classes begin Aug. 22. To learn more or to register, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics.

Head Start recruits for free childcare

Harris County Department of Education is accepting applications from families of children 3 and 4 years old for the 2016-17 school year at its 15 Head Start centers in Harris County, including La Porte.

Early Head Start services for children 6 weeks to 3 years of age also are available at the Baytown Head Start Center.

For information, call 713-672-6393.

Pearland youth named 2016 Davidson Fellow

The Davidson Institute of Talent Development has announced three 2016 Davidson Fellows, including a Pearland student.

Jaelynn Walls, 17, of Pearland won a $25,000 Davidson Fellows Scholarship for her project, "Humanity On-Screen: Engendering Positive Self-Perception and Political Activism in Persons With Marginalized Identities." Walls submitted a portfolio of writing portraying positive depictions of young people of marginalized identities based off racial, gender and cultural markers. A lifelong lover of literature, Walls grew up reading only about characters that she couldn't identify with. She was inspired to present characters of marginalized racial and cultural backgrounds in a positive light to correct the Eurocentric treatment or omission of characters that are not white or male.

"Being a Davidson Fellow means joining the ranks of an amazing community of incredibly talented young people," said Walls. "It means being enabled to pursue what I'm passionate about in a scholarly fashion."

Among the honorees is 16-year-old Kavita Selva of Houston and 17-year-old Michael Du of Houston. Each student won awards ranging from $10,000 to $25,000.

The 2016 Davidson Fellows will be honored at a reception in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 21. Visit www.DavidsonGifted.org for information.

Foundation gives scholarships to Alvin, Galveston students

Three students from Alvin and three from Galveston County each have been awarded $2,000 scholarships from the Ascend Cares Foundation.

The Alvin winners are Shalini Lakshmi, 18, a graduate of Alvin High School; Olivia Simpson, 20, a student at Alvin Community College; and Meredith Manis, 18, a graduate of Alvin High School.

Lakshmi's parents are Giri and Vani Lakshmi. Giri Lakshmi works in operations at the Ascend Performance Materials plant in Alvin.

Simpson's parents are Mary and Jon Simpson. Jon Simpson works as a processor at the Alvin plant.

Manis' parents are Debra and Brian Manis. Brian Manis is a research assistant at the Alvin plant.

The Galveston County winners are Alexis Hudson of Friendswood, 18, a graduate of Friendswood High School; Kate Kaiser of Santa Fe, 18, a graduate of Santa Fe High School; and Stephanie Pulley of Santa Fe, 19, a graduate of Santa Fe High School.

Hudson's parents are Diane and Kenneth Hudson. Diane Hudson is an electrical engineer at the Alvin plant.

Kaiser's parents are Jill and Scott Kaiser. Scott Kaiser is a process technician at the Alvin plant.

Pulley's parents are Kristine and Stephen Pulley. Stephen Pulley is a processor at the Alvin plant.

The nonprofit foundation, managed and funded by Ascend Performance Materials, awarded 23 scholarships to children of employees in Alabama, Florida and Texas. Applicants were required to have earned at least a 3.0 grade-point average and have demonstrated a record of community service.

Ascend Performance Materials produces chemicals and nylon resin. Headquartered in Houston, the company has approximately 925 employees in Alvin.

Lee expansion impacts parking, traffic

Due to expansion of the McNulty-Haddick Nursing Center, parking in front of the facility and adjacent to the east side of Lee College's Performing Arts Center will be inaccessible until construction is complete, sometime in late 2017.

To accommodate PAC event patrons, Lee College will offer shuttle service from parking lots 11 and 13. PAC parking on the west side of the building will remain available.

Visit www.lee.edu to learn more.

PISD has free, reduced-price meal applications

pearland Independent School District is accepting applications for free and reduced-price meals for the 2016-2017 school year.

Meals are served under the National School Lunch Program and Breakfast Program.

Online applications may be accessed at https://freeandreduced.pearlandisd.org. Paper applications are available at the food service office, 1928 N. Main, or by calling 281-412-1244.

San Jac offers maritime courses

The San Jacinto College maritime program is offering engineering courses to help mariners meet U.S. Coast Guard regulations that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2017.

The courses include: Engine Room Resource Management, Leadership and Teamwork, Leadership and Managerial Skills, Designated Duty Engineer 4000 Horsepower, Qualified Member of the Engineering Department and Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment. Additional courses are under development.

Classes take place in the new Maritime Technology and Training Center, 3700 Old State Hwy. 146 in La Porte. For information, visit www.sanjac.edu/maritime.

ACC receives grant for industry training

The Texas Workforce Commission has presented a $501,882 grant to the Alvin Community College Continuing Education/Workforce Development Division to provide training for Ascend Performance Materials employees.

The grant will pay for 14,124 hours of training in 39 courses to 282 Ascend employees. The courses will cover process control and computing.

For information, visit www.twc.state.tx.us/partners/skills-development-fund.

Pasadena student going to study, live in Taiwan

Houston Community College graduate Arturo de Jesus Velazquez Cortes of Pasadena is heading to Taiwan in September for a year.

The opportunity comes through The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston in conjunction with HCC Asian Scholarship Program Inspiring Results and Excellence.

The Ministry of Education of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Huayu Enrichment Scholarship 2016-17 will provide Cortes with money for classes and living expenses.

Cortes attended the HCC Eastside Campus and recently received an associate of science in engineering science with a 3.9 GPA.

While at HCC, Cortes served as a math/science tutor, vice-president of the Health Club, and helped established the first Engineering Student organization at Eastside. In 2015 he received an invitation to participate in the International Air and Space Program and his team, Hybrid Inc., won first place.

When he returns from Taiwan, Cortes plans to attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering.

Pearland ISD names teachers of the year

Two Pearland Independent School District educators recently claimed the district's 2016 elementary and secondary Teacher of the Year awards.

Alexander Middle School's Kristine Holland was named Elementary Teacher of the Year. Pace Center's Ann Lowrey Merrill was named Secondary Teacher of the Year. Holland also was named a finalist for Region IV Teacher of the Year.

Both will advance to the Texas Teacher of the Year competition.
The Gallow family wanted one more vacation trip before school started for the fall, so they piled into an SUV with friends and headed for Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

Deborah and Melvin Gallow loved taking their four children on summer trips, said Deborah's aunt, Cynthia Krieger of Galveston.

"They always do family things," Krieger said Monday. "This is the closest family you could ever think of."

The Houston family never made it to San Antonio. About two hours into their trip, near the town of Gonzales, Deborah Gallow swerved to avoid a stopped 18-wheeler on Interstate 10. The vehicle suffered a blown tire, according to witnesses and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

The Mercury Mountaineer, with 11 people inside, rolled several times before coming to a stop along the roadway, according to DPS.

Deborah and Melvin Gallow were killed, along with their 8-year-old son, Melvin Jr., who was an energetic boy and a favorite of his football coaches, family members said.

The couple's three daughters were taken by air ambulance to Dell Children's Hospital in Austin.

The oldest girl, Makayla Gallow, 13, awoke Sunday in the hospital, Krieger said. Hurting because of multiple broken bones, she called for her mother, only to learn her parents and brother had died in the crash about 9 a.m. Saturday.

"Why wasn't it me?" Makayla asked the counselors and relatives gathered around her bed, Krieger said.

The two younger sisters  Laquinta, 10, and Mariah, 5  remained Monday in medically induced comas because of brain injuries, Krieger said.

Five family friends  four children and their mother  were also in the vehicle. Those children were also injured and taken to Dell Children's Hospital, DPS Trooper Deon Cockrell said. A hospital representative said no details could be released.

None of the passengers was wearing a seat belt, DPS officials said.

Krieger said an eyewitness who saw the crash was horrified.

"When the van rolled," the witness told Krieger, "kids were popping out of the car like popcorn. They were all strewn about the roadway." The girls' grandparents, James and Sheila Henderson, will now take custody of the Gallow children.

James Henderson had just buried his mother on Aug. 8, Krieger said. On Tuesday he will be picking up his daughter's body in Gonzales and preparing for her funeral.

Sheila Henderson said the girls often visited and went on outings with her, which she hopes will ease the transition.

The Gallows had also cared for a niece and nephew, family members said, and the Hendersons said they will care for those children as well.

"The only scary thing about the situation is caring for them with the disability that they're going to be having," Sheila Henderson said, wondering whether the disabilities would be permanent.

With five young children in the house along with her disabled 19-year-old son, she said, it will be hard to keep up with the linens and laundry. She said her washer and dryer are broken right now.

The extended family has set up a GoFundMe page to accept donations for the three funerals and the girls' care at www.gofundme.com/2jt8v7w.

"All the help that we can get is going to be a blessing," Sheila Henderson said.
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.
Courtesy/McLennan County Sheriff's Office

News reports say Baylor University police arrested a McLennan County assistant district attorney Saturday morning and charged her with suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The catch is Kristen Parker, 27, prosecutes DWI cases for the county, according to The Waco Tribune.
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WASHINGTON - The Obama administration warned Congress Wednesday that money to fight the Zika virus is on the verge of running out amid political stalemate on Capitol Hill.

In a letter to key lawmakers, the secretary of Health and Human Services said the National Institutes of Health would exhaust its resources for vaccine development by month's end. The letter from HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell said that without additional money the second phase of clinical trials would be delayed, and Americans would have to wait longer for a vaccine.

The news comes as the first local transmissions of the virus have been found in Miami, and authorities are warning pregnant women to stay away from the area. The virus can cause severe birth defects.

Congress gridlocked over President Barack Obama's $1.9 billion emergency spending request after House Republicans added language on Planned Parenthood and other issues that was unacceptable to Democrats. Then, lawmakers left town for a seven-week summer recess, and they won't be back until September.

Republicans have been downplaying the urgency of the issue, questioning why the administration has not spent more than $350 million already on hand, including money redirected from the Ebola fight. Burwell's letter gives a detailed accounting.

The Centers for Disease Control has $222 million available for domestic response including front-line assistance to states and localities. Of that, nearly $100 million will have been provided by week's end, and resources will be virtually exhausted by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, the letter says.

More Information Other developments Troops infected: At least 33 U.S. troops, including a pregnant woman, have tested positive for the Zika virus, U.S. military spokesmen said Wednesday. 10 of those troops are men who answer to the Southern Command. A Southcom spokesman Jose Ruiz said those 10 got infected in five locations - Brazil, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Martinique. Free testing: Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered free Zika testing statewide Wednesday to help pregnant women. Scott directed state health officials to make the tests available at county health departments. From wire reports See More Collapse

The NIH started Phase I clinical trials Wednesday of a DNA-based vaccine, but without more funding, the second phase on that vaccine and others will be delayed. Additional research and development also may be constrained as NIH's $47 million in repurposed funding runs out by the end of this month.

"A delay in this stage of development will delay when a safe and effective Zika vaccine is available to the American public," Burwell wrote. "These examples demonstrate the urgent need for the administration's request for $1.9 billion in emergency supplemental funding."

Democrats blamed Republicans, and Republicans blamed Democrats and the administration. Although Congress typically finds a way to get beyond its partisanship and act when circumstances absolutely require, it's not clear what will happen in this case at the height of a frenzied election season, and with the virus still not widespread in the United States.
On Saturday, Donald Trump told a crowd in Connecticut  yes, a state that hasnt voted for the Republican presidential candidate since 1988  he is not running against Crooked Hillary (but) against the crooked media. It was all part of a larger rant against reporters for a New York Times story, published last weekend, which cast yet another alarmist pall on his campaign.

Advisers who once hoped a Pygmalion-like transformation would refashion a crudely effective political showman into a plausible American president now increasingly concede that Mr. Trump may be beyond coaching, The Times reported. He has ignored their pleas and counsel as his poll numbers have dropped, boasting to friends about the size of his crowds and maintaining that he can read surveys better than the professionals.

Trumps campaign against the media has left Hillary Clinton wide open to hone her message, which has culminated in todays news that seemingly was on the horizon for weeks. According to NBC News battleground map, the former secretary of state is projected to have the requisite 270 Electoral College votes to be elected president  without the help of any five tossup states on the map. Clinton has 288 electoral votes to Trumps 174, with 76 votes  which include Nevada, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, and Iowa  up in the air. How did this happen? NBC shows enough polling evidence to move five states, if you include Nebraskas one Omaha-area electoral vote, from the tossup category to the Lean Democratic category.

So, how would the Trump campaign go about changing this trend? There is little time left to do so, for starters. A Politico report on Sunday said GOP officials are (laying) the groundwork to blame their nominee if Clinton wins, a process that seemingly begins with cutting off Republican National Committee funds to Trump by October and rerouting that cash to House and Senate races. So, if we are seeing the emergence of a deadline for Trump to show signs of a turnaround  somewhere between Labor Day and October  then one of his most potent forces for doing so would be his ground game.

Except, well, that, too, is struggling. Take a look at a BuzzFeed story from Rosie Gray and Tarini Part, published Sunday, which documented the sorry state of the Trump operation in key states. The campaign has few offices, no ads, and people on the ground are confused about who exactly is in charge, the story says, focusing on North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania.

There is no confusion about whom Clinton is running against. She has seized on the most devastating attacks on Trumps record, namely his bankruptcies and his decision to make his ties and shirts abroad.

If Trump was a traditional Republican candidate, thered be no denying who he is running against, either. Hed stick to attacks on Clintons vulnerabilities, especially her consistently low marks on trustworthiness. That is not the candidate that has emerged three weeks ahead of the crucial Labor Day marker for the general election.
The following are excerpts of reports generated by the Texas County Sheriffs Department:

A 65-year-old Willow Springs man came to the TCSD office Aug. 13 to report that a 2008 Ford F-150 pickup had been stolen from the driveway at his Bartlett Drive residence on July 24. The man named another person as a suspect. Investigation continues.

A deputy was dispatched at about 5 p.m. Aug. 14 to assist the Houston Police Department regarding a report of tear gas being set off at an auction at the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce Fairgrounds. Upon arrival, the officer determined that an unknown person had been looking at a pepper spray gun and accidentally shot it toward a mans face in front of him. An ambulance reportedly took the victim to Texas County Memorial Hospital to have his eyes flushed.

A deputy was dispatched at about 10:45 p.m. Aug. 12 to assist the Houston Police Department regarding a report of gunfire at Millers Grill on South U.S. 63. Officers were unable to locate the person who had called in the report, but a man at the scene said his truck had backfired.

A 28-year-old Roby man came to the TCSD office Aug. 4 to report that while he was in jail, his 24-year-old wife had left for Pennsylvania and taken their child. After an investigation, the man was informed that no charges would be filed against the woman because the couple wasnt married when the child was born and he would have to legally establish paternity.

Texas County Jail admissions

Aug. 8

Crystal G. Bradley  passing bad checks

Brandi K. Masters  MDOC hold

Aug. 9

Jennifer S. Lane  possession of controlled substance

Aug. 11

Nekota S. Neal  assault

Aug. 12

Timothy R. Neal  60-day commitment

Aug. 13

Joshua J.U. Shinn  non-support

John T. Baker  non-support

Thomas A. MacLean  passing bad checks
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Huffington Post will soon be without its editor-in-chief after Arianna Huffington announced she would be leaving the media giant to launch a new HR start-up instead."I thought HuffPost would be my last act," Huffington said in a tweet. "But I've decided to step down as HuffPost's editor-in-chief to run my new venture, Thrive Global."Billed as a corporate and consumer well-being and productivity platform, the new program says it will provide extensive training and education  all of which is routed in science  in an attempt to combat stress and burnout.Change is desperately needed if another generation is to avoid the burnout that all too often comes with success today, stressed Huffington, who aims to transform the way we work and live.Greek-born Huffington admitted she had considered running both companies at the same time but said doing so would have involved working around the clock and would have been a betrayal of her principles.To truly thrive means knowing when the time has come to close one chapter and start the next, and for me that time has arrived, she said.Expected to officially launch some time in November, the start-up has already begun piloting training and workshops with Accenture , which has a workforce of approximately 375,000.Ellyn Shook, the companys CHRO, said humans should be at the heart of the digital age.Its why we believe that creating an environment where our people can be successful, both professionally and personally, is so important to our company, she said.By working with an important partner like Thrive Global, we can ensure that Accenture continues to provide our people with the tools and development opportunities to help them achieve their goals, she added.
Last week, fashionistas around the world praised H&M for casting model and body activist Ashley Graham in their new autumn/winter Studio Collection look book. Finally, a global retailer was taking a positive step towards body inclusivity.

@hm A photo posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Aug 10, 2016 at 9:10am PDT

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In the campaign photos, the "size sexy" model, who walked for the Swedish brand at Paris Fashion Week back in March, is seen sporting an array of "folklore and romantic" looks.

As noted by HuffPost Style, "the ad is not for a specifically plus-size line, and Graham is not billed as a plus-size model. It's one of the first mainstream campaigns she's ever starred in."

@hm fall campaign  A photo posted by A S H L E Y G R A H A M (@theashleygraham) on Aug 12, 2016 at 9:27am PDT

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Graham, 28, said she was excited to be "representing one of the most internationally known fashion retailers" who offer not only "more options for curvy women" but "pieces that have a higher-fashion aesthetic."

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However, the conversation surrounding H&M and their body positive step forward was quickly brought to a halt when fans of the brand found out the clothes Graham is seen modelling in the campaign would only be available online and not sold in stores.

A photo posted by Abby Zacky (@zackyliciouss) on Aug 13, 2016 at 3:03am PDT

"H&Ms product range has grown in the past few years and this means not all stores have room to present all our fashion concepts and size ranges," a spokesperson for H&M told PEOPLE. "Instead we are happy to offer our customers the full H&M Studio collection online."

That's right, curvy girls will not have the opportunity to shop the limited edition collection in stores come Sept 8th.

Ugh. So much for allowing all body types to have the same shopping experience.

"It is definitely a slap in the face of plus-size consumers to cast a fuller-figured model and break size boundaries, and then not offer those same sizes in store," blogger Nicolette Mason told Allure who posed the question "Are brands using plus-size models just for press but missing the point of shopping in the first place?"

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"H&M offers great, on-trend pieces, and it would be really noteworthy if they made those same styles accessible to all sizes, rather than just paying lip service through casting."

Graham, who recently penned a powerful Lenny Letter about body-shaming, said she wants to see a change when it comes to the way society looks at bodies.

"We can't create change until we recognize and check our own actions," Ashley wrote. "If you see another woman taking a selfie or a photo in her bathing suit, encourage her because she actually feels beautiful, don't give her the side eye because you think she's feeling herself too hard."

Oh H&M, you were so close to getting it right on this one.

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Ashley Graham See Gallery
..'Cause I'm a fooool.. such a fool (for youuuu)  babe we did it, you are officially my husband.. Ahhh! @kevinhart4real 

A photo posted by e n i  o (e-nee-o) (@enikobaby) on Aug 14, 2016 at 7:05am PDT
It's a sign of just how relaxed attitudes have become towards weed in states where its been legalized for recreational use: Home sellers in Oregon are reportedly featuring pics of marijuana and/or hemp plants in their ads, intentionally or otherwise.

NBC affiliate KGW in Portland, Ore., reported on one such property: A two-bedroom, US$200,000 house with a spacious yard which looks like this:

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The realtor describes the property as a charming home with LOTS to offer. No kidding  especially if the cannabis comes with the house.

And its not the only property for sale in Oregon where whacky tabacky can be seen in the promo pics. There is also this six-bedroom, US$425,000 property in Milwaukie, Ore., which Redditors say has four pot plants growing on the back porch. We arent entirely certain what were looking at. What do you think  is that weed on the upper porch?

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In Colorado, where homeowners can grow up to six plants at a time for personal use, legal weed is changing the way people buy and sell homes.

Basements have become very important, John Grove, a Re/Max agent in Pueblo, Colo., told the local Daily Chieftain. He believes marijuana has something to do with a 12-per-cent spike in local house prices over the past year.

We get lots of calls from out of state. Every day were showing properties. Part of it is Pueblo County has a reputation for having an open-door policy on pot businesses, so we sort of stick out like a sore thumb.

Its hard to say just how much house price growth can be attributed to weed  many cities in the U.S., particularly in Western states, have seen double-digit house price growth in the past year, regardless of marijuana's legal status.

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But while growing your own may be becoming a feature of home sales in these states, its just a minor way in which real estate is being reshaped by legal weed.

In many communities in Colorado  which has arguably the most advanced recreational marijuana industry in the country  some real estate experts say weed created a property boom of sorts.

Denvers long underused warehouse spaces have seen a spike in demand, something that Jason Thomas, the head of Avalon Realty Advisors, attributes to commercial cannabis operations.

Its impact is huge, Thomas told a conference last year. It is an economic driver in Colorado, accounting for the majority of [warehouse] rent increases, more so than traditional users.

There are strict limits in Colorado on where commercial grow-ops are allowed: They have to be located on land zoned for industrial use, and must be at least 1,000 feet from schools and churches. That limits the available supply of grow-op land, driving up prices.

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In 2014, growers were offering four times market value, and a big chunk up front in cash," a Denver construction company CEO said at the time.

As prices soared in the Denver area, demand for grow-op land spread to outlying areas, including to Pueblo, some two hours south of Denver by car.

The market has gotten very tight for industrial buildings, and prices have gone up substantially, realtor Dan Molello of Jones-Healy told the Chieftain.

With demand soaring, specialty real estate agencies are popping up for the singular purpose of brokering marijuana-related land deals.

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Commercial Marijuana Realty, for instance, is offering numerous grow-op spaces for sale, from US$595,000 for a 4,850-sq-ft office in Pueblo, to US$4 million for a 33,000-sq-ft warehouse in Aurora.

Some of the ads promise turnkey operations  you buy it and show up to a ready-to-manufacture marijuana operation.

"It's the green boom here in Colorado and real estate is at a premium," Sally Vander Veer, CFO of Colorado-based Medicine Man, told Inc magazine earlier this year. "If you own a building that is zoned properly, not including any improvements, it's worth millions."

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John Phillips via Getty Images Rowan Atkinson Arriving At The World Premiere Of Johnny English Reborn, Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, London. (Photo by John Phillips/UK Press via Getty Images)

Rowan Atkinson, the British comedian who famously played Mr. Bean and Blackadder, is facing a big parenting moment. His 20-something son Benjamin has been accepted to join the Royal Military Academy.

We might get a real life Captain Blackadder one day. Rowan Atkinson's son is off to Sandhurst. https://t.co/c8SlLYteub  Adam Rawnsley (@arawnsley) August 14, 2016

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British papers have reported that the young Atkinson posted his acceptance letter to Facebook with the comment: Dunno what this letter is but apparently The Royal Military Academy want me to come and attend them. Sounds like fun.

Rowan Atkinson's son wins a place at the Sandhurst military academy https://t.co/0nmdSc1CUTpic.twitter.com/Jnn0GgFiAx  Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) August 14, 2016





The training centre is also known as Sandhurst, as it's close to a village of the same name about 55 kilometres from London.

Atkinson definitely isn't the first famous cadet to attend Sandhurst. He's following in the footsteps of both Prince William and his younger brother, Harry.

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Of course, when we saw photos of Atkinson, we couldn't help but notice how much he resembles his dad. Those eyebrows are definitely distinctive! Just check out this throwback photo of Rowan in 1980.





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Toronto Mens Fashion Week (TOM*FW) is returning to the city Aug. 15 to showcase spring/summer 2017 menswear collections.

Having started only in 2014, the bi-annual event has become a showcase for the top menswear talent in Toronto and Canada. From a market perspective its timely; whether its athleisure or a newfound taste for bespoke, Canadian men are putting cash into their closets.

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A photo posted by TOM* Toronto Mens Fashion Week (@tom_fw) on Jul 22, 2016 at 4:59pm PDT

Jeff Rustia, founder of TOM*FW, describes it to HuffPost Canada Style as a "Menaissance" or, "a huge cultural movement that was sweeping across the globe among the millennial men that promoted dressing sharp, looking good, and loving fashion because it was intrinsically linked to success." Whatever it is, people are paying attention  and big bucks.

Yet despite these clear reasons for having a mens fashion week in Toronto, there are other factors at play. Domestically, Toronto Fashion Week was cancelled last month, leaving a hole for a larger event that could bring in substantial international attention. Beyond that, mens fashion weeks in larger, more recognized markets including the Big Four (New York, Paris, London and Milan) are flatlining.

Ultimately, it begs the question: does Toronto need a mens fashion week?

A photo posted by TOM* Toronto Mens Fashion Week (@tom_fw) on Mar 7, 2016 at 5:22am PST

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Perhaps that could be better said as: is a mens-only event the most beneficial option for Torontos fashion community? Lets get the lay of the land and qualify that a little.

The flagship of the citys fashion events, Toronto Fashion Week (or, the artist formerly known as World MasterCard Fashion Week) is permanently out of style. Now, a market already starved of international media and buyer attention has one less major draw. (Fortunately, theres still Drake.)

One could argue that this makes TOM*FW more important than ever. That it, along with the citys other major fashion presentations  including StartUp Fashion Week, Fashion Art Toronto, Made InLand and The Collections  have the opportunity to rise to the occasion. However, given their disparate timings and varied offerings, they never seem able to bring in the international media, buyer and consumer interest necessary to launch Toronto into fashion "it" city status. Instead, they often rely on the same local outlets and bloggers for coverage.

Behind the scenes elegance with @mayacharbin models at #fashionarttoronto #fashionweek #canadianfashion #canadianstyle #womenswear #highfashion #madeincanada #mayacharbin #torontofashion A photo posted by Fashion Art Toronto (@fashionarttoronto) on May 22, 2016 at 7:20am PDT

The struggle for attention is real elsewhere, too. Internationally, mens fashion weeks are in jeopardy. Though London Collections: Men was only started in 2012 and New York Fashion Week: Mens just last year, both are struggling to attract and keep  big name presenters.

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As the Business of Fashion notes, the revolving door of creative directors at the biggest houses in the industry meant Zegna, Calvin Klein, Brioni, Cavalli, Costume National and Ermanno Scervino all skipped Milan in June, and Berluti and Saint Laurent opted out of Paris.

Androgyny, speeding up the time between runway and retail, merchandising and keeping costs down are among the myriad of market-driven reasons for brands to combine mens and womens shows into one presentation  usually at the expense of the mens events.

The schedules at 2016s mens events were sparse, with Burberry, Tom Ford, Bottega Veneta, Vetements, Gucci and Alexander Wang having eliminated their mens fashion shows altogether, preferring to do one presentation for their entire collection of womens and mens.

Who: @stellaluciadeopito, @ddiegovillarreal & @molllsbair Where: Outside the Sonomax Gas Station, Greenpoint, Brooklyn Follow @wangsquad to see the reveal of the full #WANGSS16 campaign A photo posted by ALEXANDER WANG (@alexanderwangny) on Mar 13, 2016 at 8:57pm PDT

Given this, would Toronto better be served by a unified fashion event? Mattew Biehl, fashion editor at Sharp Magazine, tells HuffPost Canada Style, "I feel like a unified fashion week will be something that will happen in the future."

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"I think for now, [TOM*FW is] what menswear in Toronto needs," he says. "The consumer interest is there, which is really exciting."

Toronto fashion lawyer Anjli Patel, agrees there is a definite benefit to the event.

"It helps for people who live outside of Ontario and Canada, whether they are press or buyers or fashion enthusiasts, to know that same time, same place, every year, this takes place," Patel tells HuffPost Canada Style.

However, she feels that TOM*FW, alongside the other smaller fashion platforms in the city, could be doing more (read: better) through collaboration.

"To my knowledge, none of them attract a significant audience outside Toronto or Canada," she says. ("Significant" being the key word. Beyond Vogue Italia and spare mentionings in GQ, shes right.)

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Without suggesting they amalgamate or collapse, she posits that if they could organize themselves around a singular week, perhaps just before or after the Toronto Film Festival to capitalize on the people and press attention, that they could produce a Canadian fashion week more marketable nationally and internationally

"What I am in favour of is everybody working together, within a particular timeframe, and then once weve shown  given the optics  that we can organize ourselves, I think that wed be in a better position to go to the government or go to other organizations, and ask for assistance  whether thats marketing or specific funding or something else," she says.

A photo posted by TOM* Toronto Mens Fashion Week (@tom_fw) on Jul 28, 2016 at 6:37pm PDT

As it stands, Rustia says TOM*FW relies entirely on corporate and private sponsorship, and does not receive funding from any level of government. Patel notes this even extends to basic marketing. Tourism Torontos website, SeeTorontoNow.com, features most of the citys major festivals and cultural events, and is funded by the Government of Ontario. Noticeably absent: Toronto Mens Fashion Week. (Toronto Fashion Week did receive recognition in its last season.)

So, could a unified "Canadian Fashion Week" of sorts be in the works? If it is, Rustia wont be leading the charge. He says, "Our jam-packed runway schedule of menswear designers proves that there is a need and demand for a mens-focused fashion week."

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He continues, "These brands need an outlet and a fashion week of their own. Ultimately, it would not make sense to blend the shows. Menswear has its own set of audience, consumers, buyers and media."

A photo posted by TOM* Toronto Mens Fashion Week (@tom_fw) on Aug 5, 2016 at 11:08am PDT

This desire to remain niche is admirable creatively, though with dwindling Canadian journalistic fashion coverage and outlets, as well as fickle and frantic buyers adapting (or, playing it safe) to a shifting retail landscape, getting international attention once again becomes an issue.

"Without more support from retailers, buyers, consumers and editors, everybody at home in Canada, maybe that kind of support system would help designers gain more traction. And if theyre successful here, that would help them be successful internationally," says Biehl.

When asked what makes Torontos menswear community unique, Biehl notes, "If youre in Italy, theres a history of suiting and tailoring. And Savile Row in the U.K. In Toronto, theres no confines of tradition or expectation."

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Which means they can be more experimental  and that isn't exclusive to Torontos menswear scene. Looking to the other platforms, Fashion Art Toronto, StartUp Fashion Week, The Collections, Made In Canada  even the Toronto Fashion Incubator  these all speak to the citys youthful, risk-welcoming emerging talents. Their beauty is that they are as diverse, fearless and accessible as the city itself.

So all in all? Yes, we need still need a Toronto Mens Fashion Week. However, the sooner all the citys fashion platforms, including TOM*FW, start celebrating their commonalities and collaborating, whether it be through timing or marketing or media coverage, the sooner Toronto will become an actual fashion "it" city.

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Adrian Wyld/CP

At the very least, it can't hurt, right?

That's a tempting conclusion to draw when considering Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's latest "reforms" of Canada's Senate. Gone is the longstanding tradition of the prime minister using a Senate seat as a reward for party activists, fundraisers, defeated candidates and other sinecure-seekers.

Instead, we now have a new "independent" appointment process, with prospective candidates able to submit applications, which are then vetted by a special appointments committee (the members of which are -- of course -- chosen by the prime minister).

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Indeed, there's little reason to doubt Trudeau's sincerity with respect to making the Senate less partisan. In January 2014, well before he became prime minister, he booted all Senators from the Liberal Party caucus (where they promptly reorganized themselves into -- wait for it -- a Senate Liberal caucus, though they do not attend caucus together with Liberal Party MPs). And since becoming prime minister, his first Senate appointments have essentially been accomplished people with impressive resumes.

Senators examine legislation, and may tinker with it at the margins, but the unwritten rule is that in the end, they must allow the will of the elected House to prevail.

So what's the downside? What's wrong with trying to transform the Senate from a partisan chamber full of unqualified folks into an independent one with highly-qualified ones?

Setting aside for a moment whether we even need or want a Senate at all, the question that first must be answered is: what role should the Senate have?

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The House of Commons is composed of elected Members of Parliament. Canadians cast votes to choose their MPs, giving MPs a democratic mandate. At the next election, Canadians can pass judgment on their MP with their votes -- an important mechanism for accountability.

The Senate is, of course, unelected. Accordingly, it lacks a democratic mandate from Canadians and a clear accountability mechanism, which is why its role has traditionally been described as a house of "sober second thought." Senators examine legislation, and may tinker with it at the margins, but the unwritten rule is that in the end, they must allow the will of the elected House to prevail.

Senators appointed under this new process will almost certainly be highly educated, accomplished professionals with a long track record of success in their fields of expertise.

With a few notable exceptions (including gutting a bill that would have imposed transparency on unions and one that would have stripped the pensions from politicians convicted of certain crimes) the Senate has normally approved legislation passed by the House.

However, this might change with the new process introduced by the Trudeau government. New "independent" Senators could be emboldened to test out their new levels of "independence" -- particularly in the form of pushing back even harder on legislation passed by the House. Indeed, some people may even hope that happens. And if it does, it will be undermining the will of the House -- and by extension, Canadians.

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Senators appointed under this new process will almost certainly be highly educated, accomplished professionals with a long track record of success in their fields of expertise. They will be, in a word, elites.

And here's the thing about elites. They tend to think that they know much better than non-elites. After all, they're smarter and more qualified. And they were chosen for the role specifically because of those qualifications -- unlike MPs, who are merely "elected" by the masses under a party banner.

Now, these elites may have entirely good intentions. And it's certainly possible that legislation sent to the Senate may be "bad" legislation that many people wouldn't want to become law. But good intentions and the quality of the legislation are completely beside the point. Simply put, Senators have no right to block the will of elected politicians; elite status does not bestow the legitimacy that can only come from popular approval of voters.

Those celebrating the new "independent" Senate appointment process may want to dial back the enthusiasm. A less partisan Senate may soothe the concerns of those simply troubled by the hyper-partisanship prevalent in Canadian politics today. But it might also lead to law-making by self-important elites who think they know much better than the representatives chosen directly by Canadians -- which would undermine, rather than strengthen our democracy.

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Technological innovation has been dramatic over the past decade. From the rise of social media to the emergence of Big Data, there is no doubt that the past decade's innovations have dramatically disrupted socio-economic fundamentals. New business models such as same day on-demand delivery and new technologies such as virtual reality are changing the way we interact with each other. While these new breakthroughs have been impressive and have accelerated the rate of innovation, it is increasingly likely that the pace of innovation over the next decade will be slower with retraining human behavior taking increasing precedence alongside continued technological progress.

Indeed, the pace of scientific innovation will no doubt quicken over the next decade thanks to a number of changes in the way scientific knowledge is developed and increases in global scientific investment. There is no doubt that the next round of major scientific breakthroughs will still take time to develop but thanks to increasing global collaboration and investment, those scientific breakthroughs will occur rapidly. In addition, thanks to knowledge distribution networks that can instantaneously reach a critical mass of individuals, subsequent follow up innovations will occur even quicker than before. The only critical missing element that will slow down this breakneck pace is whether individuals can be re-skilled quickly enough to support both their own economic sustenance and changing industry needs.

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Why will retraining human behavior take precedence over technological innovation in the next decade? There are a number of reasons including:

Business Organization Catchup: While many of today's startups are reaping the benefits of industry disruption, legacy corporations are still slowly catching up to the new business environment. Indeed, legacy corporations have to perform a delicate balancing act. Not only do they have to maintain their existing hard won brand but they somehow must balance the requirements of keeping ongoing operations functional while at the same time innovating. Not an easy task.

Socio-Economic Catchup: It is very easy, particularly for those living in technologically advanced global centers, to think that the majority of society is already benefiting technologically. For those living in advanced global centers where access to on-demand delivery is ubiquitous, it is easy forget that the majority of the world's population is still struggling to gain access to basics such as Internet connectivity. There is a significant swath of the population who have not benefited for a variety of reasons including:

Economic Disenfranchisement: While a portion of the population has been reaping the economic benefits, there is a silent majority who have been in economic decline. Whether it is the rise of precarious work hours in the service sector or the lack of unskilled employment opportunities, there are an increasing number of individuals who are falling through the cracks.

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Social Disenfranchisement: There are a number of individuals who aren't participating in the technological revolution due to individual intransigence. These individuals are unwilling to learn about new technologies or are highly resistant to any change in their routine. The speed at which new advancements are occurring is not only frightening and bewildering but is undermining the societal beliefs of these technological laggards. Everything from how individuals should be interacting with each other to the definition of community is being fundamentally challenged in our knowledge- based, rapid-communication economy.

While technological innovation is continuing to move forward at a breakneck pace, there is an increasing desire amongst technological laggards to slow the pace of innovation. For the technological laggards who are refusing to adapt to the new innovations occurring around them, they are seeing their fundamental beliefs disrupted. The headwinds that this increasing societal resistance is creating cannot be underestimated, particularly if technological innovation is to continue at its breakneck pace.

The headwinds being created by the technological laggards is due to this group's desire for a reversion back to a simpler time where society ran on predictable rules and customs and at a slower speed. The cause for this "reversion" trend can solely be blamed on our inability to ensure that everyone in society has adapted to the changes occurring.

In particular, the technological revolution has not ensured that its benefits spread to all individuals along the socio-economic spectrum. Indeed, most individuals who have benefited from the technological revolution have indicated that those who are disenfranchised by the technological revolution will merely adapt and find new employment.

Unfortunately, this glib answer not only doesn't address how this will occur for individuals who are still expected to pay bills and put food on the table but also doesn't address the need by a significant portion of the population for long term stability and consistency. Indeed, while many who have benefited from the technological revolution are comfortable with constant change, the vast majority of society, whether rightly or wrongly in their perception, believes that their socio-economic upward mobility has stalled out.

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If society expects the continuation of technological innovation at a breakneck pace, it is necessary that we address the concerns of those who feel left out. Without addressing the "left behind", there will be increasing resistance to change through various levers from political to social to economic.

Those benefiting from the current pace of technological innovation forget that there are still a number of socio-economic levers that technological laggards can pull to slow the pace of innovation. From voting to regulation to individual resistance, technological laggards have sufficient power to slow down innovation if they truly desire.
Vitaliy Holovin via Getty Images KYIV, UKRAINE - JULY 11: Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau visit the memorial to victims of anti-government protests on Maidan, in Kyiv, Ukraine, 11 July 2016. Trudeau arrived in Ukraine on a two-day official visit with meetings planned with President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman. (Photo by Vitaliy Holovin/Corbis via Getty images)

The term "gerrymandering" is rooted in the 1812 state elections in Massachusetts when Governor Elbridge Gerry tried to manipulate the outcome by redrawing electoral district boundaries to give his party an unfair advantage.

The new borders were not drawn using any discernible logic based on counties, population or geography, and no debate was permitted. They were drawn for the sole purpose of excluding unhelpful voters and maximizing helpful voters. Lines were so contorted that political observers of the day said they resembled a salamander. "Gerry-mander" became the pejorative term used to call out attempts to manipulate the democratic process.

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Historically, Canada was not immune from this troubling practice, but fortunately Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson showed great leadership when he handed responsibility for designing the electoral map to Elections Canada in 1964. Unfortunately, the style and form of the electoral reform debate in Ottawa today resembles a modern gerrymandering exercise.

Rather than changing riding borders, the current exercise seeks to replace the entire system, which at present allows for a party to be replaced by another with relative certainty and clarity. The prime minister's mandate letter instructed that only proportional representation or preferential balloting be considered for reform.

Debate... is geared toward selecting one of two new systems that Liberals know will benefit them.

The Plurality or First Past The Post (FPTP) system we use now is not even permitted to be part of a debate that is geared toward selecting one of two new systems that Liberals know will benefit them. Preferential balloting would likely provide for a weakened opposition and better results for the Liberals. Proportional representation would allow the Liberals to manage power by dominating smaller parties through ever-shifting coalitions on the left.

In its 2007 electoral reform process, the Ontario government created an independent Citizen Assembly to consider electoral reform. The assembly was a representative group of citizens from all ridings in the province and they were charged with reviewing all options and recommending changes to the electoral system.

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The Citizen Assembly was given expert support to help them explore alternatives to FPTP, but very importantly, they were also asked to consider the pros and cons of FPTP as well. Citizen Assembly members knew their recommendations would be put before all Ontarians for a vote on whether to change the system or not.

The McGuinty government passed two bills to facilitate a comprehensive debate, a public education campaign and, ultimately, a referendum on electoral reform. Who did Premier Dalton McGuinty have lead this exercise for Ontario in 2007? The deputy minister leading the electoral reform process was Matthew Mendelsohn.

During the Christmas period following the 2015 election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Mr. Mendelsohn as deputy secretary to cabinet, the second highest role in the civil service.

Premier McGuinty's principal secretary at the time was Gerry Butts. Mr. Butts now has the same role, principal secretary, to prime minister Trudeau. The same two advisers who ran the electoral reform process in Ontario are now running it for Canada.

So, what are Mendelsohn and Butts doing differently this time around? Well, to begin with, there is no Citizen Assembly process at all. There is no independent representative body, nor is there an expert-driven process allowing for an open debate. There is no public education campaign. And most importantly, there is no vote by the people in a referendum.

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Many, if not most, observers consider the electoral reform debate currently underway to be a sham.

This time, the debate is cursory and entirely political. It consists of a Liberal-dominated committee in Ottawa and a few stacked partisan town halls held by Liberal MPs in the dead of summer. Debate is being severely limited, and the existing FPTP system specifically excluded. The prime minister continues to resist all calls for a referendum vote even though Ontario, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island all held votes on the issue.

For these reasons many, if not most, observers consider the electoral reform debate currently underway to be a sham.

The Ontario Citizen Assembly process and referendum of 2007 was widely hailed as one of the most open and innovative discussions on electoral reform in the world. The McGuinty government considered a referendum to be critical to the legitimacy of their process. During debate on the issue, this view was best expressed by Minister Chris Bentley when he said "[i]t is ultimately the people of the province who decide how they are governed and going to be governed... The result should be in the hands of the people."

That begs the question: what has changed since Mendelsohn and Butts helped lead the electoral reform process in Ontario? Why would they now stifle debate and not allow the ultimate decision to be "in the hands of the people" like it was for Ontario?

Simply put, the Liberals want a different result this time around. Ontario voted down a change to the electoral system (as did British Columbia and PEI), and the Liberals do not want to give Canadians the chance to say no again.

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Canadians deserve to hear from Mendelsohn and Butts in this debate. They need to explain why they are not adhering to the same open and fulsome process they created for Ontario. They need to explain why they gave Ontarians a vote in 2007, but are not giving Canadians a vote today.

If they remain silent, their motives can be assumed and their electoral reform process will remain illegitimate. Two centuries after the gerrymandering of Governor Gerry, we need Principal Secretary Gerry to do the right thing and treat Canadians with the same respect on electoral reform that he showed to Ontarians.

After all, it is 2016.

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Earlier this year the Indonesian Psychiatric Association issued a statement branding homosexuality and transgenderism as curable mental illnesses. A school for transgender women in Indonesia was also shut down. When the founder of the school, Ibu Shinta claimed that Islam affirms diversity, she was simply labeled as "mentally ill."

One simply cannot reason with those whose hearts and minds are sealed. A deep-rooted heterosexism clouds the judgment of otherwise thoughtful conservative Muslim leaders. However, it is still important to dispel misinformation on homosexuality that constitutes common knowledge within Muslim communities.

Five common misconceptions include the conflation of sexual abuse with homosexuality, explaining the latter through pornography, associating sexual practices and diseases with sexual orientation, trusting reparative therapy and diminishing the harms of permanent celibacy. Each of these five misconceptions is addressed below.

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1.Affection and companionship do not arise from sexual abuse

The documentary "The Dancing boys of Afghanistan" reveals the sexual abuse of boys used as surrogates in gender segregated societies. Saudi men have been noted to temporarily access male youth when their wives are pregnant or menstruating. According to one paper, childhood sexual abuse of Saudi males has been associated with anal intercourse, later in life, with wives or other males, as a form of misdirected revenge.

However, it is highly unlikely that love and affection for another person could arise from something as ugly and painful as sexual abuse. The problem is that of reverse causality. Children who later identify as LGBT are often socially isolated and therefore vulnerable to abuse. Thus, mainstream researchers and professionals reject the notion that sexual abuse turns an individual gay.

2.Lewdness does not change sexual orientation

Conservative Muslim leaders sometimes establish causality between viewing pornography and sexual orientation. However, it has been noted that heterosexuals and asexuals occasionally view homosexual pornography despite having no desire in masturbating or establishing a sexual relationship with members of the same gender. Indeed, sexual behavior has to be distinguished from sexual orientation.

3.Sexual practices cannot be conflated with sexual orientation

There are promiscuous heterosexuals just as there are monogamous homosexuals. Conflating AIDS with gay men in unwarranted. Indeed, in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa, we do not associate AIDS with heterosexuals but with unsafe sexual encounters. Additionally, while many heterosexuals engage in anal sex, many gay men do not engage in that activity even in casual encounters in the freest of societies. Thus, sexual practices have to be distinguished from sexual orientation.

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4.Muslim and Arab professionals also condemn sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE)

The negative impact of SOCE include depression, hopelessness, loss of faith, deteriorated relationships with family, poor self-image, social isolation, intimacy difficulties, self-hatred, sexual dysfunction, suicidal ideation, feelings of being dehumanized, increase in substance abuse and high-risk sexual behaviours. According to the American Psychiatric Association statement from 2000, in the last four decades, SOCE supporting therapists have not "produced any rigorous scientific research to substantiate their claims."

All major U.S. mental health associations have issued statements warning against the potential harmful effects of such therapies. Likewise, in 2013 and unlike the Indonesian Psychiatric Association, the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health (LebMASH) released a position statement on SOCE, which included the following excerpts.

Currently, the global consensus among healthcare providers is that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality without any intrinsically harmful health effects. ... Similar to left-handedness and other human attributes, homosexuality is likely manifested due to a mixture of genetic and environmental factors. ... In the same way that heterosexuality is not a choice, homosexuality is not a choice either. Efforts to change sexual orientation are not based on any sound scientific evidence. On the contrary, this practice has been abandoned due to proven failure and serious harmful effects. ... LebMASH urges healthcare providers in Lebanon to refrain from this unethical and potentially harmful practice. We also urge health care organizations to take a strong position against such practices.

5.The permanent celibacy struggle is harmful and unIslamic

The struggle between faith and homosexuality has been associated with anxiety, panic disorders, depression and suicide ideation. While a minority has been willing to make sexual abstinence a life goal, it has not always worked in the long-term even for them. Most individuals are not super moral figures to be constantly fighting nature through a celibate lifestyle. On living without intimacy and human touch, one Muslim writer mentioned:

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How could a human being, let alone a Muslim, suggest such a lifestyle for a fellow human being -- especially when it's a lifestyle they don't accept for themselves?

The 14th century jurist Shatibi recognized that some human dispositions are so inherent that to deny them would be to harm human beings irreparably. The human need for intimacy, affection and companionship is so deeply ingrained that prescriptions that ignore them lead to taklif ma la yutaq (creation of obligations that cannot be met). Therefore, permanent celibacy is rejected as unIslamic.

In conclusion, can the opinions of conservative Muslims leaders really be followed when they are based on grave misconceptions on homosexuality? On the other hand, can closeted Muslims of various sexual orientations break those misconceptions by rejecting unsafe and harmful sexual practices?
If you have a desire to sip on an endless string of rum cocktails by the beach -- well, dream no more -- it can be your reality. Feed your piggy banks generously and save up for a trip to Saint Lucia; it's a destination filled with a tremendous bounty of fresh food and refreshing drinks.

I suggest rum as your drink of choice because embedded in each Saint Lucian is a passion for creating this assertive elixir. It is not uncommon to find home spun creations of rum at family-run resorts which they're happy to share stories of. As well, it would be remiss of me not mention the fact that at some point...everyone will claim that their rum is the ultimate aphrodisiac -- a natural Viagra, if you will. This certainly explains why Saint Lucia is a popular honeymoon destination.

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In addition to drinks, there's a lot of natural beauty to behold in Saint Lucia. The island is situated northeast of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados, and south of Martinique. Saint Lucia is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea on the west and the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its rainforest interior features white sandy beaches, reef-diving sites, and soothing waterfalls.

The land is further enhanced with twin mountains in the west coast referred to as the Pitons. The capital of Saint Lucia, Castries, is a frequently visited place by tourists and locals for its architecture, heritage sites, beaches, food, and craft markets.

With a population of about 185,900 people, residents and visitors enjoy a tropical, humid climate all-year round.

In my opinion, there's no better way to taste heritage than to try the local rums on the island. Here are my recommendations:

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Rum Tasting at The BodyHoliday

About: Open since 1988, The BodyHoliday resort has been a passion project of the Barnard family, who embody every aspect of the entrepreneurial spirit. The family's legacy includes a rum distillery (opened in 1931 by Denis Barnard). The revenue from the distillery helped finance the creation of this resort that is focused on holistic and healthy experiences for the body and mind.

Details: By special request, you can have a spirits expert guide you through the three types of rum offered on site that are created by the Barnard family. The rums are part of a philosophy that nutritious, organic eating (sourced from their on-site 4 acre farm) can be balanced out with periodic indulgences.

Taste:

1931: 6-12 years total aging. 7 American oak casks are used in the maturation process - these include Jim Beam, Jack Daniels, Buffalo Trace, and two Port casks. The rums are blended and left to marry in American oak for 3 additional months.

Intense chocolate and tobacco flavours. Depth and complexity with roundness of vanilla, toasted nuts, and oak.

How to Enjoy: Drink as Digestif; it is a sipping rum. Or eat it with chocolate fondue (offered on site).

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Admiral Rodney: 12-15 years total aging in American oak casks. Smooth texture, very prominent oakiness on the tongue. Concentrated caramel creme brulee flavours, on the nose rum/ rum raisin ice cream.

How to Enjoy: Drink as Digestif; it is a sipping rum.

Chairman's Reserve Spiced: 3-6 months total aging in Kentucky Bourbon barrels. Intensely orange/ molasses tastes on the palate with bright lemon notes. Back-notes of local organic spice blend that includes cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, orange peel, and lime.

How to Enjoy: Cocktail friendly; it can also be used in cooking as a glaze with duck or ham.

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Wine, Rum, and Cheese Tasting at Cap MaisonCellar

About: This seaside resort is located on the northern tip of Saint Lucia and offers intimate Spanish style villas that includes your own personal butler. There are only 22 suites on the property; this ensures plenty of pampering from staff during your stay.

Details: Specialty feature is the private Wine and Cheese, Rum tastings with Robinson George, Cap Maison's Sommelier. Cost is $75 US & up, per person for 'Tutored' Wine & Cheese tastings. $45 US per person for Daily Casual Rum Tastings.

Taste: Cap Maison Solera Cask is the resort's own rum creation that is blended and aged in-house. The rum is aged for 3-4 months in port and cognac barrels. Once married, the rum goes through solera aging for an additional 4 months in medium charred Kentucky oak barrels.

On the palate the rum is smoky, rich, with toasty notes.

How to Enjoy: Drink as Digestif; it is a sipping rum. For dessert, sip with dark chocolate.

Ladera Spice Rum

About Situated in front of the Caribbean sea and Piton mountains, Ladera resort offers 37 suites with an 'open wall' in each unit that allows you to be right in the heart of tropical paradise. Although there's no air conditioning offered, each suite offers a private in-room pools as a welcome respite from the humid climate.

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Details: Resorts in Saint Lucia aren't just businesses, they're family-minded and everyone has a passion for creating rum. Barley, the bartender who passed away a year ago, created the Ladera Spice Rum. It doesn't get any more local than this with a makeshift label that's slapped on the bottle. Learn how to incorporate it via mixology, wine, and cooking classes offered. Prices vary, inquire with staff.

Taste: Onsite bartenders inform me that Ladera uses local white rum as the 'base'. There's no aging and ingredients are 'steeped' in the rum.

On the palate, the rum is intensely spiced -- as if a hyperactive rum cake and gingerbread joined forces.
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The United Nations has issued a stark warning that South Sudan is facing a growing humanitarian crisis even in areas that had previously been stable.

With much of the world's media focusing on the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, this latest UN alert has got a little lost in all the noise, even though the UN's top humanitarian official, Stephen O'Brien, isn't mincing his words.

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"Let me be clear", he told journalists in New York last week, "people in South Sudan are not just fleeing their homes because they need food, shelter or medical care and school for their children. They are fleeing [because they] fear for their lives".

This sudden worsening is the result of the collapse a month ago of the truce between forces supporting the President, Salva Kir, and his deputy, Vice President Riek Machar, which also saw the killing and raping of civilians - including those seeking protection from UN peacekeepers.

South Sudan is the world's newest country. It's only existed for five years since breaking away from Sudan after a long, bloody conflict in July 2011.

But instead of celebrating their independence, many people have been packing up what belongings they can and trying to escape the violence.

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Since the civil war between followers of Kir and Machar broke out at the end of 2013, 900,000 people have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, with 100,000 more fleeing in the past month alone, mainly to Uganda.

Inside the country, another 1.6 million people have been forced to leave their homes and are internally displaced.

All this out of a population of just over 12 million.

It is easy to blame South Sudanese politicians for what's happening - and the government's refusal so far to agree to the UN Security Council dispatching reinforcements to the UNMISS peacekeeping mission with a tougher mandate to protect civilians, only underlines that.

But responsibility for the unfolding disaster in South Sudan can also be laid at the door of the international community.

The United States, for instance, was instrumental in pushing for its independence, but was not prepared for the long term commitment required to build a functioning state.

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As so often, the UN was handed the task of helping build the new nation, but without really being given the necessary financial and political backing needed to make a success of it.

No doubt UNMISS has made mistakes, chief among them, many observers believe, has been its lack of neutrality in its dealings with a factionalised government.

However, the task it faces in South Sudan is daunting.

This is a country that lacks the basic infrastructure to function. There are few decent roads, hospitals and schools, and it has few qualified civil servants, teachers, doctors, nurses, police or judges.

A veteran of both the US State Department and UN peacekeeping told me when the civil war first started in 2013; either you do the job properly - by which he meant putting in the resources and time required - or it's better not to do it at all.

And it's not as if there haven't been enough examples of the consequences of such half-hearted nation building to learn from.

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When the UN went into to Timor Leste in 1999 as it voted for independence after 25 years of brutal Indonesian occupation, privately both UN officials and Timorese leaders said it would need to run the country for at least 10 years to train the people and build the infrastructure it required to ensure a stable future.

In the end, despite warnings from staff on the ground, because its member states wanted to wind down their financial and military commitments, the UN handed over government to Timorese politicians after only three years, and reduced its role to a support mission.

Four years later, the country descended into chaos with police and army fighting each other for control of the capital, Dili, setting back the country's progress right back.

The fighting in South Sudan came even sooner after independence than in Timor, and has been much worse, with an estimated 300,000 people losing their lives so far.

And when the fighting starts, what work is being done to help build up healthcare systems or open schools is usually halted as it's just too dangerous for the civilians engaged in this work to remain, and humanitarian relief becomes the priority.

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In South Sudan, the UN says it needs another $700 billion for its emergency relief work and in the past few weeks, the non-governmental organisations involved in development work have had to suspend their operations.

Tending to the immediate needs of the 4.8 million people facing severe food shortages and trying to contain a cholera outbreak - as well as restoring the ceasefire between rival factions - are taking precedence.

As things stand, the resumption of the all-important work to build a functioning state and an economy underpinning decent healthcare, schools and universities seems some way off.
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As an MP, a person is afforded many privileges. I go to work in what is basically a castle from a fairy story. I can have my morning coffee in London while enjoying one of the best uncluttered views of the Thames from the terrace. There's absolutely no doubt that MPs have access to a great lifestyle, but the greatest privilege of all is the ability to change things. I campaigned on my deepest held beliefs and was elected to make them a reality, and only a tiny proportion of the population will ever hold that privilege.

Equally, though, I'm a representative for a minority party in Westminster. My vote is frequently lost in the arithmetic of debates. Sometimes I feel plucky, I've put up a good fight, I'm gallant in defeat. I've stood up to the Tories and lost, but I've made my voice heard. Other times, I'm devastated. I feel the crushing weight of responsibility and I can't believe the futility of trying to influence a system where people can't and won't understand what I have to say.

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One of those times was the debate on renewing Trident.

I've been opposed to nuclear weapons for as long as I can remember. I'm no imperialist, I don't need any expensive weapons to show what a great country I live in. I'm not worried about my country saving face on the world stage by clinging onto the last throws of a dying empire. I just want a country which cares for its poorest and most vulnerable. 200billion could be better spent. There are families in my constituency who can't feed their kids and we're spending this money on a bomb that will never be fired? It's obscene.

I have campaigned several times in my life on a platform of 'bairns not bombs' and I will do so again until the whole nuclear deterrent scheme is scrapped, and it's no longer an issue. If truth be told, it's not strictly 'bairns' or weans (as we say where I come from) either. There's a huge list of things I would rather spend that money on; the NHS, housing, education, to name a few.

I know that the debate is not strictly that simple. Somebody asked me if I would still oppose the renewal of Trident if it only cost a pound. Of course I would. These weapons cause horrific damage to human beings. In Hiroshima and Nagasaki, if it didn't kill people outright, it took them weeks or months to die from radiation sickness and other after effects of the attack. The fallout from nuclear weapons is gruesome and brutal and I couldn't justify subjecting anybody to such an ordeal.

Many people argue that the attack on Hiroshima ended the second world war. It's difficult to argue with this viewpoint, although I believe it could have been done with targeted conventional weapons and spared the lives of over 100,000 civilians. The attack on Nagasaki a few days later has historically been more difficult to justify. Even some people who agree that the attack on Hiroshima was ethically justifiable have reservations about Nagasaki. It's thought the attack, which killed between 40,000-80,000 people was largely superfluous, as the Japanese would likely have surrendered after dealing with the aftermath of Hiroshima, but were only given three days to collect themselves.

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Nagasaki illustrates to me how sickeningly easy it is to wipe out large swathes of people when the technology is easy enough. A president gets carried away, a command is misunderstood, political circumstances move more slowly than people on the ground do.

Lots of people who support nuclear weapons don't see how killing people using this technology is any worse than with conventional bombs. I don't generally support any bombing unless it's the last possible resort, but I think that conventional weapons are preferable for this reason: Nuclear weapons are dehumanising. When a nuclear weapon hits a city, all the people in that radius are destroyed, all the buildings are destroyed. All the things that collectively bind those people, the folk stories, music, songs, culture are wiped out. Libraries, museums, theatres, are forgotten about. The places where people are born, get married, pray, fall in love, no longer exist. All that these people are, were and would ever have been is annihilated. All that remains is the bomb.

London has a fancy parliament that looks like a castle, beautiful buildings and museums and pearly kings and queens, Eastenders and Camden cool kids. Glasgow has a wicked sense of humour, some of the funniest stories you will ever hear, red Clydeside, George Square and the Clockwork Orange. I love the vitality, history and the beating hearts of the cities in my life. God forbid, if a nuclear weapon were ever to fall, all that humanity would be lost in an instant.
Brexit will undoubtedly have a profound effect on UK farmers. Currently the UK is a member of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which dominates British agriculture. UK farmers now receive close to 3billion from the CAP, which constitutes up to 55% of farmers' incomes. There is, therefore, no chance of these being immediately dropped following Brexit without causing significant damage to the UK agricultural sector. Instead, the UK Government will need to prepare a long-term strategy to wean British farmers off these subsidiaries - through their gradual replacement with investment grants. The former strategy should consist of two main objectives: to increase overseas demand for British produce and to increase competitiveness through greater productivity and lower costs.

One of the major priorities for Dr Liam Fox, the new Secretary of State for International Trade, should be a significant push for British food exports. Whilst we are still a member of the EU, the UK will be unable to sign new trade deals and in the meantime Dr Fox should focus on increasing demand for British agricultural produce around the world. This will not be difficult. Several British farmers already produce high quality goods which are exported around the world, without the benefit of major trade deals. Improving British labelling and establishing a British Certificate of Regional Authenticity will help more UK farmers produce prestige goods which can then be marketed around the globe. A new junior minister responsible for increasing agricultural exports would be another easy way to boost the UK's agricultural sector.

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Currently many UK farmers are held to ransom by domestic supermarkets and their demand for low prices. Basic economic theory tells us the best way to increase prices for specific goods is to increase demand. There are already calls for the government to implement public food procurement policies to favour British produce, alongside an investigation into the power of supermarket chains. Whilst there may be some merit to these, it is highly unlikely the UK Government will have time to examine and implement these complex policies any time soon. Increasing foreign demand for our UK produce is a much better solution. It will present British farmers with another option: If they find the prices offered for their produce by UK supermarkets to be too low, they can choose to sell their produce abroad. In the modern age of refrigeration and containerism, it is entirely feasible for UK farmers to export their produce to the other side of the globe.

It may seem an obvious point, but the best place to export food is to places where there are more people - ie to places where there are literally more mouths to feed. Europe is a continent in demographic and economic decline, so it makes little sense for UK farmers to try and increase their share of this already crowded market. Instead they should be helped in their efforts to export goods to growing markets in Asia and America. Establishing greater demand for UK produce is a far more sustainable solution to the issues facing British farmers. Subsidiaries and high tariffs may provide some comfort for UK farmers in the short term, but in the long run they will make the UK agricultural sector uncompetitive and inefficient. British farmers need only look across the English Channel to see the mess which unbridled protectionism has lead to.

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In the long run protectionism damages the industries it was designed to safeguard, whilst also costing the country as a whole. It is certainly unfair to expect ordinary UK citizens to pay higher taxes to subsidies UK farmers in perpetuity, whilst also facing higher food prices as a result of tariffs on foreign produce. Instead, the UK Government should seek to gradually reduce direct subsidiaries - which currently make up over 2/3rds of total agricultural subsidiaries - and slowly replace them with investment grants focused on improving productivity. Removing many complicated CAP regulations will also provide a significant boost to UK farmers, reducing the amount of time they have to dedicate to unnecessary paperwork.
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With the threat of foreign fighters dominating headlines and stretching the capacity of European security services to breaking point, the hundreds of Westerners fighting against ISIS have attracted far less attention and scrutiny. However, many have voluntarily put themselves in harm's way, apparently undeterred by official warnings that it is "strongly discouraged" to fight ISIS and, as one American fighter noted; "As long as you're shooting in the right direction, at bad guys, they don't really care."

Fighting independently in foreign wars is not always illegal, but I would argue it should be.

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Our new report, based on a database of 300 non-Islamist foreign fighters, has found that, despite largely honourable humanitarian intentions, a majority of these fighters do not have prior military experience or training. Those that make it to the frontlines (and this is by no means guaranteed) face possible injury, capture or death. As independent fighters they are not bound by a strict, regulated command structure and there is therefore little oversight of their actions in the conflict. Neither are they necessarily welcomed either, even by some of the local groups they seek to join.

Existing laws surrounding foreign fighters can be difficult or impractical to apply. Often legality is dependent on a state's current allegiances. With the myriad of fluid, disparate groups operating in Syria and Iraq it is not always apparent where allegiances lie. Overseas war zones present significant evidentiary difficulties from a law enforcement perspective. As a result, the consistency of the application of these laws varies as much as the laws themselves.

This lack of clarity at worst tacitly endorses those foreign fighters more sympathetic to their own governments' stance. Many countries have updated laws in this area in response to the unprecedented numbers of foreign fighters joining extremist groups. The legal implications of fighting against extremist groups have yet to be tested, and may only become clear through a future precedent-setting cases.

Foreign fighting is not illegal in the U.S., U.K. or Canada as long as you do not join a proscribed terrorist group or an entity fighting against the state or the state's recognised allies. This allows fighters to join the YPG or Peshmerga as long as they do not commit war crimes or other criminal activities. The U.S. State Department has asserted that Americans fighting against ISIS are "neither in support of nor part of U.S. efforts in the region". Former British Prime Minister David Cameron noted that there is a "fundamental difference" fighting with Kurdish troops and extremist groups. Reports in Canada suggest that returning non-Islamist fighters have had little, if any, contact with law enforcement.

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France and the Netherlands do not prosecute those who choose to fight abroad on several conditions. They must not threaten their nation's sovereignty or security, commit criminal offences (including murder), or join a group recognised by the state as criminal. France adds an additional caveat - you cannot fight abroad for personal financial gain. These laws create a complex situation where non-Islamist fighters are in theory able to join groups fighting against ISIS as both countries are members of the U.S. led international coalition. However they remain bound by criminal law. The killing of ISIS fighters in combat can therefore be a prosecutable offense, as a Dutch citizen that fought alongside the YPG discovered before the case was later dropped. Other countries, including Germany, Italy and Sweden, prosecute foreign fighters that found, participate in, recruit for, or supply any group whose intent is criminal and has the capacity or desire to use weapons or explosives.

Some governments do comprehensively prohibit joining foreign armies, regardless of their status, intentions or allegiances. This blanket approach to foreign fighters, adopted by countries such as Belgium, Switzerland and Australia, does not provide any special dispensation for those fighting against extremist groups. Belgium provides an estimated 9% of Western Islamist fighters, a considerably larger cohort than would be expected from a country of Belgium's size. In comparison, only 0.6% of non-Islamist foreign fighters in our dataset are Belgian. Such a stance provides clarity and consistency, clearly outlining what is and isn't illegal to those that are more likely to be deterred by legal sanctions.

All governments should be explicit in their communications around non-Islamist foreign fighters, no matter their position. Law enforcement measures and prosecutions must then be applied proportionately and consistently. Governments seeking to reduce the future flow of non-Islamist foreign fighters should highlight state's existing work on the ground, the dangers (and boredom) that fighters face, and the fact that many local groups openly request foreigners stay away. Former non-Islamist foreign fighters that have returned disillusioned could play a role here.

Despite advocating a more comprehensive ban of foreign fighters, any new law should not be applied retrospectively to non-Islamist fighters that are currently embroiled in the conflict in Iraq and Syria. Non-Islamist fighters should not be prosecuted for a decision made under different circumstances, and those fighting against ISIS are likely to attract public support if there were any attempts to do so. A petition to have murder charges against the fighter in the Netherlands dropped reached over 65,000 signatures. Assuming they haven't broken existing criminal or international war crimes laws, non-Islamist foreign fighters should be encouraged to return home and report their involvement via an amnesty.

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Whilst they do not pose the same threat as returning Islamist fighters, returning non-Islamist fighters may face similar difficulties. These can range from legal sanctions to physical or mental health issues, or difficulties with post-conflict reintegration. Governments should consider the support that may be required for returning non-Islamist fighters in order to avert more long-term problems. Countries with large numbers of veteran non-Islamist foreign fighters should also reconsider whether existing support systems for military veterans are satisfactory, but also whether they could be used to help returnees.

The story of one British Army veteran that fought with the YPG is illustrative of the complications that can be faced by non-Islamist returnees;

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It remains unclear what the future holds for the hundreds of westerners that have fought, or are fighting against, ISIS. For those that do come home, the consequences of their decision to travel, whether physical, mental or legal, could be life changing. In the legal context at least, it appears many were unaware of the potential implications. With more legal clarity, such a situation could have been avoided. The conflict in Syria and Iraq is not the first to feature large numbers of foreign fighters, but considering the outcomes so far, we should make it the last.
I couldn't believe my ears. Driving along listening to BBC Radio 5 live late at night and Stephen Nolan was attacking Nigel Evans, just 48 hours after the vote to leave the EU.

More specifically he was trying to pin Nigel Evans down to a specific number for immigration as Mr Evans had been on the winning side in the Referendum.

Like a dog with a bone, Stephen repeatedly asked the same question 'Give me a number', trying to elicit this specific immigration quota from Mr. Evans.

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Now I'm all for holding our politicians to account; in fact, we need to do so more often and more rigorously than at present, but hounding this man was insane.

Why did Stephen Nolan think that he was going to get an answer to this question? Why did he think that Nigel Evans could even give him the answer to the question? He's not a front bench politician. He's not on any committees that could decide this matter. In fact, he just happened to be someone who supported the leave campaign and was available for interview.

Sadly this particular part of the interview has been 'clipped' by the BBC and this again is part of the problem. Perhaps because it clearly conveyed some of the anger felt in the aftermath of the referendum.

At first I dismissed this as a one off but within days we witnessed first Boris Johnson being hounded by reporters as he walked down the street, then Jeremy Corbyn who was incensed by the harassment to the point of lashing out.

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Since when has this kind of behaviour been acceptable by the press? Can you imagine anyone doing this to Churchill, Macmillan, Heath, Wilson, Callaghan or even Thatcher?

What the hell has gone wrong with reporters?

There was a time when it was a respected profession; today however it appears more often in the same breath as double glazing salesmen and bankers.

I had hoped that as we distanced ourselves from the referendum result and came to terms with it then this anger would abate. Sadly, it seems I was wrong.

A month later we have the Daily Mail story about Syrian refugees on the island of Bute complaining they are now depressed because it's 'full of old people and where people come to die'. It became a hugely popular story for them and drove a lot of coverage but of course, it wasn't true.

It was a rehashed piece from an earlier interview and deliberately taken out of context to form a more 'click worthy' story. And having a deliberately provocative and hateful headline it sparked a reaction, even though the story content was less critical.

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This was then swiftly followed by the mind numbing stupidity of Martin Brunt's Sky News piece in a church after the Nice Massacre, which was roundly ridiculed on Twitter with the hashtag #icouldhavekilledthemall.

There seems to be a growing sense of fear and hatred amongst a small section of society and reporters appear to have been caught up in this. Their antagonistic antics are not helping the situation; they are fueling a dangerous fire.

The freedom of the press is something that people hold dear in the country. It is a crucial part of any democracy and without it, we will find ourselves in a darker place.

But with freedom comes responsibility. Yes, hold people accountable. Yes, write stories that are of interest to the readers and yes please investigate stories that need investigation. But for crying out loud, do not pursue this angry agenda where every story needs a scapegoat.

Politicians particularly have long memories. They will remember what you are doing to them and if the opportunity arises, they will act. And history shows us that when they do it probably won't be to our benefit.

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It was itself a pretty Kafkaesque headline: "Kafka's papers seized by Israeli judges", declared the Times earlier this week.

News that Israel's Supreme Court had ruled that a cache of unpublished Franz Kafka letters and manuscripts should be removed from the possession of a family which had inherited them from the secretary of Kafka's close friend and legal executor Max Brod had an initial tinge of ... well, of the arbitrary exercise of unaccountable power against the little man or woman. Valuable documents belonging to a family sincerely entrusted with them years ago suddenly ripped from their grasp by the obscure decision of a powerful court.

Or maybe not. The ruling was expressly that the documents are to be given to the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. This is what Brod had wanted - that his friend's writings went to a major library or university. Instead for years they'd languished in the private safety deposit boxes of a family that had already sold the original manuscript of The Trial for nearly $2m. David Blumberg, the National Library's chair, has said the library will now be making the materials "accessible to the general public".

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Justice of a kind then. Not something Israel's courts always dish out. In particular, not its military courts which, among other things, order so-called "administrative detentions". These are something Kafka in his prime might have dreamt up. With the severity and remoteness of judgements from the sinister authorities in Kafka's novel The Castle, these are six-month-long detention orders handed down without the bother of an actual trial. Instead of gathering evidence that is properly scrutinised - and properly contested - in open court, individuals said to pose "a security threat" are simply put behind bars on the basis of evidence that is withheld from them and their lawyers.

And when I say "individuals", I mean Palestinians. As of the end of April, 692 Palestinians were held by Israel in administrative detention, 13 of them children. Probably the best known administrative detention case (and one I've blogged about before) is Mohammad Faisal Abu Sakha's. He's the 24-year-old from the Palestinian Circus School in Birzeit in the West Bank, who (of all things) teaches children circus skills. Without providing evidence, the Israeli military has apparently decided that Abu Sakha poses a "danger ... to the security of the region". And with this open-and-shut case in front of it, a military court imposed a second six-month administrative detention on Abu Sakha in June, meaning he's now due to be held until December.

No-one doubts that Israel has legitimate security concerns, but secret pseudo-trials based on unchallengeable allegations. This is ... well, this is like something from a Kafka novel. In Kafka's brilliant The Trial, the bank employee Josef K.'s usual 8am breakfast doesn't appear one morning and instead two strangers step into his bedroom announcing that "proceedings" have been instituted against him. K.'s ominous, nagging accusers - "Wilhelm" and "Franz" - are themselves just the inscrutable agents of a higher force, come to arrest him. They're relatively humble but unyieldingly certain about their tasks:

"... we're quite capable of grasping the fact that the high authorities we serve, before they would order such an arrest as this must be quite well informed about the reasons for the arrest and the person of the prisoner. There can be no mistake about that. Our officials ... never go hunting for crime in the populace, but, as the Law decrees, are drawn towards the guilty and must then send out warders. That is the Law. How could there be a mistake in that?"

How indeed. Except that's what criminal processes are supposed to be about. About testing the evidence, about allowing challenges to accusations, and about ensuring that people aren't snared in the kind of sinister bureaucratic traps that Kafka's work is so full of.
There is truly no place like Rome. It's history, culture, sunshine and sheer beauty make it one of the world's most romantic and educational cities. Even if you have never been to Rome before and don't really know where to start, it is very easy to plan your visit ahead of time, by filling your stay with unique and local experiences. There are so many things to do in Rome and it's unique character makes it perfect for couples, families, groups of friends and school trips.

I was lucky enough to visit Rome back in 2011 and stayed just outside of the beautiful Vatican City. The Vatican City was a place of great wonder. The diversity surrounding the real life version of the Da Vinci Code set was on par with a busy London street and the atmosphere quite extraordinary. St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are truly ethereal.

The grandeur was quite stunning and simply walking for hours and taking in the architecture, the culture, the smells, sounds and magical tourist hustle and bustle was a true treat for the senses.

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Various bus or guided tours can show you things from a different perspective and lead you to explore the famous sights of the many things to see in Rome, from historical ruins to the awesome Colosseum, there is beauty at every corner.

The Trevi Fountain is absolutely stunning and whether you are superstitious or not, the traditional legend that if visitors throw a coin into the fountain, they are ensured a return to Rome, is a wonderful experience to embrace. Just a ten minute walk from here, you'll find the monumental Spanish Steps within the Piazza di Spagna which also showcases one of Rome's beautiful fountains - Fontana della Barcaccia.

Some of the historical highlights include the famous Roman Forum ruins, the Colosseum - one of the new seven wonders of the world and the Circus Maximus offers a park stroll like no other.

One cannot discuss Rome without mentioning the absolutely divine food that Italy has pioneered over centuries and has become a staple cuisine across the world.

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Even in the depths of Sierra Leone, I found myself being offered bowls of spaghetti with a more traditional West African spin of a spicy, oily tomato sauce. In the Western World, Italian food is found in every household in some sort, plus every supermarket stocks every section from dry goods, to canned, to fridges and freezers full of pasta's, risottos and pizzas. Restaurants don't have to be Italian to serve Italian food either with most all rounder's serving at least one style of pizza and/or pasta and/or risotto.

The passion for food is evident even on opening ones hotel wardrobe - expecting to find the usual array of clothes hangers and perhaps a mini ironing board. Instead we were presented with a full stove, sink and fridge. All one would need to prepare a delicious pasta dish. There truly wasn't much more surreal than buying dried pasta and tomatoes from a proper Italian grocer in the heart of Rome to be tossed together in a Roman hotel room.

Eating in small, local, family run eateries, you will taste true Italian food like you've never tasted before.

One of my most favourite regional favourite dishes of Rome is pasta al'arrabiata or pasta with angry sauce. This is a dish that showcases Italy's ability to take just a few simple ingredients and make them something outstanding.

Pasta al'arrabiata

Serves 4

Ingredients:

500g dried pasta (I love rigatoni here, use GF if needed)

2 x 400g (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp chopped fire roasted chilli in vinegar (or use fresh/dried to taste)

1/2 tsp each dried parsley, oregano and Italian blend (or use thyme)

1 tsp sea salt

Method:

Prepare a large pan of salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer all the sauce ingredients in a pan, the longer the better. Leave for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, before boiling the pasta until al dente, usually about 10 minutes. By now, the tomatoes should be thickened and saucy, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Drain the pasta briefly, a little coating of starchy water will help the sauce coat the pasta. Add the pasta to the sauce, stir gently and toss to cover completely. Serve with a scattering of fresh herbs like basil.

Fried Courgette Flowers are another Roman speciality and whilst usually deep fried and filled with mozzarella cheese and anchovies, I prefer a healthier take filled with creamy squash and basil and coated in breadcrumbs to be baked until golden and crispy.

Baked Stuffed Courgette Flowers

Serves 4: Will fill 12 flowers with leftover filling (wonderful on a baked potato or stirred into pasta)

Ingredients:

12 (more or less) courgette flowers

Filling:

2 Pattipan squash

1 clove garlic

4 tbsp each fresh basil and parsley

3 tbsp plain, unsweetened dairy free yoghurt or tofu

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp breadcrumbs (use GF if needed)

Coating:

2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (use GF if needed)

1/4 cup tapioca or potato starch

1 tbsp VeganEgg (optional)

1/4-1/2 cup soya milk or water

Method:

Preheat oven to 200'C/400'F. Halve the squash and place on a baking tray in the oven. Roast for about 25 minutes or until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and leave to cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, place the remaining filling ingredients in a food processor. Scoop and discard the seeds from the squash and any tough skin or stalks. Add the rest to the food processor and process until mostly smooth but with a little texture (or to your preference). Carefully clan your flowers using a damp paper towel. Have a lined tray ready, sprayed with a little oil or cooking spray. Have the breadcrumbs for the coating in a shallow dish. Whisk together the starch, VeganEgg (if using) and the milk or water to make a coating as close to the consistency of whisked egg. Take each flower and either use a spoon to carefully fill the flower, or use a piping bag, be careful not to overfill and twist the top to enclose the filling. Coat in the starch mixture and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Lay on the baking sheet and repeat until all the flowers are used. Once all the flowers are prepared, bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. No oil necessary!

Now you can bring a bit of Italy to your kitchen with these two takes on authentic Roman cuisine.
Being a female is hard work right?

Society is telling me I am meant to have heaving boobs, a 20inch waist and a booty that twerks its way down the street like I am in some music video.

In reality, I have little B cups, which may I add, I love, a 26inch waist that enjoys a pizza or two and big child-bearing hips that swing side to side as I walk, sometimes banging into things as I forget how large they are.

Oh, but that is not all. Being female also means I must spend my mornings contouring my face, making that nose slimmer, erasing my chin away with my favourite Iconic London Contour kit and dusting myself with shimmer because without it I don't look like a Kardashian, which seems to be most girls on Instagram's life goals at present. Sad but true.

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The above is why I think we NEED to see more realistic models in the media. We need more plus size models.

Okay, so the likes of Ashley Graham and Iskra Lawrence are doing their thing taking the plus size industry by storm, however its just not enough.

Women need to be able to relate to the model - how can you envisage yourself in an outfit if a teenage girl with a body of a boy is modelling it? I want to open a magazine and see all types of bodies looking back at me, because the world does not come in one dress size. Everybody is different and that is what makes us beautiful.

The average British female is a size 16, and with that she more than likely to have cellulite on her upper thighs and some stretch marks from childbirth. That's life, that's real. However that is not represented. Larger models are used in magazines as a one-off special "how to dress for your curves" when it should be normal to open a magazine and see a healthy selection of different shaped models and less of the airbrushing please!

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Also, where are the black plus size models? I mean these are the women who are born with those natural curves but why are they not represented? Black women wear clothes too! I mean come on guys, it's 2016, is it not time we embraced each other and the different beauty the world has to offer?

Why is fashion still stuck in the times where lighter skin is beauty?

Model Philomena Kwao is a Ghanaian-British model who appears in the Swimsuits For All campaign but is pretty much a one of a kind as the modelling industry still hasn't become diverse enough with regards to skin colour.

I spoke to Models Of Diversity model Netsai Tinaresse Dandajena, a dark skinned beauty who has big dreams and shuns society's ideals of beauty.

I caught up with her on her views of the absence of dark skinned models.

"One of the reasons I wanted to be a model was to mark my looks as beautiful, dark skin, curly hair, large hips, larger than most models."

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Modelling for My Milauk photo credit Cellisphoto

Her inspirations in the plus size industry come in the form of dark skinned models Philomena Kwao, Simone Charles and Rose Concencion.

She added "When I looked at them I felt like I had a chance and maybe one day I will be the reason why another black girl can dream big! Usually when I walk into a casting I am one of the only dark or black girls."

I feel the modelling industry will take a light skin girl before they take on a dark skin girl because they believe people will relate to that skin tone as beautiful before they do the dark skinned model. The modelling industry follows trends that are set by society. They present beauty according to society and unfortunately we are still trying to convince society that big black girls are beautiful too."

Photo Credit Chima Luke Okafor

Diversity is important! Let's teach the next generation to accept all types of beauty. As a mother to a little girl I tell her everyday she is beautiful because I want her to grow up knowing she is. I want her to reach for a magazine and relate to what she is presented with and never have to question herself if she is beautiful and never have to question if her dark skinned friend is beautiful either.

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Model Jerri Hoath can relate, as a single mother of two she has had her battles when her daughter was bullied at just five years old! Jerri had to pull her daughter out of school and began to home school her herself.

Jerri flaunting her curves photo credit Jovon Lennon

Jerri tells Models Of Diversity of her experiences: "My daughter was bullied so badly to the point I had to home school her and it left me trying to find ways to teach her how to love herself - hard when you don't know who you are yourself. During that time my daughter urged me to enter a modelling competition and although it terrified me I did. I wanted her to see nothing was impossible."

Entering that competition changed her life, working professionally for well known plus sized brands, winning an award for best international model of 2015 and her latest success of being up for nominations for best model at the prestigious plus size awards.

Jerri continues: "I have gained confidence which led me to go back to University last year and graduate. My life is hectic and I don't get much down time but I feel blessed and thankful. The feeling I get walking down a catwalk knowing my daughters are at the bottom of it cheering me on is amazing like no other."

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Jerri modelling for Rosie Red Corsetry photo credit Wolf Media

Two stories from two inspirational women. So if you have thighs that touch, ebony skin or are a single mum DO NOT let these things hold you back. Because these girls prove that dreams come true if you believe in YOU!
Hollywood is home to the rich and famous. As someone who has grown up watching the city on screen, there's something very magical about visiting Tinseltown in person. It has a vibe like nowhere else in the world - with a culture that is very much its own and sprinkled with a long history in film and television. After recently spending a week in Los Angeles and taking in the array of sights the city has to offer, I can now bring you my Top 5.

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The Hollywood Museum

The Hollywood Museum is really an institution in the landscape of Hollywood, and a must-see for any classic film enthusiast. It's home is in the historic Max Factor building, the very place where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde, with all of the who's who of the silver screen having passed through its doors. On the ground floor, you can look around the various makeup rooms that are themed around hair colour, and see an overwhelming amount of memorabilia dating back to the silent film era. The whole museum is somewhat overwhelming, with all the costumes, props and scenery you could wish for. They even have one of the four original pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in Wizard of Oz! From the classics to items that are fresh off the set, this is a treat for all ages. Spread over four floors, The Hollywood Museum is an Aladdin's cave filled with genuine treasure from years of filmmaking.

The Hollywood Sign

I had never done the trek up to the Hollywood Sign, so I thought this trip would be a opportunity to try it out. We started at the Griffith Observatory, which is actually a whole destination in itself, with a great building design and super views over the city. We then took a walk to the top of the hill, which I thought wouldn't take too long, but it totaled about two hours to reach our destination. We later found that a quicker track can be taken quite close to the sign, from Canyon Lake Drive, which also offers a nice view in front of the sign on the way up. Although the sign is quite fenced off, we got a great view over the city, and it's pretty cool to be on the same level as this iconic landmark.

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Museum Row

Museum Row is a stretch of four of Los Angeles' major museums, based on Wilshire Boulevard between Fairfax Avenue and La Brea Avenue. With each having great architecture and surrounding land, you get a treat before you even step inside one of the buildings. The La Brea Tar Pit, with replica Columbian mammoths included, is a really stunning sight. It has real bubbling oil, which is quite impressive, although the strong fumes might be a tad strong to picnic directly next to. If you visit on a Friday evening, from 6pm you are in for an extra treat, as outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art they have live Jazz music. On the night we visited, they had the legendary Barbara Morrison with her quartet, who delivered a truly world class performance.

TCL Chinese Theatre

On your trip to Los Angeles, you will no doubt stop off somewhere along the Walk of Fame, and TCL Chinese Theatre is situated right in the centre of it. Along with its dramatic architecture, it holds an impressive collection of a-list handprints on its doorstep. So you can physically place your hands into the hot concrete and find out how your digits measure up against the likes of Joan Crawford or Will Smith.

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Rodeo Drive

This is a relatively small stretch of street, that has become iconic in it's own right for being the stomping ground to the glitterati of Beverly Hills. Every bit as glossy as you imagine, lined with palm trees and designer boutiques. It's really nice to stroll down in the sunlight, surrounded by LA's most fashionable. At the foot of the road you'll find the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel, which you may recognize from its starring role in Pretty Woman.
This week, a worldwide, several-day protest was begun against a hated power whose unaccountable and undemocratic use of arbitrary laws to stamp out dissent has made barely a ripple amongst those not affected by it. Yet barely a peep was heard from the MSM. This was the decision by many of Facebook's meme pages to embark upon a collective protest, marked by the adoption of a profile picture overlay in the form of a pink, inverted Facebook logo, against Facebook's community standards policy.

The dissenters' gripe is with Facebook's habit of closing down pages without notice and without informing of them of the reason for the decision, a process that has come to be called 'Zuccing'. A post on the page 'Kevin 3: In case of a Zuckmergency, break glass' (don't ask) laid out the general form of the complaints on Friday: Firstly, "Facebook claims that content has been reviewed when it clearly isn't. Graphic gore and racial hate speech routinely remains after being reported, which any reasonable reviewer would catch"; secondly, "verified pages appear to operate under a different set of standards, contrary to the claims made by Facebook"; and thirdly, "Facebook's statements are fraudulent and meant to pacify consumers".

This article is not about the content of the protest, which does nonetheless raise interesting questions about the increasing appropriation of free speech language by the right-wing ideology that largely dominates memes, and about the left's proportional abandonment of unconditional free speech. It will not dwell on the content because the protest is, frankly, entirely futile. While some pages have taken the issue very seriously and even started making complaints to the Federal Trade Commission, it was evident from the start that memes' overwhelming tendency towards irony would be in tension with a serious programme, and predictably enough some of the more nihilistic pages have started to subvert the protest with faux messages of solidarity with Facebook. The most established meme pages, meanwhile, which tend to have a broader appeal - such as God Save Our Gracious Meme and, disappointingly given its subject matter, Sassy Socialist Memes - have had no truck with the protest, which has marginalised it to the most devoted memers.

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The most important aspect of this protest is rather that it has exposed a fundamental ambiguity in the position of big social media companies like Facebook and Twitter. On one level, they are simply companies offering people a service. However, the nature of that service is a unique one: essentially, it is an extension of people's lives, in particular their social lives, into a virtual space. The conventional view runs that society is formed of the relationships between people. If this is true, then Facebook is not merely a company, but also an extension of society.

The ambiguity enters here. Facebook behaves like a company offering a service: it unilaterally makes the rules by which users must abide, and in exchange, they can use what it offers. Yet the activities in which people engage on Facebook, which revolve around their social lives, are customarily regulated by society rather than by one private individual within it. The result can only be conflict: in this case, in the form of meme pages protesting against a censorship which they feel is at odds with their conceptualisation of society, and against the arbitrariness of its imposition, which are particular to an opaque and unaccountable private body with more regulatory power proportional to the activities within its domain than a government has.

In fact, the most obvious historical parallel with the memers angrily complaining to the FTC is the 1381 Peasants' Revolt. Facebook takes the place of the feudal lords who believe that they still have the right to impose arbitrary rules in their domain, within the limits of central authority. The peasants/memers respond by appealing to the higher authority, the central government, to give them their rights. Facebook is today's localised noble, regarding the society that its users form as (in the terminology of Jurgen Habermas) an essentially private space, subject only to its own will. The rebellious protesters, by contrast, implicitly believe it to be a public space, in which they can interact with others without arbitrary interference.

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The question must be, then, can Facebook retain private control of the social space that it has built? This might seem a melodramatic question to ask in response to a muted protest by a handful of meme pages. However, the contradiction between the site's private ownership and its social function are real and causing problems for other platforms: witness Twitter forming an advisory board of users to discuss methods of limiting online abuse. Right-wing technophiles, noting that many of the board's members are feminists and other targets of their own abuse, reacted with consternation and cliches, but if they wish to prevent the rule changes from being unfavourable to them then they will have to demand their own place in the rule-making process. It is possible to see this fledgling user representation developing into a kind of virtual democracy, in which users of the platform would decide collectively how its social relations should be regulated. The same could happen to Facebook.
If a millennial goes to a club and no one on social media is around to see it, did it really happen?

An unmaterialistic generation, all millennials want is wi-fi for their smartphone and a constant supply of enjoyable life experiences. Prioritising experiences over possessions is, in theory, a good thing. It's been linked to high levels of life satisfaction, which psychologists have put down to our ability to connect emotionally to an experience. Unlike our feelings towards material goods, this connection does not diminish over time.

However, does this only apply when we choose to embrace an experience purely for its own sake? After all, once these experiences become connected with another value, they change, becoming, in a sense, material.

This raises an interesting point for social media-minded millennials, sharing moments for peer approval. Are they living for the experiences or simply collecting them as virtual possessions?

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Experiences are marketed on social media like material goods

As the largest generation in Western history enter adulthood--with their own, albeit modest, disposable incomes--industries of every description are changing to cater for millennials' scrupulously-documented requirements.

To win over the millennial customer base, brands must work to make themselves compatible with the demographic's desire to promote their personal identity through social media.

Through sharing, millennials choose to promote experiences which reflect their own personality. It is, therefore, more important than ever for "experience providers" to tap into what millennials are trying to identify with--politically, ethically and aesthetically.

Consequently, marketers are beginning to understand the importance of influencer marketing--using social media figureheads as brand ambassadors to market goods and experiences.

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Living for likes: looks matter

Instagram and Snapchat are two of the three most popular social media platforms among millennials--after, of course, Facebook. A third of 18-34 year olds have Snapchat on their smartphones, and almost half have Instagram. With customers gladly sending widely-viewed, real-time reports of their experiences, businesses have to become hyper aware of their aesthetic appeal.

The first sector to take note of this trend was the food and drink industry. When dining, taking photographs of meals and "unique dining experiences" are now par for the course.

Restaurants and eateries are changing their menus, honing their presentation skills in order to provide photogenic dishes. Chili's Grill & Bar admitted to tweaking its meals to make them look more attractive on Instagram--with over 25,000 followers, it's obviously working.

But how does this translate as an actual experience? Some food critics worry that the time and energy put into food presentation is diverting focus from the cooking itself.

The answer may not matter much to either party. For the time being, they can enjoy (and benefit from) the social media promotion while living in relative ignorance.

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Digital marketers have been quick to grasp its significance; they've realised that visually documented experiences are critical for brand awareness. Video is already integral to creating the optimum online experience, with some saying it's possibly transforming the future of search.

The king of autobiographical visual snippets, Snapchat, has been lauded for its ability to bring potential customers to a company's website. If most of those videos contain brand endorsements that reach thousands, perhaps it's no surprise.

Experiences that don't change disappear

Unless you are yourself an avid Snapchat or Instagram user, the idea of life revolving around these--or any--photo-based apps may seem a little far fetched. But there is already evidence to suggest that industries which fail to cater to millennials' social media needs fall out of favour.

Nightclubs across the UK have been closing down. Millennials no longer seem interested in spending their evenings on this experience--some have argued that a rising majority are trading shots for smoothies. Marketing expert Mark Borkowski told The Independent that one of the reasons nightclubs are struggling to attract young visitors is that they are unable to create a "unique and photogenic experience".

The same buildings that once lured customers out are now keeping them in. Venues are being forced out of high-rent inner city locations, and being considered for redevelopment into luxury flats.

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For millennials, the stress and uncertainty of buying or renting has loomed over them throughout their lives. With such a strong focus on housing and saving money, it's not surprising that millennials are choosing to spend their nights inside.
The 34.7 percent voter turnout for Hawaiis primary election was the lowest since statehood in 1959, prompting U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz to suggest that a Saturday in August might not be the best time to hold a primary.
Review of

A Perilous Path: The Misguided Foreign Policy of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton & John Kerry

Anne R. Pierce, Ph.D.

Post Hill Press, 2016, 400 pages

It is widely understood, particularly among peoples who have suffered the consequences, that the Obama administration's foreign policy has downplayed human rights and freedoms; has stressed "stability" over these principles, attempting to assuage dictatorships and murderous ideologies; and has met severe challenges with passivity and equivocation.

Anne Pierce is a University of Chicago educated political scientist, a successful author and a professional analyst of American foreign policy. Her writings are informed by an understanding that politics is not a science but a moral quest; that "value neutral" academic analyses fail to penetrate the reality of international politics, and abrogate their responsibility to make moral distinctions.

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Her new book, A Perilous Path: The Misguided Foreign Policy of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, is a closely documented history of the Obama administration's wide-ranging foreign policy failures that also shows the sources of these failures in the moral blindness of Obama's post-modern cultural relativism and globalism. President Obama and his team have consistently downplayed individual rights in favor of a collectivistic orientation, paying attention mainly to group interests. Human rights have been interpreted broadly, not as individual freedoms as in the United States Constitution. Obama has demonstrated a "lack of passion for freedom." Like many leftist academics, he has embraced the falsehood that the United States under previous administrations sought to "impose human rights" as something uniquely American. He has "reversed the transnational movement toward more freedom, even denouncing its objective." Seeking to end conflict, he has been willing, even eager to compromise with some of the world's worst human rights abusers. His unilateral concessions have been interpreted - correctly--as weakness. He has squandered the potential of American power to do good by immersing and constraining it within ineffective multilateral efforts. America under Obama has punished its friends and rewarded its enemies. Strategic alliances have been neglected in favor of reliance on the "international community."

When Pierce lays out the cumulative (but, sadly, still unfolding) impact of these approaches, the result is shocking. The administration has downplayed anti-Semitism and the persecution of Christians, yet "American indifference made it easier for Islamist opportunists." Obama's equivocations (for example, calling Venezuelan dictator a "sociable guy") have made dictators more intransigent. American has sold arms to states that violate human rights like Bahrain and Egypt under Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi.

The "pragmatic" outreach to adversaries like the "reset" with Putin's Russia ("a government with amoral, antidemocratic priorities") has backfired, as the United States did little to deter aggression in Ukraine that resembles what Hitler did to Czechoslovakia; its response was "minimalist." Russia has outsmarted the United States in arms negotiations. Obama humiliated ally Georgia, leaving it to shift for itself against Russian aggression. The "reputation, influence, and the democratic standing of the United States has been compromised" by its failure to uphold promised missile defense in Central Europe.

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Pierce concludes that Obama's Middle East policies have been a "debacle." Obama's "dilatory" lack of pressure on former Egyptian ruler Mubarak, followed by his supplicating outreach to and legitimization of Morsi, were part of a larger pattern of ingratiating himself to the Muslim world. Obama's clueless intelligence chief claimed the Muslim Brotherhood was a "moderate" and "secular" organization that "eschewed violence" and had no international agenda. State Department functionaries trained the Muslim Brotherhood to contest elections, and promoted ties with American Muslims. Conditions for military aid were waived for Morsi but reinstalled when millions of citizens deposed him, and non-Islamist strongman Abdel el-Sisi replaced him.

Obama relinquished leverage in Iraq, leading to escalating chaos and the spread of an even more deadly form of Islamism than Al Qaeda. He was passive when millions of Iranians took to the streets to demand human rights, creating the impression of cowardice and naivete. Iran has subsequently "outplayed" the United States in nuclear negotiations. Obama courted Turkey's Recep Erdogan, claiming a "bond of trust" with a leader who is trashing the country's secular political norms and used a recent coup attempt to decimate the political opposition and civil society. Anti-Americanism is surging there.

Pierce's critique is most caustic when it comes to the Obama administration's "indifference" with respect to the bloody conflict in Syria, where about half a million civilians have died so far; for the most part, the United States has remained "idle and mute." Although Bashar al-Assad was considered the Middle East's most brutal autocrat who used terror tactics against civilians, America "catered" to Assad, with Hillary Clinton claiming he was a "reformer." When the regime massacred peaceful demonstrators and tortured children, moderate rebels forces begged for American help. But fearing entanglement, American officials made a preemptive announcement of nonintervention, giving Assad a blank check. Pierce quotes expert Anthony Cordesman who warned that largely moderate Sunni rebels were being driven to extremism; Islamists increasingly infiltrated the rebel movement, a problem that was then disingenuously cited by the administration as the reason for refusing to help the insurgents. Obama and John Kerry's "moral ambiguity" spiked with their "attempts to find solutions for Syria by collaborating with Russia...a key ally of the Syrian regime." Extremism has "metastasized" in the form of the Islamic State, not a terrorist organization so much as a terrorist army. But "whitewashing" the brutality of Iran, Russia and Syria won't help confront it.

The book includes concise but thorough summaries of the human rights situation in North Korea (DPRK) and in China, providing context for the analysis of US policies. According to Pierce, America has "looked the other way" and been "detached and apathetic" while North Korea has tightened its grip on its captive, brutalized population and built its nuclear arsenal. She blames "one-world socialism," which seeks a unified world free of conflicts, for contributing to the reluctance to work harder to free its people. "Polite" negotiations have failed, at totalitarians only use negotiations to buy time, and North Korea's nuclear weapons development has continued since it quit pretending and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. Obama's engagement policy, which again downplayed the regime's totalitarian ideology and human rights atrocities, gave the DPRK "more opportunities for deception." The Obama administration generally avoided the subject of human rights in dealings with the DPRK, ignoring "the power of American principles and words." Attempts to normalize relations with the rogue state led to further humiliations when the North Koreans scuttled agreements.

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The Obama administration has also "consistently downplayed" human rights in dealings with China, reflecting a tradition of "cultural relativism combined with a fondness for socialism...that consciously excuses communist repression." In 2009, on her way to China, Secretary of State Clinton said American priorities were economic issues, climate change, and security threats; human rights violations would not be allowed to block progress on those fronts. The Obama team stressed prosperity and international relations, rarely using words like freedom, liberty, or individual rights. Secretary Clinton stressed "economic statecraft," de-emphasizing the role of ideas. Pierce calls this a "policy of indifference," which also shows an indifference to America's founding ideas and ideals. Chinese positions stiffened up in response to America's "soft-power" approach, which confirmed that the United States under Obama was a paper tiger. While China built up a technologically advanced military, America retrenched. Crackdowns on human rights activism aroused only tepid criticism. While China pursued land-grabs in the South China Sea, the US proclaimed it America's most important partner.

Obama, Clinton and Kerry will leave "a more dangerous, more oppressive world," according to Pierce. I find her critique compelling. It is not partisan, but rather informed by her attachment to human rights principles that are the main foundations of America's political traditions. I have worked closely with Soviet dissidents who struggled for their human rights behind the Iron Curtain. A number praised Ronald Reagan, saying that when he denounced the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," they felt someone had finally understood and spoken the truth; his words, they said, inspired them. Human rights communities in repressive states find no similar inspiration from Obama.

But A Perilous Path is more than a critique, and offers a positive vision of an American foreign policy that "combines moral and practical concerns." It is in the DNA of Americans to use the nation's moral and political power to assist people around the world seeking human rights, freedom, and democracy - in the tradition of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Reagan. "The prevalence of groupthink degrades our traditions." Those leaders had confidence in the integrity of the American political ideal of individual rights, and its universal relevance. "Everyone," Anne Pierce insists, "deserves political freedom." America needs to be strong, to use its strength with restraint, and most importantly, American needs to "project its ideas of individual and human rights." If we do not take the lead, she writes, "those who hate democracy will." Indeed, under Obama, Clinton and Kerry, they have.

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Every individual animal matters: whether it is Elsa the lioness, whose poignant story of freedom gave birth to generation after generation of animal lovers, or Cecil the lion, whose brutal demise elicited a global outcry against lion hunting. World Lion Day (August 10) is meant to remind us of the dire state of lions in the wild, and inspire us to act with vigor to ensure the species' future.

We have no time to waste; lions desperately need us to shield them from deadly threats. They face habitat loss, reduction in prey populations, retaliatory killings from coming into contact with humans, and rising levels of international commercial trade in parts of their bodies (bones to Asia and "trophies" to the U.S. and Europe).

Fewer than 20,000 lions remain. Their threats persist; some governments still fail to act to protect the species; and some NGOs refuse to support full international protection. How could we "celebrate" World Lion Day when lions are in such crisis?

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We did celebrate... With action.

We started in 2011 with our ultimately successful petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protection for lions under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Now, we're focused on global protection at next month's meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Johannesburg, South Africa.

We knew the situation was dire, so we dubbed 2016 the "Year of the Lion" to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Born Free film and to put a special focus on lions all year long.

On World Lion Day, we introduced a light-hearted new video to raise awareness of the threats facing lions all year long. The video is for those who are unaware of their plight, and who perhaps can't handle the gruesome reality of what is happening on the ground.

We want people to continue to pay attention, just like they did when the news of Cecil broke. We hope that the comedic nature of Born Free USA's new video will inspire people to share it on Facebook and Twitter, and email it to friends and family. The more people who watch it, the more that lions will be on the forefront of the public consciousness for months to come.

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Make no mistake, though; designating a "day" for lions doesn't mean that we forget about them during the rest of the year. Rather, it means that maybe -- during the buzz surrounding World Lion Day -- the world will listen to another lion's story.

Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
With the end of World War II in August 1945, there was still no consensus on Korea's fate among Allied leaders. Many Koreans on the peninsula wanted independence and rejected re-occupation by foreign forces. Per the agreement at Yalta, the USSR entered the fight against Japan and invaded Manchuria and northern Korea. On August 10, 1945 two young officers, including future Secretary of State Dean Rusk, worked to define an American occupation zone. Working on extremely short notice and without consulting any experts on Korea, they used a National Geographic map to decide on the 38th parallel (not knowing that 40 years earlier, Japan and Russia had discussed sharing Korea along the same parallel.) On August 15, 1945, Japan's last Governor-General handed over power, marking Korea's Victory over Japan (Gwangbokjeol, literally "Restoration of Light Day"). The Republic of Korea was established exactly three years later.

Despite Soviet opposition, a UN-supervised election helped establish two separate Korean governments, with the South Korean government declaring independence from the U.S. military and the USSR's Korea building up military strength.

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This Moment was compiled from an interview with David E. Mark (interviewd beginning July 1989) was the Political Advisor (POLAD) to U.S. Forces in Seoul from 1946 to 1949. Read the entire Moment on ADST.org

MARK: Seoul had been one of the consulates general under Tokyo before the war, and we had a nice compound in the center of the city with a lovely old-style house that I believe is still used by the American ambassador, plus a little office down near the gate to the compound.... But in 1946 we were the only diplomatic establishment. The head of the office did high politics and told me about them. I began to learn. I was engaged in everything else, which included a little bit of administration, such as it was. We had one very faithful, loyal Korean employee, who had held out even during the war under a lot of pressure by the Japanese. There was a good bit of consular work from people trying to emigrate to the United States -- in those days under the Oriental Exclusion Act. No Koreans could hope to go as immigrants, but there were a lot of White Russians and others in Korea at the time....



The State Department and my boss, Bill Langdon, were really trying to prevent a right-wing victory among the Korean groups as we moved toward independence, which occurred in August 1948.

The military's first interest, as I said, was the Soviet Union and their forces, and second was our efforts to create a unified government for Korea, North and South. I think it was the December 1945 meeting of the British, French, American, and Soviet foreign ministers that had laid down a plan for a joint commission on Korea. The joint commission, American and Soviet, was to meet either in Seoul or Pusan, or both, to try to work out a unified government for the country under some form of very tenuous, unspecified trusteeship that was to be operated by the two superpowers. The trusteeship was to cover the whole country, because it was to be a unified regime.

In any event, the problem was that, in order to form a united Korean regime, we had to consult with various Korean groups. The Soviets immediately laid down a condition that consultation should only take place with those Korean groups which supported the Allied plan, including the indefinite

trusteeship of Korea.... Well, in any case, the thing broke down because all of the South Korean groups -- virtually all of the South Korean groups, particularly those on the right, and therefore favored by the Americans -- were against trusteeship. They said, "We want to become an independent country, and we don't want to have the United States and the Soviet Union telling us what to do after we become independent." So the thing broke down.

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The next meeting of the Soviets and the Americans in the joint commission, in the spring of 1947, these groups began testifying before the joint commission as to what their aspirations were for Korea and how they hoped a government would be set up. But the Soviets immediately began challenging them again saying, "Well, deep down in your hearts you are still against the trusteeship agreement." And, although we tried to work out modifications of the formula, the thing definitively broke down at that point.

There were communist or left-wing groups in South Korea until the Communist Party itself was outlawed sometime in late 1946 or 1947 because they engaged in a lot of trade union activity and incited a large number of strikes, including even a general strike in the country. So we -- the military government -- just outlawed the Communist Party. In the meantime, our forces had set up a full-fledged military government along the lines of the Japanese structure. That made even our right-wing friends in the government, in effect, only political parties. But since our military government had to rely on Koreans to staff the basic functions of the government all over the country, we tended to turn to these right-wing groups, and many of them were people who had flirted with the Japanese in one way or the other, or at least sympathized with them.

We brought back from China...Syngman Rhee, who became the first president of South Korea later on. But he was a man who had an impeccable anti-Japanese record from about 1919, when he had a little revolt against them and then he had had to flee, but his leanings were all on the right side. When he came back to the country, he was welcomed literally with a red carpet at the airport by the American generals.

The State Department was rather disturbed at the U.S. military's partiality toward the rightist side, although I suspect that the American military in its own mind probably didn't consider itself partial to anybody. They just wanted to keep the place orderly initially until they got a united Korean government, and after that until we got some sort of independent government for South Korea. They didn't want any communists there for sure. The State Department, and particularly my boss, was trying to promote a middle-of-the-road group.



When the second round of the U.S.-USSR joint commission failed in the summer of 1947, it was clear that Washington wanted to get some indigenous authority established in our part of Korea. So we then began moving toward legitimizing elections that could be held in the South to create a South Korean government. Indeed, we even got a U.N. resolution passed.

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Of course, all through this period we were debating in Washington about whether we should maintain a long-term interest in Korea.... it was later in 1947 that [Secretary of State] Dean Acheson made a speech in which he clearly indicated that the mainland, including Korea -- all parts of it -- was not going to be in effect defended within our security perimeters. The idea of not including Korea within our security perimeter made it all the more urgent that we at least leave South Korea with some kind of independent government, independent regime.

To jump ahead a little bit, when this new government came into being on August 15, 1948, we had made the decision to pull out of Korea altogether by the end of 1948. We were going to be out of the mainland militarily by December 31, 1948, but events postponed that.

The Department considered Syngman Rhee a stubborn older man living in the glory of his 1919 revolutionary attempt, who showed no flexibility, who was inherently authoritarian, who was pretty ruthless with any opposition groups or people who wouldn't cooperate with him, who behaved like a politician to be sure, which he had to be, but, nevertheless, one not in the democratic mold. His years of living in the West had not imbued him with the ideas that we would liked to have seen implanted in South Korea, although we were probably unrealistic.

Elections did take place; Syngman Rhee was elected...and he was inaugurated as president on August 15, 1948, which was Independence Day.... The democratic center-left groups that the State Department favored faded from the scene.

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Syngman Rhee did not have substantial American help in winning the election; I don't think he really needed it. He had gotten the signs of American approval when he was allowed to land in his own DC-4 at the airport and a red carpet was rolled out, with representatives of the American command there.

In October 1948 -- two months after the inauguration of the government -- there was a Communist military rebellion fomented by people who had infiltrated down the central mountain spine of Korea.

When the revolt broke out, the infiltrators really seized control of some areas in the South. We had begun to form a Korean constabulary back in 1946, but the Soviets had begun to form a Korean army -- a North Korean people's army -- which was far larger, better equipped and trained than our constabulary...

The constabulary was deliberately kept under-equipped. When I left Korea, which was April 1949, I remember some Korean officials, who were friends, pleading with me to speak in Washington about getting a supply of artillery shells for them. And I said, "But you have a six- month's supply." And they said, "No, that's only for training purposes. You know, it would be used up in a couple of days if we ever had to fight, and here the North is building up a very sizable army."...



I stayed in the South for a couple of days and then went into one of the first towns that the South Koreans had been able to recapture from the Communist rebels. It was a pretty gruesome sight in this area because the rebels had taken 200-250 people who were prominent in the South Korean government or in the community whom they had marched out of town, along a road. Then they tied their hands behind their backs and just mowed them down. I saw about 200-250 prominent dead people along the road.

When I got back to Seoul about four or five days later, I went to see the Ambassador and said, "You know, the Communist strength, their military strength, is obviously a lot stronger than we had thought, and if we pull out all our forces, which is now scheduled for December 31, we are soon going to lose this place." I was urging that we stay on and change our policy about pulling out.

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So the Ambassador said, "Well, draft a telegram and we will send it in." I did that.... By this time our military was essentially not involved any longer in policy formulation; so they were never consulted on our telegram. We had already cut down two regimental combat teams, you know, and the total number of forces was somewhere probably 5,000 to 10,000 at that point.

The response from Washington was that they weren't going to change our policy, but since, obviously, conditions weren't settled and the South Koreans needed sort of more support, at least in a morale sense, Washington would agree to let the regimental combat teams stay until July 1, 1949 -- six months longer. I left in April. During my last days in Korea, I wrote a paper...ending with my views that I thought we were endangering our position in Japan by pulling out of Korea and that that our Korean policy should be reviewed in this broader context. The embassy sent the thing in from the Ambassador saying, "Here is an interesting paper from our departing acting political counselor. The embassy takes no position one way or the other."

In early 1949, we in the embassy had no sense that an invasion from the North was a real danger. Korea must have been a great temptation, particularly after we had announced our intention to pull out and had excluded it from our security perimeter, without even voicing any words of conditionality or contingency in that regard. They had built up a force in the North -- an indigenous force that was much better than the one in the South and had active Soviet Red Army backing. The North is about half the population size of the South, but that wasn't very important, because it had mobilized a large part of the population and had equipped it well.

We had not done that in the South. The South was not a totalitarian state. The government was authoritarian to be sure, but there were still dissident elements in the South.... The Syngman Rhee government was totally hostile to the North. But objectively speaking, the South forces were not ready and the United States was still present.



I don't remember what the Soviets may have said about their security backing for the North Korean regime. We were well aware of Soviet supplying military advisors, if not de facto commanders, down even to the company level in the North Korean forces. There was not a Chinese role at the time, because the Chinese had just concluded their own civil war in 1949, but the Soviets and Chinese were cooperating at the time.

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Close-up of the back of the White House.

As teachers prepare to return to the classroom this fall, especially social studies teachers, they face a serious problem. How do you teach about the presidential election in a responsible way when you know that one of the major party candidates makes statements that are biased, incendiary, insulting, and so out-and-out false that many members of his own party refuse to support his candidacy?

A Teaching Tolerance online survey of 2,000 K-12 teachers reported raising racial and ethnic tension and bullying in classrooms and schools as Trump supporters feel "emboldened" to use slurs or engage in hostile chants ("Build the Wall"). A high school teacher from New Hampshire wrote, "A lot of students think we should kill any and all people we do not agree with. They also think that all Muslims are the same and are a threat to our country and way of life." A second-grade teacher from Virginia said her Hispanic students are "scared of being sent back to their home countries. They're scared of losing their education." An elementary teacher from Oklahoma reported "My kids are terrified of Trump becoming [p]resident. They believe he can/will deport them--and NONE of them are Hispanic. They are all African American." One Indianapolis, Indiana, teacher, finding the conditions intolerable, wrote on the survey, "I am at a point where I'm going to take a stand even if it costs me my position."

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I wish I had an easy answer to what is taking place - but I don't.

In this blog and future posts I will explore some options for teachers. I hope other teachers chime in with their ideas. We all need to help each other. If people email me at catajs@hofstra.edu I will assemble your ideas into a follow-up post.

An article in the New York Times this summer by Jim Rutenberg, "Trump Is Testing the Norms of Objectivity in Journalism," raised similar problems faced by news reporters. Rutenberg asked "If you're a working journalist and you believe that Donald J. Trump is a demagogue playing to the nation's worst racist and nationalistic tendencies, that he cozies up to anti-American dictators and that he would be dangerous with control of the United States nuclear codes, how the heck are you supposed to cover him?"

Rutenberg concluded, "It may not always seem fair to Mr. Trump or his supporters. But journalism shouldn't measure itself against any one campaign's definition of fairness. It is journalism's job to be true to the readers and viewers, and true to the facts, in a way that will stand up to history's judgment. To do anything less would be untenable."

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I think this is also good advice for teachers. Our obligation is not to maintain some abstract form of "balance" in the classroom, but to to help students become critical thinkers who learn to listen to others, evaluate their statements carefully and respectfully, and support conclusions with evidence. If one of the candidates and his or her supporters are shown to be lacking by this standard, that is the fault of the candidate, not of the teacher.

This entire unit takes about two weeks and involves students in a considerable amount of research, writing, and discussion. It is definitely appropriate for middle and high school United States history and government classes. In grades where students study other social studies topics it can be adapted for English classes where students are encouraged to read and evaluate non-fiction material.

I stress with students on all levels that an election is not a sporting event - it has very serious consequences for individuals, the nation, and the world. We are analyzing candidates as citizens, historians, and social scientists, not rooting for our favorite team.

At each point in the unit, perhaps as a daily closing activity, challenge students to develop and discuss questions they would ask candidates based on the day's lesson. They should also explain why they want to ask these specific questions. Homework can focus on fact-checking speeches, press conferences, press releases, and campaign websites. The New York Times runs a very useful online fact check page. Other fact-checking sites are FactCheck.org and PolitiFact. In class discussions we would identify criteria for evaluating candidate claims, especially the type of supporting evidence we expect.

Here is a unit outline with lesson aim questions. These are possibilities for topics and sequence and are certainly not set in stone. Student presentations on who they support for President are held at the end of the unit after candidate positions and other issues are carefully evaluated.

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1. What are the major issues confronting the United States and the world today? Distribute newspapers and have student teams identify five headlines from national or world news that point to major areas of concern. Teams list their headlines on large poster paper and explain their selections to the class. As closure, discuss similarities and differences in the areas the teams chose and try to arrive at consensus on the most glaring issues.

2. What are the constitutional powers and responsibilities of the President? Building on the previous lesson, turn to a discussion of the Presidency. This lesson could open with student statements of their views of the presidency, include an examination of Article II of the United States Constitution where it discusses the executive branch of government, and evaluate statements by past Presidents on how they view or viewed the presidency. Infoplease.com has a compilation of Presidential quotes that is useful. This is also good lesson for political cartoon analysis.

3. What constitutional and political limitations are placed on the President? This lesson starts with separation of powers but primarily focuses on political limits, especially when the nation is divided and the legislative branch is controlled by an opposition party. Students can examine FDR's conflict with a very conservative Supreme Court that threatened to overturn the New Deal or the continuing battle over the Affordable Care Act. During his Presidency, Barack Obama moved from a relative limited view of presidential power to become an active proponent of executive authority.

4. What qualities do voters look for in a President? As a do now activity, students can read excerpts from a 1983 New York Times article discussing voter views on the qualities of an ideal President. Gallup and Pew polls often ask voters about the qualities they look for in a Presidential candidate. Poll the class and compare student responses with national polls. This is an excellent lesson to include chart and graph analysis.

5. How does the United States elect a President? This lesson looks at Blue, Red, and battleground states. It explores the mysteries of the Electoral College, why there are actually 51 different elections taking place (one in each state and Washington DC), and why only a handful of swing states (Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin) are contested and actually decide the election.

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6. How does the media shape elections? Media bias is always raised by one candidate or one party or the other as a reason for trailing in the polls or losing elections. In this lesson students examine print and television coverage for potential bias. Students can examine excerpts from the Rutenberg article in the New York Times. FoxNews is a hot point here, both because they are often accused of rightwing bias and because they regularly accuse other media outlets of liberal bias.

7. What role do Third Parties play in American politics? At least two "Third Parties" have launched major alternative Presidential campaigns this election cycle. The Libertarian Party candidate is Gary Johnson, former Republican Governor of New Mexico. The Green Party candidate is Jill Stein, a physician and environmental activist. Both Johnson and Stein are demanding to be included in this year's Presidential debates.

Third Party candidates are sometimes accused of being spoilers (1948, 1968, 1980, 1992, 1996, and 2000) by drawing votes away from a major party candidate and influencing who is elected. This lesson should look at the platforms of the Libertarian and Green Parties and explore the history of Third Parties in the United States. In the 1850s the Republican Party moved from being a Third Party to one of the two major parties. Populist and Socialist Party platform positions from the 1890 to 1920 period later became part of the Democratic Party's New Deal and Great Society programs.

8. Voter Discontent: What are the roots of the Trump and Sanders campaigns? A Los Angles Times article, nearly a year old now, discussed how Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders drew on similar populist discontent with the state of American society, especially the economy. A Pew poll revealed widespread dissatisfaction with government and conditions in the United States, although Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders primary campaign supporters had clearly different views on possible solutions. Insidegov.com examines similarities and differences in their appeal and platforms. This lesson revisits the major issues identified in lesson 1 and why Americans are so divided on paths for the future.

9. How will changing demographics influence election results? This is another chart, graph, and map heavy lesson. Ethnicity, gender, and social class have historically had a deep impact on Presidential voting patterns. A majority of White men have been voting Republican in national elections since 1948. White women, African Americans, immigrants, and Latinos majorities generally vote Democrat and these groups are largely in the Clinton camp today. In 2012, Mitt Romney was caught on video saying that 47% of the electorate would never vote for him or other Republicans candidates because of how they identified themselves. Demographic change led to a switch from a Republican majority to a Democrat majority from 1928 to 1932 as more new immigrants became citizens and they and their American born children were eligible to vote. The Pew Research Center and the webpage FiveThirtyEight have great demographic material.

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10. Who do you support for President and why? Students come prepared to represent their preferred candidate with home-made buttons, shirts, posters, flyers, and statements. They can meet in candidate caucuses before we start presentations and discussion. There are three rules. Everyone is respectful of others. Everyone gets to speak. It is okay to present why you remain undecided. After student views are presented there should be general cross-questioning and discussion. I have no problem if as part of the discussion a teacher shares their personal views on the candidates.

Will election 2016 mark a transformation of American politics? Some elections signal major changes in how Americans view their country. Other elections are votes to continue or reject policies of a predecessor President. This will be the subject of a future post.
Donald Trump's unprecedented, bizarre candidacy appears to have finally driven off the proverbial cliff. And it's only August. Now before folks remind me that I've been wrong about him in the past--naively predicting his political demise countless times--let me assure you, this time it's different.

For starters, there's a major distinction between the realities of the Republican primaries, through which only about 16% of Americans vote, and the general election. Yes, I was wrong about Trump. Many times. Shame on me. I gave Republicans way too much credit than they deserved. Turns out they were way more ignorant and racist than I could ever imagine. But that was then. This is now.

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Since last June, Trump's consistently defied conventional wisdom by re-writing the How-to-Win-a-Nomination playbook and getting much further than anyone (except maybe MSNBC's Joe Scarborough) ever imagined, especially the candidate himself. If there was a book titled "100 Things Never, Ever to Do or Say When Running for President," he'd be guilty of committing every single sin. And he gives no indication of ever changing, even when implored to by the Republican establishment, big donors, his advisors and after being subjected to a rumored 'intervention' by his family. The biggest proponent of "Let Trump Be Trump" is the man himself. His much anticipated, sorely needed 'pivot' has yet to arrive and likely never will.

If Trump is to win the presidency, he needs to be expanding his base. He cannot and will not win with just angry blue-collar white men. His support among women, blacks, Hispanics and the college educated is almost non-existent. His latest gaffes over the Gold Star Khan family, his "2nd Amendment people" threat, and claiming President Obama is the "founder of Isis" appear to have crossed a very critical non-partisan line, offending not just liberals and Democrats, but military families, patriots and decent people of both parties. In short, at this late stage in the race, he's doing the exact opposite of what he should be doing.

Despite the enthusiastic cable-news spin coming from advisors and surrogates, the campaign is clearly in a state of chaos. Trump's been dropping precipitously in the polls (double-digits). He's trailing Hillary Clinton badly in many key battleground states (leads that will be hard to reverse). He's being abandoned by moderate, mainstream, influential Republicans (including 50 major national security experts). He's doing poorly with independent voters (who prefer substantive policy over whining about the media). His staff's in turmoil (they can't control their candidate, and he's blaming them for his misgivings). He lacks a meaningful ground game (impossible to win without one). And he can't stay on message (wasting time counter-punching every perceived slight).

But what's most telling is that Trump himself appears to be throwing in the towel, an ominous sign from a normally carnival-barking, poll-obsessed, self-aggrandizing, narcissistic "winner." He's all but conceded the key state of Pennsylvania, claiming it will be "rigged" for Clinton: "The only way we can lose, in my opinion...is if cheating goes on." And he's acknowledges a big problem in the heavily Mormon, red state of Utah: "I'm having a tremendous problem in Utah."

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According to a scathing front page inside account of Trump's campaign in Sunday's NY Times, he's become "exhausted, frustrated and still bewildered by fine points of the political process and why his incendiary approach seems to be sputtering."

And as reported in Politico on Monday, no presidential candidate since 1952 in Trump's low polling position at this stage of the campaign has won the popular vote.

To be sure, Trump's demeanor is changing, demonstrating behavior of a loser-in-waiting, apparently setting himself up for a face-saving exit from the most outlandish, unconventional, mean-spirited, divisive presidential election in American history.
My life changed forever in 1989. I was a second year (2L) at Harvard Law School, and I was very unhappy. I knew that I should appreciate my good fortune in attending one of the nation's most celebrated law schools, but I was not grateful. From my perspective, n 1989, Harvard Law School was a sad and hostile place.

Fighting in the Civil War at Harvard Law School



Harvard Law School was at war. There were no weapons, unless you count dangerous emotions (I do), and the enemy was the person sitting to the left or to the right of you. Anger was the dominant mood at the law school for so many at that time. In those times, perhaps similar to these, many people - male, female, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, old or young, gay or straight - felt that they had good reason to be mad. Law professors used the Socratic method to humiliate students into supposedly "thinking like a lawyer", and to most definitely turn many of us into belligerent, somewhat insecure, jerks. In a pre-cursor to the internet, inside and outside of the classroom, hateful personal attacks were "ok" as long as you called it "free speech." Many gay students lived miserable lives "in the closet," because being a known gay person was frowned upon by the older "silent majority" who controlled American life, and could therefore easily keep you from getting a job at many law firms. Meanwhile people still regularly used the f-word (rhymes with "wag") because it was ok to "joke" in that way, and you never even knew that half the people you were 'jokingly' calling a f**, were actually gay.

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There was a liberal versus conservative war taking place in print and in the hallways of the law school between students, and more importantly between faculty members, some of whom freely talked about how much they hated their colleagues. There was even a level of open hostility between the sexes. It was sad all around. I knew lots of people who went home after a day of classes and cried about how miserable they were over being surrounded by division and hate, before they headed to the law library for an evening of bitter studying.

I was an African American female law student during this era. In addition to objecting to the law school's not so subtle hostility towards blacks and women, my beef with Harvard Law School was that there were no tenured women of color on the law school's faculty. The great Derrick Bell, an African American law professor with tenure, vowed to leave Harvard until the school offered a black woman tenure. Still, Harvard Law School would not change.

The mantra for many of Harvard's black women law students was "All the blacks are men, all the women are white, but some of us are brave." I was one of the "brave ones." We wore electric blue t-shirts with our slogan on it, and took over the dean's office to protest the law school's intransience. This did not endear us to the faculty. We also protested the lack of diversity in faculty hiring outside the Law School Commons, which was an open space across from Langdell law library. Barack Obama, whom everybody knew, talked to the protesting black students, the "brave ones" and others at a rally about protest being good, but about it also needing to be strategic. For example, he said that we should build coalitions with other students who shared common experiences and values, as we would be stronger together. Certainly, we shouldn't "sit in" to the point where we were expelled, or missed exams - then we'd just deprive the world of some potentially great black women lawyers. I listened to his words, but I thought Barack was a dreamer, who "didn't get it." Our world at the law school was too divided to come together.

Even though I only had one more year to go, I seriously thought about quitting law school. (Youth is, as they say, wasted on the young.) I found HLS intolerable. I was tired of being at war on a daily basis, tired of fighting, and tired of being angry. I doubted Harvard and the world around me. Was there really this much hate and division in the world? If there was, what could I do about it? Did I even want to be bothered with these people? If I was going to stay and graduate, I needed a lifeline.

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I got one. In the fall of 1989 Julian Bond hired me to work as his Head Teaching Fellow for a course on the "Southern Movement for Civil Rights" at Harvard College. I could have never imagined it was the beginning of a lifelong friendship, one that would change my perspective on life, inspire me, and carry me through many storms.



The Julian Bond that I Knew

I was a student of the civil rights movement, so I knew exactly who Julian Bond was when he came to teach at Harvard. From the age of 20, he had played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement, as a leader and founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). The SNCC kids were the college students who first "sat in" all across America at the nation's lunch counters, and who then rode on freedom rides throughout the South in the early 1960s. They started off desegregating southern lunch counters, but literally desegregated the world. Certainly, I wanted to work for him.

Of the many participants in the movement, Bond was one of the few who stood out. There were many reasons for this. He was the extremely good looking kid in the movement, the fair skinned Morehouse man with good hair like Becky, a member of the talented tenth, who put aside his privilege to fight for the rights of ordinary black people. He was SNCC's director of communications. He wrote stories about violence during the struggle, including the student deaths in Mississippi during Freedom Summer. He risked his life to draw mainstream media attention to the life and death battles that were taking place on the front lines of the movement. He became a media darling in his own right in the 1960s, and was nominated for Vice President at the age of 28. Even after the movement for civil rights was over in the late 1960s, he continued to speak up as a representative of the Georgia State legislature, as an outspoken proponent for the rights of African Americans, poor people, gay people, women, and for all human rights. He was a TV personality as the host of "America's Black Forum", and even as an occasional television star on shows like Saturday Night Live.

About a year before I met him, Bond had taken a very public hit. He had lost a bruising race for a congressional seat to his former SNCC friend, John Lewis. When he came to Harvard, Bond was still finding his sea legs after that painful loss. He had decided to teach, and Harvard University had in turn invited him to teach a course on the Southern Movement for Civil Rights at Harvard College.

So when I met Bond I was well aware of his history and his personal narrative. I showed up for our first pre-course prep session prepared to talk about the class he was teaching, and my own thoughts about how the lectures he presented (the core of the course content) might be conveyed to students in the smaller weekly class sessions taught by graduate students like myself.

I was actually intimidated in our early meetings. He was my boss, and he was also an extremely good looking celebrity. I expected to be impacted by the standard charm and charisma of celebrity, but I knew he had hired me because he knew from my resume and our interview that I was a young expert on the movement. I assumed that I had blown him away with my knowledge of the movement (typical 2L mindset). However, I soon found that both Bond's knowledge of history - American, African American, non-violent social resistance, and relevant constitutional legal history - as well as his raw intelligence was absolutely off the charts. Without embarrassing me in any way, Bond made it clear to me that he had an extraordinary command and insight over the coursework materials, and that he would be setting the course work and agenda. I had a lot to learn.

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While I had expected to be intimidated and a little scared by him, I did not expect for those feelings to fade so quickly. I soon fell in love with the guy. He was kind, fun, and funny. I tried to keep things professional, but I know that like many others I asked him "What was it like to know Dr. King? What was it like to sit in? What was it like to have your life threatened by the Klan?" Julian welcomed my inquiries. While the questions were new to me, Bond was 25 years into them. He answered the questions with gusto and enthusiasm.

I also liked that he trusted people, and put his faith in their commitment. I was his head teaching fellow, so Julian trusted me to help him make his course as strong as it could be. This felt very different from my experiences at Harvard Law School where no one trusted the motives or abilities of anyone else. I wanted to ensure that Julian's trust was rewarded. I spent the days of summer working at a law firm, and the evenings preparing for the teaching fellowship with Bond.

I told him all the Harvard tricks I knew (and I knew a lot of them) to help make his course as strong as possible. I did not engage in law school protest thought or activity that summer. Not focusing on the Law School and its issues was great for me. It kept me sane.

I hired a bunch of my law school friends and classmates as teaching fellows for his course. (Julian Bond loved to tell the story that Barack Obama was considered for a teaching position for his course, but that I somehow didn't hire him. This is the stuff of urban legends.) We mixed it up - 2 black men, 2 black women, a white man, a white woman, and a Hispanic man, worked as fellows for the course. I wanted to mock the law school's insistence that women and minorities couldn't teach at Harvard. Wanna bet? Here we are teaching one of the most popular courses this semester at the college, and we are kicking a**. I also started to buy into the argument that we were stronger together. But as excited as we were to be there serving Bond and his class, we knew were just the supporting cast for Julian Bond's starring role as the course's professor.

While I did not have plans to be actively involved in the faculty fight when I returned to school, I did tell Bond about it. How could I not talk about a student movement with one of the founders of SNCC? We talked about student movements and whether the movement for faculty diversity at the law school made sense. Bond thought it did and he wasn't surprised by the need to fight for equality. In his experience, advancement never occurred without a fight. He also agreed that the black women law students needed to stay in school and graduate. "We really wanted black people to have great opportunities as a result of the movement. To make money if they wanted to. To attend the best schools if they wanted to. I can think of few greater opportunities than going to Harvard Law School. You should do the work and do it well. You'd be foolish to leave." So I stayed.

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He also had a few words of advice "Have you ever heard of a little thing called collective student organizing? You should work with students of common thinking of all races and see if that does not propel you forward. It may not help you, but it sure won't hurt. There are folks who you are not talking to who are probably on the same page as you. They could be supporting you. That's not smart."

How He Changed Harvard

Julian Bond loved Harvard College and Harvard loved Bond back. He certainly enjoyed strolling around campus, and walking through Harvard Yard to class, and meeting graduate and undergraduate students from all disciplines who wanted to talk to him about the history of the civil rights movement, and his own storied career. I had to drag him across campus through the student crowds to make sure that he made it to class on time.

When the fall semester started we learned that there was a lot of interest in the man and the movement campus wide. The class for which we expected 100 students ended up having an enrollment of over 400. I wasn't the only Harvard student who knew who Julian Bond was. The enrollment numbers shocked me. I'd done my undergrad work at Harvard too, so I knew very well that Harvard's Afro Am department was very weak at the time. (Professor Henry Louis ("Skip") Gates was not yet in the picture.) A department that had been obtained through protest was fading because it seemed to have lost student and faculty interest in its success. The course offerings were slim and class enrollments were down year after year, students majoring in Afro Am were also down. There were very few professors who even wanted to teach Afro Am courses for the department. And here was Bond changing all that.

I told him "Professor Bond you are really doing something here with this class. The Afro Am department just doesn't see enrollments like this." Bond was pleased, but I am not sure he was surprised. He was after all Julian Bond. Bond's class was the start of a new beginning for the Afro Am department at Harvard. Enrollments went up, and eventually academic super stars came on board. They could see that the department had real possibilities and was heading in the right direction. Today, Harvard's African American studies department is one of the most celebrated on earth.

Impact

As class got into full swing and Professor Bond and I started working together almost daily. His kindness and wisdom kept me going in my last year at the law school. He was very committed to imparting wisdom about the movement, and to really helping people understand the courage and simplicity of its history. He always had time for me as his teaching fellow, and he always had time for the students in the class.

I could see that teaching about the Southern Movement for Civil Rights was a movement activity in itself for Julian Bond. He wanted students to know 3 things -1) that there was a struggle for equality in America in recent American history; 2) that the good guys won, but that the struggle was not over, and 3) that the good guys needed to keep fighting. Aside from the assignments in books and his classroom lectures, one of the best ways that Bond taught and provided historical context for the struggle, was to require each student in class to find someone in their lives who had participated in the movement, and to report back on the story. "You all know someone who was part of America's most recent, dramatic struggle for social change; they have just never told you about it. The wonderful thing about the civil rights movement is that it prevailed because of the will and sacrifice of ordinary people like you and me! That was its strength." Bond advised.

The students pursued the assignment, and they almost always found out that he was right. Civil rights activists and heroes were in their family or living next door to them. One kid reported that a parent had been a young, white freedom rider for SNCC. Another kid reported that a neighbor had protested for civil rights with King in Chicago, where some of the most brutal attacks on protesters occurred. The stories of courage and participation inspired the students. Professor Bond's lesson was clear: the civil rights movement didn't prevail solely because Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks or John Lewis led courageously, or because Julian Bond organized with SNCC. The civil rights movement prevailed because the good guys all worked on it together. It was a non-violent social movement for the people, by the people and of the people - and it was one of the most effective social movements in the history of the United States.

As I said, I was a student of civil rights history, but until I worked for Bond I didn't understand much more than "what happened". He helped me and so many others to understand why it happened, and how non-violent social change can happen again and again and again because we the people are the ones who make it happen.

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The Crowded Road to Civil Rights

My radical self would complain to Bond about the "crowded road for civil rights" and how black people - who led the way forward - didn't get their share from America. "Women are in the work force because black people opened the door for equality at work, and yet white women make more and have better jobs than the folks who opened the door. Asians who were cast aside in America until the movement came, and now they are the "model minority" - making the money - while we were still holding the door that we opened. It is not fair." Bond schooled me. "Angela, the road for civil rights is never 'crowded'. We have rebuilt the road and made space on it for all - and yes, we black people paved the way. That's something to be proud of and celebrate. But you've got to continue fighting for complete equality. You can't stop fighting -ever. We are still black and in America. But there's no denying that things are better in this country - for all of us - because of this struggle. "

The Julian Bond I knew was modest, super fun, incredibly smart, gracious, kind and good, and he always had excellent stories to tell. And he was generous with himself and everyone he met. He made it clear to me that he believed in me - and he put his faith in me at a pretty important time in his life - at his Harvard debut, post his political career. It was likewise, a challenging and important time in my life. The messages I felt I was receiving from Harvard Law School was that as a black woman, I was really nothing and didn't matter at all. Julian Bond said otherwise - and because I believed him, I could move on and focus on being the best me I could be. Ultimately, like everybody else who ever knew him, I fell in love with the man. He was magnetic, committed to good work, and a lover of people. He cared as much about the well-being of others as he did about himself.

I knew that I wanted to contribute some lasting change to the world in the same way that he had. Because of my friendship with him, and belief in Bond, I too try to make a difference in one of today's platform for protest and social change- the not for profit sector.

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I clicked with Bond when I was in my mid-twenties, and I kept in touch with him until the day he died a year ago in August. He and his wife Pamela Horowitz became my true friends. He was a mentor and someone I looked up to. I watched him fight for gay rights at the NAACP and throughout the nation, I appreciated it when he got me appointed to the NAACP Foundation's board. It was my great privilege to know and befriend someone who changed the world!

When I took up his mantle in some small way by serving as a founding member of a national anti-poverty organization, he honored me and the work by serving on our Advisory board. His support advanced the work, and helped Single Stop serve over a million people in the United States who were living in poverty - all ages, races, sexes, and ambitions. I think he was happy to know me in some small way, and respected my efforts to "do good", but more fundamentally he told me openly that he wished me much happiness in life, and personal freedom and contentment. Because that was also was also what the movement's fight was all about - a happy life, personal freedom, and contentment.

When Julian Bond died last year at the age of 75, I realized that the nation had lost a great warrior - and someone who was uniquely interested in standing up for what was right whatever the consequences. I also felt a personal loss, and mourned the loss of his friendship - as anyone does - when they lose a loved one or a close friend. I think about ways to continue to honor his memory, and his great contributions to the United States.

Some of honoring him just boils down to being happy, and enjoying the privileges and opportunity that freedom and this wonderful nation brings. Honoring him also means staying in the fight, speaking up against what is obviously wrong and doing what I believe is right.

Bond never forgot his time at Harvard. One rarely does. A month before he died, he introduced me to a friend of his as his Harvard teaching fellow from "when I taught at Harvard. I just love saying that." said Julian Bond.

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If anything could mitigate the current divisions roiling our country, I believe our National Park system would be that thing. The power of our national parks to inform, inspire, heal and build community can hardly be overstated - if you are among those privileged to know them.

My view could be considered hyperbole coming from a private citizen, a relatively obscure fan of the parks. So take it from the great American writer and historian Wallace Stegner (1909-1993) who said,

"National parks are the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst."

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His view was reinforced by Ken Burns in his groundbreaking 2009 series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea."



And just last week Shelton Johnson, who is featured in Burns' series, described his job as a park ranger in Yosemite National Park as "facilitating astonishment... .I create that bridge between the divine and the earth, that's my job. It means building a bridge between one world and the next."



One of the most famous park rangers on Earth, our friend Ranger Shelton Johnson tells non-white and all Americans, "you have an inheritance" in our national parks.

If our national parks have such power, how come a full 30 percent percent of our population doesn't know they exist? That translates to nearly 100 million of around 315 million Americans. My heart cries out at the disservice this does to our country -- that the very places our ancestors and our current president saved to inspire us and guide us as are right here in our midst, yet obscured from the view of so many.

Having explored our parks from Alaska to the Virgin Islands, I know the real story of America -- that there's no one to "take our country back" from, and that together we already made America great. In the current uncivil discourse, both the aggressors and the people on the receiving end of that aggression could benefit from knowing what really happened here.

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When First Lady Michelle Obama declared this summer "I wake up in a White House built by slaves," the unknowing masses went wild with revulsion. Only upon research revealing the incontrovertible facts did a grudging acceptance emerge.

I suggest that if the Park Service was doing its job, this history would be common knowledge since the White House is set in a national park.

Among the earliest acts of American nation building, the first man shot dead in the Boston Massacre was the African American Crispus Attucks, whose story is told at Boston African American National Historic Site

At the Presidio of San Francisco -- a national park -- I learned that the City and the fort were explored, developed and built primarily by Americans of Hispanic, African and Native descent.

At Valley Forge National Historical Park outside Philadelphia I learned that soldiers of every race and ethnicity, and women, served in General George Washington's Continental Army that holed up there in the dire winter of 1777-78. From this hellish experience the birth of the American military is traced.

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A visit to the monuments on the National Mall in Washington DC honoring our servicemen and women showed me that every racial and ethnic group has served in every war defending our country, and made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.

I've learned the story of America's evolution from the 20,000-year-old Anasazi communities at Bandelier National Park and I'm looking forward to visiting the most recent expression of our evolution at Stonewall Monument in New York City, marking the integration of the LGBT community into national history.

So I can stand toe to toe in any conversation with anyone about the past and future of my country, and I've had occasion to sympathize with some who tried to make me feel like a second class citizen, after completely demolishing their misconceptions. I only wish that my 100-million or so countrymen and women who are of African, Asian, Hispanic or Native descent feel the same luxury based upon the security of knowing the legacy we have in this country.

As the Park Service gets ready to celebrate its 100th Anniversary August 25, it admits to a grave imbalance in the number of non-white Americans that have a relationship with the parks either as users or as part of the workforce. This "challenge" has dogged the service for the 20 years I've been involved, though the 2000 census indicated that the fastest growing sectors of our population was non-white.

Like the park service, corporate America recognized the need to build their clientele among emerging groups. But where corporations have responded and succeeded in expanding their base by targeting information and opportunities to this sector, the service has lagged far behind in broadening its constituency for the parks.

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What message will it send to the Park Service and its leadership if they are celebrated and allowed to enter a second century in the same exclusionary posture as the previous century? In 2050, will my great grandsons still have to invest their energy into making the parks egalitarian for all Americans as we've been doing since 1995?

More than two million Americans have signed petitions objecting to Director's Order 21 that would increase the corporate presence in our national parks and require staff to become fundraisers. What threat does that Order pose to the integrity of the park system? Considering that today's Republican Party platform calls for large swaths of public lands to be removed from the federal treasury, isn't it self-defeating that fully one-third of the population has not been informed that we have this birthright to enjoy and protect?

I salute the 20,000-plus high caliber public servants of the National Park Service on the Centennial. I've had the pleasure of meeting many of our public lands stewards and consider you among my most cherished friends. I commend those of you who are already engaging with the plurality of the American public on an equal footing. Please be assured that a network of diverse leaders around the country stand ready to assist you . Let's find answers and solutions to these questions. Let us help you secure the future of our National Park System by working together to engage our country in the enjoyment, care and preservation of America's peerless natural, cultural and historic treasures.
By Sheena Pradhan

Working at a restaurant has been making me depressed, but I tried to focus on the job at hand to get through the day. As I got better at waiting tables, I began to get used to it. It was starting to feel less monotonous and less tear-my-hair-out boring.

In my free time, I was starting to get in the habit of spending two to three days of my week forwarding acting and modeling jobs to my agents from Actors Access and Casting Networks. It was working. I was getting called in for auditions almost every day.

The only problem with getting a bunch of auditions was that it was only my second week of serving and I was scheduled for lunches all week. Being at the restaurant during the day would conflict with my audition schedule. I hoped that any auditions I had coming this week could be pushed to when I didn't have to be at work.

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On Tuesday morning, I got an email from my agent saying I had an audition at 4:00 p.m. I confirmed, hopeful that I would make it out of the restaurant on time. I asked my manager if she thought I would be able to leave by 3:30 p.m. to attend the audition. My manager said, "No." We're the busiest at lunch time and she would not let a single person leave earlier than necessary.

A few minutes later, my manager approached me to say that she would have one of the opening servers close for me so that I could leave early enough to make my audition time. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her.

I ended up leaving work at 2:00 p.m. and had ample time to take a break and get ready for my audition, which was thankfully just a few subway stops away.

"Okay. This doesn't seem so bad. All I have to do if I have a 4:00 p.m. audition is switch with an opening server," I thought to myself. "This is manageable."

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Wednesday rolled around. My agent called me to tell me that I have an audition on Thursday again at 4:00 p.m. Damn these 4:00 p.m. auditions. The audition slots made me nervous when I was also scheduled to work lunch because it meant that I would be cutting it close when leaving work.

During my Wednesday shift, I talked to the manager on duty at the restaurant. He told me as long as I switched with one of the opening servers for the next day, he would make sure he talked to Thursday's manager about letting me out on time.

I successfully switched shifts with an opening server and was the first server at work on Thursday. I finished most of the opening job tasks before the other opening server even got to the restaurant. I instructed her on what was left to be done. I helped her with the other opening tasks until the rest of the staff got there.

It turned out, the restaurant would be booked for a private event in our outdoor area during lunch. The servers would all be "cocktail waitresses" and passing out hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

I luckily was named one of the servers that would be inside serving our regular customers, rather than working the event.

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"Phew! That probably means I'll get out on time," I thought to myself.

Because it seemed like I would be able to leave on time, I didn't ask my manager on duty about leaving early. I didn't want to seem uncommitted since she was the one that let me leave early on Monday. She also did not seem to notice that I was the only server opening because she scolded me about being idle once the other server had come in, despite the fact that I had completed all of the opening tasks on my own. Even still, I didn't want to piss anyone off by pointing out my commitment to the job or asking to leave early.

Three o'clock rolled around. I was still without a sign that I would be allowed to leave soon. The event that the restaurant was hosting was winding down. I had two tables that were getting ready to leave. I nervously checked my watch.

Another server at the restaurant told those of us serving lunch inside to start our "side work." Side work is restaurant terminology for the tasks you do before leaving for the day. This usually encompasses folding napkins, refilling condiments, making sure there is enough butter for the bread, etc.

"If everyone is preparing to leave, the day must almost be over right?" I thought to myself.

I was starting to get anxious about whether or not I would be allowed to leave. The server I switched shifts with came up to me and asked, "Aren't you supposed to leave soon?" He happened to be a favorite of the managers at the restaurant.

I responded, "Yes, but I don't want to ask."

It was probably not the best time for the newbie to ask to leave early. The management seemed serious and on edge because of the event we were hosting. Also, the general manager, who basically runs the show, was also working.

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My colleague told me, "Don't worry, I'll talk to her."

I sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you so much!" I said to him.

It was 3:30 p.m., the lunch manager came around the corner and asked me if I have to leave early. I said "Yes, thank you so much!"

She looked at me and told me sternly that I shouldn't count on being able to leave early. I told her that I wasn't making leaving a priority and had taken lunch shifts off of my availability for the future. She nodded and walked away.

That night, my agent emailed me with another modeling gig for the next day that would last the entire day. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to work lunch again.

I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place. My agent previously had problems with actors/models backing out of bookings after confirming. She told us that if we didn't show for gigs after confirming that she would drop us from the agency. I couldn't take a chance and confirm the gig unless I had someone covering me at work. I needed to take any modeling gigs that I got at this stage of my career. I couldn't turn away acting and modeling work because I was on a restaurant schedule.

My modeling career was more important than a restaurant job. I wasn't aiming to have a career in the restaurant industry.

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I had to make a decision.

I needed to find someone to cover for me at the restaurant tomorrow.

The restaurant used a website to handle people calling out and switching shifts. I had two options. I can try to figure out who is not working lunch tomorrow and text everyone individually, or I can choose to "give up" my shift to anyone who is willing to take it. Feeling stressed and overwhelmed by this decision, I chose to give up my shift on the website.

A few hours later, I saw that my shift was removed from the schedule completely. I assumed this was done by management.

The next day, I found out that the modeling gig fell through.

I checked the restaurant schedule for next week that had just gone up online. I wasn't on it.

I emailed the restaurant manager to inquire why I wasn't on the schedule for next week.

Her response read:

"Sheena.

I am letting you go as of today. It's just not going to work out."

Well... I wasn't really surprised. And I didn't blame them. They need someone committed to the job. It's a New York City restaurant. They need to make money to survive.

On top of not getting the modeling gig and getting fired from my restaurant job, I was experiencing failure in a few other places of my life.

I was not sure what my next step was. But I felt hopeless. I felt like letting the people around me down was inevitable. I was burning bridges without even trying. It had nothing to do with my work ethic or me as a person. It had to do with my commitment to trying to make it as a model and actress.

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Sheena Pradhan is a 27-year-old actress, model, writer, stylist, nutritionist, fashion blogger, content creator, and self-proclaimed branding expert. She always thought she would be a buyer for a big fashion brand, but in her winding journey, she has fallen in love with acting and modeling, which she does full-time. Follow her personal journey on her blog, Tuline Tulip.
Just recently the owner of a gelateria (a store for Italian ice cream) in the city of Bari was telling me how a crime fraught city center had been revived. He told of two separate mayors, each from different political parties, who had been leaders in implementing the changes. He was clear: he said, "It didn't matter which party they were in. They both cared about the city and they have both done such a great job." I heard this seconded in social conversation. I was so struck by the notion that it didn't matter what political party they were in; clearly partisan interest didn't take over.

My mind went: "'It doesn't matter'? How can that be, when everything that is political seems to have a taking of sides, with an intention of smashing and humiliating anyone of a different group."

It was the day before I read Part I of "Fractured Lands", the New York Times Magazine of August 14th, a major contribution written by Scott Anderson and photographed by Paolo Pellegrin. It is about the Middle East, about the conflagrations and destruction, about terrorism. It is about the history of the region, namely the nation states that were cut up and divided by England, France, Italy and later the United States. It is about leaders who held their own power together by making sure that tribes and sects were provoked to fight against each other. It is about a strategy of divide-and-conquer for the regimes involved. It is about how the US invasion of Iraq was pivotal in the rise of terrorism.

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As I see it, this magazine edition also gives us a chance to see how we, even though we may think we are above more "primitive" or "tribal" ways of hating, are being manipulated to treat much of life as a team sport that can be fatal. We don't kill each other off in such obvious ways, even though our gun violence is pretty rabid, but we do have hatred and partisanship and even paranoia embedded in our political and social systems. I suggest we take the opportunity to learn about this region that is now supplying terrorists world wide, and at the same time probe more deeply our own being stuck in hatred. It is violent, also, to discount the opinions and rights and evidence of others, especially when that advice can help save many people, if not the planet as well.

"Fractured Lands" gives us a chance to consider and dialogue about one of the major issues of our time. Thinking needs uncertainty, confusion, doubt and a willingness to be surprised. Please prepare to be surprised, as I have been and expect to be even more so.

Actually one surprise for me was part of an interview that Anderson did with Muammar Gadhafi, the at times bizarre long-term dictator of Libya (before we took him out), in October of 2002. The Bush Administration had for much of 2002 been planning for the coming war in Iraq, and Anderson asked Gadhafi who would stand to benefit if the invasion did occur. Without his apparently usual dramatic hesitation, he responded instantaneously: "'Bin Laden,' he said. 'There is no doubt about that. And Iraq could end up becoming the staging ground for Al Qaeda, because if the Saddam government collapses, it will be anarchy in Iraq. If that happens, actions against Americans will be considered jihad."

Now I think the above is quite revealing, not at all stupid and definitely not psychotic. And this may go to show us that just because a person is paranoid, doesn't mean everything he/she says is off the mark. Just because we disagree with someone's philosophy or behavior doesn't mean they have nothing to contribute.

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One of the reasons I am so grateful for the appearance of "Fractured Lands" is that we have not probed our invasion of Iraq while we move straight into adding hate to hate in the realm of terrorism, the hate being most obvious as it comes towards refugees of wars we have in some ways been a part of starting. Since Obama took office he too moved away from any real soul searching and accountability for our invasion of Iraq, by telling us we needed to move forward and not backward.

I see this mega-piece as perhaps provoking our interest in looking deeper, getting smarter, being willing to examine our own roles, our own ignorance perhaps, and our fears. It is hard to be sober in a time of such enjoyment of hate in our country alone, hard perhaps to consider our hatreds and prejudices as approaching tribal proportions with revenge as our wish and not further knowledge, never mind cooperation.

I persist in thinking (or is it hope) that there is an inherent love of truth, as well as a deep release that comes from not covering up what is felt underneath. I've also found that when I pick up on something powerful, it's frequently a chord that is shared with many who aren't yet speaking it out loud.

The fact that the editors of the New York Times decided to go ahead with this project tells me that they sense that many Americans are somehow hungry to know more, to connect more with what happened so we know better how to proceed.

I'd like to suggest that we read this magazine together, though some of you no doubt are quicker than me. Some may have questions and arguments, and perhaps the author would consider a forum for that as we keep going.

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Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio August 15, 2016. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

It's Monday, so Donald Trump just stood up in front of the cameras and read another speech off a TelePrompTer. For the second week in a row, this is supposed to present Trump as being a serious-minded candidate who can manage to "be presidential" when required. But if the past is any prologue, by the end of the week nobody's going to even remember this speech, because by then Trump will have had at least two or three blowups out on the campaign trail -- which will become the story, instead.

"TelePrompTer Monday" will fade into "Outrageous Statement Tuesday," and then into "Damage Control Wednesday," to be followed by "Just Being Sarcastic Thursday," in other words. Of course, I could be wrong about that, but at this point it's the smarter bet. Trump just can't help himself.

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Donald Trump is who Donald Trump is. At this point, does anyone really still believe he is even capable of "pivoting" to being some other incantation of Trump who avoids the obvious rhetorical pitfalls he continually finds himself at the bottom of? Trump, from all reports, responds to pressure (from just about everyone with any experience in running or winning political campaigns) by agreeing to give one of these scripted speeches prepared by professional speechwriters. But as can clearly be seen by watching one of these speeches, he considers it a boring chore to get through before he gets to go back out and have fun at his rallies.

Trump, from all reports, considers all the Republican advisors as pointy-headed types who just can't quite grasp the genius of his freewheeling campaign style. As far as he's concerned, he did just fine in the primaries by ignoring all such advice and just winging it. He beat 16 contenders who all had such advisors whispering in their ears, proving that his campaign strategy was one that couldn't be beat by traditional campaign strategies. He is right about that -- look at the mountain of money Jeb Bush spent against Trump, to almost no avail. Trump's style did win the day for him during primary season, this is now historical fact.

What Trump can't seem to figure out (even though everyone around him must be begging him to realize it) is that the general election is not the same game as the primaries. When you're pitching to an audience that is weighing multiple candidates against a backdrop of party purity, the more extreme and outrageous your statements are, the better. Since the party (and its base) is all largely agreed upon certain ideas, it is easy to outdo all others by tossing the reddest meat you can from the stage.

General elections, however, are a choice between two major candidates, voting for minor candidates who have no chance of winning, or just staying home to watch television rather than voting. This election determines who will lead the country, not who the party nominates, and the pool of people voting is a lot deeper and wider. But Trump is content to splash around in the shallower end of this pool, much to the delight of those who already agree with him. Trump is doing almost nothing to reach out to anyone else, because he really thinks he can win just by holding big rally after big rally, and occasionally sending out scathing tweets. Hey, it worked in the primary, right?

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This is where a more literal interpretation of "Trump just can't help himself" becomes operative. If Trump continues on exactly the same course he charted during the primaries, he shuts himself off from all the voters who might be persuaded to vote against Hillary Clinton. Trump has a floor of around 38-40 percent, at this point. This has been holding pretty steady for months now -- no matter what he does, he doesn't drop much below 40 percent in national polling. The problem for Trump, of course, is that 40 percent is not going to win him the election.

This election could require a lot less than 50 percent to win, it's worth pointing out. Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party's Jill Stein are both pulling in a lot more support than most third parties manage in presidential campaigns. Whether or not this early support will translate into votes is an open question (people often tell pollsters they're supporting third parties only to either stay home on Election Day or vote for one of the two major candidates). But if Johnson and Stein combined pull in a range of 5-to-10 percent of November's vote (a fairly reasonable assumption at this point), this means that either Clinton or Trump could win with a national vote total as low as perhaps 46 percent. That's only six points higher than Trump's floor, so it shouldn't be completely out of reach for him.

But Trump can't seem to help himself. If he refuses to even make a concerted pitch towards the independent or undecided voters who aren't already on his side, then he's never going to close that gap. No matter how many speeches he reads off TelePrompTers.

It's only mid-August, and already there are large portions of the Republican Party who have all but given up on Trump's chances of winning the White House. That's astounding. Not so much that Republicans are giving up or panicking, but the fact that it is happening so incredibly early in the process. Such things have happened before (during Bob Dole's run in 1996, for instance), but they usually happen around mid-October. Not two months earlier. If Trump continues to ignore all advice to even attempt to change his campaign strategy, more and more Republicans -- including the big donors -- are going to make a bottom-line decision that Trump is already toast.

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The wheels haven't totally come off Trump's campaign yet. He does still have an opportunity to turn things around. Most Americans are barely paying attention to the race right now. So Trump could indeed recover.

But to do that, Trump would have to be the one to help himself. Nobody is even capable of making this change right now other than him. A good measure of whether this is even possible will be how the rest of this week goes. If Trump stays on message and makes the entire week's theme what was in his speech today, then maybe he has woken up to the fact that he's tanking in the polls. If, however, Trump steps all over his own message with some off-the-cuff statement in front of an adoring crowd -- a statement so outrageous that it becomes the story for days on end -- then there may just be no helping Trump at all. Sure, his campaign team can (metaphorically) bring him down with a tranquilizer dart each Monday, then prop him up and force him to read some prepared remarks -- but if everyone's forgotten the speech by Wednesday, then it's not going to do him a whole lot of good in the end. TelePrompTer Monday is all fine and good, but if Trump is out there being Trump for the other six days of the week, few are going to pay much attention. Six days which cause independent voters to recoil in horror just can't be offset by a weekly speech delivered in a monotone in an effort to "appear serious."

Again, the safe betting is on Trump not being able to help himself. At this point, the safe betting is also on "how big Hillary Clinton's electoral landslide will be" rather than whether Trump even has a shot at winning. And it's only mid-August.

Chris Weigant blogs at:
When your father is a photographer, you learn to appreciate the science and magic behind photography. And when you grow up in Virginia, you cannot help but confront American history everyday. Throughout my childhood, my parents regularly took my sisters and me to museums and battlefields on weekends and during the summer. By the time I graduated from college, I had visited notable sites in every corner of the state, spanning every era of Colonial and U.S. history. It was inevitable that I would one day come across books by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press -- and even write my own titles.

No matter where you live in the U.S., you can find Arcadia and History Press books in the nearest city and even in many small towns. These national publishers, which merged in 2014, publish books on local and regional history. Arcadia books tend to be more visual and often feature archival photos, postcards, and illustrations. History Press books tend to be more text- heavy and narrative. Both publishers are accessible to first-time authors, though they prefer that you have some previous publication history, such as community newspaper or city magazine reporting. There is no cost to publish your book. What your proposal must prove is that you have the desire and commitment to research, write, market and represent your title.

Because of my love for photography and my experience as a film student, I wanted my first Arcadia book to be for their "Images of America" series. These pictorial history books include dozens of archival photos centered on a specific region. Directing a documentary on Edgar Allan Poe's life in Richmond, Virginia as an undergrad meant that I spent a lot of time in local cemeteries. It also meant a lot of time in the university library and at the Poe Museum. Over the course of a couple years, I learned who was buried where and what images were available. That knowledge inspired me to propose the book to Arcadia shortly after I graduated. They accepted

the proposal the very week I sent it. Misty Thomas and I co-wrote the book, Images of America: Richmond Cemeteries, which was published in 2014.

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The success of Richmond Cemeteries pushed me to write a book that involved more research and emotional investment. I pitched Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia to The History Press because I saw that so many Latin contributions to the state were going unrecognized in English-language media. I wanted to honor the Latin men and women who helped forge my home state and continue to influence Virginia today. I saw how the state was changing. In a cosmopolitan place like New York City, it is easy to forget that the rest of the country is not so diverse and often far less accepting of differences. Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia covers everything from Latino folkloric traditions reimagined in the Old Dominion to the challenges of improving English language education for new immigrants.

After two years of research, my humble little book is out in the world. Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia is available in Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Amazon, independent bookstores, and museum gift shops. Whether you have an interest in this topic or not, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the History Press and Arcadia formats. You may realize that you, too, have a regional history topic deserving of a small and accessible book.

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Unemployment -- and the lack of necessary skills for employment, particularly among youth under age 25 -- is one of the issues I hear about most as I speak with world leaders, hotel owners and employees in the thousands of communities where Hilton operates. It's no surprise why: The Economist estimates that there may be as many as 290 million 15-to-24-year-olds not participating in the labor market. These 290 million bright minds -- a group almost as large as the U.S. population -- could be making our communities stronger and bringing fresh solutions to the world's biggest challenges. By failing to invest the time, energy and resources needed to help these young people succeed, we're jeopardizing the future of the global economy.

This crisis has many roots. In some countries, the reasons are cultural - for instance, girls not receiving the same schooling or job opportunities. In others, they're tied to poor economic conditions or geopolitical issues like the refugee crisis.

There's also a real skills gap. Even in developed economies, where enrollment in upper secondary schools is often near 100 percent, nearly one in five students do not acquire a minimum level of basic skills needed to be gainfully employed. And McKinsey reports only 43 percent of employers can find enough skilled entry-level workers. Schooling and technical skills alone aren't enough; young people also need "soft skills" like communication, problem-solving and cross-cultural competencies to be successful.

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One thing is certain: We are not investing nearly enough in creating opportunities for youth. A recent study by the International Youth Foundation (IYF) and the Center for Strategic and International Studies found multilateral agencies, bilateral donors, corporations and foundations allocated USD $1.8 billion toward youth economic opportunity programs in developing countries in 2014. While that may sound like a lot, it's a drop in the bucket compared to other complex global issues. For example, IYF estimates water and sanitation programs received nearly $13 billion in 2014, while agricultural development projects received $12.65 billion.

The good news is we already have an important part of the solution. We know millions of young people are searching for jobs, and there are many sectors within the economy that are looking to hire. In fact, the travel and tourism industry - the largest employer in the world - is expected to generate 86 million new jobs by 2026. Having a strong base of passionate, driven, hard-working employees to fill those jobs is essential to our continued growth.

That's why companies across our industry are investing in training programs and partnerships with governments, NGOs and schools to ensure young people are prepared for and finding short-term jobs and longer-term career opportunities. In fact, Hilton has committed to helping at least one million young people by 2019 by connecting with them through our supply chain and volunteer programs, preparing them through our mentorship and training programs, or employing them directly. We're already halfway to this goal thanks to initiatives like our Youth in Hospitality Month, which this year reached more than 100,000 youth through projects in 74 countries.

But because this issue is bigger than any one company or industry, and because it's so multifaceted, we need to expand our response. This requires a broader commitment to helping young people become employable and employed. It also means sharing best practices and investing in research on what works so we can make faster and better progress. For example, we partner with IYF on The Global Youth Wellbeing Index, which summarizes data on youth wellbeing in key domains like education and employment to develop more effective solutions. Finally, it means investing more government dollars in the public-private apprenticeship programs that have been so successful in getting young people ready for work. Right here in the D.C. area, for example, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe has launched an apprenticeship program as part of a comprehensive effort to help young Virginians join and succeed in the workforce. We need much more of this type of action.

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The islands comprising the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico respectively, not only have deep historical roots, dating to the colonial era, their paths to prosperity may very well be shared. Nowhere more so than in linking Cuba's rapprochement with the U.S., which is driven by normalizing diplomatic relations combined with decade's worth of pent up business and tourist interests, with the need to turnaround Puerto Rico's fortunes in a manner palatable to bailout weary U.S. policymakers and beneficial to the Puerto Rican and Cuban people. The right policy strategy for the U.S. is not to treat Puerto Rico's economic crisis, which is now in the hands of U.S. policymakers given the passage of the PROMESA act, and fully normalizing ties with Cuba, including lifting economic sanctions and closing Guantanamo, as two disparate challenges but rather as one opportunity. Beginning in Cuba, where Havana is currently overwhelmed with a constant barrage of trade delegations from the U.S. mainland where English-speaking representatives from virtually every industry promise economic development in exchange for market access. When combined with managing the aspirations of 11 million Cuban people with the Government's desire to ease into a new normal with the U.S. while maintaining their hard-fought independence, will be needlessly strained by the lack of cultural and linguistic similitudes between the counterparties. Even with the best and most well-intentioned cultural and linguistic translators and the strongest business case, it will be difficult for the Cubans to accept an arrangement with anything less than lingering cold from more than 50 years of mistrust of Yanquis. Despite this lingering suspicion, there is broad acknowledgement in Cuba, driven by the very real effects, including rolling blackouts, of the collapse of Venezuela's oil-for-influence program, Petrocaribe, that it is time to drive real social and economic change on the island.

Where Havana is filled with hope and some trepidation about a brightening future, one island over, in the equally neglected U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, persistent storm clouds of economic collapse and massive outmigration linger on the horizon. A bright path for both Cuba and Puerto Rico can be paved by linking the U.S.-Cuba normalization process to Puerto Rico's turnaround. The policy prescriptions to achieve this combined vision can not only leverage the natural cultural, linguistic and economic union between these compatriot islands, they may very well represent an all ship's rising proposition garnering support in D.C., Havana and San Juan. To begin with, the overarching issue remains the economic sanctions that have been levied against Cuba since 1960. This crippling economic regime has largely left the Cuban economy in the 1950s. While nostalgic charm may make for good tourism, it hardly translates into market-readiness for Cuba to frame its competitiveness in a hyper-connected global economy. To address the asset, talent and infrastructure gap that persist in Cuba, every dollar of foreign direct investment (FDI) must come with meaningful skills-transfer and connections that move the Cuban workforce up the value chain and the Cuban economy into the 21st century. Who better to shepherd this development than their Puerto Rican brethren.



Concretely, as the U.S. vacillates about how and when to fully lift economic sanctions, Puerto Rico and Puerto Rican registered companies that largely hire a local workforce should be granted an immediate waiver from the sanctions regime. Not only will this promote and accelerate natural trade and investment linkages, it will also attract inward investment into Puerto Rico, possibly spurring the repatriation of the more than 400,000 island residents who left during the last 10 years. Focused investments in the energy sector, financial and professional services, information technology, along with a broad array of industrial projects can promote meaningful linkages between the two islands creating much needed economic development, job creation and, critically, trust building. It would also create much needed regulatory clarity on how prospective U.S. investors can enter the Cuban economy, without facing punitive measures or other risks in Cuba or the U.S. This Puerto Rico-Cuba Investment Corridor (PRCIC) can be launched with a 5 to 8 year horizon, during which time the Cuban's control the inward flow of U.S. investments, all channeled and with the meaningful involvement of trusted Puerto Rican counterparts.



U.S. mainland companies and existing Puerto Rican firms and investors wishing to take advantage of this corridor can also leverage a number of pre-existing investment promotion incentives and taxation advantages that are enshrined in Puerto Rican law. This includes, Acts 20 and 22 granting reduced income taxes for qualified individuals who take up residence on the island. Additionally, Puerto Rico boasts of a fledgling offshore financial center, which is the perfect staging ground for the much needed participation of the international banking and insurance sectors throughout the Caribbean basin. Puerto Rico's development will not come at Cuba's expense. On the contrary, business and investment stemming from the PRCIC would be received on the Cuban side with a series of preferential terms and conditions that benefit the Cubans in a shared manner. This would include the allowance of joint-ventures, cross shareholding and meaning skills and technology transfer, including in potentially sensitive areas.
The next president of the United States, at least on the Showtime drama Homeland, will be a woman described as "a little Hillary Clinton, a little Donald Trump and a little Bernie Sanders."

Who knew it was that easy to bring America together?

This being Homeland, however, we won't expect much to come easy when the award-winning espionage thriller returns Jan. 15 for its sixth season.

Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is back in the States, specifically in New York, at the center of a tense drama that swirls around the president-elect as she is being briefed, debriefed and otherwise prepared to take office in January.

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This may sound like a classic setup for Carrie and her former colleagues Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) and Dar Adal (F. Murray Abraham), who remain in the CIA while she remains out, to discover and try to thwart a nefarious plot by terrorists - since, after all, they have spent most of the previous five seasons doing precisely that.

But don't be too sure.

"The show will take some different directions this year," says showrunner Alex Gansa. "We'll be looking at our whole national response to the threat of terrorism since 9/11, including the way we've treated Muslim people."

By "we," says Danes, he largely means Carrie, who has been increasingly shaken by some of the things she has personally done in the name of fighting terrorism, like ordering drone strikes that killed civilians.

She also saw her good friend Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend) nearly killed, and while Gansa says Quinn will return this season, he cautions that viewers should expect "a very different person."

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Carrie's reassessment will be underscored, says Danes, by her relationship with her mentor and friend Saul, who is back in power at the CIA and last year pleaded with Carrie to return and join him. She refused.

Saul and Carrie "have diverged," says Danes. "There has been a split that they've been working on repairing over the last couple of seasons with varying degrees of success.

"Saul has really committed himself even more fully to the agency, and Carrie rejects some fundamental principles of it. So that's very difficult to reconcile, and I don't think they've fully done it.

"They are so profoundly bonded that they've never be able to rid themselves of, nor would they ever want to. But I think she's she's maturing into a very different place from where he has matured to."

"She's questioning whether our whole larger approach to fighting terrorism works," says Gansa, which is not to say she's abandoning the fight.

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"Carrie has been experimenting with cultivating some happiness in her life and eschewing some of the responsibility that she had assumed previously," says Danes. "And it doesn't work. She realized that she is maybe outsized for that life. It's not that she isn't deserving of it, but she isn't really designed for it.

"I think she learned last season that maybe she does have this calling, which is big and demanding. But she is rejecting the philosophies of the agency and has been disappointed by the effects of those strategies. So she's repositioning herself. I think she's going to try to influence change from a different vantage point."

The show is set in New York rather than Washington despite its political focus, Gansa explains, because in the two and a half months between the election and a new president taking office, he or she sets up a shadow transition office that's almost always in his or her home state.

Since our next real-life president is likely to be from New York, that puts the city at the logical heart of the show's action.

Gansa admits he's less confident about the larger thrust of this season's show, which will be pretty much have all been shot before the real-world presidential transition takes place.

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"I'm terrified every season that we'll be counterfactual by the time we air," says Gansa. "Or irrelevant."
The recent steps toward detente in the previously inert relationship between the United States and Cuba have had little visible effect outside of the main tourist centers in Havana and the various beach resorts that, until now, have been peopled largely by Canadians and Europeans. Most cities in the interior provide striking contrasts to the comparatively frenetic pace of change in the capital. In the provinces, animal powered transport coexists among puttering Soviet-era Ladas and the remaining American pre-1959 behemoth sedans. Outsized portraits of Fidel and Che, now often paired with the face of former president of Venezuela Hugo Chavez, are still common sights.

Reception in a middle school in the city of Sancti Spiritus

In these interior cities, the cultural patrimony of the Cuban people in the form of millions of pages of records of daily life from the 1500s to the present, is slowly disintegrating. Hospital records, baptismal certifications, burial records, petitions for interracial marriages, letters, and other documentary proof of life are contained in Catholic church archives in nearly every city and town on the island. Humidity, material scarcity, and low levels of technology (including expensive and glacial internet access) compound the threat posed by hungry insects. Most people, Cubans included, who are not historians, history buffs, or genealogically inclined, frequently see little value or importance in these disappearing windows into the past.

A typical residence in rural Cuba.

Since 2005, an international team of historians, led by Jane Landers of Vanderbilt University, and now extended in a new project by David LaFevor of the University of Texas at Arlington, has been racing to save these irreplaceable documents. The Catholic Church, which has had a challenging relationship with the Cuban state since shortly after the Revolution, was the creator and is now the custodian of these records. It is unusual in Cuba to encounter any sector of civil society that is not in some way bound to the state, but the Church is relatively free to decide how it handles its internal business. Each papal visit ushers in increasing autonomy, from the re-legalization of Christmas in the late 1990s to revoking the ban on religious ceremonies and processions outside of church walls following the visit of Pope Francis--with the proper state permit, of course.

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An eighteenth-century marriage register for slaves and free people of color. The priest who kept these records was also the local representative of the Inquisition.

Graduate students from the University of Texas at Arlington digitize historical documents in a seventeenth century Cuban church.

In this evolving context, the British Library Endangered Archives Programme has awarded a two-year grant to fund the project "Siete Villas de Cuba," in the seven oldest cities on the island: Baracoa, Bayamo, Santiago, Trinidad, Havana, Camaguey, and Sancti Spiritus, all founded in the early 1500s. These cities contain a wealth of endangered information, most of which has never been accessed by historians.

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At the core of the project are sources that provide historians with new insights into the slave trade, slavery, and the lives of free people of color in Cuba. A team of U.S. scholars and graduate students over the next two years will locate, digitize, preserve and publish these decaying records. Unlike slavery in the United States, the Catholic Church in Latin America mandated baptism and encouraged marriage and other sacraments among all sectors of society. All of these acts generated a paper trail that contains important information on African ethnicity and social relations, the fates of indigenous Cubans, and others who underwent the dramatic effects of enslavement, colonization, and forced labor. The millions of pages of information on Africans and the Afro-descended in Cuba (and most of Latin America) are without parallel in former British colonies such as the United States.

A trickle of tourists make it to this tower, built in the early nineteenth century for a sugar planation owner to monitor his property, both land and human.

In May of 2016, Harvard's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research co-sponsored, along with several Cuban academic centers, a conference in Havana that brought together Cuban and American scholars of slavery and the slave trade. Though these collaborations between Cubans and Americans have taken place sparingly since 1959, they represent the person-to-person interest that undermines the official hostility and antiquated policies that create artificial roadblocks between Cubans and U.S. Americans. The fate of the hopeful changes represented by these meetings and projects in now in the hands of the U.S. Congress; Barack Obama has reached the limit of presidential authority on the Cuba question. Fidel Castro turned ninety yesterday and looks set to outlive yet another presidential administration. Despite this oft-cited irony, it helps to keep Cuban history in perspective and out of the shadow of one man; Cubans will celebrate the city of Havana's five-hundredth birthday in 2019.
While some laughed at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's initial statement about a complete ban of all Muslims coming to America, Muslims should take it seriously. Whatever else Trump's statement might convey about himself, his supporters and the painfully divided Republican Party at present, it should personally challenge everyday Muslims about their faith and role in foreign affairs.

For instance, when do Muslims at local, national and global levels step forward and boldly question rogue interpretations of the Quran and other sources produced by out-of-step Islamic scholars? Why the reticence when such interpretations only feed further misunderstanding among us all?

Poisonous translations of works by Islamic scholars including Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Kathir and Hassan al-Banna (among others) have not been challenged. While their scholarly work merits some appreciation, their innovations, insertions of questionable interpretations and cherry-picking of facts have had and continue to have a negative impact on how Islam is perceived today. Contemporary Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf writes: "This insidious disease has a source and that source must be identified so we can begin to inoculate our communities against it."

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What's perplexing: None of their works ever stated that Islam is not about dictating to others how to live. They never stated that the true meaning of Islam is living your life the way you want and letting others live their lives. As matter of fact, most religions call for a similar concept, "Live and let live". Instead, their interpretations of Islam, as Mike Ghouse argues, infected the true meaning of the religion and what it stands for. They offer a calculated exclusion of the truth. I beg fellow Americans to look beyond this veil.

To fellow Muslims in our community and elsewhere in America, I add: If you truly care about explaining Islam based on accurate information, not twisted interpretations, then step forward and demonstrate all-American courage in speaking out. Come out from behind the walls of mosques. Get to know the community with all its diverse faiths.

Should self-respecting Muslims these days blame non-Muslims who see Islam as a threat? No, we should not, because there are elements within the Muslim community who say one thing and do another. Some claim to be inclusive, yet deep inside harbor ill feelings toward Christians, Jews and others.

Revel in diversity: Some Muslims, even here in my state of Texas, do not want to interact with Christians. I ask: If you do not care to meet, learn from, and befriend Christians and others, then why are you here? If meeting non-Muslims is so bad, why are you living in a predominately Christian nation? How can you have this double-standard that you ignorantly justify in the name of Islam?

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Allah -- Arabic for God -- is no enemy of Christians, Hindus, Jews, gays, Buddhists, atheists, pagans, Shias, Sunnis, Ahmadiyyas and others. Too many Muslims have reduced the universal god of all to a private god owned solely by them and acting solely for them. This is simply wrong. And the consequences lay before us in the daily news of bombings, shootings and friction between the faiths, here in the land of liberty and beyond. Those consequences fuel much of the talk we now hear on the campaign trail.

How can misguided Muslims claim Prophet Muhammad is a mercy to mankind when the likes of Asiya Bibi, Youssef Naderkhani and Lena Joy, among others, have been charged with blasphemy and apostasy and sentenced to death? No wonder skeptics of Islam have difficulty seeing the Prophet Muhammad in benevolent guise. What ignorant Muslims refuse to acknowledge is that apostasy and blasphemy laws are not rooted in Islam. These laws are nothing but fanciful concoctions.

Muslims need to reject the old way of thinking, challenge the ignorance that have spread across the Muslim world and infected its way of thinking. Otherwise, the act of worship is nothing but a mask that shields the ignorant, the radical, the extreme and the misguided among us.

And to those Muslims, whether in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt or even in the United States, who claim Sharia law is God's divine law, I say that's nonsense. And that's because anything that is divine is, by definition, flawless -- and Sharia law cannot be divine by any stretch of the imagination.

Works of God and man: To those Muslims living here in the United States, I point out that you do not have to look far to see how our own mighty U.S. Constitution -- deservedly acclaimed and celebrated the world over as the inspired creation of an enlightened set of men in America -- is nonetheless a human effort that has been amended 27 times to correct the flaws and shortcomings. Even today those on the right and left talk of amending it further. No less than the governor of Texas proposes a series of amendments.

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A long-running mystery in the bird world has been solved: Where do the little clown-faced Atlantic Puffins go when they leave their Maine nesting grounds?

Within just the last year, with the help of tracking tags attached to puffin leg bands, scientists have learned that Maine puffins winter about 150 miles southeast of Massachusetts' Cape Cod in the waters of an area known as the Grand Canyon of the undersea world. Here, mountains rise thousands of feet from the sea floor and brilliant corals grow to tree-like proportions in aquatic forests that resemble a Dr. Seuss creation.

This discovery has come just as President Obama is weighing a decision to declare the undersea area--the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts--the first Atlantic Marine National Monument.

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So why should the recent puffin discovery by Audubon scientists help President Obama make that decision?

This is one of the most pristine biodiversity hot spots on the planet, a place remarkably free from human disturbance. It's not only the winter home to the threatened Atlantic Puffins, but hosts whales, porpoises, tuna, sailfish and countless other sea creatures and ocean fauna. And those are just the seafaring creatures we know about. Much remains unexplored in this aquatic wonderland.

But the pressure to fish, drill and mine in increasingly remote and unexplored places puts this fragile habitat at risk. President Obama, with a stroke of his pen, has the power to permanently protect the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts by declaring it a Marine National Monument.



Some commercial fishers oppose the national monument designation, saying it would hurt their business if they are not allowed to fish these waters.

We believe protecting this underwater biodiversity hot spot would have exactly the opposite effect. Rather than hurt commercial fishers, protecting this highly diverse undersea world will help improve declining populations of lobsters and commercial fish in the overfished waters off the New England Coast.

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Fishers have experienced declining hauls for years due to overfishing and climate change that is shifting the patterns of fish populations.

When fish and other sea creatures have a safe haven as diverse as the New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts, they grow and repopulate the seas for hundreds of miles, bolstering populations with more and healthier fish.

That's the economic side of preserving this unique area. Just Google "images for New England Coral Canyons and Seamounts" and you can't help but be awed by the photos of lacey corals, sea creatures more magical than anything Hollywood animators could ever create, and thriving sharks and whales.

Scientists believe the Atlantic Puffins are attracted to the area because of the huge upwelling that provides abundant food, the same conditions that attract other sea birds along with whales, porpoises, tuna, sailfish and other fish.

Protecting this pristine habitat that will help ensure the health and bio-diversity of the region's ocean waters for wintering Atlantic Puffins and countless other species of birds and marine wildlife. With the video evidence from our live puffin cams on Explore.org, Audubon scientists know the puffins are going to need all the support they can get to survive as warming sea waters impact the kinds of fish they need to survive.

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There is much we still don't know about the area. It's one of the aspects that makes it so special, and would create such a tragedy if it were destroyed.

President Obama has an opportunity to make a decision that will impact the planet and future generations: He can ensure that one of the most magical and bio-diverse spots on the planet will be protected for decades to come.
The problem isn't Donald Trump but Trumpism -- many commentators feel safe enough to utter these words. What made them feel unsafe over the past year, despite the toxic extremism that Trump the man represented, was timidity. Someone posing as a strong man, capable of viciously demolishing his political enemies, posed a potential threat to anyone who spoke out against him. But now more people have found a way, even a growing handful of Republican politicians, to denounce him.

There's a collective sigh of relief that Trump has become his own worst enemy, but relief isn't the same as feeling safe, much less immune. America hasn't seen the last of Trumpism until remedies against its return are undertaken seriously. As a physician sees it, we are past the prevention stage, past the first signs of disorder, and well into rampant symptoms that threaten a full-blown outbreak. In a word, Trumpism has become a persistent virus, and although it fuels a sense of self-righteousness to blame the long line of Republican presidents going back to Nixon who planted the seeds of Trumpism, we can't afford that luxury.

To compress Trumpism into its essential ingredients, they are actually a batch of stubborn illusions that have been turned into a belief system, as follows:

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-- The illusion that anyone "not like us" is inferior, bad, lazy, and dangerous. From this illusion springs a belief in us-versus-them thinking.

-- The illusion of racial superiority. From this illusion springs overt and covert racism.

-- The illusion of absolute patriotism, or "my country right or wrong." From this illusion springs xenophobia.

-- The illusion that violence works. From this illusion springs a belief that war accomplishes more good things than bad.

-- The illusion of egotism. From this illusion springs the belief that only "I, me, and mine" actually count.

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The list could go on, and there are commentators who focus on such things as sexism, income inequality, immigration, and fear of globalism. Trumpism has many arms, no doubt. But I think it is best viewed as a psychological state that permits the welling up of our darkest impulses. Until the country's collective psychology stops being tainted by fear, anger, and resentment, Trumpism will continue on the metastasized negativity that the far right cannot survive without.

President Obama followed the course of being the adult in the room, which Hillary Clinton is continuing. But if we consider the 16 other Republican candidates for president that didn't get nominated, each exhibits some form of Trumpism-lite. In private, even a gentlemanly Mitt Romney, assuming he wasn't being taped, expressed an appalling disdain for the average American. The current crop of right-wing candidates fester in a party where the majority of Republicans believe that Obama is a practicing Muslim.

This implies that being the adult in the room is too passive. Hatred must be countered with activism, and activism begins with each of us examining our own attitudes and beliefs.

-- We must respond to toxic emotions with rational solutions.

-- We must be brave about standing up and speaking our truth.

-- We must stop secretly agreeing in the blandishments of us-versus-them thinking.

-- We must do our civic duty to put the country back on a sound moral basis.

-- We must renounce violence not just in others, but in our own hearts as well.

I know that these sound like moralistic steps, but as David Brooks has been pointing out in the New York Times, the basic objection to Trump is a moral one, and our society has become timid, self-conscious, embarrassed, or indifferent to public morality. As a result, so-called "conservative values" have taken us through the looking glass into a landscape where the worst among us cloak themselves as the best and most moral.

It seems set in stone that elected officials on the local, state, and Congressional level will refuse to budge from toxic positions that get voters to turn out. But this is largely because the bad have driven out the good. Moderate and progressive candidates shun the opportunity to run for office because of their distaste for an opposition that, as Trump demonstrates, uses scorched-earth tactics as a normal way of conducting politics. But there is no other remedy other than good people stepping up once more.

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What's needed in the end isn't a moral crusade, which only inflames the opposition to more intense levels of abuse, as witness Trump's completely unpunished habit of doubling down on his vitriolic rhetoric. Morality returns naturally when people have expanded awareness. We are living in an era where outside threats, real or imaginary, have caused our collective consciousness to contract. If this wasn't so, there would be no secret Trump admirers falling for the illusion that all we need is a strong male to fix this mess. Expanded consciousness begins at home. Each of us must find the core in ourselves where being truthful, strong, tolerant, compassionate, and at peace comes naturally. This level exists in everyone, and when we arrive there, the toxic illusions of Trumpism have no more power over us.
wat arun temple bangkok thailand

The Thai people voted for the latest constitution pushed by the reigning military junta. Unfortunately, General/Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's dictatorship made a no vote as hard as possible. The Thai people may suffer for years more under this clownish yet brutal caudillo.

Thailand long was characterized as the land of smiles: a friendly people, warm climate, and informal atmosphere all beckoned backpackers and businessmen alike. But politics has become less hospitable in recent years.

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In 1932 the all-powerful king was turned into a constitutional monarch. However, military coups were frequent and the court, along with the military, bureaucracy, and business, long dominated democratic politics. Well-connected elites prospered while the rural poor languished, seemingly forgotten by their own government.

That came to a dramatic end in 2001 when flamboyant business mogul Shinawatra Thaksin (the latter his given name, by which he is known), ran a populist campaign and won the support of the long-suffering rural poor. The usual governing elites refused to accept their loss of control and complained about his spend, spend, elect, elect policies, a staple of modern democracy. Thaksin was charged with corruption, but his adversaries, including in the military, also appeared to do well while supposedly doing good. In contrast, his government's most serious misbehavior, some 2000 extra-legal killings in Thailand's drug war, was largely ignored.

An extended, often violent political struggle ensued, culminating in a coup in 2006. The military's constitutional rewrite preserved democracy, albeit with elite-dominated commissions, courts, and other institutions designed to thwart the popular will. Despite the military's hopes, however, Thaksin's allies (he was in exile abroad) regained power in the next election.

Members of the opposition remained frank about their hostility toward giving Thaksin's voters any say in the nation's future. Acting as a modern variant of Mussolini's Blackshirts, his opponents made the country ungovernable and invited military intervention. While refusing to back prime ministers allied with Thaksin against violent street mobs, in 2010 the military shot down scores of Thaksin supporters who protested the forced ouster of the government they had voted into office.

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But this soft coup only led to a large majority voting for Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, in the election that followed a year later. So the opposition again deployed mobs in a successful attempt to destroy democracy. When she called another election which the Thaksin-friendly Puea Thai Party was certain to win, the opposition Democrat Party demonstrated that its name was an oxymoron by refusing to contest the poll. Worse, anti-government protestors blocked voting. In May 2014 Gen. Prayuth seized power, while proclaiming that he had a "democratic heart."

However, he channeled George Orwell when establishing the National Council for Peace and Order. The anodyne name mimicked the fraudulent titles promulgated by the Burmese military to cover its brutality. The Thai junta challenged anyone who called it a junta or said it took power in a coup. The NCPO also engaged in the usual repression accompanying a military putsch: banned public protests, prohibited political meetings, seized radio and televisions stations, censored print media, blocked websites, threatened dissidents, detained critics, and tried opponents in military courts.

So far more than 1300 people have been detained for "attitude adjustment" and even more have been charged with criminal offenses. More than 1600 people have been tried in military courts, not noted for procedural fairness. Those punished include academics, students, politicians, and journalists. The junta dropped charges against officials indicted in the 2010 massacre of pro-Thaksin demonstrators while filing criminal charges against his sister for the political offense of pork barrel politics.

Although many detainees were released after promising to eschew criticism of the military dictatorship, others were held incommunicado and likely tortured, though anyone reporting such incidents faces prosecution. For instance, Amnesty International has taken up the cause of three activists arrested in July for exposing torture and other ill-treatment by the army and police; they have been charged with criminal defamation and computer crimes. In July the regime filed criminal charges against 25-year-old Naritsarawan Kaewnopparat for seeking justice for her uncle, a military conscript beaten to death by other soldiers in 2011.

The junta also has targeted opponents with Thailand's oppressive lese-majeste laws. Although the king criticized criminalization of virtually any discussion of the monarchy, the military treats even harmless comments as threats to "national security." Freedom House observed: "The charges have been used to target activists, scholars, students, journalists, foreign authors, and politicians." Sentences tend to be long--two recent ones involving Facebook messages ran 28 and 30 years--and scores of cases are pending.

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Earlier this month the government charged 40-year-old Patnaree Chankij for responding to a private Facebook message critical of the monarchy with "ja," the equivalent of "yeah," meaning either yes or noncommittal, depending on the context. For this word she faces trial before a military court and a possible 15-year-sentence. The charge likely is intended to silence her son, Sirawith Seritwat, a student member of both the New Democracy Movement and Resistant Citizen group, which oppose military rule.

The brutality of generalissimo Prayuth's rule cannot be disguised by his cartoonish nature. The dictator-in-training appears to be a character in a Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. One of his first acts was to send service personnel out to play music and dance while proclaiming the return of happiness to Thailand. He penned a song on the subject and hosts a weekly television show in which he lectures the nation. All the while he appears to be genuinely befuddled, even shocked and outraged, that the people do not adore him and follow his orders without question.

The human rights group Freedom House reports that Thailand has regressed from "partly free" to "not free." Human Rights Watch concluded: "Thailand's military junta has used dictatorial power to systematically repress human rights throughout the country." (For its trouble, HRW's website was blocked in Thailand.)

In its latest human rights report the State Department was blunt and comprehensive. The NCPO had imposed an interim constitution and decrees "severely limiting civil liberties, including restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, and the press." People could not choose their government and security forces often abused human rights, while largely enjoying "official impunity."

Moreover, added State, other "human rights problems included arbitrary arrests and detention; poor, overcrowded, and unsanitary prison and detention facilities; restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, and association; corruption;" and limits on worker rights. Also evident were insufficient protection for "vulnerable populations."

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Perhaps most shocking is how Bangkok leapfrogged backward over Burma, which is now freer than Thailand. After decades of brutal misrule, the Burmese military yielded much control. Although the civilian government has yet to gain full authority, the Burmese people are mostly free to speak and write; in last fall's election they gave the opposition an overwhelming majority in parliament. None of these is true of life under Thailand's NCPO.

Alas, Generalissimo Prayuth and his minions were not content with the usual repression. The regime broke new ground in treating almost everything as a prohibited protest. People were detained for placing duct tape over their mouths, making the Hunger Games three-finger salute, holding papers and placards with anti-coup messages, and aiding those arrested. Nor is that all. The military also detained people for standing, eating, wearing black on the king's birthday, holding blank paper, selling goods decorated with Thaksin's face, reading George Orwell's 1984 in public, publicizing a poem on democracy, playing the French national anthem "La Marseillaise," and talking to journalists.

Another prohibited act was wearing t-shirts with political slogans and other messages interpreted as political. I've worn my Lord Acton t-shirt, with his aphorism about power's corrupting effect, all over the world, including in China. But I have not taken it to Thailand since the coup, despite (or because of) its obvious truth, and the likely military reaction thereto.

Last year the dictator-wannabe complained about critics of the first draft of a new constitution--to succeed the 19 others used since 1932, when the monarchy was first limited. People were "harsh" towards him and had no right to comment. He added ominously, "I will have to be harsh in return." In December generalissimo Prayuth whined that newspapers "made me lose my manners and have ruined my leader image." His outrage burned: "I will shut them down for real. I cannot allow them to continue their disrespect." Yet he insisted that he was restrained in using his authority since, he informed journalists, he had the power to shoot them! His comments did not convince skeptics.

To General/Prime Minister Prayuth's credit, he quickly gave up his democratic pretenses. In March 2015 he proclaimed: "Our country has seen so much trouble because we have had too much democracy." The problem? Thaksin and his allies won five straight elections. The generalissimo originally promised a new vote within 15 months, which was last August. But he quickly pushed that deadline back. Then last summer after an advisory panel rejected the military's first constitutional try, the NCPO continued on, taking its time to produce another version no less dictator-friendly.

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In essence, the military would continue to dominate the state. There would be elections, but those chosen would not rule. Complained Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch, the constitution "essentially enshrines the abuse of power and impunity." Indeed, the referendum "is a redo of a military coup, using fear and intimidation to force Thai people to grant an extension of their control of power." Even past juntas generally appointed technocrats to office, allowed dissent, and returned power to the people. Generalissimo Prayuth has taken a far more repressive approach on every particular.

While allowing a nominally free vote on its "roadmap to democracy," the military did everything else possible to force the population to ratify its continued rule from the shadows. The regime promulgated propaganda in the name of explaining the document. Conscripts were deployed to promote a yes vote.

Most important, anyone opposing the constitution, whether online, in print, or in public, faced up to ten years in prison. In his finest dictatorial form, General/Prime Minister Prayuth declared that the Thai people "have no rights to say that they disagree" with him: "I don't allow anyone to debate or hold a press conference about the draft constitution. Yet they still disobey my orders. They will be arrested and jailed for ten years. No one will be exempted, not even the media." No longer any pretense of a having "democratic heart!"

Journalists admit avoiding reporting on the referendum to avoid causing official offense. One of the courageous activists willing to take a stand, Rangsiman Rome, co-founder of the New Democracy Movement, told the Guardian that "The main thing [the draft constitution] represents is the NCPO, the main thing it will do is prolong the power of the NCPO." At least 120 people, including former cabinet ministers and parliamentarians, were arrested for criticizing the document. The youngest defendant was an eight-year-old girl charged with obstruction for tearing down a poster because she liked its (pink) color. The generalissimo's minions were not amused.

The military used its nationwide gag order to disguise the fact that the document was a blueprint for continued repression. Even former Prime Minister Ahisit Vejjajiva, who originally acted as an enabler of dictatorship, criticized the draft document for violating people's liberties and failing to confront corruption. He and others who initially favored military rule came to understand that the generals intended to take power for themselves, not the old elites.

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The majority may have supported the constitution as the quickest way back to nominal civilian rule, but only nominal. General/Prime Minister Prayuth, with his Gilbert and Sullivan routine, will remain in power in the background. Moreover, the junta will argue that a yes vote ratified its severe violations of human rights. Finally, constitutionalizing the suppression of the Thai people's civil and political liberties will be the most destabilizing step of all. Refusing to allow people to choose their path, warned former cabinet minister Chaturon Chaisang, means "there will be conflict in the future."

No one knows what happens next. Some speculate that the military plans to stay in charge indefinitely to manage the long expected royal transition from the sickly but revered king to healthy but unpopular crown prince. That shift is almost certain to add another element of instability to Thai politics.

Thailand's only hope for the future is to end Generalissimo Praytuth's starring role in the country's political comic opera. Then the contending factions need to accept the legitimacy of each other and work together. Thailand needs a new constitution, but not one which creates a camouflaged dictatorship. Rather, the Thai people should reduce state, and especially military, power and decentralize government authority. By reducing the importance of controlling the national government, Thais could more easily live in relative political peace.

Until then, the U.S. and Europeans should deal with General/Prime Minister Prayuth's NCPO when they must, but avoid doing anything to unnecessarily legitimize the junta. The generalissimo undoubtedly would whine and the regime might push for closer relations with China, but Washington should not allow itself to be held hostage by a repressive junta controlled by an unstable narcissist. America cannot rest its security upon such a dubious partner.

The future of Thailand should be up to the Thai people, and not only those carrying guns. Unfortunately, Generalissimo Prayuth was successful in manipulating the referendum to legitimize his dictatorship. Freedom for the Thai people will come only when they are able to push him aside. Hopefully their final victory will not be too long in coming.
"I been poor my whole life. It's like a disease." And with that thought in mind, two brothers, Toby (Chris Pine, Star Trek's Captain Kirk) a divorced dad and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster, Lone Survivor) an ex-con, go on a bank-robbing spree in rural, arid West Texas where folk love guns, beer and their land equally. The men target branches of the Texas Midlands Bank, which is in the midst of foreclosing on their late mom's ranch.



(Photo courtesy of CBS Films)

Ben Foster and Chris Pine co-star in the crime/drama/thriller Hell or High Water.

As you sit in the theater you feel the dust from the prairies, smell the stench of the cattle and expect tumbleweed to roll down the aisles. The atmosphere (director David MacKenzie, production designer Tom Duffield, set decorator Wilhelm Pfau, composer Nick Cave) is thicker than a cup of five-day old cowboy coffee. The cinematography (Giles Nuttgens, Fire) makes landscapes and street scenes look faded and parched from the harsh sun.

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This modern day western tale of the poor robbing the rich is the concoction of screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, who was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay for his extremely tense crime thriller Sicario. His attention to detail, ability to build distinctive characters from the inside out and supply them with colorful, memorable dialogue is beyond reproach. As the brothers reminisce about their physically abusive father, their words speak volumes. Toby: "Fighting made the beatings last longer." Tanner: "That's why I stopped fighting and shot that son of a bitch."

As they point, shoot, rob and flee, two Texas rangers trail them. The old but wise Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his half Native American half Mexican partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham, from the Twilight movie franchise) track the robbers like old bloodhounds hunting down horse thieves. Hamilton's salty mouth rains an incessant stream of verbal, racist barbs at Parker, who hurls his own supply of biting words back at his friend. They're like an old, cranky married couple.

Director David MacKenzie (Starred Up) never steps over the boundaries of brutal hard realism. Though the film may remind some viewers of the Cohen Brother's Fargo, this look at the Wild West is not nearly as eccentric or precious. For 102 minutes you don't have to suspend disbelief, you get to stay in the moment as the brothers' mission grows beyond their control.

As the sane sibling, the bearded Pine plays the lead character very stoically. His determination is on his face and in his piercing blue eyes. Foster seems to relish being the loose cannon who causes problems yet emits a deep love for his brother.

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Their acting is only outdone by Jeff Bridges, who milks the cagey old ranger's persona until it's dry. Slow country drawl, thoughtful deliberate phrasing, and acting like arthritis has taken over every part of his body except his trigger finger. As a supporting actor, Gil Birmingham gives Bridges room to work and then sneaks in a line reading that steals scenes. Hamilton after one of his premonitions comes true: "See. White men have intuition." Parker: "Sometimes a blind pig finds truffle."

The Hell or High Water story is so rich it feels like it was taken from a novel or based on real crooks like Bonnie and Clyde or Jesse and Frank James. But it isn't. It's all made up.

This classic, thoughtful, and evocative storytelling lets audiences have a guilty pleasure watching two wretches get payback on a banking system that's ripping off old ladies.
Today's guest author is Dr. Rev. PM Crowley Hillstrom.

"I think all of us in Minnesota are forced to confront that this kind of racism exists."

Governor Mark Dayton offered these words the day after Philando Castile, a 32-year-old Black male and school cafeteria manager, was killed. Hennepin County Medical examiner's official press report stated Castile's manner of death was "homicide" from multiple gunshot wounds.

At the end of Governor Dayton's remarks he says, "Justice will be served in Minnesota!" This statement came on the heels of demands from those attending a Black Lives Matter rally requesting the governor to "effect change."

As a person of both Indigenous and European descent, my soul became overwhelmed with grief and fear based upon my own encounters, both positive and negative, with law enforcement. To help process the recent events, I turned to hear what President Barack Obama had to offer. I heard "that all of us as Americans should be troubled by these shootings because these are not isolated incidents." Regrettably, this truth did not calm my fears or remove my grief, but it did inspire me to write.

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As my heart and head processed the President's words, I heard the words "justice will be served in Minnesota," echoing over and over again. True justice will never occur in this country until we transform the current normative set of values and beliefs that determine access and opportunities for people. I truly hope that the persons involved, not only here in Minnesota, but Baton Rouge, Dallas - and what seems to be countless other communities in our country - will be investigated and "justice" will be served. However for justice to be realized we must address the root of the problem: systemic racism.

As an educational leader committed to systemic transformation, I am compelled to interrupt the forces at play, which are not only producing the current racial climate, but mimicking such climates found throughout history.

I know education plays a key role in how people of different races live today. Both personally and professionally, I am committed now more than ever to help change the miseducation of dominant culture. Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1933 wrote a book titled The Miseducation of the Negro. In this book Woodson said, "The worst kind of lynching" is to teach a student that their Blackness is a curse.

This fixed and errant mindset, taught through a Eurocentric education system, provides the very foundation that society has used to paralyze people of color and Indigenous folks, leading to the creation of the current grievous situation of our current judicial systems.

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This miseducation is prevalent throughout history and today as society continues to inadequately value the lives of people of color and Indigenous people. . Yes all lives matter, but all lives can't matter until we value Black lives.

If we are ever to realize a time in our history where justice is more than an eye for an eye- -- that will eventually leave us all blind -- we must create systemic transformational change. We must end our current miseducation, which is founded on a belief of racial hierarchy.

Arrogance and ignorance about race must be addressed, and education is the key.

We must have the courage to change what is being taught and draw upon the depth of knowledge that surpasses one dominant culture /race and connect with the deeper knowledge of humanity.

Much of today's emphasis on education systems focuses exclusively on values and beliefs that determine access and opportunities. Groups like the Committee of Ten and the Cardinal Principles helped establish our educational system through these limited values and perspectives. Most of the values and beliefs that drive today's education have been determined by what dominant cultures determine is of most worth. Race, ethnicity, gender, religion and language diversity are just a few of the critical components that have not been addressed effectively in the past and must be part of the educational redesign if we are to meet the ever-changing needs of each child and bring forth justice.

The truth is that this country has been built on the backs of dead Indians and Black slaves and has yet to recognize the contribution of Asian immigrants, while today perpetuating the miseducation by exploiting a neo- classic slave force of Latinos.

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The fact that this truth remains untold or denied must become unacceptable in the United States. This miseducation of U.S. history and values must stop if justice will ever come forth from the shadows. Accurate education must establish the premise that cultures and races other than the dominant are full and complete and are not something flawed or of lesser value than dominant culture or race.

Several states have passed legislation to address student performance. Goals often include school readiness, grade level reading, high school graduation and college readiness. All of these goals are focused around closing racial and economic achievement gaps.

Nevertheless, there still is an underlying belief that these elements are what are needed to create a healthy society. Unfortunately, this list stops drastically short at addressing the overwhelming needs for our society to become racially literate. In our diverse world the concept of racial literacy must be on the list of critical learning that is needed to create the world's best workforce.

Paulo Friere said it best: "Through proper education individuals transform themselves as learners, which provide themselves with the necessary tools to bring about radical structural changes that support a democratic lifestyle and equitable solutions."

Eric J. Cooper is the founder and president of the National Urban Alliance for Effective Education, a nonprofit professional development organization that provides student-focused professional development, advocacy and organizational guidance to accelerate student achievement. He can be reached at e_cooper@nuatc.org. He tweets as @ECooper4556.



Dr. Rev. PM Crowley Hillstrom is director of educational equity for ISD 279 - Osseo Area Schools. Email Dr. Hillstrom at HillstromR@District279.org
Contentiousness regarding the impact of certain foreign nations, particularly China and Mexico, on American society and its economy has characterized this year's electoral campaign. The utter absence of factual support for the hateful positions adopted is shocking. To quote Mark Twain, "Get your facts first. Then you can distort them as you please." Here then are the facts.

I have thought long and hard about sharing publicly these views because my role as a professor causes me to want to keep my political views private. My fundamental loyalty to my students and to my graduates makes me want them to know that I respect them and their ideas, including their political ideas which may differ from my own. Because my right to my political views should not interfere with my professional obligations to my students, and because my expertise as an educator does not give me special expertise or authority on political matters, I work very hard to keep my views private, outside the classroom or the university where I work.

However, the heightened distortion of the facts in this campaign, and the grave consequences I foresee from the exacerbation of bigotry that it is inducing, make things different this time. While I will continue to keep my political views outside the classroom or the University, and will continue to extend all of my students, whatever their views, my respect and dedication as their professor, I need to share these thoughts publicly in writing in my blog. I make explicit that these are personal views, those of an individual citizen, and that they do not represent the institution where I work in any way. As an American by choice I elected to swear allegiance to the United States. I studied the history and the Constitution of this nation and I made the choice to actively contribute, as citizens do in a democratic society, to make this society better and true to the principles on which this country was founded. I am deeply concerned that the extreme chauvinism and bigotry that has become the new normal to serve short-term political gains is unfortunate and gravely damaging for three reasons.

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First, because the claim that China and Mexico have somehow taken advantage of the American people is untrue, and this falsehood prevents the American public from focusing attention where we should: in the economic, education and social policies we pursue. The living conditions and opportunities that the people in China, Mexico, the United States or any other nation experience are fundamentally the result of the actions taken by the economic and political leaders of those nations in creating opportunities, as well as the result of decisions made by individuals in response to those opportunities.

When China's Premier Den Xiaoping led a series of reforms known as the four modernizations starting in 1978 he unleashed the creation of many opportunities that improved the living conditions for the people of China. The policies Chinese leaders have advanced since, in particular the policies to expand access to and improve the quality of education, have produced the largest change in the level of education of a nation the world has witnessed in a single generation. It is no wonder that policies like these have produced the most dramatic reduction in the level of poverty experienced by people in history. Chinese leaders did not achieve these gains taking anything from anyone, but making smart policy choices, creating opportunities and reinforcing cultural practices that encouraged individuals to work hard in response to those opportunities. In my visits to schools and universities in China, I see students who are dedicated to their studies, who spend time cultivating their talent, and take full advantage of the many opportunities that equally dedicated teachers and supportive parents create for them.

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Progress in Mexico is also the result of smart policy choices by that nation's leaders. When the Mexican Congress passed legislation, a decade ago, providing free and mandatory early childhood education programs for all children, at great cost and sacrifice to that nation, it made a smart choice reflecting the willingness of an entire nation to provide for their children opportunities they themselves had not had. Similarly, the education policies and programs advanced by the Federal Government in Mexico to raise the standards of entry into the teaching profession, and to invest in the professional development of their teachers, are increasing the quality of the education, providing the current generation of students opportunities their parents did not have.

That two nations with significantly lower income per capita than the United States should choose to make these kind of investments in the education of their children, and of their most disadvantaged populations, should be a reason for admiration, and an opportunity for us to learn, not a cause for disparagement, for the same reasons we should hope other nations could learn from and admire American policies which produced progress in our nation.

When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Adjustment Act in 1944, providing benefits to returning World War II veterans, he stimulated a dramatic expansion in the opportunity to attend college. This expanded access in time produced a significant increase in the number of college graduates in the United States. This simple act caused the United States to remain, for the next four decades, the nation with the highest percentage of high school graduates who attended college. This policy, and others that supported expansion to college access, were the backbone of the remarkable economic development the United States enjoyed for many decades.

The economic challenges experienced by part of the American population in recent decades are not the result of what other nations have done, but of what we have failed to do in response to the transformation of the ways in which goods and services are produced. What is key to address the misfortunes of those who rightly fear for their lack of economic opportunity is what we do, not what others do. We should anticipate a world where artificial intelligence will increasingly do work that people used to do, and a world where advanced skills are essential to participate economically and civically. We should also anticipate a world where other nations have a more educated population than we do, the current trends in educational attainment and achievement suggest we are already there. There is much we could learn from other countries in how they are transforming their education systems to expand the opportunities for their population, and keeping communications and collaboration with those nations, rather than building walls or blaming them for our problems, are the smart responses that we should demand of our leaders.

The second reason the bigotry and chauvinism which characterize this campaign is unfortunate is because it moves part of the electorate in the opposite direction of what is necessary to advance progress and opportunity in the world. As a result of the revolution caused by telecommunication technologies in the last three decades the world has become smaller. We now all have many opportunities to collaborate with fellow human beings across the earth in multiple ways. These include creating businesses, creating arts, advancing scientific knowledge, promoting human rights, finding ways to address shared challenges, such as the damage humans are causing to the earth's ecosystem. The potential of those expanding forms of collaboration now possible is unlimited. Judging from what those collaborations have already produced, in the advancement of basic scientific knowledge, in the development of technologies, in addressing shared challenges like terrorism or other forms of criminal activity, in improving the state of the planet, we have every reason to believe that this century could be one of unprecedented human progress in helping us substantially improve the conditions of life for all people on this planet, and for the rest of living creatures and the planet itself. We can create a world of abundance in opportunity in collaboration with others, but not with a mindset that the opportunities available are fixed.

The ideology that retreating from these opportunities of global collaboration will help advance the interests of a particular nation or tribe, advanced for example by the leaders of misguided groups such as ISIS or the Taliban or Al Qaeda before them, is factually incorrect and dangerous to those who will be deprived of the benefits of the progress that global collaboration yields. The sorry state of life for those in the small areas which have fallen temporarily under the control of those chauvinistic and bigoted groups prove how much more limiting of human well-being life and opportunity those ideologies are.

The bigoted ideology that is undermining the support for collaboration with people from other nations is also creating large holes in the fabric of American society, as it is undermining the trust among different ethnic or cultural groups. An American born student in one of the schools in the town where I live, whose father is a naturalized American of Mexican origin, has been harassed by some of his peers who have indicated that they hope one of the candidates wins, so we build a wall and he has to 'go back to his country'. Those who bully him ignore the fact that, by law, America is this child's country, as well as his parents'. The prevalence of incidents like this across schools, neighborhoods and towns in America is deeply concerning. While it is easy to see how the tenor of this campaign is inciting such hateful bigotry, it is harder to predict how these forces of hate will be reigned in, once unleashed.

The third reason this bigoted rhetoric is regrettable is because it may fuel stereotypes about America in the rest of the world which are untrue, harmful to this country, and harmful to the fundamental principles on which this experiment in self-rule stands. Those who have limited exposure to life in the United States and who take seriously the claims of the candidate who espouses these bigoted views, or who believe that his supporters endorse him for those views, might conclude that this is a nation of people who condone that members of a particular ethnicity should have superior legal rights to others, that this is a nation that discriminates on the basis of religion, and that we endorse the abuse of women or individuals with disabilities. Some might perhaps even take seriously the irresponsible claims made by this candidate that the President of the United States conspired to create a criminal organization like ISIS or that the government is conspiring to not count the votes in the election as casted by the voters. Others, recognizing the absurdity of these claims, but realizing the reality that the candidate in question was elected by a majority of the voters of one of the two leading political parties in the United States, and anticipating that he has a serious chance at becoming the next President of the nation, might conclude that American democracy is a joke, a dysfunctional aberration in government at best, or largely the privilege of a racist society.

It would be absurd, of course, to think that a candidate who advocates bigotry speaks for the United States, even if he were elected. The United States is a big and diverse country, a country with a great history as a remarkable experiment of self-rule, a country with strong institutions and with the benefits of checks and balances that make American democracy work. It is a country where we honor the freedom of people to speak their mind, even when what they say makes little sense. Hopefully the voters will in time show that we don't endorse candidates who incite hatred, who have no respect for the facts, and who challenge the very institutions that allow this nation to be a nation of laws.

Amidst this diversity, the people of the United States want peace, with each other and with people from other nations around the world. In that we are more alike than different to the people in China and in Mexico, nations where I have worked with colleagues in the field of education for many years. These too are large and diverse countries, with strong institutions, with their challenges, but above all with people who want to live in peace, with each other and with people from other nations of the world.

Demonizing other nations, as one of our Presidential candidates has done recurrently over the last year, has nothing to do with the principles and ideals of American democracy. In fact this country was founded to a large extent because of the solidarity of another nation, France, who supported the audacity of a group of rebels who risked their lives to build a society where individuals could rule themselves and all could be fundamentally equal. I see many of the views this candidate has espoused as un-American, and see his election by the majority of the member of the party of Abraham Lincoln as a disgrace, that I hope the members of that party, which includes many honorable and committed people, will recognize and correct. My loyalty to these United States, my adopted country, causes me to share these views publicly in hope they will cause others to see how damaging the claims I have discussed are, even if sharing these thoughts means violating a long-held belief and practice that sharing my politics is not in my best interest as a professor or in the best interest of my students.

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This time things are different because the hateful discourse of this candidate is causing much harm to this country I love so much and to its most fundamental institutions. His hateful narrative against China and Mexico is unfounded, untrue, misguided and harmful to the American people and to the prospects for collaboration across borders that are so essential to advance global well being and to sustain peace.
We've seen it too many times in the past few years. Airline computer systems shut down leaving passengers stranded for days, resulting in massive revenue hits, ruined vacations, and lost productivity. What's behind this? American blamed SABRE, see below, when its reservation system crashed in 2015; United has cited various gremlins over the years for its computer malfunctions (2007, 2011, 2015) including "router failure"; Southwest (2015, 2016) faulted a "network equipment failure" and the subsequent failure of backup systems; and most recently Delta fingered the Atlanta power company for its crash, but turns out it was an issue with Delta's equipment ("Critical systems and network equipment didn't switch over to backups," the airline's COO was quoted as saying).

Curiously, newer airlines such as Jetblue and Virgin America haven't had these problems (yet), which may shed light on the next two reasons.



Old, cobbled-together technology

American's SABRE airfare booking system (now a separate company) was first tested in 1960 and ran the airline's reservation system beginning in 1964, running on IBM mainframes. Ever watch an airline ticket agent work a computer? It's all keystrokes and green-glowing CRT terminals. No mice here, no touch screens. Delta is "running on a reservation system that is more than 35 years old. In fact, it once belonged to an airline that went out of business in 1982," as aviation analyst Henry Harteveldt explained to CBS News.

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Mergers

When US Air bought America West, United acquired Continental, Delta merged with Northwest, Southwest hitched up with Airtran, and American purchased US Air, it created a complicated mishmash of software and hardware. So maybe resources needed to maintain routers and other equipment get shifted to system integration during merger mania. Whenever you merge disparate computer systems with many moving parts, problems are bound to happen.



24/7/365 operation

If JP Morgan Chase shuts down its website now and then for weekend maintenance, as it sometimes does, or the NYC subway shuts down a line for track work, then it might be an inconvenience but nothing will fall out of the sky. Not so with airlines. Their systems must be fully operational every minute of the year. So that makes shutdowns for maintenance nearly impossible, until, that is, things shut down.

Deferred maintenance

And speaking of maintenance, just like our bridges and public transit systems, when the cash is scarce maintenance gets postponed. When airlines were losing billions, were they more concerned with maintaining their planes or their computer systems? Obviously, safety came first.



IT brain drain

Google, Facebook and their ilk are sucking up all the IT talent with their hefty paychecks and stock options, deals that the airlines can't compete with. Every company running computer systems (and that's every company these days) faces the same challenge attracting and retaining enough IT help.

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Human error

And then we come to the obvious. People make mistakes and they're not caught it time. In the "airfare business" we call human errors "fat finger fares" and Airfarewatchdog.com and other tracking sites have had a lot of fun with these over the years. But FFF's bring up an interesting point: how the heck are those allowed to happen in the first place? When that poor Delta employee back on December 26, 2013 entered $20 first class fares to Hawaii into the reservation system, down from the usual $1200 each way, costing the airline tens of millions and the hapless employee (so we heard through the grapevine) his job, how did Delta's programmers not design their systems to pop up a window on his computer screen asking "Are you out of your mind?" We employ warnings at Airfarewatchdog when our fare analysts type in a fare that seems too low or too high. It was very easy to implement. The fact that these fare mistakes can make it into airline reservation systems just shows you how much work still needs to be done.
At a time when many colleges are competing to attract students by opening upscale dormitories that offer luxury amenities like climbing walls and fine cuisine in their dining halls, thousands of other college students across the country are homeless -- often "couch surfing" with friends, sleeping in cars or living in homeless shelters.

Many of these students don't consider themselves homeless because they aren't sleeping on sidewalks or park benches. Many don't want to say they're homeless out of embarrassment.

A study issued this year by California State University estimates that about 9 percent of the university system's approximately 470,000 students are homeless, and roughly one in five doesn't have access to a steady supply of food.

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That same study reported that in 2013-2014, about 57,000 college students nationally identified themselves as homeless, a 75 percent increase over three years earlier. But the study said that "this is undoubtedly a low count" because so many students are reluctant to call themselves homeless. Blending in with fellow students, they are often invisible.

As bad as this is, the situation is actually worse for those even younger. The Department of Justice estimates that about 1.7 million young people ages 12 to 17 experience some degree of homelessness each year across the United States.

In an effort to help homeless students, U.S. Education Secretary John King issued guidance to states and school districts July 27 to "better protect and serve homeless students and help schools in providing these students with much needed stability, safety, and support." This comes on top of recent changes by the Education Department to make it easier for homeless students to apply for financial aid to go to college.

The problem of homelessness among students is consistent with my experience as head of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which awards scholarships throughout the country to exceptionally high-achieving students from low-income families. Every year we get many applications from stellar students who are homeless or, at least, "home insecure." In fact, roughly 15 of our 450 scholarship recipients who are currently in college have experienced homelessness at some point.

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Far too many homeless students -- including some who are very smart -- never go to college or even drop out of high school, taking low-paying jobs instead of continuing their educations so they can make enough money to put a roof over their heads and food on the table. This is a sad though understandable course of action, with lifelong consequences.

One remarkable student who worked his way out of poverty and homelessness is Raul Mateo Magdaleno, the youngest of 10 children. His family moved from Mexico to Dallas as undocumented immigrants when he was just 18 months old. Not long afterward, his father was sentenced to prison and died. Later, Magdaleno's two brothers were sent to prison. None of his sisters graduated from high school.

The Cooke Foundation awarded Magdaleno a college scholarship in 2004 when his grades and community engagement distinguished him as a leader and as a scholar in his community college. That enabled him to earn a bachelor's degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. But he used the housing allowance from his scholarship to care for his mother and sister Sylvia, who has Down syndrome, including paying their expensive medical bills.

Magdaleno's mother worked two jobs as a hotel maid until Magdaleno entered SMU, when ill health and the need to care for Sylvia forced his mother to stop working. As a result, the three were forced to live in a homeless shelter for two years while Magdaleno attended SMU.

Embarrassed that he was homeless, Magdaleno hid the fact from the Cooke Foundation and his professors. He sometimes went to bed hungry and cried himself to sleep, until a professor and others who noticed he had lost a great deal of weight stepped in with food assistance. He graduated as the top public affairs student at SMU.

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Today Magdaleno is a U.S. citizen and gives motivational speeches to low-income middle school and high school students, urging them to stay in school and out of trouble. He is dedicating his life to helping young people who struggle as he did more than a decade ago. And he supports his mother and sister so that they are no longer homeless.

The problem of college student homelessness has solutions. For example, Amherst College provides dorm space year-round. Vassar College provides emergency loans. Some schools have established food pantries. Many more such initiatives are needed.
Sudanese-American activists from across the country gathered on Thursday outside the United Nations in New York City to implore the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to increase protection for civilians caught in the crossfire of a vicious civil war in Southern Sudan, the world's newest country.

The UNSC, which is to meet on Friday August 12 to vote on issues related to Southern Sudan, is slated to decide whether to create a unique force comprised of peacekeepers from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Sudan itself with a special mandate to protect civilians, according to Simon Deng, a New York-based Sudanese-American human rights activist who co-organized Thursday's rally.

"Otherwise, Southern Sudan will be left to fight itself out and winner take all," said Deng, who last summer undertook a 45-day hunger strike to raise awareness about atrocities against civilians in the world's newest country.

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By some estimates, as many as 70,000 to 100,000 people have been killed in Southern Sudan since 2013, when a power struggle broke out between the new country's president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his former deputy, Riek Machar. The violence, which began in the capital after Kiir accused Machar of fomenting a coup, quickly escalated, claiming many civilian lives in a conflict that has become a "Rwanda in slow motion" according to Deng, with a limited international peacekeeping force largely powerless as soldiers have attacked not only each other, but also civilians, along ethnic lines. Efforts even to count the dead have been minimal. Fifty-seven international aid workers have been killed since December 2013.

Sudan's modern history has been extremely violent: in the 1950's and 1960's, by some estimates as many as two million southern Sudanese Christians and animists, or practitioners of native religions, were killed and, in thousands of cases, enslaved in Sudan's Islamist north.

Southern Sudan was born in 2011 as a reaction to that persecution, after Southerners voted almost unanimously to secede from the North.

Activists outside the UN Thursday stressed that the peacekeeping force they are asking the United Nations Security Council to approve would have a mandate to specifically protect civilians - and ability to defend civilians, as well as to defend themselves, if they are fired upon or attacked.

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"Their mission [would be] to protect civilians and impose the [Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2015,] to make sure it'll be implemented," said Deng. "It's a specific mandate that you are there to defend civilians and if you are fired on, you may fire back, because you can't keep the peace [while] being fired on."

In July, two Chinese peacekeepers were killed and several Rwandan troops injured near United Nations compounds.

Leaders of both sides signed a peace agreement, known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) of 2015, last August in Ethiopia. That agreement, brokered by the United States, came about after US President Barack Obama threatened both sides' leaders with sanctions if they failed to halt the violence. However, violence has continued since then. In addition to tens if not hundreds of thousands of Southern Sudanese killed, eleven Sudanese-Americans visiting South Sudan have recently been killed, according to Deng.

Outside the United Nations Thursday, several dozen Sudanese-American activists who had traveled from across the United States - including from Washington DC; Boston, Massachusetts; Lincoln, Nebraska; Portland, Maine; and Seattle, Washington - at their own expense, or funded by contributions from fellow Sudanese-Americans - peacefully demonstrated and pleaded for help from the United Nations on behalf of their families, friends and countrymen/women in Southern Sudan.

"We are asking for a real peacekeeping force," said Angelo Kassiano, 36, a Sudanese-American civil engineering student at the University of Nebraska, who traveled from Lincoln, NE to Manhattan this week. "I feel ashamed to come and tell the world, 'I want you to come and help my people [with protection] from their own government,' but that is what it has come to."

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"What did my eight-year-old niece do to deserve a horrible death?" said Deng, who spoke passionately on behalf of civilians.

Widespread abuse of civilians in South Sudan's civil war, including torture and murder of children by soldiers, has been documented.

"If the soldiers do not respect civilian life - women, children - what kind of a country is it?" said Yahwietuor Mok, a veteran of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), the mostly Christian army that fought to secure South Sudan's freedom from Sudan's Islamist North. Mr. Mok walks with a steel crutch and said he lost his leg in South Sudan's War of Independence. "We committed ourselves to fighting the Islamists, we committed our lives, and now this President [Kiir] and these soldiers are fighting only for themselves, for their own group. That is not what it means to be a soldier. If you are not protecting civilians, you are not a soldier, and it's not a country."

"We are here to tell the United Nations Security Council, who will decide tomorrow on a third force, please, to protect civilians, our women and children and men," said Jasinta Elioba, a New York-based Sudanese-American human rights activist who has organized women's groups to protest the violence. Elioba charged that South Sudan's government is using rape as a weapon. "If this was happening in any European or Western country, you would see more international outrage," she said. "But because it's an African country, the world turns a blind eye."
For over a year, AIDS advocates across the country have been publicly challenging presidential candidates to make concrete commitments to the policies and funding needed to curb the AIDS pandemic. For an entire year, student AIDS activists questioned candidates publicly at campaign events throughout the country, prompting verbal agreements from both democratic and republican primary challengers. Starting in May, a coalition of advocates have been engaging with the Clinton, Sanders, and Trump campaigns to get agreement on a consensus statement with a range of domestic and global asks.

A key ask of advocates around the world is a commitment to increase the budget of U.S. global AIDS programs by at least $2 billion per year by 2020.

Out of the 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, 20 million of them have no access to HIV treatment. Every year, 2 million people are still infected, and 1.2 million people die needlessly. With highly effective antiretroviral therapy, taken either as treatment or prevention, we have the means to end the pandemic by drastically scaling up access to treatment. Doing so will reduce new infections, while also eliminating preventable deaths. If we don't double the numbers of people in treatment in the next 4 years, the AIDS epidemic will continue to outrun our response. Without scale-up, we will increase the long-term need for HIV treatment, increase future costs to health systems, and most importantly, countless people will die.

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An extra $2 billion per year will allow us to double the numbers of people directly supported by the US in treatment. Now that the nominations are over, let's take a look at where the remaining major party candidates stand.



Republicans have previously been champions of the global AIDS response. President George W. Bush started PEPFAR, the U.S.-funded bilateral global AIDS program, and global AIDS efforts have long had bipartisan support. However, Donald Trump has still not presented a plan for addressing the AIDS epidemic, or answered the two policy surveys sent from leading HIV/AIDS organizations, nor has his team responded to meeting requests from the ad-hoc coalition. In any case, after his bizarrely boastful statements after the Pulse nightclub shootings in Orlando and his repeated demonization of American Muslims, no one in particular was looking forward to sitting in a room with him anyway.

Hillary Clinton has updated her HIV policy statement twice since March, and also responded to a survey from AIDS advocacy organizations in the United States. You can read Clinton's full answers here. When asked, "will you commit to ensuring the necessary funding to double the number of people directly supported by the U.S. on life-saving HIV medicine by 2020?", Secretary Clinton talked at length on her record, but failed to actually make a campaign promise.

Clinton coined the term "AIDS-Free Generation" when she was Secretary of State and she often talks about her positive record on PEPFAR. On the campaign trail in the Fall, she committed verbally to helping get 30 million people in HIV treatment by 2020, but did not make a commitment in writing.

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Since May, advocates from across the country have met with her and her policy advisors on two separate occasions to explain the critical policy changes and funding increases necessary to scale up the AIDS response here in the US, and across the world, as described in a community consensus statement already provided.

After the Democratic convention, we finally received an updated policy briefing. She promised to, "Expand critical programs needed to reach and sustain an AIDS-free Generation, including to, "dramatically increase the number of people on HIV treatment worldwide, through programs like PEPFAR." However, she did not include the 30 million by 2020 treatment target, nor did she agree to the clear funding ask we requested: a $2 billion annual increase by 2020. These treatment and funding targets have been agreed upon by experts in the US government, the AIDS advocacy community, and UNAIDS - and they are widely recognized as the targets necessary to successfully curb the epidemic before 2030.

She did promise in her updated statement to convene the 'End the Epidemic' working group to "adopt aggressive and attainable timelines for ending AIDS as an epidemic in the United States and globally". However, it is unnecessary for Clinton to wait for a working group to decide treatment and funding targets. There is already consensus on these targets, agreed upon by experts in the US government, the AIDS advocacy community, and UNAIDS. Over 80 organizations thanked her for her increased commitments, and asked her to make the concrete global commitments now.

There's no good reason not to. Clinton has committed to specific dollar amounts for other programs and initiatives, such as her $350 billion college plan, and to increase federal infrastructure funding by $275 billion over a five-year period. Compared to these laudable initiatives, a $2 billion annual increase for a highly successful program that she speaks of proudly should be a no-brainer.

A bold statement with treatment targets and concrete funding goals is especially critical right now, as the Kaiser Family Foundation and UNAIDS report that donor government funding to support HIV efforts in low- and middle-income countries fell for the first time in five years in 2015 by a billion dollars. UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe noted, "If we take our foot off the pedal, I am convinced that we will be unable to double the number of people on treatment again, and we will not see the major decline that we are expecting. Because of competing priorities, 13 countries out of 14 reduced their contribution to the HIV response globally. If this trend continues, we will have a rebound, not a reduction in incidence by 2030."

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Twenty-year-old trainee volunteer surf life saver Mecca Laalaa runs along North Cronulla Beach in Sydney during her Bronze medallion competency test January 13, 2007. Specifically designed for Muslim women, Laalaa's body-covering swimming costume has been named the "burkini" by its Sydney based designer Aheda Zanetti. REUTERS/Tim Wimborne (AUSTRALIA)

The mayor of Cannes has banned overtly religious clothing on the beach and in public swimming pools, all in the name of France's precious secularism.

Such secularism is rooted in the idea that the state itself is neutral, but that people should have the right to freely express their religious views.

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Muslim women who opt for modest dress but still wish to be integrated in public space have in recent years adopted full-body swimsuits, known as "burkinis."

This decree, however, compromises the freedom of Muslim women, and more specifically, those who have decided to adopt a modest attire.

So what's the reason Cannes Mayor David Lisnard decided to ban burkinis?

The order states: "Beachwear which ostentatiously displays religious affiliation, when France and places of worship are currently the target of terrorist attacks, is liable to create risks of disrupting public order."

Lisnard also described the full-body swimsuit as a "symbol of Islamic extremism."

This suggests that Muslim women who choose to wear headscarves and cover their bodies are symbols of extremist groups such as the Islamic State, and are therefore enemies of France.

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How can a mayor of a prominent city with obvious cultural wealth resort to such an oversimplification? Terrorism specialists have not identified a link between wearing modest clothing and subscribing to terrorism.

When will Muslims in Europe be respected and treated as equal citizens? When will we stop marginalizing millions of European Muslim citizens, especially women?

It is clear that the mayor of Cannes has not done his research. If he took a closer look, he would have realized that the primary victims of terrorist attacks are actually Muslims -- whether in Syria, Iraq or even in France!

In fact, Muslim civilians have also been killed by foreign military interventions in Syria.

It is unacceptable that we have decrees based on the idea that wearing a headscarf implies a link to fanaticism.

Citizens should be free to wear what they choose! When will Muslims in Europe be respected and treated as equal citizens? When will we stop marginalizing millions of European Muslim citizens, especially women?

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It is high time to consider them as first-class citizens. They pay their taxes like everyone else does and invest in companies like any other citizen.

When will Muslim citizens be treated with dignity? Terrorism is not unique to Muslim families; it is an expression of a generation infatuated with violence.

Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights is quite clear about religious freedom: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance."

The Collective Against Islamophobia in France has condemned the ban, and we will take the case to the highest administrative court. We will work to bring down this mad, discriminatory decision, which targets Muslims, and specifically Muslim women who wear headscarves.

It appears that human rights are no longer guaranteed for everyone -- so we need to find a way to earn them.

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By Bonnie W. Hayman, International Living

Lying in the northern mountains of Nicaragua, at the heart of coffee country, the city of Matagalpa is green all year round. With temperatures ranging from 59 F to 74 F, the cool breezes are a welcome break from the warmth of the lowlands. And even by Nicaraguan standards, Matagalpa is highly affordable: Figure $1,200 a month for a couple, all in. But these advantages aren't all you'll find here.



Landscape of Matagalpa, Nicaragua

"What I have here that I never had before is time," says Thor Kennedy, who now calls Matagalpa home. "I can always find time to travel around, listen to music, talk on Skype to my loved ones in the States, read a book, watch a movie, take a walk, take a nap. I have freedom with my time here. I am rarely physically exhausted. All of this has helped my health improve.

"And with that extra time, coupled with the spring-like weather, I am able to really get out year-round and explore more than I ever did in the States. With my increased physical activity, and the healthier fresh-food options available, I find my energy has increased, my blood pressure has dropped, and my body fat decreased. This has all happened without much effort on my part."

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Since leaving the corporate world behind, Thor -- together with his business partner, Gus -- has opened HAPPY, one of the best-loved restaurants in Matagalpa. Now he gets to live a healthier, more fulfilled life on his own terms.

"I make my living doing something I love. I do not have to be tied to a smartphone (if I don't want to be), or commute an hour or more to or from work," he says. "I can take a siesta almost every afternoon. And I am a part of a true community here, which I did not find in the busy suburbs of the San Francisco Bay area. People take the time to stop and converse with one another. Relationships are more important than work. And that's more than okay by me."

In addition to appreciating its lower-stress lifestyle, Thor saw Matagalpa's business potential. He could start a business here that would have been nearly impossible to start in the Bay area. "I am creating livelihoods for others, and enjoy true work/life balance here," he says. "In the morning, I wander downstairs for a fresh pot of coffee, grown at my ranch, and sit outside on the restaurant's patio and watch the locals start their day. For ingredients that I do not grow at the ranch, I can buy most of them from the local fresh-produce vendors that come to my door.

"I can get a huge handful of the freshest parsley for about 20 cents, a bag of limes for 70 cents, a large, Hawaiian-style pineapple for a buck, a huge head of cabbage for about 50 cents, or a bagful of 10 sweet, ripe mangos for $1. Because of the readily available and inexpensive produce, I choose healthier food options than I would walking down the freezer aisle in the expensive California supermarkets. And these are all delivered fresh daily to my door."

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Matagalpa is great if you're after a homesteading lifestyle. Thor and Gus bought a manzana (about two acres) of land, with a fixer-upper ranch overlooking the vast valleys, and with breathtaking sunsets, for just $50,000. It's only 20 minutes from the restaurant and serves as their sanctuary in the mountains. They plant fresh produce there to use in the restaurant, a true farm-to-table venture. Thor hopes to add rabbits and pasture-fed chickens, as well.

"I love Matagalpa. It's a beautiful, working-class city and offers an authentically Nicaraguan lifestyle. They use cultivation methods here that have been practiced for centuries without much change. It may not be the most efficient, but there is something to be said for the simplicity of the 'olden days,'" says Thor.



Matagalpa, Nicaragua

On his days off he explores the beautiful landscapes, nature preserves, waterfalls, caves, rivers, flowers, forests, canyons, and rock formations that Matagalpa offers.

"Although there are distinct wet and dry seasons in Matagalpa, the temperatures are almost always comfortable for exploration. Even on rainy days, we usually get periods of bright sunshine, to get out and about, dry my clothes, or take a walk in the lush rainforest. By late afternoon, I can settle back and enjoy the drama of the quenching rain," says Thor.

"I am so grateful that I took the plunge. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I am truly living my dream."

This article comes to us courtesy of InternationalLiving.com, the world's leading authority on how to live, work, invest, travel, and retire better overseas.

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San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua See Gallery

Earlier on Huff/Post50:
When I immigrated to the U.S. from the U.K. back in 1983, I arrived proudly with a beauty school diploma that would let me get licensed in California and ultimately have a career. Yet, when people would ask what college I went to, and I replied that I didn't - I went to beauty school, I could see their confusion and even disdain. Over the past 30 years, this elitism has only gotten worse; there is less respect for skillset training and - despite an increase in tuitions and debilitating student debt - a collective narrative that we must go to a four-year college to be successful.

It's about time the tides start changing! In an economic speech delivered in Michigan last week, Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton acknowledged that skill-based education has been overlooked and undervalued, declaring, "It's crucial that every American have access to the education and skills they need to get the jobs of the future." She went on to emphasize, "A four-year degree should not be the only path to a good job in America. You should be able to learn a skill, practice a trade, and make a good living doing it." Needless to say, I'm with Her.

As the proud owner of beauty school diploma, who has started, grown, and scaled a business that today has a footprint across more than 100 countries and trains more than 100,000 skin therapists per year, I know first-hand the importance of purpose-driven education. I succeeded in doing what loved and helped others do the same, all because I have a skill set in my hands that allowed me to work.

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If ten major TV networks got together and decided to nationally televise a presidential debate restricted to Republican nominee Donald Trump and right-leaning Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson, while barring other candidates including Democrat Hillary Clinton, it would be recognized as an act of media bias or exclusion.



But what if the televised debates this fall are restricted to just Trump and Clinton? That, too, needs to be recognized as an intentional act of media exclusion.



In the coming weeks, we need to generate a debate about the debates -- who controls them and which candidates are included. That's the goal of a new petition launched by RootsAction.org, a group I co-founded.



Beginning in 1988, major TV networks granted journalistic control over the debates to a private organization with no official status: the Commission on Presidential Debates. The CPD is often called "nonpartisan." That's absurdly inaccurate. "Bipartisan" is the right adjective, as it has always carried out the joint will of the Republican and Democratic parties. (See George Farah's meticulously reported book, "No Debate.")



The commission grew out of a deal cut in the 1980s by GOP and Democratic leaders. Today, even though the US public largely distrusts the presidential candidates of the two major parties, TV networks seem willing to allow them to again dictate the terms of debate, including who gets to participate.



Here's a brief history of how the CPD took over:



-- League of Women Voters: From 1976 through 1984, presidential and vice-presidential debates were sponsored and run by the nonpartisan League of Women Voters. (In 1980, the League had insisted on allowing independent candidate John Anderson to debate.)



-- "Televised Joint Appearances": In 1985, the national chairs of the Democratic and Republican parties, Paul Kirk and Frank Fahrenkopf, signed a remarkable agreement that referred to future debates as "nationally televised joint appearances conducted between the presidential and vice-presidential nominees of the two major political parties . . . It is our conclusion that future joint appearances should be principally and jointly sponsored and conducted by the Republican and Democratic Committees."



-- "Exclude Third-Party Candidates": In February 1987, Democratic Party chair Kirk and GOP chair Fahrenkopf together issued a press release and held a DC news conference to announce the formation of the Commission on Presidential Debates ("Commission on Joint Appearances" apparently didn't sound right) - with themselves as co-chairs. The press release called the new group "bipartisan." According to the New York Times, Fahrenkopf indicated at the news conference that the CPD was "not likely to look with favor on including third-party candidates in the debates." The Times reported: "Mr. Kirk was less equivocal, saying he personally believed the panel should exclude third party candidates from the debates." The newspaper quoted Kirk: "As a party chairman, it's my responsibility to strengthen the two-party system."



-- "Perpetrate a Fraud": In 1988, with the CPD taking control of the debates on behalf of the two major parties, the League of Women Voters announced its withdrawal from any debate sponsorship "because the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter. It has become clear to us that the candidates' organizations aim to add debates to their list of campaign-trail charades devoid of substance, spontaneity and answers to tough questions. The League has no intention of becoming an accessory to the hoodwinking of the American public."



During the last seven presidential elections, TV networks have allowed the self-appointed CPD and the major-party campaigns to control the debates (format, who gets to ask questions, which candidates get to participate) -- abandoning any role as journalistic decision-makers. Of those seven elections, only in 1992 did the CPD allow a candidate on stage who was not a Democrat or Republican: billionaire Ross Perot. That fluke happened because both parties thought Perot's inclusion would benefit them in some way; interestingly, as you'll see below, Perot was at only 7 to 9 percent in pre-debate polls.



After nearly three decades, the creators of the commission are still behind it: Republican Fahrenkopf remains CPD's co-chair, Democrat Kirk is co-chair emeritus. Both have been longtime, high-powered corporate lobbyists; the commission has been funded by powerful, politically-engaged corporations, including oil and gas, insurance, pharmaceutical and Wall Street firms.



Public pressure and petitioning are needed to get the TV networks to recognize that they are at a crossroads regarding the upcoming debates: Will they act journalistically and independently in the interests of democracy - or will they continue to be dictated to by a commission whose unabashed mission since 1987 has been to protect a two-party duopoly?



Hopefully, the TV networks will recognize how much is different today compared to the 1980s when the CPD and the two major parties were allowed to seize control of debates.



1) According to Gallup, the percentage of Americans identifying as political independents has been at record highs for five years, and stood at 42 percent in 2015. Meanwhile, the percentage of Americans identifying with the two parties that control the debates has sunk. Democrats are at their lowest point in the history of Gallup polling, just 29 percent; Republicans are very near their low point at 26 percent.



2) Both major parties have nominated individuals who break records for unfavorability, leading many voters to consider alternative candidates. Hillary Clinton is at 53 percent unfavorable (vs. 42 percent favorable) in the latest Real Clear Politics polling average. Donald Trump is off the charts with 61 percent unfavorable (vs. 33 percent favorable).



3) Mainstream TV networks are fully aware of the dissatisfaction with the major party candidates and their preference polls now often include two other candidates. The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll ending on August 3 had Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson at 10 percent and left-leaning Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 5 percent. The latest CNN poll had Johnson at 9 percent and Stein at 5 percent. ABC News had Johnson at 8 percent, Stein at 4 percent. Among registered voters under 30, a recent McClatchy-Marist poll had both Johnson (at 23 percent) and Stein (at 16 percent) ahead of Trump (9 percent).



An obvious option presents itself to the networks: Tell the CPD and major-party campaigns that they no longer control the debate process and that the networks intend to present debates - controlled by journalists - that include all four candidates: Clinton, Trump, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. If Trump or Clinton balk, let them know you're happy to leave their podium empty.



Johnson is a former governor of New Mexico. Stein is a physician and healthcare activist from Massachusetts. Both are articulate and informed on the issues. Both offer stark policy alternatives to Clinton and Trump, especially on issues of foreign policy and civil liberties. Both are expected to be on the ballot in almost every state.



The last time there were two such strong "third-party" candidates was in 2000 when columnist Patrick Buchanan ran on the right and consumer advocate Ralph Nader ran on the left. Polls showed solid majorities of the voting public (64 percent vs. 25 percent in one poll) wanted to see Buchanan and Nader included in a four-way presidential debate. But the CPD had erected a new barrier: these well-known candidates could not join the debates unless they were polling at 15 percent.



It was an arbitrary barrier - aimed at exclusion. It was not aimed at eliminating "nonviable candidates," but to prevent an outsider from becoming viable. How do we know? Less than 18 months earlier, Minnesota Public Radio and the Minnesota League of Women Voters chapter had included third-party candidate Jesse Ventura in a series of gubernatorial debates alongside the Democratic and Republican candidates, though he was at only 10 percent in polls before the debates began. Ventura, a mayor and talk-radio host, ended up becoming governor with 37 percent of the vote, thanks largely to his inclusion in debates.



This fall, TV networks would be wise to follow a recommendation made 16 years ago by the Appleseed Citizens' Task Force on Fair Debates connected to American University's law school: Include presidential candidates who are on enough state ballots to have a mathematical chance of winning, if they either "register at 5 percent in national public opinion polls OR register a majority in national public opinion polls asking eligible voters which candidates they would like to see included in the presidential debates."



In the economic realm, if Coke and Pepsi publicly and proudly announced that they were combining forces to exclude and silence any competition, one might expect anti-trust action ... even from usually lethargic federal regulators.



In the political realm, after Ds and Rs unabashedly announced that they formed a commission for the purpose of maintaining their duopoly of power, one might expect a reaction from TV news executives -- especially in an election year when the D and R nominees are so widely disliked and mistrusted.



Here's an appropriate reaction from TV news decision-makers: "Sorry, CPD, we don't need you to tell us who should be excluded from this fall's debates. In the interests of democracy, we'll be televising four-person debates."
Bill Murray once said, "If you have someone you think is the one, take that person and travel around the world. Buy a plane ticket for the two of you to travel all around the world, and go to places that are hard to go to and hard to get out of. And if when you come back to JFK, when you land in JFK, and you're still in love with that person, get married at the airport."

I think it's fair to say that we have done our fair share of traveling together.

Jack and I have been dating for a bit over five years, with two of those years being on and off distance. Back and forth, six months apart, Skype calls, time difference, not knowing the next time we would see each other all became so emotionally draining and tough, and we are still here, together.

But we had something good going so we weren't going to let a bit of distance and a measly 17 hour time difference get in our way of making this relationship work. So we traveled. We traveled to 20 countries together and made this relationship stronger than ever.

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Traveling has been the ultimate test to our relationship and with travel, we have become a better couple, more confident as individuals, and together, have marked our stamp all over the world (and will continue to do so)! One of the biggest reasons we are still together was because we traveled to make this relationship the way it is today. Here are 10 reasons how traveling has saved our relationship.

1. We've created new memories all across the globe

Since Australia and America isn't an easy weekend (or even a week getaway, for that matter), we would meet somewhere in the middle (ish). Traveling has been one of the most rewarding, sensational, empowering and memorable experience of our lives, and being able to share that with each other is magical. We get to discover something new and have this new-shared experience with each other, where we can always look back and smile on.

We have hiked the Grand Canyon, pet kangaroos in Australia, repelled waterfalls in Vietnam, climbed the Great Wall of China, ate our hearts out in France, drank coffees in Melbourne, surfed in Hawaii and much more. We got to explore all these new countries, make new memories, and had fun TOGETHER. We don't have this experience with anyone else and it is truly wonderful to share that bond with each other.

2. We avoid all visa issues (for the most part)

We don't mess around with visas or anything illegal like that, but we base our time somewhere by time allotted on specific visas. We don't skip out, we just take advantage. 30 days in Thailand, 15 days in Vietnam, 90 days in Croatia, a 1 year working visa in Australia, a sponsorship visa in the US and so on. And when time runs out, we go somewhere new. With all the different visa laws, we get to stretch out our time while traveling together (legally)! The longer (with working rights) the better, that we can also make money while we travel and explore the country more.

3. You learn more about each other

My dad used to always tell me, "If you can travel together and are still together by the end of it, you may have found the one. If he can deal with all your weird quirks, he is a keeper." Well, thanks dad. Going from distance to being together 24/7 is a big change so there is so much to learn about your partner.

Traveling together puts you in a vulnerable place and can be a very revealing (and scary) experience. Everything is exposed -- all your strengths, dirty habits, fears, quirks, stresses, and every un-cute (but endearing) characteristic you may have will be seen.

Jack learned I was very messy to travel/live with and I learned Jack can't sit still for a second but we both learned we are very compatible as travel mates and as a couple. We learn about each others fears and how to push each other to conquer them, we see our strengths in communication and strive to better it, and we find out about each others bad habits and learn to fix them... kinda/hopefully.

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4. They've seen the worst in you and they still love you

Food poisoning, stitches, my messiness, asthma, drunken nights, thin doors where they can hear EVERYTHING, wearing the same stinky clothes, cuts and bruises, bali belly and crohn's disease and yet he's still stuck by my side and loves me despite all of these charming qualities I bring to the table. Traveling brings a whole set of unexpected obstacles to the relationship when traveling in difficult places, but it's how your partner reacts that is important.

But, at the end of the day, they still come to the same place, on the same flight, at the same time with you! It's like they say, "For better or for worse," right?

5. We cross things off our bucketlists together

One of the best things about traveling together, is we both have a dire need for the new discovery and the next adventure. We both have things we want to cross off our bucketlist and we get to cross them off with each other! Because we have different traveling personalities, we introduce new ideas to each others bucketlists and push each other to do something we would never have thought of.

It's so rewarding to look back on that one time we swam with whale sharks, or skydived, or bathed elephants, or did a cooking class in France! WE did it together and the memories around them are something truly special! It creates a really great bond to knock off these adventures together.

6. With distance, traveling gives us something to look forward to

Did you know touch helps you feel connected to your partner in a relationship? With long distance, we aren't physically together all the time, and the physicality aspect is something we lust over. 6 months away from each other is hard so we plan to meet in the middle when we can.

When we plan a new trip to meet up, we have something to look forward to, not only are we seeing a new country/city together but we get to be together physically. The importance of touch is something most take for granted and it really is such an important part of our relationship. Planning a new adventure gets us so unbelievably excited and it's really great to feel so giddy and full of butterflies each time.

7. We grow together

Traveling ultimately makes you a better person, and with each day we travel (whether a road trip from LA or a 12 hour flight to Hong Kong), we grow. Like we said in #3, as we learn together, we mature as a couple. We have overcome so many obstacles and issues - do you know how hard it is to do long distance for 6 months? 3 times? Saying the goodbyes without knowing the next time we will be seeing each other? Farting in front of each other?

Traveling is where you learn most about your relationship, whether you make it or break it. There is no doubt you will not become a better you and better us by traveling. Boy, with each day, we became a better couple. You learn, you fight, you resolve, you laugh, you love, you grow. Unless, you're an ass, there is no escaping.

8. You learn to overcome (certain) fights

One of the biggest lessons we have learned from traveling was learning to compromise. When we travel, we tend to fight a bit because all of a sudden this person is in your space all the freaking time. From only on Skype to being together for 24/7. It's a HUGE change.

And honestly, you probably will fight because it's a different lifestyle to what you have become so used to, and it's ok, it's healthy (sometimes). But you have to learn to compromise to make anything work. Find a middle ground to make sure every party in the relationship is happy. You and your partner are now a team and are forced to into situations that need a solution that could ultimately please both parties. You have to work together to make the trip a success or else, stubbornness could be your demise.

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9. Your sex life gets better

At home, you are in a somewhat lackluster routine. Wake up, gym, work, dinner, the occasional Netflix episode, sleep -- not something that sparks romance and intimacy everyday. When you travel, your routine and patterns are broken up and shaken so everything is changing. Watching your partner traverse sexily through the terrain, seeing your partner lift those heavy bags, trying new foods with them, crossing off those bucket list items together, or looking all Bear Grylls.

There is something so sexy about being somewhere else with your partner. Maybe it's the lack of stress and commitments that occupy your mind. Or maybe seeing your partner face their fears. Or maybe you are just so relaxed on this vacation that you get to rebond with your partner like it's the first time you've met. For all I know though, is that travel makes your sex life.

"Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures." Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

How has traveling saved your relationship?
A sure sign that a campaign is failing is when the candidate blames the press for his problems. The latest example is Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Trump took to Twitter Sunday to attack the press for his sinking campaign. "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 wrote. In the words of Khizr Khan, directed at Trump during last month's Democratic Convention, "Have you even read the Constitution?" Apparently he hasn't.

The U.S. Constitution is clear: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The First Amendment was adopted in 1791 by the Founding Fathers to protect the rights of individuals to express themselves through publication without interference from the government.

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This is a founding principle of the United States, and it has withstood many challenges since its enactment more than 200 years ago. Trump's assault on the Constitution is just another in his tirades against the press. "I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I have ever met," he told reporters at a news conference last May.

Trump has regularly called the press "slime," "scum," "dishonest," "sleazy," and the "worst human beings" at his campaign rallies. His supporters greet his attacks with boos and hisses directed at the members of the press assigned to his events. NBC News correspondent Katy Tur has covered Trump since the beginning of his campaign. In an article this month in Marie Claire, Tur recounted how Trump harshly singled her out at a rally last December. "It's unlikely, however, that any of Trump's future attacks will be as scary as what happened in Mount Pleasant (South Carolina), where the crowd, feeding off Trump, seemed to turn on me like a large animal, angry and unchained," she wrote. "It wasn't until hours later, when the Secret Service took the extraordinary step of walking me to my car, that the incident sank in."

Trump is the candidate of fear and anger. He has sought to divide the country into winners, those who support him, and losers--all those who are against him. He has insulted war heroes, the disabled, Muslims, Mexicans and women. His rhetoric is always light on specific details or ideas. Instead, he relies on schoolyard taunts to describe his opponents, like "crooked Hillary Clinton," "lying Ted Cruz," "little Marco Rubio," and "low-energy Jeb Bush." His campaign has been chaotic and disorganized. And now he is sinking in the in the polls, and many key Republicans are abandoning ship.

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Trump is desperate to reboot his campaign, but he has not changed his tone. Instead, sadly he continues to attack the press. "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%," he wrote on Twitter Sunday. Constitutional law expert Floyd Abrams told CNN Monday, "The very notion that the press can't say what it wants, or what it thinks is right about a candidate for president, is at war with the First Amendment."

Trump has always focused on his brand, after all, he is the man who often masqueraded as publicist John Miller to brag about himself to reporters earlier is his career. But now he is at war with more than the First Amendment. The thin-skinned Trump is at war with his advisors over his campaign tactics.
U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) speaks at the No Labels Problem Solver Convention in Manchester, New Hampshire October 12, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Before the RNC, the Fiscal Times declared that Trump was "not as much of a drag on the ticket as some feared." After a bad month for the GOP nominee, I decided to test that argument, to see if that was still the case. In 15 races for the U.S. Senate and governor, Democrats boosted their numbers in 10 of those cases, and held two others constant, showing "the Trump effect" was bad for the GOP.

In Arizona, 2008 Presidential nominee and GOP Senator John McCain is within the margin of error, after having a more comfortable lead back in May. Democratic Senator Michael Bennet, meanwhile, has opened up a double-digit lead on his opponent in Colorado, after leading by six points a month ago. Florida GOP Senator Marco Rubio has seen his lead over Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy cut in half.

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Early polls showed Illinois Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth with a six point lead over Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican, though his own poll had it a statistical dead-heat. But now her lead is up to seven points over Kirk. Missouri GOP Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican, was supposed to win reelection, but he finds his lead over Jason Kander narrowing somewhat. And in New Hampshire, GOP Senator Kelly Ayotte's two point lead has been replaced by a ten point advantage to New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan, a Democrat.

The Tar Heel State represents Ground Zero in terms of trouble for Republican candidates. Governor Patrick McCrory sported a seven point lead, while Senator Richard Burr opened up a ten point lead. Both now trail their Democratic candidates, Attorney General Roy Cooper and state legislator Deborah Ross, respectively.

In March, Pennsylvania GOP Senator Pat Toomey was prevailing by 13 percentage points in his race against state environmental official Katie McGinty. Now she's pulled ahead by three points. Former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold, who was beating Ron Johnson (the man who ousted him six years ago) by nine points, now boasts a double-digit lead.

Data was unavailable for the Indiana Senate race, but given the late entry of former popular Democratic Governor and Senator Evan Bayh and the shifting of the race from the Republican column, one can hardly conclude that this is a positive sign for the GOP in the Hoosier State.

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Three Republicans have been able to increase their lead, despite a bad post-RNC Convention for Donald Trump. Nevada Congressman Joe Heck has regained a 1 point lead over Democratic Rival Cortez Masto in the race for Harry Reid's Senate seat. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is now up by 10 points, instead of seven, over Democratic challenger Patty Judge. And Ohio Senator Rob Portman increased his lead to five points over former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who was leading by a point earlier this year.

But these boosts in popularity have hardly been the result of Trump's strong candidacy. Even though the RNC was held in Cleveland, Ohio, Portman largely stayed away. In fact, he's shied away from Trump in general, and regained his lead based on an independent streak, focusing on education, and capitalizing on Strickland's mistakes.

Two incumbents in the survey have been able to maintain their current position. New York Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, maintains his 32 point lead while Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson has reestablished his nine point lead over Democratic businessman Jim Barksdale.

Critics may claim that I am counting slight deviations for Democrats as boosts for the party. I am doing the same for Republicans, however, applying the same standards, using data from realclearpolitics except for the Duckworth-Kirk race, where the site did not pull up the polls, and I had to rely on other sources.

It is important to note that these findings represent a trend for cases of Democratic incumbents, Republican incumbents, and open seats. No congressional scandal or unpopular legislation can account for these trends. And those Republicans faring better or holding serve managed to stay away from Donald Trump. The GOP would be wise to spend their money preserving their Congressional majority, rather than send it to a candidate who has been a drag on the ticket.

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One of the great pleasures in life is to watch someone you can't stand make a blunder, preferably publicly, and suffer ridicule (or worse) as the result.

In politics, such blunders are referred to as "gaffes," and it's interesting to consider the evolution of what constitutes a political gaffe and what this might say about today's candidates and (more importantly for this project) today's voters.

One of the most memorable gaffes in modern political history took place during a televised debate between then President Gerald Ford and his Democratic rival Jimmy Carter. During an exchange regarding nations considered Soviet satellites, President Ford stated that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe," an extraordinary statement given that it was made at the height of the Cold War.

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The remark was debated for days afterwards. Was he really saying Poland and other Eastern European nations were not under the Soviet boot, which would make the Commander-in-Chief seem out of touch with political reality? Or was he talking about the internal spirit of Poles and other people who remain uncowed, despite temporary domination by Moscow, which might make his comment prescient of their behavior when Poland and other East bloc nations threw off the Soviet yoke decades later?

In moments less charged than a tight Presidential race, the Principle of Charity might incline one towards the most generous interpretation of President Ford's misstatement. But it's telling that both his comment and the debate surrounding it focused on an issue of substance (the Cold War and America's role in it) which made discussion of the matter highly relevant, even if the rhetoric surrounding the words spoken ended up overblown.

Fast forward to the 2012 Presidential race when a similar eruption occurred over candidate Mitt Romney's failed attempt to demonstrate his commitment to putting women of talent in important positions in his administration. In retrospect, the matter-of-fact description of such a goal in that last sentence might have sufficed, but instead he referred to a screening process involving "binders full of women" (a reference to office binders which I supposed we were to presume were filled with resumes of highly impressive potential female cabinet members).

Foes immediately jumped on this "binders" comment to imply that Mr. Romney saw women as nothing but data held in a binder (or something to that effect), which triggered an avalanche of ridicule that fed efforts to portray the Republican presidential hopeful a ruthless (and now sexist) corporate tycoon. In addition to verbal taunts flooding both old and new media, the binder meme floated into the physical world as mischievous non-Romney voters ran to the art closets to craft full-size binder costumes.

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Now all is fair in political warfare, and all politicians (including Romney) must be ready to take their lumps for statements made in the heat of the moment. But if you compare the issue at stake with the previous example regarding Gerald Ford, can you identify a comparable issue of significance or an actual controversy in play?

I suppose the misstatement might have fed a debate regarding the difficulty women have reaching high positions in both politics and business, but remember that what Romney was trying to say (albeit badly) was that he shared this concern. So, unless you're ready to accept that a reference to "binders full of women" really meant he considered women as nothing more than something you buy at Staples for $1.29, it's probably safe to deposit this controversy into a box named "Campaign Silliness" to be moved on from once election hysteria has subsided.

Yet far from being embarrassed by the excess that normally accompanies a political election, we now seem to be so obsessed with gaffes that we no longer have the patience to wait for the actual candidates to make them.

In a political season dominated by Twitter, I suppose it's fair to judge the candidates by some of the dumb things they tweet out before or during the campaign. But remember that it is "we the people" who insist that all candidates use this and other social media (lest they be branded as old fogeys), and that they conform to social media norms regarding spontaneity and authenticity (lest they be condemned for having their Tweets and posts crafted by a committee).

Yet once our demands have been met, we start to comb the timelines of the candidates we never planned to vote for, ignoring anything of substance they manage to cram into 140 characters, but doing everything in our power to ensure any dumbass comments find their way onto the front page of the New York Times.

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And if we can't find anything bigoted or sexist or insensitive or just plain stupid in the candidate's feeds, walls or timelines, we can always prowl those who they follow (or those that follow them) for the ammunition we need to feed a campaign built around guilt by association.
Fatima (2015)

Cast includes: Soria Zeroual, Zita Hanrot (Eden), Kenza Noah Aiche

Writer/Director: Philippe Faucon (Dans la vie, Samia)

Genre: Drama (80 minutes) French and Arabic with subtitles

"You're such a scaredy cat." "The neighborhood feels unsafe," says Fatima. There's a bar downstairs... it's dark and noisy... hardly the ideal apartment for her 18-year-old daughter, Nesrine, who's starting college. It turns out not to matter because when the lady comes to show the apartment, she claims she forgot the key. "So we came for nothing?" Out on the street, Fatima's younger daughter, Souad, picks up the thread of an ongoing issue she has with their mom... "Told you the head scarf would bring bad luck." In France, many people don't even pretend to be tolerant of religious dress, such as the hijab. Nesrine might have to look at apartments without her mom next time. "I'm sick of this stupid life," rebellious Souad later complains. "You have a roof over your head, food, clothes... You should thank God," Fatima tells her. "You can't even speak French. You make a living cleaning for other people," Souad shouts.

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"Soon you won't even recognize us," a neighbor says to Fatima... "now that you have a daughter in college." Fatima hardly feels like a success story. She simply carries on trying to provide for her two daughters... like today, starting a new cleaning job. When she finds 10 in a pocket, she dutifully gives it back to her new employer, though she could certainly use the money. Even with the extra work, she still has to sell her last few pieces of jewelry to help Nesrine with school expenses. Nesrine is a good girl... hard working, respectful and she never asks her mom for anything more than what she absolutely needs. Souad, on the other hand, likes to push the limits. She wants to dress like the other girls in school, even though Fatima cautions her... "People will talk." Souad wants to go out with Selim, even though Fatima tells her, "I know the family and they're not respectable." And at this rate, Souad will have a hard time getting into college with the poor marks she's bringing home. "If you don't do your work, you'll end up a cleaner like your mother." "You wouldn't understand," Souad yells at her. Yet Fatima is trying very hard to understand. At the parent-teacher meeting, she mostly just listens because her French isn't good enough to feel comfortable speaking.

"I'm going to have to learn to speak and read," Fatima decides. Fatima is a beautifully nuanced film about life for people who carve out a life in the spaces in between... in between the life they left behind and the new culture they need to acclimate to, in between hardship and small successes. Not only do we see the contrast between Fatima and her two daughters... but even within the Moroccan immigrant community, there are conflicts and petty jealousies. Everyone came to France for a better life... some progress faster than others... some are happy for others; some aren't. In the meantime, Fatima only wants to do what's right for her family... happy in the knowledge that even small progress is still progress. This gentle story is beautifully matched with the filmmaking style, which is natural and understated, using actors you probably haven't seen before. In its quiet way, it gives us much to think about. Fatima's French teacher encourages her to write and in doing so, she gives beautiful expression to her feelings. She talks about the anger of a child with a parent. She wants to tell that child, "Be proud of all the Fatimas who clean working women's homes."

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4 popped kernels (Scale: 0-4)

Muslim immigrant mother struggles to give her two daughters a better life

Popcorn Profile

Audience: Grown-ups

Gender Style: Sensitive

Distribution: Art House

Mood: Sober

Tempo: Cruises Comfortably

Visual Style: Unvarnished Realism

Nutshell: Immigrant story

Language: True to life

Social Significance: Thought Provoking
Silhouette hand extending to the sky with barbwire and sunlight , vintage tone

At the age of 22, I was caught up in the wave of mass incarceration and wrongfully convicted of murder. This took place in a state I wasn't from or and where I had no family.

I had dropped out of school at an early age, so when I entered the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, my reading and writing level were so low that I was to attend Adult Basic Education classes.

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I remember my first time going to the prison law library. I informed the clerk who was assisting prisoners that I was innocent and needed help. He gave me a look like he had heard my story a hundred times before, and then he gave me a book entitled Pennsylvania Criminal Rules and Procedures. This book was at least 500 pages. I took this book and sat down at the table with it. I couldn't even read it, let alone understand it. I sat at this table sad, mad, and very embarrassed.

I went on to study for my GED. I eventually passed the test. I couldn't afford the college courses that were available, so a friend let me study his books once his semester was over. Once I got the money I enrolled. A fire was lit within me. I began to realize how I had been taken advantage of due to being illiterate. I returned to the prison law library to study. Not only was I studying the law, I began studying my case file--at least, the incomplete case file I was given. I literally had gotten sick uncovering how my constitutional rights were not only violated but disregarded as if I wasn't a human being.

By this time, the same court-appointed attorney who represented me at my trial was also representing for my direct appeal. Unfortunately, once my direct appeal was denied, I no longer had a lawyer. I could not afford to hire my own attorney. I'll never forget sitting in the prison cell with nowhere else to turn. I looked in the mirror and told myself, "The time is now. You can do it."

I had a one year time frame to file my Post Conviction Relief Act (P.C.R.A.) Petition. If I did not make this deadline, I would forfeit my right to argue my innocence. By this time, I was enrolled in a business education class that also taught typing. At this point, because I had no lawyer, I was officially representing myself. Ten months later, I filed my P.C.R.A. Petition to the courts pro se--by myself. I was granted an evidentiary hearing and was appointed an attorney to represent me.

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This attorney abandoned me after my appeals were denied and never even contacted me when my last appeal was denied--I only found out about it months later. This almost caused me to lose my appeal rights. Once again I began representing myself. I had come to the conclusion that no one would fight for my innocence harder than me. That being said, as I continued my fight and I also reached out to hundreds of Innocence Projects and attorneys for help.

My appeals were running out. I was down to my last round of federal appeals. I had to deal with the reality that--if I were to lose--I would die in prison an innocent man.

I went on to file my federal habeas corpus appeal pro se. I gave it all I had. I had to deal with the fact that the prosecution withheld evidence of my innocence and never turned it over to me or any of my previous attorneys.

A well respected attorney came to my aid by the name of Michael Wiseman. He believed in me and my innocence. Mr. Wiseman and his team accepted my case on a pro bono basis. He amended my appeal and adopted the issues I raised pro se.

After sixteen and a half years in prison for a crime I was innocent of, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals vacated my sentence on the grounds of insufficient evidence--which is equivalent to a "not guilty" verdict--and ordered my immediate release, barring a retrial. I was released and reunited with my family.

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But my experience of justice and happiness was short-lived and lasted a mere 148 days. The prosecutor in my case appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reinstated my conviction in a single day and denied my attorneys the right to file briefs or make oral arguments. I had to return to prison just months after being exonerated.

After eighteen and a half years, my legal team finally got their hands on some of the missing pages of my case discovery that the prosecutors had never turned over. After all this time, we found out not only that the prosecution knew I was innocent from day one, but that they let false testimony go uncorrected from the start of my court proceedings all the way up to the Supreme Court.

I'm now heading back to court twenty years later. Hopefully, it will be once and for all. If not--I will NEVER stop fighting to prove my innocence. I'm one of MANY innocent prisoners.
ERIE, PA - AUGUST 12: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a rally at Erie Insurance Arena on August 12, 2016 in Erie, Pennsylvania. Trump continues to campaign for his run for president of the United States. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Like a man embracing his bride while coyly winking over his shoulder at one of his wedding party guests, Donald Trump used the GOP convention to stir passion among the party base while lightly romancing LGBT people. The flirtation included Trump's (awkward) reference to "LGBTQ people" in his acceptance speech -- a first for a Republican presidential candidate. Earlier, a Trump supporter/delegate said he was "proud to be gay" in a prime-time speech. That's also a first for a Republican National Convention.

Could it be that The Donald has softened his own -- and his Party's -- notorious and discriminatory policy positions regarding LGBT people? It seems hard to believe. I still remember watching Pat Buchanan's prime-time speech at the RNC, just six election cycles ago, when he bellowed "there is a culture war going on in our country for the soul of America" while people in the audience thundered their approval and waved signs that read "Family Rights Forever, Gay Rights Never." Now we have the Republican nominee going so far as to say in his acceptance speech that he would "protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence and oppression of a hateful foreign ideology." He even thanked those who applauded that line. And it was just a few months ago that Trump was thanked by Caitlyn Jenner for telling NBC's Matt Lauer that people should be able to use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable using.

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So whatever you may think of Trump's other policy positions -- and there certainly is a lot to chew on in that regard -- is he a candidate we can count on to advance equal rights and protections for LGBT people? Hardly. In fact, I have grave fears about what a Trump presidency would mean specifically for our community -- besides what it would mean for our environment, for women, for Latinos, for Black lives, for immigrants, for foreign relations, and so much more.

Let's start with Trump's convention speech pledge to protect LGBTQ people from violent and oppressive foreign ideologies. Here in the U.S., the threat specifically to LGBT people from foreign ideologies ranks low; somewhere near the threat to us from Chick-fil-a. Trump referenced the horrific murder of 49 people at Pulse (the gay nightclub in Orlando,) before claiming to protect us, simply as a means to pit LGBT people against Muslims while promoting support for his anti-constitutional ban on Muslim immigrants.

Except the Orlando shooter wasn't an immigrant. He was a New Yorker of Muslim faith who was found by the CIA to have no links to ISIS and who was described by his wife as "mentally unstable and mentally ill." In other words, he's someone who shouldn't have had access to the arsenal of weapons he used to conduct the worse mass shooting in the history of our country. But Trump, who's proudly endorsed by the National Rifle Association, doesn't believe in any restrictions on the constitutional right to gun ownership.

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The greatest threat to our well-being isn't from hateful foreign ideologies. It's from hateful domestic ideologies like those in the platform of the Party that nominated Trump; ideologies promoted by political, religious and community leaders that foster a culture that dehumanizes LGBT people and devalues our lives. A culture that causes parents to abandon their LGBT children, that convinces LGBT youth death is preferable to living, and that leads to brutal hate crimes against us. A culture that last year resulted in the brutal murder of 22 transgender women.

The head of the Log Cabin Republicans said this year's GOP platform is "the most anti-LGBT platform" in the history of the party (and that says something). It's a policy paper that supports the repeal of our freedom to marry, opposes the adoption of children by LGBT couples, demeans LGBT parents by implying our kids are more likely to abuse drugs and turn to crime, calls for banning transgender people from using the bathrooms that match their gender identity, and affirms dangerous and discredited conversion "therapy" to change sexual orientation.

This brings me to Trump's choice for vice president, Indiana Governor Mike Pence, because Pence is the human embodiment of that anti-LGBT platform.

Political pundits often say a presidential candidate's choice of running mate is one of the most important decisions a candidate will make and a reflection of the would-be president's judgment. But since vice presidents typically have little influence over policy (Biden and Cheney are recent exceptions to this rule), should Pence's background and experience matter that much? In this case, it may matter more than the selection of any other Vice President.

Before the job was offered to Pence, Ohio Governor John Kasich rejected an offer to not only be Trump's running mate, but also to become "the most powerful Vice President" in the history of our country by managing foreign and domestic policy (it's unclear what that would leave for Trump). Pence likely received the same offer. That should frighten LGBT people and all who believe in the promise of a free and equal nation.

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Pence's long history of opposing equal rights for LGBT people includes signing Indiana's so-called religious liberty bill last year to legalize wide-scale discrimination against LGBT people. It was one of the most draconian, anti-LGBT pieces of legislation in the history of our country, enabling just about any business owner to refuse service to LGBT people. Pence is also a forceful opponent of marriage equality and a strong advocate of conversion therapy, which is outlawed in several states, and he even proposed to fund it with taxpayer dollars.

But if Trump is elected president, the greatest threat to LGBT people won't come just from the executive branch of our government; it will come from the judicial. That's because Trump has vowed to fill openings on the U.S. Supreme Court with people just like former Justice Antonin Scalia. Scalia, who was perhaps the most anti-LGBT Justice to ever serve on the Court, opposed marriage equality and anti-discrimination law, supported sodomy laws, and famously compared gay men and lesbians to murderers, child abusers, pedophiles and people who have sex with -- and beat -- animals.

There's one opening on the Supreme Court now and during the next President's term there are likely to be a few others. Imagine what the future of the LGBT movement will be like with three Scalias on the Court? Decades of progress could be reversed.

But hey, at least Trump supports the right of people to use the bathroom of their choice, as he said on the Today Show, right? No. Under a little pressure from Ted Cruz during the primary, the guy who promises to be the strongest President in the history of our country quickly flipped, saying that states should have the right to punish someone who uses a bathroom that doesn't correspond with their birth gender.

So this November, please don't be fooled by a candidate who's whispering sweet nothings in your ears and batting his eyelashes, because he's also vowing to hurt you or -- if you're an LGBT ally -- hurt those you love and care about. And please vote.
It's time again to celebrate India's long struggle for freedom from the British. For many desis, an integral part of August 15 includes attending an independence day festival or mela. Held in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., these events offer an opportunity for immigrants and U.S. citizens of Indian descent to enjoy delicious bhelpuri and aloo chaat, shop for jewelry or a salvar kameez and take in a variety show of second-generation kids dancing bharatnatyam or bhangra and Bollywood stars appearing in their most glamorous attire.

But on August 15, 2016, we Indian Americans must do more. 2016 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the beginning of significant migration of South Asians resulting from the Immigration Act of 1965. Whether our families arrived in the U.S. soon after the law's implementation or decades later, most of us don't realize how monumental the law was for the South Asian community. It marked a significant departure from the previous immigration system, which heavily favored immigrants from European countries to those from Asia and Africa. The law eliminated the discriminatory quotas and replaced them with a preference system based upon professional status and family reunification.

As we observe this important anniversary, we must consider what we want our collective impact as Indian Americans to be. Do we want to simply engage in consumerism as we acknowledge the long struggle of our freedom fighters? Does eating chole samosa and listening to Priyanka Chopra sing "Jana Gana Mana" remind us of the sacrifice of thousands of our forebears against British imperialism? Or do we instead want to take an active part in democracy in our new (or not-so-new) homeland?

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If we want the latter, we must begin to become more civically engaged in our neighborhoods, schools and cities. We must regularly attend neighborhood council meetings and school board meetings. We need to join the PTA and city and county commissions. And most importantly, we must vote. Thanks to organizations like South Asian Network and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Los Angeles, we in Southern California have access to voting materials and ballots in Hindi and in many areas, poll workers who speak Gujarati and Bangla as well as Hindi. 2016 marks a critical presidential election, one in which no one can afford to stay home.

Beyond voting, we have to stand up with fellow South Asians as well as with Arab, African and Asian Muslims to oppose xenophobic comments and Islamaphobic policies. And we must work with other communities of color to challenge racial profiling guidelines masked as national security, regular police shootings of innocent African Americans and deportations of countless hard-working Latino and Asian women and men. In so many ways, we are beneficiaries of the efforts of their parents and grandparents. In the immigration context, it is largely because the civil rights movement shined a light on human rights and brought attention to the racist exclusions of non-white immigrants that the 1965 legislation was enacted and most of us arrived on American shores.
The memorial has been dedicated; the march through Chicago's Marquette Park honoring Martin Luther King's encounter with northern racism is over--another day consigned to history. While organizers, funders and the media focused on the day of August 5, 1966, when 1000 marchers for open housing were met by jeers and bottles and cherry bombs hurled by angry white men, it is not the day that I remember most about that summer. Rather it was the relationships forged that led to and surrounded the march that I think are most important to remember, understand and celebrate.

It was during that year that bonds of friendship were formed among a group of young organizers that I would argue changed the course of history--for Chicago and the nation--through the Coordinating Council of Community Organizations, a little known and short-lived organization led by civil rights giant Al Raby which partnered with SCLC and Dr. King in the many marches and events of the summer.

At the time I was a college student and newly-minted organizer in Chicago's Uptown community at JOIN Community Union - one of the off-campus ventures of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) that hoped to "create an interracial movement of the poor" - that would end poverty and the war in Vietnam. Amid a community of Appalachian whites, African-Americans, Native Americans, we walked the blocks and organized rent strikes against slumlords, sat-in at welfare offices to protest the enforced poverty of women, and took on police brutality and the City Administration behind it.

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Founded in 1965, the Coordinating Council became the forum in which, for the first time, we began to seriously work with our counter-parts from other parts of the city. While the march was a focal point, for perhaps two years, we met and strategized with leaders like Bishop Arthur Brazier and Leon Finney of The Woodlawn Organization, Al Sampson and Dorothy Tillman of SCLC, Bob Lucas of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, Cha Cha Jimenez of the Young Lords and Obed Lopez of the Puerto Rican community, and Art Vasquez of an emerging Mexican leadership in Pilsen and Little Village - those who as much as Saul Alinsky laid the groundwork for the robust community activism of Chicago today.

While we marched together in Marquette Park, what emerged was a united group of Blacks, whites and Latinos, who forged a common critique of capitalism, a shared agenda for change, and who had each other's back.

While Dr. King came and left, the Coordinating Council disbanded and a more militant Black Panther Party and student movement displaced the organizations and tactics of the past, the relationships endured and flowered.

These were the activists, joined by a growing on-campus anti-war movement that became the core of the 1968 demonstrations, in the wake of the assassination of Dr. King and at the August 1968 Democratic Convention. And again, while demonstrations died down and many 'leaders' left, the bonds remained.

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15 years later when I returned to Chicago to work with Harold Washington in his third run for Mayor, I found many of these same men and women at the core of the campaign -- an organization called ProCan (Progressive Chicago Area Network) - being the forum for an even more expanded and robust network of social justice and community activists.

This time rather than petitioning power, we took it. We not only elected Harold Washington, but changed the face of the City Council and eventually elected a Congressional delegation that reflected the very coalition forged during the late 1960s--consumer advocate Jan Schakowsky; Black nationalist Danny Davis; advocate for Puerto Rican independence Luis Gutierrez; and Black Panther Bobby Rush.

While the deaths of Washington, Raby were great losses and activists turned to local battles around education, housing, the relationships were never frayed. Two decades later, on October 2, 2002 it was this core group of activists that worked together to convene the nation's first rally against George Bush's impending invasion of Iraq - the demonstration where Barack Obama declared his opposition to Bush's "stupid war"--a distinguishing position that helped propel him to the presidency six years later.

And when Barack - against all odds, embarked on his Senate candidacy, it was again this set of folks - now expanded, that formed the initial infrastructure of relationships on which his Senate campaign, and eventually his run for president, was built.

Why is this important? We are at a moment in history where events fade in two-day news cycles; where political activists 'resign' from parties and movements when they've not achieved their objectives within their imagined time frame; when young people have little chance to learn of or from what has gone before.

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This is a tragedy that leaves us with little understanding of context or the process of change. Without a grasp of history, it is hard to know the power and lessons of the past. Without knowledge of the long arc of change, it is hard to know where to go or how to get there.

So this weekend, while I will remember the hot and dusty day, the cherry bombs and aching feet, I also know that what is most lasting, what is most important to tell, is the story of the people involved, the long march that we embarked on and the path that we continue to walk - together.
"PrEP for a lot of women, will be their entry point for access to care," noted Martha Cameron, Director of Prevention at The Women's Collective. "They are hearing about it for the first time and you see the surprise," she added. "The first part of the session is trying to convince people that it's real, it's out there, that it's for women and not just for MSM, and it works."

The Women's Collective is a non-profit organization in Washington D.C. that serves women of color who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV. They're working with the D.C. Department of Health on PrEP for Her, a new campaign that aims to increase knowledge about PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, among African-American Women. PrEP can be more than 90 percent effective in preventing HIV when taken daily.

Not everyone who is eligible for PrEP is aware of it, however, and that's where the health department along with their community partners hope to make a dent. CDC estimates that there are 1.2 million people in the nation who are eligible for PrEP: 38 percent are women. "This group hasn't really been targeted in any other initiative," noted Ashlee Wimberly, PrEP for Women Project Coordinator at the Washington AIDS Partnership, a similar initiative to bring PrEP awareness to women. "There's a very big gap."

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Ms. Wimberly is referring specifically to women of color. "The most important thing that needs to be mentioned is that there has hardly been any campaign, social media strategies, even images out there that have targeted women in general and especially women of color with regard to PrEP," added Ms. Cameron.

17.2 percent of HIV diagnoses in 2014 in DC were among women; of all the women diagnosed, 91.2 percent were Black. Data from Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical company that makes Truvada (the medication used for PrEP), showed an almost four fold increase in PrEP uptake between 2014 and 2015 among men, while the numbers of women taking PrEP remained stagnant.

PrEP for Her wants to change that. "It's exciting to see it come together," said Dr. Travis Gayles, Chief Medical Office at the D.C. Health Department. "I think for so long, especially around HIV, a lot of our resources haven't been targeted towards women." Dr. Gayles noted that while there are high numbers of men who have sex with men (MSM) impacted by HIV, and thus much of HIV prevention efforts focus on that population, it's exciting to have an effort that includes women as well.

However, prescribing PrEP isn't enough. "I'm a big believer that the easy part of PrEP is to write a prescription," Dr. Gayles said. Ms. Cameron agrees. "The drug is not the issue," she said. "The issue is you have to have follow-up medical care, and labs, and so on." Ms. Cameron noted that many of the women she works with face barriers to sustained care, from financial instability, to housing security, being in violent relationships, and having mental health or substance use concerns. All those aspects must be addressed in order to reap the benefits from PrEP. Dr. Gayles concurs. "There are a lot of factors that go into adherence beyond just the patient's desire to take the medication," he said.

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Ms. Wimberly added that the PrEp for Women Initiative aims to reach 5,000 women and 300 doctors in D.C. to increase knowledge and PrEP awareness through social media and traditional marketing over the next two years. The conversation is about empowering women and PrEP helps HIV negative women do that by putting prevention in their hands, in the form of a pill. Everyone agrees that messages about PrEP must be relevant for women and their sexual circumstances. "I think we definitely have to make sure that the information is accessible and we relay it in a way that connects with our intended audience," Ms. Wimberly said. "If we're going to be effective, that's a key piece to it."

The D.C. Health Department launched the PrEP for Her initiative this year with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the MAC AIDS Foundation. In July 2016, their STD clinic began offering PrEP to patients for the first time. The Washington AIDS Partnership launched the D.C. PrEP for Women initiative in July 2016. This fall, the Partnership will release a request for applications to support innovative projects aimed at increasing PrEP knowledge and utilization in Washington, D.C. Additionally, the D.C. Health Department provides funding to The Women's Collective for some of their HIV prevention efforts.
With the encouragement of director Matthew Teitelbaum, Hanson has created a new room for the express purpose of communing with the spirit of Claude Monet.



You'll find 18 of Monet's greatest works, all but one from the MFA's own collection, now installed in the Lorna and Robert Rosenberg Gallery in the Museum's European Wing



These include pairs of his masterworks, the Rouen Cathedral among them.



You'll see La Japonaise, the fabulous portrayal of his first wife in Japanese clothing, as well as other paintings that reflect his interest in Japanese art.



You won't find clutter.

Each of the paintings has enough room to breathe, to sparkle, and to be admired.



You also won't find huge blocks of print about the artist competing for your attention with the work.



On the walls you will simply see what museums call "tombstones"--the little displays that give you the author's name, dates, and basic information about the painting.



There is a small signboard at one entrance to the gallery with a photo of the artist--Hanson believes that it's essential to see Monet and not just see, well, Monets.



The room is extraordinarily inviting, spacious and with a large circular couch in the center so that you can rest and imbibe the great works.



Hanson placed La Japonaise to create a sightline that attracts visitors to the gallery from other rooms.



She also took a long look at the Polly B. and Richard D. Hill Gallery, a long gallery from which many museumgoers approach the Monet room. She decided that it was in need of an upgrade as well, and the space is now dedicated to Impressionists' and Post-Impressionists' "Plein Air" works - paintings depicting the out of doors.



The walls were repainted so that you have a lighter, brighter, more inviting space, one where you are likely to linger longer and get to know artists such as Alfred Sisley and Paul Signac, whose work adorns the freshly painted walls.



The Plein Air Gallery features more information about each painting, enabling art lovers to get close to the work and experience it the way the artists intended.



One of the Signac paintings comes along with instructions from the artist--step back and see the work from a distance, and then step up close.



Hanson says that she delights in watching viewers follow the instructions and experience the art just as the artist had intended.



Whether Claude Monet was your first love when it came to the world of art, or whether impressionism is something you came to enjoy in later life, make it a point to visit the new Monet installation at the Museum of Fine Arts.



You might find yourself staying longer than you think.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, USA - AUGUST 15: People gather and pray during a commemoration ceremony, held for Sylville Smith, who was shot and killed by a police officer as he reportedly attempted to flee after he was pulled over by police during a traffic stop Saturday afternoon, in Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA on August 15, 2016. (Photo by Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

It is Saturday morning and I have spent all weekend packing up my belongings from my parents northside Milwaukee home into my first apartment. Nina Simone's "Baltimore" is on repeat. My best friend and now roommate is on the opposite side of town doing the same; it will be her first time living on the northside. I have constantly reassured her that despite what we see on television, Milwaukee is more than its problems.

Fast forward to Saturday night and we've settled in. We enjoy a glass of champagne, toasting the first of many nights in our new home. I check my phone as I often do and see a friend and local community organizer sharing lengthy messages of anger and frustration. The gas station I normally go to Sunday mornings after church is on fire. Another black man has been killed at the hands of police and Milwaukee is experiencing pain unlike I have ever seen. I am not surprised at the death. I am shocked at the aftermath. In all my years in this city, the people of Milwaukee have never responded so blatantly.

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It was a scene out of an all too real and all too good '90s Spike Lee movie. The smoke was strong, but the smell was stronger. The city was, in fact, burning. I could almost feel the heat on my skin. While I was not in midst of the protesting, I saw friends, exchanged concerned expressions with community members and did the only thing I knew best: reported the narrative the way I saw it, in person and on social media.



Sudan Smith, brother of 23-year-old victim Sylville Smith, was hysterical. I only caught him for a moment when I said "I am here for you" to which he responded "I have nothing left."



Sudan Smith, brother of 23-year-old victim Sylville Smith, was hysterical. I only caught him for a moment when I said "I am here for you" to which he responded "I have nothing left." Many were there to express genuine anger; others were there to capture images for their social media. There was constant yelling. City bus shelters were pushed into the middle of the street and overturned, bricks and other objects were thrown in every direction, gunshots were fired, six businesses were burned and police cars were damaged.

It is Sunday morning and community and faith leaders and members began a community clean-up picking debris. Others meander and converse trying to make sense of Saturday night's anguish. It is 4 in the afternoon and a man named Craig of the neighborhood has attracted a large audience in front of a group shooting dice. He delivers an impassioned speech how blacks have gone from being identified as slaves to indentured servants to willing laborers as though history is somehow trying to diminish our struggle or our work ethic. Fast forward a few hours and a march has begun. A candlelight vigil was held. Brothers and sisters of different ethnicities, religion, etc. have gathered to pray in hopes to heal the community.

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What was a peaceful setting soon is loud and claustrophobic. For a moment, all you hear are police sirens. We see the discharge of officers in riot gear from the city buses. We have been told the National Guard is activated and ready to support the police department if things get out of hand. It is 11 p.m. and we hear back-to-back popping sounds. I have never heard the sound of a gun so close. Bricks are being thrown at police and gun shots can be heard in the surrounding area. A police officer and an individual that was shot are both hospitalized. Several arrests have been made, and the anger is heavy. The presence of officers in heavy riot gear causes an untrustworthy atmosphere. It is shortly after 1 a.m. and a car is burning blocks away. The city is tired, yet resilient.

It is difficult to be a black journalist on days like this. We are taught our grief comes second to our stories to produce unbiased work. I have spent many days on frontlines and on the streets of the movement at the expense of falsified narratives by media personnel who don't stick around long enough to hear the entire story. Being media is forcing me to see my city and my people in a new lens. While I had an emotional connection to Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Alton Sterling, men who could have easily been my father, nothing felt as out-of-body as Sylville Smith. The proximity is still unsettling.



While I had an emotional connection to Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, Alton Sterling ... nothing felt as out-of-body as Sylville Smith. The proximity is still unsettling.



It is also difficult to be from Milwaukee most days. Our police chief Ed Flynn gave a four-step action plan for "not getting shot in Milwaukee" in May, before retracting his statements early summer. Our sheriff David Clarke Jr. believes the Black Lives Matter movement is a "hateful ideology." Our governor Scott Walker has a history of proposing legislation impacting public sector employees.

Milwaukee is the most segregated city in the United States. Problems not only exist in racial relations, but housing segregation, employment, incarceration and education. The disparity in high school graduation rates between white and black students in Wisconsin is the highest in this country. Wisconsin suspends black students at a higher rate than any other state, all while noting that Milwaukee and Wisconsin lead the nation in black imprisonment.

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The major issue is community relations between citizens and police. Several predominately black areas are over-policed and under-worked. Everyone has a comment to make about the neighborhoods they're trying so hard to avoid. These neighborhoods need investment towards some kind of growth and progress; neighborhoods like 53206, America's most incarcerated zip code.

I don't know what the next step is, but I understand oftentimes events need to occur and anger needs to be manifested to address the pressing issues. Milwaukee has this safe communal space every year known as the Heal the Hood Block Party. We approach concerning topics with peace, unity and resilience. Dancing and food are always involved. We recognize and come to peace with the violence in order to build. And with pieces of our city burning, we are in desperate need of picking up the debris and rebuilding.
Energy saving concept. Electric light bulb with dollar bills, pen and calculator

California's Legislature is considering whether to continue the State's Cap & Trade system meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight global warming before it potentially expires in 2020. Governor Jerry Brown, some Democrats in the State Legislature, and environmentalists would like to renew it, but opponents question whether it is an illegal tax supporting a slush fund for liberals, and how effective it has been at reducing emissions. Adding to the drama, the price of permits crashed in the last auction, possibly due in part to uncertainty about the program's future.

The lack of demand could partly stem from the program's subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, which receives millions of permits for free (even though they mostly oppose the program). The Petroleum Refining, Natural Gas Extraction, and Cement sectors received over 49 million free allowances in 2016. At $12.73 per allowance, that subsidy is worth over $629 million per year.

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The politicized nature of auction proceed expenditures may also account for some of the difficulties in renewing the program. Critics note that the State has chosen to devote hundreds of millions of dollars from Cap & Trade funds towards high-speed rail project and affordable transit-oriented housing, which helps mostly urban constituencies. A report from the Legislative Analyst's Office raised questions about the current laundry list of items in the State's expenditure plan, including the criteria by which projects are selected, and whether spending the money on projects actually reduces emissions overall. The economics of Cap & Trade is such that projects in one sector may serve to reduce the cost of permits in that sector, but the space created under the cap will be taken up by other sectors until emissions rise to meet the cap.

A simpler and more transparent approach would be to return the auction revenues to households through climate dividends. Instead of a funding source for government programs, Cap & Trade (actually in this approach, "Cap & Dividend") would become a money generator for people. Climate dividends are similar to anti-poverty movements focusing on the concept of "basic income," and international development efforts promoting "unconditional cash transfers." It would be congruent with the State's efforts at establishing a State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).

The California Public Utilities Commission has mandated utilities return the revenues from their "consigned allowances" back to the ratepayers through a California Climate Credit that appears twice a year on electricity bills. Post-2020 the State could expand that to an off-bill per capita dividend that would be simple, transparent, and be inclusive of disadvantaged communities not just coastal cities.

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The first annual UpNorth Festival in the rural lands of Copemish, Michigan is already creating a buzz within the festival community. Their mission statement is to "charge and connect the creative community of the Midwest," a region that is quickly birthing new festivals every year. Taking place the weekend of August 19th-21st, UpNorth promises to provide a memorable musical experience as well as a serene, natural getaway.

Copemish, Michigan of Manastiee County is a lush landscape of deciduous forests, green pastures and gurgling streams. Though difficult to predict, its skies are sometimes painted by the stunning colors of the aurora borealis but always illuminated by our radiant Milky Way galaxy. The August moon was deliberately chosen because of its alluring energy and sacred mythology. The lunar orb will be truly full during Thursday night's pre-party with Ganja White Night of Brussels.

The August moon is also referred to by locals as the sturgeon moon because the sturgeon fish are most readily caught in the Great Lakes during this particular lunar cycle. The Copemish community fully supports UpNorth as their relationship extends from cooperated medical support for volunteers to people from the area working with organizers to prepare the property for the festival. They have also been working together with one of Michigan's prime northern resorts, Crystal Mountain, to house headlining artists.

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Aurora Borealis at the festival grounds

One of the most unique attributes of UpNorth is that three of their stages are curated by artists or labels. Artists such as Mija and Liquid Stranger will be booking various stages creating a lineup of artists that is special to those who curated them. One of the most highly anticipated sets is The Moving Castle & Friends which will be taking place on Saturday at the North Stage. This lineup was curated by Manila Killa's label, Moving Castle's label manager, Brett Blackman, and UpNorth talent buyer, Alistair Stirling, who is a Scotland native and manager of Chet Porter.

UpNorth Music Festival is truly a community convergence of the Midwest. Six months ago, a meeting was held in Michigan's capital city of Lansing at which representatives from Broomhead Music Festival, Motor City Art Machine, Feel Good Now, Brew City Bass, Layercake Presents, and a few other organizations were in attendance. They are also teaming up with many other Midwestern organizations including FyouNK Clothing, Wild Stage Dynamics, Insideout Presents, Young Heavy Souls, and more. The concept was to create a new type of event that continues to set the standard for the community in production, operations, and safety as well as with top notch music and art.

This event is the brainchild of the Midwestern festival community acting as a united front. When great minds act cooperatively there is no limit to what they can accomplish. "It has been about six months now since the first meeting in Lansing where none of us had met or worked together before," explains festival director, Chris Ponder. "We are a tight knit team learning as we go, doing our best to give the community what it deserves and welcome everyone."

Industry workshops will be offered with the intent of connecting artists with promoters from all over the Midwestern markets, discussing general branding and the booking process, plus much more. Out of the 470 local artists that applied to play UpNorth, only 30 were selected but those that organizers were unable to book have been offered discounted tickets and an invitation to take part in one of the three industry workshops available.

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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 25: U.S. President Barack Obama arrives to make a statement after meeting with his National Security Council at the State Department, February 25, 2016 in Washington, DC. The meeting focused on the situation with ISIS and Syria, along with other regional issues. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Samantha Power, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and longtime foreign policy advisor to President Obama, built her reputation on her 2002 book, A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, in which she took successive U.S. administrations to task for their inadequate responses to genocides since the Holocaust.

To her credit, Ambassador Power is not hiding from the problem from hell now confronting the U.S. administration in which she holds a senior role. She led a public session of the U.N. Security Council on August 8, focused on the plight of the civilian population of Eastern Aleppo subject to bombardment from the Assad regime and its allies and denial of access to essentials like food and medical supplies. Up to 300,000 civilians have been under siege for months. Hospitals have come under systematic bombardment.

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Ambassador Power pointed out to the Security Council that neither side in the Syria conflict will be able to win a swift or decisive victory in the battle for Aleppo, emphasizing that "the longer the fighting drags on, the more civilians will be caught in the middle."

The Obama administration has few options in Syria. Its motives in calling the public UN session and in helping to spread the shocking testimony of Syrian-American doctors recently returned from treating patients, including many children, in deplorable conditions in hospital basements, seems to be to try to shame Russia into persuading President Assad to ease off on his worst humanitarian excesses.

It feels like a desperate hope. Russia has some influence over its ally, the Assad government, which owes its improving chances of survival to Russian military backing. U.S. support for the opposition has been hesitant. In contrast, the United States has little influence over its supposed allies. Under heavy pressure and starved of support, opposition groups are increasingly reliant on cooperation with extremist Islamist groups viewed as terrorists by the United States and exempt from protection under cessation of hostilities agreements negotiated with the Russians.

It is a painful reality that the Assad government, responsible for the vast majority of mass atrocities and human rights crimes in the war, is in a position to dictate the level of the conflict in Aleppo and other parts of Syria. If the United States wishes to avert an even greater humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and the likely forced displacement of hundreds of thousands more refugees into already-overwhelmed neighboring states -- and into a Europe already dealing with political upheaval caused by migration from the Middle East -- then the price will be set by Russia.

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The price is likely to include U.S. acceptance that President Assad remain in power. Russia would retain a friendly government in Damascus and access to its naval base in Tartus. It would also give President Putin the satisfaction of forcing President Obama to back down from his statement that President Assad should leave office. Perhaps most importantly for Putin, this would be a public reversal for U.S. support for mass popular protests against corrupt, authoritarian rulers.

There is no policy more threatening to Putin's authoritarian mode of governance than U.S. support for democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. Russian officials lose no opportunity to undermine and cast doubts on these policies. Unfortunately, in what has become a global ideological battle, the U.S. government has too often seemed to back down.

Power wrote of U.S. leaders in 2002: "They believed that genocide was wrong, but they were not prepared to invest the military, financial, diplomatic, or domestic political capital needed to stop it." Leaving aside the question of whether the situation in Aleppo and more broadly in Syria constitutes a genocide, there is no doubt that the horrific plight of civilians subjected to targeted bombardment, forced starvation. and denial of essential medical supplies is something that senior U.S. leaders, including President Obama, consider profoundly wrong.

Regrettably, it is also true that at no stage of the Syria conflict has the administration been prepared "to invest the military, financial, diplomatic, or domestic political capital needed to stop it."

Power's message in 2002 was that as long as U.S. leaders were prepared to be "bystanders to genocide" then genocides would recur.

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The problem from hell now unfolding on Ambassador Power's watch in Aleppo sadly shows that the entrenched habits of the U.S. foreign policy establishment have not changed. She probably understands this better than anyone and it is sobering that she and other leaders who entered public life determined to challenge such indifference have not been able to avert this disaster.
Professional stylists attend beauty trade shows to discover latest trends and industry happenings from big brands and platform artists. I worked this circuit for years, during which I noticed a preoccupation with straight smooth silky hair as the shining embodiment of American beauty. The marketing angle changed from "Straight" to "Frizz Free" to "Smooth and Silky" but the hair always looked more or less the same, which, as a lover of deconstructed textures, tapered edges, and offbeat styles I thought a shame, and something I challenged with the way I cut and styled.

In 2010 I was prepping a model at America's Beauty Show in Chicago. I wanted to add soft wavy texture to the hairstyle; as this was an impromptu decision, I didn't have all the necessary tools to do a perm to hand. No problem, I thought, as I asked my assistant to go to the trade show floor to purchase the perm rods I wanted. But at America's most prestigious beauty trade show, no vendor had a single rod. It was a light bulb moment. The perm, as we knew it, was dead.

There were some good reasons why a service that was a staple in the 1980s had fallen so spectacularly. Old-fashioned perms could damage the hair, especially if it was fine or fragile. Plus, perming reduced color options, smelled off-putting, and became synonymous with the tight crisp curls that nobody wanted to look at or touch.

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The more I thought about it, though, the more it rankled. A quarter-century on from the perm's heyday, surely the technology could be improved? Surely we could create more contemporary, healthier, sexier shapes and styles? Why had the industry let such a lucrative service perish? As a salon owner and professional manufacturer could I change the perception of texture so that Main Street would want something other than a sleek straight style?

I considered the negative connotations of perming, and of how waves and curls had come to be thought of as untidy, inelegant, outdated. This opinion was encapsulated by the British newspaper, The Independent, which in 1997 ran a story titled, "Let's Get It Straight: Curls Are History...." The article told us "Nothing typecasts a girl quite like a head of curls," called ringleted hair "the Miss Havisham look," and revealed "natural curlies are... opting out of a bad hair life."

Conversely, as a professional stylist, I celebrate the kaleidoscope of hair types, shapes, and textures I find amongst the ethnic diversity of the Big Apple. The originality of New Yorkers inspires me to think of different ways to create great hair. But with the negative connotations ingrained, and with the aggressive marketing making most people see straight hair as the most beautiful, how could I return the world's eye to sexy waves, bouncy shapes, curvy styles, the visual interest of textured tresses?

Twelve months of research and development led me to the ARROJO American Wave System, launched in the spring of 2012. It's not only the name that is different from a perm. A perm uses Ammonium Thioglycolate to break the hair bonds so that the hair can be restructured into curls. Breaking the hair bonds so aggressively is damaging, which is why the hair got dry and crispy. Nowadays, advancements in technology mean we don't have to break the hair bonds in the same way. American Wave uses cysteamine, a much gentler chemical, and modern ionic waving lotion to recondition the hair as it restructures the texture. It goes into the cuticle gently, without roughage, frizz, or breakage.

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Other benefits also make American Wave a departure from the dowdy days of perming. It works with almost all hair colors; it's compatible with the modern bond strengthening services that also help to maintain vibrant healthy hair; it's long-lasting, with textures gently fading away; it's scented with eucalyptus to mask the odor; and rather than hard rollers, we use soft tools and high fashion editorial styling techniques to create a bespoke and fashionable texture for each client, not generic "poodle perms." As important, the service is enjoyable, not scary; the after-care is easy, not difficult; and the hair is fun to touch and play with, not hard, crunchy, or frizzy.

Since its launch we've shown American Wave-made hairstyles at a cornucopia of global hair and beauty shows, shared it with thousands of professionals who have been certified by the ARROJO brand to practice the service, produced American Wave-inspired editorial images and videos, and in the salon we've used it to make the timeless elegance, beauty and grace of texture a part of the identity of many New Yorkers.

Mindful of the need to change perceptions, we avoided the P-word, encouraging others to do the same, while promoting the idea of American Wave as a texture revolution to fellow stylists, clients, and media. The technology, techniques, and results featured everywhere from The Today Show to The Chicago Tribune to Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Allure.

Concurrently, texture slowly began to trend. In 2012 images of Rihanna wearing a curly shag circulated on social media; in 2013 Allure Magazine stated "more women--celebrities included--are embracing their natural texture instead of fighting it," while girls with curls were told to "go big, like Beyonce."

Recently, we've felt the interest in texture moving from a trickle to a torrent. With unerring timing Julianne Hough used Instagram to share her new permanent texture beach wave with her fans. The image went viral and suddenly everybody noticed, rather than polished coifs, that editorial imagery and runway shows are showing free flowing waves and curls. Quelle surprise, texture is cool!

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StyleCaster came to see us in SoHo to try American Wave for themselves; interest--from stylists who want to be certified so they can practice the service in the salon and clients who want to enhance their hair's texture--is unprecedented. Pioneering products like ARROJO American Wave are instigating a new wave of curl. Women are realizing that today's permanent textures are not your mother's perm; chic chicks are attracted to the idea of wearing popular styles like beach waves with no preparation, curling tongs, or protective products required.

High-end texture services are back in style. I am proud to be on the front line of the trend, and to be part of a healthy, free-spirited, and unrepressed approach to beauty. Hair should make you look and feel young and carefree, sexy and fun and fabulous. So boost your body and bounce, enhance your natural texture, make your roots pop, create sexy tousled beach waves and curls suited to the easy-going and versatile fashion and beauty zeitgeist.

All you need is to American Wave.

P.S. By happy serendipity, with modern permanent textures enjoying a renaissance, Nick Arrojo was invited by Cosmetologists Chicago to present American Wave Trends & Techniques at this year's America's Beauty Show, Chicago.

By Nick Arrojo, Owner and Founder of ARROJO N.Y.C. and author of two books, Great Hair: Secrets to Looking Great and Feeling Fabulous Every Day, and Milady's Standard Razor Cutting by Nick Arrojo
Two years ago this month, Michael Brown's death sparked outrage across the United States, as we were forced to acknowledge unresolved racial tensions many thought long gone. With our attention focused domestically, a massacre halfway around the world didn't make as many U.S. headlines.

In August 2014, ISIS hunted down thousands of Yazidis in Iraq, and Yazidi women and girls were captured in staggering numbers as sex slaves. When we are faced with challenges that are so entrenched, like structural racism and the systemic violence that categorizes so much of the Middle East today, it can feel daunting to even consider how to create change. In the United States, shining a light on racism has helped organize and motivate citizens and the government to take action: as the adage goes, sunlight is the best disinfectant. In Iraq, it will take more than sunlight, as stories about Yazidi women and girls being taken as sex slaves have been well documented. It will take investing in women as agents of peace and security, both by governments implementing their commitments under international law and by the philanthropic sector, with targeted projects supporting women's inclusion in all aspects of society, especially governance.

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By investing in women and girls as agents of change, funders in the peace and security sector are - in their own way - helping to counter violent extremism. Not just antiquities and oil, but women, too, are fueling ISIS and their particular brand of terrorism (selling Yazidi women and girls back to their families and to civil society organizations that agree to pay for their release is one of ISIS's main income generating activities.) The philanthropic community and the practitioners they fund spend every month of the year to make girls and women safer around the world. These people have, in fact, been doing this work long before countering violent extremism (CVE) or "ISIS" became household terms.

A recent study by the Peace and Security Funders Group showed that 11% of peace and security funding goes towards women and girls. Initiatives supported by several funders show that philanthropists are putting women at the forefront of crucial peace and security interventions, which is exactly where they should be. For example, Ploughshares Fund supports Aware Girls, an organization run by two sisters in northwest Pakistan who encourage youth to resist calls to violent to action; the El-Hibri Foundation funds Karamah, an initiative to advance the gender-equitable principles of Islam to Muslim women in the United States; and MADRE supports the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, which creates safe houses in Iraq to support women and girls who have been trafficked and raped, and in other ways fallen victim to the seemingly endless violence in Iraq.

While women everywhere can experience a lack of personal safety necessitating the work of civil society actors worldwide, women in areas of conflict are at a far greater risk of violence. The flipside to this, the small silver lining, is that when a country experiences conflict and the existing system and institutions fail, these situations provide opportunities for women to take on leadership roles in rebuilding their communities - communities that are more sustainable and just.

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Women should participate at all levels of governance and decision-making. When women are at decision-making tables, better choices will emerge on all issues, including health, education, food security, and climate change.

We all have a part to play in making that change happen.

By investing in and supporting women, peace, and security, philanthropists and foundations can provide the basis for building leadership in all development areas. We need to strengthen the intersection of women's rights, development, and peace and security.

Similarly, Members of Congress have a role to play. They can follow Congressman Ed Royce's (R-CA) lead and support hearings on critical peace and security matters and women (like this one). They can familiarize themselves with local CVE efforts in their home states and highlight the work of women leaders, or they can ensure that monies appropriated towards CVE efforts include the critical voices of women leaders. Members can ensure that the U.S. is doing its part to be a world leader in demanding women are not just a casualty of violence, but an integral part of the solution.

Meredith Stricker is a Program Director at the Peace and Security Funders Group, a network of 65 funders and philanthropists funding a range of national security, foreign policy, and peace issues.
Answer by Ian Goodfellow, OpenAI Research Scientist, on Quora.

My path to ML was long and winding.

In high school, I had a lot of different interests, most of which weren't related to math or science. I made up my own language with a phonetic alphabet, I took a lot of creative writing and literature classes, etc.

When I graduated from high school, I went to college despite not really wanting to; my parents would pay for me to go to college, they didn't want to pay for me to do anything else, and the modern economic system seems thoroughly rigged against a teenager trying to bootstrap any other career with only grocery store savings. I chose Stanford because it didn't require me to choose a major until junior year, and because it's not necessary to complete your degree in four consecutive years there. For example, John Steinbeck famously attended off and on for years and never completed his degree.

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During my first year at Stanford, I took some intro programming classes and hated them. It was mostly C++ and I didn't like how mysterious the behavior was when I had a bug. I was also interested in figuring out how the brain works, so I took some psychology and cognitive science classes. They didn't seem nearly as concrete as I wanted, and I felt like college was as much of a waste of my time and my parents' money as I had originally thought. I decided to do the John Steinbeck thing and hit the pause button on Stanford. I went to Scotland with two friends and tried to start a writing career while working a different day job. I applied to just about every job conceivable (forestry, factory work, fast food) but did not get anything at all, partly because the G7 summit was held nearby and most employers thought that I, a foreign student, must be one of the protestors that follows such events around. Having run out of savings, I went back to relying on my parents, and returned to college.

My second year at Stanford, I figured that the most interesting academic topic I could study was figuring out how the brain works. I had found the psychology and cognitive science classes to be too fluffy in my first year, so I had the idea that neuroscience might be more technical. I spent a year doing all the biology prerequisites along with all the pre-med students, like chemistry and biology and so on. I also started working in an fMRI lab and even got to take a little tiny bit of neuroscience coursework. I actually became enthusiastic about it and was glad I was in college at this point.

During this time, I started to think that I should learn some programming because it would be helpful for doing neuroscience experiments. I took Jerry Cain's more advanced programming class, and really loved it. I had hated the intro to programming classes my first year because it was a complete mystery when anything went wrong, but Jerry explained everything in extreme detail, down to the level of what machine instructions get executed when you run a piece of C code. This made things concrete enough that they were no longer mysterious, and since taking his class I have never felt limited by programming ability or understanding computers. I also started spending a lot of time hanging around Jerry's office hours to learn about software engineering in general.

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After my second year at Stanford, I got an internship at the National Institutes of Health, doing neuroscience research with TMS. I was very excited about it, TMS is a technology that uses magnetic fields to influence electrical activity inside a person's brain without having to cut their head open. I had read a lot about it and thought it was the coolest thing ever. After I got there, it turned out to be actually kind of boring. The first time you get to zap someone's brain, it is indeed very exciting. Then you must zap dozens of people's brains in exactly the same way, in order to collect enough experimental data to get statistical significance. I found all of this routine data collection to be very tedious. At the same time, doctors at the NIH taught me a lot of data analysis techniques. They had written machine learning algorithms to do things like ICA for separating out different signals recorded by EEG machines or to recognize events like the motor cortex planning an arm movement. I spent a lot of time working on data analysis and ended up enjoying this a lot more than actually doing the physical experiments with the TMS machine.

When I came back to Stanford for junior year, it was nearly time to declare my major. I was almost certainly I was going to choose biomedical computation. Then I told Jerry Cain about my internship experiences and how I had enjoyed the data analysis. He insisted that I take Andrew Ng's intro to AI class. Back then, I didn't know anything about AI except the fake AI that is used in video games (I had taken up video game programming as a hobby after finishing Jerry Cain's class). I was very skeptical that an AI class was worthwhile but I trusted Jerry's judgment and took the class. After Andrew's lecture on the bias and variance decomposition for linear regression, I was persuaded that there was real science going on in AI, and I declared my major as computer science. At the end of the quarter, Andrew invited me to work on the Stanford AI Robot, and I've been involved in ML research ever since.

It still took a while for me to really commit to ML over neuroscience, and when it was time to go to a PhD program it was hard for me to choose between neuroscience with Bruno Olshausen and machine learning with Yoshua Bengio. I was still interested in both subjects and working with both people and the decision really came down to feeling like it was the right moment in history to study machine learning. That was the real point of no return and I've been happily focused on machine learning since making that decision.

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These questions originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights.

Answers by Matt Cutts, U.S. Digital Service, Defense Digital Service, on Quora:

A: Different folks work on totally different projects. If you check out the USDS website you can see twelve different projects that give you a good flavor of the variety of stuff going on at the USDS.

I'm an individual contributor. I came on as a software engineer, but the team is small enough that people help out in all kinds of ways. For example, one things that the US Digital Service does is called a "discovery sprint." That involves a team of people spending a couple weeks or so digging into a topic to figure out what's working and what can be improved.

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So far, I've been primarily helping with two discovery sprints. In the first sprint, we went to Afghanistan to see what sorts of issues were snagging people working there. We came back with three or four different important issues that we've been trying to help on.

The second discovery sprint that I've been working with involves how the government and the military hire people and clear them for specific roles. About a year ago, over twenty million Federal employees had their personal information stolen as part of a breach at the Office of Personnel Management. That was a terrible incident, but it prompted a lot of smart folks to ask how things could be improved. Parts of that system and process are now being improved and parts are being replaced. The Defense Digital Service has been observing that process, and I've been helping around the edges with some of that.

...

A: That's a great question. We're part of a larger organization called the United States Digital Service. The USDS started almost exactly two years ago as a startup at the White House. Since then, it's grown to a network of teams throughout the Federal Government.

Ash Carter, the Secretary of Defense, stood up the Defense Digital Service. The Defense Digital Service tries to bring good ideas, folks, and practices from industry to help solve problems for Department of Defense. It's a small team (fifteen or sixteen people), but we've got engineers, bureaucracy hackers, designers, and project managers. We're physically located in the Pentagon, which is pretty wild for someone used to wearing shorts and a T-shirt to work. I still wear shorts and a T-shirt most days. You can see Chris Lynch wearing a hoodie in this meeting with the Secretary of Defense:

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As far as projects, an early effort discovered and fixed a problem where thousands of medical records for veterans were getting silently dropped on the floor if a doctor selected the wrong dropdown when scanning a document. Another project called Hack the Pentagon was the first bug bounty program in the Federal Government. Folks in industry know that paying for security vulnerabilities can make products more secure, but the US government hadn't really caught on to bug bounties before. That project alone has the potential to protect millions of citizens.

The Defense Digital Service is also helping with part of the next-generation GPS system, and they're also working to replace a tool called the Defense Travel System that the military uses for booking travel. One of my colleagues says that for people looking to improve things, "it's not a target-rich environment; it's an environment made of targets." So one of the challenges is narrowing down the projects that would have the most impact, but also have a solid chance of success.

...

A: The one-sentence answer is that we're trying to make government work better by bringing in top talent and best practices from the technology industry. We've got software engineers, designers, bureaucracy hackers, and even procurement folks.

We have four main focus areas:

Improving critical digital services for people. Think public-facing services and web forms. User-centered design and agile software development helps with these sort of projects.

Rethinking how the government builds and buys digital services. I never realized how much of an impact procurement has on the lives of regular people. It turns out that procurement matters a lot.

Initiating the development of common platforms and standards. For example, the USDS and 18F collaborated on U.S. Web Design Standards that make it easier and faster to build websites.

Bringing top technical talent into public service.
The Battle of Aleppo has changed the parameters of bargaining between Russia's Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Recep Erdogan, forcing the tsar and the sultan into a position where they need each other equally. Erdogan's about-face took a different turn in the wake of the military developments in Aleppo, which explains why Putin appeared more cautious when receiving Erdogan in St. Petersburg compared to his guest. But the elephant in the room is the United States: Neither is Putin prepared to sacrifice his coordination with Washington on Syria and the implicit accords on several issues; nor is Erdogan prepared to cast aside his important position vis-a-vis the United States, despite his apparent escalation meant for internal consumption in the aftermath of the failed coup in Turkey. Both men need the special relations they have with the United States, but both need each other to save themselves from their predicaments in Syria and Turkey respectively. Erdogan can play a large role in rescuing Putin from a potential quagmire in Aleppo, amid voices in Russia demanding an end to Russia's bloody involvement in Syria through accords with Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia towards a political settlement that ends the military attrition. Likewise, Putin can rescue Erdogan from the global media onslaught and growing international isolation, as he moves to consolidate power and concentrate it in his hands in Turkey. However, the Syrian issue that is crucial for both leaders is not decided only by them both. Rather, they are both constrained and bound by others. Indeed, it was not Erdogan alone who altered the parameters in the battle of Aleppo. Rather, it was an effort with the US-led international coalition along with Gulf countries, led by Saudi Arabia. To be sure, the weapons that arrived in the hands of the Syrian rebels during the battle was US-sourced, Gulf-funded and Turkish-delivered, allowing the tide to turn during the battle. For his part, Putin's calculations in Aleppo were never identical to those of Iran there, and Russia is not part of Iran's regional-sectarian ambitions. When victory was within reach, Moscow turned a blind eye and focused on trying to win the battle. But now that military supplies to the rebels have become a clear reality as clear as the new shift in US policy, it is a whole new discussion imposed by the battlefield. But negotiating cards are part of the discussion, in which the regional and international players and axes overlap. Let's start with the optimistic reading of recent developments, from Aleppo to the newfound Russian-Turkish relations. The advocates of this reading say the coming days and weeks will reveal a deal on Syria, between Russia, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey with the consent of Iran, keen to avoid a quagmire and a "Vietnam" of its own in Aleppo. If Tehran decides the deal is unsuitable, Moscow would still not stop at the wishes of Iran, but would consider first and foremost its own interests, led by the need to avoid a military quagmire in Aleppo especially in light of the Western-Arab determination to overturn the military balance of power or prolong the war of attrition there. What Erdogan gave Putin in the context of Syria is declaring that Russia is key to a political solution in Syria. By doing so, the Turkish president gave Russia they key to a solution in Syria. This is an important development once we compare it to previous stances, based on excluding others from political solutions because of disparate visions and aims. In other words, Erdogan may have implicitly told Putin that the decision is now his: Either lead the political solution or continue his military involvement and bear the consequences. The details of the deal are almost self-evident, based on resuming negotiations with Assad remaining in power for a provisional period, without powers. Putin and Erdogan shrouded their negotiations on Syria with a lot of secrecy, but conducted them in the presence of senior intelligence, defense, and foreign ministry officials from both sides. Both sides seem to be in agreement over Syria's unity: Turkey fears partition because it is concerned this would lead to Kurdish statehood; and Russia wants to preserve Syria's state and army as a reliable strategic ally. Both sides are also in agreement over the need to fight ISIS, but they differ over the definitions of rebels who must be part of negotiated settlement and terrorists. Both countries also agree Iran must have a role in any future accords in Syria, and both have reservations on Iran's projects for Syria in the context of its regional expansion from Iraq to Lebanon via Syria.Both Russia and Turkey want good relations with Israel, and are keen for Tel Aviv to consent to their actions in Syria and the region in general. Some are even speaking of a tripartite coordination axis between the three countries, which does not conflict with another tripartite axis of accords that might emerge in Syria, comprising Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Syria is thus an arena for contradictions and deals. The Gulf element is not absent from the Syrian arena, both politically, militarily, and diplomatically. Currently, there is an American-Gulf-European convergence when it comes to supporting Syrian rebels such as the Syrian Democratic Forces and other factions, to fight ISIS and stop the regime's advances in Aleppo and other cities now crucial to all sides. Russia is keen, at least nominally, to maintain good relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council states through the Arab-Russian Cooperation Forum which could convene in the UAE next year. However, informed sources in Russia say there is no coordination whatsoever between Moscow and Gulf capitals, and that the Russians are unhappy with the American, Gulf, and European positions and military/political escalation and obstruction of the political process, as Moscow sees it. Gulf sources say Erdogan has continued to coordinate with Saudi Arabia, including shortly before meeting with Putin, and that he took to Moscow a Gulf determination and American shift with regard to Aleppo. Erdogan understands that the battle in Aleppo has weakened Putin and denied him some bargaining chips. He addressed his friend-foe from a position of strength, on the basis that Aleppo is a major Sunni city that neither Turkey nor Saudi Arabia could abandon. Vladimir Putin understand pragmatism. He understood that the fighting in Aleppo has weakened him, and that many around him do not want to be implicated in a war with Sunnis in their stronghold, and invite broad revenge. Putin reads well the importance of the relationship he has forged with the United States and the partnership in Syria. Perhaps Putin and Erdogan could find in Aleppo a way to make a breakthrough in Syria through regional and international accords favorable for them, and rescue Putin from his Syria predicament and Erdogan from his internal problems. Perhaps they will play their cards cautiously and benefit from the prospects of making deals without the temptation for revenge and blackmail. But if Putin becomes intransigent and decides to stake his bets on a full victory in Aleppo in partnership with Iran to consolidate the regime's hold over its ruins without making concessions, the price will be high because that path will bury the political solution and render the military solution the equivalent of quick sand for the Russians and their allies. If Erdogan becomes intransigent and decides he can blackmail the United States using the supply lines to the rebels and Europe using the refugee card, then he would be shooting himself in the foot. To be sure, the Turkish president remains in a precarious position, no matter how much the battle in Aleppo has given him a boost and allowed him to appear like a wounded peacock in St. Petersburg. All equations in Syria are temporary, all bargains fleeting, and all deals are being cooked with the limbs of innocent Syrians. Some Russians have come to believe that Erdogan is forced to retreat regionally to shore up his internal position, and thus believe he is more willing to make concessions on issues like Syria. But the surprise came during the battle of Aleppo, after which Erdogan arrived to meet Putin without retreating regionally and while being less willing to agree to the Russian terms. Yet this does not invalidate the fact that Erdogan needs Putin, and the need to forge a new kind of relationship between the two countries for which the Turkish leader is willing to go farther than apologize. Erdogan needs to collect the cards he needs to finish his realignment and revenge on his previous Western friends that he now accuses of conspiring against him, and Russia remains his main outlet of necessity. Translated from Arabic by Karim Traboulsihttp://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Raghida-Dergham/16842114/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%B6%D9%87%D9%85%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%B6
In the upcoming trade fair being held in September here in America, Nepalese business owners are showing small scale domestic products to hydro.

During the Nepal Exhibition and International Trade Show being held from Sept 30 to Oct 2nd, Nepalese handicrafts are looking for international markets while hydro establishing company is looking for a commercial partner. Handicrafts, Garment and Agriculture industries are looking to expand their markets while education, agriculture and hydro companies are looking for business partners. According to Chairman Buddhi Prasad Regmi, of the LLC, "Fair will help in finding investors and expand market for the Nepali products." Over 326 business owners are being interviewed by American embassy who want to attend the fair. Participants are getting their products ready for the trade show.

According to Regmi, if the individual doesn't obtain visa all other fees would be reimbursed except $299 paid for the visa process. This is one of the largest trade show of Nepalese products in the entire world. He said," No other private force has done such a huge show before." He contemplates that this trade show will be a stepping stone for the Nepalese people for expanding Nepalese market. Total estimated expense of this trade show happening at Pier 92 of Manhattan is around 13 crores. Organizers have already rented the place for 3 crore and 58 lakh rupees. Smallest stall will have maximum 2 people, medium one will have 3 and large one will have 4 participants.

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Expense for food and accommodation for the participants has been estimated to be from 8 lakh, 11 lakh and 15 lakhs according to the organizers. Who are the partners and assistants? Trade fair's is associated with Nepal Tourism Board, Small Businesses Association, Women industrialist Association, Handicraft Association and Nepal America Chamber of Commerce, Nepal Travel and Tours Association, Nepal Hotel Association etc. while 4 other umbrella organizations are also providing their support. They include Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Queens Chambers of Commerce and Hudson County Chambers of Commerce.

Most of the participants are handicraft business owners. 36 handicraft businesses have been registered according to the organizers. 35 are from jewelery business and 32 those doing clothing businesses. 28 are of Carpet and Pasmina businesses while 27 are from tourism industry, trekking, travel and tours, paragliding etc. 25 from ready made clothes, 24 of Thanga painting and 7 of thanga arts, 31 of thanga items and 23 from garment industry has been registered so far.
Model house with sun reflecting off the solar panels for electricity generation covering the roof.

Sitting on top of a roof one rainy winter day in Seattle, my coworker and I talked about how we would do things differently if we ran our own solar installation company.

Andy and I agreed that wed interact with our customers differently. Wed really listen to their needs and put quality first. Wed treat our employees like family and make business decisions that aligned with our values.

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Months later, we each put in $350 to pay for our incorporation fees. We started scrounging in our couches for the money to buy the equipment and tools we needed to perform our work. Wed split any money we made to buy gas to get home from site visits. Our first employee sold mattresses on Craigslist because we couldnt pay him on a regular basis.

It took a few years to hit our stride--a lot longer than our wives had hoped to support us. In 2015, not only was A&R Solar the top solar installer in the state of Washington, but our revenues totaled more than $12.5 million, up from $5.7 million in 2014, and just $2.8 million in 2013.

But we are not, and have never been, all about making money. In 2012 after a rigorous application process, we became a certified B Corporation. We made the decision in part to keep us accountable to those promises we made on that roof years before.

Being a B Corp gives us the structure to be able to show that we are walking the walk. I believe that being a part of the clean tech industry requires holding ourselves to higher standards.

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Here are some of the ways we reinforce those ideals:

Quality: In the solar industry there is a lot of lip service given to concepts like quality and green. We are rarely the cheapest bid on a project because we are committed to quality work, high-end products, and paying all of our employees a living wage in the tech-rich backdrop of our home base of Seattle.

Employee ownership: After three years of full-time employment, our employees are eligible to receive a stake in ownership (we currently have 11 employee owners). With ownership comes not only quarterly profit sharing but influence in the business strategy and future growth.

Projects for social good: We are committed to social justice, in addition to clean energy and green jobs . Weve donated solar energy systems to a childrens museum (and dressed as superheroes while installing it) and a soup kitchen while reducing our fees to make sure a local food bank and low-incoming housing development could go solar.

Education fund: Beyond paying for employees training that is relevant to their jobs, we give each employee $700 a year to learn. Anything. Employees have taken writing classes, learned foreign languages, taken up surfing, attended diversity workshops, and gone on meditation retreats.

Year-end owner donations: The company grants each employee owner a chunk of the profits to donate to a charity of his or her choice at the end of the year.

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Volunteering: Our employees are encouraged to volunteer their time. Members of our staff serve on boards and volunteer for nonprofit organizations. Our electricians have used their days off to install solar panels for sustainable farms, others have helped construct rafts to block oil-drilling platforms from entering the Port of Seattle, and some have handed out blankets to the homeless.

The structure that we have put in place is not only good for our employees and residents of Oregon and Washington but to our bottom line.
U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign rally in Saint Petersburg, Florida August 8, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Keane

It looks increasingly likely that Hillary Clinton, a self-described "progressive who likes to get things done," will have her chance starting next January. But how much that's progressive will she actually be able to get done?

The Senate may flip to the Democrats but there's almost no way Democrats will get the sixty votes they need to stop Republicans from filibustering everything she says she wants to do.

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She's unlikely to have a typical presidential honeymoon because she won't be riding a wave of hope and enthusiasm that typically accompanies a new president into office. She's already more distrusted by the public than any major candidate in recent history. On Election Day many Americans will be choosing which candidate they loathe the least.

She hasn't established a powerful mandate for what she wants to get done. Her policy proposals are admirably detailed but cover so much ground that even her most ardent supporters don't have a clear picture of what she stands for. And she's had to spend more time on the campaign trail attacking Trump's outrage du jour than building a case for a few big ideas.

To say nothing of the moneyed interests -- wealthy individuals, big corporations, and Wall Street -that are more powerful today than at any time since the Gilded Age, and don't want progressive change.

Even if Hillary sincerely intends to raise taxes on rich Americans in order to pay for universal child care, affordable higher education, and infrastructure spending, the moneyed interests have the clout to stop her.

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They'll also resist any effort to raise the federal minimum wage to $12 an hour, require employers to offer paid family leave, or push them to share their profits with employees.

The heart of American politics is now a vicious cycle in which big money has enough political influence to get laws and regulations that make big money even bigger, and prevent laws and rules that threaten its wealth and power.

Before Hillary can accomplish anything important, that vicious cycle has to be reversed. But how?

Bear with me a moment for some pertinent history.

As economist John Kenneth Galbraith noted in the 1950s, a key legacy of the New Deal was creating centers of economic power that offset the power of giant corporations and Wall Street: labor unions, small retail businesses, local banks, and political parties active at the state and local levels.

These alternative power centers supported policies that helped America's vast middle and working classes during the first three decades after World War II -- the largest infrastructure project in American history (the Interstate Highway program), a vast expansion of nearly-free public higher education, Medicare and Medicaid, and, to pay for all this, high taxes on the wealthy. (Between 1946 and 1980, the top marginal tax rate never dipped below 70 percent.)

But over the last three decades, countervailing power has almost vanished from American politics. Labor unions have been decimated. In the 2012 presidential election, the richest 0.01 percent of households gave Democratic candidates more than four times what unions contributed to their campaigns.

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Small retailers have been displaced by Walmart and Amazon. Local banks have been absorbed by Wall Street behemoths.

And both political parties have morphed into giant national fundraising machines. The Democratic National Committee, like its Republican counterpart, is designed mainly to suck up big money.

So where can Hillary look for the countervailing power she'll need to get the progressive changes she says she wants?

The most promising source of a new countervailing power in America was revealed in Bernie Sanders's primary campaign: millions of citizens determined to reclaim American democracy and the economy from big money. (Donald Trump's faux populism tapped into similar sentiments, but, tragically, has channeled them into bigotry and scapegoating.)

That movement lives on. Organizers from the Sanders campaign have already launched Brand New Congress, an ambitious effort to run at least 400 progressive candidates for Congress in 2018, financed by crowd-sourced small donations and led by a nationwide network of volunteers. Sanders himself recently announced the formation of "Our Revolution," to support progressive candidates up and down the ticket.

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Hillary Clinton has been relying on big money to finance her presidential campaign, but she's always been a pragmatist about governing. "A president has to deal in reality," she said last January in response to Sanders. "I am not interested in ideas that sound good on paper but will never make it in real life."

The pragmatist in her must know that the only way her ideas will make it in real life is if the public is organized and mobilized behind them.
Right now it looks like things will not go well for the Trump campaign. The list of Republicans repudiating their candidate is literally unprecedented, and still growing. Equally disastrous, Donald Trump is not only failing to rein himself in, he is likely to get far worse. He does read polls, and knows he is losing badly; and to a "girl", as Elizabeth Warren put it. He doesn't understand why this is happening, will get more and more frustrated, more and more resentful, and as his rage builds, he will lash out. Which will move voters against him, then make him more incendiary, as he viciously circles down to the lowest depths of a political inferno.

So there are two likely scenarios. In a normative election, he would lose badly in November. But this year is anything but standard fare, and there is also the real possibility he will just pick up his toys and go home before then.

Either way, however, one thing is certain. Not a guess, not a prediction, but a law as sure as Newton's postulate that if you throw up an apple gravity will pull it down. Equally predictable: if it ends badly, Donald Trump will blame someone or something else. He has never accepted responsibility for his actions, and to do so for his most public humiliation would simply be impossible.

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But that lets the rest of us play. So here is the contest in its simplest version: vote for who or what Donald Trump will blame for his withdrawal or defeat.

Now the qualifications. In one sense, the answer is clear: he will accuse everybody and everything. But that's too easy. Life is more complex than that. Who will be his foremost nemesis? Who or what, above the others, stabbed him most ignobly? I doubt the chief culprit will be HRC, because that means admitting she bested him. The media, meanwhile, is a favorite, tried and true Republican villain. What about all those new voters, the Mexican rapists and drug mules coming out in record numbers to foil him? Or how about the infamous Ted Cruz? Will Trump indict him, with his notorious convention address? Or even better, will he accuse Cruz's father as the behind the scenes devil pulling the strings of infamy? The list expands to the vast lineup of past foes: will he charge the whole Bush family, from H. W. to low-energy Jeb? Go after Little Marco? The eminently sane John Kasich? Or will he turn to other antagonists, focusing on Paul Ryan's lukewarm endorsement, or Mitt Romney's early repudiation?

Don't be shy; enlist your creative gene. Will he hold ISIS responsible? Could this be an MI6 plot? Aliens? Sunspots? Let's at least take Putin off the table. A good buddy like him would never do something like this.

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Here's my take: Trump's attacks have a history to them. You can trace who he dislikes the most by charting who he has attacked for the longest time and most vigorously. And by this scale, Hillary is a recent player. Note two indicators -- he didn't confront her till after the primaries, much to the dismay of his supporters. And she has consciously refrained from attacking him on a personal as opposed to a policy level, leaving that to surrogates like Elizabeth Warren. In contrast, he still goes after his Republican opponents from the past, still battering against Cruz and Bush.

But think about it. Who is his oldest antagonist? Who has he gone after the longest? In fact, how did Donald Trump get his start in national politics if not with the birther claim? It is clear to me, therefore, that Trump will loudly accuse Barack Obama of causing his downfall above all others.
The historical amity between India and Bangladesh came to the fore during the 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh, when people from both countries joined hands against the oppression of an evil, religious force. Apart from the Pakistani Junta, other South Asian countries also joined in the cause of the common people of these two countries with some of them engaging diplomatically in the warfare, thus helping accelerate the birth of Bangladesh. The role of India during that period can only be compared to a kind and caring progenitress dedicated to the ease of the birth of a nation.

Despite the fact that around three million people were killed in a planned genocide during the liberation war of Bangladesh, the number of killed people has always been manipulated in an international arena in the name of revisionism, which was deliberately orchestrated by the political allies of those who committed the genocide. The number of people killed in the war has always been at the center of debate on the 1971 freedom struggle because of the political intentions of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistani junta to strengthen religious fundamentalists in the political sphere of Bangladesh and to cover up their crimes against humanity. As an ally in the war, India is also affected by this propaganda campaign. Not only that, this so-called debate on the actual death toll is an ill-intentioned move to disgrace the sacrifices of the people of both India and Bangladesh.

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It is already academically proven and universally recognized by numerous independent researchers that three million civilians were in fact killed during the nine-month long liberation war on the Eastern front, where the Indian and Bangladeshi forces fought against the Pakistani army and local Islamist militia groups. Further academic studies and political debates on this issue should be welcomed, but only on the pre-condition of this resolution, violation of which is a dishonor to the martyred and to the struggles of a freedom-loving nation.

In Europe, revisionism of the holocaust, questioning the genocide itself or raising doubt on the actual number of victims is a criminal offense. Let alone raising doubt on holocaust, any kind of negative approach towards the genocide of WWII or legitimizing the fascist's approach is considered a serious crime punishable under various laws, commonly known as the "Laws against Denial of Holocaust", which is widely accepted and practiced in almost all the member state of European Union. There are plenty of examples of putting this law into practice in Europe. For example, the case of David Irving, a British writer infamously known for his denial of holocaust, which resulted him a thirteen-month-long prison term.

Another such example is that of historian Professor Bernard Lewis whose main area of expertise was genocide and war crimes. Professor Lewis commented that the Armenian Genocide is not a real genocide based on the academic definition of genocide, which caused a public outburst among the Armenian dissidents in France and later a French court penalized him with a token punishment of One Franc. The same happened with Lawyer Peter Erlinder, Lead Defense Counsel for the UN International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda. Erlinder portrayed the genocide of Rwanda as a "by-product of war" which led him to a three-year sentence in prison. Recently a Bangladesh-based British journalist David Bergman was fined five thousand Taka by the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh for raising obfuscated and intentional questions regarding the number of people killed during the genocide of Bangladesh in 1971.

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During 1971, India hosted around ten million Bangladeshi refugees, referring to which Mother Teresa compared the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's work as "the act of Jesus". The official statistics of the Indian Army suggests that a total of 3,630 Indian soldiers laid their live on eastern and western fronts for the independence of Bangladesh and the war cost the country around seven-thousand-million rupees.

The quest of making laws against denial of Holocaust in Europe was to safeguard Humanism, prevention of such heinous crimes and prevention of discrimination on the basis of race and religion. The UN Universal Human Rights Declaration in 1981 clearly states that the genocide of Bangladesh was the fastest one within a small area. The daily count of killings in that genocide was the highest in genocidal history according to the same report. However, it's a pity that this genocide is still not recognized internationally, and because of that the Pakistani and pro-Pakistani perpetrators continue to deny the truth of a crime known for its rarity.

The present Awami League government undertook the challenge to end this culture of impunity by holding trials of the perpetrators. It needs to be clear that the local war criminals of Bangladesh are part of the web of South Asian extremists. Challenging these extremists and their political allies has become an urgent and crucial task as they are the source of hindrance to the development and religious harmony in Bangladesh.

To deny or distort the number of martyred civilians in the war of 1971 is synonymous to denying the struggles of the valiant fighters of both India and Bangladesh, denying the agony of the ten million refugees of Bangladesh and thus denying the sacrifices of those who shed their blood for the cause. All these denials help in avoiding the liability of a serious crime which Pakistan committed and admitted through its surrender on 16th December 1971 to the joint force of India and Bangladesh. Such a denial is a flagitious crime both from moral and judicial perspective.

Thus, like Europe, it is high time for both India and Bangladesh to secure and preserve their history by adopting laws against genocide denial. This would also prevent repetition of such crimes and weaken radical Islamist groups all over South Asia. If these two countries step forward to make such laws, then other countries of the world that contributed diplomatically in favor of the India-Bangladesh alliance during 1971, might also follow and recognize the genocide, ultimately resulting in the recognition of true history of the Sub-continent.

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Refugees from the Middle East are silhouetted against the setting sun as they walk on railway tracks from Serbia, in Roszke, Hungary, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015. Migrants fearful of death at sea in overcrowded and flimsy boats have increasingly turned to using a land route to Europe through the Western Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

The series of terrorist attacks that took place in recent weeks have had different impacts on refugees, aid workers, and journalists.

Aid work, which was hailed as brave and patriotic as recently as a year ago, is now condemned. Aid organizations are becoming targets of hatred and slandered in hate-fueled propaganda.

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The accusations against aid organizations are often fabricated. The imagination knows no limits during election campaigns -- which is probably how the Caritas charity was accused of buying iPhones for asylum seekers in Austria.

Refugees are continuing to suffer in the wake of the latest attacks. On one hand, the left-wing parties continue to represent them as weak and helpless. On the other hand, right-wing parties and the tabloid media are portraying them as potential criminals. Such narratives are overpowering, making it virtually impossible for asylum seekers to present themselves as autonomous individuals.

Meanwhile, it has been difficult for refugees to communicate with the residents of their host countries due to the distance between asylum quarters and the main city centers. Together with the pervasive paranoia, the danger is that parallel worlds are being created.

The so-called "radicalization" is not an imported problem; it is created here in Europe.

These events are also affecting journalists and the way they're choosing to cover events. After the murder of a priest at a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen, Normandy, French media outlets decided that they would no longer release the photographs or identities of killers.

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It is perhaps unwise and irresponsible to focus only on the moment of the crime and cruelty. Instead, a biographical approach should be taken, and attempts at providing context and explanation should be at the center of coverage.

This does not suggest portraying the assailants as victims, or justifying their crimes. But their desire for posthumous attention can tell us a lot about their need for social recognition throughout their lives.

The majority of perpetrators come from families that are not particularly religious. The so-called "radicalization" is not an imported problem; it is created here in Europe. It is most likely introduced through YouTube videos, by hate-preaching radicals.

In societies that are built around work and consumption, careers become the most important sources of social recognition, especially for marginalized individuals.

Communication between asylum seekers and the local community should be encouraged from day one.

If young people, who reshape their identities during their migration journeys, don't have a real chance for work and education, they might seek recognition elsewhere. And under certain circumstances, this could very well be a dogmatic religious exercise.

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So what's the solution?

First of all, there needs to be more education in schools, and a way to evaluate the changes that youth are undergoing. The concern is not only suicide-bombings, but also individual incidents of rape, which are occasionally committed by young refugees, and cause great discomfort for supervising entities.

Secondly, communication between asylum seekers and the local community should be encouraged from day one, ideally in the form of small-scale accommodations rather than tenement housing.

Finally, as youth go through a period of identity reconstruction, regardless of whether or not they are migrants, they must be able to find social recognition and acceptance through education, career-building, and meaningful activities.
On July 17, 2016, 12 Armenian anti-government activists raided a police station in Yerevan and took nine police officers hostage. After storming the station, the hostage takers urged the Armenian government to release right-wing opposition leader Jarir Sefilian from prison and called for Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's immediate resignation.

Even though Sefilian's New Armenia Salvation Front is only a fringe party, many Armenians expressed solidarity with the hostage takers' scathing criticisms of government corruption. While corruption has been a defining characteristic of Armenian politics for decades, the summer 2015 Electric Yerevan protests revealed that Armenians are increasingly willing to participate in anti-corruption demonstrations.

In response to growing outrage with state corruption, Sargsyan granted sweeping powers to a new anti-corruption council in July 2015. However, this council's actions have not assuaged popular concerns. Corruption allegations against members of Sargsyan's inner circle have shaken public confidence in his government. Many Armenians also believe that corruption weakened Armenia's ability to respond to Azerbaijani territorial incursions during the April 2-5 hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Corruption Allegations Against Sargsyan's Inner Circle

Even though Sargsyan's recent public speeches have emphasized his desire to combat corruption in Armenia, the actions of the president and members of his inner circle have frequently contradicted his anti-corruption rhetoric. In August 2015, the head of Armenia's anti-corruption council, Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan, was embarrassed by a Civilnet.am report, which revealed that Abrahamyan had used government funds to pay for numerous high-cost private flights.

Abrahamyan was a questionable choice to head Armenia's anti-corruption council due to his ownership of private companies, gas stations, casinos and vast investment properties, while serving as Prime Minister. The Armenian constitution's conflict of interest clause forbids government officials from signing business deals for personal enrichment while in office. Extensive media coverage of Abrahamyan's flagrant violations of Armenian law caused public confidence in his anti-corruption council to plummet just weeks after its creation.

Sargsyan's anti-corruption campaign was undermined further by the release of the Panama Papers on April 8. The Panama Papers revealed that Major General of Justice Mihran Poghosyan and two of his uncles had created companies in Panama to obtain Armenian government contracts. While Poghosyan has insisted that his offshore business ventures did not violate Armenian law, Armenian human rights activists, like Armine Sahakyan, contend that the Panama Papers revealed a conflict of interest worthy of prosecution.

Sargsyan has responded to public outrage over the Abrahamyan and Poghosyan scandals by selectively punishing corrupt officials. On June 1, Melsik Chiligarian, a senior Armenian general, and two prominent Defense Ministry officials were arrested on corruption charges.

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These arrests have not increased the public's trust in Sargsyan. Many Armenians view these arrests as mere token gestures, comparable to the 2011 arrests of Armenia's police chief for embezzlement and late 2014 indictment of a senior Armenian judge for bribery, which shielded more senior officials from prosecution.

Sargsyan's unwillingness to prosecute corrupt members of his inner circle has further entrenched the public's perception that government allies can commit crimes with impunity. This sense of impunity has extended to violent crime. Armenia's Transport Minister Gagik Beglarian resigned as mayor of Yerevan in December 2010 for assaulting an official in the presidential administration's protocol unit.

Beglarian was never prosecuted for this crime. According to Vartan Harutiunian, a prominent human rights activist, Beglarian was promoted to the cabinet because of his ability to coerce blue-collar workers in central Yerevan into supporting Sargsyan during presidential elections.

Beglarian's immunity is not an isolated case. Syunik Governor Suren Khachatryan assaulted a businesswoman in the Marriott Hotel in Yerevan in 2011 and allegedly threatened the wellbeing on an environmental activist earlier this year. Even though these crimes received considerable media attention, Khachatryan was not indicted.

Flagrant double standards in the Armenian legal system have turned public opinion against Sargsyan and increased support for political factions who believe that violence is the only way to confront injustice. Sargsyan's refusal to label Armenian hostage takers as "terrorists" during the latter stages of last month's hostage standoff is a tacit acknowledgement of growing support for violent anti-government activism. This activism poses a serious threat to Sargsyan's hold on power.

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Why Armenians View Government Corruption as a Security Threat

While corruption has long been regarded a major impediment to economic development and political liberalization in Armenia, the April 2-5 hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh caused many Armenians to view corruption as a national security threat for the first time. The Armenian military's use of Soviet-era weaponry during the hostilities contrasted starkly with the Azerbaijani army's technological sophistication.

Even though Sargsyan has insisted that Armenia possesses modern weaponry, Armenian opposition activists have questioned these claims. Probes by Armenian law enforcement authorities into the Armenian military's combat readiness and conduct have further undercut Sargsyan's credibility.

In early June, Colonel Mher Papian, was arrested for his "negligent attitude towards military service." This indictment fuelled allegations from Armenian opposition leaders that Armenia's intelligence services had failed to warn the army of Azerbaijan's military buildup.

The storage, maintenance and repair of weapons have also been placed under greater scrutiny. Anti-corruption watchdogs allege that the Armenian military routinely purchases sub-standard technology at inflated prices to reward government allies.

Opposition activists have also responded derisively to Sargsyan's claims that Armenia's military shortcomings are a product of budgetary constraints. Armenian investigative journalists like Sara Khojoyan have increased public attention to Sargsyan's extravagant expenditures. The Armenian government's authorization of a $45 million construction of a new training center for tax officials, and Sargsyan's purchase of $80,000 utensil set for government functions, have circulated frequently on Armenian social media websites with the hashtag "there is money."

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Last month's hostage standoff has helped popularize the belief that state misuse of funds had weakened Armenia's national security. Corruption scandals have also emboldened right-wing Armenian nationalists, who condemn Sargsyan's willingness to make territorial compromises to Azerbaijan.

Over the past year, many Armenians have protested against corruption perpetrated by Sargsyan and his political allies. Last month's hostage crisis was the culmination of years of frustration with Armenia's corrupt political system. If Sargsyan does not punish corrupt officials and reform Armenia's political institutions, anti-government protests and political violence could become an enduring feature of Armenian political life for years to come.
The Greater New Orleans urban flood protection system has no peer. On a scale of one to ten, if the GNO system were a ten, the next closest - Cape Girardeau, Missouri - would be a three.

And appropriately, for a system of this scope, each project in the $14.5 billion GNO system has - or soon will have - a highly detailed Operation and Maintenance, Repair Replacement and Rehabilitation Manual (OMRR&R).

The Army Corps of Engineers writes the guidelines. The local levee districts and the state Coastal Protection and Restoration Agency (CPRA) administer them. Nothing is left to chance for this, the most complex urban system in the nation in terms of cost, total population and value of property protected, and infrastructure investment.

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Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, the corps rewrote the OMRR&R guidelines for inspections. Maintenance inspections are more uniform, more frequent and utilize modern technology.

But the corps' new inspections tools - more rigorous and frequent as they are - are still only visual.

Today, it is sometimes assumed that the new inspection protocols could have saved New Orleans. This may be rooted in the assumption that the Orleans Levee Board did not properly do its federally mandated maintenance. But, corps representatives testified before Congress that the OLD did an outstanding job with its maintenance activities. Indeed, certificates that the corps awarded to the OLD every year confirm this.

Bottom line, even today's inspections may not have exposed the corps' pre-Katrina design flaws deep underground.

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The Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authorities East (SLFPAE) created after Katrina is well aware that the corps' visual-only inspections can pick up only the most obvious problems when it may be too late. So, SLFPAE is testing remote sensing methods of quickly imaging the inside of levees and the strata below using geophysical instruments towed behind an ATV.

SLFPAE has funded research with a company in California - Tremaine & Associates - that specializes in high-speed electrical resistivity surveying. This approach was first used to find buried archaeological sites, but is now being used in the Sacramento River delta to image the insides of levees and the strata beneath them.

Additionally, the Authority is beginning a program of monitoring subsidence rates to re-evaluate storm surge elevations and adjust the system proactively.

Technologies like these could provide a more complete snapshot that could be repeated to see problems earlier, as they develop.

After Katrina, the corps rewrote the guidelines for local levee maintenance, not just for New Orleans, but also for the entire country. The fifty-five percent of the American people living in counties protected by levees are now exposed to a reduced risk of flooding.

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Also after Katrina, we discovered that the Greater New Orleans region needed a regional levee board staffed with experts that is better suited to this extremely large and unique system.
This past June, 49 lives were taken by gun violence at the LGBT nightclub Pulse in Orlando, FL. Between 2010 and 2014, guns were involved in nearly 43,000 hate crimes across this country. This cruelty is part of the nationwide public health crisis of gun violence. The Disarm Hate Rally in Washington, DC on August 13 brought together friends, family, and activists to urge fellow Americans to do more to stop gun violence. I made the following speech on behalf of Doctors For America, and ask you to do your part:

My name is Sanjeev Sriram, and I am a member of Doctors for America. I am a pediatrician in southeast DC, in the backyard of Congress. As Americans we identify mass shooting tragedies by hashtags and geography, but doctors know the public health crisis of gun violence is hurting every community in between those tragedies too. Every year, between Newtown, CT and San Bernardino, CA over 20,000 Americans commit suicide with a gun. Every month, between Aurora, CO and Orlando, FL over 50 women are killed by domestic abusers. Every day, between Oak Creek, WI and Tucson, AZ 90 American lives are taken by gun violence. These are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, friends, classmates ... And they are my patients.

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My patients and their families in southeast DC are struggling with gun violence while many in Congress turn a blind eye, a deaf ear, and a cold heart to this public health crisis. Many parents are asking what are we going to do about all this? About 10,000 children are injured or killed each year by homicides, suicides, and unintentional shootings. That's more than heart defects, cancer, and infections.

Children are also injured or killed in car crashes. But you know what's interesting? When any of us from the medical or public health communities talk about keeping people safe with seatbelts, car seats, or speed limits, we get to have civil grown-up conversations with car manufacturers, transportation agencies, law enforcement, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No one is calling doctors communists or questioning our patriotism or threatening to take our medical licenses away.

Gun lobbyists have been bullying doctors and public health professionals for a long time. Since 1996, gun lobbyists like the NRA and their friends in Congress have used the Dickey Amendment to intimidate the CDC from studying gun violence. Some of our best and brightest minds are using science and research to save millions of lives from car accidents, smoking, and drowning. Those same scientific methods can help end gun violence. Twenty years of ignoring questions that public health and medical experts want to solve in order to help save thousands of Americans from gun violence.

Twenty years of unanswered questions. Since 1996, we've learned the answers to all kinds of other questions. Will Ross and Rachel make it as a couple on "Friends"? Will Tom Cruise keep doing Mission Impossible movies? Are there worse songs than the Macarena?

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All joking aside, there are more important questions we should have worked on in the last 20 years. Here are some of the questions public health experts want to work on in gun violence:



What kinds of programs and supports work best to help families and communities stop gun violence among young people?

How does gun storage affect the decision to use that gun in a suicide attempt?

What characteristics differentiate mass shootings that were prevented from those that were carried out?

Imagine if the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) had resources to answer all these questions. That's why we need Congress to end the ban and properly fund gun violence research. I'm not the only doctor who knows this. Over 140 medical groups, including Doctors for America, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and many others are demanding Congress to support gun violence research at the CDC and NIH. Let's end the ban and End Gun Violence.
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)
My heart broke. My son Ryan -- age 8 -- informed me, while we were enjoying breakfast, that they were no longer allowed to talk about politics at school. I was flabbergasted. Why would any educator tell students that they were forbidden from discussing anything -- especially politics, in the midst of an election?

Further investigation revealed that the impetus to this perceived ban was that a couple of kids had decided that they were going to build a wall to keep the Mexican kids off part of the playground. They really meant "any kid who was Hispanic or Latino."

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A heated discussion ensued and the after-school care program staff had directed the kids to have these discussions at home rather than at school.

Let's rewind for a second. Elementary school kids were playing and they decided that they wanted to take after Donald Trump and build a wall to keep children of color off their playground.

Hillary Clinton is running an ad that highlights the fact that our kids are watching. They're listening to our discussions, watching the news and considering the ideas that our presidential candidates are putting forth as solutions to issues our country faces.

If you thought that ad was overdramatic, clearly it isn't -- Trump's plan to build a wall to keep "illegals" (or at least people who look like them) out of our country is translating directly to playgrounds across our nation.

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No matter your political stripe, it seems obvious that this incident cannot be the only one of its kind. Clearly, our national discourse in this crazy election cycle isn't just about how you want the country to proceed. Our kids are watching, many of them in their formative years. For some of them, it seems the result is an ugly racism.

Before we go any further, let's get the straw men out of the way. Did Donald Trump make these kids racist? No. Do the parents of these children bear responsibility for their actions? You bet. Are playgrounds across the country descending into some madness that crosses "Lord of the Flies" with the Stanford prison experiment? Of course not.

What I'm arguing is that political rhetoric has consequences -- not just for big issues like foreign policy or the shape and size of our government, but for how all of us, including the youngest among our population, think about the idea of "America."

How can anyone stand for this? And what in the world are educators to do about these sorts of things? Here in San Diego, we aren't exactly removed from this very real issue. In fact, some of the most hateful things that Trump has said would directly affect our communities.

Ever since I was a child, I've enjoyed civic engagement. Participating in community government is a perk, rather than a burden, of living in this country. I remember walking from my grandmother's home to the Illinois State Capitol when I was Ryan's age to sit down with the secretary of state and the governor. They happily engaged with me, even as I had nothing to offer them but my curiosity about what they did.

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Public servants taught me that any citizen can engage with government. If you don't believe that your children (or you, for that matter) can get that kind of experience from taking an interest in their work, then you probably haven't tried.

Every four years, people on TV drone on about how this election -- this one more than any other -- is about the direction our country is headed, our ideas about America, and our children's future. And while that's a bit overdramatic, it's also essentially right; the privilege of American democracy is that we consistently get to weigh in on the stuff that matters.

But you don't have to be a political pro to sense that something bigger really is going on here in 2016. When our kids are learning at school is that politics is too divisive and downright nasty to discuss instead of how to learn from local elected leaders, that signals a serious problem.
When I was in college I had a brainstorm that caused a temporary power outage in my common sense.

A bunch of us were hanging out and talking about what we could do for fun. Two of my best friends were part of the group, one of whom was born in India and raised in Bangladesh. He had taught me a little Hindi and Bengali (insults, for the most part) and sometimes we would banter back and forth. That's what led to the brainstorm.

I suggested that the group of us go to the mall, pretending to be a security detachment for a foreign dignitary (my friend). We would all wear suits and stand in formation around our exotic visitor, while I translated for him. Our plan was to go to jewelry stores and ask to see their most expensive brooches and necklaces. It would be a hoot.

My brainstorm apparently blacked out everyone's common sense, and we went. At our first store, my friend and I approached the counter while the security team surrounded us. Each time the salesperson showed us something, my friend would rattle off something in Hindi or Bengali, and I would ask the clerk if there wasn't a more valuable piece he could show us.

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We were all having fun, acting out our charade. That's when we looked across the store and saw the dean of students (who terrified all of us) browsing twenty feet away! Most of the "security team" melted away into the surrounding stores, but my friend went right up and greeted him. I think the dean was pleased that his students dressed up in their good clothes to go out on the town. He probably thought one of us was buying an engagement ring for a future bride.

Our little charade was not the last time I've pretended to be someone I'm not. I've pretended to be nonchalant when I've been trembling with anxiety, pretended to be loving when I've been filled with bitterness, pretended to be holy when my heart and my actions proved that I was not. The charade has been more sophisticated, but not more honorable.

The trouble with living a fantasy is that God does not love illusions. He loves people. He can mend the sick, but he cannot mend a sham. God can save a person, no matter how damaged, but the only thing he can do with a lie is expose and denounce it.

The biblical writer warned that a person "who pours out lies will perish" -- not, I think, because he has lied (there is forgiveness for that); but because he has become a lie. The progression seems to go like this: a person tells lies, then walks in lies (as the prophet Jeremiah phrased it), then believes lies, including his or her own (as the Apostle Paul wrote), then becomes a lie (Psalm 62:9).

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That is the downward spiral, but there is also an upward spiral. The biblical writers call people to speak truth, walk in truth, and, in St. John's memorable turn of phrase, to "do truth." They never refer to people as being true, a designation reserved for God alone, but the task of becoming true is set before us.

It is a monumental task, and one that is quite beyond us because we are often unaware of, and incapable of seeing, the falseness in our own lives. We can't become true without God's help, and the help of the people around us.


Associated Press

It is no secret by now that many people are not happy about the two unpopular candidates for president. Like it or not, however, one of these two will be our next commander-in-chief. Whether it is Donald or Hillary, the election may be coming to an end, but the work has hardly begun. Regardless of who becomes president, we must fight for the soul of our nation, for the heart of our democracy, for the unalienable freedoms that this nation was founded upon. When we acknowledge that those freedoms have always come with limitations (exlcuding slaves, women, and other minorities), we see the need for the continued fight until ALL are free, protected, and valued as a part of a great, diverse American family.

The task ahead of us - especially as faith leaders - is a daunting one: we must unite a country that is as divided as it has ever been.

Fear has crept up in our national narrative, forcing some to revert to phobic reactions to those that are deemed different. Violence is becoming an expected occurrence in our headlines. (Every morning when I log on to check the headlines, I do so with an uneasy, unsettled stomach.) It has become almost normal to see body cam videos of state-sanctioned violence against persons of color; and now, detestable violent acts against police are becoming more and more frequent. Immigrants are fleeing war-stricken parts of the world, seeking refuge in nations that are safe and at peace. Some propose building walls and creating barriers to accepting those running for their lives. America's heart is sick. We cannot counter violence with violence, or fight fear with fear. We cannot let fear be our motivation. Fear must not win. No matter how dark the circumstances, we must look for the light of hope.

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While fear motivates many, at the same time and for countless others, love is countering and challenging fear-promoted narratives, rhetoric, and policies. There are religious leaders, such as Dr. William Barber, that are using their pulpit and influence to promote a non-partisan platform of moral renewal. Dr. Barber's words to the Democratic National Convention electrified those in attendance and the millions watching in their homes as he called for a revival of the heart, a resuscitation. He pleaded for us all to attune to our morals, "I say to you tonight that some issues are not left versus right or liberal versus conservative," he said. "They are right versus wrong." Love is the means to this transformation. Only love can overcome fear. Only love can heal and bring this nation together. When love is our motivator, and not fear, we can bring this country together.

I am a Christian and I am an American.

As a person of faith, I wholly embrace my Judeo-Christian heritage to welcome the stranger, to love my neighbor and my enemy, to take care of the poor, to feed the hungry, to bind up the captives, to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God - all of which is commanded without exception. I refuse to be a hypocrite that takes seriously some of the easier passages in the scriptures while denying the numerous difficult passages. There can be no denying that justice is the foundation of our sacred texts - this can be also confirmed by God's many judgments against Israel when they fail to act justly. I stand with Dr. Barber in his rightful assertion that too many care so much about what God said so little while caring so little about what God said so much (paraphrased). See his powerful speech here.

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As an American, I also embrace my heritage of a nation that was founded upon and for liberty, including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other freedoms that give opportunity to so many. I also embrace a heritage that was the result of conquest, inquisition, and as a Southerner, an economic system built on slavery. There is no perfect country and America has scars and stains from a history from the underside that included genocide, racism, and the oppression of women. However, through various moral movements in our history as a nation, we have fought for women's rights, fought for civil rights and the inclusion of all persons regardless of race, class, orientation, or religious preference. Yet we have so far to go, still. There are still pockets of these problems that plague communities around the country. That is why, as an American, I must continue to fight until this is really the "Land of the Free" - that means ALL people.

Let me be clear in conclusion: The future of our country does not rest alone on the shoulders our next president or our elected officials. We, the people, are the ones that can change the direction of our nation. This is the heart of a democracy - by the people, for the people. Our future, therefore, will be shaped by the collective of individuals that speak up, act out, and stand together.
"The existence of a problem doesn't mean there's a solution to that problem. Wanting to create impact is great. But to do it, you need to actually have a sustainable business model."

"I don't recommend anyone become an entrepreneur. It's too hard. It's too painful. Starting a business is too risky. There are better ways to make a living. Yet I can't imagine doing anything else."

"One mistake was trying to build out too much tech too quickly. We thought that the tech was going to be the solution, that if we added more features, it would solve the problem. We were wrong."

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Identifying a problem doesn't mean you've automatically created a business.

And building a startup is not for the faint of heart.

The tools and temperament needed to get from startup idea to startup success were the focus of the guests on today's Entrepreneurs are Everywhere radio show.

The show follows the journeys of founders who share what it takes to build a startup - from restaurants to rocket scientists, to online gifts to online groceries and more. The program examines the DNA of entrepreneurs: what makes them tick, how they came up with their ideas; and explores the habits that make them successful, and the highs and lows that pushed them forward.

Joining me in the Stanford University studio were

Jeremy Johnson, founder of Andela, which embeds talented software engineers on the African continent into top engineering organizations worldwide

Michael Eidsaune, co-founder of Carely, a software platform that facilitates communication among families caring for sick or elderly relatives

Listen to my full interviews with Jeremy and Michael by downloading them from SoundCloud here and here.

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(And download any of the past shows here.)

Clips from their interviews are below.

Before founding 2U, Jeremy developed Zinch, intended to be a virtual guidance counselor to help low-income students navigate the college application process. He explains why it didn't get off the ground:

It was a great idea, but a terrible company.

It turns out the existence of a problem doesn't mean there's a scalable or profitable way to solve that problem -- or at least at the time.

The goal was to help low-income students better understand the college application process.

For the past 30 years great colleges have approached recruitment by creating a list of names from the PSATs and then sending out glossy brochures. Often they don't think about it through the lens of what is the best way to spend or allocate resources to try to get better students. So while Zinch was trying to create an offering that would support low-income students that wasn't where the majority of college recruitment dollars were being spent. So it was tough. We couldn't charge the low-income students we were looking to help enough to keep the business going.

In the end we learned that wanting to create impact is great. But to be able to do it, you need to actually have a model that sustains it.

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To hear the clip, click here.

The effort was a good learning experience, he says:

The beauty of trying things when you're 21 and have no idea what you're doing is that you get the chance to make a lot of mistakes really quickly and learn from them.

One mistake we made was trying to build out too much tech too quickly and thinking that the tech was going to be the solution, that if we added more features, it would solve the problem. We were wrong.

We thought, 'Why don't we think through all of the different potential users that might use a system and how they might want to interact with it?'

We tried to boil the ocean in the most literal sense.

To hear the clip, click here

Prior to founding Carely, Michael Eidsaune earned his MBA in finance and spent several years in investment management, eventually earning his level 1 CFA certification. He also worked for a time as a contract negotiator for the US Air Force.

The idea for Carely was sparked by personal family experience. Michael started the company with his father-in-law, working on it part-time, while he worked with the Air Force.

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Since its founding four years ago, Carely has seen ups and downs. Michael's vision and passion have gotten him through it:

I don't recommend anyone do this. It's too hard. It's too painful. Starting a business is too risky. There are better ways to make a living that are much safer.

And yet, while I would never recommend anybody do this, I can't imagine doing anything else.

To hear the clip, click here

--

An experienced team made all the difference to 2U finding success, Jeremy said:

We had a phenomenal early group of people that were brought together to try to address the problem.

You might look at it and say, "In some ways, that team is overkill for an early-stage company. These people are overqualified for what they're doing."

But it turns out that when you're growing really quickly, having folks who have been through it a couple times before is really useful in the early days, even to make sure that you're able to really grow effectively while maintaining culture.

To hear the clip, click here

Andela selects and trains world-class tech talent from Africa and matches them with U.S. companies. Here's how Jeremy came up with the idea for Andela, and why he decided to create the company even though he was still working on 2U at the time:

A good friend invited me to Nairobi to give a talk for the MasterCard foundation on the state of online education around the world. That kicked off this long conversation about how you might try to leverage this evolution of education technology to create scalable impact in places where tuition couldn't be the driver of growth.

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At the same time, I'd gotten to know a young Nigerian serial entrepreneur who had become sort of a friend and mentee, and was building something similar to 2U but focused on Africa. Through those two experiences I became more and more familiar with the continent. As I was thinking through the notion of what would become Andela, my initial thinking was, "We've just gone public. We've got a lot of work to do. This is not something I can spend time on. I could potentially fund it and put the team together, but I'm busy."

At the same time I thought, "This should exist in the world." We put a small team together, funded it initially, put a pilot together. We were looking for four students for the program, four developers in training, and we ended up getting 700 applicants in a week.

We got that down to six finalists. I went to Nigeria to meet that first cohort, interview them and try to pick four from the six. I realized after half a day of interviews that each one of them would've run circles around my classmates at Princeton.

To hear the clip, click here

Jeremy dropped out of Princeton to become an entrepreneur. Here's what he says about founders going to college:

You're never going to convince someone to work with you because you have a degree.

You're never going to come up with a different strategy for how you approach the world. You're never going to raise funding or bring in different teams by virtue of your degree.

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A college degree is great if you're looking to get hired. But if your goal is to be an entrepreneur then it's a little bit different and folks care a little less about it.

To hear the clip, click here

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Carely was built to foster communication among family members with sick or elderly relatives in a nursing home, assisted living residence or hospice care.

At first Michael and his co-founder thought they'd be selling to individual users, but after talking with service providers, they realized there was a bigger opportunity:

I took our prototype - a PowerPoint presentation -- out and sat down with several CEOs of a hospice organization, a nursing home, home-care company and said, "Hey, this is something we think we would use as a family. Tell me why it won't work."

In doing that, we learned that the problem was more applicable than just our family -- that lots of people were dealing with this idea of miscommunication and frustration wrapped around care giving.

We realized that there was a value proposition there for the actual industry. The providers of care actually liked the product and would pay for it because when a family's not doing a good job communicating with each other around their loved one, it's often the facility or the care provider that has to step in and play middleman to those conversations.

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To hear the clip, click here

A pivotal meeting with nurses at Hospice of Dayton in Ohio helped them figure out what features to build:

It was a bit like leading sheep to wolves, and became one of our biggest learning moments.

The reality is nurses don't have a lot of extra free time to learn a new system and to try something new. They wanted something that would help improve the lives of their clients' families. They loved that part of the company. But they didn't want to have to learn a new system and learn a new task and add something to their to-do list at the end of the day.

So we just said, "OK, if you guys don't want that piece of it, we'll leave it out."

At this time, we hadn't even built the product yet. We hadn't invested any money into development, so we just didn't develop that piece.

If we'd built the product first, however, we would have wasted months and thousands of dollars.

This is a perfect example of why it's important to talk to customers. For the first six months we spent only a couple of hundred bucks.

To hear the clip, click here

Somewhere along the line, however, Michael and his co-founder stopped listening to customers. Here's what happened:

We got the product out; we got paying customers.

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We thought we figured it out. We assumed we had product-market fit and all we had to do was keep selling.

The problem was had the wrong business model at the time. Our revenue model was wrong.

We were charging a really high up-front annual fee to these providers and the end result of that was a pretty long sales cycle. It involved lots of face-to-face selling and it wasn't enabling us to scale the product very quickly.

It took about 2 months to realize we needed a new pricing strategy, from, an average $5,000 to $10,000 a year per provider to about a $99 a month provider fee.

We tested the new strategy with several customers in the pipeline and it took our sales cycle from about 60 days to 1 week. Plus, it enabled us to scale much more quickly with much less effort.

But by then we were so far along our original path. My co-founder didn't quite agree with the change of direction because it was going to involve us taking on some outside capitol.

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I made the tough decision to go against what he wanted to do and it led to us kind of breaking up the company at the time.

To hear the clip, click here

Listen to my full interviews with Jeremy and Michael by downloading them from SoundCloud here and here (And download any of the past shows here.)

Tune in Thursday at 1 pm PT, 4 pm ET on Sirius XM Channel 111.

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August has no national holidays, but there's one day I think every American should celebrate. That's August 14: Social Security's birthday. Today, the dependable family protection plan is 81 years young. Polls show it's more popular than ever. It's loved by young and old, Democrat, Republican and Independent.

Why that's so is no mystery. For millions of American workers, Social Security is the only pension plan and the only insurance policy -- protecting their family in the event of their death or disability. Benefits are earned with every paycheck. If you work and pay into the system, you can expect a benefit.

One of the key strengths of Social Security is that it's a nearly universal system. It touches all of us and brings us together as a national community. It symbolizes our core values - a tangible example of neighbor helping neighbor, generation helping generation. Social Security is an important way in which Americans protect each other from the hazards of life.

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Unlike some other benefit programs that help the poor, Social Security was designed to keep Americans out of poverty. It helps Americans at all income levels, but is most critical for those in the middle, who can easily lose their standard of living when paychecks stop. Fear of a shrinking middle class and what that means for a nation that was built on a growing middle class is at the center of all the volatility. So why has Social Security largely been left out of the conversation? There's no better example of a system that serves the middle, as well as those striving to get there.

That's why Social Security should be a major focus in every election year and it should be part of the political conversation. We should all ask ourselves which candidates for President and Congress give Social Security the respect it deserves. Which candidates truly recognize this compact between the government and its people and will honor the sacred promise that Social Security represents? If a candidate for office doesn't "get" that concept, do they really understand what the American people want and need from their leaders?

During this campaign, it's clear that only one candidate "gets it": Hillary Clinton. if you care about protecting and strengthening Social Security, you should support Hillary Clinton. Time and again, she has defended Social Security against Republican attacks; time and again, she has said that she won't cut Social Security, that she'll expand it; and time and again, she has underscored that we all have an obligation to each other - that America is at is best when we stand together. This is a stark contrast to Donald Trump, who has called for privatizing Social Security and raising the retirement age to 70, and who has repeatedly dismissed concerns about seniors being unable to afford retirement, telling them to "just keep working."

Social Security is a "big tent" program. It's one of the ways that America shows we're all in it together. It's amazing that one system offers so many answers - not only for the problems we face as individuals, but for our nation as a whole. Social Security provides income to those who age out of the workforce, clearing the way for younger workers to move up in the job world. It does the same for workers who become disabled and can no longer hold the job that supports their family. When a bread-winning parent dies, Social Security provides benefits to their children. All this from a system that's self-funding, paid for by the paycheck contributions of American workers.

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Clearly, if we didn't already have Social Security, we'd have to invent it. It's a pillar of the American economy. In times of recession, when fewer people are working and when 401(k)'s are losing value, Social Security checks keep on coming. That translates into more dollars spent in our communities. Local businesses can stay open and continue to pay their workers, which helps lift the entire economy.
This has been an intense week. Even here by the beach in Long Island, the air is so thick you could slice it, and the electric grid is straining to meet our demand for cooling. Donald Trump is pretending he didn't send veiled death threats to Hillary Clinton and trying to walk away his assertion that President Obama started ISIS. In my personal life, we buried my 83-year-old mother, a life force who went by the name Shirley, a woman of her time and before her time. When you lose a parent, I now know you enter a time of tremendous reflection and introspection. I rarely share my private life in any public sphere, but I feel compelled to relate my mother's life to her American story and to my great pride in being an American.

This is a great country. It is far from perfect, but make no mistake, we need not "make America great again"--it is great. I am astonished that Trump's antipatriotic rants find any support at all, but I remain confident that in the end the American people will reject him. I simply believe that America is too good to do this. Again, not perfect, but too good. My mother's story, like her family's story and my own, is nothing less than the classic American dream. All four of my grandparents came to America in the first quarter of the 20th century from Russia and what was then Poland.

My mother and father's family have greatly benefited from my grandparents' decision to come to this country. We benefit every day. In my current work I travel all over the world and see how lucky we are to be here. Yes, we have a great deal of work to do. I am on the board of an organization called Homes for the Homeless here in New York City and the persistence of poverty and racism in this country is real. We have a responsibility to our community that we are not meeting. We are an aging nation and we already face challenges addressing those needs. And of course we need to figure out a way to grow economically without destroying the planet.

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But America, for all its imperfections, draws its strength from the diversity and energy of its people. During my mother's Shiva observance (a Jewish mourning ritual), my brother Robby was looking through her papers and found an article from a June 22,1962, edition of the New York World-Telegram and Sun. It describes hundreds of mothers with their children marching in front of the old Board of Education building in Brooklyn protesting for more classroom space for their children. My mother is in the lower left corner of one of the photos in the piece on the demonstration, wearing pearls and very fashionable white cat-style sunglasses. The president of the Parents' Association of my elementary school (PS 236) was not impressed with the reaction of the bureaucrats at the Board, and observed that "even though 200-400 new houses would be occupied by the end of this summer, the [Board official]...would like to wish them away."

You didn't mess with the mothers of Brooklyn school kids in 1962, and you'd be foolish to try in 2016. And my mother and the other folks demonstrating that day got what they wanted and didn't end up imprisoned in some remote Gulag for daring to take on the authorities. The small donations for President Obama's 2008 campaign, the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign, and, yes, today's Trump campaign are part of the modern version of the mass movements of the past. Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, and the Tea Party movement are all part of the same rich American tradition of mass grassroots participation that remains at the core of what continues to make America great. (Again--America is great, not perfect.)

And America has contributed to the creation of a global economy that all of us benefit from. It too has many flaws, but the technology and production processes that caused the global economy have made it possible to envision a sustainable world without poverty. The oil embargo of 1973-1974 made us hunger for independence from foreign oil. The end of labor-intensive mass production factories in the industrial northeast helped build support for trade policies that might bring jobs back to America. But we are nostalgic for a time that will never come back and for an economy that will never be "independent." Look at my home city: After World War II, the biggest business in New York City was clothing manufacturing. The High Line was a freight train that moved raw materials and products to and from the docks on the west side of Manhattan. Today the docks are gone, the train is gone, and the factories are gone. They've been replaced by one of the most innovative parks in the world, a super-fashionable neighborhood, and thriving 21st century businesses in software, the arts, design, education, health care, communications and media. It was a painful process, but the new economy has replaced the old one.

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My mother saw the world transformed before her very eyes. She remained open to learning about that new world. Over this past week I have thought about her life and the lives of the women of her generation. They were deeply wounded by sexism, and many were never able to reach their full potential. I've thought a great deal about American values and the universality of the human experience: How all over the world children are burying their parents, and reflecting on who their parents' really were and how they lived. How family, friendship, love and loyalty are enduring and universal human values, and how much we need to ensure the maintenance of the political and economic stability that enables those values to endure. America is great because we have managed somehow to build that stability. But there is never a guarantee that what we have built in America will continue.

I know that the parents of some public school children today might receive harsher treatment in a protest rally than my mother did (although probably not in New York City, with its diverse and professional NYPD). But the Trump campaign seems to have encouraged some of the authoritarian and racists parts of our society. As a student of American politics, I am seeing something in this election I have never seen before and it scares me.

It is very important that our politics reflect the universality of human experience as well as the distinctiveness of this place we call America. John F. Kennedy understood this when he gave his famous speech at American University less than a year after my mother and her friend's picketed 110 Livingston Street, the home of New York's Board of Education. JFK urged Americans to rethink our view of our enemies in the communist Soviet Union. He reminded us that fundamentally, we are all the same. Certainly there is evil in the world and we must be vigilant and fight it. But, as always, it comes down to this:

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...our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.


By William McCants





CHAPTER 1

RAISING THE BLACK FLAG

On a mild August morning in 2014, a passerby noticed a black flag hanging outside a rundown duplex in suburban New Jersey. He could not make out the flag's black-and-white Arabic, but he recognized the design from the news. All summer, American televisions and computer screens had been filled with reports of horrific acts committed by a renegade al-Qaeda group in Syria and Iraq, accompanied by foreboding images of masked jihadists waving the flag. From Morocco to Mindanao, jihadists were fighting under the banner to realize their dark vision of God's rule on earth. Alarmed, the passerby sent a picture of the house and its flag to his friend Marc Leibowitz, a former Israeli paratrooper working as an investment manager in New Jersey, who promptly tweeted the picture and the address with the caption "Scary!" The prospect of a jihadist proudly displaying his colors in America guaranteed the tweet went viral. Leibowitz also informed Homeland Security.

When the police arrived, the flag's owner, Mark Dunaway, had no idea anyone had tweeted a picture of it. Dunaway had converted to Islam a decade ago, he explained, and flew the flag to mark Muslim holidays. "Every Muslim uses that black flag," he said. "You'll find it in any mosque in the world. I am an American citizen and I love my country, but I am also a Muslim and I use that flag to say I'm a Muslim." Still, Dunaway could see why people would be concerned, and he took down the flag. "I understand now that people turn on CNN and see the flag associated with jihad, but that's not the intention of that flag at all. It says 'There is only one god, Allah, and the prophet Muhammad is his messenger.' It's not meant to be a symbol of hate. Islam is all about unity and peace. I am not a part of any group like that, and I'm not anti-American. I love my country, but I am a Muslim."

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Doubtless, Dunaway sincerely believed he did not support a militant group by flying the flag, as attested by the police's disinterest in the case and his neighbors' testimonials. Dunaway, like many Muslims and even Middle East experts, did not know the flag was designed by an al-Qaeda offshoot, the Islamic State, after it proclaimed its statehood in 2006. It certainly wasn't in every "mosque in the world" as Dunaway thought. He and others were confused because the Islamic State had used terror and Twitter to advertise its brand and Islamic tradition to obscure its meaning.

Before the Islamic State declared itself the caliphate reborn that summer, it had been ambiguous about the flag's meaning and the cause it represented. Was it the flag of an Islamic state or the flag of the Islamic state, the caliphate that had once ruled land from Spain to Iran and whose prophesied return would herald the end of the world? The Islamic State encouraged the second interpretation but let the global community of jihadists read into the flag and the "state" what they would.

And read into them they did, with many taking up the flag and promoting the Islamic State as the fulfillment of prophecy long before it declared itself as such. The Islamic State's cause proved so compelling among jihadists that in 2014 the organization supplanted its former master, al-Qaeda, to lead the global jihadist movement. The spread of the flag, then, traces the spread of an idea and chronicles a major changing of the guard in the global jihadist movement over the past nine years. It also represents a revolution in how jihadists think about acquiring power and holding onto it.

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Although it took nearly a decade to play itself out, the Islamic State was destined to fall out with al-Qaeda from the start. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri wanted to build popular Muslim support before declaring the caliphate. The Islamic State wanted to impose a caliphate regardless of what the masses thought. The dispute that divided parent from child was there from the Islamic State's conception.

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PROBLEM CHILD

In 1999, a hotheaded Jordanian street-tough-turned-jihadist, Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, arrived in Qandahar, Afghanistan, seeking an audience with al-Qaeda's leaders. The young Zarqawi wanted to foment revolution in the Fertile Crescent, the land stretching from the eastern Mediterranean through Iraq. Zarqawi had been to Afghanistan before, just after the defeat of the Soviets in 1989. Too late to fight in the war, he soon returned to Jordan, where he failed as a terrorist and spent time behind bars for his effort. Now out of prison, Zarqawi had come back to Afghanistan to gather money and recruits for his cause.

Al-Qaeda's man in Qandahar, Sayf al-Adl, did not contact Zarqawi immediately. A former special forces colonel in the Egyptian military, Sayf had learned to watch and wait. He had Zarqawi followed.

Sayf's spy reported that Zarqawi frequently argued with other jihadists because of his extreme views on who should count as a good Muslim. Zarqawi especially disliked the Shi'a, one of the two major sects in Islam. Zarqawi, a Sunni, disagreed with the Shi'i doctrine that Muhammad's son-in-law and some of his male descendants were infallible and the only legitimate political and religious leaders of the early Muslim community. He also believed the modern Shi'i state of Iran colluded with the West to oppress Sunnis. When Sayf finally met Zarqawi, he found him a man of few words who sincerely wanted to bring Sunni Islam back to "the reality of human life." But Zarqawi did not have a lot of specific ideas for how to do it.

Sayf relayed his impressions of Zarqawi to his bosses in al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda's leader, Bin Laden, was the son of a wealthy Saudi building contractor, and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was a surgeon who had run an Egyptian terror group before merging part of it with al-Qaeda. Both men would oversee the 9/11 attacks, which were premised on their belief that the American infidel should be killed wantonly. But when it came to Muslims, Bin Laden and Zawahiri were more cautious. They believed Muslim support was crucial for driving the Americans out of the Middle East and establishing Islamic states. It wouldn't do to make enemies on all sides, especially over theological differences. Some have even speculated that Bin Laden's own mother grew up in a small Shi'i sect. Unity of mission rather than unity of mind was what was needed.

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Despite their misgivings about Zarqawi's extreme views, Sayf recommended his bosses support the Jordanian hothead because they had so few Palestinian or Jordanian allies. They consented but would not invite Zarqawi to join al-Qaeda; he would have refused anyway. Rather, they coordinated and cooperated with him "in serving our common goals."

Sayf and his companions came up with a plan for Zarqawi to establish a training camp in Afghanistan to attract jihadists from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Herat was chosen because of its proximity to the Iranian border, where it was easy to move men and materiel across. Over time, Syrians, Jordanians, Palestinians, Lebanese, and Iraqis arrived. Zarqawi also reached out to the Kurdish Ansar al-Islam organization in northern Iraq.

By the beginning of 2001, Zarqawi was no longer a jihadist neophyte in the eyes of Sayf. He had "begun to think and plan strategically for the future." Reading widely about world events and Islamic history, Zarqawi was struck by the figure of Nur al-Din Zengi, the ruthless medieval ruler of a dominion stretching from Aleppo in Syria to Mosul in Iraq who had driven the crusaders from Syria.

Zarqawi undoubtedly admired Nur al-Din's ambition and remorseless efficiency. In one account, Nur al-Din had besieged a crusader citadel in Syria. The crusaders finally capitulated and approached Nur al-Din to discuss terms. "He would not consent to their request," as a medieval Muslim historian euphemistically put it. When crusader reinforcements arrived to lift the siege, they saw the citadel wall "and the dwelling of its inhabitants were entirely in ruins."

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"[Zarqawi] was always asking for any book available about Nur al-Din and his protege Saladin," Sayf recalled, referring to the ruler of Egypt who battled Richard the Lionheart during the Crusades. "I believe that what he read about Nur al-Din and his launch from Mosul in Iraq played a big role in influencing Abu Mus'ab [al-Zarqawi] in his decision to go to Iraq after the fall of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan" in 2001.

The "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" had been established in 1996 by the Taliban, conservative Sunnis who swept to power in the chaotic aftermath of the Soviet withdrawal from the country in 1989. In medieval Islamic thought, an "emirate" (imara), or government of a region, is subordinate to the "state" (dawla), the empire ruled by the caliph. But in the absence of a caliph, jihadists today sometimes use "state" and "emirate" interchangeably when talking about the government of a country they'd like to create. The Taliban's emirate brought order to Afghanistan by strictly enforcing Islamic law. It also gave shelter to likeminded jihadist groups such as al-Qaeda and Zarqawi's outfit.

After the fall of the Taliban, Zarqawi and Sayf fled Afghanistan for Iran. There they discussed where Zarqawi should go next. After "long study and deliberation," Sayf later wrote, Zarqawi's group decided to relocate to Iraq, where their "appearance" and "dialect" would help them blend in. Zarqawi and Sayf anticipated that the Americans would "invade Iraq sooner or later" to overthrow the regime. "It was necessary for us to play a major role in the confrontation and resistance," Sayf recalled. "This is our historical opportunity ... to establish the state of Islam, which would play the greatest role in lifting injustice and bringing truth to this world, by God's permission. I was in agreement with brother Abu Mus'ab [al-Zarqawi] in this analysis."

For Sayf and presumably for Zarqawi, the "state of Islam" was the caliphate itself. Sayf used to believe that "the Islamic state of the caliphate" would develop from the Taliban's Islamic emirate in Afghanistan. But the American invasion in 2001 had ended that dream. Iraq was a second chance.

In 2002 and early 2003, Zarqawi set about building his clandestine network in Iraq. When the Americans invaded in March 2003, Zarqawi's cells in Baghdad were ready to greet them. Zarqawi himself arrived in June. By the end of August, his new group, Monotheism and Jihad, had bombed the Jordanian embassy and the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, as well as the mosque of Imam Ali, one of the holiest shrines of Shi'i Islam. The subsequent departure of the UN mission and rising fury of Iraq's majority Shi'a signaled the beginning of a bloody sectarian civil war.

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Zarqawi's group had not pulled off the attack alone. It had help from former security officers in Saddam Hussein's government, casualties of the Bush administration's purge of Saddam party loyalists. They, like other disenfranchised Arab Sunnis, feared the rise of the country's Shi'i population who had lived under the yoke of Saddam and minority Sunni rule for decades. There was a reckoning coming, and Sunni jihadists and nationalists were willing to put aside their ideological differences for the time being to unite against a common foe: the Americans and the majority Shi'a who stood to benefit from the occupation.

Zarqawi's hatred of the Shi'a was all-consuming. To his mind, the Shi'a were not just fifth columnists, selling out the Sunnis to the Americans. They were servants of the Antichrist, who will appear at the end of time to fight against the Muslims. The Americans served the same master.

Zarqawi's hatred of the Shi'a made him lose sight of his long-term political goals. When he applied for membership in al-Qaeda in February 2004, he did not mention an Islamic state or a plan for achieving it. Rather, he explained his strategy for winning over the Sunnis, defeating the transitional government, and driving the infidels from Iraq: Provoke the Shi'a. "If we are able to strike them with one painful blow after another until they enter the battle, we will be able to reshuffle the cards. Then, no value or influence will remain to the Governing Council or even to the Americans, who will enter a second battle with the Shi'a. This is what we want, and, whether they like it or not, many Sunni areas will stand with the mujahidin." (Mujahidin, or "those who fight in a jihad," is how jihadists refer to themselves.)

Zarqawi knew he would be criticized as "hasty and rash," "leading the Muslim community into a battle for which it is not ready, a battle that will be revolting and in which blood will be spilled." So be it. "This is exactly what we want, since right and wrong no longer have any place in our current situation. The Shi'a have destroyed all those balances."

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If al-Qaeda's leaders would assent to his strategy, Zarqawi offered to swear allegiance to them, joining his group to theirs: "If you agree with us on it, if you adopt it as a program and path, and if you are convinced of the idea of fighting the sects of apostasy, we will be your readied soldiers, working under your banner, complying with your orders, and indeed swearing fealty to you publicly and in the news media, vexing the infidels and gladdening those who preach the oneness of God."

Al-Qaeda's leaders were wary. Bin Laden and Zawahiri wanted to compel the U.S. military to leave the Middle East and to stop supporting local autocrats. Their strategy was to attack the Americans and stir Muslim resentment against them. Building popular Muslim support for their cause was vital; the caliphate could not be established without it. In contrast, Zarqawi wanted to first overthrow local autocrats and eliminate the "traitorous" Shi'a, whom he believed were collaborating with the Americans to subjugate the Sunnis. His strategy was to ignite a sectarian civil war. Popular support mattered far less to Zarqawi than it did to Bin Laden and Zawahiri. He could will a caliphate into being regardless of what its subjects might say.

Despite their reservations, Bin Laden and Zawahiri accepted Zarqawi's oath of allegiance, joining his Monotheism and Jihad group to their own in October 2004. Al-Qaeda had just mounted a disastrous terror campaign in Saudi Arabia and was desperate for a role in the growing Sunni insurgency in Iraq. Zarqawi may have wanted to tap into al-Qaeda's network of private Gulf funders, operational expertise, and recruitment apparatus. Thus, al-Qaeda in Iraq was born.

Zarqawi was elated. "Our noble brothers in al-Qaeda understand the strategy of the Monotheism and Jihad group in the land of the two rivers, the land of the caliphs," he declared in his pledge to al-Qaeda's leaders, "and their hearts are overjoyed by its method there." "Perhaps," wrote Zarqawi, the group would establish the "caliphate according to the prophetic method." As we will see later, Zarqawi was alluding to an Islamic prophesy of the caliphate's return shortly before the End of Days.

Although Bin Laden and Zawahiri shared Zarqawi's desire to reestablish the caliphate, they advised him to proceed slowly and build popular support. In July 2005, Zawahiri wrote Zarqawi, urging him to establish an Islamic "emirate" only after the jihadists had expelled the United States from Iraq. The jihadists were to then "develop" and "consolidate" the emirate as far as they could inside the Sunni areas of Iraq until it reached "the level of the caliphate." The mission of the jihadists thereafter was to protect the caliphate's domain and expand its borders until the Day of Judgment.

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Despite encouraging Zarqawi to establish an emirate after the American withdrawal, Zawahiri warned him not to attempt it before securing the support of the Sunni masses. Al- Qaeda's "two short-term goals" of "removing the Americans and establishing an Islamic emirate or caliphate in Iraq" both required "popular support from the Muslim masses in Iraq and the surrounding countries." "In the absence of this popular support," Zawahiri predicted, "the Islamic mujahid movement would be crushed in the shadows."
I'm listening carefully for the rhyming verse of Donald Trump. Until several weeks ago, I never felt the need to pay close attention to him. I knew he was the son of a real estate developer who earned and lost many properties. He liked to run for president as a way to gain free publicity, and he was a popular reality TV personality.

But as Mr. Trump's current bid continued to gain steam, my worry about the possibility of him becoming our president provoked a deep anxiety generating an occasional nightmare. How did he get into that position? I've been trying to figure that out.

It helps to know how reality TV works. You start a few cameras rolling while provoking a group of people to say and do outrageous things. Pump up the volume. Then get your best editors together and choose a narrative you'd like to create out of all that footage. That's basically what Trump did throughout the primaries. He just said and did whatever he thought would get attention, and he let the news media act like the studio editors. They came to a consensus on the narrative, and as it unfolded, he reinforced the plot points that got the most attention. So that was his method.

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Trump's message skillfully echoed earlier right wing movements. Trump's slogan "America First" echoes the America First Committee, our nation's own brand of isolationists whose legacy is tainted with anti-Semitism and Nazi appeasement. His ability to drum up fear and nostalgia for an American golden age reminded me of Mussolini's rhetoric prior to Italy's attack on Abyssinia. Like Mussolini's, Trump's message is complete with xenophobia, reliance on the vocabulary of hyper-modernity, and assertions of national privilege while appealing to citizens to conflate notoriety with competence.

Still, I didn't worry too much. After all, most of us have learned to peer through the digital haze, right? Our sense of fair play is too ingrained in our national mythology, our national character, right? Then I learned that the infamous attorney Roy Cohn mentored Trump early in the mogul's career. As a resident of Wisconsin, I'm quite familiar with Cohn because of his role advising Wisconsin's Joseph McCarthy during the Senator's red-baiting career. I understand what being mentored by Roy Cohn can lead to. It led McCarthy to denigrate General George C. Marshall's patriotism. Trump has blithely disrespected Senator John McCain's service, just as Cohn made sure McCarthy understood that senatorial immunity meant he could play fast and loose with facts during a Senate hearing. Equally, Trump has learned that the sheer volume and ubiquity of media drowns mistakes and untruths in a never-ending flash flood of re-tweets and five-headed hydras talking over each other on cable news.

I remembered learning about the moment when McCarthy's power began to dim. It happened during the early days of live television, the Army-McCarthy hearings held by the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Investigations. A sweaty and slurring McCarthy, fed by Cohn, was deriding a young committee staff candidate named Fred Fisher. The Army's lawyer, Joseph Welch, attempted to halt McCarthy before a new line of character assassination began. Welch demanded McCarthy's attention. McCarthy peevishly began to assert that he could listen to Welch with one ear, and listen to Cohn's counsel with the other. Eventually, with his sense of right fueled with a patrician attorney's surety, Welch said to McCarthy, "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty, or your recklessness." He later added, "You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"

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It will take a similar exchange with Mr. Trump to break through the media fog and steer added attention to his core character, which I consider unfit for governmental leadership. He must be called out during a non-scripted moment, especially difficult to find since he's a master of a form that makes scripted moments appear spontaneous. And it must come from someone the American public respects. There have been plenty of opportunities, including the Megyn Kelly exchange, making fun of people with disabilities, the racist comments, and the utter lack of knowledge of current affairs. Perhaps the exchange with the Kahn family after the Democratic National Convention was a beginning. Perhaps. Until we're sure, let's look for a Welch-McCarthy type of moment. We need the right person to ask the question that answers itself: Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?
A bright new cafe in the epicenter of Vietnam's largest metropolis is taking 'top' and 'bottom' vernacular out of hookup apps and into the real world to create an in-the-know social space for young gay people.

The salaciously named 'Top Chicken Bottom' cafe bistro, situated in the heart of the backpacker district in central Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon), launched in May 2016. It's a modern and welcoming venue, conceived and co-owned by an American called George Walsh and Duong Vinh Hoi, who's from Vietnam (pictured below).

Before you get the wrong end of the meat, we should point out that Top Chicken Bottom is not selling sex, but an environment where anyone can feel confident to express their sexuality. The chicken dish specials listed on the menu as 'The Power Top' (wings), 'The Hungry Bottom' (legs) and 'The Threesome' (legs and wings) are melt-in-your-mouth divine, as are the range of unusual teas and lemonades on offer.

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From the street outside, a flashing LED sign spells out the words 'Top Bottom', accompanied by a smiling server who welcomes intrigued visitors and shows them through the dark and dingy alleyway which leads to the second floor cafe, which sits above a popular tattoo parlor.

Two months after launch, it's already causing ripples among the youth of Saigon who are eager to come out and are well versed in English language gay sex slang following a dramatic increase in the use of gay dating apps such as Grindr and Hornet. It's also attracting a mix of backpackers and tourists.

"After living in Vietnam for more than two years, I realized that local young gay people were using the words 'bottom' and 'top' to describe sexual roles, just as we do in the West, and it was really only the LGBT community that understood those words used in that context," says Walsh. "Therefore, we had an opportunity to open a venue and harness the power of 'top' and 'bottom' to create a nod-and-wink community-minded 'club' where they could come and feel comfortable and safe and meet like-minded men, women and trans folk.

"There's an optimistic and vibrant sexual revolution happening in Saigon - it's now seen as cool and trendy to come out," Walsh continues. "Vietnam has one of the youngest populations in the world who now have access to the internet and hookup apps, which is really educating them and allowing people to identify as LGB or T.

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"I'm very proud to have opened up a real life venue which is helping young people come out of their homes where they often use these apps in solitude and head into the real world where they can make new friends and come out as themselves, whether that be as lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans."

Co-owner Duong Vinh Hoi continues: "Growing up in Vietnam, I understood the challenges for the LGBT community. Now that times are changing and things are becoming more open, I wanted to give people in my home city a place to feel comfortable and not judged for being themselves.

"There can't be many venues around the world where the server will ask if you're more of a Power Top or Hungry Bottom kind of guy, and then alert you to the threesome special. We find it certainly raises a smile!"

Vietnam is widely seen as taking the lead on LGBT rights in South East Asia, recently abolishing a ban on same-sex marriage and enshrining rights for trans people to officially register their new gender. Despite this, discrimination is still widespread.

"I hope that by providing a sociable space for young LGBT Vietnamese people in the heart of Saigon we can contribute to the increasing confidence they have to be themselves and create a network of supportive friends in the city," adds Walsh. "We hope to have a chain of 'Top Chicken Bottoms' opening up around Vietnam in the near future!"
Crossposted from UN Women.

Young women entrepreneurs in Tanzania gain skills in entrepreneurship, marketing accounting and cross-border trade through the UN Joint Programme on Youth Employment, implemented by UN Women, International Labor Organization, United Nations Industrial Development Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations from 2013 - 2015. Their incomes have increased, along with their confidence, and they are now generating employment opportunities for other youth.

Mary Mtaki with her mother at their Tunduma store, Tanzania. Photo: UN Women Tanzania/Deepika Nath

It is before sunrise in Tunduma, a small town south of Mbeya, along the Tanzania  Zambia border, and Mary Mtaki, 22, is busy filing receipts from the day before at her rice shop in the local market. She carefully tallies each sale and expense and makes additions and deductions to her account register before opening shop.

Some 980 kilometers north of Tunduma in Kasulu, a small town along the Tanzania  Burundi border, Swaumu Ahmady Hussein, 23, is also getting ready for a long day of tailoring garments and dresses. She gathers her four assistants, all in their 20s, to organize the orders for the day.

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Both women are part of the United Nations Joint Programme on Youth Employment, under which UN Women Tanzania, Tanzania Womens Chamber of Commerce (TWCC) and Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) train and empower young women in entrepreneurship, business formalization, cross-border trade, marketing and accounts management. Both women are also the youth chairpersons of their respective communities, training and empowering other young women and men.

I never kept track of my money before, says Mtaki. But the trainings showed me how every sale, every purchase, every Shilling has to be accounted. This is how we know about our profits and when to cut back on spending. Mtaki is a wholesale and retail seller of Sumbawanga rice, the most sought-after variety in Tanzania and across the border in Zambia. Mtaki has attended six training sessions facilitated by UN Women and has reported a three-fold increase in her overall savings.

The biggest change we saw was in Marys confidence level, says her mother, Rose Kabuje Mtaki, and the customers have noticed the difference. Mtaki was one of the few TWCC members selected to represent the region at the yearly Saba Saba International Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam this year.

Swaumu Hussein adds finishing touches to an evening gown at her tailoring shop in Kasulu, Tanzania. Photo: UN Women Tanzania/Deepika Nath

Even with a Diploma in Business and Finance, says Swaumu Ahmady Hussein from behind her sewing machine, I was struggling to find a good job. So I decided to start my own business. With the trainings on entrepreneurship and business formalization, Hussein has been able to open her own shop in Kasulus main market, where she designs and tailors custom-made wedding and evening gowns for women. Her shop is popular with the locals and customers vouch for her designs. Husseins monthly income has doubled since attending the trainings and she has also become an employer for other young women in the area.
"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark."- Michelangelo

In July, I've received an invitation to be the speaker as part of State-sponsored U.S. Speaker Program on Entrepreneurship -TechHubs which quickly put me in the "Ambassador of Entrepreneurship" mindset. As an educator, an alternative funding expert and an entrepreneur myself, I was glad to follow my passion and focus on where I can be the most impactful.

Skimming quickly through the "exhibit A" on traveling risks, very soon I've found myself on a way to share my expertise with entrepreneurial peers in the fifth largest country in the world and the current host of the Olympic Games: Brazil.



Entrepreneurs of the world, unite!

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Learning of the risk of potential shark attacks when landing in the gorgeous seaside town of Recife (the capital of Brazil's northeastern state of Pernambuco and my final destination), was the only risk I was not aware of.

But given my schedule, this one was also the easiest to mitigate - who goes to the beaches when you are invited to speak at one of the most innovative regions in the world!

As we live in a technologically advanced and inevitably hyper-connected world, today's startups are born global with "globality" baked into their roots. To understand how start-up ecosystems work when political risks are enormous and the world economy is undergoing a structural shift with emerging markets catching up to advanced economies, is critical for every entrepreneur and I was truly happy to find myself with like-minded people. Raise your hand if you agree with me that entrepreneurs will save the world.



Brazil is making its first steps in establishing an innovative economy - the number of start-ups had reached over 4,100 last year; the U.S., on the other hand, is known for launching about 400,000 new businesses per year.

The question has been in the air - how to start a successful business?

Mandou bem, Brasil!

I've had discussions with true superstars including C.E.S.A.R. (the Portuguese acronym for Center for Advanced Studies and Systems) - the oldest and one of the most impactful private initiatives in Brazil which was launched in 1997 and now operates under the "3E" pillars: Engineering, Education and Entrepreneurship.

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I spoke in front of the members of the largest tech cluster called Porto Digital (which has Federal government and the municipality on the Board) focusing on social entrepreneurship.

I also spoke at the event hosted by SEBRAE - a non-profit established in 1972 which is now being transformed into a powerful agency focusing on strengthening entrepreneurship via partnerships with the public and private sectors.

I met with many women involved - and as an entrepreneur myself, I was glad to share some of my observations when I was set off to speak at Winsperation - an influential network of local women-entrepreneurs:

Starting a business is hard - regardless of gender

Ask yourself: what market problem you are trying to resolve that has not been resolved yet?

Don't let perceptions or excuses keep us from focusing on resolving this question

Educate yourself: markets respond best to actions based on knowledge and information

Create an MVP (minimally viable product) aka prototype

You can test it at one of the crowdfunding sites

The promise of the modern word is that gender does not mater - COMPETENCE does

America's Success Story: A brief History of Venture Capital in the U.S.

America's success story is often attributed to the rise of venture capital, which has enabled the nation to sustain a culture of innovation by routinely turning entrepreneurial ideas and scientific projects into commercial triumphs and consequently becoming an inspiring business model for emerging economies, Brazil including.

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The question that I've been receiving a lot - what is the secret sauce?

First of all, while countries like Brazil are making its first steps in forming its own VC industry, the United States has a much longer history when the industry picked up real steam in 1950 - 1960's involving not only private money, but "smart money" from institutional investors such as MIT, Penn, and the Rice Institute and boosting the rapid development in 1958 with the passage of the Small Business Investment Act.

The last had furnished tax breaks to private investment companies and triggered the creation of professionally-managed VC firms by licensing small business investment companies (SBICs).

And what is more - in the same year, the Small Business Administration (SBA) created a 2:1 fund-matching program to boost venture capital investments - for every dollar invested, the SBA would grant two.

But I believe the most radical effect was brought by 1979 when pension fund managers got permission to invest up to 10% of their capital in high-risky venture funds. As a result, pension fund commitments increased their annual contributions to VC funds from $100-200 million during the 1970s, to billions by the end of the 1980s making the VC industry one of the most powerful forces in venture financing.



Cracking the VC code

Technology has opened up many unique alternatives to fund businesses which I was glad to talk about, but I've noticed that most of us, entrepreneurs, tend to romanticize venture capital so I need to remind everyone that first and foremost it is simply a financing tool, not a first kiss - and in fact, only very few companies can fit the criteria imposed by a VC model (about 1% of the US startups).

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A few very basic points defining the venture capital are below:

Typically, an investment fund in a form of a Limited Partnership

Targets mostly tech companies with innovative products or innovative business models

Prefers startups with Total Addressable Market (TAM) of at least $1 Billion

Looks for businesses with very high growth margins (70% and up)

Rate for acquisitions in targeted industry: 50X revenue

Objective: grow equity value of a company

Portfolio approach

Expects exit via sale or IPO ($200m and up)

That's where we get to the heart of it. Venture capitalists have a fiduciary duty to bring handsome returns to their Limited Partners (Pension Funds, Educational Endowments, Foundations, Insurance Companies, Family Offices, Corporations, Funds of Funds) and represent a commercial alignment of stakeholders whose appetite is actually not driven by quick returns. Success is believed to be achieved when the stock price of the backed venture increases above the purchase price.

So VCs extract value and you, an entrepreneur, create it. How? Here's a brief three step guide:

1.Address "unarticulated" needs (think Google or AirBnb)

2.Scale by going global and creating "tradable" jobs (think Uber)

3.Profit by establishing a "creative monopoly"

Business as a force for good and what's next

While the venture capital industry in the U.S. is currently experiencing a significant transformation itself, I feel that the new generation of entrepreneurs - here in the U.S. and in Brazil - is craving for impact and meaningful investments much more than for financial success.

Initiatives combining innovation and market-oriented strategies with a "strong social purpose" are celebrated in Brazil while a reduced certainty of funding settings from traditional donors ensured a rise of new socially driven financial actors here in the U.S.

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The good news is: there is clearly a global movement to use business as a force for good which is driven by a new sense of connectivity and empowerment.

Private sector players are adapting "triple-bottom line" (TBL) model seeking economic, ecological & societal impact. Saying that, I do believe in the absolute necessity for cooperation between the private sector and the State and in fact, I trust that eventually we will see much more public-private partnerships where the most successful governments will be launching platforms for crowdsourcing solutions from entrepreneurial ventures instead of trying to arrive with solutions themselves.

After all, Silicon Valley was endorsed by the government - and the government still supports an impressive number of the financing programs and some of the legendary entrepreneurs.

Just ask Elon Musk who relays actively on government support.

But most importantly remember to keep readjusting that "Michelangelo's aim".



Victoria Silchenko, Ph.D. is an alternative funding expert, Founder & CEO of Metropole Capital Group, Creator and Producer of the Global Alternative Funding Forum in Los Angeles and an Adjunct Professor on "Entrepreneurial Finance"at CLU.

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Politicians keep taking jabs at ISIS, yet the world's most notorious terrorist group continues to carry out spectacular, deadly attacks around the world. This is because politicians jab only at the extremities of their foe - they cannot win unless they deliver a knockout blow to the head. And that target is Iran.

Peace-seeking governments need to pinpoint the source of the problem. Why is ISIS, for all its brutality, still able to recruit young Sunni Muslims from around the world? The path of destruction leads to the doorstep of Shiite Iran.

Iran's religious oligarchy has declared an unholy war on Sunnis. It blatantly interferes in domestic affairs of the entire region. Since usurping power in 1979, Iran's Ayatollahs have used proxies such as Hezbollah and other Shiite groups to export its radical view throughout the Islamic world.

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Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia, comfortable in its lavish, petro-dollar lifestyle and averse to conflict, now ranks among those engaged in a Cold War with Iran.

Saudi foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir observed that Iran's own constitution commands it to "export the revolution," and he accused Iran of a litany of crimes against humanity. Among them were masterminding the 1996 Khobar Tower bombings and harboring Al Qaeda's senior leaders in 2003 when they ordered the bombing of several housing compounds in Riyadh. He also cited Iran's aid to the separatist Houthis, a Shiite-led movement in Yemen.

Iran is engaged not only in Saudi Arabia, but also interferes in the domestic security of Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.

After Saddam Hussein's reign was toppled during the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Iran crept in to fill the political gap by befriending pro-Iranian Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which resulted in a dramatic loss of Sunni power in the new government.

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The rise of ISIS looms merely as the poster child of Iran's aggression.

"The Islamic State is in many respects simply the bloodiest and most fanatical part of a region-wide Sunni uprising against Iran's imperial ambitions in the Middle East," Lee Smith wrote in the Weekly Standard.

Iran has sent more than 2,000 religious students and scholars to Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, and about one-third of them reportedly work for the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. Some experts estimate as many as 30,000 Iranian operatives may be in Iraq.

In Syria, Iran has conducted "an extensive, expensive and integrated effort to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power as long as possible while setting conditions to retain its ability to use Syrian territory and assets to pursue its regional interests should Assad fall," according to the Institute for the Study of War, a non-partisan, U.S.-based research group.

The Iran-Russia unholy alliance is engaged in a genocide of Syrian Sunnis whose only sin was asking for political participation in their government.

Former Afghan spy chief Amrullah Saleh criticized Iran for interfering in Afghanistan's affairs through Shiite groups and told reporters that Iran remains a major threat for the national security of the country unless Afghanistan becomes independent and self-sufficient.

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The Wall Street Journal reported that Iran has been recruiting thousands of Afghan refugees to fight in Syria, offering $500 a month and Iranian residency to help the Assad regime beat back rebel forces.

Phillip Smyth, an expert on Shiite militant groups, estimates that up to 3,500 Afghans are currently fighting in Syria. "Some are coerced to fight, others promised residency papers for their family and a small salary," Smyth said. "It demonstrates Iran's exploitation of Afghan Shiite refugees."

Iranian Ayatollahs seized political power and want to keep it by diverting attention to foreign adventures. The Shiite sect allows Taqiyya, the practice of deceit in order to preserve one's life or property. The Ayatollahs have adopted this as an instrument of foreign policy.

The most dangerous aspect of Iran's misguided policy is that it can push Sunnis either to tacitly condone ISIS actions or actually join the group to counter Iran's acts of anti-Sunni genocide. They may see two choices: flee as a refugee to Europe or join ISIS.

In fact, if it weren't for Iran's interference in the Middle East, ISIS might not even exist.

Iran's rulers are throwing rocks, then hiding their hands behind their backs. If they want re-engagement with the rest of the world, they must stop exporting their radical ideology and stop playing Taqiyya.

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Perhaps no single knockout punch exists that can destroy ISIS, but Iran holds the key to peace in the Middle East. As long as Iran continues its destructive policies, defeating ISIS will remain a grave challenge.
We have a big pop culture-related question about Donald Trump. (No, not if he is "fired." We're mostly past "reality" TV and well into appalling reality.) Is Trump a political zombie? Or a political vampire?

Dan Balz, who has been playing the same lead correspondent role on presidential campaigns for the Washington Post since I was a very young operative, i.e., back before anyone had heard of Madonna, writes that Trump couldn't be doing any worse if he tried. He really is close to finished, Balz opines, as does much if not most of the media.

Yeah, well, maybe. But why then does Trump still have a significant chance of becoming president so long as the scenario I've been warning about for the last year -- economic trouble, terrorist attacks, geopolitical humiliation -- crystallizes? Add to that scenario the apparent reality that Russian intelligence has developed, weaponized, and begun to deploy damaging intelligence on top Democrats and Trump's woes in the polls look quite surmountable.

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Yes, Donald Trump is the undead politician of American politics. Forget about the double-digit deficits that a few polls showed after a rather successful Democratic convention and several more Trump incidents. Despite non-stop ignorant gaffes and vicious idiocy, he is still only a half-dozen points behind Hillary Clinton in the latest Reuters/Ipsos and Bloomberg national polls. The former poll has frequently shown some of Hillary's biggest leads, the latter is associated with the former New York mayor who blasted Trump at the Democratic convention.

How in the heck is this possible? This clown is so clearly intellectually and psychologically unqualified to be president that he should be much further behind. As he seemed to be at one point not so long ago.

One should never forget that upwards of 40 percent of Americans choose to believe in fundamentalist religionist creationism over the science of evolution. In effect, they imagine that humans were running around at the same time as dinosaurs just a few thousand years ago.

By an odd coincidence, the baseline vote for the most reactionary conservative party in the advanced industrial world -- yes, our very own Republicans -- is just about the same. (It's not a perfect overlap, since a sliver of these cavemen-and-dinosaurs folks vote for Democrats on economic and racial lines, while there is a significant chunk of science-oriented authoritarians and radical capitalists who make up for the slippage.)

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Imagine how well Donald Trump, who is still not finished as a candidate despite his non-stop preposterousness, would be doing if he stopped shooting himself in the, er, foot with the likes of claiming that Isis "honors President Obama" as the "founder" of the jihadist terror network. He later flipped and claimed that the media had failed to note his sarcasm, then flopped back to his initial, oh, what is a polite term for it?

So the potential baseline vote for an aggressively know-nothing neo-fascist who masters the dominant media culture and plays incessantly to festering resentments has always been alarmingly huge.

Because Trump really is not finished, no matter the increasingly overwhelming tone in the non-right media, much of which only belatedly understood that it was playing into Trump's hands by giving him round-the-clock, largely undiluted coverage.

In fact, the national poll margins have slowly drifted back down with the election still nearly three months off.

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Hillary Clinton is a deeply flawed candidate, though, fortunately, she also has capabilities which few have. Her problems would be front and center right now were Trump not acting like a deranged person.

Trump has a cunning capability to manipulate the present media culture, which is practically tailor-made for someone like him. (Imagine a Trump who was every bit as ignorant, unscrupulous and neo-fascist, but did not make such amazingly erratic mistakes. That man would likely roll into the White House.)

Trump's mastery of the shallow immediacy of social media, his literal creation of dominant "reality" TV tropes, his convenient quirky celebrity providing free programming for empty-headed or cynical cable TV chiefs, his deft takeover of the vast reactionary constituency aggregated and constantly stimulated by Fox News, his gut instinct for heat-not-light 'Crossfire'-style hyper-partisan argumentation, all these things have given him unique media superpowers.

Now his fundraising has ramped up to match Hillary's. And, while she is capably employing her resources with big media buys into sizable leads in several critical battleground states, Trump hasn't run one TV ad.

Then there are the underlying political and economic dynamics, the ones which created the context in which Trump was able to blow away a very over-rated Republican field of mostly empty suits and slick liars and emerge as a supposedly populist tribune.

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Barack Obama will end up as the only president since Herbert Hoover never to have achieved at least three percent economic growth for any year of his presidency. This is especially striking, given the depths of the recession Obama and Joe Biden inherited from George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. While incessant Republican obstructionism is a major factor, and Obama showed good will and tried pretty hard, the situation is what it is and most Americans are quite unhappy about it.

Add to the legitimate anger this has caused the ongoing threat of terrorist spectaculars and geopolitical situations gone sour and getting more sour.

And then there is the KGB factor, which could potentially devastate the Clintons and the Dems. I suspect the Russians, who resent the Clintons for not doing enough to revitalize post-Soviet Russia and for initiating the expansion of NATO toward their borders in the 1990s, have politically dangerous intel on them. The question is what they do with it. And when.

I wrote about this two weeks ago and evidently looked a little alarmist to some.

But not so alarmist now, with Politico reporting that a wave of fear is gripping national Democrats about what would essentially be a KGB-engineered "October surprise." That fear can only be increasing after the hacking of Nancy Pelosi's computer system and the highly disruptive release in the last few days of private mobile phone numbers and other contact information for many top politicians and their aides.

Of course, our intelligence services spy on the Russians and many others around the world. And the Kremlin would say that our government has meddled in Russian politics.

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Probably so. But we aren't meddling with a democracy. The Russian democratic reformers I tried to help in the '90s were squashed as a result of Vladimir Putin's ascendance. In any event, nothing we do along these lines is likely to be disruptive of Putin's grip on power. He actually is rather popular across Russia. The Saudi-sanctioned drop in the price of oil is far more damaging than anything we've done, including sanctions. But here Putin is playing with fire, and, though he's someone a sophisticated American administration can work with in some areas, his actions may require a proverbial horse's head in the bed sort of response.

So even if Trump is essentially a shambolic zombie rather than a truly calculating vampire, the confluence of forces in this situation may make him a de facto vampire after all. If a number of things which can go wrong for the highly capable Clinton do go wrong. And if he can finally manage to rein in most of his nonsense long enough to make him look vaguely acceptable enough to the rather small slice of the electorate which must swing in his direction.
"When I was told to oversee the first post-war elections in Bosnia, it made me hunger even more for democracy in Egypt."

Egyptian war correspondent Yehia Ghanem continues his series of short stories on the wars he has covered and the people he has met along the way. Here he recalls the time he was assigned to be an election observer - despite never having voted in an election himself. Read the rest of the series, Caged, here.

Over the years, I lost touch with Mordechai, the bold young Israeli boy I'd met in Haifa in 1994, but I stayed in touch with Mohamed, the 12-year-old Egyptian who had visited me, along with his friends, at the downtown Cairo office of Al-Ahram newspaper in 1993.

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In 1999, I was assigned to be a roving war correspondent in Sub-Saharan Africa. I established my base in Johannesburg, South Africa, and from there travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where I reported from the front lines of the long and ruthless war raging there.

When away from Egypt, I barely communicated with Mohamed, but I would contact him whenever I returned to Cairo on vacation. I watched him grow from childhood to adulthood, all too quickly. He maintained his interest in war reporting, discussing with me my efforts to unmask the ugly face of war, or, as he liked to put it, "the ultimate manifestation of human disrespect to ourselves".For ever young

When I finally returned to Cairo on a more permanent basis to take up an editorial post at the newspaper, he wasn't pleased. "Yes, I'm very happy to be able to see you more often," he said, "but the world still needs you out there to report on the agonies of those being consumed by evil men's lust for war". I smiled and told him: "Mohamed, when we first met I was in my 20s, almost the same age as you are now. I'm getting too old for this very violent job and I should now leave it to my younger colleagues."

I remember him moving his handsome head slowly from side to side to indicate that he wasn't convinced.

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"Do you think I am for ever young?" I once asked him. "Look at yourself in the mirror and remember how young you were when we first met."

Sometimes I wondered whether one of the many things that endeared me to Mohamed was the fact that he somehow always made me feel young.

It was with his encouragement that I took short but dangerous assignments every now and again, particularly to my beloved Afghanistan between 2006 and 2010.

During those years Mohamed finished his university studies, graduated with a degree in civil engineering and accepted a position as an engineer at a private construction company. I felt as proud of him as I did of my own son. And I longed for an Egyptian leader with his qualities - his sense of patriotism, integrity and sincerity.

[Illustration by Jawahir Hassan Al-Naimi/Al Jazeera]A birthday in Kabul

On November 9, 2010, I celebrated my birthday in Kabul, Afghanistan. I was there on a three-week assignment, but it felt like three years. I was reporting on what seemed to be a bleak future for Afghanistan, but my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the dangerous and uncertain future that seemed to be awaiting my own country.

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During my stay, I interviewed Afghanistan's leaders about the state of their country under a foreign military occupation. But each night, when I returned to my hotel room to transcribe my interviews, I wondered how I could ask all these questions of others when my own country languished in similar circumstances. Even my voice sounded foreign to me as I heard it back, discussing the impact of corruption in Afghanistan. All the while, I thought about what was happening back in Egypt.

In the days after I returned from Afghanistan, I busied myself writing articles about my own country. Egypt's parliamentary elections were only weeks away - not that I would vote in them; I never had. Like millions of Egyptians, I refrained from voting, refusing to participate in a farce.

I recalled an event that had taken place years earlier, in the months after the Bosnian war had ended in 1996. I was informed by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe had recruited me to serve as an international observer for the first post-war elections in Bosnia.

Although I understood why they had done so - I was familiar with the geopolitical map of the country and they wanted to ensure that there were some Muslims on the team - I was petrified at the prospect. How could I oversee something I had never participated in?

I tried my best to make myself unavailable for the mission, but it was in vain. Egypt's assistant foreign minister was relentless in stressing the importance of my being there.

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I finally had to tell him the truth: that I knew nothing of the culture of free elections.

The man recognised my dilemma. I suspected that he shared it as he had most probably never voted either. We both felt trapped in a cage of ignorance, unfamiliar with this core component of the democratic process.

"We want you [Egypt] to be part of this event, and since you are supposed to be there weeks prior to the elections it's best that you attend, simply listen and watch," he told me. "By doing so, you will learn about the process of free elections, and then be more able to observe them."

I agreed. For a month I observed the pre-election campaigns and the voting process. It was an experience that made me long even more for a democratic culture in my own country.
"City limits have become limitless cities," proclaims a Prudential advertisement appearing in many airports. Jakarta, Sao Paolo, and Shanghai all have metropolitan area populations of more than 30 million people; Tokyo approaches 40 million. Prudential seems to have a good point.

The modern Holy Land now contains three large urban strips. One stretches from south of Bethlehem, through Jerusalem, and north to Ramallah. It spans 30 miles and includes about one million people. The Gaza Strip is the second urban belt, with about 1.8 million inhabitants. The third is the greater Tel Aviv metropolitan area, with about two million inhabitants. While these figures pale in comparison to other cities in the world, for those living in any urban belt, easy access to nature is a pressing challenge. Currently, the majority of the people in the world live in cities, and as mass migration from rural areas to cities continues, this challenge will only become more pronounced.





This is where millennia-old religious teaching becomes relevant. When the Hebrew Bible was received on Mt. Sinai, there were likely fewer people on the entire planet than currently live in Tokyo and Jakarta. The Bible has much to teach the modern megacity, since it contains a clear instruction on how to combat urban sprawl and achieve sustainable urban planning. Leviticus chapter 35 states the instruction from God that the 48 Levitical cities were to establish an open space around them-- what Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch called a 'greenbelt.' The Hebrew word used, migrash, comes from the root 'to separate,' since urban centers were meant to be separate from one another. The Talmud discusses how, once a city was established with a greenbelt around it, the city could not be expanded into the greenbelt. If the city became too dense, a new city would need to be built elsewhere. Significantly, the rabbis of the Talmud understood the law of the greenbelt to apply not only to Levitical cities but also to all Israelite cities in the land of Israel. (More teachings on greenbelt are available here.)



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Rabbinic commentators make clear that for a city to be truly livable, it must be surrounded by green space, since the quality of life of city residents, to a significant degree, depends on access to green spaces. A society that lacks green space can become stifling, oppressive, disconnected and unnatural. Green space enables people to walk and sit in nature, promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual balance. Trees generate oxygen and help filter the air. The greenbelt ensures that nature stays close to the people, enabling the people to remain connected to nature. The greenbelt promotes balance in an urban society as well as balance between humans and nature.



Unfortunately, since the destruction of the second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 C.E., or sometime thereafter, Jews have not observed this commandment. Nor have they in the past 130 years, with Jews returning to Israel in large numbers. Yet, global sustainability and our collective future requires a balance between urban settlement and nature, not just more building. As Edward Abbey wrote, 'growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell.' Some of the world's megacities are so large that lower-income residents have to commute to work three hours a day- each way! To have to live that way is to live a degraded lifestyle. Building cities with greenbelts in mind would moderate overgrowth, promote compact urbanism, check urban sprawl, and improve quality of life.



Population growth plays a large part in current city growth and the rise of megacities. The exponential human population growth in the past century has led to the exponential growth of cities. The result is rapidly growing cities with less green access for their inhabitants. Genesis 1:28 establishes the Biblical commandment "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth." (See here for an ecological understanding, based on rabbinic commentators, of this verse.) A key question to address is, at what point have we filled the Earth and therefore fulfilled this commandment? Ironically, many Bible adherents stringently fulfill this commandment while neglecting other commandments intended to make such growth sustainable-- like the commandment of the greenbelt.

A leading Israeli environmental scientist, Dr. Alon Tal, spoke to this in his recent New York Times op ed, Israel's Looming Demographic Challenge. He writes, "Israel's environmental problems are largely a function of a rapid increase in population. The country will never be able to control greenhouse gases, maintain even minimal levels in our rivers and streams or protect our fragile habitats if this demographic growth continues at such an astonishing rate. With urban development taking over about five square miles of open space every five years, Israel's wildlife is in steep decline."

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But it's not just about the birds and the bees, the trees and the toads. Despite Israel desalinating huge amounts of water (by burning fossil fuels to do so), some of the twelve million Palestinians and Israelis experience water shortages, Gaza is on the brink of permanently depleting and salinizing its underground aquifer, and the Sea of Galilee nears the 'black line.' What might the water situation look like with 20 million people, which is projected for later this century? High population growth and the lack of sustainable urban planning together present a significant challenge, for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and for people around the world.
Live Nation Brings TSA Pre Enrollment, Expedited Event Entry To Festivals, Concerts

[UPDATED] Annoyed by the long lines at concerts that seem to be getting longer due to increased security measures? In answer, Live Nation has partnered with the same company that provides pre-screening at airports to bring their services to concerts.

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Live Nation has partnered with IdentoGO, the security pre-screening company used by the Transportation Security Administration to provide easier passage through airport checkpoints, to provide fast access to concerts. The promoter is careful to call the new service a convenience, rather than an additional security measure.

Music fans can sign up for TSA Pre at select festivals and concerts. IdentoGO is also rolling out a new Fast Pass program, which will give TSA Pre members an expedited entry lane at select Live Nation festivals and shows, as well as normal airport benefits.

"Live Nation is always looking for ways to make the concert-going experience more seamless, and by offering Fast Pass by IdentoGO we can get fans out of line and into the show even faster, which makes this a really organic partnership, said Maureen Ford, Live Nations President of Client Sales.

Attendees can sign up at pre-approved location, with a valid ID, proof of US citizenship and a fee of $85 dollars. The enrollment process is typically completed in about ten minutes and is good for five years. The first major Live Nation festival to use the system was the Watershed Country Music Festival at The Gorge.

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A proposal to curb police violence by asking all law enforcement officers in a Midwest city to carry professional liability insurance has met with strong resistance in the form of a legal fight.Opponents of the proposal, which would be included as a Minneapolis ballot initiative in the November election, successfully urged the City Council to block it from the ballot as inappropriate for consideration. A majority of council members were persuaded by City Attorney Susan Segal that it should not be included as ballot initiatives on city policies are not permitted under Minneapolis charger.Supporters took the decision to court Friday, arguing that voters have a right to weigh in on the proposal. Hennepin County Judge Susan Robiner listened to nearly three hours of arguments from attorneys representing the backers of the initiative, urging her to put the issue on the ballot.Bruce Nestor, an attorney representing another ballot issue relating to minimum wage, said the citys legal interpretation of the ban is too narrow. Minneapolis charter, he said, includes provisions for items beyond its scope, such as fire-prevention efforts and regulations for midwives  and the proposed ballot initiatives would have a direct relation to the health and welfare of the city.Tim Phillips, an attorney representing the Committee for Professional Policing, agreed and said he disputes the citys assertion that the police insurance initiative would conflict with state law.The group, which wrote the initiative, says the requirement would cut down on cases of officer misconduct because individual police officers involved in the cases would bear a financial responsibility for their actions, in the form of insurance premiums.While individual liability insurance for police officers is available, it is carried on a voluntary basis. Proposals like this one would make it a condition of employment in the city. The city would cover the cost of basic insurance, but the individual officer would pick up the tab on any premium increases due to misconduct.This isnt the first time insurance has been called on to curb the problems of inappropriate policing. A University of Chicago report released this spring says insurers are attempting to limit the liability of the police departments they cover by providing risk management materials to insureds.One of the first things I found was this pamphlet from Travelers Insurance about how to do a strip search, and I just thought people in my world have no idea that this stuff is out there and its really fascinating, said University of Chicago assistant law professor John Rappaport.Another law professor, Joanna Schwartz of UCLA, argues that insurers can play the role of an honest broker to force a city to learn from its police department's mistakes."They are highly motivated to reform because it affects their bottom line, and they're not constrained by any of the political counterforces that could prevent the city council or mayor from pushing hard on a law enforcement agency to reform," Schwartz said.Yet both ideas have received pushback.By placing much of the financial strain on insurers, rather than police departments, some argue that the pressure to reform officer practices is too indirect to effect meaningful change.As for the push for personal liability insurance, police departments say the practice would cause police officers to be overly cautious in an attempt to avoid premium increases.Anybody can get in the squad car and drive around and put the blinders on, and not investigate suspicious circumstances, said Lt. Bob Kroll of the Police Officers Federation of Minneapolis. If you dont do that proactive police work, your likelihood of being sued is a lot less.Robiner is likely to issue her decision on the matter as early as this week, as the case faces a tight deadline.
It was just over a year ago that insurers were rocked by the Tianjin Port disaster which cost the industry around $3 billion according to Swiss Re To mark the anniversary, RMS Analysis has compiled a list of the ten ports most at risk from a high insurance loss resulting from a catastrophe; 6 of them are in the US.Nagoya in Japan and Guangzhou in China are most at risk with estimated marine cargo loss from earthquake, wind and storm surge perils of $2.3 billion and $2 billion respectively.However, regionally the US carries the greatest risk from these ports: Plaquemines, LA ($1.5 billion); New Orleans, LA and Pascagoula, MS (both $1 billion); Beaumont, TX ($0.9 billion); Baton Rouge, LA ($0.8 billion); and Houston, TX ($0.8 billion).Ports at Bremerhaven, Germany ($1 billion) and Le Havre, France ($0.7 billion) complete the top ten.Surprisingly, a ports size and its catastrophe loss potential are not strongly correlated. For example, while China may be king for volume of container traffic, our study found that many smaller U.S. ports rank more highly for risk  largely due to hurricanes. Our analysis proves what weve long suspected  that outdated techniques and incomplete data have obscured many high-risk locations, said RMS product management director Chris Folkman.Friday saw a milestone in the insurance industry across the pond as the UK implemented new insurance legislation.From now every commercial lines insurance policy placed, renewed or amended will be subject to changes that have been described by the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) as the biggest change to insurance law in more than 100 years.The Act includes many positive developments that BIBA lobbied for, such as outlawing the basis of the contract clauses which previously turned information provided by customers into warranties so that any change (even trivial or immaterial) could have led to termination of the contract.BIBA also succeeded in lobbying for terms not relevant to the actual loss to be outlawed meaning, for example, that if a policyholder has to comply with a warranty to turn on a burglar alarm but a claim is caused by a flood, then the insurer will accept the claim.The Insurance Act 2015 has been welcomed by BIBA which says it will bring benefits to brokers and the wider industry.An insurance agent in Trinidad & Tobago has won the support of Facebook users after going public with his employers dissatisfaction with his hairstyle.Maurice Ramirez posted a letter on social media from the HR manager at Colfire Insurance which warns him that his hairstyle breaches the firms uniform and dress code. He also posted a picture of himself.The Trinidad Express reports that Ramirez had been warned on two previous occasions and that the letter was a final warning that could result in the termination of his contract. You can seeFacebook users condemned the insurers stance and branded the policy discriminatory but Colfire chairman Robert Mayers told the Trinidad Express: Colfire denies the damaging allegations that have resulted from the publication of an internal document.
Williamstown Man Sentenced in Child Sex Abuse Case

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  A local man was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Springfield in connection with persuading a 16-year-old boy to travel to New York three years ago to engage in sexual activity.



Ronald S. Brown, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release.



In November 2015, he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and one count of possession of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors.



Brown, a registered sex offender based upon a prior conviction for a sexual assault of a 14-year-old, engaged in thousands of online interactions with a 16-year-old boy between Dec. 27, 2012, and Jan. 19, 2013, to persuade him to run away from his Midwestern home to engage in sexual activity.



On Jan. 7, 2013, Brown sent the boy a one-way ticket to fly to Newark International Airport in New Jersey, and on Jan. 19, 2013, Brown picked the boy up at the Newark airport, and then transported him to New York to engage in sex. On three separate dates, Brown also sexually exploited the teenager by producing visual images of the minor engaging in lewd and lascivious conduct.



The boy was recovered in New York after his mother alerted police that her son was missing and believed to be meeting with Brown. During an interview on Jan. 20, 2013, Brown falsely told a federal agent that he believed the child to be 18 years old.



U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Harold H. Shaw, special agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement. The case was investigated with assistance from the Massachusetts State Police, the Williamstown Police Department and the New York State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of Ortiz's Springfield Branch Office.



The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse.
Barry Grauman is running a mock campaign for president.

Hancock Resident Having Fun With Politics, Launches Mock Presidential Campaign

HANCOCK, Mass.  A Polish proverb reads, "not my monkeys, not my circus" to essentially mean, it's not my problem.

For years that's how Hancock resident Barry Grauman has felt about politics. He's been an active voter, intent to make it to the polls every time. But, he's never liked his choices. He says he was voting out of hate, voting against a candidate and not for one he likes. He's sick of that, though, and he is trying to make it his circus.

Grauman has launched a mock presidential campaign. It is one of humor where his stance on gun control is "I feel that whenever I am around guns, I prefer they are under control."

But at the same time, it is a serious protest vote. Grauman wants people to stop voting for candidates they don't like because they fear the ones in the other party is worse. He wants people to change their way of thinking and instead of settling, send a message that the two-party system isn't working for the people.

"Don't vote out of hate. Vote for someone you like. You don't need to hold your nose. Don't hold your nose and vote for Clinton. Don't hold your nose and vote for Trump if you don't like either one of them. If you do like one of them, knock yourself out, exercise your right to vote. If you like Clinton, I don't know why you would, go ahead and vote for her. If you like Trump, I don't know why you would, go ahead and vote for him," Grauman said.

"But if you don't like either, vote for somebody else. Find somebody you like and vote for them. Just that one thing will disarm the political parties, that tool of hate that they wield every election cycle. The tool where people unfriend their friends in social networks, where social networks become unsocial."

He's tired of perpetuating a two-party system but by not going to the polls, then a voter's voice isn't being heard. Whereas a write-in vote for somebody else is recorded, and eventually should enough protest votes be made, the soil will be seeded to expand into a multiparty system. He says the message is continually heard that voting for a third-party is a "wasted vote" or essentially helping one of the two main candidates. But, it's not in Grauman's eyes.

"We've got to stop voting for Democrats and Republicans. But you have to vote. If you don't vote at all that doesn't get anybody's attention. When you stand up and vote for somebody besides them, then you are making a statement. The nonvoter's voice is not being heard but the person who votes and says I am voting for somebody other than the Democrats and the Republicans, their voice is recorded," Grauman said.

So who will Grauman write-in when he goes to the polls in November?

"I believe people should vote because we have a civic duty. I'm going to vote whether I like the candidates or not, I am going to vote. Just this time I am going to vote for somebody I like. I'm going to vote for me," Grauman said.

It started early in the year when he tuned into a Republican debate during the primary. With more than a dozen candidates, there had to be one he'd like. Nope.

He tuned into a Democratic debate. He already knew he didn't like Hillary Clinton because of her prior political work. But, out of the other three, there had to be somebody he liked, right? Nope.

"Out of all of them oddly enough, Bernie [Sanders] and [Ben] Carson were my two favorites," Grauman said. "In my world in how to choose a president, they were actually pretty close. To me, it is about integrity. The big mistake me make is we choose presidents like it is a beauty contest."

He posted on Facebook that he wasn't going to vote for any of them and that he instead was going to run. He filed with the Federal Elections Commission  his name in the list of more than 600 ranging from Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton to Mickey Mouse  and started a Facebook group . He crafted a slogan, "making it my circus because I'm sick of these monkeys."

"Immediately people I knew started making signs and putting them in their front yards. I thought that was hysterical. Then people started to make memes with my name in it and often times it was comical," Grauman said.

Signs started popping up around town. The Facebook group grew to peak at more than 1,000 people sharing memes and other political jokes. It's satire. But, at the same time it delves into some serious discussion.

"It is half humor and half serious. There is some serious political discussion on there but there is also comedy," Grauman said.

He sought out a printing company and made more lawn signs and bumper stickers.

"If you want to confuse your neighbors or upset your relatives who think you should be voting for the family's candidate whether it be Democrat or Republican, you can put that on your car and have a good time," Grauman said.

He's now selling his signs and stickers for $5, a figure just to offset the cost because he certainly won't accept donations. Because he says if you accept a donation, then you owe the person who gave you money something.

"If by some miracle I end up in the black, which I won't because I've got quite a large box of these sitting at home, if I end up with any extra I would roll it over to the next campaign. And If I don't run in four years, I'll donate it to a charity," Grauman said.

His problem with Hilary Clinton is a history of scandals. He remembers under Bill Clinton the travel office was eliminated and employees replaced. That went to the court and the office had to be restored. From then on, the Clintons were involved in a number of scandalous behavior, he said. His problem with Donald Trump is he can't take him seriously. His problem with the whole system is he believes presidents shouldn't be so partisan and instead should serve in a role to execute the laws, not write them. He says presidents now act like "kings" instead of the chief executive officer of the country.

"The president should have nothing to do with his personal opinion. He presides over the executive branch, he is the chief executive. His job is to execute the laws that are on the books. It is not his job to write the laws so it doesn't matter if the president is pro-life or not. It makes no difference if he is doing his job. I say he, but it is he or she because I do think we are going to have a female president here. I think the math says Clinton is going to win this," Grauman said.

"In this fantasy world where I get elected president, which is not going to happen, it doesn't matter what I believe. A president like me would just execute the laws of the land whether I agree with them or not."

His second issue is with money in government. He says the big corporations have taken over the system so much that they can buy favors from the politicians.

"The people with all the money who can hire politicians to work on their behalf, those are the businesses that succeed. The little businesses that can't afford to pay for the power of government, well they are just going to have to make it on their own," Grauman said.

After the primaries, he said a series of character assassinations, which he calls "quailing" after vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle, begins to roll out. All of the candidates turn into monsters, he said, even when that's not the case. The voters end up choosing a candidate out of fear of the other one and the concept of voting a third-party is turned into helping one candidate or the other.

He says in Washington, D.C., it doesn't matter which party the politicians are apart of  it's all political fodder. He cited numerous politicians over the years that switch parties, and others, including the two major party nominees who have flip flopped on positions.

"We take it serious but they don't. The politicians don't. It is political fodder. They look at the polls and see what is going to strengthen them the most and that is the position they are going to take," Grauman said. "Every position is up for sale and they don't really believe anything."

Finally, he says in Massachusetts, and the majority of the states, votes in the general election doesn't matter. He believes the electoral college should be eliminated.

"We live in Massachusetts, our election has already been decided. We have 11 electoral college votes and they are all going to go to Hilary Clinton. It doesn't make any difference how I vote, it isn't going to change that," Grauman said. "You'll get people who will say 'well if everybody thought like that then she wouldn't win.' Well, then you don't understand statistics and you should go take a course. Based on the sample, Massachusetts is going to go for Clinton and no amount of independent thinking is going to change it. People are going to go pull the lever and pull the lever like they've been doing for decades."

When he goes into the voting booth in November there isn't a spot for "none of the above." But there is a spot where he can write his own name  and hopefully the town clerk can read his handwriting.
When I was a kid my mama did all the cooking 24/7/365. Period! We ate well, even through WW2 when a lot of the goodies (like meat and sugar) were rationed. What we ate would most likely be classified today as "comfort food" - which can have a slightly pejorative meaning. But we ate what both my parents had learned to like as children and had nothing to compare it to. Occasionally we would be gone on a trip of some kind, i.e., the New York Worlds Fair of 1939, when my parents would discover some new delicious dish that my mom would then try to copy when we got back home. But basically we ate "comfort food" 24/7/365, and we were not alone.

I too loved the ordinary food of the time - the good cornbread, green beans, steak and potatoes. (Back then you could buy absolutely farm-fresh vegetables and fruit at our local Farmers Market that was frequently called the curb market). My dad, for sure, could not bear to sit down at the supper table without his ration of dry and crumbly cornbread. Uff! How I hate even the thought of that! My own preference was that the cornbread should be steaming hot, have a nice golden brown crust on top, and a moist white cake-textured center (but definitely not sweet). A good slathering of butter and you had Perfection! All mom's cornbread was oven-cooked in a large cast iron "skillet".

"Skillet"? Do YOU know that word? The friendly Chinese people at the restaurant near my Philadelphia apartment had never heard it, so we had to search for it in their Chinese-English dictionary and it could not be found! They called it a "frying pan", and I fear that is the modern replacement for mom's good old-fashioned "skillet". Too bad; old customs do change. Same goes for the "breakfast, dinner, and supper" of my day, which long ago changed to "breakfast, lunch, and dinner". (Although a New Englander I knew in Philadelphia used the same terminology as me).

Those friendly Chinese people (above) once invited me for a tour of their kitchen - a rare experience. For all the wide variety of items on their menu I found that they knew how to cook a great many dishes all at once using only ONE immense (approx. 3.5 foot diameter) copper or brass cooking pan which they manipulated by hand over an open flame. Those good people "gave" me (literally) my retirement party when I left the U.S. Mint.

It was amazing what my mom could cook up in her old skillet and it was one of our most-used kitchen utensils. Aside from all the thousands of breakfasts she cooked in it, she occasionally used it to recycle a piece of cheese which had hardened in the fridge. The tooth-breaking block of cheese soon melted, spread out and bubbled in the skillet. The idea was to get it all thin and runny - and wait till the edges began to blacken. THEN you took it out of the skillet using a spatula, waited a few seconds and ate it while still warm. The blackened edges were a gourmets delight, adding that extra touch that skilled chefs strive for in their presentations. If you want to give yourself a real treat some day, just try that! It is known by the highly creative name of "fried cheese", but I can guarantee that you will like it!

(Another tip from my mom's 1930's kitchen would be to season your beans - green, pinto, white, or etc., with "fat meat" from your local butcher. You simply ask the butcher for "fat meat" and he will be so glad to hear someone ask for it that he might not charge you a penny! [Don't hold me to that!] He will cut you a small cube of it, palm size, and you just put it in the bean pot while it's cooking. It will give your beans - or crowder peas - or collard greens - a flavor you can't get any other way.)

In my time there were a lot of lunch counters and "cafes" around Chattanooga, but not of the Parisian variety. They would turn up in dime stores, drug stores, etc., and would be open only for lunch. After 5:00 p.m. everyone would scurry home from downtown to enjoy one of their mom's good (but very ordinary) meals, because there was no other choice. Not very many restaurants even existed back then. They were considered to be a luxury and the few that there were thrived on Sunday traffic (only). Fehn's in North Chattanooga was one of these highly popular places and their lines would be so long that people who had driven for miles would simply turn around and go home. But, if you chose to wait in line for an hour then you would be served their specialty "house" chicken, fried, with the most delicious crust you ever tasted. People said it was made out of cornflakes batter. Eddy's Grill on Brainerd Road had a similar chicken dish, served in a basket with a red and white checkered napkin folded over it. But mainly rich folks ate there.

BREAD was really pretty plain back in the 1940's and '50's, too. All my earliest after-school sandwiches were made on white bread. Brown bread was also available, but I preferred white for a very long time. You could also find "half & half" bread in loaves: white at one end of the loaf, and brown at the other. Nowadays I generally prefer brown "wheat" bread - unless I can find a loaf of good Italian or German Rye (which MUST have caraway seeds!) Gosh, how my tastes have changed through the years! When in Philly I could easily walk down to South Street where there was a great variety of mom-and-pop specialty shops - including an Italian bakery. Your nose could lead you directly to it and you cannot believe the different types and shapes of bread they made there. They did all their baking in immense concrete kiln-style ovens that looked like they came over with Columbus in 1492! Reading Terminal Market, also in Philadelphia, had a large area devoted purely to Italian breads. (That is the former terminus of the real Reading Railroad that you know from your Monopoly board).

Not sure how I did it, but I left out AMISH bread - and all their other variety of home-made and home-grown foods! They (the Amish) had a stall in the terminal where two or three lovely young Amish women did nothing all day but bake those large delicious soft pretzels which they salted and buttered before your eyes. There was always a long queue of people waiting to snatch these up, and I have eaten many a full lunch of only those pretzels and a drink.

"SALT RISING BREAD" was a specialty of my parents' generation. It is an old traditional Southern product which is rapidly disappearing - virtually gone. Not even many bakers have even heard of it. I once took all my Engraver colleagues at the Mint an individual loaf from here in Chattanooga. They first viewed their loaf with suspicion, but one bite of it - spread with butter and jelly or jam - and they fell for it! I still find it occasionally at the Jackson Bakery in Brainerd Village, but it is a lot of trouble to make and is getting scarcer all the time. It also makes superb toast, especially when you cut the slices with a serrated kitchen knife so the crumbly (or slightly stringy) edges will blacken in the toaster!

As American style restaurants have multiplied on the local scene in recent years, so have the ethnic restaurants. Nowadays we have Greek, Italian, East Indian, Mexican, Thai, German, Chinese, and an English tea-house! There are possibly others that I don't know about, but those are the main ones. Folks, those simply did not exist just a few years ago! I enjoy them all from time to time - except possibly for the ones where the food comes with curry sauce. (I am slightly allergic to that).

And these ethnic foods keep on improving, and new items are added to the menus frequently! Many years ago Chinese restaurants only served two main items: Chop Suey and Chow Mein and little more. Italian restaurants only served Spaghetti, good bread, and little more. I do not have to explain the rest; you already know about the large varieties you find now.

The good ol' American hamburger cannot be beat, either! I like good hot-dogs as well. One of the bad things about foreign travel USED to be that you craved American food while you were overseas - but you need not go hungry for it anymore. NOW you can enjoy a Big Mac while viewing sculpture at the Puerta del Sol in Madrid or while people-watching in Budapest! Your own homemade hamburgers and hot-dogs are probably the best, although "George" used to make the best

commercial

hamburgers in

town

for many years. He was located on East 8th Street at Georgia Avenue. Bill Shores, the picture framer, was across the street - and also Vanderstoops Shoe Repair was downstairs next door to Shores. George put ALL the right stuff on his burgers, then put a sprinkling of salt over their tops and flattened them on a grill. Never saw another burger done in such a way, but that short grilling added just the perfect touch! "GEORGE! WHERE DID YOU GO???"

And SEAFOOD??? Yikes! THAT is another great fave of mine! Will only mention that while stationed at Keesler AFB on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, our training squadron employed CIVILIAN cooks at our chow-halls. THOSE gentlemen knew how to cook fish  in the true Cajun way  and the tartar sauce they made, with boiled egg whites plus all the other ingredients, was out of this world. That tartar sauce could have made an excellent side all by itself!

Now I am really hungry, folks, so bye till next time!

(Chester Martin is a native Chattanoogan who is a talented painter as well as local historian. He and his wife, Pat, live in Brainerd. Mr. Martin can be reached at cymppm@comcast.net )
On Aug. 27 and 28, the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga, along with EPB, will present the annual Fall Home and Remodeling Show at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Expos can be overwhelming if you arent prepared, so take a few minutes to organize your thoughts and make a plan:

 Decide what you want to achieve by visiting the show. Do you have a specific project in mind or do you just want to get ideas?



 Visit www.HomeShowChattanooga.com for a full vendor list. Develop a plan of which exhibitors you want to visit. Determine which are a must see companies and which are a want to see companies.



 Plan how much time you want to spend at each booth by how much total time youll spend at the show. Allow extra time for browsing, distractions and waiting in lines.



 Know what information you need to have from each exhibitor. Ask lots of questions and dont be afraid to ask how each vendor is different from the competition.



 Study the exhibitor map available at www.HomeShowChattanooga and prioritize your route.



 Collect information that is of interest to you or that might interest others in your family. Enter drawings and leave your contact information with vendors you are interested in working with.



 Skip overly crowded booths and plan to come at end of day when traffic is slower.



 Carry a pad and pen to jot down important notes and take lots of pictures to remind you of the products you saw.



 Take a break after a few hours to refresh and get some fresh air. Get a snack and drink water regularly to avoid dehydration.



 Plan how you are going to use information gathered and how you will follow up with the vendors you visited.



 Most importantly...have fun!



For more information on the upcoming Fall Home and Remodeling Show, contact the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga at 423-624-9992 or visit www.HomeShowChattanooga.com.


Soon after businessman Tommy Levi joined Dryer Vent Wizard (DVW) in southern Tennessee, it wasnt long before people were calling him a wizard. DVW is a fast-growing North American franchise that specializes in dryer vent repair, replacement, alteration, cleaning and maintenance for residential and commercial clients.

I was driving my service van in Chattanooga when another vehicle started honking and motioned me to pull over, said Mr. Levi. They wanted to know what kind of services I provided. When I told them about my business, they said, Youre a Godsend. We were just on our way to Lowes to figure out a way to fix our dryer vent.



Mr.Levi offered to follow them back to their house to check out the problem. They had a brand new washer and dryer, but it was vented into a garbage can in the basement, said Levi, who returned later to vent the dryer through a basement window to the outside. It solved their problem and prevented a potential fire hazard. Thats when they understood why were called dryer vent wizards.

On one of Mr. Levis first service jobs in Chattanooga, he was called by a new homeowner whose dryer vent had not passed inspection. She told him the problem was a pair of panty hose underneath her house. Oddly enough, someone had vented the clothes dryer through a hole in the floor that connected to pair of panty hose under the house to collect lint.

Actually, the lint was going right through the panty hose and spreading underneath the house, said Mr. Levi, who got rid of the panty hose and utilized the proper materials to install a dryer vent that met all the recommended codes.



Mr. Levi provides DVW services to residential and commercial customers throughout southern Tennessee, including Chattanooga, Cleveland, Columbia, Cookeville, Murfreesboro, Signal Mountain, Spring Hill and Tullahoma, where he and his family are longtime residents.



Much of his time is spent educating customers about the importance of regular cleaning and maintenance of dryer vents for energy savings as well as fire prevention.



According to Mr. Levi, many people are unaware that PVC pipe, foil and vinyl vents are just as much a fire hazard as the pantyhose, garbage cans and other unusual means he has discovered that have been used to vent dryers and collect lint.



Less than 25 percent of the jobs I do are for preventative maintenance, said Mr. Levi. Ive found that the majority of dryer vent exhaust systems are not up to code and need vent line repair or replacement.

All of the materials that Dryer Vent Wizard uses, which include rigid metal vents, are code compliant to reduce the risk of fire and increase dryer efficiency.



What we do to help people stay safe in their homes is not magic, though I dont mind being called a wizard, said Mr. Levi, who recommends customers set up an annual inspection and cleaning. The benefits of energy savings, dryer efficiency and fire prevention far outweigh the investment.



Headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mi., Dryer Vent Wizard is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). DVWs 70 plus franchisees serve more than 9,000 communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information and to learn more about franchise opportunities, visit www.DryerVentWizard.com or call 866-498-SAFE (7233) in the U.S. and 866-395-SAFE (7233) in Canada.


Indian Independence Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I send our best wishes to the people of the Republic of India as you celebrate your Independence Day today.

"When Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the United States Congress this past June, he remarked that the traits of freedom and liberty form a strong bond between our two democracies. It is worth remembering this today as India celebrates its independence.

"As India celebrates Independence Day, we recommit to working to ensure freedom and justice for all within our great democracies."
WATCH: This Restaurant in Pune Are Run by Speech and Hearing Impaired People
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An early frontrunner in this year's Oscars race is Nate Parker's bold reclamation of cinematic history in The Birth of a Nation.

Taking its name from D.W. Griffith's deeply infamous, notoriously racist 1915 silent film, which at one point heroises the founding of the KKK; Parker's work turns the lens to the story of Nat Turner (played by Parker himself), an enslaved preacher who utilised his voice to lead a slave rebellion in Virginia in 1831.

However, it turns out Parker isn't the first filmmaker to have attempted such a reclamation; with Spike Lee once writing, directing, and producing short The Answer in the early '80s, during his time at NYU - a film which sees a black filmmaker hired by a major studio to remake The Birth of a Nation.

Speaking to Pharell Williams on YouTube's Reserve Channel, Lee revealed that The Answer caused a great amount of controversy amongst the faculty, "At NYU they showed the film, talked about the great innovations that D.W. Griffith came up with well, they never talked about how this film was used as a recruiting tool for the Klan and was responsible for black people getting lynched."

"The faculty took it like I was attacking the father of cinema, so they kicked me out." Lee stated, before revealing a lucky twist of fate. "Someone said, 'We cant kick him out because we gave him an assistantship for next year already.' I worked in the equipment room, and I was the hardest worker in there, so they rewarded me for that If the evaluations had come first, before the assistantship, Id have been kicked out of school!"

 The Birth Of A Nation - Trailer

Funnily enough, Lee's story is reminiscent of a scene in Justin Simien's 2014 film Dear White People, in which college student Samantha White (Tessa Thompson) creates a more deliberately provocative riff on the silent film, entitled Rebirth of a Nation, much to the eventual disdain of her white classmates.

Indeed, Lee's story is only further proof of the substantial symbolic power behind rewriting The Birth of a Nation, and the importance of constantly questioning and re-addressing what is a resolutely flawed cinematic canon.

The Birth of a Nation hits UK cinemas 20 January 2017.
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During Star Wars Celebrations in London, the directors of the Han Solo film - Phil Lord and Chris Miller - spun an incredible tale on how they landed their new Solo, Alden Ehrenreich.

The pair auditioned nearly 3,000 actors; but it was Ehrenreich who eventually won out, having ironically been the very first actor to have stepped in the room. Now, with the announcement Solo would be joined onscreen by a younger iteration of his famous associate Lando Calrissian, it's natural to wonder whether the casting process will be quite as lengthy.

Which is why it's interesting to hear Disney are already circling around a first choice for the role; none other than Community's own Donald Glover. Somewhere, in some alternative universe, Troy Barnes is deeply freaking out right now.

The news comes courtesy of Birth.Movies.Death.; with reports the smooth-talking, hilarious Glover is exactly who Disney is after for this fairly iconic Star Wars role.

Nor would it be a huge stretch for Glover to say yes; though his busy slate is currently balancing his musical career as Childish Gambino, as well as a new FX series Atlanta, he's already joined the Marvel family with a role in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Star Wars, then, surely wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Glover?

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The as-of-yet untitled Han Solo prequel will be released 25 May 2018.
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Some of the most interesting filmic work currently being done happens to be in the realm of genre cinema; from cerebral sci-fi like Midnight Special and the upcoming Arrival, to ambitious horror in the form of It Follows or The Babadook.

Certainly, on the horror scene, fans are keen to discover what the next cult hit will be; the UK's Under the Shadow certainly seeming like a strong contender, promising to blend supernatural thrills with moving, sombre familial undertones.

The film marks the directorial debut of Iranian-born Babak Anvari; focusing on a mother and daughter left to fend for themselves in '80s Tehran after their father is conscripted into military service.

With life already a terror for the family: the air raid sirens a constant din, the threat of persecution an ever-present shadow over their lives, events suddenly take a more sinister turn.

A djinn begins to haunt the family; resulting in supernatural scares which have already won over audiences at Sundance and SXSW, subtly manipulating the horror genre to express the terrors of real world conflicts.

In fact, the film's been enough of a critical success to be snapped up by Netflix for release; set for a VOD release alongside some limited theatrical showing, just in time for Halloween.

Under the Shadow gets its UK release 30 September.
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Where the Nineties were about grunge and in the Noughties we went boho, in todays society it seems we are surrounded by perfectly coiffed hair. Whether its the Duchess of Cambridge or Kim Murray, the holy grail of hair is looking like youve just stepped out of a salon. Unfortunately most of us mere mortals lack the budget to have a hairdresser on call and have to opt for more DIY methods.

The old adage "a man is only as good as his tools" is certainly apt here; dont expect to achieve a high-society hairdo with old-school electricals. Gone are the clunky, noisy dryers and the over-frazzled hair they create, instead youll find slick machines that noiselessly tame even the messiest of barnets.

The major entry to the market comes from a slightly unexpected source: Dyson. Yes the purveyor of swishy vacuum cleaners has made the haircare industry its newest target market. The hairdryer has all the hallmarks of Dyson design  firstly it wouldnt look out of place in a spaceship, secondly it knocks its competitors out cold.

Dyson doesnt do anything by halves, investing 50m in the development of its Supersonic dryer. Four years of testing later and the result is an ultra-light machine, with concentrated, heat-sensitive airflow for precise styling that doesnt damage the hair.

Dyson engineers spent four years developing the new dryer

Hair dryers can be heavy, inefficient and make a racket. By looking at them further we realised that they can also cause extreme heat damage to hair. I challenged Dyson engineers to really understand the science of hair and develop our version of a hair dryer, which we think solves these problems, explains company founder James Dyson.

At a slightly lower entrance price theres GHD; the brand single-handedly responsible for giving us poker-straight hair also makes a mean hair drying machine. The Auras key selling point is its "Laminair" technology; where most standard dryers blow air in all directions, GHDs features a concentrated stream of air allowing for precision styling.

While not technically a dryer, Babylisss new Diamond Radiance Shine System is worth a mention for those who like their hair glossy. Essentially its a heated paddle brush but made with ceramic. It straightens as you brush  the result is flick-worthy hair.
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PricewaterhouseCoopers failed to spot for seven years a multibillion dollar fraud that led to the demise of Taylor Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp, a lawyer for the lenders bankruptcy trustee told a Miami jury on Tuesday.

At issue is PwCs work for Colonial Bank, which bought mortgages that Taylor Bean originated. Had PwC adequately vetted documents that Taylor Bean gave to the bank, it would have spotted a multi-year fraud by executives at both firms far earlier and put an end to it, the trustee claims. Instead, federal regulators uncovered it in 2009 and Taylor Bean and Colonial went bankrupt. The bankruptcy trustee sued in 2013 seeking $5.6bn (4.3bn) in damages.

Year after year, Pricewaterhouse didnt do their job, they didnt follow the rules and they failed to detect the fraud, Steven Thomas, an attorney for the trustee, said in opening statements.

There have been several suits stemming from the financial crisis in which bankruptcy trustees sorting through the remains of firms that collapsed due to fraud have gone after auditors, saying they failed in their roles as watchdogs. Taylor Beans accountant, Deloitte, settled similar allegations by the trustee three years ago for an undisclosed amount.

This isnt the first time PwC has been accused of negligence. Last year, the firm agreed to pay $65m to settle similar claims tied to the collapse of MF Global.

PwC maintains it complied with auditing standards in the Taylor Bean case and accused the mortgage issuer of being responsible for its own losses.

Remember, Taylor Beans owner and half of its board of directors were criminals, Beth Tanis, an attorney for the accounting firm, told jurors. They didnt rely on Pricewaterhouses audit report because they knew about the fraud they were committing.

Taylor Bean, once the 12th-biggest US mortgage lender, collapsed after federal regulators uncovered a $3bn scheme involving fake mortgage assets. Six Taylor Bean executives were convicted and jailed for their roles in the fraud, including former chairman Lee Farkas, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Beginning in 2002, Farkas sent mortgage data to Colonial Bank for loans that didnt exist or that Taylor Bean had already committed or sold to other investors. By the end of 2007, the scheme, which involved executives at Colonial Bank, consisted of about $1.5bn in fake or severely impaired residential mortgage loans.

Biggest business scandals in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Biggest business scandals in pictures Biggest business scandals in pictures Volkswagen emissions scandal VW admitted to rigging its US emission tests so that diesel-powered cars would looks like they were emitting less nitrous oxide, which can damage the ozone layer and contribute to respiratory diseases. Around 11 million cars worldwide were affected. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Martin Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals Martin Shkreli became known as the most hated man in the world after his drug company, Turing, increased the price of a 62-year-old drug that treated HIV patients by 5,000% to $750 a pill. He was charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin, a biotechnology firm he started in 2011, and using it pay off debts from unrelated business dealings. Shkreli, who maintains he is innocent, and says there is little evidence of fraud because his investors didn't lose money. Biggest business scandals in pictures Panama Papers: Millions of leaked documents expose how worlds rich and powerful hid money - April 2016 Millions of confidential documents have been leaked from one of the worlds most secretive law firms, exposing how the rich and powerful have hidden their money. Dictators and other heads of state have been accused of laundering money, avoiding sanctions and evading tax, according to the unprecedented cache of papers that show the inner workings of the law firm Mossack Fonseca, which is based in Panama. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Google's tax avoidance Google reached a deal with the HM Revenue and Customs to pay back 130 million in so-called back-taxes that have been due since 2005. George Osborne championed the deal as a major success. But European MEPs have since called for the Chancellor to appear in front of the committee on tax rulings to explain the tax deal. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Rogue trader A French court cut the damages owed by rogue trader Jerome Kerviel from 4.9bn (4.2bn) to just 1m (860,000). The court ruled on that Kerviel was partly responsible for massive losses suffered in 2008 by his former employer Societe Generale through his reckless trades. Kerviel has consistently maintained that bosses at the French bank knew what he was doing all along. AP Biggest business scandals in pictures Barclays CEO under investigation for trying to identify whistleblower - Monday Paril 10 Authorities have launched an investigation into Barclays chief executive officer Jes Staley for trying to identify a whistleblower, the bank said on Monday. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) are both investigating Mr Staley after the bank notified them that Mr Staley had tried to identify the author of two anonymous letters, which were sent to the board and a senior executive in June 2016. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures UK to crack down on bank money laundering after reports of 65bn Russian scam, City minister says - March 2017 The Economic Secretary to the Treasury has vowed that the Government will crack down on money laundering practices, after several of the UK's biggest banks were accused of processing money from a Russian scam, believed to involve up to $80bn (65bn). Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures Former HBOS bankers convicted of bribery and fraud over 245m loan scam - February 2017 Two former HBOS bankers were among six people found guilty of bribery and fraud that cost customers and shareholders hundreds of millions of pounds, the BBC reports. Lynden Scourfield, 54, a manager at HBOS, forced struggling clients to use the services of his friends David Mills, 60, and Michael Bancroft, 73. In return, the two businessmen arranged sex parties, cash and lavish gifts. On Monday, the three were convicted at Southwark Crown Court on accounts including bribery, fraud and money laundering. Mark Dobson, another manager at HBOS, Alison Mills, and John Cartwright were also convicted. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Lloyds chief apologises for damage caused by affair allegations - August 2016 Antonio Horta-Osorio, the chief executive of Lloyds Bank, has broken his silence over allegations about his private life admitting he regrets any "damage done to the group's reputation". In a message sent to the bank's 75,000 employees, the banker said that anyone can make mistakes while insisting that staff had to maintain the highest professional standards. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Christine Lagarde faces court over 340m Bernard Tapie payment - July 2016 The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Christine Lagarde, must stand trial in France over a payment of 403 million (now 340m, then 290m) to tycoon Bernard Tapie, a France's highest appeals court has ruled. The court rejected Ms Lagarde's appeal against a judge's order in December for her to stand trial over allegations of negligence in her handling of the affair. Ms Lagarde could risk a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros if convicted. Reuters Biggest business scandals in pictures HSBC senior manager arrested in FX rigging investigation at JFK airport in New York - July 2016 A senior executive at HSBC has been arrested at New York's JFK airport for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to rig currency benchmarks, according to reports. Mark Johnson, global head of foreign exchange cash trading in London, was reportedly arrested on Tuesday. He will appear before a federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Bloomberg said. Getty Biggest business scandals in pictures Former PwC employees found guilty in 'Luxleaks' tax scandal - June 2016 Two ex- PricewaterhouseCoopers staffers were found guilty in Luxembourg of stealing confidential tax files that helped unleash a global scandal over generous fiscal deals for hundreds of international companies. Antoine Deltour and Raphael Halet face suspended sentences of 12 months and 9 months and were ordered to pay fines of 1,500 (1,230) and 1,000 (822) for their role in the so-called LuxLeaks scandal. Despite the minimal sentences, the ruling was described by Deltours lawyer as shocking and a terrible anomaly. 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PwC allegedly failed to spot the fraud when it audited the books of Colonials parent, Colonial BancGroup, even though Taylor Bean was the banks largest client and a stakeholder in PwCs audits, according to court documents. PwC allegedly certified the fake mortgage assets as true sales to Colonial and tried to cover up its negligence when federal regulators questioned the accounting, according to the papers.

Colonial Bank, which became the sixth-biggest bank failure in US history, cost the Federal Deposit Insurance Corps insurance fund about $4.2bn.

The judge overseeing the case ruled last year that a jury should determine whether or not punitive damages are warranted to punish PwC based on allegations of gross negligence and intentional misconduct.

 Bloomberg
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Scientists might have found the closest ever candidate for another Earth that could support life, according to reports. But nobody will say whether its true.

The new-found planet orbits around a now well-investigated star in Proxima Centauri, near us, according to reports. It is similar to Earth and could support life, it is claimed.

The researchers that found the planet are expected to show it off at the end of this month. But until then they are saying nothing.

Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Show all 30 1 /30 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An image from Nasa's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows a 200,000 mile long solar filament ripping through the Sun's corona in September 2013 Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Nasa Celebrates 50 Years of Spacewalking For 50 years, NASA has been "suiting up" for spacewalking. In this 1984 photograph of the first untethered spacewalk, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless is in the midst of the first "field" tryout of a nitrogen-propelled backpack device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Hubble Cosmic Couple The spectacular cosmic pairing of the star Hen 2-427  more commonly known as WR 124  and the nebula M1-67 which surrounds it ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Veil Nebula Supernova Remnant Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled in stunning detail a small section of the Veil Nebula - expanding remains of a massive star that exploded about 8,000 years ago Nasa's most stunning pictures of space The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launch The Soyuz TMA-15M rocket launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday, Nov. 24, 2014, carrying three new astronauts to the International Space Station. It also took caviar, ready for the satellite's inhabitants to celebrate the holidays Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth from the ISS From the International Space Station, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry W. Virts took this photograph of the Gulf of Mexico and U.S. Gulf Coast at sunset Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Black Hole Friday Nasa celebrated Black Friday by looking into space instead  sharing pictures of black holes Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space NuSTAR X-rays stream off the sun in this image showing observations from by NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, overlaid on a picture taken by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Cassiopeia A c A false colour image of Cassiopeia A comprised with data from the Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescopes and the Chandra X-Ray observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Orion Capsule splashes down The Orion capsule jetted off into space before heading back a few hours later  having proved that it can be used, one day, to carry humans to Mars Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Earth Observations From Gemini IV in 1965 This photograph of the Florida Straits and Grand Bahama Bank was taken during the Gemini IV mission during orbit no. 19 in 1965. The Gemini IV crew conducted scientific experiments, including photography of Earth's weather and terrain, for the remainder of their four-day mission following Ed White's historic spacewalk on June 3 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Frosty slopes of Mars This image of an area on the surface of Mars, approximately 1.5 by 3 kilometers in size, shows frosted gullies on a south-facing slope within a crater. The image was taken by Nasa's HiRISE camera, which is mounted on its Mars Reconaissance Orbiter Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Yellowstone from space NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman shared this image of Yellowstone via his twitter account Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Saturn This near-infrared color image shows a specular reflection, or sunglint, off of a hydrocarbon lake named Kivu Lacus on Saturn's moon Titan Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Worlds Apart Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different moons. Pandora, "small" by moon standards (50 miles or 81 kilometers across) is elongated and irregular in shape. Mimas (246 miles or 396 kilometers across), a "medium-sized" moon, formed into a sphere due to self-gravity imposed by its higher mass Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Solar Flare An X1.6 class solar flare flashes in the middle of the sun in this image taken 10 September, captured by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Mars Rover Spirit Nasa's Mars Rover Spirit took the first picture from Spirit since problems with communications began a week earlier. The image shows the robotic arm extended to the rock called Adirondack Nasa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Morning Aurora From the Space Station Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station Nasa/Scott Kelly Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Launch of History - Making STS-41G Mission in 1984 The Space Shuttle Challenger launches from Florida at dawn. On this mission, Kathryn Sullivan became the first U.S. woman to perform a spacewalk and Marc Garneau became the first Canadian in space. The crew of seven was the largest to fly on a spacecraft at that time, and STS-41G was the first flight to include two female astronauts Nasa's most stunning pictures of space A Fresh Perspective on an Extraordinary Cluster of Galaxies Galaxy clusters are often described by superlatives. After all, they are huge conglomerations of galaxies, hot gas, and dark matter and represent the largest structures in the Universe held together by gravity Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Sees a Galactic Sunflower The arrangement of the spiral arms in the galaxy Messier 63, seen here in an image from the Nasa Hubble Space Telescope, recall the pattern at the center of a sunflower ESA/Hubble & NASA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Pluto image Four images from New Horizons Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with colour data from the Ralph instrument to create this enhanced colour global view of Pluto Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Fresh Crater Near Sirenum Fossae Region of Mars The HiRISE camera aboard Nasa's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter acquired this closeup image of a "fresh" (on a geological scale, though quite old on a human scale) impact crater in the Sirenum Fossae region of Mars. This impact crater appears relatively recent as it has a sharp rim and well-preserved ejecta Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Hubble Peers into the Most Crowded Place in the Milky Way This Nasa Hubble Space Telescope image presents the Arches Cluster, the densest known star cluster in the Milky Way NASA & ESA Nasa's most stunning pictures of space An Astronaut's View from Space Nasa astronaut Reid Wiseman tweeted this photo from the International Space Station on 2 September 2014 Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Giant Landform on Mars On Mars, we can observe four classes of sandy landforms formed by the wind, or aeolian bedforms: ripples, transverse aeolian ridges, dunes, and what are called draa Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Expedition 39 Landing A sokol suit helmet can be seen against the window of the Soyuz TMA-11M capsule shortly after the spacecraft landed with Expedition 39 Commander Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Jupiter's Great Red Spot Viewed by Voyager I Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and perhaps the most majestic. Vibrant bands of clouds carried by winds that can exceed 400 mph continuously circle the planet's atmosphere Nasa's most stunning pictures of space Chandra Observatory Sees a Heart in the Darkness This Chandra X-Ray Observatory image of the young star cluster NGC 346 highlights a heart-shaped cloud of 8 million-degree Celsius gas in the central region

One report said the planet will be the closest 'second Earth' ever found. The Proxima Centauri star is part of the Alpha Centauri system, which includes our solar system.

"The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface  an important requirement for the emergence of life," German newspaper Der Spiegel reported.

The report didnt give any more details on the planet itself.

A spokesperson for the European Southern Observatory has refused to comment on the report, but said that he was aware of it.

Nasa revealed a second Earth to much fanfare last year. That planet was called Kepler 452b, and is just 60 per cent larger than Earth and in many other ways is almost identical to our planet.

But since it is so far away  1,400 light years  the chance of ever getting there or learning much more about it is limited. The new discovery is far, far nearer, at just 4.24 light years from us.

 Nasa has found a mini Moon circling Earth

But that still makes it far too far away to actually visit with todays technology. But it means that we will be able to learn far more about the planet than we could about further away ones.
BIRMINGHAM, AL -- The Birmingham Barons scored a pair of late runs but dropped game four of the series to the Chattanooga Lookouts Sunday afternoon, 8-3, at Regions Field.

With both Jackson and Montgomery also winning Sunday, the Lookouts remain 5 1/2 games out of first.

Current Standings

Ryan Eades made the start for Chattanooga, as they were a little shorthanded. It was his first start since July 5th. He went the first 3 2/3 innings, scattering four hits and a walk and allowing only an unearned run in the first. He struck out seven.

The Lookouts pulled away in this one with a four run eighth inning thanks to a Heiker Meneses RBI double, a two-RBI single from Ryan Walker, and an error on a ball off the bat of Niko Goodrum that allowed Shannon Wilkerson to scamper home.

Meneses (3-for-5, 2 RBIs) and T.J. White (3-for-5) each collected three hits. Walker (2-for-5, 2 RBI) and Wilkerson (2-4, R, RBI) each had two hits. Goodrum added a double.

As a team they racked up thirteen hits and were 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position.

Brandon Peterson finished the fourth and fifth innings. He allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out three in picking up the win.

Zack Jones went two scoreless innings. He gave up one hit and one walk while striking out three. Luke Bard pitched the final two frames. He allowed two earned runs on two walks and some defensive indifference.

Box

The Barons and the Lookouts wrap up a five game series Monday evening at Regions Field with an 8:05 p.m. start.

After an off-day Tuesday, the Lookouts return home to play a crucial must win series against their rivals for second place, the Montgomery Biscuits.

Note on Roster Shuffling: Heiker Meneses has been called back up to Triple-A Monday while pitcher Luke Bard rejoined the Lookouts before yesterday's game. The current roster stands at 22 players.

In the last week, the Lookouts roster has seen numerous players called-up to Triple-A Rochester. Mitch Garver, Leo Reginatto, David Hurlbut, and Omar Bencomo,



Jake Reed, and now Meneses, have all gotten promotions to the Red Wings, while



TJ White and Bard have been added to the Lookouts' roster.
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An alleged domestic violence victim has been jailed for two weeks after refusing to testify against her husband.

Donna Kiddie was found to be in contempt of court and sentenced to 14 days in prison after she said she couldnt swear that her husband had hit her.

Ms Kiddie spent four nights in prison before her solicitor successfully lodged an appeal against the conviction at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

Sheriff Elizabeth McFarlanes decision has been condemned by womens rights group and domestic violence campaigners who say it could deter future victims from coming forward.

Scottish Womens Aid chief executive Marsha Scott told the Scottish Daily Record: This is increasingly unusual as our system improves but its not unheard of in the past that a victim would be cited for contempt when she felt unable to testify. I have to say we abhorred that as an outcome.

In general, the practice of trying to improve evidence in a case by coercing a witness re-victimises victims and breaches their human rights.

Ms Kiddies husband Jonathan was found not guilty of assaulting his wife at their home in Dalry, Ayrshire, on 7 May after she refused to testify.

Mr Kiddie, who is the principal solicitor at Renfrewshire Law Centre in Paisley, allegedly struck her on the head - causing her to fall and suffer an injury.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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Ms Kiddie initially gave a statement to police about the incident but later sent several emails to the procurator fiscal - or public prosecutor - to have the charges dropped.

She claimed it had been a collision and said it was the first time he had ever assaulted her and it was completely out of character for him.

On the witness stand she remained vague and said they had both been drinking so she did not remember what happened.

Sheriff McFarlane warned her about prevaricating and remanded her in custody after she refused to say he struck her.

When sentencing Ms Kiddie, she said the 40-year-old teacher had "skirted around it" and she said she had been "trying to be clever".

She said she found Ms Kiddies evidence astonishing, adding: There was no mention of a collision or even drinking. I take a very dim view of what you did yesterday and today.

The prosecution failed because you failed to answer questions asked by the prosecution. Youre going to prison.

Ms Kiddie wept in the stand and pleaded for leniency as she had babies.

Her husband said he was extremely concerned for her wellbeing after she was jailed.
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A woman has died after reportedly becoming trapped in an automatic car park door.

Emergency services said they were called about a woman, believed to be in her 40s, who was not breathing at a block of flats in Cambridge at around 7.30pm on Sunday.

The incident reportedly involved a roller shutter at the entrance to the car park.

It was unclear whether the woman was entering or leaving the car park at the time.

Sadly, there was nothing that could be done for the woman who died at the scene, a spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said. Our thoughts go out to her family and friends.

A man who lives in the flats told Cambridge News: I dont think she lived here. She was visiting a friend I believe. It is a horrible situation.

Recommended Man dies after becoming trapped under car in his garage

An eyewitness told the MailOnline: "I went to look in the garage and saw her legs hanging. It was not a sight to want to remember. It was horrific and I'm doing my best to forget it."

Another resident said: I dont know how she got into trouble but the door is automatic and is supposed to stop when it catches on something.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokeswoman said: "We were called to reports of a sudden death of a woman in Ruth Bagnall Court, Coleridge Road, Cambridge at about 7.30pm on Sunday.

"The incident has been referred to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)."

An HSE spokesman confirmed inspectors were assisting police with inquiries.

Additional reporting by Press Association
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Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, is today accused of having a secret plan to privatise the NHS and concealing how much of the service has already been farmed out to private companies.

Owen Smith, who is challenging Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership of the Labour Party, will make the accusation in a speech today at Trafford General Hospital, which was the first hospital in the world to offer free healthcare to all.

On the day the House of Commons rose for its summer break, the Department of Health slipped out figures that showed that in 2015-16, the NHS spent 8.7bn  8 per cent of its total budget  on private firms that provide health care, more than double the 4.1bn spent on such services in 2009-10.

The accounts also showed that in 2014-15, the NHS spent 8bn on private healthcare, although accounts published a year earlier had given the figure as 6.9bn. A note in this years figures said the figure had been reviewed.

The Governments view is that these figures are not high enough. A few days after Theresa May had unexpectedly reappointed Jeremy Hunt as Health Secretary, the regulator, NHS Improvement, published its business plan for 2016-17, which said the private sector had been underutilised and one of its priorities in the coming year would be to facilitate independent sector providers.

In his speech later today, Mr Smith is expected to accuse Mr Hunt of covering up the extent of private sector involvement in the NHS by publishing an inaccurate figure a year ago.

He is expected to add: It is now clear that Theresa May has given Jeremy Hunt the green light to start privatising our health service.

Within days of his reappointment as Health Secretary he had officials drawing up secret plans to privatise the NHS.

Like many families across Britain my family is relying on the health service at this very moment. The NHS is our countrys most valued institution  and people will be shocked to hear that the Tories have been putting together a secret plan to privatise it.

We all rightly contribute to the NHS through our taxes  but we must make sure that money is spent on doctors and nurses, and not lining the pockets of private sector shareholders.

I fought the Tories top-down reorganisation of the NHS line by line as a shadow health minister. I warned that it would lead to an explosion of privatisation  and that is exactly what has happened.

It just goes to show you cant trust the Tories with our NHS. Under their rule it is in crisis yet again, with waiting lists growing and hospitals dangerously understaffed.

As Prime Minister, I would call an immediate halt to Tory privatisation, set about scrapping the Tories damaging health reforms and make sure our NHS has the cash it so desperately needs  boasting spending by at least 4 per cent every year.
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Thousands of Muslims from across the world converged on the UK for a convention where they rejected extremism and violence of terror groups such as Isis.

More than 30,000 members of the Ahmadiyya Islamic movement met at Oakland Farm in Hampshire for a three-day convention, the 50th time the annual event has taken place.

On the final day, attendees were led by the global Caliph of the movement in a vow of peace and a pledge of allegiance to their home countries

The only thing the terrorists are achieving is to completely violate the teachings of the Holy Koran and of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, His Holiness Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad told attendees, according to the MailOnline.

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.

The Ahmadiyya movement has 129 centres across the UK including the Baitul Futuh Mosque in south London, the biggest in Western Europe.

The movement was founded in India in 1889 with a strong emphasis of peace over violence and tolerance over extremism.

The president of the UK Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Rafiq Hayat, said: The 30,000-plus people from over 90 countries gathering at the convention come in the spirit of fraternity  and to give thanks for the security and freedom they have found in Britain.

Many have fled persecution in other countries and together, they will re-affirm their pledge to follow the true teachings of Islam  that are teachings of peace  and to counter all forms of extremism and intolerance.

We have much to be grateful for in Britain which has allowed our community to prosper and contribute to British life for more than 100 years. We count ourselves proud to call ourselves British Ahmadi Muslims.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty UK news in pictures 12 September 2022 Crowds line the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, as King Charles III joins a procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles Cathedral following the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II Katielee Arrowsmith/SWNS UK news in pictures 11 September 2022 Members of the Public pay their respects as the hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard of Scotland, is driven through Ballater AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 10 September 2022 Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales, Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Britain's Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, wave at well-wishers on the Long walk at Windsor Castle AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 9 September 2022 King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort wave after viewing floral tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II outside Buckingham Palace Getty UK news in pictures 8 September 2022 A screen commemorating Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in Piccadilly Circus, London Britain EPA UK news in pictures 7 September 2022 Police officers stand guard after Animal Rebellion activists threw paint on the walls and road outside the Houses of Parliament in protest, in London, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 6 September 2022 Queen Elizabeth II welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA

The official motto of the movement is Love for all, hatred for none.

Asad Shah, a Glasgow shopkeeper and well-known propronent of Ahmadiyya beliefs, was murdered on 24 March by a man who alleged Mr Shah had disrespected Islam.

Mr Shah was killed hours after posting on his Facebook page: Good Friday and a very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nationx.
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Britons are set to bask in a three-day sunny spell as the mercury rises well above average for the time of year.

The week is getting off to a warm start with most of the UK forecast to enjoy some summer sun.

The south-west will see highs of 28C (82F) on Tuesday, while other areas can expect to experience temperatures in the low to mid-20s.

A wave of hot air - known as a Spanish plume - was expected to sweep across the UK from Spain but a change in direction means the predicted highs of 30C (86F) and above are unlikely, the Met Office said.

The air, now expected from the south-east rather than the south, will be less humid, meteorologist Alex Burkill said.

He said: "It will still be above average for the time of year. It will definitely feel like summer, perhaps just not as hot as we thought it would be."

Temperatures will fall short of mid July's record this year of 33.5C (92F).

Warning sunseekers to be careful when out and about in hot weather, St John Ambulance advised people to keep in the shade where possible, stay hydrated and wear sun cream.

Training officer Clive James said: "The classic signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke are dizziness and headache - if you're suffering from either, find somewhere cool and drink plenty of fluids. If your symptoms don't get any better and you're concerned, seek medical attention."

Mr Burkill reassured those concerned about problems trying to sleep through muggy nights.

He said: "It is likely to be quite chilly overnight, with temperatures falling to single figures in some places. It could be around 3C or 4C (39F) in parts of Scotland."

The good weather is not expected to last long as unsettled conditions are in-store for Thursday and into the weekend.
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Ultra-Orthodox Jews are raising 1m to prevent pure and holy children from leaving the strict faith community and living with irreligious parents in an evil culture, The Independent has learned.

The fundraising drive has been established to fund the legal fees of divorcing parents involved in child custody battles with ex-partners who want to join mainstream society.

The Independent has seen flyers for a fundraising event in the Stamford Hill area of London that call for the community to back the bid, saying: Rescue The Children Convention: We now need one million pounds and therefore the community is requested to join in with a minimum sum of 500.

A copy of the flyer obtained by The Independent

The flyers were accompanied by a letter of support from a local rabbi stating they wish to fight cases involving 17 children: To our great pain, and our misfortune, our community finds itself in a terrible situation  17 of our pure and holy children where one of the parents, God rescue them, have gone out into an evil culture, and want to drag their children after them.

This is a decree of apostasy and this situation has motivated our rabbis who are in Israel to come here in a personal capacity to increase prayer and to gather money for legal fees, and to achieve this a convention has been organised of prayer and also to collect money.

Leaflet distributed in North London, calling for donations

The Charedi community is notoriously insular and practices a 19th-century interpretation of the faith. Engagement with the secular world is deeply taboo, Yiddish is spoken as the primary language and arranged marriages are standard practice. Men wear 19th-century Eastern European dress including long black coats and black hats, while married women must dress modestly and cover their hair.

Campaigners and former community members have told The Independent the tactical funding of legal fees tears families apart by denying those wishing to leave the religion access to their children as a punishment for no longer believing in ultra-Orthodox Judaism.

They say the practice unfairly skews child custody battles in favour of the funded parent who remains in the faith groups, rather than enabling custody to be decided on the basis of the best interests of children. Many who join mainstream society have little grasp of the English language or legal system as well as no financial resources, they are severely disadvantaged in court cases and can struggle to understand or articulate their experiences or get adequate legal representation.

A spokesperson for GesherEU, a charity supporting people wishing to leave Charedi communities, told The Independent: [Child custody cases instigated by a parent leaving the community are] seen as a huge threat to the Charedi community, knowing that people can leave the community and take their children with them and give them a decent secular education and live successfully outside of the community.

It is very common within the Charedi community for the religious parent to receive full financial support throughout the court process to ensure the children remain within the community. The parent who stays religious will receive fully funded solicitors and barristers with the sole intention of ensuring the children remain resident with the parent who stays in the community.

The religious parent will be pressurised into filing for full custody and even lie in court so that the other parent is seen as 'an unfit parent' and lose custody/contact with their children. Often parents who leave will experience domestic violence as the religious parent will resort to threats and emotional and physical abuse to try and coerce their spouse to remain married and living within the Charedi community.

They added that the knowledge the community will try and keep a child with a believing parent acts as a deterrent for anyone questioning their faith and considering leaving: An event like this is a clear warning to those thinking of leaving as well as a scare tactic: 'If you leave we have all the money power and resources to fight you and ensure your children stay within the community are alienated from you.' This does work to some extent and deters many who would otherwise leave knowing they will be facing a legal battle with possibly devastating consequences.

Last year, the community came under scrutiny when it emerged one school threatened pupils with expulsion if their mothers drove them to school on the grounds that it was contrary to the rules of religious modesty for women to drive. An investigation by The Independent earlier this year found more than a 1,000 children in Charedi communities are attending illegal schools where secular knowledge is banned and they learn only religious texts, meaning they leave school with no qualifications and often unable to speak any English.

The Independent has seen details of legal cases brought before British Family Courts in recent years whereby the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community has funded legal fees of a believing parent in the hope that they will be given custody of the children above the other parent. In a 2013 ruling, a judge told the court: The mother and father come from the Charedi community of ultra-Orthodox Jews. A major reason for the marriage breakdown was that the mother no longer wished to follow the strict tenets of that community. She remains an orthodox Jew but wished for a way of living for herself and the children which allowed greater diversity of educational, personal and economic opportunity. Her wish has come at a price. Her own parents and siblings are no longer in contact with her.

The financial cost of this litigation is significant. The mother does not receive public funding, and pays the legal costs from her own pocket. The fathers legal costs are paid for by his community and by his parents This is a grossly disproportionate misdirection of the fathers available financial resources. It is also a wearing down of the mothers resources. I did not make a costs order on this occasion but, if these or similar disputes are continued, the court may have to intervene with costs orders in future to prevent further financial injustice to the mother.

Recommended Read more Pupils at illegal school almost died after being taken on cliff hike

A court case last year exposed the extreme pressure individuals feel when leaving the community as a woman sought to divorce her husband after alleging sexual and domestic violence, and gain custody of their daughter. Court records seen by The Independent show the woman was unable to read or write English and was represented on a voluntary basis by lawyers due to lack of funds. It is not known how her ex-husbands legal fees were funded.

The ruling notes that the woman says she was beaten and raped repeatedly throughout her marriage but was inhibited from speaking out about her abusive experiences contemporaneously because of the culture in which she was living where she would have no audience and no sympathy.

The woman told the court that when the woman attended a GPs appointment for vaginal pain incurred by rape, her husband attended with her to translate English for her, meaning she was unable to get help there too.

She said that once she did speak out and seek custody of her child, community members spread rumours she had been sexually promiscuous. A member of the community threw eggs at me for disclosing the violence and allegedly bringing shame upon the community, she said. The woman was granted custody and left the country soon after to begin a new life with her child.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. 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Imtiaz Shams, co-founder of Faith To Faithless an advocacy group for ex-religious people, told The Independent: Faith to Faithless has come across many parents for whom leaving their faith has had huge consequences for their relationship with their children. Many have had to go back into the closet in terms of their lack of faith, even from their own children, simply to protect this bond.

Leaving faith can put the financial and social weight of the whole religious community against the parent: it is part of the systematic prejudice faced by non-religious people from religious communities. Leaving the Ultra-Orthodox community can be particularly difficult as these parents can be isolated, may not know what their rights are or have the financial and emotional support required to fight these custody battles.

He added: We call on the Government and civil society to do more to protect non-religious parents and their children, who may not have the resources to challenge the discrimination they face.
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The business dealings of Cabinet ministers and donors who pumped 27m into the Tory party could be wiped from official records under plans being considered by a Government agency.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt are among ministers whose former business interests could be obscured from public view.

Donors who bolstered Tory coffers, including one promised a Lords seat in David Camerons tainted resignation honours list, could also see their records wiped.

The move threatens to cut off a key source of information on public figures past, provoking concern that it may mean conflicts of interest go undiscovered.

The Government said a consultation would be held before any decision is taken, but Labour demanded the move be blocked.

Deputy leader Tom Watson said: The proposals currently under consideration by Companies House are extremely worrying and would be a backwards step.

If the Tory Government was truly committed to transparency and openness then it would not allow this move  which would effectively wipe from public view the records of 2.5 million dissolved companies and the people associated with them  to go ahead.

Its now up to [Prime Minister] Theresa May to ensure that this proposal will never see the light of day."

Companies House keeps a publicly accessible database on every UK firm, with details of accounts, directors and shareholders.

It has mooted plans to cut the time that details of dissolved companies are kept from 20 years to just six, leading to the potential loss of 2.5 million records. Police, journalists and bank compliance teams all make use of the data.

Major donors to the Conservative Party Show all 10 1 /10 Major donors to the Conservative Party Major donors to the Conservative Party Michael Farmer Hedge fund: RK Capital Management Worth: 150m Total donation: 6,556,092 Rex Features Major donors to the Conservative Party Sir Michael Hintze Hedge fund: CQS Worth: 1,055m Total donation: 3,221,027 Major donors to the Conservative Party Lord Fink Hedge fund: ISAM Worth: 130m Total donation: 3,172,007 EPA Major donors to the Conservative Party Chris Rokos Hedge fund: Brevan Howard (pictured) Worth: 230m Total donation: 1,344,850 Google Street View Major donors to the Conservative Party Andrew Law Hedge fund: Caxton Associates Worth: 350m Total donation: 1,226,411 Rex Major donors to the Conservative Party Sir Paul Ruddock Hedge fund: Lansdowne Partners Worth: 300m Total donation: 818,783 Rex Major donors to the Conservative Party David Harding Hedge fund: Winton Capital Worth: 750m Total donation: 593,765 Major donors to the Conservative Party Hugh Sloane Hedge fund: Sloane Robinson Worth: 185 Total donation: 533,500 Major donors to the Conservative Party Sir John and Peter Beckwith (L) Hedge fund: RiverCrest Capital Worth: 350m Total donation: 520,996 Rex Major donors to the Conservative Party Alexander Knaster Hedge fund: Pamplona Capital Management Worth: 1,266m Total donation: 400,000

If implemented, the plans would see records relating to 24 current ministers involvement with dissolved companies wiped or soon wiped, including Mr Hammonds links to real estate firms.

Ms Rudds connection to a management consultancy dissolved in 2010 would be wiped. Mr Hunts links to manufacturing and publishing firms would also soon be unavailable for public viewing.

Boris Johnsons involvement in the now dissolved London Climate Change Agency, connected to his time as Mayor of London, would also be wiped.

Records relating to former Barings banker Andrew Fraser, who donated 2.5m to the party during Mr Camerons premiership, would also be wiped.

There was outrage earlier this month when political opponents attacked Mr Camerons resignation honours list, claiming the former Prime Minister had handed rewards to friends and political connections including Mr Fraser.

Other donors who could have records cleared include Michael Spencer, who gave 5m to the party, and Lord Michael Farmer, who donated about 8.5m.

A Government spokesman said: Companies House, like all public bodies, regularly review their data handling practices to ensure they comply with data protection law.

The Government is committed to greater transparency and improving corporate responsibility. Nothing will be done until the new Government carefully considers its options before deciding on the appropriate way forward.
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A former Labour Foreign Secretary has warned Jeremy Corbyn against bullying and spite as fears grow of reprisals against party officials following the bitter legal fight over the leadership contest.

Margaret Becketts words came as one senior Corbyn-backing figure said a clear-out of the partys Southside HQ was coming if the current leader wins the contest as expected.

Ms Beckett told The Independent that Mr Corbyn must not seek to punish Labours General Secretary Iain McNicol or his staff for fighting to block 130,000 potentially Corbyn-backing members voting in the contest.

 Owen Smith accuses Jeremy Corbyn of being 10 out of 10 for leaving the European Union

After the decision was made, Mr Corbyn said the General Secretary would have to answer to the partys new ruling body, where his influence has been boosted by an influx of supportive members.

Ms Beckett said: If what Jeremy is saying is that he is going to punish the General Secretary and staff for decisions that were perfectly and properly made, that seems to me not like 'kinder gentler politics', but like bullying and spite."

She added: It does seem to me that there is a risk of people around Jeremy and perhaps Jeremy himself, thinking that what matters is: does he get the decision he wants' not 'is this what's right in law'.

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

On Friday, the Court of Appeal upheld an appeal by Labours governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), against a High Court ruling that the 130,000 people who joined the party between January and July should get a vote in the contest.

Ms Beckett, who sits on the NEC, pointed out that the committee took a decision to freeze members out of the vote while also defending Mr Corbyns right to be on the contest ballot.

She added: It's not the responsibility of the GS to decide whether he likes the NEC's decision or not.

That's not his authority. It's his job to defend the NEC's decision, which he did."

The members who took the NEC to court in a bid to reverse the freeze, said on Sunday they would not pursue the case in the Supreme Court.

But the fight has angered some of Mr Corbyns supporters, who are emboldened following internal elections last week which gave them a tighter grip on the NEC.

A senior frontbencher told the Independent: There is going to be a clear-out of the party. There has been open warfare between the Leaders office and party HQ."

"Having seen what has happened and what has been happening, it can't be the case that if Jeremy wins again he just sits back and nothing happens and he lets them crack on.

"[Corbyn supporters] have got the NEC now and they are going to do what Corbyn was never able to do before, mount a challenge on Southside.

The ongoing conflict marks the start of one of the most critical weeks of leadership contest campaigning, with ballots due to be sent out next Monday.
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Theresa May is being urged by Labour to modernise the House of Lords by cutting the number of peers and ditching their ceremonial robes.

The Prime Minister is said by allies to be open to some reform of the second chamber after it ballooned to more than 800 peers when David Cameron nominated another 16 in his controversial resignation honours list.

The issue is on Ms Mays agenda because of a piece of unfinished business she inherited from the Cameron Government was a plan to limit the powers of the Upper House to block legislation. Allies say she will be very cautious about future Lords appointments following the row over the Cameron list.

Labours move has increased the pressure on Ms May to act. Baroness Smith of Basildon, the Opposition Leader in the Lords, called for a significant reduction in the number of peers, to be achieved by kicking out those with low attendance records. She said that becoming a life peer should be seen as a job of work rather than an honour. The ceremonial wearing of robes would be ended and the number of hereditary peers  currently 90  would be gradually be reduced by not replacing them when they die.

Lady Smith urged the Prime Minister to set up a constitutional convention to review the role of the Lords, to ensure effective scrutiny of the Government while respecting the primacy of the Commons.

Describing Lords reform as a big opportunity for Ms May, Lady Smith said any changes should be thoughtful and not just a quickfire reaction to a resignation honours list that embarrasses all at Westminster while shaming the former prime minister in the wake of his political demise. She said Mr Camerons resignation list make a mockery of the whole system, adding: To enjoy wider public support, however, the system must not just be fair but also be seen to be fair.

The May Government will decide whether to clip the power of the Lords to block secondary legislation after peers blocked proposed cuts to tax credits last year. A review by Lord Strathclyde, the former Tory leader of the Lords, recommended that the Commons be given the final say over such laws. Peers could ask MPs to think again when they disagreed but MPs would ultimately make the decision.
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A South African woman who snatched baby Zephany Nurse from hospital nearly 20 years ago has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The woman had pleaded not guilty during her trial, claiming she believed she had legally adopted Zephany 19 years ago. She was found guilty of kidnapping in March this year.

At her sentencing on Monday Judge John Hlophe in Cape Town said the crimes committed by the woman were serious, but that he had taken into account her previously clean record and other mitigating circumstances in deciding the sentence, according to News24.

Zephanys biological parents Celeste and Morne Nurse attended court on Monday for sentencing, but their daughter did not.

Zephany was three days old when she was snatched from a Cape Town hospital while her mother was asleep in April 1997, state prosecutors said.

The kidnapper then defrauded authorities by registering the child as her own daughter in 2003 under a false birth date, prosecutors added.

Zephany, who is publicly known by a different name which has been protected by the courts, was reunited with her biological parents Morne and Celeste Nurse last year, and a 51-year-old woman was arrested.

Zephanys true identity was discovered last year when she was found to bear a remarkable resemblance to a girl she had befriended at school.

After suspicions were raised, a police investigation and DNA tests proved that the two girls were sisters.

Local media has previously reported that Zephany considers the woman who kidnapped her as her mother and does not wish to have a relationship with her birth parents, the BBC reported.

Additional reporting by AP
Business strategy and finance expert Frank Williamson announced Monday the launch of a business consulting firm that focuses on the financial side of a business, versus the marketing or operational approach of the typical consulting firm.

Oaklyn Consulting helps business owners use financial data to navigate strategic issues and challenges, such as responding to an offer to buy the company or determining why and how to pursue growth funding.

As we talk with business owners, and the lawyers, bankers, wealth managers, accountants and investment bankers who support them, we hear that people are struggling with business strategy and financial questions that they dont have the time, staff or context to dig into, said Mr. Williamson, who is Oaklyn Consultings managing partner and the former managing partner of FourBridges Capital Advisors, a Southeastern mergers and acquisitions advisor.

Oaklyn Consulting was formed to meet this need. We offer the expertise needed to anticipate investors questions, recast financial planning and analysis, and understand industry trends  combined with the understanding and emotional sensitivity required to listen carefully, help companies reach strong decisions they are comfortable with and communicate effectively with capital providers, he added.

The firm is headquartered in Chattanooga and will serve businesses across the Southeastern United States in a range of industries, as well as across the globe in the financial services and healthcare industries.

Oaklyn Consulting is already serving clients within multiple industries facing a variety of financial issues, including:

Advising a healthcare company seeking growth funding

Helping a physicians practice respond to a private equity groups offer to buy the practice

Providing a la carte chief financial officer services to a venture-funded transportation company

Helping a family-owned manufacturing business understand its options for transitioning management

Connecting a financial advisory firm with strategic partners that might share its vision for growth

Helping an insurance services company evaluate potential acquisition targets

Advising a fund manager on the strategy for attracting investors to its funds

Business owners are seeking our assistance on a variety of strategic issues, particularly those that involve financing growth or managing succession," said Mr. Williamson. "In these cases, there is sometimes a clear opportunity to seek competitive proposals from banks or investors, but often there is not. Instead, the best course might be to make operating changes, build a long-term financing relationship or even do nothing, but with new conviction.

We have found that most business owners are sales- and marketing-driven, but they are thrown into financial decision-making by default of their titleeven if its not how they can best serve their companies, said Williamson. Moreover, most CEOs are so close to their business that its hard for them to be fully objective when important strategy questions arise  not to mention that they are up to their eyeballs with daily priorities and dont have the staff or time to handle things like investor relations or capital-raising work. For most companies, these arent daily needs that require full-time staffing. But when the need arises, its critical to have the right counsel by your side, he added.

With more than 20 years of business, finance and investment experience, Mr. Williamson has closed more than $7 billion in mergers, acquisitions and financing transactions, ranging from $500,000 to $1 billion, and has held leadership positions in corporate development, strategy, merger integration, finance, sales, marketing, underwriting and investments.

Before serving as managing partner of FourBridges, Mr. Williamson was an executive at Unum Group during a time when the company grew from $2.5 billion to $10 billion in annual revenue, serving among other roles as chief investment officer and head of capital management. The Harvard Business School graduate also served as interim COO for Vets First Choice, which was, at the time, the fastest growing business services company on the Inc. 500 list. Mr. Williamson currently sits on the board of LaunchTN, a public-private partnership focused on supporting the development of high-growth companies in Tennessee.
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Russia and the United States are in talks for their troops to take joint military action against militants in Syria for the first time, according to Moscows defence minister.

Sergei Shoigu was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the two countries are close to fighting together.

The comments suggest a remarkable turnaround in strategy between two countries backing different sides in Syrias complex civil war.

Meanwhile, fighting for control of Aleppo has intensified in recent weeks and rebel groups have made gains against government forces.

Recommended Read more The last remaining doctors in Aleppo open letter to Barack Obama

We are now in a very active phase of negotiations with our American colleagues, the RIA news agency quoted Mr Shoigu as saying.

We are moving step by step closer to a plan  and I'm only talking about Aleppo here  that would really allow us to start fighting together to bring peace so that people can return to their homes in this troubled land.

Russia is backing the embattled government of Bashar al-Assad while the US has called repeatedly for him to step down from power.

Mr Shoigu added that about 700,000 people were still living in Aleppo and that those living in the eastern part of the city were hostages of armed groups.

Aleppo, Syrias largest city and commercial capital, has become the focal point of the civil war and is the only major city where the opposition to the government still has a foothold.

At the weekend, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 327 civilians, including 126 children, had been killed in fighting there in recent days.

Earlier on Monday, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said Syrian militants had used a temporary ceasefire around the city to regroup.
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Contemporary art made from decommissioned AK-47s has been seized by airport customs officials in Texas.

The artworks, bound for an exhibition in Houston, were made by British artist and military veteran Bran Symondson.

"Spoils of War" - a gun covered in $1 bills - "Beat of a Wing" and "Virtue of the Vicious" - guns covered in butterflies - have all been banned from entering the US, although the state of Texas has an "open carry" law, which allows people to carry shotguns and rifles in a non-theatening manner.

Mr Symondson, who served in Afghanistan, now works as a reportage photographer and artist.

The 2011 Amnesty International Media Award winner said the guns for the art were captured en route from Afghanistan to Syria and were no longer able to be used as weapons.

"It is ironic that the law permits US citizens to go and buy a new, live weapon which I could, in theory, use to create one of my artworks from, which then could technically be used in its intended form but will not allow my pieces of harmless art into the country," he said.

Within "Virtue of the Vicious" there are clear 7.62 empty rounds which each hold a filing representing the history of Texas, including a yellow rose petal which symbolises the yellow rose of the state, and a pink cloth with a blood stain to represent that jacket that Jackie Onassis wore when former president John F Kennedy was assassinated.

Maddox Gallery confirmed in a statement that the artworks had been halted at US customs and will not be released.

The same London-based gallery came under fire after it displayed a nude painting of Donald Trump by artist Illma Gore. The painting, called "Make America Great Again", was banned in the US.
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Donald Trump outlined his plan to combat global terrorism on Monday calling for extreme vetting of immigrants moving to the states.

Reading carefully from his teleprompter, the Republican nominee delivered a calm, calculated speech in Youngstown, Ohio. He used his time to criticize his rival Hillary Clinton by saying she lacks the mental and physical stamina to fight the Islamic State terrorist network.

Mr Trump said that he would partner with nearly any country who shared his goal of thwarting global terrorismnodding to Russia as one

"Any country that shares this goal will be our allies," Mr Trump said. "We can never choose our friends, but we can never fail to recognize our enemies."

We cannot let this evil continue, Mr Trump told his supporters before criticizing President Barack Obama and his administration for not using the phrase "radical Islamic terrorism. The White House and Clinton have repeatedly condemned this language saying that it plays into the recruiting efforts of terrorists.

Mr Trump also promised to work with NATO in the fight against militants.

The Wall Street Journal, a leading conservative news outlet, recently wrote a scathing editorial urging Mr Trump to begin acting presidential or step down from the race.

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

Those who sold Mr Trump to GOP voters as the man who could defeat Hillary Clinton now face a moment of truth, the Journal concludes. If they cant get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races. As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be President  or turn the nomination over to Mike Pence.
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A gay man from Boston has abstained from sex for eight months and plans to continue for another four so he can donate blood.

Under Federal Drug Administration policy, gay men in the US are not allowed to have any sexual contact for a year before donating.

In light of nationwide blood shortages, Jay Franzone, 21, will forego all sexual activity until January 2017 to demonstrate that US blood donation laws are crazy

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood and platelet donors. After receiving 39,000 fewer donations than expected in the months up to July, they said patients are in desperate need of blood.

Mr Franzone said he wanted the US to adopt a more nuanced qualification scheme for blood donors.

My hererosexual best friend can sleep with 25 women in a month, unprotected, and go give blood," he told The Independent.

"I cant even get a single blowjob in a year and give blood. Its absolutely ridiculous when you compare the risk.

The authorities are still basing this [blood donation] policy on the stigma that gay equals HIV. We know it doesnt."

Using risk factors as guidance, experts could analyse a donors likelihood of having a blood-born disease more accurately than only on the basis of sexuality, Mr Franzone claimed.

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While gay and bisexal men are adversely impacted, there are other high risk groups that arent banned from donating, he said.

Black people are more than eight times more likely to be HIV positive than white people.

Yet, we would never ban black people from giving blood, Mr Franzone said. Thats racist."

The controversial issue of gay blood donation was brought to the fore after the shooting at an LGBT club in Orlando in June, where blood donations were urgently needed.

Following the attack, the mayor of Austin, Texas announced: It should not be easier to buy an assault rifle than [for] a gay man to donate blood.

Mr Franzone said the policy for homosexual blood donors helped continue the harmful idea that gay people were inferior citizens.

It's kind of saying you are lesser than your heterosexual [counterparts], he said.

Its another hurdle that LGBT people really dont need. It perpetuates inaccurate stereotypes.

LGBT+ rights around the globe Show all 9 1 /9 LGBT+ rights around the globe LGBT+ rights around the globe Russia Russias antipathy towards homosexuality has been well established following the efforts of human rights campaigners. However, while it is legal to be homosexual, LGBT couples are offered no protections from discrimination. They are also actively discriminated against by a 2013 law criminalising LGBT propaganda allowing the arrest of numerous Russian LGBT activists. AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Brunei Brunei recently introduced a law to make sodomy punishable by stoning to death. It was already illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison AFP/Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Mauritania Men who are found having sex with other men face stoning, while lesbians can be imprisoned, under Sharia law. However, the state has reportedly not executed anyone for this crime since 1987 Alamy LGBT+ rights around the globe Sudan Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal under Sudanese law. Men can be executed on their third offence, women on their fourth Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Saudi Arabia Homosexuality and gender realignment is illegal and punishable by death, imprisonment, whipping and chemical castration Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Yemen The official position within the country is that there are no gays. LGBT inviduals, if discovered by the government, are likely to face intense pressure. Punishments range from flogging to the death penalty Getty LGBT+ rights around the globe Nigeria Both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal and in some northern states punishable with death by stoning. This is not a policy enacted across the entire country, although there is a prevalent anti-LGBT agenda pushed by the government. In 2007 a Pew survey established that 97% of the population felt that homosexuality should not be accepted. It is punishable by 14 years in prison Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Somalia Homosexuality was established as a crime in 1888 and under new Somali Penal Code established in 1973 homosexual sex can be punishable by three years in prison. A person can be put to death for being a homosexual Reuters LGBT+ rights around the globe Iraq Although same-sex relationships have been decriminalised, much of the population still suffer from intense discrimination. Additionally, in some of the country over-run by the extremist organisation Isis, LGBT individuals can face death by stoning Getty

Until last year, there was a lifetime ban on blood donation from gay men.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the new 12-month rule for gay men was based on the "best scientific evidence".

Ultimately, the 12-month deferral window is supported by the best available scientific evidence, at this point in time, relevant to the US population," Peter Marks, the deputy director of the FDA said in a statement.

"We will continue to actively conduct research in this area and further revise our policies as new data emerge.

The UK also does not allow gay men who have had sexual contact in the past year to give blood. The Department of Health announced a review of the policy in June.
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Vice president Joe Biden unleashed a scathing attack of Republican nominee Donald Trump, accusing him of "playing into the hands of terrorists".

"He would have loved Stalin," Mr Biden told the crowd at Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was campaigning alongside Hillary Clinton for the first time during the campaign.

Minutes before Mr Trump was about to give a speech on Isis and terrorism, Mr Biden accused Mr Trump of having "dangerous and profoundly un-American" ideas.

Recommended Read more Joe Biden just delivered the Donald Trump takedown nobody else could

He said Mr Trump favoured Russian president Vladimir Putin, he "showered praise on Saddam Hussein, one of the most violent dictators of the 20th century", advocated the use of torture and the killing of criminal suspects family members, and encouraged the Middle East to build their own nuclear weapons.

Mr Trump previously recommended the use of waterboarding to get information out of terrorists.

He also said that South Korea and Japan should obtain nuclear weapons so they could solve their own problems without relying on US aid.

"Does he not realise we wrote the Japanese constitution so they could not own a nuclear weapon? Where was he in school?" Mr Biden asked. "Someone who lacks this judgement cannot be trusted."

 Emotional Moments at Biden's DNC Speech

Mr Biden added: "He belittles our closest allies, nations that stand with us and are part of our security network, who are with us for every international challenge, who fought and died alongside us for decades"

The vice president pointed behind him and said: "Theres a guy behind me who has the nuclear codes."

"He [Trump] talks about nuclear weapons as if nuclear war was a trivial affair."

The Republican nominee caused controversy when he accused president Barack Obama last week of founding Isis.

"If my son were still in Iraq, the threat to his life would have gone up a couple clicks," said Mr Biden, referring to his son, Beau Biden, who died in 2015 of cancer at the age of 46 and who served in the US military.

"Does he have any idea of the consequences of his outlandish threats?"

Ms Clinton said at the rally that her rival was "unqualified and unfit" to serve as the next president.
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Barack Obama has issued a disaster declaration for flood-ravaged Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by unprecedented flooding.

John Bel Edwards, the governor, said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state. The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference.

Recommended Read more Woman and dog rescued from sinking car in Louisiana

Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down, he said, calling the flooding unprecedented.

Mr Obama issued the disaster declaration after speaking with the governor, the White House said in a statement.

The initial declaration makes federal aid available in the parishes of East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa. Mr Edwards added in a statement that other parishes could be added to the list.

He told a later news conference that more than 20,000 people had been rescued from flood waters in southern Louisiana.

In Livingston Parish, phone service was spotty due to the high waters and most shelters were full. A Greyhound Bus traveling from Memphis, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge was diverted to a shelter because of flooded roadways.

About 5,000 people had been forced to sleep in shelters overnight around the state, said Marketa Walters, head of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services.

 Dramatic video shows woman and dog rescued from submerged car

Louisiana State Police Colonel Michael Edmonson said helicopters were transporting food and water to those still trapped by floods. Helicopters were also transporting some seriously ill people to areas outside the high waters.

Some 1,700 members of the Louisiana National Guard have been deployed for rescue efforts.

Even as the state grappled with high waters, the National Weather Service forecast heavy rain from the Gulf Coast as far north as the Ohio Valley through Monday, with a threat of flash flooding.

A flash flood watch was in place until Monday morning for Houston, where rains killed at least eight people in late April.

Flooded homes along the Tangipahoa River near Amite, Louisiana AP (AP)

At least five people had died in Louisiana from the high water. Ronda Durbin, a spokeswoman for Tangipahoa Parish, said by telephone that searchers on Sunday recovered the body of a man reported swept away on Friday.

The body of a woman was also recovered from a submerged vehicle in the parish, she said.

On Saturday, the body of a woman was recovered from the Tickfaw River, in St. Helena Parish northeast of Baton Rouge, after a car in which she was riding was swept away.

A 54-year-old man in Greensburg in the northern part of the state died when his vehicle was swept off the road, state police said.

The body of a 68-year-old man was recovered on Friday near Baker after he drowned, said William Beau Clark, the coroner in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Another person is also believed missing in St Helena Parish, added Mr Edwards.

Reuters
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Police have confirmed that a real estate agent killed his wife, their three children and the family dog, before turning his gun on himself. Mark Short carried out the murder suicide on the day his wife was planning to leave him, after complaining about domestic abuse.

Police said on Monday that Mr Short, 40, shot his wife, Megan, and their three children - eight-year-old Lianna, five-year-old Mark Jr. and two-year-old Willow - on August 6 at the the familys home in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

Officials said that three weeks earlier, police were called to the Shorts home for a domestic dispute, but no charges were filed. Police said Ms Short, 33, said she was afraid of her husband and officers told her how to obtain a protection-from-abuse order. She declined to do so, police said.

Megan and Mark's three children (Facebook / Megan Short)

Police said a note was found in homes dining room and a handgun was found next to Mr Short body. The note was written by Mr Short most likely after the killings of his family, said Berkshire County District Attorney John Adams.

In the note, Mark Short Sr. admitted to purchasing a gun and killing his family, Mr Adams said, according to the Morning Call.

This was a very, very unfortunate incident, Mr Adams said at a news conference. Leaving an abusive relationship is often a very dangerous time for a victim.

Mr Shorts relatives said that he took his wife and to Disney World in February in hopes of improving his relationship with his wife and convincing her to stay together. That did not help, though, the relatives said, Ms Short still planned to leave.

A week before the killing, Ms Short wrote on social media that she needed people to help her move out on 6 August

 Peru protesters call for end to domestic violence

A neighbour who saw the post, Angie Burke, told the Reading Eagle, that she saw emergency vehicles outside the familys home at the weekend and her heart sank.

I walked down there to see if anybody had any news. Then I came back here and tried to put on my happy face, she said.

In the US, one in four women will be victims of domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.

About 4,000 women are killed by their current or former partners every year. Three quarters of those deaths occur while the women attempt to leave the relationship or have already left, according to Domestic Abuse Shelter, a group working against domestic violence.
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Tension flared again overnight in Milwaukee, with one person shot and a police officer injured in the second night of riots triggered by the fatal shooting of a suspect by an officer.

Police violence against African-Americans has ignited sporadic, sometimes violent protests in the past two years. It also has prompted a national debate over race and policing while fuelling the growth of the Black Lives Matter civil rights movement.

Violence erupted in Milwaukee on Sunday after peaceful vigils by small groups of demonstrators, and police said late that night that they had rescued one shooting victim, who was taken to a hospital. It was not immediately clear if the injured person was a protester.

Recommended Read more Milwaukee sees night of violence after police shoot man dead

One police officer was hospitalised after a rock smashed a patrol car windshield, the city police department said. Another squad car was damaged by rioters hurling bricks, rocks and bottles, it said, adding that officers made multiple arrests.

Police said they began trying to disperse crowds after shots were fired and some protesters threw objects. A tense standoff continued into the early morning hours, punctuated by intermittent reports of gunfire.

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker had activated the National Guard in case more trouble broke over the death of Sylville Smith, 23, who was shot while fleeing a traffic stop.

Despite the violence, police said the National Guard had not been called in, as authorities worked to restore order.

Aiming to reassure the community that the police acted properly, Chief Edward Flynn told a news conference on Sunday that video from the officer's body camera showed Smith had turned toward him with a gun in his hand.

Earlier on Sunday evening, about 200 people had gathered to light candles near the spot where Smith was killed in the Sherman Park neighbourhood. A few officers looked on as faith and community leaders implored protesters to restrain their anger.

We are not ignorant and stupid people, one 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.

On Saturday night, shots were fired, six businesses were burned 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 officers were injured.

At the 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 the law. The officer had stopped Smith's vehicle because the driver was behaving suspiciously and then had to chase him on foot into an enclosed space between two houses, Flynn said.
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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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On the street where 55-year-old Maulama Akonjee and his assistant were gunned down in afternoon sunshine, lamposts bore a wanted sign and a sketched drawing of a man police wanted to speak to in connection with the murder. Police patrol cars stood close to the location of the killings, and at the mosque where Mr Akonjee worked as the cleric, and Tharam Uddin helped him.

Those in the community had been told that a suspect was being questioned - later it would be reported that he had been charged with murder - but in the neighbourhood of Ozone Park, there was unease and anxiety as to what lay behind the killing on Saturday afternoon. Some believed it was most likely a robbery gone wrong, but members of Mr Akonjee's mosque, were sure it was a "hate crime".

In Queens, as burials proceeded for 55-year-old Mr Akonjee and Mr Uddin, members of the community said there was no reason for the men to be attacked.

Mosque leader Maulama Akonjee was shot and killed close to his mosque in the New York borough of Queens (Handout ) (Handout)

This was a hate crime. There is nothing else, Badrul Khan, a regular at the mosque, told The Independent. He did his job. He did not make political statements. His job was here.

The men were shot in Ozone Park area of Queens, New York, at around 2pm on Saturday afternoon. The men had left the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque after lunchtime prayers when they were shot a couple of streets away, their bodies left to lie in the street beneath rattling subway tracks.

CCTV footage of the incident showed a man walking behind the two men, raise a pistol and shoot them at close range. Both were shot in the head. The two men were taken to the nearby Jamaica Medical Centre Hospital, but neither could be saved. Police issued a $10,000 reward for information about the killings.

(AP (AP)

Mr Khan said the imam was a decent man who worked hard to explain the nuances of Islam to the mosques members. We miss him. We know we can never replace him.

Ozone Park is a multicultural neighbourhood in probably the most mixed borough of the worlds most diverse city. The mosques members are mainly, though not exclusively, from Bangladesh. Many came from the city of Sylhet.

There are many young families, and residents said they were startled by the shooting, carried out in daylight on a busy street. Kash Reti, who moved to the US from Nepal ten years ago, said the incident had made him consider moving.

Police are trying to determine if the men were victims of a hate crime (Andrew Buncombe ) (Andrew Buncombe)

This used to be nice and quiet. A few months ago, a man was robbed a gun point by three men and the police werent able to catch them, he said.

Anthony Dookie, who was mowing grass, said he was trying to keep to his daily routine. You cant let it get to you, he said. If you get scared, you stay in and then end up getting killed into your own home.

Others voiced sterner concerns. Monir Chowdhury, who worshipped daily with the two men, 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.

He told the Associated Press that in one incident, a man called him Osama as he walked to the mosque with his three-year-old son.

A lot of neighbours said, Hey, don't take your kid with you, he said. People, they just hate us.

The New York Daily News said that after the shooting, the suspect jumped into a car and hit a cyclist as he sped from the scene. The cyclist was able to note down the cars licence plate and passed the information to police. That was how they were able to track the man they described as a person of interest.

Investigators said on Monday that the car matched the description of one involved in an unsolved hit-and-run crash in Brooklyn. The man was taken into custody

Police on Sunday had released a sketch of the suspected gunman, a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. He was described by witnesses as a man with a medium complexion.

Late on Monday, it was announced that a suspect had been charged with murder.
Last week, 10 youth from the Avondale area were able to end their summer by working alongside famous designer, Alex Gilliam. The goal was to design and construct a multi-functional structure for the Avondale Youth and Family Development Center.

Mr. Gilliam, founder and executive director of Public Workshop, has created unique engagement opportunities for youth across the country. The organization has redefined the way that youth participate as citizens and leaders in the design of their communities, and addressing the most pressing challenges in the world around them. "In the process, we are fundamentally re-imagining education by reshaping how and where learning occurs" said Mr. Gilliam.

green|spaces, a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing the sustainability of living, working, and building in the Chattanooga area, brought Mr. Gilliam and Public Workshop to Chattanooga from Philadelphia as part of a series of events called Learn by Design. The series included design-thinking workshops for three YFD summer camps, sent 15 teachers from Title I schools to Bright Spark's Summer Educator Workshop where they learned practical design-thinking skills that they can use in their classrooms, and recruited True School as the Keynote Speaker for Hamilton County's Innovate, Create, and Engage Summit.

Learn by Design will culminate with a large design-build project based on the youth's designs and will be built at the Chattanooga Public Library during the Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architect's State Convention hosted in Chattanooga Aug. 24-26.

"While youth and adults from many neighborhoods in Chattanooga have been involved with various parts of Learn by Design, we wanted to focus the design-build workshop on Avondale's YFD center," said Michael Walton, executive director of green|spaces. "The city of Chattanooga has budgeted to start work the Center later this year so it was the perfect opportunity to provide youth with a place to build a confident voice and to participate in the design and construction of a new YFD center."

Gerald Perry, director for the Avondale YFD Center, said, "This was a great program for the youth of the Avondale YFD Center. They really enjoyed the aspect of using their creative mindset to build a project with wood and tools. This also allowed the youth to build positive communication skills and teamwork by trusting who they were working with. Just seeing how this program worked for these kids, it will be a great asset to bring back technical trade schools for our youth."

Learn by Design is one facet of green|spaces Empower program, which is focused on outreach and educational in low-income neighborhoods. We see Learn by Design as an opportunity to bridge our programming of advancing the sustainability of buildings with the sustainability our of neighborhoods," said Mr. Walton. "Our goal is to inspire a new generation of thoughtful designers and builders.

The series was made possible by the financial support from the Footprint Foundation, and tools and supplies from Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga, Green's Eco Build and Design, New Blue Construction and Elder's Ace Hardware.
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When Officer Steve Dunham met the 7-year-old, the boy was offering to sell his teddy bear.

The little guy must have seemed industrious, standing in front of the CVS at the busy intersection of Second and Main in Franklin, Ohio, trying to hawk his toy on July 7. Most children dont want to part with their stuffed animals. In this boys case, it was a lone source of comfort, but he was desperate.

He hadnt eaten in days.

Perhaps if he sold the small bear for enough money, he could walk across the street and get a kids meal at Subway. At the very least, a Snickers bar from CVS. Those cost mere quarters.

And it must have seemed like a charitable area. One walking the short two blocks from the Great Miami River to the CVS would see the towering spires of at least four churches.

But he wasnt having any luck.

Still, being downtown and completely alone was likely better than being home. His parents allegedly werent even aware hed left the house.

It broke my heart, Dunham told WLWT. He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadnt eaten in several days.

Dunham approached the boy, who was initially shy and uncomfortable.

I think he thought he would get in trouble, he told CNN. He told me he was hungry and was trying to get money for food.

Dunham was not going to buy the bear. But he would buy the boy a sandwich at Subway.

The pair said a little prayer and ate dinner together, Dunham told the TV station.

Meanwhile, Dunham asked the boy where he lived, who his parents were.

Their names are Tammy and Michael Bethel, and they live on Main Street, according to the Journal-News.

Dunham and the boy headed to the Franklin Police Department, where the boy watched cartoons with a dispatcher for a few hours.

Meanwhile, fellow officers Amanda Myers and Kyle ONeal went to the house.

There they found utter disarray, along with four other boys  ages 11, 12, 15 and 17.

The floor of the house was covered in trash and discarded, empty liquor bottles. Cockroaches scurried in and out of the odorous crevices in the trash piles, and the house had the pungent, choking smell of stale and drying urine  both cat and human, Police Chief Russell Whitman told WTWL.

A photograph of the refrigerator released by the police department showed that what little food it contained was rotting, such as a package of raw chicken that had turned a deep, dark brown. One of the containers attached to the door  which are generally used to hold jars of salad dressing and other condiments  was filled halfway with black liquid. Small, unidentifiable chunks floated in it.

The entire refrigerator was smeared with what appeared to be a sludge of some sort, varying in color from red to yellow to black.

Another photograph showed the kitchen.

In the photo was a slow cooker filled with discarded trash. Next to it was a bottle of oil, which had turned brown. On the stove-top sat uneaten food and what appeared to be a crushed fast-food soda cup. A bottle of Comet cleaner sat on top of the stove, alongside a bottle of vinegar and a container of salt.

A single cabinets doors hung open, and its lone shelf was warped and hanging low, threatening to break.

The officers arrested Tammy and Michael Bethal and fed the other children. Warren County Children Services conducted an emergency removal of the four children and, along with the unnamed 7-year-old, put them in the custody of unidentified relatives.

Both parents were arraigned Tuesday, although the story was not widely reported until Friday. Both parents pleaded not guilty to five counts each of child endangerment, the Associated Press reported.

Later, Dunham visited the 7-year-old.

I came back to check on him and he was hiding. He jumped out to scare me when I came back in the building; he got me real good, Dunham told WLWT. [We] would like to go home at the end of the day feeling like [weve] done something positive and, you know, had some kind of positive impact.

His police chief praised his work.

Officers see this nationwide every day and they do go above and beyond to feed homeless, feed children.  They treat people like their own family, Chief Whitman told the Journal-News.

Im very proud of my officers for what they did, but officers across the nation go above and beyond every single day, Whitman told CNN. We just happened to be put in the limelight. You can find stories like this everywhere with police officers every day. Thats why we get into this business, to help people.

As news of Dunhams actions circulated, grateful citizens wrote messages of thanks, gratitude and encouragement on the Franklin Ohio Police Departments Facebook page.

"Franklin Ohio police department youre the best. Thank you for doing what you do. You got great officers and thank god for officer Steve Dunham, wrote one user. A heartfelt thanks for the caring, concern and decisive action of the officers involved in this tragic case, from the mother of a young officer in Georgia, wrote another. Just read the story. You guys (and gals) probably wonder from time to time in your careers if you really make a difference out on the street..Clearly, you do. Excellent job. And Thank you for protecting us all, wrote a third.

The parents have pretrial hearings Sept. 16. Until then, Judge Rupert Ruppert has ordered the parents not to contact the children, the Journal-News reported.

Copyright: Washington Post
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Multiple people have been abducted from an upscale restaurant in the popular beach resort of Puerto Vallarta, according to Mexican authorities.

Two SUVs carrying hooded gunmen arrived around 1am at the restaurant, which is located on the citys main boulevard.

They reportedly asked diners to drop to the ground and no gunfire was heard.

As many as 16 people have been taken, but the exact number has not been confirmed.

Prosecutors say that they are investigating.

Five vehicles were abandoned at the restaurant, and it is still unclear whether they belonged to the gunmen or the victims.

The restaurant has been named as La Leche, which is in the tourist part of town.

The governor of the state of Jalisco, Aristoteles Sandoval, posted in a series of tweets that the incident cannot be tolerated.

I have instructed the [district attorney Eduardo Almaguer] to use all means at our disposal to clarify this serious incident, he said.

He added authorities are working together to track down the people who had been taken and capture those responsible.

Security has been tightened in the area so that businesses can resume their normal activities, he said.

"They were not tourists or residents who work in legal activities," Mr Almaguer said at the press conference, adding that they were likely tied to a criminal gang.

According to local newspaper Excelsior, the main target of the abduction appeared to be one man and his bodyguards.
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In the place where the pastel shades of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic livery are nowhere to be seen and where there is not the slightest encouragement to join the sporting party, you must wind down your car windows to enter.

We must put them down now, says the taxi driver, whose jokes about entering the Senador Camara favela are nervous and whose anxiety is unsettling. First impressions are benign, if desolate. A litter of pigs is gnawing on the rubbish which has spilled out of plastic bags on the street. A fire burns in the street. But walls have ears in the Senador Camara. The smart, black unmarked car does not belong here. He drops us and goes.

Its the second time this summer the man behind the wheel has told me he feared that he would be mistaken for police. The same tension applied in La Castellane, the Marseilles suburb where the graffiti on the approach roads reads nique la police (f*** the police). But the police dont even exist in this place and when they do they venture where we are venturing there will nearly always be gunfire. There is a word for the vehicle they travel in: the skull car because shootouts and death often come with it.

The kings in places where the usual rule of law breaks down are the mafia. There are three factions vying for control in these vast populous lands known as the West Zone, in the city which would have you believe that it is about sand, sun, samba and staging a great race for Usain Bolt to run. Depending on which place you have wound up, Third Command, Red Command or Friends of Friends are in charge. We are in the territory of Third Command  a group whose business is the supply of drugs and who dispense their own kind of summary justice.

 Inside Rio's favelas

When one of their number has transgressed a moral code, perhaps committing a crime which attracts the skull car into the place, he will be submitted to what is known as The Microwave, by which tyres are thrown around him and set on fire. Many say it is the way the Brazilian investigative journalist Tim Lopes died when he was working on a report about parties hosted by drug traffickers in another district, Vila Cruzeiro, which allegedly involved drugs and sexual exploitation of minors.

It is testament to the breakdown of law and order that those who live here find it hard to tell you whether they would prefer the police or the perpetrators of the The Microwave to be running the place. Thats a little complex, says Fabiana Caveirao, who is accompanying us. Though some of the communities are occupied by a Unidade de Policia Pacificadora (UPP), or Police Pacification Unit, the picture that she, like all Brazilians, paint is of a police service which subjugates the communities they occupy and colludes with mafia.

There is an entire vocabulary for this. An arego is the financial agreement police will regularly strike with Third Republic  perhaps when a baile funk party is planned at which the sale of drugs will be organised. Were having a party. Leave us alone. You will get a share, say the mafia. The establishment complies.

In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Show all 20 1 /20 In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Residents (R to L) Luiza, Janubie, Leiticia and Lucas sit beneath an overpass near their houses in an impoverished area in the unpacified Complexo da Mare slum complex, one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Rio's Police Pacification Unit (UPP) now controls 38 of the city favelas amid the city's efforts to improve security ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil A young resident stands next to a children's kitchen playset in an impoverished area in the unpacified Complexo da Mare slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil A child stands in front of a divider between the unpacified Complexo da Mare slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil One of the residents of the unpacified Complexo da Mare slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Nicolina Damascena sits in her home in the unpacified Complexo da Mare slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil The group of 16 communities house around 130,000 residents while plagued by violence and poverty and dominated by drug gangs In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Mare is located close to Rio's international airport and has been mentioned as a likely pacification target for the police In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Resident and refuse picker, or catadora, Dona Lucinda, works in the slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil A historic replica of an original Mare settlement home is displayed in the Museu da Mare in the Complexo da Mare In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Historic photographs of residents are displayed in the Museu da Mare. The settlement of the area began in the 1940's with wooden structures built over the edge of Guanabara Bay In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Resident Simone in her room in favela In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Kids practice capoeira in the facilities of favela complexes in Rio In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Drug vials are strewn about on a sidewalk in the slum complex In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil A man walks over a makeshift bridge above a polluted stream in an impoverished area in the slum In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Maria de Lourdes de Lima stands with flowers in her home in favela In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil 80-year-old Maria de Lourdes de Lima, a 40-year Mare resident, stands in her doorway In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Leiticia stands in an impoverished area of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Josefa Soares de Olivera (Top C) stands with Vitor Soares near her home in favela In pictures: Life inside one of the largest 'favela' complexes in Rio de Janeiro Brazil Janubie washes her face with fresh water from an open pipe near her house

When the authorities cross the line and the armoury of R15 and AK47 weapons are fired, there are casualties, though no-one ever seems to know from where and whom the gunfire has come. Bala perdida (lost bullet) they call it. Amnesty Brazil revealed last year that of the 56,000 victims of murder in Brazil in 2012, 30,000 were young people aged between 15 and 29. Around 90 per cent of those young victims were men and 77 per cent were black. Brazil has the highest homicide rate in the world.

It is testament to a communitys inherent will to organise that Senador Camara  named after the railway station built here by the Senator of the Republic in the early 20th century days when the state was respected  wants better.

Ms Caveirao takes us to meet Samuel Muniz De Araujo, or Samuca by the nickname which Brazilians always like to give. Operating from a former school which was vacated after being caught in gun crossfire, he has established a form of community organisation  A Historia Que Eu Conto ("The Story I Tell").

Beyond the Olympic village in Rio and the golden beaches lies a much darker monster (Getty)

His story tells how adolescents of this place are inexorably drawn under the ambit of the mafia who rule it. When De Araujo was 15 and working as a fisherman on the coast at Cabo Frio, his mother died and he was drawn into criminality; robbery, at first, then kidnap to extort money  a crime which became common from 1988-1990, when he was criminally active.

I was autonomous and worked independently [of the mafia], De Araujo says, through our translator. But then if they needed me I would do things for them. I didnt create a relationship with them but if they needed a car to be robbed or if they needed someone to help because of the risk of another gang coming into the favela, I would help. Then they left me alone.

De Araujos major hit was on a businessman whose movements he and two accomplices had monitored before seizing from an underground car park. He is reluctant to detail the victim beyond a forename  Sergio. We posed as police officers, arrested him and drove him off in his own car to a condominium on the west side, he says. He was trying to avoid the police so there was no trouble when we wanted $200,000 (154,000). De Araujo says that after he had tried to kidnap the man a second time he was arrested and sentenced to 15 years in prison, commuted to seven. He says his prison term pushed him away from crime.

Police rarely travel into the Senador Camara without a gun fight (Getty)

There is no evidence of any municipal enthusiasm for De Araujos "community centre" where the young of Senador Camara can undertake theatre, dance and art. The former school is a careworn, tumbledown place. The roof is falling in. We speak in a filthy kitchen. A horse grazes on the yard outside. There are signs that a new building will replace this one, which in our own world would be condemned. But no-one seems too sure when that will be.

The money always takes time to arrive here. Mention former socialist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silvas famous Bolsa Familia social security system and people laugh. People who dont need it get it, says the taxi driver. Like politicians. There is plenty of time to talk to the driver. The journey out from the Olympic centre of Barra is about 25 miles and it takes the best part of two hours, through Rios chronically bad and permanently gridlocked roads.

There is not good management of money. No-one checks where it going, says Ms Caveirao. She tells of a nation so incapable of governance that it regularly pays out pensions to the dead. She, too, belongs to the fragile pursuit of a better way. Working as a cleaner to subsidise her progress, the 38-year-old has finished a college course in social services and is embarking on a higher degree, examining the need for shared parenting.

Police arent welcome in the Senador Camara, with their vehicles regarded as skull cars (Getty)

The most subtle evidence of the fight-back against mafia rule and its summary forms of justice certainly belongs in the homes. The Brazil boys love of ostentation makes the gangs attractive, says Ms Caveirao. The boys who work for them have more expensive things and the girls then go after them because they like ostentation. But there was a time when the criminals would go to talk to parents when a girl began to look like a woman and say: Your girl is going to be mine. And then the criminals would start to watch and bring her in. In many cases now the families wont accept that. They resist that. Perhaps they just run away.

The level of economic hardship here is less severe than in some of the favelas in the south Brazil, such as the Morro da Cruz community at Porto Alegre featured by The Independent two years ago. But at least they are independent of a mafia down there. The drug trade here is intense and it controls. You see the power of the big fish. They live like they do in the movies, says Ms Caveirao.

A short walk through the streets neighbouring De Araujos project reveals more prosaic dangers. There is a craze across Rio de Janeiro for flying kites, though many glue broken glass to the string attached to the tails of their crafts to slice through those of others. You can cut yourself walking into those which lodge on low hanging electricity wires. We dodge one which is seemingly conducting the electricity from the makeshift cables. A smell of burning plastic fills the air.

Young boys become attracted to the gangs because of the money and the girls that come with it (Getty)

We reach a small matrix of streets where "Third Command"  nor the other two controlling mafias  do not exert control. It is like Switzerland, says Ms Caveirao. But she still does not think it wise to photograph or film. We dont know which people watch us, she says.

Motorbikes buzz around manically in the dusk, none with headlamps, while the lights of the supermarket compensate for the lack of streetlamps. And then we reach the railroad, which takes us back to the Barra district, with its ubiquitous Olympics signposts, volunteers and smiles, a mere 20-minute ride away.

We have no relationship to all of that, says Ms Caveirao. That is a totally different life to ours. We dont even see the menial work which the Olympics is giving. Its like make-up. Its not real.
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Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said there were no successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks before president Barack Obama entered the White House.

Speaking in Youngstown, Ohio, before Donald Trump took to the stage to reveal his plan to fight terrorism, the former mayor said the rise of radical terrorism has only occurred in the last eight years.

Under those eight years before Obama came along, we didnt have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States, Mr Giuliani said.

They all started when Clinton and Obama got into office.

He did not mention the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 in New York, when more than 2,900 people died.

His comments came as vice president Joe Biden had just finished his speech against Donald Trump in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he called the Republican nominees ideas dangerous and profoundly un-American.

Mr Trump, who was working as a real estate mogul in 2001, when Mr Giuliani was mayor, has since said he saw American Muslims cheering as the Twin Towers fell.

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

He also said he donated money to help rebuild the city after the attacks, and those claims have been disputed.

His aide, Katrina Pierson, recently came under fire as she said on CNN that the US did not invade Afghanistan until president Obama came into office.

"Remember, we werent even in Afghanistan by this time," Ms Pierson said. "Barack Obama went into Afghanistan, creating another problem."

She later clarified that she had been referring to Syria and that "everyone makes mistakes".

Mr Giuliani said in April that he would not endorse Mr Trump but that he would vote for him in November.

He also defended Mr Trump's comments last week that president Obama "founded" Isis, the radical terrorist network.
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A student at a college in California has sparked a bitter debate after posting an advert for a non-white roommate.

The Facebook post by 20-year-old Kare Urena read: "POC [people of colour] only."

She later added: "Its exclusive because I dont want to live with any white folks."

The post has been removed from the Pitzer College Class of 2018 Facebook page.

The college president Melvin Oliver said in a statement: While Pitzer is a community of individuals passionately engaged in establishing intracultural safe spaces for marginalised groups, the Facebook post and several subsequent comments are inconsistent with our mission and values.

"This is but another example to us that social media is not an effective platform to engage in complex dialog on seemingly intractable critical issues that have varied histories and contested understandings.

"They create more heat than light and invite extreme viewpoints that intentionally obfuscate the nuanced context that surrounds these issues."

Students were quick to comment on the Facebook post, both criticising and defending the advert.

Student Dalia Zada said: POC only? Maybe Im missing something or misunderstanding your post, but how is that not a racist thing to say?"

The Claremont Independent, the college newspaper, reported that AJ Leon said: "This is directed to protect POC, not white people. Dont see how this is racist at all."

Ms Urena, who describes herself as Afro Caribbean, and her roommate, Sajo Jefferson, told the Washington Post that a living space dedicated to people of colour was "reasonable" and "necessary".

"We live in a world where the living circumstances of POC are grounded in racist social structures that we can not opt out of.

"These conditions threaten the minds, bodies and souls of people of colour both within and without the realms of higher education.

"We are fighting to exist.
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Donald Trump is under pressure from Hillary Clinton to disclose all pro-Russia ties after the The New York Times reported a Ukrainian ledger showed millions of dollars earmarked for his campaign chairman.

The so-called black ledger apparently showed that the political party of former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych designated $12.7m (9.9m) in cash payments to Paul Manafort between 2007 and 2012. Investigators for Ukraines National Anti-Corruption Bureau said the money was part of an illegal off-the-books system of payment.

Mr Manafort vehemently denied the allegations from the New York newspaper, saying that there is no evidence to suggest he accepted such payments.

Additionally, investigators found that Mr Manafort was a part of an $18m deal to sell Ukrainian cable television assets, which prosecutors linked to offshore shell companies. Prosecutors are not focusing on Mr Manafort in this aspect of the investigation, but feel that he must have known the nature of the business.

He understood what was happening in Ukraine, Vitaliy Kasko, a former official at the general prosecutors office in Kiev, told The New York Times. It would have to be clear to any reasonable person that the Yanukovych clan, when it came to power, was engaged in corruption.

 Donald Trump suggests Hillary Clinton could be assassinated

Mr Kasko added that it was impossible to imagine somebody like Mr Manafort would think the financial dealings were legitimate.

Once again, The New York Times has chosen to purposefully ignore facts and professional journalism to fit their political agenda, choosing to attack my character and reputation rather than present an honest report, said Mr Manafort. I have never received a single off-the-books cash payment as falsely reported by The New York Times, nor have I ever done work for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.

The suggestion that I accepted cash payments is unfounded, silly, and nonsensical.

Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych Show all 21 1 /21 Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-9.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-10.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-8.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-6.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-7.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-5.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-4.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-14.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-12.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-1.jpg EPA Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-1.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-3.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych p5karaoke.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-7.jpg Reuters Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych yanukovych-13.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-2.jpg Reuters Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-8.jpg EPA Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych p5looGETTY.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-9.jpg EPA Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych p5cars.jpg Indyplus gallery: Inside the lavish residency of fugitive president Victor Yanukovych kiev-6.jpg AP

Mr Manaforts comments echo an earlier defence made by Mr Trump, when the newspaper published a report detailing troubles within the campaign, the property tycoon accused The New York Times of fabricating stories to promote a pro-Clinton bias.

But the latest report inflamed concerns from the Clinton campaign, especially given Mr Trumps recent off-hand remarks suggesting Russian intelligence should hack his Democratic opponent.

Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manaforts and all other campaign employees and advisers ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, said Clinton campaign chairman Robby Mook.

However, Mr Manafort maintains that he simply did work as a campaign professional for an international campaign when he worked with Mr Yanukovych.

Mr Manafort began his work as a consultant for the Party of Regions and Mr Yanukovych, first unofficially in 2004, then officially in 2006.

My work in Ukraine ceased following the countrys parliamentary elections in October 2014, Mr Manafort said.

Mr Yanukovych served as Ukraine president in 2010, but fled to Russia after the 2014 revolution, leaving behind him a trail of alleged corruption.
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At least six people have been killed after Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit a hospital in Yemen.

The attack was launched on part of the Abs district in the rebel-held province of Hajja in North West Yemen.

The hospital is run by aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF), who confirmed the air strike had taken place on their Twitter page.

A witness at the scene of the attack said medics could not evacuate the wounded because warplanes continued to fly over the area, according to The Guardian.

Ayman Mazkour, the head of the health sector in the Hajja region, said six people are confirmed to have died and 20 have been wounded, according to AFP.

The strikes come less than 48 hours after MSF claimed the Saudi-led coalition killed 10 children after attacking a school in rebel-held Saada.

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. 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Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

The Arab coalition began its campaign of air strikes against Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies in March of 2015.

The aim is to fight off rebels and restore Yemen's president, Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, to power.
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Australian authorities have seized 18 shipments of child sex dolls since 2013.

The possession of the dolls is banned in the country but their Japanese designer claims he is an artist helping to prevent paedophiles from offending.

The anatomically correct dolls - which resemble children as young as five - have movable joints and come with heating instructions, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Shin Takagi, the founder of the Trottla, said he set up the company to help him fight his own sexual urges and claimed his designs help to channel desires away from children.

In an interview with The Atlantic earlier this year, he said: We should accept that there is no way to change someones fetishes.

I am helping people express their desires, legally and ethically. Its not worth living if you have to live with repressed desire.

He claimed his customers thank him for saving them from committing a crime.

He said: I often receive letters from buyers. The letters say, Thanks to your dolls, I can keep from committing a crime.

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

"I hear statements like that from doctors, prep school teacherseven celebrities.

But experts have disputed whether dolls act as a deterrent and some have warned that the dolls normalise the sexualisation of children.

A petition launched in Queensland, Australia last year has been signed by over 60,000 people calling on the regional government to ban their sale.

A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokeswoman told the Herald: "The Australian Border Force works closely with the Australian Federal Police 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".

They said they are treating the issue very seriously.

There are treatments available for paedophilia, including cognitive behavioural therapy and chemical castration. Analysis by the Mayo Clinic found they do not change the paedophiles basic sexual orientation towards children.
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A town in Corsica has become the third in France to ban full-body swimsuits, known as burkinis, following a clash between local residents and bathers of North African descent.

Five people were injured in a beach brawl near the town of Sisco, in Upper Corsica on Saturday, which reportedly erupted after young locals began taking pictures of North African families wearing burkinis.

An investigation into the brawl is underway, which witnesses say involved hatchets and harpoons and also resulted in three cars being set alight, according to France 24.

Volunteer surf life saver Mecca Laval runs along a beach in Sydney, 2007 (Reuters)

The Mayor of Sisco became the latest official to prohibit the swimwear, which is worn by some Muslim women, following a council session on Sunday held amid tensions over the clash.

Mayor Angie-Pierre Vivo told France-Info radio on Monday that the ban is aimed at calming religious tensions and protecting Muslims of North African descent.

The five people injured on Saturday were later discharged from hospital, but unrest has continued on the island.

On Sunday, hundreds of Corsicans attempted to march onto a housing estate in the Lupino district of the islands second city Bastia, which has a large North African community. The Muslim families involved in Saturdays clash are believed to live in Lupino.

Scuffles with the police occurred and some of the crowd chanted, This is our home, French daily newspaper Le Monde reports.

Siscos Burkina ban follows prohibitions of the full-body swimwear in the French Riviera resorts of Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet earlier this month.

Approximately 500 people gathered on Sunday morning at a housing estate in Bastia's Lupino neighbourhood (AFP ) (AFP)

Lionnel Luca, the mayor of Villeneuve-Loubet, said the ban was put in place for sanitary reasons.

He told AFP: 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.

The Mayor of Cannes, David Lisnard, said in a statement 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.

 Anti-women laws that still exist in 2016

It is unclear in each case how the ban will be enforced and if it would also include wetsuits or other clothing worn for swimming.

The bans have provoked strong criticism from Muslim groups and anti-discrimination organisations, who argue women should have the freedom to dress how they wish.

France already has a controversial country-wide burqa ban, which outlaws full-face veils in public, and analysts have said the beach rules could worsen feelings of alienation and fuel extremist propaganda.

The bans have been interpreted as a reaction to recent terror attacks in France, including the murder of a Catholic priest by two Isis supporters in Normandy and an attack that killed 85 people in Nice.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
Here are the special event street closures for Aug. 18-21:

Thursday, Aug. 18

UTC Freshman Move-In: It's back-to-school time for the incoming freshmen at the University of TN at Chattanooga, and they will be closing off part of the UTC Campus to get moved in. Closures include University Street between McCallie and MLK, 8th Street between Douglas and Campus Drive, Vine Street between Houston and Douglas and Oak between Houston and Douglas will all be closed from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. More information on the college at www.utc.edu.

Friday, Aug. 19

Nightfall: Nightfall is a free concert series that takes place each Friday in the Summer. Market Street from 10th to 8th, as well as Martin Luther King Boulevard from Broad to Georgia, will be closed from 5:30-11:59 p.m. Visit www.nightfallchattanooga.com for more information.

Saturday, Aug. 20

Southern Brewers Festival: For 22 years, the Southern Brewers Festival continues to be a Chattanooga summer tradition. With beer from over 50 breweries, live music from 2 p.m.-midnight, and hosted at Ross' Landing Park adjacent to the Tennessee River, this is a beer festival not to be missed. Road closures include Riverfront Pkwy from Aquarium to the Riverfront Parking lot entrance, Chestnut from Aquarium to Riverfront, as well as Riverfront Pkwy from Aquarium Way to the Riverfront Parking lot entrance south of Power Alley. In addition, the ramp onto Riverfront Parkway on Georgia Avenue will be closed. Set up begins Friday at 9 a.m., streets open Sunday at noon. More information at www.southernbrewersfestival.com.

Unwanted Motorcycles Club Run: The Unwanted Motorcycle Club will be hosting a run and comedy show benefiting T.C Thompson's Children hospital. It will culminate with them riding on to Station Street and displaying their motorcycles from 5-11 p.m. Station Street in front of Comedy Catch and Revelry Room will be closed from 3-11 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 21

Chattanooga Market: Reggie White Boulevard will be closed from the entrance to the skate park to 19th Street on Sunday from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. The largest producer-only public market in the region. Fresh locally-grown produce, breads, arts and more. Visit www.chattanoogamarket.com for more information.

In order to view a map of these closures, please visit: http://www.chattanooga.gov/transportation/traffic-engineering-a-operations/special-events-a-street-closures






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A far-right politician who is favourite to become the next president of Austria has proposed banning the burqa.

Norbert Hofer lost the last presidential election to his Green-backed opponent, Alexander Van der Bellen, by a small margin in May, but the vote will be repeated in October because of counting irregularities.

Mr Hofer was asked about religious clothing such as the burqa, worn by some Muslim women to cover their faces, during an interview with Austrian tabloid Oesterreich.

He responded: I think [a ban] makes sense,

He also promised to take Austria out of the European Union if Turkey is allowed to join.

Mr Hofer called for an inquiry into how a demonstration of 5,000 Turkish residents in Vienna was able to take place after the failed coup in Turkey.

The anti-Muslim and Eurosceptic Freedom party (FPO) candidate is ahead in the latest poll by the Oesterreich newspaper  with 52 per cent of the vote compared to Mr Van der Bellens 48 per cent share.

The poll showed 57 per cent of the 600 respondents cited Hofers personality as the most important factor in their decision, followed closely by protection from terror at 56 per cent and having a more stringent asylum policy at 55 per cent.

Mr Hofer's tough stance on immigration and fondness for carrying a 9mm Glock pistol, which he has brandished at rallies, have lead him to be dubbed "Austria's Donald Trump".

Although Austria's presidency is a ceremonial post, Mr Hofer said he will try to extend Presidential powers if he wins.

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

Earlier in August a German interior minister proposed a ban on burqas in response to growing concerns about safety after a string of violent incidents in the country.

In France, the burqa has been banned in France since 2010. The Mayor of Cannes also banned burkinis, full body swimsuits worn my Muslim women, from Riviera beaches.
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An Israeli politician is facing a lawsuit for saying Arabs should not be allowed to use public swimming pools used by Jewish Israeli citizens.

For his comments, Moti Dotan, the leader of Lower Galilee Council, Moti Dotan, is being sued for NIS 10 million (2 million) by the Coalition against Racism.

The coalition claim the entire Arab population in Israel are eligible for compensation as a result of the potential discrimination at the council-run pools, Times of Israel reports.

Interviewed on Kol Chai radio station in July 28, Dotan said: "I dont hate Arabs, but I dont want them at my pools. I dont go to their pools, either."

He said he was not being being racist but said his views were a result of "cultural differences" taking into account different clothing conventions and "hygiene cultures".

Following the subsequent outcry, the local politician apologised on Facebook saying: "Yesterday during a radio broadcast I was asked about the homogenous population that patronises the pools in the council's towns.

"In my response, I addressed the cultural differences between the populations and their conduct at the pool.

"Unfortunately, it's possible that I was misunderstood, and may have had a slip of the tongue. In any case, I apologise to anyone who felt offended."

His original comments were condemned by MK Youssef Jabareen from the Joint (Arab) List parliamentary faction, which has demanded Mr Dotan's immediate resignation.

Mr Jabareen said in a statement: "The comments by the head of the Lower Galilee Regional Council are incitement to racism.

"In addition to being morally unacceptable, it is a criminal offense and I ask that the attorney general open a criminal investigation."
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Turkey has once again threatened to abandon its promise to stem the flow of refugees into Europe if it is not granted EU visa liberalisation by October.

The deal with Brussels was expected to see 80 million Turks given visa-free travel in Europes Schengen Area. The measure was drawn up as part of Turkeys agreement to close its internal border and stop refugees travelling to Europe, while also agreeing to take back refugees that had travelled to places such as Greece.

But in an interview with German newspaper Bild, Turkeys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu suggested this promise could be withdrawn if the visas are no longer on the table.

Asked whether hundreds of thousands of refugees in Turkey would head to Europe if the EU did not grant Turks visa freedom from October, Mr Cavusoglu told Bild: I don't want to talk about the worst case scenario  talks with the EU are continuing but it's clear that we either apply all treaties at the same time or we put them all aside.

It cant be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothings in return, he added.

Turkey is required to fulfil a list of criteria from the EU to qualify for visa freedom, a major part of which is amending its anti-terrorism laws, which have been part of rising tensions between Ankara and the West since the failed coup attempt in the country.

Ankara claims it cannot soften its anti-terrorism law due to the multiple security threats posed by Isis militants in neighbouring Syria and Kurdish militants in the south east.

 Erdogan: Turkey coup bid 'an act of treason'

But European commissioner Guenther Oettinger has said he does not see the EU granting Turkey visa freedoms this year, considering the Governments crackdown since the countrys failed military coup.

Europe and the United States have been worried by President Tayyip Erdogans crackdown and suspect he has been using the purges as an excuse to squash dissent. At least 50,000 people have been targeted in the purges, including soldiers, police, civil servants and academics, while around 131 media outlets suspected of inciting or sympathising with the failed coup have been permanently shut down.

This is not the first time Turkey has threatened to pull out of the refugee deal over visas. When Germany joined other countries two weeks ago in calling for Turkey to show proportionality in response to the failed coup, Mr Cavusoglu threatened to withdraw from the agreement.

Germanys Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriels response to the threat was to say that Europe will not be blackmailed.

It is up to Turkey if there is or isnt visa liberalisation, he said. Germany and Europe should under no circumstances be blackmailed.

A spokesman for the European Commission declined to comment on the interview directly but told Reuters the EU continued to work together with Turkey in all areas of cooperation.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Rents in London have fallen annually for the first time in nearly six years as the pace of price increases has slowed across Britain, according to an index.

At 1,280 on average, monthly new lets in London were around 7 cheaper in July than a year earlier, lettings network Countrywide said.

The last time rents in the capital recorded a year-on-year fall was in November 2010, when the average monthly rent in London was relatively cheap compared with now, at 923.

Across Britain, rents rose 1.5 per cent year-on-year, marking the slowest rate of growth since 2012. The average rent across the country in July for a new let was 951.

Earlier this year, the housing market saw a rush of landlords snapping up buy-to-let properties, ahead of a three-percentage-point stamp duty hike for this sector, which came into force on 1 April. Many of these homes may now be appearing on the rental market, widening the choice for tenants and easing the upward pressure on rents.

An increase in the number of homes on the market has meant fewer deals are agreed above asking rents, Countrywide said.

In July 2015, 16 per cent of tenants paid over the asking rent to secure a home compared to 7 per cent in July 2016.

In London the fall was larger - 11 per cent of homes were let for more than the asking price in July, down from 32 per cent in July 2015.

In Scotland and Wales, average new lets are also down on a year ago. In Scotland, the average monthly rent in July was 689, down from 696 in July 2015. In Wales, the typical rent was 671 in July, compared with 685 in July 2015.

Johnny Morris, director of research at Countrywide, said: While rental price growth has slowed, current market dynamics are likely to accelerate the growth of renting. It seems that with more stock and demand from tenants we will see the number of households renting increase in 2016.

PA
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What goes on in your mind? sang the Beatles in 1965. Its a question weve been given cause to ask of some leading Brexiteers and the media megaphones of the Leave movement in recent days.

Weve been told by some of them that there is zero evidence of any kind of hit to the economy as a result of the British vote to leave the European Union. Yet weve also been informed that the economic damage since 23 June is a result of malevolent Remoaners talking down the economy.

Weve been assured that the financial markets have responded with perfect calm, even enthusiasm, to the referendum result. Yet weve also been lectured that the plunging pound is nothing to worry about but something that will actually benefit us by enhancing the competitiveness of our exports. Strangely, some of these obviously incompatible arguments have been put forward by the same individuals.

But actually the cognitive dissonance goes much deeper than the short-term response to the referendum vote.

 Theresa May says she has an 'open mind' over Brexit negotiations

Many leading Brexiteers claim to be ardent Thatcherites. Yet the creation of the modern European single market in goods and services, which we seem to be about to quit, was very much Margaret Thatchers project. Her ministers are said to have described the rule-harmonising Single European Act that she signed in 1986 as part of the Thatcherisation of Europe.

Most Brexiteers on the right profess their attachment, even devotion, to free markets. Yet their enthusiasm dries up when it comes to the free movement of people, which is necessary to make a transnational single market in services work efficiently.

Manufactured goods can be shipped. But services, which constitute the bulk of our economy and a vital element of our exports, often cant be delivered remotely. You cant sell a haircut to Italy via Skype. And its rather difficult to offer a university course to a Slovakian student without them actually coming to study here.

Out  and into the world blared the cover of The Spectator magazine before the referendum vote, arguing that a Leave vote would unshackle Britain to sign new bilateral trade deals with the rest of the world, presumably involving UK services firms.

Yet as an excellent report last week from the Institute for Fiscal Studies pointed out, major new trade deals that cover services with other countries will inevitably require regulatory harmonisation between us and our trading partners; precisely the kind of harmonisation rules that the Brexiteers detested when they emanated from the European Commission.

Brexit reactions  in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Brexit reactions  in pictures Brexit reactions  in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign look at their phones after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall AP Brexit reactions  in pictures Leave supporters cheer results at a Leave.eu party after polling stations closed in the Referendum on the European Union in London Reuters Brexit reactions  in pictures Mr Cameron announces his resignation to supporters Getty Brexit reactions  in pictures Donald Tusk proposes that the 27 remaining EU member states start a wider reflection on the future of our union Getty Brexit reactions  in pictures Ukip leader Nigel Farage greets his supporters on College Green in Westminster, after Britain voted to leave the European Union PA Brexit reactions  in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as referendum results are announced today Getty Brexit reactions  in pictures Boris Johnson leaves his home today to discover a crowd of waiting journalists and police officers Getty Brexit reactions  in pictures Leave EU supporters celebrate as they watch the British EU Referendum results being televised at Millbank Tower in London Rex Brexit reactions  in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In Campaign react as results of the EU referendum are announced at the Royal Festival Hall Reuters Brexit reactions  in pictures Supporters of the Stronger In campaign react after hearing results in the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall PA

Its unclear why this legal convergence will be any less noxious to Brexiteers, any less of an infringement on sovereignty, when it is involves the US, Australia, China, or whoever else we manage to do these bilateral deals with.

The awful thought occurs that we might be compelled by these sovereignty fetishists to take control of our nations laws all over again when a new process of regulatory convergence kicks in.

This underlines the central distortion of the Leave case. The regulation and harmonisation directives from Europe were not some kind of sinister plot to create a European superstate, not foreigners telling us what to do, as the Brexiteers claimed, but rather a necessary condition for the deepening of the single market in services.

The thing about foreigners telling us what to do is that we also get to tell foreigners what to do; for instance, we can tell them not to erect illegitimate non-tariff barriers to British firms selling in their domestic markets.

The deepening of the single market has enabled our accountants, doctors, architects and bankers and many other professions to sell more services to Europeans than they otherwise would.

Its true that the single market in services is still very far from complete. But walking away from membership will still undoubtedly hurt these sectors  and that will, in turn, be harmful to the British economy.

Whats the alternative? Some Brexiteers talk about the huge potential of new free trade deals, such as the one signed between Canada and the EU. But such agreements are primarily about scrapping tariffs and are thus of benefit to manufacturers rather than services firms which are hampered by non-tariff barriers.

And other Brexiteers (the only ones who have even attempted any economic modelling) are apparently happy to wipe out the UKs manufacturers by calling for the unilateral scrapping of all import tariffs.

This would expose the UK to, among other things, a tidal wave of imports of cheap and state-subsidised Chinese steel. Kiss goodbye to Port Talbot and the rest of the UK steel industry if they get their way.

Brexiteers profess to hate needless bureaucracy. Yet, as the IFS report also makes clear, leaving the single market will result in customs checks for our manufacturing exporters since the EU states will suddenly need to identify the country of origin of all our goods to make sure that the single market is not being compromised. Thats even if we sign a free trade deal to eliminate tariffs, by the way.

And even the soft Brexit of European Economic Area membership, which keeps us inside the single market, will mean customs checks for British exporters. Just ask Norway.

We dont know much about the shape of the UKs future trade relations with the EU. But one thing we can be pretty sure of is that there will be officials with clipboards checking containers of British goods arriving in Rotterdam and other mainland European ports. If UK exporting firms dont like this they should take it up with the anti-red-tape Brexiteers.

But the apogee of Brexiteers cognitive confusion surely relates to their reading of European politics. The same people who have portrayed European leaders as a lethal amalgam of ideology, incompetence and malevolence now blithely insist these same politicians will shortly be enveloped by a spirit of generous reason and practical enlightened self-interest when it comes to hammering out a deal with the UK.

The Germans wont want to hurt their own car industry by driving a hard bargain on trade, were airily told. Are these the same Germans who, we were previously warned, had deliberately ruined Greece to teach Athens a lesson?

Are these the same European zealots who are trying to finish the work of Napoleon and Hitler? Did these fiends become pussycats overnight on 23 June?

What goes on in the minds of leading Brexiteers? Who honestly knows. But its terribly confusing for the rest of us.
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Middle-aged white blokes making arbitrary decisions about what young Muslim women should wear at the seaside? Banning the so-called burkini? Im not sure about that.

I know all about the French devotion to laicite and all that, but still I really cannot understand why the mayors of two French municipalities, Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet, have gone militant about the correct attire for frolicking in the Med.

The man in Cannes, David Lisnard, says his concern is over ostentatious religious affiliation at a time of terrorism (quite a non seqitur). The other official, Lionnel Luca, cites sanitary reasons  which is possibly more offensive and ludicrous.

As a fellow middle-aged white bloke, I find it somewhat troubling that two of my kind reacted in this way. Whether it is truly a contemporary expression of the French tradition of secularism I cannot know. What I do know is that it is both wrong and counterproductive.

I have no problem with middle-aged white blokes making all kinds of decisions, providing two things: first, they are there on merit and they are duly elected to make them, and second, that they keep their snouts out of other people's private lives.

Recommended Read more Banning the burkini is misogynistic

How much leg or midriff to display when a la plage is definitely up to the individual and nobody else. Is the wearing of a burkini really going to kick off some kind of public disturbance? No. Is it offensive? No. Is it some sort of in-your-face symbol of religious supremacy? Absolutely not.

Have we not all seen those grainy archive newsreels of Edwardian ladies taking the sea air in very burkini-like costumes? Bathing beauties, as they were once patronisingly labelled, stayed mostly covered up until the invention of the two-piece bikini in 1946.

So while the bikini  and nowadays often only the lower half of it  is well-established beachwear around the world, it is not in itself intrinsic to Western civilisation. Indeed, the emphasis on having to have a beach-ready body, so a skimpy bikini can be worn without supposed embarrassment, is something we ought to reflect on before celebrating the bikini as some sort of feminist triumph.

The fuss about the burkini is part of a wider debate about religious and cultural attire that has been going on for some time, with an unfair focus on Islam.

The niqab famously made the former Labour MP Jack Straw uncomfortable when he was conducting constituency surgeries. There are issues involving airport security. And when that stunning image from Rio 2016, of a German and an Egyptian woman playing beach volleyball, went round the world there was plenty of comment about some sort of cultural as well as sporting clash. Lately, we've also seen the joyous burning of the burka in liberated Syria.

I am happy to admit that when I first encountered a woman wearing a full-on burka a few years ago, I was startled. I thought about it, in the context of the debate we'd been having, and decided that, assuming it was a free choice, it was nothing to do with me, a middle-aged white bloke. In France, however, she'd have run the risk of getting arrested.

None of us should be that worried about what other people wear. Fashion is a fascinating subject, and I could laugh all day at people in Crocs, but I wouldn't pass a law about them. Regulating people's clothes, aside from official uniforms, is not a good idea. The British way is tolerance.

One of the underestimated breakthrough moments for this, decades ago, was a decision by Parliament to exempt the Sikh turban from legislation on compulsory helmets for motorcyclists. That was back in 1977. In France, you still cant get a driving licence if your photograph has you wearing a turban, and nor can a child wear a turban in school.

On the whole, the British approach is based on multiculturalism with the hope (well, my hope) that integration or assimilation can follow by choice and consent. If not, people are allowed their own ways and their own habits. In practice there's a spectrum, with lots of people in the middle of the road, partially religiously observant, following some traditions not others, more or less comfortable with a British identity; its up to them.

That is a messy, pragmatic path and it throws up lots of anomalies that the courts, families, businesses and politicians have to deal with, such as the British Airways stewardess, a Christian who wanted to display her crucifix at work. That sometimes provokes a big public debate  often heated  and then we muddle though. We do not, as they do in France, pass laws prohibiting Jewish children from wearing skullcaps in state schools nor, indeed, fine women 30 for wearing a swimsuit of their choice.

The French tradition is difficult for us to comprehend. Their pejorative word for what they fear, communautarisme, doesn't translate well into English, but it equates to promotion of separate cultures. The British call it multiculturalism, and usually celebrate it, and there lies a difference.

Sorry to be so chauvinist, but it is worth comparing the French and British cultures in this area because our countries share so many values and remain friends and partners, and yet the difference between us on this matter is so very stark. Maybe we have something to learn from each other  but I would not like to see a ban on the burkini at Brighton, Skegness or Southport.
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New York City is awash with negative, body-shaming and sexist adverts.

As New Yorkers hail a yellow taxi, the advert on top of the cab will likely be promoting "FlashDancers NYC" on Broadway, "Private Eyes Gentleman's Club" on West 45th or "New York Dolls" on Murray Street.

When New Yorkers descend into the subway, the negative body-shaming continues. One advert screams about bikini fears and shows a stick-like figure with projecting hip bones plastered next to a discounted rate for breast surgery. It could all be yours for just $3,999. Limited offer only.

Another advert shows a woman holding two clementines over her breasts, looking sad. She then holds up two melons and grins inanely.

It is hard to quantify why these brazen adverts have such a negative effect. For any woman who is happy and secure, it is unlikely an advert like that will make them hasten to book the next available appointment at a plastic surgeon.

The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Show all 12 1 /12 The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Anne Hathaway The 32-year-old actress said she has already experiences job rejections because of her age. Now I'm in my early thirties and I'm like, 'Why did that 24-year-old get that part? I was that 24-year-old once. I can't be upset about it, it's the way things are, she told Glamour. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Helen Mirren On news that Maggie Gyllenhaal had been turned down for being too old, aged 37, to play a 55-year-old mans partner: Its f***ing outrageous. Its ridiculous. Honestly, its so annoying. And twas ever thus. We all watched James Bond as he got more and more geriatric, and his girlfriends got younger and younger. Its so annoying. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Maggie Gyllenhaal Gyllenhaal revealed she was told by a Hollywood producer that she was too old, aged 37, to play the love interest of a 55-year-old man. It was astonishing to me. It made me feel bad, and then it made feel angry, and then it made me laugh, she said at the time. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Meryl Streep Meryl Streep has helped fund an all-female screenwriters group called The Writers Lab to encourage more women to pen Hollywood scripts. She previously told Vogue in 2011: Once women pass childbearing age they could only be seen as grotesque on some level. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Emma Thompson The actress said she thought Hollywood is still completely s*** when it comes to treating women equally to men. When I was younger, I really did think we were on our way to a better world. And when I look at it now, it is in a worse state than I have known it, particularly for women, and I find that very disturbing and sad. EPA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Elizabeth Banks Banks said she was driven from acting to directing due to the lack of roles for older women in Hollywood. "[Industry sexism] drove me to direct for sure. I definitely was feeling that I was unfulfilled and a little bit bored by the things that were coming across my desk. I mean look at Gwyneth Paltrow who has her Oscar [for Shakespeare in Love] and played fifth banana to Iron Man, she told Deadline. PA The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Viola Davis I had never seen a 49-year-old, dark-skinned woman who is not a size 2 be a sexualised role in TV or film. I'm a sexual woman, but nothing in my career has ever identified me as a sexualised woman. I was the prototype of the mommified role, she told The Hollywood Reporter. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Liv Tyler The Lord of the Rings actress said she only get cast in roles where she is treated as a second class citizen at the age of 38. When youre in your teens or twenties, there is an abundance of ingenue parts which are exciting to play. But at [my age], youre usually the wife or the girlfriend - a sort of second-class citizen. There are more interesting roles for women when they get a bit older, she told More magazine. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Cate Blanchett The actress famously called out sexism on the red carpet at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards. When a camera operator scanned her up and down, she said: Do you do this to the guys? In her Oscar acceptance speech for Blue Jasmine, she reminded the film industry that movies with leading women can still be successful. And thank you to... those of us in the industry who are still foolishly clinging to the idea that female films, with women at the centre, are niche experiences. They are not -- audiences want to see them and, in fact, they earn money. The world is round, people. Gareth Cattermole/Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Ellen Page Asked if she had ever encountered sexism in Hollywood, Page told The Guardian: Oh my God, yeah! It's constant! It's how you're treated, it's how you're looked at, how you're expected to look in a photoshoot, it's how you're expected to shut up and not have an opinion, it's how you... If you're a girl and you don't fit the very specific vision of what a girl should be, which is always from a man's perspective, then you're a little bit at a loss. Getty Images The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Zoe Saldana The actress says she refuses roles where she has to play the generic girlfriend, wife or sexy bombshell. "It's very hard being a woman in a man's world, and I recognised it was a man's world even when I was a kid. It's an inequality and injustice that drove me crazy, and which I always spoke out against  and I've always been outspoken, she told Manhattan magazine. Getty The actors fighting against sexism in Hollywood Charlize Theron The actress spoke to ELLE about negotiating equal pay for the Snow White and the Huntsman sequel: "This is a good time for us to bring this to a place of fairness, and girls need to know that being a feminist is a good thing. It doesn't mean that you hate men. It means equal rights. If you're doing the same job, you should be compensated and treated in the same way." Andreas Rentz/Getty Images

It is more the slow, creeping, insidious effect of body shaming that takes its toll.

Just when youve finished a long day at work and your coffee high has worn off, that advert shaming your bikini body readiness, your breasts or your wrinkles will give you a nice little kick in the stomach.

Luckily for New York, a troupe of dedicated activists are traveling on public transport and slapping reaffirming and positive slogans on these adverts.

This advert degrades women, one sticker reads.

I am free to have a body that is unique to me, another says.

Two women called Jess Andersen and Ashley Simon, founders of My Body Does, were among those inspired by the push against that infamous advert in London for protein pills alongside the slogan Are you beach body ready?

A petition to remove the advert gathered more than 71,000 signatures and shortly afterwards the new mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, banned body-shaming adverts on the tube.

Compare this situation to New York.

Entrepreneur Miki Agrawal fought hard to get the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to display adverts for her innovative, period-proof THINX underwear last year - the MTA board was made up of "white, middle-aged men" - as they said the images of an egg yolk and a fruit, representing a woman's body, were too suggestive and might offend children.

Yet the subway freely flaunts adverts for the Museum of Sex - the latest one features two cream puffs with cherries on top - and for breast surgery.

While mayor Bill de Blasio continues his crusade to stop horse-drawn carriages from ferrying tourists around Central Park, he might notice the much more harmful journey millions of women make every day on public transport.

The message these adverts send is clear. And our message back is also. We dont want to feel negative about ourselves, either at 8am, 5pm, or any time in-between.
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Day eight at Rio gave rise to myriad memorable moments of sporting glory with Team GB racking up eight medals. Among them was an historic win for Great Britains Mohammed Mukhtar Jama Farah in the 10,000m. Farah has become the first British track athlete to be decorated with three gold medals. Perhaps the most unforgettable scene was not Farahs ferocious dash down the home straight and into the history books, but instead his heart-in-mouth, mid-race fall. I thought my dream was over, the Somali-born sporting hero reflected.

From the dark depths of despair to magnificent triumph, the manner of Farahs victory dramatises the story of so many British immigrants and refugees  those who flee war, poverty and persecution or seek a better life in Britain, where they, more often than not, succeed against all the odds. They are troopers who pick themselves up and get on with life.

Mo Farah defends title to claim Olympic 10,000m gold

Farahs stunning victory comes hard on the heels of Theresa Mays promise to crack down on immigration. Mrs Brexit-Means-Brexit has a long history of hardline views on the matter  her reign at the Home Office saw the highest number of deportations.

Despite what the Ukipers will have you believe, immigration from non-EU countries has been on a steady decline since 2004. In fact 2012  the year we hosted the world  was one of the lowest since 1999. Theresa May was too busy dragging Abu Qatada through the courts to consider any of these statistics.

This is all the more depressing considering that Team GBs biggest successes come from immigrant backgrounds. Jessica Ennis-Hill, the poster girl of London 2012, speaks fondly of her Jamaican father, Vinnie, a self-employed painter and decorator. Katrina Johnson-Thompsons father originates from the Bahamas, while our 400m-hopeful, Christine Ohuruogu, is proud of her Nigerian heritage.

Indeed, immigration explains the success of the 2012 Games. Many of Seb Coes young volunteers  including me  were immigrants. According to think tank Britain Future, athletes whose immediate family came to Britain from overseas won 24 of the 65 medals Britain claimed four years ago. Thats 11 golds, three silvers and 10 bronzes.

Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Show all 74 1 /74 Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Eight Andy Murray celebrates his victory over Kai Nishikori to reach the men's Olympic final. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Eight Jessica Ennis-Hill continues her bid for gold in heptathlon. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Eight Usain Bolt breezed through his 100m heat. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Eight Team GB took silver in the women's eight. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Eight The men's eight gold took Great Britain top of the rowing medal table. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Britain's Jazz Carlin secured her second silver of the Games in the women's 800m freestyle, as American Katie Ledecky surged to her fourth Rio gold. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Singapore's Joseph Schooling won his nation's first gold medal with victory in the 100m butterfly as Michael Phelps was denied a 23rd Olympic title. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Sir Bradley Wiggins becomes Britain's greatest Olympian ever as Team GB win gold in the men's Team Pursuit at the Velodrome. AFP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Bryony Page on her way to a silver in gymnastics trampoline. EPA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Heather Stanning and Helen Glover win gold in the women's rowing pairs. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Alex Gregory, Mohamed Sbihi, George Nash and Constantine Louloudis celebrate their success in the mens coxless four. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Seven Defending champions Great Britain won silver in the Olympic team dressage, as world champions Germany claimed gold. The British quartet - Spencer Wilton, Fiona Bigwood, Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin - were beaten into second by 3.334 points. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six American Simone Manuel became the first black female swimmer to win an Olympic title as she shared the women's 100m freestyle gold with Canada's Penny Oleksiak, 16, after a dead heat. Getty Images Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Swimming legend Michael Phelps demolished the field in the 200m individual medley to claim his 22nd Olympic gold. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Simone Biles takes gold in the Womens individual all-around artistic gymnastics. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Fiji's Vatemo Ravouvou breaks through to score during the Men's Rugby Sevens Gold medal final match against Great Britain. Team GB settled for silver as Fiji romped to gold. David Rogers/Getty Images Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Callum Skinner, Jason Kenny and Philip Hindes of Great Britain celebrate after winning gold in the men's team sprint. AFP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Double act David Florence and Richard Hounslow won their second joint Olympic silver in the canoeing slalom. Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Six Victoria Thornley and Katherine Grainger show off their silver medals after the women's double sculls final Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Five Max Whitlock poses with his bronze medal Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Five Joe Clarke reacts to winning Britain's second gold of thee Games Reuters Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Five Jack Laugher and Chris Mears celebrate with their gold medals Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Four David Florence suffered heartbreak in the canoe single C1 men's semi-final Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Four Andy Murray celebrates his straight sets victory against Juan Monaco Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Lilly King shows off her gold medal as Yulia Efimova parades her silver AFP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Russia's Yulia Efimova (left) looks on as the US's Lilly King (right) celebrates winning the Women's 100m Breaststroke Final earlier this morning Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Lilly King celebrates after beating her Russian rival Yulia Efimova Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Michael Phelps takes on Chad Le Clos in the men's 200m butterfly final Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Michael Phelps says it 'breaks my heart' to see drug cheats at the Olympics Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three James Guy missed out on bronze on Monday night Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Louis Smith reacts to his pommel stumble which may have cost Team GB a medal Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Dan Goodfellow (right) and Tom Daley celebrate with their bronze medals Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Tom Daley and Dan Goodfellow dive into the pool in delight after winning bronze Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Tom Daley (left) and Daniel Goodfellow performing in the men's synchronised 10m platform final PA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Canada celebrate their victory against Team GB on day three Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Three Heather Watson leaves the court yesterday after losing her second round match against Elina Svitolina of Ukraine Reuters Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Carlin proudly shows off her silver medal Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Carlin reacts after learning that she has won the silver medal Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Peaty shows off his gold medal with pride Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Adam Peaty celebrates his gold Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Andy Murray and Jamie Murray were knocked out of the men's doubles by Thomaz Bellucci and Andre Sa AFP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Venus and Serena Williams suffered their first ever Olympic defeat playing together Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Richard Kruse battling the Russian Timur Safin GETTY Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Lizzie Armitstead finished fifth in the women's road race PA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Anna van der Breggen celebrates winning gold in the women's road race Reuters Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Annemiek van Vleuten suffered a horrific accident in the women's road race Reuters Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two The women's road race passes along the beach in Rio de Janeiro Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Andy Murray beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-2 to win his men's singles first round match Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Serena Williams is through to the second round of the women's singles after defeating Daria Gavrilova Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Gold medal winner, Hoang Xuan Vinh of Vietnam, center, silver medal winner, Felipe Almeida Wu of Brazil, left, and bronze medalist Pang Wei of China, at the victory ceremony for the men's 10-meter air pistol event AP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day Two Rowing was cancelled on day two over fears of sinking and capsizing due to strong winds Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Yusra Mardini has won her heat of the Women's 100m Butterfly but she will not be able to go forward to the semi-final Getty Images Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Britain's James Guy chops through the water Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Kantinka Hosszu of Hungary set a new world record in winning gold in the Women's 100m Individual Medley final Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Samir Ait Said receiving medical help after suffering a badly broken leg Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Yusra Mardini leads the race in the 100m Butterfly heat at Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio EPA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Natasha Hunt scored two tries to inspire Britain to victory against Brazil Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Joanne Watmore scored Britain's first try in Olympic rugby sevens history Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Adam Peaty celebrates after breaking the 100m breaststroke world record Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Adam Peaty broke his own world record in the 100m breaststroke heats and is favourite to win gold on Sunday Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Adam Peaty broke his own world record in the 100m breaststroke heats Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Chris Froome speaks with a bruised Geraint Thomas after the men's road race PA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Greg van Avermaet celebrates winning gold in the men's road race Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Rafal Majka was caught with just two kilometres to go Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Greg van Avermaet won a sprint finish to clinch Olympic road race gold EPA Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One A bullet is marked by Brazilian police in the equestrian media centre Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One The peloton make their way along the beach during the road race Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Chris Froome leads away the men's road race along with the rest of Team GB Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One The field make their way along the opening stages of the road race Eric Gaillard/Reuters Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Mahe Drysdale of New Zealand had no trouble in qualifying for the men's single skulls quarter-finals Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Day One Rowers warm up under the watchful gaze of the Christ the Redeemer statue Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Opening Ceremony A huge fireworks display signals the end of the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony. Felipe Dana/AP Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Opening Ceremony Andy Murray leads out Team GB at the Rio Olympics opening ceremony Getty Rio 2016 Olympics - in pictures Opening Ceremony Gisele Bundchen turns the stage into a catwalk during the opening ceremony AP

British sport has always been a melting pot. Outside the sporting arena, the pattern is not too different. The Millennium Dome and Hampton Court Palace were both designed by refugee architects. "Queen of the Curve", Iraqi-born Dame Zaha Hadid  who died earlier this year  designed the aquatics centre where Tom Daley claimed his first Olympic medal and where Michael Phelps broke yet more records.

The danger with highlighting these remarkable success stories is that we forget the darker side of immigration. Immigration is so much more than cherry-picking the worlds best athletes. That would be colonialism at its best. Who could forget Zola Budd and her controversial race for Britain in the 1984 Los Angeles games? To the dismay of civil rights protesters around the world, the white South African fast-tracked her way to British citizenship to circumvent the international sporting boycott of apartheid-riddled South Africa.

Of course, the history and politics of immigration is not only about medals, peerages and success. Nor should it be. For every Mo Farah that we "let in", there is a helpless Syrian refugee who wont run a single race. For every Jessica Ennis-Hill, there are Jamaicans in Queens Park, London going about their everyday lives. Their worth is not to be questioned. Not all immigrants will go on to be Olympic heroes, but those who do  like Yusra Mardini, the Syrian refugee who won our hearts at Rio  remind us that our doors are better left open.
The Government is veering away from introducing any increase in the minimum wage in the upcoming Budget as a direct consequence of Brexit.

Government sources say there has been a "rethink" of the minimum wage issue on the back of a series of economic warnings surrounding the impact of Britain's decision to leave the European Union (EU).

As a new report from business group Ibec warns of troubling times ahead as a result of Brexit, a planned 10 cent hike in the minimum wage looks set to be delayed.

Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor has been told that employers slashed workers' hours in a bid to cut wage costs following the decision last year to increase the minimum wage by 50 cent to 9.15.

Read more: Mary Mitchell O'Connor: 'Don't shoot people for creating wealth'

Ms Mitchell O'Connor, a TD for Dun Laoghaire, is also understood to be concerned about creating unrealistic expectations across various sectors.

The Low Pay Commission recently recommended a 10 cent rise in the minimum wage, which would benefit 70,000 workers.

Trade unions and opposition TDs expressed disappointment at the proposal and have called for the introduction of a so-called 'Living Wage' of 11.50 per hour.

However, business groups have piled pressure on the Government not to adopt the proposal, due to fears stemming from Brexit.

A Government source last night expressed major caution about introducing the increase in October's Budget.

"Brexit will impact on the economy and will slow down job creation so we have to be careful that we are still competitive," the source said.

"Employers say that in the context of the last rise to 9.15, many employers gave shorter hours, thus cutting wage costs. It's not the rise of minimum wage that's the entire problem but by raising it a special percentage it gives an expectation of wage increase right across the whole sector," the source added.

But any failure to increase the minimum wage will put Fine Gael on a collision course with the Independent Alliance.

Minister of State John Halligan has joined the chorus of calls for a Living Wage of 11.50.

Meanwhile, a new report from Ibec indicates dark clouds on the horizon for the Irish economy on foot of Brexit.

Ibec said that in recent weeks retailers had reported a slowdown in positive momentum, saying that the fall in Sterling had intensified competition from Northern Ireland and the mainland UK.

The group's 'Retail Monitor' said the first half of the year had demonstrated "continued recovery" in the domestic economy. The UK vote to exit the EU occurred at the tail end of the period, on June 23.

Weakness

Among the trends highlighted by the report was a 1.6pc year-on-year jump in the value of sales at department stores in the second quarter of the year. But stores in Dublin city centre underperformed, due to reduced footfall spurred by city-wide roadworks.

Fashion and footwear sales jumped 5.8pc in value in the second quarter, despite weakness from traditionally important tourist markets, Ibec said.
European Council President Donald Tusk will visit Dublin next month for Brexit-related talks with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Bratislava.

Mr Tusk will meet with Mr Kenny, before flying to London for talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May, as part of a tour of European capitals.

The Bratislava summit is due to take place on September 16 to discuss European reform in the wake of the Brexit vote.

A European Council spokesman told the Irish Independent that Mr Tusk wants to consult with EU leaders ahead of the summit, which will kick-start discussions on what the EU without the UK will look like.

"Bratislava will be the start of a discussion among the 27 leaders to imagine how the EU should modify itself, reform itself.

"What we've seen with Brexit will have an influence on what will be discussed and what the future of the EU will look like.

"We would like the meeting in Bratislava to focus on the schedule of the EU 27 and possible reforms.

"Prime Minister May will not attend this meeting, but it is difficult to think about the future of the EU 27 without knowing the intentions of the UK government," the spokesman added. "In this context the President believes it is important to get more information from the UK government on the Brexit situation."

Prior to the meeting with Enda Kenny, Mr Tusk will meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel.
Miller Industries Towing Equipment Inc. will sponsor the 100-year anniversary of the Holmes tow truck, the towing and recovery industry's first tow truck. The celebration will take place in Chattanooga on Saturday, Sept. 10, about 7 p.m. at Ross's Landing near the riverfront, where a 100-Year Tow Truck Parade will end after cruising through downtown.

Miller Industries' celebration will end with a bang including a fireworks spectacular at Ross's Landing commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the tow truck as well as the conclusion of the Tennessee Tow Show, which takes place Sept. 8-10 at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The Chattanooga community is invited to enjoy the live music, free refreshments, food truck fare and games for the kids.

"Miller Industries' roots run deep in Chattanooga and we are honored to share the centennial celebration of our Holmes brand with our friends and neighbors in the local communities," said Miller Industries' President and Co-CEO Will Miller.

The towing and recovery industry owes its 100-year celebration to Ernest Holmes, who in 1916 in Chattanooga built the first tow truck by attaching a rigging system to a 1913 Cadillac, marking the birth of the towing and recovery industry. Mr. Holmes filed for a patent  the first of about a dozen  for his idea in 1917 and subsequently built the Ernest Holmes Company to market his tow truck.

The Holmes brand is now part of Miller Industries' family of tow truck equipment manufacturers, including Century, Chevron, Vulcan, Boniface and Jige. Today, Miller Industries is the world's largest manufacturer of towing and recovery equipment.

The Tennessee Tow Show, hosted by the towing and recovery industry's publication Tow Times magazine, is entering its fifth year.

Visit Miller Industries' distributors exhibits and displays at the Tennessee Tow Show, open Friday, Sept. 9, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon to 4 p.m.

Learn more about Miller Industries at millerind.com. Find out about the Tennessee Tow Show and 100-year events at TennesseeTowShow.com.
Almost a third of Irish businesses have been the victim of crime in the last year, a new survey by the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME) indicates.

Crime costs businesses nearly 12,000 a year on average, the report said. The survey - with almost 1,200 respondents - found that 98pc of business owners thought the judicial system was ineffective at dealing with crime.

The retail sector was most heavily affected by crime, followed by construction.

"The reduction of business crime is fundamental to business prosperity and is not being prioritised by government," ISME chief executive Mark Fielding said, calling for separate recording of incidents against business "to allow for the allocation of proper resources to deal with business crime."
Here are the main business stories from this morning's papers:

Irish Independent

* Insurer FBD switched over 150m of its investments to corporate bonds over the past year because of the low returns offered by banks and the fear that new bail-in rules could see it lose its money.

FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon told the Irish Independent that the extremely low returns offered on term deposits by banks, coupled with fears that new bail-in rules introduced this year by the European Union could expose bank bondholders and depositors to bailing out a failed lender, meant it has shifted investments away from banks.

* The Government is veering away from introducing any increase in the minimum wage in the upcoming Budget as a direct consequence of Brexit.

Government sources say there has been a "rethink" of the minimum wage issue on the back of a series of economic warnings surrounding the impact of Britain's decision to leave the European Union (EU).

* European Council President Donald Tusk will visit Dublin next month for Brexit-related talks with Taoiseach Enda Kenny, ahead of an informal summit of EU leaders in Bratislava.

Mr Tusk will meet with Mr Kenny, before flying to London for talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May, as part of a tour of European capitals.

The Irish Times

* Spending power hit its highest level amongst Irish households in the first three months of the year as household income rose by 6pc, new research has shown.

The increased ability to spend has pumped an extra 5bn into the Irish economy.

* The Dublin unit of a US hedge fund paid just $125 in tax here last year despite having assets valued at $8bn.

According to a report in The Irish Times, the company, called Burlington Loan Management, owns assets such as stakes in Icelandic banks and loans secured against the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.

* The Irish-based arm of computer giant HP posted a $140m profit last year, which represents a 3pc decline on the previous year.

The Irish subsidiary provides leases, rentals and loan facilities to HP customers to finance acquisitions of its products.

Irish Examiner

* Crimes against businesses across Ireland is costing them almost 2bn a year with one in three reportedly being victims of crime over the last year.

New figures posted by Isme show that crime is costing Irish business around 1.83bn a year.

* A budget of spending increases and tax cuts has been called on by business group Retail Ireland, which is looking for the Government to see off the effects of Brexit.

Retail Ireland said that unease is growing amongst consumers due to the decline of sterling following Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

* The British government has offered a pledge to farmers in the North that it will fill in the gap left by funding from EU money.

It has promised to provide 5.21bn in funding for agriculture, universities and its regions.
FORMER Senator James Heffernan was arrested again last weekend and charged with a public order offence.

This incident comes weeks after Mr Heffernan was arrested three times over the course of a weekend while attending a music festival in Cork.

He was arrested in the early hours of last Saturday morning by gardai in Galway City following an incident outside a popular music venue.

The Limerick politician, who ran for the Social Democrats in the recent General Election, was charged at a special sitting of the Galway District Court on same day.

He is due to appear before the court on December 19th.

Mr Heffernan is understood to have been with his band in the Roisin Dubh venue before the incident which resulted in his arrested.

It is unclear what led to his arrest but sources say onlookers videoed the incident.

Sources close to the former Senator said he was examined by a doctor following his release due to injuries he sustained from the incident.

A Garda spokesman said a 36-year-old male was arrested at 2am on Dominic Street in Galway City Centre on Saturday morning.

The spokesman said the male was brought to Mill Street Garda Station and charged on the same day.

In the last week of September, Mr Heffernan was arrested three times in Mitchelstown, Co Cork over the course of a 36 hours period while attending a music festival.

He was arrested at the Indiependence Festival after gardai became concerned about what has been described as his erratic behaviour. He was arrested and detained over night before being released without charge.

He was arrested on the day of his release on suspicion of drink driving and again detained by gardai. He was later released and arrested on third occasion for public order offences.

In May, before the election, he was arrested in Templebar in Dublin City Centre after he mistakenly entered a crime scene.
Squatters, who broke into a disused prison, have been told by a judge to leave the former debtors jail because of safety concerns,

The Department of Public Expenditure and the Office of Public Works told the court they had serious concerns about the safety of the group and of people visiting them as the building was in a derelict condition.

Mr Justice Michael Hanna today granted the State bodies an injunction requiring the group, which was recently ordered by the High Court to leave a squat in Grangegorman, to vacate the former prison.

Judge Hanna allowed the squatters a week to get out and directed them not to re-enter the old jail.

Barrister Joseph OSullivan told the court the building, between Halston Street and Green Street, had no running water and there were fears its electrical circuit would not support various appliances which were brought in recently.

Mr OSullivan said the access to the former prison roof was dangerous and the State had serious concerns about the safety of the people involved. He said there was also health concern about the effect of pigeon droppings on young children.

The State had applied for an interlocutory injunction against the group which was converting cells into bedrooms. The court heard that according to local residents about 100 people had been seen moving furniture into the building.

The State argued that the long unoccupied prison was now in a poor state of repair and it was important to have the squatters removed immediately for their own safety.

Mr OSullivan said Mr Justice David Keane had granted the State, leave to serve the group with short notice of todays legal proceedings. It had been pinned to the prison gate.

Today several members of the group attended the court hearing. They claimed the State had no better title to the property than themselves and asked to be allowed time to file a replying affidavit. The court heard the group intended to convert the former prison into a new home for the creative community.

The judge granted the State the injunction with a one week stay. He adjourned the matter until Monday next to allow the group to file an affidavit.

The stay will expire Sunday at midnight and I expect the premises to be vacated by the time the case is heard next Monday, Judge Hanna said.
Residents at The Cubes apartment complex in south Dublin are facing bills that could run into the millions to fix problems including mould and damp in their homes.

People living at the complex, at the Beacon South Quarter, in Sandyford, told the Irish Independent how serious issues had developed in recent years.

Expand Close Larry Mullen, one of the investors taking legal action / Facebook

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It emerged over the weekend that 200 investors have now launched a High Court action over alleged defects at the apartments.

U2 bass player Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jnr are among the investors to have begun the action, the 'Sunday Business Post' said.

A total of 15 defendants have been named, including Laing O'Rourke Ireland, PJ Hegarty & Sons and John Paul Construction.

One woman said she had been living in the apartment for around eight years, but the problems had only set in recently.

She said: "I have problems with the bathroom with damp and now there's mould growing.

"There are also problems around the windows and with the ventilation.

"I know that a number of other residents have had it looked at, but I don't know what's happening."

Another woman said she lives with her children in the apartment and the conditions were a concern for her.

"There's also a problem with the light, the way the apartment was built, we get almost no natural sunlight," she said.

"These were supposed to be apartments built to the highest standard, I can't believe we are having these problems."

She said specialists had been sent to assess problems with the apartment.

"That was a while ago, but I don't know what's happened since," she said.

Some of the residents said they were tenants with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council or the Circle Voluntary Housing Association, while others owned the apartments or were renting.

The council was also named as one of the prosecuting parties in the case against the developers.

Calls to the management company of the complex were not returned last night and the council could not be contacted for comment.

The Cubes are located in blocks as part of a large apartment complex developed by Paddy Shovlin's Landmark Developments around 2007. Many of the apartments were sold off the plans, with the most expensive fetching as much as 1.1m.

They were hailed at the time as luxury, desirable residences, designed around a courtyard. In some cases, the apartments were built with two balconies.

However, residents have complained that some of these balconies are now leaking.

There are more than 600 apartments in the development, however it us understood not all of them have been hit by the alleged defects.

Two engineering firms were employed in May to look into the problems at the apartments, especially those related to the cause of leaks on some of the balconies.

Development loans taken out by Shovlin were taken over by Nama, which appointed Mazars as the receiver of the development. Mazars has in turn appointed Aramark Property to manage the apartments.

When Landmark went into receivership, Nama injected more than 10m extra funding into the scheme.

The legal proceedings have been launched with a view to securing remedial works necessary on the apartments.
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.
Third-level colleges have not done enough to take the heat out of the CAO points race, according to a university president.

Professor Philip Nolan says school-leavers still face too confusing a choice of CAO courses, despite a pledge to simplify the process.

Prof Nolan is president of Maynooth University and also heads up a universities' task force charged with bringing reform to the third-level application and entry system.

But as close to 60,000 school-leavers await their results on Wednesday, he admits that promised changes - which are supposed to be in place this autumn - are happening too slowly.

The proliferation of courses, including new ones with catchy titles, piles pressure on sixth-year students, who are driven by a mistaken belief that high-points courses are necessarily of better quality.

The MU president said the current system "perpetuates the fallacy of prestige around high points courses which exacerbates exam time pressure".

"It is completely untrue to say that high points automatically mean a course is of a higher quality or that lower points courses are less worthwhile."

There has been ongoing growth in CAO offerings with a small number of places - which drives points up - despite a commitment to cut choice at point of entry and allow students to specialise in second or third year.

Some universities have reduced the pathways for entry and have broader offerings, such as common entry science, but others have not - while institutes of technology have increased the number of honours degree courses.

This year, school-leavers faced a bewildering array of more than 1,400 CAO courses - including 937 "honours" (Level 8) degree programmes - up from about 1,286 five years ago.

Prof Nolan is concerned that there is still an attempt in the university sector to "compete inappropriately to attract students, through using the CAO system as a marketing tool".

He is a strong advocate of broader entry routes and insists: "If all universities adopt this approach, the beneficial impact on Leaving Certificate students will be immense."

University College Dublin (UCD) led the way in cutting entry routes and Maynooth University followed suit, while the University of Limerick (UL) is reducing its undergraduate offering from 72 to 43, for 2017.

Other universities have not made similar progress, but Prof Nolan is particularly concerned about trends in institutes of technology, where the number of "honours" programmes has jumped from 319 to 426 since 2011.

He said it was "disappointing to find their number of Level 8 courses have actually grown".
A retired garda who investigated the disappearance of schoolgirl Mary Boyle says a local politician did not contact the gardai in relation to the investigation.

In a sworn statement to a solicitor, retired Detective Sergeant Aidan Murray said that at no stage during his investigation into the disappearance of the little girl in Donegal was he subjected to "interference" or "pressure".

Mr Murray says Fianna Fail councillor Sean McEniff "did not make any phone or contact the gardai in relation to the investigation".

Last month, Councillor McEniff "emphatically and unconditionally" denied the "rumour and innuendo" related to a video recently posted to YouTube named 'Mary Boyle, The Untold Story'.

A statement issued on behalf of the Donegal County Councillor with more than 40 years service said: "Mr McEniff emphatically and unconditionally denies that he was the politician who allegedly contacted the gardai in Ballyshannon at the time of the disappearance of Mary Boyle.

"He has no knowledge of such a call other than what he has heard recently on what was contained in the video 'Mary Boyle, The Untold Story'."

In the video it is suggested there was pressure put on local authorities by a politician to not properly investigate certain suspects in relation to the disappearance of six-year-old Mary Boyle in 1977.

Read more: Sean McEniff says he is not politician at the centre of Mary Boyle documentary

Mr McEniff also asserted his right to a good name and said he had taken legal advice in relation to what he says are defamatory comments "made both directly and by innuendo".

He alleges that comments and statements made in relation to the issue are false, malicious and damaging to him.

Mr Murray also says his two senior officers were "honourable and professional men" and "at no point attempted to influence" him in the conduct of the investigation. He also alleged the documentary had taken a number of his comments out of context, in a way that created "the wrong impression".

It comes just after retired Sgt Martin Collins emphatically told a local Donegal newspaper that there had been no political or garda cover-up.

Both men were interviewed as part of a documentary.
Gregory Fisher will be the guest speaker and Mountain Creek Housefire will provide music at Christ Unity (105 McBrien Rd) this Sundayat 11 a.m.

Gregory Fisher, one of most requested speakers will speak and Mountain Creek Housefire (Pattee Wilbanks and Robert Lovett ) will provide orginal music. Gregory is recognized as a world-class speaker. He has delivered presentations and workshops across America on a variety of topicseverything from practical spirituality to mental health and substance abuse treatment and services deliveryfor churches, classrooms, organizational conferences, scholastic seminars and learning groups both large and small.
Suspected criminals are not being pursued across the border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

According to Northern Ireland investigative news website, The Detail, 47 police vehicle chases were ended at the border in the past five years.

The majority of the pursuits were from the North into the Republic, with only six of the chases ending in arrests.

The Detail reported that the figures do not include the numbers of those who crossed the border before a police chase was commenced and those who moved from one side to the other by foot.

In a statement to Independent.ie, An Garda Siochana said it had an agreed Cross-Border Policing Strategy with the PSNI to continue the excellent levels of cooperation between both police services in addressing crime and terrorist activities in all its manifestations.

The statement explained: Cross border cooperation between An Garda Siochana and the Police Service of Northern Ireland plays a key role in the fight against the various criminal activities which cause harm to communities on both sides of the border.

In an All-Island Economy report to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in January this year, it was recommended that new protocols be put in place in relation to cross-border police pursuits.

Under the heading Island-wide harmonisation will reduce Black Market Activity, the report says: This Committeerecommends that protocols be constituted that will allow for both the PSNI and An Garda Siochana to pursue criminals into the opposite jurisdiction and in keeping with the law of that jurisdiction make an arrest.

The Irish Department of Justice said in a statement: "There is no legal basis for police in either jurisdiction to exercise power in the other jurisdiction.

"There is, however, excellent cooperation between the two police forces, north and south of the border, and the cross border activities of criminals are dealt with as appropriate by the relevant police force. Where it arises that there is a danger of suspects seeking to cross the border to evade apprehension, the other police force can be notified and a coordinated response put in place.

In a statement to Independent.ie, Northern Irelands Department of Justice said the PSNI and An Garda Siochana have an excellent working relationship.

The statement said: The PSNI and An Garda Siochana have an excellent working relationship which provides a firm basis for practical and strategic co-operation between both services, including in emergency situations such as a hot pursuit.

The Cross Border Policing Strategy, which has just been reviewed and updated, highlights the breadth of co-operation that exists. Both police services use all the tools available to them to ensure that those who would seek to exploit the border for criminal ends will not succeed.

The department also said: The Schengen Convention supplements the provisions of the Strasbourg Convention. Article 41 of the Schengen Convention (which is not a devolved matter) provides for hot pursuit by police from one state into another.

This provision does not apply to the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland as neither the United Kingdom nor the Republic of Ireland signed up to Article 41.

The department confirmed there were no plans by either the UK or Irish governments at present to sign up to the Convention as neither is convinced that it would enhance or materially assist cross border policing in any way.
The return of high-profile convicted drugs mule Michaella McCollum from Peru to a party resembling a hero's homecoming in Ireland has sparked anger.

The glamorous 23-year-old Co Tyrone woman flew into Dublin on Saturday night after travelling from Lima - where she had been on parole for attempting to smuggle 1.5m of cocaine.

It was the first time the notorious woman had been in Ireland in over three years after she was arrested at Lima airport in August 2013.

She is believed to have spent her first night home partying and celebrating her release with family and friends in Co Tyrone.

But her arrival has sparked fury from politicians.

DUP MLA Lord Morrow was critical of her homecoming, saying it resembled that of a "minor celebrity".

"This is the return of a convicted criminal yet a great deal of the publicity which appears to surround her currently resembles a minor celebrity," he said.

"The harm caused by the drugs she attempted to smuggle affects communities everywhere and that should not be forgotten.

"A question which remains is whether her return will be followed by attempts to remain in the public eye, or even to profit from the notoriety she achieved with her crimes.

"The focus should be on the victims of drug abuse in our society and not those who contributed to their harm."

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Michaella McCollum and Scotswoman Melissa Reid stand as they are questioned by police in Lima airport in 2013 Michaella McCollum Connolly during an interview with RTE / Facebook

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Whatsapp Michaella McCollum and Scotswoman Melissa Reid stand as they are questioned by police in Lima airport in 2013

McCollum was released from prison in Peru on March 31 after spending less than three years behind bars with Scot Melissa Reid.

She had been ordered to spend the next six years of her sentence on parole in the city.

But after reports that McCollum made a secret deal with Peruvian authorities recently, she was given permission to fly back to Northern Ireland.

BREAKING: Convicted drugs smuggler Michaella McCollum has arrived back in Ireland #PeruTwo pic.twitter.com/8fzuNK9eel  Sean Defoe (@SeanDefoe) August 13, 2016

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The MP for the area, Tom Elliott, said it would be "more appropriate" if she had remained in the South American country to finish her parole.

"She served her time in prison but people will be asking was that enough and does it fit the crime?" he asked.

"I would have thought that if it was part of her conditions that she had to remain in Peru, then it would be more appropriate to remain there at this stage and it would have been seen as better justice.

"There will be a mixed reaction with her arriving home.

"Friends and family may probably be pleased to see her coming back whereas others will say it's a pretty serious crime, she should have done the full sentence. A lot of people could have been seriously damaged and had their health seriously damaged if she would have pursued with that crime."

McCollum arrived in Dublin at around 8.30pm on Saturday.

She walked through the arrivals area alone but did not talk to the waiting press as she dragged two suitcases behind her.

She remained outside for several minutes for family members.

When asked where she had planned to go by reporters, she replied: "Home."

However, hours before she landed in Dublin, the former dancer posted pictures on Instagram as she prepared for her long journey home.

Wearing a black vest top and black jeans, Michaella was greeted by two females before making her way back to Dungannon where she was met by other family members.

McCollum and Reid - nicknamed the Peru Two - were working in Ibiza for the summer when they travelled to South America three years ago. They were arrested as they attempted to smuggle the cocaine in their suitcases. However, they denied knowing the luggage contained drugs, claiming they had been kidnapped and forced to become drug runners.

They later admitted the offence and were jailed for six years and eight months.

In June, McCollum was criticised after being pictured living it up in the capital Lima with fellow cocaine smuggler Kaouthar Essafi, who she befriended in prison.

Following her release from prison, she was spotted partying in nightclubs and dining out at plush restaurants, despite agreeing to do charity work while living with a local priest.
Ireland will get to bask in the glorious weather this week. Photo: Getty

Ireland will be almost as hot as Berlin and Paris this week with temperatures expected to reach up to 25 degrees.

Met Eireann Forecaster Joan Blackburn said we can expect good conditions and sunshine for the start of the week.

Its a lovely start to the day in most places and we will have warm and good conditions for most of the day and for most places well into tomorrow too.

However it is going to become more unsettled from Tuesday and temperatures will be falling back to normal and even a bit below later in the week, said Joan.

Today it is expected to be warm by early afternoon, with top temperatures of 19 to 23 degrees, with warmest conditions in the western half of the country.

Winds are south-easterly, but fresh at times along the southwest and west coasts.

Any mist or fog will clear off quickly on Tuesday evening giving us another warm day. There will be good sunny spells during the morning and we will see heavy showers breaking out later there with a risk of thunder locally, said Joan.

Keep the sun cream near as temperatures are expected to reach up to 25 degrees on Tuesday.

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Met Eireann forecaster Gerry Murphy warned people to "make the most" of the weather.

"It is going to get cooler and quite unsettled after that," he said.

"After Tuesday there is a fair amount of rain in store with above-average rainfall for most places this week."

Some areas, he said, could see twice the average rainfall over the next week.

On Wednesday, it will be mostly cloudy, with outbreaks of rain which could be heavy and possibly thundery in places. It will be fresher on Wednesday night as the rain is replaced by scattered showers.

Thursday doesn't look any better and it will be quite cool and fresh, with bright spells and scattered showers, possibly longer outbreaks of rain in places, especially in the north and north-east - with temperatures of 16C in the north but up to 20C in the south.

Irish Weather Online forecaster Peter O'Donnell said: "After some breaks on Thursday, another interval of showers or rain late in the week may persist into Saturday. There may be a gradual improvement but the pattern now looks rather variable with further intervals of showers at intervals of 2 to 3 days with the odd dry day in the mix, and temperatures not far from normal."
Kevin and Margo Greaney with a photo of their late brother Michael and his wife Valerie. Photo: Michael MacSweeney/Provision

A heartbroken family has demanded an independent inquiry into the Health Service Executive's handling of the psychiatric treatment of a man who carried out a murder-suicide.

The Greaney family told the Irish Independent they believe two deaths and the serious stabbing of a young woman could have been avoided if Naval Service veteran Michael Greaney (53) had received longer residential psychiatric care the previous year.

Mr Greaney fatally stabbed his wife, Valerie, and then took his own life on December 28, 2014.

He also stabbed his eldest daughter, Michelle (21), at the family's O'Neill Place home in Cobh, Co Cork, though she escaped the property and survived her injuries.

The Cork family claim they have been treated "with contempt" by the HSE over the past two years and are still awaiting answers as to how Michael spent just six weeks in residential psychiatric care after attempting to kill a teenager and then take his own life.

The family warned that Ireland will inevitably face further tragedies unless greater resources and funding are provided for over-stretched mental health services.

Mr Greaney was admitted to the Central Mental Hospital (CMH) in Dundrum, Dublin under Section 5(2) of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act in May 2013.

However, he was released from full-time residential care after six weeks and spent the next 18 months effectively being treated in the community, forbidden only to return to reside at his family home.

Even that restriction was lifted when Mr Greaney, supported by his wife Valerie (49), took legal action to be allowed return home.

The HSE immediately launched a full review of Mr Greaney's care - but his family said their treatment as part of the review process has been "frustrating, confusing and insulting".

Tragedy

"I have absolutely no doubt that Michael's death and the tragedy that happened was a direct result of the chronic under-funding of Ireland's mental health system for years," Kevin Greaney said.

Kevin, who is Michael's younger brother, said the family was promised the HSE mental care review would take three months and that a coroner's inquest would be expedited on compassionate grounds.

"We had two meetings with HSE officials. We have got absolutely no answers. And there is no sign of the inquest happening any time soon," Kevin added.

Mr Greaney claimed he was shocked when, during the second meeting with HSE  officials in May 2015, he was warned off legal action.

"The Console scandal was the final straw for us," he said.

"That is why we are speaking out about the under-funding of mental health services and the fact that the last Government could propose cutting mental health budgets by 12m."

"Console was given money by the HSE in 2013 and at exactly the same time Michael tried to kill a teenager and then take his own life. Six weeks later, he was released from Dundrum."

The HSE said its inquiry is ongoing.

"The draft report of the HSE systems analysis investigation into the care provided to this patient is currently being prepared," a spokesperson said.

"All parties concerned have been given the opportunity to comment for factual correctness prior to the submission of the final draft by the investigators to the commissioner at the end of this month."

Valerie's sister, Hylda, said: "Michelle and Sarah and the Hayes family wish to state that they had co-operated fully with both the HSE and Garda investigations. (They) were happy to await the outcome of both investigations before commenting further."

But Kevin's parents, Michael and Maureen, and his sister, Margo, said they are haunted by what happened to Michael and whether the tragedy could have been avoided.

Fury over plan to divert 12m from mental health budget
High temperatures are forecast for today but more miserable weather is on the way before children return to school at the end of the month.

Forecasters say wild and wet Atlantic weather systems will make a return to Ireland tomorrow evening.

Today could see temperatures reach 23C in many areas away from the east and south-east coasts, where it will be around 5C cooler due to sea fog in places.

But the brief few days of warm weather will come to an end from tomorrow evening as a low pressure system heralds at least five days of rain, showers and drizzle.

Met Eireann forecaster Gerry Murphy warned people to "make the most" of the weather. "It is going to get cooler and quite unsettled after that," he said.

"After Tuesday there is a fair amount of rain in store with above-average rainfall for most places this week."

Some areas, he said, could see twice the average rainfall over the next week.

Pleasant

"Temperatures could reach 24C on Tuesday and it will very pleasant indeed, but by Tuesday evening we will see a low-pressure system bringing rain to western areas to reach all areas by Wednesday," said Murphy.

"Low pressure will dominate for the rest of the week unfortunately."

On Wednesday, it will be mostly cloudy, with outbreaks of rain which could be heavy and possibly thundery in places. It will be fresher on Wednesday night as the rain is replaced by scattered showers.

Thursday doesn't look any better and it will be quite cool and fresh, with bright spells and scattered showers, possibly longer outbreaks of rain in places, especially in the north and north-east - with temperatures of 16C in the north but up to 20C in the south.

Irish Weather Online forecaster Peter O'Donnell said: "After some breaks on Thursday, another interval of showers or rain late in the week may persist into Saturday. There may be a gradual improvement but the pattern now looks rather variable with further intervals of showers at intervals of 2-3 days with the odd dry day in the mix, and temperatures not far from normal."
Irish Rail has accused unions of blocking the training of nine new DART drivers.

IRISH Rail passengers will be relieved as unions at the company put a ballot for industrial action on hold.

The NBRU and SIPTU have agreed to suspend voting to attend three days of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission tomorrow.

But they warned that they will be under pressure from members to resolve their dispute with the company on a range of issues through industrial action if agreement is not reached.

Talks broke down earlier this month after Irish Rail accused unions of taking part in unofficial industrial action and blocking the training of nine DART drivers.

The talks will address issues including the mentoring of new drivers, a shorter working week, and workers productivity.

Unions had warned that the industrial action could mean strikes or a work-to-rule.

SIPTU instructed members the work-to-rule could include an overtime ban, non cooperation on roster changes, and a refusal to carry out senior roles or work in depots other than their own.

It also meant they would not do any new work and refuse to swap rest days.

In a joint statement, NBRU General Secretary, Dermot O'Leary, and SIPTU Assistant Divisional Organiser, Paul Cullen, said they agreed to suspend the ballot following a request from the WRC to attend intensive talks.

"The Labour Court had previously recommended that an independent investigation should be undertaken in relation to our members legitimate claims for a reduction in the working week and a material recognition of past productivity," they said.

"All sides have agreed that the contentious issue of driver training will also be on the agenda."

They said this report will form the basis for discussions.

The union leaders said it is "incumbent" on all sides to contribute to a resolution to the "long drawn out saga of overdue improvements" to rail and DART drivers' terms and conditions.

"Failure to reach agreement will inevitably lead to both unions coming under pressure to resolve the issues through the medium of industrial action," they added.

Meanwhile, the threat of strikes at Dublin Bus still loom as members of the two unions have voted in favour of industrial action in pursuit of a 15pc pay rise.

SIPTU is set to announce the result of its ballot of seven grades of staff tomorrow. Members of the NBRU have already voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

The unions have threatened action up to an all-out strike or 24 or 48 hour work stoppages.
Fine Gael deputy leader James Reilly has written to the party's under-fire general secretary, Tom Curran, to demand answers in relation to the John Perry saga. Dr Reilly has asked Mr Curran to respond to claims that he put a councillor under "considerable pressure" not to appear as a witness in a court case before Christmas.

Mr Perry, a former junior minister, took the case against the party following its handling of the selection convention in Sligo/Leitrim.

Fine Gael settled the case out of court - a move that is believed to have cost the party in the region of 500,000.

But the issue has now resurfaced after Mr Perry claimed in a letter last month that a party official had been pressurised not to appear as a witness.

The official in question is Sligo councillor Hubert Keaney, who is standing by the allegations, despite refusing to speak publicly.

The intervention by Dr Reilly came after the senator had received a letter from Mr Perry, outlining his allegations.

Allegations

Contacted over the letter, Dr Reilly said: "I received it, have noted its contents and have responded to Mr Perry."

But sources said Dr Reilly was taking the matter "very seriously", given that he is the party's deputy leader.

"He wants to get to the bottom of this as the claims being made are damaging for the party," said a source.

As revealed by the Irish Independent, Mr Curran is due to be hauled in front of the parliamentary party at the Fine Gael think-in in Kildare next month to discuss the Perry affair.

Mr Curran recently attended a meeting of the party's trustees, during which he categorically denied the allegations.
A search operation is due to resume off the Irish coast for a fishermen reported overdue in port and feared to be missing.

The search operation was launched off the west Cork coast shortly before 8pm on Monday evening.

It involves the Baltimore and Schull RNLI lifeboats, the Irish Coastguard's Sikorsky search and rescue helicopter and a Naval Service vessel.

A small fishing craft was found drifting not far from Cape Clear.

However, there was no sign of any occupant.

The missing man, who is elderly and from the west Cork area, was apparently spotted fishing not far from Cape Clear around 2.30pm.

He was not in any difficulty at that time.

The search is being co-ordinated by the Irish Coastguard helicopter with the Naval Service vessel, LE Orla, departing Castletownbere to assist in sweeps of waters around Schull and Cape Clear.

The Sikorsky used its infra-red cameras to sweep waters around the island.

Fishing and leisure craft in the area also assisted in the search of waters between Toe Head and Mizen Head.
Man Shot During Second Night Of Violent Protests In Milwaukee

By Gwendolyn Purdom in News on Aug 15, 2016 6:22PM

A man was shot and injured early Monday as weekend violence and rioting sparked by an officer-involved shooting of a black man Saturday spilled into early Monday morning in Milwaukee.

CNN reports the 18-year-old man was struck in the neck and has been hospitalized. In addition to the shooting, city police said on Twitter Monday morning that four officers were injured, 14 people were arrested, 30 shots were fired and three squad cars were damaged overnight. Protests that included businesses being burned and cars being overturned initially erupted Saturday in the racially-divided city after Milwaukee police chased two suspects on foot following a traffic stop and a black officer shot and killed one black suspect who was reportedly armed with a gun. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker declared a state of emergency for the county Sunday afternoon.

The sheriff of Milwaukee County railed against "the progressive left" for putting his city's "citizens in harm's way" in an op-ed Monday. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke wrote on The Hill's site Monday morning that he is "livid that Milwaukees pathetic, kowtowing city officials and aldermen take this opportunity to abandon their citizens and preen before the Black Lives Matter-enabling media."

Clarke, who is black, went on to say:

"The officer-involved-shooting was simply a catalyst that ignited the already volatile mixture of inescapable poverty, failing K-12 public schools, dysfunctional lifestyle choices like father absent homes, gang involvement, drug/alcohol abuse and massive unemployment."

The weekend's events and Clarke's controversial comments unfolded amid a national wave of outrage and tension about excessive police force against black citizens and several recent acts of violence against officers. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports protestors threw rocks, bricks and bottles at officers in riot gear Sunday night and into Monday morning. Officials tweeted early Monday morning that order was being restored in the area.





Officers are restoring order to the area of Sherman and Burleigh.  Milwaukee Police (@MilwaukeePolice) August 15, 2016

The initial Saturday shooting that set off the protests was captured on the officer's body camera, unlike other recent high profile officer-involved shootings like the death of unarmed 18-year-old Paul O'Neal that Chicago Police shared video of this month. According to Milwaukee Police, the body cam footage seems to suggest the officer in this case "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds," the Tribune reports. The investigation is ongoing.

Milwaukee community leaders who met Sunday to address the situation said they're working with residents to keep everyone informed. The National Guard Gov. Walker has standing by have yet to be deployed and won't be unless given the order by the city's police chief.
It has been revealed that 10 of Ireland's 29 emergency departments do not have 24/7 emergency consultant cover.

These figures were obtained by Fianna Fail's health spokesperson Billy Kelleher through a parliamentary question.

Deputy Kelleher said he is "extremely worried" by the figures released.

He said: "I am extremely worried by this new revelation. These figures confirm serious deficiencies in emergency cover in our hospitals."

"In fact a shocking 10 out of 29 emergency departments nationwide do not have a named consultant in Emergency Medicine available and clinically accountable on a 24/7 basis."

The 10 hospitals that lack this facility are:

Mercy University Hospital Cork

Kerry General Hospital

Midland Regional, Mullingar

Midland Regional, Portlaoise

Our Ladys Hospital, Navan

Portiuncula Hospital

South Tipperary General Hospital

St Lukes Hospital, Kilkenny

Wexford General Hospital

Mayo General

Fergal Hickey, who is a communications officer with the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine and a consultant in emergency medicine in Sligo, told Newstalk Breakfast that we may need to review the amount of emergency departments currently in use.

He said: "What we have is a legacy issue - so we have 29 emergency department for a population of 4.7 million, which is far too many, many of those departments really don't meet the criteria for what would be described as an emergency department in 2016 - and one of the difficulties some of them have is that they don't have the staffing resource which is required."

"We need to face up to the fact that we have too many emergency departments, so we need to reduce those numbers so they can be staffed at the appropriate level."
It's not hard to understand the appeal that the Cambridge spies of the 1930s and 1940s continue to exert on the British imagination. Their stories are set in the corridors of power in Westminster and Washington, and involve astounding acts of espionage, the systematic betrayal of close friends, and lots of sex - both gay and straight. Small wonder they still command the attention of novelists, playwrights and biographers.

There were five of them altogether, and four of these belonged to an elite group, which had been raised to become part of the British ruling class. They had attended leading English public schools, and had been educated at a University that has supplied the United Kingdom with 14 of its Prime Ministers. One of them was even a cousin of the late Queen Mother.

When they left University, they seemed to move effortlessly into the key institutions of the British Establishment: the Foreign Office, the BBC, Oxbridge, and, in time, the Intelligence agencies.

Guy Burgess has often been viewed as the least significant of these privileged traitors. He did not reveal the secrets of America's atomic programme, like Donald Maclean. He did not pass on the work of the men and women who broke the Nazi codes at Bletchley Park, like Anthony Blunt. He did not run the counter-espionage section of MI6, like Kim Philby.

Instead, Burgess has been best known for his voracious sexual appetite; the staggering amount of alcohol that he consumed; and his generally dissolute behaviour. He was also remarkably indiscreet, and often confessed, while drunk, to being a Soviet agent.

His confessions were disbelieved by his colleagues, who simply could not credit that an Old Etonian might be capable of such treachery. Indeed, they usually seemed more concerned by his "dirty fingernails" than the threat he posed to national security.

Now a new book, Stalin's Englishman by Andrew Lownie, presents a major re-evaluation of the role that Burgess played in the Cambridge spy-ring, and promotes him from a minor to a major player. In this comprehensive and compelling study, the full extent of the material that Burgess supplied to the Soviets is revealed, and its scale is quite extraordinary. At one stage, Burgess had so many secret documents in his possession that he needed a suitcase to carry them to his Soviet handler.

His access to top-level sources was also remarkable. He served as a private secretary to a Minister in the Foreign Office, and routinely read the confidential minutes of the British Cabinet, as well as secret reports of the meetings of the Chiefs of the General Staff.

Ironically, the Russians did not always make the best use of the information that Burgess gave them. The quantity of the documents he provided was so vast it was often impossible for them to be processed through their own bureaucratic system. In the murky world of counter-espionage, they were also unsure of how far Burgess could be trusted, and some were convinced he was a double agent.

The character of Burgess that emerges in Lownie's book is complex and contradictory. He claimed to have been a committed Communist for most of his adult life, but he was also a raging snob, who continued to wear his Old Etonian tie even after he had defected to the Soviet Union. He served Stalin's regime faithfully for 15 years, yet he claimed to hate Russia. His personal life was chaotic, and he habitually blackmailed, bullied and betrayed his closest friends. Despite that, I must admit, after reading Lownie's excellent book, I think a night spent in Burgess's outrageous company would have been worth the risk.
Nearly 30 years ago in the early 1990s, when I was first in college, I had a pal who had just left a seminary. He was a young gay man who, like a lot of young gay people at that time - and before and indeed since - found Ireland to be a cold house for him. He decided, after much reflection on what he could do to better fit into Irish society - and because being gay was a very hard road - to enter the priesthood.

He was in a seminary - not Maynooth - for about a year. He entered it very young, directly from school, and was a virgin. But over that year he became sexually active with many of the other seminarians and he left, because he had become increasingly comfortable and happy with being gay. He said everyone in the seminary was doing it, and even if he was exaggerating, I presume that meant it was lots.

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Whatsapp Celibacy is not just difficult for priests, it's bad for thems.

Interestingly, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the one other ex-seminarian I knew from Rome, told the exact same (albeit slightly racier, Italian) story. He described the Vatican in the 1990s very simply as 'an orgy.'

It has always seemed self-evident to me, that young gay men in the homophobic past would have been drawn to the priesthood. The combination of celibacy and penitence could so easily be perceived to be the 'answer to their prayers' as it were. It might contain them. It might save them if not from actually being homosexual then at least from the terrible sin of being a practising homosexual. Or from having to live a lie with a woman.

But life doesn't work that way. And sexuality will out. And celibacy for priests both gay and straight, is clearly every bit as difficult 30 years on, as it was back then.

To be honest, I'd go further. I think it's not just difficult for priests, it's bad for them. And attempting to subvert man's - or indeed woman's - natural, inherent sexuality, only does exactly that - subvert it. It doesn't actually quash it, but it can warp it.

And it seems to me there's likely a link between celibacy, religious autocracy, and clerical child sexual abuse. In that treating grown men like they're children, who must mindlessly obey dogma, and telling them to put all thoughts of sex out of their minds or feel guilty about it, is like a form of abuse in itself. And abuse - as we know - can be a self-perpetuating cycle.

I thought when the 'story broke' about seminarians in Maynooth using the gay dating app Grindr, how odd it was that something as ordinary as young men wanting to have sex, was news at all. Even the language used to discuss it was interesting: 'Seminarians accused of using gay dating site'. Normally, you are accused of a crime, or at the very least of doing something wrong. When we know from the marriage equality referendum last year that the vast majority of us don't believe there is anything wrong with same sex, sex.

That it made headlines shows how effectively religion has managed to make us feel that there's something shameful in what is actually completely innate - sexuality. The only real news as I saw it was that there was still a large-ish cohort of young men considering the priesthood in this day and age.

The truth is celibacy isn't a natural state of affairs for humans. And it's neither achievable nor probably even desirable. In fact, it's hard to know what purpose it's even supposed to serve. And please don't tell me that I don't understand because it's a theological matter. It has been my view since I was 12 that anyone who tells you to turn off your own moral compass or stop thinking critically for yourself, is trying to control you, not trying to enlighten you. Mea culpa.

@ciarakellydoc
Though I am not necessarily a 'royal watcher', I do keep an eye on their style. I thought it was dreadful how the Duchess of Cambridge - Kate - was dressed so frumpily during the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations.

Basically, Kate was dressed in clothes as plain as the 90-year-old monarch. I know the aim was to avoid any style controversy and not to upstage the Queen, but still, Kate is a young woman. She should be dressed with some youthfulness and femininity.

Which is why I can't stop myself thinking that the royal stylists could do with meeting Irish designer Niamh O'Neill, and buying into her collection for the young duchess.

Niamh O'Neill is a designer of refined fashion. I would nearly go so far as to say there is daintiness about her work - and she employs a rigorous self-discipline. This is evident in the simplicity of her designs and the very subtle, feminine details that I know she considers very carefully; such as the gentle curve to the hem of a dress, or delicate bow-cuffs to a blouse, or her use of a highly modern fabric which she tames into wearability.

"I am an occasion-wear designer in that I design for anything a person needs to dress up for," Niamh tells me. "A lot of my work consists of draping, though you might not necessarily realise that from the end result. But I love draping, and so I will start creating a piece by first putting the fabric on the mannequin and working the shape from there."

It is an atelier-like way to work; it is the way in which the hauts couturiers of the past used to go about creating their masterpieces. Niamh also has their love of fine fabrics; her autumn/winter 2016 collection comes in wool crepe, silk satin and silk organza. This season, too, she launches cashmere knits.

"If you are going to be at a certain price point, it needs to look it. People are very educated about fashion," she explains. "A piece needs to stand out."

Though a native of Meath, Niamh worked abroad for many years in design houses such as John Galliano, before returning to Ireland, marrying her fiance and setting up studio in her new home of Belfast. She became a member of the Council of Irish Fashion Designers and soon won a spot on Arnotts' fashion floor. Their customer instantly fell in love with the Niamh O'Neill label for its elegance and gentle quirkiness. In 2013, Niamh O'Neill was voted Fashion Designer of the Year at the Irish Fashion Innovation Awards.

"There has to be a base of wearable pieces in a collection. [It's important] that a woman will see a dress and know that she will look good in it," Niamh explains. "Then there are pieces which require you to try them on to discover whether they are 'you', or not. It's about gentle changes."

Niamh O'Neill does great service to her wearer: she sets a tone of subtle femininity, with inherent strength; class with cool modernity. The 'right' stuff.

Photography by Anita Sadowska

Fashion edited by Constance Harris
Aidan Roberts, pictured with his chitar, says he was caught up in a ball of grief. Photo: Mark Condren

Music must be Aidan Roberts's middle name.

With seven siblings who play myriad different instruments, songs, clefs and quavers lie at the core of their existence. "It started with my dad, Matt Roberts," explains Aidan, who is in his early 50s, but looks much younger. "He's a versatile, talented musician, who passed on his love of music to us."

And ever since, Aidan has continued to compose and play beautiful music, and to build innovative instruments. But he has another equally consuming passion, and that is a lifelong search for truth and inner peace.

Over the past 20 years, Aidan has studied and practised Buddhism, Taoism, Advaita Vedanta (a Hindu philosophy and religous practice), acupuncture, t'ai chi, chi gong, yoga and numerous Eastern philosophies and practices. These studies have taken him to China, India, Taiwan, Thailand, England and America. So, all in all, Aidan was leading a pretty fulfilling existence until 2008; his emotional and spiritual strength were severely challenged when Gary, his much-loved older brother, took his own life.

"He was extremely creative - in fact, he was bordering on being a genius," says Aidan. "At one point, he built a hovercraft which was big enough to sit in. He loved creative challenges."

Aidan recalls a particular adventure, when, as children, he and Gary used an inflatable boat to reach an island to collect duck eggs. Unfortunately, the boat sank, so the hapless schoolboys had to swim back to shore.

"He was a fun, happy-go-lucky, adventurous brother," Aidan says.

In time, Gary married and had three sons. Aidan describes their home as a "real boys' house, with lots of fun and energy". Then, one fateful day, Aidan got a nightmarish call to tell him that Gary was gone. Though it's now nearly eight years later, he still cannot find the words to describe what he felt at the time.

"The pain and suffering for his wife and children must have been unbelievable," Aidan says. "I couldn't even begin to imagine what they went through. If I could have taken away some of their terrible pain, I would have done so gladly."

In spite of this awful tragedy, Aidan had no option but to try to move on with his life. However, about a year later, he began to have what he describes as a "severe reaction".

"I experienced extreme emotions," he explains. "There was grief, anger and frustration. I was hugely caught up in a ball of grief. I made a number of calls to bereavement counselling services, but the conversations didn't work for me. So I decided I wanted to spend some time in nature; I wanted to see what would happen when I quietened the mind - to see what would arise."

Aidan went to La Gomera, an island in the Canaries. Armed with a sleeping bag, a blow-up bed and a single-ring cooker, he camped in a cave in a mountain. "It was beautiful," he says.

He spent five weeks in almost total, solitary confinement. Once a week, he would trek to the nearest village to stock up on supplies, which he had to haul up the mountain. The experience did help him get him in touch with his feelings.

"A lot of grief was coming up; some of it had to do with Gary, and some was my own stuff," he explains. "I was watching the mind, watching the body, being present to the grief. But I was still very caught up in the mind, trying to figure out what was going on and why."

Then, one day, Aidan was sitting quietly, when a white butterfly brushed gently across his face, with surprising and enlightening consequences.

"I got a strong sense that nature was tapping me on the nose and saying, 'Hey, wake up, look at all that nature around you. There is too much going on in your head; there's too much thinking about suffering.'"

Realising that there would be no peace if he depended solely on his mind, Aidan began instead to look at ways to quieten it.

"By then, I was very motivated to find a better way to be," he says.

He had practised mindfulness with Thich Nhat Hanh (a renowned Vietnamese Buddhist monk) in Plum Village in France, in 1993. So now, 15 years later, he decided to return to that same village; he spent three months camping in the forest there.

"When I arrived, the monks left a note in my tent which read, 'Your suffering is most welcome here.'" Aidan recalls. "There was a lot of loving-kindness practices at Plum Village; it felt like family. And that got me in touch with my heart. The experience allowed me to embrace grief in a healthy way. When I came back to Ireland, I felt I had tangible tools to work with."

Consequently, Aidan did teacher training in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) with the University of Massachusetts Medical School; he then did further studies in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) at the University of Bangor in Wales, and the Oxford Mindfulness Centre at the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University. He quotes world authority Jon Kabat-Zinn, in describing mindfulness: "It's paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally, and as if your life depended on it."

Currently, Aidan runs the Dublin Mindfulness Centre in Ranelagh.

"I believe that mindfulness is a precious practical gem," he says. "Although I have studied and practised many forms of meditation, I find that bringing mindfulness into play helps cultivate calmness, clarity, insight and acceptance. I now use music and mindfulness to help people cultivate healthy states of mind, so they may find a better way to be in relation to themselves and others."

Over the years, Aidan has designed and made various instruments. His current favourite is one he calls a "chitar", with which he's pictured above. It's a two-necked finger-tapping instrument that resembles a guitar. Aidan can play it while doing a standing meditation with his arms stretched in front of him. In June, he played his chitar for a delighted audience, including the Indian ambassador to Ireland, in Dartmouth Square to mark World Yoga Day.

This summer, he will be leading mindfulness practices and playing the chitar at the Another Love Story Festival in Co Meath, which is on this weekend, and in Electric Picnic's Global Green Area.

"I've found ways to quieten the mind and to nurture contentment," says Aidan. "The songs that I am composing on the chitar are inspired by mindfulness practice. The lyrics use metaphor to clarify the practice, while the music supports it," he concludes, having come full circle.

See dublinmindfulnesscentre.com
There's a new breed of male on the cultural landscape. He's kind of an enlightened type, into his reformer Pilates, his turmeric shots, and his AeroPress coffee, but he also still favours a bootcut jean and is likely to have slightly terrible hair.

He's not be confused with the spindly hipster male, who wears vasectomy-inducing skinny jeans and has a 100-a-month hair habit, although they might be friends on Snapchat. The metrosexual 2.0 is more of a kind of highbrow jock. He probably has investments in an app that delivers a selection of coffee beans, chosen for their aura-enhancing properties, to customers each week - it's called Bean and Nothingness.

He's also involved in a gourmet doughnut parlour, but essentially, he's still 'one of the lads'. In fact, they're all going on a silent retreat to Portugal next week. Rugby player Rob Kearney, pictured, is probably his spirit animal.
Premium

Mary Kenny Opinion If men want to yammer on about sport, then let them  it helps them connect emotionally

I was travelling on a train from Dublin to Cork, and near me sat two Dublin men. Throughout the entire journey they managed to keep up a fluent dialogue about English football teams. From Aston Villa to Sheffield Wednesday, from Crystal Palace to Manchester City the conversation flowed eloquently. I was in awe at the minutiae of their knowledge and expertise. And if the topic of their discourse lacked a certain variety, it was nonetheless better than sitting in sullen silence, or glued to their phones.
Photos: More Than 1 Million Watched The 2016 Bud Billiken Parade

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Aug 15, 2016 2:52PM

Over 1 million people gathered on the South Side this weekend to enjoy the 2016 Bud Billiken Paradean annual Chicago tradition that takes place in Bronzeville and winds its way over a two-mile parade route to Washington Park.



The Bud Billliken Parade, founded in 1929, is heralded as the largest African-American parade in the United States, with the goal of promoting education for underprivileged youth. This year, the parade grand marshal was Katherine Branch, a White House official in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. Actress Keisha Rose from Netflix's Silent Whispers, activist Ja'Mal Green, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., and Cheryl Mainor, the publisher of the historic black newspaper the Chicago Defender also participated in the parade.
Irish make-up guru and model Tara O'Farrell wed her long-term boyfriend Daniel Anderson this weekend.

The brunette beauty was joined by family and close friends, including Pippa O'Connor, as she tied the knot in the four-star surrounds of Carton House, County Kildare.

A photo posted by Pippa O'Connor Ormond (@pipsy_pie) on Aug 13, 2016 at 5:15pm PDT

The stunning bride wore an elegant, slim-fitting white gown with silver embroidered cap sleeves, a medium-scooped back and eye-catching silver twist at the waist.

She's one of the country's biggest make-up artists but Tara chose not to take care of her own beauty look on the big day, instead entrusting those duties to Paula Callan of luxurious Dublin salon, Callan and Co..

A photo posted by Tara Makeup (@tara_makeup) on Aug 14, 2016 at 2:31am PDT

The overjoyed newlywed took to Instagram to share photos of the ceremony, including a photo of the moment she walked down the aisle with her father, which she captioned: "We laughed the whole way down the aisle."

She also took time out to thank friends and followers for their well-wishes with a social media post which hinted at her ecstatic mood.

A photo posted by Tara Makeup (@tara_makeup) on Aug 15, 2016 at 1:53am PDT

"I am completely overcome with love and emotion," she wrote on Instagram.

"I can't put into words how happy I feel and how lucky I am! Thank you so much your lovely comments and kind wishes. You have all made me feel very special."

Husband & Wife A photo posted by Tara Makeup (@tara_makeup) on Aug 14, 2016 at 2:19am PDT

Tara also provided friends with some cake inspiration by posting a photo of the wedding's sweet treats.

Her cake was created by award-winning, Dublin-based bakers The Cakecuppery and featured a cake table complete with cupcakes, cake pops and an intricately-designed, three-tier wedding cake.

A photo posted by Tara Makeup (@tara_makeup) on Aug 14, 2016 at 11:39am PDT

Video of the Day

Last year, the Andrea Roche-model revealed that choosing the right dress wasn't as easy as she had anticipated.

"Things didn't happen the way I thought they would, I was dreading looking for a dress because I don't wear dresses unless I'm modelling," the make-up artist told the Diary

A photo posted by Tara Makeup (@tara_makeup) on Aug 13, 2016 at 12:15pm PDT

"I thought they'd all look really stupid on me but then I loved the second one I tried on, so I stopped looking after that.

"I'm doing make-up at a few weddings a week at the moment and when the bride comes out I'm like 'I want your dress' so hopefully I'll still love my one by next August."
Celeste Nurse, the mother of a girl who was kidnapped nearly 19 years ago in Cape Town. Photo: AP

Zephany Nurse was taken three days after being born

Celeste Nurse, the biological mother of Zephany Nurse, gestures to the photographer after the woman who kidnapped her baby Zephany in 1997 was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Cape Town High Court, South Africa, August 15, 2016

Celeste Nurse (C), the biological mother of Zephany Nurse, reacts after the woman who kidnapped her baby Zephany in 1997 was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Cape Town High Court, South Africa. August 15, 2016

Celeste Nurse, right facing, the biological mother of the South African born kidnapped child Zephany Nurse, embraces a family member after court proceedings in Cape Town, South Africa, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016

Celeste Nurse, the biological mother of Zephany Nurse, reacts after the woman who kidnapped her baby Zephany in 1997 was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Cape Town High Court, South Africa. August 15, 2016.

Morne, left, and Celeste Nurse, the biological parents of the South African born kidnapped child Zephany Nurse, embrace each other after court proceedings in Cape Town , South Africa, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016

Morne Nurse (C), the biological father of Zephany Nurse, reacts after the woman who kidnapped his daughter Zephany in 1997 was sentenced to ten years imprisonment at the Cape Town High Court, South Africa, August 15, 2016

A South African woman who snatched baby Zephany Nurse from hospital nearly 20 years ago has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The woman had pleaded not guilty during her trial, claiming she believed she had legally adopted Zephany 19 years ago. She was found guilty of kidnap in March this year.

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At her sentencing on Monday Judge John Hlope in Cape Town said the crimes committed by the woman were serious, but that he had taken into account her previously clean record and other mitigating circumstances in deciding the sentence, according to News24.

Zephany's biological parents Celeste and Morne Nurse attended court on Monday for sentencing, but their daughter did not.

The kidnappers relatives and the birth family of the girl  who has become known as South Africas Madeleine McCann  engaged in scuffles after the hearing in Cape Town.

The story of Zephany, kidnapped at just three days old, has gripped South Africa for the last 20 years

Zephany was three days old when she was snatched from a Cape Town hospital while her mother was asleep in April 1997, state prosecutors said.

The kidnapper then defrauded authorities by registering the child as her own daughter in 2003 under a false birthdate, prosecutors added.

Zephany, who is publicly known by a different name which has been protected by the courts, was reunited with her biological parents Morne and Celeste Nurse last year, and a 51-year-old woman was arrested.

Zephanys true identity was discovered last year when she was found to bear a remarkable resemblance to a girl she had befriended at school.

Local media has previously reported that Zephany considers the woman who kidnapped her as her mother and does not wish to have a relationship with her birth parents, the BBC reported.
The air strike hit near the Houthi rebel stronghold of Saada, in Yemen's north

An air strike has hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Yemen, killing and wounding an unknown number of people.

The group, known by the French acronym MSF, said the strike hit near the Houthi rebel stronghold of Saada, where teams were still attending to the wounded.

Yemeni security and medical officials said the strike killed and wounded around 20 of the hospital's staff and patients.

The conflict in Yemen pits an internationally-recognised government backed by a Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite rebels, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March 2015.

On Saturday, an air strike on a school killed at least 10 children and wounded dozens more, Yemeni officials and aid workers said.

The Saudis denied hitting a school, saying the target was a Houthi training camp and accusing the rebels of recruiting children.

Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged that it had committed "unintended bombings" that caused civilian casualties during its nearly 18-month air campaign, blaming UN agencies for not co-ordinating with it.

Saudi government spokesman Mohammed al-Mansour, in comments published by the Saudi Press Agency, chronicled eight incidents that rights groups said killed hundreds of civilians.

MSF, which operates in conflict zones around the world, has had a number of its facilities attacked over the past year.

The group said in May that at least 100 staff members, patients and caretakers were killed, and another 130 wounded, in aerial bombing and shelling attacks on more than 80 MSF-supported and run health structures in 2015 and early 2016.

A US aerial attack on an MSF-run hospital in Afghanistan last October killed 42 people. The US government has apologised for the attack and paid compensation to survivors and the families of those killed.

AP
The Place des Anges spectacle in Hull, which was part of UK City of Culture 2017 celebrations.

People in Hull are being encouraged to throw open their doors to visitors from across the world during the city's tenure as UK City of Culture next year.

The call to embrace the "everyone back to ours" atmosphere comes amid predictions that the expected hundreds of thousands of visitors will overwhelm Hull hotel capacity.

Hull 2017, along with Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, has launched the Homestay challenge backed by TV designer Linda Barker.

Those taking part have been told they could also make money, as well as immerse themselves in the events taking place.

Martin Green, CEO and Director of Hull UK City of Culture 2017, said: "Every resident of the city is the face of Hull 2017 so we want them to embrace the 'everyone back to ours' spirit by throwing open their front doors.

"After all, what better way is there to learn about a culture than to dive in at the deep end and live with its people who can offer an authentic home from home experience?"

Anthony Yates, visitor economy manager for Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, said: "City of Culture is expected to bring in an extra million visitors to the city from all over the world.

"Whether it's friends and family or an interesting visitor who you've rented your room out to, we want each and every guest to have a fantastic experience and leave with a lasting impression that Hull is a city with a personality like no other."

James McClure - from the hospitality listing site Airbnb - said: "In the last 12 months, listings on Airbnb in Hull have increased by 227% as people start to recognise the economic potential of City of Culture.

"The region already offers some unique accommodation from a gypsy caravan and a Hobbit Hole, to an orangery in the grounds of a stately home and a Grade II Listed country manor.

"But with the average host in Hull earning 127 a week, it's worth considering listing your property too."

When the American photographer Spencer Tunick worked with 3,200 naked volunteers painted blue to create some of his trademark images in Hull last month, city centre hotels were reported to have been at full occupancy.

Linda Barker launched the campaign by creating an outdoor showroom featuring locally sourced Scandinavian-style furniture to reflect Hull's connection with Northern Europe.

She said: " Hull boasts some fantastic treasure troves where you can pick up second-hand items that, with a little bit creative thinking, can be given a new lease of life.

"There's never been a better time to turn your spare bedroom into a unique piece of Hull culture."

Anybody who accepts the Homestay challenge will be able to sign up for training, offered by Visit Hull and East Yorkshire to hospitality and tourism professionals.
Morne and Celeste Nurse, the biological parents of kidnapped child Zephany Nurse, embrace each other after court proceedings in Cape Town, South Africa (AP)

A South African woman who kidnapped a newborn baby nearly two decades ago from a hospital and raised the girl as her own has been sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Judge John Hlophe told the 52-year-old convicted kidnapper she had caused the biological parents whose baby was taken from them "immense" pain, the African News Agency reported.

Publicly, the young woman who was kidnapped as a baby is known as Zephany Nurse, the name given to her by her biological parents and used in the media in the years since her disappearance.

After she was found, the girl chose to continue using the name given to her by the kidnapper.

To protect her privacy, a judge ordered that her adopted name and the name of her kidnapper not be used by the media.

Judge Hlophe criticised the kidnapper for sticking to her story that she had bought the baby from a woman who told her that the biological parents did not want the child.

"At the very least, one would expect you to apologise, but you chose not to," the African News Agency quoted Judge Hlophe as saying.

The family of the convicted kidnapper blew kisses to her as she was led to a holding cell after the sentencing in Cape Town, according to the agency.

It also reported a confrontation between the kidnapper's family and Zephany Nurse's biological family outside the courthouse.

"She belongs to us," said Chantall Berry, Zephany Nurse's aunt. "She has our DNA. Her DNA will never change."

Zephany Nurse was reunited last year with her biological parents, Morne and Celeste Nurse, after the couple's second daughter befriended a girl at school who looked remarkably like her.

A police investigation and DNA tests showed that the two girls were sisters and that the new friend was the Nurses' missing child.

Zephany Nurse's biological parents were in court for the sentencing but their daughter was not.

Zephany Nurse has not been allowed contact with the convicted kidnapper but has been living with the kidnapper's husband, who she thought was her biological father, according to South African media reports.

The kidnapper snatched the three-day-old baby from her sleeping mother's hospital bedside in Cape Town in April 1997, state prosecutors said.

The prosecution also said the woman defrauded authorities when she registered the child as her own daughter in 2003 under a false birth date.

AP
A wind-whipped wildfire has roared through a town in northern California still recovering from a devastating blaze nearly a year ago, destroying more than 100 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee.

The fire seemed calm on Sunday before gusts kicked up the flames that tore through neighbourhoods in Lower Lake, a town of 1,200 about 90 miles north of San Francisco, officials said.

It reached Main Street and burned the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several businesses as thick, black smoke loomed over the small central strip.

Staff at a hospital in Clearlake, a neighbouring town of about 15,000, rushed to transfer 16 patients to another hospital and firefighters carried goats and other animals to safety as homes burned around them.

The blaze was one of 11 large wildfires in California, where high temperatures and parched conditions brought on by a five-year drought raised the fire danger. In central California, a day-old wildfire burned 20 structures and threatened 150 homes.

The Lower Lake fire broke out on Saturday afternoon and exploded to nearly five square miles as it fed on bone-dry vegetation.

Besides the wind, 100F (37C) heat hindered firefighters struggling to get a handle on the largely out-of-control blaze.

"This fire roared through the city like a wave of water - it was a wave of fire that came through here," said Lt Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriff's spokesman working on behalf of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Well over 100 homes were destroyed, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. Officials did not immediately know how many businesses and other buildings were lost but say thousands are still threatened.

No-one was injured and officials were hopeful the wind would not pick up again like it did the day before.

Residents who thought the fire was under control earlier on Sunday went on errands in town and came back to roaring flames and smoke. Some used hoses or water from their pools to try to protect their houses.

Rick Davis, 40, told the San Francisco Chronicle that he went to lunch in Lower Lake and rushed home when he heard the fire had exploded. He used a hose to wet down his roof.

"I'm just scared," he said. "The wind can just change."

Nearby, Garrett Reed, 43, made similar preparations.

"If I see embers and ash rain down, I will turn the sprinklers on the roof and get out," he told the newspaper. "But this is my grandfather's house, and I'm not going to lose it."

Phaedra Phelps had the same thought after hearing the flames had roared to life and rushed back from the shops.

"My daddy bought this house for me 18 years ago," Phelps told the Press Democrat newspaper in Santa Rosa. "I'm staying here. This is my home. Unless my home is on fire, I'm not going anywhere."

The fire shifted into Lower Lake after creating its own weather pattern, said Suzie Blankenship, a Cal Fire spokeswoman.

The burned Habitat for Humanity office had been raising money to help rebuild homes destroyed by one of the state's most destructive blazes nearly a year ago.

"Emotions are still incredibly raw from the Valley Fire," state senator Mike McGuire said about last year's wildfire, which killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes. "I don't think any of us thought we'd be back where we are tonight."

Lt Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriff's spokesman who was working on behalf of Cal Fire, said residents fled their homes very quickly this weekend.

"They've seen it before," Mr Pittman told the Chronicle.

In central California, similar conditions led the wildfire near Lake Nacimiento, about 180 miles north-west of Los Angeles, to explode from two to nearly seven square miles, Cal Fire spokesman Bennet Milloy said. The blaze shifted north towards the lake, leading authorities to evacuate some residents by boat.

In southern California, forecasters warned of high fire danger due to a heatwave and gusty winds.

Temperatures reached triple digits in numerous places, stoking an increased risk of wildfires across the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties through until at least Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

AP
The dad of a former Premier League star who died after being tasered by police has said his son was "very agitated" and "upset" before someone called police.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail Ernest Atkinson (85) said the former Aston Villa star flew into a "booze-fuelled rage".

The 48-year-old, named locally as Dalian Atkinson, died around 90 minutes after he was hit by a stun gun in Meadow Close in the Trench area of Telford, Shropshire, at around 1.30am on Monday.

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Officers were called to the home amid concerns "for the safety of an individual", and a Taser was used.

Speaking from his home, Ernest Atkinson told the newspaper: "He [Dalian] was in a real state.

"I dont know if he was drunk or on drugs but he was very agitated and his mind was upset.

"The last thing he said to me was dont move when the police came to the door.

"He was threatening and very upset. I didnt call the police but someone else did.

"He got Tasered in the street outside in the road. I didnt see him but I saw a flash. I havent had any sleep and cannot take it in.

"The police are dealing with this now."
Undated handout file photo of Rikki Neave as a man arrested in Portugal in connection with the murder of the six-year-old more than two decades ago has been returned to the UK

A man arrested in Portugal in connection with the murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave more than two decades ago has been returned to the UK.

The 35-year-old man, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was arrested by local officers in Lisbon. After a court appearance in Portugal on August 4 2016 he was extradited to the UK, Cambridgeshire Police said.

Rikki was found strangled in woodland near his home in Peterborough in November 1994.

The man was arrested under a European Arrest Warrant on suspicion of breaching his licence and has been taken to Bedford prison to be dealt with by the probation service.

Officers from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit travelled to Portugal to return the man, working with the National Crime Agency, police in Portugal and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Janine Bonaggiunta (L) and Nathalie Tomasini (R), lawyers representing Jacqueline Sauvage, a woman convicted of the murder of her husband

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.

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
Automatic Voter Registration Supporters Blast Rauner For Veto

By aaroncynic in News on Aug 15, 2016 7:08PM

Proponents of the automatic voter registration bill that Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed on Friday blasted him Monday morning, saying there was no reason he shouldve vetoed the bill.

Governor Rauners veto hits the pause button to progress, said State Senator Jacqueline Collins, chief co-sponsor of the bill. We have all seen powerful images of young people projecting injustice and calling for change. They tell the bitter truth government doesnt always work for them and their families. They need the power of the vote and pained registration systems are often in the way.

The bill, which passed both the House and Senate with overwhelming bipartisan report, wouldve automatically updated voter registration for Illinoisans seeking a new or updated drivers license or other state services, provided they met the qualifications for voting in the state and didnt opt out. Rauner vetoed the bill late Friday afternoon, saying it violated federal law and citing concerns of potential fraud.

The consequences could be injurious to our election system. said Rauner in a statement (ht Capfax). We know that non-citizens have registered to vote in Illinois after obtaining a drivers license and voted in recent elections.

Proponents of the bill however, say that Rauner couldve addressed his concerns anytime in the months legislators and groups were working on it, that the measure wouldve increased security and his veto increases inefficiency in getting people registered.

At any time the governor couldve raised his concerns, instead he waited until the eleventh hour and vetoed a good bill, said Kathleen Yang-Clayton, Deputy Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice. This is a step backward...The facts show his veto makes us less secure, terribly inefficient, lists less accurate - even the problem they talked about couldve been solved, said Cook County Clerk David Orr.

Orr also added that the AVR bill wouldve fixed two of the only three instances of fraud Rauner cited, all of which are more than a decade old.

In fact, while theres no shortage of groups that continually make claims of rampant voter fraud in the United States, there seems to be a shortage of statistical evidence. A 2012 News21 investigative analysis of more than 2,000 alleged voter fraud cases found about one case of fraud for every 15 million eligible voters in the United States. A 2012 Mother Jones analysis found that UFO sightings were more common than voter fraud.

The bill wouldve also helped streamline cleaning up old lists before the November election, which wouldve eased the burden on same-day registration. According to Orr, some 700,000 people have old registration addresses, and AVR wouldve gone a long way in updating that information. Your veto has undermined these voters, said Orr.

While the bills supporters were unwilling to outright call Rauners veto a voter suppression tactic, some made juxtapositions between it and suppression efforts in other states such as voter ID laws.

Between Governor Rauners veto of Automatic Voter Registration, and the pending lawsuit that seeks to stop Election Day Registration, Illinois is moving away from making the franchise more accessible, and moving toward the sort of tactics that have suppressed the vote in other states across the nation. said Just Democracy Illinois, an umbrella group of more than 50 organizations that were pushing the bill in a statement. Now is not the time for Illinois to move backward on voting rights.
Three cars were burned out near a beach in Corsica where a fight broke out between locals and a group of North African men, leaving four people injured Picture: AFP/Getty

Riot police were called and a man was injured by a harpoon when a mass brawl broke out on a beach in Corsica, apparently started by a tourist taking a photo of women in "burkinis".

The incident came after the mayor of Cannes banned women from wearing the full-body, head-covering swimsuits on the beaches of the town.

The riot took place on Saturday in a cove near the village of Sisco in the north of the French Mediterranean island. "It happened because a tourist was taking photos," said Ange-Pierre Vivoni, the local mayor. "And the Maghrebins (North Africans) didn't want to have their photos taken."

Things got out of hand when young men of North African origin harangued the tourist who took the pictures, prompting local young people to intervene in defence of the visitor.

Police are still trying to establish how the incident turned into a riot, but local media said that a group of older North African men soon arrived, some armed with hatchets and harpoons, and took on the young Corsicans. Three cars were burnt and four people were taken to hospital, one of them for a wound caused by a harpoon.

Tensions were high yesterday, when around 500 people gathered in the nearby town of Bastia and tried to enter a housing estate with a high immigrant population and riot police held back the crowd.
An unknown number of gunmen arrived at the restaurant on the city's main boulevard early on Monday morning, prosecutors said

Armed men have abducted several people from an upscale restaurant in the popular Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta.

Two SUVs carrying an unknown number of gunmen arrived at the restaurant on the city's main boulevard, which runs through the hotel zone, at around 1am on Monday morning, prosecutors in the western state of Jalisco said.

The Jalisco prosecutors' office said in a statement that it was still investigating. Five vehicles were abandoned at the restaurant, but it was unclear whether they belonged to any of the victims or attackers.

Mexican media reports say as many as 16 people were abducted, but authorities did not immediately confirm the number.

AP

Jalisco governor Aristoteles Sandoval said through his official Twitter account that such violence would not be tolerated and a search was under way for the victims and kidnappers from the La Leche restaurant.

"To the residents and tourists of Puerto Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can go on as usual," Mr Sandoval wrote.
Ketlie Seides son James at the beauty salon. When my husband died I knew I had to find a way to support myself and my son James. There have been a lot of obstacles along the way and at times I could not afford the tuition fees for my son. I am happy to have my own business now as I think in Haiti working for yourself is better and more secure than being employed Photo: Jennifer Barker

Ketlie Seide at her beauty salon in Port au Prince, Haiti. Having the correct equipment has brought me many more customers. Before I owned a fan I was loosing customers as it was far too hot and uncomfortable for people to sit in here. Also, before the basin I was using an old bucket to wash hair. Photo: Jennifer Barker

Ketlie Seide at her beauty salon in Port au Prince, Haiti. Pedicures and manicures are very popular. Sometimes after the pedicure my customers will purchase sandals from me. Hair straightening used to be my most popular service, however unfortunately for my business the fashion has changed, now women like to leave their hair natural. Photo: Jennifer Barker

KETLIE Seide runs her beauty salon from a small, narrow concrete structure only a few me-tres in size. She provides very popular hair and beauty treatments to the Haitian women on the steep slopes of Turgeau in Port au Prince.

Ketlie always wanted to be a beautician and open her own business. She had worked in-termittently as an employee, gaining experience and slowly purchasing small essentials that would allow her to work for herself. Unfortunately all these were lost in the earthquake and Keltie was back to square one. Finally in 2012, with help from her father and brother, she set up her business with very limited supplies and equipment.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Fleurant Annette at the market in Gonaives where she sells garments she has made or fixed. She is a mobile seller, strategically moving around making sales. Photo: Jennifer Barker Fleurant Annette at the market in Gonaives. Working for myself is best as I am raising my children alone. I can work in the market when I need to and sew with the program in the morning when my girls are at school. I also sew in the evening at home, repairing old clothes and making school uniforms for local children. Photo: Jennifer Barker Fleurant Annettes daughter, Kemshine, models the wedding veil which her mother rents to local brides Photo: Jennifer Barker / Facebook

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Whatsapp Fleurant Annette at the market in Gonaives where she sells garments she has made or fixed. She is a mobile seller, strategically moving around making sales. Photo: Jennifer Barker

With financial and business assistance from GOAL and PALMIS - (a micro credit institution established by Entrepreneurs du Monde) Ketlie purchased the necessary and vital equip-ment to run a competitive business. She received a $1000 credit to buy a fan, basin and hair dryer, as well as a generator - an essential as electricity is notoriously unreliable. She also received valuable business skills which have been vital to the successful running of her salon.

Ketlie is a great example of the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit of Haitian women who are proving powerful forces for positive change in Haiti. Women from poor areas are en-gaging with livelihood and grassroots entrepreneurship programs, which empower them with the skills to take part in, and open their own businesses. For many women this is the first time they have received training or financial assistance of any kind, and when pre-sented with these opportunities they are relentless in pursuing a better life.

Pocius Menette and Fleurant Annette are two remarkable women who are taking full ad-vantage of the sewing programme run by Haven in Gonaives. Coming from impoverished backgrounds they insisted that participating in the programme had dramatically changed their lives, enabling them to work and provide food and schooling for their children.

Following completion of the sewing programme they helped set up a co-op called Les Femmes Despoir Des Gonaives (The Women of Hope of Gonaives) where they now work every morning. They have partnered with Entrepreneurial Women of Milot, producing beautifully crafted goods such as aprons, pot holders, oven mitts and bags which are snapped up by the tourists.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Pocius Menette at the sewing program. Before the sewing program I struggled a lot to make money. Now I have skills to help me earn a living. I have also received training in business and how to better manage finances. Photo: Jennifer Barker Pocius Menette at the sewing program. 'Every morning I sew at the centre where we produce aprons, pot holders, oven mitts and bags. It is a safe and secure place for us to work and also store our materials and finished goods' Photo: Jennifer Barker Pocius Menette with Andianette, Ostin, Lucander, Fanise (4 of her 9 children) and her first grandchild Eclarichena outside their home in Gonaives. She is very proud that she can afford to send all of her children to school. Photo: Jennifer Barker / Facebook

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Whatsapp Pocius Menette at the sewing program. Before the sewing program I struggled a lot to make money. Now I have skills to help me earn a living. I have also received training in business and how to better manage finances. Photo: Jennifer Barker

In true entrepreneurial spirt some of the money they make here is put to good business use, investing in other endeavours to further increase their income. Menette buys and sells metal pots that are commonly used in Haiti for washing and Annette rents veils and gloves to local brides.

This photo essay looks at how livelihood programmes and entrepreneurial support initia-tives are promoting womens economic empowerment in Haiti.

This photo essay was made possible through support from the Simon Cumbers Media Fund
Sylville Smith was shot by a black officer after turning towards him with a gun in his hand, the police chief said (Milwaukee County Sheriff/ AP)

The Milwaukee police chief has blamed outside agitators after a second straight night of violence hit the city's mostly black north side in protest at the fatal shooting of a black man by police.

Edward Flynn said a Chicago chapter of the Revolutionary Communist Party upended what had until then been a peaceful Sunday night by leading marchers down several blocks at around 11.30pm.

An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded during the latest unrest, which was milder and far less destructive than Saturday night's confrontation but still left the city tense.

TV footage showed a small group of protesters walking or running through the streets, sometimes toppling orange construction barriers.

Fourteen people were arrested. Three police officers and four sheriff's deputies were hurt.

Both Mr Flynn and the city's mayor Tom Barrett credited church groups and "many others" for staging peaceful demonstrations, prayers and vigils earlier on Sunday, as well as volunteers who turned out to sweep and pick up debris after Saturday night's violence.

However, Mr Barrett singled out groups of young people on the streets of the Sherman Park neighbourhood who he said were intent on causing trouble.

"Those individuals, in my mind, are deliberately trying to damage a great neighbourhood in a great city," he said at a news conference.

Mr Barrett warned parents and guardians that police will be strictly enforcing the city's 10pm curfew for teenagers.

"This is not the place where you go to gawk, this is not the place where you go to take pictures," he said. "This is not the place where you go to drive your car around."

The problems began on Saturday afternoon after a black police officer shot and killed a black man after a traffic stop.

Police said 23-year-old Sylville K Smith was fleeing and had a stolen handgun when he was shot; adding that bodycam footage clearly shows him holding the weapon.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating Mr Smith's death, as required by state law for police-involved shootings.

Mr Barrett said he hoped the officer's body camera video could be released soon.

Governor Scott Walker put the National Guard on standby on Sunday, but so far no Guard members have been deployed.

The 18-year-old Milwaukee man who was shot and wounded in Sunday night's violence was retrieved by a police armoured vehicle and taken to a hospital.

Mr Flynn said the man "doesn't seem to be in medical danger". Police did not say who shot the man but that they were looking for suspects.

Mr Flynn said that while police came under fire on Sunday night, "none of our officers returned fire".

Police cited Mr Smith's "lengthy criminal record" as they identified him. Online court records showed a range of offences that were mostly misdemeanors.

In a more serious case, he was accused in a shooting last year and charged with recklessly endangering safety.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Mr Smith was subsequently accused of pressuring the victim to recant statements that identified him as the gunman and was charged with trying to intimidate a witness.

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, Mr 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% 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 US 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.

AP
An air strike has hit a hospital which Doctors Without Borders (Medicins Sans Frontieres) was operating in northern Yemen, killing at least 11 people and injuring at least 19.

The blast immediately killed nine people, including an MSF staff member, and two more patients died while being transferred to Al Jamhouri hospital.

Five patients currently remain hospitalised after the strike near the Houthi rebel stronghold of Saada, in the country's north.

Abs hospital, supported by MSF since July 2015, has been partially destroyed, and all the remaining patients and staff have been evacuated.

This is the fourth attack against an MSF facility in less than 12 months. Once again, today we witness the tragic consequences of the bombing of a hospital. Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members, was bombed in a war that has shown no for respect medical facilities or patients, says Teresa Sancristoval, desk manager for the Emergency Unit in Yemen.

People in Yemen continue to be killed and injured while seeking medical care. The violence in Yemen is having an disproportionate burden on civilians. We want to express our outrage at having to send condolences once more to the families of our staff member and 10 patients, who should have been safe inside a hospital."

Expand Close Credit: MSF / Facebook

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The conflict in Yemen pits an internationally recognised government backed by a Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite rebels, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March 2015.

More than 2,000 MSF staff are currently working in Yemen, including 90 international staff.
A car burns following the shooting of a man in Milwaukee Photo: Calvin Mattheis/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 last night.

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 northside on Saturday night.

Police chief Edward Flynn cautioned that the shooting was still under investigation and authorities were awaiting autopsy results, but said 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.

"I want our community to know that," Mr Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life," 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 that 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 yesterday, Governor Scott Walker activated Wisconsin's National Guard, and 125 Guard members were reporting to local armouries.

Mr Flynn said they would not be deployed unless the chief decided to do so.

"I'm hopeful that won't be necessary," the mayor added.
A car burns following the shooting of a man in Milwaukee Photo: Calvin Mattheis/AP

The Milwaukee police chief has blamed outside agitators after a second straight night of violence hit the city's mostly black north side in protest at the fatal shooting of a black man by police.

Edward Flynn said a Chicago chapter of the Revolutionary Communist Party upended what had until then been a peaceful Sunday night by leading marchers down several blocks at around 11.30pm.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close Protestors march during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016 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 / Facebook

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Whatsapp Protestors march during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded during the latest unrest, which was milder and far less destructive than Saturday night's confrontation but still left the city tense.

TV footage showed a small group of protesters walking or running through the streets, sometimes toppling orange construction barriers.

Fourteen people were arrested. Three police officers and four sheriff's deputies were hurt.

Both Mr Flynn and the city's mayor Tom Barrett credited church groups and "many others" for staging peaceful demonstrations, prayers and vigils earlier on Sunday, as well as volunteers who turned out to sweep and pick up debris after Saturday night's violence.

However, Mr Barrett singled out groups of young people on the streets of the Sherman Park neighbourhood who he said were intent on causing trouble.

"Those individuals, in my mind, are deliberately trying to damage a great neighbourhood in a great city," he said at a news conference.

Mr Barrett warned parents and guardians that police will be strictly enforcing the city's 10pm curfew for teenagers.

"This is not the place where you go to gawk, this is not the place where you go to take pictures," he said. "This is not the place where you go to drive your car around."

Expand Expand Previous Next Close A man shot during disturbances following a police shooting is taken into a hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016 Police stand guard during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016 / Facebook

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The problems began on Saturday afternoon after a black police officer shot and killed a black man after a traffic stop.

Police said 23-year-old Sylville K Smith was fleeing and had a stolen handgun when he was shot; adding that bodycam footage clearly shows him holding the weapon.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating Mr Smith's death, as required by state law for police-involved shootings.

Mr Barrett said he hoped the officer's body camera video could be released soon.

Governor Scott Walker put the National Guard on standby on Sunday, but so far no Guard members have been deployed.

The 18-year-old Milwaukee man who was shot and wounded in Sunday night's violence was retrieved by a police armoured vehicle and taken to a hospital.

Mr Flynn said the man "doesn't seem to be in medical danger". Police did not say who shot the man but that they were looking for suspects.

Mr Flynn said that while police came under fire on Sunday night, "none of our officers returned fire".

Police cited Mr Smith's "lengthy criminal record" as they identified him. Online court records showed a range of offences that were mostly misdemeanors.

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In a more serious case, he was accused in a shooting last year and charged with recklessly endangering safety.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Mr Smith was subsequently accused of pressuring the victim to recant statements that identified him as the gunman and was charged with trying to intimidate a witness.

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, Mr 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% 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 US 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.
Police stand guard after disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

Protestors confront the police during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

Protestors march during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

Police stand guard during disturbances following the police shooting of a man in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

A man shot during disturbances following a police shooting is taken into a hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 14, 2016

One person has been shot at a Milwaukee protest as tense skirmishes erupted for a second night following the police shooting of a black man.

Officers used an armoured vehicle to retrieve the injured victim and take them to a hospital.

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About two dozen officers in riot gear confronted about 150 people who blocked a junction near the fatal shooting on Saturday afternoon as more police arrived.

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Police moved in to try to disperse the crowd and warned of arrests after protesters threw bottles and rocks at officers and shots were fired.

Earlier, police chief Edward Flynn said the man whose death sparked Saturday night's rioting was shot after he turned towards an officer, who was also black, with a gun in his hand.

Wisconsin governor Scott Walker put the National Guard on standby for any repeat of violence. Protests were peaceful for most of Sunday evening before the confrontation after 11pm local time.

Mr Flynn said the shooting was still under investigation and authorities were awaiting post-mortem test results, but based on the silent video from the unidentified officer's body camera, he "certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds".

Mayor Tom Barrett said a still image pulled from the footage clearly showed a gun in 23-year-old Sylville Smith's hand as he fled a traffic stop on Saturday.

"I want our community to know that," Mr Barrett said. But he also called for understanding for Smith's family.

"A young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," he said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Mr Flynn would not identify the officer who shot Smith but said he was black. The police chief said he was not sure what prompted the stop but described Smith's car as "behaving suspiciously".

After watching the officer's body camera footage, Mr 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 towards 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 but he did not. It was unclear how many rounds the officer fired. Smith was hit in the chest and arm, Mr Flynn said.

Mr Walker activated Wisconsin's National Guard, and 125 guard members reported to local armouries to prepare for further instructions. Mr Flynn said 150 police officers specially trained in managing big protests had also been mobilised.

Six businesses were burned in the unrest that spilled past midnight on Sunday. Seventeen people were arrested and four officers were hurt from flying concrete and glass, although all of them were released from hospital.

Milwaukee alderman Khalif Rainey, who represents the neighbourhood that erupted, said the city's black residents were "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 said.

Milwaukee County sheriff David Clarke said Smith had been arrested 13 times and online court records showed a range of charges against him, many of them misdemeanours.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Smith was also charged in a shooting and later with pressuring the victim to withdraw evidence 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 said the family wanted 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 on Saturday night, Ms 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% 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 dead Dontre Hamilton, a mentally ill black man, in 2014.

In December, the US 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 teenager Michael Brow, 18, in 2014 sparked violence there.

The officer involved in the most recent Milwaukee shooting was 24 and has been on the force for three years, according to the department.
People gather near the scene in New York Picture: AP

New York City police have released a sketch of the suspect who fatally shot the leader of a mosque and the imam's friend as they left afternoon prayers.

Witnesses described the shooter of 55-year-old Imam Maulama Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin as a man with a medium complexion, who was last seen wearing a dark shirt and blue shorts.

Police released a sketch of a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

The gunman approached his victims from behind as they left the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in Queens shortly before 2pm on Saturday.

Video surveillance showed that the suspect then fled south on 79th Street, with the gun still in his hand.

Animosity

Police have not determined a motive and said there was no indication that the victims had been targeted because of their faith.

But members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque are worried that it could be a hate crime and more than 100 attended a rally on Saturday night and chanted "We want justice!"

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Naima Akonjee, the imam's daughter, said her father did not have "any problems with anyone".

The Anti-Defamation League is expressing solidarity with New York City's Muslim community in the wake of the shootings.

The organisation said that while the motive for the crime was still unknown, nothing could justify the killing of two men walking from their place of worship.

It urged the NYPD to investigate the shootings as a possible bias crime.

The ADL fights anti-semitism around the world through programmes and services.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations 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."

Sarah Sayeed, a member of Mayor Bill de Blasio's staff, who liaises with Muslim communities, attended the rally.

"I understand the fear because I feel it myself," she said.

"I understand the anger. But it's very important to mount a thorough investigation."

Letitia James, the city's public advocate who serves as a watchdog over city agencies, said: "This violence is as alarming as it is senseless."

She urged the police department to "vigorously" investigate the double killing.

Members of the community had felt animosity lately, with people cursing while passing the mosque, said one worshipper, Shahin Chowdhury.
Son Of Chicago Police Officer Fatally Shot The Day He Would Have Returned To College

By Stephen Gossett in News on Aug 15, 2016 2:49PM



Arshell Dennis III / Facebook

The son of a Chicago police officer was fatally shot early on Sunday morning in Wrightwood. Arshell Dennis III, 19, was home from college visiting family and was scheduled to return to college in New York that day, police said in a statement.

Dennis and an acquaintance, 20, were sitting on the porch of his home, in the 2900 block of West 82nd Street. At around midnight, a gunman shot both men, killing Dennis and wounding the other man, according to police. Dennis, who was struck in the chest, was taken to Little Company of Mary Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The second victim suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and side. He was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center and listed in serious condition.

Dennis was majoring in journalism at St. Johns University in New York City, according to reports. He was home visiting family and was scheduled to return to New York for classes on Sunday. His father, Arshell Dennis, is a DEA Task Force Officer with the Chicago Police Department, police said. Dennis worked alongside Supt. Eddie Johnson in the early 90s on the citys South Side.

Johnson said in a statement:



"Officer Dennis dedicated his life to make this city safer, and Arshell was a good kid, making his parents proud and studying for a promising future. 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 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."

Chicago Police Department Communications Director Anthony Guglielmi said detectives are investigating the shooting as a case of mistaken identity, the Tribune reports. Neither victim has a criminal record or gang affiliations, he said.


Flooded homes along the Tangipahoa River near Amite, Louisiana. Photo: Ted JacksonNOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP

At least three people have died and thousands more were rescued after "historic" flooding swamped parts of Louisiana.

Emergency crews plucked motorists from cars stranded by high water along a seven-mile stretch of the south Louisiana interstate, pulled others from inundated homes and waist-deep waters and were braced to continue the work late last night after conducting at least 7,000 rescues.

Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, calling the floods "unprecedented" and "historic".

He and his family were 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 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, Mr Edwards said, at least one person is missing.

One of the worries, the governor said, is that as the rain lessens in the coming 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," Mr Edwards said. "Even when the weather is better, it's not safe."

In one dramatic rescue on 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 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 unhurt.

Elsewhere, rescues continued late into the night, including missions by crews in high-water vehicles who pulled motorists from one swamped stretch of Interstate 12 between Baton Rouge and nearby Tangipahoa Parish.

Major Doug Cain, spokesman for the Louisiana State Police, said about 125 vehicles became stranded on the seven-mile stretch, prompting those rescues.

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.

Livingston parish sheriff Jason Ard said 2,000 people in his parish alone had been rescued, and more people awaited help.

"We haven't been rescuing people. We've been rescuing subdivisions," he said. "It has not stopped at all today."
Donald Trump will call for a new ideological test for admission to the United States, vetting applicants on their stance on issues such as religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights.

The policy would represent a significant shift in how the US manages entry into the country.

In a speech in swing state Ohio, Mr Trump will also call for "foreign policy realism" and an end to nation-building if elected president.

He will argue that the United States needs to work with anyone who shares the mission of destroying Islamic State (IS) and other extremist organisations, regardless of other disagreements.

"Mr Trump's speech will explain that while we can't choose our friends, we must always recognise our enemies," Trump senior policy adviser Stephen Miller said.

The Republican nominee's foreign policy address comes during a rocky stretch for his campaign.

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He has struggled to stay on message and has consistently overshadowed his policy rollouts, including an economic speech last week, with provocative statements, including falsely declaring that President Barack Obama was the "founder" of IS.

Democrat Hillary Clinton has spent the summer hammering Mr Trump as unfit to serve as commander in chief.

She has been bolstered by a steady stream of Republican national security experts who argue the billionaire businessman lacks the temperament and knowledge of world affairs to be president.

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Mrs Clinton is focusing on domestic themes as she campaigns in Pennsylvania with vice president Joe Biden.

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Mr Trump is expected to spend significant time in his speech going after Mr Obama and Mrs Clinton, the former secretary of state, blaming them for policies he argues allowed IS to spread.

Mr Trump is expected to say that any country that wants to work with the US to defeat "radical Islamic terrorism" will be a US ally - though aides did not specify which countries that position refers to.

He will also call for declaring in explicit terms that, like during the Cold War, the US is in an ideological conflict with radical Islam.

Mr Obama, Mrs Clinton and top US officials have warned against using that kind of language to describe the conflict, arguing that it plays into militants' hands.

"Mr Trump will outline his vision for defeating radical Islamic terrorism, and explain how the policies of Obama-Clinton are responsible for the rise of Isis (IS) and the spread of barbarism that has taken the lives of so many," Mr Miller said.

Under Mr Trump's new immigration policy, the government would use questionnaires, social media, interviews with friends and family or other means to determine if applicants support American values such as tolerance and pluralism. The US would stop issuing visas in any case where it cannot perform adequate screenings.

It is unclear how US officials would assess the veracity of responses to the questionnaires or how much manpower it would require to complete such arduous vetting. The campaign has yet to say whether additional screenings would apply to the millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars visiting the United States each year.

It will be the latest version of a policy that began with Mr Trump's unprecedented call to temporarily bar foreign Muslims from entering the country - a religious test that was criticised across party lines as un-American.

Following a massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, in June, Mr Trump introduced a new standard, vowing to "suspend immigration from areas of the world where there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we fully understand how to end these threats".

That proposal raised numerous questions that the campaign never clarified, including whether it would apply to citizens of countries such as France, Israel or Ireland, which have suffered recent and past attacks. Mr Trump had promised to release his list of "terror countries" soon. But now, aides say, the campaign needs access to unreleased Department of Homeland Security data to assess exactly where the most serious threats lie.

While Mr Trump has been criticised for failing to lay out detailed policies, aides say Monday's speech will again focus on his broader vision. Additional speeches with more details are expected in coming weeks, they said.

Seeking to beat back criticism of his struggling campaign, Mr Trump and his top advisers have blamed the media for failing to focus on his proposals.

"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.
Fighting for Aleppo has become the focal point of the nation's civil war

Moscow and Washington are edging closer to an agreement that would help defuse the situation in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo, according to Russia's defence minister.

Sergei Shoigu said that "step by step, we are nearing an arrangement, I'm talking exclusively about Aleppo, that would allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory, that long-suffering land so that people could return to their homes".

He added that Russian representatives are "in a very active stage of talks with our American colleagues".

Fighting for Aleppo, once Syria's commercial capital and its largest city, has become the focal point of the nation's civil war, now in its sixth year.

However, a US official said that discussions with the Russians are still ongoing and no agreement is close.

Russia and the United States have been discussing greater co-ordination in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on what militant groups could be targeted.

Russia has criticised what it describes as US reluctance to persuade the Syrian opposition groups it supports to withdraw from areas controlled by the Nusra Front, al Qaida's branch in Syria.

Mr Shoigu said in the TV interview that extremists in Syria are often positioned near groups that the US considers moderate.

The Nusra Front has rebranded itself and now goes by the name of Fath al-Sham, an apparent attempt to evade Russian and US-led air strikes targeting militants. Russia has dismissed the name change as window-dressing.

AP
Nuns attend a candlelight procession for the Virgin Mary at the sanctuary of Lourdes in south-west France (AP)

French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, Archbishop of Lyon, speaks to police officers after celebrating a mass for the Feast of the Assumption at the sanctuary of Lourdes (AP)

Catholic pilgrims from around the world, many sick or disabled, converged on a shrine in the French town of Lourdes on Monday under exceptional security following recent extremist attacks.

Armed soldiers and police patrolled the railway station and town centre and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.

The site in southern France, near the Spanish border, draws pilgrims of all kinds, some hoping for a cure from the famous spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

As a helicopter circled overhead, visitors bearing candles and banners streamed towards the grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

Crowds began gathering at the sanctuary before dawn on Monday for a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus's mother Mary ascended into heaven.

Thousands attended a candlelight procession on Sunday night, though the route was reduced from past years to better protect believers.

French authorities had already been planning extra security for the annual holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe - notably one on July 26 in north-west France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priest's throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this year's pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been scrapped.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks, and authorities funnelled visitors through three access points, reduced from past years.

Roads were closed to allow pedestrians, some in wheelchairs, to reach the site unhindered. Car attacks are a new concern after a driver rammed his truck into Bastille Day revellers in Nice last month, killing 85.

Nearly 300 extra forces were drafted in to Lourdes - including mobile intervention teams, soldiers, bomb squads and dog units - to help local forces, raising the overall security presence to more than 500.

The Catholic Church has recognised dozens of miracles at Lourdes since villager Bernadette Soubirous, gathering stones in the grotto in 1858, said she had visions of Mary.

Among those leading ceremonies at the Lourdes pilgrimage festivities is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a top French church official who faced accusations this year of covering up for paedophile priests. He denies wrongdoing.

AP
Reports of shots fired at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport caused evacuations, grounded flights and frightening moments for fliers before the reports were later determined to be unfounded.

"At this time, no firearm, rounds or shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found," said Joe Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.

Police evacuated Terminal 8 at around 9.30pm local time on Sunday (2.30am BST Monday) as a precaution after receiving reports of shots fired near the departures area.

New York Police Department officers were called in to help with the investigation.

A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after they said they received additional reports of shots fired in that terminal. The Van Wyck Expressway approaching the airport was also shut down.

Passengers posted pictures and videos on Twitter showing crowds of people gathered outside the terminals.

According to flight tracking company FlightAware, all inbound flights were held at their origin until 11.30pm "due to security".

Port Authority police said travellers should contact their carriers and warned of a "substantial PAPD and NYPD presence" at JFK and LaGuardia due to the investigation.

No one was injured during the airport scare.

AP
An Irishman is on the frontline in the battle against Isil as he deals with the aftermath of suicide bombings, gun attacks and roadside bombings.

Calvin James (38), from Dublin, has been in Syria for the last five months, where he has witnessed first hand the death and destruction caused by the terror group.

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He was at the scene in Qamishli last month when two separate suicide bombings claimed over 60 lives. He described the terrible scenes of lifeless bodies that were caught underneath the rubble following the attack.

Mr James had another scare just days after the deadly suicide bombing when another terrorist attempted to detonate a vest armed with explosives. Luckily, the bomb failed to explode.

He is among a group of 30 people serving a 100km radius, with only 70 doctors and a handful of ambulances covering three million people in the Rojava region.

Mr James explained: "I've been in Rojava and as far as I'm aware I'm the only Irish person in the region. I've been to Syria and Iraq several times before.

"When the civil war happened and Isil came to be, I couldn't stay at home and watch it any more.

"I was a social care worker at home and came out to offer my services in any way I could. When I got out to Syria, there were enough ambulances but not enough personnel and they were really short-staffed so they started training me up as a medic. That might sound a bit daft, but they don't have the people.

"We've very few people doing this. In our service, there are 20 people serving a 100km radius and only a couple of ambulances. For the whole of Rojava region, there are only 70 doctors for around three million people."

Reclaimed

Calvin is now based in Manbij City, which was previously 80pc-controlled by Isil. It was the terror group's third most important city after Raqqa and Mosul.

However, this weekend the city was reclaimed by rebel fighters.

Mr James said: "My work is spread out around a whole different number of services. One day I could be driving, the next I could be in the hospital.

"I'm now in Manbij City, where I'm currently taking and driving an ambulance.

"Isil, it was their third most important city after Raqqa and Mosul, there are a lot of casualties and a lot of dead out there at the moment, it's like a meat grinder.

"There have been several car bombs in Qamishli and several suicide bombings targeting police and military because they're the main points.

"When something like this happens, you either go to the scene to help in any way you can or you go to the hospital.

"You don't really have time to process anything out here. Around three weeks ago, several friends got wounded but not many have died. The more time you spend out here, you do get desensitised."

However, Mr James is now contemplating returning to Ireland.

He said: "I have my own initiatives back home and a lot of friends have been pressuring me to come home to raise funds for my own cause. The original plan was to stay for six months and the six months are now up, so the plan is to head home eventually."
A soldier loyal to Libyas UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), fires towards Isil fighters positions yesterday in Sirte, east of the capital Tripoli. Photo: Getty

Isil fighters routed from their stronghold of Sirte in Libya are likely to try to enter Europe hidden among refugees crossing the Mediterranean in smugglers' boats, Italy has warned.

Hundreds of Isil fighters are fleeing Sirte after coming under sustained assault from Libyan forces and air strikes by US fighter jets.

"The scenario has totally changed and the risk that militants could flee to Europe by sea has substantially increased," said Giacomo Stucchi, president of a parliamentary committee that oversees Italy's intelligence services.

It is feared that if Isil succeeds in reaching Italy, fighters could plan attacks on targets in Europe.

"They are loose cannons, men on the run. We need to understand their intentions - whether they want to disappear without trace or whether they want to continue fighting in the name of their cause," said Mr Stucchi.

The warning was echoed by Pier Ferdinando Casini, the president of Italy's foreign affairs committee.

"There's always a risk of people trying to infiltrate in this way," he said. "But the priority for us was to liberate Sirte.

"This is a great victory for the forces of the coalition and the (UN-backed) government."

Libyan forces launched their offensive to reconquer Sirte in June. After weeks of house-to-house fighting, they recently captured several strategic locations formerly occupied by the terrorist group, including the Ouagadougou convention centre, a symbol of the extremists' control of the city.

Libyan officials claim that three-quarters of the city has now been liberated, a year after it was seized by Isil.

There was alarm in Italy in recent days when it was revealed that Isil fighters had left behind graffiti in which they described the city as "the port of the Islamic State - the starting point for Rome".

Isil has often boasted of conquering Rome and the Vatican as key symbols of Christianity, featuring images of St Peter's Basilica in its propaganda videos. ( Daily Telegraph, London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Six men have gone on trial in Beijing for allegedly participating in the illegal ivory trade.

Two of the men, both surnamed Zhao, are suspected of selling more than 100 kilograms of ivory to the other four defendants in Weihai, Shandong province, in May last year, according to a statement issued by Beijing Xicheng District People's Procuratorate.

On May 21, 2015, Beijing police received a report that a white car would be delivering ivory to a location in the capital's Daxing district.

That night, police found the car, seized three boxes of ivory and arrested two suspects, the statement said.

The other four suspects were detained between May and August last year, and the money involved in the case could be more than 2.6 million yuan ($388,163), according to the statement.

The six suspects made the deal in early May 2015, and the four buyers allegedly drove to Shandong to see the ivory on May 20, it added.

Wang Zhaohua, a prosecutor responsible for the case, said that all the suspects knew that they were trading in endangered wildlife products and had a clear division of labor.

"So this has been identified as a joint offense and they should be prosecuted at the same time," he said.
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FRA Branch 15 to hold a meeting Aug. 20

Fleet Reserve Association, Branch 15 will hold a monthly business meeting at 9 a.m. Aug. 20 at the Chicopee United Methodist Church, 403 S. Catherine St., Walhalla. You are invited to come at 8:30 a.m. for breakfast. All members of the branch and interested nonmembers are encouraged to attend.

The Fleet Reserve Association is open to Navy, U.S. Marine Corps. and U.S. Coast Guard, active duty and retirees, and honorable discharged sea service veterans. Active reserves are also accepted as are retirees from the Army and Air Force with at least one year sea service.

For more information, please call Harvey Spencer at 864.638.7553 or you may email him at spencer.carol@att.net.

If you are not a member and are eligible, please join FRA at www.fra.org/join.
Joe Arpaio

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By Kirk Brown of the Independent Mail

Joe Arpaio, who describes himself as "America's toughest sheriff," is slated to speak at U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan's annual Faith and Freedom barbecue next Monday in Anderson.

Arpaio, 84, is the Republican sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, which includes Phoenix. He is best known for housing convicts in tents and for his outspoken stance against illegal immigration. He drew cheers at the Republican National Convention in July when he voiced support for Donald Trump's plan to build a wall along the border with Mexico.

A federal judge has found Arpaio in contempt of court for continuing immigration patrols in his county for months after being told to stop. According to polls, he also is facing a tough re-election challenge from a Democratic candidate.

In a statement, Duncan said he and Arpaio have each "consistently brought attention to the need to secure our borders and combat illegal immigration."

Arpaio "also knows that Blue Lives Matter, and is all too familiar with the dangers that law enforcement face on a daily basis," Duncan said.

Besides Arpaio, the speakers at the Faith and Freedom barbecue will include two Republican congressman  U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina and U.S. Rep. Mick Mulvaney of South Carolina, according to Allen Klump, who is Duncan's deputy chief of staff.

Meadows helped spark the GOP rebellion that led to last year's resignation of former U.S. House Speaker John Boehner.

Mulvaney is a conservative House member who was elected to Congress in 2010, the same year as Duncan.

The Faith and Freedom barbecue, which serves as a fundraiser for Duncan, is billed as South Carolina's largest annual gathering of conservatives.

Nearly 2,000 people attended last year's event to hear speeches from U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson. Cruz, Walker and Carson were seeking the GOP presidential nomination at the time. Other past speakers at the barbecue have included U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

Duncan, a Republican from Laurens, is being challenged in his bid for a fourth term by Democrat Hosea Cleveland, a businessman from Seneca.

According to the most recent disclosure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Duncan has $125,271 in cash on hand for his re-election campaign, compared to $128 for Cleveland.

The Faith and Freedom barbecue will start at 6 p.m. Monday in the Civic Center of Anderson. Tickets are priced from $35 to $5,000.

Veterans, active duty military, guardsmen, reservists and first responders can obtain free tickets by calling 803-413-5951 or sending an email to Drea@JeffDuncan.com.

For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jeff-duncans-6th-annual-faith-freedom-bbq-tickets-26335202299?aff=erelexpmlt.

Follow Kirk Brown on Twitter @KirkBrown_AIM
SHARE PHOTOS BY NIKIE MAYO/INDEPENDENT MAIL Samantha Davis and her horse, Joe Joe, take a short break from competition Sunday afternoon at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena. Equestrians shade themselves and their horses from the sun Sunday as they wait for the next round of competition at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena. Equestrians shade themselves and their horses from the sun Sunday as they wait for the next round of competition at the T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena.

By Nikie Mayo of the Independent Mail

Dozens of equestrians and their horses filled Clemson University's T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena on Sunday for a fierce  and friendly  cowboy mounted shooting competition.

At the end of each round, they left behind trails of gun smoke and popped balloons.

The competition was hosted by the South Carolina Mounted Shooters, but it drew riders from all over the United States.

John Thurow, the outgoing president of the club, estimated that 80 competitors attended.

"About three years or so ago, we were trying to think what we could do to differentiate our club from some of the others in the country," he said. "We came up with this, and it has just been getting bigger. A lot of the clubs that host events like this may draw 30 to 50 competitors, but ours, for a club event, is pretty large."

Thurow describes cowboy mounted shooting as being like barrel racing with balloons between the barrels. Riders on horseback shoot black powder blank cartridges from .45 caliber pistols, trying to hit as many balloons as they can, as quickly as possible. Competitors' scores are based on accuracy and time.

Samantha Davis drove from Denton, a small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore, to compete. She rode Joe Joe, a 17-year-old American Quarter Horse, when she competed in Pendleton.

"I missed a couple," Davis said as she and Joe Joe took a break.

"It's completely on me, not him," she said. "Joe Joe is a good horse."

The event also featured 16-year-old Ethan Wilkinson, who came into the competition as the National High Point World Champion Cowboy. Ethan is from Hedley, Texas, a town with a population of 317.

He started competing about three years ago with a family mare who was older than him. Ginger, now 20, can reach speeds of 35 mph. Ethan had a strong finish Sunday, but was on a different horse.

"I'm still pretty sure I finished in the top 15, which is not bad considering the competition I had," he said. "I just love doing it."

Gregory Rains, a competitor from Archdale, North Carolina, said he has been involved with the sport since 2011.

"It's kind of like a family," he said. "There is a lot of closeness and you want to do well, but also want to see your buddies do well."

When he wasn't competing Sunday, he was riding Winn, a 3-year-old horse.

"He's just getting broke, just getting out here," Rains said. "He's not used to it all yet."

Thurow said he hopes the event will continue to grow.

"For so many of us, this is just as much a social event as it is a competition," he said. "We're in it for the fun."
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By Cassie Cope, The State

The days of a single South Carolina state senator using the state Senate's rules to gum up the legislative works could be coming to an end.

Senate President Pro Tempore Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, has asked seven senators to review the Senate's rules and determine if any "changes could be made to improve the efficiency and productivity of the Senate."

Leatherman wants the group's recommendations by mid-October, in time to consider changes before the state Legislature returns to Columbia in January.

New Senate rules are adopted every four years, coinciding with senators' four-year terms. The new focus on rules comes after the Senate failed to act until the last minute on several proposals in recent years  ranging from ethics reform to paying to repair the state's roads  because some senators used the body's rules to delay or block legislation.

For example, a senator will add hundreds of amendments to a proposal, and force a time-consuming debate and vote on each, in effect filibustering the bill. A single senator also can object to legislation, a move that sometimes indefinitely holds up a proposal.

Leatherman said senators have abused the system, citing the practice of adding amendments to stonewall proposals.

"That's wrong," said the Florence Republican.

But changing the rules is a sensitive issue.

Unlike the overwhelmingly Republican S.C. House, which can speed through proposals if they are part of the GOP agenda, the politically divided Senate's famously slow, deliberative pace and arcane rules ensure that minority opinions are heard, senators say.

However, reforming the rules to ensure that no single senator can kill a proposal is long overdue, said one good-government watchdog.

Far from being as bad as Congress?

When Leatherman took over as Senate leader, he said the body's once-famous courtesy and decorum had diminished in recent years.

"I want to restore that," he said.

While Leatherman wants the seven senators' rule-change proposal by mid-October, he said the goal is not to make "the Senate ... a legislative race track."

The Senate will continue to deliberate on issues that come before it, he added.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, defended that deliberate pace, saying it should be difficult to change state law.

The Senate's rules are designed to ensure it will move slowly and the minority on an issue is not run over, Massey said.

But, he added, there are very real public concerns that the Senate has trouble getting work done at times.

That frustration is even greater for some in the Senate, he said.

"The rules certainly contribute to some of the tension and deadlocks that we have in the body," said Massey, one of the seven senators named to study rules changes.

Senate rules are designed to protect the minority viewpoint on an issue, said Senate Minority Leader Nikki Setzler, D-Lexington, adding that the minority view is not always the minority party.

At times, various Senate factions  Democrats, African-Americans, women, alliances of Democrats and moderate Republicans, and the GOP's tea party-leaning William Wallace Caucus  have used the rules to ensure their opinions are heard or legislation is killed.

Democrat Setzler, also a member of the rules study panel, says the rules have worked effectively during his 39 years in the Senate, including years as a member of the majority party that controlled the body and, since 2001, the Senate's minority party.

He also challenged the idea that the Senate is dysfunctional, pointing to proposals that passed at the end of June's legislative session  a borrowing plan to pay for some road repairs that passed after years of debate, a proposal to give farmers $40 million in flood aid and two proposals to tighten the state's ethics laws, part of a larger proposal that had been stalled in the Senate for years.

"The South Carolina Senate is far from being the United States Congress and what's happened up there," Setzler said.

Reform 'long overdue,' watchdog says

But longtime government watchdog John Crangle says the Senate has a problem.

When senators object to bills, "they basically sandbag the legislative process," said Crangle, head of the good-government group Common Cause S.C.

Senators should rein in the ability of a single senator to delay or even stop bills from being considered, Crangle said. "That's long overdue."

The ability to stall legislation for a short period of time  but not block it altogether  can have merit, Crangle said.

"(But) I don't think (how) the filibuster works now is helping us solve the problems we need solved in South Carolina," he said.
Six provinces across China reported shortages in pension funds as they could not make ends meet, a recent report on China's social security development revealed.

The Annual Report on China's Social Security Development 2015, which was recently unveiled by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), showed that urban and rural pension funds had a combined surplus of four trillion yuan (US$601 billion) at the end of last year. It also showed that the yield for corporate pension funds reached 3.1 percent, the highest in the past seven years.

But the fund's size and its high yield still cannot eliminate the public's concern over the mounting pressure surrounding senior care, as the 2015 data showed that pension funds across the nation are only payable for 17.7 months, down from 19.7 months in 2012.

Six provinces reported a deficit in the urban corporate pension funds that are to be issued in the upcoming month, namely in Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Hebei, Shaanxi and Qinghai; in 2014, only three provinces had similar difficulties.

Take the three provinces in northeast China for example. Heilongjiang had a deficit of 18.3 billion yuan (US$2.76 billion) in its corporate pension fund, whereas the deficit was 10.5 billion yuan (US$1.58 billion), and 4.1 billion (US$616.5 million) for Liaoning and Jilin respectively.

Yang Yansui, chief of the Research Center of Employment and Social Security at Tsinghua University explained that much of the four trillion yuan's surplus still stays in personal accounts, meaning that the government cannot freely allocate it, and the current "pay as you go" pension system is being challenged by the dropping dependency ratio.

It means that fewer working people who contribute to the fund have to support an elder's monthly plan.

The aforementioned report revealed that in 2015, the dependency ratio for corporate pension funds dropped to 2.87:1 from 2.97:1 registered one year earlier, meaning that less than three workers have to raise an elder.

Yang said that when the actual dependency ratio drops to 3:1, the rate for pension contribution has to stay above 17 percent; when the dependency ratio drops to 2:1, each person has to contribute for 25 percent.

The current pension system is restricted from two perspectives. On one hand, the government lowers its contribution rate and thus reduces overall income, and on the other hand, some local governments have to allocate money from elsewhere in local revenue to ensure each month's pension payment.

Among the various reform measures, gradually delaying retirement is a highly debated one and MOHRSS has provided a timetable.
SEPTEMBER

Friday, September 2

Curators Choice Series: Hurt Gallery  Be the visiting curator!

Noon  12:20 p.m.

Join Jennifer Complo McNutt, curator of contemporary art, on the first Friday of the month for a mini-workshop to learn how to create labels for an exhibition. Free for museum members and included with museum admission.

Friday and Saturday, September 9  10

11th annual Quest for the West Art Show and Sale Opening Weekend

This month-long exhibition features and offers for sale new works by some of todays most celebrated Western artists. Guests are given the unique opportunity to meet artists whose precious works may become their newest acquisitions during opening weekend. Collectors unable to attend opening weekend may register as absentee buyers and purchase art from afar. A Friday evening reception will honor 2015 Quest Collector of Distinction Betsey Harvey and a special exhibit will open that night with just a portion of her amazing collection. Contact Kay Hinds at 317.275.1341 to register for one of Indianapolis largest art sales. The Quest exhibit is open to the public on Sept. 11 through Oct. 9.

Friday, September 30

Native American Art and Jewelry Sale

4 p.m.  8 p.m.

Shop for vintage and contemporary jewelry to add to your collection, or get appraisals from R.B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post experts. Entrance to the Frank and Katrina Basile Eiteljorg Museum Store is free.

OCTOBER

Saturday, October 1

Navajo Rug Auction

9 a.m.  11 a.m. Preview

11:30 a.m.  1 p.m. Auction

Navajo rugs in traditional and contemporary designs from the R.B. Burnham & Co. Trading Post in Arizona will be auctioned. For five generations, the Arizona-based Burnham family has been trading with and encouraging Native American artists in the Four Corners area of the West. Prices range from less than $100  $10,000.

Friday, October 7

Curators Choice Series

Noon  12:20 p.m.

Join an Eiteljorg curator for a mini-workshop. Participants will learn how to create labels for an exhibition. This is free for museum members and included with museum admission.

Saturday, Oct. 29

Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) Celebration

FREE Admission

11 a.m.  4 p.m.

Celebrate Day of the Dead (Dia de lost Muertos) at the Eiteljorg Museum with partner Nopal Cultural (an Indianapolis Latino arts and culture organization) and enjoy FREE admission! Watch performances, create art, shop at theMercado (marketplace), enjoy a Catrina parade and so much more. NopalsDia de los Muertos Contemporary Photography and Altar Exhibition will be on display and free to view beginning Oct. 10  Nov. 2 in the Lilly Auditorium.

NOVEMBER

Friday, November 4

Curators Choice Series: Mostly everything youve always wanted to know about the Native Nations of Indiana

Noon  12:20 p.m.

Join Scott Shoemaker, Thomas G. and Susan C. Hoback curator of native american art, history and culture, on the first Friday of the month for a discussion about mostly everything youve always wanted to know about the Native Nations of Indiana. Free for members and included with museum admission.

Saturday, November 12

Titan of the West: The Adams Collection of Western and Native American Art Opens

This special exhibition features highlights from a historic multi-million dollar collection of Western paintings and Native American artifacts, generously willed to the Eiteljorg by the late businessman and owner of the Tennessee Titans, Kenneth S. Bud Adams. Titan of the West: The Adams Collection of Western and Native American Art runs through Feb. 19, 2017.

Saturday, November 19

Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure Opens

One of Indianapolis most popular family holiday traditions returns. Be one of the first to experience the Eiteljorgs magical holiday model train exhibitJingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure. Journey through a locomotive wonderland as trains wind past icons of Indianapolis and the American West. See Monument Circle, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Grand Canyon, Golden Gate Bridge, the Las Vegas strip and more. Open through Jan. 16. 2017.

Friday and Saturday, November 25  26

Thanksgiving Weekend

10 a.m.  4 p.m.

Meet local artists Katrina Mitten (Miami) and Teresa Webb (Anishinaabe) and hear about Native American cultures through stories and songs, create art, watch demonstrations and see the museums annual holiday display, Jingle Rails: The Great Western Adventure.

Monday, November 28  Sunday, December 4

Hospitality Week

Are you an Indianapolis hospitality worker  a skycap, hotel concierge, cab driver or waiter? Bring your family to the museum during Hospitality Week and enjoy FREE admission.

DECEMBER

Friday, December 2

Curators Choice Series: Highlights in the Adams Collection

Noon  12:20 p.m.

Join James Nottage, vice president and chief curatorial officer, on the first Friday of the month for a discussion about the highlights in the late businessman and owner of the Tennessee Titans, Kenneth S. Bud Adams collection. Free for members and included with museum admission.

Saturday, December 3

Winter Market

10 a.m.  5 p.m.

Shop for unique holiday gifts at this annual market, featuring more than 30 regional artists.

JANUARY

Monday, January 16

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

FREE Admission

10 a.m.  5 p.m.

Admission to the Eiteljorg Museum and other White River State Park venues is FREE on this day with the donation of a non-perishable food item to Gleaners Food Bank. Drop off your donation at any WRSP institution and experience all the park has to offer.

ONGOING

1st, 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month

Storytelling with Teresa Webb

1 p.m.  3 p.m.

Meet Teresa Webb (Anishinaabe) and hear about Native American cultures through stories and songs, accompanied by flute, drum and rattle. Program is included with museum admission.

About the Eiteljorg

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art seeks to inspire an appreciation and understanding of the art, history and cultures of the American West and the indigenous peoples of North America. The Eiteljorg is located in Downtown Indianapolis White River State Park, at 500 West Washington, Indianapolis, IN 46204. For general information about the museum and to learn more about exhibits and events, call 317.636.WEST (9378) or visit www.eiteljorg.org.
Gary, Indiana will host its first Battle Of The Bands exhibition showcasing three Historical Black Colleges and Universities on Aug 27.

Kicking off the inaugural Band competition and exhibition this year will be Grambling State University of Grambling Louisiana, Mississippi Valley State University of Itta Bena Mississippi and Alabama State University of Montgomery Alabama.

Battle of the Bands will be held on August 27 with a parade starting at 8:00 am at the Genesis Convention Center travelling East to the Railcats Stadium. Showtime is 10:00 am and gates open at 7:30 am.

Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door and may be purchased at Billco Barbershop, Big Daddy Barb Que and State Farm Insurance 5275 Broadway in Gary.Group discounts are available by calling 1-844-917-3224.

This event is sponsored by Each One Teach One Foundation, a not for profit all school alumni organization dedicated to providing scholarships and improving the quality of education for our youth.

The Battle of the Bands was created to support, celebrate and recognize the excellence of Black College Marching bands and the unique academic experience offered by the Historical Colleges and Universities says Sharon Chambers founder and CEO of Each One Teach One Foundation and Steelcity Drumline.

Steelcity Drumlines eventful weekend began with a record crowd concert at the Railcats Stadium US Steelyard on Saturday July 30where they featured top names artist such as Cameo, Bar-Kays, Dazz Band and Sir Nose with a tribute to Parliament and the landing of the Mothership.

Our agenda is a true game changer, Chambers, says, introducing a unique experience to our students and bringing yet another dynamic event to our city.
ReZpect Our Water: Young members of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe took part in an anti=Dakota Access Pipeline rally at the White House on August 6, 2016. Photo by Indianz.Com



Stop Dakota Access Pipeline from Poisoning Our Childrens Drinking Water

By Harold FrazierChairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

Dear President Obama and Secretary Jewell:

You pledged to work with our Indian nations and tribes on a nation-to-nation basis to address the issues that matter to us every day. You came to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, and quoted our great chief, Sitting Bull: Let us put our minds together and see what we can do for our children. With all respect, we ask you to put your mind together with ours and see what we can do to protect our childrens lives and health from poison water.

Here is a quote from a youth submitted on social media captioning a picture of your visit to the Standing Rock Reservation, This was the day that you promised to protect our people! This was the day you told our youth you would do whatever it takes to protect their future! Fulfill your promises and help us protect our water!

The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is a 1,172 mile 30 diameter pipeline that will cross the Great Plains to transport 470,000 to 570,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The DAPL is planned to cross the Missouri River above the confluence of the Cannonball River, a few steps from the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota. DAPL threatens the safety and quality of our drinking water, and threatens to destroy the environment of our Sioux reservations along the Missouri River.

Under the 1868 Sioux Nation Treaty, the Oceti Sakowin of the Lakota, Nakota, Dakota Oyate or Great Sioux Nation reserved as our permanent home: All the land from the Cannonball River in the North along the low water mark on the east bank of the Missouri River to the Nebraska Border and west to the Wyoming Border. The Missouri River is wholly within our treaty territory, and over the years, the United States has asked us to cede hundreds of thousands of acres along the Missouri River within our homeland for flood control by the Army Corps of Engineers.

Our Sioux Nation tribes use the Missouri River for our drinking water, we have treaty rights to hunt and fish, reserved rights to graze livestock along its banks, and it is our source of water for irrigating crops. Under our Treaty, we own reserved waters in the Missouri River. Yet, the Army Corps turned its back upon our Sioux Nation tribes and plans to approve the DAPL to run oil under the Missouri River without consulting with our tribal governments. Indeed, the Army Corps has not even consulted with the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture who are our partners in our Missouri River tribal drinking water projects. The Army Corps is violating our treaty rights, statutory rights, and your policy on sustainable Indian nations, President Obama.

We have seen the devastation wrought by oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, where BP had build fail safe systems to run its oil platform. BPs systems failed catastrophicallydespite their best planning. We have seen government planners provide lead poisoned water to the residents of Flint, Michigan. We have seen the EPA pour out poison mine waters into Colorado waters in the name of clean-up, only to poison Navajo Nation waters downstream.

As the Lakota say, Mni Wiconiwater is life. The Army Corps must not risk our childrens lives with the dangerous DAPL project without even conducting an Environmental Impact Statement!

Among our Sioux Nation tribes, we sacrificed to protect American cities downstream on the Missouri River from floodingsacrificed our sacred oak trees, our wildlife, our best river bottom lands, our very homes for flood control. Do not let the Army Corps of Engineers sacrifice our people again. President Obama, Secretary Jewell we call upon you to honor our treaty and trust responsibility, and help us protect our Missouri River, our drinking water, and our source of life from the DAPL and its danger of life threatening oil spills.

Stop the Army Corps intended approval of the DAPL.

Sincerely,

Harold Frazier, ChairmanCheyenne River Sioux Tribe

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Our country was once a land of brave kings and queens who took every arrow and blow upon themselves to save their kingdoms from alien powers. Whether it was the British or the Greeks, these Indian kings and queens proved to be great obstacles between them and their cunning plans of taking over the country. Here are 8 kings and queens that Indian history is thankful to for their courage and valour.

1. Porus

Image Credit: wikipedia

Or King Puru or Paurava was the king between the regions of the Hydaspes (Jhelum) and Acesines (Chenab) rivers, which is now Punjab. The famous battle of Jhelum which was fought between him and Alexander is known to be one of the most significant battles in history. The battle was fought despite heavy monsoons lashing the battlefield. King Porus and his resistance made Alexander change his mind and he backed off by offering Porus to join him as a minister in his council.

2. Maharana Pratap

Image Credit: hindivarta.com

Mewars Maharana Pratap never bowed down to Akbars demands. Maharana Pratap refused to sign the peace treaty with Akbar which made the Shahenshah plot evil plans against Pratap and his kingdom. It is said that Pratap and his family had to thrive on bread made of grass because his own people turned against them. He bravely fought the Battle of Haldighati, where he lost his beloved horse Chetak.

3. Chatrapati Shivaji

Image Credit: indiaopines

Chhatrapati Shivaji is considered a great inspiration in Maharashtra. The Maratha King fought the cruel Adilshahi sultanate till his last breath. From innovating smart war tactics like guerilla warfare to escaping the Agra prison by hiding in a sweet box, he has given some great chapters to history that people derive inspiration from until today. He continued his struggle against the Mughals till his death, which occurred when he was 52 years old.

4. Rani of Jhansi

Image Credit: indiatimes

Rani Laxmibai was considered a massive threat to the British empire. With her son on her back, Laxmibai was forced to fight a battle with the Britishers, as she refused to give away her empire. It is said that she was shot by a British soldier in her abdomen and that she told a hermit to burn her down rather than getting captured by the British. She died at the young age of 22.

5. Chandragupta Maurya

Image Credit: thefridaytimes

The founder of the Maurya Empire had to withstand the pressure of giving up his kingdom by the Greeks and he successfully did so with his war tactics. Chandragupta defeated Alexanders successor Seleucus I Nicator and married his daughter to establish friendship with the Greeks. With the help of his smart advisor Chanakya, Chandragupta Maurya went on to win many battles against alien powers that existed within India. He embraced death by embracing the path of Sallekhana.

6. Tipu Sultan

Image Credit: thewire

The ruler of Mysore strategically fought against British Colonialism. He was, in fact, one of the first Indian kings to be martyred on the battlefield while defending his kingdom against the Colonial British. His sword, today, sits at the Wallace Collection, No. 1 Manchester Square, in London.

7. Rani Padmavati

Image Credit: thikanarajputana.in

Rani Padmavati was the main reason Allaudin Khilji decided to take over Chittor. After hearing about the queens beauty, Allaudin Khilji decided to march on Chittor to capture her from her husband Rana Ratansen. Rani Padmavati refused to surrender. Therefore, she ignited a pyre and performed Jauhar, where she asked the women of Chittor to jump in too. Khilji had to return disappointed as the women of Chittor committed suicide instead of facing dishonour at his hands.

8. Yashwantrao Holkar

Image Credit: milind-dobale.blogspot.com

Known as the Napolean Of India, the British Empire was very cautious of every move the Indore king made, as he was considered the biggest threat to the empire. He was the one who initiated the process of unifying Indian kings against the British and prevented them from signing cunning treaties where the British took over their entire kingdoms in the name of peace. His patriotism towards his country made the Britishers go green with envy. Once, in a letter to General Gerard Lake, he wrote the following lines that showed his love for his country - My country and property are upon the saddle of my horse, and please God, to whatever side the reins of the horses of my brave warriors shall be turned, the whole of the country in that direction shall come into my possession. As you are wise and provident, you will consider the consequences of this affair, and employ yourself in settling the important matters which will be explained by my agents.
After Jamia Millia Islamia  a central university in Delhi  administration refused to listen to hundreds of its students who are protesting against a surprise raid conducted by the Delhi Police on Saturday evening in their hostels, the students have decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike from today. This could lead to another round of confrontation between cops and students after the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) episode.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

For the past two days, agitated students are protesting on their campus against the city police and the varsity administration for trampling upon the campus autonomy, but no one on behalf of the varsity has so far come to pacify them, except issuing a written appeal to maintain calm on the campus.

What Exactly Happened in Jamia on August 13?

According to students, all the hostel residents were informed personally by the administrative authorities to be careful as there might be some raid by IB or CBI or Delhi Police. Students were instructed not to keep any non-resident student in the hostel.

While it is okay to instruct students not to keep any non-resident student in the hostel, what is problematic is the atmosphere of fear that was created among students. Many of the students were allegedly told to be careful regarding Kashmiri students.

Profiling of Kashmiris before every Independence Day and Republic Day has by now become a normal feature. But what kept many guessing is the connection of ongoing agitation in the Valley.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

The hostel authorities repeatedly instructed the students not to come out of their rooms and to be careful. At 3 pm on August 13, two police constables in uniforms and around 15-20 officials in plain clothes were seen sitting just outside the hostel gate. Two constables came inside the gate and started having q conversation with the university guards while around 10 officials were sitting in their cars inside the hostel campus, Idrish Mohammed, a law student, told Indiatimes narrating the sequence of events.

He further said that a few students approached the policemen and asked why they were there. They were told that the police had been in the campus for a long time.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

The students then went to the cops in plainclothes sitting in their vehicles parked inside the hostel campus and asked them the reason for their visit. The students gathered near one of their vehicles. Initially, the police told us that they were there because it was raining outside. On further probing, they said that they had permission from the university proctor to enter the hostel premises. We immediately called the proctor. By the time the proctor reached, many students were already questioned and their rooms were searched by the policemen. The police clicked their pictures and also recorded videos, he added.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Proctor Dr Mehtab Alam was accompanied by two provosts  Professor Haroon Sajjad and Professor Iqtidar Mohammad Khan.

The proctor initially denied having granted any permission to the police for the surprise check. But then he told us that the police officials were only given permission to stand outside Gate No. 4 (The first entry gate towards the boys hostel and it is on the main road leading to the Hall of Residences for Boys). When the students asked for unconditional apology from the police for overstepping their permitted limit, the university administration aided them in leaving quietly, without explaining their overreach and unwarranted presence to the students, he said.

The students consider the police action an attack on the autonomy of the university. It is shocking that the campus autonomy is being trampled upon in this manner. It is because of the corrupt practices of the university administration that they cannot stand up to the government, said visibly angry Waquar Azam, who is pursing masters in Islamic Studies.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Was It A Raid? Jamia Says No

Chief Proctor Dr Mehtab Alam, PRO Dr Iftekhar Ahmed and Dean (Students Welfare) Professor Tasneem Meenai rejected the allegations in a united voice, No raid was conducted by the Intelligence Bureau/Delhi Police in the Hall of Residence for Boys on August 13, 2016.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Taking exception to the plain-clothed Delhi Police personnel entering Jamia Millia Islamia premises without permission, the university authorities have written to the Delhi Police demanding suitable action against the erring personnel.

Four Delhi Police personnel in plain clothes entered the university premises without my permission. Due to this, the residents of the boys hostel felt threatened. This incident has created a big law and order problem on the university campus today. Therefore, I request you to identify these personnel and take suitable action against them. Advice police staff to follow the instructions of the chief proctor on the university campus, reads the letter written by Alam to DCP (Southeast district) Mandeep Singh Randhawa.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

But the students say it is an attempt by the university to deviate them over technicalities of terminology. For us, it was a raid and a breach of our autonomy and dignity which is what has pushed us into this outrage. The fact that police personnel entered the campus without due permission, checked the other vehicles parked in the campus, engaged in videography and created an atmosphere of terror can only be termed as raid and nothing else. The logic of allowing the police into the campus even for a routine check feeds into the standard stereotyping of all Muslims as terrorists and the argument that such places should be under constant surveillance, said the students.

They also contested the Jamia administrations claim that only four policemen in plainclothes entered the campus without their permission.

This is half-truth. There are pictures clicked many of us that show cops present at the campus in uniforms carrying fire arms. In fact, that is how students got to know about the raid. In addition, the proctor in front of us accepted that he allowed the police to stand in front of Gate No. 4 but later, he feigns a complete ignorance, they added.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Police First Accept, Later Retracts To Have Conducted A Raid

Police officials had on Saturday evening maintained  according to a PTI report  that they were part of routine checks being conducted in that area ahead of Independence Day.

But DCP Randhawa said on Sunday, The beat staff had gone to meet the proctor. There was no confusion. We did not conduct any raid and neither indulged in videography in the hostels. All allegations are false.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

'Jamia Millia Islamia is Soft Target for Militants/Separatists'

Interestingly, the students brought to the fore a notice dated January 22, 2016, of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police-I addressed to the vice chancellor. It was put out by the Security Centre of the university.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

The notice entitled strengthening of security apparatus at and around the university premises states, It is needless to mention that educational institutions in general and Jamia Millia Islamia in particular is a very soft target for the militants/separatists. Security personnel deployed in the university have been apprised of this fact and briefed in detail to re-strengthen the security at and around university premises. However, unarmed security guards of Jamia Millia Islamia may not be in position to fight effectively with militants heavily equipped with sophisticated weapons. The security guards will put some resistance if the situation so arises and will also act as early warning elements.

It may not be out of place to mention that secretary, UGC vide his DO/No. F1-11/2014 (CPP-II) dated 16th April 2015 addressing of the Vice-chancellors of all universities issued details guidelines on, safety of students on/off campus of higher education institutions.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

Shameful Attitude

It is really shameful, says the students, to see the kind of attitudes and beliefs harboured by the security officials toward the students and the university culture. If at all there are any concerns, these can be addressed only by making the students stakeholders in their own security. On the other hand, what we have is a very hostile attitude of the security personnel toward students. Security personnel are alienated from the students and they are specially instructed to harass the students and put them under surveillance, alleged the students who are not even part of the protest.

Indiatimes/Tarique Anwar

What Are the Demands?

The protesting students refused to budge without having their demands met that are as follows:

1. A press conference by the university administration stating clearly whether they gave the permission to Delhi Police/intelligence agencies and, if yes, on what basis?

2. Suspension of administrative officials who failed to stop the Police from entering the university premises.

3. No action like show cause notice against the students participating in the ongoing protest in any implicit or explicit manner.
Christians in Bhopal are up in arms against Baba Ramdev, over the alleged misuse of the Christian cross in a Patanjali products ad.

The community has accused Patanjali, Ramdev's yoga-led natural food and FMCG empire of "objectionable and absolutely unawarranted" use of the cross, in an advertisement aired across TV channels

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"It is shocking that cross, which is the symbol of Jesus, is shown in the advertisement", Jerry Paul, convener of the Sarva Isai Mahasabha, a Christian organisation said. They've written to Ramdev, raising raising objections. "They must oppose foreign companies and promote their own products but no one should use cross for the purpose and must not unnecessarily link Christianity with them," he said. If the advertisement is not taken down, the organisation has warned of a campaign to boycott the brand and take legal action. The cross, which appears in the video is used to show the East India Company as a symbol of foreign companies.

They should not highlight it, said Francis

"Not just in MP, in other places too where the advertisement is seen, Christians are hurt," said a member of the Christian community, based in Bhopal. This isn't the first time Ramdev has irritated the Christian community.

"They do service - run schools, colleges and hospitals, and with that they also convert. We do service including teaching yoga free of cost. But we have not changed anybody's religion but only their lives," he claimed while speaking at the inauguration of 8th Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair 2016.

He said people were often told to learn charity from Christians but lakhs of Hindu sadhus and charitable trusts were also offering such services. He also rejected suggestions that Hinduism discriminated against anybody, especially the Dalits. He pitched for the use of 'swadeshi' products and promised that he would spend the profit earned by selling Patanjali products for charity. "Always use swadeshi products. One East India company came and looted and destroyed India for 200 years. We have achieved political independence but not economic independence," he said.a
19 year old college student Aarti Dubey had a dream.

A dream to cut off her tongue and offer it to Goddess Kali.

Daily Mail

In exchange, she dreamt, the goddess would give her anything she wanted. And thats exactly what the TRS Colleg undergrad student did.

Her brother Sachin told Mail Online that he never thought Aarti would actually cut her tongue off. "I have heard about incidents of illiterate and superstitious people offering their body parts to appease the gods. I never thought that my own college-going sister could be so superstitious."

Daily Mail

Aarti visited the local Kali temple in Reeva, Madhya Pradesh, and when she cut off her tongue, the temple priest and devotees didnt have the common sense to rush her to a doctor. Instead, they prayed for her. Then, the girl got up, completed her rituals, all with a smile on her face.

Which sounds exactly like something the Joker would do to his victims - use a knife to put a smile on someone's face.

Daily Mail

"I was right there when the girl cut off her tongue and offered it to the deity. The goddess is the almighty and she always protects her devotees," said priest Devi Prasad Sharma.
This year's G20 will be held in the ancient Chinese city of Hangzhou. The G20 is an important annual event when the leaders of the world's key economies and diplomatic players can get together and share ideas about how to deal with the problems facing them.

2016 has been a difficult year. Brutal terrorist attacks by Islamic extremists have blighted the world in places as diverse as Indonesia, Paris, Russia, Germany and the U.S. Trying to work out a way of dealing with the continuing threat from Daesh, the so-called Caliphate occupying parts of Syria and Iraq, has become even more urgent than last year.

This urgency has come on top of crises that seem to be enveloping some of the G20's key members. The issues here are largely a backlash against globalization, a retreat from free trade deals and open trade and immigration borders and a widespread anger at political elites. Underlying this is a much more fundamental issue: levels of inequality that have created clear winners and losers.

The last twenty years have seen huge economic growth, rising levels of prosperity and improved living standards across the world. It seems paradoxical then that there is clearly so much anger amongst large sections of the public in Europe, America and Asia. The U.S. presidential election is shaping up to be the most ill-tempered and discordant of modern times. Republican contender Donald Trump has astonished almost everyone with his success, largely fuelled by fury at the failure of politicians to do something about inequality and those who feel globalization has left them behind.

The same could be said about the situation in Europe. The staggering, and unexpected, decision after an ill-advised referendum on June 23 for the U.K. to leave the European Union (EU) is now widely seen as a sign not so much of Britain's dislike of the EU but of resistance, anger and opposition to forces of global business and politics that have worked well for the interests of one half of the population but very badly for the other. France, with a presidential election next year, is also looking at the possibility of the far right Front National being elevated to power, fuelled by similar anger at globalization.

The G20 has traditionally been seen, alongside the G8 and the G7 and other global groupings, as one of the main symbols of the disconnect between political and commercial elites and the larger population. Whatever might be on the formal agenda for this year's G20 discussions, therefore, almost every leader attending will be thinking about the best way to address this disconnect.

The problem is an easy one to diagnose but a hard one to solve. For all the public anger, globalization has been the largest source of growth in recent years. As global GDP slows down, the question is how to meet public expectations of rising living standards and more prosperity when the answers also clearly create immense political problems.

The U.K. has learned through the shocking outcome of the Brexit referendum that politicians underestimate the ill feelings caused by globalization and rising levels of inequality. Doing something about inequality while maintaining dynamic and growth-producing economies is now an international priority. People are clearly willing to express their anger through legitimate and less courteous means, and the priority at the G20 is to come up with a strategy that tackles this issue. At the heart of it will be discussions about how to address inequality produce a more effective means of narrowing the gap between those who have gained and those who have lost in the last two decades.

That China is hosting the G20 this time is a positive thing. The Chinese reform process has allowed more people than anywhere else in the world to lift themselves from poverty to a higher standard of living. In that sense, therefore, China's experience of dynamic development is of huge interest to the rest of the world. Having a positive framework to share this experience is important. China also has a major role to play in addressing the challenges of inequality and contributing to the global debate on that. The G20 this year has an opportunity to create a new approach to dealing with inequality and trying to solve the mismatch between the search for new growth and the problems that this search creates amongst some groups who feel they gain nothing from it. That, at heart, is the key issue that will be addressed in Hangzhou this year.

Kerry Brown is professor of Chinese studies and director of the Lau China Institute, King's College, London, and associate fellow, Chatham House, London, on the Asia Programme.

Opinion article reflected the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
On Independence Day in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his government's ambitious plan to launch the Clean India campaign from the Red Fort. Two years later, just 300 metres from the podium that the PM spoke from, Chandni Chowk, Delhi's oldest wholesale market, continues to reek of uncollected trash.

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"No effort has been made since to streamline the waste disposal system here," says Sanjay Bhargava, general secretary of the Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal. The situation is the same across most of Delhi, except perhaps Lutyens' Delhi and Delhi Cantonment. Malodorous, overflowing dhalaos, waste-strewn roadsides and broken dustbins are a fact of life in the capital.

Ironically, it is the PM's party, BJP, that runs the three municipal corporations in south, east and north Delhi, which are responsible for waste management. Last year, the three bodies stood at 398th in the Swachh Bharat rankings of 476 cities released by the Union urban development ministry . In the recent Swachh Sarvekshan of 73 cities, the corporations fell in the categories of cities that needed to "accelerate their efforts". While North and East corporations ranked 43rd and 52nd, respectively , South was at the 39th spot.

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Swachh Bharat Mission officials admit that the capital's civic bodies have done little in solid waste management, despite claims that 52% of the waste generated daily is processed. Sanitation experts cite four key reasons for the problem: lack of vision and political will, multiplicity of authority, lack of citizen participation and financial constraints.

A bigger problem than the East and North corporations' financial pains is their lack of vision, opines Shyamala Mani, professor at National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). "There is no clear plan," she says, "on how to tackle the sanitation problem." The South Corporation, however, has been experimenting, for instance, by deciding to give the sanitation contract of each of its four zones to a private concessionaire. But tendering is a fraught process and till now only one zone has been contracted out.

intoday.in

"We will soon issue tenders for the other zones," assures Subhash Arya, leader of the house in the body. "We will deploy 200 auto tippers in each zone for waste collection and already have 1,500 rickshaws for waste collection."

Waste segregation at source, as mandated by the new Solid Waste Management Rules of 2016, is another hindrance in the capital. "There is no dearth of technology for waste disposal, but the real problem is of segregation into biodegradable and dry waste," explains Swati Singh Sambyal, programme officer at Centre for Science and Environment. "Unless this is done, technology won't be very efficient as the waste processed at the plants will be of low calorific value."

Even the New Delhi Municipal Council, ranked 4th in the Swachh Sarvekshan, hasn't achieved total segregation. Dr PK Sharma, medical health officer with NDMC, says that the civic body had "dramatically improved" its waste collection and disposal systems, having tied up with NGO Chintan for door-to-door collection and segregation. But he admits that 100% segregation at source was not possible.

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Experts suggest that a possible solution could lie in allowing registered RWAs to manage waste. "Some RWAs, like those in Vasant Vihar and Vasant Kunj, have installed effective systems for collection and clearing the waste from dhalaos," says Mani. Experts also advise taking the help of ragpickers for waste segregations. "If these people are roped in at the initial stage instead of at the dhalao or landfill, then they can also earn their livelihood with dignity ," points out Rajesh Kumar, executive director, Society for the Promotion of Youth and Masses, an NGO for social development, healthcare and de-addiction.

Perhaps the idea should be to first try things out in a model municipal ward, as Alleppey in Kerala successfully did. Says Sambyal: "Alleppey put in proper infrastructure in the model ward. The example was them replicated in other wards. In Delhi too, create a model municipal ward. Once people know how things will work, they will begin participating in waste disposal."
In an address on Independence Day on Monday, Jammu and Kashmir's chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said guns cannot get justice and then went on to blame the Centre for all of her state's problems.

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"Kashmiris do not wield guns, we do not resort to violence. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir today is because of problems in the nation's leadership. The mistakes have been made by all the political parties and leadership of the nation - starting from Jawaharlal Nehru," said Mehbooba.

Even as she was making her speech an encounter was underway in the Nowhatta area of Srinagar, where 3 terrorists opened fired at a CRPF camp - which is close to the historic Jama Masjid - injuring five security personnel. The Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's PDP party is in power in the state in a coalition with the BJP, while the latter leads the government at the Centre.

Mehbooba's speech was in strong contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day address, during which he didn't refer to J&K directly even once. Modi, though, indirectly blamed Pakistan for cross-border terrorism and for inciting violence in the Kashmir valley.

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The J&K CM completely absolved all the people of the state of any blame for the continued unrest there. "Who is responsible for this? What can I do when despite having IIMs, IITs, students who have to study have gone blind," Mehbooba said. She was referring to the use of violence - specifically the use of pellet guns - by Indian security forces during the latest bout of unrest in the state.

Kashmir has been rocked by violence since security forces killed Burhan Wani , a young militant separatist on July 8. More than 50 people have been killed in the state since then, and many of them have been blinded due to the untrammelled use of pellet guns by security forces there.

Over the past week PM Modi has slammed Pakistan for fomenting violence in Kashmir as its leaders and terrorists based there have continued to make provocative comments since Wani's slaying in an encounter with security forces.

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"Encounters have taken place in the past and will continue to take place. But I don't understand what my government's fault was? (But ) I promise that action will be taken against police and security forces who went against my directions," Mehbooba said.

Over the past week India and Pakistan have been involved in a verbal duel. On Sunday, the external affairs ministry said Pakistan's "trademark" exports are "international terrorism, cross border infiltrators, weapons and narcotics".

On the same day, which was also Pakistan's Independence Day, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he's dedicating his country's Independence Day celebrations to the cause of "freedom for Kashmir ".

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PM Modi said on Friday that "relevant issues" to discuss with Pakistan+ are its support for cross-border terrorism, its inciting of violence in Kashmir and it allowing UN-sanctioned terrorists like Hafiz Saeed operate freely on its soil.

As for Kashmir, yes, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) is an issue India would like to discuss, Modi said. Except that POK is not on the table for discussion as far as Pakistan is concerned.
After offering a dialogue exclusively on J&K, Pakistan approached the Indian high commission in Islamabad with a proposal to send supplies to the victims of violence in the state. India rejected the offer with disdain on Sunday and said Pakistan has already exported enough terrorism to the Indian state.

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On Pakistan's independence day, its high commissioner Abdul Basit dedicated the occasion to the freedom of Kashmiris, further fuelling the diplomatic blow-up between the two nations over developments in the Valley. Indian officials described the remark as highly provocative.

Pakistan had sent a note verbale to the Indian high commission on Friday proposing supplies, an offer which the government described as absurd.

"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," foreign ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said, adding that India completely and categorically rejected this purported communication from the Pakistani foreign ministry.

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Basit, though, stoked the strife as he stressed that despite the use of force, nobody could suppress the political aspirations of Kashmiri people.

"Pakistan will continue extending its full diplomatic, political and moral support to the valiant people of Jammu and Kashmir till they get their right to self-determination," he declared after hoisting the national flag at the Pakistani mission.

"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," he added.

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In his address, Basit said Pakistan had always strived for better ties with India on the basis of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of bilateral disputes. However, he said no one could "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.

Dismissing Pakistan's offer for a dialogue on Kashmir alone, India had on Saturday made it clear that it would talk on "contemporary and relevant" issues.

"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," Swarup had said.
Opening his 3rd Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began with what would set the tone for his talk, a showcase of his government.

If spoke at length, he said, the address would go on for weeks! Instead of karya (achievements) he said he would focus on the governments Karya Sanskriti (culture of achievement). And he left out nothing, speaking about development in the government's initiatives in electrification, sanitation, fighting terror, road construction. Of note, however, was a direct jab at Pakistan.

1. Here's Why The iPhone 7 Might Be Completely Waterproof

wallpapersbyte

Theres one rumor that standout in the list of pre-iPhone 7 launch buzz  the possibility that it is waterproof. Now, a patent successfully granted to Apple this week shows a method for color-balancing photos taken underwater. Since Apple isnt (yet) in the business of cameras (and loves to market the iPhone as a camera equivalent), the patent could definitely be for an iPhone. The patent mention not just the iPhone, but the iPad as well.

2. Hundreds Of Pakistanis Come Together To Watch A Play On Bhagat Singh

On the eve of Pakistans Independence Day (13 August), hundreds of Pakistanis came together to watch a play on how Bhagat Singh would be received in modern day Pakistan, the land of his birth. We got a shaandar response. We did not expect so many people would turn up. The theatre can seat 500 people, and it was jampacked, Hafeez Chachar, former BBC correspondent and the maker of the documentary on Bhagat Singh told the Tribune.

3. Christians Are Angry With Baba Ramdev For 'Misusing' The Cross In A Patanjali Ad

Christians in Bhopal are up in arms against Baba Ramdev, over the alleged misuse of the Christian cross in a Patanjali products ad. The community has accused Patanjali, Ramdev's yoga-led natural food and FMCG empire of "objectionable and absolutely unawarranted" use of the cross, in an advertisement aired across TV channels.

4. 145 Income Tax Raids Have Dug Up 3300 Crore Rupees In Black Money Between April And July 2016!

sanjeevnitoday.com

The government's income disclosure scheme, the window for black money declaration may not have started yielding desired results yet, but the government has started building pressure on the suspect tax evaders by increasing the number of Income Tax raids across the country, which went up nearly three times in the first four months of this yearfrom 55 last year to 145 this year.

5. 4 YO 'Mansi' Becomes First Dog To Win War Honour After Death For Helping Fight Off Terrorists

dnaindia.com

Mansi, a four-year-old labrador and a member of Armys 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. Mansi was on Sunday honoured with the Mention of Despatches certificate. Her name will appear in the Gazette of India for making supreme sacrifice for the nation. 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.
Deep-sea search by ocean research vessel Sagar Nidhi for the remains of Indian Air Force aircraft AN 32 in Bay of Bengal for the last six days did not yield any results till Saturday evening.

defencenews.in

The vessel belonging to Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) had been scanning the seabed with its advanced device since August 8. The vessel will take a break from search, as it will arrive at Chennai port for refuelling for three days, before the search resumes mid-next week.

AN 32 transport aircraft went missing with 29 passengers onboard on July 22, about 15 minutes after it took off from Tambaram Air Force base to Port Blair. "We have received some signals, but it is not clear. Further survey is required," said Satheesh C Shenoi, director, NIOT.

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Sagar Nidhi, which returned from Mauritius, was directly diverted and arrived at the search location about 169 miles off Chennai coast on early Monday morning.

The vessel had since then been scanning the seafloor with its multi-beam echo sounder and sub-bottom profiler through acoustic waves. The vessel has to survey a total area of 220 nautical miles at a depth of about 3500metres.

Shenoi said the vessel will return to Chennai port for three days for fueling and loading of provisions for the search team, as it was directly sent to the search location upon return from Mauritius. The vessel spent almost eight months on research activity off the coast of Mauritius.

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The ship has a multi-beam echo sounder device that determines the depth of seabed and detects objects in water through acoustic waves up to a depth of 6000 meters. However, the resolution of the scanned images of the seafloor will reduce as the depth increases. Rough sea conditions and lack of information on the exact location of the debris may also make search activity difficult.

Deep sea search was earlier delayed by a week, as rough ocean due to bad weather delayed arrival of the vessel from Mauritius. For two weeks after the aircraft went missing, Indian Navy, Air Force and Indian Coast Guard were jointly conducting search on the surface of Bay of Bengal looking for the aircraft debris.
On the eve of Pakistans Independence Day (13 August), hundreds of Pakistanis came together to watch a play on how Bhagat Singh would be received in modern day Pakistan, the land of his birth.

Indelible  Bhagat Singh a production by a former teacher-turned-performing artiste and a journalist saw a documentary and play on the freedom fighters life.

We got a shaandar response. We did not expect so many people would turn up. The theatre can seat 500 people, and it was jampacked, Hafeez Chachar, former BBC correspondent and the maker of the documentary on Bhagat Singh told the Tribune.

And they were all mainly young people from the university. Wahan kal Iquilab Zindabad aur Lal Salaam key bhi naarey lagey. Despite no formal advertisements, 500 packed the open-air theatre, after word of mouth and social media buzz about the free of cost event.

We were only interested in spreading the word, said Zainab Dar, the plays director and writer. Dar performed a dance-based mime. Pakistanis mostly see Bhagat Singh as an Indian, but he was a pre-Partition hero of the struggle for freedom against the British. We wanted to tell people here that this was a man even the Quaid (Quaid-e-Azam, the title by which Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah is known) publicly defended Bhagat against the British [in the Central Legislative Assembly], he spoke up for him, said Dar, a former professor of development economics.

Two auditoriums cancelled permission to host the show, due to its subject matter, at a time when India-Pakistan tensions are higher than ever.

We could not get even a single sponsor, everyone we approached said this subject carries no appeal in Pakistan, said Dar. The organisers had to sponsor the show on their own, and actors worked for it pro-bono.

Also read: Pakistan Is Restoring Bhagat Singh's Entire Village, But India Is Cutting Corners On Sukhdev's Home

Pakistan has an odd relationship with Indian Independence movement revolutionary Bhagat Singh  they often use him as an example of how the militants India is fighting in Kashmir are the same people they call freedom fighters, much like the Britishers called Bhagat Singh a terrorist.
The old town of Zhouzhuang is located in the "Golden Triangle" among Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou. The town was included on American news agency CNN's list of the top-10 most beautiful towns in the world. The town's 14 stone bridges, from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, embody a unique structure that mesh well with the old waterway infrastructure for which the town is famous. Also boasting hundreds of old mansions, courtyard dwellings, alleyway boutiques selling traditional wares, Qunqu opera and delicacies such as Xuan rolls and Apo tea, Zhouzhuang is definitely worthy of its moniker, "The best water village in China." [China.org.cn]

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Police State Fascism



Black people live under a fascist system, whether the occupant of the White House is a fascist or not. For Blacks, the rule of law does not exist. It matters not whether a victim complies, or has hands up, or is armed, or is unarmed, or opens a door, or speaks, or doesnt, or flees, or stays put, or does or doesnt resist arrest. None of the supposedly non-fascist politicians will dare lay a finger on the modern day slave system.



By Margaret Kimberley Trump wouldnt bring anything to the country that is not already in existence for black Americans. August 15, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " BAR " - The word fascism has reappeared in the American popular lexicon thanks to Donald Trumps presidential campaign. The word is used to keep progressive Democrats in a state of fear should he win, but its existence in this country right now is rarely discussed. If Trump became president and was indeed a fascist he wouldnt bring anything to the country that is not already in existence for black Americans. Fascism is practiced against them on a daily basis. They are at risk of police interaction, arrest and even death for committing the most minor infractions or for no infraction at all. Korryn Gaines was shot to death by police in her own home near Baltimore, Maryland. Her five year-old son was also shot and injured. Ms. Gaines came into contact with police initially because of a traffic violation and a dispute with her boyfriend. Every day thousands of people are given tickets or make accusations against one another but rarely do they have an expectation of ending up dead as a result. Arrest warrants are the first line of defense for the police, who are the 21st century embodiment of the slave patrol. If black people are lucky they may have to pay a fine or suffer some inconvenience, if unlucky they are killed. The cops much vaunted body cameras were turned off and the dead woman was deprived of any means of defense or telling of her story. The Baltimore police used maximum force and disregarded accepted police practice meant to de-escalate such situations. They broke down Gaines door and cut off her Facebook feed. As is typical, their much vaunted body cameras were turned off and the dead woman was deprived of any means of defense or telling of her story. The only version of events comes from the people who killed her. Death is the worst result but not the only means of keeping black people under physical control and in a state of humiliation. A recent video from a Kentucky courtroom shows an unidentified black woman suffering the cruelties of the police system. She was arrested for not completing a diversion program after a 2014 shoplifting charge. The only logic to arresting someone for this violation is cruelty for its own sake and the proof of that played out in the courtroom. The woman arrived at court wearing only a pair of shorts. She reported that she had been denied feminine hygiene products and clean pants. The judge dismissed the charges but not before lecturing the woman. The fact that youre in custody is your fault. You gotta come to court. But once you were arrested, the rest of this is completely inhumane and unacceptable and Im very sorry that you had to go through this. She added, This is not normal. Ive never seen this. Of course this treatment is normal and happens all the time. Her arrest for a minor offense was normal and so was the denial of her human rights in an American jail. Actually the humiliated woman may be considered lucky. It was recently revealed that 6,900 people died in custody in Texas jails and prisons in the last ten years. Body cameras and other reforms wont save black peoples lives because they are meant for public relations purposes only. All of the tools which are supposed to protect the public from this system are useless. Paul ONeal (*link ONeal) was summarily executed by Chicago police while driving a stolen car. Again their cameras were turned off during the shooting. But once they felt safe, they recorded themselves rejoicing over their kill, giving one another high fives. One complained, Fuck, Im going to be on desk duty now for 30 days. The nonchalance is logical. The officer has no reason to fear anything worse. Body cameras and other reforms wont save black peoples lives because they are meant for public relations purposes only. The system in this country spends large sums of money, passes legislation and empowers the police to do what they like to black people. The suffering is quite intentional. All the videos in the world wont upend the brutality of the laws enforced against black people. It matters not whether a victim complies, or has hands up, or is armed, or is unarmed, or opens a door, or speaks, or doesnt, or flees, or stays put, or does or doesnt resist arrest. The police are a constant threat to black lives because the system demands it. There will be no end to the body count without serious discussion about the ways in which racism is supported and encouraged. None of the supposedly non-fascist politicians dare lay a finger on the modern day slave system. Occasionally white people die at the hands of police, too. But that is considered a small price to play to keep the racial hierarchy in order. There is no hope of ending the carnage without first understanding the system we have and calling it what it is. Black Americans have always lived under fascism. Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com.
Seymour Hersh on White House Lies About bin Laden's Death, Pakistan and the Syrian Civil War By Mark Karlin



August 15, 2016 " Information Clearing House " - " Truth Out " - In The Killing of Osama bin Laden, Seymour Hersh offers a compelling alternative version to the details that led to bin Laden's death. He also investigates unproven assertions justifying the US's thus far disastrous involvement in the Syrian civil war. Truthout recently interviewed Hersh about the book. Mark Karlin: I found your narrative based on research and informants very persuasive. Your version of how Osama bin Laden came to be killed was ridiculed by the White House, the intelligence communities and the military. Why do you think the mainstream press -- and even The Guardian -- marginalized your sourced account as conspiratorialist? Seymour Hersh: The mainstream press relies on access. The reporters covering beats -- most notably national security beats -- must be able to get calls returned and interviews when needed. This does not mean that the reporters on those beats are incompetent or in the hands of the White House -- it is just a fact of life that those who cross boundaries, as defined by the White House, do not get the same treatment as those who faithfully reflect the view of the President and his minions. It is especially so when it comes to crisis reporting -- an airplane tragedy, a battlefield victory or defeat. Thus, the White House controlled all details of the story from the moment President Obama announced the kill, and it did all -- as White Houses will -- to glorify the Presidents action and shape the story in ways that would help in Obamas re-election the next year. The major media lined up for information and begged and pleaded for any scraps that could be labeled exclusive. Once the narrative was set, any significant change in the story had to be resisted by the White House, and especially by those who wrote the initial stories. The scapegoat in my revisionist approach to the bin Laden killing was my reliance on anonymous sources, as if anyone on the inside who deviated from the official script could survive in their job if their name became known. Most journalists, especially those in the Washington bureau of The New York Times, where I worked with a lot of prize-winning success in the 1970s, were especially angered at my reporting. Their position, in my view, defies common sense -- their view was that there was nothing more to learn, even years later, about an event as dramatic and complicated as the bin Laden raid once the White House put an end to its forced feeding of the media. Why did the White House and military fiction about how bin Laden was killed suit their purposes? The propaganda goal was to show that it took enormous courage and superb judgment for Obama to take the chance and order the hit. If the mission had gone badly, the argument was, his re-election could be on the line. Another President, ala Jimmy Carter, who lost his re-election in the desert. It was a close call, so the White House said, because it was not clear that the person in the compound in Abbottabad actually was bin Laden. There were many senior people deeply involved in the planning for the raid who shared that view, essentially because the fact that the US, with high-level Pakistani help, had obtained a DNA sample from Bin Laden was a closely held secret. Yes, there was a risk of things going badly in the raid, but knowing without question that the target indeed was bin Laden, and that the Pakistani army and the intelligence service, the ISI, was working with us, diminished the danger. The core of my criticism was based on the fact of that help, and the fact that it had been agreed, or understood, with the Pakistani leadership well before the raid itself, that the White House would wait at least one week after the secret raid to announce that bin Laden was dead. It was to be said then that bin Laden had been killed in an American drone attack somewhere in the mountains separating Pakistan and Afghanistan. The last-minute decision to ignore that understanding, and effectively double cross the Pakistani military and intelligence leadership, left the Pakistanis with no recourse but to go along with the White Houses story that two American special forces helicopters had evaded Pakistans sophisticated radar system (built with US dollars in return for Pakistani support for the American invasion of Afghanistan in 1979). Why was this such an important issue, and one that enraged some on the inside, including Robert Gates, the defense secretary? Because Pakistan had at the time more than one hundred nuclear weapons in its growing arsenal, and maintaining Pakistani confidence in US intentions and reliability is essential to our national security and world security. We do not want Pakistan to make a move with its nuclear arsenal without our knowledge and approval. It is one of the most serious, albeit highly secret, concerns of our national leaders. Can you talk a bit about the murky role of Pakistan in relation to bin Laden and al-Qaeda? Pakistan, despite its overt loyalty to the United States, went its own way, in what was perceived as its own national security issues, when it came to bin Laden. The Saudi jihadist leader had been arrested by the Pakistani ISI sometime in 2006, according to information provided to the CIA by a Pakistani military defector (whose reliability on other issues remains unclear). The Pakistani military and intelligence services have longstanding ties to Saudi Arabia -- some senior Pakistani officers are known to have done sensitive police and intelligence work for the Saudis after their retirement. Pakistanis worked with al-Qaeda and some of the Taliban on behalf of the US in its initial invasion of Afghanistan -- America was fighting a proxy war against Russia in that war -- and the US-Pakistani ties remained close. America, in fact, looked the other way as Pakistan became a nuclear state in the late 1980s. I was told while researching the long article in my new book that Pakistan had been paid many millions by the Saudi leadership not to tell Washington about its capture of bin Laden. The assumption for such payments can only be that the Saudis did not want America to interrogate bin Laden about the 9/11 attacks, and that our Pakistani allies chose money over loyalty to us. It was a deeply distressing thought, given the nuclear stakes involved. You also quote a source as claiming "that the CIA leadership had become experts in derailing serious threats from Congress." How so? It is a sad fact that the CIA did not merely undermine Congressional oversight in the Bush/Cheney years -- it sabotaged them. Vice President Richard Cheney ran covert CIA and overt military operations abroad with no Congressional fundings, as required by the Constitution, and with no knowledge whatsoever, in many cases, by the relevant committees in the House and Senate. Congress was not a significant player as the White House responded to 9/11. The sad truth is that eight or 10 neoconservatives managed to overturn the Constitution with a minimum of Congressional and mainstream journalism dissent. Our Constitution is far more frail than one might think. Can you summarize what is Turkey's role in the ceaseless clash and bloodletting in Syria? The Erdogan government was a covert supporter of the ISIS war against the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria for years, rearming ISIS fighters, buying seized Syrian oil from the ISIS at discount prices, and keeping the borders between Turkey and Syria, especially in Hakkari province, open for a steady stream of anti-Assad jihadists from around the world who wanted to join in the war against Syria. There also is evidence that some anti-Syrian factors in the United States have welcomed the Erdogan support or, at the least, looked away when necessary. Erdogans constantly expanding extremism and grab for power was ignored, more or less, by many in the mainstream US media until early this year, and President Obama, for reasons not known, has yet to fully share the intelligence about Erdogans political and religious obligations with the nation. The irony, or tragedy, of Erdogans move to extremism is that throughout much of the last decade he was seen as being fully in the Ataturk tradition in Turkey -- that of a strong leader with strong religious beliefs who made sure that his nation remained secular. That is no longer true, as the recent coup, and Erdogans extremist response to it, has made clear. Those called by Erdogan to go to the street and attack the army when the coup began to fail were not fighting in support of democracy, as widely reported at first, but as Islamists fighting a secular military. Your book explores the infamous sarin attack that almost led to wholesale US military involvement in the intractable Syrian deadly scrum. What was wrong with the official US version concerning the perpetrators of the August 21, 2013, use of chemical weapons in Syria? The critical issue [regarding] the August 20, 2013, sarin attack in a suburb of Damascus is that the US and its allies knew from highly classified CIA and allied intelligence reporting throughout the spring and summer of 2013, that the jihadist opposition to Assad (primarily al-Nusra) had the ability to manufacture a crude form of sarin and other gas warfare items. And yet, in the days after the August gas attack, the Obama administration focused its attention solely on the fact that the Syrian army was known to have a significant chemical warfare (CW) capability. The Syrian government became the only suspect, at a time when there were, at the minimum, two suspects. That was a fatal flaw. It also is so that the Syrian gas arsenal was not a secret, as many in the US insisted, but widely known for decades to exist. The CW system had been generated by Bashars father, Hafez al-Assad, who ran the nation for 20 years, as a deterrent to the known -- if undeclared -- Israeli nuclear arsenal. But the fact that Syria had a weapons capability did little to change the reality that Israeli nuclear weapons clearly would be dominant in any war. The Syrian system was seen after Hafezs death in 2000, with young Bashar al-Assad now in charge, to be useless, expensive, and hard to maintain -- and publicly complained about as such. I, in The New Yorker magazine, as had others, had written about the Syrian CW arsenal after the 9/11 attacks. There was another consideration: Israel and the US had joined forces, initially in secret, to monitor all of the suspected CW storage depots scattered through Syria; there were more than 20 of them. Any effort to begin preparing for a CW warfare attack would immediately trigger alarms in the US and Israel, and the government in Tel Aviv would begin preparing for a pre-emptive air force attack. The joint US-Israeli system did not signal an alarm in the hours before or after the CW attack near Damascus -- clear evidence that the attack could not have come from a Syrian CW facility. To this date, despite constant references by the media to the Syrian attack, there has been no specific evidence linking the Syrian version of sarin, whose sophisticated additives and chemical make-up is known to the West, to the far cruder sarin found at the site. Mark Karlin is the editor of BuzzFlash at Truthout. He served as editor and publisher of BuzzFlash for 10 years before joining Truthout in 2010. BuzzFlash has won four Project Censored Awards. Copyright, Truthout.
US War Crimes or Normalized Deviance



The U.S. foreign policy establishment and its mainstream media operate with a pervasive set of hypocritical standards that justify war crimes  or what might be called a normalization of deviance, writes Nicolas J S Davies.



By Nicolas J S Davies

August 15, 2013 " Information Clearing House " - " Consortium News " - Sociologist Diane Vaughan coined the term normalization of deviance as she was investigating the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986. She used it to describe how the social culture at NASA fostered a disregard for rigorous, physics-based safety standards, effectively creating new, lower de facto standards that came to govern actual NASA operations and led to catastrophic and deadly failures.

Vaughan published her findings in her prize-winning book , The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture and Deviance at NASA, which, in her words, shows how mistake, mishap, and disaster are socially organized and systematically produced by social structures and shifts our attention from individual causal explanations to the structure of power and the power of structure and culture  factors that are difficult to identify and untangle yet have great impact on decision making in organizations.

When the same pattern of organizational culture and behavior at NASA persisted until the loss of a second shuttle in 2003, Diane Vaughan was appointed to NASAs accident investigation board, which belatedly embraced her conclusion that the normalization of deviance was a critical factor in these catastrophic failures.

The normalization of deviance has since been cited in a wide range of corporate crimes and institutional failures, from Volkswagens rigging of emissions tests to deadly medical mistakes in hospitals. In fact, the normalization of deviance is an ever-present danger in most of the complex institutions that govern the world we live in today, not least in the bureaucracy that formulates and conducts U.S. foreign policy.

The normalization of deviance from the rules and standards that formally govern U.S. foreign policy has been quite radical. And yet, as in other cases, this has gradually been accepted as a normal state of affairs, first within the corridors of power, then by the corporate media and eventually by much of the public at large.

Once deviance has been culturally normalized, as Vaughan found in the shuttle program at NASA, there is no longer any effective check on actions that deviate radically from formal or established standards  in the case of U.S. foreign policy, that would refer to the rules and customs of international law, the checks and balances of our constitutional political system and the experience and evolving practice of generations of statesmen and diplomats.

Normalizing the Abnormal

It is in the nature of complex institutions infected by the normalization of deviance that insiders are incentivized to downplay potential problems and to avoid precipitating a reassessment based on previously established standards. Once rules have been breached, decision-makers face a cognitive and ethical conundrum whenever the same issue arises again: they can no longer admit that an action will violate responsible standards without admitting that they have already violated them in the past.

This is not just a matter of avoiding public embarrassment and political or criminal accountability, but a real instance of collective cognitive dissonance among people who have genuinely, although often self-servingly, embraced a deviant culture. Diane Vaughan has compared the normalization of deviance to an elastic waistband that keeps on stretching.

Within the high priesthood that now manages U.S. foreign policy, advancement and success are based on conformity with this elastic culture of normalized deviance. Whistle-blowers are punished or even prosecuted, and people who question the prevailing deviant culture are routinely and efficiently marginalized, not promoted to decision-making positions.

For example, once U.S. officials had accepted the Orwellian doublethink that targeted killings, or manhunts as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called them, do not violate long-standing prohibitions against assassination , even a new administration could not walk that decision back without forcing a deviant culture to confront the wrong-headedness and illegality of its original decision.

Then, once the Obama administration had massively escalated the CIAs drone program as an alternative to kidnapping and indefinite detention at Guantanamo, it became even harder to acknowledge that this is a policy of cold-blooded murder that provokes widespread anger and hostility and is counter-productive to legitimate counterterrorism goals  or to admit that it violates the U.N. Charters prohibition on the use of force, as U.N. special rapporteurs on extrajudicial killings have warned .

Underlying such decisions is the role of U.S. government lawyers who provide legal cover for them, but who are themselves shielded from accountability by U.S. non-recognition of international courts and the extraordinary deference of U.S. courts to the Executive Branch on matters of national security. These lawyers enjoy a privilege that is unique in their profession, issuing legal opinions that they will never have to defend before impartial courts to provide legal fig-leaves for war crimes.

The deviant U.S. foreign policy bureaucracy has branded the formal rules that are supposed to govern our countrys international behavior as obsolete and quaint, as a White House lawyer wrote in 2004 . And yet these are the very rules that past U.S. leaders deemed so vital that they enshrined them in constitutionally binding international treaties and U.S. law.

Lets take a brief look at how the normalization of deviance undermines two of the most critical standards that formally define and legitimize U.S. foreign policy: the U.N. Charter and the Geneva Conventions.

The United Nations Charter

In 1945, after two world wars killed 100 million people and left much of the world in ruins, the worlds governments were shocked into a moment of sanity in which they agreed to settle future international disputes peacefully. The U.N. Charter therefore prohibits the threat or use of force in international relations.

As President Franklin Roosevelt told a joint session of Congress on his return from the Yalta conference, this new permanent structure of peace  should spell the end of the system of unilateral action, the exclusive alliances, the spheres of influence, the balance of power, and all the other expedients that have been tried for centuries  and have always failed.

The U.N. Charters prohibition against the threat or use of force codifies the long-standing prohibition of aggression in English common law and customary international law, and reinforces the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy in the 1928 Kellogg Briand Pact . The judges at Nuremberg ruled that, even before the U.N. Charter came into effect, aggression was already the supreme international crime.

No U.S. leader has proposed abolishing or amending the U.N. Charter to permit aggression by the U.S. or any other country. And yet the U.S. is currently conducting ground operations, air strikes or drone strikes in at least seven countries: Afghanistan; Pakistan; Iraq; Syria; Yemen; Somalia; and Libya. U.S. special operations forces conduct secret operations in a hundred more . U.S. leaders still openly threaten Iran, despite a diplomatic breakthrough that was supposed to peacefully settle bilateral differences.

President-in-waiting Hillary Clinton still believes in backing U.S. demands on other countries with illegal threats of force, even though every threat she has backed in the past has only served to create a pretext for war, from Yugoslavia to Iraq to Libya. But the U.N. Charter prohibits the threat as well as the use of force precisely because the one so regularly leads to the other.

The only justifications for the use of force permitted under the U.N. Charter are proportionate and necessary self-defense or an emergency request by the U.N. Security Council for military action to restore peace and security. But no other country has attacked the United States, nor has the Security Council asked the U.S. to bomb or invade any of the countries where we are now at war.

The wars we have launched since 2001 have killed about 2 million people , of whom nearly all were completely innocent of involvement in the crimes of 9/11. Instead of restoring peace and security, U.S. wars have only plunged country after country into unending violence and chaos.

Like the specifications ignored by the engineers at NASA, the U.N. Charter is still in force, in black and white, for anyone in the world to read. But the normalization of deviance has replaced its nominally binding rules with looser, vaguer ones that the worlds governments and people have neither debated, negotiated nor agreed to.

In this case, the formal rules being ignored are the ones that were designed to provide a viable framework for the survival of human civilization in the face of the existential threat of modern weapons and warfare  surely the last rules on Earth that should have been quietly swept under a rug in the State Department basement.

The Geneva Conventions

Courts martial and investigations by officials and human rights groups have exposed rules of engagement issued to U.S. forces that flagrantly violate the Geneva Conventions and the protections they provide to wounded combatants, prisoners of war and civilians in war-torn countries:

The Commands Responsibility report by Human Rights First examined 98 deaths in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. It revealed a deviant culture in which senior officials abused their authority to block investigations and guarantee their own impunity for murders and torture deaths that U.S. law defines as capital crimes .

Although torture was authorized from the very top of the chain of command, the most senior officer charged with a crime was a Major and the harshest sentence handed down was a five-month prison sentence.

U.S. rules of engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan have included: systematic, theater-wide use of torture ; orders to dead-check or kill wounded enemy combatants; orders to kill all military-age males during certain operations; and weapons-free zones that mirror Vietnam-era free-fire zones.

A U.S. Marine corporal told a court martial that Marines consider all Iraqi men part of the insurgency, nullifying the critical distinction between combatants and civilians that is the very basis of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

When junior officers or enlisted troops have been charged with war crimes, they have been exonerated or given light sentences because courts have found that they were acting on orders from more senior officers. But the senior officers implicated in these crimes have been allowed to testify in secret or not to appear in court at all, and no senior officer has been convicted of a war crime.

For the past year, U.S. forces bombing Iraq and Syria have operated under loosened rules of engagement that allow the in-theater commander General McFarland to approve bomb- and missile-strikes that are expected to kill up to 10 civilians each.

But Kate Clark of the Afghanistan Analysts Network has documented that U.S. rules of engagement already permit routine targeting of civilians based only on cell-phone records or guilt by proximity to other people targeted for assassination. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism has determined that only 4 percent of thousands of drone victims in Pakistan have been positively identified as Al Qaeda members, the nominal targets of the CIAs drone campaign.

Amnesty Internationals 2014 report Left In The Dark documented a complete lack of accountability for the killing of civilians by U.S. forces in Afghanistan since President Obamas escalation of the war in 2009 unleashed thousands more air strikes and special forces night raids.

Nobody was charged over the Ghazi Khan raid in Kunar province on Dec. 26, 2009, in which U.S. special forces summarily executed at least seven children, including four who were only 11 or 12 years old.

More recently, U.S. forces attacked a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, killing 42 doctors, staff and patients, but this flagrant violation of Article 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention did not lead to criminal charges either.

Although the U.S. government would not dare to formally renounce the Geneva Conventions, the normalization of deviance has effectively replaced them with elastic standards of behavior and accountability whose main purpose is to shield senior U.S. military officers and civilian officials from accountability for war crimes.

The Cold War and Its Aftermath

The normalization of deviance in U.S. foreign policy is a byproduct of the disproportionate economic, diplomatic and military power of the United States since 1945. No other country could have got away with such flagrant and systematic violations of international law.

But in the early days of the Cold War, Americas World War II leaders rejected calls to exploit their new-found power and temporary monopoly on nuclear weapons to unleash an aggressive war against the U.S.S.R.

General Dwight Eisenhower gave a speech in St. Louis in 1947 in which he warned, Those who measure security solely in terms of offensive capacity distort its meaning and mislead those who pay them heed. No modern nation has ever equaled the crushing offensive power attained by the German war machine in 1939. No modern nation was broken and smashed as was Germany six years later.

But, as Eisenhower later warned, the Cold War soon gave rise to a military-industrial complex that may be the case par excellence of a highly complex tangle of institutions whose social culture is supremely prone to the normalization of deviance. Privately, Eisenhower lamented, God help this country when someone sits in this chair who doesnt know the military as well as I do.

That describes everyone who has sat in that chair and tried to manage the U.S. military-industrial complex since 1961, involving critical decisions on war and peace and an ever-growing military budget . Advising the President on these matters are the Vice President, the Secretaries of State and Defense, the Director of National Intelligence, several generals and admirals and the chairs of powerful Congressional committees. Nearly all these officials careers represent some version of the revolving door between the military and intelligence bureaucracy, the executive and legislative branches of government, and top jobs with military contractors and lobbying firms.

Each of the close advisers who have the Presidents ear on these most critical issues is in turn advised by others who are just as deeply embedded in the military-industrial complex, from think-tanks funded by weapons manufacturers to Members of Congress with military bases or missile plants in their districts to journalists and commentators who market fear, war and militarism to the public.

With the rise of sanctions and financial warfare as a tool of U.S. power, Wall Street and the Treasury and Commerce Departments are also increasingly entangled in this web of military-industrial interests.

The incentives driving the creeping, gradual normalization of deviance throughout the ever-growing U.S. military-industrial complex have been powerful and mutually reinforcing for over 70 years, exactly as Eisenhower warned.

Richard Barnet explored the deviant culture of Vietnam-era U.S. war leaders in his 1972 book Roots Of War . But there are particular reasons why the normalization of deviance in U.S. foreign policy has become even more dangerous since the end of the Cold War.

In the aftermath of World War II, the U.S. and U.K. installed allied governments in Western and Southern Europe, restored Western colonies in Asia and militarily occupied South Korea . The divisions of Korea and Vietnam into north and south were justified as temporary, but the governments in the south were U.S. creations imposed to prevent reunification under governments allied with the U.S.S.R. or China. U.S. wars in Korea and Vietnam were then justified, legally and politically, as military assistance to allied governments fighting wars of self-defense.

The U.S. role in anti-democratic coups in Iran, Guatemala, the Congo, Brazil, Indonesia, Ghana, Chile and other countries was veiled behind thick layers of secrecy and propaganda. A veneer of legitimacy was still considered vital to U.S. policy, even as a culture of deviance was being normalized and institutionalized beneath the surface.

The Reagan Years

It was not until the 1980s that the U.S. ran seriously afoul of the post-1945 international legal framework it had helped to build. When the U.S. set out to destroy the revolutionary Sandinista government of Nicaragua by mining its harbors and dispatching a mercenary army to terrorize its people, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) convicted the U.S. of aggression and ordered it to pay war reparations.

The U.S. response revealed how far the normalization of deviance had already taken hold of its foreign policy. Instead of accepting and complying with the courts ruling, the U.S. announced its withdrawal from the binding jurisdiction of the ICJ.

When Nicaragua asked the U.N. Security Council to enforce the payment of reparations ordered by the court, the U.S. abused its position as a Permanent Member of the Security Council to veto the resolution. Since the 1980s, the U.S. has vetoed twice as many Security Council resolutions as the other Permanent Members combined, and the U.N. General Assembly passed resolutions condemning the U.S. invasions of Grenada (by 108 to 9) and Panama (by 75 to 20), calling the latter a flagrant violation of international law.

President George H.W. Bush and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher obtained U.N. authorization for the First Gulf War and resisted calls to launch a war of regime change against Iraq in violation of their U.N. mandate. Their forces massacred Iraqi forces fleeing Kuwait , and a U.N. report described how the near apocalyptic U.S.-led bombardment of Iraq reduced what had been until January a rather highly urbanized and mechanized society to a pre-industrial age nation.

But new voices began to ask why the U.S. should not exploit its unchallenged post-Cold War military superiority to use force with even less restraint. During the Bush-Clinton transition, Madeleine Albright confronted General Colin Powell over his Powell doctrine of limited war, protesting, Whats the point of having this superb military youre always talking about if we cant use it?

Public hopes for a peace dividend were ultimately trumped by a power dividend sought by military-industrial interests. The neoconservatives of the Project for the New American Century led the push for war on Iraq, while humanitarian interventionists now use the soft power of propaganda to selectively identify and demonize targets for U.S.-led regime change and then justify war under the responsibility to protect or other pretexts. U.S. allies (NATO, Israel, the Arab monarchies et al) are exempt from such campaigns, safe within what Amnesty International has labeled an accountability-free zone.

Madeleine Albright and her colleagues branded Slobodan Milosevic a new Hitler for trying to hold Yugoslavia together, even as they ratcheted up their own genocidal sanctions against Iraq . Ten years after Milosevic died in prison at the Hague, he was posthumously exonerated by an international court.

In 1999, when U.K. Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told Secretary of State Albright the British government was having trouble with its lawyers over NATO plans to attack Yugoslavia without U.N. authorization, Albright told him he should get new lawyers.

By the time mass murder struck New York and Washington on September 11, 2001, the normalization of deviance was so firmly rooted in the corridors of power that voices of peace and reason were utterly marginalized.

Former Nuremberg prosecutor Ben Ferencz told NPR eight days later, It is never a legitimate response to punish people who are not responsible for the wrong done.  We must make a distinction between punishing the guilty and punishing others. If you simply retaliate en masse by bombing Afghanistan, let us say, or the Taliban, you will kill many people who dont approve of what has happened.

But from the day of the crime, the war machine was in motion, targeting Iraq as well as Afghanistan.

The normalization of deviance that promoted war and marginalized reason at that moment of national crisis was not limited to Dick Cheney and his torture-happy acolytes, and so the global war they unleashed in 2001 is still spinning out of control.

When President Obama was elected in 2008 and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, few people understood how many of the people and interests shaping his policies were the same people and interests who had shaped President George W. Bushs, nor how deeply they were all steeped in the same deviant culture that had unleashed war, systematic war crimes and intractable violence and chaos upon the world.

A Sociopathic Culture

Until the American public, our political representatives and our neighbors around the world can come to grips with the normalization of deviance that is corrupting the conduct of U.S. foreign policy, the existential threats of nuclear war and escalating conventional war will persist and spread.

This deviant culture is sociopathic in its disregard for the value of human life and for the survival of human life on Earth. The only thing normal about it is that it pervades the powerful, entangled institutions that control U.S. foreign policy, rendering them impervious to reason, public accountability or even catastrophic failure.

The normalization of deviance in U.S. foreign policy is driving a self-fulfilling reduction of our miraculous multicultural world to a battlefield or testing-ground for the latest U.S. weapons and geopolitical strategies. There is not yet any countervailing movement powerful or united enough to restore reason, humanity or the rule of law, domestically or internationally, although new political movements in many countries offer viable alternatives to the path we are on.

As the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warned when it advanced the hands of the Doomsday Clock to 3 minutes to midnight in 2015, we are living at one of the most dangerous times in human history. The normalization of deviance in U.S. foreign policy lies at the very heart of our predicament.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Cross River State have apprehended a Cameroonian couple Mr. Kamsol Ayang, 44, and wife, Theresa Asamoa, 46, for allegedly being in the custody a two-week old baby.

The State Comptroller of NIS, Mrs. Funke Adeuyi, disclose this while speaking with journalists in Calabar while parading the suspects.

She said the coupled claimed to have been married for 15 years and came to Nigeria to get herbal drugs that would make the wife pregnant.

The baby looked so weak and pale, as if he had not tasted breast milk. Neither the babys eyes nor body was moving, a situation that sparked suspicion.

After searching their travel documents, we found out that their surnames did not tally although they claimed to have been married for 15 years.

This gave room for suspicion. Our officers at the control post had to refer them to the state command for second line investigation and profiling, she said.

We equally realized that the baby in question was not active for the whole period of the interrogation and this made our second line investigation very powerful.

After further investigation, she told us that she was given herbal drugs that would make her pregnant, Adeuyi said, the woman also claimed to have delivered and that the baby was given to her at the herbal medical clinic somewhere in South-West Nigeria.

While responding to the allegations, the wife, Theresa insisted that the baby was hers and that it was a culture in Cameroon for a nursing mother to drink traditional medicine for some time before feeding the new born baby with breast milk.

Someone in Cameroon introduced me to an herbal home here in Nigeria. I went there and was given herbal medicine for pregnancy. After nine months, I was pregnant and I came back to Nigeria for delivery. This is my baby, she said.

Meanwhile the baby has been handed over to the officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters, NAPTIP, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

An official of NAPTIP who received the baby commended the NIS for a thorough job and the steady patrol team, which they maintain in the border areas of Cross River State.
At least 30 people are feared dead after a passenger bus veered off a mountain road in central Nepal.

The incident occurred as the bus lost control in the Kavrepalanchok district, plunging about 300 metres downhill. 30 people were injured in the incident and some of them have already been airlifted to the hospital.

Bhim Kanta Sharma, the deputy district chief of Kavre, told AFP news agency that a rescue operation was ongoing.

Rescue workers are still recovering bodies but rain is making their work difficult. We cannot ascertain the final toll right now.
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Regardless of the feelings of the peoples of neighboring countries, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

Abe is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea, said Kyodo News.

Meanwhile, Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda visited the notorious shrine on Monday morning.

Yasukuni Shrine honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from WWII and is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
The abductors of an All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Kaduna State, Dr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Durunguwa, have demanded a ransom of N20million to secure his release.

Dr. Durunguwa was seized by unknown gunmen on Friday around 10 am at his Malali GRA residence in Kaduna.

He was the coordinator of the Nasir El-rufai Governorship Campaign in Kachia Local Government Area of the state in the last general elections.

A family source, who pleaded not to be named, told Daily Trust that The kidnappers are demanding N20 million as ransom for his release but the family are negotiating with them to reduce the ransom.

Confirming the ransom demand, the spokesperson of the Kaduna Police Command, ASP Aliyu Usman, said the police is on top of the situation to secure Durunguwas release.
A 41-year-old man, James Omale, on Monday told an Igando Customary Court, Lagos that his wife must go to his village and swear to proof her innocence of alleged infidelity.

Omale, a self employed, told the court while responding to a divorce suit of a two-year-old marriage, filed by his wife, Yetunde,

My wife knows that she is guilty of adultery that is why she is afraid to go to my village to swear.

She left her matrimonial home for a month to unknown destination.

In my tradition, when a woman leaves her matrimonial home and wants to come back, she must first go to our village to swear that no man has slept with her.

My wife left my house without my consent and when she returned, she refused to go to my village instead, she rushed to court to ask for divorce, he said.

He described his wife as an ingrate saying I sponsored Yetunde from her 100 level to final year.

After her graduation, I lost my banking job and she told me she was not interested in the marriage again.

The petitioner, Yetunde, 29, had filed the suit seeking for the dissolution of the marriage over alleged force by her husband to make her swear an oath.

She told the court that her husband, asked her to go to his village to make sacrifice.

My husband tells me to travel to his village in Benue state to make sacrifice and swear to an oath if a man sleeps with me.

He tells me that he always see a man making love to me in his dream.

His elder brother is a herbalist and his wife is currently running mad, while his second brothers wife has been sick for years without solution.

They cast spell on the wife of his other elder brother who is now a prostitute. I will never be a victim of their evil plan she said.

The mother of one alleged that her husband goes out and comes back at will.

My husband always leaves the house without my knowledge and he will never care to call me.

Because of his bad behaviour, I went to stay in my parents house, she said.

The petitioner urged the court to dissolve the marriage because she was no longer in love with the husband.

The president of the court, Mr Adegboyega Omilola adjourned the case to Sept. 6 for judgment.

Source: Vanguard
The separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOD, on Sunday debunked reports in the media that its incarcerated leader and Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, had agreed to negotiate with Federal Government for his release.

Mr. Kanu, who has been in detention since last October, is currently standing trial for treasonable felony and has remained uncompromising in his stance in the face of death  the penalty for treason.

However, in a sudden twist of events, the IPOB leaders lawyers  Ifeanyi Ejiofor and Amoebi Nzelu  last Friday addressed a press conference in Abuja stating that Kanu was ready to hold talks with the Federal Government as a political solution to his travails.

The lawyers also disowned the Niger Delta Avengers and Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, saying their client had no connection, contact, ties or any kind of relationship with members of the militant groups.

RELATED POST: Nnamdi Kanu Agrees Dialogue With FG To End Agitation

But in a statement weekend, IPOB said condemned the comments credited to the lawyers, saying they were made without consultation.

As a result of these unsolicited and unguarded utterances, the defence team has been sacked and will be replaced, the group said in the statement by Emma Nmezu and Dr. Clifford Chukwuemeka Iroanya.

It added: The IPOB leader wishes to state categorically that the only thing we are open to is negotiation that will lead to modalities and processes to restore Biafra and avert further hardships on the people of Nigeria who have been under bondage since his kidnapping and illegal detention.

The Niger Delta Avengers arose because of the inherent injustice in Nigeria as manifested in the disregard to the rule of law when Buhari refused to obey court order to unconditionally release our leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

We spoke the mind of our leader when we stated for record purposes that IPOB and Niger Delta Avengers share the same ideology of freedom for Biafra.

Anybody publicly dissociating IPOB from Niger Delta Avengers is a mortal enemy of IPOB family worldwide under the leadership of Nnamdi Kanu.

Let it be known that as long as Buhari and Daura continue to tamper with Nnamdi Kanus defence team through bribery, inducements and intimidation, IPOB will keep on changing the team.

For the records, the press conference by the now-sacked legal team was about bringing to public knowledge the foolishness of the Department of State Services (DSS) in bringing treasonable felony charges against our leader and the lack of evidence thereof.

The press conference was NEVER about negotiations because should negotiations start, IPOB will notify the world about it. Right now, we are not negotiating and will not negotiate until existing court orders ordering the release of Nnamdi Kanu are obeyed.

In the interim, Ifeanyi Ejiofor will continue to act as lead counsel until other counsels are appointed who will not sell their souls to the devil. Biafra or death!!!
The Borno State Government said it received a cash donation of $1m from the Bill Gates Foundation for the victims of Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

Governor Kashim Shettima made this disclosure on Sunday in Mainok, Kaga Local Government Area, while distributing food items and farm inputs purchased by the government.

He said: 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.

Governor Shettima added that about 40,000 households were targeted to benefit from the distribution with each receiving a 25 kilogramme bag of rice and a 10 kg bag of beans.

He explained that part of the donated funds were expanded on acquiring 100 hectares farm for beans cultivation, adding that 200 families with farming abilities and capabilities will be allocated tilled and fertile land, measuring half hectare each along with improved seeds, fertilizer, chemicals and technical supervision to grow food crops.

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, gov Shettima remarked.

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, he said.
Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State has described the outbreak of fresh cases of Wild Polio Virus (WPV) infection in the state as embarrassing to him.

There were two fresh cases of polio infections in Gwoza and Jere local government areas of the state last week, throwing spanner in the works of Nigeria receiving a certificate from the World Health Organization, WHO, declaring it polio-free.

Nigeria had to remain free of any fresh case of polio infection till 2017 to be certified polio-free after the last time an infection was recorded in the country was in June of 2014.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, who described the fresh infections last week as an unfortunate development, blamed the situation on activities of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Nigerian military, which has been waging a war against insurgency in the North-east where Borno is located, was immediately called in to airlift polio vaccines to dangerous parts of the region as part of an emergency plan to immunize one million kids in four LGAs in Borno State with the number increasing to about five million when kids in the neighbouring states of Yobe, Adamawa and Gombe are also immunized against the virus.

SEE ALSO: Military Helicopters Deliver Polio Vaccines To Borno

Speaking Sunday in Mainok village, Kaga local government area where he launched a food and farming aide donated to the state by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Gov. Shettima also blamed the new cases on Boko Haram, which made some communities in the state inaccessible for polio vaccination between December 2013 and the end of 2015; as well as the earliest part of 2016.

The one-million-dollar aide targets 40,000 victims of the Boko Haram insurgency in the state, who are now being resettled in their communities.

The aide is in form of food distribution and provision of funds for farming activities.

Shettima said, Back in November, 2013, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation even awarded Borno State for being the most committed to fighting polio in the North-East despite our insurgency. It is however unfortunate that last week, fresh cases of polio were identified in Borno. While this is officially painful and personally embarrassing to me, as an award winner in polio eradication, the basis of the recent outbreak of polio is largely due to the unimaginable condition we found ourselves.

I have seen one commentator saying Borno was dragging the country backwards on polio eradication. 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 wandered 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.

He said the new diagnoses made were because some citizens, especially children, hitherto held captive had now been freed.

He, however, expressed optimism that the problem would be surmounted.

The governor said, Everyone can bear testimony that it was impossible for the Government to have sustained its wide reach in polio immunisation 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.

We all know that a problem identified is a problem half solved. Our communities are mostly free and this makes room for a critical round of aggressive polio eradication campaign in Borno.

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 tide has now changed. In the past, our people were those running but today, it is Boko Haram that is on the run.
The Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja presided by Justice Okon Abang has asked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to suspend its planned National Convention slated for Wednesday in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

Justice Abang gave an interim order late Monday afternoon while hearing the suit filed to determine who is the authentic National Chairman of the party between Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Abang had in an earlier judgement sacked Makarfi whose faction is organizing the convention as the National Chairman of the party.

Senator Makarfi has swiftly filed an appeal to quash the ruling, with further hearing fixed for tomorrow

Sheriff, however, insists he remains the national chairman, warning that any convention conducted without his approval is null and void.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State on Sunday said Nigerians are experiencing harrowing hardships because President Muhammadu Buhari appointed those he described as wrong managers, who do not know what to do.

He also said due to nepotism in the All Progressives Congress-led federal government, those in whose hands the fate of the country has been entrusted, have refused to accept assistance from those who know how to get the country out of its current woes.

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, he asserted.

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, that 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.

Mr. Fayose noted that 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.
Elders of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Kogi State, North-central Nigeria, have tasked President Muhammadu Buhari on the need for a replacement of late James Ocholi who was the minister of state for Labour and Employment just before his death.

Ochili, a Senoir Advocate of Nigeria who represented Kogi State in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) died in a ghastly motor accident alongside his son and wife on Kaduna  Abuja Expressway, early this year.

In a letter signed by, Isa Sani Omolori on behalf of Kogi States APC Elders Vangauard, and addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, which was obtained by LEADERSHIP, the elders noted the importance of filling the vacant position created as a result of the demise of the late minister.

They expressed concerned that many months after the sudden death of the minister, who represented the slot of Kogi State in line with the principle of Federal Character, a replacement is yet to be made.

The elders, however, warned the president not to appoint someone who is not a member of the legacy parties that formed the APC in Kogi State as Ocholis replacement. They also urged the President to be guided by the agreed zoning formula of sharing political positions in the state as fashioned by the late party leader, Prince Abubakar Audu.

The elders noted in the letter that since the late James Ocholi was of the defunct Congress For Progressive Change (CPC), it will only be fair that the slot is retained by the CPC in the state.

The Kogi elders listed three nominees from which President Buhari should choose the replacement, among whom are Alhaji Idris M. Usman, state coordinator, Buhari Solidarity Organisation (BSO) who they said has been in

the opposition for the past 17 years, Mallam Ahmed Kokoli and Hon Jibril Yusuf.

According to the elders, Since the demise of our beloved minister, James Ocholi , there has been a general clamour for his replacement from various interest groups in Kogi Sate, but there is need to be aware of the gentleman agreement reached during the formation of APC, chaired by late Prince Abubakar Audu.

Since James Ocholi of blessed memory is only few months into his tenure, it is only fair, that his slot goes back to CPC. A meeting of CPC was convened and we zeroed on three CPC members from the three senatorial districts. Also, any appointment should recognise the geographical equation for equity.

Source: Leadership
Some alleged bodyguards of President Buhari who served him during the buildup to the 2015 general election, have accused him of abandoning them immediately after he entered office on May 29th 2015. According to the former bodyguards, they put their lives on the line for him when he was not yet in office and so deserve to be treated better, and not discarded the way they were.

Zuberu Idris who was the former Chief Security Officer to President Buhari for 12 years said he and his colleagues were shown the back door after the buildup to the 2015 general election

We were betrayed by our various leaders. After the change mantra, they brought their children from various places where they are scoring abroad to be given an appointment. Meanwhile those that made the sacrifice are left to wallow away in the wildernessUsman Justice who was Former Security/Store officer to Buhari said

Another former bodyguard, Ola Balogun, said

Eighty percent of those that are serving with Buhari today are those that I knew very well were against him, who wanted to lay so many allegations against Buhari he said

Another former bodyguard, Kazim Abdullahi said

Some of us that were attached to him, immediately were withdrawn and given advanced training for bodyguards. For God sake, what are we supposed to do with this training if we are the type that will cause training for Nigeria

The Former bodyguards described their disengagement as a great injustice.

Watch the video below

https://youtu.be/wn3z-S4TyrI

Source: AIT, Youtube
The Presidency on Sunday responded to growing discontentment among Nigerians with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, saying critics of the president were being unfair to him.

Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, who made this position known in an op-ed, observed that the last few weeks had witnessed the heaviest public criticism of the Buhari administration since his popular march to power last year May.

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, he said in the op-ed titled: In Defence of President Buhari: Is This The Change We Voted For? Yes, It Is!

According to the presidential spokesman, unfair criticism of the Buhari administration especially in view of the skyrocketing prices of foodstuff and liberalization of the currency exchange, needed to be addressed before it beclouds what he said are the commendable strides of the president in the anti-terror war, which is part of overall effort to secure the country, reducing corruption and arresting the economic slide before it sinks the nation.

He went ahead to list the achievements 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.

Drawing similarities between the fight against Boko Haram and 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, the presidential spokesman said Buhari has been unlucky on the two separate occasions he has had to govern the country as he came at times the oil-dependent economy was passing through turbulent times.

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.
 Flash

Overwhelmed by the slogans of "For Peace, No THAAD", the square of Seoul City Hall was crowded yesterday by nearly 5,000 South Koreans protesting against the government's latest attempt to collaborate with the United States and launch the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the country's southeastern Seongju County.

Nearly 5,000 South Koreans protest against the government's attempt to collaborate with the United States and launch the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in the country's southeastern Seongju County. [Photo/Xinhua]

The demonstrators, consisting of local residents, students and, more importantly, delegates from Seongju County, pledged that they will fight against the deployment of THAAD to the very end, even at the cost of their lives.

Despite S. Korean President Park Geun-hye's repetitious assurances that the THAAD was nothing more than a defense system in response to North Korea's belligerent missile launchings, the protestors strongly believe that the deployment of THAAD will escalate tension on the peninsula by starting a new arms race, which may put S. Korea's peace and security in peril.

A director from the Seongju Farmers Association surnamed Lee said the anti-THAAD struggle has prevailed in the country and they'll fight as ferociously as they can against the launch of the missile system, saying that if THAAD is established in S. Korea, the country will fall into the hand of the United States as a colonial military base.

The anti-THAAD mood reached a pinnacle when organizers of the demonstration started a video connection with the protestors in Seongju.

Lee confirmed that the anti-THAAD protests will continue.
The joy of workers of Egor local government council, Edo State, knew no bound on Monday following the payment of seven months of the 17 months owed them.

The jubilant workers commended members of the State House of Assembly for the approval and timely release of funds for the payment of the salary arrears.

President of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Edo State chapter, Comrade Young Ilenikhena, who confirmed the development, expressed the workers appreciation and called on the state government to do pay the remaining arrears.

Also commenting on the issue at a plenary session, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Justin Okonoboh, said the payment of the seven months salaries was as a result of a recent resolution of the House which mandated the State Government to source the sum of N366,467,000 from the Central Bank of Nigeria to pay the workers.

He assured that all categories of workers being owed in the State would be paid, just as he sued for patience on the part of affected workers as they go about their normal duties.

With this gesture, the council workers have been paid seven months out of the 17 months salary arrears owed workers by the council, he stated.

Source: PMNews
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says it has arrested one Thankgod Echem it described as a fake lawyer for defrauding his client of seven million naira in Port Harcourt.

This is contained in a statement issued by Mr Wilson Uwujaren, the commission`s Head of Media and Publicity, in Abuja on Monday.

Uwujaren said Echem, who confessed to being a school certificate holder, was arrested following a petition to the EFCC by one of his clients, Mr Jonny Wali.

Wali alleged that the fake lawyer defrauded him of seven million, being part of the money awarded him by a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt.



The money was compensation in a legal battle involving Wali and former Power Holding Company of Nigeria now Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company.

Wali sued the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company in a matter bordering on land trespass in suit number PHC/468/09 before Justice W.A.Chey Chey of the Rivers State High Court.

Wali was awarded 10 million naira as compensation, Uwujaren said.

He added that the company, however, failed to pay the compensation to him.

In seeking payment of the money, Wali employed the legal services of Thankgod Okachi Echem and Felix Agbarake.

In 2015, the court ruled in his favour and granted him eight million naira as the accumulated interest on the 10 million naira.

The sum of 18 million naira was consequently paid by the electricity company to him through Echems chambers, Uwujaren said in the statement.

He said trouble crept into the matter when Echem, who was later found to be a fake lawyer, connived with his colleague and opened an account with a first generation bank.

The account was opened in Wali`s name without his consent. Seven million naira was paid into it and cashed (withdrawn).

When Echem was confronted with these facts, he confessed that he was just a school certificate holder posing as a lawyer.

A search was conducted in his house and yielded some incriminating documents including a wig and robe belonging to ThankGod Okachi Echem, Uwujaren said.

He said Echem and his professional colleague Agbarake, would be arrainged soon.

Source: NAN
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Borno Chapter, on Wednesday said over 18, 000 rice farmers in the state will cultivate their farms in 2016 after four years of insecurity.

The state AFAN Secretary, Salihu Aliyu, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

He said that many farmers had returned to their farms as a result of the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.

Aliyu, who lamented that the strangulating challenges of insecurity in the state and environs, said insurgency had before now virtually crippled farming activities in the state.

He explained that the association was discussing with government officials on how its members could access part of the N4.9 billion loans to rice farmers under the CBN Anchor Borrower programme.

We know that 78, 000 farmers have benefitted in Kebbi. We want the same in Borno, we have over 18, 000 rice farmers alone.

Source: Today.ng
The former Chairman, Appropriation Committee of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulmumin Jibrin, has introduced a new dimension to his budget padding allegations, claiming that embattled former Senator Iyiola Omisore is involved.

Omisore, a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, who represented Osun East senatorial district, was a former Chairman of the Committee on Appropriation in the sixth Senate.

Jibrin, in a letter to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, in which he urged the party chair to advise Speaker Yakubu Dogara to resign, claimed there was an unholy alliance between the Speaker and Omisore.

In the letter, dated August 12, the member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency of Kano State, said Dogaras exit would enable the House nominate a Speaker Pro Tempore and mobilise our members to support him to take over and adjourn the House until when we are due for resumption in September.

This will give room for consultations on the election of a new Speaker when we resume, he said.

The Kano federal lawmaker urged the party to discuss on the possibility of returning the N100 billion constituency component of the budget under any of our laws so that all stolen money can be returned, particularly the N40 billion naira and equitably distributed to all constituencies.

In a new twist to his barrage of allegations against the Speaker, Jibrin said: His godfather is Senator Iyiola Omisore. During the build up to the appointment of committee chairmen, I had a terrible disagreement with him (Dogara).

According to him, while in London, before the appointment of committee chairmen, Dogara pleaded with me to join him at a house in London. I went and I saw him seated very comfortably with Senator Omisore. It was there he said he was going to appoint me as chairman, Appropriations and I should be reporting to Omisore

I was completely shocked. A nice lunch was served; we ate and we left. At least, there are CCTVs in London. I confided in a highly-placed person who I wouldnt want to mention his name. He advised me to remain calm and concentrate on my job. My refusal to comply with such questionable instructions largely accounted for the anger of Mr. Speaker towards me.

It was much later that I realised that Senator Omisore had adopted Speaker Dogara as a godson since their days as Chairman Appropriations and House Services in the sixth Assembly respectively.

Jibrin also accused former House Speaker and current Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, of not supporting his appointment as Appropriations Committee chairman.

Jibrin said Dogara was more interested in telling me about the forces who didnt want me to be appointed chairman appropriations as if I cared. He mentioned former Speaker and present Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as one. That is how narrow-minded Dogara can be.
Controversial blogger, Linda Ikeji who alleged that the #SaveMayowa campaign, a fundraising for Mayowa Ahmed suffering from Ovarian cancer has apologised.

Linda Ikeji had published that the familys campaign to raise N38million for Mayowa Ahmed was a scam, an allegation which took up much of the headlines. Lindas allegations have been long proved to be false and she has finally published an apology.

People who know me well will tell you that the easiest and fastest way to get money out of me is to tell me youre sick. I hate seeing people that helpless. Over the years, Ive donated and also used my platform to raise money for several sick people, including Mayowa Ahmed. Early morning on July 28th, I received a call saying the #SaveMayowa campaign was a scam. That the lady was terminally ill and the family had no intentions of using the money raised for her health to treat her as they had no invite from the hospital in Atlanta, neither did she even have a visa to the US.

They wanted me to blog it quickly so people could stop donating. I found it hard to believe at first but it was coming from people who were directly involved in raising money for the sick girl. I sent someone to LUTH to investigate, he got there and found chaos. The Police was already involved, people were being questioned, some folks were shouting, he spoke to people in the hospital and many seemed confused. I spoke with those who had called me, and they said 1000%, the whole thing was a scam.

And I sincerely believe that at the time they told me this, they genuinely believed it to be a fact. I dont think it was done maliciously. After they sent me documents showing the hospital in Atlanta was not really involved in Mayowas treatment and LUTH medical directors denied knowledge of a fund raising for the sick girl, I believed it to also be a fact! And I wrote it. My mistake, I think, was owning the story, I probably should have quoted them. And maybe investigated more. My apologies to the family! The post has since been taken down.

After investing properly, the police found it wasnt a scam, that it was more a miscommunication between the parties helping to raise funds and the girls family. I spoke about the issue with the Lagos police PPRO and she assured me that the family didnt have bad intentions.

What I am happy about is that; even if the family had had dubious intentions initially, now they cant do any of that, as everyone is now watching. So maybe a good thing came out of the whole chaos.

The happy news is that Mayowa has been flown to South Africa for treatment. She left Nigeria on Thursday August 11th.

May God use her case to show that He is God!

Lets continue to pray for her!
In Cambodia, there is a new and bizarre roadside attraction: a machine that makes heart-shaped clouds of foam.

The Khmer Cloud Making Service in the Cambodian city of Phnom Penh posted a video on Facebook showing how its machine makes clouds that are heart-shaped and then float away in the wind.

The company said the clouds can be formed into numerous different shapes using different cut-out patterns.

The company also said it recently sold one of its machines to Walt Disney Co.s office in Switzerland.

Watch below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soUlG6eeMtw
A factional national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, has vowed to fight to the end and uphold his demands ahead of the August 17 national convention of the party.

The partys Board of Trustees had inaugurated a reconciliation committee headed by a former Information Minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, to interface with Mr. Sheriff towards a peaceful resolution of the leadership crisis rocking the PDP.

In a move that suggested the BoTs rapprochement was unsuccessful, the embattled chairman said until a list of demands he handed to the Gana-led committee were met, he would not give peace a chance in the party.

He, however, stressed that he was willing to resign if the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee, which he insists is unknown to the PDP constitution, agrees to hold an open and transparent convention in Abuja  one of his demands.

The convention has been scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Wednesday, August 17.

What I want is that the convention should be an open and transparent convention held in Abuja where everybody will participate.

I work with my principles.

We will not let PDP to be hijacked by few people  Governor of Rivers State, [Nyesom Wike] and Governor [Ayodele] Fayose, he said in an interview on Channels Television on Sunday.

On allegations by some PDP governors that he was nursing an ambition to vie for the partys presidential ticket in 2019, Sheriff said he never held discussions with anyone on the matter.

I have never discussed with anyone about any plan to run for Presidency, he said.

He also reacted to allegations by a former Aviation Minister and former spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organization, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode that he had ties with the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Senator Sheriff, however, denied the allegation, claiming that the Boko Haram sect killed three of his brothers.

How can I have a link with Boko Haram? They killed three of my brothers.

I feel sad that I was linked with Boko Haram. People I served with when I was Governor know I will never be part of such thing, he reiterated, describing Mr. Fani-Kayode as an inconsistent fellow, who should not be taken seriously.

The likes of Fani-Kayode, who change the goal post on every issue, should not be taken seriously.

According to the former Borno State governor, the PDP lost the 2015 presidential election as a result of impunity, but still believed the party would not be destroyed.

He also blamed some members of the PDP for the problems the party is currently facing, saying they wanted certain people outside to come and be presidential candidate.

He also dismissed claims that he still holds allegiance to the ruling All Progressives Congress and had been planted as a mole to thwart the opposition party from repositioning ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Osun State said it has destroyed a farm of about 21.4 hectares with Cannabis Sativa growing on it at Onikete farm settlement in Isokan Local Government area of the state.

In an interview with Channels Television, the State Commandant, Mrs Sylvia Egwunwoke, who made this disclosure said the residents of a nearby village alerted them to the farm.

However, she said no arrests were made but the land owners would be made to face judgement for leasing their lands to cannabis growers.

The NDLEA boss decried the amount of farms growing the banned substance in the state as she said other farms have been identified and they are set to be destroyed.

Mrs Sylvia meanwhile warned farmers to stop leasing their lands to those involved in the illicit trade and also solicited for the cooperation of the state government and other stake holders to rid the state off the trade.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping will host the Group of 20 (G20) summit scheduled for Sept. 4-5 in China's eastern city of Hangzhou, the Foreign Ministry announced Monday.

Xi will also attend relevant events, including an informal meeting with other BRICS members' leaders, and deliver a keynote speech on the opening ceremony of the Business 20 (B20) summit to be held on Sept. 3-4, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang in a press release.

This year's G20 summit features a theme of "Toward an Innovative, Invigorated, Interconnected and Inclusive World Economy."
Vanguard

SOME eminent Nigerians, yesterday, said they were not surprised that Nigeria made little or no gains in terms of better welfare for it citizenry from the over N96 trillion the country has earned as revenue from crude oil since 1958.

The Sun

The chances of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Godwin Obaseki received a boost yesterday, following his endorsement by Etuedoseghe, a socio-cultural organization in Edo State, made up of chiefs from the palace of the Oba of Benin, farmers Union and professionals led by the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, Chief David Edebiri.

Thisday

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode, have attributed the difficult economic situation Nigerians are currently facing to the wrong policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Daily Times

The Nigerian Army on Sunday declared three persons, including a woman, wanted in connection with the over 200 Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram since 2014.

Guardian

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.

Daily Trust

The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has described his foray into politics as accidental.Odigie-Oyegun, who clocked 77 last Friday, said this while speaking in Abuja, weekend.

Leadership

Barely two weeks to the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Ondo State, one of the leading aspirants of the party, Barrister Niran Sule, has dumped the party and picked the governorship nomination form of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Nation

Embattled former House of Representatives Appropriation Committee Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin has linked Senator Iyiola Omisore with the budget padding controversy.

Tribune

THE Federal Government has commenced weeding out some irregular recruits employed into the Federal Civil Service (FCS) through unauthorised appointments in the last few years.elegraph

Members of the joint military task force yesterday stormed a community in Ikorodu and cordoned off Western Lodge Hotel where suspected militants cum oil pipeline vandals were.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has denied reports that it has pulled out of the mother body.

The Financial Secretary of CAN in northern states, Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, denied the purported pull out while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna on Monday.

Ibrahim, who is also the associations Secretary in Kaduna State, said that there was no time the state chapters contemplated pulling out of the apex body.

We have raised some concerns about some developments at the national level and sought for redress, but we never considered pulling out as an option, he said.

He stressed that it was not the 19 northern states CAN that pulled out of the apex body, but some Christian stakeholders in the region.

People should not confuse them with CAN in the 19 northern states and the FCT; we are part of CAN and will remain in CAN.

If you go through the publications very well, it said Northern Christians under the auspices of Concerned Christians of Nigeria (CCN) and Northern Nigerian Christians (NNC).

Northern CAN was not part of the press briefing.

As Christians and as Nigerians, they have the right to air their views and opinion.

They are simply exercising their fundamental rights of freedom of speech and freedom of association, he said.

The official, however, urged the apex body to call aggrieved members to a round-table to amicably resolve all pending disagreements.

It was earlier reported that the CCN and the NNC had at a press briefing on Sunday in Jos, the Plateau State capital, announced their decision to pull out of the apex Christian body.

The groups said they had adopted the pre-independence name of Northern Nigerian Christian Association (NNCA) due to alleged political intrigues, travesty of justice and corruption in CAN.

Rev. Luka Shehu of CCN and Hon. Peter Luka of NNC, at the press conference in Jos, also accused CAN of neglecting northern Christians affected by insurgency in the North-East.

They alleged that the immediate past CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor, deliberately frustrated the candidature of Rev. Jeremiah Gado of the TEKAN/ECWA bloc, to prevent the emergence of a northerner as CAN president. (NAN)
Evidence that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) never really closed ranks following its highly contentious election of June 14th, 2016 came to the fore on Sunday as northern Christians under the aegis of Concerned Christians of Nigeria (CCN) and Northern Nigerian Christians (NNC) said they are reverting to the pre-independence status as Northern Nigeria Christian Association (NNCA).

The group, which is a conglomerate of churches from the North, also called for an investigation of CAN under the leadership of its immediate past National President, Pastor Ayo Oritesejafor.

Addressing a joint press conference in Jos, the Plateau State capital yesterday, Rev. Luka Shehu of CCN and Elder Peter Luka of NNC, said the decision to revert back to the NNCA became imperative following what they described as the travesty of justice, lies and manipulation that led to the emergence of Rev. Supo Ayokunle as Oritsejafors successor during the June election.

According to Rev. Shehu, 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.

He recalled that the NNCA had joined CAN so that the interest of Christians from the North would be protected, but if that cannot be achieved, then there is no need being associated with the body.

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 added.

The Cleric further claimed that the election that brought the Rev. Ayokunle led CAN executive, was contrary to CAN constitution and the greatest travesty of justice, lies, manipulation and imposition by men in white collar and cassocks.

Therefore, we the Concerned Christians of Nigeria and the teaming Christians of the North renounce and reject every process of 14th June, 2016, and Ayo Oritsejafor with mockery to due process and integrity handed over to his choice.

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

Speaking in the same vein, Elder Luka, said, We are writing to EFCC to come and investigate CAN. The history of that aircraft of Pastor Oritsejafor should be investigated.

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.

According to Luka, CAN leaders under the leadership of Oritsejafor had never visited victims of insurgency in the north-east, victims of attacks in the middle belt region and other northern States.
Former minister of education and co-convener of BBOG, Oby Ezekwesili while reacting to the Boko Harams new video lashed out at the failure of current and preceding federal government in rescuing the Chibok girls after more than two years in captivity.



Ezekwesili said the government is in a position to have sufficient information to carry out a rescue operation

Speaking on Channels Television, Ezekwesili noted that every event that proves that our girls are alive is a renewal of hope.

The former World Bank vice-president also alleged that Amina Nkeki, a rescued Chibok girl, gave enough information to the federal government regarding her captivity and that of her peers.

On the 14th of April, there was a proof of life video from CNN. We said to the FG that the video is the closest to credible intelligence that could be used but nothing came out of it. On the 18th of May, we saw the retrieval of Amina Ali Nkeki, and we are aware that she provided a lot of information to the FG but all that followed was inertia, she said.

I read the statement that was released by the FG and I wonder how a government could release that kind of statement, after seeing these girls in that video. I cant believe that two years and four months after young women who went to school were taken away, we are still navel-gazing. This is not Nigeria.

The government, as we have consistently said, is the institution with the best set of information to be able to make credible decisions.

The fact is that when you want to assess action, you have to look at derivative activities that may conceptualize the level of engagement.

The previous government prevaricated on the matter of our girls were so tentative that the matter festered and these girls were left to be tormented by savages.

She further lamented that inter-agency squabbling had been preventing the existence of a clear approach in rescuing the abducted girls.

While urging the government to make a decision on how to go about the rescue, she enjoined the authorities not to make their abduction less than a priority simply because their parents are not among the nations elites.

At the end of the day, people say we are committed. We dont doubt the expression of commitment but the real commitment shows up in the sustained focus oriented approach that also takes into consideration that Chibok parents are dignified Nigerians.

Being poor should not rob you of your dignity. The way these parents have been treated by two successive governments really makes me mad. It should not be so in a country like Nigeria.

Most of us came from poverty. The fact that the Chibok parents do not have the wherewithal to become political elites should not lead to their children being less than a priority.

The government has to make a decision. We cant have 218 young women still missing for two years and occasionally their news will jolt all of us into saying something and then we all go back to our lives.
The Yoruba Youth Alliance (YYA), a group representing youths of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the South-west, has warned Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, against attempting to rig the election into national offices, especially the national chairmanship, during the forthcoming national convention.

The convention is scheduled to hold on Wednesday, August 17 in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital with Gov. Wike as Chairman of the Convention Committee.

The PDP in the Southern zone, met last over a week ago in Port Harcourt where it was agreed that the South-west should produce the national chairman of the party, after the position was zoned to the South.

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Lagos, President of the YYA, Otunba Kola Salau, accused Mr. Wike of working against the candidature of Chief Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the PDP, for the position of national chairman.

According to the group, the Rivers governor was allegedly working to rig the election in favour of another non-acceptable candidate.

The intention of the governor, Otunba Salau claimed, Is to manipulate relevant facilities to carry the nefarious plan during the convention.

He, therefore, called on the PDP leadership to closely monitor the electoral process to ensure fairness and transparency.
The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two friends who allegedly killed a commercial motorcyclist, identified as Thomas Amusan on Ile-Oluji/Ipetu Ijesa Expressway in Ile-Oluji Oke Igbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr. Femi Joseph, the suspects are : Rilwan Rasheed and Sheu Akande.

The incident occurred on August 8, 2016.



The PPRO who spoke to DAILY POST on Sunday said the suspects asked the commercial motorcyclist to take them to one of the villages in the area but later killed the deceased on the way and took away his motorcycle.

He said,  They asked the deceased to take them to a nearby village; on getting to a junction, they asked the man to stop and as they were trying to snatch the motorcycle from him, he resisted so they had to start matcheting him till he died.

After they have succeeded in killing him, they dumped his lifeless body in the bush and took the motorcycle away.

He added that when the men of the command got the information about the incident, they swung into action and through an intelligent move, the suspects were apprehended.

Joseph saaid the suspects would soon be charged to court.

Similarly, the police spokesman said the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the command had arrested two suspected cultists, identified as Wale Olakole and Gbenga Francis at Iyere in Owo Local Government.

He explained that Olakole was the leader of Ave Confraternity.

Joseph said the suspects had confessed to the crime and they would be made to face the wrath of the law.

Some of the items found on the suspects, according to the PPRO included: two locally-made pistols, cutlass, charms and some other dangerous weapons.

Source; Dailypost
The Nigerian Police Force in Ondo State have arrested two friends Rilwan Rasheed and Sheu Akande in connection with the alleged murder of commercial motorcyclist operator at Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government area of Ondo State.

The duo were also accused of stealing their victim, Thomas Amusans motorcycle after killing him.

Confirming the arrest, state Police Public Relations Officer, Femi Joseph said the suspects committed the crime on August 8

They asked the deceased to take them to a nearby village. On getting to a junction, they asked the man to stop and as they were trying to snatch the motorcycle from him, he resisted. So, they brought out a machete and start cutting him till he died.

After they have succeeded in killing him, they dumped his lifeless body in the bush and took the motorcycle away, he said.

He added that when the men of the command got the information about the incident, they swung into action and through an intelligent move, the suspects were able to be apprehended.

The police spokesman assured that the suspects would soon be charge to court.
Pope Francis on Friday, August 12, visited a refugee centre in Rome housing women rescued from forced prostitution as part of his Friday of Mercy gestures during this Jubilee Year of Mercy.

During his visit, the Pontiff met with the 20 women rescued from the sex trade who were trafficked from their countries, including Nigeria, Romania, Albania,Tunisia, Ukraine, and Italy.

All of the women were the victims of severe physical abuse during their ordeal and are living under protection in the home run by the Pope John the 23rd community.

A statement from the Holy See Press office said the Popes visit to this refugee centre is another reminder of the need to fight against human trafficking, which the Pope has described as a crime against humanity and an open wound on the body of contemporary society, a scourge upon the body of Christ.
The Katsina State Police Command has arraigned Hamisu Galadima, an alleged randy primary school teacher, before a senior magistrate court for having carnal knowledge of teenage girls in Faskari local government area.

The police prosecutor, ASP Hashimu Musa, informed the honorable court that the suspect was picked up following complaints by the victims parents.

According to him, all the girls were not above nine-years-old.



He said that the First Information Report (FIR) showed that the incident occurred at Tashar-icce village in Faskari local government area.

Musa added that Galadima had lured the girls into an office after school hours and had sexual intercourse with them at different occasions.

He said that the girls parents reported the case to the police after which the suspect was arrested for investigations.

The prosecutor further disclosed that the girls were treated at Funtua General Hospital.

He said that the offence was punishable under the section 283 of the penal code.

However, the magistrate, Mr Abdulkarim Ahmed-Umar, adjourned the case till Sept. 24, for mention and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody.

Source: Dailypost
Malam Garba Shehu, President Buharis Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity took to his twitter handle to call out people who do not appreciate the present administration.

See their reactions below.

When they ask the question, is this the change we voted for, the critic forgets how far weve come from the scam-tainted years of the PDP.  Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) August 14, 2016

@GarShehu How far we have come? We have come to N400-$1

Fuel Price N87-N145

Bag of Rice N8,000-N20,000

African Largest economy-Recession  Ebube D Statesman (@akaebube) August 14, 2016

@GarShehu if pdps years is scam-tainted, urs is already riddled with scams and scandals  Obafemi Oluwatobi (@oluwaferanmi909) August 14, 2016

@GarShehu so its only critics that ask the question is dis the change we asked for? Isokay.. isokay isokay   Onwionokor (@mrbasorge) August 14, 2016

@GarShehu During campaign promises He didnt told us all this stuffs  Abubakar Ishaq (@Ab_Ishaq) August 14, 2016

@GarShehu but u were part of the PDP years..werent u?  ayooladayodeji (@ayooladayodeji) August 14, 2016
A South African woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for kidnapping a baby from a hospital 19 years ago and then going on to raise the child as her own.

The 51-year-old woman whose identity remains protected was arrested last year after an uncanny resemblance was noticed between her child and another girl at a school- a DNA test later proved both girls are sisters.

The identity of the girl has also not been revealed and during the proceedings, it was revealed that she believed her abductors to be her biological parents. Her abductor entered a not guilty plea and claimed that the child was handed to her at a train station. She also claimed she was not aware that there were attempts to find the child even though her biological parents- Celeste and Morne Nurse ran an annual ad marking the anniversary of her kidnap.

In an unexpected twist, the child has refused to live with her biological parents and will continue to stay at the home where she was raised.
The top echelon of the Nigerian military has said only the political authorities can decide on the demand by Boko Haram Terrorists for exchange of the abducted Chibok girls with the sects detained members.

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin, stated this while addressing State House correspondents Monday after a workshop organised for chief executives of government agencies held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

A new video released weekend, showed some girls purporting to be the Chibok girls with a masked Boko Haram fighter in military fatigue calling on the Federal Government to set in motion a swap deal that will see detained members of the sect released in exchange for the schoolgirls, who have spent over two years in captivity.

SEE ALSO: New Boko Haram Video Shows Missing Chibok Girls

The masked fighter, who spoke in Hausa language, claimed that some of the girls were killed in airstrikes by Nigerias military, about 40 married off while others are injured. He further boasted that only a swap deal will see the Chibok girls regaining their freedom as no amount of military bombardment or intelligence report, will be able to secure their release.

While one of the girls, who spoke on behalf of her classmates has been positively identified as Dorcas Yakubu by the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) advocacy group, the claim that some of the girls were killed in airstrikes, has been refuted by the Defence Headquarters.

Speaking on the demand by the sect for a swap deal, the CDS said That (swapping of Chibok girls with detained sect members) is a political decision to be taken. The military decision is that we are going ahead with our operations. The operation is being conducted appropriately.

General Olonishakin, who said the meeting was on how to handle all forms of crises, including terrorism or flood, said the military was analysing the video and would make appropriate comments at the right time.

He also dismissed a report that a man who was declared wanted in connection with the activities of the insurgents, Ahmed Bolori, was turned down when he reported to the army command in Borno State.

Bolori, who reported at the army command in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital yesterday, claimed that there was nobody to interrogate him and he was asked to go home and return today (Monday).

But the Defence Chief said Nobody reported to my men and [he] was not turned back.

In a related development, the Information Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, spoke on the swap deal demanded by the Boko Haram sect.

Until you are able to ascertain the authenticity of those you are talking to, you dont go into details, he told State House correspondents today at the end of the workshop.

The minister restated that the Federal Government was in touch with the leadership of the sect.

The governments position is clear that were in touch with them. Were just being careful and cautious to ensure that were talking to the right people especially with the news that there is a split in the leadership. But what is important is the safety and security of these girls. The thrust of my statement was to ensure the nation that were on top of the situation. Were not even just reacting to the video, weve gone far beyond the video in talking to the group already, he said.

On the threat issued by the BBOG campaigners to match on the State House again over the continued non-release of the Chibok girls, Mohammed said: We appreciate their commitment to the return of these girls, but there are few things we need to do behind the scene. What were saying is that the government is committed to doing everything to rescue these girls. Were engaging them. By saying were talking to them, Im talking from a point of knowledge. It does not matter what other people say. I know that the government is in touch with the group.

Most people will forget the issue of these girls as soon as the effect of this video is over, but the government is daily working on it. Until the release of this video, the effort was not attracting any attention. But every day, the Office of the NSA and others concerned are working on it. For us, its not just because of the release of the video, but because of our belief that therell be no final closure to Boko Haram until were able to resolve the issue of these girls, he added.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has urged the federal government to look beyond party affiliation in its effort to resolve the renewed wave of militancy in the Niger Delta.

He said even if those who can help bring the situation under control are in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the APC-led federal government must run to them for help because no price is too much to pay for peace.

Speaking in an interview with Daily Trust on Sunday, the outspoken APC deputy spokesman advised the government to exhaust every mechanism to solve the crisis despite its earlier appeal to the agitators to cease fire and give them the opportunity to do what it had promised the people of the Niger-Delta.

So, as far as Im concerned, I want the government to exhaust every mechanism to resolve this crisis. We must make sure we are talking to the right source so that we wouldnt be deceived like what happened under the previous administration, where they were talking to the fake Boko Haram leaders without talking to the original leaders.

We must try and get it right so that we can deliver our campaign promises for the people of Niger-Delta. In this case, military option isnt the best one right now because innocent people of the community will die and pay the price of a few who want to cause harm for the entire people. Ill continue to appeal to the government to do everything to bring peace to the people of the Niger-Delta, Comrade Frank said.

Asked to explain how government could get the right people to talk to, the APC chieftain said the first amnesty programme was successful because the late President Umaru Musa YarAdua was ready and committed to talk to the people who responded to his call at that time.

We have competent people like Timi Alaibe, who was the former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) boss who later became the special adviser to the President on Niger-Delta and Amnesty. As at that time, Timi Alaibe was one of the major persons who participated in the dialogue process. I still recommend him because I am the son of the Niger-Delta and I know those who the people would listen to.

If our government wants to get it right, we should go back to the drawing board and ask questions. Where are those people who truly negotiated this amnesty? I was fully involved and I participated in bringing amnesty in this country. The records are there. People can testify to the role I played in this. If this government wants to sort this problem out, they should give some certain persons the hands of fellowship.

If you ask me, Ill say that if the government is ready and serious, they should go back and ask Timi Alaibe how he did it as at that time. It was even tougher as at that time than today. But Timi did it because he was in touch with the grassroots people who loved him because of his nature. I want to make it very clear that its not because hes my friend and brother. But its because I believe in his capacity. The government needs people who can assist despite political affiliations and the issues happening today, said Frank.
On this day in 2015;Zambian President, Edgar Lungu lauded the business ingenuity of the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote saying his business expansion across Africa is worthy of emulation by African businessmen in the task of continental development.

Also on this day in 2015;NATIONAL Assembly Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital, was taken aback when a middle aged man identified as Christopher Anirah, who was presumed dead, made a surprise appearance to testify before it.

Anirah, was subpoenaed by the tribunal to give evidence in an election petition matter between Hon. Gibson Ighofose Akporehe of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Hon. Evelyn Omavowan Oboro, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, told the tribunal that his death certificate was allegedly forged by the APC House of Representatives candidate.

Meanwhile, Hon Evelyn Oboro, in her preliminary objection, asked the tribunal to dismiss Akporehes petition for lack of merit, saying it is an abuse of court process. Akporehe who is the candidate of APC in Okpe, Sapele and Uvwie federal constituency in the 2015 election, through his counsel, Mr Charles Umweni, had told the tribunal that the witness he intends to call (Anirah) cannot come to the tribunal to testify, claiming that he died after suffering a cardiac attack. But, at the resumed hearing of the matter, yesterday, in Asaba, somebody who claimed to be Anirah stormed the tribunal and stepped into the witness box to give evidence when the chairman of the three-man tribunal panel, Justice Adebukole Banjoko, called out the name.

The sudden appearance of the said Anirah created commotion in the tribunal as the bewildered audience started shuffling and murmuring in low tones over the appearance of a dead man in court, prompting Justice Banjoko to call for calm.

And on this day in 2014;Former President Goodluck Jonathan stressed the need for a revolutionary expansion of the oil and gas industry for the country to become the leading African nation in the sector.

He said: The nations gas known to be of much quantity than oil, when maximally utilised, will not only boost the economy and create employment, but will to a very large extent, reduce cases of gas flaring to its barest minimum by 2020.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, NSCIA, Alhaji 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 made this position known in Benin City, Edo State at the General Assembly and Executive National Council Meeting of the NSCIA at the weekend.

According to Abubakar III, Muslims were not asking for preferential or special treatment but their dues as enshrined in the constitution.

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.

He also hailed the Pope for making a very strong statement in defence of Islam as a religion of peace.

On the raging debate about use of hijab on school uniforms by Muslim female students, 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 judgment 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.

Earlier, Governor 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.
Don't count out Java when it comes to fitting in with the latest computing paradigms. Oracle and other Java proponents are looking to keep the 21-year-old platform current by working with technologies like Docker containers, microservices, and the internet of things (IoT).

These technologies and a multitude of others, including JavaScript and modular Java, are noted in the session list for the upcoming JavaOne conference, the annual Java technical event being held in San Francisco beginning Sept. 18.

The session list serves as a gauge of priorities for the popular enterprise computing platform and language. Also at the event, Oracle is expected to roll out retooled plans to better equip enterprise Java for cloud computing and microservices. The move comes amid community concerns that Java EE's development has stalled.

Docker containerization continues to command attention from Java advocates as well. Heroku is slated to present on how to use Docker to replicate an application architecture in a session on parity between development and production environments. Couchbase's Arun Gupta, a longtime proponent of Java, will present on Docker support in Java IDEs, including NetBeans, Java, and IntelliJ. He also will discuss building a private CI/CD pipeline on the Oracle Cloud platform with Java and Docker.

Google, meanwhile, will address deployment of Java applications and services at scale using Docker and the Kubernetes container orchestration, while CloudBees will discuss a Docker platform featuring Jenkins continuous integration.

Oracle recently announced intentions to make microservices accommodations in the JVM, and microservices will get a hearing at JavaOne, with Red Hat presenting on Java EE 7 and secured microservices using the Wildfly Swarm Java packager and other technologies. ClassPass, meanwhile, will provide an introduction to microservices in Java, and Tibco will talk about cloud-native microservices, featuring container solutions like Docker. IBM plans to discuss Java EE microservices in situations ranging from the Raspberry Pi board to the cloud.

For IoT, Oracle will give a presentation on designing a lightweight Java-powered gateway architecture. The company will also discuss IoT and Java ME (Micro Edition) as it relates to the Oracle Internet of Things Cloud Service. The Eclipse Foundation, meanwhile, will tackle IoT from an open source perspective.

Oracle will cover modularization planned for Java 9, which is due next March; Java EE, the troubled server-side version of the platform, will be explored as well. Dassault Systems will give a presentation on conducting builds via Gradle, and Payara Systems will cover baking reactive behavior into EE applications. A Java developer at Tomitribe will talk about developing applications using both Java EE 7 and Java SE 8.

Java's coexistence with JavaScript also gets a nod. IBM will present on emerging Web app architectures with the Node.js server-side JavaScript platform and Java. The session will cover architectures bringing together the Web scale and browser experience characteristics of Node with the transactional characteristics of Java. For its part, Oracle will cover monitoring Web systems that have JavaScript UI logic coupled with Java on the server in a discussion on Oracle Application Performance Monitoring Cloud Service.

Another JavaScript technology, the Angular framework, will be the subject of a presentation by LTE Consulting about building Angular 2 applications with Java 8 via the Angular2Boot framework.
Microsoft's troubled rollout of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update took several new turns over the weekend. With its week-late confession and a roster of programs that conflict with the beleaguered patch, Microsoft has a tough PR problem on its hands. Most people are able to install the Anniversary Update with no problems, but if you're among the bitten there may still be time to roll it back.

This is the third in a series of articles about the manifold problems with Windows 10 Redstone 1 (Anniversary) Update -- version 1607, build 14393.51 or .67 -- the Aug. 2 patch that's slowly rolling out to Win10 systems. My first article talked about problems with unexplained freezes, Cortana neutering, stalled Universal Windows programs, bad drivers, volumes/drives disappearing, and inexplicably changed settings.

[ InfoWorld has you covered through all stages of Windows 10. Download the Windows 10 installation superguide and the ultimate Windows 10 survivor kit, both available as PDFs. | Stay up on key Microsoft technologies with the Windows Report newsletter. ]

The second article gave more details about the freeze, problems with Edge not closing, reports from McAfee and Avast that their products are incompatible with the Anniversary Update in some cases, problems with Xbox One controllers, and ongoing questions about crapware app tiles being pushed onto Win10 Pro systems.

Two weeks into the rollout, the decibel level on complaints has gone up yet again.

Kaspersky labs issued a warning: "Kaspersky Lab products are not fully compatible with Windows 10 Anniversary Update." There are six linked articles.

HP now warns that HP Drive Encryption doesn't work. The support center article c05225576 states:

Due to new signature verification requirements introduced with Windows 10 Anniversary (Version 1607, Build 14393, Redstone 1), HP Drive Encryption (HPDE) is not compatible. Installing HPDE after performing a new installation of Windows 10 Anniversary Update causes various serious problems to occur black screen will not shut down or restart will not enter a low power state HPDE will work if installed under with Windows 10 versions prior to the Anniversary Update. If upgrading from the earlier version of Windows 10, with HPDE already installed, it will still work but is not supported and HP does not recommend using HPDE with Windows 10 versions after Windows 10 November Update HP will not be offering HPDE support for Windows 10 Anniversary Update or beyond. HP recommends BitLocker as an alternate encryption solution.

HP provides a lengthy list of affected EliteBook, EliteDesk, EliteOne, ElitePag, ProBook, ProDesk, ProOne, and ZBook systems.

I've also received a report about an old bug coming home to roost in the Anniversary Update. On those machines, the Runtime Broker redlines CPU usage, effectively slowing systems to a crawl. The earliest mention of the problem was in response to the original RTM version of Windows (build 10240, which still doesn't have a proper name). One of my correspondents has seen the problem appear on multiple machines:

There is an issue where runtime broker is eating up cpu cycles after anniversary update. It's been an on and off again problem for the last several builds but Microsoft still has not fixed it and I have found it to be causing problems when upgrading machines to the Anniversary Edition when it did not exist in previous builds. So whatever they have been doing to solve this mystery is not fixing the problem and potentially making it worse We disabled all notifications along with non-MS startup "services" in msconfig and disabled all startup "programs" in task manager and still have runtime broker slowly eating cpu cycles and causing the system slowdowns When we began troubleshooting we discovered that this has been a problem for some folks for some time and it seems to be a "moving target" in that some people are not affected, and others are, and that when we try to bring it up as a new issue (which it is for us) we just get directed to long threads where various solutions have worked in the past. In any event MS is not owning up to the fact that something they did is now causing another group of people to have this issue with the new anniversary update. Very frustrating.

The Feedback Hub has hundreds of upvotes on reports of problems with the Runtime Broker.

The biggest news on the AU front: Microsoft has finally fessed up to the freezing problem in an official Answers forum post: "Windows 10 may freeze after installing the Anniversary Update." 'Softie Basith M says:

Microsoft has received a small number of reports of Windows 10 freezing after installing the Anniversary Update on systems with the operating system stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) and apps and data stored on a separate drive. This issue does not occur when starting Windows 10 in Safe Mode you can work around this issue by signing into Windows 10 using Safe Mode to move your apps and data to the same drive as your operating system.

I guess the next best thing to a fix is a confession. In this case, if you subscribe as described in the post, Microsoft promises to keep you advised of any fixes.

Microsoft's solution, detailed in the post, is to move all of your apps and data to the C: drive. That fix works for some but by no means all users. And it's no help at all to those who moved their data and programs to a second drive because the C: drive wouldn't hold it all.

None of this is particularly impressive to Redditor SoloWingX, who created the Reddit thread mentioned in my first post, 11 days ago. That thread is now up to 867 comments -- which is probably a "small number" to Microsoft. SoloWingX has traced a dozen fixes that work in some cases, but there's still no overriding fix:

To all affected people, we haven't yet found a definite solution, so the only option to get a working PC at the moment is to roll back to a previous build in case you updated Results are inconsistent, mixed and in some cases none of these solutions work. All feedback appreciated.

You can roll back the Anniversary Update to the Fall Update build 1511 as long as you do so within 10 days of installing the Anniversary Update. Those of you who installed immediately upon its Aug. 2 release are now officially up the Update creek without a paddle.

If you can't get your system to boot, the Microsoft Answers forum thread has two options for rolling back the update. One involves booting directly into Troubleshooting mode and running the rollback, the other describes a boot to Safe Mode. Good luck explaining how to do that to your Great Aunt Martha.

I still think it's smartest to hold off on the Anniversary Update. Use the blocking mechanisms I've described to keep Microsoft from forcing the AU onto your Win10 PC. And for heaven's sake, don't go looking for trouble by manually installing the Anniversary Update, build 1607. Clearly Microsoft isn't pushing the update out as quickly as it could. There are good reasons why.

With the Anniversary Update rolling out to WSUS servers tomorrow, admins have a lot to consider -- and even more to test -- before unleashing the fury. Those of us who aren't connected to update servers should once again rail against the Win10 Update gods: Microsoft needs to give us an easy option to block and selectively apply patches.
Cattle Market Fades on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Live cattle futures ended the weeks last trade day down by 35 cents to $1.02 with soon to expire October down the most. Cash trade picked up later in the week with some Friday catch up sales mostly... LEV22 : 150.375s (-0.68%) LEZ22 : 153.000s (-0.28%) LEG23 : 156.325s (-0.33%) GFX22 : 177.875s (-0.14%) GFF23 : 180.375s (-0.04%)

Hogs Rebound into Weekend Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Lean hog futures ended the Friday round with 32 to 97 cent gains to fade the triple digit losses from Thursday. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price was $90.54 in the PM update, down by $1.15. The... HEZ22 : 86.100s (+1.15%) HEJ23 : 92.700s (+0.62%) KMZ22 : 96.125s (+0.37%)

Cotton Falls Triple Digits Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT December cotton ended the day locked limit lower on the 3c loss. The March contract worked back off the limit for the bell, but still went home down by 274 points. For the week, Dec cotton closed 702 points... CTZ22 : 72.11s (-3.99%) CTH23 : 72.07s (-3.66%) CTK23 : 72.30s (-2.99%)

Loss for Friday Wheat Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Wheat futures faded on Friday with the front month contracts going home 6 1/4 to 9 1/4 cents lower in SRW. For the December contract that completed the week with a 21 1/2 cent loss. KC futures closed down... ZWZ22 : 829-2s (-1.10%) ZWH23 : 849-0s (-1.05%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6281 (-1.18%) KEZ22 : 925-0s (-0.78%) KEPAWS.CM : 8.8324 (-0.81%) MWZ22 : 945-0s (-0.58%)

Corn Closes Red on Friday Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Front month corn futures settled the Friday session with fractional to 1 1/2 cent losses. The December contract saw a tight 7 1/2 cent range from -6 cents to +1 1/2 cents on the day. It was also down for... ZCZ22 : 680-6s (-0.22%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7193 (-0.15%) ZCH23 : 686-6s (-0.15%) ZCK23 : 686-2s (unch)

Soy Futures Close Mixed on Higher Beans and Meal Barchart - Fri Oct 28, 4:39PM CDT Soybean futures ended the day with the deferred contracts above the $14/bu mark on 5 1/2 to 8 cent gains. November contracts stayed 12 cents under the mark but closed near the top end of the 20 cent range... ZSX22 : 1387-6s (+0.40%) ZSPAUS.CM : 13.4825 (+0.51%) ZSF23 : 1400-2s (+0.48%) ZSH23 : 1409-0s (+0.50%)

Grain Spreads: Corn Strangle Walsh Trading - Fri Oct 28, 3:32PM CDT Wedge Formation Intact
A common rule of thumb in philanthropy is that donors like stability. The greater the chaos, perceived or otherwise, the less likely they'll open their wallets.

This hypothesis is currently playing out in real time at colleges and universities across the U.S., and the takeaway is unmistakable: On-campus discord is bad for fundraising.

A recent piece in the New York Times reports that collegesparticularly small, elite liberal arts institutionshave reported a decline in donations, accompanied by a laundry list of complaints ranging from political correctness run amok toand we're quoting Yale alumni Scott C. Johnston, herecampus administrators who "wilt before the activists like flowers."

Let's look at the numbers.

At Princeton, where protesters unsuccessfully demanded the removal of Woodrow Wilson's name from university buildings and programs, undergraduate alumni donations dropped 6.6 percent from a record high the year before, and participation dropped 1.9 percentage points.

A spokesman for the school said there was no evidence the drop was connected to campus protests.

And yet Carolyn A. Martin, Amherst's president, said she was "not surprised" that student protests had contributed to a 6.5 percent decline in alumni giving for the fiscal year that ended June 30. Meanwhile, participation in the alumni fund dropped 1.9 percentage points to 50.6 percent, the lowest participation rate since 1975.

(In the case of Amherst, the school recently renounced its unofficial mascot, Lord Jeffrey Amherst, known as Lord Jeff, an 18th-century British commander in the French and Indian War, who gave his name to the town and the college. Among other things, Amherst promoted the idea of spreading smallpox among Native American tribes by giving them infected blankets.)

Needless to say there are complex dynamics at play here.

The first, most obviously, is the debate around modifyingor to hear some detractors describe iterasing certain unseemly elements of a university's history. We don't go down that rabbit hole today.

Instead we'd like to accentuate the reality of this charged climate. Clearly, there's a cost-benefit analysis at play. To what extent does a certain decision generate unwanted press for a school? And from a somewhat cynical perspective, to what extent does that decision affect the bottom line? If these trends hold, will administrators stop "wilting like flowers?"

If we think through these questions a bit further, the idea of a kind of donor generational gap arises. Older donors, the logic suggests, would be more sensitiveand for a lack of a better termconservativelyinclined when it comes to on-campus racial and identity politics.

Take Scott MacConnell, who graduated Amherst in 1960 and is 77 years old. He wrote a letter to the college's alumni fund in December, announcing that he was reducing his support to a token $5. "As an alumnus of the college, I feel that I have been lied to, patronized and basically dismissed as an old, white bigot."

And yet the Times' (admittedly unscientific) survey suggests the logic doesn't hold. Amherst alumni Robert Longsworth stepped down as the president of the school's New York City alumni association because the college has become "so wrapped up in this politically charged mission rather than staying in its lane and being an institution of higher education."

Longsworth graduated in 1999.

In somewhat related analysis, check out our take on news out of the University of Michigan, where a donor withdrew a $3 million naming gift after it became apparent that the gift would rename the only building on campus named for an African American.
Improving menstrual hygiene management, or MHM, is one of the more frustrating global health and development challenges. First, because its a critical area that is not just woefully underfunded, but often under-discussed. And second, because there are so many workable solutions that are fairly easy to implement and scale.

Related:

MHM presents global health and development difficulties on multiple fronts ranging from social and cultural taboos to the lack of water and sanitation facilities. Another major roadblock in this space is the cost of sanitary pads.

In many least-developed countries, that cost is prohibitive and can be as high as a half-days wages for a single package of pads. Its easy to understand why women forgo sanitary pads in favor of buying food and milk for their families. In the absence of pads, women and girls often use poor and unhygienic substitutes like old rags or cotton wool, pages from booksbasically, just about anything they can get their hands on, hygiene health be damned. The problem is that those unsanitary substitutes lead to higher rates of reproductive and urinary tract infections.

Solutions to the global MHM problem are a bit slow to scale, as we've discussed before. But one funder attacking the challenge at a very basic, but extremely important level, is International Medical Outreach (IMO).

Earlier this year, Sue Price, IMO's executive director, began talking to Iracan Charity, a young midwife working at Zeu Health Center in Uganda. Charity is also a volunteer at Bethel Junior School in Zeu, discussing the importance of self-care and hygiene with the over 140 girls boarded at the school.

The problem at Bethel was that girls were skipping class when they had their periods, which is a major issue in poorer countries and represents another factor that undermines girls' educational achievement. Periods are the No. 1 reason why girls in such countries miss multiple days of school each year. Many girls drop out of school altogether once they begin menstruating. In this way, MHM is far more than a personal issue; it has implications for developing a nation's human capital.

Sue Price had a simple, yet effective solutiona female hygiene packet that could be distributed to the girls at Bethel. IMO launched a pilot version of the packet earlier this year. The packet covers all of the MHM basics, here: a washcloth, soap, four reusable sanitary pads of various sizes, safety pins, a 16 ounce bottle of water, and a sealable plastic bag. While the initial focus of the project is the 140 or so girls attending Bethel Junior School, the pair have their sights set on the approximately 1,500 girls enrolled in primary schools within the parish.

Since it was established in 1993, IMO has concentrated its grantmaking and activities on combating infectious diseases like intestinal parasites, malaria and tuberculosis, to name a few. In that context, the jump to MHM doesnt necessarily align with that grantmaking focus. But the ultimate goal of the foundation, according to Price, is to collaborate with local partners to help all people reach their full potential through health.

Related: International Medical Outreach: Grants for Global Health

In recent years, IMO's giving has been largely focused on providing medical supplies and medications to communities in least-developed countries around the globe. But the more funders jumping into the MHM space the better.

The Gates Foundation has invested some $3 million in varying MHM projects over the past few years, and other major development funders like Ford have occasionally addressed the importance of MHM. The Caterpillar Foundation, which ties menstrual hygiene into its WASH and women and girls empowerment funding, is definitely a funder that gets this issue, while the Waterloo Foundation supports projects that specifically seek to address menstrual hygiene management.

So the MHM funding field isnt exactly empty, but despite growing momentum and the progress made, it remains an overlooked issue in broader global health and development circles. Quite apart from sparse funder attention, MHM is rarely discussed by national and international development agencies.

This is an area of opportunity for foundations and philanthropists looking for gaps in a crowded global funding landscape. While MHM feels like a niche issue, it touches a lot of livesover 2 billion women in the world get their periods every single month.
@PtboSpeedway Peterborough, ON (August 15, 2016)- Some much needed rain forced track officials at Peterborough Speedway to pull the plug on the planned event Saturday, August 13th, but plans for the years final Toonie Spectator Grandstand Admission/Fan Appreciation Night  presented by Pepsi  will come together as planned; just a week later than originally scheduled. While the rainout was unfortunate, track owner and promoter J.P. Josiasse says there was no other choice but to reschedule the popular event.

Our only other cancellation so far this year was Saturday, July 9th, which was also one of the Fan Appreciation Nights, said Josiasse. These shows are a big hit with race teams as well as the fans. Drivers make special plans and bring photos and other items to hand-out to the crowd. It would be a shame to take away the opportunity for people to meet and talk with their favourite racers.

Josiasse says that while the Toonie Spectator Grandstand Admission/Fan Appreciation Night has been rebooked for the Saturday, August 20th show, the racing divisions that night will remain as originally scheduled, with the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car, Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model, INEX Ontario Legend and Ontario Pro Challenge teams hitting the tight, tricky bullring on Mount Pleasant Road, west of the Liftlock City.

For the Legends, this will be their final event of the 2016 regular season at Canadas Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval, before making their much anticipated debut at the Autumn Colours Classic. The Ontario Pro Challenge Series will return to Peterborough Speedway for the first time in nearly a decade. Fans can learn more about the series by visiting www.prochallengeracing.com. The schedule for the Saturday, August 20th program will see pit gates opening at 2:00, with the spectator grandstands unlocked at 4:00 and racing getting underway at 5:00. A Fan Appreciation autograph session will be held just before the nights first feature race.

Full schedule details  along with up to the minute news and results  are always available at www.peterborboroughspeedway.com, by liking the track on Facebook or following it on Twitter. You can also download the free Peterborough Speedway app on your Smartphone.

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports

613.968.6410
This content is from: Opinion

Cryptos descent into hell, rather than sending institutional investors straight for the exits, has triggered a hunt for the next big bet.(Part of the crypto column series.)
Northern Irelands largest locally-owned insurance broker is setting up a new office that will lead to the creation of several new jobs.Abbey Insurance Brokers has announced plans to open a new branch in Enniskillen, a move that will generate at least 10 jobs, according to the Impartial Reporter.The brokerage firm has secured premises on 11 Townhall Street and has already begun renovation work, the report said.We are extremely pleased to be bringing the Abbey Insurance branch network to Enniskillen, the Impartial Reporter quoted Abbey Insurance Brokers CEO Trevor Shaw as saying.Creating a branch in Enniskillen means that local customers can drop in and talk to us at any time, he added.Shaw said the new jobs that will be opened at the Enniskillen office include the branch manager post and several sales advisor roles.This is in line with our vision to continue reinvesting in Northern Irelands economy and expanding the Abbey Insurance branch network, Shaw told the Impartial Reporter.Abbey Insurance has 23 branches in the province and employs more than 400 people.A family-owned business, the firm was started in 1973 in Newtownabbey by founder George Storey.It offers home, travel and young drivers insurance and covers private cars, taxis, vans and motorbikes.
Impact Forecasting, the modelling arm of global broker Aon , has called for the insurance industry to continue to create awareness as natural disaster costs continue to spiral.Steve Bowen, director (meteorologist) at Impact Forecasting told Insurance Business that the industry needs to increase awareness of the benefits of insurance, particularly around natural catastrophes.The biggest thing is to continue to create awareness of the potential risks associated with catastrophic events, Bowen said.Population trends in APAC and around the world continue to show increased urbanisation in cities along major coastlines.This has considerably increased the amount of exposure in highly vulnerable locations. It will be important for local governments and the insurance industry to continue working together to better highlight the specific natural hazard risks to improve mitigation efforts.This will lead to impacted populations being able to get back on their feet quicker in the aftermath of an event.With the East Coast Low that caused hundreds of millions of dollars of damage earlier this year still fresh in the memory of many, Bowen stressed that while losses are high, they still are still lower than historic highs set earlier this decade.Economic losses resulting from natural disasters through the month of July in Asia-Pacific are already at US$85 billion for the year, Bowen said.This makes 2016 the highest cost year for the region since 2013. The losses are above the most recent 10-year median (US$71bn), but still below the 10-year mean (US$101bn).The historic year in 2011 for the region remains the costliest on record at US$368bn.With summer on the horizon, and the threat of La Nina ever present, Bowen warned that weather events will continue to impact the region which could drive costs up even further.The weather never stops and earthquake risk is always a real threat in Asia-Pacific, Bowen said.Its very difficult to pinpoint specific events happening, but the daily reality is that natural catastrophes are going to happen and we all need to be prepared for when the next major event strikes.
Cross Insurance, a Bangor, Maine, headquartered insurance agency, has hired Christopher S. Hersey as vice president and treasurer of its parent company, Cross Financial Corp..

In his new role, Hersey will be responsible for expanding the companys brand and managing operations for its accounting and treasury functions.

Previously, Hersey served as treasurer at Dead River, a South Portland, Maine, headquartered heating fuel provider. While there, he was responsible for tax, cash management, financial modeling and consolidated reporting.

Source: Cross Insurance

Topics Maine
A New Jersey couple who claim they were scared away from their home after receiving creepy letters from someone named The Watcher can move forward with a lawsuit against the homes former owners, a Superior Court judge ruled August 11.

Judge Camille Kenny rejected a motion to dismiss the lawsuit but threw out some of the claims made by Derek and Maria Broaddus, including their contentions that ex-owners John and Andrea Woods intentionally or negligently caused emotional distress when they sold the house in June 2014, NJ.com reported.

Derek and Maria Broaddus, who have three children, bought the house in Westfield, N.J., for nearly $1.4 million, but they refused to move in due to three eerie letters they said they received from a person with a mentally disturbed fixation on the home.

They have claimed that one of the letters they received read: Do you need to fill the house with the young blood I requested? Once I know their names I will call to them and draw them too me. The person signs the letters as The Watcher.

The couple claims the Woods were aware of the person and should have warned them about a letter they received from the person who claimed ownership of the home.

The Woods attorney, Richard Kaplow, said state law didnt require his clients to disclose an off-site social condition.

Kennys ruling indicated there may be little evidence that the previous owners knew about the letters.

The linchpin of this case is that one letter, Kenny said, noting that Andrea Woods had disclosed the letter and went to the police with Maria Broaddus to make a report after closing on the house.

If that letter is the only information the sellers had, Kenney said, the Woods can seek a summary judgment of the case in their favor.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits New Jersey
Motorists in Pennsylvania must now make sure car seats face backward for all children until theyre two years old.

The requirement is part of a new state law that went into effect Friday. It directs police to issue warnings for the first year, after which violations will cost $125 in fines, costs and fees.

The measure makes Pennsylvania the fourth state to enact rear-facing child seat regulations for the youngest of children after California, New Jersey and Oklahoma.

Advocates say facing children toward the back of the car dramatically lowers their risk of death or serious injury during crashes.

The Pennsylvania Transportation Department says children should remain in rear-facing seats until they reach the manufacturers height or weight limits.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Auto Pennsylvania
ArgoGlobal, the Lloyds insurer and member of Argo Group, announced it has acquired the renewal rights for Allied Worlds marine hull business in Asia. The transaction completed on August 5.

I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement with Allied World to acquire the renewal rights for its marine hull business in Asia, said David Lang, chief operating officer, ArgoGlobal.

Our Asian business has grown from strength to strength and is a central pillar in our long-term strategy. We have identified clear scope to continue to develop our offering in Singapore, both in marine and across our suite of specialist products, and this transaction is an important step in maintaining our growth trajectory, Lang continued.

Michael Garrison, SVP, head of Insurance, Allied World Asia Pacific, said: During our acquisition of RSAs operations in Singapore, Hong Kong and Labuan, we did an extensive evaluation of the overall Asia-Pacific portfolio and identified the marine hull book as non-core to our strategic vision for the region. As a result, we have agreed to transfer the renewal rights to ArgoGlobal.

About ArgoGlobal

ArgoGlobal is the trading brand of Syndicate 1200 at Lloyds, managed by Argo Managing Agency Ltd. The syndicate offers worldwide property, aerospace, marine, energy, specialty and non-U.S. liability insurance.

Source: ArgoGlobal

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS) has announced senior underwriting appointments in property and engineering as well as risk consulting.

Thierry Portevin will take over the role of global head of Property in the Chief Underwriting Office Corporate Lines, effective Oct. 1, 2016. He will succeed Rachel Conran, who left AGCS in June 2016. Portevin has been global head of Engineering since January 2013, and joined Allianz Group in 2000 as Engineering underwriting manager for France.

Chris van Gend will succeed Portevin as global head of Engineering for AGCS in October 2016. Currently Regional Manager Engineering Asia since November 2013, Mr. van Gend will relocate to Munich to take over the global role. Prior to joining AGCS, he was Head of the Asia Pacific Hub for Catlins Energy and Construction lines of business, and over his nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, has held a range of underwriting roles in Australia and Singapore. His successor in Asia will be announced in due course.

Paul Carter, the current global head of Risk Consulting, will retire at the end of this year, and will be succeeded by Tina Baacke, current AGCS global head of Catastrophe Risk Management, effective Jan. 1, 2017. Baacke joined AGCS in October 2010 as head of Catastrophe Risk Research and Analytics, and has led the AGCS Catastrophe Risk team since August 2011. Previously, she spent seven years with Allianz Re in Munich and Singapore in various positions in Catastrophe Risk Management, as well as three years with a risk consulting company as project manager. Her successor in Catastrophe Risk Management will be announced in due course.

Carter joined Allianz Group in 1994 as a risk engineer and has held a number of senior risk consultant roles within Allianz and AGCS, including global technical manager for Risk Consulting in Allianz, head of Property Risk Consulting, and his current role of global head of Risk Consulting for AGCS, which he has held since January 2013. Hartmut Mai, chief underwriting officer Corporate Lines and AGCS board member, thanked Paul Carter for his excellent services as dedicated engineer and manager to AGCS and Allianz over more than 20 years.

Source: Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Topics Property Leadership Allianz
Tesla said last week that one of its cars had crashed in Beijing while in autopilot mode, with the driver contending sales staff sold the function as self-driving, overplaying its actual capabilities.

Tesla said it had reviewed data to confirm the car was in autopilot mode, a system that takes control of steering and braking in certain conditions.

The company, which is investigating the crash in Chinas capital last week, also said it was the drivers responsibility to maintain control of the vehicle. In this case, it said, the drivers hands were not detected on the steering wheel.

The crash, Teslas first known such incident in China, comes months after a fatal accident in Florida, which turned up pressure on auto industry executives and regulators to tighten rules on automated driving technology.

A 33-year-old programmer at a tech firm, Luo Zhen was driving to work and engaged the autopilot function as he often does on Beijings highways, he told Reuters in his first interview with international media.

Luo, who filmed the incident with a dashboard camera, said his car hit a vehicle parked half off the road. The accident sheered off the parked vehicles side mirror and scraped both cars, but caused no injuries.

The driver of the Tesla, whose hands were not detected on the steering wheel, did not steer to avoid the parked car and instead scraped against its side, a Tesla spokeswoman said in an emailed response to Reuters.

As clearly communicated to the driver in the vehicle, autosteer is an assist feature that requires the driver to keep his hands on the steering wheel at all times, to always maintain control and responsibility for the vehicle, and to be prepared to take over at any time.

Luo, however, blamed the crash on a fault in the autopilot system and said Teslas sales staff strongly promoted the system as self-driving.

The impression they give everyone is that this is self-driving, this isnt assisted driving, he said.

Interviews with four other unconnected Tesla drivers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou also indicated the message conveyed by front-line sales staff did not match up with Teslas more clear cut statements that the system is not self-driving but an advance driver assistance system (ADAS).

These Tesla owners all said salespeople described the cars function in Chinese as self-driving, a term the company generally avoids using in English, and took their hands off the wheel while demonstrating it.

They all described it as being able to drive itself, said Shanghai resident Mao Mao, who bought a Tesla Model S last year.

The term zidong jiashi appears several times on Teslas Chinese portal, which is most literally translated to mean self-driving. It is also the term for airplane autopilot, leaving room for confusion among consumers.

We have never described autopilot as an autonomous technology or a self-driving car, and any third-party descriptions to this effect are not accurate, the Tesla spokeswoman said.

China Woes

Tesla does not regularly announce its sales data for China, where it has faced tough local competition, and it is not clear how many cars in the country have autopilot, an add-on feature that costs more than 27,000 yuan ($4,000) extra.

The company struggled to sell its high-tech electric cars in China at first due to distribution issues and widespread concerns about charging vehicles.

There is no clear regulation on self-driving cars in China as the country is in the midst of drafting its policy toward the technology. Under current Chinese law, drivers must keep two hands on the wheel at all times.

Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology did not respond to faxed questions asking about the legality of self-driving cars, including Teslas autopilot function. The Ministry of Transportation did not reply to a request for comment.

Unsatisfied with Teslas initial response to his crash, Luo posted pictures and a video of the crash on Chinese social media platform Weibo describing the incident and criticizing the company.

The pictures show damages to his blue Tesla Model S and a parked Volkswagen, while the dashboard camera video captures the lead up to the crash and the car subsequently stopping.

Luo, who said he had used autopilot for more than a month, said he was looking at his phone or the in-car navigation at the time of the accident, only looking up every several seconds  but blamed Teslas hard sell.

They use this immature technology as a sales and promotion tacticbut they dont take responsibility for the safety of the function, he said.

Tesla does provide safeguards. If a driver has not touched the wheel in a certain amount of time, the autopilot system will remind drivers to place their hands on the wheel and will automatically come to a stop if drivers do not heed the warning.

($1 = 6.6464 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Jake Spring and Beijing newsroom; editing by Lincoln Feast)

Topics Auto Tech Personal Auto China Tesla
The judge overseeing the U.S. Justice Departments bid to stop health insurer Anthem from merging with competitor Cigna said on Friday her goal was to have a ruling by the end of January, later than the Dec. 30 date sought by Anthem.

Anthem had sought a ruling by the end of the year on whether the government could stop the deal because the insurer said it needed time to wrap up merger reviews by state insurance commissioners by April 30, a deadline the companies set to complete the deal. Anthem has said failure to meet the deadline could prompt Cigna to pull out.

In a brief order issued late on Friday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia set a trial date for Nov. 21, with a conclusion by Dec. 30. She gave the government 10 days to present its case and gave Anthem six days.

The judge said in a pre-trial hearing on Friday morning that she expected a decision in January. My current thinking is that Im going to aim for a decision by the end of January, she said.

Cigna is unlikely to agree to extend the April 30 deadline because of the two companies contentious relationship, a lawyer for Anthem said last week.

The Justice Department filed lawsuits on July 21 asking a federal court to stop two huge healthcare mergers: Anthems planned $45 billion purchase of Cigna, as well as Aetna Inc.s $33 billion planned acquisition of Humana. The trial on the Aetna deal is set for Dec. 5.

Anthems lawyer, Christopher Curran, indicated during the hearing that the company was most concerned about reviews on the merger in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia and New Hampshire.

During the hearing, lawyers for the Justice Department and Anthem both said they were willing to discuss a settlement but neither indicated that talks were ongoing.

There is absolutely a willingness to hold settlement discussions, said the Justice Departments Jon Jacobs, who added, however, that any proposed remedy would take time to evaluate.

Anthems Curran said the company stands ready to discuss a settlement.

The Justice Department argues that the deals would reduce competition, raise prices for consumers and stifle innovation if the number of large, national insurers fell from five to three.

If both mergers go through, No. 1 U.S. insurer UnitedHealth Group Inc. would rank second after Anthem. Aetna would be No. 3.

(Reporting by Diane Bartz; editing by Will Dunham and Dan Grebler)

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions USA Legislation
The right to say thanks to customers may not be exclusive to Citigroup Inc.

A Manhattan federal judge on Thursday refused the banks request for an order barring AT&T Inc. from using a commonly uttered expression of gratitude for its customer loyalty program.

Citigroup was seeking to halt the use of the phrase AT&T Thanks on the grounds that it was too similar to the THANKYOU the bank has been using with its customers since 2004, including on 7 million ThankYou-branded credit cards it has issued.

U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest said she isnt convinced that Citigroups phrase is distinctive enough to warrant trademark protection.

The judge agreed with AT&T that there are and have been dozens upon dozens of goods, services, and entities that made use of variations on the words thanks and thank you.'

The lawsuit will continue, but AT&T claimed victory in the first round.

As we said when this complaint was filed, the law does not allow one company to own the word thanks and we will continuing showing thanks to our loyal customers, the phone carrier said in a statement.

Citigroup had no immediate comment on the ruling.

The case is Citigroup Inc. v. AT&T Inc., 16-cv-4333, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Legislation
Donald Trumps campaign was sued for allegedly doing nothing after being told that the director of its North Carolina operations pulled a gun on a staffer as they drove in a Jeep in February.

The incident was described in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in state court in Charlotte by Vincent Bordini, a former software trainer for the state campaign. Bordini said he waited for months for the situation to be handled internally before realizing this was not going to happen.

The director, Earl Phillip, produced a pistol, put his right index finger on the trigger, and drove the barrel into Vincents knee cap, Bordini said in the complaint.

After complaining to local and regional campaign leadership, Bordini learned that at least four other people had experienced the same thing with Phillip, according to the filing. Guns dont have to fire to inflict damage, Bordini said in the complaint.

The suit comes just two days after the Republican presidential nominee caused a furor when telling a crowd in North Carolina that the Second Amendment people  understood to be gun owners and gun enthusiasts  could take action if his rival Hillary Clinton were elected and gets her pick of judges. Trumps campaign said the media had taken his words out of context and that he wasnt advocating violence.

Bordinis complaint seeks compensation from the campaign for negligent supervision, and from Phillip for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks didnt immediately return a message seeking comment. Attempts to reach Phillip were unsuccessful. WCCB, CWs local news affiliate in Charlotte, reported Phillip recently left the campaign. A call left at his consulting firm, Innovative Consulting Services, wasnt immediately returned.

The case is Bordini v. Donald J. Trump For President Inc., 16-CS-14300, General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division County of Mecklenburg (Charlotte).

Related:

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits Gun Liability
Twitter Inc. won a court ruling that it cant be held responsible for the so-called Islamic States use of the social network to spread propaganda that may have led to the death of an American in Amman, Jordan.

U.S. law protects Twitter from being treated as a publisher of any information provided by another content provider, a San Francisco federal judge ruled Wednesday. In this case, ISIS claimed responsibility for the murder of a U.S. contractor by a gunman who may have received material by one of the terror groups many Twitter handles.

President Barack Obama asked Silicon Valley firms last year to work with U.S. law enforcement authorities to prevent terrorists from using social media and encryption technologies. Although Twitter responded this year by suspending some 125,000 accounts linked to terror groups, the families of victims continue to file lawsuits against Twitter, Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. for allowing ISIS to raise funds and attract recruits.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco said at a June hearing that he wasnt convinced that the mere action by Islamic State of opening accounts, and not necessarily using them to recruit, was a basis for claiming that Twitter violated the federal Anti-Terrorism Act. In Wednesdays order, he called the link between Twitter and ISIS attacks tenuous at best.

The judge allowed the victims widow to revise the lawsuit to argue that Twitter is liable even though it doesnt qualify as a publisher.

The case is Fields v. Twitter Inc., 16-00213, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

Related:

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters USA
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has released its recommendations for changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) when it goes up before Congress for reauthorization next year.

The current NFIP is due to expire on Sept. 30, 2017, and critics of the program, including many state insurance departments, have been vocal of the fact that changes must be made to in order for the NFIP to remain viable. FEMA said in 2015 it has plans for sweeping reform of the program, which is currently more than $23 billion in debt. More than 5.1 million consumers and businesses around the country utilize the program.

NAIC, which is made of up of state insurance regulators nationwide, recommended three objectives to consider in the NFIP debate: support long- term reauthorization; encourage greater growth in the private market; and encourage mitigation planning, legislation and support to reduce losses.

Congress will have to tackle the tension between risk based pricing practices and affordable rates, NAIC Property & Casualty Committee wrote in its draft recommendation to the Government Relations Leadership Council. As Congress wrestles how to address these challenges, state insurance regulators stand ready to assist.

NAIC urged Congress to consider its recommendations as part of a comprehensive approach to address the nations flood risk. The changes include:

Support a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP to avoid short-term extensions and program lapses that create uncertainty in both the insurance and housing markets. Reauthorization should be for a minimum of 10 years.

Encourage greater growth in the private flood insurance market as a complement to the NFIP to help provide consumers with more choices. Support passage of the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act (H.R. 2901/S. 1679) that clarifies private flood insurance meets the mandatory purchase requirement; that state insurance regulators have the same authority and discretion to regulate private flood insurance as they have with other similar insurance products; and that private flood insurance meets the continuous coverage requirement so policyholders will not lose any subsidy they previously had with the NFIP if they choose to return. Require FEMA to reinstate its prior rules allowing policyholders to cancel their NFIP policy mid-term and receive a refund on a pro-rated basis if they decide to replace their NFIP policy with a private flood insurance policy. Require FEMA to share NFIP claims data with insurers and modelers in order for the private market to be able to accurately assess flood risks. Require FEMA to eliminate the non-compete clause to allow the Write Your Own (WYO) insurance companies to sell stand-alone private flood insurance outside of the NFIP.

Require FEMA to consult with state insurance regulators on training for insurance producers that sell NFIP policies to ensure consistency with training requirements for insurance producers that sell private flood insurance policies.

Encourage support for mitigation planning, including legislative efforts such as the Disaster Savings Accounts Act (H.R. 2230) to allow individuals to set aside funds in a tax-preferred savings account for disaster mitigation and recovery expenses.

Consider changes to the tax code to allow insurers to establish tax-deferred pre-event reserves to fund catastrophe losses.

Require FEMA to provide increased transparency to all stakeholders regarding its decision making process for developing and updating its flood maps.

Encourage a coordinated effort between the public and private sector to increase overall take up rates of flood insurance, including facilitating opportunities to educate consumers about flood insurance policy options. Explore methods to ensure better compliance with the mandatory purchase requirement and encourage the purchase of flood insurance for those outside of special flood hazard areas.

Encourage careful consideration of affordability issues and the impact of NFIP policy changes on current NFIP policyholders. Certain actions should be considered within the reauthorization to address affordability, potentially including continuation by FEMA of its NFIP grandfathering provisions.

Consider requiring a study on alternative approaches to the flood insurance program structure, including, but not limited to, transitioning the NFIP into a residual market or a reinsurance backstop. The study should include an assessment of the implications of such changes on affordability, availability, the federal budget, taxpayer exposure, and the flood insurance marketplace.

The group plans to discuss the suggested principles at is August 28 meeting in San Diego.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association (PCI) applauded NAIC for its recommendations.

The recommendations encourage greater growth in the private flood insurance market as a complement to the NFIP to help provide consumers with more choices. Additionally, they encourage support for mitigation planning, including legislative efforts such as the Disaster Savings Accounts Act (H.R. 2230) to allow individuals to set aside funds in a tax-preferred savings account for disaster mitigation and recovery expenses to help reduce losses, said Don Griffin, vice president, personal lines for PCI.

Developing a strong bipartisan consensus for stable long-term reform in advance of the programs September 2017 expiration is necessary to avoid lapses and short-term extensions in order to protect families and businesses that depend on flood insurance, Griffith added.

Related:

Topics Flood Market
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 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 dont know how long that is going to last because its 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 six deaths have been blamed on the flooding.

The New Orleans Times reported that 20,000 people had been rescued and at least 10,000 had sought shelter in temporary facilities.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards has 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 sight see, 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.

Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge. Rebecca Santana contributed from New Orleans.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana Flood
Worn out rivet fasteners on a Ferris wheel are being blamed for an overturned gondola at an eastern Tennessee fair that sent three girls plummeting more than 30 feet to the ground.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced late Friday that it has renewed permits for the rides owner, Family Attractions Amusement, to resume operations at other fairs around the state. But the Ferris wheel is excluded from the permit.

Inspectors hired by the company and the Greene County Fair found that rivets had worn out on the bottom of the tub carrying the girls, allowing a trim piece to come loose and get lodged in the frame of the wheel and tipping the gondola over.

Ride NOT safe to operate at time of inspection, Frank Guenthner, an inspector hired by ride owner Family Attractions Amusement, wrote in his report.

The Ferris wheel, which inspectors say was correctly assembled at the site, is being sent back to the manufacturer for repair.

Tennessee does not conduct its own inspections of fair or amusement park rides, instead relying on third-party inspectors. The company was allowed to operate in the state based on an inspection made in Indiana in June.

Six-year-old Briley Rae Reynolds suffered a traumatic brain injury in the fall on Monday and her 10-year-old sister, Kayla, broke her arm. Kayla and an unidentified 16-year old have been released from the hospital. Briley Rae had been in listed critical condition for nearly four days, but was upgraded to serious condition on Friday, according to The Greenville Sun.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam told reporters earlier Friday that it was too soon to say what Tennessee might do to avoid future injuries on rides

I dont know that right now I have a policy shift of what should happen differently, he said.

Its not the first time Family Attractions Amusement rides have hurt riders.

At the 2013 North Carolina State Fair, five people were injured when an Italian-made ride called the Vortex unexpectedly restarted as they were trying to get off the ride, flinging them through the air and down to the steel deck below. Investigators determined that a safety mechanism had been disabled by ride operators including the son of company owners Dominic and Ruby Macaroni.

Joshua Macaroni earlier this year entered an Alford plea  a concession that there is sufficient evidence for a conviction without admitting guilt  on a felony charge of obstruction of justice. He was sentenced in February to five to 15 months in prison, though the judge suspended that to a month in jail. He was also ordered pay a $22,500 fine.

The Greeneville Sun has reported that Greene County Fair Board officials decided to go through with a five-year contract with a Family Attractions despite the North Carolina incident, citing the companys previous safety record in Tennessee and the owners claims that they were not involved with the Vortex ride. 

Their rides were not inspected when they were assembled in Tennessee.

Family Attractions Amusement had already taken down its rides in Greeneville the day before the state decision to allow most of the rides to resume.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee
Floridas caseload of Zika spread by Miami mosquitoes had risen to 25 as of August 11, and U.S. health officials continue to warn pregnant women to avoid the infection zone despite the governors assurances that the area of concern is shrinking.

Floridas Department of Health says active transmission has been only happening in a 1-square-mile area encompassing Miamis Wynwood arts district.

Scotts office also announced that the health department has declared four blocks in the southwest corner of Wynwood to be clear of infections as preventative measures continue, in addition to another 10-block section cleared last week.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, still advises pregnant women to avoid the entire neighborhood. All I can say is the travel advisory is still in effect, CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said.

Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that only causes mild, flu-like symptoms in most people. But it can cause severe brain-related defects, including disastrously small heads, if women are infected during pregnancy.

Back-to-school day is Aug. 22 in Miami, and while students returning to class in Wynwood will be allowed to wear pants and long-sleeved shirts that dont match their school uniforms, they still cant bring mosquito repellent to campus.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said at a school board meeting Wednesday that aggressive application of repellent should be done at home, not at school where some students may be allergic to the spray. Some 4,000 students attend six schools in the Wynwood arts district.

The Miami Herald reports that state health workers will be stationed at each school to check for mosquito breeding sites and provide parents with repellent.

Aerial spraying of pesticides targeting adult mosquitoes was scheduled Friday over Wynwood as well as surrounding areas, and tablets of larvae-eating bacteria are being dropped into storm drains throughout Miami-Dade County.

Scott, Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart and Florida Surgeon General Celeste Philip held a conference call with the states superintendents Thursday afternoon, to update them on the states Zika response and encourage them to develop working relationships with their local health departments.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida
An employee of the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa has filed a lawsuit claiming hotel officials continued to accommodate a guest who groped her.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported that the employee on Tuesday filed the lawsuit against the hotel and Hassan Maan Melhem, who pleaded no contest to two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault in March.

The victim claims hotel officials discouraged her from filing a police report and continued to allow Melhem to stay at the hotel and use the spa after his arrest.

Melhems attorneys are fighting the lawsuit.

Hyatt officials say they hold employee safety as a top priority.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
A federal appeals court has stayed a judges order allowing people who said they could not obtain photo IDs to sign an affidavit and vote anyway  meaning that option may not be available to Wisconsinites seeking to vote in November.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling issued Wednesday morning was the latest in the ongoing legal battle over Wisconsins voter ID requirement.

The ruling blocked an order U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman issued last month that allowed anyone without a valid photo ID to sign an affidavit at their polling place in order to vote.

By signing such a document, a voter would have had to affirm they face a reasonable impediment to getting an ID.

Adelmans order did not apply in Tuesdays primary but was on course to take effect for the November general election.

A panel of three appeals court judges said Wednesday that their stay, which bars Adelmans order from taking effect pending an appeal, was based on the fact that it is likely to be reversed on appeal and that disruption of the states electoral system in the interim will cause irreparable injury.

The judges said the appeals court previously found that eligible voters who lack IDs and could not obtain them with reasonable effort are entitled to an accommodation that will permit him or her to cast a ballot.

But instead of attempting to identify these voters, or to identify the kinds of situations in which the states procedures fall short, the district court issued an injunction that permits any registered voter to declare by affidavit that reasonable effort would not produce a photo IDeven if the voter has never tried to secure one, the appeals court judges wrote.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is among the plaintiffs challenging the voter ID law, said in a statement that the decision guarantees the disenfranchisement of vulnerable Wisconsin citizens in November.

We are evaluating our options to ensure that our clients and many others are not denied their voting rights, said Dale Ho, director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project.

Walker, Schimel praise court ruling

A spokesman for the state elections commission, Reid Magney, said the decision means that no affidavit option is in effect for future elections.

We are monitoring the case closely and consulting with our attorneys at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, and we will be communicating with Wisconsin clerks about the decision, Magney said.

A variety of IDs, including drivers licenses, U.S. passports, and military, Veterans Affairs and tribal IDs, satisfy the voter ID requirement.

Student IDs also may work, but with caveats: they must be accompanied by a separate document, such as a tuition statement, that proves the voters current enrollment at the applicable college or university.

Also, the student ID must expire no later than two years after it was issued.

For voters without a qualifying ID, the state has a process to issue them a free one.

But a smaller share of voters have been unable to obtain them because they also lack the underlying documents, such as birth certificates, that the state requires to issue an ID.

Gov. Scott Walker, who signed the voter ID law in 2011, praised the appeals court decision in a statement, saying it recognized Adelmans order would create more uncertainty for voters.

Attorney General Brad Schimel, who has defended the voter ID law, said in a statement that he is pleased with the decision.

I will continue to represent the state of Wisconsin and defend the rule of law until the case is resolved, said Schimel.

The ACLU case is one of two currently underway to challenge Wisconsins voter ID requirement, which is among the strictest of any state.

A narrower voter ID ruling in the other case, brought by the liberal One Wisconsin Institute, remains in place for now.

The state also is appealing it and asking the appeals court to place it on hold as it has Adelmans ruling.

In late July, U.S. District Judge James Peterson ordered the state to quickly issue voting credentials to anyone who lacks the documents to obtain a voter ID and who has been unable to obtain one from the state.

Many unable to obtain voter IDs

Peterson found the states process for getting free IDs to people who lack such documents to be unconstitutional and a wretched failure because it has left a number of citizens  overwhelmingly black and Hispanic  unable to obtain IDs.

The One Wisconsin Institute case is broader in scope, as it challenged not just the voter ID requirement but also other election laws passed by Walker and Republican legislators since 2011. In his July ruling, Peterson struck down laws that limited early voting to weekdays between certain hours at one location per municipality, upped residency requirements from 10 to 28 days and prohibited the use of expired student IDs for purposes of proving ones identity.
Even six years after the Panama Papers leaked a confidential list of offshore accounts held by the global elite, tax morality is still very much on the table.
Energy Stocks With the Most Momentum Price ($) Market Cap ($B) 12-Month Trailing Total Return (%) EQT Corp. (EQT) 44.63 16.5 139.0 Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY) 61.88 57.6 132.8 Devon Energy Corp. (DVN) 63.12 41.3 123.7 Russell 1000 N/A N/A -15.2 Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLE) N/A N/A 62.1

Source: YCharts

EQT Corp.: EQT is a natural gas production company with operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. It's one of the largest producers of natural gas in the U.S. On July 27, EQT announced financial results for Q2 2022. Net income soared to $894.2 million compared to a net loss of $933.3 million the year prior. Total revenue was $2.5 billion, marking a sharp rebound from the prior-year quarter.

EQT is a natural gas production company with operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. It's one of the largest producers of natural gas in the U.S. On July 27, EQT announced financial results for Q2 2022. Net income soared to $894.2 million compared to a net loss of $933.3 million the year prior. Total revenue was $2.5 billion, marking a sharp rebound from the prior-year quarter. Occidental Petroleum Corp.: Occidental Petroleum is an oil and gas exploration and production company. The company explores for and produces oil, NGLs, and natural gas. It also transports and stores oil and natural gas and manufactures basic chemicals and vinyls. On Aug. 25 Occidental announced a major initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions by capturing up to 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The company plans to build a Direct Air Capture plant in Texas, which is expected to begin operating in late 2024. The captured carbon is likely to be used to produce low carbon products or safely stored in saline formations.

Occidental Petroleum is an oil and gas exploration and production company. The company explores for and produces oil, NGLs, and natural gas. It also transports and stores oil and natural gas and manufactures basic chemicals and vinyls. On Aug. 25 Occidental announced a major initiative aimed at reducing carbon emissions by capturing up to 500,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The company plans to build a Direct Air Capture plant in Texas, which is expected to begin operating in late 2024. The captured carbon is likely to be used to produce low carbon products or safely stored in saline formations. Devon Energy Corp.: Devon Energy is engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its operations are focused in Texas and Oklahoma.

What the Supreme Court's EPA Ruling Means for Energy Stocks

In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to restrict Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)ability to limit carbon emission outputs from power plants. Instead, the EPA must now gain congressional approval before enacting sweeping climate change regulations. The decision targeted the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan (CPP), which had called for energy players to curb emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. Under the CPP, the EPA had the authority to remake the U.S. power system, shifting from fossil fuels to cleaner energy alternatives.

The ruling removes potential EPA regulatory challenges for coal, oil, and gas stocks that have already performed strongly in 2022 amid surging energy demand in the wake of the pandemic. However, the decision may present headwinds for renewable energy stocks, many of which have struggled to gain traction despite clean energy being an integral part of President Joe Biden's policy agenda.

It remains unclear how much long-term upside the ruling will deliver fossil fuel producers given the clear move to renewable clean energy. Moreover, many utilities have already implemented EPA environmental regulations, especially where it has made economic sense.

Advantages of Investing in Energy Stocks

Two key reasons to invest in the energy sector include the size of the market and the group's recent returns.

Size of the Market: Given that the world relies on energy to power everything from cars to factories and just about everything in between, it's not surprising that the value of the global energy market stands at around $7 trillion. Furthermore, the International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global energy demand to grow by more than 30% by 2035. The energy market also has many industries to invest in, including exploitation, storage, renewables, production, transportation, and distribution.

Recent Returns: The trend is your friend, as they say on Wall Street. No sector epitomizes this saying more than energy stocks over the past year. The group leads every other area of the market by performance, having returned 53.83% over the past 12 months.

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Vancouver, British Columbia - October 26, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Mining / Metals / Green Energy Stock News - Defense Metals Corp. (TSX-V: DEFN / OTCQB: DFMTF/ FSE:35D) is pleased to announce high-grade Rare Earth Element ("REE") assay results from one additional core hole, totalling 383 metres (m), collared within the northern area of Defense Metals' 100% owned Wicheeda REE Deposit.

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Honda has been adding support for Apple CarPlay for quite some time now, including the 2016 Accord that started it all for the auto manufacturer.

The 2016 Civic eventually picked up support for CarPlay as well, and, earlier this year, Honda confirmed its RidgeLine pickup truck would support the in-car platform as well. Now, Honda has officially announced that its newest member of the Civic family, the 2017 Civic Hatchback, supports Apple CarPlay right out of the gate  for at least one variant.

Honda is launching several different variants for the 2017 Civic Hatchback: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Sport Touring. According to Honda, the only variant that will support Apple CarPlay in its stock setup is the Sport Touring. Honda says CarPlay can be added to the EX and above models, which support the Honda Display Audio system.

As far as a release goes, Honda says the 2017 Civic Hatchback will arrive at dealerships across the United States beginning this fall, but a specific launch date wasnt provided.

[via Honda ( PRNewswire )]
An Orange hall, in County Derry, was extensively damaged overnight in what the Orange Order say was an arson attack.

The Orange Order is a Protestant fraternal organization based primarily in Northern Ireland. They have reported that the interior of the Salterstown Orange Hall was severally damaged including a lodge banner, collarettes and instruments belonging to a local band.

At around 4am on Monday morning a local resident reported the fire at the Orange Hall, near Ballyronan.

A spokesman for the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland condemned the latest attack on Orange property and urged any witnesses to contact the police. He also urged that there be no retaliation for the attack.

John Bryson, the lodge Deputy Master told the BBC All through the Troubles, when they were really bad, we never had any problems.

He pointed out that the Hall is out of the road, down here, you'd have to come down here looking for it.

"I don't know what's to be gained by doing the likes of this to be quite honest with you."

Bryson arrived out to Hall in the early hours of the morning. At that stage, smoke was pouring out of the room and the windows and you could hear the crackling of the burning timbers.

"So, I reckoned at that stage it was pretty major.

"I haven't been into the hall myself but from the talk by the fire brigade and police, the damage is pretty bad.

He continued "There were instruments, drums, banners, flutes, lots of things pertaining to the lodge. Who knows what shape they're in."

Fire that damaged Orange Hall in County Londonderry was arson attack, says Orange Order https://t.co/9ILEGEu1gO pic.twitter.com/qhuDb3fVyY  BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) August 15, 2016

A spokesperson for the Hall told ITV News that the community is in a complete state of shock."

"We are absolutely devastated that our property should be targeted in such a manner, and are simply crestfallen by the scene of devastation inflicted by the abhorrent individuals responsible."

They continued The hall has been a part of community life for over 100 years, serving as a meeting place for local groups, and its unavailability for a period will be keenly felt," he added.

Despite this major setback, the lodge and the wider Orange fraternity will rally around and ensure our hall is once again fully restored," he concluded.
Before it was known nearly the world over as a piece of jewelry, Claddagh was a community in rural County Galway.

The Claddagh is a well-known Irish symbol, but how many people have heard of the Claddagh community in Co. Galway, the home of the man believed to have created the Claddagh ring symbol, who lived by their traditions long after their neighbors in Galway City?

Originally located just outside of the Town of the Tribes (as Galway is known), the name Claddagh comes from the Irish "Cladach" or "the shore" and was an old fishing village placed just where the Corrib River meets Galway Bay.

One of the oldest fishing towns in Ireland, nothing now remains of the old thatched cottages that graced Claddagh until the 1930s, when they were replaced by council houses and other more modern homes, and yet the memory of the small Irish-speaking town's traditions and customs still lives on.

Despite its close proximity to Galway City, Claddagh remained a completely separate entity for centuries because of the wall surrounding Galway that kept a very definite divide between this village and the Anglo-Norman city across the river.

The men of the town were fishermen while the women looked after the house. With the sole rights to fish in Galway Bay, the Claddagh fishermen thrived by bringing their fresh fish into the markets in Galway. It is believed that by the early 19th century, there were as many as 820 fishermen in the village who ran around 80 boats.

Main Ni Tuathail, aged 14, was one of the first people in Ireland to be photographed in colour. These photos were taken on 1st May 1913 in the Claddagh by two French women, Marguerite Mespoulet and Madeleine Mignon-Alba. #galway #photography #ireland #claddagh #LoveIreland pic.twitter.com/7wCVtcPQDs  Oldgalway (@oldgalway) November 21, 2017

With their special "Hooker" boats, the fishermen were led by an elected King who was chosen from their midst annually in a huge celebration for St. John's Day on June 23. By the King's orders, any outsider found fishing in the Bay could have their nets and boat destroyed, and to the community of Claddagh, a stranger was anybody at all that did not live in their village. Some say that it was easy to tell if a person was not from the village as they would not be sporting a Claddagh on their hand. The King was also said to have "absolute" power over the fishermen and would be the person to always lead them out to sea.

The downfall of Claddagh

Both a shrinking population and disease came to be the downfall of the Claddagh village which held tight to their customs despite the increasing influence of the rest of the county and their city-dwelling neighbors.

At its height, Claddagh held 468 thatched cottages, home to some 500 families, but gradually younger generations began to move into the city looking for work.

When a deadly outbreak of tuberculosis in 1927 spread rapidly through the Claddagh community, the village and its thatched cottages were deemed a health hazard and the order was given to relocate the families, whether they wanted to or not, and to bring all of their homes to the ground. The last of the structures were destroyed in 1934.

The Claddagh symbol

The Claddagh symbol consists of three different elements intertwined to form one of the most heartwarming and beautiful symbols in Irish culture. Combining a heart balancing a crown on its top and held aloft by a pair of outreached hands, the Claddagh symbolizes love, loyalty, and friendship.

When worn as a ring it has also become a means by which a person can display whether theyre single or taken, although in recent years this tradition has fallen by the wayside as those unaware of its meaning wear the ring simply because of its beauty as a pattern.

Despite rumors that it may have been left here by the Spanish Armada in the 16th century, the design is mostly associated with the goldsmith Richard Joyce, who first presented the ring to his loved one in the 17th century. Legend says that the Claddagh native was captured by pirates and sold along to a rich goldsmith overseas who taught him the tricks of the trade.

However, a friendship emerged between the Irish indentured servant and his master, as they worked together on the gold, and Joyce was given the opportunity to return home to the love of his life, where he crafted the Claddagh in her honor.

Have you ever visited Claddagh in Co Galway? Do you have any Claddagh jewelry? Let us know in the comments.

* Originally published in October 2016. Updated in May 2022.

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One in three SMEs have been the victim of crime in the last 12 months, with 45% of these experiencing more than one offence.

Isme, publishing the figures today following a national survey,

estimates that crime costs businesses 1.83bn a year. There are approximately 245,000 SMEs operating in Ireland.

The most reported crime was theft, which accounted for 32% of offences, followed by burglary (29%) and vandalism (27%).

Some 98% said the judicial system was an ineffective way to combat crime.

Businesses working in the retail sector were affected most by crime (45%). This was followed by the construction sector (36%).

Isme chief executive Mark Fielding said the Government is not doing enough to tackle crime against SMEs.

The reduction of business crime is fundamental to business prosperity and is not being prioritised by Government, he said.

The business community has the right to expect that, when found guilty; a perpetrator of crime against business will be dealt with appropriately within the legal system. This survey clearly shows that there is a total lack of faith in the justice system, as 98% of respondents feel that it is ineffective in dealing with business crime.

Mr Fielding called for business crimes to be recorded separately to other crimes. Until this issue is taken more seriously at an official level, business owners will remain fatalistic about the legal system and not put in the time and money into reporting a crime unless they are convinced of adequate action being taken against the perpetrators of crime in their businesses, he said.

Annually, crime now costs each business 6,570 directly. This is in addition to the 5,428 spent, on average by a business, on prevention and security.

However, a majority of businesses were happy with how the gardai handled a crime they had reported.

A total of 69% who reported a criminal incident to the gardai were satisfied with the response it received.

In reference to the indirect costs associated with being the victim of a crime, 16% of SMEs reported poor staff morale and 13% reported reputation damage following an offence.
The scale of the numbers not proceeding with their proposed marriage has raised concerns about the growing problem at attempts to arrange marriages of convenience here.

Only 841 out of 1,585 proposed marriages involving a non-Irish EU partner and a non-EU citizen proceeded as intended last year, according to figures published by the General Register Office. It represents just 53% of all couples who had issued notification of intention to marry.
Mr Hammonds comments will reassure Northern Irish farmers, who are heavily dependent on EU money and access to the European market.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner last month, Villanova University economist, Professor Michael Curran, said that Northern Irish farmers, who count on the EU for 80% of their income, could be the hardest hit by the UKs withdrawal from the EU.

The Norths farmers also benefit greatly from EU CAP grants, which are worth up to 2.53bn to the sector for the years 2014 to 2020.

Britain faces the 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 said that Britain needs 4.5bn a year to fill the gap left by the ending of EU funding, although Britains exit date may be some way off. Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the two-year process of leaving will not start 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.

According to Full Fact, an independent fact-checking agency, the British government paid 13bn to the EU last year, after its automatic rebate, and got back 4.5bn.

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 Britains funding arrangements for when Britain departs the EU.

Britains 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.
China, which has spent billions of euro researching GMO crops, has already embraced the technology for cotton but has not yet permitted the cultivation of any biotech food crops amid fears from some consumers over perceived health risks.

In its latest five-year plan for science and technology to 2020, China for the first time outlined specific GMO crops to be developed, including soybeans  used in food products such as tofu and soy sauce and for animal feed  and corn.

The blueprint, published on the Chinese governments website, proposes pushing forward commercialisation of new pest-resistant cotton, pest-resistant corn and herbicide-resistant soybeans.

The use of the technology for corn was flagged in April when an agriculture official said Beijing may greenlight GMO crops in the next five years. Corn is used mostly in animal feed and industrial goods like starch and sweeteners; a move to biotech crops could be less contentious than with soybeans.

Support for new soybean varieties comes as China seeks to overhaul its crop structure. Farmers are being encouraged to switch from growing corn to soybeans and to rotate between crops.

However, analysts say boosting soybean output is unlikely without higher subsidies. China is expected to produce 12.5 million tonnes of soy during 2016/17, but will import a record 86 million tonnes, according to one forecast by US agriculture officials.

China permits the import of GMO soybeans for use in animal feed.

Herbicide-resistant varieties of soybean are already planted by most growers in the United States, the worlds top soy producer.

You cant manually kill weeds on large farms in the north-east, said a Chinese seed company executive.

If if you rotate between soy and corn, then herbicide-tolerant soybeans are needed for mechanisation, he said, referring to the need for crops to be able to tolerate repeated exposure to weed killers applied by tractors.

However, cultivating GMO soybeans is likely to face strong resistance from consumers and a local industry that sells GMO-free soybeans at a premium to imported beans.

The major production areas for key commodity crops shouldnt be planted with GMOs, said Liu Denggao, vice president of the Chinese Soybean Industry Association.

Domestic soybeans are extremely desired and trusted by consumers for food.

Commercialisation of GMO soy will take a backseat to GMO corn, Huang Dafang said, professor at Biotechnology Research Institute, in Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

The State has previously said it will introduce biotech industrial corn before moving to food crops like soya.
Gerald Cavendish was, by all accounts, decent, but tortured. He struggled with the huge responsibilities of his position as the head of the greatest of Britains landed estates (leaving to one side the holdings of the countrys royal family).

Certainly, he took life more seriously than his cousin, Hugh, or Bendor, the fourth Duke, who kept many racehorses, and mistresses, among them the famous French fashion designer, Coco Chanel.

The owner of seventeen Rolls Royce cars, he has been described as a pure Victorian, who had eyes for his shotgun, his hunters, his dogs... a man who enjoyed hiding diamonds under the pillow of his mistresses.

Gerald, who succeeded his father in 1979, has lived in very different times.

He ended his days presiding over an international property empire with 13bn (11.64bn) in assets under-management, and a family fortune of 9bn.

The Grosvenors may be old money incarnate, but they have had an instinct for survival that is predatory. By the early 1950s, it had become clear that it would be a mistake to put all eggs in the one basket.

The estate made its first overseas investment, in a hotel project in Vancouver, in western Canada. In the 1960s, it expanded into Hawaii and later into the US mainland, before pitching camp in Asia (China is a favoured location, nowadays).

It offloaded Irish assets at the height of the boom, while retaining a large stake in the Liffey Valley shopping centre, which produced an annual rent roll of 30m.

The Westminster Irish connection did not end there. Gerald Grosvenor grew up, with his sisters, on an island in Fermanagh. Both his father, and later his uncle, served as Unionist MPs for the area, up until 1970.

Grosvenor was more at home on farms or on army duty. He served in the Territorial Army, where people did not fawn over him so much because of his rank.

He gifted 50m to a rehabilitation hospital for wounded soldiers, partly in gratitude for the comradeship he discovered while in the military.

At fifteen, following his fathers unexpected accession to the Dukedom, he was told that he would eventually assume heavy responsibilities. This took him a long time to accept.

After his fathers death, in 1979, Grosvenor took charge of an estate that was heavily exposed to an economy that had been unravelling for years.

London appeared in decline, although the Grosvenor estates central London properties benefited from the interest of Middle East money men.

The decision was taken to bring in professional management and to diversify by sector, as well as by geography. The group has expanded into fund management and has an industrial division of investments in food and energy.

The Nigel Lawson economic boom of the mid- to late-1980s, and the post-1986 revival of the City of London, prompted a surge in asset prices.

This helped the great estate owners no end, but a new challenge came in 2002, when the Labour government passed legislation allowing people with residential leases to buy it out.

As Ed Hammond, Financial Times property editor, has said, this led to a revolution.

While some passive rent collectors shrank in significance, others, including the huge Grosvenor and Cadogan estates, underwent a transformation.

Under the old model, control had been ceded to middlemen, but now the capital that became available under the buyouts was used for further diversification.

Gerald Grosvenor fought a campaign against leasehold reform-based buyouts, while presiding over a business that proved highly adaptive to the changes.

Grosvenor quit the Tory party, annoyed at the lack of support, while fighting a war of resistance in the law courts against commercial tenants seeking similar rights to buy.

This last battle brought success, when the UK Supreme Court ruled in favour of the landed estates in 2013.

By then, however, the Grosvenor estates had become an international business that successfully rode out the 2008 financial crisis.

In 2012, the estates accrued pre-tax profits of 85m, rising to 175m in 2013 (on the back, in part, of asset sales). It has recently invested in an African property fund and aims to take part in what is seen as the last great urbanisation process.

While its executive trustee, Mark Preston, described Grosvenor as the tortoise of the property world with a pace of life .. unusually slow in comparison with its stock market-listed peers, it has survived 30 downturns in 340 years. The old animal knows its way round some pretty tricky territory.

The Grosvenor story is a reminder of the enduring power of old money in this time of global transformation, and the passing-on of assets by means of primogeniture, to the eldest, or only son.

Yet, few would deny that the estates are well-run, with huge care paid to the maintenance of properties and to the selection of the right combination of tenants, all with the aim of promoting the long-term welfare of whole districts.

Leases are negotiated in blocks with commercial tenants, so that they all fall due at the same time. This means that refurbishment work can be carried out in a planned, rather than haphazard, fashion.

The origins of the Grosvenor estate can be traced back as far as 1677, when a Cavendish ancestor married Mary Davies, then aged fourteen. She brought with her a dowry consisting of five hundred boggy acres in what is modern Belgravia and Mayfair, in Londons salubrious West End.

The Grosvenors have held on to much of the stuccoed property in these districts.

Amid it all stood the sixth duke. As he put it once: I am only a mere flicker in the process of time.

He could trace his ancestry to the Norman Conquest. He insisted that his children be educated locally, fretting about the dangers of being self-centred and isolated from reality, as a result of possessing great wealth.

But never for one moment did he consider laying down those privileges, viewing himself as a trustee charged with carrying on the family tradition.
Thats one of the messages, along with calls for a greater awareness of farm safety, that is being given out at shows and other rural gatherings this year.

Teagasc health and safety specialist John McNamara, said recently that research from Ireland and internationally indicates that poor health leads to reduced capacity to undertake farm work.

This can result in reduced income because farmers in poor health are also susceptible to higher levels of injuries.

Studies show that farmers tend to consider themselves as healthy when they can carry out work, but tend to ignore health issues that could have long-term consequences, he said.

Teagasc is engaged in an ongoing study of farmers health in association with professionals from the Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT), Centre for Mens Health, IT Carlow and the UCD Schools of Physiotherapy and Performance Science and Agriculture and Food Science.

Recent study findings among a sample of 366 farmers (86% male) compares self-reported health behaviours with overall general population statistics from the national Survey on Lifestyle and Attitude to Nutrition.

These showed that 38% of farmers reported one or more health issues in the previous 12 months. Some 34% reported a physical health complaint and 12% mental-health issues.

Some 59% of farmers had consulted their general medical practitioner about their health within the previous year, compared to 74% of the general population.

Low back pain was the most prevalent physical complaint occurring in 28% of farmers. This level is higher than the general level (16%).

About 60% of farmers surveyed were classified as overweight or obese compared to 50% of the overall population. Among farmers just 27% believed they were too heavy.

In contrast, 54% of farmers reported undertaking high levels of physical activity compared to 24% for the general population.

Some 18% of farmers reported that they smoked compared to 29% for the general population while 85% said they drank alcohol compared to 80%.

The study also found that 19% of farmers reported binge drinking (having six or more standard drinks on one occasion) at least once per week compared to 28% generally.

Aubrey Storey, lecturer in exercise and health science at WIT, said behaviour change is a key to either health gain or its maintenance.

Making small initial changes based on heightened awareness can lead to major positive change in a persons health profile over time.

Studies indicate that farmers should make greater use of healthcare professionals when unwell. These also show a high level of low back pain which can restrict a farmers work activity.

Staying Fit for Farming  A Health Booklet for Farmers can be downloaded from the Teagasc website at www.teagasc.ie.

Just like when you are herding your cattle or working with your tractor  acting early if you see a problem can make a big difference, the booklet states.

It will certainly ensure you and others working in farming can continue to enjoy life as well as farming for a long time to come, Teagasc says.

The Irish Farmers Association has, meanwhile, joined forces with the Farmers Have Hearts initiative, led by the Irish Heart Foundation.

It followed the revelation that farmers are almost seven times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease, mainly heart disease and stroke, than the lowest risk occupational group, salaried employees.

Recent research showed that 80% of farmers have four or more risk factors such as family history, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and overweight.

Farmers Have Hearts, funded by the HSE, provides free health checks by Irish Heart Foundation nurses to farmers at marts. Some 2,800 farmers have been checked since 2013 with 72% advised to see their GP.

IFA president Joe Healy said farmers can often take a stand-back attitude to their health, and are reluctant to see a doctor even if they have a particular concern.

Our message is that having a health check will either put your mind at ease, or set you on the right course to improve your health and lifestyle. Either way, getting a check-up is a smart thing to do, he said.

Maureen Mulvihill, head of health promotion, Irish Heart Foundation, said farmers are disproportionately affected by chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, despite a common perception that they live healthy and active lives.

Our research showed that only 32% of those who were advised to see their GP did so, and we are delighted that the IFA is lending its support to help farmers realise that preventing a heart attack or stroke by identifying risk factors is a positive step.

For example, high-blood pressure or high cholesterol can be managed very successfully working with the family doctor and can prevent serious heart problems developing in the future, which could impact on ability to work and livelihood, she said.

Research on 310 farmers as part of Farmers Have Hearts showed that 79% of those checked in the marts were advised to follow up with a GP visit.

One-third of these farmers did see a GP within 12 weeks and almost half of those found to be at risk made changes to their lifestyle.

A healthcheck can pick up risk factors and signs for concern. It will take just 30 minutes and involves very little preparation.

Results are provided straight away and the nurse or doctor will advise on a one-to-one basis any steps needed to reduce heart health risk.

Health Minister Simon Harris said modest lifestyle changes and the support of healthcare professionals can make a huge difference.

I hope that farmers will take advantage of the free checks and advice on offer, he said.
The Ibec retail representative group said greater consumer unease is now evident due to sterlings post-referendum decline.

Months of strong growth has been brought to an abrupt end by the UKs referendum result, with the onus falling on the Government to help hard-pressed business owners, Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke said.

Ireland is uniquely exposed to Brexits chill winds. Consumer confidence has fallen back, after months of strong growth, and retailers say positive momentum has slowed in recent weeks.

Sterlings 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, said Mr Burke.

Apart from reducing Irelands marginal tax rate, Retail Ireland is seeking the establishment of a town centre fund to aid with the regeneration of towns and cities. It is also opposing increases to the national minimum wage.

Key initial results from Brexit survey of 450 firms. Only 1/4 have pricing agreed or hedging. Most very short term pic.twitter.com/x9T56lMVDz  Gerard Brady (@GerardBrady100) August 2, 2016

Mr Burke was speaking as the bodys latest retail monitor was published.

The value of sales in the fashion and footwear sectors saw the largest monthly decline (4.2%), followed by department stores (1.8%) and pharmacies (1.6%).

While most sectors were hit by a drop-off between May and June, the value of goods sold in all sectors except fuel increased on an annual basis.

Comparing Q2 2016 with Q2 2015 reveals a similar story with fuel sales the only sector covered by the monitor showing a decline.

Mr Burke said that while the ramifications of the Brexit vote are still being determined, the uncertainty it has caused is unhelpful to Irish retailers.

It remains too early to gauge the long term impact... and to judge whether it has caused any real slowdown in the local and global economy.

"While Brexit is less likely to threaten Irish consumer confidence than British sentiment, any uncertainty is in itself bad news for a retail sector at this delicate point in its recovery, Mr Burke said.
The reasons for this have nothing whatsoever to do with anything real, all to do with favourable tax and legal reasons.

This is unlikely to have any effect on GDP, unless of course, JBS decide to start using intellectual property and patents to start to shuffle money around, thus creating exports from Ireland.

At one level one might think that this is unlikely. Ranching and slaughtering and processing beef is not a particularity patentable business.

But what about our brand new Knowledge Box? The Knowledge Box allows for write-offs for intellectual property (IP) developed in Ireland. Qualifying assets for our Knowledge box include marketing IP  brands and suchlike.

Ireland has developed a business model over 60 years which is reliant, at least at the level of political economy, on the idea of foreign direct investment (FDI). There is nothing wrong with FDI.

The problem we have seen grow, however, is that more and more FDI may well not be manufacturing and jobs related but instead of the profit shuffling, job-poor, tax-driven corporate inversion model.

Gross domestic product, GDP, is the standard metric worldwide for measuring how much is created in an economy. There is a handy comparison chart here. GNP, Gross National Product, measures how much of this is created by citizens. GDP is how much is created within the geographical boundaries.

There is a crucial difference: things classed as created within Ireland but which never actually impact on our lives, like massive increases in aircraft leasing via Irish holding companies, can increase GDP by massive amounts.

Thus the 26% growth rate we saw recently, widely derided as meaningless but accurate.

We have created a situation where increasingly the headline figure everyone else uses as a measure of national wealth has become meaningless here.

Commentators have known for some time that this is the case and have proposed alternatives. Patrick Honohan has recently suggested that we need to abandon GDP, and indeed GNP, as meaningful measures of whats happening in the Irish economy.

On an economic level, he is probably correct. But on another level, he misses the point.

We have, uniquely almost, created an economic model which renders impossible measurement on the same basis as the rest of the planet It is not the measurement that is out of line.

Its us. We need to have a national conversation on what sort of economy we want to have.

There is no point in having booming but meaningless headline figures while have parents skipping meals to send children to avail of free schooling, while we have record numbers of people on waiting lists for public medical consultations, while we have record child homelessness and so on.

An economy must serve society as a whole, not just the most loosely connected parts of same. These meaningless figures for GDP and GNP reflect a decision made not to have that.
Atheists settle lawsuit with Tennessee sheriff over religious Facebook posts 14 August, 2016 by Gregory Tomlin , |

CHATANOOGA, Tenn. (Christian Examiner)  The group American Atheists has settled a case with a Tennessee sheriff over his religious Facebook posts at Easter, the group announced Aug. 11.

As settlements go, it wasn't large  just $41,000  but it makes the atheists' lawsuit go away and changes the way Bradley Country Sheriff Eric Watson can use social media.

In May, the atheist group filed a lawsuit on behalf of two atheists in Bradley County who said the sheriff's social media posts violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The atheists alleged the sheriff promoted Christianity and deleted comments critical of his use of the forum to remind readers of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the original complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga, the atheist group, Joshua Stevens and "Jane Doe"  named so because of her supposed fear of retaliation  alleged Sheriff Watson was "depriving them of their rights under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution by favoring a particular religious point of view" and suppressing dissent to those views.

According to the lawsuit, the sheriff was made aware that deleting negative comments on the department's social media page that were not obscene or "threatening to public safety" was a form of censorship. However, the practice of deleting unfavorable comments continued, the atheist group alleged.

In March, the atheist group  founded in 1959 during a challenge to public school prayer  sent a letter to the sheriff about his "He [Jesus] is Risen" Easter message on the department's Facebook page, as well as his past references to prayer, the death of a "man of God" he knew, and Christmas. It also sent him a second letter warning of a lawsuit for posting Luke 24:2-3 and writing, "Today is one of the most historic days; not only did Jesus die on the cross for our sins, but he rose on this day."

That Facebook page was deactivated shortly after the controversy erupted.

Under the settlement agreed to by the atheist group and Bradley County, in which the county agreed to no wrongdoing, the sheriff's Facebook page can no longer contain any posts that "promote or further any religion, religious organization, religious event or religious belief."

The new departmental Facebook page will not allow comments and will be used only for informational purposes. Sheriff Watson will also have is own Facebook page, but under the terms of the settlement he must post a notice on the page that the views expressed there are his own and not those of the Bradley County Sheriff's Department.

Of the $41,000 settlement, $15,000 in "damages" will be paid by the county to American Atheists and the two local plaintiffs (Stevens and Jane Doe). The rest will cover the atheist's legal fees.

Amanda Knief, national director for legal and public policy with the atheist group, said the settlement as a "clear win" for her clients.
We cannot predict all the ramifications of Brexit for farming at this point. However, we must avoid scaremongering, Mr Kent said.

Sterling has not collapsed, he said. It has slipped 7%-8% against the euro. Sensationalism on exchange rates and markets is being used by meat factories to push down prices.

Talk of a 31-year low for sterling is repeatedly heard from so-called experts and commentators who seem to be unaware that this only applies to the sterling/US dollar exchange rate.

The ICSA leader said Ireland would have to work very hard to ensure that its interests are kept centre stage in the EU/ Brexit talks.

We cannot afford to have a bad trade deal with the UK where tariffs are imposed on our beef exports.

However, it is also time to reconsider the Mercosur and TTIP trade deals. All talks should be postponed until we have the terms of the EU/ UK deal worked out, he said.

Mr Kent, speaking at a recent ICSA meeting in Letterkenny , held in conjunction with Donegal Beef Producers Group, also called for a greater focus on new live export markets because it is bad to be too dependent on selling beef to the UK..

Stressing that Brexit serves as a wake up call for Europe, he said the EU needs to listen carefully to the interests of each member state.

The EU strategy on trade deals with the UK and others needs to be based on a much deeper understanding of the concerns of ordinary citizens, he said.
What do you think is different about Twisted?

The restaurant itself is quite different than anything you expect to find in Kinsale. Its run by myself and my partner Christophe Moreau. Im from Fiji and Christophe from France.

Our head chef is, Guillermo Carrion Garcia, Michelin trained and from San Sebastian in Spain. Our sous chef is from Italy and our commis chef is from France. That allows us to say that our food is not from one particular place.

Our chef was one of the youngest Chef de Partie to work in a three-star Michelin restaurant. He brings in a wealth of experience, recipes and hes extremely good. We have high-end sophisticated cuisine mixed inside a quirky style of restaurant.

That would be our signature. Being multi-cultural, quirky and having something different to offer.

How do you journey from loving food to owning a restaurant?

My partner and I both love food. Im of Indian origin and he is French. That means growing up you were surrounded by good cooking and what good food was all about.

Every time we went out we would talk about what a restaurant that had food that we would like to serve. We moved to Kinsale and it the town itself already has a great food culture inside of it.

Our work lives were evolving as well and we got the opportunity to open a restaurant. We had kept saying in the future wed love to open one, but then this opportunity came along and the future became now.

Thats how it started, we just decided that one day wed open a restaurant and everything fell into place somehow.

So what does good food look like?

High quality, locally sourced ingredients. It doesnt just need to be fresh, it needs to be really good quality. When you eat something it should put a smile on your face.

When I eat something that I really like I start humming to myself. Id love to think that people are like that when they are at our restaurant as well.

We have been lucky to get a chef that completely gets that concept. Hes genius who loves food and loves cooking.

He gets that feedback from people and so he puts his heart and soul into every single plate. When we started out it was wow food now he says its getting harder and harder to impress me because hes set such high standards in everything he cooks.

So whats the plan for the next stage of Twisted?

For now the plan is to make sure the business is viable. People come into Twisted from all over the country and always ask us about opening up in Galway or Dublin.

I am 80% sure that the future is bright, the other 20% Ill leave to circumstance.
Winning the Ingredient of the Year Award in the Healthy Aging category at a trade show in Geneva, has provided Cork seaweed minerals company Marigot with very welcome international recognition.

The win, according to Marigot Commercial Manager David OLeary, is another strong indication that seaweed is now achieving global recognition as a superfood.

Marigot, which is based at Carrigaline and has harvesting and production facilities in Castletownbere, has been in existence since the early 1990s, when it was set up by Les Auchincloss, a previous owner of Biocon.

A pioneer in the study of the nutritional value of seaweed minerals, the company created two product ranges for use as an ingredient in foodstuffs, one for human consumption and one for animal feeds.

The product range for the agri-feed sector, which improves digestion and rumen conditioning in cows, is called Acidbuf, while the food ingredients and supplement industry range is called Aquamin.

With these two brands, Marigot now has sales in 40 countries globally and a turnover of in excess of 20m.

The biggest success until now has been in selling to agri-feed sector which accounts for 70% of turnover, but Mr OLeary believes that the growing recognition of the benefits of seaweed will help the company to significantly increase sales of Aquamin in the future.

Produced from seaweed harvested in Iceland, Aquamin is used in food products and supplements.

Engaged in continuous research and new product development since it was set up, the company has, over the last 10 years, devoted significant resources to conducting scientific research to demonstrate the efficacy of its products.

We have undertaken extensive scientific programmes covering multiple areas of bone, joint and digestive health which are of particular strengths for our products, says Mr OLeary, adding that Aquamin is proving effective when used in food supplements by people suffering from osteoarthritis and osteopaenia.

We now have proven scientific evidence from multiple trials while Aquamin has been named ingredient of the year in the healthy aging category at the Vitafoods Exhibition in Geneva  a significant European event in the food supplements industry.

The largest markets for Aquamin products include the US and Europe and customers include the likes of Frito Lay (Pepsico), Del Monte and Procter & Gamble. Australia, Europe and South Africa are the largest markets for the animal feed product range.

Mr OLeary says that over the last six to seven years, the company has achieved growth of in excess of 10% per annum.

Selling 95% of its products abroad, Marigot won the High Growth Markets Exporters Award for 2015 from the Irish Exporters Association.

Sales have been boosted by the launch in recent years of Margots first consumer products which are sold directly on a new company website, www.osean74.com.

Mr OLeary says that sales have been going well and that Marigot is working on developing further products which can be sold directly to consumers.

The company, which now employs a staff of 30, is anticipating continued growth of in excess of 10% this year.

We expect continued growth in existing markets and also plan to develop new markets. The focus will be on increasing sales in South America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa where we see scope for growth.

In 2017 the company will also continue working on product development. It plans to add to the five product lines for the agri-food sector and develop products in new areas in addition to ones for digestive and bone health.

In the food and food supplement area, Mr OLeary says Marigot will aim to take advantage of the increasing recognition of the benefits of seaweed minerals and the fact that there has been a 147% increase in the launch of seaweed flavoured products in the last five years.

Company: Marigot

Location: Carrigaline

Chairman: Les Auchincloss

Product: Seaweed-derived minerals for nutrition

Staff: 30

Exports: 95%

Website: aquamin.com
A photograph of Paul Moore, 26, taken at a music festival in Australia 2013, went viral after being posted on line and he became the subject of vicious ridicule.

He said that it resulted in him self-harming and turning to alcohol.

I was hurting so much on the inside that I started to self-harm. It became something I would do every day.

The picture was taken at the Future Music Festival in Melbourne and while you can only see Paul from the back, he was readily identifiable to friends.

At that point he weighed close to 20 stone and the online abuse was vitriolic.

At first I found it quite funny because I was confident no matter what size I was. But by the second, it was getting thousands of more likes and comments, some were really bad and I could not shake them off.

I tried to forget about it but it just wouldnt go away. I began drinking more or less seven nights a week as well as drinking three bottles of wine a day.

At the same time he began to cut himself. I was hurting so much on the inside I started to self harm. It became something I would do every day.

Paul, who is from Togher in Cork, saw his weight spiral to 20 stone and 5 lbs.

Then in January last year he fell and broke his ankle. It needed to be operated on and he had no choice but to go home to Ireland. He began working at a hotel in Cork where there was a Slimming World group and he decided to join.

He stopped drinking and by making other healthy lifestyle choices he lost seven stone and returned to Australia, this time to Sydney.

Paul now weights 11 stone and 7lb, is studying business and marketing and goes to the gym five days a week.
A limited number of courses, rather than very specialised degrees at third-level, was proposed by experts in 2011 to ease the intensive points-race for school-leavers, which has a major influence on teaching at second-level.

So far, most third-level colleges have done little to pursue the recommendation, although all seven universities committed, last year, to reducing by 2017 their choice of entry codes on Central Applications Office (CAO) forms.

The first round of CAO offers for this years school-leavers will issue next Monday, based on Leaving Certificate results to be received by 55,000 students on Wednesday.

Maynooths number of courses on the CAO has dropped from 45, in 2014, to less than 30 this year.

Students still have the choice to specialise immediately, but have more scope to explore options across a range of disciplines in first-year and to specialise later.

The changes are due to the collapsing of numerous entry-course titles in the same discipline into a single CAO code.

For example, six different business courses last year have been reduced to just one in 2016. Similarly, the six CAO courses in anthropology, English, history, and politics have all been subsumed into an arts omnibus option.

MU president, Professor Philip Nolan, said a 3% increase, to 3,710, in the number of students picking any one of the colleges degrees as their first preference is a result of the new system.

It compares favourably to a 2% rise (to a record 71,622) in all applicants for honours (level 8) degrees being filled by the CAO this year.

We piloted this in some areas last year and saw increased interest from students. They seem to find it more attractive to having many more denominated entry routes, he said.

Prof Nolan said that this, and rising first-preference applications to University College Dublin, which has led the way on reducing CAO entry routes, is a sign that this is how all colleges should be moving.

Its understandable, if some institutions are delayed in delivering the commitment to reduce entry routes by 2017, if they have encountered some logistical problems, he said.

The experience of those of us who have moved already should encourage others, but its essential to follow up the commitment, even if it takes a bit longer, and not to renege from their commitment, said Prof Nolan.

Maynooth University is also extending the offering of a module in critical skills to all first-year students, so that they can develop analytical and communication skills.

Feedback from more than 200 students who signed up to a pilot programme last year showed that the skills they learned helped them in their other modules.

One of the great things about this course is that students have an opportunity to work with their peers from different fields to address complex problems from a number of distinct perspectives, Prof Nolan said.
That is according to 10-year mandolin and banjo player, Calvin Butler who was one of thousands to converge on Ennis, Co Clare, yesterday through their love of traditional Irish music for the opening day of the annual Fleadh Ceoil na hEireann.

The biggest annual event in the traditional music calendar is making a return to Ennis after 39 years and promises a dividend of 38m for the local economy.

Four hundred thousand people are expected in Ennis over the next week and such are the volumes of crowds anticipated that organisers are making plans to make Enniss main streets, OConnell St and Abbey St, one way for pedestrians at peak times.

From the nearby village of Crusheen, Calvin was busy enjoying the rich tradition of youngster busking on the streets during the Fleadh on Saturday by busking on the towns Parnell Street and earned 77. Not bad for less than one hour of playing.

He said yesterday: I like busking because people stop when they are walking past just to hear my music. Little kids often come up and dance in front of me.

I am looking to playing more in my home town where my friends and family can see me play, he says.

Calvin and his older sister, Abby, 13, who plays the fiddle, will join hundreds of other children from today at the Social Eigse that runs for the next four days. Abby will also be competing in an U15 group in the Fleadh Ceoil.

Looking on as president Michael D Higgins formally opened the Fleadh, Abby said: Competing in my home town is great. You get to show people how far youve come. You also get to meet new people through music from around the world.

Addressing thousands in the Abbey Street car park yesterday, Mr Higgins said: Ennis, as the capital of a county that is renowned internationally for its wonderful, living music heritage, continues to be a place of great creative possibility.

Reared in the nearby village of Newmarket on Fergus and schooled at St Flannans College in Ennis, President Higgins said: Clare has an unbroken chain of creative performers from the earliest of times, from the days of Mrs Crotty, through the Willie Clancy School, and the contemporary, internationally recognised genius of Martin Hayes, Tony McMahon and Noel Hill. He said: It is appropriate, then, that we are gathered here in Ennis for the All-Ireland Fleadh, one of the greatest cultural festivals in the world and one which attracts many music lovers from abroad to Irish shores.

Mr Higgins said the first fleadh attracted just a few hundred visitors in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, in 1951.

This years fleadh will cost 1.1m to stage and involves 10,000 musicians and 6,000 of those participating in 180 competitions in search of All-Ireland glory.

Over 1,000 volunteers have been recruited to ensure that musical extravaganza runs smoothly and they could be seen in their distinctive green tops and one of those, Rosemarie Collins from Kilkishen said: I got involved because you want it go well and there is a great sense of pride that it is taking place in Ennis this year.

Throughout the week, 28 concerts are to take place and feature traditional Irish music luminaries such as Martin Hayes, Maura OConnell, Stocktons Wing, Frankie Gavin, and The Kilfenora Ceili Band.
Further sums were ordered to be paid by defendants directly to charities, according to the Courts Service.

The option of the poor box is at the discretion of the presiding judge and in most cases it is the judge who decides where the money goes.

The total monies collected in 2015 has dropped significantly on the previous year.

In 2014, a total of 2.18 million was collected in fines for mainly minor offences. As well as public order offences, the poor box is sometimes used for first time road traffic offences, as well as minor drug offences and offences against animals and property.

There have been a number of moves to scrap the poor box, which predates the State and whose origins are obscure. In 2005, the Law Reform Commission recommended a combined reform of the poor box and Probation Act; and in early 2014 then Justice Minister Alan Shatter proposed to replace it with a reparation fund for the victims of crime.

In 2014, the High Court ruled it should not be given as an option to avoid conviction in motoring offences involving penalty points.

St Vincent de Paul is one of the most popular nominees by judges; the Garda Benevolent Fund also figures frequently. A total of 40,600 was divided from the court poor box in Limerick among 50 local charities, mostly local, including the mental health association in Kilmallock (1,500) and the Limerick Marine Search &Rescue (300); The Redemptorist Poor Campaign received the highest single sum at 3,000.

From the Portlaoise Courts Office, Medecins Sans Frontieres received just under 20,000 of 50,200. The remainder was divided among 21 other charities.

The sums given vary too  for instance 16 charities benefited from the 8,300 in the Wexford court poor boxes. The highest sum there was 1,850 to the Oznam House Mens Hostel, three charities received 1,000 each including the Wexford Womens Refuge; the Cornmarket Project and Gorey Heartsafe  the remaining 12 received small sums.

In Donegal, 14,150 was divided among 28 organisations from poor box takings  including 400 to Console Head Office.

The donation accepted or directed by a judge for mitigation can vary from district to district. In Killarney for instance sums of 2,500 are expected by Judge James OConnor in lieu of mitigation for boy racing, dangerous driving and speeding offences. The contribution is accompanied usually by an order to fit speed limiters.

Tralee court office distributes 130k

The Tralee court office is still among the single biggest contributors to the poor box nationally.

The 131,570 was distributed among 21 charities, with missionary and overseas groups benefitting the most. Action Aid Ireland got 40,000; Columban Fathers in Ireland 15,000; Oxfam Ireland 17,150, St Patricks Missionary Society, Kiltegan 11,000 and World Vision Ireland 10,000. Missionaries of the Poor received 12,000.

Agape Adventures which deals with volunteering for community development overseas development received 10,000.

A sum of 500 went to The Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, while the Listowel Conference of St Paul received 400.

In West Cork court area over half the 26,300 went to various branches of St Vincent de Paul. In Cork, the bulk of the 126,348 which was generated by the poor box in the various courts went to local charities. Cork Penny Dinners got 13,150; the Cork Samaritans 12,800 and Cork Simon Community 17,120.

Others receiving smaller sums in Cork included the Midleton Mens Shed (750) and various St Vincent de Paul branches received monies. Several homeless charities benefited from the Dublin Criminal Courts of Justice. These included the Capuchin Day Centre 23,730; the Fr Peter McVerry Trust 21,635; and 11,200 went to the Ruhama Womens Project. Donations were also made to St Vincent de Paul, (7,545) and the Garda Benevolent Trust Fund (5,255).
There then followed a blue flash accompanied by a very bright magnesium-type flare ... Then came a frighteningly loud but rather flat explosion which was followed by a blast of hot air  All this was followed by eerie silence.

Thats how Aidan MacCarthy had described the dropping of the atomic bomb, just over a mile away from his makeshift shelter in the Mitsubishi POW camp.

A Doctors Sword, written by Bob Jackson, will be launched in the aptly named MacCarthys Bar in the doctors hometown of Castletownbere, Co Cork.

The launch is co-hosted by Beara Historical Society as part of Heritage Week 2016.

Bob first heard of Dr MacCarthy more than 16 years ago while working in a bar in Cork City, when one of the regular customers who had been in the RAF, retold a well-known story locally of a doctor in West Cork with a connection to the atomic bomb in Nagasaki.

Intrigued, Jackson travelled to MacCarthys Bar in Castletownbere where he met the GPs daughter, Adrienne.

He was stunned to learn that not only had Dr MacCarthy survived the atomic bomb but Kusuno, the Japanese commander of the camp where he had been held prisoner, had gifted his familys ancestral samurai sword to him.

The Japanese sword presented by 2nd Lieutenant Isao Kusuno to Aidan MacCarthy in 1945 at Camp 26, Keisen, Japan. Picture: Barry Murphy

Aidan MacCarthy was one of a handful of people who survived the two events that mark the beginning and end of the Second World War, said Jackson, a lecturer in creative media at the Institute of Technology, Tralee.

He was evacuated from the beaches of Dunkirk after three days of relentless attacks in May 1940, and he was trembling in a makeshift bomb shelter in the centre of Nagasaki when the atomic bomb destroyed the city on 9 August 1945,

In the intervening years, Dr MacCarthy had survived burning planes, sinking ships, jungle warfare, starvation, disease, captivity, and slave labour in Japanese POW camps.

I read Aidans memoir, which is a fascinating and engrossing account of his story but because of his genuine, self-effacing, modesty its often short on detail. Yet his character comes through more in what he does not say, said Jackson.

I wasnt surprised that, in the devastating aftermath of the atomic bomb, he was the first non-Japanese doctor to assist civilians.

I wanted to know more about that samurai sword  especially since there was a possibility that the ashes of the officers ancestors were embedded in the handle.

After Aidans widow, Kathleen, mentioned there was a photo of the Japanese officer somewhere in their belongings, I persuaded his family to look for it.

A photo of the POW officers at Keisen, August 1945, with Aidan MacCarthy seated, second from right, taken from A Doctors Sword  How an Irish Doctor Survived War, Captivity and the Atomic Bomb by Bob Jackson.

After years of searching, another daughter, Nicola, found the photograph and travelled with Jackson to find the family of the Japanese commander. In a moving encounter detailed in A Doctors Sword and in the critically acclaimed documentary of the same name, they met the mans descendants at a cemetery in Kyushu Island, including his grandson, who credits his existence to Dr MacCarthys act of selflessness in saving his grandfathers life.

Meanwhile, a new medical facility at RAF Honington, where Dr MacCarthy served during the war, will be named in his honour in a ceremony which will take place next February.

A Doctors Sword  How an Irish Doctor Survived War, Captivity and the Atomic Bomb is published in hardback by The Collins Press, priced 19.99. Also available online from www.collinspress.ie

Story of his life in brief

Aidan MacCarthys medals, from left: OBE, George Medal, 1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-45, and Knights Cross of the Order of St Sylvester. (The bottom row is the dress version of the medals.) The picture by Barry Murphy is taken from A Doctors Sword How an Irish Doctor Survived War, Captivity and the Atomic Bomb by Bob Jackson, published by The Collins Press, 2016.

Aidan MacCarthy graduated in medicine from University College Cork in 1938 and travelled to London in search of adventure. He and his friends couldnt decide between joining the Royal Air Force or the navy so they asked a hostess in a West End bar to toss a coin. They joined the RAF the next day  September 4, 1939, the day after the Second World War was declared.

Dr MacCarthy was awarded the George Medal, the highest award for bravery for non-combat personnel in the British armed forces when he rescued the crew of a bomber that crash-landed at an RAF base in England in 1941.

When he was a student, he saved the lives of his mother, aunt, and cousins when their pleasure boat caught fire in Castletownbere harbour. He tied a rope around his waist and swam to the shore, dragging the burning boat behind him.

He spent the final year of the Second World War working as a slave for the Mitsubishi Corporation. After the war, he was never bitter towards the Japanese but refused to allow a Mitsubishi car in his driveway.

The Mitsubishi Steel & Arms Works, the Nagasaki factory, where he was imprisoned and where he sought refuge from the atomic bomb, was in fact the target of the bomb on August 9, 1945.

He put his medical training to good use in the camp while treating his fellow prisoners, including making a protein-rich maggot soup for those who were ill, smuggling yeast in balls of rice to other camps, and treating eye infections with shaving cream.

Dr MacCarthy was the first non-Japanese doctor to assist civilians in the aftermath of the atomic bomb attack on Nagasaki.

On August 15, 1945, the day the Japanese surrendered, he was gifted an ancestral Japanese sword by his camp commandant, whose life he saved from POWs intent on revenge.

He was one of the few people who survived the two events which bookend the Second World War  Dunkirk and Nagasaki.

The Japanese ship on which he was being transported to Nagasaki was sunk by an American submarine. Out of the 1,000 POWs on the ship, just 35 survived.

Before the war, he had weighed 14 stone. When he returned home at the end of the war, following years of starvation and malnutrition, his body weight had halved to just seven stone.
Helen McEntee, minister of state for mental health and older people has said that provision of care for an increasing elderly population needs to be prioritised and is now pushing to extend the nursing home scheme to home help packages.

The Fair Deal Scheme was introduced in 2009 and provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care.

However, extending this to cover people who want to remain at home may be problematic as assets, including land and property, are taken into account when calculating how much residents of nursing homes pay towards their care under the current scheme.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Ms McEntee said this aspect would have to be worked out but said she favoured the extension of the Fair Deal scheme.

The Meath East TD said: There needs to be, in my own view, a similar model for home help as there is for the Fair Deal.

Obviously, the Fair Deal scheme is based on your land, your home, so if you are actually living at home, there are hurdles and there are legal aspects that you have to try and get around, she said.

But I think thats something that we need to address, and we do need to do it quickly, we cant sit on this for 10 or 15 years because in the next 10 or 15 years, our elderly population, people over 60, 70 and 80, will have doubled and quadrupled.

So this is something that we need to work on and I think the will is there, she said.

Ms McEntee said the Government would also be focusing on providing more health services in communities to take some of the pressure off overcrowded hospitals and emergency departments.

Fianna Fails Willie ODea has already introduced a bill in the Dail to amend the Fair Deal scheme to make home care packages a statutory right.

Mr ODea said the bill, which will be debated when the Dail resumes, would allow home care services to be offered to people in place of long-term residential care.

The vast majority of older people would like to remain in their own home for as long as possible. However, many older people are being denied this due to a lack of home care packages.

As a consequence of this, many older people who would ordinarily live at home if they had the necessary home care support are instead being forced to live in nursing homes, he said.

Ms McEntee added that overall health funding now has to transfer from hospitals into communities but this significant shift would take time: We need to move the dependency away from the acute hospital setting.

The aim is to bring more supports to the primary care setting, sometimes people go into hospitals when they dont need to be there at all, for something simple that can get done within their community and thats why we are investing in primary care centres, thats why we are investing in more staff, more nurses and more doctors within the communities.

Sometimes, if a person goes into hospital with something minor, they catch something else and then they actually end up getting sicker and then they are told they have to go into a nursing home.

Really, nursing homes should be at the very end stage, at the very last stage and if you talk to any of the experts they will say people who have been in nursing homes and have gone home they often improve.

Ms McEntee said because there is a focus on trolley counts this is the first place where additional funds are spent: At the moment the funding is going to the hospitals, we need to change that and we need to move it away, but that all doesnt happen in a year or two.
Created Equal PAC Announces Hillary Project

Activists intend on presenting Hillary with unborn children

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 15, 2016 / Christian Newswire / -- Created Equal PAC, a project anti-abortion activist Mark Harington, is launching an effort to present Hillary Clinton with the victims of abortion. Mark Harrington, acting the volunteer director for Created Equal PAC, will be directing activists to personally present presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with actual unborn children at campaign stops around the country. Additionally, Mark will be coordinating public protests at Clinton public events using abortion victim imagery.

For decades, Bill and Hillary Clinton have been the most ardent promoters of legal child-killing in America. Bill championed the censoring of free speech with the Freedom to Access Clinic Entrances (FACE) Law and supported partial-birth abortion. Hillary opposes "born alive" legislation and wants the Hyde amendment, which has forbidden federal tax dollars to pay for abortions since the 1980s, to be repealed. Mrs. Clinton's public policy on abortion-killing is the most extreme in American history.

"As Christians, we have a responsibility to speak truth directly to power. We need to rise up and call Hillary to account for her part in child-killing in an attempt to change her position. If we don't stand up against this evil, we cannot claim to be authentic followers of Christ."  Mark Harrington

Created Equal PAC is recruiting activists in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida to help organize Hillary Project events.
This is according to a national crime survey, published today, by the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME), which has more than 10,200 members.

Almost every single business surveyed reported having little faith in the legal system.

This survey clearly shows that there is a total lack of faith in the justice system, as 98% of respondents feel that it is ineffective in dealing with business crime, said ISME chief executive Mark Fielding.

This sentiment is further reflected by the fact that more than one in five crimes go unreported.

The figures from the report also show:

Annually, crime costs a business 6,570 directly.

An average of 5,428 is spent by each business on prevention and security.

Cost of crime to Irish SMEs annually is 1.83bn.

31% of businesses were the victim of a crime in the past 12 months.

45% of SMEs reported experiencing more than one crime against their business.

Other findings from the report show the nature of the crimes against small and medium-sized Irish firms, as well as which sectors suffered the most.

32% of crimes that were reported were in relation to a theft by an outsider.

29% of incidences related to burglary.

27% of the crimes were acts of vandalism.

Retail experienced 45% of all reported crimes.

The construction industry experienced 36% of the crimes that were reported.

Mr Fielding said the Government is not doing enough to combat crimes against businesses in Ireland.

The reduction of business crime is fundamental to business prosperity and is not being prioritised by Government. The business community has the right to expect that, when found guilty; a perpetrator of crime against business will be dealt with appropriately within the legal system, he said.

ISME made 11 recommendations as a result of the surveys findings.

The association wants a definition for business crime to be introduced in Ireland, so that the offence can be properly tagged by the gardai. Another recommendation calls for the sharing of CCTV data among businesses, but in line with data protection legislation.

ISME also recommends that community gardai are trained in how SMEs operate, and the impact of crime on their businesses.
A man, Kevin Mallon, who works for one company, THG, voluntarily decided to act as a ticket agent for a rival company, Pro10 Sports, in Rio, to help them distribute almost 800 tickets. He ends up getting arrested amid allegations of ticket touting.

Question one: Why would anyone working for one company go out of his way to help a rival, especially when he was not getting paid for his considerable trouble?

Now, the Olympic Council of Ireland had told THG that they were to have no role in distributing tickets, yet their man was arrested last week and has been in jail ever since.

The OCI has insisted so far that no wrong doing has gone on from its point of view. In a statement yesterday, the OCI said: There remains no suggestion of any wrongdoing or misconduct on the part of the OCI or any of its staff.

Question 2: Was the OCI aware of the arrangement with Mallon and was it satisfied with it, given its warning to THG not to involve itself in the distribution of tickets?

For Pro10, they insist there was no breach of rules in Mr Mallon handling the tickets on its behalf they said in a statement yesterday, and THG have insisted Mallon is completely innocent.

They said they applied for the contract to handle the tickets in Rio, but would have incurred a financial loss if they had to have their own person on the ground.

Question 3: But as distribution of tickets was a major component of the arrangement with the OCI, how were they awarded the contract if they were unable or unwilling to fulfill this part of the service themselves?

Given the furore, the OCI is under fire and has launched an investigation into the affair. Now, given it is a central player, it has been pointed out that it would be investigating itself.

In its own statement yesterday, the OCI denied it would be judge and jury on itself.

But Shane Ross and Patrick ODonovan, the line ministers are not convinced by this, nor are other leading politicans, who are demanding answers.

Leading member of the Public Accounts Committee, Fine Gael TD Noel Rock said: Theres a clear need for an investigation into the OCI relationship with Pro 10, how it came about and the details of that relationship. Theres also an equally pressing need for an investigation on the link between Pro 10 and THG, and the individual working for THG.

Its mind boggling that Pro 10 - the agency charged with distributing tickets - had nobody in Rio but THG, a rival agency who were explicitly told by the International Olympic committee that they had no role in distributing tickets, were present, he told me yesterday.

Timmy Dooley of Fianna Fail echoed those comments: The statements to date stretch credibility and taken together read like a ladybird fairytale.
Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Harris said his decision to include the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP) in the upcoming talks as significant.

This is because previous minister Leo Varadkar had excluded the NAGP from talks, choosing to only negotiate with the Irish Medical Organisation.

Mr Harris said: This is significant as it is important that a new contract is delivered. I need the GPs to talk so I am happy to discuss with the NAGP to facilitate that.

I think it is absolutely essential that we have that new contract negotiated and I want to see the NAGP as a part of thatwhat I am doing is saying very clearly that when we get down to negotiating the GP contract, which I expect to happen by the end of the year, that the NAGP need to be in the room.

Chris Goodey, NAGP CEO, welcomed the ministers stated position: It is very welcome that Minister Harris will include the NAGP in GP contract negotiations. The NAGP has been strongly and consistently representing the interests of GPs since its revival in 2013. We look forward to engaging with the Minister and the Department of Health on a new contract that is fit for purpose.

There is no doubt that we have to move towards primary care, that has to mean more than just bricks and mortar. It has to mean that we are doing and providing more health services and that people going to acute hospitals today find themselves being able to access more medical care and more services in the communities.

You cant do this without GPs. While GPs have a major role to play, so do other healthcare professionals, the dentists, opticians, public health nurse, speech and language therapist, the pharmacist. It has to be multi-disciplinary but the GP has a major role to play, and in fact, does play a major role already.
Bodywhys carried out qualitative research with young people from Comhairle na nOg, in relation to body image and self-esteem, said Fiona Flynn, the associations youth development officer.

They were asked a range of questions, regarding the type and source of stress faced by young people, in relation to body image and how to manage it.

Social media emerged as the primary source of concern around body image, added Ms Flynn.

The research also showed the impact a like on social media had a persons self-esteem.

The young people described how the number of likes on profile pictures was frequently a source of worry, and they felt that responses through social media were associated with self-judgement.

The focus groups also discussed a preoccupation with updating photos online and the potential negative impact on someones quality of life.

Low body image, along with feeling consumed by pressures from social media, was discussed as a hindrance to enjoying life and other activities, said Ms Flynn.

More focus groups were carried out in a Dublin school and these students reported social media as the main source of pressure in their lives.

Bodywhys has since developed pilot materials, as well as video footage of young people talking about such issues.

The information was piloted in one secondary school last December. It is under evaluation, prior to final materials being developed.

Clinical psychotherapist, Joanna Fortune, who works with children and adolescents, said that young people are bombarded with images of perfection, and not of reality.

In a world of filters and Photoshopping apps, our social media selves can make it difficult to attune to our real-world selves, where we may feel we never look quite right or good enough.

We are also bombarded with picture-perfect images of everyone else, and that can lead to a feeling of not measuring up and feeling less than everyone else.

It skews our perspective and sense of self, and this can cause a significant impact on self-esteem, and lead to a high emotional charge around our physical bodies, causing other, related issues, she told the Irish Examiner.

Social-media posts tend to be about showing our very best selves and the very best of our lives.

But real life has ups and downs, and focusing only on the very best can leave us ill-equipped to cope with the challenges that life throws our way.

It can also leave us dependent on external validation from others, which will negatively impact our sense of self and self-esteem, she added.
In fact, the EU has predicted that one in 10 people living here will be over the age of 80 by 2060.

It may seem a long way off but action must be taken now to deal with the extra health care, social and pension needs that an ageing population requires.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Helen McEntee expressed the need for urgent action.

Its something that we need to address, and we do need to do it quickly, we cant sit on this for 10 or 15 years because in the next 10 or 15 years, our elderly population, people over 60, 70 and 80, will have doubled and quadrupled.

So this is something that we need to work on and I think the will is there, she said.

Working out what that something is vital and coping with our elderly will have to take a multifaceted approach.

While the Fair Deal scheme, which has been up a running since 2009, goes some way to address elderly care it does not cater for the majority of people who would prefer to remain in their own homes.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael now seem to be in agreement that home care packages must be overhauled and extended.

However, home help hours have been slashed by 1.58 million since 2010 according to the Alone charity  this was during a period when the number of older people in Ireland increased by 18%.

Elderly people wanting to remain in their own homes simply cannot get the support they need.

Last week the Irish Examiner reported the plight of a 92-year-old woman who has remained in hospital for almost a year as a result of a lack of funding for a home care package. The woman, who had been approved for a homecare package, has remained a patient at Mayo University Hospital for almost 300 days because the money simply isnt there to provide her with home help.

In the coming years our already aching hospitals will have to be re-engineered to cope with more elderly related illnesses and issues.

A policy of putting healthcare back into the community through primary health centres is now being rolled out. Move the dependency away from the acute hospital setting will be a priority for Ms McEntee and the government.

The aim is to bring more supports to the primary care setting, sometimes people go into hospitals when they dont need to be there at all, for something simple that can get done within their community and thats why we are investing in primary care centres, thats why we are investing in more staff, more nurses and more doctors within the communities.

She added: Sometimes if a person goes into hospital with something minor they catch something else and then they actually end up getting sicker and then they are told they have to go into a nursing home.

But the figures are stark and to achieve this a massive increase in funding and support will be required.

The European Commissions Ageing Report shows those aged 80 and over will make up 10 per cent of the population by 2060.

Irelands total population will increase to 5.3 million by the same year.

The average life expectancy will also jump from 79 to 85 for men and from 83 to 89 for women. In the next four decades Irelands elderly population  which is defined as including anyone over 80 years of age  will rise from 2.9% to 10.2%.

Time to start planning.

What is Fair Deal scheme and how does it work?

What is the Fair Deal?

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme, which is more commonly known as the Fair Deal Scheme was set up in 2009 and provides financial support to people who need long-term nursing home care. The scheme is operated by the HSE.

How does the scheme work?

The scheme was established to make nursing home care more affordable to people. It also allows people to keep their family home and land while in care.

Under this scheme, the person makes a contribution towards the cost of care and the State pays the balance.

How do you avail of the scheme?

Any resident of the State can apply for the scheme. After applying the person assessed to see if they qualify for Fair Deal.

The persons care needs are assessed to make sure that long-term nursing home care is the most appropriate option. The applicants finances are then assessed to see how much they should contribute towards the nursing home costs. If a persons contribution comes to less than the nursing home fees, the HSE will pay the rest.

How do you pay for the Fair Deal Scheme?

The contribution towards the cost of care can be paid for in two ways. One is out of the current income or means of the person or their family.

Older people also have to option of applying for Supplementary State Support. This is essentially a loan given by the State to the person to pay for nursing home care.

This loan is secured against the value of the property of the older person. In the case of the family home this is at present capped at 7.5% for a maximum of three years so that an individual is guaranteed not to have to pay more than 22.5% of the value of the family home.

The debt is collected by Revenue no later than one year after the death of the older person. However, this date can be delayed if there is still a dependent person (adult or child) in the home.

What exactly does the Fair Deal cover?

The scheme covers approved private nursing homes, voluntary nursing homes and public nursing homes. The list of approved nursing homes is available through the HSE.

However, the Fair Deal only covers room and board and basic care and does not cover therapeutic care nor medication or aids and appliances.

Neither does the scheme cover short-term care such as respite, convalescent care or day care.

What about home care packages?

Up until now, home care packages and home help has not been covered under the Fair Deal Scheme. Junior Minister Helen McEntee has told the Irish Examiner that this now needs to be looked at so that more people can remain in their homes.
Following performances in the UK and Northern Ireland, the Abbey Theatres revival of Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching to the Somme  a co-production with a number of theatre companies in the UK  is now running on the Abbeys own stage in Dublin, the place where Frank McGuinnesss bracing piece first debuted in 1985. The play centres on eight young men in the Ulster Regiment of the British Army during one of the most horrific military encounters in history, the Battle of the Somme.

In the plays key role, Sean McGinley plays Kenneth Pyper, the groups lone survivor who must combat the trauma of memory, both his own and that of Ulster. Its a part that the Ballyshannon man  a pillar of Irish theatre, film, and TV for over three decades  will never forget, not least because it brought him to the Somme earlier this summer, when, on the eve of the centenary, the production was staged outdoors by the Ulster Memorial Tower in Thiepval.

When you go there, you see the rows and rows of tombstones, says McGinley. And the big memorial in Thiepval to the 74,000 men who were never identified, the bodies obliterated from the face of the earth. And then you see the field of poppies, and you know this is where a lot of those bodies remain. And you go, for what? For nothing. All the rhetoric of king and country, and fighting for the freedom of small nations, and all that crap  its just nonsense.

McGinley says the rhetoric of war remains the same today, and  pointing to the parallels with modern warzones such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan  his contempt for those who send young men out to die is palpable.

Well, Ive got to be careful, because that can all sound trite and trivial compared to what those men actually went through, he says.

An actor in the 21st century giving out about it is kind of meaningless in a way. But when you see the tombstones and the bit of ground that they were fighting over, words kind of lose meaning. And thats where Franks play comes in, I think. He transcends the subject matter and makes something beautiful out of something really ugly and horrible. I think thats what hes done. And I think the world benefits from that.

The production was running in Belfast this summer when the annual Orange Order celebrations on July 12th were taking place.

Its very celebratory and joyous in many ways, says McGinley. The crowds were there all day. They were having a drink and there was a party atmosphere. And then when the bands returned from the fields later in the day, there was an incredible exchange of energy between the band and the crowd. And it was really celebratory, until you remember that it excludes half the population of the city.

The islands historical divisions  something that McGuinnesss play itself addresses  clearly remain, yet McGinleys memories of the production also include the warm welcome of the Northern Irish volunteers in France who run the Ulster Memorial Tower and the personal interchange between the cast and young soldiers from East Belfast who  while doing drills in Thiepval ahead of official British Army commemorations  asked to attend the show.

And we thought maybe the last fifteen minutes of the play might be too much for them, but all of them stayed and all of them were on their feet at the end, he says. They stayed and shook our hands afterwards and said that was amazing. So theatre can make an impact, then?

It can do, says McGinley. When you see something like that, you see the possibilities of it. And it helps you to get out of bed the next day  the possibility of that happening again.
My wife is standing at the counter of the Nando restaurant on Corso Italia in the centre of Pisa. It is a local institution where people drop in for pizza al taglio or for cecina (a sort of pancake made with chickpea flour). In her fluent Italian, she is talking about Brexit with the staff, who had raised the subject pretty quickly once they had realized that she is half-English.

One of them thinks it will make people in other European countries sit up and think a bit harder about the European Union and what exactly membership means for them. Another says she likes the look of Theresa May: sensible, a safe pair of hands. And so the Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, who a few a short weeks ago would surely have meant very little to the people of Pisa, is now a talking point around the pizza oven.

A few days later, a gentleman sidles up to us on the beach. After a few pleasantries about his own time working in England, he is off. Everyone who voted leave now regrets it, I hear. It was the uneducated who swung the vote, wasnt it? And so on. Some of the instant reactions to the result, it seems, were now received wisdom on the beaches of Tuscany.

That evening we are having dinner with friends in the hills overlooking the city. Again, it doesnt take long for Brexit to rear its head. But when I remind everyone that I am Irish, conversation veers off into different, older historical divisions. Am I from the north or the south? Protestant or Catholic? Brexit is quickly forgotten.

Pisa is a town where it is hard to escape politics, simply because there is no shortage of political graffiti on view. In the alleyway outside our flat, someone had painted in very large letters Leterosessualita e contra natura - Hetrosexuality is unnatural. There was also a hammer and sickle nearby, although I couldnt be sure whether it came from the same source as the slogan. A few streets away, next to the anarchists symbol, someone had scrawled Bruccia la citta  Burn down the city.

No mention of Brexit. It may be on peoples minds, but, when they come to pick up their spray cans, it is other, more elemental political battles that are troubling them.

This isnt to say there were no flickers of Brexit unrest troubling the surface of Pisa in July. Down the street from Nando is the Pisa branch of Feltrinelli the booksellers. It is a lovely shop with its own indoor courtyard, complete with benches and vines. Feltrinelli, as it happens, did have a fairly modest display devoted to Brexit.

On closer inspection, some of the books were not so much about the practical implications of Brexit and more about the past and future of European civilization itself. If the referendum was ultimately a piece of Tory party management that had backfired, it may nevertheless have also become the stimulus for all manner of cultural soul-searching far beyond the shores of the United Kingdom.

The newspapers meanwhile were dominated by the aftermath of the terror attack in Nice. They did note, however, Boris Johnsons arrival on the diplomatic stage. One newspaper published a front page attack in the usual terms, calling him a buffoon and worse. Another, while not forgetting Johnsons history of gaffes, seemed more willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

The other visual clue Pisa has to offer about Italys post-Brexit mindset was in its flags. As a rule, municipal buildings display the Pisan cross (white on a red background with three spheres at the tips of each splayed arm), the Italian tricolore and the flag of the European Union. Local, national, supra-national: this seems to be the officially sanctioned array.

Out at Marina di Pisa, things are a little more chaotic. Marina is home to dozens of paying beaches where Pisan families come each summer to take up residence on a crowded but homely strip of the Med. On arriving you pass under an archway bearing the name of the beach: Primavera, Tritone, La Pace and so on. And there is often a collection of flags too.

Usually these are fairly eclectic assortments. The Pisan cross is still much in evidence, as is the Italian Navys version of the national flag. Other regulars are the Spanish flag, the German one, the Stars and Stripes, the flag of Brazil and, yes, the EU flag.

Im not sure whether the latter is there to express loyalty to the EU, or is a handy way of signalling welcome to visitors from lots of different places in one go, or possibly both. In any case, weve been coming here for many years and I didnt notice any particular reduction in the number of British flags. There had been no mass lowering of Union Jacks in reaction to Brexit. So if what I saw and heard in one week is anything to go by then reaction to Brexit in Italy so far has been fairly phlegmatic: quite a lot of interest, some concern, but no panic on the streets of Pisa yet. I wonder how things will stand twelve months hence.

But for now, the last word goes to another one of the staff at Nando. I am for Cameron, he declared, completely deadpan. Cameron Diaz!
ISTANBUL, in western Turkey, is one of Europes great cities. As Constantinople, it was the capital of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and after its capture and renaming by Mehmed II in 1453, it served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire for nearly another 500 years.

Throughout its history, the city on the western side of the Bosphorus Strait separating Europe from Asia has been an epicentre of the relationship between the geopolitical West and East. And Istanbul will most likely continue to play that role, given the current importance of mostly Christian Europes relationship with the wider Muslim world.

Turkey itself emerged from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, and Turkish political life has often been tumultuous, marked by competing visions and aspirations, successes and setbacks. Still, during the last two centuries, reformers seeking to modernise Turkey have looked to Europe for inspiration.

This was certainly true of Turkeys first president, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who pushed through authoritarian reforms in the 1920s and 1930s to secularize the country; and it has been true for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, over the past 13 years, first as Turkeys prime minister and now as its president, has emerged as a towering personality on the world stage.

Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) spent their first decade in power pushing through impressive economic and, yes, democratic reforms. Turkey, whose membership in the EU Customs Union was already supporting its economic transformation, moved closer to eligibility for eventual EU membership  a process that reinforced the countrys motivation to make progress on democratic reforms. Hope that the country had finally overcome its chequered history of military dictatorships was gaining strength.

However, Turkeys accession talks with the EU have ground almost to a halt, owing partly to hostility against Turkey in some EU member states.

The motives behind this animus vary, but the overall effect has been to alienate many Turks, who now feel rejected by a Europe that once inspired them. Not surprisingly, some Turks now look for inspiration and opportunities elsewhere. Moreover, the situation inside Turkey has worsened in recent years, with society becoming dangerously polarised under the strain of the escalating conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

Threats from militant Kurdish factions have resurfaced after a long ceasefire, and the Islamic State has launched a series of terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara. It is a testament to Turkeys resiliency that, under such conditions, it has still managed to host up to three million refugees.

Turkish politics since 2013 has also suffered from a ruthless and increasingly destructive silent civil war between the AKP and its former allies in the Gulenist movement, an Islamic community nominally led by the exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen.

The AKP and the Gulenists were once united in seeking to eradicate the Kemalist deep state  an alleged network of anti-democratic, nationalist agents embedded in the states security structures with a mission to uphold Ataturks secular vision.

Part of this united effort involved, in 2007, show trials of senior Turkish generals that were based on fabricated evidence  an episode that many now agree led the country astray.

The years since then have been marked by warnings of Gulenist infiltration of the police force, the judiciary, and parts of the military. This silent civil war, which significantly degraded the countrys democratic development.

became audible with the failed coup in July, which most observers believe was orchestrated by Gulenist forces. If the coup had succeeded, Turkey likely would have descended into open civil war with no end in sight, and with all hope for democracy extinguished. One silver lining is that, after years of division, the putsch has united Turkeys democratic political parties around the shared goal of defending democracy against future internal threats.

The Wests lack of empathy for Turkey during this traumatic period has been astonishing; it is in no Western countrys interest that Russias Vladimir Putin was the first to meet with Erdo?gan in the episodes aftermath.

No one should be surprised that Turkey is now trying to purge Gulenists from positions of power.To be sure, we should not ignore abuses in the post-putsch crackdown; but we should put ourselves in the authorities shoes.

For what its worth, senior Turkish officials, in a meeting with Council of Europe Secretary-General Thorbjrn Jagland, have promised to uphold the rule of law in accordance with Council membership.

Turkey is at a historical crossroads, but it is still too early to tell where the country is headed. If the previous trends toward polarisation and authoritarianism continue, the country could eventually reach a breaking point. But if national unity, based on shared commitment to democracy, ultimately prevails, Turkeys political climate will improve, allowing for a resumption of the Kurdish peace process, further progressive political reforms, and new hope for future integration in Europe.

And make no mistake: the Wests attitude toward Turkey matters. Western diplomats should escalate engagement with Turkey to ensure an outcome that reflects democratic values and is favourable to Western and Turkish interests alike.

A democratic and European Turkey could be a bridge to deliver reform and modernity to the Muslim world; an alienated and authoritarian Turkey could bring conflict and strife back to Europes eastern borderlands. What happens on the Bosphorus affects us all.

Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2016.
Being the leader of the USA isnt very compatible with family life. Franklin D Roosevelt once told an aide that one of the worst things in the world was being the child of a president saying they led a terrible life.

Joshua Kendall in his new book First Dads Parenting and Politics from George Washington to Barack Obama breaks US presidents down in to various categories of parenting.

All 43 presidents have been parents whether biologically or by adoption and they all fit into six categories. The presidents have either been the Preoccupied, Double Dealing dads, Playful Pals, Tiger Dads, the Grief Stricken or the Nurturers.

Joshua Kendall says when Franklin D Roosevelt died in 1945 most Americans felt as if they had lost their own father. Sadly his own children felt differently.

As Eleanor Roosevelt recalled in her autobio- graphy when their children wanted to have a private conversation with him they had to schedule an appointment.

Kendall says while FDR was a national leader his parenting skills left a lot to be desired.

He would literally lean on his kids while giving a speech. His helpless needy side came out with them, he says. Barack Obama is the first president to ever change a nappy. Kendall describes Obama as a rare bird as holders of the office go.

He is a nurturing dad. He wants his daughters to do their own thing. In most cases sons and daughters end up in the family business. Chelsea Clinton has spent her whole life serving her father being involved in campaigns from a very young age.

She was six when he was running for governor. On the otherhand Obama has always been available to his girls. Even as busy as he is, he finds time for them.

Kendall says the vast majority of presidents have been obsessed with politics to the detriment of their family.

He stresses that while Bill and Hillary Clinton undoubtedly love their eldest daughter they are both political animals, leaving Chelsea with little choice but to fit into their world.

Looking to the potential next US president Kendall states that Donald Trump would fit in to the preoccupied and authoritarian model. Oh he never did diapers. He outsourced the children. Interestingly the kids are a lot more polished then their dad. There is a lot of vanity with Trump. He would be very much the preoccupied dad.

JIMMY CARTER

Jimmy Carter might have remained a preoccupied dad forever had not his eldest son, Jack, confronted him with a thunderbolt a few years in to his post- presidency.

One day in the mid 1980s while they were hunting together, a tearful Jack blurted out: Daddy, Ive been wanting to tell you for years. I think the way you treated me as a child almost ruined my life.

Carter recalled later his reaction was anger at this ingrate. So I went home and told my wife about it, and it took us a long time to realise that we were not good parents.

For a couple of years father and son refused to see each other, preferring to communicate only through letters, which were often emotionally charged.

After much soul-searching, Carter became sympathetic to Jacks concerns, realising that he had, in fact internalised the harsh parenting style of his own father Earl.

When I became a father, I emulated my daddy, he reflected in 1996. I was a naval officer. I gave my three boys orders. If they didnt carry my orders out, they were punished. And it was only later  when my oldest son finally made me realise that I was not a good father, he said.

Other presidents who fit the playful description include Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, James Buchanan, Chester Arthur and George W Bush.

RONALD REAGAN

Reagan was often too preoccupied with his own concerns to be able to understand what his children might be experiencing.

In the decades to come Patti would rarely feel acknowledged by her father. His presence, she once said, felt like absence.

While Ron, his other child with Nancy, has fond memories of swimming and playing catch with his father, he, too felt the distance, noting that there is something that (Dad) holds back. You get just so far.

GEORGE HW BUSH

The hardworking George Herbert Walker Bush was constantly on the go. After settling in Texas in 1948, the budding oilman and his wife Barbara, kept shuttling back east, entrusting the care of their children to family friends for long stretches of time.

In the middle of 1959, as the couple organised the 800km move from Midland to Houston while Barbara was pregnant with their last child they farmed out their four sons for four months.

As Jeb Bush later recalled of that summer: At least we werent put in a kennel.

When this consummate networker ran for the US Senate in 1964, there was no coffee gathering or chamber of commerce banquet too small for him to attend, as former President George W Bush later put it.

That spring, Bush also missed George Jnrs graduation from Andover.

Even when we were growing up in Houston, Jeb has stated, Dad wasnt at home to play catch. It was a matriarchal family. He was hardly around.

On those rare occasions when he stayed put, Bush could be playful and entertaining.

For this reason, Jeb has also credited his father with inventing quality time. However, there was never much quantity.
EVEN if Republican Donald Trump doesnt win the US presidency, the question arises as to what kind of America he might leave in his wake?

What will happen to all that anger among the record 13 million supporters who made him their presidential nominee in Republican primaries  will they be left to feel abandoned once again by Washington or will they find a home in the far right corners of the Tea Party or within some other political grouping?

The problem for America is not simply that Trumps followers number in the millions, its the ways in which he has radicalised them, tapping into their fears and insecurities and encouraging them to demonise those with whom they disagree or those who look different from them.

He has taken ownership of their grievances to fuel his rise to power, frequently replacing normal political discourse with seething anger, violent intolerance and open racism in a way that modern American has never before witnessed.

The country certainly has a long way to go in improving race relations, even after the historic election of its first black president. Yet, it has travelled a long distance from the eras of lynching and segregating African-Americans or from the nativism that put up no Irish need apply signs in workplaces.

But in a country that has since embraced its immigrant roots and welcomed the stranger, the pernicious rise of Trumpism in this election could endanger much of that progress.

None of the anger and racism he has fuelled will fade away even if Trump himself does so in November. Some Democrats have opined that a wide margin of victory for Hillary Clinton could help squash Trumps movement.

But that attitude, which smacks of political arrogance, is both naive and dangerous.

Trumps supporters and their economic and social grievances cannot be dismissed but must be addressed both by Democrats and Republicans if they want a more equitable and stable society.

Otherwise, these wounds will fester and infect the American body politic and, in the long run, will mean victory for Trumps ideas or for far rightist politicians who follow in his wake, as they inevitably will, if a vacuum is allowed to exist for them to fill.

Already, the birth of Trumpism has sparked the emergence once again in Louisiana of the racist Ku Klux Klan.

Today, another former KKK Grand Wizard in Louisiana, David Duke, says he has been inspired by Trumps example to run for the US Senate.

Im overjoyed to see Donald Trump and most Americans embrace most of the issues that Ive championed for years, Duke said last month when he launched his senate campaign.

Trump has also split the Republican party with many refusing to back his candidacy and others barely tolerating it.

The most senior elected Republican leader, House of Representative Speaker Paul Ryan, for example, has called some comments by Trump textbook racism but has, nevertheless, rowed in behind him for the sake of the party.

But if Trumps White House bid fails, the fallout for the Republican party could upend it for a decade and, amid such disarray, the party could not be relied on either to soothe Trumps supporters or to try to woo them back into the fold.

The party used to be about tapping mainstream conservative ideas like tax cuts and repealing government regulations, but under Trump its become more and more about blaming economic and social woes on immigrant groups  even as he promotes an agenda that is seen as primarily helping wealthy families like his own.

If he becomes president, for example, Trump has promised to repeal the 40% US inheritance tax. This means that his family and other billionaire families like them would stand to gain billions  in Trumps familys case the figure they would save has been put at up to $7 billion. So even if he wins he may do little to better the lot of his followers.

In addition, Trumps primary constituency has already become a minority. There are probably no longer enough angry white people in America to elect Trump, no more than there were to defeat Barack Obama.

On the contrary, Obama won the 2008 election because he got out the African- American vote and also won the support of the surging Hispanic demographic that is changing the face of American politics, even as the Republican party standard bearer goes out of his way to insult such voters.

And, as its members have grown whiter, older and less educated than the general population, the party has lurched to the far right by bowing to the Tea Party forces in recent years. Thus, it lost its chance not alone to find a niche in the changing America but even to maintain its conservative base.

Having allowed itself to be highjacked by the Tea Party, it became easy prey for a demagogue like Trump. Now the question is if he brings the party down with him how will it recover and where, in the meantime, will the Trumpists find a home.

The only way this anger can be calmed is if the Democratic and Republican parties painstakingly work to address the concerns of many of Trumps supporters about jobs, wages and social isolation.

But even if the Democratic party wins the White House, it too faces its own problems.

Some say that in so ardently wooing the progressive supporters of Clintons one-time rival Senator Bernie Sanders the party risks the danger of further alienating its more traditional supporters.

If both parties do decide to work together for post-election solutions to heal the country that would still require Trump to respect the outcome of the poll and work with the victor. None of which seems like Trumps style at the moment.

Indeed, some are beginning to suggest that the New York businessman may not even want to be president any more.

Some polls are telling him he could lose badly to Clinton, that narrative goes, so now he is concentrating on being more outrageous by the day merely to boost the Trump brand.

Others, however, say he wants win badly to push his economic agenda and thats also why embarrassed republicans are sticking with him. But it remains a very dangerous scenario for the country if he fails in his bid and his millions of supporters are left twisting in the wind by the political establishment of both parties.

At the end of the day, this election is going to be about more than the ambitions of two candidates. Its ultimately going to be about endangering or preserving the very fabric of American democracy.
The Republican presidential candidate will get another chance to reset his campaign today when he is expected to lay out his plan for defeating what running mate Mike Pence yesterday called radical Islamic terrorism with real specifics on how to make the United States safer.

However, Trump set up that address with extensive new complaints about the latest disastrous week of coverage and reports of campaign chaos.

Not to blame, Trump suggested, were his own remarks that gun rights supporters could do something if Clinton becomes president and appoints liberal judges, or his repeated insistence that President Barack Obama founded Isis.

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.

That tweet was followed by: My rallies are not covered properly by the media. They never discuss the real message and never show crowd size or enthusiasm.

His anti-media tweet storm topped half a dozen posts by mid-afternoon.

It was the latest in a series of implicit acknowledgements by the Republican presidential nominee that he is not winning and in fact could be headed for a big loss to Clinton on election day in less than three months.

Signs were popping up across the political landscape that Trumps year-plus flirtation with presidential politics was in danger of not advancing much further.

Additional Republicans have come forward to say they are not supporting his bid, with Carlos Gutierrez, secretary of commerce under President George W Bush, announcing his support for Clinton yesterday.

Meanwhile, GOP leaders in Washington and in the most competitive states are contemplating turning their backs on their partys presidential nominee and putting their money and effort behind the partys House and Senate candidates.

Frustratingly for Republicans, Trumps missteps have overshadowed difficult news for Clinton: the new release of 44 previously-unreleased email exchanges she 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.

The New York Times catalogued a culture of crisis inside the Trump campaign on Sunday. That set Trump off on a Twitter rant yesterday. He called the report fiction and reiterated that he is not about to change what he sees as a winning campaign formula. I am who I am, he tweeted.

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Trump is continuing to raise millions of dollars while travelling to key battleground states  Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida.
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 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 Aleppos 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 that 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 Syrias 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 30km to the west. A spokesman for the ultraconservative Ahrar al-Sham faction confirmed the rebels were drawing recruits from Idlib.

The battle for Aleppo concerns all of Syria, said Abu Khaled, who gave only his alias. 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 two million people, most of whom live in the government-controlled western districts.

Last night, 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 citys western and southern districts.

To the east, a Kurdish-led force known as the Syria Democratic Forces drove the IS 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.
In the movie, which has been digitally restored for its 40th anniversary, De Niro plays a lonely, depressed former US Marine living on his own in New York who becomes a taxi driver to cope with his chronic insomnia.

Many of our colleagues became taxi drivers after being retired from the Bosnian army and in a sign of gratitude and compassion with the main character we have decided to stage him a warm welcome in this way, Hasib Losic of the Sarajevo Taxi Association said.

Some 300 taxi drivers have put up De Niro posters, most depicting him with his hair shaved into a mohawk, onto their windscreens and more will follow the suit during the nine-day Sarajevo Film Festival.

The festival, founded as an act of defiance towards the end of the 1992-95 siege during the Bosnian war, will this year show 222 films from 61 countries to an audience of about 100,000.

It will honour De Niro with a lifetime achievement award on its opening night.

Dopey burglars

US: Note to burglars  dont fall asleep outside the place you just burglarised with your vehicle full of the loot.

A pair of 17-year-olds in the Central California community of Winton were arrested and released to the custody of their parents on Friday after passing out in a haze of marijuana smoke outside a construction site, their blue SUV packed with copper wires and other items from the property, police said.

The youths also had a loaded gun, which investigators determined had been stolen in March, said Jason Goins, Undersheriff for the Merced County Sheriffs Department.

They were spotted in their car by a sheriffs deputy shortly after midnight on Friday, Goins said.

There was a strong odour of marijuana coming from the vehicle, Goins said. They were passed out and he had to wake them up.

The youths, whom Goins said were gang members, were arrested on suspicion of participating in a criminal street gang, possessing stolen property and having a loaded gun in the vehicle.

Weve run across it before  people who are intoxicated or high on drugs passed out at the scene, Goins said. Its not common but it does happen.

Gender balance

Britain: The UKs champion male cyclists were left a note by their female team-mates warning them not to stumble into the wrong room while drunk in Rios Olympic Village.

Bradley Wiggins, Ed Clancy, Owain Doull and Steven Burke won the team pursuit and vowed to celebrate in style.

However, the women left them this note: To the team pursuit men ... Congratulations!! As were guessing youre probably gonna be drunk by the time you read this, and a few of you have already come into our room accidentally - just a friendly reminder that This is not your room. So please dont try and get in at 4am. Love, the girls x.

Losing my religion

US:

A New Jersey woman has settled a lawsuit that will allow her to display a vanity license plate that reads 8theist.

The settlement was filed in federal court on Friday.

Shannon Morgan lives in Maurice River in Cumberland County. She sued the state Motor Vehicle Commission in 2014 after it denied her request to get a plate that spells atheist beginning with the number 8 instead of the letter A on the grounds it might be considered offensive.

The settlement agreement says the commission agreed the plate is consistent with the commissions applicable regulations. As part of the settlement, the Motor Vehicle Commission also wont prohibit vanity plates with sayings such as atheism, godless, heathen, heretic and skeptic.

Chilli aid

Tanzania: Conservationists are using an unorthodox way of keeping elephants from wandering into human settlements by throwing condoms filled with chilli powder at them.

The method has proved effective and Honeyguide Foundation, which hit upon the idea several years ago, with US-based Nature Conservancy has stepped up its promotion, training volunteers in villages in north Tanzania to use a non-violent four-step way of protecting their homes and crops without hurting the animals. Previously many used spears to defend themselves.

Friday is World Elephant Day, which is dedicated to the protection of the animals.

Chilli powder mixed with soil is packed with a firecracker into a condom, its end is twisted shut with just the fuse exposed. When lit, the condom bursts open with a bang, spraying a fine dust of chilli powder into the air.
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.

Seleznevs lawyers plan to argue that prosecutors have failed to adequately connect him with the hacks that hit more than 200 businesses over several years.
St Gallen district police spokesman Hans-Peter Kruesi said three others remain in a critical condition, including a six-year-old child, and their wounds are considered to be life-threatening.

Police added that they are still searching for a motive but there is no indication the suspect, identified only as a 27-year-old Swiss man from a neighbouring region, had ties to extremist groups.

Officers searched the suspects home after the Saturday afternoon attack on the train as it neared the station in Salez, close to the Liechtenstein border.

Mr 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, Mr 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 suspect acted alone, attacking passengers on the train between Buchs and Sennwald with a knife and then a burning liquid, which is now being analysed by a police forensics team.

Five passengers on the train were wounded in the attack and a sixth person on the train platform was wounded as he pulled the burning suspect off the train, police said.

The Swiss train attack again illustrates how difficult it is for authorities to protect the continents labyrinthine transport system, particularly against individuals wielding unsophisticated weapons.

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. All his victims survived.

In May, a 27-year-old German man who had been in psychiatric care stabbed commuters at a train station in the German state of Bavaria, 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.
More than 100 protesters took to the streets of the citys north side on Saturday night after news of the shooting spread, erupting in clashes with police.

Several businesses were also set alight and an officer was injured by a brick.

At a news conference later, Mayor Tom Barrett said the situation appeared to be calming after riotous scenes in which protesters skirmished with police, torching a squad car and throwing a brick through the window of another.

Police mounted at least two efforts to push the protesters from an intersection at the heart of the violence.

The unrest began several hours after the 23-year-old man trying to flee from police after a traffic stop was shot and killed.

Police said the man  who had a criminal record  was armed with a stolen handgun, but it was not clear whether he was pointing the gun or aiming it at officers.

Mr 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 shooting was being investigated by the state. The officer was wearing a body camera, Mr Barrett said.

At least three people were arrested in an uprising that Mr Barrett said was driven by social media messages instructing people to congregate in the area.

We have to have calm, Mr Barrett said. There are a lot of really good people who live in this neighbourhood.

Milwaukee Common Council president Ashanti Hamilton echoed the mayors 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 neighbourhoods, Mr Hamilton said. Please participate in restoring order to these neighbourhoods.

Mr Barrett said the man who died was stopped by police for suspicious activity. Police said he was carrying a gun that had been stolen in a March burglary in suburban Waukesha.

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.

Police with shields and helmets moved slowly into the road where the protesters had gathered telling a crowd of about 50 people to disperse. Some threw rocks and other debris at police.

An earlier stand-off 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 cars windows. Another police car was set on fire.

The 24-year-old officer who shot the man has been placed on administrative duty. The officer has been with the Milwaukee police department for six years, three as an officer.

The owner of a gas station has blamed outsiders for the violence that destroyed his business on Milwaukees north side and said he is not sure he will rebuild.
In Michel Houellebecqs bleak satirical novel Submission, the French political order is turned on its head after the soul-crushing re-election in 2017 of Francois Hollande, the most unpopular president the country has ever seen.

A strange, oppressive mood settled over France, a kind of suffocating despair, all-encompassing, but shot through with glints of insurrection, writes Houellebecq in his 2015 bestseller.

Nine months before real French voters go to the polls, this gloomy vision - or some variation of it - no longer seems quite so outlandish.

Hollande, 62, may be a long-shot to win re-election.

But the chances of him emerging as the Socialist candidate for president remain high despite his abysmal approval ratings, now hovering in the mid-teens.

Also high, following a string of horrific attacks in France that have made security the top issue in the campaign, are the chances that his main challenger could be Nicolas Sarkozy, 61, the man who was Frances most unpopular modern leader before Hollande beat him in 2012 and claimed the mantle for himself.

So the next French election could well boil down to a choice between two failed presidents who are viewed with disdain by a majority of French voters, and Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Front.

It would be election by elimination, says Thomas Guenole, a political scientist and co-founder of consulting firm Vox Politica. The choice facing French voters would be: who do you hate the least?

Perhaps the only certainty in such a race, is that Le Pen, whose party is comfortably ahead of Hollandes Socialists and Sarkozys Republicans in the polls, would make it into the second round.

The expectation is that Hollande, if he did run, would not.

But if he is up against Sarkozy in the first round and if Francois Bayrou, leader of the centrist Democratic Movement, joins the fray, he perhaps has a glimmer of hope.

Le Pens chances of winning a second-round run-off are seen as extremely slim. But the antipathy towards both Hollande and Sarkozy makes it difficult to completely rule out a Le Pen victory.

Unlike in 2002, when Socialist voters held their noses and backed center candidate Jacques Chirac in the second round to stop Le Pens father Jean-Marie, the appetite for crossing party lines to back Hollande or Sarkozy would be far more limited - in part because Marine Le Pen has spent years softening the image of the National Front.

If elections were taking place today she would have no chance, said Dominique Moisi, senior adviser at the French Institute for International Affairs (IFRI). But if they are taking place in a context of new terrorist attacks you cannot exclude this scenario.

Regardless of who emerges victorious, the choice between three deeply unpopular candidates could deepen the sense of alienation in France, fuelling a despondency akin to what Houellebecq describes in his book.

France is not the only country whose voters face poor choices.

The U.S. election campaign is playing out in similar fashion, with Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump both intensely disliked by large portions of the U.S. voting population.

In Germany, which will hold an election in the autumn of 2017, voters may feel they have little choice but to give Angela Merkel a fourth term, despite deep misgivings over her handling of Europes refugee crisis.

There are simply no attractive alternatives.

But the situation in France stands out because the country has such a desperate need for new ideas and leadership to pull it out of its economic malaise and spiraling crisis of confidence.

On the right, the alternative to Sarkozy is Alain Juppe, the 70-year-old former prime minister, foreign minister and defense minister.

Polls suggest Juppe would have an easier ride to the presidency. And although there is nothing new about him, he enjoys broader support than his conservative rival, with 58 percent of French saying they could accept him as president, according to the Ifop poll.

But the recent attacks - a mass killing on the promenade in Nice and the throat-slitting of a Catholic priest in a church near Rouen - have shifted the focus of the campaign to security, immigration and national identity, themes that play to Sarkozys strengths as a hardline former interior minister.

Sarkozy is climbing in the polls and Juppe, seen for months as the frontrunner, is falling as a November primary to decide the center candidate for president approaches. Whoever wins that primary will be the favorites to become Frances next president.

The attacks are also undermining the appeal of Emmanuel Macron, the 38-year-old economy minister and former investment banker who has been positioning himself as an alternative to Hollande on the left by preaching economic renewal.

A political sensation a few months ago, French media are now questioning whether Macrons new political movement En Marche (forward) shouldnt be renamed En Panne (broken down).

French voters may well be confronted with a choice next year that satisfies few.

In Houellebecqs fictional world, the disillusionment resulting from Hollandes re-election leads to the rise of a Muslim candidate who defeats Marine Le Pen in 2022 and introduces Sharia law and polygamy in France.

That wont come to pass. But if the 2017 vote does play out as it now looks like it might, it would not be good for France or for Europe, where leaders are already struggling to inspire their citizens.
Burma Confronting Land Confiscation Allegations, Arakan State Chief Minister Orders Halt to Renewed Construction in Industrial Ward

Landreportedly confiscated from local farmersis fenced off for an industrial ward outside of the Arakan State capital of Sittwe, and pictured on Sunday, August 14, 2016. / Min Aung Khine / Sittwe-based Journalist

RANGOON  After meeting with local farmers on Saturday, Arakan State Chief Minister Nyi Pu has ordered a halt to fencing around the perimeter of an industrial ward located outside Set Yoe Kya village near the state capital of Sittwe.

According to a post from Nyi Pus official Facebook page, farmers told the Chief Minister that their lands had been confiscated 15 years earlier, and that they had been informed the area was under the ownership of senior and former government officials.

Nyi Pu said that the National League for Democracy-led (NLD) government would investigate the allegations of land grabbing, and uncover whether land could have been taken legally in the interest of development, or seized for personal gain.

If they confiscated land for personal benefit, we will take action against them according to the existing laws. If the land was grabbed in the public [interest] we will address the farmers losses in line with current laws, Nyi Pu stated.

According to Nyi Pu, since 2001, the Industrial Land Committee has designed 466 estates and sold just over 400 yards of land at the price of 250,000 kyats (US$210) in 2015. Another 65 estates were used as camps for displaced communities in the region.

Arakan National Party lawmaker Kyaw Zaw Oo submitted a question to the regional parliament last Wednesday, inquiring whether the Arakan State governments quick allocation of the land to develop an industrial zone near Set Yoe Kyas creek was enacted legally.

He told The Irrawaddy on Thursday that the previous Arakan State chief minister, Mya Aung, the Border and Security Affairs Minister Htein Lin, as well as around 50 high-ranking bureaucrats were implicated in the alleged confiscation of 515 acres of land in Sittwe District.

Minister Kyaw Lwin, the NLD appointee for mining, agriculture and livestock within the Arakan State cabinet, explained that the shift in land ownership was carried out legally by the previous government. When he spoke with The Irrawaddy by phone last week, he described the problem as complicated and not easy to solve, as people had constructed houses on the farmland.

He declined to comment on whether action has been taken against those involved in the reported land grabbing, or if the land is required to be returned to the original owners or if compensation will be allocated.

In a letter to parliamentarian Kyaw Zaw Oo, Minister Kyaw Lin explained that before former president Thein Sein transferred administrative power to NLD, in March he ordered the transformation of the contested land into residence quarters in Sittwe, specifying the names of owners.

According to articles 29, 30 and 31 of 2012s farmland laws enacted by Thein Sein, confiscated land for a project must be developed within six months of the proposals specifications. If it fails to be carried out during the projects timeframe, the applicants must return the land to the original owners. In the case of the contested land in Arakan State, it has been 15 years since the land was reportedly taken and it still lacks any basic infrastructure, said MP Kyaw Zaw Oo.

He pointed out that since there had been no fence around the land, the farmers from Set Yoe Kya had continued cultivating their rice paddies there until 2015, and regularly registered with the governments land department until 2012.

Kyaw Zaw Oo suggested that since the new government is planning to construct a bridge connecting Set Yoe Kya and Sittwe, the land price had risen; thus, he alleged that the previous Arakan State government had exploited the unused land confiscation order to avoid returning it to farmers before the administrative handover to the civilian-led government earlier this year.

When The Irrawaddy spoke with MP Kyaw Zaw Oo, he said that some influential figures in Sittwe had been named in the list of beneficiaries of the confiscated land, including known Arakanese nationalists, former members of the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party and a former Sittwe District administrator now serving in the office of the state government.

Maung Htun Thein, a farmer from Set Yoe Kya village who has had 12 acres of his land confiscated since the early 1990s, confirmed that he and up to 16 other villagers and some from the surrounding area had not received any compensation from the government. He recalled that one acre was valued at approximately 150 kyatsor $0.13and now each acre is priced at up to 15 million kyats ($12,600).

I want my land back if they continue to construct an industrial zone, he said, demanding that the government should compensate in line with the local real estate market price.
Burma Eight NCA Signatories Call For Second Meeting With State Counselor

The Peace Process Steering Team (PPST) has called for a second meeting with State Counselor and chair of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center Aung San Suu Kyi to negotiate its terms for the peace process, especially regarding the joint implementation of a nationwide ceasefire pact.

The PPST provides leadership during peace talks to the eight non-state armed groups that signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) with the former administration in 2015. The group met in Chiang Mai Thailand for two days last week and drafted a letter to Suu Kyi.

The letter was sent to Suu Kyiwho is also the chairwoman of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC)on August 11 and requested another meeting prior to the Union Peace Conference, scheduled to commence on August 31.

The letter stated that the team would like to discuss coordination based on mutual respect in accordance with the NCA, which was signed last October.

Since the announcement of the Union Peace Conference in May, the government, Burma Army and ethnic armed organizations have all held a series of talks in order to include their voices in the dialogue framework.

Hla Maung Shwe, secretary of the UPDJC, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that Suu Kyi had replied verbally to the PPST and would meet with the group prior to the conference but a date for a meeting had not yet been set.

Suu Kyis schedule is tough to pin down with a visit planned to China this week and the United States next month. She led a UPDJC meeting on Monday to review the framework for political dialogue, which will provide a structure for the peace conference.

In January, a peace conference held under a framework set by former President Thein Sein allowed NCA signatories full participation [regarding discussion and decision-making] while non-signatories were only invited as observers.

It is unclear whether all ethnic armed oganizations, both NCA signatories and non-signatories, will be granted equal status in the national level talks, and all groups have yet to pledge their participation.

Many ethnic leaders have expressed concern at the rush to hold the conference later this month, without clarity regarding the number of delegates or the role of ethnic minority representatives in the national dialogue.

De-facto leader of the new National League for Democracy (NLD) government, Suu Kyiwho heads the peace talkshas already held closed door meetings with the Burma Army and ethnic armed organizations. She met with leaders of the eight NCA signatories in June and the UNFC non-signatories, Wa and Mongla groups in July, respectively.

Little is known to the public regarding these meetings and whether key issues for the individual stakeholders have been addressed.

Some meetings have reportedly focused on the principles of federalism and all-inclusion in the peace process, while others have centered on regional security, livelihood development and economic opportunity.
Burma Parliament Rejects USDP Lawmakers Proposal to Challenge US Sanctions

RANGOON  In a vote in the Lower House of Parliament on Monday, MPs opted out of discussing a Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) members proposal related to a review of US sanctions.

Mandalay Divisions Thazi Township lawmaker Than Soe of the USDP had proposed that the government attempt to pressure the US to lift sanctions; the request comes three months after the United States Department of the Treasury again expanded its annual sanction term for Burma in May.

There is no change to the US sanctions on Myanmar even though the country is now changing. Thats why I urged the government to address this issue, he said in Parliament.

American sanctions on Burma were initiated in 1997. In 2012, the US restored diplomatic ties with Burma; one year after ex-President Thein Seins quasi-civilian government came to power.

Than Soe repeatedly emphasized that the US sanctions aim was to place pressure on the country to adopt a more democratic political system; it was right to do so when Burma was under military rule, he argued, but he said the country is currently changing and if sanctions remain, they could harm Burmas development.

US sanctions could delay the countrys development. Thats why the government should try to get sanctions lifted, he said.

After Than Soe put forward his proposal, Lower House Speaker Win Myint called on lawmakers to vote whether a further discussion should be held on the issue. The proposal was rejected after 219 lawmakers voted it down, and a minority of 151 lawmakers supported it.

Mi Kon Chan, a National League for Democracy (NLD) Lower House lawmaker representing Paung Township in Mon State, said that parliamentarians will only agree to discuss issues which support the peoples and the countrys interests.

We wont agree to a proposal if it only focuses on a minority of people. This means the US sanctions only impact a few people here, she said.

Many businesspeople in Burmaparticularly those with connections to the ex-miltiary eliteremain on the US treasury departments Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list of people with whom American citizens are barred from doing business.

In February, at a meeting of Southeast Asian leaders in California, Burmas former vice president Nyan Tun requested that US sanctions on Burma be lifted, arguing that, due to sanctions, Burma had received comparatively less developmental assistance from the US than other Asean countries.
The war on cops, ideological and sometimes lethal, may be expanding into a broader race war, in which only one side fights. The thugs who torched businesses and police cars, assaulted cops, and shot at firemen in northwestern Milwaukee on Saturday night went after white bitches, among other targets. (The riots were inspired by the fatal police shooting of Sylville K. Smith, a black man. Smith, who had an extensive arrest record, including for a shooting, fled from officers after a traffic stop while carrying a stolen handgun; he refused commands to drop the gun. Wisconsin governor Scott Walker has activated the states National Guard and declared a state of emergency, but violence continued into Sunday night, with four officers injured, three squad cars damaged, and multiple businesses burned down.) The Black Lives Matter-inspired assassin who murdered five police officers in Dallas in July 2016 said that he wanted to kill white people, as well as white cops. The vitriol that officers working in urban areas now encounter on a daily basis is inflected with racism.

And if the war on cops escalates into more frequent attacks on whites and their perceived interests, the elite establishment will bear much of the blame. For the last two years, President Barack Obama has seized every opportunity to advise blacks that they are the victims of a racist criminal justice system. We should not be surprised when that belief, so constantly inflamed, erupts into violence. Even in his remarks at the memorial service for the five murdered Dallas cops, Obama had the gall to trot out his usual racial vendetta against the police, even though he was fully on notice that cops were being killed because of it:

When African-Americans from all walks of life, from different communities across the country, voice a growing despair over what they perceive to be unequal treatment; when study after study shows that whites and people of color experience the criminal justice system differently, so that if youre black, youre more likely to be pulled over or searched or arrested, more likely to get longer sentences, more likely to get the death penalty for the same crime; when mothers and fathers raise their kids right and have the talk about how to respond if stopped by a police officeryes, sir, no, sirbut still fear that something terrible may happen when their child walks out the door, still fear that kids being stupid and not quite doing things right might end in tragedywhen all this takes place more than 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, we cannot simply turn away and dismiss those in peaceful protest as troublemakers or paranoid.

Obamas indictment ignored, as usual, the astronomically higher rates of black crime that fully explain racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Meanwhile, Obama hasnt uttered a word in condemnation of the lawless behavior in Milwaukee, two days into the events.

Hillary Clinton has been just as quick to enflame black hatred of cops and, by inevitable extension, of white society. She said during a January 2016 Democratic presidential debate that it was reality that police officers see black lives as cheap, adding that there needs to be a concerted effort to address the systemic racism in our criminal justice system. (In fact, there is no government agency more dedicated to the proposition that black lives matter than the police; tens of thousands of black lives have been saved thanks to data-driven, proactive policing.) The July 2016 cop assassinations had no more deterrent effect on Clintons determination to keep anti-cop tensions at a boil than they did on President Obama. Speaking at the NAACP after the Baton Rouge assassinations, which followed the Dallas massacre, Clinton said that we cannot rest until we root out implicit bias and stop the killings of African-Americans. Showing herself to be as statistically challenged as Obama, she continued: Lets admit it, there is clear evidence that African-Americans are disproportionately killed in police incidents compared to any other group. (Blacks are actually killed at a lower rate than their crime rates would predict. And at least four studies this year have shown that police officers are less likely to shoot blacks than whites, whether armed or unarmed.)

Last week, the Justice Department emitted yet another mendacious indictment of alleged cop racism, declaring the Baltimore Police Department guilty of a pattern or practice of systemic civil rights abuses. Baltimore officers accost and arrest blacks in Baltimore at higher rates than their proportion in the population, the Justice Departments civil rights division wrote, carefully avoiding any notice of the crime that brings cops to black neighborhoods. The Justice Department report was ecstatically received in the media, and no doubt word of the confirmed racism of Baltimore policeand by extension, all policetrickled down into northwestern Milwaukee.

These nonstop rhetorical sorties against police officers and the criminal justice system inevitably expand into a broader indictment of the society that the criminal justice system defends. The Black Lives Matter riots of the last two years are inseparable from a hatred of what is perceived to be white society and civilization.

And as important as the political stoking of that hatred is the academic race industry that keeps black victimology at a fever pitch. The 20152016 school year saw an outbreak of delusional self-pity among black college students across the country. They claimed to be discriminated against by faculty, administrators, fellow students, and academic standards. Never mind that many allegedly disparaged students were attending the colleges in question only because of racial preferences, despite having test scores that would automatically disqualify white or Asian applicants. Never mind that nearly every waking hour of a college administrator is devoted to the cultivation of a separatist racial consciousness among black students and to dreaming up new racial sinecures for faculty and other administrators.

The academic version of Black Lives Matter was not as physically destructive as the Milwaukee riots, but it had as corrosive an effect on civilizational norms. Last fall, a group of black students at Yale surrounded and screamed insults at their college master. (His sin was to be married to a Yale professor who had sent out an email suggesting that Yale students could select their own Halloween costumes without policing from Yales diversity bureaucrats.) One student was caught on video shrieking at the master to be quiet and calling him disgusting. Other students were just as savage, but their behavior was not recorded. The shrieking girl and her classmates have never been reprimanded for their uncivil behavior. To the contrary, Yales president, Peter Salovey, penned a sycophantic missive to the Yale community after the incident, gushing that he had never been as proud of Yale students as in the last few weeks of protests. Even the college master who had been screamed at by his charges expressed contrition for his failure to understand the oppression experienced by Yales coddled minority students.

Yale was hardly the only college to excuse racial attacks on basic manners and decency. Black Dartmouth students stormed into the library spitting on and cursing at white students. The administrators let it pass.

The rioters in Milwaukee have likely not attended Yale or Dartmouth, but they have absorbed the same narrative that originates with university race-mongers and is then adopted by the media and government. Perhaps the narratives biggest lie is that white people are the most powerful source of racism todaya lie embraced by elite white society itself. When that society is not twisting itself into knots trying to hire or promote as many blacks as possible, it is in a constant state of anguish trying to track down those deep, if invisible, pockets of white racism that supposedly explain ongoing racial disparities. Black racism, however, is far more pervasive than any vestigial white racism, as anyone who has spent time in inner-city black neighborhoods knows. I have been warned by residents of one Harlem housing project not to venture into a neighboring project because the hatred of whites is even more acute there. A resident of the Taft Houses in East Harlem told me of the abuse she took as a child because her mother was Irish. Black flash mobs and participants in the knock-out game are motivated by anti-white animus, though the media strive frantically to ignore both the violence and the emotion generating it. Blacks are the primary source of interracial violence. In 2012, blacks committed 560,600 acts of violence against whites, and whites committed 99,403 acts of violence against blacks, according to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey provided to the author by a Bureau of Justice Statistics statistician. Blacks, in other words, committed 85 percent of the interracial crimes between blacks and whites, even though they are less than 13 percent of the population. It would be naive to think that some of that black-on-white violence does not have a racial tinge to it.

And the academic discourse of white privilege, microaggressions, institutional racism, and intersectionality promotes its own effete version of anti-white animus, eagerly promoted by white professors and administrators.

The exculpations of the Milwaukee riots started up immediately. Do we continuecontinue with the inequities, the injustice, the unemployment, the under-education, that creates these byproducts that we see this evening? Milwaukee alderman Khalif Rainey asked portentously. The black people of Milwaukee are tired. Theyre tired of living under this oppression. The website Vox informed its readers: Historians and experts say these types of violent outbursts are typically rooted in longstanding anger toward a system that has in many ways failed them. . . . Compounded with the racial disparities in the criminal justice system, people were clearly furiousand lashed out.

The rioters were not so furious about the five blacks who were fatally shot in Milwaukee by other blacks in the 24 hours prior to Sylville Smiths shooting or about the overwhelmingly black victims of Milwaukees 73 percent surge in homicides in 2015, the result of what I have called the Ferguson effect.

The Milwaukee riots were low on the topic totem pole of Sunday morning talk shows and have almost disappeared from sight on cable news channels on Monday. Racial violence is becoming normalized, like Islamic terrorism. More attention was devoted to the Baltimore Justice Department report and to Donald Trumps war on the press than to the breakout of anarchy in a major American city. The shootings of cops on Sundaya police officer in Eastman, Georgia, killed following a traffic stop; a police officer north of Atlanta shot on Sunday morning after responding to a callalso got little media notice. (Did race play a role in those shootings? The media is not interested in the question. The suspected killer of Eastman officer Tim Smith, Royheem Delshawn Deeds, is black; Smith was white. Had Smith killed Deeds, the media would have been all over the story. Yet the relationship between victim and killer in the Smith death is far more typical of fatal encounters between blacks and police officers. Police officers are 18.5 times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.) Fatal shootings of cops this year are up 68 percent through August 15 compared with the same period last year. Chicago cops now operate under a death sentence, with the pact among Chicago gangbangers to take out a cop in retaliation for the Paul ONeal shooting.

If we continue to look the other way at racial violence and the hatred that fuels it, we may find ourselves in a state of anarchy. The Milwaukee rioters chanted black power, a clear evocation of the 1960s. This time, however, the establishment is only a rhetorical target. In point of fact, it is an enabler and coconspirator.

Photo by Darren Hauck/Getty Images
Burma Peace Process, Myitsone Dam on Agenda for Suu Kyis China Trip

Suu Kyi meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in June 2015 / Reuters

NAYPYIDAW  Burmas peace process and the controversial Myitsone Dam will be on the agenda when Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmas foreign affairs minister, visits China this week and meets with Chinese leaders, according to ministry spokesman Kyaw Zeya.

At a Friday press conference in Naypyidaw on the ministrys 100-day plan, Kyaw Zeya, who is also director-general of the Political Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that these issues would be discussed.

He responded vaguely to further questions from reporters about the Myitsone Dam in Kachin State, whose fate remains uncertain after a suspension order from former President Thein Sein in 2011 expired at the end of his term in March this year: We have been holding seminars to look for possible solutions. We will try our best for a productive discussion.

Kyaw Zeya also commented on Chinas growing interest in Burmas internal peace negotiations, evident in public statements and closer involvement with key actors in the process. Analysts have considered Chinas roll to be a potential game changerfor better or for worsegiven their close relationships with powerful ethnic armed groups based along the border.

A special representative of Chinas foreign affairs ministry is involved in the peace process of our country. We are prepared to discuss it if further with our Chinese counterparts, said Kyaw Zeya.

Burmas President Htin Kyaw on Friday formed a new 20-member commission, chaired by Deputy Lower House Speaker T Khun Myat, to evaluate all proposed hydropower projects on the Irrawaddy Riverincluding the Myitsone Dam.

The commission will assess the potential environmental and social effects of proposed projects, their possible impact on foreign investment and the wider economy, and potential losses in water resources set alongside public access to electricity.

In early April, Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi was the first foreign dignitary to visit Burma after the installation of the National League for Democracy (NLD) government. However, the press was told afterwards that the Myitsone Dam and other controversial investments in China were not discussed.

Suu Kyi made her first official trip to China in June 2015, as head of the opposition NLD, at the invitation of the Communist Party of China. She held talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping, among others; Chinese media described the trip as having deepened mutual understanding.

Suu Kyi intends to visit the US and meet with President Obama on the sidelines of a session of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

President Obamas term is ending soon. So, he invited her to visit before then, said Kyaw Zeya.

Despite an intention to prioritize Asean countriestrips to Laos and Thailand have taken place in recent monthsKyaw Zeya said that Suu Kyi had no current plans to visit Malaysia, which hosts some 100,000 registered (and many more unregistered) Burmese migrant workers.

On August 2, The Straits Times reported that Suu Kyi was on a purported Islamic State hit list, along with Malaysian national leaders, that was sent to police in Malaysia. In response, the Burmese government announced that they would be increasing Suu Kyis personal security.
Burma Schools Closed and Civilians Displaced as Fighting Between Burma Army and KIA Intensifies

Kachin Independence Army soldiers are pictured in northern Burma / JPaing / The Irrawaddy

Fighting has been ongoing for nearly a week between members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burma Army, leading to school closures and civilians fleeing their villages along the highway connecting Kachin States Tanai and Hpakant townships.

Clashes have increased in the Shahtu Zup village area in Tanai Township between members of the KIA Battalion 14 and government troops.

Tang Sen, a KIA lieutenant colonel, spoke to The Irrawaddy from the front line on Monday.

We just returned from the fighting area on foot; there was just one hour of fighting today, he said.

Tang Sen is also the commander of the KIAs Battalion 6, based nearby in Tanai Township. Fighting has often broken out in that area as well, he added, from August 4-7.

Our troops have had a lot of movement. We went up and down the highway, and fighting broke out as our troops met their troops, he said.

He added that there have been two clashes between members of KIAs Battalion 14 and the Burma Army; one occurred between the two villages of Nan Yar Nar and Tamadawsu, and another happened near the site of a local bridge, named Datha Nyi Noung.

The first clash took one-and-a-half hours of fighting, Tang Sen said.

The Kachin News Group reported on August 13 that all schools in the KIA-controlled area near Shahtu Zup had been closed. Miners in the area and around 1,000 villagers sought refuge in a safe area as fighting in the area intensified.

The military-owned Myawady Daily reported on Sunday that one villager in Shahtu Zup was wounded by a landmine on August 10, and accused the KIA of planting the mine so that it would maim the villager. According to another report from the Myawady Daily, Burma Army troops found the bodies of two members of the KIA after fighting broke out near the town of Kamaing in Hpakant Township on August 8.

The Irrawaddy previously reported that on August 8, KIA soldiers from Battalion 6 ambushed a convoy of Burma Army trucks using the road highway the highway connecting Mogaung and Hpakant townships, destroying two vehiclesone near the village of Nam Sheng, and one near Gauri, where some police were also wounded.
Burma US-Based Burmese Muslim Group Calls on NLD Govt to End Rohingya Persecution, Restore Rights

A screengrab from the Myanmar Muslims Genocide Awareness Convention 2016 on August 13 in Los Angeles, featuring Shwe Maung, former MP from Buthidaung Township in Arakan State, who spoke at the event. / Burmese American Muslims Association / YouTube

In a conference held in Los Angeles on Saturday by the Burmese American Muslims Association (BAMA), an international panel of speakers condemned the ongoing persecution of Burmas Rohingya minority, placing it within the framework of genocide, and calling on the countrys current government to restore the marginalized groups rights.

The event, entitled Myanmar Muslims Genocide Awareness Convention 2016, was broadcast live online and featured speeches by Shwe Maung, a former Rohingya member of Burmas Parliament, civil rights activist Htay Lwin Oo, and Maung Zarni, a scholar and non-resident research fellow with Cambodias Sleuk Rith Institute.

Former United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana, and president of Genocide Watch, Gregory Stanton, delivered pre-recorded talks.

Many scholars and experts believe that the conditions and elements of a genocide in process have been present in Myanmar against the Rohingya, especially during the military government, said Quintana, who served as rapporteur from 2008-2014. But theyre also saying that those conditions are not changing with this civilian government.

The situation needs to urgently be addressed by the Myanmar government, he continued, citing limitations to an estimated 140,000 displaced Rohingyas freedom of movement, a lack of food and access to healthcare, and episodes of violence against the community.

It has already been 100 days since the new government took over and we havent seen clear and concrete measures to reverse the trend against the Rohingya, Quintana said, referring to the National League for Democracy (NLD) administration headed by state counselor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

Talks at the conference were marked by heavy criticism of Burmas 1982 Citizenship Law, which defines citizen status along ethnic lines, and does not recognize the Rohingya as one of the countrys ethnic groups. In order to be granted even subordinate forms of citizenship, those belonging to unrecognized groups are instead forced to prove their familys presence in Burma dating back multiple generationsa near-impossible task since such residency often predates the use of the documentation required for such verification.

The Rohingya are victims of a classification system in Myanmar that literally classifies them out of citizenship, said Gregory Stanton in his talk. In 1996, he created a model for the US State Department identifying eightand later, tenstages of genocide, the first of which is classification of us versus them along ethnic, national, racial or religious lines.

If you stop using the name that the people have chosen, you are trying to classify them out of the system, Stanton added, referring to the widespread use of the term Bengali, over Rohingya, which implies that the groupwhich has an estimated population of 1.3 million in Burmaare migrants from neighboring Bangladesh.

The insinuation that Rohingya are Bengali is absolutely not true, said Shwe Maung, a Rohingya who served as a member of parliament representing Arakan States Buthidaung Township from 2011 until 2016. He was barred from running for re-election in 2015 after authorities alleged that his parents were not Burmese citizens, a claim which, in a 2015 op-ed for the New York Times, he dismissed as laughable, considering he had been eligible to represent his constituency in the previous election.

A lot of Myanmar Muslims and Rohingya Muslims have sacrificed for the NLD, Shwe Maung said. [We] expected a little relief from the NLD[but] not a single Rohingya was able to vote because they were disenfranchised.

The organizers of the convention made public a resolution demanding that the NLD government restore the citizenship rights of the Rohingya, guarantee the security of non-governmental organizations working in Arakan State, facilitate unrestricted access for international investigators to conflict areas, return property to the displaced, and allow the Rohingya the right to self-identify as such.

While calling for public support for Yanghee Lee, his successor as the special rapporteur for Burma, Tomas Ojea Quintana pointed out that the most recent UN report on the Rohingya does not refer to the risk of genocide even one time, saying that this was something we need to consider.

The term genocide has been contested in Burma; Reuters reported in March that the US State Department had released a report to Congress stating that while the US government remained concerned about the persecution of the Rohingya, they did not determine that it was on the level of genocide. They did, however, call for comprehensive and just solutions to abuses against the group, including improved access for aid agencies and the restoration of citizenship rights to stateless populations.

A report published in October of last year by the Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic at Yale Law School for the NGO Fortify Rights concluded that both action and inaction from the Burmese government towards the Rohingya satisfied the criteria of genocide as defined by the 1948 Genocide Convention.

In his talk at the conference, delivered via video, Stanton drew parallels between the Holocaustin which 6 million European Jews were killed under Adolf Hitlers Nazi regime during World War IIand the persecution of the Rohingya in Burma.

The Jews were classified out of their citizenship, their businesses were taken away, their homes were confiscated, their property was confiscatedthey were eventually sent to concentration camps. All of these parallels are like what is happening to the Rohingya, Stanton said. We must make the world pay attention.

BAMA was founded in 2013, and has since held annual conventions addressing violence against the Rohingya. Many of this years speakers also participated in a conference at the University of Oxford in May to address the persecution of the Rohingya in the context of democratization in Burma. A year earlier, in May of 2015, the Oslo Conference to End Myanmars Persecution of the Rohingya was hosted by the Norwegian Nobel Institute; there, the oppression was also described as genocide.
Business Myanmar Citizens Bank to Begin Trading on Yangon Stock Exchange

The Yangon Stock Exchange seen on March 25, 2016 / Soe Zeya Tun / Reuters

RANGOON  Myanmar Citizens Bank (MCB), in which the Ministry of Commerce holds a minority stake, is scheduled to begin trading on the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) on Aug. 26, after approval was issued on Aug. 12, Thet Tun Oo, senior executive officer of the YSX, told the Irrawaddy.

MCB has been listed since December, when the YSX opened. Its base share price will be announced on the YSX website the day before trading begins.

The bank was founded in 1991, initially to process foreign exchange for exporters, at a time when this service was limited to two state banks in Burma. The Ministry of Commerce held a 55 percent share till 2011 when the foreign exchange market was liberalize. Thereafter, its share lessened year by year.

The ministrys stake in MCB now stands at only 10 percent, although Toe Aung Myint, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, chairs the bank.

Maung Aung, senior economist and independent director at MCB, said that, although the base price has yet to be decided, he expected it would be less than other listed companies prices.

I expect that the base price would be less than 20,000 kyats per share (US$17)potentially 18,000 kyats ($15)but we still need to discuss it with the YSX, he said.

Because MCB has been semi-government owned, it is strong for investors, he said.

He mentioned that shares were sold for 5,000 kyats when the MCB was founded in 1991. At that time, its capital was 1 billion kyats.

MCBs authorized share capital is now 75 billion kyats ($63 million), with 52 billion kyats ($43.7 million) in paid-up capital: 5.12 billion kyats ($4.3 million) from the Ministry of Commerce and 46.88 billion kyats ($39.4 million) from the public, according to MCBs website.

Five companies have been listed on the YSX since December: First Myanmar Investment (FMI), Myanmar Citizens Bank, Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings Public Limited (MTSH), First Private Bank and Great Hor Kham. However, only FMI and MTSH have traded since then.

As of August 15, the YSX has a shares volume of 4,099, with a total value of 116 million kyats ($97,522). YSXs market capitalization is now at 633,102 million kyats ($532.3 million), according to its website.
Interview Burma is Already a Game-Changer for Asean: Kavi Chongkittavorn

Kavi Chongkittavorn, a senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand / Flickr

A new sense of pragmatism from on all sides bodes well for the visit of Aung San Suu KyiBurmas state counselor and foreign affairs ministerto China later this week, says Bangkok-based expert on Asean affairs Kavi Chongkittavorn, in a conversation with The Irrawaddys founding editor Aung Zaw.

Aung San Suu Kyi is visiting China again. This time she will visit Beijing as the de facto leader of the new NLD government. What can we expect from it?

It will be the most important foreign visit of her government, which will directly impact the future of Myanmar, especially with regards to the peace process and economic development.

Suu Kyi knows how to engage China in ways that would not undermine her longstanding relations and personal ties with the West. It will be a win-win situation for her as she has displayed diplomatic finesse and pragmatism with China throughout.

It seems China was unprepared for the dramatic political changes in Burma. Now, China is adjusting to the new political environment in Burma and is actively engaging with key figures including Suu Kyi and old regime leaders. How could Asean benefit from this new engagement?

Political stability in Myanmar, and good relations with China, would be a big boost to Asean-China relations. With Suu Kyi, Myanmars relations with China would serve as a standard bearer because her government is an elected one and is widely accepted internally. This is the first time since the U Nu government [deposed by the 1962 military coup] that Myanmar and China can develop relations in good faith, with all options open. As such, future Myanmar-China relations will develop from the calculated strategic interests of both nations. That kind of realism would benefit Asean-China ties, which are on the mend.

Burmese leaders, whether civilian or military, have chosen to visit China before going to the West. Suu Kyi does the same. Is it a smart move?

Suu Kyis visit to China is a smart move. No other major power has such a direct impact on her country. Issues related to border trade, security and people-to-people interaction are dependent on good relations. Most importantly, Suu Kyi has given special attention to Xi Jingpings leadership.

The motive is simpleto rein in regional authorities, which have a great deal of influence in policy directions and implementation.

The National League for Democracy (NLD) government and Aung San Suu Kyi have begun to engage Asean. As Burmas foreign minister, her first trip was to Laos, which is soon playing host to an Asean Summit. Her second official visit was to Thailand. Her visits to both countries were well received and showcased her diplomatic skills. But you have written dos and donts for Suu Kyi prior to her visit. Do you have doubts about her?

Suu Kyi has displayed her diplomatic skills during her trips to Asean capitals. She knows how to carry herself wellshe was humble and assumed a low profile in all Asean meetings. She spoke little, and only on important issues, such as respect for human rights, democracy and international rule of law. She learned fast and was adaptive to the Asean environment. During discussions, her English was polished and her points well argued.

Many in the region have praised the speed of political change in Burma. But some countries in the region are making U-turns, and one can also see a decline in Aseans influence. At the same time, one sees powerful countries including the US, China and Japan exercising influence in the region. What role will Burma play in the future?

Myanmar is already a game changer for ASEAN, with its ongoing political and economic transformation. No other Asean country has undertaken such radical steps to open up. Politically, Myanmar ranks high in Asean as a democracy with a brand-name leader. Her moral authority ranks as the highest in Asean, despite some criticism of her engagement in the communal conflict in Rakhine State.

Kavi Chongkittavorn is a senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University.
Monday, August 15th, 2016 (11:56 am) - Score 1,957

BT has confirmed that around 3,000 homes and businesses in Mayfair (Londons West End) are among the first to benefit from its expanded roll-out of ultrafast Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband technology, which is today being demoed to local councillors in the area.

Openreach has already made their pure fibre optic lines available to over 300,000 UK premises through older deployments and theyre now working to extend this to 2 million premises around the United Kingdom by 2020.

The rough coverage plan for Westminster, Holborn and the City (London) has already been announced (here), but it was today confirmed that BTs fibre optic network will become available to a further 360,000 homes and businesses in London over the next two years.

Andrew Whale, Openreachs Chief Engineer, said: Its great to see the latest Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology being deployed using the new methods we have developed recently. Using micro cables, which are small diameter cables designed to get through busy underground ducts, we are able to avoid costly and disruptive civil engineering work. This in turn makes deployment much quicker and enables FTTP to be available to more customers. Its the first time that weve used micro cables in the West End.

Philippa Roe, Leader of Westminster City Council, said: Providing modern broadband for businesses and residents in the heart of London makes a major contribution to our citys economic success. The West End Partnership and Openreach have been working closely to rollout superfast fibre broadband in Westminster and it is clear that this relationship is already bearing fruit. This does not mean we are resting on our laurels. The councils ambition is to see every Westminster business and resident connected to superfast and reliable fibre broadband, and we remain committed to come up with and support new ideas and innovations that will help us achieve this goal.

At present the top download speed of Openreachs FTTP network is 330Mbps (30Mbps upload), although this will shortly be pushed up to 1000Mbps (220Mbps upload) for premium business connections.
Salary Negotiation: Five Rules to Follow

Its probably safe to say one of the most important negotiations most of us will ever engage in is a salary negotiation. Its probably equally safe to say that very few of us are as adept at salary negotiation as it would behoove us to be. Thats why I was glad to have the opportunity to speak with Steven Reilly.

Reilly is a leadership and negotiation consultant and author of the book, Negotiating with Customers: Never Take No! for a Final Answer and Other Tactics to Win at the Bargaining Table. In a recent interview, we focused on salary negotiation, and I started it off by asking him what the most common salary negotiation mistake is that people tend to make. He said its coming in with a demand on what they want, as opposed to explaining why theyre worth it:

Employers look at it and ask, Why would I pay you that much more than your peers, or that much more than what the market would demand? So your argument needs to address that: What Im asking for is fair and reasonable, and let me tell you why. This is what I bring to the table; this is what I brought to the table over the last year. You really have to have your ducks in a row as to how you performed, and justify why youre asking for it. You need to base it on your own merits.

I recalled having spoken with consultants who attribute the gender pay gap largely to poor negotiation skills on the part of women, so I asked Reilly if there are any differences in the salary negotiation mistakes that men and women tend to make. His response:

There are sometimes assumptions that women are not as assertive as men. While I see that in the workplace, I still think that there are as many assertive women out there as there are assertive men. So I think women have that reputation, when often its not justified. I do think women have more leverage when it comes to non-monetary compensation. Theyre often able to negotiate more time off, child-care benefits, things like that. Thats one of the things I would tell people going in: You should have a monetary number in mind, but at the same time you should also be open to non-monetary compensation  things like additional days off, or working on specific projects.

How about generational differences in salary negotiation skills? Reilly said millennials tend to be more knowledgeable and aware going in:

They tend to take more advantage of digital information  websites that enable you to compare salaries in different areas and positions. Millennials also tend to be more aware of and open to non-financial compensation  everything from stock options to additional vacation days. Oftentimes, when millennials switch companies, theyll demand that the days theyve accrued at the previous company are carried over to the new company, whereas in the past thats something that was never really negotiated.

As for whether there are differences in approaches that should be taken by people who are negotiating salary in the hiring process, and by employees negotiating for a raise, Reilly said there are significant differences:

Raises are often set by human resources departments  managers are given a certain range as to how much of a merit or cost of living increase they can give their people. Its different when youre negotiating for a new job. Youre not negotiating within a particular range; youre really negotiating what the position is worth. If you know what the market is demanding for that position, and how many qualified people there are for that position, you have more leverage.

You often hear that the person who can walk away from a negotiation is the person who has the most leverage. I would say you have to evaluate both sides walkaway options. If youre applying for a job, and you have a number of job offers in your pocket already, youre in a better negotiating position. But at the same time, if the company thats hiring has a lot of people who can fill that position, then you have less leverage. Where that applies to negotiating a raise as an existing employee, if youre going to threaten to walk away from a negotiation and quit your job, youd better make sure youre willing to follow through with that.

I asked Reilly whether he has found that IT professionals tend to be any better or worse at salary negotiation than people in other professions. He said based on his experience, IT professionals have a tendency to see things in ones and zeros:

They tend to be very binary. My definition of negotiation is the middle ground between stonewalling and capitulation. Stonewalling is saying, I dont negotiate at all, and capitulating is saying. Ill take whatever youre giving me.

Theres ambiguity in the process of reaching that middle ground, and I do find that people who deal more with logic and numbers have a tendency to be more uncomfortable with that ambiguity. So I would encourage IT professionals to do their homework, and to be able to answer the question, Why should I pay you more than Im paying your peers? They should also give themselves room to maneuver. Lets say you want a 10 percent raise  go in at 12 percent so you have some room to maneuver.

Reilly wrapped up the conversation with this piece of advice:

There are only two ways to close the gap between the lower salary the employer wants to pay you, and the higher salary you want. One is to convince them that the value you bring is worth the difference; the other is to trade concessions or swap options back and forth until you end up with something you can both live with. Youve got to be good at both.

A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant.

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Adult Swims animated science fiction series Rick and Morty recently released its mini-episode, giving their long-time supporters a quick look at its third installment. In addition, rumors are spreading that Fast 8 star, Vin Diesel, will be joining the hit show to voice one of its characters.

International Business Times reports that during an interview with the New York magazine, Creator Justin Roiland, who also provides the voices of Rick and Morty, said that he had improvised some of the scenes in the short, which is titled Summers Future.

The four-minute video starts with Spencer Grammer, Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland and Ryan Ridley sitting in a circle while Harmon presents the principle of the short episode. As Rick works in his garage, Roiland and Grammer talk about Summer who is asking Ricks assistance for her college application.

Instead of helping Summer, Rick puts his focus on his experiment in which he injects 120 cc of feces into Mortys knees. Rick's research turns out to be incredible, thus, Summer was awarded a full scholarship by Harvard's Dean of Admissions. Ironically, the experiment testing has killed Morty.

Despite the showrunners keeping mum about other details that might spoil the upcoming season, Don Harmon is keen in having one of their dream guests for a voice over. I just want to meet Vin Diesel. I know he plays D&D so I just want to have a conversation with him about doing it. The Fast and Furious 8 star and producer Vin Diesel had contributed exemplary voice over jobs in The Iron Giant and Guardians of the Galaxy.

During the San Diego Comic-Con 2016, Harmon admitted that the production of the third season is harder and more difficult to make compared to the previous season.

Cheers to a happy holiday as Rick & Morty Season 3 is slated to air by year-end.
After initial rollouts proved more time-consuming and expensive than anticipated, Google parent Alphabet Inc. is rethinking its Google Fiber high-speed internet business.

Google Fiber As A Business Model

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Google Fiber division was created six years ago and it has already spent hundreds and millions of dollars in trying to offer high-speed internet to big American cities across the nation. Google Fiber aims to provide fiber-to-the-premises service in the U.S., including cable television and broadband internet.

Google Fiber was proposed initially as just an experimental project. However, at the end of the year 2012, Google announced it as a viable business model.

The Kansas City metropolitan area was the first to benefit from Google Fiber's service. Expansions to Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah, have been announced in April 2013. In the years 2014 and 2015, Google Fiber announced subsequent expansions to Nashville, Raleigh-Durham, Atlanta, Charlotte, San Antonio and Salt Lake City.

Google Fiber Wireless Internet

Despite the fact that expenses were higher than anticipated, Google Fiber still aims to provide high-speed internet to the masses. According to The Christian Science Monitor, today the fastest internet connections are those working on wire lines. However, Google Fiber is working on designing technologies that will change that.

According to Google Fiber's official website. the company aims to offer Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than a typical broadband connection, but the installation of the underground cables is both time-consuming and expensive. Faced with this challenge, Google's engineers are attempting to transcend the physical barriers by testing out wireless Internet.

In an August 5 filing with the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, announced its plans to test cheap wireless high-speed internet in 24 American metropolitan areas. According to Time, it seems that Google Fiber intends to extend its ultra-fast internet service to new customers and challenge its competitors to match its low prices and high speeds.
Brocade has announced the availability of the Brocade Virtual Application Delivery Controller (vADC) solution on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. With just a few clicks, customers can now deploy the Brocade vADC solution to optimise and secure applications in the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, paying only for the specific resources they use.

It is the industrys first software-based Layer 7 ADC with integrated capabilities for Web content optimisation and application firewall. Designed to work within cloud environments, it is easily integrated into an application stack.

Deployed via a template that utilises Azure Scale Sets, the Brocade vADC solution is already integrated with Azure Key Vault to enable fast, reliable and secure application delivery to users anywhere.

Brocade is expanding its commitment to delivering greater choice and flexibility in the cloud today, meeting customers where they are so they can do more with their hybrid cloud deployments, said Kelly Herrell, senior vice-president and general manager, software networking at Brocade. The availability of the Brocade vADC solution on Microsoft Azure offers customers hourly billing and bring-your-own-licence models while providing an optimal cloud platform for running business-critical applications on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

Were pleased that customers looking to extend their application workloads on Microsoft Azure now have access to the Brocade vADC solution, said Reshmi Yandapalli, principal programme manager, Azure networking at Microsoft Corp. By implementing the Brocade vADC solution, enterprises can help manage security challenges while taking advantage of the cost savings and agility offered by Microsoft Azure.

The vADC solution is available from the Microsoft Azure Marketplace. Customers can purchase hourly pay-as-you-go or bring-your-own-licence subscriptions with a range of editions to suit different features and throughput requirements.

Brocade acquired the base of the technology in February 2015 from Riverbed Technology's SteelApp. At the time it said, The New IP, a datacentre-centric IT revolution, is changing the rules of how network infrastructure is designed and provisioned. One of the key trends within the New IP is NFV (network functions virtualisation), the conversion of network elements from hardware to virtualised software. The ADC product segment is one of the earliest to make this transition; Dell'Oro reports the nearly $2B ADC market is in the throes of the NFV disruption, with virtual ADCs growing 30% CAGR vs only 1% for hardware ADCs.
Australian discount pharmacy group, Pharmacy 4 Less, is expanding into Chinas booming healthcare market using the Azoya ecommerce platform.

Pharmacy 4 Less, which has more than 40 discount chemist stores throughout NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, and an online business, has now gone live.

The Chinese version of Pharmacy 4 Lesss online store has been launched on the Azoya platform to ensure direct brand exposure for the majority of its products, and also allows Chinese consumers to place orders.

Under the deal, Azoya is providing a wide range of on-the-ground operational services to connect Pharmacy 4 Less directly with Chinese consumers, including marketing  leveraging online forums, social media and key opinion leaders/influencers)  and customer service, cross-border logistics, and RMB payment settlement.

This is a really exciting time as we start to expand our business beyond Australias borders into China, to fulfill growing demand from consumers for quality healthcare products, said Rania Awad, general manager e-commerce, Pharmacy 4 Less.

Were already popular amongst the local Chinese community in Australia, so were hoping that word of mouth will be strong with their friends and family in China and that our business will equally resonate with consumers there.

Were really impressed with Azoyas experienced operations team and intimate knowledge about the Chinese market, which has enabled us to actually make this huge step.

Don Zhao, co-founder and executive director at Azoya, said, Its hardly surprising that reputable Australian pharmacy retailers, such as Pharmacy 4 Less, are taking advantage of this significant growth potential.

Deterred by safety and quality issues with domestic healthcare products, Chinese consumers are increasingly looking to Australia to buy directly through cross-border e-commerce.
Consumers are a fickle lot and will not wait very long before going elsewhere. If a website is slow or non-responsive  recently diagnosed as acute Censusitis  they will go elsewhere.

AppDynamics is like the secret sauce to apps  it is an enterprise-level application performance management (APM) tool that measures whether the system, the network, storage, website, e-commerce or the app is causing issues like slow response times. It helps to reduce troubleshooting time because it knows the weak link.

The company has announced that Bravura Solutions, a leading global provider of wealth management systems, has deployed the AppDynamics Application Intelligence Platform in support of Bravuras delivery of its Sonata wealth management system and to enhance the performance of its hosted application offering in New Zealand.

Sonata is a hosted, managed service available to financial institutions. It provides a range of services, including superannuation, investment management, and life insurance.

Bravuras New Zealand head of operations David Hughes said, Deploying the AppDynamics Application Intelligence Platform to monitor the effectiveness of our hosted application has made a significant difference to our ability to proactively manage client results. It gives us high visibility into the Sonata customer experience and enables us to pinpoint issues and to respond rapidly. AppDynamics dashboards drive our benchmarking and continuous improvement of customer service delivery.

In addition to business transaction monitoring, Bravura uses the AppDynamics Application Intelligence Platform to enhance Sonatas research and development program in performance testing and problem determination.

We chose AppDynamics because they offered the only unified platform in the market that we found capable of delivering the complete picture  the ability to monitor a whole range of business metrics, including multiple delivery points for the user, the Web, mobile, SOA services, and batch, Hughes said.

Our view is that to run your application well  whether hosted or in-house  you need a platform such as this. Its very straightforward and easy to use, and most importantly, it helps our business ensure our customers can obtain optimal results and satisfaction from our hosted software.

Andrew Brockfield, AppDynamics country manager for Australia and New Zealand, said, Leading financial services software companies, such as Bravura, deploy AppDynamics to better manage their business-critical systems. We are delighted they have put their trust in our real-time, end-to-end Application Intelligence Platform to optimise application performance.
Coalition government ministers have made brave noises about seeking damages from IBM over the census fiasco, but such attempts are unlikely to succeed, according to a long-time watcher of the company.

On the ABC's AM programme on Friday, Treasurer Scott Morrison was asked whether the government would be seeking compensation from IBM for the cost of the census debacle. The American company was awarded a contract for $9.6 million in 2014 to conduct the five-yearly exercise for the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

But the census could not be completed on Tuesday night because of a claimed distributed denial of service. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has threatened to make people accountable for the stuff-up.

Morrison's reply was categorical: "You can expect the Government to look so thoroughly into this to understand where the ultimate system failure occurred and where that responsibility lay." He added: "And if there are issues relating to the service provider in this case, then you could expect us to pursue that to the nth degree."

Asked whether IBM, with its abundance of legal staff, would not have drafted its contracts in such a way as to be careful to avoid paying out even in extreme situations, veteran US technology journalistsaid: "IBM has the largest legal department of any corporation so one would guess they know their stuff when it comes to agreements."

He added: "I have no specific knowledge of these agreements, but the very literal approach of IBM has been to (barely) 'fulfill customer requirements'. This is key when combined with the company's fundamental lack of regard for customers."

Early #census results.

Population of Australia: 2

100% live in Point Piper.

Services will be diverted here. https://t.co/RaB0kCMpwO  #hellomynameis DrTim (@timsenior) 9 August 2016

Cringely has been a tech journalist since the late 1970s and has followed IBM keenly since then. He recently authored a book on the company's fall from its position as a tech titan, titled The Decline and Fall of IBM.

"Say the ABS sets out its requirements and fails to mention DDoS protection. For GBS (Global Business Services), the IBM division involved, this most likely would have led to an interesting internal discussion: 'do we tell them (about DDoS) or not'?" Cringely told iTWire.

"From what I have seen or heard of recent GBS practices, I'd say the answer is usually 'not'  don't point out the omission. That's because leaving it out results in a lower bid and higher likelihood of winning (the contract). And if a DDoS happens, that's unfortunate but results in no liability for IBM plus additional revenue to fix the mess."

However, he said some people in the company might be made scapegoats. "Having said this, don't be surprised if IBM fires a few people over it anyway. This is a shrinking company so they are always looking for people to fire since that typically (at least in the US) precludes severance payments.

"If IBM can lop off a few heads to please the ABS without having to pay a penalty, they'll gladly do it."
International Data Corporation (IDC) says only 1.8 million smartphones were shipped in Australia in Q2, down from 2.2 million units a year ago. This means an 18% YoY (year-on-year) decline for the overall mobile phone market. It is the third consecutive quarter of double-digit decline.

A total of 96% of the phones shipped were smartphones. The market has reached its saturation point for a while now, and shipments are driven more and more by refresh cycles rather than first-time purchases, says Bilal Javed, market analyst at IDC Australia.

Faced with intense competition, market leader Apple continued to struggle as market share plummeted from 48% in Q1 to 40% in Q2. Recently, Apple experienced its slowest quarter in more than two years.

Samsung has the number two position with 32.9%, up 4.7%. It rode on the success of the highly rated flagship handsets, Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. Features of the S7 such as removable storage, waterproofing, and faster processor grabbed consumer attention and accounted for more than 63% of Samsungs shipments.

While the Galaxy S7/S7 Edge was locking horns with Apple devices, the refreshed J series (J1, J1 Mini, and J3) along with the still successful Galaxy S5 was Samsungs answer to the other Android vendors in the low/mid-market space, says Javed.

Apples slowdown has allowed other mid-range vendors to join the playing field. And that is where there has been some controversy. IDC is regarded as the truth when it comes to accurate sell-in figures, according to Alcatel Australia boss Sam Skontos  other figures like Kantar are rubbery at best.

Skontos is chuffed at Alcatels number 3 spot with 5.4% of the smartphone market as they consolidate their hold on the low-end space. The targeted strategy of pre-paid phones exclusive to telco providers is the key driving force behind Alcatel shipments.

Huawei took the fourth spot with 3.5% market share as they launched the much-anticipated flagship P9 as well as the Mate 8 towards the end of the quarter. However, Huaweis majority shipments came from Y series models in the sub-$100 price bracket. Huawei struggles to build momentum as they lack brand awareness among Australian consumers.

ZTE rounded out the top 5 in Australia as they push into the market through a variety of channels and attractive price points.

Please note that these figures are for Australia and global sell-in figures will be released soon.

What about the rest?

"A major surprise came from OPPO which experienced triple digit growth and could start challenging the likes of HTC, Huawei, and LG, said Javed.

Vendors such as LG Electronics and HTC had a disappointing quarter as the much-hyped flagship LG G5 and HTC 10 respectively did not live up to expectation. Australian consumers are becoming increasingly aware of alternative buying options in smartphones and the lack of innovation, minimal marketing and high prices forced HTC out of the top 5.

What about Q3?

Major launches from Samsung (Galaxy Note7), Apple iPhone 7 and the new Google Nexus device are pending in the coming quarter. These product launches are likely to return the market to positive growth YoY and shipments are expected to break the 2m barrier, added Javed.

This makes it even harder for mid-tier vendors, who will need to come up with more innovation and provide attractive value propositions to gain market share.

Top 5 Smartphone Vendor 2016Q2 2016Q1 2016Q2 QoQ Growth Apple 48.4% 40.4% -16.5% Samsung 31.4% 32.9% 4.7% Alcatel 4.3% 5.4% 23.6% Huawei 3.0% 3.6% 20.4% ZTE 2.2% 3.5% 62.9%

Source: IDC Asia/Pacific Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker 2016 Q2
Lenovo has announced the appointment of Gillian Choo as head of e-commerce for Australia and New Zealand.

Choo will be responsible for all aspects of Lenovos e-commerce business, including leading the sales strategy, driving business growth and strengthening Lenovos offerings including its partnerships.

Gillians extensive experience in e-commerce in APAC brings an invaluable amount of knowledge to Lenovo ANZ, said Matt Codrington, managing director, Lenovo ANZ. Having her at the helm of the eCommerce business will enable continued growth in the region.

I joined the Lenovo team because of the outstanding opportunities that exist within the organisation and specifically those within the e-commerce business, said Choo. Lenovo has an impressive portfolio which makes it poised for growth in the future.

Choo joins Lenovo with more than 15 years of experience with several key IT vendors including Dell, Sony, and Compaq Computers. During this time, she held several online leadership roles. At Dell, she led the Asia Pacific Japan business to business digital and marketing team and focused on accelerating and scaling digital, social and content marketing programmes across the region for the commercial business segment.
A patch to fix a weakness in the transmission control protocol used in the Linux kernel since 2012, which could lead to remote hijacking of Internet connections, is available in the public stable queue tree and is likely to be included in the next stable release.

The last stable release of the kernel, version 4.6.6, was on 10 August.

The flaw was discovered by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, and does not require anyone to be using Linux to be vulnerable as a large proportion of Internet servers run the operating system. It was publicised on 9 August in the US.

Data is broken up into packets for transmission on the Internet and the sequence numbers of these packets can be used by malicious attackers to track users' online activity, terminate connections with others and inject material into their communications.

But given that there are nearly four billion random sequences, guessing them is very difficult.

The UCR researchers found a vulnerability, or a side channel as they dubbed it, in the TCP stack used by Linux which allows attackers to guess the sequence numbers if they know the IP address of two parties communicating with each other.

The patch increases the rate of challenge acknowledgement signals from 100 to 1000. It also adds randomisation so that an attacker will need to undertake a large number of probes before he/she can hijack sessions.

In the interim, one fix recommended by California-based sysadmin Rick Moen is to use sysctl to increase the setting in /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_challenge_ack_limit to 999999999.
Cyber security is, or should be, a strategic concern for Australian business leaders. Successful cyber-attacks are on the rise and Australia is a key target because of the countrys prominent role in the region, its dependence on information communication technologies, and its expertise in research, manufacturing, and technology.

Palo Alto Networks, a global security vendor, is coming to Sydney on 22 September for its Cyber Security Summit and it is inviting chief information and security officers to join them for a series of keynotes, business, industry and technical presentations as well as panel sessions.

The summit will explore topics including privacy and regulation, cybercrime and key trends for the future.

Sean Duca, vice-president and regional chief security officer, Asia Pacific at Palo Alto Networks, said, No leader wants to see their organisations reputation and profitability hurt by a cyber security breach. To beat attackers, we must shift the economics of the problem by increasing our speed and defence, while slowing down and deterring the hackers.

On a big picture level, the Summit will address:

Cybercrime: In 2016, organisations must be prepared for the unpredictable to minimise the impact of the unforeseen cyber-crime events.

Threats from third-party providers: Over the next year, organisations need to think about the impact of accidental breaches from third-party providers and suppliers.

Privacy and regulation: Increased government regulations will increasingly see the use of personally identifiable information (PII) leading to privacy becoming both a compliance and business risk issue.

BYOx trends in the workplace: Increased proliferation of devices, applications and cloud-based storage and access in the workplace means businesses of all sizes are seeing information security risks being exploited at a greater rate than ever before.

Engagement with your human capital: Organisations need to embed information security behaviours that affect risk positively. Risks are real because people remain a "wild card". Many enterprises recognise people as their biggest asset, yet fail to recognise the need to secure "the human element" of information security.

Protecting your most valuable asset: Data centre network security is complicated by the ever-increasing demands for application availability and performance, the constantly evolving threat landscape and the need to understand what is happening with applications from a security perspective.

The event will also launch the Cyber Security Guide for the Australian Industry  intended as a how-to guide and an anthology; it includes advice and cyber security best practices from chief executives, chief information security officers, lawyers, consultants and former government officials.

Authors from this ground-breaking book will be speaking at the event and include:
Banking inefficiencies and red tape are costing Australias small and medium-sized businesses and the economy billions of dollars every year, according to newly published research from Eftpos payments provider, Tyro.

Tyro chief executive Jost Stollmann says the research reveals that banking red tape is robbing more than 880,000 of Australias two million small and medium-sized businesses of four weeks productive work time a year, at a cost to the national economy of almost $7 billion annually.

This equates to an extra 20 working days a year  or the entire annual holidays of the average employee, Stollmann says.

According to Stollmann, 44% of Australian SMEs  or 880,000 businesses  spend more than three hours every week checking, entering, paying and reconciling data, costing each business an average of $7800 a year.

The Tyro research also found that:

 700,000 businesses, or 35% of SMEs, believe their bank could be doing a better job;

 One million, or 50%, of SME owner/operators are doing their own bookkeeping; and

 400,000, or 20%, of SME owner/operators dont use any form of accounting software.

Large companies, with more than 200 employees, make up only 0.3% of businesses operating in Australia, Stollmann says.

By comparison, small and medium-sized businesses are the creative and innovative heart of the Australian economy, generating more jobs than any other sector.

But SMEs are drowning under the burden of inefficient online business banking processes that are robbing them of three hours a week, or 20 days a year.

This means SMEs have to work a 13-month year, or give up the equivalent of four weeks annual holiday to compensate for banking inefficiencies.

According to Stollmann, the research findings explain why a staggering 700,000 SMEs are unhappy with their business banks performance.

Banks need to try harder to reduce the burden on Australian businesses. It is clear that business banking requires a rethink. It needs to be mobile, embedded into business and accounting software and fully automated. The winners in the business banking of the future will marry deep technology and banking know-how.

And, despite SMEs playing a critical role in the Australian economy, Stollman says their contribution to GDP has slowed since 2012 and, he suggests, the priority is to establish what the major pain points were for the industry and help SMEs drive future growth.

Australia should be looking at action to improve SME productivity, in recognition of the changing terms of trade and resources decline. We should help SMEs operate more efficiently, he says.
When I first saw Mr. Spock talking to the Enterprises computer, I thought it was so cool. I still do. But the more I look at Cortana, Windows 10s inherent virtual assistant, the more creeped out I get.

Lets start with Cortanas fundamental lust for your data. When its working as your virtual assistant its collecting your every keystroke and spoken syllable. It does this so it can be more helpful to you. If you dont like that, well, youve got more problems than just Cortana. Google Now and Apple Siri do the same things. And its not just virtual assistants; every cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) does this to one degree or another  Google Docs, Office 365, whatever.

But Cortana doesnt stop there. With the recently released Windows 10 Anniversary Update, hereafter Windows 10 SP1, you cant shut Cortana off.

Maybe you dont mind Microsoft listening to your every word so it can catch when you say, Hey, Cortana. I do. Yes, I want the coolness factor of being able to talk to my computer. But I want the reassurance that its not listening when I dont need it to be. I want a simple on/off switch. Windows 10 SP1 doesnt have one. This is interesting, though: Windows 10 Education does. Microsoft apparently is willing to respect the privacy of students. The rest of us? Not so much.

What you can do in Windows 10 SP1 is cripple Cortana when you install the operating system. But Cortana then becomes no more than a front end to Microsofts Bing search engine. You lose the ability to talk to your computer. Youll no longer be able to tell Windows 10 to get you an Uber or tell you how the Chicago Cubs did today.

If youre anti-Cortana, dont install Windows 10 SP1 with Express settings. Instead, follow the steps described by Jared Newman in PC World. You will make Windows 10 less useful but a lot more private. If youre not comfortable with Cortana collecting your contacts, location, calendar data, and text and email content and communication history, youll want to do this. Dont, though, if you want the full Cortana experience and you dont mind Microsoft collecting everything except your car keys.

And maybe you dont. Many of us are reconciled to the mantra of the internet economy: If youre not paying for it, you are the product. Companies such as Facebook and Google give all their free social and search goodies in return for our web history, which they then transform into cash with targeted advertising. And as for Microsoft, it makes a point of saying Cortana doesnt do that. Why do I not feel reassured?

Now that I think of it, though, you cant (easily) get Windows 10 for free anymore. So you get to pay Microsoft with both cash ($199.99 for Windows 10 Pro) and your data. Oh boy!

Microsoft also claims that Windows 10 SP1 is safer than ever, which I find even less assuring than the promise not to exploit all that Cortana data. Think about this: You can use Cortana from the lock screen. Thats right; Cortana is active and listening to when your PC is locked. Well, its supposed to be locked, but if its able to listen, how locked down is it, really? Not very!

Microsoft calls this a feature that gives you the ability to ask your PC simple questions without logging in. But I call anything that lets me input data into a PC without being logged into it a bug. Its a security hole begging to be exploited. Windows, which God knows has had more than enough security problems, now has a new attack surface.

Fortunately, you can fix this one easily. Just open Cortanas Settings and turn off the Use Cortana even when my device is locked.

By the way, Microsoft always claims that Windows is new and improved and more secure than ever. And yet, if you look at any significant Windows patch report, you will notice that every major bug affects every supported version of Windows. Shouldnt the new and improved Windows 10 be immune from the bugs that affect Windows 7, 8 and 8.1? Its funny how they seem to slug every version of Windows.I like Microsoft a lot more than I used to, but Im not ready to trust it with everything and the virtual kitchen sink. So I followed Newmansadvice when installing the OS. Im afraid I will never be as cool as Spock.

I should note that, if your distrust of Microsoft exceeds mine, you can rip into your operating systems guts and totally disable Cortana. You need to beware, though, because it involves going in deep, to places where its really way too easy to foul up Windows. In killing Cortana, you could end up seeing a lot more Windows crashes.

In Windows 10 Pro, you type gpedit.msc into the Start menu. Head down to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search. Once there, double-click on Allow Cortana to toggle it to Disable Cortana. Log off and back on, and youre done.

In Windows 10 Home, open the registry with regedit and head to

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search

Next, right-click the Windows Search folder and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name this new DWORD AllowCortana and set it at 0. Now log off and reboot your computer.

Let me reiterate: If any of that sounds mysterious, dont do it.

And, you know, why should you have to? Why cant Microsoft just make it easy to turn off Cortana? Id appreciate it.

Next read this: A look inside the Microsoft Local Administrator Password Solution

Related video:

This story, "Cortana: The spy in Windows 10" was originally published by Computerworld .
HTC are teaming up for a pair of Nexus phones with an industrial look bound together with metal glass, if the latest round of leaked photos are to be believed.

Android lice offered a set of images that are reportedly from the Sailfish model, which is the smaller of two Nexus phones that is said to be working on with HTC. According to the report, both phones will share a similar design aesthetic, with the Marlin phone offering a bigger screen (5.5 inches instead of 5.0) battery, but otherwise identical specs.

A recent tweet offers another hint, with a phone that looks very much like an HTC 10 crossed with a Nexus 4. Theres a distinctly glass back on the upper portion, but unlike the Nexus 4, which had a weird rubber material on the side, look for HTC to go with its signature metallic build.

The report also includes a tweet from a user going by nexus who had whats supposed to be a shot of the phone in use, though the image isnt of the greatest quality.

The 2016 HTC Nexus looks like a cross between the Nexus 4 & ione with glass fingerprint scanner on the back. pic.twitter.com/7pm9fhszki  nexus (@usbfl) August 14, 2016



At the rate these are leaking, we wouldnt be surprised if the phones strut out onto the middle of Fifth Avenue before gets a chance to show them off at an official launch event.

y this matters: This years Nexus phones should have going in a couple of directions. First, there should be a few more exclusive software features, like a Nexus uncher with deep ties to the Assistant to showcase the companys deep learning powers. also seems angling for two high-end phones instead of one expensive model another thats cheaper smaller, as it did with last years Nexus 6 5X. Unlike last years model, the cheaper one wont be plastic low budget like the Nexus 5X.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Mainly sunny. High 84F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
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TeleSur |  

The Saudi-led coalition admitted children were at the site of the airstrike but jets dont distinguish ages during attacks.

At least 10 Yemeni children were killed in a Saudi airstrike targeting a school in Haydan, a town in rebel-held Saada province, Doctors Without Borders, a Paris-based relief agency also known as MSF, and the United nations said Sunday. The Saudi military admitted youths were present but claimed they were child soldiers.

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, MSF spokesperson Malak Shaher told on AFP Sunday. The attack took place on Saturday.

Shaher added that MSF had received the children at a field hospital near the school before they were transferred to a public hospital.

The U.N. childrens agency, UNICEF, also reported the attack, warning that with the intensification in violence across the country in the past week, the number of children killed and injured by airstrikes, street fighting and landmines has grown sharply.

The Ansarullah rebels, also known as Houthis, posted pictures and videos on Facebook of dead children wrapped in blankets.

Saudi Arabia said the school it targeted was a training camp for child soldiers, suggesting it was not the coalitions responsibility that children were killed. The site that was bombed is a major training camp for militia, Coalition spokesman General Ahmed Assiri told AFP .

He seemed to acknowledge there were children in the area but said they were part of the rebels and thus targeting them seemed justifiable.

They  use them as scouts, guards, messengers and fighters, he added, citing previous reports from Human Rights Watch on the rebels use of underage recruits.

AFP said Saudi Arabia sent the agency pictures of children holding guns and in military uniform. When jets target training camps, they cannot distinguish between ages, Assiri said.

More than 6,400 people have been killed, more than half of them are civilians, since Saudi-led coalition began its assault on Yemen in March 2015. The coalition of Arab states intervened in the country after the rebels seized the capital Sanaa before expanding to other parts of the country.

Saudi Arabia reacted angrily to a decision in June to blacklist the coalition after a U.N. report found the alliance responsible for 60 percent of the 785 deaths of children in Yemen last year.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said he took Saudi Arabia off the list after Saudi Arabia threatened to cut off funding to U.N. aid programs.

TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Euronews: Ten children reported dead in air strike, as parliament convenes in Yemen
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Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first American woman athlete to compete in the Olympics wearing the hijab or Muslim head-covering, is a fatal complication to Donald Trumps Islamophobia.

Opening Ceremonies! One of the best days of my life! #TeamUSA?? pic.twitter.com/nbV1kEWO9g  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) August 6, 2016

Ms. Muhammad shared in a team bronze medal in the saber competition in fencing at Rio. Trump disguises his bigotry toward Muslims by invoking them in the same breath with immigration, but a majority of the over 1 percent of Americans who are Muslim are citizens. One major group of Muslims, the African-Americans, are much more long-standing Americans than he is.

Never let another persons misconceptions about your race, gender or religion hinder you from reaching your goals https://t.co/T7IwjvfeVx  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) December 9, 2015

Trump says there is something the matter with that community because it has a violent fringe, and wants to stop Muslims from coming to the US. But Trumps ethnic groups, white Presbyterians and Germans, have both been known to have, let us say, a violent fringe, and we dont ban them from travel to America. Here are some ways Ms. Muhammad is a much more exemplary American than Trump.

.@realDonaldTrump if you #banMuslims, how will #TeamUSAs Muslim athletes get to Olympic qualifiers? ??  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) December 8, 2015

1. Trumps grandfather immigrated to the US, and his mother was Scottish, so he is a hyphenated American. The Muhammad family was kidnapped from Africa, possibly from a Muslim village in Senegal or Nigeria, and brought to North America sometime in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries. Theyve been here a damn sight longer than the Trumps and so by Trumps lights have a better claim on American-ness than the Donald.

Islams history in the United States begins with black history  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) December 2, 2015

2. Her father worked as a policeman. In contrast, Trump cultivates the more violent bikers and white supremacists who hate law enforcement.

3. Her mother worked in special education. Children exposed to Trumps serial ramblings will need an extra 12 years just to unlearn all the Trumpisms he has put in their heads.

4. Ms. Muhammad makes America proud and defends our diversity. Trump makes us ashamed and attacks people different from himself.

Were living in a time where people feel comfortable spewing their hate and harassing the innocent on our streets. We need change.  Ibtihaj Muhammad (@IbtihajMuhammad) April 16, 2016

5. The team of which Ms. Muhammad is a part won a bronze medal for the USA at the Olympics in fencing. Trump fired people on a reality show for a few years.



Related video:

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Late Show Fencing Challenge: Stephen vs. Ibtihaj Muhammad
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug. 15, 2016) - Asanko Gold Inc. ("Asanko" or the "Company") (TSX:AKG)(NYSE MKT:AKG) reports its financial results for the three-month and six-month period ended June 30, 2016 ("Q2"). The Company released its production and revenue results for Q2 on July 20, 2016. All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Q2 2016 Highlights:

Asanko Gold Mine produced 36,337 ounces of gold in its first quarter of commercial production, in line with guidance of 35,000 to 40,000 ounces of gold.

Gross revenue of $43.2 million from gold sales of 35,074 ounces.

Mining costs of $3.74/tonne mined and processing costs of $13.79/tonne milled in line with feasibility study with scope for further improvement as operations stabilize at steady state levels.

Costs per unit of gold produced disproportionally high due to production of fewer gold ounces while ramping up to steady state and mechanical improvements made to the processing plant.

Operations generated cash flow before working capital changes of $11.6 million.

Working capital position improved to $21.5 million from $10.8 million at March 31, 2016.

Balance sheet at June 30, 2016 remains strong with cash of $34.5 million and unrefined gold dore on hand with a market value of $10.2 million.

Processing plant improvements, undertaken in Q2, along with mining of the main Nkran ore zones now resulting in steady state operations, with the processing plant milling 274,325 tonnes in July at 2.1 g/t gold to produce 17,042 ounces for the month.

Guidance of 90,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold production for the second half of 2016 re-iterated.

Commenting on the Company's performance, Peter Breese, President and CEO, said, "The Asanko Gold Mine delivered a solid set of results for its first quarter of commercial production. On the operational side, two of the main ore zones in the Nkran pit started to be encountered towards the end of the quarter and, after a number of operational improvements and de-bottlenecking on the plant, the operations are now running at steady state levels, with the processing plant producing over 17,000 ounces of gold in July.

"On the financial side, the operations are now generating positive cash flow. Whilst costs per ounce of gold produced were high, this was expected as the mine was still ramping up to steady-state levels. Importantly, the mining and processing unit costs are in line with our feasibility estimates and are expected to improve. With a substantial increase in gold production expected during the second half of the year, we expect costs to decrease towards our life of mine forecasts."

This news release should be read in conjunction with Asanko's Management Discussion and Analysis and the Consolidated Financial Statements for the quarter, which are available at www.asanko.com and filed on SEDAR. There are no comparative numbers for the period as commercial production was declared on April 1, 2016.

Key Operating and Financial Highlights Asanko Gold Mine, 100% basis Q2 2016 Waste Mined (Mt) 5,816,173 Ore Mined (Mt) 1,242,657 Strip Ratio (W:O) 4.7:1 Mining Cost ($/t mined) 3.74 Ore Processed (t) 702,318 Gold Feed Grade (g/t Au) 1.69 Recovery (%) 92 Processing Cost ($/t milled) 13.79 Gold Production (oz) 36,337 Gold Sales (oz) 35,074 Average Realised Gold Price ($/oz) 1,231 Cash Operating Costs1 ($/oz) 785 Total Cash Costs1 ($/oz) 846 All in Sustaining Costs1 ($/oz) 1,280 Revenue ($m) 43.3 Production Costs, including Royalties ($m) 30.0 Income from Mine Operations ($m) 0.33 Net Loss ($m) (12.5 ) Adjusted Net Loss ($m) (11.8 ) Operating Cash Flow before Working Capital Changes ($m) $11.6 Net Loss per Share ($0.06 ) Adjusted Net Loss per Share ($0.06 ) Operating Cash Flow per Share $0.06

Q2 2016 Operational Results

Mining operations continued exclusively in the Nkran pit where bulk mining of the periphery of the main ore zones was undertaken to open up access to the main ore body by the end of Q2.

5.8 million tonnes ("Mt") of waste removed from the pit and 1.2Mt of ore mined at a strip ratio of 4.7:1. As anticipated, the bulk mining resulted in higher levels of dilution and gold losses than are expected at steady state levels, resulting in an average grade of mined ore of 1.48 g/t gold.

Processing plant processed 702,318 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 1.69 g/t gold and the average gold recovery was 92% for the quarter resulting in gold production of 36,337 ounces.

Ore processing was limited in Q2 by a number of maintainance improvements which were undertaken in the processing plant. This, combined with mining the main ore zones in the Nkran pit, have resulted in operations now running at steady state with the processing plant milling 274,325 tonnes in July at 2.1 g/t gold to produce 17,024 ounces of gold for the month.

Q2 2016 Financial Performance

The Company sold 35,074 ounces of gold at an average realized gold price of $1,231 for total gold revenue of $43.2 million.

Production costs, including a 5% royalty paid to the Ghanaian government, were $30 milllion resulting in an operating margin of $13.3 million. Depletion and depreciation charges of $13 million largely offset this margin resulting in Earnings from Mine Operations of $0.33 million.

Q2 cash operating costs 1 and total cash costs 1 were $785 and $846 per ounce respectively.

and total cash costs were $785 and $846 per ounce respectively. Q2 all-in-sustaining costs ("AISC") 1 were $1,280 per ounce, of which $346 per ounce relates to deferred stripping costs.

were $1,280 per ounce, of which $346 per ounce relates to deferred stripping costs. The operations generated positive cash flow during the quarter, with cash flow from operations of $11.6m before changes in non-cash working capital.

Q2 2016 Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company has a strong balance sheet, with a significant cash balance of $34.5 million as at June 30, 2016 with an additional $10.2m in gold dore on hand.

During Q2, the working capital position of the Company improved to $21.5m from $10.8m at the end of the last quarter.

The Company received its first VAT refund from the Ghanaian tax authorities, which totaled $5.7m. The Company continues to incur VAT expenditures on goods and services and going forward expects VAT outflows to be offset by VAT inflows. As at June 30, 2016 the Company has a VAT receivable balance of $29.2 million.

The existing loan facilty with RK Mine Finance Trust I was amended in order to defer the repayment of the principal for two years. The amendment provides that the first principal repayment will now be payable on July 1, 2018. A deferral fee of 2% ($3.275 million) of the loan principal was paid as part of the agreement.

2016 Outlook and Opportunities

The Company re-iterates its production guidance of 90,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold production for the second half of 2016. Cash operating costs and AISC are expected to improve in the second half of 2016 as steady state operations have been achieved and gold production is in line with the rates envisioned in the life-of-mine operating plan.

The Phase 2 Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") is expected to be published during Q3 2016. The DFS will contain the development plan for the staged Phase 2A and Phase 2B expansions. Restructuring of the Company's debt repayments has allowed the Company to plan on financing Phase 2A from cashflow from the current operations.

The DFS will contain production and cost guidance for the existing operations for 2017 and 2018 which is expected to include additional production from the near-mine satellite deposits as well as the Nkran pit.

1Non-GAAP Performance Measures

The Company has included certain non-GAAP performance measures in this press release, including cash operating costs, total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs per ounce of gold produced. These non-GAAP performance measures do not have any standardized meaning. Accordingly, these performance measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Cash Operating Costs per ounce and Total Cash Costs per ounce

Cash operating cash costs are reflective of the cost of production, adjusted for share-based payments, by-product revenue and non-cash inventory movements. Total cash costs include production royalties of 5%.

All-in Sustaining Costs Per Gold Ounce

The Company has adopted the reporting of "all-in sustaining costs per gold ounce" ("ASIC") as per the World Gold Council's guidance. ASIC include total cash costs, corporate overhead expenses, sustaining capital expenditure, capitalized stripping costs and reclamation cost accretion.

About Asanko Gold Inc.

Asanko's vision is to become a mid-tier gold mining company that maximizes value for all its stakeholders. The Company's flagship project is the multi-million ounce Asanko Gold Mine located in Ghana, West Africa. The mine is being developed in phases. Phase 1 commenced gold production in January 2016 and declared commercial production on April 1, 2016. Ramp-up to steady state production of 190,000 ounces per annum was achieved in Q2 2016.

Asanko is managed by highly skilled and successful technical, operational and financial professionals. The Company is strongly committed to the highest standards for environmental management, social responsibility, and health and safety for its employees and neighbouring communities.

Forward-Looking and other Cautionary Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address estimated resource quantities, grades and contained metals, possible future mining, exploration and development activities, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices for metals, the conclusions of detailed feasibility and technical analyses, the timely renewal of key permits, lower than expected grades and quantities of resources, mining rates and recovery rates and the lack of availability of necessary capital, which may not be available to the Company on terms acceptable to it or at all. The Company is subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's annual Form 20-F filing with the United States Securities Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Neither Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note to US Investors Regarding Mineral Reporting Standards:

Asanko has prepared its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of US securities laws. Terms relating to mineral resources in this press release are defined in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects under the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. The Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. Asanko uses certain terms, such as, "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources" and "probable mineral reserves", that the SEC does not recognize (these terms may be used in this press release and are included in the public filings of Asanko which have been filed with securities commissions or similar authorities in Canada).
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - August 15, 2016) - Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX VENTURE: MMS) -

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Macarthur Minerals Limited (TSX VENTURE: MMS) (the "Company" or "Macarthur Minerals") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement to acquire exclusive rights for two granted exploration licenses (E59/2140 and E59/2077) covering an area of 191 square kilometres (47,161 acres) in the Yalgoo region of Western Australia. The acreage on which rights to lithium are acquired is in proximity to the Company's existing Edah Hill lithium acreage and consists of granted exploration licenses allowing immediate exploration for lithium.

Previous drilling activities by other companies on the Yalgoo Acreage has intersected buried pegmatites in 14 drill holes and buried pegmatites for up to 3.5 kilometres down strike of previously mapped pegmatites1,2. In addition, within five kilometres of the Yalgoo Acreage, another company's rockchip samples record significant results for Li 2 O of up to 1.64% as well as elevated beryllium (Be) (96 ppm), caesium (Cs) (1,840 ppm) and rubidium (Rb) (19,200 ppm)3,4.

David Taplin, President, CEO and Director of Macarthur commented:

"Macarthur Minerals is excited about the acquisition of another lithium project, in the Yalgoo region of Western Australia. In addition, the acreage is granted, allowing for immediate lithium exploration. Historic records indicate that the project is highly prospective for lithium with occurrences of up to 1.64% Li 2 O on surrounding acreage. The Yalgoo acquisition significantly adds to Macarthur Minerals' hard rock lithium acreage package, which now exceeds 1,869 square kilometres."

Further details of the purchase agreement are set out below.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING

Macarthur Minerals (through its 100% owned subsidiary Macarthur Lithium Pty Ltd ("MLi")) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with a private gold company to purchase exclusive rights for lithium and other rare earth minerals on the private company's acreage in the Yalgoo region of Western Australia ("Yalgoo Acreage").

The key terms of the MOU are:

Macarthur Minerals will enter into a Purchase Agreement, subject to due diligence, to acquire from the private company exclusive rights to explore, mine and extract lithium and other rare earth minerals on the Yalgoo Acreage.

Macarthur Minerals will pay the private company: A$30,000 upon satisfaction of conditions precedent in the Purchase Agreement; A$50,000 upon the first anniversary of the commencement of the Purchase Agreement; A$250,000 upon defining a 5 million tonne JORC resource of >1.2% Li2O; and A$500,000 upon defining a 15 million tonne JORC resource of >1.2% Li2O.

Net smelter royalty of: 2.5% for lithium concentrate produced on the Yalgoo Acreage; and 50% of Western Australian Department of Minerals and Petroleum royalty rate for other rare earth minerals, produced on the Yalgoo Acreage.



The Purchase Agreement, although not envisaged, may be subject to regulatory approval.

YALGOO ACREAGE

The Purchase Agreement, although not envisaged, may be subject to regulatory approval.

YALGOO ACREAGE

The Yalgoo Acreage is comprised of two granted exploration licences (E59/2140 and E59/2077) covering an area of 191 square kilometres (47,161 acres). The Yalgoo Acreage is close to the Company's existing Edah Hill exploration licence applications, well serviced by existing infrastructure and only 230 kilometres from the Geraldton Port.

The Yalgoo Acreage sits predominantly on mafic rocks at the northern extremity of the Youanmi Terrane greenstones. The North North-West trending belt is bound to the north, east and west by granitic rocks, predominantly biotite monzogranite. The northern part of the Yalgoo Acreage is a south plunging anticline containing mafic rocks, which have been extensively invaded by granitoids.

The area has been extensively explored for gold and to a lesser extent for industrial minerals from pegmatites. Figure 1 shows historical records for pegmatites, lithium and beryl occurrences and drilling on a portion of the Yalgoo Acreage.

Geological Survey of Western Australia ("GSWA") records identify the Lithium Show Pegmatite and multiple results for beryl minerals on the Yalgoo Acreage(5). The Yalgoo Acreage was previously held by Prosperity Resources Ltd who mapped two pegmatites, one that extends for one kilometre and the other for two kilometres(6). GSWA data adjacent to the mapped pegmatites also records historical drilling has intersected buried pegmatites in 14 holes drilled for gold exploration by Prosperity Resources Ltd(7) and Acacia Resources Ltd(8). Drilling by Acacia Resources Ltd also intersects buried pegmatites for up to 3.5 kilometres down strike of the mapped pegmatites. In addition, there is also diamond drill core for 22 holes (in excess of 2,300 meters) in storage at the GSWA core storage facility in Perth drilled by various companies on the Yalgoo Acreage that is available for immediate assay for lithium.

Recent drilling and rock chip sampling carried out by another company on its tenement within five kilometres from the Yalgoo Acreage has recorded significant results for Li 2 O up to 1.64% as well as elevated beryllium (Be) (96 ppm), caesium (Cs) (1,840 ppm) and rubidium (Rb) (19,200 ppm)(9),(10). This tenement, held by the other company, has been intermittently mined for lithium minerals.

COMPANY'S STRATEGY FOR YALGOO TENEMENTS

The Company will now hold 20 Exploration Licence Applications and prospective interest in rights to lithium covering a total area of 1,869 square kilometres (461,840 acres) in the Pilbara, Ravensthorpe and the Yalgoo/Edah regions of Western Australia.

The underlying licences on which the rights of lithium are acquired consists of granted exploration licences, allowing for immediate exploration for lithium.

Due diligence will focus on a reconnaissance trip to sample pegmatites revealed by historical records and sampling of core stored in the GSWA facility.

ABOUT MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED (TSX VENTURE: MMS)

Macarthur Minerals Limited is an exploration and development company that is focused on identifying and developing high grade lithium and counter cyclical investments that complement Macarthur's capabilities. In addition, Macarthur retains its two iron ore projects in Western Australia; the Ularring hematite project (Indicated 54.46 million tonnes @ 47.2% Fe, Inferred 25.99 million tonnes @ 45.4% Fe - Pre-Feasibility Study) and the Moonshine magnetite project (1.3 billion tonnes @ 30.1% Fe - Preliminary Economic Assessment).

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

MACARTHUR MINERALS LIMITED

"Cameron McCall"

Cameron McCall, Chairman

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements

Certain of the statements made and information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current expectations, assumptions or beliefs of the Company based upon information currently available to the Company. With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the timely receipt of required approvals, the reliability of information, including historical mineral resource or mineral reserve estimates, prepared and/or published by third parties that are referenced in this press release or was otherwise relied upon by the Company in preparing this press release. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct as actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in exchange rates and certain commodity prices, uncertainties related to mineral title in the project, unforeseen technology changes that results in a reduction in iron ore demand or substitution by other metals or materials, the discovery of new large low cost deposits of iron ore, uncertainty in successfully returning the project into full operation, and the general level of global economic activity. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Such statements relate to future events and expectations and, as such, involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and except as may otherwise be required pursuant to applicable laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

1 Prosperity Resources Limited (2007). Melville Project Annual Technical Report for the period 1/1/06 to 31/12/06.

2 Acacia Resources Limited (1999). Melville J.V Annual Report for the Period 1/1/99 - 31/12/99.

3 Zen Minerals Limited (2009). Yalgoo Tantalum Project Combined Annual Reporting Group C152/2002.

4 Jaloro Pty Ltd (2002). Yalgoo Project P59/1490 and E59/937 Annual Report.

5 http://minedexext.dmp.wa.gov.au/minedex/external/common/appMain.jsp

6 Prosperity Resources Limited (2007). Melville Project Annual Technical Report for the period 1/1/06 to 31/12/06.

7 ibid.

8 Acacia Resources Limited (1999). Melville J.V Annual Report for the Period 1/1/99 - 31/12/99.

9 Zen Minerals Limited (2009). Yalgoo Tantalum Project Combined Annual Reporting Group C152/2002.

10 Jaloro Pty Ltd (2002). Yalgoo Project P59/1490 and E59/937 Annual Report.
TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seabridge Gold (TSX:SEA) (NYSE:SA) announced today that drilling has begun at its 100%-owned Iskut Project in northwestern British Columbia. The program calls for 3,000 meters of core drilling designed to help determine controls on gold mineralization for several known occurrences including past high grade producers. Results from this years drilling will be used to design a much larger program for next year.

This years initial drill program is based in part on considerable historical data compiled by previous owners and now being re-interpreted by Seabridges exploration team. This information is being augmented by relogging, sampling and assaying old drill core, much of which had not been previously analyzed. To date, 37 holes have been relogged and 1,124 samples have been sent for assay.

A new geophysical program has also been initiated, using full tensor magnetotellurics (MT) to provide resistivity images of target areas. These resistivity images are being used to identify altered structures and extensive hydrothermal alteration associated with mineralization.

Commenting on the program, Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk noted that our exploration team has developed a very positive perception of the potential of the Iskut property. In our view, Iskut could host extensive district-scale porphyry-style mineral systems similar to our nearby KSM project. These systems would account for the Iskut propertys numerous gold and copper mineral occurrences. However, at Iskut, unlike at KSM, these systems appear to be largely intact from top to bottom, not eroded or faulted away. If so, this would mean that the epithermal tops of the porphyry systems, which typically host high grade precious metals, could remain intact near surface, Fronk said. These are the kinds of occurrences we are targeting.

The Iskut Project was obtained with the closing of Seabridges acquisition of SnipGold Corp. in June, 2016. The property is located in northwestern British Columbia, about 110 km northwest of Stewart, BC and 30 km by air from Seabridges KSM Project. The Iskut property consists of a contiguous block of 100 BC Mineral Claims, 2 Mineral Leases and 13 Crown Grants covering 29,436 hectares (294 km2) situated in the Liard Mining Division.

The consolidated land package has undergone intermittent exploration since 1907 with the majority of the work carried out in the late 1980s and early 1990s. More than 30 independent operators have owned and worked claims within the Iskut property and their uncoordinated efforts discovered numerous promising targets. Very few of these discoveries have been systematically explored over the past 20 years. The property includes the former high grade gold Johnny Mountain Mine and the copper-gold Bronson Slope resource.

Exploration activities by Seabridge at the Iskut Project are being conducted under the supervision of William E. Threlkeld, Registered Professional Geologist, Senior Vice President of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Threlkeld has reviewed and approved this news release. An ongoing and rigorous quality control/quality assurance protocol is employed in all Seabridge drilling campaigns. This program includes blank and reference standards. Cross-check analyses are conducted at a second external laboratory on at least 10% of the drill samples.

Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. The Company's principal assets are the KSM Project located near Stewart, British Columbia, Canada and the Courageous Lake gold project located in Canada's Northwest Territories. For a full breakdown of Seabridge's mineral reserves and mineral resources by category please visit the Company's website at http://www.seabridgegold.net/resources.php.

All reserve and resource estimates reported by the Corporation were calculated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Classification system. These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) this years program leading to a larger program next year; (ii) the potential of the Iskut property; (iii) the Iskut property hosting a district-scale porphyry-style mineral systems and that such systems remain intact from top to bottom with characteristic epithermal tops; and (iv) that the Iskut property mineral systems are not as deeply eroded as those at KSM and the very high grade precious metal occurrences typical of these systems could be found near surface at Iskut. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements.

All forward-looking statements are based on Seabridge's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The principle assumptions regarding disclosure on the Iskut Property include: (i) that the Company will be successful in future efforts to finance the Company; and (ii) the mineralized system at the Iskut Property will conform to similar systems elsewhere. The principle assumptions regarding disclosure on the reserve at the KSM Project are set forth in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml) Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as mineral reserves or mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in exploration, development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals or settlement of an agreement with impacted First Nations groups; the effects of competition in the markets in which Seabridge operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2015 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). Seabridge cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive.

When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Seabridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Seabridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Seabridge or on our behalf, except as required by law.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Rudi Fronk"

Chairman & C.E.O.
[JURIST] Egypts public prosecutor on Saturday issued an order for the arrest of 13 people accused of committing profiteering, forgery and embezzlement as part of a national wheat import scandal. Local suppliers have historically added wheat to their imported supplies to claim state subsidies [Reuters report]. Egypt offers such subsidies to encourage wheat farming and maintain its status as the worlds largest wheat importer. Investigators, however, have discovered that local suppliers and government employees have falsified 221,800 tons of imported wheat supplies, an amount worth approximately USD $69.93 million. The public prosecutor has ordered thus far that silo owners suspected of scandalous activity should be banned from travel and have their funds frozen. Later this month, the Egyptian parliaments [official website, in Arabic] investigation committee will release a report detailing their findings regarding the corrupt activity of concern.

Corruption remains a problem in Egyptian politics. In December Egypts former Agriculture Minister was detained [JURIST report] after an investigation headed by the countrys prosecutor revealed that the minister and others received bribes amounting to over USD $1 million. In July 2015 an Egyptian court sentenced former prime minister Ahmed Nazif [BBC backgrounder] to five years in prison [JURIST report] during a retrial graft charges. Nazif served during the presidency of Hosni Mubarak [BBC profile] until the start of the Egyptian Uprising [Al Jazeera timeline] in 2011, and was convicted of using his position to make illicit gains in excess of 64 million Egyptian pounds, or approximately USD $8.2 million. In February 2015 the Cairo Criminal Court acquitted [JURIST report] Nazif and former minister of interior Habib el-Adly of all charges against them. Both defendants were charged with squandering public funds and profiteering after allegedly making an illegal deal with German Company UTSCH to sell license plates for higher than market value.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit [official website] on Friday threw out [opinion, PDF] a lawsuit by former Guantanamo detainee Mohammed Jawad claiming he was tortured. The appeals court affirmed the district court in refusing to hear the merits of the case because of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 (MCA) [text, PDF], which removes the courts jurisdiction over cases arising from the detention of someone who was given enemy combatant status. Similar cases to Jawads have also been thrown out based on the MCA.

A US Senator last week released a Pentagon Report [JURIST report] detailing the profiles of those currently detained in and recently released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) concluded that closing the facility would not be in the US best interests and would pose a safety risk. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Fox News in January that US President Barack Obama intends to fulfill [JURIST report] his promise to close the Guantanamo detention facility before leaving office. There have been multiple detainees released [JURIST report] from Guantanamo recently. Last November the US Senate passed [JURIST report] the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 (NDAA), which prohibits Guantanamo detainees from being transferred into the US. Obama signed the bill into law, despite the fact that it could delay his plan to close the prison. The NDAA comes after the Department of Defense said [JURIST report] they were sending teams to review three Colorado prisons as part of Obamas efforts to close the facility in October. The Guantanamo Review Task Force (GRTF) was created in response to a 2009 presidential executive order [text, PDF] to review the status of all detainees. In September White House Spokesperson Josh Earnest said Obama was considering a wide array of options [JURIST report] for closing the prison.
A Nice court on Saturday upheld a ban on full-body swimsuits, known as burkinis, in the southern French city of Cannes. The citys mayor imposed the ban [BBC report] last month after authorities and surrounding residents criticized the full body swimsuits for being a symbol of radical Islamism. Those found wearing burkinis could be fined 38 and would be required to either change their outfit or leave the beach. The court found the ban [BBC report] to be in line with French law that allows for prohibitions against actions that disregard public relations policies concerning religion. The Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) [official website, in French] has denounced the courts decision, stating that such a ban may allow prohibitions against all publicly displayed religious symbols. The CCIFs next move will be to appeal the decision to Frances highest court.

Tensions in France have been high since an event in Nice last month in which more than 84 citizens were killed [BBC report] by a truck that drove through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility [ABC News report] for the attack, which followed a call by IS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani for IS followers to kill non-believers in the West through any means possible. Four men believed to be connected to the attacked were arrested [JURIST report] by authorities later in July. The Bastille Day attack is the second most deadly in a string of terrorist acts in France, including the November 13 Charlie Hebdo attacks [BBC news archive], which claimed 130 lives, and the murder [BBC report] of two French police officials by a man claiming allegiance to IS.
Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy websites] released a statement [AI press release; HRW press release] this weekend urging Bangladesh officials to immediately end the illegal detentions of two citizens. Ahmed Bin Quasem and Humman Qader Chowdhury were arrested without warrants on August 9 and August 4, respectively. They were reportedly carried out by men in plain clothes who did not identify themselves as security forces. The men have also not been presented before a magistrate and have not had access to family or lawyers. Officials have denied having the men in custody, although many sources have said otherwise.

Both detained men are sons of opposition leaders who have been convicted of war crimes during the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury was executed [JURIST report] last November. Mir Quasem Ali is also facing the death penalty [JURIST report]. Rights groups such as AI have criticized [JURIST report] death sentences imposed by Bangladeshs war crimes tribunal, stating that trials of war criminals have, in the past, failed to meet international standards.
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KEARNEY  A North Platte man said he misspoke Thursday when he pleaded not guilty to having sex with an underage girl in a child prostitution ring.

But Zachary Schmidt, 26, of North Platte quickly corrected himself in Buffalo County District Court and changed his plea to no contest for felony first-degree sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl between Feb. 1, 2012, and March 31, 2012, in Kearney. Judge John Icenogle had Schmidt clarify for the record his intention to plead no contest.

Schmidts public defender Mike Carper agreed with the corrected plea. A no-contest plea neither admits nor denies guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.

In exchange for Schmidts plea, the charge was reduced from a Class IB felony, punishable by 20 years to life in prison, to a Class II felony, punishable by from one to 50 years in prison. Sentencing will be in May.

Schmidt also faces a charge of first-degree sexual assault of the girl in Franklin County District Court. That case is pending.

Icenogle ordered Schmidt to undergo a presentence investigation to be conducted by the state probation department. During a presentence investigation, the state probation department compiles background information on a defendant, including family and criminal history, employment, and psychological and chemical dependency, to help the judge issue an appropriate sentence.

Late this morning, Schmidt remained in custody at the Buffalo County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond.

In September, a Nebraska State Patrol investigator conducted a photo lineup, and the victim identified Schmidt by his name and picture as her abuser. Schmidt was interviewed in North Platte and was arrested on a Buffalo County warrant.

Schmidt was one of five men who had sex with the girl after it was arranged by Michelle Randall, 36, now of Lincoln. Randall is serving 92 to 120 years in prison for convictions in Buffalo, Franklin and Furnas counties for prostituting the girl. Randall would be eligible for parole in 2058.

In the other mens cases:

- Brian McCarthy, 34, of Lincoln is serving a six- to 10-year prison sentence on four counts of felony possession of child pornography after having pornographic images of the girl and a 7-year-old girl on his cell phone. He was previously a convicted sex offender.

- Logan Roepke, 21, of McCook is serving a six-month sentence at the Buffalo County Jail for felony first-degree sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl. He was also placed on five years probation.

- Alex Rahe, 29, of Omaha was convicted of felony first-degree sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl. He faces one to 50 years in prison. He will be sentenced in May.

- Shad Chandler, 42, of Lincoln was convicted of felony first-degree sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl, and faces 20 years to life in prison. He was scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in Lancaster County District Court. However, the hearing was continued, and another date hasnt been set.

- Donald Grafe, 38, of Monroe is charged with felony first-degree sexual assault of the 14-year-old girl. His case is pending in Lancaster County District Court.

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BRISTOL, Ind.  Shawn Wayne Young, 44, of Aurora, Neb., died Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2013, as a result of a traffic accident near Bristol.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Peace Lutheran Church in Hastings, Neb., with the Revs. Marcus J. Mackay, Ben Siebert and Rod Armon officiating. Burial will be at 3 p.m. at Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Neb., with military honors by the Nebraska Army National Guard Military Funeral Honors Team.

Visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. Sunday at Butler Volland Funeral Home in Hastings and one hour before services Monday at the church. The family will be present from 2-5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

He was born Sept. 22, 1968, in Lincoln to Rockford L. and Juanita J. (Wilson) Young.

On Aug. 14, 2004, he married Melissa L. Richter.

Survivors include his wife; daughters, Morgan Lomax and Kaetlyn Young, both of Aurora; mother and stepfather, Juanita and John Tucker of Roca, Neb.; father, Rockford Young of Lincoln; brothers, Christopher and Anthony, both of Roca; and grandfather, LeRoy Watson of Fremont, Neb.



He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1987 and was a state gymnast for two years. Shawn entered the U.S. Army on Jan. 26, 1986. He was stationed in Germany from 1988 to 1990 and was deployed to Bosnia from 1989 to 1990. He was deployed to Desert Shield and Desert Storm from 1991 to 1992. Shawn served a combat tour in Iraq from 2004 to 2005 with the 561st CSG. He was on the Nebraska Army National Guard Marksmanship Team and was assigned to Det. 1 Training Site Command in Hastings at the time of his death. He was also a cavalry scout for more than 10 years and he was an expert marksman pistol and rifle.

Shawn was a range operations specialist, and the military was his life. Shawn was awarded the following military awards: Bronze Star, two Meritorious Service medals, nine Army Commendation medals, two National Defense Service medals and numerous other service awards.

He and Melissa moved from Kearney, Neb., to Sutton, Neb., in 2008 and moved to Aurora in 2012. He was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in Hastings, Sutton American Legion, Wounded Warrior Project and NRA.

Memorials are suggested to the Shawn Wayne Young Memorial Fund, a college education fund for his daughters.

Visit www.lbvfh.com to send private condolences to the family.
U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., is young in his political career. His success riding the economic wave up from the bottom while at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont quickly ignited his career.

Perhaps the landslide victory in his 2014 campaign for the Senate gave him a sense of immunity, too fast too quickly. Sasse has ignored the cardinal rule in politics. You represent your people and give your people what they want.

His outspoken disdain and public condemnation of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is a slap in the face to Nebraskans who put Sasse in office. His negative opinions about Trump are an insult to the Republican Party.

We, 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 Ben Sasse because he is simply not mature enough to hold any office and should resign immediately for outwardly condemning Trump.

Sasse cannot be trusted. We need leadership, commitment, family, conservatism, less government, repeal of Obamacare and other needed changes that Trump will bring to us.

We dont need another politician who cant represent the people or his party.

Erik Albertson, Valley
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Dear Class of 2020,

Youve worked hard to earn the privilege of becoming a physician. I hope you took some time before starting medical school to enjoy yourself and embrace your passions, be they travel, music or art, or simply spending time with family and friends. Becoming a doctor is a long, bumpy and often lonely road. Resiliency is essential. My first and most important piece of advice is to be sure you retain these other parts of your life that you enjoy so much. If you dont make the effort, it wont happen.

Second, take time now to reflect on and celebrate your achievements. Youve studied hard, scored well on your Medical College Admission Test and devoted time to community service and research. Your resume was superb, and you interviewed well. Be proud of what youve achieved, and enthusiastic about the opportunities ahead.

Third, have confidence in yourself. As you strive to master the massive amount of material you will need to learn, you will at times feel overwhelmed and inadequate. That experience is universal. But dont doubt yourself. You earned your place.

Early on in the process of applying to medical school, you feared you might be rejected everywhere, or at least from your top choice of schools. Youve overcome that hurdle. Now you will face new anxieties going forward. Undoubtedly, you were one of the smartest students as an undergraduate. But your classmates are just as talented and motivated. They, too, want to demonstrate their expertise. As a result, on occasion, youll struggle with the sensation that comes from falling short of your own expectations.

Resist the impulse to let the opinions of others erode your confidence. Over the next four years, you will be graded by many people, and some of the time they will undervalue your contributions and abilities. I warn you about this not to scare you, but rather to prepare you for when it happens.

I have seen the continual demands and pressures of medical education drain the energy and enthusiasm of many trainees and lead them to sacrifice the best parts of themselves. Dont let it happen to you. You arrived in medical school wanting to embrace the art and science of healing, and provide compassionate care for your patients. Now you find your time consumed by the memorizing of biochemical pathways and tens of thousands of other facts. Despite words to the contrary from your dean, it can feel intensely competitive and overwhelming, particularly if your heart is set on certain residency positions. Medical school doesnt have to be like this, but often it is.

The best way to avoid this is to refuse to let your human side disappear. In between studying hard, spend some time reading fiction, listening to music and exercising, or whatever completes you as a person. Treat these interludes not only as breaks from studying but also as nourishment for your soul. Begin a journal and write your thoughts on medicine, people, and your emotions. Go back and read it whenever you begin to feel the human side of yourself receding. Unless youre aware of and in touch with your feelings, they  like any part of the human body  will atrophy. The little time this takes will yield big rewards in the future.

Unfortunately, the dreaded United States Medical Licensing Examination will be as terrible as you fear. You will spend 10 to 12 hours a day for six to eight weeks studying  and then, after taking the test, worrying about your score.

This grueling experience is an important opportunity to take stock of yourself. Some people can accept the endless demands of the preparation, and even enjoy it. For most, though, it represents the dehumanizing side of healthcare. If youre having difficulties staying focused, figure out what you need to do to maintain your balance, whether its taking an evening each week for dinner with friends or a half-day hike in the woods. Make sure you squeeze those activities into your study week, even if you need to push the exam itself back a week or more.

Most schools provide time between completing the exam and beginning clinical rotations. It is an opportunity to relax, sleep and travel. When you return to begin the next phase of your medical education, your energy will be restored to a higher level.

Being a medical student on the wards and learning to care for patients can be both fulfilling and frustrating. You will enjoy experiencing the doctor-patient relationship and its transforming magic. Suddenly, even if in minor ways, you will be contributing to your patients healing process. Cherish those moments, capturing them in your personal journal. After all, this is why you wanted to become a physician. It will be important to always remember the awe you experienced the first time you helped bring life into this world, your sense of fulfillment at the end of a well-performed surgery, and the powerful sadness you felt when one of the patients assigned to you died.

Of necessity, you will begin to develop objectivity about the patients for whom you are responsible. You need this to provide the best treatments for their medical problems. But please be careful to prevent this detachment from limiting your capacity for empathy. If you lose your passion, enthusiasm and joy for patients, medicine will become simply a job.

Certain clinical services will prove more challenging to you than others. In some, youll be treated well and, as a result, feel valued as a person. In others, youll find yourself at the bottom of a rigid hierarchy, and on occasion may feel slighted, particularly when youre required to arrive at the hospital by 5:30 a.m. and have to stay until late at night. It can be frustrating when others with more authority than you fail to recognize your contributions. Unfortunately, this is the culture on some services, and usually there is little you can do to change that except continue to work hard. But if you feel abused in any way, dont hesitate to speak up to those in academic leadership roles. Their job is to listen.

In your final year, youll need to select a specialty you want to practice. Along the way, youll have the chance to experience different ones. Make sure you understand what your life will be like at the end of your residency if you choose to practice that specialty, and also that youre willing to invest the years needed to complete the training. My observation is that almost everyone has more than one right choice. Based on the students, residents and practicing physicians I know, your fulfillment as a practicing physician will depend more on who you are as a person than on the specific residency program or specialty you select.

Over the four years of medical school, youll grow in important and life-defining ways. By your graduation, youll be a doctor with the knowledge and technical skills required to begin the next phase, your residency training.

At points along your training, youll hear cynicism about the practice of medicine. And, as you make the necessary sacrifices to be a highly skilled physician, you may begin to feel like a victim. My final recommendation is dont give into the temptation. Delayed gratification is intrinsic to becoming a doctor. There is no way around it. But it is worth it.

Medicine is the greatest profession that exists. When you are done training, youll have the ability to heal the minds, bodies and spirits of others. Few people in this world get to go home at night having accomplished so much good for so many in ways both small and large.

There is no right path for everyone, but along this life-defining journey, youll be well served taking the following six actions:

1. Congratulate yourself on how far youve come, and continue to do your best to be the most knowledgeable and technically skilled doctor you can be.

2. Hold onto who you are as a person. Be sure to keep a firm grip on the parts of yourself that you value the most. Embrace the elements of your life outside of medicine that bring you joy and fulfillment as a person.

3. Remember why you wanted to be a physician so badly. Nurture your capacity for empathy, a powerful force for healing others that also nourishes your own soul. Without that, you wont be as excellent a healer as your patients need and expect you to be.

4. Beware of becoming single-minded. Never lose sight of why you chose medicine as your career and worked so hard to get here. Balancing all the competing interests inherent in a life in medical practice will prove difficult, but failing in the struggle to do so is why so many doctors end up unhappy. It can be done, but only if you make a conscious effort.

5. Pick a specialty that fits who you are and your personality. If you dont enjoy your clinical rotation, youre unlikely to find fulfillment in pursuing this path.

6. Savor the adventure ahead. If you have put into practice the first five recommendations, youll finish the journey with the skill to make the lives of people better. And you will have maintained the passion, optimism and spirit that you brought to medical school at the start. It wont happen unless you decide to make it a priority. But if you do, youll never regret having made the effort.

Sincerely,

Robert Pearl

Robert Pearl is a physician and CEO, Permanente Medical Groups. This article originally appeared in Forbes.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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Why do you want to go into family medicine? my internal medicine preceptor asked.

It was an innocent enough question. Id known from day one of medical school what I wanted to do, so I answered with confidence, and perhaps a bit of a chip on my shoulder.

I love being with people and getting to know them, I said. Ive always been this way, so it makes sense thats what I would do for my career. Im looking forward to having the long-term relationships and seeing where they go.

A raised eyebrow, followed by his knowing Irish brogue: I applaud that. My own father was a GP in Ireland. But Im afraid you wont find much of that in one month on the wards. This will be a chance, however, to learn your medicine well.

With that, he was off. Knowing that he was a master of the clinical exam, I believed that he was referring to learning to appreciate the difference between crackles and wheezes, knowing how to manage a diabetic crisis, or maybe even doing something as complicated as interpreting the dreaded blood gas.

Yet on this rotation, as on every other, I felt determined, first, to suck the knowledge out of that specialty for later use in my career; and, second, to achieve my own goal of offering a family medicine style of care to every patient. Even as a third-year student, Id seen how my family medicine mentors could meet patients where they lived, look at their illness within the bigger picture of their lives and families, and offer a comforting voice or gesture at the right time. I refused to let down the giants of my soon-to-be profession by focusing just on the medicine.

And so a challenge to that end was dropped into my lap. Literally.

John was a large man. Not necessarily obese or fat, but simply thick all over. Lifting up his leg felt like lifting a soggy log. Ive never figured out why some people seem heavier than others who weigh the same, but I know it to be true.

In the emergency room, I was called over to meet my new patient just as he began to spill out of his stretcher. My timing was spot-on: Rushing over, I used my body to pin him against the side of the stretcher, averting a catastrophic fall.

I soon learned Johns history from his mom. At seventy-five, Mrs. Taylor had spent a lifetime devoted to her only son. Shed outlived her husband, so the effort was all hers now.

Born forty-eight years earlier with Down syndrome, John had not been expected to live a long life, she told me.

I would have none of that talk, she added. John was my baby, and he was strong. Hes been a handful, but I knew hed get through it. She paused. Until now.

Her last two words hung in the air. It would have been easy to plow ahead, obtain his past medical history and his family and social history, and complete the admission. However, a mentor of mine had always said, Let the story go where it wants to go, or youll miss the important stuff; you can always come back for the details.

Until now, maam, I said. What do you mean?

What you young doctors dont understand is that when a child with Down syndrome survives childhood and makes it to this age, Alzheimers is the cruel reward, she answered. John cant do anything for himself anymore, and Im too frail to do it for him. He hasnt been right for months, and now here we are. I dont know what you can do.

Hours later, it became clear that John had pneumonia. Over the next few days, I enjoyed talking with John; his infectious smile lit up his face, and his giggle made it even more delightful.

John, you make me smile. Youre too much, his mom would chide.

Youre much too much yourself, hed reply with a grin.

As the days turned into weeks, it became apparent that being bedridden in an unfamiliar place was only making Johns condition worse.

Even as he gradually stopped talking, I grew more attached to this mother-son duo. I felt touched to see Johns mom wash his hair and clip his finger- and toenails: John wouldnt lose his dignity on her watch. As he slipped into a coma, she read to him every day and held his hands lovingly at night.

I spent far too much time sitting with them each afternoon. I had labs to track down and notes to write; I had medicine to learn, with x-ray reviews and chief-resident pimping sessions. But as I look back now, I know that everything I use in providing care day to day, I learned at Johns bedside.

I dont know how Ill ever know enough to be a good doctor, I told a family medicine preceptor. I just cant cram it all into my head. The other day someone was talking about a basal skull fracture, and I realized I knew nothing about that.

What did you do? he asked wisely.

I ran to look it up.

And thats what youll do in the future. These arent my words  Dr. Francis Peabody said them  but I think theyre true: The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient. Youll look stuff up; youll offer comfort; youll spend extra time with the patient if you have to. Be wary of the doc who knows everything about a basal skull fracture; he might not do those other things that will make the difference.

As I sat with John and his mom and talked and listened, I knew my preceptor was right.

I think it was the extra time I spent that led Mrs. Taylor to open up to me one evening as I got ready to head home.

Hes not going to wake up, is he? she asked, stroking Johns thick gray hair.

Im pretty worried that youre right. Hes had all the antibiotics, fluids and tests, yet hes not coming around.

Im so grateful for your care this past month. I know you tried your hardest. She paused. Do you know what I struggle with most?

I shook my head.

That this is a good thing for John and me. Another pause. A tear. Another tear.

Ive worried for almost fifty years about what would happen if I died before John. Who would take care of him? Of course, I didnt want anything bad to happen to John. Weve had a special life together  no one will ever understand that. But his dying will relieve my worry. His dying will mean that hell be OK, actually.

Id never heard someone say something so complicated and yet so true.

Its time, she said.

We offered John morphine. He died twenty-four hours later  one day before the end of my rotation.

Im not usually someone who hugs strangers or patients, but I hugged Mrs. Taylor before she left the hospital. Id said goodbye to John the night before. It was the second time Id cried in medical school. It would not be the last.

Well, Silk, you proved me wrong. Im a big enough man to admit it, bellowed my Irish preceptor. You learned more about continuity of care this month than I thought you would.

I grinned.

But, he added, I still think you learned a lot of medicine.

As I got onto my bike to ride home, I had a thought: For me, learning a lot of medicine had absolutely required that my care for John should include long conversations with his mom at the bedside. And that was the kind of family medicine I knew I needed to practice.

Hugh Silk is a family physician. This piece was originally published in Pulse  voices from the heart of medicine.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Investigative anti-Clinton critic the latest to turn up dead in recent weeks

Add another mysterious death to the Clinton body count.

A contributing reporter to the American Free Press, Victor Thorn, 54, has turned up dead from what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Thorns claim to fame, so to speak, is that he was a long-time researcher and critic of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

An author of more than 20 books, Thorn was known best for the Clinton trilogy, three definitive works that delved into the history of the power couple, including their sordid scandals, Bill Clintons sexual assaults of multiple women, and the drug-running out of Mena, Arkansas, while Clinton was governor of the state. The Political Insider reports.

Upon receiving news of Thorns demise, the American Free Press contacted the State College, Pa., police department for news related to his death; Thorn was born Scott Robert Makufka. But police werent able to provide any details, and it was unclear how the determination that the gunshot would was self-inflicted was made.

Thorns latest book is titled, CROWNING CLINTON: Why Hillary Shouldnt Be in the White House. It has been described as a major indictment of Hillary Clintons alleged criminal behavior.

According to a description of the book, it provides readers with a wealth of information that the mainstream media only recently discovered and reported  some outlets, anyway. In addition, there are more than 50 one-on-one interviews with a number of experts on government and policy to provide a multitude of evidence as to why Clinton is unsuited for the White House and why the country should never let Bill Clinton anywhere near it.

Some of the details provided by Thorn in the book involves the real truth about Benghazi, specifically implicating Hillary Clinton; her cover-ups of her husbands serial sexual dalliances and assaults against some of his victims; what really happened regarding her use of multiple private email servers and devices while serving as Obamas secretary of state; shady business arrangements and dealings of late, involving allegations of money laundering; and more.

At a time when this nations future hangs on a delicate thread, every argument must be made to prevent Bill and Hillary from inflicting any further damage on the nation. Crowning Clinton arrives at precisely the right time, says the book description.

The death of Thorn is just the latest one in a series of freak deaths that dont make a lot of sense when you delve into the circumstances:

 In early July, former president of the UN General Assembly, John Ashe, died just days before he was to testify against the Clintons and the Democratic Party. According to the official story, Ashe accidentally crushed his own throat in a workout-related incident. But that was after the New York Posts Page Six reported that he had died from a heart attack. Ashe was to testify with his businessman co-defendant Ng Lap Seng, a Chinese national who funneled $1 billion to Ashe  and several hundred thousand dollars, illegally, to the Democratic National Committee during Bill Clintons tenure.

 Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was shot and killed as he walked in his neighborhood in Washington, D.C., on July 10. He was shot in the back; police are investigating the crime as an attempted robbery but the shooter did not take his wallet or anything else of value. Rich was a data analyst who some believe leaked thousands of damaging emails from the DNC to WikiLeaks. Also, there is another connection to the Clinton Global Initiative involving corruption, which you can read here.

Sources for this story include:

Trump.news

ThePoliticalInsider.com

AmericanFreePress.net

TheGatewayPundit.com

ZeroHedge.com
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Ravishing Shilpa on Hi Blitz India Magazine



Shilpa Shetty is the new face of fashion magazine Hi Blitz. She look very beautiful in traditional dresses. Shilpa unarguably has one of the most envious bodies in Bollywood. Shilpa focus on yoga and meditation rather than working out to stay fit. Shilpa uses yoga to release stress and tension and to increase vitality. Check out some of the pics of Shilpa Shetty from shoot. Read More...


Asanko Gold Inc. (TSX, NYSE MKT: AKG) reports that its flagship Asanko Gold Mine in Ghana produced 36,337 ounces of gold during the second quarter, which was its first quarter of commercial production. The output was in line with guidance of 35,000 to 40,000 ounces of gold. Asanko reiterates guidance of 90,000 to 100,000 ounces of gold production for the second half of 2016. The Asanko Gold Mine delivered a solid set of results for its first quarter of commercial production, says Peter Breese, president and chief executive officer. On the operational side, two of the main ore zones in the Nkran pit started to be encountered towards the end of the quarter and, after a number of operational improvements and de-bottlenecking on the plant, the operations are now running at steady state levels, with the processing plant producing over 17,000 ounces of gold in July. On the financial side, the operations are now generating positive cash flow. Whilst costs per ounce of gold produced were high, this was expected as the mine was still ramping up to steady state levels. Importantly, the mining and processing unit costs are in line with our feasibility estimates and are expected to improve. With a substantial increase in gold production expected during the second half of the year, we expect costs to decrease towards our life-of-mine forecasts. All-in sustaining costs for the second quarter were listed at $1,280 an ounce. Operations generated cash flow before working capital changes of $11.6 million. The adjusted net loss was $11.8 million, or 6 cents per share.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com

Sierra Metals: Operational Improvements At Yauricocha Are Working

:07

Sierra Metals Inc. (TSX, BVL: SMT) reports that while second-quarter production was down year-on-year, it climbed from the first quarter as the company focuses on operational improvements at its Yauricocha mine, saying benefits are already occurring and will be more visible in the second half of the year. The company reports silver-equivalent production of 3 million ounces, compared to 3.2 million ounces in the year-ago period, or copper-equivalent production of 19.7 million pounds, compared to 21.6 million in the second quarter of 2015. However, the company says it has increased silver-equivalent ounce and copper-equivalent pound production by 24%, despite only a 4% increase in throughput, from the first to the second quarters. "The operational improvements at Yauricocha are working and we are seeing the benefits, says Mark Brennan, president and chief executive officer. Sierra metals reports an adjusted second-quarter profit of $454,000, compared to $7.3 million in the year-ago period.

By Allen Sykora of Kitco News; asykora@kitco.com
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are trading near unchanged levels in lackluster early U.S. trading Monday. There are no major, fresh news developments in the world marketplace and the summertime doldrums have taken over in many markets. December Comex gold was last up $0.30 an ounce at $1,343.60. September Comex silver was last up $0.112 at $19.815 an ounce.

World stock markets were mostly firmer overnight. Many global equities market indexes are at or near record or multi-year highs amid major economies that are awash in central-bank-infused cash. The U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward firmer openings when the New York day session begins.

The key outside markets on Monday morning see the U.S. dollar index trading slightly lower. Nymex crude oil prices are slightly higher, supported in part on recent reports Saudi Arabia said it is ready to work with other oil-producing nations to stabilize world oil prices. The OPEC cartel is scheduled to meet in late September.

U.S. economic data due for release Monday includes the Empire State manufacturing survey, the NAHB housing market index, and Treasury international capital data.

(Note: Follow me on Twitter--@jimwyckoff--for breaking market news.)

Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating: 2.5 (Trader and investor market risk aversion is not elevated today.)

(Wyckoffs Daily Risk Rating is your way to quickly gauge investor risk appetite in the world market place each day. Each day I assess the risk-on or risk-off trader mentality in the market place with a numerical reading of 1 to 5, with 1 being least risk-averse (most risk-on) and 5 being the most risk-averse (risk-off).

Technically, December gold futures bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. Bulls next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at the July high of $1,384.40. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is closing prices below solid technical support at the July low of $1,318.50. First resistance is seen at $1,350.00 and then at $1,360.00. First support is seen at last weeks low of $1,335.30 and then at $1,325.00. Wyckoffs Market Rating: 6.5

September silver bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls next upside price breakout objective is closing futures prices above solid technical resistance at the July high of $21.225 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $19.00. First resistance is at the overnight high of $20.05 and then at Fridays high of $20.235. Next support is seen at last weeks low of $19.515 and then at $19.27. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.5.

By Jim Wyckoff, contributing to Kitco News; jwyckoff@kitco.com

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MOVES-BNP Paribas, HSBC, Standard Life, National Bank of Abu Dhabi

(Adds HSBC, Integro Re, Brown Advisory and Ygrene Energy Fund) Aug 15 The following financial services industry appointments were announced on Monday. To inform us of other job changes, email moves@thomsonreuters.com. BNP PARIBAS SA The bank appointed Martin Egan and Benjamin Jacquard as global co-heads of primary and credit markets. HSBC HOLDINGS PLC The bank named Anthony Glover as head of U.S. retail banking. STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS The unit of Standard Life Plc said Marc Brammer and Sophie Rahm would join its environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment team as Responsible Investment Analysts. NATIONAL BANK OF ABU DHABI PJSC The Emirate's largest lender by assets said Alex Thursby had stepped down as group chief executive after three years in the position. INTEGRO INSURANCE BROKERS The broker and risk management company said Raj Gulati joined its reinsurance unit, Integro Re, as senior vice president in New York. BROWN ADVISORY The investment firm appointed Nick Andjel as private client portfolio manager in its London team, with immediate effect. YGRENE ENERGY FUND The energy efficiency lender recently made three hires to support its growing asset-backed securities issuance program, the firm told IFR. DHABI GROUP The diversified investment group, owned by a prominent member of the royal family in Abu Dhabi, appointed a new chief executive. (Compiled by Anet Josline Pinto and Sruthi Shankar in Bengaluru)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.

kitco news
By Dhara Ranasinghe

Aug 15 Euro zone government bond yields pulled away from record lows on Monday as rallying equities dented the appeal of fixed income markets, even as weak economic data kept the onus on central banks to provide stimulus to support global growth.

World shares traded at one-year highs, while European stocks rose to a seven-week peak on the back of firmer healthcare stocks.

Economic data from around the world meanwhile continued to support the case for further monetary stimulus, with Japan's economy expanding at an annualised rate of 0.2 percent in the second quarter and at a much slower pace than forecast.

Manufacturing conditions in the New York region meanwhile weakened in August, data from the New York Federal Reserve showed.

Still, investors were reluctant to pushed bond yields lower given a huge rally in fixed income markets since Britain's vote to leave the European Union in June, analysts said.

"We've had a decent rally in fixed income post Brexit, so there is not much more further we can go until we see some more signals from the ECB on monetary policy," said Owen Callan, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald.

"Equity markets are also at new highs so that's weighing on bonds in a thin summer market," he said.

Germany's 10-year Bund yield rose 3 basis points to minus 0.13 percent, off record lows hit last month at around minus 0.2 percent.

Spain's 10-year bond yield, which hit a record low at around 0.92 percent last week, was at 0.95 percent and steady on the day.

Spanish yields have fallen to record lows in the past week on signs of progress on ending a near eight-month political deadlock. Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party is due to vote on Wednesday on whether to accept a reform pact from centrist party Ciudadanos. A vote in favour would be a step closer to forming a government.

A rally in risk appetite helped Portuguese bond yields reverse early rises, with focus turning to the country's ratings outlook.

Portugal faces a review by Fitch Ratings later this week, which could put the spotlight on its rating and eligibility for the European Central Bank's quantitative easing programme.

"Fitch should reiterate its take on Portugal. However, hawkish comments may raise concerns about DBRS's stance on which QE-eligibility rests," Commerzbank strategists said in a note.

Portugal's debt is rated as junk by the three main ratings agencies (Ba1/BB+/BB+ by Moody's/S&P/Fitch); it remains eligible for quantitative easing only because of a BBB rating from ratings agency DBRS.

For Reuters new Live Markets blog on European and UK stock markets see reuters://realtime/verb=Open/url=http://emea1.apps.cp.extranet.thomsonreuters.biz/cms/?pageId=livemarkets (Editing by Jon Boyle)
I saw a column at Stuff by the executive director of UNICEF NZ supporting a Andrew Littles bill on requiring all rental houses to have insulation and heating.

Down the bottom it noted:

This article was supplied as part of Stuffs partnership with Unicef NZ. UNICEF stands up for every child so they can have a childhood. Find out more at unicef.org.nz

So what is this partnership:

Weve just launched a partnership with Unicef NZ that were pleased to be able to tell Stuff readers about. Unicef NZ has some compelling stories to tell around improving child welfare. Well be able to help shine a light on those issues  and Unicef will be able to help us with access and resources to tell the stories of children, families and communities afflicted by disaster, poverty, and violence, both around the world and here in New Zealand. This arrangement  which starts as a trial for six months  wont affect the independence of our journalism. Well continue to make our editorial decisions based on news merit, and we remain free to criticise Unicef NZ or its activities if thats justified. When we use material supplied by Unicef, it will be clearly credited.

This strongly suggests that it is a commercial partnership, and that Unicef NZ pays Fairfax and in returns Fairfax prints columns for them.

If this is the case (and their statement is so opaque it is hard to know), then they should clearly mark columns provided as advertorial, not editorial.

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Radio NZ reported:

It was probably the most electrifying exchange in Auckland Councils six years of existence.

After being interrupted, deputy mayor Penny Hulse closed her eyes and composed herself.

The following minute ended the unswerving public loyalty that Ms Hulse had shown Mayor Len Brown through his rollercoaster six-year encumbency.

The wedge that finally drove the two apart was Auckland Councils three-year-old idea of requiring larger housing developments to make 10 percent of the homes built affordable.

The Independent Hearings Panel tasked with re-writing Aucklands Unitary Plan dumped the quota  and yesterday councillors voted 13-7 to uphold that decision. 

As the councillors argued over the provision during yesterdays Unitary Plan debate, Mr Brown signalled it was time for him to speak.

Ill probably go down fighting like a shark, I feel strongly on this, he opened.

I had to fight the government to get that affordability clause written into the Housing Accord, he said, referring to the agreement which operated over the previous three years.

Over the next six minutes he advanced arguments contrary to those of his deputy, to whom he had given the role three years earlier of leading the development of new housing ideas.

Other councillors argued for and against, until it was time to vote.

Then Ms Hulse took the unusual step of asking to speak for a second time.

I feel I havent really been able to express myself in probably the most important debate of all. I would like a chance to just speak briefly and if you say yes, Id appreciate that,  she asked. Mr Brown agreed. 

The final minute of Ms Hulses address began in a voice shaking with emotion.

Ive spent the last three years working on this issue. To have to vote on something I fundamentally believe in with every fibre of my being and that can be construed as not supporting affordability in this city is the hardest thing that I will need to do.

On the other hand I dont believe in populist politics, I dont believe in grandstanding and I dont believe in making promises that we cant deliver on, she told councillors, some of whom applauded.

I believe in things we can genuinely deliver.
I blogged in May how Opotiki Mayor John Forbes declared things were going so well in Opotiki that he didnt want an election as it would distract the Council from its work.

The Herald reports he has gone further and traveled to a challengers home to try and persude them not to stand to save the cost of an election:

One of New Zealands longest-standing mayors went to a rival candidates home in his mayoral car and told him the region could save $50,000 if he continued in office unopposed.

Mayoral candidate Les Keane says incumbent Opotiki mayor John Forbes knocked on his door this week to discuss Keanes decision to challenge him for the mayoralty  and there would be no need for a costly local body election if no one opposed him for a sixth term.

When approached by the Herald on Sunday yesterday, Forbes admitted he used the mayoral car to pay a visit to Keanes house on Thursday, and he went there specifically to discuss Keanes candidacy.

Forbes denies requesting Keane stand down, but admitted his approach made the $50,000 cost to ratepayers clear if Keane were didnt pull out of the race.

I said to him, if you withdraw your nomination, we could save a lot of money on the election, Forbes said.

It costs about $50,000  which is about one per cent of our rates  to have an election and if he wasnt committed to it, we could save money.
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, those 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.

Stenberg 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.

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.
Stuff reports:

The Christchurch City Council will investigate ways to limit unhealthy food outlets setting up shop close to schools.

More of this madness. A map in Auckland showed that if you banned food outlets within 800 metres of a school, them most of Auckland would be covered.

Linwood College student Harriet Helms, 16, said 90 per cent of her friends went to Burger King after school at least four times a week. They went for the free wi-fi and purchased food while they were there. She wanted a place that had free wi-fi and healthier food options.

If they are after free wifi they are going to go to a place that has it, regardless of whether it is 100 metres or 1 km from the school.

Linwood Medical Centres Dr Richard Griffiths asked the council to show some backbone and regulate against the outlets. Day in, day out were confronted by adult obesity and more concerning child obesity. Griffiths said he was furious at the ease in which companies could position themselves across from schools.

Oh such hysteria. Youd think this is a school in the middle of the countryside, and KFC has chosen to open up outside their school just to target them.

The school is located next to a major shopping mall. Shopping malls the world over have fast food outlets. People like to eat while they shop.

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Mumbai

Global investors are looking at the Indian real estate sector with a great deal of enthusiasm, following the recent policy reforms, including Real Estate Regulatory Act (RERA), 100% FDI in construction and easing of REITs regulations, said Colin Dyer, CEO of US-based JLL Inc.



The reforms, according to Dyer, are helping property markets in India get more transparent, prompting institutional investors to increase their exposure in the country. "The penchant for development is clear from the efforts that the current government has made during the past two years or so. World's leading multilateral institutions and fund managers are taking a note of this and have bestowed their faith in India's progress," Dyer said in an exclusive interaction with ET.



"Currently, every metric, be it the Ease of Doing Business (by World Bank), Global Competitiveness Index (by World Economic Forum) or sovereign ratings (by S&P and Moody's), has shown India favourably, improving by a significant proportion."



He expects the private equity flows into India to remain strong in line with record levels touched in 2015 as the current developments with regard to RERA and REITs are major factors that could help improve India's transparency ranking further. India saw around $2 billion poured into realty sector by foreign private equity firms in 2015. "Given the speed with which reforms are happening, we expect Indian tier-I cities to progress from the 'semi-transparent markets' group to the 'transparent markets' group by 2018," Dyer said. In JLL's global real estate transparency (biennial) index for 2016, India's tier-I cities secured a rank of 36 amongst 109 countries, a major improvement from the 48th place it had secured in 2012.



Global investors, including Blackstone Group, Singapore's sovereign fund GIC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), Goldman Sachs and Qatar Investment Authority, have already been investing in Indian realty assets for the last few years. Apart from these, several new funds are also eyeing investment and alliance opportunities here.



Foreign investors' appetite for Indian real estate is on the rise, owing to relatively better economic growth and, therefore, returns.



The current developments relating to RERA and REITs are major factors that could help improve India's transparency ranking further during the next assessment year in 2018. Given the speed with which reforms are happening, we expect Indian tier-I cities to progress from the "semi-transparent markets" group to the "transparent markets" group by 2018. ..

Consumers are looking for fool-proof information and protection against builder malpractices, and the Real Estate Regulatory Authority would take care of both these concerns, according to Dyer. Bringing approval authorities, too, under the ambit of the regulator will help reduce delays on that front and will be helpful for investors remove uncertainties from project funding.



However, the issue of affordability for mass housing would still remain and in that regard, successful implementation of the 'housing for all by 2022' initiative of the Modi government would be crucial. It is definitely a gigantic task and political will is of utmost importance to ensure that success is achieved, he said.



India's residential sector currently has unsold inventory close to its peak levels of 39 months. However, there is definitely a trend of this getting gradually reduced over the next 18 months or so.



"By no means, this indicates lack of demand for houses. In most cases, fence sitters are holding back purchases either for want of the right products or due to lack of market confidence. Therefore, all stakeholders currently feel the need to adopt confidence-building measures, including the developer and government. We hope that with RERA in place, we would soon see confidence coming back," he said.



Dyer does not foresee further price rationalisation in India, given that discounts are already offered by many developers, particularly those with high inventory, of 12-15%.



However, few developers with execution track record have been able to sell their inventory in record time despite a slow market otherwise, and therefore, price may not be the real reason for sluggish sales in many cases.



ET View



Boost Fund Flows



Heightened investor interest is good augury for real estate. We do need to step up funds flow into the sector. In the mature markets, real estate accounts for about half the annual growth in GDP. The corresponding share in India though remains hardly 9-10%, which clearly needs to rise. The way ahead is to boost transparency in approvals and clearances for real estate projects, so that project follow-through is time-bound and smooth.



Real estate does offer attractive returns on investment for pension and other long term funds.

Kailash Babar, Economic Times, Mumbai
SHARE Neil Heatherly, President and CAO of Parkwest Medical Center (Submitted by Genna Sellers)

By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  Covenant Health has named Neil Heatherly as the new president and chief administrative officer, or CAO, of Parkwest Medical Center, effective Aug. 22, according to a news release.

Heatherly will succeed Rick Lassiter, who has served as Parkwest's CAO since 2008. Lassiter has taken a job as CEO of a large physician specialty group headquartered in northern Virginia.

"Parkwest is in my blood and I have deep roots there," Heatherly, who worked as a surgical orderly at the hospital during his high school years, said in a statement. "I already feel a deep sense of dedication to the medical center, and serving as the administrative leader at Parkwest will be the high point of my career."

Heatherly has been president and CEO of Tennova Healthcare for the past two years, overseeing a system of six hospitals and several physicians clinics based in Knoxville. He has served as Tennova's Market CEO and as CEO of Physicians Regional Medical Center.

Heatherly led Tennova as it announced plans to construct a five-story, $303.5 million hospital at Old Weisgarber Road and Middlebrook Pike. It is slated to open by the end of 2018.

Heatherly joined Community Health Systems, parent company of Tennova, in 2009 as vice president of operations for hospitals in Tennessee and Pennsylvania, and later served as president of the organization's home care division, including 80 affiliated home health agencies.

"I am pleased that the search for the next CAO of Parkwest Medical Center has yielded a qualified and experienced health care executive and a valued member of our community," Jim VanderSteeg, president and CEO of Covenant Health, said in the release. "Throughout his career Neil Heatherly has demonstrated a commitment to excellence, and he is known for building positive relationships and effective teams. His leadership during the construction of StoneCrest Medical Center showed his ability to develop and implement processes to successfully accomplish organizational goals."

Heatherly was CEO of StoneCrest Medical Center in Smyrna, Tenn., before joining CHS. There, he oversaw the building of a new hospital, expansion of specialty services, physician recruitment and other accomplishments, according to the release. He has held leadership roles at hospitals in Tennessee, Texas and Georgia.

"Neil is a native Knoxvillian, and his father, Mr. Wayne Heatherly, served as the longtime hospital administrator at Parkwest," VanderSteeg said. "I sincerely appreciate the medical staff and senior leadership at Parkwest for their active engagement with Covenant's executive leadership team during the search process, and we are all delighted to welcome Neil to the Covenant Health family."

Heatherly, a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives, has been board chairman of Leadership Healthcare of the Nashville Healthcare Council and is an alumnus of Leadership Knoxville. A Farragut High School graduate, he holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee and a master's in business administration from Vanderbilt University.
Scott Sullivan and Caitie Horne of Knoxville enjoy milkshakes at the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain on Gay Street on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016. (CAITIE MCMEKIN/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Ali James of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Vintage soda fountain opens at new Phoenix Pharmacy on Gay Street

At long last, the new Phoenix Pharmacy downtown has opened the promised soda fountain at the front of the store, offering floats, shakes, sundaes and ice cream with a vintage vibe.

"It is the realization of a decades-old dream," said Nolan Sherrill, co-owner and manager. "My father, Ron Sherrill, grew up in North Alabama when soda fountains were prevalent. He has always wanted that concept here."

Ron Sherrill is president of the pharmacy and operates the Caremax Home Medical Clinic upstairs. His business partner, Charlie Southerland, is a pharmacist and together they opened the Phoenix Pharmacy at 418 S. Gay Street, in the old J.C. Penney building, last October.

Nolan Sherrill grew up in Knoxville, and after he went away to college and later graduate school, he worked as a national security expert for the Defense Department.

"I have lived in several cities in the U.S. and traveled the world," he said. "Knoxville has had this resurgence, and it's neat to be a part of that and to understand what it was before all of this.

"In March, I cut back my hours in Washington, D.C. to oversee construction," Sherrill said. "When I came here full time to establish the fountain, we started focusing on the end product."

Sherrill, who has a lot of friends in the restaurant business, has partnered with two other people to add their expertise to the venture. Co-owner Peter Freeman is co-founder of the Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain and author of The New York Times best-seller, "The Soda Fountain: Floats, Sundaes, Egg Creams and More." Rita Cochran, director of food service operations at Scripps Food Network Kitchens, is the other co-owner.

"Peter is known nationwide as one of the best soda jerks, and has put together some menu offerings and was instrumental in the design of the soda fountain," Sherrill said. "Rita has been helping out with the production side downstairs in the basement, recruiting Cory Mounce to run the bakery. All three of us are collaborating on that."

In keeping with the look of the pharmacy, they have blended original apothecary cabinetry with shelves and other fixtures that are made mostly from reclaimed wood.

"A lot of the apothecary cabinetry is from Mims, an original pharmacy that was open in the early 1900s on Broadway, and Dale Honeycutt at Storeroom Furniture helped us source that," Sherrill said. "Our carpenters, New Life Construction, built other pieces to make it almost indistinguishable between what is old and what is new."

A buffet was a part of a larger display in a Kingston pharmacy in the 1890s and the stools at the counter overlooking the street date to the late 1800s.

Gracie Jones at Fountain City Stained Glass also completed some custom work for the fountain shop.

Other key features came courtesy of Doug Smith of Smith Drugs, a family owned pharmacy that opened in the early 1900s in Rutledge and is still open.

"The Drugs marquee sign can still be seen in photos with Doug's grandfather outside their pharmacy," Sherrill said. "The marble also came from Doug Smith. He wasn't using it  it was just lying around."

They took it to White's Marble Works in Sweetwater, which has been family owned and operated since 1870, and had it cut and sanded, and a coating applied to it.

"It turned out great," Sherrill said. "There was enough there to not only do our main bar, but also the back bar and our tables, and we still have several pieces left over.

"The exposed brick walls are original, as are the hardwood floors  all of the wobble in the floors is original," Sherrill said.

The main bar measures 22-1/2 feet long and seats six people, and the entire store seats 48 customers.

Sherrill even enjoyed brainstorming with his wife, Amy, who works for the local architectural firm Benefield Richters, to design the space.

Unsure whether they wanted to keep the work under wraps, they decided not to wall off their construction site and allow customers at the pharmacy to see their progress with the fountain.

"Everyone was excited," Sherrill said. "It was challenging at times to have people come through your space when it is a construction site. We have had people come in from out of town to check in on us. It was fun to finally be able to serve those people."

At the Phoenix Pharmacy and Fountain, the staff makes as much as they can from scratch. Currently they are serving ice cream by the scoop, sundaes, floats, old-fashioned malts and shakes. Over the next few weeks, they will be adding some handcrafted sodas to the mix, making their own syrups and adding seltzer to them. They will also add more flavors for the floats, milkshakes and sundaes.

"We only have a few ice cream flavors right now," Sherrill said. "When the initial push dies down, I'll find time to make more."

Ray George from Tic Toc Ice Cream Parlor in Loudon took the time to teach Sherrill how to make his own ice cream.

"He was phenomenal, a really great guy," Sherrill said. "It's cliche to say that food doesn't taste as good unless you put the love into it, but we are using a lot of traditional methods and a lot of good old fashioned know-how."

The staff are wearing uniforms as close to traditional as you can get, according to Sherrill. "Our soda jerks will be decked out in black and white, and wear hats and their aprons. It's really a fun, festive way to do this  even our servers, dishwashers and cooks will have authentic-looking uniforms."

Regular hours are 4-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 2-10 p.m. on Saturdays.

Right now, they are busy adding some more menu items and preparing for their grand opening on Wednesday.

Planned promotions will include soda fountain discounts when people transfer their prescriptions to the pharmacy.

"This isn't just about the fountain, it's about the whole concept, including the pharmacy," Sherrill said.
Cades Cove, a popular visitor destination in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, was a farming community before the park was founded. (J. MILES CARY/NEWS SENTINEL/FILE)

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UPCOMING HIKES

Smoky Mountains Hiking Club hosts two hikes this coming weekend. On Saturday, Aug. 20, they head to Rocky Top at Thunderhead Mountain beginning at the Lead Cove Trail off Laurel Creek Road. This is a high-elevation hike of 13 miles, rated difficult. Meet at Alcoa Food City, 121 North Hall Road, at 7:30 a.m. Leader: Cindy Spangler, spangler@utk.edu

On Sunday, Aug. 21, they head to the Graysville Mountain segment of the Cumberland Trail offering nice views of the valley below the Walden Ridge escarpment. The trail begins at the Roaring Creek parking area. A swimming area at Stinging Fork Falls may be enjoyed for those interested in cooling off. Hike: about 10 miles total with 900 ft. elevation gain, rated moderate. Meet at ORNL Credit Union in Kingston at 8 a.m. Leader: Tim Bigelow, bigelowt2@mindspring.com

CADES COVE TOURS

Cades Cove Heritage Tours is scheduling late summer and fall tours of the Cove. Enjoy observing the abundant wildlife and learn about the residents and the human history of Cades Cove. Tours are $15 per person and depart from the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend.

For info and reservations, call 865-448-8838.

CERAMICS SHOW

The District Gallery is showcasing Terra Madre: Women in Clay, a group show featuring the work of agroup of women ceramic artists living and working in the Knoxville area.

Comprised of over 35 artists, the group shows work as a collective two to three times annually.

The show will be on display Aug. 19 through Sept. 10.

The opening reception is 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19. The gallery is at 5113 Kingston Pike. Free. Info: www.TheDistrictGallery.com or 865-200-4452

WILD HOGS

A discussion about wild hogs will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, 4564 Leatherwood Road, Oneida. Free. Learn about how this domesticated free-roaming animal got here and how this pest is wreaking havoc on the environment today.

Info: 423-569-9778.

TALK FOR AUTHORS

"Marketing for Small Press Authors and the Self-Published" will be held 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, at Central United Methodist Church, 201 E. Third Ave. Hamilton Summie will speak to writers about the basics of creating a marketing plan for their works. Cost: $50. Knoxville Writers Guild members will receive a 40 percent discount and student members a 50 percent discount. Register at bit.ly/293sKVs or send a check to KWG Workshops, P.O. Box 10326, Knoxville, TN, 37939-0326.

Like us at www.facebook.com/knoxvillefamily and www.facebook.com/knoxvilledotcom
LeTonia Hardin Armstrong was politicking Saturday at the annual Women of Faith Lunch sponsored by the Democratic Women of Knoxville to be selected as the Democrat to represent the state's 15th House District, saying she has a community service background.

"I am more than Joe Armstrong's wife," she said following the luncheon at the Foundry.

The speaker at the event was Lisa Quigley, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville, who talked about the need for more women to run for public office.

State Rep. Joe Armstrong, who's represented Knoxville's 15th District for 28 years, was convicted Aug. 8 of filing a false tax return, a felony that precludes him from continuing to hold office. He was nominated in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary to be on the ballot in November to face Independent Pete Drew. No Republican is running.

At the luncheon, LeTonia Armstrong distributed to some Democrats and the media a copy of an email she has written to 15 members of the Knox County Democratic Party who will make the decision.

She considers her credentials to be:

She is a longtime resident and Democratic voter of the district;

She attended Chilhowee Elementary School and graduated from Holston High School and from the University of Tennessee with a master's of public health degree;

She just retired as government affairs director of AbbVie, a pharmaceutical company that works with legislators;

She has been on the boards of the Knoxville Women's Center, the YWCA, the American Heart Association and the Civic Coliseum and is a member of the Tennessee Women's Political Caucus and the Perfect 36 Society of the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument, both of Nashville.

Democrats have 40 days before the Nov. 8 election to nominate a new candidate. The selection will be at 6 p.m. Thursday at the party's headquarters, 311 Morgan St.

Other candidates seeking the position are City Councilman Daniel Brown, a former Knoxville mayor, and Rick Staples, a community advocate who has unsuccessfully sought other elected posts.

Armstrong, 55, said the vote seems to be weighing heavily toward Staples from what she can determine.

"It is an unfortunate opportunity. I'm capable. I have credentials. I know the process already," she said.

Quigley told the crowd that 33 women were running for the Tennessee Legislature, the most ever. She recognized two candidates at the luncheon as in the group  former state Rep. Gloria Johnson, seeking again to represent the 13th House District, and Brandi Price, seeking the 18th House District seat.
Chattanooga police officers take escapee Robert Shawn Harris into custody Monday, August 15, 2016. The 37-year-old man escaped from Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute on Sunday and is accused of two counts of child rape. (ANGELA LEWIS FOSTER/CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS)

SHARE Robert Shawn Harris escaped from Moccasin Bend and is charged in Hamblen County, Tenn., with two counts of child rape.

By Staff And Wire Reports

KNOXVILLE  An accused child rapist who escaped Sunday from an East Tennessee mental health facility was captured Monday, authorities said.

Robert Shawn Harris of Bulls Gap, Tenn., was on a law enforcement hold out of Hamblen County when he fled Moccasin Bend Mental Health Hospital in Chattanooga on Sunday morning. A Chattanooga police officer with a K-9 tracked Harris through some woods and took the man back into custody off Signal Mountain Road about at 10:15 a.m. Monday, authorities said.

On July 18, agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Hamblen County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Marshals Service, began investigating the whereabouts of the 37-year-old Harris, who was wanted on two counts of rape of a child in Hamblen County and a theft over $1,000 charge in Morristown.

He was located and arrested July 20 in Perry, Okla.
By Jamie Satterfield of the Knoxville News Sentinel

An engineer charged in the nation's first nuclear espionage conspiracy case involving China is accusing the FBI of trampling on his rights.

Szuhsiung "Allen" Ho is accusing the FBI of tricking him into making potentially incriminating statements after he invoked his right to speak to an attorney following his arrest in April at a hotel in Atlanta.

Ho is charged in U.S. District Court in Knoxville with procuring American nuclear know-how for the Chinese government.

Ho, his firm (Energy Technology International) and a Chinese nuclear power plant (China General Nuclear Power), were indicted in April in an alleged plot to lure nuclear experts in the U.S. into providing information to allow China to develop and produce nuclear material based on American technology and below the radar of the U.S. government.

It is the first such case in the nation brought under a provision of law that regulates the sharing of U.S. nuclear technology with certain countries deemed too untrustworthy to see it. Those countries include China.

Although the technology is used for nuclear-power generation, the by-product of that process can be used to produce nuclear weapons.

FBI agents William R. Leckrone and Timothy L. Harp confronted Ho at the Twelve Atlantic Station hotel in Atlanta to arrest him on the Knoxville indictment in April. According to the agents' report, Ho was in the company of three members of the China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute, whom he had taken on a tour of nuclear power facilities in Oregon and Atlanta.

According to the FBI report, the research institute engages in both "civil and military nuclear research."

The agents acknowledged in the report that Ho quickly asked to speak to an attorney before answering questions. It is at this point in which the account of the FBI and Ho's attorney, Peter Zeidenberg, diverge.

The FBI stated in its report that the agents gave Ho an "explanation of his indictment and a brief overview of the investigation" as well as allowing him to speak to his traveling partners, use the restroom and eat breakfast. The agents say he volunteered information to them.

"Ho repeatedly attempted to justify his situation, at which point agents reminded Ho he had preferred to speak with a lawyer and prohibited Ho from making incriminating statements," the report stated.

The agents then went on to list things Ho allegedly admitted, including trying to recruit a specific engineer at a New York nuclear power plant to provide information to him, knowing about the regulations he is accused of violating, knowing China General Nuclear Power Co. was owned by the Chinese government and acknowledging "some nuclear facilities in China participate in both civil and military nuclear research," including the one with which his traveling partners were associated.

But Zeidenberg insists the agents purposely engaged Ho in conversation designed to elicit incriminating statements.

"The entire 50-minute interaction in the FBI interrogation room was calculated to evoke incriminating responses  otherwise, why do it?" the attorney wrote in a motion seeking to suppress those statements. "The agents had already advised Dr. Ho of the charges against him at the hotel upon his arrest. Eliciting a response was the only reason for placing Dr. Ho in that interview room while the agents described their theories and suspicions for nearly an hour."

The interaction between Ho and the agents was recorded.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Atchley Jr. contends Ho, a native of Taiwan and naturalized U.S. citizen, not only works for the Chinese government but was specifically being paid to secure American nuclear technology information China could use to produce nuclear weapons. Ho has a wife in Delaware, but also has what Atchley has called a "second family," including a son, in China. Atchley says Ho spends most of his time in China.

Atchley said at a recent hearing that Ho has transferred $3 million from a bank account in China to various accounts in Delaware since 2009. That was the year Ho allegedly first began to recruit engineers working in the U.S. to provide  in return for money from the Chinese government  restricted nuclear power technological information.

One of those engineers, Ching Huey, was working as a TVA senior manager when he agreed to divulge such information to Ho and the China nuclear power company and even traveled to China on the Chinese government's tab. Huey struck a secret deal to cooperate with the FBI. Other engineers involved in the case are only identified by numbers in the indictment, and there has been no mention of their status in any court records or hearings.

Ho's defense team of Zeidenberg of Washington, D.C., and Knoxville veteran attorney Wade Davies contend Ho did nothing wrong and believed, based on communications with federal officials, the information he was buying did not fall under U.S. regulations.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Guyton in June refused a bid by the defense to have Ho freed pending trial. The defense is appealing that decision. A hearing is set before Chief U.S. District Judge Tom Varlan on Tuesday.

PDF: Allen Ho's motion to suppress statements

SEE ALSO:

Employee of Chinese government has cause to flee, federal judge rules

Defense seeks engineers freedom pending trial in Tenn. nuclear espionage case

Records: Former TVA manager admits Chinese government paid him for nuclear secrets

Feds: TVA executive traded nuclear information for cash in Chinese espionage case

Retired UT professor found guilty of violating Arms Export Control Act; case gained national attention
SHARE Keith Carver

By Megan Boehnke of the Knoxville News Sentinel

KNOXVILLE  University of Tennessee President Joe DiPietro's executive assistant is among the four finalists to become chancellor of the system's Martin campus.

Keith Carver, who has been at UT for 19 years and in his current role since 2011, has served in various leadership positions at three of the school's five campuses. Among those roles is a four-year stint as assistant vice chancellor for development at UT Martin.

He is joined in the running by Mary Holz-Clause, dean of the College of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona in Los Angeles; Jay Morgan, the chief academic officer at the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education; and Jerald Woolfolk, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at the State University of New York at Oswego.

Interviews for the job will begin Aug. 29. Each candidate will visit the Martin campus in northwest Tennessee, where they will meet with campus leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community. A public forum with each finalist will be webcast live and archived on the UT website.

"My priority is on selecting the highest-caliber leadership possible to help advance the campus' mission, and I'm confident that we're on track to do that," DiPietro said in a statement. "All four candidates have extensive higher education experience and excellent qualifications."

More details as they develop online and in Tuesday's News Sentinel.
SHARE Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan speaks as the Regional Forensic Center released its 2010-2015 Drug-related Death Report for Knox And Anderson Counties Monday, August 15, 2016 in the small assembly room at the City-County Building. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Dr. Amy Hawes, assistant medical examiner, explains a portion of the Regional Forensic Center's 2010-2015 Drug-related Death Report for Knox And Anderson Counties on Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, in the Small Assembly Room at the City County Building. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan, Knox County's chief medical examiner, discusses the findings Monday, Aug. 15, 2016, of a study of drug-related deaths. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL) Dr. Amy Hawes, at podium, assistant medical examiner, and John Lott, director of the Regional Forensic Center, explain a portions of their 2010-2015 Drug-related Death Report for Knox And Anderson Counties Monday, August 15, 2016 in the small assembly room at the City-County Building. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

By Kristi L. Nelson of the Knoxville News Sentinel

Drug-related deaths in Knox and Anderson counties have doubled over the past five years with a drug-related death rate higher than either the state or the country.

Between 2010-2015, the two counties' combined drug-related deaths jumped from 101 to 200  from 12 percent to 19 percent of the total autopsies and exams conducted in those counties.

Three-quarters of drug-related deaths in those two counties involved prescription drugs  not illicit "street" drugs  though that may change as prescription drugs become more difficult to obtain.

The Knox County Regional Forensic Center released a report Monday on drug-related deaths in Knox and Anderson county between 2010-2015, in an attempt to shed light on the growing drug-related death problem in East Tennessee and the need for a system to track and address it.

The report also found that, although the number and types of drugs linked to deaths have increased over those five years, oxycodone was always the most frequently found drug in drug-related deaths.

Drug-related deaths occurred most often among people 45-54 years old, followed by people 55-64 and 35-44.

And five ZIP codes  37918, 37920, 37917, 37912 and 37849  consistently had more residents dying from drug-related causes.

"Based on the Knox and Anderson county data, drug-related deaths occur mainly with people you work and go to church with and the parents of the kids our kids play and go to school with," said report author John Lott, senior director for the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. "They live next door and in our neighborhoods.

Oxy still king

This data can't tell whether drugs were prescribed to the deceased, or diverted, or whether they were taken as prescribed  only that they contributed to the death of the person taking them.

But it does show the prescription painkiller oxycodone has led the list of top 10 drugs found in drug-related deaths in the two counties from 2010-2015.

Morphine, oxymorphone and alprazolam (a sedative often sold under the brand name Xanax) were near the top of the list every year. Cocaine was No. 6 in 2010 and in the top five every year afterward, and was roughly three times more prevalent in the 45-to-54-year-old group than in any other age group. The "detox drug" methadone, No. 4 in 2010, has been steadily creeping downward but still made the top 10 every year in the report, and buprenorphine (suboxone) deaths also have risen.

"Most people don't die from one particular drug alone," said Dr. Amy Hawes, assistant medical examiner for Knox and Anderson counties. "It can be a combination of drugs."

A common combination in East Tennessee is oxycodone and a benzodiazepine, such as Xanax, she said.

"It has become very clear in recent years that the prescription drug epidemic is bearing down on East Tennessee," said Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. "The target is constantly moving. Every time we think we're getting a handle on the problem, a new one pops up, in the form of new drugs or the resurgence of old ones."

The number of deaths attributed to fentanyl more than doubled over the past two years. It was found in four deaths in 2010, two in 2011, nine in 2012, and five in 2013, but 18 in 2014 and 24 in 2015. Lott said that includes both pharmaceutical fentanyl or and fentanyl produced in clandestine labs, which means the potency can vary. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has reported packets of heroin laced with fentanyl as well as pure fentanyl packaged and sold as heroin.

Heroin showed up in the top 10 for the first time last year, found in 25 deaths. It wasn't recorded in any deaths in 2010-2013 but was found in 11 in 2014.

Heroin is metabolized more rapidly than other drugs, Hawes said, so the center has adapted testing to account for that. That's been a fairly recent change, so it's possible heroin use was under-reported in the analysis. Still, anecdotally, some prescription-drug users are turning to heroin as other drugs become more expensive and difficult to get, Hawes said.

"It's cheaper, and it's stronger" than prescription painkillers, Hawes said.

Lott said the center expects to see an increase in deaths related to illicit or "designer" drugs, in part fallout from changing legislation that regulates pain clinics and prescribing of prescription painkillers.

"Based on the data, we believe the 45-54-year-old age group will continue to be the lead age group, followed by the 55-64-year-old age group," he said.

Already between Jan. 1-June 30 of this year, the center has seen 127 death cases suspected to be related to drugs, although most of those cases haven't yet been finalized.

"However, the current estimate does put us on a path to have more drug-related deaths this year than in 2015," Lott said.

Fixing data limits

The report was prepared using data from certified death certificates and medical examiner case files for autopsies and exams from Anderson and Knox counties, because the center provides death scene investigation for those counties and Dr. Darinka Mileusnic-Polchan is the chief medical examiner for both.

The center has been informally collecting the data for years and was able to analyze it because of increased staffing, Mileusnic-Polchan said.

It's limited, though, by the way the deaths are reported  or, in the case of people who die in some hospitals and medical facilities, not reported to the medical examiner's office. In some cases, a physician might certify a cause of death on a death certificate that doesn't specify drugs were involved; those cases aren't reported to the medical examiner's office, either. Others have been caught when the medical examiner, as is required by law, gets a cremation request for approval and finds the death might have been drug related. In that case, the body is brought to the Regional Forensic Center for exam or autopsy.

And drug use contributes to some deaths reported as traffic accidents or suicides, Mileusnic-Polchan noted.

Tennessee has no statewide electronic death certificate system that can collect data and share it in real time.

"We believe this report is an undercount of the total number of overdose deaths," Lott said.

Lott and Mileusnic-Polchan propose training doctors, hospitals and medical facilities on when death cases should be reported to the county medical examiner, and want consequences in place for those who are properly trained but still don't follow reporting requirements.

They're also prepared to ask for local funding for the center to help with drug-related autopsies and toxicology testing they expect to continue to increase. That "eats a up a large chunk of our operating budget," Mileusnic-Polchan said, "but we have to do it, because we have to know what we're dealing with."

Finally, they want to address, at a regional level, a national problem: the lack of consistent real-time monitoring and reporting of drug-related deaths. The staff of the Regional Forensic Center has presented a plan to the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other federal agencies to try to get funding for a regional coalition, led by the center, that can effectively monitor, report and compile data on drug-related deaths, along with coordinating efforts to fight drug-related issues.

"These are not just numbers," Mileusnic-Polchan said. "There are people (and) families behind these numbers."

Better data, the report said, can help organizations reduce drug deaths  by, for example, knowing how to prepare for overdoses, or identifying unscrupulous prescribers.

Karen Pershing, executive director of Metro Drug Coalition, said that nonprofit found no surprises in the report. The coalition routinely hears stories from family members affected by drug death looking for an outlet for their grief, she said.

But the report, and subsequent tracking, can really help organizations like hers "get in front" of trends in drug use to tailor prevention and intervention efforts. Pershing hopes the center gains funding to facilitate better real-time monitoring of drug-related deaths.

"Investing in the problem is critical," Pershing said. "Anytime we can get more in-depth data  the better off we're going to be."
SHARE State Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis John Ray Clemmons, D-Nasvhille

By Adam Tamburin, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

NASHVILLE  A union representing thousands of college workers in Tennessee on Monday released hundreds of comments slamming the governor's proposal to outsource facilities management on public college campuses.

The comments, which were collected by the state during a public comment period and sent to reporters by United Campus Workers, reiterated concerns that have been voiced by the union, lawmakers and college leaders for months. Of about 400 comments, almost all of them were critical of Gov. Bill Haslam's proposed plan, with many commenters suggesting the plan would lead to lost jobs or slashed pay for current employees and a lower quality service on campuses.

"The work is already being done well by Tennessee's hardworking public servants  whose jobs are on the line with Haslam's proposal," said one commenter who identified herself as Donna Smith. "We know how to do the job best and most efficiently, and we're the ones most committed to the needs of our state."

The state uses Chicago-based JLL to manage roughly 10 percent of its facilities. An internal report released in March suggested privatizing the management of residence halls, student centers and other properties across the state could save $36 million annually.

Haslam has repeatedly said that the savings will be made without layoffs or cuts to pay or benefits. On Monday, Michelle R. Martin, spokesperson for the state office charged with reviewing the outsourcing proposal, said her office would "continue to state and restate" that any college outsourcing deal would include provisions to protect jobs.

During a phone conference Monday organized by United College Workers, state Sen. Lee Harris and Rep. John Ray Clemmons ripped Haslam's plan and called for more rigorous legislative oversight of similar state contracts.

Clemmons, D-Nashville, repeatedly referred to the outsourcing plan as a "scheme" that was plotted out behind closed doors to benefit Haslam's "friends" and political allies.

"Gov. Haslam and his administration is willing to sell anything that isn't nailed down in state government," Clemmons said. "I question his priorities, his motives."

Harris, D-Memphis, cited previous efforts to hire private companies for state work as evidence that the process needed more oversight. In particular, he mentioned the state's $108 million contract with a company to administer online school testing, which was marred by problems that hampered this year's rollout of the new TNReady test.

Haslam's proposal to outsource facilities management at colleges has been dogged by criticism since it became public in 2015. College leaders have questioned the state's savings projections, saying that current in-house facilities management is efficient.

In February, on the heels of that pushback, the state agreed to hire a third party to evaluate potential savings that could be made through outsourcing. Martin said that review is being done by Nashville-based Kraft CPA, adding that a final report should be made public in November.

While the third-party review is underway, the state has moved forward in its efforts to evaluate outsourcing partners. Colleges will get the opportunity to opt in or out of the outsourcing plan once those potential partners have made their pitches in February 2017, Martin said.
Facing a backlash, the Social Security Administration said Saturday that it was making a text-message verification process optional. (Photo: Getty Images)

SHARE Satish Mehra (Credit: University of Memphis)

By Michael Collins of the Knoxville News Sentinel

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 accounts, the Social Security Administration offered to text the code to their cellphones. 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 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 U.S. 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 will be implemented 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 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 kept some from going online to change mailing addresses or designate different banks to receive direct deposits.

The policy affected 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.
Cyclist on the Neyland Greenway on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016. (SAUL YOUNG/NEWS SENTINEL)

Knoxville is gaining a reputation for outdoor recreational opportunities, and Mayor Madeline Rogero unveiled a plan last week that would only enhance the city's status.

The Rogero administration has developed a 20-year, $45 million plan to build 24 miles of greenways that would connect the city's existing trail system.

In addition to creating more recreational pathways, the plan would enable bicyclists to commute without the risks of sharing the roadways with cars and trucks.

Once complete, for example, someone would be able to ride a bike from Fountain City to downtown  or even across Fort Loudoun Lake  on a dedicated greenway.

Three years in the making, the plan would develop 13 corridors to link with the city's existing 90-mile greenway network.

Rogero said the plan answers a growing demand for greenways, not just for recreation, but for travel in the community, commuting to work or getting to school.

A section just over two miles long in Northwest Knoxville would connect greenways from Ball Camp Pike to a pedestrian bridge on Western Avenue, and Third Creek Greenway to Middlebrook Pike.

In East Knoxville, a connection would link Dr. Walter Hardy Park to the Five Points area and beyond, about 1.2 miles.

In South Knoxville, the proposed Smoky Mountain Greenway would connect Charter E. Doyle Park to Gary Underwood Park.

And there are connections expected for a Fourth Creek Greenway and Second Creek Greenway.

The plan is the result of a three-year, $256,000 study by architecture firm Ross/Fowler, about 80 percent of which was paid for through a state grant.

While the idea of connecting the city's existing greenways dates back to 2009, this study offers detailed feasibility plans on what it would take to build those missing links, according to Greenways Coordinator Lori Goerlich. The new greenway connections can also help protect fragments of urban forest and creeks, opening them up for public use, she added.

Part of the plan is to focus on areas where there are opportunities for public-private partnerships. For example, Tennova Healthcare has said it would be willing to build greenways on the grounds of its new hospital on Middlebrook Pike. Other partners include the Knoxvillle Utilities Board, Norfolk Southern Railway and the Tennessee Clean Water Network.

The Department of Public Works, meanwhile, is also putting together a team of four to five existing employees to create a greenways crew to focus solely on maintaining the city's trails. The group will have a truck, trailer and mini-excavator to do repairs and build small sections of greenway, said David Brace, director of public works.

While the initiative is being launched on Rogero's watch, term limits will require that future mayors see the plan through to completion. The blueprint is ready for them, however, and like downtown revitalization and the South Knoxville Waterfront development, the project can span several mayoral administrations. The initiative promises to add to Knoxville's transportation and recreational options and should improve the quality of life for city residents.
SHARE

Donald Trump nailed it. The system is rigged  just not exactly as he envisions. Historically, both political parties, when in control of state legislatures, have redrawn congressional districts to favor their candidates. When tea party-led Republicans took over state legislatures in record numbers in 2010, they drew up some of the strangest-looking congressional districts ever, granting themselves a huge electoral advantage. They turned gerrymandering into an art form. Normally, this is called cheating.

This paid off in 2012. The Republicans gained a 33-seat advantage in the House of Representatives while receiving 1.1 million fewer votes than their Democratic competitors. Normally, the voters select their representatives. The Republicans, instead, select their voters.

Not finished with their mischief-making, the Republicans passed a raft of new legislation designed to discriminate against minority voters, who often favor Democrats. They shortened early voting periods after determining minorities favored voting early. Forms of ID were required that were determined to be less available to minority voters. A North Carolina judge said this was done intentionally and with "surgical precision." He has been joined by judges from other states in determining such laws to be unconstitutional.

The Republicans claimed they were only protecting their fellow citizens from the problem of voter fraud. An interesting study of Texas voting statistics over a recent 10-year period uncovered two cases of voter fraud in a sample of 20 million votes cast. In a recent ruling by a Wisconsin judge, laws of this type were condemned as solving a nonexistent problem.

Only Republicans could select a gutless draft dodger as a standard-bearer who can't stop lying or whining because he realizes he is about to lose to a girl. How dumb do they think the American people are?

Francis K. Koon, Kingston
By Choi Sung-jin



After the Korean government all but suspended domestic sales of Audi and Volkswagen vehicles, two other German automakers  Mercedes Benz and BMW  will likely strengthen their dominance of the imported car market here.



"Drivers who had their eyes on Audi or Volkswagen cars will hardly shift to Korean vehicles," a dealer of foreign automobiles said Friday. "The domestic imported car market will be restructured into an oligopoly of the big-two,'"



The four German brands accounted for 61 percent of the domestic imported car market in the first half of this year. Last year, the combined share of the four reached 66.91 percent and threatened to reach 70 percent.



That will likely change in the second half of this year, as Audi and Volkswagen suffer serious sales setbacks because of the Environment Ministry's strong punitive action. Industry sources said Mercedes and BMW would take up the slack.



According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, Mercedes Benz took up 20.97 percent of the imported car market this year, closely chased by BMW (19.83 percent). Sales of Audi and Volkswagen dropped 2 to 4 percent, reducing their market share to 11.18 percent and 10.68 percent, respectively.



Last year, Volkswagen sold 14 models in Korea, but now it can only sell two of them. Likewise, the number of Audi models that can be sold here fell from 53 to 36.



If half of the consumers who wanted to buy Audi and Volkswagen models turn toward Mercedes and BMW, the latter two brands' market share will easily top 50 percent, market sources said.



The concerns about the possible market oligopoly by Mercedes and BMW are based on Korean motorists' preference of German cars over U.S. or Japanese vehicles. Chances are even slimmer that domestic automakers will take over the market occupied by Audi and Volkswagen.



"Korean drivers who were seeking to buy imported cars are those who have lost interest in home brand cars, and so they will try to find alternatives among other imported brands," the car dealer said.



Yet market dominance by a few brands will not help consumers.



A case in point is the market for home brand vehicles. Hyundai and Kia models account for 67.2 percent of the market, and the oligopoly of the two sister carmakers has led to price rises.



When Hyundai's EF Sonata made its debut in 2000, for instance, the most basic model started at 11.89 million won ($10,810), but its 2016 counterpart's price has nearly doubled to 22.04 million won.



Experts say Hyundai's sharp increase of car prices every year is because of its firm grip on the domestic market. Suppliers with dominant market status also tended to neglect optional services in marketing, they said.



"Hyundai and Kia's business style comes from their market oligopoly," said Professor Kim Pil-soo of Daelim University College. "The same thing can happen with imported cars, too, if a few brands dominate the market."



In the latter half of the year, Mercedes and BMW began to charge full prices without sales promotions or price discounts, reflecting confidence that Korean motorists will have not many alternatives, the market sources said.



BMW reduced the discount for its 520D model from 10 million won to 7 million won and Mercedes has withdrawn the discount of 10 million won discount for its E-Class models.



"Dealers in Volkswagen and Audi are starting to move toward Mercedes and BMW, because they think the demand for German cars will largely shift to other German brand vehicles," an industry executive said.



"It is not desirable for German-brand cars to occupy up to 70 percent of the imported car market," Professor Kim said. "The market oligopoly by Mercedes and BMW can cause problems in after-sales service such as higher repair costs."




Kim Young-sun, ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General



By Nam Hyun-woo



BANGKOK  The ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary General Kim Young-sun believes Korea's future lies with the 10 member states of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).



Being the second largest trading partner for Korea, the region's strategic importance is growing, with the country striving to expand ties with ASEAN. However, Kim, the former Korean ambassador to Indonesia, stressed that proper awareness of South East Asia should precede efforts to enhance ties with the region.



"Frankly, many Koreans have a distorted image of South East Asians," Kim said in an interview with The Korea Times in Bangkok, where he was visiting for the center's youth network workshop. "When they think of South East Asians, Koreans first come up with images of illegal migrant workers. If you want to forge good friendships, you have to know your counterparts properly."



Kim cited as an example the opposition against the ASEAN Culture Center scheduled to open next year in Busan. He said there were groundless concerns from some nearby residents who associated the center with illegal immigrants.

"ASEAN is closer than we think," Kim said. "Both Japan and the U.S. consider ASEAN as a key partner and Korea should do likewise. In the long-term, their presence for Korea should become larger."



The reason why Kim stresses ASEAN's presence is the subtle diplomatic situation of ASEAN countries offering a niche for Korea.



"A leader of an ASEAN country once was asked by an official from a developed country, Are you pro-China or Pro-America?' And the leader answered that I'm pro-Korea,'" said Kim. "This not only shows the diplomatic skill of audacity but also drops hints that the diplomatic situation in the region will be in favor or Korea down the road."



According to Kim, countries in this region can be grouped into three -- pro-U.S., pro-China and independent -- depending on their geopolitical status. In this political "whirlwind," Korea can emerge as an independent partner that ASEAN countries can cooperate with.



"For example, the Philippines is a pro-American country, which locks horns with China politically and diplomatically but cooperates with the country economically," Kim said. "Given that, Korea can emerge as a comfortable partner. The country has no thorny past issues or diplomatic complexities with ASEAN, while having experience in technology, economic development, financing and international marketing."



Japanese companies have dominance in Thailand, especially the country's automakers having a 95 percent market share here. Kim said that this leaves Thailand almost no leverage in making deals related to the auto industry. He suggested that if Korea can gain a foothold in the market as well as sharing technology with Thai companies, Thailand will welcome this as a way of earning leverage in negotiating with Japanese firms.



The ASEAN-Korea Center was established in 2009 to map out such a blueprint. With the recognition that "knowing your counterpart is the first step in forging friendships," the center has initiated a series of interaction programs, including the ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop from Aug. 1 to 10, and now plans to hold the 4th ASEAN Connectivity Forum and an inaugural ASEAN Culinary Festival in November in Korea.



"Koreans should recognize that their country and ASEAN share common ground and relations between the two affect the future of Korea directly," said Kim. "In other words, the future of Korea lies in ASEAN."
By Jhoo Dong-chan



Sixty-two companies offering over 200 mineral water brands are battling out to expand their market share in the nation's bottled water market that has rapidly grown around 10 percent over the past several years.



According to market researcher Neilson Korea, the country's mineral water market was worth 620 billion won last year, jumping from 543 billion won in 2013 and 590 billion won in 2014. It is expected to be worth 700 billion won this year, and will exceed 1 trillion won by 2020.



Some analysts said the recent water purifier scandals engulfing Woongjin Coway and Chungho Nais were also partly behing strong sales of bottled water



Of domestic mineral water brands, Kwandong Pharmaceutical's Jeju Samdasoo dominates the market with a 45.4 percent share last year  it marked 45.7 percent in the first quarter of this year.



Lotte Chilsung's Icis 8.0 and Nongshim's Baeksansoo are engaging in a neck-and-neck race for second place. Last year, Lotte was second with a 5.8 percent share but fell to third with 5.2 percent in the first quarter of this year, as Nonshim reached a 6.8 percent share to overtake it.



In a bid to expand its market share in the mineral water market, Nongshim invested a total of 200 billion won to build a second Baeksansoo plant in Jilin Province, China, last September. Thanks to the plant, annual production capacity has jumped from 250,000 tons to 1.25 million tons, the largest capacity among domestic mineral water producers.



Nongshim has chosen Baeksansoo as the company's next growth engine after Shin Ramyun. It recorded 35 billion won in sales in 2013, and has set a sales target of 80 billion won this year.



Rival mineral water producer Lotte Chilsung has also secured a large-scale production plants in 2014 in a bid to expand its market share.



It has four different brands, depending on where the water comes from, and they combine for 120 billion won in sales.



The nation's top mineral water brand Samdasoo has been produced by Jeju Province Development and sold under a consignment contract with Kwangdong Pharmaceutical.



Its annual sales reached 150 billion won last year, but the contract is over at the end of this year. The company that secures the upcoming contract for Samdasoo is expected to lead the market.



Hyundai Asan also jumped into the market after signing a contact with the U.S.-based mineral water company Crystal Geyser.




Chicks were hatched under 37 degrees Celsius./ Courtesy of YTN



By Yeo Ye-rim

Believe it or not, amid the burning heat of August, a chick hatched from an egg left untouched in a house.

On Aug 14, a resident of Cheonan, Chungcheong Province, told YTN that he left six fertile eggs above the fridge and three of them hatched.

"I went to the kitchen after I heard some chirping sounds," said the man, surnamed Kang.

"Some of the eggs showed slight cracks. Moments later, a black chick appeared out of one of the eggs alive."

According to a manager from Livestock Health Control Association, the required condition for a chick to hatch is a room temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for 20 days.

"The temperature above the fridge is normally high, so it somehow makes sense," the manager said.

A similar incident occurred in China, where, with the temperature up to 40 degrees during daytime, a chick hatched from an egg being sold on the street.
A photographer was arrested for paying female university students and housewives to let him to take obscene pictures of them.

He shot about 8,300 such photos, police said, Monday.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, the man surnamed Jeon, 50, lured 12 women by promising large sums in modeling fees, took shots of them naked and then posted them online.

Jeon recruited the women via an online community of models for about a year from May 2015. Housewives, college students and jobless women who needed money posed for the photographs.

He allegedly posted the naked shots of the women on a website he operated. He recruited members for the site, charging them 30,000 won per month to view the photos and 100,000 to 150,000 won to download them.

The website had around 23,000 members and 4,000 of them made payments. Jeon and two of his accomplices earned 160 million won over the past year from the website.

The site has been shut down, but police are investigating whether the photos have been posted on overseas-based pornography sites.
President Park Geun-hye urged North Koreans to join hands for unification, Monday, saying South Korea is ready to offer them a chance to pursue happiness and get fair and equal treatment.



This was her message to ordinary citizens and officials in North Korea on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-45).



She also called for the North Korean regime to halt its nuclear development and military provocations and stop abusing human rights, saying its "anachronistic" moves go against peaceful unification.



"For ordinary citizens and officials in North Korea, unification will provide a new opportunity through which all of you can freely display your talent without suffering any discriminations and disadvantages," Park said during a ceremony to commemorate Liberation Day in Seoul.



"I ask you to join in opening the new era of a unified Korea where fear of nuclear weapons and war will be gone and human values will be respected."



Park warned that the Kim Jong-un regime's international isolation and economic hardship will only accelerate if it continues to pursue its nuclear ambitions.



She said the repressive state should not "ignore human rights and living conditions of its people any longer, adding "We'll not turn our face away from those who suffer because of wrong choices made by the North Korean authorities."



"They also should drop anachronistic attempts against peaceful unification. We'll offer North Korean authorities a chance to move toward peace and prosperity if they make the right choices and work in a sincere manner," Park said.



No division over THAAD



Concerning China's protest against a planned deployment of U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea, Park reaffirmed that it is a defensive measure against North Korea's military threats.



"We are asked to think strategically and pull out all abilities nationwide to cope with latest developments in international politics, especially changes in the security of Northeast Asia," she said. "We should break out of a victim mentality that our fate will be determined by regional powers and instead lead our relationships with neighbors actively and reciprocally."



She called for a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan, saying it is important for Japan to face up to history first to make meaningful changes.



These remarks came after Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida promised to pay 1 billion yen ($9.8 million) to South Korea last week as early as possible in line with a bilateral agreement in December to help former Korean sex slaves during Japanese colonial rule.



Park also spoke about domestic issues, including the sluggish economic recovery.



She said finding new economic growth engines and also reforming the labor market and education industry will be critical to bolstering the economy.



Park promised that the government will lend support to enterprise restructuring and in innovating research and development to encourage companies to increase their investment and create more jobs.



Regarding pending labor reform bills, she said parliamentary approval will be essential for "the survival of the country" amid the oppositions' claims that they will only benefit conglomerates.



"It's for future generations. Our society may collapse if the related parties continue to blame each other."



Listing popular South Korean products, Korean pop culture and the latest raise in South Korea's credit rating, the President said South Korean should be more proud of their nation.



"There have been spreading fallacies that belittle our nation and describe it as a place where people can hardly make a living," she said. "We should revive our spirit of challenge, adventurism and optimism."




By Yi Whan-woo

Ten lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties visited the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo on the occasion of the 71st anniversary of Liberation Day, Monday.

This is the first time since 2013 that legislators visited Dokdo to reinforce Korea's sovereignty over the islets, which are claimed by Japan.

The Japanese government expressed regret over their visit, saying "It was unacceptable."

The lawmakers' visit to Dokdo came as Japanese politicians keep visiting Yasukuni Shrine which honors Japan's war dead  and houses the remains of some Class A war criminals  despite strong protests from the two Koreas and China.

On the same day, dozens of Japanese lawmakers and two ministers  Tamayo Marukawa, minister for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and Internal Affairs Minister Sanae Takaichi  visited the shrine while Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering.

The South Korean lawmakers, led by Rep. Na Kyung-won of the ruling Saenuri Party, crossed the East Sea and landed on Dokdo by helicopter in the morning after departing from the National Assembly in Seoul. Na served as the chairwoman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

The six other Saenuri Party legislators were Sung Il-jong, Park Myung-jae, Khang Hyo-sang, Kim Seang-tae, Lee Jong-myeong, Yoon Jong-pil. The remaining three were Reps. Kim Jong-min and Hwang Hee of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), and Chang Jung-sook of the minor opposition People's Party.












Four U.S. swimmers, including gold medalist Ryan Lochte, were robbed in Rio de Janeiro. / AP-Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young

Armed thieves robbed four American swimmers in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, again raising concerns about safety during the international event.



"They pulled out their guns, they told the other swimmers to get down on the ground  they got down on the ground," Ryan Lochte, gold medalist in the men's 4x200-meter freestyle relay told USA Today.



The swimmers, who were not harmed, were returning to their accommodation by taxi after hanging out with French Olympians in the Rodrigo de Freitas area in the southern part of Rio.



"Their taxi was stopped by individuals posing as armed police officers. They demanded the athletes' money and other personal belonging," U.S. Olympic Committee spokesperson Patrick Sandusky said in a statement.



The Brazilian city's unstable security has been a chronic problem.



On Aug.10, Belgian judoka Dirk Van Tichelt was also assaulted by a thief, suffering a black eye.



A bus carrying international journalists was hit by two stones on the same day, causing minor injuries to 12 people.
By Philippe Legrain

LONDON  For once, Marine Le Pen, the leader of France's far-right National Front, may be correct. She has called the United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union the biggest political event in Europe since the fall of the Berlin Wall. That may turn out to be true: Brexit has destabilized the UK and could end up destroying the EU.

Old-fashioned federalists say the answer to Brexit should be further EU integration. But that response is both far-fetched and dangerous. Germany and France are often at odds, and both have weak leaders facing re-election next year who could scarcely muster support for an "ever-closer union." And anti-EU sentiment is too widespread and too deep to hand more power to unelected EU officials and impose additional constraints on national decision-making without poisoning the pot further.

True, the immediate post-Brexit turmoil appears to have boosted support for mainstream politicians and the EU; but this is unlikely to last. The Brexit fallout is likely to sap eurozone economic performance and further polarize European politics as voters become more insecure. German dominance of the EU will increase, and so, too, will the anti-German backlash in many countries. With a weak and divided EU unable to resolve Europe's many crises, and with nationalism resurgent, we can expect further disintegration in different forms.

The most extreme form would be further exits by member states. Leaving the EU once seemed outlandish: no country had ever done it, and only extremists even proposed it. Brexit now makes leaving seem feasible and, to some, reasonable. Already, Geert Wilders, whose far-right Freedom Party is leading in the polls ahead of the Netherlands' general election next March, is demanding a referendum on EU membership. So, too, is the Danish People's Party, which is the biggest party in the Danish parliament, but remains out of government.

In France, where opposition to the EU is even greater than in the UK, Le Pen is campaigning on the promise of a "Frexit" plebiscite. She currently leads in polls for the first round of the presidential election next April. And while those polls suggest she would be defeated in the second-round runoff by a more moderate conservative challenger, center-left voters who are fed up with austerity, the political establishment, and German dominance may yet rally behind her. Moreover, the growing sense of insecurity after the Nice attack on July 14  the third major terrorist massacre in France in 18 months  plays into Le Pen's hands.

Disintegration could also take a less extreme but more insidious form if governments choose to ignore EU rules with impunity. In Italy, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi sought to take advantage of post-Brexit instability to use public funds to recapitalize Italy's zombie banks, without imposing losses on their creditors, thereby bypassing the EU's new "bail-in" rules for banks. In France, Prime Minister Manuel Valls threatened to ignore the EU's posted-workers directive unless it was modified to prevent employers from hiring workers from other EU countries on worse terms than locals.

Germany claims that France is also bending the eurozone's fiscal rules, with no objection from the European Commission. And while the Commission threatened Spain and Portugal with fines for their borrowing overruns, it ultimately pulled back. It has also rubber-stamped many governments' unilateral imposition of border controls in the supposedly border-free Schengen Area.

Worse, the Commission has turned a blind eye to Hungary's illiberal prime minister , Viktor Orban, despite his government's repeated flouting of EU requirements concerning the rule of law and democratic norms. The governments of Hungary and other countries also refuse to comply with the EU's program to relocate refugees across the Union, which in any case has scarcely been implemented; Orban is holding a referendum in October to bolster his position.

A third threat to EU integration is the further capture of governments by nationalist anti-establishment parties. As the European Council on Foreign Relations has pointed out , insurgent parties already play a direct role in the governance of eight of the EU's 28 countries.

In Austria, the far-right candidate Norbert Hofer leads polls in a re-run of the country's presidential election, set for October. The same month, Italy will hold a constitutional referendum to reform the Senate, and Renzi has vowed to resign if it doesn't pass. This would open the door for the anti-establishment Five Star Movement, which recently won local elections in Rome and Turin, and has called for a referendum on Italy's eurozone (but not EU) membership.

Even when populist parties don't win, establishment politicians still make concessions to their supporters. For example, Alain Juppe, the presidential frontrunner for the Republicans in France, muses about limiting labor mobility in the EU, as does his main rival, former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

To counter these forces of disintegration, the EU must do less and do it better. Economically, plans for new institutions can wait; the eurozone should focus instead on policies to raise living standards for all. These should include looser fiscal constraints; more investment; an end to beggar-thy-neighbor wage cuts; and lower taxes on labor.

Europe's leaders also need to restore trust. For starters, they should use the EU's new bail-in rules to clean up banks' balance sheets, imposing losses on creditors and compensating any small investors who were sold a false bill of goods.

Politically, the EU should emphasize effective cooperation in combating terrorism. And, rather than trying to force recalcitrant governments to accept unwanted refugees, EU authorities should pursue an orderly and safe resettlement program with willing governments. This is particularly important in view of the uncertain fate of the EU's deal with Turkey to curb refugee inflows, which is looking increasingly precarious in the wake of last month's failed coup.

The EU's leaders need to wake up. With disintegration looming, they urgently need to demonstrate to anxious Europeans that the benefits of the EU outweigh its costs.
At the beginning of the year, President Park Geun-hye said her administration aims to build a country that promotes the quality of women's lives by creating an environment where working women are able to raise children without any excessive financial burden or strain on their careers. The latest survey reflecting some of the harsh realities of Korea's working mothers and single women shows the President has much work to do to keep her word.



The most notable finding of the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) survey was that most working moms were unhappy with the government's policies for boosting the birthrate. The FKI report said that only 5.4 percent of respondents were satisfied with the administration's pro-birthrate policies. Nearly 70 percent said that the support measures were unhelpful. Four out of 10 single female workers said they have no plans to have children in the future.



The high level of discontent among single and married women shows that there are serious flaws with the Park administration's policies for encouraging women toward motherhood. Their main complaint is that a lot of the government's support measures for families are unrealistic. The government's tax breaks and cash incentives are directed toward families with three or more children. This means that the majority of working women, who have one or two children at the most, are excluded from such benefits. The support measures need to be adjusted to properly reflect the realities of working mothers.



The government announced a five-year plan late last year to raise the birthrate to 1.5 per woman by 2020 and spend more than 100 trillion won to do this. Park does not have much time to restore the credibility she has lost among mothers and women on birthrate policies. But the national goal of boosting the birthrate must succeed regardless of Park's term in office. This is why Korea needs to benchmark cases of Japan or Singapore and establish a ministry that specializes in birthrate and population issues. The ministry should ensure that policies are carried out consistently and that the budget is spent on programs that actually help women start and raise a family. This is the first step to the success of the five-year plan for boosting the birthrate.



For women to become more enthusiastic about having children, the corporate sector also needs to create mother-friendly initiatives, such as expanding in-house daycare facilities and paid parental leave.




Restaurant owner Kim Seong-sik, 82, is a son of Kim Jeong-ro, an independence fighter who participated in the anti-Japanese movement during the Japanese colonial period (1910-45).



By Jhoo Dong-chan

The son of an independence fighter has helped his neighbors in need for several years at the Bangsan Market in Jung-gu, central Seoul.

Restaurant owner Kim Seong-sik has been serving meals to needy neighbors every Wednesday since October 2009 following his father's wishes. He has also been volunteering at a crossroads in front of the market every morning for more than 10 years to ensure student safety.

"It is a bit tiring to prepare meals for 50 people at a time but it is also very rewarding," said Kim.

"It was my father's wish. He wanted me to contribute to the society."

The 82-year-old Kim's father, Jeong-ro, was an independence fighter who participated in the anti-Japanese movement across China and Korea under the famous Kim Koo's leadership during the Japanese colonial period.

Born in Soonchang, North Jeolla Province, in 1914, Kim Jeong-ro first joined the movement participating in the Gwangju Student Independence Activity in 1929. He then joined Kim Koo's Provisional Government of Korea in Shanghai.

He also established underground resistance forces in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, in 1935. Kim was captured by the Japanese after they were tipped-off by one of his accomplices in 1943 but released upon the liberation of the country in 1945.

Kim was then elected to the second National Assembly but died from illness in 1958 when he was only 43.

Kim's son, Seong-sik, said he met his father for the first time when he was seven years old.

"My father did not want me to live under his fame, so I haven't yet applied for a man of merit as an independence patriot for him," said Kim.

"But I am now old enough that I might join my father soon. It's time his heroic deeds to be recognized by the government."
By Lee Min-hyung



Huawei, China's top-tier handset and networking infrastructure business operator, is basking in the limelight for its partnership with Shinsegae, a former Samsung Group affiliate and the nation's second-largest retailer.



The partnership is also eye-catching as Huawei has icy relations with its rival Samsung Electronics following a series of lawsuits between the two.



Shinsegae, which separated from Samsung Group in 1991, had been a decades-long retail services operator of Samsung. Shinsegae Group Chairman Lee Myung-hee is the younger sister of Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee.



The partnership was announced last week when Huawei officially named Shinsegae I&C, the IT-based platform service affiliated with the retail giant, as its sole distributor in Korea, to speed up penetration into the market here.



Given that Samsung and Huawei are engaging in legal battles, critics said the partnership is quite "unexpected."



In May, Huawei filed a patent lawsuit against Samsung Electronics in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, claiming that the Korean electronics firm infringed on Huawei's wireless patents without licensing.



In response, Samsung Electronics countersued Huawei and a department store in Beijing last month, claiming some $24.14 million in damages.



Amid the chilly relationship, Huawei held a press conference last week to launch the sales of its two-in-one portable PC, MateBook, in Korea. The company also announced its partnership with Shinsegae I&C whose retail clients include renowned global information and communication technology (ICT) companies such as Google, Hewlett-Packard and JBL.



"Huawei joined hands with Shinsegae I&C, as the Chinese company appreciates our capability in managing global ICT firms," said a Shinsegae manager. "We have nothing to comment on why Huawei chose the former Samsung affiliate despite its current estranged relationship with Samsung Electronics."



He said the partnership came as Shinsegae has a nationwide foothold to distribute devices by using its e-mart discount chains.



Huawei established its Korean branch in 2007, but has so far failed to attract huge attention with its consumer electronics products  including smartphones and laptops. Expectations are that the Chinese handset giant aimed to stop the decade-long weak profile here by signing a partnership with the strong retail giant, regardless of its relationship with Samsung.



There are only a few "hit" Huawei products here  including its budget handset Y6 introduced earlier this year. But the phone failed to gain wider interest, as the country's smallest mobile carrier LG Uplus was the exclusive distributor for the smartphone.



Huawei Korea officials were unavailable for comment over the specific reasons for the partnership.




By Lee Min-hyung



The government has denied Associated Press (AP) reports that the nation's labor ministry would properly evaluate information requests from workers who became sick after working at Samsung Electronics' factories.



The U.S.-based news agency recently reported two articles over the years-long controversy involving former Samsung Electronics workers who developed incurable diseases, including leukemia, after working at its chip and display-manufacturing plants.



In particular, AP reported on Friday that the Ministry of Employment and Labor is "taking its article seriously" and "would ensure that officials properly evaluate information requests from workers."



The labor ministry, however, officially denied the report.



"We do not have any plans to review the case, but the report distorts our official stance," a labor ministry spokesman said, Monday. "The case has already been settled by law, and we do not plan to take any action on it."



The ministry official also pointed out the agency's Wednesday report that the Korean authorities withheld key information about chemicals workers were exposed to at the factories, upon "Samsung's request," was untrue.



"This is far from the truth," the ministry spokesman added. "We have sent our official statements to the AP writer to get the facts straight. We cannot understand the purpose of the investigative reports, as they should have been more objective and unbiased."



After the second article was released on Friday, Samsung Electronics posted its official position on its online news room.



The company said: "We want to set the facts straight for the AP article titled: 2 Words keep sick Samsung workers from data: Trade Secrets."



"The article cited trade secrets' as a reason why Samsung did not provide crucial information for victims, but these are unilateral claims by Banolim," it said. Banolim is a group representing affected former Samsung workers and their family members.



"To settle the claim, we formed a third-party ombudsman committee in this June. Both Samsung and Banolim agreed to follow decisions by the independent body, and we signed an official agreement with Banolim in public on Jan. 12," said the statement.



The company also expressed regret over the articles and called for more correct reports on the issue.



"Both sides reached an agreement on the issue," it said. "We request more accurate reports on it."



Meanwhile, the ombudsman committee will be operated for three years, having the authority to supervise working conditions of Samsung's chip and liquid crystal display (LCD)-manufacturing facilities.




Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has said parents who are not ready to send their child/children to school are free to leave the State. He says the rate of illiteracy among the children is very high and his administration won;t tolerate that. He stated this at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, during the screening of the He named me Malala, documentary organised by his wife, Hadiza El-Rufai.

You can leave Kaduna State if you dont want to send your child to school next month. No street begging again. All our children must go to school. Any parent who refuses to send his or her child to school will be prosecuted and send to prison.

His administration has also awarded scholarships to 40 girls to study Medicine in Uganda as a way of encouraging girl-child education. Also speaking at the occasion El-Rufais wife said;



I wish to start by thanking all of you for coming to this screening of the He named me Malala Documentary. While most of us know Malala as the 19-year-old Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, it is important to know where her journey started.

Malala was just a regular Pakistani girl with a penchant for education until in 2012 when her pursuit for education resulted in her being shot and put in a coma. The attack received worldwide condemnation, she has since recovered from the tragedy and has translated this tragedy to worldwide advancements in girl child education.

In Kaduna State, we are working assiduously to create opportunities, the percentage of girls out of school is way too high and this is a problem we have decided to solve. In cognisance of this, we are working hard to increase female enrolment in good schools, improve school curriculum and make affordable health care available for everyone.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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August 15, 2016

In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book.

Previous contributors include Bret Easton Ellis, Kate Christensen, Lauren Groff, T.C. Boyle, Dana Spiotta, Amy Bloom, Aimee Bender, Jesmyn Ward, Heidi Julavits, Hari Kunzru, and many others.

Teju Cole's essay collection Known and Strange Things is thoughtful and lyrical over a variety of subjects, yet another outstanding book from one of the finest writers working today.

The New York Times wrote of the book:

"On every level of engagement and critique, Known and Strange Things is an essential and scintillating journey."



In his own words, here is Teju Cole's Book Notes music playlist for his essay collection Known and Strange Things:



Known and Strange Things ranges widely. The essays unfolded over many years. Looking at the book now, I see how essential music was to my experience of the places I went to, and my interpretation of the things I thought about.







1

In Leukerbad, a remote town in Switzerland where I'd gone to research a story about James Baldwin ("Black Body," the essay that opens the book), I listened to some of the music Baldwin had brought with him in the fifties. I began with Bessie Smith singing "I'm Wild About That Thing," which I describe in the book as "a filthy blues number and a masterpiece of plausible deniability: Don't hold it, baby, when I cry / Give me every bit of it, else I'll die.'"

2

Fats Waller is very funny. Here he's singing "Your Feet's Too Big." Another from Baldwin's playlist.

3

In Leukerbad, I was very conscious of the continuities in the African American musical tradition, and the beautiful variety in it. Bettye Swann, one of the under-recognized voices from the generation of Aretha Franklin, is stupendous in "Now You Can Tell Me Goodbye." I discovered the song through my friend Leah. I often play this track for other friends who don't know Swann, and they never fail to be moved by it.

45

That first essay mentions quite a bit of music, because music served as a bridge for my thoughts to Baldwin and his time in this village that had never seen a black man. On my playlist that summer was "Play It Off" by the Seattle hip hop trio "The Physics." I love Pacific Northwest rap. Childish Gambino's "3005" was on the playlist too. Big hit, that one.

6

I was surprised to walk into a fusty old Swiss restaurant and hear them playing Whitney's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody." Black America is everywhere. This song always makes me think of my friend Suzie.

7

"I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl": another sweetly NSFW selection from Bessie Smith.

89

"I cannot rate the blues below Bach," I wrote in my Baldwin essay, which is fair both to the Blues and to Bach. I love what Bach can do with speed, as in the fast movements of the Cello Suites. This courante, from the fifth suite, is performed by Anner Bylsma, whose set is definitely a desert island disc for me. Rephrasing the same argument, I also wrote that there's no world in which I'd prefer "chamber orchestras playing Baroque music to the koras of Mali." Perhaps the greatest of the many great kora albums was Toumani Diabate's collaboration with Ballake Sissoko, "New Ancient Strings," from which this is the first track. The inner logic really is Bach-like, intricate but with a celestial edge to it. A real revelation for anyone who hasn't heard it before.

10

But enough of Leukerbad, and on to other essays. Even though I don't mention it in my review of her book "Wave," Sonali Deraniyagala played "There Is A Light" a great deal after she lost her family in the 2006 tsunami. I loved the song before, but now strongly associate it with her.

11

Arvo Part's patient and oneiric music always seems to me to be full of submerged energy. The sense his music gives you of being pulled along by something invisible and irresistible makes me compare him to Tomas Transtromer in my essay on that great poet. "Pari Intervallo" always gives me an out of body experience.

12

The strangest essay in "Known and Strange Things" is called "Unnamed Lake." It's an account of insomnia. In March 1942, in Berlin, Wilhelm Furtwangler conducted Beethoven's 9th Symphony for the Nazi leaders. The same month, in a camp in Belzec, Poland, the gassing phase of the Holocaust began. You can hear, in this recording, the audience coughing. But the music, the twenty minutes of this sublime Adagio: I've never heard so much life and death compressed into one stretch before.

1314

My essay on Michael Haneke's "Amour" is one of my favorite pieces in the book. The protagonists of the film are piano teachers, and they love Schubert's Impromptus and Beethoven's Bagatelles. The unfolding horror of their decline (they are an old couple) is set against the limpid perfection of this music, which Haneke very judiciously deploys in the film.

1517

I wrote an appreciation of the Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe for the New Yorker. Here are three tracks by him, all rather melodious, though I'd encourage listeners to also seek out his longer, thornier works. I love the way Sculthorpe sounds, to my ear, like what I saw of Australia's landscape.

1819

My favorite film of all is Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Red," and I wrote an essay to try to understand why. The film's musical theme is a haunting and repeated "Bolero" by Zbigniew Preisner. I've put two versions here.

20

Eartha Kitt is one of the genre-breaking wonder women that the artist Wangechi Mutu's "nguva" project reminded me of. Kitt, like Josephine Baker and Grace Jones, is feral, feline, and fantastic.

21

My essay "The Reprint" is about November 4, 2008, the complicated and confusing day Barack Obama was first elected president of these United States. That day, I mostly listened to "Aaj Bazar Mein," a ghazal by Faiz Ahmad Faiz, sung by Nayyara Noor. "Let us go to the bazaar today in chains / let's go with hands waving / intoxicated and dancing / let's go with dust on our heads and blood on our sleeves."

22

On the day of the election, I ran into a crowd singing "We Shall Overcome." But years later, I was to visit Selma, and the performance here is by workers in Selma at a mass for Jimmie Lee Jackson, a man of God beaten and then murdered by police for participating in a peaceful protest in 1965.

23

"The keening saxophone line, built over rolling piano chords (like a congregation's murmuring), was a paraphrase of the eulogy Martin Luther King, Jr., gave after a bomb exploded at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham in 1963, killing four girls." One of the ways I've tried to think about Black Lives Matter is by visiting the places of the Civil Rights Movement. In this book, that essay is called "In Alabama." I went to Birmingham, and listened to Coltrane's "Alabama" while I was there, and I've listened to it countless times since.



Teju Cole and Known and Strange Things links:

the author's website

Guardian review

Kirkus review

Minneapolis Star Tribune review

New York Times review

Publishers Weekly review

San Francisco Chronicle review

Guardian interview with the author

Largehearted Boy Book Notes playlist by the author for Open City

The Leonard Lopate Show interview with the author

New York Times column by the author



also at Largehearted Boy:

Support the Largehearted Boy website

Book Notes (2015 - ) (authors create music playlists for their book)

Book Notes (2012 - 2014) (authors create music playlists for their book)

Book Notes (2005 - 2011) (authors create music playlists for their book)

my 11 favorite Book Notes playlist essays

100 Online Sources for Free and Legal Music Downloads

Antiheroines (interviews with up and coming female comics artists)

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PRESS RELEASE

Russians Releasing More Information about Ukrainian Sabotage Group

Aug. 13, 2016 (EIRNS)There is considerably more information on the Ukrainian sabotage group coming from Russian news sources, based on interrogations of the suspects who were captured in northern Crimea by the FSB on Aug. 6-7. One Capt. Vladimir Serdyuk, chief of the intelligence unit of the 37th battalion of the 56th brigade of the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys Main Intelligence Directorate has been named as the organizer of the sabotage group, but its not clear that hes among the detainees in the custody of the FSB.

"According to Russias intelligence services, Serdyuk came to Ukraines Kherson region (north of Crimea) just before planning to get three subversive groups into Crimea to coordinate their actions and ensure their retreat after carrying out the acts of sabotage,"

reports TASS. According to Sputnik, another suspect in custody has reportedly confessed to planning attacks on the airport and the bus station in Simferopol. A report in Novorussia Today names him as Ridvan Sulemanov of Zaporozhye, Ukraine and it says that he was actually taken into custody on July 30, a week before the other suspects were captured. According to the footage of his questioning released the FSB, he said that he was acting udner orders from Ukrainian intelligence to find places to plant bombs where they would kill civilians. Another suspect in custody, by the name of Andrei Zakhtei, has also reportedly confirmed that he was acting under orders from Ukrainian military intelligence. Both men spoke of receiving orders from other individuals who were coordinating the actions of as many as three sabotage groups.
PRESS RELEASE

Obamas Ukraine Ambassador Pyatt Says Obama Preparing New Sanctions against Russia

Aug. 13, 2016 (EIRNS)In an interview with the Ukrainian journal Den, U.S. Ambassador to Kiev Geoffrey Pyatt said that the Obama Administration is preparing new sanctions to "send a clear message to Moscow" that Russia had to "stop its aggressive policy" toward Ukraine. Pyatt said that definitely, no easing or lifting of sanctions (as some in Europe are calling for) would occur, and that rather, additional sanctions will have to be considered. These are already being worked on in Washington, he said, adding that he could not say what kind of sanctions these would be. Pyatt, you should remember, was the person with whom Victoria Nuland spoke when planning to overthrow the Ukrainian government, regardless of what the Ukrainian people might want or the EU ("Fuck the EU," she said) might think.

Lyndon LaRouches comment was: "This is insane."
PRESS RELEASE

China, India Prep for Upcoming G20 and BRICS Summits

Aug. 14, 2016 (EIRNS)Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has just completed a three-day visit to India, Aug. 12-14, which began with a one-hour meeting with Laxmikant Parsekar, the Chief Minister of the state of Goa (where the eighth BRICS summit will be held), and ended with in-depth discussions in New Delhi with both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. As Wang told journalists at the conclusion of his visit,

"the major aim of this trip was to conduct strategic communication with India ahead of the G20 summit scheduled next month in China and the BRICS summit to be held in India in October,"

Xinhua reported.

Both sides were upbeat about their coordination around the two summits (the G20 in Huangzhou, China on Sept. 4-5, and the BRICS in Goa, India on Oct. 15-16), and stated that ongoing bilateral issues between the two countries would be handled in the context of that strategic joint policy. Xinhua paraphrases Wang Yis comments after meeting Modi on Aug. 13:

"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."

Xinhua added that

"The two sides agreed to strengthen mutual support over the successful organization of the upcoming G20 and BRICS summit.... Common interests between China and India far exceed their differences."

Xinhua stated that

"Modi said he cherishes the friendship with Chinese leaders [and] noted that India attaches great importance to relations with China, and the stance of viewing and treating the bilateral relations from a strategic height."

After his three-hour meeting with External Affairs Minister Swaraj, Wang also stressed their policy unity on the two upcoming summits, "to elevate the status and role of emerging economies on the world arena." He added that

"the complementariness of the two economies has been further tapped and a win-win cooperation pattern is taking shape"

between the two nations, and that China and India

"have been making remarkable and comprehensive headway in recent years, thanks to joint efforts by both sides,"

Xinhua reported. Wang added that

"the two sides have strengthened strategic dialogue and safeguarded the common interest of emerging markets and developing countries."

Swaraj concurred, noting that "India attaches great importance to ties with China," and both sides had promised to "refrain from allowing differences over singular issues to baffle the general cooperation," Xinhua wrote.
Next week, Scribner will publish Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power by two Washington Post reporters, Michael Kranish and Mark Fisher. On Friday, the paper gave readers a preview of the book, a portrait of Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee.

The Trump campaign initially refused to participate in the book, but had an unexpected change of heart. Trump ended up talking to Post reporters for more than 20 hours, leaving them somewhat bemused.

He rarely refused to answer our questions, wrote Kranish and Fisher, but when the subject was uncomfortable or raised doubts about some of his past decisions, he often gave us disjointed answers that steered into completely unrelated matters.

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In addition to his many books about business, Trump told his own story, as many hopeful presidential contenders do, in a book released in late 2015, Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again. For the paperback release last month, the book was retitled Great Again: How To Fix Our Crippled America.

The shelves are crowded with new books that have drawn inspiration from the real estate magnate and reality television star turned presidential candidate. Heres a sample:

1. TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald by Timothy L. OBrien (Grand Central, $14.99): First published in 2005 and reprinted this year with a new introduction, this book by investigative reporter OBrien drew Trumps ire for claiming the businessman wasnt worth as much as he claimed. Trump sued OBrien for libel, and lost, but not before stating in a deposition that his net worth goes up and down with markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings.

2. A Childs First Book of Trump by Michael Ian Black and Marc Rosenthal (Simon & Schuster, $15.99). Actor, comedian and author Black and illustrator Rosenthal, present a picture book about an attention-seeking orange beasty with an unruly yellow mane and a familiar name. Its nominally for kids, but adults will appreciate some of the books inside jokes (Its fur so complex you might get enveloped. / Its hands though are, sadly, underdeveloped).

3. Trump Talk: Donald Trump in His Own Words by George Beahm (Adams Media, $12.99): I know words, I have the best words, Trump famously commented in December. This new book collects several of the candidates most interesting comments, such as his oft-quoted observations about Mexico: Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

4. The Truth About Trump by Michael DAntonio (Thomas Dunne, $16.99): DAntonios book was first published last year with the title Never Enough, but its been updated for its paperback release this year. The author contends that Trumps success has been a kind of performance art that depended on his ability to manipulate, schmooze, and cajole.

5. Trump: A Graphic Biography by Ted Rall (Seven Stories, $16.95). Its no surprise that left-wing cartoonist Rall is no fan of Trump. His new biography-in-cartoons of the Republican candidate doesnt pull any punches. In an excerpt from the book, Rall asks whether the real Donald Trump is a wildly successful businessman or a fraud who got rich the old-fashioned way (inherited it) and then squandered his silver spoon?

6. Yuge! 30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump by Garry B. Trudeau (Andrews McMeel Publishing, $14.99). Trudeau has been satirizing Trump for as long as anyone; his publishers page for the book quotes Trump from 1989: Doonesbury is one of the most overrated strips out there. Mediocre at best. This collection of Doonesbury comics, released in July, features the candidate as he was chronicled through the years.

7. The Day of the Donald: Trump Trumps America by Andrew Shaffer (Crooked Lane, $14.99). In this novel, satirist Shaffer imagines an America two years after Trump has moved into the Oval Office. The president hires a tabloid reporter as his official biographer, and he soon turns up some secrets that the Donald would rather keep hidden.

8. ...: A Theory of Donald Trump by Aaron James (Doubleday, $15.95). The full title of James short book uses language that cant be repeated here, but it is a Trump-focused follow-up to his previous book, : A Theory which explored why people are jerks. The philosopher tries to explain Trumps rise and popularity in the context of his theory of, uh, jerks. We are not asking whether Trump is, in fact, [one] James writes. On this much there seems to be a broad consensus. ... Indeed, to many of his supporters, that may be his primary selling point.

9. The Trump Coloring Book by M.G. Anthony (Post Hill, $11.99). Adult coloring books are all the rage these days, so it was perhaps inevitable that the already colorful Donald Trump would inspire one. It features Trump in various poses  sitting on the Iron Throne from Game of Thrones, for example, and as an astronaut on the moon. Be sure to stock up on orange crayons.

10. Trump: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump with Tony Schwartz (Ballantine, $16.99). In a way, Trumps hit 1987 book started it all. Though he was already a well-known figure, his memoir/advice book helped make him a household name all across America. How much of the book Trump actually wrote is disputed, though  Schwartz, the books credited co-author, says he wrote the whole thing and that he now regrets it. Last month he told the New Yorker,"I feel a deep sense of remorse that I contributed to presenting Trump in a way that brought him wider attention and made him more appealing than he is .... I genuinely believe that if Trump wins and gets the nuclear codes there is an excellent possibility it will lead to the end of civilization.

11. Trump Revealed: An American Journey of Ambition, Ego, Money, and Power by Michael Kranish and Mark Fisher (Scribner, $28) officially hits shelves Aug. 23. It has reached #13 in Amazons subcategory Politics & Social Sciences/Politics & Government/Elections & Political Process/Elections.

ALSO

The book Adnans Story and what it tells us about Serial

Its practically Orwellian: The BBC is installing a George Orwell statue

Attention Game of Thrones fans: George R.R. Martin has another TV project in the works
The short, simple food videos that have fueled Tastemades rapid rise on the Web start here, in a 7,000-square-foot soundstage in Silicon Beach.

An MTV studio in the 1990s, it now houses six sets crafted for viral splendor, including an atomic-era-style kitchen specially designed to fit within a mobile phones vertical-video frame.

Videos have become the Webs central economy, and few genres win the Internet quite like food. Its not just that pizza, cookies and ice cream are universal languages. Media giants increasingly see food as one of the Webs most reliable star quantities: easily shared, eye-catching and designed to stand out in a distracting world.

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Tastemades attempts at virality appear easygoing, but the Web-video machine built to create and share them has never been more complex. The firms intricate workflow was on display during a recent tour of its headquarters, where most of the companys 100 producers, coders, editors and video stars pump out hundreds of food videos a month.

How do they start? As recipes pitched in the companys weekly brainstorm or in its daily programming-and-production team meeting, with producers bandying around ideas in a way not too dissimilar from a traditional TV writers room.

Recipe developers, as theyre called, look routinely at the data of previous food videos, from how long someone watches a recipe on Facebook to how often someone swipes up on Snapchat to learn more. Ideas that are out for now: Philly cheesesteaks, which underperformed in two recent videos, and the once-reliable bacon.

Two years ago, it was known that if you put bacon in anything, it was a 2-to-3-times [traffic] multiplier, said Jay Holzer, Tastemades head of production. Now, people have kind of gotten over bacon.

Even with the data, they are often surprised by what people want. A seemingly irresistible bacon chocolate doughnut garnered a relatively pitiful 5 million views. But an odd pizza made of mandolin-cut potatoes and topped with an egg went nuts, winning more than 90 million views on Facebook.

The developers work with food stylists to devise how the dishes will look and taste, and those ingredients are then prepared in a soundproof prep kitchen connected to the main soundstage.

When Tastemade launched in 2012 as a YouTube network, its videos were rooted in the wide-screen video endemic to every movie theater and TV screen in America. But they now shoot a number of formats: vertical for phones, square for Instagram and wide for Facebook, YouTube and Apple TV. On set, monitors are marked with tape to line the bounds of what would show on a vertical screen.

About 70% of Tastemades 100 million monthly viewers are between 18 and 34, so designing for mobile video is a must.

The offices most prized amenity is its camera-ready soundstage, with its mixologist cocktail bar, a lounge floored with leather belts bought at Los Angeles vintage stores and a trendy Brooklyn kitchen roughly 10 times the size of a typical Brooklyn kitchen. One dollhouse-size kitchen, with functional miniature ovens and refrigerator lights, is used for the miniature meals it makes for its recurring video feature Tiny Kitchen.

The main stadium kitchen comes closest to resembling a traditional cooking show: Tastemade programming chief Oren Katzeff said it was first modeled after the angelic whites of a Martha Stewart-y TV kitchen. It has since been color-splashed and modernized for the easily distracted millennial eye.

After filming, the raw footage moves from the soundstage to a large post-production suite, where two dozen headphone-wearing editors cut video from recent shoots across the world. In a color-correcting studio, a mixer tones the perfect yellow of lemons for a brand-sponsored travelogue. An audio mixer sits in a closet-size studio she calls the sound womb; during the visit, she fine-tuned a perky voice-over, Sponsored by Grey Goose, set for appending to a new episode.

Food videos seem perfectly attuned to the modern Web. Unlike, say, music, recipes cant be copyrighted, so food start-ups have fewer legal landmines to dodge. Many recipes can be kept short and sweet, the favored intake preference of the snack-happy Web. And food videos are relatively cheap and simple to make  a lifesaver for most Web studios and start-ups, which intend to pump them out as often as possible.

Tastemades chiefs have diversified beyond recipes. One example is Cookie the News, in which the sweet treats are baked to symbolize a current event. The concept is silly, but Katzeff speaks of the editorial responsibility with a serious reverence.

Were not looking to be sensational or express our opinions. Its truly just a means to deliver something big that is happening, through a cookie, Katzeff said. A Cookie the News for Brexit  a puffy British morsel cut from a frosted E.U. flag  has been viewed nearly 4 million times.

The staff works in offices across Santa Monica, Chicago, New York and Austin, Texas. Next month, offices will open in Britain, Japan, Argentina and Brazil. The global workers run foreign Tastemade channels while also contributing local flavors (the more popular, the better) back to the mother ship.

Food is the ultimate consumer medium, and as a theme it has fueled many of medias most potent enterprises, from cookbooks to cable specials and reality TV.

It is also wonderfully aspirational. You dont have to want to cook to enjoy watching a pizza bubble in the oven or a milkshake spin to life. You just have to be hungry, or have 10 seconds to spare.

Scripps, the Tastemade investor that also owns the Food Network and HGTV, saw this with the extraordinary popularity of its signature home-buying show, House Hunters. Its audience didnt crumble during the housing crisis; it exploded, as viewers surrounded by foreclosed homes flocked to the American dream of real estate on cable TV.

Holzer, Tastemades head of production, draws a similar parallel. In a typical day, viewers take 100,000 screenshots of recipes and other images from Tastemades Snapchat Discover feed  a sign, he said, that Web videos impact could go deeper than just a meal.

I may not make the fudge, Holzer said, but, like, Im inspired to make something.

Drew Harwell is a national business reporter at the Washington Post.
The starting pay is about $34,000 a year with no automatic pay raises based on tenure. They are on the front line in the battle against terrorism but dont carry a gun. Their employer is routinely the punchline of jokes on late-night television shows.

Such is the life of a TSA screener.

Every now and then, we get thanked by the public, but for the most part, its a pretty thankless job, said Bobby Orozco Jr., a Transportation Security Administration screener at Los Angeles International Airport.

With U.S. airports handling record crowds this summer, airlines and federal lawmakers say they want to improve morale and reduce the unusually high turnover rate among the nations TSA screeners to ensure security lines are well-staffed during peak travel periods.

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Lines that kept travelers waiting for two hours and longer this spring even persuaded airlines to donate money and workers to help TSA speed up the queues. The slowdowns prompted the Republican Party to call for TSA reform in its party platform this summer.

The attrition rate among full-time TSA screeners has been growing over the past few years and is especially high among part-timers, who represent about 1 in 5 TSA screeners.

The TSA recently was ranked nearly last among all federal agencies in a job satisfaction survey.

Without a fix, travelers can expect continued staffing shortages at the TSA and long lines at airport screening checkpoints.

The system is broken, no doubt about that, said Orozco, who is also president of his local union.

Lawmakers and aviation experts have offered two solutions: Either give airport screeners a raise and improve their employee protection rights or turn more airports over to private security firms, which have a reputation for happier workers and a lower turnover rate.

The TSA employs about 42,500 screeners, down about 10% from 47,000 in 2012, according to the organization. Meanwhile, the number of passengers screened at U.S. airports is expected to reach 740 million this year, up about 16% from 638 million in 2012, the agency said.

There are not enough transportation security officers, and that is very evident, said J. David Cox Sr., national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents TSA screeners.

One reason for the decline in screeners is that Congress cut the TSA budget, assuming that more travelers would sign up for programs such as TSA PreCheck, which offers expedited screening lines for frequent fliers who pass a government background check.

Another reason for the drop is the turnover rate, according to union officials who represent TSA workers. They blame low pay, difficult working conditions and being denied the full rights given to other federal employees.

TSA representatives declined to comment on the subject, citing current negotiations with the union. But in testimony before Congress, TSA administrator Peter Neffenger has stressed the need for extra training to address morale problems.

I have worked to set up our frontline officers for success through improved training, enhanced protocols and advancing technology, he told a congressional panel in June.

The TSA was created after the 9/11 attacks, replacing private security officers hired by individual airlines and overseen by the federal government.

But Congress initially didnt give TSA workers the same employee rights as other federal workers, such as the right to unionize, rely on collective bargaining for employee contracts or appeal disciplinary actions to a third-party board.

It wasnt until 2011 that TSA administrators allowed airport screeners to join a union. But TSA workers still have fewer rights than other federal workers, including other security and law enforcement staffers.

TSA officers, for example, dont get regular pay raises based solely on tenure. TSA screeners now get raises based only on performance and promotions. As a result, a TSA officer who has five or 10 years of experience can earn the same as a newly hired TSA officer.

You have folks that have been here since 2002 and are making the same amount as someone who has been here about a year, Orozco said. That doesnt add up.

In addition, new hires start as probationary screeners for two years, during a time that most maintain their starting salary. Orozco and Cox say many quit before they complete the probationary period.

The number of full-time TSA screeners who leave their jobs voluntarily has been on the rise in the past five years, increasing to 9.5% of TSA screeners in 2015 from 4.2% in 2010, according to a congressional budget report. Among part-time TSA workers, the rate has jumped to 19% in 2015 from 13% in 2010, the federal report says.

In contrast, the voluntary attrition rate among all federal workers is 6%, according to federal studies. The attrition rate among private airport screeners may be as low as 8.5%, according to government studies.

The high rate among part-time workers is a concern because they make up 23% of all TSA screeners, according to the organization.

Job satisfaction at the TSA is also a problem.

In a survey of more than 430,000 federal employees, the TSA ranked nearly last among all federal agencies. When federal workers were asked to rate their agency on a 1-to-100 scale, the TSA was rated 40 last year, while the government-wide satisfaction level was 58, according to the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government survey.

Efforts to give TSA screeners the same employee privileges as other federal workers have failed.

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation in 2009 to upgrade employee rights and privileges for TSA staffers, but her bill failed to get a vote of the full House.

A government analysis of the bill estimated that the salary for most TSA screeners would increase by $1,700 a year. For the entire agency, the change would have increased the budget by $100 million for 2010 alone, according to the analysis.

Opponents of Loweys bill complained about the added cost and said giving TSA screeners the same employee rights of other federal workers reduces the flexibility to deploy screeners in the face of terrorist threats.

There is concern that this flexibility and security would be hampered in the event of the next plot if the administrator is not able to quickly make changes to screening operations to respond to an impending threat, Republican members of the Homeland Security Committee, led by Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.), said in a statement about their opposition to the bill.

In February, Lowey teamed up with Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) to introduce another bill to upgrade the employee status of TSA workers. Like the previous bill, the legislation would give TSA the same employee rights as other federal workers but withholds the right to strike.

It is time for Congress to come together and enact legislation that will grant these front line security workers the rights and benefits that they deserve, Thompson said in a statement. These changes will increase security and will lead to an improved workforce with better morale.

Thompsons bill has 72 co-sponsors, all Democrats. The legislation awaits debate in two congressional committees.

Its not an easy job, Cox said. Youve got to be keen and focused every second of the day, no matter what you are doing.

Another idea proposed by TSA critics is to allow private security contractors to screen passengers and luggage at more airports, with oversight by the TSA.

But critics say federal agencies have made the process too difficult for individual airports to outsource screening to private contractors.

Only 21 of the nations 450 largest commercial airports rely on private contractors for passenger and luggage screening. The largest of those airports is San Francisco International Airport.

Robert Poole, director of transportation policy at the Reason Foundation Public Policy Institute, said he would like to see more studies focusing on the airports with private screening to help determine whether they do a more efficient job that the TSA.

We need a larger data set in order to draw conclusions, he said.

At least one study supports using private screeners at more airports.

A 2011 report by the congressional staff of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure estimated that the turnover rate of screeners at the San Francisco airport was 8.5% and that the initial training and recruitment cost at the airport was almost half that of the TSA. The report also said each San Francisco airport private security agent screens 65% more passengers a year than TSA screeners at LAX.

Taxpayers would save $1 billion over five years if the nations top 35 airports operated as efficiently as SFO does, the study concluded.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

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LUCERNE, Switzerland  The Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly has a reputation, in America, as an also-ran. Over the years his name surfaced as a likely candidate in music director searches for the great orchestras of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Boston. He got none. But he hasnt done so badly in Europe. He now heads the worlds most famous opera company, La Scala in Milan, and over the weekend he began his tenure as music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, one of the most prestigious posts in the symphonic world.

Are we missing something?

The emphatic one-word answer after hearing Chaillys tremendous performance Saturday night of Mahlers Eighth Symphony, the opening program of the Lucerne Festival, is: yes.

This was such a commanding performance of the score known as the Symphony of a Thousand  requiring a massive orchestra, doubly massive chorus and eighth vocal soloists  that no defense of Chailly should seem necessary. Yet it does represent an extraordinary arrival for a conductor who has struggled through much of his career to be taken seriously as a substantial musician.

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Trained as an opera conductor  he was assistant to Claudio Abbado at La Scala  Chailly got one of his first big breaks when he made his U.S. orchestral debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1980. He was 26. Hyped as the next young sensation, he had just signed a record contract, and his first major release was of Stravinskys Rite of Spring with the L.A. Phil.

Things didnt go well. The players werent impressed. Management wasnt impressed. The reviews were not nice. The recording was canceled, and Chailly has not been back, except with touring orchestras.

Still, Chailly quickly rose through the ranks of Europes opera houses and orchestras, and just eight years later he became the surprise music director appointment of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. There was grumbling, particularly among the more conservative Dutch players and their sophisticated audience, that Chailly was a lightweight. Nevertheless, he remained for 16 years in Holland, where he matured and made some beautiful Mahler recordings. His most important achievement was to move a stodgy orchestra into the 20th century with more modern music than it clearly wanted. The course was reversed when he left.

His next unlikely move was to the Gewandhaus Leipzig Orchestra. With this, the worlds oldest orchestra, Chailly turned to Germanys holiest of holy, the three Bs. He made a series of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms recordings that mixed a modern, clear-eyed freshness with a clear-eared regard for classical tradition. Many of his former critics were astonished by the sheer vitality of the music making, and the CDs piled up awards year after year.

Finally Chailly has returned a celebrated master to his hometown, Milan, following in the footsteps of his mentor, Abbado. The prospect is that La Scala will once more become the excitingly progressive company it was in the 1970s under Abbado.

Chailly also follows Abbado to Lucerne. In 2003, Abbado created the current incarnation of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra by personally selecting players from top European orchestra players, who come together for a few intensive weeks here each summer. Abbado focused most of his attention on this ensemble in the last years of his life. His valedictory Mahler recordings in Lucerne provide a profound summation of a great career. But Abbado, who died in 2014, never got around to the Eighth in Lucerne.

Chailly thus dedicated his performance of the symphony to Abbado. There were video cameras and microphones to capture it for posterity Saturday night, the second of two performances The vocal soloists were very fine, and the choruses, which included the exceptional Latvian Radio Choir, were magnificent.

The ensemble totaled 358, crammed onto the stage of the lovely lakeside KKL Lucerne Concert Hall, with its transparently forthright acoustics by Russell Johnson (not unlike the late acousticians design for the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa). This is a modest if not atypical number for the Eighth. (Gustavo Dudamel exceeded 1,000 when he performed it in 2012 in the Shrine Auditorium.)

Chailly began modestly for a great Eighth, resisting using the opening blast of orchestra, chorus and organ to pin listeners to their seats. Rather, the gracious conductor seemed to offer a hearty, but hardly overpowering, welcome, readying us for swelling climaxes to follow.

The first movement is a glorious hymn, and those climaxes gradually grew in intensity. Each appeared to push the hall to its sonic limits, yet the next proved even louder and more thrilling. Throughout, though, instrumental details remained wonderfully tactile. Mahler uses four harps, and each could be distinguished.

The long second part of the symphony turns, almost operatically, to the final part of Goethes Faust, an increasingly ecstatic heavenly ascent. For this, Chailly created a vivid orchestral atmosphere and generated dramatically committed performances from all his soloists, with standouts being soprano Juliane Banse, alto Sara Mingardo and baritone Peter Mattei.

With a mystical chorus at the end, Goethe calls for the Eternal Feminine spirit to lead us to indescribably high reaches, and Chailly did, making the towering Alps that surround this scenic city seem stunted in comparison with this vision.

There was some symbolism to that. The theme of this years festival is Prima Donna, a recognition of the contemporary role of female conductors and composers. Few of these women would be news to Angelinos. L.A. Phil associate conductor Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla is one obvious name. The festival ends next month with Messiaens symphonic ode to love, erotic and otherwise, the Turangalila Symphony, with Dudamel conducting his Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra.

These pages have chronicled L.A.s history of women in classical music for more than a century. Were on top of that. But our history with Chailly is another matter. We were too quick to write him off.

mark.swed@latimes.com
Hello! Im Mark Olsen, and welcome to your weekly field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

This week is another with more movies worth checking out than I really have room for here. (This newsletter is intended to be more of a thoughtful, sharp curation than a completists laundry list, out of respect for readers time and my own sadly limited brain space.)

The new film Petes Dragon was made by director David Lowery, a favorite around these parts for his poetic, emotional Aint Them Bodies Saints. So it is exciting to see him able to take his style forward to an accessible, wide-release film.

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In his review, Kenneth Turan said the film was made with integrity as well as sweetness  it traffics in the kind of magic we dont see often enough, the magic of innocence.

And as for fans of his earlier work not sure whether to see his take on the family film, as Lowery told our Meredith Woerner, theyre going to recognize me all through and through.

And we have our event this week with a screening of The Intervention, followed by a Q&A with director-writer-actress Clea DuVall. Check events.latimes.com for more info.

Sausage Party

The team of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg has long worked a line between smart and silly, with films such as This Is the End, The Interview and now Sausage Party, an R-rated animated film about the secret lives of the food in a supermarket. The characters believe that when they are taken from the shelves and carted out of the store they are going to some Great Beyond but then come to find out a more sinister truth.

I reviewed the film for The Times and, despite a few reservations, found it overall a rudely uproarious joy  not only a comic delight but also an unlikely beacon of hope.

At the New York Times, A.O. Scott noted, Animation offers Mr. Rogen, Mr. Goldberg and their squad new ways to be naughty, and also blunts the potential offensiveness of some of the older ways.

Lindsey Bahr at the AP said, Its a wild good time that will offend, shock and even delight  There is no one out there making comedies quite like Rogen and Goldberg. They are putting their definitive stamp on the modern American comedy one decency-smashing double entendre at a time.

L.A. Times colleague Josh Rottenberg interviewed Rogen, who co-wrote the film and also voiced the character Frank. Rogen talked about the freedom that animation allowed.

We were able to get away with stuff that I wouldnt even have attempted to do in a live-action movie because it would be pornographic, he said. But because its food and its not real and its not anatomically correct, it gives you that leeway. I think you almost have to push things a little further in order to arrive at the same place in animation because of how cute and not real the scenarios are.

Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water is the kind of spare, simple story  two brothers on a desperate crime spree and the lawman chasing them down  that hides the complexities of its storytelling and emotions. From a script by Sicario screenwriter Taylor Sheridan and directed by David Mackenzie, the film is anchored by fine performances by Chris Pine, Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges. Honestly, its the kind of movie that is just so quietly good that it leaves you wondering why there arent more movies like it.

In his review for The Times, Glenn Whipp called the film a gripping heist drama keenly attuned to the outsider politics of our times.

For the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips wrote, Like Sheridans Sicario script, Hell or High Water has one foot in pulp conventions, and the other in some stimulating, morally tricky contemporary answers to those conventions. What the movie has, above all, is a dramatic line, clean and straight.

At MTV, Amy Nicholson added, We dont live in an era of white hats and black hats. Maybe we never did  The past is a mirage, the present is pitiful, and the future might be even worse. At least the dinosaurs keep todays getaway cars running. These dead towns might just be forgotten. Hell or High Water demands they wont.

I interviewed Mackenzie, Sheridan, Bridges and Pine for a story that will be publishing soon, honing in on the movie as a modern Western.

Little Men

Ira Sachs is a previous winner of the Sundance Grand Jury prize who has carved out his own distinct corner, a world of storytelling rooted in the hyper-specific details of everyday life that open up to larger vistas of emotional struggle.

His new film, Little Men, continues that streak, as it tells a tale of two families thrown into opposition by circumstances of death and real estate.

I interviewed Sachs and Greg Kinnear (who plays parent Brian Jardine in Little Men) about the scale of Sachs filmmaking and storytelling.

I guess to me it feels precise, said Sachs. It feels present to these characters, so when it works for an audience, the effect is not small. Its quite large.

In her review for The Times, Sheri Linden recognized the films two young break-out performers when she wrote, Ira Sachs beautifully observed Little Men zeros in on teen-spirit qualities that might, by conventional standards, be considered less cinematic: creativity and innocence, a tender spark brought to life by terrific newcomers Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri.

Jennifer Ehle, from left, Michael Barbieri, Mauricio Zacharias, Paulina Garcia, Ira Sachs, director, Theo Taplitz and Greg Kinnear, from the film Little Men. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

At IndieWire, David Ehrlich called the film a crushingly beautiful coming-of-age story that suggests the director only grows sharper as he narrows his gaze.

In his review for Variety when the film premiered earlier this year at Sundance, Peter Debruge called it a little movie brimming with little truths about modern life. It wont change the world, but it does understand it.

Women of Cinefamily Weekend

We mention films screening at Cinefamily quite often here, because they regularly present some of the most adventurous and creative programming to be found anywhere in the country. Los Angeles is lucky to have such a venue. Women of Cinefamily is an ongoing program of events created by guest female programmers. Women of Cinefamily weekend runs Aug. 18-21.

Recent Oscar winner and Women of Cinefamily co-founder Brie Larson will host an event that includes a screening of the The Hunting Ground, Kirby Dicks documentary on sexual assault on college campuses. The screening will be followed by a conversation with End Rape on Campus co-founders Annie Clark and Andrea Pino moderated by Larson.

Actress Brie Larson is co-founder of Women of Cinefamily. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times )

Another event will find Kate and Laura Mulleavy of the fashion label Rodarte hosting a 35mm screening of Dario Argentos high-style horror classic Suspiria, with an appearance by the films star, actress Jessica Harper. There will also be a 35 mm screening of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, starring Diane Lane and Laura Dern as struggling teenage punk rockers, followed by a performance by Sky Ferreira.

The celebration will conclude with the L.A. premiere of Antibirth with director Danny Perez and actresses Natasha Lyonne and Chloe Sevigny appearing for a Q&A moderated by musician Kim Gordon.

Email me if you have questions, comments or suggestions, and follow me on Twitter @IndieFocus.
Veteran stage and screen actor Fyvush Finkel, best known for his Emmy-winning role as the expressive and often bombastic attorney Douglas Wambaugh on the comedy-drama Picket Fences, has died. He was 93.

The New York-based Yiddish Artists and Friends Actors Club said in a statement that the actor, who had a career that spanned 80 years, died Sunday in his New York apartment.

Other notable roles for Finkel, who won the Emmy in 1994 for Picket Fences, included eccentric teacher Harvey Lipschultz on Boston Public and attorney Murray Chotiner in the 1995 bio-drama Nixon.

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A son of East European immigrants, Finkel was born Oct. 9, 1922, in Brooklyn. He began his show business career at age 9, when he won a role as a boy soprano in a Yiddish theater production around the corner from his house. He formally joined the Yiddish theater circuit when he graduated from high school.

Known for his 6-foot-3 stature and often expected to play villains, Finkel leaned more toward comedic roles, and he often appeared onstage with his white socks showing. The socks would eventually become his trademark.

From the archives: Fyvush Finkel - Mensch for the modern masses 

He stayed in the Yiddish theater scene until he was 43, when he decided to explore more mainstream roles. He joined a touring company of the musical Fiddler on the Roof and eventually moved into the lead role of Tevye.

He starred in the musical Little Shop of Horrors off-Broadway for five years in the 1980s, and in both off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Cafe Crown, a revival about Yiddish theater. Finkel won an Obie, or Off-Broadway Theater Award, in 1989.

When he landed the Picket Fences role in 1992  without an audition  he was 70.

Its the biggest miracle in the world, getting a TV series at my age, Finkel said in a 1994 interview with The Times, a week after his Emmy win. Its happened for other actors, but Im talking of myself -- thats the point. I waited a long time for recognition.

Finkel was well-loved in the Jewish community. Corey Breier, president of the Yiddish Artists and Friends Actors Club, said Finkel was the the No. 1 resource for questions about the Yiddish theater in America and the actors, producers, directors and theater owners who were part of its history.

He knew them all, Breier wrote on the public Facebook page for the group. His passing is a tremendous loss for our teater velt (theater world). To know him was to love him.

Finkel and his wife, Trudi, married in March 1947 and remained together until her death in 2008. They had two sons: Ian, a musical arranger, and Elliot, a concert pianist.

According to Breier, a funeral service for Finkel will take place Wednesday in New York.

Follow me on Twitter: @TrevellAnderson.

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The news came via Instagram, as much of the news does these days. Dear Valued Customers, the text read,  Due to Stage III drought conditions I have been mandated to cut my water use by 42%.

In black typeface against a white square background, Romeo Coleman who, along with his father Bill and mother Delia, runs Coleman Family Farms in Carpinteria and Oak View, spelled out an all-too-common scenario for Southern California farmers: As we adapt to the drought, consumers need to brace for higher prices and reduced harvests.

Four years in, the drought has become a new normal for many farmers, but August is when the dry season peaks in Southern California and farmers are feeling the heat. Across the jigsaw puzzle that is California water districts, water woes range from crippling allocations in Kern County to mandatory reductions across Ventura County.

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Driving the 18 miles back and forth from his dads property in Carpinteria to his 12-acre plot in Oak View, Romeo Coleman has watched as islands emerge and boat docks descend with his primary water supply, Lake Casitas, a reservoir run by one of a handful of Southern California water districts that is entirely self sufficient. At Oak View he relies on water from the lake, so the 42% cutback is the sum of last years state-mandated reductions for urban users combined with local restrictions that took effect last month.

Its like someone wrapping their hands around my neck and slowly squeezing, Coleman says of the cutbacks. The hands are just getting tighter and tighter.

Seasonal specialties like melons and cranberry beans have been completely taken off the farms roster, while lettuce and kale plantings have been severely reduced. For the restaurants that tout Coleman Family Farms lettuces on their menus, wholesale prices no longer apply.

Chef Evan Funke, whose restaurant Felix will open later this year in Venice, shook his head while Coleman broke the news at a recent Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market. While hes not yet shopping for the restaurant, Funke is determined to support Coleman through the lean years. Thats what being sustainable is, Funke said, snacking on raw green beans. You have to support the whole system.

Two years ago, Funke, along with other chefs from around the city, hosted a fundraiser for farmer James Birch when two of the three riverbeds that feed his Flora Bella Farms in Three Rivers went dry. At the time, the drought had all but decimated Birchs 40 acres on the edge of Sequoia National Park. Hungry deer and bears from the Sierra Nevadas ransacked his row crops and fruit trees, foraging for the food they were missing in the mountains.

As farmers do, Birch adapted, converting to drip irrigation, digging additional ponds to capture what water was left and building a deer fence to protect his harvest. After an impressive snowfall this year (87% of average compared to 5% in 2015), the Kaweah River is once again flowing, but Birch knows its a temporary fix. If we dont continue to get rain and snow in the Sierras, Ill experience this again next year, he says, so hes cut his water use by 50% and remains focused on conservation.

Birch owns his water rights, which were secured by deed to his property when the land was first purchased in the late 1800s. In wet years, theres little need to quibble with his seven neighbors over the water that flows to their properties by way of a three-mile ditch, but in dry years he and his cattle-ranching neighbor form an ad hoc water policing unit, ensuring that no one is exceeding their allocations. The community receives no state or federal water, which means that the reservoirs to the south provide zero security, no matter how dire their situation. During the drought, Birch says, Im the first to get the water and the first to run out.

Travel an hour and a half south of Birchs farm on State Route 65 and the land is more parched. In Bakersfield, a quarter of the communitys cherry orchards have been razed, replanted or reduced to stumps.

Two years ago farmer Steve Murray pulled out 25 acres of cherries, usually his bread and butter, and replanted with new varieties better suited for warmer winters. But this years heavy snowpack and rainfall in the north never reached the flatlands south of the Sierras. The rain that did fall in Bakersfield this year came unusually late, just seven days before the cherry harvest, ruining what the farmer thought would be a banner year.

I thought the bank was going to require me to sell land this year, Murray said. This is the second year in a row that the family has been struck with a 90% crop loss on cherries, but Murray remains hopeful for 2017. He doesnt have another choice; last year he cashed in a 25-year pension to keep the farm afloat.

Unlike James Birch, Murray is supplied by the Arvin-Edison water district, which received none of its San Joaquin River allocation in 2014, and a mere 5% in 2015. This years Northern California storms recharged the river enough to merit a 60% allocation, which sounds flush in comparison, but is still 40% less than what farmers require to keep their acreage thriving. So far, Murray has been able to cobble together a piecemeal water supply by purchasing allocations from neighbors who sell unused water back to the district, but the resource comes at a premium. In the next two months he will spend an additional $36,000 on water to sustain his farm and keep his fruit trees alive.

Water, of course, is a necessity for farming, but its also essential for maintaining a healthy farm ecosystem. Phil McGrath, who farms off the 101 Freeway in Camarillo, is battling increasingly salty soil and more squirrels than he has seen in his entire farming career. Everybodys thirsty, he says. Everybodys hungry.

McGrath, who produced only half of his farms average yield this year, is quick to offer an earful on the issues affecting Southern California farmers  labor shortages, land-use legislation and, of course, water  but like Coleman, Birch and Murray, he remains hopeful.

There is no one more optimistic than a farmer, McGrath says, paraphrasing Will Rogers. Anytime we plant a seed we hope for the best.

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Jonathan Gold says Shibumi in DTLA feels like a Tokyo restaurant  and you should order cucumbers
Good morning. It is Monday, Aug. 15. The Rams made their return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this weekend. Heres what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Views on poverty

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A survey by the Los Angeles Times and American Enterprise Institute finds Americans views on the poor have remained largely consistent over the last 30 years despite massive economic and social changes. Blue-collar whites were much more likely than nonwhites to view the poor as a class set apart from the rest of society  trapped in poverty as a more or less permanent condition. Minority Americans, particularly blacks, tended to say that for most poor people, poverty is a temporary condition.  The survey mirrors one done by The Times in 1985. Los Angeles Times

Housing the homeless

The push toward getting the homeless into permanent housing has taken resources from programs that offer individuals places to stay in the short term while they get their lives together. We tried to keep our doors open because we saw the tremendous need. We ended up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in doing so, said Anita Nelson with the Panama Hotel, which used to offer short-term stays for 220 but is now being transition to a permanent housing building with 72 units. Los Angeles Times

Readers, we always love hearing from you. You can keep up with Alice and Shelby during the day on Twitter. Follow @TheCityMaven and @ShelbyGrad.

L.A. AT LARGE

State of emergency: A street-corner preacher is calling for an emergency declaration that could bring new resources to skid row. And members of the Los Angeles Community Action Network say theyre tired of seeing so many tent encampments in the shadows of new luxury buildings. Its ironic you see cranes and high-rises everywhere, and at the same time, so rise the tents in the street. There is enough resources for everyone, said Pete White. Los Angeles Times

Revolving door: L.A. City Councilman Felipe Fuentes is leaving office to become a lobbyist. The sudden departure means his district will be without a representative for months. Los Angeles Times

Back to school: Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District will return to the classroom on Tuesday, but a new survey finds many parents think thats too soon. Instead, they want to see school start after Labor Day. Daily News

Remembering the Depression: When Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games in 1932, some countries were too poor to send their athletes. Others came to California with goods to trade. LA Weekly

Pretty city: A new time-lapse video of Los Angeles. YouTube

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Out of the public eye: Roger Hernandez is an assemblyman and a candidate for Congress. So where is he? The politician has been absent from Sacramento and the campaign trail after a judge approved his ex-wifes request for a restraining order. He has had a lot of anxiety because of what has gone on in his professional career and with his restraining order, said Donald Schweitzer, Hernandezs attorney. Los Angeles Times

Permits and approvals: A five-story office building at the edge of San Franciscos Chinatown shows how local politics can complicate development and design in a big city. Thats the way of cities: A handful of people fight over the details, and the rest of us live with the results. San Francisco Chronicle

Short-term stays: The city of Oxnard will tackle the regulation of short-term rentals on Tuesday. There are currently no rules for renting out a home or apartment there on a temporary basis on a site like Airbnb. You have to take regulations in other communities and look at their applicability to your community. Its a solution that should be driven by your community, said Kathleen Mallory, the planning and environmental services manager for the city. Ventura County Star

CRIME AND COURTS

Driver killed: A passenger beat a taxi driver to death early Sunday morning at a gas station near Hollywood, authorities said. The cab driver was struck several times. That fight led into the gas station parking lot and then the victim fell down, and possibly hit his head, said LAPD Lt. John Radtke. The suspect remains at large. Los Angeles Times

Wheelchair stolen: Someone stole the beach-accessible wheelchair of a disabled man in Seal Beach. Patrick Freeman, 26, and his family were in town for a day camp. While at dinner, Freeman suffered a seizure. When the family returned from the hospital the next day, the trailer with the specialized wheelchair was gone. Orange County Register

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Fire dangers: One hundred miles north of San Francisco, a wildfire destroyed four houses and forced 1,000 people to evacuate. Hot weather and dry brush fueled the fire as it blazed through 1,400 acres. In Big Sur, the Soberanes fire is about 60% contained. It wiped out 60 homes and killed a bulldozer operator. Los Angeles Times

On the coast: Columnist Steve Lopez has been driving the California coast, exploring the push and pull between developers and environmentalists. Here, he talks with one developer who has been trying to get a project approved for 20 years. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Blocked: As a company, Twitter has never figured out how to prevent or stop rampant harassment against its users. On Twitter, abuse is not just a bug, but  to use the Silicon Valley term of art  a fundamental feature. Buzzfeed

War on drugs: This November, Californians will be asked whether to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes. But at least one writer believes that legalizing the drug in other states has helped fuel Americas heroin epidemic. Esquire

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be sunny with a high of 92. San Diego will have some fog as temperatures reach 87. In Riverside, it will be sunny and hot at 104 degrees. It will be sunny and 95 in Sacramento. There will be low clouds and a high of 68 in San Francisco.

AND FINALLY

This weeks birthdays for notable Californians:

Rep. Maxine Waters (Aug. 15, 1938), actor Anthony Anderson (Aug. 15, 1970), actor Ben Affleck (Aug. 15, 1972), director James Cameron (Aug. 16, 1954), actor Steve Carrell (Aug. 16, 1962), tech billionaire Larry Ellison (Aug. 17, 1944), actor Sean Penn (Aug. 17, 1960), Olympic gold medalist Rafer Johnson (Aug. 18, 1935), Googles Sergey Brin (Aug. 21, 1973).

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.
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
Long before Duncan L. Hunter served 14 terms in Congress, he ran a law practice serving underprivileged families in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego.

Now a case he worked on decades ago has prompted a lawsuit in San Diego Superior Court against the the former House Armed Services Committee chairman.

Pedro Aguila and his two adopted children, Maria and Julio, sued Hunter this year, alleging he failed to follow through on an agreement to secure American citizenship for the two when they were formally adopted.

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According to the complaint  which accuses the former congressman of negligence, fraud and misrepresentation  Hunter assured Aguila and his late wife, Geneva, that their two children were naturalized citizens under the adoptions he finalized in 1980, when they were 6.

But in 2013, a few months after Maria Aguila married a Moroccan man and applied for a U.S. passport, she and her family found out the adoption was processed without applications for the children to become citizens, according to the lawsuit.

Defendant Duncan Hunter Sr. reiterated his assurances that in making [the Aguilas] the childrens legal parents through adoption, he had also, through the process, had U.S. citizenship conferred upon the adopted children, the suit states.

Reached last week, Hunter said he does not remember the specific case but would not have advised any client that U.S. citizenship automatically followed a legal adoption.

I practiced extremely carefully, and I would never tell someone they were an instant citizen, he said. Half the cases in the barrio are immigration, but I didnt do them. Its a niche specialty. They would have had to go to an immigration lawyer and apply under the particular category.

The Aguila family, which is representing itself in the case, declined to comment on the case. In court papers, they said finding out they were not American citizens has had an immediate and dramatic impact.

Among other things, Maria Aguila cannot travel to Morocco with her husband. The siblings also suffered severe emotional distress, embarrassment, humiliation, anger and anxiety as a result of their undocumented status, the suit alleges.

The defendant should have known that an entirely separate application was needed with the then [1980] Immigration and Naturalization Service in order for [the Aguila children] to become citizens of the United States, in addition to the adoption process, it states.

Hunter, 68, retired from Congress after his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign. His lawyer, Elliot Adler, said in court filings that too much time had elapsed for the plaintiffs to claim damages.

The complaint seeks general, special and exemplary damages, as well as court costs and other relief deemed proper by the court. It is not clear from court records what the plaintiffs plan to do regarding their immigration status.

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com

McDonald writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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A fire that broke out near Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County has burned 4,000 acres and is threatening as many as 300 structures, fire officials said Sunday.

The Chimney fire was first reported about 4 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Running Deer and Chimney Rock roads, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Active through the night, the fire was slowed about 1 a.m. by air pressure at a higher elevation pushing down and trapping cooler temperatures, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. This blanket, known as an inversion layer, prevents smoke from rising and decelerates any flames.

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Once that inversion layer began to lift Sunday, the Chimney fire increased in activity, prompting officials to bring in additional firefighters and resources from across the region. Berlant said several hundred fire personnel were on the scene, as well as large air tankers.

Its been burning this afternoon at an explosive rate, he said.

The fire is 10% contained. Evacuations have taken place in the communities of Running Dear Ranch and Cal Shasta.

corina.knoll@latimes.com

@corinaknoll

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The California Supreme Court decided unanimously Monday to overturn the death sentence of a man convicted of killing two former co-workers at a Target store in 1993 after he had been passed over for promotion.

Sergio Dujuan Nelson was 19 when he shot and killed Robin Shirley and Lee Thompson, who had worked with him at a Target store in La Verne.

Nelson rode his bike to the Target store and shot the victims as they sat in a car in a parking lot. He had quit his job but the victims still worked at the store.

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Nelson, who had no prior criminal history, admitted the killings but argued they stemmed from depression.

During the penalty phase of his trial, a jury deadlocked on whether he should be sentenced to life without parole or to death.

A second jury empaneled to recommend Nelsons sentence also had trouble reaching a decision.

After being told the jury was deadlocked, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Clarence Stromwall, a Reagan appointee who died in 1996, allowed the jurors to be questioned about their deliberations and removed one of the holdouts.

The state high court said Nelson was entitled to a new trial on his sentence because the death verdict had been tainted by the intrusive influence of the trial courts questions and comments.

A trial court may intervene in jury deliberations where it receives reports of juror misconduct or in response to an impasse, but such interventions must be limited and undertaken with the utmost respect for the sanctity of the deliberative process, Justice Goodwin Liu wrote for the court.

In this case, the trial court went considerably beyond any permissible intervention and took action that undermined the sanctity of jury deliberations and invaded the jurors mental processes, he added.

The court also decided, 5-2, to overturn Nelsons special-circumstance conviction of lying in wait.

The fact that there was substantial evidence of premeditation and deliberation does not necessarily mean there was substantial evidence of watching and waiting for an opportune time to act, Liu wrote for the majority.

In a dissent, Justice Carol A. Corrigan, joined by Justice Ming Chin, said they would have upheld the conviction because Nelson killed the victims in an ambush.

maura.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @mauradolan

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Los Angeles City Councilman Felipe Fuentes said Sunday he will resign from his post next month, a move that could leave his San Fernando Valley district without a representative on the council until next summer.

Fuentes, who represents the northeast Valley, intends to step down Sept. 11, nearly 10 months early, to become a lobbyist with the Apex Group in Sacramento. Under the citys election schedule, his replacement will be sworn in next July.

Fuentes, elected in 2013 to represent such neighborhoods as Sylmar, Pacoima and Sunland-Tujunga, had already announced in January that he would not run for a second term. Since then, 21 people have announced an intention to run for his seat in next years municipal election.

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In his new role, Fuentes will be a paid advocate for Associated General Contractors of California, a statewide trade group. Fuentes said he decided to leave early so he could represent that organization this fall, as the states political leaders search for new ways of paying for the repairs of roads and other public works.

Addressing the states infrastructure needs will require very big fixes at the state and federal level, and this provides me the opportunity to be part of that, he said.

The early departure will probably cause Fuentes district to be overseen temporarily by a caretaker  typically an official in the citys chief legislative analysts office. Although the council could call for a special election, that scenario is unlikely, since the election to replace Fuentes is set for March and candidates have already begun raising money.

Fuentes, 45, acknowledged that his departure would put the district at a disadvantage on citywide policy issues, losing a voting representative until a new council member takes office. But he argued that initiatives planned at the local level, such as upgrades to a stretch of Van Nuys Boulevard, are already on track and will be completed in his absence.

The bulk of the projects that weve got in the pipeline wont need me to be there, he said.

One neighborhood activist did not sound troubled to lose Fuentes ahead of schedule. Fuentes has been at odds with his constituents over plans for a new studio facility in Sun Valley and proposed routes for high-speed rail in the district, said David DePinto, president of the Shadow Hills Property Owners Assn.

I would say unequivocally this is the best news Ive heard for [the council district] in three years, he said. We only had his word that he was not going to run again. Some of us were concerned he was going to change his mind.

During his first term, Fuentes was a driving force behind a measure, now heading to the November election ballot, to make the Department of Water and Power function more effectively. He also played a role in vetting the citys plan for increasing the minimum wage over the next five years, said Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who represents part of the west Valley.

Its a huge loss, he added. I think hes thoughtful and methodical and cares about his community, but also Los Angeles overall.

Fuentes, who earns $189,041 annually, has been in politics 17 years. He served in a number of political positions, including deputy mayor and as a member of the state Assembly. A lifelong Valley resident, he plans to relocate his family to Sacramento.

The list of hopefuls looking to replace Fuentes include Los Angeles school board member Monica Ratliff, former public works commissioner Monica Rodriguez and Karo Torossian, a planning aide to Councilman Paul Krekorian, who represents the southeast Valley.

If no one in the March election gets a majority, the top two vote getters will head to a May runoff.

david.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @DavidZahniser

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An inmate who walked away from the Los Angeles County Male Community Re-entry Program facility, or halfway house, in South Los Angeles was located and taken back into custody, authorities announced Monday.

Sarkis Akopyan, 33, left the re-entry facility at South Grand Avenue and removed his GPS tracking device around 10 p.m. Friday. He was apprehended at 8:05 p.m. on Saturday in Glendale by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Special Service Unit and transported to the California Institution for Men in Chino without incident.

The re-entry facility allows eligible offenders to participate in rehabilitative programs during the last 180 days of their sentence. Some inmates come and go from the facility to attend school or look for jobs, depending on what phase of the program they are in, said Krissi Khokhobashvili of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

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Some people refer to them colloquially as halfway houses  its not a prison, not a jail. Its a reentry facility, designed with reentry in mind, Khokhobashvili said.

There are no security guards, but all participants wear GPS devices. On Friday, authorities received a notification that Akopyans GPS device had been damaged. They soon determined that he was missing from the premises and sought the publics help to find him.

Akopyan had been serving a two year sentence for auto theft and was transferred on Tuesday from prison to the re-entry facility. He had recently arrived at the facility and did not have permission to leave.

Akopyan was scheduled to be released on probation in November, but according to Khokhobashvili, there is a possibility that he could be charged with felony escape and face additional prison time. For now, the incident is still under investigation.

Khokhobashvili said that authorities are usually able to locate escaped prisoners.

According to the CDCR, 99% of all offenders that have escaped from an an adult institution, camp, or community-based program since 1977, have been apprehended.

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A 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of trying to kill two Santa Ana police officers, authorities said Sunday.

The officers were called to the 400 block of South Hesperian Street about 4:45 p.m. Saturday and came upon a man armed with a pistol, according to a statement from the Santa Ana Police Department.

The man, later identified as Oscar Freddie Torres, fired multiple times in the direction of the officers, police said.

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The officers were not struck and did not return fire. Torres allegedly fled and was later detained at his home, police said.

A documented gang member, Torres was booked on two counts of attempted murder of a police officer.

Prosecutors have not filed charges against him, and its unclear if he was represented by an attorney.

He was being held in an Orange County jail in lieu of $1-million bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to jail records.

For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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A heat wave thats expected to push temperatures into the triple digits in parts of Los Angeles will continue for a couple of days before a weekend cool-down, the National Weather Service said.

Monday is expected to be the hottest day across the region, followed by a gradual cooling trend with temperatures approaching normal levels on Thursday.

Temperatures could reach triple digits in the Valley, the weather service said, with the hottest temperatures in Woodland Hills and Santa Clarita where the heat could peak at 105 degrees.

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Starting Tuesday, temperatures should cool slightly each day.

The real cool-down is most noticeable in the valley locations where it will be in the mid-80s to mid-90s, NWS meteorologist Robbie Munroe said.

The prolonged heat wave will likely result in an increased risk of heat-related illnesses, the weather service said, especially for homeless people, elderly, infants and anyone participating in outdoor activities.

The high temperatures come as dry weather sweeps through the lower half of the state, raising the risk of fires in the area, Munroe said. The weather service issued a red flag warning for inland areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties for Monday through Thursday.

In Northern California, firefighters are battling a 3,000-acre wildfire that destroyed at least 175 buildings and forced about 1,400 residents to flee their lake community. The Clayton fire broke out late Saturday afternoon, forcing the entire community of Lower Lake  more than 100 miles north of San Francisco  to evacuate, officials said. The fire was only 5% contained.

Another fire, which broke out near Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County, has burned 4,300 acres. Only 10% contained, the Chimney fire has destroyed 20 structures and is threatening 150 more.

And on Californias Central Coast, the Soberanes fire, near Big Sur, has wiped out nearly 60 homes, burned more than 72,000 acres and led to the death of a bulldozer operator.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officials said the blaze, which was ignited by an illegal campfire, is 60% contained.

sarah.parvini@latimes.com

For more local and breaking news follow me on Twitter: @sarahparvini

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As Los Angeles grapples with the nations worst homelessness problem, experts have almost universally embraced permanent housing as the best approach for lifting people out of homelessness.

The strategy is to quickly re-house those who are able to live independently, and to provide housing with intensive on-site services for chronically homeless people for as long as it takes them to become independent, or for life if needed.

But the shift toward permanent housing has had a cost: As money has been directed away from programs that combine services with shorter-term housing, the regions homelessness problem has gotten worse.

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The countys overall homeless population was roughly unchanged from 2015 to 2016. But the unsheltered population  those literally living on the street  increased by about 1,400, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authoritys annual count.

The homeless authority attributed the increase at least in part to the loss of beds in programs that were converted to permanent housing or had their funding cut.

See the most-read stories this hour 

The Panama Hotel on 4th Street is empty. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times )

A prime example of the policy shift and its impact is the Panama Hotel, which for decades offered refuge for men and women trying to get off L.A.s skid row.

Tenants could stay in the hotels 220 rooms for up to 90 days while getting their lives together with support from the therapists and case managers of SRO Housing Corp., a nonprofit that owns the hotel.

But the Panama, on 4th Street, is empty. It has been gutted for remodeling and will reopen next year as permanent supportive housing  but with just 72 units. More than 200 people had to move out for the makeover.

We tried to transition as many as we could and farm out to other agencies, said Chief Executive Anita Nelson. Unfortunately, some people went back on the street.

For years, a growing number of homeless services organizations have been backing off of transitional housing  service-backed programs of up to two years designed to prepare people for permanent housing.

The rationale is that some people  especially those who become homeless because of an economic crisis  need only access to housing, not a long period of support. On the other hand, a high proportion of the chronically homeless are so severely impaired that short-term programs only lead them through a cycle of relapse.

It always bothers me that they dont fund transitional because they dont believe in it.  Kevin Murray, president and chief executive of the Weingart Center

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has adopted that philosophy and is shifting money to permanent housing with a quick turnaround for those who are ready, and open-ended support for those who need it.

In turn, the homeless authority, which competes for HUD money to pass on to local agencies, is requiring longstanding programs to drop their transitional housing.

Last year the authority cut the funding for about 2,000 beds of transitional housing operated by 58 agencies.

This year more cuts are on the way.

In an email, a spokesman for the homeless authority said it supports the federal policy and believes the reallocation of grants will serve more people and better distribute resources.

HUD spokesman Brian Sullivan said the federal agency was acting on research showing that the added services with transitional housing are not cost-effective.

While transitional housing can be an important tool in managing homelessness, were encouraging communities to offer permanent housing solutions to an even greater number of persons and families who are experiencing homelessness, Sullivan said.

The change is welcomed by organizations such as PATH, a statewide agency that provides housing, outreach and supportive services at several locations in Los Angeles.

Our organization is focused on permanent housing outcomes, said communications director Jeremy Sidell. Weve always believed the only way to end homelessness is to put people in homes.

The problem for the thousands of homeless people who need both housing and services is that the permanent housing that will replace transitional beds doesnt exist today and wont for years.

According to Carlos Vannatter of the L.A. city Housing Authority, a handful of nonprofit development companies currently build about 300 units of permanent supportive housing in the city of Los Angeles each year  units that are filled as soon as they open.

That pace could triple if Los Angeles voters approve a $1.2-billion bond in November. But the first apartments funded by the new money, if the bond passes, would open years from now.

In the meantime, agencies are reeling from the immediate loss, especially smaller ones, such as the California Council for Veterans Affairs, which provides free housing to homeless female veterans.

I had to cut staff, said the councils director, Margaret Bush-Ware. I had to cut beds.

Her two social workers, one licensed to distribute medication, are gone.

Since January, the agency has stopped taking new clients, Bush-Ware said. It now has seven empty beds out of 14 in its three-unit apartment building on Florence Avenue.

Proponents of permanent supportive housing cite research such as that by Dennis P. Culhane of the University of Pennsylvania concluding that limited-term housing with clinical support isnt the best response for housing emergencies and is inadequate for the chronically homeless population.

Not all providers, however, are on board with the new model.

It always bothers me that they dont fund transitional because they dont believe in it, said Kevin Murray, president and chief executive of the Weingart Center on skid row. The agency has lost 300 transitional units to defunding over five years, according to homeless authority data.

We believe in the transitional model, Murray said. We believe that there is a whole class of people out on the streets that can be made to be self-sufficient.

Nelson, the SRO Housing head, said her agencys model has always been to have as much housing as possible, including emergency shelter, transitional and permanent.

We tried to keep our doors open because we saw the tremendous need, Nelson said. We ended up losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in doing so.

The complete video series about homelessness  On Now On the Streets: 'On the Streets' Documentary Trailer On Now On the Streets: Skid Row: Not the last stop On Now On the Streets: Living on Venice Boulevard On Now On the Streets: Moving out of Skid Row On Now On the Streets: Squeezed in on all sides On Now On the Streets: One homeless woman's hustle outside the world's largest jail On Now On the Streets: Young and homeless in Hollywood On Now On the Streets: He is getting his PhD - and is homeless On Now On the Streets: Join an L.A. police officer on his skid row beat On Now On the Streets: Slab City: A haven for the homeless gentrifies

Agencies that lose their transitional funds have other options. But they say the transition isnt smooth.

After its grant was cut this year, the House of Ruth in Boyle Heights was offered the chance to compete for a new grant in September.

The grant-cutting news came in April and was effective immediately, said Sister Jennifer Gaeta, the executive director.

I just about went crazy, she said. That is going to close us.

House of Ruth owns four houses with a total of 16 bedrooms and serves up to 80 single mothers and their children.

As soon as Gaeta got the notice, she stopped accepting new clients. Now four bedrooms are empty.

Even if she can persevere to September and get the new funding, shell have to lay off at least six of her 17 employees, she said.

And the money will come with strings: two houses will be converted to permanent housing, cutting the agencys total bed count in half. The other two houses will be used for crisis housing  sometimes called bridge or rapid re-housing  with stays lasting a maximum of 90 days.

That may work for some, but it is too short for victims of domestic abuse.

It takes a lot of time to level out, Gaeta said.

Shes also not pleased that shell be asked to serve more chronically homeless individuals and fewer families in crisis.

Weve got all these young moms hiding in cars and being forgotten, Gaeta said. If we put all our funding into the chronically homeless, all we are doing is creating a new generation of chronically homeless.

doug.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: LATdoug

Times staff writer Christine Zhang contributed to this report.

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It was a UC Berkeley custodian who found the bloodied body of Grace Rualo Asuncion on a Friday night in the winter of 1992.

For decades after, the stabbing death of the 20-year-old junior from Agoura Hills went unsolved, casting a pall over the campus and her tight-knit family.

When the universitys police chief stepped down in 2009, she remarked that the still-unsolved killing remained a source of sorrow.

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We will always feel a sense that we left something undone, Victoria Harrison, the retiring police chief, told a university publication. We never closed that case.

UC Berkeley police announced this month that more than 24 years after the brutal slaying, the killer had finally been identified as John Iwed, who lived in nearby Alameda.

The Alameda County district attorneys office reviewed the case, but prosecutors could not file charges because Iwed succumbed to a drug overdose nearly a year after Asuncion was found dead, according to Sgt. Sabrina Reich, a spokeswoman for the universitys Police Department.

Police broke the news to Asuncions family in July, said her older brother John Asuncion, now a planner residing in Agoura Hills.

It was a surprise, as you can imagine, John Asuncion, 47, said. It opened up the old wounds, of course. Speaking for myself, I had accepted  it is what it is. A cold case.

Iweds name was familiar to Asuncions older brother. Detectives had considered Iwed a suspect before, but ruled him out.

Before his death, Iwed had confessed to his wife that he attacked and killed Asuncion while high on psychedelic drugs, KTVU-TV reported. His wife later told police, but detectives could not verify the account.

Authorities have provided few specifics about what evidence surfaced to close the case.

Over the years, people were more willing to talk and provide new information that corroborated Iwed was the suspect, Reich said. Detectives also relied on new DNA testing, but that did not break the case, she said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman for the district attorneys office, said the thorough investigation left scant doubt about Iwed. We reviewed all the evidence and are confident in our decision, she added.

The announcement draws to a close a killing that shocked the campus for its sheer violence and seeming randomness.

She is the last person you would expect this to happen to, Marie-Luise Brennan of Westlake Village, Asuncions best friend from high school, told The Times days after the Feb. 7, 1992, killing. I know it sounds trite, but I dont know why anyone would want to do that to her.

Asuncion, a molecular and cell biology major with hopes of attending medical school, had stayed in Eshleman Hall after others left at 5 p.m.

It wasnt unusual for her to be in the eight-story building, where the student government and other campus groups had offices, authorities said.

She often studied there alone or with friends, campus police Lt. Pat Carroll said at the time.

Her body, riddled with stab wounds, was found in the fifth-floor office of the Pilipino American Alliance. There was no evidence that she was sexually assaulted, and no sign that she was a victim of a robbery, police said.

No suspects were ever publicly identified. To this day, police have not specified a motive.

About a year after Asuncions death, her parents, Edward and Aida Asuncion, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against UC Berkeley, alleging the university failed to provide sufficient protection.

The lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court contended that the universitys leaders should have stopped transients from sleeping in the building where she was killed and installed better security measures. No guards were posted in the building around the time of her killing, but university police did patrol the area, a university spokesman said in 1993.

The lawsuit was later settled for $750,000, which included four years of tuition at UC Irvine for Asuncions younger sister, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In the years since, Eshleman Hall was demolished, and a new building was erected under the same name.

Asuncions parents left California and moved north to Washington. Her three surviving siblings continued with their lives, getting married and having children. The family still keeps in touch with Asuncions college roommate, John Asuncion said.

The family could have split or grown closer in such a horrific tragedy, he said, but has emerged with more gratitude and love.

I dont wish it on anyone else, but the bonds are stronger, and thats a good thing, he said.

At UC Berkeley, Pilipino American Alliance awards a scholarship in Asuncions memory. Near the building where she died, a tree was planted in her honor. Friends later added a bench with a plaque: An intelligent, vibrant, committed student who will always be remembered.

Still, her brother said that he and his family still miss Grace. He thanked police for their dedication to the case, but said that knowing who killed her doesnt heal the wound left by her death.

He added: Its not going to bring my sister back.

For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno.

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A raging wildfire that has destroyed more than 175 buildings in Northern California swelled to 4,000 acres on Monday, forcing residents to flee their lake community as homes and businesses burned to the ground.

By Monday evening, the Clayton fire was only 5% contained, according to the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Gov. Jerry Brown issued a state of emergency for Lake County, where the blaze has forced the entire community of Lower Lake  more than 100 miles north of San Francisco  to evacuate. The governors order will help expedite aid to those affected by the fire.

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The fire broke out late Saturday afternoon off Highway 29 and Clayton Creek Road, then doubled in size on Sunday as it reached Main Street in Lower Lake. There, flames ripped through the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several other businesses, the Associated Press reported. Sixteen patients at a hospital in nearby Clearlake had to be transferred to a facility about 25 miles away.

You cant imagine what took place, Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean said. There was extreme fire behavior and winds that pushed it across the road into structure after structure after structure. We had airplanes dropping retardant, helicopters dropping thousands of gallons of water  trying to get ahead of this.

After destroying four homes before sunrise on Monday, the pace of the fires growth slowed, according to Lake County law enforcement officials. Firefighters spent the day working to bulldoze a ring around the fire area, while helicopters and tankers dropped retardant and water.

The count of destroyed structures remained at 175, mostly concentrated in Lower Lakes small, single-street commercial district. But along the wooded ridge behind the shoreline community, dark plumes rose occasionally during the day  a signal that flames overtook another structure or vehicle.

We had airplanes dropping retardant, helicopters dropping thousands of gallons of water  trying to get ahead of this.  Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean

1 / 13 Firefighters work to contain embers on the remains of a house destroyed by the Clayton fire in Lower Lake, California. (Gabrielle Lurie / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 13 A marijuana plant is seen covered in fire retardant material in Lower Lake, Calif. (Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images) 3 / 13 Damin Pashilk, seen here in a poster on display at a news briefing in Middletown, Calif., was arrested on arson charges. Officials say he sparked a wildfire that exploded over the weekend in the Northern California town of Lower Lake. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 4 / 13 Juan Tapia, left, and Alicia Palominos hug their granddaughter Emily Avalos, 1, during a news conference where it was announced that a California man had been arrested on arson charges in connection with a wildfire in Lower Lake, Calif. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 5 / 13 Firefighters work to control flames as a home burns in the town of Lower Lake, Calif. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 6 / 13 Tyrol Martin of the U.S. Forest Service douses flames as a structure burns near the town of Lower Lake, Calif. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 7 / 13 Hannah Lee coordinates with a friend to save horses as flames approach the town of Lower Lake. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 8 / 13 A firefighter rescues goats as flames envelope the area in Lower Lake. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 9 / 13 A truck burns in the town of Lower Lake. A wildfire destroyed homes and forced thousands of people in two Northern California towns to flee as flames jumped a road and moved into populated areas. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 10 / 13 A firefighter battles flames as a house is engulfed in the town of Lower Lake, located more than 100 miles north of San Francisco. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 11 / 13 Firefighters battle flames as a house burns in Lower Lake. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 12 / 13 Firefighters work to control flames as the Terrill Cellars Winery burns along Main Street in Lower Lake. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press) 13 / 13 A helicopter drops water on Lower Lake, where signs and lamp posts are covered in fire retardant. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press)

The states lingering drought has hit Lake County particularly hard and contributed to the rapid spread of flames, fire officials said.

Daytime high temperatures in Lake County, near the fire, are expected to hover around 100 degrees through mid-week, said Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. By Thursday, the area should cool slightly, with high temperatures Friday and through the weekend projected in the lower 90s, he said.

The evenings are expected to be cooler, with temperatures forecast in the upper 60s, but theyre definitely warm evenings, Kurth said.

Its nothing thats extraordinary, not record-setting, but it is hot  its seasonably hot, Kurth said.

The Clayton fire is burning in an area between last years devastating Valley, Rocky and Jerusalem fires, which broke out around the Lower Lake area.

Nearly 200 people forced out of their homes in Lower Lake spent Sunday night in an American Red Cross shelter set up at Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in nearby Middletown  a tiny town that was itself ravaged by the Valley fire, one of the worst fires in California history, just 11 months ago.

The casino was certainly ready: The Red Cross had left behind two trailers of cots and care kits when it pulled out of town last year, and the casino had opened itself up as a fire shelter even before being declared one, said Kyle Lewis, a spokesman for the casino.

Fire survivors as theyre called locally  people who lost their homes to last years fires  had lived for months in the casino and hotel. The last of them had left just a few weeks ago, Lewis said. And now the hotel is full again with members of the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (which owns and operates the facility) and casino employees forced out of their homes by the Clayton fire.

The back-to-back wildfires have changed how Lewis, 37, a relative newcomer, views life in the rolling hills of Lake County. He was forced from his home last year for a week and considers himself lucky to have just had superficial property damage. He knows many others who lost their homes.

I think it has made us a very strong community that I am very proud of, he said.

At Hardesters Market & Hardware, which has anchored Middletown since 1943, clerks said they had already met their first double-fire survivors: a family burned out of Middletown by the Valley fire just lost their new home in Lower Lake just up the road. A cashier at the flower stand wondered aloud, as many in the community are doing, if the Clayton fire was arson.

Weve always had fires, but never this big, she said. And in the anniversary of the last three.

Store owner Ross Hardester said Lake County residents are devastated to be going through such loss again.

There was such a good buzz; we were starting to recover, he said. The town was swept by flames last year and had gotten through the first bleak month, and then the painful Christmas holidays, and was starting to see permits being issued and new homes going up on charred lots.

Now this, Hardester said. So many people are on edge again.

Tessie Espinosa fled her Lower Lake house the moment she saw smoke.

Weve learned that you cant trust for warnings to get out, she said.

Espinosa is an administrator for the senior center in Middletown, where elderly clients interrupted her every few minutes Monday for updates on what was destroyed the night before and what was still standing in Lower Lake. Her tone was light and reassuring  but on the I am not sure list is her own house.

She pulled out her phone and showed a state map of the four major fires that have affected the region. She pointed at a small, unburned area in the center.

Thats where we live, she said.

The Clayton fire is one of several wildfires burning throughout California.

The Chimney fire that broke out near Lake Nacimiento in San Luis Obispo County has burned 5,400 acres, destroyed 12 structures and is threatening 200 more, Cal Fire said Monday.

Citing the Chimney fires damage to homes and critical infrastructure, Brown also issued a state of emergency for San Luis Obispo County.

Evacuations have taken place in a handful of communities, including Running Deer Ranch and Cal Shasta. Two people have been injured by the blaze.

The fire was first reported about 4 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Running Deer and Chimney Rock roads, according to Cal Fire.

Active through the night, the fire was slowed about 1 a.m. by air pressure at a higher elevation pushing down and trapping cooler temperatures, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said. This blanket, known as an inversion layer, prevents smoke from rising and decelerates any flames.

Hannah Lee coordinates with a friend to save horses as flames approach the town of Lower Lake, Calif. (Josh Edelson / Associated Press )

Once that inversion layer began to lift Sunday, the Chimney fire increased in activity, prompting officials to bring in additional firefighters and resources from across the region.

Berlant said several hundred fire personnel were on the scene, as well as large air tankers.

Its been burning this afternoon at an explosive rate, he said.

The fire was 10% contained.

The Soberanes fire, a deadly blaze burning north of Big Sur, has wiped out nearly 60 homes, burned more than 74,600 acres and claimed the life of a bulldozer operator.

Cal Fire officials said the fire, which was started by an illegal campfire, was 60% contained.

The wildfires underscore the elevated risks Southern California faces as it endures yet another summer heat wave, which forecasters say will continue until Wednesday.

The combination of very hot, dry and windy conditions increases the potential for wildfires in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, as well as in the foothills in Antelope Valley, said Rich Thompson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Several Southland communities saw triple-digit temperatures over the weekend, including Van Nuys, Chatsworth and Palm Springs. On Sunday, temperatures hit 104 in Woodland Hills and 111 in Thermal.

Times staff writer St. John reported from Middletown, and Branson-Potts, Vives and Knoll from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Matt Hamilton, Erica Evans and Cindy Carcamo contributed this report.

paige.stjohn@latimes.com

hailey.branson@latimes.com

ruben.vives@latimes.com

corina.knoll@latimes.com

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6:25 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details on the size of the Chimney fire.

5:30 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the growth of the Clayton fire.

12:44 p.m.: This article was updated with a weather forecast and interviews from Lake County residents.

11:23 a.m.: This article was updated with interviews from a Red Cross evacuation center.

9:10 a.m.: This article was updated with new details from fire officials.

This article was originally published at 5 a.m.
North Carolina may be a swing state in presidential politics, with polls showing Hillary Clinton now leading Donald Trump.

But theres no question who will win most of the states 13 House congressional districts in November.

Its virtually certain that Republicans will hold their 10-to-3 advantage, regardless of what happens in the presidential race, said David Wasserman, an analyst with Cook Political Report. The districts are simply far too polarized.

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That electoral lock may prompt the Supreme Court to take a new look at the old question of whether extreme partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, denying voters an equal chance to have their voices heard.

Lawyers from North Carolina and Wisconsin are challenging GOP-drawn electoral maps that ensure Republicans win a majority of seats in Congress or the state house, even when a majority of voters statewide lean in favor of Democrats.

And they are reasonably confident the justices will take up one or both of the cases in the term ahead.

We think there are five justices interested in devising a legal standard to stop partisan gerrymandering, said Gerry Hebert, executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, a public interest group that advocates for voting rights and fair elections. He said rigged races are a significant reason for the hyper-partisanship and political gridlock we currently see in state and federal politics.

Repeatedly in past decades, the justices have said they were troubled by partisan gerrymandering, but stopped short of finding a plan unconstitutional.

Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the fifth vote in 2004 to reject a gerrymandering claim from Pennsylvania, but said a state would cross the line if one party freely admitted it drew the districts to deny the other partys right to fair and effective representation. He also warned of the threat posed by computer programs that make it easier for lawmakers to draw district lines to rig outcomes. If the courts dont intervene, he wrote then, the temptation to use partisan favoritism in districting in an unconstitutional manner will grow.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

In the North Carolina case, lawyers say they have the evidence Kennedy is looking for.

When GOP lawmakers redrew the congressional map in 2011, they moved more black voters into two districts that had elected black Democrats and gave Republicans a safe majority in 10 of the 13 districts. In February, however, a three-judge panel called the plan a racial gerrymander and ordered changes.

Republican leaders met in Raleigh to quickly redraw the lines, this time saying they would not use race, but instead, party affiliation. The result was the same 10-3 advantage, and they acknowledged their aim was to lock that in.

We want to make clear, said state Rep. David Lewis, that we are going to use political data  to gain a partisan advantage on the map and maintain our partisan advantage. There is nothing wrong with political gerrymandering.  It is not illegal, added state Sen. Bob Rucho.

In early August, lawyers for the North Carolina Democrats seized on those comments in an appeal to the Supreme Court and urged the justices to decide on partisan gerrymandering this fall, when they review the racial gerrymandering case from North Carolina in McCrory vs. Harris.

Two days later, Common Cause filed a separate suit before a new three-judge panel in North Carolina asking it to strike down the states congressional plan. If there was ever a time for the courts to take a look at this, this is it, said Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause North Carolina. This is a competitive state, where [President] Obama won narrowly in 2008, and [Mitt] Romney won narrowly in 2012. But the congressional delegation does not reflect that.

Lewis and Rucho, the authors of the redistricting plan, slammed the lawsuit as just the latest in a long line of attempts by far-left groups to use the federal court system to take away the rights of North Carolina voters.

In 2012, 51% of North Carolina voters cast House ballots for a Democrat, yet Republicans won nine of the 13 seats to Congress. One Democratic incumbent narrowly won in a Republican-leaning district, but stepped aside in 2014, when it became clear that he would not win.

While North Carolina may be extreme, it is in line with the national trend. Competitive House races are rare, since districts are drawn to favor Republicans or Democrats. In 2014, the average margin of victory for a House candidate was 35.8%, according to Ballotpedia, a nonpartisan almanac of election data.

Pennsylvania, which has voted Democratic in national elections but has a Republican-controlled Legislature, regularly sends 13 Republicans and five Democrats to the House. Ohio, another toss-up state, sends 12 Republicans to the House, along with four Democrats.

Virginia, which twice voted for Obama and has two Democratic senators and a Democratic governor, has been sending eight Republicans and three Democrats to Congress. On the other side of the Potomac River, Maryland leans Democratic, and its Democratic-controlled Legislature drew districts that gave its candidates seven of eight seats in the House.

The Wisconsin case focuses on the state house and the electoral map drawn when Republicans took full control in 2011.

A year later, 51% of the voters cast ballots for Democrats, yet Republicans still won a supermajority of 60 of 99 seats in the Assembly.

Wisconsin has the most extreme partisan map in the United States, Hebert said.

In May, a three-judge panel heard arguments on whether the plan is unconstitutional, and a ruling is expected shortly. If the judges uphold the plan, the challengers say they will file an appeal directly with the Supreme Court.

Unlike other federal cases, election and voting cases are heard by three-judge panels, and their rulings go directly to the Supreme Court, where the justices are required to either affirm or reverse the decision.

The problem of gerrymandering has a very long history. In 1812, a Boston newspaper drew a cartoon that depicted a salamander-shaped district that favored the candidate of Gov. Elbridge Gerry, and thereafter such odd-looking districts were dubbed gerry-manders.

But these days, an electoral district map can be drawn with neat lines that nonetheless effectively assure one party will win a supermajority of seats in Congress or the state house for the next decade.

Ideally, map makers give their partys candidates districts with 55% to 60% of their favored voters, while giving the other partys candidates fewer districts that include 70% to 80% of their likely voters.

University of Chicago Law Professor Nicholas Stephanopoulos and Eric McGhee of the Public Policy Institute of California devised a formula for measuring an electoral maps efficiency in winning seats for its party. The Wisconsin house plan stood out, because Republicans did not lose a single seat from their 60-seat majority in 2012, even though most voters cast ballots for Democrats.

Thats exactly what was planned, Stephanopoulos said. This is all about partisan advantage. You dont need squiggly lines or weird shapes. You tell the computer: Give me the greatest number of seats. You give all of your candidates a small but reliable margin of victory so the seats wont flip.

Stephanopoulos and McGhee used the efficiency formula to track state-by-state legislative races back to 1972. In the 1970s and 80s, gerrymanders tended to favor Democrats slightly, with California and Illinois among the worst offenders, they said. After the census of 1990 and 2000, the election maps tended to favor Republicans slightly.

This decade is different, Stephanopoulos said. Now the advantages are much larger, and they are very pro-Republican, he said. We now see very extreme gerrymanders that skew the makeup of Congress and the state legislatures.

The lawmakers in charge, like those in North Carolina and Wisconsin, believe the high court has given them a green light to draw maps for political advantage, he said.

Stephanopoulos hopes the justices will intervene. I think it would be a very positive development for democracy if the court puts a limit on gerrymanders, he said.

Twitter: @DavidGSavage

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Since Donald Trump called for temporarily banning Muslims from entering the U.S., he has tried to expand, narrow or otherwise redefine the polarizing proposal that helped win him the Republican primary but has posed a greater challenge in the general election campaign.

On Monday, he added a phrase to his policy lexicon: extreme vetting.

To Trump, that means ensuring anyone entering the country shares American values.

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The newest addition to Trumps immigration policy came during a major speech on national security in Youngstown, Ohio, that featured an unusually subdued Trump reading uneasily at times from a teleprompter and repeating several false claims, including his assertion that he was early to oppose the Iraq invasion and the unsubstantiated pronouncement that the San Bernardino shooters neighbor saw bombs in their apartment before the attacks.

It followed days of criticism over Trumps insistence that President Obama and Hillary Clinton founded Islamic State. Those comments, and other unscripted and unforced controversies, have helped distract from Trumps core economic and anti-terrorism messages, push down his standing in polls and lead Republicans to once again urge him to curtail his improvisational style of campaigning.

Trump did not explicitly back down from his December proposal, still on his campaign website, for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what is going on.

He did not mention it Monday, instead calling on the departments of State and Homeland Security to identify a list of regions where adequate screening cannot take place. The U.S. would then stop issuing visas for people from those areas.

Trump spent more of his speech defining what he said was a new ideological test for those entering the U.S., comparing his plan to Cold War-era screening.

We should only admit into this country those who share our values and respect our people, he said. In addition to screening out all members or sympathizers of terrorist groups, we must also screen out any who have hostile attitudes towards our country or its principles  or who believe that sharia law should supplant American law. Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted.

The newest iteration of Trumps policy, though not specifically demanding a religious test on entering the country, still allows for capricious enforcement, said Steve Yale-Loehr, a Cornell Law School professor who specializes in immigration.

What one president thinks is important for American values, another president may deem not important, he said. We dont want an immigration policy subject to the vagaries of political opinion.

State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau declined to comment on Trumps immigration proposals but said, We stand by the integrity of our visa process.

Trump mostly delivered broad outlines for his ideas on fighting terrorism, many of which he has mentioned before, rather than specific policy proposals. Some of his ideas, such as relying on more human intelligence to target terrorists in addition to drone strikes, echo Obama administration policy. The message from Trump, however, was that Obama and Clinton have tiptoed around the threat because they are unwilling to use the phrase radical Islamic terrorism and are too afraid of offending those who would do harm to effectively target them.

Though his call to ban Muslims has drawn accusations that he is fomenting bigotry, Trump said his policies were instead geared toward national unity and fighting an ideology that promotes oppression of women and gays. He called on sending home those who preach hate.

At the same time, he cast suspicion even on second-generation immigrants, saying their status, along with those born in other countries, was a common thread in several terrorist attacks. That group of Americans with foreign-born parents would include Trump, whose mother was born in Scotland, and his youngest child, Barron, whose mother, Melania Trump, was born in the former Yugoslavia.

Trump, who has vacillated in recent days on his incendiary charge that Obama and Clinton were the founders of Islamic State, also known as ISIS, attempted to modify that assertion Monday. Instead of again calling them the literal founders, he said that the rise of ISIS is the result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton. He singled out the withdrawal from Iraq.

Trump also asserted that Libya, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Iran all posed lesser threats before Obama took office, though Trump failed to mention that he supported the interventions in Libya and Egypt that he now calls disastrous.

He also hinted at an unfounded claim made in some conservative media that Clinton is physically ill, asserting she lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS and all of the adversaries we face.

Vice President Joe Biden offered the most direct response to date on behalf of the Obama administration to Trumps statement that the president was the founder of Islamic State, calling it not only an outrageous statement, but also a dangerous one.

Trumps ideas are not only profoundly wrong, theyre very dangerous and theyre very un-American, Biden said.

Its a recipe for playing into the hands of terrorists and their propaganda, said Biden, appearing with Clinton in Scranton, Pa., for their first joint rally.

Trumps speech came amid doubts in his own party, and increasing levels of controversy, surrounding his campaign.

Trumps campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, denied a New York Times story that told of handwritten ledgers indicating he received $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine.

Manaforts consulting work for former Ukraine President Viktor Yanukovich was already public. But the Times reported records of cash payments from 2007 to 2012 that were not previously known. It said the ledgers were discovered by an anti-corruption bureau as part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.

Trumps supportive comments of Russian President Vladimir Putin had already drawn scrutiny. But he did not back down in Mondays speech, insisting that the U.S. could find common ground with Russia in the fight against ISIS.

Wouldnt that be a good thing? Trump said, defying policy specialists in his party who have cast a wary eye on Russias attempts to build its profile in the Middle East. Wouldnt that be a good thing?

Times staff writers Michael A. Memoli in Scranton, Pa., and Joseph Tanfani and Tracy Wilkinson in Washington contributed to this report.

Twitter: @noahbierman

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Biden says Trump has heightened danger for U.S. troops abroad

(Dominick Reuter / AFP/Getty Images)

As Vice President Joe Biden joined Hillary Clinton to warn of the peril of a Donald Trump presidency, he offered many of the now-familiar critiques of Trumps foreign policy views on Russia, immigration and nuclear weapons with his typical plainspoken flair.

Hillary has forgotten more about American foreign policy than Trump and his entire -- Im not exaggerating -- his entire team will ever understand, he said at one point.

He also twice invoked the memory of the son he lost last year to cancer in a solemn rebuke of the Republican nominee.

Speaking to an audience that included some relatives and former neighbors in Scranton, the vice president noted that Beau Biden had served in Iraq for a year during a deployment as part of his Delaware National Guard unit.

I must tell you, had Donald Trump been president, I would have thrown my body in front of him -- no, I really mean it -- to keep him from going, he said.

He later offered the most direct response to date on behalf of the Obama administration to Trumps recent statement that the president was the founder of Islamic State, calling it not only an outrageous statement, but a dangerous one.

If my son were still in Iraq, and I say to all those who are there, the threat to their life has gone up a couple clicks, Biden said.

Biden spent much of his speech at the first joint rally he held with Clinton to testify to the Democratic nominees empathy for members of the middle class and their struggles since the Great Recession. But aides reworked his planned remarks this weekend to offer something of a pre-buttal to Trump as the GOP presidential candidate prepared to deliver a major national security address.

Biden said Trumps ideas were not only profoundly wrong, theyre very dangerous and theyre very un-American.

They reveal a profound ignorance of our Constitution, he said. Its a recipe for playing into the hands of terrorists and their propaganda.

In her remarks, Clinton noted she has repeatedly offered a detailed plan to counter Islamic State, and said that under the leadership of President Obama and Biden, the U.S. has made progress toward the goal of defeating the terror group.

It wont be easy or quick. But make no mistake: we will prevail, she said.

She mocked Trump by noting he often wont state his plan, saying he prefers to keep it a secret.

The secret is he has no plan, she said.

There is no doubt: Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president of the United States and commander in chief.
Donald Trumps speech on Monday about the war on radical Islamic terrorism was indifferently delivered and in many ways familiar. But there were some new elements  including an alarming suggestion that the Cold War offers a useful lesson in how to combat Islamic State.

Again Trump said that he had opposed the war in Iraq; again he attacked President Obama for opening the way for (if not founding) Islamic State by precipitously withdrawing U.S. forces from that country; again he disdained nation-building and regime change; and again he disparaged Hillary Clintons work as the countrys chief diplomat, this time adding the grace note that she lacked the mental and physical stamina necessary to deal with Islamic State.

Trump also promised to temporarily suspend immigration from some of the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world that have a history of exporting terrorism  the latest variation on his notorious proposal last year for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. There are too many immigrants coming in from the Middle East to perform adequate screening, he argued. But even if thats true, many of the terrorist attacks he cited in Europe and the United States were conducted by people who wouldnt have been subject to such scrutiny because they held European or American passports.

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Requiring assent to a checklist of values would punish thoughts rather than deeds and might encourage newcomers to dissemble about their beliefs.

Trump said he would call for an international conference on halting the spread of radical Islam and described an alliance comprising NATO (which he claimed had decided to focus on terrorism at his suggestion), Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Russia. Never mind that something similar already exists under the imprimatur of the United Nations Security Council, although Russia seems more interested in propping up Syrian President Bashar Assad than in defeating Islamic State.

More interesting  and alarming  was Trumps description of how he would combat radical Islamic extremism at home. Essentially, he would seek to promote liberal values, such as autonomy for women and tolerance for gays and lesbians, by adopting the conservative tactics of the 1950s.

In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test, Trump said. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today. Instead of excluding immigrants with communist views, he suggested, a Trump administration would bar immigrants who have hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles  or who believe that Sharia law should supplant American law. (How he would test for such attitudes  and why those who harbored them wouldnt conceal them  went unexplained.)

And where the House Un-American Activities Committee delved into the alleged disloyalty of Americans during the Cold War, Trump would establish a Commission on Radical Islam that would expose the networks in our society that support radicalization. Trump said that reformist voices in the Muslim community would be invited to take part  an invitation unlikely to be accepted.

The goal of these initiatives, Trump suggested, would be to promote assimilation of Muslims and spare the United States the sort of alienation that has produced violence in Europe. What he apparently doesnt recognize is that Muslims are far better assimilated in America than they are in the European countries that have been victimized by Islamist terrorists.

Obviously Americans arent immune to the siren call of Islamist extremism; witness the attacks in Boston, San Bernardino and Orlando, all of which Trump mentioned. Screening of potential immigrants and asylum-seekers for possible connections to terrorism is a matter of common sense as well as national security.

But ideological litmus tests for immigrants and a national commission to study radical Islam could be catastrophically counterproductive. Requiring assent to a checklist of values would punish thoughts rather than deeds and might encourage newcomers to dissemble about their beliefs. A commission designed to expose radicals could bring back the days of blacklists and guilt by association. These are frightening ideas. Its no surprise that they have been proposed by Donald Trump.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
The former administrator of Claremont Nursing and Rehabilitation Center has filed a federal lawsuit against Cumberland County for wrongful termination.

In a suit filed Friday in U.S. Middle District Court, Karen DeWoody claims her civil rights were violated and that she was wrongfully terminated after she complained about her direct supervisor, Chief Clerk Larry Thomas.

DeWoody is seeking back pay and benefits, compensatory damages, attorney fees and the declaration the county engaged in practices that were retaliatory, discriminatory and in violation of the law. She now resides in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Thomas and county solicitor Keith Brenneman would not comment on the lawsuit, saying they hadnt reviewed the lawsuit.

The suit mentions how DeWoody was hired as director of nursing at the county-owned facility on Jan. 12, 2009. She was offered the position of nursing home administrator within three months of her employment. Thomas became her direct supervisor in August 2013.

A year later, the Pennsylvania Department of Health investigated an Aug. 26, 2014 incident where a male patient had a body temperature of 106 degrees after he was allowed to sit outside unattended in the summer heat.

This investigation resulted in the department issuing Claremont a deficiency letter, which DeWoody shared on Sept. 15, 2014, with Thomas; Mick Burkett, county director of human resources; and Barbara Cross, then chair of the county board of commissioners.

Two weeks later, on Sept. 29, DeWoody was called to a meeting with Thomas and Burkett during which the letter was discussed. As a result of the deficiency rating, Thomas questioned DeWoodys judgment and decision making skills, calling them poor, according to the lawsuit.

Peter Russo, attorney for DeWoody, stated his client, during this Sept. 29 meeting, was not disciplined for poor judgment or decision making, but was instead asked to help with research into the wages of nurse supervisors at Claremont for an upcoming salary board meeting. The suit claims that Thomas decided later to exclude DeWoody from that meeting when the research findings were presented.

Karen learned that Thomas had called Karen a whiner because she was a woman and he did not want Karen to be part of that salary board process, Russo wrote in the lawsuit. Those comments were perceived by Karen as discriminatory based upon Karens gender as a woman.

Also on Sept. 29, there was a meeting with the county commissioners where DeWoody sent her director of nursing in her place. After that meeting, Cross instructed the director to ask DeWoody to schedule a follow-up meeting for later that week. The lawsuit claims that DeWoody asked several times if a meeting date and time was set only to be told by Crosss assistant that no meeting will be scheduled.

Emails

On or about Oct. 3, DeWoody emailed Cross to ask about the status of her request. Cross forwarded the email to the other county commissioners including Gary Eichelberger who emailed a response to DeWoody. In that response, Eichelberger advised DeWoody to communicate directly with Thomas and not a particular commissioner.

DeWoody replied saying her question was where to go in the chain of command when she had a concern regarding Thomas. In the lawsuit, Russo wrote the desire of his client to address discriminatory comments made by her supervisor based on her gender is a protected activity.

The lawsuit quotes an Oct. 4, 2014, email from Eichelberger to DeWoody in which the commissioner told her if you need to bypass the chief clerk, not a small step, the correct way to do it would be to inform Larry that you wish to communicate directly with the commissioners, and while there is no real rule on this, I would not mind receiving such a request to communicate directly to the commissioners from any department head ...

Russo states his client complied with Eichelbergers demands, and a meeting was held on Oct. 6, 2014, attended by DeWoody, Thomas, Burkett and the three commissioners. During that meeting, DeWoody mentioned that Thomas had called her whiner because she was a woman. DeWoody also expressed concern over the recent hiring by Thomas of a person she thought was unqualified to be director of finance and administration at Claremont.

Claremont was looking to hire a new director before the August 2014 incident. The county hired a third party vendor to locate potential candidates for the job. According to the suit, the county authorized the hiring of a person without input from DeWoody or the salary board, even though that person had a lack of credentials, she said.

When the county made DeWoody the new hires direct supervisor, she expressed concern this person would be detrimental to Claremont and its performance rating. The lawsuit mentions how DeWoody had asked Thomas to modify the organizational chart for Claremont to remove her as the direct supervisor.

On Nov. 3, 2014, DeWoody was invited to a meeting attended by Thomas and Burkett during which she was told that her employment with the county was terminated due to her poor judgment and decision making.

In the lawsuit, Russo argued his client was not disciplined for poor judgment and decision making in the weeks immediately following the Department of Health deficiency report. In fact, the lawsuit includes as an exhibit from a Sept. 30, 2014, email from Burkett to DeWoody offering her $12,000 bonus if she stays on as nursing home administrator for another 12 months.

During this 12-month period, the performance of the facility will be monitored, Burkett wrote. At the end of the 12-month period, depending on how the facility is performing, a similar agreement may be negotiated to continue your employment.

The lawsuit also claimed that contrary to the assertions of commissioner Eichelberger, there is a rule in the County Employee Handbook that allows an employee to bypass a supervisor or department head when that supervisor or department head is the reason for the complaint or concern.

Commissioner Eichelbergers conduct in bypassing the documented complaint process was a display of actual malice towards Karen or a willful disregard for her and the process, Russo wrote in the lawsuit. He added the actions by Eichelberger compelled DeWoody to confront her supervisor in an open forum denying her right to engaged in a protected activity.

Forcing DeWoody to adopt a procedure that was outside the countys written policy was tantamount to exposing her to a hostile work environment, the lawsuit reads. Within 20 business days after the Oct. 6 meeting, DeWoody was fired from her job of nearly six years.

The lawsuit says the only intervening circumstances between the offer of the $12,000 bonus and her termination was the Oct. 6 meeting during which she expressed her complaints in the presence of Thomas, as well as the email chain DeWoody had with the commissioners over the method by which she should raise her concerns.

Karens dismissal was a retaliatory act for engaging in her protected right to bring attention to actions which were discriminatory based upon sex, Russo wrote in the lawsuit. He called the termination a calculated method by the county to deter DeWoody from taking any additional steps in pressing her complaint.

The lawsuit claims the actions of the county violated the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act and the anti-retaliation provision of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Though he has cultivated a reputation as unscripted, Vice President Joe Biden can be practiced when needed, with an instinctive feel for his audience.

And as he joined Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail Monday for the first time this year, he shirked a conventional political argument on her behalf in favor of an emotional pitch aimed at working-class voters: She gets it.

What Hillary is all about is making sure that every one of you, every one of you can look your child and your grandchild in the eye and say, Honey, I mean this sincerely, everything is going to be OK, Biden told an audience of 3,000 that included his relatives and former neighbors.

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For Biden, campaigning in 2016 looks a lot like 2008 and 2012, as his more than half-hour performance here showed, but with one big difference: Hes not on the ticket.

Biden passed on a run for the White House last year but is reprising a familiar role as a Democratic ambassador to middle class and serving as the determined critic of Donald Trump.

What bothers me the most about Donald Trump is his cynicism is unbounded, Biden, the self-styled White House optimist, told the audience.

He used Trumps trademark phrase against him, saying the joy Trump took in saying, Youre fired, was at odds with the values of Scranton residents.

How can there be pleasure in division and Youre fired? Biden asked. Hes trying to tell us he cares about the middle class. Give me a break! And to repeat myself, [it] is such a bunch of malarkey.

Biden said Clinton, by contrast, shares his philosophy of public service. The two share Scranton roots, which made this former coal town a natural site for their joint appearance. Biden spent his early days here before his familys economic struggles prompted a move to Claymont, Del.; Clintons father was born here and worked for a time at a lace mill.

Among the days set pieces beyond the rally was a trip to the home Biden grew up in, just blocks from where Clintons fathers family lived.

Hillary understands the hopes and aspirations of the people in Claymont and Scranton and every Scranton and Claymont in the United States, Biden said.

Later, outside the former Biden home, Clinton pledged, Nobody will love Scranton more than I will as president, sidestepping a reporters question about the pockets of Trump support evident in the region.

The scene here, Biden surrounded by Clinton campaign banners and with the Democratic nominee seated behind him, was a far cry from his last high-profile appearance in Scranton nearly three years ago to the day.

Then, Obama joined Biden for a campaign-style event promoting the administrations education policies that was timed to the fifth anniversary of the two joining forces as the Democratic presidential ticket. A Biden presidential candidacy was in play at the time, and the rally almost had the appearance of an early endorsement. Choosing Biden was the best decision that I ever made politically, the president said.

Weeks later, Biden appeared to take a preemptive swipe at Clinton as he declared at a high-profile event in the presidential proving ground of Iowa that John F. Kerry, only months into the job, was one of the best secretaries of State in the nations history.

Biden ultimately ruled out a third presidential bid last fall by citing the continued emotional toll on his family after his eldest son died of brain cancer. Close aides say he stands by the decision even as he marvels at the campaign that has ensued without him, and at times muses about how he might have performed in it.

But on Clintons behalf, he gave a determined performance Monday.

If you live in a neighborhood like I grew up in  if you worry about your job, getting decent pay, if you worry about your childrens education, if youre taking care of an elderly parent after losing the other one, then theres only one person in this election who will possibly help you, and that is Hillary Clinton, he said.

When Clinton and Biden were to first appear here in early July, an event postponed after the Dallas police massacre, it appeared she would need all the help she could get appealing to Rust Belt voters over Trump.

Now that Trumps public self-immolations have given Clinton a more comfortable advantage, especially in Pennsylvania, she is increasingly seeking the votes of independents and Republicans uneasy with the former reality TV star.

But aides say Bidens role will still be crucial. Though Clintons standing is stronger than it had been among the type of voter Biden has often appealed to, the vice presidents role will be to help lock down their support and free up Clinton and others to expand the electoral map.

Biden will spend considerable time in the coming weeks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan, as well as Florida. Senior aides to the vice president are in regular contact with their counterparts at Clintons Brooklyn, N.Y., campaign headquarters, and the vice president has personally committed to Clinton to do anything she asks of him.

Biden will also campaign aggressively on behalf of Democratic Senate candidates as the party looks to regain control of the chamber. The presidential battleground map largely aligns with states where Democrats believe they have the best chance to pick up Republican-held Senate seats, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

Clinton herself has revealed the extent to which she values Bidens grasp on the middle-class psyche, incorporating some of his language as she contrasted Trumps economic vision with hers.

And in her speech here, she also made it clear she would continue to call on Biden while embracing his last major fight as her own: the moonshot effort to find a cure for cancer.

If Im elected this fall, Im going to ask Joe to continue the important work hes begun, she said.

michael.memoli@latimes.com

For more 2016 campaign coverage, follow @mikememoli on Twitter

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This story was originally published at 5:40 a.m.
Del Francis passed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall on the National Mall on Monday, but wouldnt stop. The names of the 74 sailors he served with on the destroyer Frank E. Evans arent there.

I dont consider it complete, and I consider it a disservice to the 74 men. They deserve to be on the wall with their brothers. They died just like the rest of them, he said.

The 74-year-old veteran completed a 1,550-mile bicycle journey from his home in Sulphur Springs, Texas, to the U.S. Capitol on Monday. The 74-day trip was to draw attention to the omission, and to the Department of Defense review of an appeal of its denial to add the names.

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The Long Beach-based Navy destroyer Frank E. Evans sank on June 3, 1969, after colliding with the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne during a training exercise. Because the accident happened outside the war zone, the victims dont meet the official criteria to be included on the memorial.

The Evans provided cover fire off the shore of Vietnam before it was dispatched to the South China Sea for the training exercise, and was scheduled to return to the war zone afterward.

Some of the 204 crash survivors and family members of the men who died have pushed for decades to get the sailors names on the wall, including a decade of legislative attempts by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).

Congress is in recess, and Schiff says he has pneumonia, but he joined Francis for the last few miles of his bike ride.

If this was worth pursuing 10 years ago, its worth pursuing now, Schiff said. Its become personal and Im determined to do all I can until their names are on the wall.

Schiff added an amendment to a 2014 Defense spending bill that urged the Defense Department to add the names. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Bob Menendez (D-N.Y.) joined Schiff in pushing the department to make an exception. In May, the Defense Department announced it would review its decision not to add the names to the wall, though it hasnt said when the review will be complete.

If it does decide to include the names, it wouldnt be the first time the department made an exception for people who died outside the war zone. In 1983, the Pentagon approved adding the names of 58 Marines who were killed when their C-130 transport plane crashed outside Hong Kong. Though they were outside the war zone when they died, the plane was returning them to Vietnam after three days of leave.

Tim Wendler, a 49-year-old Pasadena resident, was 2 years old when his father, radar man Ron Thibodeau, died on the Evans. He originally brought the issue to Schiffs attention. He said by phone that the Defense Department review makes him hopeful the names will be added to the wall.

We just want them to be remembered along with the others who sacrificed in the war, he said. My father and these 73 other men really should be up there.

Francis, who rode 1,550 miles in hopes the men will be remembered on the wall, left his hometown on the anniversary of the day the Evans sank.

I turned 74 in May, and I just decided that it was time to do something just out of frustration, Francis said.

A dozen crash survivors and family of the men who died in 1969 traveled to Washington to greet the bikers in the 100-degree heat.

These families had no bodies to bury, they had nothing, Francis said. Give them something. Families have driven clear across the country to see their sons name on the wall only to find out its not there.

sarah.wire@latimes.com

Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter

Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics

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Costa Mesa police have arrested a man who turned himself in to authorities in connection with a report of a sexual assault at South Coast Plaza.

Eduardo Vidal Avalos, 20, of Orange was booked into Costa Mesa City Jail on Friday on suspicion of assault with intent to commit a felony and attempted penetration with a foreign object, police said.

Police suspect Avalos followed a 24-year-old woman to her car shortly after 5:30 p.m. Aug. 2 and began forcibly touching her. The woman was able to fight him off and was not injured.

On Wednesday, police publicized security camera footage from the Costa Mesa shopping center that showed a man wearing a dark blue shirt and shorts, gray shoes and a blue hat with a white logo.

Avalos turned himself in to Santa Ana police the following day after an acquaintance saw the footage on social media and alerted him.

Avalos is being held with bail set at $100,000.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
Question: A friend of mine found herself in trouble. She is 16 and recently went with a man to Tijuana, and upon her return she was challenged by the Border Patrol. She had a California ID, but the agent wanted her to produce a passport or passport card, which she didnt have. She was forced to remain in the country. What do you advocate for U.S. citizens going across the Mexican or Canadian border and especially taking underage females across the border who are not your relative?

C. Johnson

Sylmar

Answer: Taking an underage girl to a foreign country from the U.S. (or allowing oneself to be taken, if indeed she had a choice) is such a spectacularly bad idea for so many reasons that I am stunned into near silence.

But its near silence, not complete silence, and with help from two entities, I can respond. The first is the State Department (and its website, www.travel.state.gov). The second is from the mother of five daughters who spoke frankly about the perils of raising them. This wasnt our first conversation on this topic, by the way; she is my sister.

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First for the official issues  and there are many and they apply not just to those sneaking across the border but to those who are, say, going on an Alaskan cruise, which will, by law, take you to a foreign country. Heres the deal:

If you are going to a foreign country, you need more than just your drivers license unless its an enhanced drivers license, which Washington state has but California does not. Customs and Border Protection has a list of acceptable documents at www.lat.ms/documents. The top two documents are a passport or a passport card. The card is less expensive.

Once upon a time you could go back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada and some Caribbean nations with nothing more than a voter registration card or a birth certificate.

Those days came to a screeching halt after 9/11 and the birth of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which mandated better border protection. Part of that protection was higher-quality documents attesting to who you are.

The first phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative required documentation for air travel that returned you to the U.S.; the second phase, implemented in June 2009, included land and sea travel.

If the teenage girl in question were younger than 16 and coming from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, she would have to present only an original birth certificate, consular report of birth abroad, a naturalization certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Card, according to the State Departments FAQs (www.lat.ms/statefaq).

But this person was 16 so she needed a passport, a passport card or one of the other acceptable forms of identification.

The question that may now arise is why the State Department or Customs and Border didnt stop her from entering Mexico. Thats not a question for those officials; its a question for Mexicos officials. The State Department does not have what a spokesman called exit control over people leaving the U.S.

The big question is this: Where were her parents and what were they thinking?

Its not entirely fair to blame them, said Judith Ramsey, my sister, who is not an unbiased source but who can claim that she raised five girls to adulthood with only a few brushes with authorities.

Did my nieces ever lie to their parents about where they were going, saying they were going some place authorized but then sneaking to some other place? Im sure, she said, but they took great pains to keep it from their dad and me.

Having a built-in parental antenna is key to keeping them safe. I think thats one of the most important things that you as a parent have to do: You need to know where they are, when they are coming home, who they are with. [Plans] need to be concrete  because their sensibilities dont recognize danger.

So ask about their plans, and if theres something they are trying to cover up? Theyll always give you some flim-flammy answer, she said. You can tell when they get all blustery that thats what theyre doing  trying to pull the wool over your eyes  but you cant let them.

Their judgment is not top drawer, and they think it is.

And to parents who are struggling, she could offer only this: Take your vitamins and hang on.

Its usually worth the perseverance. Even with the kid who insisted she had no idea why the new washing machine was scratched and later confessed it was because kids were hiding in the laundry room when the cops were called to break up an unauthorized party thrown the one time we went away. (That kid, by the way, is now a lawyer.)

As for the young woman who was detained in Mexico, she is entitled to consular assistance; a State Department spokesman said the country is required by law to notify the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. To see what the State Department can and cannot do when a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained, see www.lat.ms/arrest.

If someone you know finds himself or herself in such dire straits, you also can get in touch with the State Department to ask for help. The arrest page can direct you to the phone number you need.

Keeping U.S. citizens safe is the State Departments No. 1 priority, a spokesman said. Sort of like a parent who is paying attention.

Have a travel dilemma? Write to travel@latimes.com. We regret we cannot answer every inquiry.
A long scar on Jackline Mwendes face travels from her temple, touches her left eyebrow, narrowly misses her eye and traverses her cheek to her lips. Its partner traces an even deeper arc in the center of her forehead. There are other scars in her scalp.

And then there are her arms. She has no hands left. Her wrists, swathed in thick bandages, end in stumps.

Mwende, of Machakos, 35 miles southeast of the capital, Nairobi, is the face of domestic violence in Kenya. Her husband has been charged in an alleged marital assault that shocked the nation. According to Mwende, her husband, Stephen Ngila, 35, attacked her with a machete, slashing her face and hacking off her hands, enraged because she hadnt produced children in nearly five years of marriage.

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I saw him, and he told me: Today is your last day, she says. I never thought something like this would happen to me.

Ngila is in police custody, awaiting trial over the attack. Members of his family told Kenyan media recently that Mwende was a woman of loose morals who may have been attacked by a business rival. They claim Ngila wasnt at home when the attack happened.

Wearing a white hospital gown at Presbyterian Church of East Africa Kikuyu Hospital, Mwende, 27, weeps softly as she tells the story of how she fell in love with Ngila, married him in a white church wedding and watched as the relationship gradually went sour.

 Jackline Mwende is the face of domestic violence in Kenya. Her husband has been charged in an alleged marital assault.

Occasionally, she winces in pain, but doesnt complain.

As a Christian, I cant tell anyone to leave their marriage, Mwende said. But Id like to talk about my personal story so other people, or other victims, may learn [from it] and speak up.

In Kenya, activists say domestic violence is common. The country introduced legislation in 2015 that outlawed domestic violence and provided for restraining orders in the event of marital violence. But the lack of statistics on domestic killings and assaults of women by their partners suggests that the issue is considered a low priority.

According to the Gender Violence Recovery Center at Nairobi Womens Hospital, 45% of Kenyan women between the ages 15 and 49 have experienced either physical or sexual violence, mostly at home. The center says only 6% of gender violence suffered by women in Kenya is perpetrated by strangers.

Family poverty and alcohol abuse play a role, according to activists, while in some traditional communities husbands are seen as having a right to discipline their wives, using physical punishment if necessary.

The fourth child of impoverished peasant farmers in a remote village near Machakos town, Mwende left school in the eighth grade because her parents, with six children to support, couldnt afford to pay. She met Ngila seven years ago and the couple married two years later in a church.

At that time, he was a good man. He was a church man. The first days of our marriage were happy days. We were living well together as a husband and wife.

Ngila, a tailor in nearby Masii town, set Mwende up with a small business in 2014, where she sold items such as soap, sugar, tea and salt, to bring in extra money. They lived together in a three-room brick house on the top of a hill.

None of my siblings is employed and my parents are poor. Whatever I was doing running the small shop was because I wanted to help my parents and my siblings, she said.

But children didnt come to the marriage.

Mwende says her husband blamed her for the problem. Neighbors told Kenyan media the sounds of domestic fights often drifted down from the house on the hill.

Women in many developing countries, including those in East Africa, face social stigma if they dont produce at least one child, according to the World Health Organization. Although a husbands infertility may be to blame, it is usually the woman who is stigmatized.

In 2014, Mwende and her husband sought medical advice at a Nairobi hospital on why they hadnt had children, and he found out that he had a problem, she said. So the doctor advised him to attend the clinic, but he never went. Every time I reminded him to attend the clinic, he would dismiss it. He would say, I will see if I will get time to go, then he would never go.

A sour seed had been planted in the marriage and it grew, Mwende said. It reached a point that he suddenly changed. He started to get drunk.

That man never used to bring anything home. He was very brutal. He used to beat me. At times the couple would call their parents, who would come and try to bring peace to the marriage.

Her impoverished parents advised Mwende to leave Ngila, but she didnt want to go back home to burden them. She sought advice from her pastor, who advised her to persist and to do her best to save the marriage.

In most cases, every time there was a problem, I would run to our pastor, she said. The pastor would always tell me, Jackie, please persevere. That man will come to change one day. The pastor and the church elders would just encourage us.

I always wanted to protect my marriage so I decided to stay with him, she said. I always hoped he would change, but he seemed not to heed the advice from our church pastor.

When the attack happened in late July, neighbors heard screaming and called the police. One neighbor told local media how she witnessed the rooms spattered in blood, with a severed hand on the floor. Mwendes other hand was almost completely detached and couldnt be saved.

Mwendes case sparked national outrage. The local government authority promised a monthly stipend for a year and free transport to the hospital when she needs it for medical care. Several corporate sponsors pledged to help Mwende get access to prosthetic limbs to enable her to live and work independently.

Mwende, grateful for the help, is still recovering from the trauma of the attack.

He thought he had killed me, but God is great, she said.

Special correspondent Kyama reported from Kikuyu. Times staff writer Robyn Dixon in Johannesburg, South Africa, contributed to this report.

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Austrian authorities have arrested nine Iraqi men on suspicion of rape in an attack on a German tourist in Vienna on New Years Day, police said Monday.

The men range in age from 21 to 47 and are all either asylum-seekers or recently were granted asylum, Vienna police spokesman Paul Eidenberger told the Associated Press. They were arrested at several locations in raids Saturday and Sunday, he said.

They are alleged to have taken the woman from Viennas downtown Schwedenplatz and then assaulted her in an apartment where two of the suspects lived. The woman was in town visiting a friend but had become separated from her during the New Years celebrations, Eidenberger said.

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Police say the men have denied the accusations.

The 28-year-old victim from northern Germany went to the police later on Jan. 1, saying she couldnt remember where the attack took place but that she knew something had happened, Eidenberger said. The woman, who had been drinking and suspects she was drugged, has no recollection of being taken to the apartment, but police were able to use video surveillance and other evidence to determine the location, he said.

They also used DNA evidence to link at least four of the men to the crime, but all were involved, Eidenberger said.

Prosecutors are now applying to a court to have the men held as they continue their investigation. Monday was a holiday in Austria and prosecutors office phones went unanswered.

Austria was one of the main routes through which hundreds of thousands of asylum-seekers traveled into Europe last year. The influx eventually prompted the government to set limits on asylum applications that sparked a series of border closures, shutting down the Balkan route used by many migrants.

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When a respected Indian newsmagazine published an 11,000-word investigative report detailing how members of the countrys most powerful Hindu organization had attempted to indoctrinate 31 tribal girls in a way that amounted to human trafficking, it expected authorities to investigate.

The journalists did not expect that they would become the targets of the investigation.

Members of Indias governing Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, filed a criminal complaint last week against the magazine, Outlook, and reporter Neha Dixit. They alleged that Dixits story spread communal hatred because of a reference to ethnic conflicts in the remote northeastern border state of Assam, from which the girls had been taken.

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Press freedom advocates said it was the latest example of an accelerating crackdown against journalists in India whose reporting prompts criticism of influential politicians and power brokers.

The fallout from the story, published July 29, continued over the weekend when the magazines editor, Krishna Prasad, was fired. Prasads replacement, Rajesh Ramachandran, said the decision had been made last month and was not connected to the controversy over the story.

Prasad, publisher Indranil Roy and Dixit, a freelance reporter, were accused in the Aug. 4 complaint of violating an Indian law against speech that promotes disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities. The colonial-era law has been used in the past to stifle controversial speech or publications.

The complaint was filed with police in Assam by S.C. Koyal, an assistant solicitor general of the Indian government, and Bijon Mahajan, a spokesman for the BJP. Officials with the BJP have denied the wrongdoing detailed in the story.

Under Indian law, police must investigate the complaint before formal charges can be filed.

Prasad said in an interview that the complaint  and the fact that it was filed in Assam, more than 900 miles east of the magazines base in New Delhi  was part of a strategy to scare journalists and make it more difficult for them to fight the charges.

It is essentially aimed at creating fear amongst journalists who might want to write about these things, Prasad said.

Critics said the complaint focuses on one paragraph in the story while ignoring the child trafficking accusation against members of the Hindu nationalist organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or RSS, the parent organization of the BJP.

Dixits reporting found that in 2015, members of the RSS and its affiliates took 31 girls from their homes in tribal communities in Assam, one of Indias least developed states. The RSS activists promised the girls parents they would receive a better education in the states of Punjab and Gujarat.

The story, titled Operation Baby Lift, found that the real aim was to indoctrinate the girls, some of whom were as young as 3, in the organizations Hindu nationalist ideology. Parents have not been allowed to see the girls, who are still with the RSS, the article said.

The Assam State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, an advocacy group, said the act amounts to child trafficking.

The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based advocacy group, joined Indian press federations in condemning both the complaint and the increasing attacks on journalists. Instead of initiating an inquiry into whether the contents of the article are authentic, journalists say, the government resorted to a classic case of shooting the messenger.

How Indian censors tried to cut a gritty film about drug abuse 

Dixit has been subjected to abuse on social media by supporters of the BJP and its standard-bearer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Many have called for her arrest.

India likes to tout itself as the worlds biggest democracy, but it ranked 133rd among 180 countries in the latest press freedom index compiled by the advocacy group Reporters Without Borders.

Indian press groups cited the recent attempt by the central government and some state governments to stop advertising in Rajasthan Patrika, a private media group in the western state of Rajasthan, because of accusations of antigovernment bias in its reporting. Several journalists in rural India have been killed or gone missing over the last year, with colleagues and family members saying they were targeted for their work.

In a column for the online portal Newslaundry, senior journalist Madhu Trehan called on readers to stand by journalists.

It is now for the public to decide whether they will support the true democratic spirit of the constitution, she wrote. Otherwise there will be no questions raised and you wont get the answers that the establishment owes you.

Parth M.N. is a special correspondent.

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The kidnapping early Monday of as many as a dozen men from a restaurant in the Pacific resort city of Puerto Vallarta was likely a case of gang-on-gang crime and didnt target tourists or foreigners, Mexican authorities say.

Eduardo Almaguer, chief prosecutor of Jalisco state, also refuted rumors in the Mexican press suggesting that among those kidnapped were sons of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, the imprisoned cartel leader.

We havent confirmed until now that there were relatives of that person, the prosecutor said, referring to Guzman, whom U.S. authorities are seeking to extradite to the United States on trafficking and other charges.

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The kidnapping appeared to involve rival crime gangs, officials said.

All of those abducted were Mexican citizens linked to an unspecified criminal group, Almaguer said at a news conference in the Pacific coast city.

We want to stress that there is a very clear presumption that this had to do with a criminal group, it didnt involve tourists or citizens who were involved in legitimate activities, Almaguer said.

The fate of those abducted remained publicly unknown.

Authorities knew which criminal organizations were involved, said the prosecutor, who declined to name the groups.

Several drug trafficking organizations  including Guzmans powerful Sinaloa cartel  have been vying for control of Jalisco state, where Puerto Vallarta is situated. But drug-related violence has generally not spread to Puerto Vallarta or nearby tourist spots.

Battles between competing drug trafficking gangs in Mexico often involve kidnappings and executions of members of rival groups.

The white-sand beaches in and around Puerto Vallarta have long been a popular destination for tourists. A number of U.S. airlines fly directly to the citys international airport, daily disgorging beach-bound visitors in shorts and flip-flops.

International resorts and condominium complexes catering to foreign tourists and wealthy Mexicans dot the coast near Puerto Vallarta. Many coastal areas are accessible only to resort-goers.

Mexico has been engaged in a public campaign to boost tourism at a time when reports of drug violence have scared off some foreign visitors. Tourism is among Mexicos top sources of income, generating about $17.5 billion last year, according to official figures.

Aristoteles Sandoval, the governor of Jalisco state, sent out a Twitter message to residents and visitors condemning the kidnapping and vowing to bolster security.

To the inhabitants and tourists of P. Vallarta, I inform you that we have reinforced security so that you can continue your activities with normalcy, the governor said. The incidents that occurred in the early morning today in Puerto Vallarta cannot be permitted or tolerated.

The fabled Pacific beach resort of Acapulco  more than 400 miles south of Puerto Vallarta -- has seen a decline in visitors because of shootouts and other drug-related violence in the city and environs.

The mass kidnapping in Puerto Vallarta occurred shortly after 1 a.m. at an upscale restaurant called La Leche, situated on a main drag in the city. Five armed attackers apparently entered the restaurant and herded 10 to 12 men into a pair of white SUVs, the prosecutor said. Mexican press reports indicated that the heavily armed kidnappers wore hoods.

Four women accompanying the group at the restaurant were not taken, the prosecutor said.

The party-goers arrived at the restaurant in luxury vehicles, the prosecutor said. Evidence indicates that those at the restaurant were having a celebration, the prosecutor added.

Sanchez is a special correspondent.

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UPDATES:

6 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times reporting.

2:25 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with comments from the Jalisco state prosecutor.

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from the Jalisco governor.

This article was originally published at 12:10 p.m.
Warplanes of a Saudi-led coalition struck a hospital in northwestern Yemen on Monday, the medical charity Doctors Without Borders and officials said, leaving at least 11 people dead in what is seen as another blow to an already battered health system.

Doctors Without Borders confirmed on its official Twitter account that airstrikes had hit the hospital in Abs, in the rebel-controlled province of Hajjeh, the fourth attack in nine months on a facility supported by the charity.

The organization, which is also known by its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), issued a statement late Monday saying that 19 people had been injured in addition to the 11 dead.

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Once again, today we witness the tragic consequences of the bombing of a hospital, said a statement from Teresa Sancristoval, desk manager for the charitys emergency unit in Yemen. Once again, a fully functional hospital full of patients and MSF national and international staff members was bombed in a war that has shown no respect for medical facilities or patients.

The Houthi rebel movement, which is nominally running the government of Yemen, has been locked in battle with a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia for the last year and a half. The coalition is fighting to reinstate Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, who fled to the southern port city of Aden early last year and whose government operates in exile.

Doctors Without Borders said that it had been supporting the hospital since July 2015, treating 4,611 patients in that time.

A local humanitarian staff member, who did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the news media, said the bombardment had struck the triage area near the hospitals emergency room, where patients would line up for screening.

There were no armed people there, he said.

He added that the hospital, like all facilities supported by Doctors Without Borders in Yemen, was marked with the groups red and white flag to avoid being targeted by warplanes.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities.

Images uploaded by activists on social media showed the strikes aftermath. Shrapnel had slashed the cement columns of the hospitals waiting area. The burning husk of a taxi, said to have been bringing patients, was overturned by the force of the blast.

The attack came two days after another airstrike on what Doctors Without Borders said was a school in the town of Haydan, in neighboring Saada province, killed 10 children between the ages of 8 and 15.

The coalition, however, argued that the bombing had targeted a training camp for child soldiers -- a routine disclaimer by Saudi authorities who insist that the Houthis, who hold sway over large swaths of northern Yemen, use civilian structures to house their fighters.

There is no school in this area, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Asseri said during a news conference in Riyadh on Sunday, according to Agence France-Presse. He also criticized Doctors Without Borders, saying it should take measures to stop the recruitment of children to fight in wars instead of crying over them in the media.

Aid officials spoke of a jump in violence in recent days, after peace talks in Kuwait failed to yield a result.

Saturdays strike added to an intensity of airstrikes having an impact on civilians we havent seen so far, said UNICEF Yemen representative Julien Harneis.

In a Skype interview on Monday, Harneis described a health system on the brink of collapse. He said patients live in fear of being bombed inside medical facilities already buckling under the pressure of a collapsing economy.

There were children who survived the attack in Haydan but they decided to not go to the hospital in Abs because they were afraid of using any health facilities in the north, Harneis said. Instead, they went to Sana, the Yemeni capital, an almost 100-mile detour.

But even those reaching a hospital in time have no guarantee it will be functional.

With Yemen under an embargo, medical facilities are not able to replenish their supplies. Activists speak of people being forced to use expired medications.

Those seeking medical assistance abroad cannot leave from Sana, where the coalition has closed the airspace to civilian flights, although it said it would allow humanitarian flights to resume on Monday, according to a report by Saudi news operator Al Arabiya on Sunday. It was not clear whether those flights did resume.

Harneis said the countrys failing financial system, however, has added another obstacle: A lack of liquidity coupled with an inability to access foreign currency has left caregivers as well as aid administrators unable to pay for desperately needed services.

You cannot get cash out of the bank, [people] cant take the money we pay them, Harneis said, explaining that rials, the countrys currency, are printed abroad and flown in.

And the government just announced they can no longer pay operational costs for hospitals, so they dont have money to pay for transportation and fuel, he said.

The victims hardest hit by the health-system crisis have been children.

The U.N. has accused the Saudi-led coalition of killing or maiming 60% of the 1,953 casualties among children in 2015.

In June, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was pressured to remove the coalition from a blacklist of violators of childrens rights in armed conflict, a charge Saudi Arabia has vehemently denied.

But for Sana-based analyst Hisham Omeisy, the strike on the Abs hospital hinted at a growing confidence of being above international law since the Saudi-led coalition succeeded in overturning the U.N.s decision to place it on the blacklist.

Such enhanced impunity, he wrote in an interview on social media Monday, where the coalition assumes greater leeway in acting with utter disregard to civilian casualties, can and already has spelled disaster to the many helpless people of Yemen caught in the crossfire of the current war.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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UPDATES:

2:35 p.m.: Updated with staff member saying hospital was marked with a flag.

1:25 p.m.: This article has been updated throughout with staff reporting and an adjusted casualty toll.

This article was originally published at 8:30 a.m.
Between monthly meetings at an old church, they stay in touch on Facebook, bonded together by common struggles.

At work, they keep their heads down, grappling with retaliatory managers who cut their hours for slight infractions like needing to pick up a sick child from school. They deal with customers who proposition them sexually, with coworkers who demean and belittle them.

They call themselves the Fannie Lou Hamer Womens Committee, after the civil rights leader. They number about 100.

They are low-wage workers in Kansas City, employed by Americas favorite fast food franchises and sit-down restaurants, as well as by daycare centers and home healthcare providers.

If you think the fight for raising the minimum wage is simply about paychecks, let these women educate you. Theyre vulnerable and they know it. Beyond higher pay, they seek dignity.

The career gripes of the average middle-class woman dont hold a candle to what these ladies face daily. Their workplace stories are a catalogue of routine disregard of basic employment law. Sexual harassment is the most egregious, but there are other indignities, such as the mother who got hassled about wanting to leave work when her child had to go to the hospital.

The committees meetings are a bit covert. The members, after all, need to keep their jobs and are highly vulnerable to the whims of the managers they are organizing to resist. Theyre working to build support among employees at stores so that if any employee presses a grievance she will have allies. The women envision eventually having a union.

They all aspire to really good jobs  such as work in warehouses, where full-time slots and benefits like paid time off, maternity leave and even a regular schedule can be found. But they say they dont usually qualify for those positions.

Why not? Because mostly they have high school educations and no trade training. Many are from families of multi-generational poverty and unstable family networks. They were born into these situations, and its very hard to escape. Desire to work hard does not do the trick.

They say they are routinely hired at lower wages than men with similar experience and education levels. And the men tend to be the ones given the chances to advance.

Data bears out the frustration these women feel. Women make up two-thirds of the nearly 20 million low-wage workers in America, according to the National Womens Law Center, which defines low-wage work as that earning $10.10 or less. A 2014 study of the center found that women in such positions, working full time, have a 13 percent wage gap with men  higher for minority women.

This has dire consequences for the future of the economy and family stability  especially given that low-wage jobs are the ones have returned in higher numbers in the post-recession economy.

Sexual harassment is pervasive and well-documented. A study by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United found that significant number of women feared financial loss, public humiliation or job termination if they tried to report sexual harassment from management and customers.

One recent meeting of the Fannie Lou Hamer Womens Committee focused on that reality. Groping of their bodies and outright solicitations for sex acts, things that would send white-collar women running to human resources, are brushed aside by low-wage employers.

They definitely take advantage, one woman said of supervisors. They hold incredible power over the women simply by controlling when they are scheduled to work and how many hours they can get.

Another woman eloquently made the argument that raising their wages and ensuring schedules with regular hours would ultimately aid society.I promise you, wed be better parents, she said, detailing how it would mean to be able to stick to a set a schedule and avoid shuffling kids between friends and relatives with ever-changing work shifts, not to mention having a larger financial cushion.

A handful of the committees members recently returned from a five-day training session in Chicago, the Midwest School for Women Workers.

There they learned about historic labor movements, employment law and labor standards. But what impressed them the most, was learning from female labor rights leaders from Mexico and Turkey.

I encourage you to use whatever struggles you are a part of and let it make you stronger every day, one of the labor activists encouraged the larger group.

The women of the Fannie Lou Hamer Womens Committee take solace in the fact that they are not being targeted by government officials or being beaten or disappeared, threats the foreign organizers faced.

But their lives are grim enough, and middle-class America, stressed as it is, owes it to them to guarantee conditions where all can work with dignity and financial security.

Mary Sanchez is an opinion-page columnist for The Kansas City Star. Email her at msanchez@kcstar.com.
The soldier pointed his AK-47 at the female aid worker and gave her a choice.

Either you have sex with me, or we make every man here rape you and then we shoot you in the head, she remembers him saying.

She didnt really have a choice. By the end of the evening, she had been raped by 15 South Sudanese soldiers.

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On July 11, South Sudanese troops, fresh from winning a battle in the capital, Juba, over opposition forces, went on a nearly four-hour rampage through a residential compound popular with foreigners, in one of the worst targeted attacks on aid workers in South Sudans three-year civil war. They shot dead a local journalist while forcing the foreigners to watch, raped several foreign women, singled out Americans, beat and robbed people and carried out mock executions, several witnesses told The Associated Press.

For hours throughout the assault, the U.N. peacekeeping force stationed less than a mile away refused to respond to desperate calls for help. Neither did embassies, including the U.S. Embassy.

The Associated Press interviewed by phone eight survivors, both male and female, including three who said they were raped. The other five said they were beaten; one was shot. Most insisted on anonymity for their safety or to protect their organizations still operating in South Sudan.

The accounts highlight, in raw detail, the failure of the U.N. peacekeeping force to uphold its core mandate of protecting civilians, notably those just a few minutes drive away. The Associated Press previously reported that U.N. peacekeepers in Juba did not stop the rapes of local women by soldiers outside the U.N.'s main camp last month.

The attack on the Terrain hotel complex shows the hostility toward foreigners and aid workers by troops under the command of South Sudans President Salva Kiir, who has been fighting supporters of rebel leader Riek Machar since civil war erupted in December 2013. Both sides have been accused of abuses. The U.N. recently passed a U.S.-sponsored resolution to send more peacekeeping troops to protect civilians.

Army spokesman Lul Ruai did not deny the attack at the Terrain but said it was premature to conclude the army was responsible. Everyone is armed, and everyone has access to uniforms and we have people from other organized forces, but it was definitely done by people of South Sudan and by armed people of Juba, he said.

A report on the incident compiled by the Terrains owner at Ruais request, seen by the AP, alleges the rapes of at least five women, torture, mock executions, beatings and looting. An unknown number of South Sudanese women were also assaulted.

The attack came just as people in Juba were thinking the worst was over.

Three days earlier, gunfire had erupted outside the presidential compound between armed supporters of the two sides in South Sudans civil war, at the time pushed together under an uneasy peace deal. The violence quickly spread across the city.

Throughout the weekend, bullets whizzed through the Terrain compound, a sprawling complex with a pool, squash court and a bar patronized by expats and South Sudanese elites. It is also in the shadow of the U.N.'s largest camp in Juba.

By Monday, the government had nearly defeated the forces under Machar, who fled the city. As both sides prepared to call for a cease-fire, some residents of the Terrain started to relax.

Monday was relatively chill, one survivor said.

What was thought to be celebratory gunfire was heard. And then the soldiers arrived. A Terrain staffer from Uganda said he saw between 80 and 100 men pour into the compound after breaking open the gate with gunshots and tire irons. The Terrains security guards were armed only with shotguns and were vastly outnumbered. The soldiers then went to door to door, taking money, phones, laptops and car keys.

They were very excited, very drunk, under the influence of something, almost a mad state, walking around shooting off rounds inside the rooms, one American said.

One man wore a blue police uniform, but the rest wore camouflage, the American said. Many had shoulder patches with the face of a tiger, the insignia worn by the presidents personal guard.

For about an hour, soldiers beat the American with belts and the butts of their guns and accused him of hiding rebels. They fired bullets at his feet and close to his head. Eventually, one soldier who appeared to be in charge told him to leave the compound. Soldiers at the gate looked at his U.S. passport and handed it back, with instructions.

You tell your embassy how we treated you, they said. He made his way to the nearby U.N. compound and appealed for help.

Meanwhile, soldiers were breaking into a two-story apartment block in the Terrain which had been deemed a safe house because of a heavy metal door guarding the apartments upstairs. Warned by a Kenyan staffer, more than 20 people inside, most of them foreigners, tried to hide. About 10 squeezed into a single bathroom.

The building shook as soldiers shot at the metal door and pried metal bars off windows for more than an hour, said residents. Once inside, the soldiers started ransacking the rooms and assaulting people they found.

Some of the soldiers were violent as they sexually assaulted women, said the woman who said she was raped by 15 men. Others, who looked to be just 15 or 16 years old, looked scared and were coerced into the act.

One in particular, he was calling you, Sweetie, we should run away and get married. It was like he was on a first date, the woman said. He didnt see that what he was doing was a bad thing.

After about an hour and a half, the soldiers broke into the bathroom. They shot through the door, said Jesse Bunch, an American contractor who was hit in the leg.

We kill you! We kill you! the soldiers shouted, according to a Western woman in the bathroom. They would shoot up at the ceiling and say, Do you want to die? and we had to answer No!

The soldiers then pulled people out one by one. One woman said she was sexually assaulted by multiple men. Another Western woman said soldiers beat her with fists and threatened her with their guns when she tried to resist. She said five men raped her.

During the attack on the Terrain, several survivors told the AP that soldiers specifically asked if they were American. One of them, as soon as he said he was American, he was hit with a rifle butt, said a woman.

When the soldiers came across John Gatluak, they knew he was local. The South Sudanese journalist worked for Internews, a media development organization funded by USAID. He had taken refuge at the Terrain after being briefly detained a few days earlier. The tribal scars on his forehead made it obvious he was Nuer, the same as opposition leader, Riek Machar.

Upon seeing him, the soldiers pushed him to the floor and beat him, according to the same woman who saw the American beaten.

Later in the attack, and after Kiirs side declared a ceasefire at 6 p.m., the soldiers forced the foreigners to stand in a semi-circle, said Gian Libot, a Philippines citizen who spent much of the attack under a bed until he was discovered.

One soldier ranted against foreigners. He definitely had pronounced hatred against America, Libot said, recalling the soldiers words: You messed up this country. Youre helping the rebels. The people in the U.N., theyre helping the rebels.

During the tirade, a soldier hit a man suspected of being American with a rifle butt. At one point, the soldier threatened to kill all the foreigners assembled. Were gonna show the world an example, Libot remembered him saying.

Then Gatluak was hauled in front of the group. One soldier shouted Nuer, and another soldier shot him twice in the head. He shot the dying Gatluak four more times while he lay on the ground.

All it took was a declaration that he was different, and they shot him mercilessly, Libot said.

The shooting seemed to be a turning point for those assembled outside, Libot said. Looting and threats continued, but beatings started to draw to a close. Other soldiers continued to assault men and women inside the apartment block.

From the start of the attack, those inside the Terrain compound sent messages pleading for help by text and Facebook messages and emails.

All of us were contacting whoever we could contact. The U.N., the U.S. embassy, contacting the specific battalions in the U.N., contacting specific departments, said the woman raped by 15 men.

A member of the U.N.'s Joint Operations Center in Juba first received word of the attack at 3:37 p.m., minutes after the breach of the compound, according to an internal timeline compiled by a member of the operations center and seen by AP.

Eight minutes later another message was sent to a different member of the operations center from a person inside Terrain saying that people were hiding there. At 4:22 p.m., that member received another message urging help.

Five minutes after that, the U.N. missions Department of Safety and Security and its military command wing were alerted. At 4:33 p.m., a Quick Reaction Force, meant to intervene in emergencies, was informed. One minute later, the timeline notes the last contact on Monday from someone trapped inside Terrain.

For the next hour and a half the timeline is blank. At 6:52, shortly before sunset, the timeline states that DSS would not send a team.

About 20 minutes later, a Quick Reaction Force of Ethiopians from the multinational U.N. mission was tasked to intervene, coordinating with South Sudans army chief of staff, Paul Malong, who was also sending soldiers. But the Ethiopian battalion stood down, according to the timeline. Malongs troops eventually abandoned their intervention too because it took too long for the Quick Reaction Force to act.

The American who was released early in the assault and made it to the U.N. base said he also alerted U.N. staff. At around dusk, a U.N. worker he knew requested three different battalions to send a Quick Reaction Force.

Everyone refused to go. Ethiopia, China, and Nepal. All refused to go, he said.

Eventually, South Sudanese security forces entered the Terrain and rescued all but three Western women and around 16 Terrain staff.

No one else was sent that night to find them. The U.N. timeline said a patrol would go in the morning, but this was cancelled due to priority. A private security firm rescued the three Western women the staffers the next morning.

When asked why the U.N. peacekeeping mission didnt respond to the repeated requests for help, acting spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said the circumstances are under investigation.

The peacekeepers did not venture out of the bases to protect civilians under imminent threat, Human Rights Watch said Monday in a report on abuses throughout Juba.

The U.S. Embassy, which also received requests for help during the attack, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The assault at the Terrain pierced a feeling of security among some foreigners who had assumed that they would be protected by their governments or the hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers almost next door.

One of the women gang-raped said security advisers from an aid organization living in the compound told residents repeatedly that they were safe because foreigners would not be targeted. She said: This sentence, We are not targeted, I heard half an hour before they assaulted us.

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Turkeys improved relationship with Russia is unlikely to change its stance on Syrias president: Assad must go
Turkeys prime minister recently said that if asked to choose between Islamic State or Syrian President Bashar Assad, we cannot choose either of them. They both need to go.

Yet, in recent days, Turkey and Russia, a prime Assad ally, have signaled theyve reached a bit of a rapprochement and even some agreement about Syria.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in an interview with Turkish state news operator Anadolu, said that his government and Russia have similar views on the ceasefire in Syria, humanitarian aid and finding a political solution.

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After a high-level Turkish delegation visited Moscow to discuss the Syrian crisis, Cavusoglu said there were some disagreements on whether Assad should remain in power. But he noted, instead of criticizing each other on this matter, we should search for possibilities to bring our dialogue closer, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS.

The statement followed a flurry of conciliatory gestures by the government in Ankara in recent months to Russia and other nations, including Israel.

At a news conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan apologized for Turkeys downing of a Russian warplane last year on the Syrian border and referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as his dear friend Vladimir.

Its unclear where the talks between Turkey and Russia will lead, but one certainty is that tensions between Turkey and Syria are unlikely to abate. Here is an overview of how those tense relations with Syria have developed:

For years, there was no love lost between Turkey and Syria. Water and territorial disputes, Turkeys Cold War alignment with NATO versus Syrias ties to the Soviet Union, and Arab nationalist resentment from centuries of Ottoman rule over Syria until World War I all made for a poisoned atmosphere.

But it was Syrias harboring of Abdullah Ocalan, founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which almost brought the two countries to war.

Ankara had fought with the PKK, which seeks an independent Kurdish state, for decades. A confrontation between Syria and Turkey was narrowly avoided when Syria expelled Ocalan in October 1998 and signed a treaty recognizing the PKK as a terrorist organization. Ocalan was later captured by Turkish forces and convicted of treason; he remains imprisoned.

The expulsion of Ocalan laid the groundwork for the thaw that took place in 2002 when Turkeys Justice and Development Party came to power under then-prime minister  and now president  Erdogan. He spearheaded a zero problems with neighbors policy and reached out to Assad, who was seeking ways to break his diplomatic isolation.

Turkish investment and goods flooded Syrian markets, especially after a free-trade agreement came into effect in 2007. Joint Turkish-Syrian army exercises were held in 2009, and Erdogan took on the role of mediator in unofficial peace negotiations between Syria and Israel.

Bilateral trade volume had increased from $796 million in 2006 to $2.5 billion in 2010, according to figures provided by the Turkish government.

Also in 2010, both countries invited Lebanon and Jordan to create the Levant Quartet, aimed at fostering economic and cultural integration and introduced visa-free travel among its members. The deal led Turkeys Hurriyet newspaper to hail Turkish-Syrian relations as a model partnership in the Middle East.

Then came the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.

As reports emerged of Syrian government forces using deadly violence against anti-government protesters, Erdogan described Damascus actions as savagery in a June 2011 interview with Turkish news outlet Dunya Bulteni. Two months later, he dispatched his foreign minister at the time with a stern message for Assad, that Erdogan had run out of patience.

By November 2011, Erdogan had fully sided with the opposition against Assad.

We will continue to display the necessary stance, Erdogan said. I believe that the Syrian people will be successful in their glorious resistance.

Erdogans stance included opening Turkeys border for refugees fleeing Syria. But the move also opened the door for anti-Assad rebels, allowing them to transform much of the 500-mile Turkish-Syrian border into a staging ground for operations against the Syrian army.

Then Ankara went further, supplying the rebels as early as 2013 with arms. It also organized international support for the opposition through a logistics hub staffed with intelligence operatives from a number of countries, including the U.S.

As hardline Islamists began to dominate the anti-Assad opposition, Turkish border officials turned a blind eye to would-be Islamist militants who traveled to Turkey before crossing the border to fight Assads forces. Bearded men sporting military clothing became a regular sight in airports in southern Turkey.

The assistance led to a major withdrawal of Syrian government forces from the countrys northern provinces in 2013.

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Policy analysts and leaders in the region, including Jordans King Abdullah, have said the Turkish governments policies contributed to the resurgence of Islamic State. In 2014, the group overran large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, spurring the U.S. to forge a coalition to stop its advance.

But the Syrian civil war also provided an opening for Syrias Kurdish population, which took advantage of the power vacuum to create self-governing cantons in Kurdish-dominated areas of Syria under the control of the Democratic Union Party and its militia.

Kurdish control of Syrian territory worries Ankara, which believe such an entity will inspire its own restive Kurdish population to pursue separatist designs.

Concern about the Kurds is one of the few issues uniting Turkey and Syria.

In June, a senior official with Erdogans party told Reuters that Assad does not support Kurdish autonomy. We may not like each other, he said, referring to Syria and Turkey, but on that were backing the same policy.

The future of Assad, however, is another matter.

Although Ibrahim Kalin, Erdogans spokesman, told the Russian TASS news agency on Aug. 4 that Turkey has always sought opportunities for cooperation with Russia on the Syrian crisis, Turkey can only do so much while the Assad government controls Syria.

Unfortunately, he said, as long as Assad is in power, it is hardly possible to talk about the political transition.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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A group of mothers being held with their children at an immigration detention center have begun a hunger strike in protest of the lengthy stays detainees at the facility are routinely forced to endure.

Female immigrants at the Berks County Residential Center in Pennsylvania have now been on strike for more than a week, with some of them insisting by the end of this month at least three families will have been held in custody at the facility for a full year.

Government officials have long claimed the average stay of all detainees held at the facility is just 20 days. That near three week period is the maximum time a federal court previously suggested that children be held in custody.

Letter Sent to Homeland Security

"On many occasions our children have thought about suicide because of the confinement and desperation that is caused by being here," read a letter 22 mothers sent last week to Department of Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson.

The letter also accuses the government of "making arguments that are false" about the average stay of children being housed at the facility. The children being held at Berks range from two to 16 years old.

At its height, as many as 26 mothers are reported to have been taking part in the demonstrations, though Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials now insist that number is down to just four.

Many of the detainees typically held at Berks are those who have largely exhausted their legal options in terms of being able to remain in the U.S. But in 2015, the American Civil Liberties Union won a stay of removal for 28 families held there, resulting in all of them now being held at the facility far beyond the standard 20 days ICE officials insist they strive for.

"ICE thinks of them as an aberration because they are fighting their cases," said attorney Bridget Cambria, whose clients at Berks were denied asylum after fleeing violence and persecution in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

Dispute Headed for Supreme Court?

Still pending in federal court, the ACLU case could go as high as the Supreme Court and take as long as another year to be adjudicated. In the meantime, lawyers argue their clients should be released from Berks.

"It is becoming increasingly hard to conclude that there is not some punitive element to keeping these women in detention simply because they exercised their right to bring a constitutional test case," said Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project.

In a Human Rights First generated report, psychologists and pediatricians previously warned long-term confinement at Berks led to "symptoms of depression, behavioral regression and anxiety" in the children they observed.

"What we saw among the adults were signs of fear and of unknowing what would happen to them next," added Dr. Alan Shapiro, who visited Berks for the report. "These feelings of helplessness and hopelessness hurt their ability to mitigate the stress on their children."
         :          , CCTV  
I arrived in the Canadian capital from Krakow, after a week of being asked by anyone who spoke English about what is going to happen in the U.S. presidential election.

Carl Anderson of the Knights of Columbus offered some guidance during his yearly report at the annual convention of the largest fraternal organization in the world.

He talked about the targeting of Christians in the Middle East by ISIS terrorists, and the relief efforts the Knights have been leading to meet the basic needs of displaced people fleeing religious oppression and violence.

But that was not what much of the press was interested in. It is, after all, an election year.

Repeating something he said eight years ago, Anderson told those gathered: "The right to abortion is not just another political issue; it is in reality a legal regime that has resulted in more than 40 million deaths."

He asked: "What political issue could possibly outweigh this human devastation?"

People are angry and disgusted about politics. But is it of any wonder?

And yet, around the world, people look to us, still. And with some worry. Will the United States continue to be a world leader? Will we keep Vladimir Putin from acting out? These were some of the questions Poles were concerned about. The Little Sisters of the Poor fighting for their religious freedom at the Supreme Court was not on their radar so much as things closer to their border. And the implicit message as we talked was, clearly: You Americans have had a great thing going that has been of benefit to the world. Don't blow it. Don't disappoint us.

So of course, the leader of a preeminent Catholic organization would deride the state of our politics. Especially now. It's exactly because of Catholics and other religious believers not being as bold and courageous as they need to be on life issues that we are where we are today, mired in shrill rhetoric and facing two bad choices for president. Taking the Gospels and Catholic social teaching seriously in the civic life of America would help heal us and lead us to a more fruitful and healthy politics.

Anderson emphasized what Catholics cannot vote for -- "We will never succeed in building a culture of life if we continue to vote for politicians who support a culture of death " -- but did not endorse a candidate.

The next time I'm asked about the election -- abroad or at home -- I will try to stress the power we have to transform our home, preserve the gifts we have and help each other flourish. What Anderson said can be applied ecumenically: "Catholic voters have the power to transform our politics. Faithful Catholics can build a new politics that is not satisfied with the status quo but one that is dedicated to building up a new culture of life."

He added: "If we truly hope for a culture of life and a civilization of love, then we must first think, and then act, in new ways."

One of those ways is to be instruments of healing in the midst of violence and tension in our streets. Love doesn't stop at wanting to help the innocent to live. It's a way of life that helps foster gratitude, promote charity and inspire hope.

This is all why Pope Francis talks so incessantly about mercy: because it is needed; because it, at times, seems like a foreign concept; because our politics and culture are merciless and are in need of healing. No one can tell you who to vote for, but cynicism, anger, indifference, manipulation, and resignation will simply not do.
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Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Canada Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cuba, Republic of Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Dominican Republic Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Haiti, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Jamaica Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Mexico, United Mexican States Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland United States Minor Outlying Islands United States of America Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Faced with $2.7 million of repairs at their 10-year-old community center, Bethlehem Township Commissioners want to know if they have any legal recourse against the architect or builder of the project.

The $10 million Farmersville Road facility has been plagued by water, humidity and infiltration issues that's prompted the township to have two engineering firms study the problems.

Entech Engineering was hired in February to get at the root of the problems, develop solutions, calculate cost estimates and rank the issues in area of importance. The report identified $2.7 million in possible renovations and highlighted $2 million in top-priority repairs.

The township plans to move forward with 15 high priority items, largely focused on the indoor pool, estimated to cost $1.57 million. Officials hope to fund the work with a 2014 $10 million line of credit, which may need to be extended for the project.

Residents recently hammered commissioners to hold someone accountable for the problems at the center. It was designed by Kimmel Bogrette Architecture and built by CC Inc., which is now part of Boyle Construction.

"Township solicitor Jim Broughal is reviewing all contracts, agreements, and warranties related to the design and construction of the community center," said Doug Bruce, assistant township manager. "He will present the Board of Commissioners with his findings and a recommendation on pursuing a warranty claim or litigation."

At a meeting last month, Broughal warned commissioners and residents at a meeting that construction litigation is very tricky.

He noted that the township reached a settlement and release agreement with CC Inc. in 2005-06 that might prevent any further legal action. Broughal was not the solicitor at the time, so he was not familiar with the terms.

Boyle Construction bought the assets of CC Inc. three and a half years ago, but not the stock, Sean Boyle said in an e-mail. Boyle had no involvement with the community center project, so he doesn't know anything about it, he said.

"Any claim would need to be filed against the original entity," Boyle said.

Kimmel Bogrette also designed the $5.7 million Forks Township public works building that's been plagued by shoddy construction issues. Gordon H. Baver Inc. constructed it in 2012.

Martin Kimmel, president of Kimmel-Bogrette Architecture, said the problem is not his firm's work. It is Pennsylvania's public construction bidding process that forces municipalities to seek separate bids and then hire the subcontractor with the lowest bid, he said.

"The municipalities are stuck with these contractors," Kimmel said last month.

He recalled that the Bethlehem Township Community Center ended in a settlement with CC Inc. There were major issues with the building not being properly insulated and condensation problems, Kimmel said. The township withheld money, CC walked away and the township had to accept it as is, he said.

"CC in particular was a horrifying mess," Kimmel said.

It is far fetched to think that a design issue would manifest a decade later, he said.

Some of the defects being flagged at the community center sound like they could be deferred maintenance or poor maintenance work, he said.

"It is far more likely that things were let go," Kimmel said.

For years, Kimmel Bogrette toured future clients at the Bethlehem Township Community Center and the township was thrilled with the work, he said.

The firm designed Hanover Township, Lehigh County's Airport Road municipal building and the Lehigh County Water Authority, and there's been no problems, he said.

"We are not a party to either of these problems," Kimmel said, referencing the Forks and Bethlehem township projects' issues. "It paints a really bad business picture for us that's not warranted."

Kimmel said in May he supports Forks Township in their woes with the construction portion of their $5.7 million public works building. The building has been plagued by stormwater issues.

With the Forks Township project, the township continues to withhold money from Baver until work is performed correctly. Baver is owed somewhere in the ballpark of $3 million, Forks Supervisor Erik Chuss estimated in May.

Baver sued Forks Township in May seeking payment of at least $1.2 million of the money it has spent fixing the building, the Morning Call reports. The lawsuit alleges that the township broke its contract by supplying Baver with Kimmel Bogrette's "insufficient" design plans, the newspaper reports court records state.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
A Bethlehem Township drunken driver who nearly ran over a man was sent to Northampton County Prison on Friday.

Anthony Rivera was leaving the parking lot of the Comfort Suites Hotel in South Bethlehem about 2 a.m. May 15 when he nearly struck a pedestrian.

"The pedestrian had to jump backwards so as to not be struck by the vehicle," the police report says.

Northampton County Judge Stephen Baratta sentenced him Friday to four to nine months in Northampton County Prison for drunken driving, recklessly endangering another person and driving with a suspended license.

Rivera, 22, didn't have his lights on as police pursued him on West Graham and South New streets. He ran a red light at Fourth Street and only pulled over due to heavy traffic ahead of him, authorities said.

Police had to remove him from his car.

"I'm thankful I didn't injure nobody or myself in the incident," said a contrite Rivera.

Rivera has been in county prison since the incident, during which time he completed two prison programs.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
A Bethlehem woman fatally stabbed her husband of 41 years on Sunday, after he told her he didn't need her anymore and was going to kick her out of their apartment, city police said.

Kathleen Herencia was arrested soon after the Sunday attack, and arraigned early Monday morning on a single homicide charge.

She is being held in Lehigh County Jail without bail.

Kathleen Herencia was the one who called police a minute before 3 p.m. Sunday, claiming she stabbed her husband and he stabbed her.

Police responded to the couple's apartment at 130 Valley Park South Road, and found 66-year-old Roger Herencia in a bedroom with several stab wounds to his back and chest.

Roger Herencia was rushed to emergency surgery at St. Luke's University Hospital in Fountain Hill, but succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 4:32 p.m., police said.

Kathleen Herencia was in a bloody nightgown, and police said she had wounds to her arms and legs. In a later interview with police, the woman reportedly said she cut herself, and her husband did not cut her.

Kathleen Herencia reported she became angry after her husband said he didn't need her anymore and was going kick her out of their West Bethlehem apartment, police said.

The 57-year-old Herencia grabbed a knife, stabbed her husband and then herself on the arms and legs, police said.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
He has been cited by Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed on radio, TV and in social media.





Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.





Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post and other publications.



A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.



He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.









Cirucci's passions include politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel. In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, Matt Rooney's sidekick on Save Jersey's videocasts and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.
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The salary bill footed by the public for county councillors has fallen, but people are still paying more than 500,000 each year for local politicians.

Laois County Council's latest annual report reveals that 521,650 was spent in payments to Laois' 19 county councillors in 2015. This contrasts with more than 592,000 spent the previous year.

Last year was the first full year of slimmed down local government. There were 25 county councillors as well as town councillors up to the middle of 2014.

In 2015 the annual allowance for expenses was just over 86,100. This compares with 116,500 in 2013 - the last full year before the cutbacks. The total representational allowances exceeded 335,500 last year compared with more than 476,600 in 2013.

Mobile telephone costs have dropped below 1,000, but by about 40 to 968.

Payments for chairing the Strategic Policy Committees, which are held in secret, reach 24,000 annually. This has remained the same.

Perhaps the most dramatic change has been seen in the travel bill, especially for conferences held all around Ireland.

During 2013 nearly 94,000 was re-imbursed to councillors for attending 67 conferences and training events. In total 174 delegate trips were made to these meetings. In July 3013 11 Laois councillors went to the Magill Summer School in Donegal at a cost of nearly 10,700.

In 2015 the conference and training bill fell to just over 57,215. The expenditure was just 46,328. A total of 35 meetings were held involving 147 delegate trips.

The most costly conferance last year was in Gartan, Co Donegal. It cost 453.70 to send seven county councillors to the Colmcille Heritage Trust Winter school which discussed the future of local government.

Unlike the years before reform, many of the conferances attended related directly to county council work.

While most meetings are held away from Laois two meetings were held in Portlaoise.

One councillor charged 34.82 to attend the James Fintan Lalor conference in Portlaoise.

Six councillors charged, in total, 525 to attend an Association of Irish Local Government training day in Portlaoise.

Other notable payments included the extra fees to cover the cost of chairing meetings.

A total of 24,000 are paid to the chairpersons of the Strategic Policy Committee Chairs. These meetings are held in private.

Laois County Council's Cathaoirleach received 19,812 while the vice chair received 3,962.35.

County councillors who chaired the new municipal district shared 17,782.77 up 9,750 on 2015.
Gardai in Ballinamore are investigating an assault in which one person received stab wounds over the weekend.

Gardai in Ballinamore are investigating an assault in which one person received stab wounds over the weekend.

The incident occurred on Main St at approximately 11pm on Saturday, October 25.

A spokesperson from the Garda Press Office told the Leitrim Observer that a group of youths were involved in the incident.

It is believed a knife was involved and one person received stab wounds (non serious). A second male also received injuries. Both were treated in hospital, said the Garda spokesperson. No arrests have been made to date but Gardai will be viewing CCTV footage from the area in a bid to identify those involved.

Gardai are also appealing for anyone with information on the incident to come forward.

Shooting in Ballyconnell

Gardai in Belturbet are investigating a shooting incident that occurred at Aghalane Bridge, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan, on Saturday, October 25.

The incident occurred at around 7.15pm.

A 41-year-old man was discovered with apparent gunshot wounds. He was taken to Cavan General Hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses or anyone with information to contact them at Ballyconnell Garda Station on 049 9525580, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.

Fatal accident

A 28-year-old Co Galway native died in a road traffic collision which occurred at Coolteige Cross, Roscommon at 1.20 am on Sunday.

The man, the sole occupant of a jeep, was fatally injured when he struck a car and crashed into a field, hitting a concrete fence.

The male driver of the car (23 years) and his female passenger (32 years) were uninjured.

The road was closed to facilitate a Garda forensic examination but has now reopened.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses who noticed a blue Hyundai Santa Fe jeep with a 06 Sligo registration driving in and around Roscommon Town or on the N63 between 1am and 1.20am to contact Roscommon Garda Station on 090 - 6638341, the Garda Confidential Line 1-800-666-111 or any Garda Station.

Text alert

A number of text alert schemes around the county are currently renewing subscriptions. Residents of communities with such schemes in operation are encouraged to join their local text alert scheme. The membership fee is usually very small and, once registered, you will be alerted if any suspicious activity occurs in your locality.

Gardai have been very supportive of the text alert schemes in operation locally and would encourage everyone to immediately report any suspicious activity, vehicles or people in their locality, immediately to gardai so that, if necessary, an alert can be generated.
Theresa Mays party activist pleasing aim to create more grammar schools generated a lot of debate last week.

I thought I would share the absurdity of the Kent Test, which I sat to go to grammar school in 1991. It is fair to say that Conservative-run Kent administered selection in a very odd way at that time.

In those days:

Your test could be given someone elses mark

a) You took, at the start of Year 6, three tests. But the marks you were given was usually not your own. This was not an administration error but was intentional policy.

Primary Schools had to rank pupils in order of ability before the test. This ranking was kept secret. It was pre-FoI, pre-DPA and pupils and parents were never allowed to know where they were ranked or why. You then took the test. The best mark scored by anyone in the school was assigned to the person the school had ranked top. The second best mark to the next person and so on, even if the student had actually scored a different mark in the test.

This effectively created selection according to someones ability but not necessarily your own ability. Undoubtedly some pushy, influential, self-important parents, lobbied their childs headteacher to go up the unaccountable ranking.

We took an English test that did not count

b) The tests (written exams) were in English, Maths and Critical Reasoning but in my year the English marks were not counted. Part of the English test involved an unseen extract from a story which you had to analyse and write a continuation. The story chosen for my year was about a polar bear who considered the most beautiful animal by all the others because she was pristinely white. Some people took the view that to equate whiteness with beauty was racist and this made the test unfair as it might have upset some pupils and affected their performance.

I have doubts about this reasoning. Anyone can see that to say white human skin being inherently more beautiful than other colours of skin is wrong. But it is a different thing to say that a polar bears white fur is pleasing to look at. In any event, that is just the opinion of the writer. Children should be exposed at any early age, and definitely by year 6, to the idea that a writer (or any other communicator) can express an opinion, which may or may not be right. Which you may or may not agree with. Which might give you an emotional reaction or event upset you. Good art makes you feel something. I expect some of the children wrote a continuation of the story where another animal was even more beautiful. I expect some wrote a continuation where the animals learned that that your inner qualities matter more than the way you look.

It says a lot that the County was so negligent to set a test that it would later decide it was unsuitable.

It says even more about Selection that the English test could be set aside and the system still presented as having integrity. If the English test was not integral, why was it required in the first place? The whole thing was a farce.

You could appeal, and they would test your parents

c) If you were not offered a grammar school place after the test you could appeal up to 3 times. The appeal was by your parents being interviewed. You crossed your fingers that your parents did okay. The main questions was how are you going to support your child if they are at grammar school and find it hard? By this stage it could not be clearer that it was as much about social selection as academic selection.

The system was so absurd it would be amusing if peoples life chance were not affected by it.

Today, selection in Kent remains flawed and often socially discriminatory, as Kent County Council recently admitted, but in different ways. There is more need than ever for reform.

A real issue in Kent is the decision over many, many decades by the County Council to give schools less investment than other counties. Conservative councillors in Kent have frequently been people who take funds away from our schools while buying places and privilege for their own children at private schools.

I dont mind people sending their children to private schools, but dont do it if you are going to cut funds from the schools that 93% of us go to and will send our children to.

* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
Today is 69 years since India gained its independence from the British Empire.

On this day, everyone in the Liberal Democrats will send warm wishes to our friends in India and the other countries of the Indian sub-continent that were created when British rule ended. We restate that our friends and neighbours of Indian, Pakistan, Bangledesh, and Sri Lankan heritage in Britain are welcome and valued members of our society, as are people of all heritages.

The struggle for self-rule in India was long and hard. As Liberals, we recognise and share the deep, basic, natural desire for freedom that drove men and women such as the Salt Marchers at Dandi (who made their own salt rather than comply with an exploitative British monopoly).

We are inspired by wisdom of Mohandas Gandhi, who reminds us that simply experimenting with the truth can tear down walls of oppression of any type.

An article, What It Means To Be Independent in todays Hindu newspaper reminds us that there is nothing inherently incompatible with liberalism and national pride. But that hyper-nationalism destroys the very liberty that national movements have from time to time won:

The hyper-nationalism witnessed in India in recent times is not the nationalism of our freedom struggle. It misuses nationalism, which has a positive connotation in the minds and hearts of the Indian people, to polarise, to divide, and to suppress individual freedoms. How can this be the genuine article? Our nationalism is meant to unite, to harmonise, to guarantee freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association. I particularly want to draw attention to the issue of civil liberties, as this is one of the strongest elements in the legacy of the freedom struggle which is under grave threat today. Witness the reckless use of Section 124-A to charge students with sedition, with vigilantes attacking even journalists inside law courts, with books being withdrawn and pulped, with Ministers attempting to terrorise dissenting intellectuals by labelling them as intellectual terrorists, with gau rakshaks physically attacking those who they think are flouting their diktats, especially if they belong to the Dalit or minority communities. These attacks on freedom of expression, of movement, on freedom to eat and earn your livelihood, bring home to us the urgent necessity of resisting these attacks, and that can only be done by defending civil liberties, by defending this legacy as an integral part of our nationalism, and by declaring these attacks as anti-national. To do so, we need to arm ourselves with greater knowledge about how the battle for civil liberties was linked to our national struggle. I offer some examples below. In fact, the leaders of the freedom struggle believed so strongly in the absolute right to freedom of expression, including freedom of the press, that they considered the struggle for these civil liberties to be an essential part of the national movement. Almost half a century before anti-imperialist nationalist ideas begun to emerge, Raja Rammohan Roy, often called the Father of Modern India, as early as 1824 protested against a regulation restricting the freedom of the press. In a memorandum to the Supreme Court, he argued for the unrestricted liberty of publication to ensure that every individual could bring his views to the notice of the rulers.

Modern India is thoroughly engaged with the international community. It sometimes has difficult relations with Pakistan, China, Russia and other neighbours. Its political system is under strain. Corruption calls into question the reality of democracy and ideals of those who won independence just as those ideals are threatened by some in modern Britain.

But to all the people in India and of India, Liberal Democrats will say we are pleased and proud to be your friends and people in Britain hope to work with you to build a twenty-first century with truth, justice and freedom for everyone in the world.

* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
When asked to chair a meeting in Oxford East for the Your Liberal Britain initiative my heart sank. Having been through all the Lib Dem soul-searching last year, written a post-election blog, My Vision, and an Agenda 2020 essay, the last thing I wanted was more philosophy and discussion on values. But I agreed to host and Im glad I did!

The event attracted a room full of people, more than our usual events, and the majority of the audience were new members. They hadnt yet gone through the existential angst of figuring out our partys identity and the way forward. They were fresh, full of ideas and raring to go!

So after a brief introduction and having a member read out the Preamble to the Liberal Democrat constitution in full (most new members had never read it) we divided into small groups and worked through the four questions posed by Your Liberal Britain. I picked up some of the sheets left over at the end of the evening and thought Id share some of the responses here.

What do you think is the single biggest social problem in Britain today?

Hugely unequal distribution of wealth/education/opportunity

Inadequate education system

Lack of work opportunities for the young

Inequality

Social divisions  loss of connection and a sense of isolation

What one improvement to peoples lives should we aim to deliver through building a Liberal Britain?

Seriously good quality education  free!

Everyone has a job and gets minimum wage.

Stop zero hour contracts.

Get rid of public schools.

Build up community and break down class divide.

Controls over rent and help with purchasing a home.

Devolution, more local decision making.

How would you complete this sentence? In building Liberal Britain we need to revolutionise our

Education system to provide more equal opportunities for all

Education so that all have a fairer chance in life.

Hierarchical class system so that Britain is a much more equal and just society.

In sum, for me, Liberal Britain is a country where

People matter.

British values of fair play, tolerance, democratic values and freedom are brought back.

There are equal opportunities for all.

Diversity is celebrated, everyone has a fair chance and no one is left behind.

All are equal and free to be themselves.

Every child, independent of class, has the same opportunity to be well educated, can thrive and fulfil their full potential (i.e. bring about more social equality).

The state works against entrenched vested interests and in favour of supporting the disenfranchised and socially excluded.

You can have your say on your vision for a liberal society on the Liberal Britain website. You can also have your say in person at the Your Liberal Britain lunchtime fringe at Autumn conference on Monday 19th September.

* Kirsten Johnson was the PPC for Oxford East in the 2017 General Election. She is a pianist and composer at www.kirstenjohnsonpiano.com.
UP to 20,000 people flocked to the University of Limerick yesterday for the annual Milford Hospice Harvest Fair.

Within minutes of the gates opening at 11am, almost every parking space was taken such is the enthusiasm for the event, which is the largest single fundraiser of the year for Milford Care Centre.

We would always say that Milford is owned by the community, its a service for the community and, thankfully, along the way the community are there to support us as we very much appreciate that. said Pat Quinlan, CEO of Milford Care Centre.

In addition to the mix of bric-a-brac stalls inside the main UL Arena there were raffles, a wheel of fortune and a special kids area which included bouncy castles, novelty rides and face painting.

For those who were peckish, there was plenty on offer including a tea hall and outdoor barbeque area.

People from across the Mid West attended the event to show their support and appreciation for the work which is done by Milford Hospice.

My wife has leukaemia so I support this every year, its a wonderful cause and its a great day out and people love it, said Pat OShaugnessy from Shannon.

Christina Meaney, Castleconnell, said she has attended the Harvest Fair every year since she returned to Limerick from the UK in 2008.

Its a wonderful cause and the work they do is fantastic, they are out on their own, she said.
EXTENSIVE construction and refurbishment work on Troy Studios in Limerick is expected to be finished in early to mid September.

Mike Cantwell of Innovate Limerick, the councils investment arm that was crucial to finalising the Troy deal for the former Dell building in Castletroy, also outlined that the studio has had a steady stream of interest internationally in what is happening there, it is a world class facility.

The construction is at an advanced stage and is due for completion in early to mid September, he said.

Troy has linked up with Pinewood On Location to handle its international bookings and has 340,000 sq. feet of high-specification sound studio and support facilities for film and television productions on offer. It has been visited by big name producers since the deal was struck with the local authority last summer.

The council, through LCO Enterprise Development Limited, bought and is refurbishing the building for around 8m, with Troy taking a 20 year lease.

Mr Cantwell said: It is a world class facility, they have had people from around the world over viewing it and it is the one thing that everybody says back to them, is that there is nothing like this. Because everything is under the one roof. Studios in general have the soundstage in one building and production in another  out in Troy it is all under one roof.

Of potential production bookings, he said: We are not aware that any particular production has signed up yet, (but) I think that is only a matter of a short time.

The council announced last week that it was purchasing the former biblical centre on Dominic Street for 2.25m to develop a production and digital skills academy to feed into the opportunities created by Troy  which council CEO Conn Murray has said could result in a 70m spin-off for the local economy, creating upwards of 750 jobs.

The intention, Mr Cantwell said, was to host an open day towards the end of September to welcome interested parties to the expansive Troy studio facility.

That would be where we invite everybody from the region and from beyond that has an interest in working in the area to come and meet Screen Ireland, the Film Board and all the active parties in training and let people come and tell us what their skills are, he said.

If they are interested in working in that area, we will then be able to provide  working with the education and training board  to put together the training courses that are required to get those people ready to be able to go in and work there, he added.

Troy, run by principals Siun Ni Raghallaigh, Ossie Kilkenny and John Kelleher, has so far maintained a discreet media profile, but Michelle Brassil said in a council issued statement that in providing world class film studio infrastructure, Troy Studios will be the enabler for incoming productions that will seek to employ local production crews, trained to a very high standard.

The studio is likely to employ 6-10 full time core staff on site, with up to 500 staff employed during production, which typically lasts 3-9 months depending on the project.
THERE is a huge and varied range of activities to choose from during Heritage Week in Limerick, which runs from August 20.

For those with an active bent, there is the chance to take part in the Ballyhoura Walking Festival on August 21 and 22 or instead to tread the boardwalk of Griston Bog in Ballylanders on August 24.

Or in a combination of walking and music, you could try Pedal Power, an historic trail of churches and organs in Limerick city on August 24,25 and 27.

There are other tours to be tasted, from heritage centres at Lough Gur, Bruff, Arade and Castleconnell or you could drop in on Johnny Brennans Rugby Memorabilia at 43 Parnell Square. And the Medieval Marvels of Kilmallock can be enjoyed via an app every day of the week.

Bruree offers Fairytales and Storytelling on August 21, A night at the Museum on August 24 a chance to visit De Valeras old home on August 28.

And the Desmond Hall in Newcastle West will hold a battle re-enactment on August 20 and a Pipe and Concertina Recital on August 21.

A medieval wattle and daub house will be built in the course of the week in the grounds of the Hunt Museum and this can be visited on August 23, 25 and 26 concluding with a big Family Fun Day on August 27. Boat tours will also run from the Museum.

A History of Limerick in Song should draw crowds to the City Hall on August 25 while City Hall will also host A History of Limericks Bacon and Clothing Industries on August 23 and a workshop and lecture on lacemaking on August 26.

The Bring Your Limericks to Limerick competition will take place in the Savoy Hotel on August 27 while UL will host Attics to Archives, a workshop on basic archival techniques for preserving and sharing your family's documentary history, such as photographs, diaries and letters.

Other events include boat tours on the Shannon from Merchants Quay, tours of Mount St Lawrence Cemetery, a Biscuit Tin Lid competition and a chance to visit the ILEN boatmaking workshop at the former Krups Factory at Roxborough.

A full list of events is available on www.heritageweek.ie or for further information low call 1850 200878.
Aug 15, 2016, 9 AM

The Asiago ecology award went to Portugals two se-tenant pairs of stamps issued in October 2015 to honor the International Year of Soil and International Year of Light, respectively.

A set of eight stamps called Inventive Britain won the Asiago international award for philatelic art for stamps issued in 2015.

Polands World Blood Donation Day stamp won the Italian Academy of Philately and Postal History award. Designed by Andrzej Gosik, the stamp was issued June 14, 2015.

A souvenir sheet commemorating Spains 2015 national philatelic exhibition and featuring buildings of old town Aviles received the Palladian Academy of Vicenza award.

By Denise McCarty

Great Britains Inventive Britain set won the Asiago international award for philatelic art for the best stamp issue of 2015.

Considered the Oscars of the stamp-design field, the Asiago awards are presented annually in Asiago, Italy. The ceremony for the 46th Asiago awards took place July 3. In addition to Great Britain, stamps of Portugal, Spain, Poland and San Marino received awards.

Great Britains Royal Mail issued the eight stamps in the Inventive Britain set Feb. 19, 2015.

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Designed by the London-based firm GBH, these stamps commemorate the following inventions and innovations: the Colossus decryption computer, the World Wide Web, reflective road studs known as cats-eyes, fiber optics, stainless steel, carbon fiber, DNA sequencing, and the i-limb bionic hand.

In announcing the stamps, Royal Mail said: The design company created original visual interpretations of the inventions key functions for six out of the eight stamps, while two were designed using existing imagery and computer-generated imagery (CGI) illustration.

The Asiago jury called the designs bold and also referred to them as stimulating, visually perfect images.

Portugal was awarded the Asiago prize in the category of ecology for four issued stamps Oct. 14, 2015, in two vertical se-tenant pairs.

One pair of these 0.45 stamps honored 2015 as the International Year of Soils, and the other celebrated the International Year of Light.

Pedro Ferreira designed all four stamps. The Asiago jury said that he showed an inspiring transition from the sun to the fruits of the soil through real objects such as satellites and solar panels and symbols such as a sand [hour] glass and the roots of the Earth.

Spain received the award of the Palladian Academy of Vicenza for a souvenir sheet promoting Exfilna 2015, the 53th national Spanish philatelic exhibition held March 13-21, 2015, in Aviles.

The souvenir sheet contains two stamps, 0.42 and 2.42, showing symbolic designs representing a typical street of the old town Aviles. The director of the Olympic Academy of Vicenza, who decided this prize, said he was charmed by the string of porticos on the Spanish souvenir sheet.

The Asiago jury said that the buildings, churches, porticos, windows, roofs, and squares [of Aviles] embody centuries of daily life and local culture, inviting us to walk down the path of history.

The award of the Italian Academy of Philately and Postal History went to Poland for the 1.75-zloty stamp issued June 14 for World Blood Donation Day.

The creative design by Andrzej Gosik features two red hearts arranged vertically. The drop of blood falling from the top heart is just the right size to fill the whole in the bottom heart.

As part of the Asiago awards, the postal administration of San Marino received a special jury award for 35 years of effective and continuous collaboration from 1981 to 2015 and for the unchanged quality and originality of their stamp issues.

The Asiago jury for 2015 included artist and stamp designer Franco Filanci, film critic Lorenzo Pellizzari, journalist Gian Antonio Stella and philatelist Luciano Varaschini.

The awards are presented under the patronage of the president of Italy and under the organization of the Italian stamp collectors club Sette Comuni.
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Perhaps it isn't surprising, given the intense rhetoric of this year's presidential election, that politicians have started throwing around accusations of insanity.

In early August, California Rep. Karen Bass, a Democrat, launched the hashtag #DiagnoseTrump and started a change.org petition claiming the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, meets the diagnostic criteria for Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Not long after, Trump called Hillary Clinton "unstable," and at a rally in New Hampshire said, "She's got problems."

The candidates' verbal volley highlights a persistent stigma about mental illness in politics. In the past, an admission of mental health problems was a death knell to political careers. In recent years, a few members of Congress have been open about getting treatment for mental illness, but they remain few and far between. Nevertheless, there's good evidence that even some of the most beloved presidents in American history might have met the modern criteria for mental illness.

Heroic ideal?

The presidency is a high-pressure job, and one that Americans typically view through almost a fairy-tale lens. [The 5 Strangest Presidential Elections in US History]

"Americans have a version of the presidency in mind, the textbook presidency, that bears very little relationship to the actual job of being president," said Jennifer Mercieca a historian of American political rhetoric at Texas A&M University. Political scientists talk about "heroic expectations" for presidents  that they'll be generally good-hearted, magnanimous and well-meaning. Their health, both mental and physical, is a part of these expectations, Mercieca told Live Science.

"There's definitely a politics of 'fitness' for office," she said. "Using that word as a pun."

Related:

In not-so-long-ago elections, mental health issues stalled political ambitions. Perhaps the most famous example was Thomas Eagleton, the 1972 vice presidential pick of Democratic Party presidential nominee George McGovern. Only a few weeks after being chosen, Eagleton withdrew from the ticket after it became public that he'd been treated with electroshock therapy for depression. He went on to a successful career in the Senate, and then worked as an attorney and professor until his death in 2007.

Some politicians have sought to be open about their mental health struggles. Lynn Rivers, a Democrat from Michigan, who served in Congress between 1995 and 2003, was open about having bipolar disorder. Sean Barney, a Democrat who is running to represent Delaware in the House of Representatives, has spoken about coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his time in the Marines in Iraq, where he was left partially paralyzed after being shot by a sniper. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona, is another Iraq-veteran-turned-congressman who has talked about seeking help for PTSD.

In the executive branch, however, candidates and presidents have been mum on their own mental health. When John McCain ran in the Republican presidential primary in 2000, he faced a whisper campaign alleging that he was mentally unstable from his time in a Vietnamese prisoner-of-war camp. He released his medical records to the press to counter the rumors.

Presidential pressure

Attitudes toward mental illness have changed since Eagleton lost his shot at the vice presidency. In 1990, Florida gubernatorial candidate Lawton Chiles disclosed that he was taking the antidepressant Prozac. His competition in the Democratic primary, Bill Nelson, said the prescription raised "serious questions" over whether Chiles would be able to perform as governor. But Chiles won the primary, and went on to defeat the Republican nominee and incumbent governor in the general election. When reached in 2015 by Politico about that race, Nelson said, "Knowing what I know now, I never would have said such a thing about [Chiles] or anyone else."

Although the understanding of mental illnesses as biological diseases and no more the result of a character flaw than cancer or lupus has expanded, more subtle forms of bias against the mentally ill persist. Several studies have examined implicit biases against people with mental illnesses. Implicit biases are subtle, and people may not consciously realize they have them. Researchers uncover them with rapid word-association tasks. People with an implicit bias against the mentally ill are quicker to associate the word "depressive" with "unpleasant" than "pleasant," for example.

A 2006 study in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, for example, found more negative implicit attitudes toward people with mental illnesses than people with physical illnesses, even among those diagnosed with a mental illness themselves. A 2011 study in the same journal found that people claimed to have similar feelings about depression and physical illnesses, but were more implicitly negative about depression.

Despite all this, there's evidence that some people with mental illness have made it to the White House  and even into the pantheon of most-admired presidents.

A 2006 study in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disorders took a stab at evaluating the mental health of 37 U.S. presidents, starting with George Washington and ending with Richard Nixon. With caveats about the difficulty of psychologically diagnosing the dead, three psychiatrists analyzed the biographies of these figures and concluded that 18 of them may have had psychiatric disorders at some point. Ten seemed to have been affected while in office. [Top 10 Stigmatized Health Disorders]

Among those 10: John Adams, who may have had bipolar II, a disorder marked by depressions and periods of low-level mania. Franklin Pierce, who saw his 11-year-old son (his last surviving child) crushed in a train accident just after his election, may have had depression and abused alcohol.

Abraham Lincoln regularly ranks in the top three greatest presidents of all time in historian polls, Mercieca said. He also had recurrent depression. Like Pierce, Lincoln lost children. One son, Edward, died in 1850 at age 4. Another, William, died in 1862, while his father was in the White House.

Teddy Roosevelt may have had bipolar I disorder, featuring more extreme mood swings than bipolar II, according to the 2006 study. William Howard Taft could have had a breathing-related sleep disorder. Woodrow Wilson seemed to display signs of depression during his time in office (he also had a stroke during his presidency). Calvin Coolidge had depressive symptoms during his time in office, as did Herbert Hoover, the researchers wrote. Lyndon Johnson frightened his cabinet with dark moods and may have had bipolar disorder. A 1988 article by his special assistant Richard Goodwin argued that Johnson became pathologically paranoid during his time in office. Finally, Nixon showed signs of alcohol abuse, the researchers wrote.

Some of these presidents were bad leaders (Pierce regularly ranks in the lowest quartile in historian surveys) and others were great (Roosevelt almost always shows up in the top 25 percent in historian polls), rankings recently published by the nonprofit policy group The Brookings Institution show.

Likewise, the eight presidents who had psychological issues that manifested before, but not during, their presidencies, were a mixed bag, the rankings published by Brookings show. Ulysses S. Grant, whose struggles with alcoholism caused scandals during the Civil War, is low-rated by historians. Thomas Jefferson, who met criteria for social phobia early in life, and James Madison, who at times seemed depressed, are both considered above-average presidents and beloved founding fathers.

Original article on Live Science.
Women who take acetaminophen during pregnancy may be more likely to give birth to children who later develop behavioral problems, a new study from England finds.

At two points in time during their pregnancy  at 18 weeks and again at 32 weeks  researchers asked women whether they had recently taken acetaminophen. They found that the children who experienced prenatal exposure to the over-the-counter medicine at either time point had a higher risk of later developing behavioral difficulties, such as hyperactivity, conduct problems or emotional symptoms, compared with the kids whose moms did not take acetaminophen at those time points, according to the study.

The findings "demonstrated that children exposed prenatally to acetaminophen in the second and third trimesters are at increased risk of multiple behavioral difficulties," the researchers, led by Evie Stergiakouli, a lecturer in genetic epidemiology and statistical genetics at the University of Bristol in England, wrote in their study.

In the study, published today (Aug. 15) in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, the researchers looked at data on nearly 8,000 women who were taking part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, an ongoing study in the U.K. aimed at finding both environmental and genetic factors that affect people's health and development. When they enrolled in the study  between April 1991 and December 1992  all of the women were pregnant.

The women and their partners filled out questionnaires that included questions about acetaminophen use at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, and again when their children were 5 years old, according to the study. [10 Scientific Tips for Raising Happy Kids]

When the children turned 7, the women filled out another questionnaire, this time regarding any behavioral problems the children had, according to the study.

The researchers found that 53 percent of the women reported using acetaminophen at 18 weeks of pregnancy, and 42 percent of the women reported using the medication at 32 weeks of pregnancy. After pregnancy, 89 percent of the women and 84 percent of their partners reported taking acetaminophen, according to the study.

When women took the over-the-counter pain reliever at 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy, such use was linked to a 42 percent greater risk that those women would have a child with "conduct problems," and a 31 percent greater risk that those women would have a child with hyperactivity symptoms, according to the study.

In addition, when women took the medication at 32 weeks of pregnancy, such use was associated with a 29 percent greater risk that those women would have a child with emotional problems and a 46 percent greater risk that those women would have a child with "total difficulties," the researchers wrote. Total difficulties included hyperactivity, and conduct and emotional symptoms, as well as trouble with peer relationships, according to the study.

The mechanisms for how acetaminophen may cause behavioral problems during pregnancy are not well-known, the researchers wrote. The researchers believe, however, that there is an intrauterine effect. In other words, when a pregnant woman takes acetaminophen, the medication can cross the placenta and enter the uterus.

There was a stronger association between maternal acetaminophen use during the third trimester and subsequent behavioral and emotional problems in the women's children than there was during the second trimester, according to the study. This suggests that there may be developmental periods during which the brain is more sensitive to acetaminophen exposure, the researchers wrote. The brain is actively growing and developing during the third trimester of pregnancy, according to the study. [7 Ways Pregnant Women Affect Babies]

This is not the first study to suggest that there is a link between a mother's acetaminophen use during pregnancy and behavioral problems in her children.

This study adds further support to the previous findings, said Zeyan Liew, a post-doctoral scholar of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health. Liew was not involved in the study.

In addition, the researchers were able to rule out other factors that may have had an effect on behavioral problems in the children, including genetics and family history, Liew told Live Science.

There were several limitations, however. The women in the study did not provide information on how much acetaminophen they took, or how often they took it, Liew said. And the behavioral problems in the children were reported by the mothers, not by doctors, he said.

Though evidence has been accumulating that suggests that there is a potential link between acetaminophen use and fetal brain development, scientists "still need to see more evidence," Liew said. It's still unclear if the risk of not treating a fever or pain is less than the risk of taking acetaminophen (the medication is used to lower fevers and reduce pain), Liew said.

While scientists continue to gather evidence, Liew said that pregnant women should consult their doctors before taking acetaminophen, and that they should be advised to use the medication only when needed.

Originally published on Live Science.
Medical research on marijuana probably won't get any easier, experts say, despite a new government policy aimed at boosting the supply of the drug for medical studies.

That means the types of studies that are needed to address the safety and effectiveness of the drug as a medicine could still be a long way off.

Marijuana's legal status as a "Schedule I" drug, which makes it an illegal drug on the federal level, "severely constrains the access and the number and type of people who can do research with cannabis," said Ryan Vandrey, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who studies marijuana. "The unfortunate result of that is that we're now in a situation where you have literally millions of people using a drug for which we don't have established safety or efficacy data," Vandrey said. [11 Odd Facts About Marijuana]

On Thursday (Aug. 11), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that it will allow more universities to apply to grow marijuana intended for use in medical studies, with the hope of providing researchers with a "more varied and robust supply" of medical marijuana, the agency said in a statement. Currently, the University of Mississippi is the only place in the United States that is allowed to grow and supply marijuana for use in research. The DEA said the change was intended to "foster research" on marijuana.

But that same day, the agency denied two petitions from U.S. governors to reclassify the drug into a different category, meaning marijuana remains an illegal substance, like heroin and LSD, subject to the most stringent drug regulation. The agency said it made that decision because there is a lack of evidence showing the effectiveness and safety of the drug for medical purposes.

But marijuana's illegal status makes it very difficult to carry out rigorous studies on the drug  the exact type of studies that are needed to definitively test its merit as medicine.

"Every research protocol we design and want to do has to go through a number of extra regulatory approval before we can do them," Vandrey told Live Science. "The consequence of that is, we have major delays in getting done what we need to get done." The supply of marijuana available for research doesn't change any of that, he added.

Vandrey said it took him a year and a half to get all of the necessary regulatory approvals for a recent medical marijuana study involving 76 people at two research facilities. Larger studies involving more hospital sites  the kind of studies that are generally looked upon as a gold standard for research in testing out any new drug  would be incredibly difficult, he said.

Before a facility can carry out a medical marijuana study, the researchers need to apply for a "Schedule I license," which involves an evaluation for safety and security. Many hospitals wouldn't be able to meet the criteria for a Schedule I license because they don't have the security or infrastructure required for it, Vandrey said.

The new policy allowing more universities to apply to grow marijuana "doesn't change how easy research generally is, because it doesn't change the regulation required for research," Vandrey said.

Dr. Jacci Bainbridge, a clinical pharmacy specialist at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, who studies medical marijuana, agreed. The new DEA policy "might not make it more feasible to do the research, because there are other regulatory hurdles  that may prevent you from doing the research the way you would want to do it," Bainbridge said.

Bainbridge cited hurdles to marijuana research within university systems, which can exist because many universities receive federal funding. For example, in the studies of marijuana that Bainbridge and her colleagues conduct, they cannot have study participants take the drug on campus, and researchers cannot witness participants taking it. In addition, researchers cannot test the marijuana product themselves in order to know the strain or potency of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana) or whether it has contaminants, Bainbridge said. The product needs to be sent to an outside lab for testing.

"It's so difficult, because we can't really thoroughly do a good job studying what our patients are actually taking," Bainbridge told Live Science. "You feel like you just can't do those great, high-quality trials" that researchers do with other drugs, she said. [Marijuana Could Treat These 5 Conditions]

The new DEA policy would have been helpful if it had produced a type of marijuana product that's not currently available to researchers to study, like a marijuana patch, Vandrey said. But it's not clear if that would happen as a result of the changes.

It's also not clear if other universities will actually apply to grow medical marijuana under the new policy, because the cost to set up a facility and maintain security would be extraordinary, Vandrey said. Last year, the University of Colorado voted down the idea of growing its own medical marijuana, mainly because of the cost, Bainbridge said.

The DEA said it is working on other measures to support marijuana research, such as building an online application system for researchers to apply for the registrations needed to study Schedule I drugs. Last year, the DEA also said it would waive certain regulatory requirements for studies involving cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical in marijuana that does not have mind-altering effects.

Original article on Live Science.
The name Noel Sweeney is synonymous with music in Co Longford.

Whether he's swinging with his saxophone in the showbands or reeling out a few tunes on the concert flute or tin whistle, Noel has garnered a well deserved reputation for his incomparable skills in and extensive knowledge of music.

This year, the multi-instrumentalist has lent his talents to the Abhann Glas Ceili band, who are the first Longford Ceili Band to qualify for Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann since the Shannon Breeze Ceili Band in 1979, of which Noel was also a member.

Born in Drumnamore, Co Leitrim, Noel comes from a family of nine. His musical journey started early on and was largely inspired by his parents, Willie and Katie Sweeney.

My father played the accordion and my mother played a bit on the fiddle and sang. She liked to sing, he told the Leader when we called to his home in Longford town last week.

When asked about his earliest musical memories, he thought for a bit, before recalling; It would have been my father and my neighbours used to come in as well - they were fiddle players - and thered always be tunes at the weekends in the house.

Myself and my older brother, hes in Manchester, we learned to play when we were only about seven or eight years old - and were still learning, he laughed. You never stop learning.

The path was set for Noel when, at the age of seven, he was gifted with a tin whistle.

We got them from Santy and my father would have started us. He could play a bit. He wasnt a whistle player as such but he got us going. I started to join in [with the family and neighbours] and then when we got older then the concert flute was the next step up from the whistle.

I acquired a concert flute and from I was about 15 until I was 20 then I played with a ceili band in Leitrim called the Green Castle, from Cloone.

From the beginning, every tune Noel played was learned by ear, and he revealed that he didnt learn to read music until he reached his late teens, when he was taught by the late teacher Willie Glennon.

It didnt change the way Noel played, but it certainly opened up more doors for him in terms of researching and learning tunes and then in going on to write his own pieces. In fact, about ten years ago, Noel won a competition for writing a set dance The Happy Whistler. The name was a suggestion by one of Noels daughters, who was commenting on her fathers habit of whistling.

Noel moved to Longford in 1970 as his attention turned to the showband scene.

I took an interest in the showbands around that time and I bought a saxophone and a clarinet and started to play them and joined various bands around this area, Noel explained. There was no showbands in that part of the country where I come from so I had to come up this way. I played in various bands for years and then up in the late 70s a fellow from Edgeworthstown, Joe Callaghan, RIP, encouraged me to go back into playing Fleadhs so I joined that band of Fr Quinns called The Shannon Breeze.

The eight members competed together in Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in 1979, taking home bronze in the Ceili band category. Spurred on by this, Noel went back to the Fleadh in 1982 playing the flute, and won his category outright. He also earned a silver medal duetting with Mickey Reilly.

After winning the All-Ireland, Noel confessed that he didnt bother returning to the Fleadh, preferring instead to return to the showbands.

In the late 80s, he joined the popular Declan Nerney band as a saxophonist, touring extensively all around the world for approximately fifteen years.

While he looks back on this time with great fondness, it was difficult at the time with a young family at home. Shortly after coming to Longford, Noel met his wife, Josephine and the couple went on to have six children; son Gary and daughters Leona, Amanda, Joanne and twins Ashley and Tara.

Throughout his musical career, Noel also had to juggle work (in the building industry and at a meat factory) with music.

Manys the time youd be out all night Sunday and up next morning to go to work, he added. But he never regretted touring.

I have lots of good memories, definitely good memories. You meet a lot of good people through music that youd never meet otherwise and you make a lot of friends.

Last year, at the encouragement of Hughie Smith from Edgeworthstown, Noel returned to the Fleadh world, performing with the Abhann Glas ceili band, and while they didnt make it to the All-Ireland, they came back fighting this year.

Made up of Noel (flute) and his daughter Amanda, who joins Irene Guckian and Aishling OReilly on fiddles, the band also consists of Shane Ryan (flute), Owen Smith (banjo), Donna McCann (concertina), Michael Lennon (accordion), Liz Ryan (piano) and Hughie Smith (drums).

The band qualified for the All-Ireland after securing a third place spot in the O18 Ceili Band competition at the Leinster Fleadh in Kilkenny last month.

Looking forward to the event, which runs from August 14 - 22 in Ennis, Co Clare, and despite his previous successes, the flute, tin whistle, saxophone, clarinet and piano player is under no illusions.

The standard has gone up and up every year as in everything else like sport. The levels keep going up. Students have better access to music now through the internet and better teachers, better instruments, everything is better than it was back when we were kids anyway.

Its all for the better. Theres some great young players out there these days.

Its hard to say [how the band will fare] but sure we have good musicians in the band and well give it our best shot, what more can I say?
Three teenagers spent their August bank holiday weekend rowing to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.

Conor Rogers from Rooskey and his friends Arron Cribbon from Kilteevan and David Madden from Derrane kayaked from Dublin to Rooskey over three days.

Conor explained; We started off in Dublin on day one and left Rooskey about 5am. We packed up everything and we headed up and started off at 8am.

The team, which included John Meehan and Gen Rondeaux who followed the boys in a safety boat, stayed the first night in May Lynchs in Kinnegad before setting off on day two of the challenge at 8.30am.

Mullingar was the only major town we went through, Conor said, adding that they also got to take in the sights of Abbeyshrule before stopping off to stay in Ballymahon overnight.

On Sunday, July 31, the team set off for their final day and, despite hitting strong head winds at Lough Forbes, reached Rooskey well ahead of schedule.

Fisherboats and a cruiser came down to meet us halfway between Lough Forbes and Rooskey, Conor smiled.

Upon their arrival at Rooskey, the trio were greeted by an enthusiastic crowd with a banner along the bridge.

Thrilled with how they fared and expecting to reach their 3,000 fundraising goal, Conor, who has only been kayaking for little over a year, admitted that their biggest challenge was staying mentally motivated and strong.

It was lovely to do it with friends though, he said. It made it a lot easier.

Thanking John and Gen for accompanying them on the adventure, as well as to all those who offered support, sponsorship and donations in person or online, Conor revealed that the trio are already looking towards their next waterways adventure.

The Shannon is becoming a bit more of a thought in our minds now, Conor grinned.
A man and a woman who appeared before Longford District Court last week charged in connection with robberies in Ballymahon were sentenced to terms in jail following the judges deliberations on the matter.

Daniel Maughan, 3 Cartron Road, Popintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 appeared before Judge Seamus Hughes charged with stealing a console and being in possession of stolen goods at Finns Centre, Ballymahon on February 24, 2016. He was also further charged with stealing a car at Auburn, Ballymahon prior to that date.

Mary McDonagh, 26 St Margaret's Park, Ballymun, Dublin 11 also appeared at Longford District Court charged in connection with the incident.

She appeared before Judge Hughes charged with stealing groceries from Finns Centra, Ballymahon on October 29, 2015.

Outlining the evidence to the court, Inspector Padraig Jones said that gardai began carrying out inquiries in relation to a number of criminal acts and petty thefts that had been carried out in Leinster and Ulster.

In the meantime, the court heard that three thefts were carried out at Finns Filling Station in Ballymahon in which Mr Maughan stole a console and Ms McDonagh left the store without paying for groceries she had taken from the shelves.

It also appears that Mr Maughan was driving a car that constantly had its identification changed, continued Inspector Jones.

The car had been stolen from outside an address in Ballymahon.

The court went on to hear that the various number plates that were used to change the cars identity had all been cloned and that none of the stolen goods were ever recovered.

The court then heard that Ms McDonagh was an associate of Mr Maughan.

It was she, the court was told that stole the groceries at Finns Filling Station.

We viewed CCTV in respect of the matter and she was observed on the footage taking the goods and leaving the store without paying for them, Inspector Jones added.

In mitigation, the barrister representing the defendants - Mr Connellan BL - said that Mr Maughan was a 21-year-old man who was currently incarcerated in respect of a separate matter and was serving a 16 month sentence.

At the time of the offences before the court, he had drug issues and while this is no excuse for criminality, it may assist the court in terms of the fact that Mr Maughan was in the throes of drug addiction at the time, continued Mr Connellan BL.

He made admissions and co-operated to a large extent with the gardai; he is also looking to deal with his drug issues while in prison and wishes to continue with his education while there also.

The court then heard that Mr Maughan had already begun to engage with the addiction services in prison, and once again the barrister was keen to point out that his clients criminal behaviour was directly linked to the defendants drug addiction.

It would appear that with regards to Mr Maughan his chickens are coming home to roost in terms of his criminality but the reality is that 16 months is plenty of time for Mr Maughan to rehabilitate himself in prison and emerge from the experience a better person.

With regards to Ms McDonagh, Mr Connellan BL told the court that the value of the groceries she stole, had been relatively low and pointed out that she was not the main force behind the criminal acts.

The court was also told that she too was serving a prison sentence following a hearing at Bray District Court the previous day.

During his deliberations on the matter, Judge Hughes said that Mr Maughan had not only engaged in criminal behaviour but was also well equipped to carry out his plans to precision.

He had false plates for his car and basically went around the place doing what he liked, the Judge added.

With regards to Ms McDonagh, Im not to make her life any harder.

The Judge subsequently handed down a one month prison sentence to Ms McDonagh to be served concurrent to the sentence she is currently serving, while Mr Maughan was sentenced to a further five months on top of his 16 month sentence.

I will not tolerate people behaving like this in my district, fumed Judge Hughes before concluding matters.
Successful Ballymahon business woman Joan Mulvihill is one of twenty-nine expert speakers that will address the second annual Enterprise Ireland International Business Womens Conference.

Joan is CEO of Irish Internet Association and other speakers include Anastasia Volkova (CEO Survival Russian App.), Dr Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain (UCD Lecturer and TV Presenter), Norah Casey (Broadcaster and publishing entrepreneur), Julie Sinnamon (CEO of Enterprise Ireland) and RTE Broadcaster Mary Kennedy.

The conference will be held in conjunction with the Rose of Tralee International Festival on Monday, August 22 at the Brandon Hotel, Tralee in county Kerry.

Enterprise Ireland is calling on the business women of Longford to join them and the line-up of expert speakers who will share their experiences and insights on themes such as leadership, growing a global business and entrepreneurship.

The event will celebrate the business achievements and success stories of women today under the conference theme The Changing Face of Success focussing on strong female role models leading by example and empowering women to fulfill their ambitions.

Registration is now open online with the added option of purchasing bundled tickets to the Rose of Tralee Fashion Show and the televised Selection nights in the Dome. See www.internationalbusinesswomen.ie/Online-Registration

For further details and to view the conference agenda see www.internationalbusinesswomen.ie
School & Education, Local News, Press Releases

By Long Island News & PR Published: August 15 2016

Twenty-three students are headed back to school this fall with a unique conversation starter after participating in the 2016 Suffolk County Legislature Page Program.

Hauppauge, NY - August 12, 2016 - Twenty-three students are headed back to school this fall with a unique conversation starter after participating in the 2016 Suffolk County Legislature Page Program.





The Suffolk County Legislatures Pages are honored by the full legislature at the July 26 general meeting as a thank you for all their hard work this summer.

Now in its second year, this summers Page Program drew students from a variety of schools and majors, culminating in a graduation ceremony on Aug. 5. Over the course of 11 weeks this summer, Pages got a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of local government by working in legislative offices, visiting various county departments and participating in the legislative process.



These Pages were a bright, enthusiastic bunch who brought a lot of character to the Legislature this summer, said Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory. Each of the Pages brought something special to the table, and, just as it is in real politics, they had different ideas and interests but worked together to find common ground and ultimately, success. Suffolk County is lucky to have such innovative young leaders. We wish them well in their future endeavors.



Im very proud of all the hard work the Pages have done this year, said Minority Leader and 14th District Legislator Kevin McCaffrey. They are a very smart, hard-working and determined group of young leaders who are going to make great strides wherever they go in this world.



Pages this year toured various county facilities, including the Medical Examiners Office and the Riverhead Correctional Facility. They also saw the legislative process at work when they sat in on meetings of the full legislature and later held meetings of their own to craft and debate mock legislation. The civic-minded young people assumed the roles of legislators, elected their peers into leadership roles, and held meetings around the horseshoe, following the same rules of order that real legislators do.



I am extremely honored to have served as Page Presiding Officer for the Page Program this year, said Brittany Grimm of Shirley, a rising senior at the University of West Florida. It has been an excellent learning experience. I am glad to have met all of my fellow Page legislators and worked together with them this summer.



This has been an eye-opening experience, added Tyler Person of Calverton, who served as Page Deputy Presiding Officer. He is a rising senior at St. Josephs College in Patchogue. I couldnt have asked for a better way to spend my summer. On top of making wonderful new friends, I had the opportunity to network with multiple different people in different levels of government throughout the county.



Not only did the Pages get an intimate look at how the county operates, but they also honed some of their professional skills. On Mock Interview Day, in a conference room filled with county officials and employees, the Pages got the chance to sharpen their job interviewing skills. Handshakes and business cards were exchanged, and many of the students walked out with potential internships.



The Page Program provided great opportunities to network and to experience local government firsthand, said Kathleen Wall of Massapequa Park, who served as Page Majority Caucus Leader. She is a rising senior at the University of Delaware. I am very grateful to have spent my summer in this program with my fellow Pages.



The Page Program was an unforgettable experience, added Hofstra University student Osman Kazdal of Lindenhurst, who served as Page Minority Caucus Leader. Aside from learning about the way my government works, I have made several close relationships that I will carry with me into the future.



This was a special group of students, said Jason Richberg, Clerk of Suffolk County Legislature and co-organizer of the program. They brought so much passion, debated with vigor and respect, and took the program to a new level. We hope this experience will help shape them as the leaders of tomorrow.



The 21 Pages of the 2016 Program were:

Rachel Simone Bagley of Amityville, SUNY New Paltz

Roman Berger of Smithtown, Stony Brook University

Brianna Goodfellow of Bay Shore, SUNY Cortland

Brittany Grimm of Shirley, University of West Florida

Thomas Harrison of Setauket, Stony Brook University

Nailah Jones of Brentwood, Stony Brook University

Osman Kazdal of Lindenhurst, Hofstra University

Matthew Kogut of Bohemia, St. Josephs College

Samantha Levine of Huntington, Binghamton University

Laura Logan of Shoreham, Hofstra University

Jayla Mack of North Babylon, Towson University

Maria Massimo of Hauppauge, Villanova University

Stephen Mott of Nesconset, SUNY Geneseo

Christopher North of Greenport, Suffolk County Community College

Shannon OConnor of Islip Terrace, Wilkes University

Tyler Person of Calverton, St. Josephs College

Juan Ramon of East Patchogue, Stony Brook University

Kevin Rutigliano of Beverly, Mass., Stony Brook University

Joseph Strassfield of Watermill, SUNY Geneseo

Kathleen Wall of Massapequa Park, University of Delaware

Hannah Willen of Northport, Northeastern University



Additionally, the program included two Senior Pages, students who served as Pages last year and came back this summer to help organize the program. The Senior Pages were George Basile of Setauket, a student at Temple University, and Kristen Lomando of Sayville, a graduate of Briarcliffe College who will start at Touro Law School in the fall.
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
These are costs above and beyond the costs of having life without parole.





LINCOLN, NE  In a first-of-its-kind study on the cost of Nebraskas death penalty, a respected economist concluded that the State of Nebraska would save $14.6 million annually if voters replace the death penalty with life imprisonment.





Dr. Ernie Goss (1), professor of economics at Creighton University, and author of studies for a conservative think-tank founded by Governor Pete Ricketts, said today he was surprised when his study revealed how expensive the death penalty is compared to life in prison.





At a news conference today in Lincoln, Dr. Goss presented a study that revealed Nebraskas maintenance of the death penalty cost the state, in 2015 dollars, approximately $14.6 million annually above what the states cost for life without parole would be, and each additional death penalty arraignment costs the state almost $1.5 million, also in 2015 dollars.Through our study, we show that the State of Nebraska has spent $14.6 million annually by having the death penalty. These are costs above and beyond the costs of having life without parole, Goss said. To put it in other words, if the death penalty stays repealed and we leave in place life imprisonment, the state will save approximately $14.6 million annually.





There are five main parts of capital cases that make the death penalty so much more expensive than life without the possibility of parole. These are: defense costs, pre-trial costs, court length, incarceration, and then decades of appeals, Goss said.I am confident in our findings that the state would save $14.6 million annually if the death penalty is replaced with life imprisonment with no chance of parole. Our study analyzed comprehensive data from U.S. Census data on justice expenses by state, and also used the economic process of meta-analysis, which equipped us with the data from over 19 studies. These methods gave us sophisticated and statistically rigorous results about Nebraska costs. Goss said. As a matter of economics, our study shows that the death penalty is costing Nebraska an extra $14.6 million annually, he said.





Other conclusions from the study:

Between 1973 and 2014, there were 1,842 murders in the State of Nebraska.

Of these, prosecutors obtained 281 first degree murder convictions.

Of these, prosecutors sought the death penalty (DP) in only 119 cases, or approximately 2.9 cases per year, resulting in only 33 death sentences.

Of Nebraskas 33 individuals sentenced to death.

Nebraska courts commuted 13 sentences.

Six individuals died in prison.

One individuals sentence was vacated.

Three individuals were executed, the last in 1997.

Attorneys are currently appealing 10 sentences.

The Executive Summary and the entire study is available to download at RetainAJustNebraska.com





(1) Ernie Goss, Ph.D., is the Jack MacAllister Chair in Regional Economics at Creighton University and is the initial director for Creighton's Institute for Economic Inquiry. He is also principal of the Goss Institute in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Goss was a visiting scholar with the Congressional Budget Office for 2003-04, and was appointed by the Nebraska Attorney General to head a task force examining gasoline pricing in the state in 2005. He served as a faculty research fellow with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1991 and 1992. Dr. Goss has conducted studies for the Platte Institute for Economic Research, a free market research and educational think tank, founded in 2008 by Pete Ricketts, now Governor of Nebraska.





Source: Retain a Just Nebraska , August 15, 2016. Retain a Just Nebraska is a public education campaign to urge the retention of LB 268, the Nebraska Legislatures vote to end the death penalty. Supporters include fiscal conservatives, law enforcement officials, faith leaders, murder victims families, and Nebraskans from all walks of life. It is a statewide coalition conducting public education on the smart alternative of life in prison without parole, which protects society without the many problems of our death penalty system.

 | Report an error, an omission; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; send a submission; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE!
Arbitrary numbers? Those are numbers you agree with.



Let's pick a not so arbitrary number. The federal minimum wage.



$7.25 x 40 hours = $290.00



- 6.2% Social Security payroll tax = $272.02



Yeah, that extra $17.98 will put them over the top.



Nope. Were going to keep the most popular, and successful government program ever devised. We're not going to cut anything, or raise age requirement eligibility to try to "save" it, since doesn't need "saving", and in fact we're going to expand it, and the only number we are going to adjust, which also isn't arbitrary, is the $118,500 cap on that 6.2%. We're going to adjust it to at least $1 million.



I mean since there is such concern for "saving" it and everything. Now you can relax. It just got "saved".
Khizr Khan Challenges Donald Trump To Take A Naturalization Test

I challenge Trump to take the naturalization test with me any day. His is demagoguery and pandering for vote. A divider like Trump can never be the steward of this country, he said.

Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim American war hero who gave Donald Trump a lesson on citizenship at the Democratic convention last month, wants the GOP nominee to take the U.S. naturalization test.Khan, who became a United States citizen after emigrating from Pakistan in 1980, issued the challenge on Monday in reaction to a Trump foreign policy address in Youngstown, Ohio, in which the businessman proposed instituting an ideological test to visa applicants before allowing them to enter the country. Under the test, Trump said, applicants would be subjected to extreme, extreme vetting in order to screen out any who have hostile attitudes toward our country or its principles.But Khan, who lives in Virginia with his wife Ghazala, rejected such rhetoric.This is my country too, Khan told The Huffington Post in an email. We must make it safe  as Muslim Americans it is our obligation to keep our country safe. We reject all violence. We support better immigration policies. We stand as a testament to assimilation and being part of patriotic America as anyone else.He then challenged Trump to take the U.S. naturalization test along with him.
Multiple reports over the past week have indicated that the Islamic State continues to lose ground in Sirte, which is the so-called caliphates stronghold in Libya. For example, Al Bunyan Al Marsoos (Solid Structure) operations room recently advertised its capture of key locations in the heart of Sirte. Al Bunyan Al Marsoos includes Islamist fighters from the city of Misrata and is backed by US Special Operations forces. [See LWJ report, Opposition to Islamic State claims more ground in Sirte, Libya.]

In an attempt to counter these reports, Amaq News Agency posted the infographic seen above on Aug. 14. Amaq is part of the Islamic States propaganda machine.

Amaq claims the jihadists still control four neighborhoods in Sirte, after killing more than 823 fighters belonging to the UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) and shooting down two fighter jets.

Amaq also alleges that special forces from four Western nations  the US, UK, France and Italy  are involved in the offensive against the Islamic State in the city. Citing official government statements and press reporting, The Long War Journal noted last week that all four of these countries are in fact operating inside Libya. The US is directly backing Al Bunyan Al Marsoos in Sirte and the Italian press says Italys special forces are as well. Of course, given that Americas Western allies are not keen to broadcast their involvement, it is not clear what specific roles, if any, they are playing in Sirte.

It is difficult to assess the status of the fighting inside the city. However, even Amaqs infographic shows that the Islamic States forces are likely surrounded. As the fighting has continued, the Islamic States Libya arm has dispatched more of its martyrs. Earlier today, for instance, Amaq reported: 2 martyrdom operations hit a gathering of National Accord Government [GNA] fighters during clashes in the city of Sirte.

Amaqs infographic includes a tally of 29 US airstrikes, but this figure is out of date. From Aug. 1 to Aug. 14, according to US Africa Command, the US has carried out 46 airstrikes in support of Operation Odyssey Lightning, which aims to liberate Sirte from Abu Bakr al Baghdadis loyalists.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Haji Abdullah, the father of Mullah Dadullah Akhund and Mullah Mansour Dadullah. Image from Voice of Jihad.

A powerful Taliban faction that broke away from the main group has reconciled and swore allegiance to the Talibans new emir, Mullah Haibatullah. The reunion of the faction, known as the Mullah Dadullah Mahaz or Mullah Dadullah Front, is the latest success in the Talibans effort to bring wayward groups and commanders back into the fold after divisions over the death of its founder and first emir, Mullah Omar.

The Taliban announced that family of Mullah Dadullah Akhund, a revered commander, and his brother, Mullah Dadullah Mansour, as well as a group of commanders and fighters rejoined the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan late last week, according to a statement released on Voice of Jihad. The reconciliation was spearheaded by Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, a brother of Mullah Omar.

On Thursday [Aug. 12], the respected father (Haji Abdullah), sons and brothers (Sher Agha and Gran Agha), nephew (Mullah Ihsanullah), family members, commanders (Mullah Muhammad Dawood Akhund, Mullah Muhammad Sadiq Akhund) and a number of fighters of the hero of Islamic Emirate, the martyr Mullah Dadullah Akhund and Mansoor Dadullah pledge their allegiance to the leader of Islamic Emirate, Amirul Mumineen Sheikhul Hadith Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada (HA) after coming to an understanding with the officials of Islamic Emirate and brother of the late Amirul Mumineen Mullah Muhammad Umar Mujahid (RA).

The family pledged that they shall completely obey and continue their services in the sacred united ranks of the Islamic Emirate and will strive to the best of their abilities to all plots of the enemies of Islam and motherland, the statement continued.

US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal said that the Dadullah family and commanders mentioned in the statement effectively make up the senior leadership of the Mullah Dadullah Front.

The Mullah Dadullah Front (also known as the Mullah Dadullah Mahaz and Mullah Dadullah Lang Allegiance) is named after Mullah Dadullah Akhund, a popular but brutal and effective commander who was killed by British special forces in Helmand province in May 2007. Dadullah was responsible for embracing al Qaedas ideology of waging global jihad, and incorporated al Qaeda tactics, including the use of suicide bombers, on the battlefield.

After Mullah Dadullah Akhund was killed in 2007, his brother, Mullah Mansour Dadullah, and Mullah Adbul Qayoum Zakir assumed top leadership roles in the group. Mullah Adbul Qayoum Zakir is a former Guantanamo Bay detainee who has served as the Talibans military commander and is now a member of the executive council, which is better known as the Quetta Shura. The Mullah Dadullah Front operates largely in the southern Afghan provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, and Uruzgan, as well as in Zabul, and is considered one of the most effective and dangerous Taliban groups in the region. It has sabotaged negotiations between the Afghan government and both lower-level Taliban leaders and fighters in the south.

Mullah Mansour Dadullah has always had a rocky relationship with the Talibans top leadership. After his brother was killed, he was named as the Talibans military commander. But within seven months after taking command of forces in the south, Mullah Omar expelled Dadullah for violating the groups rules and barred him from the Taliban. Months after he was ousted from the Taliban, Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate detained him up until his release in 2013. [See LWJ report, Dissident Taliban commander claims Pakistani intel ordered him to conduct assassinations, attacks in Afghanistan.]

Just prior to the announcement of the death of Mullah Omar in July 2015, the Mullah Dadullah Front publicly questioned whether the Talibans leadership was hiding Mullah Omars death. After it was revealed that the Taliban hid Omars death from April 2013 until July 2015 (he apparently died of natural causes in a hospital in Quetta), the Taliban appointed Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as its emir. He had effectively served as the Talibans emir after Omar died in 2013. While the Mullah Dadullah Front remained rebellious, Mullah Zakir and a cadre of his followers remained loyal to the Quetta Shura.

Mullah Dadullah Front and the Dadullah family reconciled with Mullah Haibatullah and the Taliban despite the fact that the Taliban killed Mullah Mansour Dadullah. In September 2015, Mullah Mansour Dadullah rejected Mansours leadership of the Taliban, and joined with Mullah Rasul, another influential Taliban commander who created the rival High Council of Afghanistan Islamic Emirate. Mullah Mansour Dadullahs opposition to the established Taliban was short lived. Taliban fighters loyal to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour killed him and a number of his followers during fighting in Zabul province in November 2015.

The Taliban have had a string of successes in bringing recalcitrant leaders back into the fold. In April 2016, Mullah Omars brother, Mullah Abdul Manan Akhund, and son, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoub, were given senior leadership positions after swearing allegiance to Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour. They were handsomely rewarded. Mullah Manan was named the chairman of the influential Dawat wal Irshad, or the Preaching and Guidance Commission, while Mullah Yacoub was given a seat on the Quetta Shura, as well as the military chief of 15 provinces within the structure of the Talibans Military Commission. And after the US killed Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour in a drone strike in Pakistan in May 2016, Yacoub was named one of the two deputy emirs of the Taliban. This puts him in the running to eventually succeed Mullah Haibatullah. [See LWJ report, Taliban appoints Mullah Omars brother, son to key leadership positions.]

Earlier last week, the Taliban announced that Mullah Baz Mohammad, who served as a deputy to Mullah Rasul, Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Akhond, a commander in Uruzgan, and their followers had reconciled.

Ironically, the US militarys killing of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, the Talibans last emir, may have paved the way for rebellious Taliban commanders to rejoin the group. Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was resented for the way he assumed the leadership of the Taliban in the wake of Mullah Omars death as well as his maneuverings while leading the Taliban before Omars death was announced. However, the Taliban have deftly leveraged influential leaders, such as Sirajuddin Haqqani (he was named one of Haibatullahs two deputy emirs), Zakir, Manan, Yacoub, and others to woo disaffected leaders.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
The Taliban is sustaining offensive operations throughout Afghanistan as Afghan security forces, backed by US airpower and special forces, continue to struggle with containing the jihadist group.

As the Taliban continues to press Afghan forces in the southern province of Helmand and has effectively laid siege to its capital, Lashkar Gah, the group is assaulting districts in the Afghan north. One district in Baghlan has fell under Taliban control, and another in Nuristan has changed hands several several times

The Taliban claimed yesterday that Dahana-i-Ghuri district in Baghlan province fell after a three-day long siege, according to a statement released on Voice of Jihad. Mujahideen have seized a large number of the combat posts and 4 bases, leaving dozens of the enemy soldiers dead and wounded over the last three days. Similarly, 33 puppets including soldiers of ANA [Afghan National Army], Arbakis [local militias] and police have been taken prisoner through this period of time.

In the same statement, the Taliban also claimed to seize control of the district of Want Waygal and 11 combat posts in Nuristan province.

A member of the provincial capital of Baghlan confirmed that Dahana-i-Ghuri is under Taliban control, Khaama Press reported. Afghan officials claimed to have repelled the Taliban attack, which was supported by Arabs, and other foreign insurgents, Pajhwok Afghan News reported. The Arabs and other foreign insurgents is likely a reference to al Qaeda and Taliban fighters from Pakistan. The Haqqani Network, which is closely allied to al Qaeda, operates in Jani Khel and Paktia.

In addition to the fighting in the north, the district of Jani Khel in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan is on the verge of collapse, TOLONews reported. The clashes are still ongoing two kilometers from the center of Janikhel. If supporting troops are not sent into Janikhel as soon as possible, the district will fall into the hands of the Taliban, the district governor told the Afghan news agency on Aug. 10.

In western Afghanistan, the Taliban laid siege to Pusht Rod district in Farah province, according to reports from Afghanistan.

To the south in Helmand, the Taliban took control of large areas of Nawa-I-Barakzayi district, which borders the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, over the past week and assaulted the district center. Heavy fighting has also been reported in Garmsir district to the south. The Taliban briefly took control of the bazaar in Garmsir but were later repelled by Afghan forces, according to TOLONews.

The Taliban currently controls or contests at least 84 of Afghanistans 400 plus districts, according to a study by The Long War Journal: with 40 estimated to be Taliban controlled and 44 contested. The number of controlled and contested districts is likely to be higher as reports from some districts known to be Taliban strongholds are unavailable. The Long War Journal only tallies districts that can be confirmed with independent reporting.

As the Taliban presses its nationwide offensive, it continues to reconcile with wayward groups that broke away after the controversy surrounding the death of Mullah Omar. Last week, leaders from the Mullah Dadullah Front as well as Mullah Baz Mohammad have returned to the Taliban fold, further strengthening the group and its ability to sustain its offensive.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Vet joins

Faithful Friends

Animal Clinic

Veterinarian Martha Rideout has joined the staff at Faithful Friends Animal Clinic in Lebanon.

Rideout is from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and a 1995 graduate of Colorado State University.

Prior to coming to Lebanon, she was at Silver Creek Animal Clinic in Silverton.

She has 21 years of practice as a veterinarian, and particularly enjoys working with cats.

SnoTemp

expansion

completed

SnoTemp Cold Storage completed a new warehouse in Albany last month, and the facility will support the growth of regional agriculture and local food processors, according to a company news release.

The new warehouse includes an 8,500-square-foot processing space, as well, which should benefit customers.

Co-locating processing with warehousing creates distinct logistical and economic efficiencies that are critical to sustaining success in todays market, CEO Jason Lafferty said, in the new release.

The companys Albany location now encompasses 440,000 square feet of temperature-controlled warehouse space, which can go from minus-20 degrees to 70 degrees.

SnoTemp, a family-owned and operated business, is headquartered in Eugene. The company now has 725,000 square feet of temperature-controlled warehouse space at its Albany and Eugene locations combined.

For more information, go to www.SnoTemp.com.
Culture / Design

The campus expansion will see seven shortlisted architects from around the world vie for the honor of having their design materialise at the new London campus.

Aug 16, 2016 | By Shatricia Nair

Londons Royal College of the Arts is well on its way to having a brand new campus at Battersea South, having shortlisted seven architectural practices from its design competition. Founded in 1837, the Royal College of the Arts was named top art and design school this year in the annual QS World University Rankings. The institution offers MA, MPhil and PhD degrees across the disciplines of applied art, fine art, design, communications and humanities.

Soon, the school will not only expand its campus but also its curriculum to include robotics, sustainability and city design, thanks to 108 million in funding from the UK government. The new campus  encompassing 15,000 sq-ft  will host the new range of courses with a focus on merging design, science and technology.

The building has to reflect the radical nature, experimentation and high design standards of the worlds pre-eminent art and design university, said Dr Paul Thompson, Rector of the RCA and Chair of the architectural Selection Panel.

The seven finalist teams were selected from a total of 97 practices from around the world. The shortlist was selected by a panel of judges that included RCA Rector Paul Thompson, the colleges architectural dean Adrian Lahoud, urban design expert Ricky Burdett and MoMA curator Paola Antonelli. The shortlisted teams have had experience designing educational facilities before. Diller Scofidio + Renfro worked on the Brown Universitys Centre for the Creative Arts in Providence, Rhode Island and Stanford Universitys Art and Art History Building in Paolo Alto, California. Herzog & de Meuron were selected for Blavatnik School of Government at UKs Oxford, Lacaton & Vassal for the Architecture School of Nantes in France and Serie Architects for the New School of Design and Environment at the National University of Singapore. Meanwhile, Studio Gang designed the Columbia College Chicago Media Production Center in Chicago, Illinois.

The winners are expected to be announced in October 2016, and till then, were eagerly awaiting the new design plan for the campus.
Aug. 25, 1940  Aug. 10, 2016

A private celebration of life will be held at the family ranch for Robert Bob A. Hansen, nearly 76 years old.

Bob was born in Bagley, Minnesota, and lived in Lebanon for most of his adult life with his wife, Pat. He passed away peacefully at home after battling a long illness.

Bob was a doting husband to Pat Hansen, and loving father of Valerie Hansen-Renteria, Richard Hansen, Sandy Gunthert, Roberta Hansen and Debra Aresa Edwards. Precious son of Johan and Alice Hansen, Bob was fondly identified as one of the Hansen Boys as brother to Gary Hansen, Dale Hansen, Joe Hansen and Richard Hansen. He had 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren and was uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Now celebrating with his parents, Johan and Alice Hansen; brothers Dale and Joe Hansen; and daughter Sandy Gunthert, he is in very good company.

As a dedicated member of the armed services, Bob served our country under the United States Army.

Bob worked many years as a Lumbermill Field Service Technician which afforded him the opportunity to travel. When younger, he loved the outdoors, camping, fishing and attending horse shows. Later on Bob cherished visits from family and friends.

The Hansen family deeply appreciates the care given by his nurses, bath aids and therapists for the last couple of years.

Huston-Jost Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Mahasweta Devi : Quintessential Humanist

TRIBUTE

by Vijay Kumar

Writing is a career of death in a sense; it signifies the absence of the author, and great writing is certainly a gateway to immortality. This is the single greatest and lasting solace for a writer. Mahasweta Devi is no more, but her writing will endure and her place is firmly secure in history.

What makes Mahasweta Devi different from other writers is that she combined her writing with activism anchored firmly in the most sublime dimension of humanism. In this sense, Mahasweta Devi was not only a great writer but also a committed activist and sanguine humanist.

The writing of Mahasweta Devi went much beyond what is described as magical realism. By espousing the cause of poor people like bonded labourers and tribals with indefatigable energy, almost till she breathed her last, she inaugurated the subaltern literature a la subaltern history pioneered by the Cambridge trio of Ranjit Guha, Shahid Amin and Gyan Pandey. In the process, Mahasweta Devi became the voice of the lowly, lonely and lost; dispossessed and disadvantaged and disenfranchised and defeated. In this way, Mahasweta Devi became for Bengali literature what Munshi Premchand and Charles Dickens were for Hindi and English respectively.

Just as the bucolic beauty of the countryside of England and Scotland provided the manna for romantics like Keats, Shelly and even Hardy and the kaleidoscopic Himalayan view of Kausani for Sumitranandan Pant for penning their immortal poems, the life and existence of poor people; their sorrows, sufferings and struggles and trials, tribulations and tragedies became afflatus for both the writing and activism of Mahasweta Devi.

Despite the neglect and exploitation of the downtrodden in general, and the adivasi in particular, Mahasweta Devi remained an inveterate idealist and optimist and never lost her faith in ethical humanism.

After the espousal of the cause of tribals by their great leader Jaipal Singh in the Constituent Assembly during the framing of the Constitution, it was Mahasweta Devi who lent her entire power behind their welfare. Dr B.R. Ambedkar, as would be evident from the Constituent Assembly debates, confined himself to the suffering of Scheduled Castes alone and it was left to Jaipal Singh to argue for the Scheduled Tribes. Mahasweta Devi, throughout her life, fought for the tribals when their causes did not constitute a vote-bank like the Scheduled Castes. Precisely, for this reason, all political parties took up the issue of Scheduled Castes but did not raise the issue of Scheduled Tribes. The real legacy of Mahasweta Devi lies in fighting for the cause of tribal peoples even when it was neither fashionable nor politically productive to do so for the political parties.

Dubbing Mahasweta Devi as a Left liberal would not do justice to her colossal persona. She was much beyond ideology. She was too vast to be cabined and cribbed by any ideology. She realised that no ideology could capture the entire complexity of human lives. The very fact that her loud opposition to acquisition of lands for Tata Motors in Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal became the rallying point for opponents of the erstwhile CPM Government in West Bengal would show that she was not the one who was a prisoner of any ideology.

She was humanist rather than an ideologue, and thus could be compared with humanists like Ruskin, Emerson and Tolstoy. For Mahasweta Devi, her writing symbolised the relentless human struggle and moral dilemma. Like Premchand, she exposed the hypocritical morality of the society. In her Draupadi, she poignantly brought to the fore that miracle happened only in epics in the form of intervention by Lord Krishna to save the dignity of the queen, but in day-to-day quotidian life, miracles did not happen, and when women got disrobed, there was no saviour.

Mahasweta Devi was an optimist to the core. Despite widespread injustice around the poor, she remained hopeful and the plight and predicament of these people became the source for her literary creativity and craftpersonship. Mahasweta Devis oeuvre is not confined to literature but provides intellectual resources for the social scientist and both the practitioner and theorist of human rights; and copious references to her works by the most authoritative human rights scholar, Prof Upendra Baxi, speak for it. On July 28, 2016 only the physical body of Mahasweta Devi left for astral world, but her spirit of humanism would become the folklore for inspiration for generations to come.

The author is an advocate of the Supreme Court.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Cow Vigilantism as Terror

The following is a write-up prepared by the New Socialist Initiative on Cow Vigilantism. It has been sent by Subhash Gatade who is actively involved in the NSI.

Cow vigilantism, which has received tremen-dous boost since the ascendance of the BJP at the Centre, got its first fitting reply in Gujarat recently. The way in which a self-proclaimed Gau Rakshak Dalowing allegiance to the Shiv Senaattacked in Una (July 11, 2016) a group of Dalits who were skinning a dead cow, publicly flogged them, led them to the police station charging them with cow slaughter, and even circulated a video of the whole incident on social media to spread further terror, has caused tremendous uproar.

Thousands and thousands of Dalits have come out on the streets in different parts of the State, gheraoed government offices, damaged govern-ment property, enforced Statewide bandh and tried to bring the government to its knees, demanding severe punishment to the guilty and strict action against the police and government officials who failed to act upon their complaint when they were being publicly brutalised.

The wave of protests has still not ebbed. The anger still simmers. Protest rallies still continue.

There have been thirty incidents of suicide attempts by Dalit youth protesting the Una incident within a span of just one week. People across the political spectrum are appealing to the angry youth not to resort to this extreme step and continue with the peaceful struggle. Undoubtedly, the Una incident and the consequent Dalit assertion is proving to be a great turning-point in the history of the Dalit movement as Dalits have ultimately realised that politics of Hindutva is no friend of the Dalits and in fact, it is geared towards strengthening and further consolidating the purity and pollution-based caste system. The growing disenchantment of Dalits with the politics of Hindutva was very much evident when their protests reached Narendra Modis home town of Vadnagar itself where thousands of Dalits participated in a militant demonstration blaming the Prime Minister himself and BJP for the brutal thrashing of Dalits. Videos of the protest showed many Dalit people shouting, Hai re Modi...hai-hai re Modimodification of a slogan used by women during Hindu funeral processions. (http://www.-hindustantimes.com/india-news/dalits-protest-una-thrashing-in-modi-s-hometown-blame-bjp-and-hindutva/story-PcDEifwFGlHn20fLwuv TOJ.html) The outrage has rekindled memories of the militant Dalit assertion in the early eighties led by the earlier generation of young Dalits wherein they had fought to defend the policy of reservation and also dared to take on the Hindutva formations head-on.

It has also been a great learning experience for ordinary Dalits who comprise around eight per cent of the population in the State and who were largely co-opted by the Hindutva formations in their project of hate and exclusion. One unique form of struggle adopted by the protesters this time has rattled the ruling elite tremendously and has the potential of nationwide resonance. It involved throwing of carcasses of dead cows at government offices, outside the houses of promi-nent politicians, removal of which became a strenuous affair even for the establishment. A large section among them have boycotted work of collecting dead bovines and have even declared that henceforth they are ready to die of hunger but would not take up the occupation again. In fact, by this simple act the Dalits have rather issued a warning to the Manuvadi/Brahminical forces that the day they resolve to leave all those dirty professions. for which they are stigma-tised, a catastrophe-like situation awaits the former. One of the activists, who pioneered this unique form, told a correspondent that they have stopped doing it to teach them a lessonThe gaurakshaks beat us because they think the cow is their mother. Well, then, they should take care of her and pick up her carcass when she dies.

(http://scroll.in/article/812329/your-mother-you-take-care-of-it-meet-the-dalits-behind-gujarats-stirring-cow-carcass-protests)

Fact-finding reports, which have appeared in sections of the media, tell how the police did not stop the perpetrators on their way and also took hours to lodge a simple FIR and arrest the criminals. There are even unconfirmed reports that local police had tipped the Gau Rakshak Dal about the skinning of the dead cow. The complicity and connivance of the local police is evident also in the fact that despite enough proof available with it in the form of the video of the incident about involvement of more than thirty people in the thrashing incident, it has kept the number of arrests limited to eight only and is trying to portray it as a one-off incident.

The unfolding Dalit outrage, which found the State Government in deep slumber, has brought to the fore many other similar recent incidents where Dalits had come under attack at the hands of Gau Rakshaks and the silence maintained by the police which had even refused to entertain complaints lodged by the victims. It has also given vent to the pent-up anger of the Dalits against daily humiliations and discriminations faced by them, widespread existence of exclusion and untouchability in social life, denial of basic human rights and manifold spurt in atrocities in the State in recent times and failure of the powers that be to take proactive measures to curb the growing menace.

The criminal acts by the Gau Rakshaks and the impunity with which they are ready to take law into their handswhich has received nationwide attentionhas also been an occasion for the senior members of the bureaucracy to speak out about the menace they have become all over the State. Chief Secretary of the State G.R. Gloria is reported to have told a national daily:

These vigilantes are self-proclaimed gau rakshaks but in actual fact they are hooligans. According to him, there are as many as 200 cow vigilante groups in Gujarat who have become a law and order problem because of their aggression and the way they take law into their hands and the government is going to take strong action against them. The Chief Secretary was even categorical in admitting that lower level police personnel are hand in glove with these vigilantes. (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/vigilantes-are-the-new-security-threat/article8882354.ece)

It is worth emphasising that not long ago even the Punjab-Haryana High Court, while ordering a CBI probe into the death of Mustain, a transporter, at the hands of members of another Gau Raksha Dal in Kurukshetra, Haryana (March 2016), had underlined the growing criminalisation of the cow protectors who work with impunity. It said that the so-called cow vigilante groups, constituted with the backing of political bosses and senior functionaries governing the State, including police,

..[a]re bent upon circumventing law and fleecing poor persons ferrying their animals, be it for any personal domestic use or otherwise... Apparently even the senior functionaries of the police are hand-in-glove with such vigilante groups. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Cow-vigilante-groups-bent-on-circumventing-law-HC/articleshow/52197819.cms)

Dalit anger witnessed on the streets of Gujarat variously described as Dalit rebellion by a section of the commentatorshas had a spiralling effect in other parts of the country as well, and has also helped galvanise the entire parliamentary Opposition camp which has even demanded that there should be immediate ban on all such Gau Rakshak Dals and all such miscreants who operate under its name and engage in mayhem. Members of Parliament on the floor of the House have denounced all these vigilante groups who are targeting Muslims as well as Dalits, brutalising them in very many ways and on occasions lynching them and explained how the policies and programmes of the powers that be has created a conducive atmosphere for their proliferation and demanded a ban on them.

The manner in which cow is being moved to the centre-stage of politics and where a mere rumour that it is being slaughtered somewhere gives miscreants a licence to take law into their own hands with due connivance of the police and administration, is being compared with neigh-bouring Pakistan where the crime of blasphemy serves a similar purpose. Pakistan has lost many precious lives and many more are rotting in jail due to its refusal to check religious fanatics for whom the blasphemy laws have become a tool to intimidate innocents. Concerns are being raised whether India would similarly go the Pakistan wayunable to stop erosion of secular principles in the polity and facilitating further legitimacy to faith in social-political lives.

The open letter by Laloo Prasad Yadav to PM Modi in the aftermath of the Una incident captures the prevalent mood in the country; therein he had described how actions by cow vigilante groupswhich are receiving state patronagehave created an ambience of terror and intimidation among farmers, tribals, Dalits and all those people who are engaged in cattle trading. In his open letter he has directly blamed the RSS as well as PM Modi being responsible for this state of affairs. (http://hindi.catchnews.com/india/lalu-yadav-controversial-remark-on-una-incident-1469268538.html)

While the BJP and RSS, having lost the battle of perceptions, are busy counting their losses in the aftermath of the Una incident, and assessing its electoral fallout, the misogynistic remarks by a senior leader of the BJP targeting Ms Mayawati, leader of the BSP and who has been Chief Minister of UP, has added further fuel to the fire. It is a different matter that all their regrets about these remarks expressed on the floor of the House have proved to be an eyewash and at the ground level they are trying to be on the offensive again utilising similar condemnable remarks allegedly made by fellow politicans of the BSP.

Coming close on the heels of demolition of the Ambedkar Bhavan in neighbouring Maharashtra by a BJP-led governmenta decision which it regrets now because of the spurt in voices of opposition to this actand the nationwide mass movement which emerged after the institutional murder of scholar RohithVemula of Hyderabad Central University, and the alleged role of a few Central Ministers in letting it happen and a series of anti-Dalit actions and controversial statements by its top leaders targeting the community, or their attempts to discontinue the policy of affirmative action for Dalits and Adivasis, the unfolding Dalit anger has also seriously dented their well-planned strategy of consolidating their base among the Dalits at the all-India level. Undoubtedly Dalit outrage has not only put the saffron dispensation at the State as well as Centre on the defensive and has put paid to their well-calibrated strategy of appropriating Ambedkar by projecting him as a Hindu Social Reformer.

Whatever might be their claims vis-a-vis Hindu Unity, this incidentwhich was no exception and a part of an unfolding pattern of denying basic human rights to Dalits, intimidating them and using them as stormtroopers for their anti-minority actionshas laid bare the essentially Manuvadi/Brahminical core of their ideology based on exclusion and hate. In fact their worldview is basically antithetical to any vision of Dalit empowerment/emancipation or for that matter inclusive development. And it has further demonstrated that their feverish attempts notwithstanding to aggravate tensions between the Dalits and Muslims at the grassroot level on any flimsy pretext, in their worldview of Hindu Rashtra both of them are equally dispensable. The unprecedented fury shown by the Dalit masses in a State which has been ruled by the Hindutva forces for more than 15 years, and was projected by them as a unique Gujarat Model of development prior to the elections to Parliament in 2014, has shaken the latter to the core and left them scrambling for solutions. They are slowly realising that the assertion of the Dalit masses has the potential of disrupting all their political calculations in the coming elections to different State AssembliesPunjab, UP and Gujarat itselfwhich are scheduled to be held in 2017.

Another ignoble aspect of the present phase of Dalit Uprising is the role of the media which (barring exceptions) seems to have become a handmaiden of Hindutvas exclusion-centred politics. A cursory perusal of the coverage of the corporate funded and controlled media demonstrates that it has refused to report Dalit mobilisations on a massive scale that have consistently challenged and questioned Hindutva politics. A representative example of their Varna-dominated, anti-Dalit worldview can be had from the way they completely under-reported the massive gathering in Mumbai recently where more than 1.5 lakh people had gathered to protest the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan by the BJP-Shiv Sena regime. Forget being watchdogs of democracy as it is being projected elsewhere, forget its role of being objective in reporting events and analysis, it seems much too happy in its metamorphosis of being the spokesperson of the powers that bea situation much worse than what existed during be Emergency when it was asked to bend and decided to crawl.

It needs to be underlined here that the depre-dations of the cow vigilante groups are not limited to Dalits alone, in fact, Muslims have been their chief targetsas a cursory perusal of events since the last two years makes it obvious. The latest in the series happened to be from Gurgaon where two Muslim transporters were attacked by a Gau Rakshak group and were fed with cow dung laced with urine since they were found to be carrying cattle. A video of the said incident had also gone viral. A leader of the group even claimed on camera that they have done it to purify the Muslims of their sins. (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-gau-raksha-dal-force-fed-beef-smugglers-cow-dung-and-make-them-drink-cow-urine-2229190) And since Haryana happens to be a BJP-ruled Statewhich is also contemplating forming a Cow Protection Force much on the lines of Home Guards and has also appointed a special officer of the IAS rank to curb cow smuggling, there was no action against the perpetrators.

It was only last year that Palwal in Haryana witnessed a communal riot-like situation. The immediate trigger for the situation was the cow vigilantes themselves who had attacked a truck carrying meat and had spread the rumour that it was carrying beef. Police reached there within no time and instead of taking action against the perpetrators charged the driver and owner of the truck with criminal conspiracy and sent them to jail. The very next day the government announced that all cases filed earlier against cow protectors would be withdrawn immediately making it obvious how it would have no qualms if similar actions occur in future.

At the end of December last year, village Banokhedi, district Karnal (Haryana) witnessed indiscriminate firing by a cow vigilante group on a canter (mini-truck) which was carrying peoplemost of them belonging to the minority communitywho were travelling from Punjab to UP for the coming Panchayat elections. (Refer: Lok Lahar, December 14, 2015) It led to the death of one youth and serious injuries to several others. Cow vigilantes attacked the truck in the middle of the night and what was more worrisome, there were a few policemen also with them. Later five people were arrested, among them were two policemen as well.

The menace of cow vigilante groups is not limited to one particular area or State, it has spread all over the country. A few months back cow vigilantes had lynched two youths belonging to the minority community (one of them a minor) near Latehar, Jharkhand and left them hanging on a tree, as they were also found carrying cattle and the cow protectors wanted to teach them a lesson. Sarahan village, District Nahan (Himachal Pradesh) was witness to an attack on a group of minority youth by cow vigilantes (October 2015) which led to the death of one them and four others were seriously wounded. Cow vigilantes alleged that the youth were engaged in cow smuggling. Last year a similar group attacked a Kashmir-bound truck with a petrol bomb which led to the death of a young man, Zahid (19 years), because of serious burn injuries. It was only a few months back that Mehbooba Mufti, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, wrote to the Chief Minister of Punjab how people from Kashmir, who are meat exporters and traders, are being regularly brutalised in the State by self-proclaimed Gau Bhakts. (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Cow-vigilante-groups-bent-on-circumventing-law-HC/articleshow/52197819.cms)



It is futile to imagine that the BJPan affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghwould rein in cow vigilantes, just because Dalits are feeling outraged over some incidents involving them or sections of the judiciary or even the executive are appalled at their transgressing of constitutional values and principles or the peace and justice-loving people of the country are reminding the pracharak-turned-PM that he had declared in the august House of Parliament that for him Constitution is the most sacred book now.

We should never forget that the Sangh Parivar operates through its vast network of what are known as anushangik (affiliated) organisations with a strict division of labour between them to further the agenda of Hindu Rashtra. In fact, it would leave no stone unturned to deflect attention of the people from its essentially Varna mindset which refuses to even acknowledge that assertion of Dalits has its basis in the age-old hierarchy-based system. They would be ready to go to any extent to silence all such voices which are questioning them, challenging them and are in a position to put roadblocks on their path to victory. An inkling of what is in store for all such voices can be had from the unprovoked attack on a public meeting protesting Dalit atrocities in Gujarat organised by a Dalit group in the heart of the Capital itself by an organisation which is alleged to be close to the Hindutva brigade. (http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/protesters-clash-at-jantar-mantar/; https://tahlkanews.com/singh-sena-attack-on-dalit-at-jantar-mantar/97975)

The ongoing attacks on Dalits in the model State of Gujarat or an overall spurt in atrocities against Dalits presents before all those Dalit leaders who had joined the Modi bandwagon before his ascent to power and in a way helped sanitise his controversial role in the Gujarat carnage (2002) when he happened to be the Chief Minister, a pertinent question. Whether the likes of Athavales, Udit Rajs and Paswans would still cling to the apron-strings of power, further facilitating white-washing of this essentially anti-Dalit and anti-oppressed regime or would listen to the clarion call given by the Dalits on the streets of Gujarat that without fighting the RSS and Modi-led BJP, Dalit emancipation cannot even be imagined.

The unfolding Dalit outrage also poses an important question before the Dalit movement itself. Whether the anger witnessed would just peter out or would be able to reinvigorate the radical agenda of Ambedkarite politics centring on caste annihilation and fighting capitalism and would present a systemic challenge before the Manuvadi-Hindutva forces forging alliances with like-minded forces. Parties like the BSP have a lot many things to answer on this issue.

No doubt, the unfolding cow vigilantism and continued silence maintained by the net-savvy PM over attacks on Dalits and minorities has further exposed the real agenda of this government. Analysts are predicting that the ruling dispensation will have to pay heavily because of its essentially anti-Dalit worldview in the coming elections to the State Assemblies. What is still unclear is how all such forces, formations who are opposed to the agenda of Hindutva and are keen to defend secularism in the country and further democracy at the grassroots level, are strategising so that the exclusivist agenda of Hindutva is delivered a crushing defeat not only at the electoral level but at the social level also and what role a reinvigorated Left is ready to play in the unfolding situation. It remains to be seen whether there would be parallel realignment of various social-political forces at the ground level comprehending the menace the very politics of Hindutva presents before the country.

The present moment in the countrys history is pregnant with tremendous possibilities and demands a creative, energetic and strategic intervention from the revolutionary Left.

One is reminded of the historic slogan raised during anti-fascist struggles in the thirties which declared that Fasicsm Shall Not Pass. It was a time when a united front of communists, anar-chists, socialists and republicans had come up and were fighting shoulder to shoulder; they were also joined in by non-party people from town and country, because everyone had realised what a victory for fascism would mean to Spain. (https://www.marxists.org/archive/ibarruri/1936/08/23.htm)

Perhaps there is a need to learn from all such experiences and forge the broadest possible unity to confront its 21st century avatar in this part of Asia and declare from rooftops: Communal Fascism Will Not Pass!
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Indias Quest for Military Power: The LCA Milestone and Beyond

by Bhartendu Kumar Singh

Great powers have great strengths! Yet, with almost 70 per cent import of its total weapons requirement, India is the worlds largest arms importer since the last few years. This absolute dependency mocks Indias profile as a rising great power, in particular, its military aspect. India remains a laggard and an inconsequential player in the international arms market, being placed at 26 in the list of arms exporting countries. Therefore, the recent induction of two Light Combat Aircrafts (LCAs), nicknamed as Tejas, into the Indian Air Force marks a landmark where the country has not only an almost made in India fighter jets but also has something that can boost Indias defence exports and fuel its quest for military power.

Lack of timely military innovation and production has been one of the reasons why India is not considered as a military power yet. The LCA project itself took three decades from concept to completion. It also suffered due to the preference accorded from time to time to imported jets. This dependency prohibited the LCA project to reach the logical milestone within a reasonable project development cycle (PDC). The LCA is also reflective of Indias failure to build on past technological advances and skills. After all, India did have reasonable technological build-up in aircraft technology in the mid-sixties that it failed to capitalise on or proliferate to the civilian sector. Nevertheless, the formal commissioning of the LCA is commendable since it puts the country into a select group of countries that can boast of modern fighter jets and reduces Indias security dilemma against China and Pakistan by enhancing the air deterrence through a combination of fighter jets and missile system.

It is, however, the LCAs positioning of India into the international relations system that is more important. First, the LCA could emerge as one of the major components defining Indias incremental recognition as a military power. Despite the worlds third largest Army and having a huge arsenal including nuclear weapons and delivery system, India is yet to be counted as one of the paramount military powers capable of competing in the increasingly complex military competition in the Asia-Pacific region and induce a sense of security to small and middle countries around it. It is yet to wield that military clout which could change the military balance of power in the region. Second, it also offers India as a potential tool for defence diplomacy. It is worth noting that despite engaging many countries into a series of military-diplomatic activities in the last two years and raising defence diplomacy to a new level, India has little in military hardware to win friends except for occasional gift or sale of helicopters or small surveillance ships, like the one off sale of an offshore patrol ship to Mauritius recently. China is selling military hardware and weapons to Afro-Asian countries in a big way! The LCA offers an opportunity for India to compete with China and carve out its own market. Third, if international relations are a game of perceptions and image-building, the LCA provides a psychological advantage to India by positioning it with strength in the anarchical set-up. It may take years before India actually starts shipping LCAs to client states but it has already emerged as a power-projection tool for the country. After all, it is the export of high-end military hardware that has sustained the facade of power for hitherto declining great powers like Britain and France!

A major criticism of the LCA is that it is not completely indigenous and has many com-ponents imported from abroad. Yet, the project is reflective of the competence and confidence of the scientific community in India towards innovation which is the sin qua non for any countrys emergence as a great power. The new emphasis on the Make in India campaign and policy-reforms on defence production and FDI in defence have collectively engendered a momentum where there is space for LCA to be cent per cent Indian. The good thing about the LCA is that it belongs to the fourth generation plus and, therefore, is sustainable for at least two decades catering to the requirements of not only the domestic market but also many developing countries interested in a technology-relevant and cost-effective fighter jet!

While the Indian skies welcome a fighter aircraft designed, developed and manufactured in India, there is little time to bask in the glory of the LCA. Instead, the focus should be to build on the technological base and infrastructure available to move on to fifth and sixth generation fighter aircrafts and attempt a gradual shift to civilian use of military technology. India needs to study how China has made a turnaround in weapons production and how even middle powers like Germany, Sweden, Italy etc. and small powers like Israel and Switzerland have made a name for themselves in high-end defence technology and weapons production. Probably, there lies the secret of Indias wider recognition as a military power.

Dr Bhartendu Kumar Singh, IDAS, is Additional Controller of Finance and Accounts, Accounts Office, Gun Carriage Factory, Jabalpur. He is in the Defence Accounts Service. But the views he has expressed in the article are strictly personal.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Politics of Coalition Formation in the Backdrop of Indian Democracy and (...)

BOOK REVIEW

by Bharti Chhibber

Divided We Govern: Coalition Politics in Modern India by Sanjay Ruparelia; New Delhi: Oxford University Press; 2015; pp. 480; Rs 995.

Several political parties cooperate in a coalition government in Cabinet formation minimising the dominance of any one party in a parliamentary form of governance. The coalition process is generally adopted in cases of hung Parliament when no single political party has achieved majority in Parliament. Likewise a political coalition is a pre- or post-poll alliance between different political parties to collaborate on the common political agenda either for contesting an election and/or for the formation of the government after the elections.

In India at the Centre, the first-ever coalition government, which was an amalgamation of four parties, was formed under the Prime Ministership of Morarji Desai after the Emergency and sixth general elections from 1977 to 1979. The second coalition government, comprising a seven-party alliance, externally supported by the Left Front and BJP, was that of the National Front from 1989 to 1990 which came to power after the ninth general elections. Likewise the fractured result of the eleventh general elections resulted in the formation of the third coalition government, a minority government of fifteen-party alliance called the United Front from 1996 to 1998. All these could not last a full parliamentary term. These three experiments with coalition politics form the backdrop of the book under review.

Sanjay Ruparelias Divided We Govern: Coalition Politics in Modern India examines the rise and fall of the parliamentary Left in the Indian democratic set-up and politics of the coalition form of governance in modern India. It further investigates the role of the third force in the Indian political scene. The author has used many primary sources, including what he has called confidential testimonies of key political actors, to highlight the politics of three coalition governments in modern Indiathe Janata Party, National Front and the United Front.

The author highlights the flaws in the earlier studies on coalition politics which have failed to explain how multi-party governments actually function. He argues that the pursuit of power in a highly regionalised federal parliamentary democracy such as India creates incentives to forge national coalition governments: yet para-doxically decreases their chances of survival. Ultimately the failure of socialists and communists to judge their real historical possibilities at key junctures led to the decline of the broader Indian Left. The Left Front governments loss of power in Kerala and West Bengal in State Assembly elections followed by the dismissive performance in the sixteenth general elections in 2014 inflicted a huge defeat on the Left. A rejuvenated BJP attacked steep economic downfall, political corruption and leadership vacuum that was part of the second UPA rule. With a remarkable electoral victory in 2014 the BJP became first party to win a parliamentary majority since 1984.

The author tries to answer some critical questions surrounding the Indian political Left including what explains the rise of socialists, communists and regional parties since the late 1970s?, why have they faced repeated difficulties in the construction of a stable third front?, what explains the politics, policies and performance of coalition governments? The study of coalition in India has gone through two phases. First, examination of coalition in the 1960s and 1970s in States and the second phase of comparative perspective explained through multi-party governments since the late 1970s. The author sees coalition politics through comparative lens without neglecting historical particularities.

The author finds a lacuna in the present scholar-ship on Indian coalition politics which emphasises on competing party interests and formal institutional arrangements to explain the formation and demise of coalition alliances. He stresses that these neglect internal party disputes over whether to share power, with whom to share? and to what extent? which caused real estrangement. Ruparelia argues that what prevented the leaders of the third force from exercising good political judgment, especially those on the broader Indian Left was their tendency to conceptualise power in fixed indivisible and zero-sum terms.

Divided into three parts with broad themes The Genesis of the Third Force, The Maturing of the Third Force, The Fall of the Third Force, the book has twelve chapters in addition to an introduction and a conclusion. The book is supplemented by maps such as on Electoral Performance of Partisan Blocs 1951-1977; Seat and Vote-Share of Parties after Sixth General Elections, 1977, Ninth General Elections 1989, and Eleventh General Elections 1996; Effective Number of Parties in Parliament 1980-2009; Decline of National Party Vote- and Seat-Share 1980-2009.

The book aims to provide an in-depth analyses of rise and decline of the third force since the 1970s. Part one explains the genesis of the third force through political speeches, party manifestos, media reports, electoral survey data and government documents.

Chapter one interrogates the prevailing notion of coalition politics in India through comparative theoretical literature. It highlights how party leaders and complex interaction result in unstable multi-party governments. Ruparelia opines that coalition leaders must work out strategies, plans of power-sharing based on consultation, negotiation and compromise. Chapter two traces the roots of the broader Indian Left from 1934-1977. Its origin lay in the anti-colonial struggle during the 1930s. The author further discusses why communists and socialists failed to unite against the Congress. Chapter three examines the formation, performance and demise of the Janata Party. According to the author, the Janata Party augmented parliamentary democracy through constitutional reforms, worked on Centre-State relationship and tried to have better relationship with neighbours. However, clashing political ambitions resulted in its fall. Chapter four investigates the rise of the regional parties in States during the 1980s. The author further highlights how regional parties are the main actors of coalition politics. Despite the 1984 victory of the Congress, reintegrated communist Left and regional parties gave electoral competition to the Congress. Political corruption and economic mismanagement ultimately resulted in its downfall. Chapter five documents the formation, working and demise of the National Front. Rival aspirations over Prime Ministership threatened the coalition.

Part two analyses the rise, performance and fall of the United Front in the next five chapters. Chapter seven traces the formation of the United Front in May 1966. The decision of the CPI-M to reject Prime Ministership highlighted competing interests and strategies. Chapter eight analyses H.D. Deve Gowdas rule. The author points out in Chapter nine that this coalition used national power to serve its interest by imposing Presidents Rule against rivals in Gujarat and UP exposing its claim to be different from the Congress and BJP. Chapter twelve highlights disintegration of the third force from 1998 to 2012. Managing stable national coalition governments in India with multiple regional influences that are ideologically different is a challenge in itself. The book ends with a contemplation on the future of social democratic politics in India in the coming years.

Some interesting photographs taken from The Indian Express archives add to the volume like that of Rammanohar Lohia; Atal Behari Vajpayee, Jayaprakash Narayan (who persuaded the BJS to join the Janata Party in January 1977); Bharatiya Lok Dal leader Charan Singh and Jagjivan Ram who left the Congress after the Emergency; the three principal leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the 1990s: its General Secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu and Chief Minister of Kerala, E.M.S. Namboodiripad; and a photograph taken at the time of formation of the United Front in May 1996 with P. Chidambaram, N. Chandrababu Naidu, M Karunanidhi, Biraj Sarma, G.K. Moopanar and H.D. Deve Gowda. The book is further supplemented by a very useful glossary in the beginning and bibliography and index at the end.

The book is an interesting addition to the study of coalition politics in India. Divided We Govern presents a detailed study of achievements and failures of the Janata, National Front and United Front Governments. It will appeal to politicians, scholars and students keen to know more about Indian democracy and governance and politics of coalition formation in modern India.

Dr Bharti Chhibber teaches Political Science in the University of Delhi.
Two women were arrested Sunday on suspicion of theft. Timeka Marie Betts, 23, of Lebanon and Kylee Irene Glover, 25, of Harrisburg are alleged to be behind the burglary of a home in Halsey that morning.

At about 10 a.m., Linn County 9-1-1 Dispatch Center received a report that a female came to a front door asking to use the telephone, claiming her car had broken down. While at the front door, a second female entered the residence through the back door and stole the homeowner's purse from the kitchen.

Deputies responded to the area and located two females and a male walking near the residence. Deputies recovered an empty wallet from one of the females that belonged to the victim. This eventually led to the arrest of Betts and Glover.

During the investigation, it was discovered that the females had arrived in the area in a silver 1993 cargo van, which was parked nearby in Halsey. Deputies learned through the Reedsport Police Department that the van was reported stolen. Identification and several credit cards, as well as $200, are still missing.

Betts and Glover were lodged at the Linn County Jail on charges of Burglary I, Theft II and Criminal Trespass I. Betts was also charged with Unlawful Use of a Vehicle and had multiple outstanding warrants. Glover also had multiple outstanding warrants.

The male that was found walking with Betts and Glover was released at the scene after being interviewed.

The investigation is ongoing.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Sangh Reprisal Against Dalit in Modi Raj

by Arun Srivastava

The July 11 incident of brutally thrashing Dalits in Una in Gujarat has been different from the earlier atrocities perpetrated against them. This was for the first time the cow vigilantes forced a Muslim boy to thrash the Dalits. Undoubtedly it was aimed at sending the message that even Muslims do not support and sympathise with the Dalits and are anti-beef. Generally the Muslims are supposed to share the economic miseries of the Dalits and the political parties usually try to address the concerns of the Dalits and Muslims together.

This gory incident also underlined a radical change in the way and content of the protest by the Dalits. Instead of resorting to direct action against the upper-caste Hindu elements, they took to bandh and committing suicide. For the first time in Gujarat, as many as 20 young Dalits attempted suicide to express their anger and get justice. The attack was in fact in retaliation to the Dalits refusal to follow the neo-Brahminical nationalist cultural practices conceived by the Hindutva champions.

Protecting the cow has been the oldest agenda of the RSS but in recent years the Sangh leaders have added a new dimension to their movement. Earlier they used to agitate for protecting the cow. But now they are using the movement to terrorise Muslims and Dalits. In case of Dalits it is more pronounced; they conspire to coerce them to join the Hindu fold and accept the Brahminical way of social life.

An analysis of the violence against Dalits would unravel a well-planned design, a pattern. These incidents are enacted to warn the Dalits about their status in the caste-based social structure, and ensure that they remain there. These atrocities are committed to send a clear and loud message that Dalits have to live a life of indignity, humiliation and exclusion from the mainstream of society. Unless they embrace the Brahminical philosophy and norms they will have to continue to perform the caste-based services so essential for society and remain at the bottom-rung without access to higher education and entrepreneurship.

It is ironical that the so-called liberal middle class society or the dominant civil society never take the atrocities against the Dalits seriously. For them it is merely a law and order problem without having a concrete socio-economic contour. The civil society never considers it necessary to intervene when Dalits are murdered, paraded naked and raped. The administration, policy-makers and police system support the system with impunity.

The CPI-M Polit-Bureau member Brinda Karat was narrating a half-truth when she said that the public thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat had Prime Minister Narendra Modis support to criminal activities of the cow protection committees. True enough, this was more than a criminal activity; it was in the chain of the organised violence by the Hindutva forces. The manner in which the cow protection vigilante groups across India have been targeting the minorities and Dalits, was enough for Modi to tighten the screw and show these elements their right place. But instead of taking action or putting a break on their activities, he has been providing them with his maun swikriti (silent approval).

Interestingly, just a day ahead of conceding there is hooliganism going on in the name of self-proclaimed gau raksha samitis and we need to be more vigilant, the Gujarat Chief Secretary, G.R. Aloria, said that the men who flogged a Dalit family in Una videotaped the July 11 incident simply for fun. According to him, the victim belonged to the Shiv Sena, a constituent of the saffron brigade. Alorias statement makes it explicit that it was not a simple crime but more than that.

Modi has been performing true to the script handed over by the RSS. While the Sangh and Modi have been have been trying to usurp the legacy of Babasaheb Ambedkar, they have unleashed the cow protection forces to perpe-trate torture and violence on the Dalits and minorities. Their strategy has been to isolate Ambedkar. Look at Modis statement: We insult Babsaheb Ambedkar by limiting him to his work for Dalits. But he worked for all oppressed people. We see Ambedkar the same way the world sees Martin Luther King. Apparently it may appear to be a generous tribute to the great person, but in the real sense this is a calculated move of Modi to disconnect Ambedkar from Dalit aspirations.

Modi has been feeding distorted information about Ambedkar and his contribution to empower the Dalits: If I limit Ambedkars contribution to Dalits, what will happen to 50 per cent of the population in India? Modi also said that Ambedkar never had any bitterness towards some sections of the society for the injustice he had to face. It is natural to seek revenge for any wrongdoing. But Ambedkar never had any bitterness in his words for the injustice against him, he said. Modis bhakti is understandable, but Ambedkar disliked bhakts, particularly in political life. At a meeting in Bombay in March 1933, Ambedkar was annoyed that superlatives were used for him. He reprimanded the organisers saying: These ideas of hero worship will bring ruin on you if you dont nip them in the bud.

Modi also said that Ambedkar worked for social unity and equality of the country the same way Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked for the political unity of India. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, through his political wisdom, created a united Bharat Mata... Ambedkar, through constitutional means, worked for social equality and unity in the country, he said. It is purely an unethical attempt of Modi to equate Ambedkar with Patel. Look at this statement: Babasaheb was the masiha (messiah) of all the labourers in the country. If there is a central foundation for labour laws in India, that foundation is because of Ambedkar.

Ambedkars conversion to Buddhism was a choice made for a life of dignity, compassion and justice. Within the Hindu social order, he argued, there was no scope for mutual recognition or reciprocity between communities. Ambedkar noted that the Hindu has no public, and that his public was caste: in the absence of social endosmosis which makes it possible for classes to hold values in common. The idea of fraternity, as understood from the writings of Ambedkar, points to an egalitarian order based on the modern ideals of liberty and equality.

By identifying itself with the Dalits the RSS was trying to project the heterodoxy within the Hindu tradition as inclusivism, as Indianness. The BJP treats individuals belonging to all groups as citizens but while it talks of a citizen it has the Hindu citizen in mind. While the RSS is not seen as playing a major role in shaping the political strategies of the BJP, it, however, meddles in the cultural arena. Ever since the BJP came to power the RSS has actively furthered its old agenda of the Hindu Rasthra.

Modis devotion to Ambedkar is under-standable, but Ambedkar disliked bhakts, particularly in political life. At a meeting in Bombay in March 1933, Ambedkar was annoyed that superlatives were used for him. If Ambedkar had been alive, even Modi would have been reprimanded that he had better focus on his constitutional duty to protect Dalits from the oppressive state he heads, rather than worship him.

Modi has been maintaining a hypocritical stand towards Ambedkar and Dalits. While he has gone for heavy cuts in funds for development of Dalits, has favoured suppression of the radical expression of Dalit students, not condemning the institutional murders of promising Dalit scholars like Rohith Vemula, attitude of vengeance of the HRD Ministry against Dalit students, and trampling of the Constitution with impunity, Modi prefers to sing paeans to Ambedkar.. Modi should know that the condition of Dalits has worsened since he became the PM.

If Ambedkar had been alive today to see the full unfolding of these policies, he would have certainly demanded their revocation. Modi revealed that, come what may, they would never touch reservations. Dalits may take his statement to be a sign of great commitment. But it is time the Dalits woke up from their emotional stupor and saw whom reservations really benefit and who pays for them.

A closer look at all the incidents of violence against Dalits would unravel that they were resorted to coerce and terrorise them and evict them from the small piece of land they possess. Even Aloria revealed: The victims have made a few allegations against the local sarpanch of Mota Samadhiyala. The victims are saying that the sarpanch was objecting to construction activity by the family on a land allotted for a common water well, that he called these hooligans to the village under the excuse of gau raksha to beat them up.

Gujarat has a mere 2.33 per cent of Indias Dalit population, but when it comes to atrocities, it ranks among States in the top half of the country. A study report on untouchability in Modis Gujarat by Navsarjan found that in 90 per cent of temples in Gujarat, Dalits were not allowed entry. In 54 per cent of government schools, Dalit children were made to sit separately.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports a 44 per cent increase in violence against Dalits, up from 32,712 in 2010 to 47,064 crimes in 2014. The heinous nature of these crimes is beyond imaginationa Dalit woman was brutally raped and murdered in Kerala in April, another was raped and murdered and dumped in a water tank in Rajasthan in March; two children were burnt to death in Faridabad in 2015 and two girls were raped, murdered and hung up on a tree in Badaun in 2014.

It has not come as a surprise that the BJP- ruled States, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, have registered highest rates of crimes against Dalits and Scheduled Castes in 2015. The government figures underline an almost 40 per cent increase in crime against Dalits. In 2015, Gujarat reported the highest crime rate against Dalits (163.3 per cent, 6655 cases), followed by Chhattisgarh (91.9 per cent, 3008 cases), Rajasthan (58.5 per cent, 7144 cases) and Bihar (43 per cent, 7121 cases). UP (8946) reported the most number of cases of crime against Dalits.

The data was a part of the agenda papers for a meeting on Monitoring the Implementation of Constitutional Safeguards for Scheduled Castes, held by the NCSC. The agenda papers clearly say: Rajasthan, UP, Bihar, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh deserve special attention. The NCSC has also red-flagged the sudden increase in the incidence of crime against SCs in Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.The anomaly and sudden increase in respect to Gujarat and Chhattisgarh are abnormal and are being highlighted so that these States can provide actual data in case there was a mistake in reporting, the papers say.

Fiftytwo to 65 per cent of all crimes in Rajasthan have a Dalit as the victim. This is despite the fact that the States SC (Dalit) population is just 17.8 per cent of its total population.. Gujarats numbers of crimes against Dalits had jumped to 6655 in 2015 from 1130 in 2014.

It is most unfortunate that the baton of hatred has been handed over to the next generation by the Sangh leaders who claim to represent the cultural aspiration of India. The upper-caste people would never like to treat them as Hindus, forget about accepting them as a human being. Though still today a huge population of Harijans and Dalits are amenable to identify themselves as Hindus, it is the despise and hatred of the upper-castes that pushes them away from the mainstream.

Cow protection (gau raksha) cannot be a cover for aggressive vigilantism more often than not as a mechanism for communal consolidation. That violence and intimidation in the name of the cow (or beef) will not be tolerated is a message that needs to go out quickly and unequivocally. Unfortunately neither Modi nor his government has been sincere in this regard.

Resorting to misogyny against Mayawati should be seen in this backdrop. This explicitly manifests the mindset of the Sangh activists and BJP leaders. The RSS has been of late harping on bringing the Dalits into the main-stream of social life. But it is unable to do so. The reason: the cultural norms and ethics of the RSS, the socio-cultural tenets on which the super-structure of the RSS stands is laid on the discrimination and exploitation of Dalits.

The day the upper-caste people, having a feudal mindset, accept the Dalits as Hindus, treating them as equals, the traditional upper-caste Hindus would lose their dominance. From the days of Tulsidas to modern times the only cliche that is prevalent in the Hindu society is: Chamaran ke latiyawe ke chanhi. Bina latiyawale sojh nahi rahihan sa (Harijans ought to be thrashed. Without thrashing they would not behave properly) Truly speaking, the upper caste is scared of the physical and numerical strength of the Dalits. They know the day the Harijans or Dalits stand up and challenge their hegemony, they will be finished.

Little doubt the Right-wing elements are out to destroy the secular fabric of the country by indulging in the politics of beef and cow protection. This is a very dangerous game to play. The RSS and BJP might have inducted Ram Vilas Paswan and other Dalit leaders in their ranks but they are aware that these leaders are a mere burden and useless. They have been using these leaders simply for denying the allegation that the Sangh and BJP were anti- Dalit. While the RSS has been enticing the Dalits, the Sangh leadership at the same time is conscious of the ground reality that its Thakur and Brahmin base was reluctant to allow the Dalits into the organisation. For electoral compulsions they may be adopting a liberal democratic approach towards the Dalits, but the fact remains that they will deny them the right to decision-making. The reason is simple: being numerically superior the Dalits will emerge stronger and sideline the upper caste feudal elements. It is in fact the sense of insecurity that has been motivating the upper-caste elements to attack the Dalits.

The author is a senior journalist and can be contacted at sriv52@gmail.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > It is Rasgotras folly, not Pandit Nehrus

These are of course extraordinary times in our country and the former Foreign Secretary M.K. Rasgotra might have for some incomprehensible reason felt the urge to be in sync with the zeitgeist, when he needlessly indulged in some Nehru-bashing at a function in New Delhi on June 13 as part of drumming up media publicity for his memoirs that has been published recently.

According to Rasgotra, Panditji goofed up historicallyand the nation has paid a heavy price consequentlywhen he spurned an offer from the then US President, John Kennedy, to have an atomic device exploded from a tower in the Rajasthan desert, circa 1962. (The Indian Express)

Which means, if Rasgotra is to be believed, but for Panditjis folly, India would have been a nuclear power ahead of China, and all of that frenzy that we are witnessing today over Indias admission to the Nuclear Suppliers Group would have been superfluous.

What a seductive story! Indeed, Rasgotra always enjoyed a fabulous reputation as a colourful reconteur. But in this case, he has badly tripped by stretching cold facts beyond credulity to spin yarns at a public function. What are the facts?

The fact of the matter is that the Soviet Union and the United States began their tortuous negotiations in 1955, which ultimately culmi-nated in the historic Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty signed in Moscow in August 1963.

How could the US President have done such an insane act by poking Nehru (who was not only the leader of the non-aligned world but also a vociferous supporter of disarmament) with a hand-written note to go and undercut one of the most prestigious initiatives of his own tenure in the White Houseand a landmark event in Soviet-American relations in the Cold war era?

Wouldnt an erudite mind like Nehrus known that Kennedy was bending over backward to close the Test-Ban Treaty with Nikita Khrushchev? Even assuming he didnt, wouldnt the gentle colossus, GP (G. Parthasarathi), have known and advised Panditji? (The Hindu)

Not only that, Kennedy was personally one of the most ardent supporters of a total ban on nuclear tests as far back as 1956. That is what the archival materials in the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston would testify.

Regrettably, Rasgotra has lent his shoulders for the Nehru-bashers in our country. And the real tragedy of it is that Rasgotra himself used to be known as a great follower of the Nehru family and an admirer of Panditji himself while in the Foreign Service as a career diplomat.

Ambassador M.K. Bhadrakumar served as a career diplomat in the Indian Foreign Service for over 29 years, with postings including Indias ambassador to Uzbekistan (1995-1998) and to Turkey (1998-2001).
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Recognise Kashmir as a Political Problem, Reach out to Kashmiris, Dont (...)

INTERVIEW

The following is the interview of Shujaat Bukhari, Editor-in-Chief of Rising Kashmir, Buland Kashmir (Urdu daily) and Sangarmal (Kashmiri daily) based in Srinagar, on the current situation in the Valley and the difficulties and hardships faced by the media in its functioning there. He replied to a set of questions (including one on what should be done now to improve the situation) from Mainstream.

1. You are one of the leading professional journalists in Kashmir who had been the J&K correspondent of The Hindu and now you edit the publication Rising Kashmir. How would you compare the situation prevailing in Kashmir today with the one obtaining in 1989-90 when the first wave of insurgency rocked the Valley?

Look, the situation is as grim as in 1989-90. The only difference is that in 1990 hundreds of Kashmiris had guns in their hands and of course lakhs of people were on streets demanding Azadi. But that was crushed with an iron hand by the government. The armed revolt in 1989 was the result of continued denial of political rights to the Kashmiris. New Delhi had adopted the practice of thrusting sham elections on the people. People still continued to repose faith in democracy and that is how they participated in the 1987 elections and widely supported the Muslim United Front. But that was rigged wholesale and you had one of the candidates, Mohammad Yousuf Shah, turning into the Hizbul Mujahideen Supreme Commander Syed Salahuddin, or his chief election agent, Yasin Malik, as the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front commander. Democracy was throttled and it was the National Conference-Congress combine that did not allow people to restore faith in the democratic exercise. Pakistan always wanted to do something different in Kashmir and when the situation turned ripe for them after the 1987 elections, they embraced the Kashmiri youth and helped them to launch the armed struggle. It was the result of a long list of betrayals and deceit by Delhi.

Today Kashmiris have stones in their hands and it is a political unrest in which a completely new generation is involved. They are, as compared to the generation that spearheaded the movement in 1990, more educated and enlightened, given their access to educational opportunities and technology. They are more angry as they have seen India through the barrel of the gun only. The democratic spaces here are choked and as an example the Kashmir University does not allow a Students Union while in the Jammu University you have one. They (the youth) refuse to identify themselves with India. The more you kill them, the more will they be disconnected.

2.How would you compare the situation in the Valley today with the one in 2010 when a large number of stone-pelting young protesters were killed?

The pattern is same but what is worrying is that today people have come out to protest and get killed in the wake of the killing of a militant commander. Kashmiris had embraced a transition from violence to non-violence and that is how the peace process, launched in 2003, had the support of the people. But that intent to move ahead with non-violent political struggle was not recognised and instead New Delhi continues to term Kashmir as a law and order issue. Today when people are on streets braving curfew, bullets and a communication blockade, they have not a set a specific demand but they are asking for the resolution of the political dispute. Over 55 people have been killed and more than 3000 civilians injured. In the literal sense every single Kashmiri has been in jail for over 20 days.

2010 started with the killing of three innocents in a fake encounter in Machil by the Army and the subsequent killing of a teenager by a police shell; so it was for justice. But this time there is no demand except that of final resolution. However, the fact is that all the unrest stems from the political dispute that needs to be resolved.

3.As a professional journalist what are the impediments you are facing in carrying out your professional work?

We have been facing a lot of problems. Essentially of movement. Our newspapers were banned by the government for five days. Printing presses were raided and staff detained. If the police allows us to move in one area, the protesters would block you in the next as they think the media is not reflecting the situation honestly, referring to what a section of the Indian media is doing by demonising Kashmiris.

For us the restrictions are not new. Since the outbreak of armed rebellion in Kashmir in early 1990, the media in Kashmir has been on a razors edge. A small community though, it has lost 13 of its members to bullets from either side. Life threats, intimidation, arrests, censor-ship and beating have been part of the daily grind through which an average journalist has been going. It has been difficult to operate from this highest militarised zone. Journalists have been the target of state and non-state actors. A journalist in Kashmir has failed to keep the warring sides happy. If an atrocity by the government forces is reported, he may be dubbed as anti-national and highlighting the violation by non-state actors or the extra-political activities of separatists would mean that he is anti-tehreek (anti-movement) or a collaborator. A sword hanging over his head in both cases.

The newspapers have had a tough time during the 2008 and 2010 public unrest when the government forced them to suspend publi-cations by putting restrictions. When Afzal Guru was hanged in 2013, copies of newspapers were seized in a similar fashion and not allowed to circulate. This time, however, the government did not hide behind the slew of restrictions. Its spokesman, Education Minister Naeem Akhtar, was clear that there is a ban though a reluctant decision.

4.The authorities had recently imposed severe restrictions on the functioning of the press and the media in Kashmir. Would you agree that this was a direct attack on freedom expression that mediapersons enjoy in other parts of the country? Has the situation on that score improved by now? How would you interpret the authorities explanation in justification of such a move on their part?

Yes it certainly is a direct attack on freedom of the press. It has improved but the overall conditions remain the same. Not only are these restrictions hampering our work but for long the Government of India has been intimidating the Kashmir press. In 2010 five publications were barred from getting DAVP advertisements and an advisory was issued by the MHA. This year too two publications were banned from DAVP advertisements without any legal reason. The premise is that we promote and glorify separatists and militants. But this does not apply to national papers who cover them the same way. Certainly Kashmir is different for them and this is happening in the worlds largest democracy.

5.What, in your opinion, needs to be urgently done to improve the situation in the Valley? What is your expectation from the media in other parts of the country in solidarity with the media in Kashmir in this regard? What do you expect from the civil society organisations and democratic forces of the country in this hour of crisis that Kashmiris in general, and the media in Kashmir in particular, are going through?

See, the situation is simple. Recognise Kashmir as a political problem. Reach out to Kashmiris. Talk to them, listen to them. Dont demonise them. Dont challenge their intelligence by saying that they always play into the hands of Pakistan. You are yourself providing opportunities to Pakistan on a platter. Burhan Wanis killing and subsequent situation did not get front-page coverage in the Pakistan press. PM Nawaz Sharief was forced to jump in by his opponents after three days. There are certainly elements in their establishment who would support trouble but introspect yourself how you are creating space for unrest in Kashmir as you dont recognise the problem on the ground.

The Indian media, a section of it, has supported us this time. But civil society is dead and they also have fallen into the trap of ultra- nationalism. India needs a vibrant civil society that can save it from the radicalisation that is hitting its basic secular fundamentals.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Which Kashmir is Integral Part of India: The People or the Land?

The Kashmir situation is getting from bad to worse. The State has been on the boil since July 8, the day the Indian security forces took credit for exterminating a dreaded terroristthe 22-year-old Burhan Muzaffar Wani, a commander of the separatist Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. The encounter death (a phrase which has become all too familiar over the years and decades with all its sinister implicationsfrom the North-East to Maoist-dominated areas to Jammu and Kashmir) of Wani, son of a headmaster and a school dropout, was described by the Director-General of J & K Police, K. Rajendra, as a major success for the security forces because he was instrumental in brainwashing many local boys to take up the gun.

What baffled understanding and explanation was the fact that thousands of people, mostly young men, attended his burial at the Idgah in Tral town. Were all these people separatists or secessionists or Pakistani agents or anti-India elements? If so, then there must be something intrinsically wrong with our Kashmir policy that needs to be corrected before it is too late.

What exactly is the Kashmir problem? It is the problem of relationship between the Indian state and the people of Jammu and Kashmir. It is the problem of the psychological and emotional integration of the people of Kashmir with the people of India, their spontaneous feeling of a sense of identity, a sense of oneness, with India. It is basically a battle for the Kashmiri minda battle, not to mince ones words, India has been steadily losing.

When we say that Kashmir is an integral part of India what plays in our sub-conscious mind is the land of Jammu and Kashmir, not the people of Kashmir. Barring a part of that land which is under the occupation of Pakistan, the rest of the land is ours and we will not allow Pakistan to take a square centimetre of that land. This is our resolve. Kashmiris will have to be with us, in whichever way we treat them and whether they like it or not.

To understand the nature of the problem and the reason of the Kashmiris growing sense of alienation from India, we have to delve into past history, we have to go back to the fateful days just after the independence of India and the creation of two statesIndia and Pakistan. The first India-Pakistan war took place in October, 1947, and Kashmir was the issue.

Brigadier (later Lieutenant-General) L.P. Sen was dispatched to Kashmir as the commander of the 161 Infantry Brigade to save the then princely State from the armed Pakistani tribal raiders who had crossed the border, poured into the Valley and were indulging in widespread loot, arson and rape. (It is only much later that the truth could not be suppressed that in the guise of tribal raiders, Pakistan had sent their Army regulars, too.) Brigadier Sens book, Slender Was the Thread, is the most authoritative military account of that war. We will quote profusely from his book to understand the genesis of the war and how India became involved in it.

Sen writes: In order to enable Supreme Headquarters to function effectively, the Indian Army Headquarters Signal Regiment provided it with all its communications, including those to Pakistan Army Headquarters. The links provided for Supreme Headquarters were for its exclusive use. With the breakdown of law and order in the Punjab, Supreme Headquarters found its traffic increased considerably, and began utilising the already overstretched channels of communications of Army Head-quarters, India. This resulted in unacceptable delays in the submission of the various summaries and reports by Military Intelligence to the Government and to the Directorates of Headquarters. Some other channels of communi-cation were desperately needed, and fortunately the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force found themselves in a position to assist. Their wireless sets while not linked to any specific stations were utilised as Intercept sets and any messages that they picked up were passed to Military Intelligence....

It was from some of these intercepts received via the Naval and Air Force channels that the first indication was received of something amiss in the Jammu Province of Jammu and Kashmir State.

Among the intercepts received early in October 1947 was the one that read: Gorkhas are still holding out at Sensa. As Gorkha units were part of the Indian Army, and no message had been received that any unit was in trouble, a study was made of the Order of Battle of the Indian Army to ascertain the Gorkha Battalion located in Sensa. There was no such place.....

The following day a further intercept was received: Commander to Commander. Owen captured. Wait until I join you then coordinated attack on Sensa. At about mid-day came another: Commander to Commander. Have received one hundred Poonchies. Arrange rations.

The word Poonchies at last gave a clue. It indicated that the area of operations was not the North-West Frontier Province or Balu-chistan, but Jammu and Kashmir State. As no maps of Jammu and Kashmir were available with the Military Intelligence, a Staff Officer was sent to the Map Depot which handed him the necessary map sheets, but with a note to the effect that stocks of these maps were very limited, the main stock having been collected and taken to Pakistan. The Jammu-Pakistan border was scanned, and first Owen and then Sensa were located. They were both in the Poonch District of Jammu Province. From the locations it was obvious that they were both Jammu and Kashmir State Force border outposts. Only then was it realised that the J&K State Forces enlisted Gorkhas.

Later it transpired that Pakistan had made full preparations for the attack beforehand by suborning the loyalty of the Muslim troops of the 4 J&K Infantry, which had been moved up the road towards the Kashmir Valley which was in imminent danger. Half the troops of the 4 J&K Infantry was Muslim. The other half (the Dogras) was Hindu. To quote Brig. Sen again:

In the early hours of the morning of 22 October, while their Dogra comrades lay sleeping, the Poonchie Muslim troops rose. They drew their weapons from the Company Armouries and trained light automatics and medium machine guns on the barracks occupied by the Dogras, and on their Armouries so that they would be incapable of reaching their weapons. They then moved in and killed their comrades, including Lt. Col. Niranjan Singh who had placed implicit trust in them. This accomplished, they made contact with the tribal convoy which had arrived and lay halted on the Pakistan side of the border. With the town of Muzaffarabad open to them, the tribals swarmed in. Rape, loot and arson engulfed the town. The tribesmen were only brought under control with the promise of even better booty ahead in the Valley. The tribal convoy, now led by the Poonchie Muslims of 4 J & K Infantry, moved up the road towards the Valley.

Brig. Sen then makes an important comment: One might form the impression from these incidents in Jammu and in Muzaffarabad-Domel area that the Muslims of the State had risen against the Government and wished to join Pakistan. Nothing could be further from the truth. Thousands upon thousands of Muslims in the Government, the State Forces and in the National Conference, the political party led by Sheikh Abdullah, braved death in stemming the invasion. Many Muslim officers and men of the J & K State Forces were later absorbed into the Indian Army. Their loyalty is beyond question. It was only a certain number that defected. (Italics mine.B.D.G.)

The besieged Maharajah, Hari Singh, facing imminent defeat and disaster, approached India to send its Army. India, with Jawaharlal Nehru as the Prime Minister, said Indian troops could be sent into Kashmir only if the Maharajah acceded to India. The situation was desperate for Hari Singh, denying him time for taking a decision. He signed the instrument of accession to the Indian Dominion on October 26, 1947. Next day, October 27, Governor-General Lord Mountbatten sent a communication to the Maharajah accepting the accession but with the remark that: It is my Governments wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Jammu and Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader the question of the States accession should be settled by a reference to the people.

But the invadersthat is, Pakistanhave never vacated the land they had occupied, despite a UN resolution specifically calling upon Pakistan to do so. The plebiscite question thus became infructuous. Meanwhile, much water has flown down the Jhelum. The Kashmiris have taken part in the elections in huge numbers every time. Strictly speaking, Pakistan has no locus standi in Jammu and Kashmir. The problem is between India and Kashmir or, to be more precise, between the Indian state and the people of Kashmir. It is Indias failure to sort out this problem that has brought Pakistan into the picture and what was essentially an India-Kashmir issue has now become an India-Pakistan issue.

We will now come to the most important documentthe Instrument of Accession of Kashmir to India which the Maharajah signed.

Instrument of Accession executed by Maharajah Hari Singh on October 26, 1947

Whereas the Indian Independence Act, 1947, provides that as from the fifteenth day of August, 1947, there shall be set up an independent Dominion known as INDIA, and that the Government of India Act 1935, shall with such omissions, additions, adaptations and modifications as the Governor General may by order specify, be applicable to the Dominion of India.

And whereas the Government of India Act, 1935, as so adapted by the Governor General, provides that an Indian State may accede to the Dominion of India by an Instrument of Accession executed by the Ruler thereof.

Now, therefore, I Shriman Inder Mahinder Rajrajeswar Maharajadhiraj Shri Hari Singhji, Jammu & Kashmir Naresh Tatha Tibbet adi Deshadhipati, Ruler of Jammu & Kashmir State, in the exercise of my Sovereignty in and over my said State do hereby execute this my Instrument of Accession and

1. I hereby declare that I accede to the Dominion of India with the intent that the Governor General of India, the Dominion Legislature, the Federal Court and any other Dominion authority established for the purposes of the Dominion shall by virtue of this my Instrument of Accession but subject always to the terms thereof, and for the purposes only of the Dominion, exercise in relation to the State of Jammu & Kashmir (hereinafter referred to as this State) such functions as may be vested in them by or under the Government of India Act, 1935, as in force in the Dominion of India, on the 15th day of August 1947, (which Act as so in force is hereafter referred to as the Act).

2. I hereby assume the obligation of ensuring that due effect is given to provisions of the Act within this State so far as they are applicable therein by virtue of this my Instrument of Accession.

3. I accept the matters specified in the schedule hereto as the matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make law for this State.

4. I hereby declare that I accede to the Dominion of India on the assurance that if an agreement is made between the Governor General and the Ruler of this State whereby any functions in relation to the administration in this State of any law of the Dominion Legislature shall be exercised by the Ruler of the State, then any such agreement shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

5. The terms of this my Instrument of Accession shall not be varied by any amendment of the Act or the Indian Independence Act, 1947, unless such amendment is accepted by me by Instrument supplementary to this Instrument.

6. Nothing in this Instrument shall empower the Dominion Legislature to make any law for this State authorizing the compulsory acquisition of land for any purpose, but I hereby undertake that should the Dominion for the purpose of a Dominion law which applies in this State deem it necessary to acquire any land, I will at their request acquire the land at their expense, or, if the land belongs to me transfer it to them on such terms as may be agreed or, in default of agreement, determined by an arbitrator to be appointed by the Chief Justice of India.

7. Nothing in this Instrument shall be deemed to commit in any way to acceptance of any future Constitution of India or to fetter my discretion to enter into agreement with the Government of India under any such future constitution.

8. Nothing in this Instrument affects the continuance of my Sovereignty in and over this State, or, save as provided by or under this Instrument, the exercise of any powers, authority and rights now enjoyed by me as Ruler of this State or the validity of any law at present in force in this State.

9. I hereby declare that I execute this Instrument on behalf of this State and that any reference in this Instrument to me or to the Ruler of the State is to be construed as including a reference to my heirs and successors.

Given under my hand this 26th day of October, nineteen hundred and forty seven.

Hari Singh, Maharajadhiraj of Jammu and Kashmir State

Schedule I of the Instrument of Accession listed the matters with respect to which the Dominion Lelgislature may make laws for this State. The power of the Indian legislature to make laws was restricted to three subjects: Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications. Kashmir was to have its separate constitution, flag and Head of State (Sadar-i-Riyasat) and Prime Minister. So, when Kashmir acceded to the Indian Dominion, it was on the condition that it was not to be just like any other Province but would retain its special characteristics.

Unfortunately, all Central Governments in New Delhi, whether run by the Congress or the BJP or hotchpotch coalitions, were bent on obliterating these special characteristics and reducing Jammu and Kashmir to the status of any other State of the Indian Union. This was done ostensibly to integrate Kashmir with the rest of India. The more the so-called integration process continued, the more the gulf widened between the people of Kashmir and India. The persistent demand for the abolition of Article 370 of the Constittuion is only accentuating the process of alienation. Earlier, the flag of Kashmir used to be hoisted along with the national flag of India in all official functions in Kashmir. Last year, the BJP Government stopped the hoisting of the Kashmiri flag, further injuring the amour propre of the Kashmiris.

Have we ever asked ourselves why the Indian Army, which was hailed by the Kashmiris in 1947 as their saviour from the Pakistani marauders, is now regarded as a force of occupation? Why has the Kashmiri mind undergone such a sea-change in 69 years?

The answer is obvious. We have refused to recognise the Kashmir problem as a political problem and treated it all along as a law-and-order problem. Every unrest has to be put down with the force of the state. For this purpose, the security forces have been given a blanket cover by the AFSPA. This law empowers the members of the security forces to kill anyone who is merely suspected to be a terrorist or an insurgent and gives them immunity against prosecution in a court of law. So the tendency is to use forcemore and more force. And the use of force is proving more and more counter-productive. The death of every secessionist gives birth to a dozen more. The people of Kashmir are turning against India.

Following Burhans death, Kashmir went through a spell of an undeclared emergency. Local newspaper offices were raided in the dead of the night and their publication stopped. The police swooped on and seized several thousand copies of a newspaper that had reached the hawkers. Internet and mobile phone services were stopped. Local TV channels were shut down. There was a complete news blackout. The Indian media, print and electronic, took care not to report what was actually happening in Kashmir. They only toed the official line that terrorists and secessionists were creating trouble in Kashmir and the Indian state was determined to foil the conspiracy of the Pakistan-sponsored terrorists.

Suppressing anger is not the way to win over a people who have been alienated and are still being alienated. We are losing the battle for the Kashmiri mind. If we cannot reverse the process and set in motion a process of reconciliation, of healing, of winning the confidence of the Kashmiris, it is doubtful how long we shall be able to keep them with us against their wish. There is time yet. Let us recognise that the Kashmir problem is a political problem. Let us set in motion the process of reconciliation and removing the hurt and wounded feelings of the Kashmiris. It is no use blaming Pakistan. Pakistan is no friend of India and has never made secret of its inimical intentions against India. They will take advantage of every situation that can be used to whip up anti-India feelings. It is for us not to create situations Pakistan can exploit. Kashmir for India is not a tract of land but the people who inhabit that land.

The author was a correspondent of The Hindu in Assam. He also worked in Patriot, Compass (Bengali), Mainstream. A veteran journalist, he comes from a Gandhian family and was intimately associated with the RCPI leader, Pannalal Das Gupta.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Segregation in Democracy

Yet another Dalit family was hacked to death because it was suspected to have eaten beef. The laboratory tests of the beef showed that it was some other cattle. Some time ago, the Kerala House in Delhi was attacked by gau rakshaks because beef was served there. But the most shameful aspect is that there was no repentance among the upper castes and even the leaders of the RSS, who are supposed to work for social upliftment, did not utter a word of either condemnation or sorrow.

All religions indulge in social, economic or political discrimination but it is not a part of the religion itself as it is among the Hindus. And for centuries, it is going on without much challenge. There are still certain parts of India where the Dalits cannot use the road or well which are frequented by the upper castes. The worst part is that the funeral ground, which the upper castes use, is exclusive for them.

Islam, which teaches equality, has also been affected and the burial places of those placed high in life cannot be used by ordinary Muslims. In fact, a different kind of caste system prevails in Islam. For example, Sayyds are considered the Brahmins of the community and they practise the same kind of discrimination as the Hindus do when it comes to marriage or death. They refuse to consign the bodies at the common burial ground.

In fact, an ordinary Muslim suffers from both sidesone because he is poor and, two, because he is considered not at par with the well-placed Muslims. Here, the economic factor has come into play. And then it has got mixed with preferences and prejudices, making the poor Muslims plight still more pitiful. True, the Indian Constitution does not allow discrimination on the basis of religion. But it is practised all over and even the police force has come to be contaminated and it connives at the violation of the upper castes without a demur.

The practice has become more glaring and persistent since the advent of Prime Minister Narendra Modis regime. That the upper-caste people have been appointed to key positions in universities and other institutions at the behest of the government make some of the best brains rot. The RSS makes it sure that the people appointed are from the right background to ensure that the Hindutva philosophy is taken as the guideline.

Not long ago, the Pune Film Institute went on strike for months together when its head was replaced by a television artiste who had the blessings of the RSS. The government did not change its decision even in the midst of widespread discontentment. Ultimately, the students had to give in because their career was at peril.

The time has come for introspection. The upper castes have not accepted the presence of Dalits or even members of other backward classes in their midst. The numerous agitations in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh or, for that matter, in other parts of the country have not jolted the conscience of the upper castes. These are the results of the government pursuing with reservations despite the 10-year time-limit set by the Constituent Assembly way back in 1950.

I recall that during the debates of the Constituent Assembly Dr B.R. Ambedkar, a revered Dalit leader, declared that they did not want any reservation. He was persuaded by the assurance that the period will not be more than 10 years. Now the situation is such that as soon as the period is over, Parliament unanimously extends it to another 10 years. No political party, including the Communists, has stood up to resist and say enough was enough. Now that elections in Uttar Pradesh, the largest State in the country, are scheduled to take place in 2017, Dalit leader Mayawati is being wooed by all political parties. She has said that her party would go it alone and there is every possibility that she might return with a majority. Her advantage is that the Dalit voter obediently follows her instruction. She is the only one who can get the Dalit votes transferred to some other community. Even though the Congress has traditionally fought for social justice, Mahatma Gandhi was the only leader who believed in giving equal status to the Dalits. True, they did not like the title Harijan (son of God) given by him because they thought it was too patronising.

Dr Rajendra Prasad, after finishing his task as the President of the Constituent Assembly, was appointed as the Food Minister. He went to Gandhiji to seek his advice on his accommodation. The Mahatma, who was living then in a bhangi (sweeper) colony, told him to live in the cottage next to the one he was residing in. Dr Rajendra Prasad was so horrified over the idea that he went to the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and complained on Gandhijis suggestion.

No legislation is going to help, as has been Indias experience. Ultimately, it depends on the upper castes to change their attitude. They believe in democracy but not in equality which is an integral part of the system. People in the world feel hard to believe that the country, which has sent rocket to the Mars, something which the advanced countries envy, practises discrimination against human beings.

Their horror is glaring when they see that a democratic country, where people queue before the ballot box to choose their leader, cannot get over the prejudice which they have inherited from the time even before the British who divided the society caste-wise and religion-wise to make their rule easy.

Whatever Parliament does to eliminate this malady will not help until the upper castes realise that what they are doing is against the democratic polity which they cherish. The sooner this realisation takes place, the better would it be for the country and its polity.

The author is a veteran journalist renowned not only in this country but also in our neighbouring states of Pakistan and Bangladesh where his columns are widely read. His website is www.kuldipnayar.com
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Conflict of Religions

Religion has emerged as a major source of conflict all across the globe. A perceptive writer points out that ideological strife has now given place to the clash of civilisations and predicts that in the foreseeable future, religion will be a major source of conflict within and among nations. Samuel Huntington asserts that possibi-lities of conflict are greater in what he calls the fault-lines of civilisation, those areas such as India where different cultures and religions do meet. Huntington further asserts that such clashes can be prevented if appropriate strategies are formulated and implemented at an early stage so as to ensure religious harmony.

Europe is the continent that pioneered the modern concept of secular democracy. In Europe today, whilst there is a definite effort to accept multiculturalism and to respect all religions, there is also a perceptive growth of racism and xenophobia. This trend is largely due to the rapidly changing cultural and political landscape in that continent and increased immigration into those countries. The end of the Cold War, the reform of the Welfare State and economic globalisation are transforming the European society and creating a climate of fear and uncertainty. Most Europeans want a solid and stable ground upon which to stand and this, they feel, can be provided by their traditional churches and religion as opposed to new churches and religions. Such a mindset, however, is a step backwards in the cause of religious freedom. The French law is the most sweeping law on religious minorities which currently exists in Europe. It is feared that it may pave the way for religious intolerance in that country. France pursues a restrictive legislation that stigmatises minority religions and associates them with dangerous sects. In June 1995, the French National Assembly established a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission also known as the Gest-Guyard Commisssion, after the names of its chairman and rapporteur respectively. The purpose of the Commission was to study the new religious groups appearing in France and labelled as sects. The Commission identified 172 groups as sects. Several of them are Christian groups originating mainly from the United States but some are organisations closely related to the Indian cultural tradition such as ISKCON, Association of Sri Satya Saibaba, Brahma-kumaris, Sri Ramakrishna Mission, etc. The Justice Ministry issued a directive to all government offices to be vigilant against possible abuses by the sects. All government offices were instructed to monitor potentially abusive sect activities. The only redeeming feature is the widespread international condemnation which this law has received and which may reflect in its actual implementation.

The Parliamentary Commission of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution in June 1999 giving priority to prevention of dangerous sects. The resolution, however, states that major legislation in this direction is undesirable and points out that any such legislation might interfere with the freedom of conscience and religion guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights.

A documentThe challenge of proselytism and the calling to common witnesswas formulated in September 1995 by the Joint Working Group of the World Council of Churches, which represents the major Protestant denomi-nations and the Roman Catholic Church. The document refers to serious concerns about tension and conflicts created by proselytism in nearly all parts of the world. It defines proselytism as a conscious effort with intention to win members of another church. It mentions instances in the developing world in which proselytism takes advantage of peoples misfortunes and situations of poverty in villages, to induce them to change their church affiliation. It calls for awareness of the reality of diversity rooted in theological traditions and in various geographical, historical and cultural contexts and denounces the use of coercive or manipulative methods in evange-lism. The statement rejects all violations of religious freedom and all forms of religious intolerance as well as every attempt to impose belief and practices on others or to manipulate or coerce others in the name of religion. It states: Proselytism can violate or manipulate the rights of the individual and can exacerbate tense and delicate relations between communities and thus destabilise society.

Among the nature and characteristics of proselytism, the document mentions extending explicit or implicit offers of education, health care and material inducements or using financial resources with the intent of making converts and manipulative attitudes and practices that exploit peoples needs, weaknesses or lack of education especially in situations of distress and fail to respect their freedom and human dignity. The statement points out: While our focus in this document is on the relationship between Christians, it is important to seek the mutual application of these principles also in interfaith relations. Both Christians and communities of other faiths complain about unworthy and unacceptable methods of seeking converts from their respective communities. The increased cooperation and dialogue among people of different faiths could result in witness offered to one another that would respect human freedom and dignity and will be free from the negative activities described above.

Organised attempts at mass conversion and re-conversion backed by financial or political power can have an explosive backlash to the point of undermining public order. In India, mainline Christian theologians see both the Sangh ParivarsHindutva ideology and Christian campaigns for evangelisation of India as having a fundamentalist attitude and an aggressive methodology to achieve their respective goals. Most Indian Christian theologians disapprove of organised conversions, favour inter-religious dialogue and express the need to study other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and even tribal faiths, so that Christianity learns from their many valuable spiritual insights.

Organised drives for conversion and recon-version should stop. They violate the Consti-tution of India. Yet, specific legislation such as anti-conversion laws can only promote religious intolerance and animosity, may be misused by executive authorities and is not justified from the very limited positive results obtained. The government should rather, in a subtle manner, promote an agreement among the religious heads of all the major faiths in the country to stop proselytism. Given the positive mindset of theologians belonging to the different religions prevailing in India, this is very much possible.

The following steps should be taken to ensure religious peace and harmony in India:

 Formulate a national policy and an action plan to combat religious intolerance, including proselytism, and create an independent national institution for this purpose.

 Ensure that adequate training and awareness programmes about religion and religious harmony are formulated for young leaders at all levels and government officials, particularly the police and other law enforcement agencies, judges, teachers and social workers.

 Assure all victims of religious intolerance adequate support and speedy administrative and judicial remedies.

 Combat all forms of expression which incite sectarian hatred and take action against dissemination of such material in the media, including the Internet.

 Counter social exclusion and marginalisation in particular by providing adequate access to all citizens to education, health and employment.

 Pay specific attention to development of vulnerable groups such as tribals and other weaker sections, and those who suffer discrimination on different grounds.

 Protect the religious, ethnic and linguistic identity of persons belonging to minorities.

 Provide effective access to all citizens, including religious minorities, to the decision-making process in society.

The author, a former Union Minister, is currently based in Goa.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > To Overcome Societal Inequalities and Deep-seated Prejudices: Need for (...)

by M.Hamid Ansari

The following is the text of Vice-President M. Hamid Ansaris Valedictary Address at the Centenary Celebrations of Mysuru University (July 22, 2016).

One hundred years is an important milestone in the life of any institution. For a university, which ignites the light of knowledge in the minds of women and men, it is especially so. For the past hundred years, your university has been contributing to the making of Indias knowledge society. Thousands of students and scholars have passed through these hallowed portals.

The genesis of this university lay in the extraordinary vision of two individuals, the then Maharaja of Mysore, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, and Sir M. Visvesvaraya, one of the most brilliant engineering minds that India has produced. It was the first university in India outside of the British governed areas. Today, it has grown into one of Indias largest, providing higher education to about 85 thousand students, of which over 10,000 are Postgraduates. Some 1400 students from 50 foreign countries are also enrolled at the picturesque main campus and various satellite and extension facilities.

The University has an excellent track record in research, especially in the field of micro-biology, and it is no surprise that it has out-standing rankings in the NAAC surveys. Your success, and your reputation as a centre of excellence, is due to the efforts and excellence of the faculty and the hard work of students. On this historic day, I congratulate you all.

The value of universities has long been understood across different cultures and societies. In this age of Information, few would dispute the importance of universities. Universities are seen as crucial national assets in addressing policy priorities, as sources of new knowledge and innovative thinking and as providers of skilled personnel.



However, recent events in our own country have shown that there is much confusion about what a university should or should not be. It is pertinent therefore to examine in some detail what the role of a university should be in our society in its present circumstance as well as its future trajectory.

The term university originates from the Latin word universitassimply meaning a whole. Universities, therefore, are meant to deal with the universality of knowledge and humanity in all its manifestationsphysical, biological, mental, emotionalboth objective and subjectiveas well as all aspects of social, cultural and economic organisations and interactions.

The idea of a university, wrote Cardinal Newman in the late 19th century, is to be deter-mined without recourse to any authority and should be based on human wisdom. It should be a place for the diffusion and extension of knowledge, adding that an academic system without the personal influence of teachers upon pupils is an arctic winter; it will create an ice-bound, petrified, cast-iron university, and nothing else.

A High Level Task-Force constituted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the World Bank in the year 2000 to deliberate upon the nature of Universities in the 21st century identi-fied some important roles for the universities. These included:

 Unlock potential at all levels of society, helping talented people to gain advanced training whatever their background;

 Create a pool of highly trained individuals that attains a critical size and becomes a key national resource;

 Address topics whose long term value to society is thought to exceed their current value to students and employers;

 Provide space for the free and open discussion of ideas and values.

Speaking about the role of modern univer-sities last year, the President of the Copenhagen Business School, Per Holten-Andersen, similarly, identified four classical and one modern function of the university:

 To act as knowledge vaults or the repository of the knowledge of mankind, maintaining and securing crucial knowledge for present and future generations;

 To generate new Knowledgeto undertake the activity that we call research;

 To transfer Knowledge to the Next Generation, or what we call education;

 To transfer Knowledge to Society, or what can be called dissemination; and

 To generate economic development by playing an integral role in furthering economic growth.

In the last few decades, increasing importance has been attributed to this fifth goal. However, the addition of economic development to the accepted role of universities should be about augmenting the role and purpose of universities. To see universities simply as instruments for immediate economic benefit would be a fundamental error. To confine universities to such a mechanical place in the progress of society is to diminish them.

The universities, even as they valiantly play the role of growth engines of the society have a larger, long-term and transformative role to play. The transformative potential of universities is most acutely needed in societies like India where we struggle against societal inequalities and deep-seated prejudices.

Our Constitution, in its Preamble, promises to the citizen of our republic social, economic and political justice as well as equality of status and of opportunity. It seeks to promote fraternity among them while assuring liberty of thought and expression. Universities can be agents of social justice and mobility. They can foster fraternity and must contribute to social and cultural vitality and building an egalitarian society.

Some ways in which universities can contri-bute to these goals would include

 Universities are seen as progenitors of useful knowledge. But this knowledge cannot always be limited to serving immediate needs, whether technical or social. A university that moulds itself only to present demands is one that is not listening to its historians. Todays preoccupations are inevitably myopic, often ephemeral, giving little thought for tomorrow. History is at its most illuminating when written with the full consciousness of what people wrongly expected to happen. Even in the domain of technology, future developments only a few years away have been shrouded from contemporary eyes. Many, possibly most, have arisen unexpectedly from research with other objectives, and assessments of techno-logical potential have invariably missed the mark. One of the roles of the university, thus, is to prepare knowledge that an unpredic-table future may need.

 Universities are also forums of free speech and debate. The long term viability and stability of a democratic polity is crucially dependent on the maintenance and develop-ment of the educational level of our population, and on the individuals ability to form independent and enlightened opinions. The universities can act as both the weather vanes and safety-valves of political dissent and direction. Suppression of such discourse only breeds mistrust, and begets social malcontent.

 The inculcation of general knowledge and learnedness, which are the classical roles of the university have strong and long-term economic impacts on our societies in the form of increased trust, transparency, ability to handle change and social cohesion. Erosion of social cohesion can have massive personal, social, as also economic costs.

I am sure that this University, one of the premier institutions of the country, will continue to play its role as a neutral assembler of talent; that of an unmatched idea factory where the passion, creativity and idealism of young minds can be applied to meeting the transitional needs of our society, polity and economy. May your success continue to inspire you to ever greater heights. I wish you all the very best for the future.

Jai Hind.
Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2016 > Grim Scenario on Eve of a Milestone

Editorial

As we approach yet another Independence Day, it has a special significance for all of us. For, next Monday we shall observe our seventieth Independence Day.

Ever since the BJP, headed by PM Narendra Modi and party President Amit Shah, came to power at the Centre with absolute majority in the Lok Sabha two years ago, that is, in May 2014, there have been concerted attempts to attack minorities turning them into outsiders. First came the spate of communal riots in UP, most notably in Muzaffarnagar; thereafter communal violence was reported from Haryanas Ballabhgarh. Subsequently a Muslim gentleman, Mohammad Akhlaq, was lynched near his residence in Dadri, quite near our Capital city, on the mere suspicion that he had stored beef in his fridge. These incidents, constituting a direct and frontal attack on our secular democracy, have caused irreparable damage to the pluralist culture guaranteed by our Constitution. What is more, these have engendered a sense of insecurity among the minorities that are proving difficult to dispel.

Lately the Dalits have become the targets of the Hindutva forces. This was magnified by the public flogging of Dalits in Gujarats Una district for having skinned a dead cow. This sparked massive Dalit outrage all across the State. Hindu majoritarian attacks on Dalits in UP (and on Muslims in Madhya Pradesh) on similar lines have generated deep resentment among the Dalit community. The PM, who remained silent over such incidents when those first hit the headlines, has lately denounced those attacks in no uncertain terms. But this has deeply antagonised the so-called gau-rakshaks much to the discomfiture of the BJP-RSS. Yet Modi knows that if he continues to adopt the same mauni -baba stance he had taken earlier, it could be disastrous and deleterious for the BJP in the forthcoming State Assembly polls. It is also not fortuitous that Modis denunciation of the cow vigilantes came the day the New York Times carried an editorial asking the PM to break his shameful silence on the misdeeds of the perpetrators of such crimes.

However, what is most reprehensible is that influential sections of the media, primarily the corporate-driven electronic media, are playing a despicable role in this regard: instead of condemning the cow vigilantes in unambiguous terms, they have adopted a posture of silence emulating the authorities, at least till the time Modi decided to speak out on the issue. What does this indicate? Watchdog transforming into lapdog for selfish interests?

Meanwhile the situation in the Kashmir Valley has lately worsened primarily because of the mishandling of the unfolding events by the authorities, both at the State level and the Centre. Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah has aptly pointed out that the prevailing situation was not the handiwork of Pakistan which was only fishing in troubled waters. However, the Centre and strategic community alongwith sections of the media are hellbent on plugging the jingoist line without any trace of a self-critical attitude.

Independence, like democracy and peace, is indivisible. If freedom in any part of the country is imperilled, it cannot be secure elsewhere. Hence what is imperative is that the situation must be brought under control forthwith by revoking all strong-arm measures employed by the security forces and resuming the political dialogue. But for that to happen the government must bring about a qualitative change in its approach. The question is: is the present government under Modi at the Centre capable of taking such a step? If it is incapable of doing so, it must be removed from power through the united endeavours of all secular-democratic forces. There is no alternative to this course of action if our national unity and social cohesion are to be preserved.

Indeed a grim scenario stares us in the face on our seventieth Independence Day.

August 11 S.C.
Most of us might be familiar with slogans such as water is life, water changes life, you are 60% water. Save 60% of yourself etc. Yet, several reports remark that more than 748 million people do not have access to clean water worldwide. The United Nations global study informs us that unsafe water accounts for around 80 percent of diseases and 30 percent of deaths in developing countries throughout the world. Experts note that 3.4 million people die each year from water related disease. To put things in perspective, this is like the size of Los Angeles population dying every year. According to the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) almost 2,000 children die daily from illnesses like diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera caused by dirty water and unhygienic living conditions. Chad suffers from these water borne and based diseases every year as well.

As reflected in the above picture, its unthinkable the water villagers or mainly people in remote areas of Chad are forced to drink. According to the country demographic and health survey of 2009 (Enquete Demographique et de Sante au Tchad-EDST) only 36% of the entire population has access to clean water. In various places, people use water from traditional wells, wadis (dried-out river beds, pound) as their source of water. Due to water shortage and scarce, women and children from rural areas spend hours travelling to the water sources carrying heavy containers (usually calabashes, jerry cans, plastic bottles, canisters etc.) just to fetch for water that is often unclean. Water from some of these sources has a murky brown color with major health risks. Its not only contaminated by sand and dirt but sometimes with animal feces too. The consequences to this uncleaned water along with contaminated food result in dangerous outbreak of hepatitis E and others diseases mentioned above leading to several deaths every year. Though, rural communities are the most affected, even Ndjamena the capital city suffers from water shortage, unsafe water and from the related diseases.

Despite this clean water crisis along with the borne-diseases and lack of effective sanitation services causing so many deaths among the population each year, the regime makes political claims to portray Ndjamena, the capital city as the vitrine of Africa or the face of Africa. This is an unrealistic dream or a utopia for a lot of us and for those acquainted with the country conditions. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, but its realistically impossible given where this regime priorities lie and its record in the 26 years of the ruling of our country. The development, in my humble opinion, is health and education first. Lets work to bring clean water to all Chadians and tackle these diseases which are the main cause of preventable illness and premature deaths, with children being particularly vulnerable.

With all that being said how could we have met the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2015 when we are still far from providing sustainable access to clean water to the whole country or at the least to the vast majority of the population? Even though its frustrating, it makes sense why we have met none of the MDGs. To these days, Chads social development indicators have barely moved and we are listed at the bottom of basically all the UNs development index reports.

In 26 years of ruling, there hasnt been a committed economic development agenda clearly aimed at addressing the water crisis in Chad. According to several reports, this water crisis like many others problems is solvable but bad governance has rendered this impossible. With Chad entering the group of oil production countries in 2003, there was hope back then. Unfortunately, that hope has turned into mirage and simple disappointment. Access to clean water, which is the main factor to improving the maternal and child health, and a key to eradicating poverty in Chad, remains a myth.

Its a secret to no one in the country that the government of Chad is plagued with corruption and known for its mismanagement of resources. Most of the oil revenue has been spent on the military equipment. Chad is known today as the most equipped and strongest army in Africa while most Chadians live on less than $ 1.00/day. A lot of people live below the poverty line, suffer malnutrition and lack basic health care services because they dont exist. Its important to point that the army on which most resources are allocated is mainly composed of the president family and its used for propaganda purposes. The regime uses the military very often to repress any peaceful protests. Because Chad army has intervened several times in the fight against terrorism in the region, western countries (USA and France) perceive president Deby as an ally they should support by all means despite the country demand for change after 26 years of one of the worst dictatorships in our history. Fight against terrorism has overshadowed the cry from Chadian people to be free from a dictator blindly supported by the overall international community. The country money and resources are considered property of a tiny group of people, especially the president family and circle of close friends. We live in Chad a very strange situation where certain individuals are wealthier than the whole country. For instance, last year the presidents younger brother had to lend the government money to pay its civil servants. Can you believe that? Only in Chad such a practice exists.

As I mentioned in the previous article, no protest is authorized in Chad under the current regime. People have no right to protest. In the region of Fianga in South of Chad, a group of women carrying canisters on their heads walked to the governor residency one day just to ask for clean water. They were fired on by the military. This was a peaceful protest from mothers who chose to express their concerns for the most basic need because their children were suffering and dying from water related diseases. This was not a protest politically motivated to encounter such a level of violence from the military forces. But this was exactly what happened. It again shows the ruthlessness and brutality of this regime. What the people of chad are living is beyond describable.

Just before I began writing this piece, I talked to one of my fellow Chadians here in the states who has been very active doing what he can to provide certain areas in South of Chad with clean water. With the assistance of a few American friends, they have been able to supply certain villages with clean water. They did help dig wells, train villagers on the basic techniques of making chlorine water to treat their wells and any other sources of water. This year, they sent about 20 chlorine generators to Chad. As I am typing this, the equipment has been confiscated at the Chad international airport by the customs department because they asked for a huge amount of fee before they can release the equipment. Hearing the news, our fellow is very discouraged and decided to just leave the equipment with them because he does not have the money to pay for the exorbitant fee required. Hes embarrassed and doesnt know how to report what is happening that to the team that help with this project. This shows how this administration is not there to help the people of Chad but to destroy and ruin them instead. This is an initiative to help where the government has failed. Yet, the administration comes not support but to stand of way of providing clean water for its people. This is just an example among many that shows that the claim for change from people of Chad for change is legit and deserves all the attention and support needed.

Facing a regime that has been oppressing its people for 26 years and totally incapable of supplying the basic needs despite the country oil production since 2003 its time for us to stand and fight for change. Please join us in spreading the word. Communication is power and informing others is my way of resisting. And we all know every drop in the ocean counts. For those interested in knowing more about the water project I mentioned earlier, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will put you in touch with that team. Thanks and stay tuned for the next chapter.

8/14/16

Compatriote Mbaidanem

USA
We still have weeks to go before Labor Day, which used to mark the unofficial start of the general election season, but we couldn't blame you if you already were fed up with the politicking.

It does seem as if electioneering has become a year-round activity. No wonder you might be weary of it already.

And it also is true that the races at the top of the ballot have been uninspiring at best. The presidential race seems to be a contest to see who can hit bottom first. The Oregon gubernatorial race has yet to spark much passion, although it may yet sneak in a surprise or two along the way.

So it's possible that you are not among those Oregon residents who are looking forward to that day in mid-October when your ballot arrives in the mail. In fact, you may have already decided that you're not even going to open the envelope when it arrives.

That decision on your part may be understandable. But it still would be a mistake. Here's why:

Even if you're disgusted by the tenor of the presidential race thus far (and are holding out little hope that it will improve in the months to come), that race isn't the most important one on the Oregon ballot in November. Other races lower on the ballot will have considerably more importance to your day-to-day life.

So here's a strategy to keep in mind in the weeks before Election Day: When your ballot arrives, open the envelope (that's the critical first step).

And then turn immediately to the back pages.

That's where you'll find a series of important local and state measures that really will make a difference. In Linn County, for example, the ballot will include a variety of measures regarding whether recreational marijuana will be sold in the county and in a number of the county's cities and towns. Governmental bodies have referred to the ballot their intent to ban those sales. You get to say whether those bans will stand. (If they don't  and we think the vote will be close in some of the county's cities  voters also will be asked to OK a 3 percent tax on marijuana sales.)

Also near the back of the ballot, you'll find a series of important state measures. Among those is the controversial Measure 97, which would impose a gross-receipts tax on some of the state's largest corporations. That particular measure is the most important one on the state's ballot. You need to vote on that one.

Other state measures include one that would earmark additional state money to high schools to bolster their career and technical education offerings and another one to allocate money that has been going to state economic development efforts to pay for Outdoor School experiences for students statewide. You'll want to weigh in on both of those measures.

And we haven't even gotten to the part of the ballot that contains local and county races. These are races in which a handful of votes can make all the difference. It would be a shame if you didn't get a chance to add your voice to those races.

Don't misunderstand us: It is, of course, important who becomes the next president. But we also understand the frustration that many of you are feeling about that race and other top-of-the-ballot races. We understand how that frustration can lead to a decision to simply skip voting this time around. But don't let that frustration allow your voice to be silenced on issues with real local importance. (mm)
Trident Maritime Systems (Trident), a portfolio company of J.F. Lehman & Company (JFLCO), signed a definitive agreement to acquire Callenberg Technology Group (Callenberg) from Wilhelmsen Maritime Services AS.

Callenberg designs, assembles, integrates, and supports HVAC, electrical energy management, and insulation systems for commercial and government vessels around the world. It is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden and employs approximately 900 employees in 14 countries.

Trident is an independent provider of turnkey marine joiner, distributed, electro-mechanical, and power, propulsion and control systems and solutions for government and commercial customers both in the U.S. and internationally. Completion of the sale is expected to take place later in 2016.
BBC Chartering announces the re-launch of its presence in Denmark with a new representative office in Esbjerg opening August 15, 2016.



Global wind power saw an unprecedented growth recently, for the first time crossing 60 GW in new capacity installments in 2015. Consequently shipping volumes for the sector have increased significantly over the last two years, observed Svend Andersen, CEO of BBC Chartering. Its imperative for us to support the industry in Denmark, which is a core market and home to decision

makers supplying wind power components globally.



As the carriers 33rd location, BBC Chartering in Esbjerg will directly cooperate with BBC Chartering in Bremen, Germany which is also focusing on wind power customers. Both entities are steered from the companys European operating hub and global headquarter in Leer, Germany.



Mads Poulsen, who transferred from BBC Chartering Singapore, was appointed as regional Sales & Chartering Manager for the Esbjerg office. Contact details of the new office are:



BBC Chartering GmbH

Representative Office Esbjerg

Kirkegade 18, 1.

DK-6700 Esbjerg, Denmark




Kiel is today (Saturday, 13th Aug.) celebrating the arrival of its 2,500th cruise ship visitor Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth, which berthed this morning to mark the event. The President of the City of Kiel, Hans-Werner Tovar paid tribute to the occasion during a reception at the Ostseekai Cruise Terminal.



2500 visits are an enormous accomplishment and one achieved over many years of partnership and co-operation involving the port itself, shipping companies and service providers. I am proud that Kiel is one of the leading cruise shipping ports in northern Europe, he said.



To commemorate the 2500th visit, an artists wooden sculpture of a pile mooring was unveiled at the terminal. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the Port of Kiel (Seehafen Kiel GmbH & Co. KG) said sea tourism has grown faster than most other sectors and cruises are today one of our ports most important businesses.



Anja Tabarelli, who is the Sales and Marketing Director of Cunard Lines in Germany, said Kiel is my home town and so I am personally very pleased that we are able to celebrate this anniversary with our Queen Elizabeth. When she called here for the first time in July 2012 as the youngest of the Cunard Queens she was celebrated by the people of Kiel into the early hours of the morning. You could say that there is already a very special relationship between the ship and the port, with the result that we are always happy to come back here. We will do that next year as well and we look forward to our call on June 21st 2017 and to celebrating with our guests and the people of Kiel.



A total 4.5 million cruise ship passengers have to date travelled to and from Kiel. Because of its investment in Berth 1 in the Ostuferhafen, Kiel has, since 2014, also been able to accept three big and several smaller cruise ships all at the same time. Dirk Claus said, We are in a very good position with our terminal facilities. The developments of the past year and an increase in passenger totals of nearly 30% point this up.
Indian Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari has layed the foundation stone for a multi-modal terminal at Varanasi.

The phase-I of the multi-modal terminal will be built by AFCONS Infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs.170 crore and is slated to completed by August 2018.

The terminal will have road and rail connectivity with proposed links on NH-7 and Jeonathpur railway station respectively, the Union Shipping Ministry said in a statement.

The cargo handling capacity of the Terminal on completion of Phase 1 is estimated to be 1.2 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA). The cargo that will be handled at the Terminal includes stone chips, cement, food grains, fertilisers, sugar etc.

The Terminal will have facilities including berthing space for two vessels simultaneously, storage area, transit shed, parking areas, among others. The Terminal will also have a floating jetty for passenger transportation.
Russia said on Monday it had started planned tactical exercises in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea to test the ability of the Navy to act in crisis situations of a terrorist nature.



A naval strike group would carry out live-fire exercises according to a scenario that was "as close as possible" to a real attack, the ministry said in a statement on its website.





Reporting by Lidia Kelly
The Coast Guard rescued three fishermen from a liferaft 8 miles west of Cape Blanco at 1:15 p.m., Sunday.



The three fishermen, reportedly uninjured, are aboard a Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat en route to Station Coos Bay, located in Charleston, after abandoning their fishing vessel when it started taking on water.



Coast Guard watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a mayday call from the fishing vessel McCalis, homeported in Charleston, over VHF-FM radio channel 16 at 11:54 a.m. The fishing crew reported their fishing vessel was taking on water through the fish hold and the dewatering pumps were not keeping up. The crew also announced their intention to abandon ship.



Sector North Bend directed the launch of 47-foot MLBs from search and rescue detachments Coquille River operated by Station Coos Bay personnel and Rogue River operated by personnel from Station Chetco River in Brookings. An aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Sector North Bend also launched to assist the fishermen. Both the aircrew and MLB crew from Coquille River arrived on scene at about the same time but with only about 300 feet of visibility due to fog, the boatcrew picked up the fishermen.



"The rescue was successful because of the quick notification via VHF-FM radio and a properly functioning liferaft aboard the fishing vessel," said Petty Officer 3rd Class KC Kline, operations specialist, Sector North Bend. "These types of situations are the reason commercial fishing vessels are required to be inspected by the Coast Guard."



The hometown of the fishermen is unknown.


Kelvin Hughes has been awarded the contract for the second phase of a radar system installation by the Port of Marseille Fos in Southern France.

The Enfield-based company supplied five SBS-700 radar systems earlier this year that were integrated with the port's Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). The second phase has seen two more, identical models installed and commissioned at the port in July.

Kelvin Hughes' SBS-700 radar system is specifically designed to meet the requirements of a Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system as defined in IALA recommendation V-128. Each X-band system supplied will feature a combination of the SBS 700-1, single transceiver, and the SBS 700-2, dual redundant transceiver. Incorporating an enhanced magnetron transmitter. The SBS-700 features a high dynamic range, a low-noise front end and a FET modulator.

Kelvin Hughes has established itself not just as a technology innovator but also a reliable partner to the worlds navies, coastguards and merchant shipping companies. Founded more than 250 years ago, the company also provides effective, specialist navigation and surveillance systems to security agencies responsible for safeguarding borders, coastlines and critical national infrastructure.

The Port of Marseille is one of the largest and busiest ports along the Mediterranean coastline. It comprises two separate harbors with the Eastern harbor located in the city of Marseille and measuring 1,000 hectaers. The Western harbor is twelve times larger and is situated in Fos, 70 km from the town. Marseille Fos is France's leading port and handles everything from hydrocarbons and bulk liquids (oil, gas and chemical products) to bulk solids (minerals and cereals), general cargo (containers and other packaging). It is also a major cruise ship terminal.
Container spot freight rates from Asia to Northern Europe fell 10.5 percent to $771 per twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) last week, data from the Shanghai Shipping Exchange showed.



Specifics of the Intermodal news include:

Freight rates from Asia to ports in the Mediterranean fell 19.2 percent to $699 per TEU

Freight rates from Asia to the U.S. West Coast fell 4.1 percent to $1,225 per forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU)

Freight rates from Asia to the U.S. East Coast fell 6.2 percent to $1,768 per FEU



Maersk Line, a unit in Danish shipping and oil group A.P. Moller-Maersk, is the market leader with a global market share of around 15 percent. It controls around 20 percent on the world's busiest routes between Asia and Northern Europe (Reporting by Copenhagen newsroom
For the tanker market, in particular for VLCCs, increasing Middle East OPEC production is typically a good sign.

Poten and Partners in its Shipbrokers Reports says that does not appear to be the case at this particular moment, since the tanker market is mired in a slump with rates hitting multi-year lows.

Is this an (temporary) aberration or has the traditional link between Middle East OPEC production and VLCC rates been broken?

The tanker market in general and the VLCC market in particular were going up in unison with Middle East OPEC production through the end of 2015.

While crude oil exports from the Arabian Gulf continued to increase, VLCC rates started to weaken. There are several reasons for this apparent disconnect.

Firstly, the source of most of the incremental crude in 2016 is Iran, which boosted production and exports when international sanctions were lifted earlier this year. However, the Iranians also own a significant VLCC fleet, which gradually re-entered the international markets at the same time.

Secondly, oil import demand growth in China has started to level off in 2016 as economic growth is slowing. Throughout 2015, crude oil imports in China were also underpinned by a desire to build up strategic petroleum reserves. As the tanks are filling up, this supplementary demand (estimated to be around 250,000 b/d) is dissipating.

Another factor has to do with the declining output from Venezuela. Since most of PDVSAs exports are currently transported to long-haul destinations in China, India and Singapore, a reduction in output can have a profound impact on ton-mile demand.

Last, but not least, fleet growth has resumed, leading to more tonnage availability.

In conclusion, we dont believe that the link between VLCC rates and OPEC exports is permanently broken. The long-haul trades from the Middle East will remain the bread and butter for the large tanker segment for decades to come. Oil demand will continue to grow and the fleet size will adjust.

Throw in some geopolitical event and the market can turn unexpectedly.
Danish conglomerate A. P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, the worlds largest container shipping company, has voiced its concern as a potential shift in U.S. policy threatens to reduce global trade, reports Bloomberg.

Maersk group's chief financial officer Trond Westlie said any steps in a more protectionist direction would clearly hurt global economic growth.

No matter how the U.S. presidential election ends, it probably wont have an effect on the contracts we have and the employment exposure we have in the U.S., says the company.

Trade barriers weaken global growth, Westlie said. Low trade barriers not only help trade growth, but also economic growth.

Maersk transports about 15 percent of the manufactured goods that are sent across the globe each year, making it the worlds biggest container shipping line.

Trade barriers should be reduced as much as possible, Westlie said. That opinion stands whether were talking about Brexit or the U.S., but also for tariffs in Africa or South America, for example. So it counts for all countries, not just individual ones.
The U.S. Coast Guard is responding to an incident involving a motor vessel that grounded in the Columbia River near Skamokawa, Washington, Friday night.

The motor vessel Rosco Palm, a 751-foot Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship reportedly ran aground at 7:49 p.m. on Friday night, refloated, moved to a few miles upstream to mitigate collision risk and then grounded while at anchor on sand bottom while waiting for first light assessment.

The vessel has refloated with the tide at 7:40 am and there is no indication of pollution being discharged. The vessel is transiting to an anchorage with pilot and tug assist. An MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew conducted an overflight of the vessel on Friday night and will conduct another overflight as weather conditions permit.

"We are fully engaged with our port partners to ensure we are responding to this event with the appropriate resources needed to minimize potential negative impacts to both natural resources and commerce" said Lt. Cmdr. Karen Denny, inspections division chief, Marine Safety Unit Portland. "We will continue to monitor the situation and respond as necessary with our partners from the Washington and Oregon along with local response teams."

A Columbia River Pilot is aboard the vessel and tugs are assisting the vessel transit upstream to verify the integrity of the hull and propulsion system.

The cause of the grounding is unknown at this time and will be investigated.
LEBANON  At 10:32 a.m. Sunday, the Lebanon Fire District was dispatched to a four-vehicle accident at milepost 9 on Highway 20, north of Lebanon.

The dispatch was for a head-on collision involving an eastbound SUV towing a boat and a westbound car. Another westbound pickup hauling a camping trailer crashed into the boat and a fourth vehicle, a small car, hit the truck and camping trailer.

Two people were transported to Lebanon Community Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Both lanes of Highway 20 were shut down for an hour.

Lebanon Fire District responded with one chief, one engine, and two ambulances.

The Lebanon Fire District was assisted on scene by Oregon State Police and the ODOT incident response team. Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District and Albany Fire Department covered Lebanon's District during the event
South Koreas Kogas (Korea Gas Corporation) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Mexican state of Yucatan to construct an liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and gas pipelines that would be worth up to $1.5 billion in a package deal.

The LNG terminal will be built in the port city of Progreso in Yucatan, and gas pipe lines will be installed between the terminal to cities such as Merida and Cancun to supply LNG gas. The project is expected to be worth in between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

The MOU was signed August 9 by Kogas president and the governor of the state.

According to Reuters, Kogas intends to conduct a feasibility study looking into demand for gas in the region before making a decision to move forward with the project.
A team of eight salvors is now making its way on board the drilling rig Transocean Winner which is currently grounded off the Isle of Lewis.



Theyll now be carrying out a full assessment of the rig and intend to work to make it habitable so that they can remain on it overnight. Theres also work being done to help provide a supply line for the team so they can get equipment and supplies on board.



Rope access technicians have created a safe alternative access after the prevailing weather conditions made it too difficult to winch the team down to the installation.



The team from Transocean and Smit will look at the diesel oil tanks looking at how they might start procedures to transfer any fuel to other unbreached tanks within the rig so that it will be in a safe location well above the waterline, before any operation to refloat the rig commences.



Theres also work going on in close proximity to the Transocean Winner to carry out a multi-beam survey looking to identify the safest route to move it when the time comes.



An additional aircraft is going to be brought in later today to help with the work.



An exclusion zone of 300 metres remains in place around the rig covering the sea and the air, which means no drones will be permitted in the area, providing a safe working area for the salvage team to work in.



Hugh Shaw, who is the Secretary of States representative for maritime salvage and intervention, said: Once the assessment is under way, well have a much better idea of what we are dealing with, which will mean a more detailed salvage plan can be drawn up and put into place. Weve made a commitment to keeping people informed locally and we intend to keep to that  once Im happy that the plan is ready, we will be sharing it with community leaders and the community as a whole.




Parker Bestobell Marine, a supplier of cryogenic valves and part of Parker, a leader in motion and control technologies, has received a major new order from DSME (Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering) in South Korea to supply cryogenic valves for three new vessels.

The companys valves will be used in the cargo handling systems, including the main discharge line that controls the initial flow of LNG from the cargo tanks when pumping starts. The three vessels are part of the Yamal series of Arc7 ice-class LNG (liquefied natural gas) carriers that will be operated in Arctic winter conditions. Parker Bestobell Marine previously supplied the first vessel in the series with its cryogenic globe and check valves, and that vessel will be the only one owned by Sovcomflot of Russia.

The on-deck valves will be subjected to extreme sub-zero temperatures, which is not an issue with Parkers cryogenic valves that are designed to operate down to -196C. For added protection, Parker Bestobell Marine will supply covers for the headworks to protect the exposed parts of the valves.



Due to the arctic conditions that the LNG Carriers will operate in, it is not possible to use actuators which operate via hydraulic oil due to viscosity issues. As a result, Parker Bestobell Marine innovated within its valve design to ensure that the valves could operate efficiently using electric actuators. These will be the first LNG carriers to have electric actuators fitted to globe valves.

There are fifteen ships set to be built in this series, by DSME for three different owners: MOL (Japan), Teekay (Canada) and Dynagas (Greece).

The ships are designed specifically for the LNG Yamal project in Russian Siberia. The fifteen Arc7 ice-class gas carriers will operate in Arctic conditions, with temperatures as low as -54C. They will be required to independently navigate ice more than two meters thick.

Russian gas producer Novatek holds an 80% stake in the Yamal LNG project, with the remaining 20% stake owned by Totally. After 2018, the Yamal LNG project is expected to produce 16.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year.
US Presidential Election 2016: Liberty Loses No Matter Who Wins

For all the hand-wringing about the threat to liberty and constitutional government posed by the major party presidential candidates, there is little discussion of how this threat is due to the political class's long history of supporting expanded presidential power. There is also little talk of how the imperial presidency is just as much a creation of Congress as it is of power-hungry presidents.

Since war is the health of the state, it is not surprising that presidential power expanded in tandem with the expansion of the warfare state. Perhaps the best, and most terrifying, example of how "national security" has been used to justify giving the president dictatorial powers is the Defense Production Act.

This law, which is regularly renewed with large bipartisan congressional majorities, grants the president broad powers over the economy. For example, it explicitly authorizes the president to tell manufacturers what products to make, impose wage and price controls, "manage" labor relations, control the use of natural resources, and even allocate credit. All the president need do to exercise these powers is declare a national emergency.

The Defense Production Act is hardly the only example of congress's complicity in the growth of presidential power. For example, Congress rarely, if ever, insists that the president seek a formal declaration of war before commencing military action. When I attempted to force Congress to vote on a declaration of war against Iraq, a prominent member of Congress, who was considered a constitutional scholar, told me that the constitutional requirement that Congress declare war was an "anachronism."

Many neoconservatives claim that the president's status as commander in chief gives him the inherent authority to take whatever actions he deems necessary for national security. This turns a limited grant of power intended to preserve civilian control of the military into an unlimited authorization for military control of civilians.

Presidents have hardly limited their abuse to foreign policy. Ironically, many conservatives who (correctly) oppose abuses of presidential authority in the domestic sphere support giving the president unlimited authority over "national security." These conservatives fail to realize unfettered presidential discretion in foreign policy will inevitably lead to presidential usurpation of Congress's authority in domestic matters.

Modern presidents routinely use executive orders to create new laws or rewrite existing statutes. President George W. Bush regularly usurped congressional authority via signing statements listing the parts of congressionally-passed legislation he would refuse to enforce.

In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama actually bragged about his intention to use his "pen and phone" to go around Congress via executive orders and regulations. Some members of Congress do criticize presidential usurpation of congressional authority. However, few members of Congress raise concerns about presidential overreach when the White House is occupied by a member of their political party. This suggests that most legislators are more concerned with partisanship than with protecting their constitutional authority.

As long as people expect the president to provide economic and personal security, the presidency will be a threat to liberty regardless of who holds the office. Therefore, instead of obsessing over whether demagogue A is less dangerous than demagogue B, we must focus on spreading the ideas of liberty. Only when a critical mass of the people demand it will we return to limited constitutional government. The growth of the liberty movement gives me hope that we will soon see a day when our peace, prosperity, and liberty is not threatened by the results of the presidential, or any other, election.



Buy Ron Paul's latest book, Swords into Plowshares, here.

Dr. Ron Paul

Project Freedom

Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Ron Paul Archive

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MARTINSVILLE-The Henry-Martinsville Health Department and city police department have partnered to let residents know about Zika and mosquito prevention.

Starting the first weekend in August and continuing every weekend until Labor Day, from 9 a.m. to noon Near Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps volunteer members and some city police officers are going door to door/canvassing specifically assigned neighborhoods to distribute door hangers (in both English and Spanish), as well as provide some basic information about mosquito control and prevention of Zika, Dr. Jody Hershey, director of the West Piedmont Health District, said in an email.

This is a really unique model that incorporates both community policing and public health -- a win-win situation for both departments, Hershey said.

According to Hershey and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zika disease is caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people mainly through the bite of an infected mosquito (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) but also through sexual contact with an infected person. Usually the illness is mild with symptoms lasting up to a week. Many people will have only mild symptoms or do not have symptoms.

However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called and other severe brain defects, the CDC website says. Microcephaly is a condition where a babys head is much smaller than expected. During pregnancy, a babys head grows because the babys brain grows. Microcephaly can occur because a babys brain has not developed properly during pregnancy or has stopped growing after birth, which results in a smaller head size.

Hershey said that as of Aug. 4, the Virginia Department of Health had reported 56 cases of Zika virus disease in Virginia residents, all travel-related. Seven of those cases involved people in the Southwest Virginia region, and none in the West Piedmont Health District. The city of Martinsville and the counties of Henry, Patrick and Franklin make up the district.

The risk of Zika is greatest for people who travel to areas of the world where the disease is most common or whose sex partners travel to those areas. Hershey said. It is important to avoid mosquito bites, destroy mosquito habitats, and use barrier methods during sexual activities. Therefore, the risk of having widespread local transmission in our area is low if everyone follows Zika prevention recommendations/precautions.

Berrier methods of birth control include male and female condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, and spermicidal foam, sponges and film, and are used only when people have sexual intercourse, according to webmd.com.

Hershey said preventive measures not only help protect people from Zika infection, but also other viral illnesses that mosquitoes potentially can carry and transmit, such as West Nile virus, La Crosse encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis, Dengue fever and Chikungunya.

The most effective and environmentally sound method of eliminating the most common mosquito found in our area that could possibly transmit Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses -- the Asian tiger mosquito -- is to eliminate, dump, or treat their egg-laying habitats, Hershey said. The artificial containers used by these mosquitoes mostly occur on peoples private property, so control can only be accomplished with the cooperation and assistance of the public.

Asian tiger mosquitoes lay eggs only in artificial and natural containers of water, such as tree holes, old tires, trash (cups, bowls, jars, etc.), drain pipes, plant pots and buckets, Hershey said.

The door hangers educate the public about how to control mosquito breeding sites and how to protect themselves from being bitten by mosquitoes by tipping and tossing water from containers found on their property, wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent, Hershey said.

Martinsville Police Chief Sean Dunn said in an email that on Saturday, Aug. 6, Sgt. Ben Peters and Officer J. Johnston worked with Near Southwest Medical Reserve Corps volunteer Donna Roberson to pass out 79 hangers on parts of Park and Perdue streets and Melody Lane.

On Sunday, Aug. 7, Officer Adam Parnell worked with Near Southwest Medical Reserve Corps volunteer Candith Bruner to pass out 103 hangers on parts of Burchland Drive and Stephen, Overland, Union, Knowl, Douglas, English and Summit streets.

Hershey said, We plan on covering as much of the city as possible on or before Labor Day.

He pointed out that Lt. Rhodes of the police department has been working with Chris Garrett, West Piedmont Health Districts local health emergency coordinator, to partner officers with the volunteers.

Hershey and Dunn each praised the partnership.

Hershey said: We have been collaborating with Chief Dunn and his department on several community health improvement efforts and consider the Martinsville City Police Department one of our highly respected partners. Chief Dunn is a remarkable leader and an asset to the city of Martinsville and our district. We appreciate and value the opportunity to work together with Chief Dunn and his staff to serve the citizens of our community.

Dunn said: Dr. Hershey approached me about expanding our efforts into the community with a door-to-door, face-to-face prevention effort. Dr. Hershey and I agreed this is very much in line with our community policing efforts and would serve the community as we strive to be on the front lines to avoid the spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne illnesses in Martinsville.

Dunn also said, I applaud Dr. Hershey for his leadership, and This is a great partnership. Dunn said citizens have expressed appreciation in having a chance to see police officers and public health representatives in the community addressing this important public health issue.

Paul Collins reports for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at paul.collins@martinsvillebulletin.com.
Sometimes, you can't help it. By accident, money goes missing. That $5 you had in your pocket, did it end up in the washer? Or maybe it's in your desk at work? When it's a fairly small number, it's not hard to see how that happens. When we're talking trillions of dollars at the Pentagon and nobody seems concerned, it's a bit more of a problem.

While we were focused on the Olympics this past week, a report came out from the Department of Defense. DoD officials asked Congress to push back a deadline voted on in 2009, a demand that the department had to be ready for an audit by 2017. The reason? Well it seems nobody can account for $8.5 trillion spent from 1996 until now. That's trillion, with a t. Not billion, not million. Think even higher than that. The money is gone, spent over the years but nobody can actually tell members of Congress what happened to it. It also comes at a time when the Pentagon is asking for an increase in their budget.

So let me get this straight. Nobody can tell us where $8.5 trillion in defense spending went, but yet you want more? If you're spending that much on a project, then ISIS, Hamas, practically every terrorist organization on Earth should be wiped out. But that's the problem. They can't argue the money was spent to defend the country. They can't argue anything, at least until they find out where the cash was spent.

The report doesn't come at a good time for the DOD. Why? Because it comes as the Government Accountability Office releases more information on other cases of fraud with the Pentagon. Take for example, the $16 billion spent buying ammo. The Government Accountability Office found that the ammunition was either obsolete, unusable or their use is banned by international treaty. So the Department of Defense bought ammunition it can't use and spent $16 billion doing it. If they can't use it, the rules say it has to be destroyed, so the DoD will spend $1 billion over the next year eliminating the very ammunition they just purchased. That's a $17 billion screwup. Divide that over 50 states and you get $340 million each. Spread $340 million over Virginia's 95 counties and you get $3.57 million each. Think Henry County could use $3.57 million? Instead, we're using that money to pay for a DOD mistake.

Another $1 billion went to pay federal contractors, which overcharged for work on Customs and Border Patrol airplanes. The original contract, handed out in 2009, was for $938 million. Over the last seven years, that number climbed by $118 million, to now exceed $1 billion, even though the same amount of work is being done. In some cases even, the department is getting less for their money. The contract called for contractors to repair and maintain 265 planes and helicopters. In order to test them, the contractors had to fly the machines a total of 100,000 hours each year. What the Government Accountability Office found however, was that from 2010 to 2013, the contractors pulled back, working on less than 90 percent of the machines and meeting less than 70 percent of their flight time requirement. And for that, we paid them more. Now granted, I don't work in government, but you're telling me nobody checked up on the work? Nobody monitored all of this to make sure it was done right?

Here's where the report gets a bit scary. A total of $500 million went for military weapons, which the U.S. gave to Yemen from 2007 to 2014. We don't know where those weapons are, as they didn't make it into the hands of Yemen's government. They're just out there, somewhere. The GAO report says that they might be in Syria. There's also $124.3 million handed out this year to USIS, the security clearance contractor the department employs. It's worth pointing out this is the same company that gave security clearance to Edward Snowden and Aaron Alexis, but that's not the major problem. The Department of Justice is now accusing the company of sending in more than 665,000 fake background checks. Basically, they didn't even do the work they were hired to do. DOJ officials claim that USIS members intentionally sent the fake reports in, because they were behind in doing the checks and wanted to meet performance goals. So over the last eight years, we've lost millions in military grade weapons and 665,000 people got security clearance despite the fact we don't know if they're a threat or not.

This is the problem. We can talk about immigrants, we can talk about making America safe all we want, but in the end, it's disgusting cases of fraud like this that put us at the most risk. Now sure, there's no guarantee all of those 665,000 people are security threats, but USIS was supposed to verify that. Do you feel comfortable knowing that many applicants were just given clearance with no real check? Also, lost weapons, especially in the Middle East, does nothing to help us. I also have a problem over the fact those weapons were paid for with our tax dollars, yet may be used against us. Also, we constantly argue about budget issues and how the government needs to cut back, yet even after being faced with these screwups, the response has pretty much been a shrug. "Oh, we lost billions, even trillions of dollars? Eh who cares." If we cleaned up all of this fraud, how much better off would we be, financially? If we could find, or better yet, if we never spent, that $8.5 trillion, you cut the national debt almost in half.

And yet, after all this, nobody has been fired. Nobody is in jail facing charges. That's what I find most offensive. Here we are, talking about the department charged with defending America, they're admittedly overrun with fraud and nothing happens. They can't even get the right equipment to the soldiers that need it, but they can spend billions on bad bullets. Am I the only one who finds that disgusting? We "save" money on equipment for the troops, only because the DoD keeps screwing up. Instead of Congressional hearings, you just see the Pentagon asking for a larger budget.

No, Congress shouldn't push back the DoD's audit. If anything, they should move it up. And honestly, it wouldn't hurt to make sure every department of the federal government is audited each year. When Virginia launched a Medicaid Reform Commission two years ago, it found $200 million in waste. That's $200 million in money that you and I paid the government that was being thrown away, as multiple agencies were doing the exact same things. After finding out this about the DoD, I can't help but wonder where else our money is being wasted in Washington. We can all survive on a budget. It's time to cut out all this waste and make the federal government do the same.
Habent sua fata libelli - Books have their own fate, a Roman author once wrote. And of no book in history is this more the case than Trotskys biography of Joseph Stalin, the newly completed edition of which will be launched next Saturday, 20 August, at the Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky, Mexico City.

This new version of Stalin, which was left unfinished at the time of the authors death at the hands of a Stalinist agent, includes extensive unpublished material from the Harvard archives. The result is as close as possible to Trotskys original intentions for the work, providing a unique perspective on the Russian Revolution, its subsequent isolation and the rise of a bureaucracy expressed in the person of Stalin.

This book will contain 100,000 words of original, never-before-published material by Trotsky  a 30% increase on the 1946 edition. What is more, the previous editor Charles Malamuths own additions to Trotskys notes have been removed.

Alan Woods - Photo: International Marxist TendencyThis highly anticipated publication will be introduced by its editor Alan Woods, the world-renowned Marxist and Russian linguist. His efforts in producing this version included translating some of Trotskys writing from Russian into English for the first time. After almost three years of constant, painstaking work alongside a raft of assistants, he is able to present the book in its final form.

Esteban Volkov - Photo: Public DomainThe new edition of Stalin has added to and enriched the vast arsenal of Marxist theory left behind by Leon Trotsky, explains Esteban Volkov, Trotskys grandson and Director of the Trotsky House Museum. Volkov has spent most of his life fighting for this work to be restored, against the publication of previous editions, which omitted a considerable amount of Trotskys writing contained within this new version.

The venue chosen for this launch event reflects the significance of the work it celebrates. This biography of Stalin will be returning to the place where its author worked on it in the final years of his life. In fact, in the study where his brilliant mind was smashed with an ice pick, Trotsky had left the galley proofs of Stalin on his desk.

Trotsky's murder scene with the unfinished manuscript on the desk. Photo: Public DomainTracing Stalins progression from obscurity in rural Georgia to the leading bodies of the Bolshevik Party, and then to the head of a monstrous regime, Trotsky explores the interplay between great historical events and the individuals they shape to a degree rarely found in Marxist literature.

In making available for the first time the writing that was arbitrarily excluded from Stalin and hidden in dusty boxes for three quarters of a century, as Woods remarks in his editors note, we are providing a wealth of valuable material to the new generation that is striving to find the ideas to change the world.

La Jornada reports

The publication of this book has aroused considerable interest in circles far beyond those of revolutionary militants. In its issue of Monday 8th August La Jornada, the most important Mexican daily paper wrote a lengthy article on this meeting. In it we read the following:

On the 76th anniversary of his murder, a biography of Joseph Stalin written by Trotsky will be presented as part of the activities to commemorate the controversial Russian revolutionary who lived out his last years in exile in Mexico, announced his grandson Esteban Volkov, director of the house museum dedicated to the communist leader.

'The book of a thousand pages, which is for now only available in English, is the work of British Marxist historian Alan Woods, he said. 'Woods, an expert on the ideas of Trotsky, was able to create a genuine version of the last book that Trotsky wrote - the biography of Stalin,' Volkov explained.

This book has a lot of history. Contrary to what many think, Trotsky did not write it in order to express his fury and resentment against Stalin, nothing could be further from the truth. He had no interest in writing this biography. His most passionate desire was to finish the second part of a book on the life of Lenin that he had already started.

But he was obliged to change his plan for economic reasons. Volkov points out that we 'lived in conditions of extreme hardship, so when an American publisher came up with a pretty attractive offer to commission a biography of Stalin, he threw himself into this work, gathering a lot of material, reports and data.'



'He began a serious and detailed work, but unfortunately was murdered before he could finish it. Being more moved by commercial interests than ideological considerations, the American publishers handed the task of publication of the book to the translator Professor Charles Malamuth the translator. He practically destroyed the work, filling it with annotations of his own invention, while leaving out 30 or 40 percent of very interesting material written by Trotsky.'

Volkov explained how a group of followers of Leon Trotsky and the historian Alan Woods took on the task of complementing the work. The first thing they did was to get rid of Malamuths annotations. Then, Woods ordered and classified the book in a logical and ideological sense, in accordance with the ideas of Trotsky, including all those documents and manuscripts that had not been published.

Thus you arrive to this corrected and enlarged edition, containing 40 percent more of the text of Stalin, which will be presented by Woods himself on August 20 at 7 p.m in the house-museum named after the Communist leader .

In Woods opinion, Volkov said, this work may be considered as one of the most important that Trotsky wrote. And in a way it hastened his assassination, because Stalin was determined to stop it being published.

In these words there is no hint of exaggeration. It is known that Stalin had on his desk every morning the latest writings of Leon Trotsky and the Left Opposition. He was informed of the fact that his enemy was writing a biography that would contain a great deal of compromising information about the life and role of the dictator in the Kremlin. Like every criminal, Stalin was determined to eliminate all the witnesses to his crimes  especially the most important one in faraway Coyoacan.

Planet without a Visa

Expelled from the USSR by Stalin, for the man who created the Red Army and whose role in the victory of the October Revolution was second only to that of Lenin there was no refuge and no safe resting place on earth. One after another the door was slammed firmly shut. Those states that called themselves democracies and liked to compare themselves favourably with the Bolshevik dictators showed no more tolerance than all the others.

Britain, which had earlier given refuge to Marx, Lenin and Trotsky himself, now under a Labour government, refused him entry. France and Norway behaved, in essence, no differently, placing such restrictions on Trotskys movements and activities that sanctuary became indistinguishable from imprisonment. Finally, Trotsky and his faithful companion Natalia Sedova found refuge in Mexico under the government of the progressive bourgeois Lazar Cardenas.

Even in Mexico, Trotsky was not safe. The arm of the GPU was long. By raising his voice against the Kremlin clique, Trotsky remained a mortal danger to Stalin, who, it has now been demonstrated, ordered all Trotskys writings to be placed on his desk each morning. He extracted a terrible revenge on his opponent. As long ago as the 1920s, Zinoviev and Kamenev had warned Trotsky: You think Stalin will answer your ideas. But Stalin will strike at your head!

In the years prior to his assassination, Trotsky had witnessed the assassination of one of his sons and the disappearance of the other; the suicide of his daughter, the massacre of his friends and collaborators inside and outside the USSR, and the destruction of the political gains of the October revolution. Trotskys daughter Zinaida committed suicide as a result of Stalins persecution.

After the suicide of his daughter, his first wife, Alexandra Sokolovskaya, an extraordinary woman who perished in Stalins camps, wrote a despairing letter to Trotsky: Our children were doomed. I do not believe in life any more. I do not believe that they will grow up. All the time I am expecting some new disaster. And she concludes: It has been difficult for me to write and mail this letter. Excuse my cruelty towards you, but you should know everything about our kith and kin. (Quoted by Deutscher, op. cit. p. 198.)

Leon Sedov, Trotskys eldest son, who played a key role in the International Left Opposition, was murdered while recovering from an operation in a Paris clinic in February 1938. Two of his European secretaries, Rudolf Klement and Erwin Wolff, were also killed. Ignace Reiss, an officer of the GPU who publicly broke with Stalin and declared in favour of Trotsky, was yet another victim of Stalins murder machine, gunned down by a GPU agent in Switzerland.

The most painful blow came with the arrest of Trotskys younger son Sergei, who had stayed behind in Russia, believing that, as he was not politically active, he would be safe. Vain hope! Unable to take his revenge on the father, Stalin resorted to that most refined tortureapplying pressure on parents through their children. No-one can imagine what torments were suffered at this time by Trotsky and Nataliya Sedova. Only in recent years did it emerge that Trotsky even contemplated suicide, as a possible way of saving his son. But he realised that such an act would not save Sergei and would give Stalin just what he wanted. Trotsky was not wrong. Sergei was already dead, shot it seems in secret in 1938, having steadfastly refused to denounce his father.

One by one, Trotskys old collaborators had fallen victim to Stalins Terror. Those who refused to recant were physically liquidated. But even capitulation did not save the lives of those who surrendered. They were executed anyway. The last of the leading figures of the Opposition inside the USSR who had held out was the great Balkan Marxist and veteran revolutionary Christian Rakovsky. When Trotsky heard of Rakovskys capitulations he wrote the following passage in his diary:

Rakovsky was virtually my last contact with the old revolutionary generation. After his capitulation there is nobody left. Even though my correspondence with Rakovsky stopped, for reasons of censorship, at the time of my deportation, nevertheless the image of Rakovsky has remained a symbolic link with my old comrades-in-arms. Now nobody remains. For a long time now I have not been able to satisfy my need to exchange ideas and discuss problems with someone else. I am reduced to carrying on a dialogue with the newspapers, or rather through the newspapers with facts and opinions.

And still I think that the work in which I am engaged now, despite its extremely insufficient and fragmentary nature, is the most important work of my lifemore important than 1917, more important than the period of the Civil War or any other.

For the sake of clarity I would put it this way. Had I not been present in 1917 in Petersburg, the October Revolution would still have taken placeon the condition that Lenin was present and in command. If neither Lenin nor I had been present in Petersburg, there would have been no October Revolution: the leadership of the Bolshevik Party would have prevented it from occurringof this I have not the slightest doubt! If Lenin had not been in Petersburg, I doubt whether I could have managed to conquer the resistance of the Bolshevik leaders. The struggle with Trotskyism (i.e., with the proletarian revolution) would have commenced in May, 1917, and the outcome of the revolution would have been in question. But I repeat, granted the presence of Lenin the October Revolution would have been victorious anyway. The same could by and large be said of the Civil War, although in its first period, especially at the time of the fall of Simbirsk and Kazan, Lenin wavered and was beset by doubts. But this was undoubtedly a passing mood which he probably never even admitted to anyone but me.

Thus I cannot speak of the indispensability of my work, even about the period from 1917 to 1921. But now my work is indispensable in the full sense of the word. There is no arrogance in this claim at all. The collapse of the two Internationals has posed a problem which none of the leaders of these Internationals is at all equipped to solve. The vicissitudes of my personal fate have confronted me with this problem and armed me with important experience in dealing with it. There is now no one except me to carry out the mission of arming a new generation with the revolutionary method over the heads of the leaders of the Second and Third International. And I am in a complete agreement with Lenin (or rather Turgenev) that the worst vice is to be more than 55 years old! I need at least about five more years of uninterrupted work to ensure the succession. (Trotsky, Diary In Exile, pp. 53-4.)

But Trotsky was not to be granted his wish. After various attempts, the GPU finally managed to put an end to Trotskys life on 20th August 1940.

The revenge of history

For more information about the publication itself please contact Wellred Books - Photo: WellRed BooksWhen the Stalinist agent Ramon Mercader brought his pickaxe crashing down on the skull of his defenseless victim, Stalins wish appeared to have been granted. It is in fact a very easy thing to terminate the life of an individual. The human animal is a frail and fragile thing. It can be easily killed by a knife, a bullet or an ice pick. But it is not possible to murder an idea whose time has come.

The fight for the ideas of Leon Trotsky  the ideas of Leninism, of Bolshevism and of the October Revolution  did not end on 20 August 1940. On the contrary, that struggle continues unabated to the present day. The memory of Leon Trotsky continues to be celebrated by class conscious workers and revolutionary youth all over the world. That of Stalin, the gravedigger of the October Revolution, is reviled as that of Cain who murdered his brother in order to usurp his inheritance.

In spite of everything, right up to the end, Trotsky remained absolutely firm in his revolutionary ideas. His testament reveals enormous optimism in the socialist future of humanity. But his real testament is to be found in his books and other writings, which continue to be a treasure-house of Marxist ideas for the new generation of revolutionaries. The fact that nowadays, the spectre of Trotskyism continues to haunt the bourgeois, reformist and Stalinist leaders is sufficient proof of the resilience of the ideas of Bolshevism-Leninism. For that, essentially, is what Trotskyism signifies.

After the delay of almost eight decades, Trotskys biography of Stalin has been reborn. In its pages the revolutionary workers and youth of today will find a treasure trove of Marxist theory and ideas, a mine of information about the history of Bolshevism and the Russian revolution and an answer to the question of how the greatest revolution in history degenerated into a monstrous totalitarian and bureaucratic regime.

The very fact that the launching of the book, which at the moment is only available in English (a Spanish translation is in preparation) is taking place in Mexico, in the house where Trotsky lived, worked and died the death of a revolutionary martyr, is a fitting monument to that great revolutionary internationalist. It is the final revenge of history against Stalin and Stalinism and a living confirmation of the vitality of the ideas of Marxism.

Please find the details about the launch event here
FL Roberts 2.jpg

This is the F.L. Roberts Jiffy Lube at 2017 Memorial Drive in Chicopee. All the F.l. Roberts Jiffy Lube locations have been sold. (Don Treeger / The Republican)

(Don Treeger/ The Republican)

SPRINGFIELD -- F.L. Roberts has sold its nine Jiffy Lube locations in Western Massachusetts to Atlantic Coast Enterprises, a Jiffy Lube franchise holder owned in Connecticut but with locations in the Southeastern United States.

F.L. Roberts management didn't return calls for comment Monday. There was no official announcement. Jiffy Lube corporate spokeswoman Jennifer Friedmann confirmed the sale Monday.

She did not give a dollar amount.

Friedmann said the sale has not closed yet, but will be final in 90 days.

According to its website, F.L. Roberts and Co. is fourth-generation generation family-owned business founded in 1920 with an automotive and tire store at the corner of Main and Adams Streets in Springfield. The Roberts family added Texaco gas and oil soon thereafter. Today, the company has a network of 27 gas station and convenience stores, 21 car washes, two truck refueling centers and the Whately Diner.

F.L. Roberts has a headquarters on Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield's South End.

F.L. Roberts has 500 employees in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Atlantic Coast has 50 Jiffy Lube service centers in Tampa, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida, as well as Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, making it one of the largest franchise holders in the Jiffy Lube chain. Owned by Steve Allison and his business partner, Al Chance, Atlantic Coast is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut,

Jiffy Lube is owned by Shell Oil Co. and is based in Houston, Texas.
EASTHAMPTON - Pioneer Valley Ballet welcomes two members to their staff, Jonathan Riseling, the Marketing and Development Coordinator and Martha Potyrala, the Office and Program Manager.



Marketing and Development Coordinator, Jonathan Riseling, is a former member of Alvin Ailey touring the world with the company as well as teaching at the Ailey School. In recent years, Riseling has worked as the Director of the Dance Department at The Putney School, and has taught at Ballet Academy East and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. "We are absolutely elated to have Jonathan join the development and training program this year. His contributions will create a tremendous amount progress in both our fundraising and marketing goals." - Maryanne Kodzis, PVB Artistic Director.



Martha Potyrala, who received her BA from Curry College and Masters of Education from The University of Massachusetts Amherst, has worked with Pioneer Valley Ballet in various roles since 2006 such as a board member, faculty member, Educational Outreach Program coordinator, and guest performer. She also has spent the past five years working at the Academy of Music in Northampton as a Co-Director of the Winter Musical and Summer Musical Workshops. Potyrala is a great fit as the Program and Office Manager with her wide range of experiences in education and dance performance.



As a team, Potyrala and Riseling want to extend PVB's community involvement, with emphasis on health and wellness for the youth of the Pioneer Valley. Their goals also include moving the pre professional program forward and growing the Artistic Directors', Maryanne Kodzis and Thomas Vacanti, visions for the professional company, FLUXChoreolab. This duo is working to make Pioneer Valley Ballet the most well known ballet school in the area.


BOSTON U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued six people from Boston Harbor after the boat they were on sank early Sunday morning.

The Boston Globe reported that a distress call was received by authorities at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, saying the boat the six were on was, "taking on water and sinking fast."

The Coast Guard was able to pinpoint the location of the emergency between Castle and Thompson islands in Boston Harbor and launched boats to the scene. Rescuers arrived at the sinking boat approximately 20 minutes after the first calls went out.

All six of the victims were wearing life jackets, the Coast Guard said. All were plucked from the water and taken for medical evaluation by Boston Fire Department EMTs.

The cause of the sinking remains under investigation. The Coast Guard said the boat will probably be salvaged as a navigational hazard.

Boston Police and Fire Department marine units also responded to the scene.
BOSTON - The gross gaming revenue for Plainridge Park Casino, the sole slots parlor in Massachusetts, rose to $13.87 million, the state's Gaming Commission said Monday.



The number is an increase of almost nine percent from June, when the Plainville gambling facility pulled in $12.3 million. In May, the slots parlor saw $13.5 million in gross gaming revenue.



Since the facility opened in June 2015, Massachusetts has seen $88.1 million in state taxes and other assessments. The slots parlor, run by Penn National Gaming, is taxed on 49 percent of gross gaming revenue, leading to $6.8 million in revenue for the state.



The tax revenue is funneled to local aid and a racehorse development fund.



The chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, Stephen Crosby, said earlier this month that the state could start seeing $300 million a year in gaming revenue when two state-licensed resort casinos open, according to the State House News Service.



MGM is building a casino in Springfield, while Wynn Resorts is building one in Everett, just outside of Boston. MGM Springfield is slated to open in Sept. 2018, while Wynn Boston Harbor is due to open in 2019.



A tribal casino in Taunton could open in the next few years, depending on whether the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe can navigate the legal troubles they've encountered.
BOSTON - The Diocese of Portland has settled with six victims who alleged the late Father James Vallely abused them when they were children, the victims' attorney Mitchell Garabedian said Monday.



The $1.2 million settlement involved victims who were ages 8 to 15 years old, and they are currently 47 to 68 years old, said Garabedian, who has handled the cases of hundreds of victims in clergy sexual abuse. The settlement was reached in the last two weeks, he added.



Garabedian said a Diocese spokeswoman said in 2009 the church took action in 1978. But Garabedian contends the church knew since 1956, when a fellow priest at St. John's in Bangor told Maine Roman Catholic Bishop Daniel Feeney that Father Vallely had molested five children. "The diocese kept it a secret" for 60 years, according to Garabedian.



Vallely ended up getting moved to another parish, Garabedian said. He was assigned to St. Dominic's Parish, becoming a "serial pedophile who had free rein," he added.



"There is no excuse for this immorality," Garabedian said at a press conference in downtown Boston. "Once again, you have purportedly the most moral institution in the world acting most immorally."



Lawrence Gray, 68, was one of the victims and joined Garabedian at the press conference.



He said he sought to get away from the priest by stepping down as an altar boy and joining the choir instead.



Vallely died in 1997 at age 75 after retiring in 1988, according to the Portland Press Herald. Bishop Feeney died in 1969.

Garabedian, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the recent movie on church sex abuse in Massachusetts, titled "Spotlight," called on the state of Maine to conduct an independent investigation "to determine who knew what when within the ranks of the Diocese of Portland."

Garabedian had two previous settlements involving Father Vallely, including one who was a woman allegedly abused by Vallely in the 1970s.

"Bishop after bishop after bishop did not report the fact that Father Vallely was sexually molesting children to the public so that children could be kept safe," Garabedian said.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Portland told the Press Herald they hope the settlement "brings a measure of peace to the people involved."
SPRINGFIELD -- Several education organizations are interested in opening more charter schools in Western Massachusetts.

Collegiate Charter School of Pioneer Valley seeks to open a charter serving Chicopee and Springfield. If approved, the college preparatory charter would open in 2018, starting with students in kindergarten through grade 2. The school would expand by one grade level annually until becoming a K-12 school with 870 students.

The school would be managed by SABIS Educational Systems, a charter network that operates schools in Springfield and Holyoke.

This is one of several proposals the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education received this month from groups interested in opening new charter schools. The department also received requests from 13 existing charters to expand their student population and one from a Western Massachusetts school seeking to open a second.

Hampden Charter School of Science II would open in 2017 and serve 560 middle and high school students, if approved.

Hampden Charter School for Science serves students from Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield and Ludlow. About 65 percent of the students are from Springfield, 20 percent live in Chicopee and the remaining 15 percent live in West Springfield or Ludlow. The second charter operated by this group would focus on educating students in Agawam, Holyoke and Westfield.

State education officials will decide next month which groups will be invited into the next round of the application process. Commissioner Mitchell Chester will share recommendations regarding which charter should open in February.

"Massachusetts has some of the strongest charter schools in the nation, and I am pleased that groups continue to be interested in opening and expanding schools here," Chester said. "My agency will review these proposals carefully before deciding which ones should proceed to the next step."

Other groups seek to open charters in Brockton, Plymouth, Lynn and Worcester County.

The group seeking to open a Worcester County school would draw students from both Hampden and Worcester counties. Old Sturbridge Academy Charter Public School has proposed accepting students from the following communities: Brookfield, Brimfield, Holland, Monson, North Brookfield, Palmer, Spencer, Southbridge, Sturbridge, Wales and Webster.

If approved, the school would open in 2017 and serve up to 360 students in grades K-8.

Though early in the application process, local public school officials have expressed opposition to an additional charter school in Hampden County.

"I will fight this with my last breath," Chicopee Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. previously told The Republican regarding the SABIS proposal, adding that charter schools already take a large sum of money from the city-run public schools.
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David Isakson stands outside the Thirsty Mind in South Hadley, where he has lived his entire life. Isakson, a police officer and restaurant owner, is one of four people running for Hampshire County sheriff.

(Laura Newberry)

MassLive sat down with each of the four candidates running for Hampshire County sheriff in order to gain a better understanding about why they want the position, and what they hope to accomplish in office. The primary election is Sept. 8, ahead of the Nov. 8 general election.

SOUTH HADLEY -- On his patrol in Hadley, David Isakson would often greet a woman who spent many days on the street, panhandling.

Isakson knew she was struggling with heroin addiction, like so many others in the area. But he wasn't sure how to nudge her toward recovery, besides striking up small talk.

"Are you ready to get some help?," the patrol officer would ask her.

One Saturday night in January, Isakson and his fellow officers were hanging out at the department's annual holiday party. A couple of his colleagues ran out on a call during the celebration.

The officers returned to headquarters with bad news. The woman -- who was around Isakson's age -- had overdosed and died.

It made the opioid crisis in Massachusetts all the more real for 44-year-old Isakson, who is the only Republican candidate running for Hampshire County sheriff.

"I feel that the system fails them," Isakson said of local opioid users. "I think that there could be more programs, but we can't force them into the programs. They have to be willing."

The South Hadley native says that becoming sheriff would give him the ability to "shed light on the problem" in a way he could not accomplish as a police officer.

Isakson said that if he is elected, he will strengthen drug addiction prevention programs in Hampshire County schools. It's important to stress the dangers of narcotics while people are still young, he explained.

And for those who are already addicted, Isakson said he wants to help turn police headquarters and jails into "no judgement zones." That way, he elaborated, officers are more likely to connect users with substance abuse programs.

"Back in the day, police officers were the ones who would run and help you," Isakson said during an interview with MassLive at the Thirsty Mind in South Hadley. "People don't have that view on law enforcement anymore. That needs to change."

Qualifications

Isakson became a police officer after graduating from the Reserve/Intermittent Police Academy in 2002. He has since served in South Hadley, Hatfield, Sunderland and now in Hadley, where he's a court officer, evidence room manager, pistol armorer and vehicle maintenance officer.

Police work fits his personality, he said.

"I've always had the desire and urge to help fix things that aren't right. If someone drops something, I go pick it up," Isakson said. "When there's a loud noise, I run toward it instead of running away."

Isakson is used to taking on a lot at once. Before going into law enforcement, he managed a truck dealership, and owned both a towing company and an automotive center.

And after managing Ebenezer's Bar & Grill in South Hadley for two years, Isakson bought the restaurant in 2013. He opened a second Ebenezer's in Westfield last year.

Isakson said that his experience in law enforcement and his business management acumen would aid him as sheriff.

He gave an example: Every once in a while, he'll have another business owner come into one of his restaurants and assess the food, the service, the management.

"Sometimes you get tunnel vision when you've been somewhere a long time," Isakson explained, later adding, "We always need checks and balances. Just because you're the sheriff, that doesn't mean you're knowing it all and doing it all."

At the jail, he said, these checks and balances would entail interviewing inmates, correctional officers, medical support staff and maintenance works to see what could be improved.

"You never know who's going to give you an idea that's the best thing you've ever heard," Isakson said.

Platform

Isakson said that if he is elected sheriff, he will work to reduce crime and recidivism -- or relapse into criminal behavior -- and as a result save the taxpayers of Hampshire County money.

The South Hadley man said one of the most frustrating aspects of his police career has been the "revolving door" -- that is, people repeatedly showing up in the jail and courts. There isn't enough emphasis on accountability at the Hampshire County Jail & House of Correction, Isakson said.

"Some call it 'Camp Hamp,' because it's the weakest jail in Massachusetts," he said. "I've arrested people who admitted to coming to Hampshire County because of the jail here being an easy ride."

Isakson said nonviolent inmates should be put to task in the community, working for municipalities and nonprofits, painting churches and cleaning parks. He wants to bolster "accountability and responsibility."

The candidate said he'd also like to conduct a 90-day audit of the jail's employees, programs and procedures. He said certain programs exist in the jail -- he named knitting as an example -- that might not benefit the inmates or lead to their rehabilitation.

The sheriff's office should also implement programs that will address drug addiction on a much larger scale than it currently does, Isakson said. He wants to send former inmates, corrections officers and children who have already experimented with drugs into schools to take about the dangers of narcotics.

"It's here. I've seen it," he said of the opioid crisis. "It's not just a problem in the big cities."
A new threat emerged in 2010 when an organized and well-funded Texas-based organization with defined partisan interests, the King Street Patriots, through its project True the Vote, was observed intimidating voters at multiple polling locations serving communities of color during early voting in Harris County. Members of this Tea Party-affiliated group reportedly interfered with voters  allegedly watching them vote, hovering over voters, blocking lines, and engaging in confrontational conversations with election workers. Under Texas law, poll watchers are not allowed even to speak to a voter.

In a 2011 special election in Massachusetts, a Tea Party group was reported to have harassed Latino voters and others at the polls in Southbridge, Massachusetts. The Southbridge town clerk protested these actions, reporting that targeted voters left saying, Ill never vote again, while a retired judge witnessed citizens coming from their voting experience shaken or in tears.

I don't even want to think about what some of these Trump yahoos will do.





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Chicken will be the best-positioned protein due to its low price position in times of pressure on consumer spending power but rises in production costs and the long-term impact of COVID-19 threaten to disrupt the sector, according to Rabobank.
Transcription

1 NUMERACY IN SPAIN A GENERAL OVERVIEW CREA Centre of Research in Theories and Practices that Overcome Inequalities Universitat de Barcelona - SPAIN Contents Introduction General framework of the adult educational system in Spain Level 1: State Level 2: Regions (Comunidades Autonomas) - Specific case: Catalonia Numeracy in Spain Numeracy and the Adult Education System in Catalonia 1. Introduction The adult educational system in Spain is decentralized. It means that central Government establishes the general criteria by law, but each region develops their own adult educational system. So, actually there are several systems at the same time. In this report we are going to give a general overview of this system. Firstly some issues related to the general educational system in Spain will be presented. Secondly the main general programs will be highlighted. Thirdly, the Catalonian educational system will be focused on and an explanation will be provided on how the adult educational system is organized in Catalonia. Finally numeracy will be discussed, and the main elements in the adult education curriculum will be expounded, with regards to Mathematics. 2. General framework of the adult educational system in Spain Level 1: State Adult education in Spain offers different kinds of activities. There are both regular and non-regular courses. Also there are courses oriented towards training adults in order to pass specific exams, in order to obtain professional or academic qualifications. Adult education is geared towards people over 16 years old. The Organic Quality of Education Law (Ley Organica de Calidad de la Educacion) regulates adult education in Spain. This law is based on a lifelong learning concept. Article III is entirely dedicated to adult education. The main objective is to provide adults with basic training in order to open up new possibilities such as promoting adults access to other educational levels, such as access to University courses, 1

2 achieving qualifications and developing their capacity to get involved in social, cultural and political events. The specific objectives of adult education in Spain are the following: - To update the educational background and to facilitate access to different educational levels to each person who may require it. - To develop programs and courses related to specific educational needs from excluded groups. - To improve professional qualifications and/or to acquire training in order to develop other professions. - To develop people s capacity to participate in social, cultural and political events. These are the main objectives for adult education in Spain. People can find both standard and on-line courses. So, there is standard education and distance learning also. Article 52. Objective. Permanent education offers lifelong learning to all members of the public in order to acquire, update, complete and extend their abilities and skills for their professional and personal development. To do this, the administration of education will collaborate with the civil service departments with competencies in terms of adult education, and especially in employment management. (...) Public administrations prioritises all these people who have not completed their basic education, for various reasons. Also people over the age of 16 would be able to participate in adult education if they cannot attend a standard educational centre because of their job or other circumstances. (...) The administration of education will promote specific programs for the Spanish language, culture and other co-official languages in order to integrate the immigrant population. (Source: LOGSE General Arrangement of the Educational System Law). The provision of Adult Education in Spain includes the following options: - Basic Adult Education. - Professional training. - Mentored lessons. - Courses to prepare for exams in order to access other levels of education. - Spanish classes for the immigrant population. - Non-formal educational courses. 2

3 Table 1. The Adult Education system in Spain: a brief overview. ACCESS V.I.A. People over 18 years old. LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LITERACY CONSOLIDATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND ACQUISITION OF INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUES LITERACY AND NEO-READERS GLOBAL MODULE I GLOBAL MODULE II GLOBAL MODULE III Topics LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE MATHEMATICS SOCIO-NATURAL SCIENCES There is no temporary Deadline: 1 scholar year (It is possible to do it over 2 years with limit to do it justification) Regular attendance Regular attendance or distance courses Duration: 12 weeks Duration: 16 weeks Tutoring: once a week Teachers Students file (contents): V.I.A., assessment report, grades Level 2: Regions (Comunidades autonomas) specific case: Catalonia In Catalonia adult education is defined as lifelong learning. Adult learning refers to all kinds of training activities which allow people to develop their abilities and skills. These courses also allow adults to obtain the Secondary Education Graduate certificate (Graduado en Educacion Secundaria GES ). Academic centres (schools for adults but also local centres, etc.) have open and flexible courses on offer. Therefore it is possible to create tailored courses in accordance with individual needs. It is also possible to obtain certificates through distance learning, with a program called Gradui s. Ara en secundaria! (You have graduated! Now for the next stage!). Everyone over the age of 18 is able to participate in the adult education system, except people who have already completed standard education courses. It is also possible to enrol people over the age of 16, in order for them to prepare for standard exams for entry into vocational courses. An interdepartmental program in Catalonia manages Adult Education. This means that different departments from the Catalonian government are involved in Adult Education. There are over 5,000 actions taking place, divided into the following fields: - Initial education (ensenyaments inicials) - Basic Adult Education - Vocational training - Education for leisure and culture - Training courses 3

4 - Courses for people with special needs - Courses for in-service adult teachers In Catalonia there are 5 main domains in adult education: introductory courses, an instrumental training level, secondary education, and teaching geared towards preparing for exams in order to access other educational levels ( such as university, for example) and courses on information society competences. The introductory course includes: the Catalan language, the Spanish language, IT and foreign languages. The Instrumental training level includes reading skills, writing skills, mathematics and general culture. The Secondary education level also includes all these topics, but they are dealt with more in-depth. The third option, preparing for exams in order to access other educational levels, includes: a) access to secondary level vocational training levels (proves d acces a cicles formatius de grau mitja); b) access to higher vocational training levels (proves d acces a cicles formatius de grau superior); and c) access to Universities. Lastly, courses to learn about information society competences mostly include IT skills and foreign languages. Table 2: Adult Education in Catalonia Introductory courses Instrumental training level Secondary Education Training to prepare exams in order to access other educational levels Courses on Information society competences 3. Numeracy in Spain in relation to the education system Numeracy is an important part of the Spanish curricula. Mathematics is one of the few topics which is present at almost every educational level. The main mathematical objectives within the Spanish curricula are the following (Alsina, 2001): - To incorporate the language and arguments typical of mathematical reasoning (numerical, graphical, geometrical, logical, algebraic, probabilistic) in order to be able to communicate in a precise and rigorous way. - To use logical ways of thinking, to formulate and verify conjectures, to make inferences and deductions, and to 4

5 organize and link information related to daily life and problem solving. - To quantify real situations by virtue of data, measures and numbers while making the appropriate computations. - To elaborate personal strategies for analyzing concrete situations and for problem solving using various resources and instruments, analyzing the final results obtained. - To use elementary techniques for collecting data to obtain information about phenomena and situations and to represent this information by means of numerical or graphical forms in order to evaluate it. - To recognize the diversity of different situations and to see how different points of view can be used to explain it (deterministic / random, finite / infinite, exact / approximate). - To identify shapes and spatial relations present in reality, analyzing geometrical properties and relationships. - To identify the mathematical elements (statistical data, graphics, maps, computations, etc.), which are present in news, pools, commercials, etc., critically analyzing their functions and possibilities for a better understanding of messages. - To approach day-to-day situations and problem solving in a mathematical way (exploring alternatives, using a precise language, etc.). - To know and value personal mathematical skills in order to deal with situations that require their use or in which one can enjoy the creative, manipulative, aesthetic or useful aspects of mathematics (Alsina, 2001: 3-4). As Alsina (2001) claims, the main mathematical concepts in Spanish curricula are: numbers and operations, measures, estimation, calculus of magnitudes, representation and organization of space, interpretation, representation, analysis of information and treatment of the element of chance. Students should be aware of all these ideas, because they are present in the compulsory education system. In Spain children learn to solve equations (at compulsory levels just up until quadratic equations, then teachers introduce linear algebra systems and calculus), problems based on the Pythagorean theorem, situations about similarity (through proportions and applications of Tales theorem), different kinds of word problems, percentages, and so forth. In the last few years the curricula has been more focused on problem solving and a conception of contextualized mathematics, in terms of realistic mathematics and everyday mathematics. 4. Numeracy and the adult education system in Catalonia In Catalonia adult numeracy is focused on the practical application of Mathematics. Mathematical concepts, relations and basic operations are used as tools, in order to interpret and to solve problems in everyday life. So the kinds of activities mainly include practical situations and problems within a context, in the sense of realistic mathematics. Mathematics also has a social component. Because 5

6 of its nature, Mathematics forces people to go backwards and forwards between concrete to abstract ideas. This dynamic encourages the development of logical reasoning and cognitive schemata. So, Mathematics in Catalonia is focused on situations analysis, problem solving, discussions about different resolutions, etc. The starting point is always everyday situations, so that adults people have the opportunity to make connections with their own life experience. There are several adult education centres where the curricula is based on dialogical mathematics or multicultural considerations. Here is an overview of both adult basic education and secondary education Mathematics curricula.. Adult basic education (ABE) curricula in Mathematics The general objectives of the ABE curricula in Mathematics in Catalonia are the following: - To value and use Mathematics as a tool to interpret information from the real world in a critical way. - To search for and to select information in order to share it, to discuss different interpretations of it and to build different strategies to solve problems. - To value Mathematics as a way to collaborate with partners, and to encourage self-confidence. - To carry out the whole process involved in solve a problem, from understanding the problem to checking the answer. - To identify, interpret and use different languages and mathematical codes. - To use mental calculus as well as computer calculus (with a calculator or with a computer). - To interpret numbers as quantitative characters, by using the correct scale from an estimation of the magnitude order. - To identify, represent and classify geometrical shapes, by using t knowledge about the properties and relationships of these shapes, in order to improve spatial understanding. - To identify graphs and tables by using basic techniques to collect data, and by using them to represent and analyse real phenomena. The contents of the ABE curricula in Mathematics in Catalonia are the following: -Procedures- 1. Mathematical procedures: a. To observe, to experiment and to collect data. b. To classify, to compare, to arrange and to measure data. c. To estimate and to check data. 2. Mathematical languages: a. To understand mathematical vocabulary and to use the most regular codes (numbers, units of measurement, etc.). 3. Techniques for calculations: a. Exact calculus and approximations. 6

7 b. The use of calculus tools. c. Introduction to new technologies as tools for solving problems. 4. Problem solving: a. To build strategies for problem solving. b. To use arithmetic, geometry and measurements for problem solving. -Concepts, ideas- 1. Natural numbers and operations. a. Cardinals & ordinals. b. Position value. c. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. 2. Fractions and decimal numbers. a. Fractions as part of a unit or a quantity, as an expression of measurement and as a division. b. Decimal numbers as fractions. c. Percentages. 3. Magnitudes and measurements. a. Magnitudes: length, surface, volume, time, temperature and money value. b. Measurement units. 4. Geometrical shapes: a. Shapes on the plane and in space. Elements of shapes. b. Geometrical relations. c. Location and direction. 5. Introduction to statistics. a. Statistical data. b. Elementary parameters: mean, mode, median. c. Graphics: data representation. -Values, norms, attitudes- 1. To value individual and collective efforts. 2. To value work in small groups as a way to enrichment. 3. Scientific attitude. 4. To consider Mathematics as a tool to represent the real world. 5. To value Mathematics as a tool to plan and to organize concrete situations in the real world. 6. To use estimation, rounding-up, and mental calculus. 7. The value of error and its usefulness within the learning process. 8. To consider the usefulness of technological tools as calculators, computers, etc., as tools to facilitate mathematical routines. Secondary curricula in Mathematics The curricular design at this level begins with the knowledge acquired in the previous steps (adult basic education). The main goal is to promote the development of a scientific attitude. The curriculum combines both theoretical and 7

8 practical components. It is focused on values such as the promotion of the pleasure of observing, understanding, and discovering. This approach promotes people s real world understanding. The curriculum expects to offer a scientific-technologic view of society and also to promote a scientific way of reasoning and understanding. Mathematics is presented along with science and technology. The general objectives at this level are the following: - To understand Mathematics as an open and dynamic science which addresses problem solving, with its own history. - To value the instrumental character of Mathematics for other fields of knowledge. More specifically, to underline the capacity of mathematical models to describe, to interpret and to understand the physical and natural world and also society. - To acquire the skills needed to compare, to use, and to evaluate different mathematical models. To apply mathematical methods in a creative way when facing new situations. - To recognize the role of the current technological media in Mathematics, such as tools to carry out mechanical procedures. - To understand and to value one s own mathematical skills and to use them in a flexible way. To have enough resources to use to solve problematic situations (either in everyday situations or mathematical situations). - To observe both quantitative and geometric aspects from the real world and also from society in a systematic way. To organize data in a clear way that makes their analysis and understanding easier. - To express and to interpret the data collected correctly, as well as graphs, tables, and so forth. - To use different mathematical languages (algebra, statistics, geometry, etc.) when it is useful in order to represent and describe questions and their answers. - To understand and to use terminology, symbolism, and scientific tools correctly in order to understand scientific compositions. - To observe, describe and classify objects, organisms, phenomena and processes related to the physical environment. - To value scientific attitudes like curiosity, objectivity, observation and the different processes of scientific investigation. The main contents of secondary curricula in Mathematics in Catalonia are the following: -Procedures- 1. Languages and processes a. The use of different mathematical languages: numerical expressions, algebraic expressions, functional language, graphic language, and geometrical language. b. Translation. c. Classification. Arrangement. d. Application of deductive and/or inductive methods. 8

9 e. Problem solving. 2. Techniques to take measurements and to calculate them a. Techniques for symbolic and graphical number representation. b. Techniques to take direct measurements (with the use of tools) and indirect measurements (through algorithms, and scalar representations). c. Exact calculus and approximations. The use of a scientific calculator. d. Elementary ways to solve equations. e. Permutations. f. Techniques to calculate statistical parameters. 3. The use of geometrical models. a. The application of geometrical models to interpret real situations. b. Scalar representation in the plane of geometrical shapes. c. Break plane shapes into more elemental shapes. d. Plane representation of spatial shapes. 4. Collecting data. a. Techniques to collect data. b. Direct observation of objects, phenomena and procedures. c. Observation of figures, models and scale models. d. The use of technological media. 5. Data processing. a. Building tables (of items and frequencies). b. Graphic representation of phenomena in the X-Y axis. c. Specific techniques for graphic representation of statistical data. d. Graphic and symbolic representation of technical data. e. Creation and use of formula to make links between variables. f. Analysis of functional dependences. g. Analysis of statistical variables. h. Interpretation of schema, symbols and symbol sequences. i. Random phenomena processing. Calculus of probabilities. j. Interpretation of data collected. -Concepts, ideas- 1. Numbers. a. Natural numbers. Divisibility. b. Whole numbers. c. Rational numbers and decimal numbers. d. Numbers and the use of the scientific calculator. e. Magnitudes. f. Equations. 2. Plane and space. a. Elements and organization in the plain. b. Elements and organization in the space. c. Metric relations and trigonometric. 3. Dependence between variables. a. X-Y axis. General characteristics of graphs. b. Functions: dependence and associated ideas. c. Lineal function. 9

10 d. Quadratic function. e. Increase and decrease of different kind of functions. 4. Elemental statistics and chance. a. Basic concepts in statistics. b. Parameters of centrality / dispersion c. Random phenomena. d. Probability: concept and main principia. -Values, norms, attitudes- 1. To make questions and research problems receptive to mathematical understanding. 2. Systematization of work with mathematics. 3. To value mathematical tools. 4. To use technological media with wisdom. 5. Confidence in one s own ability to solve real problems in a mathematical way. 6. Interest in self-study and lifelong learning. At the end of the secondary level, adults should be able to understand different types of numbers and their properties, as well as different ways to represent numbers (whole numbers, fractions, percentages, scientific notations, etc.). Adults should be able to use algorithms, solve equations, recognize different kind of problems, make connections between Mathematics and the real world and use Mathematics to represent real situations and try to find answers to real problems. Therefore, and to conclude, in Catalonia numeracy means to have a mathematical understanding of the real world, as well as having mathematical skills to solve problems in everyday life. References Alsina, C. (2001). Reference levels in School Mathematics Education in Europe. National presentation: Spain. EMS. European Mathematical Society. Committee on Mathematics Education. BOP. (2002) Decret d 1 d agost pel qual s estableix l ordenacio curricular de la formacio basica de les persones adultes. Ministerio de Educacion. (2006). 10
by Tobi Elkin , Staff Writer @tobielkin, August 11, 2016

A global report tracking the performance of branded content in the second quarter identified a number of key findings. For example, the overall average click-through rate remained constant at 0.31%, while the overall average dwell time or time spent was two minutes and 36 seconds.

Additional findings included:

Branded content views increased by 2.2x.

Views from APAC increased by 4.5x.

The number of active campaigns grew by 75%.

The number of active creatives grew by 111%.

Polars Q2 Benchmarks Report on Branded Content offers a snapshot into performance metrics across three device types, eight different countries and geographic regions, and six major publisher verticals.

A few other notable highlights:

The best-performing device type were tablets, with a 0.40% click-through rate (CTR).

U.S. audiences spent the most time engaging with branded content, at two minutes and 54 seconds.

Arts & entertainment publishers had the highest CTRs, at 0.47%.

With respect to geo-specific engagement performance, the Polar research found that time spent engaging with branded content indicated different levels of market maturity. For example, more mature publishers in North America (the U.S. and Canada) that have been running branded content programs for several years, tend to have much higher average-time-spent (ATS) metrics.

Typically, these audiences are more accustomed to viewing and engaging with branded content. The U.K. and Australia have respectable time-spent metrics: around the two-minute mark. Publishers in continental European and Asia-Pacific countries are still familiarizing audiences with branded content and track lower ATS metrics of around one minute.

On device type click-through performance, the research found that views on mobile and tablet devices now represent 40% of total views of branded content--a number that's growing rapidly. Mobile and tablet devices also continue to see strong CTR performance at 0.37% and 0.40%, respectively.

When comparing CTR performance to engagement metrics on different device types, mobile and tablet continue to see lower time spent than desktoptypically around two minutes.

The findings suggest that publishers should provide more "snack-sized" content for mobile audiences that can be consumed quickly while consumers are on the go, Greg Bella, director, product marketing, Polar, told Native Insider.
by Bob Garfield , Featured Columnist, August 15, 2016

Whats your favorite Olympic event so far? Mine is the Modern Bullshit-a-thon.

And the new ExxonMobil campaign totally wins the gold.

What a wonderful event: an opportunity for viewers around the world to marvel at the nimbleness and raw power of advertising combined with the breathtaking -- dare I say virtuosic? -- dishonesty of the sponsor. Well done, BBDO. You have artfully assembled a series of nominal facts to propound a diverse and attractive, and equally perverse and tragic, Big Lie.

Picture a multiculti series of earnest and smiley scientists, each reciting a sentence fragment:

Mapping the oceans where we explore. Protecting biodiversity.everywhere we work.Defeating malaria.Improving energy efficiency.Developing more clean-burningnatural gas.My job at ExxonMobilturning algae into biofuels.Reducing energy povertyin the developing world.Making carsgo further with less.Fueling.the global economy..And you thought [big apparently un-evil smile] we just made the gas!

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Then a series of title cards: Many jobs, one purpose: powering the world responsibly.

Yeah, this heat went to a photo finish. The key word is the very last one. Responsibly -- as in, what is ExxonMobil responsible for? Well, for a good part of the past 30 years, it has been responsible for funding millions of dollars of phony climate "science" to create public doubt over and political resistance to rational environmental policy. The UK's national academy of science, The Royal Society, dubbed it a disinformation campaign.

This I happened to confirm personally with ExxonMobil Senior Advisor for Global Affairs Richard Keil on my radio program -- during which conversation he steadfastly denied that the company is currently bankrolling climate skepticism.

KEIL: Bob, we don't, we don't, we don't fund those groups -- as the science has emerged and become clearer, we're more committed than ever to researching this important topic.

ME: We don't fund them or we didn't fund them? You got out of the funding business 2009 or some such, but for 20 years before that, you poured --

KEIL: Bob, I'm gonna finish my thought here, Bob.

ME: Please clarify this for me: Are not funding, or did not fund them?

KEIL: We are not funding. (Italics mine. Shamelessness Exxons)

He may even be bullshitting in the present tense; ExxonMobil beneficiaries are still hard at work fighting climate action. Meanwhile, at least three state attorneys general are looking into whether Exxon -- which until 1985 had one of the most robust climate-science infrastructures in the world -- learned one story from their own data and told another one to the public, including its own investors. In fact, the very first words of the new commercial may describe the smoking gun: data, on carbon absorption into the oceans, collected in sea mapping by the company itself.

In New York, we have laws against defrauding the public, defrauding consumers, defrauding shareholders, state attorney general Eric Schneiderman told PBS.

In the 1980s, they were putting out some very good studies about climate change. They were compared to Bell Labs as being at the leadership of doing good scientific work. And then they changed tactics for some reason, and their numerous statements over the last 20 years or so that question climate change, whether its happening, that claim that there is no competent model for climate change.

Because doubt stops action. And it did. And it persists, even among GOP leaders, such as the ignoramus climate-denying chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, James Inhofe.

But now, under siege, and with oil prices doing to revenues what the Valdez did to Prince William Sound, ExxonMobil is using advertising to portray itself as a responsible climate citizen. As spokesman Alan Jefffers put it: We're helping people understand that we're working on new technology to further reduce environmental impacts by talking about research into algae-based fuels and better ways to capture carbon dioxide -- and how we're helping consumers reduce their environmental footprint, too.

Youre helping us? Uh huh. You won the Bullshit-a-Thon. You have your medalbut ask the Russian athletes about what happens next. There are investigations underway. Dont celebrate just yet.
by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, August 14, 2016

Creating for the Internet of Things at scale can be tougher than it looks.

In somewhat of a setback for thousands of consumers awaiting delivery of a new robot for their home, shipping of the Jibo social robot is delayed and international investors wont be getting one.

I spent some time with one of the robots designers a few months ago after a Jibo presentation at a Boston conference, as I wrote about here at the time (New Doorways To Advertising: Meet Jibo, The Social Robot).

Back in August 2014, Jibo posted the following on its Facebook page:

"You may now pre-order JIBO for shipment to the US, Canada, EU (all 28 countries), Norway, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Mexico."

That was then. Now it turns out that the Boston-based company is having some development difficulties. This is their posting from early April:

To our Indiegogo early adopters, we want to thank you for your ongoing support and patience. We are making great progress on Jibo, but we won't start delivering him in the March/April timeframe as previously communicated. We know this is disappointing. We want to ensure your experience with your Jibo is amazing, and we need more time than we anticipated to achieve this goal.

In late April, Jibo again updated its supporters and investors in a video stating that shipping would be delayed until October.

The company has raised well over $3 million, much of it from crowdfunding and a few million from Dentsu.

Based on what I saw at the Jibo presentation in back in May, the relatively small devices can recognize faces, detect moods as well as learn and self-adjust over time.

Unlike Amazons highly popular Alexa, which recognizes voice and executes commands, such as turn on the lights, play music or order me a... whatever, Jibo is designed to become sort of a family member.

It can do the normal things that voice-controlled, central command hubs typically do, but it essentially has character. Its not a remote control, but lives in your home, Blake Kotelly, vice president of design at Jibo, told me at the time.

The relatively small, table-top robot has a face, a screen that moves to look up, down and sideways while recognizing who its facing. The screen movements and interactions are synched to voice and surrounding activity.

After the U.S. shipping delay, now there are issues with international orders. This is the latest note from Jibo to investors and supporters:

After exploring all the options, we have come to the conclusion that we will not be able to deliver Jibo to your country. The reason is clear: Jibo wont function up to our standards in your country. We know this is disappointing news and that many of you have been looking forward to Jibos arrival since our campaign first launched, and for that were truly sorry. We cant tell you how much we appreciate your support of Jibo and our vision, and to do right by you, we will issue full refunds to all pre-order customers in your country.

Like much of the Internet of Things, speed of communications is a core requirement.

For devices such as Jibo, this means the voice recognition and responses has to occur in relative real time. With Siri, Cortana, Google and others, consumers are gaining high expectations for instant responses.

This can mean a lot of computing power always connected to the thing that a consumer is interacting with.

That thing also is opening a gateway for marketing and advertising. That, too, will have to be in real time.
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, August 15, 2016

If you opened your door, looked down, and found a new newspaper that youd never heard of before and never subscribed to, containing only stories about how bad your local council member or state senator is, coincidentally just a few months before the election, would you A) throw it away, B) use it to clean up after your dog, or C) read it attentively and base your vote on it?

Apparently, a good number of people out there would choose the last option, as this tactic is a perennial favorite of shady local political campaigns across the U.S. The latest example comes from Illinois, where a political fundraising organization created by conservative talk show host and former gubernatorial candidate Dan Proft is distributing a number of fake newspapers to promote Republican candidates for state senate.

Profts Liberty Principles PAC has produced several editions of the fictitious newspapers, with plausible names like the Chambana Sun, DuPage Policy Journal, East Central Reporter, Kankakee Times, Lake County Gazette, McHenry Times, Metro East Sun, North Cook News, Rock Island Today, Sangamon Sun, SW Illinois News, West Central Reporter, and West Cook News.

These publications primarily contain sympathetic interviews with the local GOP candidates as well as articles attacking their Democratic opponents.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has issued a finding that the fake newspapers violate the states election laws, which forbid so-called Independent Expenditure PACs from colluding with political campaigns. The newspapers also run afoul of the Campaign Disclosure Act, which requires all paid political advertisements to identify themselves as such.

Separately, the Illinois Press Association issued a statement warning readers about the practice of publishing political ad masquerading as newspapers, adding: While imitation is the highest form of flattery, the IPA cautions readers to become as news literate as possible; that is, to try to determine the source behind the news and information they receive and to question the legitimacy, integrity and intent of both the source and the message.

One politician on the receiving end of the newspaper attacks, Illinois state senator Melinda Bush, stated: These fake newspapers are part of a deceitful and possibly illegal campaign by a special interest group to push a political agenda and mislead Lake County residents

"Laws that forbid coordination between super PACs and candidates ensure that there is no undue influence by specia-iinterest groups on our elections. Disclosure laws are designed to ensure accountability. By continuing to release their fake newspapers, this super PAC has misled the public, made this election less transparent and possibly continued to break the law.
by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, August 15, 2016



WPP will take an estimated revenue hit of more than $100 million with AT&Ts decision to consolidate its ad account with Omnicom, according to an assessment of the shift (announced Friday) by Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser.

Wieser estimates that the departure of the AT&T business from WPP (including most of the media, handled for the past nine years by MEC and a big creative assignment for subsidiary DirecTV that has been handled by Grey) would in isolation shave about 1% off the companys bottom line.

Of course, other account wins and like-for-like client revenue gains that occur on an ongoing basis will help to offset this change for WPP, Wieser stated in a note to clients issued Monday. For Omnicom, we might assume a better than +1% tailwind to organic revenues given that companys slightly smaller scale.

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That said, the impact on profitability for the two holding companies is harder to assess, Wieser noted. Large accounts are often pursued as low-profit pieces of business, used to help attract talent and cover overhead costs. And account wins like AT&T might help Omnicom agencies reel in other new accounts given the halo effect and prestige factor of running a giant telecom account.

Wieser also noted that sibling entities involving proprietary/non-transparent trading such as Omnet or Icon may help Omnicoms profitability on the AT&T business.

And Wieser cited the enormous leap, virtually out of the gate that the win provides for Omnicoms new media agency brand Hearts & Science, which will oversee AT&Ts media assignment. That brand was established just a few months ago with Procter & Gamble (North America) as its charter client.

Combined, the two accounts equate to approximately $8 billion in annual spending. From a standing start, Hearts & Science is now one of the largest media agencies in the United States, and a strong third brand within Omnicom Media Group alongside OMD and PHD, said Wieser.

Despite the big shift, Wieser concludes that for now our bigger picture perspective on both companies is generally unchanged. He continues to rate both companies a hold.
by Sara Guaglione , August 15, 2016

Christopher Cox has been named executive editor of GQ, six months after he was fired as editor-in-chief of Harpers Magazine.

In February, just three months after he got the job at Harpers, president and publisher John MacArthur reportedly fired Cox over editorial differences, which may have included a clash over a cover redesign supported by Cox.

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MacArthur, who has invested heavily in Harpers with his personal fortune, is said to be firmly committed to the print edition of the 166-year-old publication and resistant to change.

MacArthur is also known to have a heavy hand in the magazine. In 2010, he abruptly fired editor Rodger Hodge, also reportedly over editorial disagreements. Hodge was succeeded by Ellen Rosenbush, who Cox later replaced in November of last year.

At GQ, Cox will be in charge of editing long-form stories, profiles, essays and investigative pieces, the magazine said Friday.

"I was always a little jealous when I read his award-winning work in Harpers, and now I'm just glad I don't have to be jealous anymore," GQ editor-in-chief Jim Nelson stated.

Worthy of note, Nelson used to work at Harpers in the early 1990s, and Cox was a senior editor at GQ at one point.

Cox was most recently freelancing for Esquire and remains an editor-at-large for Orion magazine. Cox joined Harpers as a senior editor in 2010.
by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, August 15, 2016

Despite reports that TV viewership of the 2016 Rio Olympics opening ceremony fell short of historic numbers, Google set out to determine whether the top 10 television advertisers created an impact on fans and how search contributed to the experience.

Google evaluated the top 10 brands based on the total amount of TV advertising minutes that aired during the live broadcast of the opening ceremonies. The analysis is intended to give brands insight into which ads got noticed by audiences, drove interest or shifted perception and increased intent, and prompted consumer responses.

The analysis of the ads -- which aired on Aug. 5 from 8 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. EDT -- is based on consumer surveys and data from second-screen responses across smartphone, desktop, and tablet data. It is representative of about 750 respondents in the United States, and modeled by the Google Attribution 360 suite. The responses are based on incremental TV ad-driven search queries on Google and YouTube during the broadcast and are specific to the ads.

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The ads running on TV drove up mobile searches during the opening ceremony. During the opening ceremonies, TV ad-driven searches were almost exclusively on mobile94% compared with an average of 56% for those brands when the ads were not airing, according to the Google data.

McDonald's drove 1.42 times more responses in terms of ad-driven searches compared with the average of all the ads.

Inspiring and product ad creatives drove 10% more responses on average and pure brand creative drove 10% less than average, whereas ads by non-sponsors drove 13% less response than average compared with 10% more than average for sponsors.

During the opening ceremonies, only 40% of the respondents who saw an ad, could recall the actual product or service being advertised.

In addition, 35% of respondents said they remembered seeing the Coke ad compared with 23% who remembered the Samsung ad; 22%, Chevy; 21%, United; and 21% Visa.

Just 17% of respondents said they felt more positive about the brand after seeing the ad compared with 21% for ads of non-sponsors.

About 14% of respondents said they are more likely to seek more information or purchase a product after seeing the ad compared with 19% for ads of non-sponsors, according to Google data.
Junk food is a significant contributor to the skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Children are exposed to food advertising  including junk food commercials  multiple times a day. Researchers have found that these advertisements directly influence childrens food choices and brain activity, and they may be a factor in overeating and the associated health risks. Share on Pinterest TV commercials may make children more inclined to reach faster, more impulsive decisions regarding their food choices. The food industry spends around $1.8 billion a year marketing products to children and adolescents. Children between the ages of 2-5 years are estimated to view more than 1,000 advertisements per year, and teenagers almost 2,000. Food marketing is cited as a substantial environmental factor in food choices and overeating, and, as a result, obesity, and TV advertising and branding have been shown to affect both food familiarity and preference. Previous research indicates that children who view advertisements are more likely to prefer branded foods than children not exposed to advertisements. Behavioral studies have reported an association between receptivity to food commercials and the amount of food consumed. Other studies have observed that children who are overweight may be more responsive to food branding and, as a result, are at a greater risk of being influenced by marketing. Research has demonstrated a relationship between marketing junk foods and an increased risk of childhood obesity. A previous study by lead study author Amanda S. Bruce, Ph.D., assistant professor of behavioral pediatrics at the University of Kansas Medical Center, documented individual differences in brain activation in response to food advertising cues, such as fast food brand logos. When observing food brand logos, obese children demonstrate reduced neurofunctional reactivity in the prefrontal cortex  a cortical region known to be associated with self-control.

Decision processes and brain activity monitored during food selections In the new study, Bruce, together with researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Missouri-Kansas City, aimed to examine childrens food decision processes and brain activity during active food selections. Specifically, the team wanted to find out if food choices and brain activity were altered after viewing food commercials. The research, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, centered on 23 children between the ages of 8-14 years. The children provided taste and health ratings for 60 food items based on how tasty and healthy they thought they were. Bruce and colleagues studied the childrens brain activity  with the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)  while making food choices after watching food and non-food TV commercials. For brain analyses, our primary focus was on the brain region most active during reward valuation, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, says Bruce. During the brain scan, the children were asked whether they wanted to eat the food items shown to them immediately after the commercials.

Watching food commercials influenced childrens taste preferences Results highlighted that, overall, childrens decisions on the foods they wanted to eat were driven by tastiness rather than healthfulness. The taste of foods was even more of a factor after watching food commercials  that is, children favored specific foods and placed an even greater emphasis on taste attributes of these foods. The researchers found that watching food commercials changed the way children assess the importance of taste when making food choices. The authors write: It is possible that the food commercials prime children to focus on the more hedonic aspects of food. Food commercials may prompt children to consider their liking and wanting of specific food items, irrespective of the lack of any health benefits. This increased emphasis on taste may make it even more difficult for relevant caregivers to encourage healthy food choices. This evidence has implications for policies related to food advertising to children, they add. When compared with non-food commercials, the vmPFC area of the brain that is associated with reward and value assessment showed increased activity at the time of food choice after watching food commercials. This activity indicates that food commercials stimulate childrens brains in a way that non-food commercials do not. Also, the more hunger the child reported, the greater the vmPFC activity, suggesting that when children are hungry, the effect of food commercials on brain activity may be particularly noticeable.
The use of acetaminophen to relieve pain and fever has generally been considered safe during pregnancy, but recent research suggests a need for caution. Research published in JAMA Pediatrics has found that acetaminophen use in pregnancy may increase the risk of a range of behavioral problems in children. Share on Pinterest Should acetaminophen be used to treat pain during pregnancy? Acetaminophen  also known as paracetamol  features in a wide range of over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, including actifed, panadol, and Tylenol. Prescription medicines that contain it include oxycodone and tramadol. Apart from pain and fever, it is also included in treatments for allergy, cough, colds, flu, and sleep problems. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend a maximum dose of 4,000 milligrams of acetaminophen in a 24-hour period, because overuse can lead to serious liver problems. However, as it is often combined with other ingredients, patients may not realize how much they are taking. Previous research in animals has suggested that acetaminophen use during gestation can lead to neurodevelopmental problems, possibly due to a disruption in the endocrine function  the body system that regulates the hormones.

ADHD previously linked to acetaminophen use Studies of children in Denmark and New Zealand have revealed higher levels of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or ADHD-type symptoms in those whose mothers used the drug during pregnancy. The FDA have expressed concerns about the use of acetaminophen and other OTC pain relief drugs during pregnancy. Researchers led by Evie Stergiakouli, from Bristol University in the United Kingdom, studied data for 7,796 mothers who took part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children from 1991-1992, along with their children and partners. The team studied associations between behavioral problems in children and the use of acetaminophen by their mothers before and after giving birth. They also examined acetaminophen use by the womens partners. They distributed questionnaires to assess the use of acetaminophen at weeks 18 and 32 of pregnancy, and when the children were 5 years old. When the children were 7 years old, their mothers completed questionnaires about their behavior. At 18 weeks of pregnancy, 4,415 mothers, or 53 percent, said they used acetaminophen. At 32 weeks, 3,381 mothers, or 42 percent, reported using it. The most common reasons for use were headaches, musculoskeletal problems, and infections during pregnancy. After giving birth, 6,916 mothers, or 89 percent, and 3,454 partners, or 84 percent, used acetaminophen.
Earlier today, Ami Bera showed up on our list of the worst Democrats in Congress. The list was based on his reactionary voting record, not on his grotesque corruption, corruption for which he's going to allow his 83-year old father to act as the fall guy and possibly go to prison . The California labor unions that were instrumental in first electing and then sustaining Bera in Congress, have abandoned him and are refusing to even back him as the lesser of two evils against roly poly Republican sexual predator Scott Jones. Bera has an execrable voting recorded earned an "F" from ProgressivePunch. Only 11 Democrats in Congress have voted more frequently against progressive positions on crucial issues. He was one of only 28 Democrats, for example, to vote for Fast Track authority for the TPP.





Babulal Bera, the congressman's father, pleaded guilty to campaign fraud charges in May and is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court in Sacramento on Thursday. Federal prosecutors have recommended a year in prison and a $130,200 fine for his role in a multi-year scheme hatched by Steve Israel and involving half a dozen of the most corrupt 2014 New Dem candidates, particularly Bera and crooked Florida congressman Patrick Murphy and his big-spending Republican parents. In their sentencing recommendation, prosecutors wrote that Babulal crime was "broad, sustained and knowingly wrong." He admitted it as part of a deal to keep his equally guilty wife (who is 81 and very ill) out of prison and to keep the spotlight away from his son, who directed the operation at Steve Israel's instructions. Babulal, who addressed the court through a Gujarati interpreter, doesn't speak English well enough to have pulled this complex a scheme off on his own.

The amounts he directed into the campaign were significant, and as discussed below they may have helped establish the legitimacy of the campaign, prosecutors wrote in the filing signed by Philip A. Ferrari, assistant U.S. attorney. Finally, this defendant knew his acts were wrong, and he took active steps to conceal them, using multiple bank accounts and sometimes writing reimbursement checks from multiple accounts on the same day.



However enthusiastic he may have been about the prospect that his son would be a United States Congressman, he cannot explain away his actions as the result of runaway emotions, they added.

Babulal sponsored over 300 Gujaratis to come to the U.S. and ran a small chain of sleazy motels. Many people are shocked that the Congressman is allowing his father to take the fall and possibly go to prison to advance his own miserable political career. He claims he hasn't even discussed the case with his father.

"More corrupt than I am" James Wedick, a retired FBI agent who worked on high-profile public corruption probes, referred to the case as unusual because its far more common to have politicians themselves orchestrate sophisticated and illicit ways to underwrite their campaigns than their aging parents.



For a parent to get this involved in the race without including (Ami Bera), or telling others, or getting advice as to what to do? I dont know. It defies reasoning a little bit, Wedick said. And most of the time when I have looked, its a lot a more complicated than people have suggested. Where theres smoke theres usually fire.



Separate from the criminal probe, The Bee reported in May that Ami Bera and his family, including his parents, participated in a complex series of campaign donations involving the families of other Democratic congressional candidates. Campaign finance experts said the contributions, which often came within days of one another , generally do not violate federal law, but were another way to avoid individual donation limits.



Ami Bera has said the contributions often were arranged by the candidates themselves, but in some cases may also have been initiated by the candidates families or their campaign staffs. Bera also said he periodically asked his wife and parents to contribute to colleagues running in competitive contests, but that similar donations from those candidates and their relatives didnt constitute reimbursements.



Bera, who won the suburban Sacramento seat in 2012 and defended it two years later, faces a November challenge from Republican Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. Jones campaign continues to insist the congressman was fully aware of the illegal fundraising scheme and now is dishonorably allowing his elderly father to take the blame.

Bera's district, CA-07, is entirely in Sacramento County and made up primarily of Sacramento's eastern suburbs from Elk Grove and Carmichael to Citrus Heights and Rancho Cordova and out to Folsom. Obama won the district twice, leading McCain by 6 points and Romney by 4 points. In his reelection bid in 2014, in which he used the illegal campaign funds, Bera was nearly defeated and squeaked by with 92,521 votes to Republican Doug Ose's 91,066 votes. Bera spent $4,317,863 to Ose's $5,114,546. The DCCC spent $4,654,796 to help Bera and Pelosi's House Majority PAC kicked in another $1,203,057-- almost $6 million for a contemptible fake Democrat who has always been there for Boehner and Ryan to vote with the GOP so they could call their anti-working family legislation "bipartisan." Bera is a perfect example of why the Democratic Party has nothing going for it any long except the ability to call itself the lesser of two evils. The reason all elections should have a "none of the above" option is because of politicians like Ami Bera.





Steve Israel's scheme to circumvent campaign finance laws





UPDATE: Bera Is Losing




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Background: Venetoclax is a small molecule that belongs to a class of drugs called BH3 mimetics. It binds with great affinity and selectivity to BCL-2, an antiapoptotic protein that plays a role in many blood cancers, Letai said. BCL-2 proteins keep the AML cells alive by binding to proapoptotic proteins. Venetoclax binds to BCL-2 and frees the proapoptotic proteins, thus rapidly and irreversibly forcing the AML cell to undergo apoptosis, he explained.In April 2016, venetoclax was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of certain patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).How the Study Was Conducted: The study investigators recruited 32 patients with AML with a median age of 71 years to this multicenter, single-arm trial evaluating 800 mg daily oral venetoclax. Twenty-six patients received at least four weeks of therapy.The investigators performed cytogenetic analysis, BH3 profiling, and next-generation sequencing to look for AML-related genetic mutations in the patients' samples collected at study entry and found that 12 patients had mutations in IDH genes, and six had a high BCL-2-sensitive protein index.Results: The overall response rate was 19 percent; two patients had complete response (CR) and four had complete response with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi). The median duration of therapy in responders was 144.5 days, and the median duration of CR was 48 days. All patients discontinued therapy due to progressive disease or an adverse event, or for other reasons.The four patients who had CRi had IDH mutations in their cancer cells. Response to the drug correlated with biomarker results, including indices of BCL-2 protein expression and BH3 profiling, Letai said. "This is significant as it supports the mechanism of action of venetoclax as an on-target inhibitor of BCL-2. Moreover, it offers the possibility of using BH3 profiling as a potential predictive biomarker for clinical use of BH3 mimetics," he added.Adverse events were as expected and included nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, febrile neutropenia, and hypokalemia.Authors' Comments: "There has been research into apoptosis [cell death] for decades now. It has long been a goal of the field to see the work translated into actual improved care of cancer patients. AML is a disease in which new therapies are desperately needed, and based on published preclinical work, this type of cancer seemed to be an excellent target for the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax," said Letai."In this clinical trial, we found that even among pretreated patients whose AML was refractory to intensive chemotherapy there was evidence of exceptional sensitivity to selective BCL-2 inhibition, even to the point of complete remissions. This could be accomplished by a single oral dose of venetoclax daily and demonstrated the potential clinical activity of BCL-2 inhibition in AML," he added."It is also worth noting that in this age of precision medicine, dominated by genomics, this is an example of the importance of functional precision medicine. CLL and AML lack genetic abnormalities related to BCL-2. Instead, their vulnerability to BCL-2 inhibition was identified using functional studies. This is support that functional studies need to be part of any mature precision medicine project," Letai noted."Marina and I both identified evidence that AML would be a good target for BCL-2 inhibition some years ago. When we realized that we were working on the same idea, we made the conscious decision to collaborate rather than compete," Letai said. "Combining our work made progress more rapid, and provided more material to convince AbbVie to initiate a program of venetoclax in AML."Konopleva said, "We believe that venetoclax will soon become an equal partner to standard-of-care chemotherapy in elderly patients with AML when used in combinations with hypomethylating agents and other approaches. Planned studies will test the hypothesis that venetoclax may likewise improve outcomes in younger AML patients when combined with high-dose chemotherapy."Limitations: As limitations to the study, most patients did not meet the criteria of a clinical response, and in those who did respond, the response was not as durable as expected, Letai said. Further, the predictive biomarker assays were performed retrospectively. Subsequent studies will need to perform biomarker studies while blinded to clinical data, he added.Source: Eurekalert
Russia This Week is a weekly review by the MEMRI Russian Media Studies Project, covering the latest Russia-related news and analysis from media in Russia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Cartoons Of The Week



Vitaly, Twitter.com/sharzhipero, August 10, 2016.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the physically and politically miniaturized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On August 9, when the two leaders met in St. Petersburg, Erdogan referred to Putin several times as "my dear friend"; Putin, did not reciprocate the amity and formally referred to the Turkish president as "Mr. Erdogan."



Vitaly Podvitsky, Ria.ru, August 8, 2016.

NATO tries to steer Turkey in the opposite direction to the course that Erdogan, dressed as an Ottoman sultan, has charted for Turkey.

Zakharova Dixit

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova is one of the most-quoted Russian officials. She is known for using colorful language when describing Russian foreign policy in her weekly press briefings. The following are Zakharova's quotes of the week:



Still on vacation, Maria Zakharova published a photo of herself on horseback in Spassk-Ryazansky. (Souce: Facebook.com/maria.zakharova.167, August 11, 2016)

Zakharova has reacted to an interview by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin, who mentioned the option of imposing visa requirements on Russian citizens entering Ukraine:

"Do you have a basic idea of how many Ukrainian come to Russia to earn money in order to feed their families...? If Ukraine maintains real rather than utopian statistics, which are not used for brainwashing the population, study it and tell the Ukrainian people about it. Then the citizens of your country will clearly understand whom the visa regime will harm."

(Tass.ru, August 12)

Quote Of The Week:

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius published a statement on the Foreign Ministry's website, following a conversation with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin on the rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Linkevicius wrote: "The provocative methods and accusations by Russia threaten the Normandy format [which comprises Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany] and constitute a challenge for the international effort to end external aggression and military action in Eastern Ukraine. The international community should respond very seriously to such fabricated accusations and prevent any further provocations by Russia, if such are planned."

(Urm.lt, August 12)

In his twitter account, the Lithuanian FM wrote the following: "[The] aggressor accused the victim of an attack. Old KGB methods. Russia's false accusations towards Ukraine to justify future 'retaliation'?"

(Twitter.com/LinkeviciusL, August 10)



Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevicius (Source: Urm.lt)

In The News:

Rising Tensions Between Ukraine And Russia

Serious tensions arose this week in Russian-Ukrainian relations. According to the Ukrainian Border Guard, the Russian side has been reinforcing its military presence along the Crimea-Ukraine border since August 7, including deploying additional troops prior to the Caucasus 2016 military exercise scheduled for September 5-10. Meanwhile, following a special meeting of the Ukrainian Security Council, Ukraine announced a state of high military alert along its borders with Crimea and in the Donbass region; a state of high military alert means that Ukrainian troops are ready for immediate combat.

(See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6573, An Overview Of The Rising Tensions In Russian-Ukrainian Relations, August 12, 2016)

Russia In Syria - Senator Klintsevich Said That Nuclear Weapons And Heavy Bombers Will Not Be Permanently Deployed At The Hmeymim Base

Russian media reported that Moscow plans to turn the Hmeymim base, located in the northwestern Syrian Latakia province, into a fully operational base. The first deputy chairman of the Federation Council's Defense and Security Committee Franz Klintsevich said: "After an agreement on its legal status, Hmeymim will become a base of Russian armed forces, all the appropriate infrastructure will be built there and our servicemen will live in decent conditions." He then added that a permanent contingent of Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) could be based at the Hmeymim airbase. Klintsevich said: "The VKS unit could be increased in accordance with bilateral agreements, but so far, from the perspective of tasks at hand, the forces currently deployed there [at Hmeymim] are enough."

He also said that nuclear weapons and heavy bombers will not be permanently deployed at the Hmeymim base in Syria as it is against international agreements.

(Sputniknews.com, August 11)

Putin Dismisses Kremlin Chief-Of-Staff



New Russia Chief Of Staff Anton Vaino (Themoscowtimes, August 12, 2016)

Putin dismissed Kremlin Chief-Of-Staff Sergei Ivanov. The new Chief-Of-Staff is Anton Vaino. In a meeting with Ivanov and Vaino, Putin said: "Mr. Vaino has been your deputy for several years now and also quite successfully. Mr. Ivanov recommended you as his successor in the post of Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. I would like to offer this job to you." Vaino, 44, is the grandson of the former head of the Estonian Communist Party. He speaks fluent English and Japanese.

(Kremlin.ru, August 12; Themoscowtimes.com, August 12)

Commenting on Ivanov's dismissal, the English-language Russian daily The Moscow Times wrote: "In an unexpected move, Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced...the head of the presidential administration Sergei Ivanov with Anton Vaino, a younger and less known official. Ivanov, thanking Putin for his praise of his work, commented that his four years and eight months in the role made him the longest-serving head of Russia's presidential administration...The dismissal, as several Kremlin insiders told The Moscow Times, follows the logic of the recent staff reshuffle among top Russian officials. Putin is replacing his old guard with young and loyal bureaucratic figures, moving toward enforcing his personal leadership... [However,] inside the Kremlin, Vaino's appointment didn't come as a total shock. 'He would have become the next head of administration anyway,' [a] source close to the Kremlin said. Rumors of the move started circulating in early spring. Ivanov has been planning to resign for some time now...In addition, Putin has been dissatisfied with Ivanov for some time. New legislation on the National Guard was the last straw, the Moscow-based political commentator Konstantin Gaaze says: 'The expertise and the workflow involved in drafting this legislation went wrong. As a result, the version of one of the amendments signed by Putin and officially published in the press is different from what the parliament voted for. And the Kremlin managers had to deal with the scandal."

(Themoscowtimes.com, August 12)

Putin-Erdogan Meeting

On August 9, 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Konstantin Palace, 20 kilometers from St. Petersburg. The meeting was described by the media as "historic," since the two leaders were meeting for the first time since the Turkish air force shot down a Russian plane in November 2015. The meeting focused on the normalization of economic and political relations.

(See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6562, Russian FM Lavrov On Putin-Erdogan Meeting; 'As For The Restoration Of Trust... Much Will Depend On Our Cooperation In Settling The Syrian Crisis', August 9, 2016; See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6564, At Putin-Erdogan Meeting, Putin Says: 'Regarding The Full Restoration Of Relations - Do We Want It Or Not? Yes, We Want It And Will Do This'; Erdogan: 'Turkish-Russian Relations Are Not Limited To Trade And Economic Ties', August 10, 2016; See MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6567, Russian Reactions To The Putin-Erdogan Meeting, August 11, 2016)

The Turkish media reported that Turkey and Russia are building "a new mechanism between the two countries on Syria," after the summit in St. Petersburg. Before the meeting with Putin, Erdogan announced: "We said we would send [Russia] a tripartite committee featuring an intelligence [officer], soldier and a diplomat, and in response to this tripartite committee, you will name your counterparts and they will conduct intense work." The Turkish tripartite committee was scheduled to leave for Russia on August 10 and would hold its first meetings on August 11.

Commenting on Russia-Turkey cooperation on Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said:

"[This is] the first concrete step [between Turkey and Russia]: Previously, there were different mechanisms between us on Syria, between the militaries, foreign ministries and intelligence services. Now, we [will] establish a threefold mechanism."

(Hurriyetdailynews.com, August 11)

Azerbaijan-Iran-Russia Meeting

On August 8, 2016, a first-ever trilateral summit between Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia convened in Azerbaijan's capital of Baku, at the initiative of Azeri President Ilham Aliyev. Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of Russia in Global Affairs and Research Director at the Valdai International Discussion Club, said that Iran-Azerbaijan-Russia partnership strengthens Russia's role as a stability guarantor in Eurasia. He said that from a Russian point of view, cooperation with Iran and Azerbaijan is very important, due to the volatile situation in South Caucasus and the fact that Nagorno-Karabakh conflict may "heat up" again.

(See MEMRI Special Dispatch No.6569, An Overview Of The Azerbaijan-Iran-Russia Trilateral Summit In Baku, August 12, 2016)

Putin Meets The Armenian President

On August 10, Putin met with the Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, in Moscow. During the joint news conference, Sargsyan said: "It is impossible to resolve such a conflict by seeking to address its consequences rather than its root causes. The core of the Karabakh issue lies in the struggle of the people of Karabakh for self-determination - an inalienable right of all nations in resolving such issues, which should be respected and guaranteed. This is what we discussed in detail with the President of Russia today... Each side should benefit from realistic, clear-cut and feasible solutions that are rooted in mutual respect and trust rather than hatred and xenophobia."

During the Q&As that followed the joint news conference, a journalist asked Putin: "Do you think they [Armenia and Azerbaijan] are creating grounds for another round of escalation, with Azerbaijan obtaining a large number of weapons, whereas the supply of Russian weapons to Armenia remains, to put it mildly, questionable?" In his answer, Putin stressed that Armenia is Russia's ally and that is fulfilling its duties to supply Armenia with weapons. However, he added that a country like Azerbaijan is able to buy any weapon in today's global arms market. Putin said: "As for the weapons, we have a program on this with Armenia. Armenia is a CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] member and our ally. We have certain mutual obligations, and Russia has always kept its obligations, has always fulfilled them. In today's arms market, any country can buy almost any weapon. A country such as Azerbaijan, an oil-producing country of almost 10 million people with a fast-growing economy, as well as sufficiently large gold and currency reserves can, of course, buy weapons anywhere it likes. You see? Anywhere. However, I would rather not focus on the military side of things now. If we want to resolve this problem, we should use peaceful means."

(See MEMRI Special Dispatch No.6569, An Overview Of The Azerbaijan-Iran-Russia Trilateral Summit In Baku, August 12, 2016)

Russia-Iran Relations

Foreign Ministry official and senior nuclear negotiator Hamid Baidinejad said that the Fordow center will become a major nuclear physics research center. He added that Russian and Iranian scientists are working together to produce stable isotopes in Fordow Nuclear Center.

(Mehrnews.com, August 7)

Concerning the Syrian crisis, Former high ranking Iranian diplomat Nosratollah Tajik stated that Russia believes that Washington is not serious about the Syrian issue. He then added that Russia's military presence in Syria benefited Iran. According to Tajik, Washington is not ready to accept Iran's positive role in Syria, whereas it finds it easier to compromise with Russia.

(Irdiplomacy.ir, August 9)

On August 8, Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin reported that half of the contracted S-300 air defense system complexes have been delivered to Iran. Half of the S-300 system complexes means that half of the contract comprising two S-300 squadrons has been fulfilled. According to Iran's Defense Minister Brigade General Hossein Dehghan, the purchase and delivery of the S-300 from Russia includes four squadrons of S-300. Every squadron is comprised of four batteries, with each battery including four missile launchers, side radars, and command and support vehicles. A few weeks ago, Russia announced its readiness to dispatch the second shipment of S-300. Rogozin's statement shows that Iran has possibly already received the second shipment of S-300 that includes the second squadron.

(Tasnimnews.com, August 9)

The Russian embassy in Iran reported that Sergey Ryabkov, the Russian deputy foreign minister, will visit Tehran at the end of August to discuss progress in the JCPOA implementation with Iranian officials.

(Ilna.ir, August 11)

On August 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the importance of the roles played by Iran, Russia and Turkey in the region, during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Zarif said: "We are very happy with the new cooperation between Turkey and Russia... This cooperation is important for all three countries. Iran has always had a positive dialogue with Turkey on Syria and has very good ties with Russia. We believe that all sides should cooperate for peace and security in Syria and in the fight against extremism."

Cavusoglu said: "We will closely cooperate on these issues [on Syria] after this meeting. There are issues we agree on, especially on Syrian territorial integrity. On some issues, we have different views but we have never cut dialogue. We have emphasized from the outset the importance of the constructive role Iran plays for a permanent solution in Syria."

(Hurriyetdailynews.com, August 12)

Ukraine-Iran Relations

Ukraine's former president Viktor Yushchenko hailed Iran as a very powerful country with which his country should develop strategic relations, saying the ties should not be confined to energy cooperation, but should also involve the exchange of scientific expertise.

(Tasnimnews.com, August 6)

A second joint consular meeting between Iran and Ukraine took place in Tehran. During the meeting both sides stressed the necessity of expanding consular cooperation, and providing additional services to Iranian and Ukrainian citizens.

(Farsnews.com, August 8)

Russia-Serbia Relations

On August 13, Russian Defense Minister met with Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic at the finals of Russia's large-scale International Army Games (July 30-August 13).

(Blics.rs, August 13)

On August 11, the Serbian parliament endorsed Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's new government, composed by 19 ministers. The government will pursue Serbia's integration in the EU, while keeping close ties with Russia. Vucic had problems forming a new government. The Russian government-funded media outlet Sputniknews.com wrote that Serbia became the "battlefield" between Russia and the West, since "pro-Russia and pro-West politicians" are in disagreement over the country's policy.

(Inserbia.info, August 11; Mundo.sputniknews.com, July 27)

Vucic said the Serbia has no alternative to gas supplies from Russia: "From where can the gas be imported, if not from Russia? We can import it only from Russia, and every other alternative I have heard of was just empty talk.... We now have the best possible price from Russia - $118 per thousand cubic meters of gas."

(Inserbia.info, August 11)

On July 13, the popular Belgrade newspaper Blic wrote that "the Serbian Ministry of Finance is seeking a way to annul a treaty with Russia concerning the 800 million dollar credit for infrastructure projects". According to the newspaper, the Finance Ministry team developing the requirements for rejection is prepared "even to go to arbitration" with the Russian party. It was noted that loan funds can be "secured elsewhere and on better terms." As a pretext for dissolving the treaty, the newspaper's source mentioned that the Serbian side allegedly planned submitting "a request to extend the term of credit realization after the contractual term expires in December 2017, [a request] that the Russian side will refuse to accept".

(Vz.ru, July 13)

Russian Military Exercises

This year, Russian paratroopers will perform several joint exercises with their colleagues from the armies of Egypt and Serbia. Counter-terrorism training exercises with the Russian National Guard have finished on the range near Volgograd. In September, Russia will participate in the "Slavic Brotherhood 2016" exercises together with the Belarusians and Serbs. The drills will take place at the Nikinci military training field, in Serbia, just 30 km from the border with Croatia, and NATO. In October, Russia has scheduled joint exercises with the special ops army units in Egypt. In September, the "Caucasus-2016" strategic exercises will take place.

(Life.ru, July 30; B29.net, August 5)

News In Brief:

Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill congratulated Fidel Castro on his 90th birthday, stating that the Cuban leader wrote his name into the annals of world history. (Interfax.ru, August 14)

Russia's Defense Minister Shoigu: The Russian army is being re-armed and re-trained. (Interfax.ru, August 14)

Russia's Foreign Ministry confirms that a Russian pilot, seized by the Taliban in Afghanistan on August 4, was released. (Tass.ru, August 13)

Google was fined $6.75 million by Russia for violating antitrust regulations. (RT.com, August 11)
There's been a steady stream of stories all of last week about how the RNC is "mulling" the idea of if-- or some even claim "when"-- they need to just give up on the self-destructive narcissist dragging down the whole party. Maybe Team Hillary is pushing the narrative. Or maybe the permutations of the large and growing #NeverTrump people are. It got so pervasive this week that Peince Priebus was forced to fly to one of those excruciating fascist rallies that Trump does to get onstage and tell the rubes and monkeys that the RNC is sticking with Trump to the bitter end. I've never heard of anything like that in the annals of American political history before.





The new CBS battleground polls that were released yesterday for Florida, New Hampshire and Georgia will spark more doomed gloom and more speculation. This Georgia poll is the first one in two weeks where Trump isn't out-right losing to Hillary, but this is still ridiculously close in a state that is so red that Republicans never worry about spending money or campaigning there. Romney beat Obama by 8 points. Bush beat Kerry by 17. Most voters say it matters to them either a lot (33%) or some (18%) that some Republican leaders have refused to endorse Trump. When asked how Trump's campaign made then feel, Georgia voters were not very positive about Mr. Trumpanzee:

 Scared- 47%

 Angry- 32%

 Excited -27%

 Proud- 17%

 None of these- 15%

That's 79%who feel either scared or angry, although I suppose some of that anger isn't directed towards Trump but towards Hillary or Ted Cruz or the media or John McCain or whomever his scapegoat du jour is. A majority of Georgia voters say he doesn't listen to people like them (55%), is not prepared to be commander-in-chief (58%), is not honest and trustworthy (59%), does not have good temperament and judgment (67%) and is a risky choice (64%). None-the-less:









But the real damage for Trump came in Florida and New Hampshire. Florida is the electoral prize Republicans need to win-- along with Ohio-- to have a serious chance to win the White House. The swingy-est of the big states but Hillary's lead over Trump has grown since June when she led him by 3 points. Today, it looks like this in the Sunshine State:









Among likely voters in Florida only 29% feel Trump has good judgment and temperament; 71% say that does not-- and that includes around 40% of Florida Republicans!

Trump hasn't made any headway since June in allaying the concerns of Florida voters who were put off by his campaign. Back in June half of them said watching the Trump campaign scared them, and those numbers are effectively the same today. The number of voters not with Trump who'd consider him has also slipped, from 16 percent in June to 10 percent now.



The movement in Florida, such as it is, has come from Clinton pulling in those previously undecided. Although she does get a few more Republicans now than Trump does Democrats, both of their support bases have remained largely locked in, and it remains a campaign in which voters feel they don't have a lot of choice. That may in turn explain why there have been so few outright swing voters.



In Florida, one-third feel they're choosing a candidate despite not liking either one, and just two percent feel they have two good choices between Trump and Clinton. In New Hampshire, that number is just one percent.

Republicans don't care that Trump is going to lose New Hampshire. Kerry beat Bush there in 2004, and McCain (with 44.5%) and Romney (with 46.4%) both lost to Obama. Trump was never a good fit for the state but the margin among likely voters, 45-36%, is shocking. And here's why:





In New Hampshire the numbers suggest Trump hasn't much room to grow, at least as of right now. Trump is losing New Hampshire women by a wide 51 percent to 29 percent spread, which is big enough for Clinton to easily overcome his slight edge with men.



Among women in New Hampshire, zero percent of those not with him are an affirmative "yes" and a scant nine percent say "maybe" they'd consider him going forward. Ninety-one percent say they never would.



And it also highlights the kinds of trouble he's had among voters of his own party: he's at 78 percent support among Republicans, compared to Clinton's 93 percent of Democrats.





That's especially interesting in light of the fact that Hillary lost New Hampshire badly in the primary-- 151,584 (60.4%) for Bernie to 95,252 (38.0%) for her, while Trump dominated in the New Hampshire primary, almost scoring as many votes as his three top rivals combined with Trump at 1--,406 votes (35.3%), Kasich at 44,909 (15.8%), Cruz at 33,189 (11.7%), Jeb at 31,310 (11.0%), Rubio at 30,032 (10.6%) and Christie at 21,069 (7.4%). So the Bernie voters have united behind Hillary, while the Kasich, Cruz, Bush and Rubio voters... well, many are not getting on the Trumpanzee Train. And what drives the RNC insane about this, of course, is that it's going to cost the GOP a Senate seat (Kelly Ayotte) and a House seat (Frank Guinta).





And in home state, Nueva York, where they know Mr. Trumpanzee best, he can't even crack 20% of the vote. Up against the ridiculous "Deep Bench" clown show, he did great-- sweeping the Republican primary... but in the real world, Hillary is beating him by an unheard of 30 points , according to the just-released Siena poll. And, yes, both McCain and Romney wound up in the mid-30s against Obama. It looks like Trump will drag Republicans to new lows, endangering, in the process, Long Island GOP incumbents Peter King and Lee Zeldin, as well as upstate incumbents Elise Stefanik, John Katko, Tom Reed, and possibly even Trumpist maniac Chris Collins. Those numbers also doom GOP challengers in open seats like Jack Martens, who's running against Tom Suozzi, John Faso, who's running against Zephyr Teachout and Claudia Tenney, who's running against Kim Myers. Wouldn't it be ironic if Hillary sweeps Staten Island-- which is likely-- and the only Republican left in the Congressional delegation is Daniel Donovan-- and only because of sheer DCCC incompetence





[H]is support among New York Republicans plummeted.



When only Clinton and Trump were named in the poll, 55 percent of Republicans said theyd vote for him, with 24 percent choosing to back the former secretary of state and 9 percent saying they wont vote. (Only 3 percent of Democrats said they dont plan on casting a ballot).



Trump's numbers are worse when third-party candidates included. In that scenario, only 52 percent of Republicans said they planned to vote for Trump, 20 percent would back Clinton, and 9 percent said they would support Libertarian Gary Johnson. Even Jill Stein of the Green Party got 4 percent of Republicans.



Trump's polling among Republicans was lackluster on a variety of issues. Only half said hed be better than Clinton on addressing tensions between the police and communities of color, 53 percent think hed make a better commander-in-chief, and 56 percent believe hed work better with Congress.

Politico was again insisting yesterday that they are So that brings us back to the RNC.was again insisting yesterday that they are already laying the groundwork to blame the whole dysfunctional Trumpanzee operation when Clinton wins and talking about cutting off cash to his campaign now. "Publicly, Republican Party officials continue to stand by Donald Trump" wrote Eli Stokol and Ken Vogel. "Privately, at the highest levels, party leaders have started talking about cutting off support to Trump in October and redirecting cash to save endangered congressional majorities."





Since the Cleveland convention, top party officials have been quietly making the case to political journalists, donors and GOP operatives that the Republican National Committee has done more to help Trump than it did to support its 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, and that therefore Trump has only himself and his campaign to blame for his precipitous slide in the polls, according to people who have spoken with Republican leadership.



Sean Spicer, the RNCs top strategist, on Wednesday made that case to 14 political reporters he convened at the organizations Capitol Hill headquarters for an off-the-record conversation about the election.



...According to sources close to Priebus, the chairman has warned that if Trump does not better heed this persistent advice to avoid dustups driven by his rhetoric, the RNC might not be able to help him as much-- suggesting that money and ground resources might be diverted.



To this point, Spicer has suggested a mid-October deadline for turning around the presidential campaign, suggesting last week to reporters and in separate discussions with GOP operatives that it would cause serious concern inside the RNC if Trump were to remain in a weakened position by then.



Operatives close to the RNC leadership who have heard this argument from party leadership, say the committee might have to make a decision about pulling the plug on Trump before that.



Early voting in Ohio starts in a few weeks, theres a 45-day window for absentee voters, so mid-September would probably be the latest the RNC could redeploy assets and have any real impact, said an RNC member privately. The only thing you could change in mid-October would be to shift some TV ads, maybe try to prop up Senate candidates in tough races like [Rob] Portman, [Marco] Rubio and [Pat] Toomey.



One high-level Republican strategist added: The party committee has this same job every cycle, to employ limited resources to maximum effect at the ballot box. ... And that means not pouring precious resources into dysfunctional, noncooperative, losing campaigns.



Spicer, asked Saturday night about the ongoing discussions, told Politico that Trump could not be cut off soon because the party needs him to raise more money. When Ive gotten these questions, Ive been correcting the record. There is no talk of shifting resources in mid-August and its unlikely that would happen until late September or October.



...Within the Trump campaign, there has been suspicion for months that the RNC already has not been as supportive of its nominee as it could-- and should-- be, according to operatives in and around the campaign.



Theres lingering doubt, said one operative who has worked with the campaign. It's never really improved much, and never for long. The operative dismissed efforts to withhold RNC support from Trump as only coming from the usual suspects-- the same crap from the same Republicans who cant win elections.



...Other Trump allies in and around the campaign fear that the RNC could use Democratic nominee Hillary Clintons widening lead in polls to justify pulling the plug on Trump before he has a chance to even the race.



RNC fundraisers have in fact been signaling to major donors a way that they could write huge checks to Trumps joint fundraising committee with the RNC and dictate that only a fraction-- if any-- of the cash would go to Trump.



...[O]ne fundraiser with knowledge of the partys high-dollar fundraising efforts said earlier this summer that the message to leery donors was people can give to the RNC and not to him.



Through the end of June-- the period covered by the most recent Federal Election Commission filings-- the main Trump-RNC joint fundraising committee had transferred only $2.2 million to Trumps campaign, compared with $10.1 million to the RNC.



The committee, Trump Victory, still had $12.1 million in the bank at that point. And his campaign announced that it had combined with the joint committee to raise $80 million in July, though its unclear how much of that was transferred to his campaign, as opposed to the party.



Trump himself declared Thursday that hes doing more to boost the RNCs coffers than the campaign is doing for him, and warned that he might back out of the joint fundraising arrangement.



...[T]he RNCs frustration is at a boiling point after a week of deepening division between the organizations political and communications staffs and their counterparts on the Trump campaign.





Beyond the candidates continued rhetorical carelessness on the stump, his campaign has confounded GOP officials with a travel schedule-- more events have been announced in Colorado and Virginia, two swing states that appear to be out of reach, and even deep blue Connecticut-- that many believe is a poor use of the candidates time.



He has shown no interest in doing the tough demographic work thats necessary in campaigns, one RNC member said. You don't see them trying to talk to independent women, educated Hispanics; and beyond that, its an issue of strategic staffing. I dont think he understands how presidential campaigns are won.



The senior staff gets it, that RNC member said, but the true believers outnumber them.



After four years spent working toward winning back the White House, the RNCs shift toward an endgame it didnt envision-- essentially deciding when to concede the White House to focus on saving the Senate and saving face-- is a sign of resignation setting in.



On Wednesday evening as reporters were filing into the RNCs conference room, Spicer, RNC political director Chris Carr and spokeswoman Lindsay Walters were ready to begin the briefing, but the attendees were focused on the flat screen TVs on the walls, which were tuned to CNNs live coverage of an unknown individual, later determined to be a Trump supporter from Virginia, climbing up the glass exterior of Trump Tower with suction cups.



Even in the belly of the RNC, there was no escaping the near constant distractions of Trump.

My one good contact inside the RNC tells me there isn't a single top staffer who thinks Trump has any chance whatsoever to win and that most of them expect him to lose gigantically, not closely, which Hillary getting over 300 electoral votes and the GOP losing the Senate because of him. "On paper, 2018 looks like a great year for us. Schumer as [Majority] Leader will be a real gift to the Republican Party and we'll easily have him the most loathed man in America going into the midterms. He's a way more repulsive guy than Reid ever was-- real oily... It could take us more than two years to rebuild the party after the Trump fiasco and people are worried about that. If Clinton has a good couple of years, which no one really expects, we could have trouble in 2018. But probably not. Everyone feels we'll take back the Senate as long as Trump doesn't try it stick around and keep mucking things up." Let's do what we can to make sure they're right about the 2016 Senate races and try to foil their 2018 plans now by electing enough Democrats in November:




Today is the first day of early voting for the August 30 Florida primary. As it always does, the corrupt, self-serving establishment has candidates it's trying to slip in, incumbents like Debbie Wasserman Schultz and even worse garbage, like Patrick Murphy, it's trying to advance up the ladder. This is the last great stand of the 2016 Democratic primary season-- where genuine progressives like Alan Grayson, Bob Poe and Tim Canova are battling all the worst the Democratic Party has to offer.





Grayson's wife, Dr. Dena Grayson, is the strongest candidate in his old district to beat back a challenge from a very conservative pro-NRA Democratic state Senator. "We progressives, not Republicans or faux-Democrats, are the only ones who are truly committed to helping people," she told us. "The way to turn Florida blue is simple. We need to stop running Republican-lite candidates masquerading as Democrats, and instead, support true progressive who recognize people's needs and will take action to improve their lives."





As the Sun Sentinel put it a few days ago, "A Canova win over Wasserman Schultz would send shockwaves across the country." Those are just the kind of shockwaves the Democratic Party establishment needs and needs badly. Yesterday, Tim was finally able to force Wasserman Schultz into a serious TV debate after she dodged and ducked for months. She was the living, breathing embodiment of why Americans are sick and tired of self-serving career politicians and she refused to answer point blank questions about medical marijuana and her private prison campaign donors, although at the last second of the debate, the moderator cornered her like a rat and got her to admit she is pro-fracking. Unfortunately, almost 10,000 Democrats in FL-23 had already voted by mail. "Sadly, today, she takes hundreds of thousands of dollars from industries like Big Sugar, Wall Street banks, predatory lenders and private prisons," explained Tim in one of the radio ads our contributions helped him pay for. "I believe you either represent the corporate lobbyists or you represent the people. You cannot do both."





Alan Grayson, the progressive in the Senate race for Marco Rubio's seat, understands better than anyone what's wrong with Democratic Party politics in his state. "Florida Democrats," he told us yesterday, "are demonstrating Einstein's definition of insanity-- they keep nominating right-wing DINOs for statewide office, they keep losing, and they keep expecting that the results will change. They won't. We have now lost 14 out of the last 15 state government campaigns, going back to when Jeb Bush was Governor, because our Democratic voters have absolutely no idea what our candidates will do for them if they are elected. (The only exception was when a Democrat snuck into office because even Florida voters couldn't stomach a GOP candidate for "Chief Financial Officer" who was hopelessly corrupt.) Florida Republicans promise abortion restrictions, pro-gun laws, cuts in social services, lower taxes and corporate welfare-- and they deliver. Florida right-wing Democrats promise I-don't-know-what, and they can't even deliver on that. As for me, I have promised to improve the lives of ordinary people in Central Florida, and I've delivered on those promises. And I'm the only Democrat to represent downtown Orlando in Congress in the past 42 years. Coincidence? No."





Now Blue America is asking you to help make sure our slate of Florida progressives make it out of the primaries on the 30th to go on and beat reactionary Republicans like Marco Rubio, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Matt Caldwell and Mario Diaz-Balart. You can pick and choose at the thermometer below... or just contribute to all of them. They're all excellent, well-vetted progressive Democrats. And they need some help.
US firms cast Vietnam's continued cheap labor as a major competitive edge.

40 percent of U.S. enterprises said that Vietnam was their priority market for future business expansion in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the ASEAN Business Outlook Survey released recently by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Vietnam has passed Indonesia to become the first market U.S companies are looking to expand in across ASEAN, according to the survey. Indonesia ranked second with 38 percent, followed by Myanmar (34 percent) and Thailand (30 percent).

The survey revealed that more than half of the respondents (53 percent) believed the ASEAN markets have become more important in terms of their companies worldwide revenue over the past two years. 49 percent expected to increase their ASEAN workforce by the end of 2016.

The ASEAN region continues to be a dynamic and important market for U.S. businesses, and one that corporate executives cannot ignore, said Tami Overby, the U.S. Chamber of Commerces senior vice president of Asia.

Vietnam was also voted the second market for moving investments from China into ASEAN with 17 percent of the vote, following Malaysia at 19 percent.

The surveyed said that Vietnam has many competitive advantages like low labor costs, good personal security and a stable government and political system.

However the country still faces problems regarding corruption, infrastructure and legislation. In addition, more than 40 percent of respondents said they were dissatisfied with government agencies, especially customs and tax authorities.

The ASEAN Business Outlook Survey is an annual poll that collects opinions of thousands of senior business executives representing U.S. companies in all ten ASEAN markets.

This years survey was carried out from April 25 to May 24.

Related news:

> Credit growth to reach five-year high in 2016: survey

> Vietnamese consumers keep silent after rights violated: survey
The islands are traditional fishing grounds for Vietnamese fishermen.

China have refused to allow six Vietnamese fishing boats to anchor near a reef in the Paracel archipelago in the South China Sea (which Vietnam calls the East Sea) while they were trying to find shelter from extreme weather, media reports said Sunday,

The six fishing boats from Vietnams central province of Quang Nam with 259 crew on board had encountered rough seas and big waves on the morning of August 12 in waters 40 nautical miles from the Paracels, and had asked to take refuge in Bombay Reef, which is under Chinese control, the reports said, quoting statements from Vietnam's National Committee for Search and Rescue.

Following a request from the comittee, Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the Chinese side to ask for the boats to anchor in Bombay Reef.

At 10 p.m. the same day, the Vietnamese foreign ministry said Chinese authorities had turned down the request, claiming that Bombay Reef was an unsuitable place for the boats to anchor.

At present, the six fishing boats are anchored around five nautical miles southeast of the reef, and have been asked to be in touch with Vietnamese authorities on the mainland and prepare for any eventuality.

In 1974, taking advantage of the withdrawal of the American troops from the Vietnam War, China invaded the Paracel Islands. A brief but bloody naval battle with the forces of the then U.S.-backed Republic of Vietnam ensued.

Vietnam's behemoth northern neighbor has illegally occupied the islands ever since. But a post-1975 united Vietnam has never relinquished its ownership of the Paracel Islands.

Related news:

> Chinese vessels sink Vietnamese fishing boat near Paracel Islands
A striking feature of a US election campaign focused on the supposed ills of globalization is how little attention is being drawn to Germanys extraordinarily large external current account surplus. This is all the more surprising considering how much larger are Germanys external imbalances in relation to those of China.

While the IMF now estimates that Chinas external current account surplus might be some 1 to 3 percent of GDP above an appropriate level, it estimates that Germanys is some 3 to 6 percent of GDP too high. Similarly while the IMF considers that after years of appreciation Chinas exchange rate is now approximately at an appropriate level, it considers that the exchange rate Germany faces is now between 10 and 20 percent too low for that country.

That Germany is running a disturbingly large external imbalance is hardly open to question. According to the most recent official balance of payments data, Germanys external current account deficit rose to the highest level on record. It is now on track to remain above 8.5 percent of gross domestic product for the year as a whole, which would be around three times the size of Chinas current account surplus. Making this surplus all the more troubling is the fact that it is occurring at a time when the German economy is cyclically in a very much stronger position than its European partners.

Germanys maintenance of a current account surplus as large as that it now has would be damaging to both the global and the European economies. From a global perspective, at a time that there is insufficient global aggregate demand, a large German current account surplus constitutes a drain on aggregate demand in the rest of the world. Similarly, from a European perspective, at a time that countries in the European periphery are being required to balance their economies, the maintenance of a large German current account surplus makes that rebalancing all the more difficult.

While US analysts are now coming to focus their attention on Germanys large external imbalance, as is the US Treasury in its latest currency report to Congress, the solutions that they are proposing to redress this imbalance are partial at best. Such solutions range from requiring of Germany to undertake a greater degree of public infrastructure spending to boost investment or having the German government encourage higher wages from the corporate sector to boost consumption and to make the country less competitive.

The truth of the matter is that the very size of the German external imbalance makes it necessary to contemplate a comprehensive approach if a substantial reduction is to be made in that imbalance. Indeed, in much the same manner as the IMF would prescribe a comprehensive approach for a country to redress a large external current account deficit, so too would a comprehensive approach, albeit in reverse, be indicated for a country with a very large external current account surplus.

Two key elements would be required in such an approach. The first would be to require a substantial appreciation of the currency facing German exporters and importers. Such an appreciation would be needed both to switch resources away from Germanys traded good sector as well as to reduce domestic savings by effectively increasing the real wage level through lowering the price of imports. The second element would be to substantially loosen German domestic fiscal and monetary policies to boost domestic demand to make up for the reduced support to the domestic economy from the external sector.

Sadly, so long as Germany remains tied to the Euro, there is little prospect that it will be faced with a stronger currency anytime soon. Indeed, with US and European monetary policies now out of sync and with the overall European economy still struggling, there is every prospect that the Euro will continue to depreciate. If that were to occur, there is every likelihood that Germanys external imbalance would only increase.

It would seem that the only way that Germany can get a very much more appreciated currency would be if it were to exit the Euro. To be sure, such a move would represent a fundamental departure from current policy. However, if that move is not undertaken, the world should reconcile itself to a large German external current account imbalance for a protracted period of time. Meanwhile countries in the European periphery should brace themselves for continued tough sledding in their efforts to reduce their economic imbalances.

Desmond Lachman is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He was formerly a Deputy Director in the International Monetary Funds Policy Development and Review Department and the chief emerging market economic strategist at Salomon Smith Barney.

Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, e21 delivers a short email that includes e21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the e21 Morning Ebrief.
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both say that more infrastructure spending is needed. But some infrastructure projects are wasteful and unnecessary. Take, for example, the Purple Line, a 16-mile light-rail project running east-west in the Maryland suburbs close to Washington D.C.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon has wisely issued a stay on the construction of the $2.5 billion project. He has called for a supplemental environmental impact study to perform another estimate of ridership figures, to see whether the estimated benefits of the project justify the certain costs.

The Washington Metro has seen a spate of costly and even deadly incidents over the past year, including fires and derailments. Hobbled by these disasters, the system is operating on a reduced schedule to carry out vital maintenance. Metro has also announced permanent earlier closing hours.

The Purple Lines supporters are disappointed because Maryland was supposed to get $900 million in federal funds to build the new rail line. These funds are on hold because of Judge Leons decision.

In addition to the $900 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) was planning to borrow an additional $732 million in federal loans and get $160 million from the State of Maryland. About $330 million would come from Montgomery and Prince Georges counties, the location of the Purple Line. Another $400 million would have to be raised from bonds or some other source.

If the Purple Line were not built, Montgomery and Prince Georges counties would be able to make better use of the $330 million they have jointly pledged to the project. They could educate 1,760 students from when they start kindergarten until they finish 12th grade; build 48 new elementary schools; cover all projected riders UberPOOL rides to downtown for two years (at $9.80 per ride); buy each projected rider a bike a year for 19 years (at $300/bike); or write a check for $183 for each of the 1.8 million residents of the two counties.

The lifetime cost of the project (over six years of construction and 30 years of service) is estimated at $5.6 billion. The project would never cover all its costs, and Maryland taxpayers would be liable for the cost overruns that always accompany large infrastructure projects.

The most recent ridership projections, from the Maryland Transit Administration, put daily ridership at 58,800 in the opening year of 2021. This is projected to rise to 74,000 by 2040. The Cato Institutes Randal OToole thinks these numbers are wildly optimistic. For comparison, Metro had daily ridership of 713,000 in 2015. Just two Metro stationsMetro Center and Union Stationsee about as many riders daily as the entire Purple Line, with 21 planned stations, is projected to carry.

The judge wanted these projections recalculated because 27% of riders of the Purple Line which would run just south of the Beltway  are estimated to be transfers from Metro. But if Metro ridership is permanently lower due to shorter operating hours and maintenance problems, Purple Line ridership will be lower than projected.

A study by Transportation Economics and Management Systems (TEMS) purports to show that Maryland would gain by building the Purple Line, but the study isnt based on actual consumer behavior, but on a Maryland travel survey.

After asking people about their demographic status, the survey asks consumers about a hypothetical scenario in which it is assumed that travel time is 50 minutes and the total cost of the trip is $12. People are asked five questions concerning hypothetical increases of cost in the trip and time savings associated with these higher costs.

People are asked whether they would be willing to pay more to save time.

These surveys are little more than opinions that cost people nothing to respond in any particular manner. Such opinion surveys appear to be part of the foundation of the Purple Line study.

Household income is purported to increase by $2.2 billion annually in the region. Again, the study provides no credible evidence for this increase. Total property values are supposed to increase by $12.8 billion, and tax revenue is forecast to rise by $635 million annually.

If any of these fantastic numbers were remotely correct, or if only 10% of these values were correct, private investors would be bidding against one another to build the project privately. But no one is willing to build this project without massive subsidies from taxpayers.

In light of the costly unanticipated repairs to the existing multi-billion-dollar Washington Metro system, it is surprising that anyone is considering building yet another rail system in the Washington area. Judge Leon should be congratulated for calling for another analysis  and presidential candidates should fund infrastructure projects carefully.

This column originally appeared on MarketWatch.

Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a senior fellow and director of Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute.

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The University of Michigan says Monday the money over the next five years is from the National Institutes of Health. The effort brings together researchers, clinicians and others from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University.

Those involved say the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Core Center will support a wide range of studies on Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The Michigan ADCC will be one of nearly 30 NIH-funded Alzheimer's disease centers across the nation.

With the involvement of three research universities, the Michigan center will seek to extend its reach statewide.
Two decades ago, the issue of climate change wasn't as contentious. The leading U.S. Senate proponent of taking action on global warming was Republican John McCain. George W. Bush wasn't as zealous on the issue as his Democratic opponent for president in 2000, Al Gore, but he, too, talked of regulating carbon dioxide.

Then the Earth got even hotter , repeatedly breaking temperature records. But instead of drawing closer together, politicians polarized.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE  This story is part of Divided America, AP's ongoing exploration of the economic, social and political divisions in American society.

___

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, there's more than climate that divides America's leaders and people, such as evolution, vaccination and genetically modified food.

But nothing beats climate change for divisiveness.

"It's more politically polarizing than abortion," says Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. "It's more politically polarizing than gay marriage."

Leiserowitz says his surveys show 17 percent of Americans, the fastest-growing group, are alarmed by climate change and want action now, with another 28 percent concerned but viewing it as a more distant threat. But there's 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, South Carolina, are founders of MorningStar ministries. Most of the people they associate with reject climate change. Their 31-year-old daughter, Anna Jane, is a climate change activist.

As part of a documentary a few years ago, Anna Jane introduced Rick to scientists who made the case for climate change. It did not work. He labels himself more skeptical than before.

"They're both stubborn and equally entrenched in their positions," says Julie, who is often in the middle. "It doesn't get ugly too often."

TRIBALISM

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 and strident when it comes to climate change because the nature of the global problem requires communal joint action, and "for conservatives that's especially difficult to accept," Nisbet says.

Climate change is more about tribalism, or who we identify with politically and socially, Nisbet and other experts say. Liberals believe in global warming, conservatives don't.

Dave Woodard, a Clemson University political science professor and GOP consultant, helped South Carolina Republican Bob Inglis run for the U.S. House (successfully) and the Senate (unsuccessfully). They'd meet monthly at Inglis' home for Bible study, and were in agreement that global warming wasn't an issue and probably was not real.

After seeing the effects of warming first-hand in Antarctica and Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Inglis changed his mind  and was overwhelmingly defeated in a GOP primary in 2010. Woodard helped run the campaign that beat him.

"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.

WHAT CHANGED

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 today's 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 didn't feel it the same way."

Republican Jodi Crosson, a 55-year-old single mother and production and sales manager in Bexley, Ohio, thinks global warming is a serious problem because she's felt the wrath of extreme weather and rising heat. But to her, it's not quite as big an issue as the economy.

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 we've been treated unfairly and kind of looked down upon as polluters," Tiller says. "They say the climate is changing, but are we doing it? Or is it just a natural thing that the Earth does?"

BRIDGING DIFFERENCES

Overwhelmingly, scientists who study the issue say it is man-made and a real problem. Using basic physics and chemistry and computer simulations, scientists have repeatedly calculated 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 doesn't 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."
A settlement filed in federal court on Friday resolves a lawsuit filed in 2014 by Shannon Morgan. As part of the settlement, the state Motor Vehicle Commission also will issue the following vanity plates or "combinations that are substantially similar": SECULAR, RATIONL, HUMANST, ATHEISM, GODLESS, HEATHEN, HERETIC, SKEPTIC, BLASFMR, REASON, EVOLVE, TRANS, LGBTR.TS, LGBTQ, PRIDE, QUEER, GAYPOWR, LGBTALY, FEMINISM, FEMINST, EQUALITY and 4WOMEN.

The commission will pay Morgan, who's from Maurice River in Cumberland County, $75,000 to resolve her claim.

"Initially this was an oversight that was corrected immediately," commission spokeswoman Mairin Bellack said. "The plate was and is still available upon request. The (commission) has issued variations of 8THEIST upon proper request."

Morgan's lawsuit said the Motor Vehicle Commission violated her First Amendment rights when its websiterejected the 8THEIST vanity plate. She said she received a message stating her request was ineligible as it "may carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency."

Morgan said she then filled out the online application using the phrase BAPTIST, which the website accepted. She said she sent the agency a letter of complaint by registered mail and made several attempts to contact it by phone, all of which went unanswered.

A religious liberty advocacy group, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, based in Washington, D.C., filed the lawsuit on Morgan's behalf.

"All Shannon Morgan ever wanted was for the state of New Jersey to stop disparaging her non-belief and cease treating her like a second-class citizen," said Barry Lynn, the group's executive director. "The lesson of this case is simple: The government should treat believers and non-believers equally."

Morgan couldn't immediately be reached by phone for comment on Friday.
Despite Flipping in Surf 4 Times in a Year, Marines Say New ACV Is the Future of Amphibious Warfare

Some Marine veterans familiar with the vehicle and its operations have worried about the reliability of the ACV.
A new report from the Education Trust concludes that our top colleges are being too stingy. Specifically, it examines private nonprofit institutions with endowments above $500 million and finds that many of them are underspending endowment assets, plowing their returns back into the money bin rather than using them to defray educational expenses for students. Of the 67 colleges authors Andrew Howard Nichols and Jose Luis Santos examine, roughly half have annual endowment spending of less than 5 percent, a generally-accepted target.

The spending rate of these top colleges is a particularly touchy subject because the returns on the endowments are tax exempt. Cash donations, which universities may use to build their endowments, are also tax-deductible. On top of all that, various federal student aid programs and tax preferences for tuition enable schools to charge their students more. Our top colleges receive a plethora of government subsidies that would make even the much-favored ethanol industry blush.

With all Uncle Sams largesse, reasonable people may ask whether colleges should be spending more out of their endowments. Take the example of Swarthmore College, one of the stingiest institutions identified in the report, which also happens to be my alma mater and that of my Manhattan Institute colleague, Diana Furchtgott-Roth. In fiscal year 2013, Swarthmore spent 3.73% of its $1.5 billion endowment. (Not coincidentally, the endowment has since risen to $1.8 billion.) Increasing the schools spending rate to 5% would generate an additional $19.1 million in disposable funds, enough to defray the cost of attendance by $12,069 for each of its 1,581 students.

Granted, many schools (including Williams and Middlebury Colleges, Swarthmores peer institutions) easily exceed the 5% target. But those that do not should reevaluate whether rapid accumulation of endowment assets is the use of resources which fits best with their missions. While government certainly should not step in to micromanage the finances of independent schools, the extent of taxpayer support for these institutions makes it appropriate for observers to ask questions.

One question is why tuition at these selective non-profit schools is so pricey when robust endowment returns should be able to take care of many expenses. At Swarthmore, the total annual cost of attendance is $63,550up over $10,000 since I entered as a freshman five years ago (and up $59,000 since Diana entered). Granted, most students do not pay the full loadbut even generous institutional aid does not always insulate students and families from rapid price increases. And anyone with a child in college knows just how rapid those increases have been.

If a school believes it needs to ramp up spending, why does it opt for tuition increases rather than spending more out of its endowment? Simply put, because it can. The U.S. government allows students access to tens of thousands of dollars apiece in the form of Pell Grants and direct student loans. These grants and loans enable colleges to either raise tuition or cut back on institutional aid in order to capture the funds Uncle Sam makes available. When students can pay more, colleges charge more.

A number of recent economic studies (four links there) have found evidence for this phenomenon, known as the Bennett Hypothesis. Whats more, the worst offenders appear to be highly selective nonprofit collegesthe very same institutions Nichols and Santos identified with ten-figure endowments and Scrooge-esque financial managers. For example, Lesley Turner of the University of Maryland found that selective nonprofits capture, through tuition increases and financial aid reductions, 79 cents of every dollar of additional Pell Grant aid they receive.

In addition to Pell Grants and standard federal loans, top universities have an additional tool at their disposal: Parent PLUS loans. Students who exhaust their standard loans can get a parent to cosign a federal PLUS loan and gain access to an unlimited line of credit. According to the most recent data, the average PLUS borrower took out nearly $14,000 per year. Half of all PLUS disbursements went to just 178 schools, mainly selective private nonprofit and public universities.

As long as these programs are structured the way they are, there is little incentive for colleges to start spending more out of their endowments. For selective schools, tuition is simply a more expedient source of revenue. Eliminating the PLUS program, which will almost certainly expand in the coming years as tuition climbs higher, would be a good first step towards changing the current dynamic.

This column originally appeared on Forbes.

Preston Cooper is a policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute and the author of the new report, Reforming the U.S. Youth Minimum Wage.

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Depending on your PT test, the order of swimming may best be determined by where it is in the order of events of that test.
This article originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues.

Veterans4Diplomacy is a nonprofit out of D.C. that is teaching veterans to be leaders in the world of foreign policy and diplomacy.

Many people see a problem and lament it; few actually have the guts to do something to solve it. Air Force veteran Jayson Browder is in the second category. While the lack of veterans in key foreign policy roles has been remarked on previously, no organizations had been founded specifically to address the problem.

In 2015, Browder took it upon himself to change that. He created a nonprofit  Veterans4Diplomacy  with no money, no donors lined up, and no experience in the nonprofit sector to rely on. A high school dropout, Browder now holds a plethora of prestigious designations and degrees, and wanted to pass some of those same opportunities on to other veterans.

As the director of communications for the organization, I help spread the word about the Veterans4Diplomacy mission. It was Browder who convinced me to get involved after explaining his vision for why veterans should be more involved in foreign policy.

Our organization seeks to help bridge the civilian-military divide by bringing outstanding student veterans into global leadership through training, mentorship, and guidance in obtaining career-accelerating opportunities. Already in its second year as an organization, it is by all accounts off to a successful start, mostly thanks to the work of Browder. This is his story.

Youve mentioned that youre a high school dropout. How did you get from there to founding a nonprofit, becoming a Fulbright Scholar, former Hill staffer, and Presidential Management Fellow?

At 17 years old, I had dropped out of high school with no diploma in hand and had to earn a living. I worked for a year in an old factory called Freeman Mill Works  which closed during the recession, after a 100 years in business  building doors for 10 to 12 hours a day. Like many young people in the South, I believed that this was it for me, stuck in a dead-end job in my town of 4,000 people. However, my family (all who have served since the French and Indian War) had always encouraged me to look at the military as an opportunity to improve myself and to give back to my community and country. One day, I made a trip to the next town over to speak with an Air Force recruiter who explained that he thought I would be a great candidate for the Air Force but I needed to go back to school and finish my high school education. That decision has always been one of the hardest decisions I have ever made, to go back to school after I had decided that I didnt want any more education. With the encouragement of my recruiter and family, I headed to adult education in the evening to finish my credits and receive my diploma.

On Jan. 23, 2007, I arrived at Lackland Air Force Base with a new appreciation for knowledge. Coupled with the training and guidance of my mentors and colleagues in the military, I applied that mindset to every endeavor since. This has lead me to where I am today, founder of a national non-profit for high-achieving veterans, Fulbright Scholar to Turkey, former Hill Staffer and now a Presidential Management Fellow at The White House. Those interactions also gave me an intense appreciation for what mentors and guides can do for someone with potential, but who may need both a helping hand and a kick in the ass from time to time.

What made you want to start Veterans4Diplomacy?

I wanted to start Veterans4Diplomacy because one of the biggest challenges Ive seen in my time in government is a clear lack of veterans in the policy-making space. While serving in the military, I had the fortunate opportunity to work with some of the best minds implementing American foreign policy abroad. Once back home, it became apparent that those men and women were not actively engaged, after separating from the military, in the policy circles that develop our nations foreign policy. This led me to thinking how highly problematic this absence is because veterans have a unique perspective, education, and experience serving our country abroad.

Arent there enough smart people involved in foreign policy? Why is it important that veterans be represented in foreign policy creation and global leadership?

First, there tends to be a distinct gap in real-world experience and knowledge between most policymakers who are developing American priorities abroad and the public servants in the military who are actually implementing it. It is essential to create a cadre of policy makers who understand the on-the-ground consequences of their decisions. Second, and most importantly, we can see concrete benefits to our communities and to our nation when our veterans are re-engaged once back home. This has been the case for almost every major war, but is specifically so with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. In dealing with todays conflicts, veterans have learned to accomplish missions and tasks without clear guidelines to follow; this has fostered an entrepreneurial spirit in service members. Moreover, the military instills a determination and an appetite for risk that follows todays veterans back home.

Youre just getting into your second year with this organization. What have been the biggest successes and challenges so far in making this a reality?

The biggest successes have been getting our veteran fellows to feel empowered once returning home. For all the military has given them, one area that it continually fails in while helping service members transition is sharing what makes that individual unique. Each veteran returning from service is positioned to make immediate impact once separated and only needs to realizes his or her full potential. Once we enable that type of thinking we can see their direct impact since our first year fellows have already been placed in leadership roles at the White House, National Counterterrorism Center, U.S. Department of Justice, and at the U.S. State Department.

The most challenging hurdle to overcome has been the saturation of veteran nonprofit organizations vying for a limited amount of the publics time and contributions. This is especially true of organizations that sell a narrative that our nations warriors are all broken and defeated. While there are real headwinds veterans face when reintegrating into society, that narrative of defeat can become self-fulfilling, but is also completely at odds with the type of intelligence and dogged determination we see from the student veterans we work with every day.

I think the mentorship is an interesting aspect of the organization. Why did you include that as a hallmark of the program, and what are some of your mentors like?

Mentorship is the glue that holds everything together for our program. At the end of the day, we are building relationships between the fellows, our staff, and especially our mentors. Individuals like Eric Gardiner, former Navy Seal Officer, Marshall Scholar and current Advisor to the President of CFR, or Joe Riley, Army officer, Rhodes Scholar, Truman Scholar and doctor of philosophy from Oxford University, have an invaluable network as well as the experiences to make this transition into an impactful career possible.

The organization also seems unique for its focus on women. Can you tell us more about the Womens Initiative? Where did that idea come from?

The Womens Initiative is something very special for our organization. It started organically between a mentor  Melis Tusiray  and a female fellow in our organization. The discussion about a females transition and their impact in the policy space led to a luncheon between all the female fellows in the group. It then led to monthly calls directed by Melis on specific support for specialized issues that the female fellows face in their academic and professional lives, and to promote a greater dialogue on the issues important to female members of the military and veterans.

We then officially formalized a program at the beginning of this year naming Melis and another staff member  Katie Davidson  as co-directors of the Womens Initiative. Currently, the program includes monthly mentor calls, a womens-only luncheon with senior women in the field  such as Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins  and also specific female panels that are open to the general public for awareness and networking.

This article originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter.

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Flying commercial airlines is increasingly difficult. Long TSA lines this summer only compound peoples anger over high fees and cramped seats. Much better to fly private  that is, if you can afford it. But is it even possible to bring private air travel to the masses?

Flytenow was designed to do just that. The companys founders, Alan Guichard and Matt Voska, developed an online platform to match individual pilots with passengers willing to share the expenses of flying. (See Jared Meyers interview with Flytenows founders.) While Flytenow was in operation, people could fly in private planes from, for example, Boston to Marthas Vineyard in under an hour and for less than $70.

The Federal Aviation Administration shut Flytenow down. The FAA determined that pilots who partner with Flytenow are common carriers (the same classification for United Airlines, JetBlue, and other commercial airlines), even though the pilots could not make a profit from passengers  they could only defray a proportional amount of flight expenses. Common-carrier designation comes with myriad onerous regulations, including expensive licensing fees and heightened liability, forcing Flytenow to close.

Flytenow is not the only flight-sharing start-up that has been opposed by regulators. Wingly, Europes leading flight-sharing company, is under attack in its home country, France. French aviation regulators are creating new rules to prevent it from operating there.

In Europe, France stands alone in this fight against affordable private air travel. Emeric de Waziers, one of Winglys founders, told us that the company entered the German market in February 2016, and the U.K. market in July 2016, to prove to the French government that there is nothing crazy or dangerous about an online platform for sharing flight expenses. Not only did the aviation administrations of Germany and the United Kingdom confirm that Wingly was legally allowed to operate, but the EUs European Aviation Safety Administration gave its seal of approval as well. If France continues to place restrictive laws on flight sharing, EU law requires the French government to prove that doing so is a response to a direct public-safety problem.

One of the French governments main complaints against Wingly is that online flight-sharing services do not provide adequate information to passengers, leading to their possible endangerment. While advertising shared flights over beers at a bar or through a paper pinned to a bulletin board is still completely legal in France (as it is in the United States), apparently an online platform that offers verified information on passengers and pilots poses a threat to public safety. (Check out Winglys Safety & Trust page.)

A decision on whether Wingly can operate will be handed down by Frances aviation regulators at the end of August. If they ban Wingly and other flight-sharing companies, a long court battle will ensue over which regulations apply, Frances or the EUs.

In the United States, aviation regulators are trying to outdo their French counterparts in hostility toward innovators. After several denied appeals in federal circuit courts, Flytenow is now taking its legal case against the FAA and seeking review before the Supreme Court. In a recently filed amicus brief to the Supreme Court, the Cato Institute and TechFreedom argue that, given the historical definition of common carrier, pilots who use Flytenow should not be treated the same as commercial airlines.

The FAAs Flytenow ruling was irrational and confused because, in English common law, common carriers are persons or entities considered out for hire to the public, and they do not discriminate when it comes to whom they chose to transport. That definitions origin dates back to the 15th and 16th centuries, when courts established a difference between those who sought to be carriers for public hire and those who did not. Today, this distinction can be seen in the difference between a taxi driver and two friends who carpool together and split fuel expenses.

The definition eventually became enshrined in American law. But the FAA overlooked the most recent legal precedent, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which ruled that only those carriers who affirmatively hold themselves out to the public, either by advertising or by a course of conduct evincing a willingness to serve members of the general public (or a segment thereof) indiscriminately, so long as they are willing to pay the fee of the carrier, will qualify as common carriers.

Pilots who advertise on Flytenow do not meet this definition of common carriers by any stretch of the imagination. They can agree or decline to provide service to someone who wants to fly with them  for any reason or no reason at all. They are not for public hire. Moreover, pilots who partner with Flytenow do not earn a profit when flying. The direct costs of flying are split proportionately between the pilot and passengers.

When an agencys interpretation of law flies counter to established common law, courts are not supposed to show deference to the misinterpretation. There is no greater expert in the common law than the courts, and the FAA lacks the expertise to engage in judicial decisionmaking, Ilya Shapiro and Randal Meyer, two of the authors of amicus brief, write at the Cato Institute site.

Because the FAA applies the common-carrier requirement only to pilots using online-flight sharing platforms, Flytenow is contesting the agencys decision also on First Amendment, free-speech grounds. The common carrier designation does not apply to pilots who use other mediums of communication, such as e-mail, Facebook, online message boards, or physical bulletin boards. These other forms of communication between pilots and cost-sharing passengers have been and continue to remain legal under FAA regulations as long as pilots and passengers have a common purpose in flying to their destination.

With the sharing economy expanding beyond for-hire vehicles and unused homes, innovative services will continue to emerge across many more sectors of the economy, including aviation. But the FAA is not on board with opening up to more people the benefits of aviation beyond what commercial airlines provide; it has misused its regulatory authority in grounding Flytenow. It is now up to Congress or the Supreme Court to stand up for innovation and overrule the FAA.

Andrew Meleta is a contributor to E21, the economics portal of the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Jared Meyer is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Follow Andrew and Jared on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on National Review Online.







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The Indians have released left-hander Joe Thatcher, as announced by the clubs Triple-A affiliate (Twitter link). Thatcher had signed a minor league deal with the Tribe last month.

This is the third time since last March that Thatcher has been released, and the second time Cleveland has parted ways with the veteran southpaw. Thatcher signed a minors deal with the Tribe in the offseason but was released at the end of Spring Training, then caught on with the Dodgers in late April before another release in June. He hasnt pitched in the majors this season, as his 2016 stats consist of a 3.60 ERA over 17 innings with the Dodgers Triple-A team.

Thatchers nine-year MLB career has seen him post a 3.38 ERA, 2.97 K/BB rate and 9.3 K/9 over 260 2/3 innings with the Padres, Diamondbacks, Angels and Astros. He put good numbers (3.18 ERA, 10.3 K/9, 2.17 K/BB rate) over 22 frames with Houston last season, though he didnt quite display his usual dominance against left-handed hitters.
DETROIT - Audi of America is rolling out a new vehicle-to-infrastructure technology that will allow its cars to communicate with traffic light signals.

The "V2I" technology, as its known, will allow the cars to receive real-time information from an advanced traffic management system that monitors traffic lights, the company said Monday.

For example, a driver in one of the cars outfitted with the V2I technology and in a city where it's equipped will be able to see the time remaining until a traffic signal turns to green.

"This feature represents Audi's first step in vehicle-to-infrastructure integration," Pom Malhotra, Audi's general manager of connected vehicles, said in a release. "In the future we could envision this technology integrated into vehicle navigation, start / stop functionality and can even be used to help improve traffic flow in municipalities. These improvements could lead to better overall efficiency and shorter commuting times."

The traffic light information technology will be available on select 2017 Audi Q7, A4 and A4 allroad models this fall.

Mark Dahncke, a spokesman for the Volkswagen brand, said he could not yet disclose the municipalities or metro areas where the system is being deployed, but he told MLive.com that Metro Detroit "is in our sights."

"We certainly plan to be live in multiple markets by the end of year and plan to expand the next year," he said.

Separately, Metro Detroit is home to one of the largest V2I testing sites in the country.

General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and the University of Michigan are working with the Michigan Department of Transportation to deploy V2I communication technology-enabled corridors on more than 120 miles of road in Metro Detroit.



The primary stretch being equipped is on Interstates 96 and 696 from US-23 in Brighton to Interstate 94 in St. Clair Shores. The area was selected to be the region's first "connected corridor" because it has some of the heaviest traffic volumes, MDOT said in announcing the project in 2014.

MDOT spokesman Rob Morosi said Monday that, to date, only about 15 miles in Oakland County have been completely installed. However, the agency has secured funding to install another 28 miles on I-696 from I-275 to I-94 and 88 miles on I-94 from Washtenaw County to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron.

Those contracts are being bid on now, and MDOT hopes to have the rest of the V2I equipment installed through the end of this year and into 2017. Then, in 2017, the agency will focus on the remainder of I-96.

"The fiber optics are already in place, now it's about the designing and installation of the roadside units, which is what we're bidding on," Morosi said.
Spark window.jpg

A report commissioned by the MEDC says the state is in need of more funding vehicles for startups in the state, but Ann Arbor experts say the city's challenges are a bit different.

(File photo | The Ann Arbor News)

ANN ARBOR, MI - A new report says the state of Michigan is at a crossroads and must decide whether or not to continue investing in startup-based ventures and programs to assist them.

Startups around Michigan are struggling to find access to capital and experienced talent needed to grow their operations, the report says. Not finding solutions to those problems could slow down the economic gains made by the state over the last decade, it concludes.

However, in Ann Arbor, business leaders say those issues do not appear to be impacting startups in the region as dramatically and, in many cases, access to funding isn't a problem.

The 74-page report was issued by Columbus, Ohio-based Teconomy Partners on behalf of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The report provides 11 recommendations for the state to "encourage and support innovation and entrepreneurship in Michigan for the coming decade."

Related: Read the entire report here

The recommendations center around creating an atmosphere that provides the right talent for startups, especially in executive roles and providing more options for capital at different stages of startup growth.

The report suggests the state should invest both in programs that help startups find capital they need along with creating a third state fund to invest directly into both in-state and out-of-state venture capital firms.

Experienced leaders

Those involved in the Ann Arbor market say the potential struggles facing Washtenaw County startups revolve more around the leadership of the companies.

"There are a variety of skill sets that are different from founding or creating that initial idea that I would call the 'executive or CEO skill set,'" said Ann Arbor SPARK CEO Paul Krutko. "That's an area we've been trying to work on collectively."

Taking a company from an early stage idea to a full-fledged business with 50 to 100 employees is a challenge that cannot be solved simply with money. Because the efforts to build around technology and the University of Michigan have only been ongoing for the last 15 years, there isn't the same level of executive talent in the region as the East and West coasts, Krutko said.

However, Krutko said Ann Arbor is starting to grow that talent pool as more companies establish long-term roots in the city.

"As you build a technology community and there are people that have gone through the steps... there are people now in the Ann Arbor region that have had those experiences and grown companies to scale," Krutko said.

Finding CEO talent isn't always the problem either; finding the people to lead teams inside the startup who have been through the process before is the more difficult task.

"It's not so much the CEO side and not the entry-level talent, what we hear a lot from companies is they need people with experience," Krutko said.



Funding isn't the only answer

While attracting employees with experience in working with a company that's grown from a small scale operation are at a premium, Don Hicks, CEO of Ann Arbor-based LLamasoft, says another issue facing Ann Arbor startups is product and business development.

Where many companies look to secure massive amounts of funding early on, Hicks said he took the opposite approach and that is the key to growing startups in the Midwest and in Ann Arbor.

Hicks says the future of startup companies in Michigan depends largely on the business acumen of company leaders because no amount of funding can overcome mismanagement or a product no one wants to pay for.

"It matters what you can do about it practically. I see a lot of guys who are very good at fundraising and very bad at running companies," Hicks said. "I think there has to be an acknowledgment of the difference between raising funding and making it a successful business."

That approach is what led LLamasoft to grow from a company of 40 employees in 2010 to nearly 400 in 2016. Last year, the company landed a $50 million investment from Goldman Sachs & Co.



"I hoped I would be able to make $1 million and we ran it that way," Hicks said. "We stumbled into being much more broadly relevant. So we absolutely changed our mind."

When he started the company, Hicks didn't dream of building the company to where it stands today, because he simply wanted to create a solid business.

"It was a journey of discovery. We just wanted to make a nice product and make nice living," Hicks said.

Hicks believes there is a need to focus more on proper recruitment of talent and management combined with a focus on how to properly sell their new product to consumers. By developing entrepreneurs that are concerned more with a product that is viable and can be sold to consumers, Hicks says the Midwest can become a startup hub on a smaller scale.

"We ought to be funding companies that have a good opportunity to get to 100 people," Hicks said. "That's how we can differentiate ourselves from the coasts. We ought to be the home of value investing."

Instead of raising millions of dollars in funding -- which is usually tied to goals only attained when the product is selling -- businesses and investors should be working together to create products and services that have less risk associated with them.

Admittedly, Hicks says those investments have lower returns in most cases, but he also believes that companies that employ 100 people, are profitable and yield a return on investment to investors should be the focal point.

Hicks says those sorts of safe plays aren't interesting to coastal investors, but should be the bedrock for Michigan's economy. Hicks went on to say it's a danger to startups in the Midwest that major investors are only looking for billion-dollar ideas.

"That West and East Coast investing, it's had the effect of dragging Midwestern investors closer to that model. I think it has starved ideas," Hicks said. "You have a lot of ideas that someone with a little bit of money, they can make it work, but there's no way they'll be a billion dollar company."

The problem facing companies in Ann Arbor and in Michigan in general isn't a lack funds being available Hicks said, it's that most investors are looking for the next unicorn - a business valued at over $1 billion.

"It's not my sense that it's capital constrained, but more that Midwest and regional investing has got less tolerant of funding those vehicles that are lower risk and lower reward," Hicks said.



Capital is still here

In Ann Arbor, Krutko says many companies are finding the capital they need in the city from both local and coastal investors.

"We have actually seen a number of technology companies that have decided to move to Ann Arbor. If you're a company at a certain stage and you're looking for the kind of technical support we provide, the services and support are there and people have taken advantage of it," Krutko said.

For startups in the Ann Arbor area, Krutko says the existence of established companies and the culture in the startup community makes it easier for companies to get funded.

"The more density you have of early stage companies and technology growth and companies seeking capital, the easier it is to find," Krutko said. "Good ideas, good companies, strong technology is going to find the capital it needs."

Keeping talent and good ideas in the region will depend largely on the ability of companies to continue getting funded in Ann Arbor. By retaining those companies, Krutko is confident Ann Arbor will maintain its position as a leader in the state's economic recovery.

"It's up to us collectively to work hard to maintain that success because that's where the United States and world economy is headed," Krutko said.
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We're loving this sweeping aerial video an Ann Arbor photographer recently shot with a drone at sunset over a Michigan field of sunflowers.

Sunflowers at sunset from Steve Winchester on Vimeo.

Ann Arbor hobby photographer Steve Winchester caught this moment with a drone just a few weeks ago. He'd been wanting to use the drone to photograph a flower field, so when he found this sunflower field, he just waited for "golden hour" -- a term photographers use to describe the beautiful light at the first and last hour of the day -- and then got to work.

"I wanted a field of flowers because it's so uniform, yet not," he said. "It's a perspective that literally no one has seen until now: to float effortlessly above the flower tops. In a helicopter you'd be thrashing them all the flowers the ground.

"It's a very unique vantage point -- a lot of the angles are soothing. You could never see them any other way unless you were a bee or a bird."

Winchester said he knows other people will have different takeaways from the video, but ultimately hopes it provides a moment of calm in people's busy days.

"I just wanted to bring a feeling of peace and calmness and beauty, and it's all right there," he said.
ANN ARBOR, MI - A former Ypsilanti Community High School student faces misdemeanor charges for an incident that caused a lockdown at Huron High School in May, police say.

The 17-year-old Ypsilanti resident, who police say has since graduated, was arraigned on charges of disturbing the peace and malicious destruction of a building less than $200 on Wednesday, Aug. 10, in Ann Arbor's 15th District Court, said Ann Arbor police Detective Lt. Matthew Lige.

Police were called about 1 p.m. May 27 to Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Road, for a report of a masked intruder.

The school was placed on lockdown while Ann Arbor police searched the building with the help of officers and deputies from Pittsfield Township, the University of Michigan, Ypsilanti and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office.

While no suspect was found that day, Lige later said four students were believed to be involved in the incident.

The 17-year-old is believed to have been the hooded figure spotted inside the school and reported to police, Lige confirmed. Lige previously said the other students did not enter the building.

"This was intended to be a prank that was ill-conceived," Lige said.

He said the 17-year-old has taken responsibility for his actions.

Lige said there were no paintball guns involved, but paintballs were thrown at the school building and cars, resulting in minor damage to the structure that had to be cleaned up.

Ypsilanti Community Schools Superintendent Ben Edmondson confirmed the Ypsilanti Community High School students involved in the prank had graduated with the Class of 2016 before police identified them, so they did not face any disciplinary action from the school.

Now, he plans to have principals in his district discuss the issue of pranks at the beginning of the school year, and hopes others will, too.

"Pranks are OK as long as they go through the administration," Edmondson said. "Some pranks are hurtful, in this case it could have been deadly."

Court records show the teenager was released on a personal bond and scheduled for an Aug. 29 pretrial. He has been ordered not to go to Huron High School.

Staff reporter Lauren Slagter contributed to this report.

Darcie Moran covers cops and courts for MLive and The Ann Arbor News. Email her at dmoran@mlive.com or follow her on Twitter @darciegmoran.
BAY CITY, MI -- If you pass through downtown Bay City today, make sure to take in a glimpse of history.

For the first time since a "modern" metal facade was installed on the historic Crapo building at the intersection of Center and Washington avenues 56 years ago, the public has an opportunity to see what's under, what has been described as, the cheese grater covering.

Jenifer Acosta, founder of Midland-based Neighborhood Development Co., has an option to purchase the former Chemical Bank-owned building with big plans to transform it into a multi-use building that includes residential apartment rentals and commercial space. She's calling the building, which was designed by famous Michigan architects Leverett Pratt and Walter Koeppe, "The Legacy."

"I've been waiting for this for years," said Tim Cottrell, owner of Bijou Antiques, 210 Center Ave., who was outside on Monday, Aug. 15, watching crews from Serenus Johnson rip off the 1960s-era facade. "I can't believe it's finally coming off."

For now, only a portion of the facade on the Washington Avenue side of the building is coming off. Acosta needs to provide additional photographs to the National Park Service of the historic integrity of the building's architecture. The Parks Services issues historic building designations that developers need to apply for tax credits.

A rendering of The Legacy building in downtown Bay City. Neighborhood Development Co. is looking to transform the former Chemical Bank building into a multi-use building with residential apartment rentals and commercial space. The building's residential and commercial space is being advertised at www.legacybaycity.com.

Crews were initially scheduled to start removing the facade on Tuesday, Aug. 16, but started a day early because of severe weather in the forecast.

Motorists on Monday drove slowly at the Center-Washington intersection, taking in the work being done on the building.

Alan Flood, a member of the Bay City Historic District Commission, was taking a morning bike ride by the building.

"I'm tickled that (the facade) is being removed," he said. "I'll be curious to see the condition of the building underneath it."

While a majority of the facade on the Washington Avenue side of the building is coming down, any part of it that is directly installed on the brick of the building is staying put for now. Chemical Bank officials, the seller of the building, asked Acosta not to re-install the facade if the redevelopment project doesn't work out.
WEST BRANCH, MI -- For the second time in two months, a Michigan middle school teacher has pleaded guilty to charges of having sex with a student.

Vaughn J. Canamore, 31, on Wednesday, Aug. 10, appeared in Ogemaw County Circuit Court in West Branch and pleaded guilty to one count each of first- and third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15. In exchange, the prosecution agreed to dismiss two more counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Both sexual assault charges involve penetration. First-degree is a life offense and third-degree is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

In July, Canamore appeared in neighboring Roscommon County and pleaded guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a student.

The alleged victim in both cases was a student at Charlton Heston Academy in St. Helen, where Canamore was a teacher, police have said. The school is in Roscommon County, but Canamore lives in West Branch.

Prosecutors have been tight-lipped on the case, not divulging the age of the victim or how long the conduct lasted.

Ogemaw County Prosecutor LaDonna Schultz said Monday, Aug. 15, that the allegations came to light when another teacher contacted law enforcement.

Ogemaw County Circuit Judge Robert W. Bennett is scheduled to sentence Canamore at 10 a.m. on Sept. 7, the day after he is to be sentenced in Roscommon County.
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Deposit bail-in risks are slowly being realised in Ireland, after it emerged overnight that FBD, one of Ireland's largest insurance companies, have been moving cash out of Irish bank deposits and into bonds.

Revelations regarding deposit bail-in risks came in the wake of warnings of a new property crash centred on the housing market in Ireland. The former deputy governor of the Central Bank warned in an op-ed in a leading international financial publication, Project Syndicate, that Ireland is at risk of another housing market crash.

Insurer FBD has moved over 150 million out of the Irish banking system and into corporate and sovereign bonds over the past year. The move was prompted by low returns offered by bank deposits and the risks that deposit bail-in rules could see deposits confiscated.

FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon told the Irish Independent that the "extremely low returns offered on term deposits by banks, coupled with fears that new bail-in rules introduced this year by the European Union could expose bank bondholders and depositors to bailing out a failed lender, meant it has shifted investments away from banks."

The new deposit bail-in mechanism is designed to protect banks and is touted as a way to prevent taxpayers being liable for bailing out collapsed lenders. It is believed that it leaves bank bondholders and deposit customers with more than 100,000 on deposit at risk of footing the bill.

There is a belief that bail-ins only relate to the wealthy and "rich" depositors as they will be imposed on those with deposits greater than national deposit guarantees. These deposit guarantees are generally the big round, arbitrary number of say 100,000, $250,000 and 75,000. These are not particularly large amounts and could amount to the entire life savings of a pensioner, a family or indeed it could be the entire capital of a small to medium size business enterprise.

An example of this is the UK where the deposit guarantee was arbitrarily, suddenly and with little fanfare quietly reduced from 100,000 to 75,000 just last year in July 2015.

Thus, it is important to note that the arbitrary round number in the various government deposit guarantees can be, and probably will be, reduced to a lower number  say the new round number of 50,000, 50,000 and $50,000 - depending on the severity of the next banking crash.

In the event of bail-ins, governments and banks are likely to seek to impose deeper haircuts on creditors including depositors in order to bail-out and protect the failing banking system.

FBD's deposits with Irish banks were reduced from 451 million to 305 million in recent months. FBD made a 3.1m loss in the first half of the year.

As reported by the Irish Independent:

"As they mature, and as the bank bail-in rules come into play, it's no longer the case that for corporate investors depositing at a bank is risk free," she added.

"To be honest, the return is abysmal now. We've gone back to a more typical investment portfolio for an insurance company."

"You have to be paid for the risk you take," she added. "You might entertain the bail-in risk if you were being properly paid. But if you've a bank trying to charge you for leaving your money with them, you're not inclined to take any risk at all."

The recent bank stress tests showed that Irish banks are the most vulnerable in the EU in the event of another financial crisis.

Meanwhile, the risk of another property crash centred on the housing market has been warned of by a respected economist. Stefan Gerlach, who left the Central Bank of Ireland earlier this year to become Chief Economist at BSI Bank in Zurich, asked:

"Having endured the collapse of its housing market less than a decade ago, Ireland has lately been experiencing a blistering recovery in prices, which already have risen in Dublin by some 50% from the trough in 2010, is Ireland setting itself up for another devastating crash?

Among the concerns he expresses in an article titled 'The Return of Irelands Housing Bubble' for the global finance think-tank Project Syndicate is that the Central Bank here is coming under undue pressure from the construction industry and politicians to relax the loan to value and loan to income ratios on mortgage lending it introduced last year.

He warns that while housing bubbles are easy to spot, there are a number of conflicts of interest that make it hard to take action as the market gets out of control as reported by Newstalk

"The obvious question is why nobody stepped in before it was too late. The answer is simple: while the bubbles are inflating, many people benefit. With the construction sector thriving, unemployment falling, and banks lending freely, people are happy  and politicians like it that way."

"Many in Ireland might find that conclusion overly pessimistic. Maybe they are simply hoping that, this time, the luck of the Irish will hold. Perhaps it will, and this time really is different. But there isnt much evidence of that," he concludes.

The 'Bail-in regime' is one of the greatest financial risks to investors, savers and indeed companies internationally today. Yet it remains the most poorly covered financial risk and is largely ignored by financial advisers, brokers and not surprisingly governments and banks.

The growing financial risk in all western countries has not been properly analysed. In a world already beset with huge deflationary pressures and still insolvent banks, the bail-in regime and confiscating deposits, especially from job creating companies, would be extremely deflationary and would likely contribute to severe recessions.

This is something we warned of when we first conducted our extensive research on the developing global bail-in regimes after the Cyprus bail-ins in 2013. Diversification of deposits remains vital and one important way to protect against a bail-in is owning physical gold. Taking delivery of gold coins and bars and owning bullion in allocated and segregated storage in the safest vaults in the world is a prudent way to protect against the deposit bail-in regime.

Gold and Silver Bullion - News and Commentary

Gold Prices (LBMA AM)

15Aug: USD 1,339.20, GBP 1,037.21 & EUR 1,198.85 per ounce

12Aug: USD 1,336.70, GBP 1,032.60 & EUR 1,199.02 per ounce

11Aug: USD 1,344.55, GBP 1,037.05 & EUR 1,206.06 per ounce

10Aug: USD 1,351.85, GBP 1,035.11 & EUR 1,209.23 per ounce

09Aug: USD 1,332.90, GBP 1,025.80 & EUR 1,201.74 per ounce

08Aug: USD 1,330.00, GBP 1,019.84 & EUR 1,198.86 per ounce

05Aug: USD 1,362.60, GBP 1,036.39 & EUR 1,222.53 per ounce

Silver Prices (LBMA)

15Aug: USD 19.90, GBP 15.40 & EUR 17.81 per ounce

12Aug: USD 19.87, GBP 15.33 & EUR 17.81 per ounce

11Aug: USD 20.21, GBP 15.56 & EUR 18.13 per ounce

10Aug: USD 20.34, GBP 15.55 & EUR 18.19 per ounce

09Aug: USD 19.70, GBP 15.18 & EUR 17.77 per ounce

08Aug: USD 19.66, GBP 15.04 & EUR 17.74 per ounce

05Aug: USD 20.22, GBP 15.36 & EUR 18.14 per ounce



Recent Market Updates
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A Final concession agreement between the Department of Civil Aviation and a consortium building a major new international airport in Bago Region known as Hanthawaddy International Airport should be complete by the end of this year, according to a DCA director.





Myanmar has been trying to build the airport for two decades, but delays have plagued the project, which is now slated for completion by 2022.

We are still discussing the terms with the consortium and hope to sign a final agreement this December, said DCA director U Hla Bone Zaw. We have to settle discussions about the project cost, the value of Official Development Assistance loans and the duration of the contract.

The first phase of the airport project is estimated to cost US$1.5 billion, he said.

Myanmar officials previously said they were in talks with the Japan International Cooperation Agency to cover part of the construction costs with development assistance.

The consortium  JGC Corporation, Yongnam Holdings and Changi Airports International  won a tender to build and run the airport in October 2014 after the original winner  a joint venture headed by South Koreas Incheon International Airport Corporation  and the government fell out over details in the project proposal.

The airport is slated to be built on an old Second World War Japanese airfield of 9690 acres (3921 hectares) in Kyauk Taing Kan village in Bago Region, around 77 kilometres (48 miles) northeast of Yangon.

The new airport is a little far from Yangon, so we plan to build a train to line, but we have not decided on the exact details, said U Hla Bone Zaw.





The project has been criticised because of its distance from Yangon and as the city already has an international airport, where two new terminals under construction will easily be able to handle air passenger traffic.

Despite Hanthawaddy International Airports distance from the city, the consortium predicts its project will serve as a hub that connects Myanmars commercial capital with the world.

Once operational, the airport will become the main international gateway into Myanmar, particularly the Yangon metropolitan area, it said in a press release earlier this year.

JGC owns a controlling stake in the consortium with 55 percent. Changi Airports International holds 20pc while Yongnam has a one-quarter share.
Myanmar Citizens Bank will become the first lender to list on the Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX) with its debut scheduled for August 26, according to a notice posted to the bourse.





The base price for shares will be announced on the YSX one working day The base price for shares will be announced on the YSX one working day before the listing date, the announcement said, and Myanmar Securities Exchange Centre will lead the deal.

Though YSX has officially announced that the bank has been approved as a listed company, trading will not begin until August 26, U Toe Aung Myint, president of MCB told The Myanmar Times.

All firms planning to list on the Yangon Stock Exchange must publish disclosure documents in advance of their Initial Public Offering (IPO) including details of their recent financial results, business strategy and ownership structure.

MCB published its disclosure document on August 12.

The commercial bank, which was founded in 1991, said it had 10.4 million shares outstanding and paid-up capital of K52 billion as of July 31 this year. Its authorised capital is K75 billion.

MCB will join First Myanmar Investment and Myanmar Thilawa SEZ Holdings to become the third company listed on the exchange, which opened late last year.

When it opened, six companies were named as the first that would list. The other three are Myanma Agribusiness Public Corporation (MAPCO), First Private Bank and Great Hor Kham Public.





MAPCO is aiming to list this October or November, the companys executive director U Ye Min Aung told The Myanmar Times.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun and Zar Zar Soe
A Tender for private companies to build a multi-million-dollar suspension bridge connecting downtown Yangon with sleepy Dala township will be called soon, but only for Korean firms, the Ministry of Constructions permanent secretary said.





U Kyaw Lin said a consulting company will be chosen this month to oversee the tender.

The ministry is choosing a consultancy firm to handle the bids. We will only invite Korean companies because the bridge is being built with a loan from Korea, he said.

Last November the two governments agreed that South Koreas Economic Development Cooperation Fund would issue a US$137.8 million over 40 years at 0.01 percent interest to finance the bridge, which is estimated to cost around $168.2 million. Myanmars construction ministry will pay the rest.

Once a contractor has been chosen, work is likely to begin in 2017, U Kyaw Lin said.

The project broke ground in February. The four-lane bridge will be 1936 feet (590 metres) long, 160ft high and 823ft wide, and will link Phonegyi Street in Lanmadaw township to Bo Min Yaung Street in Dala.

Dala residents told to hand over their land to make way for the bridge were paid K130 million per acre, which was less than the market price, according to resident U Khin Maung Nyunt.





The current price is more than K200 million per acre, but we didnt object because we had no chance to negotiate, he told The Myanmar Times earlier this year. We must be thankful that the government didnt just seize our land, as happened in the past. But I say truly, the compensation does not make up for the cost of removing us.

When complete at the end of 2020, the bridge will pave the way for development, both in Dala and in other townships across the Yangon River including Twante, Kawhmu and Kungyangone. It will also feature a water pump line to distribute water from Yangon to Dala.

Translation by Khine Thazin Han
Expectations for a major breakthrough at the upcoming 21st-century Panglong Conference are being scaled back, with one individual involved in the peace talks describing the event as merely the grand opening ceremony for the governments efforts to end decades of civil war.





An increasingly small window until the conference is convened  the government has set an August 31 start date  appears to be one of the main factors for the expectations management taking place, with some parties to the peace meet-up saying there is not enough time to prepare for it, including undertaking a review of the framework for political dialogue.

On August 13, representatives from the government, ethnic armed groups and political parties held a meeting to review the framework for political dialogue at Yangons National Reconciliation and Peace Centre, but participants pushed several agenda items to future talks.

Nonetheless, Sai Kyaw Nyunt, an ethnic Shan politician from the Shan Nationalities League for Democracy (SNLD), said the Panglong Conference would not be postponed.

It will be just a grand opening ceremony for the governments peace process and we wont be discussing any main agenda [items] at the conference because we could not even finish the review of the political dialogue framework within just one or two days, he said.

U Hla Maung Shwe, a senior peace envoy for the government, said hopes are still alive that three ethnic armed organisations known collectively as the Kokang groups will receive invitations and attend the conference.

If things go successfully, the groups  the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Taang National Liberation Army and the Arakan Army  will be invited to the Panglong Conference, he said.





Talks between the three groups and government representatives in Shan States Mong La earlier this month left officials from the groups disappointed, as the government issued a demand that they disarm as a precondition for their participation.

The groups have said they are hopeful that another discussion would be offered by the government before the conference.

The August 13 meeting was also attended by the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), a negotiating body for the nine ethnic armed groups that form the United Nationalities Federal Council and did not sign last years so-called nationwide ceasefire agreement. The DPN last week called for its full participation in the preparatory committee for the Panglong Conference.

The Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee, a tripartite committee of representatives from the government, signatory groups and election-winning political parties, will meet today in Nay Pyi Taw, where the DPNs request will be discussed.

Political commentators have said inclusivity is key at the upcoming conference in order to bolster confidence that the participating parties are capable of successfully tackling difficult negotiations and resolving disagreements in the years to come.

Viewed as part of the larger peace process, the Panglong Conference should be considered a good starting point, said U Yan Myo Thein, a political commentator, who also warned that a lack of substantive outcomes risked undermining the new governments push to rebrand and reboot peace talks.

If all concerned ethnic armed organisations are not allowed to attend the conference and if there will not be any decisions made from it, the 21st-century Panglong Conference would be just like the first Union Peace Conference held by former president U Thein Sein, he said, referring to a high-level summit convened by the outgoing government in January.

Echoing accounts of the August 13 review meeting from government officials, Sai Kyaw Nyunt of the SNLD said most ethnic armed organisations, including the three Kokang groups, would likely be invited to the Panglong Conference.

I think it is just a way to overcome the deadlock on the all-inclusion issue, said Sai Kyaw Nyunt.

Concerning the framework review, the composition, subjects and decision-making mechanisms of the dialogue remain on the negotiating table and were carried over to future meetings.

Parties to the peace talks have agreed that review of the framework will continue beyond the Panglong Conference, said U Hla Maung Shwe.

At Januarys Union Peace Conference, representation was broken down into seven stakeholder groups  the government, the parliament, the Tatmadaw, ethnic armed organisations, political parties, ethnic representatives and other relevant individuals.

The minister for the State Counsellors Office last week told lawmakers that around 700 representatives would be invited to the Panglong Conference, with the government sticking with the representative format used early this year.

But ethnic armed groups expressed a preference at a meeting in Mai Ja Yang, Kachin State, to see the groups winnowed to just three categories: ethnic armed organisations, political parties, and government  representing the executive and legislative branches as well as the Tatmadaw.

For its part, the government has sought to reduce political parties representation at the conference, ruling that only five seats will be granted to some 70 political parties that failed to claim any seats in last years election. The rest of the seats afforded to political parties will be shared by the 22 political parties that won at least one race in the November election.

On the subjects of the political dialogue, despite State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyis initial indication that only politics and security matters be discussed initially, five primary agenda items  politics, social, issues the economy, security, and land and natural resources management  will be on the agenda.

Under the five main agenda items, there are about 20 subtitles, but we could reduce them to 10 after combining similar issues into one. The five main agenda items remain unchanged, Sai Kyaw Nyunt said of one outcome of the August 13 review meeting.

Regarding decision-making mechanisms, the framework currently states that important matters including federalism, security of the state and security reintegration should be supported with the vote of at least 75 percent of each group and the vote of at least above 75pc of all those who attend the conference.

With the exception of those three issues, all other matters will require support by the vote of at least above 50pc of each group and the vote of at least above 65pc of all those who attend the conference.

Sai Kyaw Nyunt said those thresholds must be changed because of the risk that bottlenecks would be created as political negotiations unfold among participating parties.

It is like every party in the talks holds its respective veto. Without a change to this type of decision-making mechanism, I think it would be hard to reach agreements on more difficult matters like security and politics, he said.
One Stop Center (OSC), a Malaysian visa application service, will not be terminated unless the Malaysian government comes up with a better plan for handling illegal migrant workers, Malaysian ambassador to Myanmar Mohd Haniff Abd Rahman told The Myanmar Times on August 12.





The main reason is that security for our country is very important to us, he said. We want to ensure the security of the country. The Malaysian government is facing huge problems with undocumented foreign workers, illegal workers. Unless the government comes out with a better plan, this OSC will remain.

Earlier this year, the Malaysian embassy in Myanmar announced that it would raise its visa charges for workers from US$6 to US$57, with the fees going to an overseas employment agency based in Myanmar called Diamond Palace, which would offer one-stop service starting on January 18.

The embassy said the additional charges were necessary to improve visa technology, making the system faster and more secure. Diamond Palaces OSC, a functional monopoly, reaps a $25 service fee and a $26 systems fee on every application.

Similar one-stop centres are being operated in Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and China, which, along with Myanmar, are the countries that send the most migrant workers to Malaysia, said Mr Rahman.

In July, the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation (MOEAF) requested the government take back control of the visa process for workers and put an end to alleged price gouging at the OSC.

MOEAFs letter asked Myanmars foreign ministry to meet with its Malaysian counterpart to discuss the policy, according to MOEAF spokesperson U Kyaw Htin Kyaw.

On August 5, there was a three-way meeting between representatives from MOEAF, the Malaysian embassy and the OSC, according to Ko Myo Win Yin, an official responsible for migrant affairs at MOEAF.





We just went there and reported to the embassy the difficulties we are facing with OSC so now we just have to wait, he said.

Diamond Palace chair U Thein Than told The Myanmar Times that the visa fees, including the service fees, are fixed by the Malaysian government. The OSC works under the Malaysian embassy, he said, noting that that the fees are nonrefundable.

The OSC is only in charge of the application process, Mr Rahman said. The OSC is responsible for documentation and it is guided by the Malaysian embassy and Malaysian policy. They do not work independently. They work by themselves but we have the final say. If the document submitted is suspicious, we have the right to decline.

The embassy continued to explain that the system integrates with a Malaysian immigration system that stores the information taken by the OSC in a database, allowing government officials access to the information with the persons fingerprints.

We are not only trying to protect the interest of Malaysia but also the interest of Myanmar workers, Mr Rahman said. We do not want Myanmar workers to get treated poorly by Malaysian employers. If workers are not documented, the workers will not be able to complain and cannot do anything if they ever face unfairness.

There has already been a decrease in illegal migrant workers since the system was enacted, he said.

The responsibilities also lie with the employment agencies, he said. Agents should make sure that the workers they are going to send to Malaysia are not blacklisted and have no criminal records.

Shortly after the OSC was announced, MOEAF set a moratorium on sending workers to Malaysia until the fee increase was reduced or borne by the Malaysian officials. A temporary reduction was negotiated for 8000 workers who had already applied for the overseas jobs.

An estimated 1 million Myanmar migrants work in Malaysia, many of them undocumented and vulnerable to trafficking and forced labour.
On the eve of a visit to China by Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, President U Htin Kyaw has announced the creation of a commission to look into the countrys hydropower projects, including the controversial Myitsone dam on the Ayeyarwady River in Kachin State.





According to the announcement released on August 12, the 20-member commission will review and scrutinise the projects to assess the likely benefits for Myanmar citizens, and to make recommendations on whether they should proceed.

The Myitsone dam, a major Chinese project, was suspended for the remainder of his term of office by then-president U Thein Sein in 2011. Though his decision was criticised in China, it was widely welcomed in Myanmar, including by local residents, who had complained of land grabs and the relocation of villages.

Deputy Pyithu Hluttaw Speaker U T Khun Myat will chair the commission, and the minister for the Office of the State Counsellor, U Kyaw Tint Swe, will serve as vice chair. The commission must consult citizens and civil society organisations in reviewing the contracts from the point of view of expected benefits for both Myanmar citizens and foreign investors. Its first report to the president is due on November 11.

Local residents have often vocally opposed hydropower plants on the Ayeyarwady River, and the Myitsone dam is a particular object of their anger.

The former military regime invited a Chinese company to build the 4600-megawatt Myitsone dam in 2006. China Power Investment, now renamed Upstream Ayeyarwady Confluence Basin Hydropower (ACHC), built a new village in 2009 to accommodate residents relocated from Tan Hpre, Pa Tan and Myitsone villages.

Daw Ja Hkaung, a member of the Mungchying Rawt Jat organisation in Kachin State, a veteran opponent of the Myitsone project, said they would monitor the commissions work and advise it to recommend that the project should be abandoned.





The situation will be bad if the commission recommends continuing the projects. We dont want them. We will monitor the commissions meetings with citizens and CSOs to make sure the results are not faked, she said, echoing the content of an open letter the organisation had sent to the president in May.

Environmental specialist U Win Myo Thu, director of EcoDev Myanmar, told The Myanmar Times that the formation of the commission was a step in the right direction. He said he hoped it would result in changes for the hydropower projects.

I also hope the commission advises against continuing the projects, he said.

ACHC released a statement on August 13 welcoming the commission and saying that it would help the public learn the truth of the projects.

During the implementation of the Ayeyarwady Hydropower Projects, the company conducted project construction activities strictly in accordance with Myanmar law and relevant contractual agreements, said the statement.

The statement said the company would continue to abide by the laws and covenants, practise corporate social responsibility and offer the commission its full cooperation.

Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will visit China from August 17 to 20.
A Proposal urging the Union government to assist farmers in running joint agricultural and livestock businesses was submitted to the Pyithu Hluttaw on August 11 by MP U Tin Htwe (NLD; Waw).





Myanmar needs to develop its farming sector because it is an agriculture-based country, he said, adding that the sector could earn increased foreign income by exporting more rice, beans and pulses.

He put agricultural land at 12 million acres, a total that Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation information officer U Myo Tint Tun said was low  this monsoon season alone, U Myo Tint Tun said, rice paddy will be grown on more than 15 million acres of land.

About 32 million people in Myanmar rely on the rice farming business, U Tin Htwe said.

Using traditional methods in the agricultural business, farmers see poor yields and are running into debt, the MP said.

Skilled people who can teach scientific farming system to farmers are rare, he said.

However, U Myo Tint Tun said his department does not have sufficient staff to educate farmers about scientific farming systems.





The staff we appointed to educate farmers is about 7000, he said. By that math, a staff member has to work about 700 acres. And then transportation in villages is not good. But the staff are not even provided with a motorcycle for their transportation.

Farmers will suffer big losses if a natural disaster strikes and they cannot purchase crop insurance, U Tin Htwe said.

Under the U Thein Sein government, a Japanese crop insurance company came and started a weather index insurance system, but it never got off the ground.

Farmers who go into debt after facing crop losses often go abroad and leave their farmland behind, U Tin Htwe said. They cannot spend loans from Myanmar Agriculture Development Bank on a new farming business because they need the money to repay their old debts, he said.

In May, Union Minister Aung Thu told the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw that farmers could borrow money and easily spend it without trying to increase their agricultural production.

However, MP U Hla Than (NLD; Kawa), who seconded the proposal, said, Farmers are going around in debt circles after taking out loans from the agricultural bank and informal lenders because their annual income is not equal to their annual expenditure.

U Myo Tint Tun remained sceptical of the proposal, noting that farmers were encouraged to run paddy-cum-fish farms in the 2000s.

That method is good for big businesses but not for medium-sized businesses because they need to fence the field to keep the fish in, he said. So it is only suitable for those who could afford the investment.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
In its first report since the National League for Democracy took power pledging movement toward greater religious equality, the United States Committee on International Religious Freedom still sees cause for grave concern in the countrys rights record.





The committees report, a comprehensive assessment that tracks restrictions on religious freedom and provides recommendations to the US government for protecting human rights around the world, came out on August 10.

Since the committees inception in 1998, Myanmar has remained a Tier 1 country of particular concern. The four race and religion laws passed under then-president U Thein Seins rule, and military tensions with ethnic dissident groups in upper Myanmar, continue to restrict the rights and freedoms of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State and Christians in Kachin and Shan states respectively, the report said.

Introducing the report, David Saperstein, US ambassador-at-large, said the committee expressed grave concern that large numbers of them [Rohingyas] have had citizenship stripped from them  Often they are in camps where they cant return to their home communities, they cant establish mosques.

Political analyst U Than Soe Naing noted that the report, with its recommendations  ranging from concrete actions such as using the term Rohingya to describe the Muslim population in Rakhine and denying visas to Myanmar officials directly responsible for violating religious freedom to vaguer calls for interfaith engagement  serves as a lesson for the NLD.

I think the NLD can establish religious equality, but I worry that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and her party will be attacked by Buddhist nationalists for trying to make these changes, he said.

The report, which covers the year 2015, was released only a few days after the most recent instances of religious oppression in the country.





On August 8 in Thingangyun township, Yangon Region, 16 people, including Muslim students studying the Koran, were detained under the midnight inspections law. In June, a mob of 500 Buddhist extremists burned down a mosque in Bago Region.

A recent article in The Myanmar Times suggested that anti-Muslim hate speech, as well as Buddhist national sentiment, was on the rise in the countrys nascent social media. However, U Aye Lwin, a Muslim leader from the Islamic Centre of Myanmar, says these instances are not uncommon. For Muslims and followers of non-Buddhist faiths, freedom is still a faraway goal.

I dont want to blame the situation on the NLD government, but calling for religious equality will be a difficult challenge, he said.

Although Myanmar has languished as a country of particular concern for 17 consecutive years, Mr Saperstein said he was very encouraged by the NLDs commitment to advancing democracy and human rights.

In 2015, Rohingya Muslims were temporarily able to claim citizenship with ID documents known as white cards. However, heeding the anger of Buddhist officials, the previous government discontinued this identification process.

New challenges to religious equality in Myanmar have defined 2016.

The country was under the international spotlight as Rohingya refugees crossed the sea to enter Thailand and Malaysia to seek asylum from repressive conditions. The new government faces pressure both to mend ethnic tensions and to ensure a broader democratic process.

In Rakhine, theres a long way to go, said Mr Saperstein. Theres terrible human suffering and we believe that it has to be made a key priority to fundamentally change things.
ELKO  The annual Magic School Supply Bus community fundraiser sponsored by Soroptimist International of Elko is coming to an end this week. Last year Ignite Chiropractic was able to collect 300 donated backpacks stuffed with supplies. This season they are hoping to top 500.

We see tons of children who have needs in the community, said Dr. Kyle Kurscheidt, partner in the business.

The business is a drop-off location for donated school supplies. The last day to bring in items or fully loaded backpacks is August 18. After that members of Elko Soroptimist pick up the supplies and take them to the schools.

We help an average of 300 kids a year, said Soroptimist President-elect Marianne Kobak McKown.

The program benefits children at Elko and Spring Creek schools. The Soroptimists also partner with Communities in Schools. Any extra supplies that exceed the student need are then distributed to other area children.

When Ignite Chiropractic was opened we wanted to help the community  said business partner Dr. Joshua Byers. Whats cool is that weve received Amazon boxes anonymously with donations.

Byers, a father of three, went on to explain the high costs of educational supplies. He said that recent statistics point to an average cost of $107  175 per year.

Donations will be given out before school starts. The schools select recipients ahead of time so that supplies go to those most in need.

Specific student needs are detailed on tags located at Ignite Chiropractic and other businesses. Or, people are welcome to bring by individual supplies like backpacks, pencils and other goods.
Foreign Minister Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is likely to be poring over her briefing books today as she prepares for what could be a testing visit to China from August 17 to 20. Two issues in particular are likely to be on the agenda: the future of the suspended Myitsone dam project and the peace process, both of more than passing interest to Beijing.





U Kyaw Zeya, director general of the political department under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, briefed reporters on August 12 on the governments achievements over the past 100 days in foreign affairs, electricity and energy, and border affairs.

We wont know what China is going to say until we get there. But if they raise these matters, we will have a response prepared, he said. The Chinese have a major stake in the Myitsone issue, having been involved with it for the past 10 years.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the topic of Myitsone when he met with his Myanmar counterpart in Nay Pyi Taw in April. At that time, Myanmar made no response, according to Daw Aung San Suu Kyis own briefing to the media.

U Kyaw Zeya said, China will raise the subject because it is of major interest to them. Were still discussing what we should do about the project. If the Chinese raise it, we will discuss it. We have prepared a response.

The government has now formed a commission to consult with local residents and others, and to make recommendations as to how to proceed (see related story below right).

The electricity and energy ministrys permanent secretary U Htain Lwin said the project awaited a resolution. The dam project was suspended by the previous government following popular objections on the grounds of its environmental impact. Any decision to cancel the agreement must be taken at the national level, he said.





Observers will also follow with interest any discussion with China on Myanmars peace process. The countrys long border with Myanmar makes the stability of its southern neighbour a matter of great importance, prompting Beijing to send observers to Myanmars peace talks. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be prepared to discuss the matter with her hosts, said U Kyaw Zeya.

Asked why the foreign minister decided to visit China before visiting the United States, he said she had made her decision on the basis of options proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We submitted our suggestions and she made her decision. We take our relations with neighbouring countries very seriously, he said.

The foreign minister, who is also state counsellor, accompanied President U Htin Kyaw on a visit to Laos, the rotating chair of ASEAN, in April. However, she sat out the presidents visit to the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Russia.

The state counsellor is scheduled to visit the United States in October.

Translation by Thiri Min Htun
Look out at the street: What do you see men wearing?





Im willing to bet there are at least a few well-tied longyis wrapped around bellies outside, wherever you are in the country.

The longyi has proliferated in Myanmar since British colonial times. The masculine, tubular garments as we know them today first became popular in the 19th century, gradually replacing the formal paso, a much larger, more regal array of male dress, and becoming the common garment for men of all classes.

While skirts the world over have nearly always predated trousers  which only became popular when Eurasian cultures domesticated the horse  the longyi as a particular phenomenon is regional to the Bay of Bengal, with mild pronunciation differences across the bays main languages.

In West Bengal they come most often in hues of light blue; in Bangladesh you can find quite radical and experimental patterns. Here in Myanmar the longyi is at its most refined: subtle grids, firm lines and crisp hems in quality coloured silk and cotton.

In Kolkata, the longyi is considered a Muslim, lower-class form of dress, paired mostly with a white singlet. In Salt Lake City, a middle-class suburb of the city, I was even refused entry to a restaurant because of my longyi.

Once the largest city in the longyi belt, and historically a longyi-majority zone, Kolkata has now turned on them. If you wear one there now, you are considered a Muslim  and probably a poor one at that.





While Westerners with white skin are desirable customers the city over, if you are wearing a longyi you may find yourself barred from A/C-level venues  like I found myself.

In the cities of Dhaka, Yangon and Mandalay, certain combinations of shirt and longyi can denote ones occupation or trade  and then of course there are the school uniforms. Interestingly, many patterns adorning Myanmar longyis are marked as being of ethnic origin, although the attribution may be more a matter of branding than strictly representative.

I own several Chin longyis but have never seen one worn by anyone in Chin State, nor seen them for sale in any of the hill towns. There are several cultural groups in Myanmar that rarely if ever traditionally wore longyis, finding themselves only recent inheritors of the dress for sale in traditional patterns at a department store near you.

There is clear utility to the longyi: It is simple and cheap to manufacture, can double as a towel or sheet, and is perfectly suited to Myanmars climate with its ability to provide natural A/C. And of course, for those who care to risk the risque, you can go really breezy and sans underwear.

This cooling ability is intuitive and easily recognised: When crossing outback Australia in a longyi during a heatwave in 2012 I received many jealous comments from the less fortunate sweating it out in pants. When responding to the sticky and uncomfortable, I was only too happy to sing the praises of a skirt in summer.

If any doubters exist, I challenge them to walk to their local Myanmar market  first in shorts of their choosing, then in a longyi. Let the dampness decide.

But for all its utility, for all its deserved respect, the longyi is in danger.

European-style costume has been steadily dominating the world since the industrial revolution, leading to a superficially homogenous array of dress flourishing across the oceans. It is a vision of young people sweating in Levis from Makassar to Bogota.

The longyi has resisted this push until today, stubbornly remaining popular due to its utility and  lets be honest  partly as a consequence of Myanmars political history. Wearing pants was for a time considered an act of politics, not just of style.

But times have changed and trousers are on the rise in Myanmar. Jeans in particular appear to be leading the charge. I swelter witnessing so much tightly clad denim on a 35 Celsius day, constricting the legs of Myanmars Millennials. I can only imagine the plight of their pores, broiled to burning temperatures, inviting heat rash with every rub and shuffle.

The recent increase in digital and video advertising reflects this trend. It has become routine for Generation Y and Millennials to be represented in pants or jeans on-screen, especially if the advertisement is tapping into the ubiquitous narratives of change, modernisation, cosmopolitanism or the global economy. In the same advertisements, if there is a longyi at all, it is worn by older generations and authority figures.

Is this the future we want for the longyi? Being relegated to the old guard? Then again, why should Myanmar males be forced to choose between pants and longyi?

A synergy could arise. In the early 20th century it was popular for urbane men to wear their longyis with English-style leather belts and dress shoes. Could we see denim longyis in the future? Carefully aged rips at knee height? Longyis with cargo pockets? It would be better than no longyis at all.

Postmodern fashion designers of the future: Do not forget the longyi. Respect it. And may we never see the day a Myanmar restaurant refuses entry to the breezy, the bold, the beautiful longyi.

 New Mandala

Luke Corbin is a PhD candidate in the School of Culture, History and Language at Australian National University, and a member of the ANU Myanmar Research Centre. This article is a collaboration between The Myanmar Times and New Mandala  a specialist website on Southeast Asian affairs based at ANU.
It is vital for the international community to increase pressure in unison on North Korea to prevent it from making military provocations. China should not break this encirclement because of self-serving reasons.





The United Nations Security Council has stopped short of issuing a statement condemning North Koreas firing of what are believed to be Rodong ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan earlier this month.

The UNSC talks broke down because China sought to include in the statement, drafted mainly by Japan and the United States, wording that warns against the United States planned deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)  its most advanced missile defense system  at its military base in South Korea.

North Koreas ballistic missile launches also violate UNSC sanctions resolutions. This is especially the case with the latest launch, in which a missile fired by Pyongyang fell into waters inside Japans exclusive economic zone for the first time. This is an extremely dangerous provocation.

Serious alarm has been raised over the Security Council, which has become dysfunctional. If its failure to issue a statement of condemnation sends North Korea the wrong message, the country could conduct further provocations. This is a severe situation for Japan.

Chinas stance of placing higher priority on opposing the THAAD deployment than on deterring North Koreas provocations is alarming. Since the United States and South Korea agreed on the deployment in July, the Security Council has failed to adopt a statement of condemnation about North Koreas series of ballistic missile launches.

China has claimed that the deployment would undermine the security interests of countries in the region, including itself. It apparently fears its militarys movements would be the subject of surveillance by THAAD radars. Russia also opposes the deployment.

We suspect Chinas hesitance to impose sanctions that could destabilise North Koreas regime is the major reason behind Pyongyangs nuclear and missile development.





The aim of the THAAD deployment is to respond to North Koreas growing threats. Chinas backlash, in which it says this would increase regional tensions, is misdirected.

It is also concerning that on the economic front, China  which has served as an economic lifeline for North Korea  has made moves to further water down the sanction measures.

Following the UN sanctions resolution adopted in March after Pyongyang conducted a nuclear test and made other provocations, trade between China and North Korea rebounded in June. Bilateral economic exchanges have also reportedly increased.

As a UNSC permanent member, China must not forget that it has a duty to ensure the full implementation of North Korea sanctions resolutions, which call for Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear and missile development.

The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping has started taking measures against South Korea as a result of its approval of the THAAD deployment. Chinese authorities have tightened rules for issuing business visas to South Koreans. An event for fans of South Korean TV dramas scheduled to be held in Beijing was also cancelled.

China apparently aims to shake the administration of South Korean President Park Geun-hye and break the unity of Japan, the United States and South Korea.

Close cooperation among the three countries is vital for regional stability.
[August 14, 2016] CellPoint Mobile Hires Travel Solutions Expert Shiraz Malik as VP of Sales to Support Continued Growth in APAC Region

From the Company's New Singapore Location, the Mobile Payments Solutions Provider Will Serve Industry-Leading Asia-Pacific Airlines and Passengers SINGAPORE, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CellPoint Mobile (www.cellpointmobile.com), a provider of comprehensive and powerful mobile commerce and payment solutions for global travel companies, has hired veteran travel solutions expert Shiraz Malik as Vice President of Sales-APAC for the company's new office in Singapore that will serve the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific (APAC) travel market. According to eMarketer, Asia-Pacific will surpass the U.S. as the world's largest regional market for digital travel sales in 2017, with total digital travel sales estimated to reach $328 billion by 2020, compared to $226 billion for the U.S during the same period. Malik has worked in public and government aviation sectors in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and he joins CellPoint Mobile after nearly six years as Solutions Partner for Sabre Airline Solutions in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, Malik was IT Sales and Account Manager from 1999-2007 for Mercator, the IT diviion of the Emirates Group, and an implementation manager for British Airways.



Continued Expansion, New Mobile Products

Malik's hiring and the new Singapore location are integral components of CellPoint Mobile's global expansion, which have included new hires in the Nordics and Middle East, a new Dubai office, and the August release of the company's mobile-first Velocity solutions suite. "Not only is the Asia-Pacific market enjoying continued passenger growth or more than 8%, it is also serving as a world leader in the evolution of mobile-first commerce and mobile payments," said CellPoint Mobile CEO Kristian Gjerding. "Because of his expertise with mobile commerce, mobile trends and payments solutions, and his knowledge of the Asia-Pacific market, Shiraz is a valuable asset for our company and our airline clients."

CellPoint Mobile develops robust payment and commerce solutions for global travel companies. Its three-tier Velocity suite turns mobile Payment Service Provider (PSP) functionality into a plug-and-play business service, enabling airlines to capture new mobile revenues by deploying the market's popular and innovative mobile wallets and payments apps quickly. The company's mobile-first solutions help travel companies respond agilely to changing passenger behaviors, their demands for mobile payment functionality, and continued innovation by smartphone markers and payment technology experts. The new office is located at 51 Changi Business Park Central 2, The Signature level 04-05, Singapore 486066. To learn more about CellPoint Mobile's Singapore expansion, new payment solutions or to arrange an interview with a company executive, please contact Vanessa Horwell at +44.203.807.3735 or [email protected] in the UK and Sara Leiter at +305-749-5342 ext. 236 or [email protected] in the U.S. About CellPoint Mobile: Making Travel Easier

CellPoint Mobile is a provider of comprehensive and powerful commerce and payment solutions for global travel companies, regardless of passengers' preferred currency, payment method, device or channel. With offices in London, Miami, Copenhagen, Pune, Dubai and Singapore, CellPoint Mobile serves global and regional travel companies. www.cellpointmobile.com

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Dzifa Gomashie, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has thrown an invitation to the world to attend the Chalewote Street Art Festival and the Black Star International Film Festival to be held in Accra respectively.

She said this while addressing participants at the South Africa Tourism organized West Africa Trade Roadshow at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra on Friday.

She said these two events express the Ghanaian heritage and culture very well and therefore presents an opportunity for those who want to know about Ghanaian culture to attend. Both events will take place this month in Accra.

The deputy minister was expressing the fact that if there was anything Ghana needs to package and sell to outsiders more than anything else it was the countrys very rich culture.

She admonished tour operators to identify what about our culture is sellable and package them well to sell to tourists who would like to visit because of such culture.

While praising SA Tourism for taking the time to train Ghanaian travel and tour operators on how to better sell South Africa to their clients, Gomashie urged Ghanaian tour operators to learn from their South African counterparts to better sell Ghanas cultural heritage to the world.

The Annual South African Tourism West Africa Roadshow is organized by South Africa Tourism to host travel and tourism trade workshops where West African Trade (travel agents) engage with SA product owners to promote South Africa as a preferred holiday destination.

The aim of the workshops are to equip the West Africa travel and tourism operators to effectively sell holiday travel packages to South Africa. The 2016 roadshow kicked off in Kumasi Wednesday and proceed to Accra on Friday. The next legs of the roadshow will take the South Africa team to Nigeria for similar workshops in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

Speaking at the Accra event, the South African High Commissioner to Ghana Ms. Lulama Xingwana, underscored the fact that there were similarities in Ghanas and South Africas history and compared the exile of Asantehene Prempeh I to the Seychelles to Mandelas imprisonment on Robben Island.

She thus urged the South African delegation to find strong destinations in Ghana to sell to South African tourists and encouraged the Robben Island team in the delegation to find a way to connect with the slave castles in Ghana as both share similar history.

Ms. Xingwana called on South African hotel chains Sun International Hotels and Tsogo Sun to bring their delectable hospitality to Ghana. I will like you to come and build hotels in Ghana, the High Commissioner said.

The workshops are hosted in partnership with the tourism trade organizations in Ghana and Nigeria. In Ghana the partnering associations were Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), Ghana Association of Travel and Tourist Agents (GATTA) and Ghana Travel Operators Federation (GHATOF) in Ghana. In Nigeria the associations were National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) and National Association of Travel Operators (NATOP).

The Regional Director for Africa at South African Tourism, Ms. Evelyn Mahlaba, was very happy for the turnout and grateful to the partners TOUGHA, GHATOF and GATTA for working with her team in West Africa to ensure that the roadshow in Accra and Kumasi were successful.

We are completely humbled and, excited by the turn out from the first trade workshop. It was made possible because of relationships forged over the years with the GHATOF and TOUGHA organizations who have been pivotal to driving the success of this tradeshow. We thank them profusely for guiding us and being our eyes, ears and voice in market where we are not physically present, she said.

A delegation of South African tourism industry businesses were at the workshops to sell their products to Ghanaian tourism and travel agencies. Among the delegation were South African Airways, Sun International Hotels, Tsogo Sun Hotels, Gauteng Tourism Authority, Saxon Hotel, Robben Island, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board and Legend Tours.
South African Tourism has applauded Ghanas visa-on-arrival policy, saying it is essential to boosting tourism in the country and Africa generally.

Africas leading tourism agency believes that Ghanas decision makes it easier for people to travel to and enjoy other countries' tourist attactions without having to endure the bottle neck of visa acquisition.

Ghana in July this year started piloting a visa-on-arrival policy for citizens of all 54 AU member countries.

President John Mahama announced in his State of the Nation address in February this year that Ghana would implement a visa-on-arrival policy.

Ghana currently offers visa-free entry for citizens of 15 countries within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

Evelyn Mahlaba, Regional Director: Africa of South African Tourism, speaking in an interview with Joy News, urged other countries to emulate Ghanas policy because it makes movement of people including tourists easy.

She was speaking at the 2016 South African Tourism West Africa Trade Road Show at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra last Friday.

Ms Mahlaba noted that several factors hamper the growth of tourism on the continent citing visa acquisition as a key challenge.

As you know, Ghana is advanced because recently it introduced visa-on-arrival for all travellers from the continent so that is a plus but in most places it is a challenge, she commended.

She noted that some challenges facing tourism in Africa include public transportation and quality of hotels in countries.

She called on African countries to change perceptions of each other and form strong bonds to be able to attract tourists from across the world.

With complaints about difficulties in getting visas to South Africa, the South African Tourism Director noted that her outfit has been engaging with their government to make visa acquisition easier and smoother for tourists and business. She added that there has been much improvement now.

Hloni Pitso, Regional Manager, South African Tourism speaking on the importance of the Roadshow, told Joy News that it establishes relationships between the Ghanaian tour operates and the South African Tourism product owners.

The Ghanaian tour operators benefit from the Roadshow through cross-selling what Ghana has to offer when it comes to tourism and also helps with cross African travel, he added.

The Accra Roadshow was preceded by a similar event in Kumasi for tourism stakeholders at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi.

The Roadshow is in partnership with the tourism trade organizations in Ghana and Nigeria. In Ghana the partnering associations were Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), Ghana Association of Travel and Tourist Agents (GATTA) and Ghana Travel Operators Federation (GHATOF). In Nigeria the associations were National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) and National Association of Travel Operators (NATOP).

A delegation of South African tourism industry businesses were at the workshops to sell their products to Ghanaian tourism and travel agencies.

Among the delegation were South African Airways, Sun International Hotels, Tsogo Sun Hotels, Gauteng Tourism Authority, Saxon Hotel, Robben Island, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board and Legend Tours.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Ernest Dela Aglanu (Twitter: @delaXdela / Instagram: citizendela)
Ghanaian hip hop super star,Guru ,has paid tribute to the departed Ghanaian model and Video Vixen,Belinda Asiamah.

The model and Video vixen, Belinda Asiamah, who according to sources, died after complaining of severe stomach ache on Friday afternoon, worked with Guru on countless occasions.

She was quite popular for her role in the 'Boys Abre' music video of Guru and Obrafours Pimpinaa music video.

Guru, posted a picture of Belinda on his instagram page and wrote, R.I.P Belinda,She featured in Boys Abre video,May God keep her safe.

The demise of Belinda Asiamah, who is signed onto Exopa Modelling agency, has also come as a shock to several models, photographers and designers who worked closely with her.

Date for her final funeral rites yet to be decided by her family.
Mantse Aryeequaye, a co-founder of the popular Chale Wote Street Art Festival, has opined that the festival has been a success because people want something different.

He said this on the Citi Breakfast Show, in an interview with the host, Bernard Koku Avle. Chale Wote commences today [Monday], and runs until the end of the week.

According to Mantse, Chale Wote thrived because people want something different.

He also stated that, the festival has the potential of creating a whole economy.

It's a form that does not disrupt the environment and it can create a whole economy.

This year's festival marks the fifth anniversary of Chale Wote's infusion of art, music and dance music in Accra's oldest urban fishing community.

The motif for Chale Wote 2016 is 'Spirit Robot,' and it is geared towards embracing the power rooted in humanity.

It has been expanded to a full week of activities and will feature more than 20 artists, who will be exhibiting the fruits of their creativity.

You can view the official brochure for Chale Wote 2016 below:



By: Jeffrey Owuraku Sarpong/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Mmra No Se Sen, an Akan talk show which educates television viewers on the position of the law regarding all aspects of their everyday lives and hosted by lawyer Tweneboa Konduah, aka TK, has become one of the most talked about programmes on United Television (UTV).

Aired on Friday nights, the programme explains what the law says on almost any subject Ghanaians encounter on daily basis, be it in marriage, social engagements, business contracts, civil rights, natural rights, employer-employee contracts, land and property acquisition, how to bail an arrested person from a police station, amongst others.

Mmra No Se Sen has become one of the most popular programmes on the station, and viewers send in their concerns and questions and legal concerns to the host for free consultancy.

Aside the interactive segment, each episode of the show has a specific subject it discusses in detail.

Mmra No Se Sen also has a guest lawyer, often a very high profile legal consultant, to help the host in addressing the issues and educating the viewers.

The programme is presented in Akan. Apart from the right content and professional attitude of the host, there is a possibility that the language in which the proggramme is presented has played a significant role in making it a favourite among television viewers.

UTV is from the stables of the Despite Group of Companies, operators of Neat FM, Peace FM, Okay FM and Hello FM.
She is a domestic worker; she goes from house to house looking for domestic chores to do for money.

She got introduced to me by a friend when I told her I wanted someone to come and help me with laundry.

For the purposes of this article I will call her Yaa (not her real name). I told her to come every two weeks to do the washing and she never misses an appointment.

However, I noticed she looked at me intently anytime, she saw me carry my daughter to the car, and at one point, I told my friend that I feel there is something Yaa wants to tell me but she probably finds it difficult to do so.

So on one fateful day, I was pressed and I needed to go work and my daughter was at home with no one to take care of her. I was therefore compelled to call Yaa to come and take care of the child that day for a fee, and she obliged.

By 7.30 AM she was there ready to start with her task for the day. I sat her down and took her through my daughters routine, she seems to know a lot about Cerebral Palsy. Surprised! I asked why you have handled such a child before.

Then she started narrating her story to me in tears. In 1994, I had a bouncy baby boy, three days later, she had jaundiced so I sent her to the Childrens Hospital in Accra, after about a week of admission, we were discharged home and that was when our woes started.

Yaa said, the boy could not sit, he was very floppy, doctors recommended physiotherapy and she obliged. She had to journey about one and half hours to the hospital for physiotherapy and she did this, twice a week.

Besides the cost in transportation to the hospital for physiotherapy services, she got very stressed, after a year of physiotherapy she stopped.

Friends and family members convinced her, that what she was facing was spiritual and so she started following some of them from pastor to pastor, herbalists, spiritualists and the list was endless.

I spent all my money seeking help for my baby boy, Pastors, herbalists and spiritualists alike charged me huge sums of money with the promise to help heal my baby boy but to no avail.

Apart from that Yaa no longer had the luxury to work, she sat by this boy every time, there were times, she spent a whole month at a prayer camp and pastors told her horrible stories.

Some pastors even forbid me to stop eating tomatoes, I had to obliged but I no longer enjoyed eating, my life was misery.

Yaa said she finally went to a spiritualist who told her plainly that the child could not be healed and actually he was sent to destroy her life spiritually.

The spiritualist said, he could help her to get rid of the baby without suspicion.

In her own word she said: We agreed to see the baby off, the agreed day soon came and the man came and gave the child some herbal concoction, with the assurance that my boy will not wake up again. I paid the spiritualist off.

True to his word, the child slept but what followed wasnt to be expected, for three days the child was sleeping, he wasnt crying, he was just sleeping, I tried waking him up but he wouldnt and I knew the child was not dead.

I started getting worried, what can be done, I couldnt also reach the man, one week passed and the situation remained the same, I knew there was trouble.

Yaa said, she also did not have the courage to take the boy to the hospital, knowing what she had agreed to do and so sat beside the baby just waiting for him to go in peace.

According to her, after 12 days, when the baby was still not dead and continued to sleep she decided to take him to her village and seek elderly advice, however, the baby died after 14 days of sleep and was buried.

I looked intently at her, not angry but moved with pity and asked but why did you agree to this plan and this was her response:

Friends mocked me that I have given birth to a spirit child, family rejected me, those who came in to help me rather worsened the situation by sending me to places where I was told all kind of things.

I attempted to take the child to creche to even enable me work but all of them rejected him.

I could not afford the medical bills since I was not working, everybody seem to exploit me because I had a child with cerebral palsy. I had no option but to kill!

Can the society blame Yaa for what happened?

As an Initiator of Special Mothers Project, a body that seeks to advocate for families with cerebral palsy, I come face to face with mothers faced with similar situations.

In our society, once you give birth to a special needs child, you are on your own, how I wish that government paid more attention to such issues and ensure that families with special needs children get some social support to enable them keep living.

I agree that a community, society or nation is worth dying for, if it takes care of her vulnerable.

Hannah Awadzi (Mrs)

Senior Journalist (Communications Specialist)

Ghana News Agency (GNA)

Accra
15.08.2016 LISTEN

Events over the last few days since releasing our investigative report have rather emboldened us to concentrate our efforts on the sham called SMC in order to uproot the scam and all traces of it from the Ghanaian educational landscape once and for all. This rejoinder responds to directly to the above-titled publication while also touching on the role of Daily Graphic as an accessory in promoting such fraud on ordinary Ghanaians.

Graphic Online, a subsidiary of Daily Graphic carried a short message published on Friday, August 12, 2016 by Isaac Yeboah that purports to exonerate individuals mentioned in a rejoinder in response to a press statement by the leadership of UPSA. According to Graphic Online, they particularly apologize to Prof. Joshua Alabi, all other individuals and institutions who were faulted as having done some wrong in the said rejoinder but which claims Graphic Online could not readily verify.

Interestingly, this publication has become a lifeline to a sinking ship, as leadership of UPSA is working hard to promote the narrative that they have received an apology from the Daily Graphic, implying that our painstaking efforts at exposing the academic fraud that has been foisted on students of UPSA and the generality of Ghanaians is unfounded and born out of malice (the said publication is retrievable here: http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/apology-to-upsa-others.html#.V640Grc05jI.whatsapp ).

Before we proceed to address the content of the two publications, we would like readers to carefully consider the following facts:

The Swiss Management Center (SMC) was established in Switzerland but does not have accreditation from the national accreditation authority in Switzerland. This is verifiable. The implication is that there is no national oversight of its program content, institutional capabilities (e.g., lecturers and their qualifications, standard of examinations and quality of student thesis, etc.), and infrastructural quality or standard.

The SMC managed to secure accreditation for its programs from external bodies like ACBSP, which is commendable. This too is verifiable. But this is inadequate, since the ACBSP does not have the mandate to verify whether or not students admitted by SMC are trained and examined by qualified lecturers, as well as have good enough infrastructure (soft and hard) to support the teaching and learning process. Note that university students do not write external examination, hence a letter grade from one university is supposed to reflect the same work done for the same grade in a sister university. Now, imagine, a profit oriented private company in Ghana sets up a university and drafts a very good academic program (e.g. MBA), which is so appealing and therefore was approved by NAB. Without receiving institutional and infrastructural accreditation, the company begins to run the program and issued certificates. No one knows the qualification of the lecturers, whether or not the grades issued reflect the knowledge gained by the students, etc. Should we value such certificates or not? This is exactly the bone of contention!

No accrediting institution can accredit a university that originates from another country. Please check the road map for accreditation on the website of the Ghana National Accreditation Board. The Ghana National Accreditation Board (NAB) and the ACBSP do not have the mandate to accredit any foreign university operating in Ghana. NAB can only register a foreign institution that is already accredited in its home country or region. This follows that SMC is not accredited in Ghana and not accredited by ACBSP! Any claim to the contrary is false and tantamount to academic dishonesty.

The NAB registered SMC by error and should be held responsible for registering an Institution that is not accredited.

As we respond to this publication and other matters arising since the release of our investigative report, we will adopt a step-by-step approach to make this matter very easy for the average reader to follow.

Since when has the Daily Graphic and its management come to the realization that there is the need for them to crosscheck and verify information submitted to them before publishing such information? This line of questioning is relevant to the current discussion for two important reasons. First, instead of the Daily Graphic, as an accessory to the franchising of unwholesome awards and qualifications on Ghanaians (through its publications), apologizing to its readers for its woeful failures in crosschecking the backgrounds of the institutions and individuals who submitted self-promoting but dubious academic credentials to it for publication, the leadership of Daily Graphic is under the specious impression that it could continue to allow its strategic position in the Ghanaian media landscape to promote the scam on Ghanaians.

It is sad to note that the Daily Graphic has allowed itself to become an accessory to the franchising of unwholesome awards and qualifications on Ghanaians through its publications.On Tuesday May 3, 2016, Daily Graphic published a self-promoting but dubious award of a doctoral degree to (Dr.) Patrick Kobla Agboba, alias Togbui Sri III, by a nonexistent or ghost institution in the UK, a punishable offense by the laws of the UK. Readers should be able to locate this publication to confirm the story. In another example, on December 16, 2014, Graphic Online published a self-promoting feature on (Dr.) Kofi Portuphy, the current NDC chairman, touting his doctoral award in humanitarianism as a good reason why he should be elected for the position of NDC chair (Follow the evidence here http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/profile-kofi-portuphy-the-man-for-ndc-chair.html ).

Indeed, there are many other examples where the Daily Graphic even touted some of the non-existent institutions as prestigious academic institutions which are leaders in their fields. If all of a sudden, the Daily Graphic has learned a new industry custom of issuing a disclaimer and apologizing for unverifiable information, dont its readers deserve an apology from it for becoming an accessory for the franchising of all these unwholesome qualifications on Ghanaians? Or its readers are dolts par excellence and cannot discern the truths from the falsehoods?

Second, which part of our rejoinder to the UPSA press statement is unverifiable? Even though both the UPSA and the SMC are rapidly revising and updating their websites to remove evidence of some of the issues we cited in our rejoinder, it should be noted that if the Daily Graphic had contacted us, as a customary journalistic practice, we would have provided it with the needed evidence. But we are aware that the SMC sham penetrates many institutions in Ghana, including the Daily Graphic. Evidence of this SMC sham penetration at the Daily Graphic is culled from the professional profile of Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey  Managing Director of public. Thus, any revocation of the unwholesome SMC academic degrees by the Council of UPSA or the Ministry of Education would have implications for such individuals including Ing. Kenneth Ashigbey, Rev. Prof. Dr. Dr. Mrs. Goski Alabi and others. It is a natural human instinct to try to protect ones turf, especially where ones bread is buttered. Indeed, we clearly understand why Daily Graphic would not publish our report but found it necessary to publish a rejoinder from the UPSA. We have adequately prepared ourselves very well to ensure that this report and the ensuing discourse reach the nooks and crannies of Ghana.

We wish to draw attention of the general public to another sham publication in the Daily Graphic of Wednesday August 10, 2016, titled SMC AlumniGhana Response to Defamation Campaign. In this promotional publication (or paid for publication), the alumni of SMC sought to label our investigative research efforts that have unearthed the academic scam across the Ghanaian educational landscape a defamation campaign. Three things stood out in this report that need addressing. First, the authors of these promotional publication (which could best be described as propagandist) seek to draw correlation between the despising of Soviet-trained medical doctors in countries that embraced Western-style education, particularly Ghana, in the height of the ideological battle between the West and the East. Second, the authors sampled some rankings of the SMC in the media to buttress the image of SMC. Third, the SMC alumni, just like the leadership of UPSA, resorted to the ACBSPs approval as of SMC as tantamount to accreditation of SMC by the NAB. To respond to the first contention, it is important for SMC alumni to understand the historical and ideological issues that surrounded the undermining of Soviet-trained doctors in Ghanaian medical institutions, so they can refrain from drawing false equivalence between the Soviet-trained situation and the current challenge. In the heat of the Cold War, Western propaganda labelled anything Soviet, including education, as inferior. This spilled over to our countries which had become battle grounds for these ideological battles. The issue under discussion has nothing to do with ideological but ACCREDITATION! On the matter of ranking of SMC, it is important that we stop trivializing this important issue to the point of rationalizing SMCs accreditation issues by the ranking of some so-called newspapers and institutions whose operational parameters are unknown to us. Even if we are to go by this particular metric, we would like to inform readers that the links provided by the authors of the propagandist material do not lead anywhere (Follow the links here http://hq.ssrn.com/rankings/Ranking__Display.cfm?T-MY_glD=2&TRN_glD=12&redirectFromiPt.rue&redirectFrom=true, http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolranking/online-mba-2012-listing). This is another case of fraud being visited on the Ghanaian citizenry by SMC fraudsters!

Again, one is tempted to ask if the Daily Graphic has conducted its due diligence to confirm the place of SMC as the No. 1 MBA in Switzerland and No. 5 best in the whole of Europe. Why have we allowed ourselves to look so imprudent or injudicious in the eyes of the global academy such ways of thinking and doing things? I am sure the samples thrown out here at readers would tickle the average university student in Switzerland and wider Europe into a hysteric laughter. To the alumni of SMC, I urge you to not only behave as adults but the intellectuals that you are aspiring to be. On the substantive issue of accreditation, we reiterate the point that the SMC is not accredited in Switzerland. Thus, what is unwholesome for the Swiss cannot be wholesome for the Ghanaian student and the subsequent employer. On top of this, the Ghana National Accreditation Board has found the need to revoke the registration of this institution. We are only waiting for the appropriate educational authorities, particularly the Ministry of Education and the institutions that are harboring these individuals, to evaluate the content of these degrees, so they can take the appropriate steps to revoke their engagements or assign the victims of this scam to Ghanaian universities for mentoring should the need arise.

To the Ghanaian public, we wish to reiterate our commitment to ensuring that this policy matter is thoroughly dealt with to its logical conclusion. We are aware of the attitude of officialdom which translates into lets allow them to make the noise for some time and the matter will die its natural death. We are, therefore, prepared for the long haul even if that will span years! We were expecting the individuals mentioned in our report who were consulting their lawyers to have concluded their consultations and headed to court by now if indeed we made any false representations in our report and the subsequent rejoinder. Students including their associations such as the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) should be aware that in the absence of these individuals contesting these issues in court, they (students) can resort to the courts themselves to ensure that these individuals answer for their actions.

On a much lighter note, in the Daily Graphic response, we have each been addressed with a Mr. title (or Messrs for both of us), a purported demotion or an orchestrated attempt to denigrate our appropriately earned academic titles. Indeed, instead of provocation from this scheme, it only goes to buttress the point that ignorance and mediocrity have found foothold in some of the media houses, in this case, the Daily Graphic. That our hard-earned academic accolades have to be diminished intentionally to make a point because we dared questioned the fraud that has been promoted for so long, emboldens us more to ensure that the system is accountable. Not that we care about our academic titles but it is just important to draw attention to that observation as academic accolades are the focus of the ensuing discourse. Well, if the seemingly uniformed Daily Graphic writer wants to know, our names are indelibly recorded in the Survey of Earned Doctorates. What you earn legitimately cannot be taken away from you. So, referring to us as Messrs while placating unearned titles just goes to buttress our point that some in the media in Ghana, out of ignorance, help perpetrate the malfeasance. They serve as conduits for the academic con artists to thrive to the point of fooling the citizenry through sycophantic hypes, deified adulations, and hypocritical hyperboles about unsubstantiated academic laurels that they heap on such people. Of course, one can be a visionary without an academic title but when a visionary wants to go with one, it has to be above par.

As we conclude this rejoinder, we would like to reiterate our earlier position that as contenders in this debate, we have furnished the Ministry of Education with our report through the Ghana Embassy in Washington, D.C. We have also made the documents available to the media and the general public. Similarly, the UPSA and the alumni of SMC who are moving from one media house to another to state their position have done so. We are aware that we cannot be judges in our own arguments. Thus, the issue is still remanded with the Ministry of Education and its Minister to study the report, conduct its own investigations, and state its policy position. The Daily Graphic is not an accrediting body except some elements there have a vested interest in the matter and are treating this issue from the angle of self-preservation. We are counting the days and should the Ministry of Educational fails to act, we would take measures we deem appropriate to instill some sanity into the educational landscape in Ghana.

Prosper Yao Tsikata, PhD

Assitant Professor of Communication

Valdosta State University

A. Kobla Dotse, PhD

Chemical Research and Development
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South Africa's High Court ordered the media to conceal the identity of the 52-year-old woman in order to protect the 19-year-old victim of the kidnapping in 1997. By (AFP)

15.08.2016 LISTEN

Cape Town (AFP) - A South African court on Monday jailed a woman for 10 years for kidnapping a newborn baby and raising her as her own, before an astonishing coincidence reunited the girl with her biological family.

The baby girl, named Zephany Nurse by her birth family, was taken from her sleeping mother at a maternity ward at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town in 1997.

Her kidnapper, now 52, raised her for 17 years in a case that has attracted huge media interest in South Africa.

The girl's real identity only came to light in February 2015, when her younger biological sister began attending high school and pupils pointed out her remarkable likeness to a final-year student.

Eric Ntabazalila, spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said prosecutors had sought a 15-year sentence for the kidnapper, who cannot be named to protect her victim's identity.

"She gets 10 years' direct imprisonment. We are happy with that," said Ntabazalila.

"You cannot go out and steal a child and expect that the society will accept that, or the courts will accept that, or the general public will accept that," he added.

"It's wrong, it's a crime."

The Nurse family had been living within a couple of kilometres of their kidnapped daughter, while celebrating her birthday every year and never giving up hope of finding her.

Once their other daughter told her parents that another pupil at school looked just like her, they went to meet the older girl and immediately thought she could be their long-lost child.

DNA tests confirmed she was indeed Zephany, leading to the arrest of the woman who had claimed for nearly two decades to be her mother.

Handing down the 10-year sentence, a High Court judge in Cape Town said the woman's crime was premeditated and too serious not to warrant jail time, South Africa's News24 said.

- Dad wants time to bond -

Zephany, who is now pregnant, was raised under a different name and has shunned the media spotlight on the case.

The teenager was sent to a place of safety after the kidnapper's arrest.

But she has opted to move back to the home where she lived before, and has not formed any bond with her biological family.

Her biological father, Morne Nurse, welcomed the sentence, saying he was looking forward to building a relationship with his daughter.

"It's actually made me tired, it's made me sick completely," he told AFP outside court.

"I couldn't sleep for nights. I couldn't even eat properly. So the way forward is to build my relationship with my daughter, and that's it."

During the trial Zephany's biological mother, Celeste Nurse, wept as she described how at the age of 18 she woke up in the maternity ward to find her three-day-old baby had vanished from her cot.

Members of both families have sometimes traded bitter insults outside court, at hearings that have attracted heavy media attention.

The kidnapper was on March 10 found guilty of kidnapping, fraud, and contravening the Children's Act.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintained in her testimony that she had not been at Groote Schuur Hospital on the day the baby was kidnapped.

She testified that she had been given the baby by a woman who had been giving her fertility treatment after she had a miscarriage in 1997.

Zephany's grandmother Zephra Nurse said the outcome of the case would "tell people to stop abducting and kidnapping children", and confirmed that her granddaughter was pregnant.
Juba (AFP) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir said Monday he is not opposed to the deployment of a strengthened UN force while expressing "very serious concerns" over the internationally-backed plan.

The comments come as the UN faces renewed criticism over repeated failures to protect civilians, including foreign aid workers.

In a speech at the opening of parliament in the capital Juba, Kiir said more time and further negotiations were needed before the deployment of a new contingent with a stronger mandate.

"We need to be engaged in a discourse and exchange ideas on what is the best way forward, rather than be presented with a fait accompli from outsiders," Kiir said.

On Friday the UN Security Council approved a US-drafted resolution backed by regional bloc IGAD to strengthen the 12,000-person peacekeeping mission, known as UNMISS, with 4,000 additional troops drawn from regional armies and equipped with a more aggressive mandate.

An arms embargo was threatened if South Sudan throws up barriers to the deployment.

The latest allegations of UN failings came in a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published Monday which said peacekeepers did nothing as women were raped, civilians murdered and foreign aid workers targeted during the most recent deadly flare up that killed hundreds in Juba last month.

In one incident government soldiers rampaged through a hotel compound, "where they killed a prominent journalist, raped or gang raped several international and national staff of (aid) organisations, and destroyed, and extensively looted property," said HRW.

During the hours-long assault the UN "did not respond to direct calls for protection by aid workers at the... compound, a kilometre from their base," HRW said.

- Sovereignty first -

It is hoped a strengthened UN force might prevent a repeat of this and many other atrocities.

Kiir said he was "not instinctively or automatically" against the UN-mandated force, but he insisted that sovereignty comes first, winning cheers from the assembled MPs in a parliament dominated by his loyalists.

"We welcome assistance, we are attentive to advice. But assistance requires dialogue, it should not turn into an imposition that becomes an intervention, in which our sovereignty is compromised and our ability to govern effectively diminishes," Kiir said.

South Sudan's civil war began in December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. The fighting has split the country along ethnic lines and driven it to the brink of collapse.

A peace deal signed between the government and rebels almost a year ago has so far failed to end the conflict.

Kiir -- a former guerrilla commander -- also promised to reform the military and make it "completely subordinate to the authority of a civilian government."

Without offering any details of how opposing factions might be reconciled, Kiir promised to create a single national army by May 2016.

"The unnatural reality of one country and two armies coexisting side by side is dysfunctional and already proven to be disastrous as we witnessed during July's tragic events," he said.

Kiir also promised alleged abuses by soldiers would be investigated and called for more international financial assistance to help rebuild the economy.

- A million flee -

Nearly a million refugees have now fled the brutal conflict and are suffering dire conditions in camps across the region, refugee agency UNHCR said Monday.

"With refugees fleeing South Sudan in their thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations," the UNHCR said in a statement.

"Already there are some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily."

The agency said it urgently needs more money to relocate 45,000 refugees from overstretched reception centres.

It has only received a fifth of the $609 million (545 million euros) it needs for operations helping refugees now scattered across six countries, as well as the 1.6 million internally displaced, it added.

"With so many people living in such close proximity, the potential for disease outbreak is high," the UNHCR said.
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, Ghanas 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.
15.08.2016 LISTEN

My attention has drawn to News conference titled Kumawu Residents Weep Over Long Standing Chieftaincy Dispute on Tuesday 2nd August 2016 made by self-appointed Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad (KSLHA).

It is of point of interest to know that one blocked headed infamous Rockson Adofo based in London, boastful of knowing everything but empty in everything being politics, social, Religion, Chieftaincy among others is behind this less patronized news conference just to appease this paid masters. He is just good for nothing being behaving as if there are no laws in Ghana and that every Ghana must kowtow to his childish 8th century backward ideas. He is still living in brutish age, always do not want to accept social norm.

Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua (Dr Yaw Sarfo) is the legitimate kumawuhene, who has gone through formal rites of becoming a chief. Is better for Adofo to understand how society runs and stop animalistic behavior of throwing dust into ignorance people mind. If you mother is dead and you claim she is alive then is your own cup of tea. He can write as vengeance for his dubious and unsympathetic Raponso land agreement signed with the palace which has made him go mad and to praise his paid master. However chieftaincy is not administered on the media. Your bosom friend and self-styled chief can be a media chief but an accepted chief is one who is enstooled, gazetted, accorded by the authorities, well recognized, having access to the palace, having all the properties of the palace and all the properties of the kingdom. If what you are claiming is what we called a chief then very soon everybody will call himself chief in Ghana, just media pronouncement will do.

Anybody can sit in an exile and claiming to be a chief through media, media chief indeed while Barima Sarfo is accorded all the courtesies from National house of Chiefs, Regional house of chiefs and Kumawu Tradition Council, the President of Ghana, Asantehene, Regional Minster, MP, DCE all important dignitaries that visited Kumawu Traditional area and Kumawuman. Let us learn to accept defeat anytime we go on contest and we lose. Babyish, unproductive and unprogressive litigation always slow down development.

According to Proverbs 13:24 those who spare the rod hate their children, but those who love them are careful to discipline them. The lips of the righteous nourish many, but fools die for lack of sense

It is better for Adofo to sits down well and learn the Ghana constitution CHAPTER TWENTY TWO on CHIEFTAINCY, Articles 270 to Article 277 and Act 759 Chieftaincy Act 2008 for him to stop unscholastic writing of dumping dirt into peoples mind. Also Adofo is immature in telling the history of Kumawu. He must research, learn, and interrogate the history of Kumawu before writing in order to stop pouring dirt into people mind. He must stop boasting of the nonsense writing that he is using to woo ladies.

With this write-up, am calling all residents from Kumawu to treat the news conference and it communique with disrespect and contempt it deserves because it lacks reason and acceptance based on the following.

a) The claim by it spokesperson, David Asumadu, that the National House of Chiefs should make available records of the gazetted name is just ignorance. They also alleged that they have made every effort to get the gazetted form, is just a lair. It was only one lawyer who has done a search on it since Barima Sarfo was gazetted. There is a process to do a search and if they care they should use that and get the gazetted form. My search from National house of Chiefs, Regional house of chiefs and Kumawu Tradition Council indicated that Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua (Dr Yaw Sarfo) was duly selected, securitized, accepted, enstooled and gazetted as kumawuhene. He is duly recognized by the citizens of kumawu, National house of Chiefs, Regional house of chiefs and Kumawu Tradition Council, the president of Ghana, Asantehene, Regional minster, MP, DCE and all important dignitaries that visited Kumawu Traditional area.

b) The so-called Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad (KSLHA) is faked unorganized subjects, it only exist in the media. Not registered anywhere with no members as asserted and they do not Represent the people of kumawu but seek to plant seed of confusion. Adofo Rockson who is not a native of Kumawu is behind this agendum to divide the people of Kumawu in order to slow down development. He is doing this as revenge to his dubious land agreement he signed with Kumawu that backfired which has made him pauper.

c) Is on record that the same self-styled Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad (KSLHA) started distributing fake information last year that Barima Sarfo has sold huge land to investor and that they will not agree but it was later came out that no such agreement has been done by him.

d) The poorly organized news conference was attended by people not from Kumawu. They were bused from unknown place to Kumawu. One can check the caption to find out if there is one known face from kumawu. Not attended by anybody from Kumawu tells you that Kumawu welcome Barima Sarfo Kingship.

e) Because Adofo Rockson do not come from Kumawu and had no regard for the citizens of Kumawu and he is on destruction cause, he named his fake group Kumawuman Subjects Living Home and Abroad (KSLHA). We the people of Kumawu are not slave for you to call us subjects We are citizens. He brings his animalistic tendency to everything.

d) Adofo Rockson should know that some of us will do everything probable to block his destruction journey to kumawu. His bad intention should be taken to his home village Asiampa in Juaben traditional Area in Ashanti not Kumawu. I thought with time he will see the light and get change of mind but he is still living in fool paradise. Because of this dubious character he is now using different names like as John Fosu and Adofo Rockson in different place instead of his real name Kofi Basoah Doffour.

Note that chieftaincy is not administered through media but through customs and traditions.

e) You always try to pour dust into peoples eyes. You and your less than 6 destooled chiefs have taken the Register of National house of Chiefs, Register of Regional house of chiefs and Register of Kumawu Tradition Council to Court for gazetting Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua (Dr Yaw Sarfo) and you turned ground to organized people for news conference demanding what you have taken to court. Is just much I do about nothing. That is cheap, infamous, devilish, fraudster, doubtful, Fluster, uncultured, lair, undeveloped, ghettoster, and raw Adofo Rockson for you.

Adofo Rockson represents the darkest, most abominable possibilities of human nature. Now this name inspires anger and hatred in kumawu.

With is writing am telling self-recognized Adofo Rockson to leave Kumawu alone from his nonsense writing because the natives of Kumawu know their chief and recognized him.

Adofo Rockson should get it straight-forward that seeking my deportation to Ghana will not work for him, the agencies have checked and they got to know that am okay with the system. The power surrounding me is more potent than you whole family. Prepare now because am prepared for your childish, backward and senseless writings

Now we can no longer sit down for you to create and get bad name for Kumawu

Very soon I will let France and UK immigration scrutinize how you were able to stay in France and the questionable staying in UK. I will complete my search soon.

Am also warning you to stop the confusion that you are using whatsup and other social media in generating. Anytime something happened in Ghana this guy alleges and speculates on somebody he is having problem with and creating confusion in Ghana. Anybody who cares should check it from whatsup headquarters and trace it to his number or one internet radio station in UK.

Adofo will forever continue to make his friend a media chief and Barima Sarfo will be a proper recognize chief on the ground with access all the properties of the kingdom.

I hope now his wives, Nyarko and Joyce will advise him to stop his nonsense writings.

Alexander Afriyie (Journalist)
Cairo (AFP) - Shouting to make himself heard from the soundproof glass dock during a break in his trial, Egyptian photographer Mahmoud Abdel Shakour said he feels he has been "forgotten" in prison.

Three years ago, Abdel Shakour -- known as Shawkan -- had been covering the police dispersal of an Islamist protest camp in Cairo when he was arrested, and he has been in jail ever since.

August 14, 2013 was the bloodiest day in Egypt's modern history, and one of the deadliest in the region since the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.

Hundreds of Islamists supporting ousted president Mohamed Morsi, toppled by the military in July that year, were mowed down by police in clashes. About 10 policemen were killed.

Three years later, thousands of Islamists remain in prison after a wide-ranging crackdown that has extended to leftists and even journalists like Shawkan.

Shawkan had been photographing the carnage that day for the Demotix photo agency when he was arrested. Three journalists, including Sky News cameraman Michael Deane, were shot dead in the violence.

The photographer spent months in pre-trial detention before he was put on trial along with hundreds of other defendants over the protest.

"I feel like I've been forgotten in prison," Shawkan, 29, told an AFP reporter during a break at a recent court session, yelling through the glass barrier to make himself heard.

"I feel despair, and powerless. Time is flying by while I'm in jail."

He is imprisoned in a poorly ventilated cell which becomes scorching hot in summer.

"My hope diminishes every day," he said, adding that he missed being able to look at the sky.

Sitting on his bed back home, next to a framed picture of her son, Shawkan's mother Reda Mahrous said she has trouble getting to sleep.

"I feel oppression and injustice," she said, wearing a green bracelet that her son made her in prison.

"Every day I make his bed, and wait for a knock on the door to see him before me. But it never happens."

- 'No evidence' -

Shawkan and his 738 co-defendants are accused of involvement in the killings of policemen and resisting the authorities during the protest dispersal.

If convicted, they will face the death penalty.

"There is no evidence against him. To the contrary, there is evidence proving he was working as a freelance photographer," said his lawyer Karim Abdel Rady.

The photographer has won two awards this year, including one from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"I wanted to be happy but I couldn't. Give me my freedom and take the prize," Shawkan said.

He suffers from Hepatitis C, which is common in Egypt, and his family says he needs treatment that is not available in prison.

Shawkan was detained as part of a crackdown against Egyptian journalists, rights activists say.

His co-defendant Abdullah Elshamy, a journalist with Qatar-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera, was released and left the country after a long hunger strike.

Rights groups say President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government has tried to repress all opposition since the former army chief led the overthrow of Morsi.

Fears of restrictions on press freedoms heightened after the head of the Journalists' Syndicate and two aides were put on trial for harbouring wanted men -- including a reporter -- in the union's headquarters.

They had been sought by police for alleged involvement in April protests against a deal to give Saudi Arabia two islands.

"It's the worst era for someone to be a journalist in Egypt," said Sherif Mansour, with the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Egypt provoked international condemnation when it arrested three Al-Jazeera reporters, including an Australian and a Canadian, in late 2013 and put them on trial.

They were sentenced to jail terms but were later pardoned by Sisi after a lengthy international campaign, and have since left the country.
President John Mahama has said there will not be a shutdown of social media on Election Day, shooting down suggestions by the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

At Sundays campaign launch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Cape Coast, the Central Region capital, President Mahama said he is confident political parties and the Electoral Commission will arrive at a consensus on how election results would be declared.

I want to assure the people of Ghana that government has no intention to shut down social media on Election Day, President Mahama said.

The IGP, John Kudalor, had earlier indicated his intention to ban social media on Election Day if need be.

John Kudalor

"At one stage I was even saying that if it becomes critical on the eve and the Election Day we shall block all social media as other countries have done. So we are thinking about it," John Kudalor had said.

He was heavily criticized for his comments by Ghanaians with several institutions calling on the IGP not to ban Social Media on Election Day since it will amount to a gag on democracy and free speech.

Despite the criticisms, the IGP reiterated that blocking social media is unavoidable if it will mar the elections.

President Mahama also chided the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), describing the party as an intolerable organization that is not open to criticisms

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | GN
The St. Joseph Orthopaedic Hospital at Koforidua in the Eastern Region was only supposed to host Operation Walk Syracuse, a US medical charity that was in Ghana in April to conduct free knee and hip replacement surgery for some 50 shortlisted Ghanaians who suffered from various forms of joint arthritis.

But in a typical Ghanaian ways and means fashion, the local staff at the hospital immediately saw an opportunity to cash in on the situation, and so they breached the contract they had signed with the US charity.

Weeks before the US team of surgeons arrived, the local medical staff at the St Joseph hospital asked the beneficiary patients, who had been screened to undergo the free surgery, to go make ready GH6000.00 each. The patients, drawn from various parts of the country, went home with their families and scurried around, trying to raise the money.

But most of them, coming as they were from low income families, could not raise the full amount when the day of the surgery arrived.

Some of them thus paid to the local medical staff, on the blind side of the US team, whatever amount they were able to raise, with some promising to make full payment by the time the surgery was over or before they were discharged.

Fortuitously, as it turned out, one of the patients, who could not raise the full amount, pulled the plug on the local medical team; the patient, whose part payment had been rejected, is said to have walked up to a local doctor, who was in discussions with a US team member, to plead for mercy.

Conscious that the expatriate doctor could catch wind of the ploy, the Ghanaian doctor, the B&FT learned, scolded the patient, telling him the surgery was for free and that he should leave the scene.

But it was too late; one thing led to the other, and the US team eventually discovered to their utter irritation, that the Ghanaian team was hardly interested in the superior joint replacement technique they had brought, but was only interested in ripping off the poor patients.

If the plan had succeeded, the hospital would have made a cool GH276,000 off the 46 patients who eventually benefitted from the surgery.

But even when a crisis meeting ensued, after the US team had threatened to abandon the mission, the hospital still ended up taking between GH1000.00 and GH500.00 from each patient.

Actually, they [the patients] were charged GH6000.00 of which we had no idea, Kimberley Murray, a senior nurse and administrator who led the Operation Walk Syracuse team to Ghana told the B&FT at the St Joseph hospital on April 20, 2016.

We have a contractual relationship with the hospital which says there will be no monies paid; we do this one hundred percent free of charge and no financial demands can be made on the patients.

So as soon as we found out about that we had an urgent meeting with the hospital administration and we reminded them we have a signed contractual agreement that this would be free of charge, she said.

Whilst B&FTs investigations revealed that the local medical staff refunded the monies without GH1000.00 from each patient, the US team said the agreement reached after the meeting was for the hospital to retain GH?500.00 on each patient.

Ghana may never benefit from Operation Walk again

There was much internal discussion here, to the point where we almost stopped and left because I have 29 people with me who have left their jobs and their families and we prepared for six months getting donations and equipment supplies, and we have incurred the cost of a trailer here, because our mission and our goal is to do free surgery for people who are in need. So if that cant happen, as sad as it is, we will not and cannot work with countries or hospitals that cant support our mission, Kimberley Murray said.

Sickle Cell eating away at many Ghanaian bones

Arthritis, a joint-condition, is known to be more prevalent in aged people, but the visit of the US medical team brought to light a more worrying development. The doctors found that in Ghana, because many people carry the sickle cell anemia genetic abnormality, which causes an erosion of the hip bone, a lot of people in their twenties and thirties are presenting with arthritis.

Indeed, most of the cases the Operation Walk Syracuse team worked on were younger patients, but an even larger number of such patients did not make the initial 50 shortlist and their hope was that the doctors would return some time in the future.

In the United States, much of the need for hip and knee replacement relates to the arthritis associated with agingin other parts of the world such as Ghana, there are diseases and situations that cause the destruction and the breakdown of bone at a very young age, Kimberley Murray said.

Sickle cell disease is endemic in your country, and it causes a condition called avascular necrosis that particular attacks the hips at a very young age. And what it really does is deprive the hip area of blood supply and causes your femur or thigh bone to wear away, Kimberley Murray explained.

They dont do joint replacement here, said. Joint replacement is a special surgery that requires a special surgical skill, but most importantly it involves very, very expensive hip and knee implants which, from my understanding your healthcare system doesnt have access to a lot of those.

So when we come, we bring between US$3million and US$5million of donated hip implants. The parts to do a hip replacement cost about US$5,000 to US$7,000, and knee replacement even more. So that is one of the limiting factors in places like Ghana, Nepal, India and some of the Central and South American countries, she said.

On its Facebook page, Operation Walk Syracuse wrote: Turns out... there is basically no elective joint replacement service available in rural Ghana, a nation of around 25 million people.

There are orthopedic trauma hospitals, but no real resources for joint-related pathology. Which makes the joint replacement services that we are providing - free of charge, to any and all candidates - incredibly rare. And also means we are likely only scratching the surface of the orthopedic services that are needed here.

The Facebook post added: As one of our most experienced surgeons noted yesterday during our Screening Clinic: In Ghana, you could see a year's worth of Joint Fellowship pathology in about two weeks. The hits just kept on coming.

Three months after the surgery, recovery has been so fast for the 46 beneficiary patients, who cannot believe that they have been saved from the excruciating pain that had confined them indoors.

I used to be in so much pain. I could hardly go anywhere because after walking a little I got so tired and felt so much pain, one of the patients told the B&FT.

I dont know what I would have done; I dont know what would have happened to me if these people had not come here to save us in this selfless manner. It is sad that the controversy happened, and I can only pray that they return for others to benefit from their self-sacrifice, the patient said.

Operation Walk Syracuse is only one of 13 different teams, based in 13 different US cities, of a not-for-profit, volunteer medical services organization, which provides free surgical treatment for patients in underserved parts of the world.

The Syracuse city team which visited Ghana, at the instance of Vitamilks Child Malnutrition Foundation, has done similar free surgery in Nepal and other deprived countries, and according to Kimberley Murray, nowhere in their travels had they encountered so much disappointment.
President John Dramani Mahama has suggested that the New Patriotic Party (NPP)s constant criticism of the Electoral Commission (EC) is only a front and that the opposition was only creating a platform on which to challenge the results of the election if they lose.

President Mahama, speaking at the launch of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC)s campaign for the elections in December, stated that the NPPs attacks on the EC were proof that they [NPP] were certain they would lose the polls.

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, he said.

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.

He praised the Electoral Commission and expressed confidence in the processes governing the polls, stating that they could not be compromised.

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, he noted.

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.

By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has taken into effect the new GoodLife Brand as the basis for providing all health interventions in Ghana.

Dr. Gloria Quansah Asare, Deputy Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), said, the GoodLife, Live It Well campaign was conceived, developed and initially launched by the Ghana Health Service in November 2010 to promote good health and positive lifestyle among Ghanaians.

She noted that by 2016 it needed a new look and feel that resonate with changing Ghanaian society and had appeal across a broad spectrum of audiences.

Dr. Gloria however indicated that based on evaluation results and recommendations from key stakeholders and with technical assistance from the USAID Communicate for Health project and partners, the Ghana Health Service began a process of refreshing and repositioning the GoodLife as a unifying umbrella brand for all health interventions in Ghana in June 2015.

The new GoodLife brand is about everyday people doing everyday things to care for their health. The new GoodLife is about the simple actions, the doable actions that lead to making the right choices to protect ones health, she stated.

Dr. Gloria Quansah Asare indicated that the objective was to position GoodLife as a consistent and recognizable brand that connects with broad sections of the Ghanaian population and with particular focus on life stages.

Speaking at a news conference in Accra, she added that the refreshed GoodLife will serve as the national platform for discussing healthy behaviours related to key priority interventions such as Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Family Planning, Malaria, Water Hygiene and Sanitation as well as other emergency risk communications such as cholera and ebola.

She emphasized that unlike previous health campaign that were focused on vertical diseases specific communications, the refreshed GoodLife communications will focus on Life stages.

Based on the Ghanaian context four life stages have been identified and these include pregnant couples, caregivers of children under 5 years old, in-school and out-of-school adolescents and young adults in relationships, she noted.

Dr. Gloria added that life stages are a means to segment audience to highlight unique health challenges specific to each life stage.

She added that life stages represent a continuum, and audience members move from one life stage to another and may also occupy more than one life stage.

According to her, the primary emphasis of life stage communication is to use each life stage as a lens through which to view specific health issues.

She posited that the brand is inspirational rather than unrealistic, friendly rather than authoritative, humorous rather than serious which uses local languages and cultural forms, idioms and local expressions relevant to the audience, such as proverbs, songs, jingles and slogans to convey concepts and insights rather than messages.

According to her, the GoodLife campaign which shall be rolled out at the national, regional and district level promote simple doable actions such as handwashing with soap at critical times reduces illness, regular and consistent use of insecticides treated nets protect against malaria, modern family planning methods are safe effective and inexpensive.

She added that it will also promote that exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months works for mother and child, introducing the right foods at the right time prevent stunting and fully immunizing children by their first year assures their survival and steady growth.

Dr. Gloria Quansah Asare concluded on particularly with the new logo of the GoodLife Brand that the twisting nature of the logo as represented in the Nkyinkyin Adinkra symbol also signifies the fact that life in itself is not straight route or thoroughfare, and that it will be imperative to have a friendly guide that leads you through lifes rough terrain.
It is clear that after attaining independence nearly 60 years ago, a sizeable number of our politicians and political activists seem to be on a learning curve as shown in their public utterances especially on radio and television.

Clear examples of this sad turn of events occurred when two responsible personalities, a sitting Member of Parliament and a leader of a registered political party made statements that seem unreasonable and therefore did not sit well with a large sections of Ghanaians of the political divide.

Up till now many Ghanaians might be wondering whether or not to believe these noble persons in future as they utter words on radio and on political platforms.

Kennedy Ohene Agyepong the Member Of Parliament of Assin cetral who once discredited members of his party as irrational beings made a statement alleging that the current EC boss got her job through dubious means. Women groups who got outraged by the statement made by the MP demanded an apology from him and called for him to be hauled before the privileges committee of parliament and be prosecuted.

However in a dramatic turn by him the MP now says he was not serious with his verbal attack on the EC boss. The MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong now explains that his comment on the chairperson of the EC that she was rewarded with the job after engaging in illicit sexual activities with a top official in the country was "a joke." If the U turn by the MP would be considered strange and unbelievable, the new position taken by the leader of the Ghana freedom party Madam Akua Donkor over the gifts of cars and a house from the president will be considered quite astonishing.

Indeed after boasting over the gifts from the president The Founder and Leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Madam Akua Donkor now says she purchased the two Mitsubishi Pajero vehicles and a house she claimed was given to her by President Mahama herself. According to her, she intentionally credited the President for the gift just to spite the flag bearer of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom.

Not many people believe her as now telling the truth, What she should know is that while she used the name of the president to spite Dr. Nduom she might have incurred the displeasure of the presidency the NDC as a party and a whole lot of Ghanaians who are calling for her to be probed and the president taken on over the undeserved huge gifts to her.

There are those who feel that Madam Akua Donkor does not deserve the gifts from the president. Members of the public who heard the double standards taken by the MP and Madam Akua Donkor would be taken aback. They might be revising their notes on how to handle statements coming from politicians such as the Assin North MP and Madam Akua Donkor who make statements pointing to one direction while they really did so for different reasons.

However being responsible people wishing to continue leading their followers they must consider abandoning their unacceptable utterances for much better public discourse. To redeem their images completely, it will be advisable for the MP and Madama Akua Donkor to consider apologizing to Ghanaians as suggested by the NPP and other persons in the country. This way they would satisfy their admirers and Ghanaians as a whole.

Executive Director

EANFOWORLD FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

0244 370345 (Airtel)/ 0274853710 /0208844791 / [email protected]/[email protected]
15.08.2016 LISTEN

"After Hezekiah received the letter and read it, he went up to the LORD's Temple and spread it out before the LORD" 2Kings 19:14

You are about to learn one of the greatest divine principles of fighting the battles of life. In the part one of this message, we mentioned some of the veterans of war in the bible. Here we will try to get some few highlights of their most trying battles. But, let's start from a man that I respect so much. He had so much respect for the God of Israel. He knew, trusted and served this God to the best of his ability. The bible said that their was never a king like him in the land of Judah. This man was very faithful in obeying all the laws of God. Did God disappoint him? Never! Never! His prayers at anytime of need (especially at the time of battles) have always promptly and dramatically attracted the attention of heaven. Hezekiah received a letter from the king of Assyria threatening to attack Judah. And what did he do? He took it to the Temple of God and spread it before Him! Great!

What is that threat of war, battle, death, retrenchment, sickness, oppression that you have received? What is that information that you know will work against your destiny? Just be ready to take such to the Mighty Man of war today. Remember, how the bible told us last time that He is a worrior and that nobody can defeat Him in a battle. The king of Assyria - Sennacherib has been on the neck of Judah. He once threatened them and King Hezekiah gave him tons of gold and silver; stripping even the ones on the Temple doors to placate him. But such enemies will always come back. Sure, he came back threatening to send all of Judah on relocation to another territory. He insulted their God, their king and everything they stood for. He boasted of how the kings of Assyrian had dealt with other nations and their gods. He derided Judah and their God -Jehovah. Look at how King Hezekiah described the whole situation - he said that is was a day of trouble, insult, and disgrace. It was like when a child is ready to be born, but the mother has no strength to deliver it. Terrible!

King Hezekiah immediately took this letter of threat to the Temple and spread it before God; making a very powerful, comprehensive, biblical supplication on behalf of Judah. I love men that pray. You can not defeat a man of prayer and holiness. These are the two things the enemy fears most. Those that know their God will master these two things and they will always do exploits for the kingdom. They shall always remain indomitable, indefatigable and indestructible. Praise God! Hezekiah prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdom of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Listen to me, O LORD, and hear! Open your eyes, O LORD, and see! Listen to Sennacherib's word of defiance against the living God. It is true, LORD, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations, just as the message says. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all - only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of earth will know that you alone, O LORD, are God." Wow!

And why won't God answer this very power supplication? No wonder, He couldn't resist rushing to rescue them. It was consciously and properly targeted to provoke God to action. We can even make a great book for this prayer. But for lack of space, let's just make one or two comments on each item in it. First, the king spread the letter before Him to 'read' by Himself. Then, he praised God, magnifying His throne and power, and also extolled His works! Yes, Hezekiah knew Him. Anybody that will go to battle with God on his side must first acknowledge and appreciate Him. You must acknowledge His existence, faithfulness, almightiness and sovereignty. He made all things. God is perfectly in control of the universe. He is in control of every situation around us.

He sees and hears

Hezekiah then asked God to hear and see Sennacherib's words of defiance against the living God. Yes, the king was speaking as a man. God sees and hears all things. He knows all things from the beginning to the end. He has the whole world and its affairs in Him palms. So, before Him, there is nothing hidden. No secret. No suddenness. No variableness. He had seen and heard the threat before King Hezekiah and people of Judah. Yes, God knows your enemies and their plans better and before you. He knows the actual point when they will strike. To us it is hidden, but to God, it is always open and bare.

A real threat

It is very important here to note that King Hezekiah did not deny the power and the exploits of the enemy. But he posited that Sennacherib was able to humiliate those nations and their gods because they were idols and not real. He challenged God to rescue them and prove to the world that He alone is God. And immediately, God responded through Prophet Isaiah. He was visibly angry with the tirades from that heathen king against Him and His people. That same night, the angel of the LORD visited the Assyrian camp and slaughtered 185,000 soldiers. And in the morning, the remaining soldiers, seeing the bodies of their dead colleagues, scampered home with their boastful king. Sennacherib was later assassinated by his own sons. That was how the matter was finally settled. What is that situation that is threatening you? Who is that Sennacherib? Just take the threat and spread it before God. Pray the way Hezekiah did and the LORD of war will rescue you. I always do this and it has been working for me. God bless you! Till next week, God bless you!

Rev Gabriel Agbo is the author of the book Power of Midnight Prayer. Website http://www.authorsden.com/pastorgabrielnagbo E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 08037113283
15.08.2016 LISTEN

The latest distinguished personality to weigh in on the Montie Three petition drive is former Head of the School of Mass Communications at the University of Ghana, Prof. Kwame Karikari, who was until very recently the Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa.

According to Prof. Karikari, the members of the Council-of-State, to whom President John Dramani Mahama recently forwarded some signed petitions demanding the immediate release of the Montie Three Gang, have a bounden obligation to offer the President the sort of advice that is apt to guarantee the nation sociopolitical stability and cultural and behavioral decency of the sort that have been known to protect, preserve and consolidate the coveted values of the most advanced of civilized democracies (See Montie 3: Give Wise Counsel  Karikari to Council-of-State Classfmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 8/10/16).

While he earnestly prays that this presidential advisory body, composed of some of the most prominent and eminent Ghanaian citizens, would be morally evenhanded and critical in their deliberation on issues pertaining to the indictment, prosecution and conviction of Messrs. Salifu Maase (aka Mugabe), Alistair Tairo Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn, nevertheless, the City University of New York- and Columbia University School of Journalism-educated Prof. Karikari is unequivocally clear about what sort of decision progressive and peace-loving Ghanaians expect from the Council-of-State, Ghanas functional equivalent of Britains Privy Council.

I hope they will not come out to advise the President wrongfully, because what is going on [clearly] appears to be really blackmailing the President. There are people who are saying, If you dont do this, we wont vote for you. You will not vote for a President because he has not pardoned somebody who has threatened the lives of public officers? So, we are hoping that the Council-of-State will come out with a perspective that will bring sanity to the [countrys political] atmosphere. It may be recalled that Messrs. Maase, Nelson and Gunn were recently arraigned before judges of the Supreme Court and charged with threatening the lives of some members of the Apex Court, bringing the Courts image and reputation into abject disrepute and vowing to sexually violate Chief Justice Georgina T. Wood, if the Court delivered a decision that did not favor the Electoral Commission (EC), in the matter of Ramadan-Nimako vs. the EC, regarding the defendants alleged stonewalling of the Supreme Courts order to delete the names of registered voters who registered to vote in the 2012 general election by the use of their National Health Insurance Scheme-issued ID cards.

The Montie-Fm Gang, composed of a radio talk-show host and two panelists, is presently serving a 4-months prison sentence, each, at the Nsawam Medium-Security Prison. For Prof. Karikari, what is at issue here regards a group of people who have willfully elected to disregard the psychologically and morally healthy rules of civilized society by criminally using the electronic media to foment hatred and incite mayhem. In effect, Messrs. Maase, Nelson and Gunn have chosen the proverbial primrose path of total societal destruction in the name of partisan politics.

It is unfortunate that the misdeeds of people who have no regard for [the] ethics of journalism, the good manners of speech, will bring this country to such a brink of a crisis of sorts. It is unfortunate that leaders of a ruling party will provoke tension between the executive and the judiciary. In the preceding quote, Prof. Karikari is clearly alluding to the horrific decision of such Mahama cabinet appointees as Foreign Minister Hanna Tetteh, Education Minister Jane Naana Opoku-Agyeman and her notorious scofflaw deputy, Mr. Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, and the Culture and Tourism Minister, Mrs. Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare, to sign the petition document seeking to pressure President Mahama to invoke his privilege of pardon and mercy under the countrys 1992 Constitution to nullify the verdict of the Supreme Court.

For Prof. Karikari, it is far more important for President Mahama to staunchly uphold the high-minded values of civilized society than facilely fall victim and prey to political opportunism. Lets all say Amen! to Prof. Karikaris all-too-sound admonishment to the Chief Resident of the Flagstaff House.

*Visit my blog at: kwameokoampaahoofe.wordpress.com Ghanaffairs
15.08.2016 LISTEN

In ways that are still a mystery, Politics continue to heckle Patriotism worldwide and particularly in our country. Politics in its natural sense do not project trouble towards patriotism in any sort of way. The two have remained intimate with same targets since the beginning of time, talk about when our motherland, Ghana was then Gold Coast.

Infact, they both envisage for nation building, equality, development and peace whereas anything contrary to positivity is found outside their jurisdictions.

Folks, the little understanding I have which I am sharing is that politics and patriotism are NOT IN A STATE OF ANTAGONISM but real agape lovers.

Until the Pest-Partisan Politics, creeped into the intelligence of mankind, surely, I would have never describe politics as the "Cain" of patriotism. Since then, the twist has it that patriotism is being suppressed, devoured by active players of politics who are now partisan.

Our country Ghana is now suffering and taking the whips of repercussions from this latest unbefitting trend making our nation very volatile.

Per this stance, no counter from any corner should defeat this fact that every well-meaning Ghanaian should be able to rebel against partisan politics in full force without a second thought.

I have simple reasons to back my motion;

Partisan Politics wrecks nation: Once we entertain and fail to prune partisan politics, then we should expect nothing than ripping apart our nation. In this regard, Rule of Law will die, no course for National Development, we will not experience Unity. Then also one of the most important assets to country building, Peace and Stability will dwindle meaning Ghana will ultimately collapse.

Self-interest than All-interest: This is where political parties turn to have strong urge over impunity showing excessive aggression and penchant for power and their interest only. In such times, intolerance and injustice are experienced at the risk of human life and any other activities geared towards development. Within and outside their means, parties involved in such scenario always protect their followers on wrong doings and illegalities against the State. Life then will become unbearable for any opposing side.

Herein, I do inquire, Can we conclude anything substantive that should attract us to merge our lives with partisan politics? If not, then we all must accept without any hard feelings that partisan politics is rather the biggest enemy to patriotism and vice-versa. Currently, whiles there is no doubt that Ama Ghana is experiencing limited hash side of this canker, it behoves on me and you to cease its players by projecting at all cost the interest of our nation devoid of political, tribal, religious and any other affiliations. Ghana must and should remain prime on our activities whiles any party interest is positioned below. Let us remember patriotism pays better as partisan politics pays bitter.
Aliko Dangote

15.08.2016 LISTEN

Dedication --- To my lovely cousin and an undergraduate of a university business school, Jessica Buah.

"Dangote" is almost a household name in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and it is also an increasingly influential brand on the entire African continent. This is due to the fact that Aliko Dangote is the richest black person and arguably Africa's greatest industrialist whose net worth today is about $12.6 billion. Aliko Dangote is the brains behind the Dangote Group, an industrial conglomerate across Africa which is one of the largest privately African corporations. No wonder this certifiable business mogul is one of my topmost role models in the world. Therefore, I present some 5 powerful lessons young Africans can learn from Dangote's success story.

(1) Start off very early:

I am a 19-year-old start-up writing entrepreneur. Some folks have advised me to wait and advance in age, or complete university before I start my own business. Well, that is simply ridiculous to me. I have started off very early because Aliko Dangote, my role model, did same. He was about 21 years old when he established his enterprise. Even Jobs, Gates and Zuckerberg all started off in their late teens.

Starting off very early gives you some form of competitive advantage over your older competitors. Forget the maturity argument since maturity is never about age but rather percipience. Besides, when you start off very early, you are foolishly determined to succeed that nothing can stop you. Your youthful exuberance will drive you to press ahead with your ambitions regardless of difficulties.

(2) Follow your heart not the crowd:

Hey, just because my path is entirely different does not mean that I am actually lost. Most people have expressed strong dissatisfaction with my very unusual path to success, but that makes me extremely happy. For I always follow my heart not the crowd; everything else is just secondary. You have to do same and you will be heading towards greatness and prosperity.

When young Aliko Dangote completed a university in Egypt with a business degree, he did not become an accountant, a banker, and the like, as most of his programme mates fantasised about and sought for. He ventured into commodities, which was quite a strange thing for a university graduate to do. Yet he worked on his merchandise until he emerged filthy rich years later.

(3) Be prepared to wait for many years:

Aliko Dangote in an interview admonished the youths who aspire to be more successful like him but prefer quick riches, by emphasising that it took him 30 years to become the richest black person on earth. He started as an entrepreneur in the late 1970's and he emerged as Africa's richest man in the late 2000's. Indeed, true success never happens overnight; if it does then it is actually fake success.

You cannot become a legitimate multi-millionaire or even billionaire in the twinkling of an eye. It will definitely take you several years --- 5, 10, 20, or 30 years --- to reach that enviable status after starting from scratch. Remember, any incredibly wealthy person who seemed to have gotten his huge fortune very quickly, say one year, hustled in silence for some years we never knew of.

(4) Branding is more important:

Anyone who labels a branding oriented professional as proud, arrogant or cocky is practically ignorant of the very essence of branding. People call me a damn braggart who needs to be humble; I will only respond by saying that it is all about brand positioning, and not mere bragging or show off. My brand value is absolutely important since it will largely determine the level of my fortune.

Moreover, "Dangote" is an extremely valuable brand in Nigeria and beyond because it is well and exceptionally built. Aliko Dangote has developed a rare brand identity for his companies, which most of his competitors lack. The Dangote brand was designed to represent first-class quality with relative affordability. Aliko Dangote is not anti-competition as his critics claim; the nature of the Dangote brand image is the big secret.

(5) Be truly hard-working:

If someone tells you that hard work is never a factor in the achievement of success, you have to understand that the person is a phoney. Hard work is not the ordinary application of physical energy; it is all about persistently learning from one's struggles in order to improve and progress towards success. Yes, work with all smartness, yet work really hard too.

Mr. Dangote once stated that most contemporary youths are fond of goofing off, but they pray and expect a miraculous success. He even said that he is a very hard-working entrepreneur who never rests until he achieves something great and uncommon. That is how Aliko Dangote beats his so-called smart rivals.

Number 2 is my most favourite lesson; what about you?

Source: sirarticle.blogspot.com
Maputo (AFP) - Six people have been killed in an attack by Renamo rebels in Mozambique, police said Monday, the latest in a string of violent skirmishes between opposition fighters and government forces.

Two unidentified survivors claimed that government troops had staged the attack, but police laid the blame squarely on rebels.

"Armed men from Renamo ambushed a vehicle on Friday, firing at it until it caught fire," police spokesman Daniel Macuacua told AFP.

"Six people were burnt to death." All the victims were civilians, though their identities have not been released.

"We are still looking for any potential survivors who may have escaped," Macuacua added.

- 'Lined up and shot' -

But two survivors told the country's independent television channel STV on condition of anonymity, that the government troops were behind the attack.

One claimed police stopped them, checked their identities and drove them into the forest. They were eight farm produce sellers, two of them Bangladeshis.

"They put the Mozambicans in a line and shot them down one by one. Then I was grabbed by the coat but I managed to get out of it and escaped (unharmed)," said the survivor, of Bangladesh origin.

The second survivor said they were taken out to the bush where they were shot "one by and one" as they stepped out of the car.

The man also a Bangladesh, claimed that he jumped out of car, was shot but "hid in the bush," he told STV from a local hospital.

Renamo, which waged a 16-year civil war that ended in 1992, has refused to accept the results of 2014 elections when it was beaten once more by the ruling Frelimo party, in power since independence 40 years ago.

Since 2013, tensions have risen and Renamo fighters have again taken up arms in a battle that it says is against a Frelimo elite who have enriched themselves at the expense of the country.

- Uptick in violence -

Peace talks are under way, but authorities blame the stand-off for an uptick in violent attacks in northern and central parts of Mozambique.

In May, 13 bodies were found in the restive centre of the country where security forces and Renamo rebels have frequently clashed, while the Mozambican Human Rights League (LDH) claimed at least 83 summary executions had been reported since the start of the year.

Renamo leader Afonso Dhlakama has been living in hiding since October 2015 after he escaped two attacks against his convoy.

He claims government troops are continuously attacking his stronghold in Gorongosa in central Mozambique, in an attempt to lure him out or kill him.

The clashes have intensified in recent months following Dhlakama's declaration in December that he would take power in six of Mozambique's 11 provinces which he claims he won in the 2014 elections.
The President of Ghana Federation of Disability Organisations (GFD), has expressed the movement's concerns over perpetual breaches of Ghana's disability law (Act 715), and faulted government of being the number one violator.

Mr Yaw Ofori Debra said the law which was passed in 2006 to defend rights of persons with disability (PWDs) and improve their living conditions, has seen its provisions being abused consistently by entities, with government being the number one violator.

Speaking at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Act on: 10 years of PWDs Act: its impact in on lives of PWDs, he said, such abuses have rendered members helpless in the society since repercussion of non-compliance was negative and extensive.

He said it has impeded members' access to economic, education, healthcare and employment opportunities, and taken away their privileges to participate in national decision-making process.

According to Section 60 of the law the owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access shall provide appropriate facilities that make the place accessible to and available for use by a PWD.

Parliament passed the groundbreaking law on June 23, 2006, and received presidential assent on August 9 the same year, to promote and protect rights of PWDs and ensure their effective participation in society.

Disability Movements led by GFD expressed dissatisfaction at its operation and impact on lives of members, fetching them onto the streets in a procession to petition President John Dramani Mahama.

The Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Mrs Dela Sowah received the petition on behalf of government, pledging President Mahama's commitment to look into their concerns.

The transitional provision  Section 60 of Act 715  also known as the 10-year moratorium, provides that the owner or occupier of an existing building to which the public has access shall within 10 years of the commencement of this Act make that building accessible to and available for use by a PWD.

But the Federation said, in July it inspected 29 public buildings  comprising courts, ministries, departments, agencies, schools, hospitals and district assembly offices.

The areas audited included the environment, pathways, passage, handrails, toilet facilities, with doors, elevators, and the height of desks of receptionists.

All the buildings audited were found to be inaccessible to PWDs. The fact remains that the finding is a true national picture of noncompliance with the 10-year moratorium, Mr Debra said.

A visit to mosques, churches, corporate institutions, train stations and lorry parks and ministries, remain closed to PWDs, he added.

Violations on the N1

He said government ignored the law and defied the repeated warnings of PWDs following the construction of the N1 road without accessibility components which has marooned them.

The road has six foot bridges but no single ramp to enable PWDs cross to attend school, clinic, learn a trade, work or participate in social events.

This is violation of the rights of PWDs. the matter has been in court for the past three years while PWDs are restricted from participating in economic, political, and cultural lives in the communities along the N1 road.

He said many polling stations are unreachable to voters with disability while mobility of PWDs is equally impeded by open gutters, erection of bill boards, electricity and telephone poles on pavements.

People also park cars on the pavement for sale, all these violate the Act, yet those with the mandate to enforce compliance with provisions of the Act pretend not know about these, Mr Debra said.

Community day SHS inaccessible

He said governments 200 community day senior high schools also lack accessibility features as the powers that be ignored our request to ensure that the designs include appropriate accessibility features.

He cited such schools inaugurated in Nyanoh in the Eastern Region, Otuam in the Central Region, Krachi Nchumuru, Nkwanta, and Nzem as examples.

Students with disability cannot access education from these schools on equal basis with their colleagues without disabilities. This compels many to doubt the sincerity of government in implementing the inclusive education policy it has rolled out.

Neglect at hospice

Mr Debra said it is sad that people with hearing impairment are losing their lives, spend days at hospitals without treatment and when treated, it is on trial-and-error basis, due to communication barriers.

A deaf lady lost her husband who was also deaf due to a communication barrier. There was no sign language interpreter to facilitate communication between the doctor and the nurses and the deaf lady whose husband was in coma.

He consoled members that all is not lost as minimal positive impact of Act 715 in their lives is a fact that they could assert their rights and pursue legal action in court on violations of their rights.


Chiefs and other traditional leaders in the Volta Region have been advised not to be biased towards presidential candidates in this year's general elections.

The people of the Volta region, stronghold of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), usually vote massively for the party in polls.

Currently, the NDC members hold all the seats in region.

Meanwhile, recent developments have seen an increase in the support base of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in the region.

It is therefore not surprising that the President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs (VRHC), Togbe Afede XIV, has strongly advised chiefs in the region to welcome all candidates irrespective of their political affiliations.

He further appealed to the chiefs to refrain from openly endorsing candidates and political parties during the elections, adding that such behavior could affect the development of the region.

Togbe Afede, who was addressing the second general meeting of the VRHC, stressed that Let's welcome all the candidates. Grant access to allthis is very important for the unity of our region and development of the country. As chiefs, let your conduct promote and cement peace in the country.

Togbe Afede, who is also the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State in Ho, further asked the chiefs not to allow the region to be used as a political battle ground in the upcoming general elections.

He praised the peaceful nature of the people of the region and called on the chiefs in the region to do everything within their power during the election period to maintain a peaceful atmosphere to facilitate development in the region.

President Mahama of the NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are the major candidates in the upcoming elections, although there are other candidates from other political parties.

This will be the third time Nana Akufo-Addo is making an attempt to become the president of the country.

President Mahama, who was elected in 2012 after the death of the John Atta Mills in 2012, will be seeking re-election this year.

From Fred Duodu, Ho ( [email protected] )
Running a country on behalf of millions of citizens is really a serious business. Unless there is an urgent need for a comical relief occasioned by the heat from the helm, we should not be overplaying the Akua Donkor drama.

The best place for such comics would be on special segments of our television during the weekends and not on the political space. This is a place for serious business about governance: which of the parties has a better programme and should therefore be voted for?

The issue on the national plate should not be about letting loose clowns on the political space but how to address the major economy-killing factors such as mismanagement and corruption. These are the issues, and nothing else.

Indeed, overdoing the Akua Donkor bit would be stretching a comical relief too far and suggesting how much we are ignoring the very serious issues detrimental to our progress.

That brings to the front burners perhaps for the umpteenth time, the application of the electoral laws of the country. Varying this law arbitrarily or relaxing it would keep the door open for all manner of people with unwanted ulterior motives to jump onto the political space and pollute it. What else could aggravate the bad state of politics in the country more than the Akua Donkors or her counterparts with borrowed names from Nigeria?

Last week was particularly nasty: the political terrain had a concentrated dose of the Akua Donkors. We too should not give so much editorial space to a woman who would praise the president for being overly generous to her for insulting his (president's) political opponents as she (Akua Donkor) literally dangles two vehicles and a three-bedroom house gifts from a man she says is better than Paa Kwesi Nduom, only to turn round in another breath and deny the gesture.

She dangled the gifts according to her, to spite Paa Kwesi Nduom with whom she had a row over a vehicle. If an adult female would attribute a lie to herself then she is not fit to seek space on the political terrain, let alone tout herself as a presidential candidate for a non-existent political party.

The agama lizard will find space for itself in the cracks which appear on the wall. The clown is taking undue advantage of the varied electoral laws which make it possible for so-called parties with no fixed addresses, let alone offices across the country, to present themselves as such. With ready freebies waiting for these clowns, if they would vote as parties at IPAC meetings, why won't the ruling party encourage such breaches? What a country!

But for once we ask that the brakes are pulled over the bull
Bankruptcy is not always one of fiscal drought, but a lack of morals and reasoning, and an acute deficiency in prudence. It is disheartening to see unreasonable people clamouring to gain respect and eldership in society when the goats that roam the streets exhibit more wisdom in their little worlds. When have physique and / or looks ever been criteria for determining who gets to be president in Countries and Republics that are serious about continuing the legacies of their honourable predecessors?

In Ghana, we have idiots in positions of authority who continue to slander and insult their fellow citizens in all manner of desultory statements that are insalubrious to describe them mildly. As the NDC launched its campaign towards the 2016 general elections, many unnecessary utterances were made by unfashionable figures who are better hidden in the closets than exposed to the horror of the people. Thus, the NDC have not outlined a single policy other than propagating mendacity in a frantic effort to look good, albeit in futility. The NDC campaign launch at CapeCoast was, ironically, more of a gathering of the diseased to speak of the ailment of the opposition, when the NPP has no affliction worth the worry.

And Nii Lante Vanderpuye said what? That the Presidency is not for short people? Just to remind him, President Atta mills was shorter than my 10 year old son standing tall. And if the Presidency was to be judged according to looks and stature, certainly Atta Mills, and some of his predecessors, would not have gotten the privilege of becoming Presidents. Then maybe we would have had to resort to Mossis or Fulanis to take over the mantle of leadership in this country. I am certain that one day soon, a leader will emerge from one of these beautiful tribes and become President on the ticket of a democratic party that is not born out of violence, unlike the NDC.

The insidiousness of the NDC cannot be underestimated. The divisive tactics that they play is not only poisonous, but tells a horrible tale of racist braggarts, shameless in their attitudes, lackadaisical in their thinking, inept in their movements, and disgraceful in their deliberations.

Suffice it to say that the cretins of this invidious party are indefatigable in their vile ways, and relentless in their self-embarrassment. Once in a while, someone comes out with a seemingly sensible declaration, and no sooner the nation thinks that they are becoming human, than they relapse in their blithe as if there is no heavenly cure to their nothingness.

Former President Jerry John Rawlings stopped short of endorsing John Mahama, admonishing the NDC charlatans to avoid violence. But could that be possible? After all John Mahama admitted that the NDC was created out of violence. Worst of all was the role played by juju men from Benin who were contracted to prove to the few people gathered at the launching of NDC that this Party will come to power. They threw pigeons in the air that were supposed to fly as a sign of victory for the NDC. Unfortunately, they remained on the ground where they fell as if glued by the reality of coming events that have already cast their shadows.

Normal Human Beings are created with functioning brains that continue to work until death or until they join the NDC Party. This is the reality that people must know, otherwise what would someone like Dumelor be doing with the NDC? His useless posture and fantastic lies are enough evidence to exonerate my submission that one continues to be a discerning person until they join the NDC.

Hanna Tetteh lied through her teeth that the government had created four thousand jobs. Besides, even if that were true, it was a serious breach of trust and an insult to the dignity of the Ghanaian. There are millions of people in this country that are jobless, so how can we clap for John Mahama and his cronies?

Not too long ago, an NDC miscreant also made fun of the physical disability of Ivor Greenstreet, the Presidential Candidate of the CPP, who is confined to a wheelchair. However, if Nii Lante Vanderpuye can be audacious enough to make a statement to the effect that the Presidency is not for short people, the members of the NDC who cannot boast of extra inches should find it very insulting, unattractive and rude.

The Presidency is better in the hands of a short person than idiots.

#MahamaMustGo
Solomon Lartey, Deputy Managing Director of Activa International Insurance, says his outfit will provide financial support to Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs).

The support, he said, will help mitigate losses incurred by the SMEs and reduce their investment risks.

Mr Lartey, who made this known in an interview at the 3rd SME Ghana Awards held at the State Banquet Hall, in Accra, said SMEs must be given the needed boost to help create employment, reduce import and pressure on the cedi against foreign currencies and also improve the country's foreign exchange earnings.

It is for these reasons and more that Activa International Insurance, as part of its corporate social responsibility, supported the organization of the 3rd SMEGA Awards to identify and reward SMEs who have excelled in their various sectors, he said.

Mr Lartey said Activa Insurance has introduced world-class insurance products that would protect the investments of companies and individuals in Ghana and in over 40 countries across Africa.

He presented awards to winners of the Best SME, Home & Office Appliances category and Health Sector categories.

About Activa

Activa International Insurance provides Ghanaian businesses with the same world-class insurance services and products that companies in America, Europe, Canada and other advanced countries enjoy.

The insurance firm is a member of the Pan African Insurance Group  Group Activa; the originator of the Globus Network through which they provide tailor-made insurance solutions to various industry players in over 40 African countries.

This means Activa International Insurance bridges legal, linguistic, monetary and cultural barriers which are essential ingredients in doing business globally.

The company has representation in 40 countries spanning English, French, Arabic and Portuguese-speaking Africa.

Activa is rated in the A category by Messrs Global Credit Rating of South Africa and is the insurance company of the year 2014 (AGI).

[email protected]

Cephas Larbi


Some chiefs in the Western Region have hailed the one district, one factory policy of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), saying it would help create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth in the region.

According to the traditional leaders, they have every confidence in Nana Akufo-Addo that the policy would be implemented if he is given the nod in the December 7 general election to lead the country.

This came to light when the standard bearer of the NPP paid courtesy calls on them at their respective palaces as part of his five-day campaign tour of the region.

At Dadieso in the Suaman Constituency, the Krontihene of the Suaman Traditional Council, Nana Armah Kofi III, appealed to the NPP flagbearer not to forget to set up one of the factories at Suaman to create jobs for the youth.

According to the Krontihene, the 'one district one factory' policy is achievable.

Nana Armah Kofi III also appealed to Nana Addo to help upgrade the health centre at Suaman into a district hospital, and assured him (flagbearer) that this time round the people in the area would vote for him.

The chief of Prestea Himan in the Prestea-Huni-Valley Constituency, Nana Nteboa Pra IV, described Nana Addos proposed policy as a laudable one.

The chief then told Nana Addo that when voted into power, he should set up a gold refinery in the community  since the area produces plenty gold  to process the raw material into some finished goods, create jobs in the process and improve government revenue.

He also told Nana Addo that he should institute a Wassa Mineral Development Fund for projects in the mining towns in the Wassa area.

I agree the battle is the Lords and God has already spoken and He will grant your heart desires, Nana Nteboa Pra added.

In the Bia West area the Chief Imam, Yakubu Abdulai, noted that Nana Akufo-Addo and his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, represent the best hope for the development of Ghana.

We are aware of your track record and your unfailing commitment to see a prosperous Ghana. We have no doubt that Alhaji Bawumia desires same for Mother Ghana, he underscored.

At Wassa Akropong, Omanhene of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okumoa Sekyim II, applauded Nana Addo for the idea of creating a separate region  Western North.

According to the paramount chief, the initiative would help accelerate development in the northern parts of the region.

He also appealed to Nana Addo to establish a circuit court in his traditional area when given the nod.

Responding, Nana Addo stressed that he was not making the promises because he just wanted the electorate to vote for him.

I have too much love and respect for Ghanaians and so I will not make promises which I cannot fulfill. I will never do that. The 'one district one factory' promise is not a lie.

Addressing a rally later at Prestea, the Campaign Manager of the NPP, Peter Mac Manu, told the party supporters that they were all polling agents and so they should be vigilant at the various polling centres to prevent anyone from rigging the elections.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Prestea
Hon. Dzifa Gomashie, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts has thrown an invitation to the world to attend the Chalewote Street Art Festival and the Black Star International Film Festival to be held in Accra respectively.

She said this while addressing participants at the South Africa Tourism organized West Africa Trade Roadshow at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra on Friday. She said these two events express the Ghanaian heritage and culture very well and therefore presents an opportunity for those who want to know about Ghanaian culture to attend. Both events will take place this month in Accra.

The deputy minister was expressing the fact that if there was anything Ghana needs to package and sell to outsiders more than anything else it was the countrys very rich culture. She admonished tour operators to identify what about our culture is sellable and package them well to sell to tourists who would like to visit because of such culture.

While praising SA Tourism for taking the time to train Ghanaian travel and tour operators on how to better sell South Africa to their clients, Hon. Gomashie urged Ghanaian tour operators to learn from their South African counterparts to better sell Ghanas cultural heritage to the world.

The Annual South African Tourism West Africa Roadshow is organized by South Africa Tourism to host travel and tourism trade workshops where West African Trade (travel agents) engage with SA product owners to promote South Africa as a preferred holiday destination.

The aim of the workshops are to equip the West Africa travel and tourism operators to effectively sell holiday travel packages to South Africa. The 2016 roadshow kicked off in Kumasi Wednesday and proceed to Accra on Friday. The next legs of the roadshow will take the South Africa team to Nigeria for similar workshops in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

Speaking at the Accra event, the South African High Commissioner to Ghana Ms. Lulama Xingwana, underscored the fact that there were similarities in Ghanas and South Africas history and compared the exile of Asantehene Prempeh I to the Seychelles to Mandelas imprisonment on Robben Island.

She thus urged the South African delegation to find strong destinations in Ghana to sell to South African tourists and encouraged the Robben Island team in the delegation to find a way to connect with the slave castles in Ghana as both share similar history.

Ms. Xingwana called on South African hotel chains Sun International Hotels and Tsogo Sun to bring their delectable hospitality to Ghana. I will like you to come and build hotels in Ghana, the High Commissioner said.

The workshops are hosted in partnership with the tourism trade organizations in Ghana and Nigeria. In Ghana the partnering associations were Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA), Ghana Association of Travel and Tourist Agents (GATTA) and Ghana Travel Operators Federation (GHATOF) in Ghana. In Nigeria the associations were National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) and National Association of Travel Operators (NATOP).

The Regional Director for Africa at South African Tourism, Ms. Evelyn Mahlaba, was very happy for the turnout and grateful to the partners TOUGHA, GHATOF and GATTA for working with her team in West Africa to ensure that the roadshow in Accra and Kumasi were successful.

We are completely humbled and, excited by the turn out from the first trade workshop. It was made possible because of relationships forged over the years with the GHATOF and TOUGHA organizations who have been pivotal to driving the success of this tradeshow. We thank them profusely for guiding us and being our eyes, ears and voice in market where we are not physically present, she said.

A delegation of South African tourism industry businesses were at the workshops to sell their products to Ghanaian tourism and travel agencies. Among the delegation were South African Airways, Sun International Hotels, Tsogo Sun Hotels, Gauteng Tourism Authority, Saxon Hotel, Robben Island, KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board and Legend Tours.
Chereponi, Northern Region Ghana: Ghanas First Lady, Lordina Mahama has inaugurated a 100 seating capacity dining hall and kitchen at the Jakpa RC Primary School in the Chereponi District of the Northern Region, calling on corporate organizations to make a difference in various communities nationwide.

The modern hall providing hygienic eating environment for hundreds of students was initiated by the Lordina Foundation with funding from Diamond Cement Ghana Limited.

Passionate about supporting initiatives that directly impact the youth who will shape Ghanas future, the First Lady called on parents, traditional leaders and community members to work together to stay focused on matters impacting students in various school and make the education of their children a priority.

The government of Ghana is pleased that Diamond Cement Group and other well-meaning Ghanaian companies who are supporting the needs of citizens and communities by offering employment opportunities and furthering CSR projects on a large scale  said the First Lady.

Diamond Cement Groups comprehensive CSR plan is aimed at identifying needs which directly assist Ghanaian communities in the areas of education, health, wellness and more.

Ms. Ellen Angela Jonah, the Corporate Group Head of Diamond Cements subsidiary, Savannah Diamond Cement, affirmed that the company is committed to service above self and is constantly seeking ways to support sustainable projects that make a difference now and impact more in the future.

Ms Jonah said Diamond Cement constructed community water tanks and pumps that serve water to various parts of the Volta Region including Aflao and Duta, costing more than 5.5 million dollars. Ghanas cement producing giant intends to extend its assistance to other communities throughout Ghana as well as diversify the extent of its community outreach she added.

The Paramount Chief of Chereponi, Jaminja Malba Gomna II, expressed gratitude to the First Lady and Diamond Cement for their support.

Savanna Diamond Ghana Limited (SDGL) is one of three cement factories owned by Diamond Cement Group Ltd (DCGL) in Aflao, Buipe and Takoradi: producing both the 42.5R and 32.5R grade cement.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Offices programme funds seek to create real, measurable outcomes in support of the FCOs policy goals. Since 2011, the Prosperity Fund has supported the FCOs Prosperity Priority on opening markets, ensuring access to resources, and promoting sustainable global growth, mainly in the emerging powers.

The 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review announced a 1.3bn Prosperity Fund over the next 5 years to promote the economic reform and development needed for growth in partner countries. Our priorities will include improving the business climate, competitiveness and operation of markets, energy and financial sector reform, and increasing the ability of partner countries to tackle corruption. As well as contributing to a reduction in poverty in recipient countries, we expect these reforms to create opportunities for international business including UK companies.

The role of the Fund is also set out in the UK aid strategy, Tackling Global Challenges in the National Interest . The Prosperity Fund will form a small but integral element of the UKs total Official Development Assistance (ODA) commitment of 0.7% of GNI. It will primarily be focused on ODA eligible middle income countries, contributing to poverty reduction and complementing DFIDs work in poorer countries. In this way, the Fund will contribute towards meeting the new Sustainable Development Goals. ODA spend under the Fund will be fully consistent with OECD DAC criteria.

The UK Prosperity Fund has agreed to support 8 projects in Southern Africa. These are all ambitious projects to boost inclusive growth and sustainable economic development through interventions in power, infrastructure, cities, skills and transparency in priority countries in the SADC region. Sustainable Urban Development

Supporting South Africas economic growth by developing sustainable transport solutions for large scale events such as the Durban 2022 Commonwealth Games led by Mott MacDonald. It aims to develop best practice guidance in transport planning for South African large events, building on UK experiences. Strengthening the capacity of the City of Pemba, Mozambique to attract sustainable urban investment by Adam Smith International. The project aim is to improve the Pemba City Councils knowledge of technical issues and ability to negotiate with investors in the extractives sector.

Supporting South Africas infrastructure needs by providing training for municipal leaders in public-private partnerships by NEPAD Business Foundation. This will enable municipalities to develop and implement bankable infrastructure projects using blended finance from private, public and development sectors. Enhancing urban planning capability in Angola through improved public-private partnership skills and awareness of anti-corruption tools through British Expertise. The project will enhance urban planning capability in Luanda by providing UK expertise in smart, sustainable urban planning; public-private partnerships and anti-corruption best practice.

Introducing innovative small-scale waste-to-energy technology and business model to South Africa working with The Waste Transformers.The project will open the power generation market in South Africa to small businesses, enabling them to operate small-scale waste-to-energy units on a commercial basis. It will lead to creation of green jobs; increased power generation from renewable sources; and improved waste management. Carbon Trust integrating off-grid solutions to support South Africas rural electrification programme. The project will support the South African Department of Energy and Eskom in determining how off-grid electricity solutions can fit into South Africas electrification programme, with a view to stimulating investment into the sector and accelerating rural electrification and promoting access to energy. Development of renewable energy projects on mining impacted land and communities by Promethium Carbon. Rehabilitating former mining land in South Africa by demonstrating a model for community-based renewable energy projects. This will create jobs opportunities in former mining communities and help alleviate pressure on South Africas electricity grid. Northumbria Energy Limited demonstrating a solution for smart electricity grid management. This will support electricity grid management with South African partners through a demonstration of how a UK technology can stabilise the supply/demand balance, increase grid capacity and control operating costs.

Public Private PartnershipsRenewable Energy

Prosperity Fund contact in South Africa : [email protected] .
Media Advisory

WHAT: The Republic of Sierra Leone will be launching the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage in Freetown Sierra Leone, that in line with the 2016 AU theme: African Year of Human Rights with particular Focus on the Rights of Women and the African Common Position on Ending Child marriage in Africa.

WHEN: Wednesday, 17 August 2016, from 08:30 to 12:00

WHERE: Bank Complex Kingtom, Freetown, Sierra Leone

WHO: Hosted by His Excellency, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone

WHY: Child marriage undermines development efforts. The girl child, the society and countries continue to suffer the consequences of child marriage. Aspirations for Africas development remains wishful if the girl child is not prioritized by ensuring that they are kept longer in school and not married off while they are still girls. The cost of girls dropping out of school  as almost all child brides do, reduce their future earning power with attendant consequences on their empowerment and the socio-economic development of the continent.

TAKING PART: Other speakers at the event are:

1. H.E. Dr. Mustapha Sidiki Kaloko, Commissioner for Social Affairs, African Union Commission

2. H.E. Mrs Sai Nyama Koroma, First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone

3. Mr. Sunil Saigal, UN Resident Coordinator, Sierra Leone

There will be testimonies from survivors of child marriage

BACKGROUND:

Child marriage is a harmful practice which severely affects the rights of a children and further deprives them of the opportunity of attaining other aspirations like education and being able to decide for themselves who to marry. Every year, about 14 million adolescent and teen girls are married, almost always forced into the arrangement by their parents. In developing countries, one in three girls is married by age 18; and one in nine by age 15. UNICEF, projects that if the present trends continue, by 2030, the number of child brides marrying each year would have grown more than 14% annually from 14.2 in 2010 to 15.1 million. Although the largest numbers of child brides are in countries of South Asia, countries with the highest rates of child marriage are in Africa. Of the 41 countries world-wide with prevalent rate of 30% or more, 30 are from Africa.

The AU Commission launched a continent wide Campaign to End Child Marriage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 29 May, 2014, during the Conference of African Ministers of Social Development. At the 25th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in June 2015, African leaders endorsed the African Common Position on Ending Child marriage in Africa. So far, the AU Campaign has been launched in 14 African Countries. These countries have gone ahead in instituting national strategies and action plans on ending child marriages, with some like Malawi, Zimbabwe and The Gambia going a step further in criminalizing child marriages. The Republic of Sierra Leone becomes the 15th AU Member State to launch the continental Campaign at the national level.

Journalists are invited to cover the launch event
The Human Rights Court in Accra has dismissed the case brought by suspended NPP National Chairman, Paul Afoko, challenging the legality of his suspension.

The Court, Presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah said the NPPs National Executive Committee acted lawfully by adopting the recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee of the party to suspend the then National Chairman, Joy News' Joseph Ackah-Blay reported.

Mr. Afoko filed the suit at the Accra High Court, Human Rights Division on December 7, 2015, citing the NPP and its Acting National Chairman Freddie Blay of unconstitional and unlawful acts.

He insisted in his statement of claim that he was the duly elected Chairman of the NPP and that his suspension was illegal and contravened the opposition party's constitution.

Mr. Paul Afoko was suspended indefinitely by the party in October 2015 after the NPPs Disciplinary Committee recommended his suspension following a petition filed by two members of the party.

The recommendation was unanimously endorsed by the NPP National Executive Committee on October 23, and Freddy Blay was made to act in his stead, a statement issued by the party said.

Though the party claimed the decision was unanimous, some members of the executive committee have publicly spoken against it.

Kwabena Agyepong and Sammy Crabbe, General Secretary and Second National Chairman respectively, who themselves were later suspended, contested the procedure used in suspending Mr. Afoko.

Mr. Afoko's suspension was, however, upheld by the National Council of the Party on November 12.

Dissastifed with the decision of the National Council which dismissed his appeal, Mr. Afoko went to court to challenge the decision.

More soon...

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
A Human Rights Court in Accra has dismissed the case in which the suspended Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Paul Afoko, went to court to challenge his suspension from the party.

Mr. Afoko had accused the NPP leadership, during his testimony, of not following due process before suspending him.

He was also challenging the capacity of one the members of the partys disciplinary committee, Gifty Kusi, who was part of the committee that recommended his suspension.

Giving his ruling, Justice Anthony Yeboah, said the lawyers of Afoko failed to prove that the party erred in the procedures that were used in suspending him.

The Judge thus ruled that the party acted fairly and lawfully in the decision to suspend him.

So all the reliefs that were being sought by Afoko were dismissed. According to the judge, the case was not about whether the suspension was wrong or right, but about whether the procedures were right. And so the Judge said the decision of the party in suspending him still stands, Citi News' Duke Opoku Mensah reported from the court.

The NPP's National Executive Committee, suspended Paul Afoko, and the decision was adopted by the party's National Council after its congress.

Mr. Afoko rejected the reasons for his suspension and subsequently sued the party in December 2015.

Unconstitutional suspension?

The suspended Chair had earlier described his suspension as unconstitutional and a breach of natural justice.

The illegal National Executive Committee meeting adopted the illegal recommendations of the disciplinary committee following the rules and procedures laid down by the constitution by appealing against these illegalities, he complained.

My opponents 'plotted' my suspension

Paul Afoko also alleged that the party's action against him was masterminded by some members of the party who opposed his candidature before his election.

He said the members of National Council meeting that voted to suspend him are his avowed opponents who worked against his candidature ahead of the party's congress to elect national officers.

All those who voted at the Council meeting were against my candidature, he argued.

Court dismissed Sammy Crabbe's suit against NPP

An Accra High Court in June 2016, dismissed a suit by the second National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Crabbe, who was also challenging his suspension from the party.

Paul Afoko (L) and Sammy Crabbe (R)

Mr. Crabbe, a known Afoko ally, was suspended indefinitely in 2015, alongside the party's General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong.

They were suspended for misconduct which included a disregard for party structures.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana


A new Ghanaian indigenous religion known as the 'Religion of Peace, Praises and Togetherness' (Asomdwee, Ntonton, Nkabom Som in Akan) is gaining ground in the country, particularly at Ankamu-Apam in the Central Region.

'Asomdwee, Ntonton, Nkabom Som' accordingly brings Christians, Muslims and Traditionalists under one umbrella to worship the 'Pillar of God' known as 'Raabi'.

Raabi is the 'Supreme Being' and the 'Master of Judgement' of the 'Religion of Peace, Praises and Togetherness'.

The religion, formed two years ago, reportedly has about 1,500 active members, with over 5,000 persons baptised so far, and has hosted visitors from countries like Liberia and Cameroon.

It is being led by Onyame Somafo Yaw, believed to be the 'Promised Messiah' from the Akan lineage in ancient Israel.

On Thursday, a seven-day 'Raabi Programme' or pilgrimage began at the Asomdwee Ntonton Nkabom Som 'Holy Ground' at Ankamu-Apam.

A visit by DAILY GUIDE to the area saw scores of pilgrims from all walks of life in attendance at the 'Holy Ground', where no one is allowed to put on footwear when entering.

The spiritual leader of 'Asomdwee, Ntonton, Nkabom Som' who was born a Muslim told journalists that the purpose of the pilgrimage which is the second of its kind, is to allow followers of his religion go round the Raabi for seven days to enable Ghanaians to come out from the 'satanic bondage.

The one week non-denominational event, held every four months, saw participants going round the pillar situated on an area of about 100 metres square seven times every night of the days.

They are made to pray for forgiveness of their sin, prosperity, long life and development among other things.

Onyame Somafo Yaw who speaks only the Akan language as prescribed by his religion, argues that Ghanaians have since ancient times being living in spiritual bondage and that the situation has not changed, especially as he says some so-called Ghanaian Christian and Muslim clerics continue to visit countries like India and China for 'evil powers.'

Onyame Somafo Yaw, born at Ekumfi Dunkwa, a small town near Mankessim in the Central Region on February 28, 1952, prides himself as the founder of the first-ever African indigenous religion that has the power to bring Muslims, Christians and Traditionalists under one roof to worship 'God.'

He spoke of plans to propagate the 'Asomdwee Ntonton Nkabom Som' faith to other parts of the country, Africa and the world at large; assuring that the religion would continue to live on even when he's departed from the world of the living.

By Melvin Tarlue


The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tafo/Pankrono in Kumasi, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, has appealed to his constituents, especially feuding parties, to bury the hatchet and allow total peace to reign in the area so as to expedite development.

He stated that violent and divisive acts by the people would stall the effective development of the constituency and impoverish the people in the process, stressing the need for his people, especially the Tafo natives and Zongo youth, to unite as one people.

The Tafo lawmaker mentioned that the general elections was fast approaching, therefore, any acts of fighting or chaos among the Tafo natives and the Zongo youth could result in dire consequences for the constituency and the country at large, underscoring the need for his people to remain united.

We are about four months to holding general elections and I am pleading with all of you to let cool heads prevail and exercise restraint and patience whist amicable settlement is sought to end the impasse and bring unity of purpose to the community, he added.

Addressing a mammoth press conference at Tafo on Thursday, Dr Akoto Osei lamented the huge economic losses that the people of Tafo suffered when a curfew was imposed in the area following violent clashes in February this year which led to the destruction of properties.

Another violent clash that took place at Tafo some weeks ago which also resulted in injuries to about four people and created fear and anxiety among the people also influenced the Tafo/Pankrono MP's decision to organise the press conference, which was used to preach peace among his people.

The curfew that was imposed at Tafo during the clashes, brought all local business and enterprise activities to a halt and caused huge economic loss, especially, trading activities and church activities, he recounted, saying that he is happy that the curfew had been lifted following the return of peace at Tafo.

Dr Akoto Osei, however, cautioned the Tafo residents not to start any attacks that could compel the security agencies to impose curfew in the area again, stressing that Tafo people had lived together peacefully for several years so you should not allow anything to divide us now.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


The Chief Imam of Bia, Imam Yakubu Abdulai, says the 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and his running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, represent the best hope for the development of Ghana.

In a welcome address delivered at Essam, in the Bia West Constituency, when Nana visited the town, Imam Yakubu Abdulai stated that we are convinced that you and Dr. Alhaji Bawumia represent hope, because we are aware of your track record and your unfailing commitment to see a prosperous Ghana. We have no doubt that Alhaji Bawumia desires same for Mother Ghana.

According to the Chief Imam, the expectation of Moslems in Bia and across the country, is for the government of the day to put our taxes to judicious use, and create an enabling environment, so businesses can thrive.

This, in the Imam's opinion, will help Ghanaians fish for themselves.

Imam Yakubu Abdulai's request to the NPP flagbearer when he is voted into office is to enable the citizenry heave a sigh of relief from the hardships and suffering facing Ghanaians.

The Imam used the opportunity to express their appreciation to Alhaji Dr. Bawumia for donating 400 bags of cement and GH10,000 towards the construction of an Islamic Senior High School for the Bia District.

Imam Yakubu Abdulai also thanked Dr. Bawumia for fulfilling his promise of sponsoring four Imams from Bia District for this year's Hajj.
THE TEMA Traditional Council (TTC) has descended heavily on media outlet, Enquirer Newspaper and warns the paper not to involve the Council in its dirty politics.

According to the Council, it's unacceptable for politicians and a media house to entangle them in false and diabolic media reportage.

The Traditional Council is considering summoning the newspaper to the palace for an appropriate punishment.

The outburst of the Council came on the backdrop of a report by the Enquirer some few days after the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by the wife of the party flagbearer, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo who donated some food items and tricycle to the TTC for the celebration of this year's Homowo festival.

Some bags of maize which was among the items donated by the wife of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, according to the newspaper, were rotten and infested with insects which consequently compelled the chiefs to reject them.

The paper said, the Council felt insulted and returned the maize and other items describing it as an abomination.

Nii Adjei Kraku I, Tema Mantse, speaking on Adom Fm, debunked the publication describing it as diabolical and false and apologized to the wife of the NPP presidential candidate.

He discredited the newspaper publication, saying such false publications can only come from people bent on creating divisions between the Council and the NPP.

He expressed shock at the publication and people behind it, saying I'm surprised at the publication because nothing of that sort happened. We used the maize presented by Mrs. Akufo-Addo for our meal during the Homowo and no one complained so I wonder where they got the story.

I know such false stories come out during elections but to rope us into your dirty politics is unacceptable.

Tema Mantse seized the opportunity to apologise to the NPP, especially Mrs. Akufo-Addo to disregard the false newspaper publication.

However, some residents of Tema were of the view that Robert Kempes Ofosuware, the defeated NDC parliamentary candidate in the 2012 general elections who is the current candidate of the party for the 2016 elections, masterminded the reportage just to the drag the chiefs into dirty politics and bring the name of the Council into disrepute.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema
OVER THOUSAND drivers of haulage trucks and agents at the Tema Port are stranded at the transit terminal of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) in Tema.

The transit drivers who convey goods from the Tema Port to other African countries are accusing port authorities for the unnecessary delays at the transit yard.

They were of the view that the delays have been occasioned by shortage of a tracking device.

The tracking device is fixed onto haulage trucks which load goods from the Tema Port en route to countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

This enables the authorities to monitor the tracks to ensure that the goods were delivered at the right destination.

However, GCNet, the company contracted by the GPHA to do the tracking has ran out of the device thus rendering over 200 trucks fully loaded with goods grounded for several weeks at the transit yard.

Speaking to the media during a visit by the Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Transport, the angry drivers and agents accused the operators of corruption.

Hamzah Atta Bandangnya, a truck agent told the DAILY GUIDE during the visit in an interview that the company contracted to issue the tracking device has been doing so based on favoritism.

According to him, They give the tracking device to people they know leaving others stranded and that affects the image of Ghana because the victims will accuse Ghana of not hindering a good service and may decide to use other ports.

He said the delay is creating huge losses for them since they end up making unnecessary expenditures.

He appealed to the government to ensure the devices are given out fairly to ensure a good service at the port to redeem Ghana's image.

Minister for Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio Garbrah who expressed concern about the plight of the drivers assured them that the company has taken delivery of new devices and would soon fix them to enable them move out.

From Vincent Kubi, Tema
Mariano Rajoy and Albert Rivera last week. Claudio Alvarez (EL PAIS)

Time and again, one of the main concerns voters express in opinion polls in Spain is corruption. The success of Podemos and Ciudadanos in the last two elections was in large part due to their unequivocal stance on eradicating graft, which has blighted the two main parties that have dominated politics since the 1980s, the Socialists (PSOE) and the Popular Party (PP).

Little wonder then, that three of the six points the center-right Ciudadanos put to the PP last week as requirements for supporting interim Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of the PP in his bid to form a government demanded that he tackle corruption in his party.

Rajoy, whose PP obtained 137 seats at the repeat election of June 26, needs 176 for a congressional majority. If he bids for reinstatement and fails to obtain this figure, there would be a run-off in which the PP would only need more yes votes than no votes. In this event, an abstention from other parties would be sufficient. An investiture vote is expected to take place on August 30.

In recent years, the PP has been hit by one police investigation after another: the Gurtel and Taula kickbacks for contracts scams, the Barcenas case, involving off-the books payments to senior party officials, and Punica, which saw PP officials in Madrid buy and sell public land for their own gain. Dozens of elected PP officials have been targeted for investigation, with many awaiting trial in jail.

Spain has more officials protected by judicial privileges than any other country in Europe

Ciudadanos knows that if it is to act as kingmaker to the PP, it must be seen not only to be not involved in any graft, but to have done its utmost to get the PP to take action against wrongdoers.

The first of Ciudadanos six points requires the PP to expel anybody charged with corruption from the party. The fourth point demands an end to amnesties for those found guilty of graft, and the sixth calls for a parliamentary commission to look into the Barcenas case.

The other three points call for greater transparency in the way Spains parties draw up their lists of candidates, an end to privileges that prevent deputies from being tried by lower courts, and a maximum two-terms in office for prime ministers.

In Germany, the United Kingdom, France or Italy, it would be unthinkable for a politician accused of corruption to remain in office, and much less to be pardoned after being found guilty. Similarly, deputies can be hauled before lower courts like anybody else when accused of wrongdoing.

So why does Spain have to pass laws to bring itself into line with the rest of Europe?

In other countries politicians stand down because it is demanded by society, and understood by politicians that this is what they must do, says Jesus Lizcano, president of the Spanish branch of corruption watchdog Transparency International. There is a conceptual, structural, and institutional difference in other countries, he adds. We are the exception with regard to many things in the rest of Europe.

Spain has more officials protected by judicial privileges than any other country in Europe. In Portugal and Italy, only the president enjoy immunity from prosecution by a lower court, and can only be tried in the Supreme Court; in Spain there are some 10,000 individuals who enjoy that status, among them politicians, judges and public prosecutors.

Spain occupies 18th place out of 28 in Transparency Internationals ranking of public perception of corruption within the European Union.

Other countries have generated a more solid, ethically based political and democratic culture about what is acceptable and unacceptable, says Fernando Jimenez Sanchez, a lecturer in political science and administration, and an expert on the Council of Europe.

This doesnt need to be backed by laws, he adds. Ciudadanos measures are not a bad idea in strategic terms, so as not to get its fingers burnt [as part of any pact with the PP], although they wont guarantee any improvement in public ethics. They include eccentricities such as limiting terms of office, which makes no sense in a parliamentary regime.

During the last election campaign, Rivera insisted that Rajoy stand down. His partys willingness to support the PP in trying to form a government has forced him to apply certain terms and conditions, one of which is to create a new framework to fight corruption and bring Spain more into line with its European neighbors in this regard.

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There has been criticism that some of the measures are excessive, which might be true, such as requiring politicians to resign when they are accused of corruption but its also true that this country has been excessive in allowing politicians to steal, says Jose Manuel Villegas, the deputy secretary general of Ciudadanos.

There has been too much corruption. We have to win the electorates trust, he adds. With these measures, we aim to make it clear that the fight against corruption continues, and that this will allow us to support Rajoy in Congress when he tries to form a government.

The PPs executive committee meets on Wednesday to discuss Ciudadanos six points.

English version by Nick Lyne.
It was an interesting sight at an Accra circuit court last Friday when Bismark Osei Danso, the supposed ring leader in the invasion and ransacking of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP's) Asylum Down head office in Accra, said he did not know the name of an accused person he claimed he mobilized to the place.

According to him, he was unable to tell the name of the ninth accused with whom he is in the dock over charges of being at the partys premises for unlawful purposes and causing damage.

He said under cross-examination by the prosecutor, DSP Abraham Annor, that he did not know the name of the young man.

Minutes later he mentioned Obed Yawson as the ninth accused person, a name the prosecution claimed had been whispered to him.

This was after Danso, 58, had opened his defence in respect of the case, denying the claim by the prosecution that he and the group he mobilized were at the NPP head office for unlawful purpose and also caused damage to the properties of the party.

Led in evidence by his lawyer, Abdul Aziz Mohammed, Osei Danso told the court, presided over by Ruby Naa Adjeley Quayson, that he is a contractor and resident of Odorkor in Accra.

The Chase

He said the reason why he and the others went to the NPP office was that the party in 2014 went to Tamale to elect its national executives and that while he was in office there was information that the national chairman had been suspended to the displeasure of the supporters of the said chairman.

He said as a card-bearing member of the party committed to the election 2016 victory (of the NPP), he came to the party headquarters to discuss the way forward with the executives but met the Invincible Forces.

Danso stated that he and his gang were chased out of the NPP office with pieces of stick and machetes by the Invincible Forces, adding that his group, comprising persons from across the country, returned again, this time round with some of them being ex-military men.

He indicated that he led his group, called the Patriotic Group 2016, to the party's head office in a bus at about 5:00 am on November 23, 2015.

Danso told the court that for the second time at the office they were driven away by a police team and that while making a call to the driver of the bus that conveyed them to the place, the police surrounded them and arrested them.

He denied being in possession of 3 SMG rifles, 36 rounds of ammunition and three new machetes when he was arrest.

Others

Other accused persons in the case are Abdulai Wudu, Kwame Adu Annan, Michael Agoha, Rakia Ali Mohammed and Obed Yawson, Razak Ebenezer Aduful, Kwame Adu Annan and Michael Agoha.

The rest are Obed Yawson, Rakia Ali Mohammed (a woman), Ali Iddris, Nii Teiko Ayi-Bontey, Shamzi Dinni and Ben Okyere.

Charges

According to the prosecutor, DSP Annor, the accused persons on Monday, November 23, 2015, between the hours of 1:30 and 2:30 am at Asylum Down and Kokomlemle respectively, unlawfully entered the premises of the NPP with intent to commit crime.

The accused persons are facing other charges of being at the partys premises for unlawful purposes and causing damage.

Speaking in various Ghanaian languages, the accused persons denied the offences and were each admitted to bail in the sum of GH10,000 with two sureties.

They are also to execute a bail bond to be of good behaviour or in default, serve three months in jail.

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

[email protected]
Standard Bank, the parent company of Stanbic Bank, will host an Inter-Africa trade and business dialogue between 3 and 5 October, this year in Accra aimed at connecting commercial banking clients with similar business interests across the continent.

The conference, which focuses on West Africa as a region of opportunities, follows the successful inaugural session held in Kenya in April, this year where Standard Bank hosted clients from Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and Kenya.

It also gave participants an overview of the East Africa region and assisted them to identify accessible services and business opportunities.

The West Africa Trans-Regional conference will host delegates from Ghana, Nigeria, Angola, Cote d' Ivoire, China, South Africa, as well as clients from southern and eastern Africa.

Dr. Manessah Alagbaoso, Head of Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Rest of Africa said: When we say Africa is our home and that we drive her growth, it is our responsibility to extend ourselves beyond just banking: we must add value by providing exposure, information and our expertise to our clients to foster an environment that facilitates their growth and success.

Despite a slump in commodities which have been the backbone of West Africa's growth for decades, the region offers multiple avenues for investment and is home to three of the 10 fastest growing economies in Africa according to the IMF's World Economic Outlook 2016.

African businesses need a partner who understands emerging markets but also has continental banking experience to make progress real, said Abdul-Hussein Jaleel, Head of Commercial Banking, Stanbic Bank Ghana.

He added: Standard Bank's experience shows there is a great deal of opportunity in many sectors and markets, if businesses are encouraged to look beyond the short-term. Positive changes such as government policies to promote commercial businesses, regular and democratic elections, improved literacy rates and education, and the most youthful population in the world have highlighted to us that with the right kind of support, innovation and desire, the growth position promises to be significantly enhanced in the years ahead.
I quit the church for many, many reasons, one of them being the surge in the Prosperity Gospel movement  that movement that encourages people to look for Range Rovers and other material things in the air. The movement that makes many shout their prayers and  sadly  treat the poor with a contempt that really was not what Jesus was about.

Another reason I left was the blatant sexism. Women did all the work  emotional and physical labor  organizing meetings, cleaning, providing food and support; then men showed up to preach and lay hands as if only they had a direct line to God and the Angels.

I got tired of the sexist, misogynistic and harmful messages about women (and sometimes men), about poverty, and society. I could not bear to endure pastors saying illogical things like the woman is the neck of the man, who is the head of the family, passing it off as the word of God.

I often came close to raising my hand in church and asking the preacher to provide me proof from the Bible to back his sermon. Like when one preacher said, women were made from the ribs of men, and were thus required to be submissive. Houses are made from bricks, but you dont see anyone spending their nights sleeping under a brick. I wondered if the preacher always took the Bible literally or if he picked and chose when things were literal and others symbolic. I so badly wanted to jump up and say; Sir, that is not what God or Paul or any of Apostles meant regarding submission. The Bible does not explicitly say all women must submit to all men.

There is no avoiding sexist, non-compassionate, God-awful sermons from all manner of people now referred as men of God (and of course, they are mostly men). At one friend's wedding, the minister said to the bride: Now that you're married, you are the subject of your husband. It doesnt matter what was said in Beijing, youre his subject. Henceforth, he comes after God in your life. Your career comes after your family. So, just because she got married, her dreams no longer matter and she is a subject: someone to be governed and told what to do? A grown woman must subordinate her career, dreams and desires so her husband, the head of the family, can rule, and  as though that was not enough  the preacher went on to tell her to never deny him sex, even if he offended her. And everybody clapped.

I quit church but I still identify as Christian, and the way these sermons are presented as the word of God makes me cringe with sadness. I mean what kind of God cares more about a woman's ability to cook jollof for her husband than her desire to thrive and live as a full human being and partner?

I do not know why brides sit through such sermons. I no longer do. On the scant occasion that I must be subjected to one in the name of watching someone I care about get married, I go with a good book, fiddle with my phone or attend for the reception.

Still, every so often, some particularly toxic statement made by a pastor always appears on one of my social media pages. When this happens, we usually suppress our concerns because of the (unbiblical) idea that (a) a man of God should not be questioned and (b) members of the congregation understand their pastor.

I didn't go looking for that video of Bishop Dag Heward-Mills of Lighthouse Chapel confusing culture with scripture by comparing women with multiple sexual partners to a used product:

When you are a young unmarried lady who sleeps with a lot of people, you are like an apple that has been bitten by many men. In the end, the person who marries you ends up with a terrible-looking, well-used product. Appalling dehumanization and slut-shaming from the pulpit.

It is the sort of sermon that should have drawn condemnation. Once again, the burden of purity is placed on women, as if they are not having sex with men but rather with robots. It takes two to tango. This logic endorses slut-shaming and allows society to hold women to a higher moral standard by policing our bodies and sexuality. What happens to men with multiple partners?

Last week, Facebook told me that Bishop Agyin Asare of the Perez Dome had said that men are born natural conquerors and that is why a lot of the times, it is men who go to battle. If it were left to women alone, there would not be any war because women are peacemakers.

First, LOL. Women are peacemakers? Based on what? Didn't Yaa Asantewaa and an army of Dahomey women go to war and conquer lands on this continent? Isn't the Bible full of rebellious and angry women who broke the rules to have their way? If it wasnt for Victorian England and its nonsensical respectability standards (which England exported to us but has since largely outgrown), modern Ghanaian women would show their outrage instead of enduring abuse. Agyin Asare's sermon reinforces narrow definitions of masculinity and femininity; that men are not men unless they dominate another human being  preferably a woman (the 'weaker' vessel). It is based on such logic that men have sex for conquest.

Worst of all, he added that men cheat because their wives don't sexually satisfy them enough. There are times women don't understand that a sexually satisfied man is usually a good provider. There are times women don't understand that. I want to give it to you again that: 'A sexually satisfied man/husband is usually a good provider' because he will provide for his wife and try to please her out of appreciation, not out of obligation and what happens is that he becomes less tempted to lust after other women because his thoughts are always filled with her.

It almost sounds like an excuse for cheating husbands. Your husbands (are tempted to) cheat because you don't give them enough sex. Talk of victim-blaming. It has become the wife's duty to prevent the husband from lusting after others. Have men no self control? Must they outsource it? I can imagine some poor man using this excuse come judgment day, and receiving the shock of his after-life. What evidence shows that a sexually satiated man will not cheat on his wife? The men hitting on women and lying about their marriages are not all sexually starved, are they? And what about the sexually dissatisfied wife?

Last week, my dear friend Papa Kow Acquaye tagged me in a sermon in which the Nigerian founder of the Redeemed Christian Church, Pastor E. A. Adeboye told single men not to marry women who cannot cook. I'm still looking for where it says that in the Bible.

These sermons are all so egregious; lacking in truth, in merit and in logic. The Bible has no standard duration for prayers. Nowhere is it stated that a wife must have the stamina to pray for at least one hour. The Bible does not state whose duty it is to cook and feed the family. It does not outline reasons why it is alright for men to marry unemployed women, but abominable for women to marry an unemployed man. The Bible is also clear about marriage. God told Adam he was creating a partner for him; not a house-help, not a cleaner, not a prayer warrior. A partner.

The year is 2016. We now know women were not born to do house chores, and neither were men created to bear financial burden alone. Anecdotal evidence shows that the focus on women who can cook and men who can provide has led to a culture of deceit within and outside the church, where clever people pretend just to get the ring. And divorce rates continue rising in the church.

Remember how Jesus chided Martha over her chores? It's right there in Luke 10:40-42. Preachers must focus what Jesus  the author and finisher of our faith  did when he was on earth; his care for the poor, his message of salvation, his respect and love for all human beings. Women included.
No Nation has the right to make decisions for another nation; No people for another people Julius Kambarage Nyerere, from his A Peaceful New Year speech given in Tanzania on 1 January 1968.

When patriot South Sudanese look at the world, we see a swarm of threats and hatred. Threat that start from our region to the United States. Our neighboring countries including Uganda and Kenya are plausibly warming up for aggression against South Sudan any time at behest of the United States.

There is no doubt that the Washington and United Nations are extending their usual aggressions on the pretext of promoting democracy, humanitarian assistance, human rights and protection of civilians as means of ousting independently-minded governments to South Sudan. Washington did it before to the leaders of countries which had refused to show deference to the Washington such as Saddam of Iraq, Gaddafi of Libya and Assad of Syria.

What had happened on Friday night in the United Nation Security Council meeting is a rubber stamp of what IGAD countries framed in Ethiopia on 5th this month under the instruction of the United States. Regrettably, our foreign policy makers have spectacularly failed to solve the arithmetic of diplomatic courtship equation of convincing just one permanent member of the UN Security Council to veto the United States sponsored proposal.

To the surprise of many people, diplomats also failed to convince China. Many people couldnt believe that China the principal beneficiary of oil investment in South Sudan has taken a neutral position and reservedly sit on fence folding its hands while earphone is on listening to music.

Meanwhile Russia, the possible potential partner looks to be fatigued of always vetoing several United States sponsored proposals against South Sudan has decided to take a neutral position also. The choice is now squarely up to the government to choose between rejecting the regional troops and face the arm embargo or accept the regional troops and there should be no arm embargo; in other word, it is a choice to choose between rock and hard place.

In fact, the IGAD countries have also a choice to choose whether to remain as a tool of the United States and bring their troops to invade South Sudan or follow the decision taken by the Sudan and Uganda governments not to be part of regional forces deployment in South Sudan. If IGAD countries choose to be a tool, they will possibly taste the bitter reverberations in their countries and the region will experience the worst deadly civil war ever of massive scale and indeed the IGAD and East Africa Community will dichotomize.

It is an open secret that Washington is not run by idiots. But by the political elites who have consolidated their power and became accustom to their status as the owners of the world. They act as they want; dividing the ruling elites of any country that they want to target and use money to bribe or buy the governments of neighboring countries of that targeted country; forcing unnecessary resolution on UNSC and handover its execution to those neighboring countries to achieve the desired goal of the United states.

They build coalitions based on principle if you are not with us, you are against us The self-speaking evidence is in Syria. The United States have used Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate and others to fight Bashar Assad and now the United States wants to use Kenya and Ethiopia to fight Salva Kiir.

When it comes to Africa, our ruling elites dont see what American ruling elites are doing. There is no Coalition or Organization in Africa that can protect its targeted member state. Lamentably, the ruling elites in Africa laxly decided to let Washington dips its hands into our affairs.

Burundi is the only country in Africa which said NO to the United States interference in its affairs. For the ruling elites in Burundi, to go from being a country that respects the sovereignty of another nation and negotiates on equal footing to one that decides destiny for another country is intolerable. The ruling elites in Burundi have consolidated their power and they proved that they cant be pushed by the United States and the United Nations whatsoever the case may be.

President Nkurunziza has bravely refused to be bullied by the UNSC and AU resolutions on sending troops to protect civilians. He tremendously proved to the Washington and its puppets in Africa that he is the president, captain of Burundi and once rebel leader whose military mentality had not faded away. He stood firm in rejecting the deployment of the regional troops and threatened to shoot them should they land in his country. Earlier this this month, he also rejected the UNSC resolution on sending 200 UN police to protect civilians. They are not bombed into oblivion and life is normal now in Burundi.

Contrast to our ruling elites in Juba, they failed to consolidate their power and they proved that they can easily be pushed back and forth by the United Nations and United States. Our ruling elites should leave off their current stance and try to excogitate how the ruling elites in Burundi are handling their affairs.

In fact, after the President Bush left the White House, Kiirs troubles immediately started but with pride and determination, he safely sailed the southern Sudan to the Republic of South Sudan in conditions of Washington interference to cause power wrangling in the SPLM party to oust him. This interference is speculated to have been supercharged by the decision taken by the President Salva Kiir to continue with China as a contractor after the independence.

With the current unfolding state of affairs, Kiir must show the United Nations his military wit and proof to the world that he was once a rebel leader and President who cant be aghast by war whatever magnitude it may be by rejecting the deployment of regional troops. Kiir must show firm stance on rejection of regional troops this time. Otherwise, he wouldnt last for long.

Arguably, Kiirs shifting stance on national and security issues is the loophole or ambiguity that many countries and the United Nations took for impuissance. If the phrase The existence of UNMISS in the country is the first grave mistake is an exaggeration, then the phrase the usual unexpected shift of governments stance on national and security issues nourishes the current state of affairs reflects the current situation quite accurately in my opinion.

We are all aware that Obama wants to implement the Vision of New World Oder as he made it crystal clear on 24th March 2014 in Brussels when he addressed the EU leaders. He said And for the international order that we have worked for generations to build. Ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs. That order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign.

Unfortunately, our neighboring countries refused to see and comprehend this clear language of the Washington. Obama wants us to surrender our rights and hard-won sovereignty of South Sudan to the Washington to govern us. But over my dead body, as long as South Sudanese women continue to procreate and as long as there are youth like me, Gatkuoth, Lado, Kenyi, Omer, Poni, Nyaruech and Atong, we will fight the Americans and their puppets till the end of the world.

We are independent nation and we shall never relinquish our sovereignty to any nation even if it threatens or bombs us into oblivion.

It is very clear and apparent that the United States and United Nations have a long history of invading countries selling their aggressive wars to the people as humanitarian intervention, protection of civilians or democracy operations. From Yugoslavia to Somalia, from Yemen to Libya, from Iraq to Afghanistan, from Ivory Coast to Congo, and now in South Sudan, the United States and the United Nations have intervened under various false pretexts and the result is always the same, destroyed states, changed the regimes, killed the presidents by hanging or firing squad, arrested and jailed the presidents in the ICC, and massive casualties.

In other words, it is the implementation of the Washington shoot-to-feed program of looting resources. Washington invaded and destroyed Iraq, Libya and other countries purely because of the Oil they were bestowed with.

If African leaders dont stand up to stop this budding American colonization and lust for other countries natural resources, such evil acts will never stop as long African leaders fear the United States as an undisputed hegemon.

One of the most obstinate about African leaders is that no matter how many countries the United States illegally invades, exploits, threatens, kills people, ousts the regimes or colonizes around the globe including Africa, they still cling to the delusion that the United States is a  force for good in the world and adore it.

African leaders must understand that that the serious threat to regional peace most certainly is not Nkurunziza, Salva Kiir nor Robert Mugabe but the United States sponsored aggressions through the United Nations targeting their countries.

In conclusion, it is worth recalling the joke that President Salva Kiir once said in 2014 in Rumbek. He said during the liberation days when I was a commander of Tiger division, people used to fear me a lot. But now they dont fear me again, I dont know whether it is because I have hidden my claws of Tiger inside the paw or what? And if so, then I will remove out my claws

I think this is a right time for the President Salva Kiir to proof to the United States, United Nations and our neighboring countries that he once has claws of Tiger and still he has them.

For the President Salva Kiir to conveniently proof to the United States and United Nations and indeed to South Sudanese to know that has claws of Tiger is only if he: speeds up the integration process of SPLM-IO into the National Army; makes sure that Riek Machar is six (6) feet down the ground in the shortest time possible; relocates the UNMISS 50 miles away from Juba; Never give in to deployment of regional troops; and organizes a nationwide massive youth recruitment into the SPLA.

President Salva Kiir must recall that we fought against Arabs for over four decades because of colonialism and South Sudan is not a donation from the UN or United States but a nation which cost 2.5 million lives to be a sovereign country. We shall never give a damn to whoever wants to colonize us, be a white man or black white-hearted man.

No nation has the right to make a decision for another nation. Can President Salva Kiir this time man up like President Nkurunziza and say NO TO REGIONAL TROOPS DEPLOYMENT ONCE AND FOR ALL?

Simon Yel Yel is the co-editor of the book of the President Salva Kiirs speeches and essential writings published as Salva Kiir Mayardit: The Joshua of South Sudan. He can be reached at [email protected] or 0955246235.
After the demise of Bob Okalla and Nkomode early this year, many were those who thought the country had lost its finest comedians. However, with rib-cracking jokes being dished out by some amateur comedians on the political stage, I believe many would be revising their notes by now; that is if they've already not done so. The jokes are simply amazing!

I couldn't believe my ears the very first time I heard that Akua Donkor was a member of the President's delegation to Europe last year. I wondered what meaningful role she could play on the trip. That was when reality dawned on me: She is a political clown. She was thus taken on the trip to entertain President Ogwanfunu and other members of his entourage.

Many of my compatriots were understandably livid. They could not understand why government could fly a political clown on first class, feed and accommodate her at the expense of the tax payer. They couldn't see any wisdom in engaging in such opulence when the country needed cowries to build schools in order to eradicate schools under trees. Indeed, some have argued that the cowries spent on the political clown on that trip could build a three-classroom block.

I was, however, not livid. Yes, I was surprised, but I wasn't livid. I wasn't livid because the Ogwanfunu government had previously wasted cowries on Akua Donkor by inviting her to the Senchi Economic Forum. So sending her to Europe as part of the President's entourage did not surprise me too much. I subsequently predicted that the Ogwanfunu government would waste much more cowries on the political clown; and have I not been vindicated?

We've all heard from the horse's own mouth that President Ogwanfunu had gifted her two Mitsubishi Pajeros and a three-bedroom house at Sakumono in Accra. With pressure mounting on the government to explain the wastage, she quickly and gaily explained that it was all a joke. She explained further that it was only a prank to tease Paa Kwesi Nduom and members of the Osono family.

Of course, she was joking! What else can she do apart from cracking jokes? Isn't joking all that political clowns like her do?

Another political clown inundating our ears with his sickening jokes is the APC candidate for this year's presidential election. If you still have fogs in your medulla, then the bloke I refer to is Hassan Ayariga, aka Ayari-cough. For a man who claims to want to win the presidential contest, it is very puzzling that he rather takes delight in throwing punches at the opposition instead of the ruling party. Could it be that he is also being gifted cars and houses by President Ogwanfunu in order to put sand in Osono's gari? Hmm, we are watching!

Hon. Kennedy Agyapong, is in the news again. After incessant pressure from pro-government groups calling on him to apologize for his sex-for-job comment, the man has finally spoken. He has not only disappointed his critics, but also angered them further. The man did not apologize oo! He said his comment was just a joke and shouldn't have elicited such brouhaha. In other words, those criticizing him do not have a good sense of humour.

Massa, the man is an enigma. Instead of apologizing, he is rather ridiculing his critics. Clearly, his comment was a joke, but a very repulsive one at that!

You see, the Muntie 3 would have saved themselves and all of us this petition wahala if they had been honest with the Supreme Court. They should have avoided the kpokpogbligbli gibberish and told the court that theirs was a joke. After all, it isn't a crime to crack jokes, is it?

Hon. Oti Bless has also been in the news recently. He was blessed to escape the watchful eyes and heavy hands of the Supreme Court; and is currently pulling all strings to have his deputy ministerial nomination approved by the House of Honourables. He is now jumping from one radio station to another expressing his fun-fool apology for his shameful comment on the Chief Justice. He is doing so not because he is remorseful, but because he has been ordered by the Speaker of Parliament to do so.

Do I expect him to be approved by Parliament? I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised if they do. Why would I be surprised to hear another sickening joke when such jokes abound in this land of jokers?

President Ogwanfunu and his Zu-za had their campaign launch in Cape Coast yesterday. Interestingly, the gods that were hitherto angry and refused PPP the permission to organize rallies in the metropolis suddenly became very friendly when approached by Zu-za. After being pacified by numerous domestic animals, many calabashes of palm-wine and uncountable bottles of schnapps, the angry, hungry and sober gods are now happy, satisfied and intoxicated. In my mind's eye I see the intoxicated gods shouting, E dey be keke.

I'm sure the gods and their custodians would understand and forgive my folly. This is just a joke from another joker in the land of jokers.

See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!
LECTURERS IN public universities in Ghana have been encouraged to put pressure on government to invest more in Research & Development(R&D) rather than fighting for meagre book allowances.

Ghana is ranked countries that spend less one percent of its Gross Domestic Product(GDP) on research, joining debt-ridden country like Greece, which does not prioritise R&D as part of the development of her educational sector.

The situation is seen by many academicians as highly disturbing considering the exegesis of the global development trend which is moving towards advancement in research for societal development.

Big economies such as the United Kingdom, United States of America, Japan, China amongst others spend close to between 3-5 percent of their GDP on research to advance the cause of development in their respective countries.

With Ghana's figure hovering below 0.5 percent, many critics believe it will be very difficult for the country to see the much needed development through innovation and technology.

But addressing participants at the first ever African Review of Economic and Finance Conference organized by the Witwatersrand University of South Africa at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST), Chairman of the Mine Geotechnical Engineering at the School of Mining Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Australia, Prof. Fidelis T. Suorineni, thinks academicians in Ghana are not doing more to put pressure on government to allocate sizeable amount of funds towards research and development.

The conference brought together academicians who have excelled in their various fields of endeavours, especially in areas of economic, finance and natural resources, to deliberate and critique well researched papers on eight thematic areas.

According to him, lecturers in the country ought to push hard and fight government to spend more on research, rather than concentrating themselves with fringe benefits such as books allowance which he said adds little to academic.

Prof. Suorineni is a globally recognised and award winning academic with over 30 years of experience in teaching, research and consulting in Ghana, Canada and Australia, having also served on a number of international committees such as the Technical Committee on Mining and Engineering of China ENFI Engineering Company Limited.

Prof. Suorineni contended that Ghanaian academicians have the ability to perform excellently well when given the needed support in the areas of funds and logistics, stressing that many Ghanaian nationals who find themselves in countries where the environment is conducive have chalked landmark successes.

"For me, I think our university Professors and PhD holders ought to do more; they must continue to fight government to invest much in research and development.This constant struggle for book allowances is not the way to go," He noted

He wondered for example, why Ghana continues to rely on foreign experts in mining when there are plenty of human resources available locally, stressing further that it is highly unacceptable that after 1000 or so years in mining, many Ghanaians continue to lose their lives through mining activities.

Other notable speakers at the conference which was hosted by the KNUST School of Business were Prof. Extraordinary Augustin Fosu of the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research(ISSER) who spoke on Natural Resources, Institutions and Economic Development in Africa, as well as Prof. Paul Alagidede, who is in charge of the Wits School of Business in South Africa and Editor-in Chief of the AREF Journal. END

Touching on the topic "Integrating nationalism in resource development for economic empowerment-some experiences and lessons learnt" the Geotechnical Mining Expert called for re-orientation at the country's higher educational level, emphasising the need for authorities at public universities to give opportunities to individuals who show prospects in academic development.

According to him, lots more Ghanaians are willing to come home and support the development of the country's education but are afraid of the frustrations they might be subjected.

Sharing his personal testimonies about the frustrations he had to encounter on his journey to academic success, Prof. Suorineni called for a paradigm shift to reflect trends in modern education.
Four young writers have been awarded Winners and Runners-Up of The Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016, the worlds oldest international schools writing competition. The winning essays were selected from approximately 13,500 entries spanning the five regions of the Commonwealth.

Representing nearly every Commonwealth country, entrants wrote about contemporary issues including the Syrian refugee crisis, conflict migration in Africa and finding a diasporic identity.

Senior Winner Inessa Rajah, 17, is from Durban, South Africa. Senior Runner-up Esther Mugalaba, 19, comes from Lusaka, Zambia.

The Junior Winner and Runner-up, Gauri Kumar, 13, and Tan Wan Gee, 14, respectively, are both Singaporean nationals.

Entries were assessed by a pan-Commonwealth body of judges, drawn from more than 30 different countries across the globe. Judges described the entries as inspirational, ambitious, profound, moving, imaginative and stated that the future of the Commonwealth is bright.

The four pan-Commonwealth Winners and Runners-up will attend the traditional Winners Week in London in October of this year; a special programme consisting of cultural and educational activities. The week will culminate in an Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace where HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will present the Winners and Runners-up with their certificates on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen. This will be the third time that the Duchess of Cornwall has taken part in the Awards Ceremony.

Director of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Michael Lake CBE, said: The four young people chosen as the Winners and Runners-up of The Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016 represent the very best and brightest that the Commonwealth has to offer. Their essays and poems explore contemporary themes with maturity, intelligence and depth beyond their years. We are proud of them and the thousands of other young writers who entered the competition this year from all around the Commonwealth.

Rod Smith, Managing Director of Education, Cambridge University Press: The Royal Commonwealth Society shares our vision of empowerment through education, and were thrilled to be sponsoring The Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition once again. The quality of the entries this year were exceptional, and all of us at Cambridge University Press would like to extend our congratulations to the winners.

Esther Mungalaba

Gauri Kumar

Inessa Rajah
From Issah Alhassan, Kumasi

LECTURERS IN public universities in Ghana have been encouraged to put pressure on government to invest more in Research & Development(R&D) rather than fighting for meagre book allowances.

Ghana is ranked among countries that spend less than one percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on research, joining debt-ridden countries like Greece, which does not prioritize R&D as part of the development of her educational sector.

The situation is seen by many academicians as highly disturbing, considering the exegesis of the global development trend, which is moving towards advancement in research for societal development.

Big economies such as the United Kingdom, United States of America, Japan and China amongst others, spend close to between 3-5 percent of their GDP on research to advance the cause of development in their respective countries.

With Ghanas figure hovering below 0.5 percent, many critics believe it will be very difficult for the country to see the much needed development through innovation and technology.

But addressing participants at the first ever African Review of Economic and Finance Conference organized by the Witwatersrand University of South Africa at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology(KNUST), Chairman of the Mine Geotechnical Engineering at the School of Mining Engineering at the University of New South Wales, Australia, Prof. Fidelis T. Suorineni, thinks academicians in Ghana are not doing more to put pressure on government to allocate sizeable amount of funds towards research and development.

The conference brought together academicians who have excelled in their various fields of endeavours, especially in areas of economic, finance and natural resources, to deliberate and critique well researched papers on eight thematic areas.

According to him, lecturers in the country ought to push hard and fight government to spend more on research, rather than concentrating themselves with fringe benefits such as books allowance which he said adds little to academic.

Prof. Suorineni is a globally recognized and award winning academic with over 30 years of experience in teaching, research and consulting in Ghana, Canada and Australia, having also served on a number of international committees such as the Technical Committee on Mining and Engineering of China ENFI Engineering Company Limited.

Prof. Suorineni contended that Ghanaian academicians have the ability to perform excellently well when given the needed support in the areas of funds and logistics, stressing that many Ghanaians who find themselves in countries where the environment is conducive have chalked landmark successes.

For me, I think our university Professors and PhD holders ought to do more; they must continue to fight government to invest much in research and development. This constant struggle for book allowances is not the way to go, he noted

He wondered, for example, why Ghana continues to rely on foreign experts in mining when there are many human resources available locally, stressing further that it is highly unacceptable that after 1000 or so years in mining, many Ghanaians continue to lose their lives through mining activities.

Other notable speakers at the conference, which was hosted by the KNUST School of Business, were Prof. Extraordinary Augustin Fosu of the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana, who spoke on Natural Resources, Institutions and Economic Development in Africa, as well as Prof. Paul Alagidede, who is in charge of the Wits School of Business in South Africa and Editor-in Chief of the AREF Journal.
15.08.2016 LISTEN

The attention of Kumasi Polytechnic has been drawn to a publication in the Monday 25th July, 2016 edition of your esteemed newspaper, The Chronicle, with the above caption.

The publication contained some factual inaccuracies and may misinform the general public, various partners, associates and friends. It is our fervent hope that you will publish this rejoinder with the same prominence in your newspaper.

To ensure that the factual inaccuracies are corrected, we have reproduced your publication in full on the table in the left with our response on the right hand side of the table.

Introduction

Like most African countries, Ghana is suffering from what is called 'digital divide'. For this reason, it is woefully lagging behind in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its application in the areas of health, education, transportation, agriculture, just to name a few. With the upsurge of youth unemployment, there is no gainsaying that ICT can be used for job creation to reduce unemployment.

As a polytechnic, therefore, we decided that as part of our mandate, we were going to provide hands-on skills training to our students and further expose them to the opportunities that practical ICT offers with its associated future promises.

In order to effectively achieve this goal, we decided that there was the need to bring home the best expertise from around the world to offer this practical-oriented training and skills to our students. The main objective therefore, is skill and technology transfer.

It should be stated that during the Rector's induction into office, he indicated to the whole world that the Polytechnic should be assembling computers by the end of his tenure.

Unknown to the Rector, there were some members of staff who were suppliers of most of the Polytechnic's purchases including computers and laptops.

These people saw the assembling of the computers by the Polytechnic as a threat to their business. Consequently, they never saw anything good about the computer project right from the beginning.

Their actions resulted in the atmosphere of uneasiness on the campus of Kumasi Polytechnic, which your paper alluded to. It could, therefore, be surmised that the disquiet is not a current phenomenon. It has been there right from the beginning of the project.

However, it is gratifying to note that the majority of staff acknowledge and appreciate the potential the assembling plant has on teaching and learning and the potential for job creation.

Kumasi Polytechnic entered into a joint venture agreement with a Chinese-owned Ghanaian registered company, Song Tech Electronic Company Limited and created a company  K-PST Electronics Company Limited  as the standard practice globally is, to assemble, among others:

Mobile Phones and Mobile Tablets Computers;

Laptops and Desktop Computers;

Flat Screen Televisions;

Digital Radios;

Solar Lightings and Energy Products; and

Related Products and Services.

Operations of K-PST

This company is independent of the Polytechnic with its own Board of Directors, management and staff. It is chaired by Song Tech which has a representation of five (5) members while Kumasi Polytechnic has four (4) members.

They take their own decisions and are not subjected to the control of the Management or the Council of the Polytechnic.

The company, therefore, takes its own decisions on the quantity, prices, sales strategy and so on of their products and therefore has not set up any 2,000 computers to be assembled locally for the company. The company is expected to operate continuously forever.

So, as long as the company continues to operate, students will benefit from its operations by way of training and attachments as well as job opportunities. Again, K-PST is not expecting any extra 1,000 supplies from anybody as part of any initial supply. Whatever order of the raw materials K-PST paid for has all been supplied in full.

It is also NOT true that the travelling expenses of Chinese workers, who were brought into the country to assist in the assembling of the goods were borne by Kumasi Polytechnic.

As of now, Kumasi Polytechnic has not contributed a pesewa towards the travelling cost of these Chinese workers to and from China and their upkeep while in Ghana.

Kumasi Polytechnic bought 400 pieces of the desktop computers and 100 laptops and distributed them among the staff and various departments of the Institution. It is however, NOT true that the amount realised was handed over to the Chinese partner. This is not only laughable but also preposterous.

How could Kumasi Polytechnic have been so naive to hand over such a cheque to a partner when there is the company's bank account! This can easily be verified at Ecobank, Stadium branch in Kumasi.

Your paper made reference to a discrepancy in a contract that auditors have uncovered but it did not state what contract it was. There is no such contract with any discrepancy which will require the sinking of GH1.0 million.

Letters of Credit

Unfortunately, The Chronicle seems not to understand or appreciate how Letters of Credit work. We actually used the Letters of Credit to buy the raw materials from China before they arrived in Ghana.

Letters of Credit are not used to clear goods from the port as the paper seems to erroneously portray. It is simply not done anywhere in the world!

They are rather used to buy goods from another country to enable the importer to inspect the goods and satisfy himself or herself before confirmation is given to a person's bankers to pay the supplier for the goods supplied.

SPECULATIONS

According to the publication, when the reporter pushed for more answers from anonymous sources within the Polytechnic, he had another version of the story. Unfortunately, the version turned the entire history upside down.

According to that source, the Chinese partner, having allegedly manufactured shoddy products which could not survive the Chinese market, turned to the Ghanaian market to dispose of the products.

Your paper again alleged that the Chinese partner then disassembled all the products into accessories and got Kumasi Polytechnic to fund the shipment to the country.

Then, the K-PST was formed as a proxy entity to facilitate the deal which included raising of funds to clear the goods and subsequently market them.

This is blatantly and palpably inaccurate. It is really not surprising that your paper captioned it Speculation. As for speculations, that is what they are  misrepresentations.

The Polytechnic was looking for a partner to assemble computers. A former student of mine called to tell me that he had a Chinese friend who wanted to supply computers to the Polytechnic.

I, therefore, asked him to talk to the ICT Director. The ICT Director after meeting them told me that the company had indicated that they had the technology and capacity to assemble computers. He arranged for a meeting and we subsequently had a discussion on it at the management level.

A team of Polytechnic officers was assembled to conduct due diligence on the envisaged project, and returned with a favorable report.

The Management's decision was then sent to the Polytechnic Governing Council, which also after a careful consideration, bought into the idea.

The Council then asked the Polytechnic Legal Unit to prepare a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between Kumasi Polytechnic and the Chinese-owned Ghanaian registered company, Song Tech Electronic Company Limited that established K-PST Electronic Company Limited.

The Polytechnic owns 40% of the shares of the Company while Song Tech, owns the rest of the 60% shares. This JVA was subsequently signed by the two parties.

This was in January 13, 2012 and the arrangement to buy the items was in 2014. Your paper concluded the publication by indicating that there is another scam in the offing. There is no scam going on.

Board Room Challenges

Kumasi Polytechnic is obviously going through board room challenges with its Chinese partner, but these challenges are in the process of being resolved.

Some of these challenges can be attributed to differences in language, culture and the general attitude to things.

We have already engaged our partners in resolving those differences. The public can be assured that the Polytechnic will take the best decisions that will ensure that the dream and the broad vision is sustained in one way or another for the benefit of all our stakeholders.

Conclusion

As an institution, we subject every transaction to thorough due diligence from in-house, and where appropriate, from expert outside the Polytechnic.

We also engage other relevant public institutions as the need may arise. We want to reiterate that Management will continue to do things in the best interest of the Institution.
15.08.2016 LISTEN

From Richard Owusu-Akyaw, Ejura

The Executive President of Ghana Baptist Convention (GBC), Rev. Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi has criticized the award of honorary doctorate degrees to Ghanaians.

According to him, the practice is becoming a national epidemic in Ghana, particularly when such honorary doctorate degrees appear to be on sale.

Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi's concern is premised on a recent article from a research, which cited that over 30 Ghanaians have been awarded degrees from institutions with questionable backgrounds over the past three years.

The Baptist Convention boss, who was addressing the 53rd Annual Session of the Ghana Baptist Convention at Ejura in Ashanti last week Thursday, said the development was worrying and urged GBC ministers to be cautious about the proliferation of doctorate degrees and their usage.

The theme for the session was: Harvest time today: Achieving the Great Commission through Human Resource Development.

He congratulated Baptist ministers who have received honorary doctorate degrees and reminded them that, by convention, recipients of honorary doctorate degrees do not use the title 'Dr' in general correspondence except where the awarding institution addresses the recipient.

I will, therefore, like our Convention members to take note of this and observe it accordingly, he advised.

Rev. Dr Adu-Gyamfi, however, encouraged Baptist Convention pastors, staff and all members to pursue higher academic excellence, admonishing them to pursue real academic studies to enable them walk bare-chested as recipients of accredited earned degrees.

Updating the conference on the progress of the church, Rev. Adu-Gyamfi revealed that in the year 2013, they approved a new constitution to change the structure of the Ghana Baptist Convention by adopting the Executive Presidency system.

According to him, the agreed criteria for the position of the converted Executive President of the Convention included a minimum qualification of Master's level of education (MTh, MDiv, MA or its equivalent).

The recruiting process began in late 2013 and the implementation of the new structure began in January 2014. GBC President noted that this criteria and process was adopted and implemented without critically examining the status of the human resource capital available in the Convention at that time and for the future.

He disclosed that the Convention had provided motorbikes and bicycles for some of the pastors in the rural areas.

We have bought lands and supported some churches to do same. We have paid fully and acquired the Baptist Guest House in Accra, he said and added that, the Convention also purchased a house in Hohoe as a permanent accommodation for the Home Missionary in the Volta Region.

He also said the Convention had drilled three bore holes within the last few weeks at the Baptist Women's Retreat Centre at Ejura to take care of water needs adding that:

We have also added four brand new vehicles to the fleet of our Convention. Three of these vehicles came as individual donations and the other through special presidential fundraising activities.

He disclosed that the first phase of our hospital in Nzelezue in the Nzema area is almost completed and that between now and the end of 2017, the Baptist Health service hopes to add nine medical facilities to Service.

Convention President Adu-Gyamfi continued that the North American Baptist Association of the Ghana Baptist Convention (NABA) provided $15,000 as deposit for a brand new Mitsubishi Pick-up truck for the Children's Department and the donors to pay up the difference of the total cost of the vehicle which stands at $33,000.00 within six months.

The Guest Speaker, Prof Stephen Adei, noted that many people are going for wrong PhD titles because they think they need something to appear bigger, only to realize these titles are not genuine.

He cautioned that God's children cannot be part of this craze, saying if you have Christ, it is enough. He said the set standard that one must have a master's degree before one can aspire to be an executive president of the Convention is not proper.

According to him, a proper bachelor's degree is enough, but it would be wrong to require a master's degree before one can become an executive President of GBC.
Gay rights supporters in Dublin. GETTYIMAGES

Gibraltar took a decisive step toward recognizing same-sex marriage on Monday when its government announced a draft bill to modify the British Overseas Territorys Civil Marriage Act. The bill will now go before parliament, which will approve the change to the law in six-weeks, as required by the Constitution.

The draft bill follows a popular consultation carried out in December 2015, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party and Liberal coalition on the issue of same-sex marriage.

After the community showed its overwhelming support, the date for the consultation was extended to allow more people to participate, says a source in the Gibraltar administration. So far, some 3,490 people have responded to the consultation, out of a total electorate of 24,117.

The draft bill to change the Civil Marriage Act to give people of the same sex the same matrimonial rights as heterosexual couples

The draft bill was due to be presented in June, but the UKs decision to leave the EU, as well as the electorates interest in the issue, delayed the governments decision.

Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that the consultation process revealed that Gibraltarians are polarized on the issue of same-sex marriage. Both sides believe they are right and that the government must support their stance immediately. This delicate issue was so important that I decided to preside over an inter-ministerial committee with the goal of giving careful consideration to all points of view. We have not taken this issue lightly and we have given it the respect it deserves, he added.

The draft bill to change the Civil Marriage Act to give people of the same sex the same matrimonial rights as heterosexual couples. This was one of the key issues for the Equality Rights Group, which has been fighting for the rights of the LGBT community in Gibraltar.

It has come very late, there has been a lot of maneuvering, but its arrived and were grateful, said Felix Alvarez, president of Gibraltar LGBT.

Alvarez says he will now study the draft bill closely. We dont want a legalized apartheid; we want gay rights to be fully incorporated ino the Marriage Act.

Gibraltars opposition Social Democrats said in January it would support legislation in favor of same sex marriage. GSD Daniel Feetham said his party would continue its long-standing policy of allowing members of Parliament a free vote on matters of conscience and that he would defend the right of its members to their own individual opinion. Marriage, he said, is a very important institution 'that binds people who love each other together' and all GSD MPs are in favour of the state opening this up to same sex couples.

Sign up for our newsletter EL PAIS English Edition has launched a weekly newsletter. Sign up today to receive a selection of our best stories in your inbox every Saturday morning. For full details about how to subscribe, click here

Gibraltar has autonomy over its laws except for foreign policy and defense. The Rocks decision to modify the Marriage Act comes three years after the United Kingdom approved same-sex marriage in 2013. Until 2010, it was not possible for same-sex couples to live in council-owned property.

Spain introduced same sex-marriage in 2005.

Alavarez says that Gibraltars delays in recognizing gay rights is in part due to historical reasons. The closed border with Spain during the Franco years perhaps closed us off to the advances being made in the rest of Europe, he said.

In 2014, Gibraltar allowed same-sex civil partnerships, but that do not provide couples with the same rights as under marriage.

English version by Nick Lyne.
15.08.2016 LISTEN

From Naabenyin Joojo Amissah, Cape Coast

The internal economy of Cape Coast experienced an incredible high growth over the weekend, following the official launch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC's) 2016 electioneering campaign in the ancient city.

Every economic activity in city was at its peak, a result of thousands of NDC followers who travelled from all corners of the country to partake in the event.

The major streets of Cape Coast were adorned with the colours of the umbrella party, as their paraphernalia and flags were seen flying in every corner of the city.

Transport owners in Cape Coast also benefited immensely from the launch. To some, they wished the event could be organised annually, to enable them to enjoy a harvest season.

Their cars were hired by the party to convey supporters from the various districts to the venue. This, some of them said, put money in their pockets.

Taxi drivers who ply their trade within the Cape Coast Metropolis and Elmina also had a bumper harvest. Their businesses blossomed before, during, and after the launch.

Judging from the fact that there are no 'trotro' mummy truck services in the Metropolis, the business of the day fell to the numerous taxi drivers in the town.

The main business centred on taking commuters to and from their various hotels and guest houses. In an interview with The Chronicle, Egya Mensah, a taxi driver from Elmina, explained how he and some other colleagues had cashed in on the event.

Master, now it is good for us. Since Friday, when the people started coming, my sales have increased drastically. I had GH150 after my fuel cost had been deducted, as sales for the day, he explained.

Neizer Eshun, a taxi driver within the Cape Coast Metropolis, also said he made G H200 on Saturday, a day before the event.

HOTELS AND GUEST HOUSES WERE FULL

Information gathered from some hotels in Cape Coast, Elmina, Jukwa and other nearby places, revealed that rooms were booked ahead of the event by party faithful.

Both Ga and Fante kenkey, as well as fried and smoked fish, sellers were on top of their business, and made a lot of gains through the selling of their stuff.

Following the launch, new joints for selling of waakye and fried rice in town were erected, particularly around the new Cape Coast Stadium, where the event was held.

For chop bar operators, sachet water sellers and yoghurt sellers, the least said about them the better. Most of them witnessed massive increments in their sales.

Some drinking bars around Bakaano, where a street jam was held to herald the launch, did not close, as people partied till the next morning.

Fuel stations in town were not left out on the bumper harvest, as their pump attendants were seen busily serving customers.
 Nana Addo Assures Zongo Community

The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is assuring residents of Zongo communities across the country that his proposed Zongo Development Fund, aimed at enhancing infrastructural development in Zongo communities and improving the lives of their residents, will be an item in the 2017 budget, God-willing, when he wins the December 7 elections.

According to him, the Zongo Development Fund, which he first announced in the 2012 campaign, forms part of a holistic policy approach aimed at tackling the deprived nature of the Zongos, something which has never been done in Ghana's history.

The disbursement of the fund, Nana Akufo-Addo added, will be done in consultation with the Chiefs and leaders of Zongo communities across the country to ensure it goes directly to the heart of addressing the developmental needs of Zongos.

The NPP flagbearer was not surprised, therefore, that ruling NDC government had, once again, embarked on an aggressive campaign to discredit this policy, just as the party did when the NPP proposed the setting up of the Northern Development Authority and the Free SHS policy, in 2008 and in 2012 respectively.

In this regard, Nana Akufo-Addo urged the gathering present not to pay heed to the NDC, stressing that they had shown over their 8 years in office to have no plans or policies for the development of the country.

Nana Akufo-Addo made this known on Sunday, August 14, 2016, when he addressed the Council of Zongo Chiefs and Imams, as part of his tour of the constituency.

Reintroduction of Arabic Tutors' Allowance

The NPP flagbearer recounted how, under the Presidency of John Agyekum Kufuor, monthly allowances for Arabic tutors were paid. However, these allowances, he noted, have been cancelled by President Mahama, under the guise of 'there is no money'.

Nana Akufo-Addo assured the Sarkin Zongo, Alhaji Ali Arizikiya, and the Municipal Chief Imam, Alhaji Mohammed Umar Cisse, that when I am given the opportunity to serve the nation, I will reintroduce the allowances paid to Arabic tutors.

Additionally, he stated that the NPP's policy is to integrate Arabic schools into the Ghana Education Service, so that whatever assistance is given to non-Arabic schools will be given to Arabic schools. This will ensure the rapid upgrading and development of Arabic Schools.

Nana Akufo-Addo also pledged the assistance of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) towards the improvement of facilities in Arabic schools.

De-politicisation of Hajj

Responding to claims made by Mallam Somed, spokesperson for the Council of Zongo Chiefs and Imams, to the effect that there is discrimination by government in the selection of pilgrims to Hajj, the NPP flagbearer explained that this was bound to occur as the Hajj Board is heavily politicized.

Nana Akufo-Addo assured that his government will reconstitute the Board, and ensure that only persons, who are neither NPP nor NDC, with the requisite expertise and knowledge in matters of the pilgrimage to Mecca, are selected.

This will ensure that Moslems from all parts of the country are afforded the opportunity to fulfill this pillar of Islam. This is the best arrangement that we can have  an independent, non-partisan Hajj Board that will ensure that all Muslims in every part of the country have an opportunity to go to Mecca, he added.
By Emmanuel Akli

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Mr. Alex Mould, has noted that the petroleum agreement Ghana has entered into with its Tweneboah, Enyenra and Ntomme (TEN) partners is one of the best in the industry.

GNPC currently holds 15% shares in the field on behalf of the government and people of Ghana, with the remaining 85% being shared among Tullow-47.185%, Kosmos Energy-17%, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation-17%, and PetroSA-3.815%.

Some industry players are, however, arguing that Ghana's shareholding could have been better than the mere 15% being held by the GNPC, since the commodity has been struck in commercial quantities in Ghanaian territorial waters.

But, speaking at a media engagement prior to the pouring of the first oil from the TEN fields in a few days time, Mr. Mould noted that Ghana's share would have been higher than the current 15%, if she had also taken the risk to invest in the exploration activities, as done by the other partners.

Available records show that the TEN partners have so far invested a whopping $4 billion from the exploration up to the current level, where the first oil is about to be poured from the 300 million barrels deposits (80 oil and 20% gas) that has been discovered.

If the partners had failed to strike the precious commodity, these huge investments would have gone waste, resulting in a big loss to the investors. But since the Ghana of government did not take part in the risk, it would not have been called upon for any debt repayment.

The GNPC CEO told the journalists that Ghana could have also gone to the capital market to borrow to invest in the exploration, but that decision was not taken, because of the risk involved.

According to him, apart from the taxes on profits, royalties and others that would accrue to the State of Ghana, overall proceeds could also go up beyond the current threshold if the partners are able to recoup their investment.

He, therefore, advised Ghanaians to look at the overall economic benefit that would accrue to the nation in the long term, instead of dwelling on the 15% shares.

The Chronicle understands that, depending on the crude oil prices, if the partners are able to recoup beyond a certain threshold of their investment per year, the government of Ghana would be entitled to part of the profit.

This means that the interest would go beyond the current 15% shares. Mr Mould also touched on why the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is not refining crude from the jubilee partners.

According to him, TOR has the capability to refine sweet crude oil from the Jubilee fields, and what is preventing them is financing.

He said if TOR has the capacity to raise letters of credit, the jubilee partners would be obliged to sell the commodity to them under the terms and conditions they sell the crude at the international market.

The TEN partners signed a development agreement with the government in May 2013, and have so far drilled 24 wells, out of which they are currently working in 10.

The field has capacity of 80,000 barrels per day when production reaches its peak. It also has an overall oil deposit of 300 million barrels, which could be mined for the next 20 years.

FPSO Atta Mills, which is to be used for the storage and production process, has already arrived in the country. It has capacity to accommodate approximately 120 workers, with a size of 350m long and 56m wide.

Meanwhile, the CEO of the Petroleum Commission, Mr. Theophilus Ahwireng, has disclosed that judgment regarding the dispute surrounding the TEN fields would be delivered in the middle of next year.

According to him, the Attorney General has furnished the international court handling the case her submissions. Ivory Coast dragged the government to the international court claiming ownership of the field, after billions of dollars had been sunk into its development.
15.08.2016 LISTEN

By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA

Cape Coast, Aug. 15, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is targeting a two-thirds majority in the next Parliament after the December 2016 general election.

Mr Alban Sumani Bagbin, the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West Constituency and Majority Leader in Parliament, who made this known at the National Campaign Launch of the NDC in Cape Coast, said the target was to prevent the pain and waste occasioned by decisions of Parliament.

The launch of the Campaign on the theme: "Changing Lives, Transforming Ghana," was attended by party bigwigs, ministers of state, Council of State members, chief executives of the various districts, municipal and metropolitan assemblies, party faithful and supporters who cheered and cheered amidst slogans.

He said the NDC having a two-thirds majority in Parliament would help improve democratic development and progress of the country.

According to him, the NDC had a solid, credible and realistic campaign message and that they were poised for victory come December 2016 but cautioned against complacency.

Mr Bagbin was convinced that the foundation laid by the Founder of the party, President Jerry John Rawlings, and continued by late President Mills and now being championed by President John Dramani Mahama would give the party nothing but victory.

Former President Rawlings said the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) could not be underestimated in the upcoming elections and entreated party faithful to recognise the task ahead and work harder towards it.

He said the NPP by their character and what they stood for was better off in opposition but could pull surprises if the NDC remained complacent.

Former President Rawlings, therefore, advised the NDC not to allow undue provocations to create undue tension among them and carry their campaign message responsibly to ensure clear, stable and peaceful elections.

He urged them not to mimic the character and behaviour of the NPP but lead the principles and values of the circumstances that gave birth to the NDC.

This, when done, would ultimately make them stronger and difficult to defeat and remain in power for a longer period, he said.

Mr Kofi Adams, the National Organiser and Campaign Coordinator of the NDC, said the NPP flag bearer, Nana Akufo Addo, had failed his primary test of leading his party and for that matter did not deserved to be given the nod as president to mismanage the affairs of the country.

He said: 'The NPP is a party specialised in confusion, lies, riots, and deception. And Ghanaians would make a big mistake if they vote for Akufo Addo and the NPP.'

Mr Adams said unlike the NPP, the NDC was a formidable and united party that accepted all divergent views and opinions from all and sundry.

He said President Mahama and the NDC was happy with the achievement chalked so far in the areas of education, health, job creation and infrastructure adding that the achievement of the NPP's eight years in government could not be compared to the achievement of the current Government.

Mr Adams said he was optimistic that the direction and purpose of the leadership of President Mahama would make him victorious in the December polls.

Other speakers who took turns to address the enthusiastic party faithful who sung and cheered to declare their unwavering support for the party had their messages centered on the developmental projects being undertaken across the country and the track record of the NDC.

Key among the projects, they said, were the Cape Coast Stadium, the very venue where the programme was held, the Kotokuraba Market, Komenda Sugar Factory, and Elmina Fish Processing Factory all in the Central Region. GNA
15.08.2016 LISTEN

Koforidua (E/R), Aug 15, GNA - The Anglican Bishop of Koforidua, the Right Reverend Francis Benjamin Quashie, has asked voters to be guided by their conscience in the choice they make at the coming polls.

He said it was important to critically examine the election message of the various political parties and to judge correctly.

They should convince themselves that leaders elected were selfless, competent and genuinely committed to the promotion of the socio-economic progress of the country, he added.

Bishop Quashie said this when he spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on the sidelines of 12th diocesan synod of the church in Koforidua.

'Servant leaders: a key ingredient of transformational leadership' was the theme for the event.

He said Ghanaians should avoid the mistake of voting in any self-seekers - people interested only in themselves, their cronies and party members but not the common good of the population.

He noted that the nation had been blessed with enormous resources and said what was preventing the people from enjoying optimal benefits from these resources was bad leadership, the mistake of making it easy for the wrong people to find themselves into leadership positions.

He reminded everybody to act responsibly to make the election peaceful and successful.

Mrs. Mavis Ama Frimpong Gati, the Eastern Regional Minister, who was on hand to open the conference, appealed to the church to use its tremendous influence with the people to get everybody to denounce political violence.

Faith leaders should use every opportunity to talk people out of intolerance and inflammatory rhetoric.

She hailed the Anglican Church for its vital contribution to the development of the country and asked that its strong partnership with the state to bring progress to the people was sustained.

GNA

By Benjamin Akoto, GNA
Yekaterinburg, Russia, ACCRA, Aug. 15, (dpa/GNA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday rejected his German counterpart's call for a ceasefire longer than the current three hours daily to allow humanitarian aid into the Syrian city of Aleppo.

Partially agreeing with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Lavrov acknowledged that "a pause of three hours per day is insufficient."

However, he also told reporters that "for this to be prolonged, it is necessary to resolve issues in the fight against the terrorists."

"A result of the pause has been a slight improvement of the humanitarian situation," Lavrov said in comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS. "But the main result has been terrorists replenishing their numbers by 7,000 people, not to mention a large quantity of guns and munitions."

Steinmeier had called on Russia to lay down its weapons to allow humanitarian aid to reach the embattled city in northern Syria.

"I think the weapons must be silent so that people can be supplied with basic necessities," Steinmeier said in Yekaterinburg, Russia's fourth-largest city.

"The humanitarian situation in Aleppo is catastrophic. This cannot and must not continue," Steinmeier said. "Three hours a day is not enough."

Fighting between Syrian government forces and the rebels first broke out in mid-2012 in Aleppo. After regime forces captured the last rebel supply route into the east last month, the UN warned that food supplies there would last only until mid-August.

Russia, a key ally of the Syrian government, last week announced three-hour humanitarian pauses over three days to allow aid into Aleppo. But the UN said the move was inadequate.

Both Steinmeier and Lavrov acknowledged that diplomatic ties between Germany and Russia were currently strained.

"I am convinced that the relationship will stabilize again sooner or later," Lavrov said, adding that Germany was a strategically important partner for Russia.

The countries have clashed repeatedly over Russian involvement in Syria and its role in secessionist fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"Russian-German relations are currently going through a difficult period," Lavrov said.

"I think this is the most difficult period since Germany's reunification, which occurred with an active and decisive role by our country [the Soviet Union]."

GNA
Beirut, ACCRA. Aug. 15, (dpa/GNA) - At least 32 Syrian rebels were killed in a suicide attack late Sunday at a border crossing with Turkey, a monitoring group said.

A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt inside a bus carrying rebels from Turkey into Syria through the Atmeh border crossing some 40 kilometres west of Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

There were conflicting reports on the exact location of the attack. The Britain-based monitoring group said it took place on the Turkish side of the crossing and at least two Turkish border guards were also killed.

Turkish news agency DHA reported that the blast took place on the Syrian side and did not mention any casualties among Turkish personnel.

Syrian opposition outlet Orient News, quoting local activists, said the attack occurred outside a refugee camp on the Syrian side of the border.

The rebels hit in the blast were rotating back into Syria to replace fighters returning from action, the Observatory said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The Islamic State extremist group has repeatedly carried out suicide attacks on Syrian rebel groups.

Since the Syrian uprising started in 2011 the Syrian government has accused Turkey of using its border to facilitate the flow of rebel fighters into Syria.

The pro-opposition Observatory, which is based in Britain, has previously reported transfers of rebels from western Aleppo province and neighbouring Idlib province to rebel-held areas north of Aleppo via Turkish territory.

Rebels from Jaish al-Fath, a coalition dominated by hardline Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham and former al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, control most of the territory on the Syrian side of the border.

GNA
TUSCALOOSA, Ala., ACCRA, Aug. 15 (UPI/GNA) - Six people died when a small plane crashed in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., Northport Fire officials said.

The three married couples were on their way to Oxford, Miss., after a dentistry conference in Florida when the plane experienced engine trouble and crashed in a field near Tuscloosa Regional Airport.

The pilot sent out a distress signal moment before the crash, officials said.

Dentists Jason and Lea Farese; fellow dentist Austin Poole and his wife Angie; periodontist Michael Perry, and Kimberly Perry, a nurse were all killed in the crash.

Federal Aviation Administration were at the scene Sunday, with National Transportation Safety Board officials due to arrive on Monday.

GNA
By Laudia Sawer, GNA

Tema, Aug 15, GNA - Thirty-six out of the 153 deleted names of voters who registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the Kpone-Katamaso District re-registered during the special registration exercise.

Mrs Doris Agbezuhlor, Kpone-Katamanso District Electoral Officer told the Ghana News Agency that during the first phase, 31 of such voters re-registered while five took advantage of the one week extension to re-register.

Mrs Agbezuhlor said 24,257 registrants verified their data during the recently held voter register exhibition exercise.

She noted that the provisional register for the Kpone-Katamanso constituency has a total of 92,016 names.

She stated that during the exercise, about 30 people could not be verified by the Biometric Verification Device (BVD) due to some problems with their fingers.

Their detail, she said, have been recorded in the BED and a report forwarded to the EC head office for redress.

Mrs Agbezuhlor announced that the EC would be embarking on continuous registration from August 19 to August 26 this year at the Tema Metropolitan office of the EC.

She however cautioned registered voters not to participate in the upcoming event as doing so would amount to double registration.

GNA
15.08.2016 LISTEN

By Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA

Kumasi, Aug 15, GNA - The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, has encouraged the church to deepen its cooperation with the government in the fight to overcome poverty and other indignities.

He said it was critical to work together - complemented each other's effort to bring development, transform and help everybody to live in human dignity.

He was addressing the biennial national council meeting of the Boys Brigade of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana (PCG) in Kumasi.

'Do not love the world or things in the world' was the theme chosen for the three-day event.

Mr. Ackon indicated that the church should not focus only on the spiritual growth of the people but become active in efforts at making sure that they had access to education, quality health, jobs, potable water and sanitation facilities.

He said the government alone could not provide for all the felt needs of the population and that was why the contribution of the church was important.

The meeting provided the platform for the brigade to review its performance and discuss the way forward.

The Boys' Brigade is one of the largest youth organizations in the PCG and has been at the forefront of efforts at promoting Christian values among young people.

It has been organizing mentorship and leadership training programs to groom them into responsible adults.

Mr. Ackon reminded the youth to desist from anything evil, immoral and likely to ruin their lives.

He counseled them to be patriotic, cherish hard work and to get involved in community service.

Mr. Kwamina Amponsa-Dadzie, National President of the Brigade, described as deeply worrying the growing indiscipline among the youth and said they were determined to strengthen the conversation with the young people to pull them back from the path to self-destruction.

They needed to be aided to avoid making wrong choices - decisions that would forever torment them, he added.

GNA
Trump supporters at a meeting in Connecticut. J. MOORE (AFP)

More information Los estadounidenses blancos que creen que todo tiempo pasado fue mejor

Donald Trump, the businessman turned politician who has broken the mold this election season, is working hard to garner support from a particular sector of the American population: white Christians who are losing their majority status, growing increasingly worried about the impact of immigration and who say they are now victims of discrimination and that their country has been on the decline since 1950.

Modern America does not reflect the place they grew up in, explains Robert P. Jones, author of The End of White Christian America and president of one of the main polling organizations in the United States. Jones says that the group, one of the voting blocs loyal to Republicans, lives in nostalgia and Trumps message to make America great again is directed at it.

According to Jones, that nostalgia is a reaction to immigration, the declining number of Americans who say they are affiliated with a religious institution  especially among Christians  and the fact that new generations are not upholding those same practices.

The notion that the US is no longer the country they grew up in is related to a decrease in the number of people who actively practice a faith

Americans are deeply divided over the issue of whether the United States has improved or deteriorated since the 1950s. Public opinion generally falls into one of two camps but most white working class Americans, especially among Republicans, lean toward deterioration. According to Jones Public Religion Research Institute (PPRI), 62% of working class Americans and 70% of evangelical Protestants say the country has experienced a period of decline over the last six deades. That percentage is even higher among Republicans and Trump supporters: 68% of them believe life in the United States has gotten worse. By contrast, 66% of Democrats say it has gotten better.

Over the last few months, the Republican candidate has been forced to distance himself from white supremacist and nationalist groups who endorsed him including the president of the American Nazi Party. Experts say that Trump uses slogans that appeal to voters who are worried about immigration, demographic changes and who consider themselves victims of reverse discrimination. Americans are divided into those who believe that discrimination against whites is as serious a problem as prejudice against African Americans and other minorities and those who do not. Some 66% of white working class voters and 57% of whites in general say they are treated unfairly.

The distance between these two sides grows even wider when political affiliations are taken into account: 6 out of 10 Republicans and three out of 10 Democrats say discrimination against whites has become as significant a problem as racism against African Americans.

Immigration, which has caused significant demographic changes in the United States over the last few decades, is one of the factors that worriesTrump supporters the most. Yet, according to PPRI, their concern is not based on changes in their own communities. They do not believe immigration has had the greatest impact at a local level but on society as a whole.

The last PPRI study on immigration found that 59% of Trump voters and 51% of Republicans (compared to 39 % of Americans in general) say immigrants are changing American society a lot. Only 27% of Democrats agree.

Trumps plan to build a wall along the US-Mexican border resonates with this group of voters. While 6 out 10 Americans and 77% of Democrats are against this proposal, two-thirds of Republicans and 82% of Trump voters support this controversial initiative aimed at cutting off illegal immigration.

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The notion that the United States is no longer the country they grew up in is also related to a decrease in the number of people who are affiliated to a religious institution or actively practice a faith. Americans who are more than 70 years old make up a significant Republican voting block, a unique group who, in their majority, still consider themselves solid members of a religion. Church members among younger generations are in the minority in their age groups and declining. Just over one-third (37%) of millennials say they are solid in their religious faith.

During the presentation of his book in Washington, Jones examined the political consequences of this change, especially for the Republican Party: changes that were never made clearer than in the 2012 presidential election. White Christian voters represented 86% of the Republican base in 1992 and 80% in 2012. They made up 60% of Democrats in the 1990s but dwindled down to 37% by the last presidential election. That decline, however, did not keep President Barack Obama from winning the election. He received ample support from minorities and young voters, sectors of the electorate Republicans still find impossible to seduce and that Trump seems to have given up for lost.

English version by Dyane Jean-Francois.
Cairo (AFP) - Seventeen people were killed on Monday when two buses collided north of Cairo, the Egyptian health ministry said in a statement.

Another 16 people were injured in the accident, including three who needed to be transported to intensive care.

The collision took place about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, in Daqahliya province.

Traffic accidents are common in Egypt, where many of the country's roads are not well-maintained and regulations are laxly enforced.

Some 12,000 people die every year in road accidents in Egypt, according to World Health Organization figures from 2009.
Mobile telecoms giant MTN says the Bank of Ghana (BoG) should review the current the guidelines for Electronic Money Transaction only if it will drive the growth of the industry.

Some industry players have called for a review of the guidelines to effectively manage fraud and money laundering among others.

Speaking at this years MTN Mobile Money Month, General Manager in charge of Mobile Financial Service Eli Hini however, cautioned against any review that could stifle innovation in the industry.

"As we have tendered to work on these guidelines, we have, however, seen a lot of push backs and instead of allowing the guidelines to work there are already calls for a revision of the guidelines.

He is hopeful that the review will be done in a positive light as "because we believe that whatever we are seeking to do should make the guidelines better instead of stifling the opportunities and growth."

"All over the world, the service has service tend to thrive on innovations that provide a wide range of products and services that drive adoption. Innovation is at the forefront of service development and so it is important that whatever we do by way of regulation we take that into consideration," he noted.

This is to ensure that Ghana sees a thriving industry adding that, "we do not just want us to have enabling regulation but also have proper controls so that we can have the right level of compliance in the delivery of the service."

Group Head of Personal Banking at Access Bank Stephen Abban also asked banks to configure their ATMs to enable customers to deposit cash into their wallets as against the sole reliance on agents.

This years MTN Mobile Money Month was marked under the theme: Lets go Cashless with Mobile Money, Supported by an Enabling Regulatory Environment.

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com | Kuuku Abban | Joy Business
Addis Ababa (AFP) - A massive deployment of police in Ethiopia's restive Oromo and Amhara regions prevented fresh anti-government protests over the weekend, an opposition leader said Monday.

"The situation is very tense," said Beyene Petros, chairperson of MEDREK, an opposition coalition.

"The army, the federal police and plain clothes policemen are heavily deployed. They beat (the protesters). They chase them. They even go house to house threatening the parents."

Small-scale protests were however reported over the weekend in at least three locations in Amhara region in the north and one in the central Oromo region. Last week, simultaneous protests were held for the first time in Oromo and Amhara regions, home to Ethiopia's two biggest ethnic groups.

They were violently suppressed by security forces who opened fire on crowds in several places leaving at least a hundred dead, according to rights group Amnesty International.

Further rallies are expected in the coming days but the traditional, weak opposition parties claim to have little control over a protest movement they say is coordinated by youth activists using social media.

"People are coming out spontaneously. Political parties are bypassed," said Petros. "We're just watching and try to advise both sides so the damage will be minimised."

Ethiopian opposition parties have been decimated by the arrests of leaders and members in recent years, often under a broadly-applied anti-terrorism law.

The ruling EPRDF coalition -- in power for a quarter of a century -- won every parliamentary seat in last year's elections, triggering a wave of angry protests, according to Petros.

"This has enraged the population who has given up on EPRDF when it comes to bringing about a democratic system in this country," he said.

"We are challenging the ruling party to open the political space."
Lawyer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Godfred Dame has said the Supreme Court's verdict on the former National Chairman of the NPP, Paul Afoko's suit has vindicated the party.

Mr. Dame argues that the court's ruling shows that the NPP did no wrong by suspending Paul Afoko.

A Human Rights Court in Accra on Monday dismissed a suit filed by Paul Afoko challenging his suspension.

Mr. Afoko was suspended by the party's National Executive Committee for misconduct.

He subsequently filed a suit at the court , saying his suspension was illegal and a breach of the NPP constitution.

But delivering his judgment today[Monday], Justice Anthony Yeboah stated that Afoko's lawyers failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove their case that the procedure used to suspend Mr Afoko was unlawful and unfair.

Speaking to Journalists after the judgment, Godfred Dame described the suit as an unnecessary distraction.

I think this case was unnecessary distraction. It was clearly part of the efforts by some people to undermine the campaign..

He further emphasized the need for the party to be united ahead of the December polls, saying I don't think anybody at all can fight it. As I indicated today that there ought to be reconciliation.

Afoko considering appeal

Meanwhile Paul Afoko, has said he disagrees with the High Court's decision to dismiss his suit against the NPP.

Mr. Afoko has however said he has accepted the Court's decision.

A statement signed by the suspended NPP Chairman's Spokesperson, Nana Yaw Osei, indicated that Mr. Afoko's legal team was considering an appeal against the decision.

lawyers for Mr. Afoko will carefully study the judgment and launch an appeal against the decision at the appropriate time, the statement said.

It further urged party members to remain calm following the ruling and refrain from any unnecessary arguments but work to make the party supreme but not of personalities.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
Unfortunately, President Mahamas persistent cavorting and needless insinuations are really getting out of hands.

Apparently, President Mahama cavorted once again during the NDCs campaign launch in Cape Coast on Sunday 14 August 2016.

Strangely, President Mahama asserted that the opposition NPP Party has won an Olympic gold medal in insults. See: NPP has an Olympic gold medal in insults-Mahama; starrfmonline.com; ghanaweb.com, Sunday 14 August 2016.

President John Mahama has taken a swipe at the main opposition New Patriotic Party, claiming the party has won an Olympic gold medal in insults.

According to President Mahama, the party is quick to commend any member who is able to hurl insults at him and his administration.

I am afraid President Mahama is either being economical with the truth or just engaging in frivolous escapade in this instance.

Has the President withdrawn the appointment of John Oti Bless who needlessly castigated the Supreme Court Judges?

If he hasnt, does it mean that the President actually supports the needless insults on the eminent Supreme Court Judges?

And more so why was the President silent over the Montie three insults on the Supreme Court Judges during his speech?

Is the President oblivious to the naked insults by the three Montie boisterous brats on the eminent Supreme Court Judges?

Well, it appears that the President is bias. For he only hears the insults by his opponents, but not that of his appointees and party members. How bizarre?

Actually President Mahama has been creating a niche of sarcasm for himself over the years.

For example, last year, in one of his press conferences, President Mahama strangely tag the opposition NPPs press conference as rabbit.

President Mahama then went ahead frolicking by giving needless epithet to the acting chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay.

President Mahama sarcastically referred to the gentleman as OPANA, (literally means trouble maker).

, Apparently, it is on record that apart from the humongous corruption allegations that were bothering late President Mills, he was also worried about the persistent shenanigans of his appointees, including then Vice President, Mahama.

Sources have it that late President Mills (The Asomdwehene) did not appreciate Mahamas acerbic tongue.

According to the sources, late Mills was disgusted with his Vice Mahamas sheer impertinent boldness and the persistent monkeyshines.

And more so it was not only the late President Mills who was appalled about Mahamas relentless shenanigans, other decent people in NDC like Mr. Martin Amidu showed concerns as well.

For example, Mr. Amidu has revealed that in 2010, he told the late President Mills and the then Chief of Staff that if the late President could advise his appointees to reduce corruption, abuse of office and arrogance for the remaining two years, the NDC would win the 2012 elections hands down.

But unbeknownst to many Ghanaians, President Mahama can be pugnacious. Thus I find it really difficult to understand why he is being labelled with the appellations: Humble, respectful, peacemaker etc. I do not think President Mahama deserves those cognomens.

Well, the preceding assertion may seem disputatious to many of his apple-polishers, however President Mahamas recent condescending comments on Alhaji Dr Mahmoud Bawumia really exposed his hypocrisy.

In one of his recent changing lives speeches, President Mahama sarcastically suggested that Bawumia has not been a president before and therefore cannot impugn incompetence on his government.

President Mahama went ahead and uncharacteristically asserted that only our two former Presidents, Kuffour and Rawlings have the pedigree and therefore may criticise him.

Apparently, according to our Presidents logic, the rest of Ghanaians do not have the right to criticise him and his government because we have not sat on the presidential seat before.

Obviously, such thought process is extremely dangerous and undemocratic and does not fit the lips of a humble president.

I recall not long ago, President Mahama went to Kumasi and labelled the entire people of Ashanti region as ungrateful lots. He referred to Ashantis as ungrateful lots who would never even be content with gold plated roads. How bizarre?

As a matter of fact, it was ignoble on the part of a supposedly humble President to impugn that all Ashantis are unappreciative.

I recollect in one of the Parliamentary sittings, President Mahama had the cheek to insult Ashantis indiscriminately. He openly said: People of the Ashanti origin have problem with letters L&R. In other words, Mahama was implying that Ashantis cannot pronounce words that have letters L&R.

That was indeed an impertinent boldness from a supposedly submissive President! Do Ghanaians call such a bigot as humble and respectful?

Again, in the wake of the public discourse on the suitability of the proposed burial place of our departed president Mills, President Mahama incoherently stated that Ghanaians who took part in the debate both on radio, television and even in their private homes and work places engaged in a USELESS discourse.

That was uncharacteristic of a President who is being tagged as humble, respectful, God fearing etc.

With due respect, Mahamas ceaseless sarcasm is out of this world. He is simply not submissive.

As a matter of fact, President Mahama has an innate predilection for abusing those who show divergent views to his.

I recall during a debate on the STX Housing deal, President Mahama, then Vice President, abused our Members of parliament who opposed the deal.

He told them: BALONEY. In other words, President Mahama was implying that the Parliamentarians were engaging in foolish discourse. How bizarre? Humble indeed!

I also remember when the Attorney Generals office charged Kennedy Agyepong with Treason, Terrorism & genocide and former President Kuffuor humbly appealed for calm, and suggested that we should avoid killing a fly with a Sledge Hammer. President Mahama replied hastily and lividly: We will kill a fly with a Bulldozer.

Honestly speaking, that incoherent remark can only come from the lips of a bellicose, but it should never come from the lips of a supposedly submissive and peaceful President.

Again, during the Launch of the NDC governments Green Book volume 2, the then Vice President, Mahama, shamefully discriminated against visually impaired people indirectly.

President Mahama impolitely said: It is only those that are blind that do not see the good work of the NDC government.

Well, what can I say here; I am really struggling to find euphemistic language to condemn the preceding insolence. In fact, President Mahama was really indiscreet. With such a discriminatory statement coming from no lesser person than the President of the nation, I can daresay President Mahama is indeed naive. How on earth can a President, who is being tagged as humble, respectful and God fearing abuse disabled people in that way?

Actually, President Mahama comes across as an insolent person. Let us remind ourselves that we (Ghanaians) have been taught to respect the dead. So I was extremely befuddled when after the death of Professor Mills, I heard President Mahama impoliticly suggesting: God in his own wisdom has taken the old man, Professor Mills away to pave the way for youthful Mahama to take over the mantle. How bizarre?

Subsequent to that infamous declaration, President Mahama went to the Northern region and asserted that it was about time Northerners took over the mantle of Presidency, because they (Northerners) were fed up serving in the Vice Presidency post.

If that was the case, my question to President Mahama and his NDC apologists then is: For argument sake, if we still have Professor Mills around as President, and fed up Northerner Mahama as his Vice President, was he then going to resign from his post or depose the President anyway?

Fellow Ghanaians, we must not and cannot keep a President who is fond of talking plenty and delivering less; we rather need a President who would walk the talk.

K. Badu, UK.

References:

www.ghanaweb.com

www.starrfmonline.com

www.martinamidu.com
15.08.2016 LISTEN

This article seeks to narrate the 2012 elections based on the themes mentioned by representatives of the 8 political parties published in the Daily Graphic newspaper. It highlights the major threads some political parties preached prior to the elections.

Please refer to attached versions for a full display of graphics.

Daily publications from April 1st 2012 to November 30th 2012 in the Daily Graphic newspaper consisted of quotes from various politicians representing many of the political parties which joined the presidential race for the elections. Out of the many political parties in the race for the 2012 presidential seat, we observed 8 of them, namely; NDC, NPP, PPP, PNC, UFP, IPP, GCPP and CPP.

Coincidentally, there were 8 major themes identified that parties spoke about within this period in order to win as many votes from the citizenry; amongst which were- infrastructure, education, job creation, health, good governance, agriculture, corruption and energy.

Eight political parties, eight themes; one would assume that each party had at least one unique theme from the other, however it was not the case and the general trend follows the pattern listed above. With NDC and NPP repeatedly being quoted on similar topics; which we knew to be infrastructure for the NDC and education for the NPP, other political parties trailed along the lines but picked up some of these themes a bit too close to the elections. This was evident in the change in methodology of many parties, implying that parties began to speak of similar themes after a certain period- September to be specific.

As would be expected, the representatives who were most often heard of in the papers were that of the presidential and vice presidential candidates for all parties, as well as the spouses of each presidential candidate. Other than the presidential candidates, it was important for the citizenry to know that there were other people representing the parties. For that reason contesting members of parliaments and other members of various political parties spoke up and were published in the papers. The parties with more MPs had an advantage over those with fewer.

As would be expected, the MPs spoke about improving the main issues people had specific to their constituencies before speaking on general plans for the nation. With many people hoping to develop different areas, collaboration amongst majority is what brought about the good governance theme.

The media ensured that they published the parties major themes before publishing quotes that were related to general themes; this was evident in the transition from several themes to a stage where all the parties began to speak about similar themes such as corruption.

Good governance was a fairly common theme that appeared in the papers. Although it seemed quite simple, a phrase that was common among the parties was continuity of what previous governments had done. It entailed the continuation of projects which was going to ensure a better Ghana, as well as the extension of planning period for some of the long term goals set by not only the ruling party but by parties which ruled before. NPP, CPP and NDC were some parties who had this theme appear as part of their top 3 goals to ensure an improved Ghana for the citizenry. Parties that did not have a focus on continuity were criticized.

As every political party hoped to deliver good governance, many specified which aspects of the nation they truly wanted to influence given the opportunity to lead the country. According to quotes in the Daily Graphic, infrastructural development appeared to be the most prominent issue most of the political parties addressed.

The ruling party was cited over fifty times within the period of research for making promises and statements on the plans they had for various areas of the country with respect to the improvement of infrastructure. Other than the NDC, other parties highlighted the need to improve the number of schools, hospitals, roads and general improvements in a variety of transport services in the nation.

Out of 554 political publications in the Daily Graphic newspaper within the time frame of this research, the ruling government was published 176 times, leading with 32% in media appearances compared to the other 7 parties. With such strong media presence how could anyone ignore them? The incumbent NDC constantly updated the public on what they were doing and what they planned to do before the elections in December.

Consequently it gave them an edge over the other parties who had relatively less people representing them in government. With 8 main themes being spoken about prior to the elections, NDC decided to focus on infrastructure. This could have been as a result of the work they had already begun and the collaborations with other countries that were providing aid to Ghana with infrastructural development.

An example of such work was the deal with the Chinese government aiding the Winneba infrastructural development plans. John Mahama, who was the vice president as of 24th May stated that work on the landing site in the area [was] to be funded with $200 million from the $3 billion China development bank loan would commence soon.

This party only had the right to say this because they were in power. Such plans for the countrys development seemed appealing to the citizenry and this endeared them towards the NDC. The publication on the Chinese collaboration gave the NDC an advantage over the other parties, and they used it to their benefit.

Obviously the ruling party could not only focus on one theme and expect to capture majority of the votes. For that reason, a few months later, they switched focus to education, which was quite ironic because their main opponents, the NPP, had education as their main theme for the 2012 elections. This definitely did not exclude any other political party from focusing on this theme; however the strategy used was intriguing because of the sudden switch. Contrary to this, there were promising statements which seemed fairly realistic. More NDC politicians were becoming more gender specific in their hopes to contribute to educational reforms.

In Madame Helena Adjoa Otoos views the facilities for girls in boarding schools were inadequate and therefore could not meet the needs of the female students population. The less general publications being made addressed more specific needs of a demographic which impressed the citizenry at the time.

The NDC capitalized on being more specific with their promises so that they could target smaller groups, which would eventually create a larger pool of voters. With these two themes being the most spoken of by the party, they ensured that they put out their strongest points in the newspapers and did not overlook other important themes. They were frequently spotted for speaking of good governance, as well as health, job creation and agriculture in that order of frequent publications.

Although the NPP was prominent with their focus on educational plans, they failed to convince the citizenry and one would wonder why this was so. Even though we were all aware of the Free SHS scheme being preached, the NPP surprisingly did not have as strong a presence in the Daily Graphic newspaper with regards to their main campaign theme.

With only 48 quotes out of 132 from the NPP on education, compared to other parties figures for their major theme, that was not enough. Additionally, it became monotonous hearing the same topics from the same representatives and that could have contributed to the election results. Nevertheless, the parties promises were captivating to some of the populace, giving them hope of a brighter tomorrow. On countless occasions both the presidential and vice presidential candidates looked beyond providing free education for the knowledge gained; but also looked at the improvement of impoverished aspects of the nation.

The educational theme did not only look at expanding schools and providing teachers, but also focused on improving the qualities. According to Dr Bawumia education is the only credible way of transforming livelihoods and creating a decent life. Whereas this claim may have been subjective yet true, the focus of the quality and accessibility to education was convincing.

This emphasized that the NPP did not only want to provide a service to the citizenry, but also communicated the importance of improving the lives of the citizenry. The NPP just like all the other parties could not only focus on education or one theme as a matter of fact. Their second most spoken of theme was infrastructural development. By this time it was evident that the NPP and NDC were going after each other.

The other 6 political parties had similar plans for the nation. PPP made 22 appearances in the papers speaking on job creation; unfortunately this did not distinguish them out of the lot. In order not to appear biased, they made comments on the 8 themes. I must admit the strategy used by the PPP was impressive, within the period there were 101 stories from the PPP. It is fair to say that the PPP flag bearer, Paa Kwesi Nduom made at least one plan for the eight themes available in the paper. This may not have been much of a big deal to the other parties, however, it showed equality in the plans the party hoped to execute if they were elected.

As December 7th approached the parties began to speak of broader themes with very little depth. Knowing the state of the economy in that period with respect to our energy crises, many parties capitalized on how they could address the issue closer to the election. Additionally, corruption was another theme that came up quite frequently; assumptions being made would be that every party was trying to prove they were as transparent as possible with their plans for the betterment of the nation. One intriguing fact was the unfortunate non-debatable issue that the publications in the newspaper were not going to favour any political party more than the ruling government.

This created an imbalance in the appearances others had in the papers. The Daily Graphic was definitely trying to put out the most interesting stories which came from capturing the two most competitive parties- NPP and NDC. All in all, there was never going to be an equal opportunity for all the parties to present their plans for the country in the newspapers because of the priority given to others. Until other political parties are given equal attention by the media and citizenry, the balance in publication will continue to be a fantasy.

This narrative was written by Samantha Atta-Mensah, an intern with IMANI. The individual reports were compiled by Lawrinda Ewun-Tomah, an Independent Contractor
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, has described the fight for the Syrian city of Aleppo as one of the most devastating conflicts in modern times. Fighting has been intensifying during the past weeks with hundreds of people killed and untold numbers injured. Public services have all but broken down. Tens of thousands are trapped and without aid.

"No one and nowhere is safe. Shell-fire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear. Children have been traumatized. The scale of the suffering is immense. For 4 years, the people of Aleppo have been devastated by brutal war, and it is only getting worse for them. This is beyond doubt one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times," said Mr Maurer.

Tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and many others forced to leave temporary shelters they had been living in.

There has been massive damage to the city's infrastructure. With water and electricity supplies cut or severely reduced, the population is at risk from untreated and unsafe water. Humanitarian organizations, among others the ICRC and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, have begun trucking drinking water as an emergency measure.

"The human cost of the fighting in Aleppo is simply too high. We urge all parties to stop the destruction and indiscriminate attacks, and stop the killing. Parties involved in the fighting need to respect the basic rules of warfare, in order to prevent the loss of more innocent lives. Besides the direct threat posed by the fighting, the lack of essential services such as water and electricity, poses an immediate and dramatic risk for up to two million people, who have great difficulty in accessing basic medical care," said Mr Maurer.

The ICRC calls on all parties to allow humanitarian agencies to reach civilians in desperate need of help in all parts of the city, as well as in neighbouring rural areas. Regular humanitarian pauses are needed to allow in humanitarian aid and allow enough time to carry out repairs to essential services.
The suspended New Patriotic Party Chairman Paul Afoko has indicated that he will appeal the Accra Human Rights courts decision to uphold his suspension.

Mr Afoko in a statement said he respects the decision by the court but he disagrees with it.

The court, presided over by Anthony Yeboah dismissed the case filed by Mr. Afoko which sought to nullify his suspension by the opposition party.

The then chairman, together with two others, General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong, and second vice chairman Sammy Crabbe were all suspended by the National Executive Council of the party on the advice of the Disciplinary Committee.

They were deemed to have engaged in acts that were injurious to the party's electoral chances in 2016.

Afoko and Crabbe hurried to the court to challenge the party's decision which they described as unconstitutional. Crabbe's case had already been thrown out of the court.

Afoko in his writ objected to the inclusion of an MP, Gifty Kusi, who was included in the party's Disciplinary Committee.

He said the party's decision to suspend him was capricious, an assault on the democratic ethos of the party and wanted the court to reverse the decision.

Paul Afoko also wanted the court to declare as unconstitutional the appointment of Mr Freddie Blay as an acting chairman.

But the court in its ruling, Monday, dismissed all the reliefs sought by the disgruntled suspended chair.

Justice Anthony Yeboah ruled that the party did not err in asking Gifty Kusi to be part of the Disciplinary Committee and that the party did not break any of its laws in the suspension of Afoko.

The verdict has been welcomed by the NPP. Lawyer for the NPP, Godfred Dame hailed the ruling as a victory for democracy.

He said it is time for the party to focus its attention on supporting the party's flagbearer for victory in the 2016 election.

"All these unnecessary bickering, infighting and distractions by the filing of frivolous actions like these does not help," he said.

He quoted the judge as saying political parties must count on the faithfulness and loyalty of its members and urged the party's suspended chair to reconcile with the party.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com|Nathan Gadugah
The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has welcomed the ruling of the Court that upheld its suspension of the party's National Chairman, Paul Afoko, as lawful, saying it gingers them to pursue their 'change' agenda.

The party however says the ruling is neither a defeat nor a win for both parties, and urged members not to necessarily jubilate, but to revitalize themselves and work hard to return the party to power in the December polls.

A Human Rights Court in Accra on Monday dismissed the suit filed by Paul Afoko challenging his suspension.

Mr. Afoko was suspended by the party's National Executive Committee for misconduct. He subsequently filed a suit at the court, saying his suspension was illegal and a breach of the NPP constitution.

But delivering his judgment today [Monday], Justice Anthony Yeboah stated that Afoko's lawyers failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove their case that the procedure used to suspend Mr Afoko was unlawful and unfair.

The party in a statement signed by acting General Secretary, John Boadu said To our members, let us see the decision of the Court not as an opportunity to jubilate, but rather as another reason to renew our faith in our cause and our commitment to getting all hands on deck. The overwhelming majority of Ghanaians are looking up to us and we will not let them down.

Below is the full statement

IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE!

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken keen note of the decision of the High Court in the case filed by Mr. Paul Afoko against his suspension as National Chairman of the party.

The High Court has held that the decision taken by the party was proper and in accordance with the Party's Constitution and the rule of law. This reaffirms the truism that the NPP is built and governed on the principles of rule of law and equality before the law. No member is above the Constitution of the Party. We are proud of these credentials. There are, however, no winners and losers in this case, as far as we are concerned.

The 2016 battle is about the people of Ghana. It is about the over 70% of Ghanaians worried about the dangerous direction President John Mahama is taking the country. It is about the over 70% of Ghanaians who believe that the President has failed to deliver. It is about his 27% approval rating.

It is about the killing high cost of living. It is about the President's incompetent management of the economy that continues to cripple businesses and cost jobs. It is about the failure, under his leadership, of the real sectors of the economy, industry and agriculture, to perform.

It is about the unprecedented levels of unemployment, especially amongst the youth. It is about the high cost of corruption to the situation of bad roads, lack of access to decent health, sanitation, and education.

It is about how insensitive President Mahama has been to the plight of ordinary Ghanaians. Above all, it is also about the formidable leadership and alternative policies that Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP have on offer to get the country working again for every Ghanaian, and not just a privileged few.

For us in the NPP, we are determined to rescue Ghana from the incompetence, corruption and insensitivity of President John Mahama and his NDC. We are united, disciplined, and focused on the 2016 campaign for CHANGE and equally confident of victory come December.

We are fortified by the strong, popular support being manifested towards our presidential candidate in his interactions with Ghanaians across the country.

To our members, let us see the decision of the Court not as an opportunity to jubilate, but rather as another reason to renew our faith in our cause and our commitment to getting all hands on deck. The overwhelming majority of Ghanaians are looking up to us and we will not let them down.

signed

John Boadu

General Secretary, Ag.



By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AfanyiDadzie
An Accra-based legal practitioner has filed a writ at the Supreme Court seeking to injunct the president from granting the Montie 3 pardon.

Elikplim L. Agbemava wants the Court to stop President John Mahama from considering a petition brought to him by lawyers of the two radio panelists and a show host.

The petitioners are asking the President to invoke his powers under Article 72 of the Constitution and grant Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, pardon.

The three are serving a four months prison sentence for contempt of court.

They had threatened to kill judges hearing a case brought by former PNC Youth Organiser Abu Ramadan and another, Evans Nimako.

The convicts believed the judges to be unduly entertaining the two and giving judgments against the Electoral Commission.

Convinced that the judges were motivated by partisan considerations, the three issued the threats on a political discussion programme on Accra-based Montie FM.

Unable to justify their comments, they pleaded guilty of charges of contempt brought against them Supreme Court.

They were convicted on their own pleas and sentenced to four months imprisonment and fined 10,000 Ghana cedis each.

Supporters of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and government appointees described the sentences as excessive and petitioned President Mahama to grant them pardon.

More soon...

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Malik Abass Daabu (Twitter @MalikDaabu)
A 16-year-old second-year student of Abuakwa State College diagnosed with a brain tumor is seeking help to raise 18,000 to go for surgery.

Blessed Amponsah Addo told Adom News he feels nauseating very often and over time he lost control of his left leg and arms.

Now I cant walk without being supported and I cant also read well so I have stopped schooling while my classmates are moving on to third-year, he said.

Doctors at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital wrote that Blessed was diagnosed with a brain tumor and they would need at least GHC18,000 to perform the procedure to restore his health.

Mr Addo said he had wanted to join the military but because of the scare from the brain tumor, he is now thinking of becoming a broadcaster when he gets well.

His dad, Kojo Addo, a barber by profession said he has spent the little savings he had in trying to get his sons health restored but to no avail.

So I am appealing to Ghanaians to please help us to save my sons life, he said.

Adom FM is, therefore, assisting in raising funds to help Mr Addo to undergo a surgery.

Donors can, therefore, use any of the follow options to send their financial contribution:

Bank transfers and deposits to JOY NEEDY FUND PROJECT, SG-SSB FANOFAA BRANCH  ACCOUNT NUMBER 0052010027306 MTN MOBILE MONEY  0244881036 Money Transfer to ELIZABETH YAA ASANTEWAA JOY FM FRONT DESK FOR CASH DONATIONS

Story by Ghana| Myjoyonline.com
Lusaka (AFP) - Zambia's newly re-elected president, Edgar Lungu, likes to portray himself as a man of the people, but observers see a sharp edge that he reserves for rivals and critics.

Lungu, 59, a trained military officer and lawyer, defeated his main opponent and erstwhile colleague Hakainde Hichilema by around 2.5 percent of the vote in a fiercely-fought contest.

The Patriotic Front leader cut his political teeth as a little-known lawmaker at the United Party for National Development (UPND), the party led by Hichilema. Lungu quit the UPND in 2001.

He came into power in 2015, after the death in office of his predecessor Michael Sata.

He has used his short stint in office to present himself as the rightful heir to Sata, who enjoyed widespread popularity. He describes himself as an "ordinary Zambian of humble beginnings."

"Although he has demonstrated some humbleness, he is not really liked across the country but remains popular within his party," said political analyst Oliver Saasa.

"Lungu is fairly harsh in dealing with those who appear to be against him, that has come up on a few occasions," Saasa said.

"That is not the way a president is supposed to present himself."

His tough stance against critical independent media coincided with the closure of The Post newspaper in July.

On the campaign trail, in warning to political rival and activists, he told a meeting in the key election battleground of Copperbelt province: "If they push me against the wall, I will sacrifice democracy for peace."

An opposition leader was earlier this month was charged with defamation for comments he made against Lungu almost a year ago, when he accused him of partying at the taxpayers expense.

On social issues, Lungu revealed a conservative side after the arrest of two Zambian gay men in 2013.

"Those advocating gay rights should go to hell," he said. "That issue is foreign to this country."

Born in 1956 in Chadiza in eastern Zambia, Lungu is from the minority Nsenga ethnic group, but he often describes himself as a non-tribal Zambian from an unexceptional background.

Lungu graduated with a law degree from the University of Zambia in 1981 and also underwent training as a military officer.

When the PF first came to power in 2011, he became home affairs minister.

After two previous presidents of Zambia died in office, his health has been in focus.

Lungu suffers from recurring achalasia, a condition caused by narrowing of the oesophagus, and was flown to South Africa for treatment last year after collapsing in public.

He is married with six children, and is now a grandfather.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the only way it would revoke the suspension of its National Chairman, Paul Afoko, is when he confesses his sins and asks for forgiveness.

Head of NPPs Constitutional Committee, Professor Mike Ocquaye, said the conventional way of re-admitting persons who have been suspended in any organisation on grounds of misdemeanor would be when the person has shown remorse for his misdeeds.

In this world, you must be flexible. When you go to confession it is what you say in Latin that is valued. He must show remorse and go for confession before he will be readmitted into the party, Prof Ocquaye told Dzifa Bampoh, host of Joy FMs Top Story programme, Monday.

For nine months, Mr Afoko has been in court challenging a suspension handed down to him by the NPPs Disciplinary Committee for alleged misconduct.

He said his suspension was unconstitutional, arguing the Disciplinary Committee was infiltrated by persons who had no right to be a part of the Committee.

He cited a Member of Parliament (MP), Gifty Kusi, who was included in the Committee to buttress his claim.

The battle has been rancorous with some political pundits concluding the continuation of the legal banter could be injurious to the partys fortunes in the upcoming election.

Mr Afoko was confident the court would uphold his argument but the court held a contrary opinion. The Accra Human Rights Court presided over by Justice Anthony Yeboah dismissed the case Monday on grounds of lack of substance.

He said the party did not err in co-opting Gifty Kusi into the Disciplinary Committee. He also said the NPP did not contradict any Constitutional provision in the suspension of Mr Afoko.

Even though Mr Afoko said he respected the decision handed down by the court, he disagreed with it.

He said he would challenge the decision even to the highest level.

But Professor Ocquaye believes a continuous battle over the issue in the court will not help the reputation of the suspended National Chairman.

He said the suspension of Afoko was without malice but only to ensure that every member of the NPP, irrespective of ones position, is disciplined and respects the Constitution of the party.

We can [demand] discipline to the highest level and I dare say that the flagbearer [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] is subject to the discipline of the party, he said.

According to him, the best option opened for Mr Afoko would be for him to confess and show remorse for the party to forgive him of his wrong doings.

By your conduct, you can be admitted within a week or two and this happens in boarding school. If you are suspended from school, your behavior will show if you will be readmitted, he said.

Reacting to Professor Ocquaye on Joy FM, Spokesperson of Mr Afoko dismissed the option of remorse.

Nana Yaw Osei said the suspended National Chairman does not owe anyone an apology for what he has been accused of.

Who is he showing remorse to, at what and to whom and for what? he asked, adding, What wrong has Mr Afoko done to show remorse?

He claimed it is rather some key members of the party who have to apologise for what they have done to him.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brakopowers | Email: [email protected]
A Ghanaian citizen, Elikplim L. Agbemava, has filed a suit seeking an interlocutory injunction to restrain the President from exercising his prerogative of mercy under Article 72 of the constitution to free the Montie three contemnors.

A petition signed by several government officials and members of the incumbent government in particular, asking the President to pardon the three NDC sympathizers, has been forwarded to Council of State for advice by the Chief of Staff.

The three were incarcerated by the Supreme Court for four months and fined Ghc10,000 each, after they were found guilty of contempt by the apex court.

The three, Alistair Nelson, Godwin Ako Gunn and Salifu Maase, alias Mugabe, had on a radio programme threatened to eliminate justices of the apex court over their handling of the lawsuit on the credibility of Ghana's voters' register.

Those pushing for pardon for the three, have largely described the four-month sentence as harsh .

But Mr. Agbemava in his suit argues that, on a true and proper interpretation of Articles 72 and 296 of the constitution, the exercise of the power of prerogative of mercy ought to be governed by regulations that set out, in an open and transparent manner, the grounds and requirements for the submission and consideration of application for pardon to ensure certainty, consistency, and fairness in the process that leads to the grant of pardons.

He further posited that the President and the Council of State shall exercise the prerogative of mercy in a judicial manner that assures the people of Ghana of some certainty, consistency, and fairness in the processes that lead to the grating of pardons.

Mr. Agbemava is therefore seeking an injunction to restrain the President from granting presidential pardon to the trio, until the final determination of his suit.

Government has 14-days to file its response to the suit.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Nsanje (Malawi) (AFP) - A Malawian man accused of sleeping with 100 girls and women in a series of ritual cleansing acts, on Monday failed in his second bid to be freed on bail.

Prosecutor Christopher Botoman opposed the bail request for Eric Aniva over fears that he could "intimidate and influence" witnesses not to testify in court.

Given the "nature and seriousness of the offence and the severity of the punishment if convicted" it would "not be in the interest of justice to release the accused on bail."

The prosecution also said the 45-year-old -- who has said he is infected with the AIDS virus -- was likely to jump bail and cross the border into Mozambique.

But Aniva, whose first bid to secure bail was earlier this month, rejected the idea, saying he was "not scared" to face trial.

Malawi, which has one of the highest HIV infections in the world, criminalises sex with a person under the age of 16.

If found guilty of underage sex, Aniva could be imprisoned for life.

The little-known local practice of having sex with adolescent girls to mark their passage to womanhood is performed in southern Malawi by men known as "hyenas" at the behest of a girl's parents after her first menstruation.

The ritual is believed to train girls to become good wives and protect them from disease, or misfortune could fall on their families or their village.

Aniva is said to have slept with at least 104 women and girls, some as young as 12, in a ritual that lasts three days. He said each family paid him a fee of between $4 and $7.

His two wives were both present at the court house.

"We want him back home. We are suffering because we have no food," his 25-year-old wife Fanny told AFP.

"When he is around, we don't suffer because he is a man and he finds means to bring food to the house."

His second wife, Sophia, said he had long abandoned the "hyena" business.

"Thieves and murderers get released on bail, but what is wrong with our husband?" she said.
Tamale, Aug. 15, GNA - Mr Joseph Kwame Dzasimatu, the President of the Ghana Association of Teachers of English (GATE), has appealed to the Ministry of Education to procure the 'Gateway to English' text books into public schools.

He said 'The Gateway to English' text book was adjudged the best English text book in the 2014 by an evaluation team of the Ministry and expressed regret that the Ministry had gone to procure sub-standard books into the system.

He also urged the Ministry of Education to see to it that, the Ghana Education Service (GES) resumes sponsorship of subject associations to GATE conferences.

He said 'teachers don't pay dues and the Association lacked a national secretariat or a network responsible for dues collection'.

'In this regard, sponsorship by way of subject association, conferences and workshops would help strengthen the association', he added.

Mr Mohammed Sorogodoo, DCE for Sagnerigu, who deputized for the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Abdallah Abubakari speaking on the theme: 'Raising the standard of education in Ghana: - the importance of English Language' said English Language is important to the socio-economic development of the country.

Alhaji Mohammed Haroon Cambodia, the Northern Regional Director of Education, urged teachers of English Language to use appropriate techniques and methodologies in teaching to impact knowledge in pupils.

Alhaji Cambodia advised teachers to attend classes regularly to improve the lot of the pupils.

GNA
By Prosper K. Kuorsoh, GNA

Lawra (UWR), Aug. 15, GNA - The Lawra District Assembly in the Upper West Region has incorporated tree planting activities into all infrastructure development projects by the Assembly.

The cost of planting the trees will be added to the total contract sum and contractors are expected to plant these trees at the end of the project execution and cater for them for a period of two years.

Mr Paschal Baylon Dere, the Lawra District Chief Executive (DCE), said this during a two-day capacity building programme organized by the Assembly for its staff.

He said all trees that would often be cut down at project sites to pave way for construction works, would henceforth be counted and the cost added to the total cost of the project for the contractor to plant at the end of the project.

The DCE said such an initiative was to ensure the re-greening of the environment.

Mr Dere said he had instructed the District Engineer to ensure that any contractor who failed to comply with the tree planting component of the contract would not be paid the project retention sum.

GNA
15.08.2016 LISTEN

By Samuel Akapule, GNA

Sandema (U/E), Aug. 15, GNA - Mr Awudu Hayatudeen, the General Manager of the Builsa Community Bank Limited (BOCO-Bank), has called on the public to seek advice from financial professionals before dealing with micro-finance institutions.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Sandema in the Builsa District of the Upper East Region, Mr Hayatudeen expressed regret about instances where majority of Ghanaians allowed themselves to be defrauded by some micro-finance institutions in the country.

The Manager who said his outfit would assist the Bank of Ghana (BOG), the regulating body, to weed out such micro finance institutions, adding that his outfit and other rural banks were working together in that regard.

'It is really pathetic that the situation has led to the collapse of many people's businesses and the breaking up of families. My outfit and other Rural and Community Banks will assist the BOG to weed out such defrauders.

He said BUCO -Bank was one of the credible banking institutions in the Upper East Region and had instituted both internal and external control measures to protect the purse of customers and called on the public to transact businesses with the bank.

Mr Hayatudeen said from the modest beginning of one branch, the bank had grown to four branches located at Bolgatanga, Sandema and Fumbisi all in the Upper East Region and Yagba in the Mamprugu Maudori District of the Northern Region.

'As a Community Bank owned financial institution established in 1996, the Builsa Community Bank LTD is regulated by the BOG and also supervised by the ARB Apex Bank, has about 50,000 clients', he stressed.

He said the Bank for the past 20 years in its operations had performed creditably and was also rated strong by the Efficiency Monitoring Unit of Apex Bank in 2015.

Another success chalked by the bank was that it is the only rural bank in the Upper East Region that met the mandatory minimum stated capital of GH500,000.00 for 2016.

The Manager, who also attributed the Bank's success story to good products offered to its clients, said some of its products include Saving Account, Current Account, Fixed Deposits, Salaried Workers Loans, individual and Commercial Loans, Overdraft, Agribusiness Loans, Solar Loans, Micro-finance loans, Money Transfer Services, Ezwich Service among others.

GNA
15.08.2016 LISTEN

Agona Nsaba (C/R), Aug. 15, GNA - Executives of the Agona East Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have expressed concern about photographs of President John Mahama and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate embossed on some posters in the constituency.

Mr Francis Duodu Addo, the District Chief Executive (DCE), said the situation had created worry and acrimony among party supporters.

Speaking to the media at Agona Nsaba, Mr Addo said the party was highly disappointed by the move aimed at creating avenues for the opposition NPP parliamentary candidate, Mr James Owusu-Barnes, to win the elections.

He said the posters are meant to create division, hatred and instability for the NDC adding that executives would never sit unconcerned for that to happen.

Mr Addo said more than nine posters had been sighted at Agona Nsaba, Agona Duakwa and other towns in the constituency with the motive to preach 'skirt and blouse' voting.

'An investigation team had been set up to unravel the mystery behind this and anyone found culpable would be dealt with. The culprit would be referred to the disciplinary committee of the party,' he said.

The DCE said the action was not commensurate with the NDC Constitution and would not be countenanced by the constituency, regional and national executives of the party.

He said there was absolute peace and unity in the Agona East NDC after the primaries and cautioned that no one should bring divisions among the party members.

Alhaji Ibrahim Jabiru, the Agona East Constituency Chairman, said an emergency meeting had been held to find a lasting solution to the problem and

warned that stiffer punishment would be meted out to anyone found to have printed such posters.

The Chairman said the executives and supporters were working hard to enable President Mahama to win convincingly during the 2016 polls.

GNA
By Bajin D. Pobia, GNA

Wa, Aug. 15, GNA - The issues of poor roads across the entire Upper West Region came up strongly as the main disagreement between participants and government officials at the Upper West Regional edition of 'Government for the peoples' forum' held in Wa.

Many participants expressed disappointment at government's attitude and performance towards the construction and tarring of major roads in the region.

The participants, who included traditional rulers, government workers, security agencies, political leaders, drivers, described the deplorable nature of roads as 'death traps'.

Many of the participants expressed their concerns on how the poor road conditions has affected business activities in the region and appealed to government to give due consideration to rehabilitating roads in the area.

Mr Adjei Mensah, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways, said at the forum that Hain -Tumu, Fian-Wahabu-Wellembelle, Tumu-Welembelle, Tumu-Gwollu, Lawra-Nandom-Hamile, Jirapa-Hamile, Jirapa- Domwine- Lawra, Wa-Dorimon, and Wa-Wechiau roads among others, have been awarded on contract either for tarring, upgrading and maintenance works to be carried out on them.

The participants, however, said no contractor has been found on site to implement the projects.

Some participants also expressed disappointment about the selective way the contracts were being awarded leaving out the Wa East District, a major food producing area.

The traditional rulers said they have also made several appeals to the government to consider making the Wa Campus of the UDS a fully-fledged university but has heard no favourable response from government.

GNA
By Afedzi Abdullah, GNA

Cape Coast, Aug. 15, GNA - Ghana Environmental Health Officers Association (GEHOA) has called for the establishment of an Environmental Sanitation and Preventive Health Agency to help improve the sector.

This, they said, would rationalise institutional objectives and outlined responsibilities at all levels.

The Association is also calling for the creation of an environmental regulatory council to regulate standards of service and ensure standards of study and training in recognized institutions as well as maintaining and monitoring sanitation facilities.

Mr. Charles Bosomprah, President of GEHOA, who made the request at 7th National Delegates Congress of the Association, said the impact and effectiveness of environmental health profession was not felt because they were not enough in the system.

The Congress which was on the theme: 'The role of the environmental Health professionals in attaining the sustainable Development Goals' was attended by delegates from the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country.

He said there is the need for an urgent action based on clear national strategy, policies, plans and programmes supported by sustainable financing as the nation strived to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

Currently, Environmental Health Professionals (EHP) in Ghana is 3,400, and a ratio of 1 EHP to 7,900 Ghanaians, and this he said, was woefully inadequate for a country with a population of a little over 27 million.

According to the World Health Organisation, the ratio of an Environmental Health Professional (EHP) to a country's population must be one EHP to 700 people.

Mr Bosomprah appealed to the Government to recruit more environmental Health Professionals to meet at least one third of the WHO standard proportion of EHP to the population.

Mr George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, Central Regional Minister noted that environmental and sanitation issues were the biggest challenge facing the nation and called for an attitudenal change towards the indiscriminate disposal of waste.

He said even though Government was constrained in terms of financial resources, it would continue to work with developmental partners to help improve sanitation in the country.

Mr Ricketts-Hagan said to achieve the SDGs, Government had put in place out various plans and strategies which included the National Environmental Sanitation Policy and the Strategic Environmental Sanitation Investment Plan which has been approved by cabinet and currently before parliament for approval.

He commended the environmental health officers, private sector providers and the media for their enthusiasm and contribution during the National Sanitation Day (NSD) campaigns.

Dr Samuel Fosu Gyasi, Sanitation and Infectious Diseases Expert at the University of Energy and Natural Resource said, there was the need for an inclusive and concerted effort towards achieving the SDGS and securing a resilient future.

He urged the environmental health officers to discharge their duties diligently as they were the first line of defence for most tropical diseases including malaria, cholera, and other epidemics.

Environmental health officers must conduct investigations into incidents that affect health and act as professional advisors, educators and law enforcers on environmental health concerns.

Osabarima Kwesi Atta II, Omanhen of Oguaa Traditional Area, said though the environment played a crucial role in the health of every nation, issues of sanitation was being taken lightly by many Ghanaians.

He expressed worry over the level of pollution and insanitary conditions in the country and called on the environmental health officers to intensify the education for the citizenry to appreciate the need to keep the environment clean.

GNA
By Gifty Amofa, GNA

Kumasi, Aug 15, GNA - A cashier of the Amansie Rural Bank has been arrested by the police over alleged theft of cash of GHE82,000.00, belonging to her employers.

Juliana Gyabeng was on Monday put before a Kumasi Circuit Court charged with stealing.

She pleaded not guilty and she was ordered to re-appear on September 02.

The court, presided over by Madam Lydia Osei Marfo, granted a GH100,000.00 bail with four sureties, two to be justified.

Police Chief Inspector Felix Akowuah said the accused is the cashier of the Manso-Adubea branch of the bank.

He said between July and August, last year, some customers reported to the management the falsification of their account records.

The bank acted swiftly on the complaints and uncovered through an internal audit that cash totaling GHE82,000.00 was stolen.

He said it was detected that deposit made by some customers and received by Juliana did not reflect in their accounts.

The prosecution said, after the discovery, the accused person vacated her post and went into hiding, from where she readily paid to the bank GH10,000.00 through her mother.

A formal report was made to the police and she was tracked to her hideout and arrested.

GNA
15.08.2016 LISTEN

By D. I. Laary, GNA

Accra, Aug 15, GNA - The Ghana Medical and Dental Council (MDC) has inducted 267 Physician Assistants and Registered Certified Anaesthetists into the Council to augment the equitable distribution of personnel in the health sector.

They took the Oath of Office and the National Pledge which enjoins them to uphold the tenets of patient anatomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance and justice as well as defend the good name of Ghana.

The inductees are also personally accountable for their actions and inactions in their professional practice and must be prepared to justify their decisions.

Dr Eric Asamoa, the Chairman of the MDC, congratulated the inductees on their efforts and dedication throughout their studies, admonishing them to pursue excellence in their profession.

He charged the physician assistants to abide by the very core competences of the medical profession which includes effective and appropriate application of medical knowledge, interpersonal and communication skills, patience and care, professionalism, continual learning and professional growth, knowing their limits and calling for help.

He said the physician assistants would contribute to the well-being of persons resident in Ghana and would be very useful in district hospitals, health centres and other facilities and areas that were crying for healthcare practitioners.

The functions of the Council, he said, were to assess facilities and contents of programmes for the training of doctors, dentists and physician assistants, conduct examination for foreign trained medical and dental practitioners and physician assistants, prescribe and enforce professional standards among other things.

Dr Asamoa, therefore, advised them to adhere to the professional standards and conduct of the MDC to deliver the best services to Ghanaians.

He urged all institutions that had not obtained programme accreditation from the MDC to do so to enable their students to partake in the examinations conducted by the Council.

Dr Caroline Tettehfio, the Director of the School of Anaesthesia at the 37 Military Hospital also urged them to be selfless and not to discriminate against patients and serve the Ghanaian populace.

The inductees are from the College of Health and Well-being, Kintampo, the Central University College, Presbyterian University, Narh Bita College and the Schools of Anaesteisia, of 37 Military Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and University for Development Studies.

They would be issued with provisional registrations to enable them to undertake their one-year internship in an accredited institution, a prerequisite for permanent registration which would also serve as national service.

They would, among other things, diagnose and treat illnesses, conduct physical examinations, counsel on preventative health issues, and order and interpret laboratory tests.

GNA
By Edmund Quaynor, GNA

Koforidua, Aug 15, GNA - The Koforidua Diocesan Anglican Church has ordained two new priests into the church with a call to them to do more to give hope to the people and turn them away from anything evil.

The Very Reverend Dr. Emmanuel Isaac Kpakpo Addo, Dean of the Saint Nicholas Seminary, said they should work hard to spread the gospel to everybody.

The newly ordained ministers were the Right Rev Joseph Martey Larweh and the Rev Peter Ohene Tettey, a former presenter of the Eastern FM, now a Deacon.

The Very Rev Dr. Addo reminded them to mirror sublime qualities of modesty, humility and integrity - to become good example not only to the congregation but to the rest of the society.

It was also important that they aided members of the church to grow in their faith, he added.

He counseled them to remain prayerful, telling them that, there would be challenges and temptations.

The Very Rev Dr. Addo encouraged the congregation and family members to support the priests with prayers to enable them to succeed.

On hand to perform the ordination ceremony held at the Saint Peter's Cathedral, was the Rt. Rev Francis Benjamin Quashie, the Diocesan Bishop.

GNA
Accra, Aug. 15, GNA - The Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) are to explore ways to deepen their relationship to enhance trade between the two countries.

At a meeting between officials of the two institutions in Accra, they agreed to seek ways to combine their strengths to promote exports of goods and services between the two countries and within the West African sub-region.

As a first step, the two institutions will revisit an old Memorandum of Understanding signed between them with the view of reviewing it to suit current situations.

Speaking at the meeting, Mr James Tiigah, the Chief Executive Officer of GEPA, said there were many areas in which Ghana, Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region could collaborate for increased trade.

However, he said, there was the urgent need to abide by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocols which were to facilitate trade among countries in the region.

Mr Tiigah said the so many barriers, in gross disrespect of the ECOWAS protocols, had hampered trade in volume and value among the countries in the sub-region and there was the need to break down those barriers and eliminate the human factor.

Nigeria has for many years banned the importation of some products including palm oil and gari from Ghana in spite of various trade liberalisation policies in the sub-region.

Mr Tiigah noted that the Authority is currently implementing the National Export Strategy with focus on 11 products, majority of which are in the agriculture sector, to boost export revenues and enhance the contribution of the non-traditional export sector to the development of the economy.

He said GEPA had also embarked on a baseline study to know where the producers were and working on traceability of the supply chain as well as developing a market portal to make all trade information available.

Mr Olusegun Awolowo, the Executive Director/ Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, said Nigeria was similarly going through an institutional review of its strategic vision with the view to diversifying the economy away from oil.

In this direction, each state is being required to identify one key export product that would be developed and promoted.

Mr Awolowo said funding and incentives to exporters were critical to ensuring success in the export drive and these were being actively looked at to achieve set goals.

GNA
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The chronicle of a life split between urban Manhattan and rural Montana.
If writers block feels like an immovable object, here are 7 ways to become that unstoppable force. Writers  youve got this in hand!

When inspiration hits a wall, writers, actors, painters, musicians and performers know all to well what its like. Creative block, in all reality, is literally like being held back by a barrier to inspiration; an immovable chunk of rock that you cant go over, around or under. This block can last for days, weeks, months, and, has been known to last for years.

You cant wait for inspiration; you have to go after it with a club.  Jack London

A creative block can appear as if out of thin air and has psychologists baffled as to its reason for inflicting its patients or how or why it manifests. Theories include self-doubt, anxiety, and fear of the unknown and the depletion of creative energy. Here is a list of tips that might help.

1. Generating A Plot With Character

The more you try and force a resolution to creative block, the more it seems to fight back. At this point its best to try something new and get your ideas flowing. If the wall wont let you add to your existing work, the chances are it will limit you in attempting something new unless you have a prompt; something that will give you a writers first line. In many cases, that first line is a writer needs to get the mind racing with ideas.

If the music isnt pleasing your ears, or just isnt stirring the airwaves, perhaps you could randomly generate a tune to help find that elusive note? There is a multitude of generators available to suit any creative art, and many are free.

2. Close Your Mind And Freely Create

When you are creating your mind opens up, but to get to that stage you need to be in full flow. You should try your hand at free-writing. This exercise gets you creating and there are no rules, or regulations, except shutting off your mind to any distractions. Prepare yourself with pen and paper, sketch pad, musical instrument or word document and set a time limit, 5 or 10 minutes, or however long you want, and just create. Dont stop under any circumstances until your time has ended. If the phone rings, leave it; if you notice a blatant spelling mistake, leave it; grammar is way off the mark, leave it.

Its not about being perfect, its about creating freely, with no limitations, for a period of time and ignoring all the rules.

Once in the flow, you will be amazed at what you will achieve. This exercise can be used, and adapted, for all art forms, change free-writing to free-paint, free-compose or free-draw. This is a good exercise to do on a regular basis, blocked or not.

3. Exercise Your Imagination

Overwhelming the brain will result in it refusing to work. Try not to think about the job in hand and slow down. Pick up a book or listen to music. Do something completely different. Take a walk in the country or along a beach. A day trip somewhere new is always a good way to stimulate the brain. A museum, library or any of the countless cultural attractions or exhibitions that you probably have locally are perfect venues for stimulating the imagination. But, remember the notebook and pen, its pointless having all that creative energy going on and nowhere to record your findings.

4. Just Keep Creating

You cant force creativity but you can give it a nudge it in the right direction. If youre a writer, just write; if youre a painter, just paint; if youre a musician, just play. It might be that what you achieve isnt what you would want anyone to see or hear, but youre working, and thats what counts; keep going and dont stop. The fact that you have something to show for the effort is an achievement, feel good about it, take stock of what you have done. Did you solve your problem?

Creating something completely different can help clear your mind. Use a plot generator and create a whole short story. Write about anything that comes to mind; focus on an individual and write about them. Thousands have been in your situation and pulled through, usually by grinding on and never giving up. If you really want to do the job youre doing, you must push on. If youre a writer  write!

5. Focus On Preparation And Not Distraction

Were all guilty of cluttering the workspace. No sooner do we clear the area, we fill it back up again. The writing desk with heaps of paper; the phone; the printer; the multitude of pens; books; manuals and post-it notes stuck to every available space. Painters and musicians have the same challenge; substitute the untidy desk for the rehearsal room or studio.

An unprepared or cluttered working environment is one perfect reason why your brain doesnt want to work; its being distracted by so much clutter. A clean and pleasant workspace makes for a productive workspace.

Improve your productivity simply with the following mnemonic mind trick:

Sort Set in order Shine Standardize Sustain

Its an efficient marketing strategy that can be just as beneficial in the home. Not having to wade through countless junk before you even start your work day will have your brain on a positive note almost immediately.

6. Mind Over Matter

The unconscious mind is a powerful tool and the greatest solver of many of the issues surrounding creative block. Weve all gone to sleep with a problem and awoke with the answer. Weve all had an issue with a character or image and been hit with the answer when stood over a freezer in the local supermarket deciding which fish fingers to buy.

Think long and hard about the issue youre troubled with and then forget it. Watch a film; read a book; go for a walk or take a nap and let the power of the unconscious mind work its way through the problem to resolve. You might be sat at your computer, easel or amp and as if by inspiration, the answer comes to you.

7. Prevention Is The Best Cure

Its easier to believe that its only other people who suffer from creative block and that you are far too creative to suffer; until it hits you. Its too late for all the preventative measures you could have had in place, now; you must work to resolve the issue. With some thought, you could have measures implemented or at least, ideas to fall back on should the need arise.

When youre in full flow, be it writing, painting or stringing notes together, leave your project unfinished. Leave a sentence hanging or end at a part in the story where you can jump straight back in when you return. If youre busy working on a project and an idea arises, write it down, jot down a brief description, and then jump back to what you were doing.

Most writers hate the idea of plotting because it takes away creativity from their characters, but, plotting gives you a basis. It doesnt need to be totally mapped out leaving no room for character development, but enough to jog the brain into action when, or if, you hit the wall. And, having an outline or plot will give you the root idea of something else to jump into if you encounter a problem. The idea is to just keep writing.

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Shares in the British software company Sage Group (SGE) posted a sharp loss on Monday after the company reported a data breach that may have compromised personal details for employees at 280 UK businesses.

Sage, the global supplier of accounting and business management software, saw its share price drop 2.3% to 708p in early morning trade on Monday after the news was revealed.

On Friday Sage contacted their business customers to inform them that their information may have been affected by a data breach, which included bank account details and salary information.

Police are investigating the data breach and the Information Commissioners Office, an independent body that is responsible for the enforcement of the Data Protection Act 1998, is also assisting.

UK Firms Data Security Issues at Risk

This is not the first major data breach by a UK firm. In October last year, TalkTalk (TALK), the UK telecoms company, suffered a cyber-attack that put their four million customers financial data at risk. The companys share price has dropped 24% since the data leak scandal in October last year.

British Gas, the UK energy firm, also reported a data breach the following week; its customers email addresses and account passwords were posted online in an unexplained data leak.

Marks & Spencer (MKS) also announced a data leak soon afterwards; The UK retailer had to suspend its website for two hours after customers were able to see other peoples details when they logged in to their accounts.

Two thirds of large UK businesses have been hit by cyber-attacks or suffered data breaches in the past year, a UK government research into cyber security showed in May 2016. The research also said most common attacks detected involved viruses, spyware or malware that could have been prevented using the Governments Cyber Essentials scheme. Previous data leaks and government research raised concerns among UKs businesses to better protect themselves from cyber criminals.

Morningstar Equity Analyst Andrew Lange said the industry shift to cloud-based products has created future revenue risks for Sage.

We think Sage is likely to face greater competition in international markets going forward. For example, close competitor Intuit has launched QuickBooks Online and is expanding aggressively outside the U.S. without the need for a local salesforce, unlike Sage, he said.

The company generates around 58% of its revenue in Europe, which exposes Sage to significant economic uncertainty as the EU continues to suffer from the effects of the global recession.

Key to Sages future success will be how the firm is able to attract customers to these new global platforms, Lange added, which will help to support the firms goal of shifting its user base to more subscription-based products and services. Yet facing the data leak scandal it might place the company into a difficult position to attract customers.

Sage has more than six million customers worldwide, employs 13,500 people, and generates more than 1.4 billion in revenue. The company develops, distributes and supports business management software and related products. It serves medium-sized and smaller businesses in the areas of accounting, enterprise resource planning, payroll, and accountancy related software.
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
It was intended as a message of respect and understanding, but an unfortunately timed sympathy note from two Vancouver-based realtors has led to much criticism and grave threats online.The Toronto Star reported that after 73-year-old Ted Smiths spouse Audry died a little over a week ago, he received a handwritten note from veteran agents Leanne de Souza and Linda Shaver, complete with their business cards.Sorry to hear of your wifes passing. Please let us know if we can help in any way with your real estate needs when the time is right. Thanks, the note read.Smiths daughter Launi Smith Bowie recounted being in disbelief after learning of the letter.My dad is beyond devastated and still really recovering from shock, Bowie recalled saying incredulously. You dont know either of my parents. Im not sure why youre sending them a sympathy card.Public backlash upon de Souza and Shaver ensued once Bowie posted the note on social media. However, Bowie acknowledged that the furor raised by the letter (which has even led to death threats against the duo) has blown out of proportionespecially since the agents have subsequently apologized to the Smith family.These two women have been pretty attacked on social media. I just never imagined it would go to that extent. I was hoping that the real estate industry overall would take notice, but not that these women would be so vilified, she said. Not the greatest judgment call on their part, but I do believe they totally get that now.De Souza and Shaver defended their note as common practice in the industry, explaining that they have spoken to the elder Smith previously when the latter indicated interest in knowing how much his home would go for in a sale.Our sympathy was very heartfelt. It was very emotional to hear his loss, de Souza said. Ive had people call me names that you would find unbelievable.Its too vile, Shaver added.The Real Estate Council of British Columbia did not comment on the issue, although it stated that it has begun its investigation.
With a total of 2,265 homes sales in just the first seven months of the year, the Southern Georgian Bays housing market has reached new heights, and is poised to break its annual sales record.In a press release published on its website, the Canada Real Estate Association (CREA) announced that the July milestone represented a 24.7 increase over the same period the year before, and marks the fastest time that the region breached 2,000 sales within a calendar year.The average price of all homes sold in Southern Georgian Bay rose by 5.5 per cent year-over-year in July, up to $339,091.The Western segmentencompassing the Municipality of Meaford, The Blue Mountains, Clearview Township, Grey Highlands, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, and Springwaterposted 389 sales in July alone, growing 3.6 per cent on a year-over-year basis. Prices rose by 11.2 per cent in the same timeframe, up to $369,532.Meanwhile, the Eastern Regionwhich covers the Towns of Midland and Penetanguishene, and the Townships of Georgian Bay, Severn, Oro-Medonte, Tay and Tinysaw 160 units sold last month, a 56.9 per cent from the same month a year before. The average price declined slightly by 0.7 per cent year-over-year, down to $295,521.These unprecedented levels of activity have been responsible for drawing supply down to almost to record lows. At this point whats more surprising is that sales can keep up this type of pace with so few properties available for sale, according to Kevin Woolham, President of the Southern Georgian Bay Association of REALTORS.
Verifying IRS Transcripts; Lender Updates; Vendor Management is a Full-Time Job

Rob, are we heading back to loans with LTVs greater than 100%? I doubt it, but certainly there are some high LTV programs out there, over and above down payment assistance programs. For example, and this is not an ad, but United Wholesale Mortgage gives borrowers 2%: "Borrower puts 1% down, UWM contributes 2% toward the down payment, giving them 3% equity at closing." And Quicken began offering a 1% program earlier this year. More down payment news below with FirstREX.

Vendors appealing to residential lenders are on the rise. The OCC issued vendor management guidelines, followed by the FFIEC in 2015. As a result, the time has come for lenders & community banks to put their vendor management efforts to the test in regulatory audits. Not all vendors are created equal. While you have to perform due diligence on all vendors, and many experts say it's a sound practice to divvy them up into a few buckets to break them into groups based on the level of analysis required.

The first bucket should consist of critical vendors. These are vendors that could cause significant risk to the lender or bank by failing to meet expectations. Critical vendors also could have substantial effects on customers or have a major impact on lender operations. This group requires the greatest level of analysis because the impact can be so large. Many lenders create a basic evaluation checklist that consists of items including a business impact analysis, insurance verification, clear service level agreements and a signed contract. You'll also need to designate an employee to serve as the vendor relationship manager.

Next, once you separate critical vendors from the pack, identify those vendors who work with sensitive or confidential data. This group needs to have enough capital to remain a going concern, and have strong enough risk management practices and controls to make you comfortable. The level of regulatory scrutiny has increased here so if you don't know or haven't done this yet it is a good thing to do quickly and thoroughly to identify weak players. For your general bucket of vendors, following the evaluation checklist will probably also be enough to satisfy regulators. For vendors who work with sensitive or confidential data and those that are critical, you will need to analyze whether they are maintaining proper E&O and cybersecurity insurance, proof of regular third-party audits, review of financial statements, inquiring into compliance history and establishing ongoing relationship monitoring.

The third bucket of vendors to group together are those that are more general in nature and don't fall into the other categories. These should have a lower risk profile overall, so analysis on this group can be much higher level and faster in most cases. Far too often lenders and banks don't have an up-to-date complete inventory of current contracts, meaning many don't have a good handle on contract terms and conditions. Getting these records in order is a must so you can be confident contracts meet current regulatory, accounting and business requirements.

Tim Cox, Chief Strategy Officer with MQMR, writes, "Vendor management and CMS assessments are important topics for discussion at both the State and the Federal Level, and with Fannie, Freddie, and Ginnie. In a series of Supervisory Highlights, spanning over the last several years, the CFPB has reiterated the importance of robust compliance management systems. Rumor has it that several states have made vendor management a focus of their exams, including testing of the vendor management program to understand a lender's risk methodology, proof that ongoing reviews are being performed, and that vendor management isn't just a checkbox and background check, but rather a true risk assessment of the vendor.

"Lenders need to ensure they've put a program in place, starting with tiering their vendors to understand the criticality and impact a vendor may have on the organization. In our dealings with lenders, it's evident that most struggle on where to start, how to implement a comprehensive program, and perform ongoing monitoring. With each vendor tier having multiple data points and documents to be collected, validated, and tracked, efficiency is absolutely critical. This need for efficiency is moving lenders away from spreadsheets and to technology which provides a single system of record to manage risk tiering, due diligence, and all annual activities."

So what are vendors doing that lenders are interested in?

How about DTC customer satisfaction? Josh Friend, President of Insellerate, writes, "We have all seen 'Rocket Mortgage' and we now know where our industry is heading: to the 'Digital Mortgage Experience'. Who will sell these? More than likely someone hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away in a consumer direct call center. We see the continued growth in this channel as it now accounts for over half of all refinances, and 20% of the purchase market, and continues to grow. Our borrowers are asking for it so we will have to deliver it. How are we doing so far as an industry? How is your company doing? Find out by participating in InSellerate's 3rd annual 'Speed to Contact' survey (click here). Or, you can view the past survey results here.

During the loan processing "Lendsnap automatically collects authoritative borrower qualifying documents for brokers and lenders. By linking to financial and payroll institutions, we securely deliver original W2s, pay stubs, bank statements, and full tax returns in minutes instead of days. Lendsnap is the only account linking solution to deliver actual bank statements instead of VODs based on third-party transactional data. Our lightweight solution works with your current process and keeps your portfolio completely liquid on the secondary market. Lendsnap, a Y Combinator funded company and a 'security-first company," have completed rigorous SOC I (formerly SSAE 16, SAS 70) auditing and hired hackers to test our defenses." (For more information, please contact VP of Business Development, Mike Romano.)

Secure Insight has been in discussions with several large mortgage lenders and warehouse banks about adopting the SSI agent registration number as an industry standard identifier for settlement agents. The company's database, which is expected to include nearly all active title and settlement professionals including attorneys throughout the country by year-end, was the first live repository to include unique identification numbers covering all the different groups who manage this function nationwide. SSI president Andrew Liput said that he hopes to begin to feed all agent data warehoused in their system, including these Identifiers, to lenders through LOs platforms on a transaction basis beginning 1st Quarter 2017.

LendingQB, a provider of mortgage loan origination technology solutions, announced the successful implementation of its web-based loan origination system for Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. "The Brookfield, Wisconsin-based mortgage lender attributed its smooth and rapid implementation experience to LendingQB's comprehensive deployment process and a focused effort by both Inlanta's and LendingQB's staff." (Inlanta Mortgage employs over 250 mortgage professionals and has gained recognition as the top FHA and USDA lender in the state of Wisconsin.)

Guild Mortgage, announced an agreement with FirstREX for introducing the REX HomeBuyer program to Guild's California, Washington and Oregon borrowers. Under the program, FirstREX contributes up to half of a 20 percent down payment in combination with a Guild Mortgage loan to empower more people to buy the home they really want.

First Cal and FirstREX also inked a deal. The REX Homebuyer program, which FirstREX is now rolling out for the first time in combination with conventional conforming and super-conforming loans, is initially available in California and Washington, with more states to follow. The REX HomeBuyer program contributes up to half of the down payment on a home purchase. The combination of REX HomeBuyer investment with a First Cal mortgage loan means a buyer can borrow less, make a smaller monthly payment and avoid paying the mortgage insurance required if they had put down less than 20 percent.

MISMO announced the release of its new HMDA Implementation Toolkit. Designed to help companies implement the new CFPB HMDA rules, the Toolkit offers a comprehensive collection of guidance, mapping documents and other information about the rule and the use of MISMO in meeting rule requirements.

Aspire Financial signed with Alight to provide real-time reporting, analysis and continuous reforecasting. Alight gives management teams the ability to see the impact of every decision, before they make it. "We see Alight as the answer to our financial reporting needs as it integrates all our existing systems to give us a real-time forecasting solution," said Jason Spooner, COO of Aspire Financial.

Turning to the markets, we had a bit of a rally/price improvement Friday as retail sales and producer price index data for July came out well below expectations. If one looks at the news from the last few weeks, the job market is healthy but production, spending, and business fixed investment are weak. Still, jobs and housing drive the economy... Fed rate hike odds continue to drop: the odds of a September hike are now 6% and only 40% in December.

We have a new helping of economic releases this week. We've already had August Empire Manufacturing (sinking below 0 to -4.21), coming up is some housing news - August's NAHB Housing Market Index. Tomorrow we'll have the July Housing Starts and Building Permits numbers, July CPI and Core CPI, and July Industrial Production and Capacity Utilization. On Hump Day we have the MBA's application figures for last week but also the release of the Federal Open Market Committee minutes from its last meeting. Thursday we have Initial Jobless Claims, August Philly Fed, and July Leading Indicators. There is zip on Friday.

For numbers, on Friday the 10-year note price rallied by .5 (the yield ended the week at 1.51%) the 5-year note improved .250, but current coupon MBS prices were only up about .125. This morning the 10-year is at 1.53% with agency MBS prices roughly unchanged.



Jobs and Announcements

In job news, Chief Financial Officers should take note that Cascade Financial, an independent mortgage banker located in Gilbert, AZ, is looking for an experienced top tier CFO to its executive team. Originating & servicing loans in 35 states, Cascade has recently been acquired by a private equity group who is positioning the company for nationwide strategic growth. We are willing to relocate someone who would be a good fit to our team and who wants to work with a motivated group building and leading a high-performance finance organization. Someone with the skills to integrate loan-level forecasting from credit model into corporate model, develop detailed long term business forecasts, implement best practices in measuring and reporting monthly financial performance, lead negotiations & relationships with key lending counterparties, and lead securitization process and reporting and discussions with ABS investors. Experience working in both small and large finance organizations is a plus. E-mail resumes to Cody Pearce, President.

"Are you a business owner and finding yourself focused more on compliance, platform, technology and HR considerations than the activities that will grow your business and income? AnnieMac Home Mortgage is actively looking for M&A opportunities for well-run firms with entrepreneurial leaders looking to reduce risk, increase net worth, provide job stability for their Operations teams and allow their originators to grow their book of business. In today's burdensome regulatory environment your capital is more at risk than you might think by any number of regulators that now govern our industry. AnnieMac's origination and servicing platform is specifically designed to allow the true entrepreneur and their teams to make more money with less risk while running your business the way you always have. Find out more about partnering with one of America's fastest growing privately held mortgage banks by contacting SVP of Business Development Paul Zinn."

IRS tax transcripts are a hot topic these days. NCS, founded in 1978 and a leader in risk mitigation solutions, had the distinction of being the first organization in 1994 to offer IRS tax transcript solutions (4506-T) nationwide. On July 15th the IRS implemented a "Re-verification" program for all participants using the Income Verification Express Service, (IVES), and 100% of NCS' direct clients were compliant and accessing TRV Services throughout the implementation period. NCS offers advanced verification products and services to the financial industry with the customer service mantra of, "beyond the expected." (NCS will be attending The Mortgage Collaborative conference in Denver coming up 8/21-8/22. Reach out to Kimberlee Foster or Casey Hughes to secure a meeting or learn more about NCS and its full suite of product offerings.)
The long wait may finally be over.

Since the great crash of oil in mid-2014, more than $100 billion has been raised by buyout firms and distressed-debt funds eager to scoop up energy assets on the cheap. But as the months rolled by, few opportunities cropped up as cash-starved drillers limped along with the help of their bankers.

Not any more. What started out as a trickle has now turned into something much more, with Blackstone Group, Apollo Global Management and WL Ross & Co. all jumping in this year to buy a grab bag of assets at discounted prices. Precise numbers are hard to come by, but in conversations with investors, bankers and analysts across the industry, theres little doubt that private equity firms are ramping up their investments in everything from undrilled and developed oil and gas acreage to troubled loans.

Weve gone very aggressively into the market after holding back for most of last year, said Shaia Hosseinzadeh, who oversees energy-focused distressed-debt investing at WL Ross, the namesake firm of billionaire dealmaker Wilbur Ross. Youll see more deals in the second half.

Deals are picking up for a few key reasons. Oil prices are no longer in a free fall, but at $40 a barrel, theyre still well below the $60 to $80 levels many drillers need to break even. Wall Street has started to turn away the weakest borrowers after extending more than $2 trillion in loans and commitments during the boom. And with the cash crunch causing a surge in bankruptcies this year, many firms are looking to unload assets to stay afloat.

Much of the action is unfolding in distressed debt, where buyers have targeted loans and bonds with an eye on seizing ownership in bankruptcy or restructuring.

Billionaire Leon Blacks Apollo, WL Ross and EIG Global Energy Partners have snapped up more than half of the $1.6 billion in unsecured debt of Permian Resources, an oil and gas producer started in 2014 by the late Aubrey McClendon, people familiar with the matter have said.

McClendon set up Permian Resources with backing from Houston-based private equity shop Energy & Minerals Group. The explorer has leaseholds to 85,000 net acres in the Permian Basin of west Texas, one of the most prolific oil and gas fields in the country. While the company has top-flight assets and bought itself time by selling some, its debt load is unsustainable and is on track to default within a year, said Carin Dehne-Kiley, an analyst at S&P Global Ratings.

Representatives for all the firms declined to comment.

Banks, for their part, are finally getting serious about cutting off the energy industrys weakest borrowers and selling loans  after more than two years of foot-dragging. In the first half of 2016, the eight biggest U.S. banks reduced loans and loan commitments by 6.3 percent after stepping up the percentage they lopped off their books last quarter, according to data compiled by Bloomberg from the lenders filings and other disclosures.

As of June 30, they had lent or committed to lend $2.19 trillion, including some derivatives positions, compared to $2.34 trillion at the end of 2015, filings show. Bank of America Corp. reduced its exposure last quarter by a record 7 percent to $40.5 billion. Morgan Stanley has slashed its lending to the energy industry by 22 percent  the most among the group  since it ballooned to a peak in the third quarter of 2015.

Much of whats left is souring. At Wells Fargo & Co., energy loans that are considered non-accruals, or those that arent expected to be fully repaid, have soared to $2.55 billion from just $35 million less than two years ago.

Representatives at the banks declined to comment.

Many troubled firms are tapped out anyway. At least a dozen oil and gas producers had used more than 90 percent of their credit lines at the end of the first quarter, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Half of those are effectively overdrawn after their bank credit lines were cut.

While executives at Wells Fargo and other banks have met with buyout firms to unload their energy loans in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter, some private equity players are also snapping up assets directly from operators that are short on cash. In July, Blackstone paid about $500 million for acreage in the Permian. This month, it expects to wrap a deal to buy a partly developed oil field in the North Sea.

The firm, which didnt make a single investment for 15 months after it raised a $4.5 billion fund in early 2015 for energy assets, has spent $1.8 billion between the fund and its main buyout pool on oil and gas plays this year.

One thing were focused on is to provide capital to complete large, oil-field development projects, said David Foley, the head of energy investing at Blackstone, which manages $356 billion. In many cases, it is possible to buy in at a significant discount to replacement cost. He didnt identify the sellers.

Some buyout firms like EIG are helping financially sound companies bankroll purchases of ailing rivals. In February, the firm agreed to invest as much as $500 million by buying preferred shares from a unit of Rice Energy Inc., a natural gas explorer in the Appalachian Basin, to back Rices acquisition program and expansion.

We want to finance the big guys with preferred so they have liquidity to go on the attack, EIG President Bill Sonneborn said at a conference in May.

That suggests dealmaking may accelerate. This year, $36 billion of acquisitions involving U.S. oil and gas companies have been announced  ahead of last years pace but behind 2014. And while some producers have sold equity, Anadarko Petroleum, Devon Energy and others also are boosting efforts to unload assets and raise cash. Devon, which sold off less than $200 million of assets in 2015, announced $3.2 billion in sales this year.

Chesapeake Energy Corp., which has suffered more than $17 billion in losses over the past six quarters, announced it will give away its Barnett Shale holdings to an operator backed by First Reserve Corp., an energy-focused private equity firm.

The thawing is underway, said James Row, the chief executive officer of The Oil & Gas Asset Clearinghouse, which brokers oil and gas deals.

Even as the market heats up, there are still plenty of risks  a lesson that was driven home painfully last year.

After oil prices briefly rebounded in the first half of 2015 and flirted with $60 levels, Blackstones GSO credit unit, KKR & Co. and Oaktree Capital, as well as mutual-fund manager Franklin Resources Inc., among others, spent billions of dollars on cash-strapped explorers betting the industry would recover.

It proved to be too early. Many of the investments soured as oil descended into the mid-$20s. At least 90 producers, including SandRidge Energy Inc., Linn Energy LLC and Breitburn Energy Partners LP, filed for bankruptcy since the start of 2015, according to law firm Haynes and Boone LLP.

And while oil is up more than 60 percent from its low in February, prices have once again retreated and sunk back into a bear market this month. This year, bankruptcies are being filed at double the pace in 2015.

Theres a long list of companies that are going to disappear, said EIGs Sonneborn. Youve got to be very, very careful investing in this space.

The recent flurry of dealmaking has left fewer bargains as well. Outside the Permian, where operators can profit from $40-a-barrel oil, the supply of top-grade acreage is spotty. And traders see oil prices stuck below $60  a key level many producers need to boost drilling and profits  until at least 2020.

I dont think youll see a tidal wave of deals, not good deals anyway, said Blackstones Foley. Firms raised too much money. They may get it invested over six years, but not in the next few.
Houston Chronicle

Far from the plains of West Texas, students seeking a degree from Texas Tech University will soon have a new place to go  Costa Rica.

The university announced Thursday that it finalized a deal with a business conglomerate in South and Central America to open a branch campus in San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. Students enrolled there will be able to earn Texas Tech bachelors degrees in engineering, computer science, mathematics and restaurant and hotel management. The campus will also offer a graduate certificate in business.
Oliver Hill, 81, grew up in segregated San Antonio. He graduated in 1952 from the all-black Phillis Wheatley High School, named for the famous poet who was brought to America as a slave. When Robert E. Lee High School opened across town in 1958 honoring the Confederate general, Hill viewed the name as a deliberate reminder to black San Antonians that the city did not belong to them.

So last year, when the North East ISD board of trustees considered changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School, it seemed to Hill like an opportunity to right an old injustice. He delivered a speech at the boards August meeting urging the change. In December, after months of public comments and debate, the board voted 5-2 to keep the schools name the same.

They havent walked in my shoes, Hill said of those who wanted to keep Lees name. They dont understand what I go through when I walk past those things.

North East ISDs debate was one of several explosive deliberations about the names of Confederates on public schools that unfolded across Texas during the last academic year, in the wake of the massacre in Charleston of nine African-American worshippers by a man who revered the Confederacy. When classes start later this month across Texas, 10 schools in Austin, Dallas and Houston will welcome students to the new academic year with new names, leaving at least 24 that still bear the names of Confederates.

Of 20 school districts where The Texas Tribune has confirmed there is at least one school named for a Confederate leader, the North East ISD board is the only one that has formally considered a name change and voted against it, according to spokespeople for the districts.

Though the particulars differ, the fundamental issues at stake in each community are the same. How should we evaluate historical figures? Who is entitled to make those evaluations? Where is the line between remembering and commemorating? Can society repudiate the Confederacy, but still decorate public spaces with allusions to its heroes? And in every case, battles over school name changes have been fraught and emotional, sometimes leading to allegations on both sides of bullying, rescinded birthday party invitations and grocery store parking lot confrontations.

Efforts to rename schools that pay homage to Confederates have made headlines across the country. Public symbols of veneration for the Confederacy have also been reconsidered at the University of Texas, which removed of a statue of Jefferson Davis last August, and House Speaker Joe Straus charged the Texas House Administration Committee with reviewing Confederate statues on the Capitol grounds.

But in the vast majority of Texas school districts with at least one school named for a Confederate, no one has formally raised the issue of renaming. Last summer, the Texas Tribune identified 29 schools named for Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Stonewall Jackson and General Albert Sidney Johnston. The list did not include Confederates such as John H. Reagan, the Confederacy's postmaster general, General John B. Hood, or Majorl Richard Dowling, all of whom had at least one school named for them in Texas. Of the 29 schools on the Tribune list, five have been changed; five that were not on the list have also been changed.

From Eagle Pass ISD along the border with Mexico, where 100 percent of students at Robert E. Lee Elementary are non-white, to Amarillo ISD in the Panhandle, Confederate names still sprawl across school walls and letterhead.

The topic has never come up, said Mario Zavala, a spokesman for Denton ISD, which includes Lee Elementary. Lees website says that the school is named for Robert E. Lee, a legendary general for the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The battle for a name

The name-change decision involving the largest number of schools came in Houston, where the school board voted this spring to change the names of eight schools. Supporters applauded the boards decisive action; detractors lamented the lack of community input and argued that the boards decision created a false equivalence between figures like Lee and Davis, and Sidney Lanier, a Georgian best known for his literary work after he served in the Confederate army. The rancor culminated in a lawsuit against the board this summer, charging that the board did not follow proper procedure and failed to inform the community about the cost of the action.

Adrienne Murry, a Bob Lanier Middle School (formerly Sidney Lanier Middle School) parent who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit against HISD, said the board disregarded the wishes of students, parents and alumni who wanted to keep the school names the same. Laniers new name honors a former Houston mayor.

I think we set a dangerous precedent if we start a witch hunt for anyone who served in the Confederacy at all, Murry told the Tribune. We live in the South, quite frankly. To say that a man from Georgia wouldnt have stepped up to defend his land is very naive.

Rhonda Skillern-Jones, a board member who championed the name changes, is not persuaded by arguments that Laniers Confederate service was an insignificant part of his life.

He was a poet that fought as a Confederate soldier, Skillern-Jones said. Hes a Confederate soldier. He fought for the Confederacy.

Murrys lawsuit is seeking an injunction to forestall the name changes and force the board to redo the process. After the HISD board approved $1.2 million at its meeting last week to pay for the renamings, interim superintendent Ken Huewitt said the funding decision addressed the concerns raised in the lawsuit. A ruling in the suit is expected sometime in the next month, according to Murry and Arturo Michel, a lawyer representing HISD in the suit.

In Austin and Dallas, school boards voted to rename a single school each  Dallas John B. Hood Middle School became Piedmont Global Academy, and Austins Robert E. Lee Elementary became Russell Lee Elementary  and only after the school communities had debated the issue and asked the board to act.

In Dallas, students at John B. Hood Middle School held a vote to get rid of the name. Then they held another vote to pick the new name, Piedmont Global Academy. The board of trustees approved their decision.

In Austin, parents in the citys Hyde Park neighborhood held numerous meetings to discuss changing the name, and fought for the board to vote for a new name: Russell Lee, in honor of the documentary photographer who recorded life during the Great Depression, and lived in Austin for decades. According to parents on both sides of the issue, the year-long process quickly turned tense.

White-hot and rough are the adjectives used by Laurie Marchant, a Lee Elementary alumna who attended the school in the late 1970s and early 80s, and parent of a current Lee student. Marchant supported the name change.

Ugly and uncomfortable are how Caroline Roberts, a former Lee parent who helped author a petition seeking to designate the school, built in 1939, as a historical landmark, remembers the meetings about the name change. People who felt like she did  that Lee was a respectable man and changing the schools name would be an attempt to erase the past  were blacklisted. Roberts says she was called names and confronted by other Lee parents in public. She has decided to withdraw her twin 8-year-old sons from AISD and homeschool them instead.

At Lee, the renaming issue also brought in Austinites who had no connection to the school. Robert Reed, a fitness instructor, learned that the topic would be discussed at a March board meeting from one of his clients, a parent at Lee, where the majority of students are white. Reed was one of the only African-Americans to speak at the meeting.

My great-grandfather was a slave, Reed said at the meeting. Robert E. Lee would have fought to keep my great-grandfather a slave. And you can sit here and talk about all the tremendous things he did. Im sure he never forgot Mothers Day. But the bottom line is, he fought to keep slaves in bondage.

The school-by-school approach there and in Dallas has created inconsistencies. Austin has stripped Robert E. from its school list, but it has no formal plans at the moment to rename Lanier or Reagan High Schools. Dallas has scrubbed off the name of Hood, but the board has not formally considered renaming Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, or Albert Sidney Johnston elementary schools, according to district spokesman Andre Riley.

Lew Blackburn, president of the Dallas board of trustees, said most parents and students dont think much about their schools name.

When I go to PTA meetings or I talk to staff, I talk to parents, Ive asked, Would you want to see the name of this school changed? Blackburn said. And they kind of look at me like, For what?

Symbols matter

To Jacqueline Jones, chair of the history department at UT-Austin, and a specialist in the Civil War, race and slavery, theres a simple answer to the question Blackburn has heard: Symbols matter.

Of all the really sterling, inspirational figures of American history, to have to say this building is named for someone who took up arms against the U.S. and also fought so that other people would be held as slaves, Jones said, What kind of message does that send?

She acknowledged that there are cases that raise challenging questions: people like Sidney Lanier, for example. Thats why debates about venerated historical figures are valuable, she said  and why it is disappointing that many districts have not had any discussion of the issue.

That might be because the wars most famous events took place far from Texas, so its legacy could feel less immediate to some Texans, Jones said.

Bob Geske, a member of the El Paso ISD board of trustees, said he thinks his communitys orientation toward the border and the Southwest, rather than the Southeast, could be one reason no one has called to rename the districts Robert E. Lee Elementary.

El Paso is 86 percent Hispanic, Geske said. This is our heritage, not the Civil War. Maybe it is the lithium in the water, our geography, or just plain ambivalence, but that war is very seldom discussed.

To Jones, its only a matter of time before people call for other schools named for Confederates to change.

I think that as long as these men are honored in this way, there will be protests, she said. They might flare up and then die out. But I dont think weve seen the end of it.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here.
We were not bribed to drop ...
Confiscated During Tuolumne Traffic Stop View Photos

Tuolumne, CA  The Tuolumne County Sheriffs Office is investigating whether a gun located during a weekend traffic stop in Tuolumne had been stolen.

46-year-old Heath Biszmaier of Vista, California was contacted after allegedly running a stop sign and driving at a high rate of speed. He was in a black Subaru Legacy along Carter Street. When a deputy first tried to catch up with the vehicle, Biszmaier abruptly exited and walked at a fast pace towards a home on Madrone street.

Biszmaier, however, stopped and returned to the vehicle at the deputys demand.

The deputy searched the Subaru and located a .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun in the center console. A records check determined that the registered owner is someone different then Biszmaier claimed. Biszmaier was arrested and booked into Tuolumne County Jail on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm that is not registered to him. The Sheriffs Office reports that deputies will be contacting the registered owner to determine if the gun was stolen.

The incident happened at approximately 9pm on Saturday.
CHP San Andreas logo View Photos

Murphys, CA  Two Bay area residents were flown out of the area to receive medical care after suffering major injuries during an ATV accident in Calaveras County.

The CHP reports that it happened on Sunday evening on private property situated off Sheep Ranch Road. 18-year-old Isiah Eisenberg of Berkeley was driving a 2011 Polaris Ranger with a passenger, 18-year-old Evan Hughes of Oakland. Eisenberg drove off a gravel driveway, onto the road shoulder, and attempted to turn back onto the driveway. Unfortunately the ATV tipped over and both men were ejected. They were not wearing helmets and suffered major injuries. Eisenberg was flown via air ambulance to UC Davis Medical Center and Hughes was flown to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.

The CHP reports that Eisenberg was cited for suspicion of DUI resulting in major injuries to another person. The crash occurred at 7:30pm.
Sonora, CA  The trout population in the Stanislaus River was down 75% last year when comparing it to the six-year average.

Since 2009 the organization FISHBIO has conducted an annual trout count thanks to funding from the Oakdale and South San Joaquin county irrigation districts and Tri-Dam. Biologists physically go into the water to count Rainbow Trout along the Stanislaus River and monitor the fishs abundance over time, and across a range of conditions.

In the summer of 2015 the group found only 5,000 fish in the river. As biologists prepare to swim out and conduct this years survey, the anticipation is that numbers will be down even further, because river temperatures were higher in 2015 than 2014, which is a negative for the fish. Among Californias major reservoirs, New Melones is currently among the lowest at 23% capacity and 39% of the historical average. The federal government mandates that pulse flows (water releases) be conducted in an attempt to help the salmon population. However, as New Melones gets lower, and the water temperature then increases, the pulse flows have a negative impact on the salmon.

FISHBIO President Doug Demko says, This drought is a good reminder that sometimes saving water for later release is better for fish than releasing too much at once. We now have evidence that releasing stored water in a way that depletes cold water reserves can significantly reduce rainbow trout abundance.

FISHBIO and the Oakdale Irrigation District have produced a 10-minute video documentary explaining more of their findings. You can view it by clicking the video box in the upper left hand corner.
A key piece of a commercial launch pad was installed Monday in another step in getting Americans back to space from United States soil.

Astronauts will cross the access arm to board crew capsules

Crew tower is first one built on Space Coast since Apollo era

Astronauts will travel to space in Boeing's CST-100 Starliner

The piece is called the Crew Access Tower  the walkway astronauts will use to board spacecraft headed for space. It begins the next chapter in getting American astronauts to space without Russia's help.

The bridge high above the historic Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station will allow NASA astronauts to get on board United Launch Alliance rockets.

It's the same launch pad that sent off the Voyager probe and the Curiosity Rover to their history-making missions. A crane lifted the more than 90,000-pound crew access arm into its permanent spot. The arm includes a "white room," which is the final stop for astronauts before they are strapped in and head to orbit. It's similar to the one used in the 30-year space shuttle program.

Astronauts will be flying on the Boeing CST-100 spacecraft, called Starliner capsules, built for NASA and headed for missions to the International Space Station on Atlas V rockets.

"What really makes it all tick is software and small teams in backrooms to create an operational capability for the flight control team," said Chris Ferguson, a former space shuttle astronaut who is now with the Boeing Commercial Crew Program. "And to create training capability for that team and the astronauts."

Construction of the tower happened off-site in nearby Oak Hill because the launch pad has been busy in recent months.

The tower was brought to the Space Coast late last week.

"This is the next step in the next 100 years of spaceflight," said Barb Egan, of the ULA Commercial Crew Program.

The goal is to launch the first crewed mission in early 2018. That will mark the first time Americans have launched their own astronauts from U.S. soil since the end of the space shuttle program in 2011.

In 2014, NASA awarded Boeing a more than $4 billion contract to build and fly capsules that will take American astronauts to the International Space Station and other low-Earth orbit stops.
Perhaps dream-sizing today of century-old happenings should be linked to individuals with king-size visions of what can be. We cant get our minds wrapped around ideas of such dreamers whose unbounded optimism and rolled-up sleeves led to projects of grandeur.

Before automobiles, before area oil discovery, and a full century before wind turbines turned lazily in the West Texas winds, cotton and cattle undergirded the economy. Visionaries came up with $200,000 in 1906 to birth a railroad. It was a short line, to be sure, but not to be short-lived.

Roscoe, Snyder and Pacific made for an ambitious name. Early dreams were to lay rails for 200 miles, connecting the RS&P to main lines in northwest Texas that stretched to the Pacific. They made it 40 miles, ending at Fluvanna, a hop/skip/jump west of Snyder.

No doubt, tobacco was spat toward the dreamers. Some critics shook their fists, shouting, Get a horse! Excitement prevailed, though, particularly among sweaty workers laying rails for 15 cents per hour during hardscrabble years two decades before the Great Depression.

They said the rails were quarter-spiked and half-tied. Stated differently, they got by with one-fourth of the spikes and half the cross ties recommended.

True enough, the little railroad was established with more faith than funds. It was baling-wired; duct tape -- not yet invented -- would have helped a bunch. It should be noted, though, the line had just one serious wreck during its 75-plus years, and it had no fatalities.

The first locomotive -- purchased used, of course -- had been a wood-burner before conversion to coal. The RS&P began daily passenger and freight service on May 22, 1908 -- less than two years after its charter was granted.

It was the biggest of deals; finally, Snyder was connected by rail to cities back east. They had a two-day celebration, this town of 3,000 people. The excitement attracted 10,000 visitors, according to the Dallas Morning News. Schedules were crowded with picnics, speeches, ball games, hot air ballons and horseshoe and washer pitching. Bunting flapped in the breeze from businesses, adding to the hoopla.

On its return to Roscoe, the train backed its way across the 31-mile span, since there was no provision for turning around - yet.

How giddy those first passengers must have been, experiencing speeds of up to 25 mph. Citizens were so excited about completion of the first segment, they rode a flat car pulled by mules for a warm-up to train-riding.

The Pacific part of the name, however, was not to be. RS&P ran with the big dogs on a prairie dog budget until deregulation in 1980 led to closure of the rail line in 1983.

Still, folks who believed in the RS&P -- up to and including investing -- held heads high, as well they should have. The rail line showed modest profits most years. Bankruptcy was never once declared, and it operated through years of the Great Depression and two World Wars, providing employment for up to 70 persons. Noteworthy, too, is that when rails between Snyder and Fluvanna were taken up in 1941, they went straight to foundries, later to be used as shrapnel in World War II. Today, theres only 1.5 miles of rail remaining. It is used by Eagle Railcar Repair Company.

The internet has many accounts of the RS&P, and the Roscoe Historical Museum -- open upon request and on special days -- has even more. Sometime when youre in Roscoe, the museum is a great stopping place, particularly if children in the back seat are reading The Little Engine That Could.

Dr. Edwin Duncan, a native who returned a decade ago after a long stint of university teaching in the Northeast, is eager to show off the museum when hes not out of pocket. Folks at city hall -- and others -- have the number of the cellphone in his pocket.

Hes understandably proud of his hometown, its heritage, and, of course, the RS&P. One of his blogs will be revisited soon. It concerns a jackrabbit round-up in Roscoe. For now, though, hell tell you much more about the little railroad that could -- and did.

Dr. Don Newbury is a speaker in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Inquiries/comments to: newbury@speakerdoc.com.
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Many myths and misconceptions surround the storied Battle of the Alamo.

Over time, paintings, newspaper articles, movies and television have portrayed the 1836 battle in ways that have been questioned or refuted. Here are some Alamo myths, and the reality based on historical research.

Davy Crockett wore a coonskin cap and buckskins, and he fought at the Alamo with a rifle nicknamed Old Betsy.

Descriptions of the Tennessee frontiersman and statesman are rooted in a 19th century play, The Lion of the West, whose hero, Col. Nimrod Wildfire, was a character inspired by Crockett. Despite portrayals in a 1950s Disney television series, Crockett didn't bring his trusty rifle to Texas, and preferred the name David.

The Mexican tricolor flag with the date "1824" flew at the Alamo.

Historians have said the only flag known to have flown at the Alamo was a light blue New Orleans Greys flag with gold trim and the words "1st Company of Texan Volunteers from New Orleans." Some witnesses reported seeing a Tejas y Coahuila flag, a Mexican tricolor with two stars on the center stripe.

Lt. Col. William Barret Travis, having lost hope for troop reinforcements, drew a line in the dirt with his sword and asked defenders to cross it if they planned to stay and fight. All but one crossed the line.

Louis "Moses" Rose, a Frenchman, told the tale, saying he didn't cross the line and fled the Alamo. The late historian Thomas Ricks Lindley, a debunker of Alamo myths, published strong evidence in 2003 that the story was untrue. Others have discounted the tale, saying the defenders held hope throughout the siege that reinforcements would arrive.

More Information The Alamo The Alamo Society See More Collapse

Santa Anna's band played "El Deguello" during the battle as a warning that none of the defenders would be taken alive.

Not all historians agree that the deguello was sounded, because of a lack of evidence from confirmed witnesses. Today, there are at least three versions of sheet music for the call available to researchers, and an audio version on sale at the Alamo Gift Museum.

Crockett died fighting in the battle, swinging his rifle, or perhaps blowing up the Alamo's ammunition supply, as depicted in movies.

No one knows if Crockett died fighting or was captured and executed. Witness accounts placed his dead body in front of the church or by the west wall. One Mexican officer's account said Crockett was one of a handful of men executed after the battle. The 2004 film "The Alamo" was the first to show Crockett being executed.

Exactly 189 defenders died in the battle.

Initial reports put the figure at around 150, and today there are 189 known defenders listed by name. Other researchers have said the there were about 250, including reinforcements that arrived shortly before the battle.

Sam Houston sent Emily Morgan to Santa Anna's camp to distract him, helping the Texians win a decisive battle at San Jacinto.

Emily D. West, a biracial housekeeper under contract to James Morgan, was at the camp after being captured. But there's little proof to support the legend, which inspired the song "Yellow Rose of Texas." The Emily Morgan Hotel, formerly known as the Medical Arts Building, stands by the Alamo and was renamed in 1984 for the fabled Texas heroine.

Juan Seguin buried the ashes of Alamo defenders at San Fernando Cathedral.

According to Alamo historians, Seguin took a coffin containing ashes from two of the Alamo's three funeral pyres to San Fernando, but did not clearly indicate in his writings where they were buried. Some researchers believe they were placed somewhere in what now is Alamo Plaza. One defender, Gregorio Esparza, was buried in the Campo Santo (cemetery) in the area of Milam Park. His brother, who had fought for Mexico in the Battle of Bexar, got permission for the burial from Santa Anna.

The Alamo is the undisputed "Cradle of Texas Liberty."

Many have said losses on the Mexican side and the battle cry "Remember the Alamo" six weeks later at San Jacinto led to Texas independence. Others have challenged the Alamo "creation myth," arguing that the battle was unnecessary, because the Alamo held little strategic value. It then took decades to bring stability to the Texas frontier under the republic, and later statehood.
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He must strike before the army arrives at the Alamo. So, like Santa Anna, Mark Nauschutz attacks in the predawn darkness, around 5 a.m. His mission: mowing the lawn before tourists descend.

The Alamo horticulturist doesn't want the patch of green that stretches before the Shrine of Texas Liberty looking shaggy for visitors, more than 2.5 million a year, or almost 7,000 a day.

In winter he cuts the lush ryegrass two or three times a week, leaving distinct stripes in an east-west pattern. He might be out five times a week in summer to trim the heat-fueled Bermuda grass that replaces the ryegrass when temperatures warm.

Nauschutz likes the quiet of the early mornings at the shrine.

"That's when you feel the history," he says

Even after 14 years of working there, Nauschutz still marvels at all that's happened at the site. He points to a cluster of deep gouges in the facade between a Mexican olive tree and the front door of the chapel.

"You're that close to where the musket balls hit," he says, referring to the place on the wall thought to be where soldiers were lined up before a firing squad.

But most of his predawn thinking is directed at the 4.3 acres of the Alamo grounds and the plants growing there. He fights for the flora, and this year has been especially tough because of recent hard freezes.

Temperatures stay warmer inside the compound walls, but plants still suffered.

"It's the worst it's been since 1989," Nauschutz says, referring to the 65 straight hours temperatures stayed below freezing in February.

But the resilient spirit that's synonymous with the Alamo shows in plants that are starting to sprout from the ground. Some early bloomers, such as redbuds, Texas mountain laurels and agaritas, are flowering.

Japanese aralias, though tropical looking, shrugged off the cold and remained lush. Mexican buckeye will bloom soon, and so will double-flowering peach trees, which Nauschutz praises for being hardy and low maintenance.

Records indicate peaches were grown at the Alamo in 1861, but most of the plant life there today looks nothing like it did in the early to mid-19th century. "There would have been nothing but scrub mesquites and grasses," Nauschutz says.

The stately pecan in the center of the lawn outside Alamo hall is the oldest tree, planted in 1850. The next oldest - and the plant that garners the most attention from visitors - is the live oak that sprawls across the courtyard in front of the Long Barrack. Planted in 1912, it was estimated to be 40 years old when it was brought to the site on a mule-drawn wagon.

A yearly shot of fertilizer helps to keep trees healthy. With that, the soil around the trees is aerated, which loosens compacted soil and allows water to penetrate.

Aerating is equally important for grass. Nauschutz and his crew of two landscapers use a plug aerator to pull cores of dirt from the sodded areas in the back of the complex once a month while grass is growing. After trying a variety of turf, Nauschutz settled on Emerald zoysia because it tolerates shade and traffic from special events.

"But when you have an army walk across it ," he says, his voice trailing off.

Nauschutz propagates plants in a 40-by-13-foot greenhouse that's tucked behind the arbor and amphitheater. About 500 pink 'Katie' ruellia plants, started from divisions, are growing in the greenhouse. And so are dozens of fig ivy plants started from cuttings. Cholla cactuses, growing in 4-inch pots, are taking root and will be sold for about $8 each in the gift shop. Tourists bought almost 1,000 of the plants in 2009, he notes.

During his tenure, Nauschutz has secured grants from the San Antonio Area Foundation for landscaping, and he's currently applying money from the Native Texan License Plate fund to add lights for trees in the back. That will add to the ambience for nighttime events.

Though the landscape isn't planted entirely in natives, visitors to the Alamo will find a variety of Texas plants in the landscape. And in Cavalry Courtyard, they also will find a plant that sings to Texans: the yellow rose.

Just don't call it yellow.

"Gold," Nauschutz corrects. "There's nothing yellow about the Alamo."

tlehmann@express-news.net
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The state agency that is assuming oversight at the Alamo says it wants to put the shrine's staff back under the supervision of a paid executive director.

Under a law that takes effect today, the General Land Office has just four months to negotiate a contract with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas that could run up to 10 years for day-to-day operations at the state shrine. If a contract isn't signed by Jan. 1, control of the Alamo and the site's equipment and property acquired with state funds must be transferred to the Land Office.

Many questions linger as the DRT remains the subject of a Texas attorney general's investigation. But many believe the new law will improve conditions at the state's 4.2-acre complex, which has up to 3 million visitors annually.

I can't help but believe any organizational structure birthed by the Land Office has got to be better than what currently exists, said Rudi Rodriguez, founder of the Hispanic Heritage Center of Texas.

One idea the Land Office is exploring is restoring an Alamo director's position to oversee staff. The Daughters have had direct oversight of the Alamo's roughly 100 employees since David Stewart retired as director in 2009.

The subject of an executive director has been discussed and will continue to be discussed, said Mark Loeffler, Land Office communications director.

Rumors have swirled about financial operations at the Alamo and the fiscal viability of the DRT's statewide organization. In a throwback to the DRT's early 1900s roots, some say its Alamo Mission Chapter, rather than the state organization, could manage the Alamo under contract with the Land Office.

Regarding the DRT's main association, as with any large nonprofit organization in light of this economy, contributions vary, DRT President General Karen Thompson, the only Daughter authorized to speak for the group, said in a statement.

She denied rumors of a hiring freeze affecting nonessential staff at the Alamo.

Although Thompson said gift shop sales that support the Alamo's $6 million operating budget have been stable, capital fundraising has been a concern of the state.

The law signed in June by Gov. Rick Perry allows the Land Office to hire a nonprofit to raise funds, and gives the DRT an option to charge admission.

Critics say the Alamo, site of a Spanish mission and an 1836 siege and battle, has fallen behind other restored sites.

Local restorations include a $21 million upgrade of San Fernando Cathedral in 2003; a new $2.2 million project at Mission San Jose; a $775,000 renovation last year at the Spanish Governor's Palace; and 1990s restorations of more than $3 million at City Hall, and of $10 million at the Majestic and Empire theaters.

The Alamo also has been troubled with unrest in the DRT, state-appointed custodians since 1905. But sources within the Daughters said the AG's office may release a report on its nearly 15-month investigation this month, letting dust settle as the DRT and Land Office confer on terms of a contract.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who is leading the negotiations, seems pleased with the DRT's stewardship of the grounds, Loeffler said.

If you're asking whether he's happy with the financial management, that answer probably is no, Loeffler said. The agency's primary concern relates to ensuring that any money raised on behalf of the Alamo ... is used solely for the benefit of the Alamo.

After failing to raise $400,000 for a 175th anniversary Alamo concert in March and falling behind on payroll at its Austin headquarters, the DRT has entered a $491,000 roof repair contract at the Alamo and spent many thousands of dollars in legal fees.

On May 31, two days after the bill passed the Legislature, the DRT was charged $23,000 in legal fees that were paid out of Alamo funds for consultations, responses to media inquiries and conference calls with lawyers and legislators.

An Alamo employee, speaking anonymously, said the DRT and staff managers are not taking care of the Alamo, and have told employees not to talk to the media.

They're good people trying to do the right thing, but they're not qualified, said the employee, one of many required since last year to sign a two-page nondisclosure agreement at the Alamo.

Daughters with the Alamo Mission Chapter and DRT Library Committee recently began taking inventory of furniture, books and materials belonging to the lineage group in case a contract with the Land Office is not signed by the deadline.

Under the law, the Land Office may create a nine-member Alamo preservation advisory board, with the city of San Antonio and Bexar County each having an appointee.

Rodriguez, of the Hispanic Heritage Center, said he supports having a mixed group of people that will bring different perspectives on the Alamo.

But Loeffler said Patterson can move faster without the board to establish the kind of infrastructure that the Alamo and Daughters need. A board might later be seated, he said.

This summer, the DRT has had contractors study and repair leaks in the Alamo chapel's roof, replace old mortar on its exterior walls, clean its interior walls and reseal its ceiling. But the Aug. 4 filming by the Bravo network of Pee-wee Herman for a Top Chef segment raised legitimate questions about the Alamo's portrayal by the media, Loeffler said.

After the filming, Daughters with the Mission chapter found Alamo Hall, a structure on the grounds that the DRT renovated in 2009, in disarray, with damage from broken glass, curtains on the floor and a portrait of Clara Driscoll, the savior of the Alamo, moved from its place.

The well-funded chapter already had begun a process in June of forming its own nonprofit corporation, fueling speculation that it could assume the role of Alamo manager if the statewide organization loses the tax-exempt status the new law requires it to maintain.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed against the DRT by former Alamo Ranger Roberto Sustaita has put a spotlight on the shrine's security force. Sustaita claimed the Daughters ignored complaints from staff about sexual harassment and discrimination.

We do believe they turned a blind eye. Absolutely, said Ali Hakeem, Sustaita's lawyer.

The rangers have guarded the shrine for more than 40 years. But the force has been dogged at times with personnel issues, including reports of rangers dating other employees or DRT members, and alleged theft of petty cash  even quarters scooped from the Alamo's concrete fish canal.

A slander suit filed against the DRT in 2003 by former Ranger Tomas Padilla ended with an undisclosed settlement. Last month, Rangers Glenn McGuinness and Elizabeth Arce, the first woman ever promoted to sergeant on the force, resigned.

Even C.C., a 15-year-old cat touted as the Alamo's mouse catcher, hasn't lived up to her legendary status. The DRT recently hired Home Team Pest Defense to catch rats in the DRT Library and basement below the Sales Museum.

One rat chewed a utility line in May, interrupting the Alamo's Internet service, employees said. The Land Office didn't know of the rodents but wasn't concerned, since rats are common in basements.

Not aware and not surprised, Loeffler said.
HARTFORD - A Derby man, who federal authorities said was part of a drug and steroid ring along with a former Newtown police officer, was sentenced Monday to 37 months in prison.

Frank Pecora, 55, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone.
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BETHEL  Kristen Backus and Steve Shanley made their way through a thick swamp across the street from Danbury Animal Welfare Society, pushing their way through poison ivy and prickly bushes with only the sound of a dogs whining to guide them through the dark, wet night.

A couple hours earlier on that Saturday in late July, three dogs and a puppy had been brought to DAWS from Kentucky. Backus, the community outreach coordinator, had walked the last of the dogs toward the shelter when an 11-year-old terrier mix named Budger twisted out of his harness and dashed across the street.

Backus and puppy coordinator Karen Pasieka, unable to find Budger, called Bethel police. An officer came quickly, followed by Shanley, the towns animal control officer.

The group brought wet food to the swamp, hoping the strong smell would lure Budger to them.

We were just trying to listen, Backus said. I saw his eyes at one point when I shone the flashlight, but that immediately scared him more and pushed him back further.

Backus described Budger as one of the most fearful dogs she had ever met. He had been rescued from an elderly man in Kentucky who threw bricks at his animals.

Backus took Kura, one of the dogs Budger had traveled with, to the edge of the swamp in hopes the hound would comfort Budger.

There is a lot of power to a very fearful dog having what they call a helper dog that they look to for security and what to expect from the humans around him, Backus said.

Backus finally found Budger under a bush. Shanley slowly raised his snatch pole to bring it down over the dog, allowing Backus to attach a slip lead to him. Shanley led as they made their way out of the swamp, pulling branches out of the way.

When they got out, Backus cried tears of relief.

This was just one of the many times DAWS and the police have worked together, a relationship Backus said she is grateful for.

One officer now fosters a kitten he found a couple weeks ago while on duty.

Officer Garrett Vasquez was in the Capris Pizzeria parking lot with his field training officer around 10:30 p.m. when they heard a noise.

We were just walking around and we heard this mewing and we didnt know where it was coming from, Vasquez said.

They headed across the street to Wells Fargo Bank. The noise got louder and louder. Vasquez shined his flashlight around the bushes and finally found a four-week-old kitten.

I just figured the thing was scared out of its wits, Vasquez said. And it must have gotten separated from its family or someone left it there.

The officers brought the kitten to the shelter, but Vasquez could not stop thinking about him. He and his girlfriend decided to take in the kitten for the next several weeks.

I didnt want it to go to a bad home immediately, Vasquez said. I wanted to make sure it was okay and could interact with other animals

Vasquez has an eight-month old Pomeranian yorkie terrier. So far Vasquez is enjoying having the kitten at home.

Hes been really lovey and cuddly, Vasquez said. He hasnt left my side since Ive been hanging out out with him. Hes been lying on my chest and licking my face. Hes been very cute.

Shanley did not return a request for comment.
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Houston lawyer Jerry Guerinot said he no longer represents people accused of capital murder after four decades of posting a perfect record.

None of his nearly three dozen capital murder clients was found innocent.

Some opponents of capital punishment label him the worst lawyer in the United States. Guerinot shrugs off the criticism, which he says comes from taking notorious cases.

"My theory is if they are the sorriest of the worst or the very worst, I got 'em," Guerinot, 71, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Somebody's got to defend  'defend' is the wrong word  represent these people."

Guerinot has represented gang members, serial killers and sociopaths accused of heinous crimes.

He works from Houston, in Harris County, which has sent more people to death row than any other U.S. county and all but two states since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. So, Guerinot got a lot of business.

Too much business to properly represent the accused, according to Jim Marcus, co-director of the Capital Punishment Clinic at the University of Texas.

He points to 1996, when jurors over a seven-month period convicted people in four separate Guerinot cases. Three of those clients have been executed. Marcus now represents the fourth, Anthony Medina, who he contends in appeals received virtually no defense from Guerinot, including little trial preparation and inadequate questioning of witnesses.

"It is unthinkable that a defense attorney would try four separate death penalty cases to verdict in the space of seven months," said Marcus.

Guerinot said he was not the lead attorney on some of those cases, that extensive preparation was made earlier on two of them and that he spent considerable time on Medina's case before trial. He acknowledged the perception of trying to rush cases to get a paycheck, "but that's not what happened."

Over his career, court records show 21 Guerinot clients received the death penalty. Ten have been executed. Two had their sentences commuted to life when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that those under 18 at the time of the crime could not be executed. One case is awaiting retrial on the punishment. Prosecutors dropped the charges in another case.

Thirteen other Guerinot clients are serving life sentences, either because a plea agreement or lesser charge was negotiated, jurors couldn't agree unanimously on the death penalty or prosecutors didn't seek it.

"You never hear about the ones we pleaded down to murder or aggravated robbery or when the jury came back (with a life sentence)," Guerinot said.

This fall, courts are reviewing cases involving two former Guerinot clients. While his performance isn't the central issue, they raise questions about whether they received fair trials. The highest profile case involves Linda Carty, the only British woman on death row in the United States.

"I hate to say that man's name," Carty said in a 2010 prison interview with the AP. "I wouldn't be here if I had better counsel."

She was convicted in 2002 of orchestrating her 20-year-old neighbor's slaying and abducting the woman's infant. Carty denied involvement. Three men convicted as accomplices received long prison terms. Carty got death.

Her current lawyers believe she deserves a new trial, arguing prosecutors improperly withheld evidence from the defense team Guerinot led.

Carty told the AP that Guerinot didn't meet with her until a month before the trial  and never sought legal help from the British consulate.

Guerinot says Carty refused to meet him for four months and, even though she is from St. Kitts when it was part of the British Virgin Islands, she never told him she was a citizen of Britain, where the death penalty is outlawed.

"She got the death penalty because it was a terrible crime," Guerinot says.

At a June court hearing, Guerinot testified his defense efforts were hampered by Carty and other uncooperative witnesses. Final submissions from lawyers are due Aug. 29 and the judge will make a recommendation to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state's highest criminal court.

Guerinot was top assistant to the lead defense lawyer in the second case. Duane Buck was condemned following his 1997 conviction for a double slaying in Houston. The U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments Oct. 5 regarding testimony from a psychologist called by the defense who said under cross examination that black people were more likely to commit violence.

Kathryn Kase, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, a legal group that represents Buck and other death row prisoners in appeals, said the defense should have tried to stop the testimony because it was offensive and the man on trial was black.

"It's that they also never objected to the prosecution's questions or arguments about the evidence that skin color, race, makes someone more likely to be dangerous in the future," she said.

Guerinot believes he got numerous appointments over the years because of his capital case experience, which began in the early 1970s as an assistant prosecutor, and his frequent presence at the courthouse once he went into private practice.

"It's very hard to look at a judge who says, 'I need you to take on this case,' and say: 'I won't do it,'" he said.

In 2001, Texas passed a law that attorneys for indigent people be selected from a list of those deemed qualified through training and experience.

Guerinot said he hasn't retired but he is tired of being pilloried over capital murder cases and won't take them anymore.

"I'm there to ensure they get a fair shake," Guerinot said. "And, by God, there ain't one of them that didn't."
Across the street from the gay nightclub in Florida where 49 people were killed in an attack June 12, sits a new Donald Trump campaign office, according to media reports.

Located on the 2000 block of South Orange Avenue, across the street from the nightclub, an office sits full of chairs and Trump campaign signs, the Orlando Sentinel reported Friday. According to the Sentinel, a memorial for victims of the shooting can be seen from the Trump office.
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The last of three men charged with capital murder in the gang-related shootings last year at an East Side carwash on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has pleaded guilty to two counts of murder.

Adrian Perkins, 26, waived his presentencing investigation hearing Friday before state District Judge Kevin OConnell and was sentenced to 35 years in prison, according to court documents.

Perkins, Jacquay Howard, 32, and Edwin Joseph, 26, had been charged with capital murder after their arrests in the wake of the shootings, which killed Royal Wylie Willrich, 30, and Vontay Jamar Price, 22. Five other people were wounded.

The three were known gang members who saw rival gang members and shot at them in a crowd around 10 p.m. Jan. 19, 2015, at North New Braunfels Avenue and Gibbs, police said. The incident occurred just hours after the citys annual MLK Day march and celebration, which was held nearby.

Video surveillance footage of the shooting helped police identify the men, who used an AK-47-style assault rifle, a .40-caliber handgun and a .380-caliber handgun.

According to court documents, Joseph told investigators that he only shot once into the air after Howard pointed out their targets, told him to park, waited a few minutes and led the trio around a fence to begin shooting.

Court records indicate Howard told a detective he fired four or five shots at Price and Willrich because they were the first two people he saw and that he fired in self-defense.

After entering a plea, Howard was sentenced last week to 45 years. Joseph, who reached a plea agreement in July, was sentenced Friday to 25 years, according to court records.

All three men pleaded to two counts of murder. They will have to serve at least half of their sentences before they are eligible for parole.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
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SAN ANTONIO  Eight men were arrested last week during a prostitution sting on the West Side in which undercover detectives met with them to solicit sex for money, according to the police department.

RELATED: Police: Backpage.com ads lead to arrest of 19 in undercover prostitution sting in Central Texas

The eight men arrested were all first-time alleged offenders charged with engaging in prostitution, a class B misdemeanor: Jeremias Aju-Sacach, 44; Mark Brown, 52; Jonathan Castaneda, 34; Marlon Cardenas, 39; Juan Espinoza, 48; Oscar Guardado-Magana, 35; Ihorge Hernandez, 34 and Eric Morales, 33.

RELATED: Report: South Texas man arrested in prostitution sting has ties to Catholic Diocese

A ninth man was arrested during the sting, but his charge was for public intoxication, according to police records.

The sting occurred late Wednesday to early Thursday at the corner of Zarzamora and Salinas Streets on the West Side. SAPD spokesman Douglas Greene said the suspects approached undercover detectives and solicited them for sex. The suspects were promptly taken into custody following the interactions with police, Greene said. The detectives were part of the Nightshift Vice Unit, according to San Antonio Police Department.

Greene said the charge can be enhanced to as high as state jail felony for repeat offenders. If someone is arrested for soliciting sex from someone under the age of 18, that person can be charged with a second-degree felony, Greene said.

RELATED: Police: 12 men, 2 women arrested in South Texas prostitution sting

Text "NEWS" to 72727 to sign up for breaking news from mySA

twhite@mysa.com

Twitter: @tylerlwhite
News reports say Baylor University police arrested a McLennan County assistant district attorney Saturday morning and charged her with suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

The catch is Kristen Parker, 27, prosecutes DWI cases for the county, according to The Waco Tribune.
San Antonians are proud, rightly so, that Robert E. Lee called San Antonio home in the years leading up to the Civil War. He had been superintendent of West Point and a hero in the countrys war against Mexico.

Gen. Winfield Scott told his superiors that they should immediately take out an insurance policy on Lees life in the event a future war breaks out against the United States. Ironic, when you think about it. I learned some surprising things while diligently Googling in preparation for my part of a public forum this month at the Whitley Theological Center on Why Robert E. Lee and Black Lives Matter.

Before the Civil War, San Antonio was the only city in the state of Texas against secession before it was for secession. It was much like The Free State of Jones  the film starring Matthew McConaughey about the rural county of Jones County, Mississippi that fought against Confederate soldiers. Then, wandering around downtown, pondering my part, I happened upon a plaque that also surprised me. San Antonio was the only city in Texas that financially supported the education of black children in the years following the Civil War. The plaque marks the original site of the Rincon School, which was a free public school for black children in San Antonio  the first such school  surprise, surprise. It was built and operated in the late 1860s by the federal government, with the support of the City. The City assumed operation in 1871. After a move to what is now Martin Luther King Drive, the Rincon School is now the Frederick Douglass School.

So: Civil War era-San Antonio opposed secession and supported the right of black children to public education. The other cities in the State stood at the opposite end of the spectrum on both issues.

Fast forward. The superintendent of schools for North East Independent School District and the president of the NEISD board of trustees declined to participate in this months forum at the Whitley Center. Technically, I only presume they declined. They didnt respond to invitations sent by emails or to a follow up call.

Superintendent Brian Gottardis executive assistant did confirm that his calendar was clear the evening of the forum and promised that either she or he would get back with me to let me know whether or not he and Board of Trustees President Shannon Grona would participate. No one called. I placed a display ad in the paper on the day of the forum showing them as invitees to remind them to  call me. That didnt work either.

The forum had been designed to provide an opportunity for Gottardi and Grona to provide input generally and to present the majority and minority analyses of the boards decision to reject the student-led proposal to change the name of the one school in the district named after a leader of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee High School.

The district had not provided an official opinion when it announced its decision last December to reject the students proposal. This was also an opportunity for them to indicate whether or not the board would reconsider its decision in light of the interim events giving rise to the Black Lives Matter protest movement that has led to other school districts in the South to change the name of schools honor political and military leaders of the Confederacy.

The board has not provided any response to a request for the board to reconsider last years decision which had been submitted along with a petition signed by 12,000 supporters. An insider informs me that the board wants to sweep the issue under the rug.

San Antonio is on the brink of yet again becoming the outsider in Texas in the history of race relations. But this time, San Antonio will be on the wrong side of history and, most certainly, pulled under by the powerful riptide of the future. Austin has already decided to change the name of its one school named after a Confederate War leader. Houston followed suit. Now its a race against Dallas.

Eventually school boards in the South will be forced  dragging and kicking  to stop glorifying the Confederacy and the days of slavery by pushing the vestiges of both on students that dont agree with the sentiment and, in any event, dont want to be reminded of those days that had seemed so long ago. The names and flags (real and imagined) will be banned from every classroom in the country. Maybe, one day, black children and white children will be allowed to share the same classroom  87 percent of the students at Lee High School are Hispanic, Black, or members of other minority groups. The number of hyper-segregated schools in the nation (defined as schools with 90 percent or more minority students) has grown from 5.7 percent to 18.4 percent since 1988. Fear comes from the unknown. Teach our children well to fear and hate, before they are six or seven or eight, as the song goes in the film South Pacific released in 1958 the same year Lee High School was built.

A modern-day analogy would be if Trumped-up school boards would start naming schools after war leaders that would be disconcerting to Muslim students. For instance, Mladic High, to honor General Ratko Mladic who committed genocide to rid Christian Serbia of Muslims. Similar, since Muslims were an oppressed group, but the killings were more over religion and ethnicity and Mladic was considered a patriot since was acting on behalf of his country. Mladic is still considered a hero by some in Serbia. The Texas State Board of Education and a majority of the NEISD board of trustees agree as applied to General Robert E. Lee.

San Antonio needs a flashback to what we were before and after the Civil War  with a twist. We are no longer contrarian. We are at least quicker than Dallas to get it. And we havent lost our moral marbles after all.

William Rogers Schlecht lives in San Antonio.
Afghanistan is a dangerous place. It is even more dangerous for Afghans who worked with and for Americans there.

Thats why the United States established a visa program for those who translated for Americans battling in Afghanistan  and Iraq. The work came with a U.S. promise. Help us, and well protect you.

The U.S. is on the brink of breaking that promise. There is a possibility that the visa program wont be renewed. Moreover, Congress is being stingy with the visas. It has, since 2014, allowed about 7,000 visas for Afghan translators. In early July, fewer than 3,000 of these remained, though 12,000 Afghans are in the application process. And Congress is balking at a request for creating 4,000 more.

There was a compromise that settled on 2,500, but even this has been stymied.

It is with no measure of exaggeration that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., argued on the Senate floor that these actions mean, People are going to die.

The New York Times told the story of Zar Mohammad Stanikzai, who translated for Americans in 2012. He is essentially a prisoner in his own home, living in fear that the Taliban will be coming for him.

He applied for a visa in 2013 after an imam warned his father that he should stop helping U.S. troops or be killed.

They will kill us, he said.

The Senate action  inaction, rather  comes amid controversy in the presidential campaign and in Congress over allowing in Syrian refugees fleeing the violence in their country. The United States has pledged to take in 10,000 and may be on track to exceed even that. Texas leaders were unsuccessful in trying to block their resettlement here.

On the presidential campaign trail, GOP nominee Donald Trump suggested, first, that the U.S. halt all immigration by Muslims, refining that later to barring Muslims from countries suffering from terrorist attacks.

And that, of course, is a long list, including France and Belgium but also Afghanistan and Iraq.

Denying refuge to people fleeing our enemies in Syria is heartless. Applying a religious test for immigrants is odious  and likely unconstitutional. Blocking allies from coming here is heartless and odious, but throw in deceitful, too.

Congress must not succumb to the nativist sentiment fueling much of this anti-Muslim rhetoric. In the case of Afghan translators, it should simply keep this countrys promise.
Re: Boyfriend gets life in pregnant womans slaying, Page 2, Wednesday:

A man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend, who was 18 weeks pregnant, along with the child she was carrying. The article stated, Under Texas criminal laws, an unborn child is considered a person.

If this woman had had an abortion in month six or seven of her pregnancy, when a child is potentially viable, no one would have violated the law. However, if the child had been born and she had killed it or let it die, she could and probably would have been charged with murder. Where is the consistency in the law?

If we can freeze embryos and transplant them, why cant we save the unborn babies of women who dont want them and transplant them to those who do? Hopefully, we can create artificial wombs in the near future to save the lives of developing babies, since the law recognizes them as persons with the full potential already present in their genes.

I am not saying that a woman should be forced to give birth to a child she cannot raise or does not want, but why not save the child, if we can?

Virginia Castro, Blanco

Trumps priorities

Time is running out for Donald Trump, who must focus on prioritizing his agenda items.

Say that in his right hand are the items on which he will not allocate a lot of time and energy. In his left hand are the meat-and-potatoes of his campaign that will draw most of his time and energy as the clock ticks toward November.

The lightweight items are the national debt, climate control, foreign policy, Social Security and a few other mundane items. It is the issues in his left hand that ignite a spark in his eyes: name-calling, finger-pointing and accusations galore. Crooked Hillary, female reporters and the dishonest media. Also the rigged political system, crying babies and protesters at his speeches. And then there are illegal immigrants, travel bans, attacks on a federal judge overseeing the Trump University lawsuit, and the battle against the Gold Star parents of a soldier killed in Iraq.

Donald was spot on when he realized that the items in his left hand were screaming out for prioritizing.

James Michael Brown

Trump hit job

Re: GOPs women dumping Trump; His remarks are fueling an exodus, front page, Thursday:

Seriously?! A negative New York Times opinion piece on Donald Trump makes the Express-News front page?

Opinions belong in the editorial pages.

This type of misreporting motivates GOP women to fire up for Trump  Im sending him a check today.

Patti Howell

Easy as 1, 2, 3

Step one: Elect Trump.

Step two: Impeach Trump.

Pence for President 2017.

Jerry Harben

GOP contradiction

I am mystified as to why Republicans continue trying to defeat their own agenda. They are opposed to social programs and fear the nanny state and yet legislate to assure a perpetual one.

They close Planned Parenthood clinics that help with vital health issues as well as contraceptives. They close abortion clinics in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling that guarantees a womans right to choose.

By closing Planned Parenthood, they are increasing the need for abortions. It should not be hard for our legislators to understand that Planned Parenthood, expansion of Medicaid and abortion clinics are serving the people and helping decrease the welfare rolls. How many Zika babies will the state care for?

Our elected legislators need to legislate for the good of the people without bias of personal religious beliefs.

Vicki Seifert

This is news?

Re: Zaffirinis family feud comes to an end, front page, Aug. 7:

I, for one, do not care who they are, what they were fighting about, or how it ended up.

Is this the best you can do for front-page news? Must have been an off day for Trump-bashing. I guess next you can do an editorial on the Zaffirini family, or maybe a follow-up on the tribulations of Lucky the elephant.

Al Richter

Racial prism

Re: Old Glory not threatened when Mexican flag waves, Guillermo Torres, Opinion, Aug. 7:

For Guillermo Torres not to understand why it might be offensive for illegal immigrants to be waving the Mexican flag in California shows a complete disconnect typical of his kind of group think. Try flying the American flag in the Zocalo. He is the Mexican version of the conservative who watches only Fox News. We are all talking past each other, and the melting pot has failed.

Mr. Torres sees things only through the prism of a Mexican flag. I watch CNN, PBS and, yes, even Fox News. I read the Huffington Post and the National Review. I want to be informed, and I want to hear both sides of the argument so I can form an educated opinion.

People like Mr. Torres do not care about any opinion but their own. He probably derives those opinions from reading someone like Elaine Ayala or, frankly, any of the Express-News columnists. It is so typical of the Express-News to feature someone like Mr. Torres. I am tired of watching the Express-News become the Huffington Post. I can read that for free, and at least it admits it is very left wing, unlike the Express-News, which acts as if it is mainstream. It only seems mainstream to Elaine Ayala or Rosie Castro or maybe Mr. Torres, not to a centrist like me.

Shannon Deason
For nearly six decades, NACS has served as an integral part of the convenience store industry.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  Todays convenience stores can trace their roots back to a variety of formats, dairy farms, gas stations, corner stores and ice stores. In the United States alone there are 152,000-plus convenience stores that serve more than 160 million customers a day. While every store has a different story, they all have one thing in common: They are part of a thriving industry that has seen enormous growth since NACS was founded in August 1961.

As we look back on 55 years of NACS providing the convenience and fuel retailing industry with knowledge, connections and advocacy, heres how it all began:

On August 13, 1961, Speedee Mart founder Henry Boney called on 14 owners, presidents and general managers of convenience stores to attend a meeting in Kansas City, Missouri, because he felt sufficient growth of convenience food stores throughout the country was such that it warranted the formation of an association to cover that segment of the food industry. Attendees agreed, and the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) was born the following day on August 14.

The name of the association itself was a revelation. There was no standardized name for what these stores were called. Some were called bantams or mini marts, even dairy stores. The most popular term was drive-in, but the founders felt that such a name could too closely identify the new association with the store most connected with drive-ins at the time: Dairy Queen. They name they choseconvenience storesbest described what the stores ultimately sold and will continue to sell for decades to come.

For three days the early NACS pioneers hammered out the newly created associations objectives. Boney was named president of NACS; Leon Melvin of E.Z. Food Shops was named vice president; W.C. Metzger of Pik-Quik Inc. became secretary/treasurer; and Frank Kerr of Jiffy Food Stores, John Roscoe of Big Top, John Gillett of Circle K Food Stores Inc., and W.A. Riedel of Handee Food Mart Inc. were elected directors.

The founders also asked Harry Hunter, then-secretary of the San Diego Grocers Association, to become the first executive director. The first NACS office was in Hunters hometown of San Diego. Hunters first objective: Organize an annual meeting in Dallas in November that same year. A total of 50 people representing 27 retail chains and 12 supplier companies attended that first meeting. Joining them at that historic meeting was Dallas Mayor Earle Cabell, who later served four terms in Congress. (Cabells family also operated the Cabells convenience store chain in the 1950s.)

A second meeting to further organize NACS took place in 1962 and the group formed committees for membership and meeting planning. Recognizing the growing importance of advocacy, in 1964, NACS moved its headquarters from San Diego to Washington, D.C.

At every one of these early Annual Meetings, retailers shared new ideas and best practices, encouraging each other and growing the industry. The sharing of ideasstill unique to our industrywas formalized in a 1968 Annual Meeting session called Heres My Idea, Whats Yours?

Over the past 55 years, the industry has seen remarkable growth. Thankfully, the purpose and focus of NACS has largely stayed the same. From those earliest days when NACS was still young, the emphasis was on retailers coming together, sharing ideas and speaking, as best as they could, as one voice.

Today, NACS focuses on delivering knowledge, connections and advocacy to improve your business. Its the same mission, now 55 years later, but with significantly different delivery mechanisms.
Industry technology professional will speak on October 19 at the NACS Show in Atlanta.

ALEXANDRIA, Va.  Industry technology professional Jerome Sedelmeyer has been selected to share his personal message at this years Annual Interfaith Prayer Meeting at the 2016 NACS Show on October 19 in Atlanta. The event takes place at the Georgia World Congress Center, Room A 41, from 7:00 am to 8:00 am; food and refreshments will be served.

The Annual Interfaith Prayer Meeting is a volunteer program supported by industry professionals for industry professionals of all faiths attending the NACS Show and is open to all. For more information, contact Tom Severson at (507) 452-3402 ext. 214 or at toms@seversonoil.com.

Everyone at the NACS Show who is interested to set aside this hour for inspiration can join us.

The 2016 NACS Show takes place October 18-21 in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center. Register today.
By Ian Wooton, Professor of Economics and Vice-Dean (Research), Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde. This column first appeared as a chapter in the VoxEU ebook, Brexit Beckons: Thinking ahead by leading economists, available to download free of charge. Cross-posted from VoxEU.

Full disclosure: I am a Scottish, international economist with a career-long interest in preferential trading agreements (PTAs). As the Brexit vote has thrown up a PTA conundrum of unprecedented complexity for both the UK and Scotland, I feel duty bound to weigh in on what should come next.

The result of the referendum seems to have little to do with the economic benefits or otherwise of EU membership. They seem to have been driven more by issues of sovereignty and a negative reaction to the Westminster establishment. Nonetheless, the implications of the UKs trading relationships post-Brexit are important. A central issue is whether ideology or pragmatism will emerge triumphant from the negotiations that will soon begin between the UK Government and the EU.

The vote

The result of the overall vote was clear, with a majority (51.9%) of those who voted choosing to Leave the EU. But north of the borders in the British Isles there was a very different outcome  voters both in Scotland and in Northern Ireland expressed a strong wish to Remain in the EU, with majorities of 62% and over 55%, respectively.

Finding an outcome that simultaneously respects the collective wishes of the British people, while addressing the concerns of the citizens in Scotland and Northern Ireland in order to preserve the United Kingdom, will be difficult. A dialogue has already been opened between the new prime minister of the UK and Scotlands first minister. Prime Minister May has indicated that she does not intend to trigger Article 50 until she believes that there is a UK-wide approach and objectives for negotiation. On her part, Ms Sturgeon has established a commission to investigate Scotlands options in light of the vote to Leave.

The border issues are critical

I shall argue that resolving border issues will be central to finding a Brexit outcome that preserves the UK in its present form. As it turns out, the economic issue is not whether the UK is or is not a member of the EU. It is whether it remains part of the Single Market as a member of the European Economic Area (the so-called Norway option) or otherwise.

While the EU has evolved in non-economic dimensions, at its heart remain the four freedoms enshrined in the Treaty of Rome ensuring free movement of goods, capital, services, and people. The Single Market encompasses all four of these elements and I would be very surprised if European negotiators would be willing to give the UK free access to some markets (e.g. goods and services) and not others (e.g. workers). Therefore, for the remainder of this chapter, I shall assume that for any agreement with the EU over these freedoms, the UK will have to accept all four or get none.

In my opinion, the best outcome for the UK (short of ignoring the outcome of the referendum and remaining in the EU) is what is frequently referred to as the Norway option. This would involve an application to re-join the EFTA, of which the UK was one of the founding members before leaving to join the European Economic Community in 1973.

Why do I argue in favour of this? Quite simply, any other form of trading relationship with Europe would be costly economically and create political problems that would put further pressure on the integrity of the UK. Labour migration is a major element of this and is the reason why I cannot envision a free trade agreement in goods and services as being a satisfactory solution (even when we ignore the enormous costs of negotiating and implementing free-trade agreements).

Were the UK to apply and be accepted as a member of EEA, it would retain full access to it largest trading market. In many respects, from an economic perspective, it would be business as usual. There would also be some repatriation of powers from the EU, the most significant of which might be with respect to agriculture and fisheries where the UK would no longer be part of the Common Agricultural Policy and would also regain control over its 200-mile fishing limit. Indeed, the Norwegian people narrowly rejected membership of the EU over concerns regarding their sovereignty over agriculture and fisheries. However, from the UKs perspective, Westminster might not be the beneficiary of this greater autonomy. As these are not reserved powers, the default position will be that responsibility for these aspects of the economy falls to the devolved governments.

Would Britain exiting to the EEA satisfy Brexiteers? If, in the words of the prime minister, Brexit means Brexit, would this perceived increase in autonomy would be enough to satisfy those opposed to the EU? I dont know, especially as membership of the EEA would involve both direct financial costs and continued acceptance of free migration. In addition, as a non-member of the EU, the UK would be unable to vote on issues of the Single Market, including many of the rules and regulations that drew the ire of those in favour of Brexit. Leave campaigners argued that the UK had little influence on the evolution of the Single Market, so little would change if the UK were not in the room to vote. Fundamentally, the UK Government (with its sole Scottish Member of Parliament) has to weigh up the benefits of continued free trade with Europe and the desire to regulate immigration of Europeans.

The EEA/Norway option is the least bad outcome for Scotland and Northern Ireland

My contribution to this discussion focuses on the impact of this decision on the people in the devolved administrations of the UK who voted strongly to remain in the EU. My argument is that the Norway option of EFTA membership is the least-bad outcome for Scotland and Northern Ireland and is the UK governments best hope to retain a United Kingdom.

First of all, continued membership of the EEA would resolve the potentially explosive issue of a re-introduction of border controls between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland.

An outcome that restricted trade or factor movements would require border controls with passport checks, in order to prevent the Irish border being an open door to immigration from the EU into the UK. Any form of trade relationship short of continued membership of the Single Market could jeopardise the relationship between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and the rest of the UK.

Similar concerns arise with respect to the border between Scotland and England, although issues are less-potentially catastrophic in their consequences.

Scotlands first minister has indicated that the Scottish Government will explore every option to retain Scotlands status in the EU, including a further referendum on Scottish independence early in 2017, if necessary. Given the strength of support in Scotland for the EU revealed in the Brexit referendum and taking into account that the franchise for an independence referendum includes younger voters (16 and 17 year olds) who seem to be more pro-European, the outcome of the last independence referendum may be reversed. Indeed, a series of opinion polls since the Brexit vote have put the Yes side in the lead.

Scottish independence would pose its own set of problems

Independence would however, throw up its own complex issues of trade and border arrangements. Whether an independent Scotland achieved immediate membership of the EU or initially joined EFTA, it would still be part of the Single Market. If the rest of the UKs response to Brexit was anything less than being part of the EEA, a border would have to be established between North and South Britain both to monitor the flow of goods and to restrict the movement of workers between the two countries.

It might be argued that fear of a future border with England might convince Scottish voters to remain with the union, particularly given the deep economic linkages between Scotland and the UK. However, fear over the loss of membership in the EU seems to have been a decisive factor for some voters in the last independence referendum. This has now been turned on its head. A future independence referendum might now give Scottish voters the option of either Europe or the UK. As many of us in Scotland identify as being European ahead of being British, it would be a risky strategy for anyone in favour of the union to give voters such a stark choice.

Concluding remarks

In light of this, a Brexit agreement ensuring continued membership of the EEA would give the UK the best outcome, regardless of whether Scotland remains part of the same country or becomes a fellow, independent member of the Single Market.

All of this suggests that the negotiations with the EU on post-Brexit trading arrangements will not be straightforward. Unfortunately, as was the case in the Brexit referendum itself, the final outcome is more likely to be determined by politics than economics. However, it will be the economic details of the deal that will have the biggest impact on standards of living in the UK. Resolving the complex issues around trade agreements will not only determine the future economic performance of these islands, but will have a major bearing on the prospects for the continued survival of the UK itself.
Officials Spent Big on Olympics, but Rio Natives Are Paying the Price New York Times

U.S. Swimmers Including Ryan Lochte Robbed in Rio de Janeiro Bloomberg

For those displaced in historic Louisiana floods, an uncertain future CNN

Who owns the wind? We do, Wyoming says, and its taxing those who use it LA Times

Brexit/UK fallout

Exclusive: Some shell companies sidestep new UK transparency rules Reuters. H/t Richard Smith, who adds: Well, not *that* exclusive.

Businesses call for rethink of UK Uber rules Financial Times

How Silicon Valleys Palantir wired Washington Politico

TPG to Buy RCN, Grande Communicationsfor About $2.25 Billion Wall Street Journal

Liberals rally to sink Obama trade deal The Hill

Big banks unprepared for accounting shake-up Financial Times

2016

Imperial Collapse Watch

Saudis say suspect in police killing linked to Islamic State Washington Post

Senators consider vote to block US arms deal to Saudi Arabia  report The Guardian

The Drone Presidency by David Cole The New York Review of Books

In Bungled Spying Operation, NSA Targeted Pro-Democracy Campaigner The Intercept

Tacoma union local first in nation to represent workers in the recreational cannabis industry Tacoma News Tribune

Antidote du jour:

See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here.
By David Dayen, author of Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Streets Great Foreclosure Fraud.

A while back I wrote a long piece for Talking Points Memo about the privatization of the criminal justice system. And one thing I learned is that its a misnomer to call the two big shots of this industry, Corrections Corporation of America and Geo Group, private prison companies. Because prisons are not their most lucrative business line; in fact, they only hold around 8 percent of all U.S. prisoners. In recent years, these companies have diversified into a number of associated businesses, from transportation to electronic monitoring to community corrections.

But their biggest growth opportunity  and if you listen to their earnings statement calls theyll tell you  comes from federal contracts for warehousing migrants. As much as 45 percent of CCA and Geo revenue comes from the federal government now. And while we dont normally see the terms of these agreements, the Washington Post unearthed one that is breathtaking in how it slathers private operators in taxpayer dollars. Privatization watchers take note.

The contract in question gives CCA the right to operate the South Texas Family Residential Center, a 2,400-bed facility for women and children asylum seekers in the remote scrubland of Dilley, Texas, that has been nicknamed baby jail. Women and children were never detained before; they were just given a summons to appear in court. But with the influx of migrants in 2014, the Obama Administration reacted to public pressure by effectively jailing families fleeing Central American violence.

Not only was this a no-bid contract handed to CCA for four years and $1 billion, but under the terms, they would get paid whether the beds were filled or not. From WaPo:

In hundreds of other detention contracts given out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, federal payouts rise and fall in step with the percentage of beds being occupied. But in this case, CCA is paid for 100 percent capacity even if the facility is, say, half full, as it has been in recent months. An ICE spokeswoman, Jennifer Elzea, said that the contracts for the 2,400-bed facility in Dilley and one for a 532-bed family detention center in Karnes City, Tex., given to another company, are unique in their payment structures because they provide a fixed monthly fee for use of the entire facility regardless of the number of residents. The rewards for CCA have been enormous: In 2015, the first full year in which the South Texas Family Residential Center was operating, CCA  which operates 74 facilities  made 14 percent of its revenue from that one center while recording record profit. CCA declined to specify the costs of operating the center.

Lockup quotas written into contracts are somewhat common, but this is a large facility getting paid out at 100 percent, not some guaranteed minimum.

Incidentally, these are awful facilities, likened by one former Japanese internment camp survivor as identical to her experience. As of May, CCAs camp in Dilley had been cited for twelve different state regulatory violations, including failing to provide medical care to a woman suffering multiple seizures.

Awful facilities is par for the course for CCA and Geo. A Justice Department Inspector General report released a few days back confirms that private detention facilities are more violent and unsafe than their publicly-run counterparts. Anyone who read Shane Bauers epic inside investigation of a CCA facility (where he worked undercover as a guard for four months) would already know this.

Immigrant detention has been a lifeline for CCA, which teetered near bankruptcy as recently as 15 years ago. And with sweetheart deals like this, you can see why. The deal had to be routed through the city of Eloy, Arizona, where CCA already ran an immigrant detention center for men. ICE got Eloy to modify their contract to allow CCA to build the facility in Dilley, freeing ICE from having to bid out for the project, a truly insidious loophole. Eloy, a city of 17,000, got a cut of the profits (about $1.8 million of the $1 billion, 4-year contract).

Mark Fleming, an attorney at the National Immigrant Justice Center, who has reviewed hundreds of federal ICE contracts, said the deal was singularly unique and was designed to avoid transparency. The center obtained copies of the financial agreements through Arizona open-records laws and gave them to The Post. Several other experts on federal procurement said that while the government can avoid bidding laws in urgent or national security cases, they had never before seen a facility in one state created with the help of a recycled contract from another. This is the arrangement of a no-bid contract by twisting and distorting the procurement process past recognition, said Charles Tiefer, a University of Baltimore law school professor, former solicitor and deputy general counsel of the House of Representatives, who reviewed the deal at the request of The Washington Post.

CCA winds up with $20 million a month guaranteed, even when Dilley is almost empty, which is has been recently, mainly because the facility doesnt comply with federal law. Unbelievably, ICE worked with the state of Texas to get Dilley and the companion Geo Group facility in Karnes designated as child care facilities, to comply with a federal lawsuit requiring children to be held in non-secure licensed facilities. Given that the kids cant leave, its hard to call them non-secure, and so this has been blocked. As a result, families have to be released quickly or not detained at all.

So because ICE made a rash decision to establish a legally dubious set of facilities, taxpayers are locked into propping up a predatory company with an execrable history. And that, friends, is maybe the ultimate lesson in the insanity of mass privatization of public services.
By David Dayen, author of Chain of Title: How Three Ordinary Americans Uncovered Wall Streets Great Foreclosure Fraud.

You could spread around a lot of blame for the current state of our two-tiered system of justice and lack of accountability, particularly as it relates to the financial sector. But if you wanted to find the most pathetic figure involved in that whole rigamarole, all roads lead to Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.

As a refresher for non-obsessives, Miller was the somewhat highly regarded law enforcer put in charge of the 50-state Attorney General investigation after revelations around the end of 2010 that mortgage servicing companies, mortgage-backed trustees and their law firms were issuing false documents in foreclosure cases on a mass scale to cover up busted chains of title on securitized loans. (I, er, wrote a book on this.) Within days of being announced as the lead investigator, we learned that Miller received $261,000 from banking interests for his re-election campaign  88 times more than he ever took in the previous decade  and that he personally asked bank lawyers for contributions. Miller then famously told community groups in Iowa that we will put people in jail for foreclosure fraud, only days later his office backtracked and said they werent referring to foreclosure fraud but some separate mortgage fraud investigation in Iowa (which he didnt put people in jail for either), and then days after that he called the case inherently civil, and days after that he appeared at the Senate Banking Committee and admitted he had two settlement negotiations with Bank of America within the first month of the vaunted investigation. I could go on, but why bother? Whatever his outlook going into the investigation, Miller folded within first contact with the system, and became Washingtons lackey for a settlement that didnt even rise to the level of a slap on the wrist.

So it was no surprise to dig up a public comment he made a couple weeks ago to the Department of Education, praising civil settlements for corporate crimes rather than holding individuals and corporations accountable for their wrongdoing. This paean to settlements couldnt come from a better source.

Just as Miller quickly settled out foreclosure abuses, he opted for a national settlement with for-profit college chain Education Management Corporation (EDMC) after they misled prospective students with bogus job placement statistics. No executive saw handcuffs or restrictions on their bonuses from that either. But after a series of these incidents, and outcry from student groups who were forced to pay back their loans to colleges that defrauded them, the Education Department was belatedly pressured into issuing a rule providing a streamlined debt forgiveness process.

The Education Department rule would allow defrauded students to more easily assert a defense to repayment on their student debt, as stipulated in their loan contract. The rules restrict the use of mandatory arbitration to settle disputes with wronged students, require schools to post warnings if they have financial problems or poor student loan repayment outcomes, and force colleges to secure a letter of credit if they engage in misconduct, so they would be responsible for paying back students, not taxpayers.

That last one is what Miller objects to. One of the triggering events for the letter of credit acquisition is any state or federal settlement in excess of $750,000. Since the letter of credit would make colleges far more liable to repay borrowers they harmed, and would be costly to obtain, this could make them less likely to agree to settlements. And Tom Miller just cannot have that. So he wrote a comment letter on the proposed rule.

I am concerned that this component of the proposed rule will negatively impact the states efforts to protect consumers from the predatory practices of certain educational institutions by deterring them from settling with state attorneys general, Miller writes. In many scenarios, settling is more appropriate than bringing a lawsuit, and settlements are often the best vehicle for providing refunds or loan forgiveness to consumers.

I mean, we already knew that Tom Miller had an ongoing love affair with settlements, but writing a mash note to them borders on ridiculous. The Education Department rule would make colleges who dupe their students specifically liable to deliver relief to them. It would actually empower students to enforce their own contracts. And it would be so devastating that the institutions would steer clear of engaging in any misconduct to begin with. Millers settle now and settle later strategy provides no deterrent, dooming students to abuse in perpetuity.

Millers rationale is that settling is faster, a claim he made during the foreclosure settlement too, sacrificing adequacy for speed. By the way, the one settlement Miller mentioned, with EDMC, granted 80,000 students $102.8 million in relief, an average of just $1,285 per student (and these for-profit colleges are far more expensive than their non-profit counterparts). And Miller actually bragged about the EDMC case in this letter!

Reaching a settlement means companies do not have to spend significant amounts of money on litigation, leaving more money available for refunding consumers, Miller added, as if there wasnt a year-plus of lawyer-led wrangling on the mortgage settlement, like every other one. He also said that settlements allow him to spend more time pursuing other bad actors, essentially arguing that he should be able to settle so he can make more settlements. And he beamed with pride about the requirements attached to settlements, which invariably amount to little more than Millers office telling some miscreant Dont do it again.

Never mind that Millers job is not Settlement Officer but Attorney General, charged with leading an office of prosecutors, not negotiators. Its one thing to make a cost-benefit analysis on cases after obtaining all the evidence and gaming out the prospects of a legal case. But Miller is actually making a defined rule that settlements are preferable to a lengthy lawsuit with an uncertain outcome. Any law enforcement official elected to protect the public interest should be ashamed of such an outlook. Miller has made a virtue of settlements, and a standard of fearing the courtroom.

Even when Miller acknowledges that bringing suit can be an important tool, he means that it can be an important tool in bringing a settlement! The example Miller gives is a consumer fraud case against La James International College, which never went to trial and settled for $2.6 million. Hes not really saying that settlements are a good option for offices like his, hes saying theyre the only option.

If Miller had any self-awareness, he wouldnt write something that so debases the mission of his office. This is the real problem with the Eric Holder, Lanny Breuer-driven culture of settlement that has neutered our justice system. It expresses a new goal for law enforcement: to stand in front of a podium proudly parroting some headline number rather than actually doing the job of preventing lawbreaking and making sure those who do it pay a price.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
Find the newest releases to watch from National Geographic on Disney+, including favourite documentary series and films Free Solo, The Rescue, Shark Beach with Chris Hemsworth and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
On Sunday July 3, Clonmel born Fr. Joe Flannery celebrated the Diamond Jubilee of his ordination with Mass in St. Ruan's Church , Kilruane followed by a reception in the Abbey Court Hotel, Nenagh, which was attended by family members, relatives and friends.

Concelebrants with Fr. Joe for the Mass were Fr. Joe Egan, Parish Priest of Boherlahan, and Fr. Sean Dwan, Kilruane and Dalgan Park.

Fr. Joe's good friend and parishioner Tony Behan who had travelled to Ireland with him was also present.

Because of his family ties with the Kilruane area, Fr. Joe has previously returned to celebrate his silver, ruby and golden jubilees over the years - all the milestones of his ordination day with Mass in St. Ruan's Church followed again by a reception in the Abbey Court for family and friends.

Fr. Joe's grandparents, John and Bridget Flannery were teachers in Kilruane old school back in late 1800s and early 1900s. Fr. Joe's grandfather John (a friend of Joseph MacDonagh, father of 1916 leader Thomas MacDonagh) held the position of Principal until he retired in 1914.

John and Bridget (nee Markaun) had six children , one of whom was John - Fr. Joe's father.

Fr. Joe himself is the youngest of 3 children , born to John and Mary Flannery ( nee O'Leary) a native of Inagh, Co. Clare.

Fr. Joe's only sister Mary was married to Joe Hillery in Clonmel and his older brother, Canon John who died in 2014, was a priest of the Glasgow Diocese and is buried in Kilruane.

Fr. Joe attended the Sisters of Charity Pre-school, and the Christian Brothers' Primary and Secondary schools in Clonmel, and went on to study for the priesthood at St. John's College Waterford, where he was ordained on June 29th 1956.

Six months later, following a five week sailing trip, by the west coast of Africa, stopping briefly in Capetown and Port Elizabeth, he arrived in Brisbane on Christmas eve 1956.

He celebrated Mass on Christmas day at 7am in the unfamiliar setting of a tropical climate.

His first appointment was to the Cathedral in Brisbane, with Archbishop Duhig, where he worked alongside four other priests. All his appointments have been within the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane where he served as a priest in a pastoral capacity for the past 60 years.

Fr. Joe retired from parish duties in the inner city parish of Everton Park where he had served for 32 of his 60 years .

Fr. Joe says that parish work for a priest in Australia is probably not very different from parish work anywhere else. However, some difficult challenges have to be met, for example, extreme heat in the summer, long distances to travel, and faith families living at greater distances from each other, especially in country parishes.

For summer holidays each year , Fr. Joe and his brother Fr. John loved to return to Ireland to visit their many relatives and friends up and down the country from Clonmel to Clare to Clonmacnoise to Omagh to Dungarvan to Kilruane.

In his student days, Fr. Joe's favourite mode of travel was his motor bike which gave him a great sense of freedom. He would like to think he can be remembered from those days as one of "Heaven's Angels."
A friend recently told me that she and another friend had paid 6 for two cups of coffee (I think there might have been a biscuit or two attached). 6, she said, her voice going into an upper register. How many cups of coffee would you make at home for 6?

She and the friends had an enjoyable meeting. They chatted about this and that for a half-an-hour, or perhaps it was 45 minutes, she said. I suggested that maybe she should think of the 6 in the context of the facility she had enjoyed, the comfortable space she had occupied. What do you mean? she said challengingly. Well, I said, the 6 included a module for the rent, the rates, government taxation, staff wages, cleaning costs, the light, insurance costs. And anything left over is called profit.

I said that the restaurant, like all small centre-town retail shops and businesses now struggling for survival, contribued to the whole social structure of urban living. They brought service and accessibility and sociability into a community, an ambience where people could meet and talk. And these businesses and these old streets have not only been neglected, they have been discriminated against by local authority planning and government policies in the last few decades. While peripheral development has been the recipient of rates and taxation concessions, the traditional retail trade has had to pay up and shut up. Oh! said my friend, obviously wilting, under my preachy spiel, I never thought of it like that.

And the saga of the SIX EURO should have ended, but it finds its way into this column because of the recent release of statistics for job creation in 2015.

While the government has made much capital from the introduction of large industries, especially in the IT area, with the prospects of employment of many hundreds of people, the contribution of the retail trade, now making a very modest recovery, has been significant. Of the 47,000 jobs created last year, some 11,700 have been in the retail trade and 10,000 in the food and beverage sector. So, 47 per cent of all new jobs have been generated in small shops, bars and restaurants.

And, yet, this has been achieved without any encouragement from either the government or local authorities. In fact, it might sometimes seem that it has been achieved despite calculated discouragement. For instance, in a recent discussion on a morning programme on RTE, it was reported that planning permission for a small restaurant in an unnamed Irish town, was granted with an attached condition for the payment of 17,000. Why? Because the proposed development was adjacent to a public car park, and the developer was being asked to pay for the facility which customers might use, and this despite the fact that each customer would ultimately have to pay an individual parking fee. And it begs the question: How many cups of coffee would you have to sell to meet the 17,000 of that planning condition?

This is the sort of experience which dissipates public confidence in the powers-that-be. It seems to reflect an indifference to the facts of life of ordinary business, of buying and selling and adding-value-to, the nuts and bolts of economic facts. The SIX EURO does not run and laugh all the way to the bank. It re-distributes itself. It is the ingredient that makes the world go round.

The conclusion reached on the results of the last election was that the ordinary person did not feel it in their pockets, the undoubted achievements of the government in rescuing the country from financial disaster: that the achievements were global rather than personal. In the same way, it was obvious that this global did not penetrate down into the streets of ordinary towns, where business people struggled to survive, and where premises were closed, and once lively and prosperous town-centres were perceived as half-dead.

The current introduction of the so-called initiatives for town-centre rejuvenation (with the availability of grants from the government) could be seen as some effort to redress the imbalance - between centre-streets and peripheral development. I have attended the introduction of just one such Initiative - the Clonmel Initiative, and while it seemed high on vision and aspiration, it presented as low on specifics and on practicalities. Admittedly, this may be a superficial perception because the occasion did not afford any opportunity for discussion or amplification. However, it has to be taken with some measure of good faith.

It does, however, seem to me that it has long gone beyond the stage of aspiration and pie-in-the-sky at sometime in the faraway future. Urgent and practical action is now called for, starting with easing the burden on the traders who have managed to survive and have succeeded in keeping the shop windows un-shuttered. Could some form of Rates and Taxation concessions, equivalent to those afforded originally to out-of-town centres, now be introduced for in-town trading? At least, could re-valuation of premises be put on hold in the case of the up-grading and structural improvement of town-centre buildings? The time has come, in fact it is now overdue, for giving small retail businesses a break!

By Margaret Rossiter
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has downgraded the Community Reinvestment Act rating for BancorpSouth in Tupelo, Miss.

The $14 billion-asset company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday that its rating was "retroactively" lowered to "needs to improve" from "satisfactory." The downgrade was tied to BancorpSouth's recent consent order with the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that settled and resolved alleged violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act. BancorpSouth agreed to a $10.6 million fine tied to the June order.

The FDIC's last CRA evaluation was conducted in 2013.

BancorpSouth noted in its filing that a CRA evaluation is "a factor that the FDIC considers when reviewing applicationsto acquire, merge, or consolidate with another banking institution," among other things. The Federal Reserve Board also takes a bank's CRA rating into account when reviewing merger applications.

BancorpSouth said in its filing that it likely "will be unable" to obtain approvals for two pending bank acquisitions  Ouachita Bancshares in Monroe, La., and Central Community Corp. in Temple, Texas  until its CRA rating is upgraded.

The company's next CRA exam is set to take place next year.
GM Bt maize decreases yields because it is not suited for various conditions that smallholders have to deal with

Open-pollinated seed varieties replacing GMOs and having greater success in South Africa

(NaturalNews) The dominance of GMOs in agriculture today is not based on their free market success. GMOs are prevalent because governments around the world subsidize these seeds, forcing small holders to introduce them. In this way, governments routinely assist biotech corporations in the takeover of a nations' agriculture and farmer's seed sovereignty. Of course, it's all done under the guise of "feeding the world!" But this couldn't be further from the truth.In fact, observations in Africa have found that smallholders in South Africa are actually burdened by genetically modified maize, which was forced on them through government program interventions starting in 2001. A paper in theby researchers Klara Fischer, Johnnie van den Berg and Charles Mutengwa found that South African smallholders would benefit more from a diverse selection of seed that is suitable to various growing conditions and changing pest pressures.Theare actually helping South African farmers access a wide range of maize seed that fits their ecological preferences and climate circumstances. This is ultimately providing greater food security, the paper points out.Bt maize is genetically engineered to produce insecticidal proteins. Lab workers design the seed to increase its resistance to the African maize stem borer () and the Chilo borer (). These pests can cause crop damage and hurt farmers' overall production. However, GM Bt maize was originally created for use in large-scale chemical-intensive farming. It has little use for smallholders in South Africa. because is is so expensive.Because of this, smallholders must depend on government-sponsored intervention which subsidizes the rates. As smallholders are forced to participate in this scheme, the corporation that designed the seed profits no matter what. The biotech corporation profits even when smallholders struggle with yields due to varying climate and pest changes.This one-size-fits-all chemical intensive approach to farming is also unnecessary and even catastrophic during specific seasons when the pestilence of the stem borer pests is at a natural low point. Between seasons at specific farming sites, pest pressure can fluctuate. Forcing expensive Bt maize on small holders can have a counterproductive effect if the pest pressure is low and cheaper open pollinated varieties could have better been used.The input costs of introducing Bt maize may swallow farmers' returns, putting them in the hole unnecessarily. Smallholders that are strapped already may be forced to pay more for expensive GM seed during years when pest pressure was low to begin with. All the while, the corporation that designed the seed grows richer and gains control over them.The research found that OPVs are better adapted to smallholders' agro-ecologies, changes in rain fall, and farmers' storage conditions. The open-pollinated varieties can better adapt to the environment and the weather, giving smallholders better control over their region. (High yields of Bt maize are only possible when the weather conditions are right, including timely rain, perfect storage condition and fertilization.)Also, when smallholders begin planting Bt maize, they must also plant a refuge of non-Bt maize next to their Bt crop, allowing an alternative feeding ground for the stem borers. This seems counterproductive and a slap in the face to native farmers . Not surprisingly, many smallholders do not comply with this method.Farmers don't deserve enslavement. Reintroducing OPVs of seed to small holders is proving to be absolutely essential to freeing their production, increasing their yields, and providing greater food security. The South African government is now working with the Agricultural Research Council and Grain Crops Institute to certify OPV maize that is more suitable to farmers' unique circumstances.Now the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center is helping smallholders with a breeding program called Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa. This movement is helping farmers access several stress-tolerant natural varieties of maize seeds. These non-GMO seeds have traits that are suited for individual farmers' circumstances, including resistance to major diseases, low nitrogen in the soil, and drought conditions. These non-GMO seeds have a better variety of traits that may include tolerance to poor storage conditions, availability for early maturation and the ability to be processed at home.These open-pollinated varieties not only are providing better yields in various situations but are outperforming GM seeds and hybrids. While hybrids' year-to-year yields drop, yields of OPVs are more stable. This provides greater food security down the long haul, helping farmers be less dependent on corporations for their yearly (expensive) seed.
(NaturalNews) Dr. Brian Hooker, PhD, PE, has helped us expose the shortcomings in commonly cited pro-vaccine studies that argue against a vaccine/autism link. Action Alert! (Article by Alliance for Natural Health, republished from Healthimpactnews.com This week, ANH-USA is releasing a white paper in conjunction with Dr. Brian Hooker, scientific advisor for Focus for Health. The paper critically examines twelve studies that are commonly cited by the media and government agencies as irrefutable proof that vaccines are safe and do not cause autism. As you will see below, many of these studies prove nothing of the sort, and are riddled with conflicts of interest.In addition to conflicts of interest, each study is critiqued for methodological weaknesses, such as poor sample choice, data inconsistencies, and faulty comparisons. We argue that, given their flaws, these studies cannot be taken as proof that vaccines are universally safe for children or that they do not cause autismas vaccine zealots and their captive government agencies claim. We do not conclude that vaccines are the primary cause of autismbut each child is biologically different, and some may be much more vulnerable than others, which can be missed in mass studies, and these particular studies do not allay legitimate concerns. This is especially true given the most up-to-date science, especially on aluminum adjuvants, which we covered recently in the Pulse.There is indeed a disconnect when it comes to issues of vaccine safety. Take, for instance, the recent news that Wal-Mart is planning to ban a number of toxic chemicals from thousands of its products. One of those chemicals is formaldehyde, which is also a common vaccine adjuvant. Most people would applaud Wal-Mart for responding to consumers' desire for safer products, yet when advocates call for the removal of dangerous adjuvants from vaccines to make them safer, we're condescendingly told that the "science is settled" and vaccines are as safe as can be, even though this point has not even been studied.We hope that this information will convince lawmakers in states across the country that removing all non-medical exemptions to vaccination, as California has already done and other states are considering, is unwise and unethical given the surprisingly little safety testing that has been done to prove the safety of vaccines.Below is a brief sample of what can be found in our new white paper.No evidence for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine-associated inflammatory bowel disease or autism in a 14-year prospective study (1998)Authors: Peltola H, Patja A, Leinikki P, Valle M, Davidkin I, Paunio M.Conflicts of interest: This study was based on inherently unreliable data and funded by Merck, which makes the current formulation (MMR-II) of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine , and stands to profit from results that disprove any dangers.A population-based study of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination and autism (2002)Authors: Madsen KM, Hviid A., Vestergaard M., Schendel D, Wohlfahrt J, Thorsen, P.Conflicts of interest : This study presented very inconsistent data and was funded by the National Immunization Program at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which had a vested financial interest in increased use of the MMR vaccine, as it bought the vaccine directly from Merck and distributed it for reimbursement to the states' public health departments. Also, one of the coauthors of the study, Dr. Diana Schendel, was a CDC employee at the time of publication. In addition, three of the coauthors (Dr. Mads Melbye, Mr. Jan Wohlfahrt, and Mr. Anders Hviid) were employees of Staten Serum Institut, a for-profit company that manufactures and distributes vaccines in Denmark.To read the details on each study and the rest of the white paper, click here Action Alert! Write to your state legislators, your governor, and your senators and congressional representatives, and tell them to oppose any legislation that removes exemptions to vaccination, given the recent scientific evidence and the shaky ground on which pro-vaccine studies lie. Please send your message immediately.Canadian physician Dr. Andrew Moulden provided clear scientific evidence to prove that every dose of vaccine given to a child or an adult produces harm. The truth that he uncovered was rejected by the conventional medical system and the pharmaceutical industry. Nevertheless, his warning and his message to America remains as a solid legacy of the man who stood up against big pharma and their program to vaccinate every person on the Earth.Dr. Moulden died unexpectedly in November of 2013 at age 49.Because of the strong opposition from big pharma concerning Dr. Moulden's research, we became concerned that the name of this brilliant researcher and his life's work had nearly been deleted from the internet. His reputation was being disparaged, and his message of warning and hope was being distorted and buried without a tombstone. This book summarizes his teaching and is a must-read for everyone who wants to learn the "other-side" of the vaccine debate that the mainstream media routinely censors.Read more at: Healthimpactnews.com
LPS, cerulein, and dextran sodium sulfate-induced tissue injury and certain brain injuries are not reduced by RIPK3 loss

It has been reported that mice lacking either RIPK3 or MLKL are resistant to cerulein-induced pancreatitis.1, 3, 9 However, in our analyses, wild-type mice, Ripk1KD/KD mice expressing catalytically inactive RIPK1 mutant D138N10 and Ripk3/ mice32 exhibited comparable pancreas morphology and serum amylase levels following challenge with cerulein (Figures 1ad). We also saw no significant difference in weight loss or histology scores between wild-type, Ripk1KD/KD, or Ripk3/ mice after dosing with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce colitis (Figures 2a and b). Another model of tissue injury not impacted by catalytically inactive RIPK1 or RIPK3 deficiency was LPS-induced sepsis (Figures 2c and d). Differences in wild-type morbidity between Figure 2c and Figure 2d are due to different doses of LPS and the use of mice of different sexes; male mice in Figure 2c received a slightly higher dose of LPS than the female mice in Figure 2d. Female mice are known to be more resistant than male mice in experimental models of sepsis.33 We also compared imiquimod-induced psoriasis in wild-type and Ripk1KD/KD mice (Figure 2e). A 1.1-fold increase in ear thickness was observed in the Ripk1KD/KD mice after 5 days of treatment, but this did not translate into a significantly worse clinical psoriasis score.

Figure 1 Cerulein-induced pancreatitis was not reduced in Ripk3/ mice or Ripk1KD/KD mice. (a and b) Male mice injected intraperitoneally with cerulein hourly for a total of 10 injections. Serum amylase levels (a) and pancreas histology (b) were analyzed at 24 h after the first injection. (c and d) Female littermates injected with cerulein hourly for a total of seven injections. Serum amylase levels (c) and pancreas histology (d) were analyzed at 1 h after the last injection. Each symbol in (a) and (c) corresponds to one mouse. P-values were determined using the t-test. Pancreata in (b) and (d) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Scale bars, 50 m Full size image

Figure 2 DSS-induced colitis and LPS-induced morbidity were not ameliorated by RIPK3 loss. (a and b) Graphs indicate the histology scores (left) or relative body weights (right) of female mice given DSS in their drinking water on days 15. Histology score data in (a) and (b) were from different pathologists using slightly different scoring criteria. Error bars, S.E.M. P-values were determined using the t-test. (c and d) KaplanMeier survival plots of male mice injected intraperitoneally with 20 mg/kg body weight LPS (c) and of female littermates injected with 18 mg/kg body weight LPS (d). P-values were determined using the log-rank test. (e) Mean clinical psoriasis score (left) and ear thickness (right) of female littermates treated with imiquimod. Error bars, S.E.M. Full size image

Inhibition of RIPK1 with the small-molecule necrostatin-1 is reported to reduce lesion size in the major cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of stroke,34 so we compared wild-type and Ripk3/ mice in this model. First, we used magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to visualize posterior communicating arteries (PComAs) making up the Circle of Willis in the brains of wild-type and Ripk3/ mice, because it has been shown in humans that an incomplete Circle of Willis is a risk factor for cerebral infarction.35 Mice were identified with 0, 1, or 2 PComAs (Figure 3a), hence we focused only on mice with either 1 or 2 PComAs going forward in order to exclude the effects of an incomplete Circle of Willis. Lesions were induced by occlusion of the major cerebral artery for 5060 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h and then their volumes were measured by T2-weighted MRI (magnetic resonance imaging; Figure 3b) or by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining (Figure 3c). Lesions in the wild-type and Ripk3/ brains were not significantly different by either readout. In another study, we examined hypoxia-induced cerebral edema, but again RIPK3 deficiency offered no discernible benefit (Figure 3d).

Figure 3 Brain injury following MCAO or hypoxia-induced cerebral edema was not ameliorated by RIPK3 loss. (a) Proportion of male mice having 0, 1, or 2 posterior communicating arteries (PComAs). Representative brain images are shown with PComAs arrowed. (b and c) Brain lesion volumes after MCAO based on T2-weighted imaging (b) or TTC staining (c). (d) Brain lesion volumes after hypoxia-induced edema (HICE) based on TTC staining. Each symbol in (bd) represents one mouse. Bars indicate the mean volumeS.E.M. P-values were determined using the t-test Full size image

RIPK3 deficiency ameliorates kidney and heart ischemiareperfusion injury

In agreement with others,24, 26, 27 we did observe a role for RIPK3 in ischemiareperfusion injury of the heart and kidney. Ripk3/ mice contained significantly smaller heart lesions than wild-type mice at 3 days following ligation of the left coronary artery for 60 min (Figure 4a). To induce kidney injury, both renal pedicles were clamped for 30 min, followed by reperfusion. Ripk3/ mice and Ripk1KD/KD mice exhibited improved survival following reperfusion when compared with wild-type mice (Figure 4b). However, MLKL deficiency only extended median survival ~4 days when compared with wild-type controls (Figure 4b). These data suggest that RIPK3 can exacerbate kidney injury independently of MLKL and necroptosis. Interestingly, Ripk3/ Casp8/ mice lacking both RIPK3 and caspase-8 appeared completely protected from renal failure because all mice survived for the duration of the 10-day study, whereas a majority of wild-type mice became moribund within 4 days (Figure 4c). These wild-type mice exhibited extensive renal tubular degeneration and congestion, whereas surviving Ripk3/ Casp8/ mice had only mild lesions of degeneration with more extensive regeneration (Figure 4d). We could not determine the effects of caspase-8 deficiency in isolation because Casp8/ mice die during embryogenesis.36

Figure 4 RIPK3 deficiency reduced infarct volume following heart ischemiareperfusion injury and improved survival following kidney ischemiareperfusion injury. (a) Heart infarct volumes after ischemiareperfusion based on TTC imaging. Each symbol represents one male mouse (wild-type, n=19; Ripk3/, n=25). Bars indicate the geometric meanthe 95% confidence interval. P-value was determined using the t-test. (b and c) KaplanMeier survival plots of male mice after kidney ischemiareperfusion (IR). Wild-type mice were Mlkl/ or Ripk1KD/KD littermates. A complete listing of log-rank test P-values is provided in Supplementary Table S1. Results from three independent experiments were pooled. (d) Representative kidney sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Scale bars, 50 m Full size image

Catalytically inactive RIPK1 or RIPK3 deficiency, but not MLKL deficiency, ameliorates inflammation in A20-deficient mice

Mice lacking the pro-survival protein A20 (also called TNFAIP3) exhibit systemic inflammation and die soon after birth.37 Recently, RIPK3 deficiency was reported to delay the death of A20/ mice and it was suggested that A20 limits RIPK3-dependent necroptosis.38 We explored this possibility further by seeing if catalytically inactive RIPK1 or MLKL deficiency also delayed lethality in A20-deficient mice. A20/ mice were generated through deletion of exon 2 encoding the initiator methionine (Figure 5a), and consistent with the findings of Lee et al.,37 exhibited severe runting and tissue inflammation with a median survival of 5 weeks (Figure 5b). Interestingly, either catalytically inactive RIPK1 or RIPK3 deficiency ameliorated the effects of A20 loss, with the median survival of A20/ Ripk3/ mice and A20/ Ripk1KD/KD mice being 31 and 25 weeks, respectively (Figure 5b). In comparison, median survival of A20/ Mlkl/ mice was only 4 weeks. Histological analysis of 1-week-old mice revealed that A20/, A20/ Ripk1KD/KD, and A20/ Mlkl/ mice all had foci of neutrophilic inflammation in the liver, whereas A20/ Ripk3/ mice did not (Figure 5c). RIPK3 deficiency also ameliorated dermatitis and/or panniculitis affecting the skin of A20/ mice (Figure 5d). Collectively, these data indicate that MLKL-dependent necroptosis does not contribute significantly to the lethality of A20/ mice, whereas there is a clear contribution from ill-defined RIPK3-dependent signals. We examined multiple cytokines and chemokines in the sera of 3- to 4-week-old mice, and only RANTES/CCL5 was both elevated in the A20/ mice and significantly reduced by RIPK3 deficiency (Figure 5e and Supplementary Figure S1).

Figure 5 RIPK3 deficiency or catalytically inactive RIPK1 enhanced survival of A20/ mice. (a) Diagram of the exons (black boxes) deleted in A20/ mice. Lower panels are western blots of bone marrow-derived macrophages. An asterisk indicates a nonspecific band. (b) KaplanMeier survival plots. P-values determined using the log-rank test are provided in Supplementary Table S2. (c and d) Hematoxylin and eosin-stained liver (c) or skin (d) sections of mice aged 1 week. Scale bars, 50 m. Similar results were obtained for 34 mice of each genotype. (e) RANTES in the serum of 3- to 4-week-old mice. Each symbol represents one mouse. Bars indicate the mean. P-values were determined using the t-test. Wild-type mice were A20/ littermates Full size image

Combined loss of MLKL (or RIPK3) and caspase-8 provides significant protection in a model of SIRS

Catalytically inactive RIPK1 or RIPK3 deficiency in mice has been shown to ameliorate hypothermia and morbidity induced by a high dose of TNF,10, 28 which is considered in the literature to be a model for SIRS. In contrast to Ripk3/ mice, Mlkl/ mice resembled wild-type mice in their sensitivity to hypothermia induced by 300 g TNF per kg body weight (Figure 6a). However, when mice were dosed with 500 g TNF per kg body weight, which induced more severe hypothermia in wild-type mice (compare y axes in Figures 6a and b), differences between Ripk3/ mice and Mlkl/ mice were less apparent (Figures 6b and c and Supplementary Figure S2). Similar to Ripk3/ mice, the mean body temperature of Mlkl/ mice was significantly higher than that of wild-type mice at 6, 8, and 10 h after dosing with 500 g TNF per kg body weight (Figure 6b). Strikingly, Mlkl/ Casp8/ mice lacking both MLKL and caspase-8 appeared completely unresponsive to TNF, with little evidence of hypothermia and greatly reduced serum cytokines and chemokines (Figures 6b and c and Supplementary Figure S2). Ripk3/ Casp8/ mice also exhibited little hypothermia in response to TNF (Figure 6d). Collectively, these data suggest that TNF-induced hypothermia and serum cytokines/chemokines are a consequence of caspase-8-dependent apoptosis and MLKL-dependent necroptosis. While we were unable to determine the effects of caspase-8 deficiency alone, heterozygous Casp8+/ mice were as resistant as Ripk1KD/KD mice to hypothermia induced by 500 g TNF per kg body weight (Figure 6e). This result implies that TNF-induced apoptosis is exquisitely sensitive to Casp8 gene dosage.

Figure 6 Loss of MLKL (or RIPK3) and caspase-8 provided significant protection against TNF-induced SIRS. Mice were injected with 300 g/kg body weight (a) or 500 g/kg body weight (be) of murine TNF. Body temperatures (a, b, d, and e) or serum cytokines (c) are plotted. Data represent the meanS.E.M. In panels a, b, d, and e, an x indicates when a mouse became moribund and had to be killed. Asterisks indicate P<0.05 when compared with wild-type by the t-test. Wild-type mice were either littermates or they shared grandparents with mice of a comparison genotype Full size image

To assess the cell type(s) in which RIPK3 contributes to TNF-induced toxicity, we employed Ripk3fl/fl mice bearing conditional alleles of Ripk3 with exons 2 and 3 flanked by loxP sites (Figure 7a). Expression of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) was reported to be essential for TNF-induced toxicity.39 Therefore, we used a villin.cre transgene to delete Ripk3 from IECs. We confirmed reduced RIPK3 expression in Ripk3fl/fl villin.cre IECs by immunohistochemical staining (Figure 7b). In the small intestine, Ripk3fl/fl villin.cre IECs stained far less than wild-type IECs and showed comparable staining to IECs in Ripk3/ mice. However, clusters of IECs in the small and large intestine of Ripk3fl/fl villin.cre mice remained positive for RIPK3, suggesting incomplete Ripk3 gene deletion. Weak labeling of lymphocytes and endothelial cells was observed in both wild-type and Ripk3fl/fl villin.cre intestine, but not in Ripk3/ intestine, consistent with gene deletion mediated by the villin.cre transgene being largely restricted to IECs. Despite evidence of incomplete Ripk3 gene deletion in the intestine, Ripk3fl/fl villin.cre mice were as resistant as systemic Ripk3/ mice to the effects of TNF (Figures 7c and d and Supplementary Figure S3). These data indicate that RIPK3 expression in IECs is also critical for TNF-induced toxicity.
Decisions, decisions. A new study reveals that apart from humans, orangutans can also make decisions on things by using prior experiences.

The study published in Springer Link was conducted with a 21-year-old male Sumatran orang-utan (Pongo abelii) named Naong and 10 humans (four females aged 20 to 35 years old). The researchers found out that without tasting a new juice mix, an orangutan can somehow conclude if such drink will taste good or not.

This ability is called affective forecasting, where a person can make a decision or a possible prediction based on his or her prior experiences and knowledge.

By using these relevant memories in the past, a person can recombined the details, make mental pictures of it, thus, making him or her invoke a decision or a possible situation in the midst of never-before-experienced situations. This kind of ability is usually found in humans.

Gabriela-Alina Sauciuc of Lund University in Sweden and her team developed a non-verbal test to assess how an animal responds to a new taste.

Science Daily reported that the study, which was conducted in Furuvik Zoo in Sweden, let participants mentally create new juice blends from the ingredients they are already familiar with, and to forecast if the end products will taste good or not. There were four common ingredients that were combined (cherry, lemon, rhubarb and vinegar) into six drink mixes they had never before tasted.

The results of the study were astounding. It turns out that both human subjects and the orangutan made choices that showed their particular taste preferences for the various ingredients.

It means that humans and orangutans can put together relevant memories to make new liquid blends. Thus, foresee if the end products will be tasty or not.

Animals were previously thought of using also its prior experiences but will remain stuck in those experiences that when confronted with new situations, it will behave randomly by way of trial-and-error.

However, Naong made consistent choices when confronted with never-before experienced situations, and did not respond randomly by way of trial-and-error as expected.

"The orangutan, just like humans, seems to have been able to make hedonic predictions concerning never-before experienced events," says Sauciuc, who adds that this relationship was confirmed when the data obtained in the study were incorporated into statistical models, Science Daily reports.
Google has recently filed a request to the United States Federal Communications Commission for confidential treatment and complementary exhibits of their application for an Experimental Radio Service License.

According to the US FCC filing, Google is asking for authorization to conduct testing in up to 24 U.S. areas, including six regions in California, Boulder, Colorado, Kansas City, Kansas, Omaha, Nebraska, Raleigh, North Carolina, Provo, Utah, and Reston, Virginia.

The experimental transmitter of Google would operate from 3400 to 3800 MHz frequency range covering multiple allocated bands and variety of incumbent services. Due to the high frequency range of their experimental transmitters, Google will deploy and operate its equipment in a manner that will avoid interference to other authorized users.

"We are working to test the viability of a wireless network that relies on newly available spectrum," a spokesperson from Google told Business Insider. "The project is in early stages today, but we hope this technology can one day help deliver more abundant Internet access to consumers."

The decision of the tech company to shy away from their initial Google Fiber cables and turn to wireless technology in connecting homes to the internet was made after their initial roll outs were more expensive and time-consuming than what they expected. With Google Fiber, the company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars digging up streets and laying fiber-optic cables.

"We're continuing to work with city leaders to explore the possibility of bringing Google Fiber to many cities," read in a statement from Google reported at Wall Street Journal. "This means deploying the latest technologies in alignment with our product road map, while understanding local considerations and challenges, which takes time."

Two months ago, Google has bought the point-to-point wireless internet firm Webpass for an undisclosed sum. With the acquisition of Webpass, Google can expand their services into dense, urban areas with apartment buildings with multiple units.


Two dwarf galaxies have recently been discovered by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. After being trapped in a cosmic void for more than 100 million years, these galaxies are ready to start a star birth.

Dwarf galaxies are faint and small, so finding them in the vast solar system is quite difficult. Yet, thanks to NASAs Hubble's sharp vision, two have been spotted. The two dwarf galaxies discovered have been named Pisces A and B. Such discovery of Pisces A and B would help researchers further understand the evolution and formation of a dwarf galaxy.

According to Hubble observations, the two particular dwarf galaxies are late bloomers due to having spent so much time in a Local Void. The Local Void is a region in the universe which has a sparse population of galaxies, and is approximately 150 million light-years across.

"These Hubble images may be snapshots of what present-day dwarf galaxies may have been like at earlier epochs. Studying these and other similar galaxies can provide further clues to dwarf galaxy formation and evolution," stated Erik Tollerud, the lead researcher from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, adding, "These galaxies may have spent most of their history in the void. If this is true, the void environment would have slowed their evolution. Evidence for the galaxies' void address is that their hydrogen content is somewhat high relative to similar galaxies."

Tollerud along with his team hopes to discover more galaxies with the use of the Hubble. His plans include scouring the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System Survey, also known as PanSTARRS, for even more dwarf galaxies. Aside from NASA's Hubble, other wide-survey telescopes such as the large radio telescope in China and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in Chile would help in the discovery of dwarf galaxies.
A team of skydivers transformed into shooting stars amid the spectacular sky display.

Joakim Sommer from Norway, Armando del Rey from Spain, and Marco Waltenspiel and Georg Lettner both from Austria, joined the Perseid meteor shower not with the usual crowd of stargazers: they jumped from an airplane over La Palma, Canary Islands off the northwestern coast of Africa suited up in LED wingsuits to become human meteors.

"The experience has been amazing," Sommer said in a statement.

"It literally felt like I was in a videogame. I was in this black tunnel and there was nothing else besides all those billions of stars in my face. It was a really unique visual because you could really feel the speed, but you have no other surroundings. You are just in pitch black; it is like you are out there in the outer space. It's crazy, it was literally crazy."

According to the skydivers, the stunt, which was sponsored by energy drink brand Red Bull, was a tribute to the Perseids, also known as "tears of Saint Lawrence."

The skydivers jumped in total darkness at an altitude of 1,800 meters and flew at a speed of 170 kilometers per hour above the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, which is where the Gran Telescopio de Canarias - the world's biggest optic telescope - is located.

The team jumped above La Palma, also known as "La Isla Bonita", from the T-21 aircraft, with the help of the Air Force, the Canarian Institute of Astrophysics and La Palma City Hall.

The jump was also the team's way of showing their support and gratitude to the firefighters who battled a great fire in La Palma in July.

The Perseid meteor shower happens every year when the Earth crosses the orbit of the comet Swift-Tuttle, passing through the debris from the comet's tail. The debris streak across the Earth's atmosphere, creating the meteor shower that is seen now.

This year's meteor shower peaked on Aug. 11 and 12, and had been particularly special as the meteors appeared double the usual rate for the first time since 2009, at about 200 meteors per hour.
An alarming "crypto" outbreak was declared by the health officials last Aug. 11 in Ohio, due to more than 100 cases reported linked to the illness.

'Crypto' or cryptosporidiosis is an illness that is caused by a diarrhea -causing parasite called Cryptosporidium. The said parasite can survive in chlorine-treated pools for more than 10 days, Live Science reports.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the "crypto" parasite is covered by an outer shell that protects it from chlorinated-water. It can also cause stomach cramps, vomit and fever.

The main symptom of the illness is watery diarrhea. Other symptoms also include dehydration, weight loss,and nausea, which may last up to two weeks but may reoccur even after the patient reports improvement. People will catch the illness if they accidentally drink or swallow water contaminated by the parasite.

According to Columbus public health officials, there are 107 cases of cryptosporidiosis that have been reported this year alone in Columbus, Franklin County and Delaware County. This number is higher than the number of cases reported in the area for the last three years combined, Northern California News notes.

Columbus officials already cautioned the public not to swim if they have diarrhea for up to two weeks after recovery. Other preventive measures are taking a shower and before going to pools, having children go to frequent bathroom breaks, changing baby diapers on the bathroom instead of pools and not eating in the pool premises.

While there is no particular swimming site or sites that have been identified with "crypto" parasite contamination, most of the patients that were diagnosed with the illness had visited different swimming recreational sites several times in the three counties.
At any given time, in any given oil field across Kern County, theres a good chance oil companies are fracking oil wells. Its a perfectly legal operation, but a two-year old state law now requires companies to notify Californias Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) any time a well is fracked. By law, the agency then must inform the public by posting the fracking information on its website within 60 days. However, the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit discovered thats not always happening.

An analysis of the agencys website revealed the state missed the 60-day deadline in at least 173 fracked wells. This concerns people who live near the wells in the community of Lost Hills. At least inform the public and let them know, said Estella Montiel, a 20-year resident of the area.

The Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental nonprofit in Oakland, tracked this issue for the last six months, on at least three different dates comparing the oil industry website where companies voluntarily report fracked wells with DOGGRs website, which requires the same reporting. The NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit independently verified their findings and found on numerous dates in March, April and June between 130 and 175 wells that the oil industry reported fracked did not show up on DOGGRs website within 60 days of the fracking operation. That averages out to a delay in about 28 percent of fracking notifications.

Its really important that fracking activities are disclosed on this website when theyre supposed to be, said Clare Lakewood, an environmental lawyer with the nonprofit. If those activities arent disclosed, than the public is denied information about the chemicals that are being used, and those chemicals can be really toxic. Were talking about carcinogens, were talking endocrine disruptors, said Lakewood

What Is Fracking and Why Is It Controversial?

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process of pumping high pressure water, sand and a mix of chemicals to break up shale rock to release the oil thats trapped in the underground shale rock.

In 2012, NBC Bay Areas Investigative Unit was the first to report the widespread use of fracking to recover oil in California was not being tracked nor regulated by state officials. The new law, called SB4, requiring oversight and public reporting of fracking operations followed NBC Bay Areas investigation.

Click Here for the original reporting on unregulated fracking in California:

In 2014, the Investigative Unit reported that DOGGR officials allowed oil and gas companies to pump billions of gallons of waste water left over from fracking into protected underground aquifers.

California Agency Explains Why It Missed the 60 Day Reporting Deadline

A spokeswoman for Californias Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources admits in some cases, information about fracked wells is not posted on its website within the time frame required by law. Some of them arent because theyre having trouble with the actual reporting mechanism. These are brand new processes, said Teresa Schilling, a spokeswoman for the agency. Were working on it. Any time you build a brand new online digitized system, youre going to have to go back, youre going to have to take a look to make sure its successful. Were doing that. Were making improvements.

The Environmental Working Group, which first helped expose unregulated and untracked fracking in California, would like to see a bigger separation between industry and the government. We think the relationship between state regulatory agencies and the oil companies at least in Kern has been way too cozy. Were trying to bust that up, said Bill Allayaud, EWGs California director of governmental affairs.

Allayaud does credit the state agency with doing its best to comply with the law. In their defense a lot was thrown at DOGGR fast, said Allayaud. They had to suddenly regulate fracking, but thats not a great excuse because for decades they basically worked one on one with oil companies, so its a new world for them and theyre playing catch up.

Lawmaker Sees Progress in Regulating Fracking

State Sen. Fran Pavley, (D) Ventura County, authored SB4. Senator Pavley was instrumental in getting the new law passed through the state legislature. I feel like I have part of my own reputation there, Pavley said.

She acknowledges its disappointing the state agency isnt following the letter of the law, but believes it is working on full compliance. Its never acceptable but it continues to improve. And since you (NBC Bay Area) have been asking those questions, I think theyre putting a little more emphasis on it.

Schilling, the agencys spokeswoman, agrees. Were working on this on a daily basis. We want to make improvements. We want this program to be successful. We want operators to comply with it. Thats our goal, said Schilling.

While its ultimately the agencys responsibility to post the fracking information on its website, the agency does have the authority to fine oil and gas companies up to $20,000 if they dont comply with the law. If they do not give us the information, we will fine them, said Schilling.

But NBC Bay Area discovered that even though the agency has issued 58 violations to oil and gas companies for failing to comply properly with theSB4, the agency has not handed out a single fine.

The Western States Petroleum Association declined our request for an interview.

A new bill is now before the state legislature to give the agency more enforcement tools including the ability to levy bigger fines against oil companies for failing to comply.

Map: Unreported Fracks in April, 2016
The FBI on Monday said the "Dreaded Bandit," wanted for at least four Bay Area bank robberies since April, had been arrested.

More details were expected to be made public later in the day. But the suspect is known to wear disguises during some of the robberies, including makeup and a dark colored wig simulating long hair.

The "Dreaded Bandit" allegedly robbed the same San Francisco bank twice with the last two months, according to the FBI.

On June 23 and July 11, the suspect committed takeover-style robberies at Comerica Bank, located at 2001 Union St. In both robberies, the suspect displayed a handgun and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, FBI officials said.

The suspect is also believed to have robbed the Provident Credit Union at 2727 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo on May 12 and the First Republic Bank at 2001 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco on April 22, according to the FBI.

Anyone with information about his identity is asked to contact the FBI. All calls are confidential and the FBI San Francisco office can bE reached 24 hours a day at (415) 553-7400.
Trader Joe's employees on the peninsula were forced to lie face down on the ground and give up the store's cash to two armed robbers on Saturday night, Menlo Park Police said.

Masked robbers broke in the Trader Joe's, which is located on the 700 block of Menlo Avenue in Menlo Park, around 9:15 p.m. after the establishment had closed, ordered the employees to surrender an undisclosed amount of money and then fled the scene, police said.

The first suspect was described as wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, white sweatpants and a white face mask. The second suspect was also wearing a white face mask along with a gray hooded sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Menlo Park Police Department at 650-330-6300.
Vice President Joe Biden assailed Donald Trump's ability to lead America at home and abroad on Monday, branding him as indifferent to the needs of Americans in his first campaign appearance with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Biden, who decided not to make a third presidential bid last year, said in his native city of Scranton that Trump was "totally, thoroughly unqualified" to be president, calling him a dangerous voice on national security and foreign policy.

On the economy, he said, Trump's reveling in his TV reality show tag-line, "You're fired," showed his true colors.

"He's trying to tell us he cares about the middle class? Give me a break. It's such a bunch of malarkey," Biden told a crowd of about 3,000 at Riverfront Sports, adding: "He doesn't have a clue."

Pennsylvania has not supported a Republican in a presidential election since 1988, but is among the most-contested battleground states between Clinton and Trump, who are both vying for white working-class voters here.

Even as polls show her leading Trump, Clinton has faced lingering questions about her trustworthiness in the fallout of her use of a private email server as secretary of state and over her family's sprawling foundation. She has tried to make the case that working-class voters would fare better under her economic policies than Trump's and that her opponent would inject danger into an already unstable world.

Offering himself as a powerful character witness for Clinton, Biden portrayed the former secretary of state as the most qualified person to lead the country, singling out her foreign policy experience and passion for improving people's lives. He cited his long history with Clinton, saying he's known her for three decades, since before she was first lady in the 1990s.

And he cited Clinton's gender as a powerful asset, saying electing the first female president would change the lives of American women and girls.

"Hillary Clinton is going to write the next chapter in American history," he said.

Introducing Biden, Clinton sought to sow doubts about Trump's ability to bring jobs back to blue-collar communities like Scranton, where Biden lived for the first decade of his life before moving to Delaware.

She acknowledged that many people in the audience might have friends considering voting for the Republican, but offered this advice: "Friends should not let friends vote for Trump."

Clinton and Biden spoke ahead of Trump's national security address in Ohio, questioning the business mogul's ability to represent the nation overseas.

In his speech, Trump accused Clinton of pushing policies that have opened the United States to foreign terrorists.

"Hillary Clinton wants to be America's Angela Merkel," he said, arguing that Germany's immigration policy has weakened that country's national security.

Clinton said Trump had been "all over the place" on foreign policy and had suggested sending in ground troops to fight the Islamic State group. "That is off the table as far as I'm concerned," she said.

Biden warned that Trump was unprepared to oversee nuclear codes and cited Trump's praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

If Trump likes them, "He would have loved" Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union until his death in 1953. Scholars estimate that under Stalin, more than 1 million people were executed in political purges and millions more died as a result of harsh labor and cruel treatment in the vast gulag prison camp system.

Seeking a common bond, both Democrats pointed back to their family ties in northeastern Pennsylvania. Biden, a frequent visitor, recalled the street he grew up on and credited the city with helping to mold his values. Clinton noted her grandfather worked at a Scranton lace mill factory and that her father was raised here and later attended Penn State University. The family spent summers at a family cabin in nearby Lake Winola, she said.

Biden and Clinton had been planned to campaign together here before last month's Democratic National Convention but their rally was postponed because of the deadly police shooting in Dallas. The vice president is expected to campaign for Clinton in several battleground states where he remains popular, including Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
A man has been arrested on murder and weapons charges in the shooting deaths of a Queens imam and his associate in broad daylight, police say.

The suspect, 35-year-old Oscar Morel, was taken into custody late Sunday night as he approached a vehicle that police had connected to a hit-and-run earlier in the day. He appears to match the description of the suspected shooter, a senior police official said.

Senior police officials said that officers boxed him in with patrol cars, but the suspect tried to flee and hit a police car. Officers then pulled out their weapons and ordered him to surrender.

A gun and clothes similar to those worn by the suspected shooter were found at Morel's home in East New York Monday, police sources close to the investigation told NBC 4 New York. The Queens district attorney's office drew up the search warrant for the property search.

The gun was found hidden in the apartment's wall, behind drywall and screws, the sources said. Ballistics tests will be done to see if it is the murder weapon.

Morel has a past arrest for marijuana possession, sources said.

Meanwhile, about 1,000 people packed streets Monday about six blocks from where the shooting took place for a service for Imam Maulama Akonjee and his associate, Thara Uddin. Some of those attending chanted "justice" periodically throughout the service.

Akonjee, 55, and Uddin, 64, were walking home from the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque at about 1:50 p.m on Saturday when they were shot and killed.

Local political leaders, including Mayor de Blasio, addressed the crowd gathered for the service Monday.

Emotions ran high. Some people shouted for justice as a man spoke at the podium. People cheered when de Blasio assured them whoever committed the crime will be brought to justice.

Surveillance video obtained by NBC 4 New York shows the moment the two men were gunned down on an Ozone Park street.

The video shows a lone gunman approach both men from behind and fire shots from a handgun. The suspect then sprints away from the scene as both victims fall to the ground.

A sketch of the shooter released by police early Sunday shows a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

Both victims were shot in the head at point-blank range, police said. The suspect was seen fleeing the scene southbound on 79 street with the gun still in his hand.

Investigators hadn't established a motive for the shootings, said NYPD Deputy Inspector Hank Sautner during a news conference.

The shooting has struck fear in an Ozone Park Muslim community.

"We usually look left and right and to the front to be careful. But now we have to look in the back. How do you do that?" Kobir Chowdhury said.

Akonjee's sister-in-law, Ifia Uddin, had seen the imam earlier on Saturday. She said that when her husband called her to tell her the news, she was shocked and didn't believe him. She said she's heartbroken.

"I just want justice, that's it," Uddin said. "Everybody wants that."

Akonjees son-in-law, Momin Ahmed, said the community is struggling to make sense of the killing of such a beloved man.

"Everybody's not doing very good," Ahmed said. "He's the greatest guy. I've been married for 13 years. So since that, we've been talking every day. He calls me every few hours."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned the shootings.

"The perpetrator of these senseless killings must be swiftly apprehended and face the full force of the law," said Afaf Nasher, the executive director of the organization's New York chapter. "We ask anyone with information about this attack to contact appropriate law enforcement authorities."

The Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, posted a message on Twitter calling the shooting a "cowardly act on peace-loving people."
A super political action committee with ties to Sen. Mark Kirk released an ad Monday slamming Kirks opponent, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, for voting in favor of the Iran nuclear deal.

The 30-second spot released by Independent Voice for Illinois PAC, which is headed by former Kirk chief of staff Eric Elk, called the Iran deal a disastrous deal that put America at risk.

Duckworth voted in favor of the agreement last September. Prior to the vote, the congresswoman issued a press release explaining why she was in favor of the deal.

"Iran is our enemy, it is Israel's enemy and it is the enemy of all nations that seek peace and stability," Duckworth said in a statement. "But Iran's destabilizing role in the region would be much greater if it could obtain nuclear weapons. Therefore preventing a nuclear armed Iran must be our primary goal."

"After careful review I'm confident that if Iran cheats, we will know. And more importantly, if Iran abandons the deal and pursues a nuclear weapon, we will stop them," the congresswoman added.

The deal lifted sanctions on Iran, releasing roughly $100 billion in frozen assets, NBC News reported.

The ad points to a confidential document referenced in a July Associated Press report that outlined the countrys plan to expand its uranium enrichment program after the first 10 years of the nuclear agreement.

Secret documents reveal that Iran could obtain a nuclear weapon far sooner than we were told, the ads narrator says. And Duckworth voted yes. Tammy Duckworth cant be trusted on national security."

Duckworth's campaign responded Monday, claiming the ad was "desperate" and "fear mongering."

"Tammy served 23 years in (the) Army National Guard and Army Reserve, nearly losing her life in the process, and she knows what it takes to keep our country safe," Duckworth spokesman Matt McGrath said in a statement. "Republican Mark Kirk, on the other hand, has lied repeatedly about his military record, including falsely claiming to have served in combat and to have won a military award he didn't earn. He's also shown terrible judgment on just about every major foreign policy decision of his career, beginning with the decision to invade Iraq."

"Illinois deserves better," McGrath added.

Donors to Independent Voice for Illinois PAC include real estate mogul and former Tribune Corp. owner Sam Zell, who donated $50,000 to the group in June, as well as hedge fund manager and ally to Gov. Bruce Rauner Ken Griffin, who has donated $350,000 to the group since June of last year.

Harbour Group founder Sam Fox, a former ambassador to Belgium during George W. Bush's administration, gave the group $25,000 in May. Fox backed a political group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during Bush's reelection bid in 2004. The group opposed John Kerry's presidential candidacy, calling into question his Navy service during the Vietnam War. The group's claims were ultimately discredited.

Kirks campaign declined to comment on the ad, which will begin airing on television in Illinois this week.
A new petition asking President Barack Obama to grant executive clemency to incarcerated former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was created after a federal judge declined to lower the embattled politicians sentence last week.

Blagojevich was found guilty in 2011 on a series of counts, including attempting to sell Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. He has served four years of his 14-year sentence at a federal prison in Littleton, Colorado. Last week, U.S. District Judge James Zagel upheld Blagojevichs original sentence, despite an appeals court tossing five of the 18 counts he was convicted on.

We ask that President Barack Obama offer executive clemency and allow Rod to leave prison based on the sentence of the time that has already been served, the petition reads. Combination the prison sentence to time served would allow Rod to again be a productive citizen in society again, and be offered the opportunity to help raise his children.

The petition currently has 884 of the 100,000 signatures needed by Sept. 9 to get a response from the White House. It lists the creater of the petition only as "A.G."
During a campaign stop in Chicago Sunday, Sen. Mark Kirk sidestepped questions about who hes backing for president.

[I] dont really need to discuss my write-in choice because its not that important, Kirk told reporters Sunday. Its not going to swing the election at all.

In March, Kirk told NBC 5 that he would back Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump if he were the Republican nominee. The senator ultimately pulled his tacit endorsement of Trump in June after the billionaire made a series of inflammatory statements about the heritage of a Hispanic judge presiding over civil fraud lawsuits against his beleaguered Trump University.

Later that month, Kirk said he would write-in embattled former Director of the Central intelligence Agency David Petraeus, a retired four-star Army general.

Petraeus resigned from his post as the CIAs director in 2012 following a scandal stemming from an extramarital affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Petraeus pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified information for providing said information to Broadwell.

After facing criticism, Kirk changed course in July and started backing former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who would also be a write-in candidate.

Last week, Kirk noted that he couldnt back Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton because she was for the Iran agreement and I cant support someone who was for the Iran agreement."

Powell, who is also a four-star Army general, told NBCs Meet the Press last year that he supported the deal. At the time, Powell said the agreement would stop this highway race they were going down toward Iran building a nuclear weapon.

Now, Kirk isnt publicly endorsing Powell as his write-in choice or any other candidate.

"He is not supporting Trump and he has made it clear he would not support Clinton, Kirk spokesman Kevin Artl said in a statement.

Kirk is locked in one of the nations most competitive Senate races with Rep. Tammy Duckworth, whose campaign slammed Kirk Monday.

Republican Mark Kirk has officially struck out when it comes to picking a presidential candidate in 2016, showing remarkably bad judgment and an inability to keep his facts straight in the process, Duckworth spokesman Matt McGrath said in a statement. In the Trump era, deciding who should be the next president is serious business but Senator Kirk has been deeply unserious. Still, its refreshing to see him acknowledge what has long been evident: he doesnt have much influence in the state of Illinois.

On Sunday, Kirk said he was focused on sending someone who is the best representative for the state of Illinois. He saidDuckworth represents Chicagoland, while he represents the rest of the state."
Two firefighters were hospitalized and nearly a dozen people left without a home Monday after a fire quickly spread across multiple buildings on Chicagos South Side.

More than 140 firefighters from 30 companies were called to East 76th Street and Drexel to battle a blaze that began just after 1 a.m. in a home in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood.

The home that the fire was sparking in was vacant, police said, but it quickly spread to the neighboring homes on either side where families had been sleeping.

Everyone inside the homes made it out safely, but the heat from the growing flames combined with muggy weather conditions proved to be too much for some firefighters. Two were transported to area hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion, officials said.

"These types of fires are very taxing on our bodies, Chicago Fire Department District Chief Rosalind Jones said.

It took more than two hours for fire crews to put out the fire, police said. The cause is still under investigation.
The first of eight new Krispy Kreme locations coming to the Chicago area broke ground in Homewood today, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The store is expected to open in November, according to the Tribune, and is the first to return to the area after the Great Recession aside from an Elk Grove location.

The doughnut company, known for its glazed and sugary pastries, announced its intention to open eight new stories throughout Cook County in June of last year.

Theres a high demand for Krispy Kreme in the greater Chicagoland area, Patricia Perry, Krispy Kremes Vice President, US Franchise Development, said at the time.

The doughnut company signed a development agreement with Chicagoland Restaurants, LLC, to build the eight new shops.

Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937 and now has more than 1,000 doughnut shops in 24 countries.
There are a lot of Chicago words that can describe this years winter forecast, but ice cold just about sums it up.

According to the long-range weather prediction in the 2017 Farmers Almanac, the forecast for the upcoming winter season is frigid.

The Almanac, which bases its long-range forecasts on a nearly 200 century-old formula, predicts a colder-than-normal winter for two-thirds of the nation.

Whats being described as exceptionally cold conditions are expected in the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, Ohio Valley, Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and New England states. The West could see milder than normal conditions, according to the Almanac.

February is the month to really be ready for cold conditions, Editor Peter Geiger, Philom, said in a statement. According to our long-range outlook, many places will see downright frigid temperatures this month, some as low as 40 degrees below zero!

The forecast also predicts snowfall that will keep many skiers happy in the east.

Meanwhile, the Old Farmer's Almanac, which claims an 80 percent accuracy in its predictions, says while temperatures will be colder in most parts of the country, less snowfall will be seen overall. The exception will be the northern tier of the U.S., which "can expect to be blanketed in white," according to the old almanac.

Last year, much of the Midwest saw a mild winter thanks in large part to a strong El Nino event.

The latest predictions, however, are somewhat in line with warnings of a possible La Nina event beginning this fall.

According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there is a chance for a La Nina event to develop in the coming months, though researchers report considerable uncertainty remains. Many models favor a La Nina during the fall and winter, but forecasters predict it could be a weaker event.

La Nina is the opposite of El Nino and represents periods of below-average sea surface temperatures across the equatorial east and central Pacific Ocean.

If La Nina develops, it could mean changes in the weather for North America, though those changes will depend heavily on the strength of the weather event. According to the NOAA, winter temperatures are warmer than normal in the Southeast and cooler than normal in the Northwest during La Nina.

If a La Nina event is strong enough, it could also mean above-average precipitation in the northern Midwest, which by winter could mean more snow.

Its not uncommon for La Nina conditions to follow an El Nino event. Both have the potential to last anywhere from nine to 12 months, but some prolonged events can last for years.
A Derby man was sentenced to 37 months in prison on federal charges of distributing drugs, according to the US Attorneys Office.

Frank Pecora, 55, was arrested on April 29, 2015 after a long-term investigation by the FBI, DEA and Homeland Security.

According to court documents, Pecora was involved with a group of people, including Newtown police sergeant Steven Santucci, who were receiving shipments of steroid ingredients from China, then manufacturing and distributing steroids. The group was also accused of distributing prescription pills and cocaine.

Officials said Pecora plead guilty to one count of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone in January. In pleading guilty he also admitted to unlawfully possessing firearms.

He is a previously convicted felon and has been held since his arrest.

Santucci plead guilty to distributing and money laundering offenses in December 2015. He is awaiting sentencing.
The mayor of New Haven said Police Chief Dean Esserman will not be returning to work immediately following his suspension.

Mayor Toni Harp said Esserman's disciplinary leave, which started on July 25, will end on Monday as planned, but he will now be on temporary sick leave.

I am eager for residents, property owners and those visiting and doing business in New Haven to be assured their public safety requirements are being effectively met by the very capable command staff and officers of the New Haven Police Department, Harp said.

On Friday questions surrounded Esserman's status after sources said a meeting between the mayor and the police chief was about his resignation.

Laurance Grotheer, the city's spokesman, said Esserman did not resign nor did the mayor ask him to resign.

Earlier this year, Esserman allegedly berated a waitress at a New Haven restaurant, an employee told NBC Connecticut. The accusations of the incident surfaced during his paid absence.

It was the second time the mayor punished the chief since he was appointed to the top job in the police department. In 2014, he was reprimanded after a confrontation with an usher at Yale Bowl.

Assistant Chief Anthony Campbell has been acting chief during Esserman's absence.

Protests to call for Esserman to be removed from his position are planned for today at police headquarters and city hall,
Senate Republicans have used the company VoterTrove for several years, as a way to aggregate the names, addresses and information about people who sign petitions and interact with them online.

The information, according to both VoterTrove and Senate Republicans, isn't mined or distributed elsewhere.

Where Republicans have run into issues is the fact that GOP campaigns in Connecticut have previously used VoterTrove, while it was contracted with the state-funded senate GOP caucus.

The Meriden Record Journal previously reported that State Senate Candidate Len Suzio had previously purchased a voter list from VoterTrove in 2014.

Suzio confirmed the purchase of the list to NBC Connecticut, but maintained that in the grand scheme of a campaign, it wasn't a major expense.

He said he purchased the list from VoterTrove because had he purchased a list of voters that's publicly available from the Secretary of the State, it wouldn't have been broken down by Senate District.

"It was very simple, very straightforward and easy for our campaign. It saved us time by not having to go through every record that wasnt in the district," Suzio said Monday.

Justin Gargiulo, the CEO of VoterTrove and former Republican staffer in Connecticut said there was no connection between the list Suzio obtained and the service provided to Senate Republicans paid for with taxpayer money.

"The publicly available file provided did not contain any enhancements, emails, or other data collected by users of the VoterTrove platform. The voter file contained only records of voters in the 13th district as provided by the Secretary of the States Office."

Sen. Dante Bartolomeo, who is facing a re-election fight from Suzio, has a question she says is a simple one.

"If its truly the same information from the Secretary of State it would be free. Why put the money there? Its throwing it away, right?"

Bartolomeo is concerned that she could see a similar use of taxpayers money if and when Suzio qualifies for the Citizens Elections Program that would provide his campaign state funding.

"My opponent is trying to put a spin on it that its information readily available from the Secretary of the State," she said.

Suzio said of the list he obtained, "There was nothing wrong with it as far as Im concerned.

Sen. Len Fasano, the top member of the Senate GOP Caucus also said the issue has been overblown because all of the names came from the Secretary of the State there is no problem.

"There is no issue with him or anyone else obtaining this list or any list thats available through our states transparency laws."
The town of West Hartford has filed an injunction against Los Imperios restaurant for what the town calls repeated noncompliance with local zoning and liquor regulations.

The town filed the injunction on May 24 and will present evidence at a hearing Tuesday. The town alleges that Los Imperios Restaurant and Longue at 904 Farmington Avenue has been operating as a nightclub rather than a restaurant by imposing age restrictions, cover charges and offering bottle service. Town ordinances prohibit all three of these.

The town also said there have been a series of complaints by neighbors. The police department said they have officers assigned to monitor crowds in the area of Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Police also report that in the last two months theyve received more than 20 complaints related to issues at Los Imperios.

According to police, the department has made multiple referrals to the state Liquor Commission for alcohol-related violations as well.

Currently violating the ordinance can be punished with a $150 fine. Town officials said filed the injunction in the hope that the court will allow them to raise the fine to $2,500.

NBC Connecticut reached out to the restaurant for a response. The employee who answered the phone declined to comment and management has yet to return our message.
A woman from Qatar has been reported missing in West Hartford and police are asking anyone who has seen her in the last week to call them.

Mame Alemu Zegeye was visiting from overseas and has been missing since last Monday, police said.

She was born in Ethiopia and has lived in the country of Qatar, according to police.

Zegeye is 5-feet-5 and weighs approximately 170 pounds.

She was last seen wearing a brown blouse, black leggings and brown shoes.

Anyone who is in contact with Zegeye or sees her should call West Hartford Police at (860) 523-5203.
The threat for severe weather will continue overnight despite the lack of sunshine.

Damaging winds and even a tornado are possible. While not high, this is one of the bigger tornado threats Connecticut has seen this summer.

Wednesday brings a return of dry weather with partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will be in the middle 80s.

Thursday looks predominately dry, but there could be an isolated p.m. shower with highs near 90.

The weekend looks dry with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 80s.

More thunderstorms are possible Monday, and a few showers are possibly tuesday.

Temperatures fall closer to seasonable levels next week, near 80 degrees.
At a time when the Dallas City budget is extremely tight and police are demanding raises and more manpower, homeowner repair rebates may soon be added to city spending.

Basically the idea is, help them out to increase property values with the idea that youre going to make more in the long run, said Dallas Councilman Mark Clayton.

The Dallas City Council Housing Committee Monday unanimously endorsed a plan to pay owners up to $5,000 per home to encourage repairs and boost property values in certain target neighborhoods.

I think we definitely should move forward with it, and Im in support of it 150 percent, said Dallas Councilman Casey Thomas.

Thomas said he has been asking for a repair rebate program for homeowners ever since he got elected.

It would provide them some financial assistance  especially those living on fixed income, some of our seniors who really need some work done on their homes  this would give them that extra push, Thomas said.

Similar incentive programs are already underway in Richardson, Plano, Carrollton, Fort Worth and Arlington.

Richardson real estate agent Janet DePuy said she received more than $4,000 to help pay for renovation of the home she purchased in 2009. She said her property value has tripled since she made the improvements.

Its revitalized the neighborhood considerably, because if one house on a street updates their home, that incents the next neighbor, DePuy said.

The neighborhood near Central Expressway and Belt Line Road has many homes built in the 1950s and 60s that recently received extensive updating.

Thats why people want to live here, DePuy said. They drive up and down the streets wanting to find a house to move into in this neighborhood.

Dallas leaders are hoping more of their older neighborhoods will perform the same way.

Now we have an opportunity to really be competitive with them, Thomas said.

One target for the Dallas rebates would be the Red Bird neighborhood near U.S. Highway 67 and Red Bird Lane in Thomas district.

That area is primed and this is something that would just launch it to the next level, Thomas said.

The committee endorsement Monday recommends including $500,000 for the Dallas program in the new 2016-2017 budget due to take effect Oct. 1. A vote of the full Dallas City Council is scheduled for Oct. 11 to put the home repair rebate program in place.

For more information on the program visit the Dallas City Council website.
USA Gymnastics star Madison Kocian delivered a difficult routine on the uneven bars that appeared to be flawless.

She finished behind Russia's Aliya Mustafina by the smallest of margins and took home a silver medal.

"Silver is the new gold," said Carolyn Carlson, a long time family friend. "We were hoping for gold , but very happy for silver."

Carlson hosted a watch party at her Dallas home on Saturday. She was Kocian's confirmation sponsor at All Saints Catholic School.

"I've always been very close to Madison and have been so excited for her through this journey," Carlson said. "From the time she was little, this has been her goal. We knew when she competed for a spot on the U.S. National team that she was destined for this."

More than 30 parishioners, friends and a pastor from All Saints Catholic Church attended Kocian's watch party.

Kocian, who attended All Saints Catholic School, regularly attends mass with her family. Her parents remain active members.
On Sunday, some parents of transgender students in Dallas gathered to ask Texas lawmakers to drop their fight against new federal bathroom guidelines.

Earlier this month, Texas and 12 other states asked a federal judge to halt the Obama administration's plan allowing transgender students to use school bathrooms based on their gender identity.

The White House told every public school district in May that they must allow transgender students to use bathrooms consistent with their chosen gender identity or risk losing federal funding.

Parents who spoke out at the Resource Center of Dallas on Sunday argued that the Texas lawmakers actions unfairly targets their children.

"My son is a boy," said Jennifer Campisi, who is the mother of a transgender son. "There should not be controversy about him using the boys bathroom. This is not a real issues. Join me and tell our elected officials to stop bullying our children."

A ruling on the guidelines is expected before most Texas public schools open on August 22.
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.
For some California college students, getting a discounted Metro pass is about to get easier.

A Metro student transit pass, dubbed the "U-pass," was made available to students attending California State University, Northridge Monday. In the coming weeks, five other colleges in Southern California will offer the pass to their students also.

The program, approved in May, allows students to buy a transit pass directly from their school, instead of ordering the pass through the mail from Metro which could take longer than two months. "Metro found only one percent of such students in the country were taking advantage of the passes," KPCC reported.

The maximum cost for the U-pass is $43 per month, although some colleges are subsidizing that amount, KPCC noted. Cal State Northridge students will save 64 percent compared to the normal amount. The school is selling its pass for $96, which covers the 21-week semester.

The passes will be available at Pasadena City College and Rio Hondo College on August 22, the Los Angeles Trade Technical College on August 29, and American Career College and West Coast University on October 15.

Although the passes are available to all colleges, not all colleges have signed onto the program. KPCC reported that USC and UCLA already offer their own subsidized pass to students, which they subsidize by a third and a half respectively.

Metro officials hope the program will expand to more schools in the spring.

Read more at KPCC.
After a road rage shooting left a young father dead late Sunday in Panorama City, authorities were asking for the public's help to identify the person responsible Monday.

The victim, identified as 24-year-old Jesus Alejandro Benitez-Jaimez, was killed late Sunday evening when another driver began shooting through his window.

The shooting in the San Fernando Valley community was reported just after 11:30 p.m. in the 8200 block of Willis Avenue, LAPD Valley Homicide Bureau Lt. Mike Kozak said.

Witnesses in the area told officers that the shooting occurred after a road rage incident between the victim and the gunman, Kozak said.

Officials stated that the victim exited his car, walked up to the driver's side of the attacker's vehicle and was shot at multiple times. The victim stumbled back to his car before collapsing on the ground, Kozak confirmed.

Los Angeles City Fire Department Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Three people were in the victim's vehicle, a mix of friends and family members, Kozak said. The passengers were not injured.

The suspect's vehicle, only described to be dark, was last seen making a left turn on Roscoe Boulevard. There was no description of the occupants inside the suspect's vehicle.

Roscoe Boulevard at Willis Avenue was closed for several hours during the initial investigation. It was reopened just after 4 a.m.

No arrests were reported as of Monday evening.

Detectives are hoping to find surveillance video that might help lead them to the shooter.

Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Operations Valley Bureau Homicide Detective Gutierrez at 818-974-1923. Calls outside of business hours or on weekends can be directed to 1-877-527-3247.
A prison whistleblower is calling on the federal government to screen inmates coming to South Florida from Puerto Rico for the Zika Virus.

An employee representing correctional officers at FCI Miami, the federal minimum-security prison, filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA. The complaint expresses concern about untested inmates on behalf of its employees, including pregnant women, and the community that neighbors the prison.

The US government last week declared Puerto Rico a public health emergency because of the number of people believed to have the virus thats spread by mosquitoes.

A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prison confirms it has 560 inmates from Puerto Rico. But wrote in an email that none has been screened because the CDC does not currently recommend universal or routine screening.

The complaint expresses concern about the transmission of the virus by someone who could be infected through unprotected sex, sharing tainted hypodermic needles for drugs or used tattoo needles. The complaint also mentions ponds on the property. Mosquitoes who bite an infected person can also spread the virus.

"If mosquitoes were to become infected from these individuals, who have been imported here if you will, from a high Zika zone, specifically Puerto Rico, then of course there is that possibility that someone could then be infected from that mosquito," said Dr. Aileen Marty, an infectious disease professor with FIU.

"Everyone should be worried," says Rep. Carlos Curbelo, the Congressman representing the area where the prison is located. I sympathize with these employees of the Bureau of Prisons. They have legitimate concerns. We know that in Puerto Rico Zika is widespread. To transport prisoners over without at least providing some assurances to local employees -- to the local community here for that matter that they are not carrying Zika is problem.

Another voice calling for the inmates to be tested comes from Zoo Miami. The zoo is a neighbor and shares a fence line with the prison.

"We do treat for Zika here because our primary concern is the visitors," said Zoo Miami spokesperson Ron Magill. "Mosquitos don't know the difference between the fence and no fence. They will fly right through it."

Magill stresses that while they are neighbors, the majority of zoo visitors are about  mile from the prison which is a long distance for a mosquito to travel.

Still, Magill says he joins the prison employees hoping to see the Federal Bureau of Prisons test inmates for the virus.

"It's a valid concern," Magill said. "I would hope that those people would get tested."

The Bureau of Prisons Health Services Division said in a statement it provided detailed information and guidance on the Zika virus to staff at Bureau of Prisons institutions. This information included details on Zika facts (what it is, how it is spread, and how to prevent mosquito bites), as well as information on mosquito control and acquisition of repellent."
Voters in Miami-Dade can hit the polls for the next two weeks as part of the early voting initiative in the county.

The Supervisor of Elections office began allowing residents to come out to one of 20 early voting locations throughout the county Monday. Polls will be open through Sunday, August 28th  just two days before the primary elections will take place.

Polls will be open from 7 AM until 3 PM through Friday and 8 AM to 4 PM this weekend. Next weekend, they will be open from 11 AM to 7 PM Monday-Friday with the same weekend hours.

For more information, including sample ballots as well as voting locations, wait times and what you need to bring to vote early, click here for a link to the elections website.

Broward county begins its early voting on August 20. For information on voting locations and times there, click here for a link to the supervisor of elections' website.
Florida Governor Rick Scott is criticizing the Obama administration's refusal to declare a federal state of emergency because of algae blooms on the St. Lucie River.

TCPalm reports that the governor filed an appeal of the decision Sunday.

Scott criticized the federal government for allegedly failing to maintain and repair the Herbert Hoover Dike that surrounds Lake Okeechobee. He has argued that if the dike were stronger, less polluted water would need to be released into the river.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied the request last month, saying the state hasn't shown it can't handle the problem on its own.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said that even after the dike reinforcement project is finished in 2020, water levels on the lake may not be increased.
The family of a Staten Island teen who took his own life says administrators at the school he attended did not do enough to stop his classmates from bullying him. However, school officials say they "did everything in their power" to stop the harassment.

The Diocese of Brooklyn forwarded NBC New York a note sent to parents announcing the death of Daniel Fitzpatrick who was a 7th grader at Holy Angels Catholic Academy. Fitzpatrick's older sister found the 13-year-old's body in the attic of their West Brighton home Thursday around 5:30 p.m., according to the Daily News.

Fitzpatricks parents provided the Daily News a note written by him last month. I gave up, the teen wrote. The teachers they didnt do anything.

The Daily News reported that the letter was written after the school returned a $100 re-registration fee. The publication reported that the school recommended the teen repeat the seventh grade at another school.

"I wanted to get out, I begged and I pleaded," the letter said. "Eventually I did. I failed, but I didn't care. I was out. That's all I wanted."

His parents told the Daily News boys at the school bullied Fitzpatrick about his weight and grades. They also said classmates threw balls at him during gym class.

Carolyn Ersta, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brooklyn, said in an emailed statement to NBC New York the boys complaints about bullying did not fall upon deaf ears.

The principal and teachers truly cared for Daniel and did everything in their power to help him. The school provided counseling for Daniel, suspended students accused of bullying him, and met with those students' parents, Ersta said. The principal also met, one-on-one, with every member of Daniel's class to work toward bullying prevention and conflict resolution. NYPD officers were brought into the school to conduct a bullying prevention training program for teachers and parents as well 6th, 7th, and 8th grade classes.

School officials said Fitzpatrick was provided counseling through the school. Under state guidelines, counselors can conduct up to three therapy sessions with a student before they are required to get permission from parents. When his guidance counselor reached out to his parents for permission, they decided not to continue therapy.

How and when the family contacted school officials is not clear. However, it is clear that the family is torn by the loss.

Fitzpatrick's father said in a Facebook Live video Saturday he was "heartbroken," and that he was wearing his son shoes.

"For the rest of my life I will wear these shoes," said the teen's father, Daniel Fitzpatrick, said in tears.

Fitzpatrick's mother started a GoFundMe "to give Daniel a proper memorial, and help our family lay our beautiful baby boy to rest. The fundraiser, which launched with a $10,000 goal, raised more than $105,000 from more than 2,700 donors in three days.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Hundreds of people were without power on Staten Island Monday morning as extreme heat and humidity continued to grip the tri-state.

Around 1,050 customers were affected by the outage, Con Edison said.

The utility company said that a transformer fire around 5 a.m. is to blame for the outage. It said it expected the issue to be fixed by 7 a.m.

Police were directing traffic at intersections around 6 a.m.
Rudolph Giuliani, promoting Donald Trump's national security plan, said Monday that in the "eight years before (President Barack) Obama came along, we didn't have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States." That's an apparent omission of the largest terror attack in United States history.

Giuliani was mayor of New York City on Sept. 11, 2001 and in the hours after the World Trade Center fell, while then-President George W. Bush was largely unseen, he became the face of American grief and determination.

His brave and graceful performance in the weeks after the towers' collapse earned him the nickname "America's mayor" and he was soon launched into national political stardom, his name synonymous with the response to the attacks. That made his comments Monday all the more puzzling.

"Under those eight years, before Obama came along, we didn't have any successful radical Islamic terrorist attack in the United States. They all started when Clinton and Obama got into office," Giuliani said ahead of Trump's speech on national security.

Rudy Giuliani on Pence, 9/11 and no successful radical Islamic terrorist attacks in the U.S. before President Obama.https://t.co/mCT15iRsq9  CSPAN (@cspan) August 15, 2016

The eyebrow-raising comments, which were immediately lampooned on social media, were a far cry from Giuliani's usual speeches, which are often peppered with references to the resolve New Yorkers displayed after the attacks.

Giuliani has often spoken about his experiences on and after the attacks. The Los Angeles Times reports that Vice President Joe Biden once said of the former mayor, "There's only three things he mentions in a sentence  a noun and a verb and 9/11."

Jake Menges, a spokesman for the former mayor, told The Associated Press on Monday evening that Giuliani was referring to a lack of major attacks during the remainder of Bush's term.

https://twitter.com/JamilSmith/status/765254546159378432

Earlier in his speech the former mayor made several mentions to the 2001 attack.

"Remember: We didn't start this war; they did. We don't want this war; they do. And they didn't start it even in 2001. They attacked the World Trade Center in 1993," Giuliani said minutes before his apparent gaffe.

Though Giuliani governed the nation's largest city as a moderate Republican, who moved much further to the right when he welcomed Bush to New York for the 2004 Republican National Convention and as he mounted an ill-fated 2008 presidential bid. He has fashioned himself as a sharp critic of Obama as well as Hillary Clinton, whom Giuliani was to run against for the U.S. Senate in 2000 before bowing out after a cancer diagnosis.

But while Giuliani has never publicly blamed Bush for the 2001 attacks, Donald Trump on several occasions during this year's Republican primary made a point of saying that the attacks happened "during the reign of George Bush."

"You always have to look to the person at the top," Trump said in October. "Do I blame George Bush? I only say that he was the president at the time, and you know, you could say the buck stops here."

It wasn't the only time the mayor misspoke at the rally. He also said that Indiana Gov. Mike Pence served the people of Ohio well.

[NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More
Shake Shack is going to be giving away burgers tomorrow.

The restaurant chain said that the first 100 customers at each of its locations on Tuesday will get a free ShackBurger in honor of the opening of its 100th location at the Boston Seaport.

"We're overwhelmed by the love and enthusiasm from our fans around the world, and this moment wouldn't be possible without them," said CEO Randy Garutti. "Heres to bringing more Shacks to local communities around the world!"

Each Shake Shack location will begin serving burgers at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday to celebrate the occasion. Shake Shack said that locations inside ballparks and stadiums will not be participating in the giveaway.

Shake Shack opened its first location in Manhattan's Madison Square in 2004 and has grown to be a fairly major burger chain, with dozens of locations throughout the tri-state. There are also several locations in Europe and Asia.

Go to Shack Shack's site for a full list of locations.
Contaminants underneath a popular stretch of a New Jersey riverside community will be solidified in soil as part of the EPA's plan to clean up that old Superfund site -- but that plan has residents concerned.

Aresenic, chromium, lead and coal tar lie on the Quanta Resources Superfund site in Edgewater, New Jersey, between busy River Road and the Hudson River, the EPA has found. It was contaminated by companies dating all the way back to the late 1800s, and the Honeywell company is now responsible for cleaning it up.

Now the EPA and Honeywell are trying to work with the borough to figure out how to get rid of the toxins.

"It concerns the whole town, you know, you have people passing through, you have so many cars that go through here," Edgewater resident Mary Hogan said at a public meeting Aug. 2.

"You never know what can happen, as far as toxins in the air," said Ahlam Elbedewe, another resident.

Now, after a decade of research and testing, the EPA has approved a plan to leave the toxins in the ground and solidify them in a mix of concrete. The EPA says excavating the toxins would be too disruptive.

"One of the things that concerned us with excavation is that you're going to be removing hazardous material, particularly in an area where you have residences close by," said EPA community involvement coordinator Natalie Loney.

The EPA says it has plenty of documentation that says the solidification method is safe -- but not everyone is convinced.

Dr. Peter DeFur, an environmental scientist in Virginia who specializes in toxic cleanups and did consulting work on the Edgewater site, says "there are a lot of opportunities for something to go wrong."

"The process has been used in the past, but not this deep," DeFur said of the plan to solidifying the toxins. "This process has been used in climates that are warmer, and not in the immediate vicinity that is right adjacent to a to freshwater-saltwater interface."

Gil Hawkins, president of the Hudson River Fisherman's Association, said fishermen there are also concerned that the site could continue to leach into the river.

Dealing with the river is part two of the EPA's plan, and that involves installing a barrier undergound to filter toxins from groundwater flowing into the Hudson River. There's no firm timeline on the phase yet.

The first phase of the cleanup is scheduled to start in the fall and is expected to take almost two years. But on the perimeter of the site, a sign reads "Now leasing: Office Space," and includes an artist's rendering. Plans to build on the site, once the toxins are soldified in cement, are well underway.

Residents have been told the site will be monitored for the next 30 years. But there's still concern about what happens after that.

"It's definitely still concerning to know that it's still there," said Ehlbedewe. "That our children, or maybe our children's children, if they decide to stay here, could potentially be exposed to this again."

The EPA insists that solidification is a tried and true technology. Loney said the EPA has thoroughly researched the remedy, and Honeywell has applied it to other locations.

Loney added that those implementing cleanups are experts in the field, and that air and groundwater monitoring will happen throughout the cleanup.
At least 11 people were killed and 19 injured Monday after airstrikes hit a hospital in northern Yemen that Doctors Without Borders was helping operate, the group said.

The international aid organization  also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF  said Abs Hospital in the northern Hajjeh province was hit by the strikes at 3:45 p.m. local time.

The explosion immediately killed nine people, including a Yemeni staff member, the group said in a statement. Two more people died while being transported to another local hospital, NBC News reported.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally-recognized government backed by a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who captured the capital nearly two years ago.

Despite a recent United Nations resolution calling for an end to such attacks, the statement added, Monday's airstrikes marked the fourth time an MSF facility had been targeted in less than a year.
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."
Two children are in the hospital after a pickup truck crashed into their ATV in Berlin, New Jersey Sunday.

The boys, ages 9 and 11, both from Magnolia, NJ, were riding on an ATV and crossing the roadway on the 200 block of North Grove Street around 3:20 p.m. when they were struck by a pickup truck.

The two boys suffered several injuries and were flown via helicopter to Cooper University Hospital. They are both in serious condition. The driver of the pickup truck, a 57-year-old man from Sicklerville, NJ, was not injured in the crash and remained at the scene.

Officials continue to investigate the cause of the accident.




Broder Brothers is shuttering a large distribution center it operates in Philadelphia resulting in 143 layoffs.

The closure, as well as the subsequent job losses, will take place by Oct. 10, according to the companys Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, filing with the state Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry.

The Philadelphia distribution center at 2951 Grant Ave. is one of a dozen the company operates across the United States and totals 313,570 square feet.

Alphabroder is the parent company of six brands including Alpha Shirt, Ash City, Bodek and Rhodes, Broder Bros., NES Clothing and Imprints Wholesale. Alphabroder distributes retail apparel including Fruit of the Loom, Hanes, American Apparel and Adidas brands, and promotional products.

To read the full story, click here.

For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal.
Two women are in custody after they allegedly left a baby alone inside a vehicle for nearly 15 minutes in the parking lot of a Bensalem Target store during dangerously hot temperatures Sunday afternoon.

Police were called to the parking lot of the Target store on Rockhill Drive around 3:55 p.m. for a report of an infant left in a car. When they arrived they found an off-duty Philadelphia Police officer who was already opening up the vehicle to rescue the child, who is turning 1-year-old next week.

Officials say the child was alone inside the car for 14 minutes and the recorded temperature inside the vehicle was 115.4 degrees at the time. The childs mother was called to the scene and she accompanied her baby to St. Marys Medical Center for an evaluation. Officials say the child appeared to be in good condition.

The babys grandmother, Patricia Diaz, and the babys aunt, Katia Hernandez, were both arrested and taken into custody. The women allegedly told police they forgot the child was in the backseat when they left the car. Both women are charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child and are being held in Bucks County Jail after being unable to post bail. Their arraignment is scheduled for August 24 at 1 p.m.




Those looking for pho, a popular Vietnamese noodle soup dish, will be able to get their hands on a bowl on the west side of Market Street now that a Delaware County restaurant chain is opening its next location  a new concept for the company  in Philadelphia's Central Business District.

A relatively new restaurant chain called Pho Street has two locations in the Philadelphia region: One in Springfield at 204 Baltimore Pike, and another one on the Main Line at 1001 W. Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr.

Pho Street has signed a leased to open a third location at 2104-06 Market St., with a tentative opening date of early 2017, according to Scott Benson, a retail broker with Metro Commercial Real Estate, which represents landlord Brandywine Realty Trust.

The 3,700-square-foot restaurant will be taking the space between the Philadelphia fire house and closed Vanity Nightclub.

To read the full story, click here.

For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal.
Santander Bank is looking for new ways to leverage its status as the official bank of the Philadelphia Eagles this season.

At the teams pre-season home opener Thursday, the Spain-based company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Boston, unveiled its Bank on Your Eagles Pride season tickets sweepstakes via a Twitter-activated vending machine to the concourse at Lincoln Financial Field.

The machine is stocked with Eagles prizes, including home game tickets for the 2016 season. To get their hands on a prize, fans were required to stop by the vending machine at the Linc's Headhouse Plaza and show off their Eagles pride with a tweet using the hashtag #SantanderSeasonSeats along with a unique code provided by the machine.

The vending machine was available for Thursdays game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will return for Sundays open practice at the Linc.

To read the full article, click here.

For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal.
Two people were taken to the hospital after a PT Cruiser slammed into the back of a tow truck on eastbound 94 east of Federal Sunday afternoon, California Highway Patrol (CHP) confirmed.

The tow truck was on the shoulder when the driver of the PT cruiser crashed into the truck just after 3 p.m., sending the PT cruiser under the truck, and leaving the driver pinned between the steering wheel and the seat.

They took the doors off, they took the roof off to slide this person out, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) Battalion Chief Mike McBride said. Essentially the back of the tow truck was over the top of the steering wheel of his vehicle really compressing his compartment area.

The driver of the PT Crusier suffered a head injury, internal torso injures and leg injures, McBride said. The tow truck driver had head and leg injuries.

Both people were taken to the hospital.

I was very surprised to see this person viable upon our arrival, McBride said. Very easily could have been a fatal accident.

There is no word on their condition.

The crash may have been DUI related, CHP confirmed.
A San Diego utility worker made contact with an electrical line Monday and had to be rushed to the hospital.

Police and firefighters were called to Shady Lane at 11:20 a.m. after they received the report of an electrocution.

A San Diego Gas & Electric employee was working in one of the basket of one of the company's vehicles when the employee was shocked by a power line, according to El Cajon Police.

Police would not comment on the worker's condition but did say the patient was transported to UC San Diego Medical Center.

SDG&E employees at the scene would not comment on the incident and referred us to their corporate media representatives.

NBC 7 received a statement from SDG&E:

The SDG&E family is saddened to report that one of our employees has been injured and transported to the hospital. There is no higher priority than the safety of our employees and community and we will fully investigate this incident.
What to Know Thompson admitted setting up a $660,000 slush fund that aided Vincent Gray's election as District mayor in 2010.

The defense asked for probation and community service, citing his cooperation and noting his loss of businesses and status in the community.

The judge said Thompson's downfall was not enough of a deterrent to others.

A District of Columbia businessman who poured millions of illegal dollars into political campaigns, including Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid and the Washington mayoral race, was sentenced to three months in prison followed by three months of home confinement.

Federal Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly also fined Jeffrey Thompson $10,000.

Thompson admitted setting up a $660,000 slush fund that aided Vincent Gray's election as District mayor in 2010. Several other people who worked on Gray's campaign pleaded guilty to felonies.

Gray denied wrongdoing and was not charged, but the scandal was a factor in his failure to win re-election.

Gray's case was dropped in December. He won the Democratic primary for the Ward 7 seat on the D.C. Council in June.

The defense asked for two years probation and 1,200 hours of community service, citing Thompson's cooperation with the investigation and noting how he has lost his businesses and his standing in the community, and the prosecution did not seek prison time, asking for six months home confinement and the fine.

But the judge said Thompson's downfall was not enough of a deterrent to others and called him the mastermind of the scheme who tried to obstruct the investigation once he was caught.
A Prince William County, Virginia, doctor was arrested for continuing to prescribe medication to patients who were knowingly selling the drugs to others, according to the Prince William County Police Department.

Craig Charles Krause, from Gainesville, Virginia, was arrested with 27 others as part of Operation Breaking Bars, an investigation into the import and distribution of high volumes of illicit Xanax pills. Police were eventually led to Krause after one of their suspects sold medication prescribed by Krause to other people

Detectives visited Krause, a psychiatric doctor, multiple times to alert him that his prescribed medication was being abused and sold. They said he refused to stop prescribing the medication, and police later found out more medication, including Xanax, was being obtain via prescriptions by several other people and sold to others, including an undercover detective.

Search warrants on two of the doctors offices were carried out on Aug. 9. Krause was found to have hydrocodone and a firearm.

Police said 28 people have been charged with distribution of narcotics, money laundering and related weapons charges. They said the suspects are allegedly responsible for the distribution of thousands of Xanax pills in Prince William County and other parts of the country.
Police have identified the man who was fatally shot in Glenarden, Maryland, early Saturday morning.

Officers were called to the 8100 block of Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway for a report of a shooting 2 a.m. Saturday, police said.

When they arrived, they found 30-year-old Eric Johnson of Hobart Street in Glenarden outside suffering from gunshot wounds.

Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Detectives are working to identify a motive and any suspects.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Unit of the Prince Georges County Police Department at 301-772-4925. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477), text PGPD plus your message to CRIMES (274637) or submit a tip online here.
Washington Gas will test the gas lines around the Silver Spring apartment complex where a deadly explosion took place last week.

The explosion and fire at the Flower Branch Apartments Wednesday killed at least six people and injured 31 residents. Three firefighters were also hurt battling the blaze.

Police believe the five victims are among seven men, women and children who were presumed to be in the apartment building at the time of the blast. But officials have not been able to positively identify the bodies.

While authorities are still working to determine the official cause of the explosion, Washington Gas says it will test gas lines around the complex Monday afternoon. The testing will take place between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Nearby residents may smell gas in the area and are encouraged to call 911 or the Washington Gas emergency leak line at 703-750-1400 if they do.

The testing follows reports that residents smelled gas in the area in the weeks before the explosion.

Adrian Boya said the smell prompted him to call 911.

"I've been smelling gas for weeks. I called 911, they came and told us it smelled like incense," Boya said. "That's pretty sad. It's like they didn't take us seriously."

Joy West told News4 she could smell gas whenever she walked in the area and had a feeling something bad would happen.

"It's very strong on Flower, about a block from here," West said. "I just felt, and I told the guys at the store, 'You guys be careful 'cause one day something is going to blow up around here.'"

The Montgomery County Fire Department responded to a call July 25 reporting the smell of gas, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett said.

But building management told Montgomery County Fire Chief Scott Goldstein there were no prior reports of problems at the buildings.

"We asked that of property management first thing this morning. No prior issues concerning the buildings. No prior responses from fire/rescue at these buildings," Goldstein said.

Goldstein said each unit has a natural gas furnace and stove.

A woman who used to work for the management office at Flower Branch Apartments said the smell of gas was a common complaint during the years she was employed there.

"Oh my God. It finally happened," said the woman, who did not want to be identified. "They would send the maintenance people to check, but I think something more needed to be done."
Massachusetts State Police said a motor vehicle violation on Interstate 84 in Sturbridge on Sunday led to the arrest of two people on cocaine charges.

Police said a trooper stopped a Pontiac Bonneville at about 12 p.m. During an investigation with another trooper, the driver of the car and her passenger were found to be in possession of 85 grams of cocaine.

Police arrested the driver, Jeannie Ortiz, 41, of Stoughton, and the passenger, Domingo Ortiz, 51, of Lynn. Both were charged with trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to violate drug law. Jeannie Ortiz was also issued a citation for a motor vehicle violation.

Both were held on $25,000 bail pending their arraignments Monday in Dudley District Court.
A 6-year-old boy died in an accidental drowning in Warwick, Rhode Island, over the weekend.

Affiliate WJAR reports that a child went missing at Warwick City Park and his family began searching for him.

The boy was reportedly found unresponsive by a civilian as rescue crews arrived at the scene.

Police tell WJAR they don't believe foul play is involved, and officials say two lifeguards were on duty at the time of the boy's drowning.

The boy's identity was not released and the investigation is ongoing.
A wake was held Monday for the New York City Google employee found dead a week ago after she went for a run near her mother's Massachusetts home.

Vanessa Marcotte was found dead last Sunday night hours after she went for a run near her mother's home in Princeton, a rural town west of Boston.

Runners, family, friends and community members met Sunday night in the small town for a 5K run in honor of the 27-year-old Google employee.

Investigators believe she was attacked by a man and may have injured him in a struggle. A cause of death hasn't been revealed in the case.

Authorities say they've received hundreds of tips but don't have any suspects. They're urging residents in the area to remain vigilant.

Calling hours were from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic church in Leominster, followed by burial at Woodside Cemetery in Westminster.

According to her obituary, Marcotte was "kind, compassionate, bright, curious, charming, and vivacious" and "was blessed with beauty, grace, a generous spirit, and a loving heart."

Marcotte's death shares some similarities with that of Karina Vetrano, a woman who was found strangled in a Queens park after leaving for a run on Aug. 2.
Boston Police are scheduled to launch a body camera pilot program in September, but officers don't want to participate.

Beginning the week of Sept. 1, 100 officers are scheduled to begin wearing the cameras for a six month trial period. Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans had said the program would be voluntary, but as of Monday, the department had no volunteers.

"We're moving forward. They'll have to wear them," said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.

Despite a $500 incentive offered to any officer who signs up, Walsh acknowledged there has been hesitation within the department. However, that's not going to stop the city from implementing the plan.

"I think the reluctance is the uncertainty of change, change across the board," Walsh said. "If officers don't step up to do it and we don't get a sufficient amount of officers to do it, we're going to put them on officers."

When necn reached out to the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association (BPPA), the union that had previously supported the plan, union leaders said they believe the lack of volunteers is due to police safety concerns.

"It may be that the problem with officers actually volunteering occurred because of timing, the City finally decided to agree to this program within a week of eight Police Officers being murdered in two separate cities and meanwhile our members were screaming for protection which was falling on deaf ears," wrote the union's president, Patrick Rose.

Despite the push-back, Walsh said they plan to launch on schedule.

"We have a process," Walsh said, "There will be a directive."
A dialysis center in Methuen, Massachusetts, has claimed responsibility and the state's health department is launching an investigation after an elderly woman was locked in the center after hours over the weekend.

The Fresenius Dialysis Center released a statement Monday morning explaining that an employee, "did not see any patients in the treatment room and mistakenly believed that all of our patients had left the facility."

The center added, "we deeply regret what occurred and have spoken with the patient's family."

On Saturday, 86-year-old Maureen Perry went in for dialysis treatment, which usually takes about four hours.

After her family did not hear from her for more than seven hours, they started to panic.

They called emergency rooms around town and eventually decided to check the dialysis center.

Upon arrival they saw Perry trapped, alone in the room she was left in.

The family called 911 and firefighters from the Methuen Fire Department were able to unlock the center's door.

Erica Crosby, Perry's granddaughter said, "She looked at my mom and I and she said, 'I knew you guys would find me, I love you. I cried. It's just horrible."

Jon Stone, from the center told necn, "we have initiated additional processes and safeguards to ensure that an incident such as this does not happen again."

The family is unsure whether or not Perry will continue to go to the center.
Authorities responded to a hookah bar in Providence, Rhode Island, after reports of shots fired.

Affiliate WJAR reports it happened around 12:30 a.m. Monday at the Aqua Hookah Lounge on Broad Street.

Dozens of people evacuated the building, but no one was injured.
A Vermont firefighter was killed while fighting a wildfire in Nevada over the weekend, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Justin Beebe of Westminster was killed Saturday afternoon when he was struck by a tree while fighting the Strawberry Fire, which is burning near the Nevada-Utah line about 200 miles northeast of Las Vegas.

"This loss of life is tragic and heartbreaking," Great Basin National Park Superintendent Steve Mietz said in a statement.

The fire, which started Monday after a lightning strike, is a 4,600-acre blaze and involves more than 400 firefighters.
A MedFlight was called after two people were injured when they crashed into a tractor-trailer on I-95 south in Topsfield, Massachusetts, Monday morning.

According to state police, the crash happened around 2:30 a.m.

One person was transported with serious injuries via MedFlight.

The other victim was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation.
New Haven firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at Grafton Street and Downing Street Sunday morning.

Firefighters said they were called to the scene around 5 a.m. Crews knocked the fire down quickly but the home is a total loss, officials said.

The extreme heat from weather conditions and the fire made it a difficult job for firefighters.

One firefighter was transported to the hospital for treatment of minor burns to his knees, fire officials said. None of the homes occupants were injured.

The Red Cross is assisting a family of five displaced by the fire.
Connecticut state police have arrested three people in connection with an armed robbery at the rest stop off Interstate 84 in Willington.

Walter Kirksey, 19, of Birmingham, Ala., Benjamin Cooper, 27, of Birmingham, Ala., and Karanda Clemons, 23, of Roxbury, Mass. all face charges related to the incident.

Police said two male suspects, later identified as Kirksey and Cooper, allegedly robbed a victim at the eastbound rest stop between exits 69 and 70. The victim reported that one of the suspects pointed a handgun at the victims head and the second suspect sprayed the victim with pepper spray. The victim said the suspect fled in a dark-colored SUV.

Troopers located a dark green Jeep Liberty on I-84 east near exit 74. The lone occupant, later identified as Clemons, was arrested when police saw items reported stolen from the victims in plain view in the vehicle.

Meanwhile Massachusetts state troopers found Kirksey and Cooper on foot just east of the Connecticut state line looking for a gas station. Police said the two men agreed to return to their vehicle where they were arrested by Connecticut state police.

Kirksey faces charges including robbery, larceny, reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm without a permit, commission of a felony with a firearms and threatening.

Cooper faces charges including robbery, larceny, assault, possession of a firearm without a permit, and weapons in a motor vehicle.

Clemons was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit larceny, and tampering with evidence.

Each was held on a $250,000 bond and scheduled to appear in Rockville court on Aug. 15.
Two state troopers collided with each other in Brattleboro, Vermont, during a severe rainstorm.

According to necn affiliate, NBC 5, Officers Gary Salvatore and Nader Hashim were both driving southbound on I-91 to respond to a citizen assist complaint.

Police said the troopers drove their marked police cars onto a flooded bridge where they hydroplaned.

Salvatore and Hashim lost control of their cars and crashed into each other before they were able to come to a stop.

Both of the troopers sustained minor injuries and were admitted to Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. They have since have been released.

The vehicles are damaged after the crash.
After a lot of anecdotal reports, Microsoft acknowledged there is a problem with the Anniversary Update to Windows 10 causing PCs to freeze up. However, it says the problem is isolated to a specific PC configuration.

In a Windows forum post, Microsoft claims the freezing issue is experienced only on computers with SSDs where apps are installed on a different drive than the one where Windows 10 is installed. The obvious workaround is to move all apps to the drive where Windows 10 is located, and the company actually recommends this.

Microsoft has received a small number of reports of Windows 10 freezing after installing the Anniversary Update on systems with the operating system stored on a solid-state drive (SSD) and apps and data stored on a separate drive. This issue does not occur when starting Windows 10 in Safe Mode, forum moderator Basith M wrote.

Its better to simply uninstall the Anniversary Update than a dozen apps and wait for a fix.

He recommended signing into Windows 10 using Safe Mode to move your apps and data to the same drive as your operating system.

"We ask for your patience while we continue our investigation," he added, stating that the Windows team is looking into a fix.

Basith also noted that users who dont want to wait for a fix can downgrade to their previous Windows version, but this option is valid only for the first 10 days after deploying the Anniversary Update.

Not an acceptable fix

I'm sorry, but this is not a feasible or acceptable fix. First, there is a reason people put apps and data on a large D: drive. SSDs are now ridiculously cheap at higher capacity, but for a long time they were not and many people had the strategy of using a SSD for the boot disk and a large capacity D: drive for apps and data. So, Microsoft is asking them to do something they may not be able to doif they have a 120GB SSD, for example.

Second, it can be an arduous and nuisance of a process if you have many apps to move. They don't "move," you have to uninstall and reinstall them. How much time would need to be spent uninstalling, reinstalling and repatching a large number of apps and games? And then you'd have to reverse the whole process once the fix comes out.

Its better to simply uninstall the Anniversary Update than a dozen apps and wait for a fix.
Desperate 30-year-old hid goods in child's buggy

A DESPERATE mother who could not afford her daily shop has been ordered to pay compensation to a Thatcham supermarket after stealing a host of items hidden in her childs buggy.

Reading Magistrates Court heard how Lilly Black, of Rotary Way, Thatcham, walked into the Co-op in Broadway with her two young children on May 29.

Prosecuting, Helen Waite told the court how the 30-year-old mother proceeded to stroll through the store collecting various items, including frozen food and pastries, and loading them into her younger childs buggy.

She then left the store without making any attempt to pay for the items.

Miss Black was subsequently identified on CCTV and admitted the theft to police.

According to her solicitor, Stephen Collins, Miss Black was ashamed of taking the goods, but simply didnt have the money to buy her daily shop for her children.

The food was never recovered.

Magistrates told Miss Black to pay compensation to the Co-op to the value of 55.54, and also 50 in costs and a victim surcharge of 20.

She was also given a conditional discharge for 12 months.
Reporter

Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6).
Reporter/Columnist

Julie Wurth is a reporter covering the University of Illinois at The News-Gazette. Her email is jwurth@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@jawurth).
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
One Medicine: how human and veterinary medicine can benefit each other

Professor Roberto La Ragione

News-Medical speaks to Professor Roberto La Ragione, Chair of Trustees at Humanimal Trust, about the concept of One Medicine and how human and veterinary medicine can collaborate, share knowledge, and initiate research for the benefit of both humans and animals.
Srinagar: One CRPF Commandant was killed and 8 jawans injured after militants opened fire at them in Nowhatta area of Srinagar on Monday.



The incident took place around 8.45 am when the local police assisted by the Army launched a cordon and search operation at Nowhatta area following specific information about the presence of terrorists in the area.



Soon after the cordon was established near Jama Masjid, the jawans were attacked by the terrorists.



The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital. Later, a CRPF Commandant succumbed to his injuries.



"Terrorists' movement was reported from the area. We began a search operation and came in contact with the terrorists, leading to exchange of fire," police sources said.



Gun fight ended around 2 pm and a massive combing operation is going on to arrest the militants.





The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.



Meanwhile, two terrorists were killed by the Army in Uri sector in Baramulla district.
New Delhi: Shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Balochistan's freedom in his Independence Day Speech, Baloch Republican Party (BRP) chief Brahumdagh Bugti thanked India for raising their problems.



"The statement of Indian PM in his 70th Independence Day speech is very encouraging. I thank the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about Balochistan problem," Bugti, who is living in exile, said.







Modi in his address from the Red Fort said, "We hope the Indian government, media will not only raise their voices for Baloch nation but also strive to help practically the Baloch independence movement."
The victims also claimed that the attackers were residents of Samter village, who wanted to "avenge" the arrest of 12 persons in connection with last month's Una Dalit flogging case.

They were returning home after hoisting of a tricolour by Radhika Vemula, mother of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula who had committed suicide in Hyderabad, and Balu Sarvaiya, father of one of the victims of Una Dalit flogging incident, in the presence of JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar.



Police fired tear gas shells to quell a violent mob at Samter this evening. When they refused to disperse, police also resorted to mild lathi-charge," an official of Gir-Somnath police control room said.



Though the police force was there, they were outnumbered by attackers, who are holding us responsible for the arrests of 12 of their men. At least 20 persons were injured and eight

of them received grievous injuries. The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Bhavnagar and Rajula. One of our bikes was also set ablaze," Sarvaiya said.



Dalits again attacked in Guj after they were returning from today's rally. Police refusing to help. Attackers shud be immediately arrested  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 15, 2016

Whats happening in Una??        ,     ?          ?  Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishraAAP) August 15, 2016

: Around eight Dalits were severely injured when a mob allegedly attacked them and 12 of their community members at Samter village near Una, while they werereturning home after attending a protest rally in Una town of Gir Somnath district on Monday evening.The incident took place around 5 PM even as Police lobbed teargas shells to disperse the crowd and resorted to mild lathi-charge, even as the victims alleged that the force did "nothing to help" them.The 20 victims, who are from Bhavnagar district, had gone to Una on their motorcycles along with others.The mob stopped and attacked them at Samter, which falls on Una-Bhavnagar road and not far from Mota Samadhiyala village, where seven Dalits had been brutally beaten up by cowvigilantes last month.Mavjibhai Sarvaiya, who survived the attack, alleged they were attacked by residents of Samter village."Out of the 30-odd persons arrested till date in the Una Dalit thrashing case, 12 persons belong to Samter, which is 11 km from Una. Around 200 Dalits, including me, had come to Unaon our bikes to attend the rally. When we were returning, Samter residents blocked the road and thrashed us mercilessly," he said.He alleged that police did not help them during the time of the attack."It was a pre-planned attack, as all the alternate roads were also blocked by them. We were attacked in the presence of police. When the situation went out of control, the police fired some tear gas shells on the mob," alleged Sarvaiya.Despite repeated attempts, no senior police officials were available for comment.Reacting to the incident, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the BJP government over Twitter and asked for strict action against the culprits.AAP leader Kapil Mishra too joined the chorus in taking potshots at the ruling BJP government in the state.Gujarat is headed for elections in 2017 and AAP is seeking to gain an entry into the Modi-Amit Shah bastion.
Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on Monday said he was "disappointed" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech did not mention about appointment of judges, further escalating a contentious issue between the judiciary and the executive.



In his speech after hoisting the national flag at the Supreme Court, Thakur said Prime Minister had mentioned a lot of things in his Independence Day speech but left out the pending topic of appointment of judges to higher courts.



"I heard the popular Prime Minister for one and a half hours... I expected some mention about justice also, about appointment of judges," the Chief Justice said at a function here where Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was present.



"I want to tell the Prime Minister only one thing, you remove poverty, create employment, bring schemes etc but also think about justice for the countrymen," Thakur added.



He said the issue was hampering the functioning of the judiciary with courts taking ten years to clear cases, the same as that during British time.







CJI Thakur recited a shayari to press his point: "Gul fenke auron par, samar bhi/ E abr-e-karam, e-behr-e-sakha kuch to idhar bhi" (You offered both fruits and flowers to others/O cloud of beneficence, wave of friendship, do bestow something on us)



Union Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad - who had last week said in Parliament that there was no friction between the judiciary and the government - was seated on the dais when the CJI made these remarks.



The Chief Justice's remark comes three days after a bench headed by him lashed out at the government almost accusing it of bringing the judiciary to a standstill by stalling the appointment of judges to high courts.



Relations between the two arms of the state have been reportedly frayed since the apex court struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill last year. A few months ago the CJI had wept publicly at a conference of all chief justices of high courts and chief ministers saying the acute shortage of judges was causing him extreme anguish.



Reacting to the CJI's remark, Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said: We have been seeing regular clashes between the judiciary and the government. There are statements coming from both sides. If there is an issue about appointment of Judges then they should sit together and discuss rather than making such statements in public.



In June, TS Thakur had said the onus is on the executive if it wants less judicial interference and that the judiciary intervenes only when the executive fails in its constitutional duties.



Extent of judicial interference in governmental issues depends on how effectively and efficiently the government does its job. Which court would want to intervene if the government works efficiently and sincerely? The courts only fulfil their constitutional duty and need would not arise if the governments do their job, the CJI was quoted as saying in an interview to ETV News Network in Srinagar.



This was seen as a counter to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement that the judiciary was encroaching on legislative and executive authority and that step by step, brick by brick, the edifice of Indias legislature is being destroyed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation from Red Fort on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day. Modis speech has been mostly on the economy, saying Indias GDP has been growing despite a global slowdown. He also said the GST tax reform will help bring financial stability in the country.

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Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry on Monday invited his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar to visit Islamabad for talks on Jammu and Kashmir.



The Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan was called by Chaudhary and handed over an invitation addressed to Jaishankar, the Foreign Office said.



The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.



Pakistan's foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz announced last week that the Foreign Secretary would write to his Indian counterpart to extend a formal invitation for the talks.



He had said Pakistan would invite India for the Kashmir talks despite their stalled Composite Dialogue process.





India and Pakistan dispute the ownership of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan holds the northern third of the state and India the southern two-third.



New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming and training the militants fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan says it gives only moral and diplomatic backing.



India-Pakistan ties have become frosty after largescale violence broke out in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of militant Burhan Wani on July 8.



On July 25, Indian authorities arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Bahadur Ali in Kashmir.
The PM in his I-Day speech also warned Pakistan not to glorify terrorists, a statement which has to be seen in the backdrop of repeated attempts by Islamabad to exploit the unrest in Kashmir valley post Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani's killing.



Pak-based terror groups may plot more attacks and increase infiltration, but many in the Indian government justify the PM's speech saying it is Sharif's provocative statements that have brought about this retaliation.

PM Modi is under pressure from Kashmir. I am convinced there are serious problems there. There is an uprising which cannot be suppressed by military force and it needs a political solution," Masood said.



Former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran agrees that the PM's speech reflects a shift in strategy, but refrains from calling it a policy change.





Dulat also feels a lot of Nawaz Sharif's rhetoric on Kashmir is because of domestic compulsions. The Pakistan PM is feeling the heat because of the Panama Papers expose and is under pressure from the Army as well.

Top party leader Kapil Sibal said, "Its a shocking statement. No PM has ever spoken like this. Narendra Modi has exposed himself. He has talked about something which doesnt concern us directly."



In the sharpest rebuff to Pakistan yet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to human rights violations in Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK in his Independence Day speech from the patriotic setting of the Red Fort. Till now these were one-off propaganda statements made by politicians and ministers but this time the Prime Minister was openly acknowledging people from the region."In the last few days the way the people of Balochistan, Gilgit, from Pak occupied Kashmir have thanked me, it is the honour of 1.25 billion people of India. I thank those people from Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak occupied Kashmir," Modi said.It all started with Nawaz Sharif calling Wani a martyr and the last nail in the coffin was Pakistani envoy Abdul Basit's statement dedicating Pakistan's Independence Day to people of Kashmir; but most importantly the PM's speech indicates a clear shift in the foreign policy.Within minutes, political activists in Balochistan welcomed the statement with Ashraf Sherjan of the Baloch Republican Party even going to the extent of saying he hoped India and Balochistan would one day celebrate azadi together.By openly referring to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech the PM has embarked on risky territory. There is little scope for bilateral dialogue or back channel talks now.Foreign policy experts say it was high time India sent a signal to Pakistan that if you poke us on Kashmir we could pay you back in the same coin.But well-known defence expert from Pakistan, Lt General Talat Masood, said statements coming from India will only escalate tension and that PM Modi is trying to brush the Kashmir problem under the carpet by drawing parallels with Balochistan.Former diplomat G Parthasarthy who has served as ambassador to Pakistan feels the reference to Balochistan was long due since Pakistan had been going on and on with its Kashmir propaganda for decades."Our restraint was being taken as weakness. Pakistan has no moral authority to question us on Kashmir. Unlike Kashmir, Balochistan never acceded to Pakistan, but it was forcibly taken over," Parthasarathy said.Modi's Balochistan reference in his Independence Day address must be seen in the context of his speech in an all-party meeting three days earlier.The PM told political parties that,"time has come for Pakistan to explain the atrocities in Balochistan and PoK". Clearly the tone for his Red Fort speech was set then and there.He said, "We have to see how consistent we are. Is it a one-off statement, or are we going to incrementally follow it up". Saran also cautioned that there can be no alternative to dialogue.He says there can be ups and downs in the relationship but we need to engage, especially when the atmosphere is tense.Former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing AS Dulat agrees with Shyam Saran. He said it may take a while but India has to talk to Pakistan."The PMs speech certainly indicates a shift, but it's more rhetoric. The Pakistan High Commissioner has said silly things and some parts of the PM's speech must be retaliation to that," Dulat said.Main Opposition party Congress tore into the Prime Ministers speech saying PM Modi has given Pakistan the licence to rake up Kashmir in international forums.The Prime Ministers Pakistan policy has always been questioned by the Opposition. His surprise visit to Lahore last year to meet Nawaz Sharif and the move to allow a Pakistani investigation team to visit the Pathankot attack site has not yielded any dividends.It is also unlikely that because of his Balochistan reference Pakistan will stop its Kashmir propaganda. And now, after this sharp war of words, it remains to be seen whether PM Modi will visit Pakistan for the SAARC summit in November.
Panaji: Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit India in January next year and is likely to make a trip to Goa.



Consul General of Portugal for Goa Rui Baceira told reporters on Monday that the Portuguese Prime Minister will be visiting India in January 2017, with Goa and Bangalore being on his travel itinerary.



"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January (2017). He is of Goan Indian origin. We are pleased to have him here," Baceira told reporters on the sidelines of Independence Day event here.



Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had in March told the State Legislative Assembly that he would invite Costa to Goa.
Statement over Sedition charges filed against Amnesty International India https://t.co/vOgwM44S2t pic.twitter.com/aAq8JxQ7pB  Amnesty India (@AIIndia) August 15, 2016

: An FIR was registered on Monday against Amnesty International India under various sections of the IPC including sedition based on complaints by ABVP activists, after "pro-freedom" Kashmiris allegedly raised "independence" slogans at an event conducted at United Theological College in Bengaluru.The Kashmiris who were present at the event reportedly got into an argument with a Kashmiri Pandit leader for hailing the Indian Army.ABVP activists, who staged a protest against the event on Sunday calling it "anti-national", had also filed a complaint with the police along with a CD containing video recording of the event.A police official involved in the investigation said that a First Information Report has been registered and investigations will proceed.A panel discussion on Saturday had turned chaotic as some "pro-freedom" Kashmiris, most of whom were youngsters and students, entered into heated arguments with a Kashmiri Panditleader for hailing Indian Army.The FIR has been registered under IPC sections-- 142 (being member of an unlawful assembly), 143 (whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 124A (sedition), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), the official said.Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara had on Sunday said the intention and background of those involved will be investigated.Holding that it had organised the event as part of a campaign to seek justice for "victims of human rights violations" in Jammu and Kashmir, Amnesty International India in a statement had said towards the end of the event, some of those who attended raised slogans, some of which referred to calls for 'azadi' (freedom).Noting that as a matter of policy it does not take any position in favour of or against demands for self-determination, Amnesty had said it however considers that the right to freedom of expression under international human rights law.Amnesty added that the human rights law protects the right to peacefully advocate political solutions that do not involve incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence.(With inputs from PTI)
India, as a nation woke up to see its first spark of freedom at the dawn of 15th August, 1947. Celebrating independence and remembering the numerous martyred souls, this day embarks upon every Indian, a feeling of pride to be born in a country like India.With the swearing of words at the Viceregal Lodge, now called Rashtrapati Bhawan, the celebration of Independence day began in 1947. In central hall, the new government was sworn and for the very first time, the tricolor flag of independent India was proudly hoisted on the flag mast of the Council House. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India hosted the Tricolor flag marking the end of the British colonial rule and the beginning of a new journey!On this 70th Independence Day, we bring you the list of slogans that are gifted to us by our freedom fighters and leaders who whole-heartedly sacrificed their lives so that their fellow Indians could live in a free nation.One of the most influential leaders of his time, Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji. This was the first commemorative postmark of our independent country, now used as a slogan and salutation almost everywhere in India.A poem from Bankim Chandra Chattopahyays novel Anandmath in 1882, written in Bengali and Sanskrit. Being a praise to the motherland, it has played a vital role in our freedom movement.A popular slogan adopted by Bal Gangadhar Tilak was coined by Kaka Baptista in our fight for independence. Not only did this slogan motivated people to fight for their rights, but also provoked the love for country in the hearts of thousands of people.This is a slogan that awakens the inner-most sentiments of Jai Hindustan in the hearts of Indians even in todays era. Acknowledging the efforts of our soldiers and farmers, this slogan gave a new dimension to our freedom struggle.Truth alone triumphs is the literal meaning of the above slogan. It has not only been adopted as the national motto of India but is also inscribed in script at the base of our national emblem.This slogan awakened the feeling of patriotism in the youth of India during those days. The urge to lay their lives for their motherland and to get her free from the clutches of Britishers, this slogan embarks an important event in the fight for freedom.A patriotic poem by Bismil Azimabadi, later used as a slogan by Ramprasad Bismil in the struggle challenged the authority of British rulers. Enlightening the need of the hour, this slogan urged people to fight for what was right.The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre , that left hundreds of unarmed innocent people dead, lead to a profound effect on Chandra Shekhar Azad that made him use this slogan and fight for his country.Not a single sigh of relief did our freedom fighters took till they freed their motherland from the claws of British Government.Urging the youth of India to join the Indian National Army in the struggle for independence of India, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose used this slogan. This inspired thousands of young minds to sacrifice their lives for their motherland.
T 2347 - Independence Day 15th August pledge .. may India be Independent from rape .. bharat aazad ho rape se .. pic.twitter.com/mZ8BemcqKc  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 13, 2016

say it again .. https://t.co/qmkb1IybUU  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) August 13, 2016

For Independence Day, megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who campaigns for various social causes, has expressed hope that India be free of the evil of rape."Independence Day 15th August pledge... May India be independent from rape... Bharat aazad ho rape se," tweeted the 73-year-old, who even shared the poster of his upcoming thriller Pink.The movie stars three women, and its trailer hints that they deal with a case involving sexual assault.The actor also re-tweeted a message by writer-comedian Radhika Vaz, and asked his followers to always remember it by captioning the message as "Say it again...""A woman's body is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship, and its about time the dictator took charge," read the message.
Rio de Janeiro: Swimmer Michael Phelps has said that his success at the Rio Olympics ensured he could retire without any regrets, even as he ruled out a return to competition.

The 31-year-old American won five more Olympic titles in Rio, extending his record as the greatest Olympian of all time to 23 gold, three silver and two bronze medals, reports Xinhua.

"This is what I wanted to finish my career. This is the cherry that I wanted to put on the top of the cake," Phelps told a press conference on Sunday.

Phelps announced his retirement after the London 2012 Games but returned to the sport two years ago, citing unfinished business.

The American praised his partner, Nicole Johnson, for helping him to recover from bouts of depression and alcohol abuse.

He said his recovery was completed in May with the birth of his son, Boomer.

"I am proud of the work I have put in over the last two-plus years to be able to get back to where I am today," Phelps said.

"This is the way I wanted to hang my suit up. I am very happy I came back. If I hadn't had come back, I wouldn't have know what to do with myself and would have been frustrated with myself for not giving myself a chance. I'm in the best place possible with everything that's going on in my life."

Phelps added that there was no chance he could be coaxed out of retirement for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

"When I decided to come back I wanted to do it the right way," he said. "I wanted to challenge myself and see how much more I could do. I don't have anything that's left. This is it. This is the last time you'll ever see me racing in the water."
Rio de Janeiro: Sarah Robles, who spent a two-year doping ban working odd jobs in American department stores including Macy's, won the United States' first Olympic weightlifting medal in 16 years on Sunday.

Robles claimed bronze in the women's +75kg, behind Chinese gold medallist Meng Suping, just over a year after returning to competitive action following her suspension for taking anabolic steroids.

The 28-year-old lifted a combined total of 286kg to become the first American since the Sydney 2000 Games to step on the weightlifting podium as North Korea's Kim Kuk-Hyang took silver.

Robles faced opposition from other American weightlifters who have opposed her inclusion in US weightlifting teams since she returned from her ban in August 2015.

"There's been opposition here and there. I knew going into the squad that I was going to have to be like teflon," she told reporters afterwards.

"Sometimes you read negative comments about yourself that aren't nice but I know what I'm about and I know work hard and I know that I'm a good an honest person.

"I knew that as soon as I was eligible to compete again I would have to hit the ground running," Robles added.

Asked what she did during her ban she answered: "I got a job like a grown up.

"I was basically training and working three jobs. I worked as a receiving person at Home Depot, I worked as a sign changer at Macy's, I was a receptionist at a veterinary hospital.

"I was doing a lot of little things all over the place," explained Robles, who now receives funding and trains full-time as a weightlifter.

Robles snatched 126 and lifted 160 in the clean and jerk. Tara Nott and Cheryl Haworth won America's last Olympic weightlifting medals.

"I'm so glad to be included in this select few," said Robles.

Meng, who only got called up to the Chinese team at the last minute, lifted a combined total of 307kg, to finish just 1kg ahead of North Korean Kim.

The 27-year-old Meng's first-place finish was China's fifth weightlifting gold medal of Rio 2016 and they are set to top the medals table for the fifth year running.

"I did my duty for my country and for my team," said Meng.

She lifted 130kg in the snatch and 177kg with her final clean and jerk to push a devastated Kim into second place.

"I was sad that I couldn't make gold said," said a tearful Kim who refused to answer more than one question.

The North Korean served a doping ban from November 2012 to November 2014.
Rio de Janeiro: Usain Bolt said he is confident of signing off as an Olympic "immortal" after his 100m win at the Rio Games left him two races from an unprecedented Treble Treble.

"It was brilliant. I didn't go so fast but I'm so happy I won. I told you guys I was going to do it," he said after becoming the first man to win three 100m win sprints with a time of 9.81sec.

He said he was confident of winning the 200m and 4x100m relay this week. That would give him the treble of golds for three straight Olympics.

"Somebody said I can become immortal. Two more medals to go and I can sign off. Immortal," said Bolt.

Although well short of his world record 9.58sec, Bolt said the break between the semi-finals and final had been shorter than the runners are used to and he could not rest for long.

The Jamaican said he was particularly looking forward to the 200m where he wants to bring down his 19.19sec world record below 19 seconds.

"The 200 meters will be the sweetest one," he told reporters.

Bolt also said he had been shocked by the booing in the stadium aimed at his rival Gatlin, who came second.

"I was surprised by it. It was shocking, the first time I heard booing in a stadium. However I just focused on my job and got it done."
New Delhi: Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of "ruining" India's case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day address.



"PoK is our right. Our entitlement. We will support it. But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK," Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.



This would give an "additional handle" to Pakistan to target India as "we don't speak about atrocities in neighbouring countries", he told reporters at the Congress headquarters here. Disapproving the "wild pronouncements about Balochistan", he said the government should ensure that its borders are secured and people are safe.



"I do not know who advised the Prime Minister for raising Balochistan... It will dilute our claim on PoK. It will given additional handle...to interfere in our internal affairs," he added.



Suggesting that Modi should learn from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on foreign policy, Khurshid said, "Balochistan is a different kettle altogether. We have no business (there)."



He said the problem with Modi, who speaks of "56-inch chest", was that he "talks too much and does very little. "In modern times, we have to act with brains," he added.



Khurshid said the address of Modi was not like a Prime Minister addressing the nation on a national day but as a politician during an election campaign.



In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.


...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.

The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have we made a mistake?," Mufti said in an emotional appeal after hoisting the flag.



The Chief Minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country.



Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said that the Kashmir problem cannot be solved by gun as it have never been possible to solve any problem with a gun and dialogue was the only way forward on the issue."Gun will not solve the problem. Gun has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.Mufti expressed hope that Modi-led government at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and econmomic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state."People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years."I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?,""Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Ministers? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)"."If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country. If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said."It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to go with the BJP."But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Behari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.
Governor plans summit for black business owners

RICHMOND  Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said he will host his first ever summit for African-American business owners.

McAuliffe said the event, scheduled for Aug. 30 at Virginia Union University, will allow his administration to learn more about issues facing black-owned businesses.

The Democratic governor has tried to make it easier for African-American-owned as well as other minority-owned businesses to win state contracts.

But state lawmakers previously have expressed concern state contracting policy aimed at steering more state contracting to small and minority-owned business owners could be misused. Some lawmakers said theyd heard from state agencies and vendors some designated small businesses are just pass-throughs, buying goods for the state from stores like Walmart and Amazon while adding a sizeable markup.

--Associated Press

Computer classes scheduled

Starting Thursday, Lighthouse Communications and Park View Community Missions will offer Introduction to Computers classes. The free nine-week class will cover basic computer skills, Microsoft Office, internet essentials, resume writing basics, job searching online and email usage.

The course is free to individuals who fall below the Federal Income Poverty level and will be held Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at Lighthouse Communications, 2420 Memorial Ave.

Call (434) 584-8058 for more details.

Margaret Carmel

Lynchburg's Logan's won't close as chain declares bankruptcy

Despite a bankruptcy announcement, Lynchburgs Logans Steakhouse on Wards Road will stay open, according to management.

The company filed for bankruptcy in U.S. bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware, last Monday. The company plans to restructure its balance sheet in order to provide the capital needed to turnaround operations.

As part of the restructuring, the chain will close 18 struggling restaurants across the country. The locations of the closures have not been announced.

For the quarter ending Oct. 28, the chain saw revenue drop 9.9 percent to $131.3 million, with same-store sales falling more than 4 percent.

 Margaret Carmel

Macy's to remain open amid closure of 100 stores

Macys at River Ridge Mall in Lynchburg will remain open, according to management amid reports of more financial trouble for the retail chain.

Last week Macys announced the closure of 100 stores nationwide, totaling about 15 percent of all Macys locations. The full list of locations has not been released, but the bulk of the selected stores will be shut down by early 2017.

We operate in a fast-changing world, and our company is moving forward decisively to build further on Macys heritage, Macys CEO Terry Lundgren said in a statement.

The closures come after six straight quarters of decline in sales, but the chains stock numbers rose 17 percent for its best day since 2008.

 Margaret Carmel
While work on the James River Interceptor is now complete, the project will not be closed out until the last check is written and the books are closed, said project manager Jim Talian, of the Lynchburg Department of Water Resources.

Replacement of the James River Interceptor began around 2007 as part of the citys ongoing combined sewer overflow program, which aims to reduce sewage runoff in area waterways. Work on the 7-mile-long sewer line was divided into a total of seven parts.

Construction on the final section began in March 2014 for the cost of $6.9 million. The contract was awarded to DLB, Inc., based in Hillsville.

The final project originally was set to be completed in April 2015. The completion date later was adjusted to October 2015, but work continued until reaching substantial completion in June 2016.

According to Talian, the primary reason for the project not being completed in a timely manner owes to buried infrastructure encountered over the course of construction.

The contract contains a clause for liquidated damages of $500 per day, to be assessed if the contractor lacked justification for the project not being completed by the agreed-upon completion date.

According to Lynchburg Water Resources Director Tim Mitchell, the intent of liquidated damages is to cover the citys costs associated with a project exceeding the contract time.

For example, we are required to have a full-time inspector on CSO projects so every day the inspector is on the job beyond the contract time is a cost to the City, Mitchell said in an email.

While the city has granted sufficient time for setbacks that were encountered over the course of construction, liquidated damages is for delays we dont have rationale for, Talian said.

According to Talian, the city has assessed liquidated damages at $232,000, for DLB not having justification for work extending 245 days past the completion date as well as for not meeting a contractually-obligated milestone, which occurred when the contractor occupied a parking lot behind Amazement Square 219 days past the contract limit.

DLB already has paid the city $20,500 in liquidated damages at an earlier point for occupying Horseford Road past a contractually-accepted timeanother milestone that was not met.

While the city is requesting money for work past the contracted amount of time, DLB has indicated it intends to seek compensation from Lynchburg.

The contract specifies a formal process by which the contractor may file claims seeking compensation for work that exceeded the scope of the contract. According to Talian, the city has received letters from DLB stating its intention to file 20 such claims.

DLBs claims are for work including additional excavation work, the disposal of a tank, repairs to certain irrigation systems and changes to some manhole structures. The largest claim in monetary value involves the relocation of an American Electric Power electrical conduit.

The total amount of claims is more than $1.3 million, Talian said.

According to Talian, the city agrees to pay or is in negotiations for some of the smaller claims while it disputes the claim involving the AEP electrical conduit.

Talian said representatives from the city and DLB last met in mid-July. Since that time, there has been no further communications from the contractor about the status of negotiations, he said.

Although it doesnt happen on every contract, the assessment of liquidated damages and the filing of claims by the contractor is not unheard of, Talian said.

DLB has performed work with the city on earlier occasions, including a separate section of the interceptor in which Talian served as the project manager. The city currently has another contract with DLB for work on a sewer line replacement project under the Lynchburg Expressway.

In the earlier section of the interceptor, liquidated damages also was assessed by the city in addition to the contractor filing claims with the city.

I know we successfully negotiated and closed out the contract to generally everyones satisfaction, Talian said.

Representatives of DLB did not respond to phone calls for comment.
GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Heres why you can trust us.
Fishermen want compensation

Yesterday the frustrated boat owners, fishermen and vendors were joined by councillor for the area Anand Seepersad where they staged a meeting to highlight their concerns. The group assembled at the Orange Valley Community Centre. Vice President of the Orange Valley Fishing Vendors Association, Andy Hosein said fishermen and others were suffering as a result of the decrease in fish sales.

Not only are the fishermen affected, it is everyone involved in the fishing industry, the boat owners, the vendors and others. There are only talks of the fish being contaminated, but there are no talks of compensation, Hoesin said. He further added that the fishermen are not responsible if results from the tests on the fishes are positive or negative. The fishermen cannot contaminate the fish, we are not at fault, it is the industries are at fault and day by day, month by month we are not getting no income to provide for our families and to date no one is speaking about compensation, he said.

Hosein said that the fishermen and others needed answers from the Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat.

Mr minister, you need to come out and tell us what is happening, because this is madness. It is only hear say and she say and rumours that the fish is contaminated and people are not buying, and there is no dialogue from the minister. We want answers, how long will we continue to suffer?he asked. The fishermen are blaming secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud for the confusion and misinformation to the public. The FFOS and some fishermen have not been seeing eye to eye on reasons being given as to why dead fish is turning up in the Gulf of Paria. Fishermen say they are responsible as they are the ones dumping the unwanted fish that keep washing ashore while Aboud argues that it is Petrotrin as they used Corexit in 2013 to deal with a massive oil spill in La Brea. Aboud said certain species of fish is not fit for consumption.

On Saturday Otaheite fishermen held a similar meeting calling on the intervention of the Prime Minister to address their concerns.
Patient murdered at St Anns

According to reports at about 4.30 am on Thursday, nurse Ersa Edwards was on duty at Ward 26 at the hospital when she observed patient Louis Mc Donald of St James lying on the floor and suffering from head injuries.

She raised an alarm and the unconscious man was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he died at about 6 am.

The matter was only reported to Belmont police on Saturday and Homicide Investigations Bureau detectives went to the hospital where they carried out enquiries.

Several persons were interviewed and an autopsy will be carried out today at the Forensic Science Centre in St James to determine the cause of death.

It is believed that Mc Donald had an altercation with another patient which resulted in him being beaten. Investigations are continuing.
US: We See

No Signs

Putin Will

Use Dirty Bomb
(Newser)  More than a half-century ago, the World Health Organization recognized Venezuela as the first nation to wipe out malaria in its populated areas. It was even ahead of the US on that count. Today, though, the disease is making a ferocious comeback in the nation, even if the government fails to officially acknowledge it, reports the New York Times. The reason? The country's poverty is forcing desperate peopleeven formerly white-collar workers who once belonged to the middle classto return to illegal gold mines in remote jungle regions in the hope of making a living.

"As they hunt for gold in watery pits, the perfect breeding ground for the mosquitoes that spread the disease, they are catching malaria by the tens of thousands," writes Nicholas Casey. And when the ill miners return to the cities, the disease spreads further. It is a situation of national shame, says a former Venezuelan health minister. "I was seeing this kind of thing when I was a medical student a half-century ago. Based on figures compiled by doctors, the number of cases rose 72% to 125,000 in the first six months of the year, and the growth shows no sign of slowing. Click for the full story. Or read one woman's account of struggling to keep food on her family's table. (Read more Venezuela stories.)
(Newser)  Cathy McCulloch writes that as of last week, she hadn't read Fifty Shades of Grey ("honest!"). The barrister is intimately familiar with portions of it now, however, due to a case that she describes as "exceptional" in a blog post spotted by the Independent. Her client was a father charged with eight counts of incestuous rape that allegedly occurred over a six-year period; he "had absolutely no real defense other than 'I did not do it.'" His daughter, on the other hand, had given a "compelling interview" to police, explaining in detail what had allegedly occurred. There was just one thing that nagged at McCulloch: "the use of certain words, phrases, and descriptions of how she felt which seemed beyond her years." Then her client mentioned his daughter's favorite book (which he was unfamiliar with): Fifty Shades of Grey.

An instructing solicitor on the case who also had not previously read it picked up a copy and uncovered "too many striking similarities" between the girl's statement and the novel. In all, the team discovered 17 examples that "appeared to have been lifted from the book," per a more technical description of the case. McCulloch analyzed the passages and the girl's interview as part of her cross-examination preparations. On the trial's third day, the girl took the stand, and McCulloch began "gently." Just seven minutes laterduring which McCulloch brought up those striking similarities"we were finished." The girl admitted she had made up the allegations to teach her "strict" father a lesson. The prosecutor re-examined the girl and she confirmed that it had all been a lie. An immediate acquittal followed. (This Fifty Shades "re-enactment" landed a student in jail.)
(Newser)  A Houston woman was arrested Sunday after casually mentioning to an acquaintance that she had drowned her two children in a bathtub and hidden the bodies under a neighbor's home, police say. Sheborah Thomas, 30, has been charged with capital murder in the deaths of 7-year-old Orayln (also spelled O'Raylan in other reports) and 5-year-old Kayana, the Houston Chronicle reports. Police say the incomprehensible murders were uncovered when the acquaintance spotted Thomas throwing trash into an empty lot Sunday morning. She told him she needed help moving from her house immediately. After Thomas mentioned the killings as he helped her pack, he drove her to a police station, where she was taken into custody.

Thomas, who moved into the home in April, has no known history of mental illness and no serious criminal record, the Chronicle reports. Her estranged husband is less than a year into a three-year sentence for possession of PCP. A woman who identified herself as the husband's sister tells WFAA that she doesn't know how she is going to tell him about his children. She says for now, the family is going to focus on laying the children to rest and not worry about Thomas "because her day is going to come. Sooner or later her day is going to come and I pray to God that she suffers like she did her kids; made her kids suffer, I hope she suffers worse." A Child Protective Services spokesperson says the family is known to the agency and there will be a "top to bottom" investigation of the case. (Read more Houston stories.)
(Newser)  A hungry 7-year-old boy trying to hawk his teddy bear to buy food ran into the right cop: Officer Steve Dunham tells WLWT "it broke my heart" to see the child trying to sell his toy last week outside a drugstore in Franklin, Ohio. The boy told Dunham it had been several days since he'd eaten, and so the cop took him out for a bite before heading to the station, the Journal-News reports. The boy's parents later told police they had no idea their son wasn't at home. Police say the boy and his four brothers lived in squalor in a home that reeked of urine and was littered with garbage, liquor bottles, and "a large amount of bugs and spoiled food."

Parents Tammy and Michael Bethel were charged with 10 counts of child endangerment. Besides the 7-year-old, their four other boys, ages 11 to 17, were removed from the house and are now staying with family members. Police Chief Russ Whitman praises Dunham's actions and says it's what police are supposed to do. "How would we want someone to treat our kids?" he tells WLWT. "Hopefully these officers' actions change these kids' lives and maybe change the lives of the parents to become better parents." For his part, Dunham says he was only doing his job: "I would like to go home at the end of the day feeling like I'd done something positive." (Another cop warmed hearts when she was spotted sharing a meal with a homeless guy.)
(Newser)  The man suspected of gunning down an imam and his friend outside a Queens mosque has been arrested, sources tell the New York Daily News. Police would not confirm the suspect was in custody but the Daily News says he was busted Sunday night after he rammed an unmarked police car after a "brief surveillance." The 35-year-old man was nabbed in Brooklyn, reports the New York Post, after cops tracked the Chevy Trailblazer that he used to flee the execution-style slayings of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, leader of the Al-Furqan mosque, and Thara Uddin, 64. The reported arrest came hours after a video emerged showing the gunman come up behind the men as they left the mosque around 2pm on Saturday, the Post reports.

The video shows the bespectacled gunman slowing as he takes aim and fires. As the victims fall to the ground, the shooter is seen speeding away in a Chevy Trailblazer. That's the vehicle cops had been hunting ever since a cyclist hit by the fleeing shooter wrote down the license plate, the Daily News says. Sources tell the Post the killer "knew the imam and knew his schedule." They were looking into reports the killing may have been payback in an ongoing feud between Muslims and Hispanics in the area, the Daily News reports. Earlier, cops described the suspect as Hispanic. "My father only wanted peace," the imam's son, Niam Akonjee, 23, tells the Post. "That is all we ask, for justice and to know why he killed my father." Says another member of the local Muslim community: "We usually look left and right and to the front to be careful. But now we have to look in the back. How do you do that?" (Read more imam stories.)
(Newser)  Weeks after the first crash of a Tesla in China, the US carmaker has deleted the terms self-driving and autopilot from its website in that country, Reuters reports. The move came after the 33-year-old driver accused Tesla salespeople of misleading him about the capabilities of the automated driving function, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Aug. 2 accident occurred when the Tesla hit a car parked partially in the highway, per Reuters. Luo Zhen said he took his hands off the wheel for "about 10 seconds," according to the Journal. Both cars were damaged but there were no injuries. Since then, several references to the Chinese terms for autopilot and self-driving were deleted from the webpage for the Tesla Model S sedan, and self-assisted driving added instead, per Reuters.

A Tesla spokesman called the timing of the language change coincidental. "Weve been in the process of addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks," she told Reuters. Tesla said it has retrained staff to keep both hands on the wheel when teaching the autopilot function. In May, a Tesla driver was killed in Florida after his Model S sedan slammed into a tractor-trailer. Neither the driver nor the cars autopilot sensors noticed a tractor-trailer in its path. It was the first fatal crash of the Tesla and prompted a federal investigation. Authorities are investigating whether autopilot mode was to blame for a Tesla crash in Pennsylvania in July. (Read more Tesla stories.)
(Newser)  The conservative editorial page of the Wall Street Journal is close to giving up on Donald Trump as a viable presidential nominee. In an editorial, the newspaper argues that if Trump can't "change his act by Labor Day," the GOP should cut ties and focus on races in the House and Senate instead. The critiques are familiar: The editors want Trump to be more disciplined and more focused on policy than personal fights. They'd like him to spend even 30 minutes a day reading briefing papers instead of watching the cable talk shows. And they'd like him to make the race be more about Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump.

"Is that so hard? Apparently so," says the editorial. From a Republican perspective, the worst thing about the 2016 election is that it's a race the GOP should win given a host of factors. (It cites one renowned formula by political scientist Alan Abramowitz that gives a mainstream GOP candidate a 66% chance of winning.) Trump, however, is losing traction even in states that are supposed to be safely red, and he's quickly running out of time to pivot from a "shoot-from-the-lip" candidate to a worthy one. "He needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be Presidentor turn the nomination over to Mike Pence." Click for the full editorial. (Read more Donald Trump 2016 stories.)
(Newser)  Three married couples killed in the crash of a small airplane in Alabama all lived in the university town of Oxford, Mississippi, where city flags were lowered Monday as residents grappled with the loss of so many lives at one time. "I don't even know what to say," said Oxford Mayor George "Pat" Patterson. Friends, relatives, and officials identified the dead as dentists Jason Farese and Lea Farese; dentist Michael Perry and his wife, Kim Perry, a nurse practitioner at the University of Mississippi; and dentist Austin Poole and his wife, Angie Poole. The three couples were parents of 11 children total, reports the AP.

The plane went down while the six were returning home to the city of 19,000 following a dental seminar in central Florida. The FAA said a twin-engine Piper carrying the six left Kissimmee, Florida, and crashed while trying to land in Tuscaloosa on Sunday morning. Police there said the aircraft had engine problems, but further details were not available. Jason Farese was a private pilot first certified in 2004, and the plane was registered to a company that shares an address with his Oxford dental office, FAA records showed. The practice's website said both Jason and Lea Farese were graduates of the Ole Miss dentistry school and had three children, as did the Perrys. Austin and Angie Poole were parents to five. (Read more plane crash stories.)
(Newser)  A Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Yemen on Monday, reports the AFP, killing at least six and wounding 20. The group, known by the French acronym MSF, said the strike hit near the Houthi rebel stronghold of Saada, where teams were still attending to the wounded, reports the AP. Yemeni security and medical officials say the strike killed and wounded about 20 of the hospital's staff and patients. MSF "confirms that Abs hospital (in Hajja province) was targeted," it tweeted. The conflict in Yemen pits an internationally-recognized government backed by a Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite rebels, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014.

The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes in Yemen since March 2015. On Saturday, an airstrike on a school killed at least 10 children and wounded dozens more, Yemeni officials and aid workers said. The Saudis denied hitting a school, saying the target was a Houthi training camp and accusing the rebels of recruiting children. Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged that it had committed "unintended bombings" that caused civilian casualties during its nearly 18-month air campaign, blaming UN agencies for not coordinating with it. MSF said in May that at least 100 staff members, patients, and caretakers were killed, and another 130 were wounded, in attacks on more than 80 MSF-supported and run health structures in 2015 and early 2016. (Read more Doctors Without Borders stories.)
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New Delhi :

There are some lesser known but interesting facts about our National Anthem. It is a reflex in us to rise the moment we hear the pride inducing words from our National Anthem Jana Gana Mana, quite literally leaving all what we are busy with. It was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as Indias National Anthem on 24 January 1950.

The soulful composition evokes a sense of patriotism in every Indian. Lets take a look at 10 interesting facts about our National Anthem which you were probably not aware of:

Jana Gana Mana is a five-stanza Brahmo hymn titled Bharoto Bhagyo Bidhata. The first stanza of it has been adopted as Indias National Anthem.

It is written in Bengali and is attributed to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

It takes approximately 52 seconds to play the entire song. There is a shortened version comprising the first and last lines which can be rendered in 20 seconds.

The line in the anthem Punjab Sindhu Gujarat Maratha Dravid Utkal Banga denotes the regions of India before partition as the National Anthem was written by Rabindranath Tagore in 1911.

The first rendition of the song was during a convention of the Indian National Congress on December 16th, 1911. 'Jana Gana Mana' was performed for the first time in Hamburg on 11th September, 1942. It was only on 24th January 1950 that this song was officially declared as national anthem of India.

Interestingly, Rabindranath Tagores poem (Amar Sonar Bangla) was later selected as Bangladeshs national anthem.

There is no provision of law which compels anyone to sing the national anthem. It is not considered disrespectful to the nation or to the anthem if a person chooses only to stand up in respectful silence.

As provided in Section 3 of the Act, whoever intentionally prevents the singing of the Jana Gana Mana or causes disturbances to any assembly engaged in such singing shall be punished with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Whenever the Anthem is played or sung, the audience shall stand to attention. However, when in the course of a newsreel or documentary the Anthem is played as a part of the film, it is not expected of the audience to stand.

A false message spread vigorously across e-mail, WhatsApp and other social networking sites, that UNESCO announced our anthem as the 'Best National Anthem' in the world. However, reports say that UNESCO has denied any such declaration on their part.

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New Delhi:

As India gears up to celebrate 70th Independence Day on Monday, heavy security deployment can be seen across various cities to maintain peace and harmony.



# Multi-tier security shield at Red Fort, nearby areas ahead of



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.



# Delhi police prohibits aerial activities



Ahead of Independence Day, the Delhi Police issued an order prohibiting aerial activities of several kinds including para-gliding, UAVs, hot air baloons, till the second week of October.



The restrictions that will continue till October 10 involve para-gliders, para-motors, hang gliders, UAVs, UASs, microlight aircraft, remotely piloted aircraft, hot air balloons, small-size powered aircraft, quadcopters and para jumping from aircraft among others.



Special teams of police have been stationed on August 15 to neutralise the possibility of any airborne-activity such as drones.



# Security agencies on high alert in Punjab and Haryana



Security has been tightened across Punjab, especially in border districts, and Haryana and Chandigarh ahead of Independence Day.



Security has been strengthened at the venues where dignitaries will unfurl the Tricolour. A strict vigil is being maintained at important railway stations including Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Panipat, Ambala, besides key inter-state bus terminals and other vital installations, the officials said.



# Security beefed up in and around Kolkata, districts



Security has been tightened to avoid any untoward incident and entry and exit points of the metropolis have been kept under extensive watch as part of the enhanced security measures across West Bengal, a senior officer of the Kolkata Police told a news agency.



Leaves of all policemen across the state have been cancelled till August 20, officials said.



# Massive security setup in Jammu



"Keeping in view the upcoming Independence Day, present security scenario in the state and impending threats from militants, frisking points have been established in Jammu as well as in rural areas for the security and safety of public," Senior Superintendent of Police (Jammu) Sunil Gupta said.



"People are requested to cooperate with police while at checks and frisking points, do not feel it as harassment by the police," he said.

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New Delhi:

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.

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New Delhi:

Thousands of armed security personnel on Monday kept a hawk-eyed vigil over the capital,e specially around the Red Fort and surrounding areas. Amid tight security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled the national flag and delivered his Independence Day address to the nation at Red Fort.

Here are the highlights from PM Narendra Modi's speech:

9:05am

#We did not get an opportunity to die for the country but we have the opportunity to live for the country

9:04am

#There can't b a bigger freedom than freedom frm poverty.Invite all SAARC countries to work together to fight this



9:03am

#To the youth who have taken up gun, I urge them to return to their parents, shun violence

9:02am



#This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists

9:01

#This is the example of our humanitarian approach, but there are some countries who glorify terrorists

9:00am

#People of Balochistan, Gilgit and PoK have thanked me a lot in past few days, I am grateful to them

8:59am

#Many innocents were killed in Peshawar terrorist attack, but there were tears in everyone's eyes in Parliament here

8:50

#This country will never bend before terrorism

8:48am

#'Unity in Diversity' is the whole essence of Indian culture. There is no place for violence and atrocities here

8:47am

#Therefore my Govt tried to resolve the long standing issue of OROP

8:46am

#More than 35000 jawans have lost their lives fighting at border so that we can stay peacefully here, how can we forget them?

8:45am

#We fulfilled the promise of 'One Rank One Pension'

8:44am

#Only financial growth is not important, social unity is also important. 125 cr people of India are part of one family



8:43am

#Yes there are problems, but we have to rise above and fight such anti-social elements. Only then we'll be able to progress in real sense



8:42am

#Great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Ambedkar ji have always stressed on the need for social unity



8:41am

#We have worked to achieve 'One nation, one grid and one price'



8:40am

#GST is one such tax reform which will help us bring in financial stability: PM at Red Fort

8:39am

#GST will give strength to our economy & all parties are to be thanked for its passage

8:37am

#Financial independence of women and her participation is important to fight poverty

8:36am

#Amidst global economic slow-down, Indian economy is growing

8:35am

#For us, image of the nation is more important than the image of the Government

8:34am

#We all know about coal scam. However, we auctioned coal online, without any corruption charges levelled against us due to transparency

8:30am

#We have connected Aadhar card to Govt schemes to curb corruption: PM Modi

8:25am

#We are trying to revive 'post-offices' in the country which is becoming irrelevant increasingly due to advent of technology



8:24am

#Out Govt is giving importance to 'last man delivery' by taking decisions decisively as our policies and intentions are clear



8:23am

#But we did not let this happen, we have taken forward the good initiatives taken by the previous Govt



8:22am

#When new Govt is elected, many-a-times, good initiatives taken by the previous Govt are forgotten



8:21am

#We are giving imp to Integrated development against Isolated development, empowerment against entitlement



8:20am

#We have been blessed with monsoon, this year. Sowing has therefore increased, this will help us meet demand shortfall

8:19am

#I will continue to strive hard to ensure that the this inflation doesn't affect the food plate of poor

8:18am

#That's why my Govt has given importance to save water. We have given impetus to 'per drop, more crop' initiative

8:17am

#Reform, transform, perform. Mantra of this governance

8:16am

#My target is to double the income of farmers by 2022

8:15am

#If farmers in my country get adequate water, they can turn 'soil' into 'gold'

8:11am

#Under the previous Govt, inflation had crossed 10%. We did not let it rise above 6%

8:10am

#From Delhi it takes 3 hours to reach nagla fatela village in Hathras, it took 70 years for electricity to reach there

8:08am

#Due to drought situation in the last 2 years, Govt has faced challenges in terms of price rise

8:07

#We can contribute a lot to curb global warming by using IED bulbs and saving energy

8:06am

#Humne 21 crore logon ko jandhan se jod kar asambhav ko sambhav kiya hai

8:05am

#We are working to bring in social change, over 70,000 villages are free from open-defecation, today

8:02am

#We have connected 70 crore Indians to Aadhaar and social security schemes

8:01am

#In last 60 years, 14 crore were given gas connections, while my Govt provided gas connections to over 4 crore people in just 60 weeks

7:59

#Hamein apne kaam ki raftaar ko tez karna hoga, gati ko aur aage badhaana hoga

7:54

#We have changed this. Now one can avail passport in a week, have eased processes

7:53am

#There was a time when getting a passport was a tedious process and needed strong references

7:52am

#There was a time when Govt was surrounded by allegations but now the Govt is surrounded by expectations

7:51am

#I want to change the lives of common people, I am committed to it

7:50am

#Our history spans from Bheem to Bhimrao

7:49am

#People are scared of income tax authorities, particularly middle class families, we have to change this situation & I'll change it

7:48am

#Today, in all the major Govt hospitals, online registration is available and medical records are also available online



7:47am

#For this, one needs to give imp to good governance, accountability and transparency in any Govt is paramount

7:46am

#'Surajya' means a Govt should be sensitive towards the common man, weaker sections: PM Modi

7:45am

#Today, more than 'Karya', I want to talk about 'Karya Sanskriti' of the Government: PM Modi

7:44am

#It is easy to keep account of the work done by the Govt, but it is difficult to have in-depth knowledge of those initiatives

7:43am

#Panchayat se Parliament aur gram pradhan se lekar PM tak,sabko apni zimmedari samajhne ki zarurat hai

7:42am

#India faces a lot of challenges,today but I believe that 125 cr ppl of India have the ability to face and overcome these challenges

7:41am

#The onus is on 125 cr ppl of India to convert this 'Swaraj' into 'Surajya'-PM Modi at Red Fort



7:40am#Ek bharat,shresht bharat ka sapna poora karenge

7:34am

#India's age is not 70 years,but the journey post colonial rule for a better India is 70-year old

7:33am

#We remember Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Pandit Nehru, many others who sacrificed their lives so that we attained Swarajya

7:32am

#Today on the 70th Independence Day, I convey my greetings to 125 crore Indians & the Indian community living overseas

7:30am

#70th Independence Day: PM Narendra Modi hoists tricolour at Red Fort in Delhi

7:20am

#Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspecting the guard of honour at Red Fort

7:15am

#Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajghat, pays tributes to Mahatma Gandhi

6:50am

# LG Najeeb Jung, Amit Shah, CM Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader GN Azad arrive at the Red Fort, PM to speak shortly



6:30am

# HM Rajnath Singh unfurls the tricolour at his residence.



6:00am

aaaaaaaaaa aaaa aa aaaaaaaaaaa aa aaaaaHappy Independence Day. Jai Hind! #IndiaIndependenceDay

 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 15, 2016



5:30am

# On the eve of the Independence Day celebrations, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the multi-layered security arrangements in Delhi and the rest of the country.







Red Fort and its adjoining areas have been put under an unprecedented air-to-ground security cover.



Thousands of security personnel 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.



(with agency inputs)

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Mumbai:

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan says this Independence Day, citizens of the country should pledge India be freed from rape.



The 73-year-old "Te3n" star shared his views on Twitter and posted a still from his upcoming thriller "Pink", which is about three women, who possibly get sexually assaulted.



"Independence Day 15th August pledge... May India be Independent from rape... Bharat aazad ho rape se...," Bachchan wrote.



The actor also re-tweeted his own post about women and asked his followers to always remember it by captioning the message- 'say it again...'"



"A woman's body is not a democracy, it's a dictatorship, and its about time the dictator took charge," read the message.

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Srinagar:

Terrorists on Monday opened fire at a CRPF camp in Nowhatta area of Srinagar. At least five jawans were injured in the attack. The gunfight between militants and security forces is still on. The area has been cordoned off by security forces.

The unspecified number of militants fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid. Five security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said. The attack came as the country is celebrating the 70th Independence Day.

More details are awaited.

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Srinagar:

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asserted that gun will not solve any problem. She hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the states problems which she attributed to the mistakes by successive central governments, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.



In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the vested interests who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.



Speaking against the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she questioned people who have been indulging in violence as she underlined that any remedy could be found through dialogue in a great democracy like India.



Emphasising that any propaganda like attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is false, she urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.



Gun will not solve the problem. Guns has not solved any issue, Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.



People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the countryfrom Jawahar Lal Nehru till dateand the parties, it is their mistake, she said.



The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years. I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?



The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?



Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, Ministers or Chief Minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it, she said.



Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi).

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Lucknow:

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday warned his son and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav against his inaction to weed out corrupt and sycophants from the party.



Addressing his party workers after unfurling the tri-colour at the party office in Lucknow, Yadav said, In SP, flattery makes everyone happy, but criticism is taken as an offence.



The former UP chief minister accused his son of hogging all the power in the party.



Today all the control in the party has shifted from me to Akhilesh. And the truth today is no one is working in the party.



Today party leaders are not doing honest work; most of them stay put in comforts of Lucknow, others indulge in land grabbing chief minister knows everything but does not have courage to take action, said Yadav, urging Akhilesh to clean up house before upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, so that the party can present a united front.



Recollecting the days when Samajwadi Party had a national status, Yadav challenged the new party leadership to take the party back to its glorious days by winning respectable votes in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttrakhand.



In his address, Mulayam also praised Shivpal Yadav and called him the most hardworking member of the Samajwadi Party.

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Beijing:

Blaming Indian media for stirring up negative sentiments against China by highlighting the divergences in ties, a state-run Chinese daily today said press on both sides should be cautious about attempts by the West to drive a wedge between the two countries.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a visit to India on Friday. As a number of media outlets reported, the tour was focused on cooperation over the upcoming G20 and BRICS summits, an op-ed article in the Global Times said.

However, quite a few Indian media started to cover the tour a week ago with the eye-catching headline China blocked Indias NSG bid, but now wants help on South China Sea, said the article titled Indian media should view Beijing-Delhi ties constructively.

After negative hype over Sino-Indian ties by Indian media for a long time, it is not hard to envisage that they did it again this time. Yet while they grab all the attention they want like always, they have also caused a deterioration in the Indian publics views of China, it said.

Given the recent frictions between the two countries, including the NSG issue and New Delhis rejection of visa extension requests for Chinese reporters, there are indeed certain puzzles left unresolved in the bilateral relationship. But they can hardly represent the big picture of Sino-Indian ties, it said.

The article, though, praised the efforts being made by both the governments to address the issues in bilateral ties. Thanks to the efforts of governments from both parties, the two nations have been enhancing collaboration and promoting more communications and mechanisms over bilateral, regional issues.

Yet while the Indian government is treating its relations with Beijing rationally, the countrys media and public opinion are busy stirring up negative sentiments. They tend to attach more attention to divergences while overstating contradictions between the two, it said.

Words like invasion or transgression are often used by them to describe Beijing without naming sources, and the China threat theory has been hyped up by them from time to time, it said.

Clearly, the Indian media has not yet learned to see the considerable potential of the bilateral relationships with a constructive mind-set, it said.

It is important for the Indian media to remember that development and prosperity are needed by both sides and they need a stable environment for that, it said.

The West is taking delight in driving a wedge between Beijing and New Delhi. Media from both countries should therefore be more cautious not to fall for that, it said.

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New Delhi :

National carrier Air India on Monday launched its first Dreamliner service to the United States with flight service from here to Newark via London.

As of now, Airline services all its European routes with the Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner plane. 'Air India is happy to start this new flight today.

It is a dream fulfilled for the people of Ahmedabad on Indias 70th Independence day. This is the third international flight introduced by Air India and we shall be launching flights to more international destinations soon," Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashnwani Lohani, said after launching the flight.

Gujarat Minister for Revenue and Education, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama was the chief guest on this occasion. The maiden AI Dreamliner flight (AI-171) to Newark took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 0500 hours, according to a release.

The new flight is expected to meet a long standing demand of more than six lakh Indians in Ahmedabad and expatriates in Newark and neighboring cities. "This flight was eagerly awaited by the people of Gujarat and has evoked an enthusiastic response.

Besides, this flight would also be instrumental in attracting people from all over the world to travel to Gujarat and vice-versa," Chudasama said. AI-171 will operate three days a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport.

It will take off from Ahmedabad at 05:00 hours and reach London at 10:15 hours, from where it will depart at 12:30 hours and arrive at Newark at 15:00 hours. The return flight AI172 will leave Newark at 22:30 hours and reach London at 10:15 hours next day. It will leave London at 12:30 hours and land at Ahmedabad at 02:00 hours, Air India said.
Jammu:

Deputy chief minister Nirmal Singh today said the terrorist attack on a CRPF camp in Srinagar was a desperate attempt by Pakistan to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

A CRPF officer and two militants were killed while nine others were injured when ultras attacked security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar.

Pakistan has been continuously doing such type of things and it always tries to disrupt the peace in Jammu and Kashmir and in the country. It is a desperate attempt ... every time they face defeat...time too their fate would be the same, Singh told reporters after an Independence Day function here.

He said Pakistan has been using terrorism to weaken India, but its nefarious designs would not be fulfilled. Terrorism is its (Paks) instrument which it uses to weaken India but its designs would never be fulfilled, he said.

Terrorism will devour Pakistan and would eliminate it. India is capable enough to deal with such type of acts, Singh said. He warned Pakistan to mend its ways as it was on the verge of disintegration.

Pakistan is standing on the verge of disintegration, be it Baluchistan or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), people are running a movement for independence. If Pakistan does not mend its ways it will disintegrate, he added.

On the surfacing of Pakistani flags and Burhan Wanis posters in Srinagar yesterday, he said the culprits of such acts would be punished as per the law.

This type of act is done by the anti-national elements supported by Pakistan. Its a long battle; we will never accept such attempts and those who are involved in such activities would be punished, he said.

In his Independence Day speech, the deputy CM said that attempts were being made to vitiate the atmosphere in the Jammu region also but the people foiled such nefarious designs.

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Health Ministry declares delivery of 72% of drugs bought through intl organizations

Ukraine has already received 72% of drugs procured through international organizations, while medicines for treatment of orphan diseases, those for children, patients with viral hepatitis, children's hemophilia and tests for HIV/AIDS diagnostics are 100% supplied.

According to the press service of the ministry, Acting Health Minister Ulana Suprun said this at a briefing in Kyiv.

According to the report, the total number of purchased drugs increased by almost 55% despite a 13% reduction in state financing for certain treatment programs.

According to the Health Ministry, twice more manufacturers participated in bidding for 2016 state funds than a year earlier, including many Ukrainian companies.

The ministry stated a significant share of drugs was bought without intermediaries, from producers, for instance, 100% of medicines for treatment of orphan diseases were purchased directly.

"Drugs purchased through international organizations are of good quality, they are prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO)," the ministry said.

According to its data, currently UNDP has supplied 75% of the ordered products, while UNICEF 64%, Crown Agents 57%.

Suprun assured purchase of medicines for state funds through international organizations will continue in subsequent years.
There are proposals which can improve security levels in Ukraine - Steinmeier

There are new ideas as to how to improve security levels in Donbas, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said.

"We have proposals which can help improve the security situation in Ukraine," he told students from Ural Federal University.

There is also hope that progress will be made in political dimensions of the Ukrainian settlement process, the minister said.
Investigative anti-Clinton critic the latest to turn up dead in recent weeks

Add another mysterious death to the Clinton body count.

A contributing reporter to the American Free Press, Victor Thorn, 54, has turned up dead from what police say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Thorns claim to fame, so to speak, is that he was a long-time researcher and critic of Bill and Hillary Clinton.

An author of more than 20 books, Thorn was known best for the Clinton trilogy, three definitive works that delved into the history of the power couple, including their sordid scandals, Bill Clintons sexual assaults of multiple women, and the drug-running out of Mena, Arkansas, while Clinton was governor of the state. The Political Insider reports.

Upon receiving news of Thorns demise, the American Free Press contacted the State College, Pa., police department for news related to his death; Thorn was born Scott Robert Makufka. But police werent able to provide any details, and it was unclear how the determination that the gunshot would was self-inflicted was made.

Thorns latest book is titled, CROWNING CLINTON: Why Hillary Shouldnt Be in the White House. It has been described as a major indictment of Hillary Clintons alleged criminal behavior.

According to a description of the book, it provides readers with a wealth of information that the mainstream media only recently discovered and reported  some outlets, anyway. In addition, there are more than 50 one-on-one interviews with a number of experts on government and policy to provide a multitude of evidence as to why Clinton is unsuited for the White House and why the country should never let Bill Clinton anywhere near it.

Some of the details provided by Thorn in the book involves the real truth about Benghazi, specifically implicating Hillary Clinton; her cover-ups of her husbands serial sexual dalliances and assaults against some of his victims; what really happened regarding her use of multiple private email servers and devices while serving as Obamas secretary of state; shady business arrangements and dealings of late, involving allegations of money laundering; and more.

At a time when this nations future hangs on a delicate thread, every argument must be made to prevent Bill and Hillary from inflicting any further damage on the nation. Crowning Clinton arrives at precisely the right time, says the book description.

The death of Thorn is just the latest one in a series of freak deaths that dont make a lot of sense when you delve into the circumstances:

 In early July, former president of the UN General Assembly, John Ashe, died just days before he was to testify against the Clintons and the Democratic Party. According to the official story, Ashe accidentally crushed his own throat in a workout-related incident. But that was after the New York Posts Page Six reported that he had died from a heart attack. Ashe was to testify with his businessman co-defendant Ng Lap Seng, a Chinese national who funneled $1 billion to Ashe  and several hundred thousand dollars, illegally, to the Democratic National Committee during Bill Clintons tenure.

 Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was shot and killed as he walked in his neighborhood in Washington, D.C., on July 10. He was shot in the back; police are investigating the crime as an attempted robbery but the shooter did not take his wallet or anything else of value. Rich was a data analyst who some believe leaked thousands of damaging emails from the DNC to WikiLeaks. Also, there is another connection to the Clinton Global Initiative involving corruption, which you can read here.

Sources for this story include:

Trump.news

ThePoliticalInsider.com

AmericanFreePress.net

TheGatewayPundit.com

ZeroHedge.com

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The GOP agenda for fighting poverty: Do the opposite of what Democrats have done for decades

(BigGovernment.news) Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan has a message for the Welfare State: Were coming to take you down. Following the largest enrollment growth in many welfare benefits programs under the Obama administration, this is the right message at the right time.

As reported by AMI Newswire, a traveling crew of House Republican foot soldiers is continuing to use congressional recess time this summer on a topic for which they rarely are given public credit: Fighting poverty.

Its all part of what Speaker Ryan calls his A Better Way agenda, one of the core principles of which is to disconnect the federal government from its generations-old control over anti-poverty programs.

Ryan this week highlighted the efforts of sophomore Rep. Bradley Byrne, who earlier this month toured multiple locations in his southwest Alabama district to promote an agenda that first began gathering publicity in Washington in May. On Aug. 2, Byrne toured multiple locations in Mobile and Washington counties, including an addiction recovery center and a thrift store, and held subsequent town hall talks on the topic.

This is what we should be all about: giving people the tools they need to live instead of just giving them another government program, Byrne said at one of his stops. We get people a better life by moving them out of poverty.

Byrne isnt alone. During the Democratic National Convention In late July, Ryan sent GOP Rep. Tom Reed to upstate New York, to walk through streets and schools in poverty-stricken parts of Rochester.

Rochester isnt even part of Reeds New York district. But he carried the same message as Byrne, describing the Better Way agenda as, Looking at the front line, whats working, what doesnt work, and how can we change our policies going forward, because the status quo is not addressing this issue.

The House Republican plan includes five basic elements, stressing efforts to reward work, better coordinate aid programs so they are easier to navigate, and reforms to child-welfare programs, among others.

Sending House GOP colleagues out into the country is part of a grass-roots, bottom-up strategy that Ryan has been employing since he formally unveiled the poverty plank of the platform on June 7 at a nonprofit social-services and housing provider in the low-income Washington neighborhood of Anacostia.

Critics have said the Better Way agenda lacks specifics  such as legislation to address many of the ills  and are nothing more than age-old, warmed-over Republican ideas on combatting the welfare state. For example, at the heart of many of the initiatives is a loosening of federal control over anti-poverty programs, increased work requirements for Americans receiving government benefits, better tracking of programs results, and more attention paid to waste and fraud.

Democrats have mocked the GOP agenda as a new spin on a bad deal, nothing new but the packaging, and a better way to fall into poverty.

But they would, because Democrats are experts at creating dependency on government and poverty  not providing opportunities for Americans to be all they can be. Its the Democrat game plan that has been in place for 50 years, ever since Lyndon B. Johnsons Great Society war on poverty, which has been an abject failure.

Ryan previewed the agenda  formalized into a 35-page document  to reporters at the Capitol in late May, as part of a six-part effort by House Republicans to seize legislative momentum on such social issues while the nations presidency is in flux. At one point, he acknowledged that the topic is not often seen as a traditional one for Republicans, saying at one point, It used to be.

At the June 7 rollout event, Ryan stood with the Anacostia agencys leaders and a clutch of fellow House Republicans to explain his purpose.

This is how you fight poverty. This is how you create opportunity. This is how you help people move onward and upward, Ryan said. We wanted to start with poverty because we think this sums up our case.

Anything Congress can do to stimulate more Americans to independence from the constraints of the nanny state will be a good thing for generations to come.

More:

BigGovernment.news is part of USA Features Media.

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As the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 50th anniversary, the organization has taken a fresh look at a time-honored tradition: the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Instead of holding ceremonies on random days and times, it launched Welcome Wednesday so chamber and city officials visit a handful of new businesses on the second Wednesday of each month.

During our 50th anniversary year we've taken a closer look at all aspects of the chamber, including our ribbon-cutting ceremonies, Jennifer Zinzi, executive director, said. Our town as a whole is very busy and there are many extracurricular activities at the end of the work day. We started to see attendance dwindling for ribbon cuttings and felt it was time to rethink our process.

The frequency of the ceremonies had slowed down, too, and Zinzi noticed a lack of enthusiasm for the events.

Along the way the ceremonious feeling was lost a bit and weve now brought that back with Welcome Wednesday, she said. We feature a brief meet and greet, welcome and finally the cutting of the ribbon. It is an open invitation to our members to join us and we also have representation from the Board of Selectmen and our Board of Directors.

Last Wednesday the chamber welcomed three new businesses: Ridgefield Suzuki School on Farrar Lane; Radiant Physical Therapy on Danbury Road; and Elements Massage on Danbury Road. The chamber kicked off the initiative in July by visiting The Dapper Den Barbershop on Main Street.

It's a wonderful feeling for our new business owners to receive such a warm welcome, Zinzi said.

Junius Brown, owner of the new Elements Massage, welcomed the opportunity to meet city officials and about 20 other guests. He opened his business after a career with PepsiCo in late July. He opened the business with his wife, Hilary.

Weve done 304 sessions already so business is off to a good start, Brown, a Ridgefield resident since 2000, said. The whole idea is to make the health benefits of massage accessible and affordable. For me, it was time to do something different and help make peoples lives better.

Until last year Brown had never even had a massage let alone considered opening his own massage business. Now Im an addict and an advocate, Brown said.

Jessica McNamara opened Ridgefield Suzuki School inside Cabbage Patch Nursery School. The school teaches musical instruction for violin, viola and cello using the Suzuki Method founded by Shinichi Suzuki.

Dr. Megan Richey opened Radiant Physical Therapy, an outpatient physical therapy clinic that offers a one-on-one, tailored approach. It specializes in myofascial release and womens health. Myofascial release involves using gentle sustained pressure to the impacted area.

Her expertise in this field is a welcome addition to our robust wellness community," Zinzi said.

The Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce also marked its 50th anniversary with a new logo and website, merging it with www.destinationridgefield.com.

cbosak@hearstmediact.com; (203) 731-3338
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DANBURY  Angel Rosa was driving through the Berkshire Shopping Center listening to a collection of composer Bernard Herrmanns greatest suspense tracks when the theme for the film Vertigo started to play.

I remember becoming so overwhelmed, Rosa said. Like, wow, they just dont make movies like that anymore.

Rosa, who started the independent film company Hat City Pictures in 2011, began to get frustrated as he thought about the state of Hollywood, with a wealth of remakes and unoriginal ideas.

With this, an idea for his own horror film was born.

Rosa plans to begin shooting The Tutor, one of the parts in his horror-suspense anthology film Contrived, in Danbury at the end of the month. Cast members are from Danbury, Bethel and nearby towns.

The Tutor is Rosas fifth film for Hat City Pictures. He is proud to live and have grown up in Danbury, and said its proximity to New York City makes it the perfect place to film.

My mission for Hat City Pictures is to create a filmmaking mecca in the Danbury area, he said. Its been the location of so many famous films.

Contrived centers around the character Tobias Werrick, a veteran filmmaker who is disillusioned with the creative impotence of modern Hollywood, Rosa said.

He decides that he might be able to make movies that are original and refreshing and the sort that the folks like (filmmaker Alfred) Hitchcock might be proud of, Rosa said.

Werrick meets writer Abigail Fernand at the Cardinal Hollow Horror Fest and shows her concepts he believes are better than the movies Hollywood is churning out. What Rosa calls modules, or Werricks films, then play.

The company is shooting the modules separately, starting with The Tutor on Aug. 27. The hope is the company will raise more money for the rest of the film once they have part of the product to show donors. Rosa aims to raise $10,000 for The Tutor through IndieGoGo, and $50,000 for the film overall.

The Tutor revolves around former Ukrainian mobster Anatoly, his son David, and their nanny Jessica. The subtext of the module deals with the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the heroin epidemic in Connecticut and Ukraine, Rosa said.

John R. Smith Jnr. will play Anatoly. While Smith has performed on stage for decades, this is his first film. He said he is excited to play Anatoly because of the characters deep back story.

Just the range of what (Anatoly) does through the different twists and turns in there, Smith said. Theres a lot of meat to it. Trying to present multiple faces at the same time is going to be interesting.

Casting Director Barbara Katz Disraeli said she loves the way The Tutor makes viewers think.

I think its fresh, she said. Its intriguing, its got twists and turns, its thought provoking, its unexpected. ... Its like any mystery. You think youre going one way and, all of a sudden, it takes this sharp left or this sharp right.

The film as a whole is self-referential, Rosa said.

Its called Contrived for a reason, he said. Our main character, while hes accusing Hollywood of all these crimes of contrivances ... he in turn may be a victim of that himself.
Donbas militants conducted 64 attacks, including 59 on Ukrainian army positions, in the past 24 hours, the press center of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters said on Monday.

The enemy's mortars, grenade launchers and machineguns shelled Ukrainian army positions in Avdiyivka in the Donetsk sector, the press center said. Mounted automatic grenade launchers, 82mm mortars and large-caliber machine-guns fired on positions in the Svitlodarsk bulge. The village of Leninske came under machinegun and grenade launcher fire. A sniper was active in the village of Verkhniotoretske.

The Donetsk sector was attacked 23 times, the Mariupol sector 28, and the Luhansk sector eight times.

In the Mariupol sector, the militants used 122mm artillery near the village of Novoselivka, and 82mm mortars, grenade launchers and large-caliber machine-guns were fired in Taramchuk. Ukrainian army positions in the town of Maryinka and the village of Talakivka came under fire of mortars, machine-guns and small arms, and fire was mostly coming from grenade launchers in the villages of Vodiane, Hnutove and Shyrokyne, the report said.

Small arms were used to fire on the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Starohnativka and Bohdanivka. The enemy also actively engaged armored vehicles near Shyrokyne, Talakivka, Maryinka, and Vodiane.

In the Luhansk sector, Ukrainian army positions were attacked by 122mm self-propelled artillery systems and 120mm mortars. The militants fired 82mm mortars, large-caliber machine-guns, mounted automatic grenade launchers and small arms on Ukrainian army positions in the villages of Novo-Oleksandrivka and Novozvanivka. A sniper has been working near the village of Zhovte for the third day in a row.

"The enemy attempted to seize a Ukrainian fortified position near Novo-Oleksandrivka. At about 10:10 local time, their sabotage and reconnaissance group of up to three to six men came at a distance of 100 meters from the village of Kalynove and opened fire from large-caliber machine-guns and small arms. A skirmish lasted for about 20 minutes. Having suffered losses, the enemy had to retreat," the ATO HQ said.
Katrina Koerting / Katrina Koerting

The Redding Police Department will be placing stickers on all of their cars to honor fire fighters and law enforcement who have died in the line of duty.

The decals are of black and white American flags. The middle stripe of the flag is red and blue.
Net income of $48.4 million and a combined ratio excluding market yield adjustment of 99.1%

and a combined ratio excluding market yield adjustment of 99.1% Return on equity of 9.3%

Major effort to assist clients impacted by the Fort McMurray wildfires

LEVIS, QC, Aug. 15, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Desjardins General Insurance Group (DGIG), a Desjardins Group subsidiary specializing in property and casualty insurance, reported a net income of $48.4 million compared to $184.8 million for the corresponding quarter in 2015. Return on equity was 9.3% compared to the previous year's unusually high 39.3%. These variations reflect higher auto insurance losses in Ontario and the estimated expense of $30.2 million (after reinsurance and income taxes) related to the Fort McMurray wildfires.

The combined ratio excluding market yield adjustment (MYA) was 99.1% in the quarter. Direct premiums written were $1,296.9 million, an increase of 14.5%. This growth is mainly attributable to the renewal of auto policies acquired from State Farm, whose terms are transitioning from 6 to 12 months, as well as growth initiatives in all areas and lines of business.

Half Year Results

For the first six months of the year, net income was $79.8 million, down from $258.5 million in the corresponding period last year. Return on equity was 7.4%, with a combined ratio excluding MYA of 100.5% and direct premiums written were $2,339.9 million.

Sylvie Paquette, Co-president of DGIG, said, "The devastating wildfires in the Fort McMurray area in May were a reminder of how lives can change in a moment, with a shift in wind direction, and of the crucial role insurance plays in helping people recover and move on with their lives. Our claims teams were at the evacuation centres to support our clients and to write cheques to help them with living expenses, and they were in Fort McMurray a month later to welcome them back and to quickly deal with their claims."

The recent restructuring at Desjardins Group introduced a change in leadership at DGIG as Denis Dubois was appointed Co-president of the organization.

"I have worked closely with Denis over the past number of years charting the future of DGIG, and I have the outmost confidence in his leadership capabilities," noted Ms. Paquette. "I am also incredibly proud of DGIG's record of customer experience, employee engagement and profitable growth. The organization is in a strong position and will be in very capable hands as it continues to evolve and grow."

"It is a privilege for me to serve as Co-president of DGIG with Sylvie and to continue benefitting from her experience through the current leadership transition," said Mr. Dubois. "I am honoured by the responsibility of building on Sylvie's legacy and leading DGIG at such an exciting time in its history."

Consolidated Financial Results as at June 30, 2016 (In millions of dollars, unless otherwise indicated)









Q2 2016 Q2 2015 YTD 2016 YTD 2015 Direct premiums written 1 296.9 1,133.1 2 339.9 2,041.8 Underwing income excluding MYA 1.8 200.7 (10.4) 191.5 Investment income (excluding G/L on matched bonds) 70.4 71.7 119.9 111.7 Net income 48.4 184.8 79.8 258.5 Return on equity 9.3% 39.3% 7.4% 28.1% Combined ratio excluding MYA 99.1% 72.6% 100.5% 88.2%

About Desjardins General Insurance Group

A subsidiary of Desjardins Group, Desjardins General Insurance Group (DGIG) is Canada's third largest provider of property and casualty insurance. The company distributes insurance under the Desjardins Insurance, The Personal, and State Farm Canada brands. DGIG is also a leader in Canada in white label distribution.

Caution concerning forward-looking statements

Certain statements made in this press release may be forward-looking. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, uncertainties and inherent risks, both general and specific. It is therefore possible that, due to many factors, these predictions, forecasts or other forward-looking statements as well as Desjardins Group's objectives and priorities may not materialize or may prove to be inaccurate and that actual results differ materially. Various factors beyond Desjardins Group's control could influence the accuracy of the forward-looking statements in this press release. Although Desjardins Group believes that the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance or guarantee that these expectations will prove to be correct. Desjardins Group cautions readers against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements when making decisions. Desjardins Group does not undertake to update any written or verbal forward-looking statements that could be made from time to time by or on behalf of Desjardins Group, except as required under applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Desjardins Groupe d'assurances generales

For further information: (media inquiries only): Valerie Lamarre, Public Relations, Desjardins Group, 514-281-7275 or 1-866-866-7000, ext. 5557275, [email protected] / [email protected]
MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2016 /CNW/ - LGC Capital Ltd. (TSXV: QBA) ("LGC") is pleased to announce that one of its portfolio companies, Australian listed MEO Australia Limited ("MEO Australia") (ASX: MEO), issued a press release today providing an operational update and near term drilling plans and further resource update plans for its Cuban Block 9 onshore oil acreage, and a farmout update for its Beehive Project in Australia and for its New Zealand oil and gas acreage.

LGC's interest in MEO Australia has increased to approximately C$6.8 million, a nearly 5 fold increase from LGC's original entry price. LGC holds 140.7 million shares (15.8%) of MEO Australia and is its largest shareholder.

David Lenigas, LGC Capital Ltd's Co-Chairman & CEO, commented; "Our investment in MEO is proving very successful to date with this investment providing a balance sheet boost to LGC of $6.8 million, and we see continued strong interest on this investment going forward as they progress a number of exciting opportunities in their significant oil portfolio in Cuba, Australia and New Zealand. Cuba Block 9 is particularly significant, as they work to accelerate the potential for drilling on Block 9. Given the potential already identified in the first of the three play types on Block 9, we are looking forward to seeing the results of the assessment of the remaining two plays on the Block and their drilling updates."

MEO Australia's press release is available on its web site at www.meoaustralia.com.au , under "Investor Relations/ASX Releases".

The full MEO Australia Media Release is as follows:

ASX & Media Release

Operations Update

Key Points:

Assessment of resource potential of Upper Sheet and Shallow Tertiary plays on the Cuba Block 9 PSC progressing with initial results expected in Q4 2016

Opportunities for accelerated drilling on Block 9 currently being explored with a plan for an initial drilling program expected to be completed in Q1 2017

A potential high impact well on Cuba Block 10 operated by Sherritt International, next to Block 9, drilling this year

Assessment of New Zealand acreage prospectivity underway with forward drilling program to be determined in Q4 2016

Farmout process underway to fund drilling of the potentially giant Beehive Prospect in the Bonaparte Basin

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (15th August, 2016)

MEO Australia Limited (ASX: MEO) is pleased to provide the following update regarding the progress and near term plans of the Company's key projects.

Cuba  Block 9 Production Sharing Contract

Following on from the assessment of the resource potential of the Lower Sheet play, the Company's assessment of the resource potential of the remaining two plays, the Upper Sheet and Shallow Tertiary plays, is progressing as planned. MEO expects to complete the preliminary stage of this assessment in the fourth quarter of 2016. These resources are in addition to the previously announced resource potential of the Lower Sheet play.

MEO has also commenced the work required to accelerate the potential for early drilling in Block 9 based on the significant resource potential identified in the Lower Sheet play. MEO has identified the A2 Lead and follow up to the Marti-5 oil recovery as targets which could potentially be drilled on existing data. MEO is aiming to finalise a drilling plan by the first quarter of 2017 for up to two wells in Block 9.

Sherritt International Corporation plans this year to drill a high impact well on neighbouring Block 10 PSC which, if successful, will provide further validation of the significant prospectivity of MEO's Block 9 PSC in Cuba .

. To support these activities, MEO has opened a representative office in Havana and appointed former Cupet Exploration Director Dr Rafael Tenreyro as its representative in Cuba .

New Zealand  PEP51153

The Joint Venture is progressing its assessment of the prospectivity of PEP51153 and in the fourth quarter will consider whether to proceed with drilling the high impact exploration well.

Offshore Australia  WA-488-P

The farmout process for the Beehive prospect has commenced, with preliminary discussions underway with a number of parties.

Reprocessing and inversion studies undertaken by MEO support that Beehive is one of the largest undrilled hydrocarbon prospects in Australia .

. MEO is seeking to complete the farmout process in the fourth quarter of 2016.

MEO Managing Director & CEO Peter Stickland commented:

"While MEO has a number of exciting opportunities in its portfolio, Cuba Block 9 is particularly significant for the Company and we are busy working on a number of fronts to accelerate the potential for drilling on Block 9. Given the  potential we identified in the first of the three play types on Block 9, we are looking forward to seeing the results of the assessment of the remaining two plays. We are also excited to be working towards progressing early drilling opportunities which we identified during the assessment of the Lower Sheet play with the A2 Lead and follow up to the Marti-5 oil recovery being particularly exciting. We look forward to keeping the market informed as we progress these activities in the coming months."

Peter Stickland

Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer

End.

About LGC Capital

LGC Capital is one of the few public listed companies globally whose primary purpose is investing primarily in the fast-growth Cuban economy. The company has significant shareholdings and joint ventures in well-established international businesses operating in the Cuban Oil and Gas, Sport, Consulting, Travel, Events, TV and Film Production support, Agricultural, Renewables and Import & Export sectors.

Caution Regarding Press Releases

LGC Capital Ltd. has not made any independent inquiries as to the accuracy or completeness of the press release issued by MEO Australia and LGC Capital Ltd. assumes no responsibility for the contents thereof.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE LGC Capital Ltd

For further information: Please contact: Company & Media Contacts, Canada contact: Rafi Hazan, Secretary and Director, Tel.: (514) 839-7234; London Office contact: David Lenigas, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mazen Hadad, Co-Chairman, Anthony Samaha, Chief Financial Officer, Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7440 0640; Investor Relations Contact, Dave Burwell, The Howard Group Inc., Tel.: (403) 221-9015, Toll Free: 1-888-221-0915, Email: [email protected]
OTTAWA, Aug. 15, 2016 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada announced the members of the Review of the Environmental Assessment Processes Expert Panel and published the panel's final Terms of Reference. With these actions, the review can begin.

"We are impressed by the depth and breadth of expertise amongst the individuals appointed to the expert panel. Several individuals also have good knowledge of the mining industry, which is appropriate given that the mining sector currently makes up the largest number of environmental assessments conducted by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency," stated Pierre Gratton, President and CEO, the Mining Association of Canada (MAC).

On June 20, 2016, the federal government released for public consultation the draft Terms of Reference for the Expert Panel.

"It's clear that the government considered the comments submitted and we are encouraged to see that the final Terms of Reference reflect the improvements suggested by MAC and others. We are supportive of the government's review and we believe that the improvements announced today will help ensure it is conducted in a meaningful way," stated Gratton.

Some of the changes that address MAC's suggestions include:

Directing the panel to consult the provinces and territories, and recognizing the importance of coordination between federal processes and processes of other orders of government.

Clarifying the broad scope of the panel's review.

Recognizing the importance of Indigenous knowledge.

Enhancing the potential contribution of the Multi-Interest Advisory Committee by enabling it to recommend issues for discussion.

"Mining contributed $57 billion to the Canadian economy in 2014, accounted for almost 20% of Canada's exports and employed 375,000 workers across the country. Mining is also proportionally the largest private sector employer of Indigenous Canadians and one of the largest customers of Indigenous-owned businesses. An effective regulatory process that the public has confidence in, and that improves the competitiveness of the mining industry and attracts new investment is thus critical to Canada's future," stated Gratton.

The legislative reforms of 2012 did not result in diminished federal oversight of mining projects. Mining projects are subject to several federal laws, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the Fisheries Act and Navigation Protection Act. Today, mining projects represent the majority of federal environmental assessments and Section 35 authorizations under the Fisheries Act.

MAC is also supportive of the government's announced plan to establish a Multi-Interest Advisory Committee, which will provide advice to the panel throughout the review.

Given the industry's long-standing experience with CEAA, MAC plans to be a full and active participant in the federal government's review.

About MAC

The Mining Association of Canada is the national organization for the Canadian mining industry. Its members account for most of Canada's production of base and precious metals, uranium, diamonds, metallurgical coal and mined oil sands, and are actively engaged in mineral exploration, mining, smelting, refining and semi-fabrication. Please visit www.mining.ca.

SOURCE Mining Association of Canada (MAC)

For further information: Jessica Draker, (613) 233-9392 x225 or [email protected]; Johanne Senecal, (613) 233-9392 x325 or [email protected]
MARKHAM, ON, Aug. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - Nightingale Informatix Corporation ("Nightingale" or the "Company") (TSX-V: NGH) today announced that it has filed its audited annual consolidated financial statements as at and for the years ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 ("Annual Financials"), related management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") and applicable officer certifications (together with the Annual Financials and MD&A, the "Annual Materials"). The materials can be found at www.sedar.com.

The Company had announced previously that the filings would be delayed beyond the statutory filing deadline of July 29, 2016 and that the Company expected that its publicly traded common shares may become subject to a cease trade order imposed by the applicable securities regulatory authorities until such time as the Annual Materials are filed. The Company is working with the applicable securities regulatory authorities to remove the cease trade order.

The Company is reporting substantially all of its results as discontinued operations in the Annual Financials as a result of the previously announced event that it had signed a definitive agreement, subject to certain conditions, to sell substantially all its assets (the "Transaction"). The Company has scheduled August 30, 2016 to hold a special shareholders meeting in order to approve the Transaction. The Company has mailed the materials for that meeting during the first week of August, 2016 and has posted a copy of such materials on www.sedar.com.

The Company will hold its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders on Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

WHAT: Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders



WHERE: Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

2100 Scotia Plaza, 40 King Street West

Toronto, Ontario, Canada



WHEN: Thursday, September 29, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Forward Looking Statements:

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Specifically, and without limitation, this press release contains forward-looking statements and information relating to: the scheduled date for holding of the special meeting to approve the Transaction and the anticipated closing date of the Transaction. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward- looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" ,"could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the risks associated with: obtaining the required approvals related to the completion of the Transaction and the completion of the Transaction generally; the ability of the Company to update securities regulators and the effect on the ability to trade in the securities of the Company, the ability of Nightingale to successfully develop and market the V10 platform and successfully complete the sale of the Company following the completion of the Transaction. All material assumptions used in making forward-looking statements are based on management's knowledge at the time such statements are made and are subject to change.

Although Nightingale has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Nightingale does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are incorporated by reference herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Further information on Nightingale Informatix Corporation is available at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Nightingale Informatix Corporation

For further information: David Toews, CFO, Nightingale Informatix Corporation, Tel: 905-943-2600, [email protected]; Sam Chebib, CEO, Nightingale Informatix Corporation, Tel: 905-943-2611, [email protected]
OTTAWA, Aug. 14, 2016 /CNW/ - Reflecting on last week's failed terrorist attack, the first thing to note is that Canada's police and security agencies, working closely with international allies (especially the FBI), foiled the would-be terrorist's plot in a remarkably short span of time.

The FBI received "actionable information" in a video pertaining to Canada. Consistent with the robust security alliance that we have with the US, the Americans passed that material to the RCMP. Expert Canadian analysts were able to determine the likely identity and location of the suspect. Federal, provincial and local police forces were deployed immediately. The suspect was engaged and killed in a brief altercation. Public safety was secured.

The loss of any life is tragic, but the effective work of our security and police authorities, in partnership with the FBI, prevented a much more terrible outcome. On days like August 10th, Canadians unite in admiration for the skill and service of our public safety officers and first responders.

It's important for Canadians to know that our agencies and their global partners are monitoring potential risks and threats all the time  24-7, 365 days a year. When credible information is obtained about a possible terrorist situation, robust measures are in place to respond. It is important to say that despite this incident, based on all relevant information at the present time, the current terrorism threat level for Canada remains unchanged at "medium" where it has stood since October of 2014.

Events like last week's and the tragic terrorist murders in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Ottawa in 2014 have led to a genuine appetite among Canadians for a serious examination of Canada's current national security framework - what is it, where should it be improved, how can it become more effective in keeping us safe while safeguarding the essential values that make Canada, Canada?

The government is committed to meaningful national security consultations with parliamentarians, subject-matter experts and Canadians generally. Some of that work has already begun. It will intensify through this autumn with the publication of an updated report on the global risks and threats that affect Canada and a discussion paper that describes our current framework and asks questions about how Canadians want to reshape it.

As a minimum, the government has pledged to protect democratic rights to protest and advocate, to create a more responsive way to deal with no-fly list appeals and false positives, to apply more precise definitions to such things as "propaganda", to ensure compliance with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and to have anti-terrorism legislation reviewed again in three years.

We have also introduced new legislation to create a statutory committee of parliamentarians with extraordinary access to classified information and a mandate to scrutinize the security and intelligence operations of all departments and agencies of the Government of Canada. The committee's objectives will be two-fold - to make sure that all those departments and agencies are effective in keeping Canadians safe, and to make sure our values, our rights and freedoms, and the open, inclusive, democratic character of our country are fully respected. Canadians expect nothing less.

No one would think for one second that what marred Strathroy last Wednesday was at all representative of that peaceful, quintessentially Canadian community, as we heard so eloquently from Mayor Vanderheyden. But that event does make the point that in this uncertain world, no place is immune to the threat of terrorism. And the largest concern is about lone wolves who get sucked into perverse and extreme ideologies that promote violence.

Particularly relevant to what happened in Strathroy, we have also budgeted for a new national office and centre of excellence for community outreach and counter-radicalization. We need to get really good at this - to preserve our diversity and pluralism as unique national strengths.

Some work in this field is already being done in Canada - at various universities and in cities like Montreal and Calgary, for example - but there's little national coherence. Our goal is to begin fixing that this year.

We need to access the best global research. We need to develop more of our own. We need to generate and coordinate talent and expertise. We need to mobilize and support community-based outreach agencies. We need to know how to identify those who could be vulnerable to insidious influences that draw certain people - especially young people - toward extremism leading to violence. We need to understand what positive messages can counteract that poison. We need to know how to intervene with the right tools at the right time in the right way - all to head-off tragedies before they happen, as much as humanly possible.

The consultations just ahead on national security will help inform all these items for government action. They will also help tell us what other steps and measures Canadians want their government to take - to keep them safe and to safeguard the way they want to live their lives.

You are welcome to participate. I hope you will.

Follow Public Safety Canada (@Safety_Canada) on Twitter.

For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada

For further information: Scott Bardsley, Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, 613-998-5681; Media Relations, Public Safety Canada, (613) 991-0657
Kyiv construction executive Anatoliy Voitsekhovsky suspected of the UAH 12.5 million tax evasion and creation of a criminal group, is staying in Ukraine and cooperating with investigators, the spokesperson of Ukrainian Prosecutor General Larysa Sargan has said.

"After paying a bail of UAH 14 million the businessman Voitsekhovsky is staying in Ukraine and cooperating with investigators," she wrote on her Facebook page on Monday.

An investigator of the Prosecutor General's Office denied the fact of alleged escape of the businessman to Russia after information from MP Dmytro Bilotserkovets appeared.

"Today in the morning he personally talked to him. Prosecutor General's Office is working," Sargan wrote.

The PGO on July 15 indicted and arrested Voitsekhovsky for allegedly evading taxes in the amount of UAH 12.5 million, creating a criminal group and other crimes.

The PGO in 2015 and 2016, with the aim of objectively investigating the case, combined 46 criminal investigations involving the suspect. The cases involved the activities of Voitsekhovsky dating back as far as November 2012.

The PGO said it suspected Voitsekhovsky and members of a criminal group of acquiring stakes in the charter capital of a dozen enterprises from 2004 to 2013 (in 2014 the stakes were re-registered to fake companies). With the assistance of these companies, the criminal group took possession of land plots for the construction of 40 structures without the required permits with investor funding. Several of these structures were built on the basis of forged court decisions and illegally registered in the State Real Estate Registry.

The investigation into the seizure of 40 land plots and construction on these sites is in progress.

The UAH 14 million bail was paid for Voitsekhovsky on July 27.
LPPFusion is trying to develop aneutronic fusion with a dense plasma focus device. A dense plasma focus (DPF) is a machine that produces, by electromagnetic acceleration and compression, a short-lived plasma that is hot and dense enough to cause nuclear fusion and the emission of X-rays and neutrons. The electromagnetic compression of the plasma is called a pinch. It was invented in 1954 by N.V. Filippov and also independently by J.W. Mather in the early 1960s.

On November 14, 2008, Lerner received funding for continued research, to test the scientific feasibility of Focus Fusion. On October 15, 2009, the DPF device Focus Fusion-1 achieved its first pinch. On January 28, 2011, LPP published initial results including experimental shots with considerably higher fusion yields than the historical DPF trend. In March, 2012, the company announced that it had achieved temperatures of 1.8 billion degrees, beating the old record of 1.1 billion that had survived since 1978. In 2016 the company announced that it had achieved a fusion yield of .25 joules

LPP fusion sends out reports of their progress almost on a monthly basis. The latest report is from August 15, 2016.

LPP fusion has gotten by on a total funding of about $2 to 5 million.

If LPP is successful with their research and then successful with commercialization they will achieve commercial nuclear fusion at the cost of $400,000-1 million for a 5 megawatt generator that would produce power for about 0.3 cents per kwh instead of 6 cents per kwh for coal and natural gas. It would be a game changer. Their monthly reports have shown that there are many technical, material and theoretical challenges. LPP has shown a lot of grit and ingenuity to overcome challenges.

Currently shots (test firings) are cleaning remaining impurities from the machine and it may take quite a few more, 100-200, to get to the purity level they need. They think if we get to that purity level and get 10 Joules of fusion output, theyll have the results they need to get the investments they need for future work. Roughly, it will take about $150,000 to fire 200 shots.

They have raised the funds for 20 of the shots and performed those tests. Impurities are going down and fusion yields are increasing.

Go here to donate to LPP Fusion.

August 15 update

A new analysis of LPPFusions experimental results with the FF-1 device shows that fully 20% of the input energy was concentrated into the pinch region, where fusion reactions occur. As much as 12 kJ out of the capacitor banks initial 60 kJ was compressed into the pinch. These results, obtained in June with tungsten electrodes and pre-ionization, are about twice as good as the best ones obtained earlier with copper electrodes. The analysis was based on the devices measured current and the voltage measured across the electrodes.

The significance of this result is that it implies that with higher current, nearly all the available energy can be transferred to the pinch. The energy available in the pinch is proportional to the square of the current, so with a current of around 2.8 MA, instead of the present 1.1 MA, energy into the pinch could be increased to 80 kJ, which is almost 70% of the maximum energy that can be put into FF-1. While a high efficiency of energy transfer into the pinch does not guarantee net fusion energy output (high density is also required, in addition to the high temperatures FF-1 already achieves), it is necessary for the net fusion goal.

How can FF-1s current be increased? One step is relatively easythe LPP Fusion research team can put back into use the full 12 capacitors of the device, up from the presently-used 8 capacitors. (The team has put off doing this for now, because this puts more stress on the components and allows fewer spares). Another step, shortening the electrodes, is already planned. Shorter electrodes have less inductancea measure of how much magnetic field energy is created for a given amount of current. Less inductance means more current for the same amount of stored energy.

But to get to the full planned current of 2.8 MA, the inductance of other parts of the FF-1 circuit must be reduced, so more energy is available inside the vacuum chamber, and less is wasted in magnetic field energy outside the chamber. The research team has some concrete ideas of how to do this, but we need help in testing them out. LPPFusion needs paid help from someone who has done 3D modeling of pulsed power circuits and has present access to the software requiredsuch as COMSOL. If you have these specialized skills, or know someone who does, please get in touch with us and we can give you more details and solicit a proposal.

Tungsten electrode tests

For the past month, the research team has been preparing for a second and final series of experiments with the two tungsten electrodes, before moving on to the planned combination of tungsten cathode and beryllium anode later in the fall (see next story). In the course of these preparations, weve come across a possible route to removing the tungsten oxides layers that have increased impurities in the plasma. Work by Alenka Vesel and colleagues at the Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia showed that simple microwaves can remove the oxides. The microwaves heat a hydrogen fill gas to 900 C allowing the hot hydrogen atoms to react chemically with the oxygen in the tungsten oxide, forming water vapor. As the reaction occurs, over the course of 10 seconds, the water vapor can be pumped out, preventing the oxides from re-forming when the gas cools.

LPP Fusion Chief Scientist Eric Lerner is not certain this method will work as the microwaves will not be evenly distributed in FF-1 vacuum chamber, so uneven heating may lead to uneven oxide removal. In your microwave oven, which is heated by the same device, a magnetron, that well be using, heating is evened out by a rotating turntable. But we dont have that in FF-1s vacuum chamber, he explained. But the new method is certainly worth a try and will be tested in September.

Safety Procedures, Instrument Design Paves Way for Beryllium Anode

The next step beyond the new experiments with the existing tungsten electrodes is the installation of the beryllium anode, expected to arrive in September. This will be the first time that a beryllium electrode has been used in any plasma focus device, an idea covered by LPPFusions patents. While most work is still concentrated on the all-tungsten experiments, the LPP Fusion research team is also getting ready for beryllium. As a light metal, with only 4 electric charges per atom, beryllium will produce hundreds of times less impurity impact on the plasma than tungsten does, for equal energy inputs.

Beryllium metal by itself is harmless, but unfortunately beryllium dust is highly toxic to many people. So the first task was consulting with beryllium experts to find out the safest methods for handling even the tiny amounts of beryllium dust that may be produced by firing FF-1 with a beryllium anode. The good news is that beryllium dust will only be produced within the sealed vacuum chamber, where the dust can be safely flushed out with nitrogen. The dust will be trapped in HEPA filters, which will eventually be safely disposed of with local hazardous waste firms. To be doubly sure, we will probably install a sampling chamber so that a sample of the gas in the chamber can be checked at a local lab for dust before the chamber is opened.
Saving Songbirds

The population of many songbird species is plummeting, and the birds face serious threat.

Songbirds fly in and out of our lives, enchanting us with their colorful plumage and melodies. Warblers, orioles and bobolinks  these perching birds are familiar sights to New Englanders. But the population of many songbird species is plummeting, and the birds face serious threats to their survival.

Support for Saving Songbirds is provided by The Butler Foundation

Watch Online Saving Songbirds

Watch More Saving Songbirds
Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy have identified the Chibok girl, who spoke on behalf of her friends in the new Boko H...

Members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy have identified the Chibok girl, who spoke on behalf of her friends in the new Boko Haram video as Dorcas Yakubu.Dorcas who was abducted over two years ago with her school mates by Boko Haram was identified by a member of #BBOG and spokesperson of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) Dr. Allen Manaseh, in the presence of her parents in Abuja.#BBOG in a press statement said that the recognition of several of the girls leaves no room for doubt that they are the Chibok girls.After listening to the call of Dorcas Yakubu, we demand an immediate, transparent, action and results-oriented response plan by the Government, former Minister of Education Oby Ezekwesili and Aisha Yesufu, #BBOG stated in a press statement.The group also stated, Today, 853 days since the abduction of our #ChibokGirls, we woke up to a video on the state of our girls. We are left with mixed feelings of grief and strengthened hope as the chilling words continue to sink in.Our parents please exercise patience. We are suffering here. There is no kind of suffering we havent seen. Our sisters are injured, some have wounds on their heads and bodies.Tell the government to give them their people so we can also come to be with you. We are all children and we dont know what to do. The suffering is too much, please endeavour as we also have exercised patience.There is nothing you, or we, can do about this but to get their people back to them, so we can go home. Exercise patience as we also have endured.This is a direct translation of the Kibaku part of the message. The interpreter, Dr. Allen Manaseh, who is the Spokesman of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) in Abuja, identified the speaker as Dorcas Yakubu, whose parents Esther and Yakubu live in the Abuja area and are both present here with us. In addition, the recognition of several of the girls leaves no room for doubt that these are our girls.Since we last met with the President in January, we have continued to call on him to be responsive to the needs of our Chibok parents, our movement, and the Global Community for timely updates on the rescue operation. In the aftermath of an earlier video, we repeatedly called for the Government to treat the information as the missing piece of credible intelligence it was seeking. Not even the return of Amina Ali, a #ChibokGirl, inspired the sort of response we demanded.After listening to the call of Dorcas Yakubu, we demand an immediate, transparent, action and results-oriented response plan by the Government. We state categorically that the excuse of a split within the terrorists ranks or a period of validation of the authenticity of their claims will not suffice this time. We shall press these demands with a march to the Villa in the next few days.Nothing short of the Nigerian state being in contact with the parents, confirming identities of our girls, providing psychosocial support where necessary, and most importantly, articulating an action plan will be acceptable.Today, 28 months since the abduction, we call on the Governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, China, Australia, Israel, agencies like the United Nations and African Union, and all who previously expressed intentions to support the rescue efforts, to reengage and adopt a strategic rescue position. As global citizens, this is the least our #ChibokGirls deserve.We appeal to all citizens empathetic to the cause of our girls to hold them and their parents in prayers, and commit to joining our march to the Villa in the coming week. Our government, and the World, cannot continue to fail these innocent young women whose only crime is their decision to be educated. If we do, we would have failed to defend our civilization and shared humanity.
The agent of Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure has pleaded for new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola to give his client a chance to play.Toure has reportedly been left out of Man Citys squad for their UEFA Champions League playoff first leg clash against Romanias Steaua Bucharest this midweek.The Elephants player also missed Citys 2-1 win over Sunderland in the opening round of the Premier League this past weekend.Toures agent, Dmitri Seluk, believes that the West African can prove he is good enough to feature in Guardiolas plans, but needs to be given the chance to show what he can do."Pep is the best manager in the world and I just hope he gives Yaya the chance to prove he is still good enough for City," Seluk told SSN."Yaya is the perfect professional and he will do his job. City fans know he will do his best."He has not been included against Sunderland or Bucharest, but that's okay. Guardiola has to learn all about the players he has available."
The Nigerian military asked a man it declared wanted to go home after he reported at one of its facilities in Borno State.

The Nigerian military asked a man it declared wanted to go home after he reported at one of its facilities in Borno State.Ahmed Bolori, the coordinator of the Faash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism and resident of Maiduguri, was declared wanted alongside two others on Sunday.The Nigerian Army in a statement said the three, which included journalist, Ahmad Salkida and Aisha Wakil, a lawyer, were declared wanted for their alleged ties to the Boko Haram sect.The Army said the three refused to provide useful information to authorities despite having clear and unfettered access to the sect and also held them responsible for the Boko Haram video that was released on Sunday.The video purportedly showed the Army conducting area bombardment of an unknown location where the abducted Chibok girls are kept, killing many of them in the process.The Defence Headquarters denied killing the girls and said it was also analysing the video to establish its authenticity.In a message released by Farook Kperoogi, a U.S.-based Nigerian journalism professor, Mr. Bolori reported at the top military barracks in Maiduguri, waited for more than two hours, but there was no one to interrogate or arrest him.Mr. Kperoogi posted the development on his Facebook page which he said was part of the conversation he had with Mr. Bolori.Mr. Kperoogi also attached a WhatsApp conversation in which Mr. Bolori could be seen discussing with an official of the Defence Military Intelligence about how and where he could turn himself in for interrogations.IMG_3723Mr. Kperoogi said Mr. Bolori was later told to go home after spending more than two hours waiting and making frantic calls to Army hierarchy to come and detain him, having been declared wanted.The announcement by the Army declaring Messrs. Bolori, Salkida and Wakil wanted has triggered debates across the world.The spokesperson for the Army, Sani Usman, could not be reached to comment for this story Monday morning. He did not answer or return calls made to him.Read the full statement by Mr. Kperoogi below:It is now self-evident that no one in the highest reaches of governance and security enforcement in Nigeria is thinking. How can you declare people wanted when you havent even invited them for questioningand they havent resisted your invitation? I just got off the phone with Ambassador Ahmed Umar Bolori, one of the people declared wanted by the Nigerian military.He told me he called the Chief of Army Staff, the spokesperson of the Nigerian military who announced him wanted, and other top military officers and said he was at their beck and call and didnt need to be declared wanted since he wasnt in hiding.He then went ahead and turned himself in at the top military barracks in Maiduguri, waited for more than two hours, but there was no one to interrogate or arrest him.He called and texted the chief of army staff and the military spokesperson again and pleaded with them to send someone to detain, arrest, interrogate, or do whatever they wanted to do to him because he wanted to clear his name.He was later told to go home and return the following day! They told a wanted man to go home and come back the next day! Can you believe that? First, he is personally known to the chief of army staff and to the military spokesman. These people also know his home in Maiduguri.They know where to get him if they want to. Yet they declared him wanted. Is there any parallel to this level of puzzling incompetence in the world? Who declares people wanted without any interest in seeing, much less interrogating, them?
European Commission says that security certificate key condition for e-declaration

The launch of the electronic system of income declaration with a technical security certificate is a key condition, Head of Support Group for Ukraine (SGUA) at the European Commission Peter Wagner said.

"EU Delegation to #Ukraine: technical security certificate for e-declarations is key!" he tweeted on Monday.
Justice Ibrahim Watila of a Federal High court in Port Harcourt Monday ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC sh...





Justice Ibrahim Watila of a Federal High court in Port Harcourt Monday ordered that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC should monitor the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP slated for Wednesday in Port Harcourt.Ruling on a suit filed by Senator Ben Obi for himself and other members of the National Convention Planning Committee of the party, Justice Watila also granted that the Inspector General of Police , Commissioner of Police, Rivers state , Director of State Service should provide security for the convention.
Susanne, the widow of the Chief Protocol Officer of the Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Desmond Nunugwo, has accused the Economic and F...

Susanne, the widow of the Chief Protocol Officer of the Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Desmond Nunugwo, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of killing her husband and labelling him a criminal.She explained that six hours after Desmond was taken into custody, he was pronounced dead.She told newsmen: Around 3pm on June 9, my husband had gone to pick up our son from school and they both returned home. He later went out. Around 6pm, I called his line and it rang once. I tried his number several times later, but it was off.The next morning, I got apprehensive when he didnt come home. However, around 3.48pm, someone called me with his phone and said my husband was in the EFCCs custody and I should come to bail him.Susanne said on getting to the EFCC, she was told to go and get a man because being a woman, her husband could not be released on bail to her.Shortly after leaving, the EFCC was alleged to have issued a press statement breaking the news of Desmonds death.She said, The EFCC called me to their office to come and bail my husband while he was already at the mortuary.I later received a phone call from a former colleague of mine that he had read the news online that my husband was arrested for fraud and he had died.The widow said she was informed that her husbands arrest was sequel to a petition written by one Uloma, his business associate.The EFCC told me that before he died, he wrote a statement of four pages. They gave him his phone to make calls for about two hours and then nobody came to bail him and so they said they transferred him to their head office and that a few hours later, he started to complain of discomfort and slumped. They said he was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead, he added.However, the EFCC had said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that the deceased allegedly fraudulently obtained N91m from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business associates in Dubai, who were on the verge of buying NICON Insurance, and convinced her of their disposition to help her stockfish business.The suspect was detained at about 7.30pm, in the absence of anybody to take him on bail. Six hours later, he suddenly complained of discomfort and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki, has accused supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of des...

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Godwin Obaseki, has accused supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of destroying his bill boards and posters.Obaseki, who spoke through the Director-General of his campaign organization, Osarodion Ogie, said the APC has uncovered plots by the PDP to mobilise thugs to start destroying the posters and bill boards under the guise of protesting local government workers.Ogie warned that any attempt to destroy the APC campaign posters would be resisted.He said genuine pensioners were receiving their pensions regularly, while aggrieved local government workers know where to go and what to do.He added; Last Saturday, we woke up and found out that our posters and bill boards around Sapele Road and Ikpoba Hill were destroyed by PDP supporters.Apart from that we have it on good authority that they have recruited some hoodlums under the guise that they are local government workers who are protesting for their pensions and gratuities.The idea is for them to go out and destroy our posters under the guise of protest. This is a workers friendly government; this is the only state that raised its minimum wage from N18,000 to N25,000.This is not about politics; it is real. So, we are using this opportunity to alert security agents to watch out for these people, because we are ready for a peaceful election. They intend to coerce us into violence, but we will not. Edo will be calm for this election because we have no opposition.PDP leaders should be warned; they must stop destroying our posters for the interest of peace. They should know that nobody has monopoly of violence, but we will continue to remain calm because victory is sure.
U.S. actor and producer Robert De Niro said on Saturday that U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump should not run for president because he was "totally nuts".Trump, a billionaire businessman seeking his first public office, has courted controversy with a string of inflammatory statements about his main opponent Hillary Clinton, guns, Mexicans, Muslims and war veterans, among others.De Niro made the comments to a Sarajevo audience as he presented a digital version of Martin Scorsese's film "Taxi Driver", in which he starred, to mark its 40th anniversary.De Niro said to wide applause in the Sarajevo National Theater." De Niro said.Trump has blamed U.S. news media of taking many of his comments out of context.On Friday night, the 73-year-old actor opened the 22nd Sarajevo Film Festival, which was founded as an act of defiance towards the end of the city's 1992-1995 siege during the Bosnian war, and was honoured with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to film." De Niro said at the ceremony.
Embattled former House of Representatives Appropriation Committee Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin has linked Senator Iyiola Omisore with the b...

Embattled former House of Representatives Appropriation Committee Chairman Abdulmumin Jibrin has linked Senator Iyiola Omisore with the budget padding controversy.Omisore, who represented Osun East, was the chairman of the seventh Senates Appropriation Committee.In a letter to All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun in which he urged him to advise House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to resign, Jibrin alleged an unholy alliance between Dogara and Omisore.In the letter, dated August 12, Jibrin said Dogaras exit would enable the House nominate a Speaker Pro Tempore and mobilise our members to support him to take over and adjourn the House until when we are due for resumption in September.This will give room for consultations on the election of a new Speaker when we resume, he said.He urged the party to discuss on the possibility of returning the N100 billion constituency component of the budget under any of our laws so that all stolen money can be returned, particularly the N40 billion naira and equitably distributed to all constituencies.The office of the speaker declined to react to Jibrins letter yesterday.On Omisores role, he said: His godfather is Senator Iyiola Omisore. During the build up to the appointment of committee chairmen, I had a terrible disagreement with him (Dogara). While in London, before the appointment of committee chairmen, Jibrin claimed that Dogara pleaded with me to join him at a house in London. I went and I saw him seated very comfortably with Senator Omisore. It was there he said he was going to appoint me as chairman, Appropriations and I should be reporting to OmisoreI was completely shocked. A nice lunch was served; we ate and we left. At least, there are CCTVs in London. I confided in a highly-placed person who I wouldnt want to mention his name. He advised me to remain calm and concentrate on my job. My refusal to comply with such questionable instructions largely accounted for the anger of Mr. Speaker towards me.It was much later that I realised that Senator Omisore had adopted Speaker Dogara as a godson since their days as Chairman Appropriations and House Services in the sixth Assembly respectively.Jibrin also accused Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal of not supporting his appointment as Appropriations Committee chairman.Jibrin said Dogara was more interested in telling me about the forces who didnt want me to be appointed chairman, appropriations as if I cared. He mentioned former Speaker and present Governor of Sokoto State Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as one. That is how narrow-minded Dogara can be.
The Army yesterday declared three persons wanted under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011(as amended), following Boko Harams release o...

The Army yesterday declared three persons wanted under the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011(as amended), following Boko Harams release of a fresh video in which it restated its conditions for freeing the Chibok girls.Declared wanted are a journalist, Ahmed Salkida, a former Boko Haram negotiator, Hajia Aisha Wakil, and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) promoter, Ahmed Bolori.They are accused of withholding information that could unravel the abducted Chibok girls location.A statement by Army spokesman Col. Sani Usman said: The world is quite aware of the abduction of several persons; women, children and men, including the female students of Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State by Boko Haram Terrorists group. Consequently, appeal was made for their unconditional release by the Federal Government. The military also made concerted efforts to rescue them.We also appeal to Nigerians that have any information to volunteer to the military or security agencies to enable us rescue them.However, two recent incidents have pointed to the fact that, there are three individuals namely; Ahmed Salkida, (Ambassador) Ahmed U. Bolori and Aisha Wakil that have information on the conditions and the exact location of these girls.Therefore, the Nigerian Army hereby declares the two gentlemen and the lady wanted for interrogation. We are relying on the relevant laws of the land and in particular the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 (as amended) where Nigerians could be punished for failure to disclose information about terrorists on terrorists activities.This become necessary as a result of their link with the last two videos released by Boko Haram terrorists and other findings of our preliminary investigations.There is no doubt that these individuals have links with Boko Haram Terrorists and have contacts with them. They must therefore come forward and tell us where the group is keeping the Chibok Girls and other abducted persons to enable us rescue them.We are therefore calling on all Nigerians and peace loving people to give us useful information on their whereabouts. We are also liaising with other security agencies for their arrest if they failed to turn up, the statement said.Ms. Wakil, a lawyer, was in contact with the government during the 2013 amnesty negotiations with the Boko Haram insurgents.She is believed to have met with former President Goodluck Jonathan at the time as part of the negotiation, which later broke down.Mr. Bolori is the coordinator of the Faash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (Pave). He is based in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.Mr. Sakilda had said on Twitter that the latest Boko Haram video was sent exclusively to him before the sect uploaded it to YouTube.Boko Haram said in the video that it would only negotiate with the Nigerian government through journalists known to be close to it.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, today, took the the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Ka...

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND, today, took the the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, to the cleaners, saying he agreed in secret to renounce Biafra in exchange for freedom, only to act hypocritically in public after sealing discussion with MEND on the matter.Spokesperson of MEND, Jomo Gbomo, in a vitriolic statement, said: The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.The group said the IPOB/Kanu statements purport to dissociate IPOB/Kanu from some of the concessions, which have so far been secured by MEND in the ongoing talks aimed at resolving the current Niger Delta crisis between the Federal Government and MEND.Its words, MEND hereby uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the groups ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce Biafra in secret; in exchange for his freedom.MEND and the Federal Government have, however, flatly rejected the IPOB/Kanu hypocrisy to remain defiant in public; while accepting to secretly renounce secession.It asserted: MEND, therefore, urges the already frustrated and desperate Mr. Kanu and IPOB to swallow their pride and make a public denunciation of Biafra.The group argued that the public denunciation by Kanu was important so as not continue deceiving the gullible donors and followers sold to the illusion of a Biafra Republic that aims to annex the Niger Delta region as part of its territory.It said there was need for them (donors and followers) to become fully aware that the so-called Biafra Republic is merely a business venture and scam whose sole beneficiaries are Kanu, directors of IPOB and their families and cronies.
The BringBackOurGirls group and the parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls on Sunday demanded that the Federal Government swap detain...

The BringBackOurGirls group and the parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls on Sunday demanded that the Federal Government swap detained Boko Haram members for the girls who have been in captivity for over two years.This followed the video of the girls released by the sect on Sunday.Boko Haram is holding more than 200 of the 276 final-year girls it seized from Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, in April 2014.Some of them escaped, but 215 girls remain missing. In May 2016, one of them, Amina Ali, was rescued.In the video released by the Abubakar Shekau faction, Boko Haram claimed that some of the girls were killed by air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force on their hideouts.The new video, more than 11 minutes long, showed a masked armed man standing in front of several girls, whom he claimed were the over 200 girls abducted from their hostel at the GSS in 2014.The man stated that the video was released to send a message to the parents of the girls to beg the government to release Boko Haram members in detention centres in exchange for the girls.He said, It pleased God to let us have these girls in our captivity for over two years now. Our first message is to the parents of the girls to let them know that their daughters are still with us; some of them. I also want to tell them to beg the Nigerian government to release our brethren, especially those in Maiduguri, Lagos and Abuja and other places across Nigeria. They should be released immediately.You all knew that we had the girls, but God never allowed you to know their location and you will never know by Gods grace. You keep lying in your media that you will rescue them; they have been with us for over two years, yet you dont know where they are. You have been lying about these girls.For over two years that we have been with these girls, about 40 of them have been married, some are dead as a result of airstrikes by infidels. We will show you a video of how your own aircraft dropped a bomb that killed some of these girls. Some of the girls have suffered fractures and other forms of injuries as a result of the air strikes.As you can see, these are the girls, all we want is for you to release our brethren, otherwise, you will never get these girls, God willing. This is our message to the Federal Government and the parents of the Chibok girls.As long as the government does not release our people, we will also never release these girls.One of the girls, Maida Yakubu (Dorcas), who spoke in both Hausa and Kibaku, her native language, asked parents to be patient and beg the government to release their people, so that we will also be released.The BBOG, in a statement, on Sunday, read by a co-convener, Aisha Yesufu, stated that members would press for their demands with a march to the President office.After listening to the call of Dorcas Yakubu, we demand an immediate action, as well as a result-oriented response plan by the government. The excuse of a split within the terrorists ranks or a period of validation of the authenticity of their claims will not suffice this time. We shall press these demands with a march to the Presidential Villa in the next few days, the group stated.The coalition expressed disappointment over the failure of the government to make use of the information it received from the earlier video of the girls in April.In the aftermath of an earlier video, we repeatedly called on government to treat the information as the missing piece of credible information it was seeking. Not even the return of Amina Ali, a Chibok girl, inspired the sort of response we demanded, the group added.It called on the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, China, Australia, Israel, and agencies like the United Nations and the African Union to reengage and adopt a strategic rescue position.A co-convener of the coalition, Oby Ezekwesili, stated that there were only three choices available to the government.She stated that her movement would not allow the government to rest until the Chibok girls were rescued or released, adding that the BBOG did not want to see another video of the girls.She said, We are not going to let up until this government acts. Let them get ready because every day we shall be marching to the (Presidential) villa. These girls were kidnapped in the course of getting education, which annoyed me to no end.It is on this basis of education that I became what I am today. If it means marching to the villa everyday to demand the release of our chibok girls, so be it.Only three choices are available  negotiate to release our girls, use the military operation or a combination of the two. We dont want to see a fourth video.Also, Esther Yakubu, the mother of one of the abducted girls, Dorcas, said she broke down while watching the video of her daughter.Esther said President Muhammadu Buharis administration was more clueless than Jonathans.The Chibok girls must be rescued, they must have their lives, the future that Boko Haram tries to truncate, she said in an emotional outburst.Earlier, Esther had told one of our correspondents that she regretted putting Dorcas in boarding school.I wanted her to have the best of education, I planned to sponsor her education to whatever level she wanted, but she could not sit for her final examinations because she was abducted.Boko Haram in the video asked the government to release their members so that they could release our girls. If the government knows that it cannot handle the insurgency, it should invite other countries. It is not a crime to seek assistance in a war. It is a shame for them to allow our daughters to languish in captivity for over two years.I dont regret sending her to school, but I regret putting her in boarding school. If she was a day student, she would be home with me that night. The abduction affected her because she was in boarding school, Yakubu added.She said apart from her daughter, she recognised about 20 other girls.I recognised Saratu Ayuba, Awa Ishaiya and others. In that video, Dorcas has grown up a little and she is slimmer. I cried when I saw her in the video. That is only change I observe, but I thank God she is alive.Dorcas father, Kabu Yakubu, urged the government to release Boko Haram detainees in exchange for the Chibok girls, adding that the demand had boosted his hope that his daughter and others would eventually make it home.I will sleep well because since she was kidnapped, I have never seen her in other videos released. But today, I saw her in the video, and my joy was rekindled.What we have been telling the government is what Boko Haram demanded in the video. We are appealing to the government to help us to release Boko Haram detainees so they can release our daughters. In the video, my daughter was begging the government to negotiate with the terrorists and they (Boko Haram) said unless the government releases their members who were being detained in Abuja, Lagos and Maiduguri prisons, they wont release the girls.Chibok resident urges govt to bring girls homeThe President, Kibaku Youth Association of Nigeria, the youth association of the community, Moses Zakwa, said whatever the Federal Government could do to rescue the Chibok girls would be welcomed by parents of the abducted girls and the entire community.He said the Chibok community and the parents of the abducted girls were already disappointed that the All Progressives Congress government failed in its promise to rescue the girls within its first 100 days in power.Zakwa said, The government knows the best thing to do. We, the stakeholders and parents of the Chibok girls, want the government to do whatever within its power to rescue the Chibok girls. This is over two years of abduction that we are talking about. This issue happened in 2014 and till today only one girl had been rescued.This same APC government used the platform of Chibok girls, one way or the other, to clinch the power. They promised Nigerians that they were going to do everything possible to rescue the girls; and we believed them  Nigerians believed them. Today, we are talking about over one year since they assumed office, nothing has happened.We are in touch with Boko Haram  FGThe Federal Government on Sunday said it was in touch with members of Boko Haram.In a statement by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the government added that it was being cautious in order to establish that it was dealing with the right people.Asked by our correspondent if the government was conceding to the request of the Islamist group, Mohammed said the government was doing everything possible to secure the release of the girls and put an end to the horrible saga of their abduction.He said, The government is in touch with those behind the video. We are on top of the situation. 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.We hope that the latest development will signal the beginning of the end of the nightmare to which the girls, their families and indeed all Nigerians have been subjected since the unfortunate abduction.
The Presidency on Monday announced the death of the Director of Information, State House, Mr. Justin Abuah.

The Presidency on Monday announced the death of the Director of Information, State House, Mr. Justin Abuah.According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the deceased, aged 57, died on Sunday in Abuja after a brief sickness.He said Abuah, fondly called O.J, had a long and rich career at the Presidency, where he served seven past Nigerian leaders since 1986 when he joined the State House media office from the News Agency of Nigeria.His many colleagues, friends and admirers will fondly remember him as the man behind several presidential statements and speeches; and he demonstrated a rare sense of calmness and candour in service, Adesina said.A native of Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State, O.J who was born on January 29, 1959 is survived by his wife, Loretta and three children (Chinedum, Chike and Amaechi).President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have sent a condolence message to the bereaved family.Adesina said burial arrangements would be announced later by the family.
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Saturday insisted that parents who failed to send their children to school in September in the...

Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State on Saturday insisted that parents who failed to send their children to school in September in the state would be jailed.The governor, who stated this at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, during the screening of the He named me Malala, documentary organised by his wife, Hadiza, said parents who did not want to take their children to school, were free to leave the state.He said, You can leave Kaduna State if you dont want to send your child to school next month. No street begging again. All our children must go to school. Any parent who refuses to send his or her child to school will be prosecuted and send to prison.This is just as the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Andrew Nok, said the current administration in the state had awarded scholarships to 40 girls to study Medicine in Uganda as a way of encouraging girl-child education.Also, el-Rufai wife, Hadiza, said the percentage of out-of-school girls was too high and the government had decided to solve the problem.She said young girls constituted a significant percentage of the population and must be supported with education and training required to ensure that they contributed effectively to the society.El-Rufais wife said, I wish to start by thanking all of you for coming to this screening of the He named me Malala Documentary. While most of us know Malala as the 19-year-old Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, it is important to know where her journey started.Malala was just a regular Pakistani girl with a penchant for education until in 2012 when her pursuit for education resulted in her being shot and put in a coma. The attack received worldwide condemnation, she has since recovered from the tragedy and has translated this tragedy to worldwide advancements in girl child education.In Kaduna State, we are working assiduously to create opportunities, the percentage of girls out of school is way too high and this is a problem we have decided to solve. In cognisance of this, we are working hard to increase female enrolment in good schools, improve school curriculum and make affordable health care available for everyone.
No Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, but one was wounded in action (WIA) in the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, in the past 24 hours, Ukrainian presidential administration speaker for ATO issues Oleksandr Motuzianyk said.

"No Ukrainian soldiers were killed in hostilities in the past day, but one was wounded. This happened in the Donetsk sector, and now the wounded soldier is undergoing treatment in hospital in Avdiyivka. His condition is estimated at satisfactory," he said at a briefing on Monday.

Motuzianyk informed that ATO forces had managed to repel an attack by an enemy special forces unit near the village of Novo-Oleksandrivka in the Luhansk sector. In his words, two militants were killed. "There is no WIA or KIA on our side," he added.

The enemy also opened fire from mortars and machine-guns. Eight armed provocations were recorded in the Luhansk sector in the past 24 hours. Two of them were committed with the use of heavy weapons.

"Avdiyivka's industrial zone remains the hottest spot in the Donetsk sector. It accounted for half of all attacks by militants. In particular, they lobbed 44 mortar shells into ATO positions there. The Butivka coal mine, the villages of Verkhniotoretske and Mayorsk also came under fire. In the past 24 hours, 23 attacks were registered in that sector, 70 mortar shells were fired on the Ukrainian troops there.

The Mariupol sector saw fighting along the entire contact line. The enemy opened fire from an infantry fighting vehicle to shell the town of Maryinka, the villages of Talakivka, Taranchuk, and Novotroitske. Militants also used mortars and artillery system. There were 28 attacks in the Mariupol sector in the last day.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and FCT, on Monday refuted media reports that they had pulled out of ...

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and FCT, on Monday refuted media reports that they had pulled out of the mother body. Rev. Sunday Ibrahim, the Financial Secretary, CAN Northern States, denied the purported pull out while speaking in Kaduna.Ibrahim, who is also the associations Secretary in Kaduna State, said that there was no time the state chapters contemplated pulling out of the apex body.We have raised some concerns about some developments at the national level and sought for redress, but we never considered pulling out as an option, he said.He emphasised that it was not the 19 northern states CAN that pulled out of the apex body, but some Christian stakeholders in the region.People should not confuse them with CAN in the 19 northern states and the FCT; we are part of CAN and will remain in CAN. If you go through the publications very well, it said Northern Christians under the auspices of Concerned Christians of Nigeria (CCN) and Northern Nigerian Christians (NNC).Northern CAN was not part of the press briefing. As Christians and as Nigerians, they have the right to air their views and opinion. They are simply exercising their fundamental rights of freedom of speech and freedom of association, he said.The official, however, urged the apex body to call aggrieved members to a round-table to amicably resolve all pending disagreements. CCN and the NNC had at a press briefing on Sunday in Jos, announced their decision to pull out of the apex Christian body. The groups said they had adopted the pre-independence name of Northern Nigerian Christian Association (NNCA) due to alleged political intrigues, travesty of justice and corruption in CAN.Rev. Luka Shehu of CCN and Hon. Peter Luka of NNC, at the press conference in Jos, also accused CAN of neglecting northern Christians affected by insurgency in the North-East. They alleged that the immediate past CAN President, Ayo Oritsejafor, deliberately frustrated the candidature of Rev. Jeremiah Gado of the TEKAN/ECWA bloc, to prevent the emergence of a northerner as CAN president.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has initiated criminal proceedings against officials of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), who kidnapped and held hostage NABU employees, NABU head Artem Sytnyk said.

"The NABU has opened criminal proceedings under a number of articles, including on the grounds of kidnapping of NABU employees [...], abuse of authority and office by officials of the Prosecutor General's Office, and an array of others, including torture," he said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.

The NABU is investigating a number of criminal proceedings, in which the officials of the department of investigation of high-priority cases in the economy sector of the Ukrainian PGO were involved, he said.

"During this investigation the investigative judge granted a permission to take certain private investigative measures, including against the officials of the aforementioned department," he said.

In addition, Sytnyk said that the officials of the department of investigation of high-priority cases in the economy sector detained NABU employees on duty for 11 hours without providing any procedural documents, abusing office and using the recourses of the PGO and the National Police, in Kyiv on August 12.

"Two employees, taking private investigative measures, were illegally detained, transported to the PGO department and held there. Having the opportunity to release them I made a request to the Prosecutor General [Yuriy Lutsenko] to give an order to his subordinates to ceases the illegal activities and release the NABU officials held illegally. I am grateful for the constructive stand of the Prosecutor General, who made the decision and gave the relevant order," he said.

At the same time, Sytnyk said, despite the order of the Prosecutor General, the officials of the PGO department of investigation of high-priority cases in the economy sector detained the NABU employees illegally for 11 hours.

"The personal belongings, devices and documents were illegally seized from the NABU employees. There is also evidence that the illegal measures of physical and psychological pressure were used against them," he added.

At that, Sytnyk said he is confident that such event was possible only because Lutsenko "was not in Ukraine at the time and in fact did not know that the orders [on the NABU employees' release] he gave in the afternoon were not fulfilled."
Pakistan's I-Day celebrations dedicated to Kashmir's freedom, says its envoy in India

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.
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 -- 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.
Christie Administration Dedicates Bound Brook Flood-Control System

$143 Million Comprehensive Floodwall and Levee System Now Protects Area Devastated by Past Floods

(16/P77) Trenton, NJ  Governor Chris Christie today marked a milestone in the Administrations efforts to make the state more storm-resilient by dedicating the completion of the Bound Brook phase of the Green Brook Flood Risk Management Project. A $143 million system of levees, floodwalls, floodgates and pumping stations will help protect Bound Brook, long one of the most flood-prone communities in the state, as well as a densely populated portion of north-central New Jersey. Governor Christie was joined by Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin, Brigadier General William H. Graham, Colonel David Caldwell, Commander of the Army Corps New York District, and Bound Brook Mayor Robert Fazen.



Far too many residents have had their homes and businesses destroyed by floods, and as Ive been there to hug and console a lot of people who have lost so much, today marks my commitment to keep them safe with stronger and modernized infrastructure,  Governor Christie said. My administration is so strongly focused on completing projects like this to protect people, communities and property in all parts of the state from the traumatic and life-changing impacts of severe flooding. This particular project is part of a larger effort to protect not just Bound Brook but a total of 13 municipalities and tens of thousands of families in Middlesex, Somerset, and Union counties.

Located along the Raritan River and its confluence with the Middle Brook and smaller streams, the borough of Bound Brook has been frequently hit by floods, several of which have been devastating. The new flood-control measures will help protect the community from the kind of destruction it experienced in September 1999, when Tropical Storm Floyds floodwaters ripped apart buildings, sparked fires that burned for days, forced extensive evacuations and hundreds of water rescues, and caused at least two deaths in the borough.

Tropical Storm Floyd was to Bound Brook and many neighboring towns what Superstorm Sandy was to our coastal communities  a natural disaster that shattered lives and destroyed livelihoods, said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin. It is gratifying that residents in Bound Brook now have peace of mind that their families, homes, schools and businesses are protected.

The Bound Brook project, includes construction of 8,500 feet of levees, 1,300 feet of floodwalls, two pump stations, two flood gates for roads and a flood gate for an NJ Transit crossing. In addition, the elevations of the Talmage Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard bridges were raised and an abandoned Conrail bridge was removed.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is very pleased to be announcing the completion of the Bound Brook portion of the Green Brook Flood Risk Management Project, said Colonel Caldwell. In collaboration with our partners at the federal, state and local levels, we've taken another step toward reducing flood risk and increasing resiliency for the residents of Bound Brook. This is a key step in the building of one of the largest flood risk reduction projects of its kind in the country.



The federal government funded 75 percent of the construction costs, with the state and local governments making up the balance. Somerset County is performing ongoing maintenance of the Bound Brook flood-protection system, with the state paying 75 percent of the operating costs and the county funding the balance.

Mayor Fazen said the project is generating new business development and that federal flood insurance premiums for hundreds of property owners have been reduced or eliminated.

Potential flooding has always inhibited outside investment and with the threat of flooding reduced, development is accelerating, Mayor Fazen said. The residents of Bound Brook are ecstatic. We always had the threat of flooding in our minds. But with this project, residents feel a sense of safety.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working in partnership with the DEP, the counties of Middlesex, Somerset and Union, and the Green Brook Flood Control Commission to develop and construct a comprehensive, basin-wide flood control system to protect a 65-square-mile area of low-lying land encompassing all or parts of 13 municipalities. This basin acts like a bowl, collecting floodwaters funneled from the Raritan River and its many tributaries, including Middle Brook, Stony Brook, Green Brook, Bound Brook, Ambrose Brook and Blue Brook.



The basin encompasses all or parts of the following municipalities: Dunellen, Middlesex, Piscataway and South Plainfield in Middlesex County; Bound Brook, Bridgewater, Green Brook, North Plainfield, Warren and Watchung in Somerset County; and Berkeley Heights, Plainfield and Scotch Plains in Union County.



In addition to the work completed in Bound Brook, substantially completed portions of the project include the raising of the Sebrings Mill Bridge in neighboring Middlesex, and elevated work on a portion of a levee, pump station and floodwall. The Army Corps is expected to award contracts for additional flood-mitigation structures in Middlesex by the fall.



At the DEPs request, the Army Corps is updating its evaluations of flood-control measures for the upper portion of the basin, which includes parts of Union County. A draft project management plan has been provided to DEP for review. Upon completion of this review, the plan will be released to the Green Brook Flood Control Commission and counties for their review and comments.

For more information, including project area maps, visit: http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-in-New-Jersey/Green-Brook-Sub-Basin/

For more information on the Administrations efforts to reduce flooding and storm risks and make the state more resilient, visit: https://dep.nj.gov/hurricane-sandy/
Leslie Claverie, left, plays suspected axe-murderer Lizzie Borden in 'Lizzie,' playing at the New Orleans Arts Center through Aug. 28. The rock musical presents the discovery of an affair with her neighbor Alice, played by Kali Russell, as the motivation for the killings of Borden's father and stepmother.
New missiles could reach Chinese coast

Japan's decision to develop surface-to-sea missiles with a range of 300 kilometers to cover the disputed islands shows the country may be eyeing a shift to an offensive posture, analysts said.

The Japanese government has decided to develop the missiles to "protect the nation's isolated islands," including the disputed Diaoyu Islands, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.

Development costs will be part of the Defense Ministry's budget request for the fiscal year ending March 2018, and the weapons are set to be deployed on islands, such as Miyako, in Japan's southernmost Okinawa prefecture by 2023.

"Japan is trying to use the missile system to lock down the Miyako Strait and prevent Chinese forces from entering the Western Pacific Ocean," Zhou Yongsheng, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times.

He said if the reported 300-kilometer range is true, it would mean Japan is ready for a hard fight. "The range is higher than that of Russia's S-300 surface-to-air missile system, and better than China's current surface-to-air missile system," Zhou said.

Da Zhigang, director of the Institute of Northeast Asian studies at the Heilongjiang Academy of Social Sciences, said the 300-kilometer range missiles could target China's coastal areas.

"If China launches a strategic weapon or if a ship departs from China's coastal areas in Zhejiang Province, they would be within the missiles' range," he told the Global Times.

Da said the missiles are similar to South Korea's recent deployment of the THAAD system, as both would spark a regional arms race.

"Though Japan claims it is for defense purposes, the missiles increase Japan's capability to shift from a defensive to an offensive posture," Da said.

State broadcaster NHK reported Japan's Defense Ministry is inclined to hasten efforts to deploy a THAAD battery in the wake of North Korea's recent missile launches.

G20 factor

On Saturday, a Japanese government source said Chinese fighter jets have been approaching the Diaoyu Islands since May, Japanese media reported.

In response, Tokyo scrambled Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets, the source said, calling such moves by Chinese aircraft "abnormal." Chinese warplanes have flown near the islets more than three times since late May, the source said.

Earlier this month, 230 Chinese fishing boats and a dozen China Coast Guard vessels were spotted near the Diaoyu Islands, according to Kyodo News.

Zhou said China's recent activities near the Diaoyu Islands are part of efforts to counter Japan's meddling in the South China Sea issue.

Last week, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida met his Philippine counterpart Perfecto Yasay in the southern Philippine city of Davao, where both pledged to work closely to boost maritime security while facing separate sea disputes with China, AFP reported.

Kishida's visit to Manila shows that Japan is encouraging the Philippine government to pursue the former administration's policy against China, while spreading the misleading message that China has no intention to repair its souring relationship with Japan, experts said.

The friction comes ahead of next month's Group of 20 summit in China, where there has been talk of a potential meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Zhou said the G20 summit might temporarily ease tensions between the two countries.

This year's trilateral summit between China, Japan and South Korea, expected to be held in November, will also be an opportunity for the three countries to mend their ties, Zhou said.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump. The nine-member panel sent a letter to the former president's lawyers on Friday, demanding his testimony under oath by mid-November and outlining a series of corresponding documents. The decision by lawmakers to exercise their subpoena power comes a week after the committee made its final case against the former president, who they say is the "central cause" of the multi-part effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It remains unclear how Trump and his legal team will respond to the subpoena, if at all.
Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 67F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 67F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall possibly over one inch.
Japan will develop a new land-to-sea missile that has a range of 300 kilometers, according to Yomiuri Shimbun. The new weapon is expected to be deployed on islands such as Miyako in 2023. By improving their long-range strike capability, Japan aims to acquire bigger control over the disputed waters around the Diaoyu Islands, which are only 170 kilometers away from Miyako Island.

Miyako sits at the mouth of the Miyako Strait, an international waterway which is also a major route for the Chinese navy to enter the Pacific Ocean. If the new missile is deployed at Miyako, it could threaten all Chinese ships in the waters of the Diaoyu Islands.

Japan's aggressive plan has barely met any opposition. In stark contrast, China's deployment of some land-to-air missiles in Yongxing Island in the Xisha Islands for self-defense has been radically protested by the US and Japan, which claim China is militarizing the South China Sea and threatening the freedom of navigation. Japan keeps increasing the range of its missile weaponry on Miyako Island, from the type 88 land-to-sea missiles with a range of 150-200 kilometers, to the new missile of 300-kilometer range. Where is Japan's respect for freedom of navigation in international waters?

Japan has a strong awareness of crisis, one of the reasons that continues to drive the country in its past militarist expansions. Japan demands a big say in the smooth transportation in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straits. Meanwhile, it wants to be a dominator in the Miyako Strait and decide whether the Chinese navy and civilian ships can enter or not.

Japan's logic excludes China's concerns about national security. Japan thinks its national interests should prevail and the US-Japan alliance should be the centerpiece of the Asia-Pacific region.

If Japan wants to make trouble with China on the latter's path to the Pacific, then it shouldn't make fuss about the fact that China will limit Japan's waterways in the South China Sea. Japan shouldn't use double standards between the militarization of the Miyako Island and the militarization of the Nansha Islands.

China has no intention to engage in a physical confrontation with its neighbors or the US, because it is not in line with China's national interests. But China's mustn't accept Japan's unilateral move to block the Miyako Strait in particular situations. A militarized Miyako Island should be a target of Chinese military forces, which could consider annihilating its military base if in war with Japan. However, it is best for both that the scenario won't happen.

Today is the 71st anniversary of Japan's surrender in WWII. The Japanese should use the day for introspection and remorse, instead of raising nationalism and flexing muscles.
Today

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early followed by scattered thunderstorms overnight. Low 68F. 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 80%. 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.
Short term impact wont affect long-term growth potential: experts

Although Chinese companies seeking growth in Australia face increasing challenges posed by local authorities, the economic and trade tie between the two countries will remain healthy over the long run, even as some short-term impacts linger on, experts said Sunday.

The comments came after media reported that Australia on Thursday made a preliminary decision to reject the A$10 billion ($7.7 billion) sale of Ausgrid, its biggest energy grid, to China's leading power distributor State Grid Corp and Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings citing security concerns.

Earlier in April this year, Australia turned down a A$371 million bid by a China-led consortium looking to buy the cattle ranch S. Kidman & Co.

"The recent refusals from Australia will not have a negative impact on Chinese enterprises' enthusiasm for their investment in Australia from a long-term perspective, but the economic and trade relations between the two countries will be affected to some extent for a short period of time," Zhuang Rui, deputy dean of the Institute of International Economics at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), told the Global Times on Sunday.

According to Zhuang domestic companies are encountering more and more obstacles when it comes to expanding in Australia, such as an increase in the access threshold for Chinese capital.

Even after Chinese firms successfully buy Australian assets, their operations are likely to be restricted, Zhuang said.

"Under such context, some Chinese companies will transfer their investments in certain industries to other countries and regions across the globe instead of continuing to invest in Australia," she noted.

An increasing number of domestic companies have been eager to go global in recent years, but many Western countries and regions worry that large scale investment from China will disturb the local markets, according to experts.

"Moreover, countries like Australia are concerned about companies backed by the Chinese government, which they think run counter to the market economy and the level playing field they have long promoted," noted Zhuang.

Ongoing cooperation

Australia chose to block the deal out of its own interests, which also involves some political factors, Zhang Jiayuan, an analyst with China Investment Consulting Co, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The tension between the two countries has recently increased. In July, Australia warned China to heed the Hague's ruling on the South China Sea dispute.

Despite tensions, the economic demands from both countries are dependent and the bilateral business cooperation between China and Australia will continue to see sound prospects in the future, experts said.

On one hand, China needs the cooperation with Australia since it brings in large amounts of imports such as iron ore from Australia each year, according to Zhuang, deputy dean at UIBE.

On the other, Australia is eyeing China's large market and will welcome Chinese investment, Zhuang noted.

"Chinese capital is likely to go into sectors in Australia including real estate, tourism and the development of natural resources," Zhang said, noting that in the last two years domestic companies have also stepped up efforts to expand into sectors like healthcare.

China is now the largest trade partner as well as the largest export market for Australia.

In the first half of 2016, Australian exports to China amounted to $30.6 billion, with iron ore, agricultural products and coal as the top three export products, data released by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on July 19 showed.

In 2015, China imported more than 600 million tons of iron ore from Australia, accounting for 63.7 percent of the country's total import of the product, according to MOFCOM.

With the gradual implementation of the China-Australia free trade agreement, which took effect on December 20, 2015, there is great potential for bilateral trade and business, Shen Danyang, spokesperson of the MOFCOM, stated at a press conference in July.
Welcome to nonleaguedaily.coms news provision, your go-to source for all non league updates, rumours, interviews, and much more besides.

Founded by a team with a genuine passion for the world of non league football, nonleaguedaily.com understands exactly what supporters of the so-called lower leagues are looking for. You want the high-quality reporting, in-depth analysis, and match reporting that matches that is more commonly found in the journalism for the top flights, but with the focus firmly fixed on the national leagues.

We understand that your passion, interest, and dedication is constant, and we believe you need a news service that matches that commitment with its own dedication and thoroughness  so thats what you can expect from our site.

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For us, this slow spread may be fairly organic in nature, but it simply isnt compatible with the modern football environment. Its also not conducive to the current fast-paced, always-available media landscape, nor the way that people tend to consume news nowadays. Thats why we have put together a non league news source that fans can turn to for the latest updates, as and when they happen, and as and when you want to read them. Non-league news now is the only acceptable speed at Betting.co.uk.

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An undated photo shows Norio Minami talking to a Chinese victim [Photo: Xinhua]

Monday marks the 71st anniversary since Japan announced unconditional surrender in the World War II.

71 years later, some Japanese lawyers are fighting to urge their own country to shoulder more responsibility for its wartime crimes.

61-year-old Norio Minami is one of them.

Over the past 11 years, he has been working for Chinese victims who suffered from chemical weapons, mostly poisonous gas explosives, used by Japanese army in China during the war.

He says it is the country that used these weapons that should take the responsibility to clean them today.

"To prevent more harm, we should take precautionary measures. Japan needs to take a thorough survey to locate the poisonous gas. It should help the Chinese government to do it. This is necessary"

Post-war field research jointly conducted by China and Japan estimated t5hat the Japanese army had left up to 700-thousand chemical bombs in China by the time they withdrew from the country at the end of the World War II.

There have been cases when people in China were harmed by these hidden bombs many years after the war.

Some victims, together with survivors who suffered directly from the weapons during the war, have been seeking to file lawsuits against Japanese government in a move to demand compensation.

Norio Minami says most such cases he has dealt with ended with Chinese victims losing.

But he says he will continue in his endeavor.

"If you think you lose, you can do nothing. I will keep working until I win, until our government takes action. As long as you bear that in mind, there will be progress."

Norio Minami says he has travelled to China for almost 100 times in efforts to collect evidence and interview victims.
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The rescued woman, whose name was not released, steps ashore from a fishing vessel in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, on Saturday morning.[Photo by Wu Linhong/For China Daily]

A 32-year-old Shanghai woman who fell off a cruise ship that was returning to China from Japan was miraculously saved after floating in the sea for more than 38 hours. She even fell asleep for awhile, according to her father.

The woman, whose name was not disclosed, was traveling with her parents aboard the ship on Wednesday evening when her companions noticed she was missing. She had gone for a walk on the deck at around 8:30 pm but didn't return. Her parents and more than 100 volunteers searched the boat but failed to find her.

The parents gave up hope. A police officer on the ship told the father that there was no chance of survival if his daughter had fallen from the deck, which is 20 meters above the water.

So, when the father received a phone call on Friday informing him that his daughter had been saved, he thought the call must be from someone who wanted to defraud him of money, according to a report in thepaper.cn.

"Only after I heard my daughter's voice did I believe she was still alive. It's a miracle," the man said.

A fisheries official surnamed Wang in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, who wanted only his surname used, said that he saw the missing woman.

"She was in a stable condition when I saw her, with only minor injuries on her arms," he said.

Wang's department was called by a fishing boat and informed that the woman had been found in a coastal area over which Zhoushan has jurisdiction. Wang was asked to check out the situation once the boat arrived in port at Zhoushan at 7:40 am on Saturday.

The woman said she fell off the cruise ship while leaning over a 1.4-meter rail and gazing into the sea, Wang told China Daily.

He said the woman was rescued at about noon on Friday and was too weak to eat until dinnertime.

Wang said she went home with her parents at around 5 pmon Saturday.

The woman learned to swim when she was in kindergarten and is physically strong and a good swimmer, the father was quoted as saying by Shanghai-based Jiefang Daily. He said his daughter reported falling asleep for awhile as she drifted in the water.
SYDNEY, Aug. 13 (Peoples Daily Online) Sydney Opera House held a media conference on August 11, 2016, unveiling working designs for the largest program of upgrades in 43 years since it opened in 1973.

The plans will ensure the Opera House is able to meet the increasing popularity of Australias leading tourist destination and busiest performing arts centre. The Sydney Opera House is the symbol of modern Australia. It is our responsibility as custodians of this extraordinary place to maintain and renew it for all Australians, said Troy Grant, NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts.

The Opera House has exceeded everyones expectations, from the scale, range and intensity of performances and events to the wide variety of visitors it attracts from around the world. So much of what the Opera House does today could not have been envisaged when it was first conceived and built. It is crucial to work through these renewal projects and respect the incredible heritage, Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said.

The largest of the four NSW Government-funded projects, the Concert Hall upgrade is expected to take 18 months to complete. Construction will begin in mid-2019 and the hall will reopen with the Sydney Symphony Orchestras (SSO) 2021 season.

It will also transform office space into a new Creative Learning Centre, a dedicated place for children, families and young people. Moreover, it will remove the existing intrusive marquee from the Northern Broadwalk, and build a premium Function Centre within the building envelope, with spectacular views of the harbour. And it will create a welcoming, car-free entrance under the Monumental Steps, and improve access to a more comfortable and inviting main foyer. In order to ensure the Renewal plans, The NSW Government has committed $202 million from the Cultural Infrastructure Fund.
Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

Not surprisingly, China has once again become a key topic in the current US presidential campaign. Issues concerning China-US economic and trade relations, in particular, will be exploited by the Republican and Democratic candidates to express their stance on China and impress voters.

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said earlier last week that trade enforcement with China would be the centerpiece of his economic plan, accusing China of breaking trade rules "in every way imaginable."

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she would get tough with "China and anyone else who tries to take advantage of American workers and companies." She hinted that she would impose targeted tariffs if China broke trade rules.

After witnessing the US presidential elections over the years, China has more or less gotten used to the way that American politics works, and expects anti-China rhetoric during the campaigns.

The US trade policy toward China is already showing a strong tendency of protectionism. This can be seen in the increasing cases of US anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations against Chinese products, an inconsistent stance on China's market economy status as well as US-initiated regional trade organizations designed to discriminate against non-members, including China. Additional new trade protection measures by Washington would be of no surprise to China.

In Trump's case, he seems to be bolder and go further in his rhetoric as he has threatened to impose new tariffs on Chinese products on numerous occasions during his election campaign. Trump believes that higher tariffs on China would boost the US economy and improve the country's international competitiveness. His tough stance sounds serious but this is only one of his negotiating strategies in doing business. He is good at bluffing and forcing his client to make concessions. When a client is not fooled by his bluffing, he will take whatever he can get.

It would not be feasible for the US to impose additional tariffs on Chinese goods. Even if Trump was elected, the US is not Trump's company and will not be run under a one-man rule. Imposing new tariffs on Chinese products involves complicated legislative procedures, as well as clashes between different interest groups inside the US. Although there are some Americans whose interests are impaired due to trade with China, more people benefit from Chinese trade and would not support Trump's decision. Besides, both the US and China are members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and any trade disputes that arise should be settled under the WTO framework. If the US unilaterally imposes extra tariffs on China, it would damage the WTO rules and possibly overturn the global multilateral free trade system that countries around the world have worked so hard at establishing.

Moreover, the US cannot afford to bear the high cost of imposing additional tariffs on Chinese products. China has already lamented the existing US trade restrictions and would definitely not accept a move to levy extra taxes on Chinese exports. It is also quite probable that China would hit back if this tax levy option becomes a reality, a move that China has sufficient means to do so given its economic strength. Any meager benefit the US would gain from imposing further tariffs on China would not offset any greater economic consequence that comes with it.

More importantly, levying extra tariffs cannot fundamentally reverse the huge trade deficit the US currently has with China. Americans used to believe that the low exchange rate of the yuan was the culprit behind the US trade deficit with China. But now Americans know that appreciation of the yuan does not change the situation. In the era of globalization, the US trade deficit with China is a reflection of its trade deficit with the rest of the world. If the US is not committed to adjusting its own economic structure, its economic relations with the rest of the world will not change and the trade structure between the US and China will remain the same.

The trade protection stance held by the US presidential candidates indicates a tendency towards economic introversion in American society. In a mediocre era of persistent low growth, American politicians seem more inclined to make a fuss over globalization by targeting American's economic rivals and those who benefit from globalization. China falls into both camps and thus becomes a target. What is worrisome is that if the US does pull back on globalization, it will not only damage its economic and trade relations with China but also pose grave challenges to global investment and trade. The US presidential candidates have laid out their international economic policies, which will only bring tremendous uncertainty to the global economy and become a new source for policy risks. Such tendencies needs to be checked and contained by the international community.

The author is director of the Center for Economic Diplomacy, Fudan University. [email protected]
Canberra's Josh Hodgson and Melbourne's Cameron Smith go head-to-head in Round 23 of the NRL Telstra Premiership.

The Raiders and Storm will close Round 23 in a crucial top four battle in the nation's capital. Their in-form No.9s have set up an intruiging clash around the ruck which could go a long way to deciding which side comes out on top.

Will the Storm consoidate top spot in the race for the minor premiership? Or will the Raiders tighten their grip on third place?

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Raiders vs Storm
The key talking points, injuries and judiciary news from the weekend's NRL Telstra Premiership action.

Bulldogs v Sea Eagles

A Josh Reynolds try in the second half of golden point extra time effectively ended the Sea Eagles' season as the Bulldogs won their third match in a row to consolidate their spot in the top four.

Injuries: Raymond Faitala-Mariner (concussion), Dylan Walker (shoulder), Tom Trbojevic (ankle).

Judiciary: James Graham (careless high tackle).

Match Report: Reynolds try seals golden point win

Bulldogs v Sea Eagles: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Bulldogs vs Sea Eagles



Broncos v Eels

Brisbane five-eighth Anthony Milford returned to his best to inspire his side to a 38-16 win over the Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night. Corey Oates scored a hat-trick while Jonus Pearson scored two on debut to send a warning shot to the rest of the competition.

Injuries: No major injuries.

Judiciary: No charges.

Match Report: Broncos bounce back to form

Broncos v Eels: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Broncos vs Eels



Wests Tigers v Titans

After James Tedesco was taken from the field with a suspected broken jaw, Titans five-eighth Jarryd Hayne kicked the winning field goal with barely seconds remaining as the Titans kept their finals hopes alive at Campbelltown Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Injuries: James Tedesco (jaw), Greg Bird (shoulder).

Judiciary: Ryan James (careless high tackle), David Shillington (dangerous contact - other).

Match Report: Hayne field goal sinks Wests Tigers

Wests Tigers v Titans: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Wests Tigers vs Titans



Warriors v Rabbitohs

The Rabbitohs ended a nine-game losing run and dented the Warriors' finals hopes with a big 41-22 win at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

Injuries: Adam Reynolds (hamstring), Solomone Kata (hamstring).

Judiciary: Zane Musgrove (shoulder charge).

Match Report: Rabbitohs snap losing run in Auckland

Warriors v Rabbitohs: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Warriors vs Rabbitohs



Dragons v Sharks

The Dragons looked slick in attack as they upset local rivals the Sharks 32-18 in a match Paul Gallen missed after sustaining an injury in the warm up.

Injuries: Paul Gallen (calf), Sosaia Feki (groin).

Judiciary: No charges.

Match Report: Dragons claim bragging rights in derby upset

Dragons v Sharks: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Dragons vs Sharks



Knights v Panthers

Penrith bucked the trend of upsets in Round 23 on the back of a huge second half, cruising to a 42-6 win over the Knights at Hunter Stadium.

Injuries: Tyler Randell (concussion).

Judiciary: Waqa Blake (dangerous contact)

Match Report: Panthers buck upset trend in Newcastle

Knights v Panthers: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Knights vs Panthers



Roosters v Cowboys

The Tricolours produced a strong performance at Allianz Stadium on Sunday afternoon to hand the Cowboys their third straight loss.

Injuries: Dale Copley (concussion).

Judiciary: No charges.

Match Report: Roosters continue Cowboys' woes

Roosters v Cowboys: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights

Draw Widget - Round 23 - Roosters vs Cowboys



Raiders v Storm

The Canberra Raiders proved they are genuine premiership contenders with a powerful win over the Storm at GIO Stadium on Monday night.

Injuries: No major injuries.

Judiciary: Josh Hodgson (dangerous contact - head/neck)

Match Report: Raiders prove Premiership credentials

Raiders v Storm: Five key points

WATCH: Match highlights
Canberra Raiders forward and English international star Elliott Whitehead has extended his contract with the Raiders until the end of the 2018 season.

Whitehead, 26, joined the Raiders at the beginning of 2016 after a successful seven seasons in the English Super League and has instantly made an impact in the NRL, playing all 22 matches for the Raiders this year.

Whitehead said the way in which the Raiders had performed so far this season was a factor in his decision to extend his contract and said he's starting to feel like he belongs in the NRL.

"We are building something really good at the club at the moment and I want to be part of that. It was an easy choice for me to extend for another year, Whitehead told raiders.com.au.

"I feel like I have adapted very well to the NRL now. Hopefully I can keep improving as a player and keep helping the team out week in week out."

Read more at Raiders.com.au
German carmaker BMW says it is planning to launch self-driving vehicles in China.

The plan was announced at a summit on artificial intelligence and robotics in China's southern city of Shenzhen.

Maximilian Doemling, senior manager for highly automated driving at BMW Group, says the self-driving car will hit roads five years from now.

"If you're expecting autonomous function where you can be on the highway, pressing the button and the car is doing everything for you, like lane changing and driving and that stuff, and you can play with smartphone, and you're always safe, I mean we had the big announcement with Intel and Mobileye that we will have the i-Next in 2021."

The "i" series, which has two existing models, are electric vehicles manufactured by BMW.

Self-driving vehicles is a field explored by quite a number of automakers as they seek new ways to boost sales.

Google and Apple are also said to be interested in this area.

IHS Automotive, an US auto market analysis company, estimates self-driving vehicles will account for around 10 percent of the global auto market in 2035.

However, it's been suggested by analysts there is still a long way to go to manufacture a completely reliable driverless car.

A fatal car accident in the US state of Florida earlier this year, which involved the autopilot mode of Tesla, a forerunner in exploring self-driving vehicles, has raised concerns about the safety of self-driving vehicles, even though Tesla has avoided using "self-driving" to describe its autopilot mode.
VALPARAISO  An employee of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 988 is accused of stealing nearly $4,000 from the lodge early Saturday morning.

The accused, Stacey Kohanyi, 40, of the 3700 block of Harmony Court, reportedly told police she stole the money because she was going to be fired and the group was going to withhold her paycheck.

Kohanyi was caught on a video surveillance system entering the VFW building in the 700 block of Roosevelt Road at about 5:30 a.m. Saturday and is seen taking money off a desk and out of a cabinet in the office area, police said.

Kohanyi used a code unique to her to turn off an alarm system, police said.

Police said they went to Kohanyis home and found the cash and two checks in money bags and large envelopes in a vehicle in the driveway.

Kohanyi was arrested and faces a felony count of theft.
PORTAGE  Two women were arrested Friday evening after one argued with her brother and the other allegedly rammed his SUV.

Rachel Freeman, 31, of Michigan City was charged with misdemeanor battery and Nikki D. Austin-Bennett, 27, of New Buffalo, Michigan was charged with misdemeanor criminal recklessness, false informing and leaving the scene of an accident.

Police were called to the parking lot of Town & Country, 6046 Central Ave., about 6:30 p.m. Friday.

The victim told police he ran into his sister at the store and the two argued about family matters. He said when he left the store Freeman was standing next to the driver side door of the SUV and he asked her to move. He said he grabbed her by both arms to move her.

Freeman then allegedly struck him in the face several times with a closed fist. When he got in his SUV, Austin-Bennett rammed the passenger side of his SUV before Freeman entered the passenger door and they drove away.

Freeman and Austin-Bennett denied the allegations, but video surveillance tapes of the stores parking lot supported the victims story.

Both women were transported to Porter County Jail.
INDIANAPOLIS  Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson is among 49 city leaders in 30 states getting noticed for taking proactive steps to improve community-police relations following a violent July.

Her idea for a Northwest Indiana town hall meeting to address issues related to Region law enforcement is included in a new U.S. Conference of Mayors publication compiling plans and programs being used across the country to ease tensions.

This report shows that mayors are stepping up to the challenge that the recent shootings have posed to their communities, said Tom Cochran, CEO of the nonpartisan U.S. mayors association.

They are working with police chiefs, other local officials, clergy and other community leaders during this difficult period, examining their local situation, listening to their residents and working in partnership with them to strengthen police-community relations.

Freeman-Wilson said her plan for a Regionwide meeting, instead of a Gary-only town hall, is needed because the population of Gary, which she noted is 85 percent black, differs markedly from neighboring municipalities.

Many of these communities are predominantly white and their police forces reflect their demographics. We have also seen the same thing with state police and county forces, Freeman-Wilson said.

This creates a dynamic in which we are providing training and guidance for officers who are under our purview, while officers in the surrounding communities dont relate to our residents in the same way.

She said Gary residents face similar issues throughout the Region when seeking employment, public accommodations or other services the law requires be provided on an equal basis.

Her town hall meeting has not yet been scheduled, but city officials said they expect it will be set for late August.

Freeman-Wilson insisted the event wont just be a sound-off session.

The objective is to set the stage for solution-oriented work that will include a wider engagement ... between residents of neighboring communities, more training and discussion about implicit bias and other solutions, she said.

The former Indiana attorney general is the only Hoosier community leader whose plan for reducing tensions is included in the U.S. mayors publication, Community Conversations and Other Efforts to Strengthen Police-Community Relations In 49 Cities.

Its available online at nwi.com.
Portage High School U.S. History teacher John Arrendondo said some teachers are concerned about what a new standardized state achievement test will entail.

Obviously during the last couple of years, the testing program has been a mess, he said.

In my opinion, teachers, for the most part, do not mind a test. We understand these tests are part of what is going on in education around the country. The issue most of us have is the importance that is placed on the test.

The idea that test scores affect a school grade, which affects a school corporations rating, and taking it even further to having that be part of a formula that will determine if a teacher earns a raise or not, is a tough sell for teachers. We know you cant determine a schools worth, a teachers worth  or a students worth  based on the results of one test, he said.

Arredondos classes have juniors and some seniors who are ISTEP-Plus retakers.

The Times has documented scoring glitches with ISTEP-Plus, delayed test results and technical problems the past several years.

The last time the ISTEP-Plus test will be used is spring 2017. Retests likely will continue over the next two or three years beyond 2017 for high school students for whom the ISTEP-Plus is their graduation exam.

A new graduation exam is scheduled to be identified for the 2017-18 school year along with new tests for third through eighth grade. A committee is meeting monthly to explore options and recommend a new testing system by December.

However, the committee reportedly is concerned about the deadline, and a consultant has suggested that it take at least two years to develop a new assessment.

Indiana education expert Schauna Relue said its a short timeline.

Relue is director of learning with Five-Star Technology Solutions and was formerly director of curriculum and instruction at the Indiana Department of Education and Fort Wayne Community Schools.

I think our testing system definitely needs to be improved, she said. Students and teachers sacrifice too much time on the current test, and it yields little useful data for teachers, since results come when students have moved into the next grade and are working on a new set of standards.

A more useful test design would provide teachers information on the standards they are teaching, aligned to their curriculum, in real time. This design would allow teachers to adjust their curriculum based on data, so they could better meet the needs of their students. Students could then take a smaller summative test at the end of the year on critical standards that need to be in place for success as students move on.

Relue said another challenge of the current test is it is given in two time periods, which adds unnecessary time to the test.

This newest legislation requiring a different test in 2017-18 will put schools back in the same position of having little guidance or time to adjust to a new assessment, she said.

This creates a great deal of anxiety and many extra hours for teachers making adjustments to curriculum and resources to try to be ready. All of that extra time pulls their energy away from what matters most, working with their students.

Relue said the new test should be shorter, but until the test is selected or designed, no one knows for sure.

Standardized testing an issue nationwide







Standardized testing also is an issue in other states.

In Illinois, Mary Kalantzis, dean of the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said there are no standardized children, so standardized tests reduce all students to basic memory and dont actually teach.

The rest of the world is influenced by America and standardized tests have been part of that, but if you look at other countries, they dont do it to the same degree, she said.

Kalantzis said standardized testing is an easy way to rank children and mostly serves political ends. She said all children have a right to be educated and to succeed in a formal school context, and the school environment is one in which they live as well as learn.

The two are related and shape performance, from attendance to test scores, Kalantzis said.

For example, if learners are hungry, feel they do not belong or do not get appropriate support when needed, it has an impact on time on task and, consequently, test results.

Kalantzis said standardized testing should be used to improve instruction, not label the student. She said it mostly captures memorization of particular narrow information in a point in time. It doesnt capture what the learner actually knows or even what they should know to be good citizens, workers and lifelong learners.

Valparaiso University Education Department Chairman Kevin Gary said Indiana K-12 teachers are increasingly suspicious of testing, because they believe much of it is driven by big interests at the higher education level by for-profit companies such as Pearson, a test-creating company.

Pearson continues to make inroads, he said.

They can design these tests so that we have to buy Pearson materials. There is real concern about giving so much control over the quality and content of educational standards and teacher preparation to a for-profit entity.

Big interests have been angling in education for a couple of decades and have been successful, Gary said, and teachers have unfortunately been caught up in this.

The debacle that was ISTEP  it was botched and the state paid so much money for it. The length of the test was a problem and not getting the test back in a timely manner was all very discouraging, he said.

Gary said he works with numerous teachers, and most are not encouraging their own children to go into the profession.

Teachers are increasingly micromanaged. They are not treated as professionals. Its demanding work, and they are working with students who are each unique, he said. Were all holding our breath waiting for the next test that will come down the pike.

New East Chicago schools Superintendent Paige McNulty and Portage Superintendent Richard Weigel both like the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) test.

NWEA was developed in 1973 when educators and researchers from Oregon and Washington state school districts formed an association to create a new kind of testing system. They wanted to devise a new precise way to measure an individual students academic level and growth  and then to use the resulting data as a transformational teaching tool.

McNulty said the East Chicago district adopted NWEA MAPS testing for the fall.

We are hopeful the state will explore using this test for all districts in the future as it is both formative and summative, she said. It best shows students growth, as it is based on an individual growth model.

Weigel said his district will use NWEA testing this fall to have data in a timely manner so it can be used effectively to help students, parents, teachers and principals.

It is important to have an assessment where we can get to the data quickly, Weigel said.

Another nice feature of NWEA is that students from all over the country take that assessment. We would like to see the Legislature adopt NWEA as our state assessment.
This week, The Times podcasts dig into two of the largest stories in our area.

Byline, released today at 5 a.m., looks at the lead contamination in East Chicago at the West Calumet complex.

Hear from reporters, residents and officials involved in cleaning up the area.

On Thats So Region, business reporter Joseph Pete talks about the closure of the Star Plaza in Merrillville and what that means for the Region.

Bylines first episode looked at federal drug sentencing changes and the effect those had on Region prisoners. Specifically, we talked to Charles Duke Tanner, a Gary boxer who was sentenced to life in prison in 2009.

After President Obama changed the sentencing rules for drug offenders, Tanner successfully petitioned to get his sentence reduced to 30 years.

The podcast also looks at the career of story author Elvia Malagon, who started a job at The Chicago Tribune last week.

Episode two looked at millennials and home-buying in Northwest Indiana and asked the question: Are millennials choosing not to buy or are there circumstances that make it impossible? Reporter Andrew Steele is also featured.

Episode three we looked at childhood poverty in the Region. We offer three personal stories of those who have been affected, including Times staffer Damian Rico.

Byline is produced by Times Correspondents Andrew Jones and Kale Wilk.

The first Thats So Region dealt with the lead contamination in East Chicago, the deputy prosecutor in Porter County who was fired and more.

The second episode looked at BP Whiting Refinerys discharging of about five times more total suspended solids than allowed, as well as a look back at Pierogi Fest and more.
Raquel Williams thought she was just looking for a Mother's Day present. Turns out she was searching for something else.

The Griffith college student went to buy her mom a gift certificate for Reiki, an alternative healing technique that uses energy to promote stress-reduction and relaxation. Williams got to talking to the Reiki practitioner, the Rev. Rose Fier, and discovered the difference it might make in her own life.

She's been doing it on a monthly basis ever since.

"It feels like a really good meditation," says Williams, 25. "It's like an oil change but by a mechanic you really love and who really cares about you. And while she's in there, she might fix your A/C and put up an air freshener and a flower on the dashboard."

Williams is one of the increasing number of Northwest Indiana residents turning to alternative medicine to improve their physical and emotional well-being. That category of medicine includes more mainstream practices like chiropractic, meditation and yoga, as well as lesser-known ones like cranial osteopathy, Rolfing and shiatsu.

With more and more natural healing practitioners opening up shop in the Region, they say they don't want to replace modern medicine but complement it.

"I don't go against doctors. I work with doctors," says Fier, owner of Munster-based Reiki Energetix. "I'm not trying to take their patients away. I'm trying to help their patients have a higher success rate of healing."

A collaborative effort

Even local hospitals and doctor's offices are getting in on the trend. Methodist Hospitals and Community Healthcare System both offer yoga to cancer patients; Community also provides them with Reiki. Dr. Faleh Atassi, a family physician with the Porter Physician Group, does medical acupuncture. Ingalls Health System has hypnosis, aromatherapy and reflexology at its wellness center in Flossmoor.

Rebecca Sasak, an acupuncturist at Thrive Center for Integration and Healing in Chesterton, doesn't like the term "alternative" medicine because it implies you have to utilize one kind of medicine or the other. "I prefer integrative," she says.

For instance, she cares for cancer patients to relieve the symptoms of their treatments. Her partner at Thrive Center, therapist Kelly Bishop Bohren, works with a nurse practitioner if her clients need psychiatric drugs. "I marry East and West," Bishop Bohren says. "If people are invested in their treatments and do hard work themselves, they can stop taking medications with a lot of self-care."

Sasak and Bishop Bohren are among several local practitioners who are Northwest Indiana natives who lived for a time in progressive bastions, such as Portland, Oregon, and Boulder, Colorado, before moving back to the Region.

Growing acceptance of alternatives

"I think people are just tired of taking pills," says Nick Wawok, director of The Lotus Center in Valparaiso. "If you look at Chinese medicine, it's 10,000 years old. We're putting so much stock into things we invented in the last 50 to 100 years."

Wawok practices Rolfing, a sort of deep massage that uses the knuckles and elbows to realign the body's connective tissue. The Lotus Center also offers Access Bars (releasing stored energy in the brain and body), shiatsu (similar to acupuncture, but with the hands instead of needles) and cranial osteopathy (a manipulation of the skull and top of the spine).

"It's astonishing: the power of the mind over the body and vice versa," Wawok says. "You can heal the mind and thereby heal the body, or you can start healing the body and the mind follows suit."

Like The Lotus Center, many natural health centers in the Region offer a variety of services to treat clients in a holistic fashion.

"We collaborate with each other because everything is done here with no medication," says Pam Kozy, owner and director of Heart in Hand Natural Health Center in Highland. "It's all done through tapping and massage and stimulating endorphins in the body through acupuncture points and things like that."

Jerry Ashmore has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1978, founding a meditation group at a Hobart church in the early 1990s. That group, Empty Circle, now has more members than ever. He says meditation has helped him be less stressed, and more mindful and relaxed.

"The word mindfulness itself has gone mainstream," he notes, adding: "It works. If it didn't work, it wouldn't become popular."

When Andy Wichlinski began teaching yoga in 1979, he was one of about a half-dozen instructors in Northwest Indiana. But the popularity of that and other natural healing practices has grown significantly, owing to the media paying more attention to them and Asian immigrants bringing them to the Region. He now teaches yoga, tai chi and qigong at Community Hospital Fitness Pointe and the Cancer Resource Centre, both in Munster.

"I think people are fed up with the medical model," says Lori Enevoldsen, a Schererville chiropractor who also works with essential oils and measures patients' adrenal fatigue. "I think they're looking for a change. You can't keep doing the same things and expecting different results."

First modern, then alternative

Dr. Chiedu Nchekwube, a Merrillville physician on staff at Methodist Hospitals, started off as a family practice doctor but quickly realized that by prescribing medications with negative side effects he was going against the physician's mantra of doing no harm.

So he earned a subspecialty in integrated medicine, and now incorporates naturopathy and homeopathy into his practice. He prescribes vitamins, supplements and herbs for a variety of conditions. "I use all modalities to take care of people with as little harm as possible and also empower patients to take care of themselves, to be a teacher of wellness rather than rescue somebody from illness," he says.

Nchekwube uses natural remedies to treat opioid addiction, breeched pregnancies and hypertension, as well as to just keep people well and feeling like their best selves.

"The medication of the future will be meditation, exercise, whole food that is nutrient-dense and supplements," he says. "Rarely will you need medicine. You will be able to take care of yourself another way."

"A nation that is sick is vulnerable," he adds. "If we keep people well, the hospitals can close, and that's OK."

Dr. Kalpana Doshi, who practiced anesthesiology for nearly three decades, changed her career path after acupuncture helped relieve her back pain. She now does medical acupuncture in Munster.

"Nowadays people are more open to other matters of treatment before they go for surgery," she says. "Everybody's scared of surgery, and the guarantees aren't there. If something simpler can help, why not do that?"

Doshi, though, argues that with the rise of technology, old methods like acupuncture are even less accepted, as many doctors opt for the latest-and-greatest treatments, regardless of their efficacy.

Old medicine

As acupuncturist Jason Wilson puts needles into Crown Point esthetician Juliana Rospond's skin on a recent day in Dyer, she notes that she started acupuncture to relieve the hand and back pain that comes with her job. "You want to find a sore spot," Wilson says, bending over to examine her closer. "That's the body's way of telling you where to treat."

He notes that, because of the internet, people are more informed than ever about all kinds of medicine. He believes natural medicine should be used to keep people well, while Western medicine should be there in case of trauma. "If you break your arm, thank god for the hospital," he remarks.

Lying on the table, Rospond says she notices the pain relief from the acupuncture instantly. "Give it a shot," she recommends. "It's been around thousands of years, so there must be something to it."
A city school teacher was beaten and stabbed to death in an attack Sunday in Queens that also sent his mother to the hospital, according to officials.



Police responded to a call of an assault at a home on 113th Street near 101st Ave. in Richmond Hill around 2 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators said they found Kenneth Schemitz, 37, with stab wounds all over his head and body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police also found his 68-year-old mother inside with cuts and bruises.

She was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

There are no arrests, and the investigation is ongoing.



The city education department had not said where Schemitz taught.

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
Season 1, Episode 6: Samson and Delilah

In the recap for last weeks episode, I wrote about how Nazs acclimation to prison life mirrored that of the lead character in the French drama A Prophet, which tracks a young convicts rise from helpless naif to jailhouse kingpin. Yet, I also noted a crucial difference between the two: A Prophet is about how a system predicated on reform turns a petty criminal into violent monster, but we dont know if the same is true of Naz. There are suggestions, based on his behavior and based on the real possibility that he murdered Andrea Cornish, that prison hasnt changed Naz so much as revealed the coarsened soul that his good-guy demeanor has hidden so effectively.

The truth is, Naz is an enigma, in part because the genre demands it. My fellow TV critic, Sean T. Collins, complained that Riz Ahmeds talent is being wasted on a cipher, but I believe the show is wisely allowing us to live with ambiguous and contradictory pieces of information about him. We know that hes not the harmless bookworm he appeared to be in the early going, when he seemed to drift passively through the nightmare of murder and incarceration. We know, based on last weeks shower beatdown of a fellow inmate, that he can commit a terrible act of violence and, in Freddys words, sleep like a baby while his victim is in I.C.U. We could be headed toward an ending like the great Humphrey Bogart noir In a Lonely Place, which concludes with a mans innocence not being the same as absolution.

For now, though, The Night Of has to be coy about it. In shifting to the early days of the trial, Samson and Delilah foregrounds the whodunit aspects of the show, which means revealing new information on Naz and offering some more suspects who may or may not be red herrings. In digging around on Facebook, Box discovers that Naz switched high schools after his freshman year, transferring from a neighborhood school to one 40 minutes away by subway. It turns out that Naz received a two-week suspension for throwing another student down a flight of stairs, breaking his arm, and was unable to resettle after coming back. When Chandra questions him about it, Naz talks about the abuse he and members of his family absorbed after Sept. 11, framing the incident as retaliation. But he also admits to feeling nothing afterward, other than a sliver of guilt over his mothers disappointment.

For Stone and Chandra, this piece of information is the latest example of their client lying to them, but the news isnt all bad this week. Scanning surveillance footage at the gas station where Naz and Andrea stopped to fuel up, Chandra can be seen picking up on a hearse driver who says something to Andrea and follows them out of the station as they leave. When Chandra questions the driver, he refers to the biblical story of Samson and Delilah and talks about Andrea as a destroyer of men, like she the cat and you the yarn. The man seems like a classic red herring, but that fact that the episode is called Samson and Delilah lends his chilling speech some significance. The hearse driver may not be the culprit, but casting Andrea as the type of woman who attracts violence, if not instigates it, opens up the list of suspects.
Emperor Akihito indicated in a rare public address that he wants to abdicate the throne, which would make him the first Japanese monarch in 200 years to step down.
LUCY WALTERS These are really carnal people, who are pretty damaged and dont talk things out. Violence is their language, their vocabulary. That fight felt like when you have a boyfriend, but his heart is still with his ex. And youre trying to say, Be here, be present with me, I am your person now. Its a tricky thing because, as a woman, I never want to justify the language theyre speaking, or condone it. I dont. Even for people who truly love each other but dont know how to communicate, things can go too far. She taught him to love and evolve, she was the first woman that he really respected. People hate Holly viscerally, but I hope theres a real conversation about what happened in that scene.

Talk about the evolution of Tommy and Hollys relationship.

SIKORA The relationship really started as a cat-and-mouse game. In Tommys eyes, Holly has chosen love over freedom, loyalty over money  and so really shes chosen him. She is part of his salvation, and he also sees in her a reflection of the St. Patrick family, which is something he has always longed for. But he has been given this monumental, herculean task of having to kill Ghost, re-establish the drug network and run it.

WALTERS Holly fell for Tommy because theres a thrill-seeker part of her. I think it surprised both of them when it became a much deeper thing. Were seeing two people love for the first time, and its complicated. In Season 1, theres not a lot of depth to the relationship; by Season 2, it was evolving but frustrated because she wants to be a player but is being held back. In [Season 3], shes being teased with a little bit of power, but he doesnt fully trust her. Holly has no interest in being a kept woman. Money is freedom, and so theres an appeal to that, but what she really wants is to be a co-pilot.

In some ways it feels like Tommy chooses Ghost over Holly by not killing him, right?

SIKORA I dont think he realizes he chose Ghost over her  yet. If and when he does realize it, he will be resentful of Ghost for that. In some ways, when Tommy chooses Ghost, he chooses himself  they are two sides of the same man. Hes in a desperate situation, and Holly, rather than helping him and saying, O.K., lets figure this out, lets keep everyone alive and go against Lobos [the head of the drug cartel who has ordered Ghost to be killed], is like, Just kill Ghost.

WALTERS This was an unholy trinity. There was no way that they could all coexist  its inevitable that someone had to go. At the end of the day, its about Tommy and Ghost; thats the relationship that trumps all. From where shes standing, she thinks shes helping. Her logic is: Hes unable to do this thing for whatever reason and needs me to be the strength to do what needs to be done.
Not all of the tens of millions of livestock and poultry affected by the heavy flooding in eastern China have been disposed of safely, a Xinhua investigative report showed. There is a risk that some of the drowned animals will end up on kitchen tables.

In Anhui and Jiangxi provinces, over 160,000 pigs died in the flood waters, and the poultry death toll could be as high as 17 million, Xinhua reported.

According to Zhu Shuqing, head of the Bureau of Animal Husbandry in Anhui's Huaining County, the collapse of a local dam imperiled almost all the region's pigs. Over 3,000 pigs were eventually rescued from the flood, while another 3,400 pigs drowned, with the dead pigs still in flooded sties as of press time.

Even with clear regulations for the proper disposal of animals who die from drowning, injuries or unidentified disease, some dead animals are simply dumped haphazardly, posing a threat to both the environment and human health, according to Xinhua.

The flood struck suddenly. I lost 2,000 ducks. They all drowned, said a manager of a poultry farm in Anqing, Anhui, adding that the dead ducks were later dumped or buried. Some were also burnt for electric power generation.

The two provinces have issued notices of stricter inspections to stop such animals from entering the food production chain, according to the report. However, an anonymous official with the agricultural department of Xuancheng, Anhui said that the authorities aren't capable of examining each individual farm that is scattered across the county. It is therefore hard to fully prevent the improper dumping of drowned animals.

An official with a county-level animal husbandry and fishery bureau in Jiangxi told Xinhua that it is tempting to simply dump the animals, as other methods of disposal require more money and labor.

For example, a pig weighs over 100 kilograms. A burial would require transportation and extensive digging, which would in turn require machine and human power, the official said.

Some farmers noted that for every dead pig disposed of properly, they can receive 80 yuan in the form of a national subsidy. However, the subsidy application process often takes too long to be useful.
A teenager goes missing after a night of revelry in The Disappearance, a sudsy French thriller with hints of The Missing and Broadchurch. The Olympic sprinter Allyson Felix chases her seventh medal. And survivors of the Orlando, Fla., massacre talk about life after the attack.

Whats Streaming

THE DISAPPEARANCE on Acorn TV. A teenager (Camille Razat) in Lyon, vanishes after a night celebrating her birthday with friends, and suddenly everyone is a suspect in this French thriller. But how well do her parents (Alix Poisson and Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval) actually know their child? (How well does any parent?) With plenty of twists, turns and red herrings, this eight-part import is reminiscent of other missing-child mysteries like The Missing, The Killing and Broadchurch. The flourishes will be familiar, Mike Hale wrote in The New York Times, but fans of police procedurals who make it through three or four episodes will want to stick around to find out who done it.

THE MISSING on Starz Play. A 5-year-old British boy vanishes during a family vacation in France, sending his parents (James Nesbitt and Frances OConnor) on a yearslong search to find out what happened to him. Tcheky Karyo plays the French detective who initially leads the investigation, then comes out of retirement when a clue emerges eight years later; Jason Flemyng is the police representative on the British side; and Arsher Ali is the aspiring journalist merciless in his quest for a scoop. In The New York Times, Alessandra Stanley called this mini-series imaginatively written, well cast, chillingly believable and quite addictive.
When we published our special Summer Thrills issue last month, we asked you to name your favorite thrillers on our Facebook page. Here are just some of the most enthusiastic and considered answers you gave us:

Any discussion of favorite thrillers has to include The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth. Dry, spare writing, previously unheard of levels of research  that laid the template for all thriller authors to come  a wholly believable plot, and relentless action. One of the greatest books in the genre.  Nitin Bajaj

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L.A. Confidential, by James Ellroy. Having seen the movie, I presumed I should just skip that book and move on to The Big Nowhere, the next book in his L.A. Quartet. But learning that <redacted> was still alive in Ellroys chronology, I had to go back to the previous book to determine why. Im glad I did; I discovered an amazing novel, sordid and ruthless, with only a tiny portion of it exploited for the screen version (which I still love). I couldnt imagine evil on that scale until Ellroy illustrated it for me. What a gas.  Tony De Jesus

Let Me In (also known as Let the Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist. To me, it follows the format of the great Swedish detective stories such as those by Henning Mankell, with a super scary and surprisingly moving vampire twist. Ive never read another vampire book, but I suspect this one is quite unique!  Sara Holquist
Jason Towner, a 32-year-old who works at a private equity firm, cut up his last credit card, from Capital One, in 2010. He did not have any unruly debts, but he had just watched his father and sister close the family furniture store after a bank cut off their credit line in the middle of the financial crisis.

I was seeing what was happening around the world, and what was happening in my backyard, and I was thinking, This is not a great idea, Mr. Towner said recently.

The resurgence of overall credit card use in the United States over the last year or two has been driven largely by subprime borrowers, according to the Federal Reserve, which has not looked at the recent growth in borrowing by age.

But it is clear to economists who study payment patterns that millennials are gravitating toward payment methods that skirt both cash and credit. Why carry cash when you can whip out a debit card for the smallest transaction  a sandwich or a bottle of soda  or use an app like Venmo or an online payment service like PayPal? All of those typically draw funds directly from a bank account.

Mr. Elliehausen of the Federal Reserve said he expected the aversion to debt among young Americans to continue, potentially with a downside. Credit cards are frequently necessary for the bigger purchases  like washing machines and computers  that can make households more efficient and help the economy grow. And credit cards are usually an essential part of the credit history that allows someone to borrow to buy a house.

Only 37 percent of American households headed by someone aged 35 and under held credit card debt in 2013, the most recent year for which data from the Survey of Consumer Finances is available, down by nearly a quarter from immediately before the financial crisis. That statistic may undercount young cardholders to some extent, as it excludes people under 35 who live with their parents.
In early summer, after the company formerly called Tribune Publishing had rejected two takeover offers from Gannett, two of its biggest investors found themselves in an escalating dispute. The investment firm Oaktree Capital Management was publicly questioning the motives of Michael W. Ferro Jr., an investor and the new chairman of the publishing company, in his decision to rebuff Gannett.

Mr. Ferro formulated his own pointed response: During a meeting in July at his estate in Lake Geneva, Wis., he suggested to top editors and executives that their journalists investigate Oaktree and Bruce Karsh, co-chairman and co-founder of the firm, according to two people with direct knowledge of the meeting.

No damaging article about Oaktree was published, but the episode provides a glimpse into the combative business style of a relatively unknown technology entrepreneur who has become one of the countrys most significant and unpredictable media moguls. Since taking a $44 million stake in Tribune Publishing in February, Mr. Ferro has installed himself as chairman, fired the chief executive and replaced him with a longtime associate, overhauled the senior executive ranks, and reshaped the companys board so that a majority is aligned with him.

He has also taken aggressive steps to transform one of the most storied publishers in the country, pushing a technology-driven approach to journalism that includes concepts like artificial intelligence. And most visibly, he shed the well-known Tribune name, changing it to Tronc, for Tribune online content  a move that drew instant mockery on the internet.
I hear you. I thought the same thing at first, but were wrong. All sheep dont look alike.

To be fair, though, some differences are easier to spot than others.

There are different breeds of sheep, just as there are different breeds of dogs, said Kevin Sinclair of The University of Nottingham in Britain, who recently led a study investigating the health of Dolly the Sheeps cloned relatives. Just as you can tell a beagle from a chocolate lab, you can tell the difference between a Finn Dorset (Dollys breed) and a Lleyn (the breed of other cloned sheep in the study)  as long as you get used to looking at them. But if you took 12 beagles of the same age and litter and put them together, how easy would it be to tell them apart? Dr. Sinclair asked. Would it be any easier than telling apart 12 sheep of the same breed? He doesnt think so.

Although it was easy to identify the members of the D-squad among other sheep on the farm because of their breed, telling them apart from one another was a struggle for Dr. Sinclair. They even behaved similarly. With the group of clones in the Lleyn breed, however, he noticed different personalities, and there was at least one sheep that acted as a matriarch: Shed be, These are my girls, what are you doing? If you want to do anything with these other girls, come to me first. 

Lets imagine a scenario where you are the manager of a sheep farm, and someone tells you that they have smuggled a cloned sheep into the flock, and you have to find it, Jose Cibelli, a biotechnologist at Michigan State University who patented a method for identifying clones, wrote in an email. You draw blood from all the animals, isolate the DNA from the nuclei of the white blood cells and then start comparing them with each other.

With just one clone in the flock, you have no way of telling the difference. But if you have two or more clones, as with the D-squad, they will share the same nuclear DNA, meaning 20,000 to 25,000 coding genes inside the nuclei of their cells will be exactly the same. Twins also share the same nuclear DNA, though, so youve still got a problem. To find the clone, you have to look deeper, into their mitochondria, the energy centers of their cells. Heres why.
Investigators have video of the shooting itself that shows the gunman calmly approaching Mr. Akonjee and his assistant, Thara Miah, 64, from behind and shooting each of them in the head from roughly eight to 10 feet away, a law enforcement official said. He turns and walks away deliberately, not in a great rush, the official said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing. It appears he has some degree of training or proficiency.

Police officials said on Sunday that the motivation for the attack remained unclear. Even so, many in the neighborhood were not waiting for an official declaration, saying unequivocally that the killings were a reflection of a particularly hostile moment for Muslims in the United States.

This was absolutely a hate crime, said Bazlur Rahman, 49, speaking near the two-story brown clapboard mosque. This is a busy intersection filled with people, and the two people killed were the ones in Muslim clothing. How is that anything other than targeting?

Anowar Miah moved to the United States from Bangladesh as a child and has seen the political climate intensify, with more hostility toward Muslims since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But its gotten infinitely worse this election, he said.

These misperceptions of Islam are not just hateful, theyre deadly, he said. Were targets now. Our kids are growing up in this environment now  theyre scared to live as Muslims.

Rokeya Akhter, who lives in Jamaica, Queens, was among those who came from around New York City on Sunday to offer their condolences and to express their anger and concerns. Women are especially fearful because we wear the head scarf, so we cant just blend in easily, she said. Weve been trying to go outside less and avoid the dark or empty places, but this was in the middle of a busy street during the day. It makes you feel like nowhere is safe.
Panicked travelers stampeded through Kennedy International Airport on Sunday night after unconfirmed reports of gunfire there, leading the police to evacuate two terminals and close part of a major highway that runs near the airport, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said.

The Port Authority said in a statement that its preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at the airport, but that Terminals 1 and 8 were evacuated to be cautious. No explanation was given as to what had caused the initial reports.

There are no injuries, the statement said. At this time, no firearm, rounds or shell casings or other evidence of shots fired has been found.

Harry J. Wedin, chief of the special operations division of the New York Police Department, said on Twitter shortly after midnight that all affected terminals had been searched and cleared. He said no shots had been fired. The spokesman for the Port Authority, Joe Pentangelo, said no arrests had been made.
Venezuelas electoral commission signaled last week that a referendum that could oust President Nicolas Maduro will not be held before the end of the year. That was hardly a surprise, but it puts Venezuela on a dangerous  and avoidable  collision course.

Under their Constitution, Venezuelans can elect a new president if a referendum is held before Jan. 10. That would bring an overdue end to Mr. Maduros ruinous era. But if the vote happens after that date, and Mr. Maduro loses, his vice president would serve out the remainder of his term, which would keep the countrys corrupt and authoritarian ruling class in power until at least 2019.

Opposition leaders denounced the time frame, announced by the chief of the electoral commission, Tibisay Lucena, as a delaying tactic meant to protect her political patrons. They called for a mass demonstration on Sept. 1 to insist that the referendum take place this year. Maria Corina Machado, a prominent critic of the government, said it was time to resort to civil disobedience.

We need to call things by their name: We face a corrupt, mafioso, militant dictatorship, she said in a speech. The regime is cornered, and it is acting in an unrestrained manner. We have a historic opportunity.
An imam and his assistant were gunned down on a street in Ozone Park, Queens, on Saturday, minutes after finishing afternoon prayers, two blocks from their mosque. A man got out of car, ran up behind them, shot each in the head, and fled.

The killer said nothing to his victims and did not rob them. In the hours after the crime, the New York Police Department said it had no suspect or known motive for the ambush, leaving open all possibilities  an argument, grudge or other conflict, or some other random reason.

The possibilities include hate, for which the police said they had no evidence, but which Muslims across the city, including the many in the neighborhood with roots in Bangladesh, could not ignore. The imam, Maulama Akonjee, and his assistant, Thara Uddin, wore the beards and traditional garb of devout Muslims. They visibly proclaimed membership in a group that has been vilified, in the United States and around the world, and particularly in the current presidential campaign, by those who believe that terrorist violence implicates an entire religion.

That burden was acutely evident in the impromptu gathering on Saturday of a hundred or more Muslim-Americans in the sweltering evening heat beside the crime scene. Some pleaded for calm, while others cried for justice. Their anguish and anger were easy to understand.
Among Donald J. Trumps traits is his penchant for internalizing and personalizing things  insults, rejections and even policy disagreements. Trading slights seems essential to his personality, or at least something he feels is necessary for his presidential campaign.

Although its not something I feel comfortable with, the bombast of this campaign will not be remembered with the passage of time. Words come and go. The problem is what happens when his words lead him to do things that will reverberate long after the campaign is over.

To him, demands that he release his tax returns are just a ploy by his opponents and enemies to undermine his campaign. But that obstinacy will have consequences. Not releasing his tax returns would hurt transparency in our democratic process, and particularly in how voters evaluate the men and women vying to be our leaders. Whether he wins or loses, that is something our country cannot afford.

I suggest this not as a partisan against Mr. Trump. I am a conservative Republican who, though I have no stomach for his personal style and his penchant for regularly demeaning others, intends to support my partys nominee because of the importance of filling the existing vacancy on the Supreme Court, and others that might open in the next four years. However, my ability to continue to do so will in part be driven by whether Mr. Trump keeps his word that he will release his tax records.
Around 130 survivors of the Nanjing Massacre are still alive today. When they remember Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, their feelings are still vivid and strong.

In December 1937, 13-year-old Wu Zhengxi took shelter in a safety zone with the rest of his family. Sadly, his grandfather, uncle and three brothers were nevertheless killed by Japanese soldiers. Wu remembers that on Aug. 15, 1945 he was working in the boiler room that he owned and operated. As he worked, he heard a man reading Japanese in a slow intonation over the radio. At first he paid little attention, but then he noticed Japanese shop owners kneeling in their shopfronts. Wu walked outside and saw Japanese soldiers on their knees in the street. Some were even crying.

Now, 92-year-old Wu still lives in Nanjing.

"I hope I can witness a sincere apology made by Japan's government in my remaining years," Wu said. "Instead, they twist and deny the facts over and over."

Japan's surrender

Another survivor, 89-year-old Yu Changxiang, recalls that his family hid in a tunnel to survive the massacre. However, his father didn't manage to escape, and his foster father was stabbed seven times. Even after the massacre, survivors were bullied.

"We were forced to bow when meeting Japanese soldiers. Otherwise they would slap us across the face," Yu said.

Recalling the surrender, everything is still vivid in Yu's mind.

"I came home and heard about it on the radio. We went out to spread the news. Soon the whole street was cheering. I walked around with my neighbors and saw the citizens hailed for their great victory, as we would never have to endure slaughter by the Japanese."

Citizens hailed for the great victory

Cen Honggui, 92, recalls that his home was set on fire when Japanese troops occupied and attacked Nanjing in December 1937. While Cen managed to escape the fire, his younger brother, not yet 2, burned to death in the conflagration. Cen heard the news of surrender from an acquaintance who had become a soldier. In that moment, he thought about his brother.

In 2013, Cen was invited by the Japan-China Friendship Association to speak in Kumamoto, Nagasaki and Fukuoka.

"Apart from the diehards, the general public is friendly. I hope that more people can visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial to pay their respects to the dead," Cen said.
To the Editor:

Your editorial suggests that President Obama could, within the remaining months of his administration, burnish his legacy by canceling the development of a new nuclear-armed cruise missile or eliminating the land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles, or both.

The most important action Mr. Obama could have taken during his two terms in office would have been to begin the difficult process of negotiating with all nuclear-armed nations the total abolition of nuclear weapons. Negotiations to help end the nuclear arms race are required by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which the United States signed and ratified in 1968, and are long overdue.

A president truly concerned about the nuclear threat would have begun such multilateral negotiations. Mr. Obamas eloquent speeches in Prague and at Hiroshima calling for an eventual end to the nuclear threat appear hollow when one considers how little action the president has taken to reduce this threat.

TOM KREBSBACH

Brier, Wash.

To the Editor:

The Senate, for years, has failed to approve the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Yet the United Nations Security Councils five major nuclear powers, including the United States, abide by it. The ban is designed to degrade the reliability of existing nuclear warhead arsenals. First-strike sneak attacks require high reliability levels in warheads. The threat of second-strike retaliatory strikes on cities for deterrence is effective even if some warheads fail.

Former Defense Secretary William Perry is right that land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles are no longer needed. These sitting ducks are prime targets for an enemys first strike using multiple warheads in their missiles, and America should negotiate with Russia and China to make them obsolete.
It is a situation of national shame. I was seeing this kind of thing when I was a medical student a half-century ago. It hurts me. The disease had disappeared.

DR. JOSE OLETTA, a former Venezuelan health minister, on the resurgence of malaria in the economically depressed country, spread by miners in search of gold.
Today, it is possible to purchase a pair of pants online and have those pants hand-delivered to you  neatly folded in a gift box  within the hour. But in the 1920s, when the Czechoslovakian businessman Jan Nehera founded his eponymous brand, if you wanted pants you had to make them yourself, or have a tailor make them for you. Nehera thought shopping should be easy, so he started producing ready-to-wear clothing made from sturdy, practical material that you could buy straight off the rack. The result was a new model that revolutionized the industry and shot Nehera to success. His brand flourished throughout the 1930s  at its height, there were 130 stores across Europe  until World War II brought things to a halt.

After more than 80 years of dormancy, the Nehera name had been largely forgotten. Still, when plans emerged in 2014 to revive the once-pioneering brand  now in the hands of a new owner, Ladislav Zdut  the fashion world took note. The French designer Samuel Drira, late of The Row and Lemaire, was tapped to be creative director, and though hed never heard the Nehera name, the story appealed. I found it quite romantic, he says, this man who had a very avant-garde idea, and then everything got erased. After studying old ads (the clothes themselves were long gone) the designer was impressed by Neheras modern approach to womens fashion. Shown out in the streets, or traveling by plane, the original Nehera woman was someone moving, doing things, says Drira, not just a beautiful object.

These scraps informed the brands philosophy, but modernizing the Nehera aesthetic  now elevated to the luxury category  was another story. Without an archive, says Drira, we had to create everything from scratch. Working out of a small studio in Bratislava, Slovakia, the designer called the first collection (which debuted in Paris in fall 2014) Blank Canvas, and went back to square one: a simple white shirt. The piece became a sort of Rosetta Stone for the rest of the collection. All the elements in the white shirt, we could transfer it into things that have nothing to do with a white shirt, says the designer, The weight, the softness or the crispiness, the pocketing, the pleat in the back  also the volume.

Image Samuel Drira Credit... Francesco Brigida

Volume  lots of it  is a defining characteristic of the new Nehera. On the runway of the fall/winter 2016 show in Paris, pieces billowed, slouched and draped. The clothes are slightly out of the body, says Drira. There is no rigidity. When asked why hes drawn to volume, Drira suggests that it has to do with comfort and an interest in how the clothes interact with the wearer. But he also acknowledges that, as a designer, when you are attracted to fabrics, you want to let them express themselves.
28. When I ask if her audiences understand all of her references, Clark smiles: Do people reflect back to me the entirety of my intention? No. If I were to write every intention in the captions, it would be bullying. It would be like telling the visitor what to see and actually the visitor might be seeing something, well, certainly is seeing something personal.

29. It was reading Carl Jung and D.W. Winnicott that made Phillips want to become a psychoanalyst, and it occurs to me that Jungs collective unconsciousness and Warburgs study of cultural memory, archetype and iconology overlap in their ideas of nonverbal transmission. Its where Clark and Phillips overlap too, in complex unconscious communication.

30. In Phillipss first book, on Winnicott, he points out that while Freuds psychoanalysis was essentially a talking cure,  for Winnicott, the defining characteristic of the analytic setting was not exclusively verbal exchange. He quotes Winnicott: The word infant implies not talking (infans).

31. The last time I used the word vulgar was to describe an amaryllis.

32. After this immersion in vulgarity, I try to be more so. I talk about money. I wear a cheap strapless frilly dress to a tasteful dinner, and instead of a bottle of wine, bring an accordion paper pineapple. Attuned to the shaming qualities of the word, I err on the side of the vulgar, just to see how it feels. It feels fun.

33. Phillipss 2012 book, Missing Out: In Praise of the Unlived Life, is, among other things, about the possibility of discovering satisfaction in what we believe we lack. A friend once pointed out that she doesnt dress for men or for women, she dresses for an idea of her future self.

34. We leave Phillipss office and walk to an Italian restaurant. Reading the menu is like getting dressed: We ask each other what we want, we think about what to share. We order fries alongside our bresaola and Gavi di Gavi. We are all looking forward to our uneaten meal. Three courses each.

35. The vulgar, Phillips says, refuse to miss out.
After days of ruinously heavy storms in southern Louisiana, rain-swollen rivers and creeks continued wreaking damage across the state, inundating neighborhoods and submerging roads and highways.

More than 20,000 people have had to be rescued from the flooding this weekend, Louisiana officials said, in a waterlogged stretch from the parishes to the north and east of Baton Rouge west past the city of Lafayette. Thousands of homes have been flooded, forcing more than 10,000 people into shelters. Those stranded by the waters found themselves further marooned by a massive cellular network failure.

Parts of major roadways became islands, including a stretch of interstate where hundreds of drivers had been stranded for over 24 hours, officials said. The governors office said that all the motorists had been rescued by Sunday evening.

At least five deaths had been attributed to the flooding. Two of the victims were in vehicles that were swept off the road; one was a man who drowned after he slipped and fell in the waters during a rescue; and the fourth was a man who had been swept away on Friday night whose body had been found on Sunday morning, a reporter for WWL-TV, a local news station, said on Facebook. The Town Talk of Alexandria, La., reported that a fifth person died on Sunday when her car was swept into a ditch. Law enforcement officers in the worst-hit areas have told state officials they expect the death toll to climb.
Both occupants immediately ran from the car. During the pursuit, an officer ordered Mr. Smith to drop his gun and fired when he did not, striking Mr. Smith in the chest and an arm, Mr. Barrett said Sunday morning. The gun held 23 rounds, he said. Mr. Smith died at the scene.

Chief Flynn said that Mr. Smith had a lengthy arrest record with the Milwaukee police. The authorities have no immediate plans to release video from the shooting, Chief Flynn said, though he did describe what it showed.

This event probably took 20 to 25 seconds, he said. I mean, there was virtually no time between the officer unhooking his seatbelt, turning on his body camera, getting out of the car and immediately there was a foot chase.

The officers actions, as recorded, appeared to him to be credible and legally protected.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice will conduct the investigation into the shooting because the case involves a Milwaukee police officer.

The Saturday shooting was part of a weekend filled with violence in Milwaukee. Five people were shot and killed overnight Friday, Mr. Barrett said on Saturday at a news conference recorded by The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. At least two of those shootings occurred near where Mr. Smith was shot.
The health of the citizens of Pennsylvania is worth more than the profits desired by health insurance companies, Rose Lynd, 35, of Pittsburgh, testified at a hearing in Harrisburg held late last month by the Pennsylvania insurance commissioner, Teresa D. Miller, a former Obama administration official.

Ms. Lynd, a cancer survivor, said her costs were onerous.

My premiums are more than $600 a month, which is more than our mortgage payment, Ms. Lynd said. I am grateful that the Affordable Care Act is here for my family, but I am disappointed by its limitations. All I want is a plan that makes our health care affordable, but it doesnt exist.

Highmark defended its request by saying it was paying out more in claims than it was receiving in premiums. Jeff Scheib, the vice president in charge of actuarial services at Highmark, offered a statistic to illustrate the problem.

There were close to 250 individual A.C.A. policyholders in Pennsylvania who incurred over $100,000 each in claims and then canceled coverage before the end of the year, Mr. Scheib testified. This behavior drives up the cost to insure the entire pool, because people use insurance benefits and then discontinue paying for coverage once their individual health care needs have been temporarily met.

While state insurance commissioners, who review rates, are trying to balance the needs of consumers and insurers in a turbulent market, insurers have extra leverage this year. At least a dozen nonprofit health insurance cooperatives have collapsed, and several big commercial insurers have decided to cut their losses by limiting their participation in the insurance exchanges, the new marketplaces created under the health law.
HONG KONG  Two Hong Kong activists were sentenced to community service on Monday and another was given a suspended jail term for their involvement in a demonstration that led to large pro-democracy street protests two years ago.

One of the activists, Joshua Wong, 19, a student leader who was convicted in July of unlawful assembly, was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

Another, Nathan Law, 23, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service for inciting people to take part in the gathering. Mr. Wong was found not guilty of that charge.
Yehia  whose father spoke on the condition that the family name not be published for fear of a backlash if it became known he had taken the boy to Israel for treatment  is the first Afghan treated by Save a Childs Heart in its 20 years of operations. About half the charitys 4,000 patients have been Palestinian; 200 others were children from Iraq and Syria, and the roster includes patients from Tanzania, Ethiopia and Moldova.

Israel boosters often highlight such programs as examples of the small nations outsized humanitarian efforts, including to hostile neighbors. Leora Robinson, a second-year medical student in Britain who is doing an internship at the charity, said that it provided an important counterpoint to portrayals of Israel as an occupier of Palestinian land, as she saw on campus during Israel Apartheid Week. It opens eyes to the fact that this country doesnt just have one side to it, Ms. Robinson said.

But Tony Laurance, head of a group called Medical Aid for Palestinians, said that while providing children world-class surgery was an unequivocal good, it should not obscure the broader impact of Israeli policies on medical care for Palestinians. Gaza hospitals are perennially short of medicine, equipment and well-trained staff members, and many Gaza residents struggle to get exit permits for care outside the territory.

What gets up my nose, Mr. Laurance said, is that it presents an image of Israel that betrays the reality.
Im not responsible for anything like social media, am I? Tell me Im not.

The photographer Nan Goldin wanted to make it clear that her signature work from the 1980s  The Ballad of Sexual Dependency  was not to blame for our current age of compulsive image sharing.

It cant be true, she said. But if it is, I feel terrible.

The connection is almost too easy to make: The Ballad is a confessional and revealing autobiography in pictures. Set to an eclectic mix of music, through a 40-minute slide show we follow her and her friends for about a decade in a movable bohemian feast. They primp and bathe; party and dance; have sex and marry; raise children and inject heroin. Some of them die.

The images are lacerating and intimate  grippingly human. Ms. Goldin has described the Ballad as the diary I let people read. One of its best-known images is a 1984 self-portrait she took after being beaten by a boyfriend.
Kick-off date of Shenzhen-HK connect to be unveiled this week: Media

A view of Exchange Square in Central,Hong Kong.[File photo/China Daily]

South China Morning Post reported on Monday that the launch date for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect program will be announced as soon as this week and it will be officially launched in December, citing the newspaper Hong Kong Economic Journal.

According to China Daily, securities regulators of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are working closely with Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd for the launch of the long-anticipated program.

Deng Ge, a spokesman of the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), said on August 12 that the commission has set up a special working group to lead and prepare for the stocks trading link.

"When relevant regulations and technical preparations are ready, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect will be launched this year," said Deng, without giving an exact date.

The special working group, headed by CSRC Vice-Chairman Fang Xinghai, is responsible for coordinating efforts among various departments within the commission and relevant government bodies and between the mainland and Hong Kong regulators, according to financial magazine Caixin on August 11.

In the same day, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd Chief Executive Officer Charles Li told CNBC that the stocks link is "imminent".

Li said the link is vital to bringing more tradable products to a wider marketplace in the future.

Cai Xiao contributed to the story
PARIS  Its showtime at the Musee dOrsay  the electric moment when visitors pause in the grand public art galleries here, all to watch varnish dry.

They gather in silence to gawk at the paint whisperers  small teams of conservators poised on scaffolding and encased in two glass cubes. From these makeshift stages, they swipe away centuries-old dark grime on precious works  from Gustave Courbets enormous oil painting of his crowded studio to Auguste-Barthelemy Glaizes violent battle of a stone-throwing female revolt against Roman invaders, The Women of Gaul.

Ordinarily such a delicate task is carried out in the tranquillity of a laboratory. But the once mysterious craft is increasingly turning into a high-end reality show  long-running spectacles that appeal to donors who lavish money on makeovers, but trouble some conservators accustomed to quiet and absolute concentration.

In Cincinnati, the citys public museum featured its chief conservator, Serena Urry, last winter in a three-month exhibition, Conservation on View: Zaragozas Retablo of St. Peter. She worked in a white lab coat in the middle of a public gallery across from a cafe  her work table spread with tools and swabs to remove varnish and overpaint from a gilded, 600-year-old Spanish altarpiece.
The Brooklyn Youth Chorus will celebrate its 25th season with newly commissioned pieces from acclaimed composers, including Nico Muhly, Caroline Shaw and Rhiannon Giddens.

The pieces will make up the multimedia series Silent Voices, which will focus on marginalized voices and explore gender, sexuality and immigration. Conceived by the choruss artistic director, Dianne Berkun Menaker, the piece will be developed at two preview concerts before receiving its world premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on May 12. Alicia Hall Moran and Jeff Beal have also been commissioned to write pieces, and new texts by Claudia Rankine and Hilton Als will be included.

The chorus will make its Off Broadway debut with Paola Prestinis Aging Magician, an opera-theater work coming to the New Victory Theater from March 3 to 12. (The chorus recently worked with Ms. Prestini on her The Hubble Cantata in Prospect Park in Brooklyn.) And the group will release its debut album, Black Mountain Songs, on March 31, hosting a release party at the Greene Space on the same day. The chorus premiered the piece at the Brooklyn Academy in 2014; in his review for The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini wrote that the sheer beauty of their singing was captivating.

More information can be found at brooklynyouthchorus.org.
Not all of those companies, however, are as willing as Payable to talk about their use of Airbnb.

Some of the prominent companies that Mr. Conley and others at Airbnb have cited as business travel customers  including Facebook and Google  declined to discuss the topic for this article. And many of the companies that were willing, including Morgan Stanley, Salesforce, Twilio and TBWA, had other business relationships with Airbnb.

Some professionals in the business travel industry acknowledge the potential benefits of using services like Airbnb, and see some of the drawbacks.

Airbnbs affordable offerings could help budget-conscious attendees of conventions and meetings, Deborah Sexton, president and chief executive of the Professional Convention Management Association, said in an email. Home-sharing accommodations can also offer an attractive alternative when hotel rooms are sold out, she said.

Depending on its location, an Airbnb property might not be the most convenient option for a business traveler, particularly someone attending a conference or convention, Ms. Sexton said.

One of the biggest perks of a host hotel is its central location, she said. For attendees who stay at Airbnb properties in different neighborhoods, getting to an early-morning conference or attending a late-night evening reception may be more difficult.

Ms. Sexton and some other experts also raised safety and legal concerns.

Although Airbnb offers host protection insurance, which provides primary coverage for Airbnb hosts and landlords in more than 15 countries against liability claims of up to $1 million, the coverage does not apply to liability from assault and battery, sexual abuse or molestation, or to acts of terrorism, among other events.
Insider trading can be prosecuted by the Justice Department, and it can be pursued in a civil enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The S.E.C. used to handle the bulk of these cases, but lately it seems that more cases result in criminal charges along with a parallel lawsuit.

An interesting question is why there has been a push to turn cases that once might have resulted only in civil charges into criminal prosecutions, which carry a much more significant social stigma along with the threat of prison time. What makes a particular instance of insider trading so wrongful that the governments most powerful law enforcement weapon  a criminal conviction  is used on defendants who pose little threat to society beyond their own avarice?

Some cases almost demand criminal prosecution because they reflect serious misconduct. The hacking of newswires to trade in advance notice of the disclosure of corporate developments in a sophisticated and brazen scheme resulting in more than $100 million in profits was the kind of market abuse that almost demands that the Justice Department seek substantial punishments.

But other recent cases involving smaller amounts, and less-organized passing of information, are a bit more puzzling to figure out why criminal charges have been filed.
The model has existed for a long time, said Sven Bode, managing director of Financialright, the Hamburg-based company that owns My-right.de. What is new is that we can do it on a massive basis.

Mr. Bode has previously overseen efforts to help airline passengers obtain compensation for canceled or delayed flights, and to pressure banks to refund improper fees. But because Volkswagen is Europes largest carmaker by far, Mr. Bode said, this is a unique dimension.

Because the start-ups are considered collection agencies rather than law firms, they are allowed to work on commission. Clients who sign up agree to pay about a third of any money they collect, similar to contingency fees for lawyers in the United States. The Volkswagen owners owe nothing if the efforts to collect are unsuccessful.

About 100,000 Volkswagen owners have registered with My-right.de so far, said Christopher Rother, managing partner of the law firm Hausfeld in Berlin, which is working with the website. The firms founder, Michael Hausfeld, who is based in Washington, is one of the plaintiffs lawyers leading the class action against Volkswagen in the United States.

That is only about 5 percent of the eligible owners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Mr. Rother said the goal was to assemble at least 400,000 customers and collect up to 5,000 for each one.

Frederic Pelouze, chief executive of Weclaim.com, the Paris-based website that is recruiting owners, said the carmaker was underestimating how vulnerable it was to new legal strategies. The rules are changing, and I dont think Volkswagen is getting it, Mr. Pelouze said.
Bill Shine, the newly appointed co-president of Fox News, commutes two hours every morning from Long Island to Midtown Manhattan, leaving his house so early that, as he tells colleagues, the other guys on the train all have Sheetrock on their boots.

He is seen in the newsroom as embodying a typical Fox News viewer: an Irish-Catholic family man, son of a New York City police officer. His wife is the author of Happy Housewives, an ode to female empowerment through 1950s-style domesticity. (Sample advice: Dont Nag Him to Death.)

For years, Mr. Shine was known as an affable and loyal right-hand man to Roger Ailes, the now-deposed Fox News chairman, who relied on him to handle delicate matters with personnel. In 2011, when Sarah Palin, then a Fox News contributor, infuriated Mr. Ailes by breaking news on a rival media outlet, it was Mr. Shine who called her agent to clean up the mess.

Now, Mr. Shine, a consummate behind-the-scenes player, is moving to center stage. On Friday, he was placed in charge of news and programming at Fox News and the Fox Business Network, where he will lead a newsroom still reeling from Mr. Ailess sudden fall last month and a groundswell of allegations of harassment.
Kent Alterman, Comedy Centrals president, said he informed Mr. Wilmore of the news late last week. The move, Mr. Alterman said in an interview, was made for a simple reason: The show hasnt resonated.

Even though weve given it a year and a half, weve been hoping against hope that it would start to click with our audience, but it hasnt happened, and we havent seen evidence of it happening, Mr. Alterman said.

The awkward timing of the cancellation, just 12 weeks before the presidential election, ultimately came down to a contract, Mr. Alterman said. Mr. Wilmores deal, along with those of several of the shows other staff members, was set to expire in a few weeks and the network had to decide now whether to renew or cancel.

For the time being, Comedy Centrals 12 a.m. show, @midnight, will replace The Nightly Show at 11:30 p.m. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah remains at 11 p.m. Mr. Alterman said he hoped to name a full-time replacement for The Nightly Show sometime next year.

The cancellation makes Mr. Wilmore, 54, an early casualty of a television late-night comedy slate that has been vastly reordered over the last two years. With the retirement of David Letterman, Jay Leno and Mr. Stewart, and Mr. Colberts move to CBS, a series of new hosts have stepped into the spotlight, including James Corden, Samantha Bee, John Oliver and Mr. Noah. Jimmy Fallon, the host of The Tonight Show, has most formidably filled the power vacuum left by his predecessors, earning the highest ratings of any late-night show.
Supporters of the Goldwater Rule have cited three main rationales for adhering to it: Most diagnoses made from a distance turn out to be wrong; the labels themselves can cause real harm to the person and family members; and the practice undermines the fields credibility, particularly its commitment to confidentiality. Not to mention, others say, that it could expose a left-leaning bias in the field.

But the psychoanalyzing of public figures by commentators, columnists and pop psychologists has a bipartisan history. Concerns about grandiosity and narcissism dogged Lyndon B. Johnsons presidency. Suspicions of a deepening paranoia clouded the end of Richard Nixons. Accusations of manipulation, deceit and a sense of entitlement have trailed the Clintons for years, prompting speculation about deeper personality problems.

Mr. Trump himself has recently tried to turn the tables, accusing Hillary Clinton of being unstable and unhinged.

While the vast majority of therapists comments remain focused on Mr. Trump, some in the profession say that if public psychoanalyzing is going to be done, it should be directed at both candidates.

Do those things rise to a diagnosable level? I sure dont know, said Don Sizemore, a family therapist in Lexington, Ky. But if were diagnosing him, we should be doing the same for her.

Yet history cautions against the armchair analysis of either one. Psychiatrists point to Goldwater himself as a prime example of getting it wrong. By the time he died in 1998, Mr. Goldwater was regarded as one of his partys most respected elder statesmen, The Washington Post said in its obituary.

In the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, many people longed for a diagnosis to explain or denounce President Bill Clintons behavior, said Dr. Nada Stotland, a psychiatrist at Rush Medical College in Chicago. I remember getting all these media calls asking if he was a narcissist or a sex addict, she said. Well, sex addiction wasnt a recognized disorder at the time. And if it had been, was the behavior then not his fault? I ended up dancing around these questions, because this idea that we should go around, willy-nilly, putting diagnoses on people is just wrong.
Jennifer Rosen was scheduled to depart Kennedy International Airport on an 8:55 p.m. flight to San Francisco but instead found herself stuck at Gate C62 in Terminal 2. It was the typical misery of summer airline travel  or so it seemed.

A short distance way away, in another terminal, something more unpredictable than the weather had begun to sweep across the New York airport:

Panic.

It spread quickly and without warning.

By the time Sunday night was over, Ms. Rosen, 32, had sprawled out under a table seeking cover, followed a crowd of people who bolted through a secure door onto the tarmac, frantically called her sister to find out what was happening and tell her that she was alive, and, finally, made a mad dash from the terminal to join mobs of travelers who thought they might be living through an episode of terror.

In the end, it proved to be a false alarm.

While the authorities were still trying to piece together exactly how a report of gunfire at 9:34 p.m. outside the security checkpoint at Terminal 8 led to complete turmoil across one of the nations busiest airports, the accounts of passengers in interviews and on social media offered a lesson in the anatomy of fear.

It was a night of confusion and dread, informed by the latest headlines  including reports of recent attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul  as much as fact. In the absence of official information or instructions, unconfirmed reports from social media fueled the hysteria.
Waiting at a bus stop in a cascade of snow. Inching along in stop-and-go traffic. Cramming into a commuter van alongside other passengers.

These are the experiences of living in New York City when a subway line is out of reach.

While the city is heralded for operating one of the worlds most expansive networks of subway lines, there are many neighborhoods  and many New Yorkers  that do not benefit from this rapid mode of transportation.

For those who live in the huge swaths of the city that the subway does not serve, getting around can be a time-consuming and stressful slog, involving long bus rides, multiple transfers and a large reserve of patience or a good playlist or book to endure an hour or more in transit. Beyond the inconvenience, a lack of easy access to a subway line has more serious social consequences, helping contribute to economic inequality.

With neighborhoods in Brooklyn along the L line  among the citys busiest subway routes  in anguish over losing their train to Manhattan for 18 months, New Yorkers living in so-called subway deserts have a message: Welcome to the club.
The "Matthew Effect," whereby the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, has been in full force within China's private equity market after a recent clearing of the private placement market.

Recently, the Asset Management Association of China updated its report on private equity firms after the clearing of the private placement market.

By the end of July, the number of listed private equity fund managers had decreased from 24,094 in June to 16,467, down 31.66 percent percent. Of all firms dealing in securities, equities, venture capital and other categories, securities and equities firms underwent the most severe clearing, with 35 percent of private equity firms removed. Accordingly, the number of practitioners was cut by 31.48 percent to 275,800.

By contrast, the scale and variety of funds have continued to increase. The variety of funds rose from 32,355 in June to 36,829 in July. The registered capital and paid-in capital increased from 6.83 trillion to 7.47 trillion yuan, and from 5.58 trillion to 6.11 trillion yuan respectively.

"Strict supervision is good news for lawful private equity firms, since market demand dictates that capital will flow to firms with core competitiveness, and the whole market will finally enter a healthy cycle," one industry insider commented. In July, one private equity firm issued 13 funds, while 24 firms released more than three funds. All these firms have long histories and sound records.

Given the current circumstances, large-scale private equity funds will likely continue to grow. By July, 400 fund managers were running funds worth 2 to 5 billion yuan, while 138 were operating funds with 5 to 10 billion yuan. There were 131 managers operating funds worth over 10 billion yuan.

On April 15 and 18, the Asset Management Association of China released its Administrative Measures for Private Placement Funds Collection and its Contract Guide, both of which came into effect on July 15. The new measures and guide clearly elucidated the subjects of private equity, investor qualifications and the process of private placement. For example, the minimum investment was given as 1 million yuan; the publication of private equity products and performance was prohibited; and investors were given 24 hours to withdraw their investments.
YONKERS  This citys mayor, Mike Spano, likes to stroll along the Hudson River waterfront and marvel at the changes since the 1980s. Hundreds of millions of dollars in public and private investment have transformed a once forlorn riverfront marred by abandoned industry into a vibrant place where people live and play.

But a proposal to allow massive barges  up to 600 feet long  to anchor off the shore of the states fourth largest city here, just north of New York City, and in other spots stretching some 70 miles north to Kingston, threatens to undo that progress, Mr. Spano said. The plan, by the private maritime industry, would create 10 new anchorage sites along the Hudson River, with more than 40 berths, or parking spots.

The rise of the United States as a major oil producer in recent years is having unintended consequences for picturesque suburban communities that view the Hudson as a majestic backdrop, not a conduit for international trade. They fear that the very quality that makes these towns so charming  unfettered water views  will be destroyed.

In December, Congress ended a 40-year ban on the export of most crude oil produced in the lower 48 states, a move that came as the industry is booming, helped by new methods of blasting through hard rocks with water, sand and chemicals that have opened up areas for oil exploration. As a result, oil production has nearly doubled to more than nine million barrels a day.
To the Editor:

Re The Secret of Jamaicas Runners (Sunday Review, Aug. 14):

Orlando Patterson may be a bit too hasty in dismissing a genetic explanation for the success of Jamaicans at track. It may be true that we have few outstanding West African sprinters today, but contemporary West Africans are not the relevant population.

Perhaps that subset of West Africans who wound up in Jamaica years ago was a population greatly enriched for genes that contribute to sprinting skills and an inclination toward running. People harboring such genes would delight in exercising their skills and might well establish a culture in which track was the favorite sport and the one to which many young people aspired.

DAVID S. HODES

Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

The writer is a retired pediatrician.
To the Editor:

In Jury Trials Vanish, and Justice Is Served Behind Closed Doors (front page, Aug. 8), Frederick P. Hafetz, a defense lawyer, rightly notes that jury trials are supposed to serve as a check against prosecutorial power. That check is in danger of failing.

We have documented the many tools that federal prosecutors use to push drug defendants to forgo trial and plead guilty. They include threats to transform 10-year mandatory minimum sentences into life sentences based on a persons prior convictions for minor drug offenses  discretion that lies completely in the hands of the prosecutor.

Congress is considering sentencing reform that would restrict some of the excesses of these so-called sentencing enhancements. Yet these efforts would simply shorten the enhancements length, not eliminate them, as well as add new crimes that could trigger them.

Not being compelled to confess guilt is a human right. When a prosecutor can legally threaten a life sentence for a drug crime, the specter of coercion looms large.
To the Editor:

At Least 33 in Military Contracted Zika Abroad (news article, Aug. 4) is noteworthy for what it did not mention: the possibility that exposed servicewomen or sexual partners of exposed servicemen could need an abortion because of the risk of fetal malformations associated with Zika infection.

Under American law, women in the military, as well as dependents with military health insurance, may get coverage for abortion only in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. Even if they want to pay for the abortion themselves for other reasons, they cannot obtain it at military facilities.

Moreover, many of those affected are stationed in countries where it is difficult to obtain a legal abortion.

We owe it to those serving our country to make available to them the full spectrum of necessary reproductive health services, including contraceptive methods to prevent unintended pregnancy and testing for the Zika virus, as well as abortion services for those who request them.
Conspiracy theories can be stubborn, particularly in the echo chamber of the internet.

One persistent belief in some quarters is that the government  or business, perhaps  is deploying a fleet of jet aircraft to spray chemicals into the sky to control the population, food supply or other things.

As evidence, they point to what they call chemtrails, which are more commonly known as contrails, or condensation trails, produced at high altitudes as water vapor in jet engine exhaust condenses and freezes.

Adding fuel to the chemtrails theory is the fact that there are a few legitimate reasons for atmospheric spraying  seeding clouds to make rain, for example  and in recent years there has been some research on the idea of spraying chemicals as a potential way to fight global warming.

But now, scientists have become more organized in their efforts to shoot down the idea, conducting a peer-reviewed study in Environmental Research Letters that debunks chemtrails supporters claims.
The researchers who engage in this type of work do their absolute best to tease apart these factors. Im not questioning their intent or their acumen. But even with the best methods available, its very, very hard to prove what events cause death and which are correlated with it.

A study published in 2001 asked physicians to review cases of deaths and then rate not only whether they thought a preventable error might have contributed to the end result, but also how likely death might have been in the absence of an error. As with other studies, they found that almost a quarter of hospital deaths might have been at least partially preventable. Only 6 percent of deaths were probably preventable. But the inter-rater reliability, or the amount that reviewers agreed on each case, was low. Its hard to parse this determination, and even experts disagree on each case.

They also noted that after considering the three-month prognosis and adjusting for the variability of ratings, only 0.5 percent of patients who died would probably have lived at least three months more in good health if care had been optimal. Thats far, far fewer than the numbers cited.

A similar study (in Britain) from 2012 found that while 5 percent of deaths in hospitals may have a more than 50 percent chance of being preventable (lower than these recent studies), more than half occurred with older, sicker patients who were thought to have less than one year of life left to live.

This isnt to say that these error-associated deaths arent sad or meaningful. They are. I cant say that enough. But the potential harms of hospitals have to be weighed against the potential benefits. People who think that going to a hospital, or even a doctors office, carries no risk are fooling themselves. Beyond mistakes that occur, youre exposing yourself to risk just by being around many sick patients. Further, the sickest patients are likely to have more medical interventions, and therefore more opportunities to have a preventable error occur.

But its somewhat sensationalistic to keep coming up with increasing numbers. Im not sure its doing much good. After the publication of the initial report, defenders of the 98,000 number argued that even if the numbers were wrong, bringing attention to this problem would be good in itself.

Unfortunately, research doesnt necessarily back that up. A 2010 study in The New England Journal of Medicine followed 10 North Carolina hospitals in the 10 years after the Institute of Medicine report. They found that the overall rate of harms, and the rate of preventable harms, did not significantly improve over that period.
We dont want to make it real comfortable for them because we dont want them to want to come back, Christopher Ivey, the chief sheriffs deputy, said in his climate-controlled office two floors beneath the jail. We try to get it and keep it at a level that its comfortable enough that they can survive.

Mr. Ivey, who said no parish inmate had suffered a heat-related illness since the sheriff took office in 2012, said he believed the jails temperature never exceeded 80 degrees. But a jailer who dropped by Mr. Iveys office suggested that temperatures regularly reached the mid-90s.

You dont leave there not moist, Mr. Ivey acknowledged. Parish officials, who have not faced a court challenge about jail temperatures, did not agree to requests for a tour of the facility or interviews with current inmates.

But after her release, Ms. Bourque, 25, described an environment where inmates found little relief.

Its hot as hell, she said. The church ladies come over there, and I told her that. And she was like, No, I believe hell is hotter. And I was like, Its just an expression. Its hot as hell.

Inmates, lawyers and doctors described similar conditions inside other jails across the South, and some said that temperatures endangered the lives of prisoners with health problems.

Once these buildings heat up in the summertime, they never really do ever cool back down again, Keith M. Cole, a plaintiff in the Texas class-action case, said at the Navasota prison where he is serving a life sentence for murder and is being treated for heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. Air-conditioning to me wouldnt be a comfort. Its a necessity  its a medical necessity.

Mr. Cole, 62, said that he understood public skepticism of air-conditioning for prisoners, and that he might have even embraced such an opinion before he was sentenced in 1995. But in an interview, he said, This isnt about comfort. This is about life or death.
Rescuers navigated submerged streets and neighborhoods in parts of southern Louisiana on Monday, plucking people to safer ground and trying to stay ahead of the rain-swollen waterways spilling over into new areas.

At least eight people died in the flooding, Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news conference on Tuesday. Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes had reported two deaths each by Monday. East Baton Rouge Parish reported three.

More than 11,000 people were in 70 shelters as of Monday, and many more are expected, said Mike Steele, a spokesman for the Governors Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The floodwaters are drifting downstream below Baton Rouge, Mr. Steele said. Thats the biggest concern now.
Every day last year, Twitter users turned to social media to talk about race.

They voiced frustrations, offered opinions, spread news and shared reflections on race no fewer than 1.5 million times per day, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. Typically, the number was even higher, with an average of 2.2 million daily Twitter posts on race. On some days, the chatter was much louder.

The Pew analysis, published on Monday, traced the contours of a continuing conversation about race, revealing how social media serves as an outlet as the nation reckons with racial inequality and injustice, particularly around tragedy.

We can now see big cultural conversations taking place in ways that we couldnt have seen when we only had them at the water cooler at the office or over the backyard fence or at coffeehouses, said Lee Rainie, director of internet, science and technology research at Pew. This is a big new venue for those kinds of very intimate and sometimes painful conversations.
For legal reasons, the governments hands are tied.

That is in part because unlike pharmaceutical companies, cosmetic companies are not required to notify the government of adverse reaction reports  even if someone dies.

Image Wens Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, which Miriam Lawrence used on the hair of her daughter, Eliana. Credit... Nick Cote for The New York Times

The F.D.A. instead has had to depend on consumers stepping forward, and as of July 7, only 127 reports had been filed to the agency detailing problems with the Wen hair care line. But inspectors sent to the companys facilities dating back to 2011 learned that complaints to the company and distributor total more than 21,000, the agency said last month.

You know how the stars were saying it was so good and it made your hair more manageable, more shinier? said Bonnie Iqbal, 55, of Albany, who last year was among those who sued the company after her hair began falling out. So I figured, you know, Id try it.

Patricia J. Zettler, a health law and policy expert at Georgia State University and a former F.D.A. lawyer, said that under existing law, the agency could take action against the company only if it could prove a product had been mislabeled or contaminated. If the product turns out to be dangerous but legal, the government has no recourse.

The bottom line is, if the company has not violated the law, there isnt really anything F.D.A. can do, Ms. Zettler said.

Even in the absence of federal action, Guthy-Renker, in a business decision, agreed in late June to a $26.25 million legal settlement  still not approved by a federal court judge  that would repay up to $25 to every person who has bought a bottle since Wen products were introduced and as much as $20,000 to individuals claiming hair loss or other injury. Yet the product is still being sold, and the F.D.A., other than issuing a notice saying it is looking at the matter, has taken no action.

The Feinstein-Collins bill is intended to eliminate such stalemates. It would, for the first time, require that cosmetics manufacturers report serious adverse reactions to their products to the F.D.A. as they come in, as well as create an annual report of all adverse events. It would also give the agency the power to order companies to recall products found to be dangerous.
Dissenting voices have been on the rise since Seoul and Washington announced their decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Amid protests from the South Korean public, some South Korean media outlets worried about possible revenge from China, while others tried to label China as a bully. But analysts pointed out that it is unquestionably South Korea that incited this storm, and South Korea will also be the one to pay a long-term and expensive price if it does not give up the plan.

On Aug. 14, more than 10,000 South Korean citizens gathered at Seoul Plaza to stage a protest against the deployment of the THAAD system. Protesters believe that the deployment will lead to a new arms race and a severely damaged South Korean economy.

Compared with the protesters, local media seems more concerned about China's possible counteractions, though a number of local media outlets have also speculated about the possible impact of THAAD on South Koreas economy. According to the major South Korean newspaper Kukmin Ilbo, the number of Chinese tourists visiting South Korea has decreased by 3.7 percent in August. Analysts believe that South Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD system plays a role in this drop.

The newspaper also said that some Chinese-oriented vendors at tourist sites have complained about a decline in their sales. Tourist industry insiders predict that the number of the Chinese tourists is expected to drop further still.

From Aug. 16, all South Korean tourist agencies applying for group visas through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center are required to submit original passports. South Korean media has viewed this as an antagonistic move on China's part, since only copies of passports were required in the past. Chun Yungwoo, a senior adviser with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, told Dong-A Ilbo that China would definitely fail to intimidate [South Korea] through its retaliatory measures.

However, these speculations by the South Korean media are simply meant to create an inaccurate image of China as a bully that picks on the weak, said Cui Zhiying, a researcher with the Center for Asia-Pacific studies at Tongji University.

The THAAD system, as a weapon that threatens China's security, definitely has the potential to damage China-South Korea relations. But the damage may not take the form of governmental sanctions. After all, the THAAD system will destabilize the region, and nobody wants to visit unstable places, Cui added.

The Taiwan newspaper Want Daily commented on Aug. 14 that China-South Korea relations are now facing a crisis. South Korean objectors believe that these broken relations are too high a price to pay for a defense system that does not even protect the capital. The deployment will also push the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula out of reach, closing the door on reconciliation.

Many experts have advised South Korea to avoid taking sides between the U.S. and China. Yoon Young-kwan, the former foreign minister of South Korea, holds that the country is now relying on the U.S. and China for its security and economy respectively; therefore, it has to avoid a choice between the two countries.

Cui said that South Korea and the U.S. should be aware that the THAAD system would trigger an arms race as well as a confrontation in northeast Asia. However, there is better path forward. Both the U.S. and South Korea will soon elect new presidents, and these new governments may have a different attitude toward the issue. However, if the deployment moves forward, China will be forced to stage a confrontation.

The U.S. website Daily NK said in an article that China-South Korea relations are experiencing more than a rough patch. The THAAD issue is not likely to disappear any time soon, so the honeymoon between the two countries is over, said the article, adding that its time for both governments to re-examine each other from the perspective of realpolitik.
While Mr. Trump once prided himself on how popular The Apprentice was among African-Americans and boasted of his friendships with black celebrities, he has squandered whatever good will he once enjoyed among African-Americans. Interviews with black Republicans and Democrats reveal one reason he is so toxic: He is perhaps the most prominent birther in the country, contending in 2011 that President Obama was not born in the United States and leading a charge calling on Mr. Obama to release his birth certificate.

And if that was not troubling enough to blacks, Mr. Trumps call to restore the countrys greatness can sound to African-American ears as if he is nostalgic for a time before a black family was in the White House. He also initially refused to denounce David Duke, the former Ku Klux Klan leader who has expressed support for Mr. Trump, and has never expounded on Mr. Dukes bigotry beyond dismissively saying that he disavows him.

Then there are Mr. Trumps heated rallies, in which the candidate has encouraged rough treatment of minority protesters, his attacks on the Black Lives Matter movement and his recognition in June of a black supporter, in a sea of white faces, as my African-American.

Weve never seen numbers this bad for someone at the top of the ticket, said Cornell Belcher, a Democratic strategist. This is much deeper than simply not agreeing with Donald Trump on the issues. This is a much deeper rejection of him.

Making matters worse, Mr. Trump has demonstrated little appetite to go outside his comfort zone. The encounters he has had with blacks have largely been confined to meetings at Trump Tower. And when Ms. Manigault and other Trump advisers have tried to have him speak to influential black audiences, their efforts have been rejected.

In recent interactions with predominantly black and Hispanic organizations  some of which typically receive presidential candidates of both parties every four years  the Trump campaign has either not responded to requests for him to appear or has waited until shortly before the events to say he would not be attending.
As he continues to face a backlash for calling President Obama and Hillary Clinton the founders of ISIS, Donald J. Trump will travel to the battleground state of Ohio on Monday to discuss his plans to fight terrorism and shore up national security.

The address at Youngstown State University comes as Mr. Trump tries to pivot to serious policy issues from multiple contentious statements.

On Sunday, Trump campaign aides previewed his planned speech in a 40-minute conference call with reporters, saying that it would use the Cold War era as a model for the type of ideological fight the United States is waging against the Islamic State. The New York Times was not invited to join, but it was provided with the number and listened to the call.

Jason Miller, a campaign spokesman, said that Mr. Trump would lay out three pillars to fighting radical Islamic terrorism. The speech, Stephen Miller, Mr. Trumps policy adviser, said, would call for a stricter immigration questionnaire for people from nations with ties to terrorism; for new alliances with nations willing to help fight terrorism; and for a move from nation-building to foreign policy realism. The questionnaire, he added, would require applicants to prove commitment to the ideals of tolerance and pluralism, but he did not say precisely how such a thing would be enforced.
Donald J. Trump on Monday invoked comparisons to the Cold War era in arguing that the United States must wage an unrelenting ideological fight if it is to defeat the Islamic State. He said he would temporarily suspend immigration from the most dangerous and volatile regions of the world and judge allies solely on their participation in Americas mission to root out Islamic terrorism.

In a speech at Youngstown State University in Ohio, a critical swing state where polls show him trailing Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trump combined old vows to seize Middle Eastern oil fields with the announcement of a series of new, if still vague, proposals to change Americas battlefield tactics.

Just as we won the Cold War, in part by exposing the evils of communism and the virtues of free markets, so too must we take on the ideology of radical Islam, he said.

He again tried to change his politically inflammatory approach to immigration, replacing his 2015 vow to bar Muslims from entering the United States with a new commitment to bar anyone from parts of the world where terrorism breeds. Once again, he did not name those countries, or say whether citizens of longtime allies where terrorists have plotted and executed attacks  Germany, France and Belgium among them  would be included.
The secret ledgers kept by a pro-Russian political group in Ukraine, the Party of Regions, contain 22 separate references of cash disbursements designated for Mr. Manafort between 2007 and 2012. The disbursements amount to $12.7 million, according to anticorruption officials there.

Ukrainian officials have emphasized that the appearance of Mr. Manaforts name in the so-called black ledgers does not mean he received the money.

However, the possibility remains that some of those funds may have gone to his lobbying firm or to other companies in which he held an interest. On Monday, both Mr. Manafort and his lawyer, Richard A. Hibey of Washington, did not respond to emails asking how much the political operative or his firms were paid during the five-year period in question by his main client in Ukraine, former President Viktor F. Yanukovych, or the Party of Regions.

In his statement, Mr. Manafort criticized the news media as covering the campaign unfairly, just as Mr. Trump had been doing of late.

The Times does fail to disclose the fact that the Clinton Foundation has taken (and may still take) payments in exchange for favors from Hillary Clinton while serving as secretary of state, Mr. Manafort said, referring to Mr. Trumps Democratic opponent. This is not discussed despite the overwhelming evidence in emails that Hillary Clinton attempted to cover up.
JOHANNESBURG  President Edgar Lungu of Zambia eked out a victory in last Thursdays elections, according to official results announced Monday afternoon. But his main rival disputed the impartiality of election officials and demanded a recount.

After an unusually violent campaign in a country considered one of Africas most stable democracies, Mr. Lungu garnered 50.35 percent of the vote, slightly over the threshold of votes to avoid a runoff. The main opposition candidate, a wealthy businessman, Hakainde Hichilema, won 47.67 percent of the total.

Commission officials had initially said that they would release final results by early Sunday, but the vote tallying took longer because of an unexpectedly large turnout. Mr. Hichilemas party, the United Party for National Development, attributed the delay to Zambias electoral commission, accusing it of vote rigging.

In a news conference on Sunday, as incomplete results showed he was trailing behind the president, Mr. Hichilema cited irregularities in the count in Lusaka, the capital, and demanded a recount.
BEIJING  In a tale taught to generations of Chinese schoolchildren and celebrated in film, theater and paintings, five Communist soldiers who had fought off the Japanese invaders in World War II, killing dozens, chose to leap off Langya Mountain, shouting Long live the Chinese Communist Party! rather than surrender.

But Hong Zhenkuai, a historian, challenged the story of the five heroes of Langya Mountain. In two articles published in 2013, he questioned how many Japanese soldiers were actually killed and whether the five men  three died but two survived the fall  had slipped rather than jumped off the cliff.

In June, a Beijing court ruled that Mr. Hong, a former executive editor of the history journal Yanhuang Chunqiu, had defamed the heroes and ordered him to post a public apology on websites and in news outlets. He appealed, and on Monday, the Beijing Second Intermediate Peoples Court, in a final decision, upheld the ruling against him.

I certainly will not apologize, Mr. Hong said in an interview on Monday. This is basic academic freedom, and I need to maintain my dignity as an intellectual.
MOSCOW  Germanys foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, urged Moscow on Monday to reduce tensions with Ukraine after what Russian officials said was a border skirmish with Ukrainian forces in which two Russian soldiers died.

Germany is Russias closest ally in trade and politics among the major European powers, and Mr. Steinmeier has used this position to exert diplomatic pressure. He met Monday with his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.

Mr. Steinmeier said both Russia and Ukraine should step back from a looming confrontation along their de facto border on the Crimean peninsula, where Russia said two of its soldiers died in a skirmish with a Ukrainian commando group that had slipped across. Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014.
SANA, Yemen  At least 15 people were killed on Monday in northern Yemen when warplanes bombed a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders, according to hospital and local health ministry officials.

The airstrike hit Abs Hospital in Yemens northern Hajjah Province, and three Yemeni staff members of Doctors Without Borders were among the dead, said the hospital director, Ibrahim Aram, who was reached by telephone. He said that three foreign doctors at the hospital were also wounded, and that three other staff members had limbs amputated.

The bombing came two days after Saudi airstrikes killed at least 19 people, mostly children, in a residential area and a school in northern Yemen.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi militias has stepped up its bombing campaign in recent weeks after peace talks collapsed between the rebels who control the capital, Sana, and the largely exiled government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which is backed by the coalition and by Western powers.

Ayman Ahmed Mathkoor, the health director for Hajjah Province, said the airstrike on Monday had destroyed the emergency department of Abs Hospital, killing 15 people and wounding 20.

In a news release on Monday afternoon, Doctors Without Borders  often known by its French name, Medecins Sans Frontieres  said that at least 11 people, including a member of the organizations staff, had been killed in the attack on the hospital, and 19 wounded. Nine people were killed immediately, and two more died while being moved to another hospital, according to the news release. Mr. Aram said he was unsure how many patients had died.

Hospitals in Yemen supported by Doctors Without Borders have been hit by coalition airstrikes at least four times in the countrys 17-month war. Saudi officials have insisted that they have struck only at military targets, and have accused the Houthis of using civilian facilities to carry out attacks against the government and its coalition partners.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, condemned the attack in a statement, emphasizing that antagonists in the Yemen conflict had damaged or destroyed more than 70 health facilities since the hostilities began 17 months ago.

Ibrahim Jafari, a health ministry official who went to the hospital on Monday, said the emergency room had been full of patients when it was hit. Many of the victims were badly burned, he said, and body parts were scattered around the site. Mr. Jafari said there were no military forces near the hospital.

The nearest military activity involving the Houthi militias was more than 35 miles away, he said.

Amnesty International in the United States condemned the attack, and an Amnesty official said in a statement that the targeting of medical facilities could constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, which would amount to a war crime.

Mr. Aram, the hospital director, said the three Doctors Without Borders staff members who were killed were a guard, a logistician and an electrician. In addition, another guard, an X-ray technician and a nurse had limbs amputated because of their wounds, he said, adding that the three foreign doctors had relatively minor injuries.

Todays airstrike appears to be the latest in a string of unlawful attacks targeting hospitals, highlighting an alarming pattern of disregard for civilian life, said Magdalena Mughrabi, an Amnesty official.

Other hospitals supported by Doctors Without Borders that are known to have been hit in Saudi strikes include Shiara Hospital in Razeh, in Sada Province, struck on Jan. 10; Taiz Hospital in the city of Taiz, struck on Dec. 2; and Haydan Hospital in Haydan, Sada Province, struck on Oct. 26, according to statements from the aid organization as well as government health officials.

Mr. Aram said that Doctors Without Borders had not begun supporting Abs Hospital until it was assured that the Saudi coalition was aware of the hospitals geographical coordinates, in line with the organizations longstanding policy for hospitals in war zones.

Maj. Gen. Ahmed Asseri, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, said a statement about the airstrike would be issued. Efforts to reach spokesmen for the Yemeni government supported by the Saudi coalition were unsuccessful.
Traditionally a Hindu holiday, Raksha Bandhan celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters, with sisters tying rakhi  small pieces of thread  around their brothers wrists and feeding them sweets in exchange for protection. Nowadays, the celebration is more secular, and focused less on the specific roles of brothers and sisters than on honoring the bond between siblings.

Image Resham Gahunia, center, works the cash register at Raja Sweets. Credit... Michael Stravato for The New York Times

According to the 2010 census, Houston has one of the largest Indian populations in the United States, and for Raja Sweets, a prominent Indian bakery in town, Raksha Bandhan is among the busiest holidays of the year, just behind Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and Diwali, the festival of lights.

Raja Sweets makes its treats daily, a practice that sets it apart from most Indian sweet shops. (Fresh mithai has a short shelf life.) Most of the stores confections start out more or less the same way: by heating up milk, sugar and ghee (clarified butter).
China firmly opposes to the Japanese cabinet members paying tribute to the Yasukuni Shrine which honors Class A criminals of the Second World War and beautifies the war of aggression, said Lu Kang, spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Some Japanese cabinet members visited the Yasukuni Shrine on August 15, 2016, to mark the 71st anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender.

"We once again urge the Japanese side to face up to and reflect upon the history of aggression, properly address relevant issues in a responsible manner and make credible efforts to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community," Lu Kang said.
I Contain Multitudes has a terrific story to tell. For the last quarter-century or so, microbiologists have been exploring what may amount to a new view of life, full of fascination and self-contradiction. Their work suggests strange and surprising things about our origin and evolution, about health and disease, about symbiosis and risk. This is one of the most interesting developments in biology today. It sweeps from the personal to the planetary; it changes the way you look at human bodies, birds in the air and leaves of grass. Like all new views, it is hard to take in  although, like it or not, we can hardly get away from it.

In a way, Yong says, the science of the microbiome had two false starts. First the Dutch draper and microscope maker Anton van Leeuwenhoek discovered that microbes, which he called animalcules, are everywhere  on skin, on wood, on fur, on eyes. In 1683, he scraped a bit of plaque from his own teeth and inspected it through the microscope. He saw enormous numbers of living things very prettily a-moving. Van Leeuwenhoek estimated, correctly, that there were more animalcules swimming and creeping around in his mouth than there were people living in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, many of his sensational discoveries turned out to be difficult to replicate because no one else could see the animalcules as clearly as he did. Van Leeuwenhoek was such a wizard with a microscope that he was, in a sense, looking far into the future.

Two hundred years later, in the second half of the 19th century, microbial life caused a second sensation. Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, Joseph Lister and others focused the worlds attention on microbes ability to cause diseases. The germ theory became the main lens through which the world viewed microbes. At that time, as Yong reminds us, naturalists were trying to take in Darwins view of life. The germ theory fit in well with the struggle for existence, the survival of the fittest. Nature was red in tooth and claw, and danger lurked between our teeth.

And of course thats the way most of us still think about bacteria now. Our whole worldview is antibacterial. Theyre out there. Shoot to kill. Build a wall! Which makes perfect sense for the tiny percentage of microbes that make us sick, but misses the vast majority that make us what we are. If we ignore them, Yong writes, we are looking at our lives through a keyhole.
TOKYO, Aug. 15 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abesent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, where over 70 conservative lawmakers visited on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II.

Regardless of the feeling of the peoples of neighboring countries, Abe asked his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make the offering as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers, including Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda, and Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, also visited the shrine.

Japan's new defense minister Tomomi Inada did not visit the notorious shrine Monday as she was on a four-day trip from Saturday to Djibouti in Africa. But an LDP lawmakers' group with Inada as president paid homage to the shrine.

New reconstruction minister Masahiro Imamura visited the notorious shrine last week.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
Elsie Lott drew story after story out of a stack of papers, reading the testimonies of those serviced by the Community Market, a service of the Food Bank of East Alabama, in Opelika.

She said, I live alone and I have a 5-month-old daughter, Lott read. This woman said, Im a single mother, a parent of two wonderful children. Stories of an Auburn University employee and others facing issues of food insecurity in Lee County marked the pages.

Ive had people to tell me, If Community Market wasnt here, I dont know how my family wouldve survived, said Lott, coordinator of the market.

These glimpses into local hunger and more will be shared at the Community Markets open house Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.

The market, which gives access to food for those in need across Lee County, is celebrating its 13 years of service and inviting the community to learn more about the impact made through the organization.

Displays will be set up throughout the market with information about volunteer opportunities, the markets Baby Manna cupboard serving babies and the Brown Bag program that helps seniors with monthly supplementary groceries.

In an effort to help others visualize what food insecurity looks like in our area, a photo display project called Hunger Through My Lens will feature photographs taken by clients of the market, sponsored by Cameragraphics.

The reason why some people havent heard about Community Market is because they havent been hungry or they havent volunteered, Lott said. So this is a great opportunity for people to come and to see Community Market and what were here for and what weve accomplished over the 13 years that weve been here.

The Community Market was formed in response to a developing crisis. Though the Food Bank of East Alabama was growing and increasing its inventory, the county lacked adequate emergency resources for direct access to food for those in need, according to Martha Henk, executive director of the food bank.

Many of the local food pantries were limited in the days they were open, in the resources they could offer, the type of product they could store and distribute or in the number of times they could assist people, Henk said.

So in January 2003, the Community Market opened, giving those in need in Lee County access to a large-scale food pantry.

Today, the market provides food for an average of 850 households each month and is open Monday through Saturday. There were 2,910 total households received and 923,715 pounds of food given in 2015.

After going through an interview process to determine eligibility, families are able to select what and how much food they need in a client-choice food pantry. Canned goods, produce, bread, meats and more are displayed, allowing clients to shop for what they need.

The people who come here need the help and they get it in a very dignified way, said Gayle Andress, who has volunteered at the market for eight years. They come here to a place like a supermarket where they choose what they want.

The Community Market also helps clients get connected to other services offered in the area. More than 1,400 referrals were made last year to help connect those who needed help paying bills, getting medical attention, finding housing, getting transportation and other needs.

Lott, who has worked at the market since its beginning, sees the Community Market as more than a source of food for those in need.

To me, its like a house of refuge, Lott said. Were here to assist them in any kind of way.

And to make this possible, the market relies on volunteers. From bagging and weighing groceries to logging client information onto a computer, Henk said volunteers are the bedrock of the Community Market. Last year, 9,245 volunteer hours were recorded.

Jim Bice is in his eighth year of volunteering and said getting to know the clients is one of the reasons he keeps coming back. As an interviewer and grocery bagger, Bice heard several stories over the years.

There was this one lady that came in with her small daughter, and she said that her husband had gotten killed in Afghanistan and she needed help with food until she got some of her government checks, Bice remembered. She had been laid off from the university, and that was a story that I felt that we needed to do something to help her, and we did.

Despite what many may picture as the face of food insecurity, Lott said the market serves a wide spectrum of clients.

A lot of people think that Community Market just sees families that are poor, but we see families that work at Auburn University, we see families that work at East Alabama Medical Center  Ive got families from everywhere, Lott explained. You just dont ever know when somethings going to happen and you just dont have enough money to make ends meet.  Its not any race, its not just one gender, its everybody thats in need of food. Poverty doesnt know any boundaries. It doesnt matter what side of the fence or track you live on. It doesnt matter about that  sometimes things happen.

According to Feeding America, 27,050 people, or 18.3 percent of the population, in Lee County were considered food-insecure in 2014, rising from 24,450 people in 2012.

The Community Market is at 3810-C Pepperell Parkway in Opelika. For more information about the market or the Food Bank of East Alabama, visit www.foodbankofeastalabama.com.

The market receives support from the United Way of Lee County, the City of Opelika, the City of Auburn, the Lee County Commission, the Auburn Rotary Club, the Lee County Association of Realtors and many local churches and individuals.
TOKYO, Aug. 15 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the notorious war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on Monday, where two of his cabinet members paid homage on the 71st anniversary of Japan's unconditional surrender in World War II, drawing criticism from Japan's Asian neighbors.

Regardless of the feeling of the peoples of neighbor countries, Abe sent his aide Yasutoshi Nishimura to make the offering on his behalf as leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

The prime minister is reportedly to refrain from visiting the notorious shrine during the day in an effort to prevent further damage to Japan's relationship with China and South Korea.

But at an annual memorial ceremony held by the Japanese government in Tokyo Monday noon, Abe once again failed to mention "reflection" over the past war.

Japanese Emperor Akihito, in contrast, stated his "deep remorse" over the past war for the second time at the national memorial service, and expressed his wish for world peace.

Meanwhile, two of Abe's newly reshuffled cabinet members paid homage to the notorious shrine on Monday, including Sanae Takaichi, internal affairs minister and Tamayo Marukawa, minister in charge of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.

Farm minister Yuji Yamamoto, however, told a press conference Monday that he visited Yasukuni on Aug. 6. Masahiro Imamura, minister for reconstruction of disaster-hit regions, visited the shrine last week.

Dozens of conservative lawmakers, including Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda and Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, also visited the shrine Monday.

Japan's new defense minister Tomomi Inada, who had regularly visited the shrine before, did not pay homage Monday as she has been on a four-day trip to Djibouti in Africa since Saturday. But an LDP lawmakers' group with Inada as president visited the shrine.

The Yasukuni Shrine, which honors 14 Class-A convicted war criminals among 2.5 million Japanese war dead from the WWII, is regarded as a symbol of the past Japanese militarism.

Visits to the infamous shrine by Japanese leaders and officials have sparked strong criticism from China and South Korea.
When Slipknot is on stage, it commands attention. Not only because its nine dudes up there wearing black jumpsuits and sporting the freakiest of masks, but from the start its hard-hitting songs and energetic performance grabs you by the throat and doesnt loosen its grip until the houselights come on.

The metal band from Iowa made good on its promise to return to the Forum in Inglewood on Sunday night, after having to postpone the date in June when vocalist Corey Taylor had to undergo unexpected spinal surgery. However, that didnt stop the stubborn frontman from headbanging away, albeit maybe dialing it down just a notch.

Paying tribute to the late David Bowie by coming out to Fashion, the band dug right in with The Negative One off of its latest album, 2014s .5: The Gray Chapter. From there, the pace was set and the packed house jumped and sang along, pointed middle fingers high into the air and formed as many as five small mosh pits at a time out on the general admission floor. Taylor was as dynamic as ever, hidden behind his newest and possibly most grotesque mask yet, he called for his fans to scream for him and they happily obliged.

After the group delivered Disasterpiece off of its sophomore album, Iowa and Eyeless from its 1999 self-titled debut, Taylor addressed the crowd, acknowledging that the band was a little late for this stop. We would have been here a little earlier, he said with a pause. But  were here tonight!

As expected, the lighting and production was massive, with percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn stationed on opposite sides of the stage, their junk yard looking instruments strapped to platforms that not only would rise up into the air sporadically, but also spun around  and fast. DJ Sid Wilson and spiky-masked keyboard player Craig Jones were on similar risers further back on the stage, while the power quartet comprised of Taylor, bassist Alessandro Venturella and guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson led the charge at the front. They were all backed by Slipknots newest member, powerhouse drummer Jay Weinberg.

The set list was a great mix of new and old. The Devil in I and Skeptic off of the latest record and Psychosocial and Dead Memories off of 2008s All Hope Is Gone, fit just as well alongside early cuts such as Surfacing, Disasterpiece and The Heretic Anthem.

The latter part of the set was a real treat for diehard fans as Taylor roared out Do you wanna go back to 99 with Slipknot? Of course, the crowd went nuts as it launched into one of its very first singles, Wait and Bleed, which was followed immediately by (sic). For the encore the band came out hard and fast with another song from 99, Surfacing, before heading into Duality and finishing off the evening with Spit It Out, which had the sweaty mosh pits swelling, pushing those near the stage barrier even closer for one last snarling hurrah.

Mansons last few smaller club and theater performances in the area were a bit lackluster, but he was far more lively at the Forum. He got right down and into the faces of his fans as he screamed out the lyrics for Angel With the Scabbed Wings. Manson expected a big response and he got it as he fed off of the energy of the audience members, who lost their minds to tracks such as Disposable Teens and Mobscene.

The band only offered up one track, Cupid Carries a Gun, off of its latest album, The Pale Emperor, which is arguably Mansons best work in a decade. Instead Mason catered to his worshipers with hits such as The Dope Show, Antichrist Superstar, The Beautiful People and the haunting Eurythmics cover Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) which sounded awesome in the newly renovated Forum.

Huntington Beach-based metal outfit Of Mice & Men seemed a bit taken aback by the large amount of people that had showed up just as doors opened for the show to watch its 30-minute set. Fans head-banged along to the set as Austin Carliles hearty, growling vocal was balanced well by bassist-vocalist Aaron Pauleys singing voice on Glass Hearts. The crowd went crazy during You Make Me Sick, something Carlile noted as he shared, To see any room in Southern California this full, this early on a Sunday night, just blows my mind. The band performed its latest single, Pain, of off its forthcoming record, Cold World, due out Sept. 9, and then closed its turn with The Depths.

This wont be the last fans see of Slipknot in the area. After this tour, with Manson and OM&M, stops at Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista on Wednesday, Slipknot will be back in the fall to headline Ozzfest Meets Knotfest. The two-day event combines the best of the best of the two metal fests and features the final Southern California performance ever by metal legends Black Sabbath, Sept. 24-25 at San Manuel Amphitheatre in San Bernardino.

Contact the writer: 714-796-3570 or kfadroski@ocregister.com
Entrepreneurship might seem like an odd word to associate with Cuba, but it seems increasingly apt, given the individuals I met during a week traveling the island. From the tobacco fields three hours outside of Havana to downtown restaurants that rival the finest Philadelphia has to offer, one can find the seedlings of capitalism and businesses built for profit sprouting everywhere.

Dont misunderstand. Cuba remains a nation of great disappointment and contradiction. Friendly people live amid spectacular scenery but are nevertheless trapped in a socialist system that never delivered on the promises of the revolution. So often, on the same residential block, I was transfixed by both natural and architectural beauty, while distressed by the sight of squalor and blight.

And yet, amid the decay, there are unmistakable signs of initiative and optimism, people who represent hope and the prospect of freedom to come. Or, to put it in our current election parlance, you could say that where I expected to see shades of Bernie Sanders, I instead found Gary Johnson.

Have a cigar

For 30 years, Ive nursed a cigar-a-day habit that made me keenly interested to visit farms in the legendary Pinar del Rio province, which generates the worlds finest smoking tobacco. The three-hour drive from Havana offered the most picturesque scenery I have ever witnessed, reflective of an artists palette. Richly colored brown earth, lush green vegetation, gray-tinted mountains, and an azure sky provided a spectacular backdrop for primitive housing in a countryside dotted with roosters, pigs, horses, chickens, goats, cows, bulls, peacocks, dogs, and cats.

Here, Alejandro Robaina was cigar royalty until his passing in 2010 at age 91. His family name still appears on the label of a famed Cuban brand. The man known as the Godfather of Cuban Tobacco was succeeded by son Carlos, who today is the public relations manager of La Casa del Habano, the preeminent cigar emporium in Havana. Meanwhile, Alejandros grandson Hirochi oversees the family farm.

So imagine my surprise when Hirochi Robaina greeted me at his home by handing me a cigar with a label bearing his initials  made not in Cuba, but in Nicaragua.

The 40-year-old heir to his familys dynasty told me that his chief priority is the future he can provide for his four daughters. And so, while 90 percent of what he grows on his Cuban farm near San Luis automatically goes to the Cuban government for the state-run cigar monopoly  some of which presumably ends up in the Cuban cigars that the government brands with his family name  he himself is eager to promote cigars in which he can share the profits, hence those made in Nicaragua under his personal HR Cigars label.

Handmade cars

One of Hirochis Cuban contemporaries is Luis Gonzalez Saez, who is self-employed as a mechanic, but seems better described as a magician.

We met inside what he described as his man cave, a sub-rosa garage in the Vedado section of Havana surrounded by old motorbikes. The 49-year-old lover of all things motorized told me hes been interested in tinkering since his

rural childhood. After completing his mandatory state education and military service, Gonzalez turned his attention to keeping Harley-Davidson motorcycles and prerevolution 1950s American automobiles running in the absence of company-manufactured parts.

His own 1953 Buick Roadmaster is testament to his improvisational skill set. The body of the car is all original Buick, but its current suspension came from parts he procured from a Russian jeep. The motor is from a boat (a Perkins 90 hp). He rebuilt the steering with help from a Kia. The transmission came from a Hyundai; the housers from a Chevy; the shocks from a Renault truck; the disc brakes from a Mercedes. No wonder he calls it his small Frankenstein.

Standing near an operable 1936 Harley, he showed me a long chain he reuses on a variety of motorcycles. It was once part of an assembly line at a now-defunct Cuban Coca-Cola plant.

And to what does Gonzalez aspire? To open a Harley dealership in Havana, of course.

Art and food

Entrepreneurial spirit is also alive and well among many Cuban artists, including Lester Campa and Henry Aloma, both of whom reside at Las Terrazas, Cubas first biosphere reserve and home to roughly 1,000 residents.

Aloma paints in a small home he shares with his family. He sells colorful, nature-inspired sketches from an easel that stands a few feet from where his young daughter, with an angelic voice, practices her singing with a group of kids from the community.

Campa has already established a reputation that extends far beyond Cuba. He has exhibited in the United States and will soon visit again. In his lakefront home, he proudly displays an acrylic he painted of John Lennon in a pose wearing a hat made famous by Che Guevara.

Campa told me he soon hopes to show this piece to the actor Benicio Del Toro, a potential purchaser, who, I suspect, had better be ready to pay six figures should he be interested.

There is another revolution in Havana today  this one involving restaurants, not government overthrow. Or, more specifically, paladares, which are privately owned.

Among them is the gold standard for fine dining in Havana, La Guarida  a third-floor masterpiece with roof deck set in an otherwise crumbling apartment building. Enrique Nunez is the Stephen Starr of Havana, and his food and ambience would earn him four bells from Craig LaBan. The restaurant was the setting for the critically acclaimed movie Fresa y Chocolate (Strawberry and Chocolate). Foodies in Havana can now access an app called Cuba Paladar offering information and critiques of 50 or so paladares in the city. Of course, that assumes WiFi is available, which is usually not the case unless you are in a hotel or have spent $2 purchasing an access card for an hour of internet in public spaces.

Massimo Carocci and his wife, Lien, have just opened one of Havanas hottest new restaurants, Versus 1900, a paladar on Calle Linea, one of Vedados main commercial thoroughfares. They serve exceptional fusion cuisine for roughly $20 per meal.

Carocci is a 45-year-old Italian who previously worked in Europe as a corporate financier, and whose only prior restaurant experience was as an investor in Italy and Spain.

Five years ago, after government regulations changed to allow the purchase of private property, he and his wife acquired a grand home built in 1895, featuring high ceilings with full-length windows and doors. The property was in serious disrepair while still in the family of its original Spanish owners, the descendants of whom endured the tumult of 1958 to 1962 but chose to stay while so many other people of means evacuated the island. Their reward for remaining came when they were able to sell to Carocci and acquire a smaller, more manageable home for themselves.

Not long ago, this was not the situation, he told me. Its now much easier to start up a business like this.

As we sat in his private office on the second floor, which houses his 50-seat restaurant (he built a plush chill deck on the roof), I asked whether the restaurant was really privately owned, or more accurately described as a joint venture with the government.

Yes, we own it, he assured. The government is not my partner. The tax rate is similar to other businesses. Its progressive, so it depends on how much you make. It can be as much as 50 percent of profits.

Carocci said the Cuban government is keen to have his type of business established, both for the employment it provides the locals and the attraction it offers for tourists.

If I compare this restaurant to this same type of food business elsewhere, the margins are potentially better, he said. The concept is different. Normally here, you own the real estate, and not a lot of people are renting. So this is both a real estate investment and an ongoing business. The rental market is not developed, so that could be another step in the future.

Day to day, his biggest problem is the lack of wholesale purchasing. We have to go to normal supermarkets, and there is no continuance of supply, he said. To go and to find is very time-consuming. We spend lots of time looking and buying.

Old and new

Of course, this is still Cuba, and so contradictions abound. Not far from the ambience of La Guarida and Versus 1900, I watched a thirty-something woman obtain her monthly rations at a corner bodega in Old Havana surrounded by slums. Regardless of income, all Cubans are assured of the basic necessities every month. While the Cuba that Fidel Castro conquered was the wealthiest tropical nation in the world, that bounty came with a parallel world of huge impoverishment that sadly remains. And with Fidels reforms came the libreta, or ration book.

When the Soviet Union was subsidizing Cuba, that book meant not only necessities, but also free gas and even free cigarettes. Today, it equates to rice, sugar, cooking oil, coffee, black beans, and salt. President Raul Castro has suggested needs-testing, but that is being met with resistance.

Best positioned among the new business-seekers are those in the travel industry. Sonia Laguna founded Just90Miles.com as soon as she realized that the Obama administration would chart a different path with the land of her birth. Laguna told me that at age 9, she was aboard the last Pan Am flight from Havana to Miami (on May 12, 1972), together with her parents and 7-year-old sister. Her parents have never been back.

My mom comes from the old generation that doesnt want anything to happen to Cuba unless the entire political system changes, she said. But Laguna, who lives in Miami, is now busy booking passage for Americans who want to visit. She operates so-called people-to-people interactions, one of 12 categories of license for people to visit legally.

It requires an agenda to see the country and talk to people, she told me while planning my trip. You cant just sit on the beach.

I can attest to that. Id previously been to Cuba in January 2002, accompanying U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter to a meeting with Fidel Castro. I was eager to get back and show it to our four children before McDonalds and Starbucks arrive. Months ago, when I shared with my wife an itinerary Laguna proposed, she responded that it sounds more like a trip than a vacation. It ended up being both.

There are cracks forming

We didnt see many Americans during our stay, but one we did meet was Jonathan Matusky, who was raised on the Main Line and is now the 27-year-old director of the Innovadores Foundation, a nonprofit that is based in the U.S. but promotes technology and design in Cuba. Matuskys mantra is that Cuban problems can best be solved by the Cuban people.

We provide resources, education, internet, and workspaces to Cuban innovators and designers looking to solve Cuban problems, primarily tech and design, apps, websites, video game developers, clothing designers and manufacturers, and graphic designers, he said.

Long-term, Matusky seeks to provide investment to Cuban entrepreneurs. He enjoys the backing of American entrepreneur Miles Spencer, a Norristown native who cocreated the reality television show MoneyHunt, and John Caulfield, the former chief of the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba  who was essentially a de facto ambassador at a time when we had none.

There are cracks forming. Were kind of the water getting into cracks and waiting for it to freeze, Matusky told me as we sat in a cigar lounge in the Miramar neighborhood of Havana.

There is no shortage of small problems to be solved, so there is tremendous opportunity for entrepreneurs, especially because its such a unique place. Many things you cant solve from outside. You need to live here or be here regularly, or are yourself Cuban and understand the problem. There is tremendous opportunity for Cuban entrepreneurship, he said.

Matusky repeated for me words he ascribed to the CEO of a Cuban app developer, who told him: Our technique is to beg for forgiveness rather than ask for permission. By that he means that right now, everything is in a regulatory gray area; entrepreneurs are getting away with more than is explicitly permitted by law.

The only way to get anything done is by trying things out and hoping you dont get in trouble or are held back by government, Matusky said.

No one I met in Cuba was more knowledgeable about the changes and the island spirit than Christopher P. Baker. The swashbuckling travel journalist possesses a bachelors degree in geography and a masters in Latin American studies, but his real education seems to have come from a varied and deep circle of friends and acquaintances hes acquired in Cuba during his many visits since 1992. He has authored six books on Cuba alone, and such is the

current interest in Cuba that the Moon travel series guidebook he authored will publish its seventh edition in 2017.

The pace of change is astonishing. It presents a real challenge of keeping this material fresh when the worlds attention is now on Cuba. It is the new black of destinations, Baker said over mojitos in yet another paladar, Santy Pescador, a hard-to-find Havana gem that offers fresh sushi.

The drive of creativity and entrepreneurial expression is being fueled by the tourist boom, he said.

Hidden history

During my stay, and only after exacting a promise from me to never reveal the location, he led me to a hidden garage on the outskirts of Havana where he showed me the body of the last automobile owned by Ernest Hemingway, a 1955 Chrysler New Yorker convertible that Baker is working to restore, along with the actor David Soul (of Starsky & Hutch fame). Among Bakers other passions is leading motorcycle tours all over the island (Cubamotorcycletours.com). He is also is the go-to guide for National Geographic island expeditions. The day we parted, he was leading a dozen motorcyclists on Chilean and European bikes to the Bay of Pigs.

Ive been coming here more or less 25 years. But the pace of change Ive seen in the last two years is mind-boggling. Ive seen more change in the last two, three years than the previous 20. Not only the tourism, but also the domestically driven change  the money in the system is multiplying, and you can feel it. The sense of commercialism is creeping into the populations and the sense of values is beginning to shift.

Baker cited as an example a Cuban friend involved in tourism who is now opening his fourth business. Already operating a bed and breakfast, horseback excursions, and a photo workshop, he is adding a restaurant while he contemplates introducing jet skis to a local bay.

Still, amid the excitement, Baker worries that history is poised to repeat itself. He ticks off examples of urban deprivation, and notes that where Cubans lack the money necessary to repair the island infrastructure  something I saw while touring the countryside with Baker  they are again dependent upon outsiders, akin to the prerevolution era, when Fulgencio Batista was propped up by the American mafia.

They are relying on foreigners for investment but are looking for return, he said.

And the very real prospect is that many Cubans might be left behind  again. There is the potential threat of the circle coming round, whereby a white entrepreneurial upper class benefits while a black underclass is not able to take full advantage. Its the urban underclass I worry about, he said.

Ready to take off

That the now-deprived also want to work and participate in a market-driven economy was evident from the woman in Old Havana who sang a cappella in full costume while selling me peanuts, the roadside purveyors of cheese standing along the main highway from Havana in 90-degree heat, and hitchhikers of all ages and genders in the city and countryside with hands in the air and fingers clutching currency as an enticement for passing motorists to stop.

Baker reminded me that often in the last 50 years, its been said that Cuba is ready to take off., But this time it feels for real.

Speaking of taking off, prior to departing Havanas Jose Marti airport, my eldest son dropped into what was billed as the Cyber Cafe. The logo on the glass was of a computer mouse. But inside there was no WiFi, and the clerk didnt seem to know why my son expected to find an internet connection.

Whatever the outcome, the ride is going to be bumpy. That is the only Cuban guarantee.

Michael Smerconish can be heard from 9 a.m. to noon on SiriusXMs POTUS Channel 124 and seen hosting Smerconish at 9 a.m. Saturdays on CNN.
COSTA MESA  On the final day of the 126th OC Fair on Sunday, visitors lined up for rides and funnel cakes, vied for giant stuffed animals in carnival games, checked out baby goats in the livestock area and watched folk dancers perform onstage.

In the OC Promenade, fairgoers recorded their memories in a Share Your Fair video time capsule project inside a retro camping trailer. Vendors were hard at work feeding the crowds, hawking their wares and making sure everything went well.

And it has been going smoothly this year, according to Kathy Kramer, the woman in charge as the fairs CEO.

This years fair has a great vibe and energy, Kramer said Sunday morning. The weather helped, compared with the bout of rain during last years fair. Taking lessons from past years, organizers made changes to the layout of the grounds, removing visual barriers, improving the flow of foot traffic and adding more seating and picnic tables, including in the welcome shade.

It just gave it a much more open feel, Kramer said.

Some popular exhibits returned after absences, such as the Peking Acrobats and Budweiser Clydesdales. A new addition this year was metal detectors at entry gates. The bag checks of past fairs still were in place. But fair organizers have been stepping up security.

Unfortunately, its become the new normal. I think it really helped to give folks a sense of security.

Kramer said she expected attendance this year would exceed last years, though final figures wouldnt be ready until after Sunday. Revenues are up, she added. We believe, from what were hearing, that fairgoers are staying longer and theyre spending more money and really enjoying the fair this year.

Over at Russell Brothers Circus, Stephen Michaels had just finished the first of several shows scheduled for the day. He and his 81-year-old dad, Ed Russell, perform magic, juggling and plate spinning. Theyve appeared at the fair for 23 years, and work all 23 days at the fair, for a grand total of 138 shows a year.

Im glad this is over! Michaels said. When you get down to those last six shows on the last day, youre really looking forward to having a day off.

The last day was the first visit ever for Toni and Willie Berry from San Diego. After catching the Russell Brothers Circus, they had more on their itinerary: the turkey stampede, the culinary arts exhibits, some of the small concerts and the hypnotist. We mapped it out! Toni Berry said.

Over in the Livestock area, Diana Mendoza of Orange said her tasks for the last day of the fair were pretty much the same as during all other fair days: watering and feeding the animals, cleaning the barn and doing regular poop patrols. As a member of Future Farmers of America at Orange High School, her shift started at 7:30 a.m. The students raise goats, sheep, steer and bring them to the fair to show and sell for market.

I actually want to go on the Ferris wheel one more time, because its a beautiful sight, beautiful to see all of Orange County, all the city and the lights.

Contact the writer: aboessenkool@ocregister.com
Cal State Fullertons Center for Family Business will kick off its fall workshop series on Sept. 20.

Registration for its first workshop of the semester, titled Hard-Earned Lessons from a Legendary Texas Family Businessman is now open.

The event is open to all family businesses and is free of cost.

Featured guest speaker is Douglas D. Box, a family business adviser, author and public speaker from Dallas.

He operates Box Family Advisors, a company that provides services in succession planning, corporate governance, dispute resolution and family meetings.

The CSUF Center for Family Business, housed in the Mihaylo College of Business and Economics, was founded in 1995 and aims to assist local family businesses grow and prosper.

Ed Hart serves as director of the center. To register for the upcoming workshop, send an email to edhart@fullerton.edu.

Angie Marcos
BEIRUT  A bomb blast at a border crossing between Syrias opposition-held Idlib province and Turkey killed at least 10 Syrian rebel fighters on Sunday, activists said, as a wave of airstrikes pounded the region and fighting raged in the contested northern city of Aleppo.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a suicide bomber struck a bus transporting fighters through the Atmeh border post, one of several crossings Syrian rebels use to bring in fighters and supplies. The monitoring group, which relies on activists inside Syria, said the attack killed 10 fighters.

A media activist in the province said the blast killed 40 people. The activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said some 200 rebels from various factions are based near Atmeh and bring in weapons through the crossing. Idlib is dominated by ultraconservative Islamic insurgents, including a group linked to al-Qaida.

The Observatory had earlier reported 26 airstrikes on Sunday across Idlib, one of the last remaining opposition bastions. Observatory head Rami Abdurrahman said Russian and government airstrikes on the province have intensified since rebels launched a campaign from Idlib to break a government siege of Aleppos 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. The toll includes 126 people killed by rebel shelling of government-held parts of Aleppo city.

The Local Coordination 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 Syrias largest city and commercial capital, is now the focal point of the civil war. 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 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 Abdurrahman.

Aleppo is still home to some 2 million people, most of whom live in the government-controlled western districts. Tens of thousands of Syrians displaced from Aleppo have found refuge in Idlib, home to a pre-war population of 1.5 million.

On Sunday evening, rebels opened a new front, sending a truck bomb into Aleppos western Zahraa neighborhood, according to the Twitter account of the Islamic Front, one of the factions fighting for the city. The Observatory reported fighting in the citys western and southern districts.

To the east, a Kurdish-led force known as the Syria Democratic Forces 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 U.S. 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. Russias military said six long-range Tu-22M3 bombers that took off from Russian territory carried out strikes Sunday on IS near the eastern Syrian city of Deir el-Zour. It made no mention of any strikes in Idlib.

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 Center, 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 evacuated 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 Aug. 2.

Syrian state media said terrorists shot Ghinwa Qweider and then prevented her evacuation. Amnesty International said the government held up the request for nearly two weeks.

Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, and Lynn Berry in Moscow contributed to this report.
Day N Nights Saturday night headliner, A$AP Rocky, spoke early in his set about the music festivals appeal, citing a lineup he wanted to be a part of.

For once you hear the (stuff) you want to hear, he said, and not what theyre making you hear.

Indeed, the booking for the two-day music festival at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado had undeniable appeal to fans of hip hop. Put on by Santa Anas Observatory, its bill spoke to the venues impeccable ability to book rappers on a monthly basis who represent the biggest, and hippest, of the genre. Along with Rocky, Saturday offered up gritty Compton star YG, Texas-based youngster Post Malone and ubiquitous producer Mike Will Made It, while Sunday was anchored by rising stars Young Thug, Bryson Tiller and Vic Mensa.

But having an impressive lineup is never a problem for the Observatorys fests. Its what events like Burgerama (until it went inactive this year) and Beach Goth have built their reputation on, rather than other festival necessities like comfort, convenience and organization.

This years move of its biggest events away from its Santa Ana home and to Oak Canyon Park is ostensibly to accommodate more attendees for its most stacked lineup yet. But anyone whos ever been to Oak Canyon Park knows of the sites limitations. A single-lane entrance up Santiago Canyon Road caused traffic to stretch for miles as cars waited to get onto the grounds, while a lack of organization at will call had some fans complaining of hours spent in 90-plus-degree heat waiting to get into the venue. Reports on social media said fans who stayed until the last song spent many more hours in traffic trying to leave

Unfortunately, things didnt get much better inside the festival. Though the natural beauty of the park makes for a tranquil setting for any music event, the space lacked many of the amenities one would expect with $200 tickets and marquee talent. Food was of the most basic variety (think overpriced pizza, chicken strips and tacos), while the fest offered little to do aside from watching the bands and riding a small Ferris wheel.

And though the lineup looked exciting on paper, the unpredictability of set times made seeing favorites more difficult than it should have been. Atlantas Russ performed Saturday afternoon despite being booked for Sunday, while Mike Will Made It and Lil Yachty swapped start times without explanation. And even when artists were performing in their scheduled order, it was anyones guess what time sets would actually begin or end.

Despite the hiccups, the events first day made for an intriguing testing ground for some of raps buzziest acts. The nights two closing acts, A$AP Rocky and YG, easily demonstrated why they have ascended to the top of their field. Rocky began his set crooning from the top of an LED screen for the moody track LSD before launching into a hit parade of his solo songs and A$AP Mob tracks. YG was less ambitious with his sets tone but provided one of the days best displays of rap skills, overcoming a hoarse voice to run through cuts from his recent release, Still Brazy, and 2014s beloved My Krazy Life.

The events biggest moment came earlier, though, as Mike Will Made It shared the stage with surprise guest duo Rae Sremmurd, riding high on the release of SremmLife 2 just a day earlier. The pair dominated Mike Wills brief time slot, peppering in older party anthems No Flex Zone and No Type to get the large audience revved up for the evenings festivities. At a festival that often felt like a chore, at least the best of the performances worked as a temporary reprieve.
Events coming up this week and in the days ahead include:

HireLive will host a free jobs fair from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Embassy Suites Hotel, 1325 East Dyer Road, in Santa Ana. Parking is $4. Job seekers should bring resumes and dress in business attire. Job opportunities include: sales reps, account executives, retail managers, account managers, insurance sales, customer service, technical sales, pharmaceutical sales, mortgage brokers, retail sales and management and more.

The Veterans Legal Institute will host a free legal clinic for veterans between 10 a.m. and noon Saturday. The clinic will address subjects such as expungements, benefits, bankruptcy, consumer law, estate planning, discharge updates, immigration, landlord-tenant issues, and more. The institute is located at 2100 N. Broadway, Suite 209, Santa Ana. For more information, call Christopher Gilbertson at 714-852-3492 or email him at cgilbertson@vetslegal.com.

The Risk Management Association, Orange County Chapter, will host Dr. John Barbuto for a presentation: Developing your Emotional IQ, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, at The Pacific Club, 4110 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. Barbuto is professor of organizational behavior and director of the Center for Leadership at Cal State Fullerton. Cost to attend is $65 for RMA members, $75 for non-members (or $85 after Sept. 16). Parking will be validated. Register online at www.rmaoc.org. To reserve your space by phone call Vicki Phillipy at 714-267-5281.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

James Gibson has been hired as senior vice president and senior relationship manager at City National Bank in its Commercial Banking Service group in Orange County. Gibson joins City National from Bank of America. He will work out of the banks newly renovated and expanded regional center at 18111 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 120, Irvine. City National is a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Canada.

Stephanie Ramsey has joined Cal Net Technology Group, an IT managed services company, as a business development executive in its Costa Mesa office. She will be responsible for education sales consisting of managed services, hardware and software to local schools, both K-12 and higher education. Ramsey spent the last seven years at Microsoft in a variety of roles.

Gary L. Chambers has joined JAMS, a private provider of mediation and arbitration services. Chambers will be based in the JAMS Resolution Center in Orange. He will serve as a mediator in a variety of disputes including insurance, personal injury/torts and professional liability.

Cal State Fullertons Chandrasekhar Putcha, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, is spending his summer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Corona Division in Norco. Putcha was selected as a Distinguished Fellow in the 2016 Office of Naval Research Summer Faculty Research program. As a fellow, he is conducting research in the area of metrology, an interdisciplinary area that deals with measurements of instruments in various fields.

Cal State Fullertons Philanthropic Board of Governors has named four new community members. The new members are: Rachelle Cracchiolo, founder and CEO of Teacher Created Materials Inc. of Huntington Beach; Gina Fales, managing director at Janus Capital Group in Newport Beach. Henry Martinez, senior vice president, water infrastructure at Cordoba in Santa Ana; and Jon C. Smith, partner, assurance services at Ernst & Young in Irvine.

Bob Wolpert of Golden State Foods has been elected as new board chair at Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Kate Klimow of UC Irvine will serve as its vice chair. Both appointees take their leadership positions as Second Harvest implements its new strategic plans Bold Goal to end hunger by closing Orange Countys 60 million meal gap by 2025.

NEW VENTURES

Western Growers unveiled its new Irvine headquarters in Irvine in late July at 15525 Sand Canyon. The organization is an industry voice for fruit, vegetable and tree nut growers in Arizona, California and Colorado. Before moving, most employees of Western Growers 12 companies and business divisions were spread across four different locations in Irvine.

The Newport Beach Country Club has opened its new 56,000-square-foot clubhouse which includes a ballroom, Seahorse restaurant, private dining room for up to 120 people, fitness center, six-lane competition pool with a sundeck and cabanas, and a separate kids pool due this fall.

SkillSetGroup, a staffing agency that specializes in in engineering, information technology, and industrial manufacturing, has moved its headquarters to Santa Ana from San Clemente. The new base is at 3631 S. Harbor Blvd. Suite 130.

VITAS Healthcare, a provider of end-of-life care, has moved its Orange County office to a larger space at 310 Commerce, Suite 200 in Irvine. The new office encompasses 15,000 square feet, which will accommodate the 243 employees. VITAS office was previously at 220 Commerce Suite 100. The company has nine hospice programs throughout California.

MILESTONES

Laila Pence of Pence Wealth Management in Newport Beach has been named among the Top 200 Wealth Advisors in America by Forbes magazine. Pence was recognized as the No. 52 adviser in the country. She is affiliated with LPL Financial, a leading retail investment advisory firm and the nations largest independent broker/dealer.

Inside Public Accounting magazine has named Irvine-based White Nelson Diehl Evans to its IPA 200 list of the countrys top accounting firms. The accounting firm ranked 145th in the survey. This is the third consecutive year WNDE, led by managing partner Dave Doran, has been on the list.

GOOD WORKS

Cox Charities will award $50,000 in grants to Orange County nonprofit organizations to support programs that focus on youth, education, conservation, and the military. Applications are being accepted online at bit.ly/2avlX9v and must be submitted by Aug. 31. In order to be considered for grant funding, organizations must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit; be located or provide services in Orange County; show measurable results from the program and complete a post-grant evaluation form; provide information on program outreach components including website and social media.

Send executive promotions, new business ventures, milestones and good works to Business Editor Samantha Gowen at sgowen@ocregister.com.
A search was underway Sunday in a remote San Bernardino County community for an 81-year-old Huntington Beach woman who went missing last week, sheriffs officials say.

Willie Jean Norman, who has dementia, missed her regular noon workout at 24 Hour Fitness on Tuesday, two hours after chatting with her daughter, said a statement from the Huntington Beach Police Department.

On Sunday, Normans blue 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee was found abandoned on an isolated United States Forest Service road in Lytle Creek, according to a San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department press release.

Lytle Creek is a census-designated community of about 700 people; the community is about 10 miles from Fontana and is within the San Bernardino National Forest.

The sheriffs departments search and rescue team and K9 bloodhounds are looking for Norman, the statement said.

Norman lives alone and has taken medication for dementia for several years, according to Huntington Beach police. Her daughter told police that she has not noticed her mothers cognitive abilities decline since she has been on the medication.

Norman left her dementia medication, and medication for high blood pressure, at home.

Police are asking anyone with information about Normans whereabouts to call Huntington Beach police at 714-960-8800 or San Bernardino Sheriffs Department at 909-387-8313.
SANTA ANA  A 19-year-old Santa Ana man was arrested after he fired at two police officers responding to a family disturbance, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said Sunday.

The incident occurred Saturday at 4:43 p.m. when Santa Ana police officers arrived in the 400 block of South Hesperian Street. When the officers arrived, they encountered a male armed with a pistol, Bertagna said.

The suspect, later identified as Oscar Freddie Torres, fired the pistol multiple times at the officers, Bertagna said. The officers did not return fire, he said.

Torres fled to his home nearby. He and two others came out after a standoff with officers.

All three were taken into custody, but only Torres was arrested, Bertagna said.

Torres was booked into the Santa Ana Police Department Jail on suspicion of attempted murder of two Santa Ana police officers.

Contact the writer: 714-796-2254 or eritchie@ocregister.com or on Twitter:@lagunaini
The Orange County District Attorneys Office, a year after being booted from the trial of mass killer Scott Dekraai because of prosecutorial missteps, is facing removal from another murder case involving allegations of falsifying evidence.

A hearing is scheduled to begin today on whether local prosecutors knowingly used doctored reports from the California Highway Patrol to convict a man charged with murder in the 2006 traffic death of an off-duty Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy.

Deputy Public Defender Sara Ross is asking that the District Attorneys Office be removed from the case against Cole Wilkins, saying prosecutors have lied, cheated and hidden exculpatory evidence for nearly 10 years to obtain a conviction.

Prosecutors have called the accusations at turns worthless, unproven and demonstrably false.

In court papers, prosecutors say that if reports were altered  even with their knowledge  it is immaterial and does not absolve Wilkins of guilt for causing the death of the law enforcement officer.

We do emphatically state that no prosecutor in the Orange County District Attorneys Office engaged in altering of any police reports. A Los Angeles sheriffs office deputy was murdered on his way to his work and the OCDA will continue to work to bring justice for his wife and children, said Susan Kang Schroeder, chief of staff at the District Attorneys Office.

Presiding over the hearing is Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals, the same judge who last year made the rare decision to remove the District Attorneys Office from Dekraais penalty phase trial for killing eight people at a Seal Beach salon in 2011. Goethals ruled in the Dekraai case that District Attorney Tony Rackauckas could not guarantee a fair trial because of dishonesty by sheriffs deputies and missteps by prosecutors.

In the new case, two prosecutors who recently have been elected judges  Michael Murray and Larry Yellin  will be called to answer questions about what they knew of a CHP report that allegedly was changed to bolster murder charges.

The charges trace back to just before 5 a.m. on July 7, 2006. Wilkins was on the 91, driving a truck loaded with appliances stolen from a home under construction about 62 miles away in Menifee. The cargo was not secured and the tailgate was down, according to court records.

At some point, a box containing a $1,500 stove fell from the truck and onto the traffic lanes of the highway. According to records, Wilkins initially was unaware that he had lost the stove until an angry motorist pulled him over miles away.

Several cars safely maneuvered around the bulky object before two other cars collided with vehicles while swerving to avoid the stove. One of the collisions proved fatal when popular Los Angeles County sheriffs Deputy David Piquette swerved into a tractor-trailer carrying cement. One of the trailers overturned on top of Piquettes unmarked Crown Victoria.

CHP investigator Michael Bernardin, in his report, concluded that Piquette was at fault for the collision because he was driving at an unsafe speed. CHP Officer John Heckenkemper arrived at the same conclusion  driver error  in the other crash, according to court reports.

But, records say, CHP administrators changed the two reports to reflect that the crashes were not the fault of the drivers. This designation supported prosecutors argument that Wilkins caused the fatal accident and was guilty of murder because he was in the commission of a felony.

Officers Bernardin and Heckenkemper, both retired, are expected to testify this week that they did not agree with the changes to the reports. In fact, Bernardin has said his report contained passages that he didnt remember writing.

Retired CHP Chief Steven Beeuwsaert, in a sworn declaration, said that he notified prosecutor Murray of the changed reports and that the officers did not find Wilkins at fault. Beeuwsaert said he also notified CHP internal affairs of the doctored reports.

It is normal to make minor changes to the officers reports, such as typos, grammatical errors and formatting fixes, Beeuwsaert said in his declaration. However, any changes to the cause of the collision, measurements, location, diagram, statements, etc., would be returned to the investigating officer for possible correction.

Heckenkemper, in a defense interview, said he went on vacation after filing his report and received a phone call from Sgt. Joe Morrison stating his report was being changed. He said he was told this was being done to help the murder prosecution against the suspect who stole the stove.

No information about the changed reports was relayed to the defense for Wilkins trial.

In May 2008, Wilkins was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury and sentenced to 26 years to life. His conviction was overturned by the California Supreme Court in 2013. Justices ruled the jury should have been informed of the potential that Wilkins was no longer in the process of committing a felony crime because he was more than 60 miles away.

Prosecutors are attempting to retry Wilkins on the murder charge.

Superior Court Judge Marc Kelly, who was presiding over the case until his transfer to another court, said in January that the District Attorneys Office should have told the defense team about the altered reports.

I think there were mistakes made. Whether you want to call it misconduct, discovery violations, whatever you want to call it, Kelly said, that material should have been turned over, because it was relevant.

If the Wilkins case is taken by Goethals from the District Attorneys Office, it could be handed to the state Attorney Generals Office.

Contact the writer: tsaavedra@scng.com
Heres a roundup of restaurant and retail news from across Orange County. Take a look at the slideshow for more details on each.

Nordstrom Rack: The retailer will open Aug. 26 with music and breakfast at 8 a.m. before the store opens at 9 a.m. The 32,500- square-foot store will be on the Tustin side of The Market Place near REI and Best Buy.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar: The chain is opening its second Orange County location Aug. 31 in Tustin. The Market Place location, at 3030 El Camino Real, will offer a hybrid of fast-casual and full-service dining. Diners order food and alcoholic beverages at the counter, but it will be served at a table. Diners also pay at the table, similar to full service.

Wokcano: The restaurant opened Tuesday at The Market Place next to California Pizza Kitchen.

California Fish Grill: The seafood restaurant will open on the Irvine side of The Market Place this month.

Snip-its: Childrens salon Snip-its will bring 16 locations to California, including eight in Orange County, in the next five years.

Cabo Kantina: After opening in March, this Laguna Hills restaurant has closed. The eat well, live well restaurant was co-founded by Orange County restaurateur Moe Ghazi, formerly of defunct concepts Mosun in Laguna Beach and Taleo Mexican Grill in Irvine. Cabo had struggled with finances and getting a liquor license.

Pacific Grill House: The operators of Mizu Sushi at The Market Place in Tustin are bringing premium steaks and fresh seafood to the space once occupied by Beach Fire Grill in Ladera Ranch. Pacific Grills global cuisine menu will feature signature items such as lobster mac n cheese, spicy seafood stew and pizzas and flatbreads cooked in a brick oven. The restaurant opens this fall at Mercantile West, 25682 Crown Valley Parkway.

Union Market Mission Viejo: South Countys first food hall is coming along. Restaurants and bars now open include Anchor Hitch (contemporary seafood), Diced (poke bowls), Milk Box (milk teas and boba), Hummus Bowl (hummus bar), Dry Society (wine, cocktail and craft beer bar) and Oyu Shabu (hot pot). Opening soon: Market 2 Plate (pastas and salads), Portola Coffee Roasters, Mole (tacos and beer), Sweets Choice (chocolate shop) and R.T.E. (ready to eat barbecue and yakitori).

The food hall, run by the same operators as Union Market Tustin at The District, is at Kaleidoscope mall in Mission Viejo, 27741 Crown Valley Parkway. Representatives for the mall say more tenants will be announced soon.

Luxe Buffet: Luxe Buffet opened its first Orange County location Aug. 5 at the Westminster Mall. It is the buffets second location in the country. The first is in Ontario. Luxe Buffet is a self-service restaurant that features steak, sushi, Brazilian barbecue, a dessert bar and more. The buffet is on the second level of the mall near Macys.

Farrells: Two Farrells Ice Cream Parlour restaurants in California have closed. The locations in Rancho Cucamonga and Sacramento abruptly closed Aug. 1. Investor and landlord issues prompted the closures as the nostalgic brand faces some struggles, said marketing director Shauna Parisi. The closures come after Farrells closed its Mission Viejo location in January. The company still operates locations in Buena Park, Brea, Santa Clarita and Riverside.

Phan55: The mother-and-son Vietnamese operation, founded in 2007 in Irvine, has opened its third restaurant. The new location, at the Los Olivos shopping center in Irvine, is the restaurants first foray into fast casual. Address: 8557 Irvine Center Drive.

Polished Perfect: Nail salon Polished Perfect has opened at Irvines Los Olivos Marketplace. The salon is offering 75 percent off all services until Labor Day.

Irvine Spectrum Center: The mall will host its Endless Summer Festival, Thursday-Saturday. There will be events from 2 to 7 p.m. each day. Alessia Cara will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Westminster Mall: The mall will have an Arrive in Style Back-to-School Fashion Show and KidX Fashion Event on Saturday. KidX Club programs will start at 11 a.m. in the Macys Court. A fashion show will start at 1 p.m.

Neiman Marcus: The chains Fashion Island outpost launched its Active Shop Saturday.

Cloth & Metal: The brand has opened a new flagship store in Costa Mesa. The new store is nearly double the size of Cloth & Metals previous flagship at SOCO. The showroom features mens apparel, lifestyle goods and audio electronics. The new store is at 462 E. 17th St., Suite C.

Send any retail updates to hmadans@ocregister.com and any restaurant news to nluna@ocregister.com
A San Juan Capistrano home that was the scene of a double slaying two years ago is for sale at $4.995 million.

Ashton Sachs is charged with special-circumstances murder in the shooting deaths of his parents, Bradford and Andra Sachs, as they slept one night in February 2014.

The five-bedroom property sold in November 2015 for $2.995 million, according to records, which show the buyer as SB Spring LLC. In June, the home was listed at $5.695 million. The price dropped in July to just under $5 million.

Built in 1982, the 8,781-square-foot residence is described as recently renovated. Set atop a hill on 1 acre, it has a media room, sauna, steam room and wine cellar, as well as oversize windows and skylights, according to the listing by Liana Norman of Re/Max Coastal Properties.

The home includes a pool house with office space, and the backyard has a black-bottom swimming pool, spa and waterfall.

California law requires a seller must reveal upfront if there was a death in a home going back three years, or, if a buyer specifically inquires, longer than that.

Authorities say in addition to killing his parents, Ashton Sachs shot his 7-year-old brother, paralyzing the boy from the waist down, and tried to shoot his 17-year-old sister.

Ashton Sachs has pleaded not guilty. In May, a judge ruled that he can act as his own lawyer during his upcoming trial, scheduled for September.

Contact the writer: mkalfus@ocregister.com
The popular Orange Y BMX track will ride off into the sunset at the end of the month, following a stalemate over a new lease agreement with the YMCA of Orange.

The track will have its last major event Aug. 28, a Sunday. Some BMX racers who have been involved with the sport since the 1970s are expected to attend.

Ruben Sanchez, owner of the Bike Alley bike shop in Orange, has managed the track for the last 16 years. In that time, Sanchez said, he has added bleachers, lights and improved the infrastructure. At one point, the venue had been host to the BMX state finals for 30 years straight.

Regular weekly races at the track average 100 to 140 riders, he said.

Sanchez leases the property from the adjacent YMCA of Orange. Over time, the track lost access to parking and bathrooms, he said.

The killing blow for the track, Sanchez said, has been the steadily increasing costs. Five years ago, he was paying a flat $1,500 a month to operate the track, he said. This month, he said, hes paying $2,350 plus $500 for holding a major race, $824 in utilities and $687 in portable toilet rentals, for a total of $4,361.

In April, when talks touched on an increased lease rate, Sanchez said, he decided to step away.

In a statement, the YMCA said that any agreements presented to Sanchez have been under market value. As a nonprofit, the YMCA said it is unable to subsidize the operating expenses of the track, a for-profit business.

For myself, Im fine with walking away, Sanchez said. But this is for the kids, this isnt for me, and theyre going to miss out.

Over the years, the track has held a popular summer camp for kids.

Lisa Ferinac, a parent who lives in Orange, said children are losing a physical outlet and a chunk of their community. Her son attended the camp and competed at the track.

As a parent, its such a proud moment to see your kid grow into something they love and work so hard at, Ferinac said. Now I feel like its going to be taken away.

Ferinacs son, Cash, 7, began training at the Orange Y BMX track four years ago and now travels around the nation competing. He won his division in the Midwest Nationals in Rockford, Ill. last month. Ferinac said her son broke into tears when she told him the track was closing.

He would have never had that opportunity if he didnt start riding at this track, Ferinac said. Theres nothing else in Orange County, so I dont know where hes going to ride.

Not just him, but theres so many new kids coming in. I feel bad for them. Wheres the opportunity going to be? They might just not have it.

Contact the writer: jwinslow@ocregister.com
SEAL BEACH  A 7-year-old girl was killed and her 13-year-old sister was in critical condition after a sport utility vehicle slammed into a Tesla in the carpool lane on I-405 Monday morning, authorities said. The SUVs driver was arrested.

A California Highway Patrol officer was already en route looking for the driver of a 2013 Chevy Tahoe seen swerving in and out of lanes around 9:30 a.m. when the Tahoe crossed the double yellow lanes near the Seal Beach Boulevard exit on the northbound 405.

When the SUV crossed into the carpool lane, the vehicle struck the 2015 Tesla, where both girls were riding in the back seat, a California Highway Patrol officer told the Register. The Tesla was then pushed into a Honda Civic.

The two girls and their father were taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The 7-year-old died from her injuries. As of 7:30 p.m. the father remained in serious condition and the 13-year-old girl was in critical condition, according to the hospital.

City News Service said the father is a 49-year-old resident of Hillsborough, attributing the CHP.

CHP officers arrested the driver of the Tahoe, Adam Kanas, 36, of San Clemente, on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a CHP report.

A paramedic unit from Costa Mesa and an off-duty Los Angeles County firefighter paramedic were nearby when the crash happened. They joined several Orange County Fire Authority firefighters in rendering aid, OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said.

The paramedics from Costa Mesa and Los Angeles County went to the hospital, helping Orange County paramedics care for the family, Concialdi said.

They were instrumental to the care of all three of these patients, he said.

All of the firefighters hearts are breaking for that family, Concialdi said.

City News Service contributed to this report.
Holby City, U.K. medical drama series, explored the effects of radiation, showing how reduction in exposure drastically reduced the painful symptoms of one victim.

The BBC aired a program that showed a patient who was visually very ill, claiming every ailment imaginable but totally unaware of the condition affecting him.

The patient revealed that his job is working with Wi-Fi. He said he must live in his car because that is the only place where he does not feel ill.

After doctors at three hospitals said he was in perfect health and sent him away, he went to Holby City for help.

Symptoms were initially dismissed until one medical staffer searched the web and made a diagnosis of sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation. In the episode that was aired by Holby City, the patient found his symptoms were reduced drastically when he was put in a room with lower exposure to radiation. There is also a separate Youtube of the episode.

Geovital Academy Pursues EMF

Geovital Academy, Braintree, Essex, U.K., has focused for 35 years with great intensity on the cause and effect relationship between radiation exposure and its effects on health.

If even weak environmental influences affect the regeneration of the body and consequently its ability to fight disease, then the basis for health is significantly jeopardized, it says. Its goal is the successful health recovery of patients using its own technology and approach.

Protection against radiation is imperative currently because of many recent developments, it says. The site covers the types of radiation and how they affect health and describes symptoms that are clear indications of the presence of geopathic burdens.

Geovital lauds the Holby City segment but says there are far better solutions to radiation sensitivity than suggested by the program.

Merely turning off Wi-Fi is not going to remove all of it in most locations, it says.

There are phone signals from all the different communications companies, , different standards like 3G, 4G and soon 5G(!), directional transmitters on cellphone towers (the round drums enabling them to relay data from tower to tower), airport navigation equipment, radar, Wi-Fi from devices, toys, the neighbors or supplied throughout a city, power supply cables running up and down the street, to your house, in your house, solar panels, electric cars and much more.

Geovital Sells Shielding Materials

Rather than moving to the country to avoid radiation, Geovital recommends using radiation shielding products such as Nova Shielding Fabric, T98 Shielding Paint, and GPA Shielding Mesh that can be made part of walls, ceilings and roofs

The fabric can be used to shield windows or an entire room.

Geovital approves of the Holby City segment but says people should not wait until symptoms appear before taking steps to limit radiation exposure.

Our body is a chemical miracle as much as it is an electrical miracle, it says. Many bodily functions rely on electrical impulses and electrical receptors. Exposure to radiation will start having effects much earlier, before even the most minor of symptoms start appearing.

A precautionary approach is advised when we dont know what the long-term effects will be for our generation and even five generations later, it adds. We are all affected by EMF radiation exposurebut many of us are just not symptomatic yet. A health advocate said people do not wait until they have a toothache to go to the dentist.

Martin Kinsbury displays radiation meter.

Since governments have been slow to take action on this health threat, We have to take matters in our own hands and make sure our homes and families are protected, it says.

U.K. Exec Seeks School Wi-Fi Ban

Martin Kingsbury of Braintree, U.K., who has a solar power business, is campaigning to ban Wi-Fi from schools throughout the U.K., claiming their electromagnetic radiation is causing harm.

Countries such as Israel and France have already introduced Wi-Fi bans around children of a young age, says Kingsburg, who wants the U.K. government to take a strong stand against the radiation.

Manmade radiation has increased hundreds of times in the last 30 years, he says.

A campaign to shut down Wi-Fis in the U.S. similar to Kingsburys is being waged by the editor of this website. Erin McKinley, of 27east.com and the Southampton Press, interviewed this reporter on the steps of the Westhampton Beach Village Hall and reported our view that the Wi-Fis should be shut pending investigation.

The 27east.com story drew 11 comments totaling 1,983 words. Nine of the letters supported turning off the routers and two questioned whether electromagnet radiation is a danger.

The story quoted Dr. Samuel Ryu, Chair of the Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Stony Brook Medicine, and Deputy Director, Clinical Affairs, Stony Brook University Cancer Center, as saying there are no recognized studies linking the radiation emitted by Wi-Fi systems to diseases like cancer.

Such radiation is far too weak to alter human DNA, he said. Frequent exposure to much stronger rays such as X-rays or gamma rays would be needed to harm a person, he said.



U.K. Bar Disables Cellphones, Internet

The Gin Tub bar in Sussex, U.K., has turned itself into a Faraday cage that blocks anyone in it from making calls, sending or receiving emails, texting, surfing the web, etc.

Owner Steve Tyler put copper wire mesh in the ceiling and tin foil on the walls, blocking cellphone signals from penetrating.

I think Ive hit a nerve in the world, that I think its rude, and I think society has accepted people on their phones in bars and in places where its socially unacceptable, he said. Without phones in their hands, customers are now not just drinking in silence but instead talking to each other, he says, adding, Thats how bars were intended.

Tyler knows of no other bar doing this but he feels this will be the new way forward for restaurants, bars and clubs.
World War II ended 71 years ago today with the surrender of Japan. ODwyer staffer Sharlene Spingler and actor Steven Seagal took part in a ceremony commemorating the deaths of more than 120,000 in atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hiroshima was bombed Aug. 6, 1945 and Nagasaki three days later. Japan surrendered Aug. 14 but historians record both Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 as end-of-the war days.

Spingler, Associate Publisher and Editor of ODwyers, has long been a friend of actor Seagal who had lived in Japan a third of his life and married and raised children there.

He brought Spingler to a ceremony in San Francisco July 16, 2005, which was the 60th anniversary of the detonation of the first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, N.M. It was held on the pier next to which was docked the Japanese Tall Ship Nippon Maru.

The ship transported the original atomic flame taken by a monk from the burning embers in Hiroshima and kept alive in a monastery for 60 years. At least 80,000 died instantly in the Aug. 6, 1945 blast while 40,000+ died in the Aug. 9 blast.

Other estimates are that from 90,000 to 146,000 died in Hiroshima and from 39,000 to 80,000 in Nagasaki.

As of 2005 there were 270,000 hibakusha or bomb survivors still living in Japan.

Monks Walked 1,600 Miles to Test Site

The monks believed that good and evil happen in circles, says an article on the event that appeared under Spinglers byline in The Day, New London, on July 31, 2005. The monks then walked 1,600-miles from S.F. to the Trinity Test Site where the flame was extinguished. Sponsoring the commemoration was the Global Nuclear Disarmament Fund.

The atomic flame was passed to Japanese Senator Shoukichi Kina who gave it to Seagal who passed it back to the monks so they could begin their walk to the Trinity site.



The atomic flame was also passed from a Hiroshima survivor to Dr. Bruce Blair of the multinational Center for Defense Information, Washington, D.C.

Seagal gave the Fund its first $100,000 in a bid to have Russia disarm its nuclear weapons. He told the ceremony, It is the responsibility of every global citizen to rid the world of this imminent threat. I have been blessed to know many of the individuals who survived the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is by their example of spirit and strength that drives my determination to make this world a safer place.

Says the Spingler article: They believe that by bringing the flame back to its source, they will close the circle of destruction in a peaceful manner while opening up a new circle of peace.

Spinglers mother worked during the 1940s on the Manhattan Project, which created the atomic bomb.
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DALIAN, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The China Railway Corporation announced on Monday that its "China Standard" bullet trains, also known as electric multiple units (EMUs), have started operation in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

Train No. G8041 departed from Dalian for Shenyang, capital of Liaoning on Monday. It is the first passenger service using China Standard EMU trains, said Zhou Li, head of technological management at the China Railway Corporation, the national rail operator.

"China independently owns the design of the EMU, and it will be a leading model for China to export to the world," Zhou said.

The China Standard EMU uses the latest exterior design, reduces energy consumption, and adopts a standard parts design, he said. It has reinforced safety features compared with old models, he added.

The trains can reach a speed of 350 kilometers per hour.

China's EMU fleet of 2,470 trains is the world's largest, and the total length of high-speed track in the country -- 19,000 km -- represents 60 percent of the global total.

In the future, China will offer rail products and solutions according to the needs of various countries, he added.

Chinese bullet trains have already found international customers in Indonesia, Russia, Iranand India.

Construction of a 150-km high-speed link between the Indonesian capital Jakarta and Bandung began in January 2016. It will cut travel time between the two cities by about two thirds. The project is almost entirely Chinese, including the technical standards, survey and design, construction, equipment manufacturing and personnel training.
John Parsons is looking for a job. At age 57.

The founder and former executive director of the Omaha Street School doesnt know what that job will be yet. He thinks it probably doesnt exist. He may have to just create it himself.

This is the kind of thing to make anyones already gray hair go a shade grayer. Especially someone who needs to work and has a wife at home who no longer can.

Not John.

A man of faith, John seems comfortable living in the question, rather than the answer. Yeah, he worries. But things work out, he figures. They always have.

Like when he quit being a lawyer in Denver 18 years ago to start this second-chance high school for dropouts in Omaha. In 1999, he and his wife, Lorri, opened the Omaha Street School in a church basement in Benson. Exactly zero students showed up that first week.

Later, there were five. Then seven. Then 12. Then 60, and that was way too many because John and Lorri wanted to keep their school small so they could focus on the many needs of their students.

That leap of faith worked out. The Omaha Street School has come far since those early church basement days. The alternative school is accredited and has a well-established home on the old Nebraska School for the Deaf campus near 45th Street and Bedford Avenue in north Omaha. The private, nondenominational Christian school has a $680,000 annual budget, grant support and an army of volunteers so organized and dedicated that the Omaha Street School doesnt have to worry about preparing lunch. Volunteers bring it for students, every single day.

Plus, the staff is committed way beyond the school day. They visit students at home, in hospitals, in jails and at court. The Omaha Street School may be small  it serves about 30 students a year  but it is on solid ground, said Keith Allen, its immediate past president.

So why is John leaving?

There is no scandal. John isnt being pushed out, a fact reiterated by Allen, who remains on the board.

Its just time, John said Sunday, when over 200 people came to the street school to wish him and Lorri well. His last official day was August 5.

John said a number of factors led to this day.

One was Lorris health. Years ago, she was treated for a brain tumor that, while benign, required a lot of radiation. And the treatment eventually took its toll. She retired from the school last year for health reasons and can no longer work outside the home.

Another was the loss of a dear friend and accountability partner  someone who challenged him  Ty Schenzel. Ty and Terri Schenzel were a pair of Omahans who died in a car accident last year.

Like John, the couple were in their 50s. Like John, they had built a ministry in north Omaha. Theirs was the Hope Center, a drop-in place for kids. The Schenzels deaths were a shocking reminder that life is short and that if John thought he had more work to do, hed better get cracking.

A third was a growing and persistent sense that he could do more outside the Omaha Street School with a population that he believes is overlooked: young adults. Over the years, John saw enough of his schools alumni come back for help and he realized that they were floundering. Some couldnt get work. Some were stuck in dead-end jobs. Others had failed altogether. They landed in prison, started families way too early or made other choices that drastically shrank their options.

So in his next chapter, John wants to do something about that. He doesnt know how or why or where yet. He figures hell take this month to figure it out and then do what he did when he and Lorri started the school  create a vision and work toward making that come to life.

Any normal person would think hes insane, said Allen, the board member who has worked alongside John. A child psychologist based at the University of Nebraska Medical Centers Munroe-Meyer Institute, Allen was quick to say that in trading something safe for something unknown, John wasnt being irresponsible.

Hes trying to follow his faith, Allen said. Its absolutely a leap of faith  maybe even bigger than the first one he took.

For all his faith, Allen and others say John is no Bible-thumper. Hes a deeds more than words kind of Christian who built a school based on a simple ethos: love.

At the Omaha Street School, that means love the students. Let them know that they are not screw-ups, but instead are valued, treasured, indispensable children of God.

Once staffers establish that, they go to work on the next challenge: whatever is keeping students out of school anyway. They cant solve big, intractable problems, but they can offer support. Then come academics. Students often enter the Omaha Street School way behind. The task is catching them up. In recent years, that has meant tweaking the school day to spend morning hours on intense literacy lessons.

Not every student who enters the street school succeeds.

But some are like Rachel Plummer, a 27-year-old journalism student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Johns alma mater. He drove her to college there. He told her that she was smart enough to stay. He helped line up tutors. And he has continued to play a role in shaping Rachels path.

Just the other day, she came to his office for help on an application for a job she wants in Washington, D.C. She was all set to drive to New Orleans this weekend to apply in person at another job that wasnt returning her emails.

Im showing up! Rachel declared. But the flooding in south Louisiana changed her plans. Nevertheless, Rachel said shes more willing to take risks that could benefit her future thanks to the man she calls Parsons.

That leap-of-faith thing is rubbing off on me, she said.

Ten years ago, Rachel entered the Omaha Street School midway through the spring semester as a 17-year-old with a background that she described as a little rough.

When I went to the school, I felt like I had no purpose  there was no future for me. I felt worthless, she said. Parsons showed me that I belonged, that there was a spot for me in the world. He told her that her life experiences could shape her in a positive way.

He didnt doubt me for one second, she said.

Now, John has asked HER for advice, a fact that both tickles her and makes her feel just as valued today as she did at the Omaha Street School.

Seems like wherever hes going, hes still thinking of his students, she said.

So at an age that people start counting their 401(k) pennies, John Parsons has joined the ranks of the unemployed.

Yeah, he worries like anyone else about whats next. But he remains hopeful and ready.

Im excited to see what God wants, see where Im needed, how I can help, he said.

If his future is anything like his past, he wont be flailing in the chasm of the unknown. Hell be striding forward on solid ground. And with plenty of work left to do.
Three bats have tested positive for rabies in Douglas County this summer, prompting local public health authorities to give advice to those who may have a close encounter with the flying mammals.

One tested positive six days ago, said Douglas County Health Department spokesman Phil Rooney.

Rabies can be fatal, and undergoing the series of shots to thwart rabies is painful, the Health Department said.

The Health Department recommends that if a bat is found in a room with a sleeping person, or an if adult sees a bat in a room with an unattended child, a mentally disabled person or an intoxicated person, the Nebraska Humane Society should be contacted. The bat then would be tested for rabies.

If the bat isnt tested, the person who was possibly exposed should undergo a series of rabies shots, the department said.

The department said the best preventive strategy is to keep bats from entering the home by caulking openings and using window screens and chimney caps. Doors to the outside should be kept tightly closed.

Those with questions can call the Health Departments epidemiology section at 402-444-7214. Anyone who finds a bat in his or her home should call the Nebraska Humane Society, 402-444-7800, extension 1. If a person is bitten by a bat or exposed to a bats saliva, call the Humane Society or a doctor.
File Photo

BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will pay an official visit to China from Aug. 17-21 at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced Monday.

Aung San Suu Kyi is the first Myanmar leader to visit China since the Southeast Asian nation's new government was formed in late March.

"[The visit] holds great significance to the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between both countries in the new phase," Lu said.

Chinese leaders will meet with her and exchange views on bilateral relations and issues of mutual interest. Apart from Beijing, Aung San Suu Kyi will visit other Chinese cities, according to Lu.

China believes this visit will increase the strategic communication and practical cooperation between China and Myanmar as well as friendly relations among their peoples, Lu said.

"It will advance China-Myanmar relationship, and bring benefit to the people of both nations," the spokesperson said.

China will receive Aung San Suu Kyi with due etiquette by considering her rank as Myanmar's second figure after the president and China's diplomatic protocol, according to Lu.

Aung San Suu Kyi visited China in June 2015 as chair of the National League for Democracy (NLD).
PITTSBURGH  August is the beginning of college application season. Incoming high school seniors will begin inking their essays and submitting their grades and test scores to more than 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

During the month, many students begin using the Common Application  an undergraduate admissions application that students may use to apply to any of its 625 members.

For some colleges, application fees have become a steadily growing stream of additional revenue.

Take Penn State University, where the application fee is $50. With 53,472 undergraduate applicants each year, the school reels in hundreds of thousands of dollars in application fee revenue. (For students who are financially eligible, their fees are waived.)

Its not alone. At UCLA, which receives more applications than any college in the U.S., more than 90,000 undergraduate applications flood the system  although only about 20 percent of the applicants get admitted and only one-third of those actually enroll. So UCLA generates millions of dollars from its applicants, many of whom pay the $70 fee but do not enroll.

The business of college applications is complicated. Schools argue that it takes a lot of time and technology to sort through that avalanche of submissions. In fall 2015, about 20 million students attended American colleges and universities, an increase of 4.9 million since 2000, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

And, consultants who advise applicants note, students and families eager to have good choices rarely quibble over an extra $10 here or $80 there to play the will-they-take-me game. Many schools, like Penn State, have systems to waive fees for those who cant afford them or perhaps for those who show up early, have good grades and actually walk the dorms and the quad.

Some colleges have experimented with waiving fees entirely. A few years ago, Drexel University did that. The school saw an increase of 20,000 applications the next year. Enrolling just three or four more students compensated for the waived fees.

Families, advisers say, might want to think twice before applying to so many schools. But so far, the flood of applications shows no sign of ebbing.

Schools do bring in a tremendous amount of money with application fees, and the truth is they could charge whatever they want with that fee, said Jason Hand, a college planning consultant and former director of admissions and enrollment at Rutgers University.

Pittsburgh-area high school graduate Lexi Lutheran says she spent about $1,000 in applying to 12 colleges. She spent $40 to apply to the University of Tampa, where she will begin classes this fall.

Gillian Kasper, another Pittsburgh-area high school graduate and soon-to-be freshman at Washington & Jefferson College, also applied to 12.

Both students worked with Bridget Hotrum, president and founder of the college applications consultancy College Bound Admissions Academy, which is based outside Pittsburgh.

One student with whom Hotrum has worked applied to 22 colleges. Last year, a young woman with whom New Jersey-based college planning consultant Hand worked applied to 21 colleges. Both consultants said most of their students apply to between six and eight colleges, paying an average of $50 per application.

If the University of Pittsburgh  which charges $45  were to increase its fee to $55, Nobody is going to say, You know what, Im not going to apply,  Hand said. And that $10 would equate to additional revenue for the school. Its amazing to me that schools dont even charge more.

Many families anticipate they will pay more than $100,000 for college, so a few hundred dollars in application fees is negligible, Hand said.

Hotrum founded her company in 2002 and has worked with families from the million-dollar tax return level to the zero-dollar tax return. Never has a student or family squabbled about application fees, she said.

More applicants does not mean schools are hiring more financial aid and admissions employees, Hand said. For a college with 30,000 students, there may be around 15 employees in the financial aid or admissions office.

Support systems are very strained, he said.

Pitt, Chatham University and Duquesne University, all in the Pittsburgh region, responded to questions on their processes with emails that said their fees cover the costs of reviewing applications and nothing more. Marc Harding, Pitts chief enrollment officer, said that schools fees cover labor and technology costs associated with processing applications.

Pitt got 30,626 applications last year, Duquesne got 7,354 and Chatham 1,086.

In years that Pitt and Duquesne receive an uptick in number of applications, no additional staff is hired.

Instead, Duquesne admissions counselors may work overtime to ensure that the application packages are reviewed and decisions rendered on a timely basis, said Kelley Maloney, director of marketing and communications for the universitys enrollment management group.

At Washington & Jefferson, the staffers just work harder, said Robert Gould, the colleges vice president for enrollment.

Pitt has hired additional admissions staff to accommodate increased applicants, but most schools said their staffs have not grown much over the years.

Hand said not every application is read at large schools such as Rutgers. Big institutions typically have automated processes, where staffers can set a threshold for grades and test scores. A student with high scores, for example, is admitted by a computer.

Penn State declined to comment.

Staffers at schools that receive fewer applications read them all. At Pitt and Chatham University, every application is read by at least three people. At Duquesne and Washington & Jefferson, each is seen by two sets of eyes.
ST. LOUIS  Insurance agent Will Bates used to have trouble getting people to visit the Just Insurance office on West Florissant Avenue in Dellwood, a neighboring town of Ferguson.

People used to call and say Where are you located? Wed tell them and theyd say No, Im not going down there,  he said.

That was in the aftermath of the riots of 2014, when protest over a police shooting exploded in spasms of looting, burning and gunfire stretching through August, with a repeat riot Thanksgiving week. The building next to Bates office burned to rubble.

But 20 months of peace have erased much fear. Customers arent reluctant to come anymore. Id say its getting back to normal, Bates said.

Thats the word among business owners in the affected areas of Ferguson and Dellwood. The businesses that survived say theyve recovered most or all of their sales.

Empty lots mark the spots where buildings were burned into ruins along West Florissant and were later bulldozed. But other businesses have opened, drawn to a place with lots of traffic and cheap rent.

Its a pretty low-cost place to do business here, and thats a perk, said Ferguson Councilwoman Heather Robinett.

West Florissant Avenue, which spans parts of Ferguson and Dellwood in north St. Louis County, was one of two epicenters of upheaval in 2014, the other being South Florissant Road near the Ferguson police station.

The two streets have a very different feel. South Florissant Road is Fergusons little downtown, with a brewpub, coffee shop, restaurants and wine and cigar bars. A 28-unit apartment building is being built within sight of the police station, with a restaurant planned for the first floor.

Visible signs of the troubles have all but disappeared as buildings were patched up, rebuilt and reopened.

Nobody talks about it, Shaheen Rafiq said of the troubles. She has spent 24 years operating a Subway restaurant on South Florissant, and she said her sales are back to normal.

Donald Trump said this is a dangerous place. Its not a dangerous place, she said. This is a very pleasant place to run a business.

West Florissant has a grittier vibe, and the area suffered far more damage in the riots. Its near the spot where Michael Brown was shot dead by a Ferguson police officer. Anger in the crowd that gathered near his body was a harbinger of trouble to come.

West Florissant is a busy, five-lane road. In the stretch from Chambers Road in Dellwood south to neighboring Jennings, the street is lined with mom-and-pop groceries, fast-food places, auto repair shops and beauty shops. Some are free-standing. Others are in older strip centers on a street built for function, not beauty.

Businesses that werent burned into ruins have largely repaired, reopened and stayed put on West Florissant. They report that business isnt quite back to the level before August 2014, but its headed that way.

Maybe 90 percent, says Idowu Ajibola, who runs the Rehoboth Pharmacy and African Depot Beauty Supplies store out of the same space on West Florissant. That assessment is repeated up and down the avenue.

Like many of its neighbors, Rehoboth Pharmacy was looted during the riots.

People are still worried, he said. But the focus has turned to events far from Ferguson: the killings of civilians and police in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; North Charleston, South Carolina; a St. Paul, Minnesota, suburb; Dallas; and elsewhere.

There is a pronounced reaction among his customers, said Ajibola, who emigrated from Nigeria. There is upset, frustration, he added. People are feeling disgruntled about the system.

Some lingering unease remains among business owners, too, despite the long spell of peace.

John Zisser finally took down the plywood that covered his showroom for more than a year and a half at Zissers Tire and Auto Repair on West Florissant. Before the trouble, he had floor-to-ceiling windows. Looters broke in repeatedly, helping themselves to expensive wheels and tools.

Zisser replaced the plywood with new walls and narrower windows. It will make it much more difficult for them to get in and out with something, he said.

He left political commentary in place on the big sign outside his business. Epic fail, Jay Nixon. Epic fail, it says. Its been there since the November 2014 round of rioting, when the governor decided not to deploy the National Guard on West Florissant and more buildings burned.

Zisser has a pang of worry every day he drives to work. He compares it with what a person might feel after his house is burglarized. I wonder if its going to be OK, he said.

The economic impact of the riots is reflected in taxable sales figures for Ferguson and Dellwood. In Ferguson they show a significant drop after the riot, but a small rebound by the end of last year.

Shop owners say they are getting more customers.

There is only one ruin still standing in the West Florissant area: a burned-out, half-demolished strip mall on the corner of Chambers. Ericka Hawkins opened Erickas Closet next door three months ago. The little boutique had been located in an office building in Brentwood, but Hawkins thought the new site would draw more traffic.

Indeed, it has. About 30,000 cars a day pass the corner of West Florissant and Chambers, which means a lot of people looking for a burger, or gasoline, or perhaps a new blouse.

Hawkins found the rent cheap, and the areas riotous past didnt disturb her. I see them trying to build things up, she said.

That high traffic count is a lifeline for businesses and may explain why so many hung on.

Some businesses have opened and some closed since the trouble, but that would be normal on any long street. The Ferguson Burger Bar, which got national attention when the owner refused to board his windows, closed this June. But in the same little shopping center theres a grand opening sign for business Boutique Candy Couture.

West Florissant, however, did take some sizable blows. Target plans to close its store in the Westfall Shopping Center on West Florissant in Jennings later this month. The company says it typically closes stores after several years of decreasing profitability. Police used the shopping center as their staging area during the riots and protests.

The Toys R Us store on the northern end of the avenue was looted during the troubles and closed last year.

But there has been good news, too. Centene Corp. provided perhaps the biggest economic boost when it opened a new $25 million service center with more than 200 employees just south of Interstate 270, about two miles from the trouble zone.

Starbucks, with much fanfare, opened a store on West Florissants northern stretch, which has a greener, more suburban feel with newer, bigger shopping centers. AT&T also added a store.

OReilly Auto Parts is building a store on the bulldozed site of its old one.

Its a great local market, said a spokesman for the Springfield, Missouri-based chain.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III said there are more businesses operating in Ferguson today than before the troubles. But hes disappointed that developers havent replaced the burned-out buildings on West Florissant.

There have been a lot of people sniffing around and putting ideas together, but nothing has come to fruition yet.
Americans feel insecure.

One reason is their 401(k) account s look too paltry. As people peer into the contents they see a retirement disaster coming. Even after years of working and saving, people just 10 years away from retirement age have accumulated little.

Half of all Americans with incomes up to $91,000 and 401(k) s have reached age 55 to 64 with $100,000 or less saved for retirement, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

While this fragility has barely gained a peep from politicians in this presidential election year, think tanks and college professors have been seeking solutions. Some have called 401(k) s a failed system. Some long for a return of old-style pensions, even though some companies and states have made a mess of them.

Now William Birdthistle, a Chicago-Kent College of Law professor, has joined the 401(k) critics. In his new book, Empire of the Fund: The Way We Save Now, he describes how mutual funds let people down and how the government fails to police them. He talks about what he saw when working as an attorney for mutual funds before teaching law. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Why do you think the 401(k) system is failing many people?

A: Mutual funds are a good tool, but they are like a power tool or a car. You wouldnt give a person a car and not give them any drivers education, seat belts or air bags. Over the last 30 years weve wanted everyone to be an investor, to be in charge of their own 401(k). And we do practically nothing to give them any training. Its a fundamentally unfair bargain.

Q: A lot of people who are critical of 401(k)s are demanding that government bring back guaranteed pensions.

A: Pensions just dont work. Every time we use them there are problems because of longevity. People have a way of living a long time. The people who are supposed to fund the pensions fail to set aside the money needed to fulfill the obligations, and they fail to disclose.

Q: And the problem with 401(k) s?

A: The problem is we each have our own 401(k) bucket, and we have to make sure its as full as possible when we retire. And a lot of initiatives go into pouring more water in the bucket, but the leaks are ignored.

Q: A popular solution comes from University of Chicago professor Richard Thaler, author of Nudge. He says: Dont wait for people to take care of themselves. Instead, employers should pull money automatically out of each persons paycheck and stick it into their 401(k) account.

A: Its a little cheeky to tell people We give you this new bucket system. You have no training for it, but the bucket doesnt have much in it, so pour more into it. Too much of their money leaks out. We have to stop the leaking.

Q: By leaks, you mean the mutual fund fees that people pay without knowing it? The fees that drain their money away the moment they put anything from their paycheck into the 401(k) or IRA?

A: Yes. If you have a house thats leaking air conditioning, the solution isnt to turn the air conditioning up higher without shutting the windows. Its just foolish to keep pouring money into a system with a lot of leaks.

Q: Many people dont realize that they always pay fees for their funds in 401(k)s, IRAs and 529 plans. But when I tell them to beware, they say consumers pay for everything: sweaters, phones, computers, so why not pay for mutual funds?

A: Of course you should pay for that service, but studies have demonstrated that the more you pay a mutual fund in fees, the worse its performance. The more you pay, the more you are handicapping your funds.

Q: You argue that funds take advantage of individuals knowing full well that people with 401(k)s are unsophisticated.

A: When you are sold a mutual fund, the fund management knows exactly how sophisticated you are because you tell them when you buy for a 401(k). If you buy $100,000, you are sophisticated and you will get institutional shares, which will be a better bargain. If you show up with $135 dribbling in from your 401(k), they know you are not sophisticated. So you have no bargaining clout. Simply because people operate as individuals, they are handicapped.

Q: You also draw a distinction between a customer buying products like phones and mutual fund investments.

A: When you buy a phone, you pay the money and get the phone. But with funds, its very different. You give the fund $10,000, they keep $100, and then you wait to see if they will make your $9,900 bigger. And some of your fees go toward advertising so the fund can attract more customers.

Q: You emphasize that people must pay attention to fees because small numbers are deceptive. I find people are surprised when I say that if they invest $10,000 and pay half of a percent in fees and earn 10 percent on the investment they will have about $61,160 after 20 years, but if they pay 2 percent they will have only about $49,160.

A: One solution is for the federal government to open the Thrift Savings Plan to any American who wants to join. You could get your investments at a 20th of the price you would pay for the average equity mutual fund. So the compounding factor over long time horizons is just enormous.

Q: What do you think of states offering IRA savings plans at work  plans like Illinois Secure Choice Plan?

A: It is not a good idea for California, Oregon, Illinois and many states to each spend money and charge for their own plans. We already have a really good working model at the federal level. If we opened up the federal plan to everyone, it would be great for the buyers but not the mutual fund industry.

Q: What about the fiduciary standard? Will that help make sure that people arent sold expensive mutual funds when cheaper ones are better?

A: It wont solve everything. Instead, I think the solution is for the Securities and Exchange Commission to pick the worst mutual funds, to line up 8,000 and find those with the worst fees, and sue them. This would be the difference between knowing theres a speed limit and knowing theres a cop out there to pull you over when charging outrageous fees. Now we have sheriffs, and they are meek.

Q: The U.S. Department of Labor has blessed target-date funds as a solution to 401(k) complexity. Are they a solution?

A: Target-date funds ... were blessed by the government, but you still have to worry about the fees. On average they charge 0.74 percent, but Vanguard charges only 0.15 percent. What scares me is people think all they have to do is pick the target-date fund with the right year in it and they will be safe. And I say No, you must pay attention to fees or they are going to be ravaging your account forever.

Contact the writer: gmarksjarvis@tribune.com
LINCOLN  Maintaining the death penalty costs Nebraska an extra $14.6 million a year, according to an estimate prepared for a group seeking to uphold the repeal of capital punishment.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss, who conducted the research, used U.S. Census Bureau statistics on criminal justice expenses per state and looked at reports done in other states to come up with what he called a first of its kind estimate.

Goss said additional trial expenses, years of legal appeals and the costs of housing inmates on death row are all well above the cost of cases in which the maximum sentence is life in prison without parole.

I expected there to be little difference (in cost), Goss said at a Monday press conference. Now, Im reconsidering my position on the death penalty.

The study, commissioned for $16,000 by the anti-death-penalty group Retain a Just Nebraska, was immediately dismissed by a group working to restore capital punishment.

Bob Evnen of Nebraskans for the Death Penalty pointed to a 2015 fiscal note prepared for the State Legislature that showed minimal to no additional expenses to maintain the death penalty.

Opponents of the death penalty want Nebraskans to believe there is some huge price tag associated exclusively with capital punishment, but according to the Legislatures Fiscal Office, thats just not true, said Evnen, a founding member of the pro-death penalty group.

But Goss said that fiscal note, which relied on information from the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office and state prison officials, was not based in science, unlike his estimate.

Nebraskans will decide the fate of the death penalty at the polls on Nov. 8.

Last year, the Legislature repealed capital punishment, overriding a veto by Gov. Pete Ricketts. In response, death penalty supporters, financially supported by the governor, conducted a successful petition drive to place the death penalty referendum on the ballot.

The cost of the death penalty, and the multiple barriers to carrying an execution, have been cited by Retain a Just Nebraska as key reasons that Nebraskans should uphold the repeal of capital punishment.

Two state senators, Colby Coash and Kate Bolz, both from Lincoln, told reporters Monday morning that Nebraska could better use the $14.6 million now spent to prosecute and defend the death penalty on other state needs, such as education, property tax relief and reducing prison overcrowding.

Goss report noted that between 1973 and 2014 there were 1,842 homicides in Nebraska, but only 33 of the murders resulted in death sentences, and there have been only three executions in the state. The last one was 19 years ago.

We spent $14.6 million a year over decades and get nothing from it, Coash said. He called the death penalty a government program that doesnt work.

Mondays estimate came out one day after Nebraskans for the Death Penalty released a poll it commissioned showing that Nebraskans favor the death penalty by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio.

Former Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg said those results mirror the states longtime support for the use of the death penalty as punishment for the most heinous murders.

But officials with Retain a Just Nebraska called the poll flawed because it didnt offer respondents the alternative of life in prison without parole. They said past polls have shown that the public prefers life without parole if that is offered as an alternative.

Nebraska has 10 inmates on death row, but executions are on hold pending Novembers vote on the referendum.

Goss, who is best known for his studies on Nebraskas economy and tax structure, compared spending on criminal justice activities in states that have a death penalty with similar spending in states that do not.

He calculated that Nebraska spent $533 million on justice activities in 2013. Without the death penalty, the cost would have been about $519 million, he wrote. Adjusted for inflation, the difference would have been $14.6 million in 2015.

Among the extra expenses cited by Goss was additional preparation time for hearings and jury selection. Also, Nebraska law requires two defense attorneys to be appointed in death penalty cases; only one is required for non-death cases.

In addition, state law requires a second sentencing trial in death penalty cases to determine whether aggravating circumstances exist to warrant a death sentence, thus increasing trial expenses.

Goss also looked at studies done by other states. Among them was a Colorado study that concluded that attorneys required six times more days in court for death penalty cases that go to trial. In addition, a California study estimated that it cost an additional $90,000 a year to imprison someone on death row.

Contact the writer: 402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com
A nearly $22,000 grant will let the Omaha Police Department participate in a nationwide drunken driving crackdown through the Labor Day weekend.

The Nebraska Office of Highway Safety distributed $21,750 to fund extra officers on the streets starting Friday and continuing through Sept. 4.

The You Drink You Drive You Lose campaign will focus on the weekends at various times of day, a police spokesman said.

The Omaha Police Department wants to ensure a safe holiday season for everyone, Sgt. Chuck Casey said. Please celebrate safely, and always have a designated driver.
Iowa robbers could serve less time in prison because of a law now in effect creating a misdemeanor robbery charge.

But Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber hopes to prevent that, charging would-be robbers instead with theft from a person  a felony.

Most people are pretty surprised that you can go into a bank, hand over a note and rob it and not end up with a felony on your record, Wilber said.

On July 1 the charge of robbery in the third degree, an aggravated misdemeanor, was added to the Iowa Code.

Wilber said that if a robber has no weapon and no one is injured, the charge would be third-degree robbery  with no mandatory minimum and a sentence of up to two years in prison.

If someone were injured, but not seriously so, then the charge would be second-degree robbery, with a sentence of at least five years and up to 10 years in prison.

If the robbery involves a weapon and a person were seriously injured, then its first-degree robbery, with a sentence of at least 17 years and up to 25 years in prison.

Nebraska robbers, on the other hand, face one blanket charge regardless of the circumstances. A robbery charge means that a suspect intended to steal forcibly and by violence or by putting someone else in fear, Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass said.

The robbery charge in Nebraska carries a minimum sentence of one year in jail or a maximum of 50 years in prison.

If a person is convicted, a judge is going to look at everything involved in the crime, Glass said. A crime with a loaded handgun in the judges eyes is more serious than someone who used a switchblade knife.

In recent years the Iowa Department of Human Rights Public Safety Advisory Board has lobbied lawmakers to take a second look at mandatory minimums, especially on nonviolent crimes.

Thomas Walton, chairman of the Public Safety Advisory Board, said its important that the criminal justice system gets rid of one-size-fits-all penalties. He said law enforcement officers are getting better at risk assessments and determining whether a defendant will be able to avoid violence after being released.

We want to give more discretion to the parole boards to make judgments as to who is likely to be violent or nonviolent in the future and to only keep people in prison for as long as necessary, Walton said. The general idea is that (we) want to look at each defendant more individually.

The boards effort played a big role in the passage of a sentencing reform bill that Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law on May 13. The creation of the third-degree robbery charge was among the bills provisions.

Wilber said the sentencing reform bill will affect many cases.

I really dont think bank tellers are going to be too happy about this new law, Wilber said.

Several defense attorneys have been waiting until July and implementation of the new laws to take their clients to court.

This new crime and classification suggests to me that the Legislature has recognized that excessively harsh sentencing laws should not be applicable to every individual or in every case, said Peter Tenny, a defense attorney. Considerations of justice must be given to the circumstances of each case.

This report contains material from the World-Herald News Service.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1068, alia.conley@owh.com
A 40-year-old Norfolk, Nebraska, man was taken into custody Sunday, accused of fourth-offense DUI, after police found him intoxicated and asleep at the wheel of his vehicle at a traffic light.

The man also was arrested on suspicion of driving during a license revocation and ignition interlock permit violation.

Norfolk police said they were dispatched around 6:40 a.m. to 25th Street and the U.S. Highway 275 bypass in southwest Norfolk for a vehicle not moving at a green light. An officer knocked on the vehicles window to wake up the driver, police said.

The odor of alcohol could be smelled on the man, police said, and he was arrested.
Opa!

If travelling overseas is not in one's budget or foreseeable future, Omahas Greek Festival, will bring Europe to Omaha. will be held Friday through Sunday at St. Johns Greek Orthodox Church, located at St. Marys and Park Avenue.

The annual event in midtown Omaha will feature Greek food, music, dance, and philoxenia (Greek hospitality). Every Greek recipe is prepared following tradition passed down generation to generation. Favorites such as gyros, spanakopita and souvlakia will be featured as well as new items including keftedes (Greek meatballs) and moussaka, a vegetarian specialty. An assortment of pastries will top off each meal: Baklava, kourambiethes, diples and melomakarona will be available as single desserts or in "Savor for Later" packages.

Activities include tours of the intricate iconography within the church, shopping unique Greek imports, indulging in flavorful ethnic food and spirits, appreciating dances from the Mediterranean area, and learning to Greek dance.

The event will be held from 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults or free with pantry donations for the First Lutheran Church. Advance and discounted food and drink tickets are available by calling 402-345-7103. For more information, go online to greekfestomaha.com.
DES MOINES (AP)  The Iowa Board of Psychology has voted to deny a petition that would have prohibited licensed mental health providers from counseling gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender children to change their sexual orientation in a practice known as conversion therapy.

Board members all expressed support Friday for banning the therapy method but said the place to do so isnt through a professional board but through the Legislature, television station WHO reported.

The petition seeking a ban, submitted in February, was signed by 695 people. It said a third of LGBT individuals report being sent to a therapist or religious leader to cure, treat or change their sexual orientation.

An Iowa Board of Medicine committee also discussed a ban on the therapy Friday but took no action. Panel Chairman Ronald Cheney said the group needs more study before making a recommendation to the full board.

That board, which licenses and regulates Iowas medical doctors, also was petitioned in February. The board denied the petition in April, saying it needed more information and assigned the four-member committee to study it.

The Obama administration in April called for an end to conversion therapy.

Seventeen states have considered laws to ban it. California, New Jersey, Oregon, Illinois, Vermont and Washington, D.C., have passed such laws.

Copyright 2016 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Monday that the early establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Bhutan confirms the common interests of both countries, benefiting regional stability and development.

Wang made the remarks when meeting Bhutan's Foreign Minister Damcho Dorji in China for the 24th round of boundary talks.

Wang said that China respects Bhutan's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.

China also stands ready to work with Bhutan for an early solution to boundary issues through friendly negotiations, he added.
While Verne Welch will always be associated with the casino industry in Council Bluffs, former Mayor Tom Hanafan and a host of others were quick to note that his impact was far greater.

I hope Verne doesnt get categorized solely as a casino guy,  Hanafan said. He was much, much more than that.

Welch, a Bluffs native who returned home after 30 years away and became a civic leader, died Saturday at 79.

Welch joined the U.S. Navy after graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1955, and he served in the intelligence field until 1968. After his honorable discharge he became a partner in a Los Angeles firm that helped locate employees for overseas contractors.

He returned to Council Bluffs in 1988 as part of a joint venture between Harveys and the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska, but that project fell through.

The fact that we didnt do it was the best thing that ever happened, Welch said in a May interview. Because the casino would have been on sovereign Indian land, there would have been no tax revenue for the state of Iowa.

Soon after, Welch and casino officials worked to persuade local officials and voters to allow gambling in Pottawattamie County. Their efforts succeeded, and Harveys and other casinos came to Council Bluffs.

We wanted to provide more than just gambling, he said. We worked with local businesses to be sure we didnt hurt them.

Hanafan, who grew up across the street from Welch, once referred to him as the guy who came home and changed the face of his hometown community. The former mayor said Welch showed up in his office one day and said, I want to build a casino in Council Bluffs. What do you think?

Welch served as general manager of the Harveys Casino and Hotel until retiring when it was purchased by Harrahs. He served as a consultant to Harrahs after his retirement and was able to devote more time to the community.

He was a member of the citizen committee that recommended potential sites for a new police headquarters facility, an effort that culminated in a successful effort to gain voter approval of a $20 million bond measure to finance the facility.

He also was co-chairman of the successful fundraising effort to finance renovation and expansion of the Council Bluffs Community School District stadium and athletic complex.

He also served on the Childrens Square Foundation board, the Iowa West Foundation advisory council and with the Spirit of Courage Awards.

His legacy is all-encompassing. He wanted Council Bluffs to be a better place than when he grew up, and he was willing to work to make it happen, Hanafan said. His passion was to make Council Bluffs and the metro area a better area. He was one of those rare people who come along from time to time, and his impact will be felt well into the future.
More than 650 people turned out Sunday for a Tri-Faith Initiative picnic that brought together members of the three faith groups  Christian, Jewish and Muslim  that eventually will coexist on a campus in west Omaha.

Sundays picnic was held at the Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific St. Joining Countryside were congregants of Temple Israel and the American Muslim Institute.

The potluck picnic featured halal hamburgers and kosher hot dogs. Activities for kids included face painting and sidewalk chalk.

The weather was fantastic, said Lisa Winton on behalf of the initiative.

Temple Israel has opened its synagogue on the west Omaha campus. The American Muslim Institute is expected to open in 2017, and a new Countryside Church after that.

Its wonderful and hopeful to see people of different faiths gathering together, forming friendships, forming bonds of understanding ... working to be united rather than divided, Winton said. Its really wonderful in these times.
An Omaha-based nonprofit is ready to fire up jets Red, White and Blue and send three more planeloads of Nebraska Vietnam veterans on a trip to Washington, D.C. next spring.

Bill and Evonne Williams of Patriotic Productions have set May 1, 2017, as the date for the next Vietnam Veterans flight, which will carry 500 more veterans to the nations capital for a daylong trip to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and other patriotic sites.

Its a follow-up to their Vietnam Combat Veterans Flight on June 6, which took 502 veterans to Washington  the largest group of veterans from one state ever to visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The flights drew a cheering, flag-waving crowd to Eppley Airfield to greet them on their return.

That 5,000 people in Omaha  it was some deal, Bill Williams said.

The response was even bigger than a series of nine Honor Flights the Williamses organized for World War II and Korean War veterans between 2008 and 2014.

He said Vietnam vets were moved to tears by the experience and the welcome home  in part because many of them were treated with indifference or even hostility when they returned home almost 50 years ago from a war that had grown unpopular.

Williams said one veteran told him that the nightmares hed suffered since returning from Vietnam 45 years ago had suddenly ceased after the flight.

Its touching, the therapeutic value of what its done for them, Williams said.

About 250 veterans who applied for the June 6 flight couldnt join the trip because of a lack of space.

This time, Williams said, theyll have another chance. And unlike the last flight, this one wont be restricted to combat veterans.

Also for the first time, the flights will leave from the Lincoln Airport instead of Eppley. Williams said that will make it more convenient for a new group of people to turn out and welcome the veterans home.

Williams said he will mount another fundraising drive to raise $450,000 to cover the costs associated with the trip, including the three aircraft, the pre-flight banquet, hotel rooms for the veterans and their families, and local transportation costs on both ends of the flight.

Vietnam veterans interested in applying for the trip should visit patrioticproductions.org, email info@PatrioticProductions.org., or call 402-612-0210.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1186, steve.liewer@owh.com
LINCOLN  The behavioral health administrator for Nebraskas prison system has resigned amid an investigation over her relationship with a parolee.

Scott Frakes, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, said the administrator, Lisa Jones, stepped down on Friday.

The investigation, which has been turned over to the Nebraska State Patrol, is looking into alleged over-familiarity between Jones and an unnamed parolee.

Frakes said the extent of the relationship has not yet been determined.

There is zero tolerance for unprofessional relationships with inmates, and this is no exception. The department has been working diligently to streamline and increase the availability of treatment services over the last year, Frakes said. While upsetting, I am confident this will not alter our course or diminish our commitment to transforming behavioral health services within NDCS.

Dawn Renee Smith, a spokeswoman for the department, declined to give any more details about how long the investigation has been going on. She also declined to comment on whether the relationship was suspected of violating state law, saying only that it was unprofessional.

Nebraska law makes it a felony for corrections employees, including those in central administration, to have sexual contact with an inmate or parolee.

The situation involving Jones represents the latest blow to a state department that has been struggling on multiple fronts.

Those struggles have included the June escape of two violent inmates in a laundry cart, the 2015 riot at the Tecumseh State Prison, the early release of inmates through sentencing miscalculations and an increase in assaults on staff.

The department also has been dealing with inmate overcrowding, high staff turnover and the frequent use of mandatory overtime for staffers.

Among the problems is a shortage of behavioral health services, exacerbated by the increasing number of inmates arriving with mental health and substance abuse problems.

The shortage was a key focus of a legislative investigation into the handling of Nikko Jenkins, a mentally troubled prisoner who killed four people in Omaha after his release in 2013.

Jones had been with the department since 2010 as the supervising psychologist for substance abuse treatment services.

Frakes put her in the top behavioral health post one year ago, saying she would work with Dr. Martin Wetzel, the new chief of psychiatry, to bring more clarity to prison behavioral health services.

In April, Jones told state lawmakers that the department had 29 vacancies for prison psychologists and counselors.

As a result, she said, staff were triaging inmates in an attempt to address those with the greatest mental health needs. The department also was using nonclinical staff to lead some violence reduction classes.

Frakes said Alice Mitwaruciu, the assistant behavioral health administrator, will step into the lead role while a search begins for permanent replacement.

Mitwaruciu began working with the Department of Corrections as a psychologist in 2014. She was promoted to her current job in September 2015.

Contact the writer: 402-473-9583, martha.stoddard@owh.com
A group seeking to return capital punishment to Nebraska released poll results Sunday showing that Nebraskans supported the death penalty by a 2-1 ratio  a finding that was quickly contested by those who favor eliminating the death penalty.

In May the State Legislature overrode the veto of Gov. Pete Ricketts in order to ban the death penalty. Death penalty proponents have successfully petitioned to force a statewide referendum in November. The ballot will ask voters whether they want to retain or repeal Legislative Bill 268, which eliminated the death penalty.

Nebraskans for the Death Penalty commissioned a survey of 600 likely Nebraska general election voters last week on the issue.

The survey was conducted by Global Marketing Research Services of Melbourne, Florida, over four days, and the live calls were made to landlines and cellphones.

The surveys margin of error was plus or minus 4 percentage points, according to a statement by the group.

Respondents favored returning the death penalty, 58.3 percent to 30.3 percent.

If the election were held today, Nebraskans would vote in overwhelming numbers to repeal LB 268 in order to keep the death penalty, said Don Stenberg, a former Nebraska attorney general and current state treasurer, who serves as honorary co-chair of Nebraskans for the Death Penalty.

Dan Parsons, a former special assistant to then-Attorney General Stenberg and now a spokesman for Retain a Just Nebraska, a campaign to keep the death penalty off the books in Nebraska, said that the poll was flawed because it didnt specifically state that the death penalty would be replaced with life in prison.

This is a flawed poll and should not be viewed as an accurate measurement of how Nebraskans view the death penalty, Parsons said in a statement.

It 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, Parsons said.

Our polling and numerous others across the country show that when given that choice, voters choose life in prison.

Stenberg said Nebraskans consistently have shown that they support the death penalty.

I am not surprised by the results of the poll, he said. Earlier polls have shown strong support for the death penalty all across Nebraska.

Also, he said, many Nebraskans feel that there are certain cases so horrendous that the death penalty is the only correct justice.

According to the survey, support for the death penalty was stronger among men than women and among Republicans than Democrats.

It was strongest in the sprawling rural 3rd Congressional District and had its least support, though still a majority, in the more urban 2nd Congressional District, which comprises Douglas County and part of Sarpy County.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
BANCROFT, Neb.  A set of new sculptures of Nebraska poet laureate John G. Neihardt and Oglala Lakota holy man Black Elk needs a name.

The John G. Neihardt Foundation is inviting the public to suggest a name for the two bronze statues at the John G. Neihardt State Historic Site by next summer. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 1, said Jon Cerny of Bancroft, foundation president. The winning name will be revealed during a dedication ceremony at Bancrofts next annual Neihardt Day on Aug. 6, 2017.

Sculptor Herb Mignery of Loveland, Colorado, created the sculptures. They were unveiled during Neihardt Day ceremonies last weekend.

The sculptures are meant to show the spiritual connection between the two men. Neihardts statue depicts him holding notes during his interviews with Black Elk on South Dakotas Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1931 for what would become his most famous book, Black Elk Speaks. Black Elk is shown in prayer, elevating a pipe with upraised hands in a pose that Neihardt photographed when the two visited the top of Harney Peak in the Black Hills. Harney Peak was recently renamed Black Elk Peak.

A sculpture had been envisioned to greet visitors to the northeast Nebraska site since it opened in 1976. Fundraising, however, didnt begin in earnest until 2003. About $160,000 has been raised toward the $175,000 goal.

Cerny said that fundraising continues for $15,000 to provide a fund to landscape and maintain the sculptures. Project donors will be recognized with a plaque to be unveiled next August.

Neihardt, who died in 1973 at age 92, lived and worked in Bancroft from 1900 to 1920. The one-room shack he rented as a place to research and write is preserved at the state historic site. Its where he began writing A Cycle of the West, his epic poetic ode to American frontier history. His research for the work eventually led him to Black Elk.

Contact the writer: 402-444-1127, david.hendee@owh.com

******

Name the statues

Submissions to name the sculptures may be sent to Amy Kucera, executive director of the state historic site, at neihardt@gpcom.net or at P.O. Box 344, Bancroft, NE 68004.
We were surprised to learn of the ranking from someone outside the fair industry, Executive Director Joseph McDermott said. They based their ranking on adult and youth admission prices, attendance, daily precipitation averages and the length of each state fair.

Out of 38 state fairs reviewed, the website ranked Nebraska 10th because it has been an annual ritual since 1868 with an equivalent of 19 percent of the states population attending the fair last year. The website also mentioned concerts such as Lady Antebellum and Chris Tomlin as highlights of this years fair.

The top 10 fairs are in North Dakota, Arizona, Delaware, Washington, Tulsa, Iowa, Oklahoma, Alaska, New Mexico and Nebraska. Oklahoma has two state fairs, one in Tulsa and the other in Oklahoma City.

McDermott said, We enjoy it each time the Nebraska State Fair is recognized. Our fairgoers rank us very high each year. Were glad to be doted upon by those who attend and those who take it upon themselves to find out what a wonderful event we have.

The Nebraska State Fair will be from Aug. 26 to Sept. 5 in Grand Island.
The writer, of Lincoln, is a founding director and a past president of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Recent days marked the passing of LaVon Crosby, a retired Nebraska state senator from Lincoln and widow of former Gov. Robert Crosby.

LaVon Crosby exhibited the personal qualities we should expect of our elected officials. She worked passionately and successfully on issues that were important to her and her constituents. She comported herself with dignity. She could disagree with her colleagues while remaining respectful and without demonizing them or their positions.

Those of us in the arts and humanities communities best remember Crosby as the driving force behind the legislation that brought the Nebraska Cultural Endowment into being in 1998. A group of concerned Nebraskans realized that a stable funding platform for the arts and humanities was needed to address challenges to continued federal funding.

Crosby enthusiastically agreed to help make that happen. A lifelong supporter of the arts, she persuaded her fellow senators to sign on to the legislation establishing the endowment, under which the Legislature set aside $5 million and made the income available to the Nebraska Arts Council and Humanities Nebraska, subject to an income match.

North Platte State Sen. Don Pederson helped draft the bill. On the floor of the Legislature during debate, Omaha State Sen. Ernie Chambers testified that it was such a good idea, he would contribute $500 of his own money if his fellow senators matched his gift, which they did.

The structure and operations of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment are based on a straightforward concept: that support of the arts and humanities is a collaboration between the public and private sectors for the greater good of all citizens. Since its inception, this public-private partnership has funded $8.3 million in arts and humanities programming for the entire state, with no ongoing impact on the states budget.

As a result of the endowment, nearly every arts and humanities organization in the state receives additional funding. Since its inception, the endowment has enabled the Nebraska Arts Council to increase its support to arts organizations statewide by 40 percent. The endowment also provided the funding to finance the development of state fine arts curriculum standards in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Education.

Humanities Nebraska has doubled its funding of grants and programs and now serves 300,000 people per year in 160 Nebraska communities.

Nebraskas current support for the arts is $1.19 per capita, which ranks 18th nationally. By comparison, Iowa ranks 35th, with 59 cents of per-capita spending for the arts. Humanities Nebraska ranks first nationally among its peers in endowment income.

The success of this collaboration continues to this day. Philanthropists, foundations, businesses and ordinary citizens from across Nebraska and elsewhere  our late friends Dick Holland and Johnny Carson among them  have made the Nebraska Cultural Endowment a support system that is unique in the nation.

Thanks to these achievements, the Nebraska Legislature has twice continued its funding support, first under the leadership of State Sen. John Nelson of Omaha and now by State Sen. John Stinner of Scottsbluff, each time unanimously committing to additional principal matches of $5 million each.

We are closing in on two $10 million funds, one public and one private, and the Legislature has stated its intention to set aside a third $5 million over the next 10 years, subject to a principal match from the private sector.

The story of the Nebraska Cultural Endowment legislation proves how much our state, with its large land mass and relatively small population, can accomplish when we work together. It is tangible evidence of how to effectively accomplish Gov. Pete Ricketts vision of continuing to make Nebraska a place where people can choose to live without sacrificing the benefits once thought available only in large population centers.

LaVon Crosbys leadership and support has created an ongoing legacy for the state that enhances the quality of life for all Nebraskans and will do so long into the future.
The green water in the diving pool of the Maria Lenk Aquatics Center in Rio. (Photo/Xinhua)

At a press conference held on Aug. 13, the organizing committee of the Rio Olympics explained that the green water in the diving pool is mainly caused by excessive amount of organic matter, which will do no harm to the health of the athletes.

Gustavo Nascimento, the director of venue management for Rio 2016, said that the water started to turn green on the fourth day of the Olympics. According to their investigation, about 80 liters of hydrogen peroxide were mistakenly dumped into the pool on the opening day, which reacted when after mixing with the chlorine. While this was a mistake, Nascimento emphasized that it does not pose a threat to anyone's health.

According to Nascimento, sanitation employees have been working hard to clean the pool; however, the process is taking more time than expected. Since the synchronized swimming contest will soon begin, the organizing committee has decided to drain the pool used for synchronized swimming and transfer the water from the nearby warm-up pool into it instead.

"The water in the warm-up pool has no problem. Athletes can give unhampered performances in that water. We expect that the problem will be fixed by the morning of Aug. 14," said Nascimento.

As for the water in the diving pool, Nascimento said: "The athletes haven't complained much about the water, and their health and safety are guaranteed. We are updating the filtration system of the pool, and the work will be finished soon. We hope that we can see some change in the water in the next 12 hours."

"Of course it is an embarrassment because we are hosting the Olympic Games," said Mario Andrada, a spokesperson for Rio 2016. "It should be light blue, transparent. We could have done better of fixing it quickly. We learned a painful lesson the hard way."
Army personnel held for opening fire in market

India

pti-PTI

Hyderabad, Aug 15: An Army man was today arrested for allegedly opening fire in the air at Machabollaram market here last week, police said. Lamba Nandeeshwar Yadav, working as Army Service (Lance Naik at 332 Medium Regiment at Ranchi) and a resident of Risalabazar in Bollaram here, had celebrated his son's first birthday at a hall in the city on August 11, they said.

"During the function, Yadav consumed liquor along with his friends and relatives. After the celebration, he along with his relatives returned home in a car and when they reached near Machabollaram market, Yadav in an intoxicated mood opened four rounds of fire in the air with his licensed pistol," a release from Cyberabad police said today.

After that he collected three empty rounds and headed home. The police subsequently seized one empty round from the spot, it said. A case was registered with Alwal Police under relevant sections of IPC and the Arms Act against unknown persons.

As per the release, during course of the investigation, Yadav was today arrested. Yadav had come to Hyderabad on 20 days leave from August 1.

He has been working in the Army for the past 13 years. He possess a licensed 0.32" pistol, the release said. Police seized the pistol, three used rounds and four live rounds.

The accused will be produced in a court, it said. Police also warned persons who are in illegal possession of arms to surrender their weapons immediately and asked the licensed holders not to violate license conditions.

PTI
Arvind Kejriwal pitches for Delhi's full statehood

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 15: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday reiterated his demand for full statehood for Delhi and asked why the value of vote in Delhi was less compared to other states.

"Why is the value of votes of Delhiites less than those who voted in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh? Why does the Delhi government not have powers like other states?" Kejriwal asked in his Independence Day speech at a packed Chhatrasal Stadium.

Addressing the gathering of mostly students, Kejriwal said the Delhi government's powers were curbed a few years after independence when it was declared a Union Territory.

He said people in Delhi had a right to choose their government but the power of the elected government was limited.

"People choose their government which had certain powers. But for the last one-and-a-half years, the Delhi government's every right is being taken away one by one. Now the elected Delhi government has almost no powers (na ke barabar). We cannot take even one independent decision."

Reminding the "Government of India 1935 Act", Kejriwal said the act had given right to the people to elect their representatives but those elected persons have no power to run the government.

"Now, Delhi's situation is similar to the 1935 Government of India Act," Kejriwal said.

IANS
A dream, a call and some courage: How a 15-year-old stopped her marriage

Independence Day celebrated in West Bengal

India

oi-PTI

Kolkata, Aug 15: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the Tricolour as the state celebrated the 70th Independence Day today. Banerjee unfurled the tricolour on Red Road here and received a guard of honour from the Kolkata Police and other security personnel.

On this occasion, Chief Minister's police medal for Outstanding Service was given to Sanjay Mukherjee, DG (fire service), Ajay Mukunde Ranade, IGP (South Bengal), and Vishal Garg, Joint commissioner (STF).

Chief Minister's police medal for Commendable Service was given to Subrata Mitra, DIG (Presidency Range), Amit P Javalgi, SP (Darjeeling), Mukesh, SP (Murshidabad), Shankar Shubra Chakraborty, IPS, (OSD to CMO), and Dip Narayan Goswami, DC (Special Branch).

Cultural programmes were held by school children and various artistes at the Red Road venue showcasing the cultural heritage of the country. As the colourful tableaus and and marching contingents went past, a helicopter showered flower petals on people gathered to witness the celebrations.

Reform, Perform, Transform: PM on Independence Day

After Banerjee became Chief Minister in 2011, she started the Independence Day event at the Red Road with parades and colourful programmes.

People across West Bengal today celebrated the 68th Independence Day taking out processions, organising parades and cultural programmes.

The Day was also celebrated in schools and colleges, hospitals and other government and non-government institutions across the state.

The Border Security Force observed the day at the Petrapole International checkpoint which was witnessed by large number of people from both sides of International Boundary. School children and teachers also participated in this function. As per practice on this occasion, BSF handed over fruits and sweets to Border Guard Bangladesh.

PTI
Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs'

Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

Rajnath condoles death of CRPF officer in Srinagar

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

New Delhi, Aug 15: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday condoled the death of CRPF commandant Pramod Kumar, who died in a terrorist attack in Srinagar, saying "he served the nation till his last breath".

The minister, in a statement issued here, said he "salutes his valour and supreme sacrifice and also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured CRPF jawans".

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area of Srinagar earlier in the day.

He is survived by his wife Neha Tripathi, a 7-year-old daughter Aarna and 63-year-old father.

The mortal remains of the martyr were transported by a special aircraft from Srinagar to Jamtara in Jharkhand. He will be cremated on Tuesday in his native village Mihijam.

IANS
Will work to expand job opportunities: Shivraj Chouhan on Independence Day

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Bhopal, Aug 15 The Madhya Pradesh government will shortly have an 'employment cabinet' to streamline efforts to provide and expand job opportunities for the youth, Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan said on Monday.

Speaking at the Independence Day function at Motilal Nehru Stadium here, Chouhan said the special cabinet will work to make available all employment-related information at one place and generate job opportunities.

He said Madhya Pradesh has undergone an image makeover from being counted among the backward states of India to be regarded as a fast developing one.

"The whole state is now well connected with an expanding network of roads. Darkness is giving way to round-the-clock supply of electricity," Chouhan said.

The state's overall economy has been growing at 10 per cent with agriculture performing even better at a whopping 20 per cent.

Along with developing 'smart cities,' the effort of his government has been to develop 'smart villages' with drinking water, roads, power, education, Anganwadis and other vital services, he said.

Chouhan also said no one in the state will be without land-holding.

The state's irrigation capacity has gone up from 7.5 lakh hectares to 40 lakh hectares, he said.

Rivers are being inter-linked, he said, citing the example of the Narmada-Kshipra link project.

Madhya Pradesh now holds a much greater attraction for investors as a result of expanding infrastructure, receiving proposals worth 2.5 lakh crore after the Global Investors Summit in Indore in 2014, Chouhan said.

Earlier, Chouhan hoisted the national flag at the Independence Day function here and took the salute at the march past. The function saw large participation from enthusiastic school children.

Tricolours were also hoisted at government offices, schools and offices of political parties in Bhopal.

State ministers presided over Independence Day functions in 29 of the 51 districts of Madhya Pradesh. In other districts, District Panchayat presidents led the celebrations.

The occasion also witnessed Prabhat Pheris -- early morning walks with songs, cultural expression and a show of solidarity.

IANS
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Indians across the world mark Independence Day with fervour

International

oi-PTI

Beijing/Washington, Aug 15: Soaked in patriotism, hundreds of Indians today proudly marked the country's 70th Independence Day, as the tricolour fluttered and the national anthem reverberated at Indian missions across the world.

Indians in countries like China, the US, Thailand and Singapore joined people in India to celebrate the day with recital of patriotic songs and dance performances representing the diverse ethnicity of India.

In Beijing, Indian Ambassador Vijay Gokhale hoisted the tricolour in the embassy premises at a function that was attended by members of the Indian community.

A large of number of Indian professionals besides embassy staff took part in the flag hoisting ceremony along with their families.

Gokhale also read out President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the nation followed by recital of patriotic songs. In Shanghai, Consulate General of India Prakash Gupta hosted the celebrations.

Gupta unfurled the tricolour besides reading out excerpts from the President's address. A similar celebration was held at the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou led by Consulate General Y K Sailas Thangal.

Reform, Perform, Transform: PM on Independence Day

In the US, the Independence Day was celebrated on a large scale in Fremont in California and Edison in New Jersey where thousands of people attended the event amid a colorful cultural extravaganza.

In cities like Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Orlando and Minneapolis, community organisations held cultural events over the weekend to celebrate the Independence Day.

The patriotic fervour also gripped Indian missions across Southeast Asia, as hundreds of Indian nationals, ethnic Indians and India lovers gathered. In Bangkok, Indian Ambassador Bhawant Singh Bishnoi said, "2016 has been a most significant year for our bilateral relationships".

Bishnoi, in his speech to over 500 people gathered at the embassy premises, said Thailand remains one of India's "closest" friends.

"People to people linkages are one of the most important aspects of our bilateral relationships. Central to this is the role played by the Indian community," he said and commended the significant contribution by ethnic Indians and Indian nationals to the economic and social development of Thailand.

Indian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates echoed with melodious strains of the national anthem as children and the hundreds of Indians joined to sing patriotic songs in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Yangon, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei.

PTI
Indians in Belgium celebrate Independence Day

International

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Brussels, Aug 15 The Indian embassy in Brussels on Monday held an event to celebrate the country's 70th Independence Day.

The ceremony, attended by around 400 people, began with the hoisting of the tricolour and singing of the national anthem.

India's Ambassador to Belgium and the European Union Manjeev Singh Puri read out the President of India's message to the nation on the occasion.

Puri thanked the Indian community in Belgium for their strong support during the first visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Brussels just a week after the terrorist attacks in the city last March.

A special film highlighting government schemes and programmes along with public service schemes was also screened at the funcion, which concluded with folk dance performance by the Kalbelia tribal group from Rajasthan.

IANS
Portuguese PM to visit India next year

International

oi-PTI

Panaji, Aug 15: Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa will visit India in January next year and is likely to make a trip to Goa, a former Portuguese enclave with which he has ancestral connections.

Consul General of Portugal for Goa Rui Baceira told reporters today that the Portuguese Prime Minister will be visiting India in January 2017, with his itinerary including Goa and Bangalore.

"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January (2017). He is of Goan Indian origin. We are pleased to have him here," Baceira told reporters on the sidelines of Independence Day event here.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had in March told the State Legislative Assembly that he would invite Costa to Goa. Goa had remained a Portuguese colony for over 400 years before it was liberated and integrated to the Indian Union in 1961.

Hundreds leave homes as fires sweep through Portugal

Antonio's grandfather, Luis Afonso Maria da Costa, hailed from Goa. Though born in Mozambique, which was also a Portuguese colony, he spent most of his youth in Goa, before moving with his family to Portugal after 1961.

There were celebrations in Goa when Costa was elected the Portuguese Prime Minister last year.

PTI
No comment on Pranab Mukherjee book before reading it: Former Union Minister

Pranab memoirs: PM Modi must speak more often in Parliament

S'pore PM to travel to India, Mukherjee's visit likely soon

International

oi-PTI

Singapore, Aug 15: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit India in October while President Pranab Mukherjee's trip to the city-state is also on the cards in the near future, it was announced here today.

In a congratulatory message on India's 70th Independence Day, President Tony Tan Keng Yam said he looks forward to receiving his Indian counterpart Mukherjee in Singapore in the near future.

"With fond memories of the warm hospitality extended to my delegation when I visited India last February, I look forward to receiving Your Excellency in Singapore in the near future," said Tan in the message to President Mukherjee.

In a separate congratulatory message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lee said he looks forward to visiting India in October. "I look forward to meeting you again when I visit India in October to explore new avenues of cooperation," he said.

"Singapore and India share a longstanding friendship underpinned by strong historical, commercial, cultural and kinship ties."

The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership signed during your visit to Singapore last November is a further sign of our excellent relations," Lee said in his message to Modi.

India will grow, only when all of India grows: Pranab Mukherjee

It also provides a roadmap for cooperation in many fields: trade and investment, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities, he said, adding: "I am confident that our bilateral ties will continue to grow and deepen."

Extending heartfelt congratulations, President Tan reaffirmed strong bilateral relations. "Relations between Singapore and India remain strong and look set to grow despite challenges in the global economy.

"As our people-to-people relations flourish, I am delighted by the excellent progress in bilateral projects and initiatives on various fronts including trade, skills development, defence cooperation, and Smart Cities development," said Tan.

The India-Singapore Strategic Partnership, together with other bilateral agreements, will create new opportunities for collaboration and elevate the bilateral relationship to a higher level, said Tan.

PTI
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

J&K remains tense as several Pakistan flags crop up

Srinagar

oi-Vicky

Srinagar, Aug 15: As India and Pakistan traded barbs at each other, security at Jammu and Kashmir is at an unprecedented high. There is palpable tension across the state where the separatists and militants have threatened to up the ante against the Indian security forces.

Security agencies had a tough time in keeping track of the events that have been unfolding since Sunday. Pakistan flags have been raised in several parts of the state. To make matters worse, Pakistan forces resorted to unprovoked firing along the border.

The police have been patrolling various parts of the state to ensure that law and order is tight. Several Pakistan flags and posters of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani have been removed in Srinagar and other parts of the state.

The Hurriyat Conference which released its calendar for the week decided to observe a black day and civil curfew on August 15. From 7 AM onwards all roads leading up to places where Independence Day celebrations would be held will be blocked.

The district commissioners have been told not to hoist the Indian National Flag in any part of Jammu and Kashmir.

Parents have been told not to send their wards to take part in the celebrations. Raise black flags on your houses, shops, market centers and local chowks wear black dresses or black bands on this day, the Hurriyat also states.

As a preventive measure the police arrested separatists, S A Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

OneIndia News
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

Trend:

Armenian armed forces have 19 times violated the ceasefire on the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops over the past 24 hours, said Azerbaijans Defense Ministry Aug. 15.

Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns while firing at Azerbaijani positions.

The Armenian armed forces stationed in the Bash Gervend village of the Aghdam district, Ashagi Seyidahmadli village of the Fizuli district, Mehdili village of the Jabrayil district opened fire at the Azerbaijani positions.

Azerbaijani positions also underwent fire from the Armenian positions located on the nameless heights in the Goranboy, Khojavand 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.
Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

Terror strikes Srinagar: 5 CRPF personnel injured, gun battle on

Srinagar

oi-Vicky

Srinagar, Aug 15: Five CRPF personnel and one police man were injured in a terrorist strike at Nowhatta, Srinagar. Three terrorists opened fire at the CRPF personnel at 8.45 AM on Monday.

The CRPF and the police had launched a search operation today following specific inputs of terrorist movement in the area.

The Intelligence Bureau had sounded off an alert regarding movement of terrorists in the area. The terrorists opened fire when the security forces cordoned off the area in a bid to nab the terrorists.

Gun fire is still on between the security forces and the three terrorists. The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital. Meanwhile, the security forces have launched a massive combing operation.

In another development, the army personnel have killed two terrorists at the Uri sector in Baramulla. The two terrorists were attempting to infiltrate into India when they were gunned down by security forces during the wee hours of Monday.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Monday, August 15, 2016, 10:04 [IST]
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Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

Trend:

The draft resolutions The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan and Protracted conflicts in the GUAM area (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova) and their implications for international peace, security and development have been included in the agenda of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly.

The sessions agenda has been published on the UN website.

The 71st Session of the UN General Assembly will be held Sept. 13-26 at the UN headquarters in New York, the US.

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.

The GUAM format was created by post-Soviet states in 1997 during the summit of heads of states of the European Union in Strasbourg. In 1999, Uzbekistan joined the format and four years later withdrew. In 2006, Ukraine and Azerbaijan announced plans to further increase the GUAM member relations by renaming the organization GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development and establishing its headquarters in the Ukrainian capital.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received credentials of incoming German Ambassador Michael Kindsgrab.

Kindsgrab passed along a guard of honor and then presented his credentials to President Aliyev.

Afterwards, President Aliyev had a conversation with the ambassador.

The president noted the very successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Germany.

He recalled with satisfaction his successful visit to Germany in June 2016 and the meeting with the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Warsaw. He said cooperation between the two countries is in a very active phase.

The president emphasized the mutual interest in the economic sphere and noted that he witnessed this during the business forum in Berlin.

Touching upon the activity of many German companies in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan is interested in their work not only as contractors, but also as investors.

Ilham Aliyev noted the importance of continuing the political dialogue, based on mutual trust, between Azerbaijan and Germany, and added that there are good opportunities for cooperation in energy, transportation, security and other spheres.

President Ilham Aliyev wished the ambassador success in his work.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, the newly appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Michael Kindsgrab said he received clear instructions from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the development of bilateral ties.

Kindsgrab noted that Angela Merkel and Frank-Walter Steinmeier show great interest in expanding ties with Azerbaijan, which is a stable and developing partner country.

The envoy pointed to Azerbaijans image, growing on international arena in recent years.

The German diplomat said he will make efforts to further expand the cooperation that exists in politics, economy, energy security, culture and others.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on reforms in Azerbaijan and discussed the prospects of cooperation between the two countries in energy, security, healthcare, tourism, culture and others.
Business Insider 30 Sep 2022

United announced a plan to exit JFK International Airport in late October on Friday but vowed that the airline will return.
THE European Union is willing to assist PNG Customs in streamlining its procedures to boost investments and creating job opportunities for the country. European Union Charge daffaires Maria-Cruz Cristobal made the following remark during a recent workshop adding that the objective is to ensure that free market access is maintained to help Made in PNG products to continue to have a lucrative market in the EU to create more jobs and income in PNG. Ms Cristobal emphasised that the European Union values the EU-PNG Trade Agreement and encourages setting ambitious targets corresponding to PNGs high trade potential.





She said the Trade Agreement (iEPA) is already delivering strong benefits in terms of investments and jobs for Papua New Guineans as a result there is already an increase of PNG exports to the EU to 986 million in 2012 (over K3 billion), most of which is non-minerals exports (fisheries and marine resources, coffee, cocoa, tea, palm oil, spices and rubber) and in the creation of some 50,000 jobs in PNG in the fisheries sector alone. The European Union has become Papua New Guineas second largest export market for non-mineral products, accounting for 9.2 per cent of total exports. The European Union will continue to work closely with PNG to help draw the maximum benefit out of the bilateral trade agreement for sustainable green development, she said. Meanwhile representatives from both the public and private departments have collaborated together at a three-day workshop held in Port Moresby late last month. This is to finalise an Economic Partnership Agreement Rules of Origin Handbook to facilitate and support the implementation of the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) between European Union  PNG. The handbook aims to set out clear guidelines under which iEPA Rules of Origin should be applied, with corresponding interpretations and recommendations that will provide Customs and Fisheries officers, as well as private sector, with solid reference to ensure compliance with the trade agreement as well as to promote trade facilitation agreements.





The handbook will be a dynamic document that will be subject to amendment and review where necessary and appropriate, to reflect changes in international trade practices and national regulations on Rules of Origin preferential rules.
The PNG LNG landowner's petition for PDL 1 landowners have been reviewed yesterday in a meeting chaired by Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC) Managing Director Augustine Mano. Those present in the meeting were A/Secretary Department Petroleum and Energy David Manau, Community Affairs Manger Kumul Petroleum Ian Maru and other officials. Discussions to continue on Monday.

No positive outcome through this meeting on Saturday in Port Moresby.





Meanwhile, since 2014 the usual maximum LNG flow rate from PNG LNG Marine Terminal in Port Moresby to ships has been reduced from 12,000 cubic meters/h to 6,000 m3/h as of yesterday (Friday 12/08/16) when loading for the 221st shipment. When asking this reduction in half gas export, the marine supervisors at the terminal said its due to closing down of valves by Landowners at Hides resulting in reducing the flow rate.









Company officials were tight-lips on this fact due to maintaining Exxonmobil's global image of good social corporate responsibility. Although the company suffers greatly, it plans to shift this cut to stakeholders including PNG Government and landowners.









It was reported that the valves stations were not closed in media but it is confirmed by landowners in Hides PDL1-7 valves are shutdown until a good respond is given.









In the meeting, there was no new item was discussed, rather the same old things discussed in Hides last week with the Government delegate lead by senior ministers.









In Hides yesterday, a State team visited again to reopen the valves while negotiations take place in Port Moresby but failed.
Amaya CEO David Baazov Officially Resigns

Published August 15, 2016 by Florin P

Amid criticism, David Baazov steps down as Amaya CEO.

When news broke out at the end of March that David Baazov was charged with insider trading by the Quebec securities regulator, Amaya stocks took a blow. Earlier this year, Baazov expressed his intention of taking over the publicly traded company that owns PokerStars via an all-cash offer. Now he officially resigned as Chief Executive Officer as well as all other positions within the company.

A Not So Voluntary Leave of Absence

David Baazov had to step aside after the Autorite des Marches Financiers hit him with five charges in late March. His brother was also charged with insider trading as well as a few other of his business partners. Baazov told the media at that point that the accusations were false and that he will contest them vigorously. He still claims his innocence and says that he decided to resign to protect the company.

In turn, Amaya stated in a press release that it acknowledges the contribution made by David Baazov and thanks him for his efforts. Rafi Ashkenazi is now the acting CEO and in the wake of Baazov resignation will assume a permanent position for PokerStars.

The Meteoric Rise of David Baazov

When little David decided to quit school at 16 years old, his parents didnt approve. He proved them and the world wrong by building a fortune and becoming a very wealthy man at 35 years old. He started Amaya in 2006 and turned it into one of the most profitable gambling companies in the world. The corporation emerged as a global gaming leader after acquiring the Rational Group. In late 2014, Forbes reported that Baazov's 12.5% stake in Amaya was worth $800 million.
Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia:

The Netherlands-based asset manager Saemor Capital said it remains cautious on European equity markets and continues to be neutrally positioned in its multi-factor model, with political risk rising and global equity valuations not offering much room for error.

The Saemor investor relations team said in its monthly report, "We do not see much reason for the recent market rebound to last. Moreover, August and September are typically not the best months for equity markets. Our stock selection model is increasingly pointing towards defensive names after earnings downgrades to financials and domestic cyclicals in the UK. Most low beta names look relatively expensive and over-owned though."

The team added that exporting sectors such as capital goods and IT that also rank well in Saemors model and look more attractive in comparison. This is helped by a rebound in emerging market equities and commodities since February this year. Risks to the firms cautious positioning could be strong economic momentum, strongly rising global bond yields and a continued risk-on stance by global investors, moving back into the most lagging European financials.

Saemor Europe Alpha Fund fell in July on Brexit pressure

The Saemor Europe Alpha Fund retreated 0.2% in July. The portfolio was cautiously positioned going into the month, expecting further pressure on earnings expectations following Brex......................

To view our full article Click here
Reprinted from Strategic Culture

In a twisted sort of way, we should thank Michael J Morell, the former CIA deputy director. At last, we have official clarity on what has up to now been a US policy of deception over its criminal, covert involvement in Syria's conflict. He says US policy should be to kill Russian military personnel. No qualms, no quibbles. Kill them.

Morell made his macabre recommendation during an interview on CBS last week.

Nearly six years of Western-backed death and destruction in Syria for regime change, and yet Washington somehow has gotten away with maintaining that it is fighting terrorism in the Arab country.

And to think, too, Morell's candid admission of US criminality was fittingly broadcast on prime-time American TV.

That there wasn't an immediate furor among the Western media and public over Morell's Murder Inc machinations just goes to show how debased Western moral and legal standards have become. Probably due to inurement from decades of barbarity and lawlessness of Western governments waging criminal wars in the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa and Latin America.

We can be sure that Morell was not primarily doing it for the benefit of public disclosure when he told Charlie Rose on CBS that US policy in Syria should be henceforth to assassinate Russian and Iranian forces. Rather, it seems more likely that the ex-CIA chief was pitching for a cabinet job in a Clinton administration, if she is elected in the November presidential ballot. Morell's ambition for reward seemed to impair his judgment, and so the CIA's former top spook was trying his best to sound all macho.

Only days before his CBS interview, Morell had authored an obsequious oped in the New York Times extolling Hillary Clinton as the best qualified candidate to be commander in chief. He also endorsed her stated desire for more aggressive American intervention in Syria's war.

Morell's macho performance on CBS calling for Russia and Iran to pay a price for their intervention in Syria had the obvious purpose of advertising his application for a Clinton appointment.

But beyond his squalid self-serving motivations, Morell unwittingly performed a service to public disclosure on what US involvement in Syria is all about.

His candid comments can only have one conclusion. The US is prepared to openly side with terrorists in Syria by arming and directing militants to kill Russians. In short, the US is on the side of the terrorists.

For many observers of the Syrian conflict this is not a revelation. Since the onset of the conflict in March 2011, informed observers have known that the US and its NATO and regional allies have infiltrated mercenary groups into the country in a covert war for regime change against President Bashar al-Assad and his government.

Despite Western fictive narratives about the anti-government militants being competitively divided between moderate rebels and extremists, it is understood that Washington and its allies have been waging their covert war by secretly and indiscriminately supporting the full gamut of illegally armed groups, or terrorists.

Washington has covered its terrorist connections with a seeming war on terror by declaring a mission to defeat such internationally proscribed groups as Jabhat al-Nusra (renamed Fatah al-Sham) and Islamic State. So, while Washington claims that it is supporting moderate rebels against the Assad government, it is also flying warplanes to apparently strike the terrorists. But those strikes beginning in September 2014 evidently had little damaging impact on the supposed terror targets.

However, the intended effect was that Washington's dual policy provided a convenient cover. It allowed the US government to claim that it was fighting terrorists, and therefore deny any covert connection with such groups, while also seeming to be on the side of legitimate rebels.

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Headline changed, details added (first version posted on 12:03)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

Trend:

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received credentials of incoming German Ambassador Michael Kindsgrab.

Kindsgrab passed along a guard of honor and then presented his credentials to President Aliyev.

Afterwards, President Aliyev had a conversation with the ambassador.

The president noted the very successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Germany.

He recalled with satisfaction his successful visit to Germany in June 2016 and the meeting with the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Warsaw. He said cooperation between the two countries is in a very active phase.

The president emphasized the mutual interest in the economic sphere and noted that he witnessed this during the business forum in Berlin.

Touching upon the activity of many German companies in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan is interested in their work not only as contractors, but also as investors.

Ilham Aliyev noted the importance of continuing the political dialogue, based on mutual trust, between Azerbaijan and Germany, and added that there are good opportunities for cooperation in energy, transportation, security and other spheres.

President Ilham Aliyev wished the ambassador success in his work.

Expressing gratitude for the reception, the newly appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Michael Kindsgrab said he received clear instructions from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the development of bilateral ties.

Kindsgrab noted that Angela Merkel and Frank-Walter Steinmeier show great interest in expanding ties with Azerbaijan, which is a stable and developing partner country.

The envoy pointed to Azerbaijans image, growing on international arena in recent years.

The German diplomat said he will make efforts to further expand the cooperation that exists in politics, economy, energy security, culture and others.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on reforms in Azerbaijan and discussed the prospects of cooperation between the two countries in energy, security, healthcare, tourism, culture and others.
Reviews of James Petras, The End of the Republic and the Delusion of Empire, Clarity, 2016

Jeremy Hammond, Obstacle to Peace: The US Role in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Worldview, 2016



The obstacle to peace is clear as day

(Image by Jeremy Hammon) Details DMCA



Hammond's work is detailed, documenting the period starting with Obama's 2008 victory and Israel's immediate response: its invasion of Gaza in December. Throwing down the gauntlet, which president-elect Obama refused to pick up.

There were more such attacks to come, involving seizing aid flotillas headed for Gaza, culminating in a repeat of that full scale invasion of Gaza in 2014, both killing thousands of innocents. Hammond's main point is to separate Obama's weak, nice words -- "the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines" -- with his inability to move towards fulfilling them.

The gap between word and deed is really an abyss here. Either Obama is helpless, cowardly or cynical. Perhaps he will tell us someday -- when it's too late to make any difference.

Hammond realized he had to document this 'legacy' and he does it well. He writes with a quiet passion which makes the ugly reality more bearable. The Palestinians arguably have it worse than any other victim of imperialism, being under daily, direct imperial attack, not just the "soft power" behind-the-scene manipulation of local politicians, etc. "We are all Palestinians now" is increasingly the credo of anyone with a heart.

'A word means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less'*

2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 war of conquest that Israel launched ( Menachen Begin agrees ). Hammond is a 'two-stater': advocating some kind of binational state or independent states based on 1967 borders. He reveals the confusion that the hurried, chaotic UN negotiations in 1947 leading to Resolution 181 produced. The UN Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) recommended an Arab state be set up on 44% of Palestine, expropriating land to redistribute to Jews.

No Arab delegate or nation was included in UNSCOP, but even so, UNSCOP realized "the partition proposal was a violation of the rights of the Arabs, as well as contrary to the very Charter under which they were acting." But they recommended the partition anyway. Sounds fishy.

The UN General Assembly rejected it and supported the Arab Higher Committee's call for the recognition of a Palestinian state "which would respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and equality of all persons before the law, and would protect the legitimate rights and interests of all minorities."

But, like UNSCOP, the General Assembly backed down, adopting Resolution 181--now it sounds like a conspiracy--and the Zionists began deporting and killing Arabs, seizing land, leading up to the end of the British Mandate on May 14, 1948.

The result was called the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, and recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States and a Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem. Hammond argues that the resolution "neither partitioned Palestine nor conferred upon the Zionist leadership any legal authority to declare the state of Israel."

Sounds to me like it did--after arm-twisting by the US. That's certainly what Humpty Dumpty would say. The Arabs clearly agree with Hammond. That's why they dared take on the state-of-the-art Israelis, armed by the US, British and Soviets, facing a rag-tag, pathetic multi-national force using WWI discards and donkeys.

So it looks like Resolution 181 was indeed a "partition plan", which Israel was able to massage into its 'facts on the ground', leaving behind a "frozen war". Until 1967, when Israel seized what was left and began to settle it with new Jewish immigrants.





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Snake Oil Salesman

(Image by Akemi Ohira) Details DMCA



In 2016 all are called to hold the feet of CEOs, elected officials and our own, to the fire burning for life, liberty, prosperity, equality and justice for all.

The demise of any society from its greatest potential, comes from within its people, both those holding the moneyed puppet strings and those dangling from them -- different battle, same snake-oil.

This war, humanity has waged, since the beginning of time. Armed with peace, and malice toward none, let us soldier on together in our historical presidential election, for in ensemble, we are as victorious as David against Goliath.

Only the speed of devices and dullness of media as easily manipulated into inspiring mob-rule as, Second Amendment People, are the desperate and frustrated made vulnerable to simple promises of immediate solutions.

Our battle is against brainwashing marketing, defamation, and discrimination, wedging us between growing mounds of waste -- to either be shoveled away by innovative transformation, or allowed to smolder in a past of revisionist memory.

Attempting a century old replay, is a distortion of moral licensing, and the phenomenon of fighting each other to make the future as great as the past, a fool's errand, chasing a foggy bottom mirage, within a maze of mirrors, in the mist.

Seventy years ago, Prescott Bush, Fred Koch and others like them, determined, like war, peace could be a line item business asset -- but, Cheney, Halliburton's Gulf Oil Spill and Blackwater by any name, elevated perpetual war as the new gold standard, accelerating Global Warming, by financing the denial of Climate Change.

Same self-aggrandizing war -- different mechanism: those who have, keeping an iron grip on the neck of the almost had, by making enough money to garner enough power, to prevent government regulations from demanding more taxes, to provide more for the new majorities of minorities, who've been made invisible under a deflated Middle Class.

Most problems aren't problems until we're media convinced to make them so, but voter suppression, income disparity, inequitable economic opportunity and Climate Injustice are daily battles that must be won.

However, our battles are rarely about what pundits, adversaries, government, bankers and lawyers say they're about -- whether wood burning stoves, coal miners, off-shore drilling, natural gas, nuclear power, renewables or Koch machines -- evolution wins, even it only by extinction.

So we, who still believe in the Olympian Golden Rule embedded within, must be more than cheerleaders -- in addition to voting, inspire ten others to vote and each then register 100 others to counter the self-infected with the intoxication of a self-serving megalomaniac.

As firestorms rage against families in California, Oregon and Wyoming, and Americans are drowning in Kentucky, Las Vegas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia floods, let's fight for, rather than against, each other.

The battle cry is cease and desist cash flow to political parties, and even candidates! Instead, invest time, energy and money in future oriented causes, working for the good of the earth and all who live upon it, like http://www.emergeamerica.org/ - http://peopledemandingaction.org/ - http://www.women-matter.org/ - www.aclu.org/

Either we stand together to ease the pain of an earth ravaged by abandoned stewardship, or we can choose to self-destruct while fighting among ourselves over emails, moon-lighting foundations, Snowden Russian hackers and voting to make a point rather than change and save a nation.
Reprinted from WSWS

Bill and Hillary Clinton made $10.6 million in income in 2015, according to tax returns released by the Democratic presidential campaign Friday. This placed the Clintons in the top 0.02 percent of US families.

Fewer than 30,000 US families made as much as the Clintons last year, a further demonstration of how far the former "first family" has advanced since Bill Clinton left the White House in January 2001.

In the nearly 16 years since then, the Clintons have netted at least $200 million in income, most of it from making speeches to corporations, Wall Street firms, universities, Washington lobbyists, trade unions, and anyone else willing to fork over $200,000 or more to hear the former president or his wife.

Hillary Clinton's Republican opponent, Donald Trump, is by reputation a billionaire, placing him in the top 2,000 US households for income, although he has refused to release any tax returns that could verify his income level and tax payments.

The Clinton campaign released the family's tax return as part of a political effort to put more pressure on the Trump campaign to do likewise. This was coordinated with a prominent article in the New York Times suggesting that Trump was unwilling to release his tax return because he had used many lucrative deductions available to real estate speculators, cutting his tax liability to zero.

Other possibilities suggested by the Times are that Trump's personal fortune is far less than the $9-10 billion he has claimed publicly, or that his tax returns would document income from investments with Russian oligarchs. The latter charge is part of a persistent McCarthy-style campaign spearheaded by the Times, suggesting Trump's candidacy represents Russian government interference in the US elections.

The Clinton tax return demonstrates the vast social gulf that separates the Democratic presidential candidate from the working people whose votes she seeks in the 2016 election. The November 8 election represents a "choice" between two candidates from the financial aristocracy, both of whom uphold the interests of the super-rich against working people.

The $10.6 million raked in during 2015 actually represented a significant decline for the Clintons, whose combined income reached $27.9 million in 2014, their largest ever, thanks to $23 million in speaking fees divided roughly equally between the former president and the former secretary of state.

In 2015, by contrast, Bill Clinton earned the lion's share of the speaker's fees, some $4.4 million, while Hillary Clinton netted "only" $1.1 million, since she stopped taking money for appearances before corporate audiences after declaring her candidacy for president. Hillary Clinton also reported $3 million in revenue from her book Hard Choices, a memoir of her four years as secretary of state.

The current year 2016 is likely to mark a low point in the Clinton buck-raising, since neither Clinton has been able to make paid appearances because of the requirements of the election campaign.

Not to worry, however. From 2007 through 2015, the Clintons reported making a total of $149 million over nine years, out of which they paid taxes totaling $48 million, and gave $16 million to charity (most of it to their own charitable entity, the Clinton Family Foundation).

That means they enjoyed after-tax income of some $85 million, the bulk of which they would have put into investment accounts. A fortune of, say, $75 million would place the Clintons in the top 20,000 US families in terms of total assets.

During this period 2007-2015, which includes six years when Hillary Clinton was on a federal salary, as US senator for New York and then secretary of state, Bill Clinton made the bulk of the income, including $105 million from delivering more than 540 speeches.

The average annual Clinton family income over this nine-year period, $16.3 million, is 300 times the median US household income, $53,482. In other words, Bill and Hillary Clinton typically earned every day about what the typical US working-class family made in a year.

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It's no secret that the demographics of Trumps supporters show some people have certain intellectual challenges, but the latest video of a "focus group" shows that his people will believe anything the Donald puts forth.



Anything.



Including gun dispensers in women's restrooms (to fend off male preditors)and port-o-potties that help whisk away illegal aliens.



Then there's the "Invisible Wall" giving a zap to collared Mexicans.





According to Agence France-Presse, the Republican Party presidential bet Donald Trump strengthened his fight against immigrants in his rally in Portland, Maine on Thursday (Aug. 4). "We are letting people come in from terrorist nations that shouldn't be allowed because you can't vet them," said Trump. He then named these countries as Afghanistan, Iraq, Morocco, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Uzbekistan, Yemen and the Philippines, and piped up, "We're dealing with animals."

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Global Kidney Cancer Drugs Market Propelled by New Treatment Approvals; to Reach US$4.5 bn by 2020

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=537

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global kidney cancer drugs market is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 6.60% from 2014 to 2020. The title of the report is Kidney Cancer Drugs Market - Global Industry Analysis, Pipeline Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2020.PDF Sample:Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common kind of renal or kidney cancer. Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is also a key type of kidney cancer, but is less prevalent amongst individuals as compared to RCC. Surgical procedures alone are sometimes not sufficient for the treatment of these cancers, particularly in cases where patients develop metastatic cancers. This is when additional treatment regimens are recommended and immunotherapies and targeted therapies come into play. Kidney cancer drugs are considered to increase the overall lifespan, particularly in patients having an advanced stage of metastatic tumors.As mentioned in the report, the increasing occurrence of kidney cancer and the rising aging population globally are amongst the key factors stimulating the growth of the market for kidney cancer drugs. In addition, several novel molecules receiving approval globally is also a prime factor fuelling the market. On the other hand, the soaring prices of branded cancer drugs may restrain the growth of the market. In addition, the rising inclination of the consumers towards generic drug variants may also have a negative impact on the markets development.In terms of drug, the market is segmented into Sutent (Sunitinib), Afinitor (Everolimus), Nexavar (Sorafenib), Votrient (Pazopanib), Avastin (Bevacizumab), Inlyta (Axitinib), Proleukin (Aldesleukin), and Torisel (Temsirolimus). Amongst these, on the basis of revenue, Sutent led the market in 2013 owing to Sutent being the majorly prescribed drug in the first-line treatment for kidney cancer. In addition, Sutent is also amongst the top studied drugs within its class for multiple indications, as it targets multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). On the other hand, Votrient is predicted to emerge as a market leader by 2017 and is expected to surpass Sutent and all other competitors owing to its unique first-line penetration and low pricing. Votrient exhibited a whopping CAGR of more than 40% between 2012 and 2016.Geographically, the report segments the market into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, North America leads the kidney cancer drugs market owing to the presence of a huge patient pool having different kinds of cancers of the kidney and the commercial penetration of top branded drugs for the treatment of kidney cancer in this region.On the other hand, Asia Pacific is also predicted to grow exponentially in the market owing to the increasing aging population and the increasing occurrence of renal cell carcinoma in this region. Furthermore, the economic advancement of nations such as China, India, Malaysia, and Singapore will also stimulate the growth of the market in the region of Asia Pacific.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
IQ4I Research & Consultancy published a new report on Electroceutical Devices Global Market  Forecast To 2022

Electroceuticals are medical devices which make use of electrical impulse to stimulate nerves and tissue to relieve or alleviate various conditions of the body. Electroceuticals are emerging as an alternative to pharmaceuticals as they are highly target specific and affect the body electrically rather affecting the chemistry of body. The electroceutical devices market is expanding at a steady rate. The electroceutical devices global market is expected to grow at a high CAGR to reach $44,336 million in 2022. Growing prevalence of medical conditions related to central nervous system for e.g. Parkinson, depression etc, increase in aging population prone to chronic medical conditions, increase in research and development investments for electroceutical and cost effectiveness of the therapy are driving the market growth.The electroceutical devices global market is segmented into internal and external electroceutical devices based on the type. The internal electroceutical segment held the largest market revenue in 2015 and is expected to grow by 2022 growing at a high CAGR from 2015 to 2022 due to technological advancement in wireless micro current stimulation, wearable pain management technology, miniaturization etc.The internal electroceutical devices is again classified into Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS), Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS), Sacral Nerve Stimulation (SNS) and others which includes Gastric Electric Stimulation (GES), Respiratory Electrical Stimulation (RES), cardiac pacemakers, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), cochlear implants. External electroceutical devices are classified as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), External Pacemakers, External Defibrillators and others based on technology.Based on the application the electroceutical devices market is segmented into pain management, central nervous system, gastroenterology & Urology, hearing aids, cardiology and others. Based on end-users the market is segmented into hospitals and home-care. Among end-users, hospitals held the largest revenue in 2015 and are expected to growth at a high CAGR from 2015 to 2022.The electroceutical devices global market based on geography is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the world.British drug Maker Company GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) a pharmaceutical giant has invested $50 million in its action potential venture fund on five start-ups companies for conducting research on electroceutical and $5 million for its own Bioelectronic research centre at GSK and has forged collaborations with 40 research universities. GSK currently has early prototypes in animal testing and plans to start human trials using third-party devices in 2017 and planning to begin its own electroceutical devices by 2019. In August 2016, GSK and Google spinoff Verily Life Sciences entered a joint venture to form Galvani Bioelectronics that will work on research, development and commercialisation of bioelectronic or electroceutical devices. NIH has announced funds of $248 million for development of electroceuticals.Major players in electroceutical devices market include Medtronic (Ireland), Boston Scientific (U.S.), LivaNova (U.S.), St. Jude Medical (U.S.), NeuroMetrix, Inc (U.S.), Nevro Corporation (U.S.), DJO Global (U.S.), Enteromedics (U.S.), Biotronik (Germany), Philips (Netherland) and Cochlear Ltd (Australia).IQ4I (Intelligence Quotient for Innovation) Research and Consultancy Pvt. Ltd. is a global strategy, consulting and a leading market research company. Our clients include leading businesses, investment banks, researchers and government agencies.We are a team of highly qualified consultants and market researchers, committed to help clients make strategic decisions by providing relevant and firmly reliable Intelligence support. We enable our clients to identify the market opportunities with best-in-class market intelligence reports.IQ4I Research and Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.No- 11, Industrial Suburb, 1st Stage, West of Chord Road,RajajiNagar, Bangalore- 560010Call Us: +91 80 60500229
Assignment Consultancy - Feel the Difference in Quality

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Hydraulic Fluid Connectors Market is Expected to Exceed More Than USD 4.50 Billion by 2020 - by Market Research Engine

Hydraulic Fluid Connectors Market

http://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/hydraulic-fluid-connectors-industry

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New York, Aug 13: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Hydraulic Fluid Connectors Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2015 - 2022Hydraulic fluid connectors technologies are used in different hydraulic applications for power transmission from one place to another place. Varity of techniques are used for power transmission such as fluid power, electrical power and mechanical power. Couplings, hoses, manifolds are some fluid connectors equipments used in the industry. Hydraulic fluid is transfer through the device to different hydraulic cylinders and hydraulic motors, then develops forced according to the resistance exists. Mobile hydraulic and industrial hydraulic are two types of hydraulic fluid connectors. The non-stationary applications are uses mobile hydraulic fluid connectors includes agriculture equipment, trucks and aerospace. Industrial hydraulic fluid connectors are used in stationary a application, which contains gas, oil and petroleum.Browse Full Report:The Hydraulic fluid connectors market is expected to exceed more than USD$4.70 billion by 2020.The major driving factors of Hydraulic fluid connectors market are as follows: Growing demand for hydraulic fluid connectors from the aerospace business Increase of the North American manufacture equipment industryThe restraints factors of Hydraulic fluid connectors market are as follows: Increasing competition from pneumatic fluid power technologyThe hydraulic fluid connectors market is segmented on the lines of its product segment and application. Under product segmentation the hydraulic fluid connectors market covers mobile hydraulic and industrial hydraulic. The hydraulic fluid connectors market is segmented on the lines of its application like aerospace, agriculture, construction equipment, material handling, marine, heavy truck and mining. The hydraulic fluid connectors market is geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global market for Hydraulic fluid connectors and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2013, estimates for 2014 and 2015, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Hydraulic fluid connectors4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of coatings with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Cameron International Corporation, Eaton Corporation plc, Gates Corporation, Parker Hannifin Corporation, Manuli Hydraulics, Kurt Hydraulics, RYCO Hydraulics Pty. Ltd., ITT Corporation andSPX Corporation. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.The Hydraulic fluid connectors Market has been segmented as below:By Product Segment Analysis Mobile hydraulic Industrial hydraulicBy Application Analysis Aerospace Agriculture Construction equipment Material handling Others (Marine, heavy truck, mining, etc.)By Regional Analysis North America Europe Asia-Pacific Rest of the WorldReasons to Buy this Report:1) Obtain the most up to date information available on all active and planned coating industry globally.2) Identify growth segments and opportunities in the industry.3) Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of coating industry and unit capacity data.4) Assess your competitors refining portfolio and its evolution.About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States
Reinsurance in Bahrain, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019

Market Research HUB

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Albany, New York, August 14, 2016: Market Research HUB has announced the addition of the "Reinsurance in Bahrain, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019" report to their huge collection of market research reports.'Reinsurance in Bahrain, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019' report provides detailed analysis of the market trends, drivers and challenges in the Bahraini reinsurance segment. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, reinsurance ceded and reinsurance accepted during the review period (2010-2014) and forecast period (2014-2019).Browse Full Report with TOC @The report also analyses information pertaining to the competitive landscape in the country, gives a comprehensive overview of Bahrain's economy and demographics, and provides detailed analysis of natural hazards and their impact on the Bahraini insurance industry.The report brings together research, modeling and analysis expertise to enable reinsurers to identify segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and access profiles of reinsurers operating in the country.Summary'Reinsurance in Bahrain, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2019' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Bahraini reinsurance segment, including: The Bahraini reinsurance segments growth prospects by reinsurance ceded from direct insurance A comprehensive overview of the Bahraini economy and demographics Detailed analysis of natural hazards and their impact on the Bahraini insurance industry The competitive landscape in the Bahraini reinsurance segmentScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the reinsurance segment in Bahrain: It provides historical values for the Bahraini reinsurance segment for the reports 2010-2014 review period, and projected figures for the 2014-2019 forecast period. It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Bahraini reinsurance segment, and market forecasts to 2019. It provides a detailed analysis of the reinsurance ceded from various direct insurance segments in Bahrain, and the reinsurance segment's growth prospects.Reasons To Buy Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Bahraini reinsurance segment, and each category within it. Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Bahraini reinsurance segment. Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. Gain insights into key regulations governing the Bahraini insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.Request for Free Sample Report -Key Highlights Bahrain is a hub for reinsurers, has favorable regulatory conditions, and is seen as one of the best countries in the GCC region in which to do business. The segments growth was primarily as a result of consistent growth in insurance business, growth in infrastructure projects and rising medical costs. Reinsurers are extending their operations by providing reinsurance services for various business classes. As of 2014, five conventional reinsurers and two retakaful firms operated in Bahrain.Market Research HUB (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel : +1-518-621-2074Email : sales@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

Trend:

Russia is an important partner of Azerbaijan, said Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu.

Shoygu made the remarks at the meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov, the Defense Ministrys press service told Trend Aug. 15.

He said that such meetings are important in terms of expanding bilateral ties, as well as military and military-technical cooperation.

Zakir Hasanov, in turn, noted that the cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia is based on friendly relations and mutual trust, and the bilateral ties have been developing constantly.



During the meeting, the sides discussed the current state of military cooperation, military-technical and military education, and the prospects of cooperation in the fields of military medicine.

The ministers also exchanged views on international and regional security issues, military cooperation in the Caspian Sea, including joint military exercises, mutual visits of delegations comprised of experts, and other issues of mutual interest.
`One Source Process is the company of certified national process servers

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United States 15-08-2016. One Source Process is the leading legal services company provides highly professional and specialized process service to meet your custom needs. To get peace of mind while you are involved in a legal matter is really important and it is easily possible if you have reference of highly dedicated or specialized local process server. Such process servers will never let you bother for the confidential documents and they must provide the care and attention your documents require.Local process server provides the full service support when it comes to delivering legal documents anywhere. They process servers know how to serve documents or legal notices in the local area or nationwide. With the help of fully certified and specialized local process server, it will be easy for you to ensure the safe and timely delivery of legal documents. National process servers are those who have expertise in serving legal documents internationally. Basically, the rules or methods for delivering legal documents depend upon the country where they are going to be delivered.A process server delivers legal documents such as subpoenas, writs, summons, complaints, orders and other court documents to a defendant or an individual involved in a court case. The legal process server must serve the document in accordance with the legislation in the area of service. A professional process server must serve your legal documents in such a way so that optimum confidentiality of data can be maintained. Hiring a specialized, qualified and dedicated process server is really important to rest assured for the hassle of handling documents for court filling or other formalities.For the highly professional, specialized and effective local process service to serve legal documents nationwide you can rely on One Source Process.To know more about the local process server you can visit at:One Source Process is the leading legal services company of local and national process servers who have wealth of knowledge in delivering legal documents. It aims to help everyone in the best way to serve legal documents or to serve legal notices.Whenever you need to serve legal documents or legal notices then you can call local process servers of One Source Process.1801 18th St NW2nd FloorWashington, DC 20009
While the Mining Boom in Western Australia Runs Dry, Craft Beer Shines with One WA Brewery Voted Australias Best

www.beercartel.com.au

http://www.beercartel.com.au/blog/2016-australian-craft-beer-survey-results/

A study of over 6,500 craft beer drinkers has revealed Feral Brewing in Perth is Australias best craft brewery.Created by craft beer retailer Beer Cartel, the 2016 Australian Craft Beer Survey is the most comprehensive, publicly available research ever undertaken with Australian craft beer drinkers.Richard Kelsey, Director of Beer Cartel said Feral Brewing being voted Australias best craft brewery was evidence of the quality of beer being produced out of Western Australia.Weve always looked to WA as one of the great pioneering craft beer states in Australia, said Mr Kelsey.Feral Brewing has been producing exceptional craft beer over the last ten years, regularly picking up awards by the Australian beer judging community. This latest accolade builds upon these numerous awards, showing Feral is considered by the craft drinking public in the same light as these judges.Key findings of the research included:- Feral Brewing is Australias best craft brewery: Feral beat national craft beer brands to be voted Australias best, including James Squire, Little Creatures and Matilda Bay (all of which are owned by large multi-national companies).- Pale Ale is Australias most consumed style of beer: consumed by 91% of craft beer drinkers.- Australian craft beer drinkers are highly patriotic: voting Australia the best beer producing nation.- 88% are frustrated by the beer selection at sporting and music events- 81% believe the government should do more to support Australian craft breweriesChris McNamara, Executive Officer of the Craft Beer Industry Association (CBIA) of Australia said that the study was a fantastic initiative at better understanding the Australian craft beer drinking landscape.This study by Beer Cartel confirms a lot of perceptions we had towards the Australia craft beer market, but builds upon these further, said Mr McNamara.To learn more about the 2016 Australian Craft Beer Survey contact Richard Kelsey 0405 251 864.Beer Cartel is Australias leading craft beer retailer, stocking over 1,000 craft beers from Australia and overseas. Purchases can be made through the Beer Cartel website () and its Sydney store.For more on the 2016 Australian Craft Beer Survey visit:Beer Cartel9/87 Reserve RdArtarmonNSW 2064AustraliaMedia Contact:Richard KelseyPhone: 0405 251 864Email: richard@beercartel.com.au
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Market Global Industry Analysis Growth and Trends 2016 to 2024

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An implantable cardioverter defibrillator is a device that monitors a person's heart rate post its implantation in patients with heart failure. The device continuously monitors your heartbeat and sends electrical pulses to repair a normal heart rhythm when necessary. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or automated implantable cardioverter defibrillators can save patients from arrhythmias by regulating the irregular heartbeats. The device is used in treating sudden cardiac arrest caused due to cardiac arrhythmias, particularly ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Invention of the implantable cardioverter defibrillator was started by Michel Mirowski in the late 1960s after one of his close friends death who was also his mentor and had been admitted to hospital with recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias.Browse Full Report and Get Sample Copy:The most important factors driving the global implantable cardioverter defibrillators market are increasing incidences of cardiovascular disorders, increasing demand for implantable cardioverter defibrillator from emerging countries of Asia-Pacific and the Middle-East as cardiovascular disorders are increasing and awareness about the disease also increases in these countries, increasing number of training and awareness programs across the globe for Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators. These training and awareness programs are conducted for the patients as well as the surgeons by Mayo Clinic US.The implantable cardioverter defibrillators governs the appropriate therapy for returning your heartbeat to a normal heart rhythm. Doctor programs the implantable cardioverter defibrillators to deliver functions such as anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP) and cardio. A series of small electrical impulses are delivered to the heart muscle to restore a normal heart rate and rhythm. In cardio, a low energy shock is delivered at the same time as your heartbeat to restore a normal heart rhythm. Defibrillation means when the heart is beating dangerously fast, a high-energy shock is delivered to the heart muscle to restore a normal rhythm. Bradycardia pacing means when the heart beats too slow, small electrical impulses are sent to stimulate the heart muscle to maintain a suitable heart rate.The American Heart Association recommends some guide lines for the person to be eligible for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The arrhythmia in question must be life threatening and the correctable causes of arrhythmia (acute myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, electrolyte imbalance and drug toxicity) have been ruled out by doctors have ruled out correctable causes of the arrhythmia.Implantable cardioverter defibrillators market can be segmented by product types, by procedure type, and end user type. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator are categories into single chambered, dual chambered and biventricular implantable cardioverter defibrillators on product types. Based on implantation region ICDs are categorized into trans-venous implantable cardioverter defibrillators and subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillators.The subcutaneous ICD (S-ICD) is placed without inserting the leads inside the heart. The device is placed under the skin below the left axilla, or armpit along the rib cage, and not inserting in the standard location near the collarbone. The lead which is connected to the device is burrowed under the skin rather than inside the heart. The advantages of the S-ICD are that it do not show any of the immediate or long-term complications followed due to placing a lead into the heart, such as perforation of the heart and collapse of the lung. Subcutaneous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators is the key driver for the ICD market as it have very less complications and easy implantable procedure. Based on end user type the ICDs are divided into hospital and super specialty hospitals, home users, cardiac catheterization laboratory users and electrophysiology laboratory users. Geographically, the market has been categorized in five main regions: North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia pacific and the Middle East and Africa.The key implantable cardioverter defibrillators manufacturer companies include Boston Scientific Corporation, Imricor Medical Systems, Inc., LivaNova PLC Company, Mayo Clinic US, Medtronic plc, MicroPort Scientific Corporation, MRI Interventions, Inc., St. Jude Medical, Inc.,The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Implementation of Screening Programs for Diagnosis of Sexually Transmitted Diseases to Promote Uptake of Diagnostic Testing

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http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/diagnostic-testing-stds.html

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 mn sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are acquired every day across the globe. Most of them go untreated as a result of lack of diagnosis. Undiagnosed STDs can have critical consequences on maternal, reproductive and newborn health. A large diseased population can challenge the socioeconomic development of a country. Therefore, governments of various countries are encouraging the use of diagnostic testing of STDs to spread awareness amongst the common mass. This is the key factor driving the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.Get a Free Sample Report:According to a study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global diagnostic testing of STDs market was valued at US$65.9 bn in 2012 and is anticipated to reach US$108.5 bn by the end of 2019 at a CAGR of 8.10% between 2013 and 2019.Why are governments taking a keen interest in promoting the growth of the diagnostic testing of STDs market?Given the huge public health burden that STDs can have, governments across the world have implemented national screening programs that deploy various equipment and machines for the diagnosis of STDs. These programs have encouraged people to undergo diagnosis tests at more affordable costs, thereby increasing the popularity of diagnostic testing of STDs. This has, in turn, boosted the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.Another factor that is driving the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs is the favorable reimbursement offered by insurers for STDs testing. The coverage provided by health insurance has stimulated the interest of people in undergoing diagnosis test.Is social stigma besetting the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs market?Those afflicted with STDs commonly tend to shy away from proper testing facilities due to the social stigma associated with the diseases. As a result, a lot less patients actually get diagnosed with STDs in comparison to the number of patients possibly affected by them. This factor is likely to deter the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.Other than this, the screening centers are often operated in urban or semi urban areas. This makes these centers out of reach for a large number of STD infected patients who are living in remote locations or rural areas. This, therefore, restrains the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.How lucrative is the global diagnostic testing of STDs market for new entrants?A growing prevalence of STDs has propelled the demand for efficient diagnostics testing of STDs. The presence of large pool of patients along with immense untapped opportunities in regions such as Asia Pacific and MEA is attracting many vendors to cater the market for diagnostic testing of STDs. Moreover, rising awareness for STD diagnosis in developed nations of North America and Europe is fuelling the growth of the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.Browse Report:However, the stringent regulatory compliance requirements associated with diagnostic testing of STDs are limiting the entry of new vendors. Furthermore, the high investment of capital of research hampers the entry of new players in the global diagnostic testing of STDs market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Demand for Minimally Invasive Procedures to Pave the Way for Increasing Use of Biopsy Devices, reports TMR

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http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/biopsy-devices-market.html

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The global biopsy devices market is highly consolidated with four major players collectively accounting for 91% of the total global market, reports Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new study. The key players are CareFusion Corporation, C R Bard, Inc., Devicor Medical Products, Inc., and Hologic, Inc. A number of small local players supply devices such as forceps, needles, and punches in their respective countries via a crude network of distributors.The threat from new entrants is low due to stringent regulatory environment and low financing conditions, says the author of the study. These factors do not pose a threat to the contribution of aforementioned key players in the global market.Get a Free PDF Sample:Rising Incidence of Cancer Cases Worldwide Helps Uptake of Biopsy DevicesA growing prevalence of cancer has become a critical issue for governments and international organization such as the WHO. According to a report by the WHO, the number of deaths due to cancer across the globe will show a constant rise and will reach nearly 13.1 bn in 2030. This has led to the initiation of various patient awareness programs by such organizations. As a result, increased number of patients are undergoing biopsies, thereby driving the growth of the market.Additionally, with a rising geriatric population, the incidence of cancer is also likely to increase. This will serve the global biopsy market as a driver due to the fact that aging increases a persons susceptibility to cancer.A surge in the demand for minimally invasive biopsy procedures has been registered owing to the shorter patient recovery span, lesser post-surgery complications and side effects, and minimal pain. They are useful in accurate cancer diagnosis and provide great assistance to physicians to determine the best suitable treatment plan for the patient. This growth driver will have a deep impact on the biopsy devices market.Reduced Affordability to Restrain Demand for Biopsy DevicesTechnological advancements have transformed biopsy devices into higher accuracy products. However, this has also reduced the affordability of these devices. Additionally, the lack of interest of medical practitioners to invest in the capital-intensive market has elevated the cost of these devices. Moreover, the introduction of taxes such as the Medical Device Excise Tax (MDET) of 2.3% in the U.S., will lead to further price hike of products.Medical reimbursement issues further increase the reluctance of patients to opt for biopsy devices. Insurance companies do not grant reimbursements for every biopsy procedure as they consider it to be only investigating technique and not a surgical technique, says a TMR analyst. These issues will negatively influence the growth rate of the global biopsy devices market.North America Maintains Substantial Lead Owing to Large Pool of Cancer PatientsAccording to the report by TMR, the valuation of global market for biopsy devices was US$1.34 bn in 2011 and is anticipated to rise to nearly US$2.11 bn by 2018.Research Report:The biopsy guidance systems form the leading segment by value in terms of product types. The segment was valued US$767 mn in 2015 and is expected to reach at US$913.5 mn in 2018. However, the needle- based biopsy guns form the fastest growing segment due to their increasing use in biopsy procedures.By geography, the global biopsy devices market is segmented into Asia, Europe, North America, and Rest of the World (RoW). The growing incidence of cancer has made it the largest regional market by value and is expected to retain its leadership by the end of 2018. The unmet medical needs in Asia coupled with the growing pool of cancer patients has made it the fastest growing region by revenue.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
3 mistakes companies make when using time tracker app

http://crocotime.com/en/

Many productivity-oriented companies make these three fatal errors which lead to situations when you collect information that is hard to use and understand at best, and is a total waste of the employees' time at worst. Probably, you can find at least one of these problems in your business.The foolishness of realityEvery Friday afternoon, employees of thousands of companies participate in the largest fiction writing event in the world. It is the weekly timesheet. This remark is intended to be an example of a serious data capture problem.The timesheet can be used to capture usable information for the companys way of planning, which would result in more efficient scheduling. However, in many contexts, timesheets become either a memory (or lack thereof) test or a test that you can do basic math to ensure a group of random numbers adds up to forty.The question is: is it worth doing at all if we aren't going to do it well? Weve debated previously the need of this information, so how do we preclude the fiction from occurring?Are you making data tools for collecting data taxes?A widespread mistake made by many managers is bad communication of the purpose of collecting time tracking data. Any information that you want to collect from every employee should be explained within the company. The data collection should be largely supported by the administration and clear to every employee so that data fabrication is minimized.The employees side is also significant from an organizational change outlook. When administration office doesn't have to fill in timesheets, employees see timesheets as a control technique rather than a data collection instrument. This again leads to inaccurate and fabricated data, precluding a review of actual performance.I worked with a company where a project data in timesheets was used for client billing. The link between a timesheet and a paycheck was plain to everyone and timesheets were very accurate as a result. In this situation, timesheets provided very valuable information.Contrast this with another time tracker practice. I was directed to fill in a weekly timesheet in a company where I was an employee. The goal of filling in timesheets was never communicated, it just had to be done. Being genteel in my record, I logged that I had 44 work hours that week. On Monday morning, my honesty was broken down by my project manager who educated me that CFO wanted everybody to log 40 hours, no more nor no less. I asked Wouldn't it be more productive for CFO and for us to put 40 hours next to each employee in a list rather than make everyone fill up a timesheet? but never had an answer. For this companys employees timesheets were a needless chore and data quality suffered.Do you have the information you really need?If your time tracker takes 30 minutes of each employee every week and you have two hundred employees at a rate of $100 per hour, time tracking costs you $10k per week.The $10,000 question is therefore, do you capture the information you need to support the winning business conversations that required time tracker? In many cases, companies capture strong thorough information or capture that data that was identified by the original office that first implemented a time tracker. Project-oriented companies may need data granularity to the level of a project or even a single task. Operational business may need team, administrative, or support ticket level information. Different needs may predicate different conversations that need another stages of detail on the timesheet. One size does not have to fit all.Asking the wrong questions of employees leads to wrong kind of data being collected instead of valuable information. For example, if you have 200+ tasks on your timesheet, probably most time will be listed on the tasks that are easy to remember rather than the real tasks that were worked on. This extremely impacts the quality of collected information.You will achieve much more in capturing this info if pay attention to the following:A goal of time tracking in your organization should be clearly statedThe information is collected with required level of detailThe data is available to do analysis for counting room needsToday CrocoTime is approved by more than 500 of customers ranging from small companies to enterprises of different spheres of business: production companies, project companies, trading, and service companies have been using CrocoTime to become more productive and efficient.3, Severo-Vostochnoy Ave., Saransk, Mordovia, Russia, 430000
Alternative Healthcare Providers Market Growing at a Rapid Pace Due to Medical Advancements

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Complementary or Alternative medicine(CAM) refers to different medical therapies and systems outside of conventional healthcare to improve and treat the mental and physical illness.CAM therapies are based on the knowledge, practices and skills derived from theories, experiences and philosophies to improve and maintain health, as well as to diagnose, prevent, and treat various disorders. Alternative healthcare providers offer a variety of medical and healthcare systems, products and practices used by patients without medical supervision. CAM therapies are particularly used by people with chronic illnesses and pain, such as liver disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Alternative system of healthcare include Ayurveda, unani medicines, yoga, acupuncture, homeopathic medicines and others systems of healthcare.Download Free Brochure:Now a days, people are evidently looking for more gentle and natural methods of healing and thus are increasingly supporting different types of CAM therapies within existing healthcare systems that will subsequently lead to the growth of alternative healthcare providers market. According to an article published by the EUROCAM, an association of European CAM organizations, currently, CAM is practiced by around 145,000 doctors trained in conventional medicine and a particular CAM modality. The rising awareness and interest of healthcare professionals in CAM therapies is expected to drive the market of alternative healthcare providers market. Moreover, the World Health Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the World Health Organization WHO has urged its member states to integrate CAM and traditional medicine within national healthcare system. This would further boost the market for alternative healthcare providers.The global alternative healthcare providers market is witnessing an admirable growth due to medical advancements, high number of research activities in this segment and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. The increasing prevalence of different cancers in developed as well as developing countries has resulted in a significant growth in alternative healthcare providers market. According to WHO, 14.1 million new cases of cancer were observed and 8.2 million deaths occurred throughout the world in 2012. This significant rise in cancer incidence has driven the growth of CAM therapies. However, lack of awareness and unregulated market may hinder the growth of alternative healthcare providers market.In terms of geography, alternative healthcare providers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East. Among these regions, North accounts for the largest share of alternative healthcare providers market due to increasing awareness about various CAM therapies among people and rising prevalence of chronic disorders such as diabetes, hypertension and cancer. Europe accounts for the second largest market for alternative healthcare providers owing to high acceptability of various CAM therapies, rising incidence chronic diseases and high disposable income. However, Asia Pacific market is expected to witness positive growth due to high rate of development in healthcare industry, rising demand for herbal and natural medicines and growing medical tourism industry.Read Report:The global alternative healthcare providers market is highly fragmented due to the participation of mid-sized and small sized manufacturers. Some of the major players in alternative healthcare providers market includes Allen Labratories Ltd. Baidyanath Herbal, Dabur Limited, Hamdard Laboratories, Medisynth Ch. Pvt. Ltd., and SBL Homeopathy Medicines.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market - Leading Healthcare IT Outsourcing Providers to Gain from Unmet Healthcare Needs in Emerging Economies

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The significant increase in the number of healthcare IT outsourcing market service providers has deepened the competition among them in recent years. Vendors are focusing on developing their own analytical platforms for improved patient data management and quality patient care systems in order to offer customized solutions to healthcare payers as well as providers, globally, notes Transparency Market Research in a new study.Download Free PDF Brochure:Looking forward, unmet healthcare needs in emerging economies of Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa are expected to offer an opportunity-rich market to participants. As these regions boast of ample availability of skilled manpower, entering into strategic alliances with local companies will help major players to seize better shares in this market.IBM, Accenture, TCS, Cognizant, and Wipro are the leading healthcare IT outsourcing services providers with a presence across the world.Government Initiatives to Provide High-quality, Cost-efficient Healthcare Services Boost Demand for Healthcare IT OutsourcingOver the last decade, third-party IT outsourcing has emerged as the biggest trend in Healthcare IT. With initiatives and regulations by various governments emphasizing on making high-quality yet cost-efficient healthcare services available to people, the outsourcing of IT solutions in the healthcare industry has emerged as one of the best cost-saving practices.The assistance these outsourcing solutions provide in curbing the expenses on in-house healthcare it solutions has driven their demand exponentially and it does not look declining anytime soon, says an analyst at TMR. Riding high on this surging demand, the global market for healthcare IT outsourcing indicates towards a thriving future. However, the increasing cases of data breach and the loss of confidentiality are likely to create serious trust issues between healthcare providers and IT outsourcing solution vendors in the near future.Additionally, the high fragmentation in the medical and healthcare industry is projected to obstruct the execution of standard IT platforms across this market, limiting the operations of service providers. The cultural differences and language barriers are also anticipated to restrict the markets growth in the coming years.North America to Remain Market Leader, Asia Pacific to Report Fastest RiseIn spite of these hindrances, the worldwide market for healthcare IT outsourcing will report a tremendous rise in the coming years. According to TMRs estimations, the opportunity in this market that stood at US$34 bn in 2014 and is likely to increase at a CAGR of 6.70% during the period from 2015 to 2023 and to touch a projected valuation of US$61.2 bn by the end of the forecast period.Get a Report:North America emerged as the leader in 2014 with a share of more than 40% in the global market and is likely to remain dominant over the next few years. Asia Pacific, however, is projected to record the fastest rise at a CAGR of 10.50% between 2015 and 2023 among all the regional healthcare IT outsourcing markets.Healthcare providers have surfaced as the leading end user of healthcare IT outsourcing across the world. However, the demand from healthcare payers is anticipated to exceed that of the former over the forecast period.Among healthcare IT outsourcing applications, healthcare administration enjoys the highest demand at present. However, due to the increasing patient pool and the growing demand for quality care services, globally, the care management application is expected to witness the fastest growth rate in the coming years.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Patient Engagement Solutions Market Revenue US$34.94 bn by 2023

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The rising demand for high-quality healthcare services is driving the growth of patient engagement solutions market, which is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 23% during the forecast period from 2015 to 2023. The global patient engagement solution market was valued at US$ 6.66 Bn in 2014. The implementation of new government reforms with an emphasis on patient-centric and quality healthcare services has significantly increased the adoption of patient engagement services among healthcare providers and payers. Along with this, the ease of accessibility provided by the latest smartphones and tablets has fueled the growth of the patient engagement solutions market.Request a Research Sample:According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research Patient Engagement Solutions Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2015 - 2023, the global patient engagement solutions market was worth US$6.66 bn in 2014 and is expected to reach US$34.94 Bn by 2023, expanding at a CAGR of 23.0% from 2015 to 2023. North America was the largest market for patient engagement solutions in 2014. Growth in this region is expected to be driven by patient-centric government reforms and augmented demand for quality healthcare services. Along with this, rising awareness about self-care will be the key driver for the markets growth.Patient engagement solutions are the need of the hour for the healthcare industry. The rising incidences of chronic diseases and an aging population in most parts of the world have raised the demand for patient-oriented healthcare services. Patient engagement solutions are methods to engage patients monitoring their own health. These tools help patients to take better care and improve of their health even outside the hospitals and clinics. Patient engagement solutions result in overall effective healthcare management and reduces re-admissions in hospitals. Also, these solutions help mitigate the financial burden from healthcare payers. The rising trend of using smartphones and other personal digital assistants such as wearables and tablets has provided ease of access to patient engagement solutions. The inclusion of IT in healthcare services (HCIT  Healthcare IT) has refined the working trend in hospitals and other healthcare organizations. For instance, the adoption of electronic health record systems instead of paper-based health records can be seen as the effective involvement of IT in healthcare services. Furthermore, government regulations, which are primarily aimed at patient-centric services, have boosted the patient engagement solutions market. Further, improving healthcare infrastructure globally can be foreseen as an emerging opportunity for patient engagement solutions providers.The patient engagement solutions market can be segmented on the basis of delivery mode and end-users. On the basis of delivery mode, the patient engagement solutions market is further segmented into self-hosted, software as a service (SaaS), and application managed services. In 2014, self-hosted solutions were the most preferred patient engagement solutions, and accounted for around 43.6% of the revenue of the global patient engagement solutions market. SaaS is expected to expand at the highest CAGR of 23.6% from 2015 to 2023. The most significant factor driving the market for self-hosted solutions is the rising adoption of HCIT services by hospitals and healthcare providers. Furthermore, the hospital-specific customization that is possible with self-hosted solutions is further accelerating its market penetration.Get a Report:In terms of end-users, the patient engagement solutions market is segmented into hospitals and providers, healthcare payers, and pharmaceutical companies. In 2014, the hospitals and providers segment held the largest revenue share, 42.4%, of the overall patient engagement solutions market. However, investment by pharmaceutical companies is expected to drive market growth, with pharmaceuticals segment alone expected to record CAGR of 24.1% from 2015 to 2023.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Counterpressure Filling Systems with Reliable Vacuum Technology

Multima counterpressure filling system with Dolphin liquid ring vacuum pump

www.buschvacuum.com

Counterpressure filler systems for carbonated drinks are the main product of Leibinger GmbH in Teningen, southern Germany. The companys success can be attributed to its combination of the state-of-the-art technology, top quality, equipment flexibility and hygienic design. The integrated vacuum technology supplied by Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems allows filling to be performed under extremely low oxygen conditions, which improves both shelf life and quality of the drinks.Leibinger manufactures machinery and equipment for bottling and filling carbonated drinks, and produces systems which can rinse, fill and seal between 1,000 and 11,500 bottles or cans per hour. The company originated as Winterwerb, Streng & Co. GmbH in Mannheim in 1909, and in the same year presented the first automatic rotating bottling system as part of an equipment exhibition at the Munich Beer Festival. The company grew to become one of the largest suppliers of bottling equipment and at times employed 500 staff, but declared bankruptcy in 1980. Production continued under the management of Gert Transier SMB Technik GmbH, which was acquired entirely by Benedikt Leibinger in 2008. In April 2009 the company moved to the newly constructed production facility in Teningen. Specialization in equipment for smaller filling volumes proved to be successful, and the company now employs 30 staff. The production area will double in size in 2016 due to increased demand. Leibinger is also extending its international marketing network, and now has distributors throughout the world.Most of the companys customers are small breweries with a maximum production capacity of 11,500 bottles or cans per hour. Leibinger equipment is also purchased by larger breweries producing smaller quantities of special beers or beer in different bottle shapes. The increasing trend towards high quality craft beers has been to the companys advantage, as craft beer brewers value the high quality, reliability and long service lifetime of Leibinger equipment. They also appreciate the flexibility offered by Leibinger systems, which can be easily adapted to a wide range of bottle shapes and sizes by manual adjustment of the filling lines and centring bells. Many customers see the compact dimensions of Leibinger equipment as a decisive advantage, as production space is often limited. Smaller brewers in the USA and Australia in particular have invested in quality equipment made in Germany  these countries are currently the main sales markets for Leibinger products.An important component of counterpressure filler systems is the vacuum pump, which pre-evacuates the bottles to extract the CO2 injected by the flushing process and removes any residual oxygen completely. The empty bottles are then primed with CO2, equalizing the pressure between the bottles and the filling vessel and allowing beer to be filled more rapidly and without foaming. Leibinger Multima counterpressure filler systems (fig. 1) are available with a double pre-evacuation option. Leibinger relies on Busch Dolphin liquid ring vacuum pumps to meet the high standards demanded by the bottle evacuation process. Dolphin liquid ring vacuum pumps are CIP-compliant and require minimal quantities of fresh water for their recirculation systems. The vacuum pumps are equipped with a CIP valve upstream of the gas inlet, allowing the operator to decide whether or not to include the pumps in the CIP process.From a technical perspective Dolphin liquid ring vacuum pumps (fig. 2) are ideal for this application. They are impervious to water and beer ingestion, and deliver a constant vacuum level. The operating fluid used is water, which is recirculated in an open system. This means that CO2 and air are removed from the water in a downstream container. The water is returned to the vacuum pump, with any losses due to entrained water in the outlet gas stream compensated by the addition of fresh water. This arrangement has the advantage of minimal water consumption. The fresh water added to the system ensures that the recirculation water is gradually replaced, removing any traces of beer and CIP liquids. Fresh water addition also allows the system temperature to be controlled easily.The water used as an operating fluid forms a so-called liquid ring in the vacuum pump (fig. 3). This ring encloses the compression chamber and forms an airtight seal. The eccentric mounting of the impeller causes this chamber to expand as it rotates, drawing gas into the inlet. Further rotation reduces the volume of the chamber, compressing and expelling the gas through the pump outlet.This robust vacuum technology guarantees reliable operation and constant vacuum levels. The wide range of Dolphin liquid ring vacuum pumps available from Busch ensures that all sizes of counterpressure filler systems are equipped with a correctly dimensioned vacuum supply.Busch is based in the same region of southern Germany as Leibinger. Part of the reason for Leibingers decision in favour of Busch was to secure a local supplier capable of rapid responses to consultation requests and technical enquiries. Furthermore, Busch is also an internationally active company with its own subsidiaries worldwide, and maintains a comprehensive service network in Leibingers export countries. Leibingers own maintenance program includes remote access: installed equipment and systems can be analysed via the Internet and instructions given to local service personnel.Author: Uli MerkleContact:Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems is one of the largest manufacturers of vacuum pumps, blowers and compressors in the world.With a lot of experience and top qualified personnel, we are forward-looking and strive to improve our products and ourselves. We are constantly at work developing innovative technologies that will define the vacuum world of the future.Our manufacturing plants utilize the most modern manufacturing techniques, machinery and equipment under very strict quality controls, which surpass DIN EN ISO 9001 requirements.As of 2016, Busch Vacuum Pumps and Systems employs more than 3000 people and features the largest selection of vacuum pumps for the industrial applications in the world. Due to its immense line of vacuum pumps, expertise and experience in the building of vacuum systems and the extensive service network, Busch is capable of providing ideal comprehensive solutions.With 60 companies in 42 countries and sales agencies worldwide, we are strategically positioned throughout the world to provide our customers with the essentials for success.Our goal always is to provide the customer with the highest possible return on investment. Personal consulting, choice of the optimum product and prompt service on site are key features of our comprehensive service that make the achievement of this goal reality. Our experience and know how in broadly diversified applications and product design furnish the basis.Buschs headquarter is located in Maulburg, Germany. Besides Busch Holding, the German manufacturing plant, Busch Produktions GmbH, the sales organization, Dr.-Ing. K. Busch GmbH and service company, Busch Dienste GmbH are headquartered here. In addition, Busch operates production plants in Switzerland, Great Britain, Czech Republic, Korea and the USA.Busch Vacuum Pumps and SystemsMarketing/Marketing ServicesUli MerkleSchauinslandstrae 179689 Maulburg
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The Baku Court of Appeal has considered the appeal regarding the decision to ban journalist Khadija Ismayilova from leaving Azerbaijan.

At a hearing held under the chairmanship of Vagif Mursagulov, the court didnt satisfy her complaint and left in power the decision of the court of the first instance.

Earlier, Khadija Ismayilova appealed to the Baku City Binagadi District Court in connection with the lifting of the ban on her leaving Azerbaijan. The court didnt satisfy her complaint. Then Ismayilova filed an appeal against this decision.

In December 2014, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Khadija Ismayilova to 7.5 years in prison.

She was charged for misappropriation and embezzlement, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion and abuse of official duties.

Ismayilova's lawyers then filed a cassation appeal against the decision.

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan made a decision on May 25, 2016 to release Ismayilova.

The Supreme Court sentenced her to conditional imprisonment term of three years and six months.
Homeopathic Products Market Effective and Efficient Treatments Driving Market Growth

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Homeopathy is a medical practice and philosophy based on the principle that human body has the capacity to heal itself. Established in Germany in the late 1700s, homeopathy has been extensively practiced all over Europe. Homeopathy considers symptoms of illness as usual responses of the body as it tries to regain health. Homeopathy is based on the principle that "like cures like." According to this principle, if a substance produces a symptom in a healthy person, giving a very small amount of the same substance to that person may cure the illness. Homeopathic medicines contain extremely dilute amounts of natural substances that are used to treat a variety of ailments. Homeopathic medicines are manufactured by a process of serial dilution and succession (vigorous shaking).Research PDF Sample:Homeopathic Products Market: SegmentationHomeopathic medicine can be classified on the basis of type of treatmentAuto-isopathyClassical homeopathyClinical homeopathyComplex homeopathyHomotoxicologyIsopathyPluralistic homeopathyOn the basis of originPlant kingdomAnimal kingdomMineral kingdomTypes of homeopathic medicinesClassical medicinesConstitutional medicinesPolychrestsIsopathic medicinesAllergodesNosodesSarcodesTautodesComplex medicinesHomeopathic Products Market: Regional DynamicsGeographically, the global homeopathic products market is divided into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). In terms of geography, North America followed by Europe is the largest market for homeopathic products due to increasing interest of people in homeopathic and herbal medicines, rising number of disorders and diseases and favorable regulatory framework. In countries such as the Brazil, the U.K., India, Mexico and Cuba homeopathy is incorporated into the health system and covered by public health insurance.However, the Asia Pacific market is also growing at a considerable rate due to development of healthcare industry, increasing awareness of people in homeopathy and herbal medicines and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. According to a study by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) 2011, the size of the domestic homeopathy market was around 523 million US Dollars in 2010 and was expected to exceed 160 million US Dollars in the next three years.The global homeopathic products market is witnessing strong growth due effective and efficient treatments available in homeopathy for various diseases. Homeopathy is proved to be effective in many cases of chronic and acute diseases. Even though there is lack of clear understanding of working of homeopathic medicines, but there is clear evidence that the medicines are active and can be curative. In India, homeopathic medicine has fully incorporated with both traditional ayurvedic and western medicine. African homeopathic medicine market is also growing at a fast rate due to its affordability and effective system of medicine that fits with many traditional African spiritual beliefs. According to WHO, homeopathy is the second largest system of medicine with a growth rate of 20-25% every year. The growing popularity of homeopathy and its legal acceptance has been seen in 66 countries.Get a Report:Homeopathic Products Market: Competitive OverviewThe homeopathic medicine market is developing significantly due to the participation of many new players in this market. New participants are focusing on new technologies and introducing new product into the market. Also, the market is expected to witness a high growth rate due to growing demand for homeopathic medicines. Some of the major players in homeopathic medicine market are Hahnemann Laboratories Inc., Hyland's Homeopathic, Natural Health Supply, Nelson & Co Ltd and SBL.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Schmid Telecom successfully passes SAT with its VCS at IAA`s Remote TWR in Dublin

Schmid Telecom has successfully completed the Site Acceptance Test with its latest Voice Communication System for the Remote Tower Centre in Dublin of the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).Together with the Remote TWR Solution provided by Saab it`s now possible to remotely control the air traffic at the airports in Cork and Shannon. Especially the sophisticated role concept of Schmid`s VCS Solution enables efficient load and resource sharing as well as task distribution.Fergal Arthurs, Manager Communications Systems IAA, commented, The VCS system provided by Schmid Telecom with its modern cluster solution hits exactly our operational needs while offering low lifecycle costs.Jan-Patrik Kurmis, VP Sales & Marketing at Schmid Telecom AG, proudly announces: We are very happy to be after the ACC`s in Dublin and Ballycasey as well as Shannon and Cork Tower also the preferred supplier of IAA for Remote Tower Projects. It underpins our excellent relationship and we are looking forward to continue the long-lasting cooperation with IAA.About Schmid TelecomSchmid Telecom AG is one of the leading suppliers of highly reliable Voice Communication Systems with an installed base of more than 5000 Operator Positions and satisfied customers all over the world.Headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland. As a global company, with worldwide subsidiaries and reliable experienced business partners in all important markets, Schmid Telecom AG is close to the customer.The VCS solutions are especially designed for Air Traffic Management and are ready for todays and future needs in Air Traffic Control by using a decentralized architecture, being fully compliant to the VoIP standard ED-137B. The solution covers the full range of applications within ATM from largest centres to small and mobile towers.About Saab`s Remote TowerWhen cost-effectiveness puts high demands on airport operations, Saab's Remote Tower is exactly what airports need in order to stay competitive and to reduce cost.About IAAThe Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) is a commercial semi-state company employing approximately 650 people at six locations around Ireland. The IAA has three main functions: the provision of air traffic management and related services in Irish controlled airspace, the safety regulation of the civil aviation industry in Ireland and the oversight of civil aviation security in Ireland.Schmid Telecom, is a global leader in Access Network solutions for digital voice and data transfer and voice communication systems used in air trafc control. The private and independent company was founded 1967 in Zurich and with its long tradition, Schmid Telecom relies on the innovative spirit of its own engineers and the legendary quality consciousness of the Swiss. Our focus on research and development as well as our lean, well-coordinated company structure enables us to adapt quickly to the continuously changing needs of the market and to implement a long-term vision.Schmid TelecomBinzstrasse 358045 ZurichSwitzerlandPhone: +41 44 456 11 11info@schmid-telecom.ch
Popular, waterproof bench scale available with greater capacity, following customer feedback

UK Weighing Manufacturer, Marsden, have released an upgrade to a popular bench scale

www.marsden-weighing.co.uk/index.php/industrial-scales/bench-scales/marsden-b-100-bench-scale.html

Weighing scales manufacturer Marsden is aiming to make life easier for food retailers with an upgrade to its most popular bench scale.The Marsden B-100 Bench Scale has an IP68 rating, meaning it is fully waterproof and can withstand punishing environments. The stainless steel housing means it can be easily hosed down and kept hygienic.Now, following feedback from customers, the B-100 has now been made to withstand capacities of up to 30kg, making it suitable for weighing heavier food produce. It is accurate to 2g.It is expected that the B-100 will be used for weighing heavier sacks of ingredients. Previously, with the maximum capacity available being 15kg, users were limited by how much could be weighed on the scale, potentially slowing down weighing processes.Richard Black, Managing Director at Marsden Group, said: After talking to customers we realised a bench scale with a greater capacity was required for harsh environments - like fishmongers, and butchers shops. The B-100 is great value for money and fully waterproof.Marsdens Operations Director Mark Coates added: We made a video where the B-100 was dropped in a bucket of water and still worked afterwards. We wouldnt recommend this is tried at home, but it shows quite how durable the scale is.The Brew Shed, a Dunfermline-based brewery, use the B-100 for ingredients weighing. Brewer Steve Hope said: The B-100 is a sturdy, solid bit of kit designed for everyday use in a working environment. Waterproof scales are essential for any brewer.The B-100 is currently on sale at a special price of 115+VAT. You can find out more about the B-100 atEndsFurther information:David SmithMarsden Weighing Groupt: 01709 364296e: david@marsdengroup.co.ukFor more than 85 years, both the UK medical profession and British industry has relied on Marsden to ensure accuracy as standard.Marsden are the only UK weighing scale company that offer a one stop solution to our customers; manufacture, sales and service of medical equipment.Unit 1, Genesis Business Park, Sheffield Road, Rotherham, S60 1DX
Spanish language students are hiking through the marvelous Alicante

www.Costadevalencia.com

A language school discovers the Cala Moraig and the Cala LlebeigValencia. When deciding to draw from the full of summer associates this probably with good friends, the sea, adventure and pure pleasure. Students of a Spanish language school in Valencia were able to experience all of this when taking a trip to the Costa Blanca. Together they were on the bus towards the coast, with some sandwiches and good moods in the pocket and pleasant 30 C they reached their goal. Here one group of students went right to the Cala Moraig to discover the bay and refresh themselves in the Mediterranean. Close by was a little bar where the students were able to order delicious, typical Spanish beverages or cocktails served in a pineapple.The second group of students felt more fit and adventures and went on a ca. 45 minute hike to the Cala Llebeig. Here a breathtaking view of nature of Valencia, the wide Mediterranean, and fantastic motives for the most beautiful souvenir photos presented itself. The students stopped often along the way to take pictures. Nevertheless everybody was happy when the destination was finally reached: a little, peaceful bay with two little cabins owned by locals.These were the only manmade things on this little piece of earth, which is located far from civilization. The language students from Valencia were able to let completely lose and relax. Here they were able to gain some distance from the stressful days in the city and just roam freely. They went swimming together in the sea and dove for fish and who was courageous enough even climbed on a rock and jumped into the water.Back on the beach the homemade sandwiches were eaten while chatting with the new found friends and improving the Spanish skills. Little by little small groups made their way back to the Cala Moraig. Although at some points the climb proved itself to be pretty challenging for the language students of the Spanish language school Costa de Valencia, it was definitely worth it. Such a marvelous view has to be earned in Spain.At the Cala Moraig the students were able to enjoy the last hours of the trip, go one last time into the sea and savour the last rays of the sun. To early the busses arrived to take the happy but exhausted language students back to Valencia. Leaving behind a very nice day with beautiful impressions of a place where many desire to come back.Since 1995 the language school Costa de Valencia has focused on teaching Spanish to non-native speakers. This language school, which is situated in the heart of Valencia, is a Centro Acreditado of the Instituto Cervantes and a member of many associations.The teaching material, which is used during the lessons, is worked out by a team of well-versed teachers. One of the most important aspects of teaching in this school is the individual involvement of every single student. This way every student has the possibility to speak very much during the language course. Furthermore, both managers place big value the quality of the language lessons and a broadly diversified leisure programme.Costa de Valencia, S.L.Avda. Blasco Ibanez, 66E-46021 ValenciaTel.: (+34) 96 361 03 67Fax: (+34) 96 393 60 49info@costadevalencia.comContact person:Andreas Temer (manager)Andreas@Costadevalencia.com
GiftWorksPlus Is Debuting New Occupational Picture Frames for Labor Day

http://www.giftworksplus.com/default/variety/occupations.html?limit=all

http://www.giftworksplus.com

GiftWorksPlus debuts a line of occupational picture frames for doctors, EMTs, teachers and more, just in time for Labor Day.Waukesha, WI, USA -- With Labor Day approaching, now is the time to be thinking about a way to appreciate those whose jobs make our lives easier. GiftWorksPlus is debuting a new line of custom frames featuring various occupations, including: firemen, nurses, police, EMTs and more ().Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday in September, was created to be a national day of tribute and appreciation to those who contribute to the country's workforce. As far back as 1885, some form of observance took place for Labor Day. The bill to observe Labor Day was accepted state by state over the years, and in 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September a legal holiday.Early Labor Day celebrations involved a street parade as well as festivals in cities across America. Later on, speeches were added to the festivities. Over the years, Labor Day has evolved into what we know it today - a holiday meant to take time away from jobs to relax.However, Labor Day is still the ideal time to take a moment to say thank you to those whose work and labor makes the lives citizens better and safer. GiftWorksPlus has a line of custom occupational picture frames. These engraved wooden frames are an ideal and thoughtful way to say thank you to the nurses, teachers, lawyers and doctors in your life. The intricate engravings on these picture frame designs will stand out on any desk, wall, or office.GiftWorksPlus offers free customization on all their frames, making these wooden frames an ideal customized gift. Many of these occupational frames feature multiple picture frames within it, perfect for highlighting a collage of photos. These frames would be a great gift for the head of a department, a manager, a principal or a gift from coworkers to an employee who is retiring.So take a look through the wooden picture frames at GiftWorksPlus today to find the perfect gift of appreciation to a coworker, friend, or family member.About GiftWorksPlusBased in Waukesha, Wisconsin, GiftWorksPlus offers an ever-increasing selection of engraved picture frames and picture gifts perfect for any occasion.Media Contact:Karla JordanGiftWorksPlusN15 W22218 Watertown Rd. #5Waukesha, WI 53186888-456-9878karla@giftworksplus.com
The Springboard programmes growing success for women in the Oman

www.springboardconsultancy.com

Some 400 women in Oman have now completed the Springboard womens development programme.Developed by the UK-based Springboard Consultancy, the Springboard womens development programme enables women to identify the clear, practical and realistic steps that they want to take to make a better world for themselves at work and home, while building both the practical skills and the confidence to take these steps.Ayesha Salim Al Shoily, a licensed Springboard trainer with Ooredoo, based in Oman, recently completed delivering a Springboard programme to 150 women - all of whom are professionals working in the Oman Government sector. The programme was supported, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments and the memorandum of understanding signed between Ooredoo and several Government sectors, by Ooredoo, the Qatar-based digital telecoms company.Having been trained and licensed as a Springboard trainer some six years ago, Ayesha has now led Springboard programmes for over 400 women in Oman. Some 200 of these were trained only last year so, says Ayesha, this shows that the programme is gaining momentum within the region.Ayesha added, As part of their development, women on the Springboard programme are encouraged to devise and deliver a project. On the recently completed programme, the women delivered over 30 projects  most of which are charitable in nature.These projects were showcased at a conference and exhibition that marked these womens graduation.As an indication of the Springboard programmes growth in status and value in Oman, the Under-Secretary at the Civil Service Ministry hosted the first such graduation ceremony. The Minister of the Civil Service hosted the graduation ceremony in 2015 - and this years graduation was hosted by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Affairs, HE Mohammed bin Salim Al Toobi.Many of the women choose to continue delivering their charity projects after theyve graduated from the Springboard programme, said Ayesha. In response  and to encourage this trend - the Ministry of Civil Service has now decided to officially support those groups who continue working on their projects.Ooredoo believes that the Sultanates ambitious female population is one of its strongest assets, said Kumail Al Moosawi, Ooredoo Chief People and Corporate Affairs Officer. They have important roles to play in business, industry, government, and academia; their achievements helping power Omans continued success and prosperity.We welcome progressive programmes like Springboard that help them fulfil their ambitions and make their aspirations a reality as we work together for a better tomorrow.About OoredooOmani Qatari Telecommunications Company SAOG (Ooredoo) was founded and registered in the Sultanate of Oman in December 2004. It launched its service in March 2005 as the challenger mobile operator in Oman, originally operating under the name Nawras. The Company was awarded the second fixed licence in Oman in 2009, and launched its international gateway in April 2010, its corporate fixed and broadband services in May 2010, and its residential fixed and broadband services in June 2010. Since 2010, Ooredoo has been an integrated services telecommunications operator and is currently serving over two million customers across the Sultanate. Following a successful IPO on 1 November 2010, Ooredoo is listed on the Muscat Stock Market (MSM) under the ORDS ticker. Ooredoo is majority owned by Ooredoo Q.S.C. and also has a number of significant Omani shareholders which ensures that the company is strongly integrated into the Omani society. Ooredoo has won a number of awards including Jurys Distinction Award for Customer Service Excellence in the telecom sector 2013, Leading Telecommunications Company at the Arab Achievement Awards 2013, Best Operator Network at the Telecoms World Middle East 2013 Awards, a number of awards for their outstanding campaigns at the Dubai Lynx Awards in February 2014 and the CommsMEA award for Middle East Mobile Operator of the Year 2015.About The Springboard Consultancy (SBC)The Springboard Consultancy (SBC) is an international training company, with a proven track record in work and personal development training, particularly addressing women's development issues. Its core business is training and licensing trainers to deliver award-winning development courses  to people of all genders and all ages - via an international network of professional licensed trainers in locations around the world.SBC has developed a reputation for creativity, innovation and quality, balanced with down-to-earth pragmatism and good value. It believes that everyone is born to shine and that life circumstances and lack of skills and opportunities often prevent that happening, to the detriment of all. It uses training to enable everyone, especially women, to develop themselves further - benefitting the person, their employer, family and wider community.The Springboard ConsultancyUnit 110, Print Rooms, 164 - 180 Union Street, London SE1 0LH, UKTel: +44(0) 20 3794 6730Web:Contact: Georgina Pullen, SBC, +44 (0)1271 850828; georgina@springboardconsultancy.comPR conact: Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405; bob.little@boblittlepr.com
The grain silos of Burjassot  an extraordinary trip through the history of the agriculture and architecture of Valencia

www.Costadevalencia.com

Spanish language students of Valencia discover the underground paths of Valencian silosValencia. In the middle of the Spanish province Valencia, right next to the Costa Blanca are grain silos with a very interesting history and rich in culture located. The wheat was stored here to secure the food for the Valencian citizens. Especially important was Italy in this process, because the grain was imported from Napoli and Sicily. In former times they formed the kingdom Valencia, el Reino de Valencia.The transport over such long distances made it necessary to store the goods. In 1573 the first silos were built in Burjassot, to have a safety net for hard times. This idea turned out to be so helpful and brilliant that in total 47 such grain silos were built  today only 41 are left and serve only for touristic purposes. The admiration of such mature construction regarding the time is still impressive for the language students. In 1982 the constructions were pronounced to be Monumento Historico-Artistico Nacional.The students were able to visit six silos in a guided tour, of course in Spanish to practice listening comprehension and context. They were granted to take pictures and dive in to a different age while wandering through the narrow paths from one silo to another. The grain silos are independent from one another, but those six are connected. The paths were built during the Spanish civil war to store armory and munitions and also served as air protection.This trip was something different, not a museum or another touristic monuments, it was an exceptional which the language students will remember for a long time.Following the students were lead onto another level where they found two more rooms with exhibition pieces and pictures from former times displayed. Here it was possible to read about the history and get all the important information again, in the languages Spanish, Valencian and English. Pictures helped by bringing the written word in to life and imagining the past. The language students were granted all the time needed to study the displays and posters, and to exchange opinions, as well as ask questions  here also the Spanish skills were improved and extraordinary and interesting vocabulary was learned.In the end the language students of the Spanish language school Costa de Valencia were lead outside where they could discover the lids of the silos and the Cruz Plataresca. Here it was possible to reenact exactly what paths were taken and how the transport and storage of the wheat worked: a ramp opened the path for the buggies to the court, as soon as the lids were opened the grain could be poured in.With that the tour ended and the language students were on their way back to Valencia  with a lot of new Spanish vocabulary and an interesting insight of the former agriculture and architecture of Valencia.Since 1995 the language school Costa de Valencia has focused on teaching Spanish to non-native speakers. This language school, which is situated in the heart of Valencia, is a Centro Acreditado of the Instituto Cervantes and a member of many associations.The teaching material, which is used during the lessons, is worked out by a team of well-versed teachers. One of the most important aspects of teaching in this school is the individual involvement of every single student. This way every student has the possibility to speak very much during the language course. Furthermore, both managers place big value the quality of the language lessons and a broadly diversified leisure programme.Costa de Valencia, S.L.Avda. Blasco Ibanez, 66E-46021 ValenciaTel.: (+34) 96 361 03 67Fax: (+34) 96 393 60 49info@costadevalencia.comContact person:Andreas Temer (manager)Andreas@Costadevalencia.com
Sustainable Architectural Firm Frey Architekten Offers a Biweekly Free Lunch for Everyone at its Heidelberg Village Construction Site

http://www.freyarchitekten.com

Whoever said there is no such thing as a free lunch? Sustainable architectural firm Frey Architekten has started a soup kitchen initiative at their Heidelberg Village construction site to unite both construction workers and the residents who will be dwelling in the complex they are building. Every other week they offer a free lunch to bring both worker and home dweller closer together.According to sustainable architect Wolfgang Freys Five-Finger-Principle, sustainability is a holistic concept that includes five different aspects: ecology, affordability, integration, innovation and profitability. It is not just about building more energy-efficient housing, but about building a home environment to last a lifetime.Our idea is to build a strong community identity by inviting potential residents to our weekly soup kitchen to meet the construction workers and learn more about the people behind the scenes, says Wolfgang Frey. Through consistent interaction the entire complex will bond over food and friendship.By exposing potential residents to the people developing the property, Frey Architekten seeks to develop a sense of ownership and responsibility in the home dwellers while manifesting relationships among residents and the workers themselves to serve as the foundation of a living, long-lasting community.This concept has shown great success during the construction phase of other properties around Germany developed by the Frey Group, a vibrant network of over 30 experts in the construction industry, under which the sustainable architectural firm Frey Architekten is managed.The initiative will continue weekly until the Heidelberg Village project is completed in late 2017.The Frey Group, which includes the project and property development company, Freie Liegenschaftsverwaltung GmbH, the leasing company pro scholare GmbH, and Frey Architekten, is a part of a vibrant network of around 30 employees with many years of experience and expertise in the construction industry. The Frey Group pursues sustainable urban development and considers the social and environmental aspects in every one of its projects.Christine HohlbaumButterfly Public RelationsRieselfeldallee 39B79111 Freiburg, Germany
TechJini and Brooklyn Labs Announce Strategic Partnership

www.techjini.com

www.brooklynlabs.co

www.danielerickaufman.com

www.jdaycommunications.com

August 15, 2016 - BROOKLYN, PRINCETON, BANGALORE and TOKYO  TechJini Inc., one of the few Certified Google Developer Agencies worldwide and Brooklyn Labs, a top 5 ranked mobile app developer agency in New York, today announced a new strategic partnership. The partnership will combine TechJinis expertise in executing large mobile projects and leverage its expansive offshore team with Brooklyn Labs market leading position in the Greater New York area to deliver solutions for todays increasingly mobile first approach in information technology.With developers building apps from all around the world, it was key to find a partner that is able to help develop and market applications, not just in the US, but from a global perspective, Daniel Kaufman, CEO, of Brooklyn Labs commented, For us, partnering with TechJini is a great way to deliver a full 360 approach to app development from discovery to download to engagement.The two firms put together intend to help alleviate the reliability, quality and scale issues in mobile application development for startup and medium-size firms in the the NortheastNYC area. Aside from schedules and price efficiency, our hope is to help our clients spend reliably and wisely to be able to scale-up on their own or with us without having to junk or redo anything they did before.Robby Gupta, Head - US Ops at TechJini added that coming together of two boutique development partners one with market reach and another with operational width and depth will hit the sweet spot for NYC area mobile app client base as there is a lot more to software development than a quote and/or a delivery schedule - think about the root of pervasive frustration with otherwise price efficient offshore dev teams.About TechJiniTechJini is one of the leading application development companies worldwide. App development has never been as big as it is today. Mobile application development is in huge demand and to fulfill this demand, we have qualified and experienced app developers who build applications as per your requirement. We work on diverse application development projects across iOS, Android and Windows Phone. We have catered unique solutions for rapid application development to clients from across the world. We have specialized application developers who work closely with our customers on building effective apps as per their demand. Learn more about us atAbout Brooklyn LabsBrooklyn Labs is a global think tank headquartered in Brooklyn offering mobile app development services for iOS and Android. We are a new breed of entrepreneurs dedicated to transforming ideas into sustainable business models. At Brooklyn Labs, we work with the best, whether a Silicon Valley VC backed Startup or a Fortune 100 CIO or CMO. We actively define the industry through our work, events, Twitter and other social channels. Like an Analyst, we stay on top of all the latest trends and buzz from Augmented Reality to Near-Field Communications (NFC) and beyond. Daniel Kaufman is founder of Brooklyn labs. With 15+ years of experience in designing and building dynamic user interfaces for small and enterprise-scale applications and architecting large CSS/HTML solutions, Daniel now oversees the development of Brooklyn Labs wide array of smartphone applications and is responsible for development and testing.ContactsRobby GuptaTechJini, Inc.100 Overlook Center,2nd Floor,Priceton, NJ  08540+1 609 785 1151robby@techjini.comDaniel KaufmanBrooklyn Labs, LLCBuilding 3, Floor 6, 63 Flushing Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11205+1 347 464 8814info@danielerickaufman.comMedia ContactJennifer DayJDay Communications500 West 23rd StNew York, NY 10011+1 917 655 4072jennifer@jdaycommunications.com
Four-year-old Abella Pero-Tomlin doesn't cry about much, her mother says.

But when her mom told her that President Obama will soon leave the White House -- after the country elects a new leader -- the Beaverton girl burst into tears. Her mother captured Abella's reaction during a one-minute clip that she posted on Facebook a few weeks ago.

The video since has been watched across the globe.

The preschooler's mother, Andrea Tomlin, can only remember one other time that her daughter bawled like that: During the animated movie "Up," when a main character's wife died.

"She's a tough kid," Tomlin said. "She doesn't cry easily."

Sunday, Tomlin recounted the story behind the video to The Oregonian/OregonLive: Tomlin was driving her daughter home while listening to Michelle Obama's speech on their car radio on July 25.

Abella asked what the speech was about. Tomlin said the country is getting ready to elect a new president.

"She said 'Mom, we have a president,'" Tomlin recalled. "And I said 'Yes, but we need a new one.' ...I didn't think much of it. Then I looked back and there were tears streaming down her cheeks."

Tomlin parked in the driveway of their home, and started recording.

Tomlin said she and her husband have been big Obama supporters, and Abella has grown up watching his speeches on TV with admiration. The family also has read through the pages of the children's book "Of THEE I SING: A Letter to My Daughters," written by Obama.

After Tomlin posted the video clip on her Facebook page, a few friends shared it. Several days later, her brother in London called saying two newspapers there had written about the video. Tomlin's sister-in-law in Spain also told her she saw a story in a Spanish paper, Tomlin said.

"Friends all over the country are saying 'I just saw your daughter in my Huffington Post feed," Tomlin said.

While she has heard from some skeptics, "I assure you there was zero setup," Tomlin said.

Tomlin started recording just as the girl suggests ways to help her cope with the end of the two-term president's tenure in January 2017.

"If we can watch a movie that would make me feel better, and if you could cuddle me at nap time that would make me feel so much better," Abella says in the video, as she gasps, then covers her eyes with her hands and crinkles her face.

"Why are you so sad?" asks the girl's mother, Andrea Tomlin.

"Because I miss Barack Obama," Abella responds.

Tomlin asks if Abella thinks "Hillary" will be a good president. Then the conversation circles back to Obama. Tomlin suggests that they write a letter to Obama to tell him how Abella feels.

During the last 17 seconds of the minute-long clip, Abella is barely able to speak because she's so overcome with emotion.

"Ohhh, you're okay, baby," Tomlin says, as the video ends.

-- Aimee Green

503-294-5119
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev on Aug. 16 in Sochi, Kremlins press service has reported.

The presidents are slated to discuss the bilateral trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, the promotion of cooperation on integration to the Eurasian region, as well as the key issues of the regional agenda.

On Aug. 12, Sochi hosted a meeting of prime ministers of the Eurasian Economic Union, which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.

Edited by EA

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
In this centennial year of the National Park Service, a new book asks: How much should humans strive to assert supremacy over nature?

"Engineering Eden: The True Story of a Violent Death, a Trial, and the Fight Over Controlling Nature" (Crown, 384 pages, $28) looks closely at Yellowstone, Yosemite and Glacier national parks to assess the success of wilderness management. That includes attempts to manage top predators such as wolves, a sensitive topic among ranchers. Last week, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said it had shot two wolves after their pack killed livestock.

Jordan Fisher Smith

The author of "Engineering Eden," Jordan Fisher Smith, discusses what happened after wolves were removed from Yellowstone then reintroduced in 1995 at Yellowstone and in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in Idaho - "from where they eventually wandered into Oregon," he notes.

Fisher Smith knows nature. He spent 21 years as a ranger in California, Wyoming, Idaho and Alaska, including at several national parks. He wrote the 2005 book "Nature Noir," about the canyons of the American River. He is the son of Dot Fisher-Smith, an Ashland environmental activist featured in the documentary "An Ordinary Life."

He reads from his book at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, at Powell's City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St. Here's an excerpt.

***

Rocky Mountain wolves were all but extinct--a few straggling in from Canada in the north--when the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973, and they were listed under the act in 1974. In a broader ruling in 1978, the Fish and Wildlife Service listed wolves as endangered in the forty-eight contiguous states, except in Minnesota. The agency filed a recovery plan in 1980, which called for transplanting wolves from Canada back into the United States. The plan's authors considered two places large enough for the wolves to have a chance: the 2-million-acre complex of Forest Service wilderness areas in central Idaho, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Fifteen years of political wrangling followed. The return of wolves was unpopular in rural areas of the West and among Republicans and popular in urban areas and among Democrats. Wolves were most unpopular in the states where the recovery plan called for them to be released, and most popular in states where it didn't.

In November and December of 1994, thirty-one wolves were captured in Alberta and flown to the United States, where they were held, awaiting a judge's decision on an injunction to block their release. When the decision came in January, wolves were moved to three locations on the Northern Range. There they were kept in pens, fed on wild meat, and allowed to acclimate to the sights and sounds of Yellowstone for three months. Then they were let out. The census of Northern Range elk that winter was 16,791 animals, which meant that after calving that spring, the herd would top 20,000. The park was a meat locker. The wolves thrived. Sixteen more were introduced in 1996. The park's biologists named one of the first groups of freed wolves the Leopold pack, after Aldo Leopold.

As wolves multiplied, the population of Northern Range elk plummeted, from some 19,000 in 1994 to only 4,844 in February of 2015. In a cooperative effort between the park, the State of Montana, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, more winter range had been acquired north of the park, and even before the arrival of wolves, an increasing number of elk had been migrating north. In 2015, only 1,134 northern elk spent the winter inside Yellowstone. By 2001, willows, aspens, and narrowleaf cottonwoods were sprouting up in the Northern Range. With the willows came species of songbirds that frequent riverside brush and had been scarce, if not absent, before the recovery.

Prior to wolf reintroduction, the pronghorn population had been declining. Coyotes are the chief predators of pronghorn fawns. When wolves were put back, the coyote population took a nosedive and pronghorn rebounded. Winter wolf kills also benefited grizzly bears, which fed on carrion when they emerged from hibernation in the spring. As willows reestablished themselves, the Northern Range's missing beaver began to return. When the Yellowstone wildlife biologist Doug Smith did his first survey, in 1996, he found only one active beaver colony. By 2005 there were ten, by 2015, twelve. However, wolves may not be totally responsible for the changes predation brought to the Northern Range. Mountain lions were hunted out of Yellowstone during the predator-control era, but they are coming back now.

Adapted from ENGINEERING EDEN: THE TRUE STORY OF A VIOLENT DEATH, A TRIAL, AND THE FIGHT OVER CONTROLLING NATURE Copyright (c) 2016 by Jordan Fisher Smith. Published by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
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Canby Community Park was the scene of a drowning on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016. (The Oregonian/File photo)

An 11-year-old boy drowned in the Molalla River at Canby Community Park on Sunday.

The boy, who hasn't yet been publicly identified, was declared dead shortly after 5 p.m. Authorities say he had been playing in the water.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said the boy reportedly didn't know how to swim and wasn't wearing a life jacket. The boy reportedly disappeared while in the water, and a few minutes later, a family member found him underwater.

Sheriff's deputies, Canby police officers and medics responded, but were unable to revive the boy. He was declared dead at the scene.

The boy is at least the 12th person to drown since June in Oregon. He is the youngest victim, with the next youngest being 13. The oldest was 57.

The Oregonian/OregonLive has maintained a database of drownings over the past decade. Since 2006, at least 265 people have drowned in Oregon and Southwest Washington rivers, lakes and other outdoor bodies of water.

Canby Community Park is located at 1348 S. Berg Parkway.

The Oregonian/OregonLive will update this post when more information is available.

-- Aimee Green

Lynne Palombo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this story.

agreen@oregonian.com

503-294-5119

o_aimee
Beaverton High.jpg

Beaverton High is among 10 Beaverton schools where not a single faucet or drinking fountain gave off water with 15 or more parts per billion of lead. Results are still pending for most of the district's schools.

(Beaverton school district)

Twelve Beaverton schools, including International School of Beaverton, Whitford Middle School and Beaver Acres Elementary, have elevated levels of lead in water at a few sinks and fountains, new test results show.

Ten schools, including Beaverton High and Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, don't have any tainted water sources at all.

Water test results for an additional 27 Beaverton schools are still pending, district officials said Monday.

The findings in Beaverton schools stand in marked contrast to those in Portland Public Schools, where all 88 schools at which water was sampled this summer had at least one, and frequently dozens of, faucets or drinking fountains that gave off water with at least 15 parts per billion of lead.

One primary difference between the two districts is that Portland schools get all their water from the Portland Water Bureau, which does not heavily treat the water to make it less corrosive to lead in fixtures and pipes. Beaverton schools, like most water-users in Washington County, get their water from the Joint Water Commission's Water Treatment Plant, which adds caustic soda to its treated water from the Tualatin River to adjust the pH to make it less corrosive, or a mixture of water from that plant and from Portland's Water Bureau.

Portland schools also are much older than Beaverton's, with only two schools built brand new and one school substantially rebuilt, since 1990. But even Portland's newest schools, Rosa Parks Elementary and Forest Park Elementary, were found to have sinks or fountains that gave off water with high lead levels this summer.

Results for all Beaverton schools can be found here. The worst problem was at Highland Park Middle School, a situation that was disclosed before the end of the school year and responded to with a plan to shut off all water fountains and have students and staff drink bottled water until the school's entire plumbing system can be rebuilt in 2017.

-- Betsy Hammond
Nerengerg.jpg

Dana Nerenbery, who is heading into her third year as a principal in Portland, will have the ear of U.S. Secretary of Education John King this school year.

(courtesy of Portland Public Schools )

Dana Nerenberg, principal of Sitton Elementary in North Portland, has been chosen as one of three principals who will advise the U.S. secretary of education during the coming school year.

One of the principals will take a year-long leave from leading his Maryland high school to advise U.S. Secretary of Education John King full time.

But Nerenberg, who is entering her third year as Sitton's principal after eight years leading a high-performing Washington, D.C., elementary school, will remain Sitton's principal while advising King part-time during the coming year.

The three principals and seven classroom teachers were selected by King to keep him attuned to the views of working educators as he and his department roll out the new Every Student Succeeds Act, which is the successor federal education law to No Child Left Behind. They are formally known as "Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows."

Written largely by Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican chairman of the Senate Education Committee, and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the panel's highest-ranking Democrat, the law gives states more power to decide how they judge schools and their systems for helping the lowest-performing schools to improve.

"Having the Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows as the U.S. Department of Education's partners in this work is not a nicety--it's a necessity," King said in a statement. "It is crucial to have the voices of practicing educators engaged at all levels of education to ensure every student gets the chance at an excellent education."

In a profile of herself posted on the school's website, Nerenberg says she became an educator "because I had marvelous education and learning experiences." She also says that she admires "the dedication and joy" at Sitton, which had been a low-performing school for many years.

Nerenberg has already been active in national education matters, including serving on the board of EdReports.org, a nonprofit that evaluates textbooks and other instructional materials to see how well they match the Common Core State Standards, which Oregon and most other states use to tell educators what reading, math, writing and logic skills to teach and at what grade level. She also serves on the board of AppleTree Institute, which works to create charter preschools that serve 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families.

(Disclosure: My mother taught at Sitton School more than 50 years ago.)

-- Betsy Hammond

betsyhammond@oregonian.com
Hunt_Courtier_175.jpg

Left: Colleen Hunt. Right: Russell Courtier.

(MCSO)

Larnell Malik Bruce.

A 19-year-old man who was run over in Gresham last week died Saturday, according to Gresham police.

Larnell Malik Bruce, a Washington state resident, was fleeing an altercation Wednesday night outside the 7-Eleven on East Burnside Street and Southeast 188th Avenue when he was run over by a 1991 Jeep Wrangler, detective Adam Baker said in a news release Monday.

The suspected driver and his passenger, 38-year-old Russell Courtier and 25-year-old Colleen Hunt, were arrested shortly after an injured Bruce was found slumped on the ground just north of the 7-Eleven where the confrontation took place, Gresham Officer John Rasmussen said previously. The two did not appear to know Bruce, he said.

The two suspects were booked into jail Thursday and are currently lodged at a Multnomah County detention facility.

Courtier and Hunt face charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons, according to court records. Bail is set at more than $500,000.

Courtier and Hunt are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 22, and Baker said Bruce's death will prompt the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office to consider other charges.

-- Francesca Fontana

503-294-4009
2016 presidential election: What is missed by those who recommend not voting as a way to protest our poor choices for president is twofold. First, if even only one person votes, either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will probably be our next president. By voting, one gets to choose which administration they wish to live under. The choices aren't great, but they are very different. By declining to vote one gives up their right to choose and, later, their right to complain. Second, the presidential election is only one item on the ballot. There are many other things to consider, both statewide and local. I can only assume that one who does not vote believes that their right to protest trumps (no pun intended) their right to choose which laws and policies they will live under.

Kelly McCurdy

Southeast Portland

*

2016 presidential election: Donald Trump, no longer in control of his mind, now claims President Obama and Hillary Clinton are responsible for the formation of ISIS. This seems to ignore the fact that ISIS was formed from fragments of the Iraqi Army disbanded by Paul Bremer, under orders from George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. It all started in 2003 with the disastrous invasion of Iraq. We're witnessing the unraveling of a presidential campaign -- and, perhaps, a political party.

Frank DiMarco

Southeast Portland

*

2016 presidential election: To Mr. Kevin Anderson of Wilsonville (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 12) -- I humbly and lovingly submit that I could not find even one of the qualities in your Democratic nominee's character that is written about charity (the true love of Christ) by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. Of the Ten Commandments, however, the ninth fits Hillary Clinton her very well: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. In contrast, you only have to look at the Republican nominee's amazing family to see that he loves them and in turn the people of our country.

Gary Christensen

Forest Grove
Spain.JPG

When the Spanish economy sputtered, workers enraged by austerity-driven labor reforms wrought damage in cities. This photo was taken in 2012 in Barcelona.

(AP Photo/File)

By the editors of Bloomberg View

Rules are there to be broken -- and that's official. Spain and Portugal have just escaped punishment for breaking the European Union's budget-deficit limits.

In the EU, such lapses without consequences are not exactly uncommon. In the case of the budget rules, that's a good thing, because the rules are widely acknowledged to be no good. But here's a radical thought: Bad rules that nobody has any intention of enforcing would be better scrapped.

The debt-and-deficits rules, part of the 1997 Maastricht Treaty, were designed to assure Germany and other fiscally conservative euro-zone members that less disciplined governments wouldn't get a free ride. They've failed -- and in two distinct ways. Too much wasteful spending remains a problem in many countries. And the pressure to cut, such as it was, has fallen too heavily on public investment.

Spain's budget deficit was 5.1 percent of gross domestic product last year and Portugal's was 4.4 percent -- both in excess of agreed-upon targets. Breaching the EU's deficit targets without permission is supposed to be met with a fine of up to 0.2 percent of GDP. But the targets, based on a ceiling of 3 percent under normal circumstances, are too low. Under current conditions, it would be a mistake for some countries to be on the right side of that number. Europe has been suffering from a serious shortfall of demand, and fiscal stimulus was the right response.

Spain, moreover, has been a bold reformer in other ways. Its conservative government pushed through tax and labor-market reforms that helped to restore growth, now running at more than 3 percent. Its government deserves to be commended, not punished. Portugal is in worse shape, to be sure, with its high public debt, sluggish growth and dangerously fragile banks. Its government does need to undertake a fiscal correction -- but fining it for failing to do so would hardly have made that politically challenging task any easier. Again, therefore, Europe was right to withhold punishment.

Europe's leaders need to rethink. They call the budget rules the "cornerstone of the EU's economic governance." What nonsense. Rules too dumb to be enforced should be mended or scrapped.

(c) 2016, Bloomberg View
Jon Ritzheimer on Monday admitted in federal court that he conspired to impede federal officers through intimidation, threats or force while participating in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January.

The felony charge carries a maximum sentence of six years in prison, but Ritzheimer faces between 2 1/2 and three years under sentencing guidelines, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Gabriel told the court. The government will recommend that Ritzheimer, who has no criminal history, be sentenced on the low end of that range, Gabriel said.

The 32-year-old, who lives in the Phoenix area, faced additional accusations of possessing a firearm in a federal facility and theft of government property, specifically taking cameras that belonged to the FBI. The government plans to dismiss those charges at his May 8 sentencing as part of a plea agreement.

The sentencing was scheduled for next spring so Ritzheimer and his defense attorney, Terri Wood, have time to gather materials and information that present mitigating circumstances before the hearing, Gabriel said.

Ritzheimer is the 11th of 26 standoff defendants to plead guilty in the federal conspiracy case that resulted from the 41-day armed takeover at the bird sanctuary outside Burns. As part of the agreement, Ritzheimer will also forfeit a shotgun that federal authorities seized during their investigation.

Jon Ritzheimer

U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown went over Ritzheimer's plea agreement and petition in great detail. She asked whether he understood that he couldn't possess a gun or ammunition with a felony conviction and that he was surrendering his right to appeal.

"This really is the end of your case," Brown told him.

Ritzheimer said he understood. He wore a khaki-colored suit with a white dress shirt. He set his black sunglasses with blue-mirrored lenses in front of him on the defense table.

Before the Burns standoff, Ritzheimer was most widely known for anti-Islam protests he organized last year in Phoenix. They drew hundreds of people and caught the attention of the FBI. He also sold anti-Islam T-shirts through his apparel company, Rogue Infidel. The website now asks for donations to help Ritzheimer and his family.

Ritzheimer last September also threatened to arrest a Michigan senator for treason when he supported a nuclear deal with Iran, prompting an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police.

Military records show Ritzheimer was in the Marine Corps Reserves from 2002 through 2014, serving two tours in Iraq as a motor transport driver. He has worked as a motorcycle mechanic.

Ritzheimer arrived at the refuge on Jan. 2 and left for home on Jan. 24, two days before Ammon and Ryan Bundy and other co-defendants in the case were arrested as they made their way to a community meeting in John Day.

Ritzheimer surrendered to the FBI in Arizona on Jan. 26 and was brought back to Oregon. A judge in March released him from custody and allowed him to return home to Arizona while his case was pending.

Prosecutors have said Ritzheimer was one of the leaders of the armed takeover. While at the Malheur refuge, Ritzheimer picked up mail, took meals to the other occupiers and served as a personal security guard to escort the Bundys to news conferences and meetings, according to court records.

During Monday's hearing, Gabriel told the court that Ritzheimer was part of the first group to arrive at the refuge, which was closed for the weekend on Jan. 2. He was armed when he and others first entered the headquarters. He then assumed a role as a security guard outside the refuge and told Ammon Bundy that they were "in control" of the property, Gabriel said.

Ammon Bundy and others had been part of a demonstration in Burns, protesting the federal arson case against father and son ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and Steve Hammond, before they arrived at the bird sanctuary.

Gabriel said that during the takeover, Ritzheimer also used his personal truck to block the refuge gate.

After the prosecutor described Ritzheimer's conduct, the judge asked the defendant to explain what he did.

Ritzheimer told Brown that he was part of a "plan to take a protest to the next level." The judge inquired whether he was protesting because of the Hammonds.

"Yes," Ritzheimer replied. "We were protesting actually two things. Government overreach and the re-sentencing of the Hammonds."

Ritzheimer told that judge that he "forcibly occupied the refuge."

"I can see how my conduct and actions there would be intimidating," he said.

After his plea, Brown agreed to remove the GPS monitoring and curfew conditions from Ritzheimer's release agreement.

Ritzheimer left the courthouse with his attorney and a small group of reporters behind him. Commenting on his plea, he said, "Marines believe in integrity."

Maxine Bernstein, Carli Brosseau and Lynne Palombo of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.

-- Rebecca Woolington

503-294-4049; @rwoolington
mccalis.jpg

The fishing boat, McCalis, is pictured here as it takes on water on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.

(U.S. Coast Guard)

The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday plucked three fisherman from the waters along the southern Oregon Coast -- about eight miles west of Cape Blanco -- less than 90 minutes after the fisherman made a "mayday" call.

A crew member called for help over the radio at 11:54 a.m. -- saying the boat -- the McCalis -- was taking on water. The crew member said pumps removing water couldn't keep up with water filling the boat, said Petty Officer 1st Class Levi Read.

The crew abandoned ship, onto a life raft.

The Coast Guard's North Bend station ordered the launch of two 47-foot rescue boats with staff from Coos Bay and Brookings. The Coast Guard also sent an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from North Bend to reach the men.

A rescue boat and the helicopter reached the three fishermen at the about the same time. But with only about 300 feet of visibility because of fog, the boat picked up the fishermen at about 1:15 p.m.

No one was injured, Read said.

It's unclear what happened to the fishing boat, but it was expected to sink given the lack of resources to save a boat so far out to sea, Read said. The Coast Guard marked the location, just in case the boat can later be salvaged, Read said.

-- Aimee Green

503-294-5119
A prize-winning steer at the Douglas County Fair this year had a familiar, if somewhat unusual, name: LaVoy Finicum.

The 1,030 pound black Maine-Anjou was named after Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, one of the leaders of the militia-led Malheur National Wildlife Refuge takeover in January. The person Finicum was fatally shot by state troopers outside of Burns after a highway confrontation on Jan. 26.

The Roseburg News-Review reports that the prize-winning steer was named by 10-year-old Ryley Schneider, who told the paper he wanted to honor "a hero who stood up for all of our rights."

Finicum the human, a rancher from Arizona, was one of more than 20 people who took over the refuge last winter to protest federal control of public land. The militants occupied the refuge for 41 days before many of the leaders were arrested while driving to a community meeting in John Day. Finicum evaded the police stop and fled down the highway. He was shot in an ensuing standoff with police.

Schneider spent his time at the fair educating people about Finicum, The News-Review reported. He passed out pocket-sized Constitutions to police officers and talked to passersby at the fair about Finicum.

Schneider plans to donate as much as $200 of his winnings to Finicum's widow.

-- Samantha Matsumoto
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Aug. 15

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistans Foreign Ministry hosted a meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of France Francois Delahousse, said a message from the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.

The sides noted active and multi-level political dialogue, which is held on a regular basis.

The issues of further development of bilateral relations in political, trade and economic spheres were discussed during the meeting.

The parties also noted the importance of joint measures to deepen cultural and humanitarian components of bilateral relations.

The spheres of education and science were noted among the areas of mutual interest.

French companies in Turkmenistan are represented in such fields as construction, transportation, tourism and energy.

Frances Schneider Electric signed an agreement with the Turkmen government on energy supply of Turkmenistans capital.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Aug. 15

By Demir Azizov  Trend:

Head of administration of Uzbekistans Tashkent region Sodiq Abdullayev has been dismissed by a decree of President Islam Karimov, the administrations press service told Trend Aug. 15.

The decision to dismiss Sodiq Abdullayev was made at an extraordinary session of the council of peoples deputies of the Tashkent region.

The corresponding decree was signed by president of Uzbekistan in connection with the decision of the council, said the administration.

Islomjon Ergashkhojayev, who served as first deputy of the head of administration, was temporarily appointed as acting head of the Tashkent region administration.

Abdullayev, who was appointed head of the Tashkent regional administration in February 2016, was transferred to the post of head of administration of the Yangiyul district of the Tashkent region.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran has the capacity to export 20 million liters of diesel per day, Abbas Kazemi, Irans deputy oil minister, said.

Kazemi, who heads the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), said Tehran exported 13.5 million liters of diesel during the first three months of current fiscal year (March 20-June 30), SHANA news agency reported Aug. 15.

Iranian petrochemical companies also exported 6 million liters of diesel per day during the same period, he said.

Kazemi further said Tehran also exported some 50 million liters of fuel oil during the three-month period, expressing hope for export of more oil products in the post-sanctions era.

The NIORDC also exported 2,000 tons of liquid gas during the first three months of current fiscal year, he added.

Iran stopped importing diesel two years ago. Tapping its huge natural gas reserves, Iran has managed to replace liquid fuels with gas at industrial units, power plants, housing sector and even transportation to a great degree.

This has provided the country with an extra supply of liquid fuel available for export.
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."
The last frontierhome to hundreds of mountains that seem to scar the land, glacial rivers that wind through valleys and where millions of visitors travel each year to take in the sights.

However, for members of the 36th Airlift Squadron this place is known as the home of Red Flag-Alaska (RF-A) 16-3; where they will be conducting multi-service, multi-platform coordinated and combat operation exercises.

Red Flag is the premier exercise of the world where we can simulate to the max extent a real war and how we go about executing it, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jon Van Pinxteren, 36 AS mission planning cell. For us, our mission here is to represent the airlift portion.

According to Van Pinxteren, the main part of that is the transportation of troops and equipment into the exercise areas.

Ideally we are going to achieve air superiority but thats never going to completely win the war, Van Pinxteren said. Fighters can shoot down enemy aircraft all day until the enemy has none left. But, if we need to occupy the country or control an objective, its going to be our ground forces doing the work and we bring them to the fight.

A big part of that for us is trying to keep the plane as stable as possible in the back," he added. "These guys are loaded down with hundreds of pounds of equipment, if they fall over on the plane they arent standing back up in time to get out of the airplane. At the same time, we have to be ready to react and actively defend the aircraft from threats to prevent the loss of lives.

To help accomplish this training 80 airborne soldiers from various U.S. Army units piled into two U.S. Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft from Yokota Air Base, Japan, for personnel drops.

The opportunity to drop personnel improves our proficiency capabilities, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Frank Laras, 36 AS mission commander. The exercise itself--being able to integrate with our army brethren to accomplish their objectives and meet our air force training capabilities--allows us to increase that interoperability of being able to go out there and execute when it matters most.

An exercise such as this is one of the many ways the C-130 aircrew prepares for real-world contingencies in ways they wouldnt be able to in Japan.

Its great to get to come out here to Alaska where some of the low-level flying restrictions arent put into place, said Laras. It gives the crews the opportunity to train for how to employ the C-130. The restrictions that we have back home in Japan sometimes gives that false sense of training, because we have to stay so high. So, coming out here and being able to participate in these exercises allows us to do what we do best.

A big part of RF-A is bringing units in from around the world to work together and decide on what training they need, bringing new experiences onto the table.

Its a great learning environment for our young crew and maintainers to understand the necessity to integrate with forces from everywhere, said Laras. On the operations side its coming together to make sure that we plan and prepare to the best of our capabilities, integrating our assets. For maintainers, its understanding the importance of their job knowledge and being able to quick turn aircraft to regenerate missions needed to successfully complete objectives.

With the exercise still underway, members of the 36 AS are expected to take full advantage of the training opportunities the last frontier provides and further demonstrate the importance airlift capabilities.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Iran has stored 30 million tons of wheat, which is enough for 700 days, that is, until 2018, according to President Hassan Rouhani.

Rouhani said that supply of strategic food products was one of the main problems when he took office in 2013, while now the reserves are unprecedentedly large, IRIB news agency reported Aug. 15

The Iranian government has bought over 10 million tons of wheat from farmers from the beginning of harvest this year, which is 25 percent more year-on-year.

Officials say the country has reached self-sufficiency in wheat production for the first time in recent years.

Food security is a serious matter for Iran given the size of its population, which has grown over 80 million with the countrys food basket shrinking.

Wheat is the main crop cultivated in Iran, accounting for almost 70 percent of aggregate cereal production.

Irrigated wheat covers almost one-third of the total sown area. As a result, the bulk of the wheat crop depends on the performance of seasonal precipitation.
NORMAL  Normal officials will know a lot more about the proposed pedestrian underpass at Uptown Station in two years, pending city council approval.

We will know the most efficient way to construct an underpass, will have a pretty good idea of what it will cost, have information about obstacles and issues were likely to encounter and know how much time it will take to complete it, said City Manager Mark Peterson.

Those answers are expected to come from a feasibility study, also called phase one engineering work, to be carried out by consultant WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff of New York City, if the council signs off Monday.

The underpass would allow pedestrians to cross beneath the rail lines, from the current Uptown Station to "uptown south," the expansion of the uptown development project.

"A full budget impact of this (study) will be determined after the negotiation of an agreement. ... Budget includes an allocation of $1.5 million," according to a memo from Public Works Director Wayne Aldrich. "A complete contract agreement is anticipated to be brought before the council within two months."

The study "includes all survey, environmental studies and conceptual plans required to advance the project to the construction documents phase," Aldrich wrote.

Phase two should be much shorter, Peterson said.

"We are at least three years away from doing any construction on the underpass, he said.

Previous estimates have put the cost of an underpass above $10 million. The project nearly went for bids as a $6.3 million overpass in 2014 before council members asked for more research into an underpass.

Because no overpass or underpass is yet in place, the town is also planning to build a temporary at-grade crossing to serve the second platform at Uptown Station after it is completed this fall. Peterson said staff members hope to have something we can submit to the council in September on the crossing.

The council meets 7 p.m. Monday on the fourth floor of Uptown Station, 11 Uptown Circle.

In other business, the council will consider approving $115,000 to replace the Community Activity Center's boiler heating system, which failed in June.

Bloomington-based Mid-Illinois Mechanical will receive $94,000 to replace the boiler, and St. Louis-based Dynamic Controls Inc. will receive $11,000 to install an automation system.

Both are expected to be finished before the system is needed again this fall.
Due to the impact of divorce or separation to a child's well-being, many experts believed that shared parenting law can help reduce the increasing cases of parental alienation in a broken family setting. But even though most if not all people are in favor of the shared parenting concept, many legislators were still torn with the idea of amending the current divorce law to make shared parenting an official part of post-separation parenting plans.

Just a week ago, Parent Herald reported about U.S. Senator William Brownsberger's (D-Belmont) stand on shared parenting law, where he explained that the bill may not be the best option for high conflict situations. But according to Leading Women for Shared Parenting co-founder Terry Brennan, the Massachusetts senate should not make the conflict between divorcing parents be the reason why the lawmakers are having a hard time casting their votes.

In an article posted on Beacon Hill Patch, Brennan explained that the shared parenting bill was a "compromise effort" that aims to eradicate domestic violence and parental alienation in a broken family environment. Brennan also responded to Senator Brownsberger's objection, suggesting the use "conflict" between exes to oppose the law.

Furthermore, Brennan stressed that the hostilities between feuding exes can't be used as a "justification" to block shared parenting law. Unfortunately, Brennan also admitted this said conflict is the reason why lawmakers are struggling to pass the shared parenting bill.

"A policy of automatically denying joint physical custody when a couple is labeled as 'high conflict' brings additional drawbacks in addition to denying children the protective buffer of a nurturing relationship," the lengthy statement of 110 world experts about conflict, as Brennan quoted on the article. "It sends the message that generating or sustaining conflict can be an effective strategy to override shared custody."

Meanwhile, shared parenting is currently one of the most controversial issues family law experts are facing. But in the United Kingdom, Stowe Family Law revealed that the English law Children Act 1989 do not give parents any rights when it comes to custody, making the implementation of the shared parenting concept much harder.

The law, however, provides child arrangement plans. But the rights are given to the children, whose best interests are the main focus of the legislation.

In other shared parenting news, psychologist and divorce expert Robert Emery has an advice on how to make children's childhoods better in broken family situations. According to On Point, Emery detailed the ways in his book titled, "Two Homes, One Childhood," which highlights the practice of taking good care of a child's needs following a divorce.

What are your thoughts on the shared parenting law? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
Criminal Minds star Thomas Gibson was fired from the show last week after getting into an argument with one of the writers of the show. Now, he has sought the help of a lawyer regarding the firing while his co-star, Shemar Moore, took to Twitter to say something about karma making fans believe that the post is directed to Gibson.

Gibson hired Miller Barondess law firm to evaluate if he could file a lawsuit against the Criminal Minds heads over his firing. The 54-year-old actor starred on Criminal Minds since 2005 as Special Agent Aaron Hotchner.

According to reports, Gibson was fired from Criminal Minds for being physical with a writer during a confrontation. Reports say that Gibson was acting and directed a scene for Criminal Minds when he got into an argument with the writer, New York Daily News reported. Accordingly, the argument was initially just verbal but eventually turned physical when Gibson kicked the writer in the leg. Gibson was suspended for two weeks but eventually was let go.

CBS Television Studios and ABC Studios said in a statement confirming that Gibson has been dismissed from Criminal Minds and the creative details about the exit of his characters from the show will be announced later.

E! News also reported that after his firing, Gibson released a statement saying that he loves Criminal Minds and has put his heart and soul into it for the last twelve years. He shared that he hopes to be part of Criminal Minds through the end but it will no longer be possible due to his termination. He thanked the writers, producers, actors, amazing crew, and the fans in his statement.

As for Moores supposed shading against Gibson, he took to Instagram to say: I believe in karma. Good things happen to good people. He also wrote in his post that good things happen to honest people, humble people, and people who know basic goodness. He added that no one is better than anybody. The post has since been deleted but many believe that it is directed to Gibson.

Do you think Gibson should file a case against Criminal Minds? What do you think about Moores statement on Instagram? Let us know in the comments below!
Are JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers cheating and break-up rumors true? After making their relationship known to the public are "The Bachelorette" 2016 sweethearts headed for splitsville?

New rumors are starting to brew that the beautiful brunette and her prince charming have not been in good terms since they completed "The Bachelorette" 2016. JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers cheating and break-up rumors claim that the two are already rethinking their relationship, suggesting that a walk down the aisle could be canceled.

According to a report from Celeb Dirty Laundry, sources have been telling tabloids that JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers cheating and break-up rumors could be true because the couple has been fighting non-stop. The publication also noted that "The Bachelorette" thinks that Jordan was a complete disappointment.

Apart from those rumors, the publication also claimed that the two are in no hurry to call it quits just yet. As the rumors claimed, JoJo and Jordan decided to stick it out for the money and endorsements.

Despite saying otherwise, it is believed that the couple is doomed now that rumors are rife that JoJo cheated on Jordan with his best friend. Jordan has addressed these rumors by saying, "I definitely wasn't on the show for fame," he said, as reported by People magazine. "My goal every step of the way was to be open and honest with JoJo and to fall in love."

As for JoJo, previous reports claimed that she is not interested in the conflicts Jordan has. As far as she is concerned, she is committed to the man she fell in love with.

"I know who Jordan is. And I know who he is to me," JoJo shared in a recent episode. "He is nobody's brother. He is a man that I am falling in love with and I am crazy about."

Stay tuned for more JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers cheating and break-up rumors here!
One of the things that children with autism struggle with is communication. Autistic individuals often exist in a private world and are often self-absorbed, factors that contribute to their difficulties in communicating - whether it's verbal or non-verbal, with other people.

These hurdles make school and learning challenging for autistic children. Educators have devised strategies and interventions in the classroom to help these kids achieve their academic and IEP, or Individualized Education Program, goals. This is the case in Putnam County in Cookeville, Tennessee.

In Putnam County, there are around 140 pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students diagnosed with autism, Cookeville Herald-Citizen reported. Autism affects one in 68 American children, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disorder is more common in boys than in girls and in Caucasians than Asian-Americans and Hispanics.

Tonia Wheeler, an autism consultant in schools in Putnam County, helped develop a special three-week summer camp called Social Skills Academy for autistic children in the area. The camp is held every June and provides social skills instruction to kids with autism.

The camp also allows children to enjoy fun activities that encourage them to practice the social skills they learned not just to their peers who are also in the autism spectrum, but to kids who are normal. According to Wheeler, using peers or normal children to interact with autistic kids helps the camp build "leaders."

Why? It's because these children would one day become adults "who are going to be the people making policies for individuals with disabilities as far as insurance and availability of services," Cookeville Herald-Citizen further reported. Thanks to the camp, these kids would be aware of the struggles of children with developmental disabilities and would be inspired to improve their quality of life.

Many people believe that autistic kids are averse to engaging and interactions. In reality, they want to participate in conversations but are discouraged from doing so because they have experienced recurring failures, so they stop trying. The camp addresses this problem.

Wheeler has commended the leaders of Putnam County for their willingness to provide training and support for autistic children and their teachers. Wheeler said that Putnam County officials believe that "there is more to school success than what is measured on a state test."

In addition, children with autism tend to respond well to lessons delivered via technology, which is why some apps have been created to cater to them. Some of those apps that help autistic kids develop interaction skills are ABA Flash Cards, Choiceworks, iPrompts, NLConcepts Autism: Sort & Categorize, and Speech with Milo: Interactive Storybook.
Computers assist us in our everyday activities ranging from our work to our studies and even our housework. Now even doctors want a little bit of help from computers and other technologies as they attempt to improve the overall level of the cancer care they can offer to their patients. Due to how quickly a disease like cancer can spread, it is important the diagnosis comes as quickly as possible.

The computers used for cancer care and treatment can make personalized suggestions based on the condition of a patient. This could help doctors save valuable time from thinking of the best course of action in order to cure their patient. This could allow more time for the actual intervention and treatment of the disease. This speed potentially means that there is a greater chance for doctors to save a cancer patients life and rid them of their illness.

The use of computers in cancer care is a collaboration between technology superpower IBM and a group of various medical centers based in New York City. The joint project got underway in 2013 and is described by an article from NPR as "exploring the use of computers to help analyze a wide range of genetic information and the scientific literature with the goal of quickly formulating precise treatment plans for cancer patients."

An essential part of the effort is the supercomputer Watson from IBM. Watson is capable comparing the wide variety of genetic differences between the healthy cells of an individual and the cells of the same person, which have been affected by a type of cancer. Aside from this already impressive feat, Watson is also able to read "800 million pages per second ... from medical literature to patient records to doctors' notes," says Christine Douglass who works at IBM Watson Health.
"Teen Wolf" Season 6 air date is still a couple of months away, but fans and viewers are already anticipating the MTV drama's series finale on TV. Since the release of the show has been pushed due to Dylan O'Brien's injuries, recent updates reveal that the actor will resume filming soon.

This article contains spoilers. Read on if you want to learn more about the details of this story.

"Teen Wolf" Season 6 is confirmed to serve as the series finale for the MTV drama, which will mark the end of the story of Scott, Stiles and the rest of the Pack in Beacon Hills. The upcoming season will also see the return of familiar faces, including Cody Christian's Theo.

Christian told Zap2It that Theo will still remain as the person he was last season in "Teen Wolf" Season 6. However, fans and viewers will see a softer side to him next season.

"There's just a new side, this vulnerability that's there, and it's present," he teased.

Fans and viewers are also hoping that Tyler Hoechlin will return for "Teen Wolf" Season 6 as Derek Hale. As most fans can recall, the actor left the MTV series during its fourth season.

Meanwhile, latest "Teen Wolf" Season 6 spoilers and cast updates reveal that Dylan O'Brien will resume filming for the series finale in October. According to executive producer Jeff Davis, filming had to be pushed to a much later date because of the extent of O'Brien's injuries from "Maze Runner: The Death Cure," reports Teen Wolf News.

Davis revealed that O'Brien will not resume filming for "Teen Wolf" Season 6 "no sooner than October." However, there is also a possibility that filming will be pushed again depending on the actor's condition.

"Teen Wolf" Season 6 premieres on Nov. 15 on MTV.

Which characters do you wish to see in "Teen Wolf" Season 6? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!


Tehran, Iran, Aug. 15

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

Despite a recent statement that the Iranian government will not allow foreign companies to sell in the country without having a branch, some legal exceptions may allow the companies to go on having their Iranian market, Trend has learned.

The fact was tacitly pointed to by Irans Guilds Affairs Center chief Yadollah Sadeqi in a press conference in answer to a question about the fate of Apples market in Iran after the government restriction is put into practice, Trend correspondent reported Aug. 15.

The government recently gave a six-month deadline to foreign companies to open a branch in the Islamic Republic if they want to continue their sales in the country. The Iranian government cited fight on smuggling as reason for the decision to disallow non-franchised brands.

There is no Apple branch in Iran, that is, nobody has so far applied for opening one, Sadeqi said.

However, he revealed that the law allows companies to circumvent the condition.

Non-franchised companies, which also lack interest in being franchised, but whose products are sold in the country in large numbers, will be given permit to sell here provided that they have customer service agencies, Sadeqi said.

If the Consumer and Producer Protection Organization gives the green light and the products have no enough domestically-made rivals, orders for them can be placed, he went on to say.

The ice in economic ties between Iran and the US was expected to thaw in the wake of a nuclear deal that was implemented in January. However, there has been little show of willingness from either side to improve the ties.

The Iranian government has banned the US-made consumer goods and has already prevented such brands as Chevrolet, McDonalds and KFC from the market.

On the other side, although Iran has been hosting numerous business delegations from around the world since the months leading to the nuclear deal, American companies have shown not to be a big fan of the Iranian market.
"Making a Murderer" fans will get to see progress on the Netflix documentary series as the latest update on Brendan Dassey's conviction was announced. On August 12, a federal judge overturned Brendan Dassey's conviction.

The "Making a Murderer" team opened up about the documentary series' progress wherein they were delighted with Brendan Dassey's overturned conviction.Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos stated that they will continually update the fans in regards to Steven Avery's rape case.

"Today was a major development for the subjects in our story and this recent news shows the criminal justice system at work," Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos said via 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."

As for Steven Avery on the other hand, it was mentioned that he is happy for Brendan's case progress. It was then noted that Steven Avery's team are looking forward to having a positive turnout for his lawsuit as well.

"We are thrilled for Brendan Dassey that his conviction has been overturned," the team's statement which was given to E! News wrote. "We fully expected this outcome from an unbiased court that carefully examined his confession. I was just visiting Steven Avery and he 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."

Steven Avery was once convicted in 1985 after he was wrongfully accused of raping Penny Beerntsen inside her Manitowoc, Wisconsin home. He was then released after being imprisoned for 18 years as the DNA lead to a conviction on the real criminal according to CNN.

Steven Avery was once again convicted in 2005 after he was once again charged with raping Teresa Halbach's. Several pieces of evidence that were found on Halbach's vehicle led to Steven Avery. His nephew Brendan Dassey then admitted to helping Steven Avery in raping and killing Halbach.
ARLINGTON, Va. - The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) congratulates the high school class of 2016 as they continue their education at universities across the country in honor of their fallen loved one. These surviving military children will attend a variety of schools, including Columbia University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Texas Christian University and the University of Hawaii.

The TAPS Education Support Services provides a range of services to families of the fallen, including those who wish to pursue vocational training or a secondary degree. This program connects students with scholarship opportunities, on-campus emotional support and student loan forgiveness programs. The work of TAPS Education Services is made possible by the generous support of the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund.

All of the young survivors from the class of 2016 will be receiving the Marine GSGT John Fry Scholarship, an extension of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This scholarship provides full in-state tuition, a book stipend and a housing allowance. Students will also receive assistance from a variety of scholarship organizations, and TAPS partners, including Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, Folds of Honor Foundation and Freedom Alliance.

"For our high school graduates, it's difficult that their loved ones aren't there to see them achieve their educational goals," said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS President and Founder and 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. "TAPS plans to recognize the achievements of our high school graduates and help them celebrate at our National Military Survivor Seminar each Memorial Day as they move on to pursue their future aspirations."

ABOUT TAPS

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) is the national organization providing compassionate care for the families of America's fallen military heroes and has offered support to more than 60,000 surviving family members of our fallen military and their caregivers since 1994. TAPS provides peer-based emotional support, grief and trauma resources, healing seminars and retreats for adults, camps for children, casework assistance, connections to community-based care, online and in-person support groups and the 24/7 National Military Survivor Helpline at 800.959.TAPS (8277) available for all who have been affected by a death in the Armed Forces. Services are provided free of charge. For more information go here or call TAPS at 202.588.TAPS (8277). Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @TAPSorg.

TAPS Education Support Services

TAPS has been providing educational support to families of the fallen for almost two years and has saved nearly $60 million in college tuition expenses. TAPS Education Support Services connects surviving military children with education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), state tuition waivers, private scholarships and student loan forgiveness. Survivors have access to the Education Support Services online portal with information on individualized education benefits. TAPS also facilitates the relationship between survivor and school in understanding their benefits and connecting them with on campus emotional support. 

About Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund

Established in 2014, the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to financially assisting veterans and their family members with education expenses. The fund is inspired by Colonel John "Johnny Mac" McHugh, KIA in Kabul, Afghanistan, on May 18, 2010. To learn more about or support the mission of the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund, visit here.
Assumption of the Virgin (1526-1529), by Andrea del Sarto (1486-1530) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (6-30-08)

***

Ive documented in the past that both Catholic and Protestant (including Lutheran) historians and Luther scholars accept the fact that Luther believed in the Assumption, at least in his early days, if not later. Catholic writer Thomas A. OMeara, O. P., presents the confusing evidence about Luther (claiming he did accept this doctrine early on):

In 1522 Luther preaches on the feast of the Assumption, apparently taking this belief for granted, although he notes that it is not an article of faith . . . [WA, 10, III, 268]. In 1530 he decrees that the Assumption is an aspect of the hypocritical Church which should be eliminated. [WA, 30, II, 351]. In 1544 the Assumption is abandoned as a feast . . . [WA 52, 681] The period of drastic change lies within the years 1522 to 1532. It is impossible to pinpoint the moment of change, for as is usual in Luther the change is gradual and there are inconsistencies and reversals. In 1521 Luther says he does not know exactly when he gave up the veneration of the saints and of Mary, but in 1526 he writes that he venerated the saints for thirty years. (Mary in Protestant and Catholic Theology, New York: Sheed & Ward, 1966, 118-119; my bolded emphases, as throughout)

Lutheran scholar Eric W. Gritsch, who was a major translator in the English set of the works of Luther (edited by Jaroslav Pelikan), also states pretty much the same, from the same evidence (the 1522 sermon):

Luther affirmed Marys assumption into heaven but did not consider it to be of benefit to others or accomplished in any special way. (in The One Mediator, the Saints, and Mary, Lutherans and Catholics in Dialogue VIII, edited by H. George Anderson, J. Francis Stafford, Joseph A. Burgess, Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1992, 241; footnote 44; p. 382: Sermon on the Festival of the Assumption, August 15, 1522. WA 10/3:269.12-13. Sermon on the Festival of the Visitation . . . August 15, 1522. WA 52:681.27-31.; my emphasis)

In the same book, twelve Lutheran and ten Catholic scholars participated. Their Common Statement (a sort of creed-like formulation agreed-upon by all) yielded some very interesting conclusions indeed:

(89) Luther preached on the Assumption . . . There were early Lutheran pastors who affirmed the Assumption as both evangelical and Lutheran. (101) From the Lutheran side, one may recall the honor and devotion paid to the Mother of God by Luther himself, including his own attitude to the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, which he accepted in some form. (p. 55)

Luther signed an August 19, 1527 letter to Georg Spalatin in the following (very unProtestant) manner:

Yours, Monday after the Assumption of Mary, 1527. Martin Luther. (in Luther: Letters of Spiritual Counsel, edited and translated by Theodore G. Tappert, Vancouver: Regent College Publishing, 2003, 230)

Historic Lutheranism has also, in various places, retained the Feast of the Assumption on the liturgical calendar. For example, the Wikipedia article, Liturgical calendar (Lutheran) notes:

Some of the Marian festivals, notably the Nativity of Mary (September 8) and her Assumption (August 15) were retained by Luther whereas the feasts of her conception and presentation in the Temple were suppressed because they were judged to have no scriptural or dogmatic interest. [source: Frank C. Senn, Christian Worship and Its Cultural Setting, 344] The Swedish Mass draws from a number of different sources, though Luthers Formulae Missae is apparent in regards to the Eucharistic structure [1] This included revising the calendar along similar lines as those in Germany. Laurentius Petri further revised the Swedish Mass 1557. In large part, the Swedish liturgy retained vestments, altars and frontals, gold and silver chalices and patens and many other popish customs. [2] Following Laurentius death in 1573, King John III embarked on a separate, though similar, religious policy more conciliatory towards Catholicism. Much of his work was in the area of liturgy and his Nova Ordinantia reinstated much of the sanctoral cycle from the Old Swedish Mass, reviving the feasts of Saint Mary Magdalene, Saint Lawrence, Corpus Christi, and the Assumption and Nativity of Mary. [3] [footnotes: (1) Senn, 407; (2) Senn, 415; (3) Senn, 419; my emphases for both paragraphs]

Lutheran Latif Haki Gaba, who oversees a Traditionalist Lutheran Blog, writes about this feast day in Lutheranism:

The LCMS Lutheran could call it the feast of Marys Assumption. Most Lutherans, even of those dissatisfied with the Missouri Synods practice, shy away from this, for a variety of reasons. Not all have all the same reasons. You would really need to ask each Lutheran who dislikes using Assumption just why it is that he feels that way. Some say, for example, that it is Roman Catholic. Lutherans are not Catholic. Therefore it is unLutheran terminology. This logic has many problems, but for now let us just point out that Marys Assumption is not something that has ever been condemned by the Lutheran Church. In fact, there is a history of this feast being kept as the Assumption in the Reformation churches. As Professor Joseph Herl shows in his book, Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism, [p. 254] the Assumption is listed in the church orders in Weissenburg 1528, Dessau 1532, Nordlingen 1538, Brandenburg 1540, Palatinate-Neuburg 1543, Schwabisch Hall 1543, Brandenburg-Ansbach-Kulmbach 1548, Hohenlohe 1553, & Nuremberg 1543. To dogmatize the Assumption, as Rome did in 1950, is not the sort of thing the Church of the Augsburg Confession would do, yet it is quite another thing to claim that the Assumption itself (the event, not the dogma) is impossible and unLutheran. There is another option, namely, to see this as the feast of Marys Dormition. Some see this as too Byzantine, too Orthodox. Here we must clarify a few things. One is that there is no conflict or contradiction between the Assumption and the Dormition, as if one necessarily cancels the other out. Many of those who, even in the ancient church, believed and celebrated and preached the Dormition also believed that Mary was taken bodily to heaven. Likewise many who believe in Marys assumption also believe that she did in fact die. Even the Roman Churchs official definition of the dogma of the Assumption allows for Marys death at the end of her earthly life, contrary to what Ive heard some claim about that dogma. Many do prefer to simply celebrate this, though, as Marys Dormition, and to be content that she is now in heaven.

Trent Sebits, of unknown denominational affiliation (but presumably Lutheran), wrote in a combox on the popular blog of Lutheran pastor Paul T. McCain (on 16 August 2007):

I have a Lutheran liturgical calendar from 1879, published out of Pennsylvania, that lists Aug. 15th as, Assumption of the BVM. Interesting to note that not only did the Lutheran publishers of this calendar call it the assumption, buy also refer to St. Mary as still a virgin at the time of her assumption . . . two pretty unpopular stances in Lutheranism these days.

As to other Protestant Reformers, there is evidence that some accepted this doctrine or something quite similar to it:

In regard to the Marian doctrine of the Reformers, we have already seen how unanimous they are in all that concerns Marys holiness and perpetual virginity. Whatever the theological position which we may hold today, in regard to the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary it is right to know, perhaps to our great surprise, that these two Catholic dogmas were accepted by certain Reformers, not of course in their present form but certainly in the form that was current in their day. (Reformed scholar Max Thurian, Mary: Mother of all Christians, translated by Neville B. Cryer, New York: Herder & Herder, 1963, 197)

Noted Protestant scholar Donald G. Bloesch concurs:

It is well to note that the notions of Marys immaculate conception, her assumption, her perpetual virginity and her spiritual motherhood were all present in varying degrees among the Protestant Reformers. Zwingli could refer to Mary as the Mother of God, the perpetually pure and immaculate Virgin Mary. The Reformed theologian Henry Bullinger seemed to support the assumption of Mary when he declared that the most pure chamber of the Mother of God and the temple of the Holy Spirit, her most holy body, was taken up by the angels to heaven. (Jesus Christ: Savior & Lord, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1997, 116-117)

In another book, Bloesch wrote:

[T]he Reformers did not jettison all Marian doctrine . . . Bullinger, Zwinglis successor, held that Mary was taken up bodily into heaven. (The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission, Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2002, 67)

Fr. Dwight Longenecker, in a debate book about Mary with Episcopalian David Gustafson, noted how many Anglicans have accepted Marys Assumption in faith:

[I]t was held by Lutherans at the Reformation and by many Lutherans today. It is also affirmed by the Anglican Church. The Scottish Anglican lectionary actually celebrates a feast of the Falling Asleep of Mary on the fifteenth of August just as the Orthodox and Catholics do. The new lectionary in the Church of England also institutes a Marian feast on the fifteenth of August in keeping with the tradition. Even your own Episcopal Church of the USA celebrates a Marian feast on the traditional date for the Feast of the Assumption. On that day Episcopalians pray, O God, you have taken to yourself the Blessed Virgin Mary, . . . grant that we may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom. . . . If you allow for the Assumption as a permissible pious opinion, youve left the door open, and that isnt really heretical denial. (Mary: A Catholic-Evangelical Debate, Gracewing Publishing, 2003, 128-129)

The most remarkable assertion of Marys Assumption or something highly akin to it, by a major Protestant Reformer that Ive found, was made by Heinrich Bullinger of Zurich (alluded to above):

Elijah was transported body and soul in a chariot of fire; he was not buried in any Church bearing his name, but mounted up to heaven, so that . . . we might know what immortality and recompense God prepares for his faithful prophets and for his most outstanding and incomparable creatures. . . . It is for this reason, we believe, that the pure and immaculate embodiment of the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, that is to say her saintly body, was carried up to heaven by the angels. (in Thurian, ibid., 197-198; for further secondary and primary source information, see my paper specifically devoted to that issue; the quotation comes from a 1568 work entitled De Origine Erroris)

*****

Meta Description: There is a surprising amount of acceptance & celebration of Marys Assumption in Protestant history: especially in Lutheranism.

Meta Keywords: Assumption, Marys Assumption, Bodily Assumption of Mary, Assumption of Mary, Glorious Assumption, Bullinger & the Assumption, Bullingers mariology, general resurrection, Heinrich Bullinger, Immaculate Conception, Mariology, Mary, Protestant Mariology, Protestants & the Assumption, Dormition, Lutherans & the Assumption, Lutheran Mariology
In a late-night conversation at Many Gods West, Witches & Pagans editor Anne Newkirk Niven threw out an interesting question: Is the emphasis on piety bringing the concept of sin into polytheism?

My immediate answer was not yet.

I dont recall how the conversation went  it was late and there was more than a little alcohol involved. But after a few days to think about it, Im sticking with my first response. We havent brought sin into Paganism and polytheism, but if we arent careful, we will.

Lets start by talking about sin and several related but ultimately different terms. I could write a full post on each of these concepts (and in the case of purity, I already have), but that level of detail isnt necessary to address this question.

Impiety is showing disrespect for the Gods, our ancestors, and our religious traditions. Of course, what is respectful and what is disrespectful varies widely by culture and tradition. Wearing the wrong clothes? Using the wrong titles and epithets in prayer? Failing to show hospitality to a stranger? In some traditions, eating food that has been offered to the Gods is highly disrespectful. In other traditions, not eating food offerings is just as disrespectful.

The lack of general agreement on what is pious and what is impious does not mean the subject is unimportant. It means you have to study the practices of your tradition, listen to your Gods, and think about what youre doing before you do it.

Impurity is the presence of something that doesnt fit well. That something isnt necessarily bad: I like onions and I like chocolate cake, but I dont like onions in chocolate cake. If youre making spaghetti, wash your utensils before you start making the cake.

Not all impurities are so neutral. Theres a reason why we wash our hands after going to the bathroom and throw out food thats been in the refrigerator too long. Some impurities can make us sick.

Spiritual impurities can make us spiritually sick. So we do house cleansings to clear out discordant energies. We cast circles to keep troublesome spirits out of our ritual workings. And we cleanse ourselves before we begin our worship, so we can present our best to our Gods.

A focus on maintaining purity is a good thing. But like overprotective parents who buy sanitizer by the barrel, taken too far it can keep us from developing much-needed immunities and resiliency.

Miasma is spiritual pollution. Its the residue of impurity, and it can be transferred by contact even when something isnt your fault. While every culture Ive ever encountered has some concept of purity and impurity, Miasma is a Hellenic concept. It made its way into some of Greeces Mediterranean neighbors, but it was virtually unknown in the Celtic world.

I think Ive seen more writing on miasma in the last two weeks than I have in the previous ten years. Not all of it was helpful. If youre Hellenic, you need more information on dealing with miasma than I can provide. If youre not Hellenic, my suggestion is to focus on purity and leave miasma to others.

Sin is breaking the rules  even if those rules are arbitrary and outdated. Sin is transgression  even if the institution we transgress against is regressive and harmful. Sin is error and missing the mark  even if that mark is impossible to attain. The concept of sin tries to force a rainbow world into a black and white box.

Avoiding sin requires perfection, and since perfection is unattainable, were told were bad and evil. We feel shame for shortcomings we could not possibly avoid, some of which arent even shortcomings. Christianitys answer is that a god-man will vicariously impart perfection to believers. The proposition works for some, although by their own admission they never completely stop sinning.

Paganism and all polytheisms I know say that perfection isnt just impossible, its unnecessary. What is necessary is that we live virtuously and heroically. When we do something thats truly wrong, we acknowledge it, apologize where appropriate, and make restitution and reparations.

To be fair, most moral codes began as an honest effort to maintain an orderly society. But inevitably, the rules were interpreted and enforced so as to help the powerful stay powerful. Mindless obedience is not a virtue, and it is no surprise that as Paganism began to be restored and reimagined, the concept of sin was one of the first Christian concepts to be discarded.

With these definitions out of the way, lets go back to the question of bringing sin into Paganism.

Impiety and impurity are not the same things as sin. There is some overlap. But piety and impiety deal with a very specific category of actions: respect for the sacred. Purity and impurity have no moral connotations. Theres nothing evil about onions in chocolate cake, theyre just not very helpful there. And there is no such thing as original impiety or original impurity. Were born human, with all the wonderful complexities that involves.

We need piety and purity. If something is meaningful to you, you respect it. If you dont show the Gods and ancestors proper respect, at some level theyre not especially meaningful to you. If we treat the Gods with too much familiarity, we can forget that Theyre Gods and were not. We can forget They do not always share our perspectives and our priorities.

Different traditions and different individuals have very different ideas about what is important and what is trivial. Some have exacting ritual requirements that must be maintained. Others focus more on this-world actions. Study the history of your tradition, and most importantly, listen to what your Gods require of you.

However

Obsessing over piety and purity is the road to sin. If we become obsessed with piety and purity, we start to become more concerned with the rubrics of our rituals than with their content. If purity is of ultimate importance, we may be reluctant to make ourselves open and vulnerable in our devotions. If piety is of ultimate importance, we are likely to start seeing others impieties (which may not be impieties for them) as insults to our Gods and our traditions, and we may forget Isaac Bonewits caution that our Gods are perfectly capable of defending Their own honor.

An overemphasis on piety and purity drives a wedge between us and the Gods. While They are more than us, they are not the wholly other beings conservative monotheists claim for their God. You cannot have a relationship with wholly other beings. You can only obey or rebel, and which ever action you choose is not likely to affect the deity.

With such an obsession, piety and purity turn into rules which must be obeyed. In theory, theres no reason why even meticulous religious rules cant be an individual matter, and for a rare few they are. More frequently, someone ends up trying to impose their rules on everyone else in their tradition, and then on everyone else anywhere. That way lies sin. That way lies Savonarola, Cromwell, and Khomeini.

Lets keep sin out of Paganism and polytheism. The concept of sin is still foreign to Paganism and polytheism. Lets keep it that way. Lets be as pious and as pure as we can be. But at the end of the day, lets put living virtuously and heroically ahead of following anyones rules.
Patna: Patna: Members of the Armed Forces including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and para-military forces conducted an impressive dress rehearsal on Sunday at Patna's Gandhi Maidan in preparation for the Independence Day celebration that includes the customary speech by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

District officials in Patna including Patna Divisional Commissioner Anand Kishore, District Magistrate Sanjay Agrawal, and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj visited Gandhi Maidan to review the preparedness for the Monday unfurling of the national flag.

Sources said that more than 4,000 policemen were to be deployed in and around Gandhi Maidan as authorities purge all hotels, both small and large, of all suspicious characters and firearms. Special attention is being given to protect the region from Maoist extremists who have once again vowed to create disturbance during the Independence Day celebration in Patna.

Security at Patna Junction, airport, and all bus terminals had been beefed up, officials said. Elaborate arrangement has also been made for medical emergencies with more than a dozen ambulances on site to deal with any situation.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Umid Niayesh  Trend:

The US-based multinational financial services corporation MasterCard has rejected the recent reports on its cooperation with Iran.

MasterCard spokesman Seth Eisen told Trend Aug. 15 that the company has no activity in Iran.

MasterCard does not have any activities in Iran, as sanctions have remained in place for US-based companies for some time, Eisen explained.

Earlier, Iranian media outlets quoted Mahmoud Vaezi, the countrys ICT minister, as saying that Irans Post Company has signed a deal with a foreign firm to offer MasterCard service to Iranians.

The Iranian Post Company has signed a deal with Vision Card Iranian, a company representing MasterCard in Iran, under the framework of international trade rules, Vaezi said, adding the Iranians problem with their international payments has been resolved as they can now apply to the Iranian Post Company and receive their international MasterCard.

Vaezi further said the opportunity is a result of the nuclear deal, which led to removal of sanctions against Iran last January.

Last March, it was announced that the Central Bank of Iran adopted a policy of holding regular talks with Visa and MasterCard to have their services in the country.

Iranian officials had already said the country is preparing a 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 enabling its customers to process transactions from some 230 million payment cards, which 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 were removed following implementation of the nuclear deal.
The best 2-in-1 laptop 2022: our picks of the best convertible laptops

These are the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy right now
When it comes to taking notes and using them to get work done, having an app that syncs across all your devices and has a browser version, too, is indispensable. Evernote has long been a leader among note-taking apps, though the company has taken its fair share of criticism over the years for hiking prices, gutting the free version, and not addressing major concerns that power users raise. Nevertheless, in terms of functionality, you'll be hard-pressed to find a service that does everything Evernote does, which is why it remains an Editors' Choice. That said, it's not the best fit for everyone. The high price is a turnoff for many, and the free version is inadequate for most. If you need the best, most capable note-taking app and you can afford to pay for Evernote Premium or Business, it's worthwhile.

The only app that comes close to Evernote's prowess is Microsoft OneNote, which is also an Editors' Choice for note-taking apps. OneNote's free version is much more generous than Evernote's. If you already have a Microsoft account, and especially if you already pay for OneDrive storage, using OneNote makes sense. There are differences between the two services that are worth exploring if you're trying to decide which one to use.

What's New in Evernote?

In September 2020, Evernote released a thoroughly updated version of its app for iPhone and iPad, with similar new versions of its other apps for macOS, Windows, and Android on the way. The new app fixes a lot of problems under the hood, making the app more stable and the search tool faster. The team also addressed problems of very large notebooks, which the app previously didn't handle well and led to other problems for users.

A completely redesigned editor makes a big difference. It's finally easy to clear the formatting of notes, adjust the font size and color, although tools for adjusting line spacing still aren't available in the Apple mobile apps. Some work also went into making the transition between the Apple mobile apps and the Evernote web app smoother.

How Much Does Evernote Cost?

Evernote offers three tiers of service: Basic (free), Premium ($7.99 per month or $69.99 per year), and Business ($14.99 per person per month, with a minimum of two people). Students(Opens in a new window) are eligible for a 50 percent discount on Premium plans. Evernote previously offered other plan types, such as Plus, and while they're no longer available, some users may find their account types have been grandfathered forward.

The Basic option has become quite limited in recent years to the point that it's not especially useful for many people. You can only sync between two devices, and you can't save notes offline to mobile devices. You get 60MB of new storage each month, which isn't much, and each uploaded file is limited to 25MB. Unused storage doesn't roll over. The free account doesn't come with tech support either. I don't recommend the free Basic account except as a way to get a sense of the app's interface. If you need a free note-taking app, Microsoft OneNote is a better pick.

Premium accounts include a lot more features and perks. Storage increases to 10GB per month, and the max file size is 200MB. You can sync with unlimited devices, and mobile devices can store offline notes. You can annotate PDFs that you upload and you get a version history of your notes. When you search for text, Evernote looks in your typed notes, images, as well as the text in attached PDFs and Office files. You can get customer support via email or live chat. There's also a presentation mode that lets you turn notes into slideshows with no additional effort on your part. You also get the ability to scan and digitize business cards. Premium really is the way to go, but as I said, it's expensive.

The Business account adds team collaboration features and administrator functions. Read more about it in our separate review of Evernote for Business.

How Do Evernote's Prices Compare?

Evernote's prices are high among note-taking apps. But price isn't the same as value. As mentioned, Evernote's free option pales in comparison to other free options, namely OneNote. Another good, free option is Zoho Notebook. Then there are a few apps that are free but don't give you many features, such as Apple Notes and Google Keep.

All the apps mentioned so far provide both apps to make notes and the storage to keep them. Other note-taking apps are just apps and you have to bring your own storage or use a built-in third-party provider, such as iCloud. Bear is one example. It looks like a pared-down version of Evernote and it's pricing ($1.49 per month or $14.99 annually) is much lower than Evernote's in part because you're responsible for providing your own storage.

If you're already paying for storage from another service, whether it's Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, iCloud, Dropbox, or something else, then it might be in your interest to find a note-taking app that's compatible with it.

The Evernote Way

Evernote is one of those applications that you either get or struggle to understand. It's so flexible and open that when you first start using it, you can easily get blank-page syndrome. On the company's blog, you can find tips and use cases for Evernote(Opens in a new window), which can help you understand not just how to use it, but why. Additionally, from the time you first pick up Evernote to the moment you get the hang of it, the app feels completely different. It gets better the more you use it because it's difficult to see how valuable it is until you've filled it with notes.

In brief, Evernote is a place record, save, organize, and search all your thoughts, notes, voice memos, images, fileswhatever you upload. Everything is stored in the cloud so that you can get to it from your computer, smartphone, or tablet. It comes with an excellent search tool that lets you find anything you've uploaded to your account. Evernote offers a wealth of tools for sorting and finding your notes in other ways, such as tags, geolocation tags, notebooks, and stacks of notebooks.

When comparing Evernote to some of its biggest competitors, there are fundamental differences. For example, Google Keep and Apple Notes are much closer in form and function to digital reminders or sticky notes. They're really good for jotting down an idea quickly and leaving that note in view to help you remember it or for adding an alarm-type reminder to it. Evernote is more like a digital filing cabinet where storage and the ability to search for information is as central to the experience as making a note is.

OneNote and Evernote have key differences, too, although they have much more in common than Evernote and Google Keep or Evernote and Apple Notes. OneNote has a pasteboard or scrapbook feel to its pages, whereas Evernote pages are essentially word processing documents. OneNote and Evernote also have slightly different schemas for how you can organize notes; which one is "better" is a matter of personal preference.

App Design

Evernote has apps for every major platform: Windows, macOS, web, Android, iPhone, and iPad. The web app works in any browser, and it's an important feature. With a web app, you can access your notes no matter where you are or what device you have on hand (as long as you have some kind of web-browsing device on hand). Not every note-taking app has one.

All the apps have an orderly look to them. They resemble other productivity apps with a three-paneled design. Evernote uses rich formatting, which is much improved in the new iOS release and hopefully will be the same in the other apps when their latest versions roll out. Menus let you change the typeface, point size, alignment, and so forth. Some people find formatting distracting, and if it's not your jam, then look for an app that supports Markdown language. Very simply put, Markdown is a way to type text to apply basic formatting to it. If you've ever typed double asterisks on either side of a word in a messaging app to make it bold, that's Markdown. Bear for Mac and iOS supports Markdown, and so does an app called Laverna(Opens in a new window).

Everyone's Evernote account ends up with a unique look based on their note viewing preferences (i.e., the layout options they choose in the app) and what kinds of notes they keep. For example, some Evernote users store a lot of images, in which case it's helpful to use a layout that shows previews of those images. Some accounts are text-heavy. Some use other graphical elements, like tables. Overall, the fact that you can adjust the layout and view based on the type of notes you have or your personal preferences makes a big difference.

Features in Evernote

Evernote has several advanced features that most other note-taking apps don't have. The ability to search for text and find it in images, whether those images are snapshots of a page of typed text or contain handwritten text, is perhaps the most remarkable example. Microsoft OneNote can also do it, but few other note-taking apps can.

When you take pictures of whiteboards, presentations, business cards, advertisements, recipes, or anything else you want to save, you can trust that Evernote will make all the text in the image searchable. It's an incredible feature, although it's not 100 percent foolproof. From time to time it misses something due to a glare on the image or some other problem.

Search is a big deal. Because Evernote's search works as well as it does, you don't have to put as much effort into organizing your notes thoroughly. You can always search for text, whether it's typed or in an image. For Premium and Business accounts, Evernote also searches the text inside attached PDF and office files. To narrow down a search, you can look in only select notebooks or stacks of notebooks or exclude notes that don't have a particular tag on them.

Premium and Business users also get a unique feature called Context. When enabled, Context analyses the content of your note, both text and metadata, and then suggests related notes and news articles. In practice, Context suggestions can be a distraction, but it all depends on how you work and what you do with Evernote. Plus, you can always disable them. Or you can customize suggestions so that they only come from certain sources.

Another advanced feature, Work Chat, puts an instant messaging window right into your Evernote workspace. It's available to all Evernote members, including free Basic members. You can invite anyone to chat with you while you're in Evernote, though they must sign up for an account to use the tool. I love the concept of being able to collaborate quickly and easily from the same window in which I'm working, although with the rise in popularity of team chat apps, many people already have a preferred method for getting in touch with colleagues and collaborators that's equally as convenient.

A personal favorite feature is the web clipper. It's a browser extension that lets you save a web page as an Evernote note. For example, if you see a news article that you want to read later or a recipe online that you want to save, you can clip it to turn it into a note and tell Evernote to save it to the notebook of your choice. The web clipper has options to skip over advertisements on the page, clip only a selected portion of a page, and so forth. A few Evernote competitors have a web clipper, too, including OneNote, Simplenote, and Google Keep.

A feature called Conflicting Changes offers a much-needed service but has never worked as well as I would like it to. When Evernote detects something amiss in a note as a result of a syncing issue, it lets you know by saving copies of the note to a folder it creates called Conflicting Changes. Conflicts occur if you edit a note offline without first syncing changes from a previous edit on a different device. User error can cause conflicts, but slow syncing or a device crash can be to blame as well.

We've always wanted Evernote to show the conflicts in such a way that they make sense and can act on them, such as highlighting what's different between two versions. As it stands, you just get raw chunks of text or whatever the format of your notes, and a time and date stamp of the save. There's no easy way to reconcile the two files without reading them word for word. It could be nothing more than an extra space or a punctuation mark on one version but not another. You'd never know that, though, because the differences are not visible.

Compatibility With Other Apps

Evernote plays well with other apps, a huge advantage when integrating it into your personal or business life.

For example, every paying Evernote member gets a unique Evernote email address that they can use to forward messages into their Evernote account, turning emails into notes. The app can connect to Slack, too, so that you can type a command into Slack and have the post automatically show up as a note in Evernote. It works with other workplace collaboration tools, as well as personal apps, such as Instapaper and Pocket.

If there's an app or online service you want to connect to Evernote and don't see supported, you can always look to see if connectivity is possible through IFTTT or Zapier, because they both support Evernote as well. IFTTT (it stands for "if this, then that") and Zapier are online tools that help people connect apps that don't necessarily connect to one other natively.

Evernote vs. OneNote

Evernote and OneNote are two close competitors in the note-taking arena, but they have different styles, functionality, and appeal. Here are a few of the major differences.

On price, OneNote has a more generous free version with no major restrictions, while Evernote's free version merely gives you a taste of the app.

On storage, Evernote gives you an allotment of storage each month, and unused storage does not roll over. OneNote uses OneDrive for storage by default or SharePoint. Free users get 5GB and can pay for more. The one issue with using OneDrive is that you can use it to store other files from other apps, meaning the amount of space you have isn't reserved exclusively for your notes.

On style and the method of organization, Evernote seems more business-oriented while OneNote has the potential to be more casual and artistic, depending on how you use it. OneNote's purple color scheme certainly adds to this impression. OneNote uses a pasteboard style for notes whereas Evernote notes are linear and based on the same concept that governs text files. The pasteboard vs. text file shows up in where you can place tags, too. In OneNote, you can put a tag anywhere on a page next to anything. In Evernote, tags go at the note level only.

On web clippers, Evernote does a better job identifying and removing advertisements when asked, whereas OneNote easily gets tripped up by ads. Evernote also makes a guess at which notebook you want to use, such as adding a web page with a recipe to a notebook for recipes. OneNote shuffles clipped web pages into a default notebook.

An Ever-Changing Value Proposition

Evernote remains one of the best note-taking and syncing services there is in terms of features and functionality. It's still an eminently worthy Editors' Choice for its Premium and Business plans. It's much less of an attractive app for casual users who want to use it for free, however.

If you're already into Evernote, it's very difficult to quit and very easy to stick with it for all its great features, plus the new Apple mobile apps and forthcoming revamped apps for all the other platforms. If you aren't committed to Evernote yetand especially if you want a free appOneNote is well worth a try.

Evernote 4.0 Editors' Choice (Opens in a new window) See It $0.00 at Evernote (Opens in a new window) MSRP Free Pros Effortless note-taking and syncing

Powerful search

Excellent features

Flexible access to your notes View More Cons Free level of service too restrictive

Expensive Premium plan The Bottom Line Evernote has long been one of the most impressive note-taking apps, but its high price leaves potential new users wondering if it's worth it. For dedicated users, it is, but newcomers should take a close look at OneNote, too.
HEI Hotels & Resorts has reported a possible compromise of payment card information at its point-of-sale terminals, the latest in a string of attacks on such systems at hotels, hospitals and retailers.

The company, which manages close to 60 Starwood, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and InterContinental properties, said it appears that malicious software was installed on the payment processing systems at certain properties, with the aim of harvesting the card data as it was routed through the systems.

The compromise may have possibly affected the personal information of some hotel customers who made payment card purchases at point-of-sale terminals, such as food and beverage outlets, at certain HEI managed properties.

HEI in Norwalk, Connecticut, did not specify how many people were likely to have been affected. The data compromised may have included payment card data, including name, payment card account number, card expiration date, and verification code, it said.

We believe that the malware may have accessed payment card information in real-time as it was being inputted into our systems, HEI said in a separate FAQ. It added that it does not store data like credit or debit card numbers of customers, or collect card personal identification numbers or social security numbers on its own systems.

The chain said it would not be contacting customers it thinks could be affected as it does not collect or maintain sufficient information to locate and contact potentially affected customers.

It said it would cooperate with investigations by federal law enforcement.

HEI spokesman Chris Daly said the company is working with credit card processors to obtain the exact number of unique card holders impacted. Due to guests paying in multiple outlets during a stay or even visiting multiple times, or visiting multiple locations managed by HEI, an exact number is difficult to calculate. Furthermore, HEI does not store credit card details, he wrote in an email. The attacks at 20 properties were from March 2015 to June 2016.

Omni Hotels & Resorts in Dallas, Texas reported last month that malware hit point-of-sale systems at some of its properties, with an eye to pilfering payment card information. Hyatt Hotels, Target, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Neiman Marcus have also reported data breaches through their point-of-sale systems.
Leave it to Microsoft to make something as simple as a two-factor authentication (2FA) app as complicated as possible. Thankfully, Microsoft is cleaning up its hodge-podge of authenticator apps that include Azure Authenticator and Microsoft Account on Android with a single, unified version called Microsoft Authenticator.

The app is now available on Android and iOS, and at some point should be landing on Windows 10 Mobileas soon as it exits the internal beta, that is.

Why this matters: An Authenticator app may not sound that exciting, but the new app does have a nice feature for anyone who lives in Microsofts online world. Whenever you log in to a Microsoft account, instead of requiring you to enter an authenticator code on your PC, it will pop-up an alert to let you authorize the login with a tap. Google rolled out a similar feature for Google accounts on Android in June. Enterprise users can also use Microsoft Authenticator on Android to log in to Microsoft-powered apps, according to the apps description page.

The best feature yet, however, may come first to Windows 10 Mobile once the beta version of the new Microsoft Authenticator goes mainstream. The Windows 10 Mobile app, which first surfaced online in March, promises the ability to log in to a nearby computer with a single tap. However, that featureaccording to Microsofts description pagerequires a Bluetooth connection and appears to be geared towards enterprise users.

If youre not interested in Microsofts authenticator app there are many others to choose from including those from Google and LastPass, as well as a handy cloud-synced service called Authy.

[via Thurrott.com]
For decades, PCs were at the center of Intels business, but not anymore.

Self-driving cars, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are more attractive to Intel, which no longer views PCs as a priority. Thats the message the company will try to deliver at Intel Developer Forum, starting on Tuesday.

IDF attendees will see drones fly around and robots roaming the floor, and they will be able to try on cool wearables and VR and AR (augmented reality) headsets.

Unlike past years, attendees wont be wowed with a lot of blazing laptops and desktops running upcoming PC processors. Instead, Intel will provide an insight into its internet-of-things and data-center strategies.

PCs have been at the heart of Intels operations, but thats changing. In April, the company started rebuilding itself around the fast-growing markets of servers, IoT, and connectivity, with the shrinking PC market becoming a lower priority.

It was a painful decision. The company laid off 12,000 people as part of the restructuring. Soon after, it jettisoned its pursuit of the mobile chip market, a doomed effort that cost the company billions of dollars.

Top Intel executives want the water-cooler talk among their employees to be about the new areas of focus, not about PCs. If the employees buy into the new focus areas, the change to a new Intel will be swift and successful, executives have said.

At IDF, the chip-maker will highlight virtual reality, IoT, and machine learning. Intel will show FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), which are reprogrammable chips for servers, cars, and IoT devices.

I still think we will see a little about their PC plans, but more on IoT and the data center, said Patrick Moorhead, president at Moorhead Insights and Strategy.

Intel wont spend a lot of time talking about its upcoming PC processors code-named Kaby Lake, which succeed the current crop of Skylake chips. However, Intel will likely demonstrate Kaby Lake PCs because the chip release is close. Asus and HP are readying products with the chips, and Lenovo and Acer will announce Kaby Lake PCs ahead of the IFA show in Berlin next month.

Intel will show off VR and AR headsets developed both internally and by partners. The company will show what seems like its version of Microsoft HoloLens, called Remote EyeSight, a set of head-worn AR smart glasses for remote collaboration.

Many of the VR and AR announcements will focus around its RealSense 3D camera, which can recognize objects, measure distances, and like Microsofts Kinect, track gestures.

PCs still generate the most revenue for the company but ultimately could be replaced by data-center products like server chips and networking and storage equipment. Servers are involved in machine learning and in analyzing data sent from IoT devices, which will be a big focus at the show.

Intel will announce new Atom chips for IoT devices, drones and robots. Atom chips previously designed for smartphones and tablets are being reassigned to IoT devices like information kiosks, digital advertising signs, casino machines, and ATMs.

Intel is tying server chip sales to the number of IoT devices sold, said Dean McCarron, principal analyst at Mercury Research. With more IoT devices sold, more server chips will be needed to analyze information in the cloud, he said.

Intel will also discuss its burgeoning AI strategy, which got a boost last week when it announced plans to acquire Nervana Systems, which offers deep-learning software and chip technology.

Intel is trying to catch with its competition on machine learning. Nvidias GPUs drive machine learning at companies like Facebook and Google, and companies like KnuPath and Numenta offer specialized deep-learning chips. Google has announced such a chip called the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), which it is using internally.

On the last day of IDF, Intel is hosting a sideline conference called ISDF (Intel SoC FGPA Developer Forum), which, oddly, has rival ARM as a sponsor. These sessions will be targeted at developers working with FPGAs from Altera, which was acquired by Intel for $16.7 billion last year. Intel wants to put FPGAs in servers, storage devices, cars, IoT devices, robots, and drones.
A field of nine candidates will be competing for the two available seats on the Temecula City Council in this Novembers election, according to the City Clerks office.

The field includes both incumbents: Mayor Mike Naggar, who will be seeking his fifth four-year term on the council, and Councilman Michael McCracken, who was appointed last year to serve on the council after Chuck Washington was appointed to serve on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.

The other candidates are Ronald Bradley, a city manager who has worked in Hemet and Temecula; Jeffrey Frichner, education director for a local Tutor Doctor location; Angel Garcia, owner of a San Diego-based consulting firm; James Cooley, a retired naval officer; James Stewart, a barbershop owner who has served on the Rancho California Water Districts board of directors; Adam Ruiz, a real estate professional, and Skylar Tempel, a student who recently graduated from Temecula Valley High School.

The citys voters also will be considering Measure S, a general use 1 cent sales tax hike, in the upcoming election. Temeculas sales tax rate would rise to 9 percent if the measure passes.

Garcia competed in the 2014 election, finishing fourth in a field of five candidates competing for three available seats. He and Bradley also applied to fill the seat that Washington vacated, a process that ended with McCrackens rise to the dais.
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, Ghanas 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.





Source: Citi News









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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On Saturday, about 100 protesters clashed with police near the scene where, earlier in the day, a 23-year-old man with a stolen semiautomatic handgun was shot dead by police. Later that day, the local authorities arrested 17 people after rioters injured four officers, damaged seven squad cars and set six businesses on fire, Sputnik reported.

Parents, after 10 oclock, your teenagers better be home, or in a place where theyre off the streets, Tom Barrett said at a press conference, as quoted the The Washington Post.

On Sunday, the Wisconsin National Guard was put to assist the city police of Milwaukee. Despite that violence erupted again with a 18-year old man seriously injured by a gun shot, four police officers wounded by rocks and bricks thrown by protesters and 14 people detained.
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.
Vice-President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has questioned the kind of change being championed by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and described it as a change that poses a threat to Ghanaians.



Mr Amissah-Arthur argued that the change Ghanaians yearn for is already happening under the Mahama administration, adding that any other promise would be hostile.



This change that they are talking about is different. They are threatening the people of Ghana with change. The change that is transforming Ghana is already happening, so why do you go for a change that is a threat to the stability and to peace? he asked.



Speaking at the NDCs campaign launch in Cape Coast in the Central Region on Sunday, 14 August, Mr Amissah-Arthur explained that when older folk wanted to frighten young children, they would falsely claim that masquerades were approaching, which would scare children to flee into hiding.



But he said, Ghanaians will not run because of the NPP and its change agenda, adding that change is already happening under President Mahama.



He pointed out that Ghanaians want change that improves things and is inclusive and all that will be gotten under John Dramani Mahama.

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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Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party Nana Obiri Boahen has described President John Dramani Mahama as the Donald Trump of Ghana.



He likened the recent utterances of the president to the US Republican Candidate he says is noted for engaging in insults, irresponsible and unreasonable comments.



Mahama is the Donald Trump of modern Ghana because he insults, makes irresponsible and unreasonable comments, he said.



On the Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko, the NPP Deputy Scribe wondered why the president will accuse the NPP of insulting conduct when members of his party are the worst offenders



President John Dramani Mahama during his address at the partys campaign launch in Cape Coast, accused the Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of nursing divisions in his own party.



According to him, under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP has won an Olympic gold medal in insults giving a leeway to the culture of verbal abuse.



Developments in the largest opposition party threatens the country; the character of its leadership where people who are moderate [and] level headed have been cowed into silence because of fear of being victimized in the party should not be tolerated, he said.



But Nana Obiri Boahen indicates that the president himself is guilty of politics of insults having rewarded some persons who are known for verbally attacking his poonents.

Source: ultimatefmonline









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Member of Parliament for the Bodi Constituency in the Western Region, Sampson Ahi, has said Nana Akufo Addos promise to create a new region in the Western Region is nothing new since the government is mulling the idea. The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party has promised to create a new region in the Western Region to be called the Western North Region should he win this years election.



According to Akufo-Addo, "the northern part of the region [Western North] has to get its own region if Akufo-Addo becomes the next President of Ghana. My government will follow all the constitutional provisions to get this new region".



Nana Addo believes an independent Western North Region will enhance the governance of the northern part of the region.

However, speaking on Citi FMs Eyewitness News Friday, Mr Ahi noted that the Western Regional Minister has received several petitions in connection to the new region and that it will be forwarded to the president for consideration.



We have started working on it. In fact, when you check in the last 6 March [Independence day]address of the Western Regional Minister, he said emphatically that he has received a request from people living in the northern part of the Western Region about the need to create a region and so he knows and he mentioned this, he twittered. We are in the process of forwarding it to His Excellency the president for consideration.



The Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing also faulted Akufo-Addo premise for the creation of the region.



He said:The basis upon which Nana Akufo-Addo promise this region is that all the resources are emanating from the northern part of the region.



Mind you, constitutionally, before you can create a region out of existing region, you will need the support of all support of all registered people to vote and when they vote, 50 percent have to vote and out of that 50 percent, 80 percent must vote yes.



so if you start [with] that premise that because resources come from that part of the region and that is why you are going to create the region for them, you will not get the support of the Nzema people, the Ahanta people, the Wasa people and so on and so forth.

Source: Citi News









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The cause of the sudden death of Late Professor John Evans Fifi Atta Mills has been a mystery  perhaps to some of his family members and Ghanaians at large.



Majority of Ghanaians are yearning to know exactly what killed the late president even though he appeared to be sick whiles in office.



The opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP] has over the years mounted pressure on government to make public the cause of President Mills death after alleging he was killed  but government has been adamant to publish the cause of the late presidents death till now.



This has compelled some individuals to constantly barrage the NDC to produce a vivid detail of what killed the former president or who was behind his death if any.



These individuals during NDCs campaign launch in the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast decorated streets with attention-getting posters of late President Prof. John Evans Atta Mills with imprint Who Killed Atta Mills?



The black and red poster is designed with a picture of a not so happy looking Mills and a shadow of an unknown person carrying a knife in an attempt to stab him [President Mills].



The opposition believed President Mahama who was then vice to Prof Mills must be interrogated for his former boss demise.



But Central Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Allotey Jacobs says President Mahama is innocent and knows nothing about even the sickness which killed Prof. Mills.



He told NeatFM's Akwasi Aboagye on his "Ghana Montie" show that only he (Allotey) together with three others have first-hand information about actually led to the death of the former president.



Let me confirm this, we are just four people who knows about Professor Mills sickness. His two siblings [Dr Cadman Atta Mills and Sammy Atta Mills], myself, and his long time bodyguard, Mr ASP Adadei. Prof Mills was dear to our hearts, he shared his frustration, sickness and development with us [the four]



We knew the man very well and he knew us. Prof Mills once visited me at in apartment late-night when I was sick, we cried and we prayed together. People dont know about this so they just get up and malign innocent people in this country



What at all has President Mahama done? What sin has he committed? Just because God as anointed him to be president? he quizzed



Those doing that are just hurting the family [Mills family]. The man is dead and gone. Curse will be upon those behind this [he accused the NPP]. Death will run through their camp he added

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ Twitter: @Washman5/ Instagram: Washman007









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A far-right nationalist group led by serial pest Nick Folkes has stormed the noted pro-refugee Gosford Anglican Church dressed as Muslims and chanting anti-Islamic slogans, in what one can only assume was some kind of protest with a point they were attempting to make.

The Party for Freedom, which is based in Sydney and openly aligns itself with newly-elected senator Pauline Hanson, entered the church around 9:30am during the morning service, disrupting Father Rod Bowers sermon with a loudspeaker.

Using a loud speaker starting to abuse me in particular for the work we do  they violated our sacred space, Father Bower told the Sydney Morning Herald.

It was typical rhetoric from the extreme right, vilifying Muslims and multiculturalism as a whole.

Folkes is a known agitator in nationalist politics, probably best known recently for his moronic attempt to commemorate the Cronulla riots on its 10th anniversary in 2015. That resulted in what can only described as the saddest BBQ in living memory.

Bowers issued a video statement on the event:

Jog on, guys.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald / Facebook.

Photo: Facebook.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Orkhan Guluzade  Trend:

A meeting of Turkeys Cabinet of Ministers is being held under chairmanship of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Anadolu Agency reports.

The Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar is also taking part in the meeting, which is being held at the presidential palace in Ankara.

Akar is expected to address the meeting with a report on the July 15 military coup attempt, organized by Fethullah Gulen movement.

Turkey accuses Fethullah Gulen of organizing the military coup attempt.

On July 15 evening, Turkish authorities said a military coup attempt took place in the country. Meanwhile, a group of servicemen announced about transition of power to them.

However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed.

Erdogan had said the death toll as a result of the military coup attempt stands at 246 people, excluding the coup plotters, and over 2,000 people were wounded.

He declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey on July 20.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade
When Officer Steve Dunham met the 7-year-old, the boy was offering to sell his teddy bear.

The little guy must have seemed industrious, standing in front of the CVS at the busy intersection of Second and Main in Franklin, Ohio, trying to hawk his toy on Sunday, July 7. Most children don't want to part with their stuffed animals. In this boy's case, it was a lone source of comfort, but he was desperate.

He hadn't eaten in days.

Perhaps if he sold the small bear for enough money, he could walk across the street and get a kid's meal at Subway. At the very least, a Snickers bar from CVS. Those cost mere quarters.

And it must have seemed like a charitable area. One walking the short two blocks from the Great Miami River to the CVS would see the towering spires of at least four churches.

But he wasn't having any luck.

Still, being downtown and completely alone was likely better than being home. His parents allegedly weren't even aware he'd left the house.

"It broke my heart," Dunham told WLWT. "He told me he was trying to sell his stuffed animal to get money for food because he hadn't eaten in several days."

Dunham approached the boy, who was initially shy and uncomfortable.

"I think he thought he would get in trouble," he told CNN. "He told me he was hungry and was trying to get money for food."

Dunham was not going to buy the bear. But he would buy the boy a sandwich at Subway.

"[We] said a little prayer and ate dinner together," Dunham told the TV station.

Meanwhile, Dunham asked the boy where he lived, who his parents were.

Their names are Tammy and Michael Bethel, and they live on Main Street, according to the Journal-News.

Dunham and the boy headed to the Franklin Police Department, where the boy watched cartoons with a dispatcher for a few hours.

Meanwhile fellow Officers Amanda Myers and Kyle O'Neal went to the house.

There they found utter disarray, along with four other boys - ages 11, 12, 15 and 17 years old.

The floor of the house was covered in trash and discarded, empty liquor bottles. Cockroaches scurried in and out of the odorous crevices in the trash piles, and the house had the pungent, choking smell of stale and drying urine - both cat and human, Police Chief Russell Whitman told WTWL.

A photograph of the refrigerator released by the police department showed that what little food it contained was rotting, such as a package of raw chicken that had turned a deep, dark brown. One of the containers attached the door - which are generally used to hold jars of salad dressing, bottles of ketchup and other condiments - was filled half-way with black liquid. Small, unidentifiable chunks floated in it.

The entire refrigerator was smeared with what appears to be a sludge of some sort, varying in color from red to yellow to black.

Another photograph showed the kitchen.

In the photo was a slow cooker filled with discarded trash. Next to it was a bottle of oil, which had turned brown. On the stovetop sat uneaten food, and what appeared to be a crushed fast food soda cup. A bottle of Comet cleaner sat on top of the stove, alongside a bottle of vinegar and a container of salt.

A single cabinet's doors hung open, and its lone shelf was warped and hanging low, threatening to break.

The officers arrested Tammy and Michael Bethal and fed the other children. Warren County Children Services conducted an emergency removal of the four children and, along with the unnamed 7-year-old, put them in the custody of unidentified relatives.

Both parents were arraigned last Tuesday, though the story was not widely reported until Friday. Both parents pleaded not guilty to five counts each of child endangerment, the Associated Press reported.
UPDATE: 4 adults and 4 kids escape serious injury in roll-over crash that closed I-81

State police in Chambersburg say none of the three people injured in a crash Sunday afternoon on Interstate 81 sustained life-threatening injuries.

The crash happened at around 3:15 p.m. near mile marker 19.7 on I-81 in Greene Township, and shut down both directions of the interstate for about an hour and a half. The incident occurred when a 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by Stefanee Hansard, 29, of Oneonta, Ala., crossed the left shoulder of I-81 southbound into the median, state police said in a crash report.



Hansard's vehicle rolled over two times before hitting a 2013 Kia Sorrento driven by James Cary, 58, of Kathleen, Ga. The cars collided in the right lane of I-81 northbound, both sustaining severe damage from the crash, police said.

The Kia Sorrento was knocked on its driver's side. The Chevrolet Trailblazer came to a stop in the right lane shoulder, police said. Hansard and a 4-year-old girl in the Trailblazer were taken to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for treatment of not life-threatening injuries, police said.

Four other passengers in Hansard's SUV sustained minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

Police said Cary was taken to York Hospital for not life-threatening injuries. A passenger in Cary's car was uninjured.

Police did not explain what caused Hansard's vehicle to leave the road. Hansard will be charged with a traffic violation, police said.
Short family.jpg

In this Sept. 1, 2014, photo, Willow Short, 4-month-old, center, along with her parents Megan and Mark and sister Liana, 6, and brother Mark, 3, poses for a photo in Sinking Spring, Pa. Willow Short had a heart transplant at 6-days-old. The couple featured in news stories about their difficulties getting medication for the daughter who had a heart transplant were found shot to death in their home along with their three children in apparent murder-suicide, authorities said Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (Susan L. Angstadt/Reading Eagle via AP)

The Berks County district attorney defended police action in a domestic violence incident prior to the shooting death of a Sinking Spring family Aug. 6.

Megan Short and her three children were shot and killed by her husband Mark Short in a murder-suicide in their Winding Brook Drive the day she was moving out of the home, said John Adams, Berks County DA.

The couple had marital problems and were in the process of separating, Adams said.

While no physical violence had been reported, Adams said hotel security was called to the couple's room in early June in Philadelphia.

On July 18, Megan Short called Sinking Spring police to her home after a domestic dispute with her husband, who left before police arrived.

Adams said police advised her how to get a Protection From Abuse order against her husband, and said she indicated she would pursue that the next day. No PFA was ever filed, however.

"The police department did everything they are legally able to do in that situation," Adams said. "They provided information to Megan Short to give her the ability and instruction on how to obtain a PFA. They did everything correct," he said.

Sinking Spring Chief Lee Schweyer said Megan Short told the officer "there had been a verbal argument with her husband and she was afraid of him."

Adams said he doesn't know what the argument was about. He said Megan was planning to take the children with her, but that they were working on joint custody.

The next day, July 19, Mark Short legally purchased a .38 caliber five-shot handgun and ammunition from a Lancaster County dealer, Adams said. There is no indication Megan knew he had purchased a gun, he said.

"This was a very, very unfortunate incident. I don't know that anything can be learned, other than when leaving an abusive relationship, it is often a very dangerous time for a victim. I urge anyone in a situation like this to develop a safety plan and contact local a domestic violence agency for assistance," Adams said.

"The source of why this relationship disintegrated, we don't have any specific answers to that," Adams said.

Megan Short was in the process of moving out of the home since July 25, when she leased an apartment in Yardley, Adams said.

Mark Short was demoted at his job as a loan officer Aug. 1 due to attendance issues, Adams said.

Aug. 5, he took his children to Hersheypark on a work-related event. Neighbors saw her park her car in the driveway of their home around 7:30 p.m. that evening, behind her husband's vehicle, and she made a post on her Facebook page around 11:30 p.m., Adams said.

On Aug. 6, Mark Short was supposedly going to rent a moving van to help his wife move. Her mother and family members were waiting at her new apartment to help her move in, and when she didn't show up, her mother called 911, Adams said.

Megan Short, 33, and children Liana, 8, Mark, 5 and Willow, 2, were each killed by one gunshot, Adams said. They were found on the living room floor with pillows and blankets and they were in their pajamas, said Det. Michael Gombar.

Adams said he has no knowledge of any mental health or substance abuse issues on the part of Mark Short. Toxicology test results are not yet back.

"He was going through the breakup of a marriage and he was emotional about that. That's all I can tell you," Adams said. There was no evidence of an affair, he said.

Adams said the family asked that the contents of the note Mark Short left not be divulged at this time.

The note and evidence "support the conclusion that Mark Short committed the homicide of his wife, three children and the family's dog. He then turned the gun on himself and took his own life," Adams said.

A live round from the gun with Mark Short's fingerprint on it was found next to him, authorities said. This round was placed in the gun after the first five rounds were fired and the gun was reloaded, they said.
BidenClinton.jpg

Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will have a Pennsylvania homecoming today.

A rescheduled campaign stop is bringing them to Scranton at 12:45 p.m. at Riverfront Sports, 5 West Olive St. Doors open at 10:45 a.m.

They were originally slated to campaign in the city on Friday, July 8, but they rescheduled as the country mourned the Dallas police shootings that occurred the night before.

During today's stop, Biden and Clinton will talk about "building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top," Clinton's campaign said.

For Biden, it's a return home. He grew up in the city's Green Ridge neighborhood.

For Clinton, it's a trip back to the place where she spent numerous summer visits, returning to the Diamond Avenue home where here father, Hugh Rodham, was raised.

Both fundraising tallies and speeches on the campaign trail show Clinton has maintained ties to Scranton and northeastern Pennsylvania.

The day after the Democratic National Convention she held a campaign event at Temple University and spoke fondly about her summer visits to Pennsylvania. Clinton has done the same during other Pennsylvania campaign stops.

"It just brings backs memories of the best times and the best people," she said.
NORRISTOWN -- Prosecutors failed to prove their case that Kathleen Kane orchestrated a leak of grand jury materials and lied about it, the attorney general's defense lawyer Seth Farber argued Monday in his closing statement.

Farber said the emails and text messages prosecutors used to build their case never include any explicit mention by Kane of the former prosecutor, Frank Fina, she reportedly believed leaked a story about her refusal to pursue a sting against state lawmakers.

"Things the commonwealth says do not hold up to scrutiny when you look at the actual evidence and think about what it actually shows," the defense attorney said.

Kane's defense attorney also said inconsistencies in the testimony of key prosecution witnesses--political consultant Joshua Morrow and former First Deputy Attorney General Adrian King--undermine their credibility.

"Those witnesses pointed the finger at each other and told lie after lie to protect themselves," he said.

Morrow testified that he conspired with the attorney general to leak materials from a 2009 grand jury investigation that Fina declined to prosecute and then lied about it. King testified that he was not aware of the contents of a manila envelope that he served as an intermediary for between Kane and Morrow.

But Farber argued that, based on text messages cited by prosecutors, Morrow was more concerned about Fina than Kane was.

Shortly after delivering materials to the reporter, Morrow texted Kane: "What's the saying about revenge?"

"Best served cold," Kane replied. "Are we eating out soon?"

But Kane's attorney said his client was simply responding to a question based on Morrow's prompting. The consultant ultimately received immunity -- in an order issued the day before he took the stand -- in exchange for his testimony.

Prosecutors say J. Whyatt Mondesire, the former Philadelphia NAACP president who was the subject of the 2009 grand jury, was effectively collateral damage in Kane's leak. The attorney general does not face criminal contempt charges for the leak, but does face perjury, false swearing and obstruction charges for her alleged attempts to cover it up.

On Friday, Kane herself chose not to testify in the criminal case, telling the judge, "I listened to the commonwealth's case and I don't believe it's necessary for me to testify in my own defense." Her defense team called no other witnesses.

Later in his closing statement, Farber said, Morrow texted Kane again after hearing about an exchange between that reporter and Fina: "Oh man," Morrow wrote. "Frank's response was priceless."

Kane never replied.

Later still, after the article about the 2009 grand jury was published, Morrow sent Kane another text: "Going to be a bad day for Corbett and company," referring to then-Gov. Tom Corbett, who supervised Fina in his former role as attorney general.

Again, the attorney argued, Kane ignored the prompt.

Through his closing statement, Farber repeatedly said that it was Morrow--who was himself implicated in the original article about the legislative sting--who was concerned with exacting revenge against the former AG's office prosecutor. It was Morrow and not Kane, Farber said, who redacted every name in the leaked documents except Fina's and that of another former prosecutor, E. Marc Costanzo.

In a separate email exchange with another political consultant, J.J. Balaban, Farber said the defense noted Kane's use of the phrase "This is war." But the defense attorney argued that Kane was not referring to former prosecutors but the Philadelphia Inquirer, which broke the story about the defunct sting case.

"It's J.J. Balaban who says, 'make war with Fina, but not the Inquirer'," Farber said. "Kathleen Kane does not bother to respond to that statement."

Farber also pointed out that another reporter had previously contacted him about the 2009 Mondesire investigation, a fact briefly mentioned by Agent Michael Miletto, who was involved in that probe and who appears in a transcript that was provided to the Daily News reporter.

During Miletto's original testimony, neither prosecutors nor the defense lawyers delved any deeper into the question of how the other reporter learned about the investigation. The reporter who, according to Miletto, contacted him about the 2009 grand jury was not called as a witness.

Chris Brennan, the Daily News reporter, did testify but invoked the state's shield law to protect the confidentiality of his source.

Kane's attorney said the prosecution has not proven that Kane orchestrated the leak or that she lied under oath. He quoted extensively from the contents of her 2014 grand jury testimony, which led to the perjury charges.

"She is explicit that she heard about the article and that it was in the newspaper," Farber said, of one of the perjury charges alleging she lied about when she read one of the newspaper articles. "It is a meaningless detail and not one she was lying about, nor would there be any point in lying about it."

During Farber's statements, Kane swiveled in her chair at the defense table to face the jury and listened as her attorney laid out his case.

Another perjury charge, related to Kane's prior testimony that she was not bound to secrecy in previous grand jury, was a "simple mistake," Farber said.

Kane's grand jury testimony was undermined by an executive secretary in the Attorney General's Office, who came forward to notify prosecutors of a grand jury oath Kane signed and the secretary had notarized. Farber said it would have been a simple thing for the special prosecutor to bring that oath forward at the time of the leak investigation to refresh his client's memory.

In terms of the actual release to the Daily News, Farber cited Kane's testimony that public officials should be open and answerable to the public, That, he said, was exactly what Kane was doing by providing information to the press.

Kane chose Morrow, the defense attorney said, because the Attorney General's Office press team had been ineffective, again citing her grand jury testimony statements about her young and inexperienced communications staff.

She testified that "people need to know about this," Farber said, quoting her prior grand jury testimony. That did not mean, he said, that she authorized a leak of grand jury documents.

Kane, in her grand jury testimony read aloud by Farber, said she did not consider tasking a political consultant with relaying information to a single reporter with no direct attribution to the office to be a leak.

The attorney did not attempted make the argument, previously rejected by Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy, that Kane was the victim of "selective and vindictive prosecution." That had served as the backbone of a last-minute state Supreme Court filing that the defense team filed in an attempt to dismiss the criminal charges.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/08/as_kathleen_kanes_criminal_tri.html
NORRISTOWN -- "This is war."

Thus began the closing argument of Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, citing an email message Kane wrote to a political consultant in advance of an alleged leak of secret grand jury materials. Kane, he said, leaked the documents to get back at former prosecutors she saw as enemies.

"As you know, wars have casualties," Steele said, his voice rising gradually from a whisper to a shout. "Wars leave scars. And, over the course of the last week, you've gotten to see some of those casualties."

The prosecutor recounted the testimony of Catherine Hicks, the business partner and fiancee of J. Whyatt Mondesire. The leak of a 2009 grand jury investigation that never resulted in charges against the Philadelphia NAACP president took a toll on his reputation and his health, she said. He died last year.

And Kane's war, Steele said, affected current and former employees of Kathleen Kane who "all of the sudden see their name in the newspaper" and who risked their livelihoods to share evidence with the prosecution team.

The simple fact, he argued, is that prosecutors -- even the attorney general -- have a duty to uphold the law and keep their oaths. If they don't, he said, people can get hurt.

"You may not release grand jury investigations," he said. "You may not release (the content of) criminal investigations."

Steele's closing argument came after a 90-minute presentation by Kane defense attorney Seth Farber, who argued that prosecutors had not proven its case. In his own nearly 2-hour-long closing, the prosecutor asked the jury to use their "common sense" in evaluating the facts of the case.

The prosecutor walked the jury through the charges and a timeline of the case, starting with the grand jury oath Kane signed on Jan. 17, 2013, shortly after taking office that bound her to all previous investigating grand juries.

Kane would later testify that she did not have to sign such retroactive oaths, a statement that her defense team called a "simple mistake." It nonetheless resulted in a perjury charge after a secretary who notarized the oaths brought them to the attention of a trusted superior and, in turn, to Kane's criminal prosecutors.

Those prosecutors argued that Kane blamed a former AG's office attorney, Frank Fina, for Mar. 16, 2014, article exposing Kane's decision to shut down a sting of state lawmakers. Within a week of that article, a top Kane aide recorded an interview with the agent in charge of the Mondesire investigation, which had been shut down by Fina.

Kane directed the release of the Mondesire information in her own words, Steele said.

"When you go to evaluate the evidence in this case," he said, "don't lose sight of how straightforward it is."

Steele cited an email exchange between Kane and her first deputy, Adrian King, from several days later, in which King raised concerns about her hiring a private law firm to handle all media requests involving criminal investigations. King told his boss that he believed the measure was ill-advised and quite possibly illegal.

"And I am well aware of the limitations of disclosing criminal files and the Wiretap Act," Kane responded. "I have been in this business for quite sometime."

"Then you know the rules," Steele said, after reading the emails. "Clearly."

At about the same time, another top aide, David Peifer left the only printed transcript of his interview with the Mondesire investigation with Kane.

Adrian King, former first deputy to the attorney general. CLEM MURRAY / Philadelphia Inquirer & Daily News

On April 22, Steele said, Kane decided to release the transcript and other grand jury materials from the Mondesire. He cited Kane's own testimony before a 2014 grand jury: "Adrian and I then said, 'well, then let's put it out into the press, and we did'."

Responding directly to the closing arguments of Kane's defense attorney, Seth Farber, Steele asked the jury to consider what testimony was corroborated in evidence when they decide which witnesses are credible.

Prosecutors did not choose King and political consultant Joshua Morrow as witnesses, Steele said. Kane chose them to facilitate the release of the documents.

"These are people she chose," Steele said, citing Kane's phone calls and texts with Morrow that the consultant said pertained to the leak of the Mondesire documents.

The prosecutor then played the FBI wiretap recording of a conversation Morrow had with another politico, John Lisko, seeking advice on Kane's leak request. The FBI had been recording Lisko's line as part of an unrelated investigation.

"Kathleen is unhinged," Morrow said, in the recording. "She doesn't even have a strategy to do this -- just throw everything at the wall and see what sticks."

Steele said the language Morrow used in the call--that Kane called about documents that King had that she wanted to leak out--makes it clear that Kane knew what she was orchestrating.

"This has such a ring of credibility to it," the prosecutor said.

Lisko advised his friend against getting involved, but Morrow did so anyway--because, he testified, he considered Kane a close friend and he felt protective of her.

The next day, Morrow retrieved the package, and it was then delivered to Philadelphia Daily News reporter Chris Brennan about two weeks later.

Steele said Kane and Morrow stayed in touch over the days and weeks that Brennan was working on the story.

Morrow texted Kane: "What's the saying about revenge?"

"Best served cold," Kane replied. "Are we eating out soon?"

"They got up here and told you that was about going out to dinner," Steele said, referencing the defense team's interpretation of the exchange. "Really?"

Morrow went on to detail his conversation with Brennan, noting that the Daily News had "four reporters on it."

"Josh, you really get things done," Kane replied.

Kathleen Kane political consultant Joshua Morrow.

Kane's defense attorneys, however, have argued that Kane never said anything explicitly acknowledging Mondesire or the leak from his grand jury investigation.

"Please," Steele said. "As you go through this, don't throw your common sense out the door."

Similarly, the prosecutor said, the defense team's argument that Kane's release was all about transparency was undercut by another exchange between her and Morrow.

"Just please keep this between us," the political consultant wrote. "Very, very small circle."

Kane responded: "I won't tell anyone."

On May 12, Steele said, as the Mondesire story still hadn't seen the light of the day.

"She says, 'Where is my story'," Steele said, quoting Kane's text message to Morrow. "'I'm dying here while you are drinking.'"

The jury, he said, must keep the context of such messages in mind as they are considering the facts of the case.

Still later, Morrow texted Kane about "our story," and mentioned that an early draft was "brutal on our friends."

"Anything about me?" Kane asked. "Please tell me now."

"You are fine."

Steele said the jury needs to keep in mind that, when the Mondesire story was published, Kane did not speak out publicly about the 2009 grand jury investigation or the leak. Neither was she quoted in the story itself, which she had previously testified was part of a larger attempt at transparency.

"Why do they say 'no comment'?" Steele asked. "Because it's wrong and they know it's wrong."

After the article came out, Kane's incoming first deputy, Bruce Beemer, spoke to Kane about the Mondesire leak.

"'Very troubling'," Steele said, quoting a page from Beemer's daily notes. "'She said don't worry about it and it's not a big deal'."

Steele then cited another office staffer's testimony that she scanned the news article and 2009 Mondesire memo and emailed them to Kane. That, the prosecutor said, undercuts her testimony before the grand jury that she had not read the article until August.

A short time later, Kane expressed her wish to Beemer to make some kind of legal filing to quash the grand jury investigation into the Mondesire leak.

"She knows she's wrong," Steele said. "She knows people are looking at her."

Morrow would then testify that, in August, he had a lunch with Kane in which they developed a cover story for the alleged leak prior to their respective appearances before the grand jury.

Throughout that late summer and fall, Steele said, Kane's attorneys repeatedly pushed back her testimony before the grand jury. During the three days between Morrow and Kane's testimony that November, he said, the pair communicated numerous times.

"What are they talking about?" Steele said. "This is about, 'What did you say?', 'What did you tell them?', 'Our stories have got to match'."

The records, Steele said, bolster Morrow's testimony in the criminal case, regardless of the defense attorneys' protestations.

"This is the person they ask you not to believe," Steele said. "This is their relationship. Who should you believe?"

Despite the defense team's closing arguments calling into question the credibility of the prosecution witnesses, he said, the jury must keep focused on the facts.

"You're not here to decide Adrian King. You're not here to decide Josh Morrow," he said. "This is about the Commonwealth of P.A. and the defendant Kathleen Kane."

Nearing the end of his closing arguments, Steele brought the jury back to the victims, with a photo of Hicks together with Mondesire.

Kane leaned back in her seat, eyes focused on the jury box.

"Mr. Mondesire was never arrested," Steele said, his voice nearly shout. "He was never arrested. But she put it out," his voice fading to a whisper, speaking slowly and directly to the jurors. "And that is not permitted under the law.

"That affected him."
WILLIAMSPORT -- City Council says it will conduct a review to ensure city government continues to operate smoothly as the situation unfolds related to the wife of Mayor Gabriel J. Campana obtaining a temporary protection from abuse order against him.

Williamsport Mayor Gabriel J. Campana

City Council members, through President Jonathan Williamson, Sunday issued a statement saying they are disturbed and saddened about the allegations contained in the PFA petition.

Sonia C. Campana obtained the PFA Aug. 1 claiming the mayor has verbally, physically and sexually abused her and threatened her if she took his five children.

The Campanas, who are separated, are scheduled to appear Monday morning before Lycoming County Judge Joy Reynolds McCoy, who will decide if the PFA should be made permanent.

"The parties are entitled to a hearing on the allegations," the council release states.

While respecting the privacy of the Campana family during this difficult time, Williamson wrote, "the allegations cause us to express our collective sentiment that domestic violence, such as that alleged in this case, is a serious problem in our society that must be addressed."

"We note that none of us - elected officials like ourselves included - stand above the law," the statement continues.

"City Council, in its official capacity as the legislative branch of city government, has begun and will continue to review the functioning of the city as a whole, including the office of the mayor and police department."

Council has promised to announce the results of its review and said it wants to assure residents city government continues to operate smoothly.

Campana has not commented on the abuse allegations, but he issued a statement that he loves his wife, he continues to lead the city and requests privacy in this matter.

Council's job is not connected to the PFA but to focus on the business of the city, Williamson said.

A review of the police department was prompted by the Williamsport Sun-Gazette claiming it no longer had access to the daily police logs that others are receiving, he said.

Police Chief David Young declined comment on the paper's claim but said he does not believe the public should have access to the logs, because they contain addresses, many times of victims.

State police do not release their logs, the retired PSP captain said.

The city police logs that are distributed to a number of apartment owners and housing agencies contain the time, address, a one-word or abbreviated nature of the call and incident number.

For instance, the log shows that on Oct. 26, city police were dispatched to the mayor's resident for a domestic incident but no other details.

The PFA against the mayor stems from allegations about his conduct at a July 8 yard sale run by his wife and her sister-in-law. Sonia Campana says her husband yelled at her for approximately two hours and blocked her attempt to get away from him.

Her PFA petition states he eventually left but that night yelled at her for calling someone about the alleged incident.

Sonia Campana claims she is afraid of her husband and that he has a history of physically, emotionally, verbally and sexually abusing her.

She accuses him of raping her and claiming "a husband cannot rape his wife," kicking her, pulling her hair, claiming it is not abuse, and threatening her life if she took his children.

He has never threatened her or their children with a firearm or other weapon, she wrote in the complaint. The couple has four girls and a boy ranging in age from 6 to 12.

Campana, 53, a Republican, has been mayor of Williamsport since 2008. Prior to that, he was a fifth-grade school teacher for nearly 20 years.

He also served on Williamsport City Council for 12 years before he was elected mayor.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yldrm has suggested a three-pronged road map for a solution to the five-year-old war in Syria, which has not only affected neighboring countries but also many parts of the world with the flight of more than 4 million refugees, Hurriyet reported.

Stating that he was optimistic that a solution was at hand due to the changing nature of Turkish foreign policy, in which Ankara aims to make more friends and decrease its number of enemies, Yldrm said the time had come for Turkey to mend relations with Syria after taking steps for rapprochement with Israel and Russia, adding that they would overcome the Syrian problem together with regional actors.

It will be a solution that will absolutely preserve Syrias territorial integrity, Yldrm told Turkish daily Karar in an interview published on Aug. 15.

Therefore, a state structure like the PYD [the Democratic Union Party] in this country [Syria] will be out of the question, said Yldrm, referring to Turkeys objection to the PYD and its military wing, the Peoples Protection Unit (YPG), which has created a federation for the peoples of northern Syria.

Turkey considers the PYD and YPG to be offshoots of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984.

Turkey differs with the United States with regards to the PYD and YPG. The U.S. sees the two groups as its most reliable and effective partners in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The U.S., on the other hand, designates the PKK as a terror organization.

In the second stage, Yldrm said the new era would not feature a state structure in which any of Syrias sectarian, ethnic or regional formations has supremacy over the others.

Namely, a structure will be formed that will eliminate the main defect of the current bloody problem in Syria, he said. As there will be no sectarian structure, this also means that [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad will not be there in the long-run.

Turkey opposes the rule of al-Assad and blames him for many of the 290,000 deaths in the civil war and the creation of 4 million refugees.

When a solution is put in place, Syrians who had to flee and seek refuge in regional countries including Turkey, will return to their country within the scope of a plan, said Yldrm, defining this last stage as the most important step for Turkey, which hosts around 3 million refugees, most of whom are from Syria.
BENSALEM, Pa. -- Two women were charged Sunday after they left an infant in the backseat of a car that reached 115 degrees while they shopped at a suburban Philadelphia Target store, police said



An off-duty Philadelphia police officer spotted the baby Sunday afternoon in Bensalem and managed to pry the door open. The child spent about 15 minutes inside the car, investigators said. The baby's first birthday is next week.



Katia Hernandez, 19, the child's aunt, and Patricia Diaz, 40, the child's grandmother, told police they forgot the baby, police said. They're both facing child endangerment charges. Both women live in Bensalem.

"I don't know how someone forgets that you leave a 1-year-old in the car on one of the most blistering days of the year. They went in shopping and they were going about their business," Bensalem Director of Public Safety Fred Harran told WPVI-TV.



The child's mother was called to the scene and accompanied the baby to a hospital. Authorities said the child appeared to be in good condition.



Court records didn't list attorneys for the defendants.

The National Desk contributed to this report.
UPDATED: 3 hurt in I-81 crash sustained not life-threatening injuries: state police

Several people were injured in a crash Sunday afternoon on Interstate 81 between Chambersburg and Scotland, according to a PublicOpinionOnline.com report.

Three helicopters were dispatched to the scene of the crash, which happened at around 3:10 p.m. at mile marker 19.7 on the interstate. Traffic was shut down for about an hour and a half while the scene was cleared.

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
Short family.jpg

In this Sept. 1, 2014, photo, Willow Short, 4-month-old, center, along with her parents Megan and Mark and sister Liana, 6, and brother Mark, 3, poses for a photo in Sinking Spring, Pa. Willow Short had a heart transplant at 6-days-old. The couple featured in news stories about their difficulties getting medication for the daughter who had a heart transplant were found shot to death in their home along with their three children in apparent murder-suicide, authorities said Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. (Susan L. Angstadt/Reading Eagle via AP)

Berks County DA John Adams discusses the Aug. 6 murder-suicide of Megan Short and her three children at the hands of her husband, Mark Short.

Megan Short and her three children were shot and killed by her husband, Mark Short, in a murder-suicide in their Sinking Spring home Aug. 6 -- the day she was moving out of the home, the Berks County district attorney said Monday.

There had been two domestic violence incidents prior to the deaths, said District Attorney John Adams, and Mark Short had purchased a gun on July 19, the day after the second one.

Megan Short, 33, and children Liana, 8, Mark, 5 and Willow, 2, who underwent a heart transplant as an infant, were found shot to death around 2 p.m. in the living room of the family's home on Winding Brook Drive, police said. A dog was also found shot dead.

The children were in their pajamas, lying together on the floor of the room, said Berks County Detective Michael Gombar.

Adams said the couple was having martial problems and were in the process of separating and that Megan Short had begun moving items out of the home July 25.

On July 18, he said, Sinking Spring police responded to a call at the Shorts' home, Adams said. No physical injuries were found and no charges were filed, and Mark Short had left before police arrived.

Chief Lee Schweyer of Sinking Spring police said Megan Short told them there had been an argument and that she was afraid of her husband. Police advised Megan Short on how to file a protection from abuse petition. While she indicated she was planning to do so the next day, a PFA was never filed.

On July 19, Mark Short legally purchased a .38 caliber five-shot handgun and ammunition from a Lancaster County dealer.

On Aug. 6, Mark Short was planning to help his wife move, along with her family, Adams said. When Megan didn't show up for a meeting with family and couldn't be reached that day, her mother called police.

There was another domestic violence incident in early June at a Philadelphia hotel, Adams said. He said hotel security was called but police were not.

Mark Short left a one-page note, which Adams said the family has asked him not to release. In it, he said, Short admitted to buying the gun and to the killings.

The family made headlines in 2014 when Willow underwent a heart transplant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, due to a heart malformation diagnosed in utero.

After the transplant, stress on the family continued as they dealt with Willow's medical needs. The family was featured in a 2015 story in the New York Times regarding their difficulty in obtaining anti-rejection drugs for Willow through specialty pharmacies.

A memorial service for Megan Short and her three children was held Aug. 12 in northeast Philadelphia. A separate memorial service was held the same day for Mark Short in Clifton Heights, Delaware County.
WILLIAMSPORT -- The temporary protection from abuse order against Williamsport Mayor Gabriel J. Campana will remain in effect by agreement of the parties until Sept. 16.

Lycoming County Judge Joy Reynolds McCoy Monday agreed to the extension, which also modifies the conditions so the mayor can have contact with his children.

The parties spent 90 minutes working out terms of the agreement, thus avoiding an immediate hearing on whether the order should be made permanent.

A somber Campana told the judge he had no questions and agreed to the terms.

She alerted the mayor that a violation is considered civil contempt of court and he could spend up to six months in prison.

Sonia C. Campana, who obtained the order on Aug. 1, also agreed to the terms. Although they are separated, she was wearing her wedding ring. Neither had a comment leaving the courtroom.

The mayor's attorney, Christine Dinges, told the judge it would be in the best interest of all to resolve the issues outside the court system. If they cannot be resolved there will be a hearing at 8:45 a.m. on Sept. 16 on whether to make the order permanent.

The modified terms of the temporary PFA preclude Campana having any direct contact with his wife.

He is evicted from their residence in the 800 block of Rural Avenue but arrangements can be made for him to obtain personal property.

He was granted partial custody of his four daughters and one son but he may contact his wife about them only by email or text.

The Campanas may be at the same events but he is restricted from talking with the children.

Among the spectators in the courtroom was city Councilwoman Bonnie Katz. Sunday, council announced it would conduct a review to ensure city government continues to operate smoothly during this period.

State police confirmed city police officials have contacted them about responding to calls related to the protection from abuse order.

City Chief David Young would not confirm this, but said his officers will respond to all calls. The circumstances will be evaluated to determine if help of other agencies is needed, he said.

In her PFA complaint, Sonia Campana alleged her husband has a history of verbally, physically and sexually abusing her and threatened her if she took his children.

In her complaint she claims she is scared of her husband and cited his alleged actions at a July 8 yard sale she had with her sister-in-law.

If there is a hearing on Sept. 16, Campana will have the opportunity to give his version of their relationship.

Campana, 53, a Republican, has been mayor of Williamsport since 2008. Prior to that, he was a fifth grade school teacher for nearly 20 years.

He also served on Williamsport City Council for 12 years before elected mayor.
The entrance of the restaurant "La Leche" stands closed after armed men abducted as many as 16 people who were dining in the upscale restaurant in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016. Jalisco state prosecutor Eduardo Almaguer said in a news conference that preliminary results of the investigation indicate that all involved, kidnappers and kidnapped, were members of criminal organizations. (AP Photo/David Diaz)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 15

By Orkhan Guluzade  Trend:

Latest on the explosion in Diyarbakir, Turkey

16:43 (GMT+4) A car bomb attack near a traffic police station in the district of Cinar in Turkeys southeastern Diyarbakir Province has killed five and injured more than 25, Haberturk newspaper reports.

Three of the killed and 11 of the injured are police officers.

Rescuers and ambulance crews are working on the scene.

Reportedly, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terrorist group stands behind the explosion.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has continued for over 25 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

The UN and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist organization.

14:44 (GMT+4) A huge explosion has occurred near a traffic police station in the Sukurlu village located between the Cinar and the Bismil districts of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, Dogan News Agency has reported.

A number of ambulances were deployed to the scene, Hurriyet reports.
Chinese tourists can now enjoy the sights of Israel more thanks to new visa regulations. (Photo : Twitter)

Chinese tourists wanting to visit Israel will now find it easier to do so thanks to the new regulations announced by the country's tourism ministry.



In a government notice issued on Thursday, the Tourism Ministry announced that it has approved the issuance of 10-year multiple entry visas to Chinese visitors, China Travel Tourism News reported. Previously,.tourists visas last for three months at a time.



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Tourists coming as part of a tour group also need not worry about the 35 shekels (around $9) processing fee, as it has also been waived by the government. The fee, which was collected from travel agents on top of the handling fees they need to pay to private groups representing them in Israel, has long been decried as a significant obstacle for tour organizers.



The new regulations were part of the bilateral agreement signed by China and Israel to encourage more Chinese tourists to visit the country.



According to Israeli Tourism Minister Yarir Levin, the move will help greatly in attracting more Chinese tourists into the country. From 2015 to 2016, the number of visitors has grown yo by 112 percent, with around 6,400 tourists arriving in July 2016.



The increase in tourist visits has been attributed to the deal brokered by Levin with Chinese private airline Hainan Airlines to open a direct route from Beijing to Tel Aviv in April, Ynet News reported.



Levin considers China an important tourist market, with Chinese tourists spending as much as $1,947 per visit, a far cry from the general average of around $1,600, which is why he has reportedly made the country a major focus in the ministry's efforts.


Gaylord council opts not to consider rezoning of city-owned property

Gaylord
ISSUES....

Inside, confidential and off the record





BHP scores big

BHP scores big deepwater gas success. Former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine



BHP Billiton's successful brand-new offshore drilling exploration has been hailed as a positive development for Trinidad and Tobago's energy sector.

The company announced natural gas success in the deepwater LeClerc well, some 135 miles off the east coast of Trinidad.

The well, some 22,876 feet deep, encountered gas in multiple zones, the company said.

Former Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine said the success gives encouragement for the remainder of the eight-well exploration campaign.

Ramnarine noted that the exploration campaign is the largest in the history of T&T and was predicated on nine production sharing contracts.

The contracts were signed between 2012 and 2014 when Ramnarine was Energy Minister.

They led to the second largest 3D seismic survey in the history of T&T's oil and gas industry, of 20,199 square kilometers.

BHP Billiton's President of Petroleum Steve Pastor said he was encouraged by the results of the first well in the T&T exploration campaign.

Pastor said the results will help the company to further appraise the basin as part of its extensive T&T program.

BHP Billiton holds a 65 per cent share in the deepwater block; Shell owns the remaining 35 percent.

The company is contractually obligated to drill a second exploration well in that block.

Ramnarine said the success lend to cautious optimism.

He said that BHP Billiton is fortunate to have an excellent leadership team in Trinidad and Tobago.'

Pastor said that over the next three years, the company would focus its exploration efforts in T&T, the Gulf of Mexico and potentially western Australia.

ttwhistleblower / Aug. 10, 2016







ISSUES.... 08/ 15/ 2016 - Send Us Your Issues



ISSUES.... Inside, confidential and off the record

Is an independent journalist effort from Petroleumworld, on Inside, Confidential and Off The Record Information, its views are not necessarily those of Petroleumworld
Chengtong Holdings aims to raise funds to help reform state-owned enterprises like those in the steel industry. (Photo : Getty Images)

State-owned assets operation and management group China Chengtong Holdings Group Ltd is planning on raising funding to help speed structural reform of China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs), the group's chairman Ma Zhengwu said in Beijing on Thursday.



Ma did not an exact figure for the fund, which is meant to help with finances for SOEs to fund their acquisitions and mergers both in domestic and international markets.



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China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission selected Chengtong as one of the two state-owned enterprises - the other being China Reform Holdings Co Ltd - to pilot SOE reforms initiated by the central government in February.



The company said in a statement on Thursday that the funding will be used to support SOEs "upgrade their industrial layout, optimize capital allocation, investment of state-owned capital, mergers and reorganization, as well as promote their overseas operations".



Chengtong has previously reorganized six SOEs, 14 SOE subsidiaries, and 11 defense industry companies in the past decade, as well as managed bankruptcy liquidations for 656 companies with a total debt of 80 billion yuan ($12 billion).



The group also made headlines in the Chinese market recently when it assisted the financially crippled China Railway Materials Co Ltd in repaying its debt of 6.8 billion yuan between January and August.



Ma said that overcapacity has become a major problem for both the public and private sectors.



"The difference was that private enterprises were more market-orientated, reacting to change through downsizing, shutdowns or bankruptcy, when they were unable to generate a profit," Ma told the China Daily newspaper. "Unsuccessful clearance of overcapacity poses a major threat to China's economic structure."



Ma added that Beijing is now turning towards SOE mergers to create more "global powerhouses" and steer clear of competition, as well as restructuring redundant industries to aid in supply-side reforms in the country.



Chengtong is currently affiliated with 13 national enterprises including China National Materials Storage and Transportation Co, China Paper Investment Co and China Commerce Group, as well as 13 subsidiaries in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Russia, and the United Kingdom.


Lagniappe

TOGY : Sea change: Interview with Kevin Ramnarine



The Juniper project, BPTT's first subsea field development, will have a

production capacity of 590 MMscfd and is expected to start production in 2017

TOGY talks to Trinidad and Tobago's former Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs Kevin Ramnarine about current deepwater plays and how he views the future of Trinidad's energy industry development. Ramnarine suggests that multinationals should allow small local companies to sublease marginal fields that would otherwise be uneconomical for larger operators to develop. What are the most promising offshore projects?



2016 is going to be a pretty bad year for gas production. It probably will be the worst of the last six years.



In 2017, we will begin to see a change. We will see three projects come on stream that have been in the making for the last two to three years. One of them is Sercan, which is a JV between EOG Resources and BP. That will bring on 250 mcf [7.08 mcm] of gas per day by Q1 2017. The second project is TROC [Trinidad Regional Onshore Compression]. It is the installation of compression at Point Fortin in Atlantic's compound. That will add another 300 mcf [8.5 mcm] of gas per day. The third project, which is a big one, is Juniper, which comes on in Q4 2017. That project will produce 590 mcf [16.7 mcm] of gas per day. If you add all three together, you get approximately 1.1 bcf [31.2 mcm] of natural gas per day added to the country's gas production level.



A significant volume of gas will come into the market next year as a result of drilling, which is a consequence of investment due to fiscal incentives. In May 2016, the drillship Transocean Invictus arrived in Trinidad to start a deepwater drilling campaign in waters that are in excess of 1,000 m off our east coast and northeastern coast of Tobago. This is an eight-well deepwater drilling programme. I want to stress that all over the world, deepwater drilling has stopped because it is very risky and expensive. For example, Shell has pulled its deepwater drilling programme out of the Arctic. How was Trinidad able to sustain these projects?



In Trinidad and Tobago, we are starting to drill while everyone else is ending deepwater drilling. That is a consequence of the fiscal regime and the fact that we were able to make significant changes to the deepwater PSAs in the last couple of years. This attracted BHP Billiton to invest in the way they did.



It's a huge campaign with a lot of potential oil to be discovered. We believe that there is a whole other province out there that has never been tapped. We believe that Trinidad and Tobago mirrors the potential of Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. The ministries have seen the full deepwater potential to be from 2-8 billion barrels of oil. The deepwater drilling programme comes on the back of the largest seismic survey ever conducted by a multinational, which is BHP's seismic survey of 20,199 square kilometers. What does the future look like for Trinidad's deepwater development?



Dr Dave Rainey, who is the chief exploration geologist for BHP Billiton, has explained that seismic is showing significant anomalies, which they believe to be potentially giant oilfields in our deepwater. That could change Trinidad fundamentally. Trinidad and Tobago could resemble something like an emirate if we find that volume of oil in deep water. Of course, the price has to be right. They would need USD 60-65 per barrel to make it productive. In 2010, the upstream sector was dormant, and no investment was taking place. The fiscal regime for upstream didn't work, so we made plenty of changes to the policy.



Afterwards, companies started to invest again. That is how we have Juniper. BP is the most important player in Trinidad and Tobago because they have the biggest footprint here in terms of volume. BP accounts for 20-25% of government revenue. They are also the largest investor in the country. They will invest USD 1-1.5 billion a year for the next four to five years. Juniper alone is worth USD 2.25 billion. It is the most expensive upstream investment in the history of Trinidad and Tobago.



After Juniper, we have another project planned called Angelan. This has not yet been approved, but it is very important for Trinidad and Tobago. We always have to think about the future. BP and Trinidad are locked in a symbiotic relationship. We are very important to them, and they are very important to us. Trinidad and Tobago is 17% of BP's global volume if you look at oil and gas as one unit, as boe. That makes Trinidad the biggest asset for BP in the world because we have the most volume in a single space.



BG has had some disappoints in the last couple years with Starfish and around Lobster. Lobster is less known. It was an exploration well that wasn't very successful. They have seen their business shrink in Trinidad and Tobago.



EOG Resources has been very consistent. They are the low-cost, very-quiet, no-frills company. BHP is very consistent with their gas and oil production, and they have plans to expand into deepwater. I think the upstream sector is in a good place, but it will take some time to dig ourselves out of the hole that we have been in for the last couple years in regards to gas production. From a fiscal and regulatory perspective, what will enable the country to maintain this level of investment?



An enabling environment is a combination of many things, taxation being one of them. Also, the mood, body language and the whole attitude of the government towards investments are very important. When I was minister, I sent a very clear message that we were not going to increase taxes for oil and gas businesses. The industry was very happy because they knew that they could plan their dealings in accordance with our promise. We told them that if anything, we would decrease taxes, which is what we did. We gave them incentive.



I think an enabling environment is also a function of access to the government. The multinationals in particular need to have access to the ministers and key stakeholders. There are a lot of myths around this sector that have kept it back; there is a lot of mistrust. One of the myths is that multinationals are here to rob us. Since I came from a multinational company before I was minister, I knew this was all wrong. They are not here to take advantage of us. They are here to do business and make a return on their capital that would satisfy their shareholders.

That is what business is about.



I also was aware that Trinidad doesn't exist by itself in the world, and companies have options. We compete for that investment with Colombia, Brazil, Angola, Azerbaijan and with the Gulf of Mexico. We have to look at the fiscal regime and how competitive it is from a global context. You have to know that Trinidad and Tobago is not the only game in town.

Other countries have things to offer to attract companies. For example, Colombia's oil industry has really opened up. They have doubled oil production in the last decade. That attracts investment. Now we have to compete with a Mexican oil industry, which has now de-monopolised Pemex, opened its doors and welcomed everyone. It means that an investor will look at Mexico's deepwater and Trinidad's deepwater markets and weigh the two, look at the risk, look at the economies and make a decision. The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries has to constantly be at the cutting edge of the global industry, and it is very easy to dull that edge and fall back. Can you offer any insight on the TROC project?



TROC is a compression project. You can install compression anywhere along the network. Compression is cheaper to install on land than offshore because there is limited space on a platform. It takes up a lot of space. They are installing compression facilities in Point Fortin which drops the pressure in the entire gas grid and stimulates BP's offshore wells to produce more gas. This is going to add another 300 mcf per day. The investment is being completely paid for by BP. It is very important to our country that this project happens and that it is successful. I think BP in particular has demonstrated that they are prepared to stay here and invest for the long term.



Shell has also come to Trinidad and Tobago and expressed that the country is attractive to them. One reason is LNG possibilities and the other is the deepwater sector. BG has a stake in LNG, which is now Shell, and they also have a stake in deepwater. Shell is now the major shareholder in trains two, three and four, and the minority shareholder in train one. Shell is now the dominant player in LNG in Trinidad and Tobago. My question is this: if Trinidad and Tobago was running out of gas, why did Shell come into Trinidad so strong? Because they bought out Repsol's assets in the Atlantic LNG facility three years ago, and now they bought out BP's assets.



Does Shell know something about Trinidad and Tobago that the media doesn't know? I think they understand the potential of the basin. What kind of potential can be found for the country in the regional oil and gas industry?



Trinidad and Tobago is not limited to just this country. Venezuela is right next door with lots of gas, and that gas is actually surrounding our country. There is no infrastructure in eastern Venezuela to possess that gas. There is the Dragon field near the north coast, which contains 13 tcf [368 bcm] of gas that the Venezuelans have never monitored. It is just sitting there. Eastern Venezuela is a lot of jungle and swamp and so on.



Trinidad and Tobago has a lot of infrastructure, capable people and plants that need gas. At some point in time, that gas from Venezuela will have to come to Trinidad because it makes economic sense for both countries. It can be a very easy way for Venezuela to make some very quick cash, which they need right now. We need gas; they need cash. I think at some point in time logic and economics will drive that gas into Trinidad within the next 5-10 years. What potential do smaller fields have?



There's a lot of small pools of gas that may not interest people like BP, but it may be economical and feasible for small companies. One of the conversations that has to happen is a conversation between BP and smaller entities, where they allow them to sublicense into their acreage and develop their small pools. There are very many good small firms in Trinidad. That could bring on another 6 tcf [170 bcm] of gas into production. How do we deal with gas containment in the more immediate future?



There is no short-term solution to the gas containment problem in Trinidad. There is, however, a medium-term solution. Even when Juniper, Sercan, and TROC come on line, it will not eliminate the problem because as those fields come on line, other fields will decline. They are just filling a hole. The peak gas production of this country was in 2010, which was 4.3 bcf [122 mcm] of gas per day. Unless we get Venezuelan gas into this country, it is very unlikely we'll ever get back there.



A conversation has to start in Trinidad not only about supply management, but demand management. This is why I have advocated publicly that the closure of the Alcelor Mittal plants may have been a good thing for Trinidad because we have a shortage of gas. This is one of the plants that we didn't get much return on. It would have made more sense to sell our gas to those companies that pay us more for it like our ammonia and methanol plants. What are your thoughts on fuel subsidies?



The new subsidy has to go. How it goes is the question. [The subsidy on] diesel is being slowly removed. There is no subsidy on super petrol, there is no subsidy on premium, but there is a subsidy on diesel. This subsidy has to go, but incrementally. The more the subsidies vanish, the more people will begin to think about hybrid, electric and CNG vehicles. All our cars in Trinidad and Tobago should be of this nature. That is the future, and it should be the future for this country as well. This would give us more fuel to export to get more foreign exchange and buy more things that we like. The subsidy is on the way out and everybody agrees.



Because of the cheap price of electricity in Trinidad, it doesn't make the economics of renewable energy viable, but that didn't stop us. We put a lot of policies and laws in place to facilitate and enable renewable energy investment. I suspect the price of electricity will increase because in Trinidad it costs USD 0.06 per kWh, and that's residential. Jamaica is USD 0.28 per kWh. When oil is USD 100 a barrel, Jamaica could be USD 0.45 per kWh.



If the price of electricity were to increase in Trinidad, you would see people investing in solar and so on. It is the direction we are headed in, and it is a good direction. We started to and have continued to work on a wind farm. We have set a target of 10% of our electricity from renewables by 2030. I think that is achievable, but requires will and investment in the private sector. For that to happen, it has to make economic sense. Nobody wants to have a renewable sector that is subsidised like the renewable sector in England or in Scotland.



Kevin Ramnarine is the former Energy Minister of Trinidad and Tobago . Petroleumworld does not necessarily share these views Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published by The Oil & Gas Year (TOGY) ; on Aug.10, 2016. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers. All comments posted and published on Petroleumworld, do not reflect either for or against the opinion expressed in the comment as an endorsement of Petroleumworld. All comments expressed are private comments and do not necessary reflect the view of this website. All comments are posted and published without liability to Petroleumworld. Use Notice:This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of issues of environmental and humanitarian significance. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.



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The Pirate Bay is an online index of digital content , founded in 2003, where visitors can search, download and contribute magnet links and torrent files, which facilitate peer-to-peer file sharing. (Photo : YouTube/ReviewTechUSA)

The Pirate Bay (TPB) has once again proven to be the king of torrents after KickassTorrents (KAT) and Torrentz.eu shut down. Last week, TPB celebrated its 13th anniversary amid other torrent giants succumbing to the long arm of the law.



KAT was shut down after the alleged owner was arrested in Poland on the United States government orders, according to Torrent Freak. It is unlikely that the original domain will come back anytime soon, but KAT crewmembers have been working hard to keep users together.



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Swedish pro-culture organization, Piratbyran (Piracy Bureau), founded TPB in 2003. While the initial idea was to create a first public file-sharing site in Sweden, TPB soon turned into a universal file-sharing icon it is today.



For many years, there have been moves to shut down the site. In 2006, Swedish authorities raided the website following pressure from the US, but the site only returned stronger. Furthermore, criminal convictions of TPB founders did not kill the website, nor did any of the subsequent attempts to shut it down, and today, the site is very much alive.



The Pirate Bay's resilience is an achievement by itself, especially since other sites have fallen over the years. Currently, many KAT and Torrentz.eu users are getting their torrent files from TPB. In fact, the website is now the most visited.



Speaking with the same publication, several TPB crewmembers are not happy with the circumstances surrounding the torrent community. However, they said that TPB has a crucial role to play in the community.



"TPB is as important today as it was yesterday, and its role in being the galaxy's most resilient torrent site will continue for the foreseeable future," Spud17 said. "Sure, TPB has its flaws and glitches but it's still the go-to site for all our media needs, and I can see TPB still being around in 20 or 30 years time, even if the technology changes."



While Xe pointed out that TPB is not perfect, she said that the site's resilience is an important factor today. Therefore, it is not surprising that the site is once again the destination of choice in the torrent community.



Here is footage for more information on TPB:






Nick Pescetto - Bali 2016:

Morning Loam with Eliott Lapotre:

Beatin Around the Bush:

Defining the Cup - Episode 3: Sun Valley with Teal Stetson-Lee:

Kovarik Racing - Silver Star 2016:

Supreme DH V3 2017:

Braeden Onciul in Slocan Valley:

Baxter Maiwald - The Morzine 138:

Bike Park Bernex 2016:

Bas van Steenbergen Rips Down a 'Dream Slalom' MTB Track:

Field Trippin BTS: Bringing a Freestyle Biker's Dream to Life:

Team Illingworth - Woodward 2016:

Ryan Nyquist - ''End Search'' Segment:

Real Moto 2016 - Kris Foster:

Brodie Evans:

Pleasure - Official Trailer:

Few months in Bali riding at the Bali Bike Park and living the life. Remeber, you only lit once.Loam, nervous bike, home tracks, RAW, and so much fun. Smiles for miles.Fresh off his first NW Cup win, 16 year old Sylas Linnemann rips some of his favorite local trails.After a crash in New Mexico at the last SCOTT Enduro Cup, Teal Stetson-Lee heads to Sun Valley unsure if shell be good to race. Once she feels things out on the bike, Teal decides to sit out of the race and helps support her fellow riders instead. Whether its dog duty or driving the shuttle rig, the support among the athletes is what makes the whole SCOTT Enduro Cup much more than a race.Team edit from BC cupThe Supreme DH V3 2017 is a part of us. Good looking, reliable, fast and fun. Is has become our point of reference when creating any new platform.Quick raw edit of Braeden Onciul shredding in the Slocan Valley.Here's the latest trail biking video from my time in Morzine testing the huck and rut railing capabilities of the Canyon Spectral. Filming: Remy Morton, Max Warshawsky, and Liam Moss.Discover Bike Park Bernex with Benjamin Staehle.Bas slaying in 4k. Video: Harrison Mendel and Liam Mullany.Some things are just far too simple. For example, building some dirt jumps in a field in Sweden and filming Martin Soderstrom and Dawid Godziek riding them on a beautiful sunny day. Too easy, right?!A dream team of Illingworth, Jason Watts, Kriss Kyle, and camper Adrian Godinez throwing down.A true classic.Foster's got a unique perspective on what's possible on a dirt bike.Ripping with the Acres crew this past season.The 17th annual ski motion picture from Level 1.

Pleasure Official Trailer from Level 1 on Vimeo.

Good Company - Vice Versa Official Trailer:

Great Episode 3 - The Rockstar:

Tom Wallisch and friends getting after it.Featuring free climbing legend Alex Honnold.Title Photo by: Ian Collins To check out videos submitted by fellow Pinkbike members that didn't quite make Movie Mondays here
2016 PokerNews Cup Main Event Day 2: Ronny Voth Leads Final Eight

August 15, 2016 Christian Zetzsche Contributor

Day 2 of the 250 PokerNews Cup Main Event saw 251 hopefuls out of a 1,104 entry strong field return to the tables of the King's Casino in Rozvadov and only eight players remained when the chips were bagged up for the night. It's Day 1a chipleader Ronny Voth in the lead.

Seat Player Country Chip Count 1 Alin-Florin Toma Romania 7,480,000 2 Christian Sperrer Austria 2,275,000 3 Ronny Voth Germany 9,125,000 4 Jenny Germany 1,100,000 5 Miroslav Lelek Slovakia 1,280,000 6 Ondrej Vlasanek Czech Republic 2,535,000 7 "Magic Man 558" Germany 5,735,000 8 Timur Caglan Germany 3,615,000

The penultimate day started with 251 players still in contention and only 103 spots were paid. The action early on was incredibly fast-paced. After a total of only 14 full levels of 45 minutes each, the unofficial final table was reached and Sebastian Langrock busted in a three-way all in to miss out on the live stream spotlight today.

Day 1a chip leader Ronny Voth surged into the lead in the last few levels and claimed 9,125,000. He is followed by Alin-Florin Toma with 7,480,000, the Romanian cracked the aces of Miroslav Lelek with pocket kings and sent Langrock to the rail, who had jacks.

King's regular "Magic Man 558" follows in third with 5,735,000, while Timur Caglan (3,615,000) is in the middle of the pack. Ondrej Vlasanek (2,535,000) of the Czech Republic and Austria's Christian Sperrer (2,275,000) make it an international final table and aforementioned Lelek (1,280,000) as well as Jenny (1,100,000) are the two shortest stacks.

The action will recommence at 1 p.m. local time in Europe's biggest card room and there will be a live stream with hole cards and commentary available. There are 16:49 minutes left in level 29 at blinds 60,000-120,000 with a running ante of 20,000 and all finalists have 4,460 locked up for their efforts. The winner takes home 44,707 and bragging rights.

Among those to bust before the money were the King's regulars PiMo and Zarathustra. Martin Kabrhel, Deniz Sinanmes and Raketak were eliminated in a three-way all in and the bubble burst in the last hand of level 19 with the elimination of Andreas Thomas Gondrom. Within the next level, more than 30 players were eliminated and the two chip leaders at the start of Day 2, Giuseppe De Tomasso (64th) and Tippy333 (59th) had to settle for 755 each.

There was plenty of drama with high pocket pairs also. Roman Montovsky ran with ace-king into the kings of Jiri Chladek, only for the latter to send his stack to "Magic Man 558" with kings versus aces.

Tezer Cetindag had a roller coaster day with several double ups and finished 18th. Just over half an hour later, the field had already been reduced to 11 with Martin Bartos, Simon Bollinger, Francisco Arce, Adrian Buzan and Tony Veille all being sent to the rail in quick succession. Antonio Rubiano Prada was left short after a confrontation with Sperrer and fell in 11th while Sandro Pitzanti had to settle for 10th.

The unofficial final table lasted less than 15 minutes until the clash of three pocket pairs brought Day 2 to a spectacular end. An overview of all players in the money can be found in the live reporting.

Make sure to tune back in and follow the updates of the PokerNews live reporting team to find out who will be crowned champion here in Rozvadov.

Be sure to complete your PokerNews experience by checking out an overview of our mobile and tablet apps here. Stay on top of the poker world from your phone with our mobile iOS and Android app, or fire up our iPad app on your tablet. You can also update your own chip counts from poker tournaments around the world with MyStack on both Android and iOS.
The Wisconsin National Guard has been activated in Milwaukee Sunday in response to violence and protests that erupted there overnight after a man was fatally shot by police.

"I have activated the Wisconsin National Guard to be in a position to aid local law enforcement upon request," Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said in a statement Sunday.

Walker announced the National Guard activation after a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke, who met with Walker and Wisconsin National Guard Adjutant General Donald Dunbar.

Volunteers spent the morning sweeping and picking up debris  including bricks, bottle and bullet casings  after about 100 protesters clashed with a couple of dozen officers in a north Milwaukee neighborhood, NBC News reports.

"I commend the citizens who volunteered in clean-up efforts this morning," Walker said. This act of selfless caring sets a powerful example for Milwaukee's youth and the entire community. I join Milwaukee's leaders and citizens in calling for continued peace and prayer."
VIDEO: Milwaukee Chief: Suspect Had Gun, Turned Toward Officer Before Shooting

The man who was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer on Saturday  an incident which sparked a night of violent 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, Fox News reports.

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 has called for the body camera video of the shooting to be released as soon as possible.
Royheem Delshawn Deeds was arrested in Florida. (Photo: Georgia Bureau of Investigation)

The suspect in the fatal shooting of a police officer in a small, central Georgia city Saturday has been arrested.

The Dodge County Sherriff's Office told CBS News Royheem Delshawn Deeds is in custody.

Deeds was arrested in Nassau County, Florida early Monday morning. No details on the arrest were immediately available.

Eastman Patrol Officer Tim Smith, 31, was fatally shot about 9:30 p.m. Saturday responding to a suspicious person call in a residential area of the city.

Authorities believe Deeds shot Smith as the officer was exiting his patrol car.
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It is typical of Donald Trumps campaign that while he was railing against the press for allegedly telling lies about him, CNNs Brian Stelter was taking Trump to task for using falsified materials, including made up articles and made-up charts, for his rallies.

Trump, who says whatever he wants even if it is completely false, hypocritically tweeted, 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! Stelter, who has previously advocated for fact-checking Trumps utterances, asked, If hes going to hold up made-up articles  how can we believe what hes actually saying?

It has already been demonstrated that about 90 percent of what comes out of Trumps mouth is a lie. His acceptance speech at the RNC was full of lies and his crime statistics were invented. This, Stelter makes clear, is not an aberration.

Appearing on CNNs Reliable Sources Sunday, Stelter exposed the unreliable sources Trump uses  Stelter calls them creepy websites  to get his point across.

The best Trump advisor Jason Miller could come up with in response was what Id like to see is a chart from Hillary Clinton showing where those emails went.

Watch courtesy of Media Matters for America:

BRIAN STELTER (HOST): Let me ask you about Trump holding up charts at his rallies. He says hes a chart guy now, I love that line from him. This is an example. He was holding up a chart here, in some cases theyre printouts of Fox News graphics, but this one, this is actually from a fringe right wing website. Hes holding up a chart here that shows alleged donations from Middle Eastern countries to the Clinton Foundation. But if you look at this website, BeforeItsNews.com. This is a crazy website to be honest with you. Its got alien stories, conspiracy theories, UFO stories, stuff like that. Anybody can post to that site. Who check this data ahead of time to make sure the sources are accurate and reliable?



JASON MILLER: Brian, on this particular chart, I havent seen that particular chart before, so I cant comment on that.



STELTER: So who on the campaign gave it to him? Somebody printed it out, put it in his hands, and sent him up on that stage.



MILLER: But Brian, again, when were talking, so  two things here. Number one, on that particular chart, I have not seen that, these are usually produced with our policy department. But again, going to the point of what Mr. Trump is talking about, is how the American economy is going down and is not doing well under President Obama 



STELTER: Hes got a  but if we cant  no. We cant start with the facts. If hes going to hold up made-up articles or made-up charts from fringe websites, how can we believe what hes actually saying?



MILLER: Brian, again, are you saying that our economic growth right now is going in the right direction? Are you saying that American homeownership is in a good place right now?



STELTER: Im saying that I want every presidential candidate  Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, every other candidate  to hold up charts that are accurate and that are well-sourced. I prefer for them to not rip them off the internet from creepy websites.



MILLER: Brian, what Id like to see is a chart from Hillary Clinton showing where those emails went. Thats what I would like to see.



STELTER: So you think she that she should hold up charts as well. But thats not the point of Donald Trumps charts. Where is he getting this stuff, whos vetting this stuff, before it goes up on stage?



MILLER: Brian youve already heard me give the answer, as far as I hadnt seen that particular chart. But again, the point that Mr. Trump has been making is about the American economy. And if Hillary Clinton wants to own this third term under Obama, then she has to own the terrible economic record as well.

Trumps connections to right wing conspiracy theorists is well-attested, from Roger Stone to Michael Savage. It is no secret that he and Alex Jones are in sync. With their help, and that of invented material from creepy websites, Trump is able to lie faster than most listeners can fact-check him.

When Stelter asks, If hes going to hold up made-up articles or made-up charts from fringe websites, how can we believe what hes actually saying? Miller, who when working for Ted Cruz used to tweet things like #sleazydonald, has no answer but to deflect the question with attacks on President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump is finding it more difficult every day to hide behind his lies, and that is a big problem, and one that is sure to get worse as his attacks on the media continue.
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Hillary Clinton is kicking Donald Trumps backside from coast to coast, so it is not surprising that House Republicans are now demanding that the Department of Justice investigate Clinton for perjury.

The Hill reported:

A pair of leading House Republicans on Monday laid out detailed instructions for the Justice Department to file perjury charges against Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

More than a month after first requesting the department open a criminal probe into Clinton for alleged misstatements she made under oath, the GOP heads of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees told a federal prosecutor specifically where they believed Clinton had lied to Congress about her email setup at the Department of State.

The perjury investigation is never going to happen, and the fact that they would call for a perjury investigation illustrates how deep the abuse of power culture runs in the Republican House.

Donald Trump is sinking like a rock. Things have gotten so bad for Trump that there are more red states that he could potentially lose (Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, Utah, and Indiana) than blue states for him to flip (0).

Donald Trump is getting beaten from sea to shining sea by the Hillary Clinton campaign, and the GOP nominee is showing expertise only in personal ineptitude, so House Republicans are trying to save their party by creating a new Hillary Clinton scandal.

Their ploy isnt going to work.

Republicans have been misusing their investigative powers for years in an attempt to stop Hillary Clinton from winning the White House. The call for a perjury investigation is the next step for an increasingly desperate party that is drowning with the Trump anchor snugly strapped around their necks.
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Donald Trumps campaign is faring so poorly that new internal polling revealed that Hillary Clinton is tied with Trump in his own running mates home state of Indiana.

Howey Politics Indiana reported on an internal Democratic poll that shows how deep the Trump caused GOP devastation could go, An internal poll for Democrat gubernatorial nominee John Gregg not only had him leading Holcomb 46-39%, but showed that Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are tied in Indiana at 44%. Granted this was a partisan poll, but the Holcomb head-to-head with Gregg could actually be seen as a silver lining, since Holcomb has yet to mount a consistent statewide TV campaign. The Holcomb/Gregg head-to-heads are consistent with internal GOP polls HPI is aware of.

Thanks to Trump, Republicans may not only lose the state where Trumps running mate current Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is serving, but they may also lose the office that Pence currently occupies.

President Obama did win Indiana in 2008, but John McCains running mate wasnt from the state. The fact is that Indiana was viewed by many in the national media as a lock for Trump before he chose/was forced to add Pence to his ticket. If Trump ends up losing the state with Pence, it would be a defeat larger and more embarrassing than Mitt Romney losing Wisconsin with Paul Ryan on the ticket in 2012. Wisconsin hasnt gone Republican since the state voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984.

Before Obama won the state, Indiana had not supported the Democratic nominee since 1964. A Trump loss with the sitting governor of the state on the ticket would be a devastating embarrassment. However, a May poll of the Hoosier State revealed that Trump held a 7 point lead on Clinton. Outside of adding Pence to the campaign, Trump has done nothing but self-destruct on a nearly daily basis.

The poll was a Democratic poll, but there is no evidence to suggest that Trump is running away with the state.

Given the current condition of the Trump campaign, it isnt hard to believe that the race could be close in Indiana.
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The consensus among non-partisan observers is that the speech that Donald Trump gave about ISIS was so full of lies, inconsistencies, and gibberish that it made no sense.

Politico hit Trump for repeating his lie about always opposing the Iraq war, Donald Trump on Monday once again repeated his long-debunked claim that he opposed the Iraq War from the beginning  an attempt to draw a contrast with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who voted for the war. But like much else in Trumps foreign policy speech in Youngstown, Ohio, his portrayal of his record on the Iraq War doesnt quite square with the facts. The Republican presidential nominee cited two interviews in which he expressed skepticism about the war but failed to mention a 2002 interview with radio host Howard Stern, who asked him if he supported a U.S. invasion.

The New York Times reminded all that it was George W. Bush, not Obama, who engaged in nation building, While Mr. Miller said that under a President Trump, the United States would continue to spread a message of promoting a better way of life in countries with oppressive governments that foster the Islamic State, he argued there was a distinction between that and nation building, which he associated with Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton. Yet it was President George W. Bush, who opposed such nation building in his 2000 presidential campaign, who became most identified with it in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mr. Obama, preparing for his re-election effort in June 2011, announced the withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan in a speech in which he said, America, it is time to focus on nation-building here at home.

CBS News noted that all of Trumps proposals to stop the spread of ISIS were already being used by the Obama administration, To prevent the spread of radical Islamic terrorism, Trump suggested he would not push for regime change as president, and he would disrupt terrorists activities online to recruit and promote their propaganda and he would work coordinate with other countries interested in destroying the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). All of these proposals are already policies that the Obama administration has been pursuing.

Trump biggest problem, according to NBC News was that his speech was full of contradictions and lies, But setting aside the debate over that rhetoric, which he did not repeat in his speech, the national security framework he described was so contradictory and filled with so many obvious falsehoods that its virtually impossible to tell what he would do as president.

Trumps speech was full of words read off of a teleprompter with really low energy, but what was missing was a coherent policy to deal with terrorism and ISIS. Republicans are so busy trying to convince America that Donald Trump can look the part of a president that they are hoping that nobody notices that even when chained to a written text, Donald Trump never says anything that makes the slightest bit of sense.

Donald Trumps speech was a pile gibberish held together by a string of lies that when looked at in total revealed a picture of an unqualified presidential nominee. Trump isnt learning. His campaign isnt getting any better.

Voters arent going to vote for the pig, no matter how much lipstick the GOP slaps on him between now and Election Day.

The Donald Trump as Republican nominee experiment has been a total failure.
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Rudy Giuliani, known for his offensive racist remarks every time there is a police-involved shooting, went on Fox News Fox & Friends Monday morning to claim that protests turned violent in Milwaukee makes Donald Trumps point that law and order is out of control in America.

The source of Giulianis outrage this time is the police shooting of an armed suspect in Milwaukee, which has led to demonstrations which have turned violent. The officer and suspect in this case are both African-Americans.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Monday morning that,

For a second night, disorder hit Milwaukees Sherman Park neighborhood late Sunday, with protesters throwing rocks, bricks and glass bottles at police, shots ringing out and a shooting victim rescued by officers and whisked to a hospital in an armored vehicle.



The disturbances came as the city coped with the aftermath of Saturday nights violence that followed a police shooting of an armed suspect.

Naturally, Fox News Steve Doocy was eager to politicize the incident and resultant protests in order to make the oft-repeated conservative talking point that law and order is breaking down in America, and that this requires Donald Trumps very-small-but-apparently-very-strong-though-unable-to-serve-in-Vietnam hands:

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Rudy, what do you make of the sheriff and the governor activating the National Guard just in case?



RUDY GIULIANI: What I make of this is how bad things have become in America. When we have a riot in a police situation in which we dont know all the facts yet. First of all, you should never have a riot. Number two, you should never  even if the facts were bad, you should never presume anyone guilty. Criminals arent presumed guilty, police officers are. Here, the police chief has told us, and there seem to be some witnesses, that this guy had a gun, he was running away, turned around, and pointed the gun at the police officer.



DOOCY: Right.



GIULIANI: So now we have two black men. The black perpetrator running away and a black police officer. What was the black police officer supposed to do? Wait and get shot and then shoot back? And doesnt his life matter? Doesnt the fact that he had to take action in self-defense matter? Because, otherwise, instead of talking about this man being  this other man being dead, wed be talking about a black man being dead, namely a black police officer. And wheres Black Lives Matter defending him? He took action in self-defense. Im sorry, if a guy runs away from a police officer, and the guy turns around and points a gun at him 



DOOCY: Youre in trouble.



GIULIANI: Is the new rule, I have to get shot first before I shoot back? Of course it isnt. So, if they can riot over something like this, it makes Donald Trumps point that law and order is out of control in America. And its out of control not because weve having bad weather. Its out of control, from the very top, weve had two years of anti-police rhetoric. Anti-police, disgusting comments. Hillary Clinton, right at the beginning of her announcement, proclaimed all the police officers in Baltimore guilty. They turned out all to be not to be guilty. Three found not guilty by an African American judge. And shes never apologized for that. In other words, she found them guilty before they were found innocent. Its supposed to, in America, work the other way around, Ms. Clinton. Im sorry. And that atmosphere created by the president, Mrs. Clinton, first [former Attorney General Eric] Holder, now the Justice Department. The four police officers get cleared and the Justice Department puts Baltimore police under arrest. Ferguson situation, the guy had his hands up. Never happened. Seven witnesses, Ive read the testimony of some of those witnesses, some of whom were African American, said that he never had his hands up, he was charging the police officer. That officer is found not-indictable, and Obamas own Justice Department, which we know is extensively anti-police officer 



DOOCY: Very political.



GIULIANI: And theyve brought a lot of cases that never should have been brought against police officers, found no charges. Yet no one apologizes for going around saying hands up. So, what theyve done is, it is absolutely fair to say theyve created an atmosphere in which this kind of rioting can happen when a perfectly justifiable shooting happens between men of the same race.

Rudy Giuliani has been rightly condemned by The New York Times Editorial Board for his peddling of poisonous disinformation, and unsurprisingly he is the Fox News go-to guy when its time to condemn all blacks for any violence that takes place anywhere involving a young black man and police officers.

Unfortunately, Giuliani has not taken Seth Meyers well-intentioned advice that he should probably just shut the f*ck up, and continues instead to spread his poisonous disinformation: blacks are guilty, President Obama is guilty, Hillary Clinton is guilty.

All without benefit of a trial, and all on Giulianis say-so, despite his insistence here that you should never presume anyone guilty. Obviously, there is an unspoken disclaimer that this presumption of innocence applies to you only if youre not black.
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*The following is an opinion column by R Muse*

Nearly all parents and school teachers have, at some point, endeavored to teach children that words have consequences. Its probably safe to assume that when parents and teachers talk about the consequences of careless or hurtful words, they are referring to someones hurt feelings, but when adults are involved it is likely that more than feelings get hurt. Obviously, Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trumps parents or teachers never counseled him on avoiding words that are hurtful, because he has no qualms spouting hate-speech that has had deleterious consequences; possibly deadly consequences.

That is the thinking in and around a Queens, New York mosque after a man walked right up behind a popular 55 year-old Imam and his 64 year-old assistant dressed in traditional Muslim garb and fired five shots at close range resulting in two deaths. The Imam died instantly and his assistant passed away at a local hospital shortly thereafter. Law enforcement officials did not contradict the witness statements, but they did stop short of calling it a hate crime. A high-ranking police source said the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force would investigate, but that it was too early to say what the motive was.

The two men had just finished their afternoon prayers and made it just a block away from the al-Furqan Jame Mosque when a man shot them. The Imam, Maulama Akonjee was highly-regarded in the community and friends and relatives said that he had no problems with anyone. The Imams nephew, Rahi Majid said You would watch him come down the street and watch the peace he brings. He would not hurt a fly.

Although law enforcement was hesitant to designate the murders as a hate crime, local residents, friends and family of the slain imam were not reticent to say, Thats not what America is about. We blame Donald Trump for this . . . Trump and his drama has created Islamophobia.

The president of a different, but nearby neighborhood mosque, Kobir Chowdhury, said We are devastated. We need to get to the bottom of this. We need to know if they did this just because of our religion. However, it seems Mr. Chowdhury had an idea that the brutal killings were just because of religion and said later, Please, read my lips. This is a hate crime no matter which way you look at it.

With all due respect to local residents, this is what America is about or Donald Trump would not be the Republican Party standard bearer. And, one understands blaming Donald Trump for inciting his bases hatred and fear of Islams adherents, but he or his drama has not created Islamophobia. That achievement belongs to Republicans and began after the terror attacks on 911; long before Trump was spreading his anti-Islam message. However, it is more than understandable why local residents suspect Trumps anti-Muslim rhetoric played a role in the death of their revered Imam and his assistant.

Remember, that besides proposing to ban Muslims from America, Trump did channel Adolf Hitler and the dreaded East German Stasi and call on real Americans to spy on Americans they either think or know for sure are Muslims. At a speech in South Carolina Trump encouraged the audience to police their own neighborhoods and besides closely monitoring their neighbors, he encouraged them to spy on Islamic places of worship. He said, Theres something going on in the mosques and other places. Theres some nastiness, theres some meanness there. We know theres something going on. Yes, they are praying.

Trump hasnt been alone of late in inciting hatred towards American Muslims, and that is besides an increase in American flight crew members having American citizens thrown off airplanes because they look a little too Muslim. An Oklahoma legislator called for a final solution to Muslims existing anywhere in the world because according to his evangelical bona fides Islam is not a religion. The Republican doing his best impression of Donald Trump said, We have no long term alternative but to quarantine them prohibiting them from residing anywhere within the civilized nations of the Earth.

With comments like those above and the constant refrain from Trump and his nativist base, it is little wonder the Muslim adherents in Queens blame Donald Trump for the murder of their beloved Imam and his assistant. However, since this is America, bloodthirsty and violent as it is, it is probably the proper course to at least wait until the shooter is in custody before assigning a motive. But it seems there can be no other motive than hate based on religion because the shooter walked up behind the two Muslims in broad daylight and brutally shot them dead and made his escape.

The sad fact is that even if the shooter is captured and says he was driven by Donald Trumps anti-Islam rhetoric, this is America. There is still no prohibition against inciting Americans to target other Americans for death or stalking or Donald Trump would have been arrested and thrown in jail several times; including for inciting violence by way of a Second Amendment remedy against Hillary Clinton.
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Donald Trump tried to reboot his campaign with a speech on ISIS that may have backfired and destroyed his candidacy.

Trumps ISIS speech began with the Republican nominee literally reading a list of recent terrorist attacks. Trump went on to argue that Obama and Clinton have created terrorism and ISIS. Trump managed to tell three lies about the Iran deal in twenty seconds. The Republican nominee claimed that Obama and Clinton unleashed ISIS.

Donald Trump claimed that Obama is intentionally suppressing information about ISIS.

Video of Trump claiming a conspiracy:

Donald Trump: The Obama administration "has downplayed the growth of ISIS" https://t.co/74hBWleQnA https://t.co/Y1bhNSTCUn  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 15, 2016

Trump claimed to remember President Obamas address in Cairo well, but one wonders if he is remembering Obamas speech the same way that he remembers Muslims celebrating on the streets of New York after 9/11. Trump, who claims to oppose the war in Iraq, blamed Obama for the rise of ISIS because the troops didnt stay in Iraq.

Trump claimed that Hillary Clinton lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS.

The Republican nominee asked voters to believe him that he privately opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning.

Trump didnt give a foreign policy speech. What he offered a was low energy repetition of Republican conspiracy theories and a defense of many flip-flops. Donald Trump said that the US should not have been in Iraq, but nonsensically argued that the US should keep the oil. How can the United States keep the oil, when Trump says the country should not have gone into Iraq? The US cant get the oil if they dont go to Iraq.

The Republican nominee announced his goal of defeating radical Islam. As Trumps campaign manager went to the bank to cash the latest check from Putin, Trump stressed that he believed that the US could have a good relationship with Russia.

Trump then went off on a jaunt about Hillary Clintons emails being a disgrace.

Donald Trump announced that he would require immigrants to pass an ideological purity test before being granted a visa:

Video  Trump lays out his extreme vetting immigration screening plan https://t.co/vMFWXGYDfy  Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) August 15, 2016

The problem with Trumps latest attempt to reboot his campaign was the candidates passive aggressive reading with low energy from the teleprompter. Trump spent the entire speech trying to be the new Donald Trump that the Republican Party wants him to be. Trump read all laundry list of Republican conspiracies against Obama with zero zeal.

It was clear that Trump didnt know what he was talking about. Even if one gave him the benefit of the doubt, Trump didnt seem to care about the speech.

Election Day is less than three months away, and Republicans are trying to convince voters that there is a new Trump. However, Donald Trump is clearly not putting any effort into being new Trump.

Just like New Coke, new Trump was a failure.

Trump promised to be Americas greatest champion and reject bigotry and hatred in all forms.

New Donald Trump was not convincing at all.

Trump may have destroyed his candidacy with an apathetic speech that was full of contradictory ideas that the candidate clearly did not want to be giving in the way that he was forced to deliver it.
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The reliably conservative editors of the Wall Street Journal have turned on Donald Trump, the Editorial Board writing Sunday that Trump needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be Presidentor turn the nomination over to Mike Pence.

No half measures here. The WSJ is calling this Trumps moment of truth, and is brutally accurate in its portrayal of the Trump campaign, and one has to wonder if Trump will react as violently as he has to The New York Times critique of his campaign.

The WSJ pointed out that Trump had done himself no favors in their eyes by attacking the media Sunday, writing that,

The latest stories comport with what we also hear from sources close to the Trump campaign. Mr. Trumps advisers and his family want the candidate to deliver a consistent message making the case for change. Theyd like him to be disciplined. They want him to focus on growing the economy and raising incomes and fighting terrorism.

The bewildered editors ask,

Is that so hard? Apparently so. Mr. Trump prefers to watch the cable shows rather than read a briefing paper. He thinks the same shoot-from-the-lip style that won over a plurality of GOP primary voters can persuade other Republicans and independents who worry if he has the temperament to be Commander in Chief.

It is probably not so hard. Rather, Trump has learned that keeping his followers angry and fearful works much better than talking about complicated issues they are loathe to understand. Like Trump himself (or Palin), Trump hears things from people vague references to the shows. This is neither a deep thinking candidate nor a deep thinking crowd. Most deep-thinking Republicans have already detached themselves from Trumps flaming ego.

The editors do raise a valid point:

By now it should be obvious that none of this is working. Its obvious to many of his advisers, who are the sources for the news stories about dysfunction. They may be covering for themselves, but this is what happens in failing campaigns. The difference is that the recriminations typically start in October, not mid-August.

These stories are appearing now because the polls show that Mr. Trump is on the path to losing a winnable race. He is now losing in every key battleground state, some like New Hampshire by double digits. The Midwest industrial states he claimed he would put into playWisconsin, Pennsylvaniahave turned sharply toward Mrs. Clinton.

Seriously  logic? To the Trump crowd? Trump just tweeted Sunday,

I have always been the same person-remain true to self.The media wants me to change but it would be very dishonest to supporters to do so!

He cant change; but he can blame the media for his problems.

So the editors are left to conclude, Mr. Trump has alienated his party and he isnt running a competent campaign.

Those who sold Mr. Trump to GOP voters as the man who could defeat Hillary Clinton now face a moment of truth. Chris Christie, Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Paul Manafort and the talk-radio right told Republicans their man could rise to the occasion.

If they cant get Mr. Trump to change his act by Labor Day, the GOP will have no choice but to write off the nominee as hopeless and focus on salvaging the Senate and House and other down-ballot races. As for Mr. Trump, he needs to stop blaming everyone else and decide if he wants to behave like someone who wants to be Presidentor turn the nomination over to Mike Pence.

Taking Trump behind the woodshed and paddling him like this wont have any effect on Trump; nothing will. As he says, he is being himself. At least, his current self. He has been other selfs before. But this is the personal he has taken into the 2016 presidential race, the one he thought would get him to the finish line.

He has cashed in huge in the primaries, among the deluded and disaffected conservative base. But what hes selling isnt wanted outside that narrow, and ever shrinking demographic. On the other hand, the establishment had their chance last election with Romney, and that didnt sell either.

The truth is, though the WSJ can no more see it than can Fox News or Breitbart, there isnt a whole helluva lot of difference between establishment and base, and Americans just dont want it.
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In an op-ed Sunday in USAToday, Yuval Rabin, the son of assassinated Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin, condemned Donald Trumps words about Second Amendment remedies, calling his words a new level of ugliness in an ugly campaign season.

Rabin, writing from personal experience of political violence, writes that In Israel, incitement such as this led to the murder of my father, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, 20 years ago. Yitzhak Rabin was Israels fifth Prime Minister and was assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing extremist.

His son reminds us that,

After his murder, politicians were quick to condemn the assassin as a lone wolf. They conveniently ignored their role in creating a poisoned environment that led someone to believe that taking a life was a justifiable political act.

Intentional or not, Rabin tells us, the Republican presidential nominee is removing confidence in the democratic form of governance. If an election is seen as illegitimate, if those who supported a candidate are viewed as somehow lesser Americans, then it becomes acceptable  and even appropriate  to work outside the political system.

Republicans have worked for years to delegitimize Democratic governance. We all remember Sarah Palins appeal to real Americans, which automatically relegated the rest of us to fake American status  black, white, whatever your color, you came an ideologically designated other.

In particular, Republicans have singled out Democratic President Barack Obama as a bogus American, allegedly either a Kenyan or a Muslim, or both, but anything but one of us. It is a small step to add Hillary Clinton, in particular since Republicans have previously hinted at killing Obama, at the least imprisoning him for not really being president. Republicans have not treated Obama like a president since he was elected.

This question of Rabins has been asked here repeatedly: How can one enter into an agreement with a counter-party that is illegitimate, or worse?

And that is precisely the problem. Republicans have talked themselves into a very small corner, where conservative compromise with liberals means surrender, where for liberals, compromise means doing exactly what conservatives want them to do.

As Rabin writes, Trumps words are not just words. They can sow the seeds for something much more sinister.
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The eyes have it.

Rochester's Dr. Ty Huber has signed a lease to open a second location for his Huber Eyecare clinic in the Kahler Grand Hotel lobby, in the corner space that overlooks the Peace Plaza and was last occupied by the Revelation/Les Wigs Reneeshop.

"I'm sure it will be very successful. I'm not concerned at all about taking on such an expensive space," he said. Huber estimated this new downtown location will cost about double the per-square-foot cost of his main clinic at Sienna Square,711 Commerce Drive NW.

"I have a lot of customers who work downtown. This will make it easier for them to access Huber Eyecare," he said.

Huber, who opened his first local office in 2007, expects his contractor, Todd Severson of TLS Cos. , to start work on the space later this month. He hopes to be able to open the 1,360-square-foot space in early October. He's hiring a second optometrist and two other employees for the new clinic.

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Leasing that high-profile corner of the Kahler to an eye clinic is a change to the previous strategy that Kahler Hospitality Groupdiscussed during the high-profile lawsuit to evict Renee Carlson 's Revelation/Les Wigs Renee/Merle Norman Cosmetics. While Carlson won the case, she eventually moved her businesses out of the Kahler at the end of 2015. In June, she opened a store in Decorah, Iowa.

During the 2013 case, Javon Bea , the Oronoco businessman who leads the investment partnership in charge of Kahler Hospitality Group, testified that "the new owners thought it (the hotel lobby) was very hodge-podge ... Some functions in the lobby were destinations, not impulse services, and they didn't think those were appropriate to be in the lobby of the Kahler Grand Hotel."

When asked for comment last week, Bea forwarded questions about how Huber Eye Care fits with that strategy to KHG Chief Financial Officer Leslie Hohmann.

"I feel that Huber Optical is going to be a good addition providing patient care support directly across from Mayo and the front of the Kahler Grand," Hohmann said in an email. "We expect that the optical business will be very neat and clean right next to the main entry to the Kahler Grand. While impulse businesses work well in many spots, they are often food-related and carry debris and smells that we did not feel were appropriate for the entry to the Kahler." -- Jeff Kiger
PIPE, Wis.  Wisconsin long has been as one of the nation's leaders in cow dairies, farm after pastoral farm tucked into the state's rolling hills. It's earning another milk laurel in the face of increasing demand for goat cheese and milk: the most dairy goats in the U.S. That distinction will only stand to increase when two of the largest goat dairies in the world soon begin operating in northeast Wisconsin.

It's something Larry and Clara Hedrich didn't expect when they started raising dairy goats in the 1970s as a hobby. They now milk 800 dairy goats, make award-winning cheese from cow, sheep and goat milk and boast enough capacity to process triple what they currently do.

"We're competing in our farm here in Pipe, Wisconsin, with the world," Larry Hedrich said.

The growth in Wisconsin  as well as California, which is No. 2 in goat- and sheep-milk sales  is due to both existing infrastructure and growing appreciation for goat milk in the U.S. Chefs are using it more frequently, consumers are seeking out its unique taste and growing immigrant populations from places like East Africa and Latin America are looking for the familiar products, according to Norm Monsen, dairy economic development consultant at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

But there's a lack of research and goat-specific products, like medicine or feed, which can be problematic for farmers who are turning to the emerging market.

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Goat milk in the U.S. is used mostly for cheese, retail sales of which reached $142 million this year, up 8 percent from $131 million in 2015, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. The quality of Wisconsin's goat milk products is on the rise, too, occasionally winning awards over cheese made from cow's milk.

"There's been nowhere near the amount of milk produced as is needed," Hedrich said, noting that some cheesemakers ship in frozen curds from Europe and import raw milk from Canada to fill the gap. "Our plant has been running starved for milk since we opened."

Wisconsin farmers have been trying to catch up. There are 267 licensed goat farms  more than double from 2004, when there were 126, state agriculture officials said. And the dairy goat herd has increased 70 percent since 2002, from 25,900 to 44,000. Wisconsin had almost $12.9 million in sales of goat and sheep milk in 2012, the most recent statistic available.

California's 39,000 goats trail only Wisconsin, and it had the second-highest sales of sheep and goat milk in 2012, at $12 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"The market is growing by leaps and bounds," said Vicki Tonn, president of the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association. "I can't see it reversing. I can't see there being a surplus."

But whereas cow dairies have extensive research and lots of university experts to offer advice, there's not a single person at the University of Wisconsin who's dedicated to dairy goats. The lack of research can lead to greater obstacles for farmers when their goats fall ill or they want to expand or try a new practice. It also means goat dairies largely face the same regulations as cow dairies, even though they're different animals.

"I think it's really a shame," said Dave Thomas, an animal sciences professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who focuses on dairy sheep. "The dairy goat industry is large enough in the state to deserve some research and outreach expertise, but there is none."

Some hope the advent of the two large dairies in Northeastern Wisconsin will change that by encouraging more research and providing a model for others to follow. Both are being started by leaders in cow dairies  an industry with a strong lobbying presence in the state Capitol.

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"They carry a voice that's still bigger than the goat world," Hedrich said.

The Drumlin Dairy, which could open next year, plans to have about 9,000 goats. The other farm, Chilton Dairy, is being converted to house goats by Milk Source, a cow dairy producer.

Spokesman Bill Harke said there are 1,500 goats already at the site, with 900 of them milking. He said it could expand to 7,600 goats, about 6,500 of them milking.

"This is our first goat farm, so we're taking it a step at a time," Harke said. "We don't want to rush anything."

Monsen said it's hard to say whether the larger dairies will become the industry standard, but that there will likely be room for a range of sizes.

Hedrich said he thinks it will depend on how successful the dairies are: "I don't have a crystal ball, but my guess would be two dairies is not going to have a major impact on the lack of goat milk."
Heres something new for your palate.

With an estimated 25 billion chickens on the globe, this most common fowl has a lot of uses and a lot of symbolism throughout their feathered history.

Ancient Greeks gave them a place of honor on the menus of their symposia. Hindu cremation ceremonies used them as a channel, of sorts, for wicked spirits. According to Aesop, chickens were fabled to be feared by the mightiest of all in the jungle, the lion. The Chinese put chickens on the Zodiac calendar, and used them as a metaphor for venerating their ancestors.

Closer to home, we broil them, bake them, deep fry them, and fillet them. We gather their eggs and poach them, scramble them, flip them into omelettes; sunny-side up, hard-boiled, or deviled, weve never stopped finding ways to incorporate the chicken into our finest table spreads.

Well, heres something you might not know: Chickens can hear you.

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Recent studies have begun to suggest, then prove, that chickens have an amazing ability to regenerate their own hearing . Thats right, whether its severely damaged ear hairs or cells, both of which can cause significant hearing loss, chickens seem to have the amazing ability to naturally restore their own hearing. In fact, scientists now opine that it's only the mammals (read: humans) who cant seem to do the same.

Luckily, there isnt any reason to despair. While millions of people world-wide suffer from hearing loss , they dont have to suffer alone. There are solutions. One, for sure, is to go get your hearing checked.

"Most people would not want to be a chicken, but I am sure that some of my clients would like to regenerate their (ear) hair cells," said Dr. Amy Swain of Amy Swain Hearing Centers in Rochester, Austin, Owatonna, and Waseca. "Hearing loss can be such a frustrating problem. It can cause poor communication with loved ones, which can cause anxiety and depression."

And, while science continues to knock down barriers we havent until now even begun to understand, the ultimate desire isnt science fiction at all; in fact, at the bedrock level, one might call the pull forward all too human.

"It would be amazing to be able to regenerate hair cells in humans," Swain said. "It would help so many people improve the quality of their lives."

So, maybe the question isnt which came first, the chicken or the egg. The chicken or egg question may be fascinating to ponder, but the inside of its ear might be a more interesting place to spend time thinking about.

And, maybe well have to take back every chicken joke weve made throughout history. They can always hear us laughing at them, after all.

Click here to learn more about ExpertVoice - Post-Bulletins native advertising program which allows local businesses to provide educational and valuable content to consumers.

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A call about a man making threats with a rifle prompted a large police presence late Friday  information that turned out to be inaccurate.

The incident began at 10:22 p.m., when Rochester police were sent to the 2500 block of Pinewood Road for a report of a man with a rifle threatening men inside a home. The men had run from the residence to a nearby house for help, said Capt. John Sherwin.

An interpreter was able to learn the suspect actually had a knife, the report says, and the incident was a domestic dispute over property.

The 26-year-old man was identified as Joshua Molina, who allegedly has an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Authorities made contact with Molina, who said he'd turn himself in today on the warrant, Sherwin said.

"We had pretty much every police officer in the city on this case (for a while), because we thought there was a guy in a house with a rifle, threatening to kill three people," he said.

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Molina hasn't been charged in Friday's incident.
A Rochester woman is in custody today after police say she backed her vehicle into a romantic rival's bedroom window.

Erin Daniels, 36, could face charges of second-degree assault, first-degree damage to property and driving after revocation. She could be arraigned as early as today.

The case began early Saturday at a gathering that Daniels, her ex-fiance and his new girlfriend attended in the 300 block of 31st Street Northeast, said Capt. John Sherwin. The two women got into a physical altercation, the report says, and Daniels left.

About 4 a.m., she returned, Sherwin said, and saw some people she didn't like standing outside the building. She allegedly tried to back her car over them, then pulled forward and hit the apartment building.

Daniels then backed her car into the new girlfriend's bedroom window, the report says, breaking the window and frame. The woman was inside the room, but uninjured, Sherwin said.

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Police found Daniels driving in the area a short time later and arrested her. Alcohol was not a factor, Sherwin said.
Dear Answer Man, I read the column in the Post-Bulletin on Saturday about women who, for lack of a nicer way to say this, eat their own placenta after giving birth.

What does Mayo Clinic say about this? Has this actually been studied for health benefits or risks?

What an interesting question to start the week. Frankly, I had never heard of "placenta encapsulation," which is dehydrating and serving up a woman's own placenta in pill form. Brainiacs such as me prefer the term "placentophagy" for a woman consuming her own placenta.

The practice, which apparently has roots in Chinese medical history, has gone trendy since Kim Karadashian and other celebrities have endorsed it as a way to deal with post-partum depression. Others say it can improve milk production or just provide an energy boost.

I invite you to Google "placenta encapsulation" and read mainstream media reports about it. National Public Radio did a story last year that said, "In short, no reliable published scientific studies have adequately assessed what eating one's placenta does or doesn't do." NPR says the cost of encapsulation typically is about $200-$350.

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A story in Newsweeklast year said, "A new paper reviewing 10 previously published studies suggests that there isn't any substantial research to support the idea that placentophagy is actually beneficialor even safe." But the story goes on to say that most mammals engage in placentophagy, and mothers they interviewed anecdotally reported benefits.

The federal National Institute of Health and Human Development , which assisted in funding the study referred to by Newsweek, posted information along the same line, including concerns about how the process is unregulated. According to one of the authors of the study, "There aren't any regulations, and people who provide a service are quite variable on how they go about encapsulating the placenta, although there are definitely more and more, apparently, training programs being developed. But there hasn't been any look at the risk of whether or not a woman gets sick, does it cause them any health problems long term, and that might not be something we would see right away. We know that the placenta filters toxins, and it can also get infected, but we are not aware of how much of the metal, for example, that can be found in the placenta, such as mercury or seleniumwe're not aware of how much remains once it's processed or after it's processed."

There's plenty more to read, pro and con, online, but to sum up, here's what the website WebMD has to say about it:

"People who support eating the placenta say that it can raise your energy and breast milk quantity. They also say it can level off your hormones, lowering your chances of postpartum depression and insomnia. Those claims have not been fully tested. So there is no proof that eating your placenta actually does these things. But some experts say we should continue to study it...

"While there doesn't seem to be any proof that eating your placenta can help you, there is some proof that it can hurt. If you eat it "fresh" or raw, it might spread infection. Even processing your placenta by putting it in capsules might spoil it with bacteria or viruses. Some hospitals may not allow you to take it or eat it. So if you're considering it, ask ahead of time about their policy."

And here's what the world-famous local clinic has to say about it , in a Mayo Clinicweb posting from just a few weeks ago by Julia A. Lamppa, CNM, APRN at Mayo:

"Supporters point to research that suggests benefits for postpartum women. But these studies tend to lack in convincing evidence. They focus on animal research and anecdotal experiences or they're poorly designed. To date, there is no reliable research on humans that supports the benefits of placentophagy.

"Until the proven benefits or harms of consuming your placenta are clear, use caution. If you decide to proceed, do your own research to ensure that the placenta processor (say that ten times fast) has been trained and certified. Careful processing is a necessity because placentas carry blood-borne diseases."

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That's what Dr. Rebecca Starck, of Cleveland Clinic, said in an interview last year with CBS News : "There have been studies that have shown bacteria and viruses can remain in the placenta tissue, and we don't know that it's being treated in a way that could prevent that from being passed to the mom," she said.

According to the CBS story, Starck recommends women who are interested in placentophagy should talk with their doctor first. In fact, one of the concerns is that new mothers dealing with post-partum depression may not be getting the care they need because they're taking placenta pills.

I'll cut the cord on this for today, but as you can see, there's plenty to read and plenty to talk about if you're interested in placentophagy.
Father jailed in death of 4-month-old daughter

MINNEAPOLIS  Minneapolis police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the death of his 4-month-old daughter, who was discovered lifeless inside of a duplex after suffering assault wounds.

The girl was brought to Hennepin County Medical Center after police discovered her inside the eastern Minneapolis home Saturday evening. The girl's father was arrested and remained jailed on Sunday.

Police said the 21-year-old man was home alone with the child at the time, and that there are no other suspects. She'll be identified after the county medical examiner completes an autopsy to determine her cause of death.

Police responded to an emergency medical call at the duplex. It's unclear who placed that call or what type of injuries the girl suffered.

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Neighbor Brittney Thomson said the man was "out of it" earlier in the day Saturday, wandering aimlessly and standing inattentive as he let out his two dogs. She said she hadn't seen the baby at all Saturday, and watched later as paramedics and other first responders arrived at the house at about 5 p.m.

"A paramedic carried (the baby) out by the armpits," Thomson said. "Originally, I thought it was a doll."

She said police later coaxed the man outside of the house. She said police handcuffed him without any resistance.

It was the fourth homicide in Minneapolis in the last week.  Associated Press

1 in 5 psychiatric patients stuck in hospital

MINNEAPOLIS  A new study shows many patients in Minnesota's psychiatric hospital units don't need to be there.

The research performed by the Wilder Foundation shows that roughly one in five psychiatric patients should be moved out. The study found that hospitals could make room for new patients if there were more room available at other facilities like community hospitals or long-term treatment centers.

High demand and a shortage of beds for psychiatric services has been a major problem for years in Minnesota. The study was commissioned by the Minnesota Hospital Association.

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Dr. Rahul Koranne, the association's chief medical officer, said that mental and behavioral health is the state's biggest crisis. Department of Human Services Commissioner Emily Piper says the study will help a task force studying mental health.  Associated Press

Investigators suspect foul play in man's death

MAHNOMEN  Authorities in northwestern Minnesota are investigating the death of a man near Mahnomen.

Mahnomen County sheriff's deputies responded to a call of a male with a leg wound at residence south of Mahnomen Friday. Authorities say when deputies arrived they found a man was dead.

Sheriff's investigators say the death is suspicious and apparently involves foul play. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and White Earth police are assisting in the investigation.  Associated Press

Vacation turns deadly for Shakopee family

SHAKOPEE  A family vacation has turned deadly for a Shakopee family.

The Bondarenko family was vacationing on the Gulf of Mexico in Panama City, Florida when one member began having trouble in the rough water. Authorities had posted a red flag warning, advising against swimming.

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Anastasiya Bondarenko said that her husband, Dmitry, lost his life rescuing the relative Wednesday. She says her husband was an avid sportsman, a hard worker and a family man and died a hero.  Associated Press

Woman fatally shot in home

NORTHFIELD  Police say a woman in her 60s was fatally shot by another woman who was arrested and later released.

Investigators say both women apparently lived at the Northfield home where the shooting took place Sunday. But, their relationship is unclear.

The woman who was arrested and released in in her 70s. Police have not identified the women.

The victim was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.

Rice and Dakota county sheriff's officials are assisting with the investigation.  Associated Press

Environmental group wants in on diversion appeal

FARGO, N.D.  A Minnesota environmental group says it wants to testify in an appeal filed by opponents of a Red River diversion project around the Fargo metropolitan area.

The Richland-Wilkin Joint Power Authority is appealing a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources declaration that the project meets all legal requirements. The ruling has allowed diversion proponents to seek permits for the $2.1 billion project.

The opposition group represents about 20 upstream cities and townships in North Dakota and Minnesota. It wants the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to come up with a cheaper project that doesn't flood farmland.

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy says it believes the DNR decision was "arbitrary and capricious" and eliminated alternatives that are more reasonable.  Associated Press
RED WING  His name will still be on the Nov. 8 ballot, but otherwise Red Wing mayoral candidate David Harris said he is no longer a candidate for mayor.

"In my mind I am," Harris said, when asked if he is out of the race.

In the Aug. 9 primary, Harris finished a distant second to Sean Dowse, who won 72 percent of the votes cast to Harris' 15 percent. Kevin Serres (11 percent) and Ahkeem Brown (2 percent) finished third and fourth.

While technically still a candidate, Harris said he is stepping aside to allow Dowse to focus on the issues instead of the race.

"I think to continue would be a diversion from the real issues," Harris said. "I think it will enable him to focus on the issues and not worry about campaigning."

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Red Wing City Clerk Kathy Johnson said magnanimous gestures aside, Harris and Dowse are still the only two names on the ballot for the general election, and it is too late for either to officially drop out.

Despite stepping aside, unofficially, Harris said there are certain things he would like to see accomplished in the city and certain differences he has with Dowse.

"The city of Red Wing is in a state of decline," Harris said. "There are no young people coming to live here. Bringing in young people and young families is the future."

Harris said he sees education as a remedy for that problem. "What I'd like to do is ask him to form a committee on ideas on bringing young people into the community," he said. "My idea would be to bring a college here."

Dowse said he knows people have been working toward bringing a four-year college to Red Wing, and he supports those efforts, but his bigger concern is jobs and housing, especially for those young families. Bringing more affordable housing to Red Wing will be a challenge, he said, and one of his strengths is being able to bring together different groups that can attack the issue from different sides. "There's not one answer that says, do this one thing and everything can be fine," he said. "Another issue is market rate rentals. We haven't had any of those built in Red Wing for 20 years. That's another sector that we need to take a look at."

Even with Harris suspending his campaign, Dowse said his plan for the race has not changed. "I'm going to knock on every door in Red Wing," Dowse said. "That was my original plan."
In the wake of last week's abysmal primary turnout, some say it is time Minnesota move its primary elections from August to June.

Unofficial figures show turnout last Tuesday at just over 7 percent, which could be the lowest since 1950, according to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon.

Simon told the Post-Bulletin that the low turnout was probably due in part to the fact there were no statewide races on the ballot for offices like governor or U.S. senator. But he thinks there's another big factor at play: August is simply a crummy time to have an election in Minnesota.

"August is just about the worst month that you could pick to have a primary. It's a hot month in summer. It's the month where most Minnesotans are trying to squeeze the last few drops out of summer before school starts," he said.

In the past, Minnesota's primary was in September. But Simon said that ended up causing problems for Minnesota residents who lived overseas. The tight time frame between the primary and general election made it difficult to get the ballots sent out and allow enough time for them to be returned. So Simon authored a bill in 2009 to move the primary to June. Then Republican-Gov. Tim Pawlenty suggested as part of a compromise that it be moved to August.

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Simon said he wholeheartedly supports moving the primary to June. He hopes the low primary turnout encourages lawmakers to take another look at the idea.

"I hope it will spark a conversation," Simon said.

But not everyone is sold on the idea of moving the primary. Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron, said lawmakers need to take a much closer look at the ramifications of such a move before taking action. He is worried that if the primary is moved to June, it could interfere with the political party endorsement process. Caucuses were held this year in February. Endorsements of many political candidates didn't happen until April and May. That would leave very little time for campaigning before a June primary.

"Let's do the job and make sure we don't cause some problems because what we could do is end up totally ruining the caucus system," Quam said.

But other lawmakers say it is time to take action. Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, said he supports moving the primary, but he's not sure if June is the best option. He said there would still be problems with voters on vacation and college students away from campuses.

Still, Pelowski said it is clear some sort of change is needed.

"There has to be something other than August because these are the dog days of summer, and they are the dog days of elections, too," he said.

Trump, Stein in Minnesota

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Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expected to make his first visit to Minnesota since launching his campaign. He will attend a fundraiser in Minneapolis for the Trump Victory Fund. Also visiting the state this week is Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein. She will attend an event Tuesday in Minneapolis hosted by Neighborhoods Organizing for Change focused on racial disparities in the state.

Walz to meet with business leaders

First District DFL Rep. Tim Walz will sit down with Rochester business leaders later this week.

Walz will meet with members of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Jaguar Communications. The event is free. To register, go to rochestermnchamber.com . Walz is facing a challenge in November from Blue Earth Republican Jim Hagedorn.
For 80 years, the Pine Island Cheese Festival has brought together our residents, friends, neighbors and visitors for a celebration of our heritage, camaraderie and fun.

This year, the Pine Island Fire Department worked with the Cheese Fest Committee to support and provide several events: the Saturday night dance with the band Hitchville, the pancake breakfast, 5K walk/run, fireworks display, the mud bog, and the Cheese Fest grand parade. Support was provided by Goodhue County Sheriff's Office, M&M Lawn and Leisure, Kwik Trip, Island Market, Hardware Hank and 102.5 The Fox.

David Friese

Pine Island
We asked members of the Post-Bulletin Community Editorial Advisory Board to name one thing they thought would make Southeast Minnesota better.

Here's what they told us:

Culture of growth

Having a culture that embraces, encourages and celebrates economic growth would make Southeast Minnesota better.

While a region can't legislate growth it can certainly legislate decline. The more we place constraints on those willing to take the financial risk of building a building, opening a restaurant or developing a new product, the fewer of those people there will be.

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Having an atmosphere where new people, new stores and new developments are welcome benefits those of us already here. Welcoming the people that come for the jobs those buildings, restaurants or products provide, fulfills the promise of the sign at the entry to Rochester that says "We are building an inclusive community."

While a few may think preventing new developments and discouraging new people from moving here is the right course, I believe the overwhelming majority of people want to see our region grow and prosper. Unleashing the creative power of individuals to create, succeed, innovate and even fail will make Southeast Minnesota better  for everyone.

 Patrick Sexton, Rochester Township



Protecting water supply

Southeast Minnesota is so beautiful, so productive, so gentle and full of grace, how can anyone suggest anything that would make it better?

So, I asked a few of my neighbors how they would answer this question. The range of replies included:

 Access to broadband

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 Affordable housing

 Better funding for schools

But, many thought that water needs to be our top priority.

Visitors are amazed at seeing the green rolling hills, trout streams and huge trees shading the bluff-lined Root River valleys. To look at this place one would not know there could be a serious concern about the condition and purity of our surface and ground waters.

But, this is karst country. Those beautiful limestone bluffs are part of a delicate, porous geology that hides a limited, diminishing and fragile water resource. People who live here know this. Our ground and surface waters are intermingled and in peril.

Like many beautiful things in creation, the water and land are fragile here. We don't see the degradation of our water as we admire the landscapes. We see the fine crops and how ethical farmers use strip cropping, terracing, and grassy strips for water runoff, turning the view into a masterpiece of agricultural artistry while preserving top soil.

Farmers care about the land and want to preserve it for their children  some families into the sixth generations on that land  but all that is not enough. The contaminants that come with modern agriculture reach into the waterways and percolate into the ground water.

It is not just challenging for farmers. The charming old villages that dot the landscape struggle with the costs of repair and replacement of their antique infrastructure. Inadequately treated wastewater goes into the soil and streams carrying contamination to surface waters and to the aquifers. Mounting costs of correction are not affordable for these small towns.

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Our geology is too fragile to support present patterns of use. We are not helpless. Much work is already being done. Universal awareness and commitment to corrections could make a difference

A future of clean, adequate water supply would make Southeast Minnesota better,

 Nancy Bratrud, Preston



Create good design

I am an architect who immigrated to Southeast Minnesota from Southern California. I have been here 20 years and plan to stay.

Southeastern Minnesota has many advantages over Southern California, the top two being the people and the quality of life. So what can I suggest for improvement worthy of the great people and great quality of life we enjoy here? The answer is centered around design  past and present.

Design matters. People are influenced by both the natural and built environment we live, work and play in. We experience positive emotions when we experience well-designed places, whether they be a scenic trout stream, or a well-designed neighborhood.

Good design supports the best versions of ourselves, and makes us feel good. Most people know good building design when they see it, but they may lack the experience and knowledge of how to articulate what is good about it. Design is a discipline. It's not like beauty, which can be in the eye of the beholder. Once a person understands this, they know when and why to employ a design professional.

Take the preservation of historic buildings. Some advocate the saving of old buildings because they are part of our heritage, but not all historic buildings are worth saving. It's the quality ones demonstrating the best design of an era that are worth preserving.

Furthermore, some buildings are worth saving because they reflect an historic context, and the best urban design of their time. A block of 19th century buildings has collective design qualities that reflect the way of life that came before us. That block may tell the story of horse-drawn carriages and a shopping district visited by foot, as compared with the big box stores visited by car today. They can reflect the pride and frugality of early settlers, and their labor-intensive construction methods. The removal of a portion of that block may kill that story, even if the buildings removed are not the best on the block.

So, because design matters, I am calling on the people of Southeastern Minnesota to consider design in the construction and demolition of our built environment. I am calling on the design community to engage, educate and aid the people of Southeastern Minnesota preserve the quality of life we enjoy.

We deserve good design. It is achievable, and it is worth preserving for future generations.

-- Gail Eadie, Rochester
The Guam Regional Transit Authority board of directors failed to meet for the third time in the past two months.

The board, which is responsible for decisions about the day-to-day operations of the authority, had cancelled and rescheduled its June meeting for July 5, but then was unable to establish quorum for the regular July meeting. Since then, the board has failed to meet quorum.

The GRTA board of directors has slots for seven individuals, according to the Guam Code Annotated, but currently only five of the positions are filled. Of the seven positions, two are to be selected by the Mayors' Council of Guam and the remaining five are appointed by the governor. Of the governor's five appointees, two are selected from a pool of nominees presented by the GRTA board to represent mass transit riders and disabled persons.

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Current board members include: Louise Rivera, Gerard Cruz, Ginger Porter, Vicente Gumataotao and Andrew Tydingco.

Rivera, mayor of Tamuning and chairwoman of the board, said that Monday's meeting was canceled because the board was unable to establish a quorum. Two members had reported that they would be unable to attend. The two missing board members were Tydingco and Gumataotao, mayor of Piti.

Rivera told the Post that the board meetings are scheduled for every third Monday of the month.

In addition, the law states that while board members receive a $100 stipend for their attendance at a board meeting, they cannot receive such compensation for additional board meetings within the same month.

Tabled agenda items

Recently, GRTA has faced staffing issues, procurement problems and a $1.5 million budget shortfall for the current fiscal year.

The inability of the authority's board of directors to convene has forced the tabling of a number of agenda items. Items on the agenda for the rescheduled meeting include the activation of an approved transit business plan and the nomination of a new board member, among other items.

GRTA Executive Manager Rick Agustin did not respond to attempts to reach him by press time.
Demonstrators protest in Islamabad against the murder of Farzana Iqbal, 25, by family members in Lahore. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif demanded to know why police apparently stood by while the pregnant woman was stoned and beaten to death by her family in front of one of the country's top courts, his spokesman said. Picture taken May 2014. Reuters
A cooling dip: Girls jump into the Rio Bravo to cool off during a hot summer day on the Mexican side of the river near the fence marking the border between Mexico and the U.S. in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on July 24. Reuters
Paul has already commented on the shooting death of Sylville Smith in Milwaukee. These are a few supplemental observations.

1) When the first few nationally-hyped police shootings (or deaths in police custody) occurred, the victim was ritually described as an unarmed black man. But later events have shown that being unarmed, while greatly emphasized at the time, was superfluous. Sylville Smith was armed with a stolen semiautomatic pistol, which he refused to drop. Riots ensued regardless.

2) Smith and a companion were stopped by police and fled from their vehicle, Smith with a pistol in hand. No one flees a traffic stop because he is afraid of getting a speeding ticket. Presumably the stolen firearm was one reason why the cars occupants ran; they likely were up to other mischief as well.

3) It has now been disclosed that the policeman who shot Smith was also black, so race evidently had nothing to do with the incident, one way or the other. This makes no difference to the activists, who perceive a benefit to themselves in casting all police-related incidents as racial, regardless of the facts.

4) Beginning with the gentle giant Michael Brown, who robbed a convenience store none too gently just minutes before his fatal encounter with a police officer, the characters of recipients of police shootings have been whitewashed. I understand the impulse not to speak ill of the dead, but Sylville Smith was a rough customer. He was arrested or ticketed nine times since 2011, for for [a] shooting, a robbery, carrying a concealed weapon, theft, possession of heroin, witness intimidation and more. He was arrested just three weeks before his death for possession of cocaine.

It appears that despite his many brushes with the law, Smith had just one criminal conviction, on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon. It takes a lot to go to jail in 21st-century America.

5) Community activists are already asserting that the violence in Milwaukee results from a lack of investment in black neighborhoods, and that there will be more riots unless more money is pumped into black institutions (including theirs). One young man interviewed here put the matter succinctly:

the rich people, they got all this money, and they not, like you know, trying to give us none.

To be fair, if he has been listening to politicians, he could easily get the impression that that is how the world works.

6) Even before this incident, the Obama Department of Justice was already investigating the Milwaukee police department, just as it investigated the Ferguson, Missouri and Baltimore, Maryland departments, among others. The results of that investigation are 100% predictable, given DOJs agenda.
In this post, I expressed doubt that Donald Trumps candidacy will have a significantly adverse effect on other Republicans running this year, unless Hillary Clinton wins by a landslide (which may happen). My post prompted a reader to send me some polls through which we can compare Trumps standing in swing states with that of the Republican Senate candidates running in them.

Here are the RCP averages:

Ohio

Trump -2.6

Portman +5.8

Florida

Trump -3.6

Rubio +4.3 (against his toughest potential opponent)

Pennsylvania

Trump -9.2

Toomey -2.6

Arizona

Trump +0.3

McCain +5.5

Georgia (a potential swing state only because Trump is running)

Trump -0.3

Isakson +8.0

Iowa

Trump -0.4

Grassley +7.6

Nevada

Trump -2.3

Heck +0.3

New Hampshire

Trump -8.2

Ayotte -1.0

North Carolina

Trump -2.0

Burr +1.0

Colorado

Trump -11.0

Glenn -12.2

Wisconsin

Trump -9.4

Johnson -11.3

These polls dont show the absence of a down ballot Trump effect. Its possible that many of these Republicans Senate candidates would be faring better with a conventional Republican presidential nominee on the ballot (or an unconventional one who isnt an embarrassment).

But at least the polls show that, with only a few exceptions, the polls in Senate races dont track the presidential polls. Thats a good thing, given how pathetically Trump is performing.

Trump, naturally, complains that the polls are rigged. Some of his fans seem to believe this.

But polls in Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and North Carolina dont appear to be rigged against the GOP candidates. Thus, were asked to believe that pollsters in these states are rigging their results against Trump but not the Republican Senate candidate. (Keep in mind that the most common way to influence poll outcomes is to use a skewed sample of respondents, and that pollsters typically use the same sample to poll both the Senate and the presidential race in a given state).

If you want to drink the rigged-polls Kool-Aid, be my guest. I doubt that, in real life, Trump is joining you.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said it generated N385.7 billion revenue from January to June this year.

This was against the N438.2 billion generated in the same period in 2015.

The NCS Public Relations Officer, Wale Adeniyi, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Monday in Abuja.

Mr. Adeniyi said the service generated N197.7 billion from import duties in cash and generated N203 million from import duty in non-cash receipts as Negotiable Duty Credit Certificate (NDCC).

He said N21.876 billion was generated from excise duty; N910. 995 million from fees; N41. 418 billion from federation account levies and N49. 357 billion from non-federation accounts levies.

Mr. Adeniyi said the service generated N74. 282 billion from Value Added Tax (VAT) during the period.

He said the decrease of N525.5 million in the revenue generated was due to economic recession.

Access to foreign exchange and the drastic fall in the value of naira have also affected the services revenue generation, he said.

The NCS said that the removal of the 41 items from the CBN foreign exchange window affected the revenue generation by the service.

However, there are positive indications that the economy may bounce back in the last quarter of the year.

We (customs) are working with Western neighbour of Benin Republic to strengthen our transit trade, particularly with vehicles.

So, we expect that this will have a positive effect on our service revenue generation in the last quarter.

(NAN)
The Nigerian military asked a man it declared wanted to go home after he reported at one of its facilities in Borno State.

Ahmed Bolori, the coordinator of the Faash Foundation and the Partnership Against Violent Extremism and resident of Maiduguri, was declared wanted alongside two others on Sunday.

The Nigerian Army in a statement said the three, which included journalist, Ahmad Salkida and Aisha Wakil, a lawyer, were declared wanted for their alleged ties to the Boko Haram sect.

The Army said the three refused to provide useful information to authorities despite having clear and unfettered access to the sect and also held them responsible for the Boko Haram video that was released on Sunday.

The video purportedly showed the Army conducting area bombardment of an unknown location where the abducted Chibok girls are kept, killing many of them in the process.

The Defence Headquarters denied killing the girls and said it was also analysing the video to establish its authenticity.

In a message released by Farooq Kperogi , a U.S.-based Nigerian journalism professor, Mr. Bolori reported at the top military barracks in Maiduguri, waited for more than two hours, but there was no one to interrogate or arrest him.

Mr. Kperogi posted the development on his Facebook page which he said was part of the conversation he had with Mr. Bolori.

Mr. Kperogi also attached a WhatsApp conversation in which Mr. Bolori could be seen discussing with an official of the Defence Military Intelligence about how and where he could turn himself in for interrogations.

Mr. Kperogi said Mr. Bolori was later told to go home after spending more than two hours waiting and making frantic calls to Army hierarchy to come and detain him, having been declared wanted.

The announcement by the Army declaring Messrs. Bolori, Salkida and Wakil wanted has triggered debates across the world.

The spokesperson for the Army, Sani Usman, could not be reached to comment for this story Monday morning. He did not answer or return calls made to him.

Read the full statement by Mr. Kperogi below:

It is now self-evident that no one in the highest reaches of governance and security enforcement in Nigeria is thinking. How can you declare people wanted when you havent even invited them for questioningand they havent resisted your invitation? I just got off the phone with Ambassador Ahmed Umar Bolori, one of the people declared wanted by the Nigerian military.

He told me he called the Chief of Army Staff, the spokesperson of the Nigerian military who announced him wanted, and other top military officers and said he was at their beck and call and didnt need to be declared wanted since he wasnt in hiding.

He then went ahead and turned himself in at the top military barracks in Maiduguri, waited for more than two hours, but there was no one to interrogate or arrest him.

He called and texted the chief of army staff and the military spokesperson again and pleaded with them to send someone to detain, arrest, interrogate, or do whatever they wanted to do to him because he wanted to clear his name.

He was later told to go home and return the following day! They told a wanted man to go home and come back the next day! Can you believe that? First, he is personally known to the chief of army staff and to the military spokesman. These people also know his home in Maiduguri.

They know where to get him if they want to. Yet they declared him wanted. Is there any parallel to this level of puzzling incompetence in the world? Who declares people wanted without any interest in seeing, much less interrogating, them?
Ahmad Salkida, the Nigerian journalist declared wanted by the Nigerian Army over Boko Harams latest video, on Monday said he had commenced preparations to return to country to honour the invitation.

In a statement he released on Monday, Mr. Salkida said the Army knew he was not in the country prior to being declared wanted, adding that his journey home would be quickened if the government could fund his trip.

The Army is aware that I am not in Nigeria presently. In the coming days I will seek to get a flight to Abuja and avail myself to the Army authorities. Indeed, my return will be hastened if the military sends me a ticket, Mr. Salkida said.

Mr. Salkida was declared wanted alongside two others on Sunday for their alleged ties to Boko Haram sect.

Mr. Salkida, Ahmed Bolori and Aisha Wakil allegedly committed offences that contravened the Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, by not providing information about the group, the Army said in a statement by its spokesman, Sani Usman.

Mr. Usman said the three individuals were also wanted for their alleged roles in the release of Boko Harams recent videos.

The latest video released on Saturday showed Chibok schoolgirls abducted by the sect since 2014. The group said they would only release the girls if the government released its fighters.

In his reaction on Monday, Mr. Salkida said the Army was declaring him wanted for simply carrying out his professional duties as a journalist, adding that he did most of his work with total allegiance and sacrifice to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Clearly, my status as a Nigerian journalist who has reported extensively, painstakingly and consistently on the Boko Haram menace in the country since 2006 is an open book known to Nigerians and the international community, Mr. Salkida said.

Mr. Salkida, who has written extensively about the Boko Haram sect, said he had visited Nigerian three times within the past year on the invitation of the Nigerian government, in an effort to rescue the abducted girls.

As a testimony to the credible and professional values of my access, since May 2015, l have been to Nigeria three times on the invitation of Federal Government agencies. I made personal sacrifices for the release of our Chibok daughters, Mr. Salkida said.

One of the three persons declared wanted by the army, Mr. Bolori, said he made himself available to the military authorities but was told to wait until later before they take him in for interrogations.
The Nigerian military says releasing Boko Haram fighters in exchange for abducted Chibok schoolgirls is a political decision beyond its powers.

The defence chief, Abayomi Olonishakin, said on Monday that the military was going ahead with its operations against the sect.

His remarks came two days after Boko Haram released a new video showing the girls that were kidnapped over two years ago.

A Boko Haram fighter who spoke in the video said some of the girls had been killed by military airstrikes, while some were either seriously wounded or married off.

The video showed some 50 girls of the over 200 girls believed to still be under Boko Harams captivity.

The armed fighter said the girls would only be released if the government sets free detained Boko Haram militants across the country.

Mr. Olonishakin, a lieutenant general, told journalists after a meeting of service chiefs at the presidential villa that swapping the militants was an entirely political decision.

The military decision is that we are going ahead with our operations. The operation is being conducted appropriately, he said.

He also denied that the military had turned away any of the three persons it declared wanted on Sunday on allegation of having ties to the sect.

Nobody reported to my men and was turned back, he said.

He said the military was still analysing the video released by Boko Haram and would make appropriate comments at the right time.

Information minister, Lai Mohammed, who also spoke at the villa Monday, said the government was in talks with Boko Haram sect for the release of the girls.

He said the government was careful to ensure it was speaking with the right group as the sect had been factionalised.

The governments position is clear that we are in touch with them. We are just being careful and cautious to ensure that we are talking to the right people especially with the news that there is a split in the leadership. But what is important is the safety and security of these girls, Mr. Mohammed said.

On the planned match by the BringBakcOurGirls to Aso Rock presidential villa, the minister said the government appreciated the groups commitment to the return of these girls but there are few things we need to do behind the scene. What we are saying is that the government is committed to do everything to rescue these girls.

We are engaging them. By saying we are talking to them, I am talking from a point of knowledge. It does not matter what other people say. I know that the government is in touch with the group, he said.

He said the government had not relented on efforts to find and recover the girls.

For us, it is not just because of the release of the video but because of our belief that there will be no final closure to Boko Haram until we are able to resolve the issue of these girls, he said.
Pilgrims across states of Nigeria currently airlifted to Medina have hailed the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for providing accommodation close to the grand mosque in Medina and sticking to airlift schedules.

Nigerian pilgrims are currently lodged in hotels right opposite the walls of the grand mosque in Markaziyah, a highbrow neighbourhood closest to the grand mosque.

Nigerian pilgrims were usually lodged in hotels far from the Prophets mosque making access to the mosque for five daily prayers difficult for aged pilgrims.

Many of the pilgrims already in Medina from Kaduna, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kogi, Osun, Kwara, Abuja, Ondo and Zamfara who spoke on the accommodation, said the arrangement has eased the stress of long distance trekking of pilgrims to the grand mosque.

Tajuddeen Oyeyemi, a pilgrim, said such arrangement was the first recorded in the history of Hajj operation in Nigeria.

NAHCON must be hailed for this achievement. We hear the call for prayers right inside our hotel rooms and everybody is happy to be just a wall from the Grand Mosque, he said.

He however called on pilgrims to conduct themselves well, especially while queueing for food.

The attitude of Nigerian pilgrims while queuing for food provided by NAHCON is sometimes very embarrassing and chaotic. I am calling on pilgrims to behave themselves, he said.

The pilgrims also hailed the quality of aircraft provided by the carriers and schedules.

Unlike many years ago, this is the first time that new aircrafts are used and no delay of airlift was caused by the Airlines, Bala Ahmed, a pilgrim from Sokoto, said.

Many pilgrims also appealed to NAHCON to provide accommodation in Minna close to Jamarat in Makkah.

We hope that the tents in Minna will be near Jakarta, just like the accommodations provided in Medina.
Justin Onuorah Abuah, Director of Information, State House, has passed on.

Born on January 29, 1959, Mr Abuah, fondly called O.J, by all who knew and came in close contact with him, died on Sunday, August 14, in Abuja after a brief illness.

The late Abuah had a long and rich career at the Presidency, where he served seven past Nigerian leaders since 1986 when he joined the State House media office from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

His many colleagues, friends and admirers will fondly remember him as the man behind several presidential statements and speeches; and he demonstrated a rare sense of calmness and candour in service.

A native of Asaba, Oshimili South Local Government Area, Delta State, O.J is survived by his wife, Loretta and three children (Chinedum, Chike and Amaechi).

President Muhammadu Buhari has sent a condolence message to the bereaved family.

Burial arrangements will be announced later by the family.

Femi Adesina

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

August 15, 2016
The U.S. Government has said it would send officials from its Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other security experts to provide technical assistance to the Nigerian Government to deal with terrorism.

The Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy, Alan Tousignant, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja when he led a security delegation on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau.

The envoy said the delegation, which comprised a team of the U.S Security Governance Initiative, was in the country as a follow-up to its earlier visit in January.

The SGI is an initiative of the U.S. Government that offers enhanced security technical assistance to six African countries, including Nigeria.

Mr. Tousignant said they were in Nigeria at the request of the Nigerian government to provide a holistic security technical assistance and not to donate any equipment.

He explained that the federal government identified three major areas of partnership to include enhancing the Ministry of Interiors emergency response coordination, Ministry of Defences procurement procedure and the civilian security planning for the North-East.

He said the week-long interaction between the SGI team and the Nigerian security agencies would fashion out a robust roadmap to ensure better efficiency, transparency and justice in Nigerias security architecture.

The Team leader, SGI, Stephen Nolan, said both countries were working to finalise and implement a Joint Country Action Plan (JCAP) which was a document that outlined a roadmap for a successful partnership.

He said that the JCAP emphasised partnership and finding Nigerian solution to its security challenges not about what the U.S was doing for Nigeria.

Mr. Nolan, however, assured that the forthcoming elections in the U.S and the change of government in January 2017 would not affect the project as they had been working hard to ensure its sustenance.

I want to assure you that we have been working for the continuity and sustainability of this project, even after the Obama administration in January, 2017, he said.

Mr. Dambazau, in his remarks, thanked the delegation for the visit and expressed optimism that the partnership would help to re-position the security architecture of the country.

He said the partnership would involve all security agencies and not just those of the Ministry of Interior so as to fashion out a holistic security roadmap to deal with terrorism and other crimes.

The minister said that the meeting was in tandem with President Muhammadu Buharis agenda to address security, corruption and the economy of the country in line with international best practice.

He charged officials from all security agencies in the country that were part of the meeting to show commitment and dedication to the task ahead.

The Nigeria Police Force, Army, Air Force, Navy, Immigration, Prisons, Civil Defence and Fire Service were all part of the meeting. (NAN)
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has elected Sakariyau Babalola as its Deputy President-General, to replace the late Aare Musulumi of Yoruba Land, Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by Femi Abbas, Chairman, NSCIAs Media Committee, which was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.

The statement said Mr. Babalolas election was announced at the General Assembly/National Executive Council (NEC) of the NSCIA meeting held on Saturday at Imaguero College, Benin, Edo State.

The statement said the meeting was presided over by the President-General and Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar.

With the new appointment, Babalola becomes the second Deputy President-General of NSCIA for the Southern part of the country, after the late Aare Arisekola.

He is to partner with the Shehu of Bornu, who is the Deputy President-General of the Muslim apex body for the North.

The General Assembly of the NSCIA is the highest organ of the body comprising the National Executive Council (NEC), the General Purpose Committee (GPC), and the Expanded General Purpose Committee (EGPC).

The leaderships of all State Muslim Councils, as well as the representatives of all registered Muslim Organisations in the country, the statement said.

It further said the General Assembly/NEC meeting comes up once every three years, to chart forward the affairs of the countrys Muslim Ummah and to take decisions on crucial matters of common interest to all Muslims in the country. (NAN)
The BringBackOurGirls movement (BBOG), on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari has no more excuse not to rescue the school girls abducted by Boko Haram terrorists over two years in Chibok, Borno State.

BBOG, in statement by its conveners, Aisha Yesufu and Oby Ezekwezili, said this after Boko Haram released a new video showing some of the abducted girls, one of them, Dorcas Yakubu, pleading with the federal government to release detained Boko Haram commanders as a condition for their freedom.

Two hundred and seventy-six (276) girls were abducted on April 14, 2014, with 58 of them having so far regained freedom.

Of the remaining 218 girls, Boko Haram said about 40 had been married off while some were said to have been killed and injured in airstrikes by the military.

The BBOG group met with Mr. Buhari at the State House in January.

The movement said it had since then been calling on the President to be responsive on the rescue operation.

The group said Mr. Buhari had so far failed to display the sort of response we demand, regretting that the President was not even inspired by the return of Amina Ali, one of the girls who escaped from her abductors.

We state categorically that the excuse of a split within the terrorists ranks or a period of validation of the authenticity of their claims will not suffice this time, the group said Sunday. We shall press these demands with a march to the Villa in the next few days.

The BBOG group has since the abduction of the girls, which sparked global outrage, spearheaded the campaign for their rescue.

It consistently criticised former President Goodluck Jonathan for dilly-allying on early rescue efforts.

The group said said it is now ready to confront the Buhari administration on the matter.

We shall press these demands with a march to the Villa in the next few days, it said.

Read the full statement below.

Today, 853 days since the abduction of our #ChibokGirls, we woke up to a video on the state of our girls. We are left with mixed feelings of grief and strengthened hope as the chilling words continue to sink in.

Our parents please exercise patience. We are suffering here. There is no kind of suffering we havent seen. Our sisters are injured, some have wounds on their heads and bodies.

Tell the government to give them their people so we can also come to be with you. We are all children and we dont know what to do. The suffering is too much, please endeavour as we also have exercised patience.

There is nothing you, or we, can do about this but to get their people back to them, so we can go home. Exercise patience as we also have endured.

This is a direct translation of the Kibaku part of the message. The interpreter, Dr. Allen Manaseh, who is the Spokesman of the Kibaku Area Development Association (KADA) in Abuja, identified the speaker as Dorcas Yakubu, whose parents Esther and Yakubu live in the Abuja area and are both present here with us. In addition, the recognition of several of the girls leaves no room for doubt that these are our girls.

Since we last met with the President in January, we have continued to call on him to be responsive to the needs of our Chibok parents, our movement, and the Global Community for timely updates on the rescue operation. In the aftermath of an earlier video, we repeatedly called for the Government to treat the information as the missing piece of credible intelligence it was seeking. Not even the return of Amina Ali, a #ChibokGirl, inspired the sort of response we demanded.

After listening to the call of Dorcas Yakubu, we demand an immediate, transparent, action and results-oriented response plan by the Government. We state categorically that the excuse of a split within the terrorists ranks or a period of validation of the authenticity of their claims will not suffice this time. We shall press these demands with a march to the Villa in the next few days.

Nothing short of the Nigerian state being in contact with the parents, confirming identities of our girls, providing psychosocial support where necessary, and most importantly, articulating an action plan will be acceptable.

Today, 28 months since the abduction, we call on the Governments of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, China, Australia, Israel, agencies like the United Nations and African Union, and all who previously expressed intentions to support the rescue efforts, to reengage and adopt a strategic rescue position. As global citizens, this is the least our #ChibokGirls deserve.

We appeal to all citizens empathetic to the cause of our girls to hold them and their parents in prayers, and commit to joining our march to the Villa in the coming week. Our government, and the World, cannot continue to fail these innocent young women whose only crime is their decision to be educated. If we do, we would have failed to defend our civilization and shared humanity.

Signed:

For and on behalf of #BringBackOurGirls

AISHA YESUFU

OBY EZEKWESILI
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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Aisha Wakil, a Nigerian lawyer declared wanted by the military on Sunday has said she is available for interrogations.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Ms. Wakil said she received news of her being wanted with rude shock, because she is not a stranger to the military hierarchy in the country.

They know me very well. Right from [former President Goodluck] Jonathans time. I am not hiding, Ms. Wakil said.

Ms. Wakil was amongst the three individuals, including journalist, Ahmad Salkida and Ahmed Bolori, a peace negotiator based in Maiduguri, declared wanted on allegations that they had ties to the Boko Haram sect.

Ms. Wakils comment followed similar ones from Mr. Salkida and Mr. Bolori, who came out to say they were not on the run from the Nigerian authorities.

Ive had meeting with them, I still met with the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, and other Army chiefs towards the end of last year. We had very lengthy meeting that we finished around 11 p.m and the next day we continued.

Ms. Wakil said since she was unable to meet the military in Abuja, she might head back to Maiduguri and turn herself in at the Armys 7th Division.

Im in Abuja right now, but I am thinking of going back to Maiduguri so I can see them at the main barracks there, Ms. Wakil said. But if theres anywhere I could see them in Abuja here I will go and see them.

Ms. Wakil said the development has left her family very worried, saying that it was undeserving.

Army spokesman, Sani Usman, had in a statement through which he declared the individuals wanted said all security agencies were on the alert to apprehend the three persons and urged Nigerians to provide information about their whereabouts to the authorities.
Ahmad Salkida is amongst the three persons declared wanted on Sunday by the Nigerian Army for their alleged ties to Boko Haram sect.

One of the reasons given by the Army for its announcement was that Mr. Salkida and the two others, Ahmed Bolori, and Aisha Wakil, used their access to Boko Haram to distribute propaganda materials for the sect while refusing to give military and other authorities useful information that could help in the war against the terrorism.

The Army declared the three wanted a few hours after the latest Boko Haram video emerged on Sunday. They would be charged under Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011.

But Mr. Bolori and Ms. Wakil said they made efforts to submit themselves to the military authorities on Sunday and Monday morning but no one was available to take them in for interrogations.

On August 8, Mr. Salkida had a Twitter hangout with Farooq Kperogi, an associate professor of journalism at Kennesaw State University, United States.

Mr. Salkida asked Mr. Kperogis opinion about the challenges hes been facing since he became an authority on the activities of Boko Haram sect, especially the ethical questions around his access to the terror groups hierarchy.

The tweets were curated on this website by Mukhtar Daniyan, a security analyst, from where they were adapted for this Q&A.

Mr. Salkida: Thank you for the opportunity to ask you questions about journalism. Let me start with some background on my person and work?

Mr. Kperogi: Interesting. I think I am familiar with your professional profile and your reporting on Boko Haram.

Mr. Kperogi: Didnt you also report for Blueprint Newspapers?

Mr. Salkida: Ive worked as a reporter with the Insider Weekly, Crystal Magazines and New Sentinel for about four years before. I even dispatched the first ever report on Boko Haram in 2006. As expected I stayed on the story because I believe it holds potential for a major news break.

Despite little interest by many editors. I remained persistent which earned me to acquire invaluable sources. I became the lone journalist with rare access to Boko Haram. I can get all the scoops I asked, but out of fear I introduced some reporters or forfeit my scoops to avoid being considered as too close to the sources. Sadly, that was how I ended up being viewed with suspicion.

I have on several occasions declined to even interview Shekau, an opportunity any journalist will run for, but as someone who was nearly summarily executed and arrested several times for my reports, I always turned down. Yes, I reported, I started with my career trajectory before the Boko Haram story broke.

Sir, is having access to sources in Boko Haram for the use of writing reports unethical?

Mr. Kperogi: It is not only ethical, it is also praiseworthy. So long as your access is not a consequence of your membership of the group, it is ethical. Then there is nothing even remotely unethical about your access to the group. You should be commended, not threatened.

Mr. Salkida: Iv come under threats to betray my sources, even when I made it clear it wont end the war, what can you say?

Mr. Kperogi: Good, ethical journalists protect the confidentiality of their sources.Theyd rather go to jail than reveal their sources.

Mr. Salkida: My interest is only (with emphasis) to report as accurately as possible, nothing more.

Why I am I singled out for attacks and not my editors or publishers for my exclusive reports?

Mr. Kperogi: I wouldnt know. Perhaps its because the exclusive access to Boko Haram is limited to you.

Mr. Salkida: Is telling two sides to a story in a war unethical in journalism? If its ok, why the lack of interest?

Mr. Kperogi: Journalists have an obligation to reflect all the sides of a story, not just two sides. But there is always a clash between the needs of govt/security agencies and the publics need to know.

Mr. Salkida: I stayed on the story, I built a network of sources without betraying my sources, it is dificult for anyone to beat me on this.

I can go to Sambisa now to interview Shekau at my own risk, is this a journalistic feat or a crime?

I have also been contacted to negotiate in the past by Govt, is this part of a reporters social responsibility?

Mr. Kperogi: That is commendable. It is not a crime. It is commendable journalistic bravado.

Mr. Salkida: Ive predicted nearly everything right, like female suicide bombers in April 2012, but why do I get scorn even by journalists? Journalists have slandered me far more than security agents.

It was a journo that wrote a petition against my residency in exile. Is it fair enough that I hardly collaborate with journalists in reporting Boko Haram because of this?

Mr. Kperogi: It is notin the traditional sense of a journalists duties, but in the norms of conflict-sensitive reporting, it may be. Maybe professional jealousy?

It is natural to harbor suspicions of your colleagues if youve been a victim of their vicious professional jealousy. But in the interest of the reading publicand of journalism itselfit would help to ignore them.

Mr. Salkida: What is the red line for a journalist with professional access to a terror group?

Mr. Kperogi: We need peace in Nigeria, and if it would take your intervention to bring this about, why not?

Mr. Salkida: Ive tried to stick to verifiable claims, reason why I have many materials I obtained, but never (with emphasis) published.

Mr. Kperogi: Dont propagate their willful propaganda that you know to be false. Dont join them. Thats commendable. Its a cardinal ethical principle in journalism that we not report on what weve not verified.

Be faithful to the facts, let accuracy and verifiability be your watchwords, report all sides to a conflict avoid perpetrating stereotypes, reach out to be people who want to bring about peace, not just the war mongers.

Remember that your reporting can make or break the nation, so be sensitive to what you report on.

Mr. Salkida: You were once a reporter, editor and now teacher of journalism what is your advice to me and others reporting conflicts?

Mr. Kperogi: I facilitated a British Council-sponsored workshop on conflict sensitive reporting for Nigerian journalists late last year. I will be glad to share resources with people who want to learn more about conflict sensitive reporting.

Mr. Salkida: Honoured for the chance to ask you these questions. Your advice has been taken. You have inspired me greatly, sir!

Mr. Kperogi: It is my pleasure. Best wishes.
A former Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, Sunday Makinde, has warned of dire consequences in Nigeria unless urgent measures are put in place to correct the deteriorating situation.

Mr. Makinde said hunger and widespread deprivation had reached unbearable levels in the country and are capable of causing civil disobedience.

We are sitting on a keg of gun powder. The day it will explode, it will consume us. So many graduates are not employed. Unemployed people are the people behind the militancy in the Niger Delta region, the paper quoted Mr. Makinde as saying.

Mr. Makinde reportedly spoke at the inaugural forum of retired clergymen which was organised by El-Rehoboth Global Leadership Foundation in Abuja.

The clergyman said the ruling All Progressives Congress lacked the capacity to successfully pilot the affairs of the nation, saying the party is itself riddled with corruption.

The APC is part of the corruption in the country. They are not fit to be there, they must handle the issue of padding very carefully, he said.

Mr. Makinde also reportedly spoke about the controversial grazing reserve and pro-Sharia bills in the National Assembly, saying people of southern Nigeria and as well as Christians across the country must reject the bills in their entirety.

I want to warn Christians in the National Assembly. They should be careful, they should not take the issue of Sharia law and the grazing bill in the National Assembly lightly. Nobody can acquire my land. Northerners cannot acquire my land to graze their cattle. Let them go and graze in their own part of the country, Mr. Makinde said.

The APC-led administration at the center has come under intense public criticism for its alleged indifference to the ongoing suffering amongst Nigerians, which many believe has continued to take a terrible toll on the already over-beaten masses.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has suspended the scheduled national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, earlier slated for August 17.

Justice Okon Abang said he gave the ruling to serve as a judicial deterrent for what he described as the excesses of parties.

Mr. Abang was expected to rule on an application filed by a faction of the party led by a former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, and a former senator, Ben Obi.

He had adjourned Mondays hearing after granting the application by the faction.

The judge however took another decision after a lawyer representing another faction of the party led by Ali-Modu Sheriff, informed him that Mr. Obi had approached the Port Harcourt division of the Federal High Court to obtain an interim injunction.

The injunction compelled the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to take part in the convention.

The judge said the act deserved a judicial response.

The plaintiff filed a motion on July 20, being an order restraining INEC from monitoring the national convention of PDP August 17. The court had adjourned the application to allow Makarfi and six others to join till August 15.

Now that the applicants have been joined as parties. Opportunities should be given to the parties to say whether they are opposed to the application or not. The court was ready to adjourn to allow the newly joined parties to prepare their arguments.

What is shocking is that Senator Ben Obi obtained an order on August 9 from the PH division for INEC and the security officers to provide security for the party in the convention. The action of Senator Ben Obi is grossly unacceptable. This is unfortunate and unfair, said Mr. Abang.

Having found that Senator Ben Obi had obtained an exparte order, there is an urgent need to take a consequential decision. Senator Ben Obi cannot slap the court in the face and expect the court to adjourn the matter without making an interim order. Democracy is not anchored on the whims and caprices of any persons.

If we are to uphold the rule of democracy, nobody is above the law, he said.

Citing a previous decision of the Supreme Court, Mr. Abang said the court had restrained parties from securing self-help, and maintaining status-quo pending the determination of any matter before the court of law.

Lawyers and politicians must ensure that the hard earned democracy is protected. The court is here to ensure that there is no anarchy. Therefore in the exercise of my disciplinary jurisdiction, as stated by the Supreme Court and to maintain the dignity of the court;

An order is hereby made in the interim to suspend the August 17 convention pending the determination of the application filed on July 20, he said.
The Nigeria Immigration Service on Monday said it had concluded plans to re-screen the 2000 recruits that were dismissed following their irregular letters of appointment in February 2015.

The Comptroller-General of the Service, Muhammad Babandede, said this in a statement signed by Ekpedeme King, the NIS spokesperson.

Babandede said the Federal Government had approved the review of the lingering case and the re-screening of those affected.

He said the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration, and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) had on Aug. 11 approved some guidelines for the screening of the applicants.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) wishes to inform the 2000 applicants for employment into the Service who were irregularly issued letters of employment in February 2015 that the Federal Government has approved the review of the case.

Following an emergency meeting of the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration, and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) on Aug.11, 2016, guidelines were issued for the screening of the applicants, he said.

The Immigration spokesperson said that part of the guidelines were security clearance, drug test, certificate verification and Implementation of CDFIPB policy on Age on Rank, he said.

The NIS boss said that applicants whose names were listed on the NIS website (www.immigration.gov.ng) should report to the NIS Headquarters, Abuja, with their credentials and two passport photographs.

He said the screening would be conducted in batches based on rank and state of origin from Aug. 29 to Sept. 4 in Abuja.

He, however, stressed that the exercise was not a call for fresh recruitment and, therefore, urged the general public not to forward any application for recruitment into the NIS.

The 2000 dismissed recruits had been protesting at the National Assembly and the Ministry of Interior since 2015 for their reinstatement.

They were employed by a Presidential Committee set up by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 following the tragedy that marred the March 2014 recruitment exercise where many candidates died and others sustained injuries. (NAN)
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday said he was persuaded to take over the reins of power after the 1976 coup which claimed the life of the then head of state, Murtala Muhammed.

Mr. Muhammed was killed on February 13,1976 in a coup spearheaded by Bukarsuka Dimka, a colonel in the Nigerian Army.

Mr. Obasanjo, who was the second-in-command at the time, escaped being killed by the coup plotters.

Mr. Obasanjo recollected the events when he hosted the cast and crew of the yet to be released film, titled 1976 at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

The former president said Nigerians had thought that the coup would bring the country to an end.

He said there were misconceptions about the coup, which upturned the political situation at the that time.

Mr. Obasanjo said the misconception stemmed from the fact that most of those involved in the coup were Christians and killing the head of state, who was a Muslim, was seen as a bad signal for a nation.

The killing of a Muslim on a Friday by a gang thought to be Christians, particularly, when we remembered the first coup, which upturned the political situation, gave a bad signal, Mr. Obasanjo recalled.

Where will it amount to; where will it lead us to and where will it lead us out? These were what Nigerians had in mind.

Speaking further on his experience with the slain Mr. Muhammed, Mr. Obasanjo said, We worked like jackass for the peace of the country and I was persuaded to take over the headship of the country.

On the film, which was partly shown during the interaction, Mr. Obasanjo described the film, as a mixture of sweet and sorrow.

It will make us to remind ourselves not to go back to the dark days, which put us in go-no-go situation.

We can have more of this, as there are more national issues that can be portrayed. We are capable of the best and that is what this film has shown.

The films Executive Producer, Tonye Princewill, remarked that the cast and crew of 1976 was on tour of the country to seek support and endorsement for the film, billed to premier in November.

The youth of today need to have a sense of the past, hence the resolve to have the film 1976, which is simply called 76, he explained.

Mr. Princewill said the visit to Mr. Obasanjo was important, considering his position at that time in the country, we deem it fit to come and show him the film and curry his endorsement, which as you can see we had gotten.
The Police in Katsina State say it receives no fewer than 20 to 30 reports of rape of minors every month.

Salisu Agaisa, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, made this known while briefing newsmen in Katsina on Monday.

He said the command was concerned about the increasing rape cases.

It is disheartening to note that most of the victims are underage girls who are hawkers, he added.

Mr. Agaisa said the rape resulted in the death of the victims in some cases while others were left with severe injuries.

He, therefore, urged the public to continue to assist the police with vital information about rapists and other criminals in the state.

The spokesman said the police was ready more than ever before to arrest and prosecute rapists to serve as deterrent to others.

He also urged parents to take proper care of their children so as to prevent them from being victims.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the state government amended the law against rape last year.

The new law provides for a minimum of 14 years or life imprisonment with a fine of N50,000 and compensation for victims by anyone found guilty of the offence. (NAN)
A former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, has alleged of plot to frame him up as a sponsor of violence purportedly planned by a group called new Ombatse in his home Nasarawa State.

He said this on Monday in a statement.

Mr. Maku, who is the national secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, accused the government of the plot, saying it started in July after he addressed a press conference calling for the declaration of a state of economic and social emergency in Nasarawa State so as to halt our dear states drift into the abyss.

However, the state government denied the allegation, saying he should go and clear himself of the allegation instead dragging it into the matter.

Mr. Maku, in the statement, said on August 3, the governor, Tanko Almakura, invited traditional rulers to a meeting and made him (Maku) the topic of discussion, accusing him of sponsoring crisis in the state.

He said after the meeting, a member of the House of Assembly, who is a surrogate of the governor, moved a motion on the floor of the House alleging the emergence of a new Ombatse group with alleged plans to attack some communities in the state.

He said subsequently, there were rumours that some Eggon youth were to be arrested and used to accuse him as the sponsor of a new Ombatse group.

The former minister, who was the governorship candidate of APGA in the 2015 election in the state, also said earlier that the chairman of the Traditional Council wrote the Aren Eggon, alleging that some Eggon youth were allegedly planning to unleash violence on some communities in the state.

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Bello Mohammed, also invited him to the Are Eggon Palace with the same allegation.

Mr. Maku said surprisingly on his way to attend a meeting of APGA in Lafia, the state capital on August 11, he got a call from the commissioner requesting him to come to the state police command.

Even though the invitation came by way of a phone call, I decided to honour the invitation as a law abiding citizen, he said in the statement entitled Plot to destroy my reputation.

At the command headquarters in Lafia, I was informed that I was invited in order to respond to some information of an alleged fresh plot by a new Ombatse group to attack Asakio on Saturday August 13th 2016.

I was asked if I was aware of the plans by the new Ombatse group and I made it clear that I had no knowledge of either a new Ombatse group or plans by them to cause violence anywhere in the state.

They further disclosed that they have information that I was the sponsor of the new group, I replied that it would be most strange to associate my good self with violence in any form because throughout my life I have never belonged to any cult or took part in any evil against any human being.

Mr. Maku said he took the security chiefs down the memory lane, telling them that when Ombatse group arose in 2011 mainly as part of the governorship campaign by the defunct CPC, he was the only public figure in Nasarawa State that rose against the Ombatse group.

He said at the time he did not only embark on public media and community campaigns against Ombatse, he convened meetings of some people and groups in Abuja to help the state government with solutions to end the violence perpetrated by the group and Fulani mercenaries who were brought into the state.

He said, It is also on record that I collaborated with the state government to hold the Abuja meetings and forwarded a blueprint to the governor through his Special Adviser on security, Gen. A.T Umaru Rtd.

I also reminded the security chiefs that because of my well known role in opposing Ombatse violence and Fulani mercenary violence in the state, the judicial commission of inquiry set up by Gov. Al Makura didnt even invite me to its sittings.

It is also a well known fact that during the course of my campaigns for governorship seat in 2015, I never tolerated violence and when I was rigged out I went through the courts up to the Supreme Court without resorting to violent means to pursue my stolen mandate.

It is therefore mischievous for anybody to allege that I conspired with any one or group to attack communities which overwhelmingly voted for me in the April 2015 election.

The former minister said he was completely taken aback by the latest insinuations and innuendos linking me to alleged plot to commit violence.

Mr. Maku said he had earlier ignored the attacks on him by the government preferring to focus on the issues of governance in the state until the latest attempt to demonise him as a sponsor of violence in a bid to destroy his reputation and to silence the opposition in the state.

According to him, the latest efforts to associate me with alleged plots to cause violence is not only a bolt from the blues, it introduces a very dangerous dimension to the political environment in my state.

Mr. Maku explained that issues relating to the emergence of Ombatse and Fulani mercenaries in Nasarawa state were matters of public knowledge, adding that several times, the group had explained itself and their financiers in the government of Nassarawa state.

Let it be known that I have played several critical roles as peace advocate in Nasarawa state and Nigeria, and I can never be part of any group to sponsor violence in my native state which is still largely buffeted by crisis in Doma, Nasarawa, Obi, Kokona and Lafia LGAs where herdsmen still kill and maim people and displace communities within and outside the borders of Nasarawa state.

This sudden attempt to associate my good name to the new so-called new Ombatse violence is politically motivated to destroy my reputation and silence the oppressed in Nasarawa State.

Ahmed Tukur, the chief press secretary to the governor, said the government had not hand in Mr. Makus ordeal.

The government has no hand in this, Mr. Tukur told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview Monday.

First, it was Godiya Akwashiki, the legislator who represents his (Maku) constituency in the House of Assembly and who is also the deputy speaker that brought the matter to the floor of the House.

Secondly, the police have invited him and the police have a right to do so. Let him go and clear himself instead of looking for public sympathy.
The South East zone of the Peoples Democratic Party has commenced moves to save the Deputy President of the Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, from being removed from office.

There have been alleged plots to remove Mr. Ekweremadu from office by the All Progressives Congress.

Against the calculations of the ruling party, the deputy senate president, a member of the PDP, was re-elected to the position on June 9, 2015.

Rising from a meeting on Sunday in Enugu, the party said it would resist any moves to oust Mr. Ekweremadu.

It consequently passed a vote of confidence on him and the three governors of the party in the zone.

Apart from Mr. Ekweremadu, others at the meeting were the governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Ebonyi State counterpart, David Umahi.

Others included, the former governors of Anambra State, Peter Obi; former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu; Ben Obi; and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.

The Deputy National Chairman of the PDP in the South East zone, Austin Umahi, told journalists that the party had agreed to unite under one umbrella to support the deputy senate president and all its governors in the zone in the plan to regain power in 2019.

He said the zone was solidly behind Mr. Ekweremadu and would continue to support him as he worked to reposition the party in the country.

We the stakeholders of the party and the party leadership in the zone have deliberated on various issues affecting the welfare of our party and have spoken with one voice and pass vote of confidence on our leader and the Deputy President of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, he said.

We also passed vote confidence on all the PDP Governors from the zone because they have demonstrated uncommon leadership qualities and development across the zone.

Mr. Umahi said the party in the zone was speaking with one voice ahead of the partys national convention in Rivers State.

According to him, the party had resolved peacefully the distribution of the offices allocated to the zone across the states with a view to consolidating the peace and reconciliation already achieved in the party at the zonal level.

He said, We are entering Port Harcourt for this National Convention with one voice; we are entering Port Harcourt as a formidable team to show the people the true politics in Nigeria.

Nobody can toy with the South East and we want to assure you that the zoning we have done, we did it in good faith and by the special grace of God all the states were carried along.

Bode George Campaigns in South East

Meanwhile, an aspirant to the office of the national chairman of the PDP, Bode George, made a surprise appearance at the PDP Zonal secretariat.

He arrived just about the time the zonal meeting commenced.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. George, a former deputy national chairman of the party in the South, denied the insinuation that it was in crisis.

He expressed optimism that he would revive the party if elected and return it to winning ways.

When you look at it from outside you think we are in crisis. I will say yes and no. It is not a fundamental issue, it is human factor, it is a human ego and not structural disagreement.

I would have been more worried if we have fundamental and structural differences. These are issues that can be resolved within a week. I was at the national secretariat of the party for 10 years, we have been tested, and we know the ethos and know the laws. We need to get back the whole of South East and entire country back to PDP.
Dozens of workers laid off from state-funded transportation projects rallied Monday morning outside the offices of local state legislators, demanding renewal of the states Transportation Trust Fund.

Fund the TTF, the orange-shirted workers chanted, walking a short picket line outside the Northfield office of state Sen. Jim Whelan and Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo, both D-Atlantic.

The protesters were members of Laborers Local 172, whose South Jersey base is in Folsom.

Some said they were in the middle of road projects last month when their jobs were shut down in a funding battle between Gov. Chris Christie and legislative leaders.

We'll be doing this all through the state at different places until this gets fixed, said Rob Lewandowski, a union spokesman. This is just kicking off today here. We'll be doing stops at Republicans' offices and Democrats.

The same workers headed south and picketed later Monday at the Cape May Court House of State Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Lewandowski said.

He said the union also planned protests at two North Jersey legislative offices Monday.

Think about if the retail industry lost the holiday season, he said, because summer is historically the busiest time of year for road projects. But last month, Christie ordered state-funded projects shut down in a stalemate over moves to raise the states gasoline tax to renew the Transportation Trust Fund.

The states Democrat-led Assembly and Senate have both voted to increase the gas tax by 23 cents, and to cut other taxes to try to make that politically palatable to Christie, a Republican. But the various players havent yet gotten together on a plan that both houses of the Legislature will support and that Christie wont veto.

A lot of workers earn their money in the summer, and a lot make their hours for health care and other benefits, Lewandowski said. But construction projects started closing on a rolling basis by early July, and now were in our sixth week without work.

This is something that has to get done, and it has to get done now, he said.

Chris Gaskill, a Local 172 member, lives in Tabernacle, in the pinelands of Burlington County. He said he was in the middle of bridge project near Trenton last month when the job was suddenly shut down.

We ripped the bridge out. The barriers were up, and then the work stopped, he said. It just affects everyone. The job would already be done by now, but instead, all drivers have to follow detours to get around the idle construction site.

Whelan, a Democrat who represents Atlantic County, spoke to the workers who demonstrated outside his office.

I told them Im in favor of funding the Transportation Trust Fund, and that means in favor of raising the gas tax, Whelan said later.

He said a majority of Senate Democrats now favor a plan to do that and offset it with other tax cuts, But we dont have the governor to sign it into law, and we dont have the votes to override a veto, Whelan said.

We could pass a bill and people would be happy, but it wouldnt accomplish anything. We have to get to where the numbers work, he said, adding that he expects Senate President Steve Sweeney to meet with Christie again this week on a compromise. We hope we can come up with a solution that gets enough of us where we need to be to renew the trust fund, which pays for state road projects.

Van Drew, also a Democrat, said he was at his legislative office Monday morning but had to leave by the time the pickets got there.

We need the leadership to come together ... and move something forward, he said by phone, but he added that he hasnt changed his previous opposition to raising the gas tax.

The people in South Jersey pay some of the highest tolls because they have to use the (Garden State) Parkway so much, and they pay some of the highest gas taxes, he said, on the grounds that many have longer commutes to work in older, less fuel-efficient vehicles, and dont have mass transportation as an option.

To renew the Transportation Trust Fund, Van Drew said, Some other (budget) areas would have to be cut back, but he didnt offer any specifics.

Contact: 609-272-7237
Warning: this review contains spoilers for episode one of "Stranger Things."

By now, youve probably heard of the Netflix original series Stranger Things, by Matt and Ross Duffer, known as the Duffer Brothers. If someone in your life hasnt told you yet to watch it, they will soon.

And if they wont, I will.

Set in 1983 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, an investigation is launched after single mother Joyce Byers (Winona Ryder) son, Will, goes missing under mysterious  and paranormal  circumstances.

Sound lame, not your thing? Cant figure out why it had a 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes?

If it were any other series, that didnt have a tremendous talent or an equally tremendous Netflix budget, suspicions could be warranted.

Sci-fi television hasnt had the heaviest of hitters, though you could argue the "X-Files" and "Battlestar Galactica" were among them. This is even including BSGs use of the work frak for four tremendous seasons instead of just omitting the F word entirely. Truly, were thankful for that.

But after watching Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers of "Stranger Things," its pretty clear the show is a cult classic in the making.

"Stranger Things" is homage of sorts to the sci-fi genre of the 1980s, with some even comparing it to the works of Stephen King and Steven Spielberg. Naturally, this means you can expect a synthesizer to kick in every time something is amiss.

Although the show makes a great big nod to that genre, it has 21st century special effects on its side. Its impossible to not go back now and look at some 80s horror classics like Aliens and think, Why did I sleep with my bedroom light on for two weeks?

In that sense, "Stranger Things" evokes less of an eye-roll to lean more on the side of suspended disbelief. Some of the shows more jump, horror moments make it easy to be thankful for a divergence from an era of hokey graphics and animatronics.

Unlike other slow burn dramas, "Stranger Things" wastes no time setting up the plot. If Stranger Things were a poker player, it folds its hand in the first few minutes.

Our scene opens with a throw-away scientist character being devoured by a creature you cant see which immediately shifts to introducing our four, 12-year-old protagonists: Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard) Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo) Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin) and Will Byers (Noah Schnapp.)

Little Egg Harbor teen's journey from Broadway To Netflix Gaten Matarazzo, of Little Egg Harbor Township, learned something about the world of Hollywo

Will heads home on his bike and is pursued by a mysterious, shadowy creature near an obviously sinister looking government lab. We deduce its the same one that ate lab coat guy minutes before.

Were probably right.

Will vanishes into thin air  literally  with no trace of him by the time the monster reaches hm.

With that out of the way, "Stranger Things" introduces us to Wills mom, an overworked single mother who depends on her eldest son, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) to pick up the pieces.

We meet the Wheelers, a foil to the struggling Byers, which includes mom Karen Wheeler (Cara Buono), apathetic father Ted (Joe Chrest), little sister Holly (played by twins Anniston and Tinsley Price) and older sister Nancy (Natalia Dyer).

Nancy is the stereotypical good girl who has a crush on a cool guy with all the growing pains of every John Hughes movie ever made during that decade.

Her best friend, Barb (Shannon Purser), is concerned about Nancy becoming too cool now that shes dating slick and pushy, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).

No one really seems concerned a 12-year-old has gone missing, aside from a frazzled Joyce, including the woefully inadequate Hawkins Police Force and Police Chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour).

Our first impressions of Hopper are of him guzzling beer and popping pills so any bar set that hell find this kid is set very low.

Joyce harangues Hopper to look for her son, insisting that hes too sensitive to run away. So sensitive, in fact, Wills father Lonnie would often bully his young child about his sexuality which leads us to believe that old Lonnie has never once received a #1 DAD mug on fathers day.

The police bumble in circles until finding Wills bike and a search of the property gives us a glimpse that Hopper isnt as incompetent we were once lead to believe because a synthesizer cues up.

In between all this, we finally get to see break out star, actress Millie Bobby Brown, wandering through the woods barefoot with a shaved head and in a hospital gown.

We eventually come to learn her characters moniker is Eleven because of a tattoo on her arm.

After an unassuming dinner owner Benny (Chris Sullivan) takes a bullet to the head by some black suit types, its pretty obvious shes folded into some large government conspiracy with Matthew Modines character pulling the strings.

We also learn shes telekinetic after stopping a fan and then killing some government goons during a fun crescendo of Go Ask Alice by Jefferson Airplane. The boys, looking for Will, run into her at the episodes end which means weve arrived.

All the acting is strong, even the younger cast is convincing, but Elevens character is special and its not just because she can kill people with her brain.

Stranger Things pulls in a lot of elements together skillfully, but arguably the few scenes with Eleven are some of the strongest.

In a world where dialogue is almost always responsible for moving a story along, Elevens character says nothing and its riveting.

Browns portrayal of her evokes a non-verbal, emotional range Ive seldom seen in actors  let alone a young one.

Without Eleven, the show would have been worth sticking with. But with her, its downright intriguing and merits cuing up the second episode.
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PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP  The Pinelands Commission adopted a $4.64 million operating budget Friday, which is virtually unchanged from 2016 and contains no raise for staff.

Commissioner Ed McGlinchey said he was voting against it because of the salary issue.

I wont vote for it until our employees receive a fair increase. They are so far behind other people in their respective fields, McGlinchey said. There is no reason for it.

Staff salaries represent about $2.54 million of the operating budget, according to documents provided by the commission.

The commission also gave its approval Friday for the construction of a new 11,350-square-foot student center on the Mays Landing campus of Atlantic Cape Community College.

The commissioners tried to give staff a 5 percent raise in March 2014, soon after a draft agreement to allow South Jersey Gas to build a natural gas pipeline through 10 miles of preserved forest failed by a 7-7 commission vote.

But Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the staff raise, calling it a confiscation of public funds and a gross abuse of authority in a letter to Pinelands Commission Executive Director Nancy Wittenberg.

Environmentalists at the time said Christie vetoed the raise out of anger over the pipeline vote.

Later, Wittenberg approved an amended South Jersey Gas application as a private development, which meant it no longer needed the vote of the full commission. Environmental groups have filed suit challenging the approval.

Commission staff is unionized and recently negotiated a four-year contract that covered 2011 to 2015 and provided a 2.75 percent raise spread over the entire period, but they have not started negotiating a new contract yet, Wittenberg said.

She said salary levels have not been a problem for retaining or attracting staff.

Staffing is up slightly to 43, with 41 full-time and 2 part-time staff members. It had fallen to 41 last year and had been at 43.5 for the previous two years.

The commission also accepted a $152,800 budget for the final year of a Kirkwood Cohansey Aquifer Assessment Study Fund; and a $1.8 million Pinelands Conservation Fund budget, of which $600,000 is expected to be spent on land acquisition.

In addition to land purchase, the PCF funds conservation planning and research, community planning and design, and education and outreach.

The PCF is funding creation of a $369,000 Pinelands Visitors Center at the Pemberton Township commission headquarters, which is expected to be finished late this year or early next year.

The budgets must now go to Christie for approval.

The commission implements a comprehensive plan that guides land use, development and natural resource protection programs in the 938,000-acre Pinelands Area of southern New Jersey, according to its website.

Contact: 609-272-7219

Twitter @MichelleBPost
LAS VEGAS - Nevada, which calls itself the "Battle Born State," actually was born prematurely because of Republicans' anxiety. Now, 152 years later, it again is a subject of their anxiety.

Entering 1864, Abraham Lincoln and his party were intensely 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 required for statehood. Nine days before the election, the Republican-controlled Congress made Nevada a state (although Gen. Sherman's Sept. 2 capture of Atlanta probably guaranteed Lincoln's victory).

On election night 2016, the nation's attention might be focused on Nevada, where Republicans have their most promising, and probably their only realistic, chance to capture a Democratic Senate seat. Harry Reid, Senate minority leader, is retiring, and Republicans' hopes of retaining their majority might depend on Joe Heck replacing Reid.

He is a strong candidate for his party, as his opponent is for hers. Catherine Cortez Masto is a former two-term state attorney general who won re-election even against the 2010 anti-Democratic wave. She would be the Senate's first Latina.

Heck, an emergency room physician and a brigadier general in the Army Reserve, is a third-term congressman from the Las Vegas metropolitan area, where 75 percent of Nevada voters live. His district, where he defeated his 2014 Democratic opponent by 24.6 points, is 19 percent Hispanic and 16 percent Asian-American.

The state's non-Hispanic white population was 79 percent in 1990 and is now 54 percent. There are about 70,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, down from 90,000 in 2012, when Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney here by 67,806 votes.

According to the Almanac of American Politics, Nevada was the fastest-growing state in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and from 2000 to 2007, before the economy cratered. Since 1990, the population of Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, has quadrupled to 286,000, the size of Cincinnati. Heck says many people come to Nevada, which has no income tax, in flight from Democratic governance in contiguous California - but some come with, and retain, Democratic attitudes.

Only 24 percent of Nevadans were born in the state, the lowest percentage of any state, which is one reason Nevada was devastated by the subprime mortgage crisis, which left 62 percent of Nevada homeowners "underwater" - owing more on the mortgages than their homes were worth. Today, only 24 percent are, but Cortez Masto is picking at the scab of the post-2008 trauma with ads accusing Heck of putting the "big banks before Nevada families," partly because he has received contributions from the financial industry.

Heck notes that Donald 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.
Christie double standard

At the Republican National Convention, Gov. Chris Christie declared himself the judge and jury against Hillary Clinton (personally, I think that's God's job). Within the same week, he stated he's standing by former ally and friend David Samson, who pleaded guilty to bribery, saying "We all make mistakes," (true), and "He had a lapse in judgment." You can't have it both ways, governor.

Karen Hand Aspenberg

Egg Harbor Township

Republicans to blame, should turn on candidate

How do they like him now? Prominent Republican leadership is silent, local Republicans have gone into hiding. The Republicans aren't just burying their heads in the sand, they're self-destructing. At what point will Republican leadership at every level get enough guts to denounce their own homegrown agitator, Donald Trump, the grandson of immigrants? Sirs and madams, have you no shame?

Republicans marked in glee as the first black American president of this nation publicly showed his birth certificate as a measure to quiet the nasty voice of their own homegrown agitator. Republicans had stood shoulder-to-shoulder at every level to facilitate the non-productivity and slow growth of the nation's economy. They haven't passed a job-creation bill, an infrastructure development and improvement bill, or enhancements to the Affordable Care Act.

I heard their taunts and criticisms - but no tangible effort to improve the economic plight of tens of millions of Americans. But, they have managed to shut down the government and hold this nation hostage when they failed to have things their way, like spoiled brats. So, "they have sown the wind, now they shall reap the whirlwind" with an out-of-control agitator.

Patricia D. King

Pleasantville

Stand up for police

and against their killers

My heart is heavy, my eyes filled with tears. The happenings of the world are too much to bear.

Innocent, brave police officers who defend people every day are being slaughtered. We must do something. This land has turned into a daily murder factory.

Since I saw the heads of human beings being cut off on TV, I've been nauseous. Americans need to wake up, get off their duffs and do something.

We have fought for freedom and free speech. United we stand, divided we fall. We can't stop now. We must stand up to these evil killers. We must revere our men and women in blue. Justice will prevail.

Marilyn Herberg

Ventnor

Clinton unaccountability destroys justice for all

Dec. 7, 1941 - which President Roosevelt called a "date that will live in infamy" - has since had two additions: Sept. 11, 2001, and July 5, 2016.

July 5, 2016, is the date the blindfolded lady with a scale and a sword has been turned to dust along with the very bedrock of a nation founded on the rule of law. Gone is the notion that no one is above the law, along with the pledge "Liberty and justice for all." The blindfold's removed, the scale is smashed, the sword plunged through the heart of Lady Justice, her body cast on the scrap heap of history.

Giving Hillary Clinton a free ride with lawyer semantics is an affront to every law abiding citizen of this nation. The Democrats still supporting her, including Attorney General Loretta Lynch and her team, are nothing more than political lackeys.

The blood of the attack in Benghazi is on the carelessness of the Clinton State Department. The attackers may have had access to the emails covering security and the forthcoming lack of response. No one can say this is either true or not.

A bipartisan Senate committee found that, a month before the attack, the State Department replaced a 16-member Defense Department Site Security Team covering Benghazi and Tripoli with its own staff and local Libyan security personnel.

Robert J. Caroccio Sr.

Ocean City
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Lee BHM Corp. PRIVACY POLICY

For each visitor to the Web site, Lee BHM Corp.'s servers automatically collect information about which pages are visited and the domain name of visitors. This information is used for internal review, to tailor information to individual visitors and for Web site traffic audits. We also provide this information (as well as information from third-party market researchers) about our users on an aggregated, anonymous basis to our advertisers.

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Like many other commercial sites, our site may utilize an electronic file called a Web beacon to count users who have visited a page or recognize users by accessing certain cookies. Our site and/or the Web sites of advertisers and merchants with which we have a relationship may use Web beacons (a) for auditing purposes and to collect information from the Web sites of certain advertisers or merchants; (b) to report anonymous individual and/or aggregate information about our users from such advertisers or merchants. Aggregate information may include demographic and usage information. No personally identifiable information about you is shared with such advertisers or merchants. You may choose to opt-out by contacting us in accordance with the information set forth at the bottom of this policy.

In addition, Lee BHM Corp. service providers and third-party advertising service providers may use their own cookies, web beacons and other technologies to collect the information listed above. The data collected in connection with ad serving and ad targeting does not include your name, postal address, email address, telephone number, birthdate or gender unless you affirmatively provide information within the ad. However, it may include device identifying information such as the IP address, MAC address, cookie or other device-specific unique ID. These service providers also may assign an anonymous identifier to the tracking pixel or session cookie.

The collection of information by our service providers and third-party advertising service providers is governed by their relevant privacy notices, for which we have no responsibility or liability, and are not covered by our Privacy Policy. If you have any questions regarding the privacy notice of one of our service providers, you should contact the service provider directly for more information.

If you would like more information about the information collection practices of a particular third-party advertising service provider, or if you would like more information on how to opt out of a third-party advertising service providers information collection practices, go to www.aboutads.info, or for apps, at www.aboutads.info/appchoices.

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Please note that one of our third-party advertising service providers is DoubleClick. You can opt out of the use of cookies by DoubleClick by visiting http://www.google.com/settings/ads.

How does the Web site use the information it gathers?

Information collected on the Web site, including traffic patterns and user behavior, is used primarily for the following purposes:

Internal research. The Web site is continuously assessing how visitors use the site. This data assists us in making decisions about how to improve the site and to better serve our users. Research data are aggregated and do not include data about specific individuals. We may share aggregated research (but not individual user information) with our advertisers or business partners. Additionally, the Web site may use your information to contact you to ask for your participation in a focus group, survey, or some other type of research effort.

To customize your experience on the Web site. As the Web site improves its service, it may offer users more opportunities to customize content and other aspects of the site. Information provided by you may be used to assist in the customization process, if you elect to participate in these features.

To tailor advertising efforts. Most of the information and services available to you at the Web site are free. In order to continue providing services free of charge, the Web site sells advertising. Advertisers prefer to target their communication toward audiences who are most likely to be interested in their products. The information gathered on the Web site helps us advise advertisers in general terms about certain aspects of site visitors (e.g. how visitors use the site, general demographic attributes of visitors, usage patterns on various parts of our site, etc.). This information helps both advertisers and the Web site make better decisions about where to place advertising. This information may also be used to send targeted marketing, such as emails, to users that we think would be interested in such marketing. Visitors who choose to conduct financial transactions with advertisers on the Web site may also provide specific data to those advertisers during the process of their transactions. Additionally, any information provided during the purchase on the Web site of products or services will result in the collection of certain information required to complete the transaction.

To use third party service providers. We provide some services and products through third parties. These third party service providers may perform functions on our behalf, like sending out and distributing promotional emails. We may share your personally identifiable information with such service providers as necessary to allow those service providers to fulfill orders, send mail or email, administer contests or sweepstakes, remove repetitive information on customer lists, analyze data, provide marketing assistance, provide search results and links, process credit card payments, operate the Web site, troubleshoot, or provide customer service. We may also collect personal information from individuals and companies with whom we have business relationships ("Affiliates") and may share your information with service providers to accomplish our administrative tasks. For example, when you order a service, the third party payment processor we use releases your credit card information to the card-issuing bank to confirm payment for the service. The use of your personally identifiable information by these third parties is governed by the privacy policies of these third parties and is not subject to our control.

More specifically, here is how the Web site may use information you provide:

E-mail addresses. If you supply the Web site with your e-mail address, either by registering on the site, by communicating with us via e-mail, or signing up for promotional offers or emails we may, from time to time, send you information that we believe would be of interest to you via e-mail. This information may be from the Web site or sent by us on behalf of one of our quality advertisers. Note: If we send you e-mail on behalf of another company, your personally identifiable information is not disclosed to that company unless you purchase a product or service from that company in which case it may need your information to fulfill your purchase. Rather, the company provides us with the information it wants to send, and we prepare and send the e-mail directly to you. We may use a third party service provider to manage or send emails on our behalf, but that third party is only authorized to use your information as necessary to send our email to you and it is not authorized to sell or transfer your information.

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Sale transaction information. From time to time, we provide offers from our advertisers who, as part of their offer, request information on customers who purchased their offer in order to allow the advertiser to fulfill the purchase. In those cases, we share some of your personally identifiable information with that advertiser. Sharing this Information may allow that advertiser to market directly to you should it choose to do so. However, we will only share personally identifiable information with an advertiser if you provide us that information and enter into a transaction with that advertiser on or through our Web site. We are not responsible or liable for the actions of such advertiser.

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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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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.




The Dar Al-Iftar accused the banned Muslim Brotherhood of inciting violence, murder and torture against anyone who criticised the group's rule

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta  the state Islamic authority charged with issuing religious edicts  said recent remarks by the once-ruling Muslim Brotherhood make clear that the movement's "thirst for power" is behind its actions and statements.

In a statement issued on Sunday commemorating the third anniversary of the deadly dispersal of two pro-Brotherhood protest camps in Cairo, the now-banned group said that it would not cede the "legitimacy" of the ousted president Mohamed Morsi,

The group also called on the international community to "prosecute the perpetrators of this massacre," in a reference to the killing of hundreds of Morsi's supporters during the police dispersal of the sit-ins against the ouster of Morsi in Rabaa and Nahda squares in August 2013.

At least 30 police officers were also killed during the clashes that took place during the dispersal.

A sub-body of Dar Al-Ifta that monitors jihadist and extremist edicts said on Sunday that the Brotherhood's leaders mobilised supporters against the state during the 2013 sit-ins and incited them to "commit violence and justified it as legitimate jihad."

It said that the Brotherhood leaders eventually backed down, leaving the youth and elderly people to face the consequences of the group's "political greed and interests."

The religious unit also said the movement has continued its treachery against the state by claiming that the dispersal of the protest camps was "a massacre" while overlooking "their own crimes of inciting violence, murder and torture of whoever criticised or opposed them."

Also on Sunday, the New-York based Human Rights Watch called on Egypts parliament to pass a transitional justice law opening a new, impartial investigation into what it described as the "mass killing of protesters" in the Rabaa and Nahda sit-ins.

The Egyptian government has maintained that protesters opened fire first at security personnel who "offered safe passages," prompting a response in kind.

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The court verdict on whether to uphold a judicial decision of freezing of the assets of three prominent human rights activists has been set for 17 September, their lawyer Mohamed Abdel-Aziz told Ahram Online.

The three activists - Hossam Bahgat, the founder of the Egyptian Initiative for personal Rights, Gamal Eid, the founder and director of the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, and Bahy El-Din Hassan, the founder of Cairo Institute - have been facing charges of receiving illegal foreign funding for their NGOs.

The case against the trio started in 2011 when the Ministry of Justice accused several NGOs of illegally receiving funds from foreign governments and institutions, though no defendants were referred to court at the time.

In March of this year, a judicial committee overseeing an investigation into the alleged illegal funding of NGOs issued a decision to freeze the assets of several Egyptian human rights activists.

Bahgat's lawyer, Taher Abul-Nasr, previously told Ahram Online that the decision to freeze the three rights activists' assets had not been implemented, since a court must first uphold the committee's decision.

The Hisham Mubarak Law Centre and its manager Mostafa El-Hassan in addition to the Right to Education Centre are also being investigated in the case.

In April, an Egyptian court ruled that NGOs have the right to foreign funding.

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BEIJING, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 360 Battery Plus, a FREE new battery energy saving app for Android users, today announced it ranked 1st on the Google Play Tools download chart and 4th on the overall download chart since August according to the App Annie Index, behind the most popular game Pokemon GO and longtime hot apps such as YouTube and Facebook.

With battery time monitoring, power saving mode and battery charging time reducer, 360 Battery Plus can extend the battery life by 50% more and cut down charging time with its power saving mode. Using battery time monitoring, it detects what apps are eating the battery and it also tells users which one of them should be closed to save battery power. Under power saving mode, users could stop all the battery draining apps in the background with one click. As a battery charging time reducer, it reduces the battery consumption during the charging time.

"I've tried just about every other similar app with a minimum 4.5 star rating and this is the ONLY one that made a discernible difference in battery life," said Darren Muff, a 360 Battery Plus app customer. "Battery temperature, charging time and it also effectively keeps background apps from reopening."

360 Battery Plus app was developed by the same team which has developed the hugely successful App 360 security. It currently is available in 10 languages for a free download in the Google Play store.

About 360 Battery Plus

Launched in May 2016, the 360 Battery Plus app for Android devices is one of Google Play's top battery energy saving applications. Key features of the app include shutting down background battery draining apps and improving stand-by time with one tap. Effectively cooling down the battery when the battery is overheated will help boost charging speed to ensure you spend less time waiting while the phone is charging. 360 Battery Plus will also help with cleaning up the junk files on your phone.

For more information contact:

Jean-Baptiste Carpentier

+86-158-1157-3307

jeanbaptiste@mobimagic.com



SOURCE 360 Mobile Security Limited
THE HAGUE, Netherlands, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Aegon has completed the share buyback program announced on July 4, 2016. This program neutralized the dilutive effect of the 2015 final dividend paid in shares. The repurchased shares will be held as treasury shares and will be used to cover future stock dividends.

Between July 4, 2016 and August 12, 2016 a total of 29,258,662 common shares were repurchased, at an average price of EUR 3.5054 per share.

More detailed information about the program is available on aegon.com/sharebuyback .

Disclaimers

Cautionary note regarding non-IFRS measures

This document includes the following non-IFRS financial measures: underlying earnings before tax, income tax, income before tax and market consistent value of new business. These non-IFRS measures are calculated by consolidating on a proportionate basis Aegon's joint ventures and associated companies. The reconciliation of these measures, except for market consistent value of new business, to the most comparable IFRS measure is provided in note 3 'Segment information' of Aegon's Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements. Market consistent value of new business is not based on IFRS, which are used to report Aegon's primary financial statements and should not be viewed as a substitute for IFRS financial measures. Aegon may define and calculate market consistent value of new business differently than other companies. Aegon believes that these non-IFRS measures, together with the IFRS information, provide meaningful information about the underlying operating results of Aegon's business including insight into the financial measures that senior management uses in managing the business. In addition, return on equity is a ratio using a non-IFRS measure and is calculated by dividing the net underlying earnings after cost of leverage by the average shareholders' equity excluding the preferred shares, the revaluation reserve and the reserves related to defined benefit plans.

Local currencies and constant currency exchange rates

This document contains certain information about Aegon's results, financial condition and revenue generating investments presented in USD for the Americas and Asia, and in GBP for the United Kingdom, because those businesses operate and are managed primarily in those currencies. Certain comparative information presented on a constant currency basis eliminates the effects of changes in currency exchange rates. None of this information is a substitute for or superior to financial information about Aegon presented in EUR, which is the currency of Aegon's primary financial statements.

Forward-looking statements

The statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The following are words that identify such forward-looking statements: aim, believe, estimate, target, intend, may, expect, anticipate, predict, project, counting on, plan, continue, want, forecast, goal, should, would, is confident, will, and similar expressions as they relate to Aegon. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Aegon undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which merely reflect company expectations at the time of writing. Actual results may differ materially from expectations conveyed in forward-looking statements due to changes caused by various risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to the following:

Changes in general economic conditions, particularly in the United States , the Netherlands and the United Kingdom ;

, and the ; Changes in the performance of financial markets, including emerging markets, such as with regard to:

-- The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in Aegon's fixed income investment portfolios;

-- The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities Aegon holds; and

-- The effects of declining creditworthiness of certain private sector securities and the resulting decline in the value of sovereign exposure that Aegon holds;

-- The frequency and severity of defaults by issuers in Aegon's fixed income investment portfolios; -- The effects of corporate bankruptcies and/or accounting restatements on the financial markets and the resulting decline in the value of equity and debt securities Aegon holds; and -- The effects of declining creditworthiness of certain private sector securities and the resulting decline in the value of sovereign exposure that Aegon holds; Changes in the performance of Aegon's investment portfolio and decline in ratings of Aegon's counterparties;

Consequences of a potential (partial) break-up of the euro;

Consequences of the anticipated exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union;

from the European Union; The frequency and severity of insured loss events;

Changes affecting longevity, mortality, morbidity, persistence and other factors that may impact the profitability of Aegon's insurance products;

Reinsurers to whom Aegon has ceded significant underwriting risks may fail to meet their obligations;

Changes affecting interest rate levels and continuing low or rapidly changing interest rate levels;

Changes affecting currency exchange rates, in particular the EUR/USD and EUR/GBP exchange rates;

Changes in the availability of, and costs associated with, liquidity sources such as bank and capital markets funding, as well as conditions in the credit markets in general such as changes in borrower and counterparty creditworthiness;

Increasing levels of competition in the United States , the Netherlands , the United Kingdom and emerging markets;

, , the and emerging markets; Changes in laws and regulations, particularly those affecting Aegon's operations' ability to hire and retain key personnel, taxation of Aegon companies, the products Aegon sells, and the attractiveness of certain products to its consumers;

Regulatory changes relating to the pensions, investment, and insurance industries in the jurisdictions in which Aegon operates;

Standard setting initiatives of supranational standard setting bodies such as the Financial Stability Board and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors or changes to such standards that may have an impact on regional (such as EU), national or US federal or state level financial regulation or the application thereof to Aegon, including the designation of Aegon by the Financial Stability Board as a Global Systemically Important Insurer (G-SII);

Changes in customer behavior and public opinion in general related to, among other things, the type of products also Aegon sells, including legal, regulatory or commercial necessity to meet changing customer expectations;

Acts of God, acts of terrorism, acts of war and pandemics;

Changes in the policies of central banks and/or governments;

Lowering of one or more of Aegon's debt ratings issued by recognized rating organizations and the adverse impact such action may have on Aegon's ability to raise capital and on its liquidity and financial condition;

Lowering of one or more of insurer financial strength ratings of Aegon's insurance subsidiaries and the adverse impact such action may have on the premium writings, policy retention, profitability and liquidity of its insurance subsidiaries;

The effect of the European Union's Solvency II requirements and other regulations in other jurisdictions affecting the capital Aegon is required to maintain;

Litigation or regulatory action that could require Aegon to pay significant damages or change the way Aegon does business;

As Aegon's operations support complex transactions and are highly dependent on the proper functioning of information technology, a computer system failure or security breach may disrupt Aegon's business, damage its reputation and adversely affect its results of operations, financial condition and cash flows;

Customer responsiveness to both new products and distribution channels;

Competitive, legal, regulatory, or tax changes that affect profitability, the distribution cost of or demand for Aegon's products;

Changes in accounting regulations and policies or a change by Aegon in applying such regulations and policies, voluntarily or otherwise, which may affect Aegon's reported results and shareholders' equity;

Aegon's projected results are highly sensitive to complex mathematical models of financial markets, mortality, longevity, and other dynamic systems subject to shocks and unpredictable volatility. Should assumptions to these models later prove incorrect, or should errors in those models escape the controls in place to detect them, future performance will vary from projected results. The impact of acquisitions and divestitures, restructurings, product withdrawals and other unusual items, including Aegon's ability to integrate acquisitions and to obtain the anticipated results and synergies from acquisitions;

Catastrophic events, either manmade or by nature, could result in material losses and significantly interrupt Aegon's business; and

Aegon's failure to achieve anticipated levels of earnings or operational efficiencies as well as other cost saving and excess capital and leverage ratio management initiatives.

Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting Aegon are described in its filings with the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, Aegon expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in Aegon's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Aegon's roots go back more than 170 years - to the first half of the nineteenth century. Since then, Aegon has grown into an international company, with businesses in more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Today, Aegon is one of the world's leading financial services organizations, providing life insurance, pensions and asset management. Aegon's purpose is to help people achieve a lifetime of financial security. More information: aegon.com.

Media relations

Debora de Laaf

+31 (0) 70 344 8730

gcc@aegon.com





Investor relations

Willem van den Berg

+31 (0) 70 344 8405

ir@aegon.com



SOURCE Aegon N.V.
SIMI VALLEY, California, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Airborne Wireless Network, a Nevada corporation (the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has retained C. Neal Monte, as its lead FAA Designated Engineering Representative.

As one of the most experienced and well respected experts in the industry, Mr. Monte's background includes work with airframe manufacturers such as Boeing, McDonnel Douglass, and Airbus Industries. Mr. Monte will be spearheading the FAA certification process for the Company's "Airborne Digital Super Highway." Mr. Monte holds numerous FAA qualifications and during his career has obtained just under 250 supplemental type certificates and parts manufacturing approvals.

The Company intends to achieve FAA certification of its Airborne Digital Super Highway system on a non-interfering basis, meaning that system will not interfere with critical onboard aircraft systems. Once successful certification is achieved, that system will be poised to become the world's first civilian "Air to Air High-Speed Broadband Digital Super Highway" utilizing commercial aircraft in flight as its platform.

A major milestone for the Company, the initial FAA certification will allow the Company's Airborne Digital Super Highway system to be placed on commercial aircraft of a type approved on the supplemental type certificate. The Company intends to expand on this initial certification to include approvals for additional aircraft types. This will enable the Company to begin assembling its Airborne Digital Super Highway one aircraft type approval, or supplemental type certificate, at a time.

The Company intends to establish relationships with airlines and aircraft operators. With each, a reliable, redundant, more robust communications network will be developed. Using commercial aircraft as signal repeaters, or routers, is the most practical, efficient, and cost effective solution to achieve true high speed connectivity. Current proposals, as well as most in design, are repeats of high cost, inefficient, older technologies such as satellites and ground based infrastructures.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS:

This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, availability of capital, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors; the impact of industry regulation; technological advances; new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges in new product development; manufacturing difficulties or delays; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

For Further information:

Airborne Wireless Network

805-583-4302

Email: info@airbornewirelessnetwork.com

www.airbornewirelessnetwork.com

Related Links

http://www.airbornewirelessnetwork.com



SOURCE Airborne Wireless Network
Calculator Breaks Down Annual Costs Needlessly Incurred from Inaccurately Diagnosing Device Performance Issues & Processing NTF Returns

ATLANTA and LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 'No Trouble Found' (NTF) returns are a persistent and expensive problem for the telecommunications industry, costing $4.5 billion a year. At the root of the problem is the improper diagnosis and repair of mobile devices when they are brought into retail stores of mobile network operators and device manufacturers.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151006/274522LOGO

To remedy this problem, Blancco Technology Group today released the NTF Savings Calculator, a first-of-its-kind tool that mobile network operators and device manufacturers can use to assess the high costs that are needlessly incurred from making inaccurate diagnoses of device performance issues and, as a result, unnecessarily processing NTF returns each year.

"The mobile ecosystem is complex, fast-changing and highly competitive," said Richard Stiennon, Chief Strategy Officer, Blancco Technology Group. "Success hinges on delivering maximum value for customers and improving the customer care experience across every channel. This calculator helps mobile network operators and device manufacturers understand the expensive implications of improperly diagnosing and repairing mobile devices  and ultimately, the importance of implementing the right mobile diagnostics solution to reduce NTF returns."

The tool asks mobile network operators and device manufacturers to input the following items in order to calculate the projected NTF savings on an annual basis if the SmartChk diagnostics solution is used to diagnose and repair mobile devices.

The total number of retail locations the carrier/OEM has in operation

The average number of mobile devices returned each month (per retail location)

The average cost of processing each returned device

The tool is designed to provide mobile network operators and device manufacturers with a better understanding of the financial repercussions of improperly diagnosing and repairing mobile devices. Additionally, it should help mobile service providers create more streamlined and efficient device diagnostics processes. Its creation was inspired by the considerable value and savings being seen from the deployment of the SmartChk solution for some of the world's most notable mobile network operators.

Stiennon concluded, "The more commonplace mobile adoption becomes, the more necessary it is to make the post-sale customer care experience as convenient, efficient and hassle-free as possible. If our SmartChk mobile diagnostics solutions can help mobile network operators and device manufacturers simultaneously correct those issues, reduce the likelihood of unwarranted device returns and minimize customer churn, then we're doing exactly what we set out to do."

To see how the SmartChk diagnostics solutions and business intelligence can help reduce the quantity and frequency of 'No Trouble Found' device returns, increase your Net Promoter Score and save millions of dollars each year, request a demo today.

About Blancco Technology Group

Blancco Technology Group is a leading, global provider of mobile device diagnostics and secure data erasure solutions. We help our clients' customers test, diagnose, repair and repurpose IT devices with the most proven and certified software. Our clientele consists of equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, retailers, financial institutions, healthcare providers and government organizations worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, United States, with a distributed workforce and customer base across the globe.

Blancco, a division of Blancco Technology Group, is the global de facto standard in certified data erasure. We provide thousands of organizations with an absolute line of defense against costly security breaches, as well as verification of regulatory compliance through a 100% tamper-proof audit trail.

SmartChk, a division of Blancco Technology Group, is a global innovator in mobile asset diagnostics and business intelligence. We partner with our customers to improve their customers' experience by providing seamless solutions to test, diagnose and repair mobile assets. SmartChk provides world-class support, pre and post implementation, allowing our customers to derive measurable business results.

Media Contacts:

SHIFT Communications for Blancco Technology Group (US)

David Heffernan, Account Manager

T: (617) 779-1839

E: blancco@shiftcomm.com

SAY Communications for Blancco Technology Group (Europe)

Robert Hickling, Senior Account Manager

T: 44 (0) 20 8971 6427

E: blancco@saycomms.co.uk

Blancco Technology Group

Ragini Bhalla, Senior Director of Global Communications

T: (678) 829-8465

E: ragini.bhalla@blanccotechgroup.com

Related Links

http://www.blanccotechnologygroup.com



SOURCE Blancco Technology Group
Two of Morsi's co-defendants appealed their death sentences, while four other co-defendants appealed 15-years prison sentences

Ousted former president Mohamed Morsi has appealed the Court of Cassation's verdict to uphold a June sentence of life in prison and an additional 15 years in what is known as the Qatar espionage case.

Two of Morsi's co-defendants appealed their death sentences, while four other co-defendants appealed sentences of 15 years in prison.

In June, Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Morsi to a total of 40 years in prison (life in prison carries a sentence of 25 years behind bars).

Ten defendants were tried in the case.

The court also confirmed death sentences against six of Morsis co-defendants in the case, four of whom are still at large.

Those defendants sentenced in absentia can only appeal their verdicts if they turn themselves in to authorities.

Morsi was charged with using his post to leak classified documents to Qatar with the help of secretaries and Muslim Brotherhood figures.

Morsi and the head of his office, Ahmed Abdel-Ati, also faced charges of leaking secret information on general and military intelligence, the armed forces, its armaments and other state secrets.

The six defendants sentenced to death include five men (Ahmed Abdo Afify, Mohamed Adel El-Kelany, Ahmed Ismail, Alaa Omar and Ibrahim Helal) and one woman (Asmaa El-Khateeb).

The other defendants  who include Ahmed Afify, a documentary producer; Mohamed Kilany, a flight attendant; Ahmed Ismail, a teaching assistant; and Khaled Radwan and Asmaa El-Khatib, two journalists for pro-Brotherhood TV channels  were charged with turning over copies of the classified documents to two staffers of the Qatari-based Al-Jazeera and an unknown Qatari intelligence officer.

The espionage case is the fourth major trial of Morsi on various criminal charges since his ouster in 2013.

Morsi has already been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment in the "Ittihadiya case," received a death sentence in the Wadi Natroun Prison jailbreak case, and life over leaks to foreign groups, including militant groups Hamas and Hizbullah. All his other sentences are currently being appealed.

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SAN FRANCISCO, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation market is expected to reach USD 346.1 million by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growing number of respiratory failure cases and conditions, such as cardiopulmonary disease and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is anticipated to boost the market growth. For instance, according to the U.S. National Center for Health statistics, in the year 2014, there were about 149,205 deaths due to chronic lower respiratory disorders in the U.S.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )

Moreover, the increased adoption of ECMO machines in hospitals as a consequence ofthe medical community taking cognizance of the advantages related to the use of ECMO machines is anticipated to facilitate the emergence of this market during the forecast period.

Apart from the high applicability of these appliances in hospitals, technological advancements have played a pivotal role in further accelerating the usage of these devices. For instance, Medtronic's Century heart lung machine, which consists of an arterial pump, data management system and cardioplegia delivery system, is employed to provide cardiopulmonary functional support to patients.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Market Analysis, By Modality (Veno-Arterial, Veno-Venous, Arterio-Venous), By Application (Respiratory, Cardiac, Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) And Segment Forecasts To 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/extracorporeal-membrane-oxygenation-ecmo-market

Further key findings from the study suggest:

The veno-venous segment held a lucrative sharein 2015 among the modality types owing to its efficiency and reliability in furnishing gas exchange support.

The respiratory application segment held a remunerative share in 2015; this is attributed to the increasing number of patients suffering from respiratory conditions. Moreover, the technological advancement in the ECMO machines has further increased its adoption rate in hospitals for its use in respiratory failure conditions.

North America dominated the overall market with a revenue share of over 40.0% in 2015 owing to the presence of a well-developed infrastructure and a suitable reimbursement framework as well as the rise in number of supportive government funds.

dominated the overall market with a revenue share of over 40.0% in 2015 owing to the presence of a well-developed infrastructure and a suitable reimbursement framework as well as the rise in number of supportive government funds. However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest growing region with a CAGR of about 5.0% over the forecast period. Notable economic developments and the advancing healthcare system developed with the aid of supportive government initiatives are anticipated to assist the growth.

is anticipated to be the fastest growing region with a CAGR of about 5.0% over the forecast period. Notable economic developments and the advancing healthcare system developed with the aid of supportive government initiatives are anticipated to assist the growth. Moreover, the rising incidences of respiratory failure and cardiopulmonary diseases are identified as major impact rendering factors for the growth of this market. According to the World Health Organization, about 3 million deaths were reported globally due to COPD in the year 2012, which accounts for 6% of the total mortality.

Some leading players in this vertical include Maquet Holding B. V. & Co.KG, Microport Scientific Corporation, Medos Medizintechnik AG, Sorin Group, Medtronic Plc, Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation, and Nipro Medical Corporation.

These key players opt for technologically enhanced products and undertake collaborations with other companies to implement new product development strategy goals to sustain a competitive advantage in the industry. For instance, Medtronic Plc collaborated with Salyer Biomedical, LLC for the development of their product, Century heart lung machine.

Grand View Research has segmented the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation market on the basis of modality type, application, and region.

Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Market, by Modality Revenue,(USD Million), 2013 - 2024 Veno-Arterial Veno-Venous Arterio-Venous

Global Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Market, by ApplicationRevenue, (USD Million), 2013 - 2024 Respiratory application Neonates Pediatric Adults Cardiac application Neonates Pediatric Adults Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation Neonates Pediatric Adults

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Market, byRegion, (USD Million), 2013 - 2024 North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany Asia Pacific Japan China Latin America Brazil Mexico MEA South Africa Saudi Arabia



Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Hospital Microbiology Testing Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/hospital-microbiology-testing-market

Enteric Disease Testing Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/enteric-disease-testing-market

Coagulation Analyzers Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/coagulation-analyzers-market

Theranostics Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/theranostics-market

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Read Our Blogs - legalworkshop.org , grandviewresearch.com/blogs/healthcare

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: +1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com

Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com



SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Women Advancing Africa initiative launched at an intimate gathering of African women leaders hosted by Mrs. Graca Machel

JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Graca Machel Trust (GMT) announced today that it will launch a pan-African initiative to 'Multiply the Faces and Amplify the Voices' of African women as a force for economic and social transformation. The Trust will convene the first-ever Women Advancing Africa (WAA) Forum in 2017 to highlight the critical role that women play in shaping Africa's development.

Over the past decade, Africa has experienced unprecedented economic growth but women and children have shared least in its prosperity. Today, African women constitute 70 percent of the informal economy, while one third of Africa's formal small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are owned by women but only 47 percent of these are financially served. African women are a powerful untapped force and creating more opportunities for women to participate in the economy will improve their earning potential, assist families to move out of poverty and drive inclusive and sustainable growth.

Women Advancing Africa plans to build an intergenerational movement of women whose experience and wisdom will lead to collective action to address these economic imbalances. To identify priorities and help shape the agenda for the inaugural Women Advancing Africa Forum, the Trust convened a roundtable meeting of African women leaders across sectors in Magaliesburg, South Africa from August 11-13. The intimate gathering was hosted by Mrs. Machel, who shared her vision for Women Advancing Africa and invited participants to share their stories and develop targeted goals for the initiative moving forward.

"Africa's continued journey towards full economic and social prosperity will only be achieved when women take the lead in setting the continent's development agenda and have equal opportunities to participate at all levels in society," said Mrs. Machel. "Now is the time to shape a collective agenda for the economic advancement of African women."

At the meeting, more than 40 African women leaders worked together to identify priorities and outline key focus areas for the 2017 Forum. Under the overarching theme of driving social and economic transformation, WAA will focus on three core pillars in 2017: promoting financial inclusion, increasing market access and driving social change.

"It is rare to experience a completely safe space in which we can tell our truth, own our stories and challenge each other," reflected Renee Ngamau, participant and member of the Graca Machel Trust Women in Media Network. "The WAA roundtable created that space and challenged me to powerfully take on next steps in my journey; not just for myself, but for other women younger, or less privileged than I am."

The Trust has selected APCO Worldwide, the largest women-owned communications firm in the world, to be the convening partner for the Women Advancing Africa initiative. Working closely with the Graca Machel Trust, APCO will leverage its global network and communications expertise to bring the initiative to life at the inaugural meeting. The Forum will take place next year in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and will be attended by at least 250 of Africa's most influential women leaders, the continent's rising stars and committed global champions.

Initial support for the WAA initiative has also been provided by founding sponsor, The Intel Foundation. Through the "She Will Connect Program" Intel will also establish a dedicated online platform to connect a pan-African community of women leaders. Additional support has been provided by The UPS Foundation, Discovery, The United Nations Foundation, The Skoll Foundation and The Bridgeway Foundation. These partners share the Trust's belief that advancing women economically is crucial to the health and prosperity of African families, communities and nations.

A detailed communique outlining the next steps and actions to be taken by the Trust is forthcoming.

For more information about the Women Advancing Africa Initiative and the Graca Machel Trust, please visit http://gracamacheltrust.org/new/; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGracaMachelTrust

Twitter: @G_MachelTrust or email waa@gracamacheltrust.org

ABOUT:

The Graca Machel Trust is an organisation that works across the continent to drive positive change across women's and children's rights, as well as governance and leadership. Through our support of local initiatives and connecting key stakeholders at a regional, national and sub-national level, we help to catalyse action where it is needed. By using our convening power the Trust seeks to: amplify the voices of women and children in Africa; influence governance; promote women's contributions and leadership in the economic social and political development of Africa.

ABOUT:

About APCO Worldwide

Founded in 1984, APCO Worldwide is an independent global communication, stakeholder engagement and business strategy firm with offices in more than 30 major cities throughout the world. We challenge conventional thinking and inspire movements to help our clients succeed in an ever-changing world. Stakeholders are at the core of all we do. We turn the insights that come from our deep stakeholder relationships into forward-looking, creative solutions that always push the boundaries. APCO clients include large multinational companies, trade associations, governments, NGOs and educational institutions. The firm is a majority women-owned business. For more information, please visit www.apcoworldwide.com.

Addendum

Support for the Women Advancing Africa (WAA) Initiative has been provided by the following partners.

APCO Worldwide

The Trust has selected APCO Worldwide, the largest women-owned communications firm in the world, to be the convening partner for the Women Advancing Africa initiative. Working closely with the Graca Machel Trust, APCO will leverage its global network and communications expertise to bring the initiative to life at the inaugural Women Advancing Africa Forum in 2017.

Intel Foundation

Initial support for this initiative was also provided by founding sponsor, The Intel Foundation. Through the "She Will Connect program," Intel has committed to make the internet more accessible, convenient, secure and engaging for 5 million women by 2020. In partnership with the Graca Machel Trust, The Intel Foundation has pledged to support the inaugural Women Advancing Africa Forum and help connect a pan-African community of women leaders through the development of an online platform.

UPS Foundation

Additional support for the Women Advancing Africa launch was also provided by The UPS Foundation. Since its founding in 1951, The UPS Foundation has helped build stronger, more resilient communities around the world. UPS believes that advancing women and girls is central to that mission and is committed to creating opportunities that help women reach their full potential and strengthen their communities. The UPS Foundation has agreed to partner with the Graca Machel Trust, extending its global expertise and support to the Women Advancing Africa initiative in 2017.

Discovery

Initial support for the Women Advancing Africa initiative was also provided by Discovery, South Africa's largest medical scheme with 2.69 million members. Discovery's core mission is to promote healthy, thriving societies through investments in community health and entrepreneurship. In partnership with the Graca Machel Trust, Discovery helped convene women leaders and rising stars from across Africa for the first Women Advancing Africa meeting.

The United Nations Foundation, The Skoll Foundation & The Bridgeway Foundation

Other contributing sponsors for the Women Advancing Africa meeting include The Skoll Foundation, The Bridgeway Foundation and The United Nations Foundation.

SOURCE Graca Machel Trust
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates and ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HIMSS Middle East and Elsevier are proud to announce the call for submissions for the second Middle East HIMSS-Elsevier Digital Healthcare Award 2016.

The HIMSS-Elsevier Digital Healthcare Award is a global platform to recognize outstanding achievements and innovations in the usage of health information and technology, to advance patient care and safety. Established in 2013, it is held annually across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe.

"We were amazed by the high quality of submissions during the inaugural Awards program in the Middle East last year. This year, we are excited to offer this global platform again for Middle Eastern healthcare providers to showcase their achievements. This time, we have a second category to recognize outstanding ICT innovations. We encourage all to participate and showcase best practice in care delivery for our patients," said Jeremy Bonfini, Executive Vice President, HIMSS International.

The two categories open for submission this year, are:

Outstanding ICT Achievement and

Outstanding ICT Innovation

Last year, the Awards program witnessed strong participation from healthcare organizations across the Emirates. The four finalists were Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center; SAAD Specialist Hospital, Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and Tawam Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and SAAD Specialist Hospital took home the winners' trophies for best ICT achievements. Their projects were recognized during the HIMSS-Elsevier Digital Healthcare Award Reception and Gala Dinner at UAE eHealth Week 2015.

"The HIMSS-Elsevier Awards gave Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi an important platform to a success story of the management of controlled medications to improve patient safety in our hospital. We were extremely honored to be recognized for our efforts, and one year on, we continue to pursue our goal of excellence in ICT achievement. We encourage all hospitals to submit for this year's Awards, so that through peer-learning, the Middle East healthcare sector can benefit as one," said Dr. Manish Kohli, Chief, Medical Informatics, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

This year's judges are: John Daniels, Global Vice President, HIMSS Analytics, USA, Michael Leroy, Chief Information Officer, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, Qatar, Osama El-Hassan, Head of eHealth, Dubai Health Authority, United Arab Emirates, Peter Edelstein, Chief Medical Officer, Elsevier Clinical Solutions, USA and Mohd Abouelhoda, Head of Bioinformatics, Saudi Human Genome Project, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

"Elsevier and HIMSS Middle East are proud to be able to create international awareness of the great strides that Middle Eastern hospitals are taking to improve care delivery. Using technology, healthcare providers are reducing medical waste and errors, improving patient engagement and safety, and creating sustainable business models. I am honoured to be one of the judges and am excited about the submissions," said Peter Edelstein, Chief Medical Officer, Elsevier Clinical Solutions.

Submit your case study here or email HIMSS to enquire.

Deadline for submissions is Friday, 2 September 2016. The Awards Celebration will be held on Monday, 31 October 2016 at the UAE eHealth Week (Dubai leg).

More information about the UAE eHealth Week 2016 can be found here.

SOURCE HIMSS Middle East
GLASGOW, Scotland, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

intY Says Channel Partners Want More Expert Support for Microsoft Customers

A growing number of businesses need strategic support when planning their move to the cloud. Global cloud services distributor intY is meeting this gap in the market by offering iomart's Microsoft Azure consultancy services from SystemsUp to its resellers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121126/579634 )



intY has identified a growing demand from its partners for professional services to assist with the adoption of a wide range of cloud services available on the Azure cloud platform and in particular, for implementation support and assistance around the billing for those services. It has selected iomart's public cloud consultancy SystemsUp, which has five Microsoft gold competencies covering the design and implementation of Azure public cloud and infrastructure solutions, to join its marketplace.

Craig Joseph, Chief Operating Officer for intY said: "By partnering with iomart and SystemsUp and bringing their Azure consultancy services to our cloud marketplace CASCADE, intY are offering Partners the support they need with any customer implementations of Azure. SystemsUp will consult with the Partner and customer to help them map their journey to the cloud and ensure a smooth transition to Azure."

intY's award-winning self-service portal CASCADE allows resellers to browse, order and manage services on behalf of their customers at all hours of the day. Both intY and iomart are part of the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program which allows partners to provide direct billing as well as sales and management of services.

It is the first full 'move to the cloud' consultancy service to be offered in CASCADE.

Marc Esmiley, iomart's Director of Cloud Services, said: "Businesses often don't have the skillset in-house to know how to get the very best out of Azure. Our cloud consultants have an industry-wide reputation for successful and complex project delivery using Azure to the public and private sector. They have the expertise to help at every stage - from creating a Proof of Concept, to testing and implementation, to ongoing management."

intY partners will be able to purchase the following consultancy services:

Azure Cloud Value Workshop - a two-day workshop that assesses potential use cases and helps you identify the appropriate Azure services to meet your business needs



Azure Pre-Sales - a structured call with a consultant to discuss whether the Azure services you are considering are the right ones to produce the business outcomes you require



Azure assuredDelivery - full project design and delivery, incorporating requirements, discovery, design, testing and implementation right through to final sign-off using refined project delivery methodology

For more information, visit http://www.intycascade.com/services/systems-up/

Contact:

Jane Robertson

PR Manager

jane.robertson@iomart.com

+44(0)141-931-6400

@iomart





About iomart

iomart Group PLC (AIM: IOM) delivers cloud consultancy, facilitation and digital transformation to ISVs, SMEs, enterprises and the UK public sector. The award-winning and highly ISO accredited hosting company provides public, private and hybrid cloud solutions - including managed AWS and Microsoft Azure - from a network of secure UK data centres connected by a high capacity private fibre network.

iomart is a long term supplier to G-Cloud and its infrastructure and cloud and backup services are designed to meet the requirements of the UK public sector. They are certified for connection to the Public Services Network (PSN) and N3 NHS network and are CESG Pan Government Accredited.

To find out more about how iomart delivers any cloud your way visit http://www.iomart.com

SOURCE Iomart Group Plc
SAN FRANCISCO, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

The global jojoba oil market is expected to reach USD 254.2 million by 2024, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The rising demand for organic personal care products along with formulation development for specific consumer group is expected to create new market avenues for cultivators and producers of jojoba oil.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 )



Major cosmetic manufacturers such as JE International, L'Oreal S.A, and Ole Henriksen are undertaking extensive research & development for innovation of jojoba oil-based formulations. The increasing penetration of jojoba oil in cosmetic products including lipsticks, shampoos & conditioners, and skin creams & moisturizers is expected to be a major factor in promoting growth. The various abilities of the ingredient such as acting as an emollient and moisturizer and prevention of aging skin have resulted in increased penetration of jojoba oil in the overall cosmetic market.

Declining use of various harmful chemicals such as aluminum salts, phthalates, and parabens coupled with dedicated efforts from several multinational corporations for shifting towards sustainable products has contributed towards the increase in consumption of organic personal care products. Cosmetics containing natural ingredients such as aloe vera, tea extract, lime, jojoba oil, and black sugar are expected to gain consumer importance over the next seven years.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Jojoba Oil Market Analysis By Application (Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical, Industrial) And Segment Forecasts To 2024" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/jojoba-oil-market

Further key findings from the report suggest

Cosmetics will witness the fastest volume growth at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2016 to 2024 as a result of rising awareness about organic and natural products and preference towards such products in cosmetics and personal care. Also, increasing consumer awareness regarding grooming is expected to propel market growth further over the forecast period.

North America jojoba oil market was valued at USD 58.1 million in 2015 and will show significant rise owing to increasing penetration of the oil in various organic skin care products. The increasing significance of natural ingredients including vegetable oils, herbs, and fruits in various skin care products which possess anti-ageing properties is expected to fuel demand. Growing importance of natural ingredients in providing hair fall control, dandruff protection, and a shining effect is projected to have a positive impact.

jojoba oil market was valued at in 2015 and will show significant rise owing to increasing penetration of the oil in various organic skin care products. The increasing significance of natural ingredients including vegetable oils, herbs, and fruits in various skin care products which possess anti-ageing properties is expected to fuel demand. Growing importance of natural ingredients in providing hair fall control, dandruff protection, and a shining effect is projected to have a positive impact. Asia Pacific will witness significant revenue growth at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2016 to 2024 on account of rising demand from Japan and other Southeast Asian countries. The growth of the male grooming industry, particularly in emerging economies of the region, is expected to fuel demand over the forecast period.

will witness significant revenue growth at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2016 to 2024 on account of rising demand from and other Southeast Asian countries. The growth of the male grooming industry, particularly in emerging economies of the region, is expected to fuel demand over the forecast period. Key participants include Purcell Jojoba International, Eco Oil Argentina SA, Egyptian Natural Oil Co, Inca Oil SA and The Jojoba Company. Some of the major users of jojoba oil include Innocosma, Skinfood Co. Ltd, Ole Henriksen , and Primavera Life .

Grand View Research has segmented the global jojoba oil market on the basis of application and region:

Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) Cosmetics Pharmaceutical Industrial Others

Regional Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2013 - 2024) North America U.S. Mexico Europe Germany Asia Pacific China Japan Latin America Brazil Argentina MEA



Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

Amphoteric Surfactant Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/amphoteric-surfactant-market

Smart Pills Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/smart-pills-market

Cosmetics Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cosmetics-market

Alcohol Ethoxylate Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/alcohol-ethoxylate-market

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.

Read Our Blogs - ni2014.org , grandviewresearch.com/blogs/bulk-chemicals

Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: 1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com

Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com



SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
STOCKHOLM, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Luigi Costa

Mr Costa, currently CEO of Nordic Nanovector ASA, a biotech company focused on the development of innovative treatments in hematology and oncology, brings to Oncopeptides more than 20 years' experience in the international pharmaceutical and biotech industry. Prior to his current position, he was Vice President of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. where he led the company's international organization and the launch of its multiple myeloma drug Kyprolis outside the USA.

Prior to joining Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Mr. Costa held various leadership positions at Amgen, including Head of International Oncology Franchise, General Manager of Amgen Italy and President of Amgen France, the company's then largest market outside the USA. He has also held various leadership positions with Eli Lilly both in Europe and America.

"Luigi further strengthens the Board's breadth of talent; he brings valuable international development and commercialization experience in the hematology/oncology area in general and in multiple myeloma specifically. We are delighted to welcome such an outstanding individual to the Board" said Alan Hulme, Chairman of Oncopeptides.

Mr Costa commented: "I am delighted to join Oncopeptide's Board and to have the opportunity to contribute to the Company's development at such an important stage. Multiple myeloma is a very severe disease and looking at the phase II data, melflufen represents significant promise for patients. I look forward to working with the Board and management and applying my experience to help maximize the Company's potential."

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological cancer. In 2016 it is estimated that in the US there will be 30,330 new cases, with an estimated 12,650 people dying from the disease[1], which carries a five-year survival rate of 48.5%[1].



About Oncopeptides AB

Oncopeptides is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing oncology therapies centered around peptidase targeting.

Melflufen - Oncopeptides' lead compound in clinical development - is a peptidase targeted therapy and a potent anti-angiogenic compound. It triggers rapid, robust and irreversible DNA damage and manifests its cytotoxicity through alkylation of DNA.

Many peptidases that are overexpressed in cancer cells, such as tumor cells in multiple myeloma, cleave melflufen so that the concentration of active compound increases in the malignant cells. This results in targeted delivery of the molecule and more effective treatment of the disease.

Oncopeptides is currently concluding a Phase II clinical trial with melflufen in patients with relapsed and relapsed-refractory multiple myeloma. The study is being carried out across seven centers: in Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the US (three centers) - with Dana Faber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA being the lead investigator site.

[1] National Cancer Institute. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html . Accessed June 07, 2016.

For further information, contact:

Jakob Lindberg, CEO

Tel: +46(0)-705-695-471

Email: jakob.lindberg@oncopeptides.se

Web: http://www.oncopeptides.se



SOURCE Oncopeptides AB
BAAR, Switzerland, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Weatherford International plc (NYSE: WFT) today announced it has been named the winner of the Best Annual Report  Online/Electronic category at the 13th Annual International Business Awards (IBA).

The IBA, known as "the International Stevies," is the world's premier business awards program, open to all organizations worldwide: large and small, public and private, for-profit and non-profit. The 2016 competition attracted nominations from organizations in more than 60 countries.

The Weatherford 2015 Digital Annual Report highlights the Company's focus on its clients and employees, as well as safety, service quality and sustainability. IBA judges noted Weatherford's "great approach to delivering annual report content in a modern way" using "strong design" and "user-friendly navigation" to communicate the Company's culture through the voices of its employees is "extremely powerful."

Other companies recognized in the Best Annual Report  Online/Electronic category include:

Silver Winner 

Daimler AG

Daimler AG Bronze Winners 

Bertelsmann

Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.

Meralco and One Meralco Foundation

Thomson Reuters

VP Bank

"We are especially honored to be recognized with this prestigious award among such a strong field of nominees," said Karen David-Green, Vice President  Investor Relations, Corporate Marketing and Communications. "Recently, Weatherford has taken a more strategic and digital approach to corporate communications. The 2016 Gold Stevie affirms the effectiveness of this approach in bringing high-quality, easy-to-consume content to all of our stakeholders and employees around the globe."

About Weatherford

Weatherford is one of the largest multinational oilfield service companies providing innovative solutions, technology and services to the oil and gas industry. The Company operates in over 100 countries and has a network of approximately 1,000 locations, including manufacturing, service, research and development, and training facilities and employs approximately 32,000 people. For more information, visit www.weatherford.com and connect with Weatherford on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Weatherford Contacts

Krishna Shivram

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

+1.713.836.4610

Karen David-Green

Vice President  Investor Relations, Corporate Marketing and Communications

+1.713.836.7430

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/19990308/WEATHERFORDLOGO

Related Links

http://www.weatherford.com



SOURCE Weatherford International plc
DUMFRIES, Va., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- 7 Charming Sisters, the online boutique retailing fashionable necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings and more, serves up a collection of glitz, glam and holiday-perfect gifts just in time for their new marketing collaboration. Cross off your holiday shopping lists with a simple click. The brand has recently joined ShareASale an Affiliate Marketing Network  as a merchant, with a desire to connect with fashion-minded bloggers and companies, as well as influencers and brands that fit their demographic and interests.

7 Charming Sister's partnership with ShareASale is going to be great middle-man for bloggers. By joining the affiliate program, bloggers will earn commissions when promoting the 7 Charming Sisters brand and jewelry, earning a 14% commission on all purchases that come through the links that are placed on their sites. However, for a limited time only, new affiliates in select industries can earn up to 30% (total) commission for the first three months after joining the program. In addition, 7 Charming Sisters will offer a variety of eye-catching creative banners of all sizes that will look beautiful and engaging on bloggers' pages, through an embedded link. The program will also provide exclusive offers throughout the year, a 30-day cookie, a dedicated affiliate manager, and much more. Sign up with ShareASale is free and easy and can be done on the 7 Charming Sisters Affiliate page on company website (https://www.7charmingsisters.com/pages/affiliate-program).

"We are really excited for the 2016 Holiday season and our new partnership with ShareASale," states Paula Welsh, President and CEO of 7 Charming Sisters. "We've made it extremely easy for shoppers to select the perfect pieces for their loved ones with a variety of collections and styles at affordable prices, and now they can do it at a click of button as they're reading upon their favorite fashion blogs and websites."

The 7 Charming Sisters accessories collection includes striking designs and curated versatile pieces that are sure to a be hit with your mom, sister, best friend, grandma, teachers and more. Devoted to bringing fashionable casual and statement jewelry to customers for any occasion, the 7 Charming Sisters online boutique can turn anyone's wardrobe from boring to trendy with an assortment of specially tailored collections.

For more information on 7 Charming Sisters' affiliate program and/or to view the brand's 2016 holiday pieces, please visit http://www.7charmingsisters.com/. For media inquiries, email or call 1.877.841.7244

About 7 Charming Sisters

Established in 2015, 7 Charming Sisters is an online jewelry boutique headquartered in Dumfries, Virginia. The company offers seven distinctive collections of jewelry consisting of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. Founded on the principle of fun, diversity and girly-girl vibe, the company is also dedicated to employing people with disabilities, as well as providing customers with insights into daily life at 7 Charming Sisters.

Media Contact: Andrew Matthews

Beautiful Planning Marketing & PR: Fashion, Beauty, Lifestyle Division

(877) 841-7244

Email

SOURCE 7 Charming Sisters

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On behalf of ReBuildUSAtoday, I, Abbey Laurel-Smith, a Progressive candidate running as SmithieForPresident for the PILGRIMS Alliance Party of America, would like to seize this opportunity to say a big thank you to our voters. Your loyal support, your efforts and time contributed to our campaign for the past two years have helped keep us in the race for the general election, 2016.

To law enforcement officers, fire fighters, Veterans, farmers, immigrants and students across America, especially the people of the states of Utah, Mass., New York, Texas, Indiana, the two Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Florida and California, I am happy to say your vote and your relentless effort kept us in the race. Please stay with us and help us into the White House this November.

The making of a new party and the only third one on the American political scene for almost two years now, would not have been possible without listening to your concerns. And building consensus around your ideas, I must say, has helped find ways to address a core issue that touches every American the most - security.

Security is the main key upon which this political party's political objectives are built on. And as much as it is the base for the general welfare of our union of states, it is also a key component for keeping commerce, economy, manufacturing, mining, farming, education, technology and innovation on a clear and undisrupted path.

Today, the 10th of August, 2016, our security, our environment, the way we gather intel, and the future of our law enforcement sector is still being forced under fashionable trends rather than being progressively anchored to facts engrained in our laws and our given constitution. If elected, I see it as imperative for this party to improve security in all areas it touches, and to improve how we do things in the areas of bio-security, water farming and building trusting and lasting community relations.

During this long campaign season, we have been mocked as the "Christian Law Party", "the Latino Party of America", "La Alianza de Peregrinos", "the Republican Nut-Job Alliance" and as "the Republican Immigrants," but then, Jesus was mocked all through his life time as well, so, I am glad we took on the labels and marched on in the face of massive independent and progressive vote suppression.

Like our motto, we kept on saying to people we met, "Let us ReBuildUSAtoday. Let us embrace technology and update our rusty infrastructure. Let us embrace the new age of American technology. Let use technology to reduce waste and improve services where needed the most."

Now, as we edge towards general election, I'd say, let us cut down on bureaucracy, do away with those inefficient practices that are always getting in the way of allowing our retirees to retire and age with the kind of dignity they so much deserve. Our poor and our weak deserve better.

To the gurus of Silicon Valley, Menlo Park, Seattle, Paul Ryan, Ross Perot, De Blasio, Mitt Romney and family, I say a very big thank you. Please do remember, this technology driven party needs you more than ever.

Once again, I thank you all for helping this party of Veterans this far.

Abbey Laurel-Smith (SmithieForPresident2016)

Follow, Chat and Private Message: chattieme.com goYadaYada.com twitter.com

Read more about us at: pilgrimsalliance.us rebuildusa.today smithieforpresident.com

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CHESTERFIELD, Mo., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Agile Network, the premier transportation management execution technology and solutions provider in the industry, reached an agreement to acquire Ajillus. Ajillus is a Seattle-based technology company that has been providing shipping systems and supply chain software consultancy services bridging warehouse management systems, transportation management systems and e-business fulfillment for over 20 years.

"The acquisition of Ajillus fits perfectly within our mission at Agile to provide customers with global scale without sacrificing the regional support they have come to expect," according to Kevin V. Cox, CEO at Agile Network, "expanding our reach into the heart of the technology center of Seattle was a key initiative of ours and our customers will benefit directly from it."

"We are very excited about the opportunity to combine our extensive experience with the global reach of the Agile Network. I have seen many companies in this space come and go over the years, but what I have not seen is a company so strategically focused on transportation execution. We enthusiastically concur with their focus and look forward to working together to achieve unparalleled success," according to Mike Murphy, CEO at Ajillus.

Mike Murphy will be accepting a senior management position within Agile Network to expand and enhance their PMO.

About TME

Agile Network's Transportation Management & Execution platform, TME, is multi-carrier shipping software that provides users with certified support for a global network of carriers, including: FedEx, UPS, DHL, USPS, Purolator, Canpar, Canada Post, and hundreds of regional operators. The solution also provides a full-featured, on-premise or cloud-based shipping and transportation management platform, with real- time rating and routing, pack verification, consolidation, automatic ACE filing, export document generation, and integrated carrier invoice reconciliation. Agile Network TME may be configured to operate in both attended station and 'black box' modes with full support for high volume material handling, automatic weighing and dimensions, and print-and-apply systems.

About Agile Network

Agile Network is a leading provider of enterprise shipping software, returns management solutions, and transportation management solutions with more than 3 decades of experience supporting over 1,200 clients and hundreds of Fortune 500 Brands in the United States, Canada, Latin America, United Kingdom, European Union and Asia-Pacific. Agile Network TME handles both freight and parcel shipments tailored to serve a diversity of industrial applications, including: Retail, eCommerce, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Financial Services, Industrial Manufacturing and Third Party Logistics. To learn more, visit: www.agile-network.com

For additional information, contact:

Agile Network

732 Crown Industrial Court, Ste A

Chesterfield, MO 63005

1.866.686.2445 | [email protected]

SOURCE Agile Network

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Islamist militants in Sinai are not just on the back foot, their ability to act has been undermined

The army launched a major military operation last week targeting the command centre of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, the jihadist group which affiliated itself with the Islamic State militant group, becoming ISs Sinai Province.

Military spokesman Mohamed Samir announced that the operation succeeded in eliminating Abu Doaa Al-Ansari, the leader of the organisation, and many of his senior commanders.

Based on accurate intelligence, counter-terrorist forces, in coordination with the air force, carried out a special operation delivering precision strikes against strongholds of the terrorist group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis in south and southwest Arish, the spokesman wrote on his Facebook page.

By means of these strikes the armed forces were able to kill the leader of the terrorist organisation, Abu Doaa Al-Ansari, and a number of his most important aides, and to destroy weapons depots containing arms, ammunitions and explosives. The operation succeeded in killing more than 45 terrorist operatives and wounding dozens of others.

The military spokesman published details of the locations of the strikes and of communications the organisation made before the debilitating attacks.

The moment security agencies reach and strike the terrorist command you have a process of severing the head from the body, says MP and military expert Tamer El-Shahawi. After this the organisation begins to fragment, losing the ability to sustain itself.

Ali Bakr, an expert on jihadist groups who argues Ansar Beit Al-Maqdisis structured so as to replace leaders who have been eliminated, remarks that the group has certainly become much less efficient judging by the military spokesmans announcement.

Yet he warns this is far from being the end of jihadist organisations in Sinai. And even if IS were to be eliminated, he believes circumstances may give rise to other organisations.

According to Nageh Ibrahim, a leading expert on Islamist groups, the Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis organisation in Sinai is breathing its last.

Ibrahim suspects that Al-Ansari is the brother of Tawfik Mohamed Freij, aka Abu Abdallah, a leader eliminated by the army in 2014. Like Bakr, Ibrahim says the organisation has been dramatically weakened over the past year and is now unable to carry out major operations such as the attack against the military intelligence building in Ismailia in October 2013. It now resorts to car bombs and suicide attacks, most of which the army has been able to anticipate.

Two weeks ago IS released a video consisting of a montage of operations purported to have been carried out by Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis in Sinai. The clip was narrated by Abu Mohamed Al-Adnani, the spokesman of IS in Iraq and Syria, suggesting the organisation no longer has a broadcasting network in Egypt. Previously Abu Osama Al-Masri, believed to be the mufti of the organisation in Egypt, would record messages that were then broadcast from inside Egypt in the name of Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.

The five main factors on which any organisation depends have been weakened, says Ibrahim. Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis has lost its personnel structure, its funding sources, its weapons depots, its communications network and it has been hemmed in, losing the ability to recruit from Libya and Gaza. This is the beginning of the end of the organisation.

The weakening process began with the first Martyrs Right operation, says El-Shahawi. An extensive store of knowledge has accumulated through the military operations that have been carried out during the past two years. The army is now very familiar with how the organisation works and has infiltrated the organisation.

We are not only seeing the beginning of the end of the organisation in Egypt. It is also receding in Iraq, Syria and Libya, says Ibrahim.

IS is on its last legs in Iraq. As a result of the strikes delivered by the international coalition the same is happening in Syria, Libya and in Somalia. The group that broke away from the Taliban and joined IS is probably the next to be targeted. We are seeing the global decline of IS. The organisation is not just religiously and morally bankrupt, it was politically stupid as well. It caused the failure of the Syrian revolution. It gave the Iranians the excuse to intervene in Syria. It undermined the revolution against Al-Maliki in Iraq and cleared the path for Iran to create the sectarian-based Popular Mobilisation Forces, a parallel army in Iraq answerable to the Revolutionary Guards rather than to the Iraqi government. IS claimed to champion Sunnis in Iraq but it caused the return of the US and British.

Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis was the first group in Egypt to declare allegiance to an organisation from abroad. It initially declared its allegiance to Al-Qaeda and then turned to IS. It is also the first militant organisation to include among its members drug traffickers, arms merchants and convicted criminals on the run.

But if this is the beginning of the end of the organisation what comes next?

Ibrahim believes that even though the collapse of the organisation is now inevitable the government needs to play a role that extends beyond security concerns to include a comprehensive development drive, something that will entail demographic as well as political changes.

The government needs to think in another direction. It has to remedy the fallout from the conflict and improve the circumstances of life for people. It cannot employ security measures alone.

Al-Shahawi argues the next phase must involve eradicating the sources of jihadism. Accordingly  and here he agrees with Ibrahim  this will require planning and coordination.

For a number of reasons the government was forced to prioritise a security over a socio-economic political response. Now what matters is to instigate development programmes.

Since regaining control over Sinai after the 1973 War to the mid-1990s the government lacked the resources to properly develop the peninsula, says El-Shahawi.

After the war a major rift in tribal culture occurred  on one hand was the pull of the Sufi trend, on the other the pull of money from illegal activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking and arms dealing. The role of the government is to promote remedies now it knows the problems.

As long as the conflict continued at full throttle attempts at remedies would all be undermined. Now, however, the circumstances are favourable for development. EGP 10 billion has been earmarked for the development of Sinai. The government has the upper hand over Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, making the state a greater attraction for local residents in Sinai than the extremists. It is, says El-Shahawi, a polarisation that will end in favour of the government. 

*This article was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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OTTAWA, Ontario, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Lisa Sattler has joined the Canadian office of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers as manager, regulatory affairs. In this new role, Sattler will be responsible for AHAM Canada's policy and advocacy work across a number of areas, including environment, energy efficiency, consumer product safety and product standards.

Sattler brings more than a decade of issue analysis, policy development and association management experience to the new position. Sattler comes to AHAM Canada from the Canadian Payments Association, where she served most recently as senior policy advisor. In more than 12 years with the Canadian Payments Association, Sattler also worked in the roles of policy and research analyst and legal officer.

Sattler graduated with honors from Carleton University in Ottawa, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree with a concentration in law. Lisa can be reached by email at [email protected] or (613) 236-8428 ext. 451.

The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) is a not-for-profit trade association representing manufacturers of major and portable home appliances, floor care appliances and suppliers to the industry with headquarters in Washington, DC and an office in Ottawa, Ontario. Visit AHAM's website at www.aham.org.

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SOURCE Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

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YAKUM, Israel, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd. (OTC: BSIRY) (the "Company") announced today the resignation of Mr. Tal Yeshua as a member of the Company's board of directors effective immediately. The Board of Directors thanks Mr. Tal Yeshua for his contribution to the Company.

Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd. (hereinafter: "Alon Blue Square") operates through subsidiaries. Continued operations - its Tel Aviv Stock Exchange ("TASE") listed 53.92% subsidiary, Blue Square Real Estate Ltd., which owns, leases and develops income producing commercial properties and projects. The others activities the 63.13% held subsidiary, Dor Alon Energy in Israel (1988) Ltd, listed on the TASE, is one of the four largest fuel retail companies in Israel based on the number of petrol stations and a leader in the field of convenience stores operating a chain of 211 petrol stations and 218 convenience stores in different formats in Israel, and Na'aman Group (NV) Ltd., a 77.51% subsidiary listed on the TASE, operates specialist outlets in self-operation and franchises and offers a wide range of "Non-Food" in the houseware and textile segment.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, plans or projections about our business, our future revenues, expenses and profitability. Forward-looking statements may be, but are not necessarily, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "anticipates," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," and words and terms of similar substance. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events, results, performance, circumstance and achievements to be materially different from any future events, results, performance, circumstance and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, the following: failure to satisfy all closing conditions for the proposed debt arrangement, including approval by the debtholders and by the court of the arrangement which includes all or part of the claims made by the trustees of Mega Retail; exposure to third party claims for significant amount of Mega Retail's outstanding debts and liabilities; financial and operational restrictions imposed by the proposed debt arrangement with our financial creditors; ; economic conditions in Israel which may affect our financial performance; dependence of BSRE on Mega Retail as a lessee of its properties; our ability to compete effectively with large fuel companies and our other competitors; enactment of new laws and regulations, including the enactment of recommendations of governmental appointed committees and regulations with respect to the procurement of petroleum products by fuel companies and the price of petroleum products that are subject to regulation; the effect of increases in oil, raw material and product prices in recent years; and other risks, uncertainties and factors disclosed in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, but not limited to, risks, uncertainties and factors identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2015. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Except for our ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

Contact:

Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd.

Zehavit Shahaf, Adv.,

General Counsel and Corporate Secretary

Telephone: +972-9-9618504

Fax: 972-9-9618636

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd.
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For Missouri electric vehicle drivers thinking about a longer road trip, planning where to charge  if there's a place at all  can be an issue.

Under a proposal Ameren Missouri plans to file today with the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), electric vehicle (EV) drivers will have more options along Interstate 70 in Missouri as part of a pilot installation from Jefferson City to St. Louis.

The project would build public charging islands along I-70  the most heavily travelled interstate in Missouri  that would accommodate all electric vehicle makes and models. Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), is now working to identify locations for six of these charging islands, each featuring combinations of "fast-charging" and "standard charging" stations for public use.

"Ameren Missouri acknowledges the many societal benefits associated with electric vehicles," said Michael Moehn, president of Ameren Missouri. "They positively impact the environment, help create jobs, offer fuel and maintenance savings for EV owners, and help reduce our region's carbon footprint."

The evolution of electric transportation technology, in particular the propulsion battery, is progressing at a very rapid pace. But while the vehicle barriers to widespread consumer adoption  price and battery range  are being removed, there is an infrastructure barrier remaining that also needs to be addressed, said Ameren Missouri's Mark Nealon, who is leading the pilot charging corridor project.

"Missouri's charging infrastructure gap is two-fold: regional communities are not connected together along driving corridors with charging stations, and those that are there aren't fast enough to meet the needs of the long-distance driver," Nealon said. "Ameren Missouri's proposal addresses both gaps."

The project, estimated to cost around $600,000, will help alleviate the "range anxiety" an electric vehicle driver experiences when faced with the prospect of traveling longer distances. The longest range among mass market electric vehicles available today is about 100 miles. So Ameren Missouri intentionally designed adjacent charging islands to be roughly 20 to 45 miles apart, Nealon said.

"The first mass-market EVs with ranges in excess of 200 miles will be made available to the public next year, and using them to drive greater distances is going to be on consumers' minds for the very first time," Nealon said. "Someone has to act now as a means to close this infrastructure gap and address this new consumer expectation, and Ameren Missouri is willing."

The first charging island is planned to be constructed later this year in Boonville, Mo. The exact locations in Boonville and elsewhere, including a charging island in the City of St. Louis, are under study and will be announced at a later date.

As part of this project, Ameren Missouri also is proposing a "pay at the charger" transaction that mirrors a typical gasoline fueling experience.

Meetings with external stakeholders, including the Office of Public Counsel, the PSC Staff, environmental groups, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and the Missouri Division of Energy, took place this spring and summer, providing valuable input on Ameren Missouri's proposal.

"Ameren's vision of leading the way to a secure energy future compels us to actively support emerging technologies such as electric vehicles as well as our customers who adopt them," Moehn said. "Leading today in this area will help us transform tomorrow and help prepare our customers and state for a future in electric transportation."

About Ameren Missouri

Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 130,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities including the greater St. Louis area. For more information please visit AmerenMissouri.com or follow AmerenMissouri on Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE Ameren Missouri

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Mr. Robert Mundy joins Ankura as Managing Director in the Regulatory and Contractual Compliance group's healthcare valuation practice. Mr. Mundy has more than 15 years of business valuation experience, with the last 10 years focused solely on the healthcare industry. He has significant experience in valuing hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, diagnostic centers, diagnostic imaging centers, radiation therapy centers, and physician practices. Mr. Mundy was most recently with Pershing Yoakley & Associates.

Ms. Briana Gordon joins Ankura as Director in the Regulatory and Contractual Compliance group's healthcare valuation practice. Ms. Gordon has nearly a decade of experience in healthcare business valuation, compensation valuation, and compensation consulting. Her areas of experience include valuing physician clinical services, call coverage services, medical directorships, clinical co-management agreements, and advanced payment model distributions. Ms. Gordon was most recently with Pershing Yoakley & Associates.

"At a time when the healthcare industry is undergoing a fundamental change, we seek to offer our healthcare clients stability as they seek to thrive in ever-changing healthcare markets," said Timothy Smith, Senior Managing Director of the firm's healthcare valuation practice. "We welcome Robert and Briana to the Ankura team knowing that they will strengthen our healthcare valuation offering. Further building our team of experienced healthcare industry professionals positions us for continued client satisfaction and success."

About Ankura Consulting Group

Ankura Consulting Group is a business advisory and expert services firm. Its deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges clients face enables its team to provide impactful, senior-level counsel. As an independent firm built on five key principles  Integrity, Quality, Diversity, Collaboration and Longevity  Ankura's relationships extend beyond one engagement or issue. The firm empowers its industry experts to provide a high-touch, unique approach for its clients in critical times. Ankura's offering includes a wide range of compliance, corporate investigation, data analytics, disputes/litigation support, expert witness, economic and financial analysis, forensic accounting, geopolitical advisory, mass dispute resolution, risk advisory and management, transaction advisory, trust services, turnaround and restructuring, valuation, visual communications and business advisory services. For more information: www.ankuraconsultinggroup.com.

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HAMILTON, Bermuda, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Axovant Sciences Ltd. (NYSE: AXON), a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of dementia, today announced corporate updates and reported financial results for the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2016.

"The next year represents an incredibly exciting period for Axovant," stated Vivek Ramaswamy, Chief Executive Officer of Axovant Sciences. "We continue to execute well on our late-stage clinical programs for patients with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. In addition, we announced our exclusive license to a technology that will enable Axovant to develop RVT-103, a combination of glycopyrrolate and donepezil, as a potential treatment for patients with dementia. This technology has the potential to reduce peripheral side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors and to enhance their efficacy through higher doses, and may further lead to a triple combination with intepirdine. This bolt-on transaction adds depth to our late-stage pipeline as we approach commercialization, while preserving our capacity to pursue additional late-stage assets that could further transform Axovant."

Licensing Transaction with Qaam Pharmaceuticals

Axovant and Qaam Pharmaceuticals (Qaam) have entered into an exclusive license agreement under which Axovant expects to develop and, if successful, commercialize products that combine cholinesterase inhibitors with peripheral muscarinic receptor antagonists including glycopyrrolate, which could mitigate the peripheral side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors. Axovant will initially develop RVT-103, a combination of glycopyrrolate and donepezil. In addition, Axovant expects to develop RVT-104, a combination of glycopyrrolate and high-dose rivastigmine. Axovant believes that the intellectual property portfolio licensed from Qaam as part of this transaction provides a strong exclusivity position in this area.

"This program continues to build on our efforts to deliver comprehensive solutions to patients diagnosed with dementia," said Axovant Chief Development Officer Dr. Lawrence Friedhoff, who led the development of Aricept (donepezil) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease through its approval in 1996. "We believe this product candidate can limit the peripheral side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors which frequently represent an obstacle for patients to adopt or remain on therapy."

"We believe our lead product candidate intepirdine could deliver sustained cognitive and functional benefits when combined with cholinesterase inhibitors, the current standard of care in Alzheimer's disease, while RVT-103 has the potential to mitigate known side effects associated with that standard of care," said Mark Altmeyer, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Axovant Sciences. "These complementary approaches of delivering additional cognitive and functional benefits with intepirdine, while also mitigating the side effects of cholinesterase inhibitors with RVT-103 could transform the future standard of care for millions of patients currently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease."

Axovant plans to initiate clinical studies for RVT-103 shortly, with initial results expected in 2017. Depending on results, Axovant may pursue registration programs in the United States. In addition, Axovant intends to evaluate opportunities for higher doses of cholinesterase inhibitors to deliver additional efficacy, potentially in combination with intepirdine.

Axovant believes Qaam's technology may be superior to other competitive approaches combining an anticholinergic agent with a cholinesterase inhibitor in an attempt to reduce the peripheral side effects associated with cholinesterase inhibitors. Glycopyrrolate is believed to have minimal-to-no penetration into the central nervous system (CNS), and therefore may avoid CNS side effects associated with other anticholinergic agents, including worsening of cognition and an increase in the incidence of falls.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Axovant does not expect the program to have a material effect on its use of cash in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2017.

Phase 2 Study of Gait and Balance in Patients with Dementia

Axovant expects to initiate in calendar year 2016 a phase 2 study to evaluate the effects of intepirdine on gait and balance in patients with Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia. In this study, Axovant intends to further investigate the observation of a reduced rate of falls seen in patients treated with intepirdine in the prior 684-patient study of intepirdine on a background of stable donepezil therapy.

"We look forward to this important study," stated Dr. Nico Bohnen, Professor of Radiology and Neurology at the University of Michigan and the Director of the Movement Disorders Clinic at the Ann Arbor VA. "There is a growing body of scientific research suggesting that cholinergic deficits are a driver of falls in elderly patients diagnosed with dementia and that increasing cholinergic transmission may have benefit for patients."

Additional Corporate Highlights since March 31, 2016

Intepirdine Open-Label Extension study: Patients completing the double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 MINDSET study started to enroll in a 12-month open-label study designed to provide further safety and tolerability information. Secondary analyses will assess changes to patient scores on the Dependence Scale. Various background therapies, including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine will be allowed during the open-label study.

Patients completing the double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 3 MINDSET study started to enroll in a 12-month open-label study designed to provide further safety and tolerability information. Secondary analyses will assess changes to patient scores on the Dependence Scale. Various background therapies, including cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine will be allowed during the open-label study. Intepirdine and rosuvastatin drug-drug interaction study: No drug-drug interactions were observed between intepirdine and rosuvastatin in a group of healthy, elderly subjects.

No drug-drug interactions were observed between intepirdine and rosuvastatin in a group of healthy, elderly subjects. 2016 Alzheimer's Association International Conference: The company presented the following four posters to highlight aspects of its current clinical programs and development-stage assets: "A Large, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating Intepirdine (RVT-101), a Neurotransmitter-Targeted Therapy, in Subjects with Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease on Donepezil Treatment: Phase 3 MINDSET Study Design" " In Vivo Alterations in Brain Glucose Utilization with Intepirdine (RVT-101), a 5-HT 6 Receptor Antagonist for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease" "Effect of Food on the Pharmacokinetics of Intepirdine (RVT-101) in Healthy Adult Subjects" "An Evaluation of the Safety of Nelotanserin in Human Subjects, a Potent and Highly Selective 5-HT 2A Inverse Agonist that is Being Developed as a Treatment for Visual Hallucinations and REM Behavior Disorder in Lewy Body Dementia"

The company presented the following four posters to highlight aspects of its current clinical programs and development-stage assets:

Pipeline Programs

Axovant is developing intepirdine, nelotanserin, RVT-103, and other combinations of cholinesterase inhibitors with glycopyrrolate as potential treatments for patients with Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia. The company expects top-line results from its ongoing and planned clinical studies as follows:

Results from the Phase 3 study of intepirdine in subjects with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease on a stable background of donepezil therapy, the MINDSET Study, as well as a potential NDA filing in 2017

Results from the Phase 2b study of intepirdine in subjects with dementia with Lewy bodies, the HEADWAY-DLB study, in 2017

Preliminary results from the Phase 2 study evaluating nelotanserin for treatment of visual hallucinations in subjects with Lewy body dementia in the second half of 2016

Results from the Phase 2 study evaluating nelotanserin for treatment of REM Behavior Disorder in subjects with dementia with Lewy bodies in 2017

Results from the Phase 2 study of the effects of intepirdine on gait and balance in subjects with Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and Parkinson's disease dementia in 2017

Initial results from the RVT-103 program in 2017

First Quarter Financial Summary

For the first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2016, research and development expenses were $25.3 million, of which $5.0 million was attributable to non-cash, share-based compensation expense. General and administrative expenses for the first quarter were $12.6 million, of which $6.6 million was attributable to non-cash, share-based compensation expense. Net loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 was $38.1 million, or $(0.38) per share.

Axovant held cash of $252.7 million at June 30, 2016, and net cash used in operating activities was $18.6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2016.

About Axovant

Axovant Sciences Ltd. is a leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing novel therapeutics for the treatment of dementia. Axovant intends to develop a pipeline of product candidates to comprehensively address the cognitive, functional and behavioral aspects of dementia and related neurological disorders. Our vision is to become the leading company focused on the treatment of dementia by addressing all forms and aspects of this condition.

About MINDSET

MINDSET is a Phase 3 international, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of intepirdine in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease. The 24-week trial will compare 35 mg, once-daily oral doses of intepirdine to placebo in approximately 1,150 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease on a stable background of donepezil therapy. The primary efficacy evaluations are the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale - cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study - Activities of Daily Living scale (ADCS-ADL), each of which have been used as endpoints to obtain regulatory approval of currently-marketed Alzheimer's disease treatments in the United States and Europe.

The MINDSET trial is being conducted pursuant to a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The MINDSET trial is designed to confirm the results of a 684-patient Phase 2b international, multi-center, double-blind placebo-controlled study in which patients on a stable background of donepezil therapy receiving 35 mg of intepirdine were observed to have statistically significant improvements in their ADAS-cog and ADCS-ADL scores as compared to patients receiving donepezil alone.

For more information, please visit www.alzheimersglobalstudy.com, email [email protected] or call 646-495-8197.

About HEADWAY-DLB

HEADWAY-DLB is a Phase 2b international, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of intepirdine in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies. The 24-week trial will evaluate once-daily oral doses of 70 mg intepirdine, 35 mg intepirdine, and placebo in subjects with probable dementia with Lewy bodies. The primary efficacy evaluations are Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC-Plus) and a computerized cognitive battery.

For more information, please visit www.lewybodystudy.com or e-mail [email protected] or call 646-677-5778.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding Axovant's expectations about timing of the results for the Phase 3 MINDSET study of intepirdine in patients with Alzheimer's disease, the Phase 2b HEADWAY-DLB study of intepirdine in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, the Phase 2 study of nelotanserin in patients with DLB or PDD suffering from visual hallucinations, the Phase 2 study of nelotanserin in patients with DLB suffering from RBD, the Phase 2 study of the effects of intepirdine on a background of cholinesterase inhibitor therapy on gait and balance in dementia patients, the clinical studies of RVT-103 and the licensed technology related to a combination of cholinesterase inhibitors and peripheral muscarinic receptor antagonists, and other elements of its clinical development and regulatory strategy. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the words "believe," "anticipate," "continue", "estimate", "project," "expect," "plan," "potential," "intends," "will," "would", "could", "should" or the negative or plural of these words or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events, trends or prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the success, cost and timing of our product development activities and clinical trials; the approval and commercialization of our product candidates intepirdine and nelotanserin; and increased regulatory requirements. These statements are subject to the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations, and regulatory agencies, medical and scientific experts and others may not share Axovant's views of the clinical study data. There can be no assurance that the clinical programs for intepirdine or nelotanserin will be successful in demonstrating safety and/or efficacy, that we will not encounter problems or delays in clinical development, or that any of our product candidates will ever receive regulatory approval or be successfully commercialized. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to Axovant's business in general, see the "Risk Factors" section of our quarterly report on Form 10-Q to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or about August 15, 2016, and other filings that Axovant makes with the SEC from time to time. These forward-looking statements are based on information available to Axovant as of the date of this press release and speak only as of the date of this release. Axovant disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

AXOVANT SCIENCES LTD. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss (in thousands, except share and per share amounts) (unaudited)





Three Months Ended



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2016

June 30, 2015







Operating expenses:





Research and development expenses





(includes $4,964 and $6,901 of share-based compensation expense for the three

months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively) $ 25,276

$ 9,486 General and administrative expenses





(includes $6,597 and $12,276 of share-based compensation expense for the three

months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively) 12,631

15,393 Total operating expenses 37,907

24,879







Loss before provision for income tax (37,907)

(24,879)







Income tax expense 148

74







Net loss and comprehensive loss $ (38,055)

$ (24,953)







Net loss per common share  basic and diluted $ (0.38)

$ (0.31) Weighted average common shares outstanding  basic and diluted 99,150,000

80,307,692

AXOVANT SCIENCES LTD. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited)











June 30, 2016

March 31, 2016 Assets





Current assets:





Cash $ 252,657

$ 276,251 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 3,300

4,865 Income tax receivable 796

970 Total current assets 256,753

282,086 Property, plant and equipment, net 106

89 Deferred tax assets 323

323 Total assets $ 257,182

$ 282,498 Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)





Current liabilities:





Accounts payable $ 2,843

$ 622 Due to Roivant Sciences Ltd. and Roivant Sciences, Inc. 2,218

1,814 Accrued expenses 11,872

8,319 Contingent payment liability 

5,000 Total current liabilities 16,933

15,755







Total liabilities 16,933

15,755 Total shareholders' equity (deficit) 240,249

266,743 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity (deficit) $ 257,182

$ 282,498

SOURCE Axovant Sciences Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.axovant.com


LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain offers a comprehensive overview of the global beverage packaging market. Visiongain assesses that this market will generate revenues of $112.4 billion in 2016.



The beverage packaging market is set to grow in the next 10 years at a fairly steady rate. Global growth will remain modest due to the financial and geopolitical climate in the next decade. Commodity price decrease as well as a slowdown in the Chinese economy will have a large effect on the production worldwide. However, given the current geopolitical tensions around the world, the GDP growth will remain modest but stable for the coming years. Nevertheless, there are many factors weighing on the development of beverage packaging technologies and their growth trajectory. The growing population, economic development of emerging economies, a shift from the commodity driven economies to consumer driven economies, worldwide sustainability concerns and other factors will contribute to the development of the industry. One of the main factors is the lower crude oil prices seen in recent years which are contributing to higher profits by manufacturers of plastic packaging materials. Furthermore, the lifestyle of consumers shifting to convenience, define the trend towards a single or portion based packaging instead of the standard packaging.



One of the key trends will be the rising population, as the demand for food and beverages will be higher in the next 10 years and thus the demand for beverage packaging will grow commensurately. The location of this population will also have a major impact on the beverage packaging market in the future. Urbanisation globally is ever increasing and in particular it is accelerating in the emerging economies such as India and China. This means that more convenience products will be demanded as these consumers are more time constrained thus the demand for packaged goods will increase and this will mean beverages too. Further to this, with the development and growth of these emerging markets there will be more middle class consumers with higher disposable incomes and the demand for premium beverages will also increase and thus once again the demand for beverage packaging will increase.



Highlights in the 155 page report include:

- 128 in-depth tables, charts and graphs  all unavailable elsewhere.

- Global beverage packaging market forecasts from 2016-2026;

- Regional beverage packaging market forecasts from 2016-2026 covering

- Asia-Pacific

- South America

- Europe

- Middle East and Africa

- North America



- Country level beverage packaging market forecasts and analysis covering

- China

- Japan

- South Korea

- US

- UK

- France

- Germany

- Turkey

- Brazil

- Australia

- RoW



- Beverage packaging submarket forecasts from 2016-2026 covering

- Rigid Plastic Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026

- Flexible Plastic Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026

- Paper Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026

- Metal Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026

- Glass Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026

- Other Beverage Packaging Market 2016-2026



- Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global, regional and country level beverage packaging markets from 2016-2026;

- Profiles of the leading 8 beverage packaging companies

- Amcor

- ALPLA

- Anchor

- Bemis

- Berry Plastics

- Greif

- Reynolds Group Holdings

- Sealed Air

- SWOT analysis of factors facing major stakeholders in the market;



How will this report benefit you?

This report is intended to provide an in-depth analysis of the latest trends prevailing in the global beverage packaging market and its growth and development in the next decade. The changing demographics of the world population, developing infrastructure, emerging economies, consumer spending behaviour, per capita income, macroeconomic factors, rising GDPs, and the reformation in laws and regulations are trend setting factors, which will affect the market.



This comprehensive report will:

- Enhance your strategic decision making

- Assist with your research, presentations and business plans

- Show which emerging market opportunities to focus upon

- Increase your Industry knowledge

- Keep you up to date with crucial market developments

- Allow you to develop informed growth strategies

- Build your technical insight

- Illustrate trends to exploit

- Strengthen your analysis of competitors

- Provide risk analysis helping you avoid the pitfalls other companies could make

- Ultimately, help you to maximise profitability for your company



Who should read this report?

- Beverage companies

- Packaging manufacturers

- Packaging material suppliers

- Packaging R&D & design engineers

- Packaging machinery companies

- Wholesalers

- Retailers

- Business development managers

- Marketing managers

- Technologists

- Suppliers

- Investors

- Banks

- Government agencies

- Consultants



What makes this report unique?

Visiongain's research methodology involves an exclusive blend of primary and secondary sources providing informed analysis. This methodology allows insight into the key drivers and restraints behind market dynamics and competitive developments. The report therefore presents an ideal balance of qualitative analysis combined with extensive quantitative data including global, submarket and regional markets forecasts from 2016 to 2026.



Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the beverage packaging market and leading companies. You will be able to find data, trends and predictions.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3812475/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com



For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


BOCA RATON, Fla., August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Officials at Boca Raton Regional Hospital today announced that Frank D. Vrionis, MD, MPH, PhD, has been appointed the new Director of the organization's Marcus Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Vrionis' hiring comes after an extensive national search to secure leadership of the state-of-the-art, $57 million facility. He will assume his new duties on October 1st.

"It is extremely gratifying for us to have such an outstanding clinician, academician and researcher as Dr. Vrionis head the team at the Marcus Institute," said Jerry Fedele, President and CEO at Boca Regional. "His skill set, achievements and qualities are perfectly suited for this important position within our organization."

Dr. Vrionis currently serves as Chief of Neurosurgery at the renowned Moffitt Cancer Center, and Professor of Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Oncology at the University of South Florida. Moffitt is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida.

During his 16-year tenure, he initiated a host of programmatic advances including the development of a Spine Biomechanics Laboratory and Spine Fellowship Program, as well as authoring guidelines for the National Cancer Center Network for Spine and Brain Tumors.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Vrionis has authored or co-authored three books on brain and spinal tumors, 150 abstracts and 100 publications in such prestigious peer-reviewed publications as the Journal of Neurosurgery, European Spine Journal and Lancet Oncology.

Dr. Vrionis received his medical degree from the University of Athens School Of Medicine in Athens, Greece, where he graduated second in his class. He performed his residency training in Neurosurgery at Tufts University and completed a fellowship in Skull-Base Surgery at the University of Tennessee.

He holds a Master's in Public Health from Harvard University and PhD in Brain Tumor Immunology from Duke University  widely regarded as one of the premier brain tumor programs in the world.

Dr. Vrionis has been the recipient of multiple honors and recognitions. He is listed in the Guide to America's Top Surgeons and was Moffitt's Physician of the Year in 2013.

"Dr. Vrionis brings to the position impeccable credentials as a surgeon, scientist and teacher," commented Anthony Dardano, DO and Chief Medical Officer at Boca Regional. "Moreover, he is a proven leader who is especially adept at galvanizing a diverse team of individuals. This amalgam of skills will be vitally important as we continue to evolve the Marcus Neuroscience Institute into one of the most advanced sites in the nation for patient care, training tomorrow's practitioners and exploring new therapies in the neurosciences."

Dr. Vrionis is looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. "I could not be more enthused about my new role and being a part of a group of such talented professionals we have at the Institute," he said. "My primary objective is to combine this talent with that we find in other clinicians in the region to create a nexus of care that is unequaled in South Florida."

Dr. Vrionis also emphasized his vision to open new vistas in research. "Understanding the causes of neurological disease and developing new ways to treat it will be a vital and robust component of the Marcus Institute. Not only will we work with our colleagues at Florida Atlantic University, but we will also be much more vigorous in being part of clinical trials with other notable institutions such as Duke and Emory Universities."

"We are very excited and enthusiastic about Dr. Vrionis' appointment and extend our congratulations to him as well as Boca Raton Regional Hospital on this great mutual decision," said Arthur J. Ross, III, MD, MBA, Interim Dean and Professor in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University. "He is exactly the person we need to help us collaborate both effectively and successfully in the neurosciences, which is an area of great interest and commitment for both of our institutions. We look forward to welcoming him to our College of Medicine faculty."

Opened in 2014, the Marcus Neuroscience Institute was created through a core gift of $25 million initiated by Bernie Marcus, Chairman of the Marcus Foundation and co-founder and former CEO of The Home Depot, and his wife Billi. The 56,000 square-foot facility houses a 20-bed Neuro Intensive Care and Step-Down Unit, a Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and four dedicated operating rooms. It also presents the most advanced technology available in medicine today  including intra-operative MRI and CT scanners, Flash CT and a Biplane angiography Suite.

"The appointment of someone the caliber of Dr. Vrionis as Director of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute is indicative of our deep commitment to ensure that the largesse of philanthropists in the community results in a program that changes the landscape of care in the neurosciences for South Florida," said Mark Larkin, President of the Hospital's Foundation.

About Boca Raton Regional Hospital  Advancing the boundaries of medicine.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital is an advanced, tertiary medical center (BRRH.com) with 400 beds and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff. The Hospital is a recognized leader in oncology, cardiovascular disease and surgery, minimally invasive surgery, orthopedics, women's health, emergency medicine and the neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. The Hospital is a designated Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).



Boca Raton Regional Hospital was the recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence for 10 years running and was named one of America's 50 Best Hospitals in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, both by Healthgrades. Boca Raton Regional Hospital was also recognized in U.S. News & World Report's 20162017 Best Hospitals listing as a top-ranked regional hospital in the South Florida metropolitan area and the highest ranked hospital in Palm Beach County.

SOURCE Boca Raton Regional Hospital

Related Links

http://www.brch.com


HANGZHOU, China, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- China Jo-Jo Drugstores, Inc. (NASDAQ: CJJD) today announced financial results for its first fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2016.

FY 2017 First Quarter Highlights:

Revenue was $20.9 million compared to $21.3 million a year ago

Gross profit increased 2.4% year-over-year to $4.5 million

Gross margin increased 90bps year-over-year to 21.4%, retail pharmacy gross margin increased 280 bps to 28.5% from a year ago

GAAP net income was $131,153 or $0.01 per diluted share compared to net income of $110,611 or $0.01 per diluted share a year ago

Adjusted net income was $754,000 or $0.04 per diluted share compared to adjusted net income of $277,481 or $0.02 per diluted share a year ago

China Jo-Jo's Chairman and CEO, Mr. Liu Lei commented, "Our results in the first quarter were temporarily impacted by lower pharmacy traffic due to preparation for the G20 summit in Hangzhou, and the unexpected disruption in the Yikatong referral business. We are proactively seeking referral arrangement with alternative providers of Pharmacy Benefit Management. We remain focused on increasing our gross margin and expanding the online and offline integration of our wellness offerings."

Net revenues for the quarter were $20.9 million compared to $21.3 million in the same quarter a year ago, a decrease of $375, 377 or 1.8%. Retail drugstores sales were $12.7 million and increased 4.4% compared to the prior year period. The Company continues to launch in-pharmacy virtual doctor clinics, provide access to mobile payment and implement other operational strategies to promote same store growth. The pharmacy store count increased to 61 as of June 30, 2016, compared to 59 stores a year ago.

Online pharmacy sales for the quarter were $5.1 million compared to $6.0 million in the same quarter a year ago, a decrease of $894,689 or 15.0%. The decrease was mainly due to the decline in referral transactions from Yikatong on the Company's own online pharmacy website. Excluding the RMB depreciation, sales via e-commerce platforms increased by 6.0% year over year. The Company is proactively seeking referral arrangements with alternative providers of Pharmacy Benefit Management.

Net income was $131,153 or $0.01 per diluted share compared to last year's first quarter net income of $110,611 or $0.01 per diluted share.

Adjusted net income was $754,000 or $0.04 per diluted share compared to last year's first quarter adjusted net income of $277,481 million or $0.02 per diluted share.

About China Jo-Jo Drugstores, Inc.

China Jo-Jo Drugstores, Inc., is a leading China-based pharmacy with retail, wholesale and online distribution of pharmaceutical and health care products through its online and retail pharmacies. As of July 26, 2016, the Company had 62 retail pharmacies in Zhejiang Province. The Company's wholesale subsidiary supplies its retail stores, and distributes drug and healthcare products to other drugstores and drug vendors. For more information, please visit: www.jiuzhou-drugstore.com (Chinese) and www.chinajojodrugstores.com (English).

Forward Looking Statement

Statements in this press release regarding the Company that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. Any such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, financial guidance, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "may," "will," "should," "project," "plan," "seek," "intend," "anticipate," the negatives thereof, or comparable terminology. Such statements typically involve risks and uncertainties and may include financial projections or information regarding the progress of new product development. It is routine for the Company's internal projections and expectations to change as the quarter and year progresses, and therefore it should be clearly understood that the internal projections and beliefs upon which the Company bases its expectations may change. Although these expectations may change, the Company is under no obligation to inform you if they do. Actual results could differ materially from the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors, including the risks associated with the effect of changing economic conditions in the People's Republic of China, variations in cash flow, reliance on collaborative retail partners and on new product development, variations in new product development, risks associated with rapid technological change, and the potential of introduced or undetected flaws and defects in products. Readers are referred to the reports and documents filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of these and other important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in forward-looking statements. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

CHINA JO-JO DRUGSTORES, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

















June 30,



March 31,





2016



2016

ASSETS















CURRENT ASSETS















Cash

$ 5,058,091



$ 6,671,873

Financial assets available for sale



451,512





465,165

Restricted cash



6,510,454





13,747,990

Notes receivable



54,622





15,506

Trade accounts receivable, net



8,861,884





8,054,597

Inventories



10,732,441





10,802,691

Other receivables, net



1,769,878





1,376,468

Advances to suppliers, net



4,691,995





4,230,665

Other current assets



1,881,243





1,518,048

Total current assets



40,012,120





46,883,003



















PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net



5,180,714





5,543,076



















OTHER ASSETS















Long-term investment



105,353





108,539

Farmland assets



1,636,757





1,562,205

Long term deposits



2,380,086





2,452,056

Other noncurrent assets



2,871,139





2,595,129

Intangible assets, net



2,835,454





2,928,779

Total other assets



9,828,788





9,646,708



















Total assets

$ 55,021,622



$ 62,072,787



















LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY















CURRENT LIABILITIES















Short-term loan payable

$ 30,101



$ 31,011

Accounts payable, trade



15,509,963





16,667,396

Notes payable



11,573,880





17,595,634

Other payables



1,892,969





1,917,821

Other payables - related parties



2,216,223





2,199,775

Customer deposits



2,695,112





2,610,151

Taxes payable



430,162





483,770

Accrued liabilities



520,689





615,056

Warrant liability-current portion



106,970





-

Total current liabilities



34,976,069





42,120,614



















Warrant liability



561,527





636,301

Total liabilities



35,537,596





42,756,915



















STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY















Common stock; $0.001 par value; 250,000,000 shares authorized; 19,373,504 and

17,735,504 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2016 and March 31, 2016



19,374





17,736

Additional paid-in capital



22,677,280





22,088,267

Statutory reserves



1,309,109





1,309,109

Accumulated deficit



(7,494,419)





(6,957,053)

Accumulated other comprehensive income



2,972,682





2,857,813

Total stockholders' equity



19,484,026





19,315,872



















Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 55,021,622



$ 62,072,787



CHINA JO-JO DRUGSTORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(UNAUDITED)



For the three months ended

June 30,



2016

2015 REVENUES, NET

$ 20,935,915



$ 21,311,292



















COST OF GOODS SOLD



16,454,111





16,935,609



















GROSS PROFIT



4,481,804





4,375,683



















SELLING EXPENSES



2,682,721





3,096,369

GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES



1,918,482





920,230

TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES



4,601,203





4,016,599



















INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS



(119,399)





359,084



















INTEREST INCOME



224,422





74,997

INTEREST EXPENSE



(439)





(159,931)

OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES), NET



87,199





(38,515)

CHANGE IN FAIR VALUE OF DERIVATIVE LIABILITIES



(32,196)





(42,837)



















INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES



159,587





192,798



















PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES



28,434





82,187



















NET INCOME



131,153





110,611



















OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME















Foreign currency translation adjustments



114,869





86,300



















COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

$ 246,022



$ 196,911



















WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES:















Basic



18,239,065





15,650,504

Diluted



18,276,565





15,975,583



















EARNINGS PER SHARES:















Basic

$ 0.01



$ 0.01

Diluted

$ 0.01



$ 0.01



CHINA JO-JO DRUGSTORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(UNAUDITED)



Three months ended

June 30,



2016

2015 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:















Net income

$ 131,153



$ 110,611

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) operating activities:















Depreciation and amortization



246,499





419,806

Stock compensation



590,651





124,033

Bad debt direct write-off and provision



70,736





(676,858)

Change in fair value of purchase option derivative liability



32,196





42,837

Change in operating assets:















Accounts receivable, trade



(1,360,690)





1,867,046

Notes receivable



(40,252)





74,535

Inventories



(251,067)





(1,295,009)

Other receivables



(202,805)





(2,715)

Advances to suppliers



(605,769)





(1,040,870)

Other current assets



(414,770)





421,682

Other noncurrent assets



(358,242)





-

Change in operating liabilities:















Accounts payable, trade



(679,734)





(1,519,464)

Other payables and accrued liabilities



(47,600)





(352,973)

Customer deposits



164,352





499,141

Taxes payable



(40,087)





155,577

Net cash used in operating activities



(2,765,429)





(1,172,621)



















CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:















Purchase of equipment



(9,372)





(99,393)

Investment to a joint venture



-





(114,660)

Additions to leasehold improvements



(26,532)





-

Net cash used in investing activities



(35,904)





(214,053)



















CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:















Change in restricted cash



6,951,672





(4,853,800)

Proceeds from notes payable



7,768,165





13,793,434

Repayments of notes payable



(13,368,248)





(10,074,912)

Proceeds from other payables-related parties



36,662





131,872

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities



1,388,251





(1,003,406)



















EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE ON CASH



(200,700)





21,261



















DECREASE IN CASH



(1,613,782)





(2,368,819)



















CASH, beginning of period



6,671,873





4,023,581



















CASH, end of period

$ 5,058,091



$ 1,654,762



















SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:















Cash paid for interest

$ 412



$ 159,931

Cash paid for income taxes

$ 17,973



$ 25,969



Use of non-GAAP financial measures

To supplement China Jo-Jo's consolidated financial results presented in accordance with GAAP, China Jo-Jo uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC: net income (loss) excluding share-based compensation expenses and change in fair value of derivative liabilities, and diluted net income (loss) per share excluding share-based compensation expenses and change in the fair value of derivatives liabilities. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.

China Jo-Jo believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance and liquidity by excluding share-based compensation expenses and change in fair value of derivative liabilities that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. China Jo-Jo believes that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to China Jo-Jo's historical performance and liquidity. China Jo-Jo computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter. China Jo-Jo believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision making. A limitation of using these non-GAAP measures is that they exclude share-based compensation and change in fair value of derivative liabilities charge that has been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in our business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The table under the heading Reconciliation to non-GAAP Financial Measures in the beginning of the release has more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures.

Reconciliation to non-GAAP Financial Measures



Three Months Ended June 30

2016 2015 Net income $131,153 $110,611 Non-GAAP adjustments:



Share based compensation expense 590,651 124,033 Change in fair value of derivative liabilities 32,196 42,837 Adjusted net income 754,000 277,481 Adjusted net income per share - diluted 0.04 0.02

Investor Relations Contact:

Steve Liu

[email protected]

SOURCE China Jo-Jo Drugstores, Inc.
LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

Visiongain assesses that the commercial aircraft MRO market will be worth $65,490m in 2016. Commercial aircraft MRO is a mature and established sector with multiple players active to varying levels. Companies range from those offering a complete range of services and hangar or workshop facilities, to small repair companies for specific components.



The competitive landscape has shifted significantly with fewer airlines providing in-house maintenance, and the increase of OEMs present in the market. Changing customer demands, as well as fleet expansion and renewal is also changing how MRO services are sourced and delivered. It is therefore critical that you have your timescales correct and knowledge of significant competitors. This report will ensure that you do.



Visiongain's report will ensure that you keep informed and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage.



The report will answer questions such as:

- What are the key trends, opportunities and challenges for the commercial aircraft MRO market currently and in the future?

- What factors are behind these trends and what are the prospects for related submarkets and regional markets?

- Who are the leading companies in commercial aircraft MRO?

- How are the key stakeholders responding to the market environment?



5 Reasons why you must order and read this report today:



1) The report quantifies and analyses the commercial aircraft MRO market:

- Forecasts of the global market

- Forecasts of the associated submarket sectors  heavy airframe maintenance, engine MRO, component MRO and line maintenance, further subdivided by region

- Forecasts of key regional markets  Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East / Africa, North America and further segmented by submarket

- Analysis of factors that are driving or restraining market activity



2) The study reveals where commercial aircraft MRO stakeholders are investing. We show you information relating to:

- Contracts and programmes

- Products and services

- Recent mergers, acquisitions and divestiture activity

- Geographical distribution



3) 428 contracts providing understanding of which sectors of the commercial aircraft MRO market are in demand



4) Profiling of the top 15 commercial aircraft MRO companies including market share, ranking, and information relating to key financial indicators

- AAR Corporation

- Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance

- Airbus SAS

- Boeing Company

- Bombardier Inc

- Delta TechOps

- GE Aviation

- Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) Ltd

- Lufthansa Technik AG

- MTU Aero Engines AG

- Rolls-Royce plc

- SIA Engineering Company Ltd

- SR Technics

- ST Aerospace Ltd

- United Technologies Corporation



5) SWOT analysis of the global commercial aircraft MRO market



Competitive advantage

This independent 329 page report guarantees that you will remain better informed than your competitors. With 287 tables and figures examining the commercial aircraft MRO market, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of the leading players in your market. Net incomes and company sales data, as well as analysis keep your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals.



How will you benefit from this report?

- This report you will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind

- This report will allow you to reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data

- You will learn how to exploit new technological trends

- You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market

- You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships



Who should read this report?

- Anyone involved with the commercial aircraft MRO industry

- CEO's

- COO's

- CIO's

- Business development managers

- Marketing managers

- Technologists

- Engineers

- Suppliers

- Investors

- Banks

- Aviation regulators

- Contractors

- Airlines

- In-house / independent maintenance divisions

- Airline marketing and management / executives

- Aerospace OEMs and system integrators

- R&D personnel



Don't miss out

This report is essential reading for you or anyone in the commercial aircraft sector with an interest in MRO. Purchasing this report today will help you to recognise those important market opportunities and understand the possibilities there. Order the Commercial Aircraft Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) Market Report 2016-2026: Leading Companies Analysis, Contracts & Forecasts for Heavy Airframe Maintenance, Engine MRO, Component MRO & Line Maintenance report now. We look forward to receiving your order.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3816954/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

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Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to Yemen's Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid Bin Daghr the importance of avoiding a long-term armed conflict in Yemen, during a Cairo meeting on Monday, state owned MENA agency reported.

In a statement, presidential spokesperson Alaa Youssef said El-Sisi asserted the importance of the ongoing negotiations sponsored by the United Nations to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis that comes in accordance with international legitimacy to allow for reconstruction as soon as possible.

El-Sisi said Egypt was keen on providing the needed support for Yemen so they can overcome the current conflicts and focus on development and restoration in a way that accomplishes Yemeni people's aspirations to restore peace and stability.

According to the Egyptian statement, the Yemeni prime minister delivered a message from Yemeni President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi, where he expressed his appreciation for Egypt's support for the legitimate government in Yemen, whether in the frame of the Saudi-led military coalition or through defending Yemeni interests in the UN's Security Council.

Egypt has been participating with naval and air forces in the Saudi-led military coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen since the coalition was launched in March 2015.

The Yemeni prime minister arrived in Cairo on Sunday for meetings with the Egyptian president and top Egyptian officials on the recent developments in Yemen, as well as discussions on the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Daghr also presented recent developments in his country, pointing at his government's wish to restore peace and stability in Yemen while holding to Yemeni unity.

The conflict in Yemen pits the internationally recognised government of President Hadi and the Saudi-led coalition against armed Shia rebels, the Houthis, who have allied with ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

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.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today that it intends to redeem all 11,500,000 outstanding shares of its 7.000% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (CUSIP: 253868707). Series E Preferred Stock held through the Depository Trust Company will be redeemed in accordance with the applicable procedures of the Depository Trust Company.

The redemption date will be September 15, 2016. The Series E Preferred Stock will be redeemed for a total payment of $25.00 per share, plus all accrued and unpaid dividends to, but not including, the redemption date in an amount equal to $0.35972 per share, for a total payment of $25.35972 per share (the "Redemption Price"), which will be payable in cash, without interest on the redemption date. After the redemption date, Series E Preferred Stock will no longer be deemed outstanding and all of the rights of the holders of Series E Preferred Stock will terminate, except the right to receive the Redemption Price. In addition, because all of the issued and outstanding shares of Series E Preferred Stock are being redeemed, the Series E Preferred Stock will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") after the redemption date. The Series E Preferred Stock currently trades on the NYSE under the symbol "DLR.PRE".

The notice of redemption and related materials are being mailed to holders of record of Series E Preferred Stock as of August 15, 2016. As specified in the notice of redemption, payment of the applicable redemption price, plus any accrued and unpaid dividends payable on the redemption date, without interest, will be made only upon presentation and surrender of the certificates representing the Series E Preferred Stock to the redemption agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.

Questions regarding the redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock may be directed to American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC at:

American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC

Operations Center

6201 15th Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11219

Attention: Reorganization Department

Tel.: (800) 937-5449

Contact Information

Andrew P. Power

Chief Financial Officer

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

+1 (415) 738-6500 John J. Stewart / Maria S. Lukens

Investor Relations

Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

+1 (415) 738-6500

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to the timing and consummation of the redemption of the Series E Preferred Stock. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Digital Realty Trust, L.P. with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including Digital Realty Trust, Inc. and Digital Realty Trust, L.P.'s combined Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and other documents subsequently filed by the company with the SEC. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Digital Realty Trust, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.digitalrealtytrust.com


The new store, located on Jefferson Avenue near the Interstate 70 off-ramp, will mark its official opening with a two-day celebration from August 18th through the 19th. Running from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days, the event will feature hourly giveaways as well as informative, in-store demonstrations from the company's flagship product lines including Brighton-Best, Johnson Level, and Wright Tool.

"This is a tremendous step forward for us," said Steve Celaschi, D&S Industrial Fasteners' managing partner. "We have always been primarily a business-to-business company, but the storefront gives us a new way to interact with and serve potential clients."

For years, D&S Industrial Fasteners has sold products directly to businesses from its Coraopolis, Pa. headquarters. Its customer base has ranged from independent contractors to large multinational firms such as US Steel, Ford Motor Co., and Walmart. In spite of the company's nearly 20 years in operation, Celaschi said, D&S Industrial Fasteners has never had a showroom or walk-in retail environment until now. Most of the bestselling items in his company's catalog, Celaschi added, will be available at the Jefferson Avenue location.

The new retail store, Celaschi said, represents an expansion of his company's business model to one that's more responsive and more relaxed. "Here," Celaschi said, "we can encourage interactions with customers in a more informal setting than our offices. It's a new, but exciting, direction for us."

Celaschi also noted that, "Having a physical location in a busy part of Washington, right off the main interchange that many of our customers use daily, gives us constant exposure while providing a convenient pick-up point for anyone who needs one of our products right away."

In addition to fasteners, the company provides safety equipment for the oil and gas industry, chemicals for manufacturing and maintenance shops, and a wide assortment of manual and power tools. Its primary product lines include Brighton-Best, Nucor Fasteners, Star Stainless Screw Company, Winzer, Honeywell, Fibre-Metal, Muck Boot, North Safety Products, 3M, and Yeti.

For the grand opening celebration, Celaschi said, "We're bringing in some distributors to showcase the many different sides of the company." He added, "People already know that we provide fasteners and other industrial products; it's right there in our name. We want this event to appeal to a wider swath of customers who might not know about our selection of power tools, safety gear, equipment, and other consumer goods."

The D&S Industrial Fasteners storefront is located along Route 18 at 901 Jefferson Ave. in Washington, Pa. Regular business hours are 8:00 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Additional information about the grand opening can be obtained by calling (724) 993-4816.

About D&S Industrial Fasteners:

Founded by Del Celaschi and his sons Steve, Rich, and John, D&S Industrial Fasteners opened as a subsidiary of D&S Hoist and Crane, an overhead bridge crane manufacturing company, in 1998. In 2009, D&S Hoist and Crane and D&S Industrial Fasteners merged with H&K Equipment of Pittsburgh to become part of a corporate family that includes eight companies located across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.

In addition to its Coraopolis headquarters, D&S Industrial Fasteners operates distribution facilities in Baltimore, Philadelphia, York, Pa. and Youngstown, Ohio.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397758

SOURCE D&S Industrial Fasteners
MCLEAN, Va., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- E3 Federal Solutions, LLC, a leader in Program Management Support Services to the Federal Government, announced today that it has been selected by the Department of Homeland Security, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to provide administrative support services. This contract continues to extend E3's presence across DHS and also introduces the DNDO as a new client.

DNDO is the primary entity within the government for implementing domestic nuclear detection efforts for a managed and coordinated response to radiological and nuclear threats, as well as integration of federal nuclear forensics programs. Their mission is to prevent nuclear terrorism by continuously improving capabilities to deter, detect, respond to, and attribute attacks, in coordination with domestic and international partners. E3 and its subcontractor, CTI Resource Management Services, Inc. (CTI), will provide the administrative support resources to support DNDO's mission.

E3's administrative support services provide DNDO with highly talented executive-level administrative assistants, facility support, and security staff to service each directorate. As a unified team, support is provided to each Assistant Director (AD) and Principal Deputy Assistant Director (PDAD), as well as individual support across their respective directorates. In addition to handling all administrative, travel, facility and personnel security support, E3 will assist with the planning and relocation of DNDO from its current facilities in Washington, DC to the St. Elizabeth facility within the next three years.

"We are excited for the opportunity to be at the administrative forefront of support to DNDO as they execute their mission of developing the global nuclear detection and reporting architecture," said Martin Mackes, Executive Vice President of Homeland Accounts at E3.

About E3: E3 Federal Solutions, a Veteran-Owned business, is a 2015 and 2016 Virginia Fast 50 (Virginia Chamber of Commerce) honoree and three-time Inc. 5000 honoree. With a track record of 100 percent client satisfaction and ISO 9001:2008 certification, E3 has a reliable standard of providing exceptional service and high quality delivery to the Federal Government across the United States. As a trusted advisor, E3 provides its clients with expertise in program management, acquisition management, financial management and facilities management, crossing multiple disciplines to include information technology, transportation, and aviation security. Learn more at www.e3federal.com.

Contact: E3 Marketing Communications (Mar/Com) Team

Phone: 571.551.2731

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE E3 Federal Solutions, LLC

Related Links

http://www.e3federalsolutions.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Planning to pursue the prestigious master's degree in business administration (MBA)? Meet one of the best ways to pay for a significant portion of your tuition: Economist GMAT Tutor's 2016 Brightest Minds MBA Scholarship Contest, which launches today.

The contest aims to find one of the world's "Brightest Minds" who plans to attend business school, and help fund his or her education. The title and $25,000 scholarship will be awarded to the highest scorer on Economist GMAT Tutor's free online simulation of the GMAT, the standardised test required by the majority of business schools due to its measurement of analytical, writing, quantitative and verbal skills.

Dan Gherasimenco, a 29-year-old Canadian entrepreneur who is in the midst of launching a new company in the fashion industry with his fiancee, beat more than 4,000 other contest entrants around the world by scoring highest on Economist GMAT Tutor's Spring 2016 GMAT simulation exam. He will apply the scholarship towards tuition at the Schulich School of Business.

The contest is open to anyone who is considering pursuing an MBA or EMBA. The winner may apply their $25,000 scholarship towards tuition to any of the partnering business schools:

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

University of Liverpool Management School

Management School Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

Alliance Manchester Business School

Oregon State University

Ivey Business School

Copenhagen Business School

The University of Edinburgh Business School

Business School Schulich School of Business

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Darden School of Business Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York

School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology

The contest will close on October 15th 2016. The winner will be announced by November 18th.

Contest entrants must qualify under the Terms & Conditions.

For information about partnership opportunities, contact Richard Dexter at +1 212-554-0662 or [email protected].

About Economist GMAT Tutor (gmat.economist.com)

Economist GMAT Tutor is an online GMAT prep course offered by The Economist Group.

The online program guides students through the academic topics and test taking skills that they will need to master the test. The program is adaptive, meaning that it uses students' correct and incorrect answers to create tailored courses customized to their needs.

About The Economist (economist.com)

With a growing global circulation (more than 1.5 million including both print and digital) and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications.

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SOURCE The Economist

Related Links

www.economist.com


DETROIT, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A lawsuit before U.S District Court Chief Judge Denise Page Hood accuses Bank of America of ethnic discrimination for arbitrarily closing the accounts of Michigan-based Arab-American charity. Closing arguments are set for Monday 11am, followed by deliberation.

Plaintiff Life for Relief & Development ("LIFE") argues that Bank of America, N.A., ("BANA") employee Christa Marshall, a senior Anti-Money Laundering ("AML") Compliance Specialist was inconsistent in her reports both when filling out the Account Closure Recommendation form ("ACR") and during testimony.

During her trial testimony on Friday, Marshall listed the appearance of personal spending, and Structuring (an attempt to evade legal reporting by limiting the amount deposited under a particular threshold) as reasons for closure of the accounts. When cross-examined, Marshall testified that she could NOT point to a single purchase on the bank statements as personal spending. As for structuring, Marshall indicated two examples of which both failed to meet the legal threshold. These inconsistencies gave expectation to the merit of the lawsuit.

The trial is expected to answer the question as to the prejudicial targeting of Arab-American account closures across the U.S. by major banks and could set the stage for similar lawsuits in the near future.

Dennis Lormel, an expert witness for BANA testified in December 2014 that BANA identifies Arab-Americans as "High Risk". Lormel further went on to say that he noticed closures attributed to the perception of high risk based on names such as Mohamad, Ahmed, or even Salam. According to Lormel, BANA was targeting them "on a company basis".

LIFE has distributed over $300 million dollars in humanitarian assistance to over 13 million beneficiaries across 23 countries. As a non-profit, LIFE has a consultative status with the United Nations. Locally, Life has also donated more than 250,000 bottles of water during the Flint Water Crisis.

LIFE, human and civil rights organizations along with leaders in the Arab-American community are expected to hold a press conference following the verdict. Khalid Turaani, Life's CEO said "Bank of America maybe too big to fail but not too big to be called to task when found guilty of discrimination against Arab-Americans". Turaani added " Bank of American should live up to its name and be a bank for all Americans".

SOURCE Life for Relief and Development

Related Links

http://www.lifeusa.org


LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Servo system, a key integral of industrial automation, can be divided into stepper servo system, DC motor servo system, and AC motor servo system. More than 70% of servo systems used now are AC motor servo systems.



Global servo system market size was USD10.46 billion in 2015, a year-on-year growth rate of 5.0%, and is expected to expand to USD11.13 billion in 2016. Europe, the world's major servo system market, boasts a market size of roughly USD3.03 billion, but will see a drop in market share due to rapidly-growing Chinese/Japanese markets.



The Chinese servo system market was valued at RMB7.36 billion in 2015, accounting for about 11.1% of the world's total and up 9.1% from a year ago. As CNC machine tool, electronic equipment, wind power equipment, and robotics, the downstream applications of servo system, are sectors under state policy support, the market is projected to grow steadily at a pace of around 10% during 2016-2020.



China started late on servo system with technology lagging far behind that in foreign countries like low machining precision and relatively short service life of bearings in servo motor. As a result, China now produces mainly mid-and low-end servo systems and virtually relies on imports for high-end products.



The Chinese servo system market is dominated by foreign brands. In 2015, seven out of top10 brands in the Chinese market were foreign ones and the remaining three were Taiwan-based TECO Electric & Machinery and Delta and Chinese mainland Shenzhen Inovance Technology. The top three were occupied by Japanese companies with each seizing a market share of over 10%.



Panasonic: the largest servo system brand in terms of market share in China (14.4% in 2015). In Nov 2015, it launched new A6 servo motor which can be used in industry sectors and consumer market.



Yaskawa: servo system production bases in Shanghai and Shenyang. It developed a servo motor with GaN power component and built-in amplifier in Nov 2015 and will start producing the product before 2017; rolled out a new product- New AC drive "Zero series" in Apr 2016.



Siemens: traditional advantages in high-end servo system market; products chiefly used in CNC machine tool field. It launched new 200-volt converters and motors with lower shaft heights and lower moments of inertia in Nov 2015, further improving its basic servo drive system lineup.



Shenzhen Inovance Technology: the largest servo system manufacturer on the Chinese mainland and the only domestic servo system manufacturer mastering servo encoder technology; products mainly used in mobile phone product line, lithium battery, LED, and manipulator fields. The company made revenue of RMB420 million from servo system business.



Shenzhen INVT Electric: revenue of RMB86.70 million from servo system business in 2015, a year-on-year rise of 24.6%; The company officially launched DA200 high-precision general AC servo system primarily for high-speed and high-precision industries, such as warp knitting machine, die cutting machine, CNC engraving and milling machine, robotics, high-speed chamfering machine, and LED beam-splitting machine.



Global and China Servo System Industry Report, 2016-2020 highlights the followings:

Global servo system industry (development history/trends, market size/structure, competitive landscape, etc.);

China's servo system industry (status quo, market size/structure, competitive landscape, distribution, etc.);

Servo drive, servo motor, servo encoder, and motion controller markets (development, market size, major manufacturers);

Main downstream sectors (machine tool, electronic equipment, robotics, wind power equipment, packaging equipment, textile machinery, etc.) of servo system (application, market status, etc.);

22 global servo system manufacturers (operation, servo system business, development in China, etc.)

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4057029/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

Related Links

http://www.reportbuyer.com


BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education today announced it will host the Global Alumni Leadership Summit, taking place on the HBS Campus from August 24-26, 2016.

Hosted exclusively for alumni of Harvard Business School's comprehensive leadership programs, the Global Alumni Leadership Summit is a unique event for Executive Education classmates to reconnect with one another and program faculty, attend plenary and case study sessions hosted by world-class thought leaders and guest speakers, and share ideas and insights as part of a global HBS community.

"Participants of our comprehensive leadership programs experience a positive inflection point in their careers as the result of world-class faculty and curriculum, a diverse mix of executives, and a campus experience unique to HBS," said Frances Frei, UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management and Senior Associate Dean for Executive Education at Harvard Business School. "We often find that this inflection point extends even further to impact how alumni reflect on their personal lives. We're honored and humbled to have alumni reunite on campus for the Global Alumni Leadership Summit to share experiences and return with fresh ideas, ready to drive meaningful change within their organizations."

Led by Das Narayandas, Senior Associate Dean for External Relations and Harvard Business Publishing, the Global Alumni Leadership Summit coincides with a pivotal time of development within the HBS campus. With the additions of Tata Hall  opened in 2014  as well as the brand new Chao Center  opened in June  Harvard Business School Executive Education is now uniquely positioned to deliver a deeper level of engagement through its complete set of facilities dedicated to executive development.

"For the first time ever, we have a complete precinct in which to deliver a holistic learning experience for Executive Education," said Professor Narayandas. "The newly opened Chao Center is the hub of that precinct  connecting executives to faculty as well as MBA students and the broader HBS and Harvard communities  it completes a self-contained ecosystem for which to deliver learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom."

In addition to HBS faculty, the Summit features a roster of influential Harvard faculty, alumni guest speakers, and leading executives including:

Harvard University:

Drew Gilpin Faust , President of Harvard University , Lincoln Professor of History, Senior Fellow of the Society of Fellows, ex officio

Harvard Business School:

Nitin Nohria , George F. Baker Professor of Administration, Dean of the Faculty, Harvard Business School

Guest Speakers

Tommy Amaker , Head Coach, Men's Basketball Team, Harvard University

, Head Coach, Men's Basketball Team, Sir Alex Ferguson , Former Manager, Manchester United

, Former Manager, Manchester United Reuben Mark , Retired Chairman & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive Company

, Retired Chairman & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive Company Leo F. Mullin , Senior Adviser, Goldman Sachs Group, Merchant Banking Division

, Senior Adviser, Goldman Sachs Group, Merchant Banking Division Gary Rodkin , Former CEO & President, ConAgra Foods

The above speakers are also Executive Fellows in Executive Education at HBS

Nick Burns , Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School

, Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Jeffrey Immelt , Chairman of the Board & CEO, General Electric

, Chairman of the Board & CEO, General Electric Terry Virts , NASA Astronaut, and Colonel in the United States Air Force, and alumnus of the General Management Program

Harvard Business School asserts that executive development is a lifelong process and ongoing conversation critical in shaping the next generation of business leaders. HBS welcomes all Executive Education alumni back to its evolving campus to examine today's business challenges and opportunities alongside a network of peers and faculty, spark new conversations and impart meaningful, positive change upon the business world.

Program Details:

Global Alumni Leadership Summit will be hosted from August 24-26, 2016 on the Harvard Business School campus. Please visit www.exed.hbs.edu/programs/sum/ for complete program details.

Faculty:

Lynda M. Applegate, Sarofim-Rock Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of the Owner/President Management program.

Ranjay Gulati, Jaime and Josefina Chua Tiampo Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of the Advanced Management Program.

Sunil Gupta, Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of the General Management Program.

Das Narayandas, Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration, Senior Associate Dean for External Relations and Senior Associate Dean for Harvard Business Publishing.

Michael L. Tushman, Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor of Business Administration and faculty chair of Program for Leadership Development.

About Harvard Business School:

Harvard Business School Executive Education, a division of Harvard Business School, is located on a 40-acre campus in Boston, Massachusetts. In fiscal year 2015, HBS faculty developed and delivered 73 open-enrollment Executive Education programs and 50 custom programs for leading organizations worldwide. More than 10,000 business executives attended programs held on campus in Boston as well as classrooms in Mumbai, and Shanghai. With global research centers in eight key regions, HBS faculty continue to develop groundbreaking research, forge powerful alliances with global organizations, and fulfill the mission of educating leaders who shape the practice of business and innovation. Learn more at www.exed.hbs.edu.

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SOURCE Harvard Business School Executive Education

Related Links

http://www.exed.hbs.edu


CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- HighTower announces the launch of HighTower Omaha, the firm's first team in Nebraska. The team transitioned to HighTower from Morgan Stanley and manages $500 million in assets under the direction of Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor Thomas G. Foley and Senior Vice President, Private Wealth Advisor Keith W. Hier.

HighTower Omaha is the ninth team to join the firm this year.

"HighTower's track record of helping teams grow attracts advisors from a variety of settingsincluding wirehouses, RIAs and independent broker-dealers. If a team is looking to grow and build a strong wealth management business, we're simply the best solution for them," said Michael Parker, Chief Development Officer, HighTower. "Our community of the industry's top professionals welcomes Tom and Keith to HighTower."

"After 20 years at Morgan, we chose to join HighTower for its sophisticated platform and culture of excellence, both of which will help us address our clients' complex needs and grow our business," said Mr. Foley. "Even more importantly, HighTower's commitment to putting clients' best interests first resonates deeply with our vision for our team."

The HighTower Omaha team works closely with clients to identify investment goals and construct structured portfolios composed of high-quality investments. The team takes a conservative, long-term approach to capital markets. Other team members include Financial Planning and Analytics Manager Tom Hodgson and Senior Client Relations Manager Tina Legett.

For media inquiries, please contact Melinda Brodbeck, JConnelly, at 973-850-7348 or [email protected].

About HighTower

HighTower is a national firm built by and for elite financial advisors. HighTower advisors commit to the fiduciary standard: a binding promise to put our clients' interests first. Powered by a proprietary technology and investment platform, HighTower embraces bold change to create a culture of collaboration and growth and to meet the evolving needs of sophisticated investors. For more information, see www.hightoweradvisors.com and www.byadvisorsforadvisors.com .

Melinda Brodbeck

JConnelly

973-850-7348

[email protected]

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SOURCE HighTower

Related Links

http://www.hightoweradvisors.com


PLAINSBORO, N.J., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Novo Nordisk today unveiled the "Am I at Risk?" traveling exhibit as an extension of its Ask.Screen.Know. program urging adults to know their risk of type 2 diabetes at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Twenty-nine million Americans are living with diabetes and 1 in 4 do not know it.1 The exhibit illustrates the many different faces of Americans who are at risk of diabetes, including Ask.Screen.Know. ambassadors Rev Run and Justine Simmons.

The 12x8 foot exhibit with two-sided mirrors enables visitors to see themselves among the faces of risk, symbolizing the millions of Americans unaware of their risk for developing diabetes. It offers visitors a chance to uncover their own personal diabetes risk onsite and learn about the importance of screening. The exhibit will make another stop at Mall of America in Minneapolis later this month.

Hip-hop legend Rev Run and his wife Justine became ambassadors for Ask.Screen.Know. after learning they are both at risk of the disease. Both Rev Run and Justine have a family history of diabetes and are also at risk due to their ethnicity and age. Health is now a priority for the Simmons family. They hope that by sharing their story they will motivate others to learn about their risk, too, and get screened.

"You can't confront what you don't know," said Rev Run. "We know that our family history impacts our family today more than ever. Learning about our risk of diabetes has empowered our entire family to make important adjustments to our everyday lifestyle."

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes is associated with older age, family history of the disease, being a member of certain ethnic groups, lacking physical activity, being overweight or obese, and having diabetes during pregnancy.1

In addition to Rev Run and Justine, the "Am I at Risk?" exhibit features 10 adults who identify as having one or more risks associated with diabetes. The variety of adults included in the exhibit range in age, gender, ethnicity, height, and weight, showcasing the depth of American adults who are at risk.

"There's no type when it comes to those at risk of type 2 diabetes," said Justine Simmons. "If you're physically fit but have a family history of diabetes, that makes you at risk, too. It's important to take the Diabetes Risk Factor Assessment to find out if you are at risk, get screened, and take charge of your health."

To take an online Diabetes Risk Factor Assessment, visit www.AskScreenKnow.com. You'll also find additional information about risk factors associated with diabetes and the importance of being screened.

About Ask.Screen.Know.

Launched in 2009, Ask.Screen.Know. (ASK) is a national education program that challenges Americans to find out about their risk of type 2 diabetes and raise awareness of the need for early screening. More than 1 in 3 American adults are at risk of diabetes.2 Since the program's inception, ASK ambassadors including Olympia Dukakis and husband Louis Zorich, Chris Noth, Rev Run and wife Justine Simmons each played a part in sharing their own connection to those at risk of diabetes and urged millions of Americans to know their risk, too.

About Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to help people defeat other serious chronic conditions: hemophilia, growth disorders and obesity. With U.S. headquarters in Plainsboro, N.J., Novo Nordisk Inc. has more than 5,000 employees in the United States. For more information, visit novonordisk.us or follow us on Twitter: @novonordiskus.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report: Estimates of Diabetes and Its Burden in the United States , 2014. CDC website. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/statsreport14/national-diabetes-report-web.pdf. Accessed May 25, 2016 . Tarasova VD, Caballero JA, Turner P, Inzucchi SE. Speaking to patients about diabetes risk: is terminology important? Clinical Diabetes. 2014;32(2):90-95.

SOURCE Novo Nordisk

Related Links

http://www.askscreenknow.com


An Egyptian police captain was killed on Monday when a landmine detonated during a shootout with "terrorist elements" in North Sinai's Al-Arish, an interior ministry official announced.

In an official statement, a ministry media official said that Captain Mohamed Safwat Mohamed Roshdy died from injuries sustained following the landmine explosion while security forces were chasing terrorists who had been planting a 50kg explosive device in the vicinity of an Al-Arish police station.

According to the statement, the police were able to defuse the bomb that was set to target the police station, and were able to injure one of the gunmen.

The statement added that security forces were currently intensifying efforts to catch the culprits.

Monday's attack comes only two weeks after Egypt's army announced the killing of militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis leader Abu Doaa Al-Ansari and a number of his associates in air strikes against the group's strongholds south and south-west of Al-Arish.

Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, an affiliate of the Islamic State militant group, has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks against security personnel and installations in the governorate.

Egypt's security forces have been fighting a decade-long Islamist insurgency that spiked in parts of North Sinai following the 2013 ousting of president Mohamed Morsi.



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-Hydro One plans significant local investment in operations facilities-

TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Hydro One Limited (TSX: H) ("Hydro One") announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire 100 percent of Orillia Power Distribution Corporation ("Orillia Power") from the City of Orillia, Ontario. Hydro One will pay the City of Orillia $26.35 million for Orillia Power and assume approximately $14.9 million of debt and regulatory liabilities for a total transaction value of $41.3 million.

"We look forward to welcoming the customers and employees of Orillia Power Distribution to the Hydro One family," said Mayo Schmidt, President and CEO, Hydro One Limited. "This merger of two long time neighbours makes perfect sense and we believe will enable us to realize operational synergies over time that can positively impact electricity prices and quality of service. At the same time, we look forward to partnering with the City of Orillia in investing in facilities that will bring long-term economic value to City of Orillia businesses and residents".

"On behalf of Orillia Council, I would like to welcome Hydro One as a new community partner," said Mayor Steve Clarke. "We look forward to Hydro One providing the same high-quality electricity distribution service as Orillia Power and the construction of new state-of-the-art facilities in Orillia, which in turn will provide significant economic impact, new jobs, and spin-off benefits for our city."

Orillia Power, with a rate base of $28.2 million, serves approximately 14,000 customers and is located in Simcoe County, part of the Huronia region of Central Ontario. Hydro One's territory includes the areas surrounding the City of Orillia. The transaction is the result of extensive discussions between Hydro One and the City of Orillia regarding the sale of the utility and economic development opportunities within the City.

Hydro One and the City of Orillia have also entered into separate facilities and land purchase agreements to construct a backup Ontario grid control centre, a provincial warehouse and a regional operations centre in Orillia's Horne Business Park following the closing of the Orillia Power acquisition and the receipt of Ontario Energy Board and other approvals.

The acquisition and facility investments are conditional upon the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and approval of the Ontario Energy Board.

About the Company:

Hydro One Limited (TSX: H) Hydro One is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with approximately $24 billion in assets and 2015 revenues of over $6.5 billion. Hydro One delivers electricity safely and reliably to over 1.3 million customers across the province of Ontario, and to large industrial customers and municipal utilities. Hydro One owns and operates Ontario's approximately 29,000 circuit km high-voltage transmission network and an approximately 123,000 circuit km primary low-voltage local distribution network. For more information about Hydro One, visit www.HydroOne.com.

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Words such as "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "attempt," "may," "plan," "will", "can", "believe," "seek," "estimate," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward looking information. These statements are not guarantees of future performance or actions and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking information. Some of the factors that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from the results expressed, implied or forecasted by such forward-looking information, including some of the assumptions used in making such statements, is discussed more fully in Hydro One Inc.'s filings with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, and are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Hydro One Inc. does not intend, and it disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking information, except as required by law.

SOURCE Hydro One Limited

Related Links

http://www.hydroone.com


IDEA Public Schools, a nationally recognized network of tuition-free, public charter schools, began with one school serving 150 students in Donna, TX. Sixteen years later, IDEA is transforming lives, families, and communities for nearly 30,000 students in 51 schools in the Rio Grande Valley, Austin, and San Antonio. This year's graduating class will mark the 11 th consecutive year that each and every IDEA Public Schools graduate will be accepted to a four-year college or university.

"In order to rectify the problem of widespread subpar public education, the solution needs to be equally ambitious," said Tom Torkelson, founder and CEO of IDEA Public Schools. "At IDEA, we continue to pursue and meet our goal of sending every student to college. We are expanding IDEA Public Schools nationwide in order to provide the quality education that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status."

IDEA is home to six of the best high schools in Texas and the nation, according to US News and World Report and the Washington Post and the demand for IDEA schools in new communities continues to grow. This year, more than 50,000 applications were submitted for less than 10,000 open seats.

In order to welcome more students, IDEA will open seven new schools this year: IDEA Mays Academy and College Prep and IDEA Judson Academy and College Prep in San Antonio, IDEA Bluff Springs Academy and College Prep in Austin, and IDEA Toros College Prep in Edinburg. With the addition of these new campuses, IDEA will continue to prove that equitable education is, in fact, an achievable feat.

"Our administrators, teachers, and staff are excited to become a part of the San Antonio community and welcome students for our first year of learning and growth," said Joaquin Hernandez, principal of IDEA Judson College Prep.

IDEA's commitment to promoting educational excellence is evident on both a national and local level. In June of 2016, IDEA received the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools and was named America's Best Charter School Network, consequently winning funds to develop college-readiness programs for its students.

Today also marks the expansion of IDEA's successful Pre-K program from three to twelve schools.

About IDEA Public Schools

IDEA Public Schools is a growing network of tuition-free K-12 public schools serving nearly 30,000 students in 51 schools across Texas (San Antonio, Austin, and the Rio Grande Valley). With a track record of success including top-ranked high school by US News & World Report and The Washington Post, 100% college acceptance, and a college graduation rate five times the national average for low-income students, IDEA families, students, and staff are proving that college is possible for all children.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/398189

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SOURCE IDEA Public Schools
LONDON, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

On Saturday September 24th, the Institute of Trading and Portfolio will be holding a Super Conference in New York City, in which all of their Senior Trading Mentors will be flown in from around the world. The Institute's Senior Trading Mentors will be delivering to Retail Trader delegates of the Super Conference high-level Professional Trading and Portfolio Management strategies so they can replicate these strategies in their Retail Brokerage Accounts and become consistently profitable over time.

The Institute's New York Super Conference will host nine seminars in one day, given by each of the Institute's Senior Trading Mentors and Managing Partner, Anton Kreil. The Institute's New York Super Conference will include value-added Educational Seminars for Retail Traders on the following topics:

Anton Kreil - Trading Strategies for North American Pensions Supplementation

Jason McDonald - Why Shorts Are Hard to Find and How You Can Find Great Shorts

Hichem Djouhri - Optimal Overwriting Strategies for Hedging 401K and IRA Portfolios

Raj Malhotra - Pricing Options like a Market Maker and Why it's Important

Chris Quill - Calculating Realized and Implied Volatility and Why it's Important

Gregoire Dupont - Long and Short Day Trading in Equities and FOREX Viability Assessment

Dr Christopher Cathey - IPO Trading for Incremental Portfolio Performance

Tristan Edwards - The Importance of Matching Personality to Process

Anton Kreil - Overall Strategy Implementation for North American Retail Traders

For background Resumes of the Institute's Senior Trading Mentors: CLICK HERE

To secure your ticket(s) to the Number One Retail Trader Conference in New York this year: CLICK HERE

The Institute maintains that the only way to achieve the best results in your trading is to learn from the world's best traders. The education and information that Retail Traders receive at this conference will drastically increase their chances of becoming consistently profitable over the long term. With over 130 years combined Professional Trading experience at Investment Banks and Hedge Funds, what Retail Traders are going to learn from the Institute's traders during the New York Super Conference is simply not available to Retail Traders anywhere else in the world. Each of the Institute's Senior Trading Mentors have at least 10 years' minimum high-level career trading experience, trading Professionally at either or both Investment Banks and / or Hedge Funds. This is exactly why the Institute's New York Super Conference is totally different to other Retail Traders' conferences and is widely being touted as the Number One Conference available to Retail Traders in New York in 2016.

Delegates of the Institute's New York Super Conference can choose between three ticket types. Firstly, delegates can choose the Institute's Normal Ticket rate that grants access to all seminars with allocated seating. Secondly, delegates can choose VIP tickets that grant guaranteed front row seating to all seminars and a VIP dinner after the Conference with a Senior Trading Mentor of their choice (restricted to 15 delegates). Third, delegates can opt for Super VIP (SVIP) tickets which grants guaranteed front-row seating to all seminars and a post-Conference dinner with Institute Managing Partner, Anton Kreil (restricted to 5 delegates). All ticket types include lunch and beverages throughout the day and pre-VIP and SVIP networking drinks in the evening.

Early Bird tickets are now on sale providing a 33 percent discount on the Normal Ticket rate. It is strongly advised to book tickets quickly in order to lock in the Early Bird rate.

To secure your ticket(s) to the Number One Retail Trader Conference in New York this year: CLICK HERE

Company Website: http://www.instutrade.com

Press Enquiries: http://www.instutrade.com/contact-us

SOURCE Institute of Trade and Portfolio Management
GLASGOW, Scotland, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

intY Says Channel Partners Want More Expert Support for Microsoft Customers

A growing number of businesses need strategic support when planning their move to the cloud. Global cloud services distributor intY is meeting this gap in the market by offering iomart's Microsoft Azure consultancy services from SystemsUp to its resellers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121126/579634 )



intY has identified a growing demand from its partners for professional services to assist with the adoption of a wide range of cloud services available on the Azure cloud platform and in particular, for implementation support and assistance around the billing for those services. It has selected iomart's public cloud consultancy SystemsUp, which has five Microsoft gold competencies covering the design and implementation of Azure public cloud and infrastructure solutions, to join its marketplace.

Craig Joseph, Chief Operating Officer for intY said: "By partnering with iomart and SystemsUp and bringing their Azure consultancy services to our cloud marketplace CASCADE, intY are offering Partners the support they need with any customer implementations of Azure. SystemsUp will consult with the Partner and customer to help them map their journey to the cloud and ensure a smooth transition to Azure."

intY's award-winning self-service portal CASCADE allows resellers to browse, order and manage services on behalf of their customers at all hours of the day. Both intY and iomart are part of the Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider Program which allows partners to provide direct billing as well as sales and management of services.

It is the first full 'move to the cloud' consultancy service to be offered in CASCADE.

Marc Esmiley, iomart's Director of Cloud Services, said: "Businesses often don't have the skillset in-house to know how to get the very best out of Azure. Our cloud consultants have an industry-wide reputation for successful and complex project delivery using Azure to the public and private sector. They have the expertise to help at every stage - from creating a Proof of Concept, to testing and implementation, to ongoing management."

intY partners will be able to purchase the following consultancy services:

Azure Cloud Value Workshop - a two-day workshop that assesses potential use cases and helps you identify the appropriate Azure services to meet your business needs



Azure Pre-Sales - a structured call with a consultant to discuss whether the Azure services you are considering are the right ones to produce the business outcomes you require



Azure assuredDelivery - full project design and delivery, incorporating requirements, discovery, design, testing and implementation right through to final sign-off using refined project delivery methodology

For more information, visit http://www.intycascade.com/services/systems-up/

Contact:

Jane Robertson

PR Manager

[email protected]

+44(0)141-931-6400

@iomart





About iomart

iomart Group PLC (AIM: IOM) delivers cloud consultancy, facilitation and digital transformation to ISVs, SMEs, enterprises and the UK public sector. The award-winning and highly ISO accredited hosting company provides public, private and hybrid cloud solutions - including managed AWS and Microsoft Azure - from a network of secure UK data centres connected by a high capacity private fibre network.

iomart is a long term supplier to G-Cloud and its infrastructure and cloud and backup services are designed to meet the requirements of the UK public sector. They are certified for connection to the Public Services Network (PSN) and N3 NHS network and are CESG Pan Government Accredited.

To find out more about how iomart delivers any cloud your way visit http://www.iomart.com

SOURCE Iomart Group Plc
HONG KONG, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Ipreo, a global leader in providing market intelligence, data, and technology solutions to all participants across the capital markets, announced it will again be hosting its world-class educational experience in four cities in Asia from Wednesday, September 7, through Wednesday, September 14, 2016. The "IR Wisdom Summit" is designed to promote the investor relations profession through increased education, awareness and networking.

The IR Wisdom Summit represents a unique opportunity for investor relations professionals in the region to benefit from an exclusive gathering of influential local, regional and international financial industry experts and peers. This year's agendas include keynotes and moderated panel sessions on such topics as best practices in investor relations, the changing equity and debt capital markets, communicating with the investment community, and corporate governance trends, with a top-notch line-up of speakers that includes IROs, CFOs, fund managers, and other industry experts.

"The success of Wisdom over the past four years confirms our premise that education and the exchange of ideas  on the markets, on the investment community, on IR best practices  is extremely important to the growth and development of the vital function of investor relations in public companies," said Chris Taylor, EVP, Global Research and Thought Leadership for Ipreo. "We are very pleased to be helping to elevate the investor relations function by bringing practical content and expertise directly to IR practitioners."

To learn more about the Wisdom IR Summit, and to register for one of the events, visit info.ipreo.com/ir-wisdom-2016.

About Ipreo

Ipreo is a global leader in providing market intelligence, data, and technology solutions to all participants in the global capital markets, including sell-side banks, publicly traded companies, and buy-side institutions. Our extensive suite of investor relations services provides our corporate clients with unparalleled cross-asset class surveillance, investor targeting, buy-side perception studies, transaction analysis and predictive analytics. Additionally, Ipreo's BD Corporate IR workflow platform offers the most accurate and comprehensive database covering global institutional contacts, profiles, and ownership data. Our critical insights and flexible solutions help our clients run more effective investor relations programs. Ipreo is private-equity held by Blackstone and Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, and has more than 1000 employees supporting clients in every major financial center around the world.

SOURCE Ipreo
CINCINNATI, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced a new health and wellness campaign in partnership with The Little Clinic and Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. From August 15, 2016 through April 1, 2017 Kroger will donate one meal through the Feeding America network of food banks for every flu shot administered at all Kroger family of pharmacies or The Little Clinic locations.

"At Kroger, receiving the flu shot this year will do more than protect you and your families' health. Throughout this flu season, we'll provide a meal for a neighbor struggling with hunger for every flu shot administered in our pharmacies or The Little Clinic locations nationwide," said Philecia Avery, Kroger's vice president of Pharmacy. "Kroger has a long history of bringing help and hope to our neighbors in need in the communities we serve. We're proud to continue that tradition by bringing health and wellness to our local communities, as well."

Every year in the United States more than 200,000 individuals are hospitalized by influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a yearly flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older by the end of October. Flu shots can reduce the risk of more serious symptoms and outcomes, including flu-related hospitalizations.

"Our goal is to provide quality and affordable healthcare for our customers," said Colleen Lindholz, president of The Little Clinic. "Healthcare experts recommend a yearly vaccination as the best protection from the flu. This campaign allows us to address two community needs simultaneously."

"Kroger is a true visionary partner committed to our mission to feed people facing hunger in America," said Diana Aviv, CEO of Feeding America. "This new health and wellness campaign is invaluable not only for Kroger customers, but also for the 46 million food-insecure Americans who receive food and groceries from our network of food banks."

About Feeding America

Feeding America is a nationwide network of 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through food pantries and meal programs in communities throughout America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About The Little Clinic

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., The Little Clinic is a pioneer in customer-focused healthcare with a mission to provide quality, convenient, affordable healthcare and wellness education. A wholly-owned subsidiary of The Kroger Co., The Little Clinic health care clinics are currently located inside select Kroger stores in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Virginia, Indiana and Ohio; King Soopers in Colorado; Fry's Food Stores in Arizona; and JayC stores in Indiana. The Little Clinic was awarded The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval in 2009 and obtained reaccreditation in 2012 and 2015. Visit The Little Clinic online at www.thelittleclinic.com, www.facebook.com/thelittleclinic and www.thelittleclinic.blogspot.com.

About Kroger

Every day, the Kroger Family of Companies makes a difference in the lives of eight and a half million customers and 431,000 associates who shop or serve in 2,778 retail food stores under a variety of local banner names in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Kroger and its subsidiaries operate an expanding ClickList offering  a personalized, order online, pick up at the store service  in addition to 2,230 pharmacies, 785 convenience stores, 323 fine jewelry stores, 1,400 supermarket fuel centers and 38 food production plants in the United States. Kroger is recognized as one of America's most generous companies for its support of more than 100 Feeding America food bank partners, breast cancer research and awareness, the military and their families, and more than 145,000 community organizations including schools. A leader in supplier diversity, Kroger is a proud member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable.

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SOURCE Kroger

Related Links

http://www.thekrogerco.com


"I fully believe in what Soldiers' Angels is doing as the largest volunteer network of any military charity of its kind in the country," says The Inflection Point Inc.'s founder, David Koper, "I want to raise Capital and Interest to help aid and comfort men and women of the United States Army. Soldiers' Angels is well-equipped to fill that need while maintaining an efficiency rating of 97%, which is above that of the average nonprofit organization."

Soldiers' Angels is a Texas based non-profit founded in 2003 and has provided support to over 290,000 service members, veterans and family members in 2015. It was named as one of the top rated charities in America in 2014, 2015 & 2016 by Great Nonprofits. The Inflection Point Inc. is donating $40 per book sold at the event as well as $10 for every Guest in attendance.

EVENT DETAILS

Who: The Inflection Point Inc. Writing Company

What: Dance & Laugh for Soldiers' Angels

When: Saturday August 20th from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Where: 258 S 15th St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (between Fox & Hound and Fado)

Why: To raise Capital & Interest for Soldiers' Angels

About Soldiers' Angels

Soldiers' Angels is a Texas based non-profit founded in 2003 and provides aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, and their families and a growing veteran population. "May No Soldier Go Unloved" encapsulates the motivation behind Soldiers' Angels.

About The Inflection Point Inc. Writing Company:

The Inflection Point Inc. offers Books, Newsletters, Financial Articles & Online Educational Videos to educate its followers on the topic of Wealth Generation. Check out http://theinflectionpt.com for more information.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/397942

SOURCE The Inflection Point Inc.
The ships will be equipped with Aegis Baseline 9, the latest evolution of the combat system, capable of IAMD. The Aegis system includes Lockheed Martin's SPY-1 radar, the Navy's most advanced multi-function radar system. When paired with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare.

"Lockheed Martin has a proud record of working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Navy, Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces and the Republic of Korea Navy," said Jim Sheridan, director of Lockheed Martin Aegis U.S. Navy programs. "We will continue the Lockheed Martin tradition of providing Aegis on-time and on-budget so these destroyers are prepared to meet the evolving demands of securing the U.S. homeland and its allies."

This contract comes on the heels of a successful joint-missile defense exercise in June in which Aegis destroyers from the three nations shared data while detecting and tracking a simulated missile threat.

Under this new production hardware contract, Lockheed Martin will expand the Aegis fleet in the U.S. Navy and in:

Japan : The seventh and eighth Aegis ships will join Japan's fleet. Aegis provides four of Japan's Kongo-class destroyers and two Atago-class destroyers with advanced sea, air and undersea threat detection capabilities. The Self Defense Forces of Japan joined the Aegis family in 1993.



The seventh and eighth Aegis ships will join fleet. Aegis provides four of Kongo-class destroyers and two Atago-class destroyers with advanced sea, air and undersea threat detection capabilities. The Self Defense Forces of joined the Aegis family in 1993. Republic of Korea (RoK): Aegis will join the next three KDX-III Sejong the Great Class destroyers, a multi-purpose destroyer with air and land defense and anti-submarine capabilities. Aegis is aboard three KDX-III destroyers: RoK Sejong the Great, RoK Yulgok Yi I and RoK Seoae Ryu Sungryong, which are the largest surface warfare ships to carry Aegis.

The Republic of Korea joined the international Aegis fleet in 2008, when the navy commissioned the first ship of the class, Sejong the Great.

As the Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent, Lockheed Martin continues to develop new Aegis capabilities and find innovative ways to deploy them across the more than 100 ships in the U.S. and international Aegis Fleets. This innovation is possible in part due to the open architecture of the Aegis Combat System and the Common Source Library, which allows engineers to integrate new systems and capabilities across baselines, as well as affordably distribute the upgrades throughout the fleet in a "build once, use many times" design philosophy.

With more than 40 years of significant investment by the U.S. Navy and its allies, the Aegis Combat System is used globally by six navies. In addition to the U.S., Japan, and the Republic of Korea, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Australia, Norway and Spain.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/aegis.html

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/398098

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


CLEVELAND, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Digitization is occurring at a breakneck pace inside enterprises, non-profits and government agencies. More than simply adopting new technologies or increasing bandwidth for web access, digitization represents the mass adoption and integration of smart and connected communication technologies among consumer, business and government users. As it increases its presence in the Cleveland region, Logicalis US, an international IT solutions and managed services provider (www.us.logicalis.com), is working to make its global consulting expertise available to local businesses. To aid regional business leaders in understanding and managing digitization in their organizations, Logicalis US is hosting an Open House and discussion on innovation, collaboration and productivity including a presentation by visionary educator, technologist and smart city architect Lev Gonick.

"Logicalis offers a local touch with a global reach and we are excited to expand our consulting services into the Cleveland region to continue helping local organizations with the business transformation journey that new technologies are bringing. We hope to begin a discussion around digitization during this event that we can continue with regional business leaders," says Mike Montisano, Logicalis Regional Vice President. "Logicalis brings mature processes and service offerings that can help customers in the Cleveland market as they embrace digitization and develop new business strategies. We can develop an implementation plan and support them as they adopt services including managed services, cloud, data center and infrastructure services and communications and collaboration services."

Featured Speaker

Lev Gonick is co-founder and CEO of OneCommunity, the catalyst for the creation of an ultra-high speed, open and neutral fiber network in Northeast Ohio that spans 24 counties. In 2011, Government Technology awarded Lev one of its "Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in Public-Sector Innovation." In the same year, Crain's Business Cleveland named Gonick one its "10 Difference Makers" in Northeast Ohio and Broadband Properties honored him with its Cornerstone Award for "using fiber to build an inclusive society and empower individuals." In 2010, he received recognition as "Visionary of the Year" from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). Gonick has also been recognized by ComputerWorld as a Premier 100 IT leader, honored by CIO magazine with a CIO 100 Award, and recognized by Northeast Ohio's Inside Business as one of its Power 100.

Want to Learn More?

Learn how companies are embracing digitization in this article: Moving Beyond the Cloud  Shining a Light into the Fog and the Internet of Things.

About Logicalis

Logicalis is an international multi-skilled solution provider providing digital enablement services to help customers harness digital technology and innovative services to deliver powerful business outcomes.

Our customers cross industries and geographical regions; our focus is to engage in the dynamics of our customers' vertical markets including financial services, TMT (telecommunications, media and technology), education, healthcare, retail, government, manufacturing and professional services, and to apply the skills of our 4,000 employees in modernizing key digital pillars, data center and cloud services, security and network infrastructure, workspace communications and collaboration, data and information strategies, and IT operation modernization.

We are the advocates for our customers for some of the world's leading technology companies including Cisco, HPE, IBM, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualized revenues of over $1.5 billion from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. It is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and the AIM market of the LSE, with revenues of over $6.5 billion.

For more information, visit www.us.logicalis.com.

Business and technology working as one

To learn more about Logicalis activities through a variety of social media outlets, click here.

Media contacts:

Nickie Peters, Director of Marketing, Logicalis US

[email protected]

920-338-7622

www.us.logicalis.com

Karen Franse, Communication Strategy Group for Logicalis US

[email protected]

866-997-2424

www.gocsg.com

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397779LOGO

SOURCE Logicalis US

Related Links

http://www.us.logicalis.com


HARRISON, N.Y., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MGT), today announced that it has filed Form DEF 14A (Definitive Proxy Statement) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its upcoming 2016 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. The meeting is now scheduled to take place on September 8, 2016 in order to provide shareholders adequate time to receive and review the proxy and vote their shares accordingly.

The Proxy Statement can be accessed via the Company's website or at www.sec.gov.

Shareholders as of the record date, July 28, 2016, will have the right to vote by proxy or in person at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held Thursday, September 8, 2016 at 10:00 am Eastern Time at the offices of Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference LLP located at 61 Broadway, 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10006.

Shareholders of record will receive a notice containing instructions on how to access the shareholder meeting materials, including a proxy form and voting instruction form. Shareholders are urged to carefully review the proxy and accompanying materials as they contain important information regarding proposals being voted on at the shareholder meeting.

About MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

MGT Capital Investments, Inc. (NYSE MKT: MGT) is in the process of acquiring a diverse portfolio of cyber security technologies. With cyber security industry pioneer, John McAfee, at its helm, MGT Capital is positioned to address various cyber threats through advanced protection technologies for mobile and personal tech devices, including tablets and smart phones. The Company is currently in the process of acquiring D-Vasive, a provider of leading edge anti-spy software, and Demonsaw, a provider of a secure and anonymous file sharing software platform.

MGT Capital intends to change its corporate name to "John McAfee Global Technologies, Inc." upon closing of the D-Vasive transaction.

For more information on the Company, please visit http://ir.stockpr.com/mgtci.

Forwardlooking Statements

This press release contains forwardlooking statements. The words or phrases "would be," "will allow," "intends to," "will likely result," "are expected to," "will continue," "is anticipated," "estimate," "project," or similar expressions are intended to identify "forwardlooking statements." MGT's financial and operational results reflected above should not be construed by any means as representative of the current or future value of its common stock. All information set forth in this news release, except historical and factual information, represents forwardlooking statements. This includes all statements about the Company's plans, beliefs, estimates and expectations. These statements are based on current estimates and projections, which involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include issues related to: rapidly changing technology and evolving standards in the industries in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate; the ability to obtain sufficient funding to continue operations, maintain adequate cash flow, profitably exploit new business, license and sign new agreements; the unpredictable nature of consumer preferences; and other factors set forth in the Company's most recently filed annual report and registration statement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forwardlooking statements, which reflect management's analysis only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forwardlooking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof. Readers should carefully review the risks and uncertainties described in other documents that the Company files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor Contact

Garth Russell

Managing Director

KCSA Strategic Communications

[email protected]

212.896.1250

Media Contact

Tiffany Madison

Director of Corporate Communications

MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

[email protected]

469.236.9569

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130409/NY91046LOGO

SOURCE MGT Capital Investments, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.mgtci.com


A citizen has filed a report claiming former presidential candidates Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabahi have spied for Hezbollah and Iran

Egypt's prosecutor-general has ordered an investigation into a police report that accuses politicians Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabahi of spying for Lebanon's Hezbollah and Iran's Revolutionary Guards, according to a prosecution statement on Monday.

The police complaint was filed by Ashraf Farahat, a lawyer and an international arbitration advisor, in his capacity as a citizen.

Farahat claims both Abul-Fotouh and Sabahi attended a conference in Lebanon called "The general Arab conference to support resistance and denounce it being labeled as terrorist."

The conference was held in mid-July in Beirut to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hezbollah's victory against Israel in 2006.

It also aimed to denounce the Arab League's decision in March to declare Hezbollah a terrorist group.

During the conference opening, Abul-Fotouh, an Islamist who ran in Egypt's 2012 presidential elections, declared his support for any resistance against the "Zionist enemy."

"The official Arab regime can say what they may, but Hezbollah and its armed wing, the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, is not a terrorist organisation but a popular resistance movement that fought for its country and regained its land," he added.

Sabahi, a leftist who ran for president in 2012 and was the only candidate to contest the 2014 elections besides Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, also spoke in support of the group, saying: "We will continue to give our support and loyalty to those who hold the resistance flag and point their guns in the right direction, against the Zionist enemy."

The complaint alleged that the two politicians shouldn't have attended a conference that supports Hezbollah while an Egyptain court verdict has said the group "committed crimes against Egyptian national security."

In May, Egypt's ousted president Mohamed Morsi received a death sentence for committing espionage for Hamas and for Hezbollah.

The court said it based its verdict was based on the fact that Hamas and Hezbollah are "terrorist organistions."

Abul-Fotouh, a moderate Islamist, founded the Strong Egypt Party in 2012. He ran in the 2012 presidential elections, coming in fourth place among 13 candidates.

Sabahi founded the Popular Current in 2012. He came third in 2012, while in 2014 he achieved just 7 percent of votes to Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's 97 percent.

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"The entire city looks forward to Miami Spice," notes Peggy Benua, Chair, the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority. "Chefs in this city are bold tastemakers who aren't afraid to bring their audacious vision to the kitchen and the table with dishes like crab toast, wahoo taradito and mushroom fricassee among many others. This year, diners will have no lack of choice, flavor or portions to suit their tastes."

It's going to be a fun month of food as Miami Beach's most innovative chefs roll out their inimitable and distinctive selections for discerning diners. And they're not holding back on creativity; restaurant-goers can expect to sample a range of incredible ingredients and flavors including green hummus, garlic chimichurri, roast beets, sage butter with sausage, braised greens with lemon-rosemary vinaigrette and Balsamic strawberries with pistachio crumble among many other savory and sweet plates.

Michael Pirolo, head chef of Miami Beach's Macchialina says, "I am looking forward to Miami Spice this year. We've become known for offering all of our signature dishes [during Miami Spice] so you can look forward to more of our creamy polenta this year on our Spice menu."

Looking to spice it up? Then check out these restaurants and their chefs as they present some of their out-of-this-world dishes during Miami Spice and check out the Miami Spice website for a full list of participating restaurants. Bon Appetit!

SWEET LIBERTY

Located in the Collins Park area of Miami Beach, Sweet Liberty is the creation of award-winning bartenders John Lermayer and Dan Binkiewicz along with restaurateur David Martinez. Recently named the Best New American Bar at the annual Spirited Awards, this is a surefire option for world-class cocktails and creative American food.

Try the: Watermelon gazpacho appetizer, Crunchy green salad and Skirt Steak with terragon bernaise

THE BAZAAR BY JOSE ANDRES

This playful restaurant, designed by Philippe Starck brings to life one of the most popular culinary experiences in the city. Helmed by James Beard award-Winning chef Jose Andres, the bar and lounge also offer $1 oysters during weeknight oyster hour, a live DJ Tuesday to Friday nights, and happy hour specials during the week.

Try the: Tomato Heirloom salad, braised lamb shank with lemon preserve risotto and the crepes with sauteed apples flambe and rum

BEACHCRAFT

Top chef mentor and judge, Tom Colicchio, joined the already robust roster of celebrity chefs in Miami Beach with the opening of Beachcraft in 2015. The farm-to-table concept brings guests into an open kitchen where locally caught fish, home-made pastas, and organic ingredients are featured on the menu.

Try the: Chicken liver toast appetizer, roasted fish with braised greens and the house made donut with key lime curd and toasted meringue

MACCHIALINA

Macchialina has been a local Miami Beach favorite for 4 years with its casual neighborhood vibe and bold seasonally-inspired cuisine. Chef Pirolo is the most starred chef in Miami and continues to garner praise among critics with his soulful yet sophisticated Italian fare.

Try the: Sausage ragu appetizer, the spaghetti pomodoro and the vanilla panna cotta with pistachio crumble

About Miami Beach

Recently awarded first place in the 2016 edition of the Travvy Awards, presented by travAlliancemedia in the category of "Best Wedding Destination, U.S. & Canada" and a winner in the 2014 and 2015 Magellan Awards by Travel Weekly in the categories of "Destinations | Mobile App" and "Overall Spa Destinations| U.S and Canada" respectively, Miami Beach is a favorite destination among travelers worldwide. Renowned for its unparalleled culinary offerings, extravagant nightlife, rich culture, luxe shopping and plush hotels, Miami Beach is home to unique museums, the New World Symphony, Miami City Ballet, Miami Beach Convention Center, international festivals and art exhibitions, boat and auto shows, over 187 boutique and resort hotels and 12 public parks; it is no wonder the beautifully diverse city is one of the world's most popular vacation destinations. Boasting seven miles of breathtaking beaches, Miami Beach is easily accessible from the Port of Miami and Miami International Airport. The City of Miami Beach has been named one of the top cities worldwide for 'walkability' and is equally easy to navigate by bike or boat. Known for its year-round sunny skies, the vibrant destination not only produces its own branded sun care line, MB Miami Beach Suncare, but has been ranked by TripAdvisor as number one in 2011's Top Winter Sun Vacation Rental Getaway Destinations and was also part of Top 25 Beaches in the World and Top 25 Destinations in the U.S. Miami Beach is like no other place in the world!

Visit MiamiBeachGuest.com for more information. You may also contact Grisette Roque at [email protected].

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/398023

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150720/238565LOGO

SOURCE Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority

Related Links

http://www.miamibeachguest.com


PITTSBURGH, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Federated Investors, Inc. today announced that monthly fund composition and performance data for Federated Premier Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: FMN) and Federated Premier Intermediate Municipal Income Fund (NYSE: FPT) as of July 31, 2016, are now available in the Products section of FederatedInvestors.com. To order hard copies of this data or to be placed on a mailing list, call 800-245-0242 x5587538, email [email protected] or write to Federated Investors, 1001 Liberty Avenue, Floor 23, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Federated Investors, Inc. (NYSE: FII) is one of the largest investment managers in the United States, managing $367.2 billion in assets as of June 30, 2016. With 123 funds and a variety of separately managed account options, Federated provides comprehensive investment management to more than 8,400 institutions and intermediaries including corporations, government entities, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, banks and broker/dealers. For more information, visit FederatedInvestors.com.

SOURCE Federated Investors, Inc.

Related Links

http://FederatedInvestors.com


ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) announces new Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (DMS) programs to better meet the needs of Florida Hospital.

Only 43 of the 215 nationwide accredited DMS programs (20%) even offer a BS, and only 14 (6.5%) provide concentrations in general, cardiac, and vascular. "The growing demand for more vascular trained sonographers is driven by an aging population presenting with more peripheral vascular related diseases," states Charlotte Henningsen, Chair for the Department of Diagnostic Medical Sonography and the Center for Advanced Ultrasound Education.

Dr. David Greenlaw, president of ADU, describes another source for this demand. "ADU's new program fulfills the needs of Florida Hospital, which is looking for practitioners with a broader clinical skill set in sonography. They expect graduates to know how to do more than just one specialty area." Most of ADU's DMS clinical training is conducted within the Florida Hospital system, where many of the graduates find employment.

The new programs also include specific elements focused on leadership to better prepare graduates to take on those roles in the healthcare environment.

Adventist University of Health Sciences is the only CAAHEP accredited program in Florida to offer a bachelor's degree with options for all three of these high demand concentrations.

About Principle Sources

Charlotte Henningsen, MS, RT(R), RDMS, RVT, FSDMS, FAIUM

Professor Charlotte Henningsen is the Chair of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography Department at Adventist University of Health Sciences where she has taught for the past 25 years. Professor Henningsen has been a sonographer for over 30 years and is adjunct faculty to the Florida Hospital Emergency Medicine Residency Program and the Florida Hospital Radiology Residency Program. She also serves as Director of the Center for Advanced Ultrasound Education. She is a past president of the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (SDMS). Professor Henningsen has authored several journal articles and textbook chapters and is a co-author of the Clinical Guide to Sonography. She is currently a site visitor for the JRC-DMS, and a member of the Education Committee of the Perinatal Quality Foundation. Professor Henningsen currently serves as the 2nd Vice President of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

About Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU)

Adventist University of Health Sciences (ADU) is a Seventh-day Adventist institution specializing in healthcare education in a faith-affirming environment. Service-oriented and guided by the values of nurture, excellence, spirituality, and stewardship, the University seeks to develop leaders who will practice healthcare as a ministry. ADU fulfills this mission by developing skilled professionals who live the healing values of Christ.

ADU offers undergraduate and graduate programs including: Biomedical Sciences, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Health Sciences, Radiography, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Nursing (BSN), Nurse Anesthesia, Occupational Therapy, Healthcare Administration, Physician Assistant, and Physical Therapy. The University is associated with Florida Hospital and the Adventist Health System.

ADU embraces the benefit of whole person care as demonstrated in the life and ministry of Christ. The University is dedicated to developing skilled professionals who live the healing values of Christ. Graduates who live these values effectively extend the healing ministry of Christ.

Relevant Accreditation

This program is designed to prepare students to sit for the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) examinations. Since the program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP), 25400 U.S. Highway 19 North, Suite 158, Clearwater, FL 33763, (727) 210-2350, graduates will be eligible to sit for the national examinations upon successful completion of the program.

Adventist University of Health Sciences is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Certificates, Associate's, Baccalaureate's, Master's and, effective Summer 2016, a Doctoral degree in Physical Therapy. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Adventist University of Health Sciences.

Note: SACSCOC is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution's significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.

SOURCE Adventist University of Health Sciences

Related Links

http://www.adu.edu/


LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain assesses that the global Next Generation Cyber Security market will generate revenues of $35.7 billion in 2016. See comprehensive analysis of the lucrative business prospects within this flourishing new sector.



Now: Cyber security has become one of the most important segments of homeland security in recent years, in lieu of the proliferation of advanced attack software, and the way in which more and more essential systems are coming to rely upon digitalisation. This is especially true in the critical infrastructure sector, where modern industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA systems have proven particularly vulnerable. This is an example of the business critical news that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read visiongain's objective analysis of how this will impact your company and the industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed?



How this report will benefit you

Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW.



In this brand new report you will receive 121 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 6 EXCLUSIVE expert interviews  all unavailable elsewhere.



The 209 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global Next Generation Cyber Security market. It reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.



By ordering and reading our brand new report today you will be better informed and ready to act.



Report Scope

- Global Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021

- Regional Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America;

- Leading national Next Generation Cyber Security forecasts from 2016-2021 covering China, the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Germany, India, Russia, Italy, Brazil and RoW



- Next Generation Cyber Security submarket forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Application Security, Cloud Security, Content Security, Endpoint Security, and Network Security

- Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global and regional/country level Next Generation Cyber Security markets from 2016-2021

- Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?

- BAE Systems

- Barracuda Networks

- Bay Dynamics

- Cisco Systems

- Check Point

- FireEye

- Fortinet

- Herjavec Group

- Hewlett Packard

- Intel Corporation

- Juniper Networks

- Norse

- Palo Alto Networks

- Splunk

- Watch Guard

- Analysis of game changing technological trends being employed by the leading players and how these will shape the cyber security industry.

- SWOT analysis of the major strengths and weaknesses of the market, together with the opportunities available and the key threats faced.

- Market conclusions & recommendations.

- 6 Full transcripts of exclusive Visiongain interviews with key opinion-leaders in the market, from the following companies:

- Delve Labs

- Digital Guardian

- LogRhythm

- Nymi

- Sandstorm.io

- Spikes Security



How will you benefit from this report?

- This report will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind

- This report will reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data

- You will learn how to exploit new technological trends

- You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market

- You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships



Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the cyber security value chain.

- Cyber security companies

- Cyber security risk insurance companies

- IT Companies

- Internet of Things (IoT) companies

- Software developers

- Infrastructure security companies

- Chief information officers (CIO)

- Chief executive officers (CEO)

- Chief operating officers (COO

- Commercial directors

- Business development managers

- Marketing managers

- Technologists

- Suppliers

- Investors

- Banks

- Government agencies

- Contractors



Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the top companies in the cyber security market. You will find data, trends and predictions.



Buy our report today Next Generation Cyber Security Market Forecast Report 2016-2021: Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud Based & Big Data Solutions For The Internet of Things (IoT). Avoid missing out by staying informed  order our report now.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3812476/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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BALTIMORE, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In September, The William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fund, Inc. will celebrate National Sickle Cell Awareness Month by recognizing the accomplishments of Dr. Gary Gibbons, Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), NHLBI plans, conducts, and supports research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders.

Research funded by and conducted at NHLBI has led to significant advances in the fight against sickle cell disease. The Institute's website (www.nhlbi.nih.gov) also includes a variety of related resources about sickle cell disease.

"Under the leadership of Dr. Gibbons, NHLBI has demonstrated its ongoing commitment to improving health outcomes for those living with this blood disorder. Research funded by NHLBI and NIH-supported studies have helped extend the lives of those who have sickle cell disease," said Dr. Malcolm Joseph III, Medical Director for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield of Maryland and Board Member of The William E. Proudford Fund Sickle Cell Fund. "We applaud his outstanding commitment to sickle cell research and the engagement of the larger community."

The William E. Proudford Fund Sickle Cell Fund, founded in 2005, focuses its activities on educating the public about the need for new treatments, social support, and a universal cure for sickle cell disease. The Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Dr. Gibbons on Wednesday, September 7, 2016, at the Fund's 11th annual fundraiser"Rockin' the Red." This year's event will also honor clinical research teams. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Fund's artSPEAKS program (http://wepsicklecell.org/artspeaks), awareness and advocacy activities, as well as support of leading sickle cell treatment programs.

Pfizer is the Signature Sponsor for the evening, which will feature dinner, a silent auction, and stunning views of the Harbor. Patrice Sanders, Morning Anchor of Fox45 News, will act as mistress of ceremonies for the evening.

To attend the benefit or to make a donation, please visit www.wepsicklecell.org or email us at [email protected].

The William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fund, Inc.

11th Annual Fundraiser  Rockin' the Red

Date:

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Time:

VIP Mixer: 5:00 p.m.

Program and Reception: 6:00 p.m.  8:00 p.m.

Location:

CareFirst Tower

1501 South Clinton Street

Baltimore, Maryland 21224

SOURCE The William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fund

Related Links

http://www.wepsicklecell.org


Shimmering glass-paneled meeting rooms outfitted with state-of-the-art technology, stunning artwork and lush, luxuriously furnished outdoor patios greet clients and their guests in this one-of-a-kind facility. Five unique rentable spaces offer an array of configurations for corporate events ranging in size from 25 to 160 people. High-ceilinged, sunlit and airy, Spire provides contemporary, architecturally refined spaces to those looking for the perfect location to host meetings, business receptions and events. Located steps from Union Station, Spire is convenient to both the NoMa-Gallaudet and Union Station Metro stops and also features on-site garage parking from 7 AM to 7 PM daily, with additional parking options nearby.

Among Spire's amenities:

Sophisticated audiovisual services, including 46" Sharp HD monitors, video conferencing, multimedia displays, video and slide projection and microphone system

Enhanced privacy settings with "intelligent" glass that frosts window panels at the touch of a button

White-glove concierge service

A spacious prep kitchen

Preferred relationships with leading DC caterers

Flexible room configurations that facilitate seamless transformation into smaller breakout spaces

On-site garage parking with elevator access

Walking distance to nearby hotels, dining and local attractions

Highly walkable, bikeable and transit-friendly location with two Metro stations steps away

Spire is located on the top floor of the American Psychological Association's 351,000 square foot headquarters, an Art Deco class A building noted for its fine details and Capitol Hill views.

For event registration and conference facility details, visit www.spireeventsdc.com and follow Spire at Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Media Contact:

Karen Widmayer

KW Communications LLC

[email protected]

301-661-1448

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/398168

SOURCE Spire

Related Links

http://spireeventsdc.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The patient registry software market is poised to reach USD 1,314.3 million by 2021 from USD 734.7 million in 2016 at a CAGR of 12.3% from 2016 to 2021. This market is categorized on the basis of product type, pricing model, deployment model, type of database, functionality, end user, and region.



Major factors contributing to the growth of the global patient registry software market include increasing government initiatives to build patient registries, growing pressure to improve the quality of care and minimize healthcare costs, increasing adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), the rising use of patient registry data for post-marketing surveillance, and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases. Moreover, the high adoption of information technology across the globe supports the growth of this market. However, data privacy and security concerns and a lack of resources with cross-functional skills are hindering the growth of the patient registry software market.



Various initiatives are being taken by governments across the globe to build patient registries. In this regard, Germany launched an Open Source Registry System for Rare Diseases in the European Union (OSSE- Open Source-Register system fur Seltene Erkrankungen in der EU) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Health, as part of a National Plan for Rare Diseases in August 2013. Moreover, in 2014, the American College of Cardiology (U.S.) partnered with the American Diabetes Association (U.S.) and Joslin Diabetes Center (U.S.) to launch the Diabetes Collaborative Registry, to track and improve the quality of diabetes and cardio-metabolic care.



Asia-Pacific is poised to be fastest-growing region in the patient registry software market from 2016 to 2021. High growth in this market is attributed to factors such as large population base, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, improvement of healthcare systems, and increasing government initiatives for the modernization of healthcare infrastructure.



Apart from comprehensive geographical analysis, product analysis, and market sizing, the report also provides a competitive landscape that covers growth strategies adopted by industry players in the last three years. In addition, the company profiles comprise basic views on the key players and their product portfolios, developments, and strategies adopted. The abovementioned market research data, current market sizes, and forecast of future trends will help key players and new entrants make informed decisions regarding product offerings, geographical focus, changes in strategic approach, R&D investments for innovations in products and technologies, and levels of output in order to remain successful.



Reasons to buy the report:

The report will enrich both established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which in turn will help firms garner greater market shares. Firms purchasing the report can use any one or a combination of the below-mentioned five strategies for strengthening their market shares.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

- Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of top players in the patient registry software market. The report analyzes this market by product type, pricing model; deployment model, type of database, functionality, end user, and region

- Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and new product launches in the patient registry software market

- Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market strategies, geographical and business segments, and product portfolios of the leading players in the patient registry software market

- Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative emerging markets. The report analyzes the market for patient registry software across regions

- Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the patient registry software market



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04014210-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



http://www.reportlinker.com

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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LONDON, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

New Conservative Party Chairman Patrick McLoughlin can deliver "successes even greater" than those Sir Alex Ferguson led Manchester United to, according to leading industrialist and Conservative party donor Alexander Temerko.

The England Premier League season opened this Saturday 13 August, but in Westminster a new political season is well underway for the Conservative Party which opened a new chapter with the appointment of Theresa May as Leader and Patrick McLoughlin as Chairman.

In an article for ConservativeHome, Mr Temerko, British energy industrialist, politician and long-term Conservative Party supporter, highlighted a number of parallels between the rise of Manchester United under Alex Ferguson and the future of the Conservative Party with Patrick McLougholin as Chairman.

Alexander Temerko said: "As Chairman, McLoughlin, a former pit worker who defied the nonsense of Arthur Scargill, can speak for and understand the everyday voter far better than the hapless trade unions or Labour now can.

"He is the man to make the Tories a true One Nation party. He can deliver successes even greater than those brought by Sir Alex."

Mr Temerko highlighted that a solid economy must be the foundation of sustainable long-term success for the Conservatives and called on Patrick McLoughlin to help the party "embrace business".

He said: "Without a strong economy, we will have no country that works 'for every one of us' as the Prime Minister promised, no motivation for the grassroots and no donor confidence.

"To get there, McLoughlin must help the party embrace business. For too long, we have either been silent on business or else represented it only through populist platitudes about SMEs. Big business is at the heart of the UK economy, and the Conservative Party has to do more to work with it to secure a strong future for itself and for the country. This is hugely important, and I would happily get involved directly to help drive the Conservative business and industrial agenda myself, as well as remaining a major donor and a member of the Leader's group.

Mr Temerko concluded: "With a uniquely strong team, the Conservatives can win any time and on any pitch - it's just a question of by how much."

SOURCE www.alexandertemerko.co.uk
PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PBF Logistics LP (NYSE:PBFX) announced today that the partnership's management will be meeting with investors and industry analysts on August 17, 2016, at the Citi MLP/Midstream Infrastructure Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

The partnership's meeting materials will be available on the Investor Relations section of the PBF Logistics LP website at www.pbflogistics.com.

About PBF Logistics LP

PBF Logistics LP (NYSE: PBFX), headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, is a fee-based, growth-oriented master limited partnership formed by PBF Energy Inc. to own or lease, operate, develop and acquire crude oil and refined petroleum products terminals, pipelines, storage facilities and similar logistics assets.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160527/373093LOGO

SOURCE PBF Logistics LP

Related Links

http://www.pbflogistics.com


BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Consulting Group (PCG) today announced that it has acquired the BLEgroup, a provider of consulting services based in Washington, D.C. The BLEgroup will join PCG's Education practice area.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397731LOGO

"Districts today, especially small to medium districts, are challenged with properly integrating technology in education," said Grant Blair, Director, PCG Education. "By acquiring the BLEgroup, we have a great opportunity to meld their proven best practices to our larger education consulting capabilities."

Founded in 1994, the BLEgroup is based on the premise that effective education depends on the quality of digital products and the management capacity of schools. The BLEgroup has cultivated a unique position within the education consulting space, working with education technology providers (e.g. software, services, and digital content companies) to provide market research and insights on effective products for K12. The BLEgroup also has realized success for school system clients in advising and guiding their procurements, implementations, and integration of technology to meet strategic and academic needs.

"Becoming part of PCG allows the BLEgroup to expand our services to both the industry and schools with a firm that has national reach," said Eliot Levinson, founder of the BLEgroup. This is especially important at a time when schools grapple with crossing the digital divide, and educators and administrators search for more effective ways to support student success. We are excited to join a team dedicated to education technology integration."

About Public Consulting Group

Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) is a leading public sector consulting firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has nearly 2,000 professionals in more than 60 offices around the U.S., in Canada, and in Europe. The firm has extensive experience in all 50 states, clients in six Canadian provinces, and a growing practice in Europe. To learn more, visit www.publicconsultinggroup.com.

A division of PCG, PCG Education offers consulting and technology solutions that help schools, school districts, and state departments of education across the U.S. and internationally to promote student success, improve programs and processes, and optimize financial resources. PCG Education has recovered more than $3.9 billion federal Medicaid funds for school district clients and its special education management systems, EasyIEP, GoalView, and IEP online, serve more than 1.7 million special education students across the U.S. More information is available at www.publicconsultinggroup.com/education

About the BLEgroup

The BLEgroup is a network of 200 leading edge education decision makers, including, superintendents, CIOs and heads of instruction from all types of K12 education organizations. The BLEgroup is well respected for the three types of services it has developed:

A cost-effective, strategic assessment and integration planning service for districts of all sizes

Market research and panel work with publishers and education technology firms

Thought leadership to both the industry and schools

Media Contact:

Stephen Skinner, Public Consulting Group

(617) 717-1150

Email

SOURCE Public Consulting Group

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Five Turkish police officers and two civilians were killed on Monday in a car bombing outside the southeastern city of Diyarbakir blamed on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels, the government said.

The blast hit a police traffic control building on a highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, killing the seven, a Turkish official said, confirming media reports and asking not to be named.

The local governor's office earlier said in a statement that 25 people were wounded including five police officers. One of those killed was a child.

A previous toll had said six people were killed.

An AFP photographer at the scene said the bombing had turned the three-storey police building into tangled rubble with rescue workers using diggers to search the debris for corpses.

Locals were also inspecting the massive trench left in the ground by the bomb.

The latest bombing came after at least eight people, mostly civilians, were killed on Wednesday in two separate attacks blamed on PKK militants in Turkey's southeast.

It also came on the day seen as marking the 32nd anniversary of the launch of the PKK's armed rebellion by radical Kurdish nationalist Marxists led by their now-jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed by the PKK in attacks since the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in July last year.

The government has responded with deadly military operations against the group in southeast Turkey as well as air raids on its strongholds in northern Iraq.

The PKK has kept up attacks after the failed coup of July 15 that sought to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which authorities blamed on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Despite the attempted putsch, the government has vowed there will be no let-up in the fight against the PKK.

The Turkish army's hierarchy has been badly hit by a post-coup purge, with top generals accused of complicity in the plot.

There has been no suggestion that the PKK was behind the coup and Gulen is believed to have vehemently opposed peace talks with the group in the past.

But some officials have alleged the PKK has helped Gulen supporters flee the post-coup crackdown into northern Iraq or Europe, sometimes in exchange for information about the Turkish intelligence services.

Meanwhile, three soldiers serving on Imrali prison island where Ocalan has been held since his capture in 1999 have also been detained as part of the investigation into the coup, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

Over 40,000 people have been killed since the PKK first took up arms in 1984. It is proscribed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.

August 15 is usually seen as the anniversary of the start of the deadly campaign of violence by the PKK which began with twin attacks on that date in 1984 in the southeastern towns of Eruh in Siirt province and Semdinli in Hakkari.

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PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo and Feed the Children are uniting today to provide 800 families in need with a week's supply of food and essentials, allowing recipients to focus on back-to-school preparations rather than worrying about where they'll get their next meal. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. at Clara Barton Elementary School, 4600 Rosehill Street, PA, 19120

Each qualifying recipient, identified and preselected by Episcopal Community Services, will be given:

one 25-pound box of food

one 10-pound box of essentials

one box of AVON products

One 20-count Frito-Lay Smart Mix snacks

snacks One 20-count Frito-Lay SunChips Whole Grain Snacks

Quaker Oats Quick Oatmeal

Quaker Original Life Cereal

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars

Aquafina

Children's books

"We love being part of the Philadelphia community, and we're happy to give back to the people who mean so much to us." said Jim Duffy, operations manager, mid-Atlantic Philadelphia district, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division. "We're proud to partner with Feed the Children to lighten families' loads and provide them with resources that can help set them up for a successful school year."

This is the third annual event PepsiCo and Feed the Children have hosted in the Philadelphia community, where more than 25 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. Similar events will be hosted in other major U.S. cities throughout the remainder of the year.

"Together we can be our neighbors' helpers by providing food and essentials to those in need," said J.C. Watts, Jr., Feed the Children president and CEO. "With PepsiCo and Episcopal Community services' partnership we can aid families in our nation's own backyard."

About Feed the Children

Established in 1979, Feed the Children exists to end child hunger. It is one of the largest U.S.-based charities and serves those in need in the U.S. and in 10 countries around the world. It provides food, education, essentials and disaster relief. Domestically, it operates 5 distribution centers (located in Oklahoma, Indiana, California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania).

In fiscal year 2015, Feed the Children distributed 107 million pounds of food and essentials valued at $302 million to people in the U.S., and internationally, it sponsored nearly 24,500 children, addressing the root causes of poverty through child sponsorship and school sponsorship. It is accredited by GuideStar Exchange and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance as well as maintains a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

Visit www.feedthechildren.org for more information.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $63 billion in net revenue in 2015, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose  our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com/.

SOURCE PepsiCo

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LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

Visiongain assesses that the global Police and Law Enforcement market will reach $7.08bn in 2016. It is therefore critical that your strategic planning is timely and your forecasting plans are in place to take advantage of the market opportunities presented in this report.



Visiongain's report will ensure that you keep informed and ahead of your competitors. Gain that competitive advantage.



The report will answer questions such as:

- What are the prospects for the overall Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market?

- Where are the major opportunities within the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market?

- Who are the key players within the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market?

- What are the drivers and restraints underpinning the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market?



5 Reasons to buy. Why you must order and read this report today:



1) The report provides detailed profiles of 9 leading companies supplying Police & Law Enforcement Equipment and also market share analysis of the leading 5 companies

- Airbus Group

- Textron Inc.

- Finmeccanica SpA

- TASER International Inc.

- Digital Ally, Inc.

- Aeryon Labs Inc.

- Glock GmbH

- MD Helicopters Inc.

- Safariland Group



2) The study reveals where and how companies are investing in the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market. We show you the prospects for the following 11 national markets which are further segmented by the 5 submarkets

- China

- France

- Germany

- India

- Israel

- Japan

- Russia

- Saudi Arabia

- Turkey

- U.K.

- U.S.

- Rest of the World



3) The analysis is also underpinned by an exclusive interview with a leading expert

- Jean Marc Royer, Marketing Manager, Parapublic and Law Enforcement Market Segment, Airbus Helicopters



4) Our overview also forecasts and analyses these 5 submarkets from 2016-2026. These are revealed at the global level and for each of the leading 11 national markets

- Platforms & Vehicles

- Lethal & Non-Lethal Weapons

- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

- Surveillance & Screening

- Communications & Services



5) See details of 317 unique contracts relating to the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market



Competitive advantage

This independent 283 page report guarantees you will remain better informed than your competitors. With 227 tables and figures examining the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market space, the report gives you an immediate, one-stop breakdown of your market. PLUS national market forecasts, as well as analysis, from 2016-2026 keeping your knowledge that one step ahead of your rivals.



Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment value chain.

- Police Commissioners

- Lethal Weapons Contractors

- Chief Technologists

- Solutions Architects

- Technical Support Officers

- Law Enforcement Consultants

- Counter-Terrorism Officers

- Chief Executive Officers

- Chief Financial Officers

- Chief Operating Officers

- Business Development Managers

- Marketing Managers

- Technologists

- Suppliers

- Investors

- Banks

- Government Agencies

- Consultancies



How will you benefit from this report?

- This report you will keep your Police & Law Enforcement Equipment knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind.

- This report will allow you to reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data.

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- You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment market.

- You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships.



Don't miss out

This report is essential reading for you or anyone in the Police & Law Enforcement Equipment sector. Purchasing this report today will help you to recognise those important market opportunities and understand the possibilities there. Order the: Police & Law Enforcement Equipment Market Report 2016-2026: Militarisation and Modernisation of Police Technologies: Platforms & Vehicles, Lethal & Non-Lethal Weapons, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Surveillance & Screening, Communications & Services now. We look forward to receiving your order.

Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/3816955/



About Reportbuyer

Reportbuyer is a leading industry intelligence solution that provides all market research reports from top publishers

http://www.reportbuyer.com

For more information:

Sarah Smith

Research Advisor at Reportbuyer.com

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 208 816 85 48

Website: www.reportbuyer.com

SOURCE ReportBuyer

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, reported a nearly $900,000 surplus in 2015, continuing a trend of steady financial improvement.

The Institute's finances were bolstered last year by a 32 percent increase in revenue, a reduction in expenses and gains on the sale of vacant land near its campus here.

Excluding the gain from real estate, Poynter posted an operating deficit last year of $1.3 million. About $500,000 of that loss was the result of one-time expenses, including severance costs. Through the end of last year, the Institute had cut its operating losses by 64 percent in two years. The 2015 results were reported in Poynter's annual filing to the Internal Revenue Service today.

"These results demonstrate that Poynter is headed in a positive direction, that our new business and teaching strategies are working and that we're on a path toward financial sustainability," said Poynter President Tim Franklin. "We still have work to do. But we have a lot of momentum for the future and the demand for our high-quality teaching is rising because of historic changes in the media industry."

Franklin said the Institute will close its operating budget gap even further again this year, because of continued revenue growth and expense controls.

Poynter's revenue grew substantially last year, including across-the-board increases in all major income categories -- training partnerships with major media companies, advertising, foundation grants and individual contributions. Financial support from foundation, corporate and individual contributors rose 41 percent.

That growth was fueled, in part, by proceeds from Poynter's first annual fundraising gala, the Bowtie Ball. This year's gala will be Dec. 9th, when NBC News broadcasting icon Tom Brokaw will be in St. Petersburg to receive the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism.

The institute also reduced its expenses last year, including administration costs, even while teaching a record 108,000 people from 126 countries and 44 states.

Poynter's growth is being sparked, in part, by training partnerships with leading media and technology companies like Gannett, McClatchy, Google, The Associated Press, Univision, National Geographic and GateHouse. The institute also has benefited from a growing portfolio of international work.

Last year, Poynter became the home of the International Fact-Checking Network, an association of about 100 organizations in more than 40 countries that fact-check public officials and politicians. With the backing of numerous foundations, the Institute now hosts a fact-checking channel on its website, poynter.org, produces a weekly e-mail newsletter and organizes an annual fact-checking summit outside the U.S. In 2016, Poynter also will provide training for the second consecutive year for all 100 international journalists in the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

Even while improving financial results, Poynter is continuing to make significant investments in its future. The Institute announced this spring that it will rebuild its popular e-learning platform, News University, with a $758,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and funding from other supporters. The remake of NewsU, which will be more interactive and mobile friendly, is expected to be unveiled in the spring of 2017.

A major redesign early this year of poynter.org, which reports on news and trends in the media industry, also has contributed to a surge in readership of its site. Page views are up 25 percent so far this year, and unique visitors have increased 28 percent. Poynter.org now is averaging about 1 million page views monthly. For the first time in July, more than half of poynter.org's page views came from readers using mobile devices. This spike in traffic should help boost advertising income for the institute, Franklin said.

The institute also is benefitting from an overhaul of its curriculum and teaching strategy. Poynter has pivoted its teaching programs to a heavy focus on digital storytelling and newsroom leadership, and it's providing more instruction outside its St. Petersburg campus. The Institute also is doing more of its teaching through sponsor-supported seminars and events. For example, the Institute now is offering Leadership Academies for women and minorities in digital journalism, with the backing of foundations and major media and technology companies.

Franklin also said he expects the Institute to eventually benefit from the Tampa Bay Times' acquisition on May 3 of the Tampa Tribune. He said the acquisition has strengthened the financial standing of the Times, which is owned by Poynter and is the Institute's largest asset.

"Rapid shifts in audience behavior and the emergence of new media platforms are remaking the media industry in profound ways," Franklin said. "Poynter is responding to those changes aggressively to help journalists in the midst of this transformation hone their skills and grow their careers. Training has never been more important than it is now."

About The Poynter Institute

The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is a global leader in journalism education and a strategy center that stands for uncompromising excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute's website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and protected discourse that serves democracy and the public good.

Contact: Tina Dyakon

Director of Advertising and Marketing

The Poynter Institute

[email protected]

727-553-4343

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SOURCE The Poynter Institute

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In some school districts across the country, kids are already heading back to school after the summer break. While households with children commonly choose to buy a home in the late spring to get settled in before the new school season starts, rising home prices and a lack of homes for sale may mean more families have been forced to continue their house hunt into fall.

"In a fast moving market with fewer homes for sale and rising prices, more buyers find themselves in need of a real estate professional to help them find the right home and guide them through each step of the process," said National Association of Realtors President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida. "Despite recent industry reports to the contrary, busy families require hands on attention and unparalleled transaction and local market knowledge and regularly turn to full-service agents, who provide a broad range of services and manage most aspects of a home purchase and sale."

The median days on market to find a buyer was 32 days in May (the shortest time on record) and 34 days in June (tied with June 2015). Fewer and faster selling houses on the market translate into more pressure to make quick decisions, and despite advances in online real estate information and technology, the vast majority of consumers still prefer buying and selling a home through a real estate professional because it saves them time and makes the process less stressful. While more than 8 in 10 buyers worked with an agent to purchase a home last year, according to NAR's 2015 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, agent use is even higher among buyers ages 36 to 50 (87 percent) and 35 and younger (89 percent) - the demographics most likely to have school-aged children.

"Buyers with children have a slightly harder time finding the right property, likely because of their desire to purchase a home that best meets their family's needs or is in their preferred school district; 53 percent of families with children cited finding the right property as the hardest step in the buying process compared to 50 percent of buyers without children," said Salomone.

In many cases, families are looking to move because their current home is too small (cited most at 29 percent for families with children at home compared to only 9 percent with no children at home); a job relocation (23 percent), or a change in their family situation such as birth of another child, marriage or divorce (12 percent). The typical homebuyer with children bought a 2,100-square-foot detached single-family home with four bedrooms and two full bathrooms.

Nearly 80 percent of recent sellers worked with an agent that provided a full range of services; only 9 percent received a limited set of services and 12 percent of sellers worked with an agent to list their home on the multiple-listing service and received few if any additional services. Sixty-two percent of sellers with children at home negotiated their agents compensation compared to 68 percent of sellers with no children at home.

When choosing a buyer's agent, parents with children under 18 at home want someone who can provide more mobile-ready, easy-to-access information; 71 percent said it was important when choosing an agent that he or she sends postings as soon as a property is listed or its status changes; sends property info and communicates via text (59 percent); sends market reports on recent listings and sales (55 percent); sends emails about specific needs (56 percent); and has a mobile site to show properties (30 percent).

When it comes to seller's agents, twice as many parents with children at home needed to sell their home urgently compared to those with no children at home (24 percent compared to 12 percent), perhaps to time transactions around the school season. It makes sense then, that sellers with children at home placed a higher priority on selling their home within a specific timeframe (22 percent) and help pricing it competitively (19 percent); compared to sellers with no children at home (20 percent and 15 percent, respectively).

Busy parents also rely more on referrals for finding their seller's agent; 46 percent of sellers with children at home first found their agent through a referral from a friend, neighbor or relative compared to only 40 percent of sellers with no children at home.

When it comes to the home search, for buyers with children under the age of 18 living in their home, it's no surprise that the quality of the school district and convenience to schools was a strong influencing factor of their neighborhood choice. Recent buyers with children cited quality of the school district an influencing factor (at 50 percent compared to 11 percent with no children in home), as well as convenience to schools (at 46 percent compared to 6 percent).

"If you are thinking of buying or selling a home this fall, don't be intimidated by the market or process while kids are back in school; overall, the fundamentals of the market are strong," said Salomone. "A Realtor helps get sellers ready to sell and buyers ready to buy  whether or not they have children  and knows the ins and outs of the real estate transaction the market where you want to buy or sell."

For charts about families with children who are buying or selling a home, visit www.realtor.org/reports/moving-with-kids.

The National Association of Realtors, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing over 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the "News, Blogs and Video" tab on the website.

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SOURCE National Association of Realtors

Related Links

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A new partnership between SentriLock and Realtors Property Resource now gives members of the National Association of Realtors direct access to RPR property data through SentriLock's SentriSmart app.

A property's relevant RPR data can now be seamlessly displayed on a smartphone in response to accessing the Sentrilock lockbox though the SentriSmart app. This gives Realtors the ability to access the time sensitive and detailed property information needed to conduct their business, a unique advantage for members of NAR. This partnership comes on the heels of RPR announcing partnerships with zipLogixTM and DocuSign, meaning that Realtors will also benefit from exclusive RPR data and auto-formatting features on these two additional platforms.

"This integration will allow Realtors to present their clients with on-the-spot RPR data and reports about specific properties and neighborhoods," said NAR President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II, Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida. "Realtors are the most trusted resource for local market real estate information and with this new integration they will also be the fastest source for property information."

SentriLock, a wholly owned subsidiary of NAR, has been providing Realtors with state-of-the-art technology for over a decade and has nearly 1 million lockboxes in use. They work diligently with NAR members and Realtor associations to determine how they can best serve the needs of real estate professionals.

"SentriLock is excited about the new integration available with our mobile SentriSmart application; Realtors using SentriSmart and RPR can now instantly download and view real time property data via SentriSmart through the RPR integration," said Scott Richardson, SentriLock chief operating officer. "We feel this tool will give Realtors the advanced technology and data that they need during property showings, all at their fingertips."

Dale Ross, CEO of RPR, said, "The recent integration between RPR and SentriLock is designed to provide members utilizing the SentriSmart mobile app with instant access to high-value property data and reports from RPR. Both companies understand the speed and efficiency that agents and brokers expect in today's business environment. By making property information easier for agents to access and deliver to their clients and customers, consumers will receive tremendous benefit in the form of real-time, high-value property information."

Realtors Property Resource, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of Realtors, is an exclusive online real estate database providing Realtors with the analytical power to help their clients make better-informed decisions while increasing efficiency in the marketplace. For more information about RPR, visit blog.narrpr.com.

SentriLock is owned by the National Association of Realtors and is a proud partner in NAR's Realtor Benefits Program. We are the official NAR lockbox solution, and we are known for our reliable and secure technology, ease of use and our outstanding customer service. SentriLock provides secure, easy and reportable access to every listing via more than 970,000 lockboxes in use by over 280,000 Agents from over 300 different Boards, Associations and MLSs in the United States and Canada. SentriLock's award-winning Customer Care Team provides world-class customer support seven days a week, exclusively from its headquarters in West Chester, Ohio.

The National Association of Realtors, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the "News, Blogs and Videos" tab on the website.

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SOURCE National Association of Realtors

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DUBLIN, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Global Pneumococcal Vaccine Market 2016-2020" report to their offering.

The report forecasts the global pneumococcal vaccine market to grow at a CAGR of 13.69% during the period 2016-2020.

Commenting on the report, an analyst from the research team said: Emergence of protein-based combination pneumococcal vaccines will be a key trend for market growth. There is an increasing number of new pneumococcal protein-based vaccines, which are undergoing clinical trial evaluations.

These protein-based vaccines consist of serotype-independent subunit vaccines containing purified proteins and antigens that are expressed by recombinant bacteria. These vaccines will avoid the problems of serotype replacement by directly targeting proteins that are highly preserved among many pneumococcal serotypes.

According to the report, availability of global action plans for pneumonia vaccines will be a key driver for market growth. A consultation was held in Geneva in 2006, where WHO, in collaboration with vaccine manufacturers, public health organizations, academic experts, and funding agencies from developed and developing countries, developed the global action plan for pneumococcal vaccine. The plan was intended to combat the global shortage of pneumococcal vaccine.

It is a comprehensive strategy focused on increasing the use of the vaccine, and increasing its production capacity and R&D. WHO is working to promote the use of pneumonia vaccines by encouraging its member states to develop a policy for pneumonia vaccination.

Questions Answered:

What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?

What are the key market trends?

What is driving this market?

What are the challenges to market growth?

Who are the key vendors in this market space?

What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?

Companies Mentioned:

Pfizer

Sanofi

Merck

GSK

Abera

AstraZeneca

Baxter

Beijing Minhai Biotechnology

Biken

Biogen

Celgene

Eli Lilly

Genentech

Genocea Biosciences

ImmunoBiology

Lupin

Nuron Biotech

Panacea Biotec

S K Chemicals

Serum Institute of India

Sinovac

Valneva Austria

Report Structure:

PART 01: Executive summary

PART 02: Scope of the report

PART 03: Market research methodology

PART 04: Introduction

PART 05: Pneumococcal vaccine: Overview

PART 06: Market landscape

PART 07: Geographical segmentation

PART 08: Market drivers

PART 09: Impact of drivers

PART 10: Market challenges

PART 11: Impact of drivers and challenges

PART 12: Market trends

PART 13: Vendor landscape

PART 14: Appendix

PART 15: About the Author

For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/h2xxqb/global

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]

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NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Saker Aviation Services, Inc. (SKAS), an aviation services company specializing in ground-based services to the general aviation marketplace, today announced its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2016.

Revenue and operating income in the six months ended June 30, 2016 of $7,031,568 and $782,368, respectively, are flat and down 10.7 percent, respectively, as compared to revenue of $7,044,851 and operating income of $876,261 in the six months ended June 30, 2015. The initial phase of mandatory reductions in air tour activity at the Company's New York operation, which occurred on June 1, 2016, negatively impacted the year-over-year revenue comparison. At the same time, fee payments to New York City in connection with those operations increased 38.2 percent, which depressed operating income in 2016 as compared to 2015.

"The combination of higher fee payments to New York City and the first stage of mandatory air tour reductions drove unfavorable comparisons this year as compared to 2015. While the higher payments to the City were timing related, the upcoming second stage of mandatory air tour reductions on October 1, 2016 will continue to affect top-line results," stated Ron Ricciardi, the Company's President. "In the second half of the year we'll experience a favorable shift in fee payments to New York, as those fees are based on gross receipts from our New York operation. The combination of the first two stages of air tour reductions, however, will continue the anticipated pressure on operating income for the balance of 2016 and into 2017."

The Company also reported Adjusted EBITDA1 of $1,052,294 for the six months ended June 30, 2016, a decrease of $163,504 or 13.4 percent as compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $1,215,798 in the six months ended June 30, 2015. Please see footnote 1 below for the Company's definition of Adjusted EBITDA, a description of why the Company uses Adjusted EBITDA and important disclaimers regarding Adjusted EBITDA, which is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the appropriate GAAP measure is also included in footnote 1.

About Saker Aviation Services, Inc.

Saker Aviation Services (www.SakerAviation.com), through our subsidiaries, operates in the aviation services segment of the general aviation industry, in which we serve as the operator of a heliport, a fixed base operation ("FBO"), and as a consultant for a seaplane base that we do not own. FBOs provide ground-based services, such as fueling and aircraft storage for general aviation, commercial and military aircraft, and other miscellaneous services.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "seeks," "believes," "estimates," "expects" and similar references to future periods. These statements may include projections of revenue, provisions for doubtful accounts, income or loss, capital expenditures, repayment of debt, other financial items, statements regarding our plans and objectives for future operations, acquisitions, divestitures and other transactions, statements of future economic performance, statements of the assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing statements and statements other than statements of historical fact.

Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. The Company's actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. The Company therefore cautions readers of this press release against relying on any of these forward-looking statements because they are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include the Company's services and pricing, general economic conditions, its ability to raise additional capital, its ability to obtain the various approvals and permits for the acquisition and operation of FBOs and the other risk factors contained under Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause the Company's actual results to differ may emerge from time to time and it is not possible to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

- FINANCIAL TABLES TO FOLLOW -

1 Explanation of Adjusted EBITDA, a Non-GAAP Financial Measure

The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, as adjusted for stock based compensation expense and other income and expense items. The Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA, which is a financial measure that is not defined by Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"), is a useful performance metric because it eliminates non-cash and/or non-recurring charges to earnings. It is important to note that non-GAAP measures such as Adjusted EBITDA should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, net income, cash flows, or other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A reconciliation of net income to Adjusted EBITDA is as follows for the six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015.





For the Six Months Ended June 30,





2016

2015













Net income/(loss)

$ 386,868

$ 291,117

















Non-cash and/or one-time charges and credits













Other (income)/expense







(1,666)

Interest expense



15,061



12,150

Income tax expense



395,500



456,000

Stock compensation expense



16,998



16,998

Depreciation and amortization



237,867



312,055

Loss from Discontinued Operations







129,144

















Adjusted EBITDA

$ 1,052,294

$ 1,215,798



SOURCE Saker Aviation Services, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.SakerAviation.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced that its second quarter fiscal 2017 results will now be released on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016, after the close of market, instead of Monday, Aug. 29, 2016, to accommodate a scheduling conflict. The company will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results with the investment community. A live web broadcast of the event will be available on the Salesforce Investor Relations website at www.salesforce.com/investor. A live dial-in is available domestically at 866-901-SFDC or 866-901-7332 and internationally at 706-902-1764, passcode 57940359. A replay will be available at (800) 585-8367 or (855) 859-2056 until midnight (ET) September 31, 2016.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130612/SF30598LOGO

SOURCE Salesforce

Related Links

http://www.salesforce.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sagent Advisors, a leading independent investment banking advisory firm, announced today that Scott Baxter has agreed to join the Firm as a Managing Director and Head of Energy. Mr. Baxter has over 25 years of energy investment banking experience and has been a primary advisor in sourcing and executing over $150 billion in corporate energy M&A transactions. He has worked on more than $30 billion in restructurings, advised numerous independent special committees, rendering over 30 fairness opinions, and has been involved with numerous equity financing transactions.

Prior to joining Sagent, Mr. Baxter opened and directed the Houston office for Petrie Partners, and served most recently as their team leader in advising Noble Energy on its nearly $4 billion acquisition of Rosetta Resources. Prior to that, his career has included roles as Head of the Americas for J.P. Morgan's global energy group, a Managing Director in Citigroup's global energy group, head of his own firm, Baxter Energy Partners, an upstream corporate energy M&A advisory firm with offices in New York, Houston and Calgary, and serving as head of the energy group for Houlihan Lokey.

Joseph Donohue, Sagent's Co-Chief Executive Officer, said, "We are so pleased to have a banker of Scott's caliber and reputation for providing high quality, independent advice to lead Sagent's efforts in the Energy sector."

About Sagent Advisors

Sagent Advisors is a leading independent investment bank focused on providing strategic and financial advice on mergers, acquisitions, sales, divestitures and private capital solutions. Sagent's clients include leading domestic and multi-national corporations, middle market and emerging growth companies, private equity sponsors and family-owned and entrepreneur-led businesses. Sagent has completed nearly 200 transactions exceeding $60 billion in aggregate value across a broad range of industries and transactions types.

Sagent provides broad industry and execution expertise through its three offices in the US and strategic partnerships in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Founded in 2004, Sagent's dedicated team of seasoned professionals are committed to the long-term success of their clients by providing original thinking, uncommon access and Pure Advice, free of structural conflicts. For additional information please visit: www.sagentadvisors.com.

SOURCE Sagent Advisors

Related Links

http://www.sagentadvisors.com


NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Advertising -- Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC reminds investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Orbital ATK ("Orbital" or the "Company") (NYSE: OA) and certain of its officers. The class action was filed in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Virginia and is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons or entities who purchased Orbital securities between June 1, 2015 through August 9, 2016, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period").

This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

Orbital ATK Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer and defense industry company. It was formed in 2015 from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and parts of Alliant Techsystems.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about Orbital's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Orbital did not have proper control over financial reporting; (2) therefore, Orbital failed to record its projected loss on the Contract after the loss became evident in 2015; and (3) consequentially, Orbital's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On August 10, 2016, pre-market, Orbital released that due to accounting issues, it would delay and miss its filing deadline for its most recent quarter and restate more than a year worth of results. Orbital also said that its results from the quarters ended June 29, 2014 through April 3, 2016 "should no longer be relied upon," that it would postpone its most recent quarterly report and that the issues "indicate the existence of one or more material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting." Following this news, Orbital stock dropped as much as $17.98 per share, or 20.25%, to close at $70.79 on August 10, 2016.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm's site: http://www.bgandg.com/oa or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484 or via email [email protected]. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address and telephone number. If you suffered a loss in Orbital you have until October 11, 2016 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz

212-697-6484 | [email protected]

SOURCE Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Related Links

http://www.bgandg.com


The Islamic State militants group (IS) on Monday claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed more than 30 Syrian rebel fighters in a blast near the Turkish border.

IS, in a statement published on Twitter and the messaging service Telegram, said a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt among rebels "getting ready to fight the Islamic State".

The blast on Sunday night struck the Atme border crossing between Turkey and the northern Syrian province of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The monitoring group said the anti-regime fighters were travelling by bus to Turkey then back into Syria towards the rebel bastion of Azaz, in Aleppo province.

The attack killed 32 rebels as they were entering Turkey, the Britain-based Observatory said, updating an earlier toll on Sunday evening of 15.

Its head Rami Abdel Rahman said the toll could rise further as other fighters remained critically wounded.

IS's statement said the attack left "nearly 50" rebels dead, charging they took orders from the US-led coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria.

IS has tried to advance on rebel territory in Aleppo province -- particularly the towns of Azaz and nearby Marea -- for several months.

A major militant offensive in May saw IS encircle Marea, but rebels pushed back the assault the following month after receiving ammunition from the coalition.

More than 290,000 people have been killed since Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011.

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HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sidewinder Drilling Inc. (the "Company") announced August 15, 2016 it will hold a conference call with bond investors on Thursday, August 18, 2016 at 11:00 AM (Eastern Time) to discuss Second Quarter 2016 financial results. Call-in details will be provided via email to Sidewinder's existing bond holders. For those bond holders who are in need of the details and have not received them, please call the Company.

Sidewinder was formed in 2011 by the Company's management team and Avista Capital Holdings LP to build, own and operate premium land drilling rigs and to provide contract drilling services to exploration and production ("E&P") companies targeting unconventional resource plays in North America. Through acquisitions and construction of rigs, Sidewinder is building a contract land drilling company with a large scale, high quality asset base focused on delivering high performance drilling services required by operators seeking to efficiently and safely develop unconventional oil and gas resources.

Sidewinder's long-term strategy is to capitalize on the activity in unconventional resource plays by expanding the Company's existing customer base and by operating in all phases of field development, from exploration and delineation drilling to full-scale commercial development. Sidewinder is dedicated to growth and stability and, therefore, intends to selectively expand its drilling fleet of premium rigs through rig upgrades, new construction and strategic acquisitions while strengthening its balance sheet and maintaining access to capital.

Contacts:

Jon Cole, CEO

Anthony Gallegos, President & CFO

Telephone: (832) 320 7600

www.sidewinderdrilling.com

SOURCE Sidewinder Drilling Inc.

Related Links

http://www.sidewinderdrilling.com


ERLANGEN, Germany and HAIFA, Israel, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- INSIGHTEC, the global leader in MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) therapy, announced today the signing of a strategic agreement with the global leader in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Siemens Healthineers. The strategic collaboration will involve the development of compatibility between Exablate Neuro and Siemens leading 1.5T and 3T clinical MRI systems, MAGNETOM Aera and Skyra. With this agreement, Siemens Healthineers follows its strategy of broadening and complementing its diagnostic imaging portfolio with advanced therapy solutions. Both parties will work towards providing access to Exablate Neuro for installed base, as well as new product installation customers.

SIEMENS and INSIGHTEC sign agreement to expand access to Exablate Neuro technology.

Exablate Neuro is the world's first and only CE and FDA-approved device for the non-invasive application of MR guided focused ultrasound to treat essential tremor and other conditions. Clinical research, development and regulatory approvals are ongoing for additional neurosurgical applications and markets.

"Our agreement with Siemens Healthineers will allow us to significantly expand Exablate Neuro's market presence. Siemens has embraced our technology and together we will bring our therapy to significantly more patients and providers," said Maurice R. Ferre MD, INSIGHTEC Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. "INSIGHTEC is committed to continue investing in research and development of MRgFUS technology. The strategic collaboration with Siemens Heathineers will allow more patients and researchers globally to benefit from the unique MRgFUS technology," he concluded.

Christoph Zindel, MD, Senior Vice President and General Manager of SIEMENS Healthineers' Magnetic Resonance business further highlights the importance of the agreement: "This strategic partnership of two leading organizations is exciting and further underlines Siemens Healthineers' strategy of enabling better patient outcomes by broadening its diagnostic imaging portfolio into advanced therapies in the area of neurological and other disorders. Together with INSIGHTEC and its innovative technology, we will jointly drive healthcare further together with our strong research and clinical customer network worldwide."

Exablate Neuro uses focused ultrasound waves to precisely target and accurately ablate tissue deep within the brain with no incisions, and while minimizing damage to adjacent healthy tissue. Siemens MR imaging plans to provide patient-specific treatment planning and continuous temperature monitoring for assessing treatment outcome in real-time during Exablate Neuro procedures.

This press release is available at www.siemens.com/press/PR2016080367HCEN

For further information on INSIGHTEC, please see www.insightec.com

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world's largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is No. 1 in offshore wind turbine construction, a leading supplier of gas and steam turbines for power generation, a major provider of power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment  such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems  and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2015, which ended on September 30, 2015, Siemens generated revenue of 75.6 billion and net income of 7.4 billion. At the end of September 2015, the company had around 348,000 employees worldwide. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

INSIGHTEC is a world leader in MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS). The company's non-invasive therapy platform, Exablate, is transforming treatment for various indications in neurosurgery, oncology and women's health. During MRgFUS treatment, focused ultrasound waves ablate the target tissue, while MRI provides image-guidance and real-time thermal monitoring. A growing number of renowned physicians are realizing the clinical value of MRgFUS in more than 120 leading medical centers around the world. For more information please visit: www.insightec.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160814/397904

SOURCE Siemens Healthineers and INSIGHTEC

Related Links

http://www.insightec.com


LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Reality, Inc. (OTCQB: SCRI), an Internet advertising and platform technology company that provides tools to automate the digital advertising market, announced today its second quarter 2016 financial results.

Christopher Miglino, Social Reality's CEO and Chairman stated, "We launched a number of new products and enhancements to existing products this quarter including the newest addition to SRAXsocial.com social media management platform, and the newest addition to our SRAX Platform, SRAX Genome, our custom data management platform segments that allows brands to optimize their first party data or data they are buying to run their campaigns, and we have integrated a number of new demand and supply partners into the SRAX platform. Our team continues to enhance and release new products that help our clients in optimizing their campaigns." Miglino added, "We have tripled our sales team and look forward to the new additions contributing to our revenue growth as they bring existing and new products to market."

Second Quarter 2016 Financial Highlights

Revenues of $9.25 million for the quarter

for the quarter Other income of $3.0 million

Net Income of $1.8 million

Adjusted EBITDA of ( $5 thousand )

Recent Operational Highlights

Completion of shopper marketing platform for brands

SRAX Social Media Management Platform Enters Beta

Significant demand added to the SRAX Sell Side platform

Integration of a number of the largest Mobile only providers into the SRAX Platform

Integration of a number of Native Only demand partners into the platform

Three-month financial results for the period ended June 30, 2016

Revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2016 were $9,249,410 compared to $10,761,573 reported for the three months ended June 30, 2015. Gross profit decreased to $2,986,603 for the three months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $5,603,130 for the same period of 2015. Gross margin for the quarter ended June 30, 2016 was 32.3% as compared to 52.1% for the same period in 2015.

Loss from operations was $1.1 million for the second quarter of 2016 as compared to income from operations of $1.35 million in the second quarter of 2015. During the second quarter of 2016 the Company recognized a one-time, non-cash gain of $3.7 million which represented the reversal of the second year earn out consideration which was potentially due Mr. Richard Steel under the terms of the Stock Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of Steel Media in October 2014. During the second quarter of 2016 it was determined Mr. Steel would not achieve the earn out targets.

The Company reported net income of $1,873,201, or $0.06 per share, for the three months ended June 30, 2016, compared to a net income of $415,591, or $0.02 per share, for the corresponding period of 2015.

For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, Adjusted EBITDA was nearly break-even at ($4,945) compared to $1,803,538 in the first quarter of 2015. The decrease in the Adjusted EBITDA loss was primarily due to lower margins on certain product offerings and an impairment charge related to the carrying value of the goodwill associated with Steel Media.

Balance Sheet as of June 30, 2016

Cash and cash equivalents totaled $674,820 at June 30, 2016 Current assets and total assets were $9,355,607 and $26,558,976, respectively, and current liabilities and total liabilities were $12,185,194 and $19,851,946 respectively. At June 30,2016 the Company had stockholders' equity of $6,707,030.

Conference call information:

Date: Monday, August 15, 2016

Time: 4:15 P.M. Eastern Time (ET)

Dial in Number for U.S. & Canadian Callers: (877) 407-8293

Dial in Number for International Callers (Outside of the U.S. & Canada): (201) 689-8349

Participating on the call will be Social Reality's Chief Executive Officer Christopher Miglino and Chief Financial Officer Rahul Thumati, who will be providing a financial and operational summary of the second quarter 2016. To join the live conference call, please dial into the above referenced telephone numbers five to ten minutes prior to the scheduled conference call time.

If you are unable to participate in the call at this time, a replay will be available for 14 days starting on August 15, 2016 at approximately 10:30 P.M. ET. To access the replay, please dial 877-660-6853 in the U.S. and 201-612-7415 for international callers. The conference ID# is 13637035.

About Social Reality

Social Reality, Inc. is an Internet advertising company that provides tools to automate the digital advertising market. The company has built technologies and leveraged partner technologies that service social media and the Real Time Bidding (RTB) markets. For more information, please visit www.socialreality.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict, including, without limitation: our ability to grow our revenues and manage our gross margins; our history of losses; our limited operating history; the terms of our financing agreement with Victory Park Management, LLC as agent for the lenders; the impact of our debt obligations on our liquidity and financial conditions; the impact of the earn out payment to Mr. Steel; our possible need for additional financing; risks associated with loss of access to the Facebook platform; risks associated with loss of access to RTB inventory buyers; the continued appeal of digital advertising; our dependence on our publishers; risks related to possible future acquisitions; the limited market for our Class A common stock; and the impact of penny stock rules on the trading in our Class A common stock, among others, all as set forth in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and our other filings with the SEC. Except for our ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the Federal securities laws, Social Reality undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events.

[Financial Tables to Follow]



SOCIAL REALITY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)





Three Months ended June 30,

Six Months ended June 30,



2016

2015

2016

2015

















Revenues

$ 9,249,410

$ 10,761,573

$ 14,718,746

$ 14,782,857 Cost of revenue



6,262,807



5,158,443



9,443,370



7,400,918

























Gross profit



2,986,603



5,603,130



5,275,376



7,381,939

























Operating expense:























General, selling and administrative expenses



3,425,591



4,252,752



7,230,691



7,162,752 Impairment of goodwill



670,000



-



670,000



-

























Income (loss) from operations



(1,108,988)



1,350,378



(2,625,315)



219,187

























Other income (expense):























Write off of contingent consideration



3,744,496







3,744,496



 Interest income (expense)



(762,307)



(934,787)



(1,647,634)



(1,858,057)





2,982,189



(934,787)



2,096,862



(1,858,057)

























Income (loss) before provision for income taxes



1,873,201



415,591



(528,453)



(1,638,870)

























Provision for income taxes









































Net income (loss)

$ 1,873,201

$ 415,591

$ (528,453)

$ (1,638,870)



















































Net income (loss) per share, basic

$ 0.06

$ 0.02

$ (0.02)

$ (0.06) Net income (loss) per share, diluted

$ 0.06

$ 0.01

$ (0.02)

$ (0.06)

























Weighted average shares outstanding, basic



29,932,470



26,911,285



29,757,224



26,879,029 Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted



32,691,023



29,520,556



29,757,224



26,879,029



CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)





June 30,

December 31,





2016

2015





(Unaudited)





Assets





















Current assets:









Cash and cash equivalents

$ 674,820

$ 1,091,186

Accounts receivable, net



8,351,466



7,056,298

Prepaid expenses



322,833



309,436

Other current assets



6,488



36,090

Total current assets



9,355,607



8,493,010

















Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $65,975 and $42,295



35,433



43,936

Goodwill



15,644,957



16,314,957

Intangible assets, net



1,431,979



1,611,744

Prepaid stock based compensation



56,341



373,567

Other assets



34,659



34,659

















Total assets

$ 26,558,976

$ 26,871,873

















Liabilities and Stockholders' equity





























Current liabilities:













Accounts payable and accrued expenses

$ 7,931,990

$ 5,138,807

Notes payable, current portion, net of unamortized costs of $1,088,168 and $1,076,633



10,374,914



1,378,367

Unearned revenue



45,042



1,295

Contingent consideration payable to related party







7,585,435

Put liability



1,500,000



1,436,282

Total current liabilities



19,851,946



15,540,186

















Notes payable, net of unamortized costs of $0 and $578,140







7,455,758

















Total liabilities



19,851,946



22,995,944

















Stockholders' equity:





























Class A common stock, authorized 250,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value, 29,977,925 and 28,110,229 shares issued and outstanding at June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively



29,978



28,110

Class B common stock, authorized 9,000,000 shares, $0.001 par value, no shares issued and outstanding









Additional paid in capital



17,347,276



13,989,590

Accumulated deficit



(10,670,224)



(10,141,771)

Total stockholders' equity



6,707,030



3,875,929

















Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 26,558,976

$ 26,871,873





SOCIAL REALITY, INC. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)





Six Month Periods Ended June 30,



2016

2015

Cash flows from operating activities:









Net loss

$ (528,453)

$ (1,638,870)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided (used) by operating activities:













Amortization of stock based prepaid fees



317,226



317,226

Stock based compensation



459,556



446,683

Amortization of debt issue costs



566,604



628,370

PIK interest expense accrued to principal



241,449



176,966

Impairment of Steel goodwill



670,000





Write off of contingent consideration



(3,744,496)





Accretion of contingent consideration



159,061



451,628

Accretion of put liability



63,718



84,528

Depreciation and amortization



193,084



9,447

Bad debt expense



77,235



51,195

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:













Accounts receivable



(1,779,039)



(5,300,850)

Prepaid expenses



(13,396)



80,273

Other current assets



29,603



4,902

Other assets







(4,390)

Accounts payable and accrued expenses



3,199,816



4,928,211

Unearned revenue



43,747



(2,655)

Cash (used) provided by operating activities



(44,285)



232,664

















Cash flows from investing activities:













Purchase of equipment



(4,816)





Cash used by investing activities



(4,816)





















Cash flows from financing activities:













Payment of contingent consideration



(1,600,000)





Proceeds from sale of units



500,000



6,921

Proceeds from notes payable



2,100,000







Repayments of note payable



(1,367,265)



(567,252)

Cash used by financing activities



(367,265)



(560,331)

















Net decrease in cash



(416,366)



(327,667)

Cash, beginning of period



1,091,186



1,843,393

Cash, end of period

$ 674,820

$ 1,515,726

















Supplemental Schedule of Cash Flow Information:













Cash paid for interest

$ 606,956

$ 462,887

Cash paid for taxes

$ 

$ 





Use of Non-GAAP Measure  Adjusted EBITDA

Social Reality's management evaluates and makes operating decisions using various financial metrics. In addition to the company's GAAP results, management also considers the non-GAAP measure of Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before income taxes, depreciation and amortization expenses, plus stock-based compensation and interest expense. Management believes that this non-GAAP measure provides useful information about Social Reality's operating results. The tables below provide a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure with the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. This non-GAAP measure should be considered a supplement to, and not a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to GAAP





Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30, (unaudited, in thousands)

2016

2015

2016

2015 Net income (loss)

$ 1,873

$ 416

$ (528)

$ (1,639) plus:























Equity based compensation



340



448



777



865 Adjusted net income (loss)

$ 2,213

$ 864

$ 248

$ (774) Reversal of contingent consideration



(3,744)



-



(3,744)



- Impairment of goodwill



670



-



670



- Interest expense



762



935



1,648



1,858 Depreciation and amortization



94



5



193



10 Adjusted EBITDA

$ (5)

$ 1,804

$ (986)

$ 1,094

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SOURCE Social Reality, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.socialreality.com


LEAWOOD, Kan., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spinal Simplicity, a medical device company based in Overland Park, Kan., that develops innovative solutions to treat complex surgical problems, recently announced a new generation of their Minuteman G3 fusion device that features an FDA-cleared coating of hydroxyapatite (HA).

"HA has been used in orthopedic procedures for the last 30 years because of its successful track record," said Todd Moseley, CEO and co-founder, Spinal Simplicity. Hydroxyapatite or HA, known also as a "bone mineral," is naturally occurring in human teeth and bones but can also be successfully synthesized. Physicians began using the synthesized compound in surgery as early as 1920 and began working with HA-coated implant devices in 1986.

According to leaders of Spinal Simplicity, one of the simplest explanations for why HA-coated devices have not received broader adoption into more procedure types has largely to do with the need for sterile packed implants.

"For companies to try to accomplish what we're doing retrospectively, they'd have to seek new clearances from the FDA. By switching to sterile pack processingthey'd have to start over with new inventory, requiring excessive time and money," said Jonathan Hess, vice president of business development. "With Spinal Simplicity integrating a sterile packed implant since its inception, we are able to offer a better solution to our customer surgeons and their patients."

After launching the Minuteman G3 implant device with HA coating, Spinal Simplicity caught the attention of several industry leading surgeons, including Omar Osmani, M.D., from New Mexico, Elizabeth Trinidad, M.D., from Florida, Larry Khoo, M.D., from California, and Randolph Bishop, M.D., from Georgia. Each physician successfully implanted the HA Minuteman G3 in April and May this year. Spinal Simplicity is excited to be working with renowned surgeon partners and thought leaders in the implementation of minimally invasive technologies.

To learn more about Spinal Simplicity and the new Minuteman G3 HA-coated implant device, or to explore the company's history of success in minimally invasive spine surgery, visit www.SpinalSimplicity.com.

About Spinal Simplicity

Spinal Simplicity, LLC, headquartered in Overland Park, KS, is dedicated to the creation of innovative simple solutions for the treatment of complex spinal disorders. In 2008, the company was founded by Dr. Harold Hess, a practicing neurosurgeon and Todd Moseley, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of orthopedic and distribution experience. Spinal Simplicity's vision is to be the global leader in innovative, simplified surgical solutions, delivering uncompromising quality. For more information, please visit www.spinalsimplicity.com.

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SOURCE Spinal Simplicity

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Setting itself apart in the competitive online travel space, Janbala is driven by the belief that shared experiences should lead to shared prosperity  that travel should generate positive impact for both the traveler and the communities they visit. Janbala is partnering with mission-driven organizations to further this commitment, including Global Gratitude Alliance, Global Volunteers, Global Citizen Year and the African Library Project; the brand plans to expand the breadth of its partnerships to other organizations with shared values in the future.

Be the Journey, their guiding philosophy, encapsulates their vision to create a space where booking a trip is just the beginning of an immersive travel experience. "We crafted Janbala to connect with the traveler on a deeper level, inspiring each person to explore what travel means to them. Everything we do must stir the soul," said Jason Chen, CEO and cofounder.

"We are excited to bring something new to the travel market. We have access to an extensive network and resources within the travel industry thanks to our shareholder, HNA Group. This edge will help us bridge travel markets from west to east and position Janbala to be an international presence," said Lei Shi, President and CFO.

Curious travelers are encouraged to interact with Janbala on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, answering the question, "What does travel mean to you?" by prefixing their personal answer with #TravelMeans. The newly launched OTA is focused on the United States market, with plans for international expansion and new product offerings, including car rentals, travel insurance, vacation packages, cruises and more.

For any press inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Travana, Inc. 600 Townsend St, Floor 5, San Francisco, CA 94103 | Call (415) 919 4133

About Travana, Inc.

Travana aims to revolutionize travel, starting with the Online Travel Agency, Janbala.com. Travana, Inc. is registered with the Airline Recording Corporation (ARC) and the International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN). The Company is headquartered in San Francisco and also runs operations in Chicago, Illinois and Manila, Philippines. For more information on the company, its products and services, please visit www.travana.com or www.janbala.com, respectively.

About HNA Group

HNA Group is a shareholder of Travana, Inc. Founded in 1993, the group has developed from a local aviation transportation operator to a conglomerate encompassing core divisions of aviation, holding, tourism, capital, logistics and EcoTech. HNA Group's business has global reach and includes assets valued at over USD $100 billion, with nearly 180,000 employees worldwide. In 2016, HNA ranks 353rd among the Fortune 500 with revenue of USD $29.56 billion. For more information, please visit www.hnagroup.com.

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SOURCE Travana, Inc.

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NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Tapad, the leader in cross-device marketing technology, has announced its new entrepreneurial mentorship initiative, the Propeller Program. Five early-stage startups from Norway have been chosen by Are Traasdahl, native of Norway and Tapad's CEO and founder. The selected companies will share Tapad's New York City workspace, receive C-level guidance and help establish a U.S. presence.

The following companies have been selected to participate in the inaugural Propeller Program - a 12-month program beginning September 19, 2016:

Bubbly - Developers of a platform that enables in-store customer feedback with dashboards and tools that facilitate real-time store response

BylineMe - A marketplace for freelancers, publishers and brands to connect for content creation and distribution services

Eventum - A property-sharing group that digitally assists in securing venues for meetings and corporate events

Socius - A content provider for publishers to tell stories using social media

Xeneta - A database that organizes the best contracted freight rates in real time and on demand

"We are supporting startups that we feel represent the future of service offerings," said Traasdahl. "It is with incredible pride that we invite these entrepreneurial teams from Norway to join us in New York City this year. Mentorship opportunities for early-stage companies are so important, particularly for those based outside the U.S. I look forward to giving the Propeller Program participants access to the expertise of my seasoned team and to our wide network of resources. Hopefully, it will be a game-changing year for many of them."

Learn more about Tapad's Propeller Program here.

About Tapad

Tapad Inc. is a marketing technology firm renowned for its breakthrough, unified, cross-device solutions, acquired by Telenor Group in 2016. With 91.2% data accuracy confirmed by Nielsen, the company offers the largest in-market opportunity for marketers and technologies to address the ever-evolving reality of media consumption on smartphones, tablets, home computers and smart TVs. Deployed by agency trading desks, publishers and numerous Fortune 500 brands, Tapad provides an accurate, unified approach to connecting with consumers across screens. In 2015, Tapad began aggressively licensing its identity management solution, the Tapad Device Graph, and swiftly became the established gold-standard throughout the ad tech ecosystem. Tapad is based in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Singapore and Toronto. TechCrunch called the powerhouse Tapad team "a hell of a list of entrepreneurs who created some of the most valuable online advertising companies of the last decade." Among Tapad's numerous awards: TNCNet's Tech Culture 2016, EY Entrepreneur of The Year (East Coast) 2014, among Forbes' Most Promising Companies two year's running, Deloitte's Technology Fast 500, Crain's Fast 50, Entrepreneur 360, Digiday Signal Award, iMedia ASPY Award, and a MarCom Gold Award.

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Media Contact:

Lauren Leff

For Tapad

[email protected]

SOURCE Tapad Inc.

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SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TERiX Computer Service was awarded a contract from a large Systems Integrator (SI) for delivery of Deployment services for a large Retail Industry client.

"Augmenting our traditional data center maintenance service portfolio, deployment services are just one more example of the type of professional services that clients need and that TERiX is positioned to deliver," stated Bernd Appleby, TERiX CEO. Awarded in June 2016, the contract involves site surveys, network wiring and hardware installation at about 1000 locations in North America.

TERiX is known mainly for its world-wide data center hardware support services, providing expert server-storage-network support in the US & 48 countries. "This win, the second large contract of its type closed in 2016, shows that we have further honed our model to meet industry needs," added James Olding, TERiX COO.

As enterprise level customers and their partners look for expert professional service delivery capabilities at the push of a button, TERiX is positioned to help them succeed.

To find out more - call TERiX or a TERiX Partner representative toll-free at 888-848-3749.

About TERiX Computer Service

TUSA, Inc., dba TERiX Computer Service, is a global independent hardware support company providing flexible multivendor service on over 30 OEM brands of server, storage and network products. These include platforms from IBM, Cisco, HP, Dell, Oracle, HDS, EMC, and NetApp among others. TERiX customers include 50 of the global Fortune 500, 30+ major telecommunication companies, 20+ major finance/banking firms, more than a dozen healthcare and pharmaceutical giants, and 20+ Federal Agencies. TERiX provides a customer-focused support experience with strong service metric attainment, and as a hardware-agnostic service provider, acts as a trusted advisor to clients and partners worldwide. For more information, visit us on the web at: www.terix.com or on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/terix-computer-service.

Contact: Lawrence Quinn/EVP at 614-339-4131/Email

SOURCE TERiX Computer Service

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bar Method, an industry leader in barre-based fitness, announced today that it will offer free classes to new clients nationwide on August 20 and 21 in honor of its 15th anniversary. Known for its safe, fun, hour-long workouts, The Bar Method was established in 2001, providing wellness seekers a way to strengthen and tone all major muscle groups with low impact, isometric exercises, followed by periods of stretching to elongate, strengthen and align the body. Today, there are 95 franchise locations across the United States and Canada.

The Bar Method 15th anniversary celebration will include 15 percent off select memberships and retail, new branded merchandise, in-studio parties with refreshments, treats and giveaways, and a special throwback music playlist. Additionally, The Bar Method will also offer a free month of Bar Online with savings of $15.

For students looking to maximize results, but are limited on time, The Bar Method is announcing the launch of its first Express Class where they can get back 15 minutes of time in their busy day. A direct response to client demand for getting in an out of the studio in under an hour, the Express Class will feature 45 minutes of fast-paced and high-intensity exercises. It will incorporate the same attention to safety, technique and muscle sculpting moves that clients are accustomed to. The Express Class will begin rolling out in studios this September.

"The Bar Method has cultivated a community of dedicated and passionate clients, resulting in strong and consistent growth for our brand since our founder, Burr Leonard, introduced this life-changing workout to the world 15 years ago," said The Bar Method CEO Jay DeCoons. "This milestone is an opportunity for us to really give back to the students who have been with us on the journey and to welcome those who may be trying The Bar Method for the first time."

The Bar Method is asking its community of teachers, owners, students and employees #WhyDoYouBar  a call-to-action to share what the work out means to them with a photo, video and short description on social. Participants who share their story and hashtag #WhyDoYouBar will automatically be entered for a chance to win branded Bar Method apparel.

For more information on The Bar Method 15th anniversary, and to share personal stories, visit: www.barmethod.com/whydoyoubar.

For more information on The Bar Method, visit: www.barmethod.com

About The Bar Method:

The Bar Method, founded by Burr Leonard in 2001, is an industry leader in bar-based fitness. Built on the body-elongating practice of dance conditioning, the science of physical therapy and the pace of interval training, The Bar Method is the most targeted and effective body-sculpting workout. The company launched its franchise operations in 2008. Today, there are 95 locations in the U.S. and Canada; and an online store offering branded apparel and custom exercise accessories. In 2014, the company launched Bar Online, a membership-based online class series.

Follow The Bar Method online, or on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Contact:

Rabeeah Patail

[email protected]

310.935.3885

SOURCE The Bar Method

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LONDON, August 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (Freshfields) has Launched a new Paralegal Apprenticeship Scheme, Which Offers Aspiring Paralegals an Alternative Route Into the Profession.

Freshfields will offer apprenticeships at its Legal Services Centre in Manchester, with the first intake starting in October 2016. The scheme will offer apprentices a flexible and less costly route to enter the legal profession.

During the two year programme, students will study for a paralegal apprenticeship delivered by The University of Law (ULaw) in partnership with apprenticeship specialists, Damar Training. Apprentices will benefit from the partners' longstanding vocational legal studies experience and the support and mentorship of tutors with extensive practical and academic expertise.

The apprenticeship scheme has been specifically designed for Freshfields' Legal Services Centre. It aims to improve access to the legal profession for talented and ambitious students from a diverse range of backgrounds, while supporting Freshfields' ambition to provide outstanding client service and career progression opportunities from Manchester.

The programme will combine the foundation-level knowledge required for a new entrant into a legal office with the more technical rigour expected of a high performing paralegal.

During the apprenticeship, students will cover a number of key subject areas, including: the English legal system; corporate law, contract law; and legal and business skills, alongside invaluable work-based learning at Freshfields. The programme will in addition incorporate modules delivered interactively online through ULaw's i-LLB, matched to the apprentices' area of work.

The Head of the Legal Services Centre at Freshfields, Olivia Balson, commented: "This is a fantastic opportunity for the Legal Services Centre and for our future apprentices. The Legal Services Centre plays a significant role in adding value and efficiency to our global clients, and it is vital that we continue to attract and develop the very best talent and maintain our reputation as an employer of choice. We want to encourage wider access to law and possibilities for progression for the very best talents. These apprenticeships offer a flexible route for talented students to join the legal profession and opportunities to those already in the firm to nurture these talents."

Jason O'Malley, Director of Apprenticeships at ULaw, said: "We are delighted to work with Freshfields and Damar Training on this new paralegal apprenticeship scheme. We are confident that the practical nature of the education offered, alongside substantive work-based learning, will provide valuable new employees for Freshfields and an alternative and robust route into the profession for young people interested in the Law."

Jonathan Bourne, Managing Director of Damar Limited, said: "We are very pleased that Freshfields has seized the opportunity provided by legal apprenticeships to attract and develop talented young people who have decided not to follow the traditional academic route into the profession. We look forward to working with Freshfields and ULaw to deliver this innovative and exciting programme."

To find out more about these apprenticeships, visit: https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/785656

Notes to editors

The University of Law

The University of Law (ULaw) is the largest and longest established provider of professional legal education and training in the UK with centres in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and Leeds, as well as offering some courses at The University of Exeter. Previously The College of Law, it was granted university status in November 2012.

ULaw works with 90 of the top 100 law firms and offers an award-winning legal careers and employability service, as well as one of the UK's largest and most varied pro bono programmes. The university offers over 2,900 opportunities for students to put their skills into practise, helping them to prepare for the job market.

The University of Law ranked 1st for student satisfaction in the UK in the National Student Survey 2016.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is a global law firm with a long-standing track record of successfully supporting the world's leading national and multinational corporations, financial institutions and governments on ground-breaking and business-critical mandates. Our 2,500 plus lawyers deliver results worldwide through our own offices and alongside leading local firms. Our commitment, local and multi-national expertise and business know-how means our clients rely on us when it matters most.

We conduct our business with the integrity expected from a responsible and highly regulated business. We aim to be sensitive to the impact we have on the world around us, and to make a positive difference to the communities in which we operate. Not only is this expected of us, it is the right thing to do. Part of our responsible business programme is dedicated to helping young people realise their potential. We share our strong commitment to corporate responsibility with many of our clients, and we collaborate with them on pro bono projects, volunteering and environmental activities.

http://www.freshfields.com/en/global/

Damar Training

Damar Training is a long-established provider of apprenticeship recruitment and training with a specialist focus on the legal and justice sectors. Damar works with a wide range of law firms and in-house legal teams, supporting them with the recruitment, training and skills development of new and existing staff working in a paralegal, legal administration and support functions. Damar pioneered the development of the new legal apprenticeship pathway.

To read more on ULaw and Damar's apprenticeship partnership, please visit: http://www.law.ac.uk/about/press-releases/2016/damar-training-apprenticeship/

SOURCE The University of Law (ULaw)
MUNICH and BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify, the Atos brand for communications software and services, today announced that it has appointed Luiz Domingos as Head of Product House for Unify Software and Platforms. With this appointment, Domingos joins the Unify Executive Committee and assumes responsibility for the entire Unify product portfolio as well as Atos' social collaboration technology blueKiwi. Domingos succeeds Peter Kuerpick.

"Luiz has been a trusted senior leader in the product house for many years and has consistently demonstrated a commitment to forward-thinking product development," said Jon Pritchard, CEO of Unify. "When the time came to appoint a new Head of Product House, Luiz was the obvious choice given his successful role as head of development of Circuit, our first pure cloud offering, and his leadership in developing the OpenScape portfolio. Luiz has also been instrumental in establishing an agile product development environment at Unify, that will enable us to meet and exceed customer and partner expectations and maintain our edge in the marketplace."

Domingos has spent more than 20 years managing product development teams in enterprise Voice over IP, unified communications, collaboration, and contact center platforms. He has held various roles at Unify and, most recently, as the Senior Vice President of Product Development, has directly overseen research and development for the enterprise portfolio spanning voice, unified communications, contact center and trading.

"As a longtime Unify employee, I am honored to assume the position of Head of Product House and look forward to leading the innovation of our portfolio of solutions," said Domingos. "I am thrilled to lead such an excellent team at a company that I have grown with over the course of many years. We are already building a roadmap that meets the biggest issues facing companies big and small including cloud, bring your own device, software as a service and the requirement to have all information available at any time. We plan to stay ahead of the market and be the partner enterprises turn to for the communication and collaboration solutions that work for their unique needs."

About Unify

Unify is one of the world's leading communications software and services brands, providing integrated communications and collaboration solutions worldwide. Our customers range in size from 5 employees to 500,000+ employees. Our solutions unify multiple voice, video and data networks, connected devices and applications into one easy-to-use platform that allows teams to collaborate effectively and efficiently  anytime, anywhere. The result is a transformation of how the enterprise communicates and collaborates that amplifies collective effort, energizes the business, improves employee satisfaction and enhances business performance. Unify has a strong heritage of product reliability, innovation, open standards and security. Our OpenScape and Circuit communications solutions provide a seamless and efficient collaboration experience  on any device. Together, the group's global team of UCC experts and service professionals set the standard for a rich communications and collaboration experience that empowers teams to deliver better results. Unify is an Atos company.

About Atos

Atos SE (Societas Europaea) is a leader in digital services with pro forma annual revenue of circa  12 billion and circa 100,000 employees in 72 countries. Serving a global client base, the Group provides Consulting & Systems Integration services, Managed Services & BPO, Cloud operations, Big Data & Cyber-security solutions, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payments and transactional services industry. With its deep technology expertise and industry knowledge, the Group works with clients across different business sectors: Defense, Financial Services, Health, Manufacturing, Media, Utilities, Public sector, Retail, Telecommunications, and Transportation.



Atos is focused on business technology that powers progress and helps organizations to create their firm of the future. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and is listed on the Euronext Paris market. Atos operates under the brands Atos, Atos Consulting, Atos Worldgrid, Bull, Canopy, Unify and Worldline.

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SOURCE Unify

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Jordan on Monday condemned Israel for allowing "extremist" Jews to visit Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque compound saying such action could spark a "religious war".

Jordan is the custodian of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem and has repeatedly denounced what it says are violations of rules at the site, Islam's third holiest.

Jews are allowed to visit but not to pray on the esplanade in order to avoid tensions with Muslims who worship there.

Revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, the mosque compound is located in east Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967 and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

On Sunday, about 400 Jews entered the compound to commemorate the destruction of two ancient temples, but several who tried to pray there were expelled by Israeli police while two were detained.

Jordan's Minister of Islamic Affairs and Awqaf (religious property), Wael Arabiyat, denounced Israel for allowing "Zionist extremists" to enter and pray at the compound.

"Pursuing such measures could spark a religious war in the region," Arabiyat warned.

Arabiyat also denounced Israeli police for allegedly "arresting and beating" Muslim worshippers at the site.

Israeli police on Sunday said Muslims had gathered around two Jews who were being expelled from the compound and began yelling at them.

Police pushed them away and three Muslims were slightly injured in the scuffle.

Jordan's King Abdullah II also denounced "repeated violations and transgressions by Israel and extremist groups and their blatant attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem," in an interview published Monday by the semi-official Addustour newspaper.

"We will persist in undertaking our religious and historical responsibilities towards Al-Aqsa mosque.... which faces repeated violations by extremist groups," he said.

"As the Custodian of Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, I will continue my efforts to protect these places and stand up against all violations of their sanctity," he said.

Jews on Sunday were commemorating the religious day of mourning known as Tisha B'av.

Palestinian fears of Israeli intentions to undermine Muslim control of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound were a key factor in a wave of violence that erupted 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.

The current wave of protests by Palestinians and repression by Israeli occupation forces started in late July when toddler Ali Dawabsha was burned to death and three other Palestinians were severely injured after their house in the occupied West Bank was set on fire by Israeli settlers.

Settlement-building, racial discrimination, confiscation of identity cards, long queues at checkpoints, as well as daily clashes and the desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque, describe Palestinians' daily suffering.

The anger of Palestinian residents of Jerusalem has increased in the last three years after the Israeli authorities allowed increasing numbers of Jewish settlers to storm the Al-Aqsa mosque.

The surge in violence has been fuelled by Palestinians' frustration over Israel's 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state, and the expansion of settlements in those territories which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Palestinian leaders say a younger generation sees no hope for the future living under Israeli security restrictions and with a stifled economy. The latest round of U.S.-brokered peace talks collapsed in April 2014.

*The story has been edited by Ahram Online.

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LOS ANGELES, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Gigastone the Leading Global Mobile Technology Accessory Brand announced that the latest Gigastone CR8600 iPhone and iPad Flash Drive is fast becoming the perfect companion for iPhone and iPad Drone enthusiasts.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160815/398209

The CR8600 is a unique iPhone Flash Drive because it takes standard Micro SD Card memory. This device coupled with the best-in-class Gigastone complimentary IOS software, makes it an invaluable tool for drone flyers.

Harold Katz, Gigastone CMO elaborated, "The unique features of this amazing device allow drone gadgeteers to fly their drone, take video and photographs and immediately view the multimedia on their iPhones or iPads, without having to lug around a laptop computer."

At a recent meeting at the Gigastone US Headquarters in California, some of the benefits were detailed point by point;

The majority of drone cameras use Micro SD Card's for memory.

After the Drone pilot lands, the Micro SD memory Card is removed from the Drone.

In most cases a new Micro SD Card is used and the video footage or photos are reviewed after all the footage is captured.

In order to view the footage drone users have to lug around a laptop with an SD Card Adapter.

With the Gigastone device the Micro SD Card can be inserted into the Gigastone CR8600.

The Gigastone CR8600 is then inserted into an iPhone or iPad via its Apple Lightning adapter.

Using the complimentary Gigastone IOS Software the footage can be: Reviewed. Deleted or Backed Up to Cloud Storage or the iPhone/iPad. Uploaded to YouTube and other Social Channels. Kept on the Micro SD Card memory to save iPhone or iPad memory. And more

The Micro SD Card can then be removed from the Gigastone CR8600 iPhone Flash Drive and reused in the drone.

Michel Hassan, Gigastone President, commented, "The CR8600 is Apple MFi approved and is an impressive product." He went on to say, "Gigastone distributes its product through large Electronic Retailers such as Amazon and Big-Box stores the likes of Walmart, Target and The Source. We work together with our customers to create products that satisfy consumers. The new Gigastone CR8600 iPhone Flash Drive Micro SD Card Reader has found a unique niche amongst Drone Gadgeteers. Other tech users are also discovering how empowering our technology can be."

See the Gigastone web site for more information.

Gigastone also sells a full range of other memory products and mobile technology accessories, including SD Cards, iPhone Flash Drives, OTG Drives, SSD Drives, Memory Cables and USB Drives.

About Gigastone

Gigastone is the leading global mobile accessory brand, specializing in state-of-the-art, high-end mobile peripherals and technology. For two decades, Gigastone has been distributing technology to all the major big-box and Electronic Commerce stores. Gigastone has leveraged its engineering, manufacturing and quality control skills to drive world-class production and deliver quality products. A uniquely positioned company, poised to continue to grow and maintain its leadership in the fast paced consumer electronics space.

Gigastone currently has eight major offices around the globe; USA, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, France, Brazil and China, with distributors in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Notable distributors include Walmart, Costco, Target, Best Buy, Amazon, Guo Mei, JD.com, E-Mart and The Source. Gigastone continues to launch world-class mobile peripherals, constantly diversifying its product range to meet consumer demand. Customer focus is the key to ongoing Gigastone global success.

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SOURCE Gigastone

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NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The vaccines market is expected to reach USD 48.03 billion by 2021 from USD 32.24 billion in 2016 at a CAGR of 8.3%. The global vaccines market is segmented based on technology, type, disease indication, end-users, and regions. The conjugate vaccines segment is expected to register the highest growth rate in the vaccines market, by technology, during the forecast period. The high growth in this segment is attributed to the increasing company investments in development of new vaccines.



Based on end-users, the vaccines market is segmented into paediatrics and adults. The paediatrics segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2016. Increasing prevalence of diseases in children and the rising number of awareness programs to promote vaccination will drive the growth of this market.



Geographically, the vaccines market is dominated by North America, followed by Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (RoW). Growth in the North American segment is primarily driven by rising government funding for vaccine research in the North American countries.



The major factors contributing to the growth of the vaccines market include high prevalence of diseases, rising government and nongovernment funding for vaccine development, and increasing focus on immunization programs. Furthermore, increasing R&D spending and new vaccine development activities by companies is another major factor driving the growth of this market.



Apart from comprehensive geographic and product analysis and market sizing, the report also provides a competitive landscape that covers the growth strategies adopted by industry players over the last three years.



In addition, the company profiles comprise the product portfolios, developments, and strategies adopted by the market players to maintain and increase their shares in the market. The above-mentioned market research data, current market size, and forecast of the future trends will help key market players and new entrants to make the necessary decisions regarding product offerings, geographic focus, change in strategic approach, and levels of output in order to remain successful in the market.



The major players in this market include Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan), CSL Limited (Australia), Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. (U.S.), GlaxoSmithKline, plc. (U.K.), Johnson & Johnson (U.S.), MedImmune, LLC (U.S.), Merck & Co. (U.S.), Pfizer, Inc. (U.S.), Sanofi Pasteur (France), and Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (India).



Reasons to Buy the Report:



This report will enable both established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which in turn will help these firms garner greater market shares. Firms purchasing the report can use any one or a combination of the below-mentioned five strategies (market penetration, product development/innovation, market development, market diversification, and competitive assessment) for strengthening their market shares.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:



- Market Penetration: Comprehensive information on the product portfolios of the top players in the vaccines market. The report analyses the vaccines market by technology, type, disease indication, end-users, and regions

- Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on the upcoming technologies, R&D activities, and new product launches in the vaccines market

- Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of the market strategies, geographic and business segments, and product portfolios of the leading players in the vaccines market

- Market Development: Comprehensive information about emerging markets. This report analyses the market for various vaccines across geographies

- Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new vaccines, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the vaccines market



Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04062597-summary/view-report.html



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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Ms. Cote-Ackah has been appointed to a newly created position with the responsibility of leading Vanguard's community service efforts. She joins Vanguard from the University of Pennsylvania's Center for High Impact Philanthropy, one of the strategic partners Vanguard engaged to enhance the firm's philanthropic program.

"Vanguard has had a culture of caring since our founding and remains very committed to community involvement," said Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb. "We believe our focus on high impact philanthropy, under Ms. Cote-Ackah's direction, will drive real, measurable change in the communities where we live and work."

"I look forward to guiding Vanguard's community and philanthropic activities into this exciting next phase," said Ms. Cote-Ackah. "Vanguard's leadership and crew are committed to being a partner in their communities, and we have an incredible opportunity to harness the existing enthusiasm and decades of good work to address our regions' greatest needs."

The Vanguard Capital for Kids Program, established in 2015, will provide funding and skills-based volunteer service to nonprofits that support high-quality early child learning in communities in which Vanguard has major operations: Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Charlotte. The program works with experts in the field to identify groups that are highly effective in driving results and helping young children with the greatest needs.1

Vanguard created the Capital for Kids Program with the belief that investments made early in a child's life are critical to their own development, as well as to the long-term well-being of our communities. It is being funded through both company and employee giving, and will be managed and assessed with rigorous oversight to ensure the resources are making a maximum impact.

Ms. Cote-Ackah has dedicated her career to working on issues facing vulnerable children and disadvantaged communities. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology and child development from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Duke University. She received her M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where she was awarded the Morgenthau Public Administration Fellowship in support of excellence in public interest and public policy.

1Grants are being made on an invitation-only basis.

About Vanguard

Vanguard is one of the world's largest investment management companies. As of June 30, 2016, Vanguard managed more than $3.6 trillion in global assets. The firm, headquartered in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, offers more than 350 funds to its more than 20 million investors worldwide. For more information, visit vanguard.com.

About the Center for High Impact Philanthropy

The Center is a global authority on analyzing opportunities for social impact and practicing high impact philanthropy. Based at the University of Pennsylvania, its multi-disciplinary team provides public information, education, and advisory services to funders around the world. For more information, visit www.impact.upenn.edu.

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NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the recent unsealing of their lawsuit, whistleblower attorneys Stephen B. Diamond of Chicago's Stephen B. Diamond, P.C. and Timothy J. McInnis of NYC's McInnis Law announce a $1.109 million settlement of a qui tam lawsuit against My Pillow, Inc. in State of New York ex rel. Stephen B. Diamond, P.C. v. My Pillow, Inc., 100337/14 (Sup Ct, NY County). The settlement resolves allegations that My Pillow, a Minnesota company, knowingly failed to collect and remit New York use taxes on Internet and telephone sales to New York customers, thereby violating the New York False Claims Act, N.Y. Fin. Law  187. This is the first New York False Claims Act settlement for unpaid taxes on Internet and telephone sales since the Act was amended in 2010 to explicitly include tax claims.

This action followed on the heels of Relator Stephen B. Diamond, P.C.'s 2012 investigation of My Pillow in Illinois, which revealed My Pillow sold merchandise at craft shows and through the Internet and telephone to New York customers. My Pillow also broadcast infomercials to New York residents.

In July, 2016, the New York State Attorney General and Relator, Stephen B. Diamond, P.C. entered into a settlement agreement with My Pillow requiring My Pillow to pay $1.109 million in lost taxes and penalties for 2011-2015 and also collect and remit use taxes on all future Internet and telephone sales to New York customers.

In bringing this case as the whistleblower, Stephen B. Diamond, P.C. pointed out "Actions for unpaid taxes pursuant to the False Claims Act give the State a means to recover substantial amounts of lost revenue, including treble damages and penalties."

Attorney McInnis noted that, "New York is one of only a few states that have false claims acts 'with qui tam provisions' permitting private individuals to sue state sales and income tax fraud evaders on behalf of the government. Illinois is another such state. Typically a whistleblower can receive between 15% and 30% of recovered funds if the suit is successful." In this case, under the settlement agreement Stephen Diamond, P.C. received $221,000 (20%), plus the right to seek reasonable statutory fees, which have not yet been determined.

For additional information, contact Stephen B. Diamond or Tony Kim at Stephen B. Diamond, P.C. at (312)939-6280 or Timothy McInnis at McInnis Law at (212)292-4573.

SOURCE McInnis Law
POTOMAC, Md., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 12 noon at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, six women will get the nicest compliment possible for their business ideascash. The StartRight! Women's Business Plan Competition, sponsored by the law firm of Shulman Rogers, Morgan Stanley, EagleBank, Snyder Cohn and others, will award a $5,000 grand prize, two 2nd place awards of $2,500 and three 3rd place awards of $1,000 to women who want to start or expand their business, ranging from a robust website for activities and support services for seniors, My Active Senior, LLC , to manufacturing sustainably source American oak barrels for distilling, brewing and wine making, Free State Cooperage , to a flexible, mobile, professional make-up company, Accessmatized , providing early morning and late night service at your place or theirs.

"Past StartRight! finalists and winners have told us the exposure, feedback and award money provided crucial validation and support for their ideas and dreams," according to one of the initial founders of the competition, Nancy Regelin, a well-known Metro Washington area land use attorney with Shulman Rogers of Potomac, Maryland. Shulman Rogers has been an annual lead sponsor of the StartRight! competition since its inception in 2004. One of the firm's named shareholders, Don Rogers, will present the awards during the Keynote Luncheon of The Power Conference: Women Doing Business , a women's regional business development event.

More than 700 businesswomen, including business owners and senior professionals for some of the major metro area corporations including PenFed, Morgan Stanley, Kaiser Permanente, WSSC, PEPCO - Excelon, and fast growing women-owned businesses including Pivotal Practices, FlexProfessionals, Strategic Consulting Partners and Creative Colony representing millions of dollars revenue, will gather at this 17th Annual Power Conference (formerly the Women In Business Conference). They will meet clients, prospects, service providers and referral sources during a full day of business workshops and master classes, and exhibits. State and local government officials will be present to introduce attendees to the resources available to both new and established businesses in the region.

The Keynote Speaker for the event will be Crystal McCrary, a TV and Film Producer and Director and Best Selling NY Times author of the book Inspiration , which profiles 29 dynamic American women who are changing the world. She recently produced and directed the documentary Little Ballers on Nick Sports.

For registration information, go to www.ThePowerConference.com.

For information on the StartRight! Business Plan Competition presented by the Maryland Women's Business Center, an initiative of Rockville Economic Development, Inc., go to www.Marylandwbc.org.

A full list of finalists is provided below:

Accessmatized  Takia Ross A dult Computer Tutor, LLC  Eileen Gannon Free State Cooperage  Alice Blayne-Allard MedAPT  Damaini Agarwal My Active Senior, LLC  Shememe Williams Next Steps in Nursing, LLC (NSIN)  Shenita Penn & Krystina Sims SPIN Healthcare & IT Solutions, LLC  Angela Williams The Story House  Deborah Bodin Cohen Three Muses Health & Wellness, LLC  Dawn M. Bellanti Wisdom in Minutes  Tonda Bean

Press Advisory and Media Opportunity

Nancy Regelin, a co-founder of one of the region's most successful business development conferences for Women and an Advisory Board member for the Maryland Women's Business Center, and whose firm, Shulman Rogers, a founding sponsor of both the conference and the business plan competition, is available to discuss the origins, impact and future of The Power Conference: Women Doing Business and the StartRight! Business Plan Competition. Nancy is available for print comments, background or community events programming. This year, the 17th Annual Power Conference, more than 700 women including business owners and senior executives from PenFed, Morgan Stanley, EagleBank, Snyder Cohn, Revere Bank and more, along with an exciting array of women owned businesses of all sizes and industries, will be in attendance for a full day of business networking and workshops. More than $10,000 in prizes will be awarded to women starting or expanding their businesses.

Event Date and Location:

Thursday, August 25, 2016 at 12 noon at the North Bethesda Marriott Hotel & Conference Center

Contact:

Sabrina McGowan, SQM Communications LLC

T: 240-401-2092

E: [email protected]

SOURCE Shulman Rogers Gandal Pordy & Ecker, P.A.

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YES! is a portfolio company of opportunistic real estate funds managed by Stockbridge Capital Group, LLC. Stockbridge's existing investors, together with members of YES!'s management team, will continue to own an approximately 29% interest in the new, consolidated enterprise. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Based in Denver, YES!'s manufactured home community businesses include 178 communities across 17 states, with more than 44,600 residential home sites, an inventory of over 11,500 manufactured homes and a portfolio of home loans secured by homes within its communities. Founded in 2007, YES! pioneered an innovative operating strategy, offering multiple affordable housing solutions designed to meet the varying needs of its residents. The YES! strategy incorporates manufactured home site rental, home rental, home sales and home loan acquisition programs.

Adam Gallistel, Regional Head for Americas, GIC Real Estate, said, "The manufactured housing sector is a unique and highly-attractive niche in the U.S. residential market, which GIC has been exploring for some time. Given the relative lack of consolidation, it is very difficult to enter this sector in scale. We view YES! as an exceptional opportunity to do just that. With a very capable management team and strong institutional sponsorship, YES! shares our values and our dedication to seeking opportunities to further expand the company's successful business model."

Gary McDaniel, Chief Executive Officer of YES! said, "After growing YES! with our partners at Stockbridge for more than eight years, we are excited to enter this new phase of its development. With Stockbridge and our new partners, we expect to continue to grow the YES! platform and deliver its innovative strategy to new markets, communities and residents."

Terry Fancher, Executive Managing Director of Stockbridge said, "YES! has been a highly successful investment for Stockbridge. We continue to see tremendous potential in the manufactured housing sector generally, and in YES! particularly. This transaction permits certain of our investors to monetize their investment, while allowing others to invest in YES!'s future alongside GIC and another major global partner."

Debt financing for the transaction included two credit facilities from Fannie Mae arranged by KeyBank and Wells Fargo, respectively, together with a credit facility from Freddie Mac and a syndicated line of credit, both arranged by KeyBank.

Eastdil Secured, L.L.C. served as Lead Financial Advisor to YES!, with KeyBanc Capital Markets, BofA Merrill Lynch and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. serving as Financial Advisors. JMP Securities LLC and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. also provided financial advisory services in connection with the transaction, including rendering fairness opinions to certain of the YES! investment entities. Clifford Chance US LLP served as legal counsel to YES! and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal counsel to Stockbridge.

About YES! Communities

YES! Communities is one of the nation's largest owners and operators of manufactured home communities, with 178 communities across 17 states containing over 44,600 residential home sites. Based in Denver, YES! is a recognized industry leader and winner of the Manufactured Housing Institute's "Community Operator of the Year" award for the last seven consecutive years. For more information about YES!, please visit www.yescommunities.com.

About Stockbridge

Stockbridge Capital Group, LLC is an independent real estate investment management firm which, together with its affiliates, had approximately US$10 billion in real estate and real estate-related assets under management as of June 30, 2016. In addition to real estate ownership, Stockbridge also specializes in large-scale development and redevelopment projects. Stockbridge is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Chicago, New York and Atlanta. For more information about Stockbridge, please visit www.stockbridge.com.

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm with well over US$100 billion in assets under management. Established in 1981 to secure the financial future of Singapore, the firm manages Singapore's foreign reserves. A disciplined long-term value investor, GIC is uniquely positioned for investments across a wide range of asset classes, including real estate, private equity, equities and fixed income. GIC has investments in over 40 countries and has been investing in emerging markets for more than two decades. Headquartered in Singapore, GIC employs over 1,300 people across 10 offices in key financial cities worldwide. For more information about GIC, please visit www.gic.com.sg.

Annex A  Sample Photos of Yes! Communities Assets

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CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Zubie, a leading connected-car platform and telematics provider, has launched its enhanced business fleet and analytics solution which now includes in-vehicle Wi-Fi powered by Verizon's 4G LTE network. The new Zubie Business + In-Vehicle Wi-Fi solution is the first in the industry to meet the needs of the growing number of businesses that rely on the power of both telematics and in-vehicle mobile connectivity.

The core Zubie Business solution uses a cellular connection device, along with simple-to-use web and mobile apps tailored for fleet monitoring and analytics. It offers capabilities such as remote monitoring of vehicle location, analysis of driving activity and vehicle diagnostics without requiring driver interaction, and delivers vehicle information even while vehicles are turned off. These valuable telematics capabilities are now enhanced with the addition of mobile hotspot connectivity that meets the needs of customers looking for in-vehicle Wi-Fi to keep their workforces productive while on the go. The Zubie Business + In-Vehicle Wi-Fi solution can power businesses ranging from small local companies to large national fleets.

Mobile workers can be quickly connected to the office and their customers. Transportation providers such as shuttle and limousine services can offer high-speed Wi-Fi to their passengers. First responders and service professionals can now access high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity across multiple devices such as tablets and dash cameras. Zubie's solution does not require professional installation, is simple to configure and use, and is more affordable than most fleet solutions on the market.

"We have experience serving a wide array of small and large businesses, and understand that fleet managers and business owners are continually looking for ways to improve the safety of their drivers and the efficiency of their operations," said Zubie COO Prag Shah. "The combination of In-vehicle Wi-Fi connected by the Verizon 4G LTE network and Zubie's robust tracking and data analytics capabilities means we can now offer businesses one of the most powerful and comprehensive connected-vehicle solutions in the industry, simply and affordably."

The new Zubie Business + In-Vehicle Wi-Fi solution is currently available for business customers with Verizon accounts. For more information, visit Zubie Business.

About Zubie

Zubie is a connected-car service focused on making driving safer and worry-free for business enterprises including automotive, insurance and mobile/telecom operators, as well as consumers and small businesses. The company was formed in 2012, and is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Zubie was the winner of the "2015 Best Insurance Telematics Product" award from TU Automotive, and the 2016 Tech CARS award for "Best OBDII Device with Software and Services" from Auto Connected Car. Visit Zubie.com for more information about Zubie.

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When Fatima and Mohammad pushed open their front door -- elated to return to Syria's Manbij after it was retaken from militants -- their weeks-long dream of coming home turned into a nightmare.

The blast could be heard across the ruined town in northern Syria, where US-backed Arab and Kurdish fighters chased out the last remaining Islamic State group fighters at the weekend.

IS group militants withdrew after making a last stand in the centre of Manbij against the Syrian Democratic Forces, leaving behind them a booby-trapped town.

AFP journalists arrived in Manbij on Sunday to the sound of a massive blast, the first of several they heard throughout their tour of the town.

Moments after the explosion at her front door, 40-year-old Fatima burst back into the street, her contorted face covered in tears.

She begged someone to drive her to the hospital behind the ambulance carrying her husband Mohammad, who was wounded to the face and leg in the blast.

He was taken to the Kurdish-majority border town of Kobane further northeast for treatment, as all of the clinics in Manbij are out of service.

"Everyone was begging Mohammad to be patient and not open the door, but he insisted that he wanted to check if our home had been looted," Fatima told AFP, her voice shaking as she wiped tears from her tired face.

Like Fatima and Mohammad, thousands of others are eager to return to their homes in Manbij, which IS group seized in 2014 and used as a key transit town along the militants' supply route from Turkey.

On Sunday, pick-up trucks lined up at a checkpoint on the edge of the town, transporting home hundreds of civilians -- including children, who were beaming from ear to ear and holding up their fingers in a v-shape for victory.

But they are returning to a nearly unrecognisable town, ravaged by nearly two months of fighting and still undergoing demining operations by the SDF.

"Manbij is liberated" is scrawled on low concrete walls across the town -- but so are warnings to "Watch out for mines".

Roofs and walls of homes have crumbled into small mountains of rubble.

On the edges of roads and on balconies, men and young children gingerly sweep away dust and debris.

"The mines are exploding everywhere. When we open a door, when we step into the street," said Hassan al-Hussein, one of Fatima's neighbours.

"My cousin was killed yesterday when a mine exploded," he said, staring blankly from behind his eye glasses.

"Once we demine the whole town, we can live. On top of that, there's no water, no flour, and none of the clinics are functioning," he said.

Nearby Najwa, 41, kept her seven-year-old daughter Amani close by her side as she carefully entered her home for the first time since IS group was pushed out.

The pair tiptoed through a blanket of concrete debris, staring at walls blackened by a fire.

"They burned everything. This was my bedroom as a child -- it breaks my heart to see it like this," Najwa said.

"The jihadists entered our towns three years ago -- but it feels like 30 years have passed."

IS's brutal reign over Manbij left even its youngest residents with traumatising memories.

"They hit anyone who tried to walk to school and said we were infidels," Amani chimed in.

"Even television was banned," she recalls, her voice breaking before taking refuge behind her mother's dress.

The jihadist group has implemented its ultra-conservative Islamist ideology across swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria where it declared a self-styled "caliphate" in 2014.

As IS fighters withdrew from the town on Friday, some women burned the black robes that the Islamist militants imposed on them, while men who had lived under a shaving ban cut their beards.

But some legacies of IS group rule remain.

An illustration on the wall of one Manbij school depicts a woman fully covered in black and wearing a face veil beside an explanation of the importance of modesty.

"They only taught children Koranic verses, how to carry arms and how to kill," said Mohammad al-Abdallah, a 53-year-old retired teacher.

IS fighters left his house in ruins.

"Even little girls were forced to cover up completely," said 11-year-old Aya.

"Now that I can wear whatever I want, I'm happy."

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Turkey's ex-Soviet ally Azerbaijan on Monday said it has launched a criminal investigation into the supporters of US-based Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara blames for last month's abortive coup.

"In order to prevent illegal actions on the territory of Azerbaijan by the supporters of the terrorist organisation of Fethullah Gulen, the prosecutor general has launched a criminal case," spokesman Eldar Sultanov told AFP.

He said investigators have begun "actions" on the case, without elaborating. It is unclear how many people might be prosecuted in the case.

Gulen is accused of ordering the July 15 coup during which a group within the military tried to remove President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power, a claim he strongly denies.

Azerbaijan last month shut down a private television channel over plans to broadcast an interview with Gulen, "in order to avoid provocations aimed at damaging the strategic partnership between Turkey and Azerbaijan."

Gulen's Hizmet movement has affiliated schools around the world, including in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, normally funded by wealthy Turkish businessmen.

They insist it is an informal grouping promoting moderate islam and development, but their critics see them as a shadowy organisation with an unaccountable influence in Turkey.

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Islamabad, Aug 10 : Pakistan on Wednesday issued a terror alert, warning that the Pakistani Taliban was planning to strike on the Wagah border with India around the Independence Day ceremonies of the two neighbours.

In a letter, accessed by IANS, Pakistan National Counter Terrorism Authority wrote to Punjab Home Secretary over the possible attack at the Wagah Border between August 13-15.

"Reportedly, Tehreek-e-Taliban, Fazal Ullah group is planning to target parade at Wagah border in Lahore or Ganda Singh Border in Kasur on August 13, 14 or 15," the letter stated.

It also warned that at least two suicide bombers had been dispatched to carry out the attack.

"Extreme vigilance and heightened security measures are suggested to avoid any untoward incident," the letter said.

The letter comes as Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif chaired a high level security meeting.

On November 2, 2014, a suicide bombing had taken place at Wagah border following the daily border ceremony in Pakistan. The attack, which led to dozens of fatalities, was claimed by three militant groups.

Pakistan has already heightened its security at sensitive places across the country following the recent terror attack in Balochistan, which left over 70 people dead, making it the deadliest this year.

Top military commanders in the country believe the terrorist threat is taking on a brutal shape due to "a growing nexus between hostile actors in the neighbourhood and facilitators within the country".

At a corps commanders' conference held at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the generals reviewed the threat perception and discussed measures for countering the security challenges.
Panaji, Aug 12 : Goa is the epitome of the future of India and the upcoming BRICS summit there will place the coastal state at an even bigger global stage, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.

"Goa has a time honoured history, beautiful landscape rich resources and hardworking people and is one of the most developed states in India. Goa is small, but beautiful," Wang told reporters after meeting Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

"I believe this state is an epitome of the future and bright prospect of India. I am sure the BRICS summit will put Goa at an even bigger stage," he added.

Wang is in Goa to review logistics and security arrangements ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the coastal state for the BRICS summit to be held in October.

"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the BRICS summit. Now that I am paying a visit to India I have come to the state of Goa to take a look at the venues," he said.
Saudi soldiers on the front lines of the war in Yemen are getting a month's extra salary from King Salman, official media said as combat claimed another trooper's life.

The handout comes after an escalation of the 17-month-old war following the suspension of peace talks between Yemeni rebels and the internationally recognised government.

King Salman "has ordered paying a month's salary to active participants at the front lines" of the Yemen operation, which began in March last year, the Saudi Press Agency reported late Sunday.

"The order covers employees of the ministries of interior, defence, and the National Guard," it said, without giving the total cost of the bonus.

It comes as the kingdom battles a projected $87-billion (80-billion-euros) deficit in 2016 after oil revenues collapsed by more than half over the past two years.

In April, Saudi Arabia announced its wide-ranging Vision 2030 plan to diversify the oil-dependent economy.

Dozens of Saudi troops have died along the border or on the Yemeni battlefield since the kingdom launched coalition operations there.

Border Guards Corporal Mishari al-Shahrani on Monday morning became the latest Saudi casualty, the Interior Ministry said.

On the front line in Saudi Arabia's Asir border zone, he was killed during an exchange of fire with Huthis shooting from Yemen, the ministry said.

The Saudi-led coalition acted in support of Yemen's government against Shia Houthi rebels and their allies who overran much of the country.

Coalition jets struck targets around Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa for the first time in three months last week.

The raids came after increased ceasefire violations by the rebels and suspension of the United Nations-brokered talks in Kuwait, the coalition said.

In late July, 12 Saudi soldiers were killed in border clashes during the most serious fighting in months along the frontier.

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New Delhi, Aug 12 : The Supreme Court on Friday sharply criticized the Modi government for sitting on the recommendation of its collegium on the appointment and transfer of judges in High Courts, almost bringing judiciary to the state of collapse.

Asking if by sitting on the recommendations of the collegium, the government was trying to bring the judicial institutions to a "grinding halt", Chief Justice T.S. Thakur told Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that it would be forced to intervene judicially and call for every file sent to the government for clearance by the collegium.

"Don't force us to ask where the files are. Don't force us to judicially intervene. Don't try to bring this institution to a grinding halt. That's not the right thing to do," Chief Justice Thakur told the Attorney General.

Pointing to a chart before him, Chief Justice Thakur said: "We have a chart here detailing the list of collegium recommendations for appointments and transfers. We can give it to you. There are 75 names of High Court judges recommended by the collegium. These include names for appointments and transfers of HC judges, including Chief Justices. There is nothing on them from your side so far."

Seated with Justice A.M. Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Chief Justice Thakur appeared unrelenting even as the Attorney General made repeated assurances that the concerns expressed by the court would be taken up at the highest level in the government.

Pointing out that there was some kind of "logjam" in the appointment of judges to higher judiciary, Chief Justice Thakur told the Attorney General: "If you have a problem with a name suggested by us, send the file back to us. We will look into it."

One such instance where the recommendation of the top court collegium has not been acted upon so far by the government is of the transfer of the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand High Court Justice K.M. Joseph as the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court. Despite top court collegium recommending his transfer in early May, the government is yet to issue his transfer orders.

The top court bench headed by Chief Justice Thakur gave vent to its anguish over the dilly dally approach of the government in clearing the names for appointment of judges to the high courts on a PIL by a 1971 war veteran who has expressed concern over ever rising vacancies in high courts.

Things went cold between the top judiciary and the government after its constitution bench on October 16, 2015 struck down as unconstitutional the Constitution's 99th Aamendment that put in place the NJAC and the NJACA Act, 2014.

Pointing out that with four million cases and High Courts functioning at 44.30% of the sanctioned strength of judges, Chief Justice Thakur asked Attorney General Rohatgi to immediately address the issue as "whole situation is getting very difficult."

With high courts functioning with less than 50% of their sanctioned strength, consequently affecting the hearing of appeals, Chief Justice Thakur said people were languishing in jails waiting for the hearing of their appeals.

"Should we deal with the issue judicially? Should we fix accountability?" he asked, pointing out that the process for the framing of memorandum of procedure can go on, but the appointment of judges can't wait.

The Attorney General urged the court not to issue notice on the PIL by Lt. Col. Anil Kabotra, assuring that he would soon revert to the bench.

The tussle between the top judiciary and the Modi government came out in open on April 24 during the conference of Chief Justice of the High Courts and the Chief Ministers when Chief Justice Thakur made an impassioned appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the names recommended by the top court's collegium for the appointment of judges.
Panaji, Aug 12 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi left for New Delhi on Friday evening after a day-long visit to Goa during which he reviewed logistical and security arrangements in the state which is hosting the upcoming BRICS summit which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.

Wang, during his brief interaction with reporters at the Secretariat, also asked India to decide its position vis-a-vis the South China sea row.

The Chinese delegation led by Wang met Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Governor Mridula Sinha as well as top officials in-charge of organising logistics and security for the BRICS event.

He visited two coastal resorts being short-listed as venues for the BRICS meet and which will host Chinese delegates during the two-day event in October.

"Goa has a time honoured history, beautiful landscape, rich resources and hardworking people and is one of the most developed states in India. Goa is small, but beautiful," Wang said after meeting Chief Minister Parsekar.

"I believe this state is an epitome of the future and bright prospect of India. I am sure the BRICS summit will put Goa at an even bigger stage," he added.

"Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has invited Chinese President Xi to attend the BRICS summit. Now that I am paying a visit to India I have come to the state of Goa to take a look at the venues."

Asked to comment on whether China was seeking support from India on the South China Sea, Wang said: "It is up to India to decide what position to take."

Speaking to reporters, Parsekar said Wang showed interest in two technology-related projects promoted by his government.

"He has shown interest in Goa's electronic city and IT Park and said that after the BRICS summit they would be interested in bringing investment here. Especially there is scope for investment in electronic city, because we are in a budding stage," Parsekar said.

The Electronic City at Tuem village and the IT Park at Chimbel village are two pet projects of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Goa.

"The central government has given Goa the opportunity to host the BRICS summit. It shows the significance which has been given to Goa by the Prime Minister. Goa and China share historic ties," Parsekar said.

Wang is expected to meet his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi on Saturday.
London, Aug 13 : The UK government has promised to replace European Union (EU) funding for farmers, scientists and other projects after Britain's exit from the bloc in June.

According to Chancellor Philip Hammond the move could cost up to 4.5 billion pounds (about $5.8 billion) a year. The Treasury will guarantee to back EU-funded projects signed before the end of this year, the BBC reported on Saturday.

Agricultural funding now provided by the EU will also continue until 2020.

"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," Hammond said.

"We are determined to ensure that people have stability and certainty in the period leading up to our departure from the EU and that we use the opportunities that departure presents to determine our own priorities," the BBC quoted the Chancellor as saying.

The UK currently pays money into the EU budget, which will stop once it formally leaves the bloc.

In 2015, the UK government paid 13 billion pounds and EU spending on Britain was 4.5 billion pounds, meaning the country's net contribution was estimated at about 8.5 billion, the BBC added.
New Delhi, Aug 13 : Only 0.08 per cent of Indians donate their organs to the needy as compared to 70-80 per cent of Spaniards and Belgians, health experts said on Saturday.

Every year 200,000 people in India need a new kidney and 100,000 need a new liver, but only two to three per cent of the demand for new organs is met, they said on the occasion of Organ Donation Day on August 13.

The low proportion of organ donors in Indian population can largely be attributed to ignorance, superstition and an absence of conducive regulatory framework, said the experts.

"It's tragic that even after so much promotion of the idea, India lags so much in organ donation. There has been almost no improvement in the situation in the last couple of years," said Ravinder Malhotra, Director of the Centre for Liver Transplant and Gastrosciences at the Saroj Super Speciality Hospital.

"Children can also be made organ donors after parental consent. There is a need to explain and promote the entire concept of organ donation more," he said.

Malhotra said the laws need to be changed to make them more facilitative of organ donation.

In some Western countries, the body of a citizen who has died goes into the custody of the state which can then take decisions regarding organ procurement and donation, some doctors said.

In India, on the contrary, the consent of the close relatives of the deceased who pledged their organs is important, which is negative in most cases, said P.K. Bhardwaj, a Delhi-based doctor.

"More people die waiting for a transplant as availability and suitability is less. Anybody can be a donor; depending on the medical condition, organs and tissues can be donated for transplant," said Bhardwaj.

According to the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation of AIIMS-New Delhi, over 22,500 people across the country have registered since 2010 to donate their organs after their death.

The health experts said religious leaders should endorse organ donation programmes as a high percentage of people avoid organ donation on religious grounds.

Bhavadee Sharma, a senior doctor with AIIMS, said: "People have to accept organ donation just like the way they have accepted blood donation. It will take time but will certainly happen in the near future."

Along with change in laws for organ donation, there is a need for convincing people about brain death, which a large number of people do not consider death, Sharma said.
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.
Kathmandu, Aug 14 : 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.
New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday sought support from all sections of society for the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative which focuses on the girl child.

"I still need social support for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'," the Prime Minsiter said in his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.

He said one healthy, educated and economically independent woman can pull a family out of poverty.

He also spoke of the bill for extending maternity leave to 26 weeks that the Rajya Sabha passed last week.
New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said every major global agency has ranked in India the best investment destination, even as the country's economy has continued to grow well despite the global gloom.

Be it the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank or the World Economic Forum, they have all declared India to be the best destination for global capital, Modi said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

"It is important for India to remain relevant and lead the global economy. But that is possible only if we adopt global standards. In recent days you have already seen how rating agencies have appreciated our moves on ease of doing business."
New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the pan-India Goods and Services (GST) tax regime will strengthen the Indian economy and thanked all political parties for the passage of the relevant bill to initiate the process.

"GST will give strength to our economy. All parties are to be thanked for its passage," Modi said in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort.

"GST is also one such tax reform that will help us bring financial stability," said the Prime Minister. "One nation, one grid and one price is what we have worked on."
Srinagar, Aug 15 : At least six Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were injured in a militant attack here on Monday.

"Militants attacked a CRPF post in Khanyar area," a police official told IANS.

The attack came despite curfew in Srinagar to prevent violence on India's 70th Independence Day.

The main Independence Day function was held at the Bakshi stadium here.
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 p.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.

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2:57 p.m.

Connecticut has not been in Republican hands since George H.W. Bush won the state in 1988. No matter, Donald Trump says as he promises to pursue the Democratic stronghold.

Trump told a crowd gathered for a Saturday evening rally in a sweltering Fairfield gym that he was making "a big play" for Connecticut.

Still, campaigning in Connecticut is raising eyebrows among many Republicans nervous about Trump's 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.

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Srinagar, Aug 15 : The main Independence Day function passed off peacefully here on Monday although a militant attack in the old city area left 10 security personnel injured.

"Militants attacked a security forces troop in Khanyar area injuring 10 security personnel, including nine Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers and a local policeman," a police officer told IANS.

The injured were transferred to a hospital, the official said. The doctors described the condition of two CRPF troopers as "critical".

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and was given salute at a parade at the Bakshi stadium.

Mehbooba said peace was imperative for equal development of all the three regions of the state.

"I ensured that civilians are not used as human shield during anti-militancy operations. I am sad because certain elements are using our youths as a shield to fulfil there notorious desires.

"These elements are trying to achieve there objectives through violence," the Chief Minister said.

"Thousands have died in the state in 1990s but what did we achieve?" Mehbooba asked. "During the past 40 days we handed our youths to these vested interests who are using them as cannon fodder."

She said that her government needed time for healing of the wounds left behind by the current violence which has left at least 57 people dead in the valley.

Mehbooba regretted that despite Islam's message of hospitality, even basic hospitality was ignored during Home Minister Rajnath Singh's recent visit to Pakistan.

The Chief Minister appealed India and Pakistan to come together and work for peace in both parts of the divided Kashmir.

"So much blood has flown in the Jehlum river and it has no capacity to bear further bloodshed," she said.

Mehbooba also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire parliament stood behind the people of Jammu and Kashmir to pull them out of the present crisis.

She regretted that whenever schools are opened by the government, people come out to force closure of those institutions.

Mehbooba said the present disturbance had retarded the pace of development in the state.

Members of the state council of ministers, senior civil and military officials were present during the Independence Day celebration ceremony.

Authorities have imposed curfew in the entire Srinagar and all other nine districts in the valley to prevent violence on the country's 70th Independence Day celebration.
Chennai, Aug 15 : Actors Jeet and Prosenjit Chatterjee are reportedly teaming up for yet-untitled Bengali remake of last year's Tamil blockbuster "Thani Oruvan".

"Yes, 'Thani Oruvan' is being remade in Bengali. Jeet and Prosenjit are joining hands for the remake, which will be officially announced soon. The project is most likely to go on the floors later this year or early next year," an industry source told IANS.

Directed by Mohan Raja, "Thani Oruvan" featured his brother Jayam Ravi as the lead, while actor Arvind Swami was seen as a suave and conniving antagonist.

"In the remake, Jeet will essay Ravi's part and Prosenjit will be seen playing the antagonist. The project is most likely to be bankrolled by Shree Venkatesh Films. The makers haven't finalised the director yet," the source added.

"Thani Oruvan" is currently being remade in Telugu as "Dhruva", and it stars Ram Charan in the titular role.
New Delhi, Aug 15 : The Chief Justice of India, Justice T.S. Thakur, on Monday urged the government to pay attention to judiciary and address its problems.

Pointing to the delays that have crept into the justice delivery system on account of huge pendency, Chief Justice Thakur said that during British Raj a case used to be decided in 10 years time but now even that was not happening due to the huge backlog.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, he said he was wondering if he would say something about the country's judicial system.

At the start of a similar function in the Supreme Court, the knot did not open when the Chief Justice unfurled the national flag.

He said those manning the top judiciary were not weak if Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad refused to be provoked by references to judicial appointments by the Bar Association leaders.

Bar Association Vice President Ajit Sinha earlier urged the minister to consult the Association while appointing judges. Its Secretary Gaurav Bhatia said judicial appointments should be made on time.

Explaining how finally the flag was unfurled, the Chief Justice said: "We took out the pole, undid the knot in the flag, refixed the pole and unfurled it."

In his address as a guest of honour, Law Minister Prasad said the appointment of judges would go ahead irrespective of whether a memorandum of procedure (MoP) was in place or not.

He said the Modi government had taken this position right in the beginning of the year that the absence of MoP would not come in the way of the appointment of judges to higher judiciary.

Earlier, on Friday, Chief Justice Thakur urged the government to clear the appointment of judges as recommended by the Supreme Court collegium.
Panaji, Aug 15 : Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is expected to visit India in January next year, Consul General for Goa Rui Baceira said here on Monday.

"The Portuguese Prime Minister is coming to India in January. He is of Goan Indian origin. We are very pleased as a consulate to have him here," Baceira said, while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Independence Day celebrations in Panaji.

Lawyer turned politician Antonio Costa assumed charge as Prime Minister of Portugal in November last year. Costa hails from Margao town, 35 km south of Panaji.

Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parserkar has already said that he will formally invite Costa to the coastal state.

Goa was a Portuguese colony for 451 years, until it was liberated by the Indian armed forces in 1961. Many Goans hold Portuguese passports under the offer Lisobon made.
New Delhi, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday stressed on good governance and sought people's support for that.

In his Independence Day address to the nation from the historic Red Fort here, the Prime Minister said India needed to convert "swaraj" (independence) to "surajya" (good governance).

Modi said the way gaining independence required sacrifice, achieving good governance also requires sacrifice and discipline.

Whether it was "Panchayat or Parliament, village head or prime minister", every person and institution needed to work together to achieve the goal of good governance, Modi said.

"There are lakhs of problems in India, but Indians have capability to overcome them," he said.

Modi said his government has taken "countless initiatives" in its two years in office, and added he would not talk about the programmes but the "work style" of the government.

The Prime Minister also stressed on transparency and accountability of the governance. "Accountability should be at the root of good governance."

"Good governance means a change in the life of the common man. It means the government is sensitive, responsible and dedicated to the common people," he added.

He gave examples of online registration in government hospitals like AIIMS, improvement in IRCTC website for booking train tickets and expediting process for getting passport.

The Prime Minister added that his government was focused on delivering to the "last man".
Panaji, Aug 15 : The coastal state of Goa has been given the opportunity to host the BRICS summit in October this year ahead of other states because of its high hospitality standards, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar said on Monday.

Parsekar said, "The Prime Minister gave Goa an opportunity to host the BRICS summit over all other Indian states because of Goa's fame. He chose Goa because when BRICS heads arrive in Goa they should get good hospitality and a good impression about India."

The BRICS summit will be held in Goa in mid-October. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was in Goa last week to review preparations for the meet, which is expected to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Parsekar also said that Goa should capitalise on the state's tourism potential.

"Goans need to be aware of the state's tourism potential. All of us should take advantage of this," Parsekar said.

Goa, famous for its beaches and nightlife, attracts four million tourists annually, half of them are foreigners.
Srinagar, Aug 15 : A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight here on Monday despite a strict curfew in the Kashmir Valley in view of terror threats on India's Independence Day.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area.

Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack. They have been shifted to a hospital.

Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta - close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar.

"Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house," a police officer told IANS.

Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on July 8 sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day.

The main official function was held at Bakhshi stadium near Lal Chowk in Srinagar amid tight security. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering.

She referred to the recent bout of violence in the valley and said peace was imperative for equal development of all the three regions - Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir.

"I ensured that civilians are not used as human shield during anti-militancy operations. I am sad because certain elements are using our youths as a shield to fulfil their notorious desires.

"These elements are trying to achieve their objectives through violence.

"Thousands have died in the state since the 1990s but what did we achieve? During the past 40 days, we handed our youths to these vested interests who are using them as cannon fodder."

She said her government needed time for healing the wounds of Kashmiris.

The Chief Minister appealed India and Pakistan to come together and work for peace in both parts of the divided Kashmir.

"So much blood has flown in the Jhelum river and it has no capacity to bear further bloodshed."
Mumbai, Aug 15 : Maharashtra celebrated the 70th Independence Day on Monday with joy and patriotic fervour.

School and college students, citizens, politicians, freedom fighters and others enthusiastically participated in scores of colourful events organised across the state.

Maharashtra Governor C.V. Rao hoisted the national flag at the main Independence Day function in Pune. He was given a salute by police and security forces contingents, and greeted the people on the occasion.

Another event was held at Mantralaya, the seat of the state government in Mumbai, where Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hoisted the tricolour, received a salute from security forces and later addressed a gathering.

Fadnavis in his speech recalled the Indian Freedom Movement, services of the freedom fighters and sacrifices of the martyrs, which enabled the country yo earn its freedom from the British rule.

Fadnavis highlighted several schemes launched by the state government to combat drought, unemployment, farmers' suicides, crop losses, female foeticides and crimes against women, cyber crimes etc.

Mumbai Mayor Snehal Ambekar hoisted the national flag at the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, garlanded statues of various national leaders and addressed the gathering in the presence of Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta and other senior officials.

Western Railway General Manager G.C. Agrawal hoisted the tricolour, inspected a ceremonial parade of the Railway Protection Force while Central Railway General Manager Akhil Agarwal hoisted the national flag and took the salute of RPF contingent at their respective headquarters.

Schools and colleges in Mumbai also organised Independence Day functions with flag-hoisting, march-pasts and parades in which millions of students participated.

Various political parties, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Shiv Sena, Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and others, as well as their affiliated youth and students wings also organised celebrations.

The Independence Day was joyously celebrated in all districts across the state with the participation of guardian ministers, local elected representatives, students, youths and citizens comprising members of all communities.

In Nagpur, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat unfurled the national flag, took the salute from swayamsevaks at the RSS headquarters and later addressed its activists.

Other public and private Independence Day functions were held in malls, housing societies, corporate and other central and state government buildings.

Since Sunday night, major government buildings like the railways headquarters, Mantralaya, BSE Building, the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport terminals and other prominent public landmarks were illuminated in the colours of the national flag, presenting an ethereal spectacle savoured by millions.

The Maharashtra Police maintained tight security measures in all cities, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik, and other major towns to ensure a peaceful Independence Day across the state.
Ajmer, Aug 15 : India's 70th Independence Day was celebrated with enthusiasm, gaiety and fervour throughout Rajasthan on Monday.

The state-level function was held at the Patel Stadium here where Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje unfurled the national flag and urged the people to cooperate in making Rajasthan a leading state.

"Lot has been done, but more is needed to make Rajasthan a leading state and without participation and cooperation of people nothing much can be achieved," she said, addressing a large gathering of city residents, school children and others here.

Raje highlighted various schemes of the state government.

Various steps are being taken to improve infrastructure in the state, including road network, she said.

"We are working hard to put Rajasthan on the path of progress," Raje said.

"We are giving priority to development of solar and wind power and because of our policies the state ranks top in solar power."

The state will organise Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet-2016 (GRAM) in Jaipur from November 9-11, which is likely to be attended by over 40,000 farmers from all over the country, she said.

The function also saw Raje honouring police and government officers and cultural performances.
Shivamogga (Karnataka), Aug 15 : Karnataka Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa, 83, on Monday fainted and collapsed at the 70th Independence Day function here in Malnad region, about 300 km from Bengaluru.

"After unfurling the tricolour at the official event in the Parade Ground, the minister fainted and fell down on the podium when he was about to address the gathering," an official told IANS.

The octogenarian minister was lifted off the dais and rushed to a hospital where he regained consciousness and his condition is reported to be stable.

"Thimmappa fainted due to old age and exertion," the official added.

Though the function was interrupted briefly, the district administration continued with the rest of the events, including the march past and cultural progammes.

The Congress lawmaker from Sagar was recently inducted into the cabinet after serving as speaker of the state legislative assembly for three years since May 2013 when the Congress returned to power.
Authorities have named a Pennsylvania man as the shooter in a murder-suicide that left his family dead earlier this month.

The Berks County district attorney said Monday that 40-year-old Mark Short Sr. shot and killed his 33-year-old wife, Megan, and the couple's three children before turning the weapon on himself.

The children  8-year-old Lianna, 5-year-old Mark Jr. and 2-year-old Willow  were found dead alongside their parents Aug. 6 in the family's home in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania.

Authorities say the couple had been having "domestic issues." They found a handwritten murder-suicide note and a handgun near one of the adults.

Neighbors say Megan Short had posted on social media before her death that she planned to leave her husband. A funeral Mass was held Friday.

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Jerusalem, Aug 15 : Israel's army said on Monday that troops demolished the home of a Palestinian who reportedly stabbed a Jewish teenager to death in her settlement home.

The home of 17-year-old Mohammed Tra'ayra in the West Bank village of Bani Naim near Hebron, was demolished overnight, Xinhua news agency quoted military statement as saying.

On June 30, Tra'ayra killed the 13 years old Hallel Yaffa Ariel in the nearby settlement of Kiryat Arba.

Ariel, who held a dual US-Israeli citizenship, was the youngest Israeli victim in a yearlong spate of violence, which had claimed the lives of 34 Israelis and at least 220 Palestinians.

Israel had demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes since it occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in 1967, as a punitive measure aimed at deterring Palestinians from carrying out attacks against Israelis.
Ahmedabad, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday visited Botad in Gujarat to pay his last tribute to Pramukh Swami, his 'mentor', who died here on Sunday.

Pramukh Swami belonged to Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swami sect and was 95 at the time of death. He enjoyed a huge following across the world.

The Prime Minister was received by Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and other senior Indian Administrative and Police Service officials at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at Ahmedabad. He left for Botad later.

Modi airdashed to Gujarat by a special plane after addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi. Immediately from Ahmedabad, he left for Sarangpur in Botad by a helicopter where Pramukh Swami's body was kept for his followers to pay their last homage.

Modi spent about an hour in Sarangpur before returning to Delhi. He described Pramukh Swami as his 'mentor'. Modi frequently visited Pramukh Swami, when he was still the Chief Minister of the state.

All the major state highways leading to Sarangpur and Una in Gujarat witnessed huge rush on Monday, as thousands of devotees jumped into hundreds of buses and vehicles and made their way to the Saurashtra region for Swami.

On other state highways, hundreds made their way to Una to participate in a massive Dalit rally held at the conclusion of the Dalit padyatra, which began on August 5.
Dehradun, Aug 15 : Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat led the hill state in celebrating the 70th Independence Day on Monday. He hoisted the national flag at the Parade Ground in the state capital and felicitated freedom fighters.

In his address, Rawat paid homage to the freedom fighters who laid down their lives for a free India. He also detailed the achievements of the hill state under Congress rule and said it had now become one of the front-ranking states of India.

"Our per capita income has increased but there is much more to do and create more jobs and facilities in the state" he said in his speech. He also announced that by 2018, his government aimed to give pension to ten lakh retired personnel, who are seven lakh as of now.

He also announced that his government would give free LPG cylinders to Below Poverty Level girls. Some more incentives for adhoc workers and freedom fighters were also announced.
Ahmedabad, Aug 15 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned emotional on Monday as he paid tributes to godman Pramukh Swami of Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swami sect who died at age 95.

Pramukh Swami enjoyed a massive following around the world. He passed away on Saturday evening.

Watched by thousands, Modi said that while people may have lost a guru, he had lost a father.

The Prime Minister flew to Gujarat after addressing the Independence Day function at the Red Fort in Delhi.

In Ahmedabad, Governor O.P. Kohli, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and senior officials received him.

From Ahmedabad, Modi flew by helicopter to Sarangpur in Botad where Pramukh Swami's body had been kept for his followers to have their last 'darshan'.

Modi spent about an hour in Sarangpur after which he would return to Delhi. The place crawled with thousands of devotees who had reached there in hundreds of buses and other vehicles.

Modi said Pramukh Swami fulfilled his guru Yogiji Maharaj's wishes by developing the Akshardham temple on the bank of the Yamuna in the Indian capital.

Sharing his memories, the Prime Minister said that when the Akshardham temple in Delhi was to be inaugurated, Pramukh Swami insisted that he must join the consecration ceremony. Modi was then the Gujarat Chief Minister.

"Though there were many important people there, Swamiji not only wanted me to sit in the 'puja' but he gave some money to me so that I would also contribute in the form of donation.

"He knew I didn't have anything in my pocket," he added.

All the major highways leading to the venue in the Saurashtra region were choc-o-bloc.

The Prime Minister described the Pramukh Swami as his mentor. As Chief Minister of Gujarat, Modi was a frequent visitor to Pramukh Swami.
Lucknow, Aug 15 : On the Independence Day, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav lashed out at his party leaders, legislators and ministers, accusing them of land grabbing and harassing poor people.

Visibly angry at his partymen, specially after his younger brother and PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav on Sunday threatened to quit the government, Mulayam Singh said if Shivpal went away, the party and the government would be in grave crisis.

"Unhone pehle bhi ek baar istifa dia tha. Maine mana kar dia. Agar chale gaye hote to aisi-taisi ho jaati (He also resigned once earlier. I refused to accept the resignation. Had he gone, it would have been a crisis)," the Samajwadi Party chief said.

He also told party leaders he was aware of their wrong-doings and that they should bear in mind that the people who give power can also take it back in no time.

Mulayam has been critical at the functioning of the state government. In the past he has openly rebuked ministers, not even sparing his Chief Minister-son Akhilesh Yadav. But the tongue-lashing he gave his party colleagues on Monday is by far the most scathing.

The former union defence minister also warned the party leaders that he will not tolerate whatever was going on in the party.

If he were to assert himself, half the leaders will go with him and half with Shivpal Singh Yadav, Mulayam said.

Opposition parties said that now it has become abundantly clear that Samajwadi Party's internal fighting has pushed it to imminent collapse.
Kathmandu, Aug 15 : At least 36 persons were killed on Monday and scores injured in Nepal in two bus accidents, said the Ministry of Home Affairs here.

At least 33 persons lost their lives and many others were injured when a passenger bus met with an accident at Birtadeurali in Kavre district of Nepal, said the ministry.

Twentyeight injured passengers have been brought to Kathmandu for treatment.

The bus was heading from Kavre to Kathmandu when it plunged some 150 metres down the hilly road, said Superintendent of Police Rajeshnath Bastola of the Kavre district.

The security personnel were collecting the bodies that were scattered over the cliff and a helicopter was employed to airlift the injured to hospitals.

The other bus accident occurred in Bajang district in western Nepal. Three persons were killed and 19 others were injured. Some of the injured are said to be critical condition, said the police.

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' expressed anguish over the accidents and instructed officials to do everything they can to help the injured receive treatment.
Satara (Maharashtra), Aug 15 : A Maharashtra medico -- arrested on the charge of kidnapping and killing an 'aanganwadi' worker -- has confessed to murdering at least six persons by administering lethal overdoses of medicines, police said here on Monday.

Satara's Wai Police Station Inspector Padmakar Ghanvat said accused Santosh Pol, who was arrested last Saturday and who is now being called 'Dr. Death', has revealed that he has killed five women and one man so far.

Wai is a small picturesque town at the base of the Mahableshwar-Panchgani twin hill stations, famous for many Bollywood film shootings.

Pol's alleged crimes came to light after police began to investigate the suspicious disappearance of 49-year-old Mangal Jedhe, President of the Maharashtra Purva Prathmik Shikshika Sevika Sangh (MPPSSS).

"She had left Wai for Pune to attend to her daughter's delivery, but never reached there," said MPPSSS general secretary Shaukat Pathan.

Police said that investigations revealed that prior to leaving for Pune, she was in touch with Pol and both had a bitter fight when she threatened to reveal his (Pol's) alleged shady and criminal activities.

Pol and his associates, including nurse Jyoti Mandre, allegedly kidnapped Jedhe as she waited at the Wai bus depot and took her to Pol's farmhouse around 13 km from Wai. The following day, Pol and Mandre allegedly administered her an overdose of a lethal medicine and killed her.

They buried the body at an isolated spot in the farmhouse, after which both Pol and Mandre went underground.

After Jedhe's sudden disappearance, the MPPSSS demanded an investigation by the state CID, following which police traced Mandre who is said to have spilled the beans on Pol's whereabouts.

Police tracked down Pol to a place in Dadar in central Mumbai and arrested him on August 13. He was remanded in police custody for a week while Mandre was sent to four-day police custody.

Pol allegedly admitted to killing Jedhe and burying her at his farmhouse, after which police recovered the victim's remains.

Police said Pol claimed he was in a relationship with Jedhe and Mandre, but since Jedhe was jealous of his affair with Mandre and threatened to expose them (Pol and Mandre), they decided to eliminate her.

It was in police custody that Pol allegedly confessed that he had actually killed at least five women and one man in the past few years.

He told his interrogators that five women were buried at his country home, while one male victim's body had been thrown into a local water reservoir. All the victims were declared 'missing' by local authorities.

Ghanvat said police was making efforts to recover the other four bodies from Pol's farmhouse.

Besides Jedhe, the missing victims were tentatively identified as Salma Shaikh, Jagabai Pol, Surekha Chikane, Vanita Gaikwad and Nathmal Bhandare, but police say the exact details will be known only after investigation.

Pathan said that since 2003, at least a dozen women have been reported missing from Wai and surrounding villages and demanded a police probe into all those cases.

Police said Pol's crimes were driven by lust and robbery. He used his medical knowledge to eliminate his victims when they threatened to expose him.
Bengaluru, Aug 15 : Karnataka on Monday offered to waive off 50 per cent of the cooperative loans availed of by the state's farmers if the Centre agreed to write off a similar percentage of loans sanctioned to them by nationalised banks.

"Our government is ready to waive off 50 per cent of the cooperative loans availed by farmers, provided the Union government too agrees to write off 50 per cent of the loan amount financed by nationalised banks," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said in his address at the 70th Independence Day function here.

Farmers across the state have availed of loans totalling Rs 29,000 crore from various nationalised banks during 2014-15 and 2015-16.

Asserting that his government was committed to prevent farmers from falling into a debt trap, the Chief Minister said interest-free loans were provided to them and repayments deferred by one year due to two consecutive years of drought.

"Cumulative interest amounting to Rs 316.54 crore was waived off on cooperative loans availed up to September 30, 2015, by 2.07 lakh farmers," Siddaramaiah said.

As a result of 50 per cent increase in loans to farmers during the last two years, the state government was bearing their interest burden to the tune of Rs 1,800 crore.

"We had to declare 136 of the 176 taluks (sub-districts) drought-hit due to deficit south-west monsoon in the previous year (2015-16)," he added.
The book, which was published recently by the Geographic Society and will be reissued by the ministry, contains maps and other documents supporting the Saudi claim

Minister of Culture Helmy El-Namnam has said that his ministry is planning to release a book that comprises maps and documents showing that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Red Sea fall within Saudi waters, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

In April the Egyptian government made a controversial decision to recognise the two islands, currently under Egyptain control, as belonging to Saudi Arabia. The government has said that the islands have always been under Saudi Arabian sovereignty and were only being administered by Egypt temporarily.

The minister's statement on the book release was later clarified by Sayed El-Husseiny, head of the Geographic Society, who told Al-Ahram Arabic that the society had already released the aforementioned book, titled The Political Geography of the Aqaba Gulf and Tiran and Sanafir Islands, and co-authored by El-Husseiny and Fathy Abo-Eyana, a geography professor at Alexandria University.

The culture minister got hold of the book and admired it, and so decided to publish another edition for the public, El-Husseiny told Mennatallah El-Abyad of Al-Ahram Arabic.

El-Namnam originally announced the book would be published in a lecture titled On Tiran and Sanafir and International Law held at the Supreme Council of Culture on 10 August.

El-Namnam stated that the book by the Geographic Society had been the result of a previous talk also held at the council's premises which discussed the two islands.

The point of view that holds that both islands are Egyptian must be respected because it is out of love for ones country, added El-Namnam at the lecture.

The book recently published by the geographic society contains documents and historical maps that prove the islands belong to Saudi Arabia, and it was not sponsored be either the culture ministry or any other entity, El-Husseiny told El-Abyad.

The culture ministry had released two statements, the first stating a book will be released by the Geographic Society supported by the Supreme Council of Culture, which stirred some confusion.

A second statement was released by the ministry after this referring to a book that already exists, released by the Geographic Society, containing maps and documents related to the islands' case.

In April, the Egyptian cabinet released a statement announcing that the joint Egyptian-Saudi technical maritime border drawing process had determined that the islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Red Sea fall within Saudi waters.

The statement added that the determination that the two islands fall within Saudi regional waters was the culmination of a six-year process of studies and eleven rounds of negotiations between the two sides.

The maritime border demarcation agreement had come as part of a visit made by King Salman Bin Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia to Egypt in April, during which the two countries signed a number of political and economic agreements.

The decision quickly sparked a debate, and many Egyptians opposed the Egyptian-Saudi islands deal, sharing what they claimed to be evidence to the contrary such as maps, documents and videos of speeches asserting that they are Egyptian territory.

Demonstrations took place in Cairo and other govenrorates against the deal, during which dozens of people, including activists, lawyers and journalists, were arrested.

Moreover, Khaled Ali and a number of other lawyers filed a lawsuit with Egypt's Administrative Court at the State Council arguing that Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Speaker of Parliament Ali Abdel Al had wrongfully waived Egyptian sovereignty rights over the two islands.

In June, the Administrative Court ruled that the Saudi-Egyptian agreement was void, thus putting the two islands under Egyptian sovereignty.

The decision was followed by an appeal by Egypt's State Lawsuits Authority  the body representing the government in legal cases  which has yet to be ruled on.

The deal, should it go ahead, will be presented to the House of Representatives to be discussed and ratified.

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House prices in the commuter towns of Slough and Reading have so far benefitted the most from the new Crossrail project that will join central London to routes west and east of the city when it opens in 2019, new research shows.

House prices in these two locations have increased by 39% and 33% respectively since April 2014, compared with the regional average of 22%, according to the research from UK home lender the Nationwide.

The railway line, to be known as the Elizabeth Line, will stretch from Reading and Heathrow in the west to Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, meaning that 40 stations will connect town in Berkshire and Essex to major hubs in London including the City and Canary Wharf as well as Heathrow airport.

According to the research commuter towns' property markets are likely to benefit most from the introduction of Crossrail as Greater London stations are already well integrated, with good transport links around the capital, and thus house prices in these areas are unlikely to benefit substantially from marginal improvements in transport links.

The strong rate of house price growth in Slough and Reading has been driven by robust demand for properties and a rise in transactions. Following the announcement that the project would go ahead, the number of homes sold in the three months to August 2014 was up 24% year on year in Wokingham, versus an average increase of 16% in the region as a whole in the same period.

The research explains that eastern branches of the line do not extend as far out of Greater London as the western section, only reaching Brentwood and Shenfield outside of the capital and this may help to explain why the positive Crossrail effect apparent in the west is slightly more muted in the eastern section.

House prices in the borough of Brentwood, which also includes Shenfield, have increased by 43% since the May 2010 government pledge of completion, compared with a regional average in the East of England of 36%.

Over the last two years Brentwood house prices have risen broadly in line with the regional average at 24% versus 23%. The report suggests that lower rate of price growth, compared with western areas, may be due to the area already having good transport links to both The City and the Docklands, via Stratford, through Greater Anglia services and also the Shenfield metro now operated by TfL Rail.

Slough has been much maligned for many years. However, our research into the effect of the new Elizabeth Line on house prices in the town suggests that this may be unfair and that Slough, in fact, may be a more desirable place to live than people might imagine, said Andrew Harvey, senior economic analyst at Nationwide.

He pointed out that the analysis suggests that the Crossrail project has provided a significant uplift to prices on the western section of the line to Berkshire. Slough, in particular, has seen house prices rise by 39% since April 2014, nearly double the average rate of growth seen across the South East as a whole. Average house prices in the town have historically been around 15% to 20% lower than the regional average, but the growth seen since 2014 means that prices are now just around 6% lower than the South East average.

The new Elizabeth Line is likely to make Slough an attractive proposition for London workers who prefer not to live in the capital as journey times will be around 15 minutes faster into Central London and 20 minutes faster to the Docklands, Harvey explained.

It's not just a place to live and commute either, as recent research also indicated that Slough is becoming one of the UK's top creative hubs for business and employment with more and more jobs in advertising, film, radio, TV and publishing popping up in the town. Slough is becoming a more attractive proposition for people to live, he added.

It will be interesting to see if the house price trends seen in both Slough and the wider South East region continue over the next few years as the full service is introduced, he concluded.
Console & Hollawell has offered its Legal Scholarship since 2013 as a way to give back and help aspiring young leaders offset the financial burden of a legal education.

The law firm of Console & Hollawell is pleased to award scholarships to two deserving future legal leaders for the 2016-2017 school year. The winner of the 2016 Console & Hollawell Legal Scholarship is Megan Foertsch of Farmingdale, NY. The winner of the 2016 My Injury Attorney Legal Scholarship is Cindy Lam of Elk Grove, CA.

Foertsch, 20, earned her Associates Degree in American Sign Language from Suffolk County Community College in May 2016. She then enrolled in Farmingdale State Colleges Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Program, from which she expects to graduate with her bachelors degree in 2018. Foertsch, who has been passionate about the legal industry since high school and already works in an attorneys office, then plans to start law school. She used her scholarship essay to weigh in on a controversial criminal case that took place close to her home, in which a young driver faced serious charges in the aftermath of a tragic car crash.

Lam, 18, graduated from Franklin High School in 2016 and is eager to begin her political science studies at the University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara this fall. She is very involved in her community and has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and the Mayors Youth Volunteer Award for her service efforts. As a longtime advocate of environmental sustainability, Lams goal is to use her legal education to become a lawmaker so she can create laws that support environmentally sustainable practices.

Console & Hollawell has offered its Legal Scholarship since 2013 as a way to give back and help aspiring young leaders offset the financial burden of a legal education. Students pursuing a Juris Doctor or a degree in pre-law, paralegal studies, or legal assisting are encouraged to apply. The law firm of Console & Hollawell decided to offer two awards for the 2016-2017 school year to coincide with the launch of its new website, MyInjuryAttorney.com.

About Console & Hollawell P.C.  Since 1994, the law firm of Console & Hollawell has helped accident victims across New Jersey and Pennsylvania get the compensation they deserve. The firm handles personal injury claims of all kinds, ranging from car accidents to slip and falls and dog bites to instances of medical malpractice. With a 97 percent success rate, Console & Hollawell has a history of helping thousands of clients recover tens of millions of dollars.
Ovarian Cancer knows no age. There are no tests to detect this disease and its symptoms mimic other female disorders.

The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio promotes early detection of ovarian cancer with advocacy, education, awareness and public outreach to improve outcomes and help save lives. They will don their teal and take to the streets of downtown Columbus for the 2016 Strides for Hope 5K Walk/Run on Sunday, September 18, 2016, all to raise community awareness of ovarian cancer and to celebrate their survivors.

Ovarian Cancer knows no age. There are no tests to detect this disease and its symptoms mimic other female disorders. A pap smear does not detect ovarian cancer. The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio works to educate women to know the symptoms, to know their own bodies and to seek healthcare providers who will listen and act to identify these quiet warning signs, states Lynette Blakeway, President of the Alliance. Supporting those newly diagnosed, those in treatment, our survivors and their families are part of our mission. When women face this diagnosis, there is hope. We need the help of the public to raise the funds necessary to continue our Mission. We want to save lives by early detectionwe want women to live.

At the Strides for Hope 5K Walk/Run, survivors will be honored. Sharing their stories helps every individual and every family impacted by Ovarian Cancer. More stories of survival are featured on the blog, Faces of Hope.

Join the Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio at the Strides for Hope 5K Walk/Run on September 18, 2016, from 9:30 to 11:30 at Genoa Park, 303 West Broad Street in Columbus.

About Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio

The Ovarian Cancer Alliance of Ohio strive improves outcomes within the ovarian cancer community by working with policy makers, physicians, survivors, their families, and other ovarian cancer advocates. By building these relationships, educating, and raising awareness, the Alliance improves the lives of those affected by ovarian cancer. For more information, or to register for the event, take a stride for hope here, or follow them on Facebook.
Castlewood is excited for Lisa to facilitate a sense of unity and help provide a cohesive operational quality across all locations.

Castlewood at Monarch Cove has a singular mission: To provide compassionate care to those struggling with eating disorders and co-occurring conditions, ultimately pointing them toward hope, healing, and lifelong recovery. In pursuit of this mission, Monarch Cove employs only the most seasoned, experienced, and passionate professionals from within the eating disorder treatment world. Monarch Cove is proud to announce Lisa Chrisco as its new Executive Director. Chrisco began this new position in early August.

Although she is a new face at Monarch Cove, Chrisco is hardly new to Castlewood. She has long worked as the Compliance Coordinator at the corporate headquarters and in this capacity has a unique knowledge of the Castlewood mission. She is pleased to bring that knowledge to her work at Monarch Cove.

In helping Castlewood at Monarch Cove achieve their Joint Commission Accreditation, Lisa developed a strong affection for the Monarch Cove location and people, said Nancy Albus, Chief Executive Officer of Castlewood Treatment Center. Lisa is thrilled to join the team and provide structure and compassionate leadership to an already outstanding staffand we are thrilled to have her on board!

Chrisco has more than 12 years of experience in compliance, health care policy and management, performance improvement projects, and risk management. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Special Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and her Master of Health Services Administration in Policy & Management from the University of Missouri-Kansas. Since graduating, Lisa has held a variety of positions in her field at both state and local levels.

She first joined Castlewood Treatment Centers in 2009 as the Compliance Coordinator, helping Castlewood Missouri secure a three-year accreditation with CARF. In 2011, Chrisco left Castlewood to pursue other opportunities in the field of compliance. She returned to Castlewood in 2015, and in her role she worked with Castlewood at Monarch Cove to secure their Joint Commission accreditation and with Castlewood in Missouri for their CARF accreditation.

Castlewood is excited for Lisa to facilitate a sense of unity and help provide a cohesive operational quality across all locations, said Albus.

ABOUT:

Castlewood Treatment Centers mission is to help people with all types of eating disorders transform to healthier lives by offering comprehensive treatment in an environment promoting compassion, respect, and empowerment. Our staff is relentlessly dedicated to unconditional advocacy for our clients. Our program offers in-depth psychotherapy and marries evidence based treatment with innovative excellence. We provide unique family support and programming along with a comprehensive alumni program. Our two year outcome study results show statistically significant improvement by the time of discharge across a range of symptoms and 94.5% of clients would recommend our centers. In addition to facilities in St. Louis, Castlewood has affiliate facilities in Monterey, CA and Birmingham, AL. Each facility is accredited by The Joint Commission and St. Louis is also accredited by CARF. More information about the Monterey location, Castlewood at Monarch Cove, is available at http://monarchcovetreatment.com
Andy Bruce, CEO, Lookers plc Together we will now be the largest Mercedes-Benz dealers in the country and one of the largest motor groups in the UK

The acquisition of Drayton Group reinforces Lookers position as one of largest motor retailers in the UK. The 57m purchase of Drayton Group includes 7 dealerships, bringing the number of Lookers Mercedes-Benz locations in the network to 14. Lookers now have a total of 160 dealerships in the nationwide motor dealer network.

The acquisition is another show of confidence by the company in the wider UK automotive market and follows other key acquisitions, including last years 87.5m purchase of North East based Benfield and its 30 strong dealership portfolio.

The purchase of Drayton Group is expected to be complete towards the end of October and comes as Lookers refocuses its attention on expanding its core Motor Division following the recent agreement to sell the Parts Division for 120m.

Drayton Group is based in Stafford, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Stourbridge, Worcester, Walsall, and Wolverhampton. Each location is staffed by friendly professionals who are fully committed award winning teams. The location of Drayton Group dealerships complement the existing network of seven Lookers Mercedes-Benz dealerships across Sussex and Kent.

Mercedes-Benz is continuing to increase in popularity in the UK. 2015 market share of Mercedes-Benz was 5.56%, up from 5.05% on the previous year. Mercedes-Benz and Lookers are confident this growth will continue with more new exciting models coming to the market. New launches include the all-new 2017 Mercedes-AMG GLC43, Mercedes-AMG GT R, 2017 CLA to name only a few

Lookers Chief Executive Andy Bruce said: The acquisition of the Group is a perfect fit in terms of franchise, geography and culture. The Drayton Group is a business that we have respected for many years because of its fantastic reputation.

Together we will now be the largest Mercedes-Benz dealers in the country and one of the largest motor groups in the UK. Importantly though, despite our size, Lookers still feels like a family business that cares about its people. We believe every dealership is unique and will have its own profile of customers with their own particular demands.

We are currently seeing a lot of opportunity in the prestige car market as demand increases among the UKs discerning motorists. We know that Mercedes-Benz is a fantastic brand with a rich heritage and is one that Lookers has worked well with, built and developed as part of our national network of motor dealerships.

Lookers Interim Financial results will be announced to the city on Wednesday 17 August at 7.00am.

ENDS//

CONTACTS:

For more information, imagery or interview requests, please contact Lookers

Ian Dinning

ian(dot)dinning(at)benfieldmotorgroup(dot0com

07917803970

NOTES TO EDITOR:



Andy Bruce, Lookers CEO, won CEO of the Year at the prestigious Motor Trader of the Year 2016

Lookers won Dealer Group of the Year Award at Motor Trader of the Year 2016, this followed the 2015 win by Benfield Motor Group that won in 2015

Lookers is the new name of Benfield Motor Group

Lookers group annual turnover in 2015 was 3.6bn

Lookers sold almost 180,000 new and used cars and vans

The motor division consists of 153 franchised dealerships

31 marques are represented and support by Lookers

Lookers employ almost 8,500 people across the group

Lookers Executive Directors include Andy Bruce (Chief Executive), Robin Gregson (Finance Director), Nigel McMinn (Managing Director  Motor Division) and Neil Davis (Managing Director  Parts Division)

The combined turnover of the Motor Trader Top 200 was 56.4bn, an increase of 4bn over the previous year.

ABOUT DRAYTON MERCEDES-BENZ:

The Drayton Mercedes-Benz dealership network is well established in the West Midlands as a supplier of the German brands fine cars through first-class customer service. Since 1972 we have been helping motorists to find and service their preferred luxury model, and the wider groups experience in business stretches back even further. The original company began trading in 1922 as a supplier of Fords legendary Model T, and weve continued to refine our approach from that year to the present day.

Family-run and completely committed to customer service, we understand the different needs of motorists and how to meet them. As a four-time winner of Mercedes-Benz Retailer of the Year our abilities speak for themselves, while our offering is comprehensive.

We stock both the latest Mercedes-Benz models and a superb collection of Approved Used cars to serve a broad variety of motorists. We also support them and you with manufacturer-standard aftersales assistance that cares for your model to the high standards you expect. This is true no matter what you need your Mercedes for, whether private use, as part of a business fleet or as a Motability vehicle.

We strive to make choosing your next Mercedes enjoyable and maintaining it straightforward. Our dealership staff are employed for their friendly professionalism, and we empower them to assist you in any way they can. This approach separates us from other franchise dealerships and is experienced at each of our seven sites across the West Midlands. Today we are based in Stafford, Stoke, Shrewsbury, Stourbridge, Worcester, Walsall, and Wolverhampton.
Kount Inc. announced today that Eileen Barber, co-founder of its former parent company Keynetics, has donated $250,000 to Boise State University (BSU) for the Kount Tutoring Center housed within the new location for the Department of Computer Science in the Clearwater Building on The Grove in downtown Boise. With plans to open this fall, the center will offer students a new community facility with state-of-the-art technology, along with a support staff consisting of students and faculty from the computer science department.

There are over half a million unfilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs today  a number that is projected to increase to 2.4 million by 2018, according to recent White House figures  and Barbers donation on behalf of Kount aims to combat this staggering trend and encourage STEM opportunities to an untapped talent pool.

STEM careers are incredibly rewarding careers that most females, minorities, and economically disadvantaged students historically were not encouraged to pursue, said Eileen Barber. I hope that this donation, among others of its kind, fosters more opportunities for women in computer science and other science and engineering fields and continues to support the universitys program.

Barber, who has been involved in the continued growth and expansion of Keynetics subsidiaries ClickBank and leading fraud and risk management innovator Kount, has been a long proponent of encouraging enrollment in STEM education. Along with the Kount Tutoring Center, she has also established a number of scholarship opportunities for women in computer science, including the Keynetics Inc. Computer Science Scholarship for Women, a presidential-endowed scholarship established in 2009, and the Ada Lovelace Computer Science Scholarship for Women, established March 2013 to provide recognition of the worlds first computer scientist, Ada, Countess of Lovelace. Additionally, Barber donates annually to the universitys E-Girls summer engineering program for high school students.

We are grateful for Eileens continued contributions and tireless dedication to underrepresented students in STEM education and look forward to opening the new tutoring center for our growing community, said Amy Moll, Dean of Engineering, Boise State University. Since the founding of Eileens scholarships in 2009, enrollment in the department has increased significantly, especially among women. These contributions have not only afforded students with financial support, but also instilled greater confidence in their pursuit of careers in this field.

Not only are students who graduate from Boise States top-notch computer science program in high-demand and incredibly qualified, the university is also one of the top-rated schools in terms of faculty, with women making up 25 percent of its STEM educators, said Brad Wiskirchen, CEO of Kount. I am proud to support the growing tech talent in Boise, and encourage my fellow industry leaders to create, recognize, and champion even more opportunities for the community.

The relocation of the fast-growing Department of Computer Science places students just steps from the companies seeking to bring them on as interns and hire them when they graduate, and positions computer science students for long-term success.

About Kount

Kount helps businesses boost sales by reducing fraud. Our all-in-one, SaaS platform simplifies fraud detection and helps online businesses accept more orders. Kounts turnkey fraud platform is easy-to-implement and easy-to-use. Kounts proprietary technology has reviewed billions of transactions and provides maximum protection for some of the worlds best-known brands. Merchants using Kount can accept more orders from more people in more places than ever before. For more information about Kount, please visit http://www.kount.com.

About Boise State University

A public metropolitan research university with more than 22,000 students, Boise State is proud to be powered by creativity and innovation. Located in Idahos capital city, the university has a growing research agenda and plays a crucial role in the regions knowledge economy and famed quality of life. In the past 10 years, the university has quadrupled the number of doctoral degrees, doubled its masters degrees and now offers 13 online degree programs. Learn more at http://www.boisestate.edu/.
(Beijing)  Police are probing China's largest lender by assets, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), for allowing ex-employees of another small bank to use fake documents to open an account to issue, and later sell, 2 billion yuan worth of fake bank bills, ICBC said on August 11.

Smaller banks need to open an account with a larger lender to access the central bank's system to issue banker's acceptances, or certificates showing a bank has promised to make a payment on behalf of a client in future. They are widely used in China as short-term financing instruments, often for small businesses, and can be traded among banks.

Informed sources told Caixin that a group of ex-employees from a regional bank in the central province of Henan, the Bank of CTS, had allegedly used stolen official seals and forged documents to open an account at an ICBC branch in Langfang, a city in the northern province of Hebei, to issue electronic bills of exchange. The Bank of CTS on August 11 said it had never issued any electronic bills of exchange and confirmed that some individuals have used the bank's official seal to open an account to issue fake bills.

The scheme unraveled when Hengfeng Bank (HFB), a provincial lender in Qingdao that had bought some of the slippery bills, learnt during an internal inspection in early August that the Bank of CTS has not authorized ICBC to issue bills on its behalf. HFB had suspected the bills because the Bank of CTS reported much higher yields than the market price, one of the bank's employees said.

HFB had immediately reported the case to the Ministry of Public Security and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, the source said. The industry regulator has not said whether it was probing the case.

Fraudsters had also sold fake bills to the Bank of Xingtai, another source said, but this city-level bank in Hebei Province could not be reached for a comment. It is not known how many of the 2 billion yuan worth of fake bills were sold by scammers for cash.

Several sources with knowledge of the matter confirmed to Caixin that the bankers' acceptances were issued through ICBC's electronic bills of exchange system on behalf of the Bank of CTS. On August 11, ICBC denied issuing or selling any fraudulent bills. But, ICBC said it was cooperating with the Ministry of Public Security in an ongoing investigation without giving further details. The lender had earlier said it had frozen the interbank account of the Bank of CTS after discovering abnormal fluctuations in recent days, and alerted banks that had bought discounted bills of exchange from CTS.

Gaps in Oversight

Several sources with knowledge of the matter said ICBC's failure to conduct due diligence before opening accounts for small banks to issue bills of exchange contributed to the latest scam. Banking industry rules required large banks serving as bill processing agents to conduct face-to-face interviews and verify their clients' identity before opening accounts. But the scammers in this case opened the account after an interview conducted online, sources said.

The case is the first fraud involving electronic bills. It comes at a time when the central bank has been pushing more banks to switch to issuing electronic bills, which can be easily traced, after several cases of fraud linked to paper bills were uncovered earlier this year.

The Agricultural Bank of China, the county's third-largest lender by assets, said in late January that 3.8 billion yuan worth of bills of exchange were stolen from its Beijing offices. And a few days later, police said 970 million yuan in bills had disappeared from a branch of China Citic Bank in Lanzhou, in the northwestern province of Gansu. An investigation found in the case of ABC, some bank employees had sold the bills for cash and used most of the funds to buy stocks.

Regulators have since stepped up supervision of the bills business and the central bank will introduce an electronic transaction platform to trade bills of exchange in October, a central bank source said. Banks issued 4.6 trillion yuan worth of banker's acceptance notes in 2015, data from the China Banking Regulatory Commission showed.

(Rewritten by Han Wei)
Laura Leonhard of Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. was featured as a top mortgage professional in the Nationwide Mortgage Edition of Top Agent Magazine in August 2016. Top Agent Magazine is the premier real estate magazine featuring the foremost real estate agents and mortgage professionals in the USA, Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Top Agent Magazine features the top producing and most accomplished professionals in the mortgage industry, offering an in-depth look at their careers and providing a blueprint for their success.

To be considered for a feature in Top Agent Magazine the mortgage professionals must go through a nomination and interview process. ALL Candidates are then evaluated based upon production, professionalism, as well as industry and community involvement. It is considered a privilege to be nominated as it speaks to a certain success level all mortgage professionals strive for. The only real estate magazine written for top real estate agents about top real estate agents, Top Agent has set itself apart as a trusted source of real estate information and inspiration. Laura Leonhard is a stellar example of the kind of prominent leaders of real estate we are proud to feature in Top Agent Magazine.

Information on nominations receiving this recognition can be found online at http://www.topagentmagazine.com/nominate-a-real-estate-agent-to-be-featured/

"I am so honored to be chosen to be featured in Top Agent Magazine. My team and I work very hard with our clients to assist them with financing the home of their dreams and feel so fortunate to be chosen to be recognized for our efforts," said Laura Leonhard.

For more information about Laura Leonhard, please call 715-384-3838 or email lauraleonhard(at)inlanta(dot)com. Laura Leonhard NMLS#287033, Inlanta Mortgage, Inc. NMLS#1016
Newly renovated District On Kernan community We listened to our most important audience  our residentsand spent that last year upgrading almost every facet of our apartments and community to provide a complete worry-free environment they deserve.

The nearly $4 million renovation of The District on Kernan a 360-unit/1,096-bed community at 3601 Kernan Blvd S.  is now complete, bringing significant upgrades to this rapidly evolving community near the University of North Florida.

Fitting for the Jacksonville lifestyle, the renovation includes fully redesigned two, three and four-bedroom apartments featuring new black appliances, contemporary kitchen countertops, new kitchen cabinets, modern lighting and faucet fixtures. Interior renovations also include new low-VOC paint, brushed nickel ceiling fans, upgraded bathrooms (lighting, countertops and vanities), and faux hardwood plank flooring. The District on Kernan apartments  originally built in 1996  has a range of additional innovative community features, which have also been upgraded for their residents this fall. These enhancements include: controlled resident access and parking, after-hours patrol services, new Academic Business Center (including new touch computers), complimentary and private academic tutoring services, free high-speed internet and cable, free shuttle service to and from UNF and FSCJ and enhanced 24/7 fitness center  including CrossFit equipment.

According to Nelson North, director of property management for WE Communities, which specializes in the administration of student and multifamily apartment communities across the United States, the reinvention of the District on Kernan continues and strives to be the progressive and innovative apartment community in Jacksonville, Fla.

We listened to our most important audience  our residentsand spent last year upgrading almost every facet of our apartments and community to provide a complete worry-free environment they deserve, he said. Our residents will find upgraded finishes throughout their apartments, new appliances and luxury amenities not found in other apartment communities in Jacksonville  including our two resort style swimming pools with barbecues and resident study and relaxation lounge areas.

Located within minutes of the University of North Florida, Florida State College of Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beaches  just a short drive from downtown Jacksonvilles shops and restaurants  The District on Kernan is also pet friendly.

For leasing information, to see the four unique modern floor plans or check availability, please call (904) 564-6400 or visit the website at http://www.TheDistrictonKernan.com.

About WE Communities

WE Communities is a student and multifamily housing property management company which provides a full range of management services for clients throughout the United States. Our experienced and innovative team understands the unique challenges of student and multifamily housing management, operations, financial reporting and marketing. WE Communities currently manages over 4,200+ beds and 1,800+ units nationwide. Our broad experience includes a variety of investment scenarios: university sponsored, start-up, stabilized, and transitional distressed assets. WE Communities creates a collaborative, innovative, and social environment for their residents allowing each to flourish and be connected to one another. This unique cultural environment is centered around the atmosphere of WE, not ME  truly embracing and celebrating each residents unique characteristics. We promote and support social purpose - forming a distinctive community, connected to one other, allowing each of our residents to Live and Learn.

For more information, go to http://www.WECommunities.net
Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea, managing partner at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP Selection for The Best Lawyers in America is an outstanding honor. I am proud to be recognized by my peers, particularly as a Lawyer of the Year, for work that I find so personally rewarding.

Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea, managing partner at Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP, has been named the Best Lawyers 2017 Trusts and Estates Lawyer of the Year in White Plains. He has also been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 23rd edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Elder Law and Trusts and Estates.

Selection for The Best Lawyers in America is an outstanding honor, said Mr. Enea, who has spent three decades protecting the rights of seniors, the disabled and their families. I am proud to be recognized by my peers, particularly as a Lawyer of the Year, for work that I find so personally rewarding. The Lawyer of the Year recognition is reserved for a single lawyer with the highest overall peer-feedback in a specific practice specialty and geographic location.

A strong leader in Westchesters legal community, Mr. Enea is president of the Westchester County Bar Foundation, a past president of the Westchester County Bar Association, and a past chair of the New York State Bar Associations Elder Law Section. Named Westchester Countys Leading Elder Care Attorney at the Above the Bar Awards, Mr. Eneas practice areas include elder law; Medicaid asset protection trusts; Medicaid applications (home care and nursing home); special needs planning; guardianships (Article 81 and 17-A); and wills, trusts and estates. He is fluent in Italian.

Regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States, Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 50,000 leading attorneys cast over five and a half million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.

This marks the sixth consecutive year Mr. Enea has been included in the Best Lawyers list, and the third time he has received recognition as a Lawyer of the Year in White Plains. Mr. Enea has also been named as one of Westchester Countys Super Lawyers annually since 2007 and was recognized earlier this year with the Honorable Richard J. Daronco Distinguished Service Award from the Columbian Lawyers Association of Westchester County.

An AV Rated Preeminent Attorney (Martindale-Hubbell, since 2002), Mr. Enea is a member of the Council of Advanced Practitioners of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and is a past president of the organizations New York Chapter. He is a Fellow of the New York Bar Foundation and serves as a board member of the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.

The Best Lawyers of America is copyright 2016 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, SC. For more information, visit http://www.bestlawyers.com.

Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is located at 245 Main Street in White Plains, N.Y. with additional offices in Somers, N.Y. Elder law attorney Anthony J. Enea can be reached at 914-948-1500 or a(dot)enea(at)esslawfirm(dot)com. For the latest news, visit Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano online at http://www.esslawfirm.com.

About Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP

Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP is an AV preeminent rated elder law firm with offices in White Plains and Somers, N.Y. The practice concentrates on Elder Law; Medicaid Planning; Nursing Home and Home Care Applications; Wills, Trusts and Estates; Guardianships; Estate Litigation; Supplemental Needs Trusts; and Special Needs Planning. Enea, Scanlan & Sirignano, LLP serves Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, the Bronx, Manhattan, Long Island and Queens and is committed to providing the highest quality legal services to seniors, the disabled and their families. Visit the firm online at http://www.esslawfirm.com and http://www.westchesterseniors.com.
This is a testament to the strength of our application, partnership with Acumatica and the depth of our integration with the Acumatica platform," said MIke Albrizzi, director of sales for Infinity Software Solutions, Inc.

InfinityHR, a leading provider of cloud-based HCM solutions, today announced that its software has been recognized as an Acumatica-Certified Application (ACA).

Acumatica is a comprehensive, browser-based Cloud ERP solution optimized for ease of use, adaptability, mobility, speed, and security. The ACA title highlights outstanding development partners whose applications have met the highest standards set for Acumatica integration and functionality.

Customers who want to stay competitive need flexible, responsive technology to execute their long-term business strategies, said Christian Lindberg, Vice President of Partner Solutions at Acumatica. Our ACA label is built to help customers find applications capable of delivering that. Were proud to recognize InfinityHR as an Acumatica-Certified Application. It masterfully utilizes the Acumatica platform to meet customers growing business demands.

To become an Acumatica-Certified Application, InfinityHR has demonstrated commitment to quality by passing the Acumatica software test and aligning to future Acumatica roadmap releases.

InfinityHRs seamless integration with Acumatica provides customers the ability to manage employee data in real-time without the need for duplicate data entry. The integration will allow Acumatica users access to InfinityHRs core HR functions and modules, which include Applicant Tracking, Benefit Management, Employee Self-Service, Payroll, Performance Management, Time and Attendance, Workflow Management and much more.

Were excited to receive the certification from Acumatica, said Mike Albrizzi, director of sales for Infinity Software Solutions, Inc. This is a testament to the strength of our application, partnership with Acumatica and the depth of our integration with the Acumatica platform.

For more information on InfinityHRs integration with Acumatica, please visit the InfinityHR website here - http://infinity-ss.com/acumatica-erp-integration - and the InfinityHR listing on the Acumatica website - http://www.acumatica.com/extension/infinityhr-hr-and-payroll-solution/

About Infinity Software Solutions, Inc.

InfinityHR is the flagship product of Infinity Software Solutions, Inc., demonstrating the companys ability to combine strong technological expertise and years of HR and Payroll experience into the best software currently on the market. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Infinity Software Solutions, Inc. earns the loyalty of its customers by providing the most complete and affordable web-based solution for HR process management and payroll.

For more information on Infinity Software Solutions and InfinityHR, visit http://www.infinity-ss.com or call 1-866-TRY-HRMS (1-866-879-4767). Follow Infinity Software Solutions on Twitter: @InfinityHR1 and on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/infinityhr.

About Acumatica

Acumatica provides cloud-based business management software that empowers small and mid-size businesses to accelerate their businesses and drive growth. Built on cloud and mobile technology and a unique customer-centric licensing model, Acumatica delivers a suite of fully integrated business management applications, such as Financials, Distribution, CRM and Project Accounting, on a robust and flexible platform. In an interconnected world, Acumatica enables customers to take full control of their businesses, play to their organizations unique strengths and support their clients by following them anywhere on any device. For more information, visit http://www.acumatica.com.

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Williams experience will provide invaluable counsel for our clients operating in an environment of intense scrutiny and challenges brought about by the changing tax laws and regulatory environment. said Jay Sattler, Managing Partner - Tax Services.

BlumShapiro, the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England has announced the appointment of William L. Inchoco, J.D., ITP/MPA, as Tax Director  International Tax Services.

With more than 15 years of experience, Inchoco joins BlumShapiro with a proven track record of business, legal, public policy, and tax expertise in advising multi-national business organizations. William has counseled multi-national firms on tax implications of international acquisition, reorganization, worldwide restructuring, including Transfer Pricing, and assisted in addressing U.S. inbound and outbound tax issues. He has also performed complex international tax analysis for planning and compliance purposes.

We welcome William as a new Tax Director to the BlumShapiro tax team. His breadth of experience will provide invaluable counsel for our clients operating in an environment of intense scrutiny and challenges brought about by the changing tax laws and ever-increasing regulatory environment. Williams expertise in international acquisitions, reorganizations and global restructuring, as well as U.S. inbound/outbound tax issues, will provide high-value opportunities for our clients, said Jay Sattler, Managing Partner - Tax Services.

Inchoco comes to BlumShapiro with combined Big 4 and corporate experience. Inchoco was the International Tax Senior Advisor with the Global Tax Operations group at IBM Corporation in New York. His previous experience includes positions at Deloitte Tax LLP and Ernst & Young LLP in New York. Prior to that, Inchoco was an Arthur Andersen professional serving clients in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Manila, Philippines.

Inchoco has a degree in law and obtained his masters degree at Harvard Law School and Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, MA. He is also a member of the faculty at Fairfield University as an Adjunct Professor in Taxation.

Inchoco is a resident of Fairfield, Connecticut.

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BlumShapiro is the largest regional business advisory firm based in New England, with offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The firm, with over 400 professionals and staff, offers a diversity of services which includes auditing, accounting, tax and business advisory services. In addition, BlumShapiro provides a variety of specialized consulting services such as succession and estate planning, business technology services, employee benefit plan audits and litigation support and valuation. The firm serves a wide range of privately held companies, government and non-profit organizations and provides non-audit services for publicly traded companies.
A progressive series of conservation-minded events, led by the South Carolina Aquarium, kicks off September 21, 2016. Through the Holland Lifelong Learning Program, the Aquarium offers educational opportunities aimed at engaging adult audiences with natural science topics and conservation themes in a relaxed, social environment. The Holland Program was funded by Mary and Mason Holland through a generous contribution to the Aquariums Watershed Campaign. The first season of the Holland Lifelong Learning Program featured local leading experts as well as world renowned conservation luminaries, such as Sylvia Earle. There will be six programs offered this season, reflecting the Aquariums vision of connecting people with water, wildlife and wild places.

Our Holland Lifelong Learning Program is designed to stimulate all the senses, said Kevin Mills, South Carolina Aquarium President and CEO. As we learned in year one, there is a tremendous public appetite for intellectual discourse about the environment, paired with good beers, fine food and inspiring settings.

The six lectures focus on diverse areas of conservation facilitated by leading experts, and take place in unique settings aimed to inspire and educate those who attend. The finale program will be a plastic pollution symposium in March 2017, featuring international policymakers and thought leaders, convening to address solutions to this pressing concern.

Series Topics Include:

Groundbreaking News: Journey to Recovery

Wednesday, September 21, 2016, South Carolina Aquarium

Celebrate the groundbreaking of Sea Turtle Recovery, a new living exhibit and interactive learning landscape set on the first floor of the Aquariums main exhibit galleries. Follow the story of sea turtles from rescue, to rehabilitation, to release as told from the perspectives of the people involved.

A Need to Sea Change: Charlestons Resilience

Wednesday, October 19, 2016, Holy City Brewing

As we recognize the one-year anniversary of South Carolinas historical flooding, deepen your understanding of the cause and effects of sea level rise surrounding Charleston and the future resilience initiatives to help sustain our coastal landscape.

Knot the Typical Connection: Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds

Wednesday, November 16, 2016, Department of Natural Resources Outdoor Classroom

There is an interesting link between a living fossil, the horseshoe crab, and the life cycle of red knots. Learn of the importance of horseshoe crabs on South Carolinas beaches for sustaining red knot populations.

Branch Out: Shark and Ray Evolution

Wednesday, January 18, 2017, College of Charleston Harbor Walk

Hear how one shark expert uses medical technology to map the ancestry and adaptations of sharks and rays.

Blue Mind: Water for Your Wellbeing

Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Davies Auditorium at Ashley Hall

Discover the connection between water and human health as told by a leader in the emerging field of neuroconservation. Take part in the Blue Marbles Project, aimed to celebrate the beauty and fragility of our planet.

Plastic Planet: Turning the Tides on the Plastic Pollution Crisis

Thursday, March 30, 2017, Francis Marion Hotel

Join us for the Holland Lifelong Learning finale. This panel discussion will feature internationally renowned experts on the threat of plastic pollution, presenting diverse and innovative perspectives on how to address this growing threat to our planets health.

Holland Lifelong Learning events are ticketed with a nominal fee and are open to the public. Space is limited so reservations are required. Click here to reserve your tickets or call (843) 577-FISH (3474).

Fast Facts:



Second season of Holland Lifelong Learning Program offered by the South Carolina Aquarium

Made possible through a generous contribution from Mary and Mason Holland to the Aquariums Watershed Campaign

Six educational and inspiring programs

Programs focus on diverse areas of conservation

For more information, visit http://scaquarium.org/lifelonglearning/ or call (843) 577-FISH (3474)

For all media inquiries, please contact Kate Dittloff at (843) 579-8660 or kdittloff(at)scaquarium(dot)org.

About the South Carolina Aquarium:

The South Carolina Aquarium features thousands of amazing aquatic animals from river otters and sharks to loggerhead turtles in more than 60 exhibits representing the rich biodiversity of South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Dedicated to promoting education and conservation, the Aquarium also presents fabulous views of the Charleston Harbor and interactive exhibits and programs for visitors of all ages.

The South Carolina Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4 p.m.) The Aquarium is closed Thanksgiving Day, half day Dec. 24 (open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Dec. 25. Admission prices are: Toddlers (2 and under) free; Youth (3-12) $17.95; Adults (13+) $24.95. The Aquarium plus the 4-D Theater experience is free for Toddlers, $22.95 for Children, $29.95 for Adults. The 4-D Theater experience only is $6.95 for Children and Adults and free for Members. For more information, call (843) 577-FISH (3474) or visit scaquarium.org.

About the Watershed Campaign:

In 2014, the South Carolina Aquarium launched the Watershed Campaign to scale and optimize our education and conservation programs that enrich our community. The goal of the Watershed Campaign is to secure $25 million by 2020, enabling the Aquarium to reach nearly 70 percent more students statewide, to present world-class interactive exhibits like Shark Shallows and the Sea Turtle Hospital experience, and to launch a conservation program designed to inspire and educate the next generation of environmental stewards. For more information on the Watershed Campaign visit http://scaquarium.org/watershed/.
John Speckhart, Mary Speckhart - White Conveyors President, NJ Senator Thomas Kean and Stephen Speckhart - Vice President of Engineering Manufacturing is the backbone of economy, fueling job growth in our New Jersey and across the country.

New Jersey Senator Thomas Kean Jr., Minority Leader of the New Jersey Senate, visited White Conveyors manufacturing facility in Kenilworth on August 10, 2016. Mr Kean represents the 21st Legislative District, which covers parts of Union, Morris, Somerset and Essex Counties. His father, Thomas Kean Sr., was the former Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990 and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

White, a third generation family owned business, is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. White manufactures a full line of Hotel/Casino, Correctional Institution, Retail, Dry Cleaning, Industry and residential garment handling solutions. Since its founding in 1944, White has installed nearly 100,000 conveyors in the United States and throughout the world.

Senator Kean was given a tour of the 90,000 square ft. plant by company President Mary Speckhart, along with her brothers Stephen and John Speckhart.

As they toured the facility that employs over 100 people, the group discussed the opportunities and challenges facing New Jersey manufacturers.

Mary Speckhart said, Manufacturing is the backbone of economy, fueling job growth in our New Jersey and across the country. We are so excited to have Senator Kean here today! His continued support of local business and manufacturing has helped build an environment that promotes small business growth - and that leads to job growth.

According to the National Association of Manufacturers, manufacturing accounts for 90.6 percent of New Jerseys exports. White Conveyors has experienced consistant, steady growth over the years and has recently expanded its national and international sales network. The manufacturing sector in New Jersey has suffered gradual decline over the last decade, however, there are signs it has recently stabilized.
Following a noteworthy initial launch in March 2016, Purple Heart Wines (purpleheartwines.com/), is pleased to announce the release of their second vintage, their 2014 Purple Heart Red ($19.99). This wine releases to the public on September 1st with 15,000 cases, double the production of the previous vintage. A label produced under C. Mondavi & Family, Purple Heart Wines pays tribute to American military veterans through support of the Purple Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to serving the unmet needs of military men, women and families.

Purple Heart Wines will officially unveil the 2014 vintage at the 2016 Purple Heart Foundation Gala in Norfolk, Virginia on August 13th. For the first time, the Gala will be open to the public.

The 2014 vintage of Purple Heart Red introduces the collaborative efforts of Napa winemaker and Iraq War veteran David Grega, who brings a passion for wine and his fellow veterans. Grega and Vietnam veteran winemaker Ray Coursen worked together on the new vintage to produce a bold American red wine, stylistically ripe with soft tannins and a plush mouthfeel.

Commenting on the differences between the 2014 and 2013 vintages, Grega notes: 2013 was more structured, but the 2014 is a bit fuller and more accessible because of the conditions of the vintage. We tried to keep a similar style of wine that is drinkable, but still has complexity. The 2014 sees the addition of Petite Sirah and additional Cabernet Sauvignon to the Merlot-driven, Bordeaux-inspired blend.

In just six months, Purple Heart Wines has enjoyed tremendous success, with national placements, and a sold-out 2013 vintage. Paul Englert, Vice President of Marketing at C. Mondavi & Family, comments on the growth of the brand: We are thrilled with the success of Purple Heart Wines thus far, and hope to continue expanding the project. Were honored that David Grega has joined the winemaking team and remain focused on increasing awareness for the Purple Heart Foundation and the needs of veterans.

In addition to increased production, Purple Heart Wines has amplified exposure and awareness for its beneficiary, the Purple Heart Foundation, with participation in annual fundraising events like the August Gala, heightened visibility for how to donate information on promotional materials and their website, and joint media interviews. Purple Heart Wines will donate up to $50,000 annually to the Purple Heart Foundation, to be used at their discretion to provide much needed support for myriad veterans needs.

Trade Contact:

Jaki Palacios

Purple Heart Wines

jpalacios(at)cmondavi(dot)com

707-967-2237

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About Purple Heart Wines

Purple Heart is a Napa Valley red wine created to honor the bravery and commitment of Americas military heroes. It is an uncompromising wine crafted by highly accomplished military veteran winemakers under the stewardship of the Peter Mondavi Sr. Family, whose patriarch is a proud veteran of World War II. The Purple Heart is a congressional military decoration, awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy. No military award better symbolizes the bravery, determination and selflessness of the military men and women serving our country. It is this noble medal that inspired the creation of Purple Heart Wines. In partnership with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the winery makes an annual financial contribution to the Purple Heart Foundation to help them achieve their mission.
BigHand Our technology is built by experts in legal technology, specifically for the legal industry - Eric Wangler, President of BigHand North America

On August 16th, BigHand Inc. celebrates 10 years of operation in North America. The technology provider, who originated in the UK in 1998, initially shot to success with their digital dictation and voice technology products, but has remained at the forefront of the legal technology scene with their ever- evolving software built to help law firms drive efficiency and improve client service.

BigHand has always been well-known for its go-to voice solutions which allow professionals to record digital dictations via a recorder, desktop or mobile device, and submit for processing via fully configurable workflows. The digital nature of the system supports paperless, efficient working and allows users to work in smarter and leaner ways than ever before. Building on this core offering since 2006, BigHand has added a number of new technologies to the portfolio - all born from customer-driven, hands-on experience in the legal industry.

At this years ILTACON 2016, BigHand will be showing attendees just how far theyve come. The event, which runs from August 28th to September 1st in Washington DC, will welcome thousands of legal professionals from around the country to explore the latest legal technologies. BigHand will have a strong presence at the show, with a large booth, number 801/803, three demo rooms to showcase their technology solutions, and group learning sessions on the BigHand Produce product range. As platinum sponsors of this event, BigHand is also sponsoring the ILTA Afterglow party on Tuesday, August 30th, following the ILTA Distinguished Peer Awards dinner.

Eric Wangler, President of BigHand in North American comments: Our technology is built by experts in legal technology, specifically for the legal industry. We have worked onsite at hundreds of law firms and have listened to the issues that they face every day. We have used that understanding to build solutions that really make a difference. Since we began operating in North America, we have acquired two companies, have released many new products and have consistently been recognized for providing remarkable customer service averaging a 97% customer satisfaction rating. We are proud of what weve achieved so far and are very excited to be showcasing our technology at ILTACON 2016.

Today, BigHand is used by over 280,000 professionals across 2,550 organizations globally. They employ over 160 people, with recruitment continuing to accelerate every year, and operate from offices in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America.

BigHand Milestones:



2006  BigHand begins operation in North America

2008  Mobility functionality is added so users can work from a mobile device

2009  BigHand partners with Nuance to offer BigHand Speech Recognition

2013  BigHand acquires Verdatum, an award-winning digital dictation company

2014  BigHand acquires Esquire Innovations Inc. and adopts a range of document production tools (now known as the BigHand Produce suite)

2015  BigHand releases BigHand Now, a ground-breaking task delegation tool and BigHand Capacity Manager, a resource management dashboard

2015  BigHand releases the latest and most advanced version of their voice software, BigHand 5

For more information on any of BigHands products, please visit BigHand at booth 801/803 at ILTACON 2016. To book a personal demonstration, please email inquiry(at)bighand(dot)com. Alternatively, please visit http://www.bighand.com.
a first class lawyer who is very well known within the Birmingham market

LONDON, August 15, 2016. National commercial law firm, Ortolan Legal, has boosted its Dispute Resolution offering with the appointment of Senior Consultant Solicitor Erica Simpson. Erica joins Ortolan Legal from Shoosmiths Birmingham office where she was a Senior Associate noted by the legal directories as a being one to watch and praised as a knowledgeable lawyer with a commercial mind and a litigator who is calm under pressure. Erica is the third senior solicitor to join the firm this year following the appointment of Monica Bridge (Employment) in February and Gaynor Bannon (Commercial Property) in March.

Nick Benson, Chief Executive and Founder of Ortolan Legal said, We are delighted that Erica has chosen to join our fast growing team. She is a first class lawyer who is clearly very well known within the Birmingham market and I am confident that she will be a real asset to the firm.

Erica added, I am very excited to be joining Ortolan Legal at a time when clients are demanding an innovative, cost effective approach to the delivery of traditional legal services. Ortolans unique business model allows me to offer my clients first class advice on a full range of legal issues at highly competitive rates.

Ortolan Legal was set up in 2009 by ex-city solicitor Nicholas Benson who believed there was a more effective way to deliver high quality, commercial legal advice to clients. The firms unique virtual model allows the savings made from Ortolans significantly reduced overheads to be passed on to clients. As a result, Ortolans fees are a fraction of those charged by conventional law firms. Clients and senior legal advisers alike have embraced the model and the firm has gone from strength to strength. With an enviable client base the firm now has 12 senior solicitors advising across a range of business specialisms including corporate and commercial, dispute resolution, insolvency and reorganisation, commercial property, employment and landlord and tenant law.

More information is available at ortolanlegal.com.

About Ortolan Legal. Ortolan Legal Ltd is a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, offering high quality and cost-effective commercial legal advice. It is a Legal Disciplinary Practice authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under registration number 520335. Founded in 2009, the firm is headquartered in Birchwood, Cheshire.
Adding BSE is an important step in expanding our support for global exchanges." Mark Skalabrin, CEO of Redline Trading Solutions

Redline Trading Solutions announced today that BSE, Ltd. (formerly Bombay Stock Exchange Ltd.) is now supported by Redlines market data and order execution gateway solutions, enabling firms trading on this exchange to receive and act upon real-time price and order book information faster than ever before.

Our support for BSE brings Redlines high-performance technology to one of the worlds fastest exchanges, said Mark Skalabrin, CEO of Redline Trading Solutions. Adding BSE is an important step in expanding our support for global exchanges, Skalabrin added.

Redlines InRush feed handler was written to the low-latency Enhanced Order Book Interface (EOBI) protocol, which BSE adopted as part of its multi-year partnership with Deutsche Borse Group. Redlines Order Execution Gateway solution, with integrated pre-trade risk checks, speeds delivery of electronic orders to the BSE matching engine using BSEs Enhanced Trading Interface (ETI) protocol.

Redlines support for BSE includes their equity, equity derivatives, and currency derivatives markets.

Redline Trading Solutions, Inc.

Redline Trading Solutions empowers trading with high-performance market data and order execution solutions that solve todays toughest latency and reliability challenges while reducing costs. With offices in Boston, New York, London, Hong Kong and Belfast, Redlines customers include leading investment banks, brokers, exchanges, hedge funds, and proprietary trading firms.

http://www.redlinetrading.com

# # #

Redline and InRush are trademarks of Redline Trading Solutions, Inc. All other trademarks cited herein are the property of their respective owners.
Concept Searching has also found that clients are automating many of their specialized search and retrieval requirements, eliminating end users from the process.

Concept Searching, the global leader in multi-term metadata generation, auto-classification, and taxonomy management software, and developer of the Smart Content Framework, now automatically surfaces intelligent content in context and as a result has seen its clients increasing adoption of the components of the digital workplace.

The components of the digital workplace vary, depending on the definition used. Concept Searching drives value for the components that improve effectiveness, efficiency, customer satisfaction, compliance and governance, collaboration, and increased productivity. Organizations that focus on continual improvement in one or more of the components will benefit from an enhanced workplace, increased revenue, and reduced costs. The IT team, end users, and management must work together to define the bottlenecks and process challenges that inhibit the achievement of corporate goals.

Concept Searchings Smart Content Framework is now able to automatically surface intelligent content in context. Unlike traditional enterprise search queries, relevant content is surfaced at the time of need. Internally, customer care, sales, administration, and knowledge workers will typically search on the same subject areas, and the search engine will retrieve all information related to the query. Intelligent content in context differs in that highly granular content is delivered, based on a particular process step, decision point, or user interaction.

For example, a customer care representative takes a call from a client in a particular geography, requesting a product or service upgrade. Billing information, products, forms, policies, and regulatory information is automatically retrieved, based upon the client, geography, and process step being undertaken. The outcome resolves customer care issues more quickly, increases productivity, and ultimately reduces costs. A Concept Searching client providing 24/7 customer care to veterans with brain injuries replaced Google searches with Concept Searching technologies, which ensured quality of information and resolved questions more quickly and accurately.

Concept Searching has also found that clients are automating many of their specialized search and retrieval requirements, eliminating end users from the process. A large health organization deployed an extranet for cancer patients and caregivers, to retrieve relevant information specific to their conditions. Aggregating information from internal and external sources, the information changed as a result of patients requirements. A military client used after action reports and lessons learned, to reduce human factors and improve product manufacturing throughout its supply chain. And a global accounting firm used Concept Searchings solution, to reduce time spent on reinventing work products and searching for expertise within the organization.

Martin Garland, President of Concept Searching, commented, Many organizations have been using the same workday processes and often the same core applications used 15 years ago. They are now seeking technologies that can tie silos of information together, and are evaluating approaches to improve employee satisfaction and to implement software and new processes that improve the bottom line, without losing their investment in infrastructure and core applications.

Follow Concept Searching: http://www.twitter.com/conceptsearch

About Concept Searching

Concept Searching is the industry leader specializing in multi-term metadata generation, auto-classification, and taxonomy management. Platform agnostic, Concept Searching also has a Microsoft Gold Application Development competency, and offers a complete suite of SharePoint and Office 365 solutions. The award winning technologies integrated with Concept Searchings Smart Content Framework encompass the entire portfolio of unstructured information assets in on-premises, cloud, or hybrid environments. Making use of intelligent content in context delivered at the point of need Clients have deployed the intelligent metadata enabled solutions to improve search, records management, identification and protection of confidential data, intelligent migration, secure collaboration, content optimization, text analytics, eDiscovery, and any application or process that requires the use of metadata.

Concept Searching is headquartered in the US with offices in the UK, Canada and South Africa. For more information about Concept Searchings solutions and technologies visit our Blog.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
Teeth Tomorrow Full Arch Prettau Zirconia Bridge Working with Einstein for 10 years has been a major part of our practice's growth.

The Teeth Tomorrow Network proudly announces a partnership with Einstein Medical , a division of Einstein Industries - the countrys preeminent online marketing company for elective healthcare professionals since 1995. Einstein will be providing Teeth Tomorrow Network members with optimized websites, social media outreach, and digital marketing solutions to promote each practice within its protected geographic territory.

Working with Einstein for the last 10 years has been a major part of our practice's growth, says Dr. Michael Tischler, the networks founder and implant editor of Dentistry Today. Our mission is support every aspect of our members implant practices, so they can spend less time managing the business, and devote more time to their patients, Dr. Tischler continues, The SEO strategy implemented by the team at Einstein has translated into a major presence on the web for our practice, and will be a driving force for business growth for network members.

Einstein Medicals Dental Sales Director Michael Berman said: Einstein Industries has been in the vanguard of online marketing since the early days of the Internet. Our formula for success is simple: an unwavering commitment to providing ethical and data-supported online strategies alongside innovative, proprietary technologies for the healthcare industry. We understand the challenges dentist face in todays market and help them ethically take advantage of emerging opportunities when they arise, such as Dr. Tischlers innovative Teeth Tomorrow program.

Teeth Tomorrow provides our members with a proven process to grow practice revenue, while best serving patients, states Richard Stone, Director of Network Services. Our unique clinical solution, backed by comprehensive lab support, is driven by the promotion of our national brand through media platforms that deliver pre-qualified patients. Each franchise territory has been defined using state-of-the-art market intelligence from IntelleVue to confirm population demographics support the business model. Our global branding campaign from Ellenbogen Creative Media produces national reach with local results for Network Implant Dentists.

The Teeth Tomorrow Network is the only National US dental franchise dedicated to full arch zirconia as the final product. Network membership is only granted to carefully selected practices committed to providing advanced dental implant reconstruction services, and is limited to 250 exclusive market territories.

ABOUT TEETH TOMORROW:

The Teeth Tomorrow Network consists of advanced implant dentists delivering a proven full arch Prettau zirconia solution to their patients. The network doctors utilize the established Teeth Tomorrow clinical, laboratory and marketing protocols, working together to share knowledge and further the success of the Teeth Tomorrow brand, setting the gold standard for top recognized dentists for full arch restoration. The network enables members to expand their advanced prosthetic and restoration practice through success-proven delivery protocols, inclusive doctor/staff training, an exclusive market within a designated territory, and customized national marketing and advertising support.

Network membership is only available to carefully selected Advanced Implant Dentists. Dental Implant Dentists interested in learning more about joining the Teeth Tomorrow Network while prime territories remain available should visit teethtomorrow.com, send inquiries to info(at)teethtomorrow.com or call the Network Support Team at 845-679-1280.

ABOUT EINSTEIN MEDICAL:

Einstein Medical is a San Diego based Internet marketing firm that offers solutions to reputable doctors & surgeons throughout the nation & the world. Einstein Medical offers a wide range of products and services designed to increase the financial success of its clients, including website development, search engine marketing and search engine optimization, social media marketing, and custom content development. Einstein Medical assigns a team of marketing experts who collaborate to determine how best to promote and increase the visibility of each practice; tailoring Internet strategies to meet the unique needs of the business. For more information, contact Michael Berman at MBerman(at)EinsteinDental.com or call 858-362-4836.
With more intraday calculations on the cards under FRTB IMA, technology has a key role to play in smoothing the process of data collection and analysis." - Boris Lipiainen, Global Head of Product Management at Misys.

Misys is supporting the banking community as it prepares for Basels Fundamental Review of the Trading Book (FRTB). The regulation, which overhauls the market risk capital charge calculation, has significant ramifications which must be addressed to ensure banks comply with new rules. The Misys FusionCapital Risk  FRTB solution will address the standardised approach (SA) requirements out of the box, as well as offering service applications as required for the internal model approach (IMA).

The impact to frontline trading, market risk and product control activities is significant, especially if firms hold ambitions to achieve capital-efficient, internal model approaches for FRTB. Robust supply chains for risk management operations to deliver enhanced and granular risk measures, stringent modeling methodologies and stronger operational controls will become strategic differentiators between banks in optimising capital on an ongoing basis, said Cubillas Ding, Research Director at Celent.

Following in-depth industry consultation around the demands on banks under FRTB, Misys is readying FusionCapital Risk  FRTB. It will offer financial institutions market leading performance and a credible path to compliance as part of a phased transformation of broader capital markets IT infrastructure, including:

1) A pre-packaged reporting solution to comply with the SA, offering rich sensitivities and a stress-test framework with full data control by desk and on an aggregated level.

2) Front-to-risk coherence via a shared and coherent pricing engine with ultra-fast analytics and aggregation. At the centre of banks capital markets operations, it provides full P&L and risk valuation. Immensely parallelised data aggregation ensures fast processing of all data inputs and massive volumes of simulated results. An in-memory calculator also allows for incremental real time re-calculations.

3) An agile solution, easily adaptable to evolving regulations and changing market demands, which minimises the cost of disruption. An open framework provides oversight of operations and reporting through one simple and intuitive dashboard.

4) A bedrock for future transformation. The FRTB solution makes full use of Misys FusionCapitals shared pricing, valuation and UI components, which are designed to incorporate wider transformative activities in the future, e.g. the valuation of collateral, introducing global limits or overall better capital planning to optimise treasury.

The new market risk capital charge is a step change from the former Basel 2.5 for both the SA and IMA. It is forcing banks to review every aspect of the current market risk calculation. Banks will need to brace themselves for changes to a multitude of processes, including environments and reporting capabilities, as well as an increase in required computation power for the IMA.

With more intraday calculations on the cards under FRTB IMA, technology has a key role to play in smoothing the process of data collection and analysis as well as handling the major leap in calculation volume and complexity and the computational demands that result, said Boris Lipiainen, Global Head of Product Management at Misys. In order for banks to meet the deadline of January 2020 and to get the most from their investment, it is imperative they begin the process of transformation now.

Misys is well placed to support banks with FRTB compliance, amidst simultaneous pressures to reduce complexity and transform operating models. The Misys FusionCapital Risk  FRTB solution means banks can integrate all current trading systems, achieve front-to-risk alignment and benefit from scalable components that support wider transformational activities in the future.

-Ends-

For further information please contact

Caroline Duff

Senior PR Manager

T: +44 (0)20 3320 5892

E: caroline(dot)duff(at)misys(dot)com

http://www.misys.com

About Misys

Misys is at the forefront of the financial software industry, providing the broadest portfolio of banking, capital markets, investment management and risk management solutions available on the market. With more than 2,000 customers in 130 countries our team of domain experts, combined with our partner eco-system, have an unparalleled ability to address industry requirements at both a global and local level. We connect systems, collect data and create intelligent information to drive smarter business decisions. To learn more about how our Fusion software portfolio can deliver a holistic view of your operations, and help you to solve your most complex challenges, please visit http://www.misys.com and follow @MisysFS on Twitter.
BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy (BioPlus), one of the nations leading innovative specialty pharmacies, adapted the charitable Pay It Forward program after The Pulse tragedy to support the OneOrlando Fund. During the month of July, BioPlus increased the companys donations to Pay It Forward, earmarking the higher level of donations directly to OneOrlando in order to support the victims and their families. A total of $3,140 was raised in July for OneOrlando.

The OneOrlando Fund was formed by the City of Orlando in the wake of the June 12, 2016 shooting tragedy at The Pulse nightclub. This fund was announced by Orlandos Mayor Buddy Dyer with the objective of supporting the victims and their families affected by the deadly attack.

The BioPlus Pay It Forward campaign was established in 2013 and since then has provided $192,000 in donations to multiple non-profit patient foundations. Pay It Forward, by partnering with BioPlus 2-Hour Patient Acceptance Guarantee, makes a donation to a non-profit patient foundation for every referral received at BioPlus. During the month of July, BioPlus increased the donation for every referral by $1, with that money earmarked for the OneOrlando Fund.

By increasing our Pay It Forward program, as well as direct donations from our employees, we raised $3,140 for the OneOrlando Fund which provides aid directly to the victims and their families, explains Barbara Weller, Senior Vice President of Finance at BioPlus. In this way, we hoped to demonstrate our love and support to those affected, especially since this was so close to home for us, Weller adds.

About BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy is the first specialty pharmacy to introduce a two-hour turnaround from referral to patient acceptance. BioPlus... Where healing begins in 2 hours. Our company celebrates 27 years of innovative excellence in specialty pharmacy, working closely with payers and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as with prescribers to get prompt treatment for patients, and directly supporting our patients nationwide to achieve optimal health outcomes. Our proprietary web tool Tap App connects prescribers to the pharmacy by bringing the pharmacy chart into the doctors office with real-time specialty pharmacy information and treatment monitoring.

BioPlus provides a complete range of specialty services, including for hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, cancer, bleeding disorders, and other complex, chronic conditions. BioPlus, a privately-held, pharmacist-owned company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is accredited by URAC, VIPPS, and the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC).

For information: http://www.bioplusrx.com or

Contact: info(at)bioplusrx(dot)com

Phone: 1-888-292-0744

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The Iron Yard, the countrys largest immersive code school, today announced a new Back-End Engineering software development course that will begin on September 6 at the Orlando campus. The course, Back-End Engineering with Java, will be offered in an immersive, 12-week format designed to prepare students to become junior-level developers after graduation.

"The demand for software developers in Orlando is huge and employers are looking to tap into local tech talent to fill these positions," said Susanna Miller, campus director for The Iron Yard in Orlando. "Based on job posting trends and feedback we have heard from many local employers, we saw a need for more Back-End developers who know Java. We are excited to add an immersive Java course to our Orlando campus offerings and equip students with skills that employers need to hire for.

The Java course will be taught by Jason Skipper, an industry veteran with nearly 20 years of Java experience. He is a Certified Java Developer with both a bachelors degree and masters degree from the University of Florida. Jason has worked in the Orlando tech industry for the last 18 years, from Lake Mary to Lake Buena Vista, and brings an industry insider's view to the classroom. He first embraced teaching at local summer coding camps and furthered his skills by moonlighting as an instructor at local community colleges. He now teaches full-time for The Iron Yard.

The Iron Yards full-time, immersive programs are designed to mentor people of all backgrounds into becoming professional junior-level programmers in 12 weeks. With the support of experienced, full-time instructors and a robust career services program, students are provided with the resources they need to master in-demand skills, build a portfolio and navigate the job search process.

The Back-End Engineering with Java course will begin on Sept. 6, 2016 and prospective students can apply here: https://academy.theironyard.com/get-started

For more information about The Iron Yard, please visit: http://theironyard.com. To attend a crash course on the Orlando campus and try your hand at coding, visit: http://www.meetup.com/The-Iron-Yard-Orlando/

About The Iron Yard

The Iron Yard is the countrys largest immersive code school. It exists to create real, lasting change for people, companies and communities through technology education. The school offers full-time programs in Back-End Engineering, Front-End Engineering, Mobile Engineering and Design. The Iron Yard operates 22 campuses in the U.S. For more information, visit theironyard.com.
Jonathan CahnNew York Times best-selling author of the international sensation The Harbingeris back, this time mixing potent Bible passages and end-time insight in The Book of Mysteries, debuting September 6, 2016.

Readers will step into an unusual journey of divine revelation, Cahn said. From the deep truths of Gods Word emerge important spiritual insights and end-time mysteries.

From FrontLine publishers, The Book of Mysteries follows a travelers one-year journey with a man known only as the teacher. Each day, the teacher opens the reader and travelers eyes to a profound mystery from Gods Word.

Masterful storyteller Cahn locks in readers imaginations even as he discusses biblical insights from more than thirty years of preaching and teaching. Given its 365 entries, The Book of Mysteries also may be read as a daily devotional.

Cahn is senior pastor and Messianic rabbi of the Jerusalem Center/Beth Israel in Wayne, New Jersey, and founder and president of Hope of the World ministries. Raised in a Jewish family, he became an atheist as a young man. Following a miraculous escape from a catastrophic car/train collision, however, he converted to Christianity.

Cahn gained national attention in 2012 with The Harbinger, a parallel of the United States following the 2001 terrorist attacks and Israels history. The Harbinger debuted on the New York Times best-seller list and stayed there for 100-plus weeks.

The prophetic writings of Jonathan Cahn have reverberated through the halls of our public square to the pulpit, said Tessie DeVore, publisher of Charisma House book group. We fully believe in his message and its ability to stir national dialogue. Cahns revelations have already become a catalyst and rallying cry for America to return to God, and much more is to come.

Visit Lovell-Fairchild.com for:



The Book of Mysteries media tip sheet

Q&A with Jonathan Cahn

Suggested interview questions

About Charisma House - MysteriesBook.com

Charisma House empowers people through Spirit-inspired resources. It is the leading publisher of diversified Christian resources that motivate people to fulfill God's purpose. For over twenty-one years, Charisma House has published books that challenge, encourage, teach, and equip Christians, including twelve New York Times bestsellers.
For the third year in a row, Confirm BioSciences was nominated as one of the Best Places To Work in San Diego and took home the #1 ranking for the small business category. This distinction was awarded by the San Diego Business Journal together with the Best Companies Group and their corporate sponsors. Companies included in the prestigious list were chosen through a two-part process that involves looking into the companys policies and practices and through a survey to evaluate the working experience of their employees.

It is truly an honor to be working with this amazing team here, they make it happen every day here said Confirm BioSciences president and CEO, Zeynep Ilgaz. I feel blessed and grateful for this opportunity and on behalf of our team we would like to thank the San Diego Business Journal and all our community partners, customers and vendors who have been part of this amazing journey with us. We look for many more years together Ilgaz continued.

The awards ceremony took place on August 11th at Paradise Point Resort & Spa and the San Diego Business Journal will release a special issue to feature all companies honored in the annual list.

Apart from this recognition, Confirm BioSciences has also been recognized by the San Diego Business Journal as one of the Fastest Growing Private Companies in San Diego, by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce as the past Outstanding Emerging Business winner and a 2-time finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

About Confirm BioSciences

Confirm BioSciences provides a comprehensive line of rapid immuno-diagnostic test products for clinical, consumer and workplace applications. Products are marketed under Confirm BioSciences proprietary labels, including HairConfirm, DrugConfirm, SalivaConfirm , PetConfirm - through national and international distributors.

http://www.confirmbiosciences.com
Nectaria brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the Quebec market to our management team.  Michel Lopez, CEO e2f

e2f, a leading global translation and localization company headquartered in San Jose, California, today announced the appointment of Nectaria Koinis as Branch Director for its Montreal, Quebec office to lead the companys Canadian operations.

Prior to joining e2f, Koinis held senior positions with Montreal branches of the localization firms Textualis and TransPerfect. She holds a Masters degree from SDA Bocconi, Milano, Italy, a Bachelors from McGill University, and is fluent in English, French, Italian and Greek.

For over a decade, e2f supported localization efforts for the French Canadian community via its other global offices, translating tens of thousands of words every business day. In February 2016, it formed a subsidiary, Services de Traduction e2f Canada Inc., and opened an office in Montreal to expand translation production and directly support its Canadian clientele. The new appointment of a seasoned industry professional to lead e2fs Montreal operations further reinforces the companys commitment to the French Canadian market. (You can learn more about e2fs French Canadian services at http://e2f.com/montreal/.)

Nectaria brings a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge of the Quebec market to our management team, said Michel Lopez, CEO of e2f. With her leadership, our expanding operations in Canada will surely reflect the highest standards of quality and customer focus.

Canada is not the only expansion for e2f in 2016. It also announced new offices in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Berlin, Germany. Based on data before these recent expansions, the market research firm Common Sense Advisory (CSA) placed e2f in its ranks of Top 100 Global Language Service Providers (LSPs) for 2016. CSA also ranked e2f as #19 on their list of Fastest Growing LSPs, and for sustained growth (over three years), ranked it even higher, placing e2f at #13 in the world.

All my diverse experiences have prepared me for the fast-paced growth of e2f, and the ever-evolving needs of the Montreal business community, said Koinis. I am thrilled to have a central role in e2fs mission delivering the highest value to its clients, empowering its employees to excel, and positively impacting our communities.

e2f is a translation and localization services company founded and headquartered in Silicon Valley. With worldwide offices, e2f provides full-service high-quality localization and testing, on-site staffing, human translation, and voice-over on a 24/5 basis. Our clients include technology startups, website, mobile app and game developers, and companies spanning multiple industries (IT, marketing, hospitality, life sciences, etc.). Find out more about us at http://www.e2f.com or follow us on Twitter at @e2ftranslations.
TruShield Security Solutions, Inc., is a leading cybersecurity solutions company that will showcase the latest innovations in data privacy and threat prevention to the legal field when they exhibit at the International Legal Technology Association's Annual Conference from August 28th - September 1st in Maryland.

While no business is immune from data privacy issues, the legal industry has an even greater responsibility to keep their clients information secure. The increasing exploitation of gaps in cybersecurity is not only concerning but can be potentially devastating to a firms reputation. According to an ABA Legal Technology Survey 50% of law firms are infected with viruses, spyware, or malware. TruShield provides businesses with concrete and innovative solutions to cybersecurity problems that keep clients ahead of the curve.

TruShields VP of Global Sales, Wesley VanDenburg really underscores the importance of educating the legal community about the rising threat to data privacy, We are excited to be exhibiting at such a great event. As a Gold Sponsor for ILTA, we know how informative and illuminating their conferences are. The conference this year has a big emphasis on cybersecurity, and we welcome the opportunity to show the legal industry how our solutions can solve their cybersecurity needs."

The TruShield team of experts will be at booth #210, and private demos with the team can be scheduled on Wednesday, August 31st. Please note that demo spaces are limited. To learn more about data security before ILTACon, download the TruShield data sheet and find out what every firm needs to do to keep important business and client data safe.

In addition to exhibiting at the conference, TruShield is sponsoring the ILTACon Farewell Beach Party on September 1st. Dont forget to follow #ILTACON and visit http://www.iltacon.org to keep up on the latest conference details.

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About TruShield:

TruShield Security Solutions, Inc. provides global businesses with the highest quality solutions to cybersecurity issues by utilizing a comprehensive prevent, defend, contain, and eradicate approach to threats. The company was founded in 2008 by a team of cybersecurity experts from diverse fields. This international group is recognized for bringing clients 24/7 support 365 days a year. Learn more about how TruShield is changing the way businesses keep their data secure by visiting http://www.trushieldinc.com.

Contact Details:

Robyn Stafford

Marketing Manager

TruShield Security Solutions, Inc.

703.584.5802

marketing(at)trushieldinc(dot)com
(Beijing)  The growing appetite of China's middle-class for travel, overseas education and foreign consumer goods such as baby formula is transforming trade ties between China and Australia, which has long been dominated by trade in raw materials, a report says.

Education and tourism services will jump from 8 percent to almost 20 percent of Australian exports to China in 2025, the report estimated.

China's shift from resource- and labor-intensive industries to high-end manufacturing and services would affect raw materials imports from Australia, the Australia-China Joint Economic Report released on August 15 said.

But, even in a pessimistic scenario, in which average Chinese growth is below 5 percent over the next 10 years, estimates suggest that Australian exports to China would still grow by 28 percent and Chinese exports to Australia by 20 per cent, the report's authors said in a commentary published on Caixin

The biggest gains, however, would be realized if Australia and China work to implement supply-side reforms, they said. If this reform agenda is executed successfully, Australian exports to China will grow by 120 percent in real terms, and Chinese exports to Australia by 44 percent over the next decade, the report said.

China bought nearly 40 percent of all Australian exports in 2015, and it has been Australia's top trading partner for over a decade, the report said. Key exports to China included raw materials, such as iron ore and coal, and consumer goods such as milk powder and beef, but demand for financial services and education was also rising, data showed.

The report compiled by the East Asian Bureau of Economic Research at The Australian National University and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges said China was also the biggest exporter to Australia for nearly seven years, after it overtook Japan.

The two countries have already inked a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2014, which strengthens diplomatic ties through an annual leaders' meeting, and conferences such as the Strategic Economic Dialogue and Foreign and Security Dialogue.

The China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA), signed in the same year, ensures that companies from both sides have wider access to investment opportunities and the services sector.

The report suggests the setting up of an independent Australia-China Commission to guide bilateral trade negotiations.
Pariveda Solutions and the Dallas Museum of Art announced today the launch of the Museums mobile application. The DMA app, available for free on iOS devices, provides users with an enhanced visitor experience enabling them to easily browse and locate works of art in the DMAs collection and current exhibitions, as well as explore programs happening at the DMA.

The application was created as part of Pariveda Solutionss Summer Internship Program. Developing talent is at the core of the technology and strategy solutions company, and each year Pariveda offers an eleven  week internship program to an elite group of college students.

This is the sixth year that Pariveda, headquartered in Dallas, has partnered with a non-profit in North Texas for the summer project. The internship allows these students to learn the interworkings of being a consultant and also provides an opportunity to give back, showcasing how one can use a passion for technology to serve their local community. The development of mobile applications for Klyde Warren Park and the City of Cedar Hill are among the earlier summer internship projects.

"Partnering with the DMA allowed the Pariveda interns to experience working with a great organization in our Dallas community, said Allison Grindle, Intern Project Manager. They were able to understand the world of consulting, learn the latest technologies in mobile, and experience the joy of giving back. With more people accessing information via their mobile phones, this new application makes accessing information about the DMA easy for their more than 700,000 annual visitors. The creation of this app plays a vital role in delivering value to these visitors."

This has been an extraordinary collaboration. Pariveda was able to bring to us a fantastic group of interns along with the agencys technical, design, and project management resources, said Shyam Oberoi, Director of Technology and Digital Media at the DMA. The DMA was able to leverage both our technical infrastructure as well as the dedicated work of diverse staff from all across the organization including IT, Creative Services, Curatorial, Communications and Marketing, Education, Development, and Visitor Services. I could not be happier with the result.

The application features an interactive map of the DMA, complete with points of interest and gallery previews. It also includes fun new ways to discover works of art, via self-guided tours compiled by DMA insiders or the shake to explore feature which displays a random DMA highlight on demand. The app was built using Swift, the newest programming language for iOS development, together with several products from the Amazon Web Services cloud computing platform to integrate smoothly with the existing technologies that currently serve the Museums website DMA.org.

About Pariveda Solutions

Pariveda Solutions, Inc. is a leading management consulting firm specializing in improving our clients' performance. We are complex problem solvers who provide strategic consulting services and custom application development solutions for mobility, cloud computing, data, portals and collaboration, CRM, custom software, enterprise integration and user experience needs of our clients. Learn more at http://www.parivedasolutions.com. Additional information on internship opportunities can be found here.
Geometric Results, Inc. (GRI) recently named ACS Group and HireGenics as founding members of their Platinum Preferred Partner (P3) supplier program. This program is the first of its kind in the non-employee labor managed services area and will create a business culture which delivers value across the spectrum  to clients, supplier partners, and GRI team members.

P3 turns the traditional supplier model upside-down, bringing the MSP and its suppliers together to capitalize on the shared understanding of the MSP landscape and commitment to maintaining the highest level of service. The initial 29 suppliers chosen to participate, all US-based in this first phase, were required to meet strict standards around performance, relationships, pricing, and non-competitive threat.

Chosen because of your continued commitment to superior performance within GRIs MSP programs, ACS Group is now part of an elite supplier coalition that operates with the industrys foremost practices, personnel, and expertise, said Arthur Knapp, President of GRI. Your companys superior professional ethics and thought leadership played a major role in ACS Group being chosen.

As a member of this prestigious group, GRIs clients can be assured of ACS Group and HireGenics commitment to bringing unmatched service and qualified, reliable candidates to fulfill their non-employee labor needs.

About Geometric Results, Inc.

Geometric Results, Inc. (GRI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of MSX International, is the worlds largest independent managed service provider (MSP) with $4 billion in managed contingent workforce spend. The company maintains a conflict-free position with regard to staffing suppliers and VMS technology platforms. GRIs workforce solutions offer management of clients total MSP program activity including contracting, supplier management, payment services, and advanced analytics; clients realize improved efficiency, increased transparency, and reduced cost. GRI continues to be an industry leader in solutions development, serving clients in more than 35 countries with proprietary services including STARS Methodology for Continuous Improvement and Procurement of Outsourced Projects and Services (PrOPS). For more information, visit http://www.GeometricResultsInc.com.

About ACS Group

ACS Group is a premier provider of IT Consulting, Engineering Consulting, Healthcare Solutions, Talent Solutions, and Workforce Management Solutions to Fortune 1000 companies globally. ACS Group conducts business through four operating brands  AIC, Analysts, ComforceHealth, and HireGenics  each with a specialized business focus. Our operating brands have provided targeted services and solutions for more than 50 years. ACS Group has grown to over $700 million in revenue with more than 12,000 employees and consultants worldwide. Recognitions include: #1 Fastest Growing Company in the State of Georgia (2014); Ranked by SIA as the Second Largest Minority-Owned IT Consulting Company in the U.S. (2015); and winner of Inaveros Best of Staffing Client Diamond Award (2016). ACS Group is a certified MBE organization, and an NMSDC Corporate Plus member, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with offices across the U.S. and India, and an international presence in Canada and Latin America.

About HireGenics

HireGenics, a part of the ACS Group, is a global provider of workforce management solutions to mid-market and Fortune 1000 companies. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, HireGenics provides workforce risk mitigation and talent optimization solutions and currently manages approximately 12,000 consultants working in a variety of job skills and labor categories. In addition to Employer of Record Services, Agent of Record Services, and Curated Talent Clouds, HireGenics also provides automated payroll services to ensure compliance, MSP services to optimize the contingent labor process, and procurement strategies that effectively manage deliverable-based projects or services spend. We also specialize in independent contractor and small supplier (or non-preferred vendor) compliance, management, and strategy services.
Vista is designed first and foremost to support the needs of construction operations and has been upgraded and adapted to meet changes in technology as well as changes within the construction industry. Past News Releases RSS Viewpoint Partners with LCPtracker...

Elder Construction Selects...

DooleyMack Constructors Select...

Viewpoint Construction Software is pleased to announce that Nova Group, Inc., a long time customer, has increased its investment in Viewpoint by purchasing Vista by Viewpoint. Nova Group is a general engineering contractor and specialist in building aircraft fueling systems and marine facilities for the U.S. Department of Defense. The company has a project porfolio that stretches throughout more than 30 of the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, Guam, Israel, Qatar and Diego Garcia.

Nova Groups existing ERP was being discontinued, and with a growing portfolio of projects across the globe, the organization needed to find a flexible, scalable and integrated ERP. We were already finding value in using Viewpoints Content Management, so it was natural to consider Vista when exploring a new ERP solution. Viewpoint demonstrated superior functionality and the ability to easily adapt to many of our existing processes without expensive customization nor dependence on additional 3rd party tools, stated Walt Birdsall, CFO at Nova Group. We were attracted to Vista because it stood out as a user-friendly, configurable solution built on a modern platform. We have also been impressed with the fact that Vista is designed first and foremost to support the needs of construction operations and has been upgraded and adapted to meet changes in technology as well as changes within the construction industry. We are confident in Viewpoints ability to provide us the support we need now and for years to come.

About Nova Group

Nova is a part of Quanta Services, a company with a net worth greater than $6.8 Billion. Nova employs well over 200 construction professionals worldwide and has been awarded over $2 Billion in government construction contracts during its 40 year history. The hallmark of Novas success is the principle of exceeding its customers expectations through innovative construction, safety, quality, and outstanding customer service. Nova is one of the nations most experienced and respected general engineering contractors specializing in hydrant fueling, waterfront, and utility construction.

About Viewpoint Construction Software

Viewpoint is a provider of innovative construction-specific software solutions to the global construction and capital project industries. Viewpoint provides the tools these industries need to improve project profitability through better visibility, risk management and real-time team collaboration. Viewpoint solutions address the full construction life-cycle from planning/bidding to construction and facilities maintenance. Viewpoints solutions are offered on a variety of platforms, including Cloud, Mobile, SaaS and On Premises. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, USA, and with offices in the UK and Australia, Viewpoint has become the technology partner of choice, with customers located across the globe in more than 28 countries. These customers include more than 40 percent of the ENR 400, and over 20 percent of the ENR 600. For more information, please visit http://www.viewpoint.com.

 2016 Viewpoint, Inc. dba Viewpoint Construction Software. All Rights Reserved. Viewpoint, Viewpoint Construction Software, Vista by Viewpoint, ProContractor by Viewpoint, Viewpoint For Content Management, Viewpoint For Mobile, Viewpoint For Projects, Viewpoint For Field View, Viewpoint For Estimating, and Jobpac by Viewpoint are trademarks or registered trademarks of Viewpoint, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
NAfME Deputy Executive Directors Jane Mell Balek and Christopher B. Woodside. Photo: Mark Finkenstaedt. The prestigious award is named for Lowell Mason, considered to be the father of public school music education in the United States.

This past June, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) honored five exemplary individuals as this years Lowell Mason Fellows. This distinction is one of music educations most important honors, and is designed to recognize the accomplishments of music educators, music education advocates, political leaders, industry professionals, and others who have contributed to music education in their unique way.

The prestigious award is named for Lowell Mason, considered to be the father of public school music education in the United States. He has been credited with introducing music instruction to American public schools in the 19th century, and with establishing teacher training in music education. In 2002, the importance of his contributions to music education inspired NAfME to create the Lowell Mason Fellows award.

Lowell Mason Fellow designations also provide an opportunity to support the efforts of NAfME through the donation made in the honorees name. This donation goes to NAfMEs Give a Note Foundation to support future generations of music educators through the organizations programs. Individuals or groups (corporations, universities, foundations, student organizations, etc.) may fund designations.

Here are the 2016 Lowell Mason Fellows:



Jane Mell Balek, NAfME Deputy Executive Director, and Give a Note Foundation Executive Director and CEO. Since 2011, Jane Balek has spearheaded six national awareness campaigns and raised funds to support and strengthen music education programs across the United States. The programs have reached millions of parents and students and provided more than $1.2 million in direct grants to schools in over 100 communities throughout the United States.

Edwin E. Gordon (deceased), preeminent researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer. Dr. Gordon has been a pioneer in research into musical aptitude, the psychology of music, and how musical aptitude develops in the young child. His research into music learning theory, audiation, and the sequence of development of musical learning have provided the basis for much of what is taught, and how it is taught in our music classrooms today.

Michele Holt, executive director of the Massachusetts Music Educators Association. Michele Holt has taught both public school music and in several music educator preparation programs at the college and university level. As a national president of the American Choral Conductors Association she was a strong advocate for choral music education both nationally and internationally. Co-Author of The School Music Program and contributing author to the third edition of Teaching Choral Music through Performance, Dr. Holt is in demand as a clinician, conductor, and curriculum consultant.

David Waggoner, state executive of the Arizona Music Educators Association. David Waggoner has devoted most of his adult life to music education and NAfME (through the Arizona Music Educators Association). He spent most of his career as a choral teacher in Tucson. With close to thirty years in Arizona music education, David also had the compassion to know how to deal with many important issues at a time of great change.

Christopher B. Woodside, NAfME Deputy Executive Director. Christopher Woodside has worked tirelessly on behalf of music educators and the students they serve by leading in advocacy for music education on the national and state level. In addition to bringing together more than 30 arts organizations on the Music Education Policy Roundtable, Christopher maintains key relationships on Capitol Hill with the Committee for Education Funding, Arts Education Policy Working Group, and most recently the Title IV, Part A Coalition, of which NAfME is a founding member and the first arts organization to join. A culmination of his music advocacy leadership was realized in December 2015 with the signing into law of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, andfor the first time in historynaming music as a stand-alone subject in the well-rounded education provision of ESSA.

Read more about the Lowell Mason Fellows distinction and past recipients of the honor here: bit.ly/LowellMason.

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National Association for Music Education, among the worlds largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members, the organization is the national voice of music education in the United States.

Follow NAfME on Twitter (twitter.com/nafme) and on Facebook (facebook.com/nafme).

For additional information, contact Catherina Hurlburt at catherinah(at)nafme(dot)org or 703-860-4000, ext. 216.
Richard Pollock of Mule Motorcycles competing in a pro flat track race. In the interview, Pollock discusses the unlikely way in which he discovered motorcycles, how his father inspired him to learn to work with his hands, how he worked his way up to becoming one of the finest custom motorcycle builders in the world, and more. Past News Releases RSS British Customs Announces November...

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Richard Pollock is the godfather of the iconic street tracker motorcycle style and the founder of famed Mule Motorcycles. His custom motorcycles have been on the cover of Cycle World magazine a staggering number of times, and he is recognized as one of the finest custom motorcycle builders in the world.

Recently, British Customs published an interview with him in which he discusses his upbringing, what inspired him to become the one of the best custom builders in the world, and why he favors Triumph motorcycles when creating a custom build. The interview can be found on the British Customs blog.

Pollock singularly runs Mule Motorcycles out of his garage in San Diego, California, where he designs and builds a wide range of modern classic custom motorcycles. He unites his background working in the aerospace industry with the experience he gained from decades of racing flat track at the professional level to design and build every component that goes on his motorcycles. Pollock creates some of the best performance parts available for modern classic motorcycles, and while any of his parts can be used to upgrade a bike, they can transform a motorcycle when all installed together. He is attributed with inventing the style of motorcycle called the street tracker, which is a street-legal rendition of the dirt flat track motorcycles popularly raced in the 50s and 60s.

In the interview, Pollock opens up and recalls being inspired by his father who did everything by hand to start tinkering on everything he could. He also tells the story of how seeing his older sister return home from college on a motorcycle wowed him and inspired him to get his own street bike. From there, he tells us, it became a lifelong journey of growth from tinkering to racing at the professional level to becoming one of the worlds best builders.

British Customs is also proud to announce that they have become the sole dealer of Mule Motorcycles aftermarket parts for Triumph motorcycles. Richard Pollock and Mule Motorcycles have become a part of British Customs Pro Builder Series where British Customs offers aftermarket motorcycle parts designed by hand-picked custom motorcycle builders. All of his parts are made to bolt on to factory specifications, and can transform a motorcycle in a huge number of ways. Using Mule Motorcycles parts, riders can transform their motorcycles into street trackers, dirt trackers, scramblers, cafe racers, and more.

Together, British Customs and Richard Pollock built the BC X Mule Tracker Classic and the Thruxton GP to show the extent of customization achievable with bolt-on parts. Inspired by the heroes of the dirt oval, the Tracker Classic is a purpose-built flat tracker. Taking the input of legendary street tracker builder Richard Pollock of Mule Motorcycles, the bike features the Mule 7/8 Tracker Bars, Mule Tri-Oil Cooler Kit, Mule Swingarm Spacers, and more.

To read British Customs interview with Richard Pollock, visit their blog. To find out more about what Mule Motorcycles parts are available on the British Customs online store, visit their online store.

About British Customs:

British Customs is a Southern California-based lifestyle brand and designer of aftermarket motorcycle parts. They are known for making the highest quality factory-spec bolt-on parts that only require common tools and minimal technical knowledge to install. With any of their parts upgrades, the average rider can completely customize his or her motorcycle in a weekend.

About Mule Motorcycles:

Mule Motorcycles is a custom motorcycle garage run singularly by legendary builder Richard Pollock. Pollock makes all his motorcycles by hand, and designs them with an obsession for perfection.
Eight of Ball Janik LLPs attorneys have been selected for inclusion in the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Best Lawyers is one of the oldest and most respected peerreview publications in the legal profession. Ball Janik LLP congratulates the following attorneys in their respective practice areas:

David W. Criswell: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law

Daniel T. Goldstein: Litigation  Construction

Stephen T. Janik: Land Use and Zoning Law; Litigation  Land Use and Zoning; Litigation  Real Estate; and Real Estate Law

Phillip Joseph: Community Association Law

James T. McDermott: Litigation  Construction; Litigation  Insurance; and Litigation  Securities

Jon M. Oden: Litigation  Real Estate

James C. Prichard: Construction Law

Brad T. Summers: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; and Litigation  Bankruptcy

About Best Lawyers

Since it was first published in 1983, the Best Lawyers in America list has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America list is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey. Over 52,000 leading attorneys cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.

Lawyers on the Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise, and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing.

About Ball Janik LLP

Ball Janik LLP is a Pacific Northwest law firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Orlando, Florida and Salt Lake City, Utah. For over thirty years, Ball Janik LLP has been providing outstanding legal services in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor rights, commercial litigation, construction and design, construction litigation, employment, real estate and land use, insurance recovery for policyholders, and securities litigation.

Ball Janik LLP represents large and small businesses; state, municipal and local governments; associations; schools and universities; and individuals. Ball Janik LLP provides clients an aggressive, skilled, team approach to solve problems and achieve results. Ball Janik LLP has been recognized by Chambers USA, U.S. News  Best Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and Corporate International. Ball Janik LLPs success and integrity have repeatedly made it one of Oregons Most Admired Professional Firms, according to the Portland Business Journals survey results of CEOs throughout the region.
Earthwatch student fellows from Los Angeles perform their first archaeological dig in Colorado. "This [new Earthwatch] project is a perfect combination, supporting environmental science and encouraging girls to pursue careers in this important area," said Amy Ruth Borun, Chair of the Borun Family Foundation.

In July ten teenaged girls left their comfort zones in Los Angeles County to embark on a one-week archaeology-focused Earthwatch expedition in Colorado led by female scientists and storytelling experts.

For some, it was their first flight, first time seeing quite so many stars in the night sky, and first time in the stunning high desert landscape. For all, it was a unique opportunity to work alongside leading real scientists to dig into the past  unearthing the stories of Colorados Pueblo and Basketmaker communities  as well as their own personal narratives.

Weve been sending students out into the fields for decades  and are always thrilled to hear how powerful the experience was for them, said Earthwatch CEO, Scott Kania. But this pilot team focused on young women, science and storytelling really blew us away. We seemed to have hit on a kind of special sauce.

The new program, launched with seed funding from the Borun Family Foundation, aims to empower girls 15 to 18 years old to explore their passion for science while building STEM learning skills. In addition, they are mentored throughout the project by a storytelling professional to work on sharing their own personal stories  helping to build confidence, pride, and understanding.

Our foundation looks for meaningful projects which fill gaps we see in funding of social and environmental needs, said Amy Ruth Borun, Chair of the foundation. This project is a perfect combination, supporting environmental science and encouraging girls to pursue careers in this important area. We look forward to seeing the project grow in the future.

This year, the students traveled to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in Colorado where they worked with Dr. Susan Ryan and her predominantly female staff. They performed fieldwork all day and in the evenings, storyteller, author and educator Nora Dooley led them through a novel storytelling curriculum. The primary goal: to help the students find and tell their stories, and eventually hone them to powerful, three-minute narratives.

Dooley continues to mentor the girls and in the fall they will share their stories in front of families, teachers, and classmates at a special event in Los Angeles.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give to our students as educators and mentors is the sense of being able to accomplish anything that you set your mind to, said Ryan, whose path to becoming a scientist wasnt always linear. Ryan said working with the team reminded her of what it was like to be their age again  and that for some it can be a challenging time filled with self-doubt.

With my time here, Ive been able to learn things and I have had access to resources that I wouldnt have otherwise before, said student fellow Emily Wang. This experience has really impacted me and helped me to feel that I can go into science.

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Earthwatch Institute (earthwatch.org) is an international nonprofit organization that connects citizens with scientists to improve the health and sustainability of the planet. Since its founding in 1971, Earthwatch has empowered nearly 100,000 volunteers from all walks of life to join leading scientists on field research expeditions that tackle critical environmental challenges around the globe  from climate change to ocean health, human-wildlife conflict, and more. Earthwatch works with all sectors of society, from corporations to teachers, students, community leaders, zoos and aquaria, and more.
Michael Fuljenz with two of the numerous awards he received at the 2016 World's Fair of Money.

Top awards for consumer protection crime-fighting efforts and outstanding numismatic writing were presented to Michael Fuljenz, President of Universal Coin & Bullion (http://www.UniversalCoin.com) in Beaumont, Texas, at the 2016 American Numismatic Association Worlds Fair of Money.

He received four prestigious honors from two influential organizations, the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and the (NLG) Numismatic Literary Guild, during awards ceremonies conducted in Anaheim, California, August 8 through 12.

The PNG presented Fuljenz the Sol Kaplan Award for efforts in combatting crimes against the numismatic community and the NLG honored him with three awards for writing, broadcasting and his strong support of the hobby. The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the countrys top rare coin and currency experts, and the NLG is a nonprofit organization composed of prominent editors and writers in the numismatic community.

Fuljenz along with co-winners of the PNGs Kaplan award, former Police Chief Doug Davis and investigative journalist Jerry Jordan, jointly worked for nine months to provide valuable assistance to law enforcement agencies in four states that helped detectives coordinate their investigations into a series of numismatic-related crimes.

Their persistent work successfully led to the arrests earlier this year of three suspected con artists who allegedly targeted elderly victims and their coin collections in California, Colorado, New York and Texas. Fuljenz assisted one of the victims get back the $84,000 he spent on purchasing counterfeit gold American Eagles from two of the suspects.

Davis, the City Manager and former Police Chief of Pantego, Texas, is Founder and President of the Numismatic Crime Information Center (http://www.NumismaticCrimes.org). Jordan is Editor of SETinvesigates.com, an online investigative news organization in Southeast Texas.

Fuljenz won a Best Article award for his informative story, Treasury Moves to Redesign $10 Bill, Add Portrait of an American Woman, published in The Examiner newspaper in his hometown of Beaumont. He also received a Best Radio Report award for his weekly broadcasts, The Coin Show, on KLVI 560 radio in Beaumont, and was named recipient of the NLGs 2016 Ribbit Award for his service to the hobby and the Numismatic Literary Guild. Since 1986, he has been honored with more than 60 awards from the organization.

Fuljenz also was a featured speaker at the Worlds Fair of Money, presenting an educational lecture about the history of the national motto, In God We Trust, and the ongoing efforts to defend it against lawsuits that seek to remove the familiar motto from Americans currency and public buildings.

Known as America's Gold Expert, Michael Fuljenz has won dozens of prestigious national and regional awards and honors for his consumer education and protection work in rare coins and precious metals. He recently received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from McNeese State University. A respected community leader in his hometown of Beaumont, Texas, Mike also has served with distinction as a consultant to the Federal Trade Commission, United States Mint and Royal Canadian Mint, and is on the Boards of Directors of the Jefferson County Texas Crime Stoppers organization, the Numismatic Literary Guild and the Industry Council For Tangible Assets.
Total Solar Eclipse 2013 viewed from Gabon You will be looking straight down a perfectly aligned cosmic billiard shot of the Earth, Moon, and Sun.

A total solar eclipse is easily natures most spectacular sight. At the moment when the Moon completely covers the Sun, daylight quickly turns into a deep twilight with planets and bright stars becoming visible. Viewing the suns corona in a total solar eclipse is a peak life experience.

The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 begins in the Pacific Ocean and enters the United States at Yaquina Head, Oregon at 10:15 a.m. PDT. Over the next 92 minutes, the Moons shadow races across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. This total solar eclipse will be the first in the continental United States since 1979 and the first to cross the nation from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean since 1918. This will also be the very first total solar eclipse to cross exclusively over the USA and no other country since our nations founding in 1776.

The most important criterion for selecting a viewing site is the weather. Any location along the path of totality from Oregon to South Carolina can enjoy good weather on eclipse day, but the western half of the United States, especially from the Willamette Valley of Oregon to the Nebraska Sandhills, will enjoy the best weather odds.

Every eclipse viewer should have a plan for mobility. Locations with a good nearby highway systems are best. Across the US, the path of the eclipse is between 60 and 70 miles wide. The longer durations are closer to the centerline of the path of totality.

Where is the best location to see the eclipse?

Michael Zeiler, founder of Great American Eclipse, is one of the world's leading solar eclipse experts and lists these top ten picks for perfect viewing spots:

1. Madras, Oregon

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 4 seconds

Totality begins at 10:19 a.m. PDT

The interior of Oregon enjoys the nations best weather odds. Madras is accessible from Portland within a two-hour drive and sits at the junction of four highways for good mobility. A bonus will be to see Mt. Jefferson to the west darken as totality envelops this prominent peak just before totality in Madras.

2. Snake River Valley, Idaho

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 12 seconds

Totality begins at 11:26 a.m. MDT

The Snake River Valley in eastern Idaho will be a prime area for the eclipse. There are good weather prospects here plus many uncrowded highways and roads to get around if clouds threaten.

3. Casper, Wyoming

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 26 seconds

Totality begins at 11:42 a.m. MDT

It is for good reason that the Astronomical League is holding their annual Astrocon Conference in Casper just before eclipse day. Casper not only has great weather prospects, but also uncrowded highways that extend west, east, north, and south for every weather contingency.

4. Sandhills, Nebraska

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Totality beings at 11:49 a.m. MDT

The Sandhills country of Nebraska will be a popular location for viewing the eclipse. A bonus is dark summer night skies and a great view of the Milky Way.

5. St. Joseph, Missouri

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 39 seconds

Totality begins at 1:06 p.m. CDT

St. Joseph sits right on the centerline of the eclipse path and enjoys one of the longest durations of any sizable city in the nation. A large eclipse viewing party will be held at the Rosecrans Memorial Airport with educational speakers, solar telescopes, and more.

6. Point of longest eclipse near Carbondale, Illinois

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 41.6 seconds

Totality begins at 1:20 p.m. CDT

Carbondale is near the crossing of both the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse and the coming April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse! Also, Carbondale is close to the point of very longest eclipse duration. A large NASA-sponsored eclipse viewing party will be at the Southern Illinois University campus.

7. Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 41.2 seconds

Totality begins at 1:24 p.m. CDT

Hopkinsville is the spot where the Sun, Moon, and Earth line up most perfectly on eclipse day. If you would like to join a festive crowd, Hopkinsville will certainly be a great location to enjoy the eclipse.

8. Nashville, Tennessee

Duration of totality is 1 minute, 57 seconds

Totality begins at 1:27 p.m. CDT

Nashville is the largest city entirely within the path of the total solar eclipse. Sumner County boasts one of the longest eclipse durations along the path.

9. Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Georgia/Tennessee border

Duration of totality is 1 minute, 17 seconds

Totality begins at 2:35 p.m. EDT

The Great Smoky Mountains, weather permitting, provides the dramatic possibility of seeing the Moons shadow racing across the landscape from a mountaintop.

10. Columbia, South Carolina

Duration of totality is 2 minutes, 30 seconds

Totality begins at 2:43 p.m. EDT

Columbia enjoys a long duration of totality plus a fine network of highways for mobility on eclipse day. For millions of Americans along the Atlantic coast, this will be the most accessible city with accommodations in the path of total solar eclipse.

Detailed information about every state that the eclipse visits including dozens of maps can be found at http://www.GreatAmericanEclipse.com.

Important eye safety tip: approved solar eclipse viewing glasses must be worn during the partial phases of the eclipse.

GIVEAWAY: Great American Eclipse will be donating 200 eclipse viewing glasses and one wall sized eclipse map to one elementary school in each of the 10 best places to view the eclipse! Schools can be nominated though our facebook page.
The only critical assessment about all 13 extant presidential libraries

New book "Presidential Libraries as Performance: Curating American Character from Herbert Hoover to George W. Bush" (Southern Illinois University Press, 2016) by Jodi Kanter, associate professor at George Washington University, is the only critical assessment of all 13 extant presidential libraries.

Through exhaustive research, she reveals how presidential libraries generate narratives about individual presidents, historical events, and who we are as Americans.

Mark J. Rozell, author of "Executive Privilege: President Power, Secrecy, and Accountability," calls the book "A captivating, well-written account about a much-neglected topic. Viewed through the lens of performance, Kanter offers a different way to understand the utility of these sources of knowledge about our chief executives.

As a scholar of cultural performance, Kanter encourages readers to think about the funding, setting, architecture, and exhibitions of presidential museums as performances. She argues that they not only shape understanding of a president's character but create radically divergent roles for American citizens in public life.

Kanter considers the moments in the presidents lives the museums choose to interpretand not to interpretand how the libraries differ in their approaches to common subjects in the presidential narrative. Identifying the limited number of strategies the libraries currently use to represent the diversity of the American experience and American character, she offers concrete suggestions for reinventing and reshaping the practices of museum professionals and visitors.

"'Presidential Libraries as Performance' is for people interested in American history, and how it is told," says Kanter. "History enthusiasts, museum professionals, political scientists, and culture watchers will discover new and interesting details about the presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)."

"Jodi Kanter's smart, incisive book shows the power of museums to affect visitors' sense of identity, and their place in history. Without cynicism, she challenges prevailing presentations of presidential narratives," says Catherine Hughes, founding executive director, International Museum Theatre Alliance, and author of 'Museum Theatre: Communicating with Visitors Through Drama.' "Her study of presidential libraries illuminates the larger discussions of truth, identity, and representation happening across all types of museums."

Books are available online and in bookstores.

About the Author

Jodi Kanter is an associate professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the George Washington University. She is also the author of Performing Loss: Rebuilding Community through Theater and Writing.

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Carlos Medina Carlos Medina brings to our Board perspectives and insights that will be invaluable in shaping the future of this company

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) announced today that the companys Board of Directors has elected Carlos A. Medina, Esq. as a member of the board. Mr. Medina is the President of Robinson Aerial Surveys and the Chairman of the Board of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

I am thrilled to have Carlos join our Board, said Robert A. Marino, Chairman, CEO, and President of Horizon BCBSNJ. As an attorney, executive at a small business and leader of the states largest Hispanic business organization Carlos Medina brings to our Board perspectives and insights that will be invaluable in shaping the future of this company. Horizon has worked closely with Carlos and the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey to build stronger connections to our states rapidly growing Hispanic population and ensure their access to high quality, affordable health insurance.

It is an honor to join the Board of New Jerseys largest and most experienced health insurer. Having worked closely with Horizon, I have seen firsthand the companys commitment to the people and communities it serves and to helping them manage their health and pay for their health care, said Mr. Medina. Nowhere is that commitment more clearly demonstrated than in Horizons aggressive outreach to New Jerseys Hispanic residents, nearly 1 in 5 of whom were uninsured as of last November.

Horizon understands the importance of bridging the language and cultural gaps that can interfere with Hispanics access to healthcare and health insurance, Mr. Medina continued. From a dedicated website and Spanish-speaking customer service line to opening an enrollment and service center with HolaDoctor to engaging in neighborhood outreach through events like Brunch Con Beneficios, Horizon is leading the way to better health for Hispanic New Jerseyans.

As a small business operator, I am keenly aware of the challenges organizations face in obtaining high quality, affordable health insurance for employees and their families. Horizon is challenging the status quo and putting a focus on reducing costs, improving results and giving patients a more holistic and positive experience through innovative partnerships with doctors and hospitals. Healthcare is undergoing a rapid and revolutionary change and I am looking forward to helping Horizon fulfill its mission to provide excellent and affordable health insurance to as many New Jerseyans as possible, Mr. Medina concluded.

Mr. Medina is a graduate of Rutgers University and Rutgers School of Law. He has previously served on the Boards of the NJ Economic Development Authority, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, and The Super Bowl 2014 Host Committee Business Connect. He has been a member of the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since 2005 and became Chairman in 2012. Under Mr. Medinas leadership, the organization has nearly doubled its membership becoming the largest Chamber in the State by membership and the pre-eminent voice of the more than 80,000 Hispanic-owned businesses in New Jersey.

About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at http://www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.8 million members.

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Delaware County full-service law firm Raffaele Puppio is pleased to announce that partner Michael A. Raffaele has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2017 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, one of the legal professions oldest and most respected peer-review publications. Raffaele also has been named the Best Lawyers 2017 Family Law Lawyer of the Year for the Philadelphia metro area. Only one attorney in each practice area in a designated metropolitan area is named Lawyer of the Year, making it a singular honor.

Raffaele is managing partner of Raffaele Puppio, one of the largest full-service law firms in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. He focuses his practice on family law, including divorce, equitable distribution, child custody and child support, alimony and spousal support, and more. A lifelong resident of Delaware County, Raffaele graduated from St. Josephs Preparatory School before going on to earn degrees from Lehigh University and the Temple University School of Law.

Since it was first published in 1983, The Best Lawyers in America has become widely regarded as a respected reference guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on detailed peer-review evaluations, and lawyers are neither required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed. Votes were solicited from nearly 83,000 attorneys worldwide; 7.3 million votes were analyzed for the 2017 edition.

The standalone Best Lawyers magazine will be distributed in more than 30 leading publications around the country, including The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. A digital edition also will be available.

About Raffaele Puppio  Raffaele Puppio (http://www.raffaelepuppio.com/) is one of the largest and most established full-service law firms in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Attorneys within the firm are known for their legal prowess among the bench and bar in Delaware County, having decades of experience representing school districts, municipalities, businesses and individual clients, helping to solve legal problems while avoiding future legal issues. The attorneys provide sound legal counsel in the areas of education law, government and municipal services, family law, general litigation, personal injury, commercial real estate and business transactions, elder law, estate administration and planning, and criminal law.
Brian Read, head of retail banking at Umpqua Bank, will deliver the opening keynote, "Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Next-Generation Consumers."

Bank customers today expect their FI to provide a full set of tools to serve their banking needs. Banking for consumers is a commodity business. Banking for people is a relationship-building enterprise. It's harder, but more rewarding and much more durable.

For businesses that are about banking for people, here are several excellent reasons to register to attend the Bank Customer Experience (BCX) Summit on September 19-21 at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. This event is dedicated to exploring next-gen self-service, the reinvented branch, digital banking, mobile payments  and the people who use them:

1) Customer relationships

Brian Read, head of retail banking at Umpqua Bank, will deliver the opening keynote, "Capturing the Hearts and Minds of Next-Generation Consumers." Brian will draw from Umpqua's experience to explain the art of attracting millennials through an emphasis on community, empathy, environment and innovation.

The closing keynote will feature advice for winning millennials, presented by the leading authority on this much-analyzed demographic, actual millennials. In "The Last Word on BCX: Millennials Speak for Themselves," students from the University of Chicago will put away their smartphones for an entire hour to share their banking preferences and peeves in a frank and informal conversation.

In information-rich sessions between the keynotes, experts will discuss how to walk the loyalty tight-wire between two important, but not always aligned, groups  digital natives who live and breathe fintech and older baby boomers who are sometimes baffled by it.

2) Competitive advantage

In BCX breakouts, attendees will learn from digital-only challenger banks and new nontraditional providers who are making inroads with underserved populations and young adults who mistrust established FIs. The up-and-comers will be separated from the come-ons to help attendees refine competitive strategy and sharpen the focus on the things that mean the most to the target audience.

Highlights:



Mobile-only Banks: If You Cant Beat Em, Should You Join Em?

Can an HCE Wallet Keep Your Customers Within the Walls?

Space Invaders: How New Players Will Rock the Banking World

Will Reinvention Wreck the Branch?

Omnichannel Service: An All-In Proposition

3) Fintech leadership

Online banking reigns as the No. 1 channel among 32 percent of customers. But the branch, ATM and mobile, closely ranked at 17, 13 and 12 percent, respectively, represent an increasingly symbiotic  and therefore, arguably more powerful  retail banking coalition. The Bank Customer Experience Summit is an opportunity to learn more about leading-edge technologies that that link delivery channels for unbeatable service and functionality  and elevate financial institution above both traditional and non-traditional challengers.

Highlights:



Security and Simplicity in E-transactions: Can Customers Really Have It All

Friction-Free Mobile Banking: The Keys to Creating Irresistible Customer Experience

ATMs vs. Self-Service Devices: Similar but Far from the Same

Cardless Cash Access: Why?And Why Now?

The Great Debate: Is It Time to Kill Cash?

4) Industry experts

The speaker lineup is populated with well-respected executives representing the full range of financial services-related disciplines. They've been there, done that, and have the knowledge and insight to help others get there and do it, too.

5) Networking time

The speakers won't do all the talking. Attendees will have plenty of time to talk to the experts and other executive-level attendees, as well, in the intimate summit setting. Attendees can take advantage of opportunities to make new contacts and connections at the opening night cocktail and hors d'oeuvres hour; breakfast, luncheon and dinner breaks; and at the reception and awards dinner party at The Art Institute of Chicago.

6) Chicago in September

Chicago is a hot time, anytime. When the weather cools in September it's perfect for a walk down the Magnificent Mile. Or to Lake Michigan; Water Tower Place; Shedd Aquarium; Millennium Park; Navy Pier; Lincoln Park (and zoo); "Tilt," the new attraction at Hancock Tower; The Art Institute (see above); and the Field Museum.

7) Limited-time discount!

Registration is open and early bird pricing is in effect through Aug. 19, which includes a $100 discount (no code required).

ABOUT NETWORLD MEDIA GROUP

Founded in 2000, Networld Media Group is a leading business-to-business (B2B) media communications company specializing in digital media, associations and events in the mobile, self-service, digital signage, retail, food service and financial services industries. Online properties include ATMmarketplace.com, DigitalSignageToday.com, FastCasual.com, PizzaMarketplace.com, KioskMarketplace.com, MobilePaymentsToday.com, VirtualCurrencyToday.com, QSRweb.com, RetailCustomerExperience.com and ChurchCentral.com. Networlds event properties include the Fast Casual Executive Summit, CONNECT Mobile Innovation Summit, Interactive Customer Experience (ICX) Summit, Bank Customer Experience (BCX) Summit and the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit. Networld also operates the ICX Association.

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Given these uncertainties, multiple-future water supplies scenarios are used to inform Reclamations water management and planning within the Upper Colorado River Basin.

Future increases in precipitation in the Upper Colorado River Basin may increase groundwater recharge, offsetting reductions that would result from increased temperatures, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation.

The Colorado River provides water for more than 35 million people in the United States and 3 million people in Mexico. A recent USGS publication suggests that as much as half of the water flowing in rivers and streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin originates as groundwater. Understanding how much groundwater is available and how its replenished is important to sustainably manage both groundwater and surface water supplies in the Colorado River basin now and in the future.

USGS and Reclamation scientists estimated projected changes in groundwater recharge for the Upper Colorado River Basin from recent historical (19502015) through future (20162099) time periods using climate projections and a groundwater-recharge model. Simulated future groundwater recharge through 2099 is generally expected to be somewhat greater than the historical average in most decades due to an anticipated wetter future climate in the basin under the most advanced climate modeling projections. Groundwater resources are replenished through increases in precipitation, which may offset reductions from increased temperatures. The full report is available online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

While recharge simulations from a majority of the projected climate data sets result in increased recharge in the Upper Colorado River Basin during most future decades, there were some that resulted in decreased future recharge relative to the historical climate period.

You cant manage what you dont measure, said Fred Tillman, lead author and USGS scientist. These results are the first step in understanding the quantity of groundwater we can expect in the Upper Colorado River Basin; however, further studies are needed to help more accurately forecast future groundwater availability.

"Future estimates of groundwater recharge are compounded by the large-scale of the Upper Colorado River Basin and the uncertainties of future climate projections," said Reclamation co-author Subhrendu Gangopadhyay.

"Given these uncertainties, multiple-future water supplies scenarios are used to inform Reclamations water management and planning within the Upper Colorado River Basin," Reclamation's Upper Colorado Region Water Resources Manager Malcolm Wilson added.

This study was completed with support from Reclamations Science and Technology Program to help meet objectives of the SECURE Water Act, which was created by Congress in 2009 as a framework for a programmatic approach to understand climate change impacts, and to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies. This act contains substantive mandates for both the USGS and Reclamation to help provide a more accurate assessment of the status of the water resources of the United States and assess the potential impacts of climate change on water management.
www.NAELA.org NAELA is proud to partner with Stetson University College of Law to provide these resources to assist people living with MS. NAELA members are dedicated to serving people as they age and people with disabilities.

The new Legal and Care Planning for People with Multiple Sclerosis video series is intended to help people diagnosed with MS and their families understand the complex legal and planning issues they face. It was produced via a partnership between the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and Stetson University College of Law, in consultation with the National MS Society.

Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. Symptoms vary from person to person and range from numbness and tingling, to walking difficulties, fatigue, dizziness, pain, depression, blindness and paralysis. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease.

NAELA is proud to partner with Stetson University College of Law to provide these resources to assist people living with MS. NAELA members are dedicated to serving people as they age and people with disabilities. They are well-equipped to coordinate care by working with a national network of other professionals as well as provide legal solutions tailored to meet the specific needs of clients and their families, said NAELA President Catherine Seal, CELA, CAP.

Those of us at the [Stetson] Center for Excellence in Elder Law are excited to work with NAELA on this great educational project, said Professor Rebecca C. Morgan, Boston Asset Management Chair in Elder Law and Co-Director, Center for Excellence in Elder Law at Stetson University.

The video series can be viewed on the NAELA website or on YouTube. Titles include:



How Elder and Special Needs Law Attorneys Can Help People Diagnosed with MS

Presented by Craig C. Reaves, CELA, Fellow, CAP



Legal and Care Planning for Younger People with MS

Presented by Robert Brogan, CELA, CAP



Coordinating Attendant Care and Available Resources

Presented by Stephen Dale, Esq., LLM



Family Law and Divorce: When a Partner Has MS

Presented by Patricia E. Kefalas Dudek, Esq., CAP, Fellow



Property and Health Care Decision-Making Agents: An Overview

Presented by Mary Alice Jackson, Esq., Fellow

NAELA members can contact Communications Manager Abby Matienzo by email at amatienzo@naela.org for an embeddable link to the series playlist for use on their law firm websites.

To receive a free NAELA brochure: Questions and Answers When Looking For an Elder or Special Needs Law Attorney, contact Communications Manager Abby Matienzo by email at amatienzo@naela.org or phone at 703-942-5711 #230.

Find an Elder and Special Needs Law attorney in your area using NAELAs Online Member Directory.

About NAELA

Members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) are attorneys who are experienced and trained in working with the legal problems of aging Americans and individuals of all ages with disabilities. Established in 1987, NAELA is a non-profit association that assists lawyers, bar organizations and others. The mission of NAELA is to establish NAELA members as the premier providers of legal advocacy, guidance and services to enhance the lives of people with special needs and people as they age. NAELA currently has members across the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit http://www.NAELA.org.

About Stetson University College of Law

Stetson University College of Law is Floridas first law school. It has educated lawyers for more than a century. The law school is located in the Gulfport/St. Petersburg area with a satellite campus in downtown Tampa. Stetson Universitys historic campus, founded in 1883 in DeLand, is home to the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Business Administration, and School of Music. Stetson also has a satellite center in Celebration offering advanced degrees.

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The Society mobilizes people and resources so that everyone affected by multiple sclerosis can live their best lives as we stop MS in its tracks, restore what has been lost and end MS forever. Last year alone, through our comprehensive nationwide network of services, the Society devoted $122.2 million to connect more than one million individuals to the people, information and resources they need. To move closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested $54 million to support more than 380 new and ongoing research projects around the world. We are united in our collective power to do something about MS now and end this disease forever. Learn more at http://www.nationalMSsociety.org.

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Our software innovations stem from listening to our customers and joining them as partners for BCM success.

Strategic BCP has been recognized again as a Leader in the 2016 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Business Continuity Management Planning (BCMP) Software, Worldwide. Strategic BCPs BCMP software evaluated for this Magic Quadrant was ResilienceONE v.7.1; the current version is 8.0one of thirteen vendor offerings evaluated.

In their report, Gartner states: BCMP software is part of a growing category of IRMS focused on supporting a broader enterprise risk management (ERM) program, including operational risk. BCMP software is well positioned to address not just availability risk, but also the broader set of operational risks.1

We are thrilled to be distinguished as leaders by Gartner three years in a row, said Frank Perlmutter (CBCP, MBCI), president and founder of Strategic BCP. ResilienceONEs methodology saves time and money by streamlining cumbersome activities and providing sophisticated functionality to simplify complicated tasks. Our software innovations stem from listening to our customers and joining them as partners for BCM success.

Experts from Strategic BCP have mapped, streamlined, and automated over 40 compliant BCMP job activities including program management, data gathering, analysis and reporting, testing, and maintenance. Customers report gains of over 94% in efficiency using ResilienceONE over current methods and other tools and are up and running in weeks with no implementation or configuration fees.

According to Gartner, it must be noted that, on average, 23% of the total implementation cost comes from professional services required to configure or customize the software for customer-specific BCM needs.

Access to the 2016 BCMP Magic Quadrant report is offered in a Newsletter from Strategic BCP featuring Gartner research that includes:



Gartners criteria for a fully-featured BCMP solution

In-depth reviews of each participating vendor

Current trends in the BCMP market

Case studies from Cisco, Gap, and DLL

BCM Professionals Playbook Series

The BCP Genome: A Strategic Foundation

ResilienceONEs BCMP capabilities are accessible for evaluation by scheduling a personal demonstration with an enterprise consultant.

About the Magic Quadrant

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

1. Roberta J. Witty, John P. Morency; Magic Quadrant for Business Continuity Management Planning Software, Gartner, Jul. 11, 2016, pp. 5 of 37.

About Strategic BCP

Strategic BCP is an award-winning Business Continuity Management Planning company. Our software, ResilienceONE, enables real-time business resiliency and recovery with built-in intelligence and integrated mobile solutions offered in the Cloud or On-Premise. Our experts have mapped, streamlined, and automated over 40 compliant BCMP job activities including program management, data gathering, analysis and reporting, testing, and maintenance. ResilienceONE incorporates your expertise with no blank slate framework headaches or excessive required configurations. Strategic BCPs professional services organization helps navigate obstacles within BC to Disaster Recovery and Strategic IT Planning.
Attorney Kalpesh Mehta Joins Graves Thomas Injury Law Group

Graves Thomas Injury Law Group today announced Kalpesh (Kal) Mehta has joined the firm as an associate attorney in its Vero Beach, Florida office. He represents injury victims and their families in matters of personal injury, premises liability, products liability and other serious injury and illness accidents. Founding Attorney Joseph H. Graves commented, Kal is an energetic attorney with a growing skill set. His insight into the litigation process from his work across the state of Florida is already benefiting our team and the clients we serve.

Prior to joining Graves Thomas Injury Law Group, Kal participated in a prestigious externship with a Federal judge in the U.S. Southern District of Florida and worked at a large law firm in Orlando, Florida. Kal earned his bachelors degree from Florida Atlantic University. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida where he was a teaching assistant in two crucial law school courses, Legal Writing and Appellate Advocacy. While waiting for his bar results, Kal volunteered for six weeks as a teacher in a residential school in rural India. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division and American Bar Association.

About Graves Thomas Injury Law Group

Graves Thomas Injury Law Group is an injury law firm dedicated to representing individuals and family members impacted by a serious injury, illness or disability. For more information about Graves Thomas Injury Law Group, visit gravesthomas.com or call 772.569.8155.
In her new book, Mamaleh Knows Best (Harmony Books, Aug.), Tablet magazine columnist and author Marjorie Ingall is confronting the myth of the Jewish mother and presenting reasons why Jewish parenting can result in self-sufficient, ethical children. Relying on statistics about Jews, including that over 20% of the 850 Nobel Prize winners and 26% of Kennedy Center Honorees are Jewish, Ingall encourages readers of all beliefs to explore the parenting habits she observes throughout Jewish history.

What are some of the American Jewish mother stereotypes you address in the book and how did they arise?

Some of the stereotypes do have a grain of truth in them. The Jewish mother stereotype came to full flower after the Holocaust, when its kind of understandable that mothers would want to cling a little more tightly to their children. It also came from this time of increasing suburbanization among Jewish communities, when we started to leave our tightly packed urban communities and head out into the bucolic world. This younger generation wanted to be Americans, not to be embarrassed by mothers with accents. And looking back on portrayals of the Jewish mother, the one I always refer to is Mrs. Goldbergfrom The Goldbergs [a comedy-drama on TV from 1949 to 1956] where the Jewish mother was created by a Jewish woman [writer-actress Gertrude Berg]. Shes still a busybody, but its a much more affectionate, less-grasping, narcissistic, or embarrassing portrayal.

Why do you think Jewish parenting leads to independent, problem-solving, and kind children?

Part of why I think Jews have been successful in so many different environments, so many different countries and cultures, despite often living in climates of anti-Semitism, is because we have been able to be flexibleand problem-solving is part of this. There has to be a certain amount of suspicion of authority because authority hasnt historically worked well for Jews over time. You have to teach kids that their mind is worth valuing. That there are no shortcuts. That its important to be a creative, flexible thinker, which is the thing that is going to save you and help other people fix the worldin Hebrew, this is called tikkun olam, and its a big part of Jewish ethics and Jewish values.

You emphasize the importance of books while raising kids. Why?

Books arent only about life lessons; they are about pleasure, being transported, and developing an imagination. Imagination is essential for any kind of problem-solving. The library is a universe and a lifesaver. So, one of the lessons that I want to emphasize in the book is to just let your child read for joy. Dont be upset if your kid reads something over and over again. Dont be a snob about graphic novels. And if your kid is not a reader, they probably havent found the right book; dont worry about it. All reading begets reading. Books are a way to realize the world is much bigger than you may realize it is. When you realize that not everyone is like you, then you are a more open-hearted human being, which is what we want.

What does the book offer non-Jews?

I was very conscious as I was writing to make this relevant to parents of any faith. My message is: look to your own traditions for ways to make your kid feel connected to something bigger than them. The book tells that Jews have been successful in many different fields. What can you learn about what Jewish mothers have done right throughout history? You dont have to be Jewish to learn those lessons.
Submitted press release

MVRBC ships red blood cells to The Blood Center in New Orleans to support region impacted by severe flooding; Donors needed to ensure ability to respond to ongoing crisis in region

Davenport, Iowa  Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) has joined in a national effort to ship blood components to the community blood center that serves New Orleans and southern Louisiana after severe flooding impacted the region last weekend. Heavy rain and flash floods have led to road closures and neighborhood evacuations throughout southern Louisiana. The storm, which dropped 30 inches of rain in 24 hours, has moved out of the region, but its impact on travel will remain for several days while clean-up and recovery efforts will extend for weeks, if not months.

Travel in the region remains hazardous, meaning The Blood Center, based in New Orleans, is unable to conduct its schedule of mobile blood drives and Donor Center collections. Even as flooding subsides, much of the regions donor base will participate in recovery efforts that will also impact The Blood Centers rate of blood donation in the weeks ahead.

To ensure its ability to meet ongoing patient needs at hospitals in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and other cities throughout the region, The New Orleans blood center asked community blood centers across the United States for help. MVRBC received this request on Sunday and was among three community blood centers that were able to respond the same day by shipping units of O-positive, A-positive and O-negative red blood cells. These blood components, combined with shipments from other centers around the U.S., will be used to treat patients at hospitals served by The Blood Center.

MVRBC is willing to ship blood components outside of its direct service region only when inventories are such that local needs are being met. Product management specialists at MVRBC will closely monitor the local blood supply and will ship additional units of blood to New Orleans, if the need in southern Louisiana persists.

To ensure MVRBCs ability to respond to this ongoing crisis, the Blood Center asks all eligible donors to schedule an appointment to give blood at an MVRBC Donor Center or mobile blood drive in the coming days. To schedule an appointment, please call 800-747-5401, or look up information on local blood drives online at bloodcenterimpact.org.

MVRBC participates in reciprocal resource sharing agreements with community blood centers across the country. Earlier this month, MVRBC responded to a request for components from OneBlood, the community blood center serving Florida, when local transmission of Zika Virus in Miami-Dade temporarily disrupted blood collection in south Florida.

To thank those who support the blood supply at this time of year, MVRBC is offering the following special incentives for blood donors:

 New Ford Fiesta SE (sponsored by Lindquist Ford and Clinton Auto Group): one winner chosen from all registered donors May 1-Sept. 30 (some exclusions apply, see bloodcenter.org/win for details).

 $300 gas gift card drawing (all registered donors at mobile blood drives and Donor Centers, one winner per month in August and September)

 $5 gift cards (at Donor Centers only): Starbucks gifts provided to all who register to give blood at MVRBC Donor Centers through Sept. 17

Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (MVRBC) is the exclusive provider of blood products and services to 88 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin, Established in 1974, MVRBC is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, see bloodcenter.org. To schedule an appointment to give blood at an MVRBC Donor Center or mobile blood drive, call 563-359-5401 or toll-free 800-747-5401, or schedule online at bloodcenterIMPACT.org.
Submitted press release

You are cordially invited to the Rock Island County NAACP's Community Day and Resource Fair hosted by our Community Outreach Committee at the Martin Luther King Community Center located at 630-9th Street in Rock Island. This even will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2016 from 12 Noon until 4:00 P.M.

The Community Day and Resource Fair is a family event and there are activities for everyone from age five to ninety-five. Activities include bouncy houses and face painting for the very young at heart and bingo for the not so young.

This event is not limited to games and fun. This year more than 25 local agencies will share information about their programs and services. Some of those agencies include the following: Rock Island Growth Corporation; Arsenal-Joint Munitions Command; Rock Island Housing Authority; Unitypoint Trinity Health System; NAACP Health Committee; National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); Quad City Interfaith Jobs Task Force and much more.

Mayor Dennis Pauley will emcee a brief program at 1:30 p.m. with remarks from Brian Hollenback, President and CEO of RI Economic Growth, RIPD Chief Jeff VenHuizen, Chief Jeff Yerkey, RI Fire Department, Dr. Mike Oberhause, Superintendent of the Rock Island-Milan School District, Gail Brooks, Marketing and Public Relations for the Rock Island Housing Authority, and Berlinda Tyler-Jamison, President of the Rock Island County NAACP.

This event is free to the public and music will be provided by popular DJ Charles Swift. Refreshments will include "Walking Tacos," fruit and soft drinks!

For more information regarding the event, please contact Ametra Carrol-Castaneda, Chairperson at (309) 373-1202.
WASHINGTON  Sharp differences along lines of race and politics shape American attitudes toward the poor and poverty, according to a new survey of public opinion, which finds empathy toward the poor and deep skepticism about government antipoverty efforts.

The differences illuminate some of the passions that have driven this years presidential campaign.

But the poll, which updates a survey the Los Angeles Times conducted three decades ago, also illustrates how attitudes about poverty have remained largely consistent over time despite dramatic economic and social change.

Criticism of the poor  a belief that there are plenty of jobs available for poor people, that government programs breed dependency and that most poor people would prefer to stay on welfare  is especially common among the blue-collar, white Americans who have given the strongest support to Donald Trump.

The opposite view  that jobs for the poor are hard to find, that government programs help people get back on their feet and that most of the poor would rather earn their own way  is most widely held among blacks and other minorities, who have provided the strongest backing to Hillary Clinton.

Roughly a third of self-described conservatives say that the poor do not work very hard, a view at odds with big majorities of moderates and liberals.

But while Americans disagree in how they view the poor, theyre more united in their skepticism of government programs.

That skepticism has held true for decades. The first Times poll of American attitudes toward poverty, in 1985, broke ground by surveying enough poor people to compare their views with those of people in the middle class.

The new survey, which was conducted by The Times and the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank that is generally conservative, asked similar questions but with some updating.

Much has changed since the 1980s. Welfare got a major overhaul in the 1990s. The number of poor Americans dropped sharply in that decade, only to partially rise again, particularly during the deep recession that began in 2007.

But many attitudes have held steady, the new poll found, particularly doubts about the federal governments ability to run its antipoverty programs, as well as their justification.

Most Americans do not believe that the government bears the main burden of taking care of the poor. Asked who has the greatest responsibility for helping the poor, just over one-third said that the government does. That figure has not budged in three decades.

Those who did not think the government has the main responsibility were split about who does. Just under 1 in 5 Americans said that the poor themselves bear the greatest responsibility. Family, churches and charities each got mentioned by 10 percent-15 percent.

Among Latinos, family came in second behind government; among blacks, churches took second place; Republicans were most likely to put responsibility on the poor themselves.

White Americans were less likely to call government responsible than were minorities, but the difference lay almost entirely with blue-collar whites  those without college degrees. White Americans who graduated from college were as likely to say government has the prime responsibility as were nonwhites.

Attitudes toward antipoverty programs also have not changed much since the 1980s.

In the original poll, 58 percent of Americans said that such efforts had seldom worked, while 32 percent said they often had. In the new survey, with a differently worded question, 13 percent of Americans said such programs have had no impact on reducing poverty, and 43 percent said they have had some impact. Only 5 percent said they have had a big impact.

Those living below the poverty line and those above it had largely similar views on that issue now and three decades ago.

College-educated minorities were most likely in the current poll to say that government programs have had a positive effect on poverty, with more than 7 in 10 taking that view.

At the other end of the scale, about one-third of Americans said that government programs had made poverty worse, a view that was particularly common among conservatives, 47 percent, and blue-collar whites, 43 percent.

In both surveys, about 7 in 10 Americans said that even if the government were willing to spend whatever is necessary to eliminate poverty, officials do not know enough to accomplish that goal.

Blacks and Latinos were somewhat more likely to express confidence about the governments ability to end poverty. Even among those groups, however  and among self-described liberals  majorities said the government does not know enough to eradicate poverty.

Asked why antipoverty efforts have failed, more than half of Americans said the main problem was that programs were poorly designed. Among poor people, however, about 3 in 10 said the problem was that programs had not been given enough money to succeed.

On attitudes toward the poor, divides are sharper than on opinions about government.

Blue-collar whites were much more likely than nonwhites to view the poor as a class set apart from the rest of society  trapped in poverty as a more or less permanent condition. Minority Americans, particularly blacks, tended to say that for most poor people, poverty is a temporary condition

A majority of whites see government antipoverty efforts contributing to povertys permanence, saying that benefit programs make poor people dependent and encourage them to stay poor.

Blacks disagreed, saying that the government help mostly allows poor people to stand on their own two feet and get started again. The poor themselves divided evenly on the question. Latinos leaned closer to the skeptical view about government programs expressed by white Americans.

Asked whether poor people prefer to stay on welfare or would rather earn their own living, Americans by a large majority, 61 percent-36 percent, said they believed the poor would rather earn their own way. Blue-collar whites were more closely divided on the question, 52 percent-44 percent.

That was one of several questions on which the views of minorities and college-educated whites were close to each other, while whites without a college degree stood out as different.

Nearly two-thirds of whites without college degrees, for example, said that benefits encourage poor people to remain in poverty. Among college-educated whites, about half took that view.

Blue-collar whites also took a dimmer view of President Barack Obamas handling of poverty than did other Americans. Majorities of blacks, Latinos and other minorities, as well as whites with college degrees, approved of Obamas handling of poverty. But among blue-collar whites, fewer than one-third approved, and nearly two-thirds disapproved.

Not only are Americans skeptical about whether antipoverty programs work, nearly 6 in 10 said that the percentage of people in poverty has been increasing from year to year. About 1 in 4 say poverty has stayed the same, and 1 in 8 say it has gone down.

Whether the public view of poverty getting worse is accurate or not is a tough question. A lot depends on the time frame.

Measured by the governments official poverty line, the percentage of Americans who were poor declined during the 1960s, plateaued during the 1970s, rose during much of the 1980s, then declined again during the boom years of the 1990s, only to rise again since 2000, especially during the recession. In the last few years, the poverty rate has leveled off at about 15 percent.

The official poverty measure, however, does not include the value of government benefits designed to help the poor. Including those payments, the share of people who are impoverished is now considerably lower than it was in the 1960s, although slightly higher than it was at the end of the 1990s.

One question on which views have changed somewhat since the 1980s is whether poverty is a temporary or a permanent condition.

In the 1985 survey, Americans by a very large majority, 71 percent-21 percent, said that most poor people would probably remain poor. Today, that remains the majority view, but the gap has narrowed somewhat, with 60 percent seeing poverty as mostly permanent and 33 percent saying it is a temporary condition that people can move into and out of again.

The poor divide closely on that question. So do minorities.

A correct answer to that question is complex. Census figures show that in recent years, people who fell below the poverty line typically stayed poor for about six months. A lot of people, however, cycle in and out of poverty, rising only slightly above the official poverty line, then falling back.

One recent census study found that about one-quarter of poor people were in poverty only briefly  the result of a job loss or other crisis. About 1 in 7 were chronically poor, spending much of their lives impoverished. In between are many who churn in and out of poverty.

Across the board, Americans overestimate how high the governments poverty line is and how many people live below it. Asked to estimate the poverty line for a family of four, those polled, on average, put it at slightly more tha $32,000, which is about a third higher than the actual figure of slightly more than $24,000. The publics figure may be more realistic, however; many poverty experts think the official level is far too low.

Those polled also estimated that about 40 percent of Americans live below the poverty line  far more than the actual figure of 15 percent. Again, though, the public may have the clearer view. Many experts on poverty say that in addition to the roughly 45 million Americans who live below the official poverty line, roughly an equal number are near poor.

Many federal benefit programs, including health care subsidies, food stamps and Medicaid in many states, are open to people earning significantly more than the official poverty threshold.

The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, one of the countrys largest nonpartisan polling organizations. The survey was conducted June 20-July 7 among 1,202 adults aged 18 and older, including 235 who live below the poverty line. The survey has a margin of error of 4 percentage points in either direction for the full sample.
"Either you have sex with me, or we make every man here rape you and then we shoot you in the head," she remembers him saying.

She didn't really have a choice. By the end of the evening, she had been raped by 15 South Sudanese soldiers.

On July 11, South Sudanese troops, fresh from winning a battle in the capital, Juba, over opposition forces, went on a nearly four-hour rampage through a residential compound popular with foreigners, in one of the worst targeted attacks on aid workers in South Sudan's three-year civil war. They shot dead a local journalist while forcing the foreigners to watch, raped several foreign women, singled out Americans, beat and robbed people and carried out mock executions, several witnesses told The Associated Press.

For hours throughout the assault, the U.N. peacekeeping force stationed less than a mile away refused to respond to desperate calls for help. Neither did embassies, including the U.S. Embassy.

The Associated Press interviewed by phone eight survivors, both male and female, including three who said they were raped. The other five said they were beaten; one was shot. Most insisted on anonymity for their safety or to protect their organizations still operating in South Sudan.

The accounts highlight, in raw detail, the failure of the U.N. peacekeeping force to uphold its core mandate of protecting civilians, notably those just a few minutes' drive away. The Associated Press previously reported that U.N. peacekeepers in Juba did not stop the rapes of local women by soldiers outside the U.N.'s main camp last month.

The attack on the Terrain hotel complex shows the hostility toward foreigners and aid workers by troops under the command of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir, who has been fighting supporters of rebel leader Riek Machar since civil war erupted in December 2013. Both sides have been accused of abuses. The U.N. recently passed a U.S. resolution to send more peacekeeping troops to protect civilians.

Army spokesman Lul Ruai did not deny the attack at the Terrain but said it was premature to conclude the army was responsible. "Everyone is armed, and everyone has access to uniforms and we have people from other organized forces, but it was definitely done by people of South Sudan and by armed people of Juba," he said.

A report on the incident compiled by the Terrain's owner at Ruai's request, seen by the AP, alleges that at least five women were raped, torture, mock executions, beatings and looting. An unknown number of South Sudanese women were also assaulted.

The attack came just as people in Juba were thinking the worst was over.

Three days earlier, gunfire had erupted outside the presidential compound between armed supporters of the two sides in South Sudan's civil war, at the time pushed together under an uneasy peace deal. The violence quickly spread across the city.

Throughout the weekend, bullets whizzed through the Terrain compound, a sprawling complex with a pool, squash court and a bar patronized by expats and South Sudanese elites. It is also in the shadow of the U.N.'s largest camp in Juba.

By Monday, the government had nearly defeated the forces under Machar, who fled the city. As both sides prepared to call for a cease-fire, some residents of the Terrain started to relax.

"Monday was relatively chill," one survivor said.

What was thought to be celebratory gunfire was heard. And then the soldiers arrived. A Terrain staffer from Uganda said he saw between 80 and 100 men pour into the compound after breaking open the gate with gunshots and tire irons. The Terrain's security guards were armed only with shotguns and were vastly outnumbered. The soldiers then went to door to door, taking money, phones, laptops and car keys.

"They were very excited, very drunk, under the influence of something, almost a mad state, walking around shooting off rounds inside the rooms," one American said.

One man wore a blue police uniform, but the rest wore camouflage, the American said. Many had shoulder patches with the face of a tiger, the insignia worn by the president's personal guard.

For about an hour, soldiers beat the American with belts and the butts of their guns and accused him of hiding rebels. They fired bullets at his feet and close to his head. Eventually, one soldier who appeared to be in charge told him to leave the compound. Soldiers at the gate looked at his U.S. passport and handed it back, with instructions.

"You tell your embassy how we treated you," they said. He made his way to the nearby U.N. compound and appealed for help.

Meanwhile, soldiers were breaking into a two-story apartment block in the Terrain which had been deemed a safe house because of a heavy metal door guarding the apartments upstairs. Warned by a Kenyan staffer, more than 20 people inside, most of them foreigners, tried to hide. About 10 squeezed into a single bathroom.

The building shook as soldiers shot at the metal door and pried metal bars off windows for more than an hour, said residents. Once inside, the soldiers started ransacking the rooms and assaulting people they found.

Some of the soldiers were violent as they sexually assaulted women, said the woman who said she was raped by 15 men. Others, who looked to be just 15 or 16 years old, looked scared and were coerced into the act.

"One in particular, he was calling you, 'Sweetie, we should run away and get married.' It was like he was on a first date," the woman said. "He didn't see that what he was doing was a bad thing."

After about an hour and a half, the soldiers broke into the bathroom. They shot through the door, said Jesse Bunch, an American contractor who was hit in the leg.

"We kill you! We kill you!" the soldiers shouted, according to a Western woman in the bathroom. "They would shoot up at the ceiling and say, 'Do you want to die?' and we had to answer 'No!'"

The soldiers then pulled people out one by one. One woman said she was sexually assaulted by multiple men. Another Western woman said soldiers beat her with fists and threatened her with their guns when she tried to resist. She said five men raped her.

During the attack on the Terrain, several survivors told the AP that soldiers specifically asked if they were American. "One of them, as soon as he said he was American, he was hit with a rifle butt," said a woman.

When the soldiers came across John Gatluak, they knew he was local. The South Sudanese journalist worked for Internews, a media development organization funded by USAID. He had taken refuge at the Terrain after being briefly detained a few days earlier. The tribal scars on his forehead made it obvious he was Nuer, the same as opposition leader, Riek Machar.

Upon seeing him, the soldiers pushed him to the floor and beat him, according to the same woman who saw the American beaten.

Later in the attack, and after Kiir's side declared a ceasefire at 6 p.m., the soldiers forced the foreigners to stand in a semi-circle, said Gian Libot, a Philippines citizen who spent much of the attack under a bed until he was discovered.

One soldier ranted against foreigners. "He definitely had pronounced hatred against America," Libot said, recalling the soldier's words: "You messed up this country. You're helping the rebels. The people in the U.N., they're helping the rebels."

During the tirade, a soldier hit a man suspected of being American with a rifle butt. At one point, the soldier threatened to kill all the foreigners assembled. "We're gonna show the world an example," Libot remembered him saying.

Then Gatluak was hauled in front of the group. One soldier shouted "Nuer," and another soldier shot him twice in the head. He shot the dying Gatluak four more times while he lay on the ground.

"All it took was a declaration that he was different, and they shot him mercilessly," Libot said.

The shooting seemed to be a turning point for those assembled outside, Libot said. Looting and threats continued, but beatings started to draw to a close. Other soldiers continued to assault men and women inside the apartment block.

From the start of the attack, those inside the Terrain compound sent messages pleading for help by text and Facebook messages and emails.

"All of us were contacting whoever we could contact. The U.N., the U.S. embassy, contacting the specific battalions in the U.N., contacting specific departments," said the woman raped by 15 men.

A member of the U.N.'s Joint Operations Center in Juba first received word of the attack at 3:37 p.m., minutes after the breach of the compound, according to an internal timeline compiled by a member of the operations center and seen by AP.

Eight minutes later another message was sent to a different member of the operations center from a person inside Terrain saying that people were hiding there. At 4:22 p.m., that member received another message urging help.

Five minutes after that, the U.N. mission's Department of Safety and Security and its military command wing were alerted. At 4:33 p.m., a Quick Reaction Force, meant to intervene in emergencies, was informed. One minute later, the timeline notes the last contact on Monday from someone trapped inside Terrain.

For the next hour and a half the timeline is blank. At 6:52, shortly before sunset, the timeline states that "DSS would not send a team."

About 20 minutes later, a Quick Reaction Force of Ethiopians from the multinational U.N. mission was tasked to intervene, coordinating with South Sudan's army chief of staff, Paul Malong, who was also sending soldiers. But the Ethiopian battalion stood down, according to the timeline. Malong's troops eventually abandoned their intervention too because it took too long for the Quick Reaction Force to act.

The American who was released early in the assault and made it to the U.N. base said he also alerted U.N. staff. At around dusk, a U.N. worker he knew requested three different battalions to send a Quick Reaction Force.

"Everyone refused to go. Ethiopia, China, and Nepal. All refused to go," he said.

Eventually, South Sudanese security forces entered the Terrain and rescued all but three Western women and around 16 Terrain staff.

No one else was sent that night to find them. The U.N. timeline said a patrol would go in the morning, but this "was cancelled due to priority." A private security firm rescued the three Western women the staffers the next morning.

When asked why the U.N. peacekeeping mission didn't respond to the repeated requests for help, acting spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said the circumstances are under investigation.

"The peacekeepers did not venture out of the bases to protect civilians under imminent threat," Human Rights Watch said Monday in a report on abuses throughout Juba.

The U.S. Embassy, which also received requests for help during the attack, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The assault at the Terrain pierced a feeling of security among some foreigners who had assumed that they would be protected by their governments or the hundreds of U.N. peacekeepers almost next door.

One of the women gang-raped said security advisers from an aid organization living in the compound told residents repeatedly that they were safe because foreigners would not be targeted. She said: "This sentence, 'We are not targeted,' I heard half an hour before they assaulted us."
I received some flack, though less than I expected, over my recent column about angry white males. In that piece, I expressed support for strikes by service workers, as among tools that might increase compensation for those in the lower and middle classes.

I admit to having been in a provocative mood as I wrote that, and before-the-fact, blanket support for any activity, including strikes, is rarely justified.

Yet the column expressed my deep concern about the ever widening wealth gap between the haves on the one hand and the often-struggling sons and daughters of former manufacturing plant workers who in my day earned middle class incomes.

I worry that the cord tethering social classes in American civil society might soon be stretched so tight as to snap. Lets hope my concerns are overblown.

There are basically two ways to redistribute wealth -- through either government or the private sector. I think doing it through the private sector is far superior.

Conservatives such as the late economist Milton Friedman as well as some present-day so-called reform conservatives have expressed support for a basic guaranteed income for all, provided by government, of course.

To me, this runs the risk of what I call the dependency disease.

Few people want something for nothing, yet after a while a person can become almost comfortable with a regular government check in the mail.

I have to think that some relatively fit people who have opted for the disability income program (referred to around my parts as white mans welfare) have to hate themselves, deep down inside, for gaming the system.

And those with wealth, who are after all paying for welfare programs, come to resent sharing their hard-earned resources with those on the dole.

Its all human nature, and its toxic.

Further, some employers can factor the income provided via government programs into their wage offerings. I have, for example, listened to an audio of a McDonalds help line counselor advising an employee on how to apply for food stamps.

Thats why I think wealth redistribution through the private sector is much better. A higher minimum wage does result from a government policy, but it is still implemented between employer and employee.

And of course wage boosts in contracts hammered out between sometimes striking workers and company ownership are private sector bargains.

What is a job worth? What is the monetary value of a task unfulfilled because of the withholding of labor, say the uncleared bed pan in the hospital or nursing home, or the grocery store that doesnt open for lack of workers?

And at the other end of the spectrum, what is the real worth of knowingly selling near-worthless bundles of mortgages to unsuspecting investors -- with the seller still walking away with scores of millions in commissions?

Life is a genetically-driven game of king of the hill, of proving ones fitness. And the modern-day struggle between labor and capital is but a part of that game.

It is rather ironic that, after winning at the king of the hill game by accumulating great wealth, people will later implement their own resource redistribution programs by creating eleemosynary (your word for the day) foundations to do good for others.

As manufacturing jobs wither away, the supply of service sector jobs will continue to grow. People with wealth are able and willing to pay someone else to do more and more tasks for them.

The big challenge facing America is to devise systems that discourage malingering, reward work, and reduce wealth inequality.

Sounds simple enough, yet it will entail major, wrenching conflict in our society, as few want to give up what they have accumulated via the sweat of their brow.
CALDCs Halloween Celebration A Real Treat! The Central Astoria LDCs 7th annual Batty Over Halloween Celebration held on Sunday, October 23rd was a real treat for everyone who came out. Despite...

Meng Brings NASA Astronaut To Queens On October 17, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) brought NASA astronaut Dr. Jonny Kim to Queens where he met and spoke with students at Francis...

Celebrating Columbus The Federation of Italian-American Organizations of Queens (FIAO) held their annual Columbus Day parade in Astoria, on Saturday, October 8, during Italian Heritage Month. The...
Susan Graver Weekend Printed French Terry Zip Front Jacket is rated 4.8 out of 5 by 28 .

Rated 4 out of 5 by foto fun from Pretty This jacket has a nice fitted and comfortable feel to it. Dress it up or dress it down.

Rated 5 out of 5 by Sofhie from Yes. You did it again.. I love it. After loosing 25 lbs, I needed quality clothes that fit, look good, and are reasonable priced. Of course QVC is the place to start.

Rated 5 out of 5 by arithmetic from Chic & Classy Jacket!!! The fit is perfect & it's a flattering style! Please bring this back again in new colors. I purchased all 3 of these & would love to own this in a "dark emerald green & black combination". Dark purple & black or pink & black would also be lovely & chic!!! Please, please, pretty please??? This is definitely a winner!!! Perfect colors & design in every way! I will be wearing each of them with 3 different pant colors. Love the versatility!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 by softangel from Wonderful Jacket I purchased two of these jackets. I am thrilled with them. Very flattering, slimming, comfortable and nicely made. Sometimes I wear it as a top, rather than a jacket. I love the chic look, and enjoy the compliments I get. I was going to purchase the third color, but it is not available in my size. Thanks Susan!

Rated 5 out of 5 by Flamom from LOVE LOVE LOVE This jacket was everything I wanted! Loved it so much I bought it in all the colors. Quality and workmanship are spot on. Very comfortable and the fit is perfect for a size Large. Received lots of compliments. I wear these jackets when showing my dogs. This one is a winner!! Thank you Susan.

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Rated 5 out of 5 by KAS1 from Love this fun jacket! I ordered this in the neutral, my regular size, L...Perfect fit! This will be fun to wear, my husband said, "You look like you have lost weight! This jacket does flatter the figure!
G'day! It's Murray here. I've put together a little quiz to test your musical knowledge. Think you can score top marks in Murray's Magic Music Quiz? Give it a go now!
Southern Cross Austereo in Mackay recently upgraded their studios and the entire air-chain side in the control room. We caught up with Matt Paton, Chief Engineer  Radio  Northern Queensland for a rundown of what they did and put in.

So Matt, when did you make a start on the upgrades?

The build was delayed by the Mackay Survey, but we had the luxury of the worlds largest on air studios, so the new joinery was installed into empty space in the on air studios, and wired up. Then over a weekend we removed the old equipment, dragged the new desk into place, hooked up a couple of patch leads and power, and away it went (wow, sounds so much easier when I put it like that).

So the studios were sorted, what about the control room side?

The MCR was completely rebuilt with new racks, due to the old ones being quite shallow. We had a temporary rack set up with our SCAsat equipment and a couple of audio nodes to interface to the analog studios, and then all the analog equipment was removed and new Argent racks installed in their place. The structured cabling rack was done over a weekend to prevent outages to the office staff, and new shielded Cat6 cables run between racks, and into the studios.

Who worked on the project?

The ground work was completed by our Mackay Engineer Stuart Hughes and our CQ Engineer Robert Dwyer. The studios are built to the same standard as used across the SCA network with Axia Fusion consoles, Neumann KMS105 microphones, Telos VX phone system, 25/7 Profanity Delay units, Huawei IP STL links and Nexgen automation. The joinery was made locally to SCA specifications, including the ability to raise or lower the desk depending on the preference of the jocks.

The Axia configuration was done by myself, Brett Kelly and Dan Jackson. We have the ability for any studio to be any station with the touch of a button. That includes changing the phones, Nexgen audio on the console, branded display screens, off air monitoring etc.

So the gear you replaced how old was some of it?

This replaced some 17 year old Ogenics consoles that were end of life. Now we have a fully IP based audio path, these stations have never sounded better!
Off the back of her new long term deal with ARN, Jackie O was splashed across the weekend papers talking about the ride with Kyle and how she handles the flack when things dont go to plan. I think its part of the appeal of our show  everyone loves a scandal. It is that talkability, said Jackie O.

Kyle & Jackie O have been the centre of just a couple of now infamous On-Air chats and over the years and Jackie says she has learnt to deal with the public backlash sharing with BW Magazine Its changed me, in that Im so much stronger than when I first started

Jackie also talks about juggling family and work life saying The balancing act is pretty easy for me, but the one thing she still finds challenging with having a high public profile is the paparazzi; describing it as not the fun part.

Last month Kyle & Jackie Os new deal saw Jackie secure a equal footing with Kyle, rumored to worth $2.2 million each. By the time you add in ratings incentives they could top out to $3.2 million apiece  each and every year for their new five year contracts with ARN.

Read more in The Telegraph
2Day FMs Rove & Sam have launched their new survey tactic with the $50k Birthday Payday. A new TVC is ready to roll which sets up how it will work. Take a look.

Be the nominated month you get a shot and $100  match the birthdate  they up the stakes to $1k. If you match the birth date in the envelope by day, month and year  Cha Ching  dust off that cheque or say goodby to that survey bonus, its a $50k payday.

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97.3 Coast FM in WA filled their Coast Cat promo car, not once but twice over with food for the local Peel Community Kitchen.

The call was put out to bring non-perishable food donations to the station for the Mandurah Homelessness Awareness Day , quickly filling the reception area and eventually spilling in to the Sales Managers office.

Coast FM was live late last week from the Peel Community Kitchen with free hot meals, hygiene packs, towels, clothes, shoes, books and support information were handed out to people without a home or suffering financial difficulty.
The train has a maximum design speed of 350km/h and achieved 420km/h during test runs on July 15 when two trains passed each other at the this speed on the new 363km Zhengzhou - Xuzhou high-speed line which is due to open on September 10.

Research and development of the standard EMU started in 2012, enabling the general technical specifications to be completed in December 2013 and the design to be finalised in September 2014. The new trains were unveiled at the China Academy of Railway Sciences' (Cars) test loop line in northeast Beijing on June 30 2015 where they were tested at up to 160km/h. High-speed trials were conducted on the Datong  Xian and Yuanping  Taiyuan lines between September 2015 and May 2016 before the two trains moved to the Zhengzhou  Xuzhou line.

Each 209m-long train comprises four motor cars and four trailers. The trains are 3360mm wide and 4060mm high and have an axleload of less than 17 tonnes. Each train can accommodate 556 passengers, with 10 in business class, 28 in first class, and 518 in second class.

Chinese Railways Corporation coordinated the project, while Cars was responsible for developing the overall technical specifications, and CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles and CRRC Oingdao Sifang were responsible for the design and manufacture.

China independently owns the design of the EMU, and it will be a leading model for China to export to the world, says Mr Zhou Li, head of technology with China Railways Corporation.
The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) has named WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff Assistant Vice President Community Relations and Diversity-Manager, Central U.S. Region Tanya Adams as 2016 Corporate Executive of the Year.

Adams was also elected to COMTOs national board of directors.

COMTO is an advocacy organization for minority professionals and businesses in the transportation industry. The Corporate Executive of the Year award recognizes an executive whose corporation, through his or her leadership, has consistently provided exemplary support to COMTO and contributed to its mission and goals both nationally and through the local COMTO chapter.

Adams is responsible for a variety of marketing, networking and business development initiatives, including implementation of regional diversity programs, client relations, public relations and community engagement. She serves as co-chair, with Martha Alongi, on WSP | Parson Brinckerhoffs diversity committee. She also served as recruiting manager for the Central U.S. region, where she oversaw regional recruiting and advised management and staff on issues pertaining to recruiting issues.

Prior to joining the firm in 2006, Adams spent more than 18 years with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) as an employment specialist.

At COMTO, Adams serves on the corporate advisory council, program and planning committee, Women Who Move the Nation nomination committee, and joint leadership committee. In addition to her work with COMTO, she serves as a member of the board of directors for the Illinois chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies. She is also a member of the equal employment opportunity committee for the Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association; serves as a committee member on the DBE focus committee for the Innovation Conference on Asphalt and Transportation (ICAT) committee; and was recently appointed as secretary of the board of directors for the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce. As a member of the COMTO board, Adams will work with industry professionals to develop and enforce strategic plans for the organization. Her two-year term runs through July 2018.

My selection is validation of the work that we do at WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff to value diversity and I will continue to look for opportunities to position our firm as an industry leader, Adams said. I wanted to serve on the COMTO board of directors of because I am passionate about diversity and making sure that the diverse faces of America are represented in strategic ways. COMTOs mission aligns with my personal mission, which makes me a good fit for this leadership role. My time at IDOT helped open my eyes to the challenges faced by minority firms aspiring to participate in the transportation industry and the need to create a level playing field.
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Tax evasion case against ex-head of Russian construction firm reaches court

MOSCOW, August 15 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul)  Investigators have forwarded a criminal case against former head of the Mostovik construction firm, Oleg Shishov, charged with 500 million rubles tax evasion ($7.8 mln), to court, RAPSI learned from the Investigative Committee on Monday.

According to investigators, in 2009-2011 Shishov forged financial documents and tax declarations of Mostovik, falsely reporting completion of construction works in Vladivostok and other cities by side contractors. Investigators claim that these contractors did not do any works and the projects were completed by employees of Mostovik itself. As a result, investigators believe that Shishov evaded paying over 478 million rubles ($7.4 mln) in taxes.

Additionally investigators allege that Shishov embezzled 526 million rubles ($8.2 mln) received as advance payment for construction of the Omsk ring road.

Shishov fully admitted his guilt and requested his case to be reviewed under special procedure.

On March 21 Shishov was sentenced to three years in a penal company for complicity in embezzlement of entrusted property. Investigators alleged that he helped executive of the government company Direction on construction management in the Far Eastern Federal District, Andrei Poplavsky, to embezzle more than one billion rubles ($14.2 million) allocated for the construction of the Primorye Oceanarium.

Shishov made a pre-trial agreement on cooperation and testified against Poplavsky.
Russian businessman seeks $622 million from Lithuania

MOSCOW, August 15 (RAPSI)  Russian businessman and former co-owner of the Lithuanian nationalized bank Snoras, Vladimir Antonov, has filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court demanding to recover over 40 billion rubles ($622 million) from Lithuanias Justice Ministry, according to court records.

Antonov seeks to collect from Lithuania more than 20.2 billion rubles ($314 million) in compensation for property damage and over 19.9 billion rubles ($309 million) in business reputation damage. Moreover, the plaintiff demands to declare illegal information distributed by the countrys president Dalia Grybauskaite, who had criticized performance of Snoras managers before nationalization of the bank, and published in online media in 2011, the court papers read.

The court will consider the claim on September 22.

Snoras was part of Antonov's Convers Group. The Convers Group held 68.10 percent of the bank and another 25.3 percent was held by Baranauskas.

In addition, the government of Latvia also announced that the Krajbanka bank, currently on the verge of bankruptcy and 60% owned by Antonov, would be nationalized.

Antonov has been charged by Lithuanian authorities with EUR 565 million embezzlement, forging documents and fraudulent accounting and put on the European wanted list. Antonov and his partner Raimondas Baranauskas, were arrested on November 24, 2011 in the United Kingdom and put in detention but later they were released on bail. Antonov left the United Kingdom trembling for his life. He could face up to 10 years in Lithuania's prison if convicted.
Prosecutor asks court to sentence Russian nationalist Potkin to 9 years in penal colony

MOSCOW, August 15 (RAPSI, Yevgeniya Sokolova)  Prosecutor has asked the Meshchansky District Court of Moscow to sentence Russian nationalist Alexander Potkin, who stands charged with embezzlement and organization of an extremist movement, to nine years in penal colony, RAPSI correspondent reports from the courtroom on Monday.

According to prosecution, Potkin, who is also known as Alexander Belov, used money embezzled from Kazakh BTA Bank to organize an extremist movement.

Earlier, Potkins lawyer Ivan Mironov has said that opposition politician Alexei Navalny would be questioned as a witness for defense in this case about cooperation with Kazakh opposition figures because he allegedly had contacts with them along with Potkin.

According to investigators, Mukhtar Ablyazov, former chairman of the bank, who wanted to destabilize the constitutional order in Kazakhstan, asked Potkin to help him with organizing an extremist group. Potkin allegedly agreed and used funds embezzled from BTA Bank to spread the nationalist ideology in Kazakhstan.

Belov was arrested on October 15, 2014 at the Hotel Intourist Kolomenskoe in Moscow on charges related to the embezzlement of $5 billion from BTA Bank. At the time of the arrest, Belov allegedly had documents on him that effectively tied him to the embezzlement.

Investigators believe that Belov (Potkin) was a mastermind in a money laundering operation in 2012-2014. He was also suspected of involvement in laundering money that was embezzled from BTA Bank by its former chairman Mukhtar Ablyazov.

Ablyazov, who allegedly defrauded BTA Bank of more than $6 billion, left Kazakhstan for the UK, where he was granted political asylum in 2011. However, he remained a fugitive from justice since February 2012.

Ablyazovs whereabouts remained unknown until he was detained on July 31, 2015 near Cannes, France. Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine are all seeking his extradition.

In October 2015, French authorities approved Ablyazovs extradition to Russia.
As we see a surge in inflation globally, it is now critical that everyone is aware of the implications this will have along every step of the insurance and reinsurance value chain.
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A lot goes on around campus, and sometimes it's hard to keep up with. From sorority recruitment to Gunnar Bentz, The Red & Black complied five of the top stories not to miss this week.
Morgan Pippin, 20, a psychology and sociology major as well as the president of the Residence Hall Association, speaks with incoming freshmen at the Freshman Orientation Organizations Fair at the Ramsey Student Center on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, June 7, 2016. The Organizations Fair gives freshmen the opportunity to take a first look at the myriad number of extracurriculars offered at the University of Georgia. (Photo/Casey Sykes, www.caseysykes.com)
Both the UGA College Republicans and the Young Democrats of UGA have remained in support of their respective candidates, despite the growing tensions in the two-party system on the national scale.
A trailblazer is exactly what Ingram has become. When she graduates this December, Ingram will be the first black female to graduate from the University of Georgia with a Ph.D. degree in physics.
In this Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016 photo, an overhead sign welcomes visitors to Little Italy at the corner of Broome and Mulberry Streets, in New York. In a conversation with an undercover FBI agent, reputed mobster Eugene "Rooster" O'Norfio proclaimed himself the new boss of the "Mulberry Street Crew," but prosecutors' charges against him are far cry from the days when big name-gangsters claimed Little Italy as their turf. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

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By TOM HAYS, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP)  In a recent conversation with an undercover FBI agent wearing a wire, a reputed mobster from Connecticut named Eugene "Rooster" O'Norfio proclaimed himself the new boss of the "Mulberry Street Crew" in Manhattan's Little Italy.

New Yorkers could be forgiven for responding: Rooster who?

"I didn't even know he existed," said Joseph Scelsa, who has run the Italian American Museum out of a storefront on Mulberry Street for the past eight years.

The obscurity of O'Norfio, the vagueness of the allegations against him contained in a new federal mob indictment and an absence of fear in Little Italy reflect how a tourist destination with its shrinking cluster of Italian restaurants and gift shops has changed since the days when it was the turf of marquee Mafia bosses like John "Dapper Don" Gotti and Vincent "Chin" Gigante.

Though the indictment suggests organized crime still has at least a toehold in the neighborhood, visitors to Mulberry Street would have a far better chance of dropping $400 on designer shoes than spotting a preening gangster.

"The colorful names remain the same. Some of the scams and the shakedowns remain. But the vice grip on businesses and others is not the same as it used to be," said Randy Mastro, an attorney who once served as a mob-busting point man under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

In the 1990s, authorities used electronic surveillance at Gotti's Little Italy headquarters, the Ravenite Social Club on Mulberry Street, to help bring down the mercurial boss of the Gambino crime family. They also removed the stranglehold Gigante's Genovese crime family had on the annual Feast of San Gennaro street festival, where it once ran gambling games, imposed a "mob tax" on vendors and raided donations at a neighborhood church. Both bosses died in federal prison.

Yet, forces far more powerful than the FBI may have had a bigger impact.

The Ravenite is now a boutique for "handcrafted" shoes in a gentrified part of Little Italy that was long ago rebranded as Nolita (North of Little Italy).

Art galleries, brunch spots and upscale clothing stores are steadily encroaching on what remains of the old neighborhood.

But the mob investigations have continued, resulting in an embezzlement conviction in 2000 of a former San Gennaro organizer, testimony at a 2004 trial that another feast leader was a made man, and a 2013 guilty plea by a Genovese capo in a case accusing him of trying to extort the festival.

In the current case, court papers quote O'Norfio recounting how the capo told him, "I want you at the helm" of the Mulberry Street Crew while he was in prison.

The new indictment accuses the 74-year-old O'Norfio, of East Haven, Connecticut, of loansharking, but it doesn't go into specifics. He has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy charges that also accuse him of being in charge of another crew in Springfield, Massachusetts.

His lawyer, Thomas Nooter, declined to comment.

News coverage of the recent cases has rankled Little Italy boosters.

The nonprofit that runs San Gennaro each September complained in a 2012 letter to The New York Times that the coverage was overblown and "rekindled old, derogatory stereotypes" about Italian-Americans while ignoring the festival's charity work.

The new charges "really disgust me," said Scelsa, whose museum focuses on the accomplishments of Italian-Americans, evidenced by a copy of a platinum record for Billy Joel's "The Stranger" perched in the front window. He believes the case represents an invisible vestige of a bygone era when the so-called Black Hand extortion racket terrorized the neighborhood.

"I wouldn't have opened up on Mulberry Street if I thought it was still there," he said.

Still, today's organized crime networks need to be seen as "a struggling business that's trying to survive by diversifying," said James Walden, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, citing the credit card and health care fraud charges in the indictment.

Mastro cautioned that even with the modern serenity of Mulberry Street, law enforcement must stay vigilant.

"Trying to eliminate La Cosa Nostra," he said, "is like trying to kill a vampire."
Nathan Solis/Record Searchlight

Brothers Cooper Steele, 8, and Luke Steele, 10, honor veterans at Cottonwood Cemetery on Sunday by placing American flags on graves. At least a dozen volunteers helped 10-year-old Preston Sharp on Sunday morning.

SHARE Nathan Solis/Record Searchlight Preston Sharp, 10, from Redding, has taken on the job of honoring veterans across the North State. On Sunday he and his mother, April, visited the Cottonwood Cemetery. Nathan Solis/Record Searchlight Wanda Leach Lucklum, left, watches as her granddaughter, Sylvia Serna, 7, cleans a headstone at Cottonwood Cemetery. Her grandson, Jacob Serna, 7, watches as well.

By Nathan Solis of the Redding Record Searchlight

Since Veterans Day 2015, Preston Sharp has visited four North State cemeteries, placing flags and plastic carnations and cleaning up veterans graves. On Sunday it was 10-year-old Preston's turn to visit Cottonwood Cemetery.

Generations of names greeted Preston as he pulled his wagon with flowers and American flags.

Around 8:30 a.m. he and his mother, April, met with other volunteers and directed them to honor the veterans after placing the items on their graves.

"We will say, 'Thank You for your service' to each veteran we come across and be sure to say their names," said April.

The first pair of graves honored at the cemetery belonged to Richard and William Leach, brothers who served during the Korean War.

Wanda Leach Lucklum contacted Preston on Facebook and asked him to visit Cottonwood and honor its veterans.

"People forget about Cottonwood. My father, Richard, and uncle, William, both served. Redding's veterans get attention. Anderson's veterans get attention. It's nice to have some attention now," said Lucklum, a grandma who managed to convince her grandchildren to help in the morning's task.

Cousins Sylvia and Jacob Serna trailed after their grandmother, a spray bottle and wash cloth in their hands. Sylvia, 7, wiped down a headstone, and Jacob, 7, scraped at the grass growing through the crevices in the ground around the graves.

With an enthusiasm reserved for small children, they brushed off the nearby headstones and graves of non-veterans, arguing who would get to use the scraping tool and spray bottle.

Lucklum said she did not know how many veterans were buried in Cottonwood.

"Probably a lot, I'd imagine. So many served," she said.

Lucklum read the names of World War II, Vietnam and Korean War veterans as she corralled her grandchildren. At least a dozen other volunteers helped on Sunday morning. April estimates her son has planted at least 8,900 flags across the North State.

Preston marched with his flags and flowers in tow, directing volunteers on a project he started last year. After Preton visited his U.S. Navy veteran grandfather's grave on Veteran's Day and did not see any flags planted on other graves he took it upon himself to honor those he did not personally know.

"I knew I wanted to do something, because if it wasn't for them fighting for us then we wouldn't be here," Preston said.

Now in demand Preston's services carry a matter-of-fact attitude, an act that should be done even if it means spending a Sunday morning in a cemetery.
SHARE 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 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)

MILWAUKEE (AP)  When police identified Sylville Smith as the Milwaukee man shot by an officer Saturday, triggering a violent uprising on the city's mostly black north side, Chief Edward Flynn cited Smith's "lengthy criminal record."

Online court records showed multiple charges against the 23-year-old Smith dating back to 2013. One was as minor as retail theft  which was dismissed  and other less serious offenses included speeding, driving without insurance, driving with a suspended license or having open intoxicants in a vehicle.

There were more serious charges. Smith was accused in a shooting last year and charged with recklessly endangering safety, a felony.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Smith was subsequently accused of pressuring the victim to recant statements that identified him as the gunman and was charged with trying to intimidate a witness. 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 Sunday.

Smith also pleaded guilty to carrying a concealed weapon in 2014.

Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke said at a news conference that Smith had been arrested 13 times.

"He's got a bunch of drug arrests here, robbery, use of force," Clarke said.

But Smith was father to a 2-year-old toddler, too, his mother said.

"My son is gone due to the police killing my son," a distraught Mildred Haynes told the Journal Sentinel on Sunday. "I am lost."

Smith's younger sister, Sherelle Smith, 22, told the Journal Sentinel that her brother carried a gun because he was scared and needed to protect himself, not because he was violent. She said he was known around the neighborhood for his style and dance moves.

"He was a ladies' man. That's the worst thing about him," she said

"I'm not going to say he was an angel. He was out here living his life," Smith's godmother, Katherine Mahmoud, told the Journal Sentinel.

Mayor Tom Barrett called for empathy for Smith's family.

"I think we have to recognize that ... a young man lost his life yesterday afternoon," the mayor said. "And no matter what the circumstances are, his family has to be hurting."

Smith's death sparked explosive protests in northern Milwaukee, a town of 600,000 where roughly 40 percent of residents are black. Several businesses were burned down in the protests that stretched into Sunday morning, leading Gov. Scott Walker to activate National Guard troops in case violence persists. The unrest continued on Sunday night with protesters throwing rocks and other objects at police and one person shot. But the there was no widespread destruction of property.
Shane Franklyn Miller is the suspect in a triple murder that happened in Shingletown Tuesday night. He's considered "armed and extremely dangerous." Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 or the sheriff's office at 245-6540.

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By Record Searchlight Staff

SHINGLETOWN ? Shasta County sheriff's officials said today that a woman and her two daughters found dead Tuesday night at their home suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

"The husband and father was responsible for the alleged 3 homicides," said Lt. Dave Kent at a press conference this afternoon.

The three victims, 34-year-old Sandy Miller, and two daughters, Shelby Miller, 8, and Shasta Miller, 4, were found dead at their home on the 28400 block of Alpine Way. The children's father, Shane Franklyn Miller, 45, is the lone suspect sought by deputies and is considered armed and "extremely dangerous."

Deputies said they couldn't go into details about why they believe Shane Miller killed his family. They said they couldn't confirm what Miller used to allegedly shoot his family.

At a press conference held this afternoon, sheriff's officials said they entered the home Tuesday and found the three victims with gunshot wounds.

Lt. Tom Campbell said that an alert issued earlier this afternoon contained incorrect information about the suspect's vehicle. Authorities are still looking for a gold 2010 Dodge Mega Cab pickup truck with a camper shell, license plate 8Z75988.

They received a 911 call from the home around 7:45 p.m., but deputies wouldn't say who called authorities, except that the call came from the home where the victims were killed.

Deputies said there had been a domestic disturbance at the home in April, but said they couldn't confirm whether a domestic dispute played a part in the shooting.

An alert issued by law enforcement at about 10:30 a.m. today said Miller, whose birthday is today, was possibly headed to a cabin in Ferndale, where he may have a cache of weapons.

Officials at California Highway Patrol offices in Humboldt County and the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office said they are on the lookout for Miller, but not actively participating in the search for him.

"We're assisting Shasta County as needed," said Humboldt County Sheriff's Lt. Steve Knight.

Ferndale Police Department Chief Bret Smith said he was informed this morning that there is a residence in Petrolia that the suspect is believed to have frequented. Smith said he was unsure if it is a cabin Miller owns.

"In my understanding, the word was that he had stayed there," Miller said. Miller also said that reports of a cabin owned by Miller in Ferndale are incorrect.

"I think the reason Ferndale is even being discussed is because it's one of two ways he could be taking to get to Petrolia," he said.

Smith said while his department has been staying busy today chasing down reports in the Ferndale area of a vehicle matching the description of the one Miller is believed to be driving, Smith said so far his officers haven't located anyone who fits the wanted man's description.

"We are responding ? and there have been a lot of reports ? but so far there just hasn't been anything," he said.

Miller is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds and has red hair and blue eyes, said Campbell, with the sheriff's office.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call 911 or the sheriff's office at 245-6135 or 245-6025.

At the conference, sheriff's officials said no one was at the home when they arrived.

Black Butte Elementary and Middle Schools were both under lockdown this morning. Redding Christian School and Chrysalis Charter School, both in Palo Cedro, are on lockdown this morning. Officials at Junction School and Foothill High School in Palo Cedro had also ordered doors to all classrooms locked.

Both Shelby and Shasta both attended schools in the Black Butte Union Elementary School District, said Don Aust, its superintendent.

He said the parents pulled Shelby out of the elementary school and Shasta out of the preschool programs around three to four weeks ago.

They may have transferred to a charter school or begun homeschool, he said.

Millville Elementary School was on a "soft lock down," but that was because the students are taking tests all morning.

Mindy DeSantis, principal and superintendent, said the school had not received any official notification from authorities, and the staff is following developments.

Former Redding Police Chief Peter Hansen lives near the crime scene, which is at 28400 Alpine Way in Shingletown.

Hansen said he barely knows Miller, but he's lived there for a few years with a wife or girlfriend and he believes two children as well.

"I hardly know them," Hansen said. "They've lived in that house for three or four years."

Hansen said he's probably talked to Miller once or twice in that time.

Aust said he knew Shelby, who attended third grade at Black Butte Elementary.

"She always had a good attitude, always smiling, always said hello," Aust said. "She was just so friendly, so caring. I never saw her upset or mad at anybody."

He said Shelby never exhibited any discipline problems, even in recent months before she was transferred. Neither she nor her sister showed any changes in behavior recently.

"Usually something like that is brought to my attention. They suddenly start getting referrals to my office," Aust said. "I never saw anything like that. We're a small enough school - one teacher per grade - I can tell when somebody's going through some kind of problem. Nothing had a red flag for me."

The teachers already miss Shelby, he said.

"(Shelby was) one of those kids you love having in class," Aust said. "My teachers, they're very obviously upset."

He said Shelby was too young for any after school activities.

He said he didn't know Shasta, who was in the school district's preschool program. But the preschool teacher said Shasta took after her older sister.

Aust said he didn't know Sandy Miller or her husband and alleged killer Shane Miller.

Miller owns the residence where the killing occurred, according to Enplan Parcel Viewer. The three-bedroom, 2 bath house is on a 5.65-acre lot and was purchased for $330,000 in 2007, according to real estate records..

The two-story house sits nestled among pine trees. There is a barn and greenhouse in the back. Horses and llamas graze on the property's acreage.

Neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Record Searchlight Miller used the house as a weekend home, and confirmed that a woman and children stayed with him there.

Deputies went to the residence in the 28400 block of Alpine Way about a quarter-mile from Black Butte Road. Deputies didn't say at Wednesday's press conference whether they had to force their way into the home. Part of Alpine Way was roped off with crime tape and at least five sheriff's units were in the neighborhood. Several ambulances also were seen at the crime scene about 10:15 p.m. Tuesday night. This morning, more law enforcement officers arrived to the scene. A portable toilet was dropped off and a locksmith brought out.

Deputies initially said they were investigating a stabbing and a report of a dead body, and at 9:15 p.m. deputies told dispatchers they were searching the exterior of the residence. They spent the night investigating the home.

Other than a few traffic tickets, Miller does not have a criminal history in Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou or Trinity counties, according to electronic court records.

He was the defendant in a 2003-04 civil lawsuit filed against him by General Motors Acceptance Corp.

A default judgment ordered Miller to pay $9,405 to the corporation, according to electronic Shasta County court records.

Miller may be heading to Ferndale in Humboldt County, deputies said.

He grew up near Garberville, a 67-mile drive south on Highway 101 from Eureka, in Humboldt County.

Eureka resident Michelle Spain said her husband was friends with Miller about 25 years ago, but she hasn't seen him in years.

She said he grew up in the Garberville area, and attended South Fork High School.

'I'm totally shocked," Spain said. "I still can't believe it."

"He really wasn't a bad guy," she said. "He must have gotten into drugs or something because he wasn't like that. He was really outgoing. He wasn't shy. He liked to drink and party a lot. I know that. He was really outgoing."

Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey said the sheriff's office has been working with Shasta County law enforcement officials all day to monitor the situation.

"We are being very sensitive to the fact that he could enter Humboldt County," Downey said.

A Humboldt County Superior Court spokeswoman said Miller has an extensive criminal history in that county dating back to the early 1990s.

His cases included felony hit-and-run with injury in 1996, misdemeanor driving on a suspended license in 1994, being drunk in public and misdemeanor DUI in 1993, she said.

Additionally, she said, he was convicted in 1996 of felony marijuana cultivation.

The Eureka Times-Standard contributed to this report.
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MEXICO CITY  Most of Donald Trump's statements about Mexico are the product of ignorance, racism and demagoguery, but the Republican candidate would be delighted to read the latest headlines in this country.

According to the news splashed across the front pages, the Mexican Association of Mayors is requesting urgent help from President Enrique Pena Nieto to stop a wave of killings of city mayors. At least five city mayors have been killed so far this year, for a total of 56 over the past 10 years, news reports say.

The overwhelming majority of these crimes remain unsolved, in line with an overall pattern of impunity for all crimes that are committed in Mexico.

A study by the Center for Impunity and Justice Studies of the University of the Americas in Puebla shows that Mexico has the second-highest impunity rate  after Philippines  in the world.

Only 7 percent of the crimes that take place in Mexico are reported to authorities, and less than 1 percent of all criminals end up in jail, the CESIJ'S newly released "Index of Impunity in Mexico 2016" says.

Most Mexicans don't even report crimes because they think it's a waste of time, and because they don't trust the police, polls show.

An old Mexican joke says that "if you are mugged on the street, don't scream, because you may attract the police!" Often, the police shake down crime victims, as well as criminals.

Gerardo Rodriguez Sanchez, the co-author of the CESIJ'S impunity index, told me that most of the mayors' killings take place in remote poverty-ridden areas that are known for their poppy seed plantations for heroin production.

There is virtually no presence of federal or state police forces nor judges in these rural towns. Drug traffickers there want to control local mayors, because it is the mayors who appoint the only existing law enforcement officials.

But to put things in perspective, Mexico is far down the list of Latin America's most violent countries, and many U.S. cities have higher murder rates than Mexico's.

There are about a dozen Latin American and Caribbean countries with higher murder rates than Mexico. Honduras has an annual murder rate of 90 per 100,000 people. In Venezuela, the rate is 54 per 100,000, while in Belize it's 45, in El Salvador it's 41, and in Guatemala it's 40. Brazil's murder rate is 25 per 100,000 people. By comparison, Mexico's annual murder rate is 21 per 100,000 people, according to United Nations figures.

And while the United States has a much lower overall homicide rate than Mexico's, U.S. cities such as St. Louis, Detroit and New Orleans have murder rates that are roughly double those of Mexico, and about three times higher than those of Mexico City, according to FBI figures.

Law enforcement experts say Mexico's obscene impunity rates are due in part among other things to police corruption, shortages of judges  the country has only four judges per 100,000 people, compared to 10 judges per 100,000 in the United States  and overcrowded prisons.

My opinion: Trump's assertions about Mexico, such as his claim that most Mexican undocumented migrants in the United States are "criminals" and "rapists," are preposterous. In fact, studies show that the percentage of serious crimes carried out by Mexican undocumented migrants is significantly lower than that of U.S.-born Americans.

And, as we saw above, Trump is also misrepresenting the facts when he singles out Mexico as more violent than most countries, as well as when he blames free trade with Mexico for most U.S. job losses. In fact, free trade with Mexico has produced more winners than losers on both sides, according to the Wilson Center.

But Trump's wild claims aside, Mexico should seek international help to solve its impunity problem, much like Guatemala successfully did when it invited the United Nations' International Commission against Impunity to help rebuild its disastrous law enforcement system.

The recent wave of murders of Mexican mayors suggests that Mexico's drug-related violence, which drew so much U.S. media attention a few years ago, has not slowed down, and that it must do something drastic to reduce it.

Andres Oppenheimer is a columnist for the Miami Herald. Readers may email him at aoppenheimer@miamiherald.com
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Reading the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's report on marijuana, on how it should remain one of the nation's most dangerous drugs and has no medical value, we can't help but wonder what rock the agency's leaders have been living under. Or what they've been smoking.

Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have legalized weed for medical use, starting with California way back in 1996. Three more states  Arkansas, Florida and North Dakota  will decide whether to follow suit this November.

Yet, according the DEA on Thursday, "there is no evidence that there is a consensus among qualified experts that marijuana is safe and effective for use in treating a specific, recognized disorder."

In a long-awaited report, the agency doubled down on years of illogical policy. Pot, it said, will remain as it has been since 1970  a Schedule I drug, on par with heroin. It will not be, as many expected, bumped to even a Schedule II drug, like the deadly opioid fentanyl.

"This decision isn't based on danger," DEA chief Chuck Rosenberg told NPR. "This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and effective medicine, and it's not."

This is the same circular argument that the agency has been making for years, even as states, with approval from the U.S. Justice Department, have steadily moved toward decriminalizing it. The drug remains in a legal gray area, though. The DEA, for example, spent $18 million last year destroying marijuana plants while people in three states were legally using it for fun.

What's scary is that this movement toward legalization, including in California, has been happening without the benefit of controlled clinical trials. Much like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and guns, the DEA has made it almost impossible to study marijuana.

In a wise reassessment, the DEA did agree Thursday to remove some of the obstacles. No longer will the University of Mississippi house the sole facility licensed to grow pot for research. Others will be able to apply.

But even with that, the DEA took a tone-deaf approach. Instead of recognizing the urgent need for policymakers to know how weed affects everything from driving to child care, the agency signaled that it will enact strict rules for getting a license and issue a precious few of them.

What's more, many of the licenses will go to big companies with deep pockets and lots of lobbyists, all looking to develop, patent and market particular strains as prescription drugs. Small growers, such as those in the Emerald Triangle who have been at this for generations, may find themselves left out of this Green Rush.

We needed clarity on marijuana. Instead, most of what the DEA gave us was just more smoke.

This editorial previously appeared in The Sacramento Bee
Asserting that gun will not solve any problem, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to address the state's problems which she attributed to the "mistakes" by successive central governments, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru.

In a deeply embarrassing moment, Mehbooba, who was hoisting the national flag as chief minister for the first time, pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolor fall from the post and land on the ground. Amid the embarrassing situation, two personnel from the security detail of the Chief Minister held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute to the flag. As Mehbooba left the stage for inspecting the contingents of the police and paramilitary forces, the security staff at the Bakshi Stadium hurriedly set the flag right and hoisted it atop the post. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

In her maiden Independence Day address as Chief Minister, Mehbooba made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the "vested interests" who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Speaking against the backdrop of over month-long unrest in the valley triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani, she questioned people who have been indulging in violence as she underlined that any remedy could be found through dialogue in a great democracy like India.

Emphasising that any propaganda like attempts to erode the special status of Jammu and Kashmir is false, she urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

"Gun will not solve the problm. Guns has not solved any issue," Mehbooba said, adding there is no way other than the dialogue to resolve problems and address grievances.

"People of Jammu and Kashmir are not bad, nor is India bad. Somewhere mistakes were made with regard to elections. The leadership of the country -- from Jawahar Lal Nehru till date -- and the parties, it is their mistake," she said.

The Chief Minister said she too had a grievance at the way Kashmir issue has been handled over the years.

Army patrols Lal Chowk on the 38th day of curfew in the Valley. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

"I also have grievances. People of Jammu and Kashmir joined with such a big country, not considering the religion, and preferred a democracy. Why has our democracy remained confined to casting votes?

"The biggest part of democracy is dialogue. We have resolved so many issues but why have we failed to take forward the dialogue process here? Where have made a mistake?

"Why did it take till 2002 for the (fair) election system to reach Kashmir? Why did our system and leadership here and in Delhi in 1987 elections usurp the rights of those people (now separatists) who could have become MLAs, ministers or chief minister? They wanted to take oath of Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir along with the Constitution of the country. There is no fault of people of J&K in it," she said.

Mehbooba said the separatists were then looking for alternatives to National Conference and Congress but "it was not allowed to happen by the leaders here and there (Delhi)".

Emphasising that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues, Mehbooba expressed hope that Modi-led govenrment at the Centre will take steps for addressing the political, social and econmomic issues confronting the state by initiating dialogue with all stakeholders in the state.

"...The Kashmir situation was discussed in both Houses of Parliament... I am hopeful that 2008 and 2010 will not be repeated. This time, actually, Jammu and Kashmir's political, social and economic issues will be addressed. Dialogue should be held with everyone," she said.

The chief minister said she did not believe that there was any trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and people from rest of the country.

"If there is trust deficit, it is between the leaders of the state and the leadership of the country. There can be no quarrel between the people of J&K and people of the country.

Mehbooba Mufti addressing the gathering at Bakshi stadium. Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com

"If we did not trust the people of the country, then we would not send our children there for work and studies when the situation turned bad here," she said.

"It is now our duty that we take our people out of the bloody stream with dignity," she added.

Invoking her late father and former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed repeatedly, Mehboboa said, "We joined hands with BJP whose people (supporters) did not want it to join hands with PDP in the same way as Kashmiris did not want PDP to to go with the BJP.

"But keeping the in view the delicacy of the moment and your problems and future of children, he (sayeed) joined hands with a party which had two-third majority (in Lok Sabha) with the hope that the task left incomplete by Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be completed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," she said.

She lashed out at Pakistan for not giving good welcome to Home Minister Rajnath Singh who visited there for a SAARC conference earlier this month and said an opportunity to resume talks with India had been missed.

"PM Modi went to Pakistan in December (last year) and then Pathankot happened. Despite some militant organisations openly supporting the unrest in Kashmir, Home Minister Rajnath Singh went to Pakistan for SAARC Conference where some countries even went unrepresented.

"May be the objective was to start a dialogue that could lead to somewhere but I wonder why Pakistan let this opportunity go!" she said.

She said Prophet Mohammad has said that Muslims should give due respect even if an enemy comes to their homes but Pakistan did not do so when Singh went there.

"I appeal to leadership of India and Pakistan that there has been enough bloodshed now. Now River Jhelum has no capacity to soak more blood. Please come together," she said.

Mehbooba told Pakistan: "If you love Jammu and Kashmir, then let us remove the borders between this Kashmir and that Kashmir without hurting the integrity of either of the country. Let us make Jammu and Kashmir model of development, cooperation and peace in SAARC region."
Pakistan on Monday invited India for talks on Kashmir, saying it is the international obligation of both the countries to resolve the issue, notwithstanding Indias insistence that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.

Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said in a statement that Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale was called to hand over a letter of invitation for talks.

The Foreign Secretary called in the Indian High Commissioner this afternoon (Monday) and handed over a letter addressed to his Indian counterpart, inviting him to visit Pakistan for talks on Jammu and Kashmir dispute that has been the main bone of contention between India and Pakistan, Zakaria said.

The invitation was extended amid tension in bilateral ties due to the war of words between the two nations over the issue.

The letter highlights the international obligation of both the countries, India and Pakistan, to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions, the statement said.

Pakistan's advisor on foreign affairs said last week that a conference of envoys of Pakistan earlier this month had agreed that Pakistan seek talks with India.

The invite came days after Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addressed Parliament on the Kashmir issue and said that India was willing to discuss only Pakistan-occupied Kashmir with Pakistan, and that the question of discussing Jammu and Kashmir with Islamabad just does not arise.

India also virtually turned down Pakistan's proposal that it would invite India for a dialogue on J&K and made it clear that it would talk on contemporary and relevant issues in Indo-Pak relations.

IMAGE: Border Security Force personnel offer sweets to Pakistan Rangers on the occasion of India's Independence Day at the Attari-Wagah border on Monday. Photograph: PTI Photo
This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian prime minister during his Independence Day speech.

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan on Monday claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly fomenting terrorism in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be compared with Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modis Independence Day speech, said the Premier was only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan, Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech on Monday.

From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently, Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian prime minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of RAWs active service Naval Officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Thousands of unarmed youth are protesting every day for their right of self determination in Kashmir, where more than 70 innocent Kashmiris have been killed and more than 6,000 injured, while there is constant curfew and complete media blackout for the past 37 days, Aziz claimed.

He claimed that at this time, the contrast between Kashmir and PoK could not be more stark.

Aziz said India is a large country, in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, especially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pellet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth.

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.
IMAGE: Women contigent of Indian Reserve police at the march past during the celebration of 70th Independence day at Bakhshi stadium in Srinagar on Monday. Photograph: S Irfan/PTI Photo



The Independence Day was celebrated in all states and Union territories on Monday with chief ministers announcing development initiatives, flagging the challenges ahead and pledging to take their states forward on the path of peace and progress.

Barring Assam, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir, the celebrations, marked by unfurling of tricolour, colourful parades and other events, passed off peacefully amid tight security.

Soaked in patriotic fervour, hundreds of people took part in the events to mark 70th Independence Day in state capitals, district headquarters and other cities and towns.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, in his Independence Day speech at Chhatrasal Stadium, made a strong pitch for statehood and attacked the Centre, alleging that it was chipping away at the elected government's power through a system which was akin to the national capital being governed by the colonial Government of India Act, 1935.

He claimed the citizens of Delhi were being made to feel that the value of their votes were less as compared to other states where electors have the right to choose governments with powers.

He said despite being left with very less powers, his government has delivered on several fronts which were being discussed across the globe.

IMAGE: Students of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad school in Jodhpur. Photographs: PTI Photo



In Jammu and Kashmir which has been rocked by violence for over a month, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made an emotional appeal to the agitating youths not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.

In her maiden Independence Day address as chief minister, Mehbooba cautioned that Kashmir should not be allowed to become another Syria or Afghanistan where there is instability and absence of safety of life and urged the people to give her time so that she could work on the plans and programmes she had charted for peace and progress of the state.

She blamed the successive central leaderships, starting from Jawaharlal Nehru, for the problems of Kashmir and hoped Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the issues, completing the process started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Mehbooba faced a deeply embarrassing moment when the national tricolour fell off the post when she attempted to hoist it at Bakshi stadium. She pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolour fall from the post and land on the ground.

IMAGE: National Cadet Corps cadres during Independence Day celebration at Nurul Amin Stadium in Nagaon, Assam.



In Assam, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said his government is committed to freeing the state from foreigners, corruption, terrorism and pollution.

We are committed to make Assam one of the top five states in the country, he said and appreciated the youths for celebrating Independence Day despite a boycott call by anti-social forces. He said his government is adopting a policy of zero-tolerance towards militancy and insurgency.

He also said the much-awaited update of the National Register of Citizens will be completed by 2017.

Mizoram CM Lal Thanhawla, after unfurling the national flag, exhorted the people of the state to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of peace so that the state could be an example for others to emulate.

In Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said he would ensure peace for speedy development of the state.

Our government shall ensure that for the sake of development, there is peace in the state and any fringe elements attempting to disrupt peace will be dealt with an iron hand, Khandu said.

He said the government would lay special emphasis on modernising the police force and equipping them with latest equipment and technology.

IMAGE: Fishermen community takes out Tiranga Yatra on boats in Lower Lake in Bhopal.



In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee unfurled the tricolour at an event on Red Road. Cultural programmes were held by school children and various artistes at the venue showcasing the cultural heritage of the country.

As the colourful tableaux and marching contingents went past, a helicopter showered flower petals on people gathered to witness the celebrations.

On the occasion, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar appealed to the people to maintain communal harmony and peace.

Hoisting the tricolour at the Assam Rifles ground, he said, The forces, which are against communal harmony and peace are active. We have to maintain and protect the communal harmony and peace at any cost and have to be vociferous against the divisive forces.

IMAGE: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan waves at crowd during Independence day celebration at Motilal Nehru Stadium in Bhopal.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the state has set an ambitious target of generating 22,000 MW power by 2022 and plans to invest nearly Rs 9,000 crore in strengthening the power infrastructure in the next three years.

Highlighting the state's financial condition, Chouhan said, It is because of able financial management that MP has remained a revenue-surplus state in the past 11 years and in last financial year, its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate was 16.62 per cent.

On the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched yet another attack on the Narendra Modi government saying it failed to honour the promises made to the state and vowed to not rest until he drew the last paisa from the Centre.

Addressing a gathering after hoisting the national flag at Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy grounds, Naidu said, They (the Centre) are not releasing funds to bridge our revenue deficit (caused by the state bifurcation). They are not releasing funds for the Polavaram irrigation project nor are they trying to resolve the contentious issues between the two states (AP and Telangana).

IMAGE: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa presents gifts to children at Fort St George in Chennai. Photograph: R Senthil Kumar/PTI Photo



In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa asserted that her government was taking measures for development of key sectors to ensure growth and said the states foodgrain production touched a record 130 lakh tonne last year while its higher education enrolments went up by 44.8 per cent.

She said the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government was taking measures for the development of all sectors including priority sector, industrial sector and services sector.

Addressing the people in Mumbai on 70th Independence Day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the commencement of 34 cyber laboratories in various parts of the state as part of the government's efforts to crack down on cyber-crime.

He also highlighted his governments achievements and reaffirmed its commitment to work for all-round development of the state.

IMAGE: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje hoisting national flag in Ajmer, Rajasthan.

In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao aid his government would maintain cordial relations with neighbouring states as well as the Centre for faster development of the state.

After unfurling the tricolour, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah termed as shameful the recent incidents of atrocities on Dalits, minorities and women in the country and said a movement akin to the freedom struggle needed to be launched to fight divisive forces.

In Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said people should be cautious against efforts by terror outfits to convert religious beliefs into communal hatred, apparently referring to some youths from the state going missing and suspected to have joined terrorist organisation Islamic State.

It is a time when terrorists groups are vehemently trying their best to convert spirituality and religious beliefs into communal hatred. We have to be vigilant and ensure that our children, who go to schools and places of worship, are not reaching the hideouts of terror and communal forces, he said.

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar distributes sweets to schoolchildren at his residence in Patna.

In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced a slew of development projects and schemed regarding the seven resolves adopted by his government for the next five years and said that rule of law prevailed in the state.

On the occasion, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das expressed happiness that the state is marching in tandem with the nation in its 'Vikas Yatra'.

I feel elated that in the country's vikas yatra, Jharkhand is also marching in tandem, contributing an important role in the development," Das said after unfurling the tricolour at the historic Morahbadi ground.

IMAGE: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik distributes biscuits to schoolchildren in Bhubanewar.

Noting that the road to development is not easy, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said a strong will power alone can steer people of the state to the ambitious development goals set by his government.

Amid tight security, Independence Day was celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital Chandigarh. Patriotic fervour marked the occasion across the two states and Union Territory Chandigarh as flag hoisting ceremonies were held at district headquarters and educational institutes.

Independence Day was celebrated across Odisha with gaiety and enthusiasm amid tight security as the state government showed optimism that efforts to resolve the Mahanadi river water issue would be successful and state's rights would not be compromised.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh hoisted the national flag at Jawahar Park in Solan district.
A Central Reserve Police Force officer and two terroists were killed while nine others were injured during an attack on security forces at Nowhatta in downtown Srinagar on Monday.

An unspecified number of terrorists fired at the security forces in the area which is close to the historic Jama Masjid, triggering an encounter.

Ten security personnel were injured in the militant attack, a police official said, adding, a CRPF commanding officer injured in the attack later succumbed to injuries.

Two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire between the two sides.

The attack came even as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, In her maiden Independence Day address, made an emotional appeal to the youth indulging in violence, telling them not to be misled by the "vested interests" who want to keep Kashmir burning, and prevent the beautiful valley from turning into another Syria or Afghanistan.

Images: Security forces take cover during the encounter with terrorists at Nowhatta. Photographs: Umar Ganie
One youth was killed and another critically injured on Monday in fresh clashes between protesters and security forces in Kashmir, taking the death toll to 58, even as curfew remained in force in some parts of Kashmir.

A youth injured in clashes between protesters and security forces at Batamaloo in the city was brought to Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital with grievous injuries, a police official said.

The doctors declared him brought dead, he said adding efforts are on to ascertain the identity of the deceased.

In another incident in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district, one youth was critically injured after being hit by a tear smoke shell in the head, the official said.

Earlier, a youth injured during clashes last week succumbed at a hospital in Srinagar on Monday morning.

Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat, who was injured during clashes between protestors and security forces in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district on August 12, succumbed at SKIMS hospital, a police official said.

Bhat had sustained injury to his head.

Curfew remained in force in five police station areas of old city and Hazratbal zone in Srinagar district and Anantnag town in south Kashmir as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order, the police official said.

He said restrictions on the movement of the people were in force in rest of the valley.

Internet and mobile services across the valley remained suspended as part of the security drill ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

While broadband services were snapped on Saturday evening, the mobile telephony was suspended late in the night on the same day.

While all mobile phone services used to be shut during the Independence day celebrations over the past 10 years, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited mobiles were working on Monday.

Only BSNL postpaid mobiles are working while broadband services are available only at Lal Chowk, Sonawar and Bemina telephone exchanges, the official said.

Normal life remained paralysed for the 38th 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, have asked the people to observe the day as black day by hoisting black flags atop all buildings.

The separatist camp is spearheading the protests in the Valley over the civilian killings during the protests against Wanis killing.

As many as 58 persons including two cops have been killed and several thousand others have been injured in the clashes that began on July 9.
Freedom in the World 2016 - Romania

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Romania, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad519.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 83

Freedom Rating: 2.0

Political Rights: 2

Civil Liberties: 2

Quick Facts

Capital: Bucharest

Population: 19,838,662

GDP/capita: $9,996.70

Press Freedom Status: Partly Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

The National Liberal Party (PNL) initiated two no-confidence votes against Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his cabinet in 2015, but neither won enough support to bring down his administration. However, Ponta resigned in November 2015 after dozens of people were killed in a fire at a Bucharest nightclub, an incident that prompted mass demonstrations against corruption and officials' perceived disregard for safety regulations. Klaus Iohannis, Romania's centrist president, tapped former European Union (EU) agriculture commissioner Dacian Ciolos to name a technocratic cabinet, and the parliament subsequently approved the new caretaker administration in late November.

The National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) indicted a number of high-ranking officials in 2015. Among them was Ponta, who was charged with engaging in tax evasion and money laundering during his time as lawyer in 2007 and 2008, a period during which he was also serving as a member of Parliament.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 34 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 11 / 12

The president is directly elected for up to two five-year terms and appoints the prime minister with the approval of the parliament. Elections since 1991 have been considered generally free and fair.

In the 2012 parliamentary elections, the Social Liberal Union (USL), a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the PNL, took 273 of 412 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 122 of 176 seats in the Senate. The Right Romania Alliance placed a distant second with 56 lower-house seats and 24 upper-house seats, followed by the People's Party-Dan Diaconescu with 47 and 21 seats, respectively, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) with 18 and 9 seats, respectively, and various national minority representatives with a total of 18 seats in the lower house. International observers assessed the elections positively.

In 2014, the structure of the ruling party and the opposition in the parliament changed fundamentally. The PNL left the USL and formed an alliance with the other center-right Romanian party, the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL), prompting the selection of Iohannis of the PNL as the opposition's nominee for the presidency. The People's Party-Dan Diaconescu broke up in 2015 after its leader, television mogul Dan Diaconescu, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for blackmail. Its members migrated to other parties.

President Iohannis and Prime Minister Ponta  opponents during the previous presidential election  maintained a cordial cohabitation in 2015. However, Ponta was weakened by accusations that he knowingly obstructed the right to vote of Romanians living abroad during the 2014 presidential election, followed in 2015 by a wave of corruption allegations, as well as accusations that his administration failed to properly respond to a nightclub fire that led to the deaths of as many as 61 people. Following a protest movement that emerged in the wake of the nightclub fire, including one event in Bucharest that drew as many as 20,000 people, Ponta resigned in November 2015. Iohannis then tapped Ciolos to lead a technocratic government, which received the support of both the majority coalition and the opposition.

A new electoral law was signed into law by President Iohannis in 2015, pursuant to which the number of parliament members, beginning after the 2016 elections, will decrease from 588 to 466. The uninominal system, applied in 2008 and 2012, will be replaced by a closed party-list proportional system. The members of the bicameral Parliament, consisting of a 136-seat Senate and a 330-seat Chamber of Deputies, will continue to be elected for four-year terms. A 5 percent electoral threshold for parties will be maintained, while a new threshold of 8 to 10 percent will be introduced for alliances. Another 2015 reform granted Romanian citizens living abroad the right to vote by mail; previously, voters living outside Romania were required to appear at embassies or consulates in order to vote.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 14 / 16

Romania's multiparty system features healthy competition between rival blocs. No single force has been able to dominate both the executive and legislative branches since 2012, although the lack of strength and coordination of the opposition often empowers the ruling coalition. Some parties display little ideological consistency and tend to seek coalitions that will advance their leaders' personal or business interests. After December 2014, when the cabinet passed an emergency ordinance allowing party switching at the local level, 1,500 party members migrated to other constituencies, typically for personal or political advantage. The Constitutional Court subsequently ruled that the emergency ordinance was unconstitutional.

Romania's constitution grants one lower house seat to each non-Hungarian national minority whose representative party or organization fails to win any seats under the normal rules, and 18 such seats will be allotted to minority representatives according to the 2015 electoral law. The UDMR represents ethnic Hungarians. Iohannis, an ethnic German and a Lutheran, became the country's first president from either minority group. Roma, who make up over 3 percent of the population, are underrepresented in politics.

C. Functioning of Government: 9 / 12

Romania, which joined the EU in 2007, has struggled to meet the bloc's anticorruption requirements amid resistance from politicians. However, the DNA has been increasingly active, and the country has seen growing numbers of investigations, indictments, and convictions of high-ranking officials. In May 2015, the High Court of Cassation found PSD chairman and regional development minister Liviu Dragnea guilty of committing electoral fraud in a controversial 2012 referendum on the impeachment of former president Traian Basescu. He received a one-year suspended sentence, during which time he is banned from politics. In July, the DNA charged Ponta with fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering allegedly committed while he was a lawyer in 2007 and 2008, a period during which he also served as a member of Parliament.

Numerous other high-profile figures were indicted on corruption charges in 2015. In March, Horia Georgescu, the head of the National Integrity Agency, a body tasked with monitoring public figures' asset declarations for conflicts of interest, was arrested in connection with an alleged property scam and subsequently resigned. In April, Elena Udrea was charged with abuse of office and accepting bribes during her tenure as regional development minister from 2010 to 2012. In June, Andrei Chiliman, the mayor of Bucharest's District 1, was charged with involvement in organized crime and influence peddling. Sorin Oprescu, the general mayor of Bucharest, was arrested in September for allegedly taking kickbacks from companies working for the municipal government. And in October, Alina Bica, the former chief prosecutor of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, and Serban Pop, the former director of the National Agency for Tax Administration, were charged with bribery.

Separately, in an effort to increase transparency, the National Agency for the Management of Seized Assets was created in December 2015. Romania was ranked 58 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Civil Liberties: 49 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 14 / 16

While Romania's constitution protects freedom of expression and of the press, violations sometimes occur. The media environment is pluralistic, though a number of important media outlets are controlled by wealthy Romanian businessmen. Financially hobbled public media remain dependent on the state budget and vulnerable to political influence. In the wake of the nightclub fire, media freedom advocates expressed concern about a surveillance operation targeting an investigative journalist who led a team that had published reports about the incident. Also in 2015, the DNA opened an investigation into whether Laura Georgescu, the president of the National Audiovisual Council, had forged documents whose contents had eventually prompted sanctions against seven television stations. In July, a measure aimed at discouraging online gambling took effect; its provisions permit authorities to restrict access to certain websites.

Religious freedom is generally respected, but the Romanian Orthodox Church remains dominant and politically powerful. The government formally recognizes 18 religions, each of which is eligible for proportional state support. As about 85 percent of the population identifies as Orthodox Christian, the Orthodox Church receives the bulk of state funds. Although significant progress has been made in supporting religious minorities, Romania's government has not yet ensured the full restitution of religious properties seized by former Fascist and Communist regimes. Religious minorities report discrimination by some local officials and hostility from Orthodox priests.

The government does not restrict academic freedom, though the education system is weakened by widespread corruption and by the increased power of local and national government officials in the election and approval of heads of schools and academic institutions. Private discussion is generally unrestricted. However, in 2015 the U.S. State Department noted reports that authorities had improperly monitored private online communications.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 11 / 12

Romania's constitution guarantees freedoms of assembly and association, and the government respects these rights in practice. Numerous public demonstrations were held throughout 2015, including a mass national protest against deforestation that took place in May. The parliament subsequently amended the forestry law in June to enhance environmental protections and limit certain land transfer practices. The nightclub fire prompted a series of mass demonstrations against government corruption and the poor emergency response to the accident; one such event in Bucharest reportedly drew as many as 20,000 people. The mass outcry combined with existing pressure from corruption charges precipitated Ponta's resignation.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate freely and have increasing influence, though they suffer from funding shortages, often rely on foreign donors, and sometimes face hostility from politicians. Workers have the right to form unions and a limited right to strike and bargain collectively. Enforcement of union and labor protections is weak.

F. Rule of Law: 12 / 16

The country's courts and law enforcement authorities continue to suffer from chronic problems including corruption, political influence, staffing shortages, and inefficient resource allocation. Many officials and lawmakers retain their positions following criminal indictments or convictions.

In 2014, prosecutors started proceedings against former commanders of communist-era prison camps for their roles in the deaths of hundreds of political prisoners, and in July 2015 former prison commander Alexandru Visinescu was convicted of crimes against humanity. His conviction marked the first punishment for communist-era crimes committed by senior officials since the execution of Nicolae Ceausescu in 1989. In October 2015, Ion Iliescu, a former president of Romania, appeared in court on charges of committing crimes against humanity during a bloody antigovernment protest in 1990.

Conditions in prisons remain poor, though overcrowding has eased in recent years.

Roma, people with disabilities, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people, and HIV-positive children and adults continue to face discrimination in education, employment, and other areas.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 12 / 16

People living in Romania generally face no significant restrictions on the freedom of movement, whether for internal or external travel. Citizens are also free to change residence and employment, though bribery can play a role in access to higher education.

A large proportion of business activity in Romania takes place in the so-called gray economy and is exposed to criminal influences and practices. The underdevelopment of infrastructure, chronic corruption, limited access to funding, lack of transparency, and frequent changes in tax policy undermine businesses.

The constitution guarantees women equal rights, but gender discrimination is a problem. Women hold less than 12 percent of the seats in the parliament, and only 4 out of 22 government ministers are women. According to the National Institute of Statistics, women are paid about 8 percent less on average than their male counterparts. Only 20 percent of firms have female top managers, according to the World Economic Forum.

Same-sex marriage is not permitted, and proposed constitutional amendments have included a provision that would define marriage to exclude same-sex relationships.

In February 2015, the government approved reforms to the Criminal Code that introduced penalties for child prostitution, and added language to articles on rape and sexual assault that allow greater penalties for offenses committed against minors. Human trafficking for the purpose of forced labor and prostitution remains a serious problem. A significant portion of men and women trafficked across the European continent are Romanian. Within the country, women and children from the Roma minority are particularly susceptible to traffickers.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Poland

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Poland, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5213.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 93

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Warsaw

Population: 38,478,001

GDP/capita: $14,422.80

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

Andrzej Duda of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party won the second round of Poland's May 2015 presidential election with 52 percent of the vote, beating out popular incumbent Bronisaw Komorowski, whose defeat had not been anticipated. Duda's victory was interpreted by many as a protest vote against the ruling Civil Platform (PO), which had led Poland's government since 2007. Komorowski himself left PO upon taking office in 2010, but remains associated with the party.

Under PO leadership, Poland maintained relatively consistent economic growth, even at the peak of the European economic crisis. However, corruption accusations, an embarrassing wiretapping scandal, and a number of unpopular austerity-oriented reforms dented the party's popularity. PiS swept parliamentary elections held in October 2015, winning enough seats to rule alone.

The socially conservative PiS had campaigned on a Euroskeptic platform that embraced economic interventionism. Within two months of taking office, the new parliament had set in motion major reforms aimed at tightening the ruling party's grip over the Constitutional Court (TK) and public media.

During and after the elections, PiS capitalized on public hostility to Middle Eastern, North African, and other migrants by vocally denouncing European Union (EU) schemes for refugee resettlement across member states. Before the elections, the PO government had reluctantly agreed to accept several thousand migrants under one such scheme. While in opposition, PiS leaders made questionable claims that Poland was already too swamped with asylum applicants from Ukraine to consider additional cases. After the November terrorist attacks in Paris, the PiS government used the threat of terrorism to justify reneging on the previous administration's commitments to accept refugees.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 38 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

The president of Poland is directly elected for up to two five-year terms, and members of the bicameral National Assembly are elected for four-year terms. The president's appointment of a prime minister must be confirmed by the 460-seat Sejm, the National Assembly's lower house, which is elected by proportional representation. The 100 members of the Senate (upper house) can delay and amend legislation, but have few other powers. While the prime minister is responsible for most government policy, the president also has influence, particularly over defense and foreign policy matters. Komorowski of PO was elected president in 2010. He ran for reelection in May 2015 but lost in the second round to Duda. Second runner-up in the first round of the election was independent candidate Pawe Kukiz, a former rock musician, whose right-wing, antiestablishment campaign resonated with many voters, especially younger people who feel that their economic opportunities are being stifled by entrenched networks of vested interests.

Votes in the May 2015 presidential election were counted by hand and calculator, as the electronic tabulation system was not yet considered reliable. An information technology system failure significantly delayed publishing of the results of the last local elections in 2014.

Favored to win, Komorowski ran a lackluster campaign, promoting himself as "a safe pair of hands." By contrast, Duda's populist campaign challenged the status quo with a number of controversial promises, including new taxes on foreign-owned banks and supermarkets, and a strong reassertion of Polish national interests within the EU.

Following Komorowski's surprise defeat in the presidential race, PO sprang into action with a referendum apparently intended to win over Kukiz supporters ahead of the October parliamentary elections. The referendum, held in early September, polled voters on several electoral reform questions emphasized during Kukiz's presidential campaign, including party-funding rules and the introduction of single-member electoral constituencies to the Sejm. The referendum saw voter turnout hit a record low of 7.8 percent. In order for a poll to be legally binding, turnout must be greater than 50 percent.

From the beginning, PiS had insisted that the referendum should be expanded to include issues of importance to "ordinary Poles," such as the reversal of the retirement-age increase passed in 2012 under Prime Minister Donald Tusk of PO. When these questions were not included, the opposition pressed for another referendum, to be held simultaneously with the general elections. The Senate voted against pairing the two votes, but in late September President Duda signed a bill to restore the pre-2013 retirement ages; the bill was still under consideration by the parliament at year's end.

PiS won a landslide victory of 37.5 percent in the October parliamentary elections, increasing its representation in the Sejm to a total of 235. The former opposition party is the first in post-Communist Poland's history to win an absolute parliamentary majority, allowing it to rule without coalition partners. Beata Szydo was elected prime minister, though her role was soon eclipsed by that of PiS's combative chairman, onetime prime minister Jarosaw Kaczynski. PO came in second in the election with slightly more than 24 percent of the vote and 138 seats. Third and fourth place wins both went to new parties: Pawe Kukiz's party, Kukiz'15, which took 42 seats; and the pro-business party Modern (N) led by economist Ryszard Petru, which won 28. The agrarian Polish People's Party (PSL) won 5.13 percent of the vote and 16 mandates. A representative of the ethnic German minority received the remaining seat. In the Senate, PiS took 61 seats, PO 34, and PSL 1.

Several changes introduced to electoral legislation in 2014 came into effect in 2015. The right to cast ballots by mail in parliamentary and presidential elections, previously limited to citizens living abroad and the disabled, was extended to all registered voters. Another amendment softened the rules for reporting financial statements to the national electoral commission, lessening the impact of minor accounting mistakes.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 16 / 16

Poland's political parties organize and operate freely. PO and PiS have dominated the political scene since 2005, with relations between the two main parties becoming increasingly polarized.

PiS won a narrow parliamentary majority in 2015, so there is some speculation that the party will ally with some of the most socially conservative parties in parliament in order to push through constitutional changes requiring the approval of a two-thirds majority. Following the United Left (ZL) alliance's failure to cross the electoral threshold in October, there are now no left-leaning parties represented in the parliament.

Ethnic, religious, and other minority groups enjoy full political rights and electoral opportunities. Their political parties are not subject to the minimum vote threshold of 5 percent to achieve parliamentary representation.

C. Functioning of Government: 10 / 12

Anticorruption laws are not always effectively implemented, and corruption within the government remains a problem, particularly in public procurement.

In 2014, the weekly magazine Wprost published a series of secretly recorded conversations between high-level politicians that journalist Piotr Nisztor claimed to have received in anonymous emails. The recordings embarrassed a number of high-level PO officials and appointees, including then-foreign minister Radosaw Sikorski, who later resigned from his post. In mid-2015, the scandal reemerged when someone at the state prosecutor's office leaked confidential documents from the ensuing investigation. This time, Sikorski resigned as Sejm speaker; three government ministers whose reputations had been similarly tarnished by the leaked material also left office. In July 2015, an amendment to the penal code came into effect that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence  including wiretaps  in a court of law.

In March 2015, a Warsaw district court found former Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) head Mariusz Kaminski guilty of abusing his powers during a major CBA sting in 2007. Kaminski, now the deputy chairman of PiS, was given a three-year prison sentence and a 10-year ban on holding public office. However, in mid-November, Duda sparked controversy by granting Kaminski a full pardon.

In mid-October, CBA agents searched the premises of the Warsaw Stock Exchange and of the Treasury Ministry in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2014 sale of a major state-run chemical company to businessman Jan Kulczyk, the richest man in Poland. Kulczyk died of complications from a routine heart surgery at the end of July.

Civil Liberties: 55 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

The constitution guarantees freedom of expression and forbids censorship. Libel remains a criminal offense, though a 2009 amendment to the criminal code eased penalties. Poland's print media are diverse and mostly privately owned. The government does not restrict internet access.

In mid-November 2015, newly appointed minister of culture Piotr Glinski instructed the governor of the Lower Silesia region to shut down a theater production containing a simulated sex scene, on the grounds that a publicly funded theater should not host what the government considered to be pornography. His directive, interpreted by many as a move toward censorship, was ignored. On the play's opening night, theatergoers clashed with skinheads from the National Resurrection of Poland movement, resulting in a dozen arrests. In an interview the next day with Karolina Lewicka, a talk-show host and reporter with the public broadcaster TVP, Glinski refused to answer questions about his attempt to stop the theater production, calling the television program "propaganda" typical of what TVP had been producing in recent years. "But this will stop," the minister warned. Soon after the interview, Lewicka was suspended by the president of TVP, who found that both parties had acted unprofessionally. Lewicka appealed her punishment before TVP's ethics committee, which ruled that she had not violated company codes, and she was reinstated.

Ignoring a letter of concern from the EU, PiS parliamentary deputies in the Sejm voted on the final day of 2015 to pass an amendment to Poland's media law that would give the government the authority to hire and fire managers at state-owned media. The ruling party defended the move as an attempt to depoliticize the airwaves. The new legislation will severely curtail the powers of the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT), which is still dominated by the PO and has faced regular accusations of bias in its dealings with ultraconservative media connected to PiS. PiS has blamed bias in Polish media on the dominance of German-owned outlets across Europe. In July 2015, KRRiT initiated a procedure to suspend the broadcasting license of the Warsaw-based station Radio Hobby, which rebroadcasts Polish-language programming produced by the Russian government-funded Radio Sputnik. Previously, KRRiT had resisted calls from politicians to crack down on Radio Sputnik broadcasts of what was characterized as Russian propaganda, citing the principle of free speech.

Separately, the businessman-blogger who obtained and released sealed materials that sparked the 2014 scandal involving recordings of top government officials was arrested in June 2015 on charges of illegal publishing classified documents.

The state respects freedom of religion. Religious groups are not required to register with the authorities but receive tax benefits if they do. A person may be found guilty of blasphemy, punishable by a fine of 5,000 zoty ($1,660) or up to two years in prison, even if it was unintentional. In 2002, Poland's new defense minister, Antoni Macierewicz, remarked that he had read the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a fabricated, anti-Semitic text first published in 1903 that purports to describe a Jewish plan for global domination, and claimed that some of its text was accurate.

Academic freedom is respected. People are free to engage in private discussions without fear of harassment or detention by the authorities.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

Freedom of association is generally respected in law and in practice. Residents of Poland hold public demonstrations with some regularity. Local authorities can limit demonstrations in their districts on grounds of maintaining public order. The November 2015 Independence Day marches once again drew nationalist demonstrations, though with less violence than in previous years. Some of the banners carried by extremists read "Poland for the Polish" and "Stop Islamization."

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate without government interference. Poland has a robust labor movement, though certain groups  including the self-employed, private contractors, and those in essential services  cannot join unions. Complicated legal procedures hinder workers' ability to strike.

F. Rule of Law: 13 / 16

The judiciary is independent, but the courts are notorious for delays in adjudicating cases. Prosecutors' slow action on corruption investigations has prompted concerns that they are subject to political pressure. Pretrial detention periods can be lengthy, and prison conditions are poor by European standards.

A few weeks before the October 2015 parliamentary elections, the incumbent PO-led Sejm appointed five new judges to the 15-member TK. Duda refused to swear them in immediately, and the post-election Sejm controlled by PiS rejected the appointments on the grounds that PO had violated constitutional law by appointing five judges, instead of the usual three, including the replacement of two judges whose terms would not expire until December. Upon taking office in November, Sejm deputies from PiS and Kukiz amended the law on the TK to mandate the appointment of five new judges. Four replacement judges were sworn into office in a midnight ceremony on December 2, and the fifth was sworn in on December 9. On December 3, the original TK ruled that three of the five appointments made under PO in October had been valid, but President Duda refused to swear in any of the previous government's appointees to the court. Government leadership asserts that the TK ruling is invalid because it was made by fewer than the legally required number of TK judges. Throughout the controversy  which sparked weeks of marches by supporters of both sides  PiS politicians insisted that their goal was to introduce an "element of pluralism" into the PO-dominated TK. In late December, PiS's Sejm deputies voted through legislation requiring the TK to approve most verdicts by a two-thirds margin. Critics say the provision will cripple the court's ability to review legislation. The European Commission expressed reservations about the new legislation, which it indicated it would formally assess in 2016.

Ethnic minorities generally enjoy generous legal rights and protections. Some groups, particularly the Roma, experience employment and housing discrimination, racially motivated insults, and occasional physical attacks. Members of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community continue to face discrimination.

In October 2015, the TK ruled that Poland's current level of standardized tax deduction was unconstitutional, because it is not based on an indexation mechanism that would prevent low-income earners from being pushed below the poverty line by paying taxes. In November, President Duda submitted a bill that would more than double the amount of the deduction.

In February 2015, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld an earlier ruling that had found the Polish state liable for the 2002-03 torture carried out by U.S. agents with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) against two detainees being held at a Polish base as part of a then-secret program between the U.S. and Poland.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 14 / 16

Citizens enjoy freedom of travel and choice of residence, employment, and institution of higher education. Citizens have the right to own property and establish private businesses.

Women hold senior positions in government and the private sector, including about 27 percent of the seats in the Sejm. Both PO and PiS fielded female candidates for the position of prime minister in the 2015 elections.

Under Polish law, abortion is permissible only if a woman's life or health are jeopardized by the continuation of a pregnancy, if the pregnancy is a result of a criminal act such as rape, or if the fetus is seriously malformed. Women who undergo illegal abortions do not face criminal charges, but those who assist in the procedures, including medical staff, can face up to two years in prison. The so-called conscience clause in Poland's abortion legislation permits Catholic doctors to refuse an abortion to a qualifying patient provided they refer her to another clinic. In early October 2015, the TK ruled that doctors could not, in fact, be forced to refer patients to another clinic for pregnancy termination.

PiS has often promised to ban abortion altogether, but Prime Minister Szydo stated in late 2015 that this was not the moment to undertake reforms of an "ideological" nature. However, the government did announce plans to suspend state subsidies for in-vitro fertilization, a practice denounced by the Catholic Church.

In a 2015 survey conducted by the Polish Center for Public Opinion Research (CBOS), nearly 66 percent of respondents said they find it distasteful for same-sex couples to show affection in public, with even more than that saying they are opposed to same-sex marriage and about 90 percent indicating that they were against allowing same-sex couples to adopt children.

Domestic violence against women remains a serious concern, as does trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of prostitution. The U.S. State Department's 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report noted an uptick in labor trafficking throughout Poland, with Roma children in particular being subjected to forced begging.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Peru

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Peru, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5315.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 71

Freedom Rating: 2.5

Political Rights: 2

Civil Liberties: 3

Quick Facts

Capital: Lima

Population: 31,151,643

GDP/capita: $6,550.90

Press Freedom Status: Partly Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

Political instability and corruption scandals characterized President Ollanta Humala's final full year in office. The opposition-dominated Congress forced Prime Minister Ana Jara to resign in March over allegations of spying on prominent private citizens and public officials, heightening perceptions of fractured leadership and intensifying political polarization. A number of high-profile corruption cases dominated Peru's political debate in 2015, several of which were linked to ongoing questions regarding the role and influence of First Lady Nadine Heredia.

Peru's high level of social conflict continued to pose one of the main threats to the country's political stability in 2015. Inequality and the exclusion of marginalized populations from decision-making processes exacerbate existing local conflicts, over half of which involve environmental exploitation related to extractive industries, particularly mining. Although the Humala administration has made notable progress in social inclusion, huge inequalities persist across the country, and Peru's regions have uneven access to basic services and limited opportunity for socioeconomic advancement. Despite a significant decline in poverty rates, nearly half the rural population remains in poverty, compared to 15 percent in urban areas. Overall, patience among the electorate is running thin: only 16 percent of Peruvians approved of Humala's performance in December 2015.

As the 2016 general elections approached, surveys late in the year showed Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of imprisoned former president Alberto Fujimori, with an early advantage. She was followed by former economy minister Pedro Pablo Kuczynski and former Trujillo mayor Cesar Acuna.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 30 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 10 / 12

The president and the 130-member unicameral Congress are elected for five-year terms. Congressional balloting employs an open-list, region-based system of proportional representation, with a 5-percent vote hurdle for a party to enter the legislature.

Although the 2011 elections were sharply polarized, they were deemed generally free and fair by international observers. However, shortcomings included lack of enforcement of campaign finance norms and pressure on media outlets by powerful economic interests in support of losing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori. With various candidates dividing the center, the leftist Humala and right-wing Fujimori entered a runoff in June, which Humala won, 51.5 percent to 48.5 percent.

In the concurrent legislative elections, an alliance led by Humala's Peruvian Nationalist Party (PNP) captured 47 of the 130 seats, followed by Fujimori's Force 2011 grouping with 38 seats, and former president Alejandro Toledo's Peru Posible with 21 seats. Since the elections, however, Humala's Nationalist Party bloc has dwindled to 27 seats due a series of expulsions and resignations, including that of Vice President Marisol Espinoza, who left the party in October 2015.

Local and regional elections in October 2014 followed the pattern of previous cycles, with the vast majority of elected officials representing regional movements rather than Peru's fragmented national parties. In Lima, home to one-third of the country's population, the election returned former mayor Luis Castaneda to office despite controversies related to his previous tern in office, from 2003-10. Accusations of collusion between local candidates and criminals are common; in the aftermath of the elections, 227 contributors to political parties were linked by the electoral authorities to various illicit activities.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 13 / 16

Peruvian parties, while competitive, are both highly fragmented and extremely personalized. In the December 2015 National Corruption Survey, solicited by local anticorruption group Proetica, 64 percent of Peruvians described the performance of political parties as bad or very bad. Moves toward decentralization over the last decade have strengthened the role and influence of regional presidents, though they have often been accused of corruption and other misdeeds.

The concerns of ethnic and cultural minorities, especially in remote mountain or jungle zones, remain inadequately addressed among parties with national scope, which contributes to regular episodes of acute social conflict in the provinces. The 2011 Law of Prior Consultation has fostered increased recognition and encouragement of indigenous participation and consultation rights, but analysts agree that there is still ample room to improve the Peruvian state's integration of indigenous political agendas into mainstream national debate.

C. Functioning of Government: 7 / 12

Corruption remains a critical problem and serious challenge for Peru. According to the 2015 National Corruption Survey, nearly 80 percent of Peruvians think corruption increased under the Humala government, and 85 percent view the central government as "little" or "not at all" effective in fighting corruption. Checks on political parties' campaign financing are weak, especially at the subnational level, where drug trafficking activity flourishes. Peru was ranked 88 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Corruption scandals blossomed throughout 2015 at multiple levels of government. Wilfredo Oscorima, president of the Ayacucho region, was convicted on corruption charges and removed from office in June. Gregorio Santos, the former president of Cajamarca who won the 2014 regional election, has been unable to take office since being placed under preventive arrest pending trial on corruption charges.

At the national level, the publication in August of four day planners allegedly owned by First Lady Nadine Heredia shocked public opinion by providing a detailed register of large-scale contributions of dubious origin to Humala's PNP. In addition, Martin Belaunde Lossio, a former campaign adviser to Humala who maintained close ties to the first couple, was extradited from Bolivia in May to face trial on multiple corruption charges involving government contracts. In 2014, a congressional commission charged with investigating corruption cases during the second Alan Garcia administration (2006-11) released a series of reports unveiling many irregularities, most notably the sale of presidential pardons benefiting convicted narcotics traffickers. In November 2015, however, a judge invalidated the reports, citing due process violations.

Some government agencies have made progress on transparency, but much information related to defense and security policies remains classified under a 2012 law.

Civil Liberties: 41 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 15 / 16

Peru's dynamic press is mostly privately owned. The 2013 purchase of the EPENSA newspaper group by the El Comercio conglomerate  which now controls nearly 80 percent of the market  ignited an intense debate over the concentration of media ownership that remained alive throughout 2015. As of year's end the Constitutional Tribunal (TC) had yet to rule on an injunction filed in 2013 claiming that the merger infringed on a constitutional article barring the "cornering" of the media market.

Attacks against journalists in response to negative media coverage are common, especially at the subnational level. Reporters often receive threats when reporting on corruption, while many of the physical attacks in 2015 occurred in the context of protests over resource extraction issues. Low pay leaves reporters susceptible to bribery, and media outlets remain dependent on advertising by large retailers and the state. Defamation is criminalized, and journalists are regularly convicted under such charges, though their sentences are usually suspended.

The Peruvian constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief, rights that are generally respected by the government. The Roman Catholic Church nevertheless receives preferential treatment from the state, and an influential bloc of Catholic congressional representatives helps limit potential changes on social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion.

The government restricts neither academic freedom nor access to the internet, which had a penetration rate of 41 percent in 2015.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 8 / 12

The authorities generally recognize and respect the constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful assembly. However, the government has also frequently resorted to declarations of states of emergency and done little to prevent excessive use of force by security personnel confronting protests. At least 51 Peruvians were killed in protests between the start of Humala's term and October 2015. Very few members of the police or military have faced charges for protest-related incidents in recent years. Several decrees and laws since 2010 have limited police and military responsibility in the event of injury or death during demonstrations. In 2015, the TC ruled unconstitutional a provision broadening military jurisdiction in cases when the security forces are involved in civilian deaths, but upheld the executive's capacity to deploy the armed forces in a variety of social conflict situations.

Despite substantial efforts by the state ombudsman and the recently created National Office of Dialogue, the governmental approach to local grievances typically eschews mediation and early intervention in favor of reactive repression. The trial of more than 50 community members involved in the 2009 Bagua protests, which left 10 protesters and 23 police officers dead, remained ongoing at year's end.

Freedom of association is generally respected. In recent years, however, antimining activists have been subject to arbitrary arrest or questionable legal charges, while several nongovernmental organizations have experienced various forms of intimidation. Hitler Ananias Rojas, a leader of community groups opposing the construction of hydroelectric dams on the Maranon river, was killed in December.

Peruvian law recognizes the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively. Strikes are legal with advance notification to the Ministry of Labor, but few strikers abide by this regulation. Less than 10 percent of the formal-sector workforce is unionized.

F. Rule of Law: 8 / 16

The judiciary is perceived as the most corrupt institution in the country. A controversial set of appointments in 2013  later rescinded in the wake of public protests  greatly undermined the credibility of the relatively independent TC. Attention by civil society organizations in 2015 also focused on the National Judiciary Council, which appoints judges and prosecutors and monitors alleged cases of judicial corruption. In November, one of the council's ministers, Alfredo Quispe Pariona, was forced to resign over allegations of sexual harassment and corruption.

The situation in Peruvian jails is extremely poor. The average population is 75,000 inmates  230 percent of capacity  more than half of whom are in pretrial detention. Since 2006, an adversarial justice system designed to improve the speed and fairness of judicial proceedings has slowly been implemented. Many indigenous Peruvians pass through the justice system without sufficient Spanish to adequately understand their cases or fully exercise their rights, and the state fails to provide sufficient translation services.

According to the 2014 Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP) survey, Peru had the highest crime victimization rate of 28 countries in the Americas, and local polls often confirm crime as Peruvians' principal concern. In this context, Peru experienced a troubling rise in vigilante justice in 2015, due in part to organized initiatives such as chapa tu choro (hunt your thief), a Facebook campaign that urged citizens to attack alleged criminals rather than turn them over to the police. Numerous individuals were subsequently assaulted  some of whom were later proven innocent  and at least four killed.

Since the 2003 publication of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report on the internal conflict against Shining Path guerrillas  which took 69,000 lives in the 1980s and 1990s  justice has been served in some significant cases. Most notable is the conviction of former president Alberto Fujimori for overseeing death-squad killings and two kidnappings. The Garcia government made almost no efforts to prioritize justice for cases of human rights abuse by state actors during the 1980s and 1990s, and the Humala administration has remained similarly passive. The military continues to obstruct those investigating past violations. However, in November 2015 the government declared the reparation of victims of forced sterilizations during Fujimori's government a matter of "national interest" and created a victims' registry to better target their legal assistance and health and psychological needs.

Remnants of the Shining Path involved in the drug trade continue to clash with security forces in the Apurimac-Ene River Valley (VRAE) and Upper Huallaga zones. Coca eradication efforts and economic development programs in other regions have failed to reverse a trend toward increased coca production.

Native Quechua speakers and Afro-Peruvians are subject to discrimination. Peru is a particularly hostile country toward the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) population. Many cases of discrimination and violence are reported each year; in a survey conducted in 2014, nearly 90 percent of Lima's LGBT residents reported being the victim of physical violence due to their sexual preference. The Humala administration removed any mention of targeted LGBT policies from the National Plan of Human Rights (2014-16).

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 10 / 16

Peru does not place formal restrictions on movement, but the frequency of protests can disrupt travel in certain areas, occasionally for prolonged periods. Discrimination against indigenous populations remains pervasive with regard to land use and property rights. Afro-Peruvians remain especially vulnerable and invisible to public policy. Humala's government nonetheless instituted some programs and initiatives to better ensure the exercise of indigenous rights. The Prior Consultation Law is a notable example: despite some criticism by activists, the law is widely accepted, even by the extractive sector, and has resulted in positive outcomes for communities that have taken part in consultation processes.

Domestic violence is epidemic in Peru, with more than half of Peruvian women reporting instances of physical or emotional abuse. In recent years, women have advanced into leadership roles in various companies and government agencies, but there are still no specific gender policies to ensure equal rights between men and women. In March 2015, a bill to recognize civil unions for same-sex partners was rejected in Congress and will not be considered until the next legislative term.

Peruvian women and girls  especially from the indigenous community  fall victim to sex trafficking within the country, including near mining facilities. Men, women, and children are subject to forced labor in the mines, in related industries, and in the informal economy. According to the U.S. State Department's 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report, government enforcement of an anti-trafficking law has been "uneven."

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Norway

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Norway, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad543f.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 100

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Oslo

Population: 5,194,411

GDP/capita: $97,363.10

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

In local elections held in September 2015, the ruling Conservative Party and the right-wing Progress Party lost a significant share of votes. The polls were held amid contested discussion of immigration and asylum, as Norway  along with other European countries  confronted an influx of refugees and other migrants during the year. Separately, in a landmark case against bribery in foreign business transactions, a court in July found former executives of the fertilizer company Yara guilty of corruption.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 40 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

Norway's unicameral parliament, the Storting, has 169 members who are directly elected for four-year terms through a system of proportional representation. The constitutional monarch, currently King Harald V, appoints the prime minister, who is the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Storting. While the monarch is officially the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces, his duties are largely ceremonial.

The Conservative Party gained the most ground in the 2013 parliamentary elections, winning 48 seats  an increase of 18 seats over the 2009 election. The Progress Party lost 12 seats, but retained 29, which helped it enter into a ruling coalition with the Conservatives. The Labor Party remains the largest party in the parliament with 55 seats, though its loss of 9 seats prompted it to form a coalition with opposition members for the first time in eight years. Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg became prime minister.

In local elections in September 2015, the Labor Party took 33 percent of the vote, a gain of 1 percent from polls in 2011. The Conservative Party's share of the vote dropped from 28 percent to 23.2 percent in 2015. The Conservatives lost the mayoralties of Bergen and Oslo, the most populous cities in Norway. The nationalist and anti-immigration Progress Party gained only 9.5 percent of the vote, down from 11.4 percent in 2011. These results stood out in a regional context, as right-wing parties in several neighboring states have seen surging voter support amid growing concerns about immigration and security.

Elections are regulated by the constitution and the Representation of the People Act of 2002. The king elects members of the National Electoral Committee, which oversees the conduct of elections with the support of county-level committees.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 16 / 16

A range of political parties operate freely in Norway. Generally, political power has alternated between the Labor Party and Conservative-led coalitions.

The indigenous Sami population, in addition to participating in the national political process, has its own legislature, the Sameting, which has worked to protect the group's language and cultural rights and to influence the national government's decisions about Sami land and resources. The Sameting is comprised of 39 representatives who are elected for four-year terms. The national government has a deputy minister charged specifically with handling Sami issues. The Sami are the only group in Scandinavia recognized as an indigenous people by international conventions.

C. Functioning of Government: 12 / 12

Norway remains one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and was ranked 5 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. Isolated incidents of bribery and misconduct have occurred, and Norway's role in the international energy and mining industries has been subject to particular scrutiny. In July 2015, a Norwegian court found four former executives of the Oslo-based fertilizer producer Yara guilty of paying bribes to officials in Libya and India, giving them prison sentences ranging from two to three years. Officials fined Yara, in which the Norwegian government owns a 36.2 percent stake, 295 million Norwegian kroner ($48 million) in 2014  roughly four times the amount that the company paid in bribes. The case was lauded as an important step toward boosting accountability and enforcing foreign bribery laws.

In 2014, senior police superintendent Eirik Jensen was arrested and charged with gross corruption and complicity in narcotics-related crimes. Jensen allegedly helped smuggle thousands of pounds of cannabis into Norway and accepted bribes from criminal elements in the process. The Norwegian Bureau for the Investigation of Police Affairs launched an inquiry into the case, which was ongoing in 2015.

Civil Liberties: 60 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

Freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed and respected in practice. In an effort to promote political pluralism, the state subsidizes many newspapers, the majority of which are privately owned and openly partisan. The government does not impede internet access.

Freedom of religion is protected by the constitution and respected in practice. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway counts 75 percent of Norwegians as members. A 2012 constitutional amendment separated church and state, placing the Lutheran Church on par with all other denominations in Norway, and absolving the requirement that half of cabinet be members of the Lutheran Church. All religious groups must register with the state to receive financial support, which is determined by size of membership. Students must take a course on religion and ethics focusing on Christianity.

Ubaydullah Hussain, former spokesperson for the Prophet's Umma, a radical Norwegian religious group, was convicted of threatening journalists and committing hate speech in February 2014 and sentenced to 120 days in prison; half of his sentence was suspended, and he was released after the trial due to time served in pretrial detention. In a separate case, Hussain was charged with incitement to violence by the Oslo District Court in July 2014, but acquitted in October 2014. A higher court upheld both rulings in June 2015. Hussain was arrested again in December and charged with recruiting fighters for the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

While official statistics do not distinguish among different religious groups that are targeted in religion-based hate crimes, anecdotal evidence indicates a rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim violence and harassment. A new special police unit in Oslo was founded in 2014 to strengthen efforts against hate crimes; the first convictions as a result of its work occurred in March 2015. In 2015, Oslo police reviewed 143 hate crimes, roughly double the number in 2014. The actual number is assumed to be significantly higher, as many incidents are not reported or are miscategorized by police. Norway still lacks a comprehensive national approach to hate crime, for which it received criticism from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in August 2015.

Academic freedom is respected, and private discussion is free and vibrant.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

The constitution guarantees freedoms of assembly and association. In February 2015, following a terrorist attack on a synagogue in Copenhagen, about 1,000 Norwegians assembled to view a "ring of peace" around an Oslo synagogue organized by local Muslim youth to show solidarity with the Jewish community. Separately, in May, hundreds of demonstrators marched in Oslo to protest perceived abuses by Norway's child welfare agency, accusing the body of mishandling removals of children  particularly of immigrant families  from parental care.

Norwegians are very active in nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), which are able to form and operate without undue restrictions.

Labor unions play an important role in consulting with the government on social and economic issues, and just over half of the workforce is unionized. The right to strike is legally guaranteed, except for members of the military and senior civil servants, and is generally practiced without restriction. All workers have the right to bargain collectively. In March 2015, 700 members of the Norwegian Pilots' Union went on strike, affecting roughly 35,000 passengers; the strike was resolved within 11 days.

F. Rule of Law: 16 / 16

The judiciary is independent, and the court system, headed by the Supreme Court, operates fairly at the local and national levels. The king appoints judges on the advice of the Judicial Appointments Board, which is composed of legal and judicial professionals as well as representatives of the public. The police are under civilian control, and human rights abuses by law enforcement authorities are rare. Prison conditions generally meet international standards and, in many cases, exceed them. However, capacity has not been sufficient, with more than 1,000 prisoners waiting to serve their sentences in recent years. In March 2015, Norwegian authorities signed a controversial deal with the Netherlands to allow Norwegian prisoners to serve their time in Dutch prisons. Norway's recidivism rate of 20 percent is one of the lowest in the world.

Security threats, primarily linked to IS extremists, remained a concern in 2015. In July 2014, in response to intelligence about a planned attack by the militant group, Norwegian authorities acutely increased national security measures, including by closing airspace, tightening border controls, and bolstering the presence of armed police in public spaces. No similar incidents were reported in 2015.

Immigration to Norway has increased fivefold since the 1970s, and 13 percent of Norway's population in 2015 was foreign-born. Like other European countries, Norway has struggled to cope with the recent surge in arrivals of asylum seekers and other migrants. Authorities have experienced difficulties in providing shelter and other services. Volunteers have helped fill some shortfalls, particularly by assisting in the distribution of food and other necessities. In 2015, Norway received asylum applications from 31,000 people, primarily from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan; this was a significant increase from the 11,000 applications received in 2014. The controversial practice of refoulement continued in 2015, affecting more than 1,000 people by the end of October.

The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman is responsible for covering all forms of discrimination and for enforcing the country's Gender Equality Act, the Anti-Discrimination Act, and other laws against discrimination. The national government supports Sami-language instruction, broadcast programs, and subsidized newspapers in Sami regions.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 16 / 16

Although Norway is not a member of the European Union (EU), citizens within the European Economic Area (which includes all EU states as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) do not need a residence permit to work in Norway.

The Gender Equality Act provides equal rights for men and women. A 2013 law that took effect in 2015 mandates gender-neutral conscription for the armed forces, making Norway the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member to include women in the draft. In 2013, women won nearly 40 percent of seats in the parliament.

A gender-neutral marriage act passed in 2009 granted Norwegian same-sex couples identical rights as opposite-sex couples, including in adoption and assisted pregnancies.

Norway is a destination country for human trafficking for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation. According to the U.S. State Department's 2015 Trafficking in Persons report, the country complies with international antitrafficking standards and offers victims a range of services and protections; however, the report noted that prosecution of trafficking crimes remains weak.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Northern Cyprus

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Northern Cyprus, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5515.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 79

Freedom Rating: 2.0

Political Rights: 2

Civil Liberties: 2

Quick Facts

Capital: North Nicosia

Population: 286,257

GDP/capita: N/A

Press Freedom Status: N/A

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

In April 2015, Mustafa Aknc was elected president of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), defeating incumbent Dervis Eroglu with over 60 percent of the vote. Aknc campaigned as the peace candidate, pledging to make progress in reunification talks with the Republic of Cyprus  the internationally recognized government that controls the southern, Greek-speaking portion of the island. UN-brokered negotiations had stalled in 2014, and Aknc's surprise victory was taken as a sign that TRNC voters desired both reconciliation with the Greek Cypriots and an end to their own isolation. The TRNC is recognized only by Turkey, and Turkish influence is a source of unease for many in Northern Cyprus.

In May, Aknc met with Nicos Anastasiades, his Greek Cypriot counterpart, who had openly welcomed Aknc's election. The two leaders pledged to meet regularly, and they agreed that reunification should occur through the creation of a two-state federation. They endorsed a five-step plan toward that goal, including the establishment of connections between the two power grids and the opening of more crossing points along the UN buffer zone that divides the island. Also in May, the TRNC unilaterally removed a visa requirement for visitors from the Republic of Cyprus, and by September the two sides were working on establishing a new property court. Talks continued through the end of the year, with both sides expressing hope that a reunification deal could be put to a referendum as early as 2016. However, difficult issues, including power sharing, territorial adjustments, and the fate of Turkish settlers and troops in the TRNC, must be resolved.

Aknc's election separately sparked a domestic political shake-up. The failure of Sibel Siber, the candidate of the governing Republican Turkish Party (CTP), to advance to the presidential runoff prompted the CTP to elect new leaders at a party congress in June, which in turn led Omer Kalyoncu of the CTP to replace outgoing party leader Ozkan Yorgancoglu as prime minister. Former president Mehmet Ali Talat became the CTP's new leader.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 32 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 11 / 12

The president, who serves as head of state and represents the TRNC internationally, is popularly elected to five-year terms. In April 2015, seven candidates vied for the presidency. None won a majority, necessitating a runoff between the top two candidates. Aknc, backed by the social democratic Communal Democracy Party (TDP), won just over 60 percent of the runoff vote, defeating incumbent president Eroglu, who was supported by the National Unity Party (UBP) and had led the first-round voting with 28 percent.

For elections to the 50-seat Assembly of the Republic, the TRNC employs a proportional representation system with a 5 percent vote threshold for parties to win representation. The center-left CTP, which had been the main opposition party, led the 2013 elections with 21 seats. The nationalist-oriented UBP placed second with 14, followed by the center-right Democratic Party (DP) with 12 and the TDP with 3. The CTP formed a coalition government with the DP. After the CTP leadership changes in June 2015, however, the UBP replaced the DP as the junior coalition partner.

The Supreme Election Committee is an independent body, and elections in the TRNC are generally considered free and fair. However, in 2014 some accused it of not ensuring the neutrality of the assembly speaker's office in a constitutional referendum held that year.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 12 / 16

Turkish Cypriots are free to organize political parties, and elections are competitive. Opposition parties and candidates have prevailed in recent elections, leading to rotations of power. A law passed in October 2015 limits the powers of lawmakers who leave their party and stipulates that parties receiving at least 3 percent of the vote may obtain state funding, among other provisions.

There is a widespread perception that Turkey wields most political power in Northern Cyprus. The TRNC relies heavily on Turkey for security and economic support, and Turkey has applied pressure on TRNC governments to adhere to economic protocols and austerity measures. Transitional Article 10 of the constitution grants the Turkish military control over the TRNC's security and police forces. Efforts to change this provision as part of the 2014 constitutional reform package failed to win parliamentary support. Upon his election as president in 2015, Aknc declared that there should be a more equal and fraternal relationship between Turkey and the TRNC, instead of one dominated by Turkey. This prompted a harsh reaction from Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who suggested that Aknc was ungrateful for Turkish support.

Minority rights remain a concern. A few hundred Greek Cypriots and Maronites live in the TRNC, mostly in small enclaves. They are legally citizens of the Republic of Cyprus and thus are not eligible to vote in TRNC elections. Proposals to include expanded minority rights in the 2014 constitutional reform package were rejected, though Aknc has spoken positively of improving minority rights.

C. Functioning of Government: 9 / 12

Many observers suggest that the autonomy and effectiveness of elected TRNC officials is hampered by interference from Turkey. Corruption and a lack of transparency in governance are also concerns. The 2013 assembly elections were called early after several representatives decried corruption in the UBP, the ruling party at the time. The new law on political parties adopted in October 2015 strengthened court oversight of party finances.

Civil Liberties: 47 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 14 / 16

Freedom of the press is guaranteed by law, and a number of media outlets are openly critical of the government. However, some observers suggest that press freedom has been compromised as the Turkish government pressures editors and journalists in the TRNC to tone down stories that are critical of Ankara. In August 2015, the Turkish armed forces in Northern Cyprus accused the TRNC newspaper Afrika of insulting the military; the paper's chief editor and a writer were summoned for questioning by prosecutors and later released. The government does not restrict internet access.

The TRNC is a secular state and legally guarantees freedom of worship. There are some disputes over the condition of Christian churches and access to religious sites, although joint Cypriot bodies work together on cultural heritage projects that include restoration of churches and mosques.

Academic freedom and freedom of open private discussion are respected.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 9 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association are generally upheld. Nongovernmental organizations typically operate without restrictions, and many have been active in reunification efforts by working with Greek Cypriot partners. Workers may form independent unions, bargain collectively, and strike, though employers are reportedly able to block unionization in the private sector amid weak labor regulations. In March 2015, public-sector unions struck to protest the adoption of austerity measures that cut salaries, and some demonstrators scuffled with police.

F. Rule of Law: 12 / 16

The judiciary is independent, and trials generally meet international standards of fairness. TRNC police, under the control of the Turkish military, sometimes fail to respect due process rights, and there have been allegations of abuse of detainees. Lawyers' associations and journalists have actively worked to remedy irregularities in the justice system, but proposed constitutional reforms to provide greater oversight failed to pass in the 2014 referendum.

The tiny Greek and Maronite minorities live in a collection of enclaves where their social and economic prospects are limited. Some have reported difficulties at border checkpoints, as well as alleged surveillance by TRNC authorities. The small Kurdish minority reportedly faces economic discrimination and alleged police monitoring, according to the U.S. State Department.

The settlement of Turkish nationals in Northern Cyprus since the 1970s is a source of contention. Official figures suggest that more than one-third of TRNC residents were born in Turkey, and that when tallied with their children, settlers account for nearly half of the total population. The Republic of Cyprus government has accused Turkey of deliberately encouraging population transfer over the years to increase its control over the TRNC and undermine the reunification process. In July 2014, a Cypriot group filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) demanding an investigation into Turkey's settlement policy as a potential war crime.

LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people reportedly face social stigmatization and typically keep their sexual orientation or gender identity private. However, same-sex sexual activity was decriminalized in 2014.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 12 / 16

Movement within the TRNC territory is relatively free. The only direct flights from the TRNC are to Turkey. Most governments do not recognize TRNC travel documents, so many Turkish Cypriots have obtained Republic of Cyprus passports, for which they are eligible. In May 2015, TRNC visa requirements were lifted for visitors from the Republic of Cyprus, making it easier for ethnic Greeks and Maronites to visit relatives and ancestral villages.

There is a right to private property. The TRNC formed the Immovable Property Commission in 2006 to resolve claims by Greek Cypriots who owned property in the north before the island's 1974 division. In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) recognized the commission as an "accessible and effective" mechanism. As of late 2015, the commission had settled more than 700 claims out of over 6,200 applications and awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation. However, Turkey ceased its funding for the commission in 2014, and since then its work has been seriously hampered.

Women's legal rights are equal to those of men, but they face various forms of discrimination in practice. They are also underrepresented in politics. In May 2015, Aknc and Anastasiades announced the creation of a joint gender equality commission. The October law on political parties included a provision requiring 30 percent of a party's candidates for the legislature to be women.

Although prostitution is illegal, forced prostitution in nightclubs is a pervasive problem. According to the U.S. State Department, the TRNC lacks an adequate antitrafficking law, and some authorities are reportedly complicit in trafficking.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - New Zealand

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - New Zealand, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad579.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 98

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Wellington

Population: 4,598,066

GDP/capita: $42,409

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister John Key, leader of the center-right National Party, governed with relative stability during the year. Concerns remained about de facto discrimination against New Zealand's Maori people, although the government has made significant efforts in recent years to enhance representation of their interests.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 40 / 40 (+1)

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

New Zealand's political system is patterned largely on the British Westminster model. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, represented by Governor General Jerry Mateparae, a former military and intelligence chief. The prime minister is the head of government and leader of the popularly elected majority party or coalition, and is officially appointed by the governor general.

The unicameral House of Representatives has 121 members serving three-year terms. A mixed-member electoral system combines voting in geographic districts with proportional representation balloting. Key led the National Party to a third term in general elections held in 2014, forming a coalition government with the Maori Party, United Future, and ACT New Zealand. The National Party won 60 parliamentary seats, while its coalition partners provided an additional four. The Labor Party won 32 seats, the Green Party took 14, and New Zealand First captured 11.

The law stipulates universal suffrage for men and women of at least 18 years of age who are New Zealand citizens or permanent residents, though only citizens may serve in parliamentary positions.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 16 / 16 (+1)

The law protects people's rights to form and join political parties and to freely express, promote, pursue, and defend common interests. The two main political parties are the center-left Labor Party and the center-right National Party. Other key groups include the ACT, which focuses on free markets; the environmentalist Green Party; the nationalist New Zealand First Party; United Future, which maintains a platform devoted to family values; the Maori Party, which focuses on representation of indigenous interests; and the Mana Movement, which is dedicated particularly to socio-economic indigenous rights.

Seven of the parliament's constituency seats are reserved for representatives of the Maori population, though Maori can also vote or run in general electoral districts. Mateparae is the second individual of Maori descent to hold the position of governor general.

C. Functioning of Government: 12 / 12

New Zealand is one of the least corrupt countries in the world. It was ranked 4 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. In recent years, the government has initiated several policies to strengthen anticorruption measures to bring New Zealand into line with international best practices. The country participates in the Open Government Partnership international initiative, and authorities have implemented mechanisms to prevent overseas entities from using New Zealand's commercial registration systems to create fraudulent shell companies. Cases of corruption and misuse of office are routinely investigated in New Zealand, and several convictions were made in 2015.

The law guarantees public access to information, and government agencies are responsive to requests. The government upholds transparency in budgetary procedures, and the law requires members of the House of Representatives to submit annual financial disclosure statements.

Civil Liberties: 58 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

Media in New Zealand are free and competitive. Newspapers are published nationally and locally in English, and several foreign-language publications serve the growing immigrant population. Television outlets include the state-run Television New Zealand, three private channels, and a Maori-language public network. There is also a Maori-language radio station. The government does not control or restrict internet access, and competitive pricing promotes large-scale diffusion.

Freedom of religion is protected by law and respected in practice. Only religious organizations that collect donations need to register with the government. Academic freedom prevails at all levels of instruction.

Two laws passed in 2013 granted the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)  New Zealand's main intelligence agency  increased surveillance authority over phone and electronic communications, drawing criticism from civil rights and legal scholars. GCSB previously could conduct only foreign surveillance, but the new legislation empowered the body to collect data on residents and citizens in New Zealand. During the 2014 election campaign, GCSB came under close scrutiny, especially after investigative journalists claimed the agency had illegally monitored the communications of up to 80 residents and citizens. In March 2015, the New Zealand Herald published leaked documents, provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, showing that the GCSB was engaged in indiscriminately collecting telecommunications data from neighboring island nations. The documents also suggested that authorities shared the information with Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States, which together with New Zealand form the Five Eyes intelligence alliance.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

The government respects freedoms of assembly and association. A number of demonstrations, including some focused on political and economic issues, took place in 2015 without undue interference from state actors. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are active throughout the country, and many receive considerable financial support from the government.

The 2000 Employment Relations Act allows workers to organize, strike, and bargain collectively, with the exception of uniformed personnel, who are not allowed to strike but can bargain collectively. There are numerous trade unions, and many are affiliated with the Council of Trade Unions. As of 2015, approximately 18 percent of the workforce was unionized.

F. Rule of Law: 15 / 16

New Zealand's social, political, and economic policies are based on well-established rule of law. The judiciary is independent, and the criminal justice system generally meets or surpasses international standards. Maori, who make up roughly 15 percent of the national population, are disproportionately represented in the penal system  they account for half of the male prison population and two-thirds of the female prison population.

In 2015, the national police continued an open campaign to recruit more officers of Maori, Pacific Islander, and Asian descent, aimed at enhancing cultural and racial sensitivity within the force and combating profiling and discrimination.

Discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, origin, sexual orientation, and a number of other factors is illegal. However, most Maori and other Pacific Islanders continue to lag behind the European-descended majority in social and economic status. The Maori population has become more assertive in its claims for land, resources, and compensation from the government, including rights to fisheries, water, and minerals.

A more open immigration policy and an end to preferential treatment for migrants from Europe in the past two decades have fundamentally changed the demographics of the country. In the 2013 national census, one in four New Zealand residents were identified as foreign born.

In September 2015, officials announced that in an emergency step, they would resettle 600 additional refugees from Syria over the next two and a half years. This plan will supplement New Zealand's annual acceptance of 750 refugees, of which 150 are to be Syrian. Separately, in July, New Zealand's highest court denied asylum to Ioane Teitiota, an applicant from Kiribati who had lodged a claim based on environmental threats to his island home. The court determined that the applicant and his family would not face serious harm in Kiribati, and that climate change did not qualify as a basis for refugee status in the case. Authorities deported Teitiota and his family in September.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 15 / 16

The government respects freedom of movement, and neither state nor nonstate actors interfere with the rights of individuals to choose their residence, employment, or institutions of higher education. The country's legal and regulatory frameworks provide strong protections and mechanisms for the establishment and operation of private businesses, which are widely free from government interference. New Zealand maintains a free market economy, and ranked third in the 2015 Index of Economic Freedom, which noted improvements in the management of government spending, monetary freedom, and labor freedom over the past year.

According to a December 2015 government report, close to 29 percent of children in New Zealand lived below the poverty line in 2014, with children of Maori and Pacific Islander descent being particularly vulnerable. Moreover, violence against women and children remains a critical problem in these communities; Maori and Pacific Islanders are disproportionally represented as both victims and perpetrators of domestic violence.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in 2013, and same-sex couples can jointly adopt children. The government enforces strong legislation protecting the rights of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals.

Migrants in New Zealand are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked for forced labor or sexual exploitation. In November, legislators approved an omnibus bill that, among other things, aims to strengthen existing antitrafficking provisions. The draft redefines trafficking to base the crime on exploitation, rather than on cross-border movement.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Indian Kashmir

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Indian Kashmir, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad58e.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Partly Free

Aggregate Score: 51

Freedom Rating: 4.0

Political Rights: 4

Civil Liberties: 4

Quick Facts

Capital: Srinigar/Jammu

Population: 12,541,302

GDP/capita: N/A

Press Freedom Status: N/A

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

Negotiations between India and Pakistan over the divided region of Kashmir were called off in August 2015 following news of an official meeting between Pakistani envoys and Kashmiri separatist leaders. No plans to resume talks were set. The year's stalemate came after a negative turn in India-Pakistan relations that included Pakistani shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) in the fall of 2014. Tensions on the de facto border continued in 2015, though cease-fire violations dropped off in late October after another spate of shelling. Heightened security measures reportedly reduced the infiltration of fighters from the Pakistani side, leading to fresh concerns about militant recruitment from within the Indian-controlled Kashmir Valley.

Elections for the state assembly of Jammu and Kashmir in November and December 2014 gave no single party a majority. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) consequently formed a coalition government, and the PDP's Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was sworn in as chief minister in March 2015.

Violence surrounding a September court order to enforce a long-dormant ban on the slaughter of cows and sale of beef included the mob killing of a Muslim truck driver in October. The court order was set aside by a full panel of the state's High Court later that month, after India's Supreme Court asked it to resolve conflicting rulings by the state's courts. Opposition politicians proposed amendments to the penal code that would decriminalize beef in the state, but the leadership adjourned the legislative session before taking them up.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 22 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 9 / 12

India has never held a referendum allowing Kashmiri self-determination as called for in a 1948 UN resolution. However, Jammu and Kashmir enjoys substantial autonomy under Article 370 of India's constitution. All laws passed by the Indian parliament, except those related to defense, foreign affairs, and financial matters, require the assent of the Kashmiri legislature to come into force in the state. Like other Indian states, it has an elected bicameral legislature and a chief minister entrusted with executive power. An appointed governor serves as symbolic head of state. Members of the 87-seat lower house, or Legislative Assembly, are directly elected for six-year terms; the governor can nominate two additional members to ensure representation for women. The 36-seat upper house, the Legislative Council, has 28 members elected indirectly by the assembly and various local councils, and 8 members nominated by the governor.

Elections for national parliamentary seats and the state assembly in 2014 were broadly free and fair, with reduced levels of voter intimidation, harassment, and violence compared with past elections. However, in the April national elections, turnout was less than 40 percent in all districts in the Kashmir Valley due in part to threats of poll violence; 4,306 of 4,773 polling stations throughout the state were declared sensitive prior to the elections, meaning they received tighter security measures. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), the incumbent party at the state level, lost its three seats in the state's six-member delegation to India's lower house. The Hindu nationalist BJP won three after winning none in 2009, and the PDP also won three. The first stage of voting on April 24 was marked by large youth protests and a partial boycott. At least 600 people, mainly youths, were preventively detained prior to the second stage of voting on April 30.

The state assembly elections were held in November and December. Unusually high turnout was attributed in part to anti-BJP mobilization after the party took power at the national level in April. No party won an absolute majority. The most successful parties were the PDP and BJP, with 28 and 25 seats, respectively. The Election Commission and security forces were praised for their handling of the process. The PDP formed a coalition government with the BJP that took office in March 2015.

Panchayat (local council) elections were held across Jammu and Kashmir in 2011 for the first time since 2001, and were described as the first truly open local elections since 1978. Although separatist groups urged citizens to boycott the polls, turnout was reported at about 80 percent. More than 700 panchayat leaders resigned in 2012, facing death threats after several were assassinated. Municipal elections originally slated for 2011 have been repeatedly delayed. The next round of panchayat elections was expected to take place in 2016.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 9 / 16

The state is governed under a multiparty system, but normal party politics and electoral activities are often disrupted by militant violence, intimidation, and separatist boycotts. For more than a decade, state-level power has rotated between the two largest Kashmiri parties, the PDP and the JKNC. The ruling coalition formed by the PDP and BJP in early 2015 marked the first time that the Hindu nationalist BJP entered government in this Muslim-majority state. Observers questioned the BJP's ability to build trust with Kashmiri Muslims. The potential for confrontation was underscored during the beef ban controversy in the fall, in which the BJP speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Kavinder Gupta, adjourned the body without taking up proposed bills that would decriminalize the slaughter of cows and sale of beef.

C. Functioning of Government: 4 / 12

Corruption in Jammu and Kashmir remains widespread and among the worst in India, though the government has taken some steps to combat it. The 2011 Jammu and Kashmir State Vigilance Commission Act established an anticorruption commission with the power to investigate alleged offenses under the state's 2006 Prevention of Corruption Act. Its first commissioners were appointed in 2013, and it has processed more than a thousand complaints, in some cases filing bribery charges against public officials.

Civil Liberties: 29 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 9 / 16

The 1971 Newspapers (Incitement to Offences) Act gives district magistrates the authority to censor publications in certain circumstances but is rarely invoked. Conditions have improved since protest-related violence in 2010 led some newspapers to suspend circulation and related curfews inhibited journalists. Foreign journalists are generally able to travel freely, meet with separatist leaders, and file reports on a range of issues, including government abuses.

Print media thrive in Jammu and Kashmir, and online media have proliferated, providing new platforms for public discussion. There are more than 1,000 registered publications in the state. However, threats of government reprisal, including the detention of journalists under the Public Safety Act and the withdrawal of official advertising from publications, continue to intimidate the media. Journalists also face threats from militant groups, and authorities sometimes impose internet blackouts in an attempt to prevent unrest. During the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in September 2015, when communal tensions were high following the court order to enforce a ban on the sale of beef, the government suspended internet service for 80 hours.

Freedom of worship is generally respected by the authorities. However, communal violence between Muslims and Hindus periodically flares up, and many have been injured and killed as a result. After the October 2015 mob killing of a Muslim truck driver, apparently due to a rumor that he was transporting beef, a number of protests ensued, and some demonstrators clashed with police. In addition, a Muslim state legislator was assaulted by BJP colleagues and later by Hindu activists after he served beef at a private party to protest the ban.

Academic freedom is circumscribed. Authorities monitor the research produced at Kashmiri universities, and a combination of official and self-censorship discourages students and professors from pursuing sensitive topics of inquiry. Private discussion is somewhat more free, though fear of reprisal by government or militant forces can serve as a deterrent to uninhibited speech.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 6 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association are often restricted. Although local and national civil rights groups are permitted to operate, they are sometimes harassed by security forces. The separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) is allowed to function, but its leaders are frequently subjected to short-term preventive detention, and its requests for permits for public gatherings are often denied. Separatist leaders are frequently arrested prior to planned demonstrations. After separatist groups called for protests against the September beef-ban order, a number of leading figures were placed under house arrest. Nevertheless, businesses and other services were temporarily shut down in much of the Kashmir Valley as part of the protests, and young demonstrators clashed with police in some locations.

Although workers have the right to form unions and engage in collective bargaining under Indian law, protection of labor union rights in Kashmir is generally poor.

F. Rule of Law: 6 / 16

Courts are politicized and act as an extension of Indian executive and military authority. The courts in Jammu and Kashmir, already facing large backlogs of cases, are further hampered by intermittent lawyers' strikes. The government and security forces frequently disregard court orders, leading to low levels of public trust in the judiciary.

Broadly written legislation such as the unpopular Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Disturbed Areas Act allow security forces to search homes and arrest suspects without a warrant, shoot suspects on sight, and destroy buildings believed to house militants or arms. Under the AFSPA, prosecutions of security personnel cannot proceed without the approval of the central government, which is rarely granted. The state's Public Security Act allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years, though 2012 amendments barred the detention of minors under the law. Indian security personnel based in the state have continued to carry out arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture, forced disappearances, and custodial killings of suspected militants and their alleged civilian sympathizers. Newly elected chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said in March 2015 that the AFSPA would eventually be revoked in Jammu and Kashmir, but the BJP-PDP government did not pursue the matter during the year.

Militant groups based in Pakistan have killed pro-India politicians, public employees, suspected informers, members of rival factions, soldiers, and civilians. The militants also engage in kidnapping, extortion, and other forms of intimidation in Jammu and Kashmir. However, overall violence in the state has declined significantly in the past decade. A total of 147 civilians, security personnel, and militants were killed in militant-related violence in 2015, down from 193 deaths in 2014 and more than 1,000 in 2006.

A pattern of violence targeting Pandits, or Kashmiri Hindus, has forced several hundred thousand Hindus to flee their homes in the region over the years. Many continue to reside in refugee camps near Jammu. Other religious and ethnic minorities, such as Sikhs and Gurjars, have been targeted in the past, but such reports have dissipated in recent years. Local Sikh organizations expressed solidarity with the aspirations of the state's Muslim majority in the 2014 state assembly elections.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 8 / 16

Freedom of movement is curtailed by both state and federal authorities. The Indian government restricts the travel of foreigners and other Indian citizens to sensitive areas within Jammu and Kashmir, and internal movement is disrupted by roadblocks, checkpoints, and periodic protest-related shutdowns or curfews. Kashmiri residents face delays of up to two years to obtain and renew passports due to heightened levels of scrutiny. Property rights are undermined by displacement and military activity related to the conflict, and the regulatory environment constrains the establishment and operation of new businesses.

Women face some societal discrimination as well as domestic violence and other forms of abuse. Female civilians continue to be subjected to harassment, intimidation, and violent attacks, including rape and murder, at the hands of both the security forces and militant groups. In 2014, a telephone service was established in the state to provide support free of charge to women who have been victims of harassment or abuse. Women are underrepresented in government, though the chief minister's daughter, Mehbooba Mufti Sayeed, is president of the PDP and a member of the Indian parliament.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Djibouti

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Djibouti, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad59102.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Not Free

Aggregate Score: 28

Freedom Rating: 5.5

Political Rights: 6

Civil Liberties: 5

Quick Facts

Capital: Djibouti

Population: 900,000

GDP/capita: $1,805

Press Freedom Status: Not Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

The administration of President Ismail Omar Guelleh continued to repress and harass journalists, human rights activists, and opposition leaders in 2015. An agreement between the ruling Union for a Presidential Majority (UMP) and the opposition Union for National Salvation (USN), reached in December 2014 after months of disagreement and noncooperation following the 2013 parliamentary elections, was not fully implemented in 2015, and the opposition claimed that the government was neglecting key democratic reforms promised in the deal. Although they continued protesting government inaction, USN representatives took their seats in the parliament in January; this marked the first time that the opposition held a presence in the legislature since the introduction of the multiparty system in 1992.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 9 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 3 / 12

Djibouti's ruling UMP coalition has effectively usurped the state. A constitutional amendment passed by the National Assembly in 2010 removed the two-term limit for the president, reduced presidential terms from six years to five, and specified that candidates must be between the ages of 40 and 75. The changes allowed Guelleh to stand for a third term in 2011. His candidacy sparked a series of antigovernment protests in which at least two were killed and hundreds arrested, including the leaders of three opposition parties. The 2011 presidential campaign was marred by the harassment of opposition leaders and a clampdown on public gatherings. Guelleh ultimately faced only one challenger and won 81 percent of the vote. After the 2011 polls, Guelleh initially announced that he would not seek a fourth term in the next presidential election, scheduled for 2016, but opposition figures voiced skepticism. In December 2015, Guelleh declared that he would run again in 2016.

The 65 members of the unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, are directly elected for five-year terms. The 2010 constitutional changes provided for the formation of a bicameral legislature comprising the existing National Assembly and a newly created Senate, though steps to establish one have yet to be taken.

In February 2013, Djibouti held the first legislative polls contested by the opposition in a decade. In the weeks prior to the elections, the USN accused the government of censorship after its websites could not be accessed domestically. Although international observers declared the elections to be free and fair, the opposition alleged foul play and refuted the official results, which showed the UMP winning 55 seats and the USN taking 10. Representatives of the USN refused to take their seats in protest, but reached an agreement with the UMP on December 31, 2014, following 18 months of dialogue. Throughout the year 2015, the opposition alleged that the government had not respected key commitments enshrined in the agreement, including amnesty for opposition members and reform of the electoral commission. Opposition leaders also threatened to boycott the 2016 presidential election if the UMP does not fully implement the deal.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 3 / 16

Although the Djiboutian constitution provides full political rights, these rights are often ignored in practice. While Djibouti technically has a multiparty political system, the ruling UMP party has seized all state power. Political parties are required to register with the government.

Six political parties joined to form the USN coalition in the run-up to the 2013 legislative elections. Top USN officials have been repeatedly arrested since then. In May 2014, USN spokesman Daher Ahmed Farah was arrested for the 16th time since returning to the country from exile in January 2013. He was imprisoned in five of these instances.

Opposition parties have traditionally been disadvantaged by Djibouti's first-past-the-post electoral system, as well as the government's abuse of the administrative apparatus. Amendments to the electoral law in 2012 awarded 20 percent of seats proportionally; before, the party that received the majority in a district won the entirety of that district's seats. In 2013, the 10 seats won by the opposition represented the first time that the ruling party had conceded any seats in the National Assembly.

Minority groups, including the Afar, Yemeni Arabs, and non-Issa Somalis, are represented at all levels of Djiboutian government. However, the majority Issa hold more prominent positions in both government and the private sector.

C. Functioning of Government: 3 / 12

The UMP has assumed full control of the state and dominates policymaking.

Corruption is a serious problem, and efforts to curb malfeasance in public agencies have met with little success. Djibouti ranked 99 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index, and 36 out of 54 countries ranked in the 2015 Ibrahim Index of African Governance.

Though no laws establish the right to access public information, the government has made legislation publically available and created some mechanisms for citizens to request information. Policymaking and public administration nevertheless remain largely nontransparent.

Civil Liberties: 19 / 40

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 6 / 16

Despite constitutional protections, freedom of speech is not upheld in practice. No privately owned or independent media operate domestically, though political parties are technically allowed to publish a journal or newspaper. The government owns the principal newspaper, La Nation, as well as Radio-Television Djibouti, which operates the national broadcast stations. Strict libel laws lead journalists to practice self-censorship.

Approximately 10 percent of the population has access to the internet. While the government typically places few restrictions on internet access, some opposition outlets have faced interference and harassment. The opposition internet radio station La Voix de Djibouti, run by exiles in Europe, was regularly blocked during the 2013 legislative elections, and its journalists are routinely targeted for arrest. The La Voix website editor and USN communications officer, Maydaneh Abdallah Okieh, has been repeatedly arrested for his coverage of human rights and Djibouti's political opposition. In May 2015, Okieh was detained and ordered to pay damages of approximately 2 million Djiboutian francs ($12,000) to a military leader who won a defamation case against him in 2013; the suit concerned Okieh's coverage of police brutality at a peaceful protest. In case of nonpayment, Okieh may face imprisonment.

Islam is the state religion, and 94 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim. Religious matters are overseen by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. Legislation enacted in 2013 provides the ministry oversight authority over mosques. The government claimed that the new law would be used to counter foreign influence in the country, but has also used it to monitor the opposition. Security services have questioned imams who gave sermons on political or social justice themes; at least three imams have been imprisoned for giving sermons on political topics.

Academic freedom is not always respected. In 2014, local and international human rights monitors reported that authorities had suspended the salaries of at least 83 teachers and educational staff since October 2013, allegedly for affiliation with opposition groups and trade unions. Of these, 63 educators were reportedly dismissed.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 3 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association are nominally protected under the constitution, but are often not respected in practice. More than 500 opposition figures were arrested for participating in protests after the 2013 legislative elections. In June 2015, five youth opposition members were detained for protesting against Guelleh's fourth presidential bid. In September, dozens of USN and youth group members were arrested at a protest in Dikhil; six of them remained in detention at year's end despite an order for their release by the Djibouti Court of Appeal in October. Separately, in December, police violently dispersed a religious demonstration in the capital. The government alleged that the crowd included armed individuals who attacked the police, injuring as many as 50 officers, and officials reported that 7 civilians died in the confrontations. Opposition groups claimed that the government opened fire on the crowd and killed up to 19 people; international estimates of the death toll ranged up to 30. Independent sources had not been able to resolve conflicting estimates at year's end. An unknown number of opposition members were detained in the aftermath of the incident.

Local human rights groups who cover politically sensitive matters do not operate freely and are often the target of government harassment and intimidation. In 2014, president of the Djiboutian Observatory for the Promotion of Democracy and Human Rights, Farah Abdillahi Miguil, was prevented from boarding a plane to the United States and had his passport confiscated. The incident occurred shortly after his release from prison, where he was detained without access to a lawyer, medical care, or contact with his family for more than a year. Women's rights groups hold an exceptional position in this restrictive environment; the government generally supports their educational efforts and trainings.

Though workers may legally join unions and strike, the government has been known to intimidate labor leaders and obstruct union activities. Officials have been accused of meddling in internal union elections and harassing members. The government has also frozen some unions' bank accounts, and kept them from receiving external funds from the diaspora and international labor rights organizations.

F. Rule of Law: 4 / 16

The judicial system is based on the French civil code, though Sharia (Islamic law) prevails in family matters. The courts are not independent of the government. A lack of resources often delays legal proceedings. Security forces frequently make arrests without a proper decree from the judiciary, in violation of constitutional requirements. Constitutional amendments made in 2010 abolished the death penalty. Prison conditions are harsh but have improved in recent years.

Allegations of politically motivated prosecutions are common, and opposition groups consistently accuse the government of sanctioning arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions. In 2010, Djiboutian businessman Abdourahman Boreh was convicted in absentia on charges of terrorism. Boreh, an opposition leader who planned to run in the 2011 presidential election and vocally criticized the constitutional amendments that allowed Guelleh to run for a third term, received a 15-year prison sentence. The Djiboutian government later froze Boreh's assets on the grounds that he abused his position as chairman of the Djibouti Port and Free Zone Authority for private gain, and then brought a terrorism case before the London High Court. It was thrown out after the court discovered the majority of evidence to be false. The Djiboutian government subsequently followed up with a corruption case, and in October 2015, Guelleh was summoned to give testimony to the London court; he had not appeared as of December.

Same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Djibouti, and there are no laws in place to prevent discrimination against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. Generally, matters of sexual preference or orientation are not discussed publicly.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 6 / 16

There are few employment prospects in the formal sector, as Guelleh and the ruling party tightly control all economic activity, including a number of lucrative military bases leased by the United States and China. Minority ethnic groups and clans suffer discrimination that contributes to their social and economic marginalization. Higher educational opportunities are also generally limited.

Though the law provides equal treatment for all Djiboutian citizens, women have fewer employment opportunities and are paid less than men for the same work. Women face discrimination under customary practices related to inheritance and other property matters, divorce, and freedom of movement. The law prohibits female genital mutilation, but some reports suggest that as many as 93 percent of women have undergone the procedure. An estimated 50 percent of girls now receive primary education following efforts to increase female enrollment in schools. While the law requires at least 20 percent of upper-level public service positions to be held by women, this requirement has not been enforced; women hold less than 13 percent of legislative seats and only one of 18 cabinet posts.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Denmark

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Denmark, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5a15.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 98

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Copenhagen

Population: 5,676,025

GDP/capita: $60,634.40

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

Parliamentary elections in June 2015 resulted in the defeat of the Social Democratic Party and the formation of a one-party Liberal minority government  the first time since 1981 that the government has not been composed of a coalition. The right-wing Danish People's Party achieved a significant victory in the polls, earning 15 more seats to become the second-largest party in the parliament.

Concerns about militant extremism featured prominently in public discussion during the year. In February, a lone gunman carried out a two-part attack in Copenhagen, leading to the deaths of a film director at an event on freedom of expression and a security guard at a synagogue.

The refugee crisis confronting Europe in 2015 caused significant political and humanitarian strain in Denmark. Large numbers of refugees crossed the Danish border during the year, many on their way to seek asylum in other countries, especially Sweden and Finland; approximately 20,000 individuals applied for asylum in Denmark in 2015. In an emergency vote in November, legislators approved a series of controversial restrictions on asylum, affecting detention time, family reunification, and housing.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 40 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

The current constitution, adopted in 1953, established a single-chamber parliament (the Folketing) and retained a monarch, currently Queen Margrethe II, with mostly ceremonial duties. The parliament's 179 representatives are elected at least once every four years through a system of modified proportional representation. The monarch chooses the prime minister, usually the leader of the majority party or government coalition.

Parliamentary elections were held in June 2015. The Social Democrats took 47 seats. The populist, anti-immigration, Euroskeptic Danish People's Party had by far the most successful showing, winning 37 seats to become the second-largest party in the parliament. The center-right Liberal Party, led by Lars Lkke Rasmussen, won 34 seats. The Unity List-Red-Green Alliance took 14 seats; the Liberal Alliance, 13; Alternative, 9; the Social Liberal Party, 8; the Socialist People's Party, 7; and the Conservative People's Party, 6. The Liberals formed a one-party minority government in June, and enjoyed support from their allies in the so-called Blue Bloc  the Liberal Alliance, the Conservative People's Party, and the Danish People's Party. Rasmussen replaced outgoing prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt of the Social Democrats.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 16 / 16

Numerous political parties compete in Denmark. Danish governments most often control a minority of seats in the parliament, ruling with the aid of one or more supporting parties. Since 1909, no single party has held a majority of seats, helping to create a tradition of compromise.

The Social Democrats, historically anchored in the working class, have lost their once-dominant position in Danish politics. Many of their core positions on social services and an expansive public sector have been adopted by parties across the spectrum. The Liberal Party has experienced a similar dynamic, with its positions on the importance of economic competitiveness spreading to the Social Democrats and other parties. The differences between the two major parties are thus variations of degree and emphasis, rather than deeply held ideological distinctions. In recent years, the most significant political ascent has been that of the Danish People's Party, which has never formally been in government.

The territories of Greenland and the Faroe Islands each have two representatives in the Folketing. They also have their own elected institutions, which have power over almost all areas of governance, except foreign and financial policy. In 2009, Greenland passed the Self-Government Act, which gave it greater control over government functions, including its security apparatus and judicial system.

C. Functioning of Government: 12 / 12

Levels of corruption are generally very low in Denmark, which was ranked 1 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index. There were no major cases of corruption in 2015.

A final report on the so-called Taxgate scandal was released in 2014. The case involved leaked information regarding a 2010 tax audit of Thorning-Schmidt, who was an opposition leader at the time. The leak had occurred just one week before the 2011 general elections and had allegedly been carried out by Thorning-Schmidt's political opponents. Thorning-Schmidt was found not to have violated any tax laws, but the final report was criticized for not reaching any clear conclusions about the origin of the leak.

Civil Liberties: 58 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

The constitution guarantees freedom of expression. Domestic media reflect a wide variety of political opinions and are frequently critical of the government. The state finances radio and television broadcasting, but state-owned television companies have independent editorial boards. Independent radio stations are permitted but tightly regulated. Access to the internet is not restricted, and Denmark's internet penetration rate is among the highest in the world.

Since the 2005 publication of controversial cartoons by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten depicting the prophet Muhammad, Denmark has experienced a series of threats and attacks from militant extremists. In February 2015, a lone gunman  a Danish citizen of Palestinian origin  launched an attack on a freedom of expression event featuring Swedish artist Lars Vilks. He killed one audience member, a movie director, and wounded several police officers before escaping. Hours later, the assailant targeted a religious celebration at a Copenhagen synagogue, killing a security guard and wounding two police officers. The assailant died in a confrontation with police the following morning.

Freedom of worship is legally protected. However, the Evangelical Lutheran Church is subsidized by the government as the official state religion. The faith is taught in public schools, though students may withdraw from religious classes with parental consent. Denmark denies religious-worker visas, thereby restricting access to missionaries entering the country from abroad.

There are no official updated numbers for registered hate crimes motivated by religion due to Danish record-keeping protocols; however, the year 2015 featured anecdotal reports of an increased sense of insecurity among religious minorities in the country. In recent years, the country's Jewish community has reported increasing anti-Semitic harassment and violence. The Jewish community has for years requested better security for its cultural and educational institutions. In March 2015, following the February terrorist attack, the justice minister requested 20 million Danish kroner ($3 million) in additional funds to protect Jewish institutions. Separately, in June and August, vandals targeted Muslim cemeteries.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

The constitution provides for freedoms of assembly and association. Demonstrations and other assemblies in 2015 were peaceful. Civil society is vibrant.

Workers are free to organize, and the labor market is mainly regulated by agreements between employers' and employees' organizations. There were no major strikes in 2015. In July, unions won a court case permitting them to strike if low-cost Irish carrier Ryanair did not raise salaries to match local budget airlines. Ryanair subsequently closed its Copenhagen and Billund air bases, although it continued to operate flights to and from both locations.

F. Rule of Law: 15 / 16

The judiciary is independent, and citizens enjoy full due-process rights. The court system consists of 100 local courts, two high courts, and the 15-member Supreme Court, with judges recommended by the government and appointed by the monarch. Prisons generally meet international standards.

Immigration and asylum were contested issues in 2015. Amid an influx of refugees trying to reach European countries in 2015, Danish authorities tightened laws on entry, residence, and asylum, already some of the harshest in Europe. A government proposal to restrict legislation on citizenship, including raising standards for language assessments and extending the waiting period for applicants with a criminal history, was passed in October.

The Danish government received applications for asylum from over 20,000 people in 2015, an increase of more than 40 percent from the number received in 2014; applicants were primarily of Syrian, Iraqi, and Afghan origin. A large number of asylum seekers and other migrants also transited through Denmark to reach other countries, particularly Sweden and Finland. Danish-Swedish relations were strained during the year due to the Danish policy of allowing refugees to continue to Sweden without registering them in a central European Union (EU) database. Denmark's approach to asylum was a dominant and divisive topic of public discussion during the year. In August, a refugee center was defaced with Nazi and xenophobic propaganda, and a car outside the center was set on fire.

In an emergency vote in November, the parliament hastily passed several measures  part of a package proposed by the Liberal government  aimed at tightening legislation on asylum and immigration. Legislators had two working days to read and comment on the proposals before the vote. The measures included expanding the power of security forces to detain migrants, extending the timeline for family reunification cases, and housing single male asylum seekers in tents. Legal experts, members of the public, as well as local and international watchdogs expressed grave concerns with the changes, noting that legislators should have had more time to consider them. Some critics claimed the changes to be inhumane, noting that Denmark's surplus of housing could be used to accommodate refugees. A number of other bills from the package, including a measure that would enable the government to confiscate personal property from asylum seekers in order to pay for their care, were scheduled for a vote in 2016.

Discrimination, including based on gender identity or sexual orientation, is prohibited by law. A new gender recognition law came into effect in 2014, eliminating previous legislation that had required transgender persons to undergo psychiatric evaluation and sterilization  either by hormone therapy or surgery  when obtaining legal documents reflecting their new gender. While progressive, the law mandates a six-month waiting period, after which applicants must reconfirm their decision. Citizens must be over the age of 18 to apply for a legal change in gender identity.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 15 / 16

Freedom of movement is protected by law and generally respected by the government, and authorities do not interfere with the rights of individuals to choose their residence, employment, and institution of higher education. However, in March 2015, a new law entered into force allowing police to confiscate the passport of any individual suspected of planning to leave Denmark to engage in armed conflict abroad. Critics have noted that the law, which arose from concerns about Danish nationals traveling to Syria and Iraq in particular, has a low evidentiary threshold, allows room for arbitrary decisions, and requires only minimal judicial oversight. By year's end, seven citizens either had their passports confiscated or were denied new ones.

Private business activity is free from undue influence by government officials or nonstate actors.

Women enjoy equal rights in Denmark and represent half of the workforce and 37 percent of the parliament. However, disparities have been reported in the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

In 1989, Denmark became the first country in the world to adopt same-sex civil unions, and in 2012, the parliament overwhelmingly passed same-sex marriage legislation enabling couples to wed in the Lutheran state church of their choosing. Priests are not obligated to officiate but, when requested to do so, must find a colleague who will.

Denmark is a destination and transit point for women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation. Following the 2003 adoption of legislation that defined and criminalized such trafficking, the government began working regularly with nongovernmental organizations to implement prevention campaigns. In February 2015, 95 individuals were arrested in the biggest antitrafficking operation in Denmark to date, dubbed Operation Wasp's Nest. The suspected perpetrators, a group of mostly Romanian nationals, were accused of luring up to 300 individuals to Denmark in a fraudulent scheme worth nearly 40 million Danish kroner ($5.7 million). Trials in the case began in September; three defendants were convicted in December and given prison sentences ranging from two to three years. Proceedings against other defendants were ongoing at year's end.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Czech Republic

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Czech Republic, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5b1b.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Free

Aggregate Score: 95

Freedom Rating: 1.0

Political Rights: 1

Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Prague

Population: 10,551,227

GDP/capita: $19,553.90

Press Freedom Status: Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

The ruling coalition, led by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, operated relatively smoothly in 2015, although it faced a no-confidence vote over tax breaks that allegedly benefitted Deputy Prime Minister Andrej Babis's firms. The May vote, called by the three leading opposition parties, was comfortably defeated in the lower parliamentary house. President Milos Zeman continued to court controversy with his statements about the refugee crisis and by meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin twice, in defiance of official European Union (EU) and Czech policy. His popularity ratings recovered late in 2015 after a significant decline in the first half of the year.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 38 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 12 / 12

The 200 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Parliament, are elected to four-year terms by proportional representation. The Senate has 81 members elected for six-year terms, with one-third up for election every two years.

The most recent legislative elections were held in 2013. The Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) finished first, capturing 50 seats, followed closely by its ally, the Movement of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO), which took 47 seats. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) placed third with 33 seats. The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) won just 16 seats, down from 53 seats in 2010. The right-wing Tradition Responsibility Prosperity 09 (TOP 09), the populist Dawn of Direct Democracy (Usvit), and the Christian Democratic Union-Czech People's Party (KDU-CSL) won the remaining seats.

The president is directly elected under a 2012 constitutional amendment. The president can veto legislation and appoints judges, central bank officials, the prime minister, and other cabinet members, but the post holds few other formal powers. Previous fears that Zeman was seeking to accumulate power in the president's office subsided in 2015, largely due to his declining popularity and more assertive governance by the ruling coalition.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 15 / 16

Political parties are free to form and operate. The Czech party system has long been marked by fragmentation. In 2015, the populist Usvit party experienced internal discord, with several members leaving to found new parties. Generally, however, the party system remained largely unchanged from 2014. Historically, the two main political parties have been the center-left CSSD and the center-right ODS, which lost a significant share of seats in the 2013 elections. KSCM has been excluded from all national governments so far, but has formed several regional governing coalitions with CSSD.

The Romany minority lacks meaningful political representation. None of the parties representing the estimated 250,000 Roma living in the country have reached the 5 percent parliamentary threshold, and Romany candidates lack adequate representation in the major parliamentary parties.

C. Functioning of Government: 11 / 12

Despite the Czech Republic's history of unstable governments, the current ruling coalition is relatively robust. The governing parties did not suffer any by-election defeats which could have threatened their position, and no major conflicts emerged among party members. Thanks to its large parliamentary majority, the government comfortably defeated a motion of no-confidence in May 2015.

Corruption has been and continues to be a serious problem in Czech politics. In the early months of 2015, civil society activists claimed that the government was dragging its feet on the introduction of antigraft legislation, and a February report by the Council of Europe highlighted problems related to political party financing. Prime Minister Sobotka dismissed the criticism, arguing that the report evaluated his predecessors' performance and promising to introduce new measures.

In July 2015, a former leading member of the CSSD, David Rath, was convicted of corruption and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison following a lengthy trial  a case that could signal the strengthening of rule of law. Rath appealed the verdict, and the case was ongoing at year's end.

The 2014-2015 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness report noted a strong perception among business executives that government officials routinely favor certain well-connected businesses and individuals when awarding public procurement contracts. In March, Transport Minister Dan Tok of the ANO party was accused of ignoring corrupt practices and bribery during his time as head of the Czech arm of Skanska, a Swedish construction company. In government, Tok has earned the nickname "Mr. Clean" for spearheading a financial transparency campaign.

Civil Liberties: 57 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 16 / 16

Freedom of expression is respected, though the constitution-based Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms limits this freedom in cases of threats against individual rights, state and public security, public health, and morality. Hate speech is a criminal offense, and police may prevent the dissemination of grossly offensive or racist materials at public events. Promoting denial of the Holocaust or of past communist crimes is illegal, as is inciting religious hatred.

The media operate relatively freely, and the government does not place undue restrictions on content. Legislation protects private ownership of media outlets, but concerns remain about recent media acquisitions by wealthy business figures and their potential impact on journalists' ability to investigate local commercial interests. The government does not restrict internet access.

The government generally upholds freedom of religion. Tax benefits and financial support are provided to registered religious groups. The state has initiated a process to return land confiscated from churches by the 1948-89 communist regime, which will take place over the next 30 years. Expressions of Islamophobic sentiment increased in 2015, mostly due to the refugee crisis confronting European states. Several large protests took place against perceived "Islamification" of the country, and at least one  a demonstration held in Olomouc in May  was accompanied by distorted reporting in Czech media outlets. In November, the state prosecutor filed a criminal complaint against Martin Konvicka, a leading figure of the far right, for inciting violence and hatred against Muslims.

Academic freedom is respected. Ceremonial presidential approval is required for academic positions. Private discussion is free and vibrant.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 12 / 12

Czechs may assemble peacefully, form associations, and petition the government. The Prague Pride Parade  an annual event held by the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community  had its biggest turnout to date in 2015. The number of attendees doubled from the previous year, with an estimated 35,000 people participating. No violent incidents took place.

Approximately 85,000 registered nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate in the country, generally without intimidation or interference from government or security forces. Most organizations struggle with weak funding, and only a small portion of registered NGOs are fully active.

Trade unions and professional associations function freely, though they are weak in practice. The largest trade union, the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (CMKOS), incorporates 29 member unions and has over 300,000 members. Workers have the right to strike, though this right is limited for essential public employees, such as hospital workers and air traffic controllers.

F. Rule of Law: 14 / 16

The judiciary is largely independent, though its complexity and multilayered composition have led to slow delivery of judgments. A 2010 report produced by the country's counterintelligence agency found that corruption within the Czech Republic's judicial system was "very sophisticated," making detection difficult.

The rule of law generally prevails in civil and criminal matters. While corruption and political pressure remain within law enforcement agencies, the office of the public prosecutor has become more independent in recent years.

Prisons in the Czech Republic suffer from overcrowding and poor sanitation. Following former president Vaclav Klaus's controversial prisoner amnesty in 2013, the police reported an increased crime rate in January 2014.

The 2009 Antidiscrimination Act provides for equal treatment regardless of sex, race, age, disability, belief, or sexual orientation. However, Roma face discrimination in the job market and significantly poorer housing conditions, as well as occasional threats and violence from right-wing groups. President Zeman received criticism from Romany rights action groups in January 2015, when he advocated for Romany and disabled children to be segregated from their classmates in schools. In September, the Czech Constitutional Court ruled that judges cannot dismiss school segregation cases based on the percentage of Romany children in a classroom alone. Some activists argued that the decision did not go far enough to guarantee an inclusive educational system, particularly because it did not condemn the practice of administering intelligence assessments that determine children's placement in either regular or special education programs.

Asylum seekers are routinely detained, and conditions in detention centers are generally poor. Amid a significant influx of asylum seekers in 2015, a former Constitutional Court justice warned the government that its approach to asylum could lead to legal action at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The authorities were under fire for lengthy detentions and the mistreatment of asylum seekers. In November, Prime Minister Sobotka criticized President Zeman for attending an explicitly anti-Muslim and antirefugee rally on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. Sobotka also praised the efforts of volunteers who helped the government and NGOs provide basic services to asylum seekers and refugees.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 15 / 16

Gender discrimination is legally prohibited. However, sexual harassment in the workplace appears to be fairly common, and women are underrepresented at the highest levels of government and business  as of 2015, they held 40 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. According to data from the European Commission, the gender pay gap in the Czech Republic is one of the largest in the EU.

The Czech Republic's lustration law aims to keep those with close ties to the country's former communist regime out of high-level political, judicial, and military positions.

Same-sex marriages are not legally recognized, but LGBT people do not otherwise face significant discrimination.

Human trafficking remains a problem, and criminal rings use the Czech Republic as a source, transit, and destination point; women and children are particularly vulnerable to being trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The government has made increasing efforts in recent years to fund protective services and other resources for victims, and to prosecute perpetrators.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Freedom in the World 2016 - Cameroon

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Cameroon, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad5f102.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Not Free

Aggregate Score: 24

Freedom Rating: 6.0

Political Rights: 6

Civil Liberties: 6

Quick Facts

Capital: Yaounde

Population: 23,739,000

GDP/capita: $1,429.30

Press Freedom Status: Not Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

In 2015, Cameroon continued to struggle with high youth unemployment, an aging political leadership, and the lack of an obvious successor to President Paul Biya in the ruling party. Moreover, the security situation in the country's north and east remained precarious throughout the year. The Far North province, which borders the stronghold of Boko Haram in Nigeria, continues to face incursions from the Islamic militant group. Instability in neighboring Central African Republic (CAR), which shares a 500-mile-long border with Cameroon, has also led to increasing confrontations between Cameroon's military and rebel groups. Since the inauguration of Nigeria's new president in May 2015, cooperation in fighting Boko Haram has grown and some territory has been reclaimed from the group. However, Boko Haram launched a number of deadly attacks in Cameroon throughout the year, claiming the lives of more than 400 people.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 9 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 3 / 12

Now in his fourth decade in power, Biya retains a strong hold on Cameroon. His Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) controls the Senate, the National Assembly, and municipal councils by large majorities. In the 2011 presidential elections, Biya beat out nearly two dozen opponents to claim 78 percent of the vote; the poll was widely viewed as tainted. Despite his advanced age of 83, Biya has not groomed a successor. There is no provision for a presidential runoff, which impedes the ability of opposition candidates to unseat the incumbent.

Cameroon has a 180-seat National Assembly and established the 100-seat Senate in 2012; representatives serve five-year terms. In 2013, Cameroon held National Assembly elections, direct elections for municipal councilors, and long-delayed elections for its first Senate. The CPDM won 56 of the elected Senate seats, while the main opposition party, the Anglophone-led Social Democratic Front (SDF), won the remaining 14. Biya appointed an additional 30 senators, three from each of the country's 10 regions. The CPDM took 148 assembly seats and won 305 of the country's 360 communes. While some observers characterized the elections as free and fair, there were also accusations that the CPDM paid bribes to certain municipal councilors of up to $90 each.

Cameroon adopted a new electoral code in 2012 that introduced biometric voter registration. However, Biya still chooses the members of the electoral commission.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 3 / 16

Despite having almost 300 political parties, Cameroon remains essentially a one-party state. The numerous opposition parties often have aging leaderships and are highly fragmented, preventing any one from becoming a credible threat to the ruling CPDM or forming effective coalitions. The SDF is the largest opposition party and has a national base; other opposition groups suffer from ethnic and regional biases that limit their membership.

State patronage and Biya's control of high-level appointments help the CPDM retain power. The state also controls the release of mandated public funding for political parties, as well as the salaries of village chiefs, who in turn control their local votes.

The Baka minority is not represented in the legislature or in the top levels of government.

C. Functioning of Government: 3 / 12

Corruption is systemic and bribery is commonplace in all sectors. According to a Transparency International survey of citizens of 28 African countries in 2015, Cameroon reported the second-highest rate of bribery out of all countries surveyed, with 48 percent of respondents having to pay bribes to access public services. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (CONAC) was established in 2006, but its work has been regularly stymied by interference from the executive branch. In November 2015, CONAC published its annual report covering the year 2013, more than a year late. Its release was reportedly delayed after Biya attempted to pressure CONAC to omit high-profile officials named in the report by withholding permission for its publication. Biya ultimately approved the report's release, which revealed systemic corruption across multiple ministries and placed blame on a number of powerful cabinet officials. In a more positive development, CONAC reported receiving its highest-ever number of complaints from the public in 2015, which according to officials reflected not an expansion of corruption but increasing willingness on the part of citizens to report corrupt behavior.

Since late 2013, Cameroon has been classified as compliant with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which asks countries to submit reports detailing the proceeds they have gained from the extraction of their natural resources. In July 2015, Cameroon's EITI report listed for the first time the names of the legal owners of licenses for exploration of natural resources. Cameroon was ranked 130 out of 168 countries and territories surveyed in Transparency International's 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Civil Liberties: 15 / 60 (-1)

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 7 / 16

The constitution guarantees free speech, and there are some 500 newspapers and 100 radio and television stations. However, genuine freedom of expression remains elusive. The constitution gives officials the power to ban newspapers based on a claimed threat to public order. Defamation remains a criminal offense, and the National Communications Council (CNC) has a history of harassing independent journalists and outlets.

Several journalists were arrested and detained in 2015. In July, Ahmed Abba, a Nigerian reporter for the Hausa service of Radio France International, was arrested in the Far North region and subsequently interrogated over his reporting on the activities of Boko Haram. He was denied access to a lawyer until October, and he remained imprisoned without charge at year's end. In August, Simon Ateba, a Cameroonian reporter who had been living in Nigeria, was arrested upon returning to Cameroon to report on conditions in a refugee camp in the Far North. He was detained for four days. In September, a photographer for the newspaper Generation Libre was arrested for photographing police as they shut down a workshop being given by a civil society group. He is facing a number of pending charges, and as of December his trial had been postponed three times. In December, the government informed two journalists at different print publications that they would face charges before a military court for "failing to report on a matter affecting state security" following a 2014 incident in which they declined to publish unsubstantiated reports on the activities of CAR militants in the country.

There are no restrictions on internet use, but penetration is low, at about 20 percent in 2015.

Cameroonians can exercise religious freedom with generally little government interference. Religious groups are required to register with the government, though many operate unencumbered without official registration. In July, the government banned Muslim women from wearing full face veils in the Far North province following two suicide bombings in the region. Muslims were also prohibited from holding large gatherings to commemorate the end of Ramadan.

There are no legal restrictions on academic freedom, but state security informants operate on university campuses. Public criticism of the government and membership in opposition political parties can have a negative impact on professional opportunities and advancement.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 3 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association, while legally protected, are subject to significant restrictions, including a requirement that organizers notify the government before assemblies take place. In practice, this policy leads to frequent suppression of the right to free assembly. In July 2015, there were isolated protests on the occasion of French president Francois Hollande's visit to Cameroon. Many citizens feel France exerts undue political and economic influence on the country.

The influence of civil society has gradually weakened over the years, with many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) relying entirely on foreign assistance and others coopted or overtly supported by the regime. Other NGOs are no more than a registered name and a website.

Trade unions, strikes, and collective bargaining are permitted, and there is a growing public sector trade union movement, though unions are still subject to numerous restrictions. In June 2015, two unions representing medical personnel at public hospitals called a strike to demand improvements to their severely dilapidated facilities and equipment, as well as salary payments that had been delayed by as much as a year. The strike persisted for nearly two weeks and caused significant disruptions to medical service delivery before the government granted some concessions.

F. Rule of Law: 1 / 16 (-1)

The judiciary is subordinate to the Ministry of Justice, and political influence and corruption weaken courts. Lengthy pretrial detentions are commonplace, and there are reports of arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of activists. The security forces act with impunity for human rights violations including excessive use of force, torture and other abuse, and extrajudicial executions. Prisons are overcrowded and conditions are sometimes life threatening. Between March and May 2015 alone, 40 prisoners died in the Maroua prison due to overcrowding and poor sanitation. The prison has no running water and only 20 latrines for over 1,200 inmates. Torture and abuse of detainees are widespread. In June, 84 children who had been held since being arrested in December 2014 from their Qur'anic schools  which the government accused of being fronts for Boko Haram  were released.

Boko Haram launched regular attacks against civilians throughout the year, resulting in more than 400 deaths and hundreds more injures and abductions. In one of the worst incidents, more than 90 civilians were killed and 500 wounded in February when militants raided the town of Fotokol near the Nigerian border, slaughtering women and children, burning houses of worship, and pillaging food and livestock. The Cameroonian government has responded to such attacks with indiscriminate violence and lack of regard for the rights and safety of civilians. In 2015, over 1,000 suspects were arbitrarily detained, including teens and young boys, who have been housed in inhumane conditions. Many suspects have died while in custody and 130 remained unaccounted for at year's end.

In July 2015, the Cameroonian government began forcibly repatriating 15,000 Nigerian refugees who had fled Boko Haram violence in their home country. In December there were estimated to be almost 70,000 Nigerian refugees remaining in the country, in addition to more than 250,000 refugees from Central African Republic.

The roughly 30,000 members of the Baka pygmy community face discrimination in Cameroon. Many are born in isolated forest areas and lack birth certificates needed to obtain a national identity card, which excludes them from many government services.

Discrimination against the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community is also rife. The penal code forbids "sexual relations with a person of the same sex" and includes prison sentences of up to five years. In practice, people are prosecuted with no evidence of sexual activity, but rather on suspicions that they are gay.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 4 / 16

Travel is largely unrestricted, though Boko Haram activity in Cameroon's Far North has increased insecurity in the region.

Cameroon's ranking in the World Bank's 2016 Doing Business report dropped to 172 out of 189 economies. Agribusinesses operate with little or no consultation with local inhabitants, and a lack of transparency means people are usually unaware of potential environmental hazards. Concerns have been raised about the government's failure to recognize indigenous forest peoples' right to prior consent when logging concessions are granted.

The constitution guarantees equal rights to men and women, but traditional legal values often take precedence and do not always provide women full rights. Although the penal code criminalizes rape against women, perpetrators are declared innocent if the victim has reached puberty and freely consents to marriage. Female genital mutilation is still practiced, particularly in isolated areas of the extreme north, east, and southwest regions. Women are also traditionally barred from land ownership in Cameroon's predominately agricultural economy, creating a major obstacle to economic independence. A lack of inheritance rights further encourages dependency on men and can leave widows and orphans destitute. Women won 56 National Assembly seats in the 2013 elections, a significant increase over previous years, and 20 Senate seats.

Despite a 2011 law against human trafficking, Cameroon remains a source, transit, and destination country for forced labor and sex trafficking of children, as well as a source country for women who are subject to forced labor and prostitution in Europe.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
Tyler Rasch, a 28-year-old American graduate student at Seoul National University, has become a TV celebrity in Korea, and now he wants to dedicate himself to protecting pandas.

Rasch recently shot a travelogue that saw him observing efforts to increase the population of pandas and protect their wild habitats with the collaboration of the World Wide Fund for Nature.

Back in June, he spent five days in a panda conservation area in China's Shaanxi Province, where he also observed rare species like golden monkeys and brown pandas. He collected honey with locals who took up beekeeping when they had to give up logging to preserve the panda habitat.

Rasch said the panda population has now rebounded thanks to efforts by the local government and environmentalists.

The WWF has been restoring damaged wild panda habitats to prevent extinction of the pandas with the help of the Chinese government since the mid-1990s. As a result, the number of panda conservation areas in China increased from 40 in 2003 to 67 in 2013, and the panda population rose 17 percent from 1,596 to 1,864, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Pandas are picky eaters, prefer solitary living, and mate only for three to four days a year. Rasch said it is only thanks to conservative efforts that the pandas are surviving.

The WWF, founded in Switzerland in 1961, is an international nongovernmental organization that studies and protects natural resources. Its Korean branch was established in 2014. Rasch is a promotional ambassador for the WWF.

His travelogue consists of five short segments that will be available on Chosun.com from Friday.


Freedom in the World 2016 - Bhutan

Publisher Freedom House Publication Date 12 August 2016 Cite as Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2016 - Bhutan, 12 August 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/57b1ad6011.html [accessed 29 October 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Freedom Status: Partly Free

Aggregate Score: 56

Freedom Rating: 3.5

Political Rights: 3

Civil Liberties: 4

Quick Facts

Capital: Thimphu

Population: 757,000

GDP/capita: $2,380.90

Press Freedom Status: Partly Free

Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

In 2015, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and his government continued to make progress in implementing public transparency and anticorruption initiatives, including prosecutions against public officials accused of graft. However, journalists and rights monitors, both domestic and international, raised concerns about threats to press freedom.

POLITICAL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Political Rights: 29 / 40

A. Electoral Process: 10 / 12

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck formally succeeded his father in 2008, though he had been in power since the outgoing king's abdication in 2006. The monarch is head of state, appoints a number of high officials in consultation with other bodies, and retains a waning degree of influence over ministerial positions. The monarchy is highly popular with the public.

The constitution provides for a bicameral Parliament, with a 25-seat upper house, the nonpartisan National Council, and a 47-seat lower house, the National Assembly. Members of both bodies serve five-year terms. The king appoints five members of the National Council, and the remaining 20 are popularly elected; the lower house is entirely elected, and the head of the majority party is nominated by the king to serve as prime minister. The logistics of voting and vote counting remain heavily dependent on expertise and technology from India.

In the 2013 parliamentary elections, the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) won 32 seats. The Druk Peace and Prosperity Party, which had dominated the first national elections in 2008, won the remaining 15 seats. Tobgay, the PDP leader, became prime minister. International monitors deemed the 2013 elections free and fair. The free vote and peaceful transfer of power were seen as signs of a healthy democratic system.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 10 / 16

Political parties, previously illegal, were allowed to begin registering in 2007. Bhutan now has two officially registered major parties and three smaller ones. One of the small parties  the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP)  was disqualified from participating in the 2013 elections due to its inability to field candidates in all constituencies. Citizens must receive government approval to form political parties and hold political rallies, which significantly hinders the development of parties.

Bhutan still relies on India for defense and many foreign policy matters, which are consequently somewhat excluded from domestic political debate.

Electoral rules stipulate that political parties must not be limited to members of any regional, ethnic, or religious group. No party exists to represent Nepali speakers. International monitors have noted that Nepali speakers have been turned away from voting.

C. Functioning of Government: 10 / 12

Bhutan has made a rapid transition from a system in which the monarch and his advisers had enormous influence over Parliament to one in which Parliament determines its own policies. Although the king retains some powers and influence, the party in control of Parliament selects its own cabinet. The cabinet has increasingly taken on governance without deferring to the monarch for guidance, and Prime Minister Tobgay has shown more signs of independence than his predecessor.

Although corruption exists in Bhutan, the country has in recent years made significant strides in addressing the issue. The 2006 Anti-Corruption Act established whistle-blower protections, and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), whose role was strengthened and expanded in 2011, is tasked with investigating and preventing graft. The current government has repeatedly backed up the ACC's efforts to suspend and investigate officials suspected of graft.

Some of the most powerful political elites in the country have been held accountable by the courts in recent years, setting an example for lower-ranking officials. In July 2015, Prime Minister Togbay removed Foreign Minister Rinzin Dorje from office following corruption allegations against him, which eventually led to Dorje's conviction and sentencing to one year in prison in September. An appeal was pending at year's end.

Tobgay has welcomed a loyal opposition in Parliament, and has tried to make the office of the prime minister more open to the public through media appearances and the use of social media. He has also strengthened transparency by making the salaries of officials public and using his office to make the central and local budgets more open to review.

A right to information law passed by the National Assembly in 2014 would put the onus on government officials and agencies to release information. Its adoption was preceded by two years of significant and open debate. However, the upper house delayed action on the measure, and it had yet to win final adoption in 2015.

Discretionary Political Rights Question B: -1 / 0

The government has for decades attempted to diminish and repress the rights of ethnic Nepalis, and to force many of them to leave Bhutan, thereby changing the ethnic makeup of the country.

The government expelled a large percentage of Nepali speakers in the early 1990s, after previously stripping them of their citizenship. Many fled to Nepal as refugees. The government maintains that many Nepali speakers left Bhutan voluntarily or had been illegal immigrants, but in 1992, well over 100,000 such refugees living in extremely poor conditions in Nepal were denied reentry to Bhutan, and the Bhutanese government has consistently refused to repatriate them. A resettlement effort aimed at transferring the refugees to third countries began in 2007. By late 2015, more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees in Nepal had been resettled, mostly in the United States, with approximately 18,000 remaining.

Civil Liberties: 27 / 60

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 9 / 16

Bhutanese laws protect freedom of expression and belief, but substantial barriers remain, including to press freedom. The National Security Act assigns prison terms for speech that creates or attempts to create "hatred and disaffection among the people" or "misunderstanding or hostility between the government and people," among other offenses. Defamation can be treated as a criminal offense, and self-censorship is believed to be a problem. While there are multiple private media outlets, many depend on advertising from state bodies. Nearly 40 percent of the population had internet access in 2015; social media as well as online news outlets were available.

A 2015 survey of 119 current and former Bhutanese journalists revealed general concerns about press freedom and access to information, as well as safety issues and fear of reprisals in connection with reporting that is critical of the government or other powerful groups. Almost half of the current journalists surveyed reported receiving threats in response to critical coverage, ranging from warnings of employment-related penalties to threats of physical abuse and harassment.

The constitution protects freedom of religion, but local authorities are known to harass non-Buddhists. While Bhutanese of all faiths can worship relatively freely in private, the Drukpa Kagyupa school of Mahayana Buddhism is Bhutan's official religion and receives state support through subsidies and other measures. The Hindu minority is also recognized and reportedly receives some state support. Bhutan's small Christian community has allegedly been subject to harassment by the authorities. In 2014, two Christian pastors who allegedly organized a Christian gathering without gaining permission from local officials were convicted on charges related to improper licensing for public assemblies and unapproved receipt of foreign funds. By January 2015, both had paid fines in lieu of prison sentences.

Few restrictions on academic freedom have been reported. However, in a 2015 report on education equality, the UN special rapporteur on the right to education echoed concerns raised by other international monitors regarding reported alleged discrimination against ethnic Nepali students, who lack proper facilities and instruction in the Nepali language.

Private discussion is generally free and open, though restrictive laws and other factors may deter uninhibited speech on sensitive topics, such as those related to ethnicity or the monarchy.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 4 / 12

The constitution guarantees freedom of assembly, but public gatherings require government permission, which is often denied.

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that work on issues related to ethnic Nepalis are not allowed to operate, but other local and international NGOs work with increasing freedom. Under the 2007 Civil Society Organization Act, all new NGOs must register with the government. The constitution protects the right of workers to form associations, but not for the purpose of conducting strikes. Most of the country's workforce is engaged in subsistence agriculture and is therefore not unionized.

F. Rule of Law: 6 / 16

Since 2007, Bhutan has moved decisively toward a system based on the rule of law, and its judiciary is now considered generally autonomous. An independent Judicial Service Council controls judicial evaluations and promotions. Senior judges are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the National Judicial Commission, which includes the chief justice, the most senior Supreme Court member, the head of the National Assembly's Legislative Committee, and the attorney general. The Supreme Court serves as the final arbiter of appeals.

The civilian police force generally operates within the law. Prisons in Bhutan for the most part meet international standards. There are dozens of political prisoners being held in the country, according to NGOs, though at least 14 have been released since 2010. Most are jailed for being part of banned political groups or parties, such as the local communist party or parties that advocated for the rights of ethnic Nepalis; in some cases, the charges are allegedly fabricated to justify the arrest of government critics.

The constitution protects against discrimination based on sex, race, disability, language, religion, or societal status. While these provisions are generally respected, Nepali-speaking people reportedly face employment discrimination. Despite legal protections, people with disabilities continue to face societal discrimination, particularly in rural areas. There are no legal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and no formal NGO in the country explicitly works on the rights of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people. Same-sex sexual activity, described as sexual conduct "against the order of nature," remains a criminal offense and can be punished with up to a year in prison.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 8 / 16

Bhutanese citizens have the freedom to travel domestically and internationally, but no laws protect against forced exile. Bhutanese security forces sometimes arrest Nepalis seeking to enter the country. Those lacking a security clearance certificate are subject to restrictions on freedom of movement and face difficulties in starting a business, but the government has in recent years simplified the process for obtaining a certificate.

Since 2013, Bhutanese are no longer required to wear traditional dress under most circumstances. Women participate freely in social and economic life but continue to be underrepresented in government and politics. The law protects against domestic violence, with the possibility of prison sentences ranging from one month to three years. Rape, including spousal rape, is also illegal. However, societal taboos lead many incidents of rape and domestic violence to go unreported. Moreover, despite improvements in law to protect women from gender-based violence, both government and NGO actors acknowledge a lack of public awareness about legal protections, particularly in rural communities.

Female household workers, who often come from rural areas or from India, are vulnerable to forced labor and other abuse, as are foreign workers in the construction sector. Laws against human trafficking and forced labor are weakly enforced.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received

Y = Best Possible Score

Z = Change from Previous Year

Copyright notice:  Freedom House, Inc.  All Rights Reserved
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.
Thailand's valuable tourism industry is reeling after a series of bombs and arson attacks Friday killed four people and injured at least 30 people, many of them foreign visitors.

The 12 attacks across southern Thailand's beach resorts came as the country marked the 84th birthday of Queen Sirikit, a national holiday. Some of the attacks were at the seaside town of Hua Hin, where the royal family has a residence.

A nationwide investigation is under way and police say they have arrested two men. They call the bombings "acts of sabotage," and not foreign terrorism. No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The police also say the attacks do not appear to be linked to a low-level insurgency in Thailand's southern border provinces with Malaysia, that has gone on since 2004.

Panitan Wattanayagorn, a security adviser to the Thai government, said the attackers had a clear motive. "They want to destabilize the situation which is more and more stable as we move toward the third stage of the (political) roadmap. Certain suspects have been detained. I think the authorities will move very quickly to expand the search and investigation."

The focus of the attacks were major popular tourist destinations in Trang, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket, Phang Nga, and Surat Thani provinces.

In Hua Hin, streets were deserted Friday after the overnight and early morning coordinated attacks, with tourists warned to remain indoors at their hotels.

A spokeswoman for the Centara Grand Beach Resort Villas, who did not wish to give her name, said the resort had tightened security, amid a climate of unease along the southern tourist provinces.
Auditions

Open auditions for an upcoming production of 'Deadwood Dick' will take place from 7-9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. The show will run Sept. 29 through Oct. 8.

Big Country CASA information

Big Country CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) will conduct an informational meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the CASA office, 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. Tuesday at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Free admission.

Dog Days at the Mall

Dog Days will continue from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Mall of Abilene. Participants are encouraged to bring their dogs. The Abilene Animal Shelter and the Taylor-Jones Humane Society will offer dogs for adoption.

Drypoint printmaking workshop

A workshop on drypoint printmaking will be presented from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St. Registration is $30 for members and $35 for nonmembers. To register, or for more information, go to www.thegracemuseum.org.

Wine & Wishes

The third annual Wine & Wishes fundraiser, benefiting Make-A-Wish, will take place from 7-10 p.m. Thursday at The Grove at Denton Valley, 12177 County Road 227, in Clyde. Wine, food truck tastings and live music will be available. Tickets are $100. For more information, go to ntx.wish.org.

'King o' the Moon'

A production of 'King o' the Moon' will begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Aug. 25-27 at Abilene Community Theatre, 809 Barrow St. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students, seniors and military.

Pet portrait workshop

Danielle Delhomme will present a workshop on pet portraits from 1-4 p.m. Friday at the Center for Contemporary Arts, 220 Cypress St. Participants should bring a photo of their pet. Registration is $35. To register, call 325-677-8389.

'After Zoey'

A production of the musical 'After Zoey' will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Aug. 26 and 27, and at 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 28, in Fulks Theatre at Abilene Christian University. Tickets are $15.

Coffee competition

A 10th anniversary celebration, featuring a 'Coffee Kumite' competition, will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at Monks Coffee Shop, 233 Cypress St. Participants will compete in events to test their brewing skills. For information, go to monkscoffeeshop.com.

More movies at the library

A showing of a recent PG-rated fantasy adventure movie will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Popcorn will be provided. Free admission.

Festival and glow run

A family day featuring vendors, live music, painting and more will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at Nelson Park. A 5K glow run will begin at 9:30 p.m. Proceeds will go to the Abilene Dream Center. For information, or to register, go to www.abilenedreamcenter.com.

'Love, Loss and What I Wore'

A production of 'Love, Loss and What I Wore' will begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Amy Graves Ryan Fine Arts Center at McMurry University. Proceeds will go to Presbyterian Medical Care Mission. Seating is limited. For more information, go to medicalcaremission.org.

'Music at Main'

Violinist Amanda Mylcraine will perform Celtic music during 'Music at Main' at 4 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St. Musicians are encouraged to call 325-676-6026 to schedule appearances.

Exercise classes

Public group exercise classes will be presented from Aug. 22 until Dec. 2 in the Hunt PE Center, Room 200, at McMurry University. Classes will include yoga, low-impact aerobics, Zumba and sessions for people 50 and older. Registration is $80 for unlimited sessions, $40 for 15 sessions or $5 for a single session. For more information, including a complete schedule, contact 325-793-4634 or mcmurraj@mcm.edu.

Mental health symposium

Mental Health America of Abilene will conduct its second annual mental health symposium from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Aug. 26 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 1674 Pine St. Continuing education units will be available. To register, go to AbileneMHA.org or call 325-673-2300.

Sporting Clays Classic

The 11th annual Meals on Wheels Sporting Clays Classic will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 27 at Abilene Clay Sports, 1102 E. Spur 707. Registration is $140 per shooter, and includes 100 targets, a breakfast and a lunch. For more information, go to www.mealsonwheelsplus.com or call 325-672-5050.

Backyard tour

The Abilene Preservation League will conduct a tour of backyard landscapes from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Aug. 28. Tickets are $10. For tickets, go to www.abilenepreservation.org or call 325-668-9536 or 325-665-3717.

Volunteers sought

Zion Lutheran Church, River of Life Church and Global Samaritan Resources, in partnership with the Children's Hunger Fund, are seeking volunteers to assist with packing about 2,000 packages of food from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 28 at Zion Lutheran Church, 2801 Antilley Road. For nformation, email shuerta@childrenshungerfund.org. Monetary donations also will be accepted.

Back-to-school immunizations

Immunizations for children are available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at the Abilene-Taylor County Public Health District, 850 N. Sixth St. An administration fee of $10 per child will apply, and the cost of private vaccines will vary. For more information, call 325-692-4660.
A document filed in federal court Monday outlines an agreed-upon timeline for proceedings in a lawsuit brought against the city of Abilene, the Abilene Independent School District and a former school resource officer.

According to the document, attorneys for the plaintiffs, including individual members of the parent group Keep Educating Parents Together, and defendants met July 14 to discuss the terms of the lawsuit, which was required under federal law.

They decided a trial, if held, would begin in October 2017 and would likely last four days.

Originally filed in April, the suit filed in the United States Northern District Court of Texas alleges Barry Bond, a former school resource officer at the Abilene ISD, used 'abusive conduct' and assaulted students in May 2014, February 2015 and March 2015.

According to the lawsuit, Bond yelled at a 6-year-old boy, twisted his arm behind his back and carried him into a classroom in 2014. He is also accused in the suit of using a 'potentially deadly chokehold' on a 12-year-old boy and slamming a 15-year-old boy against a concrete wall and on the ground.

Bond, the lawsuit said, worked for the Abilene Police Department from September 1999 to about January 2016.

The document filed Monday also said the plaintiffs demanded a jury trial and refused to settle the case with any of the three defendants. Both the city and school district have made motions to dismiss the suit in U.S. Magistrate Judge E. Scott Frost's court, though there has yet to be a ruling.

Laid out in the new document, a deadline was also set for both parties to create witness lists, conduct depositions and name experts for their cases. All depositions and factual discovery must be completed by April 28, while expert discovery must be finished by May 31.

Also in the document, the plaintiffs said they would be seeking protective orders to protect the names and identifying information of minor plaintiffs, though there was no date given for a deadline.

Finally, the document said that should the plaintiffs propose a settlement in the lawsuit, any demands must be made by Jan. 13. Defendants would need to respond by March 17, the document says.

Twitter: @TimothyChippARN
SHARE photos by Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News Cliff Lindsay writes a message on a card concerning legislation to harden the state's electrical grid Thursday during a meeting of the Tea Party Patriots of Eastland County. A display of literature at monthly meeting of the Tea Party Patriots of Eastland County in Cisco includes pamphlets and pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution.

By Ron Erdrich of the Abilene Reporter News

CISCO  Nothing sends a message like a good old-fashioned letter.

That goes double in politics.

It's definitely a strategy for the Tea Party Patriots of Eastland County. The group gathered Thursday at the Myrtle Wilks Community Center to write legislators and state agencies about an issue of concern to them  electromagnetic pulses.

Also known as EMP, it is an electrical discharge caused mostly notably by the detonation of nuclear weapons. Texas District 2 Republican state Sen. Bob Hall held a two-day event in Austin during late April as reported by the Texas Tribune to highlight the vulnerability of the state's electrical grid to EMPs, and the similar effects of coronal mass ejections from the sun. Hall spoke to the Tea Party group during its July meeting.

"He put forth a bill in the 84th Legislative session that addressed (EMPs)," said Ruth York, who led the group during their meeting. "Now he said it wasn't as strong as he would have liked it to be, it passed the Senate but died in the House."

Now, some of you may wonder over the urgency of this problem. True, during nuclear war the electromagnetic pulse might be of secondary concern in light of the large blasts, radioactive fallout, accompanying nuclear winter and general extinction of mostly everyone in the world.

But a weapon detonated in orbit might spare the population the nastier aspects of the blast, only leaving the EMP to affect the grid below by frying anything electrical in operation. Of course, in this hypothetical scenario, any use of a nuke would undoubtedly be the precursor for a much bigger conflict.

Next on the list might be terrorists sneaking a nuclear device across the border or into a port along the U.S. coastline. While this makes for a great movie, the likelihood is remote.

That leaves space weather. Those concerned with hardening the electrical grid often point to the Carrington Event of September 1, 1859. That's when an amateur British astronomer named Richard Carrington observed a collection of large dark spots on sun's surface that erupted into bright flares. Hours later, telegraph operators around the world reported sparks flying out of their equipment and even fires. Most experts agree something like the Carrington Event hitting the world these days would wreak havoc on our modern lives.

"They say we're overdue for a natural occurrence, which would be a solar flare that we happen to be in the path of," York said. "They say they average every 150 years, and it's already been more than that."

I was reminded of the same thing I'd heard in California all my life regarding the Big One, a cataclysmic earthquake everyone said was imminent but never seems to come. And while the effects of solar activity could be severe, there are plenty of others making the same argument over climate change, whose effects are more imminent.

Nevertheless, hardening the electrical grid is getting some attention. Texas Tribune reported that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas launched a program to assess the risks posed by the risk of solar flares and other space weather events on the electrical grid. Other government groups have pledged to study the issue, too.

Hall has stated he plans to reintroduce his legislation during next year's session. The Tea Party Patriots of Eastland County want to make sure it gets through this time.

About a dozen of the members spent the evening writing postcards to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Public Utility Commission and others who they expect to be in office when the Legislature convenes in January.

York also introduced a program they're calling the Grateful Texan. Using a phone app called SendOutCards, the Tea Party Patriots will send messages to elected officials.

"We need to encourage the legislators that are working to do things we appreciate," York said. "I would say conservatives, the ones that are really risking their careers and walking the walk, as well as talking the talk.

"The Grateful Texan is a project to make it easy to congratulate these guys and encourage them."

SendOutCards prints the message onto card stock and then mails it for the user. Writer's cramp might be a thing of the past for the Tea Party Patriots of Eastland County. That could be especially important when hardening the grid comes up during the new legislative session.

"We want to see this go forward, even though we realize it's going to take money. We think it's worth the investment, so we need to write to them all," York said. "One estimate is $500 million for Texas (to harden the grid). Well, that's pocket change."

Perhaps, but how deep will those pockets go?
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A French judge rejected on Saturday a demand by a French Muslim group to overturn a ban on burkinis -- the full-body, head-covering swimwear worn by Muslim women in public.

The southern French city of Cannes specifically banned the full-body swim outfits from its beaches on Friday, citing concerns about public order.

Last month, Cannes Mayor David Lisnard said beach access would be denied to anyone "lacking correct attire," or who was not "respectful of good customs and secularism."

Sefen Guez Guez, a lawyer for the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, said he would appeal the judge's ruling on Saturday to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative body.

The burkini ban says swimwear "manifesting religious affiliation in an ostentatious way, while France and its religious sites are currently the target of terrorist attacks, could create risks of trouble to public order."

Anyone caught flouting the rule, which is in effect through Aug. 31, could be fined about $42.
Photo by Dawn Rae

There are two women authors that I read on a regular basis. These two women live and write the Mid-Atlantic life. While I have been an avid reader since the time I learned to read, I had not read either of these authors until I moved to the east coast a decade or so ago. I want to share what I know about these two talented women so you will be able to decide if they are your cup of tea too. This is my review of Tawni O'Dell and Nora Roberts.





I read a wide variety of styles and genres. I read every day and the main reason I love to read is for the escape. I want a story that takes me away to the theater in my mind. A scene that the author creates so vividly that I can imagine it with ease. As though I am also in that kitchen, walking near that river, or running from that bad guy. I need characters real enough to feel familiar - as though they are neighbors or family. As though I am privy to their secrets because I am a part of their lives. I want to suddenly laugh, cry, or yell. Both of these authors take me away to those other worlds and to that place of escape.





Author Tawni O'Dell - Pennsylvania





If I remember correctly, I discovered Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell during one of my wanderings through a local stick and mortar book store some years ago. I read the book and related to it so much that I had to read everything she has published since.





Ms. O'Dell describes herself -





"My roots: I'm half Pennsylvania redneck and half southern white trash. Growing up, I never really fit in. I always thought I was a freak because I liked books and living animals."





Her books are set in Pennsylvania, in coal mining communities. While I've never lived in coal mining areas, I do know people similar to the characters she writes about. I love her characters and the way she handles very tough and raw topics. I would describe her writing stark, dark, and humorous. You giggle when you least expect it, right in the middle of some really tough situation.





When describing her writing, others use words such as: raw, tense, captivating, touching, titilating, and unique. I agree. After reading her books, and I have read all of them except the most recent, I feel as though I know what life in coal mining community might be like.

Back Roads - An Unforgettable Debut Novel





Back Roads is Tawni O'Dell's debut novel. The setting is Pennsylvania mining country. Ms. O'Dell tells us the story of nineteen year old Harley Altmyer. He is an angry, unlucky, and did I mention angry young man who is left to raise his younger siblings. This in not a story for the faint of heart. Harley had reason to be angry, and it is unlikely you will forget this story about a dysfunctional family. I will never forget the thoughts Harley had during one of his sessions with his therapist. As someone who works with children, over the years I had already imagined that some of my clients have had very similar thoughts during our meetings. Thank you Ms. O'Dell for taking me for an unforgettable ride down a dark, bumpy, and frightening dirt road to the Altmyer home.





Note: If you like to read a book before the movie comes out, you'll want to read this soon. According to Tawni O'Dells website, this Oprah Book Club's pick is "soon to be a film".

Author Nora Roberts - Maryland





Nora Roberts. I thought she was strictly a romance writer. Old school romance isn't my thing. Based on my assumptions about romances, I had never picked up one of her books. After moving to Maryland, someone either told me that she writes more than romance or they just handed me one of her books. I can't recall exactly how I came to read these romantic thriller stories, but I was hooked from that moment on.





What can I possibly say about Ms. Roberts that hasn't already been said? My guess is that, if you are an avid reader, you've at least heard of her and probably have read her. She is a book writing machine who began her writing career when she was snowed in at home with her young children. I love the story of how she began.





In an interview with BookBrowse she says:



"The blizzard of '79 hit in February, and I was stuck in the house with two small children. Any mother out there knows what it is to weep bitter tears when the radio announces that there will be no morning kindergarten" .... "I'd never thought about writing as a career. I thought everyone made up stories in their heads. But after days of being trapped by the blizzard, I was tired of playing Candy Land and was desperate for some sort of release."





It was then she took pen to paper and immediately fell in love with the process of writing.





I love both her characters and her story lines. With many other authors, I like either their character development or the plot movement, but often I don't enjoy both equally. I do with Ms. Robert's writing. Both the characters and the story stick with me - often for years later.





The Witness - A Story of Good Versus Evil and a Woman's Will to Live





With 200+ books, there is likely something for everyone to choose from. I prefer the stories that mix romance with suspense. I want my hugs and kisses to be mixed in with evil people lurking in bushes and bouts of self-defense. I want my romance to be about strong women who are busy doing their own thing, standing on their own two feet, before becoming weak in the knees with love and lust.





The Witness is one such story, and much more. A young lady, who reminds me VERY much of some of the spectrum kids I've worked with over the years, witnesses one violent crime after another. She is able to escape alive but spends the remainder of her life running and hiding. Because she is brilliant and has certain skills, she is able to stay a step ahead of those who want her dead - despite having no family (who says only step-mothers are evil?) or friends to help her. Years later, she begins to experience the possibilities of love and home. Just as she begins to have a desire to put down roots, evil finds her again.













Related Links:





Tawni O'dell - Read more about Ms. Odell, her books, news, and upcoming releases and events on her website.





Nora Roberts - Read more about Ms. Roberts, her books, upcoming releases, and events on her website.





Inn Boonsboro - Boonsboro is a small town that I had driven through on one of my long, winding "Sunday Drives" when I first moved to Maryland. The surrounding area is gorgeous countryside - dotted with interesting small towns

. I was surprised to learn that Nora Roberts and her husband own the Inn Boonsboro.

Her husband owns the bookstore next to the Inn - Turn The Page

bookstore. Someday, I will stop and stay in Boonsboro, rather than just drive though. Perhaps, I will re-read The Inn Boonsboro Trilogy

while I'm there.





A Few More Favorite Books:

















Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. As an Amazon Associate I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.
A Cambodian policeman loads a protester into the back of a police truck during a demonstration in Phnom Penh demanding the release of detained rights defenders, May 9, 2016.

A Cambodian court has ordered a second official with the human-rights organization ADHOC to testify in the governments legal battle with Cambodia National Rescue Party leader Kem Sokha, RFAs Khmer Service has learned.

Phnom Penh Municipal Court investigating Judge Theam Chanpisith ordered ADHOC womens rights chief Chhorn Sokunthea to appear on April 24 concerning the legal cases surrounding the alleged affair between CNRP leader Kem Sokha and a young hairdresser named Khom Chandaraty.

ADHOC is tasked with human rights and legal issues, and we are fully aware of the legal proceedings during the investigation stage in which a witness is summoned, ADHOC Senior Investigator Soeng Senkarona told RFA on Monday.

Its a normal court proceeding, he added. We are not taken by surprise.

Chhorn Sokunthea is the second ADHOC employee summoned to appear before the court regarding the alleged affair. Eang Kimly, the organizations official in Prey Veng, was also summoned last month.

Four ADHOC employees were arrested on May 2 on charges that they attempted to bribe Khom Chandaraty to keep quiet about the alleged affair.

Kem Sokha has been holed up in the CNRP headquarters since heavily-armed police attempted to arrest him in May for ignoring court orders to appear as a witness in a pair of defamation cases related to his alleged affair with the woman, who is also known as the Srey Mom.

Sokhas parliamentary immunity was lifted because he refused to heed the court summonses, and he has been barred from leaving Cambodia.

Brainlessness

The latest court action comes as prominent land righst activists Tep Vanny and Bov Sophea were arrested for staging their 15th Black Monday protest.

The aim of their August 15 demonstration included a call for the government to resolve land-grab issues across the country once and for all.

The seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residentshas been a major cause of protest in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Myanmar.

The two women buried headless dummies in pits saying they represent the court, court officials, Kem Leys killer and those behind the murder. Their missing heads represent brainlessness, the protestors said.

Government critic Kem Ley was murdered on July 10, and many in Cambodia dont believe the governments story that he was killed by a former soldier over a debt.

Hun Sen has sued Thak Lany and CNRP President Sam Rainsy for defamation over remarks they allegedly made that tie the murder to the prime minister.

Thak Lany denies she made the remarks, saying that her comments were edited to make her look like she was lodging the criticism.

Song Srey Leap, a villager waiting for their release, told RFA over the phone that she wanted the government to treat people better.

I hope the government will change its attitude regarding how it deals with our concerns, she said. It should stop labeling us. We havent done anything against the law. Its within our constitutional rights to do what we are doing now.

Every Monday we support and join you

The Black Monday campaign was launched by civil society groups after the bribery arrests of the ADHOC officials. In addition to the ADHOC arrests, the Cambodian authorities also arrested an election official. At the same time a U.N. official was also charged.

Prime Minister Hun Sen and other officials have condemned the protests as a color revolution.

Over the years, Hun Sen has repeatedly inveighed against color revolutions, named after a series of popular movements that used passive resistance to topple governments in countries of the former Soviet Union during the 2000s.

Last week Phnom Penhs municipal government warned the CNRP against joining Black Monday after the CNRP endorsed the campaign.

While the CNRP is endorsing to the Black Monday campaign, its unclear how far the party will go.

On Monday Senior CNRP Lawmaker Eng Chhai Eang posted a photo of himself on Facebook wearing a black tee-shirt to protest for the release of the jailed activists.

He posted: Every Monday we support and join you for the Black Monday campaign to demand the release of the prisoners of conscience, and ask the court to drop all charges against political and rights activists.

Reported by Sothearin Yeang and Sel San for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
Scavengers dig for raw jade stones in piles of waste rubble next to a jade mine in Hpakant, northeastern Myanmar's Kachin state, Oct. 4, 2015.

A top government official vowed on Monday to keep migrant workers out of Myanmars jade mine sites where they often scavenge for the valuable gem in the dangerous slag-heaps and other tailings left by big, licensed mining operations.

Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation Minister Ohn Win said the government plans to start checking the entrances to the mining areas for illegal migrant workers in an effort to stop the scavengers.

We will stop them by checking entrances into the area, he said in answer to a question posed by Kyaw Ni Naing, a member of parliament from Myanmars upper house.

While he promised more robust government action, Ohn Win acknowledged the difficulty presented by the task.

We send illegal migrant workers who came to this area to find raw jade back to their villages, he said. We cant stop them systematically. We still have many migrant workers there.

The lure of green

Drawn by the promise of riches, migrant workers toil in the dangerous environment around the jade mines in Hpakant Township, in northern Myanmars Kachin State.

While Ohn Win said the government has sent 4,000 migrant workers home between 2013-2015, estimates for the number of migrants working in Hpakant run as high as 300,000.

Hpakant, which lies about 400 miles (640 kms) north of Myanmars capital Naypyidaw, is the center of the countrys jade mining industry and produces some of the highest-quality jade in the world

Much of the gem is exported or smuggled to neighboring China, where demand for the precious stone is high.

While large-scale, licensed mining operations take the lions share of the ore, there is enough jade in the tailings that a scavenger can earn $300 per month or more -- a large paycheck by regional standards.

Tough conditions

Living conditions in the remote, mountainous area are tough and most workers share simple shacks set up in dirty camps in the shadow of the pits and tailings.

Addiction to drugs such as heroin and opium, is common a hazard, and death often comes from cave-ins, landslides and other disasters.

In May a pair of mining disasters killed and injured at least 58 people, and another 70 people went missing in another disaster.

About 100 people were killed in a landslide in November 2015, and 40 people were killed in a similar accident in January.

In July, the government suspended the renewal of expiring jade mining permits and will only consider issuing new permits once by-laws to the Myanmar Gemstones Law have been passed.

While that could idle some of the licensed operations, companies can continue to dig until their licenses expire, and it will take until 2021 before the thousands of permits across the country come up for renewal, according to local press reports.

Reported and translated by RFA's Myanmar Service. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
An elderly Muslim talks to a younger man outside a mosque before Friday prayers in Urumqi, capital of western China's Xinjiang region, May 23, 2014.

The Chinese government is asking school children in the northwestern Xinjiang region to tell authorities who in their family prays, who wears a hijab, and who wears a beard, sources tell RFAs Uyghur Service.

While the sources say all middle and high school students in Aksu (in Chinese, Akesu) and Hotan (Hetian) prefectures are required to fill out a questionnaire telling authorities of their families religious activities, wardrobe and facial hair, the action appears to be directed at the regions Muslim Uyghurs.

The hijab, a daily routine of prayer and a beard are all hallmarks of Muslim practices.

A Uyghur teacher from Aksu region, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA that the regional educational department prepared a questionnaire that contains questions like: Is there anybody in your house who prays? Is there anybody who wears a hijab or has a beard? What kind of religious activities do they conduct? What kind of religious books are there in your house?

During a meeting about the form, Chinese authorities told educators that it was designed to curb the religious and separatist ideology of students entering the schools, the sources told RFA.

They tell us not to do any religious activities

A student from a Kashgar village and a guard at the village school in Hotans Lop county confirmed the questionnaires existence and contents, but said that similar forms have been issued before.

After we finish filling out the form, we take it to school, and the school collects them, said the student who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

They do it every year, the student explained. We are on summer break, but we are gathered at the school every Friday, and they tell us not to do any religious activities and such.

The guard, who also declined to be identified, told RFA that the questionnaire has to be stamped by authorities and presented at the school.

There should be stamps on it, the guard said. Both police and government. The students bring in the forms themselves. They are in Uyghur for the Uyghur students and Chinese for the Chinese students.

Attempts by RFA to reach higher authorities about the questionnaire were unsuccessful.

China has vowed to crack down on what it calls religious extremism in Xinjiang, and regularly conducts strike hard campaigns including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material.

But experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from Uyghur "separatists" and that domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2012.

Written by Gulchehra Ghoja for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Brooks Boliek.
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
It's a crime that won't go away.

During the past 17 years, Serbia has changed governments, presidents, and war-crimes prosecutors. But the 1999 killings of the Bytyqi brothers -- three twentysomething Albanian-Americans who left the United States to fight in Kosovo and whose bodies were found, bound execution-style, in a mass grave -- remains unresolved.

According to Praveen Madhiraju, a legal adviser to the Bytyqi family, the case is likely to be raised during U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden's August 16 visit to Belgrade, probably behind closed doors. That likelihood has brought the issue back into focus among Serbian media.

"In the Bytyqi case, Serbian political leaders have repeatedly failed to deliver on promises made to U.S. officials," Madhiraju told RFE/RL's Balkan Service via Skype.

When asked by reporters about the case on July 13, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that some people in Serbia might wonder "why we should investigate, if the victims were Albanian." But he added that "we should not cover up any crime" and made yet another pledge that the Bytyqi brothers' case would find its closure.

The bodies of 21-year-old Mehmet, 23-year-old Agron, and 25-year-old Ylli Bytyqi were found in 2001 in a mass grave in Petrovo Selo, near Kladovo, in eastern Serbia.

The brothers are believed to have been killed at a training compound in Petrovo Selo of the Serbian secret police in July 1999, shortly after the end of the war in Kosovo.

They had fought in the Atlantic Brigade, a volunteer branch of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that reportedly included hundreds of Albanian-Americans. All three were Chicago-born New York residents and U.S. citizens.

Soon after the July 1999 peace agreement that ended the Kosovo war, the three reportedly promised to escort several Romany neighbors to join relatives in Serbia. But when they crossed an unmarked boundary near the Merdare border crossing, they were detained by Serbian police for illegally entering what was then Yugoslavia and sentenced to 15 days in jail.

Near the end of their sentences, they were reportedly taken to the police training compound and held in a warehouse. On the evening of July 9, 1999, they are believed to have been bound with wire and driven to a garbage dump, where they were summarily executed with shots to the back of the neck.

The Serbian war-crimes prosecutor indicted two police officers suspected of transporting the brothers from Prokuplje prison to Petrovo Selo, but both men were acquitted in 2012. During the trial, the defendants claimed that they had received the order to drive the brothers to Petrovo Selo from Vlastimir Djordjevic, Serbia's assistant interior minister at the time.

The initial investigation into the killings, launched by the Serbian war crimes prosecutor with assistance from the United States, focused on three people: Djordjevic; Vlajko Stojiljkovic, a former interior minister who committed suicide in 2002; and Goran Radosavljevic, the former commander of a special police unit who was in charge of the Petrovo Selo training center.

Djordjevic was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague for participation in the 1999 Serb crackdown on Kosovar Albanians. After the war, he went into hiding in Russia but was arrested in Montenegro in June 2007. He was later sentenced by The Hague tribunal to 18 years in prison for war crimes committed in Kosovo.

Radosavljevic is now a retired police special forces commander but remains active in politics as a member of the executive board of Serbia's ruling Progressive Party. He has been questioned in relation to the Bytyqi brothers' deaths, but no indictment has been issued. He denies any involvement in the crime.

In the decade since the investigation began, a number of witnesses have claimed that they were threatened to prevent them from testifying. One witness, Miroslav Mitrovic, died in Kraljevo, in Serbia, in 2004, where his family lives in fear of revenge.

Despite the fact that the crime is thought to have taken place while the Bytyqi brothers were in Serbian police custody, it remains unclear who killed them or who ordered the killings.

Milica Kostic, head of the legal department at Belgrade-based Center for Humanitarian Law, told RFE/RL's Belgrade bureau in an interview on August 15:

"The case cannot be resolved without addressing the wider issues [related to the Serbian state and the army's conduct of the war in Kosovo]. Three individuals were detained. Someone drove them, someone fed them, and moved them from one location to another. [We know that] they ended up in a mass grave.... There were clearly more people involved. The U.S. will continue to ask questions, and that may sour relations between Belgrade and Washington. [U.S. pressure] may eventually force Serbia to give up one of its retired police commanders. But we have to ask for more. We should demand to know precisely how that state functioned, how it was possible for a crime of this nature to occur. After all, the chief of staff of our armed forces is suspected of a war crime."

We would probably never have known about the Bytyqi brothers if they had not had U.S. passports, underscoring questions about how many others suffered a similar fate and how many such killers will go unpunished.

Kostic is aware of claims that the Bytyqi case is an exception, but argues that it points to systemic problems.

"The case is exceptional, but the reasons why it has not been resolved in court are not exceptional. This is a type of case that Serbia does not want to deal with. Radosavljevic is a person against whom Serbia does not want to lay charges. In this country, we do not take high officials to court. Any investigation in which members of the police or the army are implicated faces obstructions of justice. There is no political will to open up the archives of the Ministry of Defense, or of the Ministry of Interior. People are afraid to speak out. There is a code of silence.

"This case is also a problem because it involves mass graves; there were more than 900 bodies of Albanians in [such] graves. No government -- neither this one, nor any of the previous ones -- wants to deal with the issue of mass graves."

With Biden's visit looming, the proverbial passing of the buck began in Serbia -- although it did not appear to be connected to any sense of justice over the deaths of the three brothers' deaths. On August 11, Dragan Jocic, the former Serbian interior minister, publicly called on Radosavljevic to help solve the Bytyqi case "because the U.S. administration is putting pressure on Serbia over the issue." For his part, Radosavljevic has accused Jocic of responsibility in the setting alight of the U.S. Embassy during protests in Belgrade in 2008 against Kosovar independence. It appears that as far as both men are concerned, the problem is not what happened to the Bytyqis but the fact that the United States is demanding an investigation.

The Bytyqi case implicates more than just formerly prominent -- and still influential -- individuals. As Kostic points out, it is also a signpost to other graves and other crimes whose perpetrators were deeply embedded in the state and military apparatus of the late President Slobodan Milosevic's state. A culture of impunity still prevails in Serbia, and there is little desire among politicians to confront the pall still being cast by the 1990s.
An appeals court in the Azerbaijani capital has rejected an appeal by investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova against a court order barring her from leaving the country.

The court rejected the appeal on August 15 and left the travel ban in place.

Ismayilova, who is a contributor to RFE/RLs Azerbaijan Service and laureate of numerous international awards for her journalism, was arrested in December 2014.

She was later convicted of tax evasion, misappropriation of property, and other charges. She was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison.

In May, Azerbaijans Supreme Court reduced her sentence to a suspended prison term of 3 1/2 years and ordered her released. That sentence was reduced earlier this month to 2 years and 3 months.

Ismayilova and her supporters maintain that the charges against her were politically motivated in retaliation for her extensive reporting linking Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs and his family to corruption.

Based on reporting by RIA Novosti and Trend


Well we sure have seen this movie before.

Russia makes a spectacular allegation that ramps up tensions and dominates several news cycles.

Then, on closer scrutiny, holes appear in the narrative until it loses credibility everywhere.

Everywhere, that is, except in Russia.

We saw this with the infamous Lisa case, in which Moscow falsely claimed that German authorities covered up the sexual assault of an ethnic-Russian girl by migrants in Berlin -- causing weeks of controversy over an incident that never happened.

And now we appear to be seeing it with Moscow's allegations that Ukraine sent a team of agent-saboteurs to the annexed Crimean peninsula to carry out terrorist attacks.

The OSCE, for example, says it has found no evidence of the shootout Moscow claims took place between the alleged Ukrainians and Russian forces near the boundary separating Russian-occupied Crimea and mainland Ukraine.

Additionally, Russian state television aired footage allegedly showing the FSB discovering a weapons cache belonging to the purported Ukrainian saboteurs on August 8.

There was just one problem.

The television footage showed a full moon. And the last full moon was on July 21.

And what about those three suspects Russia says confessed to planning terrorist attacks?

Well, one of them appears to be a construction worker with a criminal record and a history of anti-Ukrainian posts on social media.

One is a Crimean Tatar who appears to have been arrested weeks before ago.

And one is a truck driver from Zaporizhzhya whose family insists was kidnapped.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

But, just like the Lisa case, Moscow is stubbornly sticking to its story even as the evidence piles up suggesting it was made up out of whole cloth.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the world faces the most dangerous decade since World War II and predicted that the historical period of the West's "undivided dominance over world affairs" is coming to an end.

Speaking on October 27 at a conference of international policy experts in Moscow, Putin said the decade ahead is "probably the most dangerous, unpredictable and, at the same time, important...since the end of World War II."

Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Putin laid the blame for the situation at the feet of Western countries, which he said have cast aside the norms of international affairs in order to maintain dominance and hold down countries they see as "second-class civilizations."

The Russian leader also said he had no regrets about sending troops into Ukraine and sought to explain the conflict as part of the efforts by Western countries to secure their global domination.

Putin claimed in his speech to the Valdai Discussion Club, a think tank, that the West had helped incite the conflict and also seeks to stoke a crisis over Taiwan in an attempt to enforce global dominance.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, triggering the biggest military conflict in Europe since World War II and driving relations with Western countries that back Ukraine and its drive to be part of the European Union and NATO to their lowest depths since the Cold War.

Putin cast the conflict in Ukraine as a battle between the West and Russia for the fate of the second-largest Eastern Slav country. It is partly a "civil war," he said, as Russians and Ukrainians are one people. Kyiv has flatly rejected both of those ideas.

The goal of what Russia refers to as a "special military operation" is to take the eastern Donbas region, Putin said, adding that in his view the region would "not have survived" on its own had Russia not intervened militarily in Ukraine.

WATCH: A local official told Russian conscripts "You are not cannon fodder" in a video published online recently. The men responded by angrily shouting that, actually, that's exactly what they are.

But the war has gone far beyond the Donbas region, with Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure, residential buildings, and other nonmilitary structures, killing tens of thousands of Ukrainians across the country.

Putin used the speech largely to rail against the West, saying it has nothing to offer to the world "except its own domination," and the goal of globalization "is neocolonialism to dominate the world." He said Russia is only trying to defend its right to exist in the face these Western efforts.

Putin also asserted that more and more nations refuse to follow Washington's demands and Russia will never accept the West's attempts to dominate the world.

Citing gay pride parades and the acceptance of transgender people in Western countries, Putin also defended "traditional values" and said "nobody can dictate to our people how to develop and what society we should build."

He also said Russia has never considered the West an enemy and has many things in common with it but will continue to oppose the diktat of Western neoliberal elites.

U.S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Putin's speech presented no new ideas.

"We don't believe that Mr. Putin's strategic goals have changed here. He doesn't want Ukraine to exist as a sovereign, independent nation state," Kirby said.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Putin's speech can be described as "for Freud," referring to psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud.



"The person who invaded a foreign country, annexed its land, and committed genocide accuses others of violating international law and the sovereignty of other countries? One truth: The person who started a wind will get a storm. The storm is coming," he said on Twitter.

Answering questions from journalists after his speech, Putin reiterated the Kremlin's assertion that Ukraine plans to use a so-called dirty bomb on its own territory. The claim has been dismissed as false by Ukraine and its allies, who say Russia may have raised the matter because it plans to use such a bomb in Ukraine as a pretext for escalation.

"It was me who ordered [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu to inform by phone all his colleagues about it," Putin said, adding that Russia does not need to use dirty bombs in Ukraine.

Putin also said he supported plans by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit Ukraine's nuclear power plants for inspections.

"It must be done as soon and as openly as possible because we know that Kyiv authorities are now working to cover up such [dirty-bomb attack] preparations," Putin said, without giving any exact information proving the claim.

Ukraine invited IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities after the Kremlin made its unsubstantiated claim about the preparation of a dirty bomb -- which would use the explosion of a conventional warhead to spread radioactive material or chemicals over a wide area.

Ukraine said it would welcome inspections because it had "nothing to hide."

According to Putin, Russia has never talked about the use of nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine despite his own promise to defend Russian territory with any means at our disposal" and saying his words were "not a bluff."

"We see no need for [using nuclear weapons in Ukraine]," Putin told reporters. "There is no sense for that, neither political, nor military."
Lawmakers in Iraq have approved five new government ministers following months of delay and unrest.

Parliament on August 15 approved Prime Minister Haider al-Abadis nominees for ministers of oil, transport, higher education, housing and construction, and water resources. Lawmakers, however, rejected the candidate to head the trade ministry.

Abadi in February announced his intention to fill the government with technocrats, but he met stiff resistance from parliamentary parties who expected political appointees.

Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr organized repeated mass protests to support Abadis proposal and to push for even further reforms.

On several occasions, those protests breached Baghdads fortified Green Zone and demonstrators stormed parliament and other government buildings.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov might be a longtime Twitter user, but that doesn't necessarily make him social-media savvy.



The official recently used his two Twitter accounts -- in English, and in Kazakh and Russian -- to put the call out for his thousands of followers to list their nation's biggest achievements in its 25 years of independence.



The apparent idea was to use the hashtags #25 or #25KAZ to collect positive feedback ahead of Kazakh Independence Day, which is celebrated on December 16.



Masimov got a bit more than he bargained for from the Twitter masses, however.



The hashtags prompted a barrage of tweets revealing latent anger over corruption, the state of Kazakh democracy, the police, and the government in general.



"To deliver a healthy baby you have to pay a bribe in the maternity ward, to get a place in a kindergarten -- pay bribes again. At school? Guess what," tweeted Kairat Nyrmugambetov at @iKairat, referring to allegations of widespread bribery in schools and hospitals.

"A new factory for light-engine planes was built in Karaganda that hasn't produced a single plane in five years," wrote @AlmiriKarpykov from Almaty:

Another popular response to Masimov's initiative suggested that Kazakhstan -- whose president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, has ruled the country since 1989 -- has never had a democratic presidential election.



"We've never had a chance to elect another president!" wrote Aidos kapanov at @aidoseg from Almaty.

"We fear police more than bandits and terrorists," tweeted M. Gustav at @kasymjanym:

Twitter user @parfume_kz took the opportunity to complain that "free breakfast has been canceled for schoolchildren."

"In Kazakhstan, the government has created crony socialism, whose source of existence is legalized robbery, not collective labor," wrote @sakesha.

The initiative has generated some positive tweets, of course, although many are from the state-controlled @kazinformkz news agency and Kazakh embassies abroad.

And @kazinformkz hijacked the hashtags to highlight Kazakh athletes' achievements at the Olympic Games in Rio and to report domestic news, including Masimov's trip to an Almaty dairy farm:

-- Farangis Najibullah
The Kyrgyz Embassy in Moscow has asked Russian law enforcement to thoroughly investigate the recent killing of a Kyrgyz citizen in the Russian capital.

Embassy officials said on August 15 that the body of the slainKyrgyz man -- identified only as A.T. Munduzov, born in 1980 and a native of Kyrgyzstans southern region of Osh -- would be transported to Kyrgyzstan soon.

Russian media reports said earlier that several young men rushed into a shop in Moscow on August 12 and stabbed a 36-year-old Kyrgyz man and the shop owner, a 69-year-old ethnic Armenian man to death.

Another man who tried to assist the victims was injured and is currently hospitalized.

People from Central Asia and the Caucasus are often harassed or assaulted by ultranationalists in Russia.


The prosecutor's office in Moscow has refused to indict Ukrainian Literature Library Director Natalya Sharina, who was facing charges of extremism and embezzlement.

Sharina's lawyer, Ivan Pavlov, said on August 15 that the prosecutor's office had returned the case to investigators, adding that no reason for the action was provided.

Sharina was detained in October and charged with inciting extremism and ethnic hatred because the library's collection allegedly included books by Ukrainian ultranationalist author Dmytro Korchynskiy, whose works are banned in Russia.

She was placed under house arrest.

In April, investigators charged Sharina with misallocating library funds, allegedly because she used library funds to pay for her legal defense in another extremism case against her that was dismissed in 2013.

Attorney Pavlov said the authorities had "trumped up" new charges after realizing their initial case against his client was too weak.

Sharina has rejected all the allegations, saying they are politically motivated.

Based on reporting by Interfax and rapsinews.ru


Russia's Paralympic Committee has filed an appeal against a decision by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to ban Russian athletes from participating in the September 7-18 games in Rio de Janeiro.

The Russian committee announced on August 15 that it has filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and that a hearing in the matter has been scheduled for August 21.

A decision could be expected on August 22, the committee added.

"We expect success for our appeal and a [favorable] decision by the [CAS]," Vladimir Lukin, president of the Russian Paralympic Committee, told Rossia 1 television.

Earlier this month, the IPC banned Russia's entire team of nearly 270 athletes because Russia had engaged in state-organized doping of athletes.

IPC President Philip Craven said the Russian team was part of a "broken system" and expressed sympathy for those who had avoided doping.

Although the International Olympic Committee did not impose such a blanket ban, more than 100 Russian athletes were barred from competing in the Rio Olympic Games in the wake of a report by the World Anti-Doping Agency describing systematic doping in Russia involving the main state security agency and the countrys main anti-doping laboratory.

Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier have held talks in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg that focused primarily on Ukraine and Syria.

Speaking to reporters after the August 15 meeting, the two ministers affirmed their support for the Minsk process aimed at resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov said Moscow is prepared to provide "irrefutable" evidence of an alleged plan by Kyiv to launch sabotage attacks in Crimea, the Ukrainian region that Moscow annexed in 2014.

Moscow does not plan to sever diplomatic relations with Ukraine over the incident, saying that doing so would be "an extreme measure," Lavrov added.

Ukraine has denied any involvement in or knowledge of such a sabotage plot.

Steinmeier said the worsening situation in Ukraine in recent weeks is "worrisome" and called on both Moscow and Kyiv to investigate the alleged sabotage plot.

On Syria, Lavrov said a cease-fire in the area around the city of Aleppo is needed, but that first "it is necessary to deal with the issues of the fight against terrorists."

He accused rebels fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of using short-term humanitarian truces to regroup and of using humanitarian corridors to bring additional fighters and weapons to the conflict zone.

Before his meeting with Steinmeier, Lavrov had 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.

The position of EU powerhouse Germany has been crucial to keeping sanctions in place against Russia over its interference in Ukraine.

Based on reporting by Interfax and Reuters


Vladimir Putin is throwing his old pals under the bus. He's replacing them with loyal and docile servants. And he's building a security apparatus that answers to him alone.

A year ago, Putin fired longtime associate Vladimir Yakunin as head of Russian Railways.

A few months back, he effectively dismissed Viktor Ivanov as director of the Federal Antinarcotics Service.

Last week, he removed his old crony Sergei Ivanov as Kremlin chief of staff.

And in the middle of all that, Putin set up a powerful National Guard, a 400,000-strong force that is run by the Kremlin leader's former bodyguard and answers to him alone.

Putin is becoming a solitary man. He's building a personal army and members of his once-powerful inner circle are dropping like flies.

"The age of the collective rule of Putin's friends is coming to an end," writes political analyst Vladimir Pastukhov, a visiting fellow at St. Antony's College at Oxford University.



And they're not just being fired, they're being humiliated.

Consider Sergei Ivanov, a KGB veteran who has worked with Putin for decades. In addition to being Kremlin chief of staff -- one of the most powerful posts in the country -- Ivanov has served as Security Council secretary, defense minister, and deputy prime minister.

And his new job? Special assistant to the president for ecology and transportation.

But hey, at least he still has a job.

When Viktor Ivanov got the boot this past spring, it was almost an afterthought. Putin simply liquidated the Federal Antinarcotics Service he ran, merging it into the Interior Ministry, leaving the once-influential KGB veteran on the outside looking in.

When Yakunin was dismissed as head of Russian Railways, he was offered the soft landing of a seat in the Federation Council, the upper chamber of parliament.

Given his stature and long-standing ties to Putin, Yakunin assumed that he would be given a leadership position, perhaps even deputy speaker.

But when leaks to the media revealed that he would be just a rank-and-file lawmaker, that he wouldn't have an office in the Federation Council's main building, and that his official car wouldn't be a Mercedes or a Volvo but a Ford Focus, Yakunin said, "Thanks, but no thanks."

This trend is likely to continue. There are persistent reports in the media that another old Putin crony, Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin, is quickly falling out of favor.

And who is getting promoted is just as important as who is getting fired: Mid-level bureaucrats and career civil servants who have no power base of their own and who owe their careers to Putin alone.

Anton Vaino, the new Kremlin chief of staff, is emblematic of this new governing class.

"In place of a prince who ruled with his entourage, there is now a tsar who rules over his servants," Pastukhov writes.

One group of Putin's old inner circle, however, appears to be immune to the purge.

Businessmen like Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, Gennady Timchenko, and Yury Kovalchuk make their billions off of state contracts, but they can also be counted on to finance Putin's pet projects. In Putin's new system, they remain useful.

"Putin is moving closer to those who serve him and away from those who, because of their resources, claim to be co-rulers," writes political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya.

By scrapping his old system of ruling through elite consensus and balancing clan interests and moving toward one-man rule, Putin is not only breaking with the governing model he has used for his 16 years in power, he is also breaking with the governing model used by every Russian or Soviet leader since Josef Stalin.

And we all know what Stalin felt he needed to do to make that system work.

Which is why the new National Guard, run by Putin's old bodyguard and uber-loyalist, Viktor Zolotov, is so important. It absorbs Russia's Interior Ministry troops, the OMON riot police, and the SOBR -- or SWAT -- forces. And it reports directly to Putin.

When it was first announced in the spring, commentators assumed the National Guard's primary purpose would be to quickly suppress a popular uprising -- and it may eventually be used for that reason.

But its real target appears to be the elite. It's a message that if anybody gets any bright ideas about attempting a palace coup, they will need to contend with Putin's own personal Praetorian Guard.

And in that case, we'll see just how far Russia's solitary man is prepared to go.
U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says he would work with Russia to defeat the extremist Islamic State (IS) group and would introduce "extreme vetting" before allowing immigrants into the United States if he becomes president.

Trump, giving a foreign policy speech in the mideastern state of Ohio on August 15 focused on fighting Islamic extremists, said "we can never choose our friends, but we can never fail to recognize our enemies."

He added that he would work "very closely with NATO on the mission" of fighting IS and other Islamist groups.

Trump said he would construct a commission on "radical Islam" as one of his first acts as president and instruct the State Department to create a list of regions around the world in which no one would be allowed to immigrate to the United States.

The billionaire and former reality TV star also attacked his main competitor in the November 8 presidential election, Hillary Clinton, saying she lacked the "mental and physical stamina" to take on the "many advesaries that we face."

Earlier on August 15, the Clinton campaign accused Trump and of having "pro-Putin policy stances" and said Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort should disclose his ties to "Russian or pro-Kremlin entities."

That charge was based on a New York Times report that Manafort had received millions of dollars from the party of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was pro-Russian.

Manafort said he is a "campaign professional" but said the New York Times article was inaccurate.

Ukrainian officials are investigating the charges.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
In 2011, Bilgin Balanli, a decorated four-star general in the Turkish Air Force, was expected to become Turkeys chief of the general staff. Instead, he was arrested, together with hundreds of other generals, admirals, and high-ranking officers. His supposed crime? Plotting to overthrow the government of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP). Soon, the number of arrested officers from Turkeys Armed Forces reached 700.

Three years later, in 2014, Balanli was released, together with hundreds of other officers. No credible evidence was ever presented that they were involved in any plot. In April of this year, Turkeys highest court of appeal found that the entire indictment against the officers was based on fabricated claims and that there was no plot against the government.

Whether or not the plot was real, the result was that the cream of the Turkish Armed Forces, NATOs second-largest, was purged and many high-ranking officers replaced by supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a hugely influential cleric now living in self-exile in the United States.

After becoming prime minister in 2003, Erdogan tolerated, if not supported Gulen and his secretive movement, largely because he saw the strictly secular armed forces and judiciary, which would regularly clean up their ranks of what they saw as Islamists and ethnic separatists, as a threat. Indeed, the army was uncomfortable with Erdogans government and in 2008 the Constitutional Court mulled banning the AKPs leading figures from politics.

A few years into Erdogans rule, it became difficult to get an important government position or get a good business deal against the blessing of the community -- a reference to supporters of Gulen, who established themselves in the military, the security services, the judiciary, the education system, and the media. This was a new and unspoken dichotomy: a traditionally secular army and court system that was infiltrated by the Gulenists. There were also many Gulenists within Erdogans government.

It was under these conditions that in 2011, Gulenist prosecutors and judges orchestrated an attack against senior members of the army and judiciary, claiming they were planning a coup against Erdogans government. In reality, this was just an attempt to destroy Turkeys traditional secular and pro-Western structures.

Standing trial after his arrest in 2011, General Balanli said in court that the goal of this dirty plot [the accusations that he was taking part in a coup] was to behead the eagle, a reference to the Turkish Armed Forces. Last week, almost a month after the July 15 coup attempt, Balanli spoke out again in an interview with the daily Hurriyet: With the coup attempt, the eagle has now lost its wings and tail. To achieve its pre-2011 strength, [the armed forces] need at least eight to 10 years.

If losing some 700 officers, including generals and admirals, in 2011 was the beheading of the Turkish Armed Forces, the July 15 coup attempt and its aftermath has inflicted an even deeper wound on an institution whose primary goal was to safeguard the secular and democratic republic of its founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Five years ago, when the Gulenist movement first moved against the armed forces, Erdogan and his government sat back and watched. They were afraid of the military and feared the secularists had plans to remove them from power. Thus, they were happy to let the Gulenists do their dirty work. When asked about the crackdown, Erdogan and his ministers would just say that justice in Turkey was impartial and nobody should intervene in the proceedings.

But by 2013, those same Gulenist prosecutors and judges were campaigning against Erdogan, his family members, and close aides. They allegedly publicized audio recordings of Erdogan and his children, implicating them in corruption and misappropriation, although none of the allegations was substantiated in court.

This time, Erdogan hit back.

Shortly afterwards, he began to purge government agencies, the police, the judiciary, the armed forces, the media, and educational institutions of Gulenists. If it is true that the coup plotters were Gulen supporters acting on the clerics orders, then it is plausible that they decided to attack because they feared being eliminated by Erdogan and his AKP.

The failed coup has given Erdogan the perfect excuse to do just that -- remove all traces of Gulenist influence. Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Alan has said that some 76,000 government employees have been suspended following the failed coup attempt. They have all been accused of having connections to the Gulen movement.

Some 3,083 of the arrested were police officers, 7,248 were soldiers, 2,288 were judges and prosecutors, 199 were local officials, and 4,161 were civilians, the minister added. This includes around 150 generals and admirals and half of the countrys fighter pilots.

The long-term consequences for Turkeys military could be huge. Becoming a general or an admiral can take around 20 years; fighter pilots must commit to eight to 10 years of active duty. Add to that the new changes the Erdogan government has made regarding the decentralization of the Turkish Armed Forces. Using the extraordinary power of the president during the state of emergency, all commanders of the land, air, and naval forces will report directly to their respective ministers in the civil government and no longer to the chief of the general staff, as was previously the case. The chief of the general staff will now directly report to Erdogan himself.

To some observers, this could help democratize society. There are concerns, however, that these new lines of authority will mean an end to the Turkish Armed Forcess meritocracy, especially when those lines lead directly to the president, his prime minister, and a few loyal ministers.
TURKENABAT, Turkmenistan -- Residents of the eastern Turkmenistan city of Turkmenabat say local police have been enforcing an 11 p.m. curfew for the past several days without giving any explanation.

RFE/RL correspondents reported on August 15 that locals have been stopped by police after 10 p.m. and warned to be in their homes before 11. Anyone found on the streets after 11 p.m. is taken into custody.

Police then detain them for up to 18 hours, demanding that relatives come and identify them.

Detainees are required to provide a written explanation for their presence on the streets.

No official statements have been made to announce the curfew or explain the police actions.

Turkmenabat is the capital of Lebap province, which borders neighboring Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

There have been media reports of shooting incidents along the Turkmen-Afghan border, allegedly involving Taliban militants and Turkmen border guards, since early 2015.
KYIV -- At a bustling Kyiv intersection lined with storefronts selling coffee and pastries, a pile of red roses surrounds a black-and-white photograph of Pavel Sheremet, an intrepid journalist who was killed by a car bomb here on July 20.

The simple, solemn memorial to Sheremet is also a symbol of a wave of attacks on journalists -- online and in the streets -- that has raised stark questions about power, patriotism, and the freedom of speech in Ukraine, and clouded the country's chances for normalcy.

In a nation struggling with economic troubles and Russian aggression, media professionals suspect they are being targeted in a far-reaching campaign of abuse whose perpetrators, like Sheremets unidentified killers, have so far acted with total impunity.



Journalists who have challenged the authorities, veered from the governments narrative on the conflict with Russia-backed separatists in the east, or reported from separatist-held territories have found themselves in the crosshairs of coordinated online attacks carried out by hypernationalist trolls and bots -- attacks that in some cases have been supported, at least verbally, by high-ranking government and security officials.

The barrage of criticism has inspired public contempt for journalists as well as hacks and leaks of their personal data, including e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and passport information, and their correspondence with sources. Some journalists have faced death threats and physical assaults.

The day before Sheremet died -- when a bomb blast hit the car he was driving to work -- a journalist was stabbed three times in a Kyiv park and another was beaten on the street five days later.

According to the Kyiv-based Institute of Mass Information (IMI), a media watchdog that tracks attacks on reporters in Ukraine, the Prosecutor-General's Office logged 113 criminal offenses -- including physical attacks, damage to property, and obstruction of activities -- committed against journalists in the first half of 2016.



For a quarter-century, muckraking journalists in Ukraine have faced harassment, intimidation, and worse from powerful people in government and business. The media landscape is still scarred by the grisly killing of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze, whose headless corpse was found in a forest outside Kyiv after he disappeared in 2000.

The Kyiv Post newspaper has compiled a list of more than 50 Ukrainian journalists who have been killed or who died under suspicious circumstances since the country gained independence in the Soviet collapse of 1991. Others have gone missing, been beaten, or threatened with violence.

The new wave of attacks presents a crucial test for Ukraine in the wake of the Euromaidan protests that drove Viktor Yanukovych, a president compromised by corruption allegations and strong Kremlin influence, from power in 2014.

How the government handles it, observers and insiders say, will play a powerful role in determining whether Ukraine will tread a path toward greater democracy and Western integration or slide back into authoritarianism and crony capitalism.

That second route would leave it all the more vulnerable to pressure from Russia, which has destabilized Ukraine by seizing the Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and supporting separatists in a war that has killed more than 9,500 people in the eastern Donbas region since that April.

So far, it doesnt look promising.

Resigning in frustration and anger on August 3, Deputy Information Policy Minister Tetyana Popova condemned what she called the governments lack of will to investigate abuse against journalists and defend freedom of speech.

I do not support attacks on journalists and attacks on freedom of speech by political organizations and individual political officials, Popova wrote on Facebook. I cannot tolerate the absence of a proper reaction to these kinds of attacks.

The assaults that bookended Sheremets assassination occurred in broad daylight in the countrys capital, but nobody has been prosecuted for them -- or even arrested.

The same goes for his killing. A flurry of details about the mechanics of the attack and theories about a motive in the hours afterward have given way to something close to silence from law enforcement, and there is little sign that a solution is imminent.

Colleagues view the fact that a high-ranking police official who reportedly assigned surveillance to Sheremet weeks before his death was allowed to enjoy a long summer vacation before being questioned as evidence that Ukraines leaders are not taking the case seriously. The official returned to Kyiv on August 6 and wrote a statement about the alleged surveillance, but has not yet been formally questioned.

What many journalists find more disturbing is the ambivalent, sometimes supportive stance the Ukrainian authorities have taken toward a newer brand of attacks on journalists -- one that is thriving in the Internet age.

Oksana Romanyuk, the director of IMI and Ukraine representative for Reporters Without Borders, told RFE/RL that authorities still account for some of the attacks against journalists. But this year, she says, she has noticed a startling shift: Most threats and attacks, including those online, have been carried out by civilians.



She said that 71 attacks against journalists, two-thirds of the total so far in 2016, have been committed by private persons, 50 by officials, and six by law enforcement."

The attackers are tech-savvy hackers, Internet trolls, and in a growing number of cases media employees known as patriotic journalists, who align themselves with the state.

Members of this group tend to display unconditional support for what they see as Ukraines interests, view issues such as the war in eastern Ukraine though a filter of black and white and good and evil, and suspect a Russian-orchestrated conspiracy behind anyone even remotely critical of Ukraine.

This is a new phenomenon, said Katya Gorchinskaya, chief executive officer of the Kyiv-based Hromadske.TV, told RFE/RL. The particular split [among journalists], as well as an alliance of patriotic citizens and government, is new.



Hromadske.TV has experienced the movements harassment firsthand. Earlier this month, the online public TV company, created at the start of the Euromaidan protests in 2013, found itself the subject of a well-organized online attack carried out by an army of trolls and bots after it published a video report that showed fighting in the flash-point eastern town of Avdiyivka that authorities complained gave away Ukrainian military positions.



Though we dont know who commissioned the attack, we do know that their position was strongly pro-government, Gorchinskaya wrote in an op-ed for The Guardian in July.



Those who stand up against the attacks themselves often face threats and criticism.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Popova said that the actions of the Ukrainian authorities  and what she termed their lack of action in prosecuting those who attack journalists -- sow hatred and encourage others to indulge in similar attacks.

There are many politicians in the government who do not understand the importance thatjournalists and free speech play in democracy, she said.



Popova continues to serve in the ministry until parliament can vote to approve her resignation. She said she hopes it will be done before the end of August.



Her resignation was a rebellion against the governments silent approval of violence and trolling of journalists, Gorchinskaya said.

From I-Army To Myrotvorets



Romanyuk said she noticed a spike in such trolling of journalists following the creation in February 2015 of a Ukrainian Internet army headed by Information Policy Minister Yuriy Stets, a close ally of President Petro Poroshenko who once worked at Channel 5, a TV news company controlled by Poroshenko.

Each of your information messages is a bullet in your enemys conscience, read the website of the ministrys i-army, which said its goal was countering Russias formidable propaganda machine.

It invited patriotic Ukrainian Internet users to submit their names and e-mail addresses to join other information warriors. Weekly e-mails were then sent to the i-army with information about stories and reporters it disagreed with and what must be done to counter them. For instance, if a reporter used the term rebel to describe Russia-backed separatists or civil war to describe the conflict, members were urged to hound the publication and the reporter on their social-media accounts. For the i-army, the preferred terms are terrorists and Russias war.



Romanyuk says the i-army seems to have paved the way for the more serious trolling and cyberattacks against journalists that began last May, when a Ukrainian nationalist website called Myrotvorets, or Peacemaker, hacked and published the personal data of more than 5,000 Ukrainian and foreign reporters and fixers who applied for press passes issued by separatists who hold territory in the Donetsk region and branded them terrorist collaborators. The information was gleaned during a hack of the separatists servers.



There is widespread suspicion that the hack was conducted by employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, or perhaps by close allies contracted by the organization. Myrotvorets is said to be directed by an elusive Ukrainian who goes by the name Roman Zaytsev. Zaytsevs Facebook page, on which his face is masked, lists his occupation as director of the site and his past occupation as department head at the SBU.

Zaytsev did not respond to requests for comment, which were addressed to the Facebook page. In a written statement to RFE/RL, SBU chief of staff Oleksandr Tkachuk said that the Security Service of Ukraine has no relation to the creation of the website Myrotvorets, and it is not cooperating with persons associated with its operation.

Tkachuk added that nobody named Roman Zaytsev is or was an employe[e] or officer or an adviser in the SBU. The SBUs position, he said, is that the Myrotvorets site summarizes information on the Internet that is in the public domain, namely information voluntarily submitted to open and socially oriented public resources, and therefore has operated legally.

In fact, however, much of the information Myrotvorets published was not shared publicly on social media; it was shared privately over e-mail. And documents included in the leak, such as passports, had not been made public by the journalists.



Rights groups and international observers warned of the danger of reprisals stemming from the leaks.

Such irresponsible comments and actions jeopardize the safety of journalists and human rights defenders and violate their right to privacy, Human Rights Watch said in an August 10 report.

Sure enough, in the days and weeks following the leaks, many journalists whose names appeared on the Myrotvorets list received death threats from anonymous social-media users or via text message from unidentified numbers. Dozens of journalists faced a barrage of negative comments on Facebook and Twitter.

Far from denouncing the distribution of personal data and the rhetoric used to describe journalists named in the leaks, some high-ranking officials and politicians have backed Myrotvorets. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov branded the journalists on the list as liberal-separatists. Anton Herashchenko, an Avakov adviser and lawmaker from the Peoples Front -- part of the ruling coalition in parliament led by Poroshenkos party -- told his more than 100,000 followers on Facebook that they were traitors and terrorist collaborators.



Poroshenko did condemn the Myrotvorets leak -- but not until several weeks later, when he was pushed to respond during his annual press conference in June. And he added a caveat that echoed the position of Myrotvorets itself: Journalists should not write negative articles about Ukraine.



For Romanyuk, Poroshenkos remarks were too little, too late. And they have not put an end to the leaks or the threats.



On August 4 came a second leak of journalists data. It included private information about many dozens of journalists, including those from foreign media outlets such as the Associated Press, Al-Jazeera, the BBC, CNN, The New York Times, and RFE/RL.

It was also swiftly followed by a salvo of fresh criticism, with Ukrainian nationalists and officials quickly voicing their support and echoing previous sentiments that journalists reporting on the war from separatist-controlled territory were collaborating with terrorists.

One such critical remark came from Roman Donik, a volunteer who supplies soldiers with equipment and who issued a warning to journalists on the day of the second leak.

If you dont cleanse your profession yourselves, it will be cleaned up by kicking your face in, Donik wrote on Facebook. And, yes, I see nothing seditious in the fact that journalists have been beaten, especially if theyve received accreditation in [separatist-controlled Donetsk]. Its a professional hazard, like how a sanitation worker smells like shit.

The latest leak is purported to have come from Tatyana Yegorova, a disgruntled former administrator of the Donetsk separatists security service who posted a link to a Dropbox folder containing the documents on Twitter. However, observers see the hand of Myrotvorets in the leak, particularly because the types of documents and details released resemble those in the first leak.

Many e-mails included in the second leak come from journalists asking Yegorova to provide them press passes to work in separatist-held parts of Donetsk region. These credentials have been required since the start of the war and are necessary for reporters to navigate through checkpoints and work on both sides of the front lines.

Accreditation with separatists is no guarantee of protection; in fact, many journalists who have received such credentials have been subjected to abductions, detentions, and interrogations.



Whos Behind Myrotvorets?



Zaytsev is believed to be a figurehead, and who exactly is behind Myrotvorets remains unclear. There has been much speculation that Herashchenko directs the sites operations and that a group of nationalist volunteers carry out its daily activities while online supporters promote their work. Asked in an interview with RFE/RL whether Myrotvorets is his brainchild, Herashchenko winked, chuckled, and replied: No.

The group operates in the shadows, its website does not have a masthead, and it never attaches a byline to its published articles or leaks, making it difficult to know who is in its ranks. But a document obtained by RFE/RL and examined by IMI has shined some light on that. The Google Sheets document indicates that Myrotvorets is getting professional assistance from a murky Kyiv-based public relations company called Internet Business Promotions, which is run by a man named Ihor Savchuk. Savchuks Facebook profile shows him dressed in camouflage and holding a rifle, and his timeline is filled with supportive words for Myrotvorets and links to the site.

Among the many services offered by Internet Business Promotions is reputation building using online mediasocial networks and the blogosphere, as well as crisis PR for the neutralization of negative information. That could translate as online trolling.



Savchuk did not respond to RFE/RLs requests for comment on Facebook, though the messages were received. Asked whether he knows Savchuk personally, Herashchenko said that he has made his acquaintance but did not elaborate.



RFE/RL came across the document linking Internet Business Promotions with Myrotvorets on June 15, when a blogger named Myroslav Oleshko published a plea on Facebook for patriotic citizens to help with Myrotvorets work and boasting about having obtained leaked data from Russia-backed separatists in the Luhansk region.



Oleshkos post included a Google Sheets attachment with some of the information. The properties of the attachment, when viewed on a mobile device, showed its creator to be a user called ihor108 with the email address ihor108@gmail.com. A Google search quickly connected that e-mail address with Savchuk and another Internet marketing company headed by him.



Patriotic Journalism



To Popova, the rise of patriotic journalism is at least as chilling as the leaks. Its a dangerous trend, she said, that is leading to a narrowing of the space for freedom of expression, and its a real threat to the health and lives of journalists.

But others are embracing it, creating a rift that critics of the practice say puts journalists, and the future of Ukraine, at risk.

Journalists should never write something that would harm their country, said a reporter who asked that she not be named because she did not want to be viewed as speaking for her company, a media outlet owned by influential tycoon Viktor Pinchuk.

In practice, that means the kind of hard-hitting reporting some believe can help Ukraine shed Russian influence and thrive -- by minimizing corruption, misrule, and the abuse of power -- is considered by others to be out of bounds, and even treasonous.

Yevhen Fedchenko, who has influenced generations of Ukrainian reporters as director of the Kyiv Mohyla School of Journalism and founded the website StopFake.org, which exposes Russian disinformation, said that the trend of patriotic journalism is worrying.

Only The Start

But he also said that it is not hackers, nationalist trolls, or the authorities who are responsible for the fallout from the Myrotvorets leaks but rather the journalists who have been targeted, arguing that they brought attention to the site.



Before journalists publicized the leak, nobody really knew about Myrotvorets. Then media started saying they were gathering signatures to prosecute Myrotvorets, Fedchenko told RFE/RL.



In fact, it was not journalists who first drew attention to Myrotvorets but Herashchenko, who posted a message on Facebook about traitor journalists who collaborate with terrorists and linked to the leak on the Myrotvorets site. Journalists picked up the story only later, after the harassment began.



As for the recent spate of physical assaults on journalists, Fedchenko said: What is happening today [to journalists] seems minor and inconsequential, blown out of proportion and pushed by many journalists because it is really more about self-importance and self-aggrandizement rather than pursuing journalism for the sake of journalism.



For Romanyuk, this highlights what she sees as widening divide within Ukraines media community. There is no solidarity or common values right now, she said.



Gorchinskaya, the Hromadske.TV CEO, said that the authorities approach has made things worse.

The government remains silent, and silent endorsement -- and sometimes open endorsement -- gives society the message that its normal to call journalists traitors and threaten them, she said.

The online abuse has continued, and Herashchenko predicted it wont subside anytime soon.

My feeling is that this is only the start and soon many more leaks and information will be revealed, he said.

* This story has been corrected to clarify that a high-ranking police official returned to Kyiv on August 6 from vacation but has not yet been questioned in Sheremet's death.


1 Five-year-old Omran Daqneesh, bewildered, covered in dust and with a bloodied face, sits with his sister inside an ambulance after they were rescued following an air strike in the rebel-held Al-Qaterji neighborhood of Aleppo, Syria. He and his sister were not seriously wounded, but officials said Omran's brother, Ali, who was 10, died from injuries suffered in the same attack. Images of Omran were widely circulated on social media and drew further attention to the plight of civilians in Syria's ongoing civil war. (Reuters/Mahmoud Rslan)
Police are asking the public to help identify two people who were seen arguing shortly before a shooting early Sunday in a parking lot in South Richmond.

Police were called about 12:15 a.m. to the 200 block of Belt Boulevard for a report of shooting. There, officers found a woman who had been shot.

The woman, who apparently was a bystander, was taken to a local hospital. Her wounds were not considered life-threatening.

A male and a female, who were reportedly both armed, were seen arguing in the parking lot before shots were fired and an innocent bystander was struck, said Richmond police Detective James Baynes.

The male suspect is described as black, in his late teens to early 20s, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and with a heavy build. He has dreadlocks and no facial hair. He was last seen wearing a red shirt.

The female suspect is described as black, in her late teens to early 20s, 5-foot-3 to 5foot-5, with a skinny build and short hair. She was wearing a green shirt.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe suggested Monday that four conservative justices were scared to side against Republican leaders in the courts recent opinion on felon voting rights, because the General Assembly decides who serves on the high court.

In a radio appearance, McAuliffe made his most direct accusation to date that politics drove the Supreme Courts decision to strike down his executive order restoring civil rights to more than 200,000 felons who had completed their sentences and supervised release.

McAuliffe called the 4-3 court opinion almost unfathomable.

They were sued by the speaker and the Senate leader, who appoint them to the bench, were scared and wrote an opinion that absolutely makes no sense, McAuliffe said in an appearance on Lynchburgs Morning Show With Mari and Brian on WIQO.

They dont even talk about my authority. They say, Well, we do things incrementally here in Virginia. 

Though McAuliffe routinely has blasted Republicans for filing a lawsuit that could have the effect of preventing thousands of Virginians from voting, his comments about the Supreme Court were an unusually strong rebuke by a sitting governor.

In a statement, House of Delegates Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, said the four justices who sided against McAuliffe are widely respected jurists elected with bipartisan support.

The governors remarks are an attack on the Supreme Court as an institution and all of its members, former and present, Howell said. The governor is free to disagree with the courts ruling, but it is wholly inappropriate to question the judicial integrity of the justices.

McAuliffes criticism comes after Republicans took the unusual step of ousting a sitting Supreme Court justice  former Fairfax Circuit Judge Jane Marum Roush  amid a political fight with the governor.

McAuliffe noted Monday that Virginia is one of two states in which the legislature has full power over the election of Supreme Court justices, a system he called very unfortunate.

In other states, justices are chosen through gubernatorial appointments with legislative approval, decided by the public through elections or recommended by nonpartisan judicial commissions.

The governors office did not respond directly to follow-up questions about whether McAuliffe feels Virginias system has led to a politicized Supreme Court and whether the governor believes the Roush battle affected the felon rights opinion.

Governor McAuliffe is very disappointed by the courts ruling, and he has made it clear that the decision was simply erroneous, McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Nuckols said in an email.

McAuliffe had called the blanket rights restoration one of his top achievements in office. After the state canceled roughly 13,000 felons voter registrations to comply with the court order, the McAuliffe administration says its now crafting a process to restore rights for those 13,000 individually.

In the July 22 opinion, the court majority threw out McAuliffes blanket rights restoration action and said it amounted to an unlawful workaround of Virginias constitutional policy of disenfranchising felons for life.

Ex-offenders can apply to have their rights restored, a process already made easier by both McAuliffe and his predecessor, Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican.

Backed by Attorney General Mark R. Herring and constitutional scholar A.E. Dick Howard, McAuliffe claimed he had broad authority to restore rights to an entire class of felons with one order.

In a legal challenge filed against the governor and state officials who implemented his order, Republicans argued that McAuliffe is restricted to restoring rights on a case-by-case basis. Howell and Senate Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City County  two of the plaintiffs in the case  hailed the court opinion as a validation of the rule of law and a check on McAuliffes claims to broad executive power.

Virginias process became a flashpoint last year as the GOP-controlled General Assembly moved to oust Roush, who had received an interim appointment from McAuliffe. Virginia governors have the power to fill court vacancies while the legislature is not in session, but all justices must be elected formally by the General Assembly.

Roush became the first sitting justice to be removed from the court in 115 years when her temporary post expired and Republicans elected conservative appeals court judge Stephen R. McCullough to fill the seat.
Even Gov. Terry McAuliffe couldnt be too cheery after meeting with Virginia business and legislative leaders on Monday about the states economic and revenue outlook.

McAuliffe emerged from the two-hour meeting with the Governors Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates with renewed warnings about potential cuts in federal spending under budget sequestration next year and the dire need to prepare for a major turnover of working Virginians in the next decade.

I dont think anybody would say optimistic, he said of the outlook.

However, McAuliffe remained determined to protect new state investments in education, as he prepares to submit revised revenue forecasts to support budgeted spending to the General Assemblys money committees on Aug. 26.

My priority obviously is to preserve the educational funding, he said of the nearly $1 billion in new and updated spending for K-12 public education in the two-year budget that took effect July 1.

A $266.3 million shortfall in the last fiscal year already has postponed raises that had been scheduled Dec. 1 for state employees, college faculty, teachers and state-supported local employees. Those increases, ranging from 2 to 3 percent, were lost when the shortfall was confirmed at 1.8 percent of major state revenues  income, sales, and corporate tax collections.

The shortfall triggered a mandatory revenue reforecast when it exceeded 1 percent of those revenues. The governors advisory council, including business leaders from across the state, gave its collective view of the economic outlook for the new forecast produced by the state with the Joint Advisory Board of Economists.

Depressing meeting, said Nancy Howell Agee, president and chief executive officer of Carilion Clinic in Roanoke.

Del. R. Steven Landes, R-Augusta, vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, also was not comforted by what he heard in the closed-door meeting between the governor and advisory council.

I heard the phrase cautiously pessimistic,  Landes said.

Senate Finance Co-Chairman Emmett W. Hanger Jr., R-Augusta, was more optimistic about the states prospects.

What I heard was as much positive as negative, Hanger said, adding that he fell more on the positive side.

However, he was realistic about the uncertainty of federal defense spending in military-rich Virginia, or the effect of depressed wages on state income tax withholding collections, which ended the year 1.7 percentage points short of the 4.1 percent projected growth rate.

The new norm is more like a 2 percent growth than a 5 percent growth, Hanger said.

The states biggest challenge has been bridging the disconnection between sluggish payroll tax collections and the states unemployment rate, which has dropped to 3.7 percent. The answer is unsettling to lawmakers and the governor.

Were replacing high-paying jobs with lower-paying jobs, and more people are working part time, House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said after the meeting.

Jones said he remains cautiously optimistic, but he said state officials need to be conservative in reforecasting the revenue for the budget.

We should take (the growth projections) down a little more than one might expect, just to hedge what is an uncertain economy in the minds of many, he said.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
RICHMOND  Gov. Terry McAuliffe suggested Monday that four conservative justices were scared to side against Republican leaders in the courts recent opinion on felon voting rights because the General Assembly decides who serves on the high court.

In a radio appearance, McAuliffe made his most direct accusation to date that politics drove the Supreme Courts decision to strike down his executive order restoring civil rights to more than 200,000 felons who had completed their sentences and supervised release.

McAuliffe called the 4-3 court opinion almost unfathomable.

They were sued by the speaker [of the House of Delegates] and the Senate leader, who appoint them to the bench, were scared and wrote an opinion that absolutely makes no sense, McAuliffe said in a morning appearance on Lynchburgs Morning Show with Mari and Brian.

They dont even talk about my authority. They say Well we do things incrementally here in Virginia. 

Though McAuliffe has routinely blasted Republicans for filing a lawsuit that could have the effect of preventing thousands of Virginians from voting, his comments about the Supreme Court were an unusually strong rebuke by a sitting governor.

In a statement, House of Delegates Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, said the four justices who sided against McAuliffe are widely respected jurists elected with bipartisan support.

The governors remarks are an attack on the Supreme Court as an institution and all of its members, former and present, Howell said. The governor is free to disagree with the courts ruling, but it is wholly inappropriate to question the judicial integrity of the justices.

McAuliffes criticism comes after Republicans took the unusual step of ousting a sitting Supreme Court justice  former Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Jane Marum Roush  amid a political fight with the governor.

McAuliffe noted Monday that Virginia is one of just two states in which the legislature has full power over the election of Supreme Court justices, a system he called very unfortunate. In other states, justices are chosen through gubernatorial appointments, elections or commissions that make nonpartisan judicial recommendations.

The governors office did not respond directly to follow-up questions about whether McAuliffe feels Virginias system has led to a politicized Supreme Court and whether the governor believes the Roush battle affected the felon rights opinion.

Governor McAuliffe is very disappointed by the courts ruling, and he has made it clear that the decision was simply erroneous, McAuliffe spokeswoman Christina Nuckols said in an email.

McAuliffe had called the blanket rights restoration one of his top achievements in office. After the state canceled roughly 13,000 felons voter registrations to comply with the court order, the McAuliffe administration says its now crafting a process to restore rights for those 13,000 individually.

In the July 22 opinion, the court majority threw out McAuliffes blanket rights restoration action, saying it amounted to an unlawful workaround of Virginias constitutional policy of disenfranchising felons for life. Ex-offenders can apply to have their rights restored, a process already made easier by both McAuliffe and former Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican.

Backed by Attorney General Mark Herring and constitutional scholar A.E. Dick Howard, McAuliffe claimed he had broad authority to restore rights to an entire class of felons with one order. In a legal challenge filed against the governor and state officials who implemented his order, Republicans argued McAuliffe is restricted to restoring rights on a case-by-case basis. Howell and Senate Majority Leader Thomas Norment, R-James City  two of the plaintiffs in the case  hailed the court opinion as a validation of the rule of law and a check on McAuliffes claims to broad executive power.

Virginias process became a flash point last year as the Republican-controlled General Assembly moved to oust Roush, who had received an interim appointment from McAuliffe. Virginia governors have the power to fill court vacancies while the legislature is not in session, but all justices must be formally elected by the General Assembly.

A former Fairfax Circuit Court judge, Roush became the first sitting justice to be removed from the court in 115 years when her temporary post expired and Republicans elected conservative appeals court judge Stephen McCullough to fill the seat.

McCullough was among the four justices who ruled against McAuliffe in the felon voting case.
RICHMOND  Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton has widened her lead in Virginia since she added Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., as her running mate, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist survey.

Clinton received 46 percent of the vote to 33 percent in a head-to-head matchup with Republican opponent Donald Trump among registered voters in Virginia, according to the survey of 1,026 adults taken from Aug. 4 to Aug. 10.

Clintons lead in Virginia is up from the July survey in which she led by nine percentage points.

Among men in Virginia, Clinton received 40 percent of the vote to Trumps 39 percent. Among women, Clinton had a dominating advantage of 52 percent to 28 percent.

Clinton has increased her lead in Virginia even though Trump has made campaign stops in Roanoke, Loudoun County and Abingdon since she introduced Kaine as her vice presidential running mate July 23 during a rally at Florida International University in Miami.

Clinton also leads Trump and his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, in Colorado, 46 percent to 32 percent; in North Carolina, 48 percent to 39 percent; and in Florida, 44 percent to 39 percent, according to the organizations latest swing-state polls.

These are supposed to be battleground states, but right now, they dont look that way, said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion.

In a four-way matchup in the new Virginia survey, Clinton receives 43 percent to 31 percent for Trump, 12 percent for Libertarian nominee Gary Johnson and 5 percent for Jill Stein of the Green Party.

The Commission on Presidential Debates on Monday identified the five polls it will use to determine whether candidates qualify for this falls presidential and vice presidential debates. The polls are: ABC/Washington Post; CBS/New York Times; CNN/Opinion Research Corp.; Fox News; and NBC/Wall Street Journal.

To qualify for a debate, a candidate must have at least 15 percent support from the national electorate as determined by the average of the organizations most recent publicly reported results at the time of the determination.

Kaine had a favorable rating of 52 percent in Virginia and an unfavorable rating of 31 percent in the Marist survey.

He was viewed more favorably than unfavorably in Colorado, Florida and North Carolina. The percentage of adults in those states who never had heard of Kaine ranged from 13 percent in North Carolina to 17 percent in Florida.

Trump and Clinton scored unfavorable ratings in all four states.

Pence is viewed favorably by 35 percent of Virginians and unfavorably by 31 percent. Favorable impressions of Pence outweigh his unfavorable ratings in Florida and North Carolina, but he is viewed unfavorably in Colorado.

Other results of the Clinton-Trump head-to-head matchup in Virginia:

Trump and Pence have an edge among white voters, 42 percent to 36 percent. But Clinton and Kaine have wide advantages that cut across regional and age groups. Among African-Americans, Clinton has the support of 78 percent to 10 percent for Trump.

Clinton and Kaine led in the D.C. suburbs by 63 percent to 21 percent; in the Northern Virginia exurbs by 39 percent to 36 percent; in the Richmond/East region by 44 percent to 34 percent; and in Tidewater by 50 percent to 31 percent. Trump led in the Central/West region by 44 percent to 38 percent.

Clinton led 48 percent to 31 percent among voters with a household income of less than $50,000 and by 48 percent to 34 percent among those with a household income of $50,000 or more.

Clinton led 44 percent to 36 percent among people who are not college graduates and 48 percent to 31 percent among people who have graduated from college.

The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
COMMUNITIES devastated by an earthquake are being helped to get back on their feet by a Rotherham charity which has received its second largest grant.

PHASE (which stands for Practical Help Achieving Self Empowerment) Worldwide, based on Percy Street, has received 528,000 of Lottery Funding which will go towards rebuilding regions devastated by the earthquake in Nepal on April 25 2015.

The earthquake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, left around 8,700 people dead, 22,000 injured and hundreds of thousands homeless.

The Big Lottery Fund committed 2 million to help affected communities and PHASE was one of the first four UK-based charities to be given a grant from the pot of funding to help its aid work.

Sarah Galvin, from PHASE Worldwide, said it was the second largest amount of funding the organisation had ever received in its 11-year history which was an amazing feat for the small charity.

The charity was found by Rotherham-based Nick Cragg, his wife Marie and former Wath GP Dr Gerda Pohl, who now lives in Nepal.

Sarah added: The money will be spent over five years in two specific isolated and inaccessible regions in the Gorkha district  Kerauja, Kashigaun  where British Gorkhas also live.

Our main focus will be rebuilding livelihoods, as a lot of people lost rice and seed stocks, sewing machines  their tools which allowed them to work.

Projects will provide agricultural training, nutrition awareness-raising and teachers will be trained to develop child-friendly environments and promote gender inclusion.

PHASE workers helped Purna, a 60-year-old widow, who lives in Sirdibas, where 90 per cent of buildings were destroyed.

Purna said: My eldest son was in Thulo Dunga when the earthquake hit.

There was a huge landslide there, part of the rocky hillside broke off and took the whole path down.

My son was buried by descending rocks and died instantly.

In the earthquake I lost my son, my house and my cows and sheep.

PHASE Nepal health workers were in the village and helped treat injured people.

They also distributed tarpaulins, which helped me to create a small temporary shelter.

To find out more visit phaseworldwide.org.
Diamcor more than doubles Q2 revenue Diamcor generated gross revenues of about $3 million from its operations in the interim period ended September 30, 2022, compared to $1,4 million for the same period in the previous year. The company is still conducting trial mining exercises at its...

IBJA commits to Declaration of Responsibility & Sustainability Principles The Indian gold industry has signed a Declaration of Responsibility and Sustainability Principles, convened by the LBMA and the World Gold Council, which expresses a commitment to operate responsibly and sustainably, based on a clear set of shared goals...

De Beers boosts Q3 output, maintains production guidance De Beers rough diamond production rose 4% to 9.6 million carats, mainly due to the treatment of higher grade ore at both Orapa in Botswana and South Africa as well as continued strong performance in Namibia, according to its parent company, Anglo...

Hong Kongs major jewellery fairs are set to return in 2023 An announcement from Informa Markets Jewellery indicates that the industrys two biggest B2B sourcing events will be back in action in Hong Kong in 2023 following a three-year forced pandemic break.
ALROSA starts to develop the state program on its transport system, according to which it will upgrade its vehicles and machinery in the Far North to the use of natural gas.

The first stage of the program assumes the construction of the production and distribution infrastructure, as well as the upgrade of ALROSA's production vehicles to the use of compressed gas. To date, more than 300 units of motor vehicles of ALROSA are already working on gas fuel. NGV filling stations were built in Mirny and Aikhal. Each of them has a potential production and issuing capacity of more than 10 million cubic meters per year. It allows to fill more than 1,000 vehicles with gas daily.

ALROSA-Gaz produces natural gas and prepares it for use by consumers. The planned production figures amount to about 240 million cubic meters per year. These volumes allow to fully ensure the gas motor fuel production for ALROSA's fleet, as well as for private and municipal transport.

"Ecology, economy and safety are the three main characteristics of the project,"  said First Vice-President and Executive Director of ALROSA Igor Sobolev. "The volume of harmful emissions is much less compared to gasoline and diesel fuel. There are up to 65% less emissions of carbon monoxide, heavy hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. It is especially important for us in high-gassed conditions at open pit mines. The use of natural gas as motor fuel allows to increase engine life by 1.5 times. When compared to conventional fuels, fuel costs are reduced by 2 -3 times. Natural gas is the safest motor fuel. Methane is much lighter than air; in the event of a leak it quickly disappears."

"Investments of the company in this project will amount to about half a billion rubles. We plan to recoup the costs in 4 years. During the first stage of its implementation and when the projected volumes are reached, we plan to save 200 million rubles,"  said Alexander Bondarenko, ALROSA's head of the internal investment project management.




The World Gold Council and the London Metal Exchange (LME), together with Goldman Sachs, ICBC Standard Bank, Morgan Stanley, Natixis, OSTC and Societe Generale announced their intention to introduce a suite of exchange-traded and centrally-cleared precious metals products.

The initiative has been driven by the need for greater market transparency, provide additional robustness to the precious metals market, broaden market access, make trading more capital. LMEprecious will be developed to accommodate the interests of the full range of market stakeholders and to reinforce the strengths of the London market.

The announcement follows an extended process of engagement with major market participants and users, and the LMEprecious service has been designed based on extensive consultation with core market players. Advanced discussions are taking place with a number of other leading institutions that have indicated their strong support for this initiative.

Aram Shishmanian, the Chief Executive of the World Gold Council, said: This is another important step in the modernisation of the gold market. It will strengthen Londons position in the global gold market, enabling it to meet the needs of all participants, attract new players and satisfy the highest standards of regulatory compliance.

We are proud to have been the catalyst for this process, defining the new trading capabilities and driving market engagement. We are confident that the new offering will be successfully implemented and supported by the market.

LMEprecious will comprise spot, daily and monthly futures, options and calendar spread contracts for gold and silver. Future developments will include platinum and palladium contracts.

Garry Jones, the Chief Executive of the LME, said: We are delighted to be working with the World Gold Council and a group of leading banks, to now take this project forward towards an enhanced market structure. LMEprecious opens up trading opportunities for existing LME members and their clients, as well as for new participants wishing to take advantage of optimised precious metals trading.

The banks participating in this initiative will act as liquidity providers for the precious contracts.

It is expected that LMEprecious will be launched in the first half of 2017.



Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished




Kennady Diamonds inc. announced, that the drill holes completed to-date at its wholly-owned Kennady North diamond project have intersected kimberlite during summer drilling program. Two drill holes at Faraday 2 and one drill hole at Faraday 3 intersected over 30 meters of kimberlite. Both of those locations have also been confirmed as extending from beneath Kennady Lake on to land.

President and CEO of Kennady Diamonds, Dr. Rory Moore commented: We are delighted that kimberlite was intersected in all six drill holes completed to date, as the results confirm our exploration model that predicted both Faraday 2 and 3 would continue onto land. The drill holes on Faraday 2 have returned robust kimberlite intersections, and current drilling continues to track the body in a westerly direction. At Faraday 3 the northeastern margin has been established with our latest drill holes, and the next drill holes will define its southwestern margin. Dr. Moore concludes, Our systematic approach to expanding the Faraday bodies is exactly the same as that which expanded Kelvin to its present size. We have no doubt that as we continue, additional kimberlite will be discovered with this exploration model.

Kennady Diamonds Inc. controls 100 percent of the Kennady North diamond project located in Canada's Northwest Territories immediately adjacent to the Gahcho Kue diamond mine currently under development by De Beers and Mountain Province Diamonds.



Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow




Danish jewelry designer and manufacturer PANDORA saw its second quarter revenue jump 20 percent (25 percent in local currency) to DKK4.327 billion ($645 million) compared to the same quarter in 2015, according to IDEX Online.

Revenue increased across all regions, including 5 percent in the Americas, 28 percent in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 43 percent in Asia Pacific. Revenue from concept stores increased by 39 percent and corresponded to 63 percent of the total revenue.

PANDORAs net profit for the quarter was DKK1.221 billion ($180 million) compared to DKK910 million ($135.5 million) over the same quarter in the previous year.

In the last 12 months PANDORA has added net 366 concept stores to the global store network, including 68 new stores in the second quarter.

"Growth in all regions continued into the second quarter. EMEA and Asia Pacific maintained the strong momentum with double digit revenue growth, driven by positive double digit like-for-like growth and continued improvement of the store network, said PANDORA CEO Anders Colding Friis.

Americas increased 10 percent in local currency, driven by 2 percent like-for-like growth in the US, a strong performance in the US eSTORE and a continued successful concept store roll-out across the region. All regions were supported by our continued focus on product diversification into rings and earrings."




Gambling company William Hill Plc (WMH.L) on Monday announced that its Board has unanimously rejected the revised takeover proposal from 888 Holdings plc (888.L) and Rank Group plc (RNK.L) -Consortium, as it continues to substantially undervalue William Hill. The company said its Board continues to see no merit in engaging with the Consortium.

William Hill confirmed that it has received an unsolicited non-binding highly conditional revised proposal on August 14 from the Consortium regarding a potential combination of the three companies.

The Revised Proposal comprises 199 pence in cash and 0.860 BidCo shares per William Hill share, and would result in William Hill shareholders owning 48.8% of the combined group.

William Hill noted that with the exception of its shareholders' proposed ownership of the combined group, none of the other key terms of the Revised Proposal have changed from the original proposal of August 8.

The latest proposal equates to an estimated value of 352 pence per share, while the Consortium's previous proposal has an estimated value of 339 pence per share on the same basis. The Revised Proposal represents a premium of only 12% to the William Hill share price of 314 pence on July 22, being the last trading day prior to the announcement of a possible offer by the Consortium.

William Hill said it continues to believe that the Revised Proposal is highly opportunistic and does not reflect the inherent value of the Group.

Under the Revised Proposal, William Hill shareholders continue to be offered a substantial proportion of their consideration in highly leveraged BidCo shares. The company said it is directly relevant that the Board of William Hill continues to believe that a combination of William Hill with 888 and Rank will not enhance William Hill's strategic positioning or deliver superior value for shareholders compared against William Hill's strategy.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Denmark's producer prices declined at a faster pace in July, figures from Statistics Denmark showed Monday.

The producer price index fell 0.7 percent year-over-year in July, following a 0.2 percent drop in the previous month. Prices have been falling since June 2014.

Producer prices in domestic market rose 0.4 percent annually in July, while prices in the foreign market went down by 1.4 percent.

On a monthly basis, producer price climbed 0.7 percent from June, when it increased by 2.2 percent.

Data also showed that import prices dipped 2.0 percent yearly and by 0.3 percent monthly in July.

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.
Apricus Biosciences, Inc. (APRI), a biopharmaceutical company advancing innovative medicines in urology and rheumatology, announced Monday that Ferring Pharmaceuticals, the Company's new partner in the United Kingdom, has received the United Kingdom marketing authorization for Vitaros.

Under the terms of the agreement, Apricus has received a total of $4.5 million in upfront payments from Ferring, in addition to a regulatory milestone payment of $1.6 million. Apricus is eligible to receive up to an additional $28 million in regulatory, launch and sales milestones, plus royalties on future net sales.

Earlier this year, the Company expanded its exclusive Vitaros distribution agreement with Ferring International S.A. in Latin America. Now the deals include Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and certain countries in Asia, previously Sandoz's territories, the United Kingdom, previously Takeda's territory, and Korea.

Richard Pascoe, Chief Executive Officer of Apricus, said, "We are pleased that the transfer of the U.K. marketing authorization to Ferring has been completed and we look forward to the product's continued growth in this major ED market. This follows the previously announced transfer of the German marketing authorization, marking the second in a series of marketing authorization transfers to Ferring that we anticipate will occur later this quarter."

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canadian stocks may post modest gains in early dealing Monday, as higher crude prices should give the energy sector a lift.

WTI light sweet crude oil was approaching $45 a barrel on talk of a meeting between Russia and Saudi Arabia to limit production.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index was down slightly Friday, trimming weekly gains after hitting a yearly peak below 15,000.

BlackBerry will be in focus after a ratings upgrade from Raymond James.

Japan's stagnated on a quarterly basis, belying expectations for a 0.2 percent expansion.

The annualized GDP rose 0.2 percent, below expectations for 0.7 percent growth.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Crude oil futures continued to rise Monday amid signs that major producers will agree to cut supplies.

Russia and Saudi Arabia are in talks to achieve oil market stability, Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said today.

"With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue between our two countries is developing in a tangible way, whether in the framework of a multi-party structure or on a bilateral level," Novak told a Saudi paper.

Sept. WTI oil climbed $1.25, or 2.8%, to settle at $45.74/bbl.

That's the highest closing price in four weeks.

U.S. shale production is forecast to decline by 85,000 barrels a day to 4.47 million barrels a day in September from August, according to a monthly report from the Energy Information Administration.

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Market Analysis
The Reserve Bank of Australia will on Tuesday release the minutes from its August 2 monetary policy meeting, headlining a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

At the meeting, the board trimmed its benchmark lending rate by 25 basis points, from 1.75 percent to a record low 1.50 percent.

Australia also will see July figures for new motor vehicle sales; in June, sales were up 3.1 percent on month and 2.1 percent on year.

Japan will provide July numbers for Tokyo condominium sales; in Jun e, sales tumbled 12.9 percent on year.

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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.
SRC hands over authority to SPC





SANA'A, Aug. 15 (Saba) - The Supreme Revolutionary Committee (SRC) on Monday handed over the authority to the Supreme Political Council (SPC), whose members were sworn in on Sunday before the Parliament.



During the ceremonies taken place in the presidential palace in Sana'a,

SRC president Mohammed al-Houthi handed over the Yemen's flag to SPC president Salah al-Sammad.



At the ceremony, al-Sammad delivered a speech stressing the importance of the event, which, he described as a "historic shift and a positive step in rebuilding Yemen and confronting the Saudi aggression."



He stressed that the country's enemies were seeking not to let Yemenis arrange their political and economic situation, adding the agreement between Ansarallah and the General People Congress (GPC) to establish the SPC would stop the aggression's attempts to keep the country sieged and paralyzed.



The agreement was signed on July 28th to set up the SPC, which is designated to run the country in all fields.



The SPC was formed on August 6th and held its first meeting in the Capital, when they elected Saleh al-Sammad as a SPC President and Kassem Labuza as a Vice President.



Al-Sammad saluted the role played by the SRC president Mohammed al-Houthi and the committee members in running the country, confronting the aggression, preserve the national gains and prevented the State's failure.



The ceremonies were attended by Parliament Speaker Yahya al-Raei, the Supreme Judicial Council Abdul-Malik al-Aghbari, Acting Prime Minister Talal Aqlan and a number of ministers, acting ministers and Parliament and Shura Council members, military and security leaders, and the diplomatic corps members.



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[15/August/2016]
HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston mother who calmly told an acquaintance that she had killed her two children and hid their bodies underneath a neighbor's home drowned them in a bathtub by forcibly holding their heads underwater, authorities said Monday.

Sheborah Thomas, 30, was charged Sunday with capital murder of a person under age 6, according to court records. She remained jailed without bond.

According to a probable cause affidavit read during a court hearing before a magistrate judge Monday, Thomas told police that after she picked up her 7-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter from daycare on Friday, she fed them and then prepared a bath for them. Thomas first called her daughter into the bathroom.

"She grabbed (the daughter) by the head and forced her underneath the water until she stopped moving," according to the affidavit. "After she wasn't moving and she wasn't breathing, she took the body out of the water and placed her in the bedroom."

Thomas then called her son into the bathroom and she placed him in the water, authorities said. The boy struggled against his mother, grabbing her hand, but Thomas "continued to force his head underneath the water until he stopped struggling, he stopped moving," according to the affidavit. Thomas placed his body next to his sister's in the bedroom and then later Friday put their bodies in a trash can behind her home, the affidavit said.

Thomas was not in court for the reading of the affidavit. Online criminal court records do not list an attorney to comment on behalf of Thomas, whose next court appearance is set for Wednesday.

Police say investigators are still trying to determine a motive, but it is believed that Thomas acted alone. Autopsies have been ordered.

On Sunday, Thomas tried to first bury the bodies next to her house but was not able to dig a deep enough hole, authorities said. She then rolled the bodies underneath a neighbor's house, according to the affidavit.

Thomas then began packing up her belongings and enlisted an acquaintance who saw her dumping things in a field to help her move.

When the man asked about her kids, she calmly said she had killed them, said Houston police spokesman Kese Smith.

"She was so matter-of-fact about it, he didn't think she was serious. He thought she was joking," Smith said. "He continued to help her pack."

Smith said the man eventually realized something was wrong when he asked again and got the same answer, so he drove the woman to a police precinct.

Investigators don't yet know whether the mother has a history of mental problems, Smith said. He said police had been to the home before but for "nothing major."

State child welfare officials had visited the family, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokeswoman Tejal Patel said, adding she could not disclose the nature of those visits. Patel said a "top to bottom review" of the family will be conducted.

Houston police say Thomas also has a 12-year-old son, but he was with his father.

According to court records, Thomas has several misdemeanor convictions, including for theft and failure to identify oneself to an officer.

In 2001, Houston mother Andrea Yates drowned her five children ranging in age from 7 years to 6 months in the bathtub of her family's home. She was eventually found not guilty by reason of insanity in July 2006 and sent to a state mental hospital.
In the horrific news article on the front page of todays edition, a search for some kind of redeeming feature of the attacker, Uso Auvale Taumata Bragovits was difficult to find.

Eventually, there it was.

In court, he had pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder and breaching a protection order.

However given that two young people were witnesses to the vicious attack, one of whom, the womans son had pleaded to no avail for the attack to stop, how could he not?

It is hard to imagine any kind of conviction in the voice of his counsel who put forward that the victim was partly to blame for the attack, because she gave the defendant false hopes when she agreed to marry him.

Justice Mata Tuatagaloa dealt with that ridiculous suggestion with the derision it deserved.

In a strongly-worded statement aimed at the court room and beyond, Justice Tuatagaloa made it clear that there is zero tolerance for the use of fear and violence in Samoa.

As far as the court is concerned, any man who causes any woman to fear for her life, does not belong in our society, said Justice Tuatagaloa.

She also addressed the seriousness of those who choose to flout protection orders with a reminder that they are issued with the full force of the law behind them.

You approached the victim that morning and by attacking her, you violated that law, said Justice Tuatagaloa.

She also pointed out the attackers single-minded determination, even in the face of pleas from the womans son, who witnessed the frenzied attack.

You showed no regard for the law when you breached it and you even continued to strike the victim when her son begged you not to kill his mother.

The circumstances that led to this tragedy last year show that there are some members of our society who still do not accept that men and women have equal rights.

This includes the right to refuse, to live freely, and the right to change your mind without fear of physical or mental punishment or retribution.

There is also the question of coping - dealing with disappointments, accepting what can and cannot be and moving on in life.

The idea of a violent solution as in if I cant have her, no one can has sadly appeared to be a factor in other court cases in the past.

And while it is heartening that strong statements are being issued by our judges as a deterrent, it is obvious that behaviour modifications and changes and the learning of coping mechanisms, need to start much, much earlier.

With Fathers Day so recently celebrated, its perhaps an ideal time to start or continue those family conversations with children of all ages in the home.

They should also be held in schools, at youth groups and Bible classes, as church sermons and at other social gatherings.

Along with the conversations, lets also see role modelling that says it better than any words.
Many churches in Samoa joined in the Fathers Day celebrations on Sunday .

At the Congregational Christian Church at Vailoa, Palauli, Savaii, close to a hundred fathers wore different coloured t-shirts on Sunday in line with the theme, That God's mercy and grace are new every morning. Reverend Leleimalefaga said that Father's Day is about honouring fathers and celebrating fatherhood.

Not only that but to remind all the fathers of Palauli of their roles in families, the village and the country he said.

Its about reminding them that Jesus Christ is the only name that can bring peace, love, joy and happiness to a family. He added that fathers of their church were divided into five groups.

The groups were Nuualofa, Tualagi, Vailoa Uta, Tailelei and Lealaoalii and they performed skits, speeches and gospel songs during the service.

Here are some photos from the fathers of the C.C.C.S. Vailoa, Palauli and the C.C.C.S. Vaitele-Uta.
Drugs continue to be a major issue in Samoa, with the Ministry of Police doing their best to target both users of marijuana and methamphetamine.

Within the past two weeks, Police Commissioner Fuiavailili Egon Keil and the Ministry have noted more confiscations of drug utensils.

Police Media Officer, Sua Lemamea Tiumalu said as well as a 32-year-old male who was arrested on the Lady Naomi when a glass pipe was found on him, another couple is also in police custody.

A glass pipe was found at their place and we are continuing our investigations as we suspect that there could be methamphetamine (ice) involved.

Sua said the glass pipe was discovered by Police on 7th August 2016 when neighbours reported the couple was arguing.

Police attended the call and found the glass pipe at their house.

The couple was arrested that night and charged with possession of utensils which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment.

The couple is scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court on the 22nd August 2016 for mention.
To see 101620 scarlet macaws flying across the late afternoon sky is almost hard to believe. Always even numbers, these surreally colorful, gorgeous birds mate for life. Shrieking, gliding in tandem and so garishly colored, its as if evolution forgot them. There is no missing them in the jungle of one thousand greens.

These birds are native to Belize. But there beauty is sadly also a problem. They are highly coveted as pets  selling for hundreds of dollars in Guatemala. And much of their habitat in this country, the Chiquibul (pronounced Chick-ee-bull) Rain Forest (over 400,000 acres of rivers and ancient trees and wildlife), lies closer to Guatemala than to any populated area in Belize.

Poachers routinely come across the unmarked border, through incredibly dense jungle, to gather xate (prounounced sha-tay), a green plant used in flower arrangements. They are locally called xateros (sha-tear-os) and they come for more than plants. They cross for hunting, for illegal logging of mahogany and cedar, for gold panning, to grow marijuana and sadly, to poach the baby scarlet macaws.

None of these are large scale operationsyet. For example, with logging, it is often a few men and a chain sawthey fell the giant tree, cut it into rough boards on the spot and tie the boards to the side of a horseor float them down the river. Often in the middle of the night.

It has been said that Belize is at war and we dont even know it  a few weeks ago, I spent 3 nights in the jungle along the Raspaculo River in the midst of the macaws breeding grounds, talking, eating and sleeping beside the FCD rangers and the team members of the Scarlet Six andnow I know it.

Lets start at my beginning. Each year, the Scarlet Six team, a group fully funded by donations and fueled by devoted team members and volunteers, goes into the jungle in the late spring. They identify scarlet macaw nests (they always nest in the quamwood trees and often return to the same nest year after year). They spend the next 3-4 months camping near the base of the trees and monitoring the chicks (only one or two per nest) in the high trees.

Last year, I joined one of the teams for one night, this year, I set out for four nights. Totally unpluggedonly the local ranger has a radio (with a long antennae he holds to the sky by the river once a day) to communicate with the outside world.

I packed my food for four days (I wont show it to youit will make you sad) and met Luis, my team leader from the S6, his 2 kids and his nephew and 2 volunteers from Orange Walk, in San Ignacio, Belize. We drove for about 2 hours into the Pine Ridge area along bumpy logging roads, passing the turn off to Caracol Maya site and then to the Chiquibul where we boarded this tiny boat. We were just upstream from the Chalillo Dam.

The landscape is stunningagain, almost surreal. Pine forest to one side, broad leaf forest on the other. And as you head up the river, giant dead trees that were submerged by the flooding of the area when the dam was built over 10 years ago. The Raspaculo was originally named Scrape ass for a reasonnow, with the dam, your butt is safeit is much deeper.

We passed a beautiful buck and his girlfriend.

And later, where we would do some of our bathing and collect our drinking water. Trickling down from the mountains.

The next day, we passed this guy while heading back to the same area.

To say that this area is beautiful isnot enough. The crew had spotted three jaguars already this seasonAND found a baby drowning in the river. (She, Chicky, is now being cared for at the zoo.) I need to tell you that story later

We arrived at our first assigned camp site to find that the FCD research ranger had just climbed the tree

to see that our chick had flown the nest. We continued up the river to the next camp

I set up my borrowed hammock with some serious help (its the one in the middle of the photo)  you dont want to mess around with the bug netting and the water proof roof. I learned those lessons last year in my one night.

The way to the bathroom  a hole that was home to about 1000 flies, 10,000 mosquitoes and a handful of huge frogs. Not a spot you want to linger andin the middle of the night when you need to pee? I felt like I was on the show Naked and Afraid  thank god for my headlamp and my shoes.

The view just downhillmy reading spot, a canoe, and clothes hanging to let anyone who might be passing know that WE ARE HERE.

The next morning, my two friends from Orange Walk  a father/13 year old son team  were up for some early bird watching. Toucans, cuckoos, hawks, hawk-eagles, kingfishersthe birds watching is stunning. Even to this newbie.

But the starand man, what a staris the macaws. They are shocking each and every time you see them. These parents circled by often to scream at their kidGET OUT OF THE NEST.

Above him in his tree screaming JUMP! I do not blame his hesitance one bit.

We headed out to check on another nest and to do some more birding. We stopped at the end to get fresh water and to bathe

at the amazing blue hole. A pool with blue-ish algae? that glows in the dark jungle

You have no idea how good this feels after 2 days of stewing in your own grime. I spent lots of time reading, a bunch of time watching capable cooks make tortillas and fry jacks over small butane stoves and time talking to the FCD rangers.

The Friends for Conservation and Development (a NGO working only on donations) deploy a handful of full time rangers and researchers to cover this massive swath of jungle, the richest area in Belize when it comes to biodiversity, timber, wildlife, fresh water and cave systems  over 660 square miles  by boat and on foot.

About 15-18 young men covering all of this area. Can anyone donate a helicopter?

The rangers are armed and when working along the border, they team up with the Belize Defense Force, for extra help & protection. They are doing a very dangerous job  confronting Guatemalan hunters and poachers  with (what I think) are minimal suppliesthese guys are heroes, they are incredible. No doubt about it.

I was told that I cant post their photosthey need to maintain anonymity in this dangerous job.

The Scarlet Six team up with the FCD during the late spring/summer months to protect the scarlet macaws.

So everything was going well. We were keeping our eyes on our bird, we were travelling the river for birding and exploring, we were trying to keep away from stinging insects like this massive caterpillar that was chawing on the grass at the entrance to our camp. This piece of orange greasy hair was about the size of my hand.

I shudder to think what it will turn into.

We woke up after night #3 of 4 early (bed time in these parts is between 7 and 8pm  there is only so much you can do in the DARK)the morning was grey and it had been drizzling all night (but, heyits the rainforest)

Our research ranger radioed into HQ as he did each morning and he returned to camp. Evacuate.

Ummmwhat? Not at all what we were expecting. The news? A storm was coming. And that was it. In half an hour, all our hammocks were down, everything packedapparently this river rises FAST in heavy rains. Like 10 feet in an hoursometimes more. And the wet heavy tree branches would come down easily under high winds.

The canoe was dragged 50 feet uphill and we loaded into the two boats.

The S6 team and the volunteers were headed home (or as I would later find outthat would not be possible) and the rangers to their base.

I boarded Dave.

The rest of the crew and LOTS of equipment weighed down the smaller boat.

In about an hour, still somewhat dazed and confused, we unloaded and said good-bye to the rangers. Our boat was secured way up on the hillbankagain to protect it against the surging river

And we loaded up to head to San Ignacio town. Just over 2 hours away. I had no phone signal until I reached there and how no idea that Hurricane Earl was arriving that night and that I would be stuck in Cayo, unable to reach home, for two more days.

Very very unexpected by both me and the rangers. This is the first time they have been evacuated during the hurricane season.

My trip was cut a day short and sadly, as reported on the S6 Facebook page, some of the nests were damaged during Earl. Hopefully my ward flew in time and the birds are safe.

One of the many gifts of my job is meeting amazing people around Belize that are, often quietly, doing AMAZING things. Doing jobs that few other people know about with pride and courage.

Over 10 years ago, it was estimated that there were less than 250 of these birds left in Belize  in 2011, it was estimated that over 80% of nests in the Chiquibul Forest were poached. That is all changing. Luis from my group described seeing a group of about 200 flying over last September as they exited the jungle after the last chick had fledged.

GO FCD and SCARLET SIX.

For more information on how you can help, please check their website  Friends of Conservation and Development and the Scarlet Six team. They are both fully funded by donations and both accept volunteers.

If you are looking for your chance to really experience the jungle and if you love birds and other wildlife, it would be the trip of a lifetime. Its not always easy, its sometimes boring, sometimes scary, always beautiful, but assisting in saving just one scarlet macaw is totally worth it.

For more information on this area of the country (and for some great reads), please check out photographer Tony Raths articles: Belize Is At War And Doesnt Even Know It and In Belize, All that Is Gold Does Not Glitter: The Looting, Desecration and Annexation of the Chiquibul Rainforest in Belize.

For more people doing amazing things in Belize with animals, please check my blog posts below.

Oh and very quickly, the story of the baby jaguar. One June morning, two rangers were doing patrols on the boat and they heard a strange kind of screamingdefinitely not a bird. One of the rangers thought that maybe a poacher had thrown a cat into the river (strangebut I guess possible?) so they went to check it out.

They found it, pulled it out and knew immediately it was a baby jaguarone as small and cute as a stuffed animals. Soaking wet and dehydrated. They had no clue what to do. Put it back on shore? It seemed sick. But was the mother going to emerge from the jungle, spot these two guys with the baby and set about to slowly and methodically maul them to death for stealing her offspring?

They decided to take the baby back to camp and to radio headquarters for directive. HQ talked to the zoo and radioed back. Keep the baby in camp for two nights and we will come pick her up.

They tied to baby to a tree and tried to give her water and food but as soon as she was dry, this cute little fluff ball turned into an enraged wild jaguar. A jaguar that make tons of noise.

So for TWO NIGHTS, these guys live in the camp and sleep in hammocks thinking that every minute was their last. Every sound made them jump. The incensed mother jaguar was going to spring from the dense jungle and go for their jugularsif they were lucky.

They live to tell the story but as I told themyou can NEVER get the smell of baby jaguar off you. NEVER.

So many wordsbut I am still completely awestruck by what is going on in the Chiquibulthe beauty and the fight to keep what is in Belize for Belize.
Burton, MI -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/15/2016 -- With store locations in Burton and Plymouth, Mid-Michigan Metal Sales is now proud to announce their latest venture with Edco Exterior Solutions. The company will now be offering Edco's Arrowline range of permanent metal roofing and siding at both of their locations, along with other products from Edco also. According to the company website, this is an endeavor to bring a larger variety of high-quality and durable metal roofing options to their large clientele.



The Arrowline range of roofing includes permanent metal roofing/siding, permanent metal slates and metal shakes, all available in a variety of colors and textures. Having been in the business since 1946, Edco is known for bringing new, innovative and durable metal roofing designs to the market. A company representative of Mid-Michigan Metal Sales made an official press statement to address the matter.



"Here at Mid-Michigan Metal Sales, we are a very client oriented company and aim to offer only the best products to our clients. Due to our number of satisfied clients and return customers, we have been able to expand our business and offer more innovative products. We have now joined hands with industry expert Edco to bring our clients the best range of permanent steel roofing and siding," stated the representative.



He further added to his statement "Among other products, the Arrowline range of permanent steel roofing by Edco is now available at both of our store locations. Edco is known in the industry for making the most durable and innovative metal roofing and siding. Mid-Michigan Metal Sales is offering a wide range of roofing designs and accessories from Edco and with enormous customer demand, stocks are sure to last for a limited time period only. We urge interested people to get in touch and take a look at the amazing assortment of Edco products that we have to offer."



About Mid-Michigan Metal Sales

Mainly a wholesale metal dealer and steel roofing supplier, the company deals in an array of accessories and miscellaneous items too. Other products offered by Mid-Michigan Metal Sales include roofing accessories, garage doors, 29 gauge Energy Star paint colors and much more. In addition to their store locations, the company also runs an online store where an array of roofing panels and accessories can be purchased with just a few clicks.



More details about Mid-Michigan Metal Sales, their entire inventory of products and their online store can be seen on the official company website at http://midmichiganmetalsales.com/



Contact:

Contact Person: Joe Miller

Location Address 1: G3336 S Dort Hwy, Burton, MI 48529

Phone: 810-744-0344

Location Address 2: 45854 Mast Rd Ste 103, Plymouth, MI. 48170

Phone: 734-259-8970

Email: info@midmichiganmetalsales.com

Website: http://midmichiganmetalsales.com
A team of scientists led by Dr. Ole Andreassen of the University of Oslo in Norway and the University of California, San Diego, has found evidence for an association between genetic risk for schizophrenia and markers of human evolution.

Schizophrenia  a chronic and serious mental disorder that affects how a person thinks, feels, and acts  poses an evolutionary enigma.

The disorder has existed throughout recorded human history and persists despite its severe effects on thought and behavior, and its reduced rates of producing offspring.

Some scientists think that schizophrenia could be a side effect of advantageous gene variants related to the acquisition of human traits, like language and complex cognitive skills, that might have increased our propensity to developing psychoses, Dr. Andreassen said.

Dr. Andreassen and his colleagues from Norway, the United States, Denmark and the UK looked to the genome of Neanderthals to pinpoint specific regions of the genome that could provide insight on the origin of schizophrenia in evolutionary history.

They analyzed genetic data from recent genome-wide association studies of people with schizophrenia for overlap with Neanderthal genomic information.

We analyzed recent large genome-wide association studies of schizophrenia and a range of other human phenotypes (anthropometric measures, cardiovascular disease risk factors, immune-mediated diseases) using a statistical framework that draws on polygenic architecture and ancillary information on genetic variants, they explained.

We used information from the evolutionary proxy measure called the Neanderthal selective sweep score.

The analysis tells scientists the likelihood that specific regions of the genome underwent positive selection sometime after the divergence of anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals.

Regions of the human genome associated with schizophrenia, known as risk loci, were more likely to be found in regions that diverge from the Neanderthal genome.

An additional analysis to pinpoint loci associated with evolutionary markers suggests that several gene variants that have undergone positive selection are related to cognitive processes.

Other such gene loci are known to be associated with schizophrenia and have previously been considered for a causal role in the disorder.

The findings were published in the August 15, 2016 issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Our findings suggest that schizophrenia vulnerability rose after the divergence of modern humans from Neanderthals and thus support the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a by-product of the complex evolution of the human brain, Dr. Andreassen said.

This study suggests that schizophrenia is a modern development, one that emerged after humans diverged from Neanderthals. It suggests that early hominids did not have this disorder, said Dr. John H. Krystal, Editor of Biological Psychiatry.

_____

Saurabh Srinivasan et al. 2016. Genetic Markers of Human Evolution Are Enriched in Schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry 80 (4): 284-292; doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.10.009
The American cockroaches might navigate the air due to extreme heat temperature in New York City, according to experts. The Big Apple City is experiencing oppressive heat and humidity this summer and roaches might fly all around the city.

Ken Schumann, an entomologist at Bell Environmental Services said that in hot steam tunnels, something with the temperature and the humidity encourages them to fly. He further said that when it's warm and steamy that seems to be what they like, as noted by DNA Info.

According to Huffington Post, there are two types of roaches in New York City namely the German cockroaches and the American cockroaches. The German cockroaches are mostly found in near stoves, dishwashers and sinks. On the other hand, the American cockroaches are found in basements, bathtubs and near drains. These type of cockroaches are the ones that might fly in the summer heat and in cooler temperatures they walk or run.

Louis Sorkin, the American Museum of Natural History's resident bug expert said that with more heat they have more use of their muscles and the more activity, the more flight. Sorkin also saw flying roaches in the museum's basement.

Meanwhile, Hao Yu, entomologists explained that they aren't flying so much as using their wings to glide for short distances, like from a higher place to a lower place. He further explained that they aren't true fliers as you would define a dragonfly or a bee.

The thought of flying cockroaches seems to be less unnerving,disgusting and quite horrifying. On the other hand, according to experts, there could be a brighter side. They said that these freaky creatures play a significant role in the ecosystem by helping vegetation decay. Could these help in excusing these gross-looking and horrifying species? The answer might be probably: Yes.
Southern Louisiana has been hit hard by a deadly, historic flooding - the latest only of the recorded floods that the state has suffered earlier this year. Emergency crews have rescued thousands of motorists from the highway as the rains swamped parts of the area, isolating whole subdivisions and calling for Gov. John Bel Edwards to declare a state of emergency.

At least 2 dead, over 1,000 rescued from severe flooding across central, southern Louisiana https://t.co/rcE7SoZUCk pic.twitter.com/J1i2z7ck2k  ABC News (@ABC) August 13, 2016

CNN reported that The Salvation Army has been assisting with disaster relief resources such as canteens and mobile feeding units, clean up and hygiene kits, and even support personnel to the affected areas. As of the latest report, there have already been four deaths related to the flood.

The latest death was that of a man, whose body was found washed up on a riverbank last Sunday. The Washington Post said that this has raised the death toll from the flooding - prior to this, a body was found in the East Baton Rouge Parish, and another two were found in St. Helena Parish.

There have been explanations regarding how the flooding happened. According to Weather.com the moisture, together with the low pressure near the earth's surface fueled the serious flodding in Louisiana as well as the adjascent parts of the Mississippi. Due to this, previous river records have been shattered by four to six feet compared to the years before.

Then, there is also more rainfall that is seen in Los Angeles than they years before, and already the second 24-inch and over rain event in Louisiana this year alone. As the tropical moisture expands, the flood threat continues on, and areas from Arkansas to Southeast Missouri are expected to have potential flooding in the next week.

Several organizations are open for donations and volunteer help workers as well, including United Way, United Way of South Louisiana, and Convoy of Home, to name a few.
Because the biggest battle in the tech industry now is about making the best operating system, several speculations surfaced that Google is on the move in creating the "next" operating system standard beating all of competition including Google's very own Chrome OS and Android.

Several tech news sites are reporting the said rumor. However, Google did not confirm it in any of its announcements. According to a report by International Business Times, this operating system has a potential to replace Android and Chrome OS. The said operating system is named Fuchsia (pink + purple), because it is based on Magenta kernel.

Google is developing the new operating system with Github. This was very unusual for Google who used to make its previous operating systems (Android and Chrome OS) from Linux kernel. The said new kernel is said to make the new operating system lighter and versatile. A light and versatile operating system is crucial so that the operating system could conveniently scale up and down depending on the device.

This move by Google is linked with its Project Brillo. Google wants to operate all of your devices in the future through this project. Have you ever heard of a smart key, smart wallet, smart door, smart ceiling, smart shoes, smart toaster, smart watch, smart television, etc.? You see, there is a trend right now where in almost all of our everyday appliances is being "smartened up" by connecting them to the internet-it's called the internet of things. Google plans to improve this platform to cater this very futuristic market.

Another tech giant, Samsung, also saw this market and hopefully become a competitor in the future. Samsung already placed a $1.2 Billion investment in their research and development team for the internet of things. It makes sense that whoever wins victoriously in the battle of operating systems, will surely revolutionize the world, just like how Windows and iOS did in the past.
In the government work reports from 2014 to 2016, the word employment was mentioned 29, 23, and 25 times, respectively. Premier Li Keqiang stressed repeatedly that employment is an important indicator of economic performance, a stabilizer for society, and has a vital bearing on peoples livelihood.

Premiers stance on employment

Premier Li presides over a symposium on Jan 25, attended by economists and enterprise representatives. The event was to gather opinions on drafts of the annual government work report and guidelines for the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). [Photo/China News Service]

Data on Chinas economic growth always gets the most attention. However, for the Chinese government, employment situation in the country is the top concern.

-- At Summer Davos Forum on Sept 9, 2014

Employment rate is an important indicator of economic performance.

-- Chairing a State Council executive meeting on June 10, 2015

Employment is peoples top concern, and it should be attached great importance. There is no meaning if the economy is growing but employment is declining.

-- Presiding over a symposium of economists and enterprise representatives on Jan 25, 2016

Chinas economy will be steady if the state of employment remains stable. This is a highlight of Chinas economy in recent times.

-- Addressing a State Council executive meeting on Feb 14, 2016

Premiers promises on employment

Premier Li delivers a government work report at the opening meeting of the fourth session of the 12th National Peoples Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

From 2014 to 2016, the government work reports promised each year to create over 10 million new urban employment opportunities, and good results have been witnessed.

In 2014, new urban employment opportunities reached 13.22 million, exceeding projections.

In 2015, the number of new urban jobs reached 13.12 million, also surpassing the annual goal.

In the first half of 2016, the number reached 7.17 million, reaching 71.7 percent of this years target.

Premiers solutions for high-quality employment

Premier Li inspects the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on May 6 and presides over a symposium on employment. [Photo/China News Service]

In the past three years, employment has been a frequently-mentioned word wherever Premier Li went.

Employment should be driven by entrepreneurship. The combination of the two is a kind of employment transformation.

We should focus more on improving the quality of human resource, and the knowledge, intelligence and technical skill of laborers.

In recent years, we never stopped cutting taxes for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is for their better business operation and increasing employment.

Private economy has been the major channel absorbing job seekers. If we want to expand employment, we must promote a quicker development of private economy.

-- At an employment work conference on May 6, 2016

The key targets of employment are university graduates, secondary vocational school graduates and migrant workers. Graduates and migrant workers are two different groups of people that we should handle properly. Only in that way can we maintain a steady employment situation and economic society.

-- At an employment work conference on May 6, 2016

We should further promote the employment and entrepreneurship of university students, enhance the connection of supply and demand in the job market, and expand employment channels. We should further promote administration streamlining and power delegation, and the reform of the commercial system to relieve the burden for graduates to participate in entrepreneurship and innovation. We should speed up the development of new economy, creating new technologies, industries and patterns to produce more jobs for the group of high-quality youths.

-- In instructions to a national videophone conference for employment and entrepreneurship of university graduates on May 20, 2016

Implement and improve the residence permit system and service for migrant workers. Enable more migrant workers to become new-type workers with skills and new citizens who can also enjoy benefits.

--In instructions to a national honoring ceremony for outstanding migrant workers and groups on Feb 1, 2016

Over 21 million migrant workers should go through training to improve their job skills.

-- 2016 Government Work Report, March 5, 2016

We must ensure good vocational training and underlying guarantee when promoting reducing capacity in steel and coal industries. Large number of job losses must not appear.

-- At an employment work conference on May 6, 2016
Fifth in a series

FLORENCE, S.C.  Marti Costas spent 20 years caring for her parents after they were diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.

Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia and worsens over time, causing problems with brain function, memory and behavior. In the early stages, a person is still able to function independently. As it progresses, however, Alzheimers can cause changes in personality, physical capabilities and communication skills.

According to the Alzheimers Association, a person lives an average of four to eight years after being diagnosed. There is no cure for the disease.

Both Costas mother and father, Anne and John Usher, died within the decade that followed their diagnoses, but Costas said ultimately the disease was not to blame.

They dont die from Alzheimers, Costas said. They die from complications of something else.

As the primary caretaker for both of her parents, Costas witnessed each of the stages of Alzheimers, starting with her father in 1987.

John Usher worked in retail for several years at Cokers Department Store in Myrtle Beach, where he was responsible for marking prices on clothing. John was fired after he was consistently marking the prices incorrectly. Johns coworkers called his wife, Anne.

They contacted my mom and said, Were going to have to let your husband go. You might want to get him checked, Costas said.

Following his Alzheimers diagnosis, John stayed at his Myrtle Beach home with Anne and Costas taking care of him. John slowly began forgetting who his family was and couldnt recognize his own reflection in a mirror.

Its a hard thing to watch your parents know who you are and love you, Costas said. And then you sit there and look at them and they dont know who you are.

Costas recalled one of the last times her father was able to visit her at her home in Florence.

She told her dad to take a shower and he didnt know how.

I thought, Oh, my god, what am I going to do? Costas said. I literally had to give my father a bath. That was hard, but yet I put myself in the place that Im the adult now and hes the child.

About five years after Johns diagnosis, his behavior became violent, and Costas family decided to move him into a nursing home.

He was hitting my mom and stuff like that, Costas said. Hed get upset after he did it, but he didnt know.

Costas and her mother would visit John every other weekend until he died in 1997, 10 years after his Alzheimers diagnosis. Costas said her father was admitted to the hospital after he was having trouble breathing and died of asphyxiation five hours later. He was 70 years old.

When my father died, he was in the hospital bed in the fetal position, Costas said. It was like he transitioned from an adult all the way back to a baby.

Less than a year after Costas father died, her 70-year-old mother, Anne, began to show similar symptoms to Johns early stages of the disease.

This cant be happening, Costas said. Why? My dad had it, why does she got it, too?

Anne was diagnosed in 1998 but was able to take care of herself for about a year, until one day she got lost trying to drive to her sons house in Myrtle Beach, a house he had lived in for many years. Her family couldnt find her until she found her way back to her apartment late that night.

Costas decided to take her mothers car away from her, and during that time Costas would visit Anne every day to make sure she was eating and taking her medications.

I was her security when she was sick, Costas said. We were just so close. My mom was my best friend.

One day, Anne wandered away from her apartment building in Florence. She was found walking down Third Loop Road.

As a woman with a family-owned business and three young children, Costas said, the stress of caring for and worrying about her mother on top of all of that started to affect her own health. Costas began having panic attacks and high blood pressure. That was when her siblings urged Costas to move Anne into assisted living.

The hardest part was the day I did put her in assisted living and had to drive off with her standing at the front door crying, Why are you leaving me? Costas said. It was a hard decision, but it was for the best.

During her mothers time in the assisted-living facility, Costas would take her to doctors appointments, take her shopping and visit her regularly. As her condition worsened, Anne fell a few times and became unable to take care of herself, so Costas moved her into a nursing home. Still nothing changed for Costas, as she would visit Anne, feed her and take her whenever she needed to go.

In 2005, seven years after her diagnosis, Anne was no longer able to chew or swallow. Costas' family was faced with a decision to either tube feed their mother or keep her comfortable until she died.

We all decided we couldnt starve our mom to death, so we were going to tube feed her, Costas said.

Just before Christmas in 2006, Anne developed a blood clot in her leg, and Costas' family faced another heart-wrenching choice: amputate her leg or remove her feeding tube.

Costas said the family decided not to amputate her leg, but Costas brother, Jeff, who was living in Florida, made her promise to stay with their mother the rest of the time.

He said, Youve got to sit beside her the whole time and watch her, Costas recalled. I said, Jeff, I dont know if I can do it. You never know when you disconnect a feeding tube how long it will take.

A little over a week later, Costas was sitting at home with her family around 2 a.m. when the hospital called and said they should head that way. Anne died before Costas arrived.

That was God protecting me from having to watch my mom pass away, Costas said. I praise God for that, because that wouldve been hard just to sit there and watch her.

Anne died nine years after her original diagnosis. Almost a decade after her mothers death, Costas still gets overwhelmed with emotion when she talks about her parents and what her family endured during their final years.

It was so hard, Costas said. You just watch them go from being a vibrant person to just shrinking down to nothing.

Costas, 65, worries that she may be next, as those who have a family member with Alzheimers are more likely to develop the disease. If more than one family member has it, the risk increases even more. Scientists know of specific genes that can affect a persons likelihood of developing the disease and ways to test if a person possesses those genes. Costas said she has no interest in finding out.

I dont want to know, Costas said. If Im going to get it, Im going to get it. I try to put it out of the back of my mind and live my days to the fullest.

Thats all I can wish for.
When you've dug yourself into a hole, as an old saying goes, stop digging. Most people are smart enough to follow that advice. They aren't Donald Trump.

In the two weeks after their parties' conventions, the Republican presidential nominee has been digging himself into a hole, falling badly behind his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton in the polls  and he keeps on digging.

At a rally Wednesday near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for example, he came up with a new piece of nonsense that President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Clinton "founded" the Islamic State, or ISIS, our No. 1 jihadi enemy these days.

Like a small child who has discovered a new word  or a salesman who has run out of new things to say  Trump was too delighted by the phrase to stop repeating it in his rambling rap, at least a half-dozen times. Count 'em.

"In many respects, you know, they honor President Obama," he said. "ISIS is honoring President Obama! He is the founder of ISIS! He's the founder of ISIS, OK? He's the founder! He founded ISIS, and I would say the cofounder would be crooked Hillary Clinton. Cofounder, crooked Hillary Clinton. And that's what it's about."

Or, at best, getting a rise out of a crowd seems to be what Trump is all about. His audience erupted into cheers and chants of "Lock her up" as Trump smiled and engaged in what appears to be his favorite activity: basking in applause.

Trump appears to have abandoned the widely held belief that he needs to pivot to a more presidential-acting Trump. Since the Grand Old Party's Cleveland convention, he has picked fights with party elders and with Gold Star parents. He has invited Russian spies to penetrate Clinton's emails and joked in a way that sounded like he was inviting "Second Amendment people" (i.e., gun enthusiasts) to assassinate a president who didn't agree with them.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt tried to throw a lifeline to Trump on the Islamic State issue. In an on-air interview, Hewitt suggested that the wealthy developer meant to say that the policies of the Obama administration led to the rise of the Islamic State when Clinton was secretary of state.

"I know what you meant," Hewitt said. "You meant that he created the vacuum, he lost the peace."

But Trump refused to hit that softball. "No, I meant he's the founder of ISIS," he 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."

But never mind. Early Friday Trump tweeted that his ISIS accusation was only "sarcasm." Shame on us for taking him seriously.

Trump might be having fun, but his unpredictability has cost him. Two weeks after the conventions, Trump's narrow convention bump was gone. He was trailing Clinton by more than six points in Real Clear Politics' daily average of the most recent nationwide polls.

And in interviews he actually acknowledged the possibility that he could lose, a major concession for a man who promised "so much winning" that we would grow tired of all the winning.

Yet even after his advisers suggested that he had achieved a new level of discipline in delivering his economic address a week ago in Detroit, Trump insisted that he would not change his strange ways. "At the end, it's either going to work," he said in a CNBC interview, "or I'm going to, you know, I'm going to have a very, very nice, long vacation."

Maybe that's his problem. Maybe he needs a rest. Or maybe he never expected his presidential campaign, which seemed to start as another one of his brand-building projects, to get this far.

Now he sounds perplexed that the childish name-calling that boosted his primary campaign ("Crooked Hillary," "Crazy Bernie" Sanders ...) falls flat in his general election campaign. What will he blame on Obama and Clinton next? Earthquakes? Hurricanes? The Zika virus?

At last, the man who proudly declared, "I'm so tired of this politically correct crap" last September to a cheering crowd in South Carolina might be learning the hard way that manners still do matter in politics. You can't insult your way to the White House, Jeb Bush told Trump in a primary debate, but Trump is still trying.

Meanwhile, Trump's supporters criticize news media for bias against Trump. They weren't saying that when Trump was winning. In fact, Clinton's scandals would be getting a lot more attention, rightly or wrongly, if Trump didn't keep stealing the spotlight.

Email Clarence Page at cpage@tribune.com
Rawabi is a controlling shareholder of Vallianz with 18.7% equity stake, and a joint venture partner through Rawabi Vallianz Offshore Services (RVOS).

While the global oil markets are presently facing slower conditions, we believe RVOS will be able to take advantage of business opportunities in the Middle East region where oil and gas production activities and investments remain positive, said Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Turiki, group chairman of Rawabi and chairman of RVOS.

The backing by Rawabi for Vallianz is seen as an important step for the latter in shoring up confidence among investors, especially following the sudden downfall of Swiber, which owns 25.2% stake in Vallianz.

The group wishes to update shareholders that its core vessel chartering business is continuing as usual and it has not experienced any disruption to its business operations following the recent events at Swiber, Vallianz said.

The court has ordered Swiber and its subsidiary Swiber Offshore Construction to be placed under interim judicial management.

Meanwhile, Singapore-listed Vallianz has reported a first half net profit of $9.46m, down 6.3% from $10.1m in the same period of 2015.

First half revenue also dropped by 10.2% year-on-year to $112.96m due chiefly to lower sales generated from vessel management services but offset by higher contributions from vessel chartering and brokerage business.
Photo: Some conspiracy theorists believe that contrails formed by jet exhaust are part of a secret government plot to alter the atmosphere. Credit: Mick West/UCI If you're fascinated with conspiracy theories, you've probably come across one involving those streaks that jet aircraft leave behind them in the sky, as particles from the engines' exhaust plume cause water vapor in the air to condense around them and form ice particles. In aviation, those streaks are called "contrails," short for condensation trails, and they're a phenomenon that's been observed since the beginnings of jet-powered flight. (Here's a Federal Aviation Administration FAQ on them.)

RELATED: Bacteria in Clouds Could Make Rain on Demand

Nevertheless, to conspiracy buffs, nothing is that simple or innocuous. Some believe that the streaks are what they call "chemtrails," and that they're part of a sinister, clandestine government plot to modify the weather, or else some sort of biological warfare weapon. (From the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, here's a guide to those accusations.) One poll a few years back found that nearly 17 percent of Americans thought it was either true or partly true that the government was involved in atmospheric alteration, and the chemtrails conspiracy theory even has been promoted by celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and the late Prince.

That's why a group of scientists from the University of California, Irvine, the Carnegie Institution for Science and the nonprofit Near Zero organization thought it would be a good idea to survey 77 atmospheric chemists and geoscientists, the folks who actually study the atmosphere. The survey-takers asked atmospheric researchers if they had found any evidence of a large-scale program to spray chemicals into the sky.

An article just published in Environmental Research Letters contains the findings. Of the 77 scientists surveyed, 76 (98.7 percent) said they had found no evidence of such spraying.

RELATED: Viral Video Claims to Prove Chemtrails Conspiracy Theory

Beyond that, when showed the evidence presented by chemtrails proponents -- such as strontium, barium and aluminum found in water, soil and snow samples -- the researchers concluded that those things could be explained through other factors, "including well-understood physics and chemistry associated with aircraft contrails and atmospheric aerosols."

If you're a believer in chemtrails, you may be wondering: What about the one scientist who found evidence? Maybe that person is the InfoWars version of Galileo, right?

Sorry to disappoint you, but no.

As the study clarifies: "The one participant who answered yes said the evidence s/he had come across was 'high levels of atmospheric barium in a remote area with standard 'low' soil barium'." That scientist stops short of absolutely ruling out the remote possibility that someone deliberately sprayed barium over that area, which is not the same as saying that it's the likely explanation. (As Bad Astronomy blogger Phil Plait explains, "When I can't find my keys in the morning I can't rule out that dinosaur ghosts hid them from me. It just seems a tad unlikely.")

RELATED: 11 Conspiracy Theories That Proved True

"The chemtrails conspiracy theory maps pretty closely to the origin and growth of the internet, where you can still find a number of websites that promote this particular brand of pseudoscience," study co-author Steven Davis, UCI associate professor of Earth system science, said in a UCI press release. "Our survey found little agreement in the scientific community with claims that the government, the military, airlines and others are colluding in a widespread, nefarious program to poison the planet from the skies."

On the plus side, this now means that chemtrails believers can move on to potentially more fruitful areas of inquiry, such as the question of whether Tupac Shakur is still alive and hiding out in Cuba.

WATCH VIDEO: Conspiracy Theories: Why We Believe
During nesting season, some birds will nest close to larger birds, the idea being that the bigger birds' presence will discourage other bigger birds from raiding their nests. The little ones get a bit of nest defense on the cheap, thanks to the big ones. But how cheap is it, really? Researcher Rhea Esposito, from from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, wanted to know whether the smaller birds paid a food cost, losing out on meals to their larger neighbors. RELATED: U.K. Zoo Attempts to Save World's Rarest Magpie A trio of corvids -- those super-sharp birds whose intelligence and problem-solving skills have been well documented -- in Jackson Hole, Wyo. made for the perfect test subjects. Magpies in the area tended to nest near bigger crows, which offer tough defenses of their own nests against even bigger ravens. Do the magpies pay a food penalty for the indirect protection? Esposito held what she termed "Cheetos challenges," tests of breeding pairs based around the orange snack loved by people and, apparently, magpies and crows. In the first challenge, she set out Cheetos near the nests of breeding pairs of both birds and then let the fun begin. For sheer speed of approach it was magpies all the way (video below). They descended upon the curly treats some 20 seconds faster than the crows. The crows, for their part, tended to exercise more caution around the new, possibly suspicious items.

However, once the crows realized the strangely colored items were a tasty snack, they became quite the thieves, stealing the treats from nearby magpie nests. "Because it's the nesting season, they are often close enough to see neighboring Cheetos piles. So crows would learn that there is food at the nearby magpie nest, as well as their own nest. Crows steal more often than magpies by a factor of three," said Esposito, who performed the tests while a graduate student at at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. RELATED: Ravens Know if They're Being Spied On The tests got tougher. Eventually the Cheetos were hidden inside logs and could only be extracted if the birds tugged on a string tied to them. Once again, magpies were quicker on the draw, averaging about 1 minute faster than the crows at solving the puzzle and scoring the snack (Esposito acknowledged she was more interested in ecological questions than those of corvid intelligence. "These puzzles were very simple for corvid abilities. They have solved much harder problems in the lab," she said.)

In another test, where Cheetos were placed equidistant from nests of both magpies and crows, some 279 feet (85 meters) away, the birds found them at about the same rate and in the same amount of time. But a pattern Esposito had seen in earlier tests was once again present: The crows let the magpies explore the snack first before swooping in, driving away the smaller birds, and taking the treat themselves. In time, Esposito noted, the poor magpies abandoned all hope. They didn't even bother to land and check out the Cheetos. So, then, the answer to the question underpinning the tests would seem to have been "yes." There is no such thing as free protection. "Crows are about twice the size as magpies. That's why they are great as nest defenders. But there is a cost," said Esposito, who presented her findings at a recent Ecological Society of America gathering. VIEW PHOTOS: Top 10 Most Intelligent Animals

Creatures both big and small made the list of the top 10 most intelligent organisms on the planet, proving that bigger isn't always better when it comes to brains. The new list, created by neuropsychiatrist Jon Lieff, includes animals that have been widely known for their smarts, as well as some surprising entries. Boston-based Lieff, who is a past president of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, specializes in the interface between psychiatry, neurology, and medicine. Such interdisciplinary research is leading to a better understanding on how human and other mammal brains age, which may shed light on treatments for common disorders, such as dementia. Included on the list are bees, which Lieff said use symbolism and abstract concepts to solve problems in their daily lives. "They have a kaleidoscopic memory of every flower for miles, and learn from wise elders where the best flowers are," he told Discovery News. "Bees self medicate in their hives in different ways, and engineer the very complex honeycomb structures that are the most efficient possible for honey storage." Faces of Bees, Flies and Friends: Photos

Do not let their squishy tentacles fool you. Octopuses are extremely intelligent, according to Lieff, who explained that they spread cultural information, mimic others and communicate using colors, patterns and flashing. "They have advanced spatial learning capacity, navigational abilities and use creative predatory techniques," he added. "They manipulate objects as well as the human hand does." Why Octopuses Don't Tie Themselves in Knots

Elephants have highly evolved social capabilities and often show wise, compassionate and loving behaviors, Lieff said. Elephants have amazing memories and can remember friends and enemies for a half century or more, depending on their health and lifetime. (Elephants in the wild can live to about 60, and the oldest known elephant on record -- in captivity -- reached the age of 86.) "In captivity, elephants have become excellent artists," Lieff said. "Elephant communication is elaborate involving many different vocalizations, and they 'speak' to family five miles away. Elephants are extremely collaborative, consoling and cooperative, and deeply mourn their dead." Elephants Outwit Humans During Intelligence Test

Ants are the ultimate team players, but they display great individual intelligence as well, according to Lieff. The insects can navigate long distances with ease, remembering their lengthy routes. "Ants care for their family similar to many mammals and show altruism for comrades," Lieff said, mentioning that ants are the second society on earth (after termites) to develop agriculture. Human-established agriculture evolved much later. New Ant Species Hides in Plain Sight Like a Spy

Dolphins continue to astound researchers. These marine mammals in captivity can remember the communications of their fellow tank mates for at least 20 years, according to Lieff. "They also immediately notice themselves in a mirror, and are very creative in inventing new ways to fish," he continued. "They wear sponges on their noses to protect themselves near rocks. They have advanced social relations with humans, such as herding large schools of fish toward fishermen wading in the water with nets. When the fish are about to come in contact with the nets, the dolphins signal the fishermen by slapping the water." Dolphins: Second-Smartest Animals?

Birds are among the smartest of animals, with two groups making this particular list. The first are crows. "Crows are aware of themselves and are able to use counting and analogies," Lieff said. "They can solve higher-order, relational-matching tasks spontaneously. They use tools better than most (non-human) primates, molding wire into a hook and using three different tools for one task." He added that studies reveal crows understand the Archimedes principle, which holds that the upward buoyant force exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces. This knowledge allows crows to manipulate water levels to access food. 10 Surprising Facts About Animal Intelligence

Curious and playful, cockatoos are also incredibly smart. Lieff explained that cockatoos use multi-step techniques to solve problems, such as figuring out how a complex cage lock works. For example, Lieff said one clever cockatoo figured out a lock that required removal of a screw, followed by removal of a bolt, then turning a wheel 90 degrees before finally shifting a latch sideways. Other cockatoos that watched this happen quickly repeated the successful maneuver. A quick search at YouTube also reveals that cockatoos "completely disprove the notion that animals can't dance," Lieff said. Cockatoos Watch and Learn From 'Teacher' Birds

Lizards do not get a lot of recognition for their intelligence, but Lieff believes it is time they did. Anole lizards, in particular, continue to impress researchers with their cognitive skills. Anoles demonstrate counting, advanced learning and problem solving, he said, adding that their memories are extraordinary. In captivity, these lizards can "invent techniques that they don't use in the wild. They can use multiple different strategies (to solve puzzles) and can unlearn incorrect approaches, rapidly reversing course." Lizard Penises Evolve at Super-Speed

Dogs are so loyal to humans that they often don't get credit for their own intelligence. "From a purely cognitive vantage point, dogs have learned up to a thousand different words," Lieff said. He added that "service dogs demonstrate creativity and high intelligence" in saving others. Canines can also accurately read human emotions. Dogs Understand Human Smiles, Scowls

Rounding out the list are whales, which demonstrate elaborate communication techniques and cultural exchange. "They work together for creative fishing techniques, with each whale in a designated role," Lieff said. For example, he explained three whales sometimes line up in a row while beating their tails together. This creates waves that can knock a seal off an ice perch. Whales also swim beneath a school of fish in circles, blowing air bubble "nets," which trap the fish. This requires a lot of team organization, as some whales do the diving while others make calls in order to herd the fish. Such teamwork is passed on to other generations. Mystery of Baleen Whale's Hearing May Be Solved
Two joys of New York City summers apparently combine to create a third: heat and cockroaches lead to flying cockroaches.

An article in DNAInfo reveals one more reason why so many people flee the city in the sultry month of August. The outlet spoke to American Museum of Natural History's resident bug expert, Louis Sorkin, who said that as heat indexes rise, American cockroaches "have more use of their muscles." Namely, heat inspires the roaches to flex the muscles of their normally inactive little wings.

"The more activity, the more flight," said Sorkin.

RELATED: Cockroaches: The Ultimate Survivors

The American cockroach has long found a very comfortable home in the Big Apple, with its abundance of garbage and dark crevices. And while the city's human population has been wilting under a nearly week-long heat wave, abandoning outdoor parks and sidewalks for the shelter of air-conditioned apartments, cockroaches have come to life.

Ken Schumann, an entomologist at Bell Environmental Services, told DNAInfo that "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."

While the thought of flying cockroaches is certainly enough to send a shiver down your spine, take heart. Schumann clarified that the insects don't exactly take flight with the same ease as, say a robin or a butterfly. The cockroach's flight is more of a descent from a high point to a low point.

RELATED: Cockroach's Bite Force Is 50 Times Its Own Weight

"It's almost like they just glide down," Schumann told DNAInfo.

While the revelation of flying cockroaches may mean big business for the city's exterminators, there's little chance the insects will ever truly be tamed.

Cockroaches have been around for 300 million years. Their ability to adapt even allowed them to survive the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.

WATCH: Why Do Cockroaches Even Exist?
Photo: An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescues three people from a rooftop due to flooding in Baton Rouge in this still image from video. Credit: Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans/Handout via Reuters Emergency crews in flood-devastated Louisiana have rescued more than 20,000 people after catastrophic inundations that left at least six dead, news reports said Monday. As many as 10,000 people are living in shelters after a weekend of torrential rains that has prompted the federal government to declare a disaster, according to Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. RELATED: Woman, Dog Rescued From Sinking Car in Nick of Time

The White House action makes emergency federal funding available to support rescue crews working nonstop. "This is ongoing," Edwards said Sunday of the record floods. "This is not over," even with the rains lessening as they move west and the sun appearing in some flooded areas. The flooding submerged large parts of the region on Sunday, three days after water-swelled streams and rivers began rising. Thousands were evacuated in Livingston Parish, near the capital Baton Rouge, the sheriff's department told local media.
Every August a meteor shower treats humanity to an amazing light show. The famous Perseid Meteor Shower is at its height mid-month, when dust from a periodic comet causes shooting stars to rain down.

This year, four wingsuit fliers joined the intense spectacle, jumping from a plane above the Canary Islands with their own lights and sparks.

RELATED: Wingsuit BASE Jumping: 7 Coolest Videos of All Time

The crew was made up of Red Bull pilots Joakim Sommer from Norway, Armando del Rey from Spain, and the Austrians Marco Waltenspiel and Georg Lettner. Their plane took off at night on the island of La Palma, reached nearly 6,000 feet, and then the men jumped out in glowing LED wingsuits. Flying at nearly 100 mph, they set off sparklers. From the ground they really did resemble shooting stars.

"I was in this black tunnel and there was nothing else besides all those billions of stars in my face," Sommer told Red Bull. "It is like you are out there in the outer space. It's crazy."

The Canary Islands, which are located off Africa's western coast, tend to be among the best places to see the Perseids because the air is so clean there. Plus, this year the meteor shower promised to be more intense than usual. La Palma also houses an extensive telescope fleet. Only this month a guy lit a piece of toilet paper and caused a blaze that destroyed almost 7 percent of the island.

RELATED: Wingsuit Flier Soars Over Active Volcano

The Red Bull team said they wanted to show support and appreciation for all the people who fought that blaze. They collaborated with the Spanish Air Force, La Palma's city council, and the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics on the flight, according to Red Bull. It turned into a bright spot in what has been a dark August for the island.

See the wingsuit fliers soar with shooting stars here:
Bulgarian archaeologists say they have found the world's oldest gold artifact -- a tiny bead which they believe is 6,500 years old.

The bead was unearthed in the remains of a small house at a prehistoric settlement known as Tell Yunatsite, just outside the modern town of Pazardzhik. It's small, measuring just four millimeters (0.16 inches) in diameter and weighing 15 centigrams (0.005 ounces).

According to Yavor Boyadzhiev, associated professor at the Bulgarian Academy of Science, the fortified site was the first "urban" settlement in Europe, founded around 6,000 B.C. by migrants from Anatolia, in today's Turkey.

RELATED: Dark History of Gold Begins With Smashed Stars

"The bead was found on the floor of a building in a secure stratified context," Boyadzhiev told Discovery News.

"Its position along with the pottery found within the building are evidence enough to date it to the middle of the Copper age, around 4,500-4,650 B.C.," he added.

The dating would make the tiny gold artifact some 200 years older than the cache of gold found previously in a Copper Age necropolis in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Varna. Excavated between 1972 and 1991, Varna yielded what was assumed to be the oldest gold of mankind.

RELATED: 'Vampire' Skeletons Found in Bulgaria

"The gold found in Varna is dated to the middle of the late Copper age, around 4,200-4,400 B.C. and is without doubt younger than the bead from Yunatsite," Boyadzhiev said.

"Our finding proves that gold processing began earlier than we believed and in a much larger area," he added.

Boyadzhiev noted the bead is just one of many artifacts that prove the existence of a well developed civilization in Bulgaria during the fifth millennium B.C.

His team also unearthed more than 150 ceramic figures of birds, suggesting the animal was worshiped at Tell Yunatsite.

The settlement was destroyed by invading tribes around 4,100 B.C.

WATCH:Wait... Gold Came From Ancient Asteroids?!
Bam eyes tax exemption for communities affected by calamities

Business establishments and communities affected by calamities will be exempted from paying taxes once a measure submitted by Sen. Bam Aquino becomes a law.

"This measure seeks to relieve Filipinos of some taxes to encourage recovery after disaster," said Sen. Bam as he filed Senate Bill No. 653 or "An Act Providing for Tax Relief in Times of Calamity".

The measure mandates real property tax exemption for affected communities after a declaration of a state of calamity.

In addition, Sen. Bam said business establishments affected by a calamity shall be exempted from income tax payments.

The bill also provides donor's tax exemption to organizations, provided that at least 90 percent of the donations go directly to the affected community and not to administrative purposes.

"Families affected by calamities need our help. Waiving taxes is one way the government can give them support and assistance," Sen. Bam stressed.

A total of 6 provinces, 12 cities, 17 municipalities, and 2 barangays have been declared under a state of calamity because of El Nino from February 2015 to March 14, 2016 according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Press Release

August 15, 2016 Transcript of Interview with Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin M. Drilon Q: Sir, wala raw budget for Cha-cha (Charter change)? Drilon: That is consistent with their position na Con-ass (Constitutional Assembly). I'm not surprised. Q: Pero di po ba pinu-push n'yi yung Con-con? Drilon: Pinu-push ko yung Constitutional Convention. Tingnan natin kung ano ang mangyayari. Q: Walang diperensiya sakaling magka-Con-con na walang budget? Drilon: Technically, the President has no participation in a change of a Constituion, except as a political leader, because Constitution is amendment either by Con-ass or Con-con, which the manner of amending or revising the Constitution is through a Con-ass or Con-con. So, technically - and I underscore "technically" - because the matter of changing the Constitution is an act of Congress. A resolution for a Con-con or a Con-ass does not need the President's approval. And once the resolution is approved, it is submitted directly to the people for approval. The reality, however, the President, as a political leader, would have an influence on the manner. Number two, his power over the budget would enable the President to influence or dictate practically the manner in which the Constitution should be amended. Because kahit sabihin ng Congress ay Con-con, pero ang sabi ninyo nga ay wala sa budget, so paano po tayo maghahalal ng delegado? So the reality is, assuming that Congress would pass a Con-con, then we have to negotiate with the executive on the budget. Ganoon po ang mangyayari. The non-inclusion of the budget for a Con-con is understandable because the preference of the executive is Con-ass. Q: So, kayo po ang mag-initiate ng inclusion? Drilon: No. first, I have scheduled the hearings. Let's see what will come out in the hearings - what mode should be used.
Hontiveros: Hospitals that treat indigent emergency-case patients

will get tax deductions

PASAY CITY - Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros is pushing for tax deductions for hospitals compliant to Republic Act 8344 or more popularly known as the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law.

Under Hontiveros' proposed Senate Bill No. 216, the cost of the basic emergency care incurred shall be tax deductible in favor of the said hospital or medical clinic that has given basic emergency medical services to the poor and indigent patient.

"I am confident that majority of our hospitals are compliant with the law and contributing to address the public health care gap", addressed Hontiveros. "We will make sure that their efforts in partnership with government hospitals in addressing the health care needs of our people are duly recognized and rewarded," she added.

Hontiveros, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, is set to call for a committee hearing on the said bill to "determine the loopholes in implementation and take into consideration the best and worst practices of the law."

"We know that there are existing cases of erring hospitals violating the law", Hontiveros said. "We want to shed light on this matter so similar incidents will not happen in the future", she continued.

Aside providing tax deductions for compliant hospitals, the said Senate bill also hopes to create a Health Facilities Oversight Board, chaired by a Department of Health representative. "The Board will provide a clear channel for redress of grievances by patients and ensuring their rights and welfare", Hontiveros said.
Press Release

August 15, 2016 Legarda Urges Vulnerable Nations Take Climate Action Ahead of Paris Agreement Enforcement Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for climate vulnerable nations to take urgent climate action even as the world waits for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to take effect. Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, made the statement during her opening speech at the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) High-Level Climate Policy Forum held at the Philippine Senate today, August 15, 2016. "We cannot wait for the Agreement to take effect before we take action. We must continue to rally our respective states and the community of nations to take urgent climate action because global warming will not halt as institutions and nations all over the world debate whether to ratify or not," she stressed. She added, "Although we are not major emitters of global greenhouse gas (GHG), we cannot let our respective economies grow through the ways that caused today's climate crisis; we cannot let human society live in a world fraught with dangers." At present, 22 of the 197 Parties to the Convention have ratified the Paris Agreement, but they represent only 1.08% of GHG emissions. In order for the Agreement to take effect, at least 55 nations representing 55% of global GHG emissions must ratify it. The CVF High-Level Climate Policy Forum was also the venue for the ceremonial turnover of CVF Presidency from the Philippines to Ethiopia. Legarda expressed optimism that with the unequivocal support of every member, Ethiopia will continue to steer the CVF towards the Forum's common goal of being the voice of reason in the climate negotiations and asserting the rights of vulnerable nations. "The 2015 Paris Agreement has been hailed by many as a landmark agreement, but its aspirations will not happen on its own. This is where the role of the CVF becomes even more crucial," said Legarda. "We strive for 1.5C to thrive and we can do this together. The dream of a safer world needs the cooperation of all countries, and of every man, woman, and child. If we start today, there is no promise that we will be lucky enough to see the undoing of the damage within our lifetime, but at least, we leave our world with the gift of hope for a better, kinder future," Legarda concluded. Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, headed by Secretary Emmanuel de Guzman, led the event attended by CVF Troika Plus and CVF-V20 member ministers and senior officials, CVF expert advisors, legislators, high-level policymakers, and resource experts. The CVF also launched 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.
Press Release

August 15, 2016 Transcript of Ambush Interview during turnover of NEP On the 2017 National Expenditure Program SP: Una sa lahat, this afternoon, we will be seeing a unique event. I have not been one month in the position as SP, it's the first time that the National Expenditure Program will be presented to the Senate. The budget secretary is here to do the honor. Sabi ko wag na sa akin ibigay symbolically yung copies but to the chair of our Finance Committee, Senator Loren Legarda. Legarda: It's the first time that the Executive is delivering the National Expenditure Program. We are grateful to the very proactive Secretary of Budget Ben Diokno. Yes, the P3.35 trillion budget is hereby presented to us and we will exert our best efforts to conduct the hearings and the early passage of this most important piece of legislation. You know the budget better because we haven't read it yet. Perhaps, I'm sure they want to know how different is this budget. This is a changed budget because you see the marked increase in the allocation for social services which is 40% of the President's budget. We also see a marked increase in the public spending in terms of infrastructure and the focus on education but the Budget Secretary has much to say about that. Diokno: This budget has many firsts as the Senate President said. In my entire career as a Budget Secretary since 1986, this has never been done before. We usually present the budget to the House and that's it. They just wait for it. Q: Sir, as I understand there was a 600% increase in the budget of the Office of the President... Diokno: That's not true. There's a P15 billion increase in the budget of the Office of the President because of the 50th year of the ASEAN that will be celebrated here. We are hosting the golden year of the ASEAN. There's a P15 billion allocation for that. We placed it under the Office of the President. In the budget implementation phase, we will distribute it to the appropriate agencies like tourism, foreign affairs. Q: All intended for the ASEAN? Diokno: That's correct. Q: Sir, how about the increase in the budget of the PNP, 24% daw po sa DILG? Diokno: That's basically because of the PNP because it's the Department of Interior and Local Government. Q: Sir, how will that be helping the war on drugs? Diokno: There will be an increase in the pay of the police. The CCT beneficiaries will get 20 kilos of rice per month for the entire year. Legarda: Just to be accurate the increase in the DILG budget is 19.7% increase or higher than the 2016 budget. 19.7 percent for DILG and the budget for the Department of Education is 31% higher for 2017 than the 2016 budget. If you put all of this together, the social services, di ba sabi ni President Duterte, you have to take care of the people first. Including DILG and Public Works, because you want to provide jobs. So, there is a 15.5% increase in infrastructure spending. Diokno: We will be spending something like 900 billion for next year, just for public infrastructure. During the entire term of Mr. Duterte, from 2017 to 2022, we will be spending something like 7 trillion. Just to make up for past development. Q: Including drug rehabilitation? Diokno: Yes. There will be five or rather four rehab centers, each rehab center will cost approximately 700 million. There are two in Luzon, one in the Visayas, and another one in Mindanao. Q: How about the CCT? Diokno: In CCT, we will not increase the number of beneficiaries, but we will clean up the list so that those who do not deserve... will be out of the list, and those who are deserving will be included in the list. In addition we will provide 20 kilos of rice per month, for 12 months, for three million households. That is approximately 20 billion. Q: Will there be a streamlining of government agencies? Diokno: We will request for a separate bill streamlining the bureaucracy because there have not been any major reorganizations. This is to clean-up some of the agencies which are redundant, and as you noticed things have changed significantly. We are more techie now than before, and some of the things that we do 20 years before are no longer relevant. Q: Aside from the increase sa PNP, meron din po sa soldiers? Diokno: Military and uniformed personnel. That means AFP, PNP, Coast Guard, and the firemen. All of them will receive significant salary increases. Legarda: If I may, the DND has a 14.3% increase in 2017 from the present year's budget, so if regards to your question addressing the soldiers which falls under the DND, because that explains partially the increase of 14.3%. Diokno: In fact, we will get it from what is called the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund. So on top of the increase, we will have an additional salary increase in the salary of the military and uniformed personnel. Q: No budget allocation for Cha-cha (charter change) in 2017? Diokno: Nothing for Cha-cha, with the elections. But the preference is the Conass (constituent assembly), right? Because the Con-ass, there is no need for paying these guys, the senators here, all the because that is double compensation. They don't need to hire new staff, because they can use their own staff, etc. So Con-ass is cheaper than Con-con. SP: On behalf of the Senate, thank you Mr. Budget Secretary, for this unprecedented act, which you will allow us to scrutinize and study the National Expenditure Program earlier compared to past practices, because it is part of the majority's program of government to reform the budget and also to declare a war on waste. We will have more time to study, thank you for your cooperation. Thank you very much.
When a thief snatched San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wieners cell phone in December, the towering, Harvard-educated former deputy city attorney responded quickly and coolly under pressure. He negotiated with the suspect to accompany him to a Wells Fargo ATM near the 16th Street Mission BART Station and participate in a swap of $200 for the return of his iPhone 6.

Cell phone theft is among San Franciscos most common street crimes, but the victim in this case, a city official, was far from ordinary. As was one of the charges brought against the suspect, LaSonya Wells  a longtime city resident whos spent her life battling homelessness, domestic violence and addiction between stints of incarceration.

The district attorneys office would charge the 40-year-old African American woman with kidnapping for ransom, an allegation that could have sent her to prison for life.

Wells attorney has since succeeded in getting the charge dropped. She and 20-year-old son Damian Wells  a co-defendant in the case  still face two felonies and two misdemeanors, including robbery, extortion and grand theft, and the prospect of many years in prison. But the decision by the office of District Attorney George Gascon to bring the kidnapping charge at all is seen by some, including Public Defender Jeff Adachi, as absurd and unfair.

Like thousands of San Franciscans who have had their phones snatched, its upsetting  but its not the crime of the century, Adachi said. To see an otherwise ordinary case suddenly be elevated to life in prison is positively medieval. The fact that the D.A. was willing to have a low-level, nonviolent woman die in prison is extremely troubling.

Adachi said prosecutors may have been motivated by who the victim was more than by the facts of the crime.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

Max Szabo, a spokesman for the district attorneys office, strongly disputed the suggestion that Wieners status had any impact on the case, now being handled by Assistant District Attorney John Ullom.

Szabo said the case was charged appropriately and that the decision was not that uncommon. Between January 2015 and July 2016, he said, his office charged counts of kidnapping for ransom in 13 robbery cases. He was unable to elaborate on whether the circumstances of those cases were similar to those in the Wells case.

But Adachi and others argue that Wells case is an extreme example of the way race and class regularly factor into the citys justice system. That system is now undergoing broad review and reform efforts  from a new bail system to studies of street-level police stops and the sentencing of defendants who are disproportionately poor, African American and Latino.

Wiener testified in court to the following: At around 6 p.m. on Dec. 18, Wells grabbed his phone from his hand as he stood at a red light. When he asked for the phone back, she refused and instead suggested a price for its return. They haggled, and he said he needed to go get the cash.

In court filings, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Frislid argued that once Wiener and Wells were headed to the ATM, she made an explicit threat to Mace the victim if he tried to escape or call for help, and implied that a man with her had a gun.

No firearm was seen or ever recovered. But filings by prosecutors state that after that threatening, fear replaced consent; and it was no longer a case in which the victim acted freely or voluntarily. Rather, he acted under duress and could not excise himself from the situation without the fear of getting either Maced or shot or both.

Wiener, who stands 6 feet, 7 inches, has made clear he chose not to escape after his phone was swiped, instead deciding to walk the thieves to the ATM so their faces could be captured on video there. I think I violated all the rules of what youre supposed to do when youre a victim of crime, Wiener told a KPIX-TV reporter in December.

Wells trial is set to begin Aug. 26, and Wiener, a former Fulbright scholar running for state Senate, is expected to testify. He declined to discuss specific issues raised by the case, saying only, They committed a crime against me, they were apprehended, and theyre being prosecuted. Im sure there will be a fair and just resolution.

Wiener, who represents the Castro district, joined Gascon in 2011 to launch a city Sentencing Commission that seeks to reduce recidivism, identify alternatives to incarceration, and avoid unwarranted disparity in the criminal justice system.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

The system is under close scrutiny in San Francisco, after controversial police shootings and the revelation that numerous officers exchanged racist and homophobic text messages. The U.S. Department of Justice is studying the police force, as has a panel of three retired judges created by Gascon, which recently concluded that police need to root out systemic bias.

The statistics being uncovered by such efforts are hard to miss in court each day in San Francisco: African Americans comprise 5.7 percent of the citys population but 57 percent of jail inmates, according to the public defenders office.

One of the judges investigating police practices for the district attorneys office, retired Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell, noted that in many ways, Wells case is not unlike thousands churning through the criminal justice system here that reveal a power imbalance for people of color.

Only 3 percent of felony cases are resolved by jury trials in San Francisco, a statistic that mirrors the state as a whole. Cordell called the kidnapping charge in the Wells case ridiculous and said it appears to be part of a larger pattern of intimidating defendants into forgoing the risk of a trial.

It is not uncommon for prosecutors to overcharge, pile on charges and then push for plea bargains, especially when it comes to black and brown defendants, said Cordell, who was Northern Californias first female African American judge. For poor folks and people of color, its become a fact of life.

And even though Wells attorney successfully fought the kidnapping charge, Cordell said, Im pretty concerned it was charged at all. My guess is it was charged because of who the victim is in this case, and if that is true thats pretty sad, because thats just an abuse of the system. It should never happen, never.

Szabo rebuffed arguments that prosecutors pile on criminal counts to pressure defendants into plea bargains, saying his office only files charges that we believe we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt in front of 12 San Francisco jurors.

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.

Wells has a lengthy history with the criminal justice system. Shes served three prison terms, one as long as five years. Most of her charges have been drug-related, but she was convicted in 2008 of a non-firearm assault with a deadly weapon.

Wells public defender, Yali Corea-Levy, said his client has never had much of a chance in life and that the judge in her case needs to know her history to make a fair ruling.

People know the name Scott Wiener. They dont know the name LaSonya Wells  and my biggest fear is LaSonya is known as the defendant who stole Scott Wieners phone when theres so much more to who this person is, Corea-Levy said.

The attorney would not allow Wells to discuss the facts of her current case. But in a recent jailhouse interview, Wells described the ways she is trying to improve her life and the harsh path that brought her to 16th and Mission streets in December.

She said shes lived on that street corner off and on since age 12, after an incident where her mother tried to sell her in exchange for drugs. Court filings describe a home life in which her mother worked as a prostitute, left her alone for days at a time, and smoked crack cocaine, a habit Wells would take up herself at age 10. Her mother, court records say, would hide crack pipes in her diaper for safekeeping and fail to protect her from violent attacks by men in their home.

In her adult life, spent mainly on the streets and in abusive relationships, Wells said she has survived 12 suicide attempts and nine overdoses.

While she awaits trial, Wells said she is trying to make the best of her time in jail. In June, she and her son earned high school diplomas together. When she can get other inmates to come, she said, she leads a nightly prayer circle.

It helps me not to ever live like that again, she said of her past.

Wells noted that in all her years in and out of the justice system, Corea-Levy, a Latino, is the first nonwhite attorney shes had, and the first to take her case to trial.

Cordell said the judge in Wells case will have to look at her behavior behind bars and the circumstances of her life. When considering a sentence, Cordell said, a rough history is not an excuse, but one would hope somebody like Scott Wiener would look at this woman and say: Redemption is important and rehabilitation is important, and all of that needs to happen.

Karen de S a is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kdesa @sfchronicle.com
Shona Baum had lived in San Francisco for 20 years. Paver Core Broche had left Cuba with the intention of never returning. Yet, a few years ago, the San Francisco couple decided that new laws allowing Cubans to own their own businesses offered them a rare opportunity, and they moved to Havana. In May 2015, the couple, along with Pavers brother Ibrham, opened California Cafe, a restaurant in the Vedado neighborhood. With a casual-boho vibe and a bar that looks over the Malecon, Havanas picturesque esplanade, the cafe has become a destination for tourists and Cubans alike. The Chronicle recently interviewed Baum about the restaurant while the couple vacationed in San Francisco.

Q: How did you decide to open a restaurant in Cuba?

A: Our idea was to bring California-style dining to Havana. We basically designed the cafe around what we wished we could have (had) when we were going down to visit. Everythings local and sustainable  everything thats important to European and American people who go down there now.

Q: What does it take to operate a private restaurant in Cuba?

A: You get a license from the state. Thats not as complicated as it is here, from what I hear. A lot of the (problems) we have to deal with are food shortages, so we focus on a menu thats composed of items that are always available. Food is very expensive. Probably more than 50 percent of our money goes back into buying more food. Its a very tough environment. We look at ourselves as pioneers.

The other thing I should mention is that we employ all Cubans. For them, its a big deal to have a regular income. There, its traditional to have shifts that are 20 hours long. We have two shifts, and we pay people a reasonable wage for each shift.

Q: Are you serving Cuban standards or California-style dishes?

A: We serve some California-style dishes. We had a friend living in Cuba for six months who is a vegetarian and helped us make a vegetarian burger and a couple of vegetarian entrees. That has become sort of our niche, because there are very few vegetarian restaurants there. We also do fish tacos, which are a big California thing, though theyre also Mexican. We do hummus.

Then we do traditional Cuban food, again focusing on fresh, local foods. We dont want to have just tourists, so we see ourselves as a bridge for the emerging Cuban middle class. There are young people who are vegetarians now, or who have different ideas about what they want to eat, so were giving them different ways of experiencing cuisines.

The economy is not good, but when Cubans go out for a birthday or anniversary, they go out and party. There are a lot of Cubans in Havana who are starved for things that are different. Theyre excited about being in a place where the service is better, so we do a lot of training of our waitstaff in terms of how to provide American-style service.

Q: Ive heard over the years that Cuba farms organically. How does farm-to-table work there?

A: Its funny, because theres only farm-to-table there. Everything is inherently local and organic, except for the chicken. They import it.

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Q: Whats the most exciting thing about food in Cuba?

A: People generally go to Cuba and come back saying, The food is horrible! Since theres no advertising, the only places that get promoted and are easy to get to are the state-run places. Cuban cuisine is really delicious but plain  no spices, all natural flavors. I dont think its conducive to a large restaurant trying to serve 100 people pork loins and the way Cubans cook rice and beans.

Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more.

Its exciting, though, that the actual products and what you can cook with them, if you do it right, (the food) comes out amazing.

Maybe because Cuba is an island, anything thats packaged or imported is very exciting. My brother-in-law does the shopping, and one day he came to me and said, Shona, look what weve got! He brought me to the car, where he had a box of prepackaged butter packets imported from Europe. We already have a girl who comes from the country and brings us fresh milk, fresh butter and homemade yogurt every day. (So to my brother-in-law), I was like, Why did you buy that?

Were introducing to Cuba the concept that what they have is really great.

California Cafe: Calle 19 (between N and O, near the Hotel Nacional), Havana, http://www.californiacafehabana.com/

Jonathan Kauffman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jkauffman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jonkauffman
The Lake County wildfire that leveled much of the town of Lower Lake began as a small brush fire that firefighters thought they were getting a handle on.

Within hours of its start late Saturday afternoon, Cal Fire officials reported that the blaze was 20 percent contained as six air tankers and 200 ground personnel completely surrounded the ridge that was burning a few miles south of the 1,300-person Lower Lake community.

But as crews closed in on the fire overnight and into Sunday, the blaze got hotter and more energetic. By afternoon, local winds began pushing flames toward firefighters, and embers started flying over their heads.

At that point there was a flare-up with the heat, lack of humidity and increase in winds, explained Paul Lowenthal, an assistant fire marshal for the Santa Rosa fire department who is now aiding the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

The runaway embers were soon landing on private parcels in the hills around Lower Lake and homes began to catch fire - more than the initial four that burned shortly after the Clayton Fires start around 5 p.m. Saturday. Cal Fire downgraded its containment estimate to just 5 percent.

ALSO Arson arrest in Lake County fire

When the spot fires crossed the east-west-running Morgan Valley Road, which turns into Main Street and runs through the center of Lower Lake, firefighters knew there would be problems for the community.

We immediately pumped in numerous engines and crews, Lowenthal said. The fire spread in all directions.

The fires unexpected turn and its mind-blowing pace was also tied to the tinder-dry hillsides, suffering from five years of drought, and their ability to burn hot and quickly and even generate their own weather.

It was pretty hot Sunday, but not exceptional. But the fire was exceptional, said Daniel Swain, a climate researcher at Stanford University. If you have really strong temperature differences over a short distance, you can generate winds. That can cause conditions locally to be very different.

The plume of smoke from big fires can also play a role, Swain noted. The columns become essentially a cloud of not just soot and particles but water vapor, stirring up more weather extremes.

The result for Lower Lake was dozens of homes burning east of the historic downtown - between Lake Street and Bonham Road - even as firefighters went from building to building trying to halt the advance.

Yesterday (Sunday), the fire was calm, and in 10 minutes, we were running, said resident Bobby Henderson, 46, who lives off Bonham Road and fled with his wife and three daughters.

The fire continued toward Main Street, where flames licked several businesses including a small winery, antique shop and Habitat for Humanity office. Fortunately, most of the downtown remains standing.

Firefighters also kept Lower Lake High School from burning.

On Monday, crews were working to put out house fires in Lower Lake while making a concerted effort to keep the blaze from moving north to the more populated community of Clearlake. The damage toll stood at a minium of 175 homes and businesses burned.

Chronicle Staff Writer Evan Sernoffsky contributed to this report.

Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite @kurtisalexander
MIDDLETOWN, Lake County  County officials arrested a Clearlake man Monday on 17 counts of arson related to numerous fires  including the raging 4,000-acre Clayton Fire that has so far claimed 175 buildings and displaced hundreds of people.

County Sheriff Brian Martin and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Chief Ken Pimlott announced the arrest of Damin Pashilk, 40, at a community meeting of about 200 people at a casino doubling as a Red Cross shelter south of the blaze.

People screamed as they heard that the fire that is causing so much heartache may have been deliberately set.

Hang him! some yelled. Youre going to hell!

All 17 counts resulted from a very extensive investigation of numerous fire starts over the last year, Pimlott told the crowd, but he offered no specifics about which previous fires have been linked to Pashilk.

The Clayton Fire started Saturday about 100 miles north of San Francisco, and by Monday night the blaze was 5 percent contained.

Pashilk is accused of setting the wildfire on Clayton Creek Road off Highway 29. But Pimlott, the state fire chief, said he had no information about whether he worked alone.

Firefighters thought they were beginning to get a handle on the blaze Saturday, but it picked up speed overnight and into Sunday, eventually roaring through Lower Lake. It was only when embers began to cool Monday that the devastation became clear.

Entire blocks of homes in Lower Lake, a community of 1,300, were leveled. A small winery, auto shop and real estate office were gone. The high school, which was supposed to open for class this week, was still intact, but its sports fields were singed and dozens of surrounding houses had burned. School was canceled for the foreseeable future.

Thousands remained under evacuation orders, many not knowing the fate of their property.

Its a sadly familiar story. Rural Lake County, which neighbors more affluent Napa and Sonoma, has become the unfortunate prey of Californias increasingly destructive wildfire seasons. The Clayton Fire is only the latest of several infernos in the county over the past year, including the Valley Fire, which killed four people and destroyed more than 1,300 homes. That fire started with a faulty electrical wire.

A Habitat for Humanity office in Lower Lake, which was helping rebuild the county after last summers fire toll, was also lost.

Just in the last few years, this is unbelievable whats happened here, said Marc Giberson, 63, who lives on the outskirts and had tried to secure his belongings in a warehouse downtown when the Clayton Fire approached, only to see his storage building go up in smoke.

The fire destroyed a huge collection of historic memorabilia that Giberson was hoping to donate to the Lower Lake Schoolhouse Museum, for which he serves as a board member. He also lost a mini modified race car and four vintage cars, including a 1923 Studebaker, which was used as a parade car in the 150th anniversary celebration of Lake County.

Im just trying to keep it together now, he said near tears, as he stood in front of a pile of rubble and the remnants of his pickup truck, just off Main Street. When I think about everything that was in there, its a shocker.

Giberson also lost his second home downtown, which dated to the communitys origins in the 1800s.

On Monday afternoon, firefighters were watering down the smoldering buildings of Lower Lake, which were sending a thick, dark haze over the community. The shells of cars remained in driveways. Downed power lines littered the streets.

Crews were also fortifying their positions north of town, to make sure the fire wouldnt spread to the more populated community of Clearlake. Already, the St. Helena Hospital there had been evacuated as a precaution.

A residential area between the two towns known as the Avenues appeared OK.

Its still an active fire, said Lt. Doug Pittman, a Marin County sheriffs spokesman working on behalf of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention, or Cal Fire. Any one of these embers could reignite.

The blaze had already taken firefighters by surprise once.

Within hours of its start late Saturday afternoon, Cal Fire officials reported that the fire was 20 percent contained as six air tankers and 200 ground personnel quickly surrounded the oak-studded ridge where it was burning a few miles south of Lower Lake along Highway 29.

But as crews closed in on the fire overnight and into Sunday, the blaze got hotter and more energetic. By the afternoon, local winds began pushing flames toward firefighters, and embers started flying over their heads.

At that point there was a flare-up with the heat, lack of humidity and increase in winds, explained Paul Lowenthal, an assistant fire marshal for the Santa Rosa Fire Department who is now aiding Cal Fire.

The runaway embers were soon landing on private parcels in the hills around Lower Lake and homes began to burn  more than the initial four destroyed shortly after the fires 5 p.m. start Saturday. Cal Fire has since downgraded its containment estimates.

The fires unexpected turn and its mind-blowing pace was also tied to the tinder-dry hillsides, suffering from five years of drought, and the hot- and quick-burning brush that even generated its own weather.

It was pretty hot Sunday, but not exceptional. But the fire was exceptional, said Daniel Swain, a climate researcher at Stanford University. If you have really strong temperature differences over a short distance, you can generate winds. That can cause conditions locally to be very different.

The plume of smoke from big fires also plays a role, Swain noted. The columns essentially become a cloud of not just soot and particles but also water vapor, stirring up more weather extremes.

With its own inertia, the Clayton Fire rolled into Lower Lake from the east, demolishing dozens of homes before sweeping into the historic downtown  even as firefighters converged on the community and went building to building trying to halt the fires advance.

On Sunday, the fire was calm, and in 10 minutes, we were running, said resident Bobby Henderson, 46, who lives off Bonham Road and fled with his wife and three daughters.

The fire burned several businesses along Main Street. Fortunately, most of the downtown remains standing.

When I saw the fire coming over the ridge, I knew we didnt have a chance, said David Barreda, who lost his house in the hills south of Lower Lake and headed into town for safety.

He and his family spent the night at their feed store downtown, but again Sunday they were forced to leave. Theyre staying in a family trailer along Clear Lake, to the north.

Were just doing what we got to do, Barreda said.

On Monday afternoon, Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for Lake County, a move that expedites assistance for firefighters, aid workers and those who suffered losses.

Many county residents are still recovering from last years wildfires. In addition to the toll of the Valley Fire, the Rocky Fire and Jerusalem Fire destroyed more than 50 homes. Their causes are still under investigation.

Pashilk was in the news in 2009 when police knocked on the door of a Napa home and a man identified as Pashilk opened it holding a loaded handgun. Pashilk, who was wanted for parole violations, was placed under arrest.

More recently, in 2013, a cover photo on Pashilks Facebook page shows a pair of lightning bolt neo-Nazi symbols associated with white supremacy.

Evan Sernoffsky, Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com, pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky,@pfimrite @kurtisalexander

Most Damaging California Wildfires

Fire Name (Cause) Date County Acres Structures Deaths 1. Tunnel  Oakland Hills (rekindle) Oct. 1991 Alameda 1,600 2,900 25 2. Cedar (human related) Oct. 2003 San Diego 273,246 2,820 15 3. Valley (electrical) Sept. 2015 Lake, Napa, Sonoma 76,067 1,955 4 4. Witch (power lines) Oct. 2007 San Diego 197,990 1,650 2 5. Old (human related) Oct. 2003 San Bernardino 91,281 1,003 6 6. Jones (undetermined) Oct. 1999 Shasta 26,200 954 1 7. Butte (under investigation) Sept. 2015 Amador, Calaveras 70,868 921 2 8. Paint (arson) June 1990 Santa Barbara 4,900 641 1 9. Fountain (arson) Aug. 1992 Shasta 63,960 636 10. Sayre (misc.) Nov. 2008 Los Angeles 11,262 604

Source: Cal Fire Note: Ratings based on structures lost
FRANKFURT, Germany  Volkswagen owners in the United States will receive about $20,000 per car as compensation for the companys diesel deception. Volkswagen owners in Europe at most get a software update and a short length of plastic tubing.

The startling gap in treatment is the result of European laws that shield corporations from class-action suits brought by unhappy consumers. Now a group of online legal startups wants to change the status quo.

Lawyers in Berlin, Paris and elsewhere in Europe are teaming up with new online services to recruit clients en masse and try to get around the usual restrictions on consumer lawsuits. If they are successful, the cost to Volkswagen will dwarf the companys $15 billion settlement in the United States.

The campaigns are attracting people like Jurgen Franz, a retired advertising executive in Munich who says his Volkswagen, a diesel Tiguan sport utility vehicle, burns more fuel after a software update that was part of a mandatory recall.

Why are they getting so much and were getting nothing? Franz said of U.S. owners.

Plaintiffs lawyers hope the efforts will signal a turning point in European jurisprudence, opening up a clearer path for aggrieved customers to join forces across borders to sue big corporations.

Owners representatives in Europe are seeking a maximum of $5,600 per car, much less than in the United States. But even that figure could be financially devastating. There are 8.5 million tainted diesels in Europe.

The startups are taking advantage of a loophole that allows European consumers to sign over their legal claims to third-party service providers, which then try to recover damages. And the Internet has made it possible to recruit huge numbers of consumers who share similar gripes.

People who search Google for the German words for Volkswagen damage claim see an ad for the website My-right.de. In Paris, Weclaim.com is attracting French customers. Both websites have teamed up with lawyers and are expanding into other European countries.

The model has existed for a long time, said Sven Bode, managing director of Financialright, the Hamburg company that owns My-right.de.
A serial bank robber called the Dreaded Bandit for the style of wig he used to disguise himself during the holdups was captured as he and an accomplice were apparently getting ready to pull another heist in San Francisco, officials said Monday.

FBI officials said Monday that the man arrested in the citys Richmond District by agents from the bureau and officers from the San Francisco Police Department is a suspect in at least four Bay Area bank robberies.

The name of the 59-year-old man was not immediately released.

Officers had him under surveillance about 2:30 p.m. Friday and saw him get out of a 2006 Lexus GS 300 and approach a bank in the 5400 block of Geary Boulevard, according to a police report.

At the time of his arrest, authorities said, the man was wearing the Dreaded Bandits trademark wig and a fake mustache. Police searched him and found he was armed with a loaded black revolver, according to the report.

A 47-year-old accomplice was also arrested after officers found him sitting in the waiting getaway car, officials said.

The arrests came about a month after FBI officials doubled its cash reward to $10,000 for information leading to the capture and prosecution of the bank robber.

Prior to Friday, the most recent holdups by the robber occurred at the Comerica Bank on the 2000 block of Union Street in San Franciscos Cow Hollow neighborhood on June 23 and again on July 11, officials said. In both instances the robber entered the bank, produced a handgun, jumped over the counter, entered the vault and scooped up cash. He also swiped money from teller drawers before making a swift getaway.

The bandits first suspected robbery took place April 22 at the First Republic Bank on the 2000 block of Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco, officials said. The second occurred the morning of May 12 at the Provident Credit Union on the 2700 block of South El Camino Real in San Mateo.

The man also produced a handgun in the other robberies and obtained undisclosed amounts of cash before fleeing, officials said.

Investigators are also probing the bandits possible link to other bank robberies in the area.

Bill Hutchinson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bhutchinson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @bill_hutchinson
Ariel Horowitz

Young musicians have to be trained up in the venerable traditions of Bach, Beethoven and all the rest of them  nothing wrong with that. But theres a special kind of excitement that attaches to performing artists who focus on the music of their own time.

Two such performers come to Berkeley this weekend for a duo recital in the beautiful, intimate confines of the Maybeck Studio for the Performing Arts. Violinist Ariel Horowitz and violist Lauren Siess, both Juilliard undergraduates who recently placed in the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, will join forces for a newly commissioned work by Joel Phillip Friedman, along with music by Benedikt Brydern and Joan Tower. Bartoks Sonata for Solo Violin represents the old guard.
MILWAUKEE  City leaders blamed outside agitators Monday after a second straight night of violence convulsed Milwaukees mostly black north side in protest at the fatal shooting of a black man by police.

An 18-year-old man was shot and wounded during Sunday nights unrest, which was far less destructive than Saturday nights confrontation but still left the city tense. Mayor Tom Barrett singled out groups of young people on the streets of the Sherman Park neighborhood who he said were intent on causing trouble.

Those individuals, in my mind, are deliberately trying to damage a great neighborhood in a great city, Barrett said Monday.

The city was calmer on Monday evening, Police Chief Edward Flynn said at a press conference after a 10 pm. curfew for teenagers went into effect. Six arrests were made after some heated confrontations, but there was no destruction of property or rioting, he said.

The problems began Saturday afternoon after a black police officer shot and killed a black man during a traffic stop. Police say 23-year-old Sylville Smith was fleeing and had a stolen handgun when he was shot; they say bodycam footage clearly shows him holding the weapon.

Gov. Scott Walker on Sunday put the National Guard on standby, but so far no Guard members have been deployed.

Both Barrett and Flynn credited church groups and many others for staging peaceful demonstrations, prayers and vigils earlier Sunday, as well as volunteers who turned out to sweep and pick up debris after Saturday nights violence. He said they set the tone that made Sunday nights unrest less disruptive than it might have been.

Flynn blamed a Chicago chapter of the Revolutionary Communist Party for upending what had until then been a peaceful night by leading marchers down several blocks at around 11:30 p.m. TV footage showed a small group of protesters walking or running through the streets, sometimes toppling orange construction barriers.

Fourteen people were arrested. Three police officers and four sheriffs deputies were hurt.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is investigating Smiths death, as required by state law for police-involved shootings. Barrett said he hoped the officers body camera video could be released soon.

The 18-year-old Milwaukee man who was shot and wounded in Sunday nights violence was retrieved by a police armored vehicle and taken to a hospital. Flynn said the man doesnt seem to be in medical danger. Police say they were looking for suspects.
1 Mosque shooting: Police in New York City searched Sunday for the man who fatally shot the leader of a mosque and a friend as they left afternoon prayers the day before, setting off fear and anguish among the communitys Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants. Although police said no motive had been established for the killing of Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, in Queens, community members worried the slayings could be rooted in intolerance. Police said the men were shot in the head as they left the mosque. Video surveillance showed they 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. Police released a sketch Sunday of a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses.

2 Officer killed: A police officer in the small, central Georgia city of Eastman was shot and killed by a suspect who remained on the loose Sunday, authorities said. Patrol Officer Tim Smith, 31, was responding to a suspicious person call when he encountered Royheem Delshawn Deeds, exited his patrol car and was shot about 9:30 p.m., Georgia Bureau of Investigations spokesman Scott Dutton said. Dutton said Deeds, 24, then fled the scene. Smith had been with the Eastman Police Department since 2011. He is survived by three children.
1 Plane crash: Three married couples killed in the crash of a small airplane in Alabama all lived in the university town of Oxford, Miss., where city flags were lowered Monday as residents grappled with the loss. The victims were identified as dentists Jason Farese and Lea Farese; dentist Michael Perry and his wife, Kim Perry, a nurse practitioner; and dentist Austin Poole and his wife, Angie Poole. The three couples were parents of 11 children total. The plane went down Sunday while the six were returning home from a dental seminar in central Florida. The Federal Aviation Administration said their twin-engine Piper crashed while trying to land in Tuscaloosa. Police there said the aircraft had engine problems.

2 Mosque shooting: Police arrested and charged a man with murder late Monday night in the brazen daytime shooting deaths of an imam and his friend as they left a New York City mosque Saturday. Oscar Morel, 35, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, police said. Morel was taken into custody late Sunday night for hitting a bicyclist with his SUV just 10 minutes after the shooting in Queens, said Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce on Monday. Police said they strongly believed he was the same person who killed Imam Maulana Alauddin Akonjee and Thara Uddin.
A young 7-year-old Ohio boy and his siblings are getting some help after he was found by police trying to sell his teddy bear so he could buy food.

The boy was reportedly found outside of a drug store last Sunday by Franklin, Ohio police officer Steven Dunham, after he followed up on a report of a boy alone in the downtown area. Dunham said the boy told him he hadn't eaten in several days, according to a report by the Journal-News.
Kennedy Airport was back to normal Monday after unfounded weekend reports of gunshots in two terminals triggered a series of evacuations and some panic among travelers spooked by the heavy police response.

Police evacuated Terminal 8 as a precaution around 9:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving a 911 call reporting the sound of a gunshot near the departures area. The timing of the scare coincided with the broadcast Usain Bolt's comeback win in the Olympic 100 meter sprint final, according to multiple media reports.
Trader Joe's is officially coming to downtown San Francisco, and is opening as early as this October.

The store is reportedly headed to the basement of the flagship Old Navy store at 4th and Market Streets (which has its own separate space and entrance), and is already seeking applicants for the store's staff, per a report from Hoodline.
Cristine Knobel drums and yells encouragement to her team, Dragon Max, rowing Sunday at the fourth annual Dragon Boat Festival on Oaklands Lake Merritt. Sponsored by the Renegades Dragon Boat Club, the event draws teams from around the Bay Area and beyond. The sport originated more than 2,000 years ago in China as an effort to appease the rain gods and later was a way to honor a Chinese poet who killed himself in the Mi Lo River to protest political corruption, according to the International Dragon Boat Federation.
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.
Bob and Trish Duggan, a Silicon Valley couple with a net value of more than $3.2 billion dollars, recently got a sweet deal on their purchase of 142 acres of lush woodland off Highway 17.

The land, which was originally listed for $10 million, eventually went to the pair for around $6 million, as first reported by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, however, the story here is not the great discount the Duggans got on their buy, but rather, the land's history and its new owners.
Mona Caron/Iron Heel Collective

On the occasion of the centennial of Jack Londons death, Iron Heel Collective adapts his 1908 novel theyre named after for readers theater.

It opens in 419 Brotherhood of Man (or 2600 A.D.), with a historian introducing a (fictional) historical manuscript: the unfinished autobiography of Avis Everhard, a woman living in 1912. As she writes adoringly of her husband, the radical Ernest Everhard, scholar Anthony Meredith frequently interjects footnotes, casting doubt on Avis account of political takeover by robber barons. The book is considered a pioneering work of dystopian fiction as well as an early progenitor of sci-fi.
SRINAGAR, India  At least one paramilitary soldier and four suspected rebels were killed in a series of gunbattles in Indian-controlled Kashmir despite a security lockdown in the disputed region Monday as India celebrated the anniversary of its independence from British rule. Ten government troops were also wounded.

The Himalayan region has been under curfew for almost six weeks since the largest street protests in years erupted after Indian troops killed a top rebel leader, and security was tightened further in the week preceding Indias Independence Day.

The first clash took place in the Nowhatta neighborhood of Srinagar, Kashmirs main city, when suspected rebels attacked troops on patrol to enforce the curfew. K.K. Sharma, a top official of the Central Reserve Paramilitary Force, said the gunbattle lasted several hours. A second attack took place in the Khanyar neighborhood. Two rebels and one paramilitary soldier were killed, Sharma said.

Two rebels were also fatally shot in a gunbattle with Indian troops in Uri, an area west of Srinagar. The army said the men had crossed the highly militarized Line of Control separating the Pakistani- and Indian-held portions of Kashmir.

Pakistan celebrated Independence Day on Sunday, and tens of thousands of Kashmiris on the Indian side rallied and hoisted Pakistani flags and chanted Long Live Pakistan and Go India, go back.

At least 40 people were injured in clashes between rock-throwing protesters and government forces, who fired shotgun pellets and tear gas.

Kashmirs chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, appealed for calm in her Independence Day speech Monday.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in its entirety by both.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training Kashmiri rebels who have been fighting for independence or for a merger with Pakistan since 1989. Pakistan insists it provides only moral and political support.

More than 68,000 people have been killed in the fighting and in a subsequent Indian military crackdown.
SANAA, Yemen  An air strike hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders in northern Yemen on Monday, the international humanitarian group said, killing 11 people and wounding at least 19 others.

The group, known by the French acronym MSF, said the strike hit the hospital near the Houthi rebel stronghold of Saada, where teams were still attending to the wounded.

The air strike hit Abs Hospital, in Yemens Hajjah governorate, MSF said in a news release. The aid group said nine people, including an MSF staff member, were killed immediately. Two more patients died while being transferred to another hospital, and five patients remain hospitalized.

The conflict in Yemen pits an internationally recognized government backed by a Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite Houthi rebels, who captured the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. The Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March 2015.

MSF said the hospitals GPS coordinates had been shared with all sides to the conflict, including the Saudi-led coalition.

Teresa Sancristoval, MSF emergency program manager for Yemen, said it was the fourth attack on an MSF-supported medical facility in Yemen in the past 12 months.

MSF called on all parties, particularly the Saudi-led coalition which it blamed for the hospital attack, to guarantee that such attacks do not happen again.

In response to a request for comment, the Saudi-led coalition a coalition assessment team has opened an investigation into the report.

Earlier this month, the coalition acknowledged that it had committed unintended bombings that caused civilian casualties during its nearly 18-month air campaign, blaming U.N. agencies for not coordinating with it.
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LOURDES, France  Watched over by French soldiers and police, Catholic pilgrims from around the world prayed together for healing and peace Monday at a grotto shrine in Lourdes where exceptional security greeted the spiritual travelers due to recent extremist attacks.

A helicopter circled overhead as thousands of visitors bearing candles and banners streamed toward the celebrated grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

A special prayer was held for France and for the more than 200 people killed by the blind violence of terrorism in Islamic extremist attacks over the past year and a half, including a priest whose throat was slit last month.

The prayer extended to the soldiers and police officers patrolling the train station, town center and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary.

The site in southern France near the Spanish border annually draws pilgrims of all kinds, including sick and disabled believers hoping for a cure from the famed spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

Crowds gathered throughout the day at a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus mother Mary ascended into heaven.

French authorities already had been planning extra security for the holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe  notably one July 26 in northwest France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priests throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

The prayer for France extended to victims of extremism in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, and persecuted Christians everywhere.

It is all of humanity that is being trampled, The Rev. Fabien Lejeusne said, urging believers to build bridges, and not walls.

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this years pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been dropped amid security fears.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks.

Gloria Munoz Fernandez, a pilgrim from Madrid, said, If you believe in God you dont need this sort of protection; however, for me it (the army) is a good protection, it helps you to be more at ease.
BEIRUT  Syrian troops repelled a rebel advance near Aleppo on Monday, forcing opposition fighters to retreat from positions they seized a day earlier as heavy fighting continued in the countrys largest city.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, meanwhile, said Moscow and Washington, which back opposite sides in the civil war, are edging closer to an agreement to defuse fighting in the contested city.

Step by step, we are nearing an arrangement, Im talking exclusively about Aleppo, that would allow us to find common ground and start fighting together for bringing peace to that territory, he said in remarks carried by Rossiya 24 television.

Russia has been launching air strikes in support of President Bashar Assads forces for nearly a year, and Syrian and Russian warplanes have stepped up their raids in recent days in Aleppo and the rebel-held Idlib province nearby.

A coalition of insurgent groups led by Syrias rebranded al Qaeda branch launched an assault on government positions in Aleppo on Sunday.

Russia and the U.S. have been discussing closer coordination in Syria, but they have been unable to reach agreement on which militant groups should be targeted.

Fighting in Aleppo, once Syrias commercial capital, has intensified in recent weeks. Rebels captured the eastern part of the city in 2012 and have been locked in a brutal stalemate with government forces since then.

The rebel assault on Sunday targeted army positions at a cement factory southwest of Aleppo. But opposition activists and militant websites said Monday that the insurgents retreated following a massive government counterattack.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, said at least 35 rebels were killed in the fighting.

A Syrian military official said the Syrian air force launched precise air strikes on groupings and movements of terrorist groups south and west of Aleppo that resulted in the death of dozens of terrorists. The official spoke on condition of anonymity. The Syrian government describes all armed groups fighting to topple Assad as terrorists.

On Monday, the International Committee for the Red Cross called the battle for Aleppo one of the most devastating urban conflicts in modern times.

No one and nowhere is safe. Shell-fire is constant, with houses, schools and hospitals all in the line of fire. People live in a state of fear, ICRC President Peter Maurer said.
ISTANBUL  Turkish investigators call it the ultimate long game.

In 1986, the Turkish military expelled dozens of cadets suspected of loyalty to a young Muslim cleric named Fethullah Gulen, seen as a potential threat to the countrys strict secular rule. Officials, a magazine reported at the time, said an alleged recruiter had told the students to work their way through the ranks and wait for instructions that would come in a few decades.

Fast forward 30 years to July 15, when renegade officers staged a failed coup and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen of orchestrating it. Gulen, now based in Pennsylvania, denies any involvement, but a rising tide of allegations challenges the moderate image promoted by his Islamist movement and casts it as a cover for secret designs on Turkish power that included efforts to infiltrate state institutions decades ago.

In the 1970s, when Turkey was run by a military-backed, secular government, the group seemed like a conventional religious movement that attracted young recruits through a successful network of schools.

Gulen promoted a message of tolerance and charity along with Turkish patriotism. His group  known as Hizmet, Turkish for service  raised money through donations from individuals and businesses. By the early 1990s, it was expanding into other countries with a network of schools, burnishing an international reputation as an advocate of interfaith harmony.

But as it grew in influence, the government began to view the movement with suspicion. Authorities alleged its supervisors  known as brothers  helped followers cheat on exams to land government jobs. Once they were in place, according to Hanefi Avci, a former national police chief who investigated the group, they acted in a coordinated effort to promote and protect one another and eliminate opponents.

The group enjoyed wide influence in schools, the news media and police forces in an expanding power base, and authorities began to crack down on pieces of the movement such as the 1986 purge of military cadets.

Authorities point to Gulens own words as evidence of his designs. In comments recorded in the 1980s, Gulen referred to crackdowns on Islamists in Syria and Egypt and told a group of followers to bide their time, saying: You must move within the arteries of the system, without anyone noticing your existence, until you reach all the power centers.

Gulen, who later said those remarks were misinterpreted, moved to the United States in the late 1990s while facing trial on charges of plotting to overthrow Turkeys government. He has condemned the coup, although he conceded that some of his sympathizers might have been involved.
The federal government declared a major disaster in Louisiana Sunday after torrential rain inundated the state killing at least four people, flooding thousands of homes and prompting thousands of water rescues.



...Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Sunday that more than 20,000 people had been rescued by all participating agencies and volunteers since the flooding outbreak began.



"This is a serious event," Edwards said. "It is ongoing. It is not over."



The governor said in a press conference Sunday that as many as 10,000 people were in shelters as a result of the widespread flooding.



The downpours have sent at least six river gauges to record levels in Louisiana. This includes the Amite River, which exceeded its previous record by over 6 feet in Magnolia, and by over 4 feet in Denham Springs.



Mike Steele, communications director for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, told weather.com on Sunday that there was a huge spike in flood rescues Saturday into Sunday, mostly in the eastern half of Baton Rouge into Denham Springs.



"It's kind of an all hands on deck," he said in a phone interview. "We still have a situation where motorists are stranded on I-12, and it remains closed between here and St. Tammany Parish, so the whole interstate system from Baton Rouge to that location is still closed."



...Steele said more than 1,000 homes have been flooded in Baton Rouge, and that number that is expected to climb. In Livingston, more than 1,000 homes have been flooding, along with 200 in St. Helena Parish, and 500 or more in Tangipahoa Parish. Apart from residential damage, Steele said they are also monitoring nursing homes and hospitals in the area that could be impacted by rising water.



Steele said the Louisiana Air National Guard has about 200 full-time employees working, plus about 750 guardsmen that have been deployed, a number that could climb to 1,000 soon. Additionally, he said 160 high water vehicles were in use as of last night, along with 35 watercraft, which brought the LANG rescue total to more than 3,500 people and 166 pets as of Sunday morning.

[Content Note: Flooding; death; displacement; video may autoplay at link.]Torrential rains have devastated parts of Louisiana over the past couple of days:Absolutely devastating.My thoughts are with everyone in the affected area, which includes one of my colleagues at BNR, who has asked that people keep the people in the affected area in their thoughts and prayers, if you're a praying person.Please feel welcome and encouraged, as always, to recommend ways to help in comments. And let's keep this an image-free thread.
Rest home hospitals nationwide will have to close if the government doesn't pony up more money to cover rising wage costs in the sector, says Summerset Group chief executive Julian Cook.

A landmark court ruling last year that female dominated work "requires equal pay for work of equal value (pay equity), not simply the same pay for the same work" is seen as increasing the aged care sector's collective wage bill by as much as $500 million a year. Summerset's employee costs rose 24 percent to $19.4 million in the half, outpacing the 22 percent increase in revenue from care fees and village services to $26.9 million, but Cook says the outcome of the care worker decision will largely be borne by operators with a skew to care facilities, whereas his company's main business is in villages.

"Without any government funding to match increased wage costs you are going to see significant issues and I would predict a number of closures of rest home hospitals around the country," he said. "The government funds DHBs at a level such they can pay the equivalent of caregivers something like two to three dollars an hour more than what they fund the sector to do the same or arguably more difficult work. To my mind, that's simply not right and this is a legacy issue that government does need to address."

A working group set up in response to court rulings in favour of the workers recommended the government adopt a series principles to facilitate "good faith" bargaining, though ministers Paula Bennett and Michael Woodhouse are still formulating their response after almost three months.

Last month, the Ministry of Health put out a draft consultation paper on its 'Health of Older People' strategy which identified "significant workforce challenges" facing the health sector, and projecting difficulties in maintaining the necessary number of medical specialists such as geriatricians, and registered and enrolled aged care nurses. As at March 31, there were 237,400 people working in the health sector, accounting for about 10 percent of people employed, up 15 percent from 2011 when the sector accounted for about 9.5 percent of the workforce.

Summerset, New Zealand's third-biggest retirement village operator and developer, today lifted first-half earnings 44 percent to $24.7 million and lifted its interim dividend after enjoying a record second quarter of unit sales. Cook said the expanding village footprint helped generate the increase in sales, but the company's high customer satisfaction rate is key in attracting new residents and it relies heavily on attracting and retaining good staff.

"These businesses are all about people, it's about helping residents have the best of life that they can and a huge part of that is the staff on site, " Cook said. "There is going to have to be some thinking by business, government and society on how we attract people into this sector and give them a career and something they enjoy.

"Having said that, right here and now we don't have any issues in attracting staff but we're certainly doing a lot of work about lifting our proposition and getting employee retention."

The company will launch its first dementia centre at its Levin village in the second half of the year, which Cook says is part of Summerset's plans to provide "that complete package of care and support", and is intended to be rolled out to other villages.

Summerset shares rose 4.percent to $5.16, having gained 22 percent so far this year.

(BusinessDesk)

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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NEW DELHI: A stronger economic partnership between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy is set to boost growth in Britain and India, British Secretary for International Development Priti Patel said on Friday.

"As a global leader that stands tall in the world, the UK is deepening its economic partnership with India to deliver long-term progress for our people and ensure bright, prosperous futures for our two great nations," Patel said in a statement after a meeting with Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley here.

"I am here to build a deeper partnership based on shared prosperity that delivers jobs and growth both here and at home in the UK," she said.

Patel, who is on her first visit to India as a British cabinet minister under the new government of Prime Minister Theresa May, met Jaitley to discuss ways in which the two governments can strengthen links between key economic institutions and centres of excellence in Britain and India.

The two ministers also discussed the transformed Britain-India development partnership which was underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Britain late last year, according to a British High Commission statement.

"As India becomes a global player and major economy, the UK's development relationship with India has also evolved - targeting cooperation in areas that are most important to both India and the UK," it stated.

"This is done through sharing skills and expertise; and investing in the private sector to benefit India's poor people whilst also generating a return on the UK's investment for Britain - a return that can be re-invested."

On Friday, the first day of her latest visit to India, Patel also met with Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and discussed ways of how Britain can share its skills and expertise to drive forward India's vision for new smart cities and boost opportunities for new businesses.

She later said that Britain's support for India's urban development would generate new job opportunities for India's poorest.

"I am here meeting my ministerial counterparts to make sure that the UK's skills and expertise ?in areas like finance, job creation and infrastructure are used to support Prime Minister Modi's ambitious plans for the economic ?development of India's great and burgeoning cities," Patel stated

"We will help India to make its urbanisation work and make cities real engines of growth ?by boosting business and creating employment - not least by ensuring British businesses are aware of the opportunities that exist for them by getting involved in this ambitious work."

Later at a reception hosted in her honour by British High Commissioner Dominic Asquith here, Patel said that Britain's exit from the European Union would help elevate Britain-India ties.

She said that this bilateral relationship would be now looked through a new lens and there would be new strategic ties and new economic relations.

"We are two democracies, two innovative societies," she said.

Patel is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, it is learnt.

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NEW DELHI: Bilateral cooperation in the spheres of skill development, infrastructure financing, innovation, energy and ease of doing business was discussed today when British Minister for International Development Priti Patel met Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.



The Prime Minister congratulated her on her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development as he noted her long association with India in her previous roles.



Modi recalled his successful visit to UK last year in November and appreciated the follow up action taken on the outcomes of the visit, a PMO statement said.



Patel briefed the Prime Minister on the activities and future plans of Department for International Development in India, it added.

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MUMBAI: American motorcycle brand UM International 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 Commandoand 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.

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NEW DELHI: 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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GURGAON: Two women start-up founders have won a national competition to represent India at the Start Tel Aviv 2016 to be held in Israel from September 25-29 this year, the Israeli embassy here said on Friday.

XLPAT Lab co-founder Komal Talwar and Advenio's Mausumi Acharyya will join start-up founders from 22 other countries for the annual event organised to help promising early-stage start-ups to meet and establish relationships with potential customers, partners and high-profile industry leaders.

Announcing the two winners from the five finalists, Israel's Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon said start-ups constitute one of the pillars in further strengthening India-Israel relations.

"Start Tel Aviv 2016 is special because it focuses on women entrepreneurs," he said.

Talwar's XLPAT boasts of patent and technology coverage of over 120 countries which allows users thorough and exhaustive patent searches within minutes and also generate claim charts.

"It will be great to connect with other entrepreneurs in Israel known for its technological innovations," said Talwar on winning the competition.

Focussing in the field of computer aided diagnosis, Advenio is developing a software to analyse hundreds of medical images to help doctors arrive at quick decisions about a medical problems.

"Start Tel Aviv will provide us a platform to explore technical partnerships and networking," Acharyya told IANS on the sidelines of the event.

Start Tel Aviv is a global annual event organised by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Tel Aviv Municipality.

For the fourth edition of the event this year, participants from 23 countries will convene in Tel Aviv, I to take part in an intense, five-day start-up experience.

They will join local Israeli entrepreneurs and participate in lectures, workshops and meetings with leading Israeli and international investors and professionals.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Dongan Hills man accused of scamming more than $1,000 from 21 Staten Island businesses over the past year by falsely claiming he was collecting money for charity has pleaded guilty to theft charges.

Daniel Nemeth, 34, was accused of bilking 12 borough businesses between August and October of last year and flim-flamming another nine companies between June 27 and July 12 of this year.

Nemeth ran his scheme up and down the Island from Sunnyside to Richmond Valley, said prosecutors.

Prosecutors said he typically secured a $50 or $100 check from a business, then cashed it and held onto the money.

In the most recent scam, he claimed to be raising cash for Rolling Thunder, a charity that bolsters awareness of ongoing POW/MIA issues, said authorities. He admitted to authorities he had no connection to the group, a criminal complaint said.

Nemeth told investigators he concocted the scheme because he had lost his job and needed money to support a drug habit, said the complaint.

Nemeth pleaded guilty in Criminal Court to two counts of petit larceny.

In exchange for his pleas, he'll enter a long-term, residential drug-treatment program.

If he completes the program, he'll be sentenced to a conditional charge. If he leaves or fails to finish, he faces up to a year in jail on each conviction.

His lawyer, Mark J. Fonte, declined comment on the cases.
Prosecutors allege Francesco (Frank) Baldassarre was bludgeoned to death by his wife, Antoinetta Baldassarre.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Told by a justice Monday a psychiatric exam had found her unfit for trial and she'd need treatment again, the Tompkinsville senior citizen accused of slaying her husband two years ago pleaded for a different remedy:

Give her a new attorney, not a psychiatric confinement, and she would be just fine.

"I don't want to go to the hospital," a clearly agitated Antoinetta Baldassarre, 68, told Justice Stephen J. Rooney during a conference in state Supreme Court, St. George. "If you want to see if I'm fit, you send me a new lawyer, and you will see how fit I am. Please, please, I beg of you."

She convinced the judge.

With the consent of defense lawyer Maria Guastella and prosecutors, Rooney told the defendant he would assign her new counsel and put off the hospital stay -- for now.

Baldassarre is charged with murder and arson stemming from the Oct. 7, 2014, death of her husband, Francesco (Frank) Baldassarre, 80.

Prosecutors accuse the defendant of fatally clubbing her spouse with a crowbar in their home and then trying to burn herself to death the next morning inside a car in her garage.

In June, Rooney ordered a mental test at Guastella's request after the lawyer said there was a "breakdown" in the defendant's understanding of her defense.

In a bizarre soliloquy, Baldassarre had told the court she wanted to arrange a plea deal, but it had to be done "in a very delicate way."

"I am not going to trial because if I go to trial I will say things I don't want to say, and if I do, I will have a very short life left, and you will have to put me somewhere where they won't find me," Baldassarre, an Italian immigrant, said then in heavily-accented English.

Rooney had previously denied Baldassarre's requests for a new attorney.

But he granted it Monday after discussion at the bench with the lawyers.

Afterward, both sides withdrew their confirmation of the unfit findings to allow a new attorney, whom the court will assign to the case, to review them.

If that lawyer agrees with the psychiatric assessment, Rooney would order Baldassarre placed in a secure psychiatric facility and periodically re-evaluated.

A prior exam last year found the defendant unfit to proceed.

However, she was later deemed mentally competent to stand trial after a stint in a psychiatric facility.

Sources say it is not uncommon for suspects treated at such centers to ultimately be declared fit for trial.

Trial fitness means a person understand the charges against them and can aid in their defense.

Rooney adjourned the case to Sept. 9.

"Thank you, Judge," the white-haired pony-tailed defendant said, as court officers escorted her to a holding cell.

Guastella could not immediately be reached for comment after the proceeding.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Monica Lewinsky sent her condolences Monday to the family of a 13-year-old West Brighton boy who committed suicide after his parents said he was tormented by bullies.

Using a broken heart emoji, Lewinsky, a national anti-bullying activist, sent out several Tweets urging people to listen and care more, and shared a GoFundMe set up for the boy's family.

 to see yet another story like this. RIP daniel; condolences to his family. we need to listen + care more. https://t.co/LJ8JM58xNh  Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) August 15, 2016

Lewinsky in the fall launched a campaign against bullying, a matter she says she knows first hand due to the scorn she said she received from the public nearly 20 years ago due to her role in a scandal involving former President Bill Clinton.

Daniel Fitzpatrick hanged himself in the attic of his Davis Avenue home Thursday night.



His parents shared a letter he had written prior to his death about his struggles with bullies at the school he attended, Holy Angels Catholic Academy in Brooklyn.

The boy's wake will be held 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at Harmon Home for Funerals in West Brighton. The funeral mass will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Sacred Heart R.C. Church, also in West Brighton.

In a letter sent to families after word of the boy's death began spreading, the principal said all bullying incidents are treated "thoughtfully and thoroughly."

A GoFundMe page seeking to raise money for a memorial for Daniel has raised a whopping $106,182 as of Monday afternoon.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police said no arrests had been made Sunday evening in a fireworks incident that caused the Staten Island Mall to be evacuated Saturday afternoon.

The incident occurred at approximately 5 p.m. Saturday afternoon when an individual or individuals lit fireworks at the mall's foodcourt, according to a spokesman for the NYPD.

Witness who have contacted the Advance said the fireworks were set off by somebody near the food court.

"I just saw people running from the wing of the food court," said Vinny, a customer interviewed by the Advance following the incident.

"We just evacuated the mall -- everyone is safe but a couple of people are still scared in there."

Police released a photo taken from mall surveillance footage that shows two individuals sought for questioning in connection to the incident.

A spokesman for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information said the individuals in the photo had not yet been identified.

The incident resulted in "numerous minor injuries" as people fled the mall, police said.

Hordes of customers could be seen exiting the mall -- some waiting outside of the building for updates, others fleeing the scene in their vehicles.

"I was inside the mall and all of a sudden a hundred people start yelling 'Get out of the mall, get out of the mall," said one shopper.

"Let me tell you, it was a scary feeling," the shopper said.

Another shopper, Claudette LaGreca, said "I never heard a rumble indoors like that in my life."

"Talk about a flashback to 9/11," she said. "Cops are making everyone leave the mall because they want to make sure it's fireworks."

Once cops hit the scene, they evacuated remaining shoppers who had not fled the complex.

By around 5:45, they began letting employees back inside, according to emergency radio transmissions.

Multiple helicopters were hovering over the mall for nearly one hour.

The false report sparked scores of social media posts speculating that an active shooter was present at the complex, and offering prayers for any shoppers who may still be inside.

Once word spread that fireworks sparked the false alarm, Staten Islanders expressed anger on Twitter.

The incident at the New Springville shopping hub was not the only mall in the United States evacuated over fears of an active shooter Saturday.

The Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, N.C. was evacuated yesterday around 2:30 p.m., according to a report from the News and Observer website.

"All known witnesses to yesterday's occurrences have been interviewed and there remains no explanation for the loud noise that people reported," Raleigh police said in a news release. "After a review of evidence collected at the scene, there continues to be no indication that a gunshot was fired."

Police could not say if the two incidents were related.
NEW YORK -- Two terminals at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport are resuming normal operations Monday morning after reports of shots fired prompted evacuations, and grounded and diverted flights.

The reports, which led to some frightening moments for fliers Sunday night, were later determined to be unfounded and the airport was given the all-clear.

Port Authority police said they had not found any firearms, rounds of 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 around 9:30 p.m.

The New York Police Department was called in to assist.

None one was injured.

Police also closed Terminal 1 after they say they received additional reports of shots fired in that terminal. An expressway approaching the airport also was shut down.

It was not immediately clear what led to the airport scare.

According to the flight tracking company, FlightAware, all inbound flights were being held at their origin until 11:30 p.m. due to security.

Several airline passengers also tweeted that their flights were being diverted from the airport; one passenger said his flight was being sent to Buffalo, WPIX-TV reported.

Panic at jfk theyre closing the gates at security-possible shooter pic.twitter.com/OJUIFaenEI  Dan Archer (@archcomix) August 15, 2016

Ground stop at #jfkairport as police investigate unconfirmed reports of shots fired. pic.twitter.com/S1Cj0v4JjY  ABC World News Now (@abcWNN) August 15, 2016
Ronald Castorina

Assemblyman Ronald Castorina was harassed by a woman last week, authorities allege. (Advance file photo)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The 55-year-old Port Richmond woman facing harassment and stalking charges after she was arrested for allegedly sending a series of bizarre packages to South Shore Assemblyman Ronald Castorina Jr. says "none" of what she did was illegal.

Marylynn Cellamare wrote in an email that she began "to investigate" Castorina after he banned her from participating in a public Facebook event page for a drug forum that was held "about two months ago."

Castorina organized a drug forum on Wednesday, June 22, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Mount Loretto in Pleasant Plains.

"When I messaged Castorina about the forum, which he created as a public Facebook event, he banned me from replying or participating, so he surely wasn't about to let me show up and share. Why? It turns out that a friend of a friend told him that I was a bad mother and that my son killed himself, both of which are false, and if he truly believes this, how can he possibly help the community?" Cellamare wrote.

Her son, Kenneth Lakeman, died in 2007 at the age of 21 of an apparent drug overdose, the Advance reported at the time.

"He didn't want to be a drug addict," Cellamare said of her son in 2007. "He was so loving. That's why this is such a shame."

A LETTER TO THE ADVANCE

Her letter to the Advance goes on for more than 1,500 words about Castorina conspiring against her to see her locked up.

She said the three letters she sent to Castorina's properties were in no way illegal and that sending the letters "does not meet the legal standard of harassment under NYS law."

Cellamare was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree aggravated harassment and fourth-degree stalking after.

New York State Penal Code describes an individual guilty of second-degree aggravated harassment as someone who communicates a threat to cause physical harm to an individual, an individuals family, or an individual's property, and that the actor knows, or should reasonably know that the individual would fear harm.

CASTORINA'S RESPONSE

Castorina's office could not be reached for comment late Sunday night, but he said Saturday that 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, and that he received the letters in his Richmond Valley home, his summer home in New Jersey and his parents' residence.

Cellamare said in her email to the Advance that she "decided to investigate Castorina further after hearing that he was carpetbagging and didn't even live in the district in which he is supposed to serve."

"It is shocking that Ms. Materna would have a woman that is so emotionally disturbed and mentally unstable work on her campaign," Castorina said. "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 Cellamare's 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.

ARRAIGNED SATURDAY

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.

ALLEGED INCIDENTS

The alleged 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.

Cellamare's wrote that she had never contacted Castorina on the phone.

"Aside from the communication about his drug forum, I never contacted him other than by sending that one mailing and one FedEx to each of his 3 addresses," she wrote.

The suspect allegedly admitted to sending the packages, but told authorities: "I don't recall calling the assemblyman, but I might have," the criminal complaint states.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the fireworks incident that prompted panic and evacuations at the Staten Island Mall Saturday.

The incident was reported at around 5 p.m. when an unknown person or people set off fireworks in the food court, causing panic among shoppers, who mistook the noise for gunshots, and prompting a large NYPD response.

"I was inside the mall and all of a sudden a hundred people start yelling 'Get out of the mall, get out of the mall," said one shopper moments after the incident.

"Talk about a flashback to 9/11," Claudette LaGreca said. "Cops are making everyone leave the mall because they want to make sure it's fireworks."

After a complete evacuation, shoppers and employees were able to re-enter the mall at around 5:45 p.m.

Multiple minor injuries were reported, according to a written statement from the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner for Public Information.

Police released on Sunday surveillance photo of two teens sought for questioning in connection with the incident.

The two males were seen 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.
07:31 Labor needs to come up with some answers as to how Australians will pay for services Assistant Treasure Stephen Jones says Labor are "going to have to come up with some answers as to how Australians are going to pay for services....

11:05 Industrial relations bill will bring our country to its knees Shadow Employment Minister Michaelia Cash says a bill to give Australians higher wages and create more jobs is not the way to do it and...

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.

Another Andrews Government minister calls time ahead of election Another Victorian minister has called time on her career in politics, as a new poll reveals support for the Andrews Government is dropping ahead of the November election.

01:10 Friend of Australia: Albanese looks to build good relationship with UK PM Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is a friend of Australia and looks forward to meeting him at the...

03:30 The budget was about implementing our plan for a better future: Albanese Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has discussed the newly announced budget at a media conference in Parramatta, NSW on Friday.

00:46 Queensland hospital left struggling to fill positions A higher number of resignations than usual has left recruiters at one of Queenslands biggest hospitals struggling to fill positions for specialist...

04:42 Energy markets are absolute havoc Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the energy markets are "absolute havoc and the government will have to do more by working with regulators...

09:46 Labor pushing out message of restraint with budget The Australians Federal Political Reporter Sarah Ison says the Albanese governments budget was a message of restraint with Labor...

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.

Dutton demands PM stand up today and explain repatriation of IS brides Peter Dutton has sent his well wishes to the families of former IS fighters who are currently being repatriated to Australia but has demanded the Prime Minister stand up today and explain the decision.

16:12 Big part of Liberal history has been to clean up Labor messes: Dutton Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he expects he'll have to "clean up a big mess" left by the Labor party in three years' time.

Humiliated Coalition MP reveals details of call with PM over bully claims Michelle Landry has opened up about the phone call she had with Anthony Albanese who she accused of "humiliating her" during Question Time on Thursday, with the Coalition MP insisting Parliament has to change to be "kinder and family friendly".

16:12 Dutton: Coalition determined to win in 2025 Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says his team is united and determined to win the election in 2025.

Worst budget reply in my time: Albanese slams Peter Duttons speech The Prime Minister said Peter Dutton's budget reply fell flat in bringing forth any new policies and failed to outline a clear plan for Australia's future.

01:56 Show the footage: Albanese accused of bullying MP Liberal MP Michelle Landry has accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of bullying her in parliament.

03:16 Dutton gave the worst budget reply: Albanese Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised Opposition leader Peter Dutton saying he gave the worst budget reply thats been given in...
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Current and former Obama administration officials, including some who sparred with the State Department over Iraq policy, defend Clinton as one of the most vocal advocates for a muscular U.S. presence in Iraq after the withdrawal deadline. Clinton argued publicly and privately for keeping a contingent of U.S. troops in Iraq after Dec. 31, 2011, and when that effort failed, she lobbied the White House and Congress for money to fund civilian-run security programs in Iraq, her former aides said. In written memos and in meetings as part of the president's national security team, she questioned Maliki's ability to keep the country united and warned that instability could lead to a resurgence of al-Qaida in Iraq, or AQI, the terrorist group that later renamed itself the Islamic State, the officials said.
Tablet;

The Open Society Foundations, the network of philanthropic organizations funded by billionaire George Soros, appears to have been hacked earlier this weekend, and its confidential reports made available on the website DC Leaks. These newly revealed documents provide a granular look into the extent of the network's operations in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with millions of dollars designated annually to organizations highly critical of the Jewish state, some of whom deny its right to exist.

Even more troubling, the documents repeatedly indicate that the network actively tried to conceal its engagements in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and has worked to set up an extensive network of organizations designed to support and promote its views. [...]

The Soros network, the report shows, has also been methodical about supporting a diverse number of groups in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, creating a web of small organizations supporting each other's goals in the media, vis-a-vis foreign governments, and elsewhere. This, traditionally, is how an echo chamber works: by creating an enclosed system of like-minded partisans that appears sufficiently diverse in scope, it is often able to amplify its messages and lend them credibility.
A whiff of bacon hangs in the air at Fairbairn, where Canberra Airport has found an empty kitchen just right for the now famous smokehouse production of Pialligo Estate.

Last month a fierce fire destroyed millions of dollars worth of stock and equipment at the estate's smokehouse in Hume. The award-winning facility was used to cure salmon, trout, bacon, ham and duck for Pialligo Estate.

After three years the business was building clients throughout eastern Australian and had twice won Australian Pork awards to mark bacon week. They were to begin exporting produce later this year, before the blaze broke out.

Canberra Airport head of property Richard Snow said the temporary arrangement came after a long association with Pialligo Estate.
Canberra's greyhound club has called on the ACT government to reverse its ban and instead adopt the Tasmanian industry's new policy to track and rehome all racing dogs.

The local greyhound industry has in recent weeks begun to pick up the momentum of a public campaign against the ACT government's decision to ban racing in Canberra.

The decision was made soon after NSW Premier Mike Baird banned greyhound racing, following an explosive report on links to live baiting and malpractice within the industry.

In following NSW, Chief Minister Andrew Barr said it simply was not feasible for the ACT to maintain a racing industry here, when it was so heavily reliant on dogs, trainers, and officials from interstate.
A Canberra crook who sold drugs to an undercover cop had a criminal record akin to a Greek tragedy, a judge has told a court.

But lawyers for Matthew James Massey, 40, argued he deserved another chance to redeem himself after spending more than two decades behind bars.

Matthew Massey in 2001.

Massey pleaded guilty in the ACT Supreme Court to peddling 7.2 grams of methylamphetamine to a police officer during a crackdown on illicit drug supply in January 2013.

Justice Richard Refshauge on Monday acknowledged the difficulty he faced in sentencing Massey, given his lengthy criminal history, and accepted "massive amounts of jail time" would not be in his favour.
Visitors to Canberra will be greeted by sparkly new signs showcasing some of the territory's tourist gems such as hot air ballooning over Lake Burley Griffin and mountain biking at Stromlo Forest Park.

Four signs have been installed at major arterial roads leading into Canberra, including the Monaro, Federal and Barton highways and Pialligo Avenue.

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr with one of the new Welcome to Canberra signs.

They were unveiled on Monday, just weeks out from the start of international flights between Canberra, Singapore and Wellington.

The signs feature images showcasing Canberra such as bushwalking at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and exploring the National Arboretum.
Online fresh food delivery company Aussie Farmers Direct has pledged to go toe-to-toe with Coles and Woolworths on price as its expands into pantry items and household goods.

The company has been delivering fresh vegetables, meat, bread and dairy to customers' doors for 11 years and this week has expanded to offer a full supermarket shop for the first time.

Sister site The General Store adds 3800 items including pasta, tinned goods, drinks, spreads and household products to the online-only store's inventory.

Chief executive Keith Louie said it would match the major supermarkets on price and even beat them with specials and bulk items they do not stock.
A work-for-the-dole scheme for remote Australia could face the threat of a union-led legal challenge.

The move comes as new data suggests an alarming increase in the number of Indigenous jobseekers having their welfare payments slashed.

Australia's most senior union leaders this week will vote on a resolution to fight the federal government's "discriminatory" scheme, which requires people to work longer hours than those in city areas, and is imposing far more severe penalties for non-compliance.

Under the $1.5 billion Community Development Program, jobseekers in remote Australia have to take part in 25 hours of work-like activity a week, five days a week or have their payments suspended. People on the program are required to undertake activities such as landscaping, cleaning, walking children to school and housing repairs.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions Executive, which meets three times a year, will vote on Tuesday to explore "all available options" including legal action to end the scheme and replace it with one that will "give Indigenous workers control over their lives and their future".
So Senator David Leyonhjelm is hauling Fairfax before the Human Rights Commission under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act because political correspondent Mark Kenny called him an "angry white man" in an opinion piece.

I too am a white man living in Australia. Yes, I went to a private school. And, yes, I lead a fairly affluent life. And I'm also angry.

Why? Because no one speaks up for white men. Where are the white male politicians? Are there any in Parliament? Should we have quotas?

In America, angry white men are perhaps the only demographic that Donald Trump has left  and we all know how Trump has been silenced.
Australians are the world's heaviest users of marijuana, sharing that honour with the citizens of New Zealand and the United States. It's a kind of a pot-equivalent of the ANZUS treaty.

We seem to have a lot of experience with marijuana, so it surprises me that Australia has lagged behind other similar countries when it comes to so-called 'medical marijuana'.

Catch-up we seem to be doing, though, with the ACT Government recently announcing a scheme for medical marijuana. The plan is to "establish the ACT as a leader in the research and development of cannabis products  and develop a framework for the prescription, use and distribution of medicinal cannabis to those who need them on medical grounds".

The big problem is that medical researchers are not actually clear about who actually needs 'medical marijuana', and that many doctors are anxious about prescribing such products.
Gwen thrived amid politically articulate left-wing activists and had little time for people who "didn't get it". She was hungry for knowledge about the world, its peoples, history and politics. Such a strong and relentless commitment had consequences and created conflicts. Gwen was employed by advertising agent Val Morgan and was running a large office at his radio station 3KZ when she married Alan William Goedecke. They built a house in Rosanna and Gwen became passionately involved in working for peace and justice and equal opportunity for everyone. Her husband became unsettled  this was not the woman he imagined would raise their children in the neat house they had built in the suburbs. He didn't want a political agitator, he wanted a housewife. Gwen had little time for people who 'didn't get it'. Gwen would later quote Simone de Beauvoir: "I am too intelligent, too demanding and too resourceful for anyone to be able to take charge of me entirely."

She refused to relinquish her political life and took their three children  Ann, Pauline and Allan  to repeat her own history by returning to the family home in Seddon. So we have a divorced, communist, single mother in 1950s Australia  each of those attributes a shocking disgrace at the time. In the 1960s Gwen's home in Footscray was the headquarters of the western suburbs branch of the Communist Party of Australia and was regularly filled to capacity with lefties, unionists and political speakers. A comrade, Les Courtney, referring to that period, said: "Gwen's contribution cannot be overstated. Gwen will be remembered for her work, honesty and not just for gender equality but for social change." Gwen was electorate secretary to Dr Jim Cairns, the federal treasurer in the Whitlam government and leader of the Vietnam Moratorium Movement. She was delighted to receive a letter from the principal of her son's school telling her that the boy had been suspended for joining the 100,000 people marching down Bourke Street in the moratorium demonstration. What the principal did not know was that Gwen had worked with Cairns to organise it.

In 1972 she began a relationship with Jack Tighe, a bureaucrat in the Australian Navy. Soon Jack had left the Navy and begun work for Jim Cairns. Gwen bought a house in North Sunshine, where she and Jack lived intensely political lives for the next 40 years. Jack became Mayor of Sunshine and Gwen was the second woman to be elected to the Sunshine City Council. At this time I was endeavouring to raise money to establish a Working Women's Centre. Gwen was instrumental in assisting me to lobby Dr Cairns and, as a result, we eventually got $40,000 to establish the Melbourne WWC. We later got funding from left-wing unions and also from the Fraser Government. This was 1975  International Women's Year and the first International Women's Conference was to be held in Mexico City. Gwen and I had booked individually to attend. I shared a room with Gwen, who proved to be an ideal room-mate. We tripped around Mexico City by bus and on foot. Among those we met at the conference were Elizabeth Reid, Gail Radford, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem.

Gwen intensified her work fighting for women's issues and during 1975 was central in forming the Sunshine International Women's Committee, of which she was secretary for the next 30 years. She was founding member and secretary of the Western Region Centre for Working Women; but they did not have the funding which Gwen had helped me to get from Cairns. lt was my turn to help Gwen get funding for the Footscray Working Women's Centre. She was ever-conscious of the educational disadvantages suffered by women, especially those who lived in the western suburbs. Her thirst for knowledge saw her take an arts degree at the age of 70. Her thesis, "Poor Man's Arts Centre", was on the history of the Footscray Community Arts Centre which she helped to establish and manage. Her aim was to make art and culture available to the working-class families of the west. She travelled widely in later life and, although I remember her as a quiet, considerate person, she could be a force to be reckoned with. She attended the third International Women's Conference in Beijing in 1995 and afterwards she and a companion were unavoidably delayed getting to their flight home from Shanghai. Gwen, 73 years old, raced out on to the tarmac only to see the plane take off down the runway. She had no money left and the next flight was days away.

She turned to the officials who were trying to shepherd her off the runway and said: "This is an outrage!" She whipped out a letter of introduction from Ralph Willis, who was then Australian Treasurer. "Do you know who this man is?" she said, brandishing the letter. "Bring that plane back now." Extraordinarily, 30 minutes later that plane returned. As she ascended the stairs on to the plane, with the pilot and crew standing on either side, bowing apologies, she said: "Thank you. I should think so." Gwen died at age 94 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's disease. On her death, the Trades Hall flag flew at half-mast in her honour. Gwen's contributions and achievements include being a member of the Union of Australian Women from 1955; a member and employee of the Victorian Peace Council and the Campaign for International Cooperation and Disarmament; a founding member of the Footscray Historical Society; and a member of the Australian Society for the Study of Labour History. She was author of Women of the West  a survey of the needs of Sunshine's women and was a monthly broadcaster on 3CR from 1991 until she was 88.
Ever since I saw a photograph of an Egyptian and a German beach volleyball player confronting each other at the net in Rio, I have been unable to get the image out of my head. Doaa Elghobashy, 19, wears a hijab, long sleeves and black leggings to her ankles. Kira Walkenhorst, 25, is in a dark blue bikini. The outstretched hands of the Olympian women almost meet, the ball between them.

The photo juxtaposes two women, two beliefs and two dress codes, brought together by sports. The world confronts less a clash of civilisations than a clash of identities, concertinaed in time and space by technology. The West's image of Islam and the Muslim image of Western societies are often mutually incommunicable; the incomprehension incubates violence.

Germany's Kira Walkenhorst, right, and Egypt's Doaa Elghobashy show extremely different dress codes as they battle in Rio. Credit:PETR DAVID JOSEK

No area is as sensitive as that of the treatment of women  women's roles, sexuality, dress and ambitions. The story is often presented as one of Western emancipation versus Islamic subjugation. That, however, is an inadequate characterisation.

What follows are accounts by two women, an Egyptian and an American, of their experiences with the hijab.
The Four Corners program on the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre in the Northern Territory had a greater instant impact than any story I can remember.

Chief Minister Adam Giles said the following day that watching it, he had "recognised horror through my eyes". That same morning, the Prime Minister announced a royal commission  with the whole-hearted co-operation, he told us, of the chief minister.

Borroloola locals protest about the treatment of detainees at the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre near Darwin. Credit:Larissa Baldwin

But now, launching an election campaign, Giles has reduced that same program to a party political broadcast. Four Corners, he claims, "tried to give Labor a leg-up".

And at the CLP launch in Darwin on Sunday, Jeff Kennett (who has been blaming the media messenger for decades, especially when it's The Age or the ABC) chimed in. It was an "unbalanced" program "timed to deliver as much damage (as possible) to a good government going into an election".
This month, the New Zealand government agreed in principle to allowing the sale of nicotine e-cigarettes as a consumer product. Evidence for the safety and effectiveness of nicotine e-cigarettes for helping smokers quit is now compelling and Australia should make similar changes.

New Zealand authorities are satisfied that nicotine e-cigarettes can help smokers quit and can substantially reduce smoking-related disease. Similarly, in Britain, the prestigious UK Royal College of Physicians recently recommended that they be promoted as widely as possible as a substitute for smoking in the interests of public health.

Colin Mendelsohn: E-cigarettes provide smokers with an alternative way of getting the nicotine to which they are addicted without the smoke that causes almost all of the adverse health effects of smoking. Credit:AP

However, in Australia it is illegal to sell, possess or use nicotine without an authority, such as a prescription. Nicotine is classified as a Schedule 7 "dangerous poison" in the Poisons Standard, the national medicines and poisons register. How have we got it so wrong?

Last week, the New Nicotine Alliance made a submission to the Australian drug regulator, the Therapeutics Goods Administration to remove low concentrations of nicotine from the Poisons Standard. This would allow legal access to nicotine for use in e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to smoking tobacco. The alliance is a not-for-profit consumer organisation representing ex-smokers who now vape instead of smoking. Under the current laws, their members are being criminalised for quitting smoking "the wrong way".
Close personal protection (CPP) is usually provided by police to government VIPs and occasionally to persons at risk from politically motivated violence. Celebrities also employ CPP or bodyguards who either have protective security backgrounds or are employees of security companies. They obviously have to work closely with those they protect and it often becomes a career job if they get on well with the person being protected.

I have known a few of them over the years. Discretion is an important part of the job, but there may be strong temptations to publish an insider's account after the employment ends.

During Bill Clinton's presidency any plane with Hillary aboard was called "broomstick one". Credit:Sean Proctor

I went to school with one of them, Colin Trimming, who was a British police officer seconded to protect Prince Charles for almost 20 years. Colin threw himself in front of Charles in 1994 when David Kang leapt on to a stage in Sydney and fired a starter pistol to draw attention to the plight of Cambodian refugees. Colin did not know it was a starter pistol when he prepared to take a bullet for Prince Charles.

Colin is now retired and has a grace and favour property in London allocated to him for his loyal service. Colin has never spoken about his experiences with Charles nor has he written about them. The amount of time he spent with Charles destroyed Colin's marriage, but in a nice romantic twist he and his former wife have remarried since he retired.
In Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, there is an extraordinary relationship between the detective, Porfiry, and the murderer he is tracking down, Raskolnikov. It is a pursuit of justice and also the saviour of a man. Robert Bresson mined similar territory in the sublime Pickpocket and Steven Spielberg likewise in Catch Me If You Can, adding a more overt intensity to the warmth and caring between the soldier for good and the wayward youth. And now there is Spielberg's masterly Bridge of Spies, a spy drama where a decent and humble insurance lawyer (Tom Hanks) reluctantly agrees to defend a Soviet spy (Mark Rylance) in 1950s New York. The middle act may momentarily lose focus, but this is the adult Spielberg at his best, with two lead actors giving astonishing performances. The shot of Hanks' lawyer falling exhausted onto a bed near the end is one of the most powerful and transcendent moments in cinema.

Scott Murray

movie An American Werewolf in London (1981)

SBS, 9.30pm

John Landis' cult classic movie, An American Werewolf in London, is so beloved by comedy-horror fans that its recent Blu-ray release was greeted with unbridled joy. This is a movie that refuses to fade and die, even though on first viewing, 3 decades ago, it seemed so trifling as to neither justify one's time nor the expense of a cinema ticket. I only went because Jenny Agutter was in it (having falling seriously in love with her while watching Walkabout), but was more than underwhelmed, Landis giving the impression of having had more fun making the movie than any audience member could receive from watching it. But why not bow to the myriads who disagree, delighting as they do in this hokey, pre-CGI tale of a werewolf on the prowl through the streets of London (which look very dowdy compared to today's). Cinematic pleasure is inexplicable, as American Werewolf proves.
The big three electricity retailers are charging as much as triple the rate for power in deregulated markets compared with the ACT, costing consumers hundreds of dollars a year, according to a study by energy economist Bruce Mountain.

The report, commissioned by the GetUp! group, analysed how much AGL, EnergyAustralia and Origin Energy were charging customers for the retail component of bills. It found South Australian customers, for instance, were paying about twice as much for the retailing component as it cost to generate the electricity itself.

Taking a snapshot of offers on the market, Mr Mountain found NSW households would typically cop an annual retail charge of about $444, $485 in Victoria and about $650 in SA. By contrast, ACT household could expect to pay about $225 in their regulated market.

"Once deregulation occurs, prices rise substantially," Mr Mountain said, adding NSW prices from the big retailers had jumped 10-15 per cent since caps were lifted in July 2015.
Left-wing "social warriors" will be exposed by David Leyonhjelm's complaint to the Human Rights commission (HRC) over an article labelling him an "angry white man," conservative Senator Cory Bernardi says.

Senator Leyonhjelm, of the Liberal Democrats, says he is not offended by the opinion piece written by Fairfax's chief political correspondent Mark Kenny who called him an "angry white male."

"I have lodged a complaint against his column under Section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) because its unlawful," Senator Leyonhjelm told Melbourne radio 3AW.

"What I'm attempting to show is how stupid it is when the boot is on the other foot."
Treasurer Scott Morrison says changes to the GST distribution formula would ensure the "egregious" situation that sees Western Australia receive back just 30 per cent of the GST revenue it pays is not repeated.

But the changes, which would establish a floor beneath which the proportion of GST distributed to each state could not fall, are "prospective" and would not be implemented until "once the system returns to normal".

Western Australia has been complaining for years about its falling share of GST revenue and lobbying Canberra for changes to the policy of horizontal fiscal equalisation, which sees GST revenue returned to different states at different rates so that the standard of services such as hospitals and schools are comparable for all Australians regardless of where they live.

For many years WA was a beneficiary of the policy but as a result of the mining boom in the state  which has now come off the boil  the west's share of GST revenue fell.
The Royal Commission into child sex abuse may hold a public hearing into Australia's detention centres in the wake of fresh allegations from Nauru, signalling that more shocking revelations from the offshore camp may emerge to damage the Turnbull government.

The release by Guardian Australia last week of 2000 incident reports detailing trauma, abuse and self-harm suffered at Nauru, many involving children, led to calls for the Royal Commission to widen its inquiry to include the remote Pacific island.

The government sought to play down the incident reports, saying they were allegations rather than fact. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton claimed some reports were not legitimate and others covered minor events.

In a rare statement on Monday, the commission responded to "the level of public discussion in relation to immigration detention centres", saying it had an ongoing investigation into how the Department of Immigration and Border Protection responded to allegations of child sexual abuse in detention centres.
Donning mock Muslim garb to disrupt an Anglican Church is the latest in a string of public demonstrations by the Party for Freedom, a far-right group inspired by One Nation.

About 10 members of the anti-Islam, anti-immigration group wore what appeared to be fancy dress Arabic attire, including a bright pink burqa and a metallic gold floor length robe, as they "stormed" Gosford Anglican Church on Sunday.

Father Rod Bower was halfway through his sermon when the intruders entered the church, performing mock prayers and blaring a recording of a Koran recitation.

Footage of the stunt was posted on Facebook, where an image of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson smiles from the Party for Freedom's profile picture.
A national cyber security corps of volunteers with experience in the area is needed to help fight major online threats to governments, private industry and civil institutions, a Canberra academic has urged. Professor Greg Austin from the Australian Centre for Cyber Security at UNSW Canberra proposed the new "cyber security reserve" in a discussion brief issued earlier this year, in a bid to help support experts in police forces, Defence and Canberra's intelligence establishment. PM Malcolm Turnbull has pledged $230 million over four years under the Cyber Security Strategy, but UNSW's Professor Greg Austin would like it to include a civilian corps. Credit:Fairfax Media Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year launched a $230 million cyber security strategy, after confirmed breaches at the Bureau of Meteorology and Department of Parliamentary Services, but that package did not include a civilian corps. Professor Austin said a new "Cyber Civil Corps" could become a central force that could work with the current separate teams in state and federal police and the intelligence community.

It could start with a central office of about 200 employed staff supported by up to 2000 civilian corps members, including specialised "rapid response teams" who could be called in to work on major attacks. "It could be a major state-based attack on Australia's assets, it could be a series of hacks," Professor Austin said. "But we'll never develop in our different police forces a significant expertise in cybercrime, so we now have a choice of either dividing up the overall pie, as it is, or creating a concentrated national centre." The centre would also not simply be focused on the cyber world, but also monitoring and responding to real-world events such as natural disasters or power failures, and how those events could impact the nation's cyber security. Loading
The couple has never been seen together, and the only 'evidence' the magazine cited was the fact Ms Murdoch had recently boarded the yacht of mutual friend Roman Abramovich in St Barts in the West Indies.

In an interview with Vogue, published in July, Ms Murdoch said, "I've never met Putin. But wow, so much press about it. Why did they choose me?"

Vogue also reported that Ms Murdoch had introduced Ivanka Trump to her now-husband, businessman Jared Kushner.

Ms Trump raved about her friend, saying "Everything she has is available to her friends, which, believe me, is not common 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."

People magazine reported that Ms Trump is taking a break from the campaign trail to holiday with friends and Mr Kushner.
Two men have been charged after death threats were allegedly made to NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant over the state government's decision to ban greyhound racing.

A third man has also been charged over a separate incident in which a series of allegedly intimidatory Facebook posts were made towards Mr Grant, who is also the police and racing minister, over the weekend.

Threats were made to Deputy Premier Troy Grant's office last week. Credit:Dallas Kilponen

Police will allege at least three threatening phone calls were made on Friday to Mr Grant's Dubbo electorate office.

In the first call a man allegedly told a member of Mr Grant's staff: "I'll burn your house down."
"I'm not feeling my high," pharmacist Sylvia Choi told her boyfriend after she ingested something at Stereosonic musical festival.

Five hours later, the 26-year-old from Oyster Bay in Sydney's south, was dead.

Now the close high school friend who supplied her with a "yellow Snapchat" ecstasy pill and an MDMA capsule has been sentenced to a minimum of six months in jail.

Physiotherapist Daniel Dung Huynh, 26, stared straight ahead after magistrate Michelle Goodwin read out the one-year maximum sentence at Burwood Local Court on Monday.
One of NSW's most senior police officers says she didn't believe any of the text messages she deleted after the fatal Lindt Cafe siege needed to be retained.

Among content of the text exchanges on December 15 and 16, 2014, were requests to return calls, updates on coming briefings and words of support as the Martin Place siege rolled on.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn arrives at the NSW Coroner's Court. Credit:Michele Mossop

Now police intelligence specialists are trying to recover those deleted messages to hand over to the inquest into the 2014 Martin Place siege.

Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn was quizzed about her decision to delete the texts during her highly-anticipated evidence at the inquest on Monday.
Labor should open the door to "community plebiscites" and let the community have a say in who should be the party's candidates at elections, former Queensland treasurer David Hamill says.

In a wide-ranging inaugural Bill Hayden Oration in Ipswich on Saturday Mr Hamill  Peter Beattie's treasurer from 1998 to 2001  said Labor must make changes as its primary vote slips to 35 per cent.

Former Queensland treasurer David Hamill (right) with former premier Peter Beattie in 1998. Credit:Robert Rough

Federal Labor in 2013 adopted former prime minister Kevin Rudd's move to have ALP party members vote as well as ALP caucus to select the Labor leader.

"Why don't we extend that principle by having community plebiscites to choose our candidates in order to achieve a wider acceptance and endorsement of Labor's candidates among our membership and supporters," Mr Hamill asked of the audience in his home city at the weekend.
A 23-year-old man suffered a fractured eye socket and nose from a single punch after he tried to break up a fight in an inner-city Brisbane suburb.

Police have released photos of two people of interest after the assault of the man at a bar on Brunswick Street in Fortitude Valley on May 20.

Police are searching for two men after a man was assaulted in the Valley

One man was described as being Caucasian, between 180 to 185 centimetres tall, with long blond hair.

The second was described as Caucasian, in his mid 20s and with a brown beard.
Police have released images of six Queensland criminals as part of a nationwide campaign to track down some of Australia's most wanted fugitives.

Operation ROAM: Fugitive Hunt was launched on Monday in a bid to find 19 men wanted across Australia, six of whom are Queenslanders.

The Queensland men are wanted for serious crimes including drug trafficking, child offences and grievous bodily harm and State Crime Command Assistant Commissioner Maurice Carless said community input was vital to finding these men.

"Looking for those most serious criminals is a matter for all of us as community members," he said.
The stranded crew of a coal ship off Queensland's coast has received emergency supplies but still faces the prospect of dangerously low food stocks, a union says.

The International Transport Workers' Federation says the 93,000-tonne Five Stars Fujian has been stranded off the Port of Gladstone since July 19, with a crew of 20 underfed and unpaid Chinese nationals, after the ship's owners "vanished".

The ship has been stranded off the coast of Gladstone. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The crew members, who claim they haven't been paid their two dollar an hour wages in more than two months, were supplied with three days worth of food by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority last Friday.

Their desperate plight was only uncovered last Wednesday when the authority detained the ship, which is carrying $40 million worth of coal.
Sweet-toothed thieves raided a milk bar in south-east Melbourne, threatening staff with a hammer.

Police say two men entered the Hallam milk bar, in Marshall Place, about 4.30pm on July 23, one of them armed with a hammer.

Thieves robbed a Hallam milk bar last month. Credit:Cathryn Tremain

The armed man approached a staff member and demanded cash and cigarettes.

The two offenders left the store with a "number of boxes of confectionary" from the front counter, as well as cigarettes and cash.
Aspiring teachers who want to work in Victorian schools could soon have to receive high VCE results and be assessed as emotionally intelligent.

Education Minister James Merlino has flagged a radical overhaul of teacher education in a bid to attract more talented candidates to the profession and boost students' grades.

Teaching hopefuls could soon be barred from Victorian classrooms if they receive poor VCE results.

Under the proposed changes, students could also face a "final hurdle" test before graduating to determine whether they had the skills to cope in a classroom.

The proposals follow concerns about the declining ATARS of students embarking on teaching degrees.
One person suffered cuts and was treated at the scene, but not taken to hospital. No one else was injured.

Paramedics were called to the scene about 8.30am after the bus reversed into the front of the bank branch on Tunstall Square.

A bus driver has accidently reversed into an ANZ branch in Donvale in Melbourne's east.

The branch is unsafe to enter due to cracks to the external wall on one side of the building.

The building has been deemed unsafe for use.

An ANZ spokesman said they were hoping to reopen the branch as soon as possible.

"We're pleased there we're no serious injuries reported this morning and we will be working hard to get the branch operating as normal as soon as possible," he said.
A drug syndicate peddling ice, heroin, cocaine and cannabis from Melbourne's southern suburbs has been busted after a number of raids on Monday morning, police say.

Police raided 13 properties in Chelsea, Aspendale, Hampton Park, Springvale South, Notting Hill, Dandenong, Cheltenham, Moorabbin, Seaford, Frankston and Mordialloc, following a 10-month investigation.

Police at a clandestine drug lab discovered in a Braeside self storage facility. Credit:Penny Stephens

Detectives also raised a self storage facility in Braeside, where they uncovered a clandestine drug lab.

Fourteen people were arrested, as police seized a "substantial amount" of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, cannabis, two samurai swords, cash, an imitation firearm, stolen property and drug paraphernalia.
A Broadmeadows youth is under police guard at Royal Melbourne Hospital after he was shot in the foot on Monday morning.

A police spokeswoman said the 17-year-old was involved in a "firearms incident" on Ophir Street in Broadmeadows about 9.10am.

Credit:Jason South

Police are investigating the incident. The youth is expected to be interviewed in relation to an aggravated burglary on Central Grove this morning.

Earlier police reported that the youth was a 26-year-old Broadmeadows man. The spokeswoman said he had initially given police a false age.
The man famously jailed for bashing media personality Sam Newman was found in a pool of blood after being repeatedly stabbed behind a St Kilda supermarket.

Underworld associate Michael "Mick" Hamill, 63, was stabbed outside the Woolworths store on Acland Street just after midday on Monday.

Hamill, the business partner of former bikie Toby Mitchell, was rushed to The Alfred hospital after being stabbed multiple times at the rear entrance to the supermarket on Chaucer Street, near the Peanut Farm Reserve.

An onlooker reported seeing a large pool of blood at the scene, as ambulance paramedics treated Hamill.
Residents in Melbourne's south-east are finally getting a train station between Highett and Cheltenham, more than 100 years after the idea was first floated.

The Andrews government is funnelling $21 million from the state's coffers into a train station at Southland to service one of Melbourne's busiest shopping centres.

The idea for a stop between Highett and Cheltenham stations was first floated by local councils in the 1880s when the Frankston line was being built.

The government is promising minimal disruption to Frankston line commuters who have already endured weeks of being forced onto buses due to the removal of several level crossings.
A relaxing holiday in the sunshine became a terrifying ordeal for a WA family after their 18-month old daughter Amarli nearly lost her life to flesh-eating bacteria that attacked her lungs.

Bunbury couple Sharna and Brendan Marshall and their daughters Kensi, four, and Amarli, left on June 26 for a 10-day holiday in Thailand.

Eighteen-month-old Amarli survived with the help of a dedicated medical team in Thailand.

But they are yet to return home, with Amarli having spent more than a month in a Bankgok Hospital after having part of her lung removed in emergency surgery.

The family was holidaying in Khao Lak, two hours from Phuket, when Amarli got what they thought was a cold, Mrs Marshall said.
The state opposition has called for 'Evil 8' convicted paedophile Ryan Trevor Clegg's bail to be revoked after horrified community members in North Fremantle learnt he was living "just a few doors down" from a child care centre and less than 100 metres from a primary school.

Clegg pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court on August 4 to 61 charges relating to the sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl who was raped and pimped out to multiple men by her father for two years.

Ryan Trevor Clegg running from the media outside court on August 4 after pleading guilty to sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl. Credit:ABC News

The 42-year-old admitted sexually penetrating the girl four times, indecently dealing with her five times and indecently recording her 48 times.

He was granted bail to live with a family member while he awaits his sentencing in late September.
The technology behind virtual currency 'bitcoin' has enabled Perth to launch a world-first trial to let people with solar panels sell their excess electricity to each other, not back to the grid.

Jemma Green, Research Fellow at Curtin University's Sustainability Policy Institute, is chairwoman of start-up Power Ledger, whose eight-week 'virtual' trial underway at National Lifestyle Villages in Busselton.

'Blockchain' software will show residents of 10 homes what would happen if they were to trade their electricity with their neighbours, how much they would make and how it would work.

A similar virtual trial is being conducted in New York, but the company's imminent 'real' trial with 80 homes in a second South West location, actually doing the transactions and moving the electricity, will be a world first, Ms Green says.
Baton Rouge: US President Barack Obama issued a disaster declaration on Sunday for flood-ravaged Louisiana, where at least five people have died and emergency crews have rescued more than 20,000 people stranded by flooding.

Governor John Bel Edwards said residents had been pulled from swamped cars, flooded homes and threatened hospitals across the southern part of the state. The already soaked region is expected to get more rain from a storm system stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

While the brunt of the storm that brought torrential rains was moving west toward Texas, Louisiana residents should remain cautious, the governor said at a news conference.

"Even with the sunshine out today intermittently, the waters are going to continue to rise in many areas, so this is no time to let the guard down," Mr Edwards said, calling the flooding unprecedented.
London: UK ministers Liam Fox and Boris Johnson are locked in a bitter feud over who controls key parts of Britain's foreign policy, a leaked letter seen by Britain's Sunday Telegraph reveals.

Just weeks after the two men joined the government in the wake of Britain's shock vote to leave the European Union, Mr Fox - who heads a new department overseeing Britain's international trade - sent the Foreign Secretary the terse letter, which he copied to Prime Minister Theresa May, effectively demanding that the Foreign Office be broken up.

Mr Fox suggested that British trade with other countries would not "flourish" if responsibility for future policy remained with the Foreign Office.

He also listed a series of economic statistics that called into question the Foreign Office's ability to boost Britain's economic ties with other countries and suggested that Mr Johnson focus instead on "diplomacy and security", including overseeing MI6 and GCHQ, two intelligence agencies.
New York: A preliminary investigation at John F. Kennedy International Airport found no evidence of gunfire inside one of its terminals on Sunday despite earlier reports of shots being heard, the airport's operator said.

No gun casings were found after a search of Terminal 8, where reports of gunshots in the departures area led to an evacuation, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a Twitter message.

"The terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution," the agency said. "Travellers should contact their carriers."

Shots were reported around 9.30pm local time (11.30am AEST) on Sunday night at the airport's Terminal 8.
It's no secret that authorities in Hungary are keen on keeping migrants out. The country's right-wing government has been one of the most outspoken about the perceived dangers posed by an influx of Syrian refugees and others into the European Union. Over the past year, Hungary erected a vast border fence to impede the movement of refugees seeking passage to countries in Western Europe.

It seemed to work, for a time, but many Syrian refugees still attempt the dangerous crossing. Thousands remain encamped in limbo on the other side of the border in northern Serbia.

In one place, at least, security forces have resorted to a new tactic, putting up makeshift scarecrows.
On the front page of The Daily Herald of Saturday, August 13, 2016 we see a Member of Parliament with a criminal conviction (sure, his case is still in appeal) broadly smiling as the Minister of TEATT (the Ministry assigned to this upstanding MP when the Coalition of 8 was formed some months ago) signs a one year Employment contract with Rolando Brison, a young St. Maarten professional, who, as per his own admittance in writing, embezzled a substantial amount of money from the Government owned airline WINAIR, one of his previous employers. Some years ago when I was still involved with WINAIR, I was really impressed with young Brison. He was smart, articulate, energetic, a quick learner and a smooth talker. I saw in him leadership capabilities that could eventually propel him into the seat of the CEO of the airline. Then all of us at WINAIR got a rude awakening. Brison was caught red-handed with both his hands in the proverbial cookie jar. In order not to cause havoc in his path of future advancement, WINAIRs Management agreed not to press criminal charges against Brison, if he resigned of his own free will and agreed in writing to repay the airline the total amount of funds he misappropriated. Four years and four months later, Brison has yet to start paying back WINAIR, but gets employed by Government to, amongst other things, manage and direct the spending of hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of guilders that will be allocated to the SXM Tourism Authority for the promotion of Tourist Destination St. Maarten. What happened to background checks and/or thorough vetting? The newspaper article claims funds destined for the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau will not be managed by the STA. However, in practical terms, the fact that the STA will begin to market the island means that Brison will have a say in how Tourism Funds will be spent (committed). I have a hunch I know why the MP is smiling so broadly: regardless of how his re-election campaign ends, he is ensuring that lucrative positions are filled by his cronies: Brison will be in the STA, and as I recently heard, his 2014 Campaign Manager (another son of the soil who once also was smart, articulate, energetic, a quick learner and smooth talker) will possibly be appointed to the Board of the PJIA, another Government owned company with LOTS of money! Talk about foxes in henhouses!! From my personal files of years of involvement with WINAIR, I have retrieved copies of documents related to the Brison case that substantiates my claim. If St. Maarten is going to have a fighting chance to make it as a country within, or outside of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, we are going to have to vote-out the bums, convicts, scoundrels and opportunists and keep/vote-in professionals that have TRUE passion and love for our island and who are prepared and willing to give, at a minimum, an honest 8 hours of work, 5 days a week. Its more likely that these upstanding professionals will EARN the extremely generous salary and lucrative benefits our Parliamentarians and Ministers enjoy. One thing is sure, we need to make an effort to secure that each professional that is appointed to top level, important positions with impact on the growth of our economy, has a CLEAN record and is CAPABLE of doing their function. The fleecing of the limited financial resources of our Country must stop.

Michael J. Ferrier
PHILIPSBURG:--- As we approach the beginning of a new school year, MP Wescot-Williams extends best wishes to all students, parents, teachers, and staff for a productive, rewarding and enjoyable school year filled with many excellent opportunities. She remains hopeful and dedicated to ensuring that our younger generation both in school on the island and those abroad will be able to find employment that meets their desires. As far as the Democratic Party (DP) is concerned, there are still serious steps to be taken to provide our youngsters with that dream job, or sometimes even a job fitting their education at all. MP Wescot-Williams stresses amongst others the need to providing technology to schools, life-long learning for all and continuously improving quality and access to education, particularly regarding opportunities for children with special educational needs and developing an early education curriculum for ages 0-4.

MP Wescot-Williams is aware that our education system needs attention and leadership that values this sector to place the needed finances into improving it. With an open and transparent government, we can put the savings from placing projects on public bids such as with the current bid for a new general hospital towards much-needed areas such as education, performing arts, etc. Education is a fundamental right for everyone and is key to the future of our country. The only thing more expensive than investing in education is not investing in education. She hears the educators' cries and listens to the needs of the students and is committed to working together to further develop our system.

The MP is very proud of what our education system accomplishes on a daily basis.Our teachers are not only hard working and professional educational guides, often getting too little compliments for that, but more often also excel offering after school guidance for their pupils personal challenges.

MP Wescot-Williams also encourages parents/guardians to be involved in their children's school work. Parental involvement has a significant effect on their educational achievement. Most children have two main educators in their lives  their parents and their teachers, therefore always remember that you are a major influence in your child's education and personal life. "Children often learn with their eyes not their ears, so please remember to always set an example as they are watching your every move. As they say, collaboration, or teamwork, is one of the key cornerstones of 21st-century education. Lets start with giving our children the right example.
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM)  The Minister of Public Health Emil Lee has called for National Mosquito Elimination Community Program Zika Virus disease (ZikV) Beat ZikV.

The community program calls for a close collaboration with the people of Sint Maarten and entails house to house visits with one on one education on the elimination of mosquito breeding sites in and around the house.

The program also includes inspection of the surroundings of the house by vector controllers; assessment of the findings; set-up and monitoring of traps to study mosquito behavior and larvae development, and if needed targeted fogging of identified locations.

The community program Beat ZikV will start in the Saunders area as a pilot project on the weekend of August 20/21. From there it will expand as a program throughout the Cul de Sac area. This area was selected due to a close link between mosquito complaints and a number of reported ZikV cases. After the Cul de Sac area the program will be rolled out nationwide.

Coordination will be carried out by the Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour.

Volunteers from various government entities have been mobilized as volunteers to assist with this community program.

The ultimate purpose is to minimize the occurrence of ZikV by eliminating mosquito breeding sites within the districts with a special focus on the elimination of the Aedes Aegypty mosquito.

CPS reiterates to the population of Sint Maarten as well as visitors to wear light colored clothing at dusk; long sleeve shirts and pants, and use mosquito repellent to prevent being bitten by a mosquito that could possibly be carrying a mosquito-borne disease.

CPS re-enforces its message that all residents and businesses need to take proactive measures to prevent mosquitos from breeding. Be on the alert for mosquito breeding sites and eliminate, especially after heavy rainfall.

Actively destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the saucers of flowerpots, cemetery urns/vase or in pet dishes for more than two days. Throw out the water and turn them over every time it collects water.

An increase in the mosquito population puts residents and visitors at risk. For information about dengue fever, zika, and chikungunya prevention measures, you can call CPS 542-2078 or 542-3003 to report mosquito breeding sites or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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.
Legislation signed this summer eliminated religious or personal exemptions

A contentious law that passed this summer eliminated both personal and religious exemptions from vaccinations in California schools, and 145 Sacramento children missed all or part of their first day of the school year on Tuesday because of it.

Many of the children returned later on after their parents provided proper paperwork. Two clinics were open and available on school properties for parents wishing to vaccinate that day. The district says it is working to reach the other unvaccinated children on their rosters to see if the families need help.

Only children with a physician approved medical exemption can now attend either public or private schools in California without required immunization.

Sacramento is one of the first California districts to start classes this year, but the same scene is likely to play out in districts across the state over the next few weeks as families and schools scramble to adjust to the strict new legislation.

The law, introduced as a bill by Democratic Senators Richard Pan, a Sacramento pediatrician, and Benjamin Allen of Santa Monica, made California only the third state in the nation to deny exemption based on religious beliefs.

32 states now deny exemption based on personal moral beliefs.

Concern came from the exceedingly low rates of vaccination in some communities, and after an outbreak of measles among Disneyland visors that resulted in130 infections. Pertussis (whooping cough) has also made a comeback in recent years.

Some schools had less than 50% of their students fully vaccinated, a situation which prevents the so-called "herd effect" that protects those individuals who cannot receive the shots for medical reasons such as illness or allergy.

Anti-vaccination groups protested the passage of the law, saying it should be a parent's right to choose preventative medicine for their own child. Many of them believe that increased vaccinations make children more likely to have developmental disorders, particularly autism. Scientific research has found no such link.

In the end, public health benefits overruled the opinions of protesting parents.

The courts have made it very clear that no one has the right to spread disease within their community.

The right of the state to take action in the name of public health came to the colonies along with British Common Law, and was implemented in a powerful way almost as soon as the Constitution was ratified when the cities of Philadelphia and New York were cordoned off to prevent the spread of raging yellow fever epidemics. The sitting government was left isolated in Philadelphia, new Constitution in hand.

Every original state and each that was added afterward has acknowledged the power to pass and enforce laws for the health of the community, particularly those meant to prevent the spread of disease.

Exercise of that power has become somewhat lax over the last few decades, but outbreaks of disease remind us that the government we elect has the obligation to pass common-sense laws to maintain the health of our citizens.

The California legislature and governor have done their jobs, and the school children of Sacramento and all the other communities will be healthier for it.

-----------------------------------------------------

Immunizations required to attend either public or private schools in California:

Immunizations required to enter Kindergarten:

 Polio

 Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP)

 Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)

 Hepatitis B

 Varicella (Chickenpox)

Immunization required for 7th grade:

Immunizations keep children healthy.

 Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis booster (Tdap)

 Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)

Immunizations required to enter Child Care (depends on age when enrolling):

 Polio

 Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTaP)

 Haemophilus influenzae type b

 Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)

 Hepatitis B

 Varicella (Chickenpox)
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
Telkonet Announces Second Quarter 2016 Financial Results

WAUKESHA, WI  (Marketwired)  08/15/16  , (OTCQB: TKOI), (the Company, Telkonet), creator of the EcoSmart platform of intelligent automation solutions designed to optimize comfort, energy efficiency and operational analytics in support of the emerging Internet of Things (IoT), today announced financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2016. Telkonet management will hold a teleconference and webcast to discuss these results with the financial community today at 4:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. CT.

While we experienced a significant increase in costs during our fiscal 2016 second quarter, the majority of these were attributable to the contested proxy contest that was completed at our annual Shareholder meeting on June 27. With this conclusion, weve assuaged the concerns of our customers and partners and normalized our expenses to traditional levels, stated Jason Tienor, Telkonet Chief Executive Officer. With the new board members actively working with our management team, we look forward to continuing the growth rate demonstrated thus far through 2016 and moving the company toward profitability.

Revenue saw a 21% improvement year over year

Revenue from the EcoSmart Platform increased $1.9 million, or 61% over 2015

Gross Profit increased by $0.7 million, or 17% over 2015

University projects including schools such as the University of Chicago, Kansas State University, East Central University, University of Minnesota and New York University represented 9% of revenues

Company completed the largest Multiple Dwelling Unit (MDU) sale of its history for Rivercross Apartments on Roosevelt Island in New York for more than $350,000

Execution of several significant partnership and service agreements with Fortune 500 HVAC companies

Successful industry demonstration of market-first technologies of mobile franchise loyalty app integration of room controls and voice control of room automation

Substantial EthoStream project awards including complete LA Library network equipment refresh of $127,000 and $425,000 Red Lion franchise upgrade

Complete release of comprehensive EcoSmart University portal for channel partner and integrator training and certification

First hospital deployment completed in the Copastar in Brazil with partner Evolutix

Completion of largest Samsung project to date in 2,000 room Hyatt Regency in Chicago

Through a quarter of considerable activity, we continued to demonstrate the strength of our platform and our innovation in development. Through growth in the Education, MDU and Multiple Tenant Unit (MTU) markets, weve shown that weve expanded our portfolio across verticals and increased our total accessible market. We look forward to expanding this growth through new corporate agreements increased channel growth, stated Tienor.

2016 Year to Date

Revenue: Total revenue grew $1.6 million to $8.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $7.3 million for the comparable period in 2015.

Product RevenueProduct revenue which principally arises from the sales and installation of our EcoSmart energy management platform and High Speed Internet Access (HSIA) equipment grew 27% to $6.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to $5.3 million for the comparable period in 2015. The largest growth came from the hospitality market, which increased $1.1 million followed by the MDU market which grew $0.5 million.

Gross Margin: Gross profit percentages for the six month comparable periods remained almost unchanged, 54% for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to 56% for the six months ended June 30, 2015.

Net Loss: The Company reported a net loss of $0.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2016 compared to a $0.2 million net loss for the comparable period in 2015.

Date: August 15, 2016

Time: 4:30 p.m. EST (3:30 p.m. CDT, 1:30 p.m. PST)

Investor Dial-In (Toll Free): 866-932-0173

Investor Dial-In (International): 785-424-1630

Live Web Cast:

A replay of the teleconference will be available until August 29, 2016, which can be accessed by dialing 877-481-4010 if calling within the United States or 919-882-2331, if calling internationally. Please enter conference ID 10070 to access the replay.

Telkonet will post to the Companys investor relations web site () any reconciliation of differences between non-GAAP financial information that may be required in connection with issuing the Companys financial results.

The Company, as is common in its industry, uses adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measurement gauge to demonstrate earnings exclusive of interest and non-cash events. The Company manages its business based on its cash flows. The Company, in its daily management of its business affairs and analysis of its monthly, quarterly and annual performance, makes its decisions based on cash flows, not on the amortization of assets obtained through historical activities. The Company, in managing its current and future affairs, cannot affect the amortization of the intangible assets to any material degree, and therefore uses adjusted EBITDA as its primary management guide. Adjusted EBITDA is not, and should not be considered, an alternative to net income (loss), income (loss) from operations, or any other measure for determining operating performance of liquidity, as determined under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). In assessing the overall health of its business for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company excluded items in the following general category described below:

Stock-based compensation: The Company believes that because of the variety of equity awards used by companies, varying methodologies for determining stock-based compensation and the assumptions and estimates involved in those determinations, the exclusion of non-cash stock-based compensation enhances the ability of management and investors to understand the impact of non-cash stock-based compensation on our operating results. Further, the Company believes that excluding stock-based compensation expense allows for a more transparent comparison of its financial results to the previous period.

Adjusted EBITDA and other non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, a measure of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. Further, investors are cautioned that there are inherent limitations associated with the use of the non-GAAP financial measure as an analytical tool. In particular, the non-GAAP financial measure is not based on a comprehensive set of accounting rules or principles and many of the adjustments to the GAAP financial measure reflect the exclusion of items that are recurring and will be reflected in the Companys financial results for the foreseeable future. The Company compensates for these limitations by providing specific information in the reconciliation included in this press release regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from the non-GAAP financial measure.

Telkonet, Inc. (OTCQB: TKOI) provides innovative intelligent automation platforms at the forefront of the Internet of Things (IoT) space. Helping commercial audiences better manage operational costs, the company offers two product lines: EcoSmart and EthoStream. The EcoSmart Intelligent Automation platform is supported by a full-suite of IoT-connected devices that provide in-depth energy usage information and analysis, allowing building operators to reduce energy expenses. EthoStream is one of the largest hospitality high-speed internet access networks in the world, providing public internet access to more than 100 million annual users. Vertical markets that benefit from Telkonet products include hospitality, education, military, government, healthcare and multiple dwelling housing. Telkonet was founded in 1977 and is based in Waukesha, Wis. For more information, visit .

Statements included in this release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties such as competitive factors, technological development, market demand and the Companys ability to obtain new contracts and accurately estimate net revenue due to variability in size, scope and duration of projects, and internal issues in the sponsoring client. Further information on potential factors that could affect the Companys financial results, can be found in the Companys Registration Statement and in its Reports on Forms 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Telkonet Investor Relations

414.721.7988

Telkonet Investor Relations

414.721.7988
DB Networks to Showcase Artificial Intelligence-Based Database Security at Upcoming Industry Events This Month

SAN DIEGO, CA  (Marketwired)  08/15/16  , a , today announced that that it will be exhibiting at the NSA Information Assurance Symposium (IAS) from Aug. 16-18 in Washington, D.C., in booth number 724; and at the CyberTexas Conference from Aug. 23-24 in San Antonio, Texas, in booth number 110.

At these upcoming events, DB Networks will hold booth demonstrations of the DBN-6300, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based database security appliance that non-intrusively discovers databases, immediately alerts when databases are under attack and pinpoints credentials that have been compromised.

IT security teams are severely understaffed, and presently theres a shortage of more than 200,000 security professionals in the U.S. In addition, security operation centers (SOCs) are deluged with alerts each day and security personnel are able to respond to only a small fraction of the alerts. AI-based security solutions address these issues by being extremely accurate at identifying actual attacks, thus eliminating false positive alerts, and also by alleviating overworked staff from creating and maintaining white lists/black lists.

DB Networks is dedicated to protecting mission critical databases through its patented AI technologies that utilize machine learning and behavioral analysis. Operating non-intrusively at the database tier, directly in front of the database servers, the DBN-6300 and Layer 7 Database Sensor are in the optimal location to conduct deep analysis of database traffic. These products can immediately and automatically identify compromised database credentials, non-intrusively discover all databases (including the undocumented databases), pinpoint traffic to/from restricted segments, and detect advanced database attacks.

DB Networks innovates database cybersecurity products. Its customers include the worlds largest financial institutions, healthcare providers, manufacturers, and governments. DB Networks technology non-intrusively assesses database infrastructures through deep protocol extraction, machine learning, and behavioral analysis. Customers gain insights by discovering all active databases, identifying tables being accessed, and the specific applications accessing the databases. In addition, analyzing application database access that deviates from the model of normal application behavior immediately identifies compromised credentials and database attacks. DB Networks is a privately held company headquartered in San Diego, Calif. For more information, call (800) 598-0450 or visit the companys website at .

DB Networks is a registered trademark of DB Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other company and product names are either trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Dan Spalding

(408) 960-9297
Document Security Systems, Inc. Announces 2016 Second Quarter Financial Results

ROCHESTER, NY  (Marketwired)  08/15/16  (NYSE MKT: DSS), (DSS) (Company), a leader in anti-counterfeiting and authentication solutions, reported results for the second quarter of 2016.

During the second quarter and for the first half of 2016, the Company achieved Adjusted EBITDA profitability for the first time in our history. Our focus has been on our strong customer relationships and high value product offerings in our printed products group and leveraging those strengths to fund the early stages of our next generation products, to provide support to our intellectual property monetization investments, and maintain corporate overhead requirements. While we are very pleased to have achieved this important milestone, we are laser focused on achieving the next level of success that will come with increasingly meaningful sales of our next-generation products including AuthentiGuard, which, when achieved, will provide significant incremental revenue and profit potential to the Company. Furthermore, we are deep into the life cycle of several of our IP monetization investments with several that have seen reduced activity recently that has lowered our costs associated with these investments. As we see these efforts to their conclusions over the coming quarters, we will continue to seek returns from these investments at the lowest possible cost, said Jeff Ronaldi, CEO of Document Security Systems.

After a very strong first quarter, revenue for the second quarter of 2016 dipped slightly to $4.1 million, down 3% from the same year ago period, but maintained strong year over year growth of 10% for the first half of 2016. During the first half of the year, the Company has achieved a 15% increase in sales of printed products, which are comprised of its packaging, ID card and security printing products sales, as the Company has benefited from increases in demand for a wide variety of the Companys products and solutions in these areas. Revenues from technology sales, services and licensing have decreased 23% during the first half of 2016, primarily due to a strategic decision to reduce hardware sales at the Companys digital division and the absence of a one-time license fee of $150,000 realized in the second quarter of 2015 that has not recurred in 2016.

Costs and expenses for the second half of 2016 decreased 10% from the first half of 2015. To date in 2016, direct costs of goods sold as percentage of total revenue decreased to 59% from 61% primarily due to the growth in sales of higher margin products in 2016. In addition, during the second quarter and first half of 2016, expenses have decreased in nearly every category, including significant decreases in stock-based compensation and professional fees. Professional fees decreases have been driven by reductions in litigation related matters, primarily due to variations in the timing and stage of the Companys various litigation matters. As a result, operating losses have decreased 78% and 70% during the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively, as compared to the same periods in 2015.

Net loss during the second quarter was approximately $318,000 ($0.01 per share), which was a 70% decrease in net loss of $1.0 million ($0.02 per share) in the second quarter of 2015. Net loss during the first half of 2016 was approximately $942,000 ($0.02 per share), which is a 65% decrease in net loss of $2.7 million ($0.06 per share) in the first half of 2015. The significant decreases in net loss during both periods has been primarily the result of the Companys ability to increase sales of higher margin products while simultaneously reducing its operating cost base and benefitting from significant decreases in professional fees.

Results as measured by Adjusted EBITDA were especially strong during the second quarter of 2016. Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP metric defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, stock-based compensation, and asset impairments as well as other non-recurring items, was approximately $112,000 during the second quarter of 2016 compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $239,000 in the second quarter of 2015, a 147% improvement. For the six months ended June 30, 2016, Adjusted EBITDA was $3,000 as compared to an Adjusted EBITDA loss of $1.1 million for the same period in 2015. The significant improvement in Adjusted EBITDA results have been driven by significant increases in Adjusted EBITDA profits derived from the Companys Printed Products groups along with reductions in corporate cost overhead. Adjusted EBITDA results from the Companys DSS Technology Management group continue to fluctuate, primarily driven by variability in professional fee costs underlying the Companys intellectual property monetization efforts (see further discussion about the use of adjusted EBITDA, below). Once again, the significant improvement reflected both the increase in revenues and the decrease in costs in nearly every expense category.

Document Security Systems, Inc.s (NYSE MKT: DSS) products and solutions are used by governments, corporations and financial institutions to defeat fraud and to protect brands and digital information from the expanding world-wide counterfeiting problem. DSS technologies help ensure the authenticity of both digital and physical financial instruments, identification documents, sensitive publications, brand packaging and websites. DSS continually invests in research and development to meet the ever-changing security needs of its clients and offers licensing of its patented technologies.

For more information on the AuthentiGuard Suite, please visit . For more information on DSS and its subsidiaries, please visit . To follow DSS on Facebook, click .

Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release, including, without limitation, statements related to the Companys plans, strategies, objectives, expectations, potential value, intentions and adequacy of resources, are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act and contain words such as believes, anticipates, expects, plans, intends and similar words and phrases. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected in any forward-looking statement. In addition to the factors specifically noted in the forward-looking statements, other important factors, risks and uncertainties that could result in those differences include, but are not limited to, those disclosed in the Risk Factors section of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2016. Forward-looking statements that may be contained in this press release are being made as of the date of its release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

The Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a non-GAAP financial performance measurement. Adjusted EBITDA is calculated by the Company by adding back to net income (loss) interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, as further adjusted to add back stock-based compensation expense and non-recurring items, and impairments of investments and intangible assets. Adjusted EBITDA is provided to investors to supplement the results of operations reported in accordance with GAAP. Management believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides an additional tool for investors to use in comparing its financial results with other companies in the industry, many of which also use Adjusted EBITDA in their communications to investors. By excluding non-cash charges such as amortization, depreciation, stock-based compensation and impairment charges, as well as non-operating charges for interest and income taxes, investors can evaluate the Companys operations and its ability to generate cash flows from operations and can compare its results on a more consistent basis to the results of other companies in the industry. Management also uses Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate potential acquisitions, establish internal budgets and goals, and evaluate performance of its business units and management. The Company considers Adjusted EBITDA to be an important indicator of the Companys operational strength and performance of its business and a useful measure of the Companys historical and prospective operating trends. However, there are significant limitations to the use of Adjusted EBITDA since it excludes interest income and expense and income taxes and non-recurring items, all of which impact the Companys profitability and operating cash flows, as well as depreciation, amortization, impairment charges and stock-based compensation. The Company believes that these limitations are compensated by clearly identifying the difference between the two measures. Consequently, Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income and loss presented in accordance with GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA as defined by the Company may not be comparable with similarly named measures provided by other entities. The following is a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA loss:

Investor Relations

Document Security Systems

(585) 325-3610

Email:
Biometric ID Provider BIO-key Reports Q2 2016 Results

WALL, NJ  (Marketwired)  08/15/16  BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCQB: BKYI), an innovative provider of biometric software and hardware solutions for stronger user authentication, today reported results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2016 (Q216). BIO-key will host a conference call tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. ET to review its results (details below).

Michael DePasquale, Chairman & CEO of BIO-key, commented, While we made good incremental progress positioning BIO-key for significant hardware and software revenue opportunities later this year and into next year, our second quarter sales performance was disappointing. Revenue declined to $415,000 in the second quarter as several larger scale opportunities did not close during the period for a variety of reasons that were unrelated to BIO-key. We believe these opportunities still have strong prospects for closing, and we remain in active discussions with the customers to that end. At the same time, we are building out our sales, marketing and distribution channels to drive sales of our line of fingerprint readers for enterprise and retail users.

We have also continued to build upon our strategic partnership with Microsoft to support the use of expanded biometric security capabilities now resident in the Windows 10 Anniversary Edition released on August 2nd. Windows 10 has already been downloaded on over 350 million devices, providing a substantial and growing market opportunity for our biometric solutions. We believe BIO-key offers the the strongest, most convenient, and cost effective authentication solutions for Windows 10 enterprise and retail users.

To tackle this opportunity, we are establishing enterprise and retail distribution channels, packaging and collateral, and sales and marketing support and expect to see broad availability of our products in September. In summary, despite the slow start to the year, BIO-key is working a robust pipeline of enterprise hardware and software opportunities. Over the next several months we believe we can convert these opportunities into meaningful revenue growth for the full year 2016, which we now expect to range between $6.0M and $8.5M.

to expand distribution and marketing for fingerprint biometric readers and software into high-volume national enterprise and retail channels.

BIO-key worked closely with Microsofts device team to achieve , including web application security extensions to use Windows Hello to sign into Microsoft Edge compatible web sites and apps such as iHeartRadio.

. BIO-keys solution ID Director for Windows allows large and small enterprises to leverage BIO-key fingerprint readers for web authentication envirnoments.

. SideTouch combines the new IDEX (IDEX.NO) advanced off-chip sensor technology with BIO-keys universal Windows Biometric Framework (WBF) fingerprint engine. SideTouch is a Microsoft tested and qualified Windows Hello device.

.

via distribution relationship with Moroccan technology provider, Arthur & Co.

.

Managment remains confident in the companys pipeline of hardware and software revenue opportunities for the balance of 2016. However, based on delays in the conversion of several significant opportunities into revenue so far in 2016, BIO-key believes it prudent to reduce its full year revenue guidance to a range of $6.0M  $8.5M in 2016, versus revenue of approximately $5M in 2015. BIO-keys estimated breakeven revenue run rate is approximately $7.5M.

Q216 total revenue declined to $415,814 compared to $2,272,804 in Q215, principally due to a $2.0 million software license from an existing customer in Q215. Service revenues, principally comprised of recurring maintenance and support, decreased 13% to $220,926 compared to $255,269 in Q215, reflecting an increase in maintenance revenue offset by no special software requirements for current or new customers. License and other revenue decreased to $194,888 from $2,017,535, principally reflecting the $2.0 million software license booked in Q215. Hardware sales increased 5% reflecting an increase in volume.

Q216 gross margin declined to 67% from 94% in Q215, due to lower revenue and a change in revenue mix. Q216 operating expenses rose 17% to $1,605,352 compared to $1,373,860 in Q215, principally due to increased R&D expense for new personnel, temporary outside services, and recruiting expenses.

BIO-keys Q216 net loss to common shareholders was ($1,576,114), or ($0.02) per share, compared to net income of $753,146, or $0.01 per share, in Q215.

At June 30, 2016, BIO-key had cash, cash equivalents and net receivables of $4.3M compared to $7.7M at December 31, 2015.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at 10 am ET

1-877-418-5460 (U.S.), 412-717-9594 (Intl.)

days.

1-877-344-7529 U.S. or 412-317-0088 use code 10091361#

BIO-key is revolutionizing authentication as our easy to use biometric solutions enable convenient and secure access to information and financial transactions. We eliminate passwords, PINs tokens and cards and make it easy for enterprises and consumers to secure their devices as well as information in the cloud. Our premium finger scanning devices , and offer market leading quality, performance and price.

Certain statements contained in this press release may be construed as forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the Act). The words estimate, project, intends, expects, anticipates, believes and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Act. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our history of losses and limited revenue, our ability to develop new products and evolve existing ones, market acceptance of biometric solutions generally and our specific offerings, our ability to expand into the Asian market, the impact on our business of the recent financial crisis in the global capital markets and negative global economic trends, and our ability to attract and retain key personnel. For a more complete description of these and other risk factors that may affect the future performance of BIO-key International, Inc., see Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date made.

Twitter:

David Collins, William Jones

Catalyst Global

212-984-9800

David Collins, William Jones

Catalyst Global

212-984-9800
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Skywatcher Rick Moore took this image when he was stargazing at the Platte River, in Louisville, Nebraska.

Sometime the right shot just appears.

Skywatcher Rick Moore took this image when he was stargazing at the Platte River, in Louisville, Nebraska. While he didnt plan the shot, he did walk to a darker location to illuminate the Milky Way and bridge.

"I was stargazing and noticed the Milky Way starting to appear. so I packed up my camera and headed to a spot that overlooks the river. I walked about a mile in the dark until I could get this shot," Moore wrote in an email to Space.com. [Check out more amazing Milky Way photos by stargazers]

The Milky Way galaxy, which contains our own solar system, is a barred spiral galaxy with roughly 400 billion stars. The stars, along with gas and dust, appear like a band of light in the sky when seen from Earth. The galaxy stretches between 100,000 to 120,000 light-years in diameter.

The image is 20 phottos aken at varying exposures and settings and then blended together with Light room 5 and Photoshop 7. Multiple exposures are made to collect enough light for an image that would otherwise not be evident to the eye.

Moore used a Canon T3i, 18-55 lens @ 18, Manual focus, on " TV" mode, at ISO 400-3200, on a tripod, 5-15 sec shots on a 10 sec timer between shots.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share it with Space.com and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Humanity may camp out for a year or so in Mars orbit to get ready for its epic first trek to the Red Planet's surface.

The aerospace company Lockheed Martin recently proposed that NASA work with its international partners and private industry to set up a space station in Mars orbit by 2028. The astronauts working and living aboard this "Mars Base Camp" could help collect information that any future Red Planet explorer would need to know, the project's developers say.

"Before we send people to the surface of Mars, we owe it to that crew, to ourselves, to understand if there's life on the planet and if there's anything that's toxic to humans," said Steve Bailey, the president and chief engineer of the Colorado-based company Deep Space Systems Inc. "This mission will do those two very fundamental things." [The Search for Life on Mars (A Photo Timeline)]

Bailey and Steve Jolly, chief engineer for civil space at Lockheed Martin, discussed the Mars Base Camp idea July 27 during a presentation with NASA's Future In-Space Operations (FISO) working group.

The Mars Base Camp plan

NASA is currently developing a capsule called Orion and the huge Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to get astronauts to Mars and other distant destinations.

Orion has flown once, on an uncrewed test flight in December 2014. The maiden flight of SLS is currently scheduled for late 2018, when the rocket will blast Orion on an unmanned, weeklong trip around the moon known as Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1).

"SLS is about to become operational; Orion is about to become operational," Bailey said. "What do we do with these vehicles? How do we best utilize those to get the highest bang for the buck for Mars science?"

The answer, according to the Lockheed plan, is to build a 132-ton (120 metric tons) Red Planet space station, the core of which would be composed of two Orions and two habitat modules/science laboratories. (For comparison, the International Space Station weighs about 440 tons, or 400 metric tons.)

Mars Base Camp could support up to six astronauts, who would stay aboard for about a year. These crewmembers would ideally be career scientists who received astronaut training, rather than test pilots taught to do a little geology work, Jolly said.

"This is more like Jack Schmitt on Apollo 17 heading to Mars," Jolly said, referring to the geologist on NASA's last crewed moon mission in 1972. [Lunar Legacy: 45 Apollo Moon Mission Photos]

A year at Mars

Mars Base Camp crewmembers would be pretty busy. For example, Jolly said, they would likely analyze samples of Red Planet dirt and rock, poring over them for signs of past or present life.

Such material would presumably be collected by NASA's Mars 2020 rover and/or the European/Russian ExoMars rover, both of which are scheduled to launch in 2020. (There is currently no firm plan in place to get such samples off Mars and into orbit, however.)

From their lofty perch, the astronauts would also operate a dozen or so robotic "surface assets"  wheeled rovers, and perhaps also winged vehicles that would ply the Red Planet's sky. (This gear would be ready and waiting for the astronauts to arrive, having been sent to Mars via SLS in 2026.)

Such near-real-time robot control is not possible today, given the immense distance between Earth and Mars, and it could allow big discoveries to be made, Jolly said.

For instance, the robots could be sent to investigate transient phenomena on Mars, such as plumes of methane (a gas that may be a sign of life) or recurring slope lineae (RSL), intriguing dark streaks that occur seasonally and appear to be caused by liquid water.

"That's really something we're throwing out to the scientists  to imagine that you have this ability," Jolly said.

The Base Camp crew would also get to do some exploring of their own. The Lockheed plan envisions astronauts making two- to three-week sorties to Phobos and Deimos, the two tiny moons of Mars, to collect samples and perform other science work.

Such exploration would likely be accomplished with the aid of long-legged "spider walkers," which would provide stability in the microgravity environment, Bailey said. (Astronauts on Phobos and Deimos would feel just 0.04 percent the gravitational pull experienced here on Earth.)

Graphic showing the proposed steps leading to the launch of Lockheed Martin's envisioned "Mars Base Camp" space station. (Image credit: Lockheed Martin)

Achievable and affordable?

Making Mars Base Camp happen doesn't require any big technological leaps, Jolly said. The plan should be affordable as well, he added, given the amount of money NASA will spend in the near future in an attempt to get astronauts to Mars  the chief long-term goal of the agency's human-spaceflight program.

"Between the $4 [billion] to $9 billion a year that NASA will spend on exploration missions  and that includes both EM stuff and, obviously, [the International] Space Station  then, over a 10- or 15- or 20-year period, they will have spent $50 to $80 billion in total expenditures," Jolly said. ("EM stuff" refers to EM-1 and a series of other test flights involving Orion and SLS.)

Mars Base Camp would also stretch those dollars via reuse, Jolly said.

"We envision a series of missions using the same architecture, and the next one, or the one right after that, goes to the [Martian] surface," he said. "We're not ready to talk about that today, but we wanted to make sure that the community listening realizes this wasn't a one-off concept."

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The galaxy Cygnus A, which played a prominent role in Carl Sagan's 1985 novel "Contact," is shown here in multiple wavelengths, including X-ray, radio and visible. A new study looks at the powerful magnetic fields produced by jets spewing out of the monster black hole at the galaxy's center.

Cygnus A, an elliptical galaxy located about 600 million light-years from Earth, is one of the brightest sources of radio waves in the night sky. The prominent galaxy took center stage in renowned astronomer Carl Sagan's 1985 science-fiction novel "Contact."

Now, thanks to the CanariCam instrument on the Gran Telescopio Canarias  a giant telescope in Spain's Canary Islands  scientists have new information about the monster black hole at the heart of this famous galaxy, and the powerful magnetic fields it produces.

The astronomers took advantage of CanariCam's polarimetric capability  which measures the polarization, or orientation, of light waves  as well as its ability to see infrared light, to peek at the supermassive black hole at the center of Cygnus A, according to a statement from the Astrophysics Institute of the Canaries (IAC). [Images: Black Holes of the Universe]

The galaxy is what's known as an active galactic nucleus (AGN), meaning the black hole is sucking in material from its surroundings and emitting high levels of light. It's also shooting out large jets of particles at nearly the speed of light that travel beyond the edge of the galaxy.

A view of the jets streaming from the galaxy Cygnus A. (Image credit: NRAO/AUI.)

Detecting the polarization of the light waves lets scientists ignore all of the light that is not affected by the magnetic field in the galactic nucleus, meaning they can filter out background sources, including stars and other light sources from the galaxy itself, according to the statement.

"This gives us a much higher contrast when we observe the jets and the dust in the galaxy, while studying the influence of the magnetic field on both of them," Enrique Lopez Rodriguez, a researcher at the University of Texas at Austin and the first author of the new study, said in the statement.

A new study looks at the powerful magnetic fields that swirl around a monster black hole at the center of the galaxy Cygnus A. This artist's illustration shows how the magnetic fields are produced by jets of material spewing outward, away from the black hole. (Image credit: NRAO)

Previously, scientists had difficulty seeing through the cloud of interstellar dust that surrounds Cygnus A because visible light cannot penetrate it. CanariCam, however, can observe light in the middle infrared wavelength range, which is not blocked by interstellar dust, according to the statement.

With both the ability to see infrared light and the polarization of the waves, Lopez Rodriguez and his team found that the plasma emitted from the active nucleus spirals around the magnetic field of the jets of matter that shoot out from the center of the galaxy toward its edges. The spiraling of this plasma creates "synchrotron radiation," a process wherein light is produced by the acceleration of electrons by a magnetic field, according to the statement.

Scientists say detecting synchrotron radiation in the middle infrared wavelength confirms that the charged gas in the jets emitted by Cygnus A is "highly confined by the effect of the magnetic field" around the black hole, according to the statement. Essentially, the finding gives scientists a better look at the magnetic field inside this extremely bright, active region. Astronomers hope that this new information will help them understand what causes activity in supermassive black holes like the one at the center of Cygnus A.

Follow Kasandra Brabaw on Twitter @KassieBrabaw. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
This color composite taken on Nov. 8, 2014 by the Hubble Space Telescope of Pisces B shows what the dwarf galaxy would look like to the naked eye  a faint cluster of blue stars surrounded by distant, brighter galaxies.

After spending most of their lifetimes stuck inside a cosmic wilderness, two dwarf galaxies have apparently made the leap to join a nearby group of galaxies in a star-formation party.

The two galaxies  named Pisces A and Pisces B  were stranded in the intergalactic void, or vast empty space, without the dust and gas necessary to build stars. But with gravity pulling them toward the galactic "big city" (as NASA officials described it), the two dwarf galaxies have kicked off a blaze of new star birth, researchers said in a new study describing the findings.

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope spotted Pisces A and Pisces B at the boundary of the Local Void, an empty chunk of space about 150 million light-years across. This void sits just outside the Local Group, where dozens of galaxies  including the Milky Way  reside.

Billions of years ago, tiny dwarf galaxies like the Pisces pair combined to create the large spiral and elliptical galaxies seen today. But while the dwarf galaxies neighboring Pisces A and Pisces B mingled and merged, these two loner galaxies initially skipped out on the galactic party.

"These Hubble images may be snapshots of what present-day dwarf galaxies may have been like at earlier epochs," lead researcher Erik Tollerud, of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, said in a statement. "Studying these and other similar galaxies can provide further clues to dwarf galaxy formation and evolution."

This color composite taken on Oct. 30, 2014 by the Hubble Space Telescope shows what the dwarf galaxy Pisces A would look like to the naked eye: a dim cluster of light blue stars. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Tollerud (STScI))

Because of their small size and dim glow, dwarf galaxies can be difficult to find. The Hubble telescope has the sharp vision needed to study these faint galaxies. Using the telescope, astronomers determined the distances from Earth to Pisces A and Pisces B to be about 19 million and 30 million light-years, respectively. This allowed researchers to figure out these galaxies' locations at the boundary of the Local Void.

Another piece of evidence of the galaxies' void address is their hydrogen content relative to that of similar galaxies, Tollerud said. "In the past, galaxies contained higher concentrations of hydrogen, the fuel needed to make stars," he said. "But these galaxies seem to retain that more primitive composition, rather than the enriched composition of contemporary galaxies, due to a less vigorous history of star formation."

The new Hubble observations also allowed the researchers to focus on individual stars and estimate their ages.

Both dwarf galaxies contain around 20 to 30 young, bright-blue stars. Tollerud explained that the void environment in which Pisces A and Pisces B resided would have slowed their evolution by preventing new stars from forming. But as the dwarf galaxies migrated toward the more populated Local Group, they kicked off a firestorm of new star birth.

This scale-compass image comparison of Pisces A and B shows the two dwarf galaxies nearing the Local Group. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI))

Tollerud and his team of researchers from Yale University, Colombia University, the University of Washington and the American Museum of Natural History published their results Aug. 11 in The Astrophysical Journal.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a joint mission by NASA and the European Space Agency that launched in 1990.

Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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Bir Lahlou (liberated territories), August 15, 2016 (SPS) The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, addressed a congratulatory message to his Ecuadorian counterpart ,William Long, on the occasion of the anniversary of the First Cry of independence of the Republic of Ecuador.

"It is an honor for me to express my cordial greetings and my warmest congratulations on the occasion of celebration of the anniversary of the First Cry of Independence of the Republic of Ecuador," said Mr. Ould Salek.

The Foreign Minister took the opportunity to reaffirm commitment to strengthen ties and excellent relations of friendship and cooperation between the sister countries, the Sahrawi Republic and Ecuador. (SPS)

062/090/TRA




This should mean that farmers can count on receiving the Basic Payment Scheme through to 2020 and that agri-environment schemes already in place are guaranteed through to their conclusion. The NFU is working with Defra to understand the position of those farmers applying for Countryside Stewardship this September. The NFU said its good to hear that other rural development grants such as Leader offered before the Autumn Statement will also be honoured.

NFU President Meurig Raymond said he is extremely pleased to hear the news officially after the NFUs discussions with Secretary of State Andrea Leadsom, her department and the Treasury in the past three weeks. Mr Raymond said this certainty in the short term now allows time for the industry and Defra to formulate a domestic agricultural policy that is fit for purpose.
The survey, which can be accessed online is open to all Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) members and those interested in supporting young people in agriculture. The feedback will be essential in helping NFYFC to push forward the views of the industrys next generation when it meets with Defra in October ahead of a new British Agricultural Policy.

The survey is also being supported by a Know Your Future Market Forum, in October, which will involve young farmers and industry leaders discussing future opportunities in agriculture following the Brexit result.

The Forum is being hosted at KUHN Farm Machinery (UK) Ltd, Telford, Shropshire at 10am on 1 October. Kuhn is the national sponsor of the NFYFCs Agriculture and Rural Issues Steering Group.

The event includes presentations and discussion groups to highlight where young farmers can get support to grow businesses. Speakers include Clarke Willis, the CEO of Anglia Farmers Group, Adam Quinney from AHDB and Anthony Davison from BigBarn CIC, while collaborative start-up advice is on offer from UKTI West Midlands, Fresh Start Land Partnerships Service and Farm491  a new 5.5 million agritech at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU). Upcoming young farmers Jock Muirhead, Russell Carrington and Sam Dilcock will highlight their business journeys and aspirations.
The proposal is being put forward by the Lynx UK Trust, a charity that promotes its reintroduction.

Paul ODonoghue the projects Chief Scientific Officer, started off by setting out a list of facts about lynx, but these assertions were quickly challenged by the audience setting the tone for a lively and heated exchange that went on for the best part of 2 hours, before being called to a halt by the Chairman of the local parish council who agreed to act as Chair for the evening.

Mr ODonoghue perhaps did not endear himself to the largely rural audience by claiming that the British countryside was dying on its feet and dismissing out of hand that lynx were any threat to game birds and of very little concern to livestock. He also told an audience member to be quiet as he was speaking, which did not go down well. Lynx he claimed were a massive rural regenerator and pointed to the example of the Hartz mountains in Germany. Yet there are no figures available for economic contribution of lynx in the Hartz mountains.

There was also some misunderstanding in the early part of the meeting that 55% of National Farmers Union members were in favour of the reintroduction project and that the National Sheep Association and NFU were supportive of the choice of Kielder as a release site. However, clarification revealed that 55% of NFU members that had completed a self-selecting survey on the Trusts website (in fact 66 NFU members) were in favour and that although the NFUS and NSA had attending a Trust meeting in Cumbria to discuss proposals, they had in no way endorsed Kielder or any other release site.
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STAMFORD  Mass attendance at city churches remains strong during a time when Connecticut leads a national trend of fewer people identifying as Catholics.

Mass attendance in Stamford has remained relatively constant over the past four years, and the number of parishioners has climbed 13 percent between 2009 and 2015, according to data provided by the Diocese of Bridgeport.

In 2007, 23.9 percent of Americans identified as Catholic, according to a nationwide survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. By 2014, that share had fallen to 20.8 percent.

Connecticut showed the sharpest decline of the 50 states  10 percent.

However, at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist, Stamfords largest Catholic church, there has been a 6 percent increase in parish membership since 2013. Mass attendance at the church is up 10 percent.

Msgr. Stephen DiGiovanni said the upward trend dates back at least 18 years.

The reason: community involvement.

The days when you could just sit in the church and wait for people to walk in are gone, DiGiovanni said. Now we have to package a product and sell it, and our product is God.

DiGiovanni is deeply involved in the life of his city, sitting on boards for local organizations like the Downtown Special Services District and the Historic Neighborhood Preservation Program.

More Information Number of parishioners in Stamford churches Parish 2008-09 2010-11 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 Parish % change (2009-2015) Holy Name of Jesus 1,278 n/a 853 916 845 -34% Holy Spirit 819 838 842 855 912 11% Our Lady Star of the Sea 500 491 455 458 434 -13% Sacred Heart 758 n/a 1,094 750 810 7% St. Benedict - Our Lady of Montserrat 3,545 4,000 4,210 4,434 4,418 25% St. Bridget of Ireland 670 680 690 734 679 1% St. Cecilia 1,399 1,372 1,200 1,212 1,236 -12% St. Clement 513 458 449 447 396 -23% St. Gabriel 690 664 680 692 723 5% St. John the Evangelist 2,221 2,436 2,936 3,059 3,104 40% St. Leo 1,098 1,224 1,258 1,284 1,321 20% St. Mary 1,466 1,521 1,665 1,810 1,913 30% St. Maurice 447 672 651 980 616 38% Totals 15,404 14,356 16,983 17,631 17,407 13% See More Collapse

Priests these days need to be missionaries, he said. Everywhere I go, people want to talk to me about God. Weve got to be there to have that conversation.

However, Patrick Turner, of the Diocese of Bridgeport, said it is difficult to determine a specific cause for changes in church attendance.

Changes in pastors, changes in Mass schedule, incomplete record keeping, as well as changes in demographics, are all potential disruptions to the individual trends, he said.

In Danbury, for example, there appears to be a connection between parishes that conduct Mass in multiple languages and a sharp increase in attendance since 2011.

St. Peter, Our Lady of Guadalupe and Immaculate Heart of Mary churches in that city all showed increases in attendance from 2011 to 2015, according to the Diocese of Bridgeport. All other churches in the 16-parish region in northern Fairfield County showed a decline in Mass attendance.

What these three churches have in common is that Mass is conducted not just in English, but also Spanish or Portuguese, or both.

At St. Peter, which offers Mass in all three languages, average weekly attendance increased 27 percent  to 1,854 in 2015 from 1,459 in 2011  the largest surge of any parish in the region.

St. Johns in Stamford offers most of its services in English, with one Haitian Mass conducted in Creole French on Sunday evenings. Confession, however, is offered in six languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.

At Holy Name of Jesus, where services are held in English and Polish, Mass attendance is up 18 percent in the last four years as the overall population of the parish dropped by nearly 1 percent.

Sacred Heart, which offers Masses in English, Spanish and Italian, has seen its congregation shrink in the last four years, but it has reported an increase of 35 percent in Mass attendance. Thats the greatest increase in the 13-parish Stamford area.

DiGiovanni attributes St. Johns steady attendance to quality services rather than the number of languages spoken.

If you offer great sermons and meet peoples needs and expectations, youll have a better turnout, he said. We have a great classical choir, and we take time writing really meaningful homilies.

St. Gabriel Parish, which doesnt offer foreign-language services, had one of the largest increases in weekly Mass attendance over the last for years.

The Rev. William M. Quinlan said that has to do with a 10-year beautification project his predecessor spearheaded and was completed in 2014.

Father Cyprian Lapastina took a church that looked rather like a gym and redecorated it to look like something entirely different, he said.

Some of Lapastinas remodeling included a decorative railing around the churchs sanctuary and a print of The Annunciation of Mary behind the altar.

Thats the moment St. Gabriel came to the Virgin Mary, so that means something to us here," Quinlan said.

The Pew Religious Landscapes Studies were conducted in 2007 and 2014 via telephone interviews with more than 35,000 Americans.

The study showed Catholicism is not the only major denomination to shrink in recent years. Americans identifying as adherents to one of the mainline Protestant denominations shrank by 3.4 percent from 2007 to 2014, and evangelical Protestants by just under 1 percent.

Christians overall decreased to 70.6 percent from 78.4 percent of the population, a net decline of 5 million people. The drop was visible across all demographic categories, including age, race, sex and educational level, but was particularly pronounced among younger age groups.

Non-Christians, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, saw an increase of 1.2 percent, with Muslims accounting for nearly half of that total.

The number of Americans who describe themselves as unaffiliated, including atheists, agnostics or nothing in particular, climbed 6.7 percent.

nora.naughton@scni.com; twitter.com/noranaughton
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GREENWICH  A suspect who allegedly fired shots at another man  and apparently hit him with a car  found himself bleeding and under arrest after he crashed the vehicle while fleeing the area.

Matthew Ilchert, 35, of Norwalk, is being held in custody of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety late Monday morning, according to Lt. Scott Sullivan of the Westchester County police.

Police said Ilchert, who has an arrest record involving narcotics, was under the influence when cops arrived and found he had smashed his car into a guard rail at the Westchester County Airport.

The incident unfolded around 11:15 a.m. in the west end of town, when Greenwich police were alerted to a report of gunfire outside a residence in the King Street area.

According to Greenwich Police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray, no one was hit by any gunfire. After the shooting was reported, police found an injured man at the residence off King Street who apparently had been struck by a car.

There was contact with the suspect vehicle and the intended victim, causing a non-life threatening injury, Gray said.

The suspect, later identified as Ilchert, crashed his car into a guardrail at the airport. When officers arrived, they were notified that Greenwich police were seeking the driver as a suspect in the shooting off King Street. Westchester County police, who have jurisdiction of the airport and adjacent roads, recovered a loaded hand gun, Scott said. Authorities said the driver had a laceration on his leg.

Greenwich police were investigating the shooting incident and were not releasing information on the circumstances around it.

It appears not to be a random act, Gray said. The suspect and the intended victim knew each other.

Ilichert is being held in Westchester on a felony charge of weapons possession. He was also charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs.

He was taken to the Westchester Medical Center for treatment of his leg, police said. Authorities said it appeared he was driving north along a perimeter road that runs along the airport and lost control of the car. The airport is just a few miles north from King Street.

Gray said they are not seeking additional suspects in the shooting. The GPD is expected to file criminal charges and have Ilchert brought to Greenwich for booking on the shooting incident.

A white BMW with front-end damage was being processed by officers at the Westchester County Airport late Monday morning.

Personnel were cleaning up fluids leaking from the damaged vehicle.

Ilchert has had previous run-ins with law enforcement.

In 2010, he was accused of attempting to break into a pharmacy in Rowayton by ramming it with a vehicle. Ilchert also faced drug charges in 2008, when a narcotics task force busted a ring trafficking in cocaine and pills.

Also on Monday, Stamford police were alerted that Ilchert had allegedly threatened his former girlfriend, and her new boyfriend, in Stamford. Cops carried out a check on their welfare Monday. Stamford police said the two were fine and were in contact with Greenwich.

Robert.Marchant@scni.com
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Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States started on September 15 and is celebrated through October 15. To highlight the rich Hispanic heritage here in southwestern Connecticut, we took a look at some population numbers to see which local city has the biggest Hispanic community.

Click through the slideshow above to see the Hispanic populations of southwestern Connecticut's towns.

As of July 1, 2017, the Hispanic population of the United States was 58.9 million, according to the U.S. Census, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or racial minority. Hispanics constituted 18.1 percent of the nation's total population.

In 2017, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Texas all had more than 1 million Hispanic residents.

Making up 63.2 percent of the Hispanic population of the United States in 2016 (the most recent data available), Mexican is by far the biggest Hispanic nationality in the country.

Another 9.5 percent were of Puerto Rican background, 3.8 percent Salvadoran, 3.9 percent

Cuban, 3.3 percent Dominican and 2.5 percent Guatemalan.

According to the U.S. Census, "in September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic Heritage Week, observed during the week that included Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. Congress expanded the observance in 1989 to a monthlong celebration (Sept. 15  Oct. 15) of the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Sept. 15 is the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively."

The U.S. Census predicts that the Hispanic population of the United States will grow to 119 million by 2060.
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This weekend marks the 115th anniversary of what many now believe to be the first flight. On Aug. 14, 1901, Gustave Whitehead took off in a plane in the Fairfield Beach area, two years before the Wright Brothers made their now historic flight. Whiteheads manned, sustained, powered flight took place at Turneys Farm in Fairfield in his No. 21 Flyer.

This year, on Saturday, Aug. 13, the Fairfield Museum will host a Fly In with a replica of Whiteheads plane on display and aerial demonstrations of aircraft and drones by HobbyTown USA of Fairfield. In addition, Susan Brinchman, author of Gustave Whitehead: First in Flight , will be making a virtual presentation in the Museums Meeting Hall at 1pm. She will share strong new evidence supporting his controversial pre-Kitty Hawk flights and his many contributions to modern flight. Brinchmans book is available in the Fairfield Museum library and in the Museum Shop.
T he grimmest moment in Tim Wests bookish venture also became a springboard for its most remarkable chapter.

In April, 53-year-old north Londoner West, who co-founded Wood Greens Big Green Bookshop with Simon Key, turned his back to help a customer and found himself 600 out of pocket. On realising the theft, he was on the floor.

This was a big blow and money we definitely needed, he says.

The company was already fighting an uphill battle as the rise of Kindles and the like, and online retailers, make independent book retailing tougher than cramming Dostoyevsky before a crucial exam. But, with a reputation for stocking quirky titles and hosting eye-catching promotions (The Libertines Carl Barat has sung among the shelves), the store has developed a strong following.

This goodwill meant that, after the theft was lamented on Twitter, a JustGiving page aimed at regaining the 600 quid ended up bringing in 5700. I spent most of that day in tears, totally overwhelmed by peoples generosity, says Bristol-born Key, 48.

Dressed in a casual shirt and sporting a salt-and-pepper beard, West is cheery when we meet at the store, located a short walk from the honking traffic and big-name chain stores of Wood Green High Road.

We are sitting next to a table display of childrens titles, and behind him is a shelf full of local history books on Hornsey, Wood Green, Tottenham and Alexandra Palace. Parents, students and local literature fans bustle in and out.

A range of work by authors from the area is also stocked, and West recommends I read a murder mystery crime called The Tottenham Outrage by Matt Baylis, set around Stamford Hill, Wood Green and Finsbury Park.

His sales technique works, and Im engrossed in the book before the afternoon is out.

The entrepreneurial duos strategy, he explains, has been to make the establishment more than just a book hawker. High-profile launches for north London heroes, in the contrasting shapes of former Tottenham Hotspur star Ledley King and comedian Phill Jupitus, have proved a success.

Help from a hero: Local star Ledley King partnered with Big Green Bookshop (Getty Images)

Four evenings a week, the store hosts events including stand-up comedy nights, writer workshops, in-store banquets and board-game clubs.

I know there are a number of bookshops that offer guest readings and reading clubs, but I cant think of any independent chains in London that offer such a variety of events that we do, West says.

He and Key met while both were working at Waterstones in Wood Green but suffered a hammer blow in August 2007 when the branch was earmarked for closure.

West recalls: We were in shock, as only recently before the closure we had had great success from the launch of the final Harry Potter book and I believed there was so much more room for growth there.

So they took their redundancy money and decided to invest. We honestly thought there was potential to do well because the closure meant a very well-populated part of London was left without a dedicated bookshop. Wood Green is a culturally diverse area so we hoped we could offer books that would appeal to a huge customer base.

Big Green Bookshop Founded: 2008 Staff: Three Turnover: 192,000 (year to November 2015) Business idol: JK Rowling  Despite the enormous fame and wealth, she retains her ethics and principles.

Key adds: We wanted to be a community hub, where there was always something exciting happening, as well as having an online shop. We visited every school in the borough to ask them what they wanted from us.

We slogged the streets of Haringey, personally delivering 30,000 leaflets through peoples doors. The important thing for us was to keep raising our profile, so people didnt forget about us.

The business partners, who are both fathers of two, inject plenty of personality, regularly updating their 11,000 Twitter followers on life in the shop, and featuring Simon likes and Tim likes recommendations online.

Keys all-time favourite is My Cousin, My Gastroenterologist by Mark Leyner; Wests is Waylander by David Gemmell.

Key will soon be launching a YouTube channel, with a mixture of reviews, opinions and the usual Big Green Bookshop nonsense as the store guns for a 25% uplift in sales next year.

The duo are also penning their own tome, called Open A Bookshop, What Could Possibly Go Wrong?, to be published in September 2018. Key is hopeful there will still be plenty of readers looking for physical books in London by then.

I hope that there are enough people that feel the same way so that books will stick around for a long while yet, he says.

This storys a real page turner, with plenty of plot twists left yet.
A ll of the London BHS branches will close on or before August 28, administrator Duff & Phelps said as it revealed the final expected closures timetable.

A number of the chains 163 shops have already closed since BHS entered administration in April, and the 88-year-old retailer brought the shutters down on its flagship Oxford Street store for the last time on Saturday.

Brixton-founded BHS collapsed with a 571 million pension deficit and left some 11,000 jobs at risk.

It failed 13 months after it was sold for 1 by Sir Philip Green to Retail Acquisitions, led by serial bankrupt Dominic Chappell.

Topshop tycoon Green was labelled the unacceptable face of capitalism in a report from MPs probing the failure.

He is working with the pensions regulator to achieve an outcome and trying to find jobs at his Arcadia empire for around 1000 people.

The expected dates of closure for the remaining London and home counties BHS shops are:

LOCATION DATE Bromley 20/08/2016 Watford 24/08/2016 Lakeside 24/08/2016 Chelmsford 24/08/2016 Croydon 24/08/2016 Lewisham 24/08/2016 West Ealing 24/08/2016 Surrey Quays 24/08/2016 Romford 28/08/2016 Harrow 28/08/2016 Walthamstow 28/08/2016 Uxbridge 28/08/2016 Bexleyheath 28/08/2016 Kingston 28/08/2016 Wood Green 28/08/2016

Claire Kober, leader of Haringey council urged retailers to look at opening on BHS sites, including the Wood Green branch in her borough.

Kover told the Evening Standard: "BHS represents everything that is wrong with the state of businesses today. But for every BHS there are new businesses coming up with new ideas... Haringey is a perfect place for people to make their ideas a reality and we are on hand to help them do so."
L ast week was the 10th anniversary of the ban on bringing liquids on planes and, bang on time, City Airport relieved me on Friday of 50ml of baby gripe water (in a larger than 100ml bottle) and sent a dinky pot of chicken liver parfait back through security with my legal fluids in a sealed plastic bag on the basis that its spreadable.

Actually, if that formula, spreadable, had been made clear 10 years ago, rather than the official line that it was merely fluids that were banned (on the basis they could set off a bomb), it could have saved me and the entire travelling public a good deal of trouble and expense, not to mention pots of marmalade (as I bitterly observed to security, youd need a Nobel Prize to set off a bomb with Frank Coopers) and high-quality Italian chocolate-and- hazelnut spread.

This fluid ban was, as The Independents Simon Calder pointed out last week, only meant to be a temporary measure before being replaced by Smart Screening, which would check you out without your even knowing about it. No sign of that yet.

But that was only a bit of the routine grimness that characterises summer air travel; the spectacle of security checks snaking round the airport is the stuff of nightmare for those of us who like to cut it fine for getting on a plane.

And City is perhaps the most civilised of Londons airports, being Lilliputian in scale still. Nothing by comparison with the circle of hell that is Luton.

Compare and contrast with my return trip from Ireland, when I pitched up half an hour before departure, carried a carving knife to cut some ham and had way over 100ml of gin.

I was, obviously, on the ferry, and then the train, having booked the ticket the day before, for the same price as I would have paid a fortnight earlier, viz, about a quarter of the air fare. And no baggage charges; take what you like on board, including your dog.

The journey takes longer, about seven-and-a-half hours, especially when passengers are decanted to another train by Arriva, but the company is funnier: I found myself at a table with a family of itinerants, one of whom was trying to matchmake her sister with an inoffensive Welshman who had got on at Caernarvon.

Im trying to marry her off, she observed. Travellers and people with dogs: thats sail and rail.

But there are other options, Eurostar being the obvious one.

I was perhaps taking my aversion to air travel too far last year when I insisted that my family should take Eurostar to Lecce in the heel of Italy, which took a day and a night when Ryanair could have covered the distance in a couple of hours to Bari, but it was only doing economy on the night train from Paris to Milan that was grim. Italian rail is civilised.

Eurostar is actually doing rather well, given the threat of terrorism; does anyone still fly from London to Paris?

And next year its new service to Amsterdam starts  excellent news for the three million people who fly there every year. Bring it on.

There is, frankly, no sign that air travel is going to become any less hellish in the foreseeable future.

Since 1991 the volume of passengers at UK airports has more than doubled  from 95 million to 251 million in 2015.

The shuffling lines of humanity standing by watching a scanner shift their bags into a line to be frisked by a woman with latex gloves is not going to get smaller. Ive had enough; havent you?
T he lawyer David Allen Green came up with a joke I wish Id thought of. Adapting the last two lines of Waiting for Godot, he tweeted: ESTRAGON: Well, shall we Leave? VLADIMIR: Yes, lets Leave. (They do not send the Article 50 Notification.)

Like all the best jokes, this one gets better with age. It was reported yesterday that Britain may not actually leave the EU until the end of 2019.

There are some fairly good reasons for this. The French and German elections, for a start: its hard to start negotiations with your most important European partners if you dont know who youre going to be negotiating with.

Theres also the small matter of our not yet having a fraction of the people we need on our side to do the negotiating: the Brexit ministry has so far recruited fewer than half of the 250-odd staff David Davis thinks hell need, and Liam Fox has less than 10 per cent of the trade policy experts he wants.

They dont grow on trees, these experts.

Plus, drawing focus a bit, the dude who drafted Article 50 has made clear that it was never intended as an actual legal instrument. It was For Display Purposes Only.

It was, basically, designed to scare the poop out of anyone thinking of leaving: not so much an exit hatch as a trapdoor giving onto a deep pit filled with upward-pointing spikes.

Nigel Farages moustache may become so incensed he will feel the need to return to lead Ukip

So whats the betting, do you think, that between now and 2019 the Government will find good reasons to put the moment of truth off for another year or two?

And then another year or two... An unfashionably French concept comes to mind: Difference. This is the term French philosopher Jacques Derrida minted to describe the way that in language meaning is always being postponed, carried away, just out of reach.

The Prime Minister knows, as she put it with excellent opacity, that Brexit means Brexit; but she also knows that actually pushing the button has a high chance of precipitating catastrophe.

The dialogue, after all, looks a bit like this.

Right ho, Evel Knievel: weve all decided that you need to jump this here canyon on a rocket-powered motorcycle.

But.

No buts. Its settled. We had a vote.

But I dont have a rocket-powered motorcycle. Do you think you could give me a moment to obtain one?

JUMP!

Seriously, fellas, its an awfully big canyon.

ITS THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE!

We all know how that one ended, even with a rocket-powered motorcycle. And in this case, Evel Knievel will be giving us all a backie.

So Ive a hunch the day of reckoning will keep slipping into the future, like St Augustines chastity or my tidying the cellar. This is much the most sensible fudge.

It will enrage the hardcore Brexiteers, naturally. They will rage. They will hold marches.

Nigel Farages moustache may become so incensed he will feel the need to return to the leadership of Ukip. But as inertia hits the rest of us, theyll go back to looking a bit bonkers.

And we might find that moderate Outers and mild Remainers have common ground: we will all come to like the idea of leaving the European Union... one day.

Vive la difference, say I.

When movie stars are as pathetic as the rest of us

As the ugly divorce between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard drags on, a leaked video from some months ago appears to show Depp raging at his wife, saying: You want to see crazy? Ill give you crazy.

As it turns out, crazy looks like a drunk bloke kicking his kitchen surfaces and swearing.

Its all much more glamorous when its Captain Jack Sparrow or Hunter S Thompson.

Real-life crazy is as sordid and sad for millionaire movie stars as it is for anyone else who gets nasty with his wife after drinking red wine.

You want to see pathetic? he should perhaps have said.

Ill show you pathetic. Makes you feel sorry, actually, for both of them.

Wolfe of the white suit and old hat

A new book by Tom Wolfe always arrives with a certain white-suited swagger. And the 85-year-old author of The Bonfire of the Vanities has gone heroically off-piste  meaning hes taken on linguistics and evolutionary theory  with his latest, The Kingdom of Speech.

He argues (amid swipes at the Big Bang theory and the work of Charles Darwin) that Noam Chomskys idea that humans have an innate language organ is just plain wrong.

Mr Wolfe may be right. Who knows? Not me, and probably not Tom Wolfe. But presenting this as a mould-breaking contention seems a bit rich. A very influential book called Rethinking Innateness made that argument 20 years ago, and Daniel Everett, the linguist on whose work Wolfe bases his own case, has been bashing Chomsky for a decade. His Language: The Cultural Tool came out in 2012.

Come along, Tom. You used to be all about the zeitgeist.

Whats wrong with a little copying...?

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education is to recommend that so-called essay mills  companies that supply bone-idle students with essays written by other people in exchange for money  be criminalised by law.

Its a nice idea, particularly when you consider that, at least in theory, essay mills could help medics and lawyers with a shaky grasp of their subjects into hospitals and courtrooms.

Is it even possible, though? Many, if not most, of these mills are based overseas. One I visited just now, boasting of its superiority over its rivals, warned: In some cases, English language is not actually even their for starters foreign language!

More fundamentally, its illiberal and impractical to seek to legislate against writing essays on a given subject to a commission.

Newspaper columnists rely on that sort of thing for a living, and nobody would want to see us thrown into [steady on, Sung Hom, thats a bit close to the bone; tweak the ending and Ill PayPal you the $$$ as agreed  SL]
N azi plotters rub shoulders with forgers and fakers in a new exhibition on the arms race between criminals creating counterfeit cash and the Bank of Englands attempts to stop them.

A gallery opening at the banks museum in the heart of the City will tell the story of paper money, with exhibits including carefully crafted forgeries from Operation Bernhard, the Nazi plan to ruin the British economy by overwhelming it with fake notes.

The scheme, devised by Nazi leaders and using the skills of concentration camp prisoners, inspired the Oscar-winning film The Counterfeiters which told how they produced thousands of notes almost impossible to tell apart from the real thing.

The German air force planned to drop them over the UK in what curator Jennifer Adam described as economic warfare but the plan was called off and most of the fakes were eventually dumped in an Austrian lake.

The bank took the threat so seriously that it withdrew all its notes above 5 from circulation for several years and redesigned the five pound note.

She said: The idea was to destabilise sterling by flooding the economy with these fake notes. They were really good copies as well because there had been a number of engravers, printers and papermakers, real craftsmen, in prisons and concentration camps and they were employed to create these forgeries.

The exhibition also features examples of the earliest paper notes from Ming dynasty China, classic designs from the banks archives and a film explaining the design of the new 5, which is being issued later this year as part of the latest attempt to stay ahead of forgers.

Ms Adam said: The first coins were counterfeited within a very short time of being invented and the Bank of England note was no different  within a few days of the bank being established in 1694 its court of directors had identified counterfeiters. So that sort of kicks off the arms race where the bank is developing ways to make it difficult to counterfeit money, and as technology develops that is what we do, we make our notes as safe as we possibly can.

The Banknote Gallery opens on September 7 at the Threadneedle Street building. Entry is free and the museum opens 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

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T he first thing you see when you check into Casa Cook is the hotels Concept Store, which takes up four-fifths of the reception. Here you can buy leather-bound notebooks, Turkish hammam towels, grey marl yoga shorts and hand-woven hammocks. Quite different from  and arguably quite a lot less useful than  the usual hotel shop selling suncream, Haribo and bat-and-ball. But then this is quite different from the usual hotel.

Casa Cook on Rhodes is Thomas Cooks big new idea  the first in a planned chain of boutique lifestyle hotels for trend-conscious travellers... inspired by the spirit of our times. In other words, its a package hotel for hipsters. Hence the hammocks, which you can buy to take home a bit of the bohemian dream, having spent a week swinging in one, sipping an Aperol spritz. Or the Happiness Hub, as its called at Casa Cook  an Instagram-friendly, open-sided, starlit white cube, with mismatched chairs, big cushions, cocktails and a bearded DJ who sets up poolside at 7pm and plays Cafe del Mar beats until 11pm every night. #bliss, etc.

Apart from the not very Greek mi casa es su casa, Casa Cooks mantra is stylish design, great value, laid-back vibes, healthy food and a taste of local flavours and adventures. Accordingly, there are no wristbands, no British reps, no clipboards. At breakfast in the dining room  or Kitchen Club  goji berries and quinoa porridge are laid out alongside the usual fruit, bread and pastries. At dinner, food is served in bowls (yes, bowl food is a thing). Guests can book one-on-one open-air yoga classes and hire retro-style bicycles for the day. The look is minimalist  muted colours, lots of wood and concrete and clean lines with the odd flourish. On the whole, its much more Mykonos than Malia.

It is easy to be sniffy about all this try-hard stuff but Casa Cook looks great. The 90 rooms are scattered across a generous site dotted with wildflowers and grazing goats in a series of dazzling white, Miami-style cubes, which look very striking against the bright-blue sky and rugged limestone rocks. The pool is large, with plenty of comfy sunbeds. The dining room  so often in big hotels an overlit, soulless space  is large and airy, with a cool jungle-tile mural covering one wall and a few outside tables. The bar buzzes all day long, staffed by cheerful young locals in jeans and white T-shirts.

The rooms are handsome, too. Of the 90, 11 are split-level suites  roomy, with concrete floors, grey walls and bleached wood. The beds are futon-style but very comfortable, there are cushions and wicker baskets. The non-suites are smaller but just as stylish. It certainly feels a notch up from the usual Thomas Cook experience but then there is no free mineral water in the rooms and, when I visited, no towels by the pool. Its the little things.

The winning touch is that each room has its own sun terrace and loungers and its own pool. Or at least its own bit of pool; each one is shared with the four neighbouring rooms, which creates some etiquette problems. I never left my zone of the pool but my neighbours had no qualms paddling up to my end. If youre British/bothered by this sort of thing, try and get a room on the end of a row  you get more space.

Luxurious setting: one of the stylish bedrooms at Casa Cook

On the design front, Casa Cook achieves what it sets out to do. It also ticks the box on laid-back vibes  its a very relaxing place. When I visited, it seemed to have attracted the crowd it was aiming for, too  youngish, trendy-ish, no children, nor the hordes of sixtysomething German holidaymakers most packages seem to attract.

The problems, then, come on the other parts of the mantra. The food is better than in many package hotels but not quite good enough. Breakfast is a big spread with an excellent chef making everything from poached eggs to pancakes, but they could lose some of the quirkier elements for more fresh fruit. For dinner there is a varied menu of meze, fish and steaks. There are also seven degustation menus offering six Greek-themed dishes such as cheese saganaki, grilled octopus and lamb chops with goats cheese and rosemary to share. At 50 its an expensive way to eat when Taverna Michel is five minutes away and twice as authentic at half the price.

As for local adventures, Casa Cook is in Kolymbia, a resort 30km from the airport and around a half-hours drive from both Rhodes Old Town and Lindos, both of which are a must-visit. With no town to speak of and streets lined with hotels, its not a destination in itself. The beach is rather thin and packed, though there are two excellent fish restaurants  To Nissaki and Limanaki  with gorgeous views and waterside dining at the far end (about a half-hour walk from the hotel).

Casa Cooks pool bar

For beaches, drive 10 minutes to Tsambika or a little further to Afandou (for rare golden sand). Hiring a car is probably wiser than using the hotels ruinously expensive taxi service. The hotel can also arrange hikes to Tsambika monastery in the early morning, trips to Lindos to see the acropolis and charter a sailing boat.

So does Casa Cook have a future? Its a cut above but it has a price to match. A weeks half-board with flights in August costs between 1,000 and 1,500 per person, though prices drop sharply come September and there are bargains to be had.

As for attracting the mythical bohemian/hipster traveller, they are more likely to be found on the nearby islands of Symi or Kastellorizo, both delightful and a short ferry from Rhodes port. But theres certainly a gap in the market for savvy travellers looking for a hassle-free, sunshine break. A package with class, say. And hammocks.

Details: Rhodes

Thomas Cook offers seven nights at Casa Cook, Rhodes, from 885 per person on a half-board basis, including flights from Gatwick in September (0844 412 5970; casacook.com).

rodosisland.gr
S tockholmers joke that when the sun emerges, people suddenly stand stock-still in the street and turn their faces upwards simply to soak up the rays. The pay-off for enduring a long, dark winter is the joy to be had outdoors during summer, when the sun barely sets and the bright light reflects off the water and illuminates the white, ochre and terracotta-coloured buildings of Gamla Stan (the Old Town).

The diversity of Stockholm means its ambience goes from grand European city to east London-style hipster hangout within a few short metro stops.

The city itself is built on 14 islands, but 60km or so to the east, in the Baltic Sea, is the Stockholm archipelago, a collection of almost 30,000 islands and islets that are an easy way to get back to nature on a sunny day.

Back in town, the City Bikes scheme (citybikes.se), much like our Boris bikes, runs from April to October (season cards 250 krona/23), and a short ride will bring you to beaches where you can cool off with a dip.

Check in: Deco design

In Stockholms central area of Norrmalm is the new Haymarket by Scandic (00 46 8 517 26 700; scandic-hotels.com). Opened in May, this century-old building has been returned to its former Art Deco glory, from curved banisters to patterned floors. It pays homage to silver-screen siren Greta Garbo, who worked in the building when it was a department store, throughout the 405 rooms, restaurant, bar, cafe and cinema but with touches of modern design that make the place feel fresh. Doubles from 1,800 krona (162) including breakfast.

Fed and watered: seasonal treats

Tucked away in the elegant area of Vasastan in the north of Stockholm is Agrikultur (agrikultur.se), an intimate restaurant opened in January by Joel Ahlin and Filip Fasten; the latter is already known as one of Swedens most accomplished young chefs. The menu only features sustainably sourced ingredients, changing daily depending on what is in season. My choices ranged from sunflower leaves and meaty cod to edible moss. The team has been operating as a pop-up on the island of Gotland over the summer but from mid-September will be back in its usual surroundings, serving just two sittings a day, so book ahead. A five-course dinner costs 655 krona (59) a head.

Attention to detail: chefs at work at Agrikultur restaurant

In hip Sodermalm, Urban Deli (00 46 8 5990 9180; urbandeli.org) is an all-day deli-cum-cafe-cum-bar serving small plates and tasty mains such as a vegetable salad with goats cheese and pea puree (220 krona/20).

Wash it all down with a cocktail at Paradiso (00 46 08 720 61 51; paradisostockholm.se), also in Sodermalm, which has more than 180 types of rum, originating everywhere from Puerto Rico to Haiti. The chic bar has been open for less than a year but the rum collection grows week by week.

Shake it: a bartender at Paradiso

In the bag: modern marvels

Theres much more to Scandinavian design than Ikeas Billy bookcases. The upmarket area of Ostermalm is home to the excellent Asplund (00 46 8 662 52 84; asplund.org), a modern furniture and design shop, and Modernity (00 46 8 20 80 25; modernity.se), showcasing vintage Swedish and Norwegian mid-century modern furniture.

A short walk away is Svenskt Tenn (00 46 8 670 16 00; svenskttenn.se), a two-storey furniture and textile design house filled with bright and bold pieces and prints. Sit down and soak it all in with a cuppa in the tea room.

Scandinavian cities to visit 1 /22 Scandinavian cities to visit Bergen harbour by night Alamy Bergen seen from above Alamy Feskekorka, Gothenburg's fish market hall Visit Sweden The Atelier rooftop at Hotel Pigalle in Gothenburg Hotel Pigalle Botanical Gardens in Gothenburg Visit Sweden An island on the archipelago off Gothenburg Alamy Peace statue in Gothenburg Alamy Tromso Harbour in Norway Alamy Tromso Harbour Alamy Beach life at Ribersborg beach in central Malmo Alamy View of Malmo Alamy Jamie XX playing at Northside Festival in Aarhus Alice Tate Iceberg architecture in Aarhus Alice Tate A room at Hotel Pigalle in Gothenburg Hotel Pigalle A beach near Aarhus Alamy ARoS Museum in Aarhus Alice Tate Heritage village in Aarhus Alamy

Cultural agenda: snap happy

Djurgarden, the citys Green Island, is also the location of several museums, including ABBA The Museum (00 46 771 75 75 75; abbathemuseum.com; 195 krona/18), an interactive celebration of the band. If thats not to your taste, try Fotografiska (00 46 8 509 00 500; fotografiska.eu; 120 krona/11), an old customs building turned photography gallery, right on the waterfront.

Ride on: the City Bikes scheme runs from April to October / Pixprovider AB

DETAILS: STOCKHOLM

Norwegian Air (0300 828 0854; norwegian.com) flies from Gatwick to Stockholm Arlanda.

visitstockholm.com
I conic London nightclub Fabric has closed its doors indefinitely as police investigate the drug-related deaths of two teenagers there.

It was announced on Friday that the venue would close for the weekend as officers launched an inquiry into the fatalities.

But Islington Council has since confirmed its licence has been suspended altogether and that it must remain closed for the foreseeable future.

A review will be held within 28 days to decide its long-term fate after Fabric bosses agreed not to contest the suspension.

Scotland Yard requested the temporary suspension of the iconic venues licence after two young men died in a matter of weeks.

An 18-year-old collapsed outside the 2,500-capacity club in Farringdon on Saturday, August 6, at 8.20am. He was taken to hospital where he died 40 minutes later.

Another 18-year-old died in hospital after falling ill at the club at 2am on June 25.

An Islington Council spokesman said: After two recent drug-related deaths, the Metropolitan Police applied for an interim suspension of Fabrics licence.

Fabric agreed not to contest this application, and a licensing sub-committee has suspended Fabrics licence.

This will be followed by a review of Fabrics licence within 28 days.

Outlining their reasons for requesting the suspension, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Officers felt the need to act due to concerns about the safety of those attending the club because of the supply of class A drugs in the venue and the recent deaths of two young men linked to the club."

The venue, which opened in 1999 and was once voted the best club in the world by DJ magazine, narrowly avoided being shut down in December after the Met urged the council to seriously consider revoking its licence, citing four deaths in three years.

Top DJs including Annie Mac, Chemical Brothers and Groove Armada signed a 30,000-name petition and closure was averted when managers agreed to strict licensing conditions.

The club said it plans to release a statement later this week.

A statement posted on the clubs website on Thursday said: For the past two years Fabric has operated without incident but tragically in the past nine weeks two 18-year-old boys have died as a consequence of drug overdoses.

In order to understand how this has happened we have agreed with the police and other agencies to suspend our operation whilst we investigate. The club will therefore be closed this weekend.

A Met spokesman said no arrests had been made in connection with either of the deaths and investigations continue.

Officers await the results of post-mortem examinations.
D evastated friends of an estate agent stabbed to death in Ayia Napa have raised thousands of pounds to bring his body home to Britain.

George Low, 22, was walking back to his hotel in the Cyprus resort with a friend when the pair were attacked in a street packed with revellers in the early hours yesterday.

He staggered into a nearby bar and collapsed after being slashed across the throat. His friend Ben Barker, also 22, was stabbed four times in the back.

Both were rushed to hospital by ambulance where Mr Low was pronounced dead on arrival.

It is understood Mr Low had stepped in to protect an English tourist from being harassed by two men earlier in the evening.

It all happened so suddenly, a friend told the Sun. Two guys were harrassing an English girl. George and his mates stepped in and said thats enough. The guys took off and returned 20 minutes later with a knife.

Tourist resort: Ayia Napa in Cyprus / Shutterstock

A manhunt has been launched for the attackers, both said to be foreign nationals, with authorities on alert at all airports, ports and crossing points into the north.

Mr Lows devastated family today led tributes to the genuine, polite man who was on the last day of a weeks holiday in the resort, where he had previously spent two seasons as a club rep.

He had been due to fly home to Dartford, where he worked at Acorn estate agents and was saving for a deposit on his first home, just hours later.

Mr Barker, a student at Aston University in Birmingham, is recovering from his injuries in hospital.

Stabbed to death: George Low was killed in Ayia Napa / Facebook

He today posted a photograph of the pair embracing which was taken shortly before the attack.

Mr Lows mother Helen Low, 47, received a phone call from Georges friend in the early hours of yesterday morning to be told her son had been killed.

she said: We didnt believe it at first and I didnt think it could be him, I still dont believe it even though I now know its true.

Mrs Low, a commnity carer, added said she would be flying out to the resort tomorrow.

She said: 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 we used to call him. He was not a fighter he just wanted to enjoy life.

We were all so proud of him. He was our world.

George leaves behind his father Martyn, a 55-year-old postman, brothers Wesley, 23, and Oliver, 11, and sisters Laura, 19, and Millie, 17.

Laura is away on holiday in the Canary Islands, and last night issued a desperate plea on Facebook to be reunited with her family as she backed the online fundraising effort, which raised almost 10,000 in its first few hours.

She wrote: Im feeling helpless as Im stuck in Grand Canaria. I just want to be with my family supporting them and be home soon. I love them so much.

Please help my gorgeous brother travel home to where he belongs.

Dean OKeefe, 21, a friend who had worked with Mr Low in the towns bars, told the Standard: He was the most incredible bloke. Everyone loved him and he didnt have a bad bone in his body.

His death is hard to take but the level of support shows what kind of guy he was.

People liked him and we were part of this big family in Ayia Napa, he really loved it out there.

He would stick up for his friends but he wouldnt go looking for a fight. He cared about everyone and he would be there for anyone that needed him.

If this fundraiser makes it even the smallest bit easier for his family then it will be worth it. It will be one less thing on their mind and it will show them how loved George was.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are providing support to the family of a British national who sadly died in Cyprus on August 14 and will remain in contact with the local authorities who are investigating.

To donate, visit tinyurl.com/georgelow
A woman has been arrested after a five-year-old girl was left seriously injured when she was bitten by a dog at a home in east London.

The girl was rushed to hospital after reportedly being attacked on the arm in Burnside Road, Dagenham, at 11.37am.

Police said the extent of her injuries is unknown at this stage but they are not thought to be life-threatening.

Barking and Dagenham police tweeted: Today, a 5 y/o girl has been seriously injured in a dog attack at an address in Burnside Rd, Dagenham. A 34 y/o woman has been arrested.

Police said the 34-year-old female dog owner was arrested on suspicion of offences relating to the Dangerous Dogs Act and child neglect.

She remains in custody at an east London police station.

Officers said the dog had also been taken into custody before it is checked by assessed by the specialist dogs unit.
A n award-winning artist has told of his dismay after his artwork created from AK-47 assault rifles was banned from entering the US for an exhibition.

Former soldier Bran Symondson, 45, who is based in London, said three pieces of his work were seized by customs officials as they made their way to Houston for a display this week hosted by Londons Maddox Gallery.

The installations, named Spoils of War, Beat of a Wing and Virtue of the Vicious, were made from decommissioned assault rifles captured in war zones.

They show guns plastered in US dollar bills and butterflies. His work led him to receive the Amnesty International Media Award in 2011.

However, tonight the Mayfair-based gallery revealed the pieces were stopped from entering the US because they breached US customs law.

Banned: Customs law prevented the rifles from entering the US / Maddox Gallery

Mr Symondson said it was ironic his artwork has been blocked from public display while US citizens are allowed to buy weapons over the counter.

Mr Symondson said: It is unfortunate that I am unable to exhibit - particularly as the pieces are created from decommissioned AK-47s, which were captured on route from Afghanistan to Syria, completely harmless and unusable as weapons.

Seized: Mr Symondson said it was "ironic" his artwork could not enter the US while citizens were able to buy guns / Maddox Gallery

It is ironic that the law permits US Citizens to go and buy a new, live weapon which I could, in theory, use to create one of my artworks from, which then could technically be used in its intended form but will not allow my pieces of harmless art into the country.

When discussing the issue in La Colombe dOr Art gallery with a client, who is a US citizen  he laughed and offered to purchase a fully functionally AK47 online for me there and then."

A Maddox Gallery spokesperson added: "We can confirm that Bran Symondsons artworks created from decommissioned AK-47 assault rifles, were on their way to Houston, Texas, to be part of a group exhibition at The Colombe dOr in Houston.

"The pieces have been halted at US customs and will not be permitted to be released for Maddox Gallerys exhibition this week due to US customs law."

Mr Symondson was a serving soldier when he began documenting the war in Afghanistan before he became well known for his art.
Y esterday a leaked letter showed Liam Fox arguing that the trade and investment agenda should lie with his Department for International Trade and not with Boris Johnsons Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Curious. The Londoner also keeps hearing a persistent rumour that Liam Fox has his eyes on another of BoJos assets: a door.

Foxs department is currently based at 1 Victoria Street, once home of the former Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. New ministries have not been granted permanent homes but there has been talk of moving Foxs department into the grand Foreign Office buildings on Whitehall. Should they move there, The Londoner was told, advisers were considering the possibility of having their own entrance to the building, a rarely used door facing the Cenotaph. At present it is only used once a year by the Queen, leading statesmen out on Remembrance Sunday. The international trade department would have wanted it brought back into use for visiting dignitaries. The figure reported to us for this was 20,000  weve no idea how this sum was calculated. But the door-opening project seems to have jammed because it was decided it wouldnt pass the Daily Mail sniff test, we were told. A spokesperson for Dr Fox strongly denied the claim, wsaying: Any speculation that Dr Fox has asked to use an alternative entrance to any building are false. The minister uses the same entrance to buildings across Whitehall as staff and visitors.

But it remains the talk of Whitehall. Perhaps its a piece of mischief from one of the rival departments keen to keep Fox over in Victoria Street and themselves closer, geographically at least, to No 10.

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As Team GB storms past China to second place in the Olympics medal table, a friend of The Londoner writes that countries with the Queen as head of state are doing remarkably well so far in Rio. They have a total of 27 gold medals, which would put them above the United States in first place. Doing even better, however, is the European Union, with 62 golds this morning. With or without the UKs 15, the EU would be leading in the medal standings.

Lord Smith questions the slow Huff

Lord Smith of Finsbury was President of the Cambridge Union a year after Arianna Huffington in the early Seventies, and was surprised to hear last week of her decision to leave the Huffington Post to focus on Thrive Global, tackling stress and burnout. A decision to slow down? Lord Smith, now master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, told The Londoner of Huffingtons move. That I wouldnt have anticipated.

The Huffington Post job is still open, Lord Smith.

Boxpark rocks to the Elba beat

The epic launch party of Idris Elbas limited retail space, Idris Elba + Superdry at Boxpark Shoreditch, was a memorable evening after he spun the decks all evening, much to the delight of hundreds of revellers. The actors continued success with the English clothing brand has seen a huge uptake in sales since he lent his name to it last year. Also at the party was Idriss actress friend Sienna Guillory who tweeted earlier in the day Having an existential crisis, kids and man gone to Morocco for a week and Im not sure if Im real. When the mouse is away the cat will play.

Home Office has a lute to answer for

The Londoner has been looking forward to the Darbar Festival, the Southbank Centres celebration of classical Indian music. But with a month to go until the sitars start strumming, one of the headliners may have to stay home. Last week Ushad Amjad Ali Khan took to Twitter to announce that his visa application to perform at the festival had been refused. He was shocked and appalled, especially due to the fact that he is a veteran of the London stage, performing at events in the country regularly for more than 30 years.

Labour MP Keith Vaz, chairman of the Home Affairs Committee, is riding the rescue. He has asked the Home Office what had changed and has demanded that the visa refusal decision be re-examined. I hope this sorry state of affairs can be brought to a swift conclusion, Vaz said in a statement.

All visa applications are carefully considered on their individual merits, a Home Office representative told the Hindustan Times, and applicants must provide evidence to show they meet the requirements of the immigration rules. On this occasion we were not satisfied that Mr Khan met the requirements of his visa.

The Southbank Centre cites a recent change in the visas guidelines as behind the unprecedent refusal but hopes for a solution: Khans show, in which he is to be accompanied on the tabla by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and Pandit Kumar Bose, is still listed as part of the schedule.

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Is Momentums new ad campaign aimed at middle-class hipsters with caffeine highs? Encouraging backers of Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader to donate 3, the activist group says in its new online campaign For the price of a posh coffee, get a movement to rebuild & transform Britain. Maybe coffees cost that in Islington North but The Londoner prefers a 99p filter coffee from Pret.

Dry tribute to the Bard

Playwright and art historian Laura-Jane Foley welcomed friends and fans to The Club at the Ivy for the private view of The Shakespeareans on Friday night. Held in honour of the 400th anniversary of the Bards death, its text is written by Foley while the paintings are by artist Janet Lance Hughes. Despite it being a night of celebration, Foley had to stay off the sauce: she is pregnant with the child of her ex-partner Sir Tim Rice and is expecting a girl. But others were able to toast the night on her behalf, with comedian Helen Lederer in attendance as well as Jonathan Isaby from the Taxpayers Alliance, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, shoe designer Georgina Goodman and GQ editor Dylan Jones.

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Romance of the day: The only friction was when we kissed and her false teeth and my false teeth clashed, jokes Jonathan Pryce in an interview of his co-star Madonna in Evita.
L abour grandee Margaret Beckett today branded Jeremy Corbyns supporters a personal fan club that did not care if the Labour Party splits.

In an outspoken attack, she said another victory for Mr Corbyn risked repeating the Margaret Thatcher years of unfettered power for the Conservatives.

Her claims came after party officials independent of Mr Corbyns leadership moved to bar 130,000 members who had joined Labour within the last six months from voting in the leadership contest.

Deputy leader Tom Watson has claimed that Trotsky entryists were attempting a far-Left takeover and Dame Margaret said some of Mr Corbyns backers were not genuine Labour supporters. We have had examples of people saying, I want to join the Labour Party because of Jeremy, but of course if he ceases to be the leader I shall leave. Those are not members of the Labour Party, those are members of a fan club.

Dame Margaret, a former foreign secretary who has also been acting leader, was one of the 35 Labour MPs who nominated Mr Corbyn for the leadership last year, a decision she admitted made her feel like a moron.

She told BBC Radio 4 that some of the people around Jeremy had made clear that they were perfectly happy for the party to split in half.

Mr Corbyn is tonight staging an open-air rally for black and minority ethnic supporters in north London, with Diane Abbott among the speakers. She said: Jeremy has a great record on issues like immigration, anti-racism and police brutality.

TODO: define component type apester

His rival Owen Smith accused the Government of having a secret plan to privatise the NHS in a speech in Salford. He was forced to defend remarks made when he worked for drugs company Pfizer that critics claim showed support for privatisation.

He said: Pfizer sells medicines to the NHS, not services, and Im talking about clinical services being provided by the NHS.

Mr Smith said he had not come into contact with Trotsky entryists and added: I think most people have joined the Labour Party for really good reasons, the same reasons I joined. They want to make Britain a fairer place.
P olice are hunting a gunman who opened fire in the VIP tent of a festival and shot a reveller in the chest.

Detectives said the 27-year-old victim was shot at around 8:30pm at the Tea Party festival at Windsor racecourse.

He is now in a stable condition in hospital.

The incident apparently followed a disturbance on the dancefloor at the 40-a-VIP-ticket event, which featured top DJs including Jaguar Skills and Hannah Wants.

Detectives, who are appealing for further witnesses to come forward, said the shooter was wanted on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Tom Parker, from Maidenhead Force Criminal Investigation Department, said: A team of detectives is investigating this incident in which a firearm was discharged, leaving a man injured. This appears to be an isolated incident however this took place during the popular Tea Party Festival.

I would like to appeal to anyone who was there who witnessed the incident to contact police, particularly if you have any photographs or video footage, which you may have taken on your mobile phone, of what happened.

This occurred when the VIP tent would have been busy, so if you were there and took a photo you may have captured the incident.

Any information you have, no matter how insignificant you believe it may be, could be important to the investigation so please come forward if you have any details.
T he fiance of Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin left an impatient message for the dressage rider as she stormed to glory in Rio by reiterating his marriage proposal on his t-shirt.

Dean Wyatt Golding sellotaped a note which read can we get married now?" to his clothing as Dujardin secured her third Olympic gold.

Mr Golding had already proposed to the GB star but preparations were put on hold until after the Olympics.

After she noticed her boyfriends top she said the gesture was amazing and "really funny" and revealed she is set to tie the knot next year.

She told the BBC: He has already asked me, so he already knows it's yes I'm going to get married hopefully next year.

I always said I was going to get married after Rio but time just flew by, but it's definitely on the cards now."

Dujardins achievement makes her the second British woman to win three Olympic gold medals level with cyclist Laura Trott.

The 31-year-old won on her horse Valegro with an Olympic record grand prix freestyle score of 93.857%.

Her mother Jane Dujardin described her performance as incredible as she watched from the family home in Buckinghamshire.

She said: "I can't tell you how proud I am, the whole family are totally elated. We were all around the kitchen table with the television on and I can't tell you, it was unbelievable," she said.

"We were all holding our breath then relaxing, holding our breath then relaxing - then I was crying in the middle of it - we were all literally in tears."
B omb disposal experts carried out an explosion after a rucksack left near a bus stop sparked a security scare.

High Street businesses in Waltham Cross were evacuated on Monday amid claims of a bomb threat after the bag was found on a bench at 2.25pm.

A bomb disposal robot was deployed as experts carried out controlled explosion after a 100-metre police cordon was put up.

Nearby office workers told the Standard of a "very loud bang" after 5pm.

A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said: Police were called to the High Street, Waltham Cross at 2.25 pm on Monday (August 15th) following reports of an unattended rucksack on a bench near a bus stop.

A police cordon has been put in place within a 100 metre radius and nearby shops have been evacuated as police deal with the incident.

It would be inappropriate to comment any further at this time.

Witnesses described on social media how they were told to leave work as a precaution.

Michael Fricker tweeted: Whole of Waltham Cross cordoned off due to bomb threat

While Shonnah Nicholls posted: Been evacuate (sic) from work in Waltham cross because of Bomb threats.

And another woman, known as Lucy, wrote: There is a Bomb scare at Waltham cross.

The High Street has since reopened.

In an updated statement, the police spokeswoman added: "A police cordon was put in place and nearby shops were evacuated as police dealt with the incident.

"The Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team attended the scene and conducted a controlled explosion.

"Police would like to thank members of the public for their co-operation and patience whilst we investigated this incident which has now been established as non-suspicious."
T wo attackers are on the run after a gun and knife assault in the German city of Cologne.

One person was wounded in the attack in the early hours of this morning, police said.

Eyewitnesses told the Express newspaper men were seen fighting after three or four became embroiled in an altercation with another man.

A victim is said to have been stabbed while trying to flee to his car. Shots were also fired, the paper reported.

A police spokeswoman said emergency calls were received at 3.45am local time, with blood and broken panes of glass being found at the scene.

The incident happened near Rudolphplatz, a central part of the western German city.

It comes after a spate of indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Germany in recent weeks, two claimed by the Islamic State group, and a mass shooting in Munich initially seen as terrorism-related.

This latest incident is not thought to be linked to terrorism.
A village in Corsica has banned burkinis following a beach fight between North African families and local youths.

Hatchets and harpoons were used in the brawl in Sisco according to witnesses, as tensions grow on the French Mediterranean island.

Five people were injured but have since been discharged from hospital, while a special council session was called on Sunday to impose the ban.

It comes after authorities in the popular seaside resorts of Cannes and Villenueve-Loubet also outlawed burkinis  a swimsuit used by Muslim women to keep themselves covered.

Tensions have been high between local communities and Muslims from North Africa this summer, particularly since the massacre of 85 people by a Muslim lorry driver in Nice in July.

Siscos socialist mayor Ange-Pierre Vivoni said his decision had nothing to do with racism, its about protecting peoples security.

He claimed the ban was aimed at protecting the areas Muslims.

The justice authorities have launched an investigation into exactly what happened in the beach incident.

It reportedly began when tourists and local teenagers started taking photos of the Muslim families, who objected.

Stones and bottles were thrown as the brawl broke out, with some 40 men from the village soon arriving to defend the youths, one with a harpoon blade.
N ew York's JFK Airport was plunged into chaos as travellers were cleared from the hub following reports of gunfire.

Scores of heavily armed police swarmed the airport after officers received unfounded reports of shots fired in one of the terminals.

Flights were grounded for several hours but the scare turned out to be a false alarm.

Terminal 8 was evacuated at about 9.30pm local time after police received reports of shots fired near the departures area.

A short time later, police closed Terminal 1 after receiving further reports of gunshots.

Police at Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy airport after reports of gunfire sparked panic / REUTERS

Video and photos posted on social media showed hundreds of people streaming out of the terminals.

One Twitter user said: "On a plane at #JFK and a bunch of people just ran out on the tarmac."

Demetrius Pipkin, who was inside Terminal 8 when reports of gunfire came in, told US news channel PIX11: We were previously told to get on the floor and take cover behind any and everything we could find.

He described the airport as a 'madhouse' as travellers looked for an escape.

Air passengers wait for news after the evacuation (@locodoggy ) / @locodoggy

When we finally were able to find exits it led to the runway, which is not necessarily the safest place either, he said.

Mr Pipkin added that by that about 11 pm, security staff were working to reunite lost children with their parents who had become separated during the chaos.

Scores of travellers outside JFK's Terminal 8 after an evacuation / @listonb / Twitter

A statement from the Port Authority said early investigations had found no evidence of gunshots being fired.

It said in a statement: Preliminary investigation does not indicate shots were fired at JFK.

Scores of travellers streamed out of the airport terminals (@locodoggy ) / @locodoggy

At this time, no gun shells or other evidence of shots fired has been found. The terminal was evacuated out of an abundance of caution.

The NYPD Special Ops account tweeted officers are clearing Terminal 1 & 8 (Departures). There is nobody shot. It appears that no shots have been fired.

They later added: All terminals searched & cleared. Negative results. All affected terminals will resume operations shortly. No shots were fired.

The airport once travellers were allowed back inside after police gave the all clear (@locodoggy ) / @locodoggy

One law enforcement official suggested "cheering, clapping and banging" from people watching Usain Bolt sprint to victory at the Olympic Games inside the airport may have been misinterpreted as a fight and gunshots.

Sherwin Bryce-Pease, a journalist with South African Broadcasting Corp based in New York, was on a Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris that landed at JFK shortly before 10 p.m.

He said: "They told us nothing from the flight deck. Only that the earliest the gate will be available will be in an hour 15 minutes from when we landed, an announcement greeted by huge sighs on our Norwegian Airlines flight from Paris.
A terror scare at JFK airport in New York could have been caused by loud banging and cheering by people watching the Olympics, police said today.

Thousands of passengers were evacuated last night following reports of shots being fired in two terminals.

Travellers  including hundreds of Britons  were ordered to leave Terminal 8 at 9.30pm after witnesses reported hearing at least two shots.

Forty five minutes later the panic spread to Terminal 1 with another report of shots fired and an active shooter which led police to evacuate the building as well.

Scores of travellers streamed out of the airport terminals (@locodoggy ) / @locodoggy

Videos posted to social media showed panicked scenes as passengers ran towards the doors of the airport terminals after being told to evacuate.

All flights out of the airport were grounded and hundreds of police flooded the area to find the suspects.

Police stand guard at Terminal 8 at John F. Kennedy airport / REUTERS

No suspects were found despite an intensive search by police.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which runs JFK, said that preliminary investigations found there were no signs that any shots had been fired.

A senior law enforcement official told NBC News that cheering, clapping and banging from people watching Usain Bolts 100m Olympic victory might have been misinterpreted as a fight and gunshots.

Air passengers wait for news after the evacuation (@locodoggy ) / @locodoggy

JFK is the main airport for British tourists travelling to and from New York. The order to stop all flights from taking off happened at a time when many transatlantic flights bound for Heathrow were due to take off  and many arriving from the UK had come in to land.

Tony Brown, a senior producer at BBC News, wrote on Twitter: BA Captain telling a packed 747 from London there is a security situation elsewhere at #JFK and we arent being allowed off this plane.

During the panic some flights bound for JFK were diverted to Buffalo  which is 370 miles away.

Ashtyn Cook wrote: On our plane waiting to leave and cant take off now because shots fired in two terminals in JFK. Honestly kind of scared out of my mind.

Passenger Josef Pfeiffer, who was on a flight stuck on the tarmac, tweeted: On a plane at #JFK and a bunch of people just ran out on the tarmac.

Shortly after he added: The people that ran out on the tarmac were brought back in to terminal 2 just now by the police.
P assengers were this morning forced to flee Nice airport after a suspicious package was discovered in terminal buildings.

The abandoned bag was found near an Air France boarding area sparking an evacuation, local newspaper Nice Matin reported.

Two further "suspicious" packages wer found earlier elsewhere in the same Terminal 2 building.

Police cordoned off large parts of the airport while checks were carried out, but the airport has since fully reopened.

The discovery comes as France remains on high alert following a terrorist atrocity in the Cote D-Azur city last month.

Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel killed 84 people when he drove a truck into crowd gathered on the Promenade des Anglais for Bastille Day celebrations on July 14.
A woman has been jailed for 10 years in jail in South Africa for kidnapping a baby 19 years ago.

The 51-year-old kidnapper, from Cape Town, was handed the prison term for snatching the baby as her mother slept days after giving birth.

Zephany is the name her biological parents, Celeste and Morne Nurse, gave her shortly after she was born at Cape Towns Groote Schuur Hospital, South Africa, on April 27, 1997.

The name she grew up with has not been publicised to protect her identity.

The name of the woman who kidnapped her has also not been revealed for the same reason.

Biological father: Morne Nurse speaks to the press outside court / AFP/Getty

In March, Judge John Hlophe convicted the woman of kidnapping, fraud, and contravening the Childrens Act. She maintained in her testimony that she had not been at Groote Schuur Hospital on the day the baby was kidnapped in 1997.

The woman was arrested in February 2015 after the teenagers true identity came to light when the girls biological sister Cassidy, who is four years younger, told her parents that a girl in matric at her school bore a striking resemblance to her and her parents.

DNA tests confirmed that the teenager was Zephany.

The kidnapper said she got the baby from a woman called Sylvia, who had been giving her fertility treatment in 1997 after she had miscarried.

Sylvia apparently arranged for the baby to be handed to her at a train station without her prior knowledge, she claimed.

The teenager was sent to a place of safety after the kidnappers arrest. But she opted to move back to the home in which she had lived and is understood to have a close bond with the kidnappers husband.

The prosecution had called for a 15-year prison sentence in a case which has gripped many South Africans.
D ick Van-Dyke entertained diners with an impromptu Chitty Chitty Bang Bang performance.

The veteran actor proved he can still sing as he performed an a capella rendition of the hit song from the 1968 film at a cafe in Santa Monica, California.

Van-Dyke  who played eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts  was joined by The Vantastix as they belted out the tune to excited diners.

He shared the video on his Facebook page alongside the caption: Breakfast at Dennys, with a side of grits makes me want to sing!!

It is not the first time the actor has entertained members of the public with his singing.

He led hundreds of people in a huge Mary Poppins sing-along outside Walt Disneys birthplace in June.

Van Dyke paid tribute to the Disney founder as he visited his former home in Chicago and sang Lets Go Fly A Kite from the Disney classic in front of a large crowd.

The sing-along came months after he reprised his role as chimney sweep Bert to recreate the iconic Step In Time Dance for ABC's televised special, Disneyland 60.

Dyke took to the stage to kick [his] knees up as he recreated Bert's famous choreography.

The actor is reported to be making an appearance alongside Julie Andrews in the forthcoming Mary Poppins Returns.

Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda will play the titular roles in the Rob Marshall-directed musical film.

Follow @StandardEnts for more entertainment news.
M ichelle Dockery has hinted that a Downton Abbey film could be in the works.

The British actress, who played Lady Mary Crawley throughout the shows six-season run, has admitted that there is potential for a big screen spin-off.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the 34-year-old seemed to suggest that the Crawleys story was far from over.

I think there is potential for a film. That is something I would wholeheartedly consider, so we will see. It may not be over yet.

Talking about what she misses the most about the hit ITV series, Dockery added:

The thing that I miss the most are my cast members. But we are all still very close.

The British star is about to make her return to the small screen in new show Good Behaviour, which will air on US network TNT later this year.

Speaking about shooting in North Carolina, she said: Its been a real change after working for six years in England, but I enjoy being somewhere different, in a different climate and having to wear a lot of sunscreen.

Downton Abbey: keepsakes

Dockery has had a difficult year following the death of her fiance John Dineen back in December.

When asked who had helped her through the last few months, she said: No one I would name because I am very private about my private life.

But friends and family see you through the most difficult times.

Best TV dramas 2016 1 /38 Best TV dramas 2016 The Missing The addictive and twisty second series of the BBC's crime anthology series BBC/New Pictures/Robert Viglasky Dark Angel Joanne Froggatt stared as Victorian mass murderer Mary Ann Cotton in this ITV drama ITV Close to the Enemy Stephen Poliakoff's post-war drama thriller BBC/Little Island Pictures Ordinary Lies The BBC anthology drama returns with more twisted tales BBC/Red Productions/Adrian Rogers The Night Of Riz Ahmed stars in HBO's critically acclaimed crime mini-series HBO Cold Feet The classic ITV comedy-drama returns - and it's just as good as it ever was ITV Victoria ITV have given Poldark some stiff competition with this period drama about a young Queen Victoria ITV Poldark The BBC's hit drama returns with more brooding, and less naked scything BBC/Robert Viglasky One of Us The BBC kept everyone guessing with this claustrophobic four-part whodunit Ripper Street The fan-favourite Victorian police drama returned for Series 4 BBC/Tiger Aspect 2016/Bernard Walsh The Secret Agent Toby Jones led the cast in the BBC's Joseph Conrad adaptation BBC/World Productions/Mark Mainz/Matt Burlem The Living and the Dead The BBC's gothic romance debuted in full on iPlayer BBC Preacher AMC's adaptation of Garth Ennis' cult comic book is available week-by-week on Amazon Prime Amazon / AMC Versailles A raunchy royal romp around the court of King Louis XIV, spicing up Wednesdays on BBC Two Canal +/ BBC Locked Up The Spanish prison drama came to the UK thanks to Channel 4's Walter Presents series Channel 4 / Global Series Peaky Blinders The Birmingham-set gangster thriller was more popular than ever in its third series BBC/Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky The A Word The BBC gave us a nuanced and emotional take on autism BBC/Fifty Fathoms Marcella Anna Friel stars in ITV's British take on the Scandi-noir thriller ITV Grantchester James Norton is back as the crime-solving vicar ITV / Lovely Day Stag The comedy-thriller from the team behind The Wrong Mans is both hilarious and chilling BBC/Des Willie/Hal Shinnie/Matt Burlem Vinyl Martin Scorsese and Mick Jagger present a glossy drama about the Seventies music industry HBO American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson Cuba Gooding Jr leads an all-star cast in a dramatic re-telling of the 'trial of century' BBC/Fox Happy Valley Sarah Lancashire returned as Sgt Catherine Cawood for a second series of the gritty crime thriller BBC/Red Productions/Ben Blackall The X Files Mulder and Scully return for a brand new set of mysteries War and Peace The BBC's epic adaptation of the Russian literary classic BBC/Mitch Jenkins Call the Midwife The BBC period drama moved into the Sixties for Series 5 BBC/Neal Street Productions/Sophie Mutevelian Dickensian Charles Dickens' most famous characters collide in this historical soap BBC Jericho ITV's British western set in the wilds of Yorkshire Silent Witness The hugely popular detective drama returns for a 19th series

Follow @StandardEnts for more entertainment news.
H elen Skelton is reportedly being lined up for a prime time BBC series following her Olympics coverage.

The 33-year-old, who has become a hit with viewers during her time in Rio, might become more of a regular fixture on our TV screens in the coming months.

According to MailOnline, Skelton already has a number of projects for the BBC in the pipeline including a prime time show.

She has a new prime time BBC series in the pipeline but it's a secret project, a source told the website.

Skelton is still expected to carry on presenting Countryfile for the broadcaster but will be adding more shows to her roster.

Countryfile is still ongoing. She has a couple more things in the pipeline but nothing else signed off right now, said the source.

While many viewers focused on Skeltons choice of outfits during her coverage from Rio, most were impressed by her presenting technique.

The presenter is thought to have issued a complaint to the Press Standards Organisation after topless photos of her as a teenager were published over the weekend.

Helen Skelton's revealing dress sends Rio 2016 viewers into meltdown

A spokesperson for Skelton told Standard Online that she would be complaining to Ipso, the organisation that deals with complaints against most media companies in the country.

A source told The Sun: Helen was in France on holiday aged 17 when this footage was taken.

"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.

Helen Skelton at the Rio Olympics 1 /14 Helen Skelton at the Rio Olympics August 9, 2016 Helen wears a long blue dress with thin straps to present on day 3 BBC August 9, 2016 Helen has teamed up with celebrity stylist Cobbie Yates BBC August 9, 2016 The presenter laughs with Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster BBC August 8, 2016 Helen wears a short, coral dress to present with Rebecca and Mark Owen Humphreys/PA August 8, 2016 The coral dress showed off an asymmetrical sleeve BBC August 9, 2016 Helen takes a selfie with Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster Mike Egerton/PA August 8, 2016 Helen wears a pair of lilac culottes with a blue and yellow cropped top BBC August 8, 2016 Helen catches up with Rebecca and Mark before filming Mike Egerton/PA August 8, 2016 Helen and Rebecca smile for photographers Jeremy Selwyn August 8, 2016 Helen paired the coral dress with a mint green sandal Jeremy Selwyn August 7, 2016 Helen's short navy dress caused a stir on Twitter BBC

Follow @StandardEnts for more entertainment news.
D ownton Abbey is finished for good, meaning that the title for Britains next favourite period drama is up for grabs  and two shows are going head-to-head for it.

Series 2 of the BBCs Poldark is set to go up against ITVs new show Victoria on Sunday nights, likely to spark off a ratings battle.

Aidan Turners brooding Cornish hero proved a huge hit in his debut last year, with the first series of Poldark pulling in 9.51 million viewers in its debut episode.

The new series comes hotly anticipated, especially following rumours that Turner could be lined up as the next James Bond. Its due to start on September 4 on BBC One.

Poldark - in pictures 1 /14 Poldark - in pictures poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg BBC poldark.jpg poldark.jpg poldark.jpg

However, Victoria is also expected to arrive in the Sunday night, 9pm slot  and is starting a week earlier on August 28.

The series is a big-budget look at the young years of Queen Victorias reign, depicting her marriage to Prince Albert and close relationship with the Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.

ITV's Victoria Premiere 1 /13 ITV's Victoria Premiere Leading lady Jenna Coleman arrives for the premiere screening of ITV's Victoria at The Orangery Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Sophie Cookson joins Adrian Schiller who plays Penge, the Household Steward Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Rising star Margaret Clunie plays the Duchess of Sutherland Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Husband and wife Tom Hughes and Jenna Coleman play Prince Albert and Queen Victoria in the drama Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Duchess Nichola McAuliffe plays the Duchess of Cumberland Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Lady in red Nell Hudson turns heads in a revealing red dress Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Suitably dressed Peter Bowles dresses for the occasion in a black suit Tristan Fewings/Getty Images In support World War Z actress Aggy K Adams steps out to support the cast Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Up and coming Tommy Lawrence-Knight plays Brodie the hall boy Tristan Fewings/Getty Images Joining the cast Eve Myles of Torchwood fame Tristan Fewings/Getty Images

The show stars Doctor Whos Jenna Coleman in the lead role, and should offer a more lavish and grandiose Downton-esque drama compared to the earthy grit of Poldark.

Poldark: Series 2 Launch Trailer - BBC One

According to The Daily Express, Damien Timmer  head of Mammoth Screen, the company behind both shows  is hoping to avoid a ratings war.

Whichever comes out on top in the overnight ratings, its a good time to be a period drama fan.
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Monday, 15 August 2016 23:59:23 (GMT+3) | Sao Paulo

Argentinian crude steel output in July declined 17.4 percent, year-on-year, and 4.4 percent, month-on-month, to 356,100 mt, the nations steel chamber, CAA, said on Monday.





CAA said accumulated crude steel production in the January-July period was 2.4 million mt, 15.7 percent down when compared to the same period of the year prior.





Argentina s hot rolled finished steel output in July totaled 315,000 mt, 22.6 percent down, year-on-year, and 3.5 percent down, month-on-month.





Argentina s cold rolled flat steel production in the seventh month of the year fell 2.2 percent, year-on-year, but rose 18.7 percent, month-on-month, to 126,300 mt.





Accumulated cold rolled flat steel output in the January-July period was 842,200 mt, 1.3 percent up, year-on-year.


In the January-July period of the current year, total fixed asset investments (excluding rural households) in China amounted to RMB 31.1694 trillion ($4.69 trillion), up 8.1 percent year on year, as announced by China 's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), with the year-on-year increase rate in question 0.9 percentage points lower than that recorded in the January-June period of the current year. In July, fixed asset investments (excluding rural households) in China increased by 0.31 percent month on month.
Monday, 15 August 2016 22:12:43 (GMT+3) | San Diego





The company stated that this agreement will provide Cliffs' Tilden Mine with a clean, cost-effective and highly efficient energy generating capacity solution and also resolve the long-term energy reliability issues facing the residents in Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. announced today that its Tilden Mining Company has entered into a new 20-year energy agreement with WEC Energy Group to provide the mine with a long-term, reliable and affordable source of electrical power in Michigan.The company stated that this agreement will provide Cliffs' Tilden Mine with a clean, cost-effective and highly efficient energy generating capacity solution and also resolve the long-term energy reliability issues facing the residents in Upper Peninsula of Michigan.





Under this agreement WEC Energy Group, through the proposed Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation plans to construct, own and operate 170 MW of new natural gas generating capacity across two sites in the Upper Peninsula. Pending regulatory approvals, the proposed facilities are expected to commence operation in 2019 which will be in advance of the retirement of the Presque Isle Power Plant.








Todays survey results highlight ongoing steady growth in Germany s goods-producing sector at the start of the third quarter. Although the headline PMI dropped slightly since June, the underlying growth fundamentals remain strong, stated Oliver Kolodseike, economist at Markit. Mr. Kolodseike also stated, In the detail, production volumes grew at the fastest pace in over two years, fuelled by a combination of increased demand and the processing of backlogs. New business growth remained solid and manufacturers were encouraged to further raise their workforce numbers, partly in an attempt to raise capacity.
Monday, 15 August 2016 16:21:26 (GMT+3) | Istanbul

In June this year, India 's general index of industrial production estimates increased by 2.1 percent year on year, according to India s Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

In the given month, the estimated production index for India 's manufacturing sector increased by 0.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year. The industrial output index in India 's basic metal sector in June of the current year rose by 4.3 percent, while the output index for fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment, was up by 8.3 percent, both on year-on-year basis.

Meanwhile, in June the output of the industry segment of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers rose by 8.8 percent year on year.
According to the statistics released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK), the unemployment rate in Turkey increased by 0.1 percentage point year on year to 9.4 percent in May this year, also rising by 0.1 percentage point from the 9.3 percent recorded in April.
Electric vehicle drivers in the area may soon have some of their range anxiety alleviated, as Ameren Missouri seeks to install six charging stations between St. Louis and Jefferson City.

On Monday, the utility filed for approval from the state Public Service Commission to launch a pilot project that aims to gauge how improved access to charging stations impacts electric vehicle ownership in surrounding communities.

Although precise locations for the stations have yet to be determined, the effort will primarily target communities along the Interstate 70 corridor, spaced 20 to 45 miles apart. Boonville has already agreed to host one of the pay-at-the-pump charging locations, where electric vehicles can power up.

Mark Nealon, the Ameren official leading the pilot charging project, said that Ameren was motivated to undertake the effort because of the improving affordability of electric vehicles and their long-range travel capabilities, particularly for some models set to be released in 2017 that may be able to cover 200 miles on a single charge.

I imagine (long-distance electric vehicle travel) will become more popular next year as we see 200-mile vehicles and then, I expect, 300- to 400-mile vehicles in the next five years, Nealon said. The intent here of the pilot is to learn whether or not we are truly enabling the long-distance capability of next years EV models.

But for adoption of those vehicles to happen, he says Missouri, as well as other states, will need to address current infrastructure barriers associated with charging.

Nealon says that this project will compare electric vehicle registration totals in counties bordering the targeted swath of I-70 with other, more remote counties, in an attempt to gauge the programs success.

Nealon said the project aims to be completed in 2017 and would then gauge its registration totals for the following three years.

The project looks to capitalize on financial incentives from the state and federal level to help reduce installation costs, and faces an estimated price tag of $600,000.

Each of its charging islands would charge customers a proposed $2.50 for every 15 minutes at a fast-charging station, and $0.30 for every 15 minutes of a standard charge. The fast-charging stations are reportedly capable of returning 75 miles of charge in 30 minutes, with a standard charge requiring about 10 times as long.

Because of the wait times involved, the charging stations are not going to be found in the same settings as your typical interstate gas stations, explains Nealon.

Were deliberately situating these in the communities, motivated by the desire to give the driver and the car occupants something to occupy themselves during what will be a longer-than-typical wait to fuel, said Nealon.

At present, many electric vehicle owners are painfully aware that a scarcity of charging options limits their mobility  particularly for longer-distance travel.

Worry about when and where they can find their next charge has even coined the term range anxiety.

Craig Huegen, the co-founder of the St. Louis Tesla Enthusiasts group and an electric vehicle owner since 2012, said he is pleased by the efforts to expand charging station access, noting that drivers still contend with holes in the charging network currently available.

The environment that were in is still not fleshed out completely, Huegen said. Having more charging stations is only going to help.

He said that the charging prices Ameren has proposed feel a little high but are reasonable overall  especially compared to the sky-high prices that other stations used to demand for a charge away from home.

Theyre at least within the ballpark, Huegen said, comparing Amerens rate to what it would cost to charge his vehicle at home. Its probably a good starting point.
WEST ALTON  Just upriver from the Melvin Price Lock and Dam, at least 1,000 acres of habitat sprout from the banks of what is essentially an artificial pool.

The occasional heron flies over the vast expanse of river grass, which would have sprouted naturally along the waterway before humans attempted to tame it. The habitat is thriving especially well this year under a practice known as environmental pool management that the Army Corps of Engineers has adopted and is trying to enhance.

If we dont do environmental pool management, then the riverbanks are pretty much bare, said Gretchen Benjamin, associate director of water resources for the Nature Conservancy.

In the other two pools created by the locks and dams the corps St. Louis District operates, there are at least 2,000 more acres of river grasses and wetland-like ecosystem that have been nurtured back to life over the years.

The corps and environmental groups suspect theres probably far more acreage they have yet to measure, the result of close collaboration that has nudged the corps to do as much as it can for wildlife in the pools without harming the barge operators who need the water at a safe depth.

Bringing back wetland ecosystems means keeping the water low enough in the lock and dam pools to let the water plants take hold. For decades, shoreline grasses and other river plants had essentially been drowned in the portions of the Mississippi River in between corps-operated locks.

The engineers had a mandate to keep the river at a certain height for navigation, and environmental concerns were not front of mind.

But about 20 years ago, the St. Louis corps began keeping the water a little lower when it could, maybe for around 30 days or so. Some of the taller, heartier river grasses began coming back.

Now, were looking at if we can get it to 90 to 120 days, said Dave Busse, the corps chief of engineering and construction. Before we might have said, OK, (the river grass is) five feet tall, lets fill it back up.

Last year was the first time the corps really tried to keep the water levels low for an extended period, but unexpected heavy summer rain forced the corps to refill the pools to keep barges moving. This year, however, Busse said Mother Nature has cooperated exceptionally well, providing enough rain so the water levels are just right for the corps to manage the depths within the pools.

I would put this as probably our best year ever, Busse said.

While river grasses have been making a comeback for years, the extra time has just started to yield shorter, perennial river plants such as duck potatoes, Benjamin said. The hope is that healthier waterfowl and fish populations will follow.

The systems a little more degraded down here, so it might take a little longer to bring it back, she said. We have to reset the system first down here.

And as the local habitat builds, it connects with a larger ecosystem up and down the Mississippi River watershed, amplifying the ecological benefits for birds, fish and other animals. The work in St. Louis could serve as an example that becomes standard procedure in other corps districts.

Youre starting to piece together these projects and have these impacts throughout the whole system, said Jordy Jordahl, president of Americas Watershed Initiative.

The project does mean extra work for lock and dam operators who have more to monitor to keep water levels just right, Busse said. But barge operators havent been affected by the lower levels.

Navigation has never lost anything, Busse said.

Indeed, the trade group representing barge operators expressed support for the program.

Our members not only rely on the river for transportation, they fish, hunt, boat and enjoy the rivers recreational uses as well, Paul Rohde, vice president of the Midwest Area for shipping trade group Waterways Council Inc., said in a statement. Its a multiuse resource that requires managing it in a more comprehensive and thoughtful way. The Environmental Pool Management program is a model for collaborative and innovative approaches among stakeholders.

The collaboration on this project could result in more cooperation on other initiatives, Jordahl said, such as funding navigation infrastructure or reducing nutrient flow into the Gulf of Mexicos dead zone.

Theres a recognition that all the rivers stakeholders  environmental and conservation groups, the barge industry, agriculture and the corps  are stronger if they work together and find areas where they can agree, he said.
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, Conn.-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, Fla., 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, Calif.; Philadelphia; Snowmass, Colo.; Washington, D.C.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Also affected were Starwood properties in Arlington, Va.; Manchester Village, Vt.; San Francisco; Miami; and Nashville, Tenn.

The Marriott properties affected were in Boca Raton, Fla.; Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago; San Diego, Calif.; and Minneapolis.
Milwaukee police fought continued unrest early Monday, making multiple arrests and rushing at least one shooting victim and one police officer to the hospital.

The violence began on Saturday after a Milwaukee officer fatally shot a 23-year-old man, whom officials say was armed and had a criminal record.

Police sent out a series of tweets Monday about the confrontations outside a police station. They depicted a chaotic scene, with police claiming that demonstrators were throwing objects and firing shots in the area while officers in tactical gear worked to quell the situation.

Police said one officer was injured after a rock smashed through the windshield of his patrol car.

Earlier on Sunday, Gov. Scott Walker activated the Wisconsin National Guard after a request from Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke.

Mayor Tom Barrett said the officer who shot the man Saturady was wearing a body camera and footage of the shooting would be released later.

Barrett said he saw a still image that demonstrated the individual was armed.

On Saturday night, protesters filled the streets in the neighborhood where the shooting happened and were met by officers in riot gear. According to police, between 200 and 800 people were part of the protests.

17 people were arrested, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said Sunday. He added that everyone arrested had a prior criminal record.

Six businesses were set on fire during the unrest.
UPDATED at 4:10 p.m. Monday with new details

ST. LOUIS  Two people found dead in a Lindenwood Park home on Sunday are a woman who fatally shot her 30-year-old son and then killed herself, police said Monday.

Jane Catanzaro, 60, shot Christopher Catanzaro, 30, and then herself, police said. Both were shot in the chest.

Their bodies were found in a brick home in the 6700 block of Plainview Avenue about 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Police did not say when they believe the shooting took place, and did not say anything about a motive.
The ice cream truck parked curbside on a simmering summer day drew just a handful of young customers despite the carnival music tumbling from its speakers.

Moments later, another white van cruised up Wellston Place and jerked to a stop. There was no music coming from this one. Even so, a child about 4 years old sprinted down the sidewalk past the ice cream truck toward the van.

A few more children emerged from knee-high weeds as they crossed an asphalt lot littered with broken glass. Others stepped off sagging front porches. A teenage boy pressed into baby-sitting strode up the street with a toddler in his arms and a preschooler trailing behind in Lightning McQueen flannel pajama bottoms.

It was just before noon, and right on time, the Operation Food Search mobile food van had arrived to this side street in Wellston with precious cargo: free sack meals containing sandwiches, fruit, carrots and milk for youth 18 and under.

The van stayed 45 minutes and served about 35 meals to children before moving on to eight more neighborhood stops in north St. Louis city and county. Another van took a southern route that day, making seven stops in south St. Louis city and county.

The two vans were part of Operation Food Searchs new initiative to provide free meals to children in the city and county who suffer from food insecurity. The program targets children unable to use the federally funded Summer Food Service Programs more traditional stationary meal sites in libraries and community centers.

With school resuming in most districts, Friday marked the last formal day of the program. At the start of the summer, organizers with Operation Food Search said they werent sure whether the vans would work. Something like this had not been tried in St. Louis.

But Susan Gregory, the programs organizer, said preliminary data indicates the vans were highly effective. Operation Food Search increased the local children receiving free meals by nearly a third, far exceeding the organizations goal of 10 percent. About 15 percent of the 95,292 meals served were delivered by the vans.

Next year, organizers hope to expand the program to include more stops by building stronger community partnerships such as the one forged in Wellston with the support of Mayor Nate Griffin.

Griffin, who grew up on Wellston Place, frequently visited the children during the van stops on the street and drove through town to tell children and their parents about the van. Next year he hopes to build a summer camp for Wellston children centered around the arrival of the van.

A lot of our children come from single-parent homes with the mom away at work, he said. They have a big brother or big sister home with them. So its very comforting to know they have a regular lunch coming and they can get outside and be with other children in the community.

Limited reach

Free meals served in local libraries, community centers and other stationary sites have long been a mainstay of the U.S. Department of Agricultures free summer meal program. The program is intended to fill the nearly three-month nutritional void created when schools are out and the federal free school meal program ceases.

Last year, Operation Food Search was reimbursed more than $191,000 to run a federal summer meal program in the St. Louis region at some 40 stationary meal centers.

And yet, the agency recognized those centers served just 13 percent of the estimated 142,870 kids who are food insecure  a term the federal government uses for people for whom consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.

Studies suggest hunger is not only a nutritional issue but a leading contributor to toxic stress in children. As the Post-Dispatch reported in February in its special report, The Crisis Within: How toxic stress and trauma endanger our children, unrelenting stress in childhood can trigger poor adult health outcomes, including asthma, heart and kidney disease, obesity, stroke, arthritis and even cancer.

Gregory said a lack of transportation remains the biggest barrier to children participating at the stationary free summer meal sites.

But there are other issues. Stationary centers have limited hours to serve meals, and children in the summer cant always make those set schedules. In high crime areas, parents and children often do not feel safe walking even just a few blocks to an established meal center.

So this year, Gregory, a St. Louis newcomer who recently tackled food need in the Ozarks of Arkansas, began the program to replicate a mobile food delivery system thats more commonly used in rural areas.

People immediately talk about the rural problem of lack of transportation, Gregory said. Im seeing the very same challenge in St. Louis with so many separate, small communities.

I need lunch!

The van program has its limitations. Federal guidelines are rigid, so the van can only make stops at pre-established locations with specific demographic and geographic criteria. That can make it tricky to pick the best delivery spots.

For example, the Canfield Green Apartment Complex in Ferguson and its surrounding neighborhood has been identified as a high-need area. However, a van stop there near Koch Elementary School was underused this summer despite dozens of children living in nearby apartments, Gregory said.

Gregory said community buy-in was lacking and safety concerns were an issue. Indeed, the neighborhood has been roiled with uncertainty and distrust since the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown and the ensuing protests and violence.

Van driver Vincent Clay said he often saw a group of children playing outside on nearby Ellison Drive, a street where the Post-Dispatch has found extreme childhood stress because of poverty and neighborhood violence.

Clay said he would often stop the van to tell the children to walk over to the dedicated van stop about a half-mile away on the other side of the Canfield Green Apartments, but they never showed up.

The vans delivered the meals in nearly all weather conditions: rain, high heat, even thunderstorms. But unless the region was under a heat advisory, federal rules required the children to eat the food at the van. At the Wellston stop, there are no picnic tables, so most children eat standing up. Gregory said one day the children ate their food in the pelting rain under the shelter of a slide at a nearby playground.

Yet, overall, lunchtime is now a festive time on Wellston Place. On a hot August day, driver Vincent Clay stepped out of the van, opened the back cargo doors, unfolded a small portable table and set out the lunches for the gathering crowd of children.

He and a partner spritzed each childs hands with hand-sanitizer before handing out the bags. Many of the youngsters he knew by name.

I need lunch! declared one boy gustily to his friends before unwrapping and taking a big bite out of a turkey sandwich.

Some of the children dug hastily into the bags to grab a prized orange or a package of squirt applesauce.

Dont forget to use the sharing box, Clay said.

The box enables children to return the nonperishable food they dont eat so others can have seconds.

Clay said the children truly enjoy the daily routine of meeting at the van to eat with others. But over the summer hes learned the more disturbing telltale signs of children who are hungry: they are usually quiet ones and first at the truck most every day.

You can tell this is their first meal of the day.
ST. LOUIS  U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., speculated Monday that sensitive national security information is right now backed up somewhere outside our country in the hands of a hostile government because of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Blunt, who is seeking re-election this year, also stood by his endorsement of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump following one of Trumps more controversial weeks of the campaign.

Blunt spoke to a group of employees at Jost Chemical Co. in St. Louis, stressing his campaign theme of pursuing more business-friendly federal policies, especially in relation to unnecessary federal regulations, as a way to help the economy and create jobs.

After his comments, Blunt was asked about continuing controversy over Clintons handling of her official emails as secretary of state, including some that were classified. In response, Blunt, a member of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, pulled out a Fitbit fitness tracker.

When I go into the Intel committee, two or three days every week that were in session, said Blunt, holding up the small device, I not only put my cellphone in the little box that has my name on it before Im allowed to go through that door, I put my Fitbit in there, on the basis that some foreign agent could capture the signal out of that half-dollar-sized piece of equipment and they would find out things that they shouldnt know otherwise.

I think the very concept of all of the information that went through, essentially, a home-based server, is clearly a problem, he added. Id be surprised if that information isnt backed up somewhere outside our country by some government you wouldnt want to have it.

In the most recent development in the controversy, critics are pointing to emails they allege show a pay to play relationship between people seeking favors from Clintons State Department and contributions to the Clinton Foundation, the charitable organization founded by the Clinton family.

Like many other top Republicans, Blunt has endorsed Trump while seeking to avoid talking about the businessmans frequent issuance of controversial statements.

In the past week, Trump appeared to joke about the possibility that gun-rights advocates could assassinate Clinton as a way of preventing her from appointing Supreme Court justices; and then repeatedly alleged, falsely, that President Barack Obama and Clinton founded ISIS, the Islamic State terrorist organization. (He later claimed he was merely being sarcastic about that allegation, then later still hinted that he wasnt.)

Asked on Monday whether he still endorses Trump in light of those comments, Blunt said he did. He cited the need to do something about the disastrous impact of Obamacare, regulators (who are) out of control and a foreign policy where our friends dont trust us and our enemies arent afraid of us.

When pressed on whether Trump has actually offered solutions to those issues  and specifically about his threat to withdraw the U.S. from NATO  Blunt reiterated his support of NATO and expressed annoyance at the subject of Trump.

I dont expect Trump to be responding every day to whatever I say, and Im not going to be responding every day to what he says, said Blunt.

Blunt is being challenged for re-election by Democrat Jason Kander, currently Missouris secretary of state.
For many years, adults adopted as children who wanted to find out who their birth parents were ran up against a brick wall because they had no legal right to simply get a copy of their original birth certificate in most states.

But thats been changing, as a growing number of states, including Missouri, have been giving adult adoptees more  and in some cases, unrestricted  access to those records.

The shift reflects a move toward more openness in the adoption process itself, as well as the growing influence of adoptee rights groups, which have grown in number and become more vocal, putting pressure on legislators to act.

We have the right to find out about our ethnicity, medical history, family information and culture, said Erica Babino, legislative director for the American Adoption Congress, a nonprofit group that advocates for adoptees access to their birth records.

Decades ago, the birth records of adoptees were being sealed in most states to try to protect the confidentiality of birth mothers, particularly those who were unwed and faced the stigma of having a child out of wedlock. But advocates for adoptees say getting original birth certificates is a way to help them understand their backgrounds by revealing where they were born and their birth parents names and addresses.

Today about half of all states allow adult adoptees some form of access to their original birth certificate outside of going to court. In at least nine states  Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island (for those 25 and older) and Oregon  adult adoptees have unfettered access to those records, according to Nina Williams-Mbengue, who works on the issue at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The Hawaii law was passed this year and took effect in June. At least two other states  Indiana and Missouri  enacted laws this year that make it easier for adoptees to access their birth certificates. But similar legislation failed in other states, including Kentucky and Louisiana.

Legislators often dont understand how deeply the issue affects adoptees and how many peoples lives can be enhanced by having birth parents and children they gave up for adoption make contact, said Pennsylvania Republican state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff.

Its easy to vote no about those things we dont know much about, said Benninghoff, an adoptee who unsuccessfully sponsored an open access bill three times and is trying again this session.

Opponents argue that birth records shouldnt be opened to adoptees without the biological parents approval. They believe its a matter of privacy and protecting them from unwanted contact with their adult children.

Missouri state Rep. Bill White, R-Joplin, an adoptive parent, voted against an open access measure that becomes law this year. He said changing the law retroactively is unfair to birth parents who put their children up for adoption under a law that kept that information secret.

These were the terms. There was anonymity. All of a sudden, we changed the rules.

No longer a stigma

By the 1960s, adoptees original birth records in most states would be sealed by courts when a child was adopted, and replaced with an amended document with the adoptive parents information. At one time, nearly every state required adult adoptees to get a court order to gain access to their original birth certificates  in about 25 states, thats still the case.

But as attitudes toward adoption and women having children out of wedlock have changed, many states have modified their statutes. They have eased access for adoptees, although often with restrictions, such as delaying release for a certain period of time, redacting biological parents names, or requiring their consent before information is released.

In New Hampshire, which offers adoptees unrestricted access to their birth certificates, Stephen Wurtz, the states registrar, said hes seen a lot of changes over the decades. Ive been here 32 years. We guarded those documents like they were the Mona Lisa. But after legislation was passed about a decade ago to open up those records, it gave us a whole new way of dealing with it.

New Hampshire records show 1,760 adoptees requested birth certificates from December 2004 through December 2015, and only 13 birth parents filled out forms saying they didnt want to be contacted by the child they gave up for adoption.

In Ohio, the state opened its sealed records to adult adoptees in March 2015, making 400,000 birth certificates available, according to Melanie Amato, of the Ohio Department of Health. But if a birth parent had signed an opt-out form before that time requesting that his or her name be kept confidential, it is redacted from the document given to the adoptee.

As of March 2016, Amato said her agency had received 9,000 adoptee requests and issued about 7,800 birth certificates. It also got 259 requests for redactions from birth parents.

Many states have tried to balance the needs of adoptees and birth parents by setting up voluntary registries that can help connect the two parties.

Some states have established programs that use trained confidential intermediaries to discreetly reach out to birth parents or adoptees to see if they want to move forward with a reunion.

In some states, birth parents can decide whether they want to be contacted by an adoptee.

Opponents of unfettered access often favor those methods, saying they take into consideration both adoptees and birth parents rights.

Growing pressure

In recent years, advocacy groups that represent adoptees, such as the American Adoption Congress, the Adoptee Rights Coalition and Bastard Nation, have become more of a force in getting laws changed.

But others have tread more gently.

The National Council for Adoption, a nonprofit that advocates for birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees, takes a middle-of-the-road approach, President Chuck Johnson said, favoring voluntary registries and confidential intermediaries.

The group is concerned that unrestricted access could violate the privacy of that small percentage of birth mothers who never told their families about the adoption or who became pregnant through rape or incest, Johnson said.Theyre expecting their state to honor the conditions in place when they relinquished their children. It concerns me about the knock on the door.

Stateline is an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts
ST. LOUIS  Three journalists who reported on the 2014 Ferguson riots for Al-Jazeera America filed suit Monday against St. Charles County and three police officers, claiming personal injuries and violations of their constitutional rights.

The suit by Ash-har Quraishi, Marla Cichowski and Sam Winslade in U.S. District Court in St. Louis names St. Charles County, Deputy Michael Anderson of the St. Charles Regional SWAT Team and two unidentified police officers as defendants.

The reporters claim Anderson tear-gassed them, and allege that police officers shot at them more than once, dismantled their equipment, ordered them to leave the scene of protests and ultimately tried to cover up their own behavior.

The reporters claim the actions toward them were unwarranted.

They seek payment of unspecified actual and punitive damages and expenses.

St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said Monday that he thought the SWAT team had acted professionally from beginning to end.

This (lawsuit) is something we are going to pursue aggressively. We want to totally clear our guys of any suspicion they did anything wrong, he said.

Ehlmann said the officers actions were justified given that TV lights were being directed in their faces while rocks and bottles were being thrown.

The journalists make reference to such claims in their suit and say the allegations are false.

St. Charles County SWAT officers were among police from various jurisdictions assisting during protests and sometimes riots in Ferguson after the shooting of Michael Brown by then-Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

The suit cites incidents happening Aug. 13, 2014, in the 1300 block of Highmont Drive. At the time, Quraishi was a correspondent covering Ferguson for Al-Jazeera America, Cichowski was a field producer and Winslade a photojournalist, the lawsuit says. Quraishi and Cichowski are U.S. citizens; Winslade is from New Zealand but is a permanent U.S. resident.

Al-Jazeera America shut down the outlets cable and digital operations in April, citing an unsustainable business model.
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Hillary Clintons path to the White House grows wider by the day, but a big roadblock remains: her continued failure to be forthright and transparent about the private email server she maintained as secretary of state. It is an issue that will dog her until the Nov. 8 presidential election and could well hobble her dealings with Congress afterward if she wins.

She has endured a barrage of low blows and lies. Donald Trump has repeatedly hit far below the belt and offered up some whoppers regarding Clintons record. But on the email issue, Republican attacks are in fair territory and underscore how bad Clintons judgment can sometimes be.

Foremost on that score are the national security vulnerabilities posed by sending and receiving highly sensitive emails from a server in the basement of Clintons Chappaqua, N.Y., home. Shes also under fire for having mixed personal communications and Clinton Foundation business with official U.S. government communications.

The practice calls into question where she draws the line when personal business overlaps with her official duties. Trump deserves no less scrutiny on that front, given his vast international real estate holdings, multiple lawsuits in progress and apparently strong desire to avoid releasing his tax filings. Make no mistake: These are two very flawed candidates who apparently have lots of skeletons to hide.

Clinton tries to occupy the moral high ground by remaining low-key and letting Trump distract the public with his antics and bombast. If Trump would stop drawing so much unfavorable attention to himself, he could put Clinton back on the defensive by exploiting her vulnerabilities over the email issue.

Being told by FBI Director James Comey that an investigation of Clintons emails revealed no indictable offenses hardly gives her ethical bragging rights. Comey made clear she was reckless, and recent Russian hacking of her campaigns and the Democratic National Committees servers underscore the risks she took by routing State Department communications through a less secure private server.

Her attorneys deleted several thousand emails they deemed none of investigators business. The deletions have always looked fishy. New emails uncovered by Judicial Watch purport to show that Gilbert Chagoury, a wealthy Lebanese donor to the Clinton Foundation, sought State Department help in 2009 with Lebanese domestic issues. Judicial Watch noted other examples where the public-private line got blurred.

Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, the Senate majority whip, has asked Attorney General Loretta Lynch to investigate, suggesting the intervention constituted pay for play.

How many other such instances were hidden in the deleted emails? Possibly many. Possibly none. The public doesnt know, and thats exactly the problem. Americans dont know what they can trust about Clinton, which is why this race will continue to be a head-scratcher to the end.
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?
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: FTSE makes weekly gain but banks weigh on Friday

Friday, October 28, 2022 - 17:08

The FTSE 100 managed a weekly gain, despite underperforming peers on Friday, while strong results from oil majors lifted the mood in New York, shaking off poor numbers from Amazon.

Central banks move into focus again next week. The Federal Reserve announces its rate decision on Wednesday, with the Bank of England following on Thursday.

The FTSE 100 index closed down 26.02 points, or 0.4% at 7,047.67 on Friday, but finished the week 1.1% higher.

The FTSE 250 ended down 165.25 points, or 0.9%, at 17,916.67 - closing the week up 4.1%. The AIM All-Share closed down 4.09 points, or 0.5%, at 805.37, finishing 2.7% higher over the past five days

The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 703.81, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.0% at 15,378.84, and the Cboe Small Companies ended down 0.5% at 12,320.39.

The pound was quoted at $1.1595 at the London equities close Friday, up slightly from $1.1573 at the close on Thursday. Though sterling's marked rise tempered slightly on Friday, the currency has gained 3.2% over the past week.

Markets have so far taken confidence from the new UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

In the FTSE 100, Centrica added 5.2% after it announced the reopening of the Rough natural gas storage facility off the east coast of England.

Centrica, which owns British Gas, said the facility is operational for winter. The facility increases the UK's storage capacity by 50% despite it operating at just 20% of its previous capacity.

GSK closed up 2.3% after it said its majority owned ViiV Healthcare venture has received the European Medicines Agency's validation for its marketing authorisation application for HIV prevention, and said its MAA for respiratory syncytial virus adult vaccine has also been accepted.

NatWest was the worst performer. It plunged 8.3% as it reported strong income growth in the third quarter, boosted by both increased lending and higher interest rates, but the bank warned it is keeping a close on eye on any change in behaviour from its customers.

In the three months to September 30, operating profit before tax rose to 1.09 billion from 976 million a year before.

Putting a cap on the bank's profit, NatWest set aside 247 million in the quarter to cover an expected increase in bad loans, which is reversed from a 221 million gain the year prior.

Lloyds fell 3.3% in negative read across.

Glencore fell 1.0% as it trimmed annual guidance for some of its commodities after a disappointing third-quarter performance dominated by supply chain disruptions in Kazakhstan, extreme weather in Australia, and strikes in Canada and Norway.

In the FTSE 250, ASOS tumbled 11%.

The stock was rocked by a Telegraph report which stated some hedge funds have shorted the stock, just days after retailer Frasers bought a stake.

Elsewhere in London, China-focused investment trusts fell.

JPMorgan China Growth & Income fell 2.9% and abrdn China Investment dropped 3.5%.

Investor sentiment turned sour as Chinese cities doubled down on Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Stocks in New York were firmly in the green at the London equities close, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 2.0%, the S&P 500 index up 1.7% and the Nasdaq Composite up 1.8%.

After disappointment from tech stocks, oil majors put some shine on this week's US corporate earnings calendar.

Exxon Mobil revenue in the third quarter of 2022 jumped 52% to $112.07 billion from $73.79 billion a year prior. Attributable net income soared to $19.66 billion from $6.75 billion. The oil major's bottom line rose 10% from $17.85 billion in the second quarter.

Chevron posted pretax earnings of $14.80 billion, up from $8.06 billion the year before. Revenue increased to $66.64 billion from $44.71 billion the year before.

Exxon shares rose 1.8%, while Chevron was up 0.3%. Amazon slid 10%, after its poor numbers overnight.

Wall Street also shook off a higher inflation reading for the US on Friday.

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Fed's preferred inflationary measure, the core personal consumption expenditures index, which excludes food and energy, shot up 5.1% year-on-year in September, quickening from a 4.9% hike in August.

"The Fed's favoured measure of inflation is heading higher, rather than lower, while employment costs continue to rise at double the rate experienced over the past 15 years. The market is probably right to expect the Fed to slow the pace of rate hikes from December, but this is by no means guaranteed," analysts at ING commented.

On Thursday, the European Central Bank on Thursday lifted its benchmark interest rates by 75 basis points, as expected.

In European equities on Friday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended up 0.5%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt ended up 0.2%.

The euro stood at $0.9943 at the European equities close Friday, lower against $0.9984 at the same time on Thursday.

Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP147.54 late Friday, higher compared to JP145.90 late Thursday.

Gold was quoted at $1,640.91 an ounce at the London equities close Friday, down sharply against $1,662.60 at the close on Thursday. The precious metal has an inverse relationship with the greenback, weakening as the dollar strengthens.

Brent oil was quoted at $93.34 a barrel at the London equities close Friday, down from $94.75 late Thursday.

In Monday's UK corporate calendar, there are full year results from self storage company Lok'n Store and kidney disease-focused diagnostics firm Renalytix.

In the economic calendar, the EU will publish its latest GDP and CPI readings.

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) announced today that its Tilden Mining Company has entered into a new 20-year energy agreement with WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC) to provide Tilden mine with a long-term, reliable and affordable source of electrical power in Michigan.

Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs' Chairman, President and CEO, said, "With a significant and longstanding presence in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that spans over 160 years, Cliffs' commitment to operate in the region for many more years to come has been greatly enhanced through this new energy agreement with WEC Energy Group. Our Tilden Mine produces among the highest quality pellets in North America. With a stable, long-term source of power in place, Tilden will also continue to be the most operationally efficient producer of pellets for the domestic steel industry. Today's announcement is a demonstration of the success of the settlement agreement developed by key stakeholders under the leadership of the State of Michigan. Our collaboration with WEC Energy Group, Governor Snyder and the State of Michigan has resulted in a strategic energy solution for the Upper Peninsula which optimizes affordability and improves reliability for all ratepayers for decades to come."

The Company stated that this agreement will provide Cliffs' Tilden Mine with a clean, cost-effective and highly efficient energy generating capacity solution and also resolve the long-term energy reliability issues facing the residents in Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Under this agreement WEC Energy Group, through the proposed Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation plans to construct, own and operate 170 MW of new natural gas generating capacity across two sites in the Upper Peninsula. Pending regulatory approvals, the proposed facilities are expected to commence operation in 2019 which will be in advance of the retirement of the Presque Isle Power Plant.

With WEC Energy Group's investment in new electric power generation in the region, the Company stated that there will be tangible benefits for U.P. residents of a more cost-effective energy future and negating the possibility of a future System Support Resource (SSR) related to the operation of the Presque Isle Power Plant.
MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE: MD) announced the acquisition of Maternal Fetal Medicine of Southwest Florida, P.A. a private physician group practice based in Fort Myers, Fla.

Maternal Fetal Medicine of Southwest Florida was established in 2000 and currently has four physicians, 11 sonographers and 26 other clinical and administrative staff who provide a full spectrum of perinatology and sonographic services including comprehensive high-risk maternal-fetal medicine, ultrasounds, amniocentesis, diagnostic testing and genetic counseling.

The practice has four patient offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and Naples and serves six hospitals, including the four acute care hospitals of Lee Memorial Health System (Lee Memorial Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center, Gulf Coast Medical Center, and Cape Coral Hospital) as well as NCH North Naples Hospital, part of NCH Healthcare System and Bayfront Health Port Charlotte, part of Bayfront Health.

MEDNAXs extensive research, education and quality programs were definitely a differentiator for us, said Judith Krammer, M.D., who will serve as medical director for the practice. Joining MEDNAX also gives us the infrastructure we need to excel in todays healthcare environment as well as the ability to be part of the continuum of care the company currently provides in Southwest Florida with industry-leading neonatal and pediatric services.

This acquisition adds to the services MEDNAX provides in Southwest Florida which currently include maternal-fetal medicine (perinatology), neonatology, pediatric cardiology and newborn hearing screen.

This was a cash transaction, and it is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings. No additional terms of the transaction were disclosed.

With this acquisition, ten physician group practices have become part of MEDNAX in 2016.
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 08/14/16 -- BMO Global Asset Management (BMO GAM) has released its semi-annual ETF Outlook Report, which highlights key trends that impacted the Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) industry in the first half of 2016 along with expectations moving forward.

According to the report, the Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) ETF industry continues to grow with record-level net inflows of US$11 billion during the first half of 2016 and total assets under management of US$123 billion. The region's AUM compares to US$2.3 trillion in AUM for the U.S. market and US$529 billion in AUM for the European market.

"In light of ongoing volatility in Asian markets and moderating growth in China since the beginning of this year, investors in the region are looking for stable, high quality products that have strong long-term prospects," said Clarence Chan, Head of ETF & Beta Investments, BMO Global Asset Management (Asia) Limited.

"In particular, fixed income ETFs have achieved record level net inflows of US$2.6 billion, demonstrating that investors recognize the diversification and liquidity benefits of this asset class. Also, in the low yield environment, low fees of these products help investors maintain their net income."

2016 Trends and Growth Opportunities

The BMO ETF Outlook Report also examines how global market uncertainty will drive growth opportunities for the ETF industry in the second half of 2016.

Market Volatility and ETFs: Investors continue to recognize the benefits of using ETFs to address volatility and are moving to smart beta ETFs focused on income, quality and low volatility.

Sector-Specific ETFs: Investors are migrating away from direct-security holdings to sector-based ETFs that offer diversified exposures.

Fixed Income ETFs: The growth of fixed income ETFs is expected to outpace equity ETFs as investors look for yield solutions. The ETF industry has added more precise exposures, slicing the credit spectrum and segmenting by maturity.

Currency Exposure: In an environment of global economic uncertainty, currency exposure continues to be top of mind for investors. The ETF industry has evolved and offers both hedged and unhedged exposures, giving investors effective tools to manage currency risk in their portfolios.

Capturing Yield: In the current low-interest-rate environment, investors are looking beyond traditional exposures and are gravitating towards ETFs that can generate more income for their portfolios.

Looking Forward

The BMO ETF Outlook Report also featured expectations for the future of the ETF industry, noting that the number of providers has continued to expand globally. In response, providers are focusing on creating products that stand out in the marketplace, allowing investors to benefit from having more choice than ever before.

Mr. Chan added, "In Asia, we anticipate the ETF market will continue to mature and grow as both retail and institutional investors become more knowledgeable about ETFs and the range of offerings expands."

To view the full report or for more information about ETFs, please visit: www.bmo.hk/etfs.

About BMO Global Asset Management

BMO Global Asset Management is a global investment manager with offices in more than 25 cities in 15 countries, delivering service excellence to clients across five continents.

Our four major investment centers in Toronto, Chicago, London and Hong Kong are complemented by a network of world-class boutique managers strategically located across the globe: BMO Real Estate Partners, LGM Investments, Monegy, Inc., Pyrford International Ltd., and Taplin, Canida & Habacht, LLC. BMO Global Asset Management is a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment initiative (UNPRI).

BMO Global Asset Management is a part of BMO Financial Group, a highly diversified financial services provider based in North America with total assets of CDN $681 billion as of April 30, 2016, and over 45,000 employees. BMO Wealth Management has worldwide assets under management of CDN $377 billion (USD $300 billion).

DISCLAIMER: Exchange traded funds (ETFs) may not be suitable for all investors and investors should not invest based on this document alone. Before investing, investors should read the BMO ETF prospectus (available at www.bmo.hk/etfs) for further details, including product features and risk factors. Investment involves risks. The value of investments and the income from them can go down as well as up, and investors may not get back the original amount invested. Nothing in this document is, or is intended to be, an offer, advice, or a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. This document is issued by BMO Global Asset Management (Asia) Limited and has not been reviewed by the SFC.

"BMO (M-bar roundel)" is a registered trade-mark of Bank of Montreal, used under licence.

Contacts: Media Contacts: Yi Xie, Hong Kong +852 3716-0801 [email protected] Charlotte Bilney, Hong Kong +852 3103-0100 or +852 9314 3463 [email protected]

Source: BMO Global Asset Management
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) (the "Company") today announced the purchase of the Mina Gold property located in Mineral County, Nevada from Nevada Select Royalty Inc. ("Nevada Select"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ely Gold and Minerals Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ELY) (OTC PINK: ELYGF). The Mina Gold property contains an historic third party estimate of mineralized material totaling 1,606,000 tonnes grading 1.88 gram per tonne (g/t) gold. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and exploration properties in Nevada, USA. The Company has returned $108 million to shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery.

Mina Gold acquisition highlights include:

High-grade gold averaging 1.88 grams per tonne*

+1.6 million tonnes*

Open pit heap leach potential

Metallurgical test work with excellent recoveries

Potential low start-up project capital expenditure

Patented claims covering known mineralization

Mining friendly jurisdiction, Nevada, U.S.A

100% acquisition

No bank or broker transaction fees

(* from historic third-party estimate)

The Company acquired 100% of the Mina Gold property from Nevada Select for US$1,000,000, which included shares of restricted common stock valued at $850,000 and cash of $150,000 representing a one-time advanced royalty payment. Nevada Select retained a net smelter return royalty (NSR) of 3% on the patented claims and 2% NSR on the unpatented claims. The Company has the right to buy down 1 percent of the NSR on the patented claims for US$1,000,000 and 0.5 percent of the NSR on the unpatented claims for US$500,000.

The Mina Gold property covers an area of approximately 825 acres consisting of 43 unpatented claims and 5 patented claims in central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt in Mineral County, Nevada. The property is located approximately 7 miles northeast of the Company's Gold Mesa property and will be added to the Company's Nevada Mining Unit. Gold Resource Corporation's Nevada Mining Unit now controls approximately 5,405 acres of exploration lands in south central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt.

Gold mineralization at Mina Gold is hosted by epithermal quartz veins occurring along fault zones in volcanic host rock outcropping at the surface. Historic drill intercepts encountered gold at shallow depths (

In 1996, Glamis Gold Exploration, Inc., (Reno, Nevada) prepared an in-house estimate of mineralized material totaling 1,606,000 tonnes grading 1.88 g/t gold in the property's "Monster Zone". The Monster Zone consists of parallel structures approximately 45 meters apart which remain open on strike and depth. The Monster Zone mineralization is covered by patented claims, which are surrounded by multiple unpatented claims included in the transaction, giving additional exploration upside potential along this mineralized trend.

Historic metallurgical reports completed by Legend Metallurgical Laboratory, Inc. out of Reno, Nevada, includes column leach tests at minus 6 inch rock returned 70% gold recovery in 22 days and 80% gold recovery in 60 days. Minus one-half inch rock returned 75% gold recovery in 2 days. Bottle roll tests on 3/8-inch rock returned 90% gold recovery in 96 hours. Historic studies indicate the best gold recoveries on the Monster Zone may require particle agglomeration prior to heap leaching.

"We are pleased to acquire the Mina Gold high-grade gold property with its open pit heap leach potential to add to our Nevada Mining Unit's project pipeline," stated Gold Resource Corporation's CEO and President, Mr. Jason Reid. "The low acquisition cost for a property containing 1,606,000 tonnes grading 1.88 gram per tonne gold with exploration upside is exciting. The Mina Gold property's high grade historic gold intercepts, its positive metallurgical reports and its low-cost open pit heap leach potential underscores the type of high-grade properties we are pursuing for our Nevada Mining Unit. The Company's Mina Gold and Gold Mesa properties represent highly prospective precious metal properties that have the potential to rapidly grow into future projects. It is our goal to produce gold in the future from our Nevada Mining Unit to add to our current Oaxaca Mining unit's gold and silver production."

About GRC: Gold Resource Corporation is a mining company focused on production and pursuing development of gold and silver projects that feature low operating costs and produce high returns on capital. The Company has 100% interest in six potential high-grade gold and silver properties at its producing Oaxaca, Mexico Mining Unit and exploration properties at its Nevada, USA, Mining Unit. The Company has 56,396,875 shares outstanding, no warrants, no long term debt and has returned $108 million back to shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved.

Cautionary Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan", "target", "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC.

Contacts: Corporate Development Greg Patterson 303-320-7708 www.Goldresourcecorp.com

Source: Gold Resource Corporation
Sven Biscop (EGMONT  The Royal Institute for International Relations)

On 28 June, Federica Mogherini presented the Global Strategy for the EU Foreign and Security Policy (EGS) to the European Council. Following the referendum on the UKs exit from the EU, which poses a big challenge, the Union must not withdraw into itself and the new strategy is now therefore more important than ever before. EGS introduces a new approach to the foreign and security policy and it can be seen as a revision of the 2003 European Security Strategy (ESS). How exactly does the approach of EGS change from that of ESS?

Firstly, the document lists EUs priority interests for the first time in its history. EGS puts a greater emphasis on safeguarding the EUs security and European Neighborhood Policy. After the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels and due to the ongoing refugee crisis, a greater focus on the above-mentioned priorities is vital so that EGS could be credible both for the citizens and the individual Member States. The second shift is seen in that it has less emphasis on democracy and democratization. EGS tends to focus on the strengthening of stability in the problematic countries rather than on the change of the local regimes. The objective is to combat poverty and social inequality, so that in the future a positive change can arise from within the concerned states.

The third major change compared to ESS is a greater emphasis on military means. The ambition is to enhance the ability to protect Europe, respond immediately to external crises and help with the defense capacities of our partners. The EU should be able to act independently, but also contribute to the NATO missions. EGS calls for a greater cooperation and integration in the field of security and proposes a coordinated review of annual military spending plans of individual Member States. The new strategy also reflects, more than EBS, geopolitical tensions between global and regional powers. A great emphasis is placed on diplomatic initiatives and platforms, such as ASEM and the EU-ASEAN partnership, as well as the inclusion of trade policy into the overall EU strategy.

For the new Global Strategy to meet its goals, it must be translated into real political decisions and actions. EGS has already now brought up a proposal for implementation, a clear process and a time schedule, which did not happen in the ESS case. The strategy should be institutionally enshrined not only in the European External Action Service (EEAS) but also in the Commission, and it is essential that Member States adopt it as their own. The current international environment needs a confident EU. Only then, its responsible approach can bring about a positive change in the world.

(The study can be downloaded here:http://www.egmontinstitute.be/publication_article/eu-global-strategy/19958)
ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND -- (Marketwired) -- 08/15/16 -- Ithaca Energy Inc (TSX: IAE) (LSE: IAE)

TSX: IAE; LSE: IAE

Not for Distribution to U.S. Newswire Services or for Dissemination in the United States

Ithaca Energy Inc.

2016 Half Year Financial Results

15 August 2016

Ithaca Energy Inc. (TSX: IAE; LSE: IAE) ("Ithaca" or the "Company") announces its quarterly financial results for the three months ended 30 June 2016 ("Q2-2016" or the "Quarter") and half year results for the six months ended 30 June 2016 ("H1-2016").

Highlights Solid cashflow generation during H1-2016

Average production of 9,378 boepd - ahead of 9,000 boepd guidance

Sustained reduction in unit operating costs - full year guidance lowered to $25/boe prior to Stella start-up, down $5/boe or 17%, in line with H1-2016 performance

$82 million cashflow from operations, driven by reduced operating costs and hedging (cashflow per share $0.20)

Earnings of $46 million excluding mark-to-market of future commodity hedges, $6 million unadjusted (earnings per share $0.02)

Continued deleveraging of the business being delivered ahead of Stella start-up - strong liquidity position

Net debt reduced from a peak of over $800 million in the first half of 2015 to $606 million at 30 June 2016

Over $120 million of funding headroom - total debt availability in excess of $730 million following semi-annual RBL redetermination in April 2016

Significant commodity price protection remains in place - 8,200 boepd hedged from end H1-2016 to mid-2017 at an average price of $59/boe

"FPF-1" modifications programme completed and vessel approaching Stella field location

On track for Stella first hydrocarbons in November 2016, three months after sail-away

Long term value of the Greater Stella Area ("GSA") hub enhanced by future move to oil pipeline exports and expansion of satellite portfolio

Access secured to major oil export pipeline for future production and initial tie-in works completed, allowing switch from tanker loading to pipeline export during 2017 - reduces fixed operating costs, enhances operational uptime and improves reserves recovery

Interest in "Vorlich" discovery increased to approximately 33%(1) and a 75% interest and operatorship acquired in the nearby "Austen" discovery

Strong outlook - material near-term step-change in production and cashflow

Production set to more than double to 20-25,000 boepd and unit operating costs to reduce to under $20/boe with start-up of production from the Stella field

Attractive set of future investment opportunities within the portfolio - ability to tailor the capital investment programme to the prevailing economic outlook

Increasing financial flexibility - focus on delivering continued deleveraging of the business within a balanced capital investment programme

Les Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, commented: "The business has continued to perform well over the first half of the year. Production is running ahead of guidance, operating costs have been further reduced and we have continued deleveraging the business. It has been particularly pleasing to announce the recent sail-away of the FPF-1, the quality and completeness of which means we move forward into the operational phase of the Stella development with confidence. We remain focused on getting to first production safely and efficiently, whilst ensuring we secure the long term value of the hub through our on-going investment activities."

Greater Stella Area Development The FPF-1 modifications programme, which has been undertaken by Petrofac in the Remontowa shipyard in Poland, was completed in July 2016. Importantly, all the onshore scope and testing work scheduled for completion in the yard has been completed as planned, avoiding costly carry over of unfinished work offshore. The vessel has been materially upgraded to accommodate the requirements of the GSA hub. Additional buoyancy and enhancements to the marine systems have been undertaken to extend the operational life of the vessel and entirely new topside oil and gas processing facilities have been installed.

Following the completion of deep water marine system trials, the FPF-1 commenced its tow to the Stella field location in early August 2016. It is anticipated that the period from sail-away to first hydrocarbons is approximately three months. Following the tow the FPF-1 will be moored on location using twelve pre-installed anchor chains. The dynamic risers and umbilicals that connect the subsea infrastructure to the vessel will then be installed. Thereafter, commissioning of the various processing and utility systems that can only be undertaken on location with hydrocarbons from the field will be completed.

GSA Oil Pipeline Access to the Norpipe oil pipeline system has been secured for future GSA production, allowing a switch from tanker loading during 2017. This move will significantly reduce the fixed operating costs of the GSA facilities and enhance operational uptime, resulting in improved reserves recovery and increasing the long term value of the GSA as a production hub.

GSA Satellite Acquisitions As previously announced, the Company has entered into sale and purchase agreements ("SPA") to increase its interest in the Vorlich discovery from approximately 17% to 33%, adding approximately 4 MMboe(1) of net proven and probable reserves. An SPA has also been signed for the acquisition of a 75% interest and operatorship of the Austen discovery. Austen lies approximately 30 kilometres from the GSA hub and is estimated by Ithaca to contain gross contingent resources ("1C" to "3C") in the range of 4-28 MMboe(2).

Initial considerations are payable at completion of the acquisitions, with additional contingent payments at FDP approval and upon reaching reserves recovery thresholds. The acquisition costs including potential future contingent payments total under $6 million, with the transactions expected to complete in the second half of 2016.

Production & Operations The producing asset portfolio has performed well over H1 2016, with production running ahead of guidance largely as a result of solid performance from the Cook and Dons Area fields. Average production for the H1 2016 was 9,378 boepd (93% oil).

Full year base production guidance, excluding any contribution from start-up of the Stella field during 2016, remains unchanged at 9,000 boepd. The additional production contribution resulting from the start-up of Stella during the year will depend on the exact timing of first hydrocarbons from the field. Prompt ramp up of production is anticipated following first hydrocarbons, leading to an expected initial annualised production rate of approximately 16,000 boepd net to Ithaca.

Financials Cashflow from Operations Despite an approximate 30% fall in Brent and lower production primarily resulting from removal of high cost assets from the portfolio, the business delivered $82 million cashflow from operations in H1-2016. Adjusting for the one-off hedging gains realised in Q1-2015 and onerous contract provisions, H1-2016 cashflow from operations has remained broadly flat compared to the same period in 2015. This performance highlights the benefit of the commodity hedges the Company has in place and significant operating costs savings that have been secured through re-setting of the cost base.

Hedging The Company's future commodity hedged position remains unchanged from that announced at the previous quarter's financial results. During H1-2016 approximately 13,500 boepd (55% oil) of commodity hedges were realised at an average price of $59/boe. This resulted in hedging cash gains of $58 million during the period.

Approximately 9,400 boepd (48% oil) is hedged in the second half of 2016 at an average price of $58/boe. In the first half of 2017 approximately 7,000 boepd (50% oil) is hedged at an average price of $60/boe. In total, as at the 1 July 2016 these future hedges were valued at $47 million based on prevailing oil and gas forward curves at that time.

Operating Expenditure Operating costs in H1-2016 continued on the downward trend established in 2015, with an average unit cost of $25/boe delivered during the period. This represents a substantial 17% or $5/boe saving on forecast unit operating expenditure for the existing assets prior to Stella start-up. This has been achieved as a result of cost reductions secured across the portfolio, with the Cook and Wytch Farm fields delivering the most significant savings.

It is anticipated that unit operating costs from the existing producing fields will remain around $25/boe over the course of this year and the guidance is accordingly revised down from $30/boe. The forecast unit operating costs for the Stella field remain unchanged at $10-12/boe.

Capital Expenditure Total capital expenditure in 2016 is forecast to be approximately $50 million, the majority of which relates to the GSA.

Net Debt As planned, during H1-2016 the Company continued to delever the business ahead of first hydrocarbons from the Stella field. Net debt at 30 June 2016 was $606 million, down from $665 million at the end of 2015 and over 25% or $200 million since the peak of over $800 million in the first half of 2015.

Deleveraging of the business continues to remain a core priority of the Company, with a step change in the debt reduction profile achievable following the start-up of Stella production.

The business is fully funded with strong liquidity, having over $730 million of available debt ahead of planned first hydrocarbons from the GSA, which provides in excess of $120 million of funding headroom.

Tax The Company had a UK tax allowances pool of over $1,600 million at 30 June 2016. At current commodity prices the pool is forecast to shelter the Company from the payment of corporation tax over the medium term.

Further Information

GSA Development Film A short film capturing the work that has been completed on the Stella development and sail-away of the FPF-1 from Gdansk is available on the Company's website (www.ithacaenergy.com).

H1-2016 Financial Results Conference Call A conference call and webcast for investors and analysts will be held today at 12.00 BST (07.00 EDT). Listen to the call live via the Company's website (www.ithacaenergy.com) or alternatively dial-in on one of the following telephone numbers and request access to the Ithaca Energy conference call: UK +44 203 059 8125; Canada +1 855 287 9927; US +1 866 796 1569. A short presentation to accompany the results will be available on the Company's website prior to the call.

Glossary

boe Barrels of oil equivalent boepd Barrels of oil equivalent per day MMboe Million barrels of oil equivalent RBL Reserves Based Lending facility

- ENDS -

Notes In accordance with AIM Guidelines, John Horsburgh, BSc (Hons) Geophysics (Edinburgh), MSc Petroleum Geology (Aberdeen) and Subsurface Manager at Ithaca is the qualified person that has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release. Mr Horsburgh has over 15 years operating experience in the upstream oil and gas industry.

1. The Vorlich field interest and estimated reserves reflect assumed unitisation across licences P1588 and P363. The estimated reserves are based on the independent reserves assessment performed by Sproule International Limited ("Sproule"), effective as of 31 December 2015, and prepared in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook maintained by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (Calgary Chapter), as amended from time to time. 2. Estimates of the gross 1C to 3C contingent resource (Development Pending) range associated with the Austen discovery have been prepared by Ithaca, effective as of 1 July 2016, and not by an independent qualified reserves evaluator or assessor. These figures are estimates only and the actual results may be greater than or less than the estimates provided herein, with the resource range reflecting uncertainties and risks associated with compartmentalisation of the reservoir. There is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of these resources.

The estimates of reserves and resources stated herein for individual properties may not reflect the same confidence level as estimates of reserves and resources for all properties, due to the effects of aggregation. The well test results disclosed in this press release represent short-term results, which may not necessarily be indicative of long-term well performance or ultimate hydrocarbon recovery therefrom.

The Company's total proved and probable reserves at 31 December 2015 plus the estimated reserves associated with the Vorlich licence acquisition from TOTAL, which completed in July 2016, were 57 MMboe. These reserves were independently assessed by Sproule, a qualified reserves evaluator.

References herein to barrels of oil equivalent ("boe") are derived by converting gas to oil in the ratio of six thousand cubic feet ("Mcf") of gas to one barrel ("bbl") of oil. Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 Mcf: 1 bbl is based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mcf: 1 bbl, utilising a conversion ratio at 6 Mcf: 1 bbl may be misleading as an indication of value.

About Ithaca Energy Ithaca Energy Inc. (TSX: IAE; LSE: IAE) is a North Sea oil and gas operator focused on the delivery of lower risk growth through the appraisal and development of UK undeveloped discoveries and the exploitation of its existing UK producing asset portfolio. Ithaca's strategy is centred on generating sustainable long term shareholder value by building a highly profitable 25kboe/d North Sea oil and gas company. For further information please consult the Company's website www.ithacaenergy.com.

Non-IFRS Measures "Cashflow from operations" and "cashflow per share" referred to in this press release are not prescribed by IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures do not have any standardised meanings and therefore are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company uses these measures to help evaluate its performance. As an indicator of the Company's performance, cashflow from operations should not be considered as an alternative to, or more meaningful than, net cash from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. The Company considers cashflow from operations to be a key measure as it demonstrates the Company's underlying ability to generate the cash necessary to fund operations and support activities related to its major assets. Cashflow from operations is determined by adding back changes in non-cash operating working capital to cash from operating activities.

"Net debt" referred to in this press release is not prescribed by IFRS. The Company uses net drawn debt as a measure to assess its financial position. Net drawn debt includes amounts outstanding under the Company's debt facilities and senior notes, less cash and cash equivalents.

Forward-looking Statements Some of the statements and information in this press release are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") are based on the Company's internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs as at the date of such statements or information, including, among other things, assumptions with respect to production, drilling, construction and maintenance times, well completion times, risks associated with operations, required regulatory, partner and other third party approvals, commodity prices, future capital expenditures, continued availability of financing for future capital expenditures, future acquisitions and dispositions and cash flow. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information may prove to be incorrect. When used in this press release, the words and phrases like "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "plan", "should", "believe", "could", "target", "in the process of", "on track","set to" and similar expressions, and the negatives thereof, whether used in connection with operational activities, anticipated period from sail-away to Stella first hydrocarbons, production forecasts, anticipated ramp-up of production following Stella first hydrocarbons,, projected operating costs, anticipated capital expenditures and capital programme, anticipated effects of securing access to the GSA oil export pipeline, the anticipated timing of completion of the Vorlich and Austen license acquisitions, expected future payments associated with such license acquisitions, assumed unitisation across licences P1588 and P363 containing the Vorlich discovery, statements related to reserves and resources other than reserves, the planned independent assessment of the Austen property, the planned commissioning and offshore hook up activities associated with the FPF-1, portfolio investment opportunities, expected tax horizon of the Company, or otherwise, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements are not promises or guarantees, and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations, or the assumptions underlying these expectations, will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. Ithaca Energy Inc. expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any forward-looking statement is based except as required by applicable securities laws.

Additional information on these and other factors that could affect Ithaca's operations and financial results are included in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the quarter and six months ended 30 June 2016 and the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended 31 December 2015 and in reports which are on file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and may be accessed through the SEDAR website (www.sedar.com).

This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

Source: Ithaca Energy Inc
More CHLA Physicians Named to List Than Any Other Pediatric Medical Facility in the Region

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Pasadena Magazine recently released its annual Top Doctors issue for 2016, which recognizes more than 200 physicians with privileges to practice at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), ranked among the top pediatric academic medical centers in the U.S.

Many of the honorees are members of the Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group and are academically affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

It is an honor for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to have more than 200 physicians on its hospital staff named to this years list. And it is a significant achievement to have more honorees than any other pediatric institution in the region, says Paul S. Viviano, president and chief executive officer of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. It also is further confirmation to our community that we are home to an impressive array of experts in pediatric care who collectively oversee the more than 350 pediatric services and programs we offer.

The esteemed list includes doctors from 28 CHLA clinical departments and divisions, including specialties like cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery; hematology; oncology and bone marrow transplantation; neurology; neurosurgery; orthopaedics; and many others. Many of CHLAs areas of expertise also rank among the best in the country in U.S. News & World Reports Best Childrens Hospitals Survey for 2016-17, which lists CHLA in the top ten pediatric medical institutions overall nationally.

This is the ninth year Pasadena Magazine has developed and released its list of Top Doctors. Through a secure website ballot, doctors from the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles area voted for the most esteemed physician in their own specialty areas. The online votes were tabulated and participating physician credentials were verified by an independent law firm.

It is truly an honor to have Pasadena Magazine recognize so many members of our medical group, says Larry Harrison, chief executive officer of the CHLA Medical Group. It signifies that the physicians in our group are held in high esteem by other physicians and are known for delivering the highest quality care for infants, children and young adults.

This years honorees include physician staff from CHLAs outpatient center in the San Gabriel Valley, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles  Arcadia. Just a block north of Restaurant Row in Arcadia, off the Huntington Drive exit on the 210 Freeway, this medical facility supports about 7,500 patient visits annually, providing San Gabriel Valley families access to the same expert physicians who care for children at our nationally renowned main campus. Specialty services offered at the Arcadia outpatient center include: allergy and immunology, dermatology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology-oncology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, otolaryngology, pediatric surgery, pulmonology, and urology. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles  Arcadia also offers laboratory and radiology services on site.

Families and children across the greater Los Angeles area also have access to CHLAs award-winning care through four other neighborhood pediatric outpatient centers located in Encino, Santa Monica, South Bay and Valencia.

The 2016 Top Doctors edition of Pasadena Magazine will be available soon on newsstands across Los Angeles. Following is the list of physicians with privileges at Children's Hospital Los Angeles who were voted to the Top Docs list:

Adolescent and Young Adult MedicineMarvin Belzer, MDJohanna Olson-Kennedy, MDMichele Roland, MDDiane Tanaka, MD

Anesthesiology Critical Care MedicineTimothy Deakers, MDSylvia Del Castillo, MDKaren Flotildes, DOJoanna Green, MDGeorge Istaphanous, MDBarry Markovitz, MDMarla Matar, MDSabine Mellinger, MDLara Nelson, MDChristopher Newth, MDSameh Nour, MDKristin Richards, MDNiurka Rivero, MDPatrick Ross, MDSarah Rubin, MDMichelle Schlunt, MDGary Scott, MDRandall C. Wetzel, MB, BS

Cardiology and Cardiothoracic SurgerySarah Badran, MDCraig Baker, MDYaniv Bar-Cohen, MDJon Detterich, MDCynthia Herrington, MDFrank Ing, MDJondavid Menteer, MDJay Pruetz, MDArash Sabati, MDMichael Silka, MDVaughn Starnes, MDRam Kumar Subramanyan, MDJacqueline Szmuszkovicz, MDFrances Travelli, MDWinfield Wells, MDPierre Wong, MDJohn Wood, MD

Clinical Immunology and AllergyJoseph Church, MDRonald Ferdman, MDPeck Ong, MD

Endocrinology and MetabolismJuliana Austin, MDLily C. Chao, MDClement C. Cheung, MDLynda K. Fisher, MDMitchell Geffner, MDDavid Geller, MDSteven Mittelman, MDBrian Miyazaki, MDRoshanak Monzavi, MDKathleen Page, MDPisit Pitukcheewanont, MDAnna Ryabets-Lienhard, DO

Gastroenterology and NutritionHarry Cynamon, MDTanaz Danialifar, MDRula Harb, MDRussell Merritt, MDSonia Michail, MDHillel Naon, MDD. Brent Polk, MDJaya Punati, MDNisreen Soufi, MDDan Thomas, MDJacques Van Dam, MDArdath Yamaga, MDGeorge Yanni, MDYuhua Zheng, MD

General PediatricsRobert Adler, MDLukas Austin-Page, MDEyal Ben-Isaac, MDFaisal Chawla, MDPamela Clark, MDDanielle Fernandes, MDAra Festekjian, MDYvonne Gutierrez, MDDana Marseille, MDAmeer Mody, MDCynthia Munoz, PhDJeranil Nunez, MDMona Patel, MDDavid Peng, MDLaura Piper, MDGabriel Poliboy, MDJennifer Rafeedie, PsyDJessica Rankin, MDSheela Rao, MDSuzanne Roberts, MDJoshua Sherman, MDKaren Sherwood, MDMichelle Thompson, MDDouglas Vanderbilt, MDKevin Waloff, MDElizabeth Weiner, MDCynthia Wong, MDIrina Zamora, PsyD

Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow TransplantationShahab Asgharzadeh, MDLeslie Ballas, MDThomas Coates, MDYves DeClerck, MDGirish Dhall, MDAndrew Dietz, MDAnat Erdreich-Epstein, MDCecilia Fu, MDPaul S. Gaynon, MDJosephine Haduong, MDThomas Hofstra, MDAraz Marachelian, MDAshley Margol, MDLeo Mascarenhas, MDAlicia McFarren, MDEtan Orgel, MDMichael Pulsipher, MDNathan Robison, MDRobert Seeger, MDAmanda Termuhlen, MDDavid Tishler, MDJudith Villablanca, MDAlan Wayne, MDKenneth Wong, MDGuy Young, MD

Hospital MedicineDenizhan Akan, MDLaToya Barber, MDGrant Christman, MDJennifer Maniscalco Dhanireddy, MDHeidi Morris, MDKendra Mitchell, MDKathleen Ostrom, MDChristopher Russell, MDMargaret Trost, MDSusan Wu, MD

Infectious DiseasesJeff Bender, MDJill Hoffman, MDKanokporn Mongkolrattanothai, MDMichael Neely, MDPia Pannaraj, MD

Maternal-Fetal MedicineBrendan Grubbs, MD

Medical GeneticsSusanna Sorrentino, MD

NeonatologyTimur Azhibekov, MDRachel Chapman, MDSteven Chin, MDPhilippe Friedlich, MDAnna Ganster, MDArlene Garingo, MDNarayan Iyer, MDClaire McLean, MDSrikumar Nair, MDShahab Noori, MDLisa Paquette, MDTheodora Stavroudis, MDLinda Tesoriero, MD

NephrologyCarl Grushkin, MD

NeurologyNusrat Ahsan, MDJay Desai, MDRebecca Hanson, MDEugenia Ho, MDDeborah Holder, MDWendy Mitchell, MDNancy Niparko, MDSharon ONeil, PhDArthur Partikian, MDLeigh Ramos-Platt, MDTena Rosser, MDTerence Sanger, MDMichele Van Hirtum-Das, MD

NeurosurgeryWilliam Mack, MDR. Aaron Robison, MD

OphthalmologyBibiana Reiser, MD

Orthopaedic SurgeryLindsay Andras, MDPaul Choi, MDBianca Edison, MDRachel Goldstein, MDJ. Lee Pace, MDDavid L. Skaggs, MDMilan Stevanovic, MDVernon Tolo, MDCurtis Vandenberg, MD

OtolaryngologyDebra M. Don, MDRick Friedman, MDChristian Hochstim, MDDennis Maceri, MDEric Wilkinson, MD

Pathology and Laboratory MedicineFloyd Gilles, MDDavid Parham, MDTimothy Triche, MDShengmei Zhou, MD

Pediatric SurgeryDean Anselmo, MDKiran Dhanireddy, MDHenri Ford, MDChristopher Gayer, MDCathy E. Shin, MDJames E. Stein, MDClaire Templeman, MDManuel Torres, MDKasper Wang, MD

Plastic and Maxillofacial SurgeryLori Howell, MDKetan Patel, MDMark Urata, MD

PulmonologyMonique Margetis, MDIris Perez, MDSally Ward, MD

PsychiatryRobert Holloway, MDBradley Peterson, MDSusan Turkel, MD

RadiologyVicente Gilsanz, MDFariba Goodarzian, MDSusan R. Harlan, MDNatalie Mahieu, MDMarvin Nelson, MDSkorn Ponrartana, MDAmit Sura, MDBenita Tamrazi, MDChadi Zeinati, MD

RehabilitationPhoebe Scott-Wyard, DO

RheumatologyAndreas Reiff, MD

UrologySiamak Daneshmand, MDRoger E. De Filippo, MDMary Samplaski, MD

About Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best childrens hospital in California and among the top 10 in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Childrens Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Childrens Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: CHLA.org/BLOG.

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Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Owen Lei, 323-361-8433

[email protected]

Source: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles
Reflects increasing impact of surface-enhanced implants and surgeon adoption in EU interbody device market

MEQUON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Titan Spine, a medical device surface technology company focused on developing innovative spinal interbody fusion implants, today announced that it has expanded its distribution agreement with strategic partner MBA to provide Titans line of Endoskeleton titanium implants to practicing spine surgeons in the European Union to include Italy.

Under the agreement, initially announced in September 2015, Titan Spine provides its spinal interbody fusion devices featuring its proprietary surface technology to MBA for distribution in seven EU countries: Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Luxembourg, Belgium, the United Kingdom (UK) and now Italy. MBA is a prominent international medical device marketing-and-distribution organization that specializes in the sale of products used for orthopedic and neurosurgery treatments.

Marcus Klarl, Vice President of Sales, Europe for Titan Spine, commented, Our initial distribution agreement with MBA has proven largely successful over the past year due to accelerating sales growth. Increased surgeon adoption within the EU interbody device market has demonstrated the growing desire for surface enhanced interbody fusion devices that stimulate healing at the cellular level where it is most critical for improved patient outcomes. We look forward to providing these benefits to spine surgeons and patients in Italy  an interbody fusion market that is projected to surpass $25 million next year.

Titan Spine is more than a supplier for us; they are a partner, commented Carlos Marina, CEO for MBA. Since the beginning of our commercial relationship with Titan, we have worked together seamlessly. In fact, on introducing Titan Spine into the Italian market they have now become the only supplier that MBA works with in all countries where we operate: Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Belgium, UK, Luxembourg, and Italy.

Paul Griffin, International Business Manager of MBA, added, We are delighted with the level of success achieved to date with distribution of Titan Spine spinal implants in the countries where MBA has initially introduced the unique portfolio. Now, with the addition of distribution in Italy, MBA and Titan Spine are together strongly positioned to increase Italian market share with a comprehensive, spinal product offering.

Titan Spine offers a full line of Endoskeleton devices that feature Titan Spines proprietary implant surface technology, consisting of a unique combination of roughened topographies at the macro, micro, and nano levels (MMN). This unique combination of surface topographies is designed to create an optimal host-bone response and actively participate in the fusion process by promoting the upregulation of osteogenic and angiogenic factors necessary for bone growth, encouraging natural production of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), downregulating inflammatory factors, and creating the potential for a faster and more robust fusion.1,2,3,4 All Endoskeleton devices are covered by the companys risk share warranty.

About Titan Spine

Titan Spine, LLC is a surface technology company focused on the design and manufacture of interbody fusion devices for the spine. The company is committed to advancing the science of surface engineering to enhance the treatment of various pathologies of the spine that require fusion. Titan Spine, located in Mequon, Wisconsin and Laichingen, Germany, markets a full line of Endoskeleton interbody devices featuring its proprietary textured surface in the U.S. and portions of Europe through its sales force and a network of independent distributors. To learn more, visit www.titanspine.com.

About MBA

MBA is a leading medical company in the surgical technology market. Its main objective is to make available the most innovative and complete solutions to medical professionals in the orthopedics and traumatology fields as well as in the anesthetic and surgery market through BIOSER, its specialized division. With more than 25 years of experience in the surgical and health sector, MBA has a national and international presence with operative offices in Portugal, Belgium, Italy and United Kingdom. It works with main manufactures and has more than 275 employees with an average annual revenue of more than 65 million. In order to foster the scientific knowledge generated in the company, MBA developed the MBA INSTITUTE, an area which promotes applied clinical research through the collaborations with surgeons, universities and scientific institutions.

1 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy, S.L., Slosar, P.J., Schneider, J.M., Schwartz, Z., and Boyan, B.D. (2015). Implant materials generate different peri-implant inflammatory factors: PEEK promotes fibrosis and micro-textured titanium promotes osteogenic factors. Spine, Volume 40, Issue 6, 399404.

2 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Gittens, R.A., Schneider, J.M., Hyzy, S.L., Haithcock, D.A., Ullrich, P.F., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B.D. (2012). Osteoblasts exhibit a more differentiated phenotype and increased bone morphogenetic production on titanium alloy substrates than poly-ether-ether-ketone. The Spine Journal, 12, 265-272.

3 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy, S.L., Gittens, R.A., Schneider, J.M., Haithcock, D.A., Ullrich, P.F., Slosar, P. J., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B.D. (2013). Rough titanium alloys regulate osteoblast production of angiogenic factors. The Spine Journal, 13, 1563-1570.

4 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy S.L., Gittens, R.A., Berg, M.E., Schneider, J.M., Hotchkiss, K., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B. D. Osteoblast lineage cells can discriminate microscale topographic features on titanium-aluminum-vanadium surfaces. Ann Biomed Eng. 2014 Dec; 42 (12): 2551-61.

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Titan Spine

Andrew Shepherd, 866-822-7800

[email protected]

or

Media

The Ruth Group

Kirsten Thomas, 508-280-6592

[email protected]

Source: Titan Spine
Jacqueline Breidlid and Cenni Najy (EGMONT  The Royal Institute for International Relations)

In the context of the outcome of the British referendum on the continued membership of the United Kingdom in the EU, the country now needs to find its Plan B. The Swiss model appears to be one of the possible models of a non-Member State of the Union, which the United Kingdom could follow. However, could the agreements signed between the EU and Switzerland really be a suitable alternative for both the EU and the UK?

It is often pointed out that the situation in which Switzerland found itself when it was negotiating with the EU is similar to that the United Kingdom is faced with today. Based on the current data, Britain would become the EUs second largest trading partner following its exit. However, unlike Switzerland, the UK is bigger and therefore it could be doing better in the negotiations. However, there are differences that erode that theory. One of them is the fact that in case of Switzerland, the agreements were negotiated with only 15 Member States compared to todays 27. The negotiations could then take even longer than in the case of Switzerland, as it took nearly ten years to finalize the negotiations of its first agreements with the block.

Another important difference is that the treaties with Switzerland should have only been for a transitional period before the country was to become a part of the EU, which does not apply in case of Britain. Switzerland also voluntarily implements the European legislation, when Bern for instance allows imports from the EU countries without any additional controls or confirmation, although it gets nothing in return. Switzerland also generally seeks to maximize consistency with EU policies and thus is also often referred to as a passive executor of EU law.

British Eurosceptics also often argue that after the United Kingdom has left the EU, it will not have to contribute to the EU budget. To that end, however, one important fact is often overlooked and it is that non-EU countries such as Norway and Switzerland contribute indirectly to the EU budget in the form of various projects, including, for example, the reduction of economic and social differences or in the form of fees for their participation in EU programs. It is also necessary to take into account that Britain will not only lose access to the EU subsidies, but it will have to replace these by tapping into its own government budget.

Although it is not yet clear what alternative the Brexit proponents would like to see, it is very likely that their demands will not be met as they imagined. In negotiations with bigger entities, small countries like Switzerland are often willing to give up part of their sovereignty in exchange for the opportunity not to join that entity, but it is hard to imagine that Britain would follow this path.

(The study can be downloaded here:http://www.egmontinstitute.be/publication_article/plan-b-after-brexit-what-britain-can-expect-negotiating-a-swiss-type-arrangement-with-the-eu)
Giles Meritt and Shada Islam (Friends of Europe)

The solidarity of the EU countries has been shaken by several waves of incoming migrants. Moreover, anti-Islam parties are being set up and a negative attitude towards the immigrants prevails in the society. However, it can be precisely these very migrants who might constitute a victory for Europe. They can help solve the problems, which the whole Old Continent has been faced with for a long time.

The EU average ratio of those actively working to pensioners dropped from 4:1 to 2:1. The newcomers could therefore be a welcome alternative that would greatly increase the workforce. And this is also linked to the social system. Its current situation is such that there is a lack of working age population, and too many people are in the post-productive age. Ultimately, the social system lacks financial resources. To change this situation, it is necessary to increase the number of young workers, which is something that the immigrants can help with.

Another long-term problem facing Europe is the aging of its population. Over the next 20 years, there will be a population decline of such a magnitude that Europe last experienced due to the plague outbreak in the 14th century. For example, German population that counted 82 million in 2015 is set to decline by 6 million by 2030, which is definitely not a negligible number. The newcomers and their children could be the solution to the population decline in Europe.

GDP growth is another of the many positive effects that migration can have. In the Nordic countries, migration is expected to increase GDP by 2.5 percent by 2020. However, one big limitation is the time it takes for a newcomer to integrate in the labor market. Ensuring faster and easier access to employment opportunities for the newcomers is an important task to be accomplished by the EU Member State governments.

The Unions approach to migration crisis is based on two assumptions: that the influx of migrants is only temporary and that stricter measures will manage to stem this flow. Representatives of the Union are faced with a difficult task. It is vital to stop building the approach to migration crisis based on mere assumptions and replace the latter with facts. Incoming migrants should be perceived as an alternative that can help get the EU out of the tight spot in many areas. The task of the national governments is not only to develop conditions leading to the migrants integration, but also convince the public and particularly the media that immigrants can be a victory for the Old Continent.

(The study can be downloaded here:http://www.friendsofeurope.org/future-europe/win-win-solutions-to-europes-refugee-crisis/)
EU border agency Frontex announced on Friday (12 August) that more than 25,000 migrants arrived in Italy last month, marking a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Most of the migrants originated from North Africa, Nigeria and Eritrea. The number of arrivals between January and July 2016 was stable, about 95,000 people, with more than 400 having lost their lives in the attempt.

However, Frontex said that the circumstances under which migrants are undergoing their journey to Europe are worsening. Suggesting that especially the quality of boats used by smugglers is deteriorating, the agency stated that In recent months, poor quality rubber boats accounted for four out of every five vessels used, while also adding that many of the migrants spoke of being forced onto the dinghies and small wooden boats despite fearing for their lives. Due to restrictions on migrants movement further north, many asylum-seekers are stuck in Italy. Over 3,000 people are, for example, stranded in Milan, as France and Switzerland tightened border controls. Migrant arrivals through Greece were a bit lower than in July last year, mostly thanks to the migrant agreement between the EU and Turkey.

Last year, EU countries received more than 1.2 million first time asylum applications, most of them having reached Europe via the Mediterranean. The number marked an increase by roughly 100 percent compared to 2014. Austria, Germany, Hungary and Sweden received about two-thirds of all asylum applications. More than half of the incomers originated from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. On top of the EU-Turkey deal, the EU continues to emphasize preventing departures and combatting human trafficking and smuggling over problematic cooperation with Turkey and other transit countries.
Police are on the hunt for a man with connections to Tauranga.

David Shaun Galloway has a warrant for his arrest for breaching his release conditions.
Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller believes the parents will be pleased to learn more children are attending ECE and gaining NCEA Level 2 in his electorate.

According to Ministry of Education figures, 98.5 per cent of children in the Bay of Plenty electorate attended ECE in 2015 which has exceeded the Governments target of 98 per cent.

We know the earlier our children get started in education, the better off they will be. The early childhood years are vital to a childs development and to their future ability, says Todd.

The data also shows 73.6 per cent of 18-year-olds in the Bay of Plenty electorate achieved NCEA Level 2 in 2015, up from last year and tracking well towards the Governments target of 85 per cent.

Todd says one of the other highlights include 82.9 per cent of primary school students achieved at or above the national standard for reading too.

This means good things for the futures of local kids. Our teachers and students are working hard and the results are showing.

The U-shaped Bay of Plenty electorate which Todd represents surrounds, but does not, include Tauranga. The eastern arm extends from Papamoa and Te Puke south to the Kaimai Ranges, and the ranges mostly determine the electorates western boundary as far north as Matakana Island.

The percentages quoted by Todd do not include the Tauranga City and Taupo, Rotorua, Whakatane, Kawerau and Opotiki District councils.

According to the ministrys Education Counts website, across the entire Bay of Plenty region 96.6 per cent of children attended ECE, 76.4 per cent of 18-year-olds achieved NCEA Level 2, and 76.9 of primary school students achieved at or above the national standard for reading in 2015.

For more information and statistics visit the Education Counts website at: www.educationcounts.govt.nz
A Chinese tourist convicted of killing a Tauranga motorcyclist in an accident in which she lost control of her vehicle should serve her full sentence.

This is a call from many people in New Zealand following news that Jieling Xiao is appealing her 17 month jail sentence.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the court needs to stick to its decision.

Xiao was sentence to prison after pleading guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing the death of Rhys following a fatal crash in February.

Xiao was on a 12 month working visa in New Zealand and had never driven on an open road at more than 50km/h when she drove into the path of Rhys motorbike on the Napier-Taupo highway, killing him.

According to the summary of facts, Xiaos erratic driving before the accident had alarmed other motorists. And Xiaos passenger said she had felt unsafe during a trip with Xiao the previous day.



Rhys Middleton was killed in a crash on SH5, near Napier.

The family of the deceased motorcyclist Rhys Middleton are concerned Jieling Xiao will have her sentence downgraded to home detention after a hearing on Tuesday, says Winston.

At her sentencing in June, she was jailed for 17 months after she admitted driving erratically before the crash, over-correcting and hitting Mr Middleton on State Highway 5 near Eskdale.

As Mr Middletons father has said, if Xiao is given home detention she could be deported to China within 28 days.

The court needs to stick by their decision and Xiao, who was here on a working visa, must serve out her sentence.
The latest instalment in the Harry Potter universe has recorded the highest first week of sales for a book since Nielson Bookscan began reporting on the New Zealand market.

Sales of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Parts One and Two inNew Zealand reflect the phenomenal success of the book worldwide, with 3.3 million copies sold in North America, nearly 850,000 books in the UK, and more than 200,000 books in Australia sold during the first week.

But a Hachette NZ spokesperson says the publishing company is unable to disclose sales figures for New Zealand, because unlike the UK, US and Australia, not all Kiwi retailers contribute to Nielsen Bookscan.

However, the spokesperson adds the New Zealand figure is proportionally in line with the international sales.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two is a play by Jack Thorne thats based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany. It opened at The Palace Theatre in Londons West End on July 30 to critical acclaim.

The following day the Special Rehearsal Edition of the script was published containing the complete script, including stage directions, used by the original West End production during the plays preview period.

Hachette NZ sales and marketing director Melanee Winder says Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has made a lot of Kiwi readers very happy.

We are continuing to work closely with local retailers to ensure this title stays at the top of the bestseller chart right through to Christmas and beyond.

New Zealand stores have struggled to keep up with demand, with some reporting such strong pre-orders they sold through their initial order before the book even went on sale.
During the creation process of the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars design team - led by Giles Taylor - asked themselves a vital question, How can we recast luxury for the next 100 years?.

With the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 we were mindful not to dwell on the past, explains Giles Taylor, Director of Design at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. We wanted to be as innovative as possible and at the same time transcend the design history of the marque.

Today, Rolls-Royce, the worlds leading luxury brand, has defined the future of luxury mobility, adds Torsten Muller-Otvos, Chief Executive Officer of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. The Grand Arrival of the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100 boldly points to a bright future for our marque where our patrons individual demands for complete and authentic personalisation will be met through an exquisite fusion of technology, design and hallmark Rolls-Royce craftsmanship.

The dynamically styled 103EX is a striking take on future generations of Rolls-Royce, and an exciting leap in evolutionary stages for the progressive luxury brand.

The 103EX takes the design and construction structures behind the Rolls-Royce ethos (The Personal Vision, The Effortless Journey, The Grand Sanctuary and The Grand Arrival) and places them in the 22nd Century.

An example of the evolutionary steps leading up to the creation of the 103EX is the transformation of the Spirit of Ecstasy into something which stands as much more than just a symbol.

Modelled by sculptor and artist Charles Sykes, on Eleanor Thornton, the Spirit of Ecstasy has stood as an elegant symbol of automotive excellence for 110 years. Today, the Voice of Eleanor inhabits the Rolls-Royce VISION NEXT 100, delivering the dream of an effortless future to her owners.

Digitally connected to every aspect of her owners lives and her surrounding environment, Eleanor becomes their virtual assistant and chauffeur, imbued with her own artificial intelligence, she works intuitively to advise her owners on itineraries, schedules and options before they leave their residence.

Should they choose to drop their eyes from that world stage for a moment and ask Eleanor for visual cues, she will provide them on the transparent OLED screen that dominates the front wall of the cabin. Here our passengers can view information regarding their journey, their destination and the people they are expecting to meet. Or they may simply choose to retreat from the outside world and be entertained by their favourite show for a while.

This is just an example of a new level of thought bringing Rolls-Royce into the 22nd Century, and the VISION NEXT 100 to our eyes. Watch a full 3D movie surrounding the 103EX here, guided by Eleanor herself.
It's the hottest season of floats Updated: 2016-08-15 08:09 (China Daily)

A view of China Securities Regulatory Commission, the securities regularor, in Beijing on May 6, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

Regulator is said to first judge market sentiment and then calibrate the supply of new shares

China's market for initial public offerings is the hottest it's ever been, thanks to the securities regulator.

The 62 new stocks that have completed their first month of trading this year soared 420 percent on average in the span, the steepest such rally on record, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

For a clue as to why: the average size of this year's offerings has dwindled to $88 million, the smallest since 2005.

While huge returns on mainland IPOs are not new, the numbers are getting even more eye-watering as the China Securities Regulatory Commission seeks to stabilize the nation's $6.1 trillion equity market.

Officials asked arrangers and companies to limit their deal sizes in the first half to avoid an oversupply of shares, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

A proposed registration system that would have given firms more flexibility on IPO pricing and timing has been delayed.

An investor walks past an electronic display showing prices of shares at a brokerage house in Fuyang city, east China's Anhui province, Jan 6, 2016. [Photo/IC]

The Shanghai Composite Index is down 16 percent this year, one of the world's biggest declines.

"Regulators are carefully watching and testing market reactions as they approve IPOs," said Dai Ming, a money manager at Hengsheng Asset Management Company in Shanghai. "They tend to tighten approvals when the market slumps and release more deals when sentiment improves."

More than 800 companies have filed IPO applications and are waiting for approval, according to the CSRC's website.

The 78 completed sales this year compare with 219 in all of 2015, and the value of the deals is about a quarter of the 2015 amount, Bloomberg data show.

Wuxi Honghui New Materials Technology Company was one of the lucky ones, raising $39 million in June. The shares soared 553 percent in their first month on the Shenzhen exchange, and are now up 580 percent from their IPO price.

The company is typical of Chinese IPOs in that it priced at a multiple below the market averagenearly all initial shares sold in the past two years were valued at less than 23 times profit, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

Wuxi Honghui's listing valuation of 22.98 times earnings compares to an average multiple of 43.3 for firms in the chemical products industry, the company said in a June 17 filing.

"Investing in A-share IPOs is highly profitable because regulators keep prices low," said Hao Hong, chief strategist at Bocom International Holdings Company in Hong Kong. "The odds of winning initial shares are falling as returns surge."

For the 13 stocks that started trading last month, the average chance for a retail investor to be allocated any shares in an offering was 0.04 percent, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

The CSRC has been signaling a tougher stance on letting companies list in China, warning brokerages last month to improve their standards when helping clients raise money. The regulator is also said to be considering measures to curb the flow of overseas-traded Chinese companies seeking backdoor listings on the mainland.

As the market stabilizes, the CSRC is set to approve bigger deals for the second half, the people familiar with the matter said. Bank of Jiangsu Co started trading Aug 2 after raising $1.1 billion in the biggest IPO this year. China Film Co Ltd saw a rise of 44 percent in its stock prices on its first trading day on August 9.

Bank of Jiangsu was the first A-share banking IPO since August 2010, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Lenders that received the CSRC's initial approval more than six months ago and are still waiting for a listing slot include Bank of Hangzhou, Bank of Shanghai and Jiangsu Jiangyin Rural Commercial Bank.

Some companies have gone to Hong Kong instead. Postal Savings Bank of China, one of the few State-owned giants remaining unlisted, is preparing for an $8-billion IPO this year.

While IPO approvals are hard to come by, regulators appear more lenient towards listed companies selling additional shares. Companies have completed more than 320 additional offerings on the Chinese mainland this year, raising $99 billion.

Bloomberg
Alec Baldwin

Actor Alec Baldwin attends a special evening to honor artist Ross Bleckner's appointment as Goodwill Ambassador with a special exhibition 'Welcome To Gulu' at the United Nations on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 in New York.

(Evan Agostini | Invision | AP)

Is a bait-and-switch in the art world as easy as painting by numbers?

Alec Baldwin says he was duped into buying the wrong painting for $190,000 six years ago, and still hasn't gotten the one he thought he paid for in 2010. A copy of Ross Bleckner's "Sea and Mirror" hangs in his New York apartment, but he claims he was told it was the original.

Baldwin tells The New York Times that he first saw the painting in a card from gallery owner Mary Boone, inviting him to a show of Bleckner's works. He loved it so much, he started carrying an image of it in his shoulder bag, alongside pictures of his father and one of his daughters, until he decided he had to have the real thing.

"There was a kind of beauty and simplicity" to the painting, he told the newspaper. "I love this thing so much," he also said in a 2012 speech at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Baldwin told the Times that he suspected the painting was fake from the beginning, nothing that it smelled "new" and the colors appeared slightly different. Earlier this year, he confirmed his suspicions when a Sotheby's expert compared his painting to a catalog image from the 2007 auction where "Sea and Mirror" was last sold for $121,000.

But a lawyer for Boone said the painting is not a copy. It's an original by Bleckner, who completed an unfinished work from the same series as "Sea and Mirror" when that work's owner, who has not been identified, refused to sell the one Baldwin wanted.

Did Alec Baldwin pay $190,000 for the wrong picture? https://t.co/sndNCfBsLE pic.twitter.com/NnWrHpIPSB  The New York Times (@nytimes) August 13, 2016

Boone says she made Baldwin aware of the difference, but the former "30 Rock" star denies it. He told the Times that her gallery misled him from the beginning, even putting the same number on the back of the painting as "Sea and Mirror."

Emails obtained by the publication show Baldwin said he didn't want to hurt Bleckner, who he considers a friend, but was less worried about Boone "as you are more of an armadillo and I'm sure you have been blasting your way out of corners like this on more than one occasion."

Boone denied being an "armadillo" and said she contacted the owner again, but they refused to sell. Her gallery offered a refund to Baldwin "among other things," but he still insisted on pursuing legal action.

The Manhattan district attorney's office reportedly told the actor that a criminal case could not be made.
More small businesses turn to NEEQ for financing Updated: 2016-08-15 08:26 (Xinhua)

BEIJING - 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). 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.
Innovative ingredients boosting sales of mooncakes Updated: 2016-08-16 01:40 By XU JUNQIAN(China Daily)

Thanks to imported beef, crayfish and durian, the mooncake industry in Shanghai is embracing a bumper year, despite industry insiders' previously gloomy forecasts.

Unusually hot weather and an early Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sept 15 this year, should have made it more difficult to sell mooncakes, according to Chen Fengwei, secretary-general of the Shanghai Confectionery Industry Association.

But chefs in traditional restaurants and luxury hotels in Shanghai are bucking the trend by filling the traditionally dense pastries with novel ingredients.

At Hotel Indigo Shanghai, for example, within one month the sales of its wagyu marbled beef mooncake had already exceeded the total sales of traditional mooncakes last year, according to Julie Wang, the hotel's marketing manager.

The meaty mooncakes sell for 18 yuan ($2.70) each.

"Shanghai has a tradition of enjoying pork-filled mooncakes. But with our famous steakhouse, we decided to use our Australian wagyu beef to whet people's appetite. Before it hit the market, we were still worried beef wouldn't sell," said Wang.

On Nanjing Road, a line forms outside the traditional Cantonese Xinya Restaurant as impatient customers hanker after its newly launched yanduxian mooncakes. Taking inspiration from Shanghai's beloved yanduxian soup, which is made from pork and bamboo shoots, the mooncakes were a hit as soon as they were launched.

The Peninsula Shanghai hotel is also joining the fray with a new handmade durian mooncake, an upgrade on its popular egg custard variety.

At Wang Bao He, a century-old restaurant known for its crab dishes, all 6,000 boxes of crayfish mooncakes had been preordered following a mid-July launch.

"I am taking calls every day, asking for more crayfish cakes. But my kitchen is already having a revolt to get the 6,000 boxes out," said Wang Hao, chef at the restaurant.

Each mooncake contains four freshly peeled crayfish, which are fried with garlic shoots and mushrooms before being stuffed into the pastry. Each box of 12 cakes sells for 180 yuan. Wang's kitchen can make a maximum of 200 boxes a day.

Outside the restaurant, scalpers have raised the price to 350 yuan a box, proclaiming that "the price is going up faster than Shanghai real estate".

"New houses will be built every month, but those 6,000 boxes of mooncakes are all Shanghai can have this year," said Qian Guomin, who claimed to have been a mooncake scalper for two decades.

Chen, the secretary-general of the confectionery association, estimated that the city will sell 21,000 metric tons of mooncakes this year, up 0.5 percent from last year.

"The situation is far better than we expected. With multiple adverse conditions, we thought there might be a drop from last year," said Chen.

Since 2013, when the central government's anti-corruption drive led to a dramatic decrease in government-paid junkets and officials accepting gifts, the mooncake industry has experienced a sharp plunge, down by 15 to 20 percent nationally.

But Chen said the campaign had brought new life to the mooncake industry, "bringing real consumers back", instead of only those buying gifts.

"A typical example is the rise of fresh-baked mooncakes, which are precisely targeted at consumers who are buying them to feed themselves," she said.

Chen estimated that half the mooncake makers in Shanghai now offer fresh-baked mooncakes, up from a single-digit percentage just three years ago.
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Lucille DePaola, Port St. Lucie

Letter: Shame on GOP turncoats who have abandoned their party

I well remember when the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination said they would support the nominee. I would like to address this "band of brothers."

What happened? You all profess principles, love and loyalty to family, country and God. Now, where are you? Your massive egos have failed the people and the party.

The same applies to the party elite like the Bushes, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, Lindsey Graham and John Kasich.

The people demand change and are standing up for their beliefs. These party leaders should recognize that they represent the people, not themselves.

Wake up, you disrupters, and support your candidate for the president.
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.
By Will Greenlee of TCPalm

ST. LUCIE COUNTY  Prosecutors expect to take the case of the Fort Pierce police fatal shooting of 21-year-old Demarcus Semer to a grand jury before October, the Chief Assistant State Attorney said Monday.

"We just received the final report from the (St. Lucie County) Sheriff's Office, which we're going over," Chief Assistant State Attorney Tom Bakkedahl said.

Bakkedahl said he is waiting on a shooting reconstruction report from the Indian River County Sheriff's Office and a report from a use-of-force expert.

Sheriff Ken Mascara in a video statement said his agency committed more than 30 people to the investigation, spending about 3,200 hours collecting and analyzing evidence and interviewing more than 50 people in the case.

Fort Pierce police tried to stop Semer's car on North 19th Street about 11:55 p.m. April 23, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Mascara has said that at some point, Semer attempted to flee in his car and, in doing so, ran over one of the officers, injuring the officer's leg, as a second officer was getting in Semer's car. The second officer couldn't exit the moving car. Semer was shot outside of his vehicle and died.

Fort Pierce Police Chief Diane Hobley-Burney immediately asked the Sheriff's Office to investigate the incident involving Officer Ralph Keith Holmes and Sgt. Brian MacNaught.

The shooting caused significant outcry in the community, with some demanding an outside investigation.

NAACP chapter president Tony Barnes declined to comment, he said, until the results are made public.

Mascara said officials with the regional crime laboratory and with the crime scene unit of the Indian River County Sheriff's Office committed more than 1,000 additional hours to the investigation.

Bakkedahl has said his office is conducting a parallel investigation to that of the Sheriff's Office, and that the investigation will be thorough and complete and fully open once concluded. He said the case will go to a grand jury.

Bakkedahl said getting the materials from the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office on Monday is another step in the process.

"We've got to kind of cull through all the photographs and we approach it like we do a trial and prepare from there for the grand jury," Bakkedahl said. "We hope to have all that said and done within the next month or so."
Citrus Grove Elementary principal Todd Morrow (right) offers to take the hand of kindergartner Ella Pirritino, 5, of Palm City as her mother, Felicia Pirritino (left) drops her off on the first day of school Monday in Palm City. The 2016-2017 school year is Morrow's first in the Martin County School District. To see more photos, visit TCPalm.com. (LEAH VOSS/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Andrew Atterbury of TCPalm

MARTIN COUNTY  Principal Todd Morrow still is adjusting to his new school, Citrus Grove Elementary in Palm City, but the Miami native is enjoying the transition and the sights that welcomed him to the Treasure Coast.

While preparing for the new year, Morrow saw an airboat patrolling a swampy marsh across from his new campus, a far cry from anything he witnessed during 25 years as an educator in Miami-Dade County.

"I come from a concrete jungle," Morrow said from his office overlooking a sprawling pasture. "This is crazy."

Morrow's transition continued on Monday as Martin County School District welcomed about 19,000 students back to new teachers, classrooms and campuses.

For Morrow, the first day of school was about introductions and logistics.

Once students were settled in and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, he visited each classroom, introducing himself to all and noting what color wristband students wore to indicate their means of after-school transportation.

Making sure students know their way home is one of the most difficult facets of an elementary principal's job, Morrow said.

The son of two educators, Morrow spent a quarter-century as a teacher, assistant principal and principal in Miami. He served at low-income campuses, a magnet school and schools with high populations of special-needs and English-second-language students.

He's hoping to pull from those experiences to keep Citrus Grove, an A-rated campus the past two years, among of the top-rated schools on the Treasure Coast.

"If this county continues to grow in its English Language Learner (and special-needs) population, I will able to use some of the experiences I've had before in assisting with meeting their needs," Morrow said.

One of Morrow's most pressing tasks is getting to know the stakeholders in Palm City and beyond, he said.

The early reviews from teachers and parents are overwhelmingly positive, said Virginia Coleman, a Citrus Grove parent.

Morrow recognizes the teamwork between the staff and parents, and is committed to fostering those relationships, Coleman said.

"(Morrow) came in and he rolled with it," Coleman said.

Outside of the scenery in Martin County, joining a smaller district has other perks, Morrow said. Namely, there's an easier track to reaching high-level administrators, he said.

"Students' voices can be heard, and their needs can be better met," Morrow said.
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By Tyler Treadway of TCPalm

HUTCHINSON ISLAND  Heavy rain and dogs may have contributed to bacteria levels high enough for a rare warning not to swim at Walton Rocks Beach.

The Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County issued the warning Friday at the popular swimming and surfing beach because of high levels of enteric bacteria found in samples taken Aug. 9 and Thursday.

Water at the beach was scheduled for another round of tests Monday afternoon. Results are expected Wednesday.

Heavy rains can flush impurities off land and into water; and more than 5 inches of rain fell in the Walton Rocks area over the 24 hours before the Aug. 9 sampling, said David Koerner, head of environmental health at the state's St. Lucie County office.

"That much rain can affect bacteria levels in the ocean," Koerner said, adding that samples are taken in waist-high to chest-high water.

Enteric bacteria in water is an indication of fecal pollution, and Walton Rocks Beach includes an off-leash dog park.

"People with pets on the beach might have had an impact; we're not sure," Koerner said. "There were no signs of animal waste at the beach when the samples were taken."

MORE BEACH WARNINGS?

Except for a few brief periods, similar warnings not to swim in the water have been in effect for more than a year at all three testing sites on the St. Lucie River: River Park Marina on Prima Vista Boulevard; Veterans Park on Veterans Memorial Parkway; and the Westmoreland Park (Sandpiper Bay) canoe launch in southern Port St. Lucie.

Warnings on ocean beaches are rare because wave action and tides disperse the bacteria, and salinity kills it.

But warnings may become more frequent, Koerner said, because of stricter standards on what makes the water hazardous. Before Jan. 1, samples with 104 or more bacterial colonies per 100 milliliters of water prompt advisories. Now the standard is 70 or more.

Last Thursday's reading of 95 bacterial colonies per 100 milliliters of water resulted in the warning. A year ago, it wouldn't have. In fact, a year ago it didn't. An identical bacterial level recorded June 15, 2015, at Walton Rocks didn't bring about a warning.

Enteric bacteria inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. Ingesting or contact with contaminated water could result in upset stomach, diarrhea, eye irritation and skin rashes.

How's the Water at your favorite spot?
China stocks rally to 7-month high Updated: 2016-08-16 06:50 By CAI XIAO(China Daily)

Investors follow stock information at a brokerage house in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, August 15, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Chinese stocks climbed to a seven-month high on Monday amid optimism about the upcoming Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and speculation about property merger and acquisition activity.

The Shanghai Composite Index surged by as much as 2.44 percent, closing at 3,125.2 points, led by financial companies and property developers. Nine real estate companies, including China Vanke Co, Langfang Development Co and Huafa Industrial Co, climbed by the daily limit as the top performers in the market.

The Shenzhen Component Index rose by 2.79 percent, while the ChiNext startup index climbed by 3.27 percent.

"The upcoming Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect might be the biggest news in the market, which explains today's strong performance," said Hong Hao, chief strategist at BOCOM International Holdings Co.

Hong said there are many technology companies listed in Shenzhen, and they will be attractive to investors in Hong Kong when the stock connect is launched.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission said on Friday that securities regulators of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are working closely with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd for the launch of the long-anticipated stock connect program.

The stock connect is a cross-border investment program modeled after the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect, which was launched in November 2014 so mainland investors could buy Hong Kong stocks, and vice versa.

Meanwhile, Dong Dengxin, a finance professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology, said the stock market climbed on Monday as China Evergrande Group fueled optimism that the pace of merger and acquisition activities in the property industry will accelerate.

Evergrande, which boosted its stake in Langfang to 15 percent in the past four months, plans to further increase its holdings and hasn't excluded the possibility of obtaining control of the company, Langfang said on August 10.

Evergrande bought a 5 percent stake in Vanke, the nation's largest residential developer, earlier this month.

Hong said the valuation of real estate companies such as Vanke and Langfang is comparatively low, so more mergers and acquisitions might be undertaken.

China stocks rallied on Monday as investors bet that disappointing economic data for July would prod Beijing to unleash fresh stimulus measures, Reuters said.

But Hong said the central government is unlikely to carry out stimulative measures, since the market was not short of money and Chinese leaders have pledged to curb asset bubbles.

Dong said the Shanghai Composite Index of 3,125.2 points was sensitive, as many investors who suffered from the stock slump last year would sell their shares at that level.
Algae blooms seen on Friday June 24, 2016 in the St. Lucie River estuary in Martin County. (ERIC HASERT/ TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm

Gov. Rick Scott is appealing the Obama administration's denial of a federal state of emergency declaration for the algae blooms in the St. Lucie River.

Scott wrote in a Sunday appeal letter "the failure by the federal government to maintain and repair" the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee is the emergency. That's despite the Army Corps of Engineers saying ongoing dike improvements aren't designed to hold more water in the lake and, therefore, reduce discharges into the river that caused algae blooms.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency "incorrectly" blamed Florida for not demonstrating a need for a federal emergency declaration, Scott wrote. And the Army Corps does not seem to have money to repair the dike up to "modern construction standards," therefore making an emergency a necessity.

FEMA denied the emergency request on July 15, saying Florida failed to prove the state isn't able to handle the "severity and magnitude" of the blooms. The blooms have decreased since then as Lake O discharges were reduced.

Scott, who declared a Florida state of emergency in June, and state and local officials hoped a federal emergency would make more money available to address the algae.
State Sen. Joe Negron speaks Tuesday during a public meeting regarding the toxic Lake Okeechobee discharges at the Flagler Center in Stuart. (HOBIE HILER/ SPECIAL TO TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

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By Chad Gillis, Fort Myers-News Press, USA Today Network

The South Florida Water Management District is unlikely to raise taxes to expedite water projects for the sixth consecutive year.

The district is in "very good shape" in terms of revenue and expenditures, Executive Director Peter Antonacci told the board Thursday.

"You're not going to hear anything from this podium about dire straits," he said. "You (told) the taxpayers of this district that they would not be asked to pay additional monies to get the job done next year. ... So we will live on the same amount of property tax income that we did this fiscal year. There is new growth, as everyone knows we're going through a boom time."

Public speakers who attended the budget meeting in West Palm Beach wanted to talk about something else though: buying farmland south of Lake Okeechobee and building a reservoir to send water south and stop discharges east and west to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers.

Send it south

"This week Sen. (Joe) Negron showed great leadership by announcing a proposal to buy 60,000 acres in the (Everglades Agricultural Area) and build a reservoir to send water south to Everglades National Park that would help relieve the struggling coastal estuaries," said Caroline McGlaughlin, with the National Parks Conservation Association.

Negron proposes setting aside $2.4 billion to buy farm lands south of Okeechobee and turn some of the land into water storage reservoirs for Everglades restoration.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has said it is willing to start the planning process for such as reservoir as soon as the water management district agrees to the project.

State water managers, however, have refused to move forward on the project, which would relieve some coastal water quality conditions that have crippled the east and west coast of Florida for much of this year. Water district officials have said it's important to concentrate on projects already on the board, some of which have already been delayed.

"We now have support of the corps and of leadership in the Florida Legislature," McGlaughlin said. "The missing piece is the support from the district and leadership of Gov. Scott. We again ask the district join the corps to initiate planning for storage, treatment and conveyance of water in (farm lands south of the lake) and to holistically look at storage options both north and south of the lake."

Land deal

The controversial land deal was struck by former Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008. The state purchased some farm lands but did not have the money to buy out all of U.S. Sugar, as was the original plan. The original deal was $1.8 billion for 194,000 acres of U.S. Sugar lands and assets.

Instead, the state spent $197 million for 28,000 acres, although there is a purchase option for all of the company's assets that will come up in 2020.

But the state and water management district have reversed course in recent years, saying the land is not needed to restore the Everglades.

Others from the public supported the idea, although board members did not take any action on this project.

"Our economy depends on it, both the St. Lucie and the Caloosahatchee are being decimated," said Laura Reynolds, representing the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. "So while what you're doing is wonderful, we need more. And the way to do that is to support Sen. Negron's proposal."

Negron's plan

Environmental advocate Drew Martin encouraged board members to listen to Negron's plan.

"We absolutely have to move forward, and I think Sen. Negron shows that it's something we can come together on," Martin said. "Because as a leader in the party that currently controls the Legislature, I think he has the authority to help make things happen, which is what we've not had up until this point."

Board members did not comment on Negron's proposal, although board member Mitch Hutchcraft, who represents Southwest Florida, said he will not participate in discussions or any vote on the buy because he is employed by King Ranch, which owns some of the targeted lands.

The district will vote on its budget at its September meeting.

Last year, people asked the district to raise taxes  about $2-3 per household  to expedite water projects. Instead, the district went with a lower tax rate and is expected to have a smaller budget for next year, falling from about $750 million to about $726 million.
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By Isadora Rangel of TCPalm

Democrats see "big vulnerabilities" in their favorite candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy on the Treasure Coast, according to a leaked memo made available over the weekend.

Millionaire Randy Perkins has the "perfect profile" for District 18 and can use his own money to fight an expensive race for Murphy's open seat. Yet his questionable business dealings raised concern among Democrats, according to the memo obtained through a cyberattack on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The attack also led to personal information of House Democrats and staff being posted online.

"In the year of outsiders, Perkins will be able to communicate his 'rags to riches' story and background as successful small business owner and family man," the memo titled "FL-18 Campaign Overview" states.

Perkins would be "vulnerable to character attacks" if he wins the Aug. 30 primary and runs against Republican Brian Mast in the general, the memo states. Mast, an Army veteran who lost his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan, is basing his campaign on his military service. He's running against five candidates for the GOP nomination.

PERKINS

Among Perkins' vulnerabilities is a "history of donating to politicians and winning bids, despite charging the highest rate for its work and being accused of doing substandard work." The memo seems to refer to a no-bid contract his disaster-recovery company AshBritt Environmental Inc. won to clean up debris from Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey in 2012. Perkins and AshBritt have donated $1.6 million to Republicans, including the Republican Governors Association, which New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie once chaired.

AshBritt was accused of doing poor quality work to clean up after Hurricane Katrina. The company was among those accused in Congress in 2006 of overcharging the federal government. Democrats issued a report at the time accusing AshBritt of mismanagement, waste and fraud during the cleanup, the Sun Sentinel reported.

The memo also found Perkins has vulnerabilities winning primary Democratic votes, such as the money he gave to Republicans and the fact he was registered as an independent up until a week before he filed to run as a Democrat.

His main opponent, Jonathan Chane, also has weak spots. He worked for banks as a foreclosure attorney during the 2008 housing crisis and he defended a tobacco company.

GOP HITS

The memo also lists facts the media has reported on the Republicans in the race. Here are some of them:

Mast said the U.S. Supreme Court did a "disservice" when it upheld an Affordable Care Act provision that allows tax credits for some people to purchase health insurance.

Mark Freeman, a doctor, accepted a $200,000 campaign donation from a friend, not knowing it violated federal rules that cap donations at $2,700 for the primary and general elections each. He said at a forum last year "gay marriage is a sign we are really going in the wrong direction."

Rick Kozell, a lawyer, said at the same forum if gun ownership had been widespread in Europe, Adolf Hitler's power wouldn't have spread so quickly.

Rebecca Negron, a Martin County School Board member, said at the forum she supports eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.

Noelle Nikpour, a GOP strategist, defended climate change deniers in a 2011 "Daily Show" interview.

Carl Domino, was a state House representative in 2006 when he criticized a newly passed law to curb lobbyists' influence in Tallahassee by banning legislators from accepting gifts and free meals. He told the Sun Sentinel, "They're just bleeding us representatives to death."
Democrat Randy Perkins said he had to break his vow not to go negative in the U.S. House District 18 race.

Perkins told voters at an event last month, 'You're not going to see anything negative coming out of our campaign.' Yet he released a TV ad slamming main opponent Jonathan Chane's work as a lawyer.

Perkins said he changed his mind because Chane attacked 'my four daughters and wife.' Chane hasn't attacked Perkins' family personally, and Perkins' campaign would not specify what he meant.

Chane has criticized donations Perkins' family charity made to anti-abortion groups, and Perkins has said his wife and daughters decide how to spend the 4Girls Foundation money.

TIT FOR TAT

Perkins' TV ad slams Chane for his work as a foreclosure lawyer for 13 banks that went after Florida homeowners in the 2008 housing crisis, and for his work defending a tobacco company. Chane's campaign noted he worked for several clients while at the Greenberg Traurig law firm and Perkins himself has hired the firm for his campaign's legal needs.

Chane previously ran ads attacking Perkins and his disaster-recovery company for making political contributions to Republicans, including some who are anti-abortion, such as Gov. Rick Scott. He's also gone after Perkins for being registered to vote as an independent up until a week before he filed to run as a Democrat.

THE RACE

Perkins' decision to go on the offensive shows he's losing support for the Aug. 30 Democratic primary, Chane's campaign said. However, Perkins is considered the frontrunner and has a lot of party support. He's also outspent Chane and John Xuna, a Stuart retired engineer.

Perkins and Chane are vying to replace U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy as the congressman for Martin, St. Lucie and northern Palm Beach counties.

Murphy, D-Jupiter, is leaving his seat to run for the U.S. Senate.

There are six Republicans and an independent in the race to replace Murphy.

Watch the two ads:
Most analysts earn their daily bread by focusing on a particular subject area and following that direction. However, I rebelled against that established pattern  and as a result, I tend to look between the lines more than many of my peers do. That means when major news media outlets focus on a story, Im more likely to see what they missed.

In the case of both the Clinton email scandal and the DNC email leak  not to mention the various whistle-blower events  what interests me isnt whats been covered but what hasnt been covered. Ill shine a light on some of the huge misses from a tech perspective.

Ill close with my product of the week: a new phone from BlackBerry, the DTEK 50. It bucks the trend that put most of you on insecure phones.

Clintons Email Server

All the focus has been on Clinton, because she is running for office  but the focus typically would be on how the hell a major email system that wasnt secure remained in service for years without setting off alarms or putting big grins on internal auditors faces.

The implication is that U.S. security is a joke  and if that server was in use, how many other connected insecure devices are there in the U.S. government that effectively are telling any government that has discovered them every secret they can access? Security in the U.S. government must be truly awful. I used to be a security auditor, and Ive seen CEOs asked to step down for less.

DNC Email Leak

There recently were two big political conventions in the U.S. The Democratic convention was well run, and the Democratic candidates got a decent pop in the polls as a result. The Republican convention was run horridly, and the Republican ticket performed poorly.

The Republicans really messed up. The Republicans effectively would have been far better off not having their event. Yet because of an email leak, the key players at the DNC were forced to resign, but their RNC counterparts werent. The email leak wasnt the fault of any of the fired DNC folks. Typically, when you fail to do your job, you are fired. If there is a problem that you actually didnt cause, you dont get fired  only reprimanded.

RNC Email

Given what was disclosed in the DNC email, and given that people are people, what do you think a similar leak would have been like from the RNC? The DNC was unhappy about Sanders, but the RNC literally hated both of the final candidates. (Hell, apparently everyone hated Ted Cruz, and Trump became a close second  though I think he is first like a rocket at the moment.)

Can you imagine what the RNC internal emails would say about Trump? Bad-mouthing Sanders only creates DNC internal drama, but bad-mouthing Trump, who won the candidacy, could swing the election to Clinton (which would be redundant at the moment).

The DNC mail was interesting, but the RNC email would have been spectacular in a very bad way for the RNC. For us, it would have been even more entertaining. (Have I mentioned I plan to vote Libertarian this year?)

Whos the Hacker

On the DNC side, there are two parallel stories. One is the widely publicized theory that a Democratic staffer who recently was murdered had leaked information to WikiLeaks and that his death was connected to that. The other is that a hacker who bragged about leaking the information  and claims theres a lot more where that came from  did it on behalf of the Russian government, a claim he denied. Both stories cant be true.

As a side note, there have been three potential whistle-blower events under Obama, who promised to be transparent. There was Manning, who was abused and sent to prison; Snowden, who fled for his life to Russia (historically someone like Snowden would flee from Russia to the U.S.); and perhaps Rich, who died.

Only in the case of the DNC leak, in which the people involved didnt report to Obama, were people fired for doing what they shouldnt have been doing in the first place, but their crimes werent criminal. In short, in the government, it appears far worse to point out a crime than to commit one. Excuse me while I feign shock. Sigh

Who Has the Email?

Kaspersky  which is both massively secure and recently was hacked itself  has indicated that inadequately secured systems like the Clinton email server typically are compromised by up to three governments. Given that all of the email hasnt been disclosed or even discovered (because much of it was deleted), how much leverage does one of these foreign entities now have?

Its possible that only a fraction of the DNC email has been released, and given that the terminations were tied to what was in the email  not tied to the theft  how many other Democrats or DNC staffers have the threat of being fired hanging over their heads? In short, how many are now owned by whoever has this damaging email?

Oh, and given the lack of products, like Varonis, that are capable of tracking this stuff, who says hackers havent penetrated the RNC and might be blackmailing the RNC folks as well? Given Trumps current popularity, youd think the Republican servers actually would be more attractive than those of the Democrats.

Clinton vs. Trump

Clinton is a career politician who doesnt seem to understand technology very well. Trump is a casino owner, and casinos live on massive amounts of calculated game analytics, heavy multilayered security systems, and massive customer tracking and analysis.

Trump should be far stronger with the kinds of technologies that drive an election, but Clinton is outperforming Trump massively in this regard. How the hell can Trump run a successful casino business by clearly not understanding the technology behind successful casinos?

Seriously, the typical casino runs a level of technology that a politician would die to have access to  yet there is no evidence that Trump understands this even remotely. Maybe he is secretly chivalrous? Doubtful

Wrapping Up

One of the things Ive noticed as society has moved to the Web is that news organizations increasingly just rehash what others report. Its just a rare few that report original stories, and much of what we read is just a rehash of those rare original pieces. Thats kind of sad, because I think much of what Ive related actually is more interesting than what is being discussed. Thats something to noodle on this week.

With all of the leaks of information this year, youd think more people  particularly politicians  would get that security trumps, pretty much every time. However, the only company that remains laser-focused on security is BlackBerry, and its latest phones run Android.

The Priv was my previous favorite, but even though it has a keyboard, it also is wicked expensive. The new DTEK50 gets rid of the keyboard, some weight, and about half the price to create what is actually a decent phone.

BlackBerrys DTEK50

The DTEK has three standout aspects. It puts Android on top of a secure BlackBerry platform, which makes it resist rootkits  the most dangerous of the Android malware because they are very hard to detect.

It has the best selfie camera in the market, and it has a single function button that can be used for any app you want (I use it for the camera).

Additional unique features are the DTEK security scan, which tells you if you have been compromised; the BlackBerry hub, which collects all your communications stuff  everything from social networks and email, to SMS messages and phone calls  in one place; and BBM, BlackBerrys unique corporate messaging service.

I am seriously missing the Privs keyboard, but given that this phone is lighter, thinner, and far less expensive than my favorite phone, the Blackberry DTEK50 is my product of the week.
German automaker Audi will soon be integrating a traffic light timer in select vehicles that'll show drivers how much time is left before the red light they're stuck at turns green.

The timer, which will reside alongside the speedometer and other vital information in the dash behind the steering wheel, will count down how much time is remaining before the light turns green. It won't go all the way down to zero (apparently to discourage racing), instead turning off a few seconds before the light turns.

Pom Malhotra, general manager of connected vehicles for Audi, said at a press event in San Francisco that the timer will reduce the anxiety and stress of sitting in traffic. Knowing how much time is left could allow a driver to change the radio station, contemplate a route change or turn around and check on their kid in the back seat, the executive noted.

Malhotra said that they do not encourage the use of smartphones behind the wheel but added that if there's a time to do it, it's when you're stopped. At least he isn't totally oblivious to the fact that people are going to use this feature to play on their smartphones (something people already do anyway).

Traffic light information won't come complementary, however, as the German automaker is planning to serve up the data as part of its paid Connect Prime service that could set you back as much as $33 per month.

The rollout will be slow (after all, there are more than 300,000 traffic lights in the US) as the automaker will need to work with each city to tap into their traffic light infrastructure. The company expects to offer the feature in seven cities by the end of the year and 50 percent of its equipped vehicles by the end of 2017.

Lead image courtesy leungchopan, Shutterstock
Two company veterans will serve as co-presidents of Fox News in one of the most important leadership changes in the American news industry.

Rupert Murdoch, who currently helms Fox News as interim CEO after Roger Ailes stepped down last month, named Jack Abernethy and Bill Shine as co-presidents on Friday, with the appointment effective immediately.

Having been part of Fox since 1996, Abernethy has risen to become Fox Television Stations' chief executive while Shine functioned as Fox's senior executive vice president.

The two worked for years under the leadership of Ailes, who was CEO and founding chairman of the news group for two decades.

Roger Ailes' Resignation

As Ailes steered the ship  right from the inception of Fox News  the company became the most influential medium for airing conservative views on cable television. But allegations of sexual harassment, which Ailes denied, prompted him to resign as CEO.

In July, Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor, lodged a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, alleging she was terminated from the network after she refused to have sexual relations with him. Fox soon ordered an internal review of the accusations made by Carlson and other female employees who claimed to have had the same encounters with Ailes for decades.

Amid the turmoil, Murdoch recognized Ailes' "remarkable contribution to our company and our country."

"Roger shared my vision of a great and independent television organization and executed it brilliantly over 20 great years," Murdoch said at the time of Ailes' departure.

Is It Business As Usual At Fox?

With the U.S. well into the election season, the naming of Abernethy and Shine as co-presidents points to Fox's decision to continue the same market positioning established by Ailes.

"While this has been a time of great transition," Murdoch says, "there has never been a greater opportunity for Fox News and Fox Business to better serve and expand their audiences."

For his part, Abernethy will remain in charge of Fox Television Stations, and manage finance and ad sales at the Fox News Channel and Fox Business News.

Shine, meanwhile, will helm network programming, production and news functions, and also manage the talent pool. During the election season, he will also take charge of strategic planning.

Given these leadership changes, will Fox News enter a new era post-Ailes?

"There is no desire or need to shift the position it has in the market," says Lachlan Murdoch, co-executive chairman of Fox News. The company is reportedly on track to register its highest-rated year ever.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Google Fiber unit of Alphabet could be looking at going wireless, as the cost and time associated with installing underground fiber optic cables for the high-speed broadband internet service is slowing down the business.

Google Fiber could be looking at a significant change of direction, as it steps back to rethink its rollout plans in several metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. Projects in San Jose, California and Portland, Oregon have been suspended.

According to sources familiar with the plans of the company, the initial rollouts of Google Fiber turned out to be more expensive and time-consuming than expected. The unit is now investigating alternative technologies to build out its high-speed broadband internet service.

One of the sources said that, for most cases, Google Fiber is looking to use wireless technology to connect homes to the service as opposed to underground fiber optic cables. In other cases, Google would be looking to lease existing fiber networks or ask the cities or power companies to build out the networks themselves.

Google Fiber, which looks to provide customers with up to 100 times the speed of typical broadband internet connections, is running into trouble with the so-called last mile, which is where the network is brought directly into the homes and buildings of the service's clients. Getting through this last mile usually involves tearing up the streets and digging up nearby sidewalks, which is a huge burden in the construction of the network. As such, the exploration on looking for a wireless solution to go over the last mile has started.

Google Fiber has only reached six metropolitan areas after four years, which illustrates the expense and difficulty of building out fiber optic networks requiring cables stretching thousands of miles. Google Fiber has started construction in five metropolitan areas and has announced plans to expand into another dozen cities within the next few years, and these dozen cities will likely be the testing grounds for the service's usage of wireless technology.

Google Fiber's acquisition of Webpass could have been considered a prelude to the push into wireless by the service. Webpass beams internet connections from a fiber-connected antenna to other antennas that are mounted on buildings, which is something that Google Fiber could be looking to do in the future.

Google will likely be building out fiber optic cable networks to a neighborhood and then use wireless technology such as the one developed by Webpass for the distribution of the service to customers.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Verizon subscribers who preordered the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 are in for a treat, as the carrier has already started shipping out the highly anticipated smartphone ahead of schedule.

According to several users, the Big Red has sent them emails that confirm their orders have been processed and that they have been charged for the phablet. On top of that, they also got tracking numbers to boot, serving as the icing on the cake that indicates this is the real deal.

"Ok Just got an email from Verizon about a half hour ago stating my order has shipped and gave me a FedEx tracking number with a Thurs Aug 18 delivery date before 3:00 pm (Ohio) I ordered the Blue Coral color!" user laserbiz says over at XDA-Developers Android Forums.

At this point, it should be cleared up that the Galaxy Note 7 is slated to go official on Aug. 19, Friday.

This move is similar to how T-Mobile handle things with Samsung flagships, sending out the Galaxy S6 last year, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge a few months ago and the Galaxy Note 7 recently earlier than usual.

As a reminder of the core offerings the Galaxy Note 7 has in store, it packs in the company's home-built Exynos 8890 octa-core chipset along with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage that can be expanded by up to 256 GB via a microSD card.

Sporting a 5.7-inch curved Super AMOLED display, it pushes out a resolution of 1,440 x 2,560, clocking in at 518 ppi. It's also layered with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to stay free from scratches and whatnot. Just like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, it's also IP68 certified.

Out of the box, it runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow that's skinned with the Grace TouchWiz UI. On that note, Samsung is expected to roll out Android 7.0 Nougat to every Note 7 out there within three months.

Loaded with a 3,500 mAh battery, it should keep the lights on for a pretty long time on a single charge. A Reddit user who goes by the name of battoosh even went to lengths to test it out and got impressive results.

Staying up to date with the standard of smartphones nowadays, it houses a fingerprint sensor, but as an edge over the others, it boasts an iris scanner plus a USB Type-C port.

For mobile photography, it's fitted with a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front shooter.

Last but not the least, it's available in Blue Coral, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium and Black Onyx.

To sum things up, the Galaxy Note 7 is scheduled to officially hit the shelves on Aug. 19, but Verizon subscribers will be getting their hands on it ahead of the intended release date, just like T-Mobile customers.

If you're one of the Big Red's subscribers who received an email about the coveted phablet, feel free to drop by our comments section below and let us know.

Also, don't forget to check out our review roundup to find out what other people think of the Samsung flagship.

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Leaked pictures of Google's upcoming Nexus device, codenamed "Sailfish," have surfaced, showing an interesting design that has never been seen before in any of Google's previous Nexus smartphones.

Google's two Nexus smartphones for 2016, both of which will be manufactured by HTC, are among the most anticipated devices that will be released this year, in addition to Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 and Apple's iPhone 7.

Sailfish has previously revealed itself on AnTuTu benchmarks, with its rumored 5-inch display to come with 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution. The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB of RAM, with a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

The leaked images, acquired by Android Police, provide a look at Sailfish's externals, painting the complete picture of the device when paired with the specifications revealed by the AnTuTu benchmarks.

Android Police noted that the construction of both Sailfish and its larger counterpart, codenamed "Marlin," will use similar materials and design, with HTC to manufacture both smartphones with identical specifications aside from display size, screen resolution and battery capacity.

The image acquired by Android Police reveals a metallic device, with a dark and glossy pane surrounding the camera module and fingerprint scanner at the back of the smartphone that is believed to be made of glass.

Google's "G" logo is absent in the leaked images, but it is believed that once the smartphone enters production, the logo will be present on the device.

The Sailfish smartphone seen in the images look similar to the grainy photo that was recently uploaded by an anonymous user on Twitter, who claimed that the device looked like a cross between Google's Nexus 4 and the iPhone. The anonymous user said that a fingerprint scanner and a glass construction was at the back of the smartphone, which coincides with the leaked images acquired by Android Police.

There have also been rumors that Google's Nexus devices for this year will be coming with several color options. In addition to the dark gray option shown in the leaked images, there may be an aluminum option combined with white at the front of the smartphone. There may also be an electric blue version with a white front and a glossy blue back.

Until Google officially unveils its Nexus smartphones for this year though, none of these rumors can be confirmed. Fans of the devices might not have to wait that long, as the announcement is expected to come as soon as this month.

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According to several reports, Tesla Motors will soon be launching P100D versions for the Model S and Model X, which will have the electric vehicles come equipped with 100 kWh battery packs.

The larger battery pack will lead to a longer single-charge range for the electric vehicles, which is one of the main concerns of consumers who are thinking of making the jump from gasoline-powered cars to one of Tesla Motors' offerings.

The current best options offered by Tesla Motors are the P90D versions, with 90 kWh battery packs that are capable of traveling 294 miles on a single charge. With the 100 kWh battery pack of the P100D, the single-charge range of the Model S and Model X could reach 381 miles.

According to Dutch blog Kenteken, Tesla Motors has received approval from European regulators to use the 100 kWh battery pack in its vehicles. The information was said to have been found through a search of the open database of the regulator.

The improvement from 294 miles to 381 miles is significant and could sway more automobile owners to purchase either a Model S or Model X. However, as noted by Autoblog, the P100D rating is generously granted. The rating is based on the New European Driving Cycle rating methods instead of those from the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

With an upgraded battery, the vehicles of Tesla Motors will still likely exceed 300 miles from a single charge, even with the said discrepancy in ratings. However, as the approval was only sourced from the regulator and not announced by the electric car company, there are no exact details on what Tesla Motors' plans are for the P100D versions and the 100 kWh batteries.

It is said that Tesla Motors will be announcing 100D, P100D and P100D with Ludicrous Mode versions, but when that announcement will come is unknown.

Tesla Motors has been battered by controversy recently, stemming from the accidents caused by the company's Autopilot self-driving system. The company widened its loss to $293.2 million, or a loss of $2.09 per share, in the second quarter of the year compared with the loss of $184.2 million, or a loss of $1.45 per share, in the second quarter of 2015.

Tesla Motors founder and CEO Elon Musk, however, remains unfazed as he claims that the problems that the company faced in the production of the Model X have now been solved. Company executives are also optimistic that Tesla Motors will be able to report a profitable quarter before the year ends.

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Tesla no longer uses the term "autopilot" or the Chinese equivalent of "self-driving" in its Chinese website, following the crash of a Model S on one of the country's highways.

The modifications to the company's website were done, as the Beijing driver who was involved in the incident complained that Tesla overplayed the function's capability, misleading buyers into thinking that the feature has much more increased capabilities.

The accident took place earlier in August when the driver was driving on a Beijing highway. The Model S was unable to detect and avoid crashing into a vehicle that was parked in the roadway. Both vehicles suffered damages, but luckily nobody was injured.

This is the first time China has reported an incident involving autonomous vehicles. Earlier this year, Florida saw the first fatality from a self-driving car accident, causing regulators to start probing the Autopilot feature present in Tesla's cars.

Tesla told Reuters that its team of translators has been "addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks." The company points out that the timing with the Chinese crash is simply a mere coincidence.

"At Tesla we are continuously making improvements, including to translations," Tesla states.

The former version of Tesla's page contained both autopilot references and the term "zidong jiashi," which translates as self-driving. At the end of the past week, both terms were removed from the page.

After the tweaking, a phrase translating into "self-assisted driving" was deployed instead.

In the wake of the Model S crash, the staff of Tesla China went through additional training. One of the key elements of the training refers to explaining to customers that the autopilot function demands the drivers to have both hands on the wheel.

Tesla collected data from the car involved in the Beijing highway crash and found out that the car had Autopilot active at the moment of the incident, but the driver did not have his hands on the wheel.

On the U.S. side of the company, a spokeswoman repeatedly pointed out that the system is far from delivering fully autonomous driving and it only offers assisted driving. This means that the driver should always pay attention to the vehicle and be ready to take control.

Reuters reports that salespersons from Tesla China took their hands off the wheel while demonstrating the function to potential buyers.

No Chinese authorities were available for commenting on Tesla's crash and self-driving policies in the country.

The crash might have a negative impact on the carmaker's sales in the country, which is estimated to be the world's largest adopter of self-driving vehicles.

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Residents of Florida are set to conduct a rally in front of the state's mosquito control board office on Tuesday, Aug. 16, to protest the planned release of genetically modified mosquitoes in their community as a way to combat the spread of Zika.

Mara Daly, a Florida Keys native, proprietor of a local salon and rallyist, said the goal of the protesters is to let the Florida Keys Mosquito Control Board know that there are those concerned about the potential impact such a move could have on the community.

The issue stems from a plan raised by biotech company Oxitec, which would have millions of genetically modified insects released in the Keys area to help curb the spread of disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

Oxitec scientists explained that the GMO mosquitoes produce offspring that die almost immediately, which would make them less likely to pass on diseases, such as Zika, to others.

Molecular biologist and Oxitec spokesman Derric Nimmo said they have identified Key Haven, Florida as an ideal site to test their GMO mosquitoes.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if the Keys mosquito control district could say, 'We don't have Aedes aegypti here  you can't get dengue or Zika?'" Nimmo pointed out.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) gave its approval to have the test release of the GMO mosquitoes in Key Haven in the Lower Keys area.

Using GMO Mosquitoes To Target Zika

According to Oxitec, it has spent the past five years developing the technology to target disease-carrying mosquitoes. The company's plan involves creating male mosquitoes that carry a certain type of gene that would prevent their offspring from growing into adulthood.

Scientists hope the GMO insects would lead to a significant reduction in the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes once they mate with females in the wild. This would then prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses such as dengue and Zika.

Despite its potential benefits, many Florida Keys residents aren't too keen about the idea of using their community as a testing ground for the plan.

In Key West, the city government formally opposed the introduction of the genetically modified mosquitoes as early as 2012. Residents are also voicing their refusal to take part in the plan by placing "No Consent" signs on their lawns.

Daly said many of the residents in the Upper Keys she was able to speak to weren't aware that the proposed release of the GMO mosquitoes was a trial.

"People either don't read or they skim," Daly said. "After the FDA had its finding of no significant impact, it became real."

She stressed that there is a need to help educate people about the very real, scientifically proven problems associated with the release of the genetically modified mosquitoes.

A nonbinding referendum has been scheduled for Nov. 8, which would allow Florida Keys residents to vote on whether to let the experiment take place in their community. One ballot question will be set aside exclusively for Key Haven residents, while another will be for the rest of the voters in Monroe County.

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Public safety experts are calling for the government to re-evaluate its policy on regulating amusement parks in the country after a recent string of park-related accidents in the past five days left one boy dead and three other children seriously injured.

A 3-year-old boy in Pennsylvania was hospitalized after he fell from a wooden rollercoaster at a local amusement park in the afternoon of Aug. 11.

Park officials said the victim was on the ride with his brother when the machine suddenly malfunctioned. The boy was quickly airlifted to a nearby hospital after the incident.

Meanwhile, one girl in Tennessee suffered a serious head injury after she and two others fell from a Ferris wheel car in the evening of Aug. 8. Local police said the car that the victims were riding flipped over, causing all three girls to be dropped from a height of 30 to 45 feet.

On Aug. 7, a 10-year-old boy was decapitated after he rode a 168-foot waterslide in Kansas. Police and park officials have yet to release details about the accident.

These accidents and other theme park-related incidents in the past call into question just how safe such places are for visitors. Safety experts point out that the government should conduct more oversight to ensure that nobody gets hurt when they go on park rides.

However, this may be more difficult to carry out since regulations for amusement parks are handled by state and not by the federal government.

Compounding the situation is the fact that only 44 states provide oversight for theme parks in their area. Parks in Alabama, Utah, Nevada, Mississippi, South Dakota and Wyoming are not regulated by the state.

Government agencies responsible for theme park regulation also vary for each state. In Kansas, Nebraska and Tennessee, inspections for such parks are conducted by the state labor department, while in Pennsylvania, it is handled by the state agriculture department.

Some large amusement parks, such as SeaWorld, Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World in Florida, are also not subject to inspections by state regulators.

This lack of a standard and unified set of safety guidelines for amusement parks in the country is one of the primary things safety experts are concerned about.

"Do we need more oversight? Yes," Ken Martin, a consultant on amusement park safety, said. "Each state should be on the same page of the hymnal, singing the same verse in the same key."

Amusement Park-Related Injuries And Fatalities

According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), there have been about 37,300 people who were taken to the emergency room last year because of theme park ride-related injuries.

The agency said there have also been 25 deaths related to amusement ride accidents and four deaths involving water slides since 2010. These figures have yet to include last Sunday's incident in Kansas.

Researcher Tracy Mehan from the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio said that there seems to be an inherent assumption among park goers that theme park rides are safe. However, because there is a lack of regulation on a national level, the safety of theme parks may vary for each local organization or state government.

Despite these concerns for public safety at amusement parks, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) argues that the chances of a person suffering a serious injury on an amusement park ride in the U.S. are only one in 16 million.

The group has also been lobbying against increased oversight from the federal government, stating that there is no evidence to prove such a move would help improve the excellent safety record the amusement park industry already has.

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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) may still be the leading cause of death in most parts of the world, but a new study has found that, as far as 12 European countries are concerned, that threat has been overtaken by cancer, effectively making it the top killer among them.

To be clear, however, the findings don't mean that cancer has suddenly become more dangerous. Rather, the researchers suggest that efforts aimed at improving treatment for and preventing CVD are working.

In a study published in the European Heart Journal, researchers from Oxford detail how they found that cancer has passed CVD as a cause of death and disability in much of Western Europe over the past few years. Specifically, they found that cancer is a greater cause of death than CVD in 10 countries that are members of the European Union  Portugal, France, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and the United Kingdom (Brexit could be delayed to the end of 2019). The situation is the same in non-EU countries Norway and Israel.

For example, according to the most recent data available, 92,375 men died of cancer, while 64,659 died of CVD in France during 2011. Similarly, in 2013, 67,711 men died of cancer and 53,487 died of CVD in Spain, while 87,511 men died of cancer and 79,935 died of CVD in the UK.

While this data suggests that efforts at combating CVD are improving, it also raises one interesting question: "Why has this trend only been observed in Western Europe?"

According to data from the World Health Organization, nearly one-third of deaths around the world in 2012 (about 17.5 million people) were caused by cardiovascular disease. A similar study in 2015 had results consistent with that, finding that CVD claims about one in every three American lives.

Data from the recently-revised European Standard Population appeared to be consistent with this, too, with researchers finding that four million deaths in Europe, or 45 percent of all deaths on the continent, are linked to CVD, while cancer accounts for less than half of that. However, this was mostly because of the majority of Eastern Europe and non-EU countries skewing things in that direction.

"Although we have seen progress across Europe in the prevention and treatment of CVD, leading to decreases in mortality from it, it is clear that such progress is not consistent across the continent," said Dr. Nick Townsend, a senior researcher at the BHF Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention at the University of Oxford, in a press release. "With higher mortality from CVD still found in Eastern Europe and non-EU countries, it is clear that the progress that has been made in Western Europe and most EU countries is yet to be achieved equally throughout the region."

As such, researchers are left with an important task: figuring out why this is the case.

"We need more research into why some countries are showing improved outcomes, while others are not," Townsend added. "Improved data needs to be collected in all countries in order to make comparisons on deaths and suffering from CVD between countries so that health professionals and national governments can target interventions more effectively to reduce inequalities."

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Elecciones presidenciales

El pais mas grande de la region elige este domingo a su proximo mandatario. Tras no lograr hacerse con la mayoria de los votos en los comicios del 2 de octubre, Luis Inacio "Lula" Da Silva y Jair Bolsonaro se disputan la Presidencia en una balotaje que enfrenta tendencias y valores contrapuestas. Con equipos en el terreno, Telam presenta una cobertura exclusiva con noticias, analisis, opinion, fotos y mas.
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
Long Thanh Wants to Smile, a German documentary about dioxin victims in Vietnam, has been nominated for this year Emmy Awards in the Current Affairs and News category.

The 28-minute documentary was made by Philipp Abresch, Singapore bureau chief of German broadcaster ARD.

It tells the story of people who were unprotected against Agent Orange, a highly toxic defoliant containing dioxin that was used by the US Army during the Vietnam War, which ended in 1975.

Forty years later, generations of Vietnamese still suffer from the aftereffects of the chemical, including 15-year-old Long Thanh. However, despite the challenges he faces, he manages to live life in an admirable way.

Some three million Vietnamese live with the effects of the herbicide.

The eight nominees for the award were from six countries -- Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, Qatar, Russia, UK, and Vietnam.

The winners will be announced September 21 at a ceremony in New York.
A rendering of the underground shopping zone in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Photo credit: Saigon Times Online

Japans Toshin Development has submitted a proposal to build a VND8.39 trillion (US$377 million) underground shopping zone in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, local media reported Thursday.

The four-story center will cover an area of 45,420 square meters underground from Ben Thanh to Saigon Opera House Stations of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line, Toshin said during a meeting with the citys authorities on Wednesday, according to news website VnExpress. The metro line is now under construction.

Around 21,600 square meters of the project will feature walking streets and a square. Toshin suggested the city contribute n early 5 trillion ($224 million), using funding from official development assistance (ODA).

Meanwhile, the remaining area, which will consist of shopping malls and recreational facilities, will be funded by the company and other investors, it said.

Construction should start in late 2019 and end in early 2024, the Japanese firm said.

Le Van Khoa, deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City, ordered the citys Planning and Investment Department to examine the plans feasibility before submitting it to the Planning and Investment Ministry.

Construction of the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line, the first in the city, began in August 2012 and is scheduled for completion in 2020.
A graphic image of a 45,000-square-meter shopping mall under the Ben Thanh station of Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line. Photo credit: Dau Tu

Ho Chi Minh City has reportedly sought the central government's permission to partner with a consortium of Japanese investors to build a shopping mall beneath a metro station at a projected cost of more than VND6.86 trillion (US$303.2 million).

In its proposal, the city People's Committee said it wants to use official development loans from Japan to build walking streets, a square and other infrastructure works for the mall, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Monday.

Toshin Development, a known developer of shopping centers in Japan, will join hands with other Japanese companies Nikken Sekkei Civil Engineering Ltd and Osaka Chikagai Co., Ltd. and the countrys fund for overseas infrastructure investment JOIN, to build the shopping precinct.

The whole project will cover around 45,000 square meters, of which the shopping zone will take up around 40 percent, according to news website Dau Tu.

It will be built under the first station in the city's first metro line from Ben Thanh Market to District 9's Suoi Tien theme park.

Work on the 20-kilometer route began in 2012 and is expected to be completed in 2020.
A file photo of a Hai Au seaplane

Hai Au Aviation, which offers seaplane tours, has reportedly sought continued discounts from aviation authorities, citing financial problems.

The Ministry of Transport is now considering the proposal following approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, news website Dau Tu reported Sunday.

If approved, Hai Au would continue to pay half the regulated landing, takeoff and air control charges services for another year, it said.

The carrier, which has been getting the discounts offered by the Vietnamese government to newly-established airlines since 2014, had them extended once last year.

Hai Au, established in 2011, operates seaplanes between Hanoi and the popular Ha Long Bay, besides charter flights to other places in Vietnam.

In his demand for continuing the discounts, Dinh Thi Thu Trang, CEO of Hai Au, blamed red tape for the airline's problems, saying it has to get a new flying license for every flight.

In the event, the airline has had to refuse many customers asking for flights at short notice, she said.
Heavy flood in Thanh Hoa Province, where a 5-year-old is still missing from being swept away at night. Photo: Le Anh/VietNamNet

Downpours in Vietnams northern mountains last week caused flash floods that killed at least five people, including two children, and left two others missing.

The National Steering Committee for Search and Rescue said heavy rains between August 10 and 14 have taken a heavy toll, news website VietNamNet reported.

Two girls aged three and eight were swept away in Dien Bien Province.

A 22-year-old man in Thai Nguyen Province and a person in Sa Pa were also killed in similar circumstances.

In Lao Cai Province, a 53-year-old man and his wife, 51, were swept away but rescuers have only recovered the body of the woman.

Rescuers in Thanh Hoa Province in the north-central region are looking for a five-year-old who was swept away while sleeping at night.

Rainfall of up to 230 mm has been forecast over the next couple of days in the northern mountainous region, and it could possibly cause more flash floods and erosion.
Vietnamese police are cooperating with Lao counterpart to look for a Vietnamese national who has been accused of sending nearly 10kg of cannabis to his wife for reselling in Vietnam.

The case was detected on August 11 when police caught Le Thi Kim Oanh, 42, red handed carrying more than 6kg of cannabis.

Police also seized nearly 4kg of cannabis at her house in Hue Town.

At the police station, Oanh said her husband Le Xuan Hien had sent the cannabis from Laos.

Investigation led to the arrest of Vo Ngoc Binh, 46, a bus driver on Hue-Lao route that transported the drug for the couple and Truong Ngo, 43, another link in the illegal trade.

Investigators believed that Binh has transported drug for the couple for many times.

In related news, Lao Cai police have arrested 4 people in 3 separate drug smuggling cases in the northern province from August 10-12. They seized a total of nearly 3kg of heroin and 1kg of cannabis.

Vietnam has some of the worlds toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty.

The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death.
The truck that crashed into motorbikes on Ho Chi Minh City's Nguyen Tat Thanh Street on August 15. Photo credit: Le Trai/Zing News

A woman was killed and another was injured after being hit by a truck that lost control and crashed into other vehicles in downtown Ho Chi Minh City Monday.

The accident happened at around 5:30 a.m. on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4 when the semi-trailer truck carrying hot rolled steel and heading toward District 1 lost control.

The street, located near major river ports, is known for its heavy traffic.

At a section near the Khanh Hoi Bridge, the truck crashed into the median barrier and a motorbike coming in the opposite direction.

It only stopped after crashing into a wall of a roadside company. It is not known why the driver lost control of the vehicle.

A woman on the motorbike died on the spot and another was hospitalized with serious injuries. Their identities are not known yet.

The police are investigating the accident.

HCMC recorded more than 1,700 traffic accidents in January-June in which 376 people died and 1,400 others were injured.

The average fatality rate is two people a day.
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A court in the central province of Nghe An Tuesday sentenced a woman to 18 years in jail and a man to 15 years for impersonating government officials and conning people out of nearly US$410,000 by promising to get them jobs abroad.

Ngo Thu Ly, 32, and her accomplice Giap Van Trung, 37, were convicted of defrauding 48 job seekers between 2011 and 2014, according to media reports.

They used fake documents to convince the victims there were legal job opportunities in South Korea and Canada.

They charged the victims, from Nghe An and provinces in northern Vietnam, $5,000 for jobs in South Korea and $7,000 in Canada.

Farmers in some northern and central provinces do not earn much from agriculture because of regular typhoons and drought, and so many are desperate for a proper overseas job.

Many even pay illegal labor brokers and so it was easy for the duo acting as officials.
Russian tourists at Cam Ranh Airport near the central resort beach town of Nha Trang. Photo: Nguyen Van Chung

Pegas Touristik, which brings the largest number of Russian tourists to Vietnam, is planning to start an airline here specifically meant for foreign tourists, news website Saigon Times Online quoted an unnamed source as saying Tuesday.

Abdullah Cankaya, the companys Asia Pacific director, reportedly met with authorities in the central province of Khanh Hoa and other related officials the same day to discuss the plan.

He was quoted as saying that the airline, which will be headquartered in the province's Cam Ranh town, would help increase the number of international arrivals, especially from Russia.

The report comes amid strong declines in international arrivals, especially from Russia.

In fact, Pegas Touristik, which has brought more than 500,000 Russians to Vietnam since 2011 on charter flights, has been forced to suspend flights to both Phu Quoc Island and Ho Chi Minh City since the beginning of this year.

Statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism showed 167,700 Russian tourists visited the country in the first half of the year, down 13 percent.

However, in their meeting, Cankaya reportedly told Vietnamese authorities that Vietnam remains a promising market.

Pegas Touristik said it brought 196,000 Russian tourists here last year, up 79.5 percent from 2013.

It was also quoted as saying that it expected its charter flights between Russia and Vietnam to increase this winter from the current 40 a month.

Pegas Touristik operates 51 aircraft, half of them in collaboration with other companies, taking Russian tourists to 22 destinations around the world, the news website reported.

Four airlines have been licensed for charter services in Vietnam -- Globaltrans Air, Vietnam Air Services Company, Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, and Hai Au Aviation.
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.
A man bows his head as he enters Yasukuni Shrine on the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two in Tokyo, Japan, August 15, 2016.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a shrine for war dead on Monday, the anniversary of Japan's World War Two defeat, but did not visit the shrine seen in China and South Korea as a symbol of Tokyo's wartime militarism, an aide said.

Visits to Yasukuni Shrine by top Japanese politicians outrage China and South Korea because it honors 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, along with war dead.

Abe has not visited in person since December 2013, when he said he did so to show respect for those who died for their country.

Ties between China and Japan, Asia's two largest economies, have also been strained in recent days as a growing number of Chinese coastguard and other government ships sailed near disputed islets in the East China Sea, called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

Visitors bow their heads towards the Yasukuni Shrine ahead of Monday's anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War Two in Tokyo, Japan, August 14, 2016.

"This was out of respect to those who gave their lives for the country," said Yasutoshi Nishimura, an aide to Abe's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who presented the offering in Abe's name as LDP president rather than as prime minister.

Other lawmakers who visited the shrine included deputy chief cabinet secretary Koichi Hagiuda and Shinjiro Koizumi, often tipped as a future prime minister.

New defense Minister Tomomi Inada, who has been accused by China of recklessly misrepresenting history after she declined to say whether Japanese troops massacred civilians in China during World War Two, is visiting troops in Djibouti and would not be able to attend as she usually has.
"The UKs actions in Libya were part of an ill-conceived intervention, the results of which are still playing out today."
Since the failed coup, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has driven through some of the most significant changes in the country since its foundation in 1923

With a thorough shake-up of its armed forces, a reassessment of foreign policy and the biggest purge in its modern history, Turkey has undergone a transformation in the month since the July 15 coup bid.

On the surface, street life has returned to its normal bustle in Istanbul and Ankara, where terrified residents witnessed bombings by fighter jets and tanks driving amok in the streets on the night of the attempted putsch.

But the huge red Turkish flags hanging from public buildings, billboards hailing the coup's defeat and pictures in metro stations of the "martyrs" killed are all reminders that life is not the same as it was before the events which began at around 1900 GMT on July 15.

The plotters, whom Ankara says were directed by the mysterious US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, sought to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power and impose a military regime.

Instead, they were arrested en-masse, giving the president a chance to drive through some of the most significant changes in this country of 79 million since the foundation in 1923 of the modern Turkish Republic out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire.

At a strategic crossroads

The authorities say the coup was driven by rogue Gulen loyalists within the military, which has been a pillar of the Republic since its foundation, and almost one half of its contingent of generals have since been detained and fired.

Erdogan has moved to bring the general staff and other military departments directly under his control and that of his government in a historic "civilianisation" of an institution that had previously ousted governments three times by means of a coup.

"A revolutionary civilianisation process has been spearheaded by the government with the aim of further decreasing the scope of the military in politics and society," Metin Gurcan and Megan Gisclon wrote in a paper for the Istanbul Policy Centre (IPC).

They said the authorities could now choose between continuing the reforms in a democratic way or subduing the military without consultation.

"A strategic turning point is now before Turkey."

Ankara believes the plotters were directed by the mysterious US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

So far untouched by the shake-up is the powerful National Intelligence Agency (MIT), which has faced vehement criticism for failing to warn Erdogan about the coup. But the government has vowed it will also undergo restructuring.

'Test to rebuild'

The scale of the general crackdown after the coup has prompted accusations from the West of a witch-hunt. But Turkish officials say it points to the extent to which Gulen had penetrated all state institutions.

Over 76,000 people have been dismissed from their jobs, mostly in the education sector where Gulen's influence was greatest and a total of over 35,000 people detained.

Ankara has swatted back the criticism of the West, angrily accusing it of failing to show solidarity in Turkey's time of need and with pro-government media speculating that the United States even had a hand in the plot.

Washington and Ankara could be heading for a collision course over Gulen, whom Turkey wants to see extradited from his secluded compound in Pennsylvania in a potentially fraught process.

Meanwhile, Turkey's bid to join the EU that dates back to the 1960s is enduring its worst crisis in years as controversy simmers over the crackdown that prompted Austria to break a years-long taboo and call for accession talks to be stopped.

"The failed coup wasn't in any way a test that the EU or US failed.... The 'test' is for Turkey to rebuild itself as best it can," said Marc Pierini, a former EU ambassador to Ankara and visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe.

"West-bashing won't help Turkey return to normalcy. It will just complicate matters."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's popularity has surged in opinion polls.

Erdogan's popularity has surged in opinion polls and he has brought two opposition parties into talks on constitutional reforms -- but has excluded the main Kurdish political force whom he accuses of links to militants.

'Reset with Russia'

The pro-Western tilt of Turkey -- a NATO member since 1952 -- has been the cornerstone of its foreign policy ever since it troubled the Allies by staying neutral for almost all of World War II.

In late June, Turkey moved to overcome a months-long diplomatic crisis caused by the shooting-down of a Russian war plane, and Erdogan's first foreign visit after the coup was to meet President Vladimir Putin, raising fears that Ankara could be re-orientating its stance.

The Turkish leader, who had earlier castigated the West's response to the coup, thanked Putin for expressing support so quickly and declared cooperation on key projects like a Black Sea gas pipeline was back on track.

"In contrast to Western leaders, Putin is using the occasion to reset Russian-Turkish relations," said Kemal Kirisci of the Brookings Institution.

But he said that with 44 percent of Turkish exports going to the EU in 2014 and 4 percent to Russia, the "bloc is still Turkeys economic lifeline."
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu chairs a meeting on Syria at the Defence Ministry in Moscow, Russia, in this picture released on July 28, 2016. Vadim Savitsky/Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation/Handout via REUTERS

Russia and the United States are close to starting joint military action against militants in Syria's Aleppo, Russian news agencies on Monday cited Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying.

Fighting for control of Aleppo has intensified in recent weeks and there have been some gains for rebel groups battling Syrian government forces.

Shoigu's statements come as a surprise because Russia and the United States back different sides in the conflict while participating in talks to try to find a political solution.

"We are now in a very active phase of negotiations with our American colleagues," the RIA news agency cited Shoigu as saying.

"We are moving step by step closer to a plan - and I'm only talking about Aleppo here - that would really allow us to start fighting together to bring peace so that people can return to their homes in this troubled land."

Shoigu said about 700,000 people were still living in Aleppo and that those living in the eastern part of the city were "hostages of armed groups".

Russia backs Assad in the five-year-old Syria conflict, while the United States wants to see Assad step down.

Earlier on Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Syrian militants had used a temporary ceasefire around Aleppo to regroup.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia should play a more active role in helping to resolve the Syria crisis.

"(They should) sit down at the table and negotiate," Bogdanov told the RIA news agency, saying he would meet representatives of the Syrian opposition in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Aug. 16.
Russia has been flying a bombing campaign in support of long-time ally Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad since September

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.
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

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."

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.

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.
Smoke billows from a building after a Taliban attack in Gereshk district of Helmand province, Afghanistan March 9, 2016.

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."
Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) official inspects the site of a bomb blast in Hua Hin, south of Bangkok, Thailand, in this still image taken from video August 12, 2016.

Within hours of last week's deadly bomb and arson attacks in Thailand, police and senior officials publicly ruled out any link to foreign militants and insisted the perpetrators, as yet unidentified, were homegrown.

But they also doubted the involvement of Thailand's most violent homegrown militants: the Malay-Muslim insurgents fighting a bloody separatist war in the country's three southernmost provinces, where similar bombings are grimly routine.

The official denial was unsurprising, said security experts. Admitting that southern insurgents could be involved in last week's attacks would have serious economic and security implications for Thailand.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the wave of bombings on Thursday and Friday that killed four people and wounded dozens, including foreign tourists.

But some security experts have noted that southern insurgent groups have a track record for carrying out coordinated bombing attacks.

Since 2004, a low-intensity but brutal war between government troops and insurgents has killed more than 6,500 people in the southern provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat that border Malaysia.

Most people there are ethnic Malay Muslims, who for decades have chafed under the rule of Buddhist-dominated governments in faraway Bangkok.

Last week's attacks had "nothing to do with the southern insurgency," Colonel Yuthanam Phetmuang, a spokesman for the military's Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) told Reuters.

Yuthanam denied the police were too quick to reach this conclusion, insisting it was based on "evidence collected and experience". He declined to elaborate further.

Political motivations

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, also Thailand's defense minister, told reporters on Monday the attacks were "definitely not an extension" of the southern insurgency, but said the perpetrators "could have been hired from there".

Security experts told Reuters that southern insurgents should remain the chief suspects, and questioned the government's political motivations for so hastily ruling them out.

Admitting the possible involvement of insurgents would mean that violence, once largely contained in the south, was "spreading to other parts of the country," said Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat, an independent analyst who has written two books on the conflict.

"This could have a potentially huge economic impact," she said.

If perpetrated by the insurgents, the attacks constituted the biggest and deadliest campaign yet outside their traditional area of operations, she said.

It could also indicate that security operations in the south had "seriously failed," despite the military taking complete control after seizing power in a 2014 coup, she added.

Rungrawee stressed that the involvement of southern militants in the recent attacks "remains a hypothesis".

New constitution

The attacks came days after Thailand voted to accept a new constitution that paves the way for an election in 2017 and, say critics, enshrines the military's already considerable power.

Thailand's deputy national police chief on Sunday said the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details.

Police on Monday said they had arrested one man for arson.

Suspicion over the attacks has also fallen on forces loyal to former populist Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was toppled in a 2006 coup. His sister, Yingluck, who took power after a winning a general election in 2011, was ousted in a 2014 coup.

His "red shirt" supporters denied they were behind the attacks. Security experts have said the involvement of the group, which is intensely monitored by the military, is highly unlikely.

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Most Thais voters accepted the military's constitution, but those in the three southern provinces overwhelmingly rejected it.

Analyst Rungrawee said this reflected deep local resentment of the Thai military and government.

Tourists targeted before

Violent incidents, including roadside bombings and shootings, take place almost daily in the southern border provinces

But they have spiked considerably so far this month, with 88 incidents of violence just in the first 10 days of August in the three southern provinces and neighboring Songkhla province, according to Deep South Watch (DSW), a Pattani-based group which monitors the conflict.

This compared with 32 incidents in all of August 2015, the lowest level of violence for 12 years.

Southern insurgents have targeted tourist sites before. Thirteen people were killed and more than 300 wounded in March 2012 when multiple bombs went off in Yala and Hat Yai, a bustling commercial center north of the three southern provinces popular with Malaysian visitors.

Peace talks between the Thai government and a handful of insurgent groups began in 2013 under the civilian government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, but have stalled since the military overthrew her.

Hardliners from the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (National Revolutionary Front, or BRN) have largely rejected the negotiations.

The BRN is the region's most powerful insurgent group and says it fighting to establish an independent state.
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Earlier this month, state Superintendent of Education John White trumpeted the fact that Louisiana public high school students showed greater gains this year in earning college credit than those in any other state except Massachusetts.

Less talked about was this footnote: The state still ranks near the bottom in the Advanced Placement program and was 50th for years.

"All indications are positive," White said a few days later when asked about national education indicators. "But we have to acknowledge the enormity of the challenge of competing with other states, given where we are are coming from."

The issue points at a long-standing problem in the state's bid to improve academic achievement in its public schools.

White and other state leaders regularly tout gains in AP credits, scores on the ACT  a test of college readiness  and the state's all-time record high school graduation rate of 77.5 percent.

But despite those and other gains, Louisiana ranks near the bottom in the key education indicators that families and companies look to when gauging the health of its public school system.

Even with improvements since 2009, Louisiana fourth-graders ranked 43rd in the U.S. in reading and 45th in math for 2015 on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the nation's report card.

The snapshot for eighth-graders is even bleaker  48th in reading, 49th in math.

Earlier this year, Education Week magazine said Louisiana ranks 49th in the nation in academic achievement, its second consecutive year in that spot.

A long way to go: Louisiana gets a D, ranking 49th nationally in academic achievement for second straight year For the second consecutive year, Louisiana ranks 49th nationally in academic achievement by 

WalletHub, a personal finance website, listed the state's public school system at 51st, below even the District of Columbia.

Worst school system in nation? Louisiana, new study says Just a week before many schools open re-open their doors, a new report says Louisiana has the worst school system in the nation. The review was done by WalletHub, a personal finance website best known for offering credit scores...

Education leaders say both stories are true and that Louisiana has been so far behind in the quality of its public schools for so long that even significant gains in the past two decades leave the state well behind most of its peers.

"Over the past 50, 60, 100 years, we have dug a deep hole," said Jim Garvey, president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. "It takes a while to get out of a deep hole."

The state's latest bid to improve its public schools began about 20 years ago.

One of the first waves of changes, high-stakes tests for fourth- and eighth-graders aimed at ending decades of social promotions, sparked years of controversy.

However, efforts to make students, schools and teachers more accountable have paid dividends, even if ACT scores and high school graduation rates remain well back of the pack nationally.

Jeff Gagne, policy director for the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta, said small but steady gains like those in Louisiana, including the state's high school graduation rate, are the way to go.

"What you want to see is a point, two points every year," Gagne said. "We are all about incremental improvement."

Part of the problem, he said, is that other states are improving at the same time.

"All of the states in our region have made substantial progress in the past 25 to 30 years," Gagne said. "When they are all rising, closing the gap is much tougher."

The way the state measures its schools often ranks near the top nationally, and New Orleans' transformation since Hurricane Katrina into something of a charter school laboratory has gained national attention.

Making public school students competitive nationally in basic academics, however, remains a herculean task in a poverty-stricken state.

"Our progress is always measured against other states, and other states are very serious about improving their educational systems," said Pearson Cross, a political scientist at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

"So it is a moving target," he said.

"For us to really move up in the rankings, we have to start doing markedly better than the states that are currently ahead of us," he said. "That is where the problem comes in."

White made a similar point about Advanced Placement, which allows high school students to earn college credit if they score high enough on rigorous exams.

Just before he became state superintendent, only 4.6 percent of public school students in Louisiana earned AP credit  near the bottom of the states  compared with 26.4 percent in Maryland, tops in the nation.

"And they are working to grow their AP as fast as possible, too," White said.

High school scores that produce college credit up 11 percent High school students this year earned 11 percent more qualifying scores for college credit t

Others contend the state's educational progress is stalled because of years of misguided programs.

Scott Richard, executive director of the Louisiana School Boards Association, said school choice, charter schools, vouchers, new standards, public school letter grades and other steps were all touted as answers.

Report: Louisiana voucher program shows decline in student performance, mainly in math For the second time in recent weeks, a report says Louisianas voucher program hurts the cla

"Education reforms have been pitched and adopted seemingly year to year on the promise that they would make public education great in Louisiana," Richard said in an email response to questions.

"Have these so-called reforms pushed by out-of-state groups attempting to reinvent education made us great?" he asked, implying the answer is no.

Richard said the state should focus on early childhood education, smaller class sizes, literacy and numeracy emphasis, and safe learning environments.

Others said shrinking state aid for public schools has hindered the effort to move up nationally.

The formerly routine 2.75 percent annual increase in state dollars for public schools has become a rarity.

"I don't think the public understands that every time you don't get 2.75 percent, you are losing ground," Cross said.

Roughly two out of three public school students in Louisiana qualify for free and reduced-price lunches, one of the highest rates in the U.S.

"The problems, the issues in Louisiana are big, and poverty is a huge issue," said Gagne, a former aide to ex-Gov. Mike Foster. "So it is taking a lot longer."

State Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie and former chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the state needs to stick with its push for high expectations, parental choice and accountability to reverse decades of low achievement.

"If we don't stick with those principles, we are never going to see it," Appel said.

Former BESE President Chas Roemer, a White ally, said upgrading Louisiana's public school system is a massive job.

"We have been 50th for the most part for 25 years," Roemer said. "We have failed our students for multiple generations."
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 south, swelling rivers, flooding thousands of homes. This slow-moving disaster continues as water makes its way along the meandering route to Lake Pontchartrain.

Not only did the river levels rise in the Comite and Amite rivers, but all the creeks and waterways that feed into those the rivers filled up as well. Like rush hour traffic, numerous creeks and bayous all trying to flow in the same direction as the traffic jam, leading to widespread flooding in the northern part of East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes.

And the water kept heading south.

Typically, that north and south flow is via Amite and Comite and tributaries leading to them, explained Carey Chauvin, assistant chief administrative officer with East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Public Works. As the crest moves down stream, thats where you see the flooding were seeing.

The large rainfall amounts joined up with water trying to drain into areas already saturated with rainfall and higher water levels. Traveling down the Comite River, which joins with the Amite River at Florida Boulevard, high water in the rivers had nowhere to go but over their banks.

On Saturday, Central Mayor Jr. Sheldon said there wasnt a road in the city that wasnt impacted by floodwater in some way. The water rose quickly leaving some people stranded in their homes which lead to rescue operations that continued through the evening and into Sunday morning primarily in areas around Baker, Zachary, Central, Denham Springs.

By Sunday morning, the water in the northern part of East Baton Rouge Parish had started to recede, but the bulge of water started spilling over into North Sherwood Forest Boulevard, Choctaw Drive, ONeal Lane and places south.

Tributaries being full and water having nowhere to go, Chauvin explained.

By Sunday night, the water was still working its way down through the system and causing record-breaking river flood levels. The Amite River at Port Vincent was still on the rise, expected to ultimately reach a record-breaking level of 17.5 feet Monday morning. Farther downstream, the Amite River at French Settlement was expected to crest at 8.7 feet either Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

As the water moves closer Lake Pontchartrain, northern sections of the Amite and Comite begen to fall, but it will take some time before they reach normal levels for this time of year.

Its going to take days for that water to come down, Chauvin said.

In the meantime, as rain is expected to continue throughout the week, local tributaries like Bayou Fountain, Bayou Duplantier or Ward Creek will have little room to accept more water. All of these, as well as most waterways in south Baton Rouge, flow into Bayou Manchac and then into the Amite River. As long as the Amite River remains high, any additional water trying to drain out of these areas will have no place to go.

Although the additional rain isnt expected to have much impact on river levels, it could still add to localized flooding.

The biggest problem is going to be for the backwater areas because the rivers wont allow it to drain, said Jeff Grashel, National Weather Service hydrologist. Because this is such a historic event, its going to be difficult to see how this extra water might move over the land.

Its unprecedented and its not anything, anyone will know for sure, Grashel said.

This backwater flooding occurs as water overflows the banks and works its way through the landscape, also called backwater flooding. Where that could end up is almost impossible to tell at this point because of the sheer amount of water involved and no history of how the water would move.

Were so far above what is normal flood stage, Chauvin said, adding that some stream gauges arent even registering a rise anymore because theyre already under water. Were urging extreme caution to all residents.

If someone lives along Bayou Manchac or one of the many tributaries to the bayou, be careful, he said.

We know we will have a backwater condition there, he said.
President Barack Obama has been staying up-to-date on the flooding situation in Louisiana, White House Deputy Press Secretary Jen Friedman told reporters Sunday evening.

Obama called Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday to let him know that his request for an emergency declaration had been granted for four of the parishes that have been hit hardest by flooding following heavy rain that stretched into the weekend.

According to the White House, president told Edwards that his prayers are with the people of Louisiana, and that the federal government will continue to support the state's ongoing recovery.

The president's disaster declaration means that federal funding will become available to affected individuals in the four parishes, and possibly more if the declaration is expanded as damage is assessed and storms continue across the state.

That assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, as well as low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses.

The disaster declaration also makes federal funding available for state and local government emergency and recovery efforts.
With beginning of every school year, there is an increased uncertainty over the cost of tuition and fees and student debt. What is the amount 
The recent article by Stephanie Grace, Is it too much ask Louisiana government to keep its promises? raises an important and valid question. I would go even further when it comes to the area of education and point out that the government of Louisiana under the Louisiana Constitution has an obligation to educate its citizens. The preamble to Article VIII reads: The goal of the public educational system is to provide learning environments and experiences, at all stages of human development, that are humane, just, and designed to promote excellence in order that every individual may be afforded an equal opportunity to develop to his full potential.

I would be remiss, however, if I did not point out that TOPS was never a program targeting high-performing students. If you go back to the origination of the concept, before it was named TOPS, it was a need-based program to provide opportunity to children of our state that would otherwise not be able to further their education after high school. The second and equally important factor of the program was the requirement that the student complete a college core curriculum with a 2.5 GPA in those courses. The student was also required to make a 19, now 20 on the ACT.

She is correct in stating that this is not the criteria for the best and brightest. However, there are two factors to explain why a very different criteria were developed. 1.) The best and brightest were already attending university, and were getting scholarship assistance. 2.) Further assistance to the best and brightest would not increase the education level of the general population of the State. What was needed was an incentive to encourage students to take the harder courses to be prepared to obtain a university degree. The financial component was that incentive.

The statistics show that these standards do prepare students for college. With that learning background they can, and do, obtain a degree. Further, with the removal of the income cap the state gain the added benefit of have many of its best and brightest remain in Louisiana to obtain their post-secondary education. The end result has been an increase in the percentage of Louisiana children furthering their education after high school. This is a goal needed not only for those individuals, but for the state as well.

Phyllis M. Taylor, chairwoman

Patrick F. Taylor Foundation

New Orleans
A man paddles a pirogue up to his door step as he is surrounded by floodwater along La. 16 in French Settlement, La. Sunday. Water began to rise about an inch every 15 minutes there. Places along La. 16 that were dry Saturday night now have 2-3 feet of rising water Sunday afternoon.
This much Louisiana should know from having lived through so many disasters: We will all be rehashing, studying, and hopefully learning from this weekend's catastrophic floods in and around Baton Rouge and Lafayette for months and perhaps years to come.

That said, there are some early lessons to take from the crisis.

A big one is that political party should play no role at all in disaster response. That should go without saying, but unfortunately, prior Louisiana disasters have hit when the governorship and presidency were held by different parties, and it showed.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005, and the disconnect between Democrat Kathleen Blanco's administration and President George W. Bush's Republican White House spilled out almost immediately. A similar dynamic developed when a BP rig blew and oil started spewing into the Gulf of Mexico five years later, this time on Gov. Bobby Jindal and President Barack Obama's watch.

What we saw both times was some bad behavior, including finger-pointing over who was to blame for response failures, and the pursuit of personal agendas. Even among the many well-meaning players, attitudes were sometimes colored by opposing philosophies, unfamiliarity and mistrust, and a national climate in which partisan enmity is the default stance.

That Gov. John Bel Edwards and Obama are both Democrats may not be the only reason that the feds and the state seem to be on the same page this time  not just over the flooding but over the response to the awful shootings earlier this summer  but a similar outlook and an absence of rivalry could well be helping.

Even better would be a world in which cooperation in the face of disaster is the norm, no matter who's in charge. Hopefully this tragedy will serve as a reminder of that basic truth.

Another lesson from the crisis is something worth keeping in mind whenever we're electing new leaders: The winner will invariably find him or herself in charge of something entirely unforeseen.

Disaster response certainly wasn't the hottest topic during last year's governor's race, but Edwards has been playing the role of responder-in-chief all summer, from the July day a video of Baton Rouge police shooting Alton Sterling went viral, through the horrific assassination of three officers, and throughout the current flooding.

Maybe it's his military background or perhaps it's just his nature, but Edwards seems eerily well-suited to these situations. He's been calm and commanding, empathetic and efficient; he's done as good a job of communicating and coordinating as one could hope; and he's shown a healthy respect for the important role government plays and for the people who work hard to help.

I'm sure he wishes we didn't need to be reminded of this, but it's always a good idea not just to study the candidates' stances on the issues, but to consider whether they have a steady hand.

If first-responders have risen to the occasion, so have countless private citizens. This too is a vital lesson to remember: It takes a village to respond to a disaster, and this village, from boaters who've gone out to rescue people, to businesses that have opened their doors and offered their wares, to people in dry areas who've organized supply caravans, have responded with stirring generosity.

None of this is to say that everything went perfectly. The fact that so many drivers were stranded along I-12 is bound to provoke second-guessing. So is AT&T's failure to keep cellular service up and running, at a time when communication networks were playing a key role in connecting victims and rescuers.

We will invariably learn something from the experience for next time, just as we learned much from Katrina. One of those lessons, evident in so many pictures from the rescue effort, is that pets must be a part of any response, not only because they are treasured members of so many families but also because some people just won't get themselves to safety if it means leaving their companions behind.

We do much better on that front now, and we'll surely do better in all sorts of ways in the future. Because that's one more lesson worth remembering from this painful episode: As much as we hope there won't be, there's always a next time.
The Jefferson Parish Council appears ready to approve a new healthcare provider to operate a pair of parish-owned clinics at the center of rec
Anything Goes. Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter. Original book by P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton. Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. New book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. Directed by Marty King. Musical direction by Jim McMullen. Choreography by Emma Tattam. Canberra Philharmonic Society. Erindale Theatre. Until August 27. Bookings: philo.org.au or 6257 1950.

Philo, you're the tops. If Canberra Philharmonic Society's production of Anything Goes is anything to go by, this show is sailing into a sell-out season.

Marcus Hurley (as Billy Crocker) and Kelly Roberts (as Reno Sweeney) star in Canberra Philharmonic Society's Anything Goes. Credit:Ross Gould

Cole Porter's evergreen musical about love-struck New York broker Billy Crocker (Marcus Hurley) who stows away on a liner bound for England to pursue the love of his life, Hope Harcourt (Amelia Juniper-Grey) is as fresh and funny as it was when it was first produced in 1934.

With a clever book by Timothy Crouse and Howard Weidman, based on the original by P.G. Wodehouse of Jeeves fame, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse and the wit, sophistication and catchy melodies of Porter's music and lyrics, Anything Goes is nothing short of delightful and de-lovely.
A police taskforce set up to stop Canberra's three outlaw motorcycle gangs becoming embroiled in a full-blown bikie war will receive an extra $6.4 million, the ACT government has announced.

An extra eight staff will be recruited for Taskforce Nemesis, which was set up in 2014 to curb illegal activity from outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Attorney-General Simon Corbell and Chief Police Officer Rudi Lammers. Credit:Jay Cronan

Extra investigators, intelligence officers and a forensic accountant would be assigned to the taskforce to "disrupt" the "changing threat" outlaw motorcycle gangs posed in the territory, Attorney-General Simon Corbell said on Monday.

The multi-million dollar package was announced just weeks after the ACT government dropped anti-consorting laws that would have meant bikies who breached warnings not to associate with known criminals faced up to two years in jail.
ACT government staff could need to forego pay rises for four years if the Liberals win office in October, under a scenario unions have prepared to highlight the cost of opposition policies.

The alternatives, UnionsACT says, would be to sack 1000 to 1200 public servants, severely cut community services or plunge further into deficit.

ACT's Labor ministers turn the first sods of Canberra's light rail project in July. Credit:Rohan Thomson

The peak body commissioned economist Angela Jackson, a former federal Labor adviser, to analyse the costs of Liberal policy statements and commitments, after the Barr government published its own analysis earlier this month.
In what may be the longest jail sentence ever handed to a company director in Australia, former Kleenmaid director Bradley Wendell Young has been sentenced to nine years' imprisonment over charges relating to the collapse of the whitegoods maker in 2009.

Young was found guilty in a District Court of one count of fraud by dishonestly gaining a $13 million loan facility from Westpac. He was also found guilty of 17 separate counts of criminal insolvent trading.

Young will not be eligible for parole until November 2022, which means he will spend at least six and a bit years in jail.

Alan Bond spent four years behind bars for siphoning off $1.2 billion from Bell Resources while acting as a director of the company, and using it to prop up his ailing flagship group Bond Corp.
London: Former News of the World lawyer Tom Crone has been cleared of six professional misconduct charges over his use of a private detective to investigate his legal opponents' sex lives.

Mr Crone ordered the surveillance of two solicitors in 2010 but a five-person tribunal for the Bar Standards Board (BSB) decided they were "not sure" he had done it to gain improper advantage in phone hacking litigation.

The tribunal said they were aware their findings contradicted those of the Leveson inquiry, however they pointed out the high standard of proof required for allegations that Mr Crone had been attempting a form of blackmail.

Mr Crone had ordered surveillance of solicitors Mark Lewis and Charlotte Harris through the News of the World newsdesk, in order to gather information about their private lives, BSB barrister Christopher Aylwin said in submissions to the tribunal.
Questioner: "But the fact is, isn't it, that Reagan does get to the Wallace voter and to the racist side of the Wallace voter by doing away with legal services, by cutting down on food stamps?

Atwater: "You start out in 1954 by saying, Nigger, nigger, nigger'. By 1968 you can't say "nigger"  that hurts you. Backfires. So you say stuff like forced busing, states' rights and all that stuff. You're getting so abstract now [that] you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is [that] blacks get hurt worse than whites. And subconsciously maybe that is part of it. I'm not saying that. But I'm saying that if it is getting that abstract, and that coded, that we are doing away with the racial problem one way or the other. You follow me  because obviously sitting around saying, "We want to cut this", is much more abstract than even the busing thing, and a hell of a lot more abstract than "Nigger, nigger".

What does all this have to do with Trump? Well in the midst of the sprawling fiasco of the Trump campaign, the hysteria, ill-discipline, the backflipping and lying, the slander and paranoia, the one consistent theme has been of race.

Trump introduced himself to American politics by declaring the first African-American president was a foreign agent, launched his campaign describing Mexicans as rapists and murderers and capitalised on fears of terrorism by announcing a ban on Muslim travel to the United States.

When his campaign began to go (more obviously) off the rails before the convention in Cleveland, Trump ditched his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and installed a more seasoned operator, Paul Manafort. And who is Paul Manafort? Well, in 1980 he ran Ronald Reagan's campaign in the south, he was the man that had Reagan speaking in racial semaphore in Mississippi.
Attorney-General George Brandis went to the Indonesian province of Papua last week, boasting his trip was a first by an Australian minister. He may have intended to signal Australia's willingness to help tackle what he called "social and economic challenges" in the troubled province, but any symbolism intended was regrettably hijacked by his choice of travel companion.

Senator Brandis was accompanied by Wiranto, the former Indonesian general indicted for alleged crimes against humanity committed during East Timor's bloody 1999 vote for independence. The former general was recently appointed chief security minister by Joko Widodo, in the latest in a series of disappointing decisions by the Indonesian President. Mr Wiranto was commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces at a time the United Nations estimated a military-sponsored rampage cost the lives of 1400 East Timorese, yet has never faced the charges.

Activists campaigning for Papuan independence dance outside the Dutch Parliament in The Hague in April. Credit:AP

It may be a pragmatic need that guides Australia to engage with Mr Wiranto, given his new position. Australia and Indonesia must co-operate against common threats of Islamist extremism and broader regional problems. But it sends a callous message to allow a man such as Mr Wiranto to play tour guide in what has long been seen as Indonesia's restive frontier.

The provinces once known as West Papua have campaigned and fought for independence since a flawed UN process in the 1960s saw the territory incorporated into Indonesia. There have been military crackdowns and human rights abuses, and while some claims are difficult to verify, there is ample reason for concern.
Genius 1: About what? Genius 4: The Australian Way of Life. I've been thinking about that, and  well, it just seems that it's always been based on, y'know, people coming from overseas. Genius 3: Que? Genius 4: I mean, leaving aside the dubious grounds under which the British Crown claimed authority over the already-inhabited Australia, our nation was built on waves of ethnically rich immigration from the very beginning, from the Irish convicts brought in as labourers . Hell, John Caeser was Australia's first bushranger, and he was an black convict from Africa Genius 5: I heard it was the West Indies!

Genius 6: That's a filthy lie, he was born in Madagascar! Genius 4: either way, he was one of several black convicts sent here in the First Fleet - so it's been an ethically diverse nation from the beginning, really. And that doesn't even acknowledge that recent DNA sequencing shows that Indian immigration to Australia stretches more than 4000 years before Cook arrived. Genius 6: Fair point. And, of course, there was the wave of American, Chinese and European immigration during the Gold Rush, and even when Australia adopted the "White Australia" policy we still took in hundreds of thousands of refugees after World War II. Indeed, even hardline conservative groups applauded Australia's decision to take in Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants in the seventies as it was seen as a powerful moral blow against Communism. Genius 1: What's your point? Genius 4: Well, just that if we're worried about the Australian Way of Life being eroded by immigration, how would that work, exactly? After all, we've always had tonnes of immigration. You could argue that it's an integral part of the Australian Way of Life, regardless of your political standpoint.

Genius 1: Look, the problem, as we have discussed, is Islam. It's coming to take over! They want to impose sharia law! Genius 4: Actually, I've been thinking about that too. You know how we love the Constitution? Genius 2: Damn right! Why, our own website declares that "We acknowledge the Australian Constitution and reject any treaty, document or organisational instrument which undermines it or its authority." Genius 4: Right. It's just that [trails off, embarrassed] Genius 1: What's up Stevo? You don't need to be ashamed. We're all patriotic friends here.

Genius 4: It's just that well, have any of you guys read the Constitution? Because, um, it actually already protects Australia from any establishment of religious law. Genius 1: what? Party for Freedom members, dressed as Muslims, stormed the Gosford Anglican Church and interrupted a service. Credit:Party for Freedom/Facebook Genius 4: Section 116: "The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth." So, y'know, all that stuff we keep saying about how Islam is going to force Australians to live under the yoke of their theology is obviously silly. Genius 1: Look, do you want to hear my plan or what?

Genius 4: Sorry Keith, please carry on. Genius 1: Alright: so the plan is that we dress up in Muslim garb, like niqabs and beards and stuff, and we Genius 4: Cool, so we're cross dressing. Unexpectedly bold plan. Genius 1: What? Genius 4: Well, only women wear niqabs. So you're keen on us to cross dress.

Genius 1: That's not the point, it's a costume, we're just Genius 4: No, you're right, sorry. I don't mean to judge. I agree, gender is a spectrum. Genius 1: Shut up, Steve. Anyway: we put on our outfits, and then we go into the Gosford Anglican Church where they're holding their Sunday service, start playing a recording of the call to prayer and Genius 2: Um, what? Genius 3: Sorry, how does that fight Islam, exactly?

Genius 1: Well, you know how Father Rod Bower keeps putting up those signs up saying things like "Dear Tony, seeking asylum is not illegal, just saying" or "Wishing our Muslim friends a holy Ramadan"? Well, we'll show him a thing or two about free speech! Genius 3: But isn't he just expressing his own right to free speech, which we apparently support? You know, in our policy stating "The right to free speech is the cornerstone of a democratic nation and is one of the main principles of a civilised and open society"? Genius 4: More importantly, and this might sound stupid, but isn't Gosford Anglican Church, y'know, Anglican? Genius 1: Yeah, but you know, the signs! Genius 4: So, to recap: we're going to show our contempt for the history of Australia that we supposedly support, by bursting into a place of worship for a faith founded in the English culture we ostensibly believe our nation is based upon, wearing womens clothing, and warning against the subversion of the Constitution which specifically prevents the establishment of the sort of laws we're pretending are imminent?

Genius 1: Um yeah. Genius 3: Brilliant. Genius 4: Can't see any problems with this. Genius 2: Keith, you're a legend. Genius 1: Thanks lads. Now, who's got the van?
Crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm has lodged a racial discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Commission over a Fairfax Media opinion article describing him as an "angry white male".

The Liberal Democrat senator from NSW said he was not personally offended by the article but had lodged the complaint as a test case to show how "absurd" Australia's racial discrimination laws are.

Senator Leyonhjelm, who is campaigning for section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act to be repealed, said the piece was likely to offend or insult other white men.

But one of the nation's leading experts on anti-discrimination law said the case could backfire on Senator Leyonhjelm by demonstrating how the law in question is not the threat to free speech he claims it to be.
Australia was warned that a 2013 deal to send asylum seekers for processing in Papua New Guinea would be found unconstitutional and leave the federal government's offshore detention regime significantly weakened, letters obtained by Fairfax Media show.

Sir Robert Woods, a former judge of the PNG National and Supreme Courts, wrote to then prime minister Kevin Rudd and opposition leader Tony Abbott in July 2013 warning Australia would be embarrassed by a ruling that sending asylum seekers to PNG amounted to an illegal deprivation of liberty because they were not guilty of any criminal offence.

A former acting NSW District Court judge, Sir Robert helped draft the country's constitution before independence in 1975.

PNG's Supreme Court ruled in April detention on Manus was illegal and unconstitutional, with a subsequent court process on resettlement and compensation leaving about 750 detainees in limbo.
Johnny Depp allegedly flew into a drunken jealous rage at the thought of his wife Amber Heard cheating on him, smashing bottles and windows and cutting the tip off his finger - which he then used to scrawl on the walls in blood and paint.

Heard claimed her soon-to-be ex-husband severed his finger tip in a jealous rage, and used the bloody stump to write a threatening message on a mirror.

According to TMZ - which has pictures of the stump and the mirror - Depp accused Heard of cheating on him with a fellow actor named "Billy-Bob".

Heard alleged Depp was drunk and high on ecstasy when he smashed bottles, windows and a plastic phone, which cut off the tip of his finger. He then used blue paint to scrawl "Billy Bob" and "Easy Amber" on a mirror.
Pregnant women are being urged to take paracetamol only when necessary, after research suggested it was linked to behavioural problems in children.

While the popular painkiller has long been categorised as safe for pregnant women, a study tracking more than 7000 mothers and their babies in Britain reported an association between use of the drug during pregnancy and behavioural difficulties in children when they were aged seven.

It is the second such study to suggest a link between the two. A similar project tracking 64,000 Danish women and their babies reported a correlation between paracetamol use during pregnancy and ADHD-like behaviour in children at seven years of age. Some researchers have even questioned whether there could be a link between the drug and autism.

But Australian pharmacists urged women not to panic about the drug, saying the research has only pointed to an association for further investigation. They said there was no definitive proof the drug caused harm to fetuses.
The Baird government's refusal to legislate against anti-Muslim hate speech is "playing into the hands" of terrorist groups such as Islamic State, as well as extreme right-wing groups, Muslim community leaders and counter-terrorism experts have warned.

The debate follows an incident on Sunday when a group of far-right One Nation supporters stormed a Gosford church service, dressed as Muslims and spouting anti-Muslim rhetoric.

Party for Freedom members, dressed in Arabic garb, stormed the Gosford Anglican Church and interrupted a service. Credit:Party for Freedom/Facebook

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the stunt was "counterproductive" to the serious argument her party was seeking in the next term of Parliament. But her party insisted freedom of speech was a key tenet of Australia's democracy, and warned of "civil unrest" if political leaders failed to heed public concern about Islam.

The NSW government is formulating a long-awaited overhaul of racial vilification laws, promising to strengthen the legislation and streamline it to make prosecutions easier. Fairfax Media understands the government will not consider including religion in the Act, which outlaws inciting violence based on race, colour, descent or ethno-religious origin.
A senior Liberal official who distributed fake pamphlets that falsely linked Labor to terrorism is resisting calls to call off a political comeback at next month's local government elections.

Jeff Egan, a former member of the NSW Liberal executive, was photographed distributing pamphlets at the 2007 election that portrayed Labor as forgiving of terrorism in an ultimately unsuccessful dirty tricks campaign to retain the federal seat of Lindsay.

The PR businessman, who was forced out of the Liberals as the flyer fiasco overtook the Howard government's final re-election campaign, is making a comeback next month. He will stand for the Liberal party for Blue Mountains council.

Labor leader Luke Foley called for Mr Egan to be removed from the party's ticket.
Labor plans to celebrate its 18 month anniversary of taking power with the passage of one of its most controversial bills - but hours out from the vote and it still can't guarantee the numbers.

The vegetation management bill, meant to be another tick off the election commitment list, has hijacked the government's agenda for the past two months, with hundreds of farmers capitalising on their visit to the Ekka to protest the legislation.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's government reaches the 18 month mark, but is still at the mercy of independents in the parliament. Credit:Bradley Kanaris

But the protests - part of a campaign of dissent against the laws - are not expected to have changed the minority government's stance, with Labor expected to debate the bill from Wednesday without amendment, which would see the reversal of the onus of proof, one of the bill's most controversial elements, maintained.

It's taken 18 months for the bill to reach the debate stage despite neither side of the political divide shifting their position on the issue.
A teenage girl who sparked an extensive search and rescue north-west of the city has been found, however two children remain missing in separate parts of south-east Queensland.

More than 80 police including dive, bike and dog squads were called to a park at Mitchelton on Monday after a girl, 14, failed to return home from a walk with her stepfather and brother on Sunday evening.

This 12-year-old boy was last seen near the intersection of Brisbane Road and Stafford Street in Booval.

Thankfully, almost 24 hours later, the girl was found safe and well in the south Brisbane suburb of Sherwood.
A young fast food worker has detailed the terrifying moment he realised the otherwise normal-looking customer in the dark beige pants, jumper and a collared shirt was carrying an axe.

"Open the f---ing safe," the robber yelled, charging toward the back of the store.

An axe-wielding man robbed a take-away store in Bribane's north.

Less than a minute later, it was all over.

Shaken but relieved, 22-year-old Subway worker Daniel de Waard rushed to the north Brisbane store's front doors, locked them and called police.
Like many in Silicon Valley, technology entrepreneur Bryan Johnson sees a future in which intelligent machines can do things like drive cars on their own and anticipate our needs before we ask.

What's uncommon is how Johnson wants to respond: Find a way to supercharge the human brain so that we can keep up with the machines.

KerNEL's chip will work by predicting the memory recall function a healthy brain would make and replicating it inside a damaged or diseased brain.

From an unassuming office in Venice Beach, his science-fiction-meets-science start-up, KerNEL, is building a tiny chip that can be implanted in the brain to help people suffering from neurological damage caused by strokes, Alzheimer's, or concussions. The team of top neuroscientists building the chip  they call it a neuroprosthetic  hope that in the longer term, it will be able to boost intelligence, memory, and other cognitive tasks.

The medical device is years in the making, Johnson acknowledges, but he can afford the time. He sold his payments company, Braintree, to PayPal for $US800 million in 2013. A former Mormon raised in Utah, the 38-year-old speaks about the project with missionary-like intensity and focus. "Human intelligence is landlocked in relationship to artificial intelligence  and the landlock is the degeneration of the body and the brain," he said, in an interview about the company, which he had not discussed publicly before. "This is a question of keeping humans front and centre as we progress."
A would-be foreign fighter found guilty of planning to travel to war-torn Syria says he was brainwashed by a "homewrecker" and now wants to help young Muslims at risk of being radicalised, a court has heard.

Amin Mohamed, 25, a New Zealand citizen originally from Somalia, faces up to 10 years' jail after a Supreme Court jury last year convicted him of three counts of preparing to enter a foreign state to engage in hostile activities.

Amin Mohamed, 25, says he was brainwashed and now wants to help other young Muslims.

The case against Mohamed relied on intercepted phone calls recorded by police between him and alleged Sydney-based recruiter Hamdi Al Qudsi.

Mohamed's barrister Julian McMahon told Victoria's Supreme Court on Monday his client was a reformed offender, who accepted he had been "brainwashed or radicalised" and wanted to help other vulnerable youths.
In the real world, Altona Pier is hardly a noted hotspot, especially during a chilly Melbourne winter. But in a world where augmented-reality games rule, it is sometimes hard to tell the popular tourist landmarks from the non-descript ones.

Judging from the crowds at Altona Beach at the weekend, a visiting tourist may have been forgiven for mistaking Altona Beach for St Kilda beach on a stinking-hot public holiday.

But Melburnians weren't there for a chilly dip in the ocean. The hundreds of people who shuffled onto the small pier in the city's inner west were Pokemon chasers in search of the rare digital Nintendo character known as 'Snorlax'.
The handling of the Melbourne Metro Rail project by the state government has been slammed by opposition leader Matthew Guy, amid concerns drilling and dust pollution could irritate severely ill patients at some of Victoria's leading hospitals.

Royal Melbourne Hospital has said the $11 billion project's environmental effects statement has failed to take into account the "significant impact" construction will have on visitors, such as those with lung problems or late-stage cancer.

In a joint submission to the Melbourne Metro Rail Authority, health providers including the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Royal Women's and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre said they were concerned about noise, vibrations and air pollution.

Mr Guy said on Monday the Melbourne Metro Rail project has myki "written all over it".
One of three men charged over the death of Melton mother Simone Quinlan has had a murder charge struck out but pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder.

Dylan Jez, 24, on Monday pleaded guilty to the lesser charge after a magistrate found there was insufficient evidence for him to stand trial for murdering Ms Quinlan, whose burned body was found in a disused mineshaft near Bendigo in September last year.

Simone Quinlan, a 33-year-old mother of two, was murdered on August 25 last year.

Police allege the 33-year-old mother of two was murdered on August 25.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard last week Ms Quinlan was beaten by her boyfriend, Brendan Neil, and then shot in the head with a shotgun by his friend, Wayne Marmo. The exact timing and cause of Ms Quinlan's death was unclear, the court heard.
A suspected member of the Apex gang has pleaded guilty over two home invasions in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, during which residents were beaten and robbed.

On Monday the teenager pleaded guilty over the April 23 aggravated burglaries, in which a Brighton East man was beaten with a metal pole and had his $100,000 BMW stolen.

Credit:Penny Stephens

Police followed the stolen BMW but the pursuit was called off, a previous hearing in Melbourne Magistrates Court was told.

Later that morning, a group of international students were robbed of their mobile phones in their Ormond home. Some of the students were also assaulted.
Five people have died in car crashes in a horror day on West Australian roads on Sunday.

Around 7pm, three people from Swan View were killed when their Holden Astra collided with a Volkswagen Amarok four kilometres north of Old Yanchep Road.

The driver, a 28-year-old man, and two passengers, a 20-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman, were fatally injured while the fourth passenger, a 25-year-old woman, was taken to Royal Perth Hospital in a critical condition.

The occupants of the Amarok, including three children, were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
New York: Hundreds of mourners have gathered in New York for the outdoor funeral of a Muslim imam and his associate who were gunned down over the weekend, as police questioned a man about what many in their Bangladeshi community believe was a hate crime.

Traditional Islamic services on Monday for Imam Alauddin Akhonji, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, drew a large crowd to a parking area near where the men were killed after Saturday prayers at the Al-Furqan Jame Mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens.

Speaker after speaker at the funeral implored law enforcement to investigate the murders as a hate crime and step up efforts to protect sections of the city like Ozone Park where many Muslims live and work.

"We want justice," Badrul Kahn, founder of the Al-Furqan mosque and its chief adviser, shouted to the crowd in the service's opening speech. "We want justice," responded the mourners, most of them men dressed in Islamic garb.
Bangkok: A wave of bombings targeting Thailand's tourist areas last week is likely to be linked to southern Malay separatist militants fighting south-east Asia's longest running war, according to sources with knowledge of the conflict.

If proven  and no group has yet claimed responsibility  the attacks mark an alarming escalation of the conflict by militants who have for years concentrated their violence to four southern border provinces.

Beheadings, bombings, drive-by shootings, assassinations, extrajudicial killings and vicious assaults have left more than 6300 people dead and at least 11,500 injured in violence that is rarely reported outside of Thailand.

The conflict pits armed and organised ethnic Malays  almost all of whom are Muslims  against the predominantly Buddhist Thai state.
In an echo of an Australian campaign that followed the Lindt cafe siege, Americans are taking to social media to offer their support for Muslims after a double murder outside a New York mosque.

Using the hashtag #illwalkwithyou thousands have come out in support of beleaguered Muslim Americans.

In the aftermath of the Martin Place siege in December 2014, the #illridewithyou campaign saw Twitter users promise to keep an eye on their fellow commuters after a spike in public insults against Muslims.

New York City police are still searching for the gunman who killed a Muslim cleric and his associate as they left prayers at a mosque in the borough of Queens on Saturday.
New Honda Civic Hatchback Heads Stateside







 Production and export of US Civic hatchback commences

 Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) in Swindon, UK is global production hub for hatchback model

 Production for European Civic hatchback model starts later this year with sales starting early 2017

LONDON - August 15, 2016: The first mass-production 10th generation Civics have now set sail for the US. Due to arrive in dealers across North America by September, the US version Civic is made by Hondas UK manufacturing base in Swindon.

The story comes after last years announcement that Honda of the UK manufacturing (HUM) is to become the global production hub for the tenth-generation Civic hatchback, and received an investment of over 200 million to prepare for the start of production of this new model.

Civic is Hondas biggest selling nameplate worldwide and this tenth generation is one of the most comprehensive new model developments ever undertaken by the brand. The four-door sedan version was launched in US in late 2015, and received the coveted North American Car of the Year award.

Philip Webb, head of cars at Honda UK, commented: Production of the hatchback for the UK market will commence towards the end of 2016, with sales beginning in the first quarter of 2017. Our factory in Swindon will also export the model to other key markets around Europe and the rest of the world.

Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) is Hondas flagship production facility in Europe and a key part of Hondas global manufacturing network. Since 1989, Hondas total investment in HUM has exceeded 2.2 billion.
MG Highlighted For Great Value







MG cars have won further positive accolades from two of Britains leading car magazines.

LONDON - August 15, 2017: Both Autocar and Auto Express have showered praise on the value-for-money of MG cars, with the MG3 being singled out as a 24-carat bargain across the entire new car market.

In an Autocar special investigation to find the best value cars in Britain, the highly-respected motoring guru Andrew Frankel, wrote: Just one of our selected candidates charges less than 100 for a single horsepower, that car being the astonishingly cheap MG3, the best bang-for-buck value car not just in this class, but also across them all."

Frankel says any car that can deliver this sort of value-for money is a 24-carat bargain.

Auto Express has carried out a huge survey to find the best 50 top deals on cars ahead of the September plate change. Again the MG3 is highlighted among the front runners.

Their special consumer report says: With its attractive styling, roomy cabin and fun to drive, the MG3 ticks the important boxes for many people.

MG3 3Form trim brings air-conditioning and a DAB radio. Deals are keen, thanks to MGs 900 deposit contribution. Putting down 2,948 cuts monthly payments to 159. All this and insurance is free for the first year.

Auto Expresss Consumer Editor, Joe Finnerty, said the magazine trawled through manufacturers brochures and websites in the search for the best offers in the market. Just 50 made the grade.

Meanwhile Autocar highlighted the newly-launched MG GS in its assessment of SUVs and crossovers on the British market. The MG came under the heading of SUVs sold for their honest, no-nonsense, rugged appeal and was shown to have a cost per horsepower ration of 92/bhp the second lowest in the report.

Matthew Cheyne, MGs Head of Sales and Marketing, said: For two of the top motoring magazines in the country to write in such glowing terms about the value that MG offers is terrific news.

Giving the customer exceptional value for money is a key part of what we are all about and its gratifying to know that some of the most respected motoring journalists in Britain have recognised this.

MG, of course, gives you so much more than just great value-for-money. Our cars are great fun to drive, the design is fantastic, comfort levels and equipment levels are class-leading so MGs give an all-round brilliant package.

MGs sales are climbing with 2016 set to be the best year ever since MG Motor UK was formed. While the UK car industry is currently increasing by an average of 2.8 per cent, MG growth is more than five times that level with official figures showing the brand is up more than 15 per cent so far this year.

MG dealers among the best in Britain

MG dealers are celebrating after an outstanding result in one of the toughest consumer reports in Britain.

The brand has rocketed up the dealer charts in the highly-prestigious Auto Express Driver Power awards for 2016. With a jump of eight places, MG now sits 12th in the league with an overall score of 90.54%.

MG is continuing to grow its network of dealers and new dealerships have opened recently in Swansea, Bradford, Ayr, Warrington, Epsom, Wolverhampton and Brandon in Suffolk. More new dealers will be announced in the near future.

Matthew Cheyne said: With increasing sales and a stronger dealer network offering such great after-sales service, the MG brand is getting stronger all the time.

We are still building and maturing, but you can now feel a real tangible, growing public confidence in us and our products. Its been hard work but now we are getting real results and are on course for a record year in 2016.

About MG Motor

The iconic British MG brand can trace its history back to 1924 and is world famous for making stylish cars that are fun to drive and own and are sold at remarkably affordable prices. Modern MGs, which are designed, engineered and finally assembled in Longbridge, Birmingham, continue this long and rich MG tradition.

MG Motor UK currently has three models, all of which are designed and engineered at Longbridge, Birmingham: the MG3, MG6 and the manufacturers first SUV, the MG GS. Several more models are planned for the immediate and longer-term future.

The MG GS is MG Motor UKs first SUV. The MG GS is a family, fun, affordable car. With bags of space, a 1.5 turbo petrol engine, the option of manual or 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) and tons of spec for as little as 14,995, this SUV certainly stands out amongst others in its class.

The MG6 is a medium-sized fastback offering fantastic dynamic handling, high levels of interior comfort and a tremendously spacious cabin area with a cavernous boot. The MG6 won the category ?17,500 and under in the Caravan Club Towcar of the Year Awards in 2015. It also won the 2014 Auto Express Driver Power Best Handling Award and in 2016 was voted the third best family car and retained its reputation for handling by winning a silver award in the national public survey.

The MG3 is a new generation supermini which brings fun and style to this sector of the market at very affordable prices. The super-fun car was voted fifth best supermini in the Auto Express Driver Power survey. The 1.5-litre petrol-powered car can also be personalised, so owners have the option of giving their car their own style-statement.

MG was voted the fifth best manufacturer in the UK in the Auto Express Driver Power Awards in 2016. MG was the fastest growing brand in Britain in 2014 as shown by official figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Currently MG has the fastest growing network of dealers in the UK as sales continue to surge.
Electric Subaru Crossover Coming?

Tokyo August 12, 2016; Nikkan Kogyo Shimbu reported that Subaru is on track to introduce a battery-electric powered crossover vehicle by 2021.

According to Japanese newspaper, the midsize all-wheel drive vehicle will be based on the Forester or Outback models the newspaper said, without identifying the source of the information.

When it arrives, the new model is expected to use the all-new global platform Subarus parent, Fuji Heavy Industries, unveiled earlier this year that underpins the 2017 Impreza.

Fuji Heavy spokesman Masato Saito told Automotive News the company has not decided about introducing an all-electric, all-wheel drive vehicle.

We have yet to decide on any specifics at the moment, Saito said. Subaru's new global platform is to underpin gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric vehicles going forward.

Subarus new global platform is to underpin gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric vehicles going forward.

But if Subaru does introduce such a product, it would likely use the new platform and target the North America market, Saito added.

Subaru is well known for its symmetrical all-wheel-drive systems and boxer engines, a powerplant that has struggled to achieve the fuel economy numbers of competitors.

The company has already disclosed plans to introduce its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to meet the 2018 U.S. zero emissions vehicle regulations.

The new electric crossover will go along way to help the Japanese carmaker with the upcoming 2025 fuel economy regulations.

There are no details about the crossover EV, but the Subaru VIZIV concept (above photo) revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show may give a hint about the plug-in hybrid.

It featured a downsized 1.6-liter turbocharged boxer engine with a hybrid system.

Toyota is Fuji Heavy Industries largest shareholder and Subaru now has access to Toyotas technology, but it isnt known if it will be used in either the new plug-in hybrid or electric crossover.
"America's Best Truck Warranty"

Nissan announces "America's Best Truck Warranty": 5 Years/100,000 miles bumper-to-bumper for 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD

5-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty beats competitors' standard protection programs by two years and 64,000 miles

Includes powertrain warranty  helping give Nissan full-size truck owners added trust and peace of mind

Covers all 2017 TITAN Endurance V8 gas and 2017 TITAN XD Cummins diesel and Endurance V8 gasoline-powered models

New limited warranty matches that of all models of Nissan Commercial Vehicles, including NV Cargo, NV Passenger and NV200

NASHVILLE, Tenn. August 15, 2016; Nissan today announced "America's Best Truck Warranty"* on its 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD full-size pickups  featuring bumper-to-bumper coverage of 5-years/100,000-miles, whichever comes first. The announcement is part of Nissan's "Year of the Truck"  a new product onslaught of pickups, SUVs and CUVs.

Vehicles covered by the new warranty  which includes basic and powertrain coverage  include all TITAN V8 gasoline-powered models and diesel and V8 gasoline-powered 2017 TITAN XD models, including both 4x4 and 4x2 drive configurations, in Crew Cab and recently revealed Single Cab models. The 2017 TITANs and TITAN XDs are scheduled to begin arriving at Nissan dealers nationwide later this month.

"We're pleased to now offer the same confidence-inspiring protection as our commercial vehicles for our entire range of 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD full-size pickups," said Fred Diaz, division vice president and general manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc. "The new bumper-to-bumper coverage shows customers that Nissan stands behind the quality of its vehicles  including the ones that are subject to the hardest use."

Nissan introduced "America's Best Commercial Van Warranty"  also 5 years / 100,000 miles  in June 2014 as a demonstration of confidence in its expanding light commercial vehicle lineup. The results have been very positive, with Nissan NV Cargo and Passenger van sales up nearly 10 percent in 2016; NV200 cargo van sales have increased 17 percent through July.

"Nissan Commercial Vehicle models have experienced remarkable longevity, with some registering more than 500,000+ miles of relatively wear-free service**," added Diaz. "We think that extending the same coverage to our full-size pickups, whether used for personal or commercial use, is a game changer in the segment."

The all-new, category-busting TITAN XD was introduced for the 2016 model year, leading Nissan's all-out assault on the highly competitive full-size truck segment.

For the 2017 model year, Nissan adds an all-new TITAN half-ton pickup, powered by Nissan's new 390-horsepower 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine, to the expanding TITAN XD lineup. TITAN XD is currently offered in a Crew Cab body with a choice of a powerful Cummins 5.0L V8 Turbo Diesel or the Endurance V8. New TITAN XD and TITAN Single Cabs, the first single cab variants in TITAN history, join the lineup in late fall. A King Cab body configuration, along with a V6 engine, will follow at a later date.

"TITAN will ultimately be available in a total of three cabs, three bed lengths, three engines, 4x4 and 4x2 drive and S, SV, SL, PRO-4X and Platinum Reserve trim levels  covering about 85 percent of the total light pickup marketplace," said Diaz. "And each and every one of them will be covered by the new 5-year/100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty  the best truck warranty in America."

Formerly Small Print

* "Claim based on years/mileage (whichever occurs first) covered under the respective 2017 New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage. Comparison based on Ward's 2016 Large Pickup Segmentation and Small Pickup Segmentation v. 2017 TITAN and TITAN XD. Comparison based on publicly available information on manufacturers' website. Claim current at the time of printing. Nissan's New Vehicle Limited Warranty basic coverage excludes tires, powertrain coverage, corrosion coverage and federal and California emission performance and defect coverage (applicable coverage is provided under other separate warranties). The powertrain coverage is 5 years or 100,000 miles (whichever occurs first). Other general exclusions and terms and conditions also apply. For complete information concerning coverage, conditions and exclusions, see your Nissan dealer and read the actual New Vehicle Limited Warranty booklet."

**The initial vehicle used by Above and Beyond accrued more than 550,000 miles on its odometer with few repairs or downtime in the course of its service  the most major being an alternator replacement at 382,000 miles.
By Linda Qiu and Katie Sanders

Republican vice presidential nominee Mike Pence lamented the pay-to-play politics of Hillary Clintons State Department on Sunday, pointing to newly released emails among State Department staffers and Clinton Foundation employees to back him up.

Pressed by Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace for clear evidence of Clinton acting in a donors interest as secretary of state, Pence shifted.

Well, I think thats what we need to find out. We really do. The public has a right to know, because thisreally and truly, this is exactly the kind of pay-to-play politics the American people are sick and tired of, Pence said.

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort tried to attack Clinton on a different front Sunday, turning to her newly released tax returns . The Clinton campaign used the release to renew calls for Donald Trump to disclose his tax returns, which he has said are under audit and cannot be released . Pence has signaled he may release his returns.

Trumps campaign deflected questions Sunday about when and if the Republican presidential nominee will release his income tax returns after Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine made their 2015 returns public last week.

State of the Union host Jake Tapper played video of Trump saying 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney needed to release his returns because otherwise people will think whats wrong, and then asked Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort if Trump would release his 2008 returns, which are not under audit.

Manafort repeated the line about the audit, adding in an attack about Clintons tax disclosures.

Mr. Trumps position has been clear from the beginning: Hes under audit. When the audit is completed, hell release his returns, he said. By the way, in Mrs. Clintons returns, you saw a lot of income coming from donors to the Clinton Foundation and people who benefited from her State Department term as well. I havent seen any stories on that yet.

Does the former secretary of states tax return really show pay-the-Clintons-to-play politics?

Not exactly. Manaforts claim rates Half True.

About 15 percent of Bill and Hillary Clintons 2015 income came from two educational businesses with ties to the Clinton Foundation. It is a lot of money in raw dollars, but not a lot compared to the couples other sources of income. Whats more, we found no evidence that the firms paying Bill Clinton for his consulting work profited from the State Department, as Manafort said.

According to their returns, the Clintons made about $10.5 million in 2015, the bulk from their speaking fees ($5.5 million) and book royalties ($3.1 million).

Though the forms do not specify who paid the couple to speak in 2015, they do show that Bill Clinton also made about $1.6 million after expenses for consulting services. His clients were Laureate Education and GEMS Education, two international education firms that donated between $1 million and $5 million each to the Clinton Foundation.

Laureate Education, a network of more than 80 institutions based in Baltimore, has also partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative  on a number of initiatives since 2008 , according to its website. It named Bill Clinton an honorary chancellor between 2010 and 2014 (his tax returns do not show income earned from that role).

Similarly, GEMS Education, one of the worlds largest private-school operators based in Dubai, is a Clinton Global Initiative strategic partner.

Older tax returns show the Clintons received more money from the groups in other years. Bill Clinton was paid $16 million by Laureate and $5.6 million by GEMS between 2010 and 2014 for his consulting services. Politico has additionally reported that a former Clinton fundraiser who was given a special State Department post also had business ties to both firms.

But while all of this demonstrates a strong link between Laureate and GEMS and the Clintons, it doesnt prove corruption, as Manafort implies. His suggestion that they benefited from [Clintons] State Department tenure is not backed by the record.

We searched www.usaspending.gov, a comprehensive database that tracks government grants and contracts, to see if either firm received not just State Department but any federal funding. Our search turned up nothing for Laureate or GEMS. (The Clinton campaign referred us to our previous reporting debunking the link between Laureate and the State Department.)

The Clintons did disclose who paid for their speeches in 2013. Hillary Clinton received between $225,000 and $400,000 per speech from Wall Street clients such as Goldman Sachs and Bank of America, while Bill Clintons highest fee was $750,000 from a Swedish bank. Many of the firms have government interests, according to the Associated Press .

The Trump campaign did not respond to requests for comment to back up Manaforts claim.
Donald Trump shouldve been able to turn his campaign around this week. Released State Department emails revealed that Hillary Clinton provided meetingsand possibly even pay-to-play State Department positionsto prominent Clinton Foundation donors while serving as secretary of state, and BuzzFeed dropped a lengthy profile of Juanita Broaddrick, who has long accused Bill Clinton of rape, on Sunday.And yet Trumps campaign continues to crater. She was eclipsed by the imploding star that is Donald Trumpthe owner of what you might describe as resting rich face, joked John Oliver on Sundays edition of Last Week Tonight. This was the 53rd consecutive week he was going to put his campaign back on track.It didnt happen. Instead, Trump followed up his week of slamming a Gold Star family on the basis of their religion by claiming during a rally that President Obama is the founder of ISIS and that the co-founder would be crooked Hillary Clinton. That, of course, is not only patently untrue but also dangerous rhetoric that was later echoed by the leader of Hezbollah.

Wow, said Oliver. Now clearly what he just said is absolutely absurd, but even when people try to help him reframe it, he doubled down.

Yes, Trump was given a chance to walk back the comments in an interview with conservative blowhard Hugh Hewitt but instead reiterated that he meant exactly what he said. No, I meant hes the founder of ISIS, said Trump. I dont care, he was the founder.Hes so insistent! Hes like the guy drowning but waving off a lifeboat, saying, Get out of here, Im very buoyant. Im the most buoyant. Everybody talks about my buoyancy. Im a tremendous floater, joked Oliver.And then Trump first seemed to blame the incendiary commentsaccusing the president of the United States and former secretary of state of being the co-founders of a terrorist organizationon sarcasm with an early-morning tweet:

And yes, sarcasm is a bullshit excuse, said the HBO host. Its the douchebags apology. But wait! In a subsequent speech, Trump walked back the walk-back, declaring, So I said the founder of ISIS. Obviously Im being sarcasticbut not that sarcastic, to be honest with you.What are you doing?! exclaimed Oliver. You know that riddle where there are two people, one who always lies, and one who always tells the truth? Donald Trump is both those people at once.

More troublingif you can believe thatwere Trumps repeated comments about how the general election is rigged (based on zero evidence) and that the Democrats would only win Pennsylvania if they cheat.What is really worth taking note of there, and is worth thinking about, is that hes suggesting the election may be stolen by his opponentand thats actually dangerous, said Oliver. He is priming his supporters to question the result when he loses Pennsylvania, as polls indicate he will, and as all Republican presidential candidates have since 1988. And hes not just talking the talk here, hes asking his supporters to walk the walk.

The Trump website actually features an application for a Trump Election Observer, a position whose missionit seemsis to help spy on voting centers and make sure everything is running smoothly.

In a way, we are all Trump Election Day observers, because if you look out of your window in November and see Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, youll know, oh shit, they just called Florida, quipped Oliver.

So Oliver and his Last Week Tonight team signed up to be a Trump Election Observer and were first met with a campaign donation request (they didnt donate), then received an automated email from the campaign that read, We are going to do everything we are legally allowed to do to stop crooked Hillary from rigging this election.Which is troubling because Im not sure if Donald Trump knows what hes legally allowed to do! said Oliver. His own attorney once had to apologize for saying, You cant rape your own spousea comment hed made to The Daily Beast in response to a story about how the real estate moguls ex-wife Ivana reportedly once accused him of rape. Look, I cannot wait for this campaign to be over, sighed Oliver, but part of me is going to miss him when hes gone.
Legislators can pass bills for things like universal background checks and the no fly, no buy rule, but those policies target if someone can purchase a gun. Things become a lot more complicated when citizens can make their own guns at homeand thats becoming a significant issue as technology advances.

Cody Wilson is the founder of Defense Distributed, a gun advocacy organization that shares code for 3-D-printing guns at home. He said his organization has shared almost millions of files for printing guns at home, and has sold thousands of milling machines that can make the lower receiver of an AR-15. The guns these machines make are called Ghost Guns because theyre essentially untraceable.

The AR-15 has been the subject of much debate, as many want to ban it after it was used in several mass shootings. However, Wilson thinks the debate around the AR-15 is ridiculous.

When we fixate on things like the AR, most of thats done for partisan reasons that avoid the true root of gun crime. [Gun crime] is dominantly produced by the hand gun, and dominantly conducted in these urban environments that have all kinds of variablesgang violence, endemic poverty, Wilson told The Daily Beast.

Wilson said politicians are focusing on the AR-15 because its an easy target, and theyre trying to get publicity during the election season. He is staunchly against the bill that would deny gun-purchasing rights to people on a terrorist watch list.

I have nothing but contempt for people that would support secret list culture and the Stasi environment that that creates, Wilson said. He also said expanding background checks might be useless because of people like him.

Give all the background checks that you want. My company is built around evading that entire program, he said.

Thousands of amateur gun manufacturers could be operating independently around the country without anyone knowing. As these untraceable guns spread throughout the country, the identities of their creators get completely lost.

It remains unclear how politicians will get around the issue of people making their own guns at home. Someone with a 3-D printer or a milling machine can make a gun at home without being connected to a network that might detect what theyre doing.

Youd basically have to pass a law saying its illegal to make something without a license, and you could probably get that done, but thats really a tectonic shift in gun politicsa much heavier list than saying, Were going to add X and Y to the background check requirements, Wilson said. He said that since 3-D printers are general-purpose devices, it would be difficult to ban making a specific item with them. He also said that the First Amendment protects sharing files, like the files his company shares for making guns.

The city of Philadelphia made headlines in 2013 when it banned 3-D-printed guns. Trying to do such a thing on a much larger scale might prove to be difficult.

[3D printing guns] certainly adds a layer of complexity to gun control that we havent seen before, and its likely to undermine many of our current gun laws, Adam Winkler, a law professor at UCLA and Second Amendment expert, told The Daily Beast.

You could prohibit the manufacture of these firearms nonetheless, the technology will still exist, and as long as the technology exists, any legislation becomes difficult to manage, Winkler said.

Winkler said you could control the 3-D-printing of guns in the short term by requiring people to be licensed before they purchase a 3-D printer, but the technology will become cheaper and more available as time goes on.

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) has repeatedly tried to introduce legislation that would prevent people from owning or manufacturing plastic 3-D-printed guns that can pass metal detectors. So far, he hasnt been successful.

This is about updating our laws to keep up with changing technology, Rep. Israel told The Daily Beast. Law enforcement needs to be able to stop a lone wolf who wants to build a plastic, fully-functioning weapon in his home and then bring it onto a plane or into a secure environment to hurt innocent Americans.

When someone can make their own gun in their free time, passing laws that dictate who can purchase guns at the local store might be futile.
PARIS  Not long after the horror in Nice a month agoas soon as the police barricades were cleared, and while flowers and stuffed toys were piling up in memory of the 85 people who diedtopless sunbathers were back on the beach beside the azure waters just below the scene of carnage on the Promenade des Anglais.

The banality of bare breasts seemed a statement of defiant normality, given where we were and what had happened: a two-bit sexual hustler with a Muslim background looking to turn his shitty little life into a global spectacle, apparently after he'd embraced the publicity campaign of the so-called Islamic State, drove a truck through the crowd that had been watching Bastille Day fireworks.

But nothing was going to stop French sun worshippers at the height of summer. The topless women on the beach were mostly senior citizens, but thats the Riviera for you. Men, whether pot-bellied or buff, wear Speedos or their moral equivalent. And younger women these days tend to wear fairly classic bikinis.

So, what is the dress code on the sun-drenched strands of the Cote dAzur? Until this last month it was pretty much according to your taste.

But now, if you are a Muslim woman who wants to cover her body at the beach, whether to satisfy yourself, the man in your life, Allah, your dermatologist, or all of the above, thats become a problem, and the city of Cannesfamous for its film festival and the starlets flaunting their two-piece splendorhas declared that your outfit, widely known as a burqini, is banned. A French court, moreover, has backed that up.

As with so much in the overlapping debates about immigration, integration, Islam, and terror in France, this measure smacks of political posturing. Its not as if the Croisette in Cannes is crawling with women in these designer body suits (which is what many burqinis are), and its unlikely the rule will be enforced against the Saudi and other Gulf princesses coming in from their yachtscertainly not in this depressed tourist season.

So at its most obvious level, this is about a right-wing politician taking a stand not just against burqinis, but, symbolically, against Muslims, and presenting it as a matter of law and order.

Only in todays France can one imagine beachwear having to pass a test for secularism, but here you have it.

The municipal bylaw in Cannes was put forth by Mayor David Lisnard, a member of former President Nicolas Sarkozys increasingly far-right party (now called Les Republicains) on July 28.

That was two days after a couple of jihadists cut the throat of an 86-year-old priest in a church in Normandy very far from the beach and even farther from Cannes. But no matter:

Beach wear that ostentatiously presents a religious affiliation while France and places of worship are now the target of terrorist attacks is likely to create the risk of disturbances to public order (mobs, scuffles) that its necessary to prevent, said the bylaw. Therefore, access to beaches is prohibited until after Aug. 31 to any person not properly dressed, respectful of morality and secularism. Violators will be fined 38 ($42).

One would think the issue would be the behavior of men who might gather in mobs, start scuffles, and otherwise disturb the peace because women are wearing, yes, too many clothes. But for the mayor of Cannes the problem lies with those provocative womena sentiment that weirdly mirrors the reasoning in some Muslim-majority countries that require women to wear burqinis if they go to the beach at all, lest they incite disorder by lust-crazed men.

And thats precisely where we enter into the perverse details of this issue: the matter of Muslim groups in France that dont share French ideals and values and that require women to cover up at the beachin Francewhether they want to or not.

In Marseilles, which has a very large Muslim population, the municipal beaches have always been a kind of summertime melting pot where it was common to see women of Muslim backgrounds wearing bikinis even if, in some cases, they changed back into gowns and veils before heading home.

But in recent years, as ultra-conservative Salafist Islam has gained a foothold in the rough northern districts of Marseilles, more and more burqinis have appeared on the citys popular beaches. When a local water park was reserved for a burqini-only day in September, it provoked an instant, predictable, outraged response from the right wing.

Less predictable was the nature of the group that had promoted the burqini day. Its friendly name, Smile 13, was hard to square with its Facebook page, now taken down, which was full of Quranic imprecations against unbelievers, meaning Christians. That fact immediately was seized on by the militant right, of course. And finally the event was canceled.

The Cannes bylaw banning burqinis, meanwhile, was challenged by civil liberties organizations and the Collective Against Islamophobia in France (CCIF) as a new attack on the most basic rights. But on Saturday the court rejected demands for an immediate injunction to stop enforcement of the ban, which is only in effect for another couple of weeks in any case. The case will continue in the courts after the August vacation.

For the CCIF, the precedent set by the burqini-banning bylaw is a threat to any public manifestation of religious conviction. But for Thierry Migoule, a staffer at Cannes city hall, this is not about mere religious symbols. The ban is aimed at ostentatious clothes that show an allegiance to terrorist movements who are making war on us, he told AFP with notable but no doubt heart-felt hyperbole.

If there hadnt been the bylaw, there would have been many more burqinis on French beaches, says scholar Gilles Kepel, author of a best-selling book on Islamist terror in France. Certain styles of Muslim dress for women are used in what Kepel calls enclave areas as a test of state authority, he said.

The edict in Cannes is not great in terms of law, Kepel told me on the phone Sunday, but we are dealing with expediency. Fear and anger are driving French voters to the right and the far right, beyond Sarkozy to Marine Le Pen of the National Front. If we make the electorate feel that we are lenient on this, we will have Marine Le Pen [for president], said Kepel, reflecting the views of many worried centrists.

Here in the French capital emotions are not quite so raw as down south, even though Paris has seen a great deal of terrorism over the last two years.

The city is largely empty on this biggest holiday of the summer, which marks The Assumption, the day the Catholic Church says the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken body and soul into heavenly glory. (Note, this is a government day off. Secularism has its exceptions where holidays are concerned.)

This summer is also, as it happens, the anniversary of the bikini as a registered name for a skimpy two-piece bathing suit that became a headline-grabbing sensation around the world in 1946. Posters have been put up all over town with a stunning image of Ava Gardner that advertises a commemorative show devoted to the beachwear. The only burqinis on display at the exhibition, as it turns out, are those worn in France more than 100 years ago, shown to demonstrate how far weve come showing off, and freeing up, the female body.

Continuing my search for a burqini in the city of light, I walked the lengthy of Paris Plage, the pop-up beach along the Seine, but no burqinis were to be seen.

Then it occurred to me that around the old red-light district of Pigalle at the foot of Montmartre there are not only sex shops catering to fetishists, there are fabric stores and dress shops whose clientele mostly comes from North Africa, and as it turned out one of the best known of those stores, La Rose de lOrient, was open Sunday.

Back behind rack upon rack of brilliantly colored caftans and gowns, I found a young woman at the register wearing a rather drab traditional hijab, or head scarf.

Do you sell swimsuits that cover the whole body? I asked after explaining that I was a reporter.

No, she said. Not here in the store. People order those on the internet.

I asked her if she wore one. She shook her head, mildly horrified.

Thats for the bled [the village], she said. Thats for Algeria.

Which the mayor of Cannes might say is the point.

Update, August 17, 2016: In addition to Cannes, four more French resort towns are planning to ban the burqini (also spelled burkini), while Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls also has waded into the debate, declaring the wearing of the burqini is "not compatible with the values of France and the Republic." The best known of the towns in question is Le Touquet near Calais on the Channel. "There are no burkinis in Le Touquet at the moment, but I don't want the town hall to be caught offguard if we are affected by this phenomenon," the mayor told AFP. Oye-Plage in the same region, appears to have used similar reasoning, as did Villeneuve-Loubet, between Cannes and Nice. The Socialist mayor of Sisco in Corsica decided to ban burqinis after people taking pictures of women wearing the attire incited an ugly brawl in which hatchets and harpoons reportedly were brought to bear.
There is almost no group left that Donald Trump hasnt offended: Muslims, babies, women, Gold Star families, and of course Hispanics. Yet there is one group that despises Donald Trump more than any other: black Americans.

At an average of just 2 percent support in the polls, Trump is running fourth among black voters, as Harry Enten noted last week. Hes 84 points behind Hillary Clinton, but also trailing Libertarian Gary Johnson and Green Jill Stein.

The findings of recent surveys read like an Onion headline or possibly a Saturday Night Live sketch left on the cutting room floor: Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke has more black voter support than Donald Trump. Just think about that for a second. A white guy who was actually a leader of an organization synonymous with not only hating, but terrorizing, black people is more popular with black people than a white guy who used to host a reality show and now may become president.

Trumps insanely offensive rhetoric against other groups has drawn extensive media coverage and denunciations from people from both sides of the aisle. His allegations of bias against federal judge Gonzalo Curiel were called the textbook definition of racism by Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, among many, many others. His early calls to ban the entry of Muslims to this country have been so widely denounced its hard to find a public figureeven among those who have endorsed himwho has not come out against the remarks. Hes made more derogatory comments about women that I can count.

While he has certainly had moments that can be perceived as offensive to black Americans, such as when he inaccurately tweeted that black people are responsible for 81% of white homicides (which was nowhere near true), when people think of groups Donald Trump has insulted were certainly not at the top of that list.

And yet, Trump is polling at 24 percent with Hispanic voters, and still has the support of 35% of women voters. With black Americans though, he is at 1 or 2%, depending on the poll. That rock-bottom number has put traditionally red states with notable pockets of black voters in play for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

While black voters tend to be more party loyal than other groups, Mitt Romney still managed to get 6% of the black vote, and that was in an election year in which black voters turning out to re-elect our first black president shattered previous historical turnout records and were given much of the credit for Obamas glide back to the White House.

So what is it about The Donald?

Its true that candidate Trump has not singled out black Americans for the same obsessive and insulting focus he has some other groups, but the contempt for him within the black community has been brewing for much longer.

For starters, he made himself the face of the birther lie against President Obama. He claims credit for pushing the President to release his birth certificate. (Ironic considering the Presidents 2008 opponent, Sen. John McCain, really was born outside of the country, as was 2016 contender Sen. Ted Cruz, both of whom have since become Trump foes.) For many black Americans, the entire birther conspiracy was added to the list of indignities no previous commander in chief, all of whom were white, had been subjected to. While most birthers until Trump had primarily been seen as basement kooks who occasionally landed airtime on a few cable shows, he lent the movement a mainstream face that many black Americans have not forgotten or forgiven.

Additionally, while Trumps language and policy proposals have perhaps not been as openly hostile to black Americans as some other groups, black people are well acquainted with coded dog whistlesand the impact they can have. For instance, Trumps false tweet about the level of crimes committed by black Americans against whites is precisely the kind of rhetoric that plays into the worst fears of his overwhelmingly white supporters. Hes been doing this for decades, since he put out full-page ads calling for the death penalty for the five black boys of the Central Park Five (something hes never apologized for, even after it emerged that those boys, who spend decades behind bars, were innocent).

Historically, rhetoric like Trump uses has resulted in terrifying fallout for black people. Many forget that the 1915 film Birth of a Nation is credited with reinvigorating the membership of the Ku Klux Klan, the films message essentially that someone needed to take a stand against the rising tide of dangerous brown people. Sound familiar? The era immediately following the films release would be one of the most horrifying in terms of violence against black people, men in particular.

So when Trump says of a black protester maybe he should have been roughed up, and black protesters at his rallies are punched and otherwise assaulted, his candidacy inevitably calls to mind darker daysparticularly for black Americans living in an age in which the shootings of unarmed black men by police are not an uncommon occurrence.

But perhaps the main reason so many black voters are repelled by Donald Trump is that hes not David Duke. I have a family member who grew up in the segregated South who said she always prefers people who are honest about who they are. Theyre simply safer. Ones who present a facade are much more dangerous. While you can see the David Dukes of the worldand all they representcoming a mile away, there is something particularly dangerous about the kind of bigot that hides behind a suit, tie, a smile and a handful of so-called black buddieswho are on the payroll of course. (Heres looking at you, Omarosa.)

Dukes bigotry may be offensive, but at least its honest. Trumps is just plain offensive.
The unnerving vision of Donald Trump one day getting within reach of the nuclear codes is bad enough, but the job specification of commander in chief demands more than just a cool head and stable personality. The president also needs the ability to handle and control hotheads who can appear around them in the midst of crisis.

To be sure, todays Pentagon generals seem to be a suitably sober bunch, chastened by the cost in lives and treasure of recent wars. Sometimes, though, a general long-seasoned in battle and without doubt possessed of great personal courage can be the last person a president facing Armageddon should listen to.

Probably the most terrifyingly instructive example of this species appeared in the person of Gen. Curtis LeMay, the chief of staff of the Air Force and head of the Strategic Air Command during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Attorney General Robert Kennedy, were facing a volatile and unpredictable threat from the Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev, who had covertly set up missile bases in Cuba. As the crisis built, the Kennedys found themselves in a minority that held to the belief that a diplomatic solution could head off a military confrontation that would easily trip into a nuclear war.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff, other generals, and some elder statesmen were demanding airstrikes against the Russian bases in Cuba before the missiles became operational, to be followed by an invasion. Kennedy feared that, at the minimum, these American actions would lead to a Soviet attack on West Berlin.

LeMay was the most aggressive advocate of an immediate military response. Recorded on White House audio tapes, his disregard of the Kennedys authority is palpable.

Now, as far as the military situation, I dont share your view that if we knock off Cuba, theyre going to knock off Berlin, LeMay said. Weve got the Berlin problem staring us in the face anyway. If we dont do anything to Cuba, then theyre going to push on Berlin and push real hard because theyve got us on the run. If we take military action against Cuba, then I think that the

What do you think their reprisal would be? JFK asked.

I dont think theyre going to make any reprisal if we tell them that the Berlin situation is just like its always been. If they make a move were going to fight. I dont see any solution except military action right now. This [a naval blockade] is almost as bad as the appeasement at Munich, LeMay said.

The reference to Munich and the appeasement of Hitler by Britain and France had a particularly bad vibe for the Kennedy brothers: Their father, Joseph Kennedy, had been a vocal appeaser himself, saying America had no place in a European war.

The Kennedys held on to their belief that the naval blockade of Cuba they had put in place would force Khrushchev to back offwhich he did, but only at the last minute and in confusing circumstances.

At the time I was reporting on the crisis from New York (where the newspapers ran stories like Where to go when nuclear war comes).

Although news of military movements became hard to get, I wrote afterward, Washington reporters were drawing lots to go on an unspecified naval mission. The inflammable rumor spread that Kennedy had ordered pin-point bombing of the bases.

Nobody on either side of this argumentthe Kennedy brothers and the generalsthen knew that the Soviet officers in Cuba with 20 medium-range nuclear weapons under their command, in an unusual move, had been given the authority to respond to an American attack without consulting Moscow. The missiles were capable of reaching major U.S. cities including Washington, D.C.

Former Secretary of State Dean Acheson, who had been called to advise Kennedy and supported the idea of a pre-emptive strike, later admitted that it was just blind luck that the two powers had not stumbled into nuclear war.

In the audio, LeMays manner and tone sound strangely familiar. It was brilliantly mimicked by George C. Scott in the 1964 movie Dr. Srangelove, playing Gen. Buck Turgidson, like LeMay a cigar-chewing Air Force zealot advocating an immediate nuclear response to a Soviet attack: Mr. President. Im not saying we wouldnt get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than 10 to 20 million killed, tops.

LeMay was, for sure, a gift for satirical impersonation. But the risk is to dismiss him as a caricature, a totally bonkers rogue general and nothing more. In fact, he was a reflection of his own singular military career and the way in which the times sometimes summon the man as an indispensable player.

LeMays attitude about air power was fueled by personal experience of how seriously neglected and underestimated it had been when he joined the United States Army Air Corps in the early 1930s. Most of its equipment was antique. Commercial airliners outperformed military airplanes.

LeMay got his break as a pilot as a result of a gigantic political fiasco. In 1934 President Roosevelt, spurred by advisers, decided to smash up what they regarded as a monopoly held by the airlines to deliver the post offices mail. He ordered that the flying of mail be switched to the Air Corps, but the air force had neither the machines nor pilots equal to the task. The scheme was ended after 90 days and many crashes, and with 12 pilots killed.

Before it was ended a small group of pilots were trained to fly the first modern bomber delivered to the Army, the Martin B-10. They flew cross-country at night from Dayton to Indianapolis and Chicago and back, pioneering the new technology of blind flyingdepending on instruments for the whole flight, including takeoffs and landings.

As a result, 25 pilots graduated on the new bomber, as skilled at instrument navigation as any in the world. One of them was LeMay. Thereafter, on frequent missions, he proved himself an unusually gifted navigator, able to find a target under the worst weather conditions.

By 1943 LeMay was in command of a bomber force based in Great Britain that was given a mission designed to prove the effectiveness of strategic long-range operations. He led 143 Boeing B17 Flying Fortresses on a raid deep into Germany, the target an airplane plant at Regensburg. After dropping their bombs, the B17s did not return to their British basesinstead, they flew on to North Africa, a flight completed with few losses.

The Regensburg raid was a success, but another force of 230 bombers sent at the same time to destroy a ball-bearing factory at Schweinfurt that had to return to British bases was badly mauled by German fighters and anti-aircraft fire. They were in incessant combat for six hours and lost 60 airplanes, with 600 crewmen missing.

Losses of that level did not weaken LeMays belief in strategic bombing. He was always himself in the lead airplane on missions, insisting on disciplined and accurate bombing. At the same time, he was becoming skeptical of the doctrine of precision bombing. Going after predictable and strongly defended targets in Germany produced a level of attrition that he believed was not justified by the results.

He had a different idea. The Germans and Italians had pioneered indiscriminate carpet-bombing of cities during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. That had been with relatively small forces of relatively primitive bombers. The U.S. Army Air Forces was about to take delivery of a new Boeing bomber, the B-29, able to carry larger bomb loads far longer distances and to fly far higher, beyond where most anti-aircraft defenses could be effective.

As the war in Europe wound down, LeMay became commander of the XXI Bomber Command in the Pacific, equipped with B-29s. In March 1945 he demanded, and got, permission to begin fire-bombing Japanese cities. He wrote in a letter: the destruction of Japans ability to wage war lies within the capability of this command. He argued that precision bombing left his crews vulnerable to fighter attack, even though, by then, the Japanese had only 500 airplanes in poor condition and no effective radar for night operations.

LeMays bombers would carry the largest bomb loads of the war to Japans major industrial centers. Incendiaries were 75 percent of the bomb load. Out of 153,000 tons of bombs dropped on Japan, 98,000 were firebombs. Between May and August, 58 cities were destroyed by firebombing, with hundreds of thousands of casualties.

(Two of these conventional bombing attacks were capable of inflicting the same level of damage as each of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasakibut, terrible as they were, they lacked the traumatic psychological impact of the new weapon and its long-term consequences through radiation.)

LeMay ended the war convinced of the rightness of his choice.

There are no innocent civilians, he said. It is their government and you are fighting a people, you are not trying to fight an armed force anymore. So it doesnt bother me so much to be killing the so-called innocent bystanders.

When, finally, the USAAF became free of its army connection, as the USAF, LeMays most enduring mark on the philosophy of air power was his creation, in the late 1940s and 50s, of the Strategic Air Command. This was entirely his personal vision and fiefdom.

In theory the SAC was the Cold War sentinel that kept America safe from nuclear attack. Again using a revolutionary Boeing airplane, the first jet-powered bomber, the B-47, LeMay led a fleet of 2,000 bombers, carrying atomic bombs, and 800 tankers. These tankers, also produced by Boeing, enabled aerial refueling so that SAC bombers could always be in the air, 24/7, to be instantly sent to a target without the delay of taking off from bases.

However, behind the official facade of deterrencethe belief that SACs instant readiness would deter any first strike by the SovietsLeMay believed that America had made a fundamental mistake not to take out the Russians with one huge strike (killing a nation) when they were weak. Later, on the record, he lamented: When the Russians had acquired (through connivance and treachery of Westerns with warped minds) the atomic bomb and yet didnt have any stockpilethat was when we might have destroyed Russia completely and not even skinned our elbows doing it.

This was the LeMay the Kennedy brothers had to hold in check in 1962, a commander whose basic nature or views had not changed since he firebombed Japan. And, in spite of his behavior then, he was not fired.

Indeed, during the Vietnam War he delivered a sentiment that has resurfaced in the mouths of Republicans this year: My solution would be to tell the North Vietnamese that theyve got to draw in their horns and stop their aggression or were going to bomb them into the Stone Age.

It was Ted Cruz, not Donald Trump, who pledged to carpet-bomb ISIS and make the desert glow at night.

LeMay would doubtless agree. And let his final epitaph be: Ill tell you what war is about. Youve got to kill people, and when youve killed enough they stop fighting.
We have now reached the point in the American electoral cycle where surrogates for both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are happily propagating each others lies without guile or even the slightest concern theyll be discovered doing so.

Consider the following Vulcan mind-meld of disinformation that occurred at the weekend:

First, Sputnik, the Kremlins pseudo-news agency, published an item rather unambiguously titled, Secret File Confirms Trump Claim: Obama, Hillary Founded ISIS to Oust Assad, which it tweeted out with the hashtag #CrookedHillary.

A holy-shit exclusive, to be sure: the only problem being that this story isnt a story, nor did it rely on any secret file, and what it cited did nothing to confirm what Sputnik suggests it did.

The entire case rests upon a 2012 U.S. draft intelligence report, commissioned by the Pentagons Defense Intelligence Agency, originally obtained through a Freedom of Information request and published in June 2015 by the conservative website Judicial Watch.

At the time, this document was taken up with similar if paradoxical enthusiasm by far-left anti-imperialists (such as the Guardians Seumas Milne, now Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns spin-doctor) and anti-Muslim reactionaries (such as Pamela Geller) as proof of a nefarious conspiracy led by Washington to encourage a takfiri takeover of the Levant.

Although heavily redacted, the reports supposed gotcha disclosure was the following forecast of where the war in Syria was headed and how it might affect U.S. foreign policy considerations:

If the situation unravels there is the possibility of establishing a declared or undeclared Salafist principality in Eastern Syria (Hasaka and Der Zor), and this is exactly what the supporting powers to the opposition want, in order to isolate the Syrian regime, which is considered the strategic depth of the Shia expansion (Iraq and Iran).

As The Daily Beasts Jacob Siegel reported when the document was published, appraisals such as these are too numerous count at the Pentagon, much less be read by senior military or policy planners. And few ever rise to the level of adopted policy prescription.

Nor did this one, as anyone who has watched events unfold in Syria over the last four years can easily determine for himself.

If the United States had sought to rob Iranian clients and proxies of strategic depth in Syria, then it would plainly not be de-conflicting at present with the Syrian and Russian air forces, both of which are providing close air support to those same clients and proxies on the ground.

Moreover, given the presidents well-known reluctancecriticized by his ISIS co-founder Hillary Clintonto substantively aid and arm nationalist Free Syrian Army rebels in 2012 (when the document was drafted), one could argue his policy has been the very opposite of whats in this document.

But not as far as Sputnik is concerned. Its report exposes what it claims is the only reason the United States refused to directly aide and support the so-called Islamic State: because this would violate U.S. anti-terrorism laws. And it claims a conscious decision was taken to at least acquiesce to ISISs expansion.

Unfortunately, the document itself refutes this conspiracy theory, too, as it continues:

The deterioration of the situation has dire consequences in the Iraqi situation and are as follows:

This creates the ideal atmosphere for Al Qaeda in Iraq AQI to return to its old pockets in Mosul and Ramadi, and will provide a renewed momentum under the presumption of unifying the jihad among Sunni and Iraq and Syria, and the rest of the Sunnis in the Arab world against what it considers one enemy.

Al Qaeda in Iraq was the original name of the serially rebranded terror organization we now call ISIS or the Islamic State. Its expansion beyond the borders of Iraq is here correctly classified as dire for a country which the United States has spent billions of dollars trying to hold togetherchiefly by fighting and dying to defeat that jihadist franchise.

A less circulated but by no means less important sequel installment to this strange confluence of GOP and Kremlin fever-dreams occurred in passing during a CNN interview with Trumps consigliere, Paul Manafort.

In deriding the unfair, liberal medias obsession with every false, inane, or bigoted utterance that comes out of Trumps mouth, Manafort told CNNs Jake Tapper that were much bigger news stories worth covering.

Such as?

Well, such as a NATO base in Turkey [being] attacked by terrorists.

He can only have meant an incident that began and ended as a peaceful protest at Turkeys Incirlik airbase, but which pro-Kremlin propagandists artfully extrapolated to be a heavily armed assault and possible second coup attempt on July 30.

Hey MSM, youve got 10,000 Muslims steps away from a stockpile of thermonuclear weapons, was a sample note of hysteria, which set off a brief but noticeable firestorm on the internet.

That it was part of a coordinated Russian campaign to sow insecurity by suggesting a NATO country was on the brink of another disaster was either unknown to Manafort, or simply not relevant to his happy usage of Putins troll factory to defend his flailing candidate.

Andrew Weisburd and Clint Watts brilliantly retro-engineered the provenance of this sham story: a social media account belonging to Marcel Sardo, who, as they wrote in The Daily Beast, maintains an account previously identified for instigating pro-Russian campaigns.

What started on Twitter then migrated into Sputnik and RT, Moscows other English-language mouthpiece, both of which warned of the potential loss of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons stored at Incirlik.

One thousand protesters did turn up at the base three weeks ago, but 7,000 Turkish police did not, nor was it ever in danger of being overrun or ransacked, as Russian news organs relayed.

As Weisburd and Watts further uncovered, the greatest purchase the Incirlik non-event had was among Trump supportersor those posing as such: Some of the top hashtags attached to tweets broadcasting #Incirlik #Turkey were #nato, #coup, #benghazi, #trumppence16.

Each of these add-on hashtags pointed to recently hot button issues in the U.S. presidential contest. Bios of these English speaking accounts retweeting the #Incirlik story commonly included the words god, country, family, conservative, Christian, America, constitution, and military.

The U.S.-Turkish relationship is now at a nadir following the widespread belief in Turkey that its ally was complicit in trying to oust or assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The coup-plotters alleged leader, the exiled Islamist cleric Fethullah Gulen, currently lives in Pennsylvania and is being sought for extradition. Of course, this hasnt stopped pro-Erdogan Turkish media from accusing the CIA, the State Department, and the White House of being the silent sponsors of the coup.

Putin has taken full advantage of this breach to repair his own frayed relationship with Ankara and demonstrate a stalwart commitment to Erdogans upholding of the Turkish constitution at their recent meeting in Moscow.

All this disinformation is just the kind of vintage KGB stuff we might expect from a veteran Russian spook like Putin.

In 1966, for instance, Turkish Senator Haydar Tunckanat claimed to have documents showing that Washington was looking to liquidate military officers and batter the left-wing opposition to the then-ruling Kemalist and right-wing government of the Justice Party.

The documents were two letters, one addressed from a spy inside the Justice Party to an E.M.; the other a letter from E.M. to the U.S. defense attache Col. Donald Dickson, discussing the details of this alleged plot.

E.M, the Turkish media quickly worked out, could refer to Edwin Martin, the U.S. embassy counselor-minister, or to Navy Capt. E.M. Morgan, formerly the U.S. representative to the Central Treaty Organization.

In fact, he was a fiction cooked up by Tunckanat, who was then an agent of the KGB. The senator caused an anti-American furor, which reached even traditional U.S. friends in Turkeys political establishment. In 1969, he played the same trick again, at the behest of the KGBs Department A, using more forged documents that depicted a (nonexistent) U.S. intelligence operation against Turkeys general staff.

Whereas in the age of print, active measures, as the concoction of anti-Western disinformation is known in Russian intelligence tradecraft, were slightly harder to produce, today its much easier to spread forgeries or fictions aimed at weakening U.S. alliances or demoralizing democratic societies. All you need is hastily scribbled clickbait or viral videos.

Inevitably, active measures sometimes wind up being regurgitated by U.S. politicians and officials who simply dont know any better.

But in Manaforts case, there is pretty damning circumstantial evidence, given his longstanding ties to Moscow and its clients, to suggest he is wittingly spitting up Russian falsehoods and is both satisfied with where they come from and whom they will benefit, apart from himself.

Manafort has just been accused by Ukraines anti-corruption investigators of having had $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments held aside for him by ousted Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovychs pro-Putin Party of Regions between 2007 and 2012.

Manafort advised Yanukovych during his victorious presidential campaign in 2010, well before the Ukrainian presidents goons began shooting people dead in the streets of Kiev.

But now Ukraines new government, The New York Times reports, believes these cash disbursements to be part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials. Manaforts offshore holdings are also being looked into by Ukraines prosecutors.

Manforts attorney told the Times there essentially was no substance to the allegations and no such cash payments had been received.

Manafort on air also feigned ignorance that the Democratic National Conventions emails were hacked by two separate arms of Russian intelligenceyet another headline-grabbing news item he wished would disappear when the Times and CNN and many other news outlets were reporting on it.

No doubt we can expect Manafort to next instruct the liberal media to focus on weightier matters than his own financial ties to fallen dictators and Russian oligarchs. Say, Hillary Clintons murder of a DNC staffer or how the Illuminati are behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Donald Trump says he has a master plan to defeat ISIS. But on Monday it was clear he has yet to update it to reflect the changing dynamics on the battlefield, which went either unnoticed or ignored by the Republican nominee in what was billed as a speech on how to defeat the terrorist group.

Trump spent a substantial amount of time in his speech hammering the Obama administration for not doing enough to defeat ISIS.

But in Syria, Libya, and Iraq, the multinational effort to defeat ISIS appears now to be on the upswing. And in the sparse moments when Trump actually proposed ideas to defeat ISIS, it sounded suspiciously like the ideas already being put into practice by his arch-nemesis Obama.

You know: the guy Trump called the founder of ISIS.

It was a speech that has become emblematic of Trumps outreach to voters: deeply pessimistic, loose with the truth, and entirely unspecific.

Theyre trying to make it look much better than it is. Its bad, Trump said, referring to the Obama administration and the Clinton campaigns assessment of ISIS. He noted U.S. Central Commands overly optimistic reports on the rising ISIS threat and the internal strife that created, much of which was first reported by The Daily Beast.

But while the Republican nominees address in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday was billed as a speech describing new ways to defeat ISISin recent weeks ISIS has seen serious setbacks.

Trump denounced the situation in Libya, which he blamed on Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But ISISs grip there is changing rapidly. ISIS appears to be on the verge of losing its African capital in the city of Sirte to local militia fighters who lately have been bolstered by U.S. airstrikes.

While Trump referred to stopping Syrian refugees from entering the United States, ISIS just suffered a major loss there Monday. After a months-long battle, Arab and Kurdish forces reclaimed a northern city that is on a key route for ISIS fighters, equipment and money traveling from Turkey into Syria. Over the weekend, video emerged showing female residents of this city burning their burkas and men cutting their beards, an outward display of the end of ISIS rule.

Meanwhile, ISIS already has lost territory in several Iraqi cities, including Fallujah, Ramadi, and Tikrit.

To be sure, it is unclear how an often agile ISIS will adjust its tactics in the face of such territorial losses. Are its fighters simply fleeing in the hopes of fighting another day? Or will it increasingly seek to launch terror attacks in the face of territorial defeats?

These were not questions addressed by Trump, who nonetheless insisted he had the mental and physical stamina to defeat the terror group that Clinton lacks.

The rise of ISIS is the direct result of policy decisions made by President Obama and Secretary Clinton, Trump said, adding later: My administration will aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS, international cooperation to cut off their funding, expanded intelligence sharing, and cyber warfare to disrupt and disable their propaganda and recruiting.

In fact, Trump did not offer many specifics about how to defeat ISIS but where he did, he largely repeated what already is happening.

Trump called for working with coalition partners, even as the U.S. war against ISIS consists of a coalition of more than 60 nations. He called for the use of drone strikes and the attempted capture of high-value targets, which already is happening.

He called for extreme vetting of those entering the United States, even as the U.S. has already done so. As of late last year, the United States had taken in fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees, out of millions fleeing violence in that country. And of that figure, the overwhelming majority are women, children, and the elderly. Half of those refugees who have found sanctuary in the United States are children, while only 2 percent are single males of so-called combat age.

On the lack of specifics he offered, Trump tried to lay out an explanation: My administration will not telegraph exactly military plans and what they are, he told the crowd, to applause.

Another major difference between Trump and Obama is that Trump called for working more closely with Egypts authoritarian president, Abdel Fatah el Sissi, to defeat ISIS, which has expanded its grip in the Sinai and along the Egyptian-Libyan border.

Much of the speechmuch like his foreign policy speech earlier this yearwas punctuated with contradictions.

While Trump said he would demand better human-rights treatment across the Middle East, he endorsed working with Sissi, who has systematically imprisoned thousands of opponents, limited freedom of speech and been unable to stop the expansion of ISIS in his country.

He said he would protect the LGBTQ community, even as he celebrated Russia, a state that has been historically resistant to embrace that segment of its population.

He also suggested a commission on radical Islam, suggesting that moderate American Muslims could explain to the American people and law enforcement community what drives and how to stop radicals within the population.

We want to build bridges, Trump said, despite having previously suggested during his campaign that he wanted a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the country.

Trump also repeated a popular Republican talking point, saying Obama prematurely withdrew from Iraq. But while the withdrawal happened on Obamas watch, the Bush administration negotiated the timetable for that withdraw with the Iraqi government.

Its becoming a pattern with Trump: hype up a foreign policy speech, then deliver an unspecific diatribe long on rhetoric and short on specifics.

As he swiveled from side-to-side, reading the teleprompter he so famously maligned, he seemed to exude something far worse than his campaigns tradition of half-truths and fear-mongeringin a monotonous voice, reading a speech that was out of touch with the current battlefield dynamics, he seemed, simply, bored.

Maybe hed be less bored if he read up on the latest developments on the war with ISIS.
Donald Trump is on to somethinghe wants extreme vetting of immigrants to ensure that they agree with American values on issues like religious freedom, gender equality and gay rights. As Trump bluntly put it in his big foreign policy speech Monday, Those who do not believe in our Constitution, or who support bigotry and hatred, will not be admitted for immigration into the country.

But why focus on immigrants? Why not follow Trumps mantra of America First and apply this test to American citizens? Yes, if you were born here, you had the luck of the draw. Which is a lucky thing for Trump, because if the test could be applied to natural-born citizens, the result would be that over half of the Republican Partyand most of Trumps voterswould be banned from the United States.

Its irony defined to hear the GOP Presidential nominee complain about discrimination against gays, the lack of equality for women and the need for religious liberty for all. Republicans have done everything possible to enact laws to enable discrimination against the LGBT community, from so-called religious liberty legislation to the past championing state constitutional amendments barring marriage equality. They have fought equal-pay measures and sought to oppress women. And they have trampled on religious liberty for Muslim Americans.

Why dont we take a look at the views of the rank and file Republicans on the key issues Trump demanded that any immigrant seeking to enter America must be vetted on?:

1. Gay Rights. If you dont support marriage equality you are not adhering to American values as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Its that simple. And thats not just my view but also the U.S. Supreme Courts, from the seminal case last year recognizing marriage equality as the law of the land. There the Court wrote about same-sex couples: They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

Well, where does the GOP stand on this right? A May Pew Poll found only 33 percent of Republicans believe that gay couples should have rights equal to their heterosexual counterparts. (In contrast, almost 80 percent of progressives support it.) And people like Ted Cruz have gone as far as to exclaim that LGBT activists who were simply seeking equal rights were waging a jihad against people of faith.

That means bye-bye to over 60 percent of the Republican Party, including Trumps vice presidential candidate Mike Pence, because they have not embraced American values of marriage equality.

2. Gender equality. Keep in mind that current Republican congressional Rep. Jody Hice said that a woman should run for political office only if her husband consents to it since husbands have authority over their wives. Before you dismiss Hices views as being an exception, he easily won his election in 2014 and was vocally supported by well known conservative Erick Erickson.

What about on key gender-equality issues? Regarding a womens right to control her own body, 59 percent of Republicans believe that abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. And on equal pay for women, only 14 percent of Republicans support legislation to close the gender pay gap where women are being paid on average 79 cents for every dollar their male counterparts receive. (And that number is far worse when the comparison is white men versus women of color.)

Bottom line: Gender equality and the Republican rank and file dont go together. That flies in the face of the Equal Protection Clause of our Constitution and again means that under Trumps own test they shouldnt be in America.

3. Religious liberty. Simply put, every American should have the same right to worship regardless of their faith. But polls show that Republicans tend to support that concept only if it involves Christianity, not Islam. For example, a December 2015 poll found 88 percent of Republicans support religious liberty when it comes to Christianity. But the same poll found almost a third fewer Republicans support religious liberty for Muslims in America.

Even more shocking is that a recent poll found that 40 percent of Republicans in North Carolina want to statutorily ban Islam, meaning it would be a crime to practice the faith there. And we have seen countless instances across the nation by Republicans to stop the building of local mosques.

Looks like Trumps extreme vetting would end up keeping out a huge chunk of Republicans. They simply dont subscribe to American values on key issues such as gay rights, gender equality and religious liberty.

As Trump declared Monday, We have to promote the exceptional virtues of our own way of lifeand expecting that newcomers to our society do the same. Well, I say why dont we start with America first and ensure that Republicans subscribe to those exceptional virtues? I think most Americans would agree that its time to fix the problems right here at home first before focusing to issues beyond our borders.
Is it possible that some good might come from Donald Trumps presidential campaign?

As Trump continues to flail away and degrade our discourse with each passing week, its becoming harder to imagine. But Im hoping that maybe, this year, well finally bottom out and hit peak disunity and cruelty.

If Im right, perhaps we can use this moment to become a little kinder and more understanding toward each other. And maybe empathy will start creeping back in to our civic life.

After 25 years in business and politics, Ill be the first to admit that I havent always lived up to my own standards. But as I get olderand the shouting gets louderIve come to the inescapable conclusion that something has to give.

Trump is just the day-glo orange tip of a less visible iceberg lurking beneath the surface. His success despiteor maybe because ofhis insults of Muslims, Mexicans, women, prisoners of war, Gold Star families and an Indiana-born federal judge of Mexican descent is merely a symptom of our times. As he points out, he only re-tweets the racist and anti-Semitic memes. He doesnt create them.

Coarseness, intolerance and self-righteousness have combined into a toxic brew across the political spectrum.

My friends on the left correctly note the malicious intent toward our fellow citizens that is displayed when Alabama requires a drivers license or state identification to vote, and then closes 31 drivers license officesincluding every one in largely African-American counties. And they see cynical gamesmanship when Republican voter identification laws permit the use of state-issued hunting IDs to vote, but not state-issued student or public assistance IDs.

Democratsand much Americas business communityalso note the needless cruelty toward our nations small population of transgendered people that is behind so-called bathroom bills. North Carolinas governor was stumped to name even one incident to prove that this is not legislation in search of a problem, and his states economy has suffered.

But intolerance is a two-way street.

Earlier this summer, I read that a public pool in Brooklyn has quietly, for 20 years, set aside a few hours each week during which only women can swim, as a courtesy to Orthodox Jewish women. But even this modest accommodation was too much the New York Civil Liberties Union and The New York Times editorial board, which denounced it, respectively, as a regime of gender discrimination with a strong odor of religious intrusion into a secular space.

Apparently, secular intrusion into religious space is less malodorous. The federal government (with the support of the Times and ACLU) is seeking to force an order of Catholic nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, to include what they consider abortifacients (certain morning-after pills) in their health insurance plan. Do we really need to force nuns to be complicit in an action that they belief takes a life, or can we offer some of the religious tolerance on which our nation was founded?

And as Fox News gleefully (and correctly) points out, a lot of college campuses are going nuts. There used to be friction around how far students could go in pushing the limits of free expression. Now, weve reached the ridiculous point at which left-wing academics and students have tried to disinvite former secretaries of state of both political parties from giving commencement speeches. It seems that each week brings a new parody of intolerance and self-censorship. Thank God for summer vacation.

As a child of the 1970s, I dont remember the halcyon days that many Americans point to as a time of national unity. My memories start with Nixon and Vietnam. And Im pretty sure that many African-American citizens do not share in nostalgia for the years before the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.

But we have to do better than this.

Too many Americans go through life without empathy foror even curiosity aboutthe lives of their fellow countrymen who live in different places, with different backgrounds.

Economic disparities are becoming wider. The traditional media, which helped bind us in a common conversation, is imploding, while partisan online replacements explode in number. Social media and online comments let us spew bile without facing each other. Political identity is replacing values that we once considered more importantlike faith and responsibility to our family and neighbors. We are self-selecting our way into multiple nations, which frequently are bitterly at odds.

The answer might be universal national servicenot just the military, but community service of all kinds. Our military is one of the very few institutions where the American melting pot still exists. The important thing is that everyone has to do it, in a pluralistic American society where no one is better or different, and no one rides for free.

We have to knit our country back together. It will take a little tolerance and civility and respect. It will take a lot of empathy. And just maybe, it will take another 97 days of listening to Donald Trump to remind us of what we dont want to be.
Tomintoul Distillery adds Tlath to core range

Tomintoul Distillery has added Tlath to its core range of Speyside single malt Scotch whiskies.

Tlath (pronounced Tlah) is gaelic for gentle, mellow, which describes perfectly this 'gentle dram'. Tlath has been blended from selected single malts of various ages matured in American oak bourbon barrels.

Marketing director, Duncan Baldwin says: After experimenting with different cask types and flavour styles we have produced a very exciting quintessentially Speyside whisky.

Tlath is bottled at 40% abv and packaged in cases of six 70cl clear glass bespoke bottles with individual cylindrical canisters.

The new edition will be available in key European, travel retail, and selected world markets. Typically, Tlath will retail at under 30 per bottle in the UK and under 39 in Europe.

15 August 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor
January 6, 1935 - August 12, 2016

Fred "Ozzie" Louis Robison, 81, formerly of College Station, Texas passed away peacefully in his sleep on August 12, 2016 in Spring, Texas. Ozzie Robison was born in Houston on January 6, 1935. He was the only child of Madeline and Fred Robison.

Ozzie graduated from Stephan F. Austin high school in Bryan, TX in 1953. He attended summer and fall semesters at Texas A&M in 1953 and attended Sam Houston majoring in Business until May, 1957 which is also the same month in which he married his beloved wife Mary.

He joined the Texas National Guard in the summer of 1957. He went to Fort Chaffee for active duty in January of 1958 and returned home in the summer of 1958. He served in the National Guard until he was called to active duty, sent to Fort Polk in the fall of 1961, and served until October of 1962.

Ozzie worked with his father for fifteen years at Bryan Office Equipment Company. Ozzie was also gifted with an entrepreneurial spirit and ran his own Remington Rand dealership, acquired his real estate license, and started his own roofing company, OZ-CO roofing.

He also served as press director at Texas World Speedway from its beginning until it closed. He had a lifelong love of car racing and grew up with A. J. Foyt. The two continued to be friends throughout the years. He enjoyed his position at the speedway immensely and had fun meeting all the drivers while he worked at the speedway.

In 1991, Ozzie and his wife Mary started their own Educational Software business, MR Electronics. The two loved traveling and working the vendor shows together. After their retirement, Ozzie purchased a motor home and he and Mary spent many years traveling the United States visiting family and friends.

Ozzie spent over twenty years at the family lake house on Camp Creek Lake in Texas. Here he made many memories with so many people. He loved woodworking, fishing, boating, and entertaining large groups of friends and family. He found great delight in teaching his two sons to fish, waterski, and encourage them in their passion for motocross racing.

Ozzie was preceded in death by his parents Fred & Madeline Robison. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary Robison, his sons Jerry (Sue) Robison of Lawrenceville, GA, Rhea (Shannon) Robison of Magnolia, TX, his grandchildren Kyle and Josh of Lawrenceville, GA, Dustin, Levi, Rebecca, Elizabeth, Sarah, Eliana, Emma, and Evan of Magnolia, TX. Ozzie is also survived by his dear Aunt Sarah Robison Adams, 93 of Pearland, TX.

Ozzie will always be remembered for his contagious smile, his lighthearted sense of humor, his loyalty to his favorite team Texas A&M, his love of race cars, and his gift of meeting new people wherever he went and always brightening their day. He leaves behind a legacy of hard-working, creative, compassionate, and resourceful sons and grandchildren to carry on his name for generations to come.
A professor and researcher at Texas A&M  considered an internationally-renowned authority in mathematical modeling  died today while vacationing with his family in Greece.

Christodoulos A. "Chris" Floudas, director of A&Ms Energy Institute, came to Aggieland last year after teaching at Princeton University for 29 years. At A&M, he was appointed to serve as the Erle Nye Chair Professor for Engineering Excellence.

The 56-year-old died from an apparent heart attack, according to a statement released Sunday evening by Texas A&M.

Seven months ago, he was elected as a fellow to the National Academy of Inventors. The expert in chemical engineering had more than 40 patent for inventions developed since 1997.

He was heavily sought-after to join A&Ms faculty through the Chancellor's Research Initiative program, which included him serving as in 2013 as a faculty fellow in Texas A&Ms Institute for Advanced Study. The program, then its second year, recruits highly-regarded researchers from around the globe based on recommendations from young faculty members at A&M.

Texas A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said he was saddened to learn of Floudas' sudden passing.

"He was a true scholar and gentleman and he'll be missed by the Aggie family," Sharp said. "Our thoughts are with his family here and in Greece."

A funeral is scheduled for Wednesday in Greece. A memorial service on the A&M campus will be scheduled at a later date.

In an early 2015 interview with The Eagle during a welcome reception for seven new fellows being inducted into the program, Floudas commented about leaving a campus in New Jersey that he loved: To move after 29 comfortable years at Princeton to where Ive never lived before speaks volumes about the role that the Institute for Advanced Studies can play so as to attract and advance the intellectual human capital.

His research focused on addressing fundamental problems on multi-scale systems engineering for energy, environment and health. At A&M, he oversaw the Multi-scale Systems Engineering Laboratory, which is part of A&Ms Energy Institute and the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering.

Floudas, who co-edited 10 books, received scores of awards and honors for teaching and research, including the National Science Foundations Presidential Young Investigator Award in 1988; the Engineering Council Teaching Award from Princeton in 1995; a Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researcher and the Constantin Caratheodory Price in 2015.

Working with students was an important part of his work, an attribute noted when Floudas won the Graduate Mentoring Award from Princeton in 2007. He supervised roughly 40 doctoral students in the past 26 years and more than 20 post-doctoral associates.

He was active at Princeton not just within his specialty but through efforts to help wherever he could, including search committees for administrators, undergraduate committees and research committees. He served as director of graduate studies for four years while at Princeton and was a freshmen advisor.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recognized Floudas during his State of the State address last year, saying he was an example of top-tier global talent recruited to Texas through higher education initiatives.

A&M President Michael K. Young described Floudas as an amazing scholar who "demonstrated leadership in discovery, in innovative teaching and practice, and in serving his discipline and all of society."

A true visionary in his field is how he was described by Kathy Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering for Texas A&M.

"This is an immense loss for Texas A&M and the entire engineering community," she said.

Floudas received his undergraduate degree from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon University.
Nearly 70 Franklin County students will have all the supplies they need for a successful school year, thanks to the staff of Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, OB/GYN, Family Medicine and Medical Associates.

Carilion employees recently held their annual backpack drive for needy students and delivered 69 packed bags to the Franklin County United Way office last week.

Each year, employees collect school supplies for students, but this year staff used a different tactic.

We got the school supply lists for all Franklin County schools and packed several bags for each school according to the lists for each school and grade level, said Katina Clements, CFMH employee and United Way coordinator for CFMH. This way, we know exactly where the supplies are going and the recipients of the bags have exactly what they need for their grade and school.

Several boxes of miscellaneous supplies and empty book bags were also collected.

Supplies will be delivered to each school today (Monday, Aug. 15) by United Way Executive Director Pamela Chitwood and United Way Campaign Manager Andre Peery.
Deep in the woods, off the beaten path of Route 220 North and over the railroad tracks, one of three McNeil family cemeteries has been reclaimed from years of weathering and overgrowth.

Buried in the cemetery is Jacob McNeil Sr., the great-great-great-great-great grandfather of Ambassador Girl Scout Alyssa George of Rocky Mount, who cleaned the cemetery and repaired many of the damaged tombstones.

The cemetery is my family cemetery, George said. Elder members of the family can remember going there for funerals as children.

Fallen trees, weeds and brush were all cleared from the site as part of Georges Girl Scout Gold Award, which is the highest achievement in Girl Scouting and earned by Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts.

My nana (Clara Martin) told me about the cemetery and how it had been abandoned and overgrown over the years, said George.

The landowner gave George permission to access the land, which was once owned by Jacob McNeil after it was granted to him by two Virginia governors after his service in the Revolutionary War.

With the help of family and friends, George was able to clear the cemetery of debris and repair damaged tombstones.

Linda Stanley from the Franklin County History Museum advised and mentored George throughout the project. Following Stanleys suggestions, George used cans of regular Barbasol shaving cream to spray the dirty tombstones. She then gently brushed and rinsed them with water. After the first good rain, the stones were once again legible.

After that rain, I couldnt believe it, but the stones were like new again, George said.

Two stones were found buried just beneath the dirt and debris. One was secured back onto its base with Quikrete. The other, which was broken in half, was clamped together using mortar glue and then secured onto its base.

George is also working on documenting the stones. In all, George and her helpers found six stones that were marked, three that were blank and 12 to 20 graves that were marked with simple field stones.

Georges family members chipped in to supply a new sign for the cemetery.

George has prepared a report and photos documenting the project. The documentation is available at the Franklin County History Museum.

Over 100 hours were spent on the restoration project.

I was only able to work during the summer due to the land being used during hunting season, George said. It took two summers to complete it.

George is a member of Troup 3078, which is led by Judy Allen.

She is the daughter of Wendy Watts of Rocky Mount.
The heist was unusually elaborate.

And the payoff was surprisingly lucrative -- thousands of dollars in cash and jewelry, plus more than a dozen firearms, all taken from a Franklin County business.

But barely a day after those thefts occurred, two men had already been charged in an investigation by Virginia State Police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the sheriffs offices for Franklin, Henry and Charlotte counties.

Thursday in Franklin County Circuit Court one of those men, Robert Alexander Hunter III, 38, pleaded guilty to five felonies in exchange for a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence and more than 57 years in suspended time.

The case began Oct. 21, when Hunter and another man broke into a business called Dock Solutions, according to Alberto Herrero, a Martinsville assistant commonwealths attorney who acted as special prosecutor in the case.

Hunter's co-defendant, James Paul Trent, 28, of Bassett, faces most of the same charges initially brought against Hunter. He's currently scheduled to enter into a plea agreement on Oct. 4, according to court records.

Herrero said in court that Hunter and Trent were former employees of Dock Solutions who broke in hoping to crack a gun safe they knew was in the building.

During the break-in, they communicated with each other by cellphone and later tried to open the safe with a cutting torch, he said.

When their attempts failed, they used a nearby forklift to load the heavily locked cabinet onto a company trailer, Herrero said. They then towed that away using a Ford F-250 pickup truck they'd hot-wired.

From there, they headed to Henry County  stopping along the way to swap out the stolen Ford with a vehicle of their own  and when they reached a mechanics shop in Bassett, they managed to get the safe open.

Inside it, they found $10,000 cash, three gold rings with a combined value of $11,000, and 14 firearms, mostly long guns including six .223-caliber rifles and an AR-15, Herrero said.

Within hours, however, Hunter was taken into custody. Before dawn on Oct. 22, charges were placed against him.

Herrero said Hunter had been spotted and recognized at Dock Solutions prior to the incident, and GPS records from his cellphone revealed the places hed visited the night of the robbery.

Hunter faced nearly 60 individual criminal offenses but saw most of those dropped Thursday after he pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, conspiring to commit burglary, and the thefts of the safe, truck and trailer.

He also got suspended time for receiving stolen goods on a separate matter, involving stolen tools and an ATV, and is also being held for violating his probation on a 2008 federal conviction for possession of crack cocaine.

Most of the weapons were recovered but the cash and jewelry remain unaccounted for, Herrero said.

Hunter also has been ordered to pay $8,333 to the owner of Dock Solutions.

At the close of his hearing, Hunter read a prepared statement and apologized to his wife, his children, his church and the victims.

"My only hope is to repair any damages that I've caused," he said.
Live updates: Round of 16 for Iowa high school football playoffs

It's officially playoffs time for all classes in the state of Iowa. We've got you covered with live updates from Friday's high school football games.
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NORWALK  Jimme Greene has been at Norwalks Open Door Shelter before. After serving in the Army during the Gulf War, he was in and out of homelessness and frequented the shelter.

But after having a place of his own for 10 years, hes back for a different reason: to apply for the open chef position as a way to serve the community.

When I came here, they gave me resources; they gave me support, Greene said. It felt like a family.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that nearly 48,000 veterans experience homelessness on any given night; however, the president recently announced the nations homeless veteran population dropped by nearly 50 percent since 2010  a feat that the Open Door Shelter has also accomplished in the Greater Norwalk area.

In the last two years, weve seen a 50 percent reduction in the number of homeless veterans that have passed through our shelter, said Jeannette Archer-Simons, the shelters executive director.

From June 2014 to June 2016, the number of homeless veterans at the shelter has decreased from 10 to five. This drop is most likely a result of the prioritization of veterans at the federal and state level, Archer-Simons said.

If they are a veteran, theyre prioritized, she said. So they move very quickly through the system because of the partnership between government agencies and the nonprofit community to make sure that veterans are a priority.

Archer-Simons said this is especially true when it comes to finding appropriate housing for homeless veterans. With the high cost of living in Fairfield County, she said it can take up to 90 days before an average person in the shelter can find housing  but for veterans, it usually takes only two to three days.

She attributes this success to the Housing First model that the shelter uses, which focuses on finding permanent housing first and then providing supportive services as needed.

Home is a stabilizer, and I think most of us can relate to the fact that if we have a place to go every night, theres comfort in that; theres a sense of safety in that, she said.

Once homeless veterans are housed, the shelter provides them with what she calls a community family.

We create a community network that becomes a family that gets them back on track to stabilization, she said. We provide case management services so then they can reconnect to resources that make them feel like theyre part of a community.

These services include medical care, job training, state resources and connections to partnering organizations, such as the Coalition to End Homelessness.

What we have found is that if we bring our resources together as a team, so that every veteran in need can be served with the resources they need to end homelessness, thats how you make progress, said Lisa Tepper Bates, executive director of Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.

Last year, Connecticut housed 766 veterans  which effectively ended chronic veteran homelessness and saved significant costs, she said.

When we are able to help someone whos been chronically homeless to get the housing with the support they need, we find that we can save up to 70 percent of what we were spending on those emergency services that did not resolve the homelessness, Bates said. We have worked hard to build a system ... to expedite their path to veteran housing.

In August 2015, Connecticut made history as the first state to end chronic homelessness among veterans with disabilities and later became one of two states to end veteran homelessness holistically in February. This means that every homeless veteran is quickly identified and is provided with appropriate housing and services. A major component of this success is having the availability of affordable housing, explained Evonne Klein, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing.

Since the governor has been elected, weve invested one billion dollars together with Connecticut Housing Finance Authority to provide affordable housing, Klein said. There are 1,700 units that have either been completed or are in some sort of construction ... and about 5,200 where we have funding commitments.

Weve had great success in working with the Veterans Affairs Department and more importantly, local providers  those folks on the ground, who work with homeless individuals and families every day, she added.

According to Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner Sean Connolly, the state has been a leader in veteran support services for more than 150 years.

It is this pioneering spirit of Connecticuts leadership and the cooperative efforts of federal, state, and local agencies that have continued this long-standing tradition with effective procedures providing affordable, supportive housing and ending veteran homelessness in the state,

he said.

The state is currently working to end chronic homelessness among all individuals by the end of 2016 through the Zero : 2016 national campaign, which involves federal organizations and state providers like the Open Door Shelter.

The Open Door Shelter is at 4 Merritt St. in Norwalk and has more than 95 beds. The shelter serves three hot meals a day and also provides fresh food, canned goods and supportive housing for families and individuals in need.

Most importantly, the shelter is open to anyone at any time, Archer-Simons said.

Were an Open Door Shelter, so we serve anyone who is homeless that appears at our door, she said. You come at 2:30 in the morning, and were here. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years  were here.

SKim@hearstmediact.com; 203-354-1044; @stephaniehnkim
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NORWALK  Trucks and other heavy machinery wont be tracking across Tony DAndreas Liberty Square property after all to replace the nearby Walk Bridge.

DAndrea and Paul Pavlik, who co-own Select Plastics, LLC at 217-219 Liberty Square, learned last week that the state had removed their property from its acquisition list for the bridge replacement project.

Federal, state and local politicians found a way to accommodate a local high-tech manufacturing company so that we could stay in Norwalk, DAndrea said. This is a victory for everyone.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation had envisioned using 217-219 Liberty Square as an access route to the 119-year-old bridge whose replacement is slated to begin in mid-2018.

Select Plastics, which fabricates custom components for boat hatches, windshields and other marine uses, has operated at Liberty Square nearly a quarter century.

DAndreas property was slated for total acquisition  permanent on a list of property impacts released by ConnDOT last September.

After what DAndrea described as scores of meetings with ConnDOT officials since then, he received a hand-delivered letter from the department last week.

As discussed, the progression of the design for the Walk Bridge Program has resulted in identifying Goldstein Place as having the adequate geometry to accommodate the type of construction vehicles requiring access, wrote Michele London, supervising property agent in the Acquisitions/Relocations Section of ConnDOTs Division of Rights of Way. We understand the disruption that this process has occurred and wish to express our appreciation for your cooperation.

Goldstein Place runs north through the middle of Liberty Square before dead-ending at the railroad tracks on the east side of the Walk Bridge.

For months, DAndrea questioned the states approach to the bridge replacement project and the states release of information regarding the roughly $1 billion project.

Upon learning last fall that his property was slated for taking, DAndrea placed flags outside his business reading Dont Give Up the Ship and Come and Take It.

Those flags have since come down but a Gadsden flag reading Dont Treat on Me and American flag remain.

The system works, said DAndrea, standing alongside the American flag Monday afternoon. Stars and stripes.

ConnDOT, based upon the list it released in September, is looking to acquire 17 properties  some permanently, others for use as temporary easements  as part of replacement of the Walk Bridge.

James I. Mason, assistant director in the ConnDOT Office of Rights of Way, said property impacts are still being determined as the design progresses. The project is at 30 percent designed. ConnDOT plans to replace the existing bridge with a vertical lift or rolling bascule bridge.

DAndrea credited elected officials for working with ConnDOT to find alternative access routes to the bridge.

State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he and Mayor Harry W. Rilling met with ConnDOT officials to discuss DAndreas property.

We had a lot of meetings about that particular property and trying to do what we could to not disrupt a successful business and one that would be difficult to relocate, Duff said. Originally, they said Goldstein Place was not wide enough, but I believe some of the project details have changed.

As part of the bridge replacement, properties along Goldstein Place are slated to be taken by ConnDOT.

The Ortiz family, which has rented a home at 3 Goldstein Place for the last fives years, learned last summer that theyd have to relocate to accommodate the project.

Theyre helping us a lot, the Department of Transportation, said Yasmeen Ortiz. They are paying for our movers and helping us find places.

ConnDOT will host a Walk Bridge Open House this Tuesday evening to update residents and hear their ideas about the bridge replacement. The open house is scheduled for 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the IMAX Theater lobby of The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 North Water St.
The Old Farmer's Almanac has released its annual look at this upcoming year's forecasts and Connecticut may be in for some wild weather moments. Check out what may be coming down the stretch for the Nutmeg State in the slideshow below.
The headlines the morning of July 26 were grim, as they are too often these days.

The Rev. Jacques Hamel, an 85-year-old Roman Catholic priest, was murdered at the altar while saying Mass in a church in Rouen, France.

His assailants, two teenage males armed with knives, reportedly declared their allegiance to the Islamic State before slaughtering him beneath the crucifix.

As he lay dying, he is said to have whispered, Go away, Satan, to the teens, whose actions were motivated by hatred.

News of Hamels martyrdom quickly reached more than a million pilgrims gathered in Krakow, Poland, to commemorate World Youth Day, a massive celebration of Catholic youths for the prayer, worship and observance of the faith.

The attack in France  a blatant assault on the faith the pilgrims had come to share and proclaim  left many of them scared and feeling vulnerable.

Personally, I was terrified something would happen, said Maggie Jensen, a high school senior who attended the weeklong pilgrimage in Poland. Lots of people shared these fears.

And Hamels death at the hands of terrorists confirmed the worst.

At the opening Mass for World Youth Day that evening, the celebrants were not reluctant to discuss the terrible event.

(The priests) talked about what we would have done, if confronted with a similar test, Jensen said.

Was their faith in God and their church strong enough not to crumble in the face of a terrible and certain death? Would they be willing to die for what they believe?

A lot of people realized they were willing to, said Jensen, who counts herself among those who would follow Hamels example.

It was one of those sufferings where we were sharing the suffering and struggle with others. It helped everyone unite and realize we cant fear the terrorists; we just have to have faith.

It was fitting that the theme for World Youth Day was Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

The patron saints of this years event were Pope John Paul II and Sister Faustina, who received Gods revelations of divine mercy in the last four years of her life.

And it was this profound belief in forgiveness and love, so desperately needed during times of darkness and trial, that motivated those gathered in Krakow  particularly those who had overcome great obstacles to attend.

Jensen recalled her encounters with pilgrims from Iraq and Lebanon, where being Catholic presents unique challenges, including the constant fear of martyrdom.

She encountered a woman from Lebanon on an elevator. She didnt speak a lot of English but asked me to pray for her and her country  that was the only request she could make.

Another young woman who offered her testimony was born in a refugee camp where she lived for years before becoming a U.S. citizen.

It was beautiful to communicate and share the importance of prayer, Jensen said. You see everyones struggles and realize youre all in this together.

Indeed. many Christians the world over, even if they do not face open persecution as most do in communist or Islamic countries, are confronted with the insidious lure of secular humanism.

Pope Francis addressed such worldly opposition in his homily on Thursday.

People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, he said, one that rejects hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own traditions without being self-centered or small-minded.

At Hamels funeral Mass, Archbishop Dominique Lebrun interpreted the priests dying words as an expression of his faith in man, created good, but grasped by the devil.

In our modern world, your faith may be tested by those who doubt you, and it may be tested by those who hate you.

For Jensen, the message of World Youth Day is that for Catholics, the response should be the same.

We are much stronger when were merciful, she said.
During the recent convention of the Democratic Party, Michelle Obama said something that surprised many. I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves, she told the audience of delegates. And that is a historical fact. Another historical fact is that some of the most venerable American universities also have strong ties to slavery, not only because some of them were built by slaves, but also because many of their founders and major benefactors were either slave holders or publicly supported slavery or clearly racist policies.

These troublesome facts were revived recently due to an incident that took place last June at Yale University. Corey Menafee, a dishwasher in Calhoun Colleges dining hall (one of Yales residential colleges), purposely broke a stained-glass window with a broomstick because of its racial imagery. The window included images of slaves carrying cotton bales, which he described as racist, very degrading, according to the local press. Menafee, who faced felony and misdemeanor charges, told reporters that although he regretted what he did, his act was a gesture of civil disobedience.

Menafee later apologized and resigned his position from the university. He was charged with felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor reckless endangerment (glass fell near a passerby) but the university asked prosecutors to drop the charges and Menafee was later reinstated in a different setting.

But there is a background that really helps to explain this incident. The building in which the window was broken is named after John C. Calhoun, a Yale graduate and white supremacist of the class of 1804 who became vice president of the United States and was an unabated advocate for slavery.

Because of Calhouns background there have been calls for changing the name of the college. Julia Adams, head of the college, had announced in an email earlier that the dining hall would be named in honor of another former Yale student, Roosevelt Thompson. Thompson was a brilliant student who was African American. He was also a Rhodes scholar, a distinction that only about 32 seniors in the nation receive each year. He even scored a perfect 48 on his law school admission test. Thompson died in a tragic car accident when he was only 22 years old. Although Yale had planned to replace the window and had removed three portraits of Calhoun, the university refused to change the colleges name, which drew sharp criticism.

Following public uproar, Peter Salovey, president of Yale, declared that the decision to keep Calhouns name was not final. It is now clear to me that the communitywide conversation about these issues could have drawn more effectively on campus expertise. In particular, we would have benefited from a set of well-articulated guiding principles according to which a historical name might be removed or changed, he said, reversing his original decision that the Calhoun name would remain in the interest of the universitys educational mission.

The connection between slavery and higher education in this country has a long history. It became notorious when, in 2003, Brown Universitys president Ruth Simmons commissioned a report on the Rhode Island institution's historical ties to slavery. Published three years later, it showed that during the colonial period enslaved people had helped build the campus, and that some of the first officers and trustees of the college were slave owners.

Since then some scholarly work has been done on the issue. One book that encapsulates the sad history of higher education and slavery is Craig Wilders Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America's Universities. A professor and head of the history department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wilder uncovered many universities stories that had remained largely unknown even to people associated with those institutions.

Neither Yale nor Brown are unique cases. Recently Princeton University went through a similar situation when the schools leaders decided not to strip Woodrow Wilsons name from the universitys public policy school and a residential college. As president of the United States, Wilson took legal action to segregate the workplace and was an admirer of the movie Birth of a Nation, in which the actions of the Ku Klux Klan were glorified.

Many other northern universities are revisiting their historical connection with slavery. Harvard has announced a symposium on this topic for 2017.

In the meantime, southern colleges and universities are also confronting the issue, although from a different perspective. The University of Mississippi, for example, is still debating whether or not to remove confederate statues from its campus, or add historical explanations on plaques attached to them.

One of the reasons why many universities seem to be hesitant to respond to calls to erase any trace of slavery or racism on their campuses is the fear of losing support from many of their wealthiest (and oldest) alumni. In a recent article in The New York Times it was reported that when campuses are the involuntary hosts of protests, donations start to dry out in terms of both number of donors and total money donated. Since the influx of money is vital to private schools, and to make up for diminishing state support at state colleges and universities, the institutions leaders do not want to irritate their donors.

In these times of racial tensions, the Black Lives Matter protest movement, and incendiary political rhetoric, higher education leaders need to take a stand and do what is right for the historical memory of their institutions and what they will represent in the future.

Despite accusations of political correctness, the truth is that we need to remember the words of the Spanish-American philosopher and Harvard graduate, Jorge Santayana. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr. is a writer and college professor with leadership experience in higher education. He can be contacted through his website at: http://www.aromerojr.net.
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Linkedin Anton Aliabbas (The Jakarta Post) Shrivenham  Mon, August 15, 2016

After months of work, the countrys most-wanted figure Santoso, alias Abu Wardah, was recently killed during a gunfight with personnel from the Army Strategic Reserves Commands (Kostrad) Raider 515 Infantry Battalion. Santoso was believed to be the leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group.



A joint police and military operation of 3,500 personnel targeting the terrorist fugitive and his MIT group had entered its seventh month after being launched in early January.



Following Santosos death, the idea of giving the Indonesian Military (TNI) a greater role in fighting terrorism has become increasingly popular. The House of Representatives special committee revising the Terrorism Law has been divided over a plan to insert articles on the militarys role in counterterrorism measures. The committee is expecting the draft revision of Law No. 15/2003 on combating terrorism to be finalized by the years end.

(Read also: Military in counterterrorism: Restraining collateral damage)



The government also tends to support the expansion of the TNIs role in combating terrorism. By involving the military in counterterrorism operations, the government through then chief security minister Luhut B. Pandjaitan believed the TNI could also minimize the threat of future terrorist attacks.



Article 43 of the bill states, Policies and national strategy on combating terrorism are implemented by the National Police, TNI and related agencies which will be coordinated by a non-ministerial government institution that conducts antiterrorism activities.



The article adds that the role of the TNI is providing assistance to the National Police.



Human rights watchdogs have strongly criticized the plan to give the TNI a greater counterterrorism role. Besides being prone to human rights violations, the involvement of the TNI in combating terrorism could undermine the countrys criminal justice system.



There are two arguments that justify public concerns over an active TNI role in counterterrorism. First, the ineffectiveness of military involvement in ending terrorism.



Undeniably, the military has adequate capability and resources to combat terrorism. But a RAND report in 2008 clearly showed that of the 268 terrorist groups that were ended between 1968 and 2006 worldwide, only 7 percent was because of operations carried out by military forces.



Most of the groups were dissolved through political accommodation (43 percent) or were eradicated by police and intelligence agencies (40 percent). So, the effectiveness of using military force to defeat terrorists is still questionable.

(Read also: The soft but effective approach to terrorism)



Second, the lack of a clear mechanism regarding military involvement in combating terrorism. Indeed, referring to the 2004 TNI Law, the force may be involved in non-military operations including antiterrorism operations. However, the government does not provide a set of derivative rules to support this notion. Thus, the lack of regulations specifying a clear mechanism, including when and how the military is involved in counterterrorism activities, is vulnerable to manipulation or abuse.



More than that, without proper procedures and strong oversight, the use of excessive force in combating terrorism might lead to a lack of accountability and transparency, among other things. There are some basic principles that should be applied in the new Terrorism Law if the House and government insist on a greater role for the TNI in combating terrorism.



First, the use of military force should be a last resort. Although the military has ample capability, this does not mean it is skilled in carrying out law enforcement missions. The primary task of the military is to defend the country from external threats.



As a country with a criminal justice system in effect, the military should only provide assistance to the National Police regarding terrorism matters. Thus the government and House should retain their focus on maintaining military capability and readiness in protecting the country from external enemies. Any additional military mission should not undermine and disrupt the main focus.



Second, the TNI should be prioritized to deliver military missions abroad. Considering the emerging regional threats including the recent piracy and hostage incidents in the Southern Philippines, the new Terrorism Law could authorize overseas missions for the TNI. Besides helping it maintain and assess its capability, overseas missions would also strengthen the TNIs commitment to protecting Indonesian citizens.



Third, the use of the TNI in counterterrorism missions should be ruled by a clear and unambiguous mechanism. This mechanism should include rules of engagement, rights and duties of the assigned personnel and strong oversight. Creating a well-defined mechanism will help the military to be more responsible in its public budget spending. Failure to establish such a mechanism will lead to the perception that the military will regain its power and authority in domestic affairs.



Last, the use of TNI personnel should be ruled by an adequate derivative legal framework. As scholars have pointed out, the military may face difficulties in carrying out counterterrorism missions due to the lack of a clear legal framework and proper legal protection for the personnel involved, not to mention civilians. Furthermore, this framework will provide a chain of responsibility regarding possible violations during such missions.



Nevertheless, as the terrorist threat is multifaceted, combating terrorism requires many tools including military. But, without solid directives and guidelines, the use of an active military in combating terrorism risks excessiveness and human rights abuses. As consequence, the terrorist groups would gladly achieve one of their goals: provoking government overreaction.

***

The writer is a graduate of the Marshall Centers Program on Terrorism and Security Studies, Germany, and is currently a PhD research student at the Center for International Security and Resilience, Cranfield University, Shrivenham, UK.

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We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information click here.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Devina Heriyanto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The tax amnesty bill was passed into law on July 18 and people have begun to glean information about the program. Special desks have been formed by both the Financial Services Authority (OJK) and the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDK).

The appointment of a former finance minister from president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos era, Sri Mulyani, from a post as World Bank managing director and chief operating officer, to join the Cabinet has reportedly pumped new optimism into the program.

President Joko Jokowi Widodo has taken charge of the new program, visiting Singapore and major cities across the country to talk with businesspeople to expound it.

As of Aug. 9, Rp 10.9 trillion (US$829.84 million) in assets has been declared by 1,580 taxpayers during its first three weeks of implementation, with Rp 231.44 billion in additional taxes, only 0.1 percent of the program's total tax revenue target of Rp 165 trillion, according to the latest data from the Taxation Directorate General.

What is the nagging problem in the countrys taxation system?

The problem lies in the fact that only a few people pay taxes. The tax ratio (ratio of tax revenues to gross domestic product) in Indonesia is among the lowest in ASEAN despite high gross domestic product (GDP) of only 12 percent. Then finance minister Bambang Brodjonegoro once estimated that only about 10 percent of Indonesians were registered taxpayers and in 2014 just 900,000 of them paid what they owed.

Taxation director general Ken Dwijugiasteadi said about 2,000 foreign investment companies in various sectors, from industry and trade to automotive, had not paid their corporate income taxes properly over the past 10 years based on purported financial losses.

Corporate tax evasion is not only done by foreign companies. Out of the 1.2 million companies that have taxpayer identification cards (NPWPs), less than half submitted tax returns.

The weak tax collection system is inevitable considering the lack of human resources. More than 36,000 tax officers must handle a huge population of 255 million, in contrast to the neighboring country Australia, where 23,000 tax officers serve a 23 million population. In addition, critics attribute the publics low trust of tax officers because of the case of the notorious tax officer, Gayus Tambunan, who was found guilty of accepting bribes in exchange for his services to help companies fulfil their tax obligations.

Why a tax amnesty law?

Since his installment as President, Jokowi has pledged to boost state income from taxes. However, the realization has fallen short since people and companies still failed to pay their taxes. The bill was later proposed to boost the income from taxes, particularly from the wealthy hiding their money in offshore accounts, which goes undisclosed and untaxed.

When people fail to pay their taxes, usually they are subjected to heavy punishment in terms of financial or criminal prosecution. Under the new law, there will be redemption rate, penalties for unpaid taxes of 2 to 5 percent of their repatriated assets. Tax evaders still have to pay what their owed even after redemption. The government hoped to pocket Rp165 trillion in tax revenues from the penalties, a figure deemed too optimistic by Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) chairman Rosan P. Roeslani.

The law also aims for wealth repatriation from offshore accounts owned by Indonesian citizens, that total more than Rp 11.4 quadrillion. The government said earlier that the passing of the tax amnesty bill into law was expected to attract Rp 4 quadrillion in declared assets and Rp 1 quadrillion in repatriated assets from overseas. Success in repatriating Rp 1 quadrillion is hoped to strenghten the rupiah beyond 10,000 per US dollar.

Does the program only target conglomerates?

President Jokowi has stressed that the tax amnesty program aims to improve the taxation system in general and is not only targeted at conglomerates. The president called on small and medium enterprises to participate in the program. The government targeted 10,000 SMEs with revenues of between Rp 4.8 billion and Rp 10 billion to join the program.

The government also mentioned that the program would urge those with assets under the names of others to report theirs. By adhering to this policy, the owner will be exempted from income tax (PPh) on the declared assets.



How can the tax amnesty help the economy?

Because tax is one of main sources of income for a state. In Indonesia's 2016 state budget, almost 85 percent of the state's income is derived from taxes. This income will be used to run the country, building infrastructure, paying for education and much more.

When rich people and companies do not pay taxes, funds for public facilities will be cut back and higher taxes will be imposed upon everyone else, according to Deborah Hardoon, deputy head of Oxfam GB's research team.

What is the problem with the law?

The consequences of the program are troublesome. Fair Tax Forum Coordinator Ah Maftuhchan argued that the bill would only encourage tax evasion and decrease obedience, since the redemption rate is very low compared to the penalty for tax avoidance of 48 percent. The same view was shared by policy analysts Hari Sharan Luitel and Russell S. Sobel in their book, The Revenue Impact of Repeated Tax Amnesties .

Another is the matter of justice, since tax evaders will be spared from criminal prosecution related to their tax crimes. Some even worried that crimes such as corruption and money laundering will go unpunished as well. Several politicians have said the amnesty will only benefit a few bigwigs, such as Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie, whose firms are experiencing tax problems.

Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) researcher Iman Sugema said that the program alone would not be enough to encourage tax evaders to repatriate their funds. To keep money in Indonesia in the long run, the government also needs to establish a better investment climate.
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Linkedin Glenn Polii Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration has been very active in trying to accelerate economic growth and in pushing for the country to be more competitive in many important areas.

His bold moves to cut red tape and streamline the bureaucracy, to expand and speed up government spending and to improve tax collection are all aimed at improving Indonesias image and create a magnetic environment for global capital and investment.

From the very beginning of his presidency, Jokowi has been very aware of the importance of reforming the Indonesian tax system. Tied in with the burning desire to make Indonesia more competitive, the President has also promised to create more competitive tax rates.

Since tax is a burden, to be more competitive should tax rates be lowered? Would a lower level of taxes mean faster economic growth? These seem like questions not worth asking because the answer to both is so obvious: Yes, of course.

That affirmative answer might be obvious but certainly not self-evident because the evidence is just not there or, at best, not conclusive. Lets do a quick survey of the available evidence.

Let us proceed by observing five countries: Denmark, France, Japan, the Netherlands and the US. What do they have in common? They are democratic countries with market-oriented economies that happen to be among the wealthiest and most developed on Earth.

However, there is one important difference among all five of them (two if you count the language): they have very different tax burdens, defined as tax revenue as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).

As a matter of fact, in a blog post Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, presented a simple regression analysis on 18 prosperous Western democracies, including the five aforementioned, and found no relation between tax burdens and economic growth (Wolf, 2012).

This finding holds true when I repeated Wolfs analysis on 24 of the wealthiest major countries in the world. Based on the World Bank dataset, the scatter plot of tax burden versus GDP per capita revealed no relation between tax rates and economic prosperity.

A time-series regression on Indonesia covering the period of 1990-1997 also revealed a similar story: No correlation can be made between tax rates and GDP.

On the other hand, other studies, including Padovano and Galli (2001) and Mertens and Ravn (2012), have found negative relation between tax rates and economic growth.

Still other studies, however, have come to much more nuanced conclusions and qualifications. Lee and Gordon (2005), for example, discovered that growth significantly negatively correlated with corporate income taxes but not with personal income tax and consumption tax.

So, should we lower tax rates? From the brief survey above there is no compelling evidence that lower tax rates would boost growth.

What is clear is that tax burden alone cannot explain the cross-country differences in growth and wealth. Indonesias tax burden, otherwise known as tax ratio, has for years hovered at 11-12 percent (using World Bank estimates) and the tax authority and some politicians have decried that figure as being too low and a need for it to be significantly increased to at least double or triple that level. But let us be clear here.

A tax ratio is not a goal in itself and, above a certain threshold, its actual value tells absolutely nothing about a countrys economic success.

In the example of the five countries described previously, the spread between the lowest tax ratio (Japan) and the highest (Denmark) is dramatically wide and yet they are both among the most prosperous nations on Earth.

The reverse is also true: countries with similar tax ratios have widely differing wealth as measured by GDP per capita. Based on the World Bank dataset, in 2012 Mozambique one of the poorest countries on earth (GDP per capita at US$525) has a slightly higher tax ratio than Finland (GDP per capita at $41,920).

The tax ratios of Senegal and of the Netherlands differ by only 0.4 percentage point, but their incomes differ by more than 48 times. It is clear then that pursuing a higher tax ratio (tax burden) for its own sake really does not make much economic sense.

However, given that each year for the last decade or so the government has always failed to achieve its revenue target, then the government is right to worry about taxes. And a problem that has resisted solution for many years cannot possibly be solved by band-aid measures like the tax amnesty, which is itself problematic, or lowering tax rates, which as discussed above does not really solve anything.

A problem as complex as fixing a nations tax system necessarily requires a structural, multi-pronged solution. It is high time that the government, especially the Finance Ministry and Directorate General of Taxation step back, honestly and transparently assess the situation, and come up with novel solutions backed by solid evidence to liberate Indonesia from the chronic shortage of revenue that is holding back the nation from reaching its full potential. We should expect nothing less from the President and his new finance minister.

________________________________

The writer holds a Masters degree in finance from the University of Melbourne in Australia and is a columnist on finance, investment and economics.
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Linkedin Shankaran Nambiar (The Jakarta Post) Kuala Lumpur  Mon, August 15, 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodos appointment of Com. Gen. Suhardi Alius as the new chief of the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) comes at a very crucial moment. France recently suffered a terrorist attack in Nice, the second in a short span of time. Closer to Indonesia, Malaysia has being issuing warnings on the latent potential for terrorist attacks in the country.

Indonesia has reeled from a string of extremist attacks unleashed since September 2000 in the parking garage of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) building to the attack last January at a Starbucks store, again in Jakartas business district.

Bali has fallen victim twice; and Aceh, Palu and Palopo in Central Sulawesi have not been spared.

Given increasing fears of terrorist attacks in the region, it makes sense for Jokowi to take this problem seriously within his own borders.

Suhardi comes highly recommend by National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.

Suhardi has been credited by Tito for having excellent relations with Islamic mass organizations, activists, civil society, the Indonesian Military [TNI], the National Police and other institutions.

In itself this is a strong statement attesting to Suhardis suitability for the job. But quite clearly, Tito expects counterterrorism to be a broad-based effort targeted at a wide range of interested groups.

The fundamental point that Tito is making is that there is a network that is involved, which has nodes of activity within the country.

External support can extend to Syria, but the regional environment is equally liable.

Suhardi is absolutely right to state that the BNPT will focus on soft approaches to fight terrorism. In the immediate term, it will be necessary to kill others like Santoso, the head of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group, and his follower Muchtar.

This is exactly what happened on July 18, but a deeper strategy is necessary.

Counterterrorism in Indonesia will have to be inclusive, bringing in the NGOs, Islamic groups, the wider public and of course all the domestic security agencies.

A particularly demanding aspect will be to deradicalize those who might want to turn to a radical interpretation of Islam.

This requires touching base with those who have a hand in creating and presenting credible and moderate interpretations of Islam, to promote a brand of Islam that is appealing to Muslims, one that abhors violence and is tolerant to liberal values.

The preachers of violence will have to be countered by the preachers of peace and tolerance. Much of the work will lie in this arena; and this is what will be sustainable in the long-term.

Alongside the obvious attempts at curbing domestically generated tendencies for terrorism, effort also has be to directed at monitoring

the flow of funds from external sources intended to support these activities in Indonesia. This requires a concerted attempt from agencies such as the central bank and related organizations.

Yet another, rather neglected, strategy is to focus on the regional aspect of the problem. Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and the Philippines have concerns of their own.

It would be in ASEANs interest if deeper regional efforts were made. It would be helpful to have appropriate regionally based institutions to combat the problem.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in his recent meeting with Malaysias deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, urged Malaysia to take the lead in the battle against terrorism.

Malaysia has modeled itself as a country that promotes moderation, although it has a majority Muslim population and is also multi-ethnic and multi-religious. The US subscribes to this perception and now it appears India takes the same view.

Indonesia, too, has long upheld a policy of universalism, moderation and non-discrimination. These values are no better exhibited than in the state philosophy of Pancasila.

These values have to be reignited in the hearts of Indonesians in the fight against terror, and Indonesia could well be poised to be the global leader in this battle.

But the tough question lies in the details: How Suhardi will go about it? How he will mobilize the moderate Muslims in Indonesia? How he will address the regional angle?

____________________________________________



The writer is a senior research fellow at the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Kuala Lumpur.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, August 15, 2016

The devastating impacts of forest and peatland fires on humans last year went beyond our tolerance. Dozens were killed, more than 500,000 others suffered from respiratory infections and 43 million people across Indonesia and neighboring states had to brave smog, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

With the fires recurring in Riau and Aceh, two of the regular hotspots in the country, last week, it is very much understandable that President Joko Jokowi Widodo would immediately call a Cabinet meeting on Friday, during which he repeated his order for law enforcers to do whatever it takes to ensure justice is served over the forest and land fires.

Missing from his opening statement on Friday was the intimidating threat he conveyed early this year to dismiss police and military commanders for failure to act against the fires, but it was already crystal clear that law enforcement remains a kind of Achilles heel in the countrys struggle to stop the human-made disaster once and for all.

Many companies held responsible for forest and land fires have escaped either criminal or civil charges in court, or at least received light sentences for various reasons, ranging from a lack of evidence to the judges poor knowledge or ignorance of environmental laws. Worse still, in some cases law enforcers, instead of going all the way in collecting incriminating evidence, have thrown in the towel too early.

Enforcement of the law has therefore hardly created any deterrence as is evident in the repeated, rampant use of fire for land clearing. Too many parties responsible for the environmental calamity have been let off the hook.

The South Jakarta District Courts verdict on Thursday, however, keeps our hopes of winning the fight against forest and peatland fires alive. The court found sago producer PT National Sago Prima (NSP) guilty of burning 2,000 hectares of local community plantations around its concession on the Riau island of Meranti in 2014 and fined the unit of the Sampoerna Strategic Group Rp 1 trillion (US$75.75 million) for the economic and ecological damages caused.

While the company has the right to contest the verdict, a change is happening in the way this country is dealing with forest criminals. The Forestry and Environment Ministry will seek every path to make the forest burners pay dearly. As in the case of PT NSP, when the Bengkalis District Court in Riau acquitted the companys management of criminal charges in January last year the ministry filed a civil lawsuit against the firm and eventually won after one and a half years of battle.

The government has a number of instruments to punish industry players that defy forest fire prevention mechanisms. Apart from law enforcement, forest and plantation companies face administrative sanctions even for failure to provide firefighting equipment. The problem, as always, rests with implementation.

No doubt the world, in particular the neighboring countries that have constantly borne the brunt of Indonesian forest fires, is closely watching the moves of Jokowis government to prevent an environmental disaster on last years scale from recurring. Perhaps he needs to show the face of a punisher this time around.
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Linkedin Masajeng Rahmiasri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

An international festival of performing arts, Art Summit Indonesia, returns for the eighth time starting this August.

Art Summit Indonesia 8 (ASI 8), which is held every three years, will be held this year in a two-leg format at various locations in Indonesia.

Following its objective to remap Indonesias position in the growing performing arts world, the activities include workshops for selected potential Indonesian artists, public speeches by local and international performing arts practitioners and exchange and residency programs. These activities will be part of the first leg of the program, which already started earlier this month and will continue until November 2016.

The second leg of the program will start in October 2017 with Indonesian contemporary art performances. The selection process for the second leg of the program is still ongoing.

This time, the characteristic (of this art summit) is like adapting ones body temperature after it has cooled down for so long, said culture director general Hilmar Farid in a press conference at the Culture and Education Ministry in South Jakarta on Thursday.

(Read also: Art Summit Indonesia: Reclaiming the top)

Organizers decided to conduct the event at eight locations in Indonesia after an early remap by the events board of curators, the head of the board, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, said. We found out that there are communities in these places that fit well with the themes that we believe are the most relevant themes in the performing arts world nowadays, he said. Yudi also mentioned Makassar, Bandung, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Padang, Padang Panjang, Solo and Bali as being the locations of the event.

Included in the workshops and speeches themes are body and language work in directing, dramaturgy and contemporary music, among many. The workshops will be conducted by renowned local and international people, including Ugoran Prasad, Melati Suryodarmo, F.X. Widaryanto, Toshiki Okada, Chong Kee Yon, Michio Arimitsu, Jonas Baes and several other speakers. [These speakers] were selected after a thorough consideration of who can transfer the knowledge the best, Yudi stated.

The Art Summit curators invited international artists to share their knowledge with Indonesian artists. The visits also aim to provide an alternative way of thinking and influence regarding the art making process. A member of ASI 8s board of curators, Otto Sidharta, stated: Right now its leaning very much toward the West," he said in regards to the creative process of the performing arts.

Art Summit Indonesia has been conducted since 1995. The event is expected to serve as a medium for performing arts practitioners throughout the world to share ideas, thoughts and experiences, as well as to facilitate collaboration through artistic concepts. (asw)
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Linkedin (The Straits Times/Asia News Network)  Mon, August 15, 2016

No sooner had a 2008 photo of a bespectacled Joseph Schooling meeting his hero Michael Phelps in Singapore been posted online on Saturday, than it went viral.

The same happened Sunday when Phelps himself posted a new picture of the pair following the Singaporean's win in the 100m butterfly in Rio on Saturday. The American Olympic great placed second in a three-way tie.

"What a race!! Congrats to Joseph Schooling! We've got an updated pic! Best of luck bro! I'll be watching," Phelps captioned the picture.

What a race!! Congrats to @josephschooling !!! We've got an updated pic!! Best of luck bro!! I'll be watching!#gettysport A photo posted by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on Aug 13, 2016 at 12:48pm PDT

Not only social media and Internet users, but the international media too have been raving about Schooling's performance and his friendship with Phelps since his triumph over his idol.

Huffington Post Canada carried the photo of the swimmers with the headline, "Photo of Joseph Schooling and Michael Phelps captures Olympic spirit".

The photo was also carried in Time.

More praise poured in for Schooling yesterday, with ESPN writer Julien Linden saying in a column: "He may come from a swimming minnow, but Schooling is no Eric the Eel, and he didn't just beat Phelps for the gold, he beat him every step of the way.

"Ten years younger than Phelps, the 21-year-old beat him in the heats, beat him again in the semis, beat him off the blocks in the final, beat him over the first 50m, beat him over the last 50m, then beat the Olympic record Phelps set in Beijing, with the Singaporean winning the gold in 50.39 seconds."

The New York Times had this headline, "Somebody (his name's Joseph Schooling) finally beats Michael Phelps".

It was indicative of the big upset he achieved.

(Read also: Phelps puts spotlight on cupping)

Noting how he has broken down barriers in Singapore, South China Morning Post writer Nazvi Careem wrote: "The 21-year-old's victory has fostered unity."

Swimswam.com focused on Schooling earning "the biggest bonus of anyone in the world".

"Singapore's prize (S$1 million) is significantly larger than that of any other country," it said. "The second- largest amount is Indonesia's US$383,000 (S$515,000) gold medal bonus. In comparison with the US, Schooling's bonus is over 30 times larger than the US$25,000 offered to American athletes."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

Aside from the majestic monuments, statues and artworks, Indonesias first president, Sukarno, also left behind a little-known recipe book titled Mustika Rasa, published in 1967.

JJ Rizal, an Indonesian historian, told kompas.com during the re-launch of the book on Sunday that Sukarnos task after Indonesian independence day was to promote unity in diversity. One of the ways is through food. We have abundant culinary traditions in Indonesia but we have never documented them on a national scale.

According to Rizal, the first documentation of Indonesian cuisine happened in the Dutch colonial times. Back in 1902, the East Indies government launched a book titled Groot Nieuw Volledig Oost-Indisch Kookboek, written by JMJ Catenius van der Meyden. The book encompasses 1,300 culinary recipes from the East Indies and was written for Dutch women.

(Read also: Try this Ayam Goreng Kremes recipe at home)

In 1964, Sukarno sent his wife Hartini to collect Indonesian recipes and compose Mustika Rasa.

He also gathered village officials, culinary experts and nutritionists to help compose the book.

However, the production of the book was halted by the Sept. 30 coup in 1965.

According to Rizal, this book finally made it to print in haste in 1967. The options were to publish the book when Sukarno is still President, or not at all.

Because of the rushed publishing process, the book seems incomplete.

Food enthusiast and practitioner Santhi Serad has outlined the books contents.

The book is 1,123 pages long. Aside from food, there are also notes on kitchen organization, nutrition, snacks, how to make good ketupat and many more.

(Read also: Four great Indonesian cookbooks for your kitchen shelf)

Mustika Rasa also talks about topics that are considered taboo today, such as the use of blood and pork recipes.

The book is presented with its own uniqueness and it represents its era, the Sukarno era. Sukarno is famous for his five revolutionary guidelines, but not many people know that he has this book, Rizal said.

For our independence day this year, we have been handed a very important inheritance, because Sukarno took Indonesian cuisine very seriously. This is an inheritance, which is also a responsibility for us to feel truly liberated.

Mustika Rasa can only be found in Kedai Tjikini at Cikini Raya 17 in Central Jakarta for Rp 400,000 (US$30). The book was reprinted by Komunitas Bambu and only 800 copies are available. The new edition of Mustika Rasa has been printed in the updated and improved version of Bahasa Indonesia. (asw)
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Linkedin Hello Sehat (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

Congenital heart disease can last into adulthood, but it is always present at birth. Caused by an early developmental problem with the hearts structure and function, it typically interferes with proper blood flow through the heart and may affect breathing.

With todays more advanced treatments and proper follow-up care, many infants who once would have died of congenital heart disease are able to survive well into adulthood.

Congenital heart disease is caused by a congenital heart defect. Often, the two terms are used interchangeably. In fact, these are the most common types of all birth defects. Although doctors sometimes do not know the cause of the heart defect, suspected causes include:

- Genetics: The defect may run in families.

- Medications: Some drugs taken during pregnancy can increase the risk, such as antiseizure medications.

- Alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy.

- Infections: If the mother had a viral infection in the first trimester, it may increase the risk of giving birth to a child with a heart defect.

- Diabetes: may affect childhood development. Gestational diabetes so far has not been linked to congenital heart disease.

Though there are many different types of congenital heart defects, they can be condensed into three main categories:

1. Heart valve defects . The valves inside the heart that direct blood flow may close up or leak, leaving the heart unable to pump blood correctly.

2. Heart wall defects . The natural walls that exist between the left and right side and the upper and lower chambers of the heart may not develop correctly, allowing blood to back up into the heart or pool where it does not belong. The defect puts pressure on the heart to work harder and may result in high blood pressure.

3. Blood vessel defects . The arteries and veins that carry blood to the heart and back out to the body may not function correctly, blocking or slowing blood flow.

Many doctors classify congenital heart defects into two types: those that result in low oxygen levels and those that do not.

Babies who suffer from breathlessness or whose skin turns a bluish tint are not getting enough blood because the heart is not pumping as it should. This is called cyanotic heart disease. Babies who have enough oxygen but later suffer from high blood pressure or other signs of a heart working too hard have acyanotic heart disease.

(Read also: Long naps may lead to heart disease: Study)

What are the symptoms and risk factors of congenital heart disease?

A congenital heart defect can generally be detected by ultrasound during pregnancy. When a doctor hears a heart murmur, for instance, she may further investigate with tests such as echocardiograms, chest X-rays or an MRI. If a diagnosis is made, the doctor will have the appropriate specialists on hand during delivery. Early symptoms of a congenital heart defect include: bluish lips, skin, fingers and toes; breathlessness or trouble breathing; feeding difficulties (baby seems uninterested in nursing); small birth weight; low oxygen levels or fainting; chest pain; and delayed growth.

Sometimesparticularly in acyanotic heart disease where the baby is getting enough oxygensymptoms will not show up until many years later. In this case, symptoms may include: abnormal heart rhythms; dizziness; trouble breathing; fainting; swelling of the organs or body tissues; low oxygen levels; and becoming easily fatigued.

How does a congenital heart disease treated?

Treatment for a congenital heart defect depends on the type and severity of the defect. Some babies have mild heart defects that heal on their own with time. Some may need to be treated with medication. Others may require one or more heart operations. These may include catheter procedures, open-heart surgery orin the most severe casesa heart transplant.

How can I protect my child from congenital heart disease?

Pregnant women can take certain precautions to lower their risk of giving birth to a baby with a congenital heart defect:

- If you are planning on become pregnant, talk to your doctor about any medications you are taking.

- Avoid alcohol and drugs during pregnancy.

- If you have diabetes, make sure your blood sugar levels are under control before becoming pregnant and work with your doctor to manage the disease while pregnant.

- If you were not vaccinated against rubella (German measles), avoid exposure to the disease and talk to your doctor about prevention options. (kes)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 2016

The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) plans to create an integrated national database system this year that would contain academic journal articles, peer-reviewed literature and also primary scientific data in a bid to make it easier for the public to obtain scientific research data in various fields.

The idea emerged when LIPI observed that researchers, teachers, students and the general public faced difficulty in accessing Indonesian scientific work.

Most scientific data are still scattered. Information is usually organized by an individual or a group of researchers, not by institutions, Bambang Subiyanto, LIPIs deputy of scientific services, said on Wednesday.

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Linkedin Setiono Sugiharto (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 13 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.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post)  Sat, August 13 2016

Prevailing wisdom says that leaders have to be consistent and stay the course. President Joko Jokowi Widodo and Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama are easily deemed to be hypocrites as they change their minds. However, in many (political) situations, changing ones mind might be the best option to survive and reach the ultimate goal.

Recently, there were two big events that showed the reality of Indonesian politics. First, in the recent Cabinet reshuffle, Jokowi embraced two more major political parties in the coalition through appointing Golkar Party and National Mandate Party (PAN) figures as ministers. Second, Ahok threw in the hat by accepting the support of political parties in the Jakarta gubernatorial election. These moves are in contrast with their previous stances.

In his presidential campaign, Jokowi boasted a slim coalition and Ahok, supported by Teman Ahok, declared that he would run in the election as an independent candidate.

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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The government is ready to move forward with plans to expand the ASEAN headquarters in Jakarta, a minister has said.

Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi said Monday that the former premises of the South Jakarta mayors office, located near the current ASEAN Secretariat building in South Jakarta, had been officially returned to the ministry.

"These two premises will soon become the new ASEAN Secretariat building," Retno said during celebrations for ASEAN Day.

The minister added that construction for the new building would commence in early 2017 and was expected to be finished by the end of 2018. The final design was selected from 80 proposals during an open contest in 2015.

"With 17 stories and two semi-basements, this will be an ecofriendly building with a touch of Betawi culture," Retno said.

ASEAN recently marked its 49th anniversary on Aug. 8. Almost five decades since its inception in 1967, ASEAN countries combined gross domestic product (GDP) has reached more than US$2.5 trillion, making it the seventh largest economy in the world.

Retno called for the continued development of ASEAN, saying that with its large population of more than 600 million people, the regional blocks potential market was larger than the EU or North America.

The minister also emphasized the importance of making progress on all ASEAN pillars to achieve the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and to foster growth and prosperity in the region.

Retno highlighted the importance of a common commitment to safeguard ASEAN centrality and unity, which must remain a key principle to pave the way for further progress in the region. (ebf)
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Linkedin Djemi Amnifu (The Jakarta Post) Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara  Mon, August 15, 2016

The Australian Greens have conveyed their full support to the class action lawsuit filed by fishermen from East Nusa Tenggara over damages they suffered from the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea in 2009.

The class action lawsuit filed by seaweed farmers from Indonesia is a great thing to see, said Australian Greens politician Rachel Siewert in an email, as quoted by Care for West Timor Foundation (YPTB) chairman Ferdi Tanoni on Sunday.

In the letter, Ferdi said, the Australian green political party senator also expressed her commitment to see justice for those who had been impacted by damages from the oil spill at the Montara oil rig. She said the impacts from the disaster would affect coastal communities throughout their lifetime, he went on.

(Read also : Australian court accepts class action lawsuit filed by Indonesian fishermen)

Siewert, who was elected in the Australian election in July, further recalled that, accompanied by Ferdi and Kupang Regent Ayub Titu Eki, she visited and held a dialogue with seaweed farmers in Tablolong, West Kupang district, Kupang regency, East Nusa Tenggara in February 2014.

When I visited seaweed farmers and fishermen in West Timor, Indonesia, I directly heard their complaints and worries about impacts of the Montara oil spill to the social and economic life of the seaweed farmers, fishermen and the local economy, said Siewert as quoted by Ferdi.

The senator further stated the oil spill took place for more than 10 weeks and, based on the companys estimation it released more than 4.5 million liters of oil to the Timor Sea.

Its clear the Montara oil spill ended in Indonesian waters and since then, Indonesian fishermen and seaweed farmers complained about its impacts to their livelihood, bringing significant economic losses, she said. (ebf)
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Linkedin Djemi Amnifu (The Jakarta Post) Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara  Mon, August 15, 2016

Care for West Timor Foundation (YPTB) chairman Ferdi Tanoni expressed his thanks for the Australian Greens support of the class action lawsuit filed by Indonesian fishermen against PTTEP Australia for an oil leak at its Montara oil rig in the Timor Sea in 2009.

Ferdi said the Australian Green Partys support showed proof that the oil spill in the Timor Sea, caused by a blowout and fire on the Montara wellhead platform on Aug.21, 2009, had made negative impacts on the social and economic life of local people in East Nusa Tenggara coastal areas.

Im optimistic the long struggle of seaweed farmers in the province will get full support from many parties, as that shown by the Australian Greens, he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

(Read also : Australian Greens support class action lawsuit filed by Indonesian fishermen)

Australian Greens senator Rachel Siewert conveyed her partys full support for the class action lawsuit filed by the East Nusa Tenggara fishermen at the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney on Aug. 3 in an email sent to the YPTB on Sunday.

Ferdi said Siewert had visited affected locations in West Timor and spoken with seaweed farmers and fishermen in the area. Senator Siewert could feel what had been felt by local seaweed farmers and fishermen affected by damage from the Montara oil spill, he added.

Earlier, Ferdi called on a special team, established by the Maritime Affairs and Resources Coordinating Ministry to settle the Montara oil spill case, to immediately freeze PTTEP Australasias operational permit and confiscate its assets in Indonesia. (ebf)
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Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung, West Java  Mon, August 15, 2016

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Emil Kamil says he has not given the nod to a program for Islamic preachers to board city buses and give sermons.

He said the plan was not a city administration program.

When they announced it, they did not have my permission. We have no such plan, why did they announce it? I am confused myself, Ridwan said on Sunday.

Emil refused to comment on the substance of the program, announced a few days earlier by H. Latief, the head of religious affairs at the city secretariat.

Latief said the sermons by Muslim preachers would be delivered aboard buses, specifically state-owned DAMRI buses. Latief said each bus departure would get one sermon that would touch on the subject of morals, good deeds, etc.

Latief said the sermons would be a filler while the passengers were sitting idly on the bus. He said it would be better than just daydreaming, communicating through cell phones or sleeping.

Emil was in Manila when Latief announced the plan. Latief said the program was a joint project between the Ministry of Religious Affairs office in Bandung, the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and Bandung Islamic State University. (evi)
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Linkedin Joyce Lim (The Straits Times/ANN) Hong Kong  Mon, August 15, 2016

At the beginning of this month, Media Chinese International, which publishes Ming Pao Daily News, sold 73.01 per cent of its shares in its subsidiary media arm that runs the Hong Kong newspaper to a Chinese state-owned firm.

On the same day, on Aug. 1, the Hong Kong Economic Journal (HKEJ) suspended a popular column by veteran columnist Joseph Lian Yi Zheng, a known critic of the central government and Hong Kong leader Leung Chun Ying's administration.

Critics have questioned the timing of the two developments in the Hong Kong media sector, coming just a month before the city's legislative elections on Sept. 4.

It is a sign that Beijing is seeking ideological control over the city, said analysts, who also noted that Beijing had managed to block pro-independence activists from getting into the Legislative Council (Legco) with a controversial new rule. Many believe that the new rule - which requires candidates to declare Hong Kong as an "inalienable part" of China - was an order from Beijing.

The acquisition of Ming Pao, meanwhile, further marked Beijing's foray into the Hong Kong media sector, which China sees as an important factor to influence the election outcome, said analysts.

Just eight months ago, China e-commerce giant Alibaba paid HK$2.06 billion (US$266 million) to acquire the media assets of SCMP Group, including the city's mainstream English-language daily South China Morning Post.

"They have been doing the same thing for quite some time. They have resorted to different ways - through co-opting, acquisitions, befriending and intimidation of Hong Kong media firms," says professor Joseph Chan, emeritus professor of journalism and communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK).

Chan says the progression from physical attacks on journalists in 2014 to self-censorship by editors, and then to the acquisition of Hong Kong media firms faced with financial woes, shows Beijing's attempts to tighten its grip over Hong Kong's media, which are not new.

Acquisition might have started out as an economic move, but the political implications that it holds are also evident in self-censorship by publications that rely on Chinese capital funds, said Prof Chan.

Although Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma has promised that the firm's management would not take part in SCMP newsroom operations, critics say it is still too early to tell, with some saying that the paper has seemed more cautious in reporting China news.

Like the SCMP, Ming Pao and HKEJ are regarded as highly credible publications by Hong Kongers and academics.

The owner of HKEJ is Richard Li, whose father Li Ka Shing has sizeable investments in the Chinese mainland. Some critics suggest that the daily could have felt political pressure from mainland authorities to practise self-censorship, leading to the recent termination of Dr Lian's column.

The Li family's flagship company, C.K. Hutchison, generated 14 per cent of its earnings before interest and taxes from China, where it operates about 2,500 Watsons and ParknShop stores, according to a Bloomberg report in June.

Its real estate unit, Cheung Kong Property, counts about half its revenue from the mainland and has dozens of huge properties there.

In a farewell piece that was published online, Dr Lian, who was once HKEJ's chief editor, said he understood the "tremendous pressure" faced by the daily when it published his commentaries, which "always strayed from the official line".

It is widely believed that his column was axed after he angered Beijing by expressing sympathy towards Hong Kong activists who advocate breaking away from China. "He [Dr Lian] is not an advocate of independence but he has apparently crossed the red line and stumbled into this taboo area," says Dr Willy Lam, an adjunct professor at CUHK.

In 2014, former Ming Pao chief editor Kevin Lau Chun To was seriously hurt in a brutal knife attack after his dismissal from the paper triggered protests about press freedom in the city. It was believed that the attack was payback for Lau's decision to pursue investigative reports on the offshore assets of Chinese leaders.

Critics have also linked last year's case involving five missing Causeway Bay booksellers to Beijing's attempts to find out who supplied the content for the politically sensitive books that were published and sold by the bookstore, at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping was working to cement his power.

Since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997, there have been fears that Beijing would try to suppress press freedom in the city, says Chan.

But it was not until 2003, when half a million people protested against a controversial national security legislation - Article 23 - that the central government took a serious stand and went on to tighten its grip on the city's media.

"Beijing thought that Hong Kongers might have gone too far. In their evaluation, they found that the media might have been a platform for social mobilization. Hence, they want to tighten up the control of Hong Kong in general, and the media in particular," Chan tells The Straits Times.

He says: "In their ideological system, the central government finds the media to be very important, that's why it is tightly controlled in China. In words, they may guarantee Hong Kong press freedom, but they have bottom lines and a different system."
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Tanjung Balai  Mon, August 15 2016

It turns out the roots of a recent riot in Tanjungbalai, North Sumatra, could have been the presence of a Buddha Amitabha statue on top of a temple in the city, since the local Muslim community has been protesting against its presence since it was erected in 2009, but to no avail.

The complaint of a woman against the loudness of the adzan (call to prayer) from a nearby mosque could apparently have only been a convenient trigger for the rioting.

This conclusion was revealed during a meeting between religious leaders and the community held at the office of Tanjungbalais mayor on Friday, which was also attended by representatives from the Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Minister.

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Linkedin Arif Gunawan Sulistiyono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

A motion to increase the price of cigarettes from the current Rp 15,000 (US$1.14) to Rp 50,000 per pack, may lead to the increased circulation of illegal cigarettes, an NGO has warned.

Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) director Enny Sri Hartati said the government must thoroughly discuss the motion to increase cigarette prices, as the tobacco industry was strategic for Indonesia. It contributed 96 percent of the state's excise revenue last year, worth Rp 139.5 trillion. In total, the industry contributed 11.7 percent of the state revenue in 2015.

"We need a more comprehensive study on the impact. It could actually hamper the industry, while at the same time lead to a state revenue shortfall. An excessive cigarette excise tax hike may lead to the increased circulation of illegal cigarettes," she said in a press statement on Monday in Jakarta..

Enny cited a study by Gadjah Mada University that said the circulation of illegal cigarettes increased by 11.7 percent after the government imposed a higher excise tax for the product in 2014, which led to higher cigarette selling prices.

Therefore, she recommended that the government boost revenue by imposing excise taxes on other goods instead of increasing cigarette taxes. Indonesia is among countries that imposes excise taxes on limited goods. Singapore and the Philippines each impose excise taxes on five goods, India on eight goods and Thailand 11 goods. (ags)
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Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

Soaring public approval for President Joko Jokowi Widodo far outstrips that for the House of Representatives, raising concerns over whether the national legislature can credibly serve to oversee the executive.



It is feared that abysmal public trust in the House may discourage lawmakers from serving as a check and balance on the Jokowi administration, the popularity of which has survived two Cabinet reshuffles in as many years and a slowing economy.



A new survey by the Jakarta-based pollster Indikator Politik Indonesia shows growing public approval for Jokowis leadership, with 68 percent of those polled expressing satisfaction in the governments performance.



The study also found that of state institutions, the President is the most trusted, while the House  alongside political parties  is the least trusted.



The high public approval rate for Jokowis performance is apparently due to his success in convincing the public of his leadership after consolidating party support by persuading the Golkar Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) to join the government.



The additional two parties seal Jokowis domination in the House, where he is now backed by seven of 10 party factions.



The survey also found that 81.5 percent of the total 1,220 respondents interviewed between Aug. 1 and 9 applauded Jokowi for winning over more political parties, confident that greater political support would mean a stronger performance.



On the contrary, only 15.1 percent criticized the support Jokowi has secured from political parties over concerns that political parties, and therefore the House, would be too weak to properly oversee the government.



The growing support [for Jokowi] has drawn little concern from the public about the governments cartel of political parties. It matters only to academics, said Burhanuddin Muhtadi.



People on the lower levels of society are concerned only with stability, the executive director of Indikator Politik Indonesia emphasized.



Burhanuddin elaborated that the Indonesian tendency to favor harmony had led to Jokowi embracing more political parties in his government, despite critics concerns that such political consolidation would serve to allow parties to exploit public resources for their own gain.



Besides the growing support from political parties, the high approval Jokowi has obtained is due to a surge in infrastructure construction, such as roads and public transportation, and wider public access to health services.



However, Jokowi remains perceived as failing to provide employment and reduce poverty.



Meanwhile, there is little confidence in the ability of the House to effectively oversee the governments performance, with 386 of 560 legislative votes now guaranteed for Jokowis programs.



And the lack of progressive figures such as Jokowi within political parties is expected only to aggravate parties reluctance to criticize the governments; they are instead likely to unconditionally support the President in a bid to maximize their votes in upcoming regional, legislative and presidential elections.



Golkar lawmaker Bambang Soesatyo concurred.



It is important for Golkar to keep Jokowis electability up because it will increase the partys electability as well, he said, commenting on the poll.



The challenge for Golkar, the PDI-P [ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle] and other parties that support the government is how to work together to support the states policies because if they fail, it will affect our electability, Bambang said.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar continued to stay silent over an allegation of holding dual citizenship on Monday.

After a brief meeting with Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, Arcandra exited Wiranto's office without responding to questions or providing clarification over claims that he is a US citizen.

"Later, just wait," Arcandra told journalists as he entered his car, refusing to provide further comment.

Social media was abuzz over the weekend regarding Arcandra's alleged dual citizenship, creating a public outcry especially since the law stipulates that ministers should hold Indonesian citizenship, directly banning anyone in a ministerial job from holding citizenship of another country.

While Arcandra himself only made a vague comment over the allegation on Saturday, saying that he was from Padang, West Sumatra, the State Palace defended Arcandra on Sunday through a statement that said the new minister held and entered the country using his Indonesian passport.

However, state law expert Denny Indriyana told The Jakarta Post earlier that holding an Indonesian Passport could not prove that Arcandra was truly an Indonesian citizen, saying that the key was whether the new minister had said the oath of allegiance to the US over the last 20 years that he spent in the country. (dan)
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Linkedin N.Adri (The Jakarta Post) Balikpapan  Mon, August 15, 2016

The families of seven Indonesian sailors captured by the Abu Sayyaf group in the southern Philippines are calling on the government to ensure the safe release of their loved ones as the militants have vowed to execute them if ransom not paid on Monday.

What we can do is just pray. Hopefully, all hostages are safe and healthy. It is hoped the government can strive to immediately release them, said the hostage families spokesperson, identified only as Capt. Ginting, in Samarinda.

Abu Sayyaf militants kidnapped seven crew members from the Indonesian-flagged tugboat Charles 001, which was pulling a barge carrying coal to the Philippines on June 21. The militants have asked for Rp 60 billion (US$4.58 million) that they said must be paid on Aug.15.

The TB Charles belongs to shipping company PP Rusianto Bersaudara. Most of its crew members live in Samarinda. As of Monday, the seven crew members were still being held captive by the militant group and no information has emerged about their condition.

Information received from several hostages permitted to communicate with their families in Indonesia last week revealed that some of the sailors were ill. A hostage family member identified only as Risna said her cousin M. Sofyan, the tugboats oilman, was reportedly suffering from gastritis.

Sofyan contacted me and also other sailor families, saying they were lacking food. They had to share their food with each other and sometimes they didnt eat, she told The Jakarta Post.

Citing information from Sofyan, Risna said two sailors, M. Nasir and M. Robin, were currently suffering from severe infections in their legs. Robin was reportedly very weak and barely spoke. (ebf)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim, Fadli and Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta/Batam  Mon, August 15 2016

The recent arrest of a terrorist group in Batam, Riau Islands, has given rise to concerns of a new breed of terrorists  young, IT-literate and potentially as militant as the previous batches of veterans of fighting in Afghanistan and Syria  who could connect the minor terror groups existing in the country and strengthen links to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Concerns arose after it emerged that the while the National Polices counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, had captured group leader Gigih Rahmat Dewa along with six other members of the Katibah Gigih Rahmat Dewa (GRD), around eight further partisans of the group remained at liberty in Batam.

The group is based in Batam, but the intelligence data confirm that it is nomadic, moving from one place to another [across the country]. Its job is to recruit people and plan attacks, Brig. Gen. Herwan Chaidir, the National Counterterrorism Agencys (BNPT) director of protection, told The Jakarta Post recently.

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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

The arrivals section of the new Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was inundated following heavy rain on Sunday, causing little impact on the terminals operations but drawing a furious passenger backlash.

Airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II said the incident was due to the terminals drainage systems becoming clogged by debris from construction, which remains ongoing in some parts of the week-old terminal. As a result, water burst through the exit doorway of the arrivals section, causing puddles and flooding.

The terminal has a number of drainage systems to contain rainwater. However, it could be that the terminals drainage systems were clogged by debris from the buildings ongoing construction, AP II corporate secretary Agus Haryadi told The Jakarta Post. The flooding was cleared within an hour of its occurrence at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

The police have apprehended Jon, a 30-year-old man from Makassar, South Sulawesi, for allegedly conning a victim by pretending to be Syahril Japarin, the director of state-owned fishery company Perum Perindo.

The chief of the Jakarta Polices crime and violence subunit, Adj. Sr. Comr. Hendy F. Kurniawan, said on Saturday that Jon had swindled Syahrils colleague, Rudy, for Rp 125 million (US$9,500).

We apprehended him in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday, he said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

The North Jakarta Police arrested a man in Cilincing on Saturday for allegedly trying to rape a 23-year-old woman in the area.

The suspect, identified as 46-year-old Rahmat Hidayat, whom the police said was a friend of the victims uncle, allegedly entered the victims house and immediately tied her up before touching her body in an attempt to rape her, North Jakarta Police spokesman Comr. Sungkono said on Saturday.

When the man entered the victims house, she was not suspicious of him, because he is her uncles friend, Sungkono said as quoted by wartakotalive.com.

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Linkedin (Associated Press) Hong Kong  Mon, August 15, 2016

Three Hong Kong student protest leaders have avoided prison time for leading or encouraging an illegal rally that sparked huge pro-democracy street protests two years ago.

A magistrate sentenced Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow to community service on Monday.

Nineteen-year-old Wong became the most high-profile leader of the protests that erupted in late September 2014, which marked the former British colony's most turbulent period since China took control in 1997.

Youthful protesters occupied key thoroughfares for 11 weeks to press demands for unrestricted elections for the city's top leader.

Wong and Law were found guilty last month of taking part in an unlawful assembly. Wong was given 120 hours of community service by Magistrate June Cheung while Law received 80 hours.

Chow, who was found guilty of inciting others to join an unlawful assembly, also received 120 hours of community service as well as a three-week prison sentence, suspended for a year.

The three were charged with storming into a fenced-off courtyard known as Civic Square beside Hong Kong's government complex on the evening of Friday Sept. 26, 2014, in a bid to protest Beijing's plan to restrict the elections.

They and dozens of other young activists were detained by police. In response, crowds of demonstrators flooded the area over the weekend to demand their release. Police responded late on Sunday Sept. 28 with dozens of volleys of teargas, a move that backfired and drove even more people on to the streets, kickstarting what became known as the Umbrella Movement protests.
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Linkedin Hasyim Widhiarto (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java  Mon, August 15 2016

A government-sanctioned economic advisory team is finalizing a proposal that will outline Indonesias comprehensive strategy to push industrialization as an effort to significantly reduce the countrys heavy reliance on imported goods and help boost economic growth.



Speaking to journalists over the weekend, National Economic and Industry Committee (KEIN) chairman Soetrisno Bachir said the proposal, designed to detail the countrys industrialization roadmap until 2045, would focus on four sectors: agribusiness, maritime business, creative industry and tourism.



We must not push ourselves to compete in high-tech or automotive industries against companies like Airbus or Mercedes-Benz. We must instead develop sectors in which we already have abundant human and natural resources, said the former chairman of National Mandate Party (PAN).



The 20-member committee, established in January under Presidential Regulation No. 8/2016 to provide advice, analysis and economic policies, expected to wrap up the final version of the roadmap and present it to President Joko Jokowi Widodo in October.



With members comprising politicians, academics, businesspeople and professionals, the committee will work until Jokowis presidential term ends in 2019. It replaces the now-defunct National Economic Committee (KEN) that was tasked with similar duties under the administration of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Jokowis predecessor.



Taking the helm of KEIN is Soetrisno, a businessman-cum-politician who led PAN, also a part of the ruling coalition led by Jokowis Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), from 2005 to 2010.



Among other members are former PDI-P lawmaker Arif Budimanta, economist Hendri Saparini, sharia finance expert Muhammad Syafii Antonio, GarudaFood Group chairman Sudhamek and media mogul Eddy Kusnadi Sariaatmadja  the last two named are among the countrys richest people, according to Forbes magazine.



Arif, who serves as the committees deputy chairman, said although Indonesian household consumption had dominated in contributing to the increase of economic growth to 5.18 percent in the second quarter, it would soon become a backlash as a hefty portion of it went to purchase imported goods.



Hence, the roadmap is expected to boost the contribution of the local industry sector to the GDP from the current 18 to 19 percent to 40 percent, he said.



The roadmap, Arif continued, would also complement other documents guiding the long-term policies of economic-related ministries, including the Industry Ministrys National Industry Development Masterplan (RIPIN).



The master plan sets 10 priority industries for the 2015 to 2035 period in a bid to enlarge the industrys role in the national economy.



The roadmap, meanwhile, will serve like a GPS [Global Positioning System] that navigates us to reach our goals, he said.



Apart from outlining the industrialization roadmap, KEIN representatives are also regularly invited to Cabinet meetings discussing economic issues and they prepare policy memos for the President, Soetrisno said.



He also quickly rebuffed criticism questioning the independence of the institution, which has arisen because some of its members are affiliated with ruling political parties.



KEIN will openly tell the President whats good or bad for the economy. However, in the end, it is the President who has the final say, he said.



Within the first two years of leading the country, Jokowi has rolled out 12 economic policy packages to cut red tape and boost industrialization in Southeast Asias largest economy to stoke growth after reaching six-year low level of 4.79 percent in 2015.

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The trial against murder suspect Jessica Kumala Wongso continued on Monday with psychologist Antonia Ratih testifying that the defendant displayed behavioral irregularities.

Antonia, who has also assisted police by examining Jessica's behavior as recorded by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the crime scene, the Olivier cafe, on Jan. 6, noted she acted unusually during her one-hour wait for her friends Wayan Mirna Salihin (who was later to die of cyanide poisoning) and Boon Juwita alias Hani to join her.

Normally, when someone enters a place, she would put her belongings beside her, especially when the bench next to her was empty, Antonia said. In this case, she added, Jessica put three paper bags that she brought onto the table in front of her before arranging them.

(Read also : Security strengthened as Jessicas trial begins)

"When she arranged the paper bags my question was, what was she trying to cover? The situation with the paper bags hiding something behind them allowed potential manipulation," Antonia said, adding that the coffee glass was placed behind the bags.

Jessica also seemed to act coldly when Mirna convulsed badly after drinking the Vietnamese coffee. Neither her gestures, nor her expressions showed that she was willing to help Mirna. She seemed too relaxed when her friend's condition was critical, Antonia said.

At the beginning of the trial, Jessica's lawyer Otto Hasibuan complained about Antonia being summoned as a witness because she examined Jessica during the police investigation. (dan)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

An Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator has said the majority of party members were reluctant to support incumbent Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama in next years gubernatorial elections.

We have been divided into two groups, those who want to nominate Ahok and those who dont want to support him. However, more members of the party do not want to support him now, PDI-P lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari told The Jakarta Post.

She said Ahok had continued to make statements that offended PDI-P members. In the most recent case, she said, Ahok said he did not need the partys support as he had already been endorsed by three parties, namely the Golkar Party, NasDem Party and Hanura Party.

Up until now, PDI-P is yet to announce its gubernatorial candidate. However, it is widely known that Ahok and PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri have a good relationship.

Eva went on to say that if in the end Megawati decided to support Ahok, she and the rest of the partys members would respect her decision.

PDI-P and six other parties, namely the Gerindra Party, Democratic Party, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB) and National Mandate Party (PAN), have formed the Kinship Coalition. The six parties have entrusted the PDI-P with naming a gubernatorial candidate they will support in the 2017 Jakarta election.

For vice governor candidate, the coalition has chosen Sandiaga Uno, who was initially put forward by Gerinda as a gubernatorial candidate. (wnd/ebf)
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Linkedin Haeril Halim and Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

The State Palace has moved to counter accusations that Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar holds US citizenship, which would make him ineligible to serve in a Cabinet position, and maintained that he continued to hold an Indonesian passport while living abroad.

Responding to media reports about Arcandra, who resided in the US for 20 years before returning to Indonesia in July to be sworn in as a member of the Cabinet, State Secretary Pratikno insisted the minister held an Indonesian passport valid until 2017.

Pratikno said that President Joko Jokowi Widodo himself had asked Arcandra, a native of Padang, West Sumatra, to return to Indonesia, and that he had entered the country using an Indonesian passport.

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Linkedin Haeril Halim and Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The State Palace has moved to counter accusations that Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar holds US citizenship, which would make him ineligible to serve in a Cabinet position, and maintained that he continued to hold an Indonesian passport while living abroad.



Responding to media reports about Arcandra, who resided in the US for 20 years before returning to Indonesia in July to be sworn in as a member of the Cabinet, State Secretary Pratikno insisted the minister held an Indonesian passport valid until 2017.



Pratikno said that President Joko Jokowi Widodo himself had asked Arcandra, a native of Padang, West Sumatra, to return to Indonesia, and that he had entered the country using an Indonesian passport.



There are a number of people from Indonesia who have achieved great things abroad and contributed to the nation. Pak Arcandra has that international qualification, Pratikno said.



Legal experts have commented that if Arcandra is indeed a legal citizen of the US, his appointment as minister could be called into question, as Law No. 39/2008 on ministers stipulates that Cabinet ministers must hold Indonesian citizenship.



The government will revoke the citizenship of any individual who accepts foreign citizenship and dual citizenship is not allowed.



In addition, an Indonesian who continues to hold a valid passport but accepts foreign citizenship is considered an alien according to the Citizenship Law and would have to re-apply for Indonesian citizenship. The use of such a passport to travel to Indonesia constitutes a violation of the Immigration Law.



However, the immigration system lacks the procedures to automatically revoke a passport belonging to an Indonesian who has accepted foreign citizenship.



The controversy over Arcandras nationality started after media reports exposed that he had been granted American citizenship after having gone through a naturalization process in 2012.



Arcandra himself has denied the allegations.



I have returned [the US citizenship]. Ask the relevant authorities. You can see my face, I still look like people from Padang, right? I also speak Indonesian with a Padang accent, Arcandra told reporters on Sunday as quoted by Antara, without revealing when he had disowned his American citizenship.



The US Embassy in Jakarta declined to comment.



We are not able to comment on this issue due to privacy concerns, said John Johnson, press attache at the embassy.



Meanwhile, when asked if Arcandra had given up his US citizenship, Pratikno said that the question should be addressed to the relevant authorities.



The point is that when the President asked him to return home, Pak Arcandra felt that he was being called to serve the country, he said.



Regaining Indonesian citizenship could take years, as the law requires a candidate to have lived at least five consecutive years in Indonesia, but in certain circumstances the process could, at the discretion of the President, be expedited.



The palace declined to reveal if the President had given Arcandra a shortcut to re-apply for Indonesian citizenship.



Parahyangan University constitutional law expert Asep Warlan said that Jokowi and Arcandra should provide detailed evidence, especially legal documents, to show that the minister had indeed revoked his US citizenship and re-applied for Indonesian citizenship.



If thats the case, the President should dismiss him from the post first and then grant him Indonesian citizenship. After that the President could re-install him as a minister, Asep told The Jakarta Post.



The chair of House Commission III overseeing legal affairs, Bambang Soesatyo, urged Jokowi to explain to the public that Arcandras expertise in the energy sector was needed, but also to resolve the issues surrounding the ministers citizenship.



The 45-year-old Arcandra served as president of Houston-based offshore technologies and consulting company Petroneering before being called home by Jokowi to take on the mantle of energy and mineral resources minister.



Arcandra spent more than 20 years in the oil and gas sector in the US, with stints as principal at Horson Wison Deepwater and as principal and president of the Asia Pacific department at AGR Deepwater Development System.



He also holds several international patents in offshore fields.



Evi Mariani, Tama Salim and Margareth S. Aritonang contribute to this story.

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Linkedin Syamsul Huda M. Suhari (The Jakarta Post) Gorontalo  Mon, August 15, 2016

Residents of Botubarani village in Bone Bolango, Gorontalo, have found that a school of 17 whale sharks had gone away after staying in the waters off the southern coast of Gorontalo for some months.

The huge docile fish attracted dozens, even hundreds of visitors to the village every day, allowing the residents to get some windfall profits from the tourism.

Now the village is deserted and residents who earned income from the visitors are at a loss.

There were at least 91 fishermen who changed jobs from catching fish to renting their boats and relying for their income on the tourism, not to mention the women who opened food stalls and others who became parking attendants, Yansur Pakaya, the head of tourism group Botubarani, told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Since Saturday, the villagers could no longer spot the fish and they did not know the explanation.

Residents spotted only one whale shark near the village. It remained about five minutes and then it was gone.

A whale shark in an aquarium.(Wikipedia/Zac Wolf)

We hope they would come back, Yansur said.

Mahardika Rizki Himawan, a researcher at Whale Shark Indonesia (WSID), said that the fish were of the migrating kind. He said the time when the sharks were gone from Botubarani should be recorded to track the migration pattern.

Mahardika said there was a possibility the fish left the area to search for food because the food in Botubarani was depleted.

Scientists have advised against humans feeding whale sharks after learning some tourist sites feed the fish to keep them from migrating.
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

A Western Fleet Quick Response (WFQR) team of the Indonesian Naval Base (Lantamal) IV of Tanjung Pinang, arrested on Friday a man who had allegedly attempted to hijack the Ad Matsu tanker ship in waters near Belakang Padang, Batam.

We have arrested an alleged perpetrator named Henry Alfree Bakari Bin Hengki. He is apparently a recidivist, who previously served time in Tembesi Prison for possessing illegal ammunition, Navy spokesman First Admiral Edi Sucipto said in a statement.

The team earlier received a report from authorities that the tanker was near Aur Island, Johor, Malaysia, before launching an operation to arrest the suspect.

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Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

The Indonesian government has admitted it still faces an uphill battle to secure the release of seven Indonesians held hostage by a notorious Philippine militant group, as the reported deadline for their ransom payment falls on Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir said conditions in the field had become more complicated due to an ongoing military operation by the Philippine defense forces targeting the militants, as well as the ongoing conflict between the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf group.

"Communication and coordination with various parties in the Philippines still persists and we continue to urge the Philippine government to take steps to ensure the release of the hostages," Arrmanatha told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The government continues to prioritize the safe release of the crew members of tugboat Charles, he added, without mentioning an official deadline. Citing information the ministry has received, Arrmanatha assured the public that the men were in good condition, albeit tired.

Meanwhile, kompas.com quoted spokesman for family members of the crew members, Kapten Ginting, as saying that several family members became frustrated as the Aug. 15 deadline approached. The relatives reportedly did not receive updated information from the government after a meeting in Jakarta last week as the deadline set by the Abu Sayyaf group for a Rp 60 billion (US$4.6 million) ransom for the seven men who were abducted on June 20 drew closer. (dmr)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

After days of public controversy, State Secretary Pratikno announced on Monday evening at the presidential office that President Joko Jokowi Widodo had dismissed Arcandra Tahar from his post as energy and mineral resources minister. Arcandra had held the position for 19 days.

Responding to the public statement regarding the citizenship status of Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Arcandra Tahar, and after collecting information from several sources, the President has decided to dismiss with honor Arcandra Tahar from his position as energy and mineral resources minister. [The President] has appointed Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan as acting energy and mineral resources minister until a definitive minister is appointed, Pratikno said.

Luhut is the coordinating maritime affairs minister.

After the very brief statement, Pratikno said the decision would be effective as of Tuesday morning as it was only reached on Monday night. Asked whether the decision was based on political or legal reasons, Pratikno said his statement was clear enough, through the consideration of many things, of various dimensions.

Rumors have circulated in the past week that Arcandra, who lived in the US for 20 years, held two passports  one from the US and one from Indonesia. The 2006 Citizenship Law stipulates that Indonesians automatically lose their Indonesian citizenship if they voluntarily accept foreign citizenship.

Previously, both Arcandra and Pratikno dodged the rumors by repeatedly saying that Arcandra held an Indonesian passport, but not confirming whether he indeed had a US passport. (evi)
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Linkedin Rizal Harahap (The Jakarta Post) Pekanbaru  Mon, August 15, 2016

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru, Riau, has said all related stakeholders must implement tougher measures to immediately extinguish land fires affecting several areas across the province. If not, he warned, haze problems similar to those of previous years might affect Indonesias neighbors.

Currently, the wind tends to blow to the southeast. If smoke haze occurs, there is a significant chance it will be brought by the wind to our neighboring countries, BMKG Pekanbaru head Sugarin said on Monday.

Based on data released by the agency, Terra and Aqua satellites detected 54 hotspots in Rokan Hilir on Monday morning, making it the area with the highest number of hotspots in Riau. Meanwhile, Dumai detected 15 hotspots, followed by Bengkalis (8), Rokan Hulu (5), and Meranti Islands, Indragiri Hulu and Siak, which recorded three hotspots each. Kampar reported only one hotspot.

In total, 92 hotspots were detected in Riau this morning, 84 of which were in coastal areas with a significant amount of peatland, said Sugirin.

The number of hotspots in the province has increased significantly, as only 66 hotspots were detected on Sunday. This is because of the dry weather, which makes the land a lot more flammable.

Residents in Duri, Mandau district, Bengkalis regency, claimed they could smell smoke since early Monday.

Several areas in Tanah Putih district, Rokan Hilir regency, have been blanketed with thick smoke since Monday morning. The smoke came from land fires in Putat village in Tanah Putih district and Siarang Arang village in Pujud district. (ebf)
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Linkedin Michael Balsamo (Associated Press) New York, United States  Mon, August 15, 2016

As the families of a slain New York City mosque leader and his associate make funeral arraignments and continue their quest for answers in the shooting, a Muslim advocacy group is set to announce a reward for information leading to an arrest.

Imam Maulama Akonjee, 55, and Thara Uddin, 64, were both shot in the head near the Al-Furqan Jame Masjid mosque in the Ozone Park neighborhood of Queens as they left afternoon prayers on Saturday in their traditional religious attire, according to police.

"He always wants peace," Akonjee's son, Naim Akonjee, 21, said of his father through tears. "Why did they kill my father?"

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, is set to announce on Monday a US$10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter.

Police said they have not yet determined a motive for the killings, but some in the Bangladeshi Muslim community served by the mosque worry it could be a hate crime.

Monir Chowdhury, who worshipped daily with the two men, 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 neighbors said, 'Hey, don't take your kid with you,'" he said. "People, they just hate us."

Police on Sunday released a sketch of the suspected gunman, a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. He was described by witnesses as a man with a medium complexion. A person who lives near the shooting scene shared with The Associated Press and other media organizations surveillance video that showed a man walking up behind the imam and his associate, shooting them and then walking off. Police said they were reviewing the video.

In a statement on Sunday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a Democrat, said the slayings were felt by all of New York City.

"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," the mayor said. "It remains critical that we work to bridge the divides that threaten to undermine the greatness of our city and country."

An official with the government in Bangladesh condemned the killings on Twitter. The country's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Shahriar Alam, called the shooting a "cowardly act on peace-loving people."

The US Ambassador to Bangladesh, Marcia Bernicat, also decried the violence, saying Imam Maulama Akonjee "stood for peace."

Several police officers were stationed outside the mosque on Sunday as worshippers remembered the victims and remarked on their devotion to their families and faith.

On Monday, Muslim community members will gather in Brooklyn to hold Islamic funeral prayers for the two men.
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Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post)  Mon, August 15 2016



Eric Salama (wpp.com)

In August, market research firm Millward Brown, under parent company Kantar, released the BrandZ Top 50 Indonesian Brands list for 2016. The top 10 was dominated by firms in the banking and tobacco industries, with Bank Central Asia (BCA) claiming the top spot for the second year in a row, despite its valuation having decreased. To explore what constitutes a valuable brand in Indonesia, The Jakarta Posts Dylan Amirio spoke with Kantar CEO Eric Salama about how Indonesian brands can improve their worth. Following are edited excerpts of the interview.



Question: A decline in consumer spending triggered an economic slowdown, exacerbated by a weakened rupiah exchange rate in 2015, but the BrandZ report showed that customers stayed loyal to the brands that they trust. Can you elaborate more on this?



Answer: We take brands that have some kind of public valuation and we can get their financial numbers. We then look at how strong the connection is with their consumers through their practices and innovations, and the proportion of stock market valuation to make a calculation from that. We havent got any private companies in the rankings, as we only rank companies that are publicly listed.



Brands strength is judged on how many customers they have and how those consumers see the brand. Are they meaningful to them? Are they different? Are they relevant? Salient? When you meet all those aspects, you have a very strong brand.



To help create that reputation, brands need to build a deep emotional connection with the consumer and also show a functional leadership position in what they do. Virtually all brands that have a combination of functional and emotional appeal are meaningful, strong and relevant.



With the history of brands in Asia, a lot of brands started with the concept of functional superiority: a better tasting food, a better tasting cigarette, a better bank, etc. Earlier on, they would start with that mindset but as time goes by, it becomes easier to imitate that kind of thinking. Pretty soon every brand aspires to be different.

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Linkedin Glenn Polii (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15 2016

President Joko Jokowi Widodos administration has been very active in trying to accelerate economic growth and in pushing for the country to be more competitive in many important areas.

His bold moves to cut red tape and streamline the bureaucracy, to expand and speed up government spending and to improve tax collection are all aimed at improving Indonesias image and create a magnetic environment for global capital and investment.

From the very beginning of his presidency, Jokowi has been very aware of the importance of reforming the Indonesian tax system. Tied in with the burning desire to make Indonesia more competitive, the President has also promised to create more competitive tax rates.

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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar  Mon, August 15 2016

A student, who along with his father had been accused of assaulting a teacher, has been expelled from state vocational high school SMKN 2 Makassar in South Sulawesi following a meeting of the schools teachers council on Saturday.

School principal Chaidir Madja said the decision to dismiss the 15-year-old student was made during the meeting, which was also attended by student representatives.

The meeting held today decided to return [the student] to his parents because we can no longer educate him, Chaidir said.

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Linkedin (Associated Press) Berlin  Mon, August 15, 2016

Turkey's foreign minister says Ankara needs defense cooperation with countries outside NATO because some Western partners are unwilling to sell his nation equipment or exchange information.

Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was quoted Monday as telling German daily Bild that Turkey is "one of NATO's biggest supporters." He dismissed speculation that Turkey could ultimately leave the Western alliance, saying the idea is being raised "by anti-Turkish circles, not by us."

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week visited Russia on his first foreign trip since a failed military coup on July 15.

Cavusoglu said: "It is clear that we must also cooperate with other partners on buying and selling weapons systems. Because there are NATO partners who, for example, deny us the sale of air defense systems or the exchange of information."
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Linkedin Iain Sullivan and Angela Charlton (Associated Press) Lourdes, France  Mon, August 15, 2016

Catholic pilgrims from around the world, many sick or disabled, converged Monday at a shrine in the French town of Lourdes under exceptional security after recent extremist attacks.

Armed soldiers and police patrolled the train station, town center and inside the sanctuary at Lourdes, where a 19th-century village girl said she had visions of the Virgin Mary. The site in southern France near the Spanish border draws pilgrims of all kinds, some hoping for a cure from the famous spring water in the Lourdes grotto.

As a helicopter circled overhead, visitors bearing candles and banners streamed toward the grotto and the sprawling plaza of the basilica, apparently undeterred by new security restrictions or the recent attacks.

Crowds began gathering at the sanctuary before dawn Monday for a series of outdoor Masses in multiple languages celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, when according to Catholic belief, Jesus' mother Mary ascended into heaven. Thousands attended a candlelight procession Sunday night, though the route was reduced from past years to better protect believers.

French authorities had already been planning extra security for the annual holiday, but concerns mounted after a series of attacks in July around Europe  notably one July 26 in northwest France, in which two extremists claiming allegiance to the Islamic State group stormed a morning Mass, slit an elderly priest's throat and took nuns and parishioners hostage.

Lourdes officials refused to cancel this year's pilgrimage, although some other summer festivals around France have been dropped.

To reach the Lourdes sanctuary, pilgrims proffered up their bags for repeated checks, and authorities funneled visitors through three access points, reduced from past years.

Roads were closed to allow pedestrians to reach the site unhindered. Vehicle attacks are a new concern after a driver rammed his truck into Bastille Day revelers in Nice last month, killing 85.

Petronella Davis of London, 62, called the security measures "a good thing," but added, "I don't feel any less safe than I used to."

Gloria Munoz Fernandez, a 68-year-old pilgrim from Madrid, said, "If you believe in God you don't need this sort of protection; however, for me it [the army] is a good protection, it helps you to be more at ease."

Nearly 300 extra forces were brought to Lourdes  including mobile intervention teams, soldiers, bomb squads, canine units  to help local forces, raising the overall security presence to over 500.

The Catholic Church has recognized dozens of miracles at Lourdes since villager Bernadette Soubirous, gathering stones in the grotto in 1858, said she had visions of Mary.

Among those leading ceremonies at the Lourdes festivities is Cardinal Philippe Barbarin, a top French church official who faced accusations this year of covering up for pedophile priests. He denies wrongdoing.

___

Charlton reported from Paris.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

Indonesian Consumer Foundation (YLKI) head Tulus Abadi has urged airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II (AP II) and the Transportation Ministry to investigate the cause of Sundays flood at the new Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The flood at Terminal 3 on Sunday afternoon showed problems in the drainage system in the terminal. It is a cause for concern, Tulus was quoted as saying by news agency Antara on Monday.

Tulus demanded AP II and Transportation Ministry apply sanctions on the contractor, Kawahapejaya, a consortium led by publicly-listed state-owned company PT Wijaya Karya. Tulus said the flood was the responsibility of the contractor.

Tulus said he had also received complaints about other facilities at Terminal 3. We have received complaints from passengers that Terminal 3 is yet to have a decent bus stop. The bus stop is a tent far away from the Terminal 3 building, he said.

Some passengers said that the tent did not provide sufficient shelter from the weather and some had become wet waiting for the bus.

On Sunday, water inundated the entrance of the Terminal 3, an international airport terminal that has become the home of flag carrier Garuda.

AP II has apologized for the inconvenience.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 16, 2016

After eight years of waiting, Indonesian airlines can now fly to the US as the nations Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has upgraded the safety status of Indonesian airlines to category 1, from the previous level of category 2.

Transportation Ministry director general for air transportation Suprasetyo said he had received an official statement from US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jakarta Brian McFeeters on the matter.

"We should be thankful for our hard work and the USs FAA technical support, to help us accomplish this [] I recommend that Indonesian airlines prepare themselves to serve US flight routes," he said in a press conference as quoted by kontan.co.id in Jakarta, on Monday.

Suprasetyo further said the FAA audit began in early 2015 and assessed three main aspects of the countrys air transport industry: regulations, operation and airworthiness. Indonesian airlines human resources are also now in accordance with international aviation standards, he added.

FAA downgraded Indonesias aviation safety rating to Category 2 in 2007. In the same year, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) audits spotted 121 loopholes in the Indonesian air safety oversight system, which led in part to the FAA as well as the EU downgrading the safety status and banned Indonesian airlines from flying to the US and Europe, respectively.

The ministrys director of aircraft operation and airworthiness Mohammad Alwi said the safety status improvement into category 1 would bring trustworthiness to Indonesian airlines and aircraft industries. "Including the manufacturing side, the aircraft leasing business, the insurance and the economy," he said, highlighting that the regulator and the operator must be consistent in maintaining the safety standard to uphold the achievement. (ags)
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Linkedin Ayomi Amindoni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 16, 2016

The State Palace has rejected allegations that the decision to dismiss Arcandra Tahar from his post as energy and mineral resources minister was a result of negligence in the selection process.

Presidential spokesman Johan Budi reiterated State Secretary Pratiknos statement that Arcandras dismissal was a response to controversy regarding the ministers alleged dual citizenship.

Dont look at it that way [administrative negligence]. But see it as the President being responsive to issues that arise [....] the President also obtained information and data from various parties, and the result was the President decided to dismiss him with honor, Johan said at the State Palace on Monday night after a brief announcement by Pratikno.

The President has appointed Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan as acting energy and mineral resources minister until a new minister is appointed.

State law expert from Gadjah Mada University, Denny Indrayana, told The Jakarta Post that many state institutions were responsible for doing background checks on candidates for ministerial posts. They include the State Secretariat, the State Intelligence Agency, the police, the immigration office, the Law and Human Rights Ministry, he said.

Denny, who served as a member of the presidential staff during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyonos administration, said the confidential manner of ministerial appointments posed a challenge for the presidential office in carrying out fast and thorough background checks. (evi)
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Linkedin Ryan D. Rosauro (Inquirer.net/ANN) Ozamiz City, Philippines  Mon, August 15, 2016

The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to expand the membership of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) to accommodate more voices in the process of crafting the charter of a new autonomy setup in Mindanao.

In a joint statement Sunday after a two-day meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the peace implementing panels of the parties said they have decided to increase the number of BTC members from the current 15 to 21 to ensure inclusivity in the implementation of the GPH (Government of the Republic of the Philippines)-MILF Peace Agreement.

Related to this, the panels recommended the issuance of a fresh executive order by the Office of the President constituting the BTC with expanded membership.

Under the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), the BTC is tasked, among others, with writing the proposed charter of the Bangsamoro autonomous entity that will have greater powers and will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The body was first created by President Aquino in 2012 through Executive Order No. 120 following the signing of the FAB in October 2012.

The BTC wrote the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that was submitted to the 16th Congress. The bill, however, failed to pass Congress.

Of the 21 BTC members, 11 will be nominated by the MILF and 10 by the government. All will be appointed by the President.

According to presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza, the reconstituted BTC will write another enabling law that will hopefully pass the 17th Congress even before the 1987 Constitution is subjected to amendments to accommodate a shift to a federal form of government.

Dureza earlier explained that by expanding its membership, the BTC would be able to include leaders of the MNLF, officials of the ARMM, and other sectors in Mindanao for it to be inclusive.

He stressed that in crafting the enabling law, all sectors in the Bangsamoro must be adequately represented and must come together.

Under the Bangsamoro peace roadmap of President Duterte, government seeks the convergence of the peace processes with the MILF and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the main group that first waged the Moro rebellion in 1972 that later split up into factions.

The MNLF inked the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) with the administration of then President Fidel V. Ramos on Sept. 2, 1996.

Before flying to Kuala Lumpur Friday, Dureza held a meeting in Davao City with former Cotabato City mayor Muslimin Sema, head of the largest of the MNLF factions called the Council of 15.

Sema earlier joined hands with the MILF in finding ways to harmonize the respective peace pacts of the Philippine government with the MNLF and MILF.

The new peace roadmap provides that the writing of the proposed Bangsamoro charter will consider the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) that was signed in March 2014, the FPA of the MNLF, the key results of the 10-year Tripartite Review Process on FPA implementation, the Organic Act of the ARMM, and the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).

During his meeting with Dureza, Sema expressed his commitment to join the BTC, said a news release of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).

In her opening address during kick off rites, government panel chair Irene Santiago drew attention to the composition of Dutertes team for the Bangsamoro peace process.

She said that her panel members were drawn from among the highest executives of OPAPP to show that government is very serious in this phase of implementing the peace agreement not only with the MILF but also with the MNLF.

Apart from Santiago, the government panel is composed of Undersecretaries Diosita Andot and Nabil Tan, and Assistant Secretaries Rolando Asuncion and Dickson Hermoso.

Andot is an old hand in the Bangsamoro peace process having served as head of the negotiating panel secretariat from 2001 to 2004 and director of a program for the development of once conflict-affected communities.

Tan has previously served the OPAPP while Asuncion has been in the agency for quite some time, now overseeing peace and development initiatives. Hermoso used to head the governments contingent in the joint ceasefire body.

The MILF panel is composed of Mohagher Iqbal as chair, and Prof. Abhoud Syed Lingga, Abdullah Camlian, Said Sheik and Melanio Ulama as members.

Iqbal has been part of the negotiations since 1997, and has been chairing the MILF panel since 2003. Lingga and Camlian were members of the MILF negotiating panel that forged the CAB; Sheik served in the ceasefire mechanism; and Ulama, a Teduray leader, was a member of the board of consultants of the MILF for the negotiations.

Except for Lingga, all the four MILF panel members served in the BTC appointed by President Aquino.

The meeting of the panels over the weekend is the first formal one under the Duterte administration. Prior to this, there have been about three informal meetings between government and the MILF.

This includes one between Duterte and MILF chief Murad Ebrahim in Davao City, and between Dureza and Murad inside the rebel group administrative base, Camp Darapanan, in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
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Linkedin (The Nation)  Mon, August 15, 2016

Police say 10-20 people involved in bomb and arson attacks that hit seven provinces.

The bomb and arson attacks in seven provinces last Thursday and Friday were all connected and carried out by a single mastermind, Thai police said Sunday.



Police General Pongsapat Pongcharoen said that authorities were putting together the jigsaw to identify the network behind the attacks that hit Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan province, plus six southern provinces, including Phuket. He spoke after a teleconference with regional chiefs in affected provinces.



However, he did not identify or elaborate at this stage on the individual mastermind or the motives behind the attacks, which killed four people and injured dozens of Thais and foreigners.



The events are connected, carefully planned and carried out across many areas and masterminded by one individual, Pongsapat said.

Meanwhile, Thai authorities have sought help from Malaysian officials to track a mobile phone used in a bombing in Phuket last Friday, said to have originated in Malaysia.



"The explosion did not destroy a portion of the mobile phone with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's serial number still visible on the phone and Thai investigators have asked for Malaysia's cooperation to identify the origin of the phone," a source told Malaysia's national news agency Bernama.



According to Pongsapat, the network behind the multiple bomb and arson attacks was believed to include 10-20 people and the incidents had no connection with unrest in the Deep South.



Police sources said two separate teams were involved in the attacks late last week, with one responsible for bombs and the other team behind the arson attacks. Their operating route started in Phuket followed by Phang-Nga, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Surat Thani. Songkhla and Phatthalung were not affected because they were off the main targeted route.



Sources said a number of suspects believed to be members of this network were now being interrogated by authorities.



Earlier, a court approved an arrest warrant for Sakharin Karuehas, who was captured on camera, for his alleged role in setting fire to a Tesco Lotus store in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat during the Aug. 11-12 incidents.



Police Sunday searched the business premises of Taweesin Plastic in Surat Thani, that was set on fire during the two-day rampage. Arthirat Sri-jarassin, owner of Taweesin Plastic, said he had no serious conflicts with other people, while police have detained two suspects for incidents in Surat Thani.



Regarding several small bombs set off in Hua Hin, Pongsapat said authorities had offered a Bt200,000 (US$5,753) reward to anyone who provides tips for police, as the suspects are believed to be still in the country.



Meanwhile, an unexploded bomb was recovered near a hotel on Pracha U-tit Road in Phuket's Patong beach. The explosive was hidden in a cloth bag left unattended at a souvenir shop inside Paradise Plaza, a spot popular with tourists.



Col Winthai Suvaree, spokesman for the National Council for Peace and Order, said suspects in the incidents would be taken for interrogation and released within seven days if found to have no connection to these incidents.



National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda said the bombings may have been carried out by opponents of a military-drafted constitution, which was approved in a referendum last week.



The two main political parties, both of which campaigned against the constitution, have condemned the attacks as reprehensible and called for a speedy investigation.
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Linkedin Grant Peck (Associated Press) Bangkok  Mon, August 15, 2016

Critics of Thailand's military government accused it on Sunday of taking advantage of last week's 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 junta's 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 Thailand's deep 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 Jane's Defence Weekly, told The Associated Press that 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 Thailand's 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.

He added that if the supposed motive was anger over the recent referendum outcome, "the planning and preparation for these attacks would have had to take place within three days. And that makes even less sense."
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Linkedin Walter Sim (The Straits Times/ANN) Tokyo  Mon, August 15, 2016

Japan's foreign aid toolkit has been expanding since Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took office in December 2012, as he seeks to shore up Japan's influence in Southeast Asia in the face of muscle-flexing by China.

This charm offensive has gone beyond traditional "soft power" measures, such as extending infrastructure support and human resource development, to include military capacity-building.

Japan announced last Friday that it would give two new large vessels to the Philippine Coast Guard.

They come on top of the 10 mid-sized coast guard ships that Tokyo pledged to previous Philippine leader Benigno Aquino. The first of the 10 will be delivered this month.

In May, Vietnam too asked Japan for vessels to strengthen its coast guard, the request coming a month after two Japanese warships visited Cam Ranh Bay in central Vietnam in the first such port call.

This was followed by another port of call by Japan Coast Guard training vessel Kojima last month to the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang, also located strategically alongside the South China Sea.

"There is common ground strategically to be found and diplomatic support to be gained against China," said professor Heng Yee Kuang at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Public Policy.

Writing in a commentary to the East Asia Forum last month, Professor Purnendra Jain, a Japan expert with the University of Adelaide, said both Vietnam and the Philippines have maritime disputes with China and are worried about its moves to flex its military muscle in the South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam are among four ASEAN states that have conflicting territorial claims with China in the disputed waters.

Even though the recent moves have raised Japan's profile around the region, "the amount of assistance and equipment provided thus far does not make a significant impact on the balance of real power in the field", Heng told The Straits Times.

They are efforts by Abe to position Japan as "the guardian of shared global commons and norms", the analyst added.

The latest Development Cooperation Charter, a document on aid measures that has to be approved by the Cabinet, stated last year: "In light of Japan's current economic and social situation, deepening cooperative relations with the international community, including emerging and developing countries, and tapping into their vigor are keys to its own sustainable prosperity."

As ties with its big neighbor becomes strained, inevitably Tokyo will be drawn towards ASEAN, which is its second-largest trading partner after China.

Further, Heng noted: "ASEAN is increasingly seen as another source of labor and markets, given its growing middle class and the economic downturn in China, plus rising costs in China and longstanding political problems that complicate investment decisions."

Jain also pointed out that "large aid projects offer Japanese companies an entry to these emerging markets where the prospects for economic growth and market expansion are immense".

While Abe's predecessors did stress the importance of ASEAN as a partner, the symbolism of Abe being the first to visit all 10 ASEAN states within his first year in office cannot be overstated, Heng noted. And the rhetoric of "reinvigorating" Japan's approach to ASEAN is "being matched with strong economic and strategic drivers", he added.

For example, Abe tapped on the occasion of 40 years of ASEAN-Japan ties in 2013 to devote 2 trillion yen (US$19.74 billion) in aid to ASEAN. On top of that, Tokyo announced last year that another 750 billion yen would be devoted over three years to countries in the Mekong region - namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to government documents, Japan's overseas development assistance (ODA) funding to ASEAN has been taking the lion's share of the monies that it is disbursing worldwide. And last year, Japan explicitly said that the aid is being used to "secure its national interests".

While previous charters have largely kept non-combat military assistance outside the domain of "foreign aid", experts note this changed after Abe mooted the "Proactive Contribution to Peace" concept in 2014, no less at the influential Shangri-La defense forum in Singapore.

Heng pointed out that, as a result, Abe is "ramping up capacity-building programs and allowing ODA to be used for what is now termed 'strategic' purposes rather than simply building roads and schools".

Meanwhile, as part of its ODA efforts, Japan continues to gain goodwill on the ground with its human resource and infrastructure development projects in developing ASEAN countries.

Japan has been supporting education development through exchange programs, drawing up curricula or teaching seminars in countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

As Jain said: "While Japan has redefined its aid orientation to serve its geostrategic and national interests... Tokyo also remains strongly committed to the conventional aid philosophy. It still puts significant financial and human resources into social and humanitarian issues."
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Linkedin Masajeng Rahmiasri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Mon, August 15, 2016

Helping others never only benefits the taker, but it also honors the giver. A recent music performance by Rawinala Foundation students at the Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School (GMIS) is a case in point.

For the first time, visually impaired students from the foundation were invited to perform at the school's auditorium in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday. It did not take long until the hall, filled with thousands of GMIS students of all grades, their parents and teachers, was buzzing with claps and cheers as perfect-pitched 11-year-old Louis Bertrand and 17-year-old Pitera Ramanto delivered their lines.

(Read also: ASEAN student exchange scholarships to open up second batch in September)

Louis and Pitera performed alongside fellow Rawinala students40-year-old Iwan on the guitar, 21-year-old Irfan on the keyboard, 27-year-old Antoniano on a second keyboard and 26-year-old Murtini on the drums. Despite their impairment, they smoothly showcased their talent through popular songs, including Jangan Menyerah (Don't Give Up) by DMasiv, Ben by Michael Jackson and Bunda (Mother) by Melly Goeslaw. There was also a solo piano performance by Michael Anthony, an autistic 13-year-old who is able to play songs perfectly by ear despite visual and minor hearing impairment.

Rawinala Foundation student Michael Anthony delivers a solo on the piano at Gandhi Memorial Intercontinental School on Wednesday.(JP/Masajeng Rahmiasri)

When they sing, they are actually telling the story of their life, Rawinala teacher Kristin Prasetyaningtyas told The Jakarta Post. I hope both schools will be blessed and strengthened through this performance."

The first such performance in Rawinalas 12-year long cooperation with GMIS, was part of the latter's implementation of CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) project, which is included in its International Baccalaureate diploma curriculum and compulsory for every 12th-grader of GMIS.

(Read also: Teenage take on dealing with parents, generation gap)

CAS is a service project to help instill or reinvigorate a feeling of support and understanding for those who are marginalized by society today, said 12th-grade student and committee member Joshua Chandanani. Prior to the event, the 12th grade students of GMIS had visited Rawinala in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, to volunteer and help with the students daily life. Joshua also said that they had decided to invite Rawinala students to perform after hearing about their singing skills.

They're not as gifted as we are and yet they're able to perform much better than most of us. Im thankful for the opportunity to see them up close, said student Veenitha Balachandran after the show.

GMIS also collected Rp 54 million (US$4,119) in donations for Rawinala in the form of musical instruments and daily necessities. The 12th-grade students will continue to volunteer in the foundation to fill their CAS record as well. (kes)
A focus group of participants, together with Agudas Yisroel askanim at PCS headquarters in Lakewood, gathered to plan for the upcoming Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah.

The Yarchei Kallah offers four days of intense learning, shiurim and shmuessen from the Gedolei Roshei Yeshivos and Poskim in Eretz Yisroel.

The Yerushalayim Yarchei Kallah will take place January 16  19, 2017.

[TLS]
The number of rhinos poached in South Africa has worryingly increased over the last decade, rising from 13 in 2007, to 1,175 in 2015.

The reason behind this surge is twofold: first, traditional Chinese medicine believes that the horns have aphrodisiac and curing properties that can help against fevers, hangovers, and even cancer. So far, no scientific data supports this claim.

Secondly, the rise of Asias middle class and elite has made trophy hunting a popular activity amongst the wealthier, and rhino horns are exposed in peoples house as a symbol of wealth and social status. This is especially true in Vietnam, the biggest consumer of rhino horns.

Last April, South Africa announced it would not be proposing ending the four-decade old ban on the international rhino horn trade at Septembers Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the body that regulates the worldwide wildlife trade. This decision was met with both relief and criticism, and shone a light on the issue at hand.

On the 3rd of August, I attended a debate on the legalisation of rhino horn trade, at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Moderated by environmentalist and TV Star Craig Parker, the debate was between John Hume, the world's largest private rhino breeder and an advocate for legalising horn trade, and Will Travers of the Born Free Foundation, against the legalisation of horn trade.

Should the global trade of rhino horn be legalised? At first, answering no to this question seems apparent. However, before giving any rash answers, some key factors should be taken into account:

- A Rhino horn is similar to a fingernail for a rhino. It is largely made of the same protein (keratin) and grows back. Furthermore, the horns have not been observed to be of any valuable use to the rhinos.

- Even though the horns can be removed without hurting and certainly not killing the rhinos, poachers simply murder the animals as this proves an easier and faster option for them.

The main argument for those pro-legalisation is that by creating rhino horn farms, similar to Alpaca farms where animals are shaved every year in order to sell their hair, rhino poaching will decrease. Indeed, the legalisation will mean that strict rules and regulations regarding dehorning will be put in place, which will reduce illegal activities and ensure the rhinos well being.

2014 study Moreover, afound that the legal trade of rhino horns could generate up to $717m (476m) profit each year. This income could be used to further conservation work by, for example, securing higher protection for rhinos and other endangered species against poachers (by assigning a bigger number of guards for the animals).

However, those against the legalisation argue this is a too simple and naive reasoning, which does not take into account the numerous things that could go wrong with legalising the trade of rhino horns. They see the legalisation as more of a Pandoras box than anything else; indeed, a common worry is that by legalising the trade, the demand for the horns will greatly increase and become overwhelming. From this will arise illegal trades, more poaching, theft, and all around even more illegal activities than before.

Those anti-legalisation believe that the focus should not be on regulating the horn trade but rather reducing the demand in Asia, either by installing rules there or debunking the myth of the curing properties of the rhino horns.

There is also an argument that should not be undervalued against the legalisation of the trade. It is the one that it simply seems wrong to legalise the trade, and start farming rhinos for their horns. I am using a bit of Kantian and deontological ethics here, which is that an action should be judged moral in itself, without taking into account its consequences. This is opposed to Utilitarianism, which states that the morally good thing to do is always the thing that will have the best consequences for the higher number of people.

If we take a Kantian approach to the issue, than it becomes clear that legalising the dehorning of rhinos is immoral, because it is not an action that is good in itself, but rather selfish and corrupt. If we do take into account the consequences of the action, and hence take a utilitarian approach to the matter, then this claim can be challenged. However, since the consequences of the legalisation of the trade are unsure, then it seems like a Kantian approach to the issue is the appropriate one.

At the debate, I was surprised by the number of people who showed up. We must have been about 300, on a Wednesday evening, all here to inform ourselves on the issue. I was even more surprised by how passionate the audience was: people were interrupting the speakers, which would result in outbursts of fervent talks between the audience. The Q&A session at the end saw countless raised hands, all wanting to give their opinions and challenge others, which would once again always end up in eager responses and hubbub, punctuated by some insults thrown from both sides of the debate.

At the end of the event, I left unsure on what the right approach to save the rhinos should be. An increasing number of conservations and centres have decided to dehorn their own rhinos in order to protect them from poachers, including the one where I will be spending a month as a volunteer next summer. What I am sure about is that it is reassuring to know that this is an issue many people are fervent and caring about.
Have you ever matched with someone on Tinder, but got distracted and forgot to reply? Thats what happened to Sabryna Salazar, a 20-year-old student from Austin, Texas - only her potential date turned out to be an Olympic gold medallist...

Many of us can relate  your match looks cute and you strike up a conversation, but then things dont quite go to plan. You start cooking dinner or head over to a friends house, and forget to message back.

my tinder match just won the 100M butterfly final and beat Michael Phelps



this is my greatest accomplishment pic.twitter.com/bhU96gmflO  sab (@sabwow) August 13, 2016

Normally its no biggie because youve probably made hundreds of matches, but for Salazar this one really hurt because shed missed out on a date with an Olympic gold medallist. She was suitably disappointed by her Tinder fail.

and not replying to his message was my greatest failure  sab (@sabwow) August 13, 2016

Salazar claims that last April fellow student at the University of Texas, Joseph Schooling, had struck up a conversation with her on the dating app. Little did she know that the Singaporean swimmer would shoot to fame in Rio by beating Michael Phelps to bag gold in the 100m butterfly.

(Michael Sohn/AP)

Luckily the Twittersphere was on hand to comfort her.

@guccigraande If I was her, I won't be telling the world how big a GOLD DIGGER I am...  Zarrar Salahuddin (@Zarrarsdq) August 14, 2016

the Daily Mail Somewhat awkwardly,says that Schooling already has a girlfriend. He has been pictured with Casey Shomaker for the last year, and Salazars tweet might get him in some hot water.

But for Salazar, this is a textbook case of the one that got away. Or swam away, in this case.
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Patong security guard praised, to receive B50k reward for removing potential fire bomb

PHUKET: The Phuket security guard whose quick action removed a potential explosive device from a shopping area in Patong last Wednesday will be rewarded with B50,000 for his bravery.

patongcrimepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Monday 15 August 2016, 12:14PM

Security guard Kamthon Kedkaeo will be rewarded for removing the potential fire bomb to a safe area 50 metres from the main shopping complex. Photo: Dhammatuch Jumpa / Facebook

Kamthon Kedkaeo, a native of Krabi, quickly removed the device, bundled up in a plastic bag tied to a rail at the China Town Plaza shopping complex, after a Nepalese man had pointed it out to him at about 6:40pm.

After opening the bag and seeing a mobile phone with wires attached to a gel pack, Mr Kamthon placed the bag in a water bucket and and ran it to the middle of the car park, about 50 metres from the shopping area. (See story here)

Mr Kamthorn is a hero, said Preechawut Prab Keesin of the Pisona Group, which operates many businesses and venues in Patong.

If Mr Kamthorn did not remove the suspicious item, it could have started a fire like those in other provinces (during the August 12 attacks), he added.

I am pleased to praise and honour him for doing a good deed. Our company will give him a B50,000 reward as a present and moral support for a good citizen, Mr Prab told The Phuket News.

Mr Prab and the Pisona Group are also offering a B100,000 reward to anyone who can provide leads that lead to the conviction of those responsible for recent bomb incidents.

We will also give B200,000 reward to local police for their hard work, quickly action to keep peace and order in this town, Mr Prab told The Phuket News.

The rewards will be handed over at 5pm today (Aug 15) at the police box at the beach end of Bangla Rd, where one of the two bombs detonated on Friday.

Although, Phuket Provincial Police Chief Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen last Thursday publicly announced that the two suspected explosive devices found in Patong last Wednesday were specifically not bombs (see story here), Gen Teeraphol did recognise that the devices were designed to start fires.

The Phuket EOD squad confirmed to The Phuket News the same understanding: that two devices found last Wednesday were likely intended to start fires, and not cause damage by an explosion, like the two devices that detonated at the Bangla Rd police box and Loma Park on Friday.
South insurgency linked to blasts

BANGKOK: Forensic evidence suggests the explosive devices used in multiple bomb and arson attacks in seven southern provinces last week were of the same type used in the far South, despite the military regimes attempts to brush aside the connection.

deathpoliticspolicemilitaryviolencecrime

By Bangkok Post

Monday 15 August 2016, 09:07AM

A forensic team bags materials found at Taveesin Plastic, a Surat Thani shophouse on Kanchanavithee Rd that was ravaged in fire on Friday (Aug 12). Photo by Supapong Chaolan

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has blamed political conflict following the Aug 7 referendum and those who lost political interests for the attacks which claimed four lives and injured 35.

NCPO spokesman Piyapong Klinpan said yesterday (Aug 14) that a campaign was under way by some groups to mislead the public into believing the violence was related to the insurgent movement in the deep South, particularly the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN).

The bombs went off and now they are talking. I think they are trying to create confusion, he said. Consistent with the NCPO argument, deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen reiterated the multiple bomb attacks had nothing to do with the southern insurgency.

He said police were making significant progress in their probes into the violent incidents.

However, forensic results did not reject a possible link to southern insurgents.

The bombs used in the Phuket, Phang Nga and Surat Thani attacks were related and similar to those found in insurgent attacks in the deep South, said Lt Gen Suchart Theerasawat, assistant national police chief, after a meeting investigators and forensic experts in Surat Thani yesterday.

However, he said it was too early to conclude the attacks were carried out by the same group of people.

A source close to the investigation said a group of attackers had met in Nakhon Sri Thammarats Chawang district in late July and the meeting was arranged by a politician.

The source said the attackers were divided into two groups  one responsible for the explosives and the other for arson  and this group carried out the attacks in Phuket, Phang Nga, Trang, Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Surat Thani.

According to Malaysian Bernama news agency, Thai security forces are seeking Malaysias cooperation in investigating a series of bombings in several southern provinces.

Weekend searches turned up unexploded devices at tourist areas of Hua Hin and in Phang Nga province.

The unexploded bombs were defused yesterday in Hua Hin, after being found in areas frequented by tourists  just like those what went off last Thursday night (Aug 11) and Friday morning (Aug 12)  according to the interior ministry permanent secretary.

It is likely they were intended to explode at the same time as the previous explosions, said Grisada Boonrach.

Mr Grisada insisted the devices found in Hua Hin were planted between Aug 11 and 12 and urged the public not to panic.

The ministry has asked authorities to scout for bombs with delayed ignition. They were not new ones, he said.

Police said other unexploded devices were found Saturday (Au 13) in Phang Nga province, which had been struck by bomb blasts and a suspected arson attack last Thursday.

According to security sources, Thailand sought Malaysias cooperation to investigate a mobile phone used in one of the bomb blasts in Phuket, which is said to have been from Malaysia.

Prime Minister Prayut Cha-o-cha will visit Malaysia tomorrow (Aug 16) and is expected to raise the attacks in Thailand at his meeting with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak.

Gen Prayuts trip was originally scheduled to be a two-day visit from today (Aug 15) through tomorrow, but after the bombings it was changed to a one-day visit.

A government source said the original agenda included border security, problems of dual nationality in border provinces, peace talks between Thai authorities and southern insurgents, and economic cooperation.

However, the source said, the latest attacks in Thailand would also be raised.

Meanwhile, Thai intelligence officials have not brushed aside the possibility that the series bombings and arson attacks were the work of the BRN.

They have been doing this for decades: the 1993 torching of 36 schools in one night; the military weapons robbery of Jan 4, 2004; intensified arson attacks, shootings and bombings throughout the past decades in deep South; and the Samui bombing in April last year, said military intelligence sources from the southernmost provinces.

The group does not bother to claim responsibility and does not care if other groups do so, the intelligence officers said.

Officials investigating BRN field commandos are confident the recent attacks were a show of force and network expansion of Thailands largest insurgent group.

In combing the whole nation to check against Islamic State and other terrorist elements in the past year, Malaysia has inevitably pressured the insurgent exiles, and dozens of them have crossed back into Thailand. All of them cant stay active in the deep South due to the heavy military presence, the sources said, implying those insurgents might become active in other regions.

The BRN held meetings with members and bomb makers on Aug 1 and planned to launch the operations 10 days later in areas were they had enough supporters, the sources said.

They have also sent key messages that they did not want a new charter until the parliament  civilian or military  addresses their Malay Muslim identity as a group or state in the highest law, said the military sources.

The sources also rebutted the notion the bombings would encourage the government to engage more enthusiastically in peace talks with the Mara Patani group. Instead, the opposite would be the case, they said.

Mara doesnt represent the militant wings, why should the Thai government bother listening to them again as it is clear that they cant control anything, they said.

The Police Region 7 Bureau has offered a B200,000 reward for clues about the attacks in Hua Hin.

Also yesterday, the red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship condemned the government and its critics for suggesting that the violence was politically motivated.

The group called on authorities to run a transparent investigation and explore all possible motives including the southern insurgency.

Read original story here.
11AAA semis will be awesome and more from HS football quarterfinals
MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwired - Aug 15, 2016) - Dynacor Gold Mines Inc. (DNG.TO)(DNGDF) (Dynacor or the Corporation) a Corporation with gold and silver ore processing operations and exploration projects in Peru, has released its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and the management's discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2016.

These documents have been filed electronically with SEDAR at www.sedar.com and will be available on the Corporation's website www.dynacor.com.

(All figures in this press release are in millions of US$ unless stated otherwise. Earnings per share and cash-flow per share are in US$. All variance % are calculated from rounded figures. Some additions might be incorrect due to rounding).

With the continued increase in the world market price of gold, Dynacor recorded its 21st consecutive profitable quarter in the three-month period ended June 30, 2016 ("Q2-2016") as it earned a net income of $1.1 M or $0.03 per share in Q2-2016, compared to $0.8 M or $0.02 per share in the three-month period ended June 30, 2015 ("Q2-2015"). For the six-month period ended June 30, 2016 ("Ytd-2016"), the Corporation earned a net income of $1.8 M or $0.05 per share, compared to $2.1 M or $0.06 per share in the six-month period ended June 30, 2015 ("Ytd-2015").

Highlights for the second quarter of 2016

Gold production of 17,525 ounces in Q2-2016 (33,332 ounces in Ytd-2016), compared to 16,594 ounces for Q2-2015 (32,152 ounces in Ytd-2015);

Sales of $21.5 M in Q2-2016 ($41.9 M in Ytd-2016), compared to $20.2 M in Q2-2015 ($39.0 M in Ytd-2015), an increase of 6.4% between quarters (increase of 7.4% over Ytd-2015);

Gross operating margin of $3.1 M (14.5%) in Q2-2016 ($6.1 M and 14.5% in Ytd-2016), compared to $3.4 M (16.6%) in Q2-2015 ($6.9 M and 17.8% in Ytd-2015);

EBITDA (1) of $2.3 M in Q2-2016 ($4.6 M for Ytd-2016), compared to $2.0 M in Q2-2015 ($4.6 M for Ytd-2015), an increase of 10.7% between quarters;

Cash flow from operating activities before change in working capital items of $1.6 M or $0.04 per share (2) in Q2-2016 ($3.0 M or $0.08 per share (2) for Ytd-2016), compared to $1.5 M or $0.04 per share (2) in Q2-2015 ($3.3 M or $0.09 per share (2) for Ytd-2015);

Cash on hand of $5.1 M at June 30, 2016, compared to $6.1 M as at December 31, 2015;

On June 15, 2016, 950,000 common shares were issued in exchange for warrants for total cash consideration of $1.3 M.

Story continues

Overview

During the period, Dynacor completed the construction of its new ore processing facility, the Veta Dorada Plant, located in Chala, in the heart of one of the most productive gold mining regions of Peru. The Veta Dorada Plant will initiate production at a 300-tpd capacity (102,000 t/y) and management is planning to increase its ore processing capacity to 360 tpd as soon as possible thereafter. It is designed to be readily expandable to 450-tpd (153,000 t/y) and then to 600-tpd (204,000 t/y) by adding additional processing lines and ball mills.

On June 13, 2016, the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru ("MEM") officially approved the Veta Dorada Plant's construction and issued an affidavit stating that the plant is compliant with the applicable Peruvian regulations. On July 28, 2016, the Corporation announced that the Peruvian Water Authority ("ANA") approved the water usage permit for the Veta Dorada Plant. By Q3-2016, the Veta Dorada Plant should begin operating and Dynacor expects that this modern, well designed and efficient plant will lead to considerable operating cost savings in the following areas: energy, transport, tailing management and lower overall per unit costs due to a higher ore throughput.

Results from operations:

Overall, the Metalex Plant averaged a daily ore throughput rate of 198 tpd in Q2-2016 (179 tpd for Ytd-2016) compared to 203 tpd in Q2-2015 (203 tpd for Ytd-2015), a 2.5% decrease over Q2-2015 (11.8% decrease over Ytd-2015). However, ore head grade for Q2-2016 increased by 7.8% (increase of 18.4% over Ytd-2015), which had a positive impact on the Corporation's production. Although the Metalex Plant processed 16,847 dry metric tonnes ("DMT") of ore in Q2-2016 (30,391 DMT for Ytd-2016) compared to 17,242 DMT in Q2-2015 (34,372 DMT for Ytd-2015), a decrease of 2.3% (a decrease of 11.6% over Ytd-2015), it produced 17,525 ounces of gold in Q2-2016 (33,332 ounces for Ytd-2016), as compared to 16,594 ounces of gold in Q2-2015 (32,152 ounces for Ytd-2015).

Total gold and silver sales in Q2-2016 amounted to $21.5 M ($41.9 M for Ytd-2016), compared to $20.2 M in Q2-2015 ($39.0 M for Ytd-2015), an increase of $1.3 M or 6.4% over Q2-2015 (an increase of $2.9 M or 7.4% over Ytd-2015). Net income was $1.1 M in Q2-2016, compared to $0.8 M in Q2-2015, an increase of 30.5% due to the increase in ounces produced, relating to the higher ore grade of 1.10 oz/DMT as compared to 1.02 oz/DMT in Q2-2015, which was slightly offset by lower volumes processed.

The gross operating margin for the period amounted to $3.1 M (14.5%) compared to $3.4 M (16.6%), a $0.3 M (6.9%) decrease compared to Q2-2015. Overall, the Corporation expects that the gross margin % to be in the range of 15% to 20%. The gross operating margin of 14.5% for Q2-2016, is below expectations due to a higher relative cost per ton of ore compared to Q2-2015 and a reduction of silver sales between periods. In addition, the increase in non-cash depreciation negatively affected the gross margin for the period. Depreciation has increased primarily due to a reduced amortization period for the Metalex Plant, along with a higher tailing and asset retirement obligation included in property, plant and equipment. Overall, the gross operating margin attained continues to reflect the ability of Dynacor's business model to generate cash flow from operations despite a volatile market price of gold.

Financial statement highlights

Three-month periods

ended June 30, Six-month periods

ended June 30, (in $'000) 2016 2015 2016 2015 Sales 21,521 20,220 41,949 38,968 Cost of sales 18,401 16,869 35,846 32,039 Gross operating margin 3,121 3,351 6,103 6,929 General and administrative expenses 1,116 1,316 1,998 2,112 Operating income 1,726 1,708 3,483 4,160 Net income and comprehensive Income 1,066 819 1,767 2,122 EBITDA(1) 2,268 2,046 4,551 4,620 Net cash flow from operating activities before change in working capital items 1,551 1,548 3,021 3,349 Cash flow from operating activities 441 2,081 1,027 4,193 Earnings per share Basic $0.03 $0.02 $0.05 $0.06 Diluted $0.03 $0.02 $0.05 $0.06 Reconciliation of net comprehensive income to EBITDA(1) Net comprehensive income 1,066 819 1,767 2,122 Income taxes 594 748 1,287 1,593 Financial expenses 87 32 323 60 Depreciation 571 447 1,203 845 Gain on revaluation of financial instrument (50 ) - (29 ) - EBITDA (1) 2,268 2,046 4,551 4,620

(1) EBITDA: "Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation" is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. It is therefore possible that this measure could not be comparable with a similar measure of another Corporation. The Corporation uses this non-IFRS measure as an indicator of the cash generated by the operations and allows investor to compare the profitability of the Corporation with others by canceling effects of different assets bases, effects due to different tax structures as well as the effects of different capital structures.

(2) Cash-flow per share is a non-IFRS financial performance measure with no standard definition under IFRS. It is therefore possible that this measure could not be comparable with a similar measure of another Corporation. The Corporation uses this non-IFRS measure which can also be helpful to investors as it provides a result which can be compared with the Corporation market share price.

Cash flow from operating, investing and financing activities and working capital

Operating Activities

During Q2-2016, the cash flow from operations, before changes in working capital items, amounted to $1.6 M or $0.04 per share ($3.0 M or $0.08 per share for Ytd-2016), compared to $1.5 M or $0.04 per share in Q2-2015 ($3.3 M or $0.09 per share for Ytd-2015). These variations are primarily related to the changes in net income between the comparative periods, a $0.2 M increase in Q2-2016 and a decrease of $0.4 M for Ytd-2016.

During Q2-2016, total cash generated from operating activities amounted to $0.4 M compared to $2.1 M in Q2-2015. Changes in working capital items decreased by $1.1 M (increase of $0.5 M in Q2-2015) relating primarily to an increase in inventory ($1.2 M) and trade and other receivables ($0.7 M), offset by an increase in trade and other payables ($0.9 M).

For Ytd-2016, total cash generated from operating activities amounted to $1.0 M, compared to $4.2 M in the comparative period. Changes in working capital items decreased by $2.0 M (increase of $0.8 M in the comparative period) relating primarily to an increase in inventory ($1.0 M) and trade and other receivables ($1.6 M), which was offset by an increase in trade and other payables ($0.9 M).

Investing Activities

During Q2-2016, the Corporation invested $2.9 M ($6.4 M for Ytd-2016) for the acquisition of property, plant and equipment, mainly relating to the construction of the Veta Dorada Plant. Accumulated construction and pre-commissioning costs at June 30, 2016, for the Veta Dorada Plant amount to $16.2 million. Adjustments, upgrades, and additions to the circuit have been performed as part of current tests which will be ongoing through start-up. Additional investments were also required for increase water supply and service buildings.

Additions to exploration and evaluation assets during Q2-2016, amounted to $0.2 M ($0.7 M for Ytd-2016).

Financing activities

On January 14, 2016, the Corporation entered into the Facility in the aggregate amount of up to $10.0 M with third party lenders. The Facility consists of a $7.0 M drawdown term loan facility (the "Term Loan") and a $3.0 M revolving facility. The Term Loan has a term of up to thirty-six months and bears interest at a rate of 10% per annum. The revolving facility has a term of twelve months, which may be extended for up to two additional periods of twelve months, and bears annual interest at a rate of 8.5% or Prime rate plus 6% per annum, whichever is greater. The Facility can be reimbursed at any time without any penalties. In conjunction with the loan, the Corporation has agreed to issue to the lenders, 950,000 common share purchase warrants ("Warrants"), each Warrant being exercisable at a price of CA $1.83 per common share of Dynacor and expiring on January 14, 2019. On June 15, 2016, the Warrants were redeemed and 950,000 common shares were issued for total cash consideration of $1,345,180.

As at June 30, 2016, the Corporation had drawn $5.0 M on the Term Loan, made repayments of $0.7 M and paid $0.5 M in transaction and interest costs.

Liquidity

As at June 30, 2016, the Corporation's working capital amounted to $14.0 M, including $5.1 M in cash ($13.0 M, including $6.1 M in cash at December 31, 2015).

2016- Ore processing outlook

The completion of the Veta Dorada Plant is an important and strategic milestone for the Corporation. Therefore, the focus for the remainder of the year, will be set on receiving the last necessary permit, the operating permit, and on the start-up of the production at the Veta Dorada Plant where the Corporation expects to take advantage of a much better milling site location (along the Pan American highway) and better process and cost efficiency to improve its operating results and ramp-up production.

The Veta Dorada Plant's overall construction is 100% complete. The pre-commissioning phase of the Veta Dorada Plant has begun, running the facilities dry. With the water permit recently obtained, the Corporation enters the following procedures of the project which consist of:

Wet Running: Wet running is used to test the units individually (crushing, milling, conveyor belts, etc.), ensuring that each sub-unit is functioning correctly. Operational running: A complete test using mineralized ore, crushing and milling as well as chemical extraction and gold recovery. During this stage all the processes are tested but the yield is not measured.

Some required and normal equipment adjustments and upgrades were made and any necessary replacements of the circuit parts will be done if required, in order to facilitate start-up and avoid as much as possible downtime at this next phase leading to commercial production.

At the beginning of August, the Corporation filed for the operating permit to be delivered by the MEM. The expected timeframe for the delivery of this permit is three weeks. Management is planning to launch start-up of the new Veta Dorada Plant promptly following reception of the operating permit.

Dynacor plans to operate the Huanca Metalex Plant until the Veta Dorada Plant begins production start-up. Management is evaluating different scenarios pertaining to the Huanca Metalex Plant once the Veta Dorada Plant begins operations and mineralized material volume are known.

Dynacor Announces the Election of Its Board of Directors

Dynacor announces that, at the annual meeting of shareholders held on June 21, 2016, each of the six nominees listed in the Management Information Circular filed on May 20, 2016, with regulatory authorities were elected as directors of the Corporation.

Based on the proxies received and the votes on a show of hands, the following individuals were elected as directors of the Corporation until the next annual shareholders' meeting. Accordingly, the results are set out below:

Nominees Votes cast

FOR % of votes

cast FOR Votes cast WITHHELD % of votes cast WITHHELD Eddy Canova 11 392 308 99.75 % 28 244 0.25 % Roger Demers 11 393 833 99.77 % 26 719 0.23 % Jean Depatie 11 394 917 99.78 % 25 635 0.22 % Marc Duchesne 11 245 117 98.46 % 175 435 1.54 % Pierre Lepine 8 168 831 71.53 % 3 251 721 28.47 % Jean Martineau 11 385 917 99.70 % 34 635 0.30 %

ABOUT DYNACOR GOLD MINES INC.

Dynacor is a gold ore-processing and exploration Corporation active in Peru since 1996. The Corporation differentiates itself from pure exploration companies as it generates income from its wholly owned ore-processing plant. Dynacor's basic share count at 38.4 million outstanding is in the lowest quartile of the resource sector. The Corporation's assets include three exploration properties, including the advanced high-grade gold Tumipampa property and an operating 85,000 TPA gold and silver ore processing mill at Metalex-Huanca. The Corporation is currently commissioning its 300 new tpd ore processing plant in Chala (Southern Peru) and expects to begin operations during Q3-2016. The completion of this new plant represents an important milestone for the Corporation's future growth. The Corporation's strength and competitive advantage comes with the experience and knowledge it has developed while working in Peru. Its pride remains in maintaining respect and positive work ethics toward its employees, partners and local communities.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain statements in the foregoing may constitute forward-looking statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Dynacor, or industry results, to be materially different from any future result, performance or achievement expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current expectations regarding future events and operating performance as of the date of this news release.

Website: http://www.dynacor.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DynacorGold

Facebook: facebook.com/DynacorGoldMines

Shares outstanding: 38,378,911
Over two feet of rain has fallen along the Gulf Coast since late last week. Historic flooding across Louisiana has resulted in at least four fatalities and thousands of evacuations and water rescues. The flooding is spreading into Texas and Arkansas. Heavy rain will fall from the Midwest into southern Ontario and Quebec by late Tuesday.
Police lathicharged ABVP volunteers who were protesting in front of Karnataka's Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru on Tuesday afternoon. The volunteers were demanding immediate ban on Amnesty International for allegedly chanting antinational slogans.

Senior police officers clarified that the event organised by AI had their permission, but towards the end of the programme "some people were involved in unlawful activities". Action will be initiated once the probe is complete, assured a senior officer at the spot.

Meanwhile, a group of ex-servicemen submitted a plea to the police seeking transfer of the anti-India sloganeering incident to NIA. The protest spread to Hubballi, too, as students blocked Sangolli Rayanna circle, causing a huge traffic jam.

Police on Monday booked sedition charges against Amnesty International's Bengaluru unit after a few people allegedly raised anti-India slogans in a panel discussion organised by the NGO.

Senior police officers said that FIR against Amnesty International and others, had been filed under Sections 124a (sedition), 153a (promoting enmity), 142 (unlawful assembly), 147 and (rioting).

They added that the decision on the sections was taken after a long discussion, where available evidences, including video footage were examined.

Reacting to the police action, Amnesty International India said it had not received a copy of the FIR.

"Merely organising an event to defend constitutional values is now being branded anti-India and criminalised," said Aakar Patel, executive director, Amnesty International India.

"The police were invited and present at the event. The filing of a complaint against us now, and the registration of a case of sedition, shows a lack of belief in fundamental rights and freedoms in India. Indias archaic sedition law has been used to harass and persecute activists and others for their peaceful exercise of their right to free expression."

The multi-city eventBroken Familiesheld at United Theological College, JC Nagar, on Saturday, had invited three families from Kashmir to narrate alleged human rights violations and atrocities committed by the security forces.

While some spoke in support of the Indian Army, others accused it of violating human rights. The event took a controversial turn, after a few participants allegedly raised slogans demanding azaadi (freedom).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted the nation on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, just ahead of his third address to the nation from the historic Red Fort.

"Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind!," Modi tweeted.

Modi is scheduled to address the nation from the 17th century Mughal monument where scores of VVIPs are expected to be present.

They would include senior political figures, diplomats and military personnel besides thousands of civilians including school students.

Earlier, Modi paid a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial in Rajghat.
A police investigation was ordered on Monday after the national tricolour fell off the post when Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti tried to hoist it at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.

It was a major embarrassment for Mufti, who presided over the state's Independence Day celebration for the first time as the chief minister. When she pulled the string attached to the poll to hoist the flag, instead of unfurling the flag fell.

In a damage control effort, two officials in Mufti's security detail held the flag in their hands until the chief minister gave the ceremonial salute to the flag. After Mufti left the stage, security officials, put the flag back up and hoisted it atop the post.

Angry over the incident, Mufti has ordered strict action against police officers who oversaw the arrangements of the event.

According to reports, Director General of Police has ordered a high-level probe by Special DG into the incident.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed Mufti over the incident, saying now she will find someone else to blame for this deeply embarrassing incident.

Now @MehboobaMufti will have to find someone to blame for failing to hoist the  in Srinagar since nothing is ever her fault.  Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) August 15, 2016

In the backdrop of the continuing unrest in the valley, Mufti in her maiden Independence Day speech, appealed to the youth of the state not to be misled by vested interests who want to keep the valley burning and maintained that dialogue is the only way to resolve issues.
A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in a gunfight here on Monday despite a strict curfew in the Kashmir Valley in view of terror threats on India's Independence Day.

Pramod Kumar, commandant of the 49 Battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), was killed after four militants hurled a grenade and opened fire at a security patrol in an old city area.

Nine paramilitary troopers were also injured in the attack. They have been shifted to a hospital.

Police said the attackers entered a house in Nowhatta - close to the historic Jamia Masjid, the main mosque in Srinagar.

"Two of the militants were gunned down and the other two are still firing from the house," a police officer told IANS.

Much of Srinagar has been under curfew continuously almost for five weeks since the killing of a militant commander on July 8 sparked widespread protests, leaving 56 people dead and thousands injured.

Restrictions were tighter on Monday as separatists had called for pro-freedom protests to mark the Independence Day.

The main official function was held at Bakhshi stadium near Lal Chowk in Srinagar amid tight security. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti hoisted the national flag and addressed the gathering.

She referred to the recent bout of violence in the valley and said peace was imperative for equal development of all the three regions - Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir.

"I ensured that civilians are not used as human shield during anti-militancy operations. I am sad because certain elements are using our youths as a shield to fulfil their notorious desires.

"These elements are trying to achieve their objectives through violence.

"Thousands have died in the state since the 1990s but what did we achieve? During the past 40 days, we handed our youths to these vested interests who are using them as cannon fodder."

She said her government needed time for healing the wounds of Kashmiris.

The Chief Minister appealed India and Pakistan to come together and work for peace in both parts of the divided Kashmir.

"So much blood has flown in the Jhelum river and it has no capacity to bear further bloodshed."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's references to Balochistan and Pakistani Kashmir are to divert attention from the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan said on Monday.

Pakistan's Foreign Policy Advisor Sartaj Aziz said, "The contrast between the Indian Kashmir and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir could not be more stark."

He was reacting to Modi's Independence Day speech in which the Indian Prime Minister came out openly in support of "freedom" of Balochistan and the Kashmir under Pakistani control.

Modi also lashed out at Islamabad for supporting terrorism and committing atrocities on people in Pakistan's largest province Balochistan and parts of Kashmir it governs.

Aziz said Modi was "only trying to divert world attention from the grim tragedy that has been unfolding in the Indian-occupied Kashmir over the past five weeks".

He said thousands of unarmed youth were protesting in the Kashmir Valley "for their right of self-determination".

The foreign policy advisor condemned crackdown on Kashmiris in the weeks of unrest during which at least 58 people have been killed and thousands injured.

"There is constant curfew. These events have nothing to do with terrorism," he said, calling the separatist campaign in Kashmir "an indigenous movement for self-determination".

Aziz said that Modi's reference to Balochistan "proves Pakistan's contention that India through its main intelligence agency RAW has been fomenting terrorism" there.

"India should recognize that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets. It requires a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan," he said. India has denied the allegation.

The remarks came hours after Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhary invited Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar to visit Islamabad for talks on Jammu and Kashmir.
Donald Trump has found at least one person who agrees with his allegation that the U.S. administration founded the Islamic State group.

The leader of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group quoted Trump at a rally in the countrys south Saturday, saying the presidential candidates statements were based on facts.

Hassan Nasrallah says: this is an American presidential candidate who is saying this. What he says is based on facts and documents.

Trump this week described President Barack Obama as the founder of IS. Trump later said the claim was intended as sarcasm.

Nasrallah, who has sent thousands of his fighters to Syria to shore up President Bashar Assads forces, has long claimed that the U.S. helped create and fuel the rise of Islamic extremists to destabilize the Middle East.

(AP)
Its been one potentially disastrous comment after another from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump  but you wouldnt know it watching his running mate.

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is the Trump campaigns happy warrior, delighting in telling cheering audiences that Trump wont tiptoe around the rules of political correctness. Hes deliberately avoided or, when pressed, tried to do damage control on most of Trumps recent eyebrow-raising remarks.

The medias talking today about another controversy over semantics, Pence told a crowd last Thursday in La Crosse, Wisconsin, following a spate of campaign coverage about Trumps claim that President Barack Obama is the founder of ISIS, an acronym for the Islamic State extremist group.

Part sunny sidekick, part Trump translator, Pence is betting his political future on endearing himself to the slice of Republican primary voters who propelled the businessman to the GOP nomination. At the same time, hes trying to stay true to the conservative values hes held since former President Ronald Reagans morning in America optimism lured the one-time Democrat over to the Republican Party in the 1980s.

Its a strategy with risks.

He is walking a tight rope and theres no safety net, said Republican Indiana state Rep. Dave Ober, who is both a vocal Pence supporter and outspoken in his distaste for Trump. Hes had to put together a message of their hopes and dreams for the country if they are elected, while also trying to Band-Aid over some of the mistakes that are being made by Donald at the top of the ticket.

Over the last year-and-a-half, Pences approval rating as Indianas governor sunk, largely due to his support for conservative social issues which drew negative attention to the state. His selection as Trumps running mate plucked him away from a difficult re-election he had no assurance of winning. Now, should Trump lose the White House, Pence will likely be seen favorably by the businessmans most faithful supporters who are expected to be a key voting bloc in the 2020 GOP primary. He plays directly to them on the stump.

(Trumps) a fighter, hes a winner, and until recently it seemed like he was out there fighting all on his own, Pence said, punctuating each of the last four words for emphasis, crafting himself as the man who rescued Trump from walking down a lonely road.

GOP strategist and former Pence spokesman Robert Vane says its no surprise Pence is devoutly on-message because the the first rule of being a VP candidate is do no harm.'

Donald Trump chose Mike Pence based on a series of strengths, Vane said. And Gov. Pence is famous for his message discipline.

Still, there are times where the two are on different pages.

Trump, for example, has refused to publicly release his taxes, bucking a longstanding tradition. Pence ducked the issue until his Democratic vice presidential rival Sen. Tim Kaine, of Virginia, last week released years worth of tax records. Now Pence has changed tack, suggesting in an interview with WABC in New York that his own taxes could soon be released and adding they would be a a quick read.

When news anchors pressed Pence last week about Trumps founder of ISIS comments, and remarks that Second Amendment people  people advocating for the right to carry guns  could do something to protest Hillary Clintons Supreme Court selection, Pence did his best to downplay or rationalize both controversies.

Of course not, no, he told a Philadelphia reporter when asked whether Trumps Second Amendment remarks sought to incite violence. Donald Trump is urging people around this country to act in a manner consistent with their convictions in the course of this election, and people who cherish the Second Amendment have a very clear choice in this election.

The two men talk strategy almost daily, but Pence is the far more disciplined. In his roughly 30-minute stump speech, Pence defends his new boss, brushes over the latest Trump-related news item, then trains his sights squarely on Clinton, a target Trump hasnt seemed able to stay on.

But while Pence is more on-message, few voters are around to see it. Pence attracted crowds of less than 300 last week at stops in Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, compared to the thousands who show up to see Trump daily.

Curt Smith, a longtime friend and former GOP congressional aide who now runs the conservative Indiana Family Institute think tank, says Pence has performed well, despite the challenges of being Trumps running mate.

If he handles himself well, if he continues to make a valuable contribution to the ticket, his future will take care of itself and he will be a top ticket contender, Smith said.

Indeed, Pence is using Midwestern modesty to make his support for Trump crystal clear.

As a rowdy Milwaukee crowd began chanting, Pence, Pence, Pence, at a Thursday night rally, the Indiana governor offered a different suggestion: Lets try Trump, Trump, Trump!

(AP)
Pastures new: Newton Investment Management boss Helena Morrissey

Newton Investment Management chief executive Helena Morrissey is stepping down after 15 years, depriving the City of one of its more intriguing characters. A willowy, soigne figure, Morrissey, 50, lives in a five bedroom home in West London where she has reared nine children.

Despite managing some 50billion in assets, she travels to work on the Tube and insists on doing the ironing. She shares a four-poster with hubby Richard, a bearded Buddhist monk who teaches meditation.

Frisky Lloyds boss Antonio Horta-Osorio's recent alleged dalliance with horsey blonde Wendy Piatt will likely lead to some embarrassing questions from the bank's owlish chairman, Lord Blackwell.

Dry-as-a-biscuit Norman, 64, is an experienced hand in such delicate matters. He was Head of Policy to John Major, whose cabinet was a permanent cascade of falling trousers.

JP Morgan's brash, 18million-a-year boss Jamie Dimon's holiday reading list includes The Conservative Heart: How To Build A Fairer, Happier, And More Prosperous America, by Arthur C. Brooks and a new biography of Ronald Reagan.

Hardly breezy seaside material, but workaholic Dimon, 60  so-called 'King of Wall Street'  doesn't do frivolity and barely switches off. He refused to skip work even while undergoing chemotherapy for throat cancer two years ago, of which he is now clear.

Don't expect to see ex-Bank of England governor Lord King on Twitter any time soon. He says: 'I have no wish to add to the various experiences available to read and view on social media.' Sage Merv, 68, is much too diplomatic to add 'which I find too moronic to go anywhere near'.

High brow Financial Times' upcoming Weekend Festival, held (where else?) on the socialist haven of Hampstead Heath next month, features a pow-wow with eccentric couturier Dame Vivienne Westwood.
When companies are taken over, most employees are fearful for their jobs. Not so the men  and the small handful of women  at the top. They have no need to fret over their future under a new owner.

Quite the reverse: any regrets they may have at losing their job are likely to be well-cushioned by a multi-million pound payment. Welcome to the Golden Sellouts.

In the past few weeks alone there have been some truly eye-opening windfalls for British executives who have succumbed to foreign predators.

Jim McCarthy, the former boss of Poundland, will receive nearly 23million when the budget shop chain is taken over by South African retailer Steinhoff  but his case, believe it or not, is actually much more justifiable than some.

Krafty move: Cadbury boss Todd Stitzer made millions when he sold out to the Americans

A major investor with a holding of 10million shares, or 3.77 per cent, McCarthy spent a decade building the company to a chain with sales of nearly 1billion a year before stepping down this summer.

McCarthy's 23million is a stupefyingly large sum to Poundland shoppers, but at least he spent ten years of his life successfully running the business.

Not so Helge Lund, the former chief executive of BG, who was paid 5.5million when he former FTSE 100 stalwart was taken over by Shell earlier this year, plus 9.7million of shares he received in February.

Not bad considering he only spent around 12 months at the oil exploration and production company.

The row over Lund's rewards began before the merger, when he was hired from Norway's Statoil with a 12million golden handshake.

It was subsequently cut to 10.6million to placate angry shareholders, but still  nice work if you can get it.

In another high profile bid, the bosses of British chip designer ARM, which is being taken over by Japanese technology giant SoftBank, are in line for tens of millions. Chief executive Simon Segars will be handed 11.36million, whilst chief technology officer Mike Muller will get 21million.

How is it that bosses manage to bag such large sums in a bid? For starters, most will be entitled to a year's pay, benefits, and annual bonus.

That will add up to six figures. But they will also be able to cash in on the thousands of shares they have in the company: often this will yield a large sum because most bidders pay a decent premium.

On top of that, the pay committee may have discretion to allow executives to cash their long term options in full in a takeover. Many will also have a well-stashed pension pot containing several millions.

Far from having any real motive to defend their company, Golden Sellout executives have every reason to put out the bunting when a bidder arrives.

They may show some token resistance aimed at squeezing out a higher price, but usually it's a matter of time before they are rolling over.

Those that genuinely put up a fight, such as drugs group AstraZeneca, which repulsed a bid from US giant Pfizer, are relatively rare.

Critics say the vast personal gains are encouraging the trend for British businesses to be gobbled up by foreign predators, to the detriment of the economy.

The issue first emerged when American Todd Stitzer, former chief executive of Cadbury, received a payout of around 20million from cashing in millions of performance shares as a result of the 11.4billion takeover by Kraft in 2010. He also had amassed a 17.4million pension pot.

Quids in: Jim McCarthy, the former boss of Poundland, will receive nearly 23m when the budget shop chain is taken over by South African retailer Steinhoff

Campaigners say the system is in need of reform. 'This is just another example of how executives can't lose,' says Stefan Stern, director of the High Pay Centre.

'Everyone has their price. It raises the question of how objective can you be about the future independence of the business as an executive when you know the deal will reap such personal rewards.

'Theresa May ought to look at this,' he adds, referring to the Prime Minister's comments that she wants to see better boardroom behaviour.

'You really want the chief executive to look at a deal objectively, and not to think, 'Wahey! I can cash in'.'

Frustratingly for ordinary employees, customers and small shareholders, it is impossible to say exactly how much a chief executive will receive until a figure is published after the bid has gone through.

Bosses frequently react with fury when journalists and others try to make an educated guess ahead of that  even though it is highly relevant to investors and the public at large to know exactly how well incentivised executives are.

London Stock Exchange chief Xavier Rolet, for instance, insists a bid by Germany's Deutsche Boerse is in the best interests of investors and the market.

He has seen his personal holding of more than 500,000 shares rise significantly from the 12million they were worth before a bid was lodged.

There is no reason to doubt Rolet's sincerity, but however honourable an executive is, it is hard for the mind to remain unclouded by the prospect of such huge gains, even if only at a subconscious level.

Alan Clark, the boss of SABMiller, could receive as much as 70million when the drinks giant he leads merges with AB InBev.

In other countries, they do things differently. When mobile phone operator Vodafone paid bonuses to executives of German group Mannesmann after it took over that company in 2000, it ended up in court.

A group of Mannesmann supervisory board directors were tried on breach of trust charges for approving around 50million of bonuses to departing executives after the takeover. The case dragged on for years before directors agreed to pay a settlement without admitting guilt.

Here, however, takeover windfalls are just another top person's perk. One of the biggest winners was Neil Berkett, the former chief executive of Virgin Media, who received a 58million pay-off following a 2013 deal with US group Liberty Global.

Corporate governance expert David Pitt-Watson, who has co-written a book called What They Do With Your Money, says the prospect of payouts is likely to 'weaken the resolve to repel a bidder'.

'It illustrates how it is impossible to set out a contract that precisely encourages people to manage companies well.'

Takeovers come with downsides. Apart from the obvious one of job losses, if they denude the stock market of blue-chip companies then it becomes harder for ordinary savers to find decent investment opportunities.

Bids are not invariably a bad thing  in an efficient market, they are an essential Darwinian mechanism for weeding out complacent companies.
UK employers are adopting a cautious approach to hiring and are less likely to invest in training for their staff following the vote to leave the European Union.

The proportion of UK employers looking to take on new staff over the next three months fell to 36 per cent after the vote from 40 per cent before, the latest quarterly Labour Market Outlook from the CIPD and Adecco said today.

With over 60 per cent of employers surveyed hiring staff from overseas, 40 per cent said June's vote would make it harder for them to employ EU workers.

Revolving doors: UK employers are adopting a cautious approach to hiring and are less likely to invest in training for their staff following the vote to leave the European Union

Overall, 17 per cent of employers who said they employ some migrants also said they thought some of their workforce were considering leaving their organisation as a result of the Brexit vote, with 20 per cent thinking of leaving the UK.

Meanwhile , one in five employers expect to reduce investment in training and skills as a result of Brexit and the subsequent fall in the value of the pound which will push up the cost of imports.

Only 7 per cent of employers said they plan to boost spending on investment in training, the findings suggest.

Ian Brinkley, CIPD's acting chief economist, said: 'While many businesses are treating the immediate post-Brexit period as "business as usual" and hiring intentions overall still remain positive, there are signs that some organisations, particularly in the private sector, are preparing to batten down the hatches.'

Impact: 17 per cent of employers who said they employ some migrants said they thought some of their workforce were considering leaving the firm as a result of the Brexit vote

Over the next 12 months, basic pay across the UK is expected to increase by 1.1 per cent, less than the 1.7 per cent planned in the spring of 2016 and the 2 per cent planned in the summer of 2015, CIPD said.

'The apparent shift appears more to do with an increase in uncertainty among employers who in the previous survey said they expected to pay more than 2% and are now reporting they cannot give a precise figure', CIPD said.

In terms of redundancies, approximately one-firth of companies said they were planning some redundancies over the next three months, compared with just under a quarter in the summer of 2015, the findings suggest.

The survey was based on responses from 726 HR professionals between 10 to 23 June and 618 HR professionals between 8 to 17 July.

Out of work: Share of firms planning to make redundancies over the next three months, according to the CIPD report

Last week, data from Morgan McKInley revealed that the number of finance and banking jobs in London dropped by 27 per cent year-on-year last month.

On Wednesday, the Office for National Statistics will publish labour market data for the three months to July on Wednesday, with the unemployment rate expected to rise to 5.0 per cent, up from 4.9 per cent in the previous period due to post-EU referendum uncertainty.
The proportion of empty shops on Britain's high streets has reached its highest since April 2015, data revealed today, though at least footfall saw an increase.

With rising rental costs and consumers demanding online alternatives, 10.1 per cent of shops lie vacant, a report from British Retail Consortium and Springboard said.

However, footfall across the country's high streets managed to rise by 0.3 per cent last month, after falling by 3.7 per cent in June.

Sad sight: The proportion of empty shops across Britain's high streets has risen above the 10% mark, its highest since April 2015, data from the BRC and Springboard revealed today

In Yorkshire and the North of England, high street shop vacancy rates are above the national average, at 15.8 per cent.

In Northern Ireland, 15.3 per cent of high street shops lie empty, while in Wales the figure drops to 11.9 per cent, the findings suggested.

At 7 per cent, the South West has the lowest proportion of vacant shops across the UK.

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the BRC, said: 'The increase in the number of empty shops is an unwelcome reminder of the heavy burden of property costs.

'After a long run of shop vacancies being below 10 percent, seeing them rise over that threshold once again will be a bitter disappointment to many.'

More shoppers: Footfall across the country's high streets climbed by 0.3 per cent last month

Diane Wehrle, Springboard's Marketing and Insights Director, said the rising shop vacancy figure could have been triggered by the dip in demand for pop-up shops and retailers unwilling to take on leases amid Brexit uncertainty.

Part of the decline in footfall is also attributable to the uptake of technology. In the month after the EU referendum, online sales grew by 11.4 per cent and represented 20.4 per cent of non-food sales, the BRC said.

While footfall across Britain's high streets increased by 0.3 per cent last month, across all retail sectors, including shopping centres, retail parks and the high street, footfall fell by 0.4 per cent, the BRC added.

Trailing behind: In Yorkshire and the North of England, high street shop vacancy rates are above the national average, at 15.8 per cent

In shopping centres, footfall fell by 2.0 per cent last month, compared to a 2.3 per cent drop in June.

Wales is the area of the UK enjoying the strongest shopper numbers, with footfall up 1.7 per cent. In Scotland, footfall fell by 1.9 per cent last month.

Last week, the BRC published data revealing consumer spending was 1.9 per cent higher than a year earlier in July.
By Khettiya Jittapong and Pairat Temphairojana BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai elderly care robot Dinsow can not only keep track of your medication and video-phone your relatives, but can also exercise with you and even entertain you with its karaoke skills. Its manufacturer, CT Asia Robotics, is one of many Thai firms investing heavily in healthcare for the aged in a country where the working-age population will decline this year - a first among the emerging economies of Southeast Asia. By the end of 2016, almost 15 percent of Thailand's roughly 68 million people will be over the retirement age of 60. The government expects the proportion to reach 20 percent by 2020, adding strain to an already stretched healthcare sector. "Doctors and nurses have responded positively to Dinsow because it helps them monitor patients," said Chief Executive Chalermpon Punnotok. CT Asia Robotics has got 1,000 orders from Thailand and Japan for the 85,000 baht ($2,445) droid, he said. Thailand's population swing towards the elderly comes as living and education costs rise along with economic development that has outpaced neighbours, according to the World Bank. The government estimates households spend almost of third of their income on caring for elderly relatives, and KGI Securities estimates healthcare spending will be as high as 7.0 percent of gross domestic product by 2026 from 4.5 percent in 2015. Thailand's $4 billion medicine and healthcare industry is therefore gearing up for a surge in demand for elderly care products, as well as for doctors, nurses and care givers, plus hospital beds, nursing homes and customised private housing. Housing developers such as Sena Development PCL and Nusasiri PCL have been adding features to cater to elderly tenants, such as ramps for wheelchair users, sliding doors, touch-screen light switches and emergency alarm systems. "Elderly clients make up about 10 percent of our customer base," said Sena's Deputy Chief Executive Kesara Tanyalakpark. "That could easily rise to 15 percent or more in coming years." In personal products, diaper maker DSG International Thailand PCL has seen adult diaper sales grow 30 percent this year, and expects double-digit growth over the next five years, said its chief operating officer. "We see Thailand moving in the direction of Japan whereby the adult diaper market will become larger than the baby diaper market, perhaps in 10 years' time," Justine Wang told Reuters. Another company seeing opportunity in the demographic change is medical equipment supplier Samaphan Health, which with Taiwan's Apex Medical Corp <4106.TW> sells mattresses to prevent bed sores as well as respiratory products to aid sleep. "Demand from wealthy clients is very strong," said Managing Director Chinnakarn Samalapa. Sales of its elderly care products have grown 10 percent annually since 2011 and will continue growing, he said. "They don't mind spending to improve the quality of life for elderly relatives." With so much money being spent on care, the government is considering allowing reverse mortgages which would allow elderly homeowners to convert some of their home value into cash - an initiative that would further boost the market for goods and services targeting the elderly, economists said. But as the market booms, some seemingly essential products and services could take a little longer than others to benefit. Thai Riei & Elderly Care Recruitment Co opened in January but attracting customers is a challenge, said Facility Manager Pornchanok Jeanmpudsa. The reason, she said, was a cultural perception that nursing homes are places to abandon the elderly. ($1 = 34.7600 baht) (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong and Pairat Temphairojana; Additional reporting by Manunphattr Dhanananphorn; Editing by Simon Webb, Miyoung Kim and Christopher Cushing)
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By Mark Hallum

The Bayside Village Business Improvement District held its annual meeting in the Magnolia Room of Bourbon Street Restaurant Monday to discuss a new street lamp program and progress on the plan to build a parking garage on 41st Avenue.

Executive Director Lyle Sclair, Chairman Dominick Bruccoleri and guest speaker Matt Mamak led the meeting.

The meeting kicked off with board member elections. The same board members representing landlords from last year were approved by a vote of 15, while commercial tenants from last year were voted back in by a vote of 14.

When it came time to re-elect Mitchell Catanzano, the board member who represents the residents, former BID Director Gregg Sullivan protested that since Catanzano had been absent at prior meetings, he should not be allowed to hold the position. He voiced concern that the residents were not receiving representation in the BID. Sullivan was the only abstention and the slate for the board of directors from last year passed.

Sclair ran through the initiatives the BID has worked on to bring improvements to Bell Boulevard. Music @ The Station is the improvement districts way of welcoming newcomers to Bayside by sponsoring musicians to perform in a space near the lawn of the LIRR Station. The program creates a welcoming atmosphere, which encourages visitors to come to the Bell Boulevard and enjoy what businesses have to offer.

The BIDs street lamp program is funded partly by the improvement district and uses bargaining power by the DOT to acquire antique style street lamps to add a tone reminiscent of New York from the first half of the 19th Century. By working with the citys bargaining power to purchase the lamps at a bulk rate and allowing DOT to manage the installations, the BID saves 25 percent of the cost. The street lamp designs the BID is hoping to get its hands on are similar to those which can be found on the Triborough Bridge.

Sclair also discussed the effort between the BID, DOT and the LIRR to finally construct a five-tier parking garage in the current location of the DOT lot on 41st Avenue to relieve the stress on customers and employees searching for suitable parking along the boulevard and its side streets. These plans have encountered complications from different angles. The LIRR will allow them to build within close proximity to the north side of the tracks, but Con Ed has restrictions against structures being build within a certain proximity to the power lines it has in place. The BID is still working to acquire the funding for this project.

Were not a vehicle just to help merchants, Bruccoleri said, explaining the importance of BID events which have the appearance of helping the community more so than businesses. Were a vehicle to bring the community and the merchants together.

Matt Mamak, a corporate lawyer from Alston & Bird and a Bayside resident, spoke in front of the meeting to discuss labor laws with business owners.

Representatives of Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and Borough President Melinda Katz audited the meeting on behalf of elected officials.

According to the expense budget statement handed out at the meeting, the total revenue for fiscal year 2016 is $178,500, with $218,300 proposed for 2017.
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By Patrick Donachie

A 35-year-old Brooklyn man has been charged with murder in the execution-style killing of an Ozone Park imam and his assistant Saturday afternoon near their mosque in Ozone Park, police said.

Oscar Morel, of 276 Miller Ave., faces two counts of murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, the NYPD said.

Police questioned Morel Monday after tracking his dated Chevy Trailblazer, which matched the description of the vehicle seen leaving the scene of the killings. He was charged late Monday.

Maulama Akonjee, 55, the imam of the Al-Furquan mosque on Glenmore Avenue, and his assistant, Thara Uddin, 64, were cut down by a lone gunman in broad daylight as they turned onto Liberty Avenue.

Police still have not determined a motive for the murders, according to news reports.

We believe because of the evidence that this is the individual, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told a news conference Monday.

A revolver was found at Morels Brooklyn home that corresponded to the weapon used in the killings, the New York Post reported.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Comptroller Scott Stringer and Public Advocate Letitia James were among the public officials and private citizens who gathered Monday at the Municipal Parking Field in Brooklyn across the Queens border from Ozone Park, which is home to a vibrant neighborhood populated by Bangladeshi immigrants and the mosque where the two victims served their community.

Cries of We want justice echoed throughout the service from the crowd of more than 1,000 mourners.

People are not bad. Politics is making their mind bad, said Laskar Farqu, a Jackson Heights resident who attended the funeral. America is a great country. We came from far away to do good.

Badrul Kham, founder and chief adviser of the Al-Furquan mosque, called the murders a hate crime before the funeral.

The Bangladeshi victims, dressed in tradition Muslim clothing, were both shot in the head by a gunman who approached them from behind, police said.

The police circulated a sketch of a man wearing glasses and described the suspect as an adult male with a medium complexion and a beard who was seen on a video wearing a dark-colored shirt and blue shorts.

We want justice, the mosques founder said hours before the call was repeated at the funeral. We lost two innocent people.

He added, We dont make any political statements.
Ambridge music museum to close & go up for sale; items to be relocated
The Logan's Roadhouse and Johnny Carino's restaurants in Wichita Falls have apparently escaped the ax wielded by their respective parent companies after both filed for bankruptcy.

Logan's Roadhouse Inc. of Nashville filed for Chaper 11 bankruptcy Aug. 8 and said it intended to close 18 low-performing locations. CoStar Group, which tracks major real estate transactions, reported Monday that Logan's sought permission to cancel leases on 21 properties as part of its bankruptcy filing. Wichita Falls' location on Call Field Road was not on that list.

Two Texas locations were, one in Houston and another in San Antonio.

Logan's, which operated 234 restaurants before it began the closings, blamed its troubles on 'pressure on discretionary (customers') income, directly correlating to depressed restaurant sales and reduced customer traffic.'

Logan's has about $416 million in debt, almost all of which is secured, according to a court filing.

Meanwhile, a Texas-based chain with a Wichita Falls location says it will sell all or most of its properties. Fired Inc. of Austin operates the 36 Johnny Carino's locations across Texas. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 14. This happened less than four months after the company emerged from an earlier Chapter 11 filing.

The Austin Business Journal reported the parent company blamed the slump in the oil industry and the Affordable Care Act for its business downturn.

The company reportedly owes $19 million to creditors and $905,000 to its employees in wages and benefits.

A meeting of the company's creditors is set for Tuesday in Austin.

Johnny Carino's restaurants recently closed in Amarillo and Waco, but the location on Kell Boulevard in Wichita Falls remained open as of Monday.

Restaurant chains have seen a downturn in business in 2016. Ruby Tuesday announced this past week that it would close 95 stores. A few other chains that do not have locations in Wichita Falls, such as Fox & Hound's Champps, Old Country Buffet, Ryan's and HomeTown Buffet, have filed for bankruptcy.

Restaurant business analysts think part of the reason some chains are struggling is due to rising meal prices necessary to pay higher labor costs and a trend for younger customers to shun established chains for new restaurants.

Some point out that in 2016, the Olympics, presidential politics news coverage and  in some parts of the country  civil unrest are causing customers to stay home, which has benefited pizza and carryout businesses.
Booker T. Washington and Kate Burgess elementary schools and Kirby Middle School each received an improvement required designation on the states 2016 accountability ratings. They are among the 5.5 percent of schools Texas views as underperforming campuses.

Two of those schools, Booker T. Washington and Burgess, are not new to the list, having landed an improvement required designation in 2015. Booker T. also made the list in 2013.

We expected that, Wichita Falls ISD Associate Superintendent Peter Griffiths said of the two schools not shedding the improvement required ranking. He added at Mondays school board meeting that where the campuses got it right was in student progress. Accountability scores were so low to begin with, he said, and it will take time to reach, then exceed, the target.

Washington and Burgess are economically disadvantaged campuses with more than 95 percent of the student body at each considered economically disadvantaged, according to 2015 state numbers.

The Times Record News Investigates team reported on the challenges of both schools in its Equity in Education series. The campuses also struggle with teacher retention, a rotating door of principals, not having enough experienced teachers or minority teachers, not having enough students in prekindergarten programs, and more.

Despite three campuses being labeled improvement required, the Wichita Falls ISD as a whole met state standards, with 24 of its 27 campuses meeting standards. Also, three formerly improvement required sites  Lamar, Scotland Park and Sheppard  were removed from any school improvement requirement mandates. A school must be off the list two years in a row to no longer be required to submit improvement plans to the state.

The Texas Education Agency released its 2016 state accountability ratings Monday for more than 1,200 school districts and charters, as well as more than 8,600 campuses across the state The system is one way the state uses to identify its failing schools, with campuses rated met standard, met alternative standard or improvement required.

The states accountability system grades campuses on four indexes: student achievement (index 1), which looks at performance across all subjects; student progress (index 2), which measures, year-to-year, student progress by subject and student group; closing performance gaps (index 3), which emphasizes academic achievement of economically disadvantaged students and the lowest performing racial/ethnic student groups; and postsecondary readiness (index 4), or how prepared a student is for the workforce, job training or the military.

The schools must meet target scores on three of those indexes: index 1 or 2 and index 3 and index 4.

Booker T. Washington failed three of the four requirements, with scores mirroring, almost exactly, its performance on the 2015 accountability ratings. The campus only met standards in student progress.

Burgess met two of the four requirements, though not in the right combination. The campus met requirements in student progress and postsecondary readiness. But it did not meet the targets for student achievement or for closing performance gaps.

And Kirby met the target on one of the four requirements, scoring 10 points above the target in postsecondary readiness.

Of Wichita Falls neighboring school districts, only Northside ISD in Wilbarger County and Henrietta Middle School made the improvement required list.

Once a school is improvement required, the district must submit an improvement plan for each campus to the state.

Superintendent Michael Kuhrt said each school also will have its own team to plan interventions.

What things are we doing different? trustee Bill Franklin asked.

Were hoping technology will help a little bit, Griffiths said.

Trustee Bob Payton added, Its troublesome if what weve done hasnt worked.

Kuhrt said the district added one interventionist each at Washington and Burgess, along with math and reading specialists. The math and reading coaches work with the teachers, while the interventionists work with the students.

Its about building relationships with students. We feel thats the missing piece. ... We have a campus committee, and well work with that campus committee to figure out how we can increase community participation. ... Were going to have to try something different.

Will we be getting regular updates? trustee Elizabeth Yeager asked.

Kuhrt said the district gives quarterly updates to the state and that the board can be looped in.

In September, the district will receive more detailed accountability information, including which campuses achieved academic distinctions.

Also at the meeting, the board announced that a public hearing on the districts budget is being scheduled for Aug. 24. The board also approved an order of election for Nov. 8. School trustees to Place 2 and Place 4 will serve a four-year term each, while Place 3 and Place 5 will serve a two-year term each.

The board also:

n Awarded catalog bids from various vendors for office, science, physical education and teaching/instructional supplies, as well as for trophies, awards and plaques, athletic supplies and equipment, and fundraiser items.

n Approved the applicant pool and financial report.

n Approved a resolution on tax trust properties at 806 and 808 Dallas Street. The board will allow the superintendent to sign documentation to transfer the districts interest in the property to the city. Habitat for Humanity has submitted a request for the city to donate these vacant lots.

n Approved a resolution on tax properties at 713 Marconi, 1917 Perigo and 307 Patterson. Three parties have made offers to develop those properties but are offering less than the minimum bid. The city, which is acting as trustee for itself, the county and school district, wants to get approval to sell the properties for less than the minimum bids and place them back on the tax roll.

n Awarded food service dish machine chemicals and cleaning supplies to EcoLab Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota, for a yearly total of about $47,400 and to Empire Paper of Wichita Falls for a yearly total of a little more than $3,400.

n OKd the renewal of auto and crime insurance, to be provided by Higginbotham of Fort Worth, and approved the renewal of general and professional liability insurance with TASB.

n Approved the teacher appraisal calendar and the list of appraisers for the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, or T-TESS.

The board also

-- Awarded catalog bids from various vendors for office, science, physical education and teaching/instructional supplies, as well as for trophies, awards and plaques, athletic supplies and equipment, and fundraiser items.

-- Approved the applicant pool and financial report.

-- Approved a resolution on tax trust properties at 806 and 808 Dallas Street. The board will allow the superintendent to sign documentation to transfer the districts interest in the property to the city. Habitat for Humanity has submitted a request for the city to donate these vacant lots.

-- Approved a resolution on tax properties at 713 Marconi, 1917 Perigo and 307 Patterson. Three parties have made offers to develop those properties but are offering less than the minimum bid. The city, which is acting as trustee for itself, the county and school district, wants to get approval to sell the properties for less than the minimum bids and place them back on the tax roll.

-- Awarded food service dish machine chemicals and cleaning supplies to EcoLab Inc. of St. Paul, Minnesota, for a yearly total of about $47,400 and to Empire Paper of Wichita Falls for a yearly total of a little more than $3,400.

-- OKd the renewal of auto and crime insurance, to be provided by Higginbotham of Fort Worth, and approved the renewal of general and professional liability insurance with TASB.

-- Approved the teacher appraisal calendar and the list of appraisers for the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System, or T-TESS.
VERNON  Things are changing at Wilbarger General Hospital, as plans move forward to launch a new service to benefit the community and medical staff. Plans call for a new hospitalist program that is quickly becoming the standard for inpatient hospital care throughout the U.S.

Hospitalist programs use physicians who specially trained to work either exclusively or primarily in the inpatient setting. The program calls for a doctor to always be in the hospital and ready to devote time and energy to making sure patients have immediate and focused medical attention.

Hospitalist programs have enjoyed broad support across the medical community for a variety of reasons. First, they ease the burden on overworked members of the medical staff, who must serve the needs of both clinic and hospital patients. Hospitalists also assist hospitals in the implementation of contemporary quality practices, making it easier to track and improve outcomes. Finally, having physicians dedicated to hospitalized patients makes admission quicker and more convenient for patients.

'This program is very similar to one that is in place at United Regional Health Care System in Wichita Falls,' said Claudia A. Eisenmann, Wilbarger General's chief executive officer. 'If someone goes to an appointment with their primary care physician and the physician determines they need to be admitted to the hospital, the physician will send them to the hospital to be admitted. Once the patient is admitted, the hospitalist physician will oversee the care of the patient. The great thing about this model is that it gives patients and families immediate access to the attending physician to answer questions, explain the reason for certain tests and treatments, and to devote as much time as needed to address specific patient needs.'

The program, scheduled to begin Aug. 15 at Wilbarger General, will mean area residents will experience some changes when they are admitted to the hospital. The most notable change will be that once a patient is admitted, the physician making rounds and directing their care will be the hospitalist on duty and not that patient's primary care physician. Once the patient is ready to be discharged, the hospitalist will communicate with and send a summary of care to that patient's primary care physician to ensure a smooth transition of care.

Local surgeon Dr. Rey Tolentino will continue to admit patients under his care and services, but all other local health care providers will no longer see patients in the hospital. Many members of Wilbarger General's medical staff have been consulted over the past six to 10 months on the program's design and development.

With the hospitalist program in place, patients who come to the WGH Emergency Department will be admitted to the hospitalist service, if needed. Unless a patient's medical needs require a higher level of care, they will be treated and hospitalized in their local community.

'It is important to provide medical care as close to a patient's home as possible. Studies clearly indicate that when patients are hospitalized in a place where it is convenient for frequent and supportive visits with friends and family, healing time is reduced, anxiety is minimized, and clinical outcomes are enhanced,' Eisenmann said.

The hospitalist program will also provide families and friends the opportunity for enhanced communication. Since the doctor will be available to talk with caregivers and supportive family members from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, there will be many opportunities to discuss care coordination and other matters of importance.

For the first five or six months of the hospitalist program, WGH will contract with an agency to provide the physicians for the program.

Dr. Randall Schaffner, WGH chief of staff, said the interim physicians are from a respected, well qualified, and reputable group from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to Schaffner, most, if not all, of these physicians are board certified in internal medicine, and several have undergone fellowship training in other areas.

'Having these physicians available will help patients who come to Wilbarger General Hospital for care, stay at Wilbarger General Hospital without being transferred,' Schaffner said. 'Patients who need additional care or services will be transferred to a hospital that can provide the best quality care for that patient at that time.'

Currently, WGH has commitments from a family practice physician and an internal medicine physician who will work in the hospitalist program when they begin their employment with the hospital. These physicians will also see patients in a clinic setting in Vernon.

'We are very optimistic about the success that will come from the Hhospitalist program,' Eisenmann said. 'While we expect to see an immediate positive impact when we begin the program in August, our belief is that those results will be further amplified under the direction of Dr. Travis Lehman and with the assistance of Dr. Sesan Olotu when they begin seeing patients in February of 2017. We could not be more excited about the way that this service will support our community, our current medical staff, and strengthen the continuum of care in Wilbarger and surrounding counties.'
Good news for the Saratoga Springs Tourism Board: CheapTickets.com just ranked Saratoga one of 30 up-and-coming destinations in the U.S.

Here's what they wrote about us:
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Saratoga Springs

Six start-ups will meet privately with investor Paul Singh when he visits Saratoga Springs later this week. The new ventures cover video streaming, pet hotels and data visualization.

Singh, who has founded or cofounded five companies, will arrive in Saratoga Springs on Thursday as part of a North American tour of technology startups During the visit, he will host presentations, attend more casual networking events and scout out companies.

The start-ups presenting in Saratoga Springs are Furlocity, a pet services company; Odd Networks, a video streaming service; POMCO, a personal safety device; PowerSpike, an advertising marketplace; WorkOrder.es, a ticketing service for landlords; and Windrush, data visualization software.

Interviewed in July, Singh said he invested in about one company per week over the course of the tour at about $100,000. Private investors, he said then, have also accompanied him to several cities on the route.

The six companies presenting in Saratoga Springs come from around the Capital Region, and several have presented at local pitch events

Windrush, founded by Skidmore College alumni, has spent the summer at the 13-week Barclays Techstars accelerator in New York City, which boasts a broad network of mentors.

Schenectady's Furlocity saw a leadership turnover earlier this year Reid Hislop, the former marketing chief at Plug Power and MapInfo, took charge of the pet services business backed by Start-Up New York in April.

Furlocity, which seeks to digitize booking and scheduling services for dog walking and pet-friendly hotels, aims to raise a $2 million "Series B" round of funding, and Hislop said he hopes Singh decides to invest. "It's an opportunity for us to share our story with Paul," Hislop said.

PowerSpike CEO Angelo Damiano, a 20-year-old Syracuse University student of Ballston Spa, said he will ask Singh questions about scalability and growth as his company, which connects broadcasting video game players to advertising opportunities, prepares to raise money.

In total, 12 New York startups will meet privately in Saratoga Springs and Syracuse, where Singh started the week, according to Upstate Venture Connect. Albany-based start-up Moo Plans, a dining system aimed for college students, met Singh in Syracuse on Monday.

About 30 Saratoga Springs companies applied to meet with Singh privately, Upstate Venture Connect spokeswoman Kathryn Cartini said.

Founders said earlier this month that Singh's tour is a rare opportunity in the region, as investors rarely venture beyond startup hubs like New York City and Silicon Valley.

lellis@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @lindsayaellis
COLONIE  Donald Trump wants to build that wall.

Robert Marini has emulated his preferred presidential candidate.

After a rash of Trump lawn sign snatchings from his East Hills Boulevard residence, the prominent Capital Region home builder has encased his latest homemade sign in concrete and surrounded it with barbed wire and lights in an attempt to deter would-be vandals and thieves from messing with his show of political pride. And if those features aren't enough of a deterrent, a warning sign bellows: "DO NOT Touch The Sign. If you are reading this, you are TRESPASSING. You WILL BE PROSECUTED To The Fullest Extent Of The Law."

"I don't have enough time in my life to go around stealing Bernie Sanders signs or Hillary Clinton signs. It's not something that I even thought about doing," Marini said Monday. "Everybody's got a right to free speech, right? At least we think so in America today. But some people on the left don't believe in that, so they just take what's not theirs."

Since June, Marini has had five Trump signs stolen from his lawn. The identity of whoever stole them is not known, even after a camera on Marini's property captured the crime. The grainy video shrouded the criminal's identity in the kind of secrecy that isn't uncommon in politics.

The builder said he does not believe he was a target because of his prominence. Rather, it would appear to be an incidence of theft due to ideological differences. Nobody else in his neighborhood has brandished any Trump pride in the form of a sign, he said.

Marini's sign posted in his front yard never was stolen. It was just those that he planted on his back hill. He said his new sign  complete with the security dressing  was created when he finally got sick of having campaign-approved signs taken.

To be sure, the political silly season bringing out action that crosses the line of legality isn't anything new. A note to would-be thieves, though: State Police said getting caught snatching a lawn sign could lead to misdemeanor larceny charges. That means the sign snatcher, if convicted, would likely face a fine.

More noteworthy cases of vandalism against Trump supporters have cropped up, perhaps given 2016's divisive tone.Marini said he supports Trump because he makes the most common sense out of all the politicians that are out there, pointing out, "You won't find a Hillary Clinton supporter who'll tell you that."

Consider the case of the Staten Island homeowner who had his 12-by-8-foot "T" featuring the colors of Old Glory set ablaze early this month. The Post reported that Trump called supporter Sam Pirozzolo personally after the arson (it was being investigated by both the NYPD and FDNY as such) to tell his fellow New Yorker that he appreciated his support.

Marini said he has not involved the police after the incidents at his home.

"I don't want to bother the police with something like that," he said.

"They steal this one, they're going to get a police report, though," he quickly added of the new sign.

mhamilton@timesunion.com  518-454-5449  @matt_hamilton10
Albany

Longtime City Court Judge Thomas Keefe will permanently leave the bench Sept. 30 amid allegations of repeated judicial misconduct  including profanity-laced diatribes at prosecutors, the improper dismissal of cases and unconstitutionally ordering jail for a defendant because she called her lawyer against his wishes.

Keefe, 64, a Democrat whose 10-year term was to run through the end of 2022, agreed to resign Aug. 5 while facing the possibility of being removed, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which made the judge's pending departure public on Monday.

The commission, a watchdog panel for judges, said a referee sustained 10 of the 13 charges the commission's counsel brought against the judge. Keefe, his attorney, Mark Mishler, and the commission's administrator, Robert Tembeckjian, all signed a stipulation that includes Keefe's resignation and agreement to never seek judicial office again. Keefe admits no official wrongdoing.

"I believe Judge Keefe's conduct was such that removal from office was warranted. His permanent resignation is an appropriate resolution," Tembeckjian said in a statement.

The Times Union reported in 2013 that Keefe was under investigation by the commission. At the time, Keefe said: "If I wasn't a judge for some reason a year from now, I would have to assume that it wouldn't be voluntary on my part. When the time comes, I'll let you know. But the bottom line is: If I happen to be removed from office because I did something bad, well, I did something bad."

Less than two months later, Keefe was transferred from City Court on Morton Avenue, where he presided over criminal matters, to handle traffic court and civil cases at City Hall.

The complaints against Keefe, an attorney since 1983, included an exchange in May 2013 between Keefe and defendant Elizabeth Santos. The judge reminded Santos that he "very, very specifically told you not to bug your lawyers but you've made no ... paid no attention to me, so, therefore we're going to send you back (to jail) and I'm going to have a conversation with you next week if you can go a week without calling your lawyers. OK? Bye."

A week later, Keefe allegedly told Santos: "Last week you were here and I abruptly sent you back to jail to come back for a week, right, with the instructions again to not call your lawyer during the week, right? ... And you did that. You've not called your lawyer during the week. Thank you, very much ... Now, I also put on the record that a judge telling a defendant that they're going to jail, and I'm prohibiting you from calling your lawyer, is a violation of your constitutional rights, OK? ... It's outrageous."

In 2003, Keefe lost a file related to a driving while intoxicated case and dismissed it without speaking to the defense or prosecution, the complaints said.

In April 2013, Keefe improperly spoke to defendant Kenrick Lewis outside court about the man's B-level misdemeanor case not being a drug court-eligible offense. Keefe told Lewis he should "go out and get arrested for something more serious." In court, Keefe told Lewis he "screwed things up by not getting arrested," the complaints said.

And the complaints alleged Keefe made "impatient, discourteous and undignified remarks" to and about the office of Albany County District Attorney David Soares, a onetime Keefe friend. Keefe "conveyed an impression of bias" against the office.

The complaints alleged Keefe regularly claimed that Soares had "threatened" him to accept plea deals.

"I'm going to do my job as I see it and if people don't like it, they should do something about it instead of whining about it, right?" Keefe told Assistant District Attorney Shannon Corbitt, in reference to a plea deal, on June 25, 2012. "So, the bottom line is, I have all the time in the world. I'm running for re-election unopposed. I'm going to be here for 10 years and if you think that I've caused problems up to this moment, you haven't seen anything yet."

In May 2012, as then-Deputy Chief Assistant Cheryl Fowler asked to maintain bail for a defendant, Keefe allegedly said, "Who the (expletive) are you to make me keep (the defendant) in jail while you do this?"

On Jan. 25, 2013, Keefe allegedly told Assistant District Attorney Brittany Grome, "If you don't (expletive) like the way things are going in this (expletive) courtroom, then don't come back."

Keefe allegedly dismissed the weapon possession case of a defendant in 2012 without allowing then-Assistant District Attorney Tracey Chance the opportunity to respond, saying, "Court's closed."

The complaints highlighted Keefe's admitted remarks that he blamed Soares  and then-Public Defender James Milstein and the Office of Court Administration  for the drug overdose of defendant Scott Chestnut, 49, who was found unresponsive in a McDonald's restaurant in 2013 and died.

In a statement on Monday, Soares said: "I am aware of the stipulation entered into by the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct and Judge Thomas K. Keefe. My office will be reviewing all pertinent cases to determine if any corrective actions need to be taken. We invite others who may have been affected to contact us through their counsel."

Mishler, Keefe's lawyer, said the commission "made absolutely no finding or determination regarding any of the allegations against Judge Keefe."

"There are numerous factual errors in the charges brought against Judge Keefe. While we acknowledge there were several occasions when Judge Keefe made inappropriate comments in Court, which Judge Keefe deeply regrets, none of those instances would justify the removal of Judge Keefe from office."

The commission's counsel brought charges against Keefe in November 2014. Hearings were held before the referee, Stewart A. Rosenwasser, in June and September 2015. Oral arguments were set for Oct. 22. On Aug. 5, Keefe sent a resignation letter to state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin, the administrative judge in the 3rd Judicial District, which covers Albany and six other counties.

On Monday, Keefe sent a letter of resignation to Mayor Kathy Sheehan, which was forwarded to the Times Union by Mishler. Keefe admitted four of the charges against him were true, but he was not overly contrite.

"My decision to retire is due in large part to my mandatory transfer from Albany Criminal Court to Albany Civil and Traffic Courts two-and-a-half years ago as a result of the complaints filed by the district attorney's office with the Commission on Judicial Conduct and the time, energy and resources I have had to devote to defending myself against those complaints," Keefe stated. "Although I remain confident that most of the charges pending before the Commission on Judicial Conduct would not be sustained on a full review by the commission, I have realized that it is not in my interest to spend another possible 18 months defending myself so that I can remain in a job that I no longer find rewarding."

Keefe added: "With the proceeding concluded, I am free to disclose that the formal written complaint contained no allegations that I used my position to benefit myself, that I presided over matters in which I had a conflict of interest, that I mishandled funds, or that I harmed any defendant or party appearing before me. The complaint involved allegations of procedural issues, inappropriate demeanor, and improper ex parte communications."

Keefe expressed deep regret for his questioning in 2013 of a defendant, Iraq War veteran Joseph Hayner, who said he had falsely tested positive for marijuana. Keefe asked Hayner if he had killed anyone in Iraq  or Albany.

"No," Hayner said.

"OK, good," Keefe replied. "So, if you had killed somebody, that would be really bad. If, in fact, you smoked marijuana in the last week, who the hell cares, right? Who the hell cares?"

On Monday, Keefe said in his letter to Sheehan that he considers the remark the "worst thing I have done in my 14 years as a judge, and for which I apologize. My intent was good; my execution was horrible."

rgavin@timesunion.com  518-434-2403  @RobertGavinTU
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Troy

The heat of the night enveloped Dan New as he got off the plane. The 68-year-old man was back in the city he had known as Saigon. New marveled at how much had changed in what was now known as Ho Chi Minh City.

Waiting for him at the airport was another veteran of the war that ended 40 years ago. That man, Tran Dinh Song, had served in the South Vietnamese Air Force.

Over the next two weeks, New and Song would learn more about each other's story. In the years after coming home from Vietnam, New had sealed an intense feeling of guilt within him. In the years after his country lost to Communist forces, Song of South Vietnam had spent three years in a re-education camp. In December, the two men's winding paths after the war intersected in Ho Chi Minh City.

Song, 67, was New's guide in a two-week reconciliation tour of a dozen American veterans and researchers arranged by the Soldier's Heart, a Troy-based organization that helps veterans heal the psychological wounds of war.

At the beginning of the tour, Song led New through the city on a search for an old hotel that loomed large in New's memory of Saigon.

During the Tet offensive in 1968, New and his Army unit were pinned down by snipers at the seven-story hotel that dated to the French colonial era.

New wanted to walk once again in the lobby. But when they arrived at the site, the hotel was gone. In its place was a building that seemed to stretch 30 stories into the sky. He had flown 9,000 miles to confront his memories, and now his memory was an office space with an upscale wine shop in the lobby.

"I didn't feel any emotional connection," New recalled. "It looked like Wolf Road."

Song had been a guide for 15 reconciliation tours for Soldier's Heart. He'd watched 250 veterans react on their return to the site of painful memories. The Vietnamese man could tell New was disappointed.

"The most important thing for the American vets of the Vietnam War is that they had to let go all the sorrows of the war," Song said in a recent email.

New was in the process of letting go of a memory he had held close, and it was painful at first, said Ed Tick, a psychotherapist and director of Soldier's Heart, who was on the tour.

"He got really red, his head looked like a red lollipop, and then his face got really bright and shiny," Tick recalled. "He laughed at himself, said, 'It's their city, their life, I can take that as a healthy lesson and let go of my scars.'"

It was a process Song had gone through as well. The tour arrived at a rubber plantation 40 miles from Ho Chi Minh City. He had toiled in a similar plantation after the war, he said, when the victorious Communists sent Song to a re-education camp.

Song had been drafted into the South Vietnamese military. He worked as a clerk. He said he hated the war. His country had been fighting since his childhood and he was born on the run during the Vietnam's struggle for independence from French colonial rule after World War II. His parents were escaping an attack when he arrived.

After the French defeat in 1954 in the battle of Dien Bien Phu, the nation split into communist North Vietnam led by Ho Chi Minh and South Vietnam, which the United States backed. Communists guerillas in the south, known as Viet Cong, fought against the authoritarian and corrupt South Vietnamese government in Saigon. In 1962, the U.S. combat missions began in support of South Vietnam. In 1973, U.S. troops withdrew from Vietnam.

"I did not like (Viet Cong) but I did not like the Saigon regime either," Song said. "I did not like the American coming and fighting in my country."

By the end of the war, Song had risen to the rank of lieutenant, in a nation falling to Communist forces. Song has vivid memories of April 30, 1975. On that day, he watched two North Vietnamese tanks ram through the gate of the U.S. Embassy. Within days, Song was assigned to the camp near Da Nang where prisoners were used for forced labor. Song crawled through the dirt of the rubber plantation, using sharpened bamboo sticks to search for mines. It was dirty, dangerous work.

He told the vets he would have died, if not for a book called "Gone with the Wind." That novel, about a civil war in another land, inspired him, gave him dreams where he saw Scarlett O'Hara tell him, "Tomorrow is another day!"

After three years in the camp, Song was told he was free to go. He became a travel guide and later connected with Soldier's Heart. His nation had begun the process of reunification. One of his two sons married a woman whose father was an officer in the North Vietnamese Army.

"I thought the war was good for neither side: North and South Vietnam," Song said. "There was no winner. All Vietnamese are the losers. I felt sad about being in the military, but I let it go."

Many of veterans on the Soldier's Heart tours have dealt with their own demons, Tick said. They return to revisit old memories and to learn about the Vietnamese people they had known only as enemies or caricatures.

One of the men on the tour last year, Everett Cox of Warwick, 69, said he suffered from immense guilt. He was stationed at Marble Mountain Air Base near Da Nang when a rocket exploded nearby.

Song brought the Americans to Marble Mountain. Cox told his story there. He talked about how after the war, he wrote that he knew three things: "I did not deserve to live. I could not be forgiven. I had become less than human."

Song found on the mountain an old peasant woman, chewing betel nuts and selling sparrows. Song went to the woman, bought the sparrows and asked everyone to take one. They were to think of their sorrows or a prayer for someone they love. The Americans held the sparrows in their hands. Then they let them fly away.

It can be healing for vets like Cox to tell their stories, as they also hear the stories of Vietnamese from both North and South, Tick said.

Those interactions between former enemies are often tense to start but prove to be incredibly fruitful.

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When the tour brought New to the home of a former Viet Cong commander, he said he was suspicious. The veterans traveled by boat in the Mekong Delta. It was near midnight, and New said his post-traumatic stress disorder was triggered as he peered into the night for threats.

The boat arrived at an island, home of a man named Tam Tien. The group met Tien the next morning. At the age of 68, he was quite round now, New said, but in his youth he had been a fierce leader of the Viet Cong.

Tien told his story, how he had been a school teacher until the day a U.S. warplane had blown up his school. After the war, he and his wife moved to the island, which was ravaged by bombs and the defoliant Agent Orange. Their group gathered in a gazebo where two other Viet Cong vets and one from the North Vietnamese army talked about their side of the war and the scars given to them by Americans.

These words were difficult to accept, New said.

New said he told about how his friends were killed in Vietnam, how he had internalized what he thought was a public backlash against war into his own private guilt, and how he had hidden his terror for years.

After Song had translated his words, New said he looked into Tien's eyes and saw tears. The two had a moment of connection.

"I saw the PTSD in a man's eyes," New said.

Tien grabbed New's hand, and the two men embraced.

The veterans next traveled to the site of Tien's old school, the one that was blown up and had recently been rebuilt by Soldier's Heart.

The tour tore down and rebuilt his memories of Vietnam, New said.

"It kind of wiped my hard drive clean and replaced my old memories with new memories," New said. "When I think of Vietnam, I don't think of leaving in 1968. I think of being there in 2015."

The healing part of his job is what he enjoys, Song said in an email: "Better look at the future and do not chew the unhappy past."

jlawrence@timesunion.com  518-454-5467  @jplawrence3
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Fulton

A Middleburgh man escaped injury after falling roughly 30 feet on a hiking trail on Sunday in the town of Fulton.

First responders were called to the scene shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday for a man who had slipped and fallen off Vroman's Nose hiking trail in Fulton.

Jessie Papas, 26, had fallen about 30 feet onto a ledge below, which required members of Schoharie County Search and Rescue Team to lower by rope to Papas and bring him back to the top.

Papas said he was not injured and was released after being examined by emergency personnel, according to Schoharie sheriff's deputies.

The Middleburgh Fire Department and Middleburgh Volunteer Emergency Ambulance along with county sheriff's deputies responded to the scene.

Other county officials, Scho-Wright Ambulance, Huntersland and Conesville fire departments and Canajoharie and Rural Grove fire departments' Rope Rescue Team from Montgomery County also assisted at the scene. The New York State Urban Search and Rescue team also responded.

In May, a well-placed tree likely saved the life of a woman who fell from a cliff on the popular Schoharie County hiking trail, rescuers said. The woman was conscious and alert when she was found lying against the tree, rescuers said.

READ THE EARLIER STORY HERE.

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A violent storm at a Fulton County campground Saturday night sent seven people to the hospital and destroyed or damaged 50 dwellings and 30 vehicles, Town of Caroga Fire Chief Barbara Deluca said.

The National Weather Service categorized the storm as a microburst.

When the microburst hit around 6:30 p.m., about 1,000 people, many of them occupants of the Pine Lake Campgrounds, were at a music festival at Pine Lake Beach called "The Eddie." The Eddie is an annual music festival held in honor of the late Edward Lakata, a local musician. Lakata, age 55, of Johnstown, died in the summer of 2013 from injuries received in a bicycle accident.

"A lot of people who would have been in their campers were at "The Eddie" musical festival," Deluca said.

"The way the storm travelled, it totally avoided this huge outdoor tent in a parking lot," Deluca said, noting that the tent is where the concert was taking place. "We couldn't believe that it didn't go down."

Fulton County Sheriff's deputies said it took 45 minutes to evacuate everyone at the festival and by 9:30 p.m. all occupants of the campground were accounted for. Responders were on scene until 3 a.m.

"It was quite frantic at the beginning, people were upset, it was chaos," Deluca said. "There were a lot of kids that were separated from their parents."

Seven people were transported to Nathan Littauer Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and Albany Medical Center, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office said.

The injuries were non-life-threatening, Deluca said, and were mostly lacerations and fractures from falling trees and branches. One person had a head injury.

The campgrounds are located in a remote area of the lower Adirondacks on Route 10 north of Caroga Lake and south of Hamilton County.

The area has been evacuated and cleanup will take at least a week, Deluca said.

The Red Cross said they were helping two Caroga residents and two children, ages 13 and 14, with housing in connection with the storm at Pine Lake.
GREEN ISLAND  A coalition of church, labor and community leaders are holding a noon rally Monday to try to help end the lockout of workers at the Honeywell Aerospace factory in Green Island.

The company locked out its union workforce back on May 9 after they voted to reject the company's "final" contract proposal. The company has since hired temporary workers and canceled health insurance for the union workers, who have been picketing and holding vigils at the site of the factory on Cohoes Avenue in Green Island.
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New York

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."

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 card holders 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.
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Bethlehem

Bethlehem Chabad, a Hasidic Jewish organization, wants to turn the iconic Adams House on Delaware Avenue in Delmar into a synagogue and community center.

Bethlehem Chabad is currently located in a small storefront on Kenwood Avenue at the Four Corners in Delmar. The Adams House, which was vacated in December by NYSARC, would provide the organization with much more space and a parking lot across the street.

It would also give one of the most historic buildings in Delmar a much-needed tenant after sitting empty for all of 2016.

The 7,320-square-foot Adams House is an 1836 Greek Revival building built as a hotel by Nathaniel Adams, who founded modern-day Delmar. The hamlet was originally known as Adamsville and later Adams Station.

The building also served as a post office and became the Bethlehem town hall in the 1950s.

NYSARC, a statewide nonprofit that serves people with disabilities, occupied the Adams House for three decades before moving to Latham in December.

Bethlehem Chabad was started in 1985 as Delmar Chabad by Rabbi Nachman Simon and Clara Simon and is active in the Jewish and greater Bethlehem communities.

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Bethlehem Chabad is planning to buy the Adams House, which is attached to the Delmar Fire Station. The group plans to attend the Tuesday meeting of the town planning board to make an initial presentation on the proposal.

However Rabbi Zalman Simon of Bethlehem Chabad told the Times Union on Monday that it was too early to comment on the plans since negotiations for the property are still ongoing.

Bethlehem Chabad would use the Adams House for worship, offices, community events, weddings and other celebrations, according to the town planning board meeting documents.

lrulison@timesunion.com  518-454-5504  @larryrulison
Baz Luhrmann has never been one to worry too much about the historical accuracy of the music in his films; think Jay Z in Roaring '20s Manhattan ("The Great Gatsby") or Elton John in turn-of-the-century Paris ("Moulin Rouge").

But when it came to "The Get Down," his hip-hop origin story that premiered Friday on Netflix, the Australian director was less inclined to take liberties. Instead, he turned to Grandmaster Flash and Nas, two pioneering artists from different eras in rap, to lend the production authenticity.

The drama, opening in the South Bronx in 1977, depicts an era before hip-hop had a name, when young people were beginning to experiment with disco, funk and soul records.

"It's a billion-dollar industry right now. We were a crew of people that had so little but did so much," said Grandmaster Flash, who was a critical player in the art form's creation. Likening rap music to a cake that, by the '80s was being enjoyed by millions, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer said "The Get Down" is a celebration of the "bakers" who made it from scratch.

Luhrmann initially asked Flash, the innovative early DJ who recorded the 1982 hit "The Message" with the Furious Five, to help fill in the gaps in his research. Luhrmann was "an amazing listener," Flash said. "He's a perfectionist. He would ask me millions and millions of questions over and over again."

As a consulting producer, Flash weighed in on the music, timeline, wardrobe, locations and production design.

Such input was especially important, he said, because early hip-hop was ephemeral and rarely recorded, and few early artists had disposable income to spend on cameras or other forms of documentation.

He also helped train cast members in the hip-hop arts (rhyming, spinning, dancing, graffiti) for several months in a massive rehearsal space in Queens. While the particulars of scratching might be lost on the average viewer, it was imperative to get the DJ scenes just right because, as Flash put it, "Putting your fingertips on the records is the pillar that hip-hop sits on."

For Justice Smith, the 21-year-old actor who plays the show's brooding protagonist Ezekiel, aka "Books," having expert guidance was crucial. "It is this very peacocking art form, and I am not a rapper in any sense of the word," he said.

Luhrmann's goal was never to make a documentary but to capture the spirit of the era, and he takes considerable creative license in "The Get Down." For instance, he eventually wrote Grandmaster Flash into the series  as a kind of spiritual leader. (In a flourish inspired by the kung fu boom of the '70s, he refers to Ezekiel and his friends as "grasshoppers.")

Mamoudou Athie, a graduate of Yale School of Drama and a dead ringer for his real-life counterpart, was cast in the role. With a mischievous snicker, Grandmaster Flash recalled their first meeting: "I look at him and I ask him, 'Who's your mother?' "

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Luhrmann also relied heavily on Nas, a rapper, producer and entrepreneur who emerged during hip-hop's "fully baked" stage in the 1990s.

Nas wrote original songs for the series, including the music performed by Books as a teenager in the '70s, and later as a (rather Nas-like) '90s hip-hop star played by Daveed Diggs of "Hamilton." Nas describes the series as "a great history piece."

"A show like this polishes off the dust from a treasure. This is a time period that basically birthed this hip-hop moment that we're in now," he said.

For Smith, who traces his first rap memories to Afroman's 2000 hit "Because I Got High," the series has been eye-opening.

"I just hope that a lot of young kids who admire hip-hop can witness it being done for the love of it," he said. "In this time period, they did not see any professional rappers. They were just trying to promote fun, unity and peace."
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Schoharie

Five years after the devastation of Tropical Storm Irene, a Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute professor is using technology, seemingly from the future, to showcase Schoharie's past.

Lillian Spina-Caza, a Schoharie resident affected by the 2011 storm, is working to develop a location-based augmented reality project to showcase the region's heritage.

"We're bringing something from the virtual into the real," Spina-Caza said.

The interactive app and website would use GPS coordinates to present users with video or audio commentary that matches their current location, like a museum audio tour but for an entire county.

For example, when someone walking along the Schoharie County Quilt Barn Trail comes across a large green turtle quilt, a pop-up on the person's phone would give more info on what the quilt is about. In this case, it would be a short video of the quilt's designer, Carla Hemlock, who is from the Kahnawake Mohawk Nation Territory near Montreal, explaining that "the turtle signifies two things: the Turtle Clan family ... and it also signifies the land, we call this place Turtle Island."

"You're at the quilt, you're looking at it, you can listen as long as you want as you go to each location," Spina-Caza said. "It will be mobile responsive."

The wildly popular augmented reality game Pokemon Go also uses GPS coordinates to match in an app events to a person's physical location, but Spina-Caza said the project was born before she knew about the Pokemon app that became the most popular mobile game in the U.S. ever.

Since 2013, Spina-Caza and a dozen other interviewers gathered more than 50 hours of oral histories about residents and their experiences during the flood. "From there, the idea was, 'What to do with the interviews?'" Spina-Caza said. "How do we get them into the world?"

These videos and audio narratives are being edited into 30- to 90-second clips that match locations on the Schoharie County Quilt Barn Trail, the Schoharie County Beverage Trail and the Schoharie County Farm Trail.

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The project has been in development in collaboration with Schoharie Area Long Term Inc., and received a $90,000 grant from the New York State Council of the Arts.

Sarah Goodrich, executive director of SALT, said the project is as much for local residents as it is for visitors to Schoharie.

"Following any major event it's necessary for people to relearn and restore that sense of pride in their area," Goodrich said.

The project is scheduled for completion by December, said Spina-Caza, who has been speaking with RPI faculty and a national gaming company for assistance with the project.

jlawrence@timesunion.com
Face It TOGETHER Launches Survey for North Dakota Addiction Initiative

Face It TOGETHER is launching a North Dakota statewide survey to learn more about the public's understanding of drug and alcohol addiction.

The online survey is being promoted across the state, including targeted cities of Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Dickinson, Williston, Minot and Jamestown as part of a statewide initiative to develop solutions for addiction in North Dakota.

The survey was already distributed in early 2016 in the Bismarck-Mandan area, with results reported here.

Survey results will help the organization better meet the needs of the state when it comes to developing solutions to the addiction crisis. The survey is open to residents age 18 and over until September 19.

The survey is available online here or can be accessed at www.wefaceittogether.org/north-dakota.







About the Face It TOGETHER North Dakota Initiative

The North Dakota Initiative will institutionalize a statewide system to solve addiction and build on the existing work in the communities of Bismarck-Mandan, Fargo-Moorhead and Grand Forks.

With the support of a Community Innovation Grant from the Bush Foundation, a task force will gather input from a series of town hall meetings on how to best coordinate statewide services, remove barriers and fill gaps in current care models. The initiative's ultimate goal is to design a public/private partnership plan that ensures addiction is treated like a chronic disease across the whole state.

Stay up-to-date on the North Dakota Initiative at www.wefaceittogether.org/north-dakota.

About Face It TOGETHER

Face It TOGETHER is a national nonprofit focused on helping communities transform how they deal with the disease of addiction. Their work marries social mission with entrepreneurship and focuses on engaging all community sectors in system change. They are building a national network of local affiliate organizations. Learn more at www.wefaceittogether.org.

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[August 15, 2016] Galvanize, Inc., the Learning Community for Technology, Announces $45 Million in Series B Funding

Galvanize, a market leader delivering technology education programs and community workspaces, announced today a $45 million Series B investment led by ABS (News - Alert) Capital Partners, a leading late-stage growth company investor. Colorado Impact Fund, Haystack Partners, Greg Maffei, Aspen Grove Capital and existing investor University Ventures also participated. The funding will be used to provide more students access to Galvanize's modern web development and data science programs and directly address employer's needs to re-skill existing employees. As a result of the financing, Paul Mariani, a general partner with ABS Capital, will join the Galvanize Board of Directors. "With ABS as our partner, Galvanize will continue to build leading web development and data science technical education programs and provide needed tech talent to industry partners to meet their continuous skill needs," said Jim Deters, CEO and co-founder of Galvanize. "By offering the most comprehensive training on the market, our students achieve true mastery, making them 'job ready' - which our industry partners recognize as essential and nets our alumni a meaningful increase in earning potential." Founded in 2012 by Jim Deters, Lawrence Mandes, and Chris Onan, Galvanize is a learning community for technology for ambitious students, startups, and established companies. Galvanize has nine urban campuses across the nation including Denver, Boulder, Ft. Collins, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, and Phoenix and is currently open in New York City with a pop-up and will fully operate in its 55,000 sq ft space in early 2017. Traditionally, industry and education have existed in separate worlds. Galvanize is bridging the gap by bringing industry partners, students, and cutting-edge education under a single roof. The Galvanize solution closes the tech skills gap by providing accessible education in job-ready skills such as web development, data science, engineering, building a community of entrepreneurs and learners, and connecting that community with skilled graduates. Because Galvanize works with companies to understand what skill sets are most relevant and curates its own curriculum, and wors with hiring partners such as Allstate, Amazon, Salesforce, IBM (News - Alert), Pivotal, and Tesla, Galvanize students are prepared for success. Graduates have over a 90% job placement rate in technology within six months of graduating from immersion programs and receive an average annual salary increase of over $30,000.



Meeting industry needs for top tech talent doesn't always mean hiring new workers. So, in addition to the web development and data science immersive programs for tech students, Galvanize also offers corporate training and workshops for established companies such as Allstate and IBM to level up and re-skill their existing workforce on evolving modern technology. Two years ago, Galvanize had 150 member companies working in its innovative urban campuses. Today, it has more than 700 companies in its membership program, which is offered on a per seat, per desk, or per suite basis. Galvanize membership opportunities allow individuals, entrepreneurs, startups, and corporate partners to work in close proximity to tech education programs and one another - creating a strong, innovative and self-sustained education, technology and business community.

"We were attracted to Jim's passion and commitment to Galvanize's mission, and we were very impressed with the industry-aligned programs the Company has built that prepare learners to succeed in technology roles," said ABS partner Paul Mariani. In 2014, Galvanize raised $18 million in a Series A fund led by University Ventures. About Galvanize, Inc. Galvanize is a dynamic tech learning community that offers education, workspace and networking for students, startups and large companies. Galvanize teaches web development, data science and data engineering to students, offers support and workspace to over 700 member companies and provides over 200 networking events across nine urban campuses throughout the nation. Galvanize campuses bring together entrepreneurs, students, investors, mentors, and great people and companies to develop the skills, mindset and networks necessary to thrive in a technology driven world. To learn more about Galvanize, visit http://galvanize.com or like us on Facebook (News - Alert): https://www.facebook.com/GalvanizeHQ or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @Galvanize. About ABS Capital Partners For over 25 years, ABS Capital has been investing in later-stage growth companies, helping CEOs capitalize on new opportunities and navigate unforeseen obstacles - while never losing sight of the ultimate goal of achieving lasting excellence. Our partners have decades of experience as C-level executives, investment bankers and investors in the industries we invest in: business and tech-enabled services and health care. This combination of experience and expertise means we have a laser-focus on the specific needs growth companies face as they look to get to the next level. By helping to transform over 120 companies through their most important stage of development, ABS continues to help unleash the potential for lasting growth. ABS Capital Partners. Here, we grow. For more information, visit www.abscapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005336/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Imprivata Partners with University of Utah Health Care to Implement Positive Patient Identification Across their Healthcare Enterprise

Imprivata (NYSE: IMPR), the healthcare IT security company, today announced that University of Utah Health Care will implement Imprivata PatientSecure, the positive patient identification platform for healthcare, to eliminate duplicate medical records and improve patient safety. As part of the deployment, the University of Utah Health Care system will install the Imprivata positive patient identification platform across their enterprise, including 4 university hospitals and 11 community clinics that facilitate nearly 1.6 million patient visits per year. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005076/en/ Imprivata PatientSecure biometric patient identification solution (Photo: Business Wire). "Accurately identifying patients and ensuring we have access to their complete medical history anywhere they receive care across our health system is extremely important to our ability to provide the best patient experience," said Jim Turnbull, Chief Information Officer for University of Utah Health Care. "Imprivata enables us to positively identify patients across our healh system with a biometric identifier and automatically access their correct medical record. This enables clinicians to have an accurate medical history of the patient they are treating and also protects our patients from medical identity theft and insurance fraud."



Medical errors are the third highest cause of death in the United States, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Many medical errors such as radiation overdoses, medication errors, and blood transfusion errors result from patient misidentification at the point of care as well as at registration, often in the form of duplicate medical records, which, according to RAND Corporation, account for eight percent of all medical records and may cost up to $5,000 per record to correct. "Addressing patient misidentification issues continues to be a top patient safety concern of our customers as healthcare goes digital, and the best way to prevent these issues is to quickly, efficiently, and accurately match patients to their medical records at registration and at the point of care," said Clay Ritchey, Chief Marketing Officer and GM of Imprivata PatientSecure Products Group. "We are proud to partner with the University of Utah Health Care system to help them eliminate costly duplicate medical records, improve patient safety, and prevent medical identity theft."

Imprivata PatientSecure stops patient misidentification errors at the source, creating a 1:1 match between individual patients and their unique medical records using biometric identification. Once patients utilize palm-vein biometrics at registration to be identified, their medical record is immediately launched and accessible to their care team, enabling them to provide the best care. About University of Utah Health Care

University of Utah Health Care is the Intermountain West's only academic healthcare system, providing leading-edge and compassionate medicine for the people of Utah and a referral area encompassing five states and more than 10 percent of the continental United States. The health system includes four hospitals - University of Utah Hospital; the University of Utah Orthopaedic Center; University Neuropsychiatric Institute; and Huntsman Cancer Hospital - with more than 1,300 physicians practicing more than 150 medical specialties. University of Utah Health Care has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous University HealthSystem Consortium Quality and Accountability study for six years running. It also is also consistently ranked among the country's best hospitals in U.S. News and World Report's annual Best Hospitals list. About Imprivata Imprivata (NYSE: IMPR), the healthcare IT security company, enables healthcare globally to access, communicate, and transact patient information securely and conveniently. The Imprivata platform addresses critical compliance and security challenges while improving productivity and the patient experience. For more information, please visit www.imprivata.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005076/en/

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[August 15, 2016] MEDNAX Announces Acquisition of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Practice in Florida

MEDNAX, Inc. (NYSE: MD), today announced the acquisition of Maternal Fetal Medicine of Southwest Florida, P.A. a private physician group practice based in Fort Myers, Fla. Maternal Fetal Medicine of Southwest Florida was established in 2000 and currently has four physicians, 11 sonographers and 26 other clinical and administrative staff who provide a full spectrum of perinatology and sonographic services including comprehensive high-risk maternal-fetal medicine, ultrasounds, amniocentesis, diagnostic testing and genetic counseling. The practice has four patient offices in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and Naples and serves six hospitals, including the four acute care hospitals of Lee Memorial Health System (Lee Memorial Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center, Gulf Coast Medical Center, and Cape Coral Hospital) as well as NCH North Naples Hospital, part of NCH Healthcare System and Bayfront Health Port Charlotte, part of Bayfront Health. "MEDNAX's extensive research, education and quality programs were definitely a differentiator for us," said Judith Krammer, M.D., who will serve as medical director for the practice. "Joining MEDNAX also gives us the infrastructure we need to excel in today's healthcare environment as well as the ability to be part of the continuum of care the company currently provides in Southwest Florida with industry-leading neonatal and pediatric services." This acquisition adds to the services MEDNAX provides in Southwest Florida which currently include maternal-fetal medicine (perinatology), neonatology, pediaric cardiology and newborn hearing screen.



This was a cash transaction, and it is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings. No additional terms of the transaction were disclosed. With this acquisition, ten physician group practices have become part of MEDNAX in 2016.

ABOUT MEDNAX MEDNAX, Inc. is a national health solutions partner comprised of the nation's leading providers of physician services. Physicians and advanced practitioners practicing as part of MEDNAX are reshaping the delivery of care within their specialties and subspecialties, using evidence-based tools, continuous quality initiatives, clinical research and telemedicine to enhance patient outcomes and provide high-quality, cost-effective care. The Company was founded in 1979, and today, through its affiliated professional corporations, MEDNAX provides services through a network of more than 3,400 physicians in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. In addition to its national physician network, MEDNAX provides services to healthcare facilities and physicians in over 40 states through two complementary businesses, consisting of a revenue cycle management company and a consulting services company. Additional information is available at www.mednax.com. Certain statements and information in this press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our objectives, plans and strategies, and all statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as "believe", "hope", "may", "anticipate", "should", "intend", "plan", "will", "expect", "estimate", "project", "positioned", "strategy" and similar expressions, and are based on assumptions and assessments made by MEDNAX's management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and MEDNAX undertakes no duty to update or revise any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially from forward-looking statements are described in MEDNAX's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors", as well MEDNAX's current reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005168/en/

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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 (AFP Photo/Anthony Wallace)

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.
[August 15, 2016] Merz Acquires Aesthetics Medical Device Company ON Light Sciences

Merz North America announced today it has expanded its aesthetic portfolio through the acquisition of ON (News - Alert) Light Sciences, Inc. - a U.S. medical device company developing technologies to enhance laser-based dermatologic procedures, including the FDA 510(k) cleared and CE marked DeScribe Transparent PFD (perfluorodecalin) patch used in laser tattoo removal. "The addition of ON Light Sciences' innovative technology allows us to better meet the needs of aesthetic practices that focus on energy-based devices," said Philip Burchard, CEO of Merz Pharma Group. "We have a vision to be the most innovative company in aesthetics, and this acquisition clearly complements our growing and diversified global portfolio, which includes the Ultherapy and Cellfina devices." The DeScribe Transparent PFD Patch is placed over tattoos prior to irradiation, allowing physicians to treat tattoos more efficiently by enabling rapid multiple laser passes in a single treatment session. It also provides significant optical clearing of tissue, protects the epidermis and inhibits potentially infectious back-splatter and fumes. In a recent clinical trial1, laser tattoo removal patients reported not only less discomfort, but faster healing post-treatment with the DeScribe Transparent PFD Patch. "Merz North America's robust aesthetic portfolio continues to strategically grow through innovative products addressing conditions with fast growing demand such as tattoo removal. This latest addition to our offerings underscores the strong commitment we have to growing our US business by responding quickly to market demands," Merz North America President and CEO Bill Humphries said. Tattoo removal is one of the fastest-growing laser procedures (109,641 performed in 2014), up 74 percent since 2012, as reported by the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), and new developments in medical device technology are encouraging more individuals to consider tattoo removal procedures more seriously. Market research indicates that an increase in tattoo prevalence is correlated with rising levels of "tattoo regret." According to a July 2015 study conducted b laser manufacturer Syneron-Candela, 33% of tattoo wearers in the US have at least one tattoo they would consider removing or would definitely like to have removed.



"We look forward to joining Merz and expanding awareness and use of the DeScribe Transparent PFD Patch. We share Merz's commitment to innovation that directly and positively impacts patient health and welcome the opportunity to be part of its strong product line-up." David Sell, President and CEO of ON Light Sciences said. "Merz continues to actively seek opportunities to partner with or acquire companies such as ON Light Sciences," said Hans-Jorg Bergler, Head of Corporate Development for Merz Pharma Group. "Through a focused corporate development strategy and our Merz Corporate Venture Capital Initiative, we remain actively engaged in funding innovative and category-building technologies within the aesthetics space."

Current OLS customers should continue to place product orders via the ON Light Sciences' website at www.onlightsciences.com. About Merz North America Merz North America is a specialty healthcare company that is dedicated to delivering a better total experience in aesthetics, dermatology and neurosciences. As part of the Merz Pharma Group, our ambition is to become the most admired, trusted and innovative aesthetics and neurotoxin company. By developing products that improve patients' health and help them to live better, feel better and look better, we will continue to make significant contributions to the well-being of individuals around the world. Merz North America is a privately-held company based in Raleigh, North Carolina. To learn more about Merz North America, please visit www.merzusa.com. About ON Light Sciences, Inc. ON Light Sciences is a privately held company with offices in Dublin, California. The company's products are designed to enhance the effectiveness of existing laser systems used for tattoo removal. Supported by a unique worldwide patent portfolio, the company is developing broader applications as well as new products to simplify and enhance laser-based dermatologic procedures. About the DeScribe Transparent PFD Patch In the U.S., the DeScribe Transparent PFD Patch is FDA 510(k) cleared and currently indicated for use as an accessory to laser tattoo removal procedures using a 755nm Q-Switched Alexandrite laser in Fitzpatrick Skin Type I-III patients. In the EU, the product holds a CE Mark for use as a barrier to ejecta and as an optical clearing device accessory during dermatological laser treatments of cutaneous vascular lesions, benign pigmented lesions, and tattoos. More information is available online at www.onlightsciences.com. 1 Rapid, high-fluence multi-pass q-switched laser treatment of tattoos with a transparent perfluorodecalin-infused patch: A pilot study. Biesman BS, O'Neil MP, Costner C. Lasers Surg Med. 2015 Oct;47(8):613-8. doi: 10.1002/lsm.22399. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815006029/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Michigan Ross MBAs Team up with Detroit's Food Community to Solve Business and Social Issues

Michigan Ross today unveiled details of its annual Impact Challenge, one of the most ambitious and immersive leadership development programs of its kind for business school students. Organized by the Sanger Leadership Center, the 2016 Impact Challenge will again bring together the entire incoming class of first-year, full-time MBA students to engage in a four-day, fast-paced business challenge to make a positive difference in the community. This year, students will be tasked with creating sustainable business ventures that will not only improve public health in Detroit, but also have potential to be scaled or replicated to have an impact globally. Kicking off today, teams of MBA students from Michigan Ross will partner with 20 Detroit-based food entrepreneurs-all up-and-coming or in the early stages of developing their ventures-to create business ventures that impact healthy food access and affordability, food waste, and consumer choice. New to this year's Challenge, students will also launch crowd-funding campaigns to raise funding for their entrepreneur's continuing education. Throughout the week, students will be exposed to a number of speakers, community stakeholders, and experiences to help inform their recommendations and guide their learning-including a day-long immersion into local businesses, nonprofits, and neighborhoods; keynotes by Dean Scott DeRue and Slows Bar BQ owner Phillip Cooley; and a food fair featuring 14 Detroit and Ann Arbor-based vendors. The week-long experiential learning program will culminate in a "Shark Tank"-style pitch competition where teams will present their business solutions to a panel of judges that includes DeRue; Devita Davison of FoodLab; Stewart Thornhill, Ross professor and executive director of the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies; Lily Hamburger, Ross alumna; Cynthia Gardner, senior vice president of PNC Bank; and Kristen Schultz of Deloitte (News - Alert). The winning business concepts can be advanced by the food entrepreneurs who are participating in the program, with ongoing support from Ross students and centers. "The Impact Challenge has become a rite of passage for new Michigan Ross MBAs and is the perfect foundation of the Ross experience. It demonstrates the power of business and making a positive impact, while also providing students with an exciting, innovative opportunity to learn outside of the classroom," said Jeff Domagla, associate director at the Sanger Leadership Center. "This year's challenge is particularly unique, as it will allow MBA students the opportunity to not only make a lasting impact on Detroit, but to also create a sustainable, scalable solution that can be applied globaly. Many students come to Michigan Ross because they want to leverage the power of business to become a force for positive change, and the Impact Challenge is the start of that journey."



For more than 20 years, Ross has hosted community service projects in Detroit as part of the onboarding of new students, and 2016 marks the sixth year that has come in the form of the Impact Challenge. The experience is an intensive, action-based learning program for students and core to the Michigan Ross mission to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Past challenges have raised more than $65,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation; created new business ventures to impact Detroit's most pressing social issues; and provided a large-scale back to school fair to help more than 3,000 Detroit kids and parents get a positive start to the school year. This year's challenge has been redefined in order to make a more sustainable and lasting impact by supporting entrepreneurial endeavors already underway in the community and by creating solutions that can also be applicable worldwide. "By connecting the dots-the resources, ideas, opportunities and people-FoodLab and the University of Michigan are opening the eyes of the students of Michigan Ross and the Detroit-based food entrepreneurs to what they are capable of achieving by collaborating together on how they can make a positive difference on both small and large scales," said Devita Davison, Co-Director of FoodLab Detroit.

"Detroit's local food system is culminating in one of the most cohesive entrepreneurial ecosystems in the region," said Achsha Jones, entrepreneur participant and owner of Soul Food Shop. "There is support for the smallest entrepreneur that's just percolating in someone's kitchen as well as the business looking to become a model to solve the major problem of healthy food access. FoodLab sits at the nexus of this network and through multiple partnerships FoodLab has created a strong center for all of the other organizations, such as University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, to layer on services where they are needed." General Motors (News - Alert), Deloitte, and PNC Bank are sponsoring this year's challenge, and local partner organizations include FoodLab, FoodPlus Detroit, and Detroit Department of Health. Participating entrepreneurs include Mary Ann Baier of Day to Day Fresh Frozen Foods, Jay Redford of Social Sushi Detroit, and Priya Dass of Nirmal Indian Cuisine. Members of the community and media are invited to attend the pitch competition, taking place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 18 in Michigan Ross' Robertson Auditorium. Follow all of the Impact Challenge action on Twitter and Instagram using the tag (News - Alert) #RossImpact or learn more at http://michiganross.umich.edu/sanger/impact-challenge. About Michigan Ross

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan is a vibrant and distinctive learning community grounded in the principle that business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today's dynamic global economy. The Ross School of Business mission is to develop leaders who make a positive difference in the world. Through thought and action, members of the Ross community drive change and innovation that improves business and society. Ross is consistently ranked among the world's leading business schools. Academic degree programs include the BBA, MBA, Part-time MBA (Evening and Weekend formats), Executive MBA, Global MBA, Master of Accounting, Master of Supply Chain Management, Master of Management, and PhD. In addition, the school delivers open-enrollment and custom executive education programs targeting general management, leadership development, and strategic human resource management. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005657/en/

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Montecito Medical Acquires 19th Property Since August 2015

Montecito Medical, a Nashville-based premier owner of medical office buildings throughout the U.S., has acquired the Terrace Park Professional Center in Bettendorf, Iowa.

The three-story, Class-A medical office building encompasses 59,615 square feet and is directly connected to the 139-bed Trinity Medical Center. Both were built in 2004. Onsite specialties include orthopedics, OB/GYN, wound care, MRI, neurology, family medicine, pain management and pediatrics.

"In addition to this being a beautifully designed facility, we really valued the strategic location where Terrace Park is actually attached to the award-winning hospital," said Montecito Medical CEO Chip Conk. "We also appreciated the long-term leases with top-quality tenancy."

Trinity Bettendorf is the newest hospital in the region and in 2015, it received Women's Choice Awards as America's Best Hospital for Obstetrics and for Emergency Care. Key tenants are Trinity Medical Center and UnityPoint Clinic, which lease a combined 83% of the total rentable area. UnityPoint Health is Iowa's first and largest healh system providing care throughout Iowa, western Illinois and southern Wisconsin.







Terrace Park was acquired from Lockard Development, Inc., a nation-wide integrated real estate firm founded in 1951.

"It was important to us that Montecito allowed us to continue to manage the property and thereby maintain our 15-year relationship with Trinity," explained David Wilson, CCIM, Lockard's executive vice president. "Montecito's process was hassle-free and we look forward to working with them in the future."

Since 2005, Montecito has acquired more than $1.2 billion in medical real estate totaling over 4 million square feet in 22 states. To date, the company has more than $1 billion in capital available to expand holdings in Class-A medical office buildings throughout the United States.

About Montecito Medical

Montecito Medical is one of the nation's largest privately-held companies specializing in healthcare-related property acquisitions, management and development. The company is a leading resource for both real-estate owners and healthcare systems seeking to monetize or expand their holdings. Montecito has offices in Nashville, Austin and Orange (News - Alert) County, California. Its current portfolio and healthcare system relationships include UCLA, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Holston Medical Group, Carolinas Health System, Bon Secours, Maine General, OrthoCarolina and State of Franklin Associates.

For more information, please visit MontecitoMac.com.

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[August 15, 2016] Munster Radiology Group Signs with McKesson

Munster Radiology Group, P.C., (MRG) based in Munster, Ind., has selected McKesson Business Performance Services (McKesson) to help strengthen its customer and patient billing services as part of a comprehensive revenue cycle management agreement. In addition to customer billing support, McKesson will provide coding and regulatory compliance, claims management, denial management and provider credentialing services. The company also will help physicians improve clinical documentation and will help support business intelligence reporting. MRG serves three hospitals in northwest Indiana with 22 physicians. The organization provides diagnostic imaging, interventioal radiology and nuclear medicine services, and performs approximately 420,000 procedures annually.



John Gustaitis, MD, president of the practice, said McKesson's reputation throughout the Midwest, coupled with its ability to accurately produce, process and support different kinds of patient bills, were key differentiators in selecting the company. "As a community-based practice, providing an enhanced patient experience is essential, particularly when it comes to financial issues," Gustaitis said. "McKesson has a tremendous amount of knowledge regarding radiology billing practices nationwide and both the understanding and the capabilities to meet the unique demands of our practice. We are excited to have them onboard."

Gustaitis added that MRG was also looking forward to McKesson's assistance in bolstering the group's reporting capabilities. "In today's radiology environment, having access to detailed practice information - both financial and operational - is essential," he said. "McKesson's reports are extremely effective and will bring an entirely new level of insight to the practice." Pat Leonard, president of McKesson Business Performance Services, said McKesson is committed to continually improving its patient-facing processes, including patient billing, customer service and collections. "Customer service plays an enormous role in how physician organizations are perceived within a community," Leonard said. "That's why we've dedicated a lot of time and resources to develop what we believe are the best customer service capabilities in the industry. We look forward to using these skills to help MRG provide the highest level of service to the people of Munster and northwest Indiana." About Munster Radiology Group Munster, Ind.-based Munster Radiology Group has been serving physicians and patients in northwest Indiana and in Chicago's suburbs for more than 30 years. Practice physicians include subspecialties in neuroradiology, body imaging, musculoskeletal radiology, breast imaging, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. For more information, visit: www.munsterradiologygroup.org/. About McKesson Corporation McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 5th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005027/en/

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[August 15, 2016] New Prudential service helps employers to manage ADA's complex requirements

Prudential Group Insurance, a business of Prudential Financial, Inc., (NYSE: PRU), today began offering a new service to help employers meet the needs of employees who need accommodation through the Americans with Disabilities Act. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005680/en/ Companies with 500 or more employees can get help from ADAdvocateTM Accommodation Support Services, a new offering which helps remove some of the administrative burden employers face when complying with expanded ADA requirements introduced in 2008. The requirements have been so challenging, that in May the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission published new guidance about how to comply with the law, with a particular focus on its requirements for leave of absences. ADA was initially enacted in 1990 to prevent discrimination based on disability. Managing ADA's requirements "Employers struggle to comply with the ADA and address the needs of employees in the workplace while still maintaining productivity," said Jake Biscoglio, vice president, absence and disability, for Prudential Group Insurance. "We want to help. ADAdvocate assists employers in cutting through the confusion to develop accommodatin plans that help employees, comply with ADA and work for their businesses."



Employers may choose from three options: Full Administration: Adopt a full suite of ADA workplace accommodation support, including compiling medical documentation, interactive discussion support, employee communications, accommodation tracking, monitoring and reporting.

Assessment-only Referrals: Supplement in-house administration with Prudential's ad hoc assistance on specific, often complex accommodation requests.

Supplement in-house administration with Prudential's ad hoc assistance on specific, often complex accommodation requests. Leave Only: Get assistance managing ADA leave accommodation requests that may occur when an employee exhausts or is not eligible for Family Medical Leave. Employers surveyed for Prudential's report, "Is ADA the New FMLA? Insights on Outsourcing Employer Compliance Support Services," agreed that having ADA service capabilities are vital, but aren't sure where to begin or understand ADA's requirements. For example, a quarter of the respondents say they don't have processes to help them identify stay at work accommodations, though just about all employers said it's vital to do so. Surprisingly, five percent of those surveyed said they have no ADA program-or don't even know if they have one.

"Managing ADA's provisions requires a specialized staff and we understand most companies don't have the in-house resources to effectively administer the requirements," said Terrie Sorensen, vice president of disability product management, Prudential Group Insurance. "Our experts, including vocational rehabilitation and clinical staff, become part of the employer's team to relieve an administrative burden, manage workforce productivity and help to minimize the risk of litigation or penalties for noncompliance." About Prudential Group Insurance Prudential Group Insurance manufactures and distributes a full range of group life, long-term and short-term disability and corporate and trust-owned life insurance in the U.S. to institutional customers primarily for use in connection with employee and membership benefit plans. The business also sells critical illness, accident, accidental death and dismemberment and other ancillary coverages and provides plan administrative services in connection with its insurance coverages. Group Insurance coverages strive to facilitate protection from risks that are difficult to predict, thus fostering overall financial wellness for employees and their families. About Prudential Financial, Inc. Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with more than $1 trillion of assets under management as of December 31, 2016, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe and Latin America. Prudential's diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential's iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Group coverages issued by The Prudential Insurance Company of America, 751 Broad Street, Newark, N.J. 0294188-00001-00 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005680/en/

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[August 15, 2016] OEM Orders LFS Scintillation Crystals For Silo and Container Measurement

SINGAPORE, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - Zecotek Photonics Inc. (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I.F, OTCPK: ZMSPF), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for industrial, healthcare and scientific markets, is pleased to announce that a world leader in the area of level, switching and pressure measurement for the process industry, has ordered LFS scintillation crystals for a leading edge approach to the measurement of silos and large containers. The device is able to detect the level of liquids, pastes, powders and bulk solids in silos and large containers and is to be widely deployed in industries such as oil and gas, chemical, and waste management. "Our marketing efforts have been effective at attracting customers for our Imaging technologies outside the traditional medical scanning markets," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc. "There are many scanning, detecting and measuring applications which can use LFS scintillation crystals and solid-state photo detectors, and silo and container measurement is a prime example. More and more we are witnessing our technologies gaining traction within a broad spectrum of industries. While the majority of LFS crystal and photo detector sales will continue to be to medical scanning device manufacturers and high energy physics laboratories, there is a significant opportunity to diversify our customer base to other important industries such as homeland security radiation detection and silo and container management. We will continue to focus on our commercialization objectives and consider all opportunities to generate substantial and consistent sales for our patented photonic technologies."/p>



LFS scintillation crystals are ideal for the application of radiation-based measurement because of their high spectroscopic resolution and decay constant that is 10 times faster and more accurate than competing crystals. Zecotek continues to work closely with this and other OEMs on measurement, detection, sensing and other applications using LFS to detect small amounts of radiation.

About Zecotek

Zecotek Photonics Inc (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance scintillation crystals, photo detectors, positron emission tomography scanning technologies, 3D auto-stereoscopic displays, 3D metal printing, and lasers for applications in medical, high-tech and industrial sectors. Founded in 2004, Zecotek operates three divisions: Imaging Systems, Optronics Systems and 3D Display Systems with labs located in Canada, Korea, Russia, Singapore and U.S.A. The management team is focused on building shareholder value by commercializing over 50 patented and patent pending novel photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland), Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (China), NuCare Medical Systems (South Korea), the University of Washington (United States), and National NanoFab Center (South Korea). For more information visit www.zecotek.com and follow @zecotek on Twitter. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what may have been stated. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. If you would like to receive news from Zecotek in the future please visit the corporate website at www.zecotek.com. SOURCE Zecotek Photonics Inc.

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[August 15, 2016]

Spaceport America Announces Annual Signature Event Series

SPACEPORT AMERICA, N.M., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Spaceport America, the world's first purpose-built commercial spaceport located in southern New Mexico in the USA announced today the introduction of five annual Spaceport America branded signature events.

"We are pleased to open up our beautiful commercial spaceport to the public through our annual Spaceport America signature event series. With something for everyone - people who might not ever have engaged with a commercial spaceport can now visit, share and leave inspired. These recurring annual events will bring thousands of visitors to New Mexico and benefit our tourism and local economies." said Christine Anderson, Spaceport America CEO.

The Spaceport America signature event series will begin with the annual Spaceport America Open House on October 1, 2016. The Spaceport America Crew along with Virgin Galactic and other Spaceport customers are scheduled to be there to interact with visitors and share their knowledge of what it takes to run a commercial spaceport and commercial space. Free to the public, registration opens September 1, 2016. spaceportamerica.com/openhouse

The Spaceport America Drone Summit, November 11-13, 2016 will welcome drone pilots, speakers, vendors and spectators to three action-packed days of drone racing, drone workshops, fixed-wing demonstrations, drone cinematography and more. Sanctioned by the AMA  Academy of Model Aeronautics and supported by the New Mexico Filmmakers Give Back, the Spaceport America Drone Summit, will be a can't-miss event for drone enthusiasts and spectators alike. Sign up on the splash page for the latest updates.







Spaceport America's two mile long spaceway is a racer's dream. MKM Racing Promotions LLC and the Spaceport America Crew will host and support the Spaceport America Mile, a standing one mile vehicle racing event to be held from March 10-12, 2017. Racers, volunteers, sponsors and spectators will want to sign up on the splash page for the latest developments.

Next Spring will bring the Spaceport America Relay Race along the historic El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro trail from April 8-9, 2017. Starting at the Bridge of the Americas (El Paso-Ciudad Juarez) with the finish line at Spaceport America, MH Enterprises LLC and the Spaceport America Crew will host and support this two-day 200 mile event. Runners, sponsors, volunteers and spectators can sign up on the splash page for updates.

The annual Spaceport America signature event series will culminate with the Spaceport America Cup to be held June 13-18, 2017. The Experimental Sounding Rocket Association and the Spaceport America Crew will host and support the world's largest University rocket engineering competition on the vertical and horizontal launch campuses at Spaceport America. Teams, judges, sponsors, and spectators are encouraged to sign up on the splash page to stay informed.

About Spaceport America

Spaceport America is the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world. The FAA-licensed launch complex, situated on 18,000 acres adjacent to the U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico, boasts 6,000 square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a 12,000-foot spaceway, and 340+ days of sunshine and low humidity. Some of the most respected companies in the commercial space industry are customers at Spaceport America: Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, UP Aerospace and EXOS. Visit http://spaceportamerica.com and http://gatewaytospace.com for more information.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150513/215683LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spaceport-america-announces-annual-signature-event-series-300313192.html

SOURCE Spaceport America
[August 15, 2016] Ten SiebenCarey Attorneys Recognized as 2017 Best Lawyers in America

SiebenCarey today announced that 10 of the firm's attorneys were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2017 - an annual list universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. The annual Best Lawyers list has been published since 1983. Rankings are based on a peer-review survey in which more than 50,000 leading attorneys cast nearly five million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. "It is an honor to receive this important peer recognition from The Best Lawyers in America again this year," said Jim Carey, president of SiebenCarey. "Since the firm was founded in 1952, it's been the goal of every attorney on our staff to protect the rights of those we serve as clients. We will continue ensuring clients understand their legal rights and receive the justice they deserve." SiebenCarey attorneys named to the 2017 Best Lawyers in America list include: James P. Carey, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

John W. Carey, Legal Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Mediation; Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Paul K. Downes, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Susan M. Holden, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Mark G. Olive, Worker's Compensation Law - Claimants

Michael F. Scully, Worker's Compensation Law - Claimants

Harry A. Sieben, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Paul F. Schweiger, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs

Cory P. Whalen, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs

Arthur C. Kosieradzki, Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs About the Lawyers

James P. Carey is President and Managing Partner of SiebenCarey and one of the top wrongful death and personal injury attorneys in Minnesota. Carey sits on the American Board of Trial Advocates and is certified as a Civil Trial Specialist by both the National Board of Trial Advocacy and the Minnesota State Bar Association. He received his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law in 1986 and has practiced at the firm his entire career. John W. Carey is a nationally recognized personal injury attorney with extensive experience in the field of medical malpractice. He is consistently recognized by his peers for his successes and leadership not only in this area, but also in the area of alternative dispute resolution where he is noted as an experienced mediator and arbitrator. arey received his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law and has practiced personal injury law in Minnesota for 45 years.



Paul K. Downes joined the firm as a partner in 2002 and combines a client-centered philosophy with recognized legal skill to successfully represent a wide range of personal injury clients. He is a Certified Civil Trial Law Specialist and has been named to the Super Lawyers annual list for more than 10 years. Originally from Rochester, Minn., Downes received his Juris Doctor from the William Mitchell College of Law in 1992. Susan Holden has spent her career representing clients in a variety of complex personal injury and wrongful death claims. She focuses her practice in cases involving trucking and automobile accidents, product defects, construction accidents, medical malpractice, and class action matters involving privacy and data breaches. Holden is certified as a Civil Trial Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. She is active in bar leadership within the state and nationally. Holden received her law degree from the William Mitchell College of Law.

Arthur C. Kosieradzki is a Senior Certified Civil Trial Law Specialist and partner at the firm where he provides expertise in serious personal injury cases including automobile and motorcycle accidents. Kosieradzki is originally from Marshalltown, Iowa, and received his degree from the William Mitchell College of Law in 1988. He manages the firm's Lakeville office. Mark G. Olive is renowned throughout the state as a top workers' compensation attorney. He is committed to protecting the rights of injured workers in the courtroom and at the Minnesota Legislature. Olive has actively lobbied against repeated attempts by the business community to cut back workers' compensation coverage. He received his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Notre Dame and has been with the firm since he graduated in 1979. Paul F. Schweiger managed the firm's Duluth office and is a nationally recognized trial attorney with nearly 40 years of experience practicing personal injury law. He is a Certified Civil Trial Law Specialist licensed in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, and has practiced law since 1976. Schweiger is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers and a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Harry A. Sieben is a Civil Trial Law Specialist certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association. He built the firm into one of the largest personal injury law firms in Minnesota. Sieben served 14 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives including four years as Speaker of the House. He also served in the military for 35 years, retiring at the rank of Major General. Michael F. Scully is a partner at the firm and has achieved success in the areas of workers' compensation, personal injury, and auto accident insurance litigation. He received "Attorney of the Year" recognition by Minnesota Lawyer in 2016, an award reserved for a select group of attorneys based on leadership in the profession. Scully received his law degree from Hamline University of Law in 1996 and his undergraduate degree from St. John's University. Cory P. Whalen practices in all areas of personal injury litigation and is a partner at the firm. He is certified as a life member of both the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum; less than 1% of U.S. lawyers are members. Whalen is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, an elite organization of accomplished trial attorneys whose qualifications require demonstrated significant courtroom skill and experience, high personal character, and an honorable ethical reputation. He received his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law and his bachelor's degree from Winona State University. About SiebenCarey

Founded in 1952, SiebenCarey has grown to become one of Minnesota's largest and most widely respected personal injury law firms, successfully representing more than 65,000 cases. For over 60 years the firm has employed experienced lawyers and professional support personnel covering general trial practice in all courts, personal injury, workers' compensation, wrongful death and medical malpractice. The offices are located around the state of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Lakeville and Duluth. For more information, visit www.knowyourrights.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005116/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Titan Spine Expands Distribution Agreement with MBA to Offer Endoskeleton Titanium Implant Portfolio in Italy

Titan Spine, a medical device surface technology company focused on developing innovative spinal interbody fusion implants, today announced that it has expanded its distribution agreement with strategic partner MBA to provide Titan's line of Endoskeleton titanium implants to practicing spine surgeons in the European Union to include Italy. Under the agreement, initially announced in September 2015, Titan Spine provides its spinal interbody fusion devices featuring its proprietary surface technology to MBA for distribution in seven EU countries: Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Luxembourg, Belgium, the United Kingdom (UK) and now Italy. MBA is a prominent international medical device marketing-and-distribution organization that specializes in the sale of products used for orthopedic and neurosurgery treatments. Marcus Klarl, Vice President of Sales, Europe for Titan Spine, commented, "Our initial distribution agreement with MBA has proven largely successful over the past year due to accelerating sales growth. Increased surgeon adoption within the EU interbody device market has demonstrated the growing desire for surface enhanced interbody fusion devices that stimulate healing at the cellular level where it is most critical for improved patient outcomes. We look forward to providing these benefits to spine surgeons and patients in Italy - an interbody fusion market that is projected to surpass $25 million next year." "Titan Spine is more than a supplier for us; they are a partner," commented Carlos Marina, CEO for MBA. "Since the beginning of our commercial relationship with Titan, we have worked together seamlessly. In fact, on introducing Titan Spine into the Italian market they have now become the only supplier that MBA works with in all countries where we operate: Spain, Andorra, Portugal, Belgium, UK, Luxembourg, and Italy." Paul Griffin, International Business Manager of MBA, added, "We are delighted with the level of success achieved to date with distribution of Titan Spine spinal implants in the countries where MBA has initially introduced the unique portfolio. Now, with the addition of distribution in Italy, MBA and Titan Spine are together strongly positioned to increase Italian market share with a comprehensive, spinal product offering." Titan Spine offers a full line of Edoskeleton devices that feature Titan Spine's proprietary implant surface technology, consisting of a unique combination of roughened topographies at the macro, micro, and nano levels (MMN). This unique combination of surface topographies is designed to create an optimal host-bone response and actively participate in the fusion process by promoting the upregulation of osteogenic and angiogenic factors necessary for bone growth, encouraging natural production of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), downregulating inflammatory factors, and creating the potential for a faster and more robust fusion.1,2,3,4 All Endoskeleton devices are covered by the company's risk share warranty.



About Titan Spine Titan Spine, LLC is a surface technology company focused on the design and manufacture of interbody fusion devices for the spine. The company is committed to advancing the science of surface engineering to enhance the treatment of various pathologies of the spine that require fusion. Titan Spine, located in Mequon, Wisconsin and Laichingen, Germany, markets a full line of Endoskeleton interbody devices featuring its proprietary textured surface in the U.S. and portions of Europe through its sales force and a network of independent distributors. To learn more, visit www.titanspine.com.

About MBA MBA is a leading medical company in the surgical technology market. Its main objective is to make available the most innovative and complete solutions to medical professionals in the orthopedics and traumatology fields as well as in the anesthetic and surgery market through BIOSER, its specialized division. With more than 25 years of experience in the surgical and health sector, MBA has a national and international presence with operative offices in Portugal, Belgium, Italy and United Kingdom. It works with main manufactures and has more than 275 employees with an average annual revenue of more than 65 million. In order to foster the scientific knowledge generated in the company, MBA developed the MBA INSTITUTE, an area which promotes applied clinical research through the collaborations with surgeons, universities and scientific institutions. 1 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy, S.L., Slosar, P.J., Schneider, J.M., Schwartz, Z., and Boyan, B.D. (2015). Implant materials generate different peri-implant inflammatory factors: PEEK promotes fibrosis and micro-textured titanium promotes osteogenic factors. Spine, Volume 40, Issue 6, 399-404. 2 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Gittens, R.A., Schneider, J.M., Hyzy, S.L., Haithcock, D.A., Ullrich, P.F., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B.D. (2012). Osteoblasts exhibit a more differentiated phenotype and increased bone morphogenetic production on titanium alloy substrates than poly-ether-ether-ketone. The Spine Journal, 12, 265-272. 3 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy, S.L., Gittens, R.A., Schneider, J.M., Haithcock, D.A., Ullrich, P.F., Slosar, P. J., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B.D. (2013). Rough titanium alloys regulate osteoblast production of angiogenic factors. The Spine Journal, 13, 1563-1570. 4 Olivares-Navarrete, R., Hyzy S.L., Gittens, R.A., Berg, M.E., Schneider, J.M., Hotchkiss, K., Schwartz, Z., Boyan, B. D. Osteoblast lineage cells can discriminate microscale topographic features on titanium-aluminum-vanadium surfaces. Ann Biomed Eng. 2014 Dec; 42 (12): 2551-61. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160814005003/en/

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[August 15, 2016] TOBA One-Year Clinical Study Results Published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery

Intact Vascular, Inc., a developer of medical devices for minimally invasive peripheral vascular procedures, today announced that the one-year results from its Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty ("TOBA") clinical study were published in the July 2016 edition of the Journal of Vascular Surgery1. The TOBA study enrolled 138 subjects at 13 sites in Europe. All study participants were suffering from peripheral artery disease caused by blockages in the superficial femoral or popliteal arteries, which are located in the upper part of the leg. All participants underwent percutaneous balloon angioplasty ("PTA") with any dissections (or tears) resulting from PTA repaired using the Tack Endovascular System. The Tack implant is a new technology designed to repair dissections in the artery wall that frequently occur as a complication during PTA. The system allows physicians to repair these dissections while leaving a minimal amount of foreign material in the artery, which reduces mechanical stress on the artery; leaves the artery in its most natural state; and preserves future treatment options. If the dissections are left unrepaired, they increase the probability of acute artery occlusion or may continue narrowing the artery. Some key conclusions from the TOBA study included: 98.5% participants achieved technical success

76.4% 12-month primary patency

89.5% freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR)

82.8% participants had a Rutherford Classification grade =1 at 12 months, representing a significant improvement in function from baseline Marc Bosiers, M.D. (A.Z. St. Blasius Hospital, Dendermonde, Belgium) was the Principal Investigator for the TOBA study. Dr. Bosiers stated, "These one-year results from the TOBA study demonstrate that the minimal metal approach associated with the Tack implant produces positive, lasting results in patients with severe peripheral artery disease. This is a high cost, resource intensive disease, so treatments with long-term effectiveness, such as combining angioplasty with the Tack implant, bring substantial benefits for patients and payers alike." Peter Schneider, M.D. (Chief of Vascular at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Honolulu) Intact Vascular's Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, added, "This first, large-scale study investigating the safety and efficacy of the Tack Endovascular System is a key building block for the broad clinical development program we are pursuing at Intact Vascular. Plain PTA in this setting typically has a one-year patency rate of 30-55%. When we added the Tack device to the treatment, the one-year success was improved to 76.4%. Our next studies involve combining the Tack system with drug-coated balloon angioplasty, which is the focus of our TOBA II and III clinical trials." Based on these promising results, Intact Vascular has been enrolling participants in an expanded study, TOBA II (www.toba-ii.com) that is being conducted at more than 35 U.S. and European centers under an Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval. The Company plans to submit data from TOBA II in support of a pre-market approval application with the FDA. Recently, the Company commenced enrollment in TOBA III, a post-CE Mark study conducted in Europe to assess the combination of the Tack implant and drug-coated balloon angioplasty in the superficial femoral and popliteal arteries.







1 Bosiers M, Scheinert D, Hendriks JM, Wissgott C, Peeters P, Zeller T, Brodmann M, Staffa R; TOBA investigators. "Results from the Tack Optimized Balloon Angioplasty (TOBA) study demonstrate the benefits of minimal metal implants for dissection repair after angioplasty." J Vasc Surg. 2016 Jul;64(1):109-16. doi: 10.1016/j.jvs.2016.02.043. Epub 2016 Apr 29.

About Intact Vascular Intact Vascular is a privately held medical device company that develops minimally invasive peripheral vascular products. The Tack Endovascular System is designed to optimize peripheral balloon angioplasty results in the treatment of peripheral arterial disease. Visit www.intactvascular.com for more information. This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning the development of Intact Vascular's products, the potential benefits and attributes of such products, and the company's expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. Intact Vascular undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason. Tack Endovascular System and Tack are registered trademarks of Intact Vascular, Inc.

The 6 French Tack Endovascular System is CE Mark Authorized under EC Directive 93/42/EEC. (4 French pending)

Not Available for sale or use in the United States.

Under U.S. Federal Law, the Tack Endovascular System is Limited to Investigational Use in the TOBA II study only. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005838/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Viva Aerobus Selects Boxever to Drive Deep Customer Insights

Boxever, the leader in omni-channel personalization for airlines and travel retailers, today announced that Viva Aerobus will now be leveraging Boxever's Customer Intelligence Cloud to capture, analyze and act upon its Customer data. "We're thrilled to be working with Viva Aerobus, collaborating side by side as true partners to unlock its data's potential," said David O'Flanagan, Boxever's CEO and co-founder. "The travel industry today has so many missed opportunities to truly connect with its customers - Viva Aerobus is setting the way to take action. By leveraging our technology, the company can extract value from Customer data, from trip research to baggage claim, driving business - and brand loyalty - by putting the Customer's preferences first." Viva Aerobus, the leading low-cost airline in Mexico, needed a solution that would help advance its Customer acquisition and retention initiatives by better understanding their consumers' behavior across channels and interaction points. The partnership with Boxever supports Viva Aerobus with the latest machine learning technology to gain better Customer insight and, in turn, significantly improve the travel experience with greater personalization along the consumer journey. By implementing Boxever's enterprise-grade customer intelligence platform, Viva Aerobus can now deliver highly-personalized interactions across the Customer experience with their brand. "It's a pivotal time for us as we launch Boxever's Customer Intelligence Cloud," said Aurelius Noell, E-Commerce Director at Viva Aerobus. "For us, the choice was simple: by utilizing Boxever's expertise - and nuanced understanding of the travel industry's complex needs - we've hit a goldmine of insights that will help us transform the way we engage with new and repeat Customers as a cornerstone of our overarching distribution and Customer strategy. Boxever will help us lead the low-cost airline industry in Mexico,ensuring that consumers are able to receive personalized and relevant information to shape a positive travel experience with us - an investment that will advance our strategy to gain better insights of our Customers to drive additional revenue and further business growth."



The deal is a critical milestone for Boxever, symbolizing a focus on growth in Latin America as a reflection of its overall strategy to expand into new markets. The partnership is indicative of Viva Aerobus ' goal to provide a personalized customer experience, distinguish itself from competitors and strengthen brand loyalty as a result. To learn more about Boxever's enterprise-grade customer intelligence platform, visit: www.boxever.com/products/enterprise-platform

About Viva Aerobus Based in Monterrey, NL, Mexico, Viva Aerobus started operations on November 2006 being created with the combined expertise of IAMSA and Irelandia. It operates a fleet of 19 Airbus A320 and 2 Boeing (News - Alert) 737-300 aircraft in 60 domestic routes within Mexico and one in the United States. IAMSA is Mexico's leading company of ground transportation services. It operates a fleet of 11 thousand buses in 22 states and transports over 300 million passengers a year, reaching over 70% of the population. It employs over 24 thousand people. Irelandia, is the investment vehicle of the Ryan family, founders of Ryanair, the largest and most successful low cost airline in Europe. Irelandia is the leader developer of low cost airlines around the world. It has also invested in other airlines such as Tiger Airways in Singapore, Allegiant in the United States and expanding the Viva brand with VivaColombia in Colombia. About Boxever Boxever helps marketers and retailers deliver an omnichannel personalized customer experience at every stage of the customer journey. It works with existing marketing cloud, digital commerce and customer loyalty systems to orchestrate all communications, offers and messages to customers in real time using the most appropriate channels. Boxever's Customer Intelligence Cloud enables marketers to build a 360 degree view of every customer to deliver one-to-one marketing experiences that lead to higher conversion rates, increased revenue and truly differentiated customer experiences. Boxever's platform enables digital transformation within airlines and travel organizations. Today, leading travel brands from all across the globe - including Emirates, Air New Zealand, eDreams ODIGEO, Cebu Pacific, Alitalia, AeroMexico, Brussels Airlines, and Aer Lingus - rely on Boxever to help acquire, convert and retain customers. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with offices in Wyckoff, New Jersey and London. Learn more at www.boxever.com or follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @Boxever. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005515/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting Selected for 12th Consecutive Year by IRS to Help Millions File Returns

Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting in the US is proud to announce it has been selected by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to deliver comprehensive sales tax rate and taxability tables to help millions of taxpayers file returns for the next five years. This is the 12th consecutive year Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting has been chosen by the IRS to help millions across the country prepare their tax returns, and the first time it has been awarded a five-year contract. With access to updated information from thousands of tax jurisdictions provided by Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting, tax filers can easily determine if they'll save more by deducting state and local sales tax or by taking standard or itemized tax deductions. The figures in the tables provided by Wolters Kluwer show the average of consumer expenditures. This information is available for every ZIP Code in the country - saving people the time of collecting and organizing sales receipts. Sales tax rates and taxability information is collected from over 10,000 US jurisdictions and reviewed by Wolters Kluwer's experienced research staff. This content is used to power award-winning products such as CCH (News - Alert) SureTax, CCH Sales Tax Office and CCH IntelliConnect. Additionally, this data supports the IRS's online Sales Tax Deduction Calculator - available to taxpayers for filing 2016 income tax returns. Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accunting is providing the IRS with data across all US ZIP Codes as well as the taxability rules for more than 500 Bureau of Labor Statistics spending categories, giving tax filers a wide range of useful information at their fingertips.



"It's a privilege to be chosen by the IRS once again to provide them with innovative corporate tax information solutions, and to provide millions of taxpayers valuable sales tax research to aide in the tax filing process," said Renee Davis-Malott, Vice President of Sales for Global and National Accounts at Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting in the US. "We are proud of the work we do at Wolters Kluwer and take our responsibility to the IRS, tax professionals and taxpayers very seriously." More information on Wolters Kluwer's CCH SureTax and other Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting sales and use tax solutions is available by visiting www.SalesTax.com.

About Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting is a leading provider of software solutions and local expertise that helps tax, accounting, and audit professionals research and navigate complex regulations, comply with legislation, manage their businesses and advise clients with speed, accuracy and efficiency. Wolters Kluwer Tax and Accounting is part of Wolters Kluwer N.V. (AEX: WKL), a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2015 annual revenues of 4.2 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,000 people worldwide. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005670/en/

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[August 14, 2016] SAP Fieldglass Customer NSW Department of Education Receives Top Award for Innovative Use of Technology at Australasia Supply Management Conference

Government unit also recognized for process improvement initiative CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SAP Fieldglass today congratulated customer New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education for its receipt of two prestigious Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Australasia Supply Management awards, honoring the department's innovation and use of technology. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130227/CG65802LOGO The Most Innovative Use of Technology Award, new this year to the annual CIPS award list, named the NSW Department of Education the winner. The award recognized the procurement and supply chain teams that have used technology in an innovative way to improve performance or efficiency. The industry group also recognized NSW as a finalist in the category of Best Process Improvement Initiative. The awards were given out at the 2016 CIPS Australasia Conference in Melbourne, Australia, on July 27. CIPS honored the NSW Education Procurement Team for its successful implementation of a new online vendor management system, caled Contractor Central, that simplified and streamlined its engagement and management of contractors. The platform now allows for transparent reporting and formal on/off-boarding processes. Contractor Central also ensures that all contingent worker engagements comply with Government legislation. Encouraged by the success, three additional NSW departments have since successfully deployed the platform and realized improved efficiencies.



"We're pleased to recognize SAP Fieldglass and KellyOCG for their partnership and contributions in the global workforce management arena," said David Malcolm, Chief Procurement Officer, NSW Education. "We launched the contingent labor 'Contractor Central' program in August 2015 with more than 400 workers across 80 sites. Just a year later, we employ 900 workers across the program and manage a spend of $64 million." SAP Fieldglass congratulates each of the winners and finalists in the 13 categories, including additional SAP Fieldglass customers, and looks forward to next year.

For more information about the 2016 CIPS Australasia Supply Management Conference and Awards, please visit: http://www.cipsaustralasiaconferenceandawards.com/awards/winners-2016/ ABOUT SAP FIELDGLASS SAP Fieldglass provides the industry's leading technology for services procurement and external workforce management. More than 400 of the top global businesses leverage SAP Fieldglass' intuitive, cloud-based services solution to gain visibility into its external labor, project-based services including Statements of Work (SOW), independent contractors and additional flexible talent pools. The SAP Fieldglass VMS is used by organizations across all industries and geographies to achieve total workforce visibility and ultimately maximize cost savings, worker quality, compliance and program efficiencies. Procurement and HR professionals from companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Monsanto and Rio Tinto partner with SAP Fieldglass to develop sophisticated talent and spend management strategies necessary to create best-in-class workforce programs. For more information, visit www.fieldglass.com.



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[August 15, 2016] LEDs Magazine Announces Third Annual Sapphire Awards Gala And Judging Panel

NASHUA, N.H., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- LEDs Magazine is excited to announce the third annual Sapphire Awards will be held March 1, 2017 at the City National Grove Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. The awards gala and ceremony are being held in conjunction with the co-located Strategies in Light conference and the LED Show. The LEDs Magazine Sapphire Awards is the first and only awards program in the lighting industry to focus on the LED-based solid-state lighting (SSL) market from an enabling-technology and elegance-of-design perspective  recognizing true technology stars. It also recognizes an Illumineer of the Year, a person or small team responsible for significant innovation in the development of LEDs, other enabling components, development tools, and solid-state lighting (SSL) products. "We are so proud of how quickly the Sapphire Awards has grown," said Christine Shaw, senior vice president and publisher at LEDs Magazine. "To continue our commitment to the industry this year, we've stepped it up this year by adding product categories and expanding our judging panel, as well as revamping our online submissions process for easier and quicker use." The awards are currently open for product entries for the Sapphire Awards and nominations for the Illumineer of the Year Award. The product entry categories include: Packaged LEDs and OLEDs, LED Divers, Modular LED Light Engines, SSL Enabling Technologies, ICs and Electronic Components for SSL, Tools and Tests in SSL Design, Connected SSL Lamp Design, Commercial-Quality SSL Lamp Design, Linear T8 SSL Lamp Design, Indoor Ambient, Track, and Accent SSL Luminaire Design, Indoor Troffer, Linear, and Recessed SSL Luminaire Design, Outdoor SSL Luminaire Design, Smart and Connected SSL Technologies, Horticultural Lighting, Tunable SSL Technology, Human-Centric Lighting, Industrial SSL Luminaire Design, and Specialty SSL Design.



"We've had an amazing response to the Sapphire Awards for the past two years," said Maury Wright, editor of LEDs Magazine. "We're excited to see the growth of the awards in such a short time and with the enhancements we made this year, 2017 is raising the bar even higher. The judges are looking forward to reviewing submissions." The Sapphire Awards relies on independent judges chosen from industry and consultancy roles to ensure that all entries are fairly evaluated. The expert judging panel includes:

Nancy Clanton , Clanton & Associates

, Clanton & Associates Terry Clark , Finelite

, Finelite Daryl DeJean , Emerging Technologies Associates

, Emerging Technologies Associates Jerry Duffy , GE Lighting

, GE Lighting Austin Gelder , UL

, UL Monica Hansen , LED Lighting Advisors

, LED Lighting Advisors Duncan Jackson , Billings Jackson Design

, Billings Jackson Design Brad Koerner , Philips Lighting

, Philips Lighting Rita Koltai , Koltai Lighting Design

, Koltai Lighting Design Thomas Kowalczuk , Wynn Design and Development

, Wynn Design and Development Dave Neal , Seoul Semiconductor

, Seoul Semiconductor Steve Paolini , Telelumens

, Telelumens Charles Schrama , Lumileds

, Lumileds Milena Simeonova , Light4Health

, Light4Health Marissa Tucci , Tucci Lighting

, Tucci Lighting Christine VanLeeuwen , Graybar

, Graybar Howard Yaphe , Axis Lighting

, Axis Lighting Stephanie Pruitt , Strategies Unlimited

, Strategies Unlimited Philip Smallwood , Strategies Unlimited

, Strategies Unlimited Robert Steele , Strategies Unlimited

, Strategies Unlimited Shonika Vijay , Strategies Unlimited

, Strategies Unlimited Maury Wright , LEDs Magazine For more information, or to submit a product or nomination for Illumineer of the Year, visit https://sapphireawards.secure-platform.com. About LEDs Magazine LEDs Magazine is the leading information resource for the global LED and lighting community, serving thousands of readers that specify, design, and manufacture LED-based products for a wide range of end-use applications. Its key value proposition is to offer well-written, unbiased, and informative editorial content to more than 63,000 subscribers. LEDs Magazine provides news and product information on a daily basis in combination with in-depth technical articles, analysis, and case studies. For additional information about LEDs Magazine, visit www.ledsmagazine.com. About PennWell Corporation PennWell Corporation is a privately held and highly diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries: Oil and gas, electric power generation and delivery, hydropower, renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment, waste management, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, optoelectronics, fiber-optics, aerospace and avionics, LEDs and lighting, fire and emergency services, public safety, and dental. PennWell publishes over 130 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, websites, research and database services. In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; London, England; Houston, Texas; San Diego and Mountain View, California; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. For additional information about PennWell Corporation, visit www.pennwell.com. Contact: Shawna Frechette, Marketing Manager

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 603.891.9204 Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397835

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110627/DA26630LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leds-magazine-announces-third-annual-sapphire-awards-gala-and-judging-panel-300313095.html SOURCE PennWell Corporation

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[August 15, 2016] World's First Crew To Mars Is Likely In Middle School Right Now

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company, has partnered with Discovery Education to launch the next phase of Generation Beyond, an initiative to use science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to prepare today's middle school students nationwide for deep space exploration. Lockheed Martin has supported every NASA mission to Mars over the last four decades and is currently developing technologies like the Orion spacecraft to help NASA send humans to deep space destinations like Mars in the 2030s. Generation Beyond brings the science of space into homes and classrooms across America to engage students in grades 6-8 and help them prepare to make these missions a reality and pursue STEM careers. The program, available at no cost, includes an online curriculum for teachers and families, with standards-based, digital resources such as lesson plans, educator guides and family activities. These resources will introduce a wide variety of STEM-focused careers in space exploration, compare and contrast differences between life in space and on Earth, and illustrate the challenges of a future Mars mission. The program also features these upcoming engaging opportunities: GENERATION BEYOND STUDENT VIDEO CHALLENGE: Students will create a short one-to-two-minute video explaining how they would design the habitation module for the first crew to Mars. Students can enter individually or in a group of up to four members from now until Decmber 15, 2016 . A grand prize winning team or individual winner will win a $10,000 cash prize. Second place will receive $5,000 ; third place will receive $2,500 . Participants can enter here: www.lockheedmartin.com/generationbeyondinschool.

Students will create a short one-to-two-minute video explaining how they would design the habitation module for the first crew to Mars. Students can enter individually or in a group of up to four members from now until . A grand prize winning team or individual winner will win a cash prize. Second place will receive ; third place will receive . Participants can enter here: www.lockheedmartin.com/generationbeyondinschool. VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP, SPACE WEEK  OCT. 4 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT : During Space Week, which runs October 4-8 , classrooms worldwide can participate in a virtual fieldtrip live from the Lockheed Martin Spacecraft Operations Simulation Center in Littleton, Colorado . Students will virtually meet Lockheed Martin experts, discuss their career paths and deep space exploration experiences. Attendees will learn how space flight leads to innovation here on Earth. Sign-up and program resources are available at: www.lockheedmartin.com/generationbeyondinschool.



Patti Grammens , science teacher at Forsyth County Schools in Georgia . "Generation Beyond helps me to engage students in insightful conversations about deep space and introduce them to various careers in this field. These cutting-edge resources will make science relevant and exciting for my students." "Lockheed Martin has been involved in many NASA missions to space, and now we're helping take astronauts farther into space than ever before. STEM careers take us there and so much more. For us to successfully design and navigate deep space missions, build cutting-edge aircraft and engineer solutions that help protect our nation, we must have the skilled workforce to get the job done," said Stephen Frick, former NASA astronaut and Director of Strategic Planning and Operations at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Advanced Technology Center (ATC).

Frick added, "We want to inspire kids to become the next generation of engineers and space explorers by pursuing STEM paths. Generation Beyond uses space exploration, an area that already generates excitement among young people, to show students how focusing on math and science will take them to places they've never dreamed, including another planet." In addition to the online curriculum, the Generation Beyond program includes the Mars Experience Bus, which takes students on a mobile virtual reality trip to the surface of Mars. The program also features the Hello Mars app, which allows users to check the weather on Mars in real-time. For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/generationbeyond. For more information about Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.com//who-we-are/about-discovery-education.cfm. About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140402/PH96591LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-first-crew-to-mars-is-likely-in-middle-school-right-now-300313213.html SOURCE Lockheed Martin

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[August 15, 2016] MIT AI Startup Infinite Analytics to Power Analytics and Personalization for Behno - the Leader in Sustainable Fashion

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinite Analytics will now power Behno.com with its award winning Predictive Analytics, Personalization and Product Search & Discovery Platform. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397744LOGO

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160812/397745LOGO MIT based Infinite Analytics has been working on cutting edge AI for retail for the last few years. Their award winning predictive analytics platform has led to an increase of over $125 million in annual revenues for some customers, and an increase in conversions by 217% for some others. Their consistent performance for all their retailers made it compelling for Behno.com to partner with them to increase conversions, gain insight into customer behavior and personalize user experience for their customers. Infinite Analytics approaches personalization and analytics from a user as well as a product perspective. They are able to use their award-winning platform to not only achieve consumer insights, but also analyze the product catalog into 100-150 attributes to gain product insights. Both these insights together form the centerpiece of their high revenue impact. Behno.com is an advanced contemporary women's wear label focused on ethical manufacturing and strong design sensibility. The label's recent focus has been on active and innovative customer acquisition and increased digital awareness. Mr. Shivam Punjya, Founder, Behno, said: 'We have been impressed by Infinite Analytics' ability to increase coversions significantly. Their seamless dashboard driven integration with our platform aligned with our need for a simple, yet effective tool to personalize and improve product search & discovery. We are happy to partner with them to provide greater value to our customers."



According to Akash Bhatia, Co-founder & CEO, Infinite Analytics, "Behno's noble vision and their design sensibilities are dear to us. Our AI platform, and its ease of use will allow Behno.com to focus on creating more impact on sustainability while we drive customer engagement and conversions. We look forward to this journey with them" About Behno:

BEHNO is an advanced contemporary women's wear label based in New York. The label prides itself as not only a sustainable and socially responsible clothing line produced in India, but also as a modern and youthful line catering to the feminine, sensible woman. Their design has caught the attention of major publications including Vogue, which named BEHNO as one of the "Sustainable Chic Fashion Labels to Know Now".

BEHNO's goal is to help those who need it most  the factory workers. It is constantly reacting to changes in the industry and needs of its garment workers. Soon after its piecemeal rollout, The BEHNO Standard immediately affected local communities with new job opportunities, food and economic security, and access to improved healthcare services, proving that social responsibility and beautiful design can co-exist in fashion. About Infinite Analytics (www.infiniteanalytics.com):

Infinite Analytics is a company founded out of MIT that specializes in Deep Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics. Their Analytics Platform merges data from multiple sources (customer demographic data, transactions data, loyalty program data, third party data, open data) to create a 360-degree view of the user. Their NLP, Semantic and Predictive Analytics Algorithms detect and predict patterns in the merged data and in the product catalog, with the end goal of increasing revenues for clients. Their clients include some of the biggest names in Retail and E-Commerce worldwide like AirBnB, Comcast, B2W Digital, BabyOye, eBay, Future Group, Infibeam, NBA, Trendin, Craftsvilla and Caratlane, amongst many others. Infinite Analytics has a super team along with super advisors in Sir Tim Berners-Lee - the inventor of the World Wide Web, Deb Roy - Chief Media Scientist at Twitter, Erik Brynjolfsson  Director of Center for Digital Business at MIT, and Rosemary Leith  Director of World Wide Web Foundation and Mr. Ratan Tata as an investor/mentor. Media contact:

Akash Bhatia

Email

+1 6179490464 To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mit-ai-startup-infinite-analytics-to-power-analytics-and-personalization-for-behno---the-leader-in-sustainable-fashion-300312925.html SOURCE Infinite Analytics

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[August 15, 2016] Kyulux, Inc. Announces License of Harvard Deep Learning Artificial Intelligence Platform for OLED Development and Hiring of OLED Research Team

FUKUOKA, Japan and BOSTON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyulux, Inc., an advanced materials startup company that is commercializing the next generation of OLED display and lighting technology known as TADF (Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence), announced today that it has secured a license to Harvard University's Molecular Space Shuttle deep learning system for the discovery of materials for display and lighting applications. The Molecular Space Shuttle is an artificial intelligence platform designed by Alan Aspuru-Guzik's group at Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. In a publication last week in Nature Materials, co-authored by researchers at Harvard, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and MIT, Aspuru-Guzik and his group demonstrated the ability of the system to rapidly screen millions of molecules for stability and other characteristics necessary for a molecule to produce light with the characteristics necessary for use in commercial production of cell phone and television displays. "By developing a sophisticated molecular builder, using state-of-the-art quantum chemistry and machine learning, in addition to drawing on the expertise of experimentalists, we discovered a large set of high-performing blue OLED materials," said Aspuru-Guzik, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, who led the research. "Following that validation, I am extremely excited to see this platform adopted for commercial development, utilizing its capabilities for the rapid screening of TADF materials." The license agreement coordinated by Harvard's Office of Technology Development provides Kyulux with rights to the copyrighted software. The algorithms dramatically reduce the computational cost of testing candidate molecules for new technologies. In addition to Kyulux's licensing of the software, three key researchers who developed the system in Aspuru-Guzik's research group and were co-authors on the Nature Materials publication have chosen to join Kyulux's computational chemistry group in Boston. Professor Aspuru-Guzik will also join the company as a part-time scientific advisor. Aspuru-Guzik will be among three other TADF academic research leaders, Chihaya Adachi and Hajime Nakanotani from Kyushu University and Hironori Kaji from the University of Kyoto, joining a world-class team of scientific advisors to Kyulux.



"We were able to model these molecules in a way that was really predictive," said Rafael Gomez-Bombarelli, a postdoctoral fellow in the Aspuru-Guzik lab and first author of the paper. "We could predict the color and the brightness of the molecules from a simple quantum chemical calculation and about 12 hours of computing per molecule." "TADF molecules require very complicated material design rules to achieve highly efficient emission and long lifetimes for commercialization. The Molecular Space Shuttle enables us to access a wide variety of molecules which we have not designed yet within a short period. This is a key technology for enhancing the competitiveness of Kyulux," said Junji Adachi, CTO of Kyulux.

"Kyulux is excited to be able to incorporate the capabilities of these researchers. Kyulux has assembled one of the finest teams of organic chemists and device physicists in the OLED field in the world. Adding the incoming team and the Molecular Space Shuttle will allow us to rapidly accelerate our discovery and commercialization of the next generation of OLED materials," said Dr. Christopher Savoie, CEO of Kyulux. "I am sure that an unlimited possibility for molecular design will change the world of organic electronics and photonics. We are very much excited to have a collaborative and productive relationship with Alan's group. The combined capabilities of the computational chemistry from Harvard and the vast experience in OLEDs at OPERA, Kyushu Univ. and Kyulux will pioneer a new direction in the study of organic electronics," said Kyulux co-founder, Professor Chihaya Adachi of Kyushu University. The three Harvard-trained researchers will be joining Kyuluxs North America Office, which is opening this month in the Downtown Boston area to carry out computational discovery and experimental synthesis and characterization. About Kyulux Kyulux is a leader in developing and delivering the next generation of organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology, TADF. Kyulux develops and sells TADF and Hyperfluoresence based OLED materials and solutions to manufacturers in the display and lighting industries. Founded in 2015, the Company currently owns or has exclusive, co-exclusive or sole license rights to a large TADF intellectual property portfolio developed over the past seven years at Kyushu University and has established a world class TADF development team that covers AI / deep learning computational chemistry, organic chemistry and device physics. Kyulux's cofounder and the inventor of TADF technology, Prof. Chihaya Adachi, is widely viewed as the top global researcher in OLED technology, having been a key author and inventor in all previous generations of OLED materials that are now used everyday by consumers of cell phones, televisions, and other displays across the globe. Based in Fukuoka, Japan, with an advanced research and development center in Boston, Massachusetts, Kyulux enjoys global development partnerships with some of the leading manufacturers in the display market. Kyulux and the Kyulux logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Kyulux, Inc. All other company, brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks. Follow Kyulux on Facebook

Kyulux Inc.

Suite #2-227, FiaS, 4-1 Kyudai Shinmachi, Nishi, Fukuoka 819-0388, Japan

Christopher Savoie, CEO

Phone: +81-92-834-9518

URL: http://www.kyulux.com/

Email To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kyulux-inc-announces-license-of-harvard-deep-learning-artificial-intelligence-platform-for-oled-development-and-hiring-of-oled-research-team-300313315.html SOURCE Kyulux Inc.

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[August 15, 2016] Industrial Networking Solutions Recognized as Cradlepoint 2015 Value Added Reseller of the Year

Industrial Networking Solutions (INS) is pleased to announce it was awarded the 2015 VAR of the Year at the 2016 Cradlepoint Partner Summit held in Boise, ID on April 27th. INS has now won the prestigious award two years in a row. The Cradlepoint 2015 VAR of the Year recognition was awarded to INS based on sales volume, breadth of customer base, and customer satisfaction. Richard Rogers, Manager of wireless IoT products at INS, remarked, "Cradlepoint's innovative and reliable 4G LTE (News - Alert) wireless network solutions have helped us meet our customers' wireless networking needs time and again, and contributed to yet another year of strong sales growth for INS. We are honored to receive Cradlepoint's VAR of the Year award for 2015 and look forward to continued success in 2016!" "Our VAR partnerships are critical to our ability to empower enterprises to connect their people, places and things. We are pleased to present our 2015 VAR of the Year awad to INS-the company has proven great dedication and achievements in growing its business and partnership with Cradlepoint," said Ed Walton, VP, North American Channels & Alliances, Cradlepoint.



About Cradlepoint Cradlepoint is the global leader in software-defined 4G LTE network solutions. Enterprise adoption of cloud, mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies is driving the need for always-on connectivity for people, places and things anywhere. Cradlepoint's cloud-based platform combines software-defined networking and radio technologies with virtualized services to deliver 4G LTE and overlay networks that are secure end-to-end, agile to deploy and ultra-reliable. Over 15,000 enterprise, SMB and government customers around the world rely on Cradlepoint to keep their critical sites, remote workforces, vehicles, assets and machines always connected and protected. Founded in 2006, Cradlepoint is a privately held company headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with offices in Silicon Valley, Canada and the UK.

About INS INS sells and supports Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to end-users, integrators and OEMs in both Industrial and Enterprise vertical markets. INS focuses on value-added solution sales, offering its customers robust IoT network products and engineering services as well as best-in-class technical support after the sale. INS is headquartered in Addison, Texas and has sales offices across the United States. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160815005664/en/

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[August 15, 2016] Legions of nanorobots target cancerous tumours with precision - Administering anti-cancer drugs redefined

MONTREAL, Aug. 15, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Researchers from Polytechnique Montreal, Universite de Montreal and McGill University have just achieved a spectacular breakthrough in cancer research. They have developed new nanorobotic agents capable of navigating through the bloodstream to administer a drug with precision by specifically targeting the active cancerous cells of tumours. This way of injecting medication ensures the optimal targeting of a tumour and avoids jeopardizing the integrity of organs and surrounding healthy tissues. As a result, the drug dosage that is highly toxic for the human organism could be significantly reduced. This scientific breakthrough has just been published in the prestigious journal Nature Nanotechnology in an article titled "Magneto-aerotactic bacteria deliver drug-containing nanoliposomes to tumour hypoxic regions." The article notes the results of the research done on mice, which were successfully administered nanorobotic agents into colorectal tumours. "These legions of nanorobotic agents were actually composed of more than 100 million flagellated bacteria  and therefore self-propelled  and loaded with drugs that moved by taking the most direct path between the drug's injection point and the area of the body to cure," explains Professor Sylvain Martel, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Medical Nanorobotics and Director of the Polytechnique Montreal Nanorobotics Laboratory, who heads the research eam's work. "The drug's propelling force was enough to travel efficiently and enter deep inside the tumours."



When they enter a tumour, the nanorobotic agents can detect in a wholly autonomous fashion the oxygen-depleted tumour areas, known as hypoxic zones, and deliver the drug to them. This hypoxic zone is created by the substantial consumption of oxygen by rapidly proliferative tumour cells. Hypoxic zones are known to be resistant to most therapies, including radiotherapy. But gaining access to tumours by taking paths as minute as a red blood cell and crossing complex physiological micro-environments does not come without challenges. So Professor Martel and his team used nanotechnology to do it.

Bacteria with compass To move around, bacteria used by Professor Martel's team rely on two natural systems. A kind of compass created by the synthesis of a chain of magnetic nanoparticles allows them to move in the direction of a magnetic field, while a sensor measuring oxygen concentration enables them to reach and remain in the tumour's active regions. By harnessing these two transportation systems and by exposing the bacteria to a computer-controlled magnetic field, researchers showed that these bacteria could perfectly replicate artificial nanorobots of the future designed for this kind of task. "This innovative use of nanotransporters will have an impact not only on creating more advanced engineering concepts and original intervention methods, but it also throws the door wide open to the synthesis of new vehicles for therapeutic, imaging and diagnostic agents," Professor Martel adds. "Chemotherapy, which is so toxic for the entire human body, could make use of these natural nanorobots to move drugs directly to the targeted area, eliminating the harmful side effects while also boosting its therapeutic effectiveness." The work by Professor Martel obtained the very valuable support of the Consortium quebecois sur la decouverte du medicament (Quebec consortium for drug discovery  CQDM), the Canada Research Chairs, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Research Chair in Nanorobotics of Polytechnique Montreal, Mitacs, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Montreal's Jewish General Hospital, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), and the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre also took part in this promising research work. Paper - DOI: 10.1038/NNANO.2016.137

Media PACKAGE : http://bit.ly/NatureMartel

SOURCE Polytechnique Montreal

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[August 15, 2016] ProfNet Experts Available on Password Security, Health IT, More

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network who are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. You can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network  it's easy and free! Just fill out the query form to get started: http://prn.to/queryform. EXPERT ALERTS Biometric Modalities Provide the Most Secure Passwords

Potential iPhone 7 Changes That Would Resonate With Consumers

Zika Exposes IT Gaps MEDIA JOBS Sports Reporter  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)

Breaking News/Crime Reporter  Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)

Energy Reporter  Houston Business Journal (TX) OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES So You Want to Be a Ghostwriter

Blogger Events: Top Events to Attend in August

Blog Profiles: Sports Blogs ------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPERT ALERTS: Biometric Modalities Provide the Most Secure Passwords

Dr. Salil Prabhakar

President and CEO

Delta ID

"I have always believed biometric modalities, such as fingerprints and iris scanning, provides us with the most unique and secure passwords that we never have to remember. The widespread adoption of fingerprints in mobile phones has proven the same. I believe, in what we can call the second phase, iris scanning technology, owing to its better security and reliability, will further advance the use of biometric technology in high-security applications in the enterprise, banking and payments."

Dr. Prabhakar, an expert in the area of biometrics -- fingerprints and iris scanning technology -- is president and CEO of Delta ID Inc., a California-based technology company he co-founded in 2011. Delta ID is the world's first company to bring iris recognition technology to mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, thereby enabling reliable, convenient and secure e-commerce, payments and transactions. He has co-authored 50+ publications (14,000+ Google citations), two editions of the award-winning Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition, five book chapters, and eight edited proceedings. He has several patents granted and pending.

Contact: Amy MDowell, [email protected]





Potential iPhone 7 Changes That Would Resonate With Consumers

Greg Mishkin

Vice President, Telecommunications

Market Strategies International

Rumors about the removal of iPhone 7's headphone jack and other design changes have been swirling for months in anticipation of the September reveal. Mishkin is available to discuss what potential changes are poised to really resonate with consumers and which will not: "This summer has seen no shortage of analyst reports of what the soon-to-be-released iPhone 7 will look like and what features it will (and will not) possess. Continuing what has become an annual frenzy of leaks and predictions, rumors are flying about its multiple screen sizes, memory capacity, camera quality, headphone jack and water resistance. Rumors aside, customers' needs and wants vary greatly depending on their current make and model, wireless carrier and their brand loyalty."

Based in Atlanta, Mishkin earned a master's degree in business administration from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Ga.; a master's degree in clinical psychology from University of Hartford in Hartford, Conn.; and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y.

Website: http://www.marketstrategies.com

Contact: Nicole Burdiss, [email protected]



Zika Exposes IT Gaps

Ritu Agarwal

Information Systems Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty and Research

University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

"Health departments have lacked guidance to effectively strategize about appropriate IT investments, and incidents like the current Zika crisis bring the issue to the forefront. From intensive analysis of the rollout of an electronic health records system [in a nearby county], we uncovered a host of barriers and obstacles to effective use of information, including the complexity and usability of the software, the inability of the software to support certain unique public health reporting needs, the learning curve for public health workers, and the lack of standards for effective data exchange. All of this does not bode well, either for crisis response or for proactive crisis anticipation."

Agarwal is founder and Director of the Center for Health Information and Decision Systems at the Smith School and Editor-in-Chief of Information Systems Research.

Bio: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/directory/ritu-agarwal

Website: http://www.rhsmith.umd.edu/chids

Contact: Greg Muraski, [email protected]

**************** MEDIA JOBS: Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: https://prnmedia.prnewswire.com/community/jobs/ Sports Reporter  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK)

Breaking News/Crime Reporter  Santa Cruz Sentinel (CA)

Energy Reporter  Houston Business Journal (TX) ***************** OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES: Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line. SO YOU WANT TO BE A GHOSTWRITER With the demand for ghostwriting on the rise, it can be a lucrative niche for writers. If you're looking to break into the ghostwriting market, here are some tips from Jenna Glatzer , award-winning author and ghostwriter of 27 books, including Celine Dion's authorized biography (" Celine Dion : For Keeps") and a Marilyn Monroe biography authorized by her estate ("The Marilyn Monroe Treasures"): http://prn.to/2aBwCL8

, award-winning author and ghostwriter of 27 books, including authorized biography (" : For Keeps") and a biography authorized by her estate ("The Marilyn Monroe Treasures"): http://prn.to/2aBwCL8 BLOGGER EVENTS: TOP EVENTS TO ATTEND IN AUGUST. In this monthly column, we list some events bloggers should consider attending to hone their craft: http://bit.ly/2bc7Gdi

BLOG PROFILES: SPORTS BLOGS. Each week, PR Newswire's Audience Relations team profiles a handful of sites that do a good job with promoting and contributing to the conversation in a particular industry. In the latest installment, they take a look at sports blogs: http://bit.ly/2b8XVyf **************** PROFNET is an exclusive service of PR Newswire. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150416/199234LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/profnet-experts-available-on-password-security-health-it-more-300313435.html SOURCE ProfNet

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[August 15, 2016] Economist GMAT Tutor's $25,000 MBA Scholarship Contest Is Now Open

NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Planning to pursue the prestigious master's degree in business administration (MBA)? Meet one of the best ways to pay for a significant portion of your tuition: Economist GMAT Tutor's 2016 Brightest Minds MBA Scholarship Contest, which launches today. The contest aims to find one of the world's "Brightest Minds" who plans to attend business school, and help fund his or her education. The title and $25,000 scholarship will be awarded to the highest scorer on Economist GMAT Tutor's free online simulation of the GMAT, the standardised test required by the majority of business schools due to its measurement of analytical, writing, quantitative and verbal skills. Dan Gherasimenco, a 29-year-old Canadian entrepreneur who is in the midst of launching a new company in the fashion industry with his fiancee, beat more than 4,000 other contest entrants around the world by scoring highest on Economst GMAT Tutor's Spring 2016 GMAT simulation exam. He will apply the scholarship towards tuition at the Schulich School of Business.



The contest is open to anyone who is considering pursuing an MBA or EMBA. The winner may apply their $25,000 scholarship towards tuition to any of the partnering business schools: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University

University of Liverpool Management School

Management School Johns Hopkins Carey Business School

Alliance Manchester Business School

Oregon State University

Ivey Business School

Copenhagen Business School

The University of Edinburgh Business School

Business School Schulich School of Business

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Darden School of Business Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College, City University of New York

School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology The contest will close on October 15th 2016. The winner will be announced by November 18th.

Contest entrants must qualify under the Terms & Conditions. For information about partnership opportunities, contact Richard Dexter at +1 212-554-0662 or [email protected]. About Economist GMAT Tutor (gmat.economist.com)

Economist GMAT Tutor is an online GMAT prep course offered by The Economist Group.

The online program guides students through the academic topics and test taking skills that they will need to master the test. The program is adaptive, meaning that it uses students' correct and incorrect answers to create tailored courses customized to their needs. About The Economist (economist.com)

With a growing global circulation (more than 1.5 million including both print and digital) and a reputation for insightful analysis and perspective on every aspect of world events, The Economist is one of the most widely recognised and well-read current affairs publications. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160204/329695LOGO To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/economist-gmat-tutors-25000-mba-scholarship-contest-is-now-open-300313632.html SOURCE The Economist

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[August 15, 2016] Next Generation Cyber Security Market Forecast Report 2016-2021: Companies Advancing Beyond Traditional Firewalls Towards Cloud Based & Big Data Solutions For The Internet of Things (IoT)

LONDON, Aug. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details

The latest report from business intelligence provider visiongain assesses that the global Next Generation Cyber Security market will generate revenues of $35.7 billion in 2016. See comprehensive analysis of the lucrative business prospects within this flourishing new sector.



Now: Cyber security has become one of the most important segments of homeland security in recent years, in lieu of the proliferation of advanced attack software, and the way in which more and more essential systems are coming to rely upon digitalisation. This is especially true in the critical infrastructure sector, where modern industrial control systems (ICS) and SCADA systems have proven particularly vulnerable. This is an example of the business critical news that you need to know about - and more importantly, you need to read visiongain's objective analysis of how this will impact your company and the industry more broadly. How are you and your company reacting to this news? Are you sufficiently informed?



How this report will benefit you

Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector. Visiongain's new study tells you and tells you NOW.



In this brand new report you will receive 121 in-depth tables, charts and graphs PLUS 6 EXCLUSIVE expert interviews  all unavailable elsewhere.



The 209 page report provides clear detailed insight into the global Next Generation Cyber Security market. It reveals the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.



By ordering and reading our brand new report today you will be better informed and ready to act.



Report Scope

- Global Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021

- Regional Next Generation Cyber Security market forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and North America;

- Leading national Next Generation Cyber Security forecasts from 2016-2021 covering China, the USA, Japan, France, the UK, Germany, Inda, Russia, Italy, Brazil and RoW







- Next Generation Cyber Security submarket forecasts from 2016-2021 covering Application Security, Cloud Security, Content Security, Endpoint Security, and Network Security

- Analysis of the key factors driving growth in the global and regional/country level Next Generation Cyber Security markets from 2016-2021

- Who are the leading players and what are their prospects over the forecast period?

- BAE Systems

- Barracuda Networks

- Bay Dynamics

- Cisco Systems

- Check Point

- FireEye

- Fortinet

- Herjavec Group

- Hewlett Packard

- Intel Corporation

- Juniper Networks

- Norse

- Palo Alto Networks

- Splunk

- Watch Guard

- Analysis of game changing technological trends being employed by the leading players and how these will shape the cyber security industry.

- SWOT analysis of the major strengths and weaknesses of the market, together with the opportunities available and the key threats faced.

- Market conclusions & recommendations.

- 6 Full transcripts of exclusive Visiongain interviews with key opinion-leaders in the market, from the following companies:

- Delve Labs

- Digital Guardian

- LogRhythm

- Nymi

- Sandstorm.io

- Spikes Security



How will you benefit from this report?

- This report will keep your knowledge base up to speed. Don't get left behind

- This report will reinforce strategic decision decision-making based upon definitive and reliable market data

- You will learn how to exploit new technological trends

- You will be able to realise your company's full potential within the market

- You will better understand the competitive landscape and identify potential new business opportunities & partnerships





Who should read this report?

- Anyone within the cyber security value chain.

- Cyber security companies

- Cyber security risk insurance companies

- IT Companies

- Internet of Things (IoT) companies

- Software developers

- Infrastructure security companies

- Chief information officers (CIO)

- Chief executive officers (CEO)

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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.
Getty Images. Secret ledgers in Ukraine show $12.7 million in cash payments was earmarked for Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, The New York Times reports.

Secret ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Donald Trump's campaign manager from the administration of former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Paul Manafort, who joined Trump's presidential campaign in March, was a former consultant for the Party of Regions  Yanukovych's now-defunct pro-Russian political party. But the reported payments, from 2007 to 2012, may be part of an illegal off-the-books system, the Times said.

In a statement Monday, Manafort called the report "unfounded, silly and nonsensical." He added that he had never taken an "off-the-books cash payment" nor worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia.



Officials have yet to determine whether Manafort actually received the cash, but they claim the money was earmarked for him, the Times said. In a statement to the newspaper, Manafort's lawyer Richard A. Hibey denied that the lobbyist had received any such cash payments.

Yanukovych was ousted from the presidency in February 2014 following months of violent protests, and eventually fled to Russia, where he was granted protection. Yanukovych's regime was characterized by widespread graft, and Transparency International in February branded the ex-leader "as one of the most symbolic cases of grand corruption."

Ukrainian authorities are also investigating a number of offshore shell companies that allegedly financed luxurious purchases by Yanukovych's elite inner circle, the Times reported.

Read the full report here.

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How to download iOS 16

Learn how to update your iPhone to iOS 16, to make use of all the latest and best features while ensuring your iPhone is as secure and optimized as it can be
Melbourne indie rockers The Rollercanes have given us the first taste of what will be a pretty special release this November in the form of Round No.2.

Recorded and mixed by the bands own Dan Wright with mastering duties handed to Joe Carra, the track exhibits The Rollercanes at their finest. Loud guitars, a crunchy bass and even louder drums, it is three minutes of dancefloor-filling indie rock goodness.

The Melbourne three-piece take on The Evelyn this September and Gin Lane in October with more details about their November launch to follow. Check out the track and tour dates below.

The Rollercanes Tour

September 16th  The Evelyn, Fitzroy

October 28th  Gin Lane, Belgraev
The Butterfly Effect, one of Australias longest-running and most respected alternative rock bands, have announced they are officially calling it a day, ahead of a reissue of their esteemed back catalogue on vinyl.

The Butterfly Effect is a lifes work for all four of us, said vocalist Clint Boge. Regardless of personalities, this project is a part of us all. Ending now with grace and celebration of an incredible fifteen years is the right thing to do.

While we are sad to acknowledge the end of an era for us, we recognise this is not a huge surprise to fans and we decided the time had come to provide a proper send-off to the project, added drummer Ben Hall.

For years now, fans have been asking us to put the records on vinyl and we decided that now was a good time to do just that and ensure as the Butters exit, those who have supported us from the beginning are left with the best version of those records. We are incredibly proud of those albums and we want to stand tall with them as our legacy.

According to Hall, Our hiatus was supposed to be three months, but the desire to move into another phase never returned. You can head on over to the bands official website to get more details on the vinyl reissue.
Wall Street Journal: Kansas City Chief Builds Bridges to Black Residents

THE UNDERLYING PREMISE OF THESE RECENT MAINSTREAM MEDIA ACCOLADES IS THAT KANSAS CITY WILL RIOT WITHOUT A BLACK POLICE CHIEF . . . AND SO WE ASK: IS THAT IDEA UNDERESTIMATING AND SHAMING EVERYONE IN KANSAS CITY?!?!

Kansas Citians understand. Darryl Forte five years ago became this citys first black police chief, and during the national turmoil, Kansas City couldnt have hoped for better leadership.





In his tenure, Forte has increased the number of officers of color on the force. Officer-involved fatal shootings have dropped, and the policy against cowardliness and never backing up has changed. De-escalation and disengagement are winning strategies in managing volatile situations.





Forte has earned widespread praise. Bringing down tension doesnt lessen effective policing. Forte said in an interview with The Stars editorial board that police and the community need to focus on building better relationships.





The police are part of the community  not us versus them, Forte said after finishing a days work at Police Headquarters only to then go out on his Harley to ride in the community that the department serves. Thats something I try to get through to people.





Were in this together.

The local daily newspaper is repeating sentiments first and more articulately expressed in a much better publication . . .Previously this Summer . . .The metro take on this topic is far more quaint and makes a polite argument that still deserves examination . . .The idea that this town is on the cusp of taking to the streets if not for the reign of a guyis a notion that deserves imagination . . . My favorite episode is. . . But I digress . . .Here are the kudos to the Chief from Dead Tree Media predicated on an unwritten thesis which mistakenly believes that any public official Black or white can control the palpable rage on American streets with appeasement and anything less than a promise of swift justice.And none of this mentions this problems that the Chief has confronted with his colleagues representing the rank & file regarding controversial statements about "unreasonable" fear thatTake a look:Money line . . .##########You decide . . .
New York Times: Milwaukee Shaken by Eruption of Violence After Shooting by Police









GIVEN SO MUCH RACIAL TENSION IN EVERY CORNER OF THE NATION . . . COULD KANSAS CITY BE THE NEXT TOWN TO BURN???

Tensions are high throughout the nation during the election silly season and it doesn't take much to start a riot.The latest American city to go up in flames over police shooting controversy . . .And so tonight we think about the big picture for just a bit . . .As always, we pray for peace, work toward solutions, realize that many of our suburban neighbors would like nothing more than the urban core to burn so they can swoop-in and buy up more land cheap. Accordingly . . . Hopefully, we'll have more, discussion, debate, discourse and all kinds of hotness for the morning update.
CHECK THIS EPIC REPORTING WHICH REVEALS BROOKSIDE ANGRY AT CITY HALL OVER ON ONGOING WASTE MANAGEMENT HOT MESS!!!

Brookside Residents Furious over Trash Problems and Being Spurned by City Hall Fix the Problem Themselves.

Over the last several weeks trash collection in Brookside particularly south of 63rd street has been spotty at best. There have been weeks where trash has piled up for over 5 days. Bags have been ripped open by stray dogs and cats attracting vermin and disease. Calls to 311 and 6th district council members have resulted in nothing.

Fed up with this and fed up with a city government that is completely uninterested in fixing the city's many worsening problems, John Murphy a CFRG co-founder and Armour Fields Homes Association board member contacted A LOCAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY to find out what exactly was going on. Here's what transpired: THE COMPANY informed him that after A RECENT ACQUISITION the US DOT required them to conduct a thorough drug screening test. THE LOCAL WASTE MANAGEMENT COMPANY found out that 56% of its drivers could not pass the DOT required drug screening test, which meant that they could not work. What's even more concerning is that the COMPANY THAT HELD THE CONTRACT PREVIOUSLY had not been conducting its required tests putting Kansas City Residents at risk. It seems that KCMO conducted no due diligence. . .





Murphy met with executives last week and they agreed to have drivers brought in from around the country to help out while they recruit new drivers and train them. In addition, Murphy introduced them to the KC Chapter of the National Urban League who will help recruit and train new drivers.

It is beyond me as to why our city council members or staff at city hall didn't do this weeks ago. It'll be interesting to see who at city hall jumps in to claim credit.





The job starts at $20/hr offers 401k and benefits . . .

This morning Brookside is livid over the current state of waste management in Kansas City and they're talking trash over City's Hall's due diligence or lack thereof amid this hot mess.To wit and because we strive to make it hot whilst reminding ourselves that it's trash day and we need to finish this post quickly or live with snack cakes wrappers and coffee cups strewn about this basement . . .Thankfully, the story features just a bit of activism in order to solve the problem without any help from elected officials.Take a peek:##########Developing . . .
Iran Railways plans to renovate its fleet in the next two years, said a senior ministry official in a report.



The Iranian minister of roads and urban development Abbas Akhoundi added that the trains which have been in service for over 35 years will be replaced with new trains in the next two years, added the Iran Daily News report, citing IRNA.



He pointed out that the average age of Iranian rail fleet is very high and this has to be lowered by eliminating old trains.



Trains with over 55 years of service were put aside last year, said Akhoundi adding that in the current year, trains which have been in service for 45 years will be replaced.



He noted that Iran will improve its railway services by importing modern trains as well as cooperating with domestic and foreign investors.


Omans Raysut Cement, a leading cement producer, is currently upgrading its gas supply station at its plant in Salalah, to enable the facility to receive an additional 40,000 cu m of gas per day as fuel, said a report.



Upon completion of the upgrade, production capacity of cement will rise to about 130,000 to 140,000 metric tonnes per annum, Ahmed bin Yousuf bin Alawi al Ibrahim, chairman of the board of directors, was quoted as saying in the Oman Daily Observer report.



The upgrade is one of several expansions and improvements underway across the groups domestic and international assets.



It includes the ongoing implementation of the parent companys joint venture project with Barwaaqo Cement Company in Somaliland, it said.



At Duqm Port, construction has been completed on the companys cement handling terminal, which is expected to formally begin commercial operations in the third quarter of this year, added the report.


Ooredoo, a leading international telecommunications company, is extending its successful Ignite Customer Conversation Campaign across Qatar, as it aims to provide the fullest range of services for the countrys small and medium business (SMEs) sector.



The Ignite campaign, which has been designed to offer business insight for companies in Qatar, has seen significant success since its launch over the summer, said a Peninsula Qatar report.



Since its launch, over 100 business customers have taken advantage of the programme, which enables them to engage with Ooredoo business specialists for free consultancy sessions, it said.



Each customer session provides an introduction to Ooredoos portfolio of ICT solutions and talks through the customers distinct business communication needs.



The events are held directly at customers places of work, making it easy for them to participate and enabling the visiting team to provide on-site consultancy, added the report.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug 15, 2016) - Millennial Lithium Corp. (TSX VENTURE:ML) ("Millennial" or the "Company") -

In the Company's news release dated July 19, 2016, the Company indicated that it was not, at that time, disclosing the location of certain mineral property concessions (the "Properties") it was acquiring under an agreement (the "Agreement") with certain vendors (the "Vendors").

The Company is now in a position to disclose the location of the Properties.

The Properties are known as the Pastos Grandes Project and are located in the Los Andes Department, in the Central portion of the Puna Block of Salta Province, northwestern Argentina. The Properties acquired from the Vendors are comprised of four (4) mineral property concessions: Jorge Eduardo (File No. 18693), Neptali II (File No. 18403), El Milagrano (File No. 17588) and Norte Argentino (File No. 18550). The Properties together cover a surface area of 1,221 hectares.

In addition, the Company wishes to announce that it has recently completed application to the provincial mining authority of Salta Province, for 3 additional mineral concessions adjacent to the Pastos Grandes Project. These additional mineral concessions cover an additional surface area of 4,236 hectares.

The Company's financing (the "Financing") announced on July 19, 2016 has been increased to a maximum of 7.5 million units at 65 cents for proceeds of $4,875,000. Proceeds of the Financing will be used to fund the Company's obligations under the Agreement including payments totaling USD$2,000,000 to purchase the Pastos Grandes Project, required exploration expenditures of USD$1,600,000 and associated costs of the acquisition.

The finder's fee (the "Finder's Fee") announced on July 19, 2016, payable to Synergy Capital Pty Ltd. (the "Finder") in connection with the Agreement, is as follows:

5% of the cash compensation paid to the Vendors under the Agreement will be paid to the Finder in cash (being 5% of USD$2,200,000 or USD$110,000); and 5% of the value of the share compensation paid to the Vendors under the Agreement will be paid to the Finder in shares of the Company.

Story continues

The Finder's Fee is payable in tranches as payments are made to the Vendors. The timing of these payments was disclosed in the news release of July 19, 2016.

The Agreement, the Finder's Fee and the Financing are all subject TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Trading in the Company's shares has been halted until: (i) initial Exchange review of an NI 43-101 report on the Properties and of the Agreement; and (ii) disclosure of the location of the Properties. The Agreement and the NI 43-101 report have been submitted for initial review to the Exchange and the location of the Properties is disclosed in this news release.

MILLENNIAL LITHIUM CORP.

Graham Harris, Chairman, Director

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

"This news release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements."
The European Union should grant Turks visa-free travel in October or the migrant deal that involves Turkey stemming the flow of illegal migrants to the bloc should be put aside, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a German newspaper.



Asked whether hundreds of thousands of refugees in Turkey would head to Europe if the EU did not grant Turks visa freedom from October, he told Bild newspaper's Monday edition: "I don't want to talk about the worst case scenario - talks with the EU are continuing but it's clear that we either apply all treaties at the same time or we put them all aside."



Visa-free access to the EU - the main reward for Ankara's collaboration in choking off an influx of migrants into Europe - has been subject to delays due to a dispute over Turkish anti-terrorism legislation and Ankara's crackdown after a failed coup.



Before conceding visa liberalisation, Brussels wants Turkey to soften the anti-terrorism law. European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger has said he does not see the EU granting Turks visa-free travel this year due to Ankara's crackdown after the failed military coup.



Cavusoglu said treaties laid out that all Turks would get visa freedom in October, adding: "It can't be that we implement everything that is good for the EU but that Turkey gets nothing in return."



A spokesman for the European Commission was not immediately available to comment on Cavusoglu's comments.



Last week Selim Yenel, Turkey's ambassador to the EU, said efforts were continuing to find a compromise with the EU on visa liberalisation and he thought it would be possible to handle this in 2016. He rejected the idea that visa-free travel may be pushed back further beyond October, after missing an initial June deadline.



Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said he would approve the restoration of the death penalty if parliament voted for it, a move which would sink any hopes of European Union membership.



In the Bild interview Cavusoglu said Europe was acting as if Turkey had already introduced the death penalty. He said he was against introducing it but there was a lot of emotion among the Turkish people at the moment and that could not be ignored.



Asked if Turkey would leave Nato, Cavusoglu said anti-Turkish groups were talking about this but Turkey was one of the biggest supporters of the 28-nation Western defence alliance.



"But it's clear that we also need to cooperate with other partners on buying and selling weapon systems because some NATO partners refuse to allow us to sell air defence systems for example or to exchange information," he said. - Reuters
Science fiction often speculates about robots that are virtually indistinguishable from humans. However, while there are examples of humanoid robots being developed, the majority of robots will not take after their creators, says GlobalData.
Russia, the world's top oil producer, is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, adding that the door is still open for more discussions on freezing output levels if needed.



In an interview published on Monday Novak also told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that a complete return of market stability is only likely in 2017.



"With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue between our two countries is developing in a tangible way, whether in the framework of a multi-party structure or on a bilateral level," Novak was quoted as saying.



"We are cooperating in the framework of consultations regarding the oil market with OPEC countries and producers from outside the organisation, and are determined to continue dialogue to achieve market stability," he said.



"We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time."



Novak's comments come only days after Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said his country would work with Opec and non-Opec members to help stabilise oil markets.



An informal meeting of major producing countries is scheduled in Algeria late next month.



Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria from September 26-28.



Oil prices extended gains after Al-Falih's remarks on Thursday, which indicated that Saudi Arabia, Opec's largest producer, is worried that oil prices could fall towards $40 per barrel or lower due to oversupply.



Talks on a global oil production level freeze collapsed in April. Opec member Iran has been the main opponent of a freeze as it looks to raise its output to levels seen before the imposition of now-ended Western sanctions. - Reuters
The GCC petroleum industry must focus on innovation and efficiency to maintain the value of the regions natural resources, said a senior manager at the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).



The recent market has been challenging for the industry, with global oversupply and a constrained economic outlook in several key markets impacting on prices, added Badria Ali Abdul Raheem, deputy CEO (North Kuwait) at KOC.



She said that the GCCs strategic response to future shifts in the market will be an important point of discussion when industry leaders meet for the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) in November.



The 19th edition of Adipec takes place from November 7 to 10 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (Adnec).



The petroleum industry in the GCC states carries a significant responsibility for national development, and we need to be as efficient as possible, as innovative as possible, and maximise the utility we derive from our natural resources, said Abdul Raheem, who is responsible for the conventional and heavy oil fields of the North Kuwait asset.



Adipec is an important forum for us to achieve this, both as a discussion of industry issues and best practice, and through displays of new methods and technology.



Adipec is the global meeting place for oil and gas professionals, the largest event for the industry in the Middle East, and one of the most influential oil and gas exhibitions and conferences in the world, with a track record of attracting key decision makers from the petroleum industry.



The event is expected to attract more than 2,300 exhibiting companies, 8,500 delegates, 700 speakers, and 100,000 trade professionals from 135 countries. Increasingly, Adipec considers petroleums role as part of a broader energy mix, with the theme Strategies for the New Energy Landscape setting the agenda for a distinguished conference programme in 2016.



Resilience has emerged as a critical issue for decision makers, and investors, in the petroleum industry.



According to the Opec World Energy Trends Report 2015, the oil industry has faced a challenging year, with a cooling economic outlook in non-OECD markets, particularly China, where rapid increases in demand appear to be maturing. However, forecasts show continued growth in the global economy, and oil is predicted to remain the most significant energy source.



GCC suppliers can expect to benefit from this growth as the balance between supply and demand in the oil market stabilises, while the development of high-cost petroleum resources, such as shale oil, is likely to be more subdued as investors question their long-term viability.



The current market is challenging, but the forces driving the oil and energy markets are positive for Kuwait and other Gulf producers, said Abdul Raheem.



The emergence of tight oil, particularly shale oil, created an expectation that demand would be met at all times, but these very high-cost resources are only profitable with very high prices.



There is now a clear recognition that suppliers with a large resource base of easily accessible crude oil are the most reliable. Kuwait is one of those suppliers, with a long tradition as a reliable supplier in global markets, and with the plans in place to hold that role for a long-term timeframe, she concluded.  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
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide is further expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia with the signing of a new Sheraton in the holy city of Makkah.



Owned by Altayyar Travel Group Holding Company, Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba is scheduled to open by the end of the year. The hotel is located close to the new expansion of the mosque and will provide guests with special access and views of the holy Haram.



Makkah has been a particular focus for Starwood growth, with Sheraton being one of three brands to make its entrance into the market in the next year, said Michael Wale, president, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Europe, Africa and Middle East. The property will offer pilgrims the Sheraton brands renowned world-class service and a comfortable hospitality experience in the holy city.



Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba will feature 414 rooms and branded service apartments, all outfitted with the Sheraton brands signature amenities and services, including its premium sleep experience. The hotel will also offer four dining experiences, as well as ample meeting and events space.



Saudi Arabia remains one of our strongest growth markets in the region and we are on track to more than double our presence in the country in the next three years, Neil George, senior vice president, acquisitions and development, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Africa and Middle East. With the growth of religious travel into Saudi Arabia, there continues to be a strong demand for hotels within the holy city and Starwood is in an enviable position with a pipeline of more than 3,000 new rooms in addition to 1,200 existing rooms in this market.



Abdullah Aldawood, CEO of Altayyar Travel Group said: We believe the location of this hotel together with a strong brand name like Sheraton makes for a winning combination for our first branded hotel in the holy city. We are confident in Starwoods ability to provide the finest of its globally recognised services under the Sheraton brand to pilgrims.



Altayyar Travel Group has recently taken a strategic direction to integrate and expand its business into the hospitality sector, and to build a solid portfolio complementing its current business of travel-related services and e-commerce.



Aldawood added: We are committed to modernisation across all of our business units to ensure sustained growth through integrating the hospitality aspect and innovation in our existing travel related businesses.



Starwood operates more than 50 hotels and resorts across the Middle East under eight of the companys 10 distinct lifestyle brands, including: The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Sheraton, Westin, W, Le Meridien, Four Points by Sheraton and Aloft. The company is on track to operate 100 hotels in the region by 2020. - TradeArabia News Service
Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwaits idyllic resort, has appointed two new chefs to its culinary teams behind its Italian restaurant Olio, and the fine dining Steakhouse, Pepper.



Chef Rosario Seminatore has been appointed as the Italian chef de cuisine, with chef Daniel Irvine joining the team at Pepper Steakhouse as its junior executive sous chef. The new additions to the luxury resorts culinary team bring with them considerable years of experience in the kitchens.



Chef Seminatore is a master of Italian cuisine with over 33 years experience gained from prestigious hotels, resorts and restaurants across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.



The Italian national began his culinary training at an early age of 17 working as a commis in the northern Italian commune of Caselle Torinese, close to the city of Turin. Over the past three decades he has refined his flair for traditional Italian cooking.



His appointment at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa marks the chefs return to Kuwait having earlier held the position of executive sous chef and manager at another five-star hotel in the city.



Chef Irvine, originally from Devon, UK, began his culinary career 21 years ago in his native county working as a commis. He has since worked at a number of restaurants across the UK before moving to Egypt. He joins the Kuwait property from sister hotel, Jumeirah Etihad Towers in Abu Dhabi, where he worked across four of the iconic hotels restaurants as a sous chef for more than four years, most recently as part of the pre-opening team at Pearls by Michael Caines. - TradeArabia News Service
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Oil prices have been steadily increasing over the past few trading days, with the price per barrel of U.S. crude reaching $45.66 and the Brent crude international benchmark hitting $48.18 on Monday afternoon. The recent surge in oil comes as OPEC and other major producers have renewed talks over a production freeze.

Last week, OPEC announced plans for an unscheduled meeting in September to discuss production levels. Although not a member of OPEC, Russia also volunteered to join the meeting, which will be held on September 26 through September 28 in Algeria. The announcement of the meeting alone was enough to send oil prices soaring over 3% last Monday.

OPECs new meeting comes in the wake of several near-crises in oil producing countries. Venezuela is quickly running out of cash and facing a dangerous food shortage, while Saudi Arabia has been forced to slash its budget, leaving thousands jobless and stuck in migrant camps.

Late last week, Saudi Arabias new energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, further inflated investors hopes of a freeze in production levels during an interview with the Saudi Press Agency.

We are, in Saudi Arabia, watching the market closely, and if there is a need to take any action to help the market rebalance, then we would, of course in cooperation with OPEC and major non-OPEC exporters, he said.

Although the ministers comments seem like an important shift in mentality, Saudi Arabia has shown no other signs of slowing production recently. The kingdom boosted its monthly production by 30,000 barrels in July, and increased output from OPEC members like Iraq, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates further exasperated the supply glut.

Its been nearly two years since OPEC decided to ramp up production in an effort to recapture market share from U.S. producers. The policy has led to the dangerously low prices we are seeing today, and its finally looking like OPEC member nations may not be able to sustain these production levels for much longer.

Story continues

It's unclear what investors should expect from OPEC, but all eyes will be on the meeting next month. If the cartel decides to put a cap on production levels, prices will almost certainly go up. If the organization fails to make any changes, investor confidence will probably take the biggest dent.

Oil prices have been volatile lately and this is definitely having a big impact on investments in the energy sector. In this free report, we take a look at top investments for each oil scenario in the near term, be it bearish, bullish, or neutral. Click here to see the free report>>>



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Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 15

A CRPF commandant and two militants were killed in an encounter in Nowhatta area here hours before Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti unfurled the national flag at the Independence Day celebrations at Bakshi Stadium on Monday.

In a separate incident, five militants were killed as the army foiled a major infiltration bid in Uri sector of Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC).

Nine CRPF men were injured in the encounter that ensued in the operation that continued for over four hours at Khwaja Bazaar in Nowhatta-Khanyar area.

CRPF officer Pramod Kumar, Commanding Officer of 49 Batallion, succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The militants, believed to be two to three in number, were holed up inside a house in the area that was zeroed in on by the security forces.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The bodies of two militants have been retrieved from the site, sources said. Their identity was yet to be ascertained.

The militancy-related incident has taken place after a prolonged lull while the downtown Srinagar and other areas of Kashmir Valley have been witness to protest demonstrations and clashes between protesters and security forces following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani on July 8. At least 58 people have been killed and over 6,000 others injured in the clashes in the past 38 days.

Regarding the Uri operation, an army official said, Alert troops noticed some suspicious movement along the Line of Control in Uri Sector in north Kashmir's Baramulla district this morning and challenged the intruders."

He said the intruders opened firing towards the army positions which was retaliated by the soldiers.

Two soldiers were also injured in the Uri operation, Army's Udhampur-based Northern Command wrote on its twitter handle.

It said both the injured soldiers have been evacuated and their condition is stable.

"Two militants were killed in the initial exchange of firing while three others were killed late in the day," the official said.

He said search operations were continuing in the area till reports came in.

He said arms, ammunition and war-like stores were recovered from scene of the gunbattle.

This is the fourth infiltration bid foiled by the army along the LoC in Kashmir in the past three weeks, killing 12 militants.  With agency inputs
Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 15

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday asked India and Pakistan to pave way for an end to bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir so that people of the neigbouring countries can live peacefully and end poverty and unemployment.

I appeal to the leadership of India and Pakistan to get united. There has been a lot of bloodshed, Mufti said after unfurling the national flag on the Independence Day celebrations at Bakshi Stadium here. She said poverty and unemployment are being faced equally by the two countries and there was a need to end these issues by ensuring a peaceful atmosphere in the region.

The Chief Minister also invoked the approach of former prime ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh in addressing the issues faced by Jammu and Kashmir and restoring peace in the state. Vajpayee was of the view that friends can be changed but not neighbours, Mehbooba said. She said Manmohan favoured making the borders irrelevant.

She expressed grief over the deaths and injuries to several others in the ongoing violence in Kashmir. This is a difficult situation as there has been loss of lives, mostly youth, and injuries to several others during the ongoing violence, she said.

She said the police and security forces were maintaining utmost restraint while handling the situation. She said there were certain forces, whose aim is to create trouble, especially when tourism, trade and business and education begin to flourish.

Mufti made a fervent appeal to all to extend help to restore normalcy in the state. Give us time. No issues will be resolved by violence, she said.
New Delhi, August 15

The Congress on Monday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of ruining Indias case on Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) by raking up the issue of Balochistan in his Independence Day Address.

PoK is our right. Our entitlement. We will support it.

But by bringing in Balochistan, you are ruining our case... We are going to ruin our own case on PoK, Congress leader and former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said.

This would give an additional handle to Pakistan to target India as we dont speak about atrocities in neighbouring countries, he told reporters at the Congress headquarters here.

Disapproving the wild pronouncements about Balochistan, he said the government should ensure that its borders are secured and people are safe.

I do not know who advised the Prime Minister for raising Balochistan... It will dilute our claim on PoK. It will given additional handle...to interfere in our internal affairs.

Suggesting that Modi should learn from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on foreign policy, Khurshid said, Balochistan is a different kettle altogether. We have no business (there).

He said the problem with Modi, who speaks of 56-inch chest, was that he talks too much and does very little. In modern times, we have to act with brains.

Khurshid said the address of Modi was not like a Prime Minister addressing the nation on a national day but as a politician during an election campaign.

In his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 70th Independence Day, Modi talked about the situation in PoK, Gilgit and Baluchistan and said people from there have thanked him for raising their issues.  PTI
New Delhi, August 15

Chief Justice of India T S Thakurs disappointment over Prime Minister Narendra Modis silence on judicial appointments in his Independence Day speech on Monday were seized upon by the opposition parties with the Congress saying he should heed the advice of the top judge.

The Congress also said Justice Thakurs remarks on the prime ministers speech were unprecedented yet starkly true while Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal admired the CJI for his courage

CJI questions PM Modi for deafening silence on judicial logjam in his I-Day speech. Unprecedented yet starkly true, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Twitter.

He said the Prime Minister needed to heed the Chief Justices advice and not do petty politics on the issue.

1.25 Billion Indians demand a solemn commitment to a fair justice system on I-Day Modi Ji! Please heed CJIs advice. No petty politics.

75 names of HC judges cleared by SC stalled; Memorandum of Appointing Judges thwarted. Deliberate obstruction of justice by an obstinate PM, he said in a series of tweets.

Kejirwal also took to Twitter to praise the CJI.

I really really admire CJIs courage, conviction and his concern for justice, he tweeted.

Amid continuing standoff between the judiciary and the government, Justice Thakur expressed his disappointment that the Prime Minister did not make any mention about appointment of judges in his Independence Day address.

I heard the popular Prime Minister for one-and-a-half hours... I expected some mention about justice also, about appointment of judges, the Chief Justice said at a function here where Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was present.

Displaying his unhappiness, Justice Thakur said, I want to tell the Prime Minister only one thing, you remove poverty, create employment, bring schemes etc but also think about justice for the countrymen.  PTI

Jamaican won his unprecedented third 100m title. The compliments kept on coming with Johnson, a track and field TV analyst for BBC, weighing in as well.

Oh my God! From lane eight, a world record. He took it out so quick, Johnson told the BBC. I have never seen anything from 200 to 400 like that.

That was a massacre from Wayde van Niekerk. He just put those guys away.

They didnt stand a chance. James thought he possibly had enough in the tank to catch Van Niekerk around the final curve. No way. No one did. This was really a race for silver, with James easily holding off Merritt, who had to dig deep to cling to the bronze.

He just wouldnt slow down, James said. Usually, what happens is the last 100 (meters) guys start to slow down a little bit, but he just kept going. When you keep going like that, obviously a record is going to fall.  AP
New Delhi, August 15

Declaring that India would not bow before terrorism, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday asked the youth who have taken to violence to join the mainstream even as he brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Baluchistan and PoK, saying they had thanked him for doing so.

Though Modi did not make any reference to the Kashmir valley which is witnessing violence after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, he accused Pakistan of glorifying terrorists and celebrating killings in India. This was an obvious reference to Wani who has been hailed as a martyr by Pakistan.

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In his 93-minute Independence Day address to the nation amidst tight security, Modi said, From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people--the people of Baluchistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied-Kashmir--for the way they whole-heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently.

This is for the first time that the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech. The remarks also come in the backdrop of the recent comments by Modi during an all-party meet on Kashmir that the time had come to expose the atrocities committed by our neighbouring nation in Baluchistan and the areas of J&K under its occupation.

The Prime Minister asked the international community to judge the behaviour of India and Pakistan in the context of terror attacks in each others country.

When children were killed in a terror attack on a school in Peshawar (about two years back), there were tears in our Parliament. Indian children were traumatised. This is the example of our humanity. But look at the other side where terrorism is glorified, Modi said.

Asserting that India would not yield to terrorism and violence, the Prime Minister asked youths to return to the mainstream by shunning the path of violence, comments which are seen as a message to the youth of Kashmir.

I am telling those youths that there is time left, come back and join the mainstream. Realise your parents aspirations. Lead a peaceful life. The path of violence has never benefited anyone, he said.

Attired in his trademark half-sleeve kurta and sporting a Rajasthani turban, Modi devoted bulk of his address on the 70th Independence Day to presenting in effect a report card of his governments work, particularly in boosting economic growth, ease of doing business and welfare schemes for the poor and farmers.

During his address, the Prime Minister also made two announcements--an increase of 20 per cent in the pension of freedom fighters and that medical costs of up to Rs 1 lakh for BPL families would be borne by the government.

Modi, who has spoken out against atrocities on Dalits in the recent days, said a strong country could not be built without a strong society which is based on social justice. He advocated a tough and sensitive approach to tackle the age-old social evils, including casteism or untouchability.

Asserting that social harmony was the key to the nations progress, Modi said, What Lord Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Ramanujacharya, BR Ambedkar, all our scriptures, saints and teachers have stressed is social unity. When society breaks, the empire disintegrates. When a society is divided into touchables and untouchables; upper and lower (castes), then such a society cannot last.

Talking about economic and social sectors, he said he tried to adopt the strategy of reform, perform and transform while avoiding populism and asserted that march from self-governance to good governance is a resolve of the entire nation that would need sacrifices.

Hitting out at the UPA government, he said the previous dispensation was shrouded in allegations while his government was surrounded by expectations. When hope gives rise to expectations, it gives us energy to move faster towards good governance, he added.

The Prime Minister also gave details of various initiatives undertaken by his government to promote ease of doing business, tackle corruption, provide good health care to poor people and benefits to farmers. PTI
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
Attari (Punjab), August 15

Border guards of India and Pakistan on Monday exchanged pleasantries and sweets at the Attari-Wagah joint check-post to mark India's 70th Independence Day.

A special cultural function was organised by the Indian authorities at the joint check post, some 30 km from Amritsar, where the national flag was hoisted in the morning and the symbolic Retreat ceremony, that saw a gathering of thousands of people, was conducted in the evening.

Before the Retreat ceremony that includes the lowering of national flags and closing of the border gates on both sides, senior Border Security Force (BSF) officials exchanged sweets with their Pakistani counterparts, a BSF officer here told IANS.

They also hugged and shook hands with one another for a few minutes, he said.

A day earlier, the Pakistan Rangers also exchanged sweets on the occasion of their Independence Day.

The visitors on the Indian side could be heard shouting pro-India slogans and dancing to the tunes of patriotic songs. On the Pakistani side, only a few Pakistan Rangers were there to watch the ceremony.

Indian Customs officials also offered sweets to their Pakistani counterparts at the joint checkpost, a Customs official said requesting anonymity.

Last year after the two terror attacks in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, the BSF celebrated Independence Day here but there was no ceremonial exchange of sweets with the Pakistani Rangers.

Border guards from both sides normally exchange greetings and sweets on the occasion of prominent religious festivals and other occasions like Independence Day of both countries as a goodwill gesture.  IANS
Islamabad, August 15

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reference to Balochistan in his Independence Day speech, Pakistan on Monday claimed that this proved its contention that India has been allegedly "fomenting terrorism" in the province.

Pakistan also asserted that the situation in Balochistan cannot be equated with Kashmir.

Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, while responding to Modi's Independence Day speech, said the Premier was only trying to divert world attention from the "grim tragedy" that has been unfolding in Kashmir over the past five weeks.

The reference to Balochistan, which is an integral part of Pakistan, "only proves Pakistan's contention that India, through its main intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has been fomenting terrorism in Balochistan", Aziz was quoted as saying by a Foreign Office statement.

Aziz's remarks came after Prime Minister Modi brought up Pakistani atrocities on people of Balochistan and PoK in his Independence Day speech today.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort, I want to express my gratitude to some people -- the people of Balochistan, Gilgit and Pak-occupied Kashmir (PoK) -- for the way they whole- heartedly thanked me, the way they expressed gratitude to me, the way they conveyed their goodwill to me recently," Modi said.

This is for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan have been mentioned by any Indian Prime Minister during his Independence Day speech.

Aziz claimed that India's involvement was confirmed by the public confession of "RAW's active service Naval Officer" Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was arrested in March this year from Balochistan.

Aziz said India is a large country, "in fact the second largest in the world and this must be acknowledged, but a large country does not automatically become a great country, specially when it unleashes such brute force against innocent citizens to suppress their right to protest or when it deliberately uses pallet guns to permanently destroy the eyesight of over 100 youth."

He said India should recognise that the core issue of Kashmir cannot be resolved by bullets and needed a political solution, through serious negotiations between India and Pakistan.

Earlier, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had dismissed Prime Minister Modi's assertion that the province was suffering from repression and accused India of fomenting trouble there.

Zehri made the remarks yesterday after Modi, during an all-party meeting on the Kashmir situation last week, had said the time had come to expose the atrocities committed "by our neighbouring nation" in Balochistan and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir under its illegal occupation.

Zehri, while addressing a ceremony in the provincial capital of Quetta to mark Pakistan's Independence Day, said there was no comparison between Balochistan and Kashmir.

"The government and people of Balochistan vehemently reject Modi's statement on the situation in the province," Zehri said.

"A handful of miscreants, manipulated by the Indian intelligence agency, are involved in anti-peace activities in Balochistan. People of Balochistan are loyal and patriotic... they love Pakistan and will never support the nefarious designs of the country's enemies," he said.

Zehri blamed India for unrest in Balochistan and said that arrest of a "serving" Indian navy officer vindicates Pakistan's claim.

"India is behind terrorism, militancy and anti-peace activities in Balochistan," he alleged.

Zehri asserted that the situation in Balochistan is very different from that of Kashmir where he claimed people want freedom from India and Indian armed forces.

"But in Balochistan, the people want to live within the legal framework of the country," he said.  PTI
Philip and Denise Powell lost their home in 2011 after Philips hours as a pastor were cut in half and Denise was sidelined by a surgery.

But they were determined to become homeowners again, so they rolled up their sleeves and got to work.

The Highland, California, couple got financial counseling. They took control of their credit reports, tackled high-interest debts and cut spending. In 2015, they bought another home.

We thought wed never recover, Philip Powell says, recalling the devastation they felt after losing their home. No one in California was ready for the crash; it hit us hard.

Their story is typical of the more than 9.3 million homeowners who lost a home through a distressed property sale from 2006 through 2014, according to the National Association of Realtors.

As rents rise, low mortgage rates persist and the economy gradually improves, some who lost their home in recent years will be able to re-enter the housing market. A 2015 study by the NAR found that 1.5 million previous homeowners might be eligible to buy within the next five years, based on the time it takes to boost credit scores and save for a down payment, as well as mandatory wait times to buy another house.

For those looking to put down homeownership roots once more, here are five tips:

1. Know your options: You no longer have to wait seven years after a bankruptcy or foreclosure to buy another home, says Ray Carlisle, president of the national nonprofit NID Housing Counseling Agency. For homeowners who had extenuating circumstances such as prolonged income loss or major medical expenses, Fannie Mae has shortened its waiting periods to two years after a pre-foreclosure sale  a short sale or deed in lieu of foreclosure  and to three years after a foreclosure. Thats down from the standard waiting periods of four and seven years, respectively.

To get a Federal Housing Administration loan after a foreclosure, the standard wait time is now three years  and as little as one year with extenuating circumstances, says April Brown, a spokeswoman for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

2. Change your bad money habits: Focus on paying down debt, creating a solid savings strategy and avoiding new splurge purchases. Saving for a down payment and closing costs is one of the biggest hurdles that homebuyers face. Start socking away bonuses, windfalls, tax refunds and other extra cash in a savings account. Setting up automatic deposits to your savings account is another way to grow your down payment reserves, and it removes the temptation to spend money unnecessarily.

3. Repair your credit: The FHAs minimum credit score requirement for maximum financing is 580. Some lenders offer loans at that minimum, Carlisle says, but other mortgage lenders require a FICO score of 640 or higher. Paying off high-interest debt on time each month and not taking out new loans or running up your credit cards will help build your credit score. Also, ask your utility providers or landlord to report your on-time monthly payments to the major credit bureaus to have those count on your credit report, too.

4. Beware of predatory lenders: If you encounter lenders that try to seduce you with special zero-down home loans or real estate agents who recommend rosy rent-to-own or land contract agreements, run the other way. Carlisle says that 80 percent of NIDs clients are minorities who are disproportionately targeted by predatory lenders. Never sign any contract youre unsure of, and have a housing counselor , real estate attorney or different lender look it over to get a second opinion.

5. Seek help from the pros: Not only can housing counselors help you address credit issues and set up a savings plan, they can connect you with state, local and private resources that can ease your path to homeownership, Brown says.

Next steps: If youre looking to buy again, reach out to a HUD-approved housing counselor before you begin. Also, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling provides help to more than 3 million people each year. Find an NFCC-certified housing counselor to discuss your options.
Elementary music teacher Tony Flores entire classroom budget for the year will be expended on music for three performances. Last year, he bought new instruments, to the tune of $1,000, out of his own bank account.

In Danielle Childers pre-kindergarten classroom, students will have snacks for snack time, mats for naptime and stickers for a job well done, but the cost of those items falls on her.

Tulsa high school history teacher Vince Facione starts the year by giving each of his 190 students a three-ring binder. He also stocks his classroom at Will Rogers High School with highlighters and paper and expects to spend at least $300 before the first day of school.

I enjoy what I do, so I see it as an investment, Facione said.

Even in good budget years, Oklahoma teachers have swallowed the fact that despite relatively low salaries, they will have to spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets to furnish supplies for their classrooms.

According to a national 2015 survey of more than 500 teachers by Agile Education Marketing, each spent an average of $490 of their own money on their classrooms. Each received an average $300 from their school.

At many private companies and state agencies, supplies like paper, pens, scissors, and notepads are purchased for staff members by the employer. State agencies like the Department of Education and the Legislature, for example, have supply closets stocked with the basics.

Of course, not all items that teachers purchase are technically indispensable. They could, perhaps, live without things like maps and posters strung along the walls, beanbag chairs for a reading corner and pool noodles for rhythm games.

But teachers say the obvious essentials are not enough to foster learning  they must go above and beyond to creatively engage students, using extras such as iPad apps, art materials and wall decorations.

Unfortunately, were in a situation that the teachers are expected to  on a low salary already  pay for everything themselves, said Flores, who teaches music to kindergarten through fifth-graders at Wiley Post Elementary in Putnam City Schools district. In no other profession is this an expectation.

The deficit begins at the source. When state and local education spending is relatively low, or overhead or salary costs increase, the amount left for supplies  a lower priority  shrinks. The state doesnt earmark funds for supplies. Districts get funding based mainly on enrollment and then allocate the money, allowing schools some flexibility. Superintendents and principals weigh the priorities.

Teachers often get other help  from PTAs, donors, friends and relatives. Parents also are asked to provide many supplies. But teachers still shell out hundreds of dollars each year for the classroom. Districts cant or wont pick up the tab.

Theyre going to do whatever it takes. And if it takes spending $200 to $300 out of their pocket, they are going to do it, John Cox, president of the Organization of Rural Elementary Schools, said of teachers. They sacrifice their own income to help a child out.

Effects of budget cuts

Recent budget cuts are making the situation worse.

In Oklahoma City Public Schools, elementary teachers discretionary funding was reduced from $25 to $15 per student for the current school year. The reduction is expected to save the district $260,000.

Some districts have eliminated these stipends all together.

Flores school gave him a budget of $300, and he knows hes one of the lucky ones.

For the set of musical instruments he bought last year, he spent $950 out of pocket plus $3,000 raised online through Donorschoose.org and all of his classroom allotment.

Flores students perform three musicals each year. Cost of the CDs and rights to perform: $300, his entire classroom budget.

Oklahoma ranks 49th in average teacher salaries among states and the District of Columbia. Educators here havent had an across-the-board pay raise in eight years.

A federal income tax deduction allows educators to deduct unreimbursed classroom expenses up to $250 without having to itemize. But depending on a households tax bracket, the amount saved can be relatively small. Many teachers say its of little help to their pocketbooks.

Childers shopped for her Tecumseh prekindergarten classroom in late July at Copelins teacher supply store in Norman. She earned a $100 gift card by collecting grocery receipts from her students parents. Her total rang in at $99.68, and she said she will probably spend $200-$300 more out of pocket as the new school year gets underway.

She usually buys snacks, rest mats, and extra markers and glue for the students who cant afford to bring their own.

Childers said when she started teaching 11 years ago, she received a classroom budget, but she hasnt in several years due to funding cuts to education.

We used to have a wish list of things we could ask for and she (the principal) would get things from it, she said. Now its a have to have list. Like, you cant live without.

School administrators could fund every teachers classroom need or want, but many say its a matter of prioritizing supplies over other needs. Public schools absorbed $74.4 million in funding cuts last fiscal year as the state worked to fill a $1.3 billion budget hole.

It left administrators like Jarod Mendenhall, superintendent of Broken Arrow Public Schools, with some hard choices.

We try to do everything we can at our level to offset costs that might occur in the classroom. We make sure we have plenty of copy paper. But this last go-round of cuts has been really difficult, Mendenhall said.

To reduce expenses, the district eliminated a unique teachers benefit: a stipend of 3 percent to 4 percent of their salary as a back-to-school bonus for returning teachers. Many teachers counted on that to purchase supplies, he said.

Beyond pencils and paper

Teachers unmet classroom needs go beyond pricier items like whiteboards and iPads. Many are basic items like paper, markers, pencils, folders, books, pencil sharpeners, tape and chairs.

Many teachers utilize Donorschoose.org for funding.

The website is how Laura Childress, a kindergarten teacher at Oakridge Elementary in Oklahoma City, has received supplies like Play-Doh for her classroom.

Childress spends about $500 per year on her classroom. She has paid to laminate papers, at 50 cents a foot, because the laminator at the school is often broken or out of supplies.

Her mom buys a lot of classroom supplies and decorations for her.

I buy my own dry-erase markers. I tell my parents what I need instead of relying on the school- or district-provided list of supplies, Childress said.

Last fall, Oklahoma City first-grade teacher Chantel Jones had already shelled out $400 on supplies by November. She bought spiral notebooks, pencils, crayons and construction paper.

She buys apps for students to use on her iPad, the most expensive one ringing in at $9. And she bought colored ink, so the decorations she creates on the computer can be printed in color instead of black and white.

She thinks to herself, Ouch. Thats a lot of money. But I knew it would help my students. While teachers are spending out of pocket, we dont really think about it. We see a child in need and they cant do what they need to do without the necessary supplies.

In order for teachers to do their jobs, they need basic supplies, and the schools just dont have the money, said Nancy Bolzle, executive director of The Pencil Box in Tulsa, a nonprofit that operates a free store of donated school supplies for teachers in high-poverty schools.

Bolzle recalled a teacher who came into the store looking for dry-erase boards. The teacher said her school mandated a new curriculum that requires each student to have their own dry-erase board, but there was no funding for them.

She also remembered a geography teacher who came in and discovered that The Pencil Box carried air-dry clay, which students can use to create relief maps.

The items most in demand, though, are pencils, paper and notebooks.

Cox, who is also superintendent of Peggs Public School in eastern Oklahoma, said the district has always bought school supplies for each student out of the schools general fund. Its a service to parents, he said, as well as a way to minimize needs that teachers may try to fulfill on their own.

Why should they sacrifice like that, when theyre providing the foundation for everything a child needs for adult life? Cox said.
Turkey has been campaigning since July 15 to inform other countries about the Fetullah Terror Organizations (FETO) activities.

Turkey has made more than 6,000 official contacts through its missions and consulates abroad since the coup attempt, according to the figures published Monday on the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website.

Out of a total of 6,382 contacts, 36 official meetings were held at the presidential level, 42 at the prime minister level and 234 at the ministerial level.

At the parliamentary level, 696 interviews were conducted. Other high-level meetings amounted to 5,374.

At least 240 people were killed in the failed putsch, which the government has said was organized by the followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen.

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.

Anadolu Agency
Authorities at Vienna International Airport were criticized by the Turkish government on Sunday over an electronic message board displaying irresponsible, twisted and incorrect messages.

The news ticker belongs to Kronen Zeitung newspaper and is placed above a flight information board at the airport. On July 31, it carried a headline reading Turkey allows sex with children under 15 years.

The statement is thought to relate to decision by Turkeys Constitutional Court last month to annul a law treating all sexual acts with children under the age of 15 as sexual abuse after a district court complained that the current law did not discriminate between age groups.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: We deplore and strongly condemn the use of an international airport... as an instrument in spreading these type of irresponsible, twisted and incorrect messages published by a newspaper that has no prestige in order to smear a friendly country and nation.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu summoned Austrias charge daffaires over the display.

The statement stressed Turkeys adherence to international conventions on child rights and added: Unfortunately, recent remarks by some Austrian politicians and officials against Turkey and Turkeys European Union membership have prompted this kind of smearing news.

On Aug. 2 President Recep Tayyip Erdogan referred to another headline on the newspapers ticker that warned people against travelling to Turkey because you will be supporting Erdogan.

What kind of democracy is that? he asked a gathering of investors in Ankara. I am not a president that came to power by military coup, rather a president who got 52 percent of the votes of the public.

According to its website, more than 2.4 million passengers passed through the airport in July.

Tensions between Austria, where around 300,000 people of Turkish origin live, and Turkey were raised last month when the mayor of Wiener Neustadt called for the removal of Turkish flags hung by residents celebrating the defeat of the July 15 coup attempt.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz also spoke out against importing the political conflict to Austria following demonstrations in support of Turkish democracy.

Anadolu Agency
Austria's far-right Freedom Party candidate for president has called for an investigation on Turkish residents who took to the streets of the capital Vienna in the wake of the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey.

In an interview to the Austrian Oesterreich daily, Norbert Hofer called Sunday for an investigation on Turkish residents who crowded Vienna streets with Turkish flags to support for democracy in Turkey.

Tensions between Austria -- where around 300,000 people of Turkish origin live -- and Turkey were raised last month when the mayor of Wiener Neustadt, around 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Vienna, called for the removal of Turkish flags hung by residents celebrating the defeat of the July 15 coup attempt.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz had also spoken out against importing the political conflict to Austria following demonstrations in support of Turkish democracy.

Hofer added he was concerned that numerous Turks had Austrian citizenship. Austrian law imposes strict restrictions on dual citizenship.

He called for a "ban on naturalization for Turks living in Austria until the dual citizenship issue is solved".

Hofer went on to say that If Turkey joined the EU then he would support an Austrian exit from the bloc.

On Aug. 3, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern had also called accession talks with Turkey a "diplomatic fiction" and said he wanted the EU leaders to reconsider their approach with regards to Ankara.

Turkey has been a candidate country for EU membership since 2005.

On July 1, Austrias Constitutional Court annulled the results of Mays presidential election and called for a rerun.

Gehart Holzinger, the courts president, had ordered a repeat of the run-off vote that saw former Green leader Alexander Van der Bellen narrowly beat the far-right Freedom Party candidate Norbert Hofer.

The court said the election would have to be repeated nationwide after the discovery of irregularities in the count in several voting districts.

Austria's presidential election will take place on Oct. 2.

Anadolu Agency
Turkish Chief of General Staff, Gen. Hulusi Akar, will make a presentation regarding the July 15 coup attempt at the Council of Ministers on Monday in the capital, Ankara.

The ministerial cabinet, which is to set to be held at the Presidential Complex will be chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The details of the night of the failed coup bid is expected to be addressed by Akar in detail for the first time at a ministerial level since July 15.

At least 240 people were killed in the failed putsch, which the government has said was organized by the followers of U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, head of the Fetullah Terror Organization (FETO).

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.

Anadolu Agency
During the Energy Chamber's Post AGM Event at the Hyatt Regency hotel Wednesday evening, the Finance Minister Colm Imbert offered an insight into how going to the supermarket has been for him since he announced the increase in the prices of gasoline and diesel in the 2023 Budget.
Tonight Dateline looks at the end of Chinas one-child policy and what it means for those who worked to maintain it, in Chinas Family Planning Army.

For the past 35 years family planning officers have been stationed in every town in China, issuing fines to parents having more than one child, ordering abortions and enforcing birth control. But this year saw the end of the one child policy and the nations family planners have a new job description.

On Tuesdays Dateline, journalist Lucy Ash travels to China to meet with family planners who were once responsible for enforcing the one-child policy.

Lucy meets Li Bo who has been re-trained as a child development specialist. While now enforcing the two child policy, Li Bo is also a pioneer in a pilot project designed to help rural children to get a better start in life. The once feared family planner now visits villages with a sack of toys and picture books; and his new job is to teach parents and grandparents how to relate better to small children.

But can he win the trust of the community? As Li Bo visits a toddler in Danfeng County the little girls grandmother opens up about her long held hatred and distrust of family planning officers. As a young woman she claims she was forced to abort a second child, and when she fell pregnant for a third time she decided to hide the baby girl.

She stayed with my mother in the mountains for 12 years before we managed to get her registered, says Chen Huafen.

Family planning officer Li Bo tells Lucy that his old job once involved issuing fines to those who were not following the law  a fee commonly known as a social maintenance fee. Li Bo tells Lucy, [translated] The level of the fine was dependent on average local annual income. It was three to six times the annual income.

The one-child policy has left scars, and had a deep impact on many Chinese families who claim the enforcers were brutal in their law enforcement tactics.

Lucy travels to Shangdong, a coastal province with a population of 96 million that lies between Beijing and Shanghai, and has a reputation for being especially harsh.

In recent years, there were reports of illegal detention for people accused of having unauthorised children.

Lucy speaks to one man and his family who allege he was imprisoned for nine days, and brutally beaten, because his wife was illegally pregnant with their second child. The family claim to have offered to pay the social maintenance fee, with the mans mother saying [translated] I said wed pay any fine. Money isnt everything. The baby is more important [but] they said, theres no way you can have this baby.

The mans wife, who was six months pregnant at the time, was allegedly forced to have a dangerously late abortion, in order to end the detention and beatings. The man claims his wife still cant forgive him and his family for failing to save their baby.

China is the worlds most populous nation, with an estimated 1.35 billion people; the Chinese government says the one-child policy has prevented 400 million births.

Tuesday 16 August at 9.30pm on SBS.
(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)

Story continues

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)
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Russian-backed militants launched 59 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Donbas over the past day.

This is reported by the ATO Headquarters press center.

In Donetsk direction, the militants used mortars of banned calibers, grenade launchers and heavy machine guns to shell ATO troops in Avdiyivka (18km north of Donetsk). Ukrainian servicemen in Leninske (22km east of Mariupol) came under machine-gun and grenade-launcher fire.

In Mariupol direction, the terrorists used mortars, machine guns and small arms to fire at Marinka (35 km south-west of Donetsk). Ukrainian servicemen in Vodiane (16km north-west of Donetsk), Hnutove (19km north-west of Mariupol), and Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) came mainly under grenade-launcher fire.

In Luhansk region, enemy used 122-mm self-propelled guns and 120mm mortars to shell Ukrainian positions in Popasna (90 km north-west of Luhansk).

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No Ukrainian servicemen were killed, one soldier was wounded in ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Spokesman for the Presidential Administration on the ATO Oleksandr Motuzianyk said this at a briefing in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

No Ukrainian servicemen were killed, but one soldier was wounded as a result of armed hostilities in ATO area in eastern Ukraine over the past day, he said.

He added that three militants had been killed and three militants had been wounded over the past day.

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Monday, August 15, 2016, the Government of Ukraine starts to use e-document management while interacting with the central executive authorities and expects the document movement to speed up by 50%.

Minister for the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleksandr Sayenko said this in a commentary to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We expect the movement of documents from registration to performer to speed up by 50%. This, in turn, will give an opportunity to make decisions and respond quickly. The next step of the introduction of e-document management will be electronic coordination of laws and regulations, which will greatly accelerate the work of the Government," Sayenko said.

He warned that the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine from now would not accept any letters from the central executive authorities in paper form.

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Almost half of the medicines, which are purchased by the international organizations under the state programs of treatment, have already been delivered in the regions of Ukraine.

Acting Ukrainian Health Minister Ulyana Suprun said this at the briefing, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"49% of overall medicines deliveries have been already transferred to the regions. The rest of imported drugs are at the warehouses of the state-owned enterprises, waiting for the orders from the Health Ministry," Suprun said.

According to her, the drugs for orphan diseases, HIV and children's hemophilia tests, medicines for children with hepatitis have been delivered to Ukraine in full.

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Ukraine and Russia should refrain from any steps that could lead to further deterioration of the situation on the Crimean peninsula.

This is said in the statement of German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, published on the website of the Foreign Ministry of Germany.

"The latest escalation in Crimea must be a cause of concern to us. In what is already a difficult situation, no one stands to benefit from a further escalation. We expect all sides to refrain from taking any steps that could lead to the situation escalating further," Steinmeier said.

He also expressed hope that the incidents would be clarified in a way that can be verified objectively.

The head of the German Foreign Ministry also called on both sides to continue working to implement the Minsk agreements.

As reported, August 10, the Russian Federal Security Service announced it had prevented the terrorist acts in the occupied Crimea, accused Ukraine of preparation of the attacks.

ol
Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Valeriy Chaly met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Michael Lally to discuss further joint efforts in order to strengthen US-Ukraine economic and investment cooperation.

This has been reported by the press service of the Governments portal.

Valeriy Chaly underlined the importance of American investments to Ukrainian economy, which could bring the best world business practices to our country as well as improve competitiveness of Ukrainian goods on the world markets. Sides discussed the promising spheres of further cooperation in particular in the areas of airspace and infrastructure. Ambassador Valeriy Chaly stressed that Ukraine would welcome not only leading world known American companies to Ukrainian market but also small and medium-sized enterprises which could bring fresh breath to development of Ukrainian economy.

Ambassador Valeriy Chaly and Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Lally discussed practical implementation in our country of U.S.-Ukraine Roadmap: Suggestions for Business Climate Improvements and agreed to continue joint efforts in order to increase investment attractiveness of Ukrainian economy.

ish
Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak speaks during a signing ceremony with Iranian Communications Minister Mahmoud Vaezi (not seen) after their meeting in Moscow, Russia, July 29, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Zmeyev

DUBAI (Reuters) - Russia, the world's top oil producer, is consulting with Saudi Arabia and other producers to achieve oil market stability, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said, adding that the door is still open for more discussions on freezing output levels if needed.

In an interview published on Monday Novak also told Saudi-owned newspaper Asharq al-Awsat that a complete return of market stability is only likely in 2017.

"With regard to the cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the dialogue between our two countries is developing in a tangible way, whether in the framework of a multi-party structure or on a bilateral level," Novak was quoted as saying.

"We are cooperating in the framework of consultations regarding the oil market with OPEC countries and producers from outside the organisation, and are determined to continue dialogue to achieve market stability," he said.

"We are ready to achieve the widest possible level of coordination... and put in place joint measures to achieve oil market stability, with the condition that these measures will not be for a limited period of time."

Novak's comments come only days after Saudi Arabian Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said his country would work with OPEC and non-OPEC members to help stabilise oil markets.

An informal meeting of major producing countries is scheduled in Algeria late next month.

Members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will meet on the sidelines of the International Energy Forum (IEF), which groups producers and consumers, in Algeria from Sept. 26-28.

Oil prices extended gains after Falih's remarks on Thursday, which indicated that Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, is worried that oil prices could fall towards $40 per barrel or lower due to oversupply.

Talks on a global oil production level freeze collapsed in April. OPEC member Iran has been the main opponent of a freeze as it looks to raise its output to levels seen before the imposition of now-ended Western sanctions.

(Reporting by Sami Aboudi; editing by Andrew Torchia and Jason Neely)
A transgender refugee clasps her hands as she describes the challenges she faced in the Middle East.  1morecup/Mosaic/UNHCR

BEIRUT, Lebanon - As a transgender woman, Nadia* long struggled to find acceptance in her native Iraq, where years of abuse culminated in her abduction by an extremist militia targeting transgender people.

They tortured us and beat us severely, she says, recalling how some of her peers had their orifices sealed up with glue. Several were killed.

After a harrowing flight across the Middle East in search of safety, she is now under the protection of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Lebanon and feels ready for a new start.

I've said goodbye to Iraq forever and it hurts, she says.

Raised male by a cold mother and an abusive father, Nadia, 23, self-identifies as female. Her flight took her from the sectarian strife of post-war Baghdad to Kurdistan, Iran and now Lebanon. Soon, she hopes to resettle in a new country.

I thought I was the only one on the planet who had this.

But she cannot bury the confusion, betrayals and abuse of the past. I thought I was the only one on the planet who had this, Nadia says, speaking of her transgender identity. I wondered why I was like that. It was disgusting, really disgusting, she said, referring to the reaction of those around her.

Similar experiences are recounted by a host of other lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people  collectively known as LGBTI  now living as refugees under UNHCR protection across this conflict-torn region.

As refugees, the perils are often magnified, according to testimony gathered by UNHCR and its partners. LGBTI refugees face a heightened risk of harassment, arrest, kidnap, torture, rape and even murder. Some, like Nadia, are targeted by extremists or criminal gangs. There are also daily concerns like finding jobs and shelter, hard enough for other refugees.

Lebanon is considered more tolerant of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities than most of its neighbours. Still, its criminal code prohibits sexual relations contradicting the laws of nature, and that can trigger prosecutions.

LGBTI refugees in Lebanon tell their stories

There is a lack of data on how many LGBTI people are in need of assistance, but MOSAIC, a UNHCR partner working with marginalized groups in Lebanon and other parts of the region, says its services have reached 810 LGBTI people so far this year. But that merely scratches the surface.

So much depends on how they come here and whether they have support already, says MOSAICs founder, Charbel Maydaa. There are many factors that define safety. Are they in a safe house? Are they properly registered and protected? Do they have access to support organizations? Being a refugee and LGBTI can be a double stigma.

For its part, UNHCR recently rolled out the largest and most comprehensive training package of its kind for staff and the wider humanitarian community working with forcibly displaced LGBTI people. It has also provided an overview of its progress made in protecting LGBTI refugees and others of concern.

In Lebanon itself, specialized social workers provide psychological counselling and referrals for medical assistance  especially post-trauma care. Other assistance to LGBTI refugees includes shelter, mental health aid, and legal and emergency cash assistance. When necessary, refugees are resettled.

UNHCR also works closely with partners like MOSAIC, the ABAAD-Resource Centre for Gender Equality and other national and international NGOs which provide individual and group support to LGBTI refugees. UNHCR and its partners have trained police to help them understand the communitys needs, and recently introduced rainbow safety badges to highlight frontline staff trained to respond to the needs of the community.

As the terrifying ordeal of Nadias abduction and torture in 2012 made shockingly clear, life in Baghdad is dangerous for the transgender community. While several of her peers were murdered, others faced unrelenting harassment.

In Iraq, gays and trans are persecuted, she says. Most trans commit suicide in the end because there's no life. They cannot live the way they want.

Nadia initially fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and subsequently to neighbouring Iran in her quest to transition from male to female, but was unsuccessful. When she returned to Baghdad, her family abuse escalated.

In Iraq, gays and trans are persecuted ... most trans commit suicide in the end because there's no life."

Unconvinced by a medical diagnosis that she could not become a man, her father and uncle confined and tortured her, scrubbing her skin with steel wool in an attempt to stimulate hair growth, and forcibly injecting testosterone.

She finally managed to flee to Lebanon, helped by a friendly doctor and her aunt. My aunt told me, go and never come back. If they see you they will kill you, Nadia says. I have a new life because of her.

Awaiting resettlement in Beirut has not been easy. There have been challenges finding work and paying rent as well as insults from housemates and threats from the family of her new partner, a Syrian refugee whose ring she now wears and with whom she hopes to be reunited after resettlement.

For the future, Nadia hopes to help others. I dream of settling and adopting a family, having a baby with my boyfriend. I want to be a goodwill ambassador for trans people and raise awareness.

For professionals like Maydaa of MOSAIC, the case of Nadia and countless others like her show that there is hope for the LGBTI refugee community in this region. But he added, cultural change will take time.

*Name changed for protection reasons
Aetna will be offering a new perk to its employees. The health care company will be giving its workforce a break on their student loan debt.

According to USA Today, Aetna made the announcement on Wednesday. The company will help pay down its employees' loans.

The student loan debt break program will begin in 2017. Next year, Aetna's 50,000 full-time employees will qualify for matching loan payments of up to $2000 annually and with a total of $10,000 per person.

Part-timers will still receive the benefit for half of the cap. One requirement is that employees will need to have earned undergrad or graduate degrees from accredited schools within the last three years.

"By helping ease their financial burden, our employees can better focus on our mission of building a healthier world," Mark Bertolini, chairman and CEO of Aetna, said.

Aetna is the latest company to join a small group of pioneers that tackles a common and widespread source of financial distress. Moreover, this is reportedly part of the company's efforts to attract and retain talent.

Society for Human Resource Management noted that the health care giant is the latest company to join the 3 to 4 percent of all American businesses that contribute to its employees' student debt payments. Nvidia, Memorial Hermann Health System and Natixis Global Asset Management are some of the other firms that offer this benefit.

The trend will definitely rise among industries that have heated competition for talent acquisition. The program is expected to appeal to Millennials, who make up 80 percent of the PwC workforce.

"As a firm that recruits more than 11,000 new hires off campus each year, this is an opportunity to differentiate ourselves with a key talent group - Millennials - and provide a meaningful way to help reduce their debt," Tom Codd, vice chairman and U.S. human capital leader of PricewaterhouseCoopers, said.

It was noted that there are about 71 percent of college graduates this year who carry student loan. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has also reported that the country has accumulated $1.3 trillion of student debt.
The Houston school board has approved a $1.2 million budget for the renaming of eight schools named after Confederate loyalists. The move has gained backlash from taxpayers in the community.

KPRC Houston reported that the Houston Independent School District (HISD) held a board meeting on Thursday to decide on the cost to change the names of schools with ties to the Confederate. The approved changes were estimated to cost around $1.2 million.

It was slammed by parents and taxpayers who believe that the money would be better off spent on books, school supplies and the re-hiring of special education employees. A group of concerned parents even filed a lawsuit against the Houston school board with the hopes that the renaming of the schools would be stopped since it was illegal.

The district has maintained its confidence that the estimates provided in the past and future do not have an impact on the validity of the boards actions. The new names will take effect this school year.

The schools and their new names are: Johnston Middle School to Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School; Sidney Lanier Middle School to Bob Lanier Middle School; Lee High School to Margaret Long Wisdom High School; Reagan High School to Heights High School; Jackson Middle School to Yolanda Black Navarro Middle School of Excellence; Dowling Middle School to Audrey H. Lawson Middle School; and Davis High School to Northside High School.

"By their nature, the costs associated with renaming the schools are not known precisely when the decisions were made," HISD said in a statement. "These are refined over time and HISD administration has presented updated information since before it was served with the lawsuit and will continue to do so in the future."

According to Chron, the renaming stemmed from the Jun. 2015 shooting of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., where the Confederate flag hung at the statehouse at the time. The deaths prompted the nation to remove symbols of the Confederacy.
August 15 2016

Glasgow Housing Association has begun work on a 4.7m development of 47 affordable homes within Shawbridge, Pollokshaws, as part of ongoing regeneration in the area.Designed by DO Architecture the scheme is being delivered by McTaggart Construction for completion by early 2017 to provide alternative accommodation for tenants whose homes are being demolished.Councillor George Redmond, Chair of Transforming Communities: Glasgow, said: What is particularly pleasing about these flats is the range on offer to meet the particular needs of individuals and families, and I look forward to seeing this project when completed. Five of the new homes will be wheelchair accessible and a further 42 homes are also in the works for the area by Loretto Housing Association.
National CPA Organization Honors UWs Ainsworth

Penne Ainsworth

The American Institute of CPAs has selected University of Wyoming Professor Penne Ainsworth as the winner of the organizations 2016 Distinguished Achievement in Accounting Education Award.

Ainsworth, who chairs the Department of Accounting in the UW College of Business, was honored at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association (AAA) in New York City.

The award, presented annually since 1985, recognizes full-time accounting professors who are outstanding educators and have achieved national recognition in the accounting profession. As this is the 100th anniversary of AAA, the award can be seen as a commitment to the next 100 years of accounting education, the organization says in a media release.

Ainsworth has received various academic awards and is co-author of a book, Introduction to Accounting: An Integrated Approach (2011).

Pennes commitment to her students as an administrator, mentor and professor, combined with her years of dedication to the profession in Wyoming, have been a model to accounting educators throughout the country, says Steve Matzke, director of faculty and university initiatives for the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

Ainsworth previously served as associate dean of UWs College of Business. She started teaching at UW in 1997. She currently serves as president of the Wyoming Society of CPAs Board of Trustees, and has served on numerous committees, such as the Education Committee, Planning Committee and various task forces.

She travels throughout Wyoming teaching the ethics/rules and regulations course for AICPA and represents Wyoming as the designated member for the AICPA Council. In addition, Ainsworth has visited school districts around Wyoming, introducing advanced placement accounting courses to high school students.

Ainsworth has been awarded research grants throughout her academic career and has served on various university committees.

As someone who is passionate about utilizing innovative practices with her students, Penne is highly deserving of the Distinguished Achievement award, Matzke says. The knowledge she has passed on to the more than 2,000 students she taught will have an impact on the profession for years to come.

Ainsworth started her career in academics as a graduate teaching assistant in accounting at Kansas State University. Ainsworth holds a doctorate from the University of Nebraska. She earned a masters degree in accounting and a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University.

AICPA is the worlds largest member association representing the accounting profession, with more than 412,000 members in 144 countries, and a history of serving the public interest since 1887. AICPA members represent many areas of practice, including business and industry, public practice, government, education and consulting.
UW Faculty Writing Workshop Aug. 26

Helping busy University of Wyoming faculty members find the time to focus on writing so necessary to a successful academic career is the goal of a half-day workshop hosted by the UW College of Educations three endowed chairs.

The Aug. 26 session, titled Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar, will bring 75 faculty members from all seven UW colleges to explore research-informed methods for creating more time and focus for academic writing.

Tara Gray, associate professor of criminal justice and founding director of the Teaching Academy at New Mexico State University, will lead the four-hour workshop. Gray is the author of three books, including Publish & Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar. She has presented workshops to more than 10,000 scholars in 120 institutions, 35 U.S. states and internationally.

Wyoming Excellence in Higher Education Chairs Vicki Gillis (literacy education), Cindy Brock (literacy education) and Tim Slater (science education) are the event organizers.

Inspiration for the campuswide event came from Gillis, who participated in a workshop Gray offered at Clemson University.

I remember what a huge difference it made, Gillis says.

Like many higher education faculty, Gillis struggled to keep a full plate of journal article and other writing projects on track. In the Clemson session, Gray involved participants in techniques designed to help scholarly writers eliminate common roadblocks. Gillis adopted her strategies with the help of Grays recommendations and saw almost immediate results.

It absolutely freed me, she says.

The UW session is designed for active learning and application. Participants will bring writing samples, which they will use in exercises that explore revision methods, peer review strategies and more.

Response to the professional development opportunity was quick and positive, as 75 registrations were recorded shortly after the first campus announcement. In addition to the workshop itself, participants receive UW institutional member access to resources provided by Textbook and Academic Authors (TAA), a nonprofit, interdisciplinary organization dedicated to helping textbook and academic authors thrive, for a year. TAA is a workshop co-sponsor.
UW President Grants Release Time to Vote Tuesday

The 2016 Wyoming primary election is scheduled Tuesday, Aug. 16, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

University of Wyoming President Laurie Nichols will allow a maximum of one hour of release time for UW employees to exercise their right to vote. To locate polling places, go here.

The scheduling of release time should be a collaborative discussion between employee and supervisor to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the unit.
SHARE Police line

By Matt Hamilton

Los Angeles Times (TNS) It was a UC Berkeley custodian who found the bloodied body of Grace Rualo Asuncion on a Friday night in the winter of 1992.

For decades after, the stabbing death of the 20-year-old junior from Agoura Hills went unsolved, casting a pall over the campus and her tight-knit family.

When the university's police chief stepped down in 2009, she remarked that the still-unsolved killing remained a source of sorrow.

"We will always feel a sense that we left something undone," Victoria Harrison, the retiring police chief, told a university publication. "We never closed that case."

UC Berkeley police announced this month that more than 24 years after the brutal slaying, the killer had finally been identified as John Iwed, who lived in nearby Alameda.

The Alameda County district attorney's office reviewed the case, but prosecutors could not file charges because Iwed succumbed to a drug overdose nearly a year after Asuncion was found dead, according to Sgt. Sabrina Reich, a spokeswoman for the university's Police Department.

Police broke the news to Asuncion's family in July, said her older brother John Asuncion, now an Agoura Hills planning commissioner.

"It was a surprise, as you can imagine," John Asuncion, 47, said. "It opened up the old wounds, of course. Speaking for myself, I had accepted  it is what it is. A cold case."

Iwed's name was familiar to Asuncion's older brother. Detectives had considered Iwed a suspect before, but ruled him out.

Before his death, Iwed had confessed to his wife that he attacked and killed Asuncion while high on psychedelic drugs, KTVU-TV reported. His wife later told police, but detectives could not verify the account.

Authorities have provided few specifics about what evidence surfaced to close the case.

"Over the years, people were more willing to talk and provide new information that corroborated Iwed was the suspect," Reich said. Detectives also relied on new DNA testing, but that did not break the case, she said.

Deputy District Attorney Teresa Drenick, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said the thorough investigation left scant doubt about Iwed. "We reviewed all the evidence and are confident in our decision," she added.

The announcement draws to a close a killing that shocked the campus for its sheer violence and seeming randomness.

"She is the last person you would expect this to happen to," Marie-Luise Brennan of Westlake Village, Asuncion's best friend from high school, told The Times days after the Feb. 7, 1992, killing. "I know it sounds trite, but I don't know why anyone would want to do that to her."

Asuncion, a molecular and cell biology major who had hopes of attending medical school, had stayed in Eshleman Hall after others left at 5 p.m.

It wasn't unusual for her to be in the eight-story building, where the student government and other campus groups had offices, authorities said.

"She often studied there alone or with friends," campus police Lt. Pat Carroll said at the time.

Her body, riddled with stab wounds, was found in the fifth-floor office of the Pilipino American Alliance. There was no evidence that she was sexually assaulted, and no sign that she was a victim of a robbery, police said.

No suspects were ever publicly identified. To this day, police have not specified a motive.

About a year after Asuncion's death, her parents, Edward and Aida Asuncion, filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against UC Berkeley, alleging the university failed to provide sufficient protection.

The lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court contended that the university's leaders should have stopped transients from sleeping in the building where she was killed and installed better security measures. No guards were posted in the building around the time of her killing, but university police did patrol the area, a university spokesman said in 1993.

The lawsuit was later settled for $750,000, which included four years of tuition at UC Irvine for Asuncion's younger sister, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In the years since, Eshleman Hall was demolished, and a new building was erected under the same name.

Asuncion's parents left California and moved north to Washington. Her three surviving siblings continued with their lives, getting married and having children. The family still keeps in touch with Asuncion's college roommate, John Asuncion said.

The family could have split or grown closer in such a horrific tragedy, he said, but has emerged with more gratitude and love.

"I don't wish it on anyone else, but the bonds are stronger, and that's a good thing," he said.

At UC Berkeley, Pilipino American Alliance awards a scholarship in Asuncion's memory. Near the building where she died, a tree was planted in her honor. Friends later added a bench with a plaque: "An intelligent, vibrant, committed student who will always be remembered."

Still, her brother said that he and his family still miss Grace. He thanked police for their dedication to the case, but said that knowing who killed her doesn't heal the wound left by her death.

He added: "It's not going to bring my sister back."
STAR FILE PHOTO The city of Oxnard will hold a meeting on Tuesday to gather public opinion on how to craft an ordinance regulating short-term rentals. The issue has cropped up in neighborhoods like Mandalay Shores.

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By Wendy Leung of the Ventura County Star

Short-term rentals, the living arrangement made popular by websites like Airbnb and VRBO, will be the topic of an Oxnard meeting Tuesday.

The city is seeking public input concerning possible regulations on short-term vacation rentals, an issue that has divided the Oxnard Shores neighborhood as well as communities elsewhere in Ventura County and beyond.

Expecting many residents are interested in future short-term rental guidelines, the city is hosting the meeting in the spacious Oxnard Room at the Oxnard Performing Arts and Convention Center, 800 Hobson Way. The meeting is 5-7:30 p.m. but doors will open at 4:30 p.m.

The city does not have any ordinance in place and is looking to establish standards for operating these kinds of vacation rentals.

Kathleen Mallory, planning and environmental services manager for the city, said it's important to have community input.

"Whatever decision is ultimately made, whether it's an ordinance, a ban or modified development standards, the Planning Commission will make the recommendation to the City Council and we'll be advising the public every step of the way," she said. "The end goal is to enrich the decision-making process with additional input from the public."

City staff could have a proposal for Planning Commission to consider in late fall.

In March and April, the city conducted a community survey on the issue and received 840 responses. Results from the survey will be shared during the Tuesday meeting.

Mallory said survey participants overwhelmingly supported some sort of regulation.

Online sites in recent years have made it easy for homeowners to open their doors to vacationers from around the world. Some say turning a residence into a hotel or party space can change the neighborhood, while others assert property rights and say renting out a home isn't illegal.

The issue was center stage for the Mandalay Shores Community Association as it considered changes in board leadership. The topic has also been controversial in Ojai, Ventura and many other cities.

Oxnard has been researching regulations in other cities as it prepares its own guidelines. It's important to keep in mind that what works for one community may not work for another, Mallory said.

"Some cities that are noncoastal have taken a more drastic approach by completely banning it. But if you're in a coastal community, the (California) Coastal Commission will not support a ban in this kind of zone," Mallory said. "You have to take regulations in other communities and look at their applicability to your community. It's a solution that should be driven by your community."

For more information and to see results of the community survey, visit www.oxnard.org/str.
TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Naomi Fedderman and her son Isaiah pick up trash in a dirt lot at Pleasant Valley and Butler roads in Oxnard on Sunday.

SHARE TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Nick Henry (left) and Martin Dayao pick up trash in a dirt lot at Pleasant Valley and Butler roads in Oxnard on Sunday. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Emmanuel Luppi (left) and Carlos Rojas pick up trash in a dirt lot at Pleasant Valley and Butler roads in Oxnard on Sunday. Members from the World Mission Society Church of God were on hand to take part in the Worldwide Cleanup Campaign. TROY HARVEY/SPECIAL TO THE STAR Martin Dayao (left) and Nick Henry pick up trash in a dirt lot at Pleasant Valley and Butler roads in Oxnard on Sunday.

By Staff Reports

Members of the World Mission Society Church of God in Oxnard celebrated a Worldwide Cleanup Campaign on Sunday morning by cleaning up an area of south Oxnard.

City Manager Greg Nyhoff and others from his office joined about 15 church members in the cleanup effort near Pleasant Valley and Butler roads. By the end of cleanup, heaps of weeds and bags of trash had been collected.

Residents of the area have complained to the city that the area is neglected and that trash has been allowed to accumulate for several months in an empty lot that separates Butler Road from Pacific Coast Highway.

The World Mission Society Church of God is known for conducting these kinds of environmental campaigns all over the world, but officials say this is the first in Ventura County. It was the 3,196th event conducted by the church around the world. The Oxnard church plans to partner with the city on other volunteer events in the near future, according to spokesman Emmanuel Luppi.

"The volunteers from the Church of God came and showed Oxnard their love. They worked hard for a few hours; if you look around you will see the beauty they put into this community.  When you see your community members come out and show their love for their community, it just grows throughout, and that is what we need in Oxnard," Nyhoff said in a news release from the church.

World Mission Society Church of God was founded in Korea in 1964 and now has churches in 175 countries around the world.

The church recently was given the Queen's Award for Volunteer Service in the United Kingdom. It has also been given the U.S. President's Volunteer Service Award and the Korea Presidential Group Citation for its volunteer work. For more information on the church, go to www.usa.watv.org.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Attorney Stephen Larson (foreground) announces a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles against Ventura County, the district attorney and the sheriff that stems from a 2014 explosion at Santa Clara Waste Water Co. In the back are (left to right) plaintiffs Dean Poe and David Wirsing and attorney Robert O'Brien.

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By Marjorie Hernandez of the Ventura County Star

Two top Santa Clara Waste Water Co. officials have filed a $27 million federal lawsuit against Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten, Sheriff Geoff Dean and the county for alleged "retaliatory and abusive raids" in connection with an investigation of a 2014 explosion at the company's facility.

Santa Clara Waste Water Vice President Dean Poe and his family, along with the company's Transportation Manager David Wirsing, filed the suit Monday at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Poe and Wirsing, along with seven other top administrators for Santa Clara Waste Water, were indicted by a Ventura County grand jury on multiple felony counts stemming from a Nov. 18, 2014, explosion at the wastewater facility on Mission Rock Road near Santa Paula.

Santa Clara Waste Water and its parent company, Green Compass, also face similar charges.

Poe was accused of conspiracy to dispose of hazardous waste and disposal of hazardous waste, both felonies, as well as other charges. Wirsing was accused of conspiracy to impede enforcement by an environmental regulator, a felony, and interference with enforcement, a misdemeanor.

Neither man has entered a plea.

Prosecutors said the explosion caused injuries, led to evacuations and required dozens of people to be treated for potential exposure. Three Santa Paula firefighters who responded to the scene were placed on disability leave and have sued the company over pulmonary and other injuries.

In their federal complaint, Poe and Wirsing said they were subject to retaliation because of injuries suffered by firefighters. Poe and Wirsing first filed a civil rights claim against the same parties back in January, which was denied by the county on March 3, attorney Stephen Larson said.

In their 58-page federal complaint, Poe and Wirsing also named Prosecutors Karen Wold and Chris Harman, and various district attorney investigators who they say violated their civil rights. The men also say Harman and Wold "concealed evidence for months in retaliation" for asserting their Fifth Amendment rights.

According to the complaint, Wirsing's wife and 6-year-old daughter were awakened about 6 a.m. Dec. 17, 2014, by two dozen personnel, some armed and wearing protective tactical gear. The family members allegedly were ordered out of the house and into the cold in their pajamas and held under armed guard for five hours, and the girl was detained in a vehicle, allegedly to calm her down, according to the complaint.

"This was a search for paperwork and computers with business records, but prosecutors instead sent their personal SWAT team to terrorize the Wirsing family even though there were absolutely no allegations of weapons, violence or drugs being in the home," Larson said in a news release.

Larson said the county district attorney's SWAT team conducted a similar raid at the Poe family home in July 2015. According to the suit, the district attorney's SWAT team "hauled" members of the Poe family, including their minor-aged children, outside their home while the Poes were only in their underwear.

County counsel Leroy Smith, Totten and Dean could not be reached for comment.

According to the complaint, Poe and five other Santa Clara Waste Water employees also were strip-searched and "subjected to demeaning visual cavity searches" while they were standing next to each other. Wirsing was also strip-searched in the presence of others, the suit said.

"This is about vengeful authorities making good on their threats to ruin the lives of two families by subjecting these men, their wives and their children to heavy-handed tactics and excessive force," Larson said in the news release.

County Sheriff's spokesman, Capt. Garo Kuredjian, said he could not comment on the lawsuit without having a chance to thoroughly review the complaint.

Kuredjian, however, said the county Sheriff's Office approved a policy on June 8 that outlines the procedure when conducting strip-searches. According to the policy, a deputy processing a suspect into jail must first find cause to conduct such a search. A facility sergeant who is on duty reviews that request and decides whether the strip-search should be conducted or not.

Kuredjian said strip-searches are conducted inside a "safety cell" or another area where individuals are not exposed to other inmates.

He said he was not sure if the same or a similar policy had been in place at the time when Poe, Wirsing and the other Santa Clara Waste Water employees were arrested in 2015.

Meanwhile, proceedings for the two criminal cases against the company and various Santa Clara Waste Water employees have been placed on hold while the Second Court of Appeal considers Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kent Kellegrew's decision to recuse the companies' criminal attorneys from the cases.

Kellegrew ruled on May 2 that the law firm Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP, which represents the two companies and Santa Clara Waste Water CEO William Mitzel, could not be involved in the criminal case because of a conflict of interest involving the firm and former Ventura County District Attorney Michael Bradbury.

Bradbury said he was retained by Santa Clara Waste Water to conduct an internal investigation on the 2014 explosion. Prosecutors, however, said some of the defendants provided statements to Bradbury thinking he was their attorney. Those statements could be used against the various defendants in the criminal case, Wold has said.

The court of appeals has ordered a temporary stay order on all matters related to the criminal cases, which could also affect the federal suit, Larson said.
AP PHOTO Firefighters work to rescue trapped passengers at the site of the deadly 2008 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth.

SHARE Star file photo Racheal Mofya, shown in 2009, was severely injured in the deadly Metrolink crash in Chatsworth in 2008.

By Mike Harris of the Ventura County Star

The trust for a Simi Valley woman who suffered severe brain injuries in the deadly 2008 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth is trying to collect $3.6 million that a court preliminarily found was improperly taken from her collision settlement by her former lawyer.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kent Kellegrew issued his preliminary order in January against Camarillo-based lawyer Michael McQueen, who began representing Racheal Mofya after the collision to obtain monetary damages for her.

Kellegrew's order, temporarily placing the $3.6 million under the control of the court, was merely an initial finding that would have to be proved by evidence at trial, said Jeffrey Loebl, an Ojai attorney who is the trustee of Mofya's distribution trust.

Loebl and Tiffany Van Wingerden, Mofya's conservator, are suing McQueen and co-defendants.

McQueen filed for bankruptcy in April, staying the proceedings in Kellegrew's court.

Loebl said he and Van Wingerden are now trying to collect the $3.6 million through discussions with the court-appointed trustee for McQueen's federal bankruptcy.

"We want to make sure Racheal is taken care of," Loebl said last week. "This is money she's going to use for her care for the rest of her life."

A call to McQueen seeking comment was returned by his Ventura attorney, Kate Neiswender, who praised McQueen's representation of Mofya and said he doesn't owe her trust a penny.

McQueen in 2011 obtained $9 million for Mofya, the largest award of the $200 million collision settlement divided up among 122 claimants by the Los Angeles Superior Court, Neiswender said.

"Michael did an excellent job representing Racheal," she said. "He got her $9 million  $2 million more than the next closest award in the crash. There's absolutely no wrongdoing here. This is someone trying to milk the estate of Racheal Mofya."

Even Loebl concedes that McQueen "got a great result for Racheal. You have to give him credit."

McQueen stopped representing Mofya in December 2013, Loebl said.

THE CRASH

Mofya, a fashion exchange student from Zambia who now lives in Simi Valley, was severely injured in the Sept. 12, 2008, crash that killed 25 people, including 21 from Ventura County, and injured about 100 other passengers. It occurred when a Metrolink commuter train operated by Connex Railroad LLC, a subsidiary of French conglomerate Veolia, collided head-on with a Union Pacific freight train.

A National Transportation Safety Board investigation concluded the crash was caused by engineer Robert Sanchez, who was distracted sending text messages and ran a red light. Sanchez was one of those killed.

Mofya, now 34, suffered a crushed skull, a broken pelvis and third-degree burns from flaming diesel fuel, according to the lawsuit. Surgeons had to remove her right frontal lobe, leaving her with a greatly diminished IQ, the lawsuit says.

In 2009, McQueen asked Mofya to sign a fee agreement "despite the fact that Racheal was severely cognitively impaired and still recovering from brain ... surgery," the lawsuit states.

Because of the severe impairments to Mofya's cognitive abilities, McQueen should have had a conservatorship created at the time to represent her interests, the suit alleges. But he didn't, Loebl said.

From Mofya's $9 million settlement, McQueen paid himself $3.6 million in attorney's fees without seeking court approval, according to the suit.

Loebl and Van Wingerden asked Kellegrew to freeze $2.9 million of the money McQueen took. In January, the judge granted the request, but increased the amount by $700,000 for a total of $3.6 million.

"The evidence supports the conclusion that at the time Mr. McQueen commenced his representation of Racheal Mofya, he knew she was not competent to retain his services," Kellegrew wrote in his order. "Racheal was not competent because she was in a (medically-induced) coma.

"Mr. McQueen's own statements demonstrate that he had an insurmountable conflict of interest," the judge wrote. "Mr. McQueen should have had a conservatorship created for Racheal Mofya or at least arranged for a guardian ad litem to represent her interests."

Kellegrew concluded that McQueen "actively worked to thwart the tools adopted by the Legislature to protect clients like Racheal Mofya. The court is left to conclude that Mr. McQueen did not want judicial supervision of his own activities."

The fees McQueen received were improper, the judge concluded.

ORDER CRITICIZED

Neiswender said the judge's order is not supported by any law.

McQueen was not obligated to create a conservatorship or arrange for a guardian because when he talked to Mofya, "she seemed to have the capacity to understand the fee agreement as well as participate and keep the Metrolink litigation moving forward," Neiswender said.

Lawyers for Mofya's trust "try to make it sound like Racheal literally cannot sign her name and that's just false," Neiswender said. "She's not a drooling incompetent."

Kellegrew came to his conclusions "without ever meeting Racheal or talking to her or seeing a video of her," she said. "Nothing."

Neiswender said Mofya told McQueen she didn't want to be put into a conservatorship. Thus, to do so "would have been a breach of Mr. McQueen's ethical duties to Racheal," Neiswender wrote in a letter in June to McQueen's bankruptcy trustee, Jeremy Faith.

"What the judge is saying is, that because a conservatorship or a guardian ad litem was not created for Racheal, that means Michael McQueen spent thousands of hours getting a judgment for Racheal and he's not required to be compensated," she said. "There's no law that says that. There's no state bar rule that says that. You know, judges can be wrong."

McQueen set up a trust for Mofya in 2011, Neiswender said.

"He had reports that the crash did impair her judgment  she's easily convinced of things and is highly suggestible," she said. "So he says, 'I should get her a trust for her money so no one can steal from her.' "

Raymond James Trust was the trustee. It is partnered with the James Street Group and the Plaintiff Advisory Group, according to the lawsuit. The three are also named as defendants.

Loebl said the trust was not a suitable substitute for a conservatorship.

"It didn't protect Racheal," he said. "It didn't provide independent evaluation of her expenditures."

In 2013, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Glen Reiser reformed the trust and removed Raymond James and the The Plaintiff Advisory Group from all positions of authority, according to the lawsuit.

Reiser appointed Loebl to be Mofya's new trustee in December 2013, and appointed Van Wingerden to be Mofya's conservator in April 2014, Loebl said.

Mofya, meanwhile, spends her days interacting with friends and her church and activities like attempting to sew, Loebl said. She lives by herself in a condominium bought with some of her settlement, receiving daily assistance from caregivers.

"She is able to live substantially on her own with support," Loebl said. "She is a remarkable lady with a really nice outlook. She has accepted that her opportunities are far less than what she dreamed of when she came to this country.

"She is just unable to make judgments for her best interest," he said. "So she is doing as well as she can be doing under the circumstances that were dealt to her."
STAR FILE PHOTO Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Michael Babb (left).

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By Arlene Martinez, amartinez@vcstar.com

One of Ventura's senior planners, Iain Holt, will discuss land use, development and adaptive reuse during Thursday's monthly meeting of the East Ventura Community Council.

Also at the meeting, Ventura Unified School District Superintendent Michael Babb will talk about the impact residential development is having on area schools, learning opportunities and how schools will change in the years ahead.

Following that, Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios, one of at least eight people running for three City Council seats, will address the group.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church Coffeehouse, 346 N. Kimball Road. The group, which represents residents who live east of Victoria Avenue, accepts books in good condition for San Buenaventura Friends of the Library.

For more information, call 804-7558 or visit the group's Facebook page at http://bit.ly/1UMna8W.
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Most people supporting Hillary Clinton for president are doing so not because they like her but because they're scared to death of Donald Trump.

What a choice: crazy, unstable Donald, or militarist, corporatist Hillary. Either one is a bleak prospect that would help create a non-future for young people.

If voters will support Jill Stein of the Green Party, at least temporarily, and spread the word, they can return to Hillary if Jill doesn't climb high enough in the polls. If she gets up to 15 percent, she'll be allowed in the debates, and that will change everything. Why not give Jill a chance?

The corporate media and big money won't help. Change has to come from the people. To those who say third parties can't win, consider how the Republican Party got started, as a small abolitionist party. Jill could really take off, just like Bernie did. He proved grassroots and small donations can do amazing things.

Jill has an inspiring vision. She wants to restore the middle class, protect our environment and have justice for all. Voters need to embrace leaders who will help heal this troubled world. Its time to give up on corporate politicians who represent the wealthy, and support grassroots efforts instead.

We can be brave for now and support Jill, remembering the words of Goethe, who said, Are you in earnest, seize this very minute, boldness has genius, magic, and power in it ...

Bryan Rosen, Montecito
Licensed in October 2013, the resort was invested by World Shine Hong Kong Co., Ltd. (World Shine Hong Kong) through its Vietnamese subsidiary The Dieu Company with a total investment capital of $250 million.

The project is located on Cua Khem Cape , a border area between Danang and Thua Thien-Hue provinces. Cua Khem Cape is where Hai Van Mountain meets the East Vietnam Sea , a sensitive site in national defence. Thus, green-lighting the project received vehement opposition from residents as well as experts, leading to delays in construction.

Former Minister of National Defense Nguyen Van Rinh told Tuoitre.vn that the Hai Van Mountain Pass holds significant value as a defensive posture for Danang and Thua Thien-Hue.

My point of view is that the government should reconsider the project and evaluate gains and losses, Ring stated.

Recently, the Thua Thien-Hue Peoples Committee licensed World Shine Hong Kong to develop the project in a new site. Accordingly, the project will be moved to Loc Vinh commune, 15 kilometres from the initial site.

Nguyen Que, deputy director of the management board of Thua Thien-Hue Industrial Zones Authority, said that the authority carefully considered the projects new site, aiming to ensure national defence.

The 100-hectare Minh Vien-Lang Co project will have a new design, with a total investment capital of $350 million.

The construction will be divided into two phases. The first phase will combine 300 high-end villas and a five-star hotel, with a total of 1,000 rooms and an international conference centre. The second phase will develop shopping centres, a shopping street, and other infrastructure.

The project is expected to come into operation in 2022.
Donald Trump has complained for months about media coverage and stripped a long list of news organisations of their credentials. (AFP/Molly Riley)

"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."

Trump has complained for months about media coverage. He has stripped a long list of news organisations - 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.

But media monitors say he has received more extensive coverage than any candidate in years.

Paul Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman, also pushed back against the media during an appearance on Sunday on CNN.

"Contrary to the New York Times' nameless sources story, the campaign is moving forward and very strong," he said. "We raised over US$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 groups" - 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 on unday 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."
A production line of Japan's Yokowo Vietnam Company Ltd, in Dong Van II Industrial Park in northern Ha Nam Province.- Photo Danh Lam

The plan was unveilved by Chairman and CEO of the group Hideo Okubo at a meeting with Vice chairman of the municipal People's Committee, Tran Vinh Tuyen, late last week.

Okubo said the group was willing to help the city with training for tour guides and staff at restaurants and hotels, adding that specific co-operation projects would be drafted soon.

Most of Forval's partners are small- and medium-sized enterprises operating in the consultation field to support Japanese firms in making investments abroad, particularly within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to the CEO.

The corporation had advised many Japanese companies to invest in Viet Nam, he said, adding that it opened representative offices in Ha Noi and HCM City and co-operated with Vietnamese businesses in other cities and provinces.

Tuyen hailed Forval's desire to invest in personnel training in tourism, education and health care, which matches the city's demand.

HCM City's current tourism staff have yet to become fully professional, hence the city hoped to partner with the Japanese group to improve the quality of human resources in this field, he added.

The southern metropolis also hoped to introduce modern technological equipment and smart management processes to improve public health, he noted.

He proposed that the corporation persuade more Japanese businesses to invest in HCM City, promising that local authorities would create the optimal conditions for entrepreneurs to do business efficiently.
A report of the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) showed that Vietnam attracted US$13 billion worth of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first seven months of the year, an increase of 47% over the same period last year. The capital, including US$8.7 billion worth of newly registered and US$4.3 billion worth of additionally invested capital, will be used to develop 1,408 projects.

The Republic of Korea (RoK) tops the list of the largest foreign direct investors as investors from the country plan to pour US$4 billion more into Vietnam, raising total investment capital registered to US$49 billion.

However, analysts noted the strong rise in FDI from countries and territories known as the tax havens such as British Virgin Islands, Singapore, Hong Kong, Cayman, Bermuda, Panama, Jersey, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Bahamas, Panama, Delaware State in the US, Switzerland and Ireland.

Singaporean investors have outstripped Japan to become the second largest foreign investor in Vietnam with registered investment capital of US$1.4 billion and 152 projects in first seven months of the year and US$32 billion so far. The figure was US$358 million in the same period last year, as Singapore ranked the eighth largest foreign investor.



The capital from Hong Kong has soared by 40% to US$1 billion in the first seven months of the year, which has put it into fifth position in the list of largest foreign investors.



To date, Hong Kongs investors have registered US$15.8 billion worth of investment and implemented 1.064 projects in Vietnam.



Meanwhile, the famous tax haven  British Virgin Islands  invested US$447 million in the first seven months of the year, raising its total investment capital to US$19.4 billion.



The investors from Cayman Islands registered US$285 million worth of capital, and Luxembourg US$207 million, raising total investment capital to US$6.7 billion and US$2 billion, respectively.



Vietnam has also witnessed a strong wave of foreign investors contributing capital and buying stakes in enterprises.



Since July 1, 2015, foreign investors have contributed capital to 3,141 businesses and conducted share transfer deals worth US$2.9 billion. Real estate, retail and air transport are the most attractive to foreign investors.



Some large projects licensed in the first seven months of the year:

1.LG Display Haiphong, registered by South Korean LG Display, US$1.5 billion. OLED screens for mobile devices.

2.Amata Long Thanh City in Dong Nai province, US$309.3 million, registered by a Thai investor.



3.Samsung Research & Development Center, US$300 million, registered by Samsung Electronics Vietnam.



4.The wind power plant in Tra Vinh (second phase), US$247.6 million.



5.Midtown project, US$225.62 million, to be developed by an investor from Cayman Islands.
According to Le Duc Vinh, Chairman of the Khanh Hoa Peoples Committee, the province expected that the IZ would attract investment capital to the provinces industrial sector, however, the construction has been immobile for the seven years since it was licensed.

The projects long delay in construction does not comply with the Law on Investment and the Law on Land, while simultaneously preventing the planning of Cam Ranh region in general, Vinh added.

In early August, SBIC proposed the Khanh Hoa Peoples Committee not to revoke the projects investment certificate so that the company can carry out negotiations with HC Global Joint Stock Company (HCG) to join the solar power plant. According to SBICs design, the plant is to be implemented by a consortium of Taiwanese Foxconn Technology Group, HCG, and Clean Energy JSC.

However, according to VIRs source, no further information on the solar power project has been disclosed for now. Besides, while the consortium has no specific plans for the solar power project, it is difficulty for the investors to persuade the authority to change its decision.

South Cam Ranh IZ, invested by Nha Trang Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., was licensed in March 2009 with the total investment capital of VND980 billion ($43.9 million). However, the construction has yet to be implemented due to the investors financial troubles.

Khanh Hoa has been considering revoking the projects investment certificate since 2012.
According to plans, the investor will recover the investment capital through collecting between VND5,000 ($0.22) and VND10,000 ($0.45) per person for the use of these public toilets.

This information was released by Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh Peoples Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen at a working session with the citys authorities to deal with difficulties in building over 1,000 public toilets in the city.

Tuyen said that building more public toilets will contribute to making the city more civilised and elegant in the eyes of both foreign and domestic visitors. However, implementation has faced difficulties in arranging suitable positions and construction expenditure.

Residents and visitors care about the quality as well as the convenience of public toilets, rather than whether there is a fee when they use public toilets. Thus, the city would find it beneficial and well-appreciated to build five-star public toilets which include air conditioners, private entrances for disabled people, and modern equipment, Tuyen stated.

Along with Mister Loo, domestic investor Vinasing Media and Trading Joint Stock Company also proposed the Ho Chi Minh Peoples Committee to construct 1,000 public lavatories with a total investment capital of VND110 billion ($4.93 million). Regardless of the eventual investors identity, the toilets will be located at stations, parks, and streets, covering major junctions.

Vinasing, instead of recovering the investment capital through fee collection, proposed the city for advertisement rights on billboards on overpasses for 15 years.

According to Nguyen Thi Thanh My, deputy director of the citys Natural Resources and Environment, the city currently has 208 public toilets. However, the system has yet to meet the desired standards in terms of number and convenience. There are only 11 public toilets meeting the four and five-star standard, invested by Saigon Thuong Tin Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Sacombank), are in pilot operations in the city.
On the sidelines of the launch of the Grohe flagship showroom in Hanoi at the end of July, Lixil Vietnam's general director Masahiko Hiramoto talked to VIRs Hong Anh about the potential for growth of the luxury bathroom fixture market in Vietnam, as well as Lixils overall strategy in the country.

Why is Lixil launching Grohe Spa showrooms in Vietnam now? What segment of customers do you target with the Grohe brand?

The Vietnamese real estate mar-ket has seen recovery and growth in the past year. By extension, so has the building material and sanitary ware market. The high-end apartment segment has recently seen big growth with remarkable sales throughout the country, so we can see that the potential of both the markets for bathroom fixtures and luxury bathroom fixtures are very high. Thats why we decided to launch four Grohe Spa showrooms in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang, and Nha Trang.

At the Grohe Spa showrooms, Grohe introduces consumers to innovative products such as shower system SmartControl, F-Digital Deluxe, the ever-popular collection of Allure Brilliant, Grandera, Eurocube, and thousands of other revolutionary products. Here, we focus on Grohes signature product line. Grohe Spa has the concept - Home is Where My Grohe Spa is - bringing customers the spa experience right in their own bathroom.

What are the benefits that Grohe and Lixil are going to bring to customers in Vietnam in their new showrooms?

At Lixil, Grohe is positioned as an independent brand. So Grohe has retained its core values of technology, quality, design, and sustainability for decades. Its still able to deliver pure freude an wasser, which means pure joy of water.

The global production network of Grohe is based on precision technology, as well as high performance and efficiency in production. The innovation, design, and development activities for Grohe are centred in Germany, with three production plants operating in Germany alone.

When merging into Lixil, which already had a consistent distribution and after-sale care network that covers the whole of Vietnam, Grohe benefited from significant growth in its distribution network in the country.

At the Grohe brand relaunch event and press conference, we announced a new distribution network in order to enable consumers and developers to better choose Grohe products.

Many high quality bathroom fix-ture brands are expanding sales in Vietnam. How do you stand out?

The Grohe brand and its excel-lent products have made their mark on the market for many decades. A brand with a great capacity for innovation, Grohe has a long track record as the worlds largest manufacturer of premium sanitary fittings in terms of innovation, quality, design, and sustainability.

Grohe is not new in Vietnam. Before joining Lixil, Grohe was already being utilised in many highend projects throughout the country, and is much loved by customers. Examples of projects using Grohe include JW Marriot Hanoi, Lotte Hanoi, Intercontinental Danang, Angsana Lang Co, Times Square (The Reverie Saigon), Renaissance Riverside Saigon, and Le Meridien, in addition to many high-end commercial and housing projects.

We dont worry about the activities of competitors. What we care about the most is creating the highest quality products and expanding our distribution system in order to bring the highest value to users.

Besides the Grohe brand, Lixil is providing many other brands which target lower-end segments in the Vietnamese market. What is your plan in the upcoming years for the whole product line-up?

Vietnam is one of our focus markets in Asia. We currently have 12 factories in five cities and provinces across the country, including Hanoi, Hung Yen, Quang Nam, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and Binh Duong. Besides Grohe, Lixil Vietnam currently distributes mar-ket-leading brands such as Inax, American Standard, and the alu-minium window and door brand Tostem.

With the Grohe brand and Grohe Spa showrooms, we target high-end customers and projects. Meanwhile at our 60 Lixil stores we target the middle-end segment with the high-est quality products at competitive prices. With such a diverse product portfolio, we are going to develop all four brands in order to meet the many demands of developers and consumers in Vietnam.
Photo by The ASSOCIATED PRESS

Indias captain Virat Kohli, front left, and Indias Ajinkya Rahane, right, leave the field after beating West Indies by 237 runs in their third cricket Test match at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet, St. Lucia, on Saturday.


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Its time for a change: Cara Castronuova on Her Race for District 22 in the NYS Assembly

On Oct. 25, Cara Castronuova, who is vying to unseat longtime Democrat incumbent Michaelle Solages as representative for District 22 in the New York State Assembly, sat down with Vision Times to discuss why voters should vote for her, and not her opponent, in the upcoming election on Nov. 8.
At least four activists were arrested in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh on Monday during a protest calling for the release of rights workers and an election official held on bribery charges.

The detainees  named as Sar Sorn, Phok Sophin, Nou Sat and Nak  were taking part in a Black Monday campaign protest in their local district of Prampi Makara.

The Black Monday campaign was launched to demand the release of National Election Committee member Ny Chakrya and four rights workers from local NGO Adhoc, who were arrested in late April and later charged for allegedly bribing a witness who was due to testify in a court case against opposition deputy leader Kem Sokha.

The arrests follow the detention last week of Sorn, who was briefly detained as she led protesters to the Appeals Court, where Chakrya was due to have his case heard.

Mean Chanyada, a spokesman for the municipality, said the protesters were arrested because they had defied a ban on public assembly that specifically targeted Black Monday campaigners.

Yes, the Ministry of Interior clearly issued a directive to the authorities in 25 provinces and cities prohibiting gatherings and rallies from being staged for this black-color campaign, he said.

The opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party last month officially endorsed the campaign.

The activists arrested on Monday are locked in a land dispute with tycoon Suy Sophan, owner of the Phanimex company.

Campaigners on Monday told VOA Khmer that the continued detentions of activists taking part in the Black Monday protests was a reflection of deteriorating freedom of expression in Cambodia.

Am Sam Ath, technical supervisor at local rights group Licadho, said the continued arrests would anger the people.

The arrests contradict government guidelines and the behavior of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who tries his best to help the people and draw popularity from the people, he said.

The campaigners have now adopted calls for an independent inquiry into the death of prominent political analyst Kem Ley, who was shot dead in broad daylight on July 10, as well as a resolution to and disputes around the country.

Tep Vanny, a leading land activist from the Boeung Kak lake community, said the arrests were a worrying sign that could point to government fears over the growing popularity of the campaign.

We, the organizers of the Black Monday campaign, as well as the people in the Borei Keila community, dont have any plan to make this  a color revolution to topple the government, she said.

Vanny was also detained on Monday evening while leading a group of activists through Phnom Penhs Daun Penh district, according to activists.
Hong Lim, an Australian lawmaker for the state of Victoria who was banned from entering Cambodia over comments he made where he labeled the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen a beast.



Lim, who is Victorias parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs, made the comments during an interview with Radio Free Asia earlier this month.



The government reacted to the interview by claiming Lim had insulted the whole nation, while Lim on Monday told VOA Khmer his comments were aimed solely at the current administration.



He added that the ban imposed on him contravened Cambodian law and the constitution and that he would file a complaint.



The [governments] action violated my rights. I know that they'll arrest and imprison me when I go to Cambodia, therefore it is a crime that is committed against me, so I am solving it through diplomatic and international legal means and other organizations that will give advice to me. If I can sue the regime, if they have violated my rights, I'll do it, he said.



Phay Siphan, a senior government spokesman, said the government retained the right to ban someone from entering the country if that person was deemed to have had an impact on the honor of the country.



Political analyst Ou Virak said Lim, who was born in Cambodia, was well within his rights to express an opinion on the government, adding that the Australian MP was protected by the constitution and diplomatic action was therefore wrong. Its not illegal and they should not ban him, he said.



Last week, the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh issued a statement distancing the Australian government from Lims remarks as he was not a representative of the federal government. However, it added that his comments were part of a tradition of freedom of expression in a democratic system.
Afghanistan will restart a polio vaccination drive in the coming days for thousands of children in remote eastern regions previously controlled by the Islamic State, provincial authorities say.

Polio vaccinations have been on hold for more than 18 months because health workers were not able to safely travel to three restive districts in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan. In all, the new drive will attempt to reach 137 districts in 14 provinces where the polio virus is active.

IS has been blocking polio vaccination campaigns, saying the Afghan government and the West are using health workers for intelligence-gathering purposes. IS also gave out misinformation about the polio efforts, saying the vaccine causes long-term fertility problems for both boys and girls, and it contains pork products, which are unlawful under Islamic law.

According to the World Health Organization, polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan, the only places in the world where the virus continues to circulate except for Nigeria.

After intense battles, recent military operations by Afghan and U.S. forces in eastern Nangarhar province have cleared many areas of IS militants.

Thousands of children could not get polio vaccines in the Achin, Kot and Haskamena districts.

"We were unable to vaccinate 18,000 children during the previous drives," Ali Gul, Nangarhar's polio campaign manager, told VOA. "As a result of the recent military operations [against IS], we hope that the number of unvaccinated children will reach zero."

Many parents and local residents are demanding that the government quickly carry out a polio drive.

"Many areas have been cleared [of IS]," one resident told VOA. "Now there is relative peace in the area. We ask that the children's vaccination start soon."

Provincial health authorities have asked local residents who had been displaced by IS to return to their homes so that their children can be vaccinated. The polio drive could begin as early as next week.

"We ask the government to create security check-posts in areas recently cleared so the displaced people can return to their homes and get their children vaccinated," said Hamidullah, a local resident who, like many Afghans, uses only a first name.
The Midwestern U.S. city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, saw a second night of unrest Sunday into early Monday, with police in riot gear confronting a group of people protesting the killing of a black man by police.

The Milwaukee Police Department said that an 18-year-old man was shot during the protests and they used an armored vehicle to take him to a hospital. But there was no repeat of the widespread destruction of property that occurred Saturday, when at least six businesses were torched and destroyed.

Officers ordered people to disperse Sunday and reported having rocks and other objects thrown at them, with four law enforcement personnel injured. The department also said 14 people were arrested.

WATCH: Police Chief Edward Flynn on casualties

Similar protests erupted Saturday night after an officer shot 23-year-old Sylville Smith in the chest and arm after pulling over his car for what authorities described as suspicious behavior.

Flynn told reporters Sunday that Smith ran several meters from his car before the officer, who is also black, fired his gun. The chief said Smith was armed with a gun and pointed it at the officer.

"It was in his hand. He was raising up with it," Flynn said.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said that the officer was wearing a body camera during the altercation and that the video will be made public "at the appropriate time." Barrett said a still image from the video "demonstrates, without question, that he had a gun in his hand. And I want our community to know that."

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker activated about 125 members of the state's National Guard and placed them on standby in case of further violence, but they were not called in to help Milwaukee police.

Smith's sister, Kimberly Neal, told The Associated Press the family wants prosecutors to file charges against the officer.

Milwaukee's police department was also the subject of protests in 2014 after an officer killed a mentally ill, unarmed black man. Last December, the U.S. Justice Department announced it was conducting a review of the department. The probe's listed objectives include assessing efforts to recruit officers representative of the Milwaukee community, use of force practices, and how officers are trained in conducting traffic stops.

Milwaukee is a city of about 600,000 people. Nearly 40 percent of them African-Americans, who are heavily concentrated on the north side.

Smith's shooting happened in the Sherman Park neighborhood, which is in north Milwaukee. Residents there 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."

He said he does not condone violence, "but nobody can deny that there are racial problems here in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that have to be rectified.''
Escaping the world's conflict zones  like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan  is not easy. For those lucky enough to leave, there are few countries around the world willing to accept refugees from war-torn regions. Several of those countries are in South America. Increasingly over the last five years, Brazil has been used both as a destination and transit point to Europe and the U.S. Jeff Swicord reports from Rio de Janeiro.
Cameroon has been arresting or dismissing members of local self-defense militia in the country's north amid fears that Boko Haram may be trying to turn some of them against their communities.

Local authorities told VOA the crackdown follows an investigation by security agencies.

Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the Far North region, expressed concern that Boko Haram militants may be trying to infiltrate Cameroon via the local self-defense groups.

Authorities are screening the groups, Bakari said.

He added that authorities are organizing self-defense groups so, going forward, they'll coordinate with security forces and denounce suspects.

Crackdown in border villages

Bakari did not say how many of the vigilante group members had been arrested. But local newspapers report that at least 70 have been picked up by the police in a dozen border villages and that the crackdown is still on going.

Authorities did not offer any examples of this alleged cooperation between self-defense group members and Boko Haram and whether it has contributed to any specific attacks.

Last month, Amnesty International accused Cameroon of arbitrary arrests and human rights abuses against suspected Boko Haram supporters. Amnesty said more than 100 people have been sentenced to death since July 2015 in trials it described as "deeply unfair."

The government slammed the Amnesty report as biased.

Abdoul Garba, who leads a self-defense group in Kolofata on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria, says the insurgents promise better conditions and deceive some vigilantes to work as spies.

Call for better working conditions



Garba said the government should give the self-defense groups food and material to boost their morale. That would improve working conditions and spur volunteers to work as the government expected, he added.

Self-defense groups say they've helped the military by patrolling villages and hard-to-reach border areas, but say they need more training for the hard, dangerous work.

Inoussa Hama, a member of a Kolofata self-defense group, said some of his men had been kidnapped and killed. He said they need special instruction to handle overnight shifts from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Cameroon authorities said they've reduced the terrorists ability to organize large-scale attacks but that the terrorists are trying to replenish their ranks by recruiting vulnerable youths in Cameroon.
Kurdish rebels detonated a car bomb outside a police station in southeastern Turkey killing at least three people.

The attack targeted a police control post on the highway leading southeast from Diyarbakir to the city of Batman, according to the local governor's office.

Officials say 25 people were wounded in the attack including several police officers.

The blast tore a large crater into the ground and also destroyed a building.

Police have blamed the attack on rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has been targeting Turkish police and military in its struggle for autonomy in Turkey's southeast since the collapse of a cease-fire agreement nearly a year ago.

Last week, at least 12 people were killed in a wave of PKK attacks targeting Turkish police and soldiers in the mainly Kurdish southeast.
Police raided Istanbuls main courthouses as a crackdown continues in the aftermath of last months failed coup attempt. The purge is straining relations with Western allies, who Turkish officials say appear more concerned by the crackdown than the failed coup that killed 240 people.

Police sealed off all entrances to three of Istanbuls main courthouses as security forces sought to arrest more than 170 members of the judiciary.

Offices of the courthouses were searched, and dozens of people were detained. Those held are accused of being followers of the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who prosecutors claim were behind the last months coup attempt. Gulen denies any involvement in Julys attempted military take over.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Sunday pledged to root out all those involved with the cleric.

"It is our binding duty to bring traitors to account and eradicate FETO," he said.

FETO is the acronym for Fethullah Terrorist Organization.

Last week arrest warrants were issued for 648 judges and prosecutors. Thousands of other judiciary members have been suspended.

On Sunday, a wanted chief prosecutor was caught trying to enter Syria. Ayse Sozen Usluer, Erdogans head of international relations, says they are fighting an organization, which has been infiltrating the state for decades.

Even it [FETO] goes back to the years of 1980s," said Usluer. "It is known that it is present, and its actions within the state institutions are already known. And this is an organization and they are active in different institutions of the state.

Over 60,000 civil servants have been dismissed from their posts and nearly 18,000 people have been arrested since the failed coup.

Last month, President Erdogan declared emergency rule, allowing him to rule by decree.

Political columnist Semih Idiz, of Turkeys Cumhuriyet Newspaper and Al Monitor website says concerns can only grow as the crackdown intensifies.

There is the risk that this environment, (emergency rule) can be used in excess of what the government should be going after," said Idiz. "And the fact we have this vast number, people either expelled or under arrest does not really inspire much confidence in that respect.

Turkeys Western allies, who are calling for proportionality in the aftermath of the coup, are increasingly voicing such concerns.

But presidential advisor Usluer, says such criticism fails to appreciate the seriousness of the threat faced by Turkish democracy.

Our western allies or our friends are mostly focusing on what will happen in Turkey next," said Usluer. "But this is sad. What happened in Turkey was very important. This was one of the most dangerous acts of treason Turkey ever faced.

In an address Sunday, Erdogan declared the country had profoundly changed since the coup attempt and the way he would rule would change. Observers say building a political consensus offers the best chance for Turkey to get out of the present turmoil. But how the ongoing crackdown develops could ultimately determine whether such a consensus can be sustained.
Thai police investigators say up to 20 people were involved in last Fridays bomb attacks, but the identity of the culprits is a topic of intense speculation.

Police sources tell VOA at least seven people have been detained for questioning about the attacks on tourist hot spots that left more than 30 dead or injured.

The Thai military junta, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) says politicians opposed to the military-led government were behind the attacks that came as the country marked the Thai queens birthday, a national holiday.

But political parties, including the Pheu Thai Party, deposed in the May 2014 coup, and its supporters, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), have denied links to the bombings.

The attacks came less than a week after Thais voted to support a military-backed constitution that is expected to lead to new elections next year.

The new charter will curb the roles of the leading political parties, including the Pheu Thai and Democrat parties, as well as extend the militarys powers for at least for five years.

Out of place

The attacks hit southern provincial regions that have been largely free from the past dozen years of insurgent violence that has affected and remained largely within the borders of the three largely Muslim border provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narithiwat.

The insurgency, seeking autonomy from the Thai state, has left more than 6,000 dead and thousands injured since it reignited in 2004.

The attacks Thursday and Friday hit the southern provinces of Trang, Krabi, Phuket, Phangnga, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani and Prachuap Khiri Khan, where the Thai royal family has a residence in the seaside town of Hua Hin, the site of several bombings.

Thai authorities have sought the assistance of neighboring Malaysia, the source of the mobile phones used to detonate the bombs. The Barisan National Revolutionary insurgent movement, and other groups in the Southern border provinces, also travel and receive support from groups in Malaysia, security analysts said.



The investigations comes as Thai prime minister and junta leader, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is due to visit Malaysia this week for discussions with Prime Minister Najib Razak, including talks on the bombing investigations.

Senior Thai Police Chief Pongspat Pongcharoen told local media he did not believe the attacks were linked to the southern border provinces insurgency.

But Assistant National Police Chief Suchart Theerasawaat said the bombs used in at least three of the attacks were similar to those found previously in the southern border provinces.

A senior member of Islamic Yala Council, Nimu Makache, told VOA the bombings gave an appearance the insurgency was spreading outside the three southern border provinces, but instead he said it was groups opposing or disliking the military government, so it is more likely political. He denied the Barisan National Revolutionary movement was directly involved in the attacks.

But a Thai analyst with close links to government authorities told VOA on the condition of anonymity the investigations have shown the incendiary bombs were linked to BRN.

It is quite clear that these are BRN made bombs. But the thing is, what we cannot crack is, whether this [was] for the institutional objectives of BRN (to expand the insurgency) or BRN is collaborating with other elements in Thai domestic politics, the analyst said.

Timing the message

The analyst said it appeared by bombing on the Thai queens birthday holiday the BRN was looking to achieve its traditional objective of pressing the government in its campaign for the border provinces autonomy, plus feed into the domestic politics as well.

He said the timing of the bombings an hour after religious ceremonies led to fewer injuries.

It was a message. They could have made it deadlier, when crowds of well-wishers had gathered. But they waited until after the national anthem ... most attendees had already left.

Analysts say there are parallels with a 2006 bombing campaign during the New Years Holiday, when nine bombs shattered celebrations and left two people dead and more than 30 wounded.

The attacks were linked to supporters of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a September 2006 coup, and were aimed at discrediting the then military-led government.

Angkhana Neelapaichit, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, called on the Thai military to step-up protection and investigations to prevent further violence.

The intelligence agencies should work harder than this because they should receive some information that some place will be the focus of violence, so they can give some warning to the people, Angkhana said.

She called on Thai authorities to carry out transparent investigations and respect the legal and human rights of those detained by authorities.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to a controversial shrine honoring the country's fallen soldiers from World War II, avoiding a personal visit in order not to anger rivals China and South Korea.

Abe sent the offering to the Yasukuni Shrine Monday as the leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, not as prime minister, as Japan marked the 71st anniversary of its defeat at the hands of Allied forces.

In addition to millions of war dead, Yasukuni Shrine also honors several military and political figures convicted of war crimes. Abe's last visit to the shrine in December 2013 irritated Beijing and Seoul, who see the shrine as a symbol of Japan's militaristic era during the first half of the 20th century, and continue to harbor bitter memories of Japan's wartime occupation.

Dozens of other Japanese lawmakers visited the shrine Monday, including deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Koichi Hagiuda. Notably absent was new Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, who has drawn attention for her hawkish stance and remarks that appear to downplay Japan's wartime aggressions. Inada was on an official visit to Djibouti to visit Japanese peacekeepers stationed there.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq, backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, have captured a vast territory southeast of Mosul in recent days during an operation against the Islamic State (IS) militants.

Peshmerga officials said on Monday that 11 villages occupied mostly by the Shabak religious minority have been secured. Clouds of smoke could be seen rising in the area as fighting continued.

Around 150 square kilometers of land was liberated, and the enemy forces were heavily defeated, according to a statement from the Kurdish General Peshmerga Command. And according to the latest record, 130 terrorists were killed, and many others were wounded.

The military operation is a major step in the attempt to retake Mosul  Iraq's second largest city and home to over a million people  from IS, which captured the city two years ago.

The significance of this operation is that we will control the Mosul-Gwer road which is a major route to liberate Mosul in the future, Kurdish commander Eskender Gerdi told VOA.

The U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter IS, Brett McGurk, hailed the advances as a further tightening of the noose on the Islamists.

More Kurdish #Peshmerga advances today east of #Mosul, shaping the conditions for ultimate defeat of #ISIL terrorists, tweeted McGurk using ISIL as an acronym for the Islamic State.

Iraq's leaders have promised to retake Mosul this year.

The predominantly Sunni city is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a "caliphate" in 2014, covering Iraq and Syria, along with other parts of the region in the Middle East.
A Muslim advocacy group is offering a $10,000 reward to help solve the killings of a Muslim cleric and an associate in New York.

The 55-year-old Imam Maulana Akonjee and 64-year-old Thara Uddin were shot at close range on a city street as they left afternoon prayers Saturday.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said it would make a formal announcement Monday about the reward.

"We hope the offer of a reward will lead to the arrest and conviction of the individual who perpetrated this heinous crime," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad. "Once an arrest is made, we expect that the motive of the shooter can be determined."

Police have released a sketch of the gunman showing a dark-haired, bearded man wearing glasses. They did not give any information about a possible motive.

Activists near the Al-Furqan Jame mosque in the Ozone Park section of Queens called it a hate crime.

"Please, read my lips," said Kobir Chowdhury, who heads the nearby Al-Aman mosque in Brooklyn. "This is a hate crime, no matter which way you look at it."

Members of the Bangladeshi community served by the mosque said they want the shooting treated as a hate crime. About 100 protesters gathered Saturday at the scene of the shooting, chanting, "We want justice!"
Local officials and foreign military commanders in Afghanistan have played down concerns Islamic State is expanding activities beyond its traditional strongholds in the east.

They insist the recent killing of the local leader of IS in an American drone strike and gains by Afghan forces against the Syrian-based terrorist group have cornered the militants in parts of eastern Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, which border Pakistan.

The nearly 2,600-kilometer porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is blamed for militant and other illegal movements on both sides. Pakistani officials have lately intensified efforts to build new monitoring structures along the frontier but insist it is humanly not possible to plug the entire rugged mountainous boundary.

IS launched its regional operations from the remote district of Achin in Nangarhar in early 2015 before expanding to surrounding districts. It appointed a local militant commander, Hafiz Saeed Khan, as the chief of its so-called Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K) province, consisting of Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of Iran.

But residents and politicians in southern Zabul province, which also borders Pakistan, have lately reported the presence of IS in two volatile districts, Khak-e-Afghan and Deh Chopan.

According to Atta Mohammad Haqbayan, the director of the provincial council, IS has established recruitment and training camps. He insisted the attention of the Afghan government has been drawn to the emerging threat, but no action has been taken so far to evict the militants.

However, the spokesman for the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Brigadier General Charles Cleveland, would not confirm the presence of IS in Zabul.

"We have not seen evidence of an IS-K presence in Zabul and believe IS-K is still primarily in two districts of southern Nangarhar, with a very small presence in Kunar, Cleveland told VOA.

Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Hazrat Omer Zakhilwal, agreed and told VOA that Daesh only concentrated on Nangarhar. He used an Arabic acronym for IS.

Khan killed

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed last week that IS chief Khan, a former Pakistan Taliban leader, was killed in a July 26 drone strike against his hideout in Nangarhars Achin district, the main IS base in the country. Local officials said 30 other militants were also killed in the drone strike.

The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, recently revealed that IS' Afghan branch has direct links with the main group in Syria and Iraq.

IS established bases in Achin to train, equip, disseminate and control fighter pipelines, providing the militants with a continuous supply of fighters, according to the Pentagon.

They certainly [were] given a major blow both by [the] elimination of their leaders and also the loss of a big number of their fighters, as well as territory, asserted Ambassador Zakhilwal when asked about the possible impact of Khan's death on the terrorist group.

U.S. military officials believe that 70 percent of the militants in IS ranks come from the extremist Pakistani Taliban who fled to Afghanistan two years ago when the Pakistan military launched a counterterrorism offensive against Taliban strongholds in the tribal districts near the Afghan border.

Afghan authorities allege IS fighters receive fighters and weapons from across the Pakistani border.

Porous border

The National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hanif Atmar warned Monday that the Middle Eastern group would be able to expand and prolong terrorist activities in the region if it manages to find sanctuaries in Pakistan.

His spokesman Tawab Ghorzang confirmed to VOA Atmars reported remarks in which the advisor also claimed the killing of around a dozen IS leaders in counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan, including Khan.

Initially, the U.S. military estimated the number of IS fighters in Afghanistan at around 3,000 and they were active in six to eight districts in Nangarhar.

But intensification of U.S. drone strikes and operations by Afghan forces since the beginning of this year have killed hundreds of IS fighters, significantly reduced their number and confined them to remote parts of two districts, including Achin.
Observers and activists in Vietnam say a record pollution fine against a foreign-owned steel mill neither compensates all victims nor sends a stern enough warning to the countrys other export manufacturers.

Taiwanese-funded Formosa Ha Tinh was accused of letting toxic waste pollute the ocean in April, causing 80 tons of fish to wash up on beaches in one of the countrys worst environmental disasters.

Taiwanese-funded company fined $500 million for pollution

In June, the government fined the plant $500 million, believed to be the largest ever against a company in Vietnam, for fish deaths along 200 kilometers of coastline southeast of Hanoi. The steel making complex also apologized and agreed to clean up the wastewater system.

But people familiar with the issue say the fine cannot cover the continued losses to fishermen, resorts and locals who may have contracted skin diseases from touching the water. They also hope Vietnamese authorities will test the ocean water to ensure its now safe.

Other foreign investors are watching

How much deeper the Vietnamese government bores into the fish death case will send a signal to thousands of foreign investors who have set up export-manufacturing plants in the inexpensive Southeast Asian country to save on costs, in turn helping to expanding the countrys economy by 30 percent over the past five years to $193 billion in 2015.

We would like to use the case of Formosa as the alert to every enterprise doing business in Vietnam. We dont want them to get a benefit higher than the environment and the life of the people, said Le Cong Dinh, counsel in a Ho Chi Minh City law firm. So we want them to comply with the laws and satisfy the condition of the environment.

Effects of pollution and fish kill are far reaching

Environment Minister Tran Hong Ha told local media in June the amount covers only direct material damages, not psychological losses to fishermen who lost income. He called the fine too small.

Agreeing with that sentiment, Vietnamese living in Taiwan protested last week, calling for the steel plants investor, Formosa Plastics Corp., to leave their homeland.

When I got information on the massive death of fish in the central region, because Im an engineer I know the problem is the drainage by Formosa into to sea, said Tran Bang, who researched the case himself in April. If you cant have good technology to control (toxics), its very dangerous for the environment.

Criticism of government

Vietnamese authorities need to take more action because about five million people were affected by the fish deaths and some have not recovered, said Duc Truong, an independent journalist and part of the Vietnamese non-governmental organization Brotherhood for Democracy.

Fishermen in the oceans near the steel plant are catching just one fifth of what they could get at this time a year ago and fish sauce producers are suspected of using the dead fish illegally, Duc and other activists said.

Some may be willing to accept pollution

Environmental authorities should test the water quality of the once tainted oceans, said Tran Bang, an engineer and activist in Ho Chi Minh City. He said an independent report turned up excessive levels of six chemicals.

But one central coast city, Da Nang, told local media in April that its waters were already safe for swimming.

Some suspect the government of going easy on Formosa to protect the firms $10.5 billion investment.

Seafood sales have eased around the country and Oscar Mussons, international business advisory associate with the Dezan Shira & Associates consultancy in Ho Chi Minh City, said a lot of people have already moved on.

They already found who to blame and apparently it was a foreign company that caused this incident, so you dont always see people talking about it, he said. For them it might not be an issue because at the end of the day they have money. They come out to play with the iPhone, they ride around on their motorbikes, so they dont worry too much about complaining to the government.
What is President Vladimir Putin planning for Ukraine? Kyiv officials argue Russias leader is accumulating pretexts to justify a major assault with the aim of securing a land route through Ukraines southeast regions to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula Moscow annexed weeks after the 2014 ouster of Putins ally Viktor Yanukovych.

They see the escalation of fighting in the countrys mainly Russian-speaking eastern region of Donbas, where for more than two years pro-Moscow militants and Russian forces have been locked in a so-called frozen conflict with the Ukrainian military, as a prelude for an offensive.

The massing of Russian troops and hardware, including S-400 Triumph missiles, in Crimea and last weeks claims by Moscow that Ukraine infiltrated saboteurs into the peninsula with the plans to commit acts of terrorism  something Kyiv vehemently denies  are viewed in Kyiv as ominous signs. Ukraines military intelligence officials say they expect more sabotage claims by the Kremlin, insisting the enemy is planning large-scale provocative actions in a bid to discredit Ukraine in the eyes of the West.

Their thinking is that Moscow is planning an offensive to start just before Russian parliamentary polls scheduled for September 18. Russian officials, who say the provocation is coming from Ukraine  not the other way round, deny this.

Putin needs a nice small, victorious war, argued Alexey Arestovych, a former Ukrainian intelligence officer and now independent military analyst.

If there is a major offensive, the Russians will want to take Mariupol, he suspects, part of a ground campaign to secure a land corridor for Crimea. That would avoid the need for Russia to spend billions building a bridge spanning the Kerch Strait as well as energy pipelines linking the peninsula to the Russian mainland.

Arestovych, who is familiar with the thinking of top Ukrainian military planners, said one scenario Kyiv army strategists fear would see Russian forces pushing out from Crimea into Ukraines Kherson and Zaporizhya oblasts, and driving as far north as the town of Enerhodar before swinging east to Rozivka and then on to the port city of Mariupol.

Some members of the monitoring mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europes (OSCE) based in Mariupol already have grab bags of their possessions ready for hasty evacuation.

Last week, Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a security spokesman for Ukraine's presidential administration, told VOA that Russian drone activity had increased dramatically, with some surveillance incursions going deep into Ukrainian territory - including in the airspace above Kherson and Zaporizhya oblasts adjacent to Crimea.

In their contingency planning, Ukrainian military strategists say the heights just south of Kramatorsk and north of Horlivka in the Donbas would likely be another major Russian military objective. Seizing the heights would give Russian-backed forces a strategic vantage point for shelling Ukrainian forces besieging the separatist-held city of Donetsk. The heights also offer command of two important crossroads.

There will be diversions and movements, Ukrainian strategists think. If they start with an offensive from Crimea we would be able to hold them back, claims Arestovych. He says Ukraines military is in much better shape than it was last year, thanks to training by Western military advisers from the US, Canada and some other NATO countries. The Russian military and pro-Moscow separatists would start first in the east to try to divert us, says Arestovych.

In the Donbas the sides are more or less evenly matched. Ukraine has about 100,000 soldiers now, say officials, deployed along the 500-kilometer contact line in eastern Ukraine, where the warring sides have traded fire for months despite the 2015 Minsk 2 cease-fire agreement brokered by France and Germany.

Ukraine military officials estimate there are 45,000 Russian-backed forces consisting of local recruits, former Russian servicemen and current Russian regulars on Ukrainian territory in the east with another 45,000 regular troops stationed just across the international border in the Russian Federation.

In the south the match-up may not be so even. Ukraine has four brigades  about 10,000 men  stationed in the Kherson and Zaporizhya oblasts, although they could be reinforced by another two brigades held in reserve. Since annexing Crimea in 2014, Russia has been building up its forces and military hardware, say Western and Ukrainian officials, on the Black Sea peninsula and there could be as many as 45,000 regulars there now.

It is the movement of soldiers and equipment to the north of Crimea that has Kyiv especially unnerved: the frontier between Crimea and Ukraine has been relatively quiet since the annexation with no cross-border clashes.

Anton Lavrov, an independent military analyst and author of a book on the 2008 Russian-Georgian war, argues the Kremlin is not on the brink of launching a major offensive. The situation in the Donbas will not be aggravated by the initiative of Moscow because of the lack of readiness of the Russian military to escalate the situation, he said. He says no field camps have been established by Russian forces along the border with the Donbas, which he would expect to see if a campaign is being planned.

Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, a security spokesman for Ukraine's presidential administration, agrees that it is difficult to predict what Moscow might be planning. When there are clashes, we respond, he says. But the OSCE has blamed both sides for cease-fire violations. Motuzyanyk suspects Russia is testing and probing, trying to fathom what Western political reaction would be in the event of an offensive and also what Ukraines military response would be.

He says Ukrainian forces in the Donbas are reporting new portable electronic jamming systems being used by Russian-backed forces in the east and they have observed an influx of man-portable, short-range guided anti-tank missiles known as Bumbars and nicknamed Bumblebees.

If a major offensive isnt in the offing, what is Moscow planning? Some Kyiv officials think the aim might instead be to pressure the West to lift some of the economic sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of the Crimea.

A restoration of normal trade relations with the West would ease the perilous state of Russias economy, which shrank last year by four percent thanks in part to the plunge in the price of oil, and is on course, according to the World Bank, to diminish by at least another two percent this year.

In this scenario either Russia trades the easing of sanctions for staying its hand militarily. Or it succeeds in discrediting Ukraine in the eyes of the West with claims of sabotage missions like the incursions into Crimea the Kremlin alleges were mounted by Ukrainian intelligence last week.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye defended her decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system and put new emphasis on North Korean human rights violations during her address to the nation Monday.

In her annual speech to mark the 71st anniversary of liberation of the Korean peninsula at the end of World War II, President Park said South Korea will not give in to outside pressure on issues of national security.

We should not think that our destiny will be determined by the dynamic relations of strong powers surrounding us. We must do away with this victim mentality and pessimistic thinking, she said.

THAAD

Park did not specifically refer to the opposition and veiled threats of economic retaliation from China over the U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system South Korea recently agreed to deploy.

China and Russia voiced concern that THAAD is intended to build up American power in the region and that its powerful radar system will be used to monitor their military activities in northeast Asia.

Nor did she name South Korean opponents living near the proposed THAAD deployment site who argue it will make their region a target for a North Korean missile attack.

President Park challenged her critics to come up with a better way to protect the nation against the growing North Korean nuclear and ballistic missile threat.

If there is another way to protect our country and people, the alternative must be presented, Park said.

Nuclear standoff

The South Korean president said North Korea will continue to face economic hardship and international isolation until it agrees to give up its nuclear program.

Inter-Korean relations have deteriorated since the North conducted it fourth nuclear test in January followed by another long-range rocket launch in violation of longstanding U.N. resolutions.

The U.N. Security Council imposed harsh new economic sanctions on North Korea in March, but Pyongyang has responded with defiance and further missile tests.

Human rights

President Park in her speech, however, added a new emphasis on addressing widespread human rights abuses in North Korea.

We will no longer deny or turn a blind eye to the suffering of the North Korean people who are living in great hardship because of the wrong choices made by the North Korean regime, she said.

In 2014, a U.N. Commission of Inquiry issued a report documenting North Koreas pervasive and systematic human rights atrocities, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, beatings, forced starvation, sexual assault, forced labor and torture.

Many of these abuses, the report noted, are committed in the country's political prison camps where an estimated 80,000 to 120,000 men, women and children are held.

The U.N. sanctions do not directly address North Korean human rights abuses, but additional U.S. sanctions imposed in July do target individuals for their role in serious human rights violations, hunting down defectors or censorship in North Korea.

In March, South Korea also passed legislation that will make improving human rights conditions across the border part of any humanitarian aid program, and will document rights abuses by the North Korean government and its leaders.

Japan

Both President Park and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe took care not to make any inflammatory remarks or gestures that would break the settlement reached last year to resolve their dispute over Tokyos sexual enslavement of Korean women during World War II.

Both sides promised to refrain from publicly criticizing the other after Abe issued an apology statement and Tokyo agreed to contribute more than $8 million (one billion yen) to a South Korean fund to aid the victims.

In her speech, Park said the two countries must face history squarely in the face and work together to create a future-oriented relationship.

Abe for his part sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine, but did not visit the controversial site that honors past war dead, but also includes 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal.

Abe has not visited the shrine in person since December 2013 when he said he did so to show respect for those who died for their country.
World Elephant Day was Friday, Aug. 12, and one of the biggest challenges to saving the worlds largest land animals is helping them coexist with humans forever encroaching on their natural habitats.

Its not the most exciting topic in the world of conservation, but it could end up being one of the most critical. Its called spatial planning.

By this, I mean, land can be used for agriculture, land can be used for environment conservation, basically protection and preservation of nature and not really just conserving it for the sake of it, but for people to be able to use ," said Maritim . " It can be used for urbanization and human settlement and it can also be used for industrial development. It can be used for pastoralism, wildlife ranges, and migratory corridors and stuff like this.



Zachary Maritim is the spatial planning manager at the World Wildlife Fund in Kenya.

Kenyas population is expected to double to more than 95 million by 2050. With such rapid growth, it is necessary to plan for the future.

And this process is participatory," said Maritim . "You cannot do it as expert-driven because the constitution now requires that these land use planning processes are done by public participation.

And environmental conservation benefits the community, says Titus Musungu, an assistant director of planning for the Kenya Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning.



He says people often already understand this connection, but just need some technical assistance. He uses their work in Narok County as an example, home of the famous Masai Mara.

We only try to deepen their actual understanding by using tools such as maps so that they are able to map their own resources," said Musungu . "They are able to see the central role that Masai Mara playsand they can utilize that land sustainably by sharing it with the animals and being able to still utilize it for their own purposes, and at the same time, being able to attract touristic sort of investment.



The WWF says Kenyan wildlife authorities shoot between 50 and 120 problem elephants per year. The most common problem is elephants trampling or eating crops.

Through collaborative planning and other initiatives, many are hoping to reduce this conflict in the future.
The Taliban captured a key district in northern Afghanistan while the insurgent group kept national security forces under pressure in their bid to move closer to a provincial capital in the volatile south, officials confirmed on Monday.

The insurgents overran the district of Dahna Ghori in the Baghlan province after staging a coordinated offensive overnight, according to local officials and residents.

Taliban fighters are said to have seized weapons, including a long-range mortar cannon, as well as more than a dozen military vehicles from retreating Afghan forces, although authorities called it a tactical retreat.

Dahna Gohri was under siege for days before it fell to the Islamist insurgency and local officials say there were no reinforcements from the central government to push back the opposition. The district is just a few kilometers from the provincial capital of Pol-e-Khomri.

Key power supply lines importing electricity from the neighboring Central Asian republics pass through Baghlan. Last years Taliban advances in the province disrupted power supply to Kabul for weeks.

A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said the insurgents killed a number of Afghan security forces and captured 33 soldiers in several days of fighting before hoisting its white flag in Dahna Ghori. The militant group is known for releasing inflated claims and casualty tolls.

Baghlan borders the strategically important province of Kunduz, where the Taliban last year briefly seized control of its capital city.

Clashes elsewhere



Afghan officials also reported deadly clashes in the eastern Want Waygal border district but have not confirmed claims it has fallen to the Taliban.

The insurgents say they have seized the district in Nuristan province bordering Pakistan.

Intense fighting, meanwhile, has been raging in several districts of the largest Afghan province of Helmand. Assistance from U.S. military advisers coupled with drone strikes have so far enabled Afghan forces to defend the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

Afghan authorities blame traditional narcotics and criminal networks in poppy-growing Helmand for assisting in the Taliban advances. The largest Afghan province borders Pakistan.

Afghan officials have acknowledged that a specially trained commando-style insurgent unit capable of conducting night raids has also played a key role in Taliban advances in Helmand.

Aid workers have said that fighting in districts surrounding Lashkar Gah have blocked and delayed patients, including injured people, from reaching the citys main hospital for critical needs.

Mullah Rasool group



Meanwhile, senior Taliban commanders who formed a breakaway faction last year have returned to the ranks of the main insurgency. The faction, led by Mullah Rasool, had engaged in deadly clashes with the main Taliban.

The return of top members of the Rasool group is being seen by some observers as a blow to Kabuls efforts to exploit insurgent divisions and another sign that new Taliban chief Mawalvi Hibatullah is succeeding in reuniting splintered factions.

While the insurgency is making gains both militarily and politically, simmering political tensions in the Afghan national unity government in Kabul have concerned critics inside and outside of Afghanistan.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah last week publicly criticized President Ashraf Ghani for allegedly not honoring commitments he made in a U.S.-brokered political deal that enabled the two election rivals to form a unity government.

Abdullah even went on to assert Ghani was not fit for the job.

The presidential office responded by calling the remarks counterproductive and not in line with the spirit and principles that shape the foundation of governance.

Both sides are accusing each other of undermining the working of the government. The political confrontation has raised questions about the future of an already fragile Afghan government.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump called Monday for "foreign policy realism," focused on the destruction of Islamic State militants and other extremist groups, rather than reshaping nations to an American ideal.

Trump, in a foreign policy speech in the Midwestern battleground state of Ohio, said the United States needs to align itself with any country, regardless of past disputes, that wants to defeat "radical Islamic terrorism."

"We cannot let this evil continue," Trump said.

He said the rise of Islamic State is "the direct result" of foreign affairs policies advocated by President Barack Obama and his first-term secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, Trump's Democratic presidential opponent in the November 8 election.

"Hillary Clinton's disastrous policies launched Islamic State onto the world stage," he said. Trump also said that Clinton, seeking to become the first female U.S. president, "lacks the mental and physical stamina" to take on the jihadists.

If elected, Trump said he would call an international conference of world leaders to devise a new plan to "crush and destroy" Islamic terrorism. He said the "era of nation-building" for the U.S. "will come to a swift and decisive end."

Trump's plans targeting Islamic State jihadists in the Middle East came just days after he falsely claimed that Obama and Clinton founded Islamic State. That assertion prompted a new round of criticism of his candidacy, yet Trump repeated the claim the following day before saying he meant the comment as sarcasm.

Trump, a real estate tycoon seeking his first elected office, also outlined other foreign policies he would adopt if he wins the election. Trump spelled out plans to revamp U.S. immigration policy to stop issuing visas to people seeking to enter the country if they cannot be adequately screened ahead of time.

Trump called it "extreme vetting." He said, "We will be tough. We will even be extreme."

The screening plan is a revision of Trump's original call to keep Muslims from entering the country until they could be vetted to insure they were not intent on launching a terrorist attack in the U.S. Trump called for temporarily suspending visas to people coming from geographic regions with a history of exporting terrorism, rather than by identifying the immigrants by their religion.

Entrance exam

Trump, a one-time television reality show host, also said he wants to impose a new ideological test for admission into the United States, asking migrants looking to settle in the country for their views on religious freedom, gender equality, gay rights and other issues, to see whether they support American views on tolerance and ethnic pluralism.

Trump's call for a declaration that the United States is in ideological conflict with radical Islam is at odds with Obama's reluctance to single out the Islam faith itself as the root of worldwide terrorism. Clinton has long vowed to fight jihadists and says she is not opposed to saying "radical" Islam.

"From my perspective, it matters what we do more than what we say," Clinton said earlier this year. "Whether you call it radical jihadism or radical Islamism, I'm happy to say either. I think they mean the same thing."

Clinton campaigned Monday in Scranton, Pennsylvania, appearing alongside Vice President Joe Biden in the working-class city where he was born.

WATCH: Hillary Clinton on her view of America

She mocked Trump's national security and military credentials.

"I know he said he knows more than the generals," Clinton said. "No Donald, you don't. Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president of the United States and totally unqualified."

Biden argued that Clinton understands the economic challenges middle-class families are facing, finding good jobs in the face of the country's declining manufacturing base of employment.

"She gets it," Biden said, "...and there's only one person in this election who will possibly help and that's Hillary Clinton."

The vice president also contended that "no major party nominee in the history of the United States has known less or been less prepared to deal with our national security than Donald Trump. And what bothers me, he doesn't seem to want to learn."

WATCH: Joe Biden on Trump's unpreparedness to deal with a nuclear attack

'Disgusting' media

Clinton 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 national contest is likely to be decided. One new poll Monday also showed Clinton trouncing Trump in New York, the long-time Democratic stronghold where both candidates live, by a 57 percent to 27 percent margin.

In a series of comments Sunday on his Twitter account, Trump blamed the news media for his standing in the race against Clinton.

"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.

But in yet another tweet Monday, Trump said, "I have always been the same person  remain true to self. The media wants me to change but it would be very dishonest to supporters to do so!"

With Trump's weak showing in political polling, Republican officials in Washington are contemplating whether to drop their financial support for him 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.
Donald Trump's campaign is again on the defensive, this time after a report detailed connections between Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Ukraine's pro-Russia ex-president.

The report, published in The New York Times late Sunday, disclosed the existence of secret ledgers in Ukraine that show $12.7 million in cash designated for Manafort.

Manafort worked for years as a consultant for President Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions before the pro-Kremlin leader was ousted in 2014, amid accusations of corruption and economic mismanagement.

Ukrainian investigators do not know whether Manafort received the payments laid out in the ledger, but believe they were part of an "illegal off-the-books system," the Times reported.

Manafort denies wrongdoing

Manafort denied receiving cash disbursements for his work in Ukraine, saying in a statement obtained by MSNBC that the allegation is "unfounded, silly and nonsensical."

"I have never received a single 'off-the-books cash payment' as falsely 'reported' by The New York Times, nor have I ever worked for the governments of Ukraine or Russia," Manafort said.

Manafort, who has worked for several controversial foreign leaders, acknowledged working as a "campaign professional" on "overseas campaigns" but said his work in Ukraine ended in 2014.

The campaign of Trump's rival, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, has appeared eager to portray Manafort's background as evidence of Trump's pro-Russia ties.

Late Sunday, Clinton's campaign released a statement about what it said were "more troubling connections between Donald Trump's team and pro-Kremlin elements in Ukraine."

"Donald Trump has a responsibility to disclose campaign chair Paul Manafort's and all other campaign employees' and advisers' ties to Russian or pro-Kremlin entities, including whether any of Trump's employees or advisers are currently representing and or being paid by them," it said.

The statement, by Clinton campaign chair Robby Mook, said it was particularly urgent to release this alleged information "given the pro-Putin policy stances adopted by Donald Trump and the recent Russian government hacking and disclosure of Democratic Party records."

Trump's Russia comments

Trump's alleged Russia connections received more scrutiny in recent weeks, especially after the Democratic National Committee was the victim of a possible Russian cyber attack that some saw as an attempt to tilt the U.S. election in favor of Trump.

The Republican presidential nominee has made several comments about Russia in recent months that have raised eyebrows.

He praised the leadership qualities of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and said it was a "great honor" after Putin referred to him as "bright and talented." More recently, Trump called on Russia to hack Clinton's emails, a comment he later dismissed as a joke.

Last month, Trump appeared to parrot the Kremlin's justification for the 2014 annexation of Crimea, saying many in the region wanted to be a part of the Russian state anyway.

Trump has dismissed as a conspiracy the questions about his alleged Russia ties.
Donald Trumps call for extreme changes in the U.S. immigration system explicitly linked a strategy for combating radical Islam with Americas defeat of Communism during the Cold War - and would establish tougher ideological tests for immigrants than ever before.

In the Cold War, we had an ideological screening test. The time is overdue to develop a new screening test for the threats we face today," the Republican presidential nominee said in a foreign policy speech in Youngstown, Ohio Monday. "We should only admit into this country, those who share our values and respect our people.

Trump said his proposal would screen out sympathizers of terrorist groups, anyone with hostile attitudes towards the United States and its principles, as well as any supporters of sharia law. He also said he would work with immigration services and the Department of Homeland Security to cease processing visas from countries and regions deemed unsafe because the flow of immigrants from those countries was too large to support adequate screening.

The proposal builds on Trumps earlier calls for a temporary ban on Muslim immigration to the United States and a suspension of visa issuances to countries with a history of terrorism following the Orlando, Florida nightclub shooting.

Trump did not elaborate on the specific questions that would have to be developed for an ideological test but did say that his administration would speak out against the oppression of women, gays and people of different beliefs.

It probably wont weed out very many people because most people who believe in that stuff are going to be sophisticated enough to know to lie, said Mark Krikorian, executive director at the Center for Immigration Studies.

He added that it was difficult to comment on only the bare outlines of Trumps proposals, but they could be unconstitutional, politically impossible to implement, and only partially successful at identifying potential terrorist threats.

"It will weed out a few people and more importantly, it will send a message that hopefully will deter a few people from moving here, he conceded.

Various ideological restrictions on naturalization have existed in U.S. immigration law in one way or another since the beginning of the country when applicants were required to adhere to the principles in the Constitution.

Since the early 20th century, interpretations of that requirement have resulted in bars against specific ideologies such as Communism and anarchism, usually interpreted as membership in organizations supporting those ideas for up to 10 years prior to application. The provisions were dropped in 1990.

Current procedures identify individuals who have joined terrorist groups or sent money to them, while Trumps proposal appears to seek out individuals who hold beliefs separate from any formal organization.

Krikorian said, This is the kind of provision where you dont grapple with the grey areas  you just leave them out. You just deal with the extreme cases.

Current Law

Theres never been a proposal like this, said Angela Kelley, who looks at immigration issues as the Executive Director, Center for American Progress Action Fund.

That you would basically have to attest to sharing certain social views and having certain values that reach the kind of level of what hes talking about it. It feels like it would be intensely un-workable, unenforceable  and would certainly curb peoples appetite in terms of coming to this country, she added.

Ultimately, Trumps proposal struck Kelley as impossible on a basic level: How are you testing for a persons acceptance for LGBT issues, gender roles?

Additionally, the outlines of Trumps proposal appear to be similar to already existing immigration law.

Doris Meissner, a senior fellow who runs the U.S. Immigration program at the Migration Policy Institute, noted immigrants seeking naturalization are already asked questions about their intent to commit terrorist activities and that even asking questions about intent on immigration forms can prove difficult.

Trumps proposal would differ in that it would apply to visa applicants in addition to immigrants seeking naturalization.

These things can be very difficult to administer in the real world and in real world terms, Meissner said, noting intelligence sharing efforts and linking of state, local and federal databases after 9/11 had proved far more effective in weeding terrorists out of the immigration system.

But even if the proposal did work in practice, it could be extremely difficult to push through politically.

Its not feasible and almost overtly, blatantly unconstitutional, said Norm Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Unless you can imagine a set of courts ignoring laws and precedents and Constitutional provisions, this is just not going to happen. This is much more a sort of gut level policy initiative designed to play into a nativist sentiment in the country, then it is a serious proposal to change American policy, he said, noting Congress would also be likely to block any proposed changes.

On Capitol Hill, the reaction from opposing Democrats was already strong. In a statement released shortly before Trumps speech, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said, Since Donald Trump wants to impose new tests on immigrants, he should take the one test every immigrant has to pass to become a United States citizen.
In Yemen, an airstrike has hit a hospital run by the French medical charity Doctors Without Borders. A Yemeni official says more than 20 people were killed in the strike which he said was carried out by the Saudi-led coalition.

Amateur video shown by pro-Houthi Yemeni media showed part of the rudimentary two-story Abs Hospital complex on fire and a number of bodies lying in the courtyard of the facility.

Hilal Soufi, deputy governor of Hajjah province, said human remains were strewn around the facility. He said it was the only working hospital in the area and that it served four or five other adjacent regions.

Doctors Without Borders indicated on its website that the airstrike took place Monday, noting that MSF has supported the Abs Hospital since July 2015.

A witness told the Reuters news agency that it was difficult for medics to evacuate the wounded from the hospital since Saudi-coalition warplanes were still flying overhead.

Saudi-coalition officials have not yet commented. Other Saudi-coalition airstrikes were reported in northern Yemen overnight.

The coalition began its air campaign in March 2015 in support of Yemeni President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi, whose government had been driven from the capital by Houthi rebels.

Rights groups have blamed both sides in the conflict of abuses.
When Tyler Skluzaceks father came back from a year fighting with the U.S. military in the Iraq war, he was not the same person who had left home. Tyler was 13 years old when his father returned in 2007 from his tour of Iraq. He says when his father left, he was a very energetic, happy man.

When he got back from Iraq, he was different, said Tyler. He was drinking. He was just not happy. I didnt like it. I really didnt know what was going on.

The returning veteran suffered sleep panic attacks, a major disturbing symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

All my comrades, everybody had trouble sleeping, Patrick Skluzacek said.

At first it was hard to understand the reasons behind his interrupted sleep patterns.

We didnt know what it was; jetlag, he wondered. We worked nights in Iraq and come back, and now we got to work day shifts again. Over a course of time, years later, when my friends and comrades started committing suicide, I think everybody took a better look at it.

Terror at night

After many visits to psychologists, he learned that his condition has a name: night terror.

Some time throughout the night, usually for me at 3:00 in the morning, it would just be like someone shocked me awake with a taser, he explained. "It sends your heart rates as 200 beats per minute, you sweat ferociously. Sometimes you can vividly remember what it was about.



"But youre so awake and you cant just roll over and go back to sleep. I dont know how I can explain that besides just being totally scared as if somebody, an intruder came into your house and jumped into your bed and scared you awake, he said.

The night terrors disrupted almost every aspect of his life.

It really did hurt me. You know, you go to work and youre tired because you didnt sleep. You come home, youre tired. It was a bad, bad phase in my life, really bad.

Since the 22-year-old son was studying computer science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, he decided to try and help his dad and others who have similar problems. He got his chance through a competition called HackDC, a 36-hour coding competition in the nation's capitol.

Wearable solution

Skluzacek teamed up with three participants from other universities to create an app that would solve the problem. They called their team The Cure, and in less than two days, they came up with the solution: myBivy; short for bivouac, a military term for a safe place to sleep.

[it is a] smartphone/smartwatch application, he explained. You need both to run it. The person with traumatic nightmares wears it on their wrist when they go to bed. They hit start on the phone. And for the first time or days of wearing it, myBivy just watches you.

At first, myBivy monitors the sleeper's movements and heart rate. Increasing heartbeats indicate a nightmare is about to set in, and that causes the watch to gently vibrate. The vibration is enough to disturb an oncoming night terror without disturbing the persons deep sleep.

... I was wearing the watch for two weeks and Tyler never told me when he turned it on, said Patrick Skluzacek. "He has linked his phone to my phone so he can control it. He turned it on on Veterans Day last year. Apparently that night it kept me out of 10 different nightmares. I never slept the whole night. He called me like two days after and asked me how my watch is working. I said I dont know because Im just sleeping okay now. He told me that he had turned it on.

After winning the top prize at HackDC and receiving $1,500 for the best PTSD Mobile App for Clinicians, the team started a fundraising campaign.

We ended up raising 22 times our goal, approximately $26,000, Tyler said. We ended up in a startup competition called MobCon, in which five new businesses go up on stage and present and the winner gets developer help. We ended up going to that competition and winning the first place in that as well.

MyBivy has been moving quickly from the testing phase to the clinical trials.

Seeing how having the good night's sleep has changed his father's life for the better, Tyler Skluzacek says he hopes the app will be available in the near future for others who are suffering from night terror.
Zimbabwes war veterans of the 1970s break with tradition saying they are campaigning for an opposition candidate in a by-election in Mashonaland West province following the expulsion of their leader Christopher Mutsvangwa from President Robert Mugabes Zanu PF party for allegedly denigrating the president and his wife, Grace, said to be harboring presidential ambitions.

The war veterans are backing independent candidate, former Zanu PF lawmaker Temba Mliswa, who was also expelled from the ruling party for teaming up with former Vice President Joice Mujuru and several other top party officials to allegedly attempt to unseat Mr. Mugabe.

The war veterans resolved to make this move following a heated meeting at Vimbai Primary School in Norton attended by former freedom fighters said to be backing Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed President Robert Mugabe.

The war veterans have over the years supported Mr. Mugabes party but have decided to dump the president saying he is to blame for the current social, economic and political problems in the country.

One of the war veterans, who attended the meeting, Joseph Chinyangari, said they wont campaign for any Zanu PF candidate in future national polls.

Mliswa, who once contested Hurungwe West and lost to Kieth Guzah of Zanu PF, said he was happy that the war veterans are backing him noting that the former freedom fighters dont belong to any political party.

But some Norton residents said they are sick and tired of people who want to represent them yet they dont stay in the constituency. The residents claimed that such people are gold-diggers.



Mrs. Noctula Pawadyira, who lives in Katanga high density suburb, said they want someone who will understand their problems.

But Mliswa dismissed such remarks saying what matters most is a persons capability of fighting for them.

He noted that the Norton by-election is a litmus test for the transparency of electoral process and set to measure the impact of recent nationwide protests against the ruling party and government.

Zanu PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo was not reachable for comment. About nine candidates will contest Zanu PF primaries on Saturday and a date of the election is yet to be announced.




Residents of rural Nyanga in Manicaland province will next weekend enjoy free medical clinics in their constituency from 15 doctors, courtesy of their Member of Parliament Zanu PF's Supa Mandiwanzira.

The annual clinics have been running for five years and Nyanga district medical officer, Dr. Addmore Jokwiro, says all residents should visit their nearest clinic in Nyanga for free medical attention.

The most common ailments in rural Nyanga include diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and malaria.

"We are asking all people in Nyanga with ailments to visit their local clinic to receive medical treatment and medications from doctors that will be available free of charge," said Dr Jokwiro.

The program is scheduled for August 27 and 28.

"We are encouraging all people even those who need operations to come to their nearest clinic in their area to ensure that they are booked for operations at Nyanga General Hospital to be performed later," said Dr Jokwiro.

The doctors and supporting staff will be drawn from all over the country and will be available at all clinics in Nyanga for that weekend.
Movement for Democratic Founding president Morgan Tsvangirai and Zimbabwe People First acting president, former vice president Joice Mujuru, say it is important for all democratic forces in Zimbabwe to work together in order to help end the ongoing economic crisis in the country.

In a move that caught many by surprise, Mujuru and Tsvangirai led protesters in a joint public protest on Saturday in Gweru against the deteriorating economic situation in Zimbabwe and other pressing issues.

Tsvangirai said he was touched by Mujurus gesture to agree to join the march.

He said though the move had been unexpected, it was in line with the wishes of many Zimbabweans who want all political parties fighting for democratic change to come together in order to help stem the unending socio-economic crisis in the country.



The former prime minister said opposition parties run the risk of becoming irrelevant if they do not follow the peoples expectations.

I want you to congratulate Dr. Mujuru and her leadership for seeing it necessary for us to have this joint programme. We now need a collective consensus of all Zimbabweans to make sure that Mugabe listens to the voice of the people. We are for the rule of law. We are for the removal of government through the rule of law, he said.

Tsvangirai said 92 year-old President Robert Mugabe cannot be expected to have any credible plans to get the country out of the current problems.

He reiterated that his party seeks to gain power through legitimate means but warned that if things dont change soon, peoples anger over their continued suffering will one day explode.



Mugabe and Zanu PF have no solution to the problems that this country is facing. I dont hate Mugabe but I disagree with him over the fact that at 92 he still wants to hold on to power. Its clear that he wants to die in office, but to what end? What will be the kind of legacy he leaves behind? I have told him to his face that its time he made way for younger leaders because I believe that what we need is a new energy and a new agenda to make sure that this country can be saved, Tsvangirai said.



In her address, Mujuru said part of the reason why she was expelled from Zanu PF was that she was always against the vilificationof Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders.



The former vice president said she had seen it fit to join the MDCT demonstration as the problems that the party is seeking to address are common to all Zimbabweans.

Mujuru stressed the need for a united front to tackle the countrys problems and urged Zimbabweans not to resort to violence over political differences.



Zimbabwe is for us all, lets not fight. We want to weed out corruption and all other nonsensical things that are currently happening in this country. Lets all unite for the betterment of Zimbabwe, she said.



Although both Tsvangirai and Mujuru did not openly declare a formal coalition, sources told Studio 7 that Saturdays move was the laying of a foundation of an alliance between the two parties.

Observers have noted that divisions in Zimbabwes opposition have worked to the advantage of Zanu PF enabling the ruling party to continue its stranglehold on power.
Marion Louise Dahlke, 86, died on October 23rd at Grace Pointe Crossing in Cambridge, MN. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Friday, October 28th at Anderson Funeral Home.
Colson Whiteheads latest novel, The Underground Railroad  rushed last week to early publication after being anointed by Oprah Winfrey  turns the metaphor of the American fugitive-slave network into a literal system of stations traveled by preternatural locomotives. The (painful, beautiful, brilliantly imagined) journey of the slave Cora from a cruel Georgia plantation through a handful of states, each a state of possibility portending Americas fractured racial history, has gestated in Whiteheads mind for sixteen years  almost as long as hes been roving across his own series of bizarre fictional landscapes. There were the acclaimed early novels, The Intuitionist and John Henry Days, cheeky and weird extended metaphors for racial and industrial anxiety that earned him a MacArthur genius grant. There was the less admired satire Apex Hides the Hurt, followed by the autobiographical Sag Harbor, about Whiteheads upbringing as an upper-middle-class black New Yorker. Along came Zone One, a joke-splattered zombie thriller, and the midlife-crisis poker stunt memoir The Noble Hustle. And then, finally, the unlikely completion of the novel he never thought hed write, followed by, probably, a level of fame and posterity hed never imagined. Skinny and dreadlocked in a jaunty short-sleeved plaid shirt, Whitehead sat down with us on Tuesday over a cappuccino near his West Village home.

Are you having a good week?

Yeah, the best week of my professional career, so.

You got the call from Oprah months ago, and then had to keep it a secret until now. Did you tell your family?

Just my wife, who came out with me to Oprah Land in Southern California, and then we shot the interview that appeared last week, and then for three months people were like, Whens the pub date? September. How do you feel? Uh, I feel okay.

Oprah hadnt read your other books,1 which are very different from this one. Was that weird?

Well, Ive been publishing for 18 years and Im sort of used to that because Ive switched genres. The readership for Sag Harbor was different from people whod read me before  it was linear and realistic, not as strange as The Intuitionist. Did they carry over to Zone One, a story about zombies in New York? Some, some not. Im used to people not caring about my other books.

Did you have any sense, pre-Oprah, that this was going to be your big novel?

I dont go back to a finished book as often as I have with this one, and Im still very much invested in Cora and Caesar and Mabel, and I think going back I can relive those months last fall and feel a sense of accomplishment, and also a weirdwonder? Im still trying to figure out how to put it into words. But I felt like I did a good thing, and I still feel this kind of rush of accomplishment.

How did this concept  of the literal underground railroad  change since you first thought of it years ago?

I had a handwritten page in 2000, and in 2004 I put it on the computer  just a list of: South Carolina, futuristic gene splicing question mark? Every couple of years I would pull it out and add a sentence and move a couple of things around. Originally, he was going to come to New York and then Canada. It was a guy on his own, then a man looking for a child, a child looking for a parent, and finally a daughter looking for a mother. All the states are really just arbitrary.

And you were all set to write a different novel, about a New Yorker having a midlife crisis, when you thought of developing this in 2014. How did you switch gears?

I was on my way to work at Princeton and wrote an email to my editor, Bill Thomas. Heres another idea. It was a paragraph and he said sure, whatever you want to do. So I started doing research in the fall. I wrote the first 100 pages in January of 2015, and they said, So do you think they can hand it in for next fall publication? And I still had 200 pages to go, but I was in a real froth about the book and I said yes. So I finished the thing in early December. Usually it takes me a while to figure out the voice of the narrator, but when I wrote the first chapter, which deals with Coras grandmother, the voice came fully formed and I stuck with it.

You must have been starting your research just as Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson. Did that, and subsequent shootings, fuel the story in any way?

I think today is the second anniversary of him being killed. But I came of age in New York in the 80s, when Yusuf Hawkins was beaten to death for being in the wrong neighborhood, Michael Stewart was beaten to death by cops for doing graffiti, Eleanor Bumpers was a mentally unstable woman killed by police. And so I was trained that whenever you leave the house youre a target, even in lovely Manhattan. So I think we do get these periodic eruptions and the conversation changes briefly to police brutality. There hasnt been an uptick in it, just in people recording it. Its not news to me and I dont know how long our present conversation about the vulnerability of the black body will continue. Since were not changing the underlying causes, these moments are temporary, because our attention has always shifted elsewhere.

Do you think theres been any progress?

Sure  its very slow progress. We have a black president and various laws have been implemented, and Im at a big publisher, Im talking to a big magazine, and I owe my career to writers who have come before me. So things have changed.

There are more writers, too. Chris Jackson edits a lot of them.

How many African-American editors are there? But yes, theres [Yaa Gyasis slavery novel] Homegoing, [Brit Bennetts debut] The Mothers. You can actually point to young African-American writers debuting in their 20s and 30s and all doing different things. But it is incremental, it is slow.

Youre well known for comic riffs and wild inventions. The Underground Railroad is relatively dialed-back.

I think if I had done it ten years ago, the divisions between the states would have been more stark and more Gullivers Travelslike  each state with its own reality, time period, codes, and customs.2 And some of that is still in there, but everythings taking place around 18503 in terms of technology and slang. I wanted to be concise. I had given myself free rein to have digressions in various books, and I didnt feel I had to do that anymore. When I got to the section with the Museum of Natural Wonders, I wrote two pages and I was like: Im done. Im not gonna make this a big set piece like Ive done in the past and pull out the bombast. Its nice and quiet the way it is now; lets keep it there.

What made you do that? Was it the gravity of the subject?

Well, you can do a lot of jokes in a slavery book. Flight to Canada by Ishmael Reed probably has a lot of jokes.4 But Id just written a poker book that had a lot of jokes  I tried to cram in as many as I could. I got it out of my system, and then also as I did more research, I wanted to honor all the people who had been in slavery, to the dead, to my ancestors. So even though I play with history and time, in terms of moving the Tuskegee syphilis experiments down and bringing the implications of the Holocaust in, I wanted the first chapter to be as realistic as I could do it. And yeah, it is a serious subject that didnt seem to warrant my usual satire and joking.

In an essay of tongue-in-cheek advice about choosing a genre, you listed the Southern Novel of Black Misery.5How did you aim to avoid the cliches?

I had my kitsch detector out, so hopefully it was working. I wanted to be realistic to my notion of psychology. We know a lot about PTSD. Well, these are people who experience trauma every day of their lives; how does that manifest itself? How could I make a realistic backdrop for Cora? In my experience, if you get 100 people in a room, 10 percent are really great, 10 percent are terrible, and the rest are mediocre. But if you go to a plantation where 100 percent have been tortured and abused, theyre not on their best behavior. Everyones out for themselves, fighting for a little piece of land, for an extra bite of food in the morning. In some portrayals of plantation life, there are some sellouts, but most people are sticking together. That just didnt seem true to my understanding of human nature. I was being true to my idea of a traumatized populace under siege, so I didnt worry about kitsch.

Coras journey seems to encompass almost every feature of black history. One half-black preacher is described as a beautiful hybrid, and I couldnt help think of Obama.

Uhm [laughs], no I think theres a tradition of the biracial person who can move through both worlds. But the preachers antagonist represents respectability politics: We cant save every slave whos damaged; we have to save the ones we can. And we hear that kind of rhetoric today. Pull your pants up; youre too damaged in the inner city to join us in this new America.

That reminds me of someone too.

So, comparing the rhetoric of black progress then and now, it was so similar I didnt have to force it. That was true of comparing slave patrollers to stop-and-frisk now.

You were handcuffed as a teenager in Manhattan  a case of mistaken identity. Have you had other encounters?

Just being stopped. One time my friend was in med school and a cop stopped us. I guess he had MD plates, and the cop said, Ive never seen doctors plates before.

Is it just a coincidence that you spent almost all of the Obama years not writing about race, except in satirical riffs like Finally, a Thin Presidentand The Year of Living Postracially?6

There were just other things I wanted to talk about. Im fortunate, being at the same publisher for eight books, that whenever I have an idea, theyre like, Lets do it. We trust you to pull it off. I knew that a zombie book would not particularly appeal to some of my previous readers, but it was artistically compelling, and being able to do a short nonfiction book about poker was really fun and great. But looking back, I was able to say to myself, Well, you had your book for you. Now I want you to talk about something serious.

Youre not done being unserious, are you?

Im not sure, but in writing this book I was stopping myself from doing things the way Ive done in the past  in terms of economy, of a less satirical voice. I gave myself a lot of digressions in Sag Harbor and The Noble Hustle. And so I dont have to do them anymore. There are ways of tackling material that I felt didnt serve the book and maybe will come back later. But there are cliches about slavery and also cliches Ive made myself, ways of writing.

The style of this novel reminds me of Toni Morrison  completely apart from the subject matter. The sentences are more aphoristic, more gemlike, than anything youve ever done.7

Yeah, Ive been thinking about sentences the last couple of years. My more modern narrators like to have these big clause-heavy sentences, but not in this particular book. I think part of it is that shaping metaphors out of life from the 1850s made some of the similes and analogies simpler. You know, a sentence that comes easily to me is, The street was busier than a 7-Eleven parking lot on free meth day. I could make a weird modern joke, and thats a long sentence. But when you try to make a simile or a metaphor out of the nouns of 1850s, simplicity and clarity make more sense.

There is a theme in the recent reviews  kind of praising you for putting away childish things. Is that how you see it?

Its an imposed narrative, and its fine. Eighteen years have passed since my first book and I do feel older and wiser, and while hopefully I can write a book with humor again, there are certain broad gestures I dont have to do anymore  certain pyrotechnic effects Ive gotten out of my system. I felt more in control when I was writing this book. I was teaching a lot and I was a pretty ruthless editor of my students fiction. It seemed unfair to spare myself the knife. Putting out all these principles, I should probably apply them to myself! And so I became a much better editor of my own stuff over the last couple of years.

Photo: Bobby Doherty

Have you changed in other ways? Youve had children8

I guess mature is the word. Cora is not someone who would have occurred to me 15 years ago. I was just younger and more self-centered and didnt have the empathy. Lila Mae in The Intuitionist doesnt have a team, but Mark Spitz in Zone One and Cora in The Underground Railroad have people they can rely on. Not everyone makes it to the other side, but they have a team, a community. I was attracted to the loner in my first couple of books whos apart from all these systems, breaking them down, analyzing them. And Cora is a slave, shes enmeshed in the slave system and has to figure out her way out and she cant do it alone. She has to rely on other people to give her the notion that she can do it and also show her the path. And yes, as a parent whos lived longer, you understand what it actually means to have no agency, to see your children, your mother, your relatives, your friends, at the mercy of a capricious master with all that entails. Slavery meant something different to me when I was 8, and 20, and then now.

But you didnt have to write about slavery, did you?

I would joke about having to do [a slavery novel] at talks, knowing in the back of my head I had this idea sitting there. I started writing in the 90s, so I was free to just have an eccentric career and not conform to some idea of what a black writer has to do. I didnt have the burden of representation. Growing up as a product of the black civil-rights movement, I had a lot of different models for black weirdness, whether its Richard Pryor or James Baldwin or Jimmy Walker.

And you wanted to be weird?

I was very self-conscious starting out. I worked in the book section of the Village Voice and I would see all these new novels come in. I didnt want to write a Gen-X sex-drugs-and-rock-and-roll book, and there was a certain Southern Novel of Black Misery I just couldnt relate to, just being a New Yorker. I didnt want to write something autobiographical. I didnt want to do what Im supposed to do as a black writer or as a young writer. In The Intuitionist I wanted to write about race and a city, and as I started writing about elevators, metaphors of black uplift crept in. It was about race, but in a way that I could handle when I was 27, just a weird way no one else would do.

The Underground Railroad is probably as straight-ahead as you could get. You even reprinted actual classified ads for fugitive slaves. Where did you get them and why did you open every section with one?

Those are from the University of North Carolina, which digitized their old newspapers. Its fun to make up stuff, but sometimes you cant really compete with the actual rhythms of historical documents. Theyre only eight lines or so, but they tell so much about the person whos writing them down and the person who fled and the entire culture that enables them to come into being. And writing one for Cora seemed like a nice gift from the narrator to her, because I was sort of bummed out about what I was doing to her.

There are some truly horrific scenes in the novel, especially involving slaves who were caught escaping. Were those all real punishments from yourresearch?9

You want to set an example, and so yes, you would burn people alive, yes, you would cut off their feet and their hands. I would go back and forth and think, is that too crazy, and go back to a couple of narratives and think, actually no. I did originally have a crucifixion, but I couldnt find any evidence of that so I took it out.

Youve said you couldnt sit through 12 Years a Slave after doing that research. But you depicted worse. You must have been a mess.

I was a mess mostly before I started writing. I have a protagonist, and realistically she will be sexually assaulted before the book starts, realistically her mother will be assaulted. So just wrapping my head around what was a realistic backstory for her was terrible. And then I think it has affected how I feel about her at the end of the book. When I reread the last couple of pages, I feel bad for having put her through it.

This is your first book to come out to universal acclaim in a long time. How did you react when Apex Hides the Hurt was widely considered a disappointment?

I really liked the voice! I thought it was a really clean narrator, unadorned. But just because you like it, it doesnt mean everyone else will  or will pick up on it. And all I could do is just write the next one. Sometimes people will figure out what youre doing, sometimes they wont, but thats out of your hands. And then with The Underground Railroad, I assumed I would still have my regular readers, maybe gain a few because its in the historical mode. Having people like the book this much  and Oprah and the Times thing [last weeks stand-alone print excerpt]  its never gonna happen again. So I should enjoy it, and the next book might be received Apex-like.

What is the next book  the midlife-crisis book you were working on?

No, I think I got that out of my system. I dont know if Ill stick to it, but I think its going to take place in the 60s in Harlem. Its subject to change.

Weve talked a lot about how this book is a departure. But what makes it a Colson Whitehead book?

Stepping back, my latest theory is that with the first couple of books, I had some sort of problem I was trying to figure out, or proposition. How do I update this industrial-age anxiety myth for the information age? And then I think Sag Harbor and Zone One and Noble Hustle are about characters finding their way in the world. And in The Underground Railroad Im taking both: What if it was an actual railroad, and also, this person had to navigate these different Americas on her way to freedom. The character portrait of the last couple of books merged with the larger abstract question.

Why did you choose to thank bands in your acknowledgments?10

With the last eight books, whenever I had two pages to go, I would just put on Purple Rain and Daydream Nation, and thats been my last-day ritual for the past 20 years. After Bowie died, I said to myself, I want to put this down on paper just so they know.And then Prince died after I put the acknowledgments in! Not that he was going read it anyway.

Do you think it was the bleak subject matter that kept you away from this for 16 years?

Well, I think Zone One is pretty bleak, but this one is very grim going. I think I got to a point where I had avoided the book for so many years it was worth examining why I was avoiding it. And it seemed that if it was daunting to tackle slavery, well, maybe the hard thing is the thing youre supposed to be doing.
the national interest

This Is Not the Political Violence That Should Scare Us

This Is Not the Political Violence That Should Scare Us
Its so great when a show with a talented cast can play with similar themes across subplots. Look across the stories in this weeks episode and youll see an idea thats essential to Ray Donovan: Family is both a blessing and a curse.

Ray Donovan (Liev Schreiber) looks into the dying eyes of a future version of himself and realizes he needs to be more open with his son Conor (Devon Bagby). Hector (Ismael Cruz Cordova) has his particular family tie exposed to the world. Bunchy (Dash Mihok) refuses to give up on his wife Teresa (Alyssa Diaz), the newest branch of the Donovan family tree. I know Im a bit of a broken record here, but the quality of a Ray Donovan episode is directly related to how much time we spend with the core members of the Donovan family. The Texan allows some great time for almost all of them.

In the hospital, Ray meets the Texan (Stacy Keach), whom I didnt expect to see alive after last weeks shoot-out. We get a bit of the Texans backstory, too: He was a stuntman, just back from Vietnam and too violent for the normal world when Ezra found him and turned him into a cleaner. (By the way, Id totally watch a spin-off about the 70s Hollywood scene. Lets make The Texan happen, Showtime.) The Texans daughter, whos also at the hospital, never learned what her father did. In just a few beats, Keach captures the regret of a man whos made mistakes, and Schreiber conveys Rays realization that he doesnt want to meet the same fate. It inspires Ray to rebuild the emotional bridges between his family members. First, Mickey (Jon Voight) gets out of jail and Ray tries to give him some money to get back on his feet. Of course, Papa Donovan is too proud to take it.

When Ray gets home, Conor is playing some goofy Just Dance game. Ray gives him a sideways look at first  as he should  but does something he probably wouldnt have before he met the Texan: He jumps in and plays. (I love his line to Conor: Im pretty sure I can handle whatever youre into.) Inevitably, Abby (Paula Malcomson) joins, dancing along to the silly Chiwawa number. Lets hope GIFs are made from this very fun, light scene in what is often a very un-fun, dark show. Just in time to kill the fun, the neighbor who owned the bounce house that Conor shot up a few weeks ago arrives to narc on him. Ray finds the gun in Conors room, and gets a little intense, although its hard to blame him, given what could have happened. Conor needs to be scared straight.

Out from jail, Mickey goes back to the Fite Club, where he finds a sad Bunchy. Before Mickey can go back to Primm, he decides to help Bunchy get Teresa out of the mental hospital in which shes been admitted for postpartum depression. This is a complex, emotionally charged issue, but I like that the writers take it seriously. Theyre not just using it as a device. How the Donovans work to keep their family together has always been a thematic bedrock of the show.

While Hectors family life turns into a public nightmare after Marisol (Lisa Bonet) goes on national television to reveal shes her brothers lover, Ray tries to teach Conor a lesson. He takes him to a bad neighborhood and shows him a few pictures of gunshot victims before pushing him out of the car with a gun. Really? Im not sure Ray would do that, although I guess Avi (Steven Bauer) could have been on a roof with a sniper rifle in case things went bad as fast as they could have. Ray lets Conor fear for his life for a few seconds, then stops the car and lets him catch up.

Bunchy finds Maria and Teresa at the hospital. While Mickey makes small talk in the waiting room, Bunchy does what he can to connect with his wife, but shes somewhere else, glossy-eyed and silent. Mickey encourages his son not to give up: These beautiful creatures get put in a place like this and these fuckers make sure they never leave. The Donovans get each other out of bad situations all the time. To them, this is just another rescue mission.

Abby gets a turn at teaching Conor a lesson, and does a much better job than Ray did. Conor has a brief, rare moment of character development when he reveals that he doesnt really know who he is. He comes from a family of tough guys, but hes never even been to Boston. My dads a Hollywood legend and Im just a little prick from Calabasas. Most of this is Conors own making, but its true that he would likely have some identity issues. Abby takes him shooting at a gun range, and hes got some natural ability at it. She reveals her cancer diagnosis to him. Conor actually gets my favorite line of the episode when he says, Sometimes I think youre scarier than dad. Damn straight, kid.

Meanwhile, Ray sets up Stu Feldman (Josh Pais) to get Hector back in the ring. After the public controversy, they canceled Hectors rematch with Whitaker. Framing Feldman with a false charge of child pornography, Ray then swoops in to clean it up, telling Stu that hell fix his problem if hell help Hector to fight again. Ray also uses Daryll (Pooch Hall) in his scheme, which is a nice development. Id love to see Daryll given something notable to do narratively, and he could be an interesting part of the Donovan team.

While Ray works to make the match happen, Terry (Eddie Marsan) is connecting with Hector. He wants to be Hectors trainer, and asks Ray to make it happen so hell have one last stab at greatness. After Feldman records the man in charge of the fight saying something racist  and after Daryll assaults the man scheduled to fill in for Hector  Ray has what he needs to get the fight back on. At the same time, Bunchy rescues Teresa, telling her family, We dont throw nobody away. He has a cute scene (or as cute as Bunchy gets) in which he admits to jerking off to Wonder Woman when he was a kid and how Teresa reminds him of her. This is a Bunchy Motivational Speech. It might work, though. And its actually sweet the way Mihok says, Youre my Wonder Woman.

In a bookend scene, we go back to the hospital, where Ray learns that the Texan died. He runs into his daughter, who reveals she knew her father wasnt an insurance salesman. He tells her, Everything he did, he did for you, and its easy to see that Ray is talking about himself, not a man he barely knew. He wants to be honest and open with Conor in ways that the Texan never was with his daughter. But is it too late?

Other Notes:
Care Net Pregnancy Center of Central Texas will have its annual Celebrate Life Banquet at 6 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

Matt Chandler, lead pastor of teaching at The Village Church, a Southern Baptist church in Flower Mound, will be the keynote speaker.

Tables for eight sponsorship packages range from $1,200 to $10,000. Individual VIP table seats are available for $100 to $1,000, depending on level preferred.

For reservations or more information, visit http://pregnancycare.org/support10/events.

Free food distribution

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas and The Shepherds Heart will have a free food-distribution event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Texas State Technical Colleges Industrial Technology Center, at the corner of Crest and Airline drives.

Participants will receive a variety of fresh food, including meat, beans, canned vegetables and fruit, soup, cereal, potatoes, rice, pasta and more.

Clients must provide a box, basket or container to carry their food.

For more information, call 799-8810 or 716-7064.

Friends of Peace

The Waco Friends of Peace/Climate will screen a documentary by Michael Moore, Where to Invade Next, at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Poppa Rollos Pizza, 703 N. Valley Mills Drive.

The film addresses the most pressing issues facing the United States, with solutions found in a variety of countries.

The free event will include a pizza and salad buffet.

For more information, visit www.friendsofpeace.org.

GriefShare

Peace Lutheran Church, 9301 Panther Way in Hewitt, will host a GriefShare program from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The class will continue to meet Tuesdays through Nov. 8, addressing the grieving process.

The support group allows participants to meet with others who are dealing with the loss of a loved one.

For reservations and more information, call Becky Ritz, group facilitator, at 857-9794 or email rjritz@earthlink.net.

TED Talk at the library

The Waco-McLennan County Library will have a TED Talk at the Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Central Library, 1717 Austin Ave.

Topic of the talk will be the beauty, science and wonder of nature. A discussion will follow the program.

For more information, call 750-5941.

MCC commencement

Alice Starr, chief executive officer of Starr Strategies Co., will provide the keynote speech for McLennan Community Colleges summer commencement ceremony set for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave.

For more information, call 299-8622.
Dunkirk  The Motion Picture Film

by Richard Mallory Allnutt

WarbirdsNews reader, Mark Rutley, recently sent us some fabulous images he took recently while observing flight operations for the upcoming epic film, Dunkirk, currently being filmed at various locations in Britain, France and the Netherlands. Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film will portray the extraordinary drama surrounding the miraculous evacuation of nearly 340,000 British and Allied troops from the beachhead in Dunkirk, France between May 26th and June 4th, 1940 amid the onslaught of a withering aerial assault from a rampant Luftwaffe.

The intense teaser trailer for the movie is HERE

Christopher Nolan is known for filming things practically, with a minimal amount of CGI, so he is using real aeroplanes, people and equipment as much as possible, and filming on the actual beaches in France where the events actually took place. He has even gone so far as to resurrect a long-retired French warship, the Maille-Breze, for some of the scenes as well. While this ship is a post-war example, it is close enough in character to a WWII-era destroyer that most movie-goers wont notice the difference.

Rutley reports that three Supermarine Spitfires and a Hispano Buchon, masquerading as a Messerschmitt Me 109, were based at Lee-on-Solent Airfield, near Portsmouth, Hampshire for two weeks during filming. The aircraft would fly out from the former Royal Naval Air Station and over the English channel to perform for the cameras. Remotely controlled, large scale replicas for several wartime aircraft were also in use at the airfield, including Heinkel He 111 bombers, Spitfires and Me 109 fighters. Though too far out over the water to photograph, Rutley observed several of the Spitfire and Me 109 r/c drones filmed as they crashed into the channel, presumably as a result of combat damage. No doubt the film makers will enhance these scenes with CGI to give an authentic feel to them.

The Hispano Buchon, painted to resemble an early-war Messerschmitt Bf 109E, is owned by Historic Flying Ltd. The three Spitfires taking part (two Mk.Ias and a Mk.Vb) were all painted in period markings, and included the unusual black and white underbelly camouflage. The rare fighters belong to American billionaires Tom and Dan Friedkin: Mk.Ia AR213 (marked as R9632), Mk.Ia X2650 (marked as R9612), and Mk.Vb EP122 (marked as Mk.I R9649). Interestingly, none of the Spitfire serial numbers worn during filming were those of actual Spitfires, but belonged to RAF Avro Anson Mk.Is. The squadron code LC was spurious as well, having never been worn by an RAF Spitfire squadron, just the station flight at RAF Feltwell in Norfolk, East Anglia well away from the Dunkirk beaches. Quite why the movie makers chose to do this is open to speculation, but a reasonable guess would suggest it was to keep the aircraft authentic-looking, while at the same time acknowledging that the events portrayed in the film were representative depictions, rather than totally factual ones. Therefore the stories shown will be a testament to the service and sacrifice of all involved, rather than to a few specific people and units. This seems like a fair way of doing things, and also allows more freedom for the story to combine disparate events into a more unified narrative that can actually be told within the confines of a two-hour film.

Rutley said the aircraft made about twelve sorties a day on average, for filming dog fights over the English Channel and Solent waters. Each time they returned in tight formation, made a low run over the airfield and then broke for landing individually.

The film is due for release next May, on or about the 77th anniversary of the miracle of Dunkirk. Given Christopher Nolans prodigious gifts as a film-maker, it is sure to be a fantastic, visual feast of a movie, and one most will find worthy of the terrifying stories of sacrifice and survival it is attempting to portray.

DUNKIRK  OFFICIAL MAIN TRAILER [HD]

WarbirdsNews wishes to offer our sincere thanks to Mark Rutley for contacting us, and allowing the use of his photographs. If you would like to see more of his work, please do visit his photography website HERE.
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As of September 25, 2020, Stuart Olson Inc. was acquired by Bird Construction Inc. Stuart Olson Inc. provides general contracting and electrical building systems contracting services to the institutional and commercial construction markets in Canada. The company's Buildings Group segment provides general contracting services, including integrated project delivery, construction management, and design-build services for schools, hospitals, and high-rise buildings; and management, estimating, accounting, site management, field workers, and equipment in order to complete projects. Its Commercial Systems Group segment designs, builds, maintains, and services critical building systems, including electrical and life safety systems, voice, data and communications networks, security infrastructure, and other related building technology systems for commercial, institutional, light industrial, and multi-use low and high rise buildings. The company's Industrial Group segment provides contracting, maintenance, and turnaround services, such as electrical and instrumentation; mechanical; mechanical process insulation; industrial metal siding and cladding; scaffolding; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; fire-stopping; heat trace tubing; and asbestos abatement services. This segment also offers a range of technical services on high voltage equipment, including project planning, acceptance testing, start-up and commissioning, maintenance, maintenance testing, infrared scanning, transformer assembly and repair, cable terminations, and reliability studies; temporary power services for initial project phases; ongoing electrical, mechanical, and instrumentation installation during construction phases; and value added services of continued operations and maintenance support for operating facilities, as well as full project commissioning services. The company was formerly known as The Churchill Corporation and changed its name to Stuart Olson Inc. in May 2014. Stuart Olson Inc. was founded in 1911 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
It's getting increasingly unsafe to fly in the world's fastest growing aviation market.

Air safety incidents that prompted regulatory action reached 280 this year, beating the 275 all of last year, data from India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation showed. At this pace, the number may rise to more than 400 by the end of 2016, making it the worst in three years for aviation safety, according to New Delhi-based DGCA.

A man makes chapatis as an Air India passenger jet flies over the Jari Mari slum before landing at Mumbai Airport. Credit:Daniel Berehulak

The DGCA is cracking down on safety violations by airlines in recent months, including a slew of offences such as aircraft getting too close to each other, overworked staff and inebriated pilots and crew. In the latest incident, the DGCA ordered Jet Airways India and state-owned Air India to file police complaints against pilots who were found drunk, seeking legal action for the first time ever in such cases.

The Indian aviation market, which saw air traffic grow 20 per cent last year -- double the pace of China's, according to International Air Transport Association -- is struggling to find enough officials to ensure safety of flights. That was one of the reasons why the US Federal Aviation Administration downgraded India's aviation safety rating in 2014, before restoring it a year later following some corrective measures.
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.
Western Australia has convinced the federal government to consider changing the GST formula but the plan faces stiff opposition from other state premiers who have branded it a "craven" bid for WA votes.

And the federal Labor opposition has attacked the idea to phase in a floor on how low a state's share of the GST can go as "federalism on the run".

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the proposal to much applause at the WA Liberal Party state conference on Saturday.

WA's share of the GST has dropped sharply in recent years to about 30 cents back for every dollar it generates, which federal Finance Minister and WA senator Mathias Cormann describes as "completely inappropriate and unsustainable".
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has denied responsibility for an incident in which a group of her supporters stormed a church service in an anti-Islam stunt, and compared her situation to that suffered by the Muslim community after the Lindt cafe siege.

But her anti-Islam party, which is enjoying a recent political resurgence, has warned of "civil unrest on our streets" if public concern about Islam is not addressed.

About 10 members of the Party for Freedom on Sunday disrupted the morning sermon at the Gosford Anglican Church, which is widely known for its embrace of multiculturalism and refugees. A sign at the front of the church frequently bears messages critical of Australia's hardline border protection polices.

The Party for Freedom is an anti-Islam, anti-immigration party whose Facebook page features Senator Hanson as its profile picture. The page describes her political comeback as "the greatest development in Australian politics in the past 20-odd years".
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.
"The NBN won't be in the Elwood area for another several years and it's only promising speeds of up to 100 Mbps," Klizhov says. "You have to build networks looking to the future and I think in the next few years all the applications we use will demand more bandwidth."

"If we build a 100/100 Mbps network today it will be old in a few years and it won't meet all of people's requirements. We're going to start with 1 gigabit speeds using GPON, but XGPON supports 10 gigabits over the same piece of fibre  so we'll be able to upgrade our speeds in the future."

GPON is also used by the fibre-to-the-premises sections of the NBN, although currently it only delivers 100 Mbps download speeds and 40 Mbps uploads to most users. One Australian ISP, SkyMesh, offers 100/100 Mbps NBN fibre connections in some areas by taking advantage of the NBN's 250/100 Mbps plans  which aren't offered by Retail Service Providers so generally aren't available to the public  and capping the download speed.

The NBN aims to introduce 1 Gbps download speeds on HFC cable sections of the NBN in 2017. Plans to offer 1 Gbps fibre NBN connections were announced in 2013 but were shelved after the change of federal government. A trial saw a handful of premises access 1 Gbps NBN fibre, but consumers can't sign up for 1 Gbps fibre plans.

Another key difference between the NBN and DGtek GPON rollouts is that DGtek is building its own exchange centres rather than relying on Telstra's telephone exchanges as central points. This makes it easier for DGtek to manage and maintain the network from end premises all the way back to the network backbone.
US journalist-entrepreneur Kara Swisher, the scourge of Silicon Valley, is short, sharp, and if you're a tech entrepreneur messing up, very, very scary.

She knows them all. She met Mark Zuckerberg when he took Facebook to California, Jeff Bezos when Amazon was a fledgling online bookstore, Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen when the company was just going public. She was there at the start of the tech revolution in the early 1990s, first on the business beat at the Washington Post and later at the Wall Street Journal.

It's made her immune to the puffery that surrounds many tech titans. If you know someone before they're really rich and famous, "they can't really trick you with hype", she says. "I don't get easily fooled by their PR people."

"It is a constant joke in the Valley when people write memos for them to say, 'I hope Kara never sees this'," Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg told New York magazine.
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."
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.
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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Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low near 60F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Showers and thunderstorms likely. Low near 60F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.
BATON ROUGE -- Gov. John Bel Edwards on Sunday announced that the federal government declared a major disaster for the state of Louisiana. Following a tour of several parishes with a FEMA official, Edwards requested that President Barack Obama make the declaration. The initial federal declaration is for the following parishes: Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston. Additional parish declarations will be made as further damage assessments are conducted.

I have traveled to affected areas and have seen the destruction caused by this unprecedented flooding, said Edwards. We are thankful for the federal governments quick response to our request for an emergency declaration. This is an ongoing event, and we are confident that every available state and federal resource will be brought to bear. I fully expect that more parishes will be added to the declaration on a rolling basis.

On Friday, Aug. 12, Edwards declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Louisiana. Edwards made the request to President Obama on Sunday, August 14. Additional parishes are expected to be added on a rolling basis.

Anyone who has been impacted by this storm should register damages sustained, even if they do not live in these four initial parishes. All registered damage claims in parishes added at a later time will be processed as those parishes are added.

Individuals can register damage on the web or by phone as follows :

https://www.disasterassistance.gov

1-800-621-3362

TTY: 1-800-462-7585

Federal Declarations and Types of Assistance available for the following four parishes Tangipahoa, St. Helena, East Baton Rouge and Livingston:

INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE - (Assistance to individuals and households)

PUBLIC ASSISTANCE - (Assistance for emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities)

HAZARD MITIGATION GRANT PROGRAM - (Assistance for actions taken to prevent or reduce long term risk to life and property from natural hazards)

The following is a news release from FEMA:

President Declares Disaster for Louisiana

WASHINGTON  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that federal disaster aid has been made available to the State of Louisiana to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding beginning August 11, 2016, and continuing.

The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to the state and eligible tribal and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work as a result of the severe storms and flooding in East Baton Rouge, Livingston, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa parishes.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Gerard M. Stolar has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. Stolar said additional designations may be made at a later date if warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance tomorrow by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

###

Federal Aid Programs for the State of Louisiana

Following is a summary of key federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's disaster declaration issued for the State of Louisiana.

Assistance for Affected Individuals and Families Can Include as Required:

Rental payments for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable. Initial assistance may be provided for up to three months for homeowners and at least one month for renters. Assistance may be extended if requested after the initial period based on a review of individual applicant requirements. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional. (Source: FEMA funded and administered.)

Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state and charitable aid programs. (Source: FEMA funded at 75 percent of total eligible costs; 25 percent funded by the state.)

Unemployment payments up to 26 weeks for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed individuals. (Source: FEMA funded; state administered.)

Low-interest loans to cover residential losses not fully compensated by insurance. Loans available up to $200,000 for primary residence; $40,000 for personal property, including renter losses. Loans available up to $2 million for business property losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

Loans up to $2 million for small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, non-profit organizations of all sizes that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's adverse economic impact. This loan in combination with a property loss loan cannot exceed a total of $2 million. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration.)

Loans up to $500,000 for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses, excluding primary residence. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.)

Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal, veterans benefits and social security matters.

How to Apply for Assistance:

Individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area can begin applying for assistance by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). Disaster assistance applicants, who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

Assistance for the State, Tribal, and Affected Local Governments Can Include as Required:

Payment of not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs for debris removal and emergency protective measures taken to save lives and protect property and public health. Emergency protective measures assistance, including Direct Federal Assistance, is available to state and eligible tribal and local governments on a cost-sharing basis (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

Payment of not more than 75 percent of the approved costs for hazard mitigation projects undertaken by state, tribal, and local governments to prevent or reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural or technological disasters. (Source: FEMA funded, state administered.)

How to Apply for Assistance:

Application procedures for state, tribal, and local governments will be explained at a series of federal/state applicant briefings with locations to be announced in the affected area by recovery officials. Approved public repair projects are paid through the state from funding provided by FEMA and other participating federal agencies.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 15, 2016 | METROPOLIS, IL

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 15, 2016 | 12:24 PM | METROPOLIS, IL

A Paducah man was arrested after a high-speed pursuit through Metropolis on Wednesday.



Metropolis Police say an officer spotted a car going over 100 miles per hour on Devers Road, which is a 45 mph zone. The driver would not pull over and went through a stop sign, driving down Gurley Road. At the intersection of Massac Creek Road, the driver lost control and the car went down an embankment, but the man managed to drive away, continuing to attempt to elude police. Officers pursued the vehicle onto Old Marion Road and Catherine Street, where the driver stopped.



When confronted, the driver, 32-year-old Allen Smith said, "I give up," and apologized for fleeing. Officers say his breath smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. A passenger said she had been arguing with Smith when he started, "driving crazy," and wouldn't stop in spite of her requests. Police say Smith did not have a valid driver's license, but he did have an open whiskey bottle in the car.



Smith was arrested and faces charges of DUI, attempting to flee or elude police, reckless driving, having an open alcohol container, and other traffic citations.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 15, 2016 | BARDWELL, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 15, 2016 | 03:06 PM | BARDWELL, KY

A Carlisle County woman who taught in the county school system has been arrested and charged with having inappropriate relationships with two male students.



On June 28, Kentucky State Police got a report of a substitute teacher having inappropriate contact with two teenagers. Their investigation determined that 27-year-old Kasey Warren of Bardwell was employed by Carlisle County Schools during the last half of the 2015-2016 school year. During that time she met the two 16-year-old boys, and the alleged sexual contact happened in McCracken County. Warren is not currently employed as a teacher.



On Friday, Warren was indicted by a McCracken County Grand Jury on three counts of third-degree sodomy and three counts of third-degree rape. She turned herself in to Kentucky State Police on Monday, and was taken to the McCracken County Jail.



Third-degree rape and sodomy charges apply when the suspect is in a position of authority or special trust, and engages in sexual activity with a victim under 18 years old.



The investigation is continuing by KSP and Warren's arraignment is set for September 15.
About 200 people rode on horseback to protest against pipeline that encroaches on tribal lands and could pollute Missouri river: Were looking out for all peopleDozens of tribal members from several Native American nations took to horseback on Friday to protest the proposed construction of an oil pipeline which would cross the Missouri river just yards from tribal lands in North Dakota.The group of tribal members, which numbered around 200, according to a tribal spokesman, said they were worried that the Dakota Access Pipeline, proposed by a subsidiary of the Dallas, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners, would lead to contamination of the river. The proposed route also passes through lands of historical significance to the Standing Rock Lakota Sioux Nation, including burial grounds.Theyre going under the river 500 yards from my sons grave, my fathers grave, my aunt who I buried last week, said Ladonna Allard, a member of the Standing Rock nation and the closest landowner to the proposed pipeline. I really love my land, and if that pipeline breaks everything is gone.We must fight every inch of our lives to protect the water, Allard said.A spiritual camp will be set up starting Saturday at the point where the proposed pipeline would cross the river, and the tribal members plan to stay and protest indefinitely. The group is composed of members of the Standing Rock nation as well as others from North and South Dakota nations, including the Cheyenne River Lakota and the Rosebud Sioux. They joined together to ride, run and walk from the Tribal Administration Building north to Cannonball, North Dakota, on the reservations northern edge.The Missouri river is the primary source of drinking water for the tribal reservation, according to Doug Crow Ghost, a spokesperson for the Standing Rock Sioux and the director of the tribes water office, who joined the protest on Friday. Tribal members also fish in the river, he said.Because we are going to be fighting this giant, all the rest of the nations came on horseback to say we support you, said Allard. That is why this horse ride is so important to us. Because were not alone in this fight. All of our nations are coming to stand with us, and all our allies and partners. This pipeline is illegal.The pipeline is currently waiting on a decision from a colonel in the Army Corps of Engineers, who oversees such projects, on whether Dakota Access will be granted a permit to proceed, according to Dallas Goldtooth, a Keep It In The Ground campaign organizer for the Indigenous Environmental Network. The tribes are petitioning for an environmental impact study, which has not at this point been done, into the pipeline.Goldtooth is optimistic about the tribes chances of stopping the pipeline. It infringes on the tribes water rights, which are guaranteed by treaties, and the protocols associated with those rights were not followed, he said. The tribes have a really strong standing-point on this issue and were confident that well see a whole environmental impact study enacted.Energy Transfer Partners did not respond to a request for comment.Although we do live on a reservation, the land that [the Dakota Access pipeline is] going to be crossing is on original land that was given us by treaty, said Dakota Kidder, a member of the Standing Rock nation. This is where it gets people fired up when you talk about broken treaties.Without water there is no life, and this is our main source, Kidder added. Its not just our issue. Everybody downriver of us is going to be affected, all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. Were not just looking out for ourselves; were looking out for all people.
STATE GOP CHAIRMAN RESPONDS TO KAINE VISIT TO ASHEVILLE

HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH THE NC GOP CHAIRMAN ON WHKP'S LOCAL NEWS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY

In an exclusive interview with WHKP News on Monday, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Robin Hayes, responded to Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Kaine's scheduled visit to a job center in Asheville.

The Virginia senator was scheduled to be in western North Carolina speaking on behalf of Hillary Clinton's plan to create jobs if she wins the presidency. Kaine was to visit a job center in Asheville.

Kaine's visit to western North Carolina came at a time when numerous national polls show the Clinton-Kaine ticket leading Donbald Trump and his running mate, Indiana Governor Mike Spence, in the tar heel state...in some cases by nine points or more.

WHKP asked Hayes about the apparent edge enjoyed by the national Democratic ticket in North Carolina where Republicans control the governor's office and both houses of the state legislature. Hayes says it's too early in the process for the polls to mean much. But he acknowledges that in an election year as strange as this one, anything is possible.

The state GOP chairman had words of praise for Western North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows who Hayes says "...is leading the state" on many critical issues including concern over refugee re-settlement in this country.

Hayes says that even though anything is possible this year, he does not expect voter's concerns over Donald Trump to impact the other Republicans who will be on the ballot in November., And he cited the exemplary record of Governor Pat McCrory and the Republican-controlled General Assembly is achieving a healthy budget surplus in the state and in job creatioin.

Hayes encourages all voters to pay close attention to all that is said by all the candidates this year, and to be wary of the questionable ethics, of lack thereof, of Hillary Clinton...referring to the huge accumulation of wealth by the Clinton's through the Clinton Foundation.

Botton line, said Hayes, "...we cannot take four more years of Obama-Clinton".

By WHKP News Director Larry Freeman 08/15/16 Updated 11am
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 14/08/2016 (2266 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The second edition of Interstellar Rodeo is in the books  with a huge increase in attendance from an already successful first year, perfect weather and a lineup of artists that impressed all weekend long, its safe to say a potential sophomore slump was avoided entirely.

Our volunteer crews all showed up, and they all performed their jobs, our suppliers all showed up and all performed their jobs, the weather held out, and that was our biggest thing, thats the make-it-or-break-it at an event like this, said Sara Stasiuk, director of operations for Six Shooter Records, the record label that hosts the music and wine festival. Stasiuk also noted by Wednesday night, there was already a 53 per cent overall increase in attendance compared to the same night last year.

Looking out on Friday and seeing the lineup of people there waiting for Interstellar Rodeo, its really satisfying, she says. Its a lot of work, its a lot of investment, and to see Winnipeggers responding and responding in the numbers that they have, it makes you feel like youre doing something right.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Music fans take in the sounds at the second annual event.

While the weekend went as smoothly as organizers could have hoped, there was one tense moment Thursday night, less than 24 hours before the gates were due to open. Stasiuk says they got a call saying two of their Friday headliners, the Strumbellas and Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, were stranded in Denver and unable to make it to Winnipeg in time for their performances. Stasiuk and her team did what they had to do to get them here, which involved hiring a couple of private jets at 2 a.m. Friday morning to fly down and pick up both bands.

With a festival like this theres always a contingency  last year it was Sinead OConnor cancelling last-minute, and thankfully we were able to get Sarah McLachlan, so theres always something that comes up, says Stasiuk. We plan for it, were mentally prepared and financially prepared as well.

Once again this year, the wine aspect of the festival proved to be a popular component with many of the featured pairings selling out. Stasiuk credits this to a combination of better weather and a better understanding of what to expect the second time around.

The weather is not quite as hot as it was last year, so maybe a little bit more suited for wine drinking, and I think people came a bit more prepared, understanding that this is part of the experience, to try a bunch of different wines. So the wine pairings have been going really well and getting excellent feedback, she says. The price of the wine, too; its not inexpensive wine that were buying, and so we have to pass on the non-savings, so I think people were more prepared.

  

As much as Interstellar Rodeo is about the music, its also about the wine. Being the hard-hitting journalists we are, Uptown editor Jill Wilson and I took it upon ourselves to partake in a handful of the wine-band pairings to see if they do, in fact, match well with the tunes onstage Sunday afternoon.

Henry Wagons  Meander Chenin Blanc/Sauvignon Blanc  Breedekloof, South Africa

What Jill says: Sorry, Ben (Free Press Uncorked writer Ben McPhee-Sigurdson, who recommended pairings), Im not sure I totally agree with this choice. First of all, why not an Australian wine for an Australian artist? Too on the nose? Second, while I agree the slogan on the back of the bottle  Giggle, cackle, chuckle and roar  all forms of laughter in one bottle  sums up the riotous spirit country artist Wagons brings to the table, Im not sure the relatively sweet, fruity flavours of the Chenin Blanc quite match his anarchic, profane twist on a traditional sound.

Wintersleep  Alta Alella AA Privat Pansa Blanca

What Jill says: This crisp, drinkable white is a intuitive pairing for this Halifax indie-pop band. Its slightly sweet, but not overly so; it has a edge and a bit of spiciness that makes it stand out. Its made from grapes that go into cava, and, though it might just be in my mind, they seem to lend it a quasi-effervescence that echoes the bubbly  but not bubblegum  nature of the band. The Alta Alella is a wine that seems tailor-made for summer quaffing, just as Wintersleep is the perfect band to entertain on a gorgeous summer afternoon.

What Erin says: Like Wintersleep, this delightful white has just enough edge to make it interesting but not so much as to overpower the senses. As the band hit the stage and charged through some of their most popular singles such as Weighty Ghost and Amerika, it wasnt difficult to taste that same sort of steady pulse in the sweet, fresh flavours of this wine.

Whitehorse  Domaine Lafond Roc-Epine Cotes Du Rhone, Rhone Valley, France

What Jill says: This blend of Granache and Syrah is very harmonic  a pretty apt description for the pairing of husand-and-wife songwriting team Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland. Its a smooth, fruit-forward wine that echoes the smooth, palatable music of Whitehorse. Its not exactly something to to write home about, but it goes hand in hand with the buffed edges of the bands bittersweet tunes.

What Erin says: I agree with Jill on this one; I cant say this wine did anything for me, but it was well-paired with Whitehorse, whose magic lies within their collaboration. While it was an overall smooth sip, there was also an underlying harsher note that matched well with the grittier, more rock-infused moments of Whitehorses set. The time of day, too, was perfect, as a red, even a light one such as this, would have felt too heavy for the peak afternoon sun. Served just below room temperature, this blend was satisfying, if not a bit forgettable.

Case/lang/veirs  Alias Cabernet Sauvignon, California

What Jill says: Aside from the very apt matchup of the trio of silhouettes on the wine label with the trio of powerhouse vocalists in case/lang/veirs (Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs), the deep red Alias is an apt pairing because it brings a level of complexity. It has a surface appeal thats bolstered by something deeper and more intertesting that rewards further listening/drinking.

What Erin says: For me, this was the most accurate pairing of the night. The elegant nature of this drinkable red perfectly captured the subtle electricity of case/lang/veirs  powerful but not overpowering, full but not heavy. The Cab Sav carries with it a feel of undisputable quality, which Neko Case, k.d. lang and Laura Veirs, too, exhibited as they rolled through stunning renditions of many of the tracks from their self-titled debut. As a closer to the weekend, both the music and the wine struck the right chord.

 files by Jill Wilson

erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @NireRabel
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This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New witness accounts of the police shooting that killed 26-year-old Craig McDougall eight years ago have forced another delay for the inquest into his death.

The inquest, initially set to begin last week, has now been delayed until November so lawyers can gather more information from witnesses, court heard Monday. Associate Chief Provincial Court Judge Anne Krahn heard last week one of the witnesses who was expected to testify at the inquest contradicted an earlier statement just days before the inquest was set to begin, bringing to light new information that required further interviews.

In preparation for the inquest, Crown attorney David Gray, who is acting as counsel for the inquest, interviewed five people who gave accounts of the Aug. 2, 2008 shooting and its aftermath that varied in relatively minor ways from their initial statements to police, but at the last minute, one witness gave a new statement that went against everything implied in the earlier statement, Gray said.

Craig McDougall

It seems to me there are conflicting views as to exactly what occurred, at the time of the shooting, Gray told court Monday.

The new evidence is significant enough that it cant be explored on the witness stand this week, the judge heard, because lawyers need time to gather more information and review all of the new witness statements.

Lawyer Corey Shefman, who is representing Craig McDougalls family at the inquest, said he wants answers during the inquest about why this information wasnt brought forward during the investigation of McDougalls death eight years ago.

Only that its now coming to light is a significant problem. Now, we know that with the new IIU (Independent Investigations Unit), the likelihood of this sort of thing happening today is reduced because they have different procedures that werent in place eight years ago. But it is obviously a significant concern and its one that were going to be asking the court to address in November when we get started, Shefman said outside court, saying IIU executive director Zane Tessler is expected to testify about what has changed in how police-shooting investigations are conducted in Manitoba.

Were going to be discussing the investigation of Craigs death and the manner in which it was conducted. I cant say much more than that, but what we are finding is that as we get more information from one witness, it leads us to ask different questions of other witnesses, Shefman added. Were still learning exactly what the new information is.

Because of the new information, its likely that more witnesses will have to be called to testify, Gray told the judge. The inquest is now set to take place during most of November and early December.

The mandatory inquest wasnt called until 2013, six years after McDougall was Tasered and shot four times by police, who said he had a knife he refused to drop. Police said at the time that a knife was recovered at the scene, but witnesses said Craig wasnt armed and had only a cellphone in his hand. The Winnipeg Police Service spent two years on its initial investigation into the shooting, and a subsequent 14-month external review by the Ontario Provincial Police deemed the shooting justified.

This inquest is expected to be the first in Manitoba to consider what role, if any, systemic racism played in the police shooting. The widened scope was granted based on a court motion Shefman launched on behalf of Craig McDougalls father, Brian. The family is trying to raise money toward their legal costs after their requests for provincial funding for legal representation at the inquest were denied. Shefman has now filed a complaint with the Manitoba Ombudsman, arguing the funding was unfairly denied in this case.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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Every year in Manitoba  six times a year, on average  inquest reports are published to examine what could have been done to prevent the deaths of people who died while in the care of a government agency, in jail, in foster care, in psychiatric facilities, or at the hands of police.

But its rare for the families of the dead to receive funding to hire a lawyer to represent them at those inquests, even though the government can pay on a discretionary basis. Now, some lawyers say the provinces pick-and-choose funding policy makes inquests less effective because it shuts out the families most motivated to see change come from their tragedy.

In the past four years, nine families have asked the provincial government to help pay for legal fees incurred during the inquests of their loved ones. Only one of those requests was granted.

ZACHARY PRONG / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Among the denied is the family of 26-year-old Craig McDougall, who was shot dead by police eight years ago. The inquest into his death is set to resume Monday, facing yet another delay. It is expected to be the first inquest in Manitoba to consider the role systemic racism played in the police shooting  a widened scope the familys lawyer won via a court motion.

The familys lawyer, Corey Shefman, is representing them free of charge and a Go Fund Me fundraising page has been set up to help with legal costs for the inquest, which Shefman said could cost as much as $100,000.

He said the government is abusing its discretionary power to distribute inquest funding to families and that the issue goes far beyond the McDougall case.

The fact that, in Canada today, a young man can be shot by police and killed and his family has to resort to public pleas for the ability to be represented at the inquest, I think its disgraceful, Shefman said. Most families wont have this opportunity because lawyers simply wont do this sort of pro bono work. Its too big. Its too massive, and theres no support for it in our province. This exposes a very significant access-to-justice problem, because who are the families of people who are the subjects of inquests? Its our most vulnerable people.

Although inquests arent criminal proceedings and they dont make findings of guilt, Shefman said he believes that makes it that much more important that the familys interests are represented.

For most families who are in this situation, the inquest is the only opportunity that the family will have to get justice and to get answers for their loss, he said.

The province has said it has no obligation to provide lawyers for families at inquests because inquests are meant to be fact-finding missions only  theyre not meant to assign blame for the death. At an inquest, the Crown attorney appointed to serve as inquest counsel is meant to represent the public interest, which would include that of the families involved. Thats why, as the provinces policy states, the government only considers funding requests in extraordinary cases, including those where its evident the family needs its own lawyer. The province can contribute up to $90,000 for a familys inquest legal fees in each approved case, the policy states. The government doesnt have a specific budget for inquest funding. Families who are denied funding can appeal the decision via a Court of Queens Bench judicial review  but that typically requires a lawyer.

The provinces criteria on whether to approve funding in each case  which considers the familys ability to pay, their role in helping understand the facts of the inquest and whether the Crown can adequately represent them, among other factors  are reasonable, said professor Arthur Schafer, founding director of the University of Manitobas Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics.

But he said its a conflict of interest for the province to decide which cases will receive funding because the province saves money by denying funding to the families. A more open appeal process, one that doesnt require the family to get a lawyer, could help, he said.

More research is needed in this grey area to explain whether inquests are more effective when families have funding for legal representation, Schafer said.

In general, even without such research, I want to suggest that the present system puts families in a catch 22, because if they cant afford legal funding and the province denies them provincial aid to fund their legal representation, then their only other recourse is an appeals process requiring a lawyer. So maybe we need a better appeal process, he said.

A Justice Department representative was not available for comment, but an internal Justice Department briefing note indicates the written policy was only implemented in 2012  substantially the same policy as was in place before it was put in writing  after the government was criticized for lacking a formal policy.

With the written policy came an uptick in funding requests, the majority of which were denied. When the family of Donald Moose  a 32-year-old Headingley Correctional Centre inmate who died in 2009  challenged its inquest-funding denial in court in 2013, the judge urged the government to reconsider its decision but found he had no power under the Fatality Inquiries Act to force the province to pay.

Craig McDougall, the 26-year-old man shot and killed by a Winnipeg police officer Saturday, August 2, 2008.

The current policy is seriously inadequate for families who want to have a voice at inquests, says Vilko Zbogar, a Toronto-based lawyer who is co-counsel for Brian Sinclairs family and represented them during the 2013-14 inquest into the death of the 45-year-old indigenous Winnipeg man, who died in the Health Sciences Centre emergency room after waiting 34 hours without receiving treatment.

Our experience from the Sinclair inquest is that the families interests are often very different from the positions being put forward by inquest counsel. Inquest counsel doesnt have a monopoly on the public interest, Zbogar said.

The only reason not to fund families  besides the budgetary issues of not wanting to actually spend money on this process by the government  is not wanting to actually have to make real changes and to face real accountability. Because the families are the ones that really do that more than anybody else, he added.

He said he had to scratch and claw to get provincial funding to represent Sinclairs family prior to the implementation of a funding policy and was eventually granted about $110,000 and the assurance that the government would institute a formal policy. Lawyers who want to represent families at inquests typically arent in it for the money, he said.

It was a huge effort. At the end of the day, we probably didnt make any money on the whole deal, he said. But we wanted to set a precedent for the future so that families in that situation would have funding.

Zbogar said hes disappointed families still have to fight to have their inquest legal expenses covered, describing Manitobas discretionary funding policy as penny-wise, pound foolish.

You have these social institutions that may continue to make mistakes because the voices of these families who have a vested interest in seeing change, meaningful change, happen, are effectively being shut out financially. And at the end of the day, the public is the one that loses out, because the risks that existed that caused a tragic situation to arise in the first place are more likely to remain in place.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay

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The Pallister government is willing to change Sunday-shopping legislation on one condition  it has to be a change Manitobans tell the government they want to see happen.

Absolutely, if there is an appetite for us to have that discussion, we welcome that discussion, said Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen. We are open to hear what Manitobans have to say, absolutely we listen/hear to whatever Manitobans ask us to do.

He was referring to the Sunday scramble every Winnipeg shopper has experienced. It goes like this: the clock is nearing 6 p.m., and you realize you need to get groceries.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Tracy Fish and her son Maclean buy produce at the Red River Co-op in Grant Park. Shoppers scramble on Sundays to make it before closing.

You rush to the nearest grocer, jostling with hordes of fellow procrastinating shoppers to make it in time before Winnipegs retail world shuts for the day. Maybe you make it, or maybe it is after 6 p.m., forcing you to head instead to the closest Shoppers Drug Mart, one of the few stores exempt under Manitobas Retail Businesses Holiday Closing Act.

Either way, it is a scramble the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, local businesses and the Retail Council of Canada are hoping a newly elected Progressive Conservative government can end by letting private business decide for themselves when to close on Sunday.

Sunday should not be treated any different than any other day of the week, argues Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, who has long lobbied for changes to Sunday shopping.

We live in a very secular society, and Sunday has become the second-biggest shopping day of the week. Consumers have embraced Sunday shopping; we are a 24/7 society, Manitoba has some of the strictest Sunday-shopping rules in the country, the last remains of rules first put in place by the federal governments former Lords Day Act, an act that outlawed shopping on Sunday.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / FREE PRESS FILES Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen will seek unanimous support of the controversial free-trade agreement

Retailers in every province west of Manitoba are able to set their own Sunday-shopping hours. The same goes for Ontario and Quebec. For example, in Saskatoon, most Safeways are open until 10 p.m on Sundays, same for Saskatoons Food Store Co-ops. It is only in the Maritimes where provinces such as Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia still restrict Sunday shopping.

However, Manitoba has come a long way since 1992 when stores could only be open Sunday if they were staffed by no more than four workers. Laws passed in 1993 under the Progressive Conservative Filmon government allowed shopping from noon to 6 p.m. The NDP Selinger government took things one step further in 2012, allowing stores to open at 9 a.m.

When the province added three extra hours to Sunday morning shopping, Red River Co-op stores saw a noticeable increase in sales, said Todd McNaughton, the food division manager for the co-op.

He couldnt quantify how much it precisely added to sales but said their seven-day sale totals increased after the switch. McNaughton wants businesses given the opportunity to set their hours, arguing he witnesses the scramble every Sunday as Red River Co-ops across the city shutter for the day at 6 p.m.

The ones who had to work wouldnt like it, but I think consumers, if it was open, they would go, he said. The expectation is that things should be open all the time, it is just becoming the norm.

We live in a very secular society, and Sunday has become the second-biggest shopping day of the week. Consumers have embraced Sunday shopping; we are a 24/7 society

Loren Remillard

The Retail Council of Canada, a non-profit association representing more than 45,000 storefronts in Canada, argues that by exempting pharmacies such as Shoppers Drug Mart from these rules, Manitobas current legislation gives Canadas largest drugstore an unfair advantage. Just last month, the chain announced it would be further expanding by stocking more fresh produce on its shelves.

It gives certain retailers a competitive advantage if they are deemed to be a pharmacy, yet have a selection of goods that is consistent with other competitors that arent allowed to be open the same hours, said Lanny McInnes, director of government relations for the Prairies for the Retail Council of Canada. The lines are getting more and more blurred in terms of what does the definition of pharmacy really mean.

Independent business owners are split on issues, according to a 2012 poll conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, which asked its 4,800 Manitoba small- and medium-sized business members whether the Manitoba government should allow retail businesses to operate on Sundays without limitations. Forty-three per cent agreed the government should give businesses the freedom to set their own hours, while 49 per cent believe labour shortages would force business owners to work additional hours without a break in their workweek.

The United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represents many supermarket workers in Manitoba, opposes any changes to the legislation, arguing employees deserve a guaranteed evening off to rest and be with family.

Same goes for independent grocery store owner Munther Zeid, who has owned and operated several Food Fares in Winnipeg for almost 40 years. His preference would be for the province to go in the opposite direction and shut all retail activity on Sunday. He argues that looser restrictions will create a domino effect that force all businesses, big or small, to fall in line with competitors hours.

They should make it where everybody has to close, Zeid argues. I believe that a person should have one day to spend with their family and friends because once you allow somebody to open, that is what kills the retailer, he goes, If this store is opened, then I have to be open, too because I dont want to lose my customer to that store.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca
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The Canadian Federation of Independent Business thinks its time they revisit the question of Sunday shopping with its Manitoba members.

The small-business lobby group represents about 4,800 small-and medium-sized businesses in the province and says its members have been historically divided on the issue of expanding shopping hours on Sunday.

Manitoba currently has some of the strictest Sunday shopping rules in the country. Most retail businesses are only allowed to operate between the hours of 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, unlike every province west of Manitoba which lets businesses decide their hours. Businesses in Ontario also have the freedom to set their own hours.

A 2012 poll showed Manitoba CFIB members almost split equally when asked if businesses should be allowed to set their own Sunday hours.

Dan Kelly, the president and CEO of the Toronto based-CFIB, says most businesses would be prepared for a modest increase in Sunday shopping hours, but before they take a stance it is time to see if opinions have changed in four years.

So we are giving some thought to doing an updated survey of our membership, given that this is something that is under active discussion in Manitoba right now, Kelly said.

He describes Sunday shopping at a double-edged sword for small-and-medium-sized businesses.

It may not allow business owners themselves to take a break and, secondly, the concern may be that they end up spreading the same amount of business over a larger amount of working hours, which essentially increases their costs, without increasing their sales, he said.

However, the lobby group has traditionally pushed for fewer regulations by government on the private sector, Kelly explained.

There is also a concern that extended hours would work in favour of the big business retail shops such as Wal-Mart or Safeway rather than the small-and-medium businesses they represent, Kelly explained.

There is no question that would create pressures on some businesses to work longer and expand their staffing accordingly and there is no guarantee this would lead to an increase in sales, he said.

The trendline is going to be that we see fewer restrictions rather than more restrictions on operating hours, certainly there can be an argument made that this expands potential employment.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS The Canadian Federation of Independent Business describes Sunday shopping at a "double-edged sword" for small-and-medium-sized businesses.

The Pallister government recently told the Free Press that it is open to looking at expanding Sunday shopping, if that is what Manitobans want to see happen.

Prior to 2012, retail businesses could operate from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. As the NDP Selinger government began considering changes to the hours, the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce conducted a poll in 2010.

When the business lobby group surveyed 800 Manitobans asking if they would support allowing retailers to set their own hours, nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) were somewhat or strongly in favour. Among 25- to 39-year-olds, 70 per cent supported unrestricted shopping hours.

Loren Remillard, the president and CEO of the Chamber, argues they dont need another poll to show Winnipeggers want later shopping hours  they are already voting with their wallets.

All someone has to do is go to any retail outlet on Sunday and see the sheer number of cars in the parking lot, lining up the stores, to get a sense Manitobans are voting with their wallets and their time to say, We are shopping on Sunday,' Remillard said.

kristin.annable@freepress.mb.ca
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While many of the founding pioneers of Winnipeg are resting eternally at an old cemetery on the banks of the Red River in the city, their sons and daughters are a few kilometres away along the Assiniboine River in St. James Cemetery.

Walking through the park-like setting, just a stones throw from the Polo Park mall, and looking at headstones more than a century old, you quickly see many of the same names echoing those in the St. Johns Cemetery, the oldest European cemetery in the province  McDermot, Bannatyne, Mulvey, Omand and Henderson.

Margaret Steele, the manager of the St. James Cemetery, said theres a reason for the similar names.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Cutting the lawn in the St. James Cemetery.

The original pioneers had their land along the Red River, Steele said.

But their sons needed land, too, so when they were old enough, they received land along the Assiniboine River. St. Johns was too far for them to go to church and too far for their children to go to school. They asked for a new church.

So they went to church here, and when they died they were buried here.

The 14 acres of land on which the cemetery and the church sit, about six kilometres west of where the Assiniboine River meets the Red River, was granted to the Diocese of Ruperts Land by the Hudsons Bay Co. in June 1851.

The Church of St. James and cemetery became not only a place to worship and be buried, it also gave its name to the district, then the city, and then the suburb that grew beside it in the decades to come before amalgamating with Winnipeg in Unicity in 1972.

After a re-survey was done of the Red River Settlement in 1875, it was determined the Church of St. James had 284 acres of land between present-day St. James and Empress streets and north to Saskatchewan Avenue, now the site of Polo Park, former sites of the Winnipeg Arena and Winnipeg Stadium and various big-box stores and other buildings.

Almost 200 acres was sold at $35 an acre  if only they had decided to rent the land out instead of selling it, Steele said chuckling.

The building of the church was delayed a year after the logs to be used for its construction were swept away by a flood in 1852. The church was completed in 1853.

A tower was built as part of the church, but it was taken down in 1871 when it was found its foundation couldnt support its weight.

Tongue partially in cheek, the peoples warden of the church, Elizabeth Bonnet, hints there may have been another motive due to the events that took place there in 1869 and 1870.

My conspiracy theory, which I cant prove, is it was taken down because during the Riel Rebellion they used it as a tower to look for soldiers coming in to attack from Portage la Prairie. Is it a coincidence it was taken down a year later? Hmm.

The cemetery received its first official internment Dec. 10, 1856, when nine-month-old Jane Isbister was buried there.

Since then, more than 9,200 have followed her. Some of the original families have almost two dozen family members resting together.

Many of the headstones are a whos who of St. James. They include names that are now used for streets, schools and buildings including Inkster, Bruce, Pinkham, Chapman and Fidler.

But there are also babies  so many babies. There were likely many tears shed in the several pockets reserved in the cemetery for clusters of young children. Small headstones, either flush on the ground or rising up from the grass, mark where the children, either at birth or just a few months or years into their lives, were buried.

There are hundreds of babies here, Steele said.

There are also at least two former mayors buried here.

Col. Thomas Scott came twice from Ontario, in command of troops sent to both Red River Rebellions in 1870 and 1871. When Scott  not to be confused with the Thomas Scott who was arrested and later executed after helping attack the Metis who occupied Upper Fort Garry in 1869  retired from military service in 1874, he decided to stay in Manitoba,

Scott founded the Scott Furniture Company and was elected to serve on Winnipegs first city council. His political career rose quickly as by 1877 he was the citys third mayor, was elected an MLA a year later and voted in as Conservative MP for Selkirk a year after that. He died in Winnipeg in 1915.

Robert Steen was a former MLA who was elected a city councillor. He followed Stephen Juba into the mayors chair in 1977 but died of cancer just two years later and is buried in the northwest section of the cemetery.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manager Margaret Steele with the original book of the cemeterys records at the gravestone of the McDermot family.

The cemetery also holds several people who died in tragic accidents that garnered.

Marjorie Wood was just 16 when, with her friend 29-year-old Anna Wilson and another woman, they decided to take a canoe onto Lake Winnipeg June 26, 1926. They were all visiting at the cottage of Woods mother at Hillside Beach.

The three, who only had one paddle, tried to steer the canoe against the wind and took the advice of people yelling onshore to sit still in the watercraft as it floated out into the lake.

By the time a boat was found and got to the site, searchers found the canoe right-side up with no one in it. The bodies were found later. Wilson is mentioned on Woods tombstone as a friend who drowned with her, but it is not known if she is also buried there.

A tall, ornate marker marks the passing of Archibald McArthur, who died March 27, two days shy of his 29th birthday. He was working as a linesman with what became Manitoba Telecom Services when he touched a high-voltage wire while working near Birds Hill.

Alfred Tilley, along with his wife Grace and two-year-old son, James, were passengers on a stalled CP Rail train bound for Winnipeg on Jan. 25, 1920, when another train slammed into its rear near Corbeil. It took a few days to identify all the victims, but the three, along with 12 others, were killed while several more were injured.

The Free Press said the family was laid side by side in one large grave at the cemetery.

Separated by more than a century, but only by a few meters, are two victims of homicides.

John Ingo was shot to death Aug. 16, 1887, across the street from Mulvey School, after a fight between his dog and another mans. Police quickly tracked down Thomas Newton, a man the Free Press described as a man of bad reputation, with a gun still in his hand.

Following a trial the next year, during which Newton testified that he shot Ingo in self defence, he was sentenced to death. That sentence was later changed to life in prison.

Decades later, newly married 23-year-old Matt LeNabat was working in California as a security firm supervisor in 2000, when three former co-workers  two he supervised and who had left the company just days before the slaying  kidnapped and strangled him before leaving his body in his burning car. The three were later convicted and, as his headstone says, the slaying was over a minimum wage job.

There are also stones marking the people who built the city or originally owned land which became parks.

Charles Wheelers tombstone says architect of this city and several of the buildings he designed and were built in the late 1800s are still with us today.

Wheeler was the architect of Holy Trinity Anglican Church across the street from the Millennium Library, the courthouse at Broadway and Kennedy Street, and the Macdonald House which is known today as the Dalnavert Museum,

Outside Winnipeg, Wheeler also designed the former provincial jail in Portage la Prairie, schools in Deloraine and Carman, and the Morden Methodist Church. Wheeler died in 1917 after slipping on ice.

Archibald Wright was born in Scotland and came to Winnipeg after making harnesses for horses in the Confederate army and looking for gold in the North Saskatchewan River. He ended up owning 2,300 acres of land on the south side of the Assiniboine River which later became Assiniboine Park and what is now the Asper Jewish Campus. He died in 1912.

Peter Bruce, and his brother James, owned and farmed the land which was later donated to the city and turned into Bruce Park.

James Armstrong didnt own land in Winnipeg, but decades later its his name on a section of the city that people still know.

Armstrong, a British veteran of the Battle of Waterloo, was entrusted by Joseph Hill, the owner of the point of land just east of what is now the Misericordia Health Centre, to look after the property while he went back to England to serve with the British forces in 1854.

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Danny Jolicoeur, the warden of the St. James Cemetery across from Polo Park on Portage Avenue, digs a hole for the interment of an urn.

Fast forward a few decades and future mayor Francis Cornish bought the land after Armstrongs death in 1871. But Hill, who was still very much alive, came back, reestablished he was who he said he was, and was able to get back his property, which he then sold to developers.

The area, now known as Armstrongs Point, has dozens of homes there as well as the Cornish Library.

Frank Thompson knew Lord Baden-Powell and founded the first Scout troop in St. James in 1915, so that his children could be in Scouts. But, after learning that Baden-Powell had now created The Wolf Cubs for younger children, he founded the first cub pack in Canada in December, 1915, with just three members, including the first cub, his youngest son Ron.

During Thompsons time as Akela, which is marked on his grave, more than 20,000 boys came through the cub movement and he was honoured with the Kings Jubilee Medal and Baden-Powell himself took the Scout Silver Wolf from his own neck and placed it on Thompson.

Danny Jolicoeur has been tending to the maintenance of the cemetery for 10 years. Before that, Jolicoeur did the same at St. Johns for two decades.

Most cemeteries today are designed to allow a backhoe to come in to dig a grave. There werent any backhoes back in the 1850s so burials were done by hand, allowing some to put brick or concrete around their plot, or to have just a narrow walking path between grave sites.

It means when Jolicoeur is asked to dig a grave for a full burial, he grabs a shovel. It takes him about two days.

You need a lot of stamina, he said. It doesnt take strength. Six feet down is our limit. St. Johns go seven and eight feet down, but we go six.

Jolicoeur said he uses an edger if its an ash internment and it only takes three hours to dig.

Roots are a devil, he said.

The last thing you want is a grave by an ash tree. Theres just as many roots as there are branches.

The cemetery was using a single push lawnmower, but recently a benefactor donated two new push lawnmowers and a lawn tractor.

We cut the grass in one section and you go to the next and when you finish you go back and start all over again, Jolicoeur said.

Steele emphasizes that although the cemetery has no room to expand, there isnt a no vacancy sign. There are still spots where a person can have ashes buried.

And Steele said people can always send tax deductible donations to help with the maintenance of the cemetery: St. James Cemetery, c/o 195 Collegiate St., R3J 1T9.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An op-ed by Bruce Muirhead in the Free Press touted: Canada as a trendsetter in supply management. (Aug. 8). It is not clear how maintaining a 40-year-old system of market regulation can be considered trendsetting, but that is beside the point. The op-ed uses misdirection and red herrings (often used by lobby groups) to confuse the issue.

The basics of supply management in Canada are these:

1. Supply of dairy and poultry products is controlled through a system of production quotas in which national output is limited by the lobbying and promotional organizations for dairy and poultry farmers.

JONATHAN HAYWARD / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES

2. Imports are restricted through prohibitively high border taxes.

3. Producer prices are set by industry marketing authorities, instead of by the market forces of supply and demand.

There are many effects of these policies, both intended and unintended. The most important effects are higher prices for supply-managed products. Muirhead makes some casual cross-country price comparisons, but cross-country price comparisons are difficult and are only useful in policy analysis if they shed light on what would happen in Canada if supply management were deregulated.

Milk and egg prices in New Zealand and Australia are not relevant. The Canadian market is fundamentally different in many ways; the most important of which is geography. New Zealand and Australia are remote island nations facing high trade costs, while Canada borders one of the worlds largest producers and consumers of dairy and poultry.

The removal of border taxes on supply-managed products would require Canadian farmers to compete with U.S. farmers, as do Canadian farmers of most other agricultural and food products. Consumer prices for dairy and poultry products in Canada would fall. To suggest otherwise is disingenuous. Why would lobby groups so staunchly defend high border taxes if they were not convinced that such protection is needed to prop up prices?

The issue of competing with subsidized farmers in other countries is also complicated. U.S. dairy farmers benefit from a system of subsidized margin insurance, which draws funding from the U.S. governments progressive income tax system. Canadian dairy and poultry farmers receive indirect subsidies from a regulatory system that reduces supply and increases prices, instead of from direct government subsidies.

But Muirheads belief Canadian farmers could not compete with subsidized farmers in other countries may not be justified.

It is likely Canadian dairy and poultry farmers would be compensated in two ways if trade barriers were removed. They would be compensated for the lost value of production quota and would subsequently be eligible for the subsidies currently paid to other (grain, livestock, etc.) farmers. Perhaps more importantly, recent peer-reviewed analysis suggests Canadian dairy and poultry farmers could compete in the world market, and production and exports would actually increase if production and trade regulations were removed.

In analyzing any public policy, one must ask two key questions: 1) what is the policy objective; and 2) what policy tools can be used to achieve that objective? The primary policy objective of supply management is to increase and stabilize farmer income. If that objective is viewed as worth pursuing, then we should analyze the options to achieve that goal. However, it should be noted average income for supply-managed farm households is currently more than 60 per cent higher than average Canadian household income.

The policy tool that currently transfers income to supply-managed farmers is unique in Canada in that income is transferred directly from consumers to producers through regulated production and administered prices. This has regressive distributional effects on poor households that spend larger shares of their incomes on food.

Other Canadian farmers receive transfers from government through subsidized revenue and crop insurance, financial bailouts and other programs. These programs are funded from government revenues that are raised using progressive income taxes. Understanding the difference between these options is important in determining support for public policies.

Other outcomes of supply management that are often viewed as benefits of the system are red herrings. Limiting the use of growth-promoting hormones in dairy cattle is not a feature of supply management, but rather a set of regulations imposed by Health Canada to achieve veterinary-health objectives. Such objectives do not require production constraints and border taxes.

There are many other such red herrings that come up in the debate over supply management, but perhaps the most frustrating is the claim that a policy can enhance food security with a system that increases food prices. This kind of thinking is several decades out of date on the understanding of poverty and food insecurity.

At the end of the day, supply management is a regulatory system that transfers income from consumers to producers using a regressive policy tool. It is important to understand, to the best of our ability, the true costs and benefits of the system in determining support or opposition. It might feel good to be a trendsetter, but lets make sure that were not imposing our preferences on those who might not understand the consequences of the current fashion.

Ryan Cardwell is a professor of food and agricultural economics at the University of Manitoba.
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After eight months of not knowing, Bonnie Bricker knew immediately when she saw a picture of a boot floating in the river.

She knew the boot, which was found on June 7 floating by a dock in the Red River near Selkirk, belonged to her son, Reid, who had been missing since October.

One look at it, I knew it was his shoe, I knew it was him, she said Monday.

No XMP or IPTC Header Found

It had been 10 months since police had taken the suicidal young man to the Health Sciences Centre, where he was discharged hours later.

And disappeared into the early morning darkness.

Yet, for reasons any parent might appreciate  and his mother would try to explain  she still held out hope it wasnt the boot and the remains of her 33-year-old son that had been discovered. Just as she had held out hope on June 7, the day before she saw the photo of the boot, when police called her while she was driving back from Minneapolis with girlfriends. Human remains had been recovered in the river earlier that day and they needed a sample of DNA from the family.

It was last Thursday before Winnipeg police Det. Sgt. Shauna Neufeld came by their house with the DNA confirmation. There was no more room for denial. It was Reids boot and his partial remains.

After her son went missing, Bonnie had made fixing mental illness her lifes goal. Working with Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba and a government task force on the issue, it was cathartic. Reid was a gifted artist and, since his disappearance, a necklace that replicates his favourite work  a life, love and healing themed sculpture  has been created and is being sold by Mood Disorders as a symbol of hope and recovery that Reid couldnt attain, but that he wanted for others.

It would be reasonable to assume that the news of their son being found would bring a sense of relief and a chance for a final stage of grieving. It has certainly brought an outpouring of empathy for the parents and his siblings, Erin and David. But how, I wondered, did those two months of waiting for Reids remains to be identified compare to the eight months of not knowing if he ever would be found.

It was worse, Bonnie said. The period from June 7 until Thursday, when we were waiting for the DNA proof, was a lot harder than from October. From October until June 7, we could still maybe think that we might have a better outcome. But once they came up with the DNA and they showed us the picture, I knew for sure it was Reid.

Then she explained why she had still held out hope over those last two months that Reid might be alive.

In my brain I accepted it was him, and this was the way he died. But we were holding our breath. Literally. Until the 11th, when that DNA was confirmed. Then it was a relief knowing that we had the answer. But devastating.

But how had she managed to leave room for any kind of hope after seeing the photo of his boot? And knowing police had only asked one family of a missing person for a DNA sample; them.

Reid was the type of guy that if someone was standing next to him shivering, he would take his coat off and give it to him. So the only possibility that that was not his shoe was possibly he gave his shoes to someone else.

Actually, I think it was less Bonnies brain working on denial than it was her heart that needed proof that he was gone forever. Again, both Bonnies and Georges brains would have known that back in October, the day they read the note he left for them and walked off into the darkness.

The first three pages, Bonnie said, were printed neatly.

His thinking is very logical and well laid out. And then page four and five, his handwriting is completely erratic. Its all over the page. Its rushed. Its not neat. So I know this is an addendum. He came home after being discharged from the hospital and he added page four and five.

In the note Reids intention is clearly stated: I learned from my mistakes on my last three attempts on my life, he wrote. Make it simple. Keep quiet. Involve no one.

PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS One look at it, I knew it was his shoe, I knew it was him," Bonnie Bricker said Monday.

Then these last words to his parents, written, but scratched out.

Sorry. Thank you. I love you.

Why would he send them that final mixed message?

Because, Bonnie said, he then continues on the next page, I walked away because I saw who I am and I couldnt love myself. I still do not love myself and I doubt I have in 30 years. If ever. That was after he scratched out. I think he was so confused. He wanted us to know it wasnt our fault. Like, he didnt want us to blame ourselves. Its his problem, right.

Looking back, its a mental health problem Bonnie believes was always there.

When he was six or seven months old, Bonnie recalled, Reid suffered from night terrors.

That was our first red flag.

Actually, there may have been another one when he was four years old.

Mommy, little Reid asked,what will happen to me when you and daddy die?

On Wednesday, at a time to be announced, his mother and father, family and friends will gather at Shaarey Zedek Cemetery for a graveside service for Reid Bricker. The sensitive, kind and lost soul, who was finally found.

gordon.sinclair@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 15/08/2016 (2265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Premier Brian Pallister has been about as clear as he can get: he has no intentions of privatizing Manitoba Hydro. Clearly, hes not a fool. Mr. Pallister only has to look to Ontario to the east or Alberta to the west to see what a mess changing the public-utility model can become.

While Manitobans can expect rate hikes around the four per cent mark for the next decade  to pay for Keeyask and Bipole III  it appears any type of privatization or deregulation is not on the radar.

Meanwhile, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has been taking a beating in popularity polls, in part because of her plan to sell off 60 per cent of the shares in Hydro One. The sale is expected to raise money for public transit  with the ultimate goal of raising $9 billion, $5 billion of which will be used to pay down debt and $4 billion to build transit and other infrastructure.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister

Of course to do that, Ontario will lose some of the $6 billion in annual revenue brought in by Hydro One. But its a liquidation sale, and Ms. Wynne is hoping all the shares are sold before her Liberals head back to the polls in 2018. It is a calculated risk for sure.

Meanwhile in Alberta, the Notley government is grappling with a Ralph Klein hangover even that popular, tippling premier hadnt anticipated. A three-word clause  the Enron clause  added at the last minute when Alberta was deregulating its electricity market could mean billions in extra utility costs passed on to the Alberta consumer.

Enron, the U.S.-based company lobbied for the clause to be included because it gave power companies a way to bail out of power purchase arrangements if future policy changes made them unprofitable. With the introduction of the governments new carbon legislation, three companies this year have handed back their power purchase arrangements to the Balancing Pool  a government-created public agency. The Notley government is now going to court to fight the clause, but the additional costs will mean more money on the monthly utility bill for cash-strapped Albertans.

As for Enron, the energy-trading company went from being a sparkplug in 1995 to burned-out light bulb in 2002, with investigations into its financial practices and eventually, bankruptcy.

Deregulation and privatization of electricity also led to nine seconds of cascading power failures that affected 50 million people from Ohio to Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario in 2003. Most homes had power restored in a day, but there were mandatory and voluntary power restrictions across Ontario for a week, resulting in 18.9 million hours of employment lost. Manufacturing companies lost $2.3 million.

Some critics have shone the light on deregulation as the culprit behind the blackout. An Ohio power company was the ultimate source of the outage, but deregulation means ensuring profit, and that means supply margins are kept low so profit is high. The electrical grid has to ensure supply matches demand, which is tricky and requires regular maintenance. In the Ohio situation, the power supply did not match demands, and a software glitch plunged cities into darkness, while power companies burned the midnight oil with profits.

Mr. Pallister has made it clear. He wont privatize Manitoba Hydro, and he shouldnt deregulate it either. Both could mean lights out for Manitoba consumers.
SENTENCED

Ryan L. Solfest, 29, of Chippewa Falls, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver up to 3 grams of amphetamine. Solfest was sentenced to one year in state prison and two years of extended supervision, the sentence to run concurrent with crime case sentences in Eau Claire County. Charges of possession with intent to deliver Schedule 4 drugs and narcotics were read into the court record for purposes of sentencing and dismissed.

CHARGED

James T. Friday, 40, of Jackson, Mississippi, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge accusing him of taking and driving a vehicle without consent in Buffalo County. Mondovi police claim Friday took a 2013 Kenworth truck from Marten Transport in Mondovi on May 26. The $80,000 truck was taken from Commercial Avenue in Mondovi where it was parked. Police were told that Friday, an employee of Marten Transport, had disabled the trucks tracking and communication unit. Friday was arrested driving the truck in Illinois where he was stopped by a state trooper. The trooper said Friday claimed he was taking the truck to Memphis.

Christopher M. Bilderback, 38, of Mondovi, has plea and sentencing hearing Sept. 8 on charges of two counts of possessing illegally obtained drug prescriptions, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and failure to report to serve a jail sentence.

Tyler T. Philipps, 30, of Winona, has a plea hearing scheduled Aug. 19 on a misdemeanor charge accusing him of second-offense operating while intoxicated. Philipps also was cited for allegedly having open intoxicants in his vehicle. Philipps entered a plea of not guilty in March.
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.

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.
Even Scott Walker got into the game.

He joined Donald Trump and a host of speakers at the Republican National Convention last month describing the United States as a broken-down country where crime is rampant, the government is leaderless and terrorists lurk around every corner.

The simple truth is: Liberal Washington insiders created these problems. And Hillary Clinton is the ultimate liberal Washington insider. If she were any more on the inside, shed be in prison, he chortled.

But that was the hook the Republicans were after in Cleveland. They want Americans to believe that their country is in historic disarray, that violent crime is devastating cities and immigrants from Mexico and the Middle East are poised to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace  and in case you didnt notice, Hillary Clinton is to blame for most of it.

Its an age-old tactic that all too often works. Scare the voters into believing theyre in danger so theyll come running to you to protect them. Just ask the people who lived during the infamous Joe McCarthy years, when he convinced millions of Americans they were living next door to Communists who were out to take over the U.S. government and hand it to the Soviet Union.

As President Barack Obama himself pointed out after the convention, its all a lie. Or better yet, as Eric Zorn said in the Chicago Tribune, its an audacious scam.

I think it is important to be absolutely clear here. Some of the fears that were expressed throughout the week just dont jibe with the facts, the president said as he produced crime statistics that show, for example, a huge drop in violent crime during his nearly eight years in office, even including Chicago, where murder is up but still not nearly as high as it was during the 1980s.

Columbia University professor of journalism and sociology Todd Gitlin put it in even better perspective. In a New York Times guest column, the professor pointed out that the troubles of the 2010s cant hold a candle to the 1960s.

The feeling that the world is falling apart is easy to come by, he wrote. It was surely how I felt in 1968 as a 25-year-old working for an underground newspaper in San Francisco, as unthinkable event followed unthinkable event.

There were the huge riots of 1967 followed by police and National Guard killings. Then 1968 produced the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy, again sparking riots in many of Americas cities, where downtowns were set ablaze and hundreds were killed or injured.

They were, in sum, many orders of magnitude more grave and violent than what we experience now, Gitlin added. American casualties in Vietnam reached their peak in 1968  16,889 dead  in a war fought by draftees amid huge and growing antiwar protests.

But, Gitlin notes, there was one big difference. Unlike todays Trump supporters, the civil rights and student movements of the 60s were fueld by hope and anguish, not resentment. They didnt want to make America great again, but wanted to make it great at last.

During the 1960s, the voters turned to Richard Nixon to right the ship. Although as president Nixon took some commendable actions  opening relations with China, establishing the Environmental Protection Agency, just two big examples  his administration wound up doing more to destroy Americans trust in their own government than any other in history. His abuse of power was nothing short of astounding and it tore at the very gut of the country.

Were sitting here in 2016 with a presidential candidate who wants Americans to believe their country is in its darkest hour.

If his flim-flam is successful, Richard Nixons presidency will look like a cakewalk.
According to Mike Ptaschinski Ducks Unlimited is one of the worlds most successful conservation organizations but it is missing one thing  you.

Ptaschinski who is passionate about the organizations mission said local volunteers and donors founded the organization and after 79 years still drive it.

A lot of people dont understand what we do, said Ptaschinski, who heads the Beaver Dam chapter of DU.

Conserving waterfowl habitat and wetlands is the sole focus of the Ducks Unlimited mission and according to its website, that singular focus is why the group has been able to protect 13 million acres in North America.

Regional Director Mike Brumley said some of the misunderstanding comes from assumptions that only hunters belong to Ducks Unlimited and some from the nature of wetlands and conservation projects.

Its hard to appreciate a wetland, he said.

And some projects involve water quality improvements that are not highly visible.

Weve done a lot to improve the quality of the water that just goes unknown, Brumley said.

DU has funded a position with the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Wisconsin. And since 1980, more than $1.5 million has been spent in the Horicon Marsh. That has included everything from building dikes to acquiring land.

We pride ourselves on spending the money scientifically, Brumley said.

To that end, Ducks Unlimited employs biologists and other specialists to evaluate and lead conservation projects. Project funding is often leveraged through partnerships, for example, one investment in the Horicon Marsh included $500,000 in matching funds from the Ted & Grace Bachuber Foundation. And many businesses and government agencies will contribute in-kind or cash donations.

Partnerships are really, really a big deal for us because it makes the money go so much further, Brumley said.

But partnerships are two-sided and that is where local chapters come in Ptachinski said. The Beaver Dam chapter has raised around $20,000 per year for 40 years through banquets and other events. And the state of Wisconsin raises $2 million to $2.5 million annually.

Ptaschinski said volunteers can do as much or as little as they want. Some people want to help organize events, others dont mind seeking donations or running a raffle and some folks just want to attend or contribute financially.

Were always looking for more help, Ptachinski said. He said he has enjoyed the friendships he has made through Ducks Unlimited and appreciates the difference the organization makes.

I came for the mission, he said, I stayed for the people.
On Saturday, Aug. 13th, at 6:00 p.m. the Sheriffs Office received an attempt to locate on a red vehicle that was driving erratically on the interstate and cutting people off. The male operator of the vehicle was wanted out of Minnesota. Authorities advised that officers having contact with the subject should use caution.

The suspect vehicle was observed by a deputy in Hustler. When the deputy turned around and attempted to catch up to the vehicle the vehicle had taken off. As the deputy attempted to locate the vehicle he observed another vehicle with Minnesota license plates. When he ran the plates on the vehicle they came back to the subject that was wanted.

When the deputy activated his emergency lights the vehicle attempted to elude the deputy. The operator of the vehicle eventually stopped and was taken into custody south of New Lisbon on Hwy 80. The operator, 33 year old Sagwant Butcher, was transported to the Juneau County Jail where she was tentatively charged with eluding an officer.

At approximately 7:00 p.m. the other vehicle registered to the male subject wanted out of Minnesota was located by the Elroy Officer. The Elroy Officer followed the suspect vehicle until additional officers were in the area. The Elroy Officer attempted to stop the vehicle in Union Center. The suspect vehicle fled west on Hwy 80 toward Hillsboro with officers pursuing.

During the pursuit a Vernon squad struck a civilian vehicle. No- one was injured in the accident. Just into Vernon County the suspect vehicle pulled over. As the Elroy and Hillsboro Officers pulled near the suspect vehicle the subject put his vehicle into reverse and rammed the Elroy squad while the officer was still in the squad. At this point shots were fired at the suspects vehicle. The suspect vehicle then took off and went a short distance toward Hillsboro and stopped.

The wanted suspect fled the vehicle on foot. Officers pursued and took the suspect into custody. The wanted suspect, 39 year old Lewis Byrd, was transported to Hillsboro Hospital where he was medically cleared. Byrd had a minor injury to his elbow. It is unknown at this time if the injury was from gunfire or the accident. Byrd was then transported to the Vernon County Jail. The Elroy Officer was transported to Hillsboro Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The Monroe County Sheriffs Office was requested to investigate the incident. The incident remains under investigation at this time.
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.
Camp Kesem: a place for magic

A Magical Summer The magical moments that take place during the week make for a lifetime magical memories. Photo courtesy of Camp Kesem W&M

Counselor Sundae Campers turn their favorite counselors into their favorite desserts on counselor Sundays. Photo courtesy of Camp Kesem W&M

Summer Tradition W&M Camp Kesem keeps the favorite summer camp tradition of roasting marshmallows alive. Photo courtesy of Camp Kesem W&M Photo - of - Hide Caption

They may not have wands or spells, but William & Mary students make magic happen for children every summer through Camp Kesem.

Camp Kesem  literally magic in Hebrew  is a national organization run by college students that hosts free summer camps for children whose parents have been diagnosed with cancer. W&M camp co-director Hannah Zarnich 18 says that magic is exactly what happens each year as worries are tossed aside, stress is relieved, lasting bonds are formed and unforgettable memories are made.

You kind of just see things that take place ... and there is no other way to describe it besides magical, said Zarnich.

This years W&M camp is taking place August 14-20 at Camp Piankatank in Heartfield, Virginia, just about an hour away from the universitys campus. But planning and fundraising efforts have been ongoing since last years camp ended.

The national organization was founded at Stanford University in 2000 and has grown to include more than 80 chapters across the country. The W&M chapter of Camp Kesem was founded in 2013 after student leaders applied for a $10,000 LIVESTRONG grant and hosted 30 campers. Now Camp Kesem at W&M has grown to accommodate 80 campers this summer.

The W&M camp counselors set an annual goal for the number of campers theyd like to accommodate each year. Then they fundraise to try to meet the goal. Each of the more than two dozen counselors commit to raising at least $500. Probably the largest fundraiser in the past year was Giving Tuesday right after Thanksgiving, during which the counselors leveraged their relationships with friends and family through social media.

We set a goal to raise $2,000 that day collectively, and we raised over $11,000 just from that one day said Zarnich.

Not only is Camp Kesem funded by the efforts of W&M students, but it is entirely organized and operated by them. Each year, W&M students volunteer to provide support and an outlet to the campers who face the difficult reality of their parents diagnosis.

Its serving a group of people that are often overlooked, and Im just lucky to be able to help them, said co-director Casey Douma 16.

Although Camp Kesem is designed for kids whose parents have cancer, it is hardly the focus of the weeklong camp.

The main priority is just to give them a week where they can be a kid again, said Zarnich.

In fact, Camp Kesem operates just like any other summer camp. Campers ranging in age from 6 to 16 participate in the usual camp activities including canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, games and singing good old-fashioned camp songs. However, the support of the counselors and the newfound friends are what make Camp Kesem special, said the student directors.

Kimberly Hundley, whose husband is now in remission after battling leukemia, will be sending her 15-year-old daughter Ty Garland and 12-year-old son Cameron back to Camp Kesem for the third time this summer.

Although their initial summer at Camp Kesem was the first time that they had ever spent the night away from home for a week, Hundley was amazed to hear them say they wanted to go back again the following year.

I think being with kids whose parents are at different stages of cancer was an eye-opener for them, said Hundley.

Ty Garland felt a connection to the counselors whom she found to be very caring and relatable and was inspired to return to Camp Kesem in the future as a junior counselor.

She also found she was able to connect with others that were going through the same things she was experiencing.

Knowing other kids my age and even kids younger than me have been through this too and were even stronger than I was, is what she found helpful in dealing with her dads diagnosis, she said.

According to Zarnich, They all can relate to one another in a way that they may not necessarily get from their peers at school.

They can also rely on the care and compassion of the W&M students that will always lend an ear to listen and encourage.

I think our camp is special because they support everyone, said Duoma.




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Changjiang 2 enters commercial operation

15 August 2016

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Unit 2 of the Changjiang nuclear power plant on China's southern island province of Hainan has entered commercial operation, China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) announced today.

Changjiang units 1 and 2 (Image: CNNC)

The company said the 650 MWe CNP-600 pressurized water reactor met all the conditions for entering commercial operation at 5.00pm on 12 August, having completed a 168-hour continuous demonstration run.

The reactor achieved first criticality on 9 June following the completion of loading 121 fuel assemblies into its core on 12 May. It was connected to the grid on 20 June.

Initial approval for construction of the Changjiang plant was granted by the National Developmental and Reform Commission in July 2008. Early site works began in December 2008. Construction of unit 1 began with the pouring of first concrete on 25 April 2010, while that for unit 2 was poured on 21 November 2010. Changjiang 1 achieved first criticality on 12 October 2015 and entered commercial operation in December.

The plant, near Hoi Mei Tong village in China's Hainan province, is being built as a joint venture between CNNC and China Huaneng Group, with shares split 51% and 49%, respectively. The plant will eventually comprise four units, with units 3 and 4 housing either CNP-650 or ACP-600 reactors. Construction of both those units is scheduled to begin by 2018.

CNNC has said that the first two Changjiang units will together provide almost one-third of the electricity needs of Hainan. By using nuclear power instead of coal-fired generation, the units will avoid the burning of some 300 million tonnes of coal and the resulting emission of about 7.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide and 5.8 tonnes of sulfur dioxide, it claims.

Changjiang 2 becomes CNNC's 15th power reactor in commercial operation. It now has 12,162 MWe of generating capacity online. CNNC also has another nine units under construction and several more planned.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Local benefits from Idaho SMR

15 August 2016

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The proposed construction and operation of NuScale's small modular reactor (SMR) near Idaho Falls will have a significant impact on the local economy, an economic impact analysis commissioned by the city's mayor has found.

Mayor Rebecca Casper commissioned the preliminary economic impact analysis through the Idaho Department of Labor to examine the potential economic impact of a project to build the first commercial NuScale SMR on a site at the US Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory (INL). More in-depth economic impact studies will be conducted as the project progresses.

According to the study, preliminary estimates indicate that the first phase - construction - of the project will cost $2.8 billion and directly support up to 1000 jobs, while creating or sustaining an additional 11,808 jobs in the local economy through indirect and induced economic activity. The operations phase would support 360 jobs annually, with indirect and induced economic activity creating or sustaining a further 1147 jobs.

City of Idaho Falls economic development coordinator Dana Briggs said the SMR project would spur growth, development and career opportunities in eastern Idaho. "As shown by the data gathered in this economic impact analysis, realizing the location of a Small Modular Reactor at the INL site will have a tremendous impact on our local and regional economy," she said.

Briggs noted that the study had not included the impact of the SMR supply chain. "Regional companies are well positioned to provide supplies, technology, and expertise for SMR technology to be deployed throughout the nation and world. The economic possibilities are mutually beneficial for our businesses, citizens, and community. This is an excellent opportunity for our region," she said.

Last week, public power consortium Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems announced the selection of a preferred site for the construction of the plant within the INL boundary. NuScale is preparing to submit a reactor design certification application to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with plans for a construction and operating licence application referencing the design in late 2017 or early 2018.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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EPA approval for Mulga Rock

15 August 2016

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Western Australia's Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has today recommended Vimy Resources' Mulga Rock uranium project for approval by the state's environment minister.

The EPA's endorsement of Vimy's plans to mine up to 1360 t U3O8 (1153 tU) per year at the project, 240 km east-northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's Great Victoria Desert, follows an environmental impact assessment process which included a 12-week public review period. The EPA board examined the proposal and tested it against six key environmental factors including potential impacts to flora, vegetation, terrestrial fauna, human health and the environmental quality of inland waters. The EPA's process also included a site visit, discussions with Vimy and the consideration of public and government agency submissions.

EPA chairman Tom Hatton said each proposal received by the EPA scrutinised on a case-by-case basis. "In this instance, the EPA has recommended the Mulga Rock Uranium Project be approved subject to a suite of stringent conditions," he said. The authority recently recommended that another proposed uranium mining project, Cameco's Yeelirrie, should not go ahead on the grounds that it failed to adequately protect underground fauna.

The 14 conditions recommended by the EPA include the preparation of environmental management plans to ensure that impacts on the conservation of significant flora, vegetation and terrestrial fauna are minimised. Vimy will also be required to prepare plans to ensure impacts on Aboriginal heritage sites are minimised and to monitor and manage the quality of soil and groundwater. The EPA has also recommended conditions on aspects related to the eventual rehabilitation and decommissioning of the mine. It concluded that radiation exposure to mine-site workers and the public would be within acceptable limits for human health.

The project will require final approval from both the state and Australian federal environment ministers before it can proceed. It is being assessed under a bilateral agreement under which the federal environment minister relies on the environmental impact assessment processes carried out at the state level, so the Western Australian assessment report will help to form the basis of the final assessment and decision at the federal level.

Vimy CEO Mike Young said the EPA had undertaken a very efficient and thorough assessment, describing the EPA's approval as a "fantastic" outcome. He said the company could see no reason why the state and federal ministers would not agree with the EPA's assessment.

The EPA's report to the Western Australian minister for the environment is now open to public appeal for 14 days, ending 29 August. Vimy said that it "expects that there will be appeals" but anticipates a final decision by the end of the year.

"We can see the end of the approvals process," Young said. "This de-risks perceptions and is a very significant step towards achieving the conditions required for the final investment decision."

Mulga Rock is described by Vimy as the third largest undeveloped uranium deposit in Australia. The project has a total of 76.2 million pounds (29,310 tU) of indicated and inferred uranium resources in four deposits, which Vimy intends to mine by shallow open-pit methods, with a central processing plant. Cobalt, copper, nickel and zinc metal concentrates will be extracted after the uranium has been removed, and sold separately. The project has an expected mine life of 16 years.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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The Role of Customs

Customs agencies are responsible for managing what comes into and what leaves a countrys borders. This sometimes includes prohibiting or restricting products, collecting taxes, and storing commercial materials until the approval process is completed. Customs officials supervise all transport methods whether it be via land, air, or water. Governments should strive to achieve efficiency within these departments in order to encourage trade. This article takes a look at the most efficient customs procedures around the world.

Most Efficient Customs Procedures in the World

On a scale of 1 to 7 with 7 being the most efficient, both Hong Kong and Singapore have a 6.2 rating. Both of these countries provide clear rules regarding the importing and exporting of items, and lack severe bureaucratic measures that slow down customs processes in other countries. Their move toward efficiency in the 1970s has allowed both Hong Kong and Singapore to emerge as international trading hubs.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has a perceived efficiency of 6. This country is also the 26th largest export economy and 24th largest importer in the world. This might not be possible if not for an efficient customs department. The UAE has developed its system with international business in mind, investing millions of dollars in its warehouse and transportation infrastructure as well. The government here has even created a large licensing free zone with access to all methods of transportation in a move to promote business and an advanced online system that allows integration of trade, supply, and payments.

Finland and New Zealand each have a 5.9 rating. Finland has a high dependency on exports, a fact that motivated the government to ensure efficient customs procedures. Trading here requires minimal paperwork, with just 4 documents each for exports and imports. Finland also has a fast processing time. On average, export time at the border takes around 36 hours, and paperwork takes 2 hours. In some countries, these numbers would be days. Importing takes approximately 2 hours at the border and only 1 hour for paperwork.

Following these 2 nations is Ireland at number 6 on the list. This country has score of 5.7 on the burden of customs scale. Export times at the border are lower than in Finland, taking only 24 hours (possibly due to minimal paperwork) but the cost is slightly increased. Imports are also held up for only 24 hours. As part of the European Union, trade with Ireland is significant and its efficiency is important.

Other countries considered to have efficient customs protocols include Luxembourg (5.6), the Netherlands (5.5), Georgia (5.5), and Qatar (5.4).

Promoting International Business

In international trade, customs procedures play an important role. When customs procedures are easy to understand and carry out, they promote international business and trade. Increased user convenience helps reduce the costs of doing business allowing the nation to become more competitive in the international market. Efficient customs processes are viewed as more reliable and secure which also helps encourage participation in its market. Not only do customs departments ensure the movement of goods across borders, but also obtain revenues for the country and improve its security. Facilitating trade operations is one of the most critical factors in economic development which then goes on to promote social health and poverty reduction.
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Focus on a major infrastructure plan in which "she sees construction and housing as part of that larger infrastructure."

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Gene Sperling, a top economic advisor to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton recently said that U.S. housing will play an important role in a Clinton administration."For Hillary Clinton, growing middle class jobs and middle income security is the single lens in which she will judge economic policy," Sperling said in an address to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Board of Directors at their Midyear Meeting in Miami. "What better helps the middle class than housing? Housing creates jobs in the United States. There is probably no other sector that creates jobs throughout income levels - from construction jobs to professional and servicing jobs."Noting that the credit pendulum has swung too tight in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Sperling cited a study from the Urban Institute that compared credit availability during the pre-crisis levels to the standards of today. The study found that 5 million fewer home loans have been issued as a result of current tight lending standards."Our challenge now is to never swing back to where we were, but to get to an equilibrium where people who are creditworthy can get the housing they need," said Sperling. "This will lead to increased housing starts, construction and affordable housing, which we need in this country."Sperling noted that the issue of housing finance reform is "really tough," but stipulated that a government backstop is essential to protect the 30-year mortgage."You need a backstop to ensure the United States of America still has a 30-year fixed mortgage," said Sperling. "That is something that gives people the opportunity to become home owners in this country."If Clinton is elected president, Sperling said she will:Regarding the mortgage interest deduction, Sperling said that Clinton's tax plan would retain the mortgage interest deduction but cap the marginal rate at which households can take their deductions at 28 percent. "So for 98 percent of Americans, the mortgage interest deduction is completely untouched," said Sperling.
Black and hispanic students under age 18 and young adults aged 18 to 34 years are only half as likely to get mental health care as whites despite similar needs

According to a Physicians for a National Health Program study that was published Aug. 12 in the International Journal of Health Services, minority children and young adults are only half as likely as their white counterparts to get mental health care, despite similar rates of need. According to the study findings, both black and hispanic children and young adults receive much less of virtually every type of mental health care, including both mental health and substance abuse counseling.

Dr. Lyndonna Marrast, a fellow at Harvard Medical School and Cambridge Health Alliance led the study. Co-authors Drs. David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler write: The under-provision of mental health care for minority children contrasts starkly with the high frequency of punitive sanctions that their behaviors elicit. Black children suffer excessive rates of school discipline such as suspensions and expulsions starting at preschool ages. Minority teens also have disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system, with higher arrest rates for nonviolent, low-level offenses such as drug possession, as well as for non-criminal misbehaviors such as truancy and curfew violations. Youthful transgressions that might result in referral for treatment among non-minority children more often incur criminal sanctions for minorities.

According to the study, black children made 37 percent fewer visits to psychiatrists and 47 percent fewer visits to any mental health professional than white children. Hispanic children were 49 percent less likely to see a psychiatrist and 58 percent less likely to see any mental health professional. The racial and ethnic disparities were even larger among minority young adults, with whites receiving about three times more outpatient mental health services than hispanics and blacks in the same age group. Substance abuse counseling for young black adults was only about one-seventh that of whites, even though that group has high rates of arrest for substance abuse. Differences in income and insurance did not account for the disparities in care between minorities and whites.

The study also found that girls received less mental health care than boys, although that difference was the opposite in young adults, with women receiving more mental health visits. Young black and hispanic men, the groups who are at the highest risk for incarceration, had the lowest rates of mental health visits, even though at least half of inmates suffer from mental illness, according to data from the Department of Justice, and most have been untreated at the time of their arrest.

Woolhandler says, Minority kids dont get help when theyre in trouble. Instead they get expelled or jailed. But punishing people for mental illness or addiction is both inhumane and ineffective. The lack of care for minority youth is the real crime.
Monkey steals water bottles from tourists

By: Feng Qian

(Scroll down for video) Several tourists Cambodia, were surprised to see a monkey on the side of the road and told their tour guide to stop their vehicle so that can have a closer look.

The tour guide of Sarys Siem Reap Tours in Siem Reap, stopped the vehicle, and allowed the group of tourists to get close with the monkey.

However, the monkey had something else in mind.

The monkey went to the front of the vehicle, and took two water bottles, ignoring the tour guide who asked it to take just one.

The monkey then sat down with the two water bottles on the side of the road. The monkey screwed off the cap of the bottle and drank the water.

When it completed one bottle, the monkey opened the second bottle and drank the water. The monkey was recorded on video.

The video was uploaded to YouTube, where it went viral.

aMy customers wanted to meet some of the famous monkeys of Siem Reap. We met up with a thirsty friend,a the tour guide wrote.
Swedish prosecutors will question Julian Assange inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The WikiLeaks founder and editor has been trapped there since being granted asylum four years ago this month.

Assange is wanted on trumped-up minor rape allegations, which were revived by the Swedish state in September 2010, having been earlier dropped as groundless, in order to provide the legal justification for his extradition to Sweden. Once there, Assange fears he will be extradited to the United States where a sealed Grand Jury indictment involving espionage charges is awaiting him.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (UNWGAD) earlier this year declared, If Mr. Assange leaves the confines of the Embassy, he forfeits his most effective and potentially only protection against refoulement to United States of America.

The Working Group stated that his confinement violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and amounts to arbitrary detention by Sweden and Britain. Its ruling that Assange should be released and given compensation was rejected by both countries.

The decision by Sweden to question Assange in the embassy after years of dismissing his offers to be interviewed was announced in a statement Thursday by Ecuadors Attorney General Diego Garcia Carrion. He said, In the coming weeks a date will be established for the proceedings to be held at the embassy of Ecuador in the United Kingdom... For more than four years, the government of Ecuador has offered to cooperate in facilitating the questioning of Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, as well as proposing other political and legal measures, in order to reach a satisfactory solution for all parties involved in the legal case against Julian Assange, to end the unnecessary delays in the process and to ensure full and effective legal protection.

In line with this position, Ecuador proposed to Sweden the negotiation of an agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, which was signed last December and which provides the legal framework for the questioning.

The attorney general said that the questioning did not invalidate the findings of the UN Working Group, insisting, Ecuadors foreign ministry reiterates its commitment to the asylum granted to Julian Assange in August 2012, and reaffirms that the protection afforded by the Ecuadorian state shall continue while the circumstances persist that led to the granting of asylum, namely fears of political persecution.

On Friday, Swedish prosecution authority spokeswoman Karin Rosander said Ecuadors reply means that a questioning can make the case go forward. This is decisive to be able to take a decision whether to formally charge him or not.

Assanges persecution originates in the response of the Obama administration to the publication by WikiLeaks in 2010 of hundreds of thousands of secret documents relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan leaked by Army whistleblower Chelsea Manning, including the infamous Collateral Murder video. Pressure was put on US allies, including Sweden, which had been a centre of WikiLeaks operations, to do whatever they could to counteract Assanges activities.

In Sweden, the authorities seized on the occasion earlier in 2010 when two women, who had consenting sexual relationships with Assange, visited a Stockholm police station to request he take an HIV test.

Swedish prosecutors then alleged that Assange, without charging him, had committed a number of sexual misconduct offenses. When Stockholms chief prosecutor declared there was no evidence of rape, another prosecutor, Marianne Ny, resurrected the case, at the behest of a right-wing Social Democrat, Claes Borgstrom.

In December 2010, Sweden issued a European Arrest Warrant, requesting that the UK, where Assange was living, arrest and extradite him. After two years of court battles, house arrest and several days in jail, Assange, still not charged with any offense, entered the Ecuadorian embassy in June 2012, where he has remained to this day.

Since then, Ny has insisted that Assange had to return to Sweden to be questioned, even though the Swedish authorities have interviewed dozens of people in the UK over the last five years and transferred an entire Stockholm court to Rwanda for war crimes proceedings in 2012.

Following the UN Working Groups ruling, Assanges attorneys asked the Stockholm District Court this February to overturn the EAW. The court refused, claiming Assanges stay at the Ecuadorian Embassy was not a form of detention and that there is still probable cause for the suspicion against [Assange] for rape, less serious incident, and that there is still a risk that he will depart or in some other way evade prosecution or penalty. Assanges lawyers are appealing the decision.

Five hundred human rights organisations, activists, Nobel laureates and diplomats have condemned the Swedish and British rejection of the UNWGAD ruling in an open letter.

Speaking in a live video feed Saturday from the embassy to an event at the Australian Bendigo Writers Festival, Assange said of Swedens move, The situation is this, there is one allegation, there are no charges, there have never been charges. In relation to this precise allegation, I have already been cleared by the chief prosecutor of Stockholm, back in 2010, who found that no crime had been committed whatsoever. Its been at the stage of preliminary investigation ever since.

Asked by the interviewer, Professor Robert Manne, if he believed he would go free if Sweden stopped their persecution, Assange replied, Im 100 percent confident that I would not be a free person because the British government has said, regardless of whether the Swedes drop the case or not, theyre going to arrest me. The UK government also refuses to confirm or deny whether there is already a US extradition request.

Backing up the extent of the intimate relationship between Swedens political and judicial authorities and successive US governments, Assange told the audience, The Swedes have extradited every single person that the US has asked for since at least the year 2000. They have a 100 percent extradition rate to the United States. The UK has a 90 percent extradition rate.

Assange concluded, We have the United States asserting jurisdiction over an Australian not in the United States, asserting jurisdiction over web servers and publishing operations in Europe and Australia.

The Sydney Morning Herald, no friend of Assange, was forced to acknowledge that the packed Ulumbarra Theatre crowd was largely sympathetic [to Assange], delivering rousing applause at various points in the discussion.

Efforts to railroad Assange are being intensified following WikiLeaks release of roughly 20,000 internal Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, exposing the methods that the Democratic Party utilizes in order to raise funds, dole out privileges and cover up their dirty dealings.

Most significantly, the emails revealed how the DNC worked to undermine the campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and assist the campaign of Hillary Clinton. Last week WikiLeaks tweeted a reminder that in 2010, Bob Beckel, a strategist for the Democratic Party, called for Julian Assange to be assassinated.
At least 21 people were killed, and five critically injured, by an explosion at a coal-fired power plant in central China last Thursday.

Asia Times reported that the incident occurred when a high-pressure steam pipe exploded at the plant at around 3:20 p.m. The pipe burst and started leaking during testing, according to Xinhua, the state news agency. The cause of the blast has not been immediately determined.

The plant is currently under construction in the city of Dangyang in Hubei Province. It is owned by the Madian Gangue Power Generation Company, which generates thermal power and sells slag, ash and petroleum products. A spokesman of the Dangyang government propaganda office told the New York Times that an investigation was underway and the government would release more details later.

Du Qiuxin, a villager who lives a kilometre from the plant, told Xinhua: I was woken up by a loud bang which lasted for several minutes. The news agency reported that a dozen emergency vehicles were seen at the factory gates and an unspecified number of injured were rushed to hospital.

The power plant uses coal gangue, also known as low-calorific coal, which is a waste product from the mining and processing of coal. Although coal gangue has relatively low energy value, and is considered more environmentally harmful than other types of coal, some central government officials and provincial governments have pursued approvals for more plants burning the gangue so that it is not left piling up at mine sites.

Chinas industrial disasters are not accidents, but involve the systemic sacrifice of the health and safety of workers and residents for profit. The latest blast came a day before the first anniversary of large explosions that killed at least 165 people in the northern port of Tianjin.

The explosions at the Tianjin facility, which was storing more than 11,000 tonnes of chemicals and hazardous goods, sparked widespread anger over negligence by factory management and the lack of openness by officials about the cause of the disaster and its possible environmental impact. Ten chemical plants were later moved after being found to be too close to residential areas around the city.

Authorities in February released the findings from an official investigation, which recommended that 123 government employees be punished for offences, including dereliction of duty. Investigators blamed more than 10 government departments for their role in the disasterfrom work safety and environmental protection officials, to customs, the police and plannersfor failing to supervise and oversee the warehouse. The report also found that legal loopholes and lax implementation of regulations contributed to the catastrophe.

The State Council investigation was designed to close the matter down, and there has been almost no follow-up in the official media. Local residents, who remain deeply concerned about possible chemical contamination of the area, were forced to start moving back in June when the government stopped contributing financially toward alternative accommodation.

The authorities are trying to persuade the public and the media that those responsible for the Tianjin disaster have been punished, and that it is now time for everything to return to normal. Huge billboards placed around the vast denuded blast site call on people to unite in the construction of a bright future and not dwell on the past.

Anger over callous disregard for safety standards, corruption and bureaucratic cover-ups is growing after three decades of economic deregulation and the relentless pursuit of profits that has characterised Chinas anarchic economic expansion under capitalist restoration.

In the wake of the Tianjin report, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said questions remained over whether China had really learned lessons from the Tianjin blasts. While thousands of firms produce and store hazardous chemicals across the country, only six provinces make their information publicly available. Liu Chunlei, the head of Qingyue Environmental Information, said even in those six provinces, the information on the type and amount of chemicals used or stored was not complete. Few provinces made it clear where the potentially dangerous enterprises were located.

In order to quell deepening popular hostility, the State Administration of Work Safety published new regulations in June requiring companies to devise detailed contingency plans for workplace accidents. The revised measures give more detailed guidance to companies on writing, implementing, publicising and filing contingency plans for workplace accidents. The new rules also hike the penalties for violations.

Substandard safety practices are the norm, not the exception, and the regulations will change very little. Any disruption to the corporate profits extracted from the Chinese working class would only deepen the economic slump within China and globally.

According to the China Labour Bulletin (CLB), the latest official figures show that there were 28,115 workplace accidents and 16,059 deaths reported in the first seven months of this year. The majority stem from small-scale incidents that never get reported in the official media. In a fairly typical month for accidents in May, the CLB listed 11 separate incidents with a total of 16 fatalities. The most common causes of workplace accidents are structural and mechanical failures, particularly during maintenance or repair work, and traffic accidents, such as street cleaners being hit by cars.

Major explosions, like the one in Dangyang, represent a small proportion of the overall number of accidents. CLBs Work Accident Map has recorded 37 explosions this year. In January, three people died when blasts swept a fireworks plant in Jiangxi Province. In April, a chemical fire burned for 16 hours in the coastal province of Jiangsu after an explosion at a facility storing chemicals and fuel, requiring 400 firefighters to put it out.

Many of the workers injured or killed in these incidents struggle to get a fraction of the compensation they are entitled to by law. Many poor and vulnerable workers in remote areas in China are lucky to get anything at all, especially if their employer is in league with local government officials who can cover the accidents up.

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British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed his capitulation to the decision of the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) to exclude up to 150,000 members from voting in the upcoming party leadership contest.

On Friday, the Court of Appeal in London handed down a politically motivated ruling supporting the NEC in denying a vote to those who have joined the party since January. This decision overturned a High Court ruling just days earlier in favour of legal action by five party members on behalf of those disenfranchised. The High Court had ruled that all members had the right to vote in the contest.

The leadership election is the outcome of an ongoing coup against Corbyn organised by supporters of former Labour prime minister and war criminal Tony Blair.

Speaking to the BBC Saturday, Corbyn went no further than to lament that the Court of Appeal had denied those members a vote in this election, which I think is very sad.

Speaking at a rally in Milton Keynes the same day, all he could manage against the Labour right wing was to complain that they dont like the way things are going and are not prepared to play ball. This was followed by yet another plea for party unity. Come September 24, he said, this election campaign will be over. Come September 25, get on board, join in, take the fight to the Tories.

The BBC described Corbyns speech as an appeal for unity.

On Sunday, Corbyn used an extensive interview with the Observer newspaper to play Pontius Pilate regarding the denial of the right to vote to fully a quarter of the partys membership. He said he was very disappointed, as people joined the Labour Party in order to take part in the party and were specifically told that they were able to vote in the leadership election and that was decided by the High Court that they could.

But when asked if the members would achieve anything by taking their case any further, possibly through legal action in the Supreme Court, Corbyn replied, Probably not.

He then played down the red-baiting of Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, who last week described as Trotskyist entryists members who have joined the party in mass numbers in support of Corbyn over the last year. Using language legitimating this anti-communist witch-hunt and playing into the hands of the right wing, Corbyn stated: 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 [emphasis added].

Labours NEC nominated a Procedures Committee, whose members include Watson and General Secretary Iain McNicol, which then imposed a membership cut-off date designed to disenfranchise party members. Alongside Watson, McNicol then forced through the appeal of the High Courts ruling.

Corbyn refuses to move for the removal of McNicol, as demanded by many Labour members. Asked three times if he had confidence in McNicol, Corbyn stated, I have been happy to work with him.

The current NEC has already been repudiated by the membership. On Tuesday, it was announced that Corbyns supporters won all six positions up for grabs from Constituency Labour Party members in the latest elections to the 33-member NEC, giving him a clear majority on the body. In contrast, the right wing won no NEC seats in voting by the Labour Party constituencies.

Even with this additional mandate to fight Watson, McNicol, et al., Corbyn pledged to do nothing. He told the Observer, We will receive a report from Iain [McNicol] about the process that has gone on over the last few months. And the NEC will no doubt ask him questions and he will give answers on it. But lets look at that when the new NEC takes over.

The new NEC will not take over until October, after the leadership contest, thus handing the initiative, yet again, to the right wing.

To add insult to injury, Corbyn again denounced expressions of hostility to the right wing by his own supporters. On Friday evening, Corbyn held a second hustings with leadership challenger Owen Smith, during which Smith was booed. The Observer, sister newspaper of the Guardian, which is leading the campaign for Corbyns removal, said of the hustings, This campaign is turning a little nasty. There was a lot of booing at the event last night.

In reply, Corbyn said nothing about the truly sordid activities of the Blairites, while stating, People should treat each other with respect. I dont do abuse and I dont think that anyone else should, whoever they are.

Corbyn never once sought to utilise the Observer interview to denounce the Blairite coup plotters or detail the political skulduggery employed against him. Instead, he legitimised their efforts as a democratic expression of the wishes of the electorate.

The Observer said to Corbyn that MPs opposing him get their mandate from their constituents and it was perfectly reasonable for MPs, who are taking soundings from voters, to say they are unwilling to support you as leader because they dont see you as being electable as a prime minister.

To this lie Corbyn answered, Of course, it is perfectly reasonable.

He concluded with yet another plea for unity: They can take a position, and they have done. And they are welcome to make the comments that they do. But I just remind them that we are all members of the Labour Party. We are all selected and promoted and supported by members of the Labour Party.

The extent of Corbyns cowardice in the face of the right wings onslaught will no doubt shock many among the hundreds of thousands of workers and youth who voted him into office based on his pledge to oppose years of Labour-backed spending cuts, militarism and war. But Corbyns actions are not fundamentally the result of either naivete or spinelessness. He constantly invokes the integrity of the party, calling for unity with the right, and deliberately plays down of the coup against him and the lengths to which the right wing are prepared to go because to do otherwise would confront workers with the reality of the Labour Party as an instrument of the British state.

It would mean politically repudiating his central assertion that Labour can be transformed into a party representing the interests of working people.

The Labour Party is, by virtue of its programme and history, a pro-business party of warmongers. Its MPs view the influx of new members, who represent the growing left-wing sentiment of millions throughout the UK, with horror and undisguised hostility, viewing it as an impediment to carrying out Labours political mission of serving British imperialism.

On Sunday, the five Labour members who took out the legal challenge to the NEC stated they could not afford to take the case against the NEC any further. They revealed that more than 93,000 had been donated by supporters since the Court of Appeal ruling to help them pay their legal costs of 30,000. The Court of Appeal ruled that the five had to pay back this amount to the Labour Party.
Frictions between China and South Korea are mounting following last months announcement by Washington and Seoul that the US would deploy an anti-ballistic missile battery to the Korean Peninsula by the end of 2017. The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system is a key part of the Obama administrations pivot to Asia and preparations for war against China.

Chinas state-run Global Times, which has been at the forefront of condemning THAAD and South Korea in recent weeks, published an August 11 editorial reiterating its accusations that Washington and Seoul had pushed Pyongyang into developing nuclear weapons. North Koreas nuclear ambition was primarily triggered by long-standing military pressures imposed by South Korea and the US, it stated. The escalating pressures have [produced] bolder nuclear projects. China, being a well-intentioned and responsible mediator, has been paid back by a threatening advanced military system.

These tensions became apparent almost immediately after the formal declaration on THAADs deployment on July 8. Both China and Russia denounced the decision. Beijing warned earlier in the year that such a decision would have a serious impact on relations with Seoul. On July 25, during a meeting with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byeong-se on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Seoul had undermined the foundations of trust between the two countries.

In response to Chinese criticism, South Koreas Kim Seong-u, chief presidential secretary for public affairs, stated on August 7: Chinese media are putting the cart before the horse in insisting that Seouls decision to deploy the THAAD system in its territory is the cause of Pyongyangs successive ballistic missile launches and other military provocations. He continued: The fundamental reason for the decision to deploy THAAD lies in the rising nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. If such threats from the North disappear, THAAD wont be needed.

The THAAD system is in fact a crucial part of Washingtons pivot to Asia and preparations for war with China. The US military buildup in the region includes another THAAD battery in Guam and two related X-band radar systems in Japan. The US also recently announced it was deploying B-1B bombers to Guam. The B1-Bs are faster and can carry more weaponry than the B-52s they are replacing.

This anti-ballistic missile network will also draw Tokyo and Seoul closer together, a longstanding goal of the US. Washington has been concerned by the tensions between its two major allies in North East Asia on historical issues, dating back to the Japanese colonial rule of Korea during the first half of the 20th century.

THAAD consists of interceptor missiles and the AN/TPY-2 X-band radar system. THAAD is designed to locate and knock out incoming missile attacks. The United States intends to use the system to prevent a Chinese counterattack hitting US military bases and other targets if Washington launches a first strike against China.

The system is also connected to the Link 16 intelligence-sharing network, providing intelligence on troop and possible target movements in real-time. In January, Seoul announced it would join Link 16, which includes the US, Japan and NATO countries.

These moves by the US are driving an accelerating arms race in the Asia-Pacific region. North Koreas development of nuclear weapons is itself bound up with internal political pressures created by Washingtons isolation of Pyongyang. The Stalinist regime led by Kim Jong-un has its weapon programs as the only negotiating chips it can use in order to strike a deal with American imperialism. However, Washington has made clear that any such agreement would be predicated on total capitulation, something which neither Pyongyang nor Beijing is willing to accept.

There are growing concerns that South Korea and Japan may develop their own nuclear bombs. Seoul has sought to develop nuclear weapons at various times, dating back to the regime of military dictator Park Chung-hee, the father of current President Park Geun-hye. Lee Deok-haeng, the director-general for unification policy in Seouls Ministry of Unification, recently told Fairfax Media that if North Korea continued to develop a nuclear bomb: It will become a domino effect and even South Korea will become concerned and develop nuclear weapons, and maybe Japan as well.

Both Washington and Seoul have referred to South Korea as a linchpin of the pivot, exploiting North Koreas bombastic but ultimately empty threats in order to justify expanding their military capabilities and ramping up tensions in the region. When President Park came to office in February 2013, she made clear that her policies would conform to Washingtons agenda. Initially, however, she also attempted to draw closer to Beijing, in the hope of winning its support to deal with North Korea and boosting economic relations.

While Washington cautiously allowed its ally to proceed along these lines, Seoul apparently took a step too far last September when Park appeared at a military parade alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the parade, in an obvious sign of displeasure, the US turned down several requests for a technology transfer that would allow South Korea to develop its own fighter jets.

Bowing to US pressure, Park reached an agreement last December with Tokyo over Korean comfort womenor sex slavesused by the Japanese military before and during World War II. This signaled a turn by South Korea to more openly fall into line with US interests. Seoul then used North Koreas fourth nuclear weapon test in January as a pretext for entering formal discussions in March on the THAAD deployment.

Drawing closer to Japan in diplomacy as well, Park held her first bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last November in Seoul. She is scheduled to travel to Tokyo to meet him again this fall during an annual meeting of Japanese, Chinese and South Korean leaders.

The US and South Korea will conduct their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercises from August 22 to 25. These war games, which are nominally aimed against Pyongyang, also threaten Beijing. They follow last springs largest-ever maneuvers between the two countries. The Korea Times reported that this months exercises will focus on striking facilities within North Korea.
At least four people have died, 8,000 people are in shelters and 18,000 people have had to be rescued from record-breaking floods in south Louisiana and portions of neighboring Mississippi over the weekend. A tropical storm-like weather system stalled over the region, pouring more than two feet of rain in some areas since Friday.

Baton Rouge, the state capital and center of a metropolitan area that is home to more than 800,000 people, was particularly hard hit. CNN reported rainfall totals of more than eight inches at the citys airport on Friday, the heaviest August rainfall since records began a century ago. In suburban Livingston Parish, according to the news network, more than 17 inches of rain were recorded on Saturday, making the storm a 1-in-1,000 year weather event.

A spokesman for the states Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said that more than 2,000 homes were flooded in the Baton Rouge area and at least 500 in Tangipahoa Parish, which lies halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans on the northwest shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Dozens of roads were closed throughout the weekend and residents reported widespread cell phone outages. Some 37,000 people were without power as of Sunday evening, according to the Advocate. State government offices and the campus of Louisiana State University were closed through the weekend.

Rainstorms contributed to record floods along local rivers, with the Amite River expected to exceed its previous high by six feet in the town of Magnolia, according to the Weather Channel. Floodwaters cut off access to entire riverside communities.

Sections of Interstate 10, the main highway connecting New Orleans and Baton Rouge, as well as Interstate 12 were closed over the weekend. State officials urged motorists to stay off the roads as much as possible. Thousands of motorists were stranded by floodwaters overnight, with officials distributing emergency supplies by helicopter to 1,500 motorists on I-12. One of the weekends fatalities occurred when a truck attempted to drive through a flooded state highway in St. Helena Parish.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced a statewide state of emergency on Friday, and has requested that President Barack Obama issue a federal disaster declaration, which would facilitate assistance from the federal government. The Advocate reported that Edwards was forced to evacuate the governors mansion when floodwaters reached the basement, where security operations were being coordinated. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant also declared a state of emergency on Sunday for four counties in the southern portion of the state.

As always during natural disasters in the United States, the military has been deployed to the affected areas, with nearly 2,000 National Guard troops activated by Governor Edwards, ostensibly to assist with rescue operations. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the city of New Orleans, which has been largely spared from the recent flooding, was occupied by thousands of National Guard troops, whose deployment impeded the flow of humanitarian assistance in favor of cracking down on looters.

This weekends floods were the second such severe flooding event in the region, among the poorest in the country, in less than a year. In late December and early January, record flooding along the Mississippi River south of St. Louis, Missouri killed at least two dozen people, prompting then-Governor Bobby Jindal to declare a state of emergency. According to Climatesignals.org, extreme precipitation has increased 27 percent from 1958 to 2012, largely due to global warming.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker mobilized the states National Guard Sunday after demonstrations against police violence erupted in Milwaukee following the killing of 23-year-old Sylville Smith by a police officer. One hundred national guardsmen remain on standby awaiting possible orders to join police units in shutting down further demonstrations.

On Saturday, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Smith and another unidentified person were driving through the Sherman Park neighborhood on Milwaukees northwest side when they were pulled over by two plainclothes officers for, as Milwaukee officials have put it, suspicious activity. Police say that Smith and the other individual exited from the car and proceeded to run on foot. The officers allege that Smith had in his hand a semiautomatic handgun as he ran and was told to drop it. He was then shot twice, as bullets ripped through his chest and arm, killing him.

Smiths shooter has been identified as a 24-year-old black police officer who has been placed on administrative duty awaiting investigation by the Milwaukee County District Attorney. He wore a body camera during the shooting, but officials have not made the video public.

During a news conference on Sunday, Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn commented that Smith, did turn to the officer with a firearm in his hand, adding that the killing of Smith certainly appeared to be within lawful bounds. There are no claims, however, that Smith fired his gun.

The shooting was met with anger by local residents who face conditions of poverty, mass unemployment and continual harassment by police. Reports indicate that about 100 people gathered Saturday night in the Sherman Park neighborhood to protest the killing.

Media coverage of the initial protest is almost nonexistent, with all reporting instead focused on the events later in the night. Four buildings, including a bank and gas station, were set ablaze. Cars, including police cruisers, were set on fire. The media, including many government officials, have been quick to use these events to justify the deployment of the National Guard and a police lockdown of the entire city.

The mobilization of the National Guard against social opposition within the United States is becoming routine. Walker previously mobilized the National Guard in December 2014 amidst growing protests over the police killing of 31-year-old Dontre Hamilton, who was shot 14 times in a city park in Milwaukee after a police officer provoked a confrontation with the unarmed man as he slept on a bench.

During the protests against the police killing of Michael Brown in August 2014, Missouri National Guard units amassed in Ferguson, Missouri. National Guard commanders referred to peaceful protesters as enemy forces and ran roughshod over the democratic rights of protesters. In April 2015, two thousand National Guard soldiers occupied the city of Baltimore, Maryland in response to the social eruption spurred by the killing of Freddie Gray.

The use of military force to quell social upheaval in response to police brutality will only grow as police killings continue unabated. According to killedbypolice.net, this year US police forces have killed 721 individuals as of August 13th.

The main common factor in these killings is not the race of the victim, but the fact that almost all those killed are poor and/or working class. This applies as well to the killing of Smith, where both the victim and the police officer were black.

The eruption of protests over the killing Sylville Smith reveals the deep social tensions that exist throughout the country. Smith gasped his last breaths in Sherman Park, Milwaukee, where a reported 43 percent of residents live in poverty. African-Americans in the city have been the hardest hit, with an average poverty rate of 39.9 percent. For children 18 and under, the poverty rate for all races is a staggering 42.1 percent. A recent report notes Milwaukees unemployment rate was 29 percent in 2014, double the national average of 14.8 percent.

Industry and manufacturing jobs have been decimated in recent decades. Milwaukee is one of many cities scattered through the United States gutted by deindustrialization. As in Detroit and Chicagos South Side, residents of Milwaukees more impoverished areas are surrounded by fossilized industrial warehouses that once provided decent-paying jobs.

Since the 2008 financial crash, all sections of the working class have seen a relentless attack on their living standards. Under Democratic President Barack Obama, the United States has seen the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the ruling class.

The Obama administration has overseen the continued transfer of military equipment to police forces throughout the country, while the White House has used federal investigationsincluding the most recent on Baltimore, Marylandto whitewash police killings and ensure that nothing is done to stop them.
With Election Day only 12 weeks away, the Democratic and Republican candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are running the most right-wing campaigns in the history of the United States.

Last week, Trump and Clinton each gave what were billed by their campaigns as major addresses on economic policy. They did not go beyond the demagogy and right-wing nostrums that characterize American capitalist politics. Trump called for even more tax cuts for the rich. Clinton called for a continuation of the policies of the Obama administration, which has overseen the greatest redistribution of wealth from working people to the rich in American history.

A new police murder Saturday in Milwaukee provoked widespread outrage and disturbances in the city. Trump campaigns as the defender of the police against any criticism of its violence and brutality. Clinton portrays the issue as purely a racial one, covering up for the class role of the police as the front-line defender of the wealth of the capitalist ruling elite.

As for the growing threat of imperialist war, Trump is to elaborate Monday on his plans for deploying more US troops and warplanes in the Middle East. Clinton has focused her campaign on her credentials as an aggressive commander-in-chief, attacking Trump from the right as a tool of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Clinton has been backed in this by an unprecedented intervention from the military-intelligence apparatus, as former generals, admirals and spies declare their support for the former secretary of state and vouch for her credentials as a reliable representative of the national-security state. Three former CIA chiefsRepublican Michael Hayden, Democrat Leon Panetta and the nonpartisan Michael Morellhave gone on national television in the past week to tout her qualifications.

A growing number of Republican officeholders and former officials have declared their opposition to Trump, and in many cases their support for Clinton, for the most part citing her foreign policy experience and her hawkish views, going back to her vote for the Iraq War in 2002.

The corporate-controlled two-party system has presented the American people with the choice between the fascistic billionaire Trump, who advocates a mass roundup of immigrants, a ban on Muslims entering the country, and a massive buildup of the American military, and Clinton, the personification of the political establishment and the corporate status quo, an advocate of militarism and the drive towards war with Russia and China, both nuclear-armed powers.

There is a vast and growing gulf between the entire political system and the sentiments of millions of workers and young people. Trump and Clinton are the two most unpopular major-party candidates for president in modern history, with Trump deemed unacceptable by close to 70 percent of the population, while Clintons unfavorability rating tops 55 percent. As the Washington Post noted in a front-page report Sunday, for young people especially, the choice of Clinton vs. Trump feels like a joke.

While expressing revulsion at Trump, dozens of younger voters interviewed for the report voiced no enthusiasm for Clinton, a development the Post called ominous. Gone were the illusions inspired by the Obama campaign of 2008. According to the Post, most talked about both her and Trump in searing, caustic words: Super villain. Evil. Chameleon. Racist. Criminal. Egomaniac. Narcissist. Sociopath. Liar. Lying cutthroat Horrifying. Dishonest. Disgusting. Dangerous. Disaster. Which term applied to which candidate was left unsaid, though most could equally apply to both.

Many of these younger voters backed the campaign of Bernie Sanders, yet his so-called political revolution has proven a cynical fraud, aimed, as the WSWS warned, at channeling oppositional sentiment into the dead-end of the Democratic Party.

One-quarter of younger voters told Post-ABC polls that they would support a third party candidate. In a separate study reported by USA Today, Trumps support among voters under 35 stood at only 20 percent, an historic low for a major-party candidate, with more young voters planning to support no party or a third party than the Republicans.

The two officially recognized third parties, however, the Libertarians and the Green Party, offer no alternative to the Democrats and Republicans. The Libertarians espouse a more extreme free market version of capitalism than even the Republicans, while the Greens defend the profit system, combining minor reform proposals with economic nationalism and reactionary calls to reduce consumption. Where the Greens have come to power, they have invariably supported war and austerity directed against the working class.

Only one campaign offers a genuine alternative to the working class and youth: the Socialist Equality Party and its candidates, Jerry White for president and Niles Niemuth for vice president. The SEP campaign advances a socialist perspective based on three fundamental principles:

1) Oppose US militarism! Stop the drive to World War III!

Our campaign is breaking the conspiracy of silence of Clinton, Trump, the Obama administration and the corporate media on the war plans of American imperialism. Millions of people--in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan--have been killed, injured or turned into refugees in the wars launched by the United States since 2001. These regional wars are leading to global conflict, as Washington prepares to confront Russia in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and China in the Far East. The SEP campaign seeks to build the foundations for a powerful international anti-war movement based in the working class.

2) Put an end to poverty and social inequality!

The SEP fights to abolish a system in which the super-rich exploit the labor of billions of workers around the world. We call for a vast redistribution of wealth to secure basic social rights, including the right to a decent-paying job, quality education, affordable housing, universal health care, a dignified retirement and access to culture. The SEP advances a program not for the reform of capitalism, but for its abolition and replacement by socialism.

3) Defend democratic rights! No to government spying and police violence!

The growth of anti-capitalist sentiment in the US, as revealed in the support of millions of workers and young people for the campaign of Bernie Sanders, has frightened the US ruling elite. It is stepping up its preparations for mass repression of social opposition in the United States while relying on the Democratic Party and its pseudo-left apologists to split workers along the lines of race, gender and sexual orientation.

Whatever happens in November, the working class around the world confronts profound dangers. Even before the elections, a new war could erupt, as shown by the provocations this past week by the US-backed government in Ukraine against Russia. The world economy is mired in crisis, with mounting signs that the endless free money policy of global central banks is exhausting itself. Workers around the world are beginning to fight back against austerity and the greatest levels of social inequality since the Great Depression.

The struggles of workers all over the world must be unified and transformed into a conscious political struggle to overthrow the capitalist system and establish socialism--a global system of economic planning based on the satisfaction of social need.

It is to build the necessary political leadership for this struggle that the SEP is running candidates in the 2016 elections. We call on all our readers to join us in this struggle. To fight against war and barbarism, against inequality and dictatorship, make the decision to support our campaign and join the Socialist Equality Party.
The Court of Appeal in Wellington heard a case last Tuesday brought by two women who lost family members in the November 2010 Pike River mine disaster. Sonya Rockhouse, whose 21-year-old son Ben died, and Anna Osborne, who lost her husband Milton, sought a judicial review of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employments (MBIE) decision in December 2013 to drop charges against Pike River Coal chief executive Peter Whittall.

The three judges have not yet said when they will hand down their ruling.

Milton and Ben were among 29 men killed by an underground explosion in the remote coal mine on the west coast of New Zealands South Island. In 2012, a royal commission found that the tragedy was preventable and numerous warnings about dangerous conditions had been ignored by the company and government regulators. The mine did not have a satisfactory second exit, as required by law, and its ventilation and monitoring of methane gas was inadequate.

In July 2013, Pike River Coal was found guilty of health and safety violations and ordered to pay $3.41 million in reparations, but its directors refused to do so on the grounds that the company was bankrupt. Whittall was the only individual charged over the disaster, accused of 12 health and safety violations. The charges were dropped, however, after a back-room deal between his lawyers and the MBIE. To avoid prosecution, Whittall and the former Pike River directors agreed to pay $3.41 million to the families without admitting any responsibility for the catastrophe.

Nigel Hampton QC, the lawyer representing Rockhouse and Osborne, told Radio NZ the MBIEs decision to drop charges in exchange for the payment was unprincipled and unprecedented. The MBIE had not consulted the families about the decision and failed to take into account [its] responsibilities to administer and enforce the Health and Safety legislation. He told the court the overwhelming purpose of that payment  was, we say on the evidence, to buy-off this prosecution.

Sonya Rockhouse told the World Socialist Web Site that she and Osborne wanted to reinstate the charges against Peter Whittall, but if they won the judicial review nobody is quite sure what will happen because bringing him back to New Zealand to answer those charges is unlikely. Whittall has moved to Australia, along with some Pike River Coal directors.

We have to stand up for what we believe to be right, she said. Theres been injustices done here. Where else in the world could this happen and nobody be held to account? A drink driver is held to account if he kills somebody.

Rockhouse opposed the decision to drop charges in exchange for the $3.41 million payment. In court the other day they tried to intimate that we accepted the money. But if they had discussed it with the families, I would say that more than three quarters of the families, if not all, would have rather had the charges against Mr. Whittall. We were never asked by the ministry.

Asked why she thought the Ministry dropped the prosecution, Rockhouse said: Im not really sure what their reasoning was. Maybe they were trying to hide something, maybe they were worried about what might come out  I think they just wanted the whole sorry mess over and done with as quickly as possible.

Whittall refused to answer questions at the royal commission about his role leading up to the mine explosion, arguing that he expected to face charges. With the charges now dropped, Whittall has never had to give a full account of what happened at the mine.

Speaking about conditions in the mine, Rockhouse explained that Bens brother Daniel, a mine worker who survived the disaster, told us afterwards that his gas sensor would go off frequently [indicating a potentially dangerous build-up of methane] and he would tell his boss. He was told: Just shut the hell up and get on with your job. It was production over safety in Pike. Pike River Coal was heavily in debt to its investors and making safety repairs would have been costly and interrupted production.

Ben was studying geology in Christchurch before moving to work at Pike River three months before it exploded. He was one of three workers killed who were employed by the contractor VLI Drilling. The company, a subsidiary of Valley Longwall International, pleaded guilty in 2012 to three health and safety violation charges for failing to maintain reliable safety gear. It was fined just $46,800.

Bens mother described the fine as quite minimal considering theyre a huge company in Australia. It wouldnt even have been an annoyance to them, it was so small, it was pathetic really.

Rockhouse also denounced the National Party government and state-owned company Solid Energy, which purchased Pike River after the explosion, for refusing to allow the mine to be re-entered so evidence could be collected. Photographs taken by a camera lowered into the mine after the explosions, published in the media, appeared to show a body. At the very least they could have tried to get into the 2.2-kilometre drift, which is the first part of the mine. We had several experts who said it was completely doable.

Rockhouse was highly critical of the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (EPMU, later renamed E Tu), which had 65 members at the mine, over half the 120 Pike River Coal employees. I feel very let down by the union and I know Daniel does too. After the explosion he barely heard from them and nor did we. I think that they could have played a bigger role before the explosion as well. They should have been making sure that safety was being followed. I just think they let [the miners] down.

In the days after the explosion, then-EPMU leader Andrew Little told Radio NZ and the New Zealand Herald there had been no warnings of unsafe conditions in the mine and he praised its safety standards. He made no mention of a spontaneous walkout by workers to protest against the lack of emergency equipment, of which the EPMU had been made aware. The union did not organise any industrial action and worked with the company to prevent any interruption to mining operations or costly improvements in safety. In November 2014, Little became leader of the opposition Labour Party, touting his record of collaboration with big business.

It doesnt matter whos in power, National or Labour, theyre all the same, Rockhouse told the WSWS. I honestly believe that it wouldnt matter which government gets in, wed still be fighting them.

The author also recommends:

WSWS speaks to wife of New Zealand mine disaster victim

[11 September 2012]
The Obama administration announced on July 26 a deal with the Costa Rican government, which has agreed to receive 200 asylum-seekers at a time for six-month periods from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA), which includes El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala.

While the press and some advocacy groups have treated this measure as either a symbolic gesture or a promising step towards a resolution to the migrant crisis, it is actually an effort to cover up the current escalation in the attacks against social conditions in Central America, which goes hand-in-hand with the US-led militarization of their repressive governments.

As part of the deal, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has offered to carry out the selection process; however, the refugees will still have to go through a security screening by their local governments for consideration.

A State Department representative commented: By themselves, todays actions will not solve this challenge, but are steps in the right direction and are a further example of the United States commitment to resolve the situation. Similarly, the UNHCR expressed that the announcement puts forward a solid foundation for a regional response.

The New York Times praised Obamas expansion of its efforts to protect migrants fleeing dangerous conditions and criticized Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons rival on this topic. The expansion was denounced by Republicans, and it sharpened a contrast with Donald J. Trump, who has centered much of his presidential campaign on a call to shut out immigrants, the paper stressed.

The Times does report, however, that only 600 Central Americans have been allowed to come into the US as refugees since the large influx began in 2014.

Meanwhile, Washington continues to fuel the humanitarian crisis in the NTCA, forcing thousands more to seek shelter and better living conditions, just as they do in the Middle East and Africa.

UNHCR estimates at least 146,000 applicants for asylum this year from the Northern Triangle, compared to 109,800 for 2015. The figures include tens of thousands of children. The publicity stunt of taking in 200 temporary refugees makes the Costa Rican government a direct accomplice in the inhuman treatment of NTCA refugees by US imperialism, for which the deterrence and criminalization of migrants is only a means to securing a more vulnerable and exploitable immigrant workforce domestically in the US and south of the border.

The same occurs in Costa Rica on a smaller scale. Over 400,000 immigrant workers, close to 10 percent of the total population and mostly from Nicaragua, are deliberately kept by employers to work informally so as not to have to pay them decent salaries or make contributions to their social security. Migration laws passed in the country since 2010 to expedite legalization of their work status have done virtually nothing to change this; for instance, the Migration Policy Institute reports that less than 2 percent of agricultural employers have registered for the program.

After Costa Rica and other Central American governments closed their borders to Cubans and limited the flow of African and Haitian migrants trying to reach the United States in March, about 3,000 were forced to use dangerous routes and risk getting killed, kidnapped, assaulted, or scammed by coyotes to continue on their way. Last week, ten African migrants were found dead in Lake Nicaragua. Hundreds of others are living in exposed and unsanitary shelters scattered across the impoverished regions next to the borders in Costa Rica, leading to the death of one of them in May from pneumonia.

Announcing the deal with Obama, Costa Rican public officials have focused on asserting that no criminals are coming, that this supposedly charitable action will cost the heavily indebted state little to nothing and that the refugees will be leaving quickly. The minister of the interior, Sergio Alfaro, emphasized that this is just a temporary measure until the applications for refugee status in the US, Canada and Australia get processed.

The profile of people that will come is part of an arrangement of the environmental, community, and LGTB leaders that are being persecuted and threatened in their countries by criminal organizations like gangs, commented Carmen Munoz, vice minister of the interior.

This casts some serious doubts about the claims by the UNHCR that their selection will be based on the most vulnerable asylum seekers. It seems that the selection will be a response to the scandals surrounding the murders of activists, particularly that of Honduran activist Berta Caceres and two of her colleagues killed this year.

Last month, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) published a study on the increasing pressures on migrants and communities in the NTCA, particularly due to US immigration policy and the worsening violence and poverty at home.

It reports that the United States has outsourced most of its border control efforts to Mexico, which deported 166,000 Central Americans compared to about 75,000 from the US.

Mass migration is fueling sexual slavery, the study mentions, estimating 50,000 current victims just from Guatemala, and thousands others being kidnapped for ransom, while authorities intentionally deport rescued victims quickly to avoid criminal proceedings.

During the past three years, the NTCA countries have suffered more homicides than the US, which has more than 10 times their population. The ICG report quoted a Salvadoran woman migrating: Now there are gangs everywhere. Only the rich people are safe.

A 2015 UN survey found that 64 percent of women migrating from Central America and Mexico said they or a close relative had been directly threatened.

Because of the large boost that remittances give to the NTCA countries GDPs, preventing migration is not functional for their political agendas, according to Danilo Rivera, a Guatemalan economist. The remittance income of 17 percent worth of GDP for Honduras and El Salvador and 10 percent for Guatemala contrasts with the less than 2 percent of GDP in social spending for youth by each government.

The ICGs recommendations, however, are either counterproductive or ignore the interests of the ruling elites and the vulnerability of most NTCA migrants and communities.

The organizations proposal for reducing detentions and deportations and expanding community-based violence prevention programs clashes with the reality of imperialist super-exploitation and the militarization of the state forces. Only increasing prosecutorial capacity against corrupt officials and criminal groups is viable and already underway. The latter efforts are led by the US State Department chiefly to secure legitimacy of its client regimes in response to mass protests during the last two years against impunity and corruption.

US imperialism has consistently sought to cover up its role historically and at present in creating the social crises that have pushed thousands to seek refuge outside of the NTCA, with the Costa Rican and other Central American ruling elites as accomplices.

The 1984 Cartagena Declaration on Refugees was adopted by all Central American countries and Mexico in response to the humanitarian crisis provoked by the civil wars between the US-backed dictatorships and the bourgeois nationalist guerrilla movements in El Salvador and Guatemala, as well as between the CIAs contra mercenaries and the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. The document came to define those fleeing from generalized violence as refugees, but none of the agreements were binding and they failed to even mention the US responsibility for the mass flight.

During the 1980s, the massacres of entire villages in those three countries, mostly by the US-backed contras and regimes, reached levels of genocide against the Mayan population in Guatemala and intensified the mass impoverishment of the population, leading to a large amount of people seeking refuge.

During this period, the number of migrants fleeing was reflected in a massive growth of Nicaraguan immigrants in Costa Rica, from 45,918 to 226,374 between 1984 and 2000.

In 1987, Costa Rican President Oscar Arias led the talks that resulted in the Esquipulas II Declarations, formally initiating the peace negotiations to end the Contra war. Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize that same year.

The Reagan administration rejected an initial version of the agreement in 1987 because it legitimized the Sandinista government, but it came to accept a second version in February, 1988, which called for the definitive halt of US military assistance to the contras. However, this didnt stop the CIA from continuing to supply the contras until the Sandinistas lost the elections in 1990 to a conservative coalition, which included the Communist and Socialist parties.

Nicaraguan president and Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega wrote a book during this period of negotiations in 1988, where he pleaded: Before responding to my proposal for bilateral dialogue, dont precipitate yourself President Reagan, reflect, and let God show you the way towards peace and to stop harming Nicaraguan people. Thank you.

The ICG study states that between the 1990s and 2000s, the US deported 250,000 convicted criminals back to the NTCA. The gangs formed by those deported, the continued impoverishment and militarization of the regimes, particularly in the NTCA, along with the drug-trafficking routes built during the civil war and the empowerment of drug barons with the aid of the CIA, have brought back civil-war levels of violence and migration.

A recent study, published by Costa Rican state universities, titled The State of the Region, reveals that US-led militarization and regional impoverishment have intensified in recent years. They found that US military and police assistance increased gradually from $16 million yearly in 2004 to $125 million in 2015, bringing the total during the decade to $768 million.

In turn, all the US client regimes, including those led by the former anti-imperialist guerrillas in El Salvador and Nicaragua, have continued to buy large amounts of weapons and military equipment from Washington, amounting to over $2 billion regionally between 2004 and 2014. While 75 percent of these arms were purchased by Honduras, the second buyer was Costa Rica with $142.6 million.

At the same time, the percentage of socially excluded homes (insecure or no jobs, low schooling, and little to no access to social security) in Central America increased from 36 to 39 percent between 2009 and 2014. Regionally, six out of every ten households are poor, suffering from unsatisfied basic needs and/or living under the official poverty line.
Columnist Nicholas Kristof has made a career at the New York Times pontificating as the newspapers most prominent advocate and guardian of human rights. But as politically conscious workers, intellectuals and young people around the world should know by now, when Kristof and the Times speak of human rights, they mean neocolonial war, mass killing and plunder.

In a column published August 11 (Obamas Worst Mistake), Kristof once more urges a wider and bloodier US military intervention in Syria. In doing so, he neglects to mention that such a policy carries a very high risk of igniting a far more devastating regional and even global war.

The Times columnists new piece, like many of his old ones, is a concoction of hypocrisy, falsehood and self-delusion, all in the service of American imperialisms geopolitical aims. Kristof first points to the estimate of 470,000 deaths in the five-year conflict in Syria. He associates that carnage with war crimes committed by the Syrian and Russian governments.

He thereby whitewashes the central role of the United States and the Obama administration in stoking the civil war and arming and funding the Al Qaeda-linked Sunni militias that serve as Washingtons proxy forces on the ground, carrying out massacres of Shiites and other minorities and terror bombings in government-held areas.

Kristofs moral antennae unfailingly pick up the signals sent from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia but fail to detect the cries and screams of victims of US missiles and bombs. He makes no mention of recent reports by human rights organizations of a sharp increase in US bombings of civilian targets in Syria, including attacks by US warplanes in late July of two ISIS-controlled villages, al-Ghandour and Tokhar, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. The massacre in Tokhar was the single most deadly bombing attack on Syrian civilians inflicted by any warring party since the conflict in Syria began in 2011.

Kristof asserts that the Obama administration has allowed Syrias civil war and suffering to drag on unchallenged, and this supposed failure has been his [Barack Obamas] worst mistake, casting a shadow over his legacy. He suggests that US policy in Syria is analogous to the indifference toward Jewish refugees in the 1930s, to the eyes averted from Bosnia and Rwanda in the 1990s, to Darfur in the 2000s.

He complains that Obama hasnt shown enough American leadership. He cites the opinions of various high-level state figures (retired four-star general James Cartwright, former secretary of state Madeleine Albright and Bush administration director of defense strategy Kori Schake) in support of measures such as establishing safe zones, i.e., no-fly zones, and grounding Syrias Air Force by firing missiles from outside the country to crater military runways to make them unusable.

He notes, in passing, that Cartwright acknowledges that his proposal for safe zones carries risks and that the American public should be prepared for a long project, a decade or more. The prospect of yet another one of the endless wars of the 21st century does not ruffle the Times columnists finely turned moral sensibilities.

All in all, Kristof argues that US government policy in regard to Syria at present amounts to misplaced caution, nonchalance and inaction.

Of course, Washington has hardly been inactive in Syria. The brutal civil war, which has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, is the product of a US-led operation aimed at ousting the Assad regime, installing a puppet government and weakening Iranian and Russian influence.

The Obama administration felt obliged to pull back from a direct, large-scale military intervention in 2013, which had been prepared by a propaganda campaign based on false claims that the Syrian government was responsible for a chemical attack on civilians. He called off the planned assault due to a vote by the British parliament to abstain from the attack, internal divisions within the US state, and massive popular opposition to a new war. Kristof was among the media pundits who denounced Obamas climb-down at the time and has remained a war-hawk critic of White House policy in Syria ever since.

He sides with Hillary Clinton, Gen. David Petraeus and many others who advocate more assertive approaches, i.e., a full-scale air war, for starters.

American imperialism has spent billions, in league with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, to fund and arm Islamist militias and dispatch them to Syria to bring about regime change. Russian intervention, which Kristof notes has made matters in Syria far more complex, has dealt a blow to the Islamist forces, further outraging Kristof and company.

The modest measures Kristof and his co-thinkers proposecreating safe zones, in reality, no-fly zones prepared and maintained through massive bombing of Syrian military and civilian infrastructure (Albright terms them humanitarian areas)would inevitably result in a sharp escalation of the fighting and very possibly a direct clash with Russia. The experience of Iraq, Bosnia and Libya has demonstrated that these measures are mere preliminaries to full-scale war.

As the World Socialist Web Site noted in September 2015: The establishment of such a [safe] zone was the pretext used in Libya to carry out a bloody air war in coordination with ground attacks by Washingtons Al Qaeda-linked proxies, culminating in the overthrow and murder of [Muammar] Gaddafi. Behind the talk of a political settlement in Syria, the same fate is being prepared for Assad.

Kristof was a particular enthusiast of the assault on Libya. His column, Hugs from Libyans, published on March 23, 2011, was an especially obscene example of the outlook that underpins his human rights imperialism. In that piece, Kristof celebrated the NATO bombing of Libya, concluding his wretched column: Ive seen war up close, and I detest it. But there are things Ive seen that are even worsesuch as the systematic slaughter of civilians as the world turns a blind eye. Thank God that isnt happening this time.

All of this was a grandiose, self-serving lie. The US and its allies attacked Libya because of oil. The results of the intervention have been catastrophic.

Here is a picture of the country in 2015/2016 provided by Amnesty International:

The armed conflict continued. Forces affiliated to two rival governments, as well as armed groups, committed war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law and human rights abuses with impunity. Rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly were severely restricted. Detention without trial persisted; torture and other ill-treatment was common. Women, migrants and refugees faced discrimination and abuses. The death penalty remained in force; several former senior officials were sentenced to death after a deeply flawed trial.

This is the product of what Kristof described in 2011 as one of the few times in history when outside forces have intervened militarily to save the lives of citizens from their government. Now Libyans have to fear for their lives from several governments and numerous militias.

As Kristof admitted in 2011, perhaps revealing more than he meant to, Were more likely to intervene where there are also oil or security interests at stake.

The Times journalist is one of the public faces of a shadowy network of media outlets and figures, NGOs, think tanks, human rights organizations and public relations firms behind which stands the military-intelligence apparatus as well as billionaires with money to burn. Its principal business is to manipulate public opinion. Its primary target is the affluent, socially liberal upper-middle class, including members of the pseudo-left organizations, who are easily worked into a froth by alleged violations of the rights of women or gays by regimes thousands of miles awaywithout fail, governments targeted by Washington for replacement with friendlier ones.

One often finds Kristof in the middle of efforts to disorient and confuse, using his special brand of moralizing smoke and mirrors. He led the public charge against Woody Allen in 2014, repeating unsubstantiated and unproven charges of child molestation, as part of the effort to whip up hysteria over such issues.

He has been active in inciting and encouraging racial politics. In 2014, Kristof published a series of articles, When Whites Just Dont Get It, in the wake of the police murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and subsequent protests. The essential thrust of Kristofs insistence on a wrenching, soul-searching excavation of our national soul was that white America was racist (one of the parts of the series was entitled Is Everyone a Little Bit Racist?). The Times columnist encouraged his readers to take a free online implicit association test that would prove to them how backward and prejudiced they really were.

It is no accident that Kristofs latest exercise in war mongering in the name of humanitarianism comes in the aftermath of the Republican and Democratic conventions. The Democratic event, in particular, was the signal for a presidential campaign focused on the demonization of Russian President Vladimir Putin and preparation of a massive escalation of war in the Middle East and North Africa as well as stepped-up military provocations against nuclear-armed Russia and China.

Kristof, a true accomplice to war crimes, is doing his best to pave the way for the military bloodbaths being plotted by his superiors in the State Department, the Pentagon and the CIA.
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25 years ago: August putsch attempt fails in USSR

On the morning of August 19, 1991, a group of Soviet political, military and KGB officials led by Vice President Gennady Yanayev carried out a coup to oust President Mikhail Gorbachev and impose a state of emergency. Tanks and armored personnel vehicles flooded the streets of Moscow around the parliament building.

Gorbachev himself was nowhere to be seen and the plotters announced that he was in a safe place but needed some time to feel better.

Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Republic of the Soviet Union, who was not detained by the coup conspirators, issued a declaration from the front of the parliament building that a reactionary, anti-constitutional coup was taking place.

Every one of the coup conspirators had been appointed to the Kremlin leadership by none other than Gorbachev. Yanayev and his cohorts in the military and KGB feared that Gorbachev had lost control of the situation, and that a coup was required in order to preempt a rebellion by the working class, outraged over the drastic deterioration of its living standards.

Just weeks before, Gorbachev made a humiliating and futile display of groveling before leaders of the G7 in London seeking financial support for the market reforms in the USSR.

Having been hand-picked by Gorbachev as accomplices in his restorationist program, the conspirators were unable to claim they were acting to rally the working class in the defense of socialism and the heritage of the 1917 October Revolution.

Every action taken by the putschists reflected their indecision, inner divisions and weakness. On the one hand, they were terrified of taking any action which would antagonize the imperialists. The Russian parliament was left untouched and no attempt was even made to cut Yeltsins telephone connections. He was able to maintain a constant and direct contact and collaboration with British Prime Minister John Major, US President George Bush and other leaders of world imperialism.

On the other hand, Yanayev and the coup leaders were desperately frightened of provoking an uncontrolled reaction in the Soviet working class. The first pronouncements made by the eight-man State Emergency Committee were to outlaw all strikes and demonstrations, and to impose a curfew.

In an assurance to the imperialist powers that they had no intention of abandoning the pro-capitalist policies of perestroika, they declared that all previous treaties and obligations remained intact and that the emergency measures in no way implied renunciation of the course towards profound reforms in all spheres of life of the state and society.

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50 years ago: Cultural Revolution begins in China

On August 18, 1966, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong organized a mass rally in Beijing to show support for the so-called Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, which had been formally set into motion on August 8, 1966, when the Central Committee enacted a document titled Decision Concerning the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, also called the Sixteen Points.

About 1 million Red Guards gathered at the Tiananmen Square demonstration, marking a sharp escalation of the bitter factional struggle raging within the Stalinist bureaucracy in China. Mao and Defense Minister Lin Biao wore military fatigues as they stood on the reviewing stand, to boost their demagogic claims to be men of the people appealing for the support of the popular masses to fight the corrupt capitalist roaders within the bureaucracy.

Simultaneously, radio broadcasts announced that Lin was being installed as the top deputy to Mao, while chief of state Liu Shaoqi was demoted to seventh place in the bureaucratic hierarchy. Premier Chou En-lai rose to third place. The elevation of Lin followed the purge of several top leaders of the Chinese Communist Party who were declared to be revisionist. Within the next several days, 100 members and alternates to the Central Committee were removed without public explanation.

The Cultural Revolution was an ultra-Stalinist purge centered on the academics, scientists, artists, technicians, intellectuals, and military officers, its stated goal to struggle against and crush those people in authority accused of taking the capitalist road and to transform education, literature and art, and all other parts of the superstructure that do not correspond to the socialist economic base, so as to facilitate the consolidation and development of the socialist system. It came months after the bloody defeat of the Indonesian Communist Party in the Suharto coup and amid conflicts between China and the Soviet Union for influence over the Vietnamese Revolution.

A communique issued by the CCP denounced the Soviet Stalinists as scabs and called for a struggle against rightists within the Peoples Republic. The struggle within the Chinese bureaucracy was accompanied by the continued buildup of tensions with the Soviet Union, reflecting the rival national interests of the Stalinist bureaucracies in the two states, each based on the reactionary program of socialism in one country. Troops were deployed on both sides of the Soviet-Chinese border, as Mao pressed demands for territory claimed by Moscow. The Chinese CP meanwhile moved closer to a complete break with the Stalinist parties allied with the Kremlin.

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75 years ago: Reuther attacks socialists in the UAW

On August 16, 1941, the twelve-day convention of the United Auto Workers concluded with the adoption of an amendment backed by the right-wing, pro-war faction of Walter Reuther which barred any communist from elective or appointive office in the UAW. This amendment marked the first infringement on the basic democratic principles originally written into the UAW constitution, which provided equal rights of membership for all workers covered by the UAW charter, regardless of political views.

Reuthers move came in the aftermath of several explosive UAW strikes at plants holding military contracts from the administration of Franklin Roosevelt. Communist Party (CP) supporters had played an important role in leading the strikes, which were ignited by low pay and poor working conditions while the companies raked in superprofits.

Up until the June 22, 1941 Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, the Stalinist CP had opposed Roosevelts military policies and attempts to prevent strikes in the defense industry. By the time of the convention, however, the CP had shifted its line completely, and was even more rabidly opposed to carrying out a class-struggle policy in military plants than Reuther himself. The result was that the CP, now discredited among militant workers, capitulated to Reuthers anti-communist witchhunt, going along with the denunciation of the defense strikes and allowing the convention to discipline and remove UAW local leaders who had carried them out.

Despite the CPs sabotage of its own position, some 1,062 delegates, more than one-third of the convention, voted against the amendment, recognizing that Reuther was giving the green light to the auto bosses to launch a purge in the auto plants not just against members of the Communist Party, but against all militant workers and the broadly-shared belief in worker control of industry.

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100 years ago: US seeks to control Dominican Republic

This week in August 1916, the administration of President Woodrow Wilson sought to blackmail the newly-elected government of the Dominican Republic into accepting the same type of financial protectorate that the United States had recently imposed on Haiti. The US government withheld recognition of the new Dominican president, Frederico H. Carvajal, pending his acquiescence in giving the American ruling elite control over the countrys internal revenue and government expenditure.

The US had launched an occupation of the country beginning in May 1916, initially on the pretext of ensuring the safety of US officials amid political upheaval. Over the ensuing months, US authorities would take effective control of all of the key political and military levers of government in the Dominican Republic.

The move to direct intervention followed longstanding US economic and political intervention. The US government had taken control of customs collections for the Dominican Republic under the Convention of July 25, 1907, which established the American Customs Receivership.

The American General Receiver of Customs in the Dominican Republic, Clarence H. Baxter, advised the suspension of payments to Dominican officials under instructions from Washington, until an understanding was reached regarding certain articles of the 1907 Convention, or the recognition of the present government by the US. William Worthington Russell, the American minister to Santo Domingo, sought to extract the changes from the new regime.

The justification given for the financial stranglehold in Washington was that the collection of customs dues and internal revenue should be sufficient to make the Dominican Republic self-supporting. Behind this, the apologists for US policy explained, was the desire to prevent, if possible, the need for the Dominicans to seek loans from foreign bankers and thus piling up a debt that would lead to complications.

In reality, the Wilson administrations aggressive stance toward the Dominican Republic was one of a series of moves aimed at shoring up US dominance in the geo-strategically critical region of the Caribbean, particularly against Germany, as the Wilson administration prepared for the eventual entry of the United States into World War I on the side of Britain and France. The recently concluded treaty with Haiti had provided for US control over the collection of internal and customs revenues and the regulation of Haitian disbursements. It also mandated a complete reorganization of the countrys military force, through the creation of a native constabulary commanded by American navy and marine officers.

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Lungshan Temple in Taipei may be one of the city's most famous attractions, but it is actually one of five bearing the same name in Taiwan, with the largest among them located in Lukang Township in the central county of Changhua.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say an alligator nearly took off a woman's hand in an attack in the Everglades.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue spokesman Mike Jachles says the 49-year-old woman dropped a can from a dock and was bitten by a 4- to 5-foot gator as she reached down to the water to get it Friday.

Jachles says a fire rescue helicopter was dispatched just before 6:30 p.m. to a fish camp in the Everglades near Fort Lauderdale. The woman from Osceola County was staying there with family.

He says flight medics found her with her right hand "almost fully amputated" and losing consciousness.

She was flown to Broward Health North Trauma Center, where she was in critical condition. Her name was not released Friday night.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Authorities believe a man drowned after saving his wife from a rip current off Miami Beach.

News outlets report the 34-year-old man was not breathing when he was pulled from the water Sunday afternoon at the same time that other people who got caught in the currents were rescued by lifeguards.

Miami Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Charlton Price says the man had managed to save his wife from a strong rip current before he got pulled under. No one else was injured.

The unidentified man, who was visiting from Fort Myers, was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2brQDEK ) reports there was a red flag warning at the time. National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Caracozza says strong easterly winds led to a high risk of rip currents.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)








Police were called to the Richmond Road Walmart Saturday night after a witness noticed a car full of men in body armor holding semi-automatic weapons. A six-month old baby was also in the car.Lt Jackie Newman said when Lexington police officers got the three men out of the car at about 11:15 p.m., they said were preparing for Doomsday and needed supplies. The men were armed with pistols and semi-automatic rifles, police said. A license is not required to have semi-automatic weapons in a car, police said.Police also found marijuana in the car.The older man had just bought a bulletproof vest, a semi-automatic AK-47 and a .357 Magnum revolver, Angel said. He was wearing the vest, and both weapons were loaded and visible in the vehicle. He told officers that they had recently received a settlement from a car crash and used the money to buy tactical gear should the end of days occur or should there be an Armageddon-type situation, Angel said.All three subjects voluntarily came down to police headquarters for questioning that night, said Lt. Richard Willoby of the Lexington Police Department. They were given a citation for the marijuana but were not charged with any other violations, and were later released.Willoby said police took photographs of the car and the weapons in order to complete a report to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services because of the baby in the car.There appeared to be nothing criminal, Willoby said. Theyre in the mindset of preparing for the end of the world, accumulating weapons and things like that, but the weapons appear to be legally owned.
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Israeli security forces demolished the home of Mohammed Taraireh, the terrorist who murdered 13 year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel in a stabbing attack in June, in Bani Na'im overnight Sunday.

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The terrorist's home was demolished in accordance with government policy, by way of an accurate, controlled explosion of the floor in the building where the terrorist lived.

Since the beginning of the recent wave of terror attacks, the IDF, in cooperation with the Border Police and the Israel Civil Administration, have demolished 25 homes belonging to the terrorists who perpetrated the attacks.

Terrorist's home demolished by security forces (Video: IDF Spokesperson) (:")

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The overnight demolition was the fastest to be approvedfrom the moment of the attack until it was carried out.

Dozens of Palestinians tried to disrupt the demolition work by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at soldiers from the Nahal's 50th Battalion and from the engineering Yahalom unit, who were carrying out the demolition. None of the soldiers was hurt. The troops responded to the onslaught with stun and gas grenades.

Demolition of terrorist's home (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

Engineers preparing demolition (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

Photo: IDF Spokesperson

Last week, Israel released Lara Taraireh, the terrorist's sister, who on the day of the attack was documented praising her brother's actions and was subsequently arrested over suspicions of incitement.

Hallel Yaffa Ariel, 13 years old from Kiryat Arba, was stabbed to death in her bed by terrorist Mohammed Taraireh, who crossed the settlement's security fence and broke into her home in the Harsanina neighborhood. Members of the settlement's civil security squad shot the terrorist dead, while one of them, a 31-year-old man, was moderately-to-seriously injured from the gunfire.

Hallal Ariel and the scene of her murder (Photo: Amichai Matouf)

Hallel's mother Rina Ariel said on Monday morning, "So long as the entire house is not demolished and the family expelled, there isn't enough real deterrence and there is nothing to prevent the next terror attack. It's very easy to rebuild a floor of the house. The real answer would be expelling the family and settling the house with Jews. If the hostile population knew every house of a terrorist will be given to Jews, it would cause great deterrence."
Two years after the fighting between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, about 70,000 Palestinians have not returned to their homes that were damaged in the fighting. Just 200 homes have been completely rebuilt and the families returned.

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"We ask the international community to increase their donations and the countries who pledged billions to respect their pledge," Adnan Abu Husna, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told The Media Line. "The people of Gaza should not get to the point that they feel they are forgotten."

Abu Hasna said that nearly 140,000 homes were damaged either totally or partially, mostly from Israeli airstrikes. Of those, 9500 were completely demolished, and 5000 were so damaged that people cannot live there. At an international donors conference soon after the fighting ended, UN officials asked for $724 million, but only received $257 million.

Gaza following Israeli strike (Archive photo: AFP)

He said the UN has helped nearly 70,000 families with some type of financial assistance. While thousands of families were originally housed in UN schools, all of those whose homes were destroyed have either rented new homes, paid for by the UN, or are living with relatives.

The pace of reconstruction has been glacial, partly because Israel accuses Hamas, which controls Gaza, of diverting cement and other materials to build weapons and tunnels. Those allegations were strengthened last week, when the Israeli Shin Bet announced charges in two separate cases, against local employees in Gaza allegedly working for Hamas.

In the first case, Israel accused Mohammed al-Halabi, the head of World Vision in Gaza, of diverting more than seven million dollars each year since 2010 to Hamas in Gaza. "We condemn any diversion of funds from any humanitarian organization," World Vision International President Kevin Jenkins said in a statement. "If any of these allegations are proven to be true, we will take swift and decisive action," although added that the organization had "not seen any of the evidence," and suggested the numbers had been exaggerated.

"World Vision's cumulative operating budget in Gaza for the past ten years was approximately $22.5 million, which makes the alleged amount of up to $50 million being diverted hard to reconcile," the statement read. The organization suspended its operations in Gaza.

In the second case involving the UN Development Program, Israel charged Wahid Borsch, funneled resources to Hamas to build a naval port for Hamas commandos. UNDP denied any wrongdoing, saying that "the rubble in question was transported to its destination according to written instructions from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing of the Palestinian Authority as to where it should be placed."

UNDP officials also questioned the details of the case, saying they had not yet seen the evidence against Borsch.

"We are waiting for the proof on all of these things," Dania Darwish, a spokeswoman for UNDP said. "Wahid is a contractor at UNDP. He does not have any management responsibilities. UNDP has strict processes and guidelines that must be followed."

In any case, even if all of the damaged homes are rebuilt, the economy in Gaza faces growing challenges. A World Bank report found that Gaza's unemployment is the highest in the world, and many of Gaza's residents are completely dependent on UN food aid.

Although Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it continues to control what goes into and out of Gaza. Palestinians call it a blockade, while Israel says it has worked to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

"Everyone talks about what is going in to Gaza, but we also have to think about what is going out," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said. "Unless Gaza can export, there won't be a viable economy there. There have been no meaningful exports from Gaza since 2007."

A spokesman for Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said they were unable to provide details of Palestinians exports allowed to leave Gaza.

Article written by Linda Gradstein

Reprinted with permission from The Media Line.
Following Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman's decision on Sunday to halt volunteer activities between the IDF and children of migrant workers and asylum seekers, soldiers, community workers and Knesset members have reacted with disappointment and anger.

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Eli Nehama, principal of the Bialik-Rogozen school in Tel Avivwhere 1,300 children of migrant workers and asylum seekers will shortly begin their school yearsaid, "This is an unfortunate decision. Some of our students are Israeli citizens, and they will be drafted into the IDF, too. Whoever thinks that these children are going to corrupt the soldiers or the exposure of these soldiers to reality isn't right is seriously mistaken.

IDF soldiers with refugees on the Egypt border (Photo: Meir Azulay)

"These soldiers are role models to our students who don't have a parent or older sibling available. Suddenly, they see these soldiers and they realize there is a future. These children must be left out of political discourse."

Even the soldiers who volunteer with the children are disappointed by the decision. "Our connection with the children was very strong," said Sgt. Omer who, together with his unit from the Intelligence Corps, had been volunteering with the children. "To tell us that we are no longer allowed to volunteer there with these children specifically is racist. What have they done? I don't understand how anyone can even think of preventing volunteer work with these children. As a Jew, I feel its a disgrace."

(Photo: Dana Kopel)

Yael Gvirtz, of the organization Elifelet, which assists refugee children, said, "I am very sorry that the legitimate debate about the position and future of refugee seekers in Israel has fallen on the backs of the IDF and helpless refugee children, who are only three and four years old."

While many MKs in the governing coalition backed Lieberman's decision, the opposition were quick to criticize. MK Ofer Shelah (Yesh Atid), a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said, "These children of foreign workers are the poor of our city. If soldiers are volunteering at a kindergartenand I don't think that's something they need to be doing anyway, regardless of the ethnicity of the childrena kindergarten that has children of migrant workers is just as legitimate as any other institution that needs assistance."

Former defense minister MK Amir Peretz (Zionist Union) said, "On Tisha B'Av of all days, it would behoove the defense minister to read a thing or two about what Jewish values teach us about strangers living among us, as we too were once 'strangers in the land of Egypt.'"

Deputy Minister of Defense, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, supported the decision saying, "Israel invests millions every year to care for children of illegal residents, but it is not a matter the army should be a part of. IDF soldiers have a limited amount of time available to volunteer, and they should spend it with Israeli citizens."
The US presidential race has not skipped over Israel: For the first time ever, the Republican Party will hold field activities in Israel, hoping to convince the hundreds of thousands of eligible voters in the Jewish State to vote for Donald Trump come November.

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The Republican Party's slogan in Israel is "TrumpIn Israel's Interests." The logo, written in Hebrew but designed in the spirit of the American theme, conveys a clear message: He's addressing the Israel-American audience, most of whom lean towards the right and who tend to vote based on the candidates' stance on Israel.

According to estimates, there are some 350,000 eligible US voters living in Israel. Nearly half of them were born in the country or immigrated at a very young age. This time, the Republicans have decided to add to their traditional Anglophone campaign one in Hebrew.

Trump slogan in Hebrew

The campaign staff have decided to focus their efforts on shopping centers in towns with large concentrations of American immigrants, including Jerusalem, Modi'in, Ra'anana, Beit Shemesh, Gush Etzion, Haifa and Be'er Sheva. They intend to erect stands with American Republican representatives alongside Israeli volunteers and will distribute information, hold discussions with potential voters and help them to register for absentee ballots.

In preparation for the field work, led by Republicans Overseas Israel Co-Chair Marc Zell, the US Trump campaign has sent a large shipment of shirts, hats, stickers and buttons bearing Republican slogans.
In a joint operation with the Shin Bet, the IDF and the Judea and Samaria District Police recently arrested the terrorist responsible for the stabbing attack of December 23, 2013, in Adam Square that moderately wounded a policeman.

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The attacker was 21-year-old Mohammed Younis Ali Abu-Hanak from Al-Abidiya near Bethlehem.

The scene of the attack at the time (Photo: TPS)

The Shin Bet investigation revealed that on the day of the attack, Abu-Hanak's motive for was to put an end to his difficult life.

The investigation also revealed that Abu-Hanak purchased a kitchen knife on the morning of the attack and hid it inside his jacket. He boarded a taxi from Ramallah to Bethlehem to select a random target for his attack. He decided on a policeman who was standing at a traffic circle near the Jewish community of Geva Binyamin and the Palestinian village of Jaba.

Mohammed Younis Ali Abu-Hanak

Abu-Hanak exited the taxi, approached the policeman, and stabbed him once in the back, wounding him moderately. He then fled the scene and managed to evade the authorities for two and a half years before finally being apprehended.

The Shin Bet said in a statement that it will "continue to operate with all its available resources to prevent terror attacks and to bring the perpetrators to justice, even when a long time has gone by since the attack was committed."

TPS contributed to this report.






Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman commented Monday morning on the future of the Public Nursing Care Insurance reform, which has elicited strong criticism from the Treasury and has not been included in the Economic Arrangements Law.

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Litzman said that he supports raising health tax by half a percent in order to finance the necessary additions to the system, while the Treasury is worried that a tax increase will be perceived negatively by the public, and has tried to postpone it several times.

Litzman presented the results of a poll showing public support for raising the tax in exchange for national long-term care. "I have never given up on long-term care. The Governor of the Bank of Israel also supports the plan," said Litzman.

Minister of Health Rabbi Yaakov Litzman (Photo: Dana Kopel)

The reform is supposed to go into effect in another five months on the first of January, 2017, with the goal of providing long-term nursing care insurance at no additional cost for every citizen. However, according to those close to Litzman, the reform is proceeding too slowly and may not be ready for implementation by the outset of 2017. In response Litzman has threatened to quit the governing coalition, thereby bringing down the government, unless the reform is not implemented as agreed upon.

Nir Kedar, the Director General of the Ministry of Health, said that Israel currently has 200,000 elderly people under constant care and that number is growing quickly. "It is important to remember that Israeli society is getting older. In 2021, the number of elderly will grow by 20,000 a year. One of the problems is fragmentation: there is no one to take responsibility for elderly care."

According to data from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the elderly population has the highest growth rate in Israel. In 1955, the elderly population comprised 4.8% of the overall population, compared to 10.4% at the end of 2011. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the elderly segment of the population will soon stand at 13.7% meaning that over the next two decades Israel will experience a significant demographic shift, with an increase in the number of elderly citizens.

The percentage of those who are eligible for nursing care benefits increases with age, and 53% of those aged 85 and up are eligible. 42% of the financial burden for long-term care serviceshome care or institutional carefalls on family members, even with the public paying a national health insurance tax every month.

MK Itzik Shmuli stated that in the upcoming state budget, despite promises, the national long-term care insurance will not enter into legislation and "the withdrawal of the promise of the Ministry of Health to promote the necessary budget for long-term care is both infuriating and disappointing. There is no greater need in the health system and due to last minute political deals, the most important reform was left out and hundreds of thousands of those in need will be pay dearly."

Itzik Shmuli (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

Litzman accused the government of abandoning its responsibilities to the elderly. "It is unfortunate that the State of Israel is neglecting the elderly that require long-term care, he said. Our obligations to the next generation require bringing systematic change to the elderly population in Israel. We must put an end to this difficult and complex situation, which makes it difficult for those who are in need of nursing care and their families."

The reform should include, among other things, doubling the hours of eligibility for nursing care, incentives for clinics to conduct house calls, and termination of eligibility rights based on the income of the elderly person's children.
A lively presence by Israeli security forces is set to be felt in Ramat Hasharon's Morasha neighborhood on Monday, starting at about 5pm. Security forces will be conducting a drill in the area, which will include the simulation of hostage rescue from a burning building.

Two abandoned buildings on HeHalutz Street will be set on fire as part of the drill, and the street itself will be closed off.
On a busy road in Kosovo, brand new signs have been put up ahead of a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden, showing the 35-km route in the southeast of the small Balkan nation that has been renamed after his late son Beau.

Naming streets after US officials is becoming something of a tradition in Kosovo, whose population is mainly ethnic Albanian and which considers the United States its savior since 1999 NATO air strikes halted killings by Serbian troops.

Beau Biden worked in Kosovo after the 1998-99 war ended, helping train local prosecutors and judges for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The former Delaware Attorney General died in 2015 of cancer. He was 46.
Parents of children suffering from serious illnesses are increasingly worried ahead of the new school semester about the lack of education provided for their children who are either hospitalized or confined to their homes.

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A letter written to the Education Ministry by a school student suffering from cancer has brought the matter to the attention of officials charged with ensuring that such children do receive the education to which they are entitled.

I write in the name of all the sick children. We bravely cope with many medical difficulties but we dont have the strength to cope with extra problems. I always loved learning and I would make good achievements and reap the fruits of my success. But I never imagined in my life that one day I would suddenly stop being able to walk and have to cope with the accompanying daily problems. I want, and am able, to learn like all other children but within a framework that is appropriate for my needs, the letter reads.

Compelled to stay at home every day, the student complains that very few, and sometimes no teachers at all actually arrive to her home to teach her.

Meeting in Schneider Center for Children Medicine (Photo: Matan Turkiya)

Despite the problem facing parents with sick children being one that has been well known for many years, the subject is yet to have been raised in education committees in the Knesset.

On Monday a pressure group for children suffering from cancer under the leadership of MK Itzik Shmuli convened a meeting in Schneider Center for Children Medicine in Petah Tikvah to discuss the matter of rights for children diagnosed with cancer.

The discussions predominantly revolved around the problems of sick children and their parents and were conducted with people from the NGO Kadima Mada, or World Ort which provides education services to sick children for the Education Ministry.

The Free Education Law for sick children is intended to ensure that children who have been hospitalized or are compelled to remain at home for 21 consecutive days can use their rights in the same way other Israeli students are able.

World Ort has been the body providing this education during the last year. However, many parents and students have been complaining of the shortage of teachers, the reduction of teaching hours and the lack of pedagogical experience.

On September 1, the new academic school year will commence and the student who wrote the letter to the Education Ministry will not be able to return to school. Rather, she will be forced to continue her studies from home as she has done so for the past few years.

Photo: Shutterstock

I am stuck in a system that doesnt know how to handle my situation. I dont receive any learning material and over the last few years I havent received end-of-year certificates, she told Ynet.

According to the law, such students are entitled to eight weekly learning hours from Kadima Mada - four in math and four in other subjects. In schools, children receive 40 teaching hours per week.

The student who wrote the letter does have a math teacher but when she requested teachers for other subjects she was told that none were available. Today the 8 hours that I am entitled to only give me math lessons, she said. I sit at home with learning material on other subjects like history, grammar, literature and others that I, myself, photographed and try to learn alone. That isnt meaningful education. It does help me but isnt appreciated by anyone.

MK Itzik Shmuli (Photo: Chagai Dekel and Yogev Atias)

She added that the fact that we are sick doesnt mean we need to stop our lives. Learning, from my point of view, is like air needed to breath. I dont want to stop my life because of a protracted sickness. I want to continue it at the same time for as long as I am able.

Chairman of the lobby group Itzik Shmuli said during the discussions which took place in the Schneider Center for Children Medicine: When children contract that most serious illnesses, an educational and social insufficiency ensues and we have to support them. It is incomprehensible that with all of their emotional and medical difficulties with which they are compelled to cope the state adds more difficulties. Parents are complaining a lot, and justifiably so, about the services which Kadima Mada is supposed to provide for their children and we will struggle by their side as much as is required.
Dvora Gonen, mother of Israeli hiker Danny Gonenwho was murdered in June 2015 while traveling near the Israeli settlement of Dolev in the West Banktestified Monday at the trial of Muhammed Abu Shaheen , his accused killer. "If you think you have caused us to fall, you're wrong," she told Shaheen, "You will pay the heaviest price."

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"I don't give out (candy and treats), but am a mother who taught her son to love all people," she added, referring to the custom among some Palestinians of handing out candy in celebration after terror attacks against Israelis.

Dvor Gonen. "I am here as the mother of Danny and my other children." (Photo: Ofer Meir)

Gonen was summoned to testify after requesting that she be given the opportunity to take an active role in the trial, since she felt that the voice of bereaved families wasn't being properly heard.

"Speaking of Danny is like speaking of the light while facing the darkness, total darkness and total evil. Danny is the light, the absolute good. I am here as the mother of Danny and my other children," she decalred while on the stand, "Danny's spirit cannot be taken away."

The attack took place on June 19, 2015, when Gonen and his friend Netanel Hadad were driving away from a spring near the Dolev settlement in the Binyamin area of the West Bank. A Palestinian man signaled for them to stop as if to ask for help before firing at them from point-blank range, fatally wounding Gonen.
The Police Investigation Unit released a statement on Monday saying that the two Israel Border policemen filmed in Hebron taking a bicycle from an 8-year-old Palestinian girl and throwing it into the bushes will not be brought before a criminal hearing.

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It also said that the matter would be transferred for examination for possible disciplinary action within the police.

The statement made by the Police Investigation Unit said, The investigative department for police and the State Attorneys Office have decided to transfer the matter of the policemen who were filmed taking a bike from an 8-year-old girl in Hebron to the Command Disciplinary Department for professional officials authorized to examine such matters in the Israel Police.

Soldier throws bike into bushes (: )

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Following the conclusion of the investigation, the statement continued, it was decided that the evidence seems to indicate abnormal and unprofessional conduct by the policemen. However, having examined all the circumstances surrounding the incident, it has been determined that there is no room for continuing to look into the matter through criminal channels.

Incident of soldiers taking girl's bike (Photo: B'Tselem)

At the end of July Anwar Burqan, from the a-Salaimeh neighborhood in Hebron, near the Cave of the Patriarchs, was playing with her younger siblings in the street when she entered a road not far from her home which Palestinians are barred from entering.

Raed Abu Ramileh, who lives nearby, documented the incident for B'Tselem. Two-and-a-half weeks ago the two border policemen were investigated by the Police Investigation Unit under caution on suspicion of abusing their power. The Border Police also announced the suspension of soldier filmed throwing the bike.

The lawyers representing the two soldiers commented on the footage saying: What is seen in the video appears to be the mistreatment of a defenseless girl but is actually a case of protecting the girl who asked to cross into the Jewish quarter in the city. When the policemen realized that she was endangering herself and that they were not succeeding in communicating with her in her language, they took the bike from her to prevent the danger.
Fourteen years after he planned to poison Israelis in the popular Cafe Rimon in Jerusalem, Sufian Bakri Abdu was released from prison. Abdu headed the terrorist cell which planned to carry out the attack during the Second Intifada.

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His family prepared a welcome-home party in the neighborhood of Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem.

Abdu was arrested in August 2002 after he planned the poisoning attack and colluded with Utman Said Kianyah from Silwan, a chef in Jerusalems downtown Cafe Rimon. The two agreed that Abdu would provide Utman with the poison who would then put it in the cafe customers food and drinks.

Sufian Bakri Abdu tried to poison Israelis in Cafe Rimon

The poison was supposed to go into effect 15 hours after being consumed making it more difficult for authorities to identify traces of deliberate poisoning, making cardiac arrest a more plausible cause of death.

In an investigation carried out by the Israeli Security Agency at the time Abdu said that he intended to carry out the attack to avenge the death of a Hamas senior military wing activist Salah Shehade who was killed during an Israeli airstrike.

Sufian Bakri Abdu

The investigation also revealed that Abdu made contact via email with various Hamas activists and expressed his willingness to assist the terror organization. Furthermore, he offered to take responsibility for the organizations internet forum.

Moreover, Abdu enlisted his friend, Moussa Mohammed Nasser, into Hamas who managed to bring money and also recruit another friend who was an Egyptian engineer and assisted in the production of rockets.

Residents of Jabel Mukaber give terrorist a warm welcome home

Dozens of people participated in the limited reception prepared for Abdu. Maor Tzemach, Chairman of the organization 'Lach Yerushalayim' (To Thee Jerusalem), which seeks to apply Israeli sovereignty in all parts of Jerusalem, expressed regret at the release of the terrorist.

Unfortunately, the release of terrorists and nationalist prisoners in Jerusalem turns into a display of incitement against the State of Israel and support for terror, said Tzemach. Just as there are conditions for the release of terrorists bodies, there need to be conditions imposed when releasing (living) terrorists.

The Jerusalem Police have said that they will not rush to carry out preventative measures against the celebration of his release as long providing there are no characteristics of violence or public disturbances.
Dozens of people turned up to protest outside the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon Monday evening demanding the release of Bilal Kayed from Nablus who remains in administrative detention despite having completed his prison sentence.

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Kayed was sentenced to 14 years in prison in Israel after activities he carried out for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).

Crowds protest for release of Bilal Kayed (:  )

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Following the completion of his prison term, authorities imposed an administrative detention on him for an additional six months. In protest, Kayed went on hunger strike which continued for 62 days. Fellow PFLP prisoners also went on hunger strikes but stopped intermittently.

Protest outside Barzilai Medical Center (Photo: Barel Efraim)

As the protest continued the crowds outside the hospital became increasingly agitated and began shaking the gates in an attempt to force their way into the hospital. They waved Palestinian flags while calling on Israel to release Kayed: This is a hero who completed his sentence. The State of Israel has to release him, said one of the protestors.

The police presence was reinforced amid the rising tensions at the scene in an effort to quell potential violent outbreaks

Photo: Barel Efraim

One resident from Ar'ara in northern Israel, who participated in the demonstration said, The conduct of the hospital is like that of a prison. I am shocked that a hospital that is supposed to be humane, with medical ethics is trying to force-feed somebody. They say that he constitutes a danger but to who? He already declared a number of times that he will not return to military activities.

One week ago, thirteen people were arrested during clashes which broke out between Israelis and Israeli activists during a demonstration of solidarity with Kayed outside the hospital.
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The last frontierhome to hundreds of mountains that seem to scar the land, glacial rivers that wind through valleys and where millions of visitors travel each year to take in the sights.

However, for members of the 36th Airlift Squadron this place is known as the home of Red Flag-Alaska 16-3; where they will be conducting multi-service, multi-platform coordinated and combat operation exercises.

Red Flag is the premier exercise of the world where we can simulate to the max extent a real war and how we go about executing it, said U.S. Air Force Capt. Jon Van Pinxteren, 36 AS mission planning cell. For us, our mission here is to represent the airlift portion.

According to Van Pinxteren, the main part of that is the transportation of troops and equipment into the exercise areas.

Ideally we are going to achieve air superiority but thats never going to completely win the war, Van Pinxteren said. Fighters can shoot down enemy aircraft all day until the enemy has none left. But, If we need to occupy the country or control an objective, its going to be our ground forces doing the work and we bring them to the fight.

A big part of that for us is trying to keep the plane as stable as possible in the back," he added. "These guys are loaded down with hundreds of pounds of equipment, if they fall over on the plane they arent standing back up in time to get out of the airplane. At the same time, we have to be ready to react and actively defend the aircraft from threats to prevent the loss of lives.

To help accomplish this training 80 airborne soldiers from various U.S. Army units piled into two C-130 Hercules from Yokota for personnel drops.

The opportunity to drop personnel improves our proficiency capabilities, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Frank Laras, 36 AS mission commander. The exercise itself--being able to integrate with our army brethren to accomplish their objectives and meet our air force training capabilities--allows us to increase that interoperability of being able to go out there and execute when it matters most.

An exercises such as this is one of the many ways the C-130 aircrew prepares for real-world contingencies in ways they wouldnt be able to in Japan.

Its great to get to come out here to Alaska where some of the low-level flying restrictions arent put into place, said Laras. It gives the crews the opportunity to train for how to employ the C-130. The restrictions that we have back home in Japan sometimes gives that false sense of training, because we have to stay so high. So, coming out here and being able to participate in these exercises allows us to do what we do best.

A big part of Red-Flag is bringing units in from around the world to work together and decide on what training they need, bringing new experiences onto the table.

Its a great learning environment for our young crew and maintainers to understand the necessity to integrate with forces from everywhere, said Laras. On the operations side its coming together to make sure that we plan and prepare to the best of our capabilities, integrating our assets. For maintainers, its understanding the importance of their job knowledge and being able to quick turn aircraft to regenerate missions needed to successfully complete objectives.

With the exercise still underway, members of the 36 AS are expected to take full advantage of the training opportunities the last frontier provides and further demonstrate the importance airlift capabilities.
AFRC Community Spotlight: A8

Regulating money and deciding where it should be used is a challenging process, but it is one the A8 directorate focuses on every day. A8PE balances a five billion dollar budget every year and A8PB has the task of deciding which current and future missions are going to continue to receive that money. They both have to plan, allocate and justify the use of Air Force funding and mission requirements.



A8PE uses a broad system of checks and balances to oversee the money in the command and program it towards the appropriate efforts.



Their most important thing is to ensure resources are properly assigned so we can fund missions and ensure we are able to meet the commitments made to overall national strategy, said Col. Kenneth Ostrat, Chief Programs Division, A5/A8P.



A8PE is responsible for funding every division and directorate within Air Force Reserve Command. Their main focus is the Program Objective Memorandum process, which is where the office builds proposals illustrating to the Air Force how they intend to allocate available resources over the course of the current two years and the next four years thereafter. This is also known as the Future Years Defense Program.



Every year, the Air Force allows us to reallocate funds as the Air Force structure changes requirements, said Jeff Swanson, Program Analyst, A8PE. We must move resources properly so the Airmen can do their job.



Although sometimes the results of their input and where funding is approved may come as a surprise, the process they follow to get there isnt. This coordinated effort touches the same offices and avenues each year.



The recommendation process is always looking into the future. The POM process works two years in advance. For instance, this year they are budgeting for 2018. It is initiated in August every year with a collection of issues, site visits and the beginning of the justification process.



Once A8PE has their recommendations in place, they have to get approval from Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, Air Force Reserve Commander. After Lt. Gen. Miller approves it, it is presented to the Air Force in the spring.



At the Air Force Level, all MAJCOM options are reviewed by an O-6 representative from each major command at the Group, a 2-star review occurs at the Board, a 3-star review at the Council level, and finally it is approved by the CSAF and SECAF. Once the POM is approved by the Air Force, it goes on to Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), then to Congress, and finally signed by the President the following February when it is released to the public.



When you know, we know, said Swanson. The president announces the budget results at the same time to everyone.



Obviously such a large feat as this doesnt come without any challenges.



The most challenging part of our job is the number of disconnects we have, and the struggle for resources for our programs, said Swanson. We have more programs than we have resources so we have to decide which programs stay and which ones go. We come very prepared when it is time to ask for funds, or move around funds for our programs. The commander makes the ultimate decision.



We are constantly defending the resources, Swanson added. If we dont justify our funding needs it can be taken away. During sequestration, the Air Force lost ten billion dollars in 2015.



Even though some individuals perceive them as the bad guys, Swanson emphasized that they really do care and do their best to get the money where it should be to allow the Air Force Reserve to function at its maximum performance based on their resources.



The most rewarding part of this position is when we program the money to truly support the wings needs and we get it right, said Swanson. The directorate has worked for several years to move manpower and money into the proper positions so units have the resources that they need, when and where they need it. When we do our job well, the units can focus on their mission.



While A8PE is justifying the budget, A8PB is using that budget to make decisions that affect peoples lives. They have the tough task of deciding the fate of current and future missions.



Strategic basing evaluates real-world merits of bases and where it would be good to move and stand-up missions.



We are the linchpin for future strategy. We are responsible for planning and executing that strategy before it becomes operational reality, said Daniel Rhoades, Chief Strategic Basing & Total Force Integration, A8PB. We have to focus limited resources in the right location, while simultaneously aligning with the overarching Air Force mission and viewpoint.



It isnt always easy trying to align everyones goals. The Air Force Reserve has a role in the arena of every MAJCOM, with missions across the full spectrum of functions.



Making sure there are airplanes in the air and buildings on bases is a kind of weird and different mission, said Col Ken Ostrat, Chief Programs Division, A5/A8P. Most people dont dwell on that aspect of their job because it is more of the business arm of the force.



The best part of the job is standing up new units because everyone loves new missions and new resources.



If we are unknown, then we are doing it right. It should be seamless, said Ostrat.



In a time of fiscal restraint, Strategic Basing is unfortunately sometimes the bearer of bad news.



The hardest part of the mission is during a drawdown, said Rhoades. During the process we make sure Airmen and their families are taken care of. We want to retain their expertise and use their skills, but we try to do it with eloquence and concern because we really care about the people we are impacting.



In addition to basing, one of the things this directorate takes care of that people may not be aware of is their role in the Total Force Continuum.



TFC is an Air Force led effort to respond to Congress on how the Air Force Reserve can and will be integrated into all mission sets within the active duty Air Force.



The Reserve and Guard are more operational than they have ever been. It is a way to look at funding streams and effectively find ways to operate together within the battle space, said Rhoades. There are more requirements than we have people and resources to fill. In the future we will continue to see dramatic changes in how the Air Force executes its mission because the resources dont exist. Inevitably there will be functions that win and functions that lose.



Between their efforts with Strategic Basing, TFC and the POM process, the A8 directorate is keeping busy.



The people here are so very knowledgeable, the team is what makes the organization good, said Ostrat.




22nd Air Force changes commanders

Maj. Gen. Stayce Harris relinquished command of the 22nd Air Force to Maj. Gen. John Stokes during a change of command ceremony on August 8 in the banquet hall at the Marriot Hotel in Atlanta. Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, Chief of Air Force Reserve, Commander Air Force Reserve Command, officiated the military tradition that represents a formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding officer to another.



What an awesome career, Miller said of Harris career during her remarks. That journey continues as she pins on her third star and transition to the Pentagon.



Miller went on to highlight Harris distinguished career, thanked her for her commitment to the Airmen of the 22 AF for the past two years and noted that she will be the first Reservist to receive a third star beyond the position that Miller currently holds.



The 22 AF commands over 15,000 Airmen across 30 locations, boasts 16 units as well as three special Department of Defense missions which utilize the C-130 Hercules H and J model aircraft. Harris noted that a term had been coined perfectly for the explanation of the special missions: Earth, Wind and Fire.



Earth is Youngstowns aerial spray mission, Wind is Keesler with their Hurricane Hunters, and Fire is Peterson with their fire suppression, Harris explained. Those missions, flying the mighty Hercules, provide defense and safety for our homeland. So when you the 130 flying up ahead, its not only the sight and sound of freedom, but they are also protecting you every single day. I couldnt be prouder.



Harris also noted the challenges that the command continues to face. Even though one wing under the 22nd is closing, Harris highlighted the flexibility and dedication that the 22 AF Airmen continue to show in the face of adversity and noted that for every loss, there are gains.



What weve lost, weve gained, she said. Thats how the 22 AF has retained its relevancy, because weve gained the 932nd Airlift Wing, and were looking to gain even more in the future.



In her closing remarks, Harris expressed her sincere gratitude for the superior Airmen she commanded and all who had an impact on her career.



The 22 AF is the special missions [Numbered Air Force] that delivers 24/7 and 365 days a year, answering our nations call, she said. Im just so incredibly grateful to have this time with you and to have had the last 2-years with you.



Stokes acknowledged the capability of his new command, expressed his commitment to responsibility for the 22 AF Airmen. He highlighted the troops in the room by saying that they represent whats best about our country, their sacrificial service, their patriotism and their love of country.



For our airmen, you are our most important resource, he said. Ill fight to build your combat readiness and war fighting capacity, and protect the way of life that is unique to the Air Force Reserve.



Stokes went on to say that Airmen are the one percent, and he will continue to be an advocate for them. He exclaimed that excellence doesnt just happen and that Airmen shouldnt ever settle for mediocrity but continue to strive for excellence in all they do. He and his family are excited for what the future will bring, and he will continue to build upon the excellence set forth by Harris.



The challenge of our command is not only that were relevant today, Stokes said. But, also that we remain relevant tomorrow, and I accept that challenge.






MIDDLETOWN, Calif.  Firefighters are battling a 3,000-acre wildfire in Northern California that destroyed at least 175 buildings and forced about 1,400 residents to flee their lake community, authorities said Monday.

The fast-moving Clayton fire broke out late Saturday afternoon off Highway 29 and Clayton Creek Road, forcing the entire community of Lower Lake  located in Lake County, more than 100 miles north of San Francisco  to evacuate, officials said.

Bulldozer operators spent much of Sunday night and Monday morning carving extra wide fire lines along the town of Clearlakes eastern border in an effort to contain the blaze.

Extreme heat combined with the dry brush enabled the fire to grow overnight, burning about 1,400 acres and destroying four homes, according to Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire doubled in size Sunday as it reached Main Street in Lower Lake and burned the post office, a winery, a Habitat for Humanity office and several other businesses, according to The Associated Press. Sixteen patients at a hospital in neighboring Clearlake had to be transferred to another facility 25 miles away.

You cant imagine what took place, said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Scott McLean on Sunday evening. There was extreme fire behavior and winds that pushed it across the road into structure after structure after structure. We had airplanes dropping retardant, helicopters dropping thousands of gallons of water  trying to get ahead of this.

Fire officials said Lake County was particularly hard hit by the states lingering drought.

So when a fire ignites theyre able to move rapidly, Berlant said.

The fire is only 5 percent contained, said Undersheriff Chris Macedo of the Lake County Sheriffs Department.

Daytime high temperatures in Lake County, near the fire, are expected to hover around 100 degrees through midweek, said Eric Kurth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. By Thursday, the area should cool slightly, with high temperatures Friday and through the weekend projected in the lower 90s, he said.

The evenings are expected to be cooler, with temperatures forecast in the upper 60s, but theyre definitely warm evenings, Kurth said.

Its nothing thats extraordinary, not record-setting, but it is hot  its seasonably hot, Kurth said.

The Clayton fire is burning in an area between last years devastating Valley, Rock and Jerusalem fires, which broke out around the Lower Lake area.

Nearly 200 people forced out of their homes in Lower Lake spent Sunday night in an American Red Cross shelter set up at Twin Pine Casino & Hotel in nearby Middletown  a tiny town that was itself ravaged by the Valley fire, one of the worst fires in California history, just 11 months ago.

The casino was certainly ready: The Red Cross had left behind two trailers of cots and care kits when it pulled out of town last year, and the casino had opened itself up as a fire shelter even before being declared one, said Kyle Lewis, a spokesman for the casino.

Fire survivors as theyre called locally  people who lost their homes to last years fires  had lived for months in the casino and hotel. The last of them had left just a few weeks ago, Lewis said. And now the hotel is full again with members of the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California (which owns and operates the facility) and casino employees forced out of their homes by the Clayton fire.

The back-to-back wildfires have changed how Lewis, 37, a relative newcomer, views life in the rolling hills of Lake County. He was forced from his home last year for a week and considers himself lucky to have just had superficial property damage. He knows many others who lost their homes.

I think it has made us a very strong community that I am very proud of, he said.

At Hardesters Market & Hardware, which has anchored Middletown since 1943, clerks said they had already met their first double-fire survivors: a family burned out of Middletown by the Valley fire just lost their new home in Lower Lake just up the road. A cashier at the flower stand wondered aloud, as many in the community are doing, if the Clayton fire was arson.

Weve always had fires, but never this big, she said. And in the anniversary of the last three.

Store owner Ross Hardester said Lake County residents are devastated to be going through such loss again.

There was such a good buzz; we were starting to recover, he said. The town was swept by flames last year and had gotten through the first bleak month, and then the painful Christmas holidays, and was starting to see permits being issued and new homes going up on charred lots.

Now this, Hardester said. So many people are on edge again.

Tessie Espinosa and her husband and kids fled their Lower Lake house the moment they saw smoke.

Weve learned that you cant trust for warnings to get out, she said.

Espinosa is an administrator for the senior center in Middletown, where elderly clients interrupted her every few minutes Monday for updates on what was destroyed the night before and what was still standing in Lower Lake. Her tone was light and reassuring  but on the I am not sure list is her own house.

She pulled out her phone and showed a state map of the four major fires that have affected the region. She pointed at a small, unburned area in the center.

Thats where we live, she said.
Released late last week, Place Projects June Quarter Inner Brisbane Apartment report revealed that just 464 off-plan-plan apartment sales were recorded in the three month period, the lowest total since the December 2012 quarter.

The June quarter total for sales was 44% lower than the 828 recorded over the March quarter, while the weighted average sale price of $586,315 in the three months to June was 3% lower than the previous quarter.

Figures earlier this month from the Real Estate Institute of Queensland revealed the rental market for apartments in the inner Brisbane market is weakening compared to the rest of the city.

While the Place Project report claims the slowdown over the June quarter was driven by factors such as the federal election, changes to foreign buyer stamp duty arrangements and investor lending constraints, Brisbane based buyers agent Wendy Russell said the market in certain areas is struggling with the amount of new stock on offer.

In my opinion theres definitely some no-go zones you really need to stay away from. Places like Fortitude Valley and Newstead are ones where there is really some oversupply and its starting to impact their neighbouring suburbs as well, Russell told Your Investment Property.

[Oversupply] is definitely affecting the apartment market in those areas and weve definitely seen a slowdown in buyers looking at those areas. The prices seem to be coming down now as well, she told Your Investment Property.

While the available apartment stock in Brisbanes inner ring, which measures five kilometres out from the CBD, matches the price range of many investors, Russell said investors need to take a further step out from the city to find properties that are going to perform well.

Any investors that come to me with a budget around that $450,000 to $600,000 Im keeping out of those areas and the neighbouring suburbs as well because its starting to have a bit of a flow on effect, she told Your Investment Property.

Areas like Morningside, Hawthorne I think still have room to grow and then there are others like Churinga which has the university and students looking for accommodation. Theyre all in the 10 kilometre ring, but they arent neighbouring those suburbs that are really hit by the oversupply.

According to the Place report, the current slowdown will mean future projects in the inner Brisbane apartment market are of a higher quality as those who are not full time developers and industry professionals defer until the next property cycle, but Russell believes even best available properties will not be immune to current market conditions.

When you have a situation of oversupply like this you want to be looking for the properties that have a point of difference.

Things like an oversized courtyard or a ground floor apartment are ones to look for or even the older 80s style apartments because they typically have a larger footprint and offer some renovation potential.

If theres a scarcity factor to your property then thats going to help you maybe stay immune from whats happening with all the new projects, but in saying that I think the perception in the market is still going to impact them at the moment.

While there may be a negative perception with in inner Brisbane, Russell said investors, particularly those from outside Queensland, shouldnt let that colour their view of the entire city.

Theres a lot of talk around and lot in the media that is basically red flagging all of Brisbane, but really thats not the case.

The Brisbane market is still doing really well and I think it will continue to do well, but its just about being mindful of the particular inner city pockets that have been affected by oversupply.
As a homeowner, you probably already know that you should be working to maintain your home. But, chances are, you Read More
Dobra, k. Szczecina 900 m2

40 miejsc parkingowych



Atut: Dodatkowe dochody z paczkomatow InPostu, a juz niedugo i z myjni samoobsugowej.



Tradycyjny zakup nieruchomosci, mozliwosc wykupienia uzytkowania wieczystego.
PLATTSMOUTH  A Lincoln woman who received her third DUI charge earlier this year in Cass County learned Monday morning that she would spend time in jail.

Towaan B. Deng, 29, appeared in Cass County District Court for sentencing on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol-third offense. She pled guilty to the Class W misdemeanor count in July.

Deng had previously been convicted of DUI in both Nebraska and Minnesota. The Nebraska offense took place in Seward County in March 2011. The Minnesota offense happened in Rice County in November 2012.

A Nebraska State Patrol trooper arrested Deng in April after she struck another vehicle while backing up along the shoulder of a road. Her young son was in the back seat of her car at the time.

The trooper noticed the smell of alcohol on her breath and asked if she had been drinking. Deng said she had consumed three beers that day.

Deng failed a field sobriety test and a preliminary breath test at the scene. Authorities then conducted a chemical breath test at Cass County Jail. The second exam registered a blood-alcohol content level of .248.

Deputy County Attorney Richard Fedde asked the court Monday to send Deng to jail for at least two months. He said she had not stopped drinking after receiving a 90-day sentence in the previous Minnesota case. He also said Deng was an intelligent woman who seemed to realize the consequences alcohol has had on her life.

Its really up to her to decide whether she continues to drink or not, Fedde said. It is up to her to make those changes. She is clearly someone who cannot drink alcohol.

Defense attorney Julie Bear told the court Deng had been attending an outpatient treatment program for her alcohol issues. She said her client had also completed a chemical dependency evaluation and had accepted responsibility for her actions.

Judge Steven Burns ordered Deng to serve 90 days in Cass County Jail. Deng will begin her jail sentence Sept. 25.

Burns also ordered Deng to pay a $1,000 fine and serve two years on probation. She must continue treatment and will be subject to random tests for alcohol during her probation term.

Deng will also have her drivers license revoked for 15 years. She will be able to drive once she installs an ignition interlock device in her car. Burns told Deng that she must wait three years before she can obtain a permit for the ignition interlock device.